A/N: Enjoy! Reviews are much appreciated :D
A sharp tap at his office door roused Gene from his betting mag. Bolly poked her head round, slightly apprehensively.
"I'm just off home, Guv." She informed him.
"Not Luigi's, Bols?"
"No. I've got a bit of a headache. See you tomorrow." And with a small nod and a smile that was more of a grimace, she turned on her heel and walked out of the department, her hips swaying involuntarily as she went.
"Night, Bolly Kecks." He whispered to the fading sound of her ridiculously high heels making contact with the floor.
He sighed and ran his hands over his face, looking at the swinging doors in regret. His thoughts were far too loud to allow him to carry on reading, so he poured himself another scotch. His one solution to the crap life seemed to be throwing him at present.
Maybe it was him that had changed her? Him that had made her like this. She had drawn herself away from him. Maybe out of fear or a desire not to be hurt in the same way ever again. It was more painfully significant to him than he'd care to admit.
As a result of his brash and stupid actions over those fateful few days in 1982, where he had been stupid enough to trust some blonde tart over his Bolly, he had changed their relationship from 'going somewhere' to 'awkward colleagues'. And although he hated to admit it, it felt like a spear in his stomach whenever she gave him one of her reserved 'Guv' smiles, or looked slightly warily at him in case he tried to hurt her again. There was a time, before, when there was a smile for 'Gene' not the Guv. It was beautiful, her hazel eyes sparkling with laughter, her grin spreading across her face, showing those gorgeous dimples. This one made his heart hammer. He desperately wanted it to re-appear, but the chances of that happening were slimming everyday.
It wasn't like she had frozen up to everyone. Her and Shaz were thick as thieves now they didn't have men to occupy their time, and were always sneaking off together after work. To the nearest wine bar or that poofy 'Blitz' club, according to Chris. He had a sneaking feeling Shaz had converted Bolly into a New Romantic. Bloody women.
But it wasn't only Shaz. Oh no. Bloody Viv. The strapping, good natured, unprejudiced desk sergeant, who'd obviously been waiting in the wings the whole time. On Alex's first day back, it hadn't escaped his notice that when Alex had been sitting on the edge of her desk, looking scared, vulnerable, confused and slightly intimidated at being pulled back into his world so quickly, Viv had gone and put an arm round her shoulders. And much to his horror, she hadn't shaken Viv off, instead momentarily resting her head on his shoulder and giggling with him for a few minutes before he went and made her a cup of tea.
Even Ray and Chris seemed to have taken her side. Ray, with his constant grinning at her and lack of misogynist jibes had obviously come to see her as one of the lads. Gene had even caught him giving her a peck on the cheek once. As for Chris, he seemed to look up to her more than ever, as if she was a miracle woman for surviving a bullet in the stomach. He followed her around with a notebook, scribbling down nearly everything she said, muttering 'Everything is significant' to himself as he stumbled his way through each case.
And all that would've been fine if she'd still called him 'Gene', sat at their table in Luigi's and drunk cheap plonk with him until they were both too drunk to remember anything except each other's names, talking about catching scum, and fondly taking the piss out of eachother. The unbreakable team. He wasn't sure that title was particularly suited to them anymore.
He knew why she wouldn't trust him, and that made her reserve towards him more reasonable, but it didn't lessen the pain.
He wanted to be 'going somewhere' with her again. He wanted 'his' Bolly back.
Which was probably the reason he was standing outside Alex's door, knocking loudly. It was time for him to explain himself.
Do you want more? Tell me! (Chapters will get longer, this is just an intro)