Set during S1 Ep5.
Did Right
"Tom. Tom, sweetheart," Ellie says gently, peering round the door into her son's bedroom.
He looks up from where he's knelt on the floor, packing his rucksack for the day ahead. "Yeah?"
"DI Hardy, the policema-"
"I know who he is, Mum,"
"Right, yes," she nods, coming into the room and sitting on the bed, "He says to tell you that you did really well, doing the reconstruction. Says you did right by Danny,"
Tom looks at her but doesn't reply.
"DI Hardy hardly ever praises anything so you should be pretty...chuffed, with that, Tom. 'S more than he's ever said about me," Ellie mumbles.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why's he always so...grumpy?" Tom asks, "You're a police officer, you're not grumpy,"
"Well," she answers, trying to sound fair, "People have different approaches..."
"You don't like him do you, Mum?"
Ellie eyes her son. "No. No, I don't much,"
"When he was round here the other night-"
"You were supposed to be in bed,"
"- there was loads of long silences. Like nobody knew what to say. Like you were scared of saying...stuff,"
"It wasn't scared, Tom. It was awkward. And you were meant to be asleep,"
"He scares me," Tom blurts.
"Oh, that's all an act," Ellie lies in a blasé voice, "He swoops around in his big coat growling and spouting rhetorical questions. He thinks it makes him look intimidating,"
Again, Tom doesn't say anything back.
"Whereas my approach is more kindness, cups of tea, connecting with people. There's no right or wrong. Hardy- Alec- is a really-" she stops herself saying 'bloody'- "good police inspector,"
Tom doesn't reply and gets back to packing his bag.
"He's one of the good guys, Tom,"
"I know! I'm not a baby,"
"Sorry. Of course you're not. But however intimidating and angry and...annoying he is, it's important to remember that he's helping me catch who it was who killed Danny,"
"Will you catch them, Mum?" he whispers, gazing at her solemnly. He's lost his innocence, these past weeks, Ellie notes sadly. He's grown up far too fast since Danny died. His eyes are so much older.
Ellie climbs off the bed and folds her son into a hug, one hand on his back, the other stroking his hair."Yes. Yes we will,"
She kisses his forehead, squeezes him and lets him go.
"Have a good day today, love,"
"Yeah. You too, Mum,"
"Yup. Shall I say hello to Hardy from you?"
"No. No, don't do that," he answers, flustered, "Mum, please don't,"
"Alright, alright. I was joking. I'll see you later,"
"Yeah. Bye,"
She closes him bedroom door and sighs glumly. She's barely seen him smile since Danny died. Which, well, is understandable- but he's a little boy. His dad's taking him out fishing and to the park and to the lido and says he seems okay then. But the second Ellie comes in the door he's reserved and miserable, his suddenly-old eyes gazing at the TV emptily. Ellie isn't sure if Tom'll ever go back to how he was before.
This murder's changed everything. Although with Mark's affair coming out, the questions surrounding Reverend Coates, and Hardy giving out praise to children, it seems that the investigation might be changing things even more.
Thank you for reading, please review.