A/n: Well, I am supposed to be getting on with coursework but this little idea came into my head so I'm writing it down whilst my muse is playing ball. Not going to be epic like the last story by any means but it will be filled with fluff! Please read and review!

Chapter 1

WPC Shaz Granger walked into CID's kitchenette to make herself a well earned brew and a five minute sit-down. She knew who she would find there as she rounded the corner; knowing already that DS Ray Carling and DC Chris Skelton had both been sent out to take statements and make routine enquiries into a bank raid that had happened a few days previously. Neither of them would be there which only left DCI Gene Hunt and DI Alex Drake. And if she knew those two like she thought she did they wouldn't both be in the room at the same time. She'd noticed that, for several weeks, the two of them had barely said two civil words to one another, they always argued, something was definitely wrong in their state of paradise.

"Afternoon, ma'am!" Shaz said merrily on seeing Alex with the kettle in her hand.

"Hi Shaz, would you like one?" Alex asked motioning toward the mug of milky liquid that was now turning darker upon the worktop. Shaz nodded as she made her way over to the table and sat down at it. "There you go!" Alex put the two steaming vessels on the table and took a seat next to Shaz; she began to sip the liquid, realising a little too late that it was still slightly too hot as she burnt the tip of her tongue. "Ow!" she yelped, before turning her attention back to Shaz, "so, how are things going with Chris?"

"Mmm!" Shaz sipped from her mug, enjoying the feel of the liquid slipping down her throat, she'd definitely needed that. "Very well, ma'am! We've been looking at a few places together, actually. Want to get in somewhere before Christmas if we can."

"Really?" She watched the younger girl nod her head, "I never even realised that things had got so serious between you two!"

"Well, we have been missing more of the evenings in Luigi's recently, just that sometimes we want to spend some time together, just the two of us, without Ray!"

"I know what you mean!" Alex agreed, remembering back to a time when she had been in the early stages of a romantic relationship herself. "Have you seen anywhere yet?"

"There's this one place, we could really make a go of it there but the rent's a bit expensive. And we saw one last night that had a bit of potential, but only until we decide to get married, then we'll have to move. But we're seeing somewhere else tonight, so fingers crossed!"

"Yeah," came the gruff response from their superior. "Finger's crossed, now what do I 'ave to do to get some bloody work done around 'ere?" He asked, before turning on his heel and returning to his office, they both heard the slam of the office door as he kicked it closed.

"Huh," Alex sighed heavily as she rolled her eyes, it had already been a long day with the mood that Gene had been in for the last few weeks. Every day his temper had become more and more frayed, especially toward her and she was getting a little tired of it.

"Ma'am, is everything ok?" Shaz asked, putting her hand on Alex's arm attempting to get her to open up to her.

"No, not really! Gene and I are …" Alex stopped, only too well aware that she was about to blurt all of her troubles and woes out to her subordinate.

"What ma'am, you and the Guv', what?"

"I'm sorry, Shaz, I shouldn't have said anything. This really is something I have to work out for myself!" She sighed again, before draining her mug of the final dregs and getting up from the table. She smiled briefly, "best get on, eh?"

Shaz nodded watching Alex's face as she walked from the room, her body language and slumped shoulders speaking volumes as she walked from the room. The next thing she heard were the muffled shouts of DCI Hunt and DI Drake as they argued about something. It stopped abruptly as she entered the office space and went to her desk but the glares between them continued, only stopped by the eventual departure of DCI Hunt as he told the room that it was time for 'lunch' and he was not to be disturbed. Alex left soon after to go to the toilet, only momentarily stepping in to retrieve her jacket. Shaz searched Alex's face for an explanation, was that smudged mascara she saw? Alex retreated from the room accidentally walking into Chris as he came into the offices looking for Shaz.

"What's wrong with 'er?" He asked, slightly concerned.

Shaz shrugged her shoulders, "'He's been having a go at her again, she's so miserable." She got up from her desk, crossing the distance to her boyfriend and planting a kiss squarely on his lips. "Babe, after we look at this house tonight do you mind if I come back and have a chat with DI Drake? I think she needs someone to talk to and I think I maybe able to get her to open up, with a couple of bottles of wine that is!"

"Yeah, ok! Am I allowed to 'ave a drink then?" He teased, knowing that it would be expected of him

She smiled up at him, "yeah, as long as you help me out with my plan?"

"And what plan is that?"

"Operation Drake Hunt! I'll know better after I've spoken to the lady in question, maybe you can pump the Guv' for info?"

He nodded his agreement, as he placed his arm around her shoulders and they strolled from CID together.

Gene sat at his usual corner table nursing a shot of whisky, smoking a cigarette and intently watching the door. He hoped for something, anything that would suggest she was still in the 'land of the living', but it was now nine o'clock and despite his longing to see her and converse with her, he knew she wasn't coming down.

His eyes lowered to the tumbler in his hand, watching the liquid swirl as he circled the glass over the tablecloth. What was he doing? Sitting, waiting for someone that was never going to materialize and with good reason too. He'd been an absolute shit to her that afternoon, in fact why stop there, he'd been an absolute shit to her for about three weeks, 'ever since that night,' he thought. He hated what he was doing, he should apologise to her.

He swigged back the whisky and made ready to leave, noticing that the two CID lovebirds had now entered the restaurant. Shaz was buying a couple of bottles of wine as he watched Chris saunter over to his table, a pint in each hand. She was soon gone again.

"Guv', you going somewhere?" Chris asked.

"Well that depends on someat, Christopher!" Gene retorted, looking at the younger man as he put the two pints in his hands onto the table.

"On what, Guv'?"

"On where your girlfriend 'as gone with 'em bottles of wine?"

"Upstairs, Guv', to see DI Drake. She's a bit concerned about her, see!"

"Concerned?" Gene retook his seat and sipped at his proffered pint.

"Yeah, says she thinks that ma'am is lookin' a bit peaky, like. Bit under the weather!"

"Probably got the decorator's in!"

"Yeah, probably, Guv'! How are you?"

"Fine, Gladys. Always am, me!"

"Guv', you can tell me, y'know?"

"Christopher, if I ever need counselling I'll go to the proper authorities and demand it, ok. I'm not talkin' to you 'bout it, d'you 'ear!" Gene's anger began to boil. There were only two people he'd ever been able to talk to and one of them was dead!

"Bet you'd talk to DI Drake, if she were 'ere!"

"DI Drake and I are not talkin' at the moment, DC Skelton."

Was that remorse? Chris pressed on. "Why?"

"That's none of your damn business! Now, can we change the subject or can I use your head as a door prop, be more useful!"

Chris fell silent; he looked over to Gene smoking yet another cigarette trying to decide what had happened between his two superior officers. He only hoped that Shaz was having better luck upstairs.

Shaz waited patiently for the door to be opened, the two bottles of white wine being safely held in her arms. She knocked again, maybe Alex wasn't there or maybe she was, but she was asleep. Finally, she heard a muffled cry, "hang on, I'm coming!" She heard the locks being unbolted and the door was opened revealing Alex in a black nightshirt. Her hair was tied back and her face was a mess, streaks of black mascara had made their way down from her eyes and rushed over her cheeks in what looked like a torrent. "Oh, hi Shaz! I thought it might be Gene, coming to apologise," Alex said, pity in her voice. Shaz heard the quiet sentence as it slipped from Alex's mouth, "but then why would he, he's too much of an arrogant bastard to do that!"

Alex walked from the door leaving it open for Shaz to follow her in. She did, closing the door behind her. "So what are you doing on my doorstep, Shaz, bearing gifts?"

"I was a bit worried about you actually, can't have my guardian angel sad, can I?"

"Shaz, I'm fine!" Alex retorted, knowing damn well she wasn't and also knowing that Shaz could see it too.

"Look, ma'am, you can tell me off for sticking my nose in, but there's something awful going on between you and the Guv', I've been watching the pair of you for weeks now!"

Alex walked back to the younger girl and took the two bottles from her. She smiled at the younger girl, she knew what she was doing, she was going to help her get drunk in the vain hope that Alex would impart information to her of a personal nature. She laughed to herself as she opened the first bottle, the other now in the fridge. She took two glasses from her cupboard and walked through into the living room, gesturing for Shaz to follow. "You know if you want information you only have to ask. You don't have to get me pissed first! And its Alex, we're out of work."

"Alex, what happened?"

A lone tear slipped down Alex's face; by god did she need a shoulder to cry on. If it had been any other time it would have been Gene's but as she sat next to the young WPC she realised that if she was going to do this it was going to have to be now. "I can't do this anymore," she whispered as the flood gates opened and her body shook with her sobbing. Shaz lent forward, grabbing Alex and holding onto her, letting her cry until she could cry no more. "I love him!" Alex croaked out.

That knowing look crept over Shaz's face like a sunrise, her mouth beamed at the possibilities that Alex's confession opened up to her. She'd known that there was a mutual attraction between DCI Hunt and DI Drake but this was even better. She only hoped that they could find out more. In a few weeks it would be Christmas and with the resultant conversation she and Chris had had with their letting agent they would be in their own home by then too, which meant that the groundwork could be laid and hopefully her two superior officers would be spending a Christmas together that they were both unlikely to forget.

"You see, Chris," Gene slurred, the copious amounts of whisky now taking their toll on the DCI, "she's the only one, don't ya see, for me. We might fight like cat and dog but we're meant to be together. Only this stupid, foolish, old bastard decided to do the right thing. She could've been mine by now but no!" He shook his head, his body swaying, "I told 'er to find someone that was better for 'er, 'cause I'm no good, ya see. I'm not classy enough, I'm not educated enough an' I'm certainly not rich enough for my Bolly's tastes." He hiccupped, he grinned "Ooops! Think I may 'ave just said too much, this goes any further," he pointed at Chris, "I'll crack yer 'ead open, d'you 'ear?"

Chris nodded, a wide grin plastered over his face, "goes no further, promise, Guv'!"

"Good!" Gene's head sunk onto the table as he promptly fell asleep and began to snore. Chris helped Luigi settled Gene across the bench seating as Luigi's wife put a blanket over him.

"I'll come and get him at eight, Luigi," Chris said as he turned from his sleeping boss and walked out of the restaurant to his waiting girlfriend. They began walking up the street toward Shaz's home.

"How did you get on then, Chris?" Shaz asked.

"If 'e ain't in love with DI Drake, then I'll suffer! How 'bout you?"

"She loves him, she admitted it to me. Need to find out why they're arguing but I think by Christmas we'll be able to sort them out."

"May have something to do with the fact that the Guv' don't think 'e's worth very much in her eyes."

"Hmm, we'll have to do something about that, I'll have to have a think about it. At least we've got something to work with, though."

"Yeah, just hope we can pull this off!"

"We will, Chris, set the ball rolling anyway. Then we just have to let nature takes its own course. So, I was thinking …"