A/n I don't know if many of you are going to agree with the end of this chapter because it could be seen as pretty OOC but I've been planning it for a while and it's all going to be part of the storyline so bare with! :D This is just a short chapter and yes, it's still see at christmas because I got lazy over the holidays and so we're catching up on time now and so the next chapter will be present time :)

I hope that you're all having a good year so far and this one is dedicated to the lovely Nicola :) Enjoy!

MBRB'xoxo

She insists,

That everyone around that sees her gentle face will turn into stone.

Never speak,

To her or anyone who prays to just be broken like a wishbone.

We are weak...

I think you're gonna be okay you crazy screwed up la-a-a-a-dy,

I think you're gonna be okay you crazy screwed up la-a-a-dy,

I think you're gonna be okay.

Crazy Screwed up Lady - Cosmo Jarvis

With two packages held tightly in her hands and the collar of her coat turned up against the bitter chill of the December day, Alex made her way along the path of the park that her and Gene had walked down so many times before. She wasn't exactly sure why Gene was so keen on the place and she'd never really asked him, sensing it was something he wasn't too eager to talk about, but there had been many times that they had been stuck for something to do and Gene had suggested that they take a turn around the winding paths of the park and the large lake that the land centred around. It was a place so peaceful that Alex always felt that she was leaving a little of her stresses at the large iron gates whenever she walked through them. Sure, she picked them up again on exiting, but that short time where she was unloaded and with Gene was a time that seemed heavenly.

Now, as she saw Mr Hunt himself waiting with his arms casually crossed over his body on a bench a little in the distance, she ignored the cold as much as she could and made her way over to the lone figure. The park was as abandoned as it was going to get on a Saturday, the occasional dog walker and parent taking their child for a stroll, but otherwise empty. Her pace increasing, she eventually came close enough to Gene to realise that he wasn't going to stand to greet her which earned him an eye roll and an unimpressed smile.

"Oi, you. You're supposed to stand when a lady approaches you. If I didn't have these in my hands, I'd smack you one" she told him, nodding down to the presents in her hands.

"I see no Lady." Gene winked at her with a very barely-there smile that only she would see, but stood none-the-less and threw a heavy arm around her shoulder. "Oh, there's one. More a upperclass tart though". With a kiss pressed to her temple, she wriggled out of his arms and sat down on the bench that he had just got up from, placed the packages down beside her and then reached up to the familiar scarf that was wrapped around his neck, making grabby hands.

"So predictable" he told her bluntly, but began to unwrap the scarf from around his neck anyway. Sitting beside her, he carefully wrapped it around her neck and tucked it under the lapels of her black jacket, watching her closely as she snuggled down and buried her chin into the already warm material of "their" scarf.

"I've been thinking of this the entire way here"

"Should have brought your own, you lazy mare" Alex giggled lightly.

"Why do that when I can just have yours? Preheated" she asked, managing to sound genuinely puzzled.

"Oh, still mine is it? Funny that because I thought you'd commandeered it" with an eyebrow raised, Gene gave her his most disapproving look that Alex seemed completely resistant to. Ignoring him, she bounced a little on the bench and picked up the two packages, holding them in her lap.

"Whatever, you. Shh. Let me give you your presents. I've been dying to all bloody December". Picking the larger of the parcels, Alex passed it to Gene and watched eagerly as he poked and shook it for a second. Without any distinct shape, he seemed unsure as to what the neatly-wrapped, undefinable present could be but he gave a grateful smile and began to rip open the paper. With the paper suitably torn away, Gene laughed at the soft toy that was in his hand. Not a small hidden laugh and yes, not a throw your head back bellow, but it was a carefree and genuine laugh that Alex heard rarely so the sound of it made her grin from ear to ear. Revealed was a golden, fluffy lion with a lopsided grin, slightly uneven ears, a mane that you would never be able to control and a tail that was slightly understuffed. It was one of those teddies that had that "cared for" effect that was gave it a friendly persona, one that you adored and wanted as soon as you saw it on the shelf even though it was a little ragged, a little messy, a little too loved. As soon as Alex had seen it, she knew that she had to get it for her Manc Lion, no matter how cheesy it was. She'd laughed the first time she'd heard Ray calling him by his ridiculous nickname but she couldn't deny that it had summed him up completely, and the nickname had been remembered and gradually loved by her, as the man himself had.

"You calling me a pussy cat, Pricicle?" he asked her, the little sparkle in his eyes made even clearer by the questioning eyebrows he gave her.

"No sirey. You're my Manc Lion, you idiot" she laughed, reaching out to stoke the toy lions mane for a second. "Do you like it?"

"I'm about 15 years past cuddly toys but I'll make an exception for this one," he gave her a little wink. "It's brilliant. Thank you, Lioness" he gave her a quick peck and then picked up the second, flatter package. "Can I open this one now? Looks a lot tamer". Alex nodded enthusiastically. She was praying that he liked what she had got him. She'd spent an age trying to think of the perfect present and had eventually come across something that she was sure Gene would like. She only hoped she was right. Tearing open the second present with the same boyish enthusiasm as the first, he stared down at the gift in his hand.

"Do you like them?" she prompted after a moment of silence. Gene looked up from the gift in his hands and nodded silently. Then, seemingly coming out of his momentary daze, he nodded, looking back down. In his hands were a pair of sleek black leather gloves. Not cheap or shiny-looking in the slightest, they were made of soft, supple leather that gave off that distinctive 'real' smell, they were tailored for Gene perfectly. Running them through his hands once then twice, he pulled them closer to his eyes as the winter light caught the leather around the cuff. Neatly stamped into the deep black, there was small but elaborate "GH" on the side of each glove sitting where the wrist bone would be. Slipping one glove on, he brought it up to inspect the perfect fit then looked over at Alex who had been watching him closely.

"How the bloody hell did you do this?" he asked, insistently with a gratefulness and tenderness that touched Alex. She smiled gently.

"Us Price girls are pretty popular in London, you know. I didn't just go to see Evan. I called in a favour that Mum was owed and voila. Do you like them?" she asked him anxiously. Gene looked at her like she was a crazed woman sitting before him.

"Are you kidding? I absolutely love them! They're...god, I sound like a bloody poofter. They're perfect. They're fantastic. I..." he seemed lost for words which was actually more than Alex had expected and she felt herself glowing with pride at having found the perfect Christmas gift for Gene. "Thank you" he ended simply, slipping the other glove onto his hand and then reaching up, capturing her face in his hands and pulling her to him for a kiss.

Pulling away with a final scattering of butterfly kisses to his lips, Alex grinned at him.

"You're welcome." She paused for a second then, "Come on then, where's mine!?" she demanded, the laughter in her eyes spilling down and tumbling from her lips. Gene rolled his eyes, used to his girlfriends more pushy ways. One of his large hands slipped inside his coat and pulled out a reasonably flat square box and a package that looked like a wrapped envelope.

"You're an absolutely bloody nightmare to buy for, you know. So you'd better like it" he told her, handing over the larger present of the two.

"Oh, sweetie I'm sure I will" she told him, excitedly taking the package from him and shaking it slightly, holding it close to her ear, before carefully peeling of the tape and pulling back the paper. Inside was a dark blue box with a silver jewellers name imprinted into the top. Letting out a little squeal, Alex lifted the lit off and looked down at the delicate silver chain that sat inside. With a little gasp, Alex took it out of it's box and lifted the bracelet for a closer look. Attached with a tiny silver links were six intricately detailed charms. Reaching over, Gene pointed them out to her, his hands that were so clearly manly dwarfing the small bracelet and Alex's small fingers.

"They all mean something, see. I know it's pretty girly to get it, but that one's a lion, for obvious reasons," he told her, pointing out a small charm of a lion in profile, his tail curled. "That ones because you're my Pricicle," he explained, pointing out a small stereotypical ice lolly, "that one's because you were dressed at that Egyptian Queen that slept with everyone for Halloween" - a little silver Egyptian Ankh with rounded edges hanging from the bracelet was pointed out - "and this one because you're into all that old music crap but now you've hacked your hair off, it kinda doubles as you being my "rock chick" thing." Alex was brought back to the moment of reassurance that he liked her new look as she looked down at the music note that he was now pointing to. "Then there's that one because, you know, I'd like to think we'll be together for a while. If I don't fuck it up, that is" Alex giggled, the infinity sign catching her eye and then turning to the small diamond that hung beside it.

"And that one?" she asked softly.

"That's because you're bloody expensive" he told her, his face dead pan but the humour in his eyes wasn't missed.

"Gene. It's honestly beautiful. I couldn't imagine something more perfect. Thank you so much" she wasn't sure that her gratitude really came across, but she hoped that he understood just how much she adored the stunning present that she had received. She glanced down at his hands that were still in the gloves that she had so carefully picked for him. "They look a bit measly in comparison now, don't they" she told him, her voice laced with only a slight joke. Glancing between the two gifts and the lion that sat in his lap, she felt a little disappointed in her choice of gift now. Gene lifted a finger and knocked her chin up slightly so that she was looking him in the eye again.

"Oi, you. These are the best thing I've ever got for Christmas. And I mean that. I really do. I love them" he told her. Alex smiled softly at her, glad that he seemed to be genuine. "But you're not finished yet" he carried on, handing over the envelope looking present. Alex gave a disapproving look and frowned at him.

"Gene, this is really enough. I don't need anything else. This is too much" she scolded.

"No" Gene replied, "this one needs explaining. Just open". Doing as he said, Alexs suspicions were confirmed when she opened the paper to reveal and envelope. Once she's sliced open the envelope, 5 crisp 20 pound notes were revealed. With a little gasp, Alex looked straight up at Gene and shook her head.

"Gene, what? I can't take this!" but Gene had already held up a hand to stop her talking any more.

"Right, you've been going on about it for the last couple weeks and I want you to be really sure about it, but when you've decided what you want and you're sure, I'll take you to get a tattoo. That money will cover it and you can take me out to dinner with whatever is left" he explained.

Alex sat in silence for a second before her face split into a massive grin. Since she'd been back from Evans and felt her world changing around her, she'd had an urge to change everything about herself and she'd mentioned to Gene numerous times that she now wanted to get a small tattoo somewhere on her body that could be easily hidden but that she would know is there. For Gene to bring her to get it done and to support her fully really touched her and she knew that her parents and Pete would have been dead against the idea, dismissing it straight away and telling her that she was ridiculous. Leaning over, she hooked a hand behind Gene's neck and pulled him closer, capturing his lips with hers gently. Her other hand sought out his and she laced their fingers together and held it in her lap, her thumb tracing small patterns at the base of his thumb.

"Thank you" she whispered to him, pulling back ever so slightly, her eyes lowered and fixed on his lips. Gene, in response, pulled her back to him and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her as close as he possible could and chasing away any of her thoughts of the chill in the air.

TBC...