Well, this is the last pre-written chapter I have, so I apologise if the ones following this take a little longer, as I'll have to actually write them as I go. :P I'd just like to thank TheFatalIllusion again, for being awesome and reading these seven chapters through for me. :D Anyway, I'll let you get on with reading now - thank you all for your lovely reviews!

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Disclaimer - Ashes to Ashes isn't mine, I'm just pretending. :P

Chapter 7


Gene looked near on frantic by the time Alex had arrived. Dusk was descending on the streets of London, and Gene knew all too well about the sort of things that could happen to a teenage girl, wandering around alone with a reckless attitude. His face looked as though it had aged ten years when he opened the door, worry clear in his expression.

"Christ on a bike, you got 'ere quick, Bols."

"Well it is urgent, Gene," Alex said, stepping inside. "She's only fifteen, and she doesn't know the city. God knows where she could be!"

"Oh he does, does he? Well it'd be nice of this God of yours t' tell us then!" Gene snapped, fire flashing in his eyes for a split second. "I don't need you t' tell me it's flamin' urgent, Bolly!"

"Alright, calm down for a minute, Gene, will you? It's not my fault she's gone missing. Now how did she get out, didn't you hear the front door go?"

There was a pause whilst Gene's glare lessened and he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. He was dressed in jeans and an old, dark green rugby shirt, and if Alex hadn't been so preoccupied with worrying about Scarlett, she would have found herself drooling a little at the way the blue denim clung to his backside, and how the green shirt made his shoulders look that bit broader.

"Window was open when I went in," he said eventually, his tone weary and resigned. Alex saw the look of apology in his eyes and gave him a small smile, knowing he hadn't meant to snap at her. If the same thing had happened with Molly back in 2008, she would have been a lot more stressed, and a lot less collected than Gene. "She must 'ave slipped down the drainpipe or something, and crept down the side alley out on t' the street..."

Alex sighed, glancing up at the stairs. "Right, well I've sent Ray and Chris out to the main coach and train stations for Manchester, so if she's trying to get back home they'll hopefully spot her before she can go anywhere. And Shaz has given a description to Viv, who's ringing around nearby stations so uniform can be on the lookout."

"And you, Bols?" Gene asked, lip twitching ever so slightly as he thought of the effort she had gone to. He was impressed, and, if he dare admit it, touched, that she had gone to so much trouble to help him out with a problematic situation that was really nothing to do with her.

She shrugged. "We can walk the streets; look out for her that way? I'll do whatever you want."

"Hope that's a promise, Bolly," Gene shot back with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, but the suggestive glint in his eyes and tone was missing. Instead, there was just worry and fear, and if Alex wasn't mistaken, disappointment. Not in her, not in his daughter, but in himself. He looked disappointed in himself.


Darkness was truly starting to close in on London as Scarlett wandered aimlessly around an unfamiliar park, shadows lurking in the bushes, the dim light of dusk picking out the blackness in amongst the trees. She walked with one hand in her pocket, absentmindedly fingering the tiny plastic bag that held her release. Stopping by a bench, Scarlett surreptitiously looked around the park, silence all around her as her fingers closed around the cocaine in her pocket and she pulled it out.

Her hands were shaking as she clutched the bag of white powder, nervously looked around again and knelt down on the damp grass. Then, just as before, she pulled out a piece of card and this time a straw before picking up the tiny plastic bag again. Silence rang in her ears; the darkness in the nearby bushes unnerving as Scarlett swallowed and self-consciously rubbed the side of her nose. She had just emptied half the contents of the bag very carefully onto a wooden slat of the park bench when a loud voice sounded from behind her.

"Scarlett Hunt?"

She jumped, her whole body freezing, the blood in her veins turning to ice as she stared wide-eyed at the small pile of white powder on the bench, along with the card and McDonald's straw lying next to it. In one panicked, frantic movement, she swept it all off the bench but already, the sound of footsteps had stopped beside her. With her heart hammering in her chest, Scarlett slowly twisted her head around, glare already in place.


Gene and Alex only made it to the end of the street before a buzz of more than just static came through the radio.

"Hunt," Gene said gruffly into it, quickly grabbing it off Alex.

"Pitchley, Fenchurch West, sir. We've found your daughter."

Next to him, Alex let out a sigh of relief and Gene said, "Never thought I'd owe Fenchurch West a round of drinks. Where is she?"

There was a pause, static buzzing, and then, "We've got her in holding, sir. One of my colleagues arrested her around ten minutes ago for possession of Class A drugs."

At the same time, Alex and Gene exchanged shocked, wide-eyed glances before turning back and racing towards the Quattro without another word, their minds reeling from the Fenchurch West officer's words.


As soon as they got back in and the front door had shut firmly, Scarlett made to escape up the stairs but Gene was quicker. He reached out and grabbed her, his fingers tightening around her forearm as he yanked his daughter back to face him, his eyes ablaze with anger, fury and burning disappointment. Alex stood in the hallway, more than a little uncomfortable as she watched on with her mouth slightly open, a word frozen between her lips. She wondered whether to say anything or not.

"I don't think so, madam," Gene growled, pulling Scarlett back as she tried to wrestle her arm out of his grip. "I just put my neck on the line t' get you off with nothing but a caution, do you understand 'ow much that has cost me? Now I know you might think I'm shit, and nothing but a low-life bastard, good fer nothing father, but round 'ere I'm respected. I'm a DCI, my team 'as one of the best clean-up rates in the city. And here you are, my daughter, getting arrested fer taking cocaine!" He pushed his face closer to hers, his expression furious and tone seething as he asked, "Now do you care to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

For a long time, there was silence. Scarlett glowered at her Dad, and Gene glared back at her, his face set and determined. He didn't loosen his grip on her arm. Finally, Scarlett spat, "It's nothing t' do with you."

"I think you'll find it is," Gene told her through gritted teeth, and Alex could see a vein in his neck pulsating from anger. Fury rolled off him in waves, and she was sure she had never before seen him this angry. Usually when Gene was angry about something, he bellowed, he kicked things, threw his fists about and generally made a racket. But now, Alex could tell he was furious, practically seething at what his daughter had done – so much so that he couldn't do anything but focus all his energy on finding out why she done it.

"You live under my roof, yer in my charge, and yer my daughter. So if you're found takin' co-bloody-caine, then I think you'll find it 'as got something to do with me! Now 'ow long has this been going on, 'ave yer taken it before? Does yer Mam know? Good God, Scarlett, yer fifteen!"

"Your daughter now, am I?" Scarlett asked, her voice deadly quiet. Her eyes were centred, focused and angry. There was a tense silence; Alex saw it coming and stepped forwards a second too late. Scarlett exploded.

"Where were you on my first day of school then? Where were you when I got tonsillitis and 'ad to go t' the hospital t' get 'em out? Where were you when I was fucking terrified of something going wrong? Where the fuck, 'Dad', were you when I came home crying three years ago because I'd over'eard my best friends bitching about me t' a load of other girls?" Scarlett was screaming now, screeching at Gene, enraged as hot, angry tears streamed down her face. She viciously yanked her arm out from his grip.

"Oh yeah, 'course, that's right! You 'ad just pissed off t' London and left me, not that yer were bothered about seeing me often in the first place!"

Alex took a step forwards, holding one hand out. "Scarlett-"

"Shut up!" she yelled, lashing round to glare at Alex, breathing heavily. "Piss off, bitch, this 'as got nothing t' do with you!" Before Alex could even reply or try again to calm her down, Scarlett spun around again and bored in on Gene, her fists clenched by her sides, knuckles burning white with fury.

"You weren't there on my first day o' school, because you didn't give a shit! An' when I was terrified of dying or something, because I was only seven years old, you didn't even want t' turn up to stick some grapes on my bedside table, give me a card and tell me everything would be okay! And you," she seethed, the accusation in her eyes enough to drive a knife through anyone's heart, "didn't do anything to make me feel better when people started telling me that it were no wonder you'd left, that they wished I was dead and that I should just go 'ang myself, because you weren't fucking there!"

She took a deep breath, glaring at Gene still through her tears. She raised an arm to point a finger at him, her expression one of pure hatred and disgust. "And you're my Dad, are yer?" She gave a humourless, bitter laugh and then snarled, "Well whoop-di-doo, aren't I a lucky girl? Don't you dare tell me what t' do, or 'ow old I am – I'm surprised yer can even remember!" And with that, Scarlett whirled around and flew up the stairs, her footsteps thudding on the floor before her bedroom door slammed shut, and the house fell suddenly, eerily silent.

Alex watched, holding her breath as Gene stared up the stairs at the point where his daughter had just vanished in a whirlwind of fury, his face shocked. He was gobsmacked, speechless, lost for words. Slowly, all of Scarlett's words sank in and before Alex's eyes, he crumbled.

Dropping slowly backwards onto the floor, Gene came to rest unceremoniously on the carpet, his knees up in front of him, back against the wall, defeated. A look of utter shock was still painted on his face and Alex watched as very gradually, the expression of shock turned to anger, then to horror and then finally, to a look of complete and utter self-loathing. And to her shock and disdain, Alex watched as a tear began to roll down his cheek, leaving a forlorn, glistening path down the side of his face.


Well, another cliffhanger, sort of... I'm quite evil, aren't I? But I do promise to try and update soon; thank you for reading, and please review!

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