Mysterious Mistletoe
"So you're telling me that some of the lads have been known to sing?" Cass laughed as her and Sam walked towards the station discussing the upcoming Sun Hill Christmas celebrations.
"Yeah well some of them, it helps if they've been drinking," Sam grinned.
"It helps them, the rest of us have to listen to them."
"I think they've even had a pantomime," Sam added.
"What? Ali Baba and the one thousand thieves?" Cass suggested.
"No worse. Aladdin, in drag."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Scout's honour," Sam swore.
"You weren't one of them were you?"
"Weren't you in the girl guides?" he asked feigning innocence.
"Nah, but I might have told my Dad I was."
"Easier than telling him what you were really getting up to I suppose," Sam teased. "He probably thought you were an angel."
"What makes you think I wasn't?" He laughed as they walked into Sun Hill station.
"Watch out Cass, look where he's got you," Tony laughed pointing at the mistletoe hanging about the doorway.
"I'm sure I can handle it," Cass laughed glancing up. Sam smiled but it was Cass who'd given him one brief but energetic kiss before he'd had a chance to slip away. He didn't protest.
"Nice one Cass," Tony laughed and the couple just grinned, blushed slightly and separated.
Now there's an angel with attitude, thought Sam as he grinned, blushing slightly and walked into the station.
"Thanks," Cass grinned, following Sam who joined Tony at the desk.
"I hate to break up the party but are you two planning on getting into uniform this morning?" Boyden smiled slightly.
"All right Sarge," Cass agreed and they headed towards their locker rooms, Tony following behind even though he was already in uniform.
* * *
The WPC's locker room was full even though most of them were already dressed.
"Good morning," Cass greeted them.
"Isn't it?!" Di laughed. "I just heard about you and Sam."
"That was quick, we only just got here," Cass laughed. "I'm surprise they didn't announce it over CAD." Di grinned.
"Probably only because we haven't all got our radios yet, what's the bet they'll give it a mention later on." Cass agreed.
"I suppose you've heard about her then?" Polly gestured to Di.
"No but I better now," Cass looked at her questioningly.
"I didn't mean too. I was talking to Tony about something." She confessed.
"It wasn't that bad was it Di?" Vicky teased.
"Come on Vicky admit it, you're just a tiny bit jealous it wasn't you?" Polly laughed.
"Tony?" Vicky quipped.
"Well I didn't think you were interested in Di," Polly replied. "I suppose you'd prefer Smiffy would you?"
"Sorry Pol, but I don't think I'm interested in anyone Sun Hill's got to offer."
"Well that'll put a damper on the Christmas party than," Polly laughed.
"It could have been worse you know," Di laughed, ignoring the fact that she hadn't thought it was too bad at all. "Imagine if I'd come in with Reg."
"He's probably disappointed," Vicky laughed. "He's always so punctual he's here before most of us."
"Are you volunteering to make it up to him?" Cass laughed.
"No thanks Cass. I don't care how much I drink at the Christmas party I'm never going to kiss Reg Hollis."
"I don't blame you," she agreed. "Sam isn't too bad though." Cass laughed as they all ooohed and ahrrred.
* * * *
In the male PC's locker room the boys were going through the same process.
"Couldn't wait for the Christmas party, hey Sam?" Dave greeted him.
"You're just jealous," Sam retorted.
"What do you reckon the odds of him and Pol getting cozy this year are?" Tony laughed turning on Dave.
"I'd say the odds of you and Di getting together are better," Dave laughed.
"And they say men don't gossip," Sam laughed.
* * *
When they crowded into the briefing room the chattering and laughing grew louder.
"Quiet down please," Bob greeted them.
"What do you think that chances are that him and Ackland snogged when they came in this morning?" George whispered to Dave and Tony.
Bob began again after they'd quietened down. "I know it's getting close to Christmas and we've had an entertaining morning and thank you to Reg for organising the decorations but can we all please keep out minds on work?" Dave, George and Tony exchanged grins. Reg didn't look so happy.
"I'm sorry sir but I didn't have anything to do with the mistletoe. You see it wouldn't be ethical, the berries allow the plant to spread, it's a very dangerous weed, if you're a tree that is," Reg objected.
"Whatever," Bob dismissed and moved onto his announcements and their assignments.
* * *
"Hey look, it's gone," Tony remarked as he and Dave headed out to the area car.
"Maybe someone nicked it," Dave laughed.
* * *
Don Beech and Claire Stanton were the next to fall victim to the mistletoe which had hung unnoticed above the doorway into CID until they came back from interviewing a suspect about a break in on Jamaica Lane.
"Well there's not much we can do about that is there," Don smiled, getting away with a single soft smooth kiss. John looked less than impressed. Claire smiled slightly and winked at John. Kerry, who'd watched in amusement and Tom who seemed grateful for the distraction from a pile of paperwork. Trev put some files into the filing cabinet and shut it.
* * *
"Twenty-Five pounds please," Tony asked Smiffy when he bumped into him on the way to Refs in the canteen.
"25?" Smiffy asked.
"Yeah cough up. You want a decent Christmas party don't you?"
"Is Nick doing the music? Because you know how I feel about that stuff, he'll do my head in."
"If he does I'll make sure he keeps it down a bit," Tony promised. "But the less we spend on music the more we can spend on booze."
"Yeah I suppose and we'll need a hell of a lot of the stuff with half the relief working Christmas," Smiffy agreed handing over the money.
"You one of them?" Tony asked.
"I figured I may as well, my girlfriend's working at Barton Street." Smiffy wasn't exactly sure this was how he wanted to mention he was seeing Sarah but he knew she wasn't going to let him keep it a secret for long. He didn't mind though, he'd prefer seeing her at the pub with them, than meeting up with her mates, He still wasn't too happy with some of Vickers' mates. He was beginning to feel like he needed to find a new soccer team.
"Serious?" Tony asked in surprise, knowing Smiffy wasn't one to talk about his private life. "You'd go out with someone from Barton Street?"
"Well no one's perfect," Smiffy smiled.
* * *
"Guess who Smiffy's bringing to the Christmas party?" Tony asked at they joined Polly, and Dave in the canteen.
"Well don't you think Smiffy should be the one to tell us?" Pol asked looking at Smiffy to see what he thought of Tony's announcement.
"Well all I know is she's some plonk from Barton Street," Tony replied.
"Her name's Sarah," Smiffy told them. "She's the DC who used to work with Vickers."
"You're joking?" Dave laughed.
"Well we sort of got involved after he pushed off," Smiffy admitted. "But we've always been mates," he added.
"CID and from Barton Street, you must be desperate," Tony laughed.
"She's not stuck you about it," Smiffy replied.
"What being from Barton Street or CID?" Tony teased.
"Oi! Watch it," Smiffy warned.
* * *
CAD was the next target. No one knew how it got there, but after Bob and June moved to pass each other to avoid bumping into each other as they went in opposite directions, and noticed the mistletoe hanging above them with embarrassed grins, everyone knew about it.
"They still mucking about with that stuff?" June asked incredulously.
"Come on June, it's a laugh," Bob answered and pecked her slightly on the cheek as he stepped into CAD. Polly looked up at Bob and smiled.
June paused for a second before heading down the corridor.
* * *
"Sorry Trev, I've got to meet a snout. How about you ask Tom to sit in on the interview for you?" Kerry apologised as she headed out of CID. Trev nodded but she was already gone. He looked at Tom questioningly.
"Yeah I'll do it," Tom agreed, glad to get away from his paperwork. "Just give me a minute to get up to speed." Tom didn't even notice the mistletoe had reappeared at the CID doorway.
* * *
When uniform came in to the station at the end of the shift, they noticed the mistletoe was hanging at the entrance again.
"What is it with that stuff?" Tony asked as Nick slipped his arm around Vicky for a moment, winked and kissed for lightly on the cheek. "I swear it wasn't there when we when out after the briefing," Tony remarked.
"You coming to the Christmas party?" Nick asked Vicky teasing.
"Shhh don't remind him," she smiled and pointed at Tony. "I haven't paid my 25 pounds yet."
* * *
It was still there when Kerry, Tom and Trev came down from CID. Tom and Trev were walking on either side of Kerry and it looked like they were both going to step through the door at the same time as Kerry but she stopped just short of the door.
"Damn, I left something behind," she complained. "Maybe next time, hey?" She laughed as they stepped through the door without a word to each other and she headed back to CID office.
* * *
At the pub that evening, the conversation turned to what was dubbed 'The Mysterious Mistletoe' because of its reported ability to move about the station faster than Duncan Lennox on a hot day. It's 'victims' were ribbed as they relived the day's events and accusations flew about who was responsible, but no one had any admissions and nothing stuck.
* * *
There was no sign of the mysterious mistletoe the next day.
"I guess they've given up," Tony remarked as they came in.
"They?" Dave asked.
"Well we never worked out who it was did we?"
"So it wasn't you then?" Dave asked smiling.
"No! Why'd you think it was me?" Tony asked, not so much offended but rather almost disappointed he couldn't claim responsibility.
"Well you were the first one to benefit," Dave smirked.
"And that would have made it rather hard for me to have done it wouldn't it unless you think I'm sad enough to stick it up and then sneak out so I could walk in with Di."
"You're right, you couldn't have done it. You wouldn't have managed to plan it let alone pull it off!" Dave laughed.
* * * Sun Hill Christmas Party. 8:30
The first thing they noticed were the decorations. Hundreds of sprigs of mistletoe were suspended from the ceiling.
"You've got one hell of a sense of humour you know that Tony?" Smiffy asked as he and Sarah surveyed the scene.
"Di is going to die when she sees this," Cass laughed.
"Hey don't look at me," Tony laughed. "I'm innocent- this was CID's contribution to the organisation of the Sun Hill Christmas spectacular."
"CID did this?" Smiffy asked doubtfully. "They're a right bunch of plonkers, aren't they!" He laughed slipping his arm around Sarah's waist. She pretended to threaten him.
"You'll pay for that," she warned him.
"Yeah, but it was worth it," he smiled facing her.
"So do you think they were responsible for the other day?" Dave asked the others.
"Well we'd have found out if it was one of us," Tony agreed.
"Who do you think it was then?" Dave asked. "It could have been one of them acting alone but that seems unlikely seeing as they had to get around the nick so much unnoticed."
"How many CID officers does it take to screw in a light bulb?" asked Smiffy turning away from Sarah and ducking away from a feigned slap to the head.
"How many?" Tony asked.
"None, they tell a PC to do it!" Sarah retorted smiling broadly.
"Sounds like CID," Tony laughed. "Can't get anything done without uniform."
* * * Sun Hill Christmas Party 8:30 across the room.
"I thought we were doing the decorations?" John asked Claire as they surveyed the room.
"Well CID were supposed to do it but I guess uniform took over."
"It's pretty lame," he smiled shyly.
"I think it's sweet," she smiled. "Just don't let me dance with Don Beech!" They laughed.
"I better keep you busy then, how about it?" he offered.
"I'd love to," she agreed and they danced gently, the tension settling almost comfortably between them.
* * * Sun Hill Christmas Party 9:30
"Come on Bob, how about a dance?" June asked as they sipped their drinks and watched the dancing.
"Sure," he smiled and led her into the dancing.
"I guess CID liked the mistletoe?" June smiled.
"I hope you didn't mind?" Bob asked casually.
"Well they never pay much attention to their work at this time of year anyway," she replied. He nodded glad to know she hadn't thought he was out of order.
"Do you know who started the whole thing?" Bob asked.
"Well no one in uniform's owned up to it."
"The party seems to be going well," she remarked, seeing Smiffy and Sarah together, Matt entangled with someone he'd brought along, and Andrew dancing with his wife.
"It's good to see Di and Tony dancing," he remarked.
"Tony needs the exercise," she laughed.
"Sam and Cass are at the bar," Bob remarked.
"I'm not surprised," she commented.
"It's nice to see them all playing nicely," Bob smiled.
"Just wait till they're back at work tomorrow," she replied and they shared a laugh.
* * * Sun Hill Christmas Party 10:30
"Claire, do you think anyone would notice if I kissed you?" John asked as they danced, even though they were barely moving.
"Probably," she sighed in frustration.
"It's late, they'd probably thing we'd been drinking," he pointed out.
"We have."
"We're not drunk, but they don't need to know that," he smiled and ignored Don weaving his way through the crowd to cut in on him.
"I suppose," she smiled and gave in.
* * * Sun Hill Christmas Party 11:00
"Come on Trev, don't you want to dance?" Kerry asked with the slightest hint that she'd been drinking. He just smiled and let her pull him into the dance, her hands dangling around his neck.
"You know, I know you did all this," she confessed grinning tipsily at him. "Why didn't you get anyone to help you?" she asked. He just shrugged and smiled. "So were you the one that started it?" she asked. He just stared into her bright blue eyes affectionately. "Well I owe you one anyway." She smiled remembering her near miss with him and Tom. He held her gaze. She leaned forward and
* * *