This is my second A2A fanfic - it's a completely separate story to Misdirection.

The title is from a poem by WH Auden – to read the poem, which will feature later in this story, visit my profile page.

O Tell Me The Truth About Love: Chapter One - Goodbye

"This is all your fault!"

"My fault?"

"Yes Gene, your fault," Alex spat back at him, "Did, or did I not, say only this morning that if we went in guns blazing we'd be playing right into their hands?"

"I didn't hear you comin' up with any better ideas, Bolly!" Gene was yelling now from across the squad room, his hands balled into fists - bloody women!

"Ah! You are impossible Gene Hunt!" Alex threw her hands up over her head as she shouted back, matching him in volume and tone. This was quickly turning into one of their worse rows ever.

Yet another public display of their mutual inability to listen to one another – what must the rest of the team think of them? But it was far too late to back down now.

"Well if you hate it so much 'ere why don't you just transfer?" Alex let out an exasperated sigh as Gene stormed into his office, only to return a moment later clutching a piece of paper in his hand. "This came this morning. Transfer request. Seems that DCI Stuart Hess would very much like you to join his team, though I can't for the life of me think why!"

Ray, Chris and Shaz watched the verbal tennis match attentively, their heads quickly flicking between their DI and their DCI.

Alex turned away, shaking her head, "I'm not going to transfer."

"Oh well. We'll have to put up with you for a bit longer then," sneered Gene, "Hyde will have to do without the infamous Alex Drake."

Alex's stomach lurched - had she heard him right? She steadied herself on the desk before slowly turning back to face Gene, "Hyde? Let me see that." She snatched the paper from his grasp before he could pull it away.

Gene watched her as she read the short letter, a wide, excited smile slowly spreading across her face. Surely she wasn't going to say yes… Was she?

"Hyde!" she muttered quietly to herself, and laughed, "This is it! I'm going home." Alex read the message through again before looking back up at Gene, "I'm going to see the Super."

"Thought you just said you didn't want a transfer." Gene scowled and grabbed the letter back from her; this wasn't going at all how he had planned.

"That was before." Alex answered, skilfully removing the paper once more from Gene's fingers, "This is Hyde, Gene! So it looks like you won't be having to 'put up with me' after all!" She spun round on the spot, her curls flying out in all directions, and headed towards the door.

Gene would replay that moment again and again to himself later: him staring despairingly after Alex as she bounced away, out of the squad room, out of his life. The whole conversation had happened so fast that he could hardly take it in.

Once she had disappeared completely from sight, Gene's gaze fell on the remaining members of his team, "What the bloody 'ell are you lot lookin' at? You could at least pretend to be doin' some work!" And with one final glare around the room, Gene stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him.

Gene didn't speak to Alex when she returned from her talk with the Superintendent. He hadn't needed to. The sight of her face as she sat back down at her desk told him all he needed to know – she'd been given her transfer.

He kept to his office all afternoon, watching Alex closely through the blinds. This had to be a wind up - her typically female way of getting back at him for this morning's disastrous raid… She wouldn't really leave.

Of all the scenarios he had gone through in his mind, he hadn't expected this. His plan had been to mention the letter to her later that evening, in Luigi's, but only as a joke. She was not supposed to say yes.

A few weeks later, however, everything had gotten a lot worse. The transfer confirmation had been sent through, and Alex had given her two weeks' notice. She was really going and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

And as Alex got noticeably happier by the day, Gene grew gradually more miserable.

She hadn't even discussed the transfer with him - that's what hurt the most. Gene had really felt they had been growing closer - they had certainly been spending more and more time together…

But she hadn't even needed time to think it over. Did she really care so little for their team - for him - that she would leave at the first opportunity? Obviously yes, he thought bitterly. He'd had such high hopes for 1982, Gene mused, but they weren't even into February yet and Alex was leaving him for good. Fan-bloody-tastic!

The night of Alex's leaving party arrived far sooner than Gene would have liked. But he couldn't face it.

He sat back in his chair, feet propped up on the desk. The team had all disappeared over the road to drink themselves stupid - helping Alex to celebrate her imminent escape...

Yes - he'd definitely give Luigi's a miss tonight.

"Guv?" Gene's head snapped up from his half empty glass.

"Granger? What're you doin' 'ere? Why aren't you at Drake's leaving do?"

"Umm…I was. But then I notice you weren't Guv…" she trailed off nervously, unable to look Gene in the eye.

But the shouting she had expected from him never came. Instead Gene gave a loud sigh as his shoulders slumped forward and his eyes returned to his drink, "I can't."

Shaz didn't reply at once, this downcast side of Gene was almost unnerving. "Is this how you want her to remember you?"

Gene looked up at her, surprised at how quickly she had read his feelings - Alex had brought out a good copper in her. He almost smiled, sadly. Alex had brought out the best in all of them.

"I know she wants you there Guv, anyone could see it."

Gene sat motionless for a moment, her words resonating in his mind. Then, with his decision made, he got up. Shaz smiled warmly.

His head cried: Don't! But he took no notice, Shaz was right – this was not how he wanted Alex to think of him when she had started her happy new life in Hyde.

Gene spent the first part of the evening quietly making his way through a bottle house red. From his position at the bar he watched his soon-to-be-ex-DI from a distance. More than a few times their eyes met across the room, but Gene never moved to join the main group and she seemed always to be deep in conversation and their eyes never held for more than a moment.

Luigi stopped beside Gene and followed his gaze: Alex. He sighed, "Maybe she will not go. She has said before that she was leaving, but then she did not."

"No. Not this time."

"Well then, maybe she just needs a reason to stay, eh? Talk to her Mister Hunt, tell her how you feel, I think she would listen."

"Too bloody late for that, Luigi." The older man shrugged and left Gene to his brooding.

Alex had seen Gene arrive and had wanted nothing more than to join him at the bar but there were too many people between them. Every time she tried to move his way, someone else pulled her into their conversation.

Finally she managed to free herself from the groups of well-wishers and made her way to his side, a sad smile gracing her face. "Do I get a hug, Gene?" he said nothing and continued to stare intently at his drink. Alex sighed and took the seat beside him. "Tomorrow's my last day, Gene. This is my last evening here, and you won't even speak to me."

"What do yer want me to say?"

"Oh, I don't know, 'Goodbye' maybe?"

"Why? I'll see you at work tomorrow." Alex said nothing and after an awkward pause Gene exhaled heavily. "So you're really going this time then?"

"Yes Gene, I'm really going."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "You 'aven't even been 'ere a year."

"This was never meant to be a permanent position, I thought I'd made that clear?"

"Hmm." He fell silent once more.

A couple of minutes dripped by, and Alex sat, fidgeting uncomfortably, "Well, I'll leave you to it then," she said, nodding towards his drink, "I'll be out of your hair for good soon, don't worry." She knew she was being unnecessarily callous, but his silence was tearing her apart.

Alex got up and walked over to a small group including Chris and Shaz. She didn't trust herself to speak, and was too upset to listen, so Alex just stood, drink in hand, and concentrated on keeping her face neutral. Why did he have to make this so hard?

The evening finally came to an end. Alex systematically made her way around the room, saying her goodbyes. A watery-eyed Shaz had hugged her tightly and even Ray had solemnly shaken her hand. Soon only one person was left.

Alex walked up to Gene and stood closer to him than she would normally have dared, close enough to feel his breath on her face. "Goodbye, Gene." Tears glittered in her eyes. "I know I've said it before but I will miss you." His face remained impassive, he didn't move. But his eyes bored into hers with such intensity that Alex felt her knees go weak.

She stayed for a moment longer than was natural, looking hopefully up into his face. Waiting. Say something Gene, please! she silently begged. But it was in vain.

She let her head fall, her shoulders sag and her eyes drop to the ground, as she walked slowly away.

Gene felt sick to his stomach when he saw her turn away from him. He didn't miss Luigi's disapproving look either. Resisting the urge to call her back, Gene watched as she weaved a route through the groups of happily drunk people, towards the stairs, "If I hold you now Alex, I might not be able to let you go." He whispered, and downed the last of his drink.

Gene emerged onto the street a few minutes later; he looked wistfully up at Alex's window, a dull ache pounding in his chest. "Goodbye Bols," he murmured, before he too headed home.

What do you think so far?