Yeah yeah. Never again, I said. Screw Gene Hunt, I said. Yet here I am. Again. Series Three Easter Eggs. It seemed that once I stopped caring about where the story was going suddenly everything looked smutty again. So bugger the story. I need them to be together.

It helps a little if you've read the ones I wrote for Series Two, which can be found here on my profile. But all you really need to assume is that Gene and Alex have had something going, and that it fell apart (place the blame everywhere you like) when she told him the truth and he shot her. (I have written another short story Reconnection, also dealing with these issues - but that's not part of this collection.)

The Rules: Chapters follow from a moment, a scene, or my overactive imagination. They could be 500 words or 5000. There could be one or three or none for any given episode, depending on how I'm feeling about it after it airs.

Sorry they got a bit backed up. Blame the volcano.

All characters owned by Kudos/Monastic, unfortunately for them (the characters - not Kudos/Monastic). Thanks for letting me borrow them.

I hope you enjoy them, even if it's just a little bit.

--

Hopefully along the way you'll figure out where they fit in, but chapter one was written pre-episode one. So I could make sense of why he'd wake her with a smack in the face.

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Gene Hunt checked his watch as he looked out the window of the seedy room he'd taken for the night. He needed about eight hours. His plan was to get to the hospital early, when the shift was changing, and hope to get lost in the confusion so no one would notice him slipping into the hospital and slipping Drake out. His snitch didn't think there was a guard on her or anything, but now that he'd made contact with someone on his patch he couldn't count on them not putting one on her. He had to move fast. Before his snitch had time to rat him out. Then he could take her straight to the station; clear his name, done and dusted. And he could get back to being the bloody sheriff of Fenchurch East. Until then he had time to kill.

–

The bar was dark and he hated himself for going in. He'd never drink in a shithole like this before...before. And he'd never hidden from anything in his life. Anything but this. But Gene knew he couldn't risk going anywhere where he might be recognized yet. Not until she told everyone the truth. And she would, wouldn't she? She cared about him once. They'd had something before. He needed her to clear his name, sure, but hiding out made him realize something else. He needed her to take him back.

It took him a moment to adjust to the dark, and another minute to register all the exits just in case he needed them. Gene snarled at himself as he looked over the assortment of hookers and lowlifes. Reduced to this. All over a bloody mistake.

After a quick trip to the back, making sure the raer door wasn't chain or padlocked along the way, Gene settled at the end of the bar. He could get out quick if he needed. He ordering a pint and a scotch and sat down.

He had a simple plan. All he had to do was wait for the right time. She would tell everyone what happened. Clear his name. She wouldn't think he had tried to kill her. She knew what happened. She was the only one who knew. He drained his scotch and ordered another, starting on the beer. She was the only one.

Gene drank alone for an hour before a slightly better than average looking brunette slipped onto the bar stool next to him. She gave him a look and he leaned a little closer. He had time to kill.

"Buy you a drink?" He slurred at her.

"That would be lovely, thanks."

Gene stood to get closer, ordering a glass of red wine from the bartender.

"Oh, I'll have a Malibu and Pineapple." She smiled at him.

Gene narrowed his eyes, but changed the order as he moved closer to the woman. She had nice tits.

"What's your name, love?"

"Alex," she purred at him.

He blinked hard. "Wot?"

She moved closer, pressing her lips against his ear. "Alice."

"Alisss. Right. Gene." He couldn't hear the slur in his own voice.

They made small talk for a while. Alice kept touching his arm, putting her hand on his chest. Gene slipped his hand to her waist, whispering god knows what into her ear. Unexpectedly, she slid a not unwelcome hand between his legs and he became suddenly aware of how long it had been since a woman had been anywhere near his todger. He let her stroke him hard, pressing himself against her. A moment later he was kissing her. No one would care what they did in this shithole.

Gene moved a swift hand to her breast, grunting a little as her hips pressed against him. He'd come right here if she wasn't careful.

"Got somewhere we can go?" He murmured into her ear. She bit his lip and tugged his hand, pulling him out the back into the alley. Gene followed, but before they could get far she pulled him to her, her back against the rough wall. Gene responded by kissing her hard, grinding his hips into her, tugging at her top.

"Ooooh, Gene," she cooed, unhooking his belt, moving one hand into his trousers, stroking his length as the other pulled up his shirt, moved over his chest.

"Oh god, Alex, don't stop that ."

"Alice."

He sucked on her neck, her ear. "Right. Alice. Don't stop that."

She squeezed his shaft. "You're all man, Gene."

"Better believe it, love," he hissed as he snaked one hand up her thigh, pulling her skirt along for the ride. He groaned as his fingers fondled her suspenders, tugging the skimpy lace triangle away from his target.

"Oh, Gene, ooh, baby."

"Call me Guv," he growled.

Alice pulled back a little, but Gene didn't notice, moved his mouth to her neck, her tits. "Guv? You a copper?"

He grunted, tried to kiss her. "When I'm working."

"Are you working now?"

Gene humped her against the wall. "Always working, love. Is there somewhere else we should -"

But she cut him off, pushing him away. "You'd think I'd bloody know by now! Bloody coppers." Gene stood stunned as she pulled down her skirt, pulled her top closed. "Always get paid first, that's what Marjorie says. I should bloody listen to her!"

He couldn't believe it. "You're a tom?"

"Wha'dya think? You were having a run of good luck?" She turned and hustled out of the alley, heels clicking on the concrete, leaving Gene alone in the dank alley.

–

"Shit."

Gene leaned one hand against the alley wall, breathing deep. A fucking hooker. He used to be able to tell these things. Was he that far gone? He was standing in an alley with a hard on the size of a bloody drainpipe, freezing his balls off, so yeah. Maybe he was.

He grabbed his cock with his free hand. It had been too fucking long. Everything had been too fucking long. Why had he bloody run? He leaned his head against the cold bricks, only one way out of this he thought, stroking his length. He had to finish now. Drake, he groaned. It was her bloody fault. Couldn't tell the bloody truth, never bloody listened, he squeezed harder; not even the cold air could stop him now. He moved his hand roughly along his shaft, squeezing and stroking himself, his thumb flicking over the tip. Fuck, he pulled and squeezed, harder, faster, slower, tighter. Fuck. Why wasn't she here? She did this. Almost there. He was only doing his job. Gene groaned angrily, close now, one hand gripping his shaft, squeezing, the other palming his head, faster, his knees buckling from the strain. Drake, fuck, Drake, Alex, Alex, Alex, bitch, Drake, Alex, ohgodohgodohgodunnnghhhh.

–

It was at least fifteen minutes before he moved. He couldn't move, couldn't believe what he'd done. In a bloody alley for Christ's sake. Desperately he pulled off his tie, wiping his hands with it and throwing it on the wet pavement. Thank god he'd missed his clothes. After zipping up his trousers he covered his face with his hands. What was happening to him? He needed to get this right; needed to get to Alex now. Bugger the plan.

–

She didn't look good. Still in a coma, they'd said. He needed her to wake up.

"Alex," he whispered to her, his face close to hers. "Alex, come on. Wake up." He shook her shoulder.

Shit. It wasn't working. He paced the floor. He'd need to get out of there fast. Get her out of there. There was one other thing he could try...

"Alex!"