A/N My first fanfic please be kind
For those of you who have already read I've updated a couple of typos that were bugging me, thanks for the reviews
This Was It
So. Gene thought to himself, this was how it was going to be, all this time, working his way through the ranks, starting from being nothing, a nobody, a working class boy with a working class background, he's worked his way up through the ranks. Thought he had enough coppers nous to know a traitor when he saw one. But this, this had shocked him to the core of his soul. He poured another large scotch, gulping it down; relishing in the warmth it gave him inside.
Standing, he walked to his door to survey his kingdom, the Manc Lion looking over his pride. They had all served him well, helped him through everything, the move to London, his wife leaving, Sam dying, everything. Ray and Chris the most, made leaving Manchester almost bearable.
But now, he sighed, one of them, one of his pride had betrayed him. A traitor lay amongst them, one of his own, turned, but who was it and more importantly why?
He'd fought the filth from within, helped rid the streets of lowlife scum. He thought he was making a difference, no, thought he had made a difference.
He looked around the room, observing them all, each seemingly doing their jobs, his eyes cast from one to the next, who could it be? Not one of them stood out, he couldn't think of any of them betraying him, betraying the team, the force, betraying everything he believed in, everything he'd joined the force for.
He walked back into his office, slammed the door, pouring himself another large measure of scotch, he lowered himself into his chair, running a hand through his hair, he sat head hung low, a knock on the door snapped him out of it,
"What?" surely they all knew him well enough by now to realise when not to enter his lair. The door opened and there she was bold as brass, walked in and perched on the corner of his desk as she always did.
"What is it Bolls, I'm not in the mood for yer psychiatry bollocks today"
Alex thought better than to correct him at a time like this,
"No Guv, nothing to do with my 'psychiatry' bollocks today, I just came to see if you wanted to go for a drink, but I see you already have one" she said nodding towards the glass on the desk.
Gene emptied the glass in one gulp, "Bolly those are the best words to 'ave ever escaped yer posh bloody gob all week" She knew him well, he thought, had more balls than the rest of them put together, she was the only one who stood up to him, the only one who knew when to leave him alone, the only one who knew when he needed her, bloody hell she even knew that before he did. She was always babbling away saying how much she needed him, her constant. Sighing, he needed her; he needed her more than she could ever know.
—oOo—
They sat across from each other in Luigi's, each with a glass of house plonk, lost in their own thoughts.
Alex was watching Gene, the mighty Manc Lion, but right now he didn't look mighty, he looked bewildered, scared even, like a lost child. She shook her head, how could anyone from the team betray him, betray them? What with everything that had happened with Super Mac... it had nearly been the end of him, the 'funny handshake brigade' as he'd called it, sticking together thick as thieves, how could she ever of doubted him, Gene her constant. But this was so much worse than what happened with Super Mac, so so much worse, because they were 'his' team, this had happened under 'his' nose, they were more like family to Gene than just a team. She looked up at him, a broken man; he looked smaller as he sat hunched over the table swilling the wine round in his glass. She wanted to reach out, touch him, comfort him, put him back together piece by piece, but she knew better than to do that, the Gene Genie doesn't show weakness, or god forbid emotions other than anger. She hoped he knew from her just being there that she was someone he could rely on, someone he could trust, she knew she needed him, but now she realised he needed her just as much.
"You and me Bolls, unbreakable" Gene said holding out his glass, they clinked them together.
She gave him a small smile, and she thought she saw him give her one back. The doors to Luigi's swung open and in walked the rest of CID, laughing and joking. Gene looked at Alex,
"Right that's me done, Drake" he got up and walked out of Luigi's, she ran after him.
—oOo—
The team watched as their Guv up and left as they had walked in, not saying a word to any of them, not even acknowledging they were there, he was closely followed by DI Drake.
"What's she bloody done now" said Ray
"It might not be something she's done Ray" answered Shaz, feeling the anger rising towards him, she was protective of DI Drake, her guardian angel.
"Yer well, 'e never gets in a mood like that unless it's with 'er"
Shaz rolled her eyes and made her way to the bar to join Chris.
—oOo—
Alex ran up the steps from Luigi's, "Guv wait" she shouted after him. He carried on walking towards the Quattro, she picked up her pace closing the gap between them, "Gene, please" she said softer this time, he stopped and turned to face her.
"It's all shit Bols, all of it, I don't know who ter trust anymore, I always thought Mac was whiter than white, looked up to 'im, after the speech he gave in the middle of CID, transparency an' all that, fightin' corruption" his eyes glanced down, "bastard" he spat. "Now one of mine, Alex, they've got to one of mine"
"I know Gene, I know, they've got to one of ours" emphasising 'ours', "You're not alone, you've got me"
"But when's it goin' to end? What if it goes all the way ter the top, we need a team, we can't do it alone"
"We'll do it bit by bit, however long it takes, I'll be right by your side, fighting the rot together" She was looking straight into his eyes, for once he wasn't guarded, he'd finally let her in, let her see the real Gene.
"So you're stayin' then?"
"Yes Gene, I'm staying" she didn't know for how long, but she decided this wasn't the best time for her uncertainties, he once said he goes where he's needed, but right now he needed somebody, he needed her.
"So then Bols" he said, rubbing his hands together, relieved that she was staying, "I aint ready to call it a night, Luigi's is off the cards, can't face any of 'em in there" he nodded towards the Trattoria.
"Why don't we go up to my flat? I've got a bottle of whiskey that needs drinking and I'm sure there's a western VHS there somewhere"
"Oh aye Bollyknickers, you tryin' ter get me drunk an' seduce me with the lure of a good western?" he said smirking.
Alex raised an eyebrow and tutted as she turned towards the steps to her flat. She started to walk away, smiling to herself as she heard Gene follow.
End