Ok, so work and cider interfered with challenge :/ Here, however, is the next chapter! Enjoy a little pointless prose! Jessie xx

Coffee and Cigarettes

"I'm impressed," Gerry said coming out of Sandra's office as she returned, alluding to the amount of time for which she had been absent. "Report's on your desk, Guv."

"Thanks Gerry. Likewise," she added, ignoring his insinuation and referring to the fact that he had actually finished the report while the others were busy tidying. "It looks almost tidy in here."

"It's amazing what a bit of spit and polish can do," Steve agreed, emerging from (of all places) behind the fridge in the kitchen corner complete with marigold yellow rubber gloves.

Sandra laughed, she couldn't help it. Brian turned around from the shelves that he was organising. For some reason, unknown to him or Steve, the majority of shelving and filing had apparently ended up in Gerry's hands, for the normal system of alphabetisation had been passed by in favour of crazed shoving things into a place. He had to admit, the sight of their latest recruit replete in his cleaning mode was an image of some comedy.

"Gerry, can I have a quick word before you go for that?" Sandra halted his search for his lighter which she had already noted was becoming incorporated into Brian's arrangement of the shelves. She winked at Steve as Gerry left the packet of cigarettes on his desk, turning to return to hers. She had to bite her lip slightly to refrain from giving the game away, hearing Brian and Steve's hurried discussion ensuing behind her as to where to hide the other half of the smoking paraphernalia.

"What's up?" Gerry asked as she closed the door.

"Rob's given me these. They're the service records for a number of former officers that he feels might be suitable to join UCOS. Now, while Brian and Steve start looking at the new case this afternoon, I want you to look through them with me. Is that ok?"

"Me?" Gerry frowned slightly in confusion that he couldn't quite account for.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Look, you're more likely to know some of them than me. And you're going to have to work with them too. We need someone who can do the job, obviously. But the job that we do."

"'Course," Gerry said. The confusion filtered away leaving him feeling quite flattered. "Thanks."

"Gerry…" she realised suddenly that he probably hadn't expected her to put him in the place that Jack had held at the beginning of UCOS. She shouldn't really have been surprised, his relationship track-record did sort of show his habit of neglecting to think more than a few steps ahead of himself. But she wanted him to know, well, he was important to her. And without Brian around…

"No, let's just leave it at that, eh?" he held up a hand, knowing where her thoughts had gone. "I'm in danger of tearing up 'ere!"

"You and me both," she smiled. "There's something else. Something that you can't tell the others, not yet," she watched as his face fell into concentration. "I've asked Rob to get the Anthony Kaye file released and sent down to us. Now, there may be nothing in it. But if there's a chance…"

Gerry nodded seriously. "I understand. Are you sure though?"

"I just want to look at the file, see if there's anything."

"See whether or not he really is mad?" Gerry winked, lightening the tone. "He's got my lighter, hasn't he?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Sandra opened the door and re-entered the office before she could laugh. "Coffee anyone?"

"Not yet!" Steve exclaimed. "I've got de-scaler in the kettle!"

"Where the hell did you get that from?" Gerry asked, following her out and looking around. "Hey, where the hell are my fags?!"

Steve shrugged and shot Sandra a wink to which she rolled her eyes.

"We've got no milk anyway," Brian interrupted Gerry before he could put too much thought into where his belongings had been dispersed to.

This, Sandra at least knew to be true. "I'll go," she said. "I'll pick up some sandwiches."

"Where the bloody hell are my fags?!" Gerry exploded as she retrieved her handbag and car keys.

"Not cheese," Steve pointedly ignored Gerry.

"Chicken, please," Brian added, deliberately standing in front of the shelf where he had filed Gerry's lighter as his friend cast an almost despairing eye around the office.

"Ok," she grinned. "See you in a bit."

By the time she returned, Brian and Steve had given in to Gerry's increasing annoyance and sent him to the shops to buy cigarettes ("And crisps, she never brings crisps!" at Steve's request).

"So how long did it take him?" Sandra inquired as she sat on the red sofa and pulled the first white paper package out of the bag. "More importantly, can I have a coffee yet?"

"Not yet," Steve grinned. "He found the lighter though. Pretty quick, mind you it was a rubbish hiding place!"

"Rubbish? Nonsense," Brian took the sandwich that Sandra held out to him. "He'd still be looking for it if you hadn't kept looking at it!"

Steve laughed and received his own sandwich. "Did you get us all chicken?"

She shrugged. "Saves one argument, right?"

"Right," Gerry announced his return. "Who wants salt and vinegar?"

"Haven't you got plain?" Brian asked.

Sandra and Steve looked at each and rolled their eyes.

"So," Sandra interrupted Brian's mutterings that no sane person would ever put salt and vinegar crisps in a chicken sandwich. "Brian, you and Steve can get the Patterson case on the board this afternoon and make a start looking at what forensics have sent up."

"What are you doing?" Brian asked with a mouthful of sandwich.

"Gerry and me have got some…"

"Applications to look through," the northerner finished for her.

She looked at him. He shrugged. "Yes," she answered simply. She couldn't judge his reaction. His stern face betrayed no sign of anything except distaste at the salt and vinegar edge to his sandwich.

"We're still going to the pub tonight, right?" Steve sensed the awkwardness rising as Gerry refused to look up from his lunch. "Because trying to fill this old sod's position could take yous guys longer than an afternoon!"

Gerry laughed. Steve laughed. Sandra smiled. Brian grinned. Steve had managed to avoid the word 'replacing' with a deft lexicality that made their afternoon far more enjoyable than it might have been. At intervals, Gerry would look up from his position opposite Sandra's desk shake his head and toss a file into the pile of 'definitely not'. In turn, each of them found themselves staring into the main UCOS office; their eyes first following the quiet activity of their colleagues; then falling to the desk on the right, complete with Wimbledon AFC scarf acting as a banner in the background; finally resting on the empty desk opposite the main doors. Gerry sighed, scratched behind his ear with the biro he was playing with and tore his gaze away from the past; he'd promised to look after them both, dwelling wasn't going to do that. Sandra bit her lip and remembered that if wishes were wings then wombles would fly.

"Swap?" Gerry stretched in his chair.

"Yep," she agreed resting her head on her hands for a moment.

They exchanged piles of files and began again. By the time Steve and Brian had bored of a half-cocked forensics report and interrupted to say that they were going down to the labs to see the evidence themselves, they had managed to agree that three of the individuals whose service records they had reviewed should be called to interview.

"Right," Sandra sighed and pulled her desk phone closer. "Am I ringing this one too?"

"Yeah, why not. I'm going to stick the kettle on, coffee?"

"Mmm, please," she nodded as she traced the number she was dialling with one hand with her index finger. Lifting the receiver to her ear she listened to the serene synthetic sounds of the telephone as she waited for her call to be answered. Then a sudden realisation hit her, but it was too late.

"The little swine!" Gerry exclaimed as he plucked his now ruined cigarette packet out of the kettle he had just been filling.