Day four
His eyes snapped open at six in the morning. The duvet was on the floor, the sheets were wrinkled and he felt like he hadn't slept a wink. He had a head ache, what felt like a slight temperature and was so thirsty his throat itched. It was a far cry from the previous night's blissful slumber. Gerry groaned as he got up.
'No chance of getting any more sleep.' he thought to himself as he walked down the stairs to get a glass of juice from the kitchen. He caught a glance of himself in the mirror in the hall and had to take a few steps back to have another look at his fatigued features. Jesus, how red could a pair of eyes get? He looked like he'd been crying in his sleep all night. That would explain the head ache and the mild fever.
Having poured himself a glass of juice, he walked into the living room. 'What now?' He sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch, turning the tv on at a random channel. Postman Pat. He clicked the remote control. In the bloody Night Garden. He clicked it again. News. The Red Cross was collecting money for the victims of the earthquake. Nick Clegg was dodging questions on immigration policy. And someone had let loose a flock of sheep in Westminster.
Gerry chuckled lightly. He'd like to do the same in The Strick's office some day. He had a feeling that Brian and Jack wouldn't be adversed to the idea either. But how would he ever manage to smuggle a herd of sheep past Sandra?
He longed to be back at work again.
xx
At lunchtime he got up from the sofa. His stomach was making unnerving noices and he knew that the only way of calming it was by giving it an edible offering of some sort. He decided to go for baked beans on toast. The traditional English lunch. With the added bonus that he didn't need to go shopping. Which in turn meant that he didn't have to get dressed just yet.
He was just stirring the beans when he heard the door slam. "Dad?" a voice came tentatively.
"In here."
Caitlin appeared in the door opening. "Why aren't you at work?" She took in her fathers appearance, dressed only in boxers and unbuttoned shirt. "There isn't a woman upstairs, is there?" she exclaimed half amused and half disgusted.
"No." he retorted. "There isn't."
"Well thank god for that." Caitlin said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "So why are you at home in the middle of the day?"
Gerry shrugged and tried to think of a believable lie. "Um, Sandra's at a seminar so me, Jack and Brian took the day off." It sounded credible enough.
Caitlin stared at her dad, clearly not impressed. "So you snuck off just like that?"
"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked insted of replying to her earlier statement.
"Just came by to get a book." she said as she went into the living room and started going through the book shelves. Finding what she had come for, she went back to the kitchen.
Gerry had buttoned up his shirt by now. "Lunch?" He offered as he took the pan off the stove.
While they ate the spartan meal, she chatted on happily about friends and work. Gerry asked a couple of questions, trying at all times to keep the conversation focused on her. He hated lying to his daughters, but felt he couldn't tell the truth this time. Even being the one in the right, he wasn't able to tell them about the inquiry.
When she was leaving she suddenly asked. "Why is there a hole in the door window?"
"Oh, that." Gerry muttered. "I bumped into it on my way out. Just haven't got 'round to fixin' it yet."
She gave him a concerned look. "So that's what cut your cheek?"
"Yeah." He was releaved that she was leaving so he wouldn't have to spin her any more stories.
As he opened the door for her, someone was coming up the path. It was Strickland. Shit, he thought to himself, but forced out a smile. "DAC Strickland." he said as way of greeting.
"Mr Standing." The younger man replied, obviously no love lost between the two of them.
Caitlin gave Gerry a quick peck on the cheek. "You're busted." she whispered into his ear.
'She has no idea how right she is.' Gerry thought to himself as he waved goodbye to his daughter and let his boss in. Then he let the door fall closed behind him.
Strickland turned towards him without a smile. "You're finally at home, I see. Good." he said and walked into the living room uninvited.
Gerry threw him an angry glare as he followed him in. He wasn't about to offer the guy a coffee, that much was sure. He felt like there was no limit to his distaste for the DAC.
Strickland sat down on the couch. "We got the answers back on the dna. It matches."
Gerry sat down in a chair. "I could have told you that." he said, then continued wryly "Come to think of it, I did tell you that."
"All right, all right." Strickland said, looking angrier. Then in a more level tone, trying to calm Gerry down. "Believe me, I'm just as upset about this as you."
'Wanna bet!' Gerry thought to himself, but managed to keep quiet. He did, however, give Stricks a glare that said as much.
"We are doing all we can. But you know how the burocracy is." Strickland continued.
Gerry didn't feel like dignifying the comment with an answer. He kept glaring at Stricks, not saying anything.
Strickland coughed. He looked a bit nervous when Gerry didn't reply. "We are doing all we can." he repeated. But he didn't sound so sure about it anymore.
And Gerry still kept quiet. He had no plans on making the DACs life any easier. On the contrary.
Strickland was baffled. Why wouldn't Gerry say anything? He was usually the first to speak up, always had a comment with a little thorn ready for him. Why had he all of a sudden stopped talking? Strickland sqirmed slightly on the couch. "Yes." he said just to say something.
This got no answer either. Gerry just sat in his chair, hands in his lap and stared at his boss in an openly hostile manner.
Strickland gave a small laugh as he got up. He really was nervous now. "I'll let you know when we have any news." he mumbled and made for the hall.
Gerry didn't even get up, he let his boss find his way out on his own. 'He's a big boy, he'll manage.' he thought to himself. He was ragingly angry but didn't know what to do. As soon as he heard the front door close he jumped up from the chair. He spun around and stalked upstairs. Short of punching The Strick or breaking something valuable, a long hot shower was what he needed.
He stood under the near scolding water and felt the pent up anger disappear a little more for every drop of water that hit his back.
xx
Sandra threw the door to the UCOS office open. She was raging mad. She kicked a chair that happened to block her way. She kicked it hard, making both Brian and Jack jump. Without a word, she went into her office and shut the door with a very loud bang.
She dialled the familiar number and listened to the signal ring four times before she threw the receiver down. She looked at the clock on the wall. A quarter to four. She picked her keyes up and stormed out with as much drama as she had come in only a minute earlier.
Jack and Brian were sat, mouths agape, for a long time. They'd never seen their boss look that angry before, which said a lot. She looked like she was about to kill someone. Even more than usual. And they felt sorry for who ever the poor git would be.
Jack glanced over at Brian at the desk beside his own when a thought hit him. "Gerry." he stated.
Brian nodded. "We'd better warn him."
xx
Sandra drove like a maniac all the way to Gerry's street. The twenty minute drive only took her fourteen today. She slammed the breakes right outside his house and got out. She felt like there was a black cloud hanging over her head and lightning all around her.
Having made it quickly to his door, she banged and banged until he opened it.
It didn't take him long to get to the door. After Jack's curious phone call he had expected her to show up at any minute.
"What the hell have you done now?" she barked at him as she stormed past him into the flat. She was loud enough to almost make him go deaf. And to alert all the neighbours to it.
Gerry didn't know what she was on about. He'd seen her angry enough times to have gotten some sense of how not to provoke her even more. But he'd never ever seen her this steaming. Fortunately, he didn't have to ask what she meant, as she soon continued.
"I've had Strickland on my back all afternoon. He was so upset he couldn't even talk. What did you do to him, you moron!" Didn't the man understand that pissing the DAC off was not a clever thing to do when you were under investigation for assault. God, he could be thick sometimes.
Gerry went into the living room and hoped she would follow.
She did. Shouting all the way. "Don't you dare walk away when I'm talking to you!"
He turned around and replied calmly. "I didn't do anything."
"What do you mean you didn't do anything?" she spat. She knew enough to know that Strickland wasn't a man it was easy to ruffle. She'd never managed as much herself. And that was saying a lot. But she also knew that Gerry didn't right out deny things he'd done. Talk around and wriggle away, yes. But lie? No. Not to her, he wouldn't dare.
"I didn't do anything." he repeated in the same calm manner. "Now sit down."
She sat down. She didn't know what else to do.
He sat down beside her on the sofa. "Do you want a cup of tea?" he asked, as if she had never even raised her voice.
"No." she yelled. "I want you to tell me what's going on!" She looked more confused than angry now.
Gerry sighed and leaned back. "Strickland came o'er for a chat. And I didn't chat. So he flew away in a fluster like the drama queen he is."
Sandra was gobsmacked. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Take it from the beginning."
He moved closer to her. "Right. Stricks came over. He told me he is just as upset about the whole thing as I am ..." He pulled a face.
She snickered. "Yeah, right."
"I know. And I know he expected me to tell him that. Which I didn't. I didn't reply at all."
She urged him on with the story. "Then what?"
"He gave me another couple of platitudes that I didn't reply to either. And in the end he just got up and practically ran out. Seemed scared, frankly." He chuckled at it.
She looked at him for a long time. Then she too chuckled. The soft chuckle soon turned into a hearty laugh. She seemed to have calmed down totally.
"So what happened to get your knickers in such a twist? Jack called me in a state of panic and told me to bolt the door." He asked, looking fondly back at her.
Rolling her eyes, she told him that Strickland had called her into his office soon after he had come back to the Met. His voice had been strange and he had hardly been able to talk in whole sentences, just seemed very shook up about something.
Gerry straightened his blue and green chequered tie. "So, naturally, you assumed that I had done something horrible?" he asked her, a quizzical look on his face.
"Naturally." she replied with a broad smile.
He bowed his head and gave her a look of mock hurt.
"Oh, come on." she groaned and pulled a face. "It's not like you're the best of friends."
"But thinking that I would be capable of ..."
She cut him off with a glance. "I know what you are capable of, Gerry."
He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "You do, do you?"
She swatted his arm playfully as she got up and walked into the hall before he'd be able to see the blush that crept onto her cheeks at the tought. She glanced at her watch. Almost half past four. "Pub?"
"Sure." he said and grabbed his keys. "But I bet you a tenner Jack and Brian won't dare turn up."
xx
An hour later, she had to concede that he was right. For once.
"Don't look so gloomy about it." Gerry said as he took the ten pound note she handed to him. "It just shows how much respect they have for you."
"Fear, you mean." she said, but a smile was tugging at her lips.
"Yeah. That, too!" he laughed.
She looked sternly but playfully at him. "I believe you just tricked me out of some money. Now go make yourself useful and get the next round in."
He walked over to the bar.
Sandra looked around the corner. "You can come out now, boys." she said. She'd seen them arrive ten minutes earlier and had gestured to them to keep away for a while. So, obviousl, they had sat down just behind the corner to be able to eavesdrop all they wanted.
When Gerry returned to the table with a pint and a glass of white wine, Jack and Brian had appeared like out of the blue.
"Thank you." Sandra said contentedly when she received her drink. "And I believe you own me some money." She took a sip of her wine and gazed innocently up at Gerry.
He groaned as he fished up two notes for her. "Okay, okay. When did you have time to call them?"
"Would I?" she asked in the same innocent voice, fluttering her eyelids at him.
"Yes." all three men around the table stated in unison.
"So," asked Jack when he was content that Sandra wasn't furious anymore but actually seemed to be in a good mood again. "What happened with Stricks?"
Sandra laughed heartily. "This one gave him the silent treatment." she said in between chuckles and pointed towards Gerry.
"What?" Brian was confused.
"I just stared silently at him for a while. Seemed to make 'im nervous. He almost shit himself in the end, couldn't get out fast enough." Gerry explained.
"Classic." Sandra quipped happily.
"But don't you dare steal my technique, now that I've finally found something that works on him." Gerry challenged.
"I won't." Sandra said. "As long as you don't try the same thing with me."
"Oh, no. Wouldn't work anyway." Gerry said sadly.
Jack laughed so hard he almost fell of his chair at this.
Sandra stared at Gerry for moment before she, too, burst out laughing again. Gerry sighed happily and Brian just sat there staring at the three of them. Sometimes he didn't understand his colleagues at all.
xx
When the others had been off, she had asked him how he was doing. He had told her about the previous night. So when she had asked him if he wanted to stay at hers tonight it hadn't been a very difficult choice.
And here they were, in her hall. She was closing the door and he stood looking at her. He wanted so badly to kiss her but was afraid of her reaction. So he didn't. There were some lines you didn't cross. And there were some times when Sandra made him stiff with fear.
Him being here in itself was a line he wouldn't have dared cross only a few weeks ago. And he was almost confident that the day would come when he would be able to just walk up to her and kiss her. Just like that. Not at work, obviously. Maybe not even ever in public. But here, in the privacy of her flat. Her flat, that she had given him an open invitation to. Yes, here it would be possible.
"You okay?" she asked him when he hadn't moved at all in a couple of minutes.
He snapped out of his musings and nodded. "Yeah." he said and gave her a smile.
"Good. Come on then, you chose the restaurant." She had made it clear that since it was Thursday, it was take out day. Just like on the Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Wednesdays were left over day.
"Chinese. That's me done." he said and sat down at the kitchen table.
She laughed at him. "Oh, you naive little thing." She picked a large pack of papers, the size of a phone directory for the whole of Greater London, out of a cupboard and put it in front of him on the table. "Here you go."
He looked up at her. "What's this?" he asked suspiciously.
She just pointed to the papers and turned away to open a bottle of wine.
Gerry looked at the first leaflet in front of him. Indian take out. The next was for a pizza place. Then came another Indian. A Chinese. Nepalese. Indian. Pizza. Indian. Kebab. Pakistani. Italian. Pizza. Chinese. Sushi. Indian. Russian. Chinese. He skimmed through the papers in the thick pack. All different take out places. He chuckled lightly. "You do come prepared."
"I've already tried the ones on top. See if you can find any good ones deeper down."
He shook his head in disbelief but did as she said. After having chosen a Chinese fusion place he made the call.
Twenty minutes later, they were sat in front of the television enjoying spring rolls, roasted duck and noodle soup. By the time they were about to crack open the fortune cookies, they had almost gone through the bottle of wine already. The awkwardness that had sometimes shown its ugly head in situations like these was apparently pestering someone else tonight. Sandra and Gerry were completely at ease with each other so close by.
'There's no one I'd rather share this evening with', Sandra realised. An overwhelming sensation of joy flooded her. She hadn't felt so good about herself in a very long time.
She cracked open her cookie and read the message. "You'll always get what you want through your charm and personality." She smiled contentedly.
"Yeah." Gerry quipped, "And if that doesn't work, you'll get it through blackmail or plain old bullying." He gave her a soft look.
"I don't bully." She tried half heartedly.
"Yes, you do." Gerry said smilingly. "That's why you're so good at your job." It was a backwards compliment, but a compliment nonetheless.
She smiled back at him, charm turned on at a hundred percent. "Thank you." she said softly.
He chuckled lightly as he opened his cracker and unfolded the long piece of paper. "Bad luck and ill misfortune will infest your pathetic soul for all eternity." he read confusedly.
"Let me see that." Sandra said and snatched the paper from him. It did read what he'd said. She eyed the paper suspiciously. "Never am I getting food from them again."
Gerry didn't answer. He was occupied with looking miserable and feeling sorry for himself. What were the chances that he'd be the one to get that fortune message? He felt really rotten about himself. Nothing was coming his way.
But when he felt a soft hand trail the outline of his cheek, he had to change his opinion. Some things were better than ever. He looked up and found himself staring into a pair of compassionate deep blue eyes. It was electrifying.
She caressed the side of his face. He was so smooth and soft. Not at all as rugged as he looked from time to time. She smiled at him, feeling her whole body warm up under his gaze.
He replied to her smile by cocking his head to the side and placing a little kiss on the inside of her palm. When he looked up at her again, she beamed with happiness. She was radiant. Stunningly beautiful. And all that from just a small kiss on the hand. Imagine what she'd look like ... 'No, Gerry, no. Down boy. Not now.' he told himself.
But apparently Sandra had different ideas. She sneaked her hand to the back of his head and pulled him closer at the same time as she leaned closer to him. When they were only inches apart, she stopped. She kept looking into his mesmerizing dark blue eyes. They seemed to want to take her in. She closed her eyes as he closed the final distance between them.
The kiss was soft and sweet. Nothing like the rough, posessive thing she'd dreamed of for months now. It was tender. Her head spun and she sighed happily into his lips. This was exactly what she needed. And furthermore, it was exactly what she wanted.
When they broke off after a few seconds, he looked flustered. Happy, but slightly uncertain of what effect the contact would have on everything. It had been so small and somehow so large a gesture at once.
Sandra, however, didn't have any thoughts at all. It felt as if her brain had been blinded by an all encompassing white fog of bliss. She smiled happily as she let her hand rest on his neck. She revelled in just sitting beside him on the sofa and sharing the quiet aftermath of their first kiss.
When he saw her reaction and had time to study her beautiful face and find nothing more than love in her features, he rexaled.
And suddenly the flame that had sparkled to life inside of him didn't want to be contained anymore. He needed to feel her skin. To trace the outlines of her beautiful body.
Gerry put his arm around Sandras back, drawing her closer to him. She complied happily, inching closer so that the small distance they had kept between themselves now wanished. He let his hand wander slowly over her back, feeling the heat radiate from under the thin grey cardigan she was wearing. There was no turning back now. But as neither had any intentions of turning back anyway, it was all for the best.
The increased contact made something deep inside of Sandra burn. She wanted more. She gripped his neck tighter and captured his lips again. This time more forcefully. More eagerly. She could feel his hands tightening on her back like he was holdning on to dear life. And she wanted to deepen the kiss. She stuck out her tounge and he readily parted his lips.
xx
"So that's what made a nation of women turn into putty in your hands." she said as she rested her head against his bare chest in bed an hour later.
He glanced down at her and caught the happy sigh that escaped her. "A nation of women? Sandra, what do you think of me?" he exclaimed playfully. Then added. "A good sized market town, I'll grant you that. Or a smallish city. But a nation?" He tutted.
She wriggled loose from his tight grip and turned around, propped up on her elbows and looking down at him. "My, you are modest tonight." With that she gave him a soft kiss and laid down beside him again.
He pulled her a bit closer and buried his nose into her hair. He had seen the bottle in her bathroom, he knew what the scent was. Peach and apple blossom. But it was mixed with something even better. The faint sweet smell of Sandra.
This was happiness. This was bliss. Hugging the woman he loved tight in the quiet afterglow of making love. This was what he'd been looking for all his life. Who knew that it would storm into his life in the form of a bitching Detective Superintendent. He chuckled lightly.
She squeezed his upper body lightly at the familiar sound.
"I love you." he whispered, trying to say it as quietly as possible so she wouldn't hear it.
But of course she did. "I know." she said smilingly and looked up at him. "You'd better."
He knew that he would keep on doing so, no matter what.