OOM: Driving Lessons

[the_gene_genie]

Gene holds the door open for her with a small smile. The view outside is of a street, red brick houses and a car parked on the corner. There's a high-rise behind the houses; it's all typically 70s. If Kate looks back behind them when the door's closed, she'll see a regular looking pub with a sign hanging near the door, declaring it to be The Railway Arms.

She'll also see Gene standing stock still, glaring at her like she's standing right in his way. Which she is, as far as he's concerned. She might also note that there is not a single spark of recognition on his face.

'You gonna shift yer arse, luv, or am I goin' to 'ave t'do it for ya?'

Comments

[ikissdhimbck]

She's already shifting down, and despite his rising panic she does have the presence of mind to remember that the wheel controls the direction the car moves in.

With plenty of room to spare, she turns -- slowly, testing to see how much it takes to get the car to move -- while she drops into second. It's not the smoothest transition in the world, with all her anxiety about stopping on time. The car groans and bucks plenty as she drops gears. But, she manages it without stalling and without crashing.

The car coasts a few feet, going maybe 5 miles an hour, and then comes to an abrupt stop. So, she needs a bit of work on style. But she's got the basic mechanics.

She turns to look at him. A piece of blonde hair has come loose from her headband, and she blows it out of her face.

"How's that?"

[the_gene_genie]

He may actually be having a heart attack.

'...yeah. Fine.'



Oh God, his car.


'Think you've 'ad enough for today?'

Oh God, please.

[ikissdhimbck]

She manages not to laugh. Manages not even to smile.

(It still seems too soon. The grief, too fresh.)

She nods.

"Think it's a start."

[the_gene_genie]

He visibly, visibly, relaxes.

'OK. If you're sure you've 'ad enough.'

Fag. Fagfagfag. And Scotch. He downs half his flask in one and then offers it over to her.

'Think we need t'repair to the pub for a proper drink.'

And in case she gets any ideas;

'I'm drivin'. Out you get.'

[ikissdhimbck]

She almost teases him.

Well, if you're offering, I could stand a few more laps...

But she thinks better of it.

Reaching for the flask, she knocks back a grateful shot and nods her concession.

"What? Don't think I'm ready for the road yet?"

Smirk.

[the_gene_genie]

To his credit, he attempts tact!

'Christ no.'

...and fails.

'But you're alrigh', for your firs' go. Into fourth an' back down, nice side-skid in the turn. You'll be alrigh'.'

Yes, he's the sort of driving instructor that will teach handbrake turns and proper badass wheel spins.

'Now out.'

[ikissdhimbck]

Well, it's only fair, seeing as how Kate does plan on keeping her promise to teach him how to shoot while riding; and, should he ask, any other tricks in the saddle he might like to learn.

She grins proudly, because a you'll be alrigh' is practically a gold star coming from Gene.

"All right, all right."

She gets out of the car and circles around to the passenger side, still carrying his hip flask.

[the_gene_genie]

...she should probably rephrase that before offering, unless she wants to listen to a lewd suggestion or twenty.

But in the meantime, he's bouncy again (though he does trail his hand over the bonnet of the Cortina on his way round to the drivers side, partly to reassure the car and partly to apologise to it) and pulling his spare 'flask out, seeing as she's nicked his.

'Right then!' he declares, as soon as he's back where he belongs. 'One last lesson. Watch.'

He starts the car, bangs it into second and revs the hell out the engine, making it scream and the wheels start to spin. He laughs as dirt and gravel flies up behind them, then releases the clutch and shoots off in a whirl of burning rubber and noise and flying dirt.

'Wheel spin. Very important thing t'learn.'

If anything, he's even more reckless on the road this time as if showing her how its done right.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Should I be taking notes?"

That is, once she can move again.

[the_gene_genie]

'Only if you're even more blonde than you look,' he retorts, over the squeal of tyres as they skid round a corner.

Seeing as he's blonde, this is possibly a bit cheeky.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate's never heard a blonde joke in her life.

We dare you, Gene Hunt. We dare you.

[the_gene_genie]

He's surprised at the lack of comeback to that; most blondes give him lip when he says something along those lines. It obviously doesn't occur to him that she wouldn't know that blonde girls are there to be made fun of, so just figures he has to try a bit harder.

'Tell me somethin', luv, 'cos I've always wanted t'ask a blonde bird this - d'you put lipstick on your forehead when you wan' t'make up yer mind?'

[ikissdhimbck]

"The hell are y'talkin' about?"

[the_gene_genie]

He cackles a laugh and skids around another corner, honking loudly at a bloke who had the temerity to try and step out into the road.

'Oh c'mon, like you 'aven't heard a blonde joke before. How abou' this one - d'you take a ruler t'bed to see how long you sleep? GET OUTTA MY WAY YOU BASTARD!'

...the last bit is directed at another car, not at her.

[ikissdhimbck]

She swears he hasn't drank that much.

"Blonde joke?"

She holds onto the dash to keep herself from being thrown through the car.

"I don't get what's so funny."

[the_gene_genie]

He snaps his head round to look at her, swerving over the street and causing someone to yell from the pavement.

'Come on. Everyone's heard blonde jokes before - or don' they 'ave a sense of humour in America?'

Wouldn't surprise him if they didn't.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Jee-zus!"

The only way Kate knows Gene didn't just kill someone is because there's no blood on the windshield.

"Sure, we got senses of humor. Y'hear the one about the blonde copper who went horseback ridin'?"

[the_gene_genie]

'...no?'

He glances back at her again, puzzled. He doesn't get it.

'Mounted plod are twats anyway. Coppers on horses? It's for ponces who don' like gettin' their hands dirty.'

They're nearly there. Two more streets to go.

[ikissdhimbck]

...Gene is going to kill her, once they're back in the bar.


"Couldn't tell his ass from 'is neck."

[the_gene_genie]

'...an' you thought mine weren't funny.'

The pub's in sight. He can practically taste the ale. There're no idiots getting in his way so he just floors it. The engine roars, the car leaps forward and...

...tarmac is replaced with grass, houses with trees.

'What the...bloody 'ell is goin' on...!'