"It's a miracle that he managed to stay off life support for that long - it's obvious he isn't giving up the will to live, Mrs. Tyler, so we shouldn't give up on him."

Sam awoke with a jerk a few hours later, his head spinning and his eyes still as sore as yesterday. It had been an awful night by all accounts, his mind wondering whilst counting sheep, he couldn't get any valuable sleep that he needed to function properly that day.

All through the night, he kept tossing and turning, images like a slideshow of his family scattered through his head. For some reason, they were all disjointed, totally incomprehensible, lacking any real sort of sense. Yet, he'd come to expect it by now. He was more than just a little used to it.

Sitting to an upright position in the chair, he squinted at the now empty bed. Rubbing his eyes and head, he pulled back the covers before staggering into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast and coffee. 'That should wake me up.' he told himself, making sure it was extra strong, almost black.

Whilst he was doing this, Sam took it upon himself to be nosy, to find out exactly what his guest was doing. Establishing the fact that his Governor was in the bathroom, he put an ear to the door, listening intensively at the gushes of water spearing the mans body, his singing atrocious as he continued with his business, unaware that the bathrooms usual occupant was stood directly outside, a small smirk attached to his lips which, from time to time, flickered into a grimace; Gene Hunt was certainly no singer, under any stretch of the imagination.

Sighing at the notion that he may never see the inside of his dingy bathroom again, Sam decided it would be a good time to eat. Plucking a strawberry yoghurt from the fridge, he sat at the miniscule table, his thoughts redirected to the day ahead. He knew for a fact he wouldn't be the only one with a sore head, by all accounts, it would be at least Chris joining that club, the Guv and Ray surely not that far behind.

Then, he musings focused on Annie. Yesterday had been an very big test of her Policing skills and, although she was a good hand in the office, had a long way to go before she'd be classed as brilliant. Yet, Sam valued her, possibly more than any member of the team. After all, he was the one to suggest in the first place she moved from the Plonk department to becoming a Detective Constable.

He knew that in time - and with a lot of guidance from himself - she would make a great asset to the team, even if everyone else doubted her abilities up to then.

Sam stopped his thinking for just a moment to hear that the Guv had now finished in the shower. Singing too enthusiastically for his own good, the DI could almost hear the glass shatter on his mirror as the DCI ventured off into another chorus of David Bowie's 'Starman'. A light chuckle passing his lips, Sam finished the tiny yoghurt, making his way back into his kitchen.

Suddenly, Gene burst out of the bathroom as if he was seventeen again. A confident but not arrogant grin lit his whole face up, Sam glancing up at him in a mixture of suspicion and genuine bewilderment.

"Morning."

"Morning, Sammy Boy." he giggled the most macho ways, poking the younger man in the ribs.

Sam examined his Bosses face thoroughly, a question pressing. "How can you be so bright and cheerful after the amount you knocked back last night?"

Another series of smiles hit the Governor's mouth, his usual pout not on display. Just yet. "It comes with many years of experience, my friend."

Sam nodded, trying his best to understand. If his hazy mind was certain, the Gov knocked back way more than a couple of pints the previous evening, and that was just what he'd seen. Ignoring his own inquisitive nature, he decided to address his guest. "Help yourself to anything you want. I'm just going to take a quick shower." Tyler spoke, wondering off into the main department of his flat, staring blankly into the cluttered wardrobe as if his days outfit was going to simply fall out into his scrawny arms.

After finding his outfit of choice, the Detective Inspector sauntered his way into the bathroom, hoping that a nice, warmish shower would rejuvenate him enough to be at least half awake through out the course of the day.

However, when he did venture off into the bathroom, he found the place a mess! Shaving cream all over the sink, his razor still covered in blonde stubble, his towels had been carelessly dumped on the floor in a heap, making it more than a little difficult to decipher which were cleanish and which weren't. Sighing in annoyance, Sam didn't yet have the energy to go give the Boss a gob-full so decided to make the best of the situation, mopping up any last splashes of water and wiping any last smears of shaving cream from his cracked mirror.

Just as he was about to step into the shower, he heard a voice bellow his name. "TYLER!"

Growling under his breath, he stuck his head around the door post, trying to cover his modesty in the best way he knew how to do. "Yes, Gov?"

"Ya got any 'oops?"

Sam shook his head; he was already too familiar with his Sheriff's idea of nouvelle cuisine. "No, but there's some brown bread and plenty of yoghurts in the fridge and fruit in the bowl." he stated, trying to re-direct Gene into a much healthier standard of living.

"Fruit's for fairies!" Hunt remarked, settling for some semi-toasted brown bread in the end with lashings of thick butter and blackcurrant jam.

After about twenty minutes, Sam emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp, his expression informing his Boss he was a little flustered.

"Nice shower?" Gene quizzed, flicking the TV off, dragging his body from his slumped position in the seemingly uncomfortable chair.

"Oh yes, how I do love ice cold showers first thing in a morning." he replied mockingly, rolling his eyes to add another touch of cynicism to the conversation.

Gene snorted. "Yep, well, cold showers are what make you a man, Sam." he told, pulling on his tanned jacket. "C'mon Dorothy, we've got to go before Cartwright gets her knickers in a twist that you aren't there yet."

Pulling on his leather jacket, Sam groaned freely; he could just sense it was to be one of those days; the type of day you never knew what was coming next although it should have hit you like a ton of bricks several miles back.

Gene clicked his fingers in front of the younger man's face, making him jolt back to the present time. "No time to stand there day dreaming, Sammy Boy. We've got a job to do."

And with that, the Detective Inspector and Detective Chief Inspector had left the flat, making their way to the police station for another day of non-stop action.

After a brief discussion about the days previous misfortunes (yes, for a change, Gene Hunt did do discussing!) Sam and his Boss turned up at the station, both stumbling from the copper coloured Cortina.

Upon their arrival, they strolled into the offices to see the team in their usual stooped state; Ray sat there, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, Chris mimicking the DS in a juvenile way, the only way he truly knew how to do, whilst Annie seemed to be the only person attempting the tasks of work, struggling to make sense of the scribbled notes and masses of paper in front of her.

Charging his way through the double doors, Gene took one look at his employees and shook his head. 'What a pathetic shower!' he mused, growling at the sights before him.

"Ok you dozy gits, listen up!" he demanded, yelling over the gossip and usual tittle tattle of the workplace. "As you all know, there is a brutal, savage killer on the loose. Today, we are going to do our up most to find this bastard - Preferably before tea time. So get cracking before I get Cartwright to come and jump on your knickers!" he joked, winking at the young woman as Annie glancing up for a split second from her mountains of notes before continuing with her duties, partly because she wanted to work her hardest and because she felt intimidated with the whole workplaces eyes upon her.

As everyone assembled at their desks, at least to pretend that they were working, Sam decided to go and speak to Annie. Strictly on business purposes, of course.

"Hey." he breathed, greeting her with a light kiss on her blushed cheek. "How are you?"

"Ok." she nodded, a slight smirk softening her face. "And yourself?"

"I'm good, thank you." DI Tyler repeated her gesture.

At this time, they both glanced at each others eyes, their gaze never locking.

"Sa-"

"An-"

They both chuckled a little at their simultaneous notions. They grinned to one another, Sam inviting Annie to speak first like the true gentleman he was.

"I'm really sorry for yesterday..."

"Don't be." he held his arms up in defence, perching on the only spare corner of her desk. "Everyone was stressed. Lets just put it behind us."

"Sure." her smile became warmer and a little broader. "So, did you figure anything else out to do with the case?"

Sam rubbed his chin; this one maybe more than a little awkward to explain. Could he really just say to Annie that he'd bumped into a man he thought was his Uncle, after finding a baby outside his flat door, after having one of the worlds worse migraines in the middle of a hospital accident and emergency department?

She told him to put all of the madness and 'time travelling nonsense' behind him when he came back. Yet, he felt he should be honest. He had to be honest...well, about most of the story.

"You won't even believe the night I've had." he started, tightly gliding a hand over his blondish locks. A small yawn escaped his mouth, Annie with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Did you not sleep much?" she pestered, concerned and wide eyed.

Sam's face went back to it's normal expression. He sighed heavily. "You could put it like that."

"TYLER!"

The yell awoke Sam from his obscure side track. The DI blinked hard, not really wanting to venture into his Governors office but realised the consequences would be dire if he didn't.

"I'd better go, I'll explain later." he departed, gracing Annie with another peck on the cheek before heading to the cracked windowed, smoky, alcoholic stained, dirty DCI's office.

Already nursing a glass of whisky in his hand, Gene looked up, his body slumped against the trusty filing cabinet. "I'm so glad you took time out from chatting with your little girlfriend to come and talk about the case with me."

Sam rolled his eyes, already irritated and he'd only been in the damn department for ten minutes. "I was about to update Annie on the case, for your information, before you called me in."

Gene paused for a minute, looking away. "Right, well, I need you to explain to me what went on last night. I can't remember what was said with that bloke."

"You wouldn't do - you were too busy sleeping." Sam mumbled, looking in the opposite direction to his Boss.

Gene raised an eyebrow, not quite catching what his right hand man had said. "You what?"

Realising the danger of repeating his last sarcastic notion, Tyler decided just to answer Hunt's question, taking his notebook from his pocket. "Basically, Mr. Smith said that he hadn't seen his wife Jillian or baby Aislin since yesterday morning before he went to work. Mrs. Smith was said to be taking Aislin to visit her Grandma who'd just come out of hospital. Mike also said that he believed Jillian was suffering from post natal depression..."

"Post natal what?" Gene interrupted, easing his body into his special swivel chair.

"Post natal depression." his Boss still appeared puzzled so the Detective Inspector took it upon himself to elaborate. "New Mum's can get upset easily and often reject their child after their birth."

"So?" Hunt shrugged, not putting two and two together and making four.

Sam rolled his eyes. "So, it's possible that she did that to Aislin and dumped her somewhere. She'd realised what she'd done and didn't want to return."

"Oh blimey." Gene tisked, leaning back against the torn fabric on his chair. "What has this got to do with anything?"

Sam rubbed his soft face, not wanting to really predict something terrible. Then it happened again; his Mother's tearful voice addressing him as she stroked his hair for comfort, holding her only child close.

"It's your Auntie Jillian, Sammy - she's been found dead."

"No!" Sam cried, his breathing hasty, his body shaking. He turned away briskly from his boss, doubling over.

Gene was less than sympathetic. "What the bloody hell's up with you?"

"Jillian Smith...if she's been gone all evening, she could end up dead."

"Rubbish." Gene retorted. Then, his mind went back to the women's bodies they found over the past few days. The bloodied, battered, bruised women's bodies. "Ok, maybe it's not rubbish, maybe..."

"I should go!" Sam decided, spinning back around, making sure his leather jacket was snugly fastened to his body, his mind and body still in a state of shock. "I must go, find her, before it's too late."

Gene got up, perplexed by the DI's rapid reactions. "What makes you so eager to find her, ay?"

Tyler got right close to his DCI's face, their noses just millimetres apart. "There is a Husband worried sick about her and a baby girl who may not remember her Mummy if she ends up dead. I owe it to them to try and find her." Sam whispered, Hunt delving his hands into his trouser pockets.

Before the Detective Chief Inspector to even begin to protest, Phyllis came barging in, her usual stern appearance plastered to her face. "Gov, Sam, there's been another woman found dead never the river."

Sam let out a huge groan, combined with small, salty tears and an angsty voice. "I couldn't...save her?"

"There's been no confirmation of identity but you're needed at the crime scene." Phyllis told, Sam attempting to pull himself together for the good of the team.

But will be the body found be that of Jillian Smith?

To be continued...

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Hey, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last time! Let me know what you think of this chapter!