Alex was bored. This was only the second day that she'd been off work and already it felt like much longer. She cursed herself inwardly for being so clumsy. She had been out on a job with the rest of CID late last week when she had tripped and landed heavily on her arm. 'A very bad sprain' is what the doctor had said, and before she could protest he had told her no more work for at least a fortnight. Once Gene had heard that, he had insisted that she went home right away and pointedly said he didn't want to see her back until the doctor said that it was fine to do so. So here she was stuck at home, and, with only one arm movable could do very little, so she'd quickly got bored. After pacing around the flat a few times she decided to go for walk - it was either that or empty the whole of Luigi's in one afternoon, and although the latter was tempting, it probably wasn't a good idea given her current state. So the walk it was.
After thinking for a while she decided that she wanted to go somewhere different to where she usually went so she headed out in search of the nearest woodland/park. She had to go quite a way to find one, but, upon arriving she started to think that this wasn't such a bad idea after all, she could clear her head and have some quiet thinking time which she obviously wouldn't get at work, plus the view around her was stunning and made a nice change to what she usually saw out of her window. As she walked along she relaxed and began to think back on the many months she had spent now in this 'other' world (whatever it was) and it dawned on her that being in 1982 wasn't all that bad. Certainly her take on it had altered considerably since she had first found herself here, she had settled down and was more at ease. And what of the people - CID in particular? Were they really just constructs of her mind? As the months had gone by she had spent more time in their company and she had seriously begun to doubt it. Not that it mattered anymore if they were real or imaginary - she had got to know and like them, viewed them as her friends and colleagues, and now, whatever they truly were or represented, she looked on them as actual people. And that would make it much harder to leave them than if they were just in her mind. Dam it - she had been feeling quite happy in her mind and now that thought had made her feel sad again. Funny how she suddenly didn't really look forward to leaving here anymore….
Alex carried on walking for about half an hour before she saw a signpost indicating right on a path which led downwards into the middle of a wood. As she walked down the rather slippery path, trying to keep her balance it dawned on her that no-one knew where she was and should she fall Gene wouldn't come to her aid if she needed it. She stopped dead suddenly - why had she instantly assumed Gene would come to her? She hadn't thought about it, the assumption had come into her head without her needing to think - one of them actions you do automatically like sneezing or moving your hand away from something hot. But why? Perhaps it was because he had rescued her several times before from sticky situations so she automatically thought he would again, or perhaps it was because he had said once to her that if he was needed he'd be there. Or maybe she had thought of him instantly because in truth she knew that she lo… she stopped short again. What was it she had just nearly said to herself? No, no way, - the thought was unthinkable, laughable almost - he was her boss, a total dinosaur of a man who acted with his fists, who thought nothing of putting someone in hospital if it meant he got results- she couldn't possibly love him, could she? But deep down, although she'd never admit it to anyone, she knew it was true, and that no matter how much she tried to dress it up or dice around the fact, she couldn't kid herself. She'd be lying if she tried to pretend that the dreams and fantasies she'd been having lately didn't involve a certain DCI. She didn't know when she had started to feel this way about him but she supposed that with them spending nearly every day together in work and every evening in Luigi's it was inevitable it would happen eventually. She knew that the relationship they had between them had changed enormously in recent months, when she had first arrived he had flirted almost constantly with her, made plenty of remarks with blatant innuendo in them but it had been all one sided. Now if he did any of this she gave back as good as she got and half the time she was the one who actually started the comments and suggestive remarks. And she loved it, the flirting, the nonsense banter between them, even the heated arguments - she enjoyed it all thoroughly, if she was honest it was one of the things that she really looked forward to when she was going to work in the morning, what made each day fun.
Suddenly she wanted to slip more than anything, she wanted to be stuck in need of aid and if she had had her police radio on her, to call for help. Gene would come - only Gene, and he would find her lying all small and helpless in the middle of the wood, she would breath out a sigh of relief that he'd rescued her again, and he would pull her up against him to comfort her just like he had in that vault in Edgehampton, she would put her arms around him before looking up into his eyes, and showing him how grateful she really was, by pressing her lips against his….
Alex had stopped walking by this point, her mind full of the fantasy she'd just thought of. Oh God now she'd done it - she could feel herself getting all hot and bothered over her thoughts, she needed to sit down (and cool down). She found a rock by a small stream and plonked herself down, not taking in the scenery around her any more, she could only think of the images her mind had conjured up in the last few minutes. Desperately she tried to think of something, anything else but it was no good - she could already feel the all too familiar throbbing sensation lower down , the dull ache that she knew wouldn't go. She sighed. "Oh shit Alex" she said to herself, now what could she do? She was in the middle of a wood could she 'sort it herself' she wondered? Or go home and find a man, any man to do it for her? No that wouldn't work either, it would only scratch the itch for a while and then she'd probably feel worse. There was only one man who would satisfy her and Alex knew that no-one else would do. She'd have to go and find him, she decided. If he didn't have the balls to do anything about them then she'd have to - she would make him take her. She wondered what the time was and looked at her watch. 4pm. He would be sat behind his desk now with a scotch in his hand, having already downed 2 or 3 to keep himself in check after dealing with the nonces and scum bought in this morning. She stood up, suddenly longing to be stood in front of his desk , in front of him, about to have yet another blazing argument over something. A little smile crept on her face - she would go home, change into the tightest outfit she could find and pay him a surprise visit. He'd probably go bananas at her for disobeying him and coming into the station, but who cared? What the hell, she was actually looking forward to the dressing down anyway. Hurrying on she reached the edge of the wood and found herself back in the open park, where she stopped to look around. The view was brilliant she thought and then realized how un-overcrowded and peaceful it was compared to 2008. In the modern day there was no way it would be this quiet and isolated, and, even if it was, it wouldn't be possible to be this relaxed and off-guard. She felt another pang as she though of this - it happened a lot lately, these pangs of unhappiness at the thought of returning to her own time. Then it dawned on her. She no longer thought of the future as where she was meant to be, it just didn't seem to fit any longer. instead, where she was here in 1982 she now thought of as her time. She had grown so used to the 80's and where she was that it would now feel alien to her to be back in the 21st century - she no longer belonged there. Her flat above Luigi's was more her home nowadays than the house she had in 2008, Gene & Co, Fenchurch East were far more her friends and work than her modern day equivalents had ever been. She even preferred the fashion. In 2008 all she could wear to work were grey/black trouser suits and a plain white blouse - how boring in contrast to the clothes she could wear here. As for her colleagues - no way could she talk and banter with them like she could with CID - it simply wouldn't be allowed or accepted. Alex knew that if it wasn't for Molly, she would never even dream of leaving. But even that couldn't stop her wondering - would she ever be able to accept being back in 2008? She hadn't dealt with not seeing Gene for a day or so, could she really deal with never seeing him again? Alex realized the second she thought it that she wouldn't be able to and that if she did wake up she would never be happy to be home, would know she only got back for Molly and would inevitably soon start to blame her for having to leave. She couldn't do that, it wouldn't be fair. She was stuck between 2 worlds - she wanted to stay in world 2 with Gene and the gang, but she had to go back to world 1 for Molly. Alex knew that if she went back for even a second that she would never leave again voluntarily. It was possible that she could say goodbye to Molly whilst in her coma as she hadn't seen her for months anyway, but, if she went back and saw her it would be impossible to do so. She thought for a moment; Molly had Evan - she wouldn't be alone, and seeing as Evan had bought Alex herself up, she knew that Molly would be in good hands. She was silent for a few minutes.
"Alright, I give up, let me stay in 1982 now" said Alex looking up at the sky. Nothing happened for a second or so, then she gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her head and heard a surgeon's voice "Alex, come on, keep fighting" she heard nurses around him speak "were losing her, she's barely breathing" and the surgeon again " come on Alex, stay here with us, don't give up", "No I don't want to go back, I surrender, I DO give up, let me go!" Alex shouted as she heard a machine beeping, "Alex, Alex, stay with us", " I don't want to go back" Alex sobbed scared that she was about to be sent back there and then before having a chance to say goodbye, just as she'd made up her mind to stay. Suddenly, bright white light filled everywhere around her, so bright she had to close her eyes , she could hear nothing, only feel an agonising sharp shooting pain in her head. Just as she could stand it no more everything faded into darkness.
Alex opened her eyes and slowly looked around. Around her was the park that she had been stood in 5 minutes ago. The pain was gone from her head and she could no longer hear the surgeon's voice. She felt different. She knew that she was still in 1982, that when she had wanted to get back her body had kept fighting for her in 2008 but when she had decided to stay she had fought against it and it had given up the struggle. She also knew that she was almost certainly dead by now in 2008 so there was no chance of waking up if she changed her mind. But Alex knew she wouldn't, that she had got what she wanted. There was just one thing that felt odd. She could no longer remember anything about the present day. She tried to think of something - a CD or DVD player which she knew would have been around in 2008 but her mind drew up blank with images and when she thought of a music player she thought instantly of a walkman instead of an ipod. She realized that this was because her ties with the modern day were gone for good so she no longer needed to remember anything about them. She could however, thankfully, remember Molly and for this she was glad. She may have chosen to remain here instead of going back to her but she still wanted to be able to remember her. Alex turned around once, took in her surroundings and smiled to herself. She could stay now eternally in the 80's with Gene - she would never go back, or talk of going back, again. "Bye Molls, be happy" Alex said before disappearing through the park and starting the trek back to the flat above Luigi's - Home.
A while later Alex stood outside CID waiting impatiently. The rest of the station had gone down to Luigi's, she'd watched them go, and now she felt strangely nervous. She had tried to go with her plan and chosen the tightest top she had, but, due to her arm being swollen hadn't been able to put it on, so she'd opted for a blouse made of flimsy material, a pair of very tight jeans and her favourite boots instead. She had had to leave her hair as it was because it was impossible to do anything with it with only one hand. Taking a deep breath she walked into CID, spotted Gene with his head down in some paperwork and walked straight into his office. "I thought the usual response was to knock and wait for a reply" Gene said, without turning his head. "It is, but you know me Guv, don't do as I'm told for long" at the sound of her voice Gene looked up "got that right Bolly-Keks as I thought I told you to stay 'ome", "You did" Alex replied "but I missed my daily row so I've come looking for it". She looked straight at him and suddenly remembered her feelings up in the woods. 'Time to turn it up a notch, I reckon' she thought. "So you ignore my instructions completely?" Gene asked looking dangerously cross. "I do , don't you think I should be punished for that, say being bent over the desk and slapped?" Gene stared, wide eyed, a vision of his long ago drawn doodle coming into his mind. Was she asking for what he thought she was asking for? Had DI Bolly-Keks, the posh mouthy tart just brazenly asked him to take her over his desk? Gene looked into her eyes and saw the same feelings there that mirrored his own - love, want and burning desire. With a jolt Gene realized that this was as close to his nightly fantasy as he was probably going to get, but Alex, unable to bear the tension any more, suddenly got up and stood directly in front of him. "you never said, so I'll take it as a 'no' then, shall I" said Alex and began to back away, but she was stopped abruptly when she felt Gene grab her round the middle. "Oh no you don't, I've waited a long time for this - a 'ell of a long time" Gene growled before pulling her up against him. "Don't EVER disobey the Gene Genie, Bolls" he said and pressed his lips down on hers. Alex leant into him and returned the kiss with enthusiasm. They stayed like that for several minutes before their feelings took over, and, as Gene bent Alex backwards onto his desk she knew that she had definitely made the right choice in staying. It had, however, been a waste of time choosing her clothes so carefully, for within ten minutes they were discarded in a heap on the floor.