Disclaimer: I do not own Ashes to Ashes or any of the characters. This is merely my own take on their awesome creation!

Chapter two

Alex lay very quietly on her sofa, her mind flooding over with thoughts. She had been so close. The feeling of shock and emptiness upon realising that she had not, in fact, made it back to her daughter had not yet entirely deserted her and she had felt very alone. After a few days, however, a degree of optimism had returned. She had not forgotten the terrific shock that she had received upon realising that she was neither reunited with her daughter, but now, in fact, cut off from Gene Hunt, her one constant. At least now she had him back. Almost.

A couple of evenings later, having bored herself of daytime television and her own company, she finally decided to brave it back down stairs to Luigi's, to rapturous applause from her colleagues, Luigi this time joining them.

"It's good to 'ave you back Ma'am," Shaz beamed.

"Yeah, welcome back boss, er, Ma'am," Chris smiled, while Ray lifted his glass in her direction. She smiled at all of them. She'd missed them all.

Looking about her she noticed something wrong.

"Where's the gov?"

"I dunno Ma'am," Shaz replied, frowning. "'e's been a bit odd lately. He came back to work yesterday and barely said a word to anyone, just sat in 'is office. Then when we called to say we were going to Luigi's 'e didn't answer...'e's probably still in his office now."

Alex nodded, suddenly concerned. She hadn't stopped to considered how Gene might have been coping. Since waking up, her main concern had been to clear his name. Having done that she'd returned to recuperation.

Then she had an idea.

"Er, Luigi?" she asked, siddling up to the bar.

The Italian beamed. "Yes signorina?"

"Er, could I possibly have a bottle of scotch? There's someone I need to find..."

"Si, signorina...benissimo...benissimo!" The mood he was in, Luigi would have agreed to anything.

Grasping the bottle under her arm, Alex made her way out of the trattoria and out into the street, tracing the now very familiar route to the police station.

When she arrived, the place was in darkness, the only light visible coming dimly from Gene's office window, just escaping through the blinds.

Climbing determinedly up the back staircase of the station, firmly ignoring the searing pain that even now intermittently pierced her side, Alex made her way into CID, pushing the door quietly open. She needn't have bothered, however, as, from inside the office, the distant strains of some awful eighties cheese made their way out from Gene's radio. Still unperturbed, Alex slid the bottle under her jacket and knocked on the open door.

His back towards her, Gene, without bothering to turn around, mumbled, "I'm busy!"

A lesser officer may have been perturbed but Alex knew what he was like and, having now been shot by two different people, her nerves were a little stronger than most.

"Well that's hardly a warm welcome, is it?" she responded coolly. The effect was instant. Upon hearing her voice, Gene spun round in his chair and shot to his feet.

"Bolls?" he gasped, taken aback.

"I hope so gov," she responded, "though since you've still got my warrant card I've not been able to check!"

Gene looked down at his desk, a little embarrassed, searching for something to say. Alex decided to let him off the hook.

Taking out the bottle of whiskey she said, "I was hoping you could give me a hand with this. Normally I could finish it off my self, of course, but what with my painkillers it looks like you're going to have to do the honours."

Gene considered this for a moment before nodding and pushing a glass forward, "Anything for a lady, Bolls," he muttered.

Alex smiled and began to unscrew the top.

"So, how, er, how is it...y'know?" Gene mumbled, glancing at her hip.

"Oh, well, you know, it's been better but, soon be on the mend..."

Gene nodded, eyes again glued to the desk.

"Listen Bolls, I, er, well...I never meant..."

Alex felt for him. She knew how keenly he felt emotion, despite his firm attempts at hiding them.

"It's alright gov," she uttered, "we all make mistakes."