Okay this is for everyone who keeps asking when I'm going to update particularly 5A7AH who keeps poking me with a very sharp pointy stick and Kimmi-Cakes whose guidance is always invaluble.
"That you Mols?"
"Who else would it be Mum?"
"I know, sorry, habit. How was college?"
"Good, we're looking at trauma to the brain now, we've got to do a project on hallucinogenic dreams as a result of the brain trauma"
"Sounds good, shout if you want any help won't you"
"Will do Mum, how was work?"
"Busy, went back to Fenchurch East…"
"Still looking for them?"
"They were real people, are real people, I can prove it now. I spoke to a couple of the present team who remember them….and me. They gave me some photographs, are you in the lounge?"
"I see it Mum" Molly picked up the framed photograph from the fireplace
"How, if Sam dreamed them and I dreamed them, am I in that photo? I don't know how it works Mols but I was there….I lived a life with Gene, with the team…some psychiatrist I am"
"Psychologist Mum"
"Another habit I got from Gene, la de dah posh bollocks…wanted to know if it was supposed to impress him" She paused tears appearing
"So where are they now?" Molly asked, keen to steer the conversation back to them
"No one knows, they seem to have faded away. Although Gene if he is indeed still alive will probably be in Alicante, always said he was going to Alicante. Don't hold out much hope of seeing him again though the way he drank"
"Could anyone tell you what happened to you?" Molly stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching as her mother absent mindedly stirred a pot on the cooker
"I died- shot dead protecting Gene apparently"
"You really loved him didn't you Mum"
"Almost as much as I love you Mols but I had to make a choice I had to come back to you, it meant leaving him…"Alex broke off turning away so her daughter wouldn't see her tears "Behind, but I couldn't let you grow up like I did"
"Faced with being truly happy or letting me have both parents? You should have stayed with Gene, I'd have had Evan and Dad"
"No! Mols, Gene managed before he met me, he'd manage after me" She wiped her eyes before turning back to the cooker
"You might say you're happy here but you're just drifting along for my sake" Molly paused "You should have stayed where you were truly happy with Gene and the others. Gene had a cool car didn't he?" Changing the subject, she brought it back to Gene
"He did, a Mars red Audi Quattro- his pride and joy that car. Think I loved it almost as much as he did in the end. I stole it once… was off the team that day, I'd never seen him so angry" She smiled with the memory
"You'd like to see Gene again wouldn't you Mum?"
"I would, I'd like to try and explain but I don't think it's very likely"
"I hope there's enough for three Mum, I've brought someone home for tea"
"Molly! You should have told me instead of letting me witter on" Alex scolded
"You should come and meet him Mum"
"Oh! So it's a him is it? Boyfriend from college?" Alex joked with her daughter
"He's not here for me, he's here for you, with a white coat"
"So you've sent the men in white coats in for me have you?!- Cheeky mare!" Alex scolded mock outraged
Catching sight of their guest Alex froze, even from the back she knew who it was but it couldn't be could it? He breath caught in her throat as he turned round. She felt her legs buckle before everything went black.
"Was a bit of a shock t' find out you were still alive too"
Alex found herself lying on the sofa, Gene knelt beside her She opened her mouth to say something but found she had no voice.
"I think Mum's speechless for the first time ever" Molly joked
Sitting upright she buried her face in Gene's shoulder as she felt the tears come.
"Don't cry love, I know I've given yer a bit of a shock. Maybe I should go" With his arms around her she felt the overwhelming rush of safety she often longed for
"No! You're here now, stay for tea….please?" She added lamely looking at him properly for the first time afraid that if she let him out of the house he'd vanish
"If that's what yer want Alex"
"Bolly, you never call me Alex" Smiling slightly she made her way into the kitchen "I want a word with you young lady"
"Yes Mum?" Molly had the decency to look ashamed
"How? Why?"
"Gene found me…Gave me a ride home in his car…Mum it's amazing" She almost pulled her mother to the window "Look at it"
"You've still got her" Alex breathed looking out at the Quattro parked in the street
"Steady Bols, don't need you faintin' on me again" He rested his hands on her hips steadying her as she wobbled.
"Sorry to interrupt but tea is ready"
They ate in relative silence, Alex being unable to take her eyes of f Gene, she watched as he ate, mostly unaware she was staring at him. She took in the long fingers- fingers which could do all sorts of magical things.
Twenty six years on, by rights he should be dead, she worked out he'd be seventy three now but looking at him she realised he hadn't aged at all, he was exactly as she had left him. Still as gorgeous. Still made her stomach do somersaults. Still made her want to kiss him senseless.
Molly watched as her Mum watched Gene, she could see that her Mum really loved him, she might have been stunned to see him but she knew that they'd all be seeing a lot more of Gene in the future.
"I'll clear up, you two should be talking" Molly handed Gene a bottle of red wine and two glasses.
"How did you find me?" Alex spoke first as they settled on the sofa
"I'm everywhere Bolly" He looked at her steadily "People said you'd been snooping except I didn't know it was you, well I did but I wasn't certain. I knew you'd be back though that's why I left the photos for yer"
"That was you? Thank you. I can't believe you tracked me down whilst I was looking for you"
"Yes, I used t'be a copper y'know Bols"
"What happened to me? Can you talk about it?" She squeezed his hand gently
"What happened t'yer? I bloody buried yer, almost killed meself after" He spoke quietly choked with the pain of remembering "You were shot, one bullet mean for me, straight through yer 'eart, died in me arms a few minutes later…not even enough time to get yer to the 'ospital" He dragged a hand over his face "Never bloody forgiven meself fer letting you die…outside bloody Luigi's"
"The last thing I remember was kissing you in Luigi's then I'm back here with Molly"
"You were always banging on about getting' 'ome to Molly, guess you made it after all"
"But I never forgot Gene! How could I forget you? And Ray? And Chris? And Shaz?"
"It's true, she was asking for you almost from the minute she woke up….all Mum wanted was you" They both looked round as Molly spoke from the doorway "Sorry to interrupt, phone Mum, it's Brandon" She held out the phone
"Bollocks, I've got to take this, sorry" Taking the phone from Molly she took a deep breath "Yes Guv? Sorry, Sir"
"Just calling to check you're okay Alex, we've had some nutcase claiming to be a DCI in here this afternoon demanding to know where you lived, just checking everything is fine"
"He is a DCI Sir, he's an old friend of mine, we lost touch a few years ago, we've been trying to find each other ever since. Promise you I'm fine Sir, see you on Monday" She dropped her phone into her bag before sitting back down
"What happened t'you? How come yer still the same age you were when you crashed into my life twenty eight years ago?"
"You haven't changed either you know"
"Oh I have Bols, no reason for the exercise now….You haven't answered my question"
"I don't know, I've no idea how the time space continuum works…"
"Yer what?" Gene interrupted
"The time space oh never mind. Sam thought he had gone mad when he landed with you and the team, I thought I'd died and gone to hell"
"You thought you'd died?"
"Yeah, I was shot in the head, a year ago today actually, I was taking Molly to college when I got a call to attend a hostage situation on the South Bank"
"Arthur Layton"
"How did…?" Alex was shocked
"You crashed into our lives dressed as a prozzie being held hostage by Edward Markham, you were adamant Layton had to go down, now I understand why"
"Didn't stop him helping to kill my parents though did it?"
"He killed your parents?"
"You took my hand after the explosion…I should have died in that car with my parents"
"Little Alex Price" It suddenly dawned on him
"That's me, I'm Tim and Caroline Prices daughter…That's why I tried so hard to get Caroline to like me"
"And why you tried to stop them getting blown up"
"Yes…I was never supposed to know why they died or see Tim's suicide tape but I watched it with you then I watched you destroy it so she'd never know the truth"
"It makes sense now why you were so upset at the explosion and how you knew about the bomb and where they were going to be"
"I remembered seeing the billboard from the day it happened"
"Bols you should have told me everything"
"And you'd have thrown me off the team and probably had the men in white coats come for me"
"You were a bit of a fruitcake you know"
"God look at the time, you must want to get off, where are you staying?" Alex looked at her watch, desperate to avoid continuing with the conversation
"Erm…Molly said it would be okay if I stayed here, doesn't matter, I've got a room booked at Brune Park anyway" He made to get up
"Bet your bags upstairs already. Its not a problem, I'd love you to stay with us….anyway you'll be more comfortable here" Alex placed her hand on his arm pulling him back down "Please stay"
"Bols I don't want you to feel you have to put me up. You've only jus' met me" He chuckled lightly
"Gene, I've known you three wonderful if not slightly frustrating years" She smiled as he slid an arm round her, pulling her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, hand resting over his heart.
"Can't believe I've found yer again twenty six years after I buried yer" He spoke quietly, almost afraid that if he spoke too loudly Alex would vanish and he'd be left with another dream.
They lapsed into comfortable silence, Alex running things through in her head, Gene watching but not paying much attention to the football on the television.
"Bols, stop thinking so much, can't 'ear the football" He grumbled
Alex laughed, it felt like she was back in the eighties for a moment.
"It's getting' late, you should get off to bed"
"What about you?"
"I'll stay 'ere for a bit if you don't mind"
"Of course not, Mols is still up anyway" She got up surprised as Gene took her hand "See you in the morning"
"The morning" Gene nodded
She was reluctant to let go of his hand afraid she'd loose him again.
Alex soon drifted into sleep soothed by the fact she had the two people she loved most in the world under the same roof.
Waking suddenly she realised she could hear voices, making her way downstairs quietly she realised Molly was talking with Gene. She tiptoed across the hall, leaning on the wall out of sight of both of them but where she could see and hear them.
"Mum loves you, you know. Not even Dad made her this happy. She's totally different when she talks about you…"
"She talks about me?" Gene interrupted Molly
"Yep, all the time. For weeks after she came out of the coma all she talked about was you, finding you, needing to explain then she had to get back to you. For a while it was as if I wasn't here….It was like you were her whole world"
"Mols….Can I call you Mols? I had yer Mum for three years" He continued seeing her nod her approval "For the first two years everyday was 'I have to get back to Molly' the third year she said she was going to live life with us, with me but she would get back to you eventually. I didn't realise what she meant, always thought she was a bit of a fruitcake- still do I guess"
She watched silently as Molly shook Gene's hand
"You'll catch your death out there in yer pyjamas yer daft tart, get in the warm" Gene spoke loudly but with affection
Alex jumped, face flushed with embarrassment at being caught
"I knew you were there Bols" Gene smiled as he wrapped his arm round her waist pulling her down beside him
Alex was content to lean against Gene and listen as him and Molly continued chatting about her college studies, she was dozing quietly when she felt him speak
"Right. Bed time for all of us I think…Come on sleeping beauty" He stood up as Alex stretched.
Alex smiled at the shocked look on Gene's face as Molly gave him a hug, tentatively he wrapped his arms around her in return.
"Thank you" Molly whispered
"What for?"
"Making Mum happy"
Alex laughed at the bewildered look on Gene's face as Molly scampered off.
"You should be pleased- Molly doesn't hug men- especially strange ones" He laughed outright at that
"What about you? Will you give a strange man a cuddle?"
"Depends" Alex looked into his eyes, wondering what she'd find but only finding what she almost certainly knew was in her own eyes.
"On?"
"How I feel I guess" She moved into him, slipping her arms around his waist, head on his shoulder "Love you Gene" She breathed deeply, inhaling the unmistakable scent of him.
"Love you more Alex, never stopped"
From her position in the hallway Molly Drake smiled, she knew that one day it would be revealed that Gene Hunt was in fact her father.