A Lucky Man
Gene opened his eyes as memories of the day before began to haunt him. It had been close, the idiot with the knuckle dusters had done a good job of turning his ribs into mush. Sighing heavily he remembered Alex's face when she had seen him in the bathroom. The woman in question was currently sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him but he remembered the horror in her eyes as she, Sam and Ray had returned with back up.
"Gene?" Alex yawned as she spoke.
"Go back to sleep luv."
"Are you ok?"
"Me? Yeah I'm always ok. Gene genie eh? Always ok."
"No." She propped herself up on one arm as her hand rested over the large purple bruise on his upper chest. "You don't have to pretend with me. This is us, not the rest of the team."
"I'm a lucky bugger"
"Three broken ribs, a black eye and more bruised skin than I've ever seen? Lucky?"
"Yeah." Gene nodded as Alex smiled. The trademark pout that always made her catch her breath was back. Gene was as tough as they came to the rest of the world, but with her the Manc Lion could be himself. "I'm not dead, I've just ad ."
"If you finish that sentence with the word shag it'll be more than three broken ribs." Gene raised an eyebrow.
"As if I would! Let me finish you daft bat. I'm a lucky sod because a- not dead." He counted on his fingers. "I've just had the worst possible end to a case apart from a copper popping his clogs an' me team are all ok. And three."
"C."
"I'm in me own bed with a bird I appen to be 'ead over sodding heels for. Now is that enough reason to think I'm lucky? Oh and luv, trust me. That weren't just a quick fumble to me. Meant what I said."
"Gene." Alex blinked as tears filled her eyes.
"Daft bat." Gene ignored his ribs protesting as he pulled her to him. Kissing her hair he closed his eyes, finally certain he could sleep.
"Gene?" Alex whispered. "Gene?" His light sore reassured her for a moment. "I love you too." She rested her head on the pillow next to his and closed her eyes a second too early to see the smile that crossed his face.
Xxxxxxxx
A/N that's all folks.
