As per usual I don't own Ashes to Ashes, if I did DCI Keats would be having a high speed meeting with a bus very soon. Hey thats a good idea.
I'm not very happy with this chapter, the first half especially some of the explaination was needed but I re-wrote it about 4 times and still doesn't feel right. The second half got totally away from me wasn't at all how I planned it, it just sort of happened but I like it.
Moët & Chandon
"Is everyday like this?" Beth and Alex were up in Alex's flat.
"Not everyday" Alex thought for a moment before passing Beth a pair of jeans so she didn't have to stay in her ripped skirt. "Okay most days" She laughed "The Guv gets bored easily." Alex left Beth to change heading to the kitchen for a bottle of wine she'd just finished pouring two glasses when Beth came back from the bedroom.
"What do you think?" She twirled and Alex laughed, the jeans were a little too long but looked fine Beth had turned up the bottoms so they didn't drag on the floor.
"Very nice Lizzie" Alex passed her a glass and they both sat on the sofa. Beth looked up in surprise at the name but didn't say anything. "Sorry, I had a friend called Elizabeth, always called her Lizzie."
"That's fine, I kind of like it, just been a while since anyone called me that." She smiled.
"You did well today though, talking that guy down especially as a rookie DI"
"The Guv wanted to shoot him, hang on how do you know I'm a rookie?"
"I am a detective you know."
Beth laughed "I was only promoted last week, and then I came here." She sighed. "It's nothing like Surrey."
Alex smiled sympathetically "No I don't suppose it is."
"It's exciting though, this is what I thought policing would be when I first graduated from Bramshill."
"Bramshill? I did a course on hostage situation negotiations there" Beth looked impressed but didn't say anything "It's a nice place, quiet."
"Yeah story of my life everything's 'quiet' main reason why I transferred, wanted to see some real policing rather than paperwork. My last DCI thought that was all female coppers were good for, paperwork and making tea."
"Well DCI Hunt isn't a whole lot better, thinks women should be seen and not heard… and be wearing short skirts, we're definitely not aloud to have ideas or opinions."
"He doesn't seem that bad to me."
"You wait, you'll find out soon enough, Gene Hunt is a misogynistic bastard he's just trying to hide it, what with Keats and D&C trying to trip him up after the shooting."
"Shooting?"
"Oh, Keats didn't tell you? I thought he'd want to warn you about the risks of being Gene Hunt's DI."
"No he didn't say anything about DCI Hunt was just trying to get me to go for drinks with him, seems like a slimy git to me."
"Yeah you're not wrong there."
"So why would he want to warn me about working here?"
"Oh it doesn't matter, Keats has this idea that the Guv has done things he hasn't, but you can trust Gene. He's a good man although he hides it very well sometimes."
"So are you and he…?"
"No!" Alex jumped in a little too quickly "We're just good friends, well we were anyway. Not sure he trusts me anymore." She sighed and looked down.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean, it just seemed like there was chemistry between you."
An uncomfortable silence fell between them as Alex pondered this; she'd thought there was something between them too. It was more than a working relationship that's for sure, well until operation rose and everything that brought with it.
Beth felt the need to break the tension. "So Hunt's fair game then?"
Alex laughed and threw back the rest of her wine. Standing up she placed the empty glass back on the table and pulled Beth up. "C'mon we best go mingle with the pond life; they'll want to celebrate your first day."
They left the flat and went down to Luigi's where the rest of CID was already merry on a few pints.
Alex looked at Gene sat at the corner table she considered theirs and flashed him a smile which he didn't return. She didn't go over instead joining Beth at the bar and giving Luigi a warm smile.
"Ah Signorina Drake, and who is this lovely signorina eh?" He gestured to Beth.
"Luigi this is DI Elizabeth Price, she's just joined CID today"
"Call me Beth" She held out her hand for Luigi to shake, instead he took it in both of his and kissed it causing her to blush.
"Welcome Signorina Price" He pulled out a bottle of the house red and passed it to Beth placing two glasses on the bar. "On the house in honour of your first day.
"Grazie Luigi" Beth smiled opening the bottle and pouring some for her and Alex.
"You speak Italiano?" Luigi looked excited
"No not really, I can manage hello, goodbye, thank you and I don't speak Italian."
Luigi laughed "It's better than Signor Hunt and his men they think Spanish is Italian."
With perfect timing Chris turned around raising his glass to Luigi and shouting "Grassy arse Luigi."
He shook his head in despair and went off to the kitchen.
Alex led Beth over to the CID table where Shaz was sat watching Ray and Chris disapprovingly as they tried to pull, Chris hadn't been keen but Ray insisted he needed to stop moping over Shaz and get back out there so now he was attempting to talk to a pretty young brunette whilst Ray was leering over some poor blonde.
Beth smiled at Shaz as she sat down pouring the WPC a glass of wine. Shaz took it gratefully but didn't return the smile with as much warmth.
Alex followed her gaze and scowled at Chris before spotting Ray. "Ray's here?"
"Yes Ma'am, woulda taken time off if it were me, spose he thinks if he stays around the Guv'll sort it. Seems more permanent tho with you ere Ma'am" She nodded at Beth who was lost.
"Sorry" Beth looked between the other two "Whose Ray?"
Alex jerked her head in his direction. "That is DI Ray Carling, or at least it was. You replaced him."
"Oh, with the perm?"
"Yeah and the tache." Shaz giggled
"What did he do?" Beth questioned Shaz, Alex wasn't paying them much attention anymore watching Ray and pondering this for herself.
"No-one knows… well the Guv does an DCI Keats but they haven't told anyone."
"Hmm not even me." Alex said this more to herself than anyone else watching Gene as he joined Ray and Chris at the bar, both having failed with their attempts at attracting a member of the fairer sex.
"Alrigh' Guv?" Ray Carling looked up from his pint to acknowledge his former DCI.
"Not your Guv anymore Ray."
"Nah you'll always be my Guv. Not like its permanent this suspension, is it?"
Gene sighed glancing over Ray's shoulder at where the women sat in the corner. "I don't know Ray, but it doesn't look good."
Ray turned around to see what was so interesting behind him and spotted Beth for the first time. "Whose that sat with Drake and Granger?"
"That is DI Elizabeth Price, your replacement."
"What? They replaced me with a bird? A bird couldn't do my job."
"DI Drake does" Chris butted in.
"Drake does not do my job; she does all that psychiatry bollocks…"
Gene jumped in "its psychology Raymondo."
"Same thing. That bird could not bring down a nonce, she'd break a nail."
"Or a heel, she ripped her skirt earlier." Chris informed him.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah" Chris gave him a knowing look and lit a cigarette.
"DI's should not look shag worthy."
"Shouldn't have got yourself fired then should you Carling." DCI Keats had entered the restaurant.
"I'm not fired, only suspended."
"We'll see" He left them and went to join the ladies. Alex spotted him walking over and exchanged a look with Beth, both of them shrinking away from him as he sat down and helped himself to a glass of wine.
Gene stood leaning on the bar watching Keats with dislike etched on his face, Ray was still talking but his comments were just washing over Gene who occasionally said hmm to give the illusion of listening.
"Guv?" Gene was pulled away from his thoughts
"mmm"
"I said who d'you think is better looking Drake or Price?"
But he still wasn't listening; Alex looked uncomfortable, as though Keats had said something to upset her. Right He thought swallowing his drink and signalling to Luigi for another. It's white knight time. He picked up the whisky Luigi had just placed on the bar and headed over to his team.
"James, nice to see you out of the office." Gene's voiced dripped with sarcasm as he spoke.
"Well Gene I just wanted to see how our new DI is doing."
"My team Jimbo, my DI"
"We'll see." Jim stood up slowly so he was only a few inches from Gene then suddenly turned his head and spoke to Beth. "DI Price could I have a word please?" It was asked as a question but he didn't wait for a response turning and walking out of the restaurant so Beth had no choice but to follow him. He didn't turn until he heard Beth reach the top of the steps then span to face her suddenly holding her shoulders. "Beth I'm sorry I've put you in jeopardy. Gene Hunt is a dangerous man to work for, and I need you to help me stop him."
Beth tried to wriggle from his grasp but he held her tighter. "DI Drake said I could trust him."
"Yes well she would say that, you know he shot her?"
"What?" Her eyes were wide with shock "No he wouldn't you can see the way he looks at her…"
"Beth" She didn't look up at him.
"It's DI Price"
"Beth" He spoke sharply shaking her once "Bad things happen to people who get close to Gene Hunt, we need to bring him down, you and me Beth we're a team."
She finally looked up at him fear coursing through her at the look in his eyes but she hid it. Got to stay strong she took a deep breath and spoke through gritted teeth. "It's DI Price and we are not a team." She struggled in his surprisingly strong grip, he turned her and threw her up against the wall, she cried out in pain and tried to move away from him but he held her. She shrank back against the wall as though trying to move through it but he just moved closer placing a hand over her mouth to stop her crying out again and holding her there with his body, face inches away.
"Beth" She tried to speak against his hand. "You are going to help me with my enquiries into DCI Hunt or you could find yourself in some difficulty, understand?" She nodded blinking back the tears trying to form in her eyes. He slowly removed his hand as though expecting her to shout but she was shocked into silence. He lent forwards pressing his lips against hers the tears falling freely down her face now. Then he was gone striding back towards the station but Beth couldn't move she slowly slid down the wall crumpling at the bottom shaking as silent tears fell.
Alex's head snapped up suddenly. Gene had gone back to brooding in his corner the others were talking about… something; she wasn't listening, when she heard what sounded like someone calling out in pain. She glanced at Gene he didn't appear to have heard it, maybe she hadn't either, maybe it was a cat. Her detective's instincts took over and she went to investigate, only one pair of eyes followed her out but Gene had learnt not to ask questions where Alex was concerned.
I'm sure there will be more very soon. I have two ideas on what will happen next though so there wont be more till I have decided between them.
