Thanks for being patient with this fic of mine and for the feedback you have given me, both good and bad

With more thanks to Sonya for her help and support with this chapter

Chapter 4

The next morning Alex entered the station. Gene was in his office with the door closed, chatting to someone on the phone unaware that she had arrived. Ray was reading a magazine, and Chris and Shaz were attempting to put up a Christmas tree as Chris stood wrapped in tinsel.

She draped her white jacket over her chair, sat down, and opened her draw to start a new day. In her drawer, lay a little white box with her name roughly written on a card. Intrigued, she opened the card which read 'Alex, not to be opened till Christmas'. Alex was puzzled, however, that it was unsigned. Maybe it was a trick, anything could be in there, it could be dangerous, and she had enough danger to last a lifetime. She would open it once she got home.

"Morning Ma'am. Do you like the tree?"

"Very nice Chris. Want a hand?" She asked, picking up some decorations and Christmas lights. Clearly excited for Christmas, they all joined in, singing Christmas songs, making a mess of the tree.

It was Gene who interrupted, complaining about the singing.

"If you want another member of that little choir... there are plenty of cats out the back, I'm sure they'll tie-in nicely. You lot can sing no better than the sounds coming out of my arse! Now get back to work".

"Calm down Scrooge, some of us enjoy Christmas" replied Alex.

"And some of us enjoy peace and quite Drake. I am trying to work in there, and all I can hear is you lot attempting to sing Rudolph the Red Nose bloody Reindeer!"

It was then that Gene realised that Alex had found her gift. Still unopened he began to question her about the gift he had sent. "What's that then, Drake, an early Christmas present?"

"What, oh that, not sure. It says on the card that i can't open it till Christmas, and it hasn't been signed"

"Well, who could it be then? Surely a friend would have signed it. Chris Ray Shaz, any of you sent DI Drake this box?" They all shook there heads, which he knew they would ofcourse. "It might be from an admirer? Any thoughts?"

"Or, it could be dangerous" said Shaz, with Chris nodding in agreement. Alex, still continued to stare at the box, thinking about opening it.

"Well it can't be that dangerous. Whatever it is, it can't be any bigger than that pen you're holding" said Alex, as the mystery thickened. "Maybe I should open it?"

"NO! Don't do THAT". "I mean, it said not to be opened till Christmas" said Gene panicking. The last thing he wanted was her opening it in front of everyone, but it was afterall, just mistletoe, they didn't know he had sent it. But they were detectives afterall, they were payed to know this kind of thing.

"Ok Guv, calm down, if I didn't know any better..." And she placed it in her jacket pocket.

"You never know, Drake, it might be just what you needed," he said as he strode back into his office.

All day, Alex had waited to be alone so she could finally open that little box, but it never seemed to happen, there was always a distraction. At lunch, the gang headed down to Luigi's. The rest of the gang went to sit down as it was Alex's round. As she sat at the bar waiting for Luigi, it suddenly dawned on her that she was alone, she then felt that little box still in her pocket. She took the box in her hands, and without a second thought, she opened it. Inside she found a find a small branch with little white buds. "Mistletoe" she said, just above a whisper. She looked up to find Luigi glaring over at her with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"You! You sent me this"

"No Signora, but I gave something exactly like that to someone too!"

"Who Luigi! Tell me now. Please?" said Alex getting slightly frustrated.

"I'm afraid I can't do that Alex," Luigi responded nervously, threatened with a look from Gene in the background.

"Luigi tell me NOW!" It was really getting to her.

"Ok ok you really wanna know, it's..." He was cut off.

"DRAKE, we're dying of thirst over here" Gene had interrupted them, and most of the diners there too.

Everyone turned to face Alex, who was still holding the mistletoe. She then realised that they weren't looking at her at all, but what she was holding. Putting the mistletoe into its box, she ordered the drinks, and then announced that she was going back to the station. Once she left, Shaz looked over to Gene, who was grinning slightly and it was then she realised it was her boss that sent Alex the box. Gene then looked at Shaz, who winked at him, and changed the subject.

Back at the station, she thought more about who had sent her this gift as she ran the box through her fingers. As she looked at it, she noticed that the box had something written on its back. It said Merry Christmas, and then an initial in the smallest of handwritting, a G.

She then smiled to herself, and at just that moment the gang entered the station, back from lunch. All afternoon, she kept glancing over at Gene's office, hoping he would notice her, but he was always busy, or at least it looked that way. So she decided to go and see him.

"You busy? Good"

"What makes you think I'm not busy, I've been here all day, busy!"

"No you haven't. Don't lie to my Gene, you're in here 'cos you're hiding , because I know it was you, because it was you that sent that gift and now you're embarrassed"

"I don't know what you're talking about Bolls, the Gene Genie does not get embarrassed, and I did not send that." He replied, nodding to the box.

"You didn't? Oh well, shame" and she walked out. Leaving him something to think about.

This game was killing Gene. He didn't understand women, and couldn't even begin to understand Alex, because she was a true enigma which was partly his reason for his attraction of her. What did she mean 'shame'? She always managed to lead him on, flirting with him, taunting him, and he loved it, but would never admit it, because that would be the end of him.

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