We've Only Just Begun by Astralpilgrim

Pairing: Galex

Rating: T for later chapters

Disclaimer: Nothing A2A is mine. Absolutely nothing. It all belongs to the BBC, Kudos and Monastic.

I've been toying with this for weeks, and I think now I should just get the first chapter out there and see what happens. FYI - this fic is set near the middle of series 2, and then it goes seriously AU. Mac never died (but was caught); Jackie Queen has her baby (but hasn't known up til now whether Gene was the father); and Gene and Alex are on an emotional rollercoaster. Hope you enjoy!

At one end of St Mary's Hospital, WPC Shaz Granger awaited news of a birth. At the other, DCI Gene Hunt awaited news that could be a lot more grim.

The whole thing with Mac had exploded earlier that day - but Alex had been caught in the crossfire. Literally. For once, Gene hadn't been able to shield her. She'd been shot in the gut, and her life was now in the balance for the second time (which was the irony that had permeated Alex's brain as she'd faded into the darkness. Would she wake up in 2008? Would she wake up in the future, or past? Would she wake up at all....? 'Irony takes many forms....' was her line of thought as she'd seen this bullet speed towards her).

In another set of circumstances, Gene would've relished the balance of power tipping once more in his direction. However, with a barely-breathing Alex in his arms, it was all he could do to throw a few lines of warning at the man (and he used the word advisedly) before he was hauled away.

"You had better hope she makes it," he'd snarled. "Because if anything bad happens here, I will find you - no matter where they stick you. And you will pay. Believe me." Surprised with how well his voice had held, Gene suddenly coudn't bear to look at his soon-to-be ex-superior officer. "Get 'im out of my sight," he'd growled - and the officers had dragged him away. "Hold on, Alex," he'd willed her - trying not to take too much notice of how pale her skin had become. "Where the hell's that ruddy ambulance??!!"

And now, he, Chris and Ray waited to hear if anything 'bad' had happened.

"D'you want another oxtail, Guv?" Ray offered. Gene drew his head up.

"Mm? Oh - no thanks, Ray. Three in two hours is more than enough, I reckon."

Gene himself couldn't believe the irony of it. All these weeks, Alex had been his staunch supporter - his ally in the fight against Mac. Now, that fight had been won. But, if Jackie Queen's baby did turn out to be his, then he had no doubt he'd make an honest woman of her. The right thing to do, and all that. But, where did that leave Alex? Married to Jackie, and with a little sprog at his feet - he couldn't imagine having that little scenario and working with Alex. Neither she nor Jackie would stand for that, he thought - and the two didn't seem to go together anyway. So - he would still lose Alex. Not that he was averse to having children - he just didn't want to imagine a world without Alex in it.

Glancing up, he saw Shaz approach from the far end of the corridor. Head up, Gene - the results must be in...

"Shaz?" he asked, as she neared them.

"Little boy, Guv - seven pounds one ounce." Gene registered this information.

"Uh-huh."

"Mother and baby doing well."

"Mm-mm. And -?!" Shaz took a deep breath.

"Well, I know I'm a bit stupid at times, Guv... but there's no way that baby could be yours." Berating himself for his relief, Gene sank a little in his chair. "Sorry, Guv," Shaz offered.

"S'okay," he assured her. Now, surely, here was his answer. The 'Mac' problem (as he and Alex had been calling it for weeks) was gone. He had no parental responsibilities. Surely now, Alex was gonna live?

"Any news here?" Shaz wanted to know. "How's DI Drake?"

"No... no change," murmured Gene. Shaz took a seat beside Chris, and it all went quiet again.

Meanwhile - disappointingly - Alex was still 'in the dark'. She'd hoped for some sort of epiphany, meeting.. something. All there was, though... was darkness. Did this mean she was actually dead now? Or just in a transition state? Something must be happening, she reasoned - as her thought processes still seemed to be up and running.

A great part of her wanted to wake up in 1982, despite her longing to see Molly. She fully believed that she was here now because she'd tried to save Gene - had gotten in the way of the bullet meant for him. Ironic that the one time she'd tried to save him, she'd ended up with another bullet in her.

The guilt he would be piling on himself would be horrendous. She had to get back, just to take that from him...

"DCI Hunt?" Gene looked up. "I'm Dr Black. We've just finished up with Alex."

"Is she....? Is she gonna be okay?" Gene asked, his voice wavering.

"We hope so."

"Hope so?!" exclaimed Gene. "What d'you mean, 'hope so'?!"

"Guv," said Ray, quietly. Gene suddenly remembered where they were.

"Sorry," he said, to the doctor.

"That's alright," Dr Black returned. "I understand. You, er.. you did the right thing keeping pressure on the wound, but she still lost a lot of blood. The bullet cracked a rib on the way in, and she seriously just missed getting a punctured lung. The blood loss has left her very weak - as a matter of fact, she went into cardiac arrest as we were operating." Gene thought his legs might give out. "Managed to bring her back though. Anyway - the bullet's out, and she's stable. Weak - but stable. The next 24 hours will be critical."

"Is that it?" Gene wanted to know. "The bullet didn't do any other damage?"

"No," Dr Black replied. "She's lucky that way." Gene swallowed, and nodded.

"Can I sit with 'er?" was his next question. "She's.." he swallowed again. "She's got no family here, and I don't want her to be alone..."

"Of course. This way..." Without a backward glance, Gene got up and followed the doctor.

"You know," mused Ray, "Superintendent MacIntosh is a very lucky bloke. The Guv would've torn him limb from limb if she hadn't made it."

"Ex-Superintendent MacIntosh," Shaz pointed out. "And she's not out of the woods yet, Ray."

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Chris told them. "Made of strong stuff, is the boss. She and the Guv deserve some happiness."

"Oh, Chris - you old romantic, you!" Shaz cooed at him. Ray looked away in disgust.

For the millionth time, Gene tried to ignore all the machinery and monitors that Alex seemed to be hooked up to. He also tried to ignore how pale she still was. Sitting beside her bed, he hesitantly reached out and grasped her hand.

"We did it, Bolls," he told her. "Mac's out of the game - for good. Oh, and one more little thing... Jackie's baby's not mine. Just like you said. Although, I know you've had your own reasons for thinkin' that...." A wry smile played on his lips. "Everything's back to normal - well, as normal as you can get, with two nutters like us. 'Cos in this whole thing... I'm just as big a nutter as you are. Seems you're not the only one who can attract 'em."

He paused - the only sound in the room being the bleeping of the monitors and equipment. Gene didn't like that very much, so he carried on.

"I'm not very good at this sorta thing," he whispered. "You know that. But... it's like I said to you when I let you in on all this mess - we're a team, Bolls. And I'm shit-scared that I can't do this without you anymore.." He swallowed. "Don't want to." His grasp on her hand tightened. "Just you.. you make sure you come back. To me. Don't leave me 'ere with just the rest of 'em. I know you're always going on about going back to that daughter of yours - as least, you were - but...." His throat seemed to constrict. ".. I need ya too."

The darkness started to subside, and faded into colour. Pictures. Images of her past - no, her future - her.... oh, sod it. Alex could see selected highlights of her late teens and ascent into adulthood. Her marriage - having Molly... and looked on sorrowfully as she watched her baby girl grow. Something told her she was not going to see her again - but that it was her own choice that things would turn out that way.

Her get-out clause was that maybe.. maybe, if she did get back to 2008, she would die anyway - without getting the chance to see Molly. 'Great reasoning, Alex - you just keep telling yourself that...' Of course, even if she 'went back' to 1982, there was no guarantee that she would wake up there either. No given that she would have the 'happy ending' either way.

Molly would be fine with Evan in 2008. And she had her father - such as he was. And maybe, maybe.. one day, she would be able to explain it all to Gene. but she doubted it. Other than her feelings for Gene - and she knew there was more to it than that - she couldn't explain it... but she just had to get back to 1982.

One last image of Molly - of her waiting to blow her birthday candles out. Alex wasn't sure if she had a body, a corporeal presence here (wherever here was) - but if she had, she knew the tears would be in full flow by now.

''Go ahead, Mols... blow the candles out. I understand now that I'm not coming back. Forgive me... I love you, and I'll never forget you, my baby girl. Be happy.'

Alex watched as Molly did indeed blow the candles out, and then everything faded to black again...