AN:

Title: I'm Happy

Words: 661

Romantic Pairings: Gene&Alex.

About: Ashes To Ashes

Summary:

Alex opened her eyes slowly and yawned widely, she turned and glanced across at the sleeping body beside her. He looked so peaceful and she didn't want to disturb him, so she got out of bed as carefully as she could then headed to the kitchen to make herself a coffee. She stood with her hands on the kitchen unit waiting for the kettle to boil and she heard the bedroom door make a noise, turning she saw Gene stood rubbing his eyes.

Alex took another mug from the cupboard, threw a teabag in it along with three sugars and some milk.

"Brewing up are you Bolly?" he yawned, slumping down on the sofa and keeping his eyes closed for a few extra seconds every time he blinked "You don't mind if I smoke in here do you?"

Alex shook her head "Of course not, make yourself at home"

He watched her as he lit a cigarette and began to take long drags on it, he watched her pour the boiling water into the two cups and sponge the teabag against the side of one of them. She flicked the teabag into the bin, stirred the drinks a few times and walked over to him, handing him his tea.

"Thanks Bolls"

Alex smiled and sat down beside him, their shoulders were almost touching but neither of them wanted to move to make more room.

"Bolly, about yesterday...I want to apologise for doubting you"

"Look Gene, you've known James a hell of a lot longer than you've known me, I understand if you don't believe me..."

"It's not that I don't believe you" he put his mug on the coffee table "There's stuff about James that I should tell you"

Gene turned a little so that he was facing Alex, for some reason he wanted to take hold of her hands and hold them close to his chest.

"Right, it was a while back but it's still relevant" Gene spoke "When we were younger, about twenty something...James got nicked, his girlfriend had broken up with him and he took it really badly"

"What did he do?"

"He went after her; used to follow her to work and hang around outside until she went on her lunch break, then he'd give her abuse, yelling at her and saying there must have been another man"

"Then what happened?"

"He hurt her, one night on her way back home he attacked her, he beat her within an inch of her life...Alex, she was in a coma for six months" Gene ran his hands down his face "Once she woke up and finally made a full recovery he started to give her abuse again, not enough to get himself noticed though...in the end she couldn't take it anymore and she killed herself, she took an overdose"

"How did he get arrested though?"

"Marie had written a suicide note, more like a suicide file really...it listed everything that James had ever done to her, lists of random late night phone calls, statements from work colleagues about how he used to hang around and it was enough evidence to put him away for a while, once he got out I helped him sort himself out, he went to anger management sessions and saw a shrink every week"

"Oh" Alex placed her mug of coffee on the table and stood up, walking over to the window and gazing out; there was a car parked across the street and sat inside it was James "Gene?"

Gene got up and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he saw James too.

"He told me that this was only the beginning..." she lowered her head "...I'm scared Gene"

"Hey, don't worry, he I won't let him hurt you again Alex"

Gene diverted her away from the window and drew the blinds. Alex held onto Genes shirt and buried her head into his chest.

"He won't hurt you...I promise"