A/N: Just a note to say that I made up Wrortmoor Prison as no matter how much research I did, I couldn't find the names of any top security prisons from 1987! Lol.

"Oh yes Bolls," he grinned, "the second one really is the best."

Alex dropped Melody and Maxy off at the child minder's the next morning as she and Gene got into the Quattro to go to work. They loved spending time with their 'Auntie Lucy' and their friends Emily, George and Clara. They were Lucy's children aged four, three and two and she didn't mind having them on the days when Alex went into CID.

Ever since Alex had come off maternity leave from having Melody it had been arranged. She was to become a part-time Detective Inspector at the Met, reporting to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the occasional other day when a serious crime was under wing. When Alex was at home with the children, Gene's second DI would accompany him, and this was none other than Ray Carling.

"Morning Ray," Alex smiled as they walked into CID.

"Morning," Ray nodded, reading a magazine. Alex chuckled to herself. Things hadn't really changed that much. Over the last four years Ray had proved himself as a decent detective and had earned the status of Detective Inspector. He worked alongside Alex and Gene, taking tips from his fellow DI Alex and taking on more serious orders from the Guv.

Gene stormed into his office and began to rifle through his files as Alex took in the scene around her. One thing Alex would never get tired of looking at was the fact that since a year ago, Shaz had been out of uniform. With a healthy marriage of four years to Chris, WPC Shaz Granger had become DC Shaz Skelton. Chris and Shaz had desks next to each other now, both baring the name plate 'DC Skelton'. Chris wasn't banking on a promotion to Detective Sergeant, even when Ray's post became available. Especially since DS Danny Jamieson transferred from Plymouth. The team didn't think much to DS Jamieson, but he was a good copper and had proved an asset to the CID team. The only thing that bugged Gene about him was that he didn't seem to acknowledge that Alex had a ring on her left hand and shared the same surname as her DCI.

"Morning Ma'am," Danny said coolly, approaching Alex's desk.

"Morning, Danny," Alex nodded, burying her head in some witness statements.

"Good weekend?" Danny pried.

"Excellent, thank you," Alex said bluntly, "spent the time with the kids."

"Kids?" Danny sneered. Alex looked up.

"Yes, kids, Danny. The same kids I've told you about pretty much every week." Alex turned the photo frame on her desk around to face Danny. "These two? Melody and Maxy. Gorgeous little things. And as you are fully aware, the man standing next to us is your DCI, Gene Hunt. Now I'd move away from my desk before he comes and knocks you out, because in case you haven't noticed, he's glaring at you."

Danny's head whipped towards Gene's office, where sure enough, the Manc Lion himself was giving him a deadly stare.

"Right," Danny mumbled, "going to go and er…finish some statements."

"You do that," Alex muttered, putting her photo frame back to normal and straightening her name plate. 'DI Hunt'. She never would get tired of that either.

----

"Ray, Bolls, get in here, NOW!"

Alex and Ray looked up to the thunderous voice of Gene Hunt beckoning them into his office. As his two DI's, they scrambled to their feet and entered his office, closing the door behind them.

"Guv?" Ray pressed him.

Gene ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. "A new case 'as come up and it's quite serious. Brett Landers has escaped from one of the most top security prisons in Britain. Notorious mass-murderer and he's on the loose, and what's worse is that there have already been two murders today, both with his MO."

"Oh my God," Alex breathed, "what are we going to do?"

"We, Bolly, are going to hunt the bastard down before he kills again. We're going to get 'im back in Wrortmoor Prison."

Alex's blood ran cold. Wrortmoor Prison. Wrortmoor Prison. Why did that name ring a bell?

"So Raymondo, take Chris and Shaz and get down ter the scene of his second murder," Gene instructed his male DI, "young girl, about seventeen, killed in Soho. The forensics are already down there but I need you three to go and ask questions and get some information."

Ray nodded. "On it, Guv," he said briskly before leaving Gene's office and rounding up Chris and Shaz.

"Now, Bolls," Gene turned to Alex, "we're goin' to Bond Street where he murdered a young man, snouts said he was about twenty-two or twenty-three. So, get your gorgeous arse in…Bolly? Bolls, what's wrong?"

Alex's knees felt weak and she had to sit down in the chair opposite Gene's to stop herself collapsing. "Gene…" she whimpered.

"It's all right, love, I'm here," Gene panicked, kneeling down next to her, "Christ, Alex, what's the matter?"

Alex swallowed, tears of fear trickling down her face.

"Wrortmoor Prison," she whispered, "that's where…that's where they've locked up…Jack."

Gene took a sharp intake of breath and his blood boiled at the mention of Alex's bastard of an ex-husband. Protectively, Gene clutched Alex's hand and lightly caressed it.

"Don't you worry, Alex," Gene said softly, "it's not Jack that's escaped. It's Brett Landers. And now one of the biggest criminals in Britain has escaped, the security is goin' ter be so much tighter in Wrortmoor Prison that Jack won't have a chance in hell of gettin' out. And if by some twisted act of fate he did…he would never get within twenty meters of yer. Cos I wouldn't let him."

"Oh Gene," Alex smiled weakly, wrapping her arms around his neck as Gene rubbed her back soothingly, "it just…brought back the fear, that's all. For the last two years I'd lost all fear of Jack. It took me nearly three years to fully get over it and now…"

Gene pulled back and took Alex's face tenderly in his hands. "Now nothing," Gene said firmly, "we're goin' ter go out and catch this scum. You don't 'ave ter worry about Jack, Bolls. If he wants you, he'll have ter go through me first. And the top security at Wrortmoor Prison come ter that."

Alex nodded, getting to her feet slowly. "Thank you, Gene," she smiled, lightly kissing him on the lips, "now let's get down to Bond Street. We're going to catch Brett Landers."

Gene tapped her nose affectionately. "That's my girl."