Their Own Silk Stalking

by: Athena13

Summary: Salvaging Noir. The fall-out from Tom's mania of the last episode(s) of the series. Taking Tom's actions and his words to heart Cassy decides that it's past due for the divorced couple to be out of each other's lives. Tom has some feelings of his own to sort out and a career to save. After years of stubbornness and pride, fate decides to lend a hand.

Author's Notes: The story pre-supposes knowledge of the events of the last two-part episode of Silk Stalkings -Noir. I for one was extremely disappointed and disgusted by these episodes and this story has been festering below the surface all these months and is now just pouring out. Not much editing has been done yet, so feel free to send along corrections and suggestions! My mantra is that this episode needs to be saved! It was an insulting bit of tripe that ignored the years of character development and the mood of the show. The only saving grace was that Janet Gunn got to direct the last part and act her heart out! It was nice to see emotion between those two.

As a reminder, here is a synopsis (and review) of Noir:

Tom announces his engagement to Virginia ("Hair Girl"), a woman we never heard of or saw before and whom he has apparently been dating for three months. He takes Cassy out for a fancy lunch to tell her about his engagement and it becomes obvious before he begins that it won't be as easy and painless as he assumed. Though not surprised, Cassy seems a bit shell shocked by the news and Tom is uncomfortable. Not much attention is paid to this emotionally pivotal scene and we quickly are brushed off for more Hair-Girl.

While out shopping with Hair-Girl, Tom sees a man with a gun leave a store and follows him up to the roof where he shoots the man. The police don't find a gun and he's accused by the investigating officers (one of whom is the partner of a cop that Cassy and Tom sent to prison for killing his wife - Burmeister) accuse him of trying to act macho for his Hair Girl leaves him claiming she's horrified he could kill someone (ha ha).

Suspended and under investigation by the police and Internal Affairs, Tom runs off and investigates his own case, eschewing help from his friends. Along the way he finds out some suspicious things about his now-ex Hair-Girl, including the fact that the man he killed was her husband. Tom skips town to follow his leads. He leaves a credit card trail, drinks a lot, gets into brawls and sleeps with his conniving ex knowing that she is a con woman.

Cassy is meanwhile put on leave and ordered to stay away from Tom's case, orders she promptly ignores and which, ultimately, Harry himself disobeys. Both make some pertinent discoveries, including evidence showing that Tom was set up by Hair-Girl. Cassy, meanwhile, follows Tom and warns him IA is on the way (out of their jurisdiction!) to arrest him and that he should run (how out of character for our rule following Cassandra). Rather than being grateful, he accuses her of being a spy, that marrying her was his biggest mistake (not Hair-Girl!) AND that he never loved her, even as he defends his continuing obsession with the traitorous Hair-Girl and his twisted desire to "save" her. As we would expect, these words devastate Cassy emotionally and physically and we finally see her cry. Tom, suddenly repentant, tries to take it back but she doesn't let him off the hook so easily. Still, despite this heart wrenching scene we are cheated again and the emotional impact of the scene is cut short so we can see Tom sleep with Hair-Girl again.

BUT, Tom leaves the bed of the 1973 Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader-Playboy-bunny wannabe to think about how nasty and cruel he was to Cassy and decides to risk his freedom to make it up to her. His thinking is still screwed up, however, he wants Hair-Girl to tell Cassy he was sorry if he doesn't make it as he plans to sacrifice himself for we are not sure what cause!

In the end, Hair-Girl betrays Tom a couple of more times and ends up dead by her own stupidity and with Tom at the wheel (whom she had just shot, duh). Tom tapes a confession in Harry's office as he binds his wound. Cassy shows up. She has heard most of his confession, but is unimpressed by his claims that he didn't mean what he said.

As he's being led away Tom asks Cassy where do "they" go from there. Cassy dispassionately says she doesn't know.

©1999 Athena13

Disclaimer: This is a fiction story based on the series Silk Stalkings and its characters created and owned by Stephen J. Cannell and USA Networks. This story is not being sold for profit and no infringement of any copyright rights are intended. All unrecognized characters and plot lines are mine and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental