Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with New Tricks.
A/N: Another one-shot, slightly less humourous than the last one but please review, all comments welcome. Oh, and I'll leave the ending to your imagination;)
They were on their own in the pub, unusually for a Friday night. The Lara Waters case had taken it's toll on Jack, some nights they'd been working until ten. Esther had demanded that Brian should spend some 'quality family time' with her and Mark, in the form of a meal out and a theatre performance. Gerry decided he had never been more in need of a decent pint and some equally good female company. That female company happened to be a fatigued but still radiant Sandra, sat across the table from him, drinking her dry white like her life depended on it.
"I wonder how Brian's getting on watching 'Les Miserables'?" She mused, breaking the companiable silence.
"You never know, it might become his new obsession," he chuckled.
She smiled and they fell into silence again, him swirling his pint around and her staring into space.
"I couldn't do it without you," she stated suddenly.
"Do what?" he asked, confused.
She sighed. "Work, UCOS, you know…" she trailed off, probably regretting opening her mouth.
Her companion raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Why? You're perfectly capable of doing your job by yourself, aren't you?"
"It's just, if I was working with Jack and Brian without you I'd be as mad as a hatter by now, anybody would, you're the only one who keeps me sane cooped up in that bloody office five days a week, what with Strickland on my back constantly, the mountains of paperwork and rules to comply with," she babbled on, most likely desperate to get herself out of the situation she'd gotten herself into.
The only response he could think of in reply to that was: "Jack isn't mad."
She too raised an eyebrow in skepticism.
'Bloody hell. Sandra Pullman has just declared she needs you and you start talking about Jack, for God's sake,' his mind retorted.
She was looking uncertain, awkward even. Probably about to scarper, thinking she'd said too much. Shit Gerry, say something!
"I fancy…a Chinese,"
"Good for you,"
'Shit, she's gone back to 'guv' status again. Say something better, come on now, think…
"Sandra, I need you too ,more than I think, more than you think, just accept it,"
She did that really cute thing where she tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled a little.
"I know, I've already realised it, only saying it is hard for me," she admitted gently, "Anyway, let's go for that Chinese, I know the most amazing little place," she declared excitedly, clearly proud of her expertise in finding good restaurants,and back to her normal 'off-duty' self.
NTntNTntNTntNTntNT
The evening had been, overall, full of new things. He was glad they'd shared that particular truth, sometimes they just needed to hear that sort of thing, probably just to keep them sane. He had discovered that seaweed actually tasted better than it looked, especially with fried rice. The most interesting finding though was the fact that Sandra did some strange things when she was drunk on rice wine.