As the Cortina sped round the corner, Sam gripped the handle above the passenger window and closed his eyes.

'Outta the way! Blind prat!' Gene cursed as they raced through the streets of the city.

'Blimey, that was a close one, Guv!' Chris leant forward from the back seat.

'Nah, you missed him by a mile...' Ray's laconic tone broke off as he lit up.

Sam took another deep breath, and made himself relax. He longed for a proper seat belt, and the introduction of speed cameras - at least 15 years off by his reckoning.

'Guv, you ever think it might be an idea to slow down a bit?' he ventured.

'Oh shut up you pansy!' Gene dismissed his DI, 'Bit o' speed never hurt anyone.'

'And what about the innocent pedestrians?!'

'Well they should be watching out for the superior driver shouldn't they?' Gene grinned, 'Who were the bloody roads built for anyway?'

'Right on Guv!' cheered Chris from the back.

'Dunno why you're agreeing,' croaked Ray, 'You don't even have a car!'

'Yet.' Chris said, crossing his arms and settling back in the mustard colour velour.

'Guv, I really don't see why you find it necessary to drive at this speed.' Sam said, unable to stop himself.

'Don't start, Tyler..' Gene growled as he handbraked turned into the last remaining space outside North West Police HQ.

'Nice one, guv.' Chris nodded in appreciation as he climbed out of the back of the car.

Sam sat, white knuckles gripping the dashboard, his left eye screwed shut tight.

'Dear God..' he whispered through clenched teeth.

'Pansy' Ray hissed in his ear and levered himself across the back seat and out of the vehicle.

Sam let go of the leatherette interior and started to breath again.

As he did so, the car radio crackled into life.

'Sam?' a voice said softly, a voice he instantly recognised as his mother.

'Mum?'

'Sam, darling, it's me. I'm sorry I wasn't here over the weekend, but your Nan wasn't well.'

'Nan? What's the matter with Nan?' Sam had a flashback to his maternal grandmother, a tiny bird of a lady who had helped raise him when his perfidious father had run out on him and his mum.

'Sam, she's a very old lady now, and you know how her heart is. She's in the hospital now, and the doctors say she hasn't got long...'

Sam pressed his open hand to his mouth.

'Oh god, Nana..' he whispered, remembering the elderly lady who had knitted him sweaters all the way through school, and then his university scarf when he first left home, how she always patted his hand when they sat and talked, about the pervading hint of lavender surrounding her when she hugged him.

'She keeps asking about you, Sam. You remember how she used to read my tea leaves?'

'Yeah, I remember.' Sam leaned closer to the radio.

'We used to laugh didn't we, you and me. Nana and her premonitions.'

'Mum, what are you trying to tell me?'

'Sam, she says you're going to be alright. She keeps telling me not to worry about you, that you are happy where you are, that someone is looking after you.'

Sam heard his mum start to softly sob.

'Mum, I want to come home! I miss you! I want to come back - but I don't know how!'

He stopped as his mother started to speak again.

'Sam, she told me to tell you that she loves you, and she's sorry that she won't get to speak to you again. Your Nan has said you can have that picture of her you always liked and you're to have your granddad's watch. She said to tell you that she knows that you want to come home, but that she knows you've got the chance to be happy where you are, and that you're stopping yourself because you're trying so hard to come home.'

'Mum! I want to come home. How can I be happy here?'

All he heard was static on the radio and then silence.

He put his face in his hands and tried not to cry.

What was the point in being here? What good was he doing here?

He was alone. No one cared about him.

Gene Hunt was a loose gun on the streets of the city, Ray brimmed over with animosity towards him, Chris was so easily led by the two older men, Sam wondered if he was actually taking in anything he was trying to teach him, or whether it was all water off a duck's back.

Really, thought Sam as he surveyed the car he sat in, and the concrete towers surrounding him, the only person I can talk to and who even makes the effort to try and understand me is...

Annie.

The thought ran like an electric shock up his spine and made his head snap up.

Annie cared about him, she talked to him, she listened to him, there were even times when Sam was convinced she was flirting with him.

Maybe his Nana was right. Okay, so her track record wasn't perfect, but she did tell me not to go to that Pink Floyd gig so I didn't - and then the seating I would have been on had collapsed, he remembered.

And she'd been scarily spot on about his degree marks.

And about his mum's lottery win. Alright, so it was only £500, but it meant his mum could go on the holiday with her sister to Spain when she thought she couldn't afford it.

The more Sam thought about it, the more it made sense.

His Nana couldn't bear it when he was sad.

Right, he thought, the very next time I see Annie, I'm going to ask her out. I don't know where, but it won't be down the Railway Arms. I'm going to take her out for a meal, or to a gig, or just for a long walk and a drink somewhere...

He got out of the car and stretched himself out.

'You alright Sam?'

He spun round, flushing slightly in embarresment to be found stretching like an idiot on the pavement in the middle of the city.

'Hi Annie!'

She looked him up and down, and smiled at him.

'Another white knuckle ride with the Guv?'

'Er, yeah, something like that.' Sam stood to one side as a couple more uniformed officers walked past them on the pavement.

'So,' he said, 'Good day on the hard streets of Manchester?'

'Yeah, it's been okay. I must have walked miles today though. And I'm stuck inside tomorrow with Phyllis on the front desk.' Annie pulled a face.

'I thought you liked that?' Sam asked her.

'Well, it's a bit, I dunno, scary at times. I like being out 'n' about, seeing people, helping them. When I'm stuck in the station, all I see is Phyllis fretting and uniform dragging in their arrests. I just feel a bit trapped, y'know?'

'Yeah, I think I do. I hated being stuck behind a desk all day long, endless meetings, policy documents to be read and reviewed, reports having to be written..'

'Where was this?' Annie looked confused.

'Er, Hyde.'

'Oh right. The mythical world of Hyde again.'

An awkward silence fell between them.

Annie shifted her bag on her shoulder and Sam shuffled his feet.

'Sam..' Annie started to say.

'Annie,' Sam said at the same time.

They smiled, embarresed again.

'Go on,' Annie nodded at him.

'No, after you.' Sam held his hand out to her.

'No, it was nothing really. What did you want to say?'

Sam took a deep breath. Okay, he told himself, just remember how you practised this while you where shaving this morning, keep it casual and friendly so if she turns you down, it won't be awkward between you.

'Annie, I wondered, if you'd like, maybe, sometime this week - or weekend if you're busy, whether you'd like to, well, goforadrink.'

The last few words came out in a one word rush of nerves.

'Oh!' Annie was wide eyed in surprise, and she paused for a moment.

'Tyler!'

A shout made both of them start, and look up to the top of the steps, where Gene Hunt stood tapping his watch.

'Guv?'

'Put Cartwright down and get your arse in gear! Now!'

Sam dropped his chin down to his chest as Gene spun on his heel and marched off back to the office.

Annie quietly cleared her throat, and Sam turned back to face her.

'Sorry, I've gotta go,' he said, pointing back over his shoulder.

'Okay,' Annie nodded at him.

'I'll catch you later then?'

'Sorry?'

'I mean, will you be at the Arms later?'

'I might be.' Annie told him in a teasing tone of voice.

'Oh, well I might buy you a drink then.' Sam teased back.

They walked briskly back to the buildings that housed NW Constabulary and Sam held the door open for Annie.

He headed towards the main staircase and she towards front desk to where Phyllis and another Sgt where searching through files.

Sam loped up the stairs, catching sight of Annie through the open plan steps, and sighed at another lost opportunity.

Well, he told himself, I did ask. And we might be meeting up later in the pub.

He told himself that would have to be enough for now.

Back at his desk, he found Chris standing clutching a file and looking nervous.

After proof reading his latest report, Sam congratulated the younger man on his improving typing skills and started to clear his desk for the end of the day.

But his mind was still on whether Annie would, or would not be at the pub at some point that evening.

As he clipped paper together and stacked his 'filing - to be done' tray, his phone rang.

'Tyler, CID...'

'Sam?'

'Annie! Hello! You okay?'

He heard a slight giggle down the line, making him smile too.

'Yeah, I've managed to survive since we last spoke all of - oooh - an hour and a half since!'

'So, what can I do for you then?'

He heard Annie take a deep breath, and it made his nerves jangle. She wasn't going down the pub after all.

'What can you do for me, DI Tyler? Oh, I dunno. Maybe pick me up on Saturday night for a drink?'

'Great!' Sam couldn't contain the pleasure in his voice, ' Where would you like to go?'

'Tell you what,' Annie told him, 'We could discuss it over a drink in the Railway's Arms in about a half hour?'

'I can do that...' Sam said, grinning his face off.

'Right, well, I'll see you there then,' and they hung up.

Sam spun round in his chair, ignoring the creaking of the wood and protest of the ballbearings in the seat.

CID was empty, everyone had gone either home or down the pub already.

'Yes!!' Sam leapt up, punching the air, 'Come on!'

And grabbing his coat he headed for the locker room, a spring in his

step and a very stupid grin on his face.