Regard 2: Disappointment by MasterPages, White, Sam/Annie, angst/fluff
Title: Regard chapter 2: Disappointment
Rating: White Cortina for this chapter.
Word count: 1,102
Notes: First part is here: Part 1 Enjoy!
Summary: Sam tries to utilize his new insight. Tries being the operative word.
He kissed Annie on the cheek right in the middle of the office. He didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed when no one else seemed to notice.
“What’s that for?” Annie asked, glancing around a little nervously, but smiling.
“For being…” he shook his head with an answering smile. “Just what I need.”
Her smile became a grin. “Anytime, Boss.”
They worked the case, and for a long time Sam didn’t end up alone with Gene long enough for any sort of serious discussion outside the facts they were processing. But at last, lunchtime came around and Gene inexplicably singled him out.
“Oi, Nancy Drew! Come on, we’re getting a curry.”
Obviously there was no one else Gene could have been talking to, though an outsider would probably have guessed Annie. Not probably; definitely. Somewhat perturbed by the moniker but deciding to pick his battles, Sam grabbed his jacket.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Sam said, once they were in the car.
“What about?” Gene’s eyes didn’t leave the road.
“About… you roughing me up every time you take issue with my view of the facts.”
“If you’re afraid of a little nosebleed, don’t sit so close to the ring. There: we talked about it.”
Sam scowled. “No, we didn’t. Look, I think… I think maybe you get frustrated with me because it seems like I’m never satisfied. Maybe I am tough to please…”
Gene snorted.
“I don’t mean to be like that,” he went on, “it’s just that the truth is so important to me. I have to know I’m doing the right thing. Putting the right person away for the right crime. Keeping everyone safe by not missing anything. But…” he licked his lips. “Having the sort of dad you did, it’s probably the worst having to work with someone just as hard to satisfy.”
Gene looked at him for the first time. A “where did this come from and where is it going” look.
“I think I expect so much,” Sam continued (bravely-it took serious guts at this point, especially considering Gene was the one in control of the car), “because I was so disappointed by my dad. I want someone to live up to the standards I had for him. Someone I can look up to and be proud of, you know?”
Gene gave him another glance. Then he looked back at the road. Then back at Sam. “Have you finished your analysis, Doctor Freud?” he demanded at last.
Sam wanted to shout in frustration, but he simply looked down at his hands.
“Any closing remarks? Startling conclusions?”
“I’ve said what I wanted to say,” Sam ground out between his teeth, determined not to lose his temper. “It was meant to be a sort of truce.”
“What are you talking about? I swear, Gladys, you become more coy by the hour.” Gene pulled over. “Come on, get some food in you. Stop all that nonsense comin’ out.”
He had tried his best. That’s what Sam kept telling himself, but he didn’t feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. He didn’t know what he had expected, but apparently it had been something better than this, or he wouldn’t feel so disappointed. He ate in silence, not able to appreciate the taste of his food. He was going to regret eating something spicy while stewing about something so frustrating.
“If you pout any harder, you’ll be wearing your eyebrows like pince-nez.”
Sam tried to relax his face a little. “Why can’t you just listen sometimes without coming to blows?” he asked wearily.
“I listen. I’m just not fool enough to listen before you’ve got some sense knocked into you, that’s all. Now, snap out of it, or we’ll be fighting about fighting, next.”
He knew it wasn’t an idle threat, but he couldn’t leave it alone. “You know, you win every time. I’m lucky if I get in a good hit.”
“That’s right.” Gene seemed proud of himself.
“So, why can’t we just skip that part and get to the bit where we figure out what to do?”
“Don’t work like that, Sammy-boy. Trust me, if you could see yourself from this angle, you’d know you’re not fit to live with before you’ve had a good clout about the ‘ead.”
I’ll bet that’s what your father thought of you, Sam thought bitterly, but not bitterly enough to say it aloud.
They finished lunch and resumed the case, one following his gut instinct, the other following evidence. Eventually, the two methods led to the same conclusion, but not before they nearly got into some serious trouble. In the end, everyone was satisfied and the baddies put away. Another case closed.
“Pub?”
Sam shook his head. “Not tonight,” he said. “It’s been a long’n. Just as soon get some sleep.”
“Suit yourself.”
The others gathered their things and filed out, all except Annie.
“I’ll take you ‘ome,” she offered.
“Thanks.”
“You’re not so cheerful as you were this morning, but that was before we solved the case,” she observed as they walked up to his flat.
“Yeah… things didn’t go quite how I hoped.”
“The case?”
He unlocked the door and ushered her in, hoping she would forget her line of inquiry. No such luck.
“Sam, what’s eating at you?”
“Oh, the usual.” He mustered a smile. “Things’ll look better in the morning, I’m sure.”
“Are you all right, though?”
“Sure.” He stroked her cheek lightly and then leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
She put an arm around his neck and kissed back with a little more pluck than he had expected. He smiled against her mouth and gave her one last kiss and a squeeze before letting her go.
“Thanks for bringing me home,” he said.
“No trouble. See you in the morning, then?”
“Yeah. Annie-“
She paused, halfway out the door, eyes focused on him, obviously eager to hear whatever came next.
“I wanted to say… I’m sorry for asking you to stay with me that one time. It was selfish. You were right to say no.”
She took a step back into the room, put her hand on his wrist and slid it down to take hold of his hand. “Everything’s different now, isn’t it?”
He realized he hadn’t done any of his crazy-talk or mentioned being from the future lately… she had noticed the change before he had.
“Yeah, everything is.” He squeezed her hand. “See you tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
He closed the door behind her and went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich before bed.
Part 3
Rating: White Cortina for this chapter.
Word count: 1,102
Notes: First part is here: Part 1 Enjoy!
Summary: Sam tries to utilize his new insight. Tries being the operative word.
He kissed Annie on the cheek right in the middle of the office. He didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed when no one else seemed to notice.
“What’s that for?” Annie asked, glancing around a little nervously, but smiling.
“For being…” he shook his head with an answering smile. “Just what I need.”
Her smile became a grin. “Anytime, Boss.”
They worked the case, and for a long time Sam didn’t end up alone with Gene long enough for any sort of serious discussion outside the facts they were processing. But at last, lunchtime came around and Gene inexplicably singled him out.
“Oi, Nancy Drew! Come on, we’re getting a curry.”
Obviously there was no one else Gene could have been talking to, though an outsider would probably have guessed Annie. Not probably; definitely. Somewhat perturbed by the moniker but deciding to pick his battles, Sam grabbed his jacket.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Sam said, once they were in the car.
“What about?” Gene’s eyes didn’t leave the road.
“About… you roughing me up every time you take issue with my view of the facts.”
“If you’re afraid of a little nosebleed, don’t sit so close to the ring. There: we talked about it.”
Sam scowled. “No, we didn’t. Look, I think… I think maybe you get frustrated with me because it seems like I’m never satisfied. Maybe I am tough to please…”
Gene snorted.
“I don’t mean to be like that,” he went on, “it’s just that the truth is so important to me. I have to know I’m doing the right thing. Putting the right person away for the right crime. Keeping everyone safe by not missing anything. But…” he licked his lips. “Having the sort of dad you did, it’s probably the worst having to work with someone just as hard to satisfy.”
Gene looked at him for the first time. A “where did this come from and where is it going” look.
“I think I expect so much,” Sam continued (bravely-it took serious guts at this point, especially considering Gene was the one in control of the car), “because I was so disappointed by my dad. I want someone to live up to the standards I had for him. Someone I can look up to and be proud of, you know?”
Gene gave him another glance. Then he looked back at the road. Then back at Sam. “Have you finished your analysis, Doctor Freud?” he demanded at last.
Sam wanted to shout in frustration, but he simply looked down at his hands.
“Any closing remarks? Startling conclusions?”
“I’ve said what I wanted to say,” Sam ground out between his teeth, determined not to lose his temper. “It was meant to be a sort of truce.”
“What are you talking about? I swear, Gladys, you become more coy by the hour.” Gene pulled over. “Come on, get some food in you. Stop all that nonsense comin’ out.”
He had tried his best. That’s what Sam kept telling himself, but he didn’t feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. He didn’t know what he had expected, but apparently it had been something better than this, or he wouldn’t feel so disappointed. He ate in silence, not able to appreciate the taste of his food. He was going to regret eating something spicy while stewing about something so frustrating.
“If you pout any harder, you’ll be wearing your eyebrows like pince-nez.”
Sam tried to relax his face a little. “Why can’t you just listen sometimes without coming to blows?” he asked wearily.
“I listen. I’m just not fool enough to listen before you’ve got some sense knocked into you, that’s all. Now, snap out of it, or we’ll be fighting about fighting, next.”
He knew it wasn’t an idle threat, but he couldn’t leave it alone. “You know, you win every time. I’m lucky if I get in a good hit.”
“That’s right.” Gene seemed proud of himself.
“So, why can’t we just skip that part and get to the bit where we figure out what to do?”
“Don’t work like that, Sammy-boy. Trust me, if you could see yourself from this angle, you’d know you’re not fit to live with before you’ve had a good clout about the ‘ead.”
I’ll bet that’s what your father thought of you, Sam thought bitterly, but not bitterly enough to say it aloud.
They finished lunch and resumed the case, one following his gut instinct, the other following evidence. Eventually, the two methods led to the same conclusion, but not before they nearly got into some serious trouble. In the end, everyone was satisfied and the baddies put away. Another case closed.
“Pub?”
Sam shook his head. “Not tonight,” he said. “It’s been a long’n. Just as soon get some sleep.”
“Suit yourself.”
The others gathered their things and filed out, all except Annie.
“I’ll take you ‘ome,” she offered.
“Thanks.”
“You’re not so cheerful as you were this morning, but that was before we solved the case,” she observed as they walked up to his flat.
“Yeah… things didn’t go quite how I hoped.”
“The case?”
He unlocked the door and ushered her in, hoping she would forget her line of inquiry. No such luck.
“Sam, what’s eating at you?”
“Oh, the usual.” He mustered a smile. “Things’ll look better in the morning, I’m sure.”
“Are you all right, though?”
“Sure.” He stroked her cheek lightly and then leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
She put an arm around his neck and kissed back with a little more pluck than he had expected. He smiled against her mouth and gave her one last kiss and a squeeze before letting her go.
“Thanks for bringing me home,” he said.
“No trouble. See you in the morning, then?”
“Yeah. Annie-“
She paused, halfway out the door, eyes focused on him, obviously eager to hear whatever came next.
“I wanted to say… I’m sorry for asking you to stay with me that one time. It was selfish. You were right to say no.”
She took a step back into the room, put her hand on his wrist and slid it down to take hold of his hand. “Everything’s different now, isn’t it?”
He realized he hadn’t done any of his crazy-talk or mentioned being from the future lately… she had noticed the change before he had.
“Yeah, everything is.” He squeezed her hand. “See you tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
He closed the door behind her and went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich before bed.
Part 3