HEAVENLY SHADES OF NIGHT ARE FALLING

Author:    Eggbert
E-mail:    mbejane2000@yahoo.com
Fandom:    The Bill
Rating:    PG-13
Pairing:   Tony Stamp/Dave Quinnan

Summary:   When the whole world turns its back on you,
           where does your comfort lie?

Spoilers:  Eps 25-28. Y'know, the whole 'Tony's a perv' storyline.

A/N:       For those who got into the fandom due to Craig
           and Luke, these two were the Original Married Couple.
           And it's the first one of this pairing I've ever dared
           post...

Dedicated to kel



He sits in abject despair, unable to believe that his
entire life could have been turned upside down in the
space of a day.

The window has been boarded up yet still there is a
draught insinuating itself around the places where the
boards don't fit. He ignores it, his mind on other,
darker matters. He doubts this will be the last
mindless act perpetrated against him until this thing
is resolved. Mud sticks. Wasn't that how the
delightful Cathy Bradford had described it? He has
already been tried and found guilty, whatever they
might say to the contrary. He reaches for the whisky
bottle in a vain attempt to numb his pain.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

A darker patch of shadow moves along Gretton Street.
Bad news travels fast in the Job. He's supposed to be elsewhere,
approximately a million miles from here but he knows the occupant of the
house with the boarded up window needs him, for that night at least.

He moves from the pool of light cast by the streetlamp
and darts to the front door. His heart is beating fast
as he presses the doorbell. This reconciliation is
long overdue. Mentally he curses himself for leaving
it so long.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The shrilling of his doorbell makes him jump, cold
sweat stands out on his forehead as he gets to his
feet and he fluently curses Lee Dwyer and his family
for making him fear to open his own front door. He
slips the security chain on and peers through the
crack. It seems barely credible that the one person
who might be able to help him make sense of the whole
fucking mess is standing on his doorstep. He slips the
chain off and lets him in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

" I heard what happened, Tony, " are Dave Quinnan's
first words.

" Jungle telegraph, I suppose. " says Tony Stamp
bitterly, almost too far gone in self-pity and
simmering anger to register that Dave has come back to
him. " And do you believe it? " he asks.

" Don't be so fucking stupid! " exclaims Dave angrily.
" What do you take me for, eh? "

He watches the bigger man sag with relief and
realises, with no little horror, that the rest of the
relief have deserted Tony. Disgusted that anyone could
think such a thing of this man, Dave takes Tony's big,
gentle hands in his. They tremble in his grip and Dave
is pleased again that he has come.

" I'm sorry, Dave, " Tony mutters. " You'd hardly be
here if you thought I'd done it. Come on through. "

Dave follows him into the familiar living room and
sits close to Tony on the sofa, accepting with thanks
the large whisky poured for him.

" How've you been? " Tony asks, making a brave stab at
normal conversation.

" Bloody busy. I tell you what though, Tone. If
working in SO 10 ever goes pear-shaped I can always go
in for acting, the amount I've done since I left Sun
Hill. "

Tony smiles briefly, genuine affection shining in his
eyes and Dave wonders what possessed him to leave. The
remembrance is painful indeed.

They return to what has happened, what indignities
Tony has suffered in the course of this investigation.
He tells Dave that even his bedding has been taken
away for forensic testing.

" They won't find anything. " he says, topping up both
their glasses.

" So you're still not seeing anyone then? " Dave asks
lightly.

" No. You? "

Dave shakes his dark head.

" It's almost impossible to have a relationship doing
the kind of work I do. You lie all the time and
sometimes it spills over into real life. That's no way
to treat anyone. And after what I did to Jenny and
Poll I need to steer well clear of women. And men. "

He glances sideways at Tony and feels relieved to see
that Tony has relaxed a bit. Seeing the genial glue
that always kept the Sun Hill relief together
dissolving in front of his eyes is a sight he never
wants to see again.

" Did you ever wonder, " Dave says, choosing his words carefully, " What
would have happened if you and I had stayed together? "

" Once or twice. " Every day, more like.

" I don't think I could have made you happy, Tony. I'm
not much good at that. "

" You were still trying to prove something when you
married Jenny, " says Tony gently. " I don't grudge
you that. And besides, we're still mates. Some might
call that a happy ending. "

" Talking of mates, how's Jim these days? "

Dave wishes for the power to call his words back for
Tony has gone rigid with fury.

" Jim is the Family Liaison Officer for the Dwyers.
And guess who he believes? "

Dave is paper white with shock.

" Fucking idiot! " he snarls. " Just because you and I
had a thing he believes you're capable of molesting
young lads? "

" That about sums it up, yeah. " sighs Tony. " And CIB
will be hammering me tomorrow. I didn't do it, Dave. I couldn't.
Someone hurt that poor boy and they're trying to pin it on me."

And he hears the most beautiful words in the English
language from the man he loved and loves still.

" I believe you. "

When they run out of words and whisky, Dave opens his
arms to his friend, his lover and Tony falls into
them. Upstairs, in the newly made bed, they make love,
a cathartic act which brings Tony to sob out all his
hurt, anger and feelings of betrayal into the soft
hollow of Dave's throat.

Dave makes no promises in Tony's bed, nor does Tony
expect them.

Tonight is enough.

The End.

29/03/03