Hi guys! It's been a hell of a long time! But Series 3 in its greatness is just willing me to write more! I know I haven't finished Roses and Thorns yet and one day I will but with so much new stuff to write about and series 3 getting more and more juicy what's a girl to do! So for now and to get me back into writing I will start off mildly with this little fic that crossed my mind.

Enjoy and review!

"Hey" She gently tried to nudge him. He had been asleep for an hour on the settee, whiskey glass in one hand and part of her top in a firm grasp in the other. Smiling she cast her mind back a few hours and the events which had led them to this situation.

They had spent most of the night arguing at the foot of her stairs, then at her front door and then at her kitchen table. She was angry at him for how he 'thanked' Keats. He was angry at her for apparently not trusting him enough to listen about Keats.

"I've told you once Bolly I will tell you one and final bloody time DON'T TRUST THAT SPECKY EYED TWAT!" He slammed his glass down on the table with such force he chipped part of it off and it travelled up into the air. They both watched as it fell back down, in slow motion they saw where it was heading but he couldn't move fast enough to avoiding it coming into contact with his forehead.

"Shit!" Gene grabbed his head and staggered backwards stumbling into her kitchen unit and falling over onto the floor.

It wasn't funny, he was hurt, she was still angry but Alex couldn't help her. She fell to the floor at the side of him and laughed.

"Great help you are! I'm pissing blood and you're in hysterics!" He turned to look at her and saw the anger had faded and she was just laughing at his stupidity at falling over. For the first time since . . . . God, since he shot her he relaxed and started to chuckle himself.

"Come here then let's have a look you stupid man." She turned towards him and moved his hand to look at the cut. It wasn't that deep but it had taken a small chunk of skin and looked like someone had head butted him. She started yet again to laugh.

"And now you're laughing at my injuries? Just how much have you drunk tonight Bolls?" He put his hand back to his head and started to get up.

"Sorry." She giggled. "It's just, well we came up here arguing and let's be fair Gene, I've 'injured' you before."

He knew she was right. Everyone would think that she had had enough and gave him a Glasgow kiss. He would never hear the end of it. Lamped yet again by your DI. He groaned and turned the water tap on.

"Fanbloodytastic, not only will people think I fucked up an undercover operation they will think my DI has me under the thumb!"

She bit her lip slightly and smiled at him. The thought of actually taming the Manc Lion was very tempting but firstly his head needed dealing with.

"Come here." She had managed to grab a tea towel and ran it under the water. Gene rested on the worktop as she bathed his head. The bleeding seemed to have stopped and after she had pulled out a chip of glass and Gene and swore profusely at her she covered it up with a plaster.

"There all better." She smiled admiring her handy work and for the first time since he fell over looked down at his face.

"I meant what I said Bolly." He looked all serious now and she wondered how long his hand had been on her waist. Truth was neither did Gene. He had reached out when she pulled out the piece of glass and must have just let it linger there, you know purely for support.

Alex swallowed and tried to ignore the burning sensation under his touch or the fact that even though she was standing so close to attend to his wound she could now feel his breath on her face.

"Meant what?" She failed miserably at trying to hide the shake in her voice.

"About Keats." Bloody infuriating man! She tried to pull away but he secured his grip on her side and pulled her closer.

"Listen to me Bolly; he is trying to pull us apart, all of us. I've seen him these past few weeks try and tear each individual member from me, hell I'm not sure where Chris lies now. He called the twat guv yesterday." Alex blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't, she knew that must have hurt Gene. "But Bolls . . ." He looked away.

"What gene? What's so bloody important that I need telling?" She was getting annoyed again and fast. He never told her what was going off in his head, until it was either to late or vitally important but this time she was going to make him tell her, no secrets nothing just the truth.

He gripped her waist with his other hand and turned her round, her back to the sink area and him towering over her. Her heart rate jumped and her breath went shallow. He was staring at her with such intensity, such conviction she was helpless to whatever he said now.

"If he ever took you away I would be absolutely fucked." He looked away again. His face was flushed, the pain in his head wasn't helping but he hated admitting stuff like this.

She didn't move, she went rigid and tears threatened to spill. He couldn't see her eyes and Gene read this as he had fucked up in some way yet again. That they were nowhere near back to normal and she would never ever be the one with the connection like before.

He sighed and moved away.

"Gene wait." It was a whisper but he heard it. He turned his head and looked at her properly now. Gene could see she was close to tears and that it wasn't an act of repulsion, she was shocked.

He walked back over to her and stopped at her feet.

"One last time Bolly." It was a rumble, so low she could hardly hear it. "Trust me".

She raised her hand and popped it under his jacket on his heart just like the first day they met.

"Always." She smiled at him for reassurance, glaring at him with her beautiful hazel eyes and he let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. A small smirk now tugging at his mouth.

"What no witty retort Gene?" She asked.

"I was just thinking Bolls."

"Go steady."

His smirk widened. He thought about what he was about to do and whether or not with all the uncertainty at work, around their lives at the moment this was the best time to do it. Fuck it, he thought, you're only young once.

"You did that the first day we met Alex." He looked down at her hand still over his heart.

She smiled remembering.

"I know. Gene . . . ." He saw in her eyes all he needed to know and he raised his hand and grabbed her left breast. She jumped slightly and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Fandabbydozzy, now then Bollinger knickers." He moved closer to her and she licked her lips in anticipation. "You gona kiss me or punch me."

She gave him no time to back off. Her lips crashed down on to his and she swung her arms around his neck and thrust her hands up into his hair. He groaned into her mouth and threaded his arms back round her waist.

She felt him lean into her and she jumped up onto the kitchen work surface without breaking contact with his mouth. She let out a small moan as his hands travelled up her side and wrapped her legs round him to pull him even closer.

He knew it would only be a matter of time before she would come to her senses realise what she was doing and stamp her usual pyhcollogy bolloxs around it and send him home. He was going to grab every second he had Alex Drake under him.

She broke their kiss a few seconds later and he awaited the incoming speech about 'it's a mistake' or 'I'm sorry we can't' but she didn't move. Instead Alex rested her head on his and let out a long breath.

"Well that's not how it happened the first day we met is it." She made a joke? Maybe she wasn't going to kick him out on his arse after all.

He looked up at her and tried to speak but she raised her finger to his mouth.

"Now before you ruin this with some sort of smutty remark, or try and wiggle out of it think about this. I might be here for a very long time now and you need to know that whatever Keats tells me, however he tries to snap me away from you . . ." She felt his grip tighten around her subconsciously and she smiled at him" . . . . You will always be my Guv. The rest we can figure out as we go ?"

Slowly she removed her finger from his lips awaiting the smutty remark even though she had told him not to, he never listened after all. Instead he just nodded, pouted and looked her in the eye.

"Unbreakable hey Bolly."

"Indeed." She smiled at him and motioned her head towards the settee. He let her down off the work surface and for a few seconds they both turned into a pair of teenagers and the nervousness set in.

"Urm . . . drink?" Alex was the first to speak.

"Bloody parched cheers."

Alex turned to get the glasses out and found her hand still shaking from the kiss.

Gene hadn't moved from the spot still a little confused about her not throwing him out and very confused as to why he hadn't just picked her up and thrown her in the bedroom he watched as she shakily got the glasses out the cupboard. 'Right Genie boy stop being a poof'. He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Bolls . . ."

She turned around with a look of uncertainty; surely he wasn't going to piss off? Not after . . . . He didn't give her time to finish thinking. His lips found hers again and it took her a few seconds to respond. She was just getting into it, her hands had found their way back into his hair and she had made that noise again that he loved when he kissed her a few minutes ago. Gene pulled back and smirked at Alex who still had her lips formed into a perfect 'o' and had her eyes closed. She realised he had with drew and looked up at him.

"Just checking I hadn't banged my head when I fell, fantasies about you usually end up with me waking up bolly. Now get me that drink." He smacked her arse and turned to the settee. Full on smirk Gene knew she was his now, Keats could very muchly fuck off.

They had gone over to the settee and tentively sat next to each other with their drinks. He placed his arm round her and slowly and possessively pulled her to him. After a few minutes she relaxed into his side and sneaked an arm around him.

"Alex."

"Mmm."

"What you said about whatever Keats says some of it might be pretty shit. I've not always been an arc angel love."

She thought about what he had said for a few moments. The fact that she had Sam Tyler's jacket and file in her draw at work and the previous weeks conversation she had had with Keats fresh in her mind but she knew that whatever he had done in the past he was loyal to her, to the team and above all he was a decent man. What ever happened the day of Sams death may be her key to returning home and to Molly but until then and until someone actually proved he had something to do with it she needed him.

"I know, but like I said I trust you. I'm not going anywhere Gene. I mean it" She kissed his chest where her head now rested and she felt him nod above her and crop a kiss to her hair.

They stayed in silence for a while, every now and then she would feel his hand drop from her waist and try and grope her arse. And after the third time she gently nudged him in the ribs and giggled a little. He shuffled about a bit and mumbled something along the lines of 'prick teaser' then settled back into the settee. His breathing had slowed now and that's when Alex realised he had fell asleep. A whiskey glass in one hand and her top in his grasp in the other.

"Hey" She nudged him again and his hand dropped from her top and found her arse again.

Smiling she looked up at him to find him looking down on her.

"Bolls?" He questioned.

"Mmm?" She made no effort to move his hand this time.

"I didn't thank you for patching me up." He wore his usual sly smirk now. Reading his mind Alex pushed herself up and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on then, you can show me some of that legendary prowess."

Giggling she lead him to her room.

Gene didn't hesitate in following her. Fuck it he thought if he was doing this he was doing this right. Half way to her room he closed the small gap between them and scooped her up into his arms she squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I think you should know Bolly a Hunt's not just for Christmas. If you're staying mean it."

She pulled at his tie and his face to hers.

"I mean it."

He ran the rest of the distance and slammed the door shut with his foot.

Whatever was going to happen tomorrow, with Keats, her future she had him exactly where she had wanted him for a long time and hell she didn't see him complaining she had her Manc Lion back and he had his lioness delightfully purring.