A/N:

Set after season 3 episode 8 ending! So spoilers for the finale! Don't read if you don't want to know!

I will say this before I start. I thought the ending of Ashes to Ashes was freakin' amazing! Seriously brilliant ending, even if it did have me crying. I am a massive Galex shipper, so Alex walking into the Railway Arms broke my heart, but it was just perfect.

This story is for my own piece of mind to be honest, because as much as I loved it, I'm still depressed by it!

So I know there will be lots of these stories now, and it's probably just one of many, but I hope that this will be good therapy for me!

This is my first Ashes to Ashes story that I have published. I have plenty of incomplete works that may see the light of day, but for now, this one will be my main focus!

Thank you to my wonderful beta Josiris for looking this over and making corrections that I would have missed!

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, settings etc. in this story. I am merely getting them out of the toybox, smacking them against eachother, putting them in rude positions for a laugh, tearing the legs off of the Keats toy, and then I put them back at the end of the day. They all belong to Matthew Graham et al. Don't sue!

This was all so surreal. The stars, the number, the weather vane, and now this... Alex gripped the door handle to the Railway Arms pub, her hand shaking. She knew it was for the best, stepping through the door. She would be better off going through, living the rest of her afterlife in peace, embraced by loved ones already passed.

My parents, Alex thought, will they be there? Can they forgive me for not being able to save them?

None of this has been real, a voice in her head interrupted. As far as her parents were concerned, the last they saw of their daughter Alex was her running away from their car as she chased her balloon, leaving them to their fate.

Alex shivered in the cold air. She needed to go in, to pass over. But what about Molly? Her poor little girl, being told her mother was dead. Who would look after her? Peter? Evan? Alex knew the heartache Molly would suffer, the constant voice scathingly reminding her that her mum was gone, never to come back. It never eased.

The grip that was so sure moments ago faltered slightly. Alex felt her hand slipping away. The shadow of Nelson behind the door started to fade away, moving back behind the bar, maybe being nagged by Ray to get him a pint already. They were all in there; Ray, Chris, Shaz, even Sam. All waiting to move on. They were waiting for her.

Alex turned her head, eyes searching for the man- no, angel- who had brought her here. He was standing alone in the street, the lights from behind illuminating his face. He was staring at her, his eyes narrowed in impatience. Gene was waiting for her to go into the pub. He didn't want her to stay. He wanted her to move on with the others, to reach the final place of rest where she could be happy. It was in that moment, when their eyes connected, that she came to her decision. Her body turned resolutely away from the pub, heels clattering against the ground as she walked quickly, desperately, towards Gene.

Gene realised soon enough what she was doing and moved forward to intercept her, barking;

"Bolls, if you don't get in that pub, I swear to god I will drag you in meself and staple your scrawny arse to a bar stool!"

Alex merely laughed, feeling tears slowly fall down her cheeks. Her smile was one of genuine happiness. Gene Hunt, foul mouthed, chain smoking, homophobic, misogynistic angel.

He strode forwards, matching her pace step for step. When they were within a foot of each other, Alex launched herself into his arms, still laughing. She nestled her face into his black coat, breathing in his scent. Smoke and whiskey. Usually a disgusting combination, but Alex decided that if she were to only smell one thing for the rest of her life, that would be it. She felt Gene wrap his arms around her, his gloved hands coming to a rest on the small of her back.

"I'll miss you Bolly," he murmured into her hair, "as much as it pains me to admit it, you were quite bloody useful when you wanted to be, not to mention the slutty clothes you wore did wonders for savin' me money on porn."

Alex laughed again, gripping Gene harder. She didn't want to let go. The tears fell thick and fast now and Alex was having trouble wiping them all away.

"But we both know that you belong over there." He finished, his hands slowly pulling her away from him. She looked into his eyes and saw they were clouded, unshed tears collecting at the corners. Gene Hunt didn't cry, no, but he came so damn close a lot of times...

"Now get outta my sight, DI Drake." Gene said, his arms dropping to his sides.

"DCI Hunt, you know as well as I do," Alex said quietly, her hand reaching up slowly, like it did so long ago, to cover his chest, "that for a team to work effectively there has to be ... cop solidarity."

Gene remained silent, never dropping his gaze.

"We are Sapphire and Steel." She whispered, her hands moving to cup his face.

"Tom and Jerry." He countered, not wanting to remove himself from her embrace.

"Heloise and Abelard."

"Saints and Greavsie."

Alex gave a watery smile and nodded slightly, before leaning in closer. Gene closed his eyes, waiting for her lips to meet his. He didn't have to wait long. Alex kissed him sweetly, her lips pressing against his, savouring the feeling. He responded by wrapping his arms back around her and pulling her to him more tightly. Alex didn't let go, her hands ran through his hair.

She didn't know whether it was minutes or mere seconds, but they slowly pulled apart, their foreheads resting against each other's. Alex's hands moved down to rest on Gene's shoulders.

"If Saints and Greavsie did that, I'd be quite worried." Gene remarked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Heloise and Aberlard then."

"I'm quite fond of my todger, Bolls." He replied, bringing his face away from her slightly.

"You know the story?" Alex asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Know it? Course I bloody well do. The dozy twat romances some posh tart and long story short, gets castrated for 'is efforts."

Alex smiled.

"I'm staying. Here. With you, Gene." She said, her voice clear and certain. She felt better for saying it out loud, as if some invisible weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Gene gripped her arms, his face set in a frown.

"This isn't life, Bolly. What you're choosing, you don't know what you're missin' out on if you don't go."

"And you know, do you?"

"Course I do. Endless Whiskey chasers, tasteless music and all the Thatcherite wanker's you can shag. This world isn't for you."

"He's right, Alex." A voice spoke up from behind them and Alex felt Gene's grip on her arms tighten.

Keats had picked himself up off of the ground. His eyes were wide, almost on fire with the intensity of his gaze on them both.

"I can help you Alex, I can take you to a place where you will be happy. A position in Serious Crime, don't turn this down. I need you, you would make my unit run so efficiently. We can bring Molly there when the time comes, you can see your daughter again,Alex!" Keats called out desperately.

Alex didn't take her eyes off of Gene, watching as his face clouded over angrily. She was shocked that Keats would dare even try to drag her daughter down where he was, but didn't get to reply as she felt Gene roughly pull away from her. He turned around sharply and strode the short distance to where Keats was regaining his balance.

"Oh come on, you seriously think I'm scared of you, Gene?" Keats laughed manically, rooted to the spot. He didn't get a chance to say anymore as Gene's knee connected with his groin. Keats fell to the ground once more, holding himself up weakly on all fours.

"Alex, please," he said frantically, "just come with me. He'll keep you here forever! You'll forget who you are! I swear, don't trust him!"

"You know what Jim," Alex hissed, walking over to the man crouched on the floor, "I believed you. I helped you. You corrupted CID and you have brought us to this moment."

She knelt down beside him, "You are a snake, Jim, persuading Eve to take the apple. Well, you know what? Shove that apple up your-"

"-As much as I hate to interrupt this heartfelt moment, Bolls," Gene stepped in beside Alex and pulled her up from the ground, "you need to go."

Keats just looked between them, trying to draw even breaths from his previous beatings.

"I told you Gene, I'm staying."

"You know," Gene's voice rose in volume, "I think women 'ave some serious 'earing problems, don't you? You'll be 'appier, content an' all that good stuff if you go."

His statement ended in a trademark pout, and Alex felt the sudden desire to kiss it off of his face. The man just didn't get it, did he?

"I have never been happier than when I have been following the Guv. I'm staying."

Gene's eyes narrowed. Alex couldn't read his expression. Was he angry at her refusal to go? Or secretly relieved that she was in fact staying by his side?

"Bloody woman, knew you were trouble the minute I saw ya."

Alex let out a sigh of relief, and smiled beatifically.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked, looking around her. The stars were dull now, fading back into the 1983 sky. She glanced towards the pub, where it looked like the party was still going on inside. Ray, Chris, Shaz... she would miss all of them. But they had each other, she was wanted and needed here.

"I would say Luigi's, but like a true Italian 'e's fled."

"We could find a new bar." Alex mused, walking slowly down the street, with Gene at her side.

"Later. We're needed in CID." Gene slowed down as he said it, and Alex wondered what he was thinking. He then turned around and retraced his steps, heading directly for Keats who was still crouched on the ground.

With one swift motion, he bent down and whipped the glasses off of Keats face, before dropping them to the ground and stepping on them. With one final crunch, Gene turned and walked back to Alex, flippantly remarking over his shoulder;

"See you around sometime Jimbo."

A/N

Reviews are much appreciated. This is going to hopefully be multi-chapter, I just need to go give my muse a kick! Hope you've enjoyed the 1st chapter!