Life on Mars - Gene and Sam gen.
Title: The Sheriff and his Deputy
Summary: Gene has to come to terms with the Gun Incident.
Rating: All
Spoiler Warnings: Episode 8.
Word Count: 734
Disclaimer: Gene, Sam and Life on Mars belong t'Auntie. No stealing for me.
Notes: Just a wee bit of gen inspired by the last episode. How Gene might deal with this. I suspect that the Aftermath U will have a decidedly more angsty-slashy entry at some point.
Gene’s known from the start that his DI was a few cards short of a whole deck.
Sam pointed a gun at him.
Actually pointed a gun. At him.
It was a strange idea to wrap his mind around.
Gene’s known from the start that his DI was a few cards short of a whole deck. Skelton and that plonk had both mentioned his bizarre behaviour at some point. But that? That was new.
All he could think of to do at that point was make a joke. It had all felt so unreal. Sam. Pointing a gun. At him. For a moment Gene really thought he was going to do it. Felt the fear constrict his chest, make it hard to breathe. Sam had looked at him and everything imaginable had been there in his expression.
When Sam lowered the gun Gene felt himself go weak a little, somewhere in the legs, and held himself up by sheer power of will.
It’s not a surprise to find out about Chris and Ray’s bet. It is a surprise to find out that Ray was the one who bet against him. But then maybe he doesn’t know his men as well as he might think.
He would have bet the same way as Chris. Because Sam drives him out of his mind some time.
They go to the pub and it’s Chris that notices Gene’s hands shaking as he picks up his whiskey.
“You alright, guv’?” Chris asks and Gene shoots him a sharp look.
“Just need some air, I think,” he says, softening his response a little when catches the young officers concern.
He slides off the stool and ducks out into the street. He leans back against the wall and rests his head on the rough brick, enjoying the realness of the surface. His eyes are closed when he feels Sam settle next to him.
Gene says nothing and waits for the other man to start first. The way he always does.
“Alright, Gene?” Sam asks after a moment of silence.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Gene replies gruffly and resents himself for it. Then resents himself for resenting it.
“Because I’m an idiot,” Sam says and Gene feels him shift next to him, “Because I effectively let Vic go. Because I’m apparently mad. And, yeah, because I pointed a gun at you”
“Allow me to address your points one at a time,” Gene says, remembering the last time he started like that with Sam, this time there was no urge to fight him though, “You’re far from an idiot, Tyler, and you know that as well as me. I’m getting used to you losing suspects on me - but I get the feeling that this one, at least, won’t come back. I know that you’re mad - Cartwright and Chris have mentioned it often enough and Ray’s impression of your little performance in the loos pretty much confirmed it - but I don’t think you’d catch as many villains as you do without it. The gun…now that’s a different story”
“I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me in one go,” Sam says and Gene knows by the tone of his voice that he’s smiling. He laughs himself, but only for a moment.
“You know, I don’t know if I can let it slide this time,” Gene says quietly and opens his eyes to look over at Sam.
“I know,” Sam says, returning the look.
“You need help,” Gene says, “Going on about him being your father. He was younger than you”
“I know,” and the response is even quieter this time.
“Would you have really shot me?” Gene asks, holding Sam’s gaze. Sam is quiet for a long time then he shakes his head and Gene lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“We may have our moments,” Sam says, “But it’d never go that far”
“Good to know,” Gene says with a sniff.
“So, we’re alright?” Sam asks still watching Gene carefully. Gene gives him a long look and then nods, half to himself.
“Yeah, we’re alright,” he says, pushing away from the wall.
“Come on then,” Sam says, jerking his head towards the pub door, “This round’s on me”
“Now that’s the kind of behaviour I expect from my officers,” Gene says, clapping Sam soundly on the back.
And as they walk back into the pub Gene takes pride in the image they must present. The Sheriff and his Deputy, brothers in arms. Comrades. Friends.
Summary: Gene has to come to terms with the Gun Incident.
Rating: All
Spoiler Warnings: Episode 8.
Word Count: 734
Disclaimer: Gene, Sam and Life on Mars belong t'Auntie. No stealing for me.
Notes: Just a wee bit of gen inspired by the last episode. How Gene might deal with this. I suspect that the Aftermath U will have a decidedly more angsty-slashy entry at some point.
Gene’s known from the start that his DI was a few cards short of a whole deck.
Sam pointed a gun at him.
Actually pointed a gun. At him.
It was a strange idea to wrap his mind around.
Gene’s known from the start that his DI was a few cards short of a whole deck. Skelton and that plonk had both mentioned his bizarre behaviour at some point. But that? That was new.
All he could think of to do at that point was make a joke. It had all felt so unreal. Sam. Pointing a gun. At him. For a moment Gene really thought he was going to do it. Felt the fear constrict his chest, make it hard to breathe. Sam had looked at him and everything imaginable had been there in his expression.
When Sam lowered the gun Gene felt himself go weak a little, somewhere in the legs, and held himself up by sheer power of will.
It’s not a surprise to find out about Chris and Ray’s bet. It is a surprise to find out that Ray was the one who bet against him. But then maybe he doesn’t know his men as well as he might think.
He would have bet the same way as Chris. Because Sam drives him out of his mind some time.
They go to the pub and it’s Chris that notices Gene’s hands shaking as he picks up his whiskey.
“You alright, guv’?” Chris asks and Gene shoots him a sharp look.
“Just need some air, I think,” he says, softening his response a little when catches the young officers concern.
He slides off the stool and ducks out into the street. He leans back against the wall and rests his head on the rough brick, enjoying the realness of the surface. His eyes are closed when he feels Sam settle next to him.
Gene says nothing and waits for the other man to start first. The way he always does.
“Alright, Gene?” Sam asks after a moment of silence.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Gene replies gruffly and resents himself for it. Then resents himself for resenting it.
“Because I’m an idiot,” Sam says and Gene feels him shift next to him, “Because I effectively let Vic go. Because I’m apparently mad. And, yeah, because I pointed a gun at you”
“Allow me to address your points one at a time,” Gene says, remembering the last time he started like that with Sam, this time there was no urge to fight him though, “You’re far from an idiot, Tyler, and you know that as well as me. I’m getting used to you losing suspects on me - but I get the feeling that this one, at least, won’t come back. I know that you’re mad - Cartwright and Chris have mentioned it often enough and Ray’s impression of your little performance in the loos pretty much confirmed it - but I don’t think you’d catch as many villains as you do without it. The gun…now that’s a different story”
“I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me in one go,” Sam says and Gene knows by the tone of his voice that he’s smiling. He laughs himself, but only for a moment.
“You know, I don’t know if I can let it slide this time,” Gene says quietly and opens his eyes to look over at Sam.
“I know,” Sam says, returning the look.
“You need help,” Gene says, “Going on about him being your father. He was younger than you”
“I know,” and the response is even quieter this time.
“Would you have really shot me?” Gene asks, holding Sam’s gaze. Sam is quiet for a long time then he shakes his head and Gene lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“We may have our moments,” Sam says, “But it’d never go that far”
“Good to know,” Gene says with a sniff.
“So, we’re alright?” Sam asks still watching Gene carefully. Gene gives him a long look and then nods, half to himself.
“Yeah, we’re alright,” he says, pushing away from the wall.
“Come on then,” Sam says, jerking his head towards the pub door, “This round’s on me”
“Now that’s the kind of behaviour I expect from my officers,” Gene says, clapping Sam soundly on the back.
And as they walk back into the pub Gene takes pride in the image they must present. The Sheriff and his Deputy, brothers in arms. Comrades. Friends.