This is my first A2A fic please review and be as critical as you want I want to learn how to improve.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything the characters belong to BBC and Kudos.



Living the Dream

Chapter 1 – It's Been a Bad Day

Gene came back into his office and closed the door gently before he turned to Alex, who was perched on the end of his desk. Alex turned away from Gene to hide the fact that her eyes were glistening with tears.

Gene walked over to Alex and placed a hand gently on top of hers.

"Evan has taken little Alex home. Poor kid! You OK Bolly?" He asked sounding concerned.

"No I'm not. I'm pretty shaken up. I really, REALLY convinced myself that I could prevent it from happening. And it was Tim! How could anyone try to kill their wife and child?" Alex cried.

Gene began to feel uncomfortable. He desperately wanted to put his arm around Alex, protect her, make all her troubles go away...Instead he gave her an awkward pat on the back and said "Go home Bolls, you're a mess. You won't be much use here in this state. Try to get some sleep and I'll check in on you later ok?"

Alex nodded and Gene felt her small, soft hand slip away from his as she departed, still gently crying.

After Alex had left, Gene wondered if he should have gone with her. She was feeling very vulnerable after that day's incident with the Price's.

He shook his head and downed the last of his whisky before pouring another. He began to think about Alex and the relationship he had with her. Gene was certain he had never met a woman like her. She was certainly not a typical woman of the 80s, confident, headstrong, and high up in the ranks of the Met and she certainly did not accept his chauvinistic values.

Alex had really changed him, and he did not like this one bit. HE was the Manc Lion. At what point had he changed from just wanting to give Alex a good hard shag, to really caring about her. He did like their love hate relationship though. The arguments, the constant flirting, him eyeing her up in Luigi's. But who could blame him for that one?

Gene found himself strangely attracted to Alex. He wondered, could she ever feel the same way about him? He couldn't even begin to consider the possibility that the dear DI Drake had made him, The Manc Lion go soft. He downed his whisky once more and began to push on with his work.

Back at the flat Alex was tossing and turning in bed. She was dreaming, faces flashing in front of her. Her mum, dad, her younger self, Evan, Molly, that horrible Clown, Arthur Layton...And then she was falling, just falling before landing safely in her bed, where she was not alone. Gene Hunt threw back the covers and she awoke suddenly, in a cold sweat.

Breathing heavily, Alex began to wonder why she could possibly be having these strange dreams about Gene. What could they mean? Was she gong to end up in bed with Gene? And would her parent's faces ever stop haunting her dreams? Only time would tell.

Alex put her dreams to the back of her mind and just lay in her bed. She rolled over to look at the clock. "9.30" She said aloud. It was getting late and Gene had promised he would come and see her.

Alex's thoughts turned to her relationship with Gene. There were times when she hated his guts. But other times, she felt like she could love him that her heart was beating just for him. Gene had done so many things for her: Saved her life, made a fool of himself on TV. And oh how she loved those accidental touches, and the flirting.

Alex smiled. 1981 wasn't so bad after all...She had Gene Hunt.