Title: "Repercussions"
Fandom: Ashes to Ashes
Genre: Drama/Angst
Pairing: Gene & Alex, some Chris & Shaz
Spoilers: Most of Series 2, especially Episode 8
Rating: T
Feedback: Please.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Ashes to Ashes. Rights belong to Kudos, BBC, etc.

Summary: Follows "Aftershock." After the events surrounding Operation Rose, Alex and Gene have found their way back to trusting each other again. But there are more unforeseen changes in store for Fenchurch East, and Gene and Alex find they need to depend on each other more than ever.

Author's note: This story directly follows "Aftershock" and continues some of the themes started in that story. In "Aftershock," Alex comes out of her coma in 1982 and clears Gene of any wrongdoing in her shooting. During the course of that, she makes a deal with the Chief Superintendent to make certain that Gene stays at Fenchurch East and his team stays together. And that's about all you really need to know in case you've not read "Aftershock."

The inspiration for this first chapter came to me while mulling over the last episode of series two. Like every other fan, I wondered, "What's going to happen?!" Then I hit upon this idea. Shortly afterward, I was talking with my best friend, Amlyn, who said about series three, "You know what the writers should do?" She then went on to say exactly what I'd been thinking. (We do that a lot.) So I just had to write this.

Chapter 1

The news hit Gene like a double-decker bus. He should've been prepared, but he wasn't. He barely registered Jeffers next comments.

"I'm sorry, Gene, but I was overruled. The higher-ups see this as an opportunity to show the public that we handle problems sternly."

"And they leave it to you to tell me," Gene said. "Cowards."

"I wish there was something more that could be done," the Chief continued. "It's effective immediately." Standing up, thereby calling an end to the meeting, he said, "I leave it to you to pass along the news to your team."

Gene got to his feet but said nothing as he turned to leave Jeffers's office. He was stopped by one more statement from his superior.

"I did try, Gene."

Looking over his shoulder, Gene replied, "I know. And at least there's one good thing to come from this."

**********

Maybe it was time for a change.

Alex stood before the mirror, turning this way and that, examining her reflection. It was definitely time for a haircut. Perhaps she should go for something really different. Maybe a new wardrobe, too.

This Friday evening she wore a long green sweater, black leggings, and boots. Just right for a night at Luigi's with the members of CID. Even though she'd not returned to her duties at Fenchurch East, Alex met with the team most evenings to keep up with what was going on.

Yes, she certainly needed some new clothes. She'd dropped several pounds since—

Her musings came to a halt. It was still difficult to think about the reason for her weight loss.

The shooting.

The memory of that event still made Alex a little shaky. Everyone considered her recovery to be a miracle – and to her way of thinking, it was. But the knowledge of it and how it nearly ended her life – that was enough to throw her a little. And what the shooting had almost cost Gene…

Alex went to the kitchen for a glass of water. It was more tempting to get a glass of vodka, but she resisted. She drained the glass and poured another, taking it with her as she went back to the living room to lie down on the sofa.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As if being shot in 2008 and landing in 1981 wasn't bad enough, Alex then had to be shot in 1982 and went back to 2008, only to bounce again to '82! She started laughing. It was all so bloody ridiculous! Or it would be if it didn't feel so real.

The Met had encouraged her to seek counseling and Alex – who herself had been a counselor in her future life – decided to take advantage of it. She'd seen Dr. Randolph Leonard. He was very good at his job, but Alex had realized quickly that what she most needed to relate, she couldn't. How she'd ended up in this time. Why she'd been so desperate to believe Martin Summers. Her despair over the fallout with Gene -- and the depth of her feelings for him.

After a few visits, Alex gave up on the sessions. Instead she concentrated on finding her own coping strategies.

Surprisingly, the one that seemed to be working best was Gene himself. True, they had a tendency to talk around their problems rather than address them directly. But at least they were talking. They'd worked out things between them after the shooting, finding their way back to that connection they had before. In an odd way, the incident had brought them closer together. Much closer. Maybe because no one else could possibly comprehend what they'd gone through – and were still going through.

In any case, their time together these past few weeks was good for them both. And there was a new, more intimate dimension to their relationship. Alex couldn't help smiling. They were almost like kids, unsure of themselves. Alex knew her desire for Gene was strong. When he kissed her, the passion she felt surprised her with its intensity. They always stopped, however, as if afraid of going too far. Of course that was mostly due to Alex's injuries. But maybe they were worried about taking that next step. Because if they did, everything about their relationship would be different. Was either of them ready for that great a change?

*********

CID was empty when Gene got there. Late Friday afternoon and everyone had left. They'd be expecting him at Luigi's, but he wasn't in the mood. Not now. But Alex would be there. They'd not seen each other for two days -- and he really needed to see her.

He paused just inside the room and looked around. His kingdom. That's how he'd described Manchester CID to Sam. And, truth be told, Gene still thought of his patch as his kingdom, no matter that the city had change. He took pride in how things ran under his watch. His team was one of the best. And, thanks to Alex, the team was still together, and he was grateful to her for that.

Alex. At one time Gene had thought that their relationship was over. They had been friends, confidants, partners, drinking buddies. Gene depended on Alex more than anyone since Sam Tyler. Their trust seemed to be complete. But each had allowed outsiders to drive a wedge between them. And just at the moment they should have been finding their way back each other, the unimaginable had happened. Alex was held at gunpoint by Jenette Rivens. Gene's threat to Jenette resulted in gunshots – with Alex caught in the middle.

Gene's bullet had hit Alex. She could have died but pulled through. And after fights and confessions and recriminations, their friendship survived. In some ways they were closer than before. Yet Gene knew that the shooting would always be a part of their relationship, and he felt a gnawing guilt every time he saw Alex wince in pain or turn pale with exhaustion. Gene knew he had her forgiveness, but there would always be a part of himself that couldn't forgive the accidental shooting or forget watching her fall to the ground.

He never told her that he had nightmares of that day and how close he'd come to losing her. But Gene was aware of Alex's nightmares. Sometimes he would spend a Saturday evening with her, watching an old movie. Often she would fall asleep and the dreams would come. Some dreams would be about the shooting. Sometimes Gene was the victim. More often, however, Alex's dreams would be about something entirely different: Molly.

Molly. Alex's daughter. From her "life in the future." When Alex mentioned Molly, he worried that Alex continued to believe that delusion. Gene thought that if Molly existed, she had to be somewhere in the present. He also had trouble with Alex's claims of being Alex Price, the little girl he'd carried away from the scene of her parents' fiery death. There were times when he caught a glimpse of that child in Alex's eyes and expressions. Still, he couldn't accept her explanation of where she was from. But to give her peace of mind, Gene encouraged her to talk about her life and how she came to be with him in 1982.

The last few weeks had been a trial for them, but Gene liked to think that, eventually, they would come out stronger – especially in light of the turn their relationship had taken. There were no words of love spoken between them. But there was an understanding that what they felt was more than friendship. Just how much more, he didn't like to contemplate. There were times when Alex was in his arms and Gene wanted her so much it was nearly impossible to stop from going further. But he had always stopped – so far. Partly because he was worried about hurting Alex while she was recovering. But mostly because he just wasn't sure what would happen to them afterward. That next step – actually having sex – that would change everything.

And now the news from Jeffers. How would this latest turn of events affect their new-found relationship? Would it survive?

Checking his watch, Gene wondered if he might catch Alex before she headed downstairs to the restaurant. This was something they couldn't discuss in front of the team.

**********

Alex had just finished putting on her makeup when there was a knock at her door. Without even calling out or checking, she knew it was Gene. Just like him to show up early.

As she opened the door, Alex took one look and knew something was wrong. It was in Gene's eyes and body language. Everything about him was guarded and wary. She immediately jumped to worst-case scenarios. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Gene scowled at her. "Wrong? What makes you think something's wrong?" He strode past her and into the living room. Alex closed the door and followed him.

He was pacing the room, pulling out cigarettes and a lighter, then stuffing them back into his pockets. "You have anything to drink?" Before she could answer, Gene waved that request aside. "Never mind."

Shaking her head, Alex said, "Oh, yes, Alex. What could possibly make you think anything is wrong?"

Gene stopped and stared at her. "What?"

Alex sighed and sat down on the sofa. "What is it? Something is bothering you. And from the way you brushed me off, I'm guessing no one is hurt."

He stood across from her, hands in pockets. "No, no one's hurt. And yeah, something's bothering me." Gene took out the cigarettes and lighter again but still didn't light up. "Chief Jeffers called me into his office. Remember he told me that my going back to CID was contingent on the review board?"

"Yes, but he was going to speak up for you."

"He did."

Something in his voice worried Alex. "And?" she asked.

"I've been demoted."

Alex sat back, staring in stunned silence at Gene. She couldn't breathe for a moment. "No," she finally whispered.

Gene met her gaze steadily. Once he'd made the statement, he felt calm and in control and could think reasonably about it. He moved over to the sofa to sit beside her.

"They can't do that!" Alex went on. "They can't!"

"They can," Gene contradicted. "And they have."

"But Jeffers—we had a deal with him!"

"He told me he did what he could, and I believe him."

Alex shook her head. "It's not right!" she insisted. "Not after all you've done!"

"Because of what I've done," Gene said. "I shot you, Alex."

It was a subject they avoided, but this was a time they had to talk about it.

"It was an accident," she said softly.

"That doesn't matter. And it's not all. It's everything. Everything over the past few months." Gene finally lit a cigarette. Although Alex didn't like his smoking in the flat, she made no move to stop him. Instead, she found an ashtray for him. "According to the review board, every decision I've made over the past months has been wrong. I should have reported my suspicions about Mac to someone higher up—"

"To whom?!" Alex demanded. "How were you supposed to know who to trust?!"

"That's what I said when Jeffers told me the board's decision," Gene explained. "What Jeffers himself told them. They dismissed that argument. Said I should've tried. And because I went off on my own, people ended up dead. Jarvis, Mac, Summers, that girl Debbie, the one Jarvis killed. And very nearly you." He took a long drag on the cigarette.

"That's unfair," Alex told him. "You are not responsible for—"

"Aren't I?" interrupted Gene. "They have a point, Alex. If I'd moved faster—"

"Stop it! I won't let you do this to yourself!" She put her hand on his arm. "Gene, you did everything you could."

"And—" Gene went on, ignoring her objections, "I used poor judgment in drawing you into my investigation and ended up endangering your life. And it doesn't matter what you say, Alex. They have a point!" He ground out his cigarette and got up to walk over to the window. Leaning against the wall, he gazed outside.

"But to demote you to DI…" Alex's voice trailed off.

"I'm lucky it wasn't sergeant. I don't know how many of Mac's or Carnegie's friends were on the board or even higher up. They went easy on me when you look at it."

They were silent for a moment. Then Alex spoke up again. "What happens now? Will you stay at Fenchurch East? Or are they planning to move you?"

Gene didn't turn around. "I'll be staying."

"If that's the case—" Alex got up and went to stand next to him. "If that's the case, what about me? Will they leave me there, too? Are they keeping the team together?"

For the first time since walking into the flat, Gene smiled. "The team stays together. And you'll still be there."

"But they'll be bringing in a new DCI," observed Alex.

"Yes."

"Well, he probably won't want both of us there. Two DIs. Especially with our history."

"The new DCI is going to be fine with both of us there," Gene told her.

Puzzled, Alex asked, "You know him?"

"I know the new DCI. One of the finest officers I've ever worked with," he replied. "But such sexist language! From you, of all people! What makes you think the new DCI is a man?"

"Well, because--" Alex stopped short. Her jaw dropped. "No, it can't be," she said.

Gene smiled again. "It's the only bit of good news Jeffers gave me this afternoon." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a warrant card. Handing it to her, he said, "Congratulations, DCI Drake."

Alex couldn't move for a moment. Then she finally, reluctantly reached out to take the new warrant card. She opened it slowly, then closed it quickly. Holding it out to Gene, she said, "I don't want it. I'm not qualified."

"You're qualified."

"I'm not prepared."

"You're prepared."

She shook her head. It was impossible that this should happen. The last thing Alex would ever want was to usurp Gene's position at CID. How could the review board do that to him? Then the answer came to her. "They're giving me this because you shot me. They want to humiliate you by making me your superior."

Gene laughed a little. "Can you imagine?" he said. "They thought that would be the worst thing they could do to me. To put you in charge. A woman. And not just any woman. The woman I shot. They don't understand that I'm still ahead of the game. The team is still together. My superior is an officer I respect. And trust." He paused. "I don't like the demotion, but all in all, it's not too bad."

Still, it was too much to fathom, that she could be DCI. "Gene," she said, "I can't do this."

"If I thought you couldn't do it, I wouldn't've put you in for the promotion," he assured her.

It was one shock after another. "You?" she asked. "Put me in for it?"

"Weeks ago." Gene put his arm around her and led her back to the sofa. They sat down. "When I started looking into Superintendent Charles Mackintosh and his dirty dealings, I wanted a way to get you some distance from me. If it had all gone tits up, you might still have a career, even if I didn't. I knew you could do it, no matter where they might've sent you. If you could get Ray Carling's respect, you could handle anyone.

"As it turned out, they were afraid to get rid of me entirely. Wouldn't look good for the officer who exposed corruption to be kicked too far down. But the shooting." Gene paused. "That gave them a chance for punishment and, as you said, humiliation. But they don't really know me, Bolly. And they don't know us."

Alex leaned back. This reminded her of when Gene told her that he had joined the Masons to get the goods on Mac. Gene had had everything thought out. It was like that now. He had figured out everything.

Still…

"I just don't know if I can do this," she said.

"You're joking, right?" Gene laughed. "Don't you remember your first day at Fenchurch East?"

Sitting up, Alex replied, "Yes. And…?"

"What happened?"

"You carried me in."

"And then?"

Alex considered what went on that day. "I found out that I was expected."

"Before that," Gene said. "I stood you up in the middle of CID. You looked around. Seemed scared. But then you marched straight into my office and sat yourself down behind the desk. Like you owned the place. Well, now you do. You've never let up for a minute since that first day. You're tough. You demand respect and you get it. Don't tell me you never thought about being DCI."

"Not here," she insisted. "Not like this. And certainly not at your expense."

"Don't worry about me."

Alex placed a hand on his arm. "Have you told everyone?" she asked.

Gene shook his head and put his hand over hers. "Not yet. I came here from the station."

"When will you tell them?"

"First thing Monday morning. They deserve to know. At least it won't be some stranger coming in to take over. They know you. They respect you. You'll be their DCI when you return. Speaking of that, what did the doctor say about you coming back to work?"

"After the new year."

"Three weeks. Maybe that'll give everyone long enough to get used to us switching places."

Alex looked into silver-blue eyes. "Everything's going to be different now," she said.

"Yeah." Gene drew her into his arms, and she settled in, loving the comfort of his embrace. "It'll be a little rough at first, Bolly, but they'll fall into line. And I'll be your loyal lieutenant."

"But—" she started, then stopped.

"But what?"

"But you won't call me 'Bolly' again," Alex said, feeling very sad.

"Of course, I will," Gene returned. "Just not in front of them."

Alex giggled. "Promise?"

"Promise."

TBC