AN: Your support is greatly appreciated. Don't you just love days off when the housework is done and you can actually do what you want to do. Ah bliss.

The Search

The well worn tyres of the scarlet quattro screeched to a halt outside of the address Gene had been given for Layton.

"Right ladies, ready?"

With that Ray and Chris stormed the stairs crowbars in hand. Gene followed and drew his gun as he pushed his way through the remnants of Layton's door while Chris and Ray gave each other a self satisfied nod of achievement before drawing their own guns. Gene and his team systematically worked through each room of the cluttered abode all hoping to find Layton hiding in a wardrobe somewhere, but alas they found the man they were looking for was definitely not at home.

"Shit" Gene let out a frustrated curse. He knew it would never be this easy, he just wished it were.

"Definitely not 'ere Guv"

"I can see that Christopher you twonk!"

"Right you lot, I want you to go through every piece of paper in this shit hole and I want a list of places this bastard could be."

"Guv, look about there's thousands of bits o' paper."

"I can see that Raymond, so pick a room and start sorting. I'm gonna arrange for boxes and a van to pick this crap up in."

…...

"She's beautiful mam!"

Alex looked down at her daughter adoringly. "Yes she is, she is so clever and funny too. She is...uh she is perfect!"

"Will she go back to 'er dads or stay with you now?"

Alex started at this until she realised the team assumed that Molly had been living with her father while Alex had been at Fenchurch East. "Er no...she will stay with me...i'm not letting her go again." Alex's smile grew sad.

"Have you told 'er dad she's here. He's bound to be worried."

"Oh...well if she's here I can only assume she was looking for me... I don't know how to get in touch with her dad... I couldn't get in touch with her. If he's looking for her will find us."

"What you mean if he's looking, won't he be worried sick 'bout her."

"Peter was never the most...involved or interested parent...I think...I think we were separated to remind me of my priorities. But she is here now and she is leaving over my dead body."

"That's so sad mam, I bet you will both be much happier now you have each other again."

Alex's warm grateful smile was all that was needed before the both turned back to the child in question.

The first faint twitch of the middle finger of the hand Alex caressed almost made Alex's heart stop and her eyes shot to Molly's begging for them to open. Then she felt it again. "Molly, Molly darling?"

As she always did when waking Molly twitched her nose and scrunched her eyes as Alex's smile widened exponentially. "Come on darling"

Molly smiled slightly as she opened her eyes slightly to find her mother beaming down at her. "Mu...mum?" Molly croaked out.

"I...uh I'll tell a nurse." Shaz flew from the room.

"Mummy?"

"Yes darling" With that Alex leant over the girl wrapping her in a firm embrace and kissing her softly on the forehead and cheek "Thirsty?"

Molly gave a small nod as Alex poured a glass of the cool water and popped in a straw before holding it to Molly's mouth. After a short sip, "Mummy you are better, you are back!"

"Shh darling. You are here with me now, we will talk later."

"Tired mum."

"i kn..."

"Well I believe our little princess is awake." With that Colin Roberts swept into the room. Alex's smile was all the confirmation he needed without looking at Molly's drowsy but definitely open eyes. "I know you are tired but I just need to check a few things out before I can let you sleep. Ok?" Molly's tired nod was all she could manage as the handsome doctor proceeded to run through a battery of tests to confirm there had been no damage to her brain.

…...

Two hours later Gene scrubbed his hands through his face and hair as the team began to load the forty two boxes of papers, notebooks, receipts, diaries and general scraps of paper that had previously engulfed Layton's flat into the large police van. The exhausted faces and bodies of his team eventually gathered around the back of the van and Gene realised that further investigation tonight would be useless.

"Ok you lot good work. Lets get this back to the station and leave it in the capable hands of night shift. Get yer arses home for a decent kip and be back and rarin to go at eight in the mornin understood."

The following chorus of "Yes Guv's" and sighs of relief again confirmed to Gene this would be the most productive course of action.

Pulling Ray aside "I know yer tired, you've done well... but I need someone I can trust to make sure this gets done right." Ray's resigned nod told Gene that Ray would be as loyal to orders as ever! "Make sure it's all checked in right and get night shift started on sorting it out, stay by the phones in case we get a call from the ports or airports and get a kip in my office, in the morning when the others start comin in you head home. I'm goin back to the hospital talk to the kid when she wakes up. Call me if you find or hear anything"

"Yes Guv!"

…...

Shaz was on her way back from the toilets when Gene emerged from the creaking hospital lift.

"Guv, get him?"

With a sniff "Wasn't there. We'll find him though, there'll be a clue somewhere, even a poisonous rat can't disappear off the face of the earth."

"You stayin now Guv?"

"Yeah you go get some kip."

"She woke up."

"WHAT, when, is she ok?"

"Yeah few hours ago, seemed fine, tired but talking and everything doctor did some tests think its ok."

Gene blew out a long relieved breath. "How's Bolls?"

"appy, relieved, tired she just keeps looking at her like she is gonna disappear."

They both turned and entered the room. Alex turned her head to smile at Gene as he entered.

In a low whisper, "Mam I'm gonna head home now, see you tomorrow" with that Shaz gave Alex a swift hug gathered her assorted belongings and crept quietly from the room."

Gene removed his jacket and placed it over the back of the cheap plastic chair in the corner.

"So sleeping beauty ere woke up then."

Alex cast him a bright but clearly exhausted smile. "She did, oh Gene she is really here" a stray tear drifted down her cheek.

Gene smiled gently down at her. "Well now that one of you is 'aving a proper sleep its about time the other one does too." With that Gene stood Alex up form the high backed faux leather armchair typical of hospital bed sides and pulled it up close to the head of the bed. He slid behind Alex and seated himself comfortably before pulling her across his lap with Molly's hand still safely encased in her own. "Now sleep!"

Alex snuggled closer into Gene's neck and they shared a gentle kiss before relaxing. "Not the way you expected us to fall asleep together I guess."

"Bloody right! ...Still nice though. Now stop wittering on and sleep."

With that she leant up and kissed the underside of his chin before settling to sleep in his arms.