AN: Fear not! Our faithful if slightly clueless Ray is to the rescue. This chapter is still just as dark as the last one, but a lot more friendly in a way. I tried to give Alex a sense of slight Delierium and Shock, I hope this comes across successfully. As always please R&R and Enjoy! Ali xx

As much as Ray respected the Guv, he hated doing general dogsbody work. This wasn't policing. This wasn't even useful, it was simply following a woman home because the Guv was too stubborn to do it himself. Well that and the fact that Drake wouldn't hesitate to clock him one if she found out that the Guv was following her home.

Ray understood that the Guv had had his reasons though. There had been a string of violent rape crimes in the area and the attacker didn't seem to care who they went for. There had been a girl of only 11 right up to some old lass who must have been in her late 50's, as well as the 6 others in-between, and those were only the ones who had reported it. He felt certain there were more who had been attacked but had been too scared to come to the police.

Squinting along the darkened street, Ray struggled to make out Drake's form in the distance. She had been there a moment ago but seemed to have turned off down one of the various side streets and ally's.

Quickening his pace slightly, Ray began to check down each ally way along the road, why Drake would even consider taking one of these scum filled shortcuts was beyond Ray, but he had learned that it was often easier not to question anything.

By his third alley all he had stumbled upon were a couple of stray cats, fighting over something in a skip. He was starting to become more and more concerned. As he pressed further on Ray thought he heard what sounded like a muffled scream.

Back tracking slightly, he headed down one of the darker ally's, a horrible feeling in his stomach. Surely she wouldn't have come down here, surely even 'Fruitcake' Drake would have had more sense than to go through one of the darkest ally's on the street.

He heard it again, that same muffled scream. It sounded closer this time and Ray hurried down the street into the darkest part of the ally.

It was near pitch black but Ray could see a figure running away into the light at the other end of the ally. All his instincts told him to follow but the sound of someone slumping down a wall drew him back.

Oh God. Was the only thought that came to him as he slowly approached the person. As he drew closer, he realised to his horror that it was the figure of none other than DI Drake.

"Help me." She whispered as her head fell and she remained motionless on the ground.

Ray's instincts kicked in and he ran over to where she lay. Drake's face was a mess of blood and bruises and her neck looked like it had been held at knife point. He purple top was slashed across her chest and her skirt was ripped and hiked up around her waist.

Ray tried to ignore the fact that she was naked from the waist down and as he gently lifted her slightly so he could pull her skirt back down, he noticed there were finger nail marks all down her thighs, as though someone had had trouble with the skirt.

Gently scooping her into his arms he carried her down a little way to the end of the ally, where a street lamp beamed down. Carefully lowering her to the floor he tried to rouse her.

"Mam…Mam…come on now Mam wake up…Alex…Alex can you hear me?" He gave her shoulders a little shake.

Although her head lolled back, she gave a small groan and Ray carefully supported her head with his hand, feeling something warm and sticky as he did so.

Another small groan as her eyelids began to flutter. Slowly she opened her eyes and took in the sight of Ray only inches from her face.

Ray could sense her suddenly starting to panic as she stiffened in his arms, of course he thought to himself, the last mans arms she was in attacked her. Backing off ever so slightly but still supporting her he spoke to her in what he hoped was a calming voice.

"Mam, it's only me Ray. I'm not going to hurt you. Can you sit up?" he said softly

Alex sat up quickly and felt the blood rush from her head.

"Woah, Mam…slowly now, easy does it." Ray said concerned as he saw what little colour was left in her cheeks drain.

As Alex slowly began to comprehend where she was and what was happening now, she began to remember what had happened before Ray had arrived.

Her thighs were stinging slightly, looking down she saw trails of blood from where she had been scratched. Her neck was hurting quite a lot, as she brought a hand up to it and pulled it away to find blood, Ray handed her a tissue.

"The Guv's on his way Mam." He said carefully.

Was he? Alex hadn't even heard Ray speaking on the radio. She took a deep breath and winced slightly as her face ached. It was her cheeks mainly she thought to herself, she had been hit, she could remember that.

She looked over at Ray who was now watching her slightly awkwardly, seemingly unsure of what to do. She grabbed his hand, it seemed like the natural thing to do. After all, he had been the one to find her. Suddenly realising that she was no longer wearing any knickers, Alex tried to cross her legs and pull her skirt down more. Ray seemed to sense what she was thinking.

" I'm sorry Mam, but they're over in the ally and they're all ripped." He said sympathetically.

"Here take this and you can use it to cover yourself a bit." He let go of her hand and took off his jacket.

Wrapping it round herself tightly, she grabbed Ray's hand once more. It seemed important to have that constant. She knew she was safe so long as Ray was here.

She felt like crying but for some reason the tears wouldn't come. Somewhere deep in her brain she realised that she was probably in shock, but right now she chose not to acknowledge that fact.

The squeal of tires racing round the corner brought her back to her senses. She was acutely aware of every ache and pain over her body.

Ray gave her hand a squeeze.

"It's alright Mam, the Guv is here now, he'll look after you." He said a small smile crossing his features.

Alex looked up to see Gene approaching, his long black coat billowing behind him. The man who attacked me was wearing a coat like that. Oh God it's him!!

"Ray! Ray! No please Ray! It's him! He's coming back to attack me Ray! Ray don't let him hurt me please…please PLEASE RAY!" Alex screamed frantically, her voice horse and raspy from where her neck had been held so tightly.

Throwing herself into his arms, Ray fell backwards and just held onto her tightly, trying to calm her down. He had no idea what had happened to Drake, but it was certainly scaring him. Normally it would be the Guv who she ran to. It was the Guv who could calm her down. But this…this was a side of Alex that Ray had never seen before and more than anything, it reminded him that although she worked with the boys, deep down she was just as fragile and sensitive as any other woman. Her behaviour, although erratic for her, was completely normal for someone who had just been through such a traumatic experience.

All the while Alex simply sat clinging to his chest, shivering violently.

***

As he ran down the ally, Gene could see Alex frantically grasping at Ray, trying to hide behind him. At first when he had got Ray's call on the radio, he had laughed it off dismissing it as some kind of joke.

"Guv. You need to come down here right now. It's Drake." Rays static covered voice came from the radio on his desk.

"What's she done Raymondo, broken a bloody heel on those ridiculous shoes of hers?" Gene laughed as he took another sip of his whiskey.

"No Guv, she's been attacked."

Gene felt his blood run cold, the burning sensation of the whiskey travelling down his throat made him want to heave. He took a breath.

"Attacked how Ray."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"Ray? HOW!"

"I'm almost certain she's been raped Guv."

Gene's heart plummeted.

"I'm on my way. Stay with her Ray, don't bloody move a muscle!"

Oh Alex.

My poor Alex.