A First Time For Everything 1/1
Title: There's a First Time for Everything
Spoilers: 2.01, but slight. Takes place in the second season.
Rating: Blue Cortina for violence and tragedy
Summary: Annie finds out that there's a first time for everything, unfortunately.
A/N: Another fic for Annie month, somewhat more grimm then the first one. Was thinking about an episode of Miami Vice which inspired me to write this. Kudos if you remember/know the ep. I'm thinking of.
Annie didn't mean to do it. That's what she kept saying over and over in her mind. They'd headed over in the Cortina, the rain making the Guv's driving even wilder then usual. The other lads were on a job elsewhere, it was just her and the Guv.
A robbery, man holding up a grocers. Should have been pretty simple really.
They got there and she and the Guv had drawn their weapons, the Guv shouting out 'Police! Drop it!'
He hadn't, swinging his gun around towards him instead. And Annie had just reacted, not thought, squeezing the trigger instead of pulling it, just like Sam had taught her.
Only...only when she shot at a paper target, there wasn't any blood. She'd got him all right, and he went down. But he didn't die.
Not immediately.
Annie had dropped her gun and run over, pressing her hands into the wound, shouting for the Guv to help her. She'd heard him radioing for an ambulance as she desperately tried to keep the robber from bleeding out, even using her rose vest to try to stop the bleeding (she'd never get the blood out, she'd thought bizarrely enough). But he'd been gone even as she tried to help him, and she'd had her hand on his chest when she felt his heart stop beating.
She'd gone back to the station and had received a round of applause that she hadn't wanted.
'Never thought you'd have the balls for it Cartwright! You're one of the lads now!' Ray had said, giving her a overly friendly slap on the back.
Part of her wanted to scream and rant at him, slap him (or punch him).
But no. If she did that it would be 'Bird can't handle it, bird hasn't got the balls after all.'
So instead she'd gone to the ladies to wash up, crying as the water sluiced away the blood.
The Guv had insisted that she come to the Arms after work.
He bought her a round saying 'Here's to Cartwright, saved me life and made sure there's one less bastard on the streets!' There'd been cheers and she'd smiled and waved and ducked her head as if she were blushing.
That was what they expected, wasn't it? Show no weakness, no compassion.
One of the lads.
Annie allowed the men to buy her beers and whisky chasers and pints of bitter and other drinks she'd forgotten the names to.
She was staring at her glass blearily when Sam had sat down quietly beside her.
'Are you okay?' he asked softly.
'Never better sir,...thank you.'
He took a hold of her chin, gently turning her to face him.
'You don't look okay.'
She pulled away from his hand, standing up angrily.
'Well I have to be, don't I?'
She walked outside to sit in the lot behind the Arms.
Without meaning to, a sob burst out of her mouth.
She'd quickly put her hands up to stifle it and sat there on the dirty backstep, crying her bloody eyes out and feeling weak and stupid.
'Here.' A dampish hanky was suddenly in front of her and she took it gratefully.
'Thanks Chris. It's me allergies, they come an' go this time of year.'
Chris sat down next to her, looking straight ahead.
'I remember the first time I...killed someone on the job. It were horrible.'
Annie turned to look at him.
'What, really?'
Chris had looked at her, smiling slightly.
'We're not born coppers.'
Chris turned his eyes up to the now clear and starlight sky, the muted sounds of the city at night comforting and familiar around them.
'I were a PC. Was going to give a man ticket for speeding and he went for a gun. I panicked, slammed the door on his hand. Took it right off, and he died of shock. Well, that's what they said. That sometimes a bloke can die from a nasty shock.' He pulled out a packet of ciggies, offered one to Annie, who refused, and then lit his up.
'I kept thinking about it, kept thinking about what I could have done different.'
Annie felt herself nodding at his words.
'It were in me head for so long, I couldn't get past it. One night, I got really bladdered, stayed out till morning. When I got home, me Dad was there waiting for me. He'd been worried sick, thought something had 'appened. So I told him what I'd done.' Chris turned back to Annie.
'Me Dad were in the war you know. He joined up when he were real young. He made us some tea, an told me, he told me that sometimes good men kill the bad men.
And that it don't mean you should feel pleased about it, or happy about it.
You morn that you did it, and then you move on.'
Chris scratched his head. 'You're a good, decent like bird Annie. Don't feel bad.'
He awkwardly hugged her and Annie let herself sink into it.
'Thanks Chris.'
Chris gave her a small pat on the back before helping her stand up.
'Come on, let me buy you-'
'No, no more whisky chasers!' Annie shook her head vigorously.
'-some chips you daft bird.' Chris said, smiling.
Annie laughed shakily.
'That would be grand, thanks.'
She turned and gave him a small peck on the cheek before heading back into the Arms, a blushing and somewhat pleased Chris following after.
Spoilers: 2.01, but slight. Takes place in the second season.
Rating: Blue Cortina for violence and tragedy
Summary: Annie finds out that there's a first time for everything, unfortunately.
A/N: Another fic for Annie month, somewhat more grimm then the first one. Was thinking about an episode of Miami Vice which inspired me to write this. Kudos if you remember/know the ep. I'm thinking of.
Annie didn't mean to do it. That's what she kept saying over and over in her mind. They'd headed over in the Cortina, the rain making the Guv's driving even wilder then usual. The other lads were on a job elsewhere, it was just her and the Guv.
A robbery, man holding up a grocers. Should have been pretty simple really.
They got there and she and the Guv had drawn their weapons, the Guv shouting out 'Police! Drop it!'
He hadn't, swinging his gun around towards him instead. And Annie had just reacted, not thought, squeezing the trigger instead of pulling it, just like Sam had taught her.
Only...only when she shot at a paper target, there wasn't any blood. She'd got him all right, and he went down. But he didn't die.
Not immediately.
Annie had dropped her gun and run over, pressing her hands into the wound, shouting for the Guv to help her. She'd heard him radioing for an ambulance as she desperately tried to keep the robber from bleeding out, even using her rose vest to try to stop the bleeding (she'd never get the blood out, she'd thought bizarrely enough). But he'd been gone even as she tried to help him, and she'd had her hand on his chest when she felt his heart stop beating.
She'd gone back to the station and had received a round of applause that she hadn't wanted.
'Never thought you'd have the balls for it Cartwright! You're one of the lads now!' Ray had said, giving her a overly friendly slap on the back.
Part of her wanted to scream and rant at him, slap him (or punch him).
But no. If she did that it would be 'Bird can't handle it, bird hasn't got the balls after all.'
So instead she'd gone to the ladies to wash up, crying as the water sluiced away the blood.
The Guv had insisted that she come to the Arms after work.
He bought her a round saying 'Here's to Cartwright, saved me life and made sure there's one less bastard on the streets!' There'd been cheers and she'd smiled and waved and ducked her head as if she were blushing.
That was what they expected, wasn't it? Show no weakness, no compassion.
One of the lads.
Annie allowed the men to buy her beers and whisky chasers and pints of bitter and other drinks she'd forgotten the names to.
She was staring at her glass blearily when Sam had sat down quietly beside her.
'Are you okay?' he asked softly.
'Never better sir,...thank you.'
He took a hold of her chin, gently turning her to face him.
'You don't look okay.'
She pulled away from his hand, standing up angrily.
'Well I have to be, don't I?'
She walked outside to sit in the lot behind the Arms.
Without meaning to, a sob burst out of her mouth.
She'd quickly put her hands up to stifle it and sat there on the dirty backstep, crying her bloody eyes out and feeling weak and stupid.
'Here.' A dampish hanky was suddenly in front of her and she took it gratefully.
'Thanks Chris. It's me allergies, they come an' go this time of year.'
Chris sat down next to her, looking straight ahead.
'I remember the first time I...killed someone on the job. It were horrible.'
Annie turned to look at him.
'What, really?'
Chris had looked at her, smiling slightly.
'We're not born coppers.'
Chris turned his eyes up to the now clear and starlight sky, the muted sounds of the city at night comforting and familiar around them.
'I were a PC. Was going to give a man ticket for speeding and he went for a gun. I panicked, slammed the door on his hand. Took it right off, and he died of shock. Well, that's what they said. That sometimes a bloke can die from a nasty shock.' He pulled out a packet of ciggies, offered one to Annie, who refused, and then lit his up.
'I kept thinking about it, kept thinking about what I could have done different.'
Annie felt herself nodding at his words.
'It were in me head for so long, I couldn't get past it. One night, I got really bladdered, stayed out till morning. When I got home, me Dad was there waiting for me. He'd been worried sick, thought something had 'appened. So I told him what I'd done.' Chris turned back to Annie.
'Me Dad were in the war you know. He joined up when he were real young. He made us some tea, an told me, he told me that sometimes good men kill the bad men.
And that it don't mean you should feel pleased about it, or happy about it.
You morn that you did it, and then you move on.'
Chris scratched his head. 'You're a good, decent like bird Annie. Don't feel bad.'
He awkwardly hugged her and Annie let herself sink into it.
'Thanks Chris.'
Chris gave her a small pat on the back before helping her stand up.
'Come on, let me buy you-'
'No, no more whisky chasers!' Annie shook her head vigorously.
'-some chips you daft bird.' Chris said, smiling.
Annie laughed shakily.
'That would be grand, thanks.'
She turned and gave him a small peck on the cheek before heading back into the Arms, a blushing and somewhat pleased Chris following after.