One Another's Shadow
Disclaimer: I'm only using characters from the BBC's Ashes to Ashes for fun. I don't own them and didn't invent them.
Author's note: Acting on the advice from one Lucida Bright, you're in for updates from me as you've never seen 'em before. The end is nigh and indeed, is written. Three more chapters after this as opposed to one massively huge one. Thank you all for your lovely reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
It was slow going over the next few days. Every report, detail, file and item was re-examined and re-checked. In addition to Operation Wing, they still had a heavy caseload involving drug crime and one or two murders. Everyone was working flat out and tempers were more than a little frayed.
By Wednesday, Alex rubbed her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Her eyes were dry and felt… cloudy. Her head was splitting and no matter how hard she tried to follow the words on Chris's report, the lines of text kept blending and merging into each other. Over the past few days, she had made it repeatedly clear that she wanted all reports to be double-spaced but Chris had forgotten. Yet again. She screwed her eyes shut and this time, a wave of nausea swept over her.
"Chris!" she barked, annoyed.
"Yes Boss?"
"I can't read this bloody report. Double-spaced Chris!! Double-spaced!! How many times do I have to say it?"
"S-sorry Boss. I jus-"
"Don't make excuses. Just do what I asked," she snapped and tossed the cramped pages into the bin for shredding. "Write it again."
She had just dumped his only copy apart from the carbon. "Boss… could I have it bac-"
"Oh for Christsake! HERE!" She grabbed the pages up again and banged them on the desk. A stab of white-hot pain exploded right behind her eyes and this time she knew she was going to be sick.
"You all right Boss?" came Ray's voice from right beside her, making her jump.
"I'm just bit tired," she said, swallowing the nausea back.
Suddenly, Ray was shoved out of the way as Alex bolted for the doors. She pushed him so forcibly that he stumbled against an open filing cabinet, sending the drawer crashing home with a loud bang.
"Ray!" cried Shaz, annoyed. She was certain that he had said something to upset Alex.
"Don't look at me!" he exclaimed, equally annoyed. "I only asked her if she was okay!"
"What the bloody hell is going on out there!?" thundered Gene from his office as he flung his door open. "I'm trying to read this fuckin' rep… Oh great. What's wrong now?" He saw Ray giving him a strange look.
"It's the Boss, Guv. I don't think she's well," he replied.
Gene looked around, "Where is she?"
"Dunno. She shot out of here like a bat out o' hell two seconds ago." Ray was now putting all pieces of his puzzle together and had arrived at quite eh conclusion. Drake had been moody and cross for the past three days and now was decidedly green around the gills. At nine in the morning? All this from a woman who barely touched a drop in weeks? Surely, only a certain type of woman would act like that. A pregnant one.
"What are you looking at me for, Carling?" spat Gene. "Shaz – go down to the bogs and see if she's there."
"Yes Guv," she said, getting hurriedly to her feet, anxious to get out of the way of the death glare Gene was sending to Ray.
Gene turned on his heal and marched back into his office, banging the door behind him. Was Alex sick and he hadn't noticed? They'd all been so engrossed in getting the case together that… well, maybe he hadn't paid enough attention. She had been grumbling about a headache for the past few days but she seemed to be managing on Anadin, plus he wouldn't hear of her staying in late. He hunted her out of the office by seven at the latest. He twirled a pen around his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. Maybe she needed a break just as much as he-
Shaz was back, looking grave and he was on his feet and through the door immediately. "What's wrong?"
"She's really not very well at all Guv. She needs to go home." Shaz didn't want to repeat the wretched sight she saw in the toilets. Alex was throwing up and was crouched against the toilet bowl, washed out and too weak to stand. "I've just come back for her things."
He nodded. "Fine. Where is she?"
"In the ladies but I don…" it was pointless continuing. He'd already left the office.
"'Ere… you don't think…?" began Ray, giving Shaz and Chris a knowing look.
Shaz shot him a filthy look. "It's a migraine Ray. You know - a headache that's so bad you think you're about to die? Haven't you even noticed that she's hardly able to read anymore?"
Ray shrugged. "I were only-"
"Well don't!" snapped Shaz and gathering Alex's things, she brushed past him and followed Gene.
"What's going on?" asked Chris, late to the party as always.
"Nothin' mate. Flamin' women. They always stick together, huh? Thick as thieves, them two." Ray knew that was uncharitable but he was annoyed with Shaz. After all, he HAD noticed something was up with Alex and he had been the only one to ask her what was wrong.
Chris, predictably, agreed with Ray and the two of them returned to their desks.
"Ladies, pull yer knickers up and clear off! I coming in!" shouted Gene from the door.
"There's only me," came Alex's faint voice. She reached up to flush the toilet, as she had been sick again. She heard him walk across the floor and push the cubicle door open.
Oh dear," he said gently, crouching down beside her. "Let's get you home, 'ey?"
She shook her head slightly. If anyone moved her right now they were going to be very sorry. She pressed a hand to her splitting head. "I need a few minutes," she whispered.
Shaz entered the rooms behind them. "I've got your things Boss," she said, her voice gentle too.
"Shaz, nip to the kitchen and get a glass of water for her," instructed Gene, giving the WPC a grim smile. "We'll get her moving then."
She did as instructed and hoped that the Guv could get Alex on her feet. Nobody in their right mind would want to stay on the floor of that manky loo for too long.
Sure enough, by the time she got back, Gene had Alex propped up near the sinks, an arm around her waist.
"Thanks Shaz," he said, taking the water from her and giving it to Alex. "Swish that around yer mouth Bolly and let's get out of here," he instructed.
Too fatigued to argue with him Alex just did as she was told. Shaz helped her into her jacket and followed them as Gene walked her slowly towards the main doors of the station.
"Get Ray or Chris," whispered Alex, just as he moved to open the door.
Gene rolled his eyes but jerked his head towards Shaz who scooted back to CID and reappeared in a few moments with Chris. Together, they got Alex into her flat and Gene left Shaz to get her into bed. He scouted around for some painkillers, water and for a bucket, just in case. Chris waited on the sofa.
"All done Guv," said Shaz, joining Gene in the kitchen and giving Chris a smile.
"Right Granger. One minute and then we'll go," he said, gathering up the various bits and pieces.
Alex was in bed, turned on her side, facing away from the light. Shaz had drawn the blinds and curtains, so the room was bathed in a dark red glow.
"Take these," he said, putting the painkillers into her hand and giving her a glass of water. Sitting up, she swallowed them gratefully. "Here's a bucket in case you need it, more water here," he plonked a jug and a glass onto her bedside table, "And I'll check in on you later. Get some sleep."
"Thanks Gene," she whispered, lowering herself back to the bed gingerly.
He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. "You've been working too bloody hard Bolly. Rest now," he said softly and brushed a feather's touch across her aching forehead. "I'm also sending the Doc over to give you a quick look."
She nodded her agreement. "See you later?"
"Yeah. About seven, okay?"
"Sure," came the muted reply. She was going to be sick again and really didn't want him to see that.
"Okay," he repeated and with a last gentle pat on her back, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. "Right you pair. Let's go," he said to Chris and Shaz.
"Shouldn't one of us stay with her Guv?" asked Chris.
"I think she'd prefer it if we left her alone," replied Shaz tactfully. "Nobody wants to have someone around if you're about to throw up."
Gene nodded his head in agreement and ushered them out the door in front of him. Once they were back in the station, he asked Viv to scare up the Doc and asked that he would call in on Alex as soon as he could.
He found it hard to concentrate for the next hour but he did his best. He was wading through Ray's reports and felt like beating the other man around the head with a dictionary. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Doc, hovering around the main doors to CID with Viv and Shaz. He was just about to get to his feet when Shaz brought the Doc through to him.
"Ah, DCI Hunt. For once, it's not you who has been in the wars," said Doctor Harris by way of greeting.
"It's early in the day yet," replied Gene, shaking the proffered hand. "Have you seen Drake?"
"Yes. She has a migraine brought on by hyperopia; that's farsightedness to you and me. She needs glasses."
Gene blinked. "Come again?"
"Glasses, Mr Hunt. Your DI is as blind as the metaphorical bat, particularly when it comes to reading material."
"So this bloody headache she's been moaning about…"
"She's been doing a lot of reading lately. She can't focus on words on the page and constantly forcing herself to do so, resulted in a migraine and nausea. The body can only take so much before it says enough. Reading words that are always blurred can be quite unsettling. DI Drake presumed she was just tired, which is true but not the only factor. I also suspect that the incident with the petrol in her eyes hasn't helped. She should go to an ophthalmologist as soon as she can."
"So… there's nothing else wrong?" asked Gene, not convinced that Alex this sick just because she needed glasses.
"Nothing as far as I can make out. The migraine should pass in the next 24 hours. She won't feel like doing much. I suggested that she take the rest of the week off but she wouldn't agree. You could always order-"
"We're about to wrap a case Doc. I need Drake. She was supposed to go to Manchester on Friday morning."
"For how long?"
"Just the day, hopefully."
"Hummmm. Well… this is Wednesday. See how she's doing tomorrow and then decide. If she doesn't want to end up with another migraine then she needs rest and glasses. Sooner rather than later."
"Right. Okay Doc. We'll get her looked at tomorrow. Thanks."
They said their goodbyes and Gene filled the rest of CID in on Alex. He couldn't help but notice the rather odd glances from Ray. Were he not focused on his work, he would get to the bottom of it, but he decided that now was not the time. Ray needed to step up to the mark and with Alex out of action, Gene wasn't sure his DS was up to the task. Previously, when Alex had been absent, there wasn't a big case to conclude. Now there was and he needed all hands on deck. Plus, Alex would go though him for a shortcut if he, or anyone else, fucked up now.
He spent the day reading and correcting reports, wanting to shove every infuriating poxing one of them into the shredder. He hated doing this shit. Maybe becoming a Superintendent would have some benefits. He would never have to read another one of these again. It also made him have serious doubts about Ray's ability. He had been making DI noises again and rather than pour cold water over him, Gene had just ignored it. But this substandard work couldn't be ignored; it was problematic to say the very least.
Alex had already indicated that Ray was a slacker when it came to the mundane things like paperwork. Gene knew it was a problem but Ray got results. Sometimes. The way the Met was now, Ray would never be a DI. Like himself Ray was old school and was damn lucky to be a DS. To be a DI you had to care about the big picture and frequently, Ray didn't even know there was a picture. He was loyal member of the team but he needed supervision. He was always going to need it. Gene also knew that unlike Chris, Ray didn't want to learn from Sam. Or from Alex. That stood against him now. Especially because he wrote like a 10 year old. Gene was no great shakes at writing reports either but he kept to the point. This? If he had to read once more about how much time Ray spent pretending to do crossword while listening to conversations, he was going to lose it.
"Guv? Cuppa?" asked Shaz, peering around the door. He gave her the thumbs up sign. Sometimes that girl was worth her weight in gold. Refreshed by the tea and biscuits that Shaz kept supplying him with, they all worked solidly until the evening and then retired, en masse, to Luigi's.
"Ray? Keep an eye out, will yer? Goin' up to see Bolls," he asked, before ordering his first pint.
"Will do Guv," he replied and motioned for Luigi to come over and take his order. Ray was used to Gene calling up to see Alex at that this stage. When she wasn't babysitting him, the Guv would usually find a way to meet her during the rare evenings she had off. He'd never stay for long, five minutes tops, but it didn't fool Ray for a second. He smiled to himself; the Guv had it bad, that was for sure. Chuckling quietly, Ray made himself comfortable on the bottom step, just inside the main door to the flats and waited for the Gene to reappear.
Gene knocked softly on Alex's door. "Bolls?"
There was a shuffling sound and a miserably pale Alex opened the door. "Hi," she smiled wanly. "Come in."
"How are you this evening? Headache gone?" he asked and closed the door behind him.
"Mostly," she yawned and scrubbed at an eye.
He caught her hand in his. "Blind as a bat I hear?"
"Apparently," she replied, giving him a small grin.
"Lemme see," he said and tilted her head up towards him and scanned her tired eyes thoughtfully. "We've been here before, haven't we? I knew these eyes would land us all in trouble one day. One way or another."
Alex slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Stupid migraine."
He rubbed her back gently as she relaxed against him. He could get used to this. They stood that way for a few minutes until Alex yawned again.
"You should go back to bed," he directed and released her. "Let us know how you feel in the morning."
She started to protest. "I'll be in the office in t-"
"No, you won't. You're going to get those eyes checked out, first thing. Then you're going to decide how you're doing and if you're okay, and depending on my mood, I might let you come in."
"Gene, I have to! There's too-"
He interrupted her again. "Alex please, for once, don't argue with me and get yourself well. You're no good to us if you get sick all over Ray's reports, though, having struggled through them meself today, I can't says I'd blame you."
That got the smile he hoped for. "Okay. Well… I might see you tomorrow then," she relented, knowing that what he wanted was reasonable.
"Good," he whispered and leaning down, he kissed her gently. "Glad yer almost back to normal. Or… back to whatever passes for normal wi' you."
She gave a soft snort of laughter. "Bugger off!"
"Mind your language Drake," he teased and opened the door. "See you tomorrow. If you're not in work, I'll drop in tomorrow evening."
She smiled up at him. "Good." Stifling another yawn behind her hand she said goodnight and kissed his cheek with a murmur of thanks.
He gave her a brief wave before heading down the stairs to join Ray who was still sitting on a lower step; his feet keeping the main door open.
"How is she, Guv?"
"Doing better Raymondo. Her headache isn't so bad but she still looks as green as that mould we found on that bit o' cheese in the fridge the other day."
"That was mostly grey, Guv. And fuzzy."
"No! That's what covered those old strawberries. I'm talking about the green stuff. On the cheese."
"Guv… I'm thinkin' that we really should clear the fridge out more often."
"Oh shut up, you great girl," he scoffed and sat down beside Ray. "Did you get a pint for me?"
"'Course I did," he replied and handed Gene the pint he knew his Guv would want.
"Cheers Ray," he replied, clinking their glasses. Gene took a swig and then lit a cigarette, blowing smoke out into the cool evening. They sat in silence for a while before Ray spoke again.
"So, how is she really?"
Gene gave him a sharp look. "I told yer. She's doing better."
"Just a headache?"
"A migraine," Gene sighed and then plonked his pint down on the step behind him. "What the fuck is up wi' you?"
"Me? Nothing."
"And the funny looks you've been giving me all day?"
"I haven't! I wer-"
"When did you become Drake's big defender all of a sudden? And why is it that the last time we had a row it was about her too?"
"Honestly! It's nothing," protested Ray, seeing that somehow he had stepped on a landmine.
"Have you got a thing for her?" The stab of jealousy that ripped through Gene at that moment almost caused him to gasp.
It did cause Ray to gasp. Unfortunately, he'd just taken a big gulp of his pint. "ME!? No ruddy WAY!!" he spluttered, choking and coughing.
Gene didn't know what to think. He gave Ray a few whacks on the back to help him catch his breath. Ray moved out of his reach, indicating that he was fine and just needed to stand up. A whack from the Guv was enough to dislodge a lung. Once his coughing fit subsided he sat back down.
"No Guv. Seriously, DI Drake and I are colleagues who have, somehow, managed to work together on occasion. We've agreed a mutual truce for now. There's nothing else. I swear it."
Gene said nothing and took another drag of his cigarette. Something didn't sound quite right to him. He'd worked with Ray for long enough to know when his Sergeant had something on his mind. Not one for backing off tactfully, Gene pressed on. "Okay, so you don't fancy her then. Care to explain the funny looks towards me today then?"
"Guv, for the last time, there were no funn-"
"Yes, there fuckin' was. And I suggest you tell me before I kick it out o' you. I will not have a member of my team saying one thing and doing another."
Ray had to think fast and this wasn't something that was his strong suit. He just knew if he told Gene that he suspected Alex was pregnant, Gene really would kick it out of him, just for the hell of it. No. He had to say something else.
"Guv… it's nothing. Drake has been as narky as fuck for the past three days. Today she almost chucks up all over me. I just presumed that you knew what was wrong had decided to say nothing about it, considerin' how we're all working to wrap the case up. If she's sicker than wot you said, I'd like to think you'd tell me about it. That's it." He thought he did well, as that was as close to the truth as he could make it. Hell, it was all true if pregnancy could be classed as "sick".
But he wasn't out of the woods yet. Gene narrowed his eyes. "An' why would I know what's wrong with her?"
"Well… 'cause you two are close, like." Ray wasn't stupid enough to say just how close he thought they were.
Gene took another drink. "She has a migraine. She needs glasses. That's it. If there is anything else then I am not aware of it and the Doctor is not aware of it. Clear?"
"Clear Guv."
There was a loud sigh. "I can't keep havin' this argument wi' you Ray. Contrary to what you seem to think, I do respect her and I know she's worked herself into the friggin' ground for me. You're not the only one who's noticed it."
"I didn't mean to soun-"
"But… when I'm not around," Gene continued as if Ray hadn't spoken, "I'm glad to know that you'll keep an eye on her for me. Mind, if you ever tell her that, I'll fuckin' string you up by your short and curly hair. And I don't mean the hair on your head. Comprende?"
Ray chuckled. "Got it Guv."
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, smoking and drinking their pints. After all their adventures together, it wasn't necessary to talk. Sam was gone, Annie had left, Alex had arrived but through all the comings and goings of good friends and colleagues, it was Ray who had stuck around the longest. He and Gene had worked together for over 12 years and they both knew that era was coming to an end. It wasn't necessary to spell it out. Apart from one thing.
"Ray... about the DI promotion..."
Ray looked at his shoes. "It's not happening, is it Guv?"
"No."
"Next year?"
"No."
"Ever?"
"That's up to you. But it won't ever happen if you keep on going the way you are. DIs in the Met these days are a far cry from the DIs you an' I started with."
"Do they all need psychtwattery degrees and whatnot?" Ray was bitterly disappointed.
Gene smiled to himself. "No. But they need to know how to write reports. And they need to know how to run a case. All aspects of it. And they need to help DSs and DCs. Lastly, they need to be the link between the DCI and the team."
The truth of Gene's words hit home. He was gutted.
"Being a DI isn't everything Ray. You remember ol' DS Reed in Manchester. He'd been a sergeant forever and wouldn't even consider moving up. But he was the best DS in the place. Everyone wanted him on a case. Sergeants can do things DIs can't. Plus you get all the investigative work without all the paperwork. You just need to take care of yer own."
"So you're saying you get to be a Super, Drake probably gets DCI and I get fuck all?"
Gene hated this and was getting cross. "Three things. One, I'm not a Super yet. Two, no way is Drake ready for DCI and three, if you bothered your arse to do your job to the best of your ability, then we wouldn't be having this little chat. I'm tryin' to help you."
Ray nodded slowly. "Can't a plonk just do the reports an' stuff. It would be-"
"It's your job to do your own. I know it's hard to adapt to all these new changes but Ray, if you don't, Chris will beat you to it."
"Fuck off!!" he cried, incredulous.
"I'm serious. Chris, div an' all that he is, is eager to learn. Eager to improve. His big downfall is that once he learns something, he's more than likely to fuck it up again in a very short space of time. You? Not so. But you won't learn and you won't listen. At least Chris tries."
"I see what yer sayin' Guv. Thanks."
"Beter to say it now, huh?"
"True enough. 'Nother pint, Guv?" asked Ray, seeing Gene drain his glass.
"Nah. Think we should head off. There's a good film on telly tonight. Dirty Harry. One of me favourites."
"We better get a move on then," said Ray enthusiastically. They picked themselves up off the step and returned their glasses to Luigi who made polite enquiries after Alex. Then, managing to escape the Italian's clutches before he started bleating on about Alex, sick and alone in her flat, Gene made his escape with Ray. As they crossed the road, he looked back towards her flat. No lights were on so he presumed she took his advice and returned to bed. He hoped she did; she badly needed the rest.
If he could have seen Alex at that moment he'd have been more than amused. She was fast asleep, on her back, and her snores would give him a run for his money.
The following morning, Alex felt better. Her headache was mostly gone and the nausea had vanished. She was hungry so after a decent breakfast, she went to the opticians and had her eyes tested. Sure enough, she needed glasses and they would be ready for her next week. As she made her escape, the optician reminded her that she needed to rest her eyes or risk the headache returning. She made the necessary agreeable noises, picked out a pair of frames she liked and then beat a hasty retreat. She stopped off at the first phone box she found and rang Gene, wheedling her way back into work without really that much of an argument.
Once she arrived in the office, she started straight into her files. DI Crane appeared and the two of them worked solidly for the rest of the morning. Gene was with the Super and the office buzzed with an air of nervousness. The doors banged open at lunchtime causing everyone to jump.
"Good to see you, Bollykecks," grinned Gene at her, the emphasis on "see" not lost on her. "Crane."
"Guv… errr… Mr Hunt, Sir," stammered Crane
Gene rolled his eyes and strode into his office.
"God, he must think I'm such an idiot," muttered Crane to Alex.
"David, you should just talk to him! If you want to move from Branch then-"
Crane shook his head. "No. I'd rather have worked this case to completion before I ask. Otherwise, he has nothing to go on and I don't want a recommendation from Mooreland. I'd rather move on my own merits."
"Gene already knows that you're a good copper. He knows more than you think, even if h-"
David smiled at her. "You worked things out with him yet?"
"David!" she hissed, looking around. Nobody was near them. "Shush!"
"Is that a yes then?"
"It's a yes and a sort of no. Early days. Now, we're not talking about this here. If you look at this file, at the bit wh-"
"Don't let it go by Alex," said Crane sincerely. "Very few of us get a chance in life to be really happy. Seize that chance with both hands. In this job anything can happen. Here one minute and… not, the next. So don't have regrets."
"Right now, finishing this case is important to me," she said sincerely. "For more reasons than just the obvious. So, we should get back to work."
He held up his hands. "Okay. Work it is."
Their little tête-à-tête was, of course, noticed by Gene. He pretended to be inputting figures into the computer but all the time he was just pressing random buttons, his eyes fixed on the cosy pair, nattering in the corner. He knew it was irrational, he knew what she had told him previously, but it still bugged. Crane was good copper, of that he was certain, but he was still too close to Alex's… sort. Posh, upper class, well educated, clever, good-looking, young… all the things he wasn't. Gene's big fear, the "what if" scenario of her walking out, always came to the fore when he saw Crane. He knew he was jealous and insecure – two things he never thought he could be – but Alex had turned his worldview upside down. And it bothered him more than he cared to admit.
He stared morosely down at a large ledger in front of him. Fuck it. The ledger never threw a hissy fit and made irritating beeps like this useless piece of crap on his desk. Until he was specifically told otherwise, he was going to update his crime classifications in his ledger and they could just fuck right off with this computer bollocks.
"Gene?"
Alex was standing in the doorway.
"Yes Bolly?" he replied, laboriously copying figures from one column to another. Eyes on the job.
"It's lunchtime. You coming?"
"Soon. Go ahead without me. I'll catch up."
"Can I help?"
"No. No, it's fine. Go. See you later."
"I think you're just meant to add the left column up and transf…" she trailed off, catching his look.
"My ledger, Bolls. My rules."
"You also have a rule about lunch and Ray will gnaw the leg of his chair if you don't get a move on. Come on Gene… the ledger can wait."
He sighed theatrically but got to his feet nevertheless and they all meandered across the road to Luigi's for lunch. Not, for once, a liquid lunch but one that contained food. Gene was rather quiet but was pleased that Alex sat beside him and nicked bits of his pizza.
"Need to talk to you when we get back," he murmured in her ear eventually.
"'Bout wot?" she replied round a mouthful of pasta.
"The Super had a few thoughts."
"What's the problem?"
"There isn't a problem. He just wants to help out, is all. Coming in later to listen in. Let's wait until we get back, 'ey?"
"You're being all mysterious again Gene. Tell me- URGH!! What did you do!?"
He had been fiddling with a sachet of mustard and it had enough of his pawing. With a pop, it exploded all over the front of his shirt.
"SHIT!!" he cried, jumping to his feet and grabbing Chris's napkin from him. He scrubbed at the fabric furiously.
"You're only making it worse," she said, reaching for the mustard covered napkin. "Come and get one of those spare shirts upstairs and put that in the sink to soak."
As they got up, Shaz remained them the briefing session was scheduled for 2pm.
"We'll only be a few minutes Shaz," replied Alex, hurrying after a thoroughly pissed off Gene.
She hoped he wouldn't notice that his spare shirt supply had dwindled somewhat. All that was left was a red one and a light blue one. She had used the others for pyjamas or just for lounging about it. A green cotton shirt with wide 70's lapels was her favourite and current one for sleeping in. Shit… she hoped it was tucked away out of sight. She kept out of his way as he flung the mustard-covered shirt into the sink and turned the water on it. Then she heard him cursing from the bedroom as he looked through her wardrobe for a replacement.
"What is it?" she called from her place of refuge on the sofa.
"How, in the name of ARSE, can a shirt shrink this much when it just hangs in a wardrobe?" he asked appearing at the door in a light blue shirt that was so small, his biceps threatened to burst through the sleeves, the cuffs only reached mid forearm, and the buttons were more than a foot apart.
"That's because you're wearing my blouse Gene."
"What the fuck??" he spluttered and he whipped the blouse off him as fast as he could. "Where's mine?"
She rolled her eyes and moved past him into the bedroom. "Here," she said, pulling out his shirt. "I've even had it laundered as it was hanging in there for so long."
"Why, thank you Bolly. That were nice of yer," he grinned as he pulled the shirt on and fixed his tie. Just as he had the knot where he liked it, he froze. His eyes fell on an empty suitcase beside her bed, which he only noticed now. "You going somewhere?"
She saw what he was looking at and smiled at him. "Oh that! No… well… yes, sort of. You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff I've left in your place over the past few months. Have to move it all out soon."
Gene let out the breath he was holding. "I would believe it. Nearly fucking killed meself the other day – stepped on one of them bastard hair rollers o' yours and it almost sent me down the stairs," he grinned back. "You don't half collect tat Bolls. But… but… I know I'll miss it. Miss you."
"I'll miss you too," she whispered, stepping closer to him.
He reached for her and not giving either of them a chance to over think it, he kissed her as hard as he could. Don't walk out on me Alex. Please don't ever.
Alex responded eagerly, grabbing at his shirt, shoulders, arms, anything to pull him closer. Gene happily obliged and backing her up against the wardrobe door, he pinned her there with his body, one hand at the back of her neck, keeping her lips pressed against his.
Alex was tingling with excitement and longing. God, how she had wanted him and the feel of him against her. He was firm and solid where she was soft. She loved the contrast, loved the feel of his roughened fingers as they found a patch of silky skin on her side. He traced a lazy circle there making her squirm and arch her back towards him.
He couldn't think, couldn't focus on anything except the woman in his arms. Her reaction to him banished all thoughts from his mind except one. Still keeping her tight against him he began to move in the direction of his bed and Alex willingly moved with him. She had already removed his tie and was busily opening one button at a time, placing kisses down his chest after each one popped free. That looked like an awfully good idea – certainly felt like it, so he did the same to her. Gene was a much faster worker and had her blouse off in a few seconds, preferring to kiss her thoroughly afterwards. His mouth grazed across the swell of her breasts, stubble chaffing lightly as his hands gently slid her bra straps from her shoulders.
"Guv!! Boss!! You ready?! We're gonna be late!" came Ray's voice from the hallway.
Alex froze and Gene blinked. Had he just heard-
"Guv?" This time Ray's voice was much closer; he was at the front door and had opened it.
"He's in the bathroom Ray!" called Alex, making Gene jump at the unexpected volume. "I'm gathering some of my stuff. One sec!!"
"'Kay. We're waiting out the front," replied Ray and they heard the front door shut behind him.
Gene leaned heavily against her; his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
She kissed him softly one last time. "We'll find the time."
"I don't even want to think about what'll happen if we don't," he muttered crossly, picking her blouse up from the floor and helping her into it.
She watched as he tucked his shirt in, almost savagely, and snatched his suit jacket and tie up from the bed.
"Gene…" she said softly. "Come here."
He was like a sulky child who had his favourite toy taken away so she reached for his hand and took the tie from him. Then she draped it around his neck, tied it swiftly and smoothed his jacket over his shoulders, fixing the collar which was all askew.
"I love this suit on you," she smiled, thinking how the dark navy pinstripe and crisp blue shirt brought out his eyes.
He was watching her as she spoke and then he cupped her chin in his hand and ran his thumb across her lips before gruffly saying, "An' I love you."
Her heart leapt and she kissed his thumb which was still resting against her lips. "I love you too, you grumpy ol' lion you. Turn that frown upside down."
"Oh fuck off," he chuckled, almost against his will. He couldn't help it. She knew how to make him smile.
Alex caught the corner of his smile with a quick kiss. "We'll be okay."
"I know."
She held his gaze. "I do love you Gene."
"I know that too."
They caught up with the rest of the team and went back to the station. Alex had hurriedly shoved some clothes into an overnight bag so as not to cause suspicion. If she told Ray she was "gathering stuff" then it would be noticed if she appeared empty handed. Muttering about going to the dry cleaners, she hoped Ray would leave her alone.
Gene looked just the same, if a bit quiet. She soon found out why.
Knowing that Alex was still not 100 Gene had postponed the journey to Manchester for one day, despite her protests. However, he also had the Super to support him so she was well and truly overruled. They reasoned that one extra day wasn't going to make that much difference at this stage so she relented. The Super, after he heard what the plans were for the next few days also dropped a bit of a bombshell on them.
"I have decided that the protection arrangements you have in place for DCI Hunt will have to come to an end."
Alex looked at Gene who was staring at the ground. Obviously he had already had this conversation and lost. "But Sir-"
"It can't continue DI Drake. Once you interview O'Brien, we'll have shown our hand. It will either work or not. We have no other leads, no other information, no nothing. This case, one way or another, ends on Saturday."
"Can we say it ends when we have concluded our interview with O'Brien?" asked Crane, from the back.
The Super gave him a sharp look. "Very good DI Crane. Fair enough, it ends after you have completed that interview. Agreed?"
There were reluctant nods all round. The Super continued, "Obviously I hope for a positive outcome. The information you have gathered and the work that has been put in is nothing short of phenomenal. We all hope that this ends well."
Then the conversation moved on to drug crime but Alex wasn't really listening. Knowing that the case was going to end, regardless of what happened in Manchester, made her feel… anxious. A lot depended on her ability to get the answers they were looking for and it wasn't going to be easy.
She remembered Crane's words. In this job, anything can happen…
.oOo.