So sorry I've taken so long to get this chapter up. Thanks for sticking it out until I did post it, and of course, thanks to all you great people who read this and also to those who review as well!

Right, ok, we're up to, err, oh yes,

Chapter 13

Sam slammed his front door behind him. He leant against the hard wood and pinched the bridge of his nose. Just over thirty years he'd gone without having to have his past brought up. Well, that wasn't true, he'd always ask about his dad, a man he was sure he'd once called 'hero'. And it was true, she did look familiar. Annie Cartwright was the police officer that helped his mum through his dad going AWOL. He didn't want to think about it much more, and especially not about the scrawny bit of paper that was still held in the clenched fist of his right hand. Sam read it over once more out load before shaking his head and going to bed, ready to mull over everything again in his dreams.

As Gene crawled into bed he to thought about the prospect of equally fitful dreams.

It had been one of those sorts of cases for Gene Hunt. It had already got messy. And suddenly, the guy they least expected had turned out to be the one guy they thought, well, what did it matter now. As the rest of CID and uniforms in plain cloths surrounded, so to speak, a poky parish hall Gene surveyed the scene.

"Gov, I've spotted him, heading into the woods." A female voice cracked over Gene's police radio.

"Ok love." Gene replied and followed in hot pursuit as WPC Cartwright disappeared into the woods.

Gene hadn't meant to fall behind. Ahead of him he could hear Cartwright reason with Vic Tyler the slime ball. Gene pulled his gun and carried on.

"Sir, have you seen my daddy?" A small voice behind Gene said and he spun around to see a little sandy haired boy of four, Sammy Tyler, look up hopefully at him.

"Err, yeah, I saw him go back into the hall. Go and find y'mum." Gene said and to Gene's relief the kid turned and ran back the other way expectantly.

"No don't!" The yelp came from just ahead and Gene ran as fast as he could to a small clearing ahead. As he came out of the trees he spotted Cartwright, cowering and shaking with fear as Vic Tyler advanced.

"Oi!" Gene shouted, gun raised and Vic jumped with shock. Gene edged around to Cartwright who just about yanked his arm off to stop herself from collapsing in fright. And Gene saw why, a loaded gun, raised.

"C'mon Vic. You've got a kid. He's lookin' for you. Don't throw y'life away. Gimmy the gun." Gene reasoned, stepping forward.

"So I can go to jail?" Vic questioned, raising the gun in line with Gene's chest.

"So my Sammy can be the kid of a crook." Vic asked and Gene's face twisted.

"Y'should of thought of that!" Gene yelled, raising his gun in mirroring Vic's action.

"Gov." Cartwright pleaded and Gene closed his eyes.

What choice did he have?

"Get out of my city." Gene said and Vic stared in shock.

"What?!" Vic hissed, stepping forward.

"Get out of my city. Go anywhere, I don't care, but come back into my city and you will go to jail." Gene said resolutely and Vic frowned.

"What about Ruth and Sammy?" he asked, almost pleading.

"No goodbyes."

Both men woke to sun streaming in through their separate bedroom windows. Sam had, although not wanting to, debated long and hard all night as he lay awake, alone, about what to tell Gene. But he didn't have time to think about it for long. His home phone rang with an electronic tune as Sam picked up.

"Sam Tyler." Sam said as he simultaneously tried to straighten his tie, hold the phone and look for his car keys.

"It's Mark, there's been a report of a disturbance." Mark said before reeling out a long address.

"Hell! That's Levin's house." Sam exclaimed and a agreeing grunt came as a reply. "I'll call up Gene and we'll meet you there, send uniformed back up." Sam said.

"Y'sir." Mark said before Sam hung up.

"Bloody hell!" Sam exclaimed, realising he was alone he swore again, more explicitly this time before heading out.

Again, sorry for the long wait for the update and the short chapter but I had to break it off there as you will soon (well sooner than last time), find out! Ta for reading!