A/N: This is the much-awaited (lol) sequel to Living Without Gene. I just hope people like it, and it lives up to the standard I set before... which probably wasn't great. But you never know. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to all the people who ordered me to write a sequel for Living Without Gene, although some of you were a little scary... ah well. Hopefully this'll placate you. Jazzola :)

"Bolls, yer ready? Train's leavin' in 'alf an hour, an yer need ter be on it, I'm not drivin' yer ter Belfast!"

"Ready!" Alex Drake yelled down the hallway, dragging a suitcase and a handbag down the stairs and hurriedly repairing her mangled perm in the hallway mirror as Molly helped to get the suitcase into the boot of the Quattro. Gene raised his eyebrows at her as they plonked it in, making Molly laugh as her mother came out to enquire whether she'd packed enough.

"Yeah, I think so, Bolls," Gene replied hastily, trying to keep a grin off his own face. What's wrong wi' me? Smilin' all over the place these days. They'll 'ave me in the loony bin if I don't do somethin' about it.

The truth was, Gene Hunt was happier than he had been for many, many years, maybe even ever. He had his wonderful, bolshy, posh, clever DI living with him, and her daughter Molly, who had caused more tsunamis than ripples when she had arrived in CID but had settled in fine to her new life. He shook his head at himself. Sometimes he wondered where exactly Alex and Molly had come from, to make life in 1983's London so strange to them.

"Earth to Planet Hunt?"

Gene realised he'd been staring into space. Molly and Alex were standing beside the Quattro watching him, identical quizzical expressions on their faces; he had to stop himself from laughing out loud at the sight.

"Er, sorry. Yer sure yer've got everythin'?"

"Certain, Gene. If I've left anything you can always bring it up," Alex teased, wrapping her arms round Gene's waist and kissing him full on the lips. Molly, behind her, made a gagging noise and pointedly looked away.

"Oi, cheeky," Alex half-scolded, half-laughed, giving Molly a mock slap on the back of the head. "If you don't want to watch us kissing, then make yourself useful and get me some toast. I'll have to eat breakfast in the Quattro."

"Yer not eatin' in my Quattro!" Gene protested, fixing her with a frown. Alex smiled.

"You smoke, drink and eat in the Quattro, Gene, so you can't talk."

Gene, defeated, skulked back into the house to do one final look-round for anything essential of Alex's, not that he really knew what she found essential. A flash of pink under the radiator in the lounge caught his eye, and he grinned, remembering the hot night before and the reason behind Alex's slight lack of punctuality; even just looking at the scrap of lace lying innocently on the carpet was almost enough to give him a hard-on.

"Gene, we need to go!" Molly's voice called from outside, rousing him from his X-rated thoughts. Grinning surreptitiously to himself, Gene dropped the knickers behind the sofa and collected up the Quattro keys, heading out to the gleaming red beast on the front drive.

"Five days, Gene. Are you sure you and Molly will be fine?"

"I've looked after myself fer a few years, Bolls. 'Andlin' Molly can't be that 'ard compared ter 'andlin' yer, can it?"

Alex laughed, reaching up and kissing Gene on the lips, sweeping Molly up for a huge cuddle as the train drew in, wiping tears away as she picked up her luggage and began to board, grasping Gene's hand one more time, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek as the conductor's whistle blew.

"Stay safe, don't do anything heroic or stupid, look after the two of you, remember things that need to be done, and don't swear within earshot of Molls!"

Gene, rolling his eyes at Molly, nodded and waved back as the train drew out of the station, Alex wiping tears from her face as the two people she treasured most in the world drew out of sight.

"Gene?"

"Yeah?"

He looked down to see Molly's eyes sparkling with tears but mischief in their depths, a strange and very Molly-like mix.

"Now that Mum isn't around to tell you to drive the Quattro slowly, can we go fast on the way back?"

Gene laughed, a rare full laugh that made a couple of people stop and look round at him, smiles slipping onto a couple of other faces. Molly's own smile grew. For a man who doesn't laugh very much, his laugh is so contagious!

"Only as fast as is safe, Molls."

"You sound like Mum, being all cautious all the time," Molly said slyly, fixing Gene with her best stare, knowing exactly which strings to twang to get her way with the Manc Lion. Gene stiffened.

"No I don'."

"Yes you do."

"I'm jus'... lookin' out fer yer."

Molly smiled, wrapping both of her arms round one of his, giving him her best little-girly pout.

"Just a little, once we're on the dual carriageway?"

Gene felt his resolve melting under her gaze, sighing as he came to the inevitable conclusion that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

"Jus' a little, an' only when we've got enough space."

Molly squealed and hugged him fully, burying her face in his stomach as he gently unhinged his arm to get the Quattro keys out of his pocket, opening the door for her and grinning as she leapt in and pulled the sun-visor down, flipping the mirror open to get a good look at herself in it, correcting a stray loop of hair and giving herself a winning smile. She didn't intend to try that same trick too many times- she knew Gene wouldn't soften if it was important- but it was fun while she could.

Gene's foot slammed onto the accelerator and the Quattro surged forwards, Molly whooping in the front seat as the bright red beast joined the traffic. Slowing to allow other vehicles some semblance of safety, Gene let his mind wander onto the issue at hand: he would be looking after Molly for five days, during which time he had to cook meals, keep the house somewhat in order, and organise for someone to look after Molly if he couldn't. All without putting himself in hospital with a stress-induced anaphylactic shock.

It was going to be a long, long week...

A/N: Sooo... tell me what you think, and whether I should continue! Hope people like it, and please, please remember to review! Thanks muchly! Jazzola :)