An idea that plays on the aggressive way Gene and Alex play off one another. I sort of know where I want to take it, but would appreciate feedback. Merci Buckup :-) Characters not my own, natch.
Caroline Price traced a finger thoughtfully round the base of her wine glass.
"It seems to me, Alex, that you're a little distracted from what's really important to you."
Alex snorted and threw her head back, curls bouncing. "What's really important? I suppose you have it all in balance in your world?"
She couldn't help herself. Caroline was here, as real as any being could be, and yet Alex still thought of this woman as the imaginary mother she had internally railed at all these years. It spilled over in her words too much. Caroline blinked in surprise at the vehemency of the younger woman's response. She leaned forward to answer.
"Well, what is it you want to achieve, and who can help you? You seem like a woman who is reluctant to trust, but you must know that it's sometimes necessary."
Alex had been lifting her glass, and she halted at those words, remembering her last altercation with DCI Hunt.
"Why should I trust you?" She'd flung at him.
"Because I do the necessary, Drake, and you don't have many other options right now."
Caroline pulled her bag over her shoulder as she stood up. She paused and smiled. "I've got to go, Alex, really. But do call me. Whatever is troubling you, I want to help."
Alex rolled the coolness of the glass against her forehead, sighing. She knew what she had to do.
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The office was mostly in darkness now, except for Hunt's sanctuary. He was brooding over a glass of whisky, and didn't look up as she walked in. She had been rehearsing an apology, but her mouth dried up as she stood, arms folded defensively, and leaned against the doorframe. She coughed slightly. Hunt sniffed, turned his glass a quarter turn and then threw the whisky down his throat. He still hadn't looked at her.
"And what can I do you for, Bolly?" His tone was dismissive.
"I… I think maybe we should do it your way." It was an attempt to be conciliatory. She rubbed her hand against her white leather sleeve, nervously.
He pushed away from his desk, and put his hands in his pockets as he came over to her. His tie was loose, the top shirt button undone. She always noticed the details, and this imaginary world she had made was full of detail.
"Oh. You think maybe we should do it my way? I think you might be labouring under a misapprehension, Drake. I'm not sitting here waiting for you to come and approve me. I'm your superior officer, and what I think we should do, we do."
"That's not what I meant…" She began, but he cut her off.
"And further more, 'we' isn't accurate either. 'We' implies there's a team effort going on, 'we' assumes that your loyalties will lie here, not with whatever serves you at the time."
"What? In what way have I been self-serving, Hunt?" She lost the defensive stance and her hands went to her hips. "I've been 100 percent committed to bringing Drummond in."
"100 percent? I think your maths is a bit off, Bolly, I could have sworn you've spent at least 50 percent of your commitment on Caroline Price and that odious little toy boy of hers. I think that leaves you considerably less focused on Drummond or anything productive, in fact. If I didn't know better, I'd be wondering if you were actually her stooge, deliberately setting out to sabotage this investigation." He jutted his chin forward arrogantly.
"You tiny-minded bastard. I came up here to apologize and try and move things on."
"Oh, thank you, your gracious Pimms-ness, where would we be without your condescension?"
She felt the sting of the slap on her hand before she realized she'd done it. He grabbed her wrist on the backward stroke, and yanked her towards him.
"I am getting a bit bloody sick of you cracking me one every five minutes."
"Oh, really Hunt? I'm not tired of it yet myself." She glared at him, her own aggression somewhat fuelled by alcohol, and something else she couldn't place. Hunt didn't relax his grip on her arm.
"Are you trying to see how far you can push me, Drake? Because I really don't think you're too big to go over my knee."
She raised mocking eyebrows. "Is that right?" She sneered.