The Madness of Well Disguised Mind

"Genie?" He heard an excited squeal from the kitchen and suddenly his arms were filled with soft feminine flesh. "What are you doing home so early?" Jerking back, green eyes stared at him anxiously. "Are you all right? Are you hurt? Genie what happened?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Gene soothed. "Just thought I’d knock off early and come spend the night with my favorite girl." He was squeezed tight again before she pushed him into the front parlor with orders to relax as she got him a beer. He could hear her now happily humming to herself in the kitchen.

Gene smiled to himself - life for the Gene Genie was good. Crime was down, City had won their last match and were well on their way to taking the cup, his young wife was happy and that meant little Gene would be very happy as well. Then there was Tyler. Gene’s smile broadened and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Oh Tyler had just put the icing on his birthday cake.

"So apparently," Gene chuckled an hour later over his glass of wine. "Apparently, there’s Tyler sound asleep on that cot of his, dreaming about puppies and kittens and then crash the whole ceiling caves in. I come in a few minutes later," Gene laughed again. "There he is standing in the middle of the room half asleep looking at where his kitchen used to be."

"What happened then?" Wide green eyes stared at him in horror. "What did he do?"

"Not much he could do," Gene chuckled. "Super called the station and said it would take a week to fix the flat so he could live in it again. Flashknickers Cartwright won’t let him stay with her so he’s sleeping in one of the empty cells and praying Phyllis won’t decide to come keep him warm."

"Gene!" Full pink lips made a perfect "O" of shock.

"What?"

"Why didn’t you invite him to stay here?"

"Stay here?" Gene laughed. "Why? We’ve got perfectly good cells sitting empty."

"We have a perfectly fine guest room!" She insisted.

"It’s Tyler!" Gene argued. "DI Sam "picky pants" Tyler! The nancy boy from Hyde!"

The bottom lip quivered. "No!" Gene insisted.

The lip quivered more this time and she sniffled. "Gladys, I am the man of this house and I’m saying that DI Tyler will NOT be staying here!"

Her hand drew back from his and she sniffled again. He could see that the lip was fully trembling now. "Gladys!" He groaned. "I’ll invite him to come back here and stay tomorrow night."

"Thank you Genie," she smiled brightly and returned her hand into his. "I just hate to think of poor DI Tyler sleeping in those damp cells."

"He’ll be fine for one night," Gene insisted. "For tonight, I"m home and Little Gene and I have missed you."

Her nose wrinkled slightly and her lower lip trembled again. "I just don’t think I could enjoy my Gene Genie knowing poor DI Tyler is locked up shivering in one of those cells."

"You’re not going to let this rest are you?" Gene sighed. Her lower lip just trembled and Gene sighed again as he stood up and went for his coat.

"I should have gone to the pub," Gene muttered to himself as he stamped out the door and toward the Cortina.