[Muse wonders whhhhhhhhy - canon is "Inspector Lewis"]

[justanothercop]

Okay. So why have you brought me out again after such a long time? And in a whole new place no less.

No, you do not need to go do a re-watch of my canon. No, you do not need to look around for games. Do you remember what happened the last time? You idled out on all the games I was in. Yes, I know you were busy but dammit woman - I don't enjoy being jerked around. If you're going to do something then do it!

Eh? No! Don't take that as a challenge! And what's this about taking me from a different canon point than before? Don't you dare! I just got me life in order again.

Comments

[nothalfasgently]

I'm sorry. I wouldn't have said.

...It was an accident, then?

[justanothercop]

I suppose you could call it that. Petty criminal racing away from the scene of his latest crime. Hit her and then kept going.

[He gives his shoulder a jerk as if to displace an irksome fly.]

Any ways. All's forgiven. So. You ever try to leave the North?

[nothalfasgently]

But was it? I mean: that's how they got me guv's wife. This gangster, he made it look like a hit and run, right? But it was just a plain hit. Nobody'd believe him about it either, in the Yard I mean. Had to come out here and track the bloke down himself.

[John nods.]

Aye. Had an invitation from the Met once: they were putting together a squad to take on organized crime in Soho. And I suppose that Commander from Special Branch might have offered something if I hadn't have told him where to shove it. Like I said: me guv. Don't have to worry about him being bent at least.

[justanothercop]

He's calls it an accident, I call it... well, I don't know what I call it. But - I met the man who did it. He was as common as they come - nothing special about him. My wife deserved better than to end like that.

[Robbie raises an eyebrow at the mention of the Met]

That right? So why didn't you take'em up?

[The last bit makes Robbie chuckle. Oh, how that sounded like someone he had once known and loved as a brother - perhaps even idolized in some respects.]

Sounds like your guv and my old guv would have gotten on.

[nothalfasgently]

They hang him at least? We got our bastard, and I made sure he had summat special to think on while they were measuring him up for his new necktie.

I did take 'em up; the boss smacked us down.

Maybes they would have, but the famous George Gently has it in his mind that he's the only straight copper left in all of England. The worst part is he keeps proving that right.

[justanothercop]

Hang? Don't be daft. Haven't had anything like that around in years. He pled guilty to manslaughter and went to prison.

Now why'd yer boss do something like that? You really endear yourself to him or her?

[Another laugh]

Now I know they would have got on - Morse always figured he was the only copper with a brain left in England.

[nothalfasgently]

It happened that recent?

[Now John feels even worse for mouthing off about wives. But he snickers at Lewis' question.]

Her. Har har.

[A lady boss. No funnier joke.]

He felt I'd be better off here with him. Has a very high opinion of himself.

[justanothercop]

Gone nine years now - be ten in December.

[a long, long pause]

Wait, do they still hang people in your time?

[Well, at least that would explain the comment about female bosses.]

He ever mention being related to a man called 'Morse'? Detective Chief Inspector in Oxford?

[nothalfasgently]

Ten...?

No, they passed that act almost two years back. Fingers crossed they don't renew it, but I wouldn't half be surprised if we decriminalized murder itself with Wilson in the office.

[John's confused here, so he falls back on the comfortable familiarity of complaining about the Labour majority.]

...No?

Ack - sorry for the delay

[justanothercop]

[Lewis studies the other man for a long time before speaking again.]

You and me - we're from entirely different times. I think I'm from the future from your point of view. It's 2012 where I am.

No worries!

[nothalfasgently]

Two thousand. And twelve.

[That's too far away to ever exist.]

<3

[justanothercop]

Yeah... What year is it where you are?

[nothalfasgently]

It's 1966!

[John's haircut practically says that all by itself.]

[justanothercop]

Blimey... I just. Wow.

[He thought the haircut was something young people were doing again - maybe - okay, so he doesn't keep up on trends but he never thought this guy was from 1966.]

I would have been a teenager still, running around Newcastle.

[God, 1966 was a long time ago.]

[nothalfasgently]

[John's face twitches into a grimace. He doesn't like the implication of what that might make him in 2012. He feels old enough already.]

Suppose this means nobody drops any bombs. Unless it was us. ...You don't happen to remember any outcomes of any horse races, do you?

I love these two - I need to watch your fellow's canon now xD

[justanothercop]

We come out of it all decently enough. No bombs in England. Kept having some trouble in Northern Ireland but that's mostly cleared up and peaceful now.

[He arches an eyebrow]

I'm not the betting type so I never took much notice of them.

It's all up on youtube!

[nothalfasgently]

Now, or for now? They've always had that sort of trouble out of there. No, I meant the nuclear sort.

Damn. I could use that sort of money.

/runs off to find

[justanothercop]

True but it got real bad a few decades back. [pause] Nuclear? Nah. World had few nuclear power plants meltdown but no nuclear bombs.

[nothalfasgently]

What's the job like in the future, then? Must have all sorts of new techniques.

[What do you hit your villains with, Lewis?]

[justanothercop]

From where you are loads and loads of new toys. Forensics seems to come up with something new every year to help solve crimes. There's a specialist for everything now seems.

[He thinks for a moment, remembering what the police were like when he was growing up.]

You're not allowed to rough up suspects anymore. Lawyers get in and tend to muck up everything. The death penalty has been outlawed and... Well, there are days I feel like I'm a relic around here. The police force gets younger and younger.

[nothalfasgently]

What, they expect the scum 'o the Earth to just come along when you ask nicely???

[justanothercop]

And that is why there are sergeants.

[SMIRK - Lewis did his time as a DS so he has no qualms with putting someone else through it]

[nothalfasgently]

And I suppose there's no rule the other way around. Nobody's got worries about us gettin' roughed up.

[justanothercop]

You're still allowed self-defense. I was never a fan of roughing people up any ways.

[nothalfasgently]

I think people ought to be able to take what they dish out. They're out there using knives, and guns, and flamethrowers on blokes, and you can't slap a face to get a little respect? It's only the language they speak, mate.