Fic: 5 Thoughts Gene Never Thought He'd Have About Sam..., blue cortina, dakfinv
Title: Five Thoughts Gene Never Thought He'd Have About Sam Tyler
Author: dak
Word Count: 1160 words
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: canon character death, very mild sexy business
Pairing: Sam/Gene
A/N: For
ocd_pixie
1.
This boy knows what he’s doing.
When his new DI staggered into CID, flailing his arms about and demanding a desk and his own personal constable, Gene thought they’d sent him a useless, bureaucratic tosser. Tyler was probably some paper pusher from Hyde who moved up the ranks only because his daddy had fingers in the right pockets. The boy wouldn’t know real policing if it punched him in the gut.
After Tyler’s official introduction to the Gene Genie’s fist, the boy sat there at his desk, arms wrapped so tight round his body, Hunt thought he’d fall apart if he let himself go. Maybe he would. By the terrified look in the DI’s eyes, he just might have. It was like he’d never even seen a real police station before. Hunt gave it a week, tops, before the lad went crying back to Hyde to secure himself the safest of desk jobs.
Then, miraculously, Tyler seemed to pull it together. He helped break the Kramer case and, in doing so, showed more guts than Gene originally gave him credit for. He mucked up the Trent case a bit, but was able to fix his mistakes and set things right. By the time they were loading Derek Bannister in the back of the ambulance, Gene had to admit Tyler knew what he was doing, even if the boy’s ideas were a bit backwards at times. After that first impression, Gene never thought he’d think that.
2.
The man’s a United fan?
Sam Tyler did not look like he even watched the football. He never mentioned football, he never played football, and he never showed the slightest interest in attending a match. It wasn’t until they were carrying that telly to the Arms and Tyler mentioned using it to watch the sport, that Sam discussed anything football related.
At first, Gene thought the poofter was referring to something like women’s figure skating or curling. Tyler seemed like the figure skating type. Then along came Colin Clay and the accompanying undercover work, and Tyler’s true passion began to shine. The very first night after they’d closed that case, Tyler was drinking in the pub and recounting stories of his trips to matches as a child.
He admitted to carrying a Bobby Charlton card and asking his priest to bless his United scarf. Out of embarrassment, he quickly added that he was only four at the time. But, Gene only grinned and nodded. It was good to see Tyler passionate about something other policing, for once, even if it was Manchester United.
3.
Sam Tyler really is a poofter.
Everyone made the jokes, especially Carling. DI Tyler was a bit light in the loafers. The Boss had quite a penchant for tight trousers. Why, Ray had spotted him on Canal Street just the other night. Gene chimed in, too, of course, but they were only taking the piss, that was all. Hunt never believed for one second the jokes were true. Sam always laughed them off or rolled his eyes. He never appeared genuinely offended.
Besides, Gene saw the way he flirted with Cartwright. He saw the way the other WPC’s fawned over the strange DI from Hyde. After what Tyler had done with Joni, well, it was obvious, wasn’t it? Sam Tyler may be a little odd, possibly a bit less manly than the rest of CID, but Sam Tyler certainly never took it up the arse.
This was exactly what Gene thought up until the very second he was pushing himself inside his pliant DI. He wasn’t even entirely sure until Sam began to moan and beg for more. Gene never thought he’d ever hear Sam Tyler beg. Then again, he never thought Sam Tyler was up for a bit of uphill gardening, either.
4.
I’ll miss him.
He was argumentative. He was disobedient. He was annoying. He was a prat. He hardly ever listened to reason. He had difficulty working as part of a team. He always had to have things done his way. Sam Tyler was a square peg in a round hole and he would always jam the cogs of the CID machine. The minute, no, the second he was gone, Gene would celebrate with his best single malt.
That was before. That was before their arrest record began to rise, and the crims were staying locked away on solid evidence. That was before Sam revealed a love for football. That was before he earned the respect of the entire station, including DS Carling. That was before Sam kissed him, cared for him, and filled a hole Gene never knew he had.
When Sam Tyler wandered in from Hyde that first day, Gene Hunt could not wait to be rid of him. Now, as they dragged the car from the canal, Gene knew he’d been mistaken. He would absolutely, bloody miss that pretentious, picky, proud, perfect ponce. And he had no idea how to deal with that. He ended up drinking his best single malt anyway.
5.
Sam Tyler was from the future.
Tony Crane had said it all those years ago. Carwright had expressed her concerns after the incident with Vic Tyler. Sam always said odd things - predicted the match outcomes, blathered about mobile whatsits, declared that Maggie Thatcher would be Prime Minister. Sure, Sam Tyler was off his nut, talked to radios and the like, but that meant nothing. Most of that chatter calmed down after the mess with Morgan, after all. Sam may have always been a bit confused about the world, but it was not because he was from the future.
Then, Sam was gone. Taken by the canal after seven years of partnership. Before he left for London, Cartwright handed him those yellowed notes. She said Sam had written them that very first night he arrived, way back in ‘73. She pressed the pages in his hands and told him they were coming true. Gene had read the notes in disbelief. Half of it didn’t make sense. There was a mention of that Star Wars film Sam and Chris loved so much, but that was such a common name. There would have been a flick called “Star Wars” eventually.
But, as the years passed, Gene continued to reread the notes. He started putting little checks next to events as they occurred. It wasn’t true, though. He nearly believed it when those bloody mobile phones began to take over the world, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t because it was simply impossible.
When he skimmed the monthly Constabulary newsletter and read the article on the young DCI from Manchester who had been hit by a car, only then did Gene even begin to believe the impossible. It wasn’t until he was sitting beside him in hospital, clutching Sam’s lifeless hand that he knew the truth. Gene had always thought Tyler was a bit mad. He never once thought that Sam had been right.