Chapter Ten

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You shouldn't have done that.

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'Detective Constable Granger, any chance that you are going to grace us with your presence at Fenchurch CID?' Gene barked down the phone.

'Yes Guv' Shaz said.

'Sooner rather than later would be nice' Gene said.

'Yes Guv.' Shaz said.

Alex had her bum parked on Gene's desk, 'Tell her I found a little boutique and they have…' she whispered.

Gene hung up hastily, 'You can tell her yourself later. Come on, Keats will be frothing at the mouth.'

'Scared' Alex's face changed from excited wedding planner to looking into the abyss fright.

'Don't be, we've faced him down before, we can do it again.' he put his hands on her hips, 'Now- you told Carlotta everything and she really does want to see him?'

'Yes- she's worried he won't want her because of her face, but I explained that he knows everything.' Alex shrugged, 'But still- a deal with the devil.'

'He's not the devil, he's just a minion' Gene scoffed, 'I know he's got all the airs and graces but have you ever seen a horn or a tail on him? Don't answer that- about the horn anyway, don't think I want to know.'

They left his office. Liam had taken it on himself to transfer the more important incident room records to Gene's computer, and had rehomed it on his desk, but he was finding it tough going, spending a lot of the time swearing and trying not to hit the ancient lump of plastic.

'See that desk there?' Gene pointed to Shaz's desk, piled up with files, 'needs clearing, the lady in question's coming back today from leave, and she won't be happy to find all that junk, she likes stuff tidy.'

'She's got fat chance of that around here.' Liam replied sniffily, tossing his head, 'this place is a shambles.'

'Well Daphne Dewdrop, now's your chance to tidy it up.' Gene said, 'if you're really good I'll buy you a feather duster.'

'Ooo you tease you.' Liam grinned widely as Alex winked at him from behind Gene, but then the pc failed to save his last half hours input and his expression darkened again, 'You bastard thing.'

Gene and Alex left the incident room hurriedly as the air turned blue. They walked in step along the corridors at a fair pace, but as they reached the front desk their pace slowed as they saw a familiar figure with his back to them.

'Skip?' Gene said quietly.

Viv turned, and both Gene and Alex felt shivers run down their spines. He looked the same as he always had, except for his stricken face.

'What have you done?' he asked in a shaky voice, 'How am I here?'

Gene clapped a hand to his shoulder, 'We thought you'd had enough shit-shovelling' he said gruffly, he could feel the Skip was trembling, and wished he could hug him, luckily Alex stepped in, putting her arms around Viv and holding him silently.

After a while they broke apart, Viv seemed unable to look them in the eye. He took a step away from Alex, 'You shouldn't have done that.'

'Couldn't leave you there mate.' Gene told him.

'What was the cost?' Viv asked.

Alex was unnerved by his dead eyes, 'We've found Keats' long lost love' she told Viv, 'And we're about to re-acquaint them.'

'He can't love, doesn't know how to.' Viv said, 'There'll be more to it, you should have left me there. He'll hurt you. Somehow he'll hurt you, you've let him back in.'

'Forget about him.' Gene ordered, 'You've something much more scary to worry about now. This very determined and somewhat deluded woman has decided she wants to marry me, so I need a best man, and I've decided you can have the honours.'

Viv grinned shakily, 'Now I know I'm dreaming.'

'So will you do it?' Gene asked.

'Hunting out my anecdote book and thinking up my speech as we speak Guv.' Viv said, smiling uncertainly.

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Keats was waiting in the car park, marvelling at the new Quattro, 'Old habits die hard eh Gene?'

Gene nodded, he didn't feel happy about letting the creature in his shiny new car, but at least this time he would be in the driving seat.

Keats was looking ultra smart, and kept polishing his glasses nervously, 'I delivered Viv safe and sound.' he said, 'So shall we go?'

'This is a straight deal.' Gene stated, 'We take you to Carlotta and then we're even, understood? No sneaky stuff. No rushing in and grabbing heads that don't belong to you. And you don't even look at Viv James ever again.'

'Just take me to her.' Keats said impatiently.

Gene didn't move. Alex stood beside him.

'Yes, yes, understood! As long as you remember I'm an opportunist and you need to stay vigilant.' Keats said.

'Oh, I think we're getting to know how you work now Jim.' Alex said coldly.

Gene opened the car door and she climbed into the back, Keats got in the front beside Gene and they screeched out of the car park.

At the hospital the ward sister was waiting for them, and had been warned that they needed at least twenty minutes alone with Carlotta. She led them to a private room. Keats actually looked jittery, and kept brushing his hair back. Alex felt her heart soften momentarily but hardened it back up quickly. She went in to Carlotta first.

The woman looked so beautiful- until she turned her head, and her livid ruined skin became visible, 'Is he here?' her voice quaked.

Alex nodded, 'Carlotta? You do understand? What he is? Who he is?'

Carlotta nodded also, 'He's different with me.'

'I'm scared for you' Alex admitted.

Carlotta smiled, 'Don't be, I can handle him, deep down he's just a man.'

'Well no- he isn't' Alex said.

'No, not quite, but he does have tiny amount of 'umanity left.' Carlotta said, 'I know, I've seen it.'

Alex opened the door and Keats came into the room.

Carlotta turned her head so he could see the full extent of her injuries, 'James'

'Lottie' he uttered breathlessly, hurrying to her side.

Carlotta grabbed his hand, 'Don't look at me.' tears sprung from her eyes.

'Silly girl. You're still completely beautiful' Keats said tenderly, he turned to Alex, 'Thank you'

She nodded and closed the door.

oxxo

Shaz and Liam were getting to know each other.

'Been on holiday then?' Liam handed her a mug of coffee.

'Sort of' Shaz smiled, liking him already, especially as he seemed happy to put the kettle on at the drop of a hat. 'Is the cat yours?'

'No, the Guv found him and has been pretending he wants to get shot of him ever since, though he's the first one to shout if we nick the tuna out of the fridge for a sandwich.' Liam laughed.

'His bark isn't always worse than his bite, though' Shaz said, 'He's still the Guv'

'I'd gathered that.' Liam said. 'he spends a lot of time on my case'

'Right, let's get these files sorted shall we?' Shaz said, 'And you can start reminding me about spreadsheets.'

'Did you know Ray Carling?' Liam asked her.

'Yes' Shaz said, 'He's my boyfriend's best mate; spent a lot of time playing gooseberry.' she looked around the incident room, 'Seems funny without them, awful.'

'He gay?' whispered Liam.

Shaz giggled, 'Well- I'm not 100% sure, but I know that if you asked him if he was he'd throw you from one side of this room to the other.'

'Tough guy eh?' Liam grinned, 'like the gorgeous Guv.'

'Yeah tough guy on the outside.' Shaz agreed, 'Also like the Guv.'

Liam shivered and Shaz smiled to herself, so the Guv had an admirer, she wondered if he knew.

oxxo

Gene and Alex sat in the hospital car park canoodling.

'You're such a bloody distraction.' Gene groaned, 'My work is suffering, I don't even want to go back to the station, I want to take you to bed.'

'We could pop back to the flat for a quickie' Alex breathed into his ear.

'Quickie? - Gene Hunt does not do quickies!' Gene pretended outrage.

'You do' she whispered, 'You do the most amazing, mind blowing, wham bam thank you Ma,ams.' she pulled away from him and rearranged herself, 'We should wait to see if Keats comes out shouldn't we?'

Gene thought hard, 'Don't think he will, if it was you in there I'd want to stay with you until I was forcibly removed.'

'Ohhh' Alex melted, 'You are so sweet.'

'I am not sweet.' he said gruffly. 'I am a big hard macho man, and also your boss, it would pay you to remember that.' he couldn't help but smile at the sound of her gasping giggles.

'Did you mention the word hard?' she said, 'I really think we need to stop off at the flat before we go back to the station- Guv.'

The Quattro nearly collided with an ambulance as it zoomed out of the hospital grounds.

At the flat Gene swept a pile of bridal and wedding magazines off the bed and pushed Alex on to it, standing above her and unbuckling his belt while she stared at him, trying to put him off his stride.

'You really think that just because you're my big hard boss you can do what you want with me?' she affected innocence, and stuck out her pink tongue, licking at her top lip temptingly.

'Yes I do.' he replied.

'This wasn't in the job description Detective Chief Inspector, I'm a very diligent person and I read through my contract very carefully, nowhere did it say 'You will be thoroughly rogered by your superior officer every Thursday morning at eleven am sharp.' She reached out her hand, feeling through his boxer shorts, squeaking with delight as she came into contact with his erect cock and pulling his boxers down, setting free the monster.

'You talk too much' Gene said, 'Get your clothes off.'

'You do it.' she said.

'Bloody hell, the laziness- that won't go down well on your report card.' he said sternly, stepping forward so his cock was near her mouth.

'I can go down well Sir.' she told him earnestly, as her tongue flicked out again over his cock and she moved forward with a greedy light in her eyes.

'Oh god' he muttered as she took him down deeper and deeper, her fingers dancing over his hips and buttocks.

He stepped back, ripping himself from her mouth.

'I want it' she pouted.

'Learn a little restraint. I want to see you naked Detective Inspector.' Gene told her sternly, 'Naked and panting and begging. So, clothes off.' he kicked off his boots before he fell over, and removed his half mast trousers and boxers, and then his shirt. 'There you go, now you're far too overdressed.'

'Yes it's not really fair is it?' she agreed eagerly, 'help me Sir, I seem to have come over all swoony.'

He helped her with her jeans and stripy top and then pushed her back roughly so he could look at her in her underwear, 'Bend over' he said, after admiring her for thirty seconds or more.

Alex had stopped giggling and found herself very near to panting, the moisture between her legs was bubbling like liquid in a cauldron, she needed him immediately, the waiting was hell. But then she felt his soft velvety tongue sliding under her buttocks, along with not so gentle biting every inch or so as he licked his way along.

'Please.' she groaned.

'Please what?' he said through a mouthful of her tender flesh .

'Please stick your cock in me now.' she whimpered.

He stopped licking for a second, 'Please stick your cock in me now what?'

'Please stick your cock in me now Guv.' she rasped.

'Might do, if you're really good.' he replied.

'I know you need to as I much as I need you too.' she said in a quaking voice, pushing her arse further into his face.

'Ok' he surrendered, 'Enough, I can't keep off you any longer.' he flipped her over and onto the bed, tearing her knickers from her and flinging the pieces across the room, before parting her legs and plunging into her.

The weight of him as he hammered her into the bed was relentlessly fantastic, her fingernails raked his back as she encouraged him to ram at her harder, the bed springs protesting violently, and their ragged cries slipping not quite unheard through the mundanity of the weekday morning.

When Luigi went out to empty his bin he heard a scream but thought it was the vixen who had taken up residence nearby.

Back in the flat Gene knew he was coming and nothing was going to stop him, he just had time to worry that Alex wouldn't be satisfied because she was beneath him, but them she had cried out in the special way that she always did when she climaxed, and there was nothing else in the world that sounded like it, nothing that made him feel more complete and blessed.

They held each other closely, and pulled the duvet around them.

'We've got to go back to the station.' Alex fretted.

'And we will.' Gene said breathlessly, 'Just as soon as I feel able to walk.'

'I feel completely happy' she whispered, 'It's the strangest sensation. Just one thing though.'

'What?' he looked across at her.

'As your very special DI how do I stand on a knickers allowance?' she asked, pointing to the ripped in half knickers adorning the bedroom floor.

oxxo

'You Ok Viv?' asked Shaz, having wandered down to the front desk.

Viv gave a weak smile, 'I can't believe I'm back here. I thought I was a goner.'

'We belong here' Shaz said, 'We all belong here with the Guv and Alex. They're trying to get Chris and Ray back too.'

Viv raised his eyebrows in surprise, then he shrugged, 'Well they managed to drag me out of the bowels of the earth, so nothing's impossible I guess.' he smiled in a more relaxed way.

'I've missed that smile.' Shaz told. 'and your rotten jokes.'

'A skeleton walks into a bar and orders a pint of beer and a mop.' Viv said.

'Maybe I haven't missed you that much.' Shaz laughed, before heading back to the incident room.

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In the hospital Keats was gently questioning Carlotta about her assailant. He could feel cold determined vengeance streaming through his veins. Except this time it wasn't directed at Hunt, it was directed at One-eyed Eddie and his cronies. One- eyed Eddie would regret the day he had sent his man after Lottie, Keats would make damn sure of that.

oxxo