Disclaimer: I don't own these charcters, Kudos & the BBC does. Gene & Alex just decided to have a "story party" in my head and they won't go away until I've written in all down.

I've removed one word from right at the end of this chapter. Sorry if you've already read it, but I realised I'd let Gene say far too much at the end. I know this is cheating somewhat, but I hope you'll all forgive me. This is the first time I ever attempted to write a story like this and I didn't foresee that it would get this complicated. Many apologies

When she closed her eyes, all she could see was him falling, a look of pure astonishment on his face as he crumpled to the ground, crimson stains blooming across his shirt.

When she opened them, all she could see was his blood, in dark patches across the knees of her jeans where she'd knelt on the road beside him, on her hands where she'd frantically pressed one of Luigi's ridiculous red & white checked tablecloths against the bullet wound in his abdomen, trying in vain to stem the bleeding.

A movement beside her jerked her out of her thoughts and back to the A&E waiting room, crowded now at this time of night with all manner of "walking wounded" from pub fights, muggings and domestics. She turned and saw Ray had arrived. He sat beside her, slumped forward, holding his head in his hands. He turned to look at her, and she saw the worry in his eyes

"What happened Alex? Who did this? Is he going to be OK?"

"I don't know" she replied "I don't know the answer to any of those questions yet. I'm sorry Ray. He's in theatre now. They have to repair the internal damage done by the bullet. They said something about bone fragments from his rib" He sank back into the hard plastic chair, shaking his head. Alex felt the tears rising in her throat as for the thousandth time that evening she replayed the shooting in her mind. Another, unconnected part of her brain realized that for the first time since she'd known him, Ray had used her first name, instead of his usual "ma'm" or "boss". Taking a deep breath, she took him through the events of that evening. She started with the journey to the bar that evening, reluctant to tell Ray what had happened earlier that day.

Alex hadn't even been going to go for a drink. She and Gene had had an almighty row the day before, which had culminated in her calling him, in a voice pitched to carry right out into the whole of the office, an "ungrateful, selfish, arrogant, misogynistic bastard who doesn't give a shit about anyone else. There are people in this station who work their arses off for you, and you are NEVER, EVER grateful! You wouldn't recognize gratitude if it stepped up and smacked you in the mouth, which is what I REALLY want to do to YOU right now!"

She'd given him no chance to reply, flinging back the door to his office and storming off out of the station. Gene had just stood there, drawn up to his full height, glaring at her through narrowed eyes, his bottom lip thrust out in that petulant, arrogant and oh so sexy way of his that drove her insane, both with frustration and desire.

The next morning she'd sat down at her desk without so much as glance in his direction and immersed herself in the files dealing with a particularly nasty spate of muggings. She'd been aware of Gene starring at her through the glass partition of his office, but she'd resolved to ignore him, or at least to pretend to do so. She'd managed this until mid-morning, when he'd appeared beside her desk. When she didn't look up, he'd leaned down to her, resting on his clenched fists either side of the file she was scanning. Her heart had raced as she breathed in the scent of him. He'd put his mouth close to her ear and spoken in a throaty growl that made her spine tingle.

"Now I know that right now Bolly, you 'ate my guts, and I'll admit I've probably given you cause to, but I'd appreciate it if you'd just get off your bloody 'igh 'orse for 5 seconds and let me ask you out for a drink wi'me this evening. I owe you one". He paused and took a deep breath"….well, not just one, several, and….", he dropped his voice to almost a whisper,"….. an apology too"

Her head had snapped up in shock at his words and she'd met his gaze full-on, his eyes burning into her, molten silver flecked with aquamarine. She'd shivered, despite the warmth of the red jumper dress she had chosen to wear, in the full knowledge that belted in with a wide black leather belt, it showed off every inch of figure, and had stared straight back at him, her face betraying none of what she felt.

He was the first to drop his eyes, pushing himself away from her desk with a disappointed sigh as she'd continued to stare at him.

"OK". It came out as a whisper at first and she'd had to swallow hard to stop her mouth feeling so dry.

"Pardon?" he frowned at her, not hearing her properly.

"I said OK. I'll come for a drink……. With you……. Tonight". This time the words had come out louder than Alex intended, and she'd seen Ray look up at them.

"Right…., good…., OK then" Gene turned briskly away from her, marching into his office and returning with his coat "I'm off out, you're in charge 'til I get back. Don't let these morons mess you about and don't let them use my darts board. Grainger! Wi' me!……Now!".

With that, he was gone, lopping off up the corridor, Shaz hurrying in his wake, leaving both Alex and Ray staring after him.

Shaz had been back within the hour, slipping quietly back to her desk. She'd looked over at Alex with a strange expression on her face, but at that moment Alex's phone had rung and she'd thought nothing more of it.

Gene returned in the late afternoon, striding into his office, barking "Shaz!.. Tea!". He'd banged the door firmly shut, swung his boots up onto his desk & ignored them all. It had remained that way for just over an hour until the clock, and everyone's digital watches told them all it was six pm exactly.

"Lunch time Gentlemen!" he'd bellowed. The team had all looked up, not sure whether to move as the Guv was still seated at his desk.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You've all been clock watching for the last hour. Bugger off, you skivers, and I'll 'ave a pint with a whisky chaser". They'd hurried out, not risking him changing his mind and asking them exactly what they had been doing all afternoon.

Alex had gone to ladies locker room to do her hair and freshen herself up. She found it ironic that in 2008 she wouldn't think twice about how she looked. She'd got where she was in the force on the strength of her intellect. She didn't need or want to dress herself up for work. Plain navy suits and white shirts were all she needed to feel professional and good about herself. In 1981 however, things were different. For a start she hadn't had her own clothes at first, and by the time she'd accepted that she wasn't going home, she'd got used to the way she dressed. It gave her confidence; it was a mask to hide behind. Plus it made her look bloody good and she knew Gene thought so too.

"You're being ridiculous" she'd told her reflection "you go drinking with him nearly every night". Why was she so bothered about it this time? Was it because he'd used the phrase "with me" when he'd asked her earlier? He usually just included her with the rest of the team when suggesting a drink. "For God's sake Alex" she'd sighed leaning her forehead on the cool mirror, "you have to stop feeling like this". Taking a deep breath she'd checked her make-up, run her hands through her hair, and clutching her make-up bag so hard her knuckles were white, she'd walked back into the office to fetch her jacket.

Gene was standing just inside the door, a looming shadow in the dark office.

"Oh! I thought you'd gone" she stammered.

"Wot? And leave you behind Bolly? My Mam would've 'ad my guts for garters if she'd known I'd let a woman like you walk into a bar on her own. You're posh, you are. You deserve manners" He'd given her one of his rare smiles and held open the door "Shall we?" he'd asked.

They'd walked to Luigi's, and Alex had shivered in the chill spring air. In her surprise at finding Gene waiting for her, she'd forgotten her jacket. Gene had stopped and shrugged off his, wrapping it carefully round her shoulders. Standing in front of her, he'd pulled the lapels closed, in an uncharacteristically tender gesture. His fingers had fleetingly brushed her neck and she'd looked up at him, unable to put the feelings his touch had aroused into words. He'd looked down at her steadily.

"Better?" he'd asked.

Alex had nodded, unable to speak and they'd continued walking. When she went back over events again later in her mind, she could have sworn that he'd reached for her hand at that moment, that she'd felt his fingers start to thread themselves through hers, but she couldn't be certain.

All she did remember clearly was that at that moment that they'd heard the car engine. Alex had noted the expensive, purring sound it had made. She'd looked round and seen a Mercedes, cruising slowly out of a side street towards them. She'd been surprised, Mercs were expensive cars and not common in this area of the City in 1981. Just before the car had drawn level with them, a figure had lent from the passenger window and she'd heard gunshots, 3 of them in quick succession, then the screech of the tyres as the car had roared away from them, and suddenly, Gene was falling, collapsing like a puppet with strings cut, in front of her, his head hitting the road with a sickening sound.

She'd screamed, she must have, either that or the sound of the shots brought Chris running up the steps from Luigi's to stand bewildered on the pavement, not able to believe what he saw, his DCI sprawled bleeding in the road and Alex beside him, frantically searching for a pulse.

"Call an ambulance! He's been shot! An ambulance!... NOW CHRIS!"

She'd shrieked the words at him, and he'd disappeared back into Luigi's. Alex had knelt beside Gene, trying to see through all the blood just exactly where he'd been hit. A bullet had grazed his forehead, leaving a line of flesh gouged out of his temple. Another had hit his shoulder, just below the collarbone.

"OK, not life threatening" she'd told herself, pushing down her rising panic, only to feel it rise again as she looked further.

The third was serious. It had hit him just below the ribs on his left side, the blood flowed freely from the wound and she'd been thankful when Shaz had appeared beside them, clutching an armful of tablecloths.

"Here you are Ma'm" she'd said, thrusting them at her with shaking hands and stepping back to give Alex room.

She'd quickly folded one of them up and pressed it hard against the wound. Gene's eyes had snapped open and he'd groaned through his teeth with the pain.

"For Christ's sake woman", he'd hissed "I know I've pissed you off, but there's no need to try and kill me"

"Shut UP, Gene" she'd snapped back him, anger hiding her relief at his being conscious "I'm trying to help you, not kill you. Someone else must be even more pissed off with you than me"

"Wot is it wi' you Bolly? Even when I'm lying 'ere, possibly, no make that, probably dying, you bitch at me", he'd broken off with a gasp, coughing.

Alex had fought to keep her voice even and the panic from her face, as she'd looked up at him. She'd taken his hand and squeezed it hard. His eyes found hers and his gaze was unwavering

"You listen to me, Gene Hunt. You are not going to bloody die. I'm not going to let you. You mean too much….." she stopped herself, unable to go on.

"Too much wot, Bols?" he'd gasped, squeezing her fingers hard as the pain shot through him. Away in the distance, on the edge of her hearing, she could hear the sirens getting nearer and nearer.

She'd moved closer to him, her eyes never leaving his, "Gene, listen to me. The ambulance will be here soon, but you have to fight……….. I need you to think of something important to you, something precious, something worth living for……. Gene? Can you hear me?...Gene?". She'd felt for his pulse again as his eyes closed and he'd started to shake as his body went into shock.

She watched him fight for breath, "It's always bloody psycho-babble wi' you isn't it?" he'd whispered, teeth chattering, opening his eyes painfully slowly, his gaze blurred and un-focused now with the loss of blood.

Alex could feel it seeping through the cloth, the warmth of him ebbing away onto the gritty road surface beneath her knees. Her hands were sticky with it as she'd reached to stroke his cheek. She realized she was crying, as a tear splashed onto his lips. He'd parted them and licked at it with his tongue.

"Mmm…You taste good Alex…….. Want to know what I'm thinking about……….?" his voice was faint now, the words slurring together "I'm thinking about you Bolly…. Naked…………, an' all the things I'd like to do to you". He'd laughed softly and she'd seen him force himself to focus on her.

She'd put her face right down, close to his, holding his eyes with hers.

"You get through this, Gene Hunt, and I promise that you can do what you like to me, naked or clothed. Just keeping fighting…………., stay with me………… please, Gene". Her voiced had cracked at this and she'd lifted her arm to wipe away the tears that filled her eyes.

Than she'd heard a voice "Move back please, madam, move back. Let me see him". The ambulance man had put a hand on her arm to guide her away, but Gene held her hand tighter, frantic now to tell her something "heart…… have……. my heart Alex…………." he'd rasped, slurring his words so badly now she could hardly make them out "jacket ……….., my jacket …………, explain………………how I fe…….".

His voice had tailed off as he'd passed out with the effort of speaking. The ambulance men had taken over then, loading him quickly and efficiently into the ambulance and racing away to Whitechapel hospital, sirens blaring.