A one-shot in between chapters of my other story, apologies this hasn't been read by a beta reader as mine is very busy with my other chapter at the moment though I have gone through it with a fine tooth comb so all mistakes are mine. I was originally planning on writing a Christmas fanfic but the time came and went, so I decided on a New Year's Eve one instead, and took a day off revision to write it. Hope you enjoy and a happy new year.

All reviews and constructive criticism is greatly apprectiated, anonymous reviewing is enabled so even if you don't have an account please do review.

NB: This story was renamed as I realised that there was already a fanfic with this title, sorry for any confusion

After Today

As she grasped the metal between her fingers and forced the pale skin of her back against it she tried to hide the grimace from her face. It was hard enough to walk up the steps in them the strappy black shoes that encased her pale feet, balanced on thin stiletto heels that were much more precarious to walk in than her normal choice of white boots, let alone do it in an alluring and sexy manner.

Her ankle wrapped round the base of the pole as her arms stretched out to the cracked ceiling, earning drunken whoops and wolf whistles from the crowd as she displayed her body to its best. Breath hitched in her throat as she felt the flimsy red material with its white fluffy rim hitch even higher up her thigh.

Previously she had found it fun to dress up like this, and in retrospect she supposed it had been appreciated, certainly by the rest of the team but even he had in a rather grudging manner. There had been enough jokey comments from him to suggest that he at least found it amusing and liked to see a bit of leg from time to time.

He wouldn't like it like this though, even he had standards. She remembered that time, in the trashy black outfit and tacky plastic earrings. How his fingers had brushed against her shoulder as he hid the strap of her bra, and the tickle of them against her neck when he removed the earrings.

No, she thought. He definitely would not like her this way. Finally the last strained move of the show as her and the other two girls hung upside down, their slender legs appearing to be wrapped gracefully around the pole but really hanging on for dear life.

Then the inevitable falling of the skirt, as gravity took its toll and forced the fabric down from covering them to hanging loosely over their waists. The only thing Alex was grateful for at that point was the bright red shorts they wore to complete the Christmas themed outfits.

Christmas had been a few days away, six in fact. Tonight was New Year's Eve. It had been a choice between the two, choosing the 31st Alex spent her Christmas in front of the television watching programmes that she had seen as a child. She couldn't even spend her Christmas day downing a bottle of vodka and the leftovers of a bottle of Gene's whisky that had somehow found its way into one of her cupboards. It was easier to keep up the facade today anyway.

Before, even in her depths of despair when she was miserable enough to imagine that she wouldn't make it home for Christmas, but even then she had thought that there would either be a CID piss up for the many lonely buggers that had been her colleagues, or that she could have persuaded Gene to spend the day in bed with her.

How god's earth did I get to this goddamn awful club? It's your bloody fault, she told herself, you were the one that walked out just to prove a point, and did it work? No, he was right as bloody always.

Descending stylishly Alex had to admit that it was her favourite part of the routine, spinning around the pole so that her now wavy hair wished around her face, then with a final shimmy to the crowd they had finished and sauntered off the stage, Alex fighting with herself not to attempt to pull the skirt down to a decent length.

"Bolls?" a voice called, almost in a whisper. "Alex?"

........................................

When he had entered the gloomy looking club, he was almost certain that he was wrong. The neon lights outside had been misleading, their promise of fun, brightness and enjoyment. Then he had thought that maybe being right wouldn't be so bad, he hadn't believed them at first when they had told him. Preferring to think that his DI had moved on to greater things, though with no trace of her within the Met he had thought it would be best just to check the rumours out.

For a while he had simply stood in the entrance allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness until eventually what had before being mere shapes were now people. Not his kind of people he would willingly admit, crowds of drunken youths leering and making rude comments about their form of entertainment. Why the fuck are you here if you don't like it? Gene thought to himself. Once upon a time he had gone to what were now called 'strip joints' but even they were more upmarket than this. Could she really have sunk this low?

He hadn't recognised her at first, he had been scanning the crowd for that familiar face surrounded with the perm that he had grown to be quite fond of, but the wavy dark mass of curls had shocked him, it wasn't that she had let herself go. Christ she was still bloody beautiful, but it was different. Natural, she didn't put the time in to curl it before she went to bed. If in fact she did go to bed.

He hadn't seen her at Luigi's since she walked out. Not that he had been up to the flat to see if she was there, that would mean that she had won. Stupidly he hadn't let Luigi discuss it with him so eventually the gentle Italian gave up with the gossip and advice, simply serving his purpose off pulling pints and keeping Gene's whisky glass filled to the top.

Years of experience in the Met had taught him what usually happened to the girls who worked here, getting involved with illegal drugs, eventually becoming as hooked on the drugs as they were on the attention they received from the job. Alex always had liked attention, coming out with those mad ideas, arguing with him, getting drunk and copping off with Thatcherite wankers.

That was how they had got into this mess in the first place, he hadn't been willing to play ball. Wasn't going to chase after her again, falling for her blatant lies and making her think it was all ok. Even if she had been telling the truth it would never be ok again.

He was here now though, not to give her attention, but if she was here then she needed saving. That's who he was, the Gene Genie, always where he was needed. No matter how much he hated or despised her he didn't want this for her, didn't want this for them.

He closed his eyes trying to block out the picture of her retreating back, hair cascading past her shoulders, rump quivering as she walked on pretending not to have heard him. But when he did close them all he could see was her walking away from him again slamming the doors to CID and on all of the hope that he had ever had. "I can cope on my own Gene," that's what she had said, not with the fire or venom that he had expected or perhaps even hoped for. It was more tearful and sad, she thought he didn't care. He did care; well at least he would have cared if it were true. But it wasn't true so in a way he supposed she was right. He didn't care.

What he did care about though was his team, at least that's why he told himself he was here. Technically she was still a member of his team and so couldn't be replaced until she had left properly. He should have waited until tomorrow to see what happened if she paid any attention to the note he had slipped under her door a week after she walked out.

DI Alex Drake – We expect to see you back at work at the start of the New Year (that's 1st January in case you're having a grain weevil moment.)

Yours sincerely,

DCI Gene Hunt

p.s. If you see Bolly tell her to pop down and have a drink with us in Luigi's.

She hadn't come down for a drink though, he couldn't think of her as Bolls any more.

Of course things had been awkward at first, their relationship had shifted slightly after that night; neither of them had known what was supposed to happen. They had still laughed and joked though in their argumentative kind of way and then he would often end up spending the night with her, every time promising himself it would be the last. They had both known deep down that things couldn't go on like that for much longer. Keeping things a secret from the team for one thing, and they didn't seem to be very good from separating their work and private lives, the arguments from both having a tendency to bleed into one another. Then things changed. She had come into work moody and detached, perhaps even worried. That had gone on for a week until she told him. Then she left.

..........................

It couldn't be him could it? How did he know she was here? Alex asked herself as she persuaded her legs to move forward, he was having the same effect on her that he always had. Making her legs go weak at the knees and sending her heart fluttering.

He didn't know that when she had walked out she had had to sit down outside as her legs gave way, that was before rushing to the bathroom.

"Are you alright Alex?" Sally, one of the other dancers asked her.

"Oh, it's just. Oh, you know.........." she replied, not wanting to explain her predicament for fear of getting the sack or getting too close to someone again, she couldn't afford to make friends. They only bought pain in the end.

"Sure thing love," she said as they entered the small changing rooms that they were provided with, "you want something to take the edge off?"

"Oh, no thanks. I'm not drinking at the moment." Alex revealed.

"No, I meant something a little different," Caroline whispered in here ear before dipping a hand into her bra and pulling out a small white packet of powder.

...............................

Barging his way through the crowd that had now formed as a queue for a bar, Gene tried to find where Alex had slipped off to.

"Excuse me mate, where do you think you're going?" A heavy set bouncer asked who stood blocking Gene's way through the door.

"Well firstly you are not my mate, and I was actually planning on making my way through that door," Gene boomed, his finger pointing violently to emphasise his point.

"And why the fuck do you think I'm going to do let you do that?"

"I'm her........ I'm the...... I'm her boss. No was her boss. I'm a policeman, DCI Gene Hunt." With a flash of his warrant card he pushed through the door leaving the bouncer in his wake.

The walls covered in cracked white tiles with the odd metal hook nailed in; in the corner he could see Alex's unmistakable skin tight jeans and off the shoulder blue top, and... Yes there were her white boots.

But where was she?

There, what was that? "She doesn't do drugs you slag!"

Turning she saw the tall, handsome figure that she had once fallen for. Slightly ruffled golden hair falling into his eyes, there had been a time when she would have brushed it aside in an almost tender gesture.

"Gene! What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again." He couldn't be here, not now. She had just gotten things straight in her mind, knew what she was going to do. She couldn't afford to be tied to this world; she had to get back to Molly.

"What the bloody hell do you think I'm doing here? I hear a rumour that my DI is working in a sleazy strip joint, and I'm not supposed to come and find out what the hell is happening?"

"No you're not; it's none of you bloody business." She spat turning away and picking up her clothes.

"It was a bloody good job I did, what with you about to take an illegal substance."

"I was going to say no." She protested, "I was!"

"Look girls," Gene said spinning around on his heels, "can we please have some privacy."

Rather reluctantly they all filed out of the changing rooms, grumbling and muttering under their breath.

When he turned back around, Alex had turned and already changed into her jeans, now slipping the red top off, causing Gene to cough uncomfortably.

"What? It's not like you haven't seen me like this before!"

"Yes and you're as beautiful as ever Bolls, but that's not why I'm here."

"You weren't just feeling lonely on New Year's Eve and fancied a quick shag then."

"Of course not Bolls,"

"So you were here for the entertainment then?"

"I've told you before Alex, I came to see if it was true you were working here. I'm not the type of bloke who comes to these places."

"That's not what Ray says."

"Well I don't come to clubs this...."

"What? What were you going to say Gene? Low down?"

Shit Gene you've really put your foot in it now haven't you. No point in trying to get out of it now. "Yes Alex. To be perfectly bloody honest I am shocked that you would sink this low. What happened to the posh tart that I grew to know and lo..........."

"She turned into a dirty slag Gene, all because of you"

"Well I don't see how any of this is my fault."

"I needed the money Gene."

"You have a job Alex, or did the fact that you are a Detective Inspector for the London Metropolitan police slip your mind?"

"Oh yeh, like I could still work there, with you."

"Of course you can, we had an argument that's all. We always have arguments."

"I can't work there when I'm having my boss's baby."

"Let it go Bolls. You are not bloody pregnant."

"How the fuck do you know that I'm not bloody pregnant."

"Because we used a bloody condom love."

"Those things don't always work you know Gene"

"What?"

Now fully dressed Alex turned around and walked towards Gene, tugging her top out of the top of her Gene's. Roughly she grabbed Gene's hand and placed it on her belly.

"You know my body well enough Gene, now tell me that this is not larger than before." She challenged him; it had only been that morning when she had noticed the swelling of her belly. That was when she had realised that this was real. That it was real.

"You... You've just been eating more Bolls, that's all."

"Yeh, because I can afford to eat more on the wage I'm getting."

"What? But..... This can't be happening." Realisation only just beginning to set in Gene turned to walk away. He couldn't cope with this not now. No one even knew about him and Alex. Christ! He was up for superintendant. He was too old to have a child that should have happened years ago, with his wife, if she hadn't turned out to be a lesbian that was.

"So you came all this way and then you're just going to leave."

"Why not? You did."

"You called me a liar"

"I thought you were lying."

"Well now you know I'm not"

"I don't think I can deal with this."

"What the Gene Genie can't cope. The Manc Lion's kingdom is threatened so he just walks away," she was screaming now, angry tears pouring down her face.

"No Alex. I don't think we can deal with this. Look at us now, this would be no environment to look after a child."

"Well you didn't exactly have the perfect childhood and you turned out alright."

"No I didn't Alex, as you so often told me I'm nicotine stained and a borderline alcoholic."

She was stood in front of him now; he could see the tears streaming down her face. Slowly, in an almost tender and thoughtful gesture he used the pad of his thumb to wipe them away. "Please don't Bolls"

"I'm not," she muttered "It's just the hormones."

Hormones, thought Gene. Maybe that was why she had been so moody. He remembered Sam saying that you had to take anything a pregnant woman said with a pinch of salt when Annie was pregnant. That argument had been fuelled with her hormones and possibly slight irrationality from him.

Slowly he leant in as his hand smoothed down the back of her hair, getting used to the new sensation of waves rather than the tight curls. Resting against the back of her neck his fingers began to draw concentric circles against her skin, causing a rush of pleasure to flood through her body. In response to this new emotion Alex titled her head upwards, her mouth so close to his that their breath mixed, enjoying the heat that filled her mouth as she swallowed the recycled air. The sweat glistening on their foreheads mixing to as they came to rest together, both hot from the lack of air conditioning in the club.

"Gene...."

"I know Bolls. I know" he whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth he moved to allow his lips to meet hers, catching her bottom lip briefly between his as they met in a tender kiss.

"No Gene you don't know. You never did know, you didn't want to know." She whispered in his ear, her warm breath tickling against his neck.

"Then tell me Bolls."

"I can't Gene."

"Why not?"

"You won't like it."

"Then I guess I'll just have to tell you something wont I."

"Yeah."

"I want you Bolls. I want the both of you. Need you...." his voice tailed off as his nerves got the better of him and he looked searchingly into her eyes.

"Bloody hell Gene, you change your mind as often as a girl changes their clothes."

"Ugn," he didn't know quite what noise he made, probably one of confusion, he had just put his heart on the line (well as much on the line as it was ever going to get) and she made a joke. It's just the hormones Gene, no need to panic quite yet. He told himself.

"However, we need you to Gene."

"Well then...." he said rather uncomfortable, having never been in a situation remotely similar to this before. He had married his wife out of convenience rather than any feelings they shared.

"Yes" whispered Alex as once again their lips met. But more hungrily and passionately this time, after all it had been nine weeks. Pushing him back against the nearest wall, hooking her leg around his and pushing herself up against him she deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth and running her fingers through his hair.

"Christ Bolls!" Gene muttered in shock

"You know what they say about pregnant women don't you Gene."

"They get very hormonal?" he suggested naively

"No Gene, I meant they head greater needs."

"Needs?" Was she trying to tell him that she wanted breakfast in bed every morning and for him to run her a hot bath with bubble bath every night?

"Yes Gene, needs. Goodness I thought your mind was permanently dirty."

"God I've missed you," he groaned as her hands slipped his shirt out of her trousers and began to map out his chest, recalling every curve and every bump. "Bolls, where are you living?"

"Christ Gene, you really know how to spoil the mood," she murmured in his ear.

"Bolly" Gene growled beginning to feel frustrated at her ever so gentle teasing.

"I'm living where I've always lived Gene, above Luigis."

"Good, you got my note then."

"Yep, I just didn't feel much like drinking at that point."

"Funny that, I quite fancy a drop of Bolly right now."

"Well I wouldn't mind a slice of the Gene Genie."

"Let's get going then Bolls. You coming back to mine?"

"Finally I get to play in the Gene Genies bedroom."

"If you're a very good girl."

With that they disentangled themselves and in a once in a lifetime gentlemanly gesture Gene held the door open for Alex to walk through.

"Gene? We will be ok won't we?"

"Course we will Bolls, you, me and that little squirt. Unbreakable."

"Gene, one last thing. Why did you really want to know where I'm living."

"Had to work out whose house was closer didn't I Bolls," he said with a grin as he slipped his arm around her waist and shepherded her out of the club, pausing briefly under the neon lights to reflect on the remarkable new events. It was set to be a great new year.

Please review, get your New Year off to a good start.