**For Authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1
Misunderstood 3/?
Knocking on the door of Jack's home Gerry sighed angrily, she was refusing to answer her phone and when he went back to her place she refused to answer the door too he knew she was there, her car was in the driveway but clearly she didn't want to speak to him. She'd left his house for less than two minutes before he realised immediately that he'd been a tosser and he'd wanted to make it right straight away but clearly she wasn't planning on making it that easy for him. When he left her place he'd driven around trying repeatedly to get her to pick up the phone until eventually he gave up and found himself outside Jack's house. None of them knew her as well as Jack and right now it was more important that he get some advice on how to fix things than it was to avoid any embarrassment he might feel while telling his friend what had happened.
"Gerry what are you doing here I thought you were going to Sandra's with a takeaway to cheer her up when you left the pub." Jack said opening the door then standing aside to let him in.
"Yeah well I completely screwed up it's a long story but I need your advice." Gerry replied as they made it into the kitchen and Jack poured them both a drink as they sat at the table.
"What have you done and where does it come on the "pissed off Sandra" scale?" Jack sighed his concern growing as Gerry stared into his glass and took a deep breath before talking.
"Well you remember the time I got Catlin to score drugs when we were working on the ice cream bandit case and she barely spoke to me for a week?" He began pausing as Jack nodded "Well compared to this that was not even on the scale I've seriously fucked up and I don't know how to fix it."
"Jesus Gerry it's not another woman is it? If it is you can shove you advice I'll be sticking my toe up your ass as I kick you out the door."
"No of course it's not, you remember I told you I asked her if her and Barlow had a history and she said no?"
"Yeah well I didn't think they did only you immediately think if people are civil to someone from their past it's because they had a sexual relationship." Jack replied starting to get concerned about where this was going. He'd always known Sandra and Gerry would end up together eventually, and he'd always know the relationship was likely to be a fiery one but he'd expected it to last more than a few months before those arguments started.
"Well when I went to her place earlier he was there I saw them through the window and he was kissing her, so I left then she came to my place and said if I'd waited two more minutes I'd have seen her push him away and throw him out. Then she admitted that they had a one night stand while they were at Hendon and he thought he could pick up where he left off." Gerry explained knowing it was obvious from his tone that he was trying to justify his reaction in the hope Jack might agree with him even though he knew it was unlikely.
"So she explained everything why are you here and obviously not her favourite person at the minute?" Jack asked already knowing the answer.
"I didn't exactly react well when she told me, I accused her of lying to me because there was still something between them and said she was clearly thinking of leaving UCOS and that obviously meant leaving me too and that I didn't really know her at all. Basically if there was something I could say to screw things up I said it."
"Yeah it sounds like you did and what did she say?"
"She told me she was the one who didn't know me then she stormed out and told me she didn't want to see me again until I grew up a bit and maybe not even then I need to show her I'm sorry how do I do it though when she won't even talk to me?" Gerry sighed downing the scotch in his glass as Jack shook his head.
"First of all I'd say after you said all that to her you're lucky storming out was all she did. If it had been anyone else talking to her like that they'd be in A&E right now nursing a broken jaw." Jack replied knowing that he was right, Sandra Pullman didn't take crap from anyone and he was quite sure the only reason that she hadn't seriously injured Gerry was because she loved him so much. That said though he also knew his friend was going to have to do something dramatic to make it up to her.
"Don't you think I know that Jack? I know how lucky I am to be with her at all why do you think I got so jealous in the first place? I don't want to lose her but how can I not after saying everything I did?"
"All I can tell you is if you give up and spent the rest of the night sitting here getting drunk with me you'll have an even bigger bridge to build by the morning." Jack sighed. "Look when Mary and I used to fight and she told me she never wanted to see me again I learnt pretty quickly that meant I should come back grovelling asap, now granted I never accused her of infidelity but I'm going to take a guess that the principles are the same. Go back to her place and stand on the door step ringing the bell until she lets you in which she will eventually if only to stop the neighbours from gossiping about the fact that she has a man standing on her door step refusing to go away in the middle of the night."
"And how do I make her see how sorry I am? What if Barlow's there again, I mean if she has decided she doesn't even want to see me again maybe she'll be happy to take him up on his "for old time's sake" offer." Gerry replied mentally kicking himself as Jack frowned.
"Well you don't start by saying that anyway, you can't seriously think she'd throw away your relationship for Stewart Barlow do you?" Jack asked sighing as Gerry shook his head. "Well then why would you think the fact that you'd had a row would send her into bed with him?"
"I don't think that I don't even know why I said it. God Jack no one's been able to make me so jealous and insecure as she does I'm so scared of losing her, I'm not used to this normally I'm the one…well normally…"
"Normally you're the unfaithful or potentially unfaithful one so you don't know what it's like to be worried that you might lose the woman you love to someone else. I understand how you feel but Sandra isn't you, she loves you and she's been hurt too many times in the past to do that to you or anyone else. Now I've told you what I think you should do and when you get in there just explain to her that you overreacted because you love her and you're worried about losing her and when you've said all that then pray that she accepts it as a good enough explanation."
"Ok well wish me luck." Gerry replied leaving her house and driving away in the direction of Sandra's house.
"Good luck mate." Jack said to the empty driveway as Gerry drove away, "I have a feeling you are going to need all the luck you can get this time."