"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Alex asked Molly anxiously as she handed her daughter the overnight bag.

"God, yes, Mother, stop fussing!" Molly said, exasperated. "Cinema, Chinese, sleep on Shaz's floor." She smiled at the young WPC who was hovering nervously in the living room. "No vodka, I got it, I got it."

"Are you sure?"

"*Yes,* Mum. Gene, will you tell her, please?"

Gene had been watching the entire thing from the sofa. On the outside he was seemingly his usual nonchalant, stoic self, but inside... he was in just as many pieces as Alex. When Shaz had agreed to take Molly for the night initially it had seemed like a win-win situation. Shaz had become like a big sister to Molly and he was secretly craving a night alone with Alex, but when it came down to it he didn't want to let Molly go. He'd miss her so much. However, he was going to put on a brave face, after all, Molly hadn't batted an eyelid and seemed positively overjoyed at spending an evening with her favourite member of CID.

"Bolly, stop fussing! She'll be back annoying you before you know it, won't you, Molls?"

"Yes, Shaz will drop me off at nine tomorrow morning so you don't miss me too much." She hugged her mum. "See you in fourteen hours." Then she kissed Gene on the cheek. "Catch ya later."

"If you need us or change your mind, call okay?" Alex shouted after Molly and Shaz as they said their goodbyes.

The door shut and there was silence. Molly hadn't left the TV on to play to itself. Molly's music wasn't blasting. Molly wasn't in the kitchen trying to sneak chocolate before dinner.

Alex fought hard to suppress a sob. She knew her and Gene would have a wonderful evening alone together but now she had Molly back after so long apart she knew she was bordering on separation anxiety.

"Bolls." Gene went to her and let her cry a few tears into his chest. "Come on. She'll be back before you know it. Besides, she really wants to go to the cinema with Shaz. She'll look after her."

"I know, I just..."

"I'll miss her too," he confessed to Alex.

She smiled. "Really?"

"Course! It'll be so quiet, be able to hear myself think!"

She smiled again, really appreciating Gene's attempts to cheer her up.

Gene guided her over to the sofa and sat her down. He really needed to get tonight right. One step at a time...

"You know she called me 'Dad' last week?"

"What?" Alex was shocked. "When?"

"After that stupid Thai place."

"Well, I'm sorry if she made you uncomfortable, I'll talk to her..."

"No, no!" he cut in, raising Alex's chin to look into her eyes. "I liked it. Her calling me that. Made me feel all special and needed..."

"You *are* special and needed, by both of us." She sighed, jittery. "So... are we doing this? Tonight?"

"Do you want to?" he asked, taking her hand, realising, "Jesus, Bolly, you're shaking. We don't have to, you know?"

She silenced him with a kiss. "I want to, I do, I do..." Leaning her forehead against his, she continued, "I just don't want anything to change between us."

"It'll be better," he reassured her, looking into her eyes. Only she brought out this side of him, "Alex... you know I love you, don't you?"

Her heart fluttered in her chest. Of course she did, but she'd really wanted to hear it for herself. "Yeah, yeah. That's what all the boys say to get in your knickers." She was thinking of Pete and of being seventeen again.

"I mean it."

She knew he did.

88888

Perfect. He was perfect. A complete and utter gentleman. Not that she'd expected anything else. He could be so... gentle.

"So, Molls and I have been talking..."

"Could we not have this conversation when you're naked, on top of me?" she asked. She looked at him apologetically as he rolled off her and lay down by her side. At that moment she decided she'd never get tired of seeing him like this, here, in her bed. He pulled her close and she instantly welcomed his warmth. "So what have you and Molly been plotting?" She was drawing little imaginary circles on his chest with her forefinger that made him tingle.

"Plotting? Nothing. We do not 'plot.'"

"That's bullshit, Gene, you and she are thick as thieves!" It was true and Alex loved it. Seeing them, Molly's chemistry books sprawled all over the kitchen table, Gene sat with her, pretending to understand the periodic table. Just little things: them playing cards together, or Gene sitting through 'The Fall Guy' because Molly was obsessed with Lee Majors.

"Anyway, Molly thinks, and I agree, that this flat is too small."

"Well, she hasn't said anything to me!"

"Don't get defensive, it's not like that!" He sighed; he really didn't want to screw this up. "It's just; I have a three-bedroom townhouse right around the corner.

"You do?"

"Why is that so unbelievable? I do, it has a garden, it even has a soddin' bird table."

"Are you telling me you don't want to stay over anymore?" The thought made her chest hurt and filled her with dread.

"No!" He was getting frustrated at himself now. "Move in with me. You... you and our little girl."

Her heart soared as she squeezed him so tight it knocked all the breath out of him.

"Of course we will!"

He felt so relieved. She'd said, 'Yes.'

88888

Molly arrived home at nine on the dot as promised. She found Alex and Gene on the sofa eating Weetabix and watching the breakfast news.

"Hey," she said, bleary-eyed. She and Shaz had stayed up until four a.m. watching 'Alien' and eating copious amounts of popcorn. Molly flopped down onto the sofa between them, exhausted. She got a one-armed hug from both of them at once.

"How was your night?" Alex asked, brushing some hair from Molly's forehead.

"Awesome!" she said animatedly, chattering about her night.

When she had finished, Gene said,

"Just don't leave too often. It was too bloody quiet."

She smiled at him fondly. "Did you ask her yet?"

A look of panic crossed his face. He was still waiting for the right moment to propose. Luckily Alex was oblivious, seemingly enthralled in a news item about the Falklands.

"Yes, we're moving in with Gene," Alex told Molly. "Is that still okay?"

Molly grinned and nodded. "I get my own floor, don't I?"

"Yeah," Gene confirmed.

"And my own bathroom?"

He nodded.

"Awesome! My floor, my rules then."

Gene and Alex exchanged a knowing look. Alex knew he'd let Molly get away with blue murder, she'd definitely have to be the disciplinarian. As if on cue, she was proved right by Molly asking,

"Dad?"

His heart still flipped a little.

"Can I have a Marathon bar for breakfast?" She fluttered her eyelashes sweetly at him.

"I don't see why not."