If you're happy and you know it

[smallhobbit]

Title: If you're happy and you know it
Written for the Armed Bastards Exchange Recipient: margo_kim 
Rating: White Cortina
Word Count: 650 words.
Prompt: I would love a fic where Sam's inexplicably cheerful, happy and altogether pleasant to be around, and the rest of the station's really weirded out by this.

DI Sam Tyler strolled into CID on Monday morning with a smile on his face.

“Make some bird very happy then?” Ray enquired.

“No,” Sam replied, but to Ray’s surprise he failed to take offence.

“Good weekend, eh, Boss?” Chris asked.

“Yes, thank you Chris.  I had an excellent time.”

He said no more and Chris returned to his desk wondering what had put the DI into such a good mood that even a grey Monday morning in CID wasn’t able to dampen.

Sam opened a file and continued to smile.  It was nearly Christmas and he had bought himself a small tree from Woollies, along with a packet of coloured paper strips.  He had spent most of the previous day making the strips and hanging them up in his flat.  All it lacked now was a few decorations for the tree and he planned to buy them on the way home.

He began to make notes on the file he was reading, but then started doodling instead: snowmen, stars, trees and parcels.  Annie walked over intent on comparing notes.

“How far have you got, sir?”

Sam hastily covered his doodles with the file.  “Not as far as I should.  Why don’t we go to the canteen and discuss this over a cup of coffee.”

“Yes, sir, if that’s what you want.”  Annie was slightly surprised that her normally formal boss was suggesting a more informal approach, but had no intention of dissuading him.

Whilst they were away Ray had a bet with Chris that Tyler’s good mood wouldn’t last until dinner time.  So, when on his return Sam set out the Christmas cards he had received on his desk, (very neatly, in height order),  Ray walked past and accidently knocked them on the floor.  Before he had the chance to say anything, Sam was round the desk, picking them up and telling Ray it wasn’t a problem.

Chris was still smirking when Gene came out of his office.  “Tyler, have you got a handle on this case yet?”

“Not yet, Guv, but I’ve got some ideas.”

“I don’t want poncy ideas, I want a solution.  You’d better come in ‘ere and tell me what you ‘ave got.”

Sam practically bounced into Gene’s office.  Ray was convinced that he was going to win the bet when he heard the DCI’s raised voice, but Sam still bounced out again.  Chris grinned.

The day continued in the same vein.  Word even got back that Sam had kissed Phyllis.  Then about four o’clock Sam went back to discuss with Gene their strategy for dealing with the case.  Gene looked up expecting to see his DI still smiling, but now his expression had changed.

“What’s wrong, Dorothy?”

“I really like Christmas and everything that goes with it: the decorations, the present buying, the partying.  But I’m still going to be alone on Christmas Day.”

“Not going back to Hyde then?”

A tear rolled down Sam’s cheek.

“I’ll take that as a no, then.  Well, as it ‘appens, the Missus said to me that if you didn’t ‘ave anywhere else to go you could always come to us.”  (This wasn’t strictly true.  What really happened was that Gene had mentioned casually that he wasn’t sure that his DI had anywhere to go for Christmas and he was wondering; at which point his wife had interrupted him to say that that would be no problem and at least she’d have someone who would help with the washing up.)

“Will there be crackers and hats and everything?”

“Yep.”  Gene grunted as the younger man threw his arms around him.  “You better bring a large box of chocolates – the Missus likes that Milk Tray and I’ll ‘ave a bottle of Glenfiddich.”

Ray, glancing into Gene’s office and seeing Sam hugging the Guv, decided it was time to go before Sam came out and hugged everyone else too.