Disclaimer I do not own Ashes or Life on Mars. Sorry for the delay in updating. Serious case of writers block with this one. Anyway, as always please review.

Guilt

Gene sat heavily on the bed in the travel inn he had rented a room in. Alex stared out of the window. It had been a long day and she was missing the girls. She knew Gene was too. Leaning against the window frame she watched the pedestrians below as they went about their business.

"'eard from Annie?" Gene asked as he tugged off his cowboy boots.

"No." Alex sighed. "Not yet. Sam has arranged for us to meet in the Carrot and Horse at 8."

"That used to be the Railway Arms before it was burned down and Nelson came to London. God, Bolls. It's all different up 'ere now. I used to know every little bit of this Manor. Now, I'm a right fish out of water."

"Things change." Alex sighed as she walked back to the bed.

"Yeah."

"Gene?"

"Yeah." He looked her in the eye as she spoke. For a moment he was lost. She was only in Manchester because his ex wife was trying to kill them. Because Layton was on the loose again. He had no idea where either had run off to but he knew he had to find them. He caught her hand and tugged so she fell onto the bed next to him.

"I'm sorry, Alex. You know that yeah?"

"Ok." She held his gaze as he spoke. "Why? What have you got to be sorry for?"

"All this. Gloria. If you'd never met me."

"I'd be stuck in Vice hating every second of it." Alex spoke calmly. "Gene, this isn't like you. Gloria is just another suspect as far as I am concerned. Now we will find an address for her and if needed we will get back up from the local police. You have nothing to be sorry for. If I hadn't met you."

"Layton wouldn't."

"Maybe, maybe not." Alex cut him off as her fingers rested on his lips. "But if we hadn't met we wouldn't have Ruby or this one." She rested her hand on her tiny baby bump. "Now Gene, come on."

"Alex?"

"What?"

"I love you. You know that? Yeah? You do me 'ead in half the time but I sodding love you."

"Yes. I know." Alex smiled. "And there was me thinking you never said anything romantic these days."

"Romantic?" Gene pulled her to him. "I'll show you romantic." He kissed her passionately as Alex held him to her.

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"One woman cannot just disappear." Annie stated as she walked through the corridors of her old nick. It was well known that half of Section A had up stick and moved to London when Gene had been headhunted to work for the Met. It was also well known that he had been able to hand pick his team. There had been more than a touch of resentment from some of those left behind.

"Gloria Hunt." The thin man stated as he walked next to her. "Is a pain in the proverbial. Dunno why you lot so interested in a small town crook. Not now you work in the Big Smoke."

"Oh come on Simon." Annie sighed. "She's wanted for aiding and abetting. You know who escaped two days ago?"

"Aye."

"Well then."

"What?"

"I need to know what her last legitimate address was. Not the one she was using to con money out of the DSS or the one that she gave you when you nicked her. I need to know, Si. This is important."

"So you say." DS Simon Evans was not the most helpful liaison officer Annie had ever come across. She glared at him as he smirked.

"You do know what Arthur Layton has been imprisoned for? Attempted murder of a police officer," She began counting the crimes off on her fingers. "Abduction, murder, blackmail, intimidation of a witness." She failed to add that he had taken her hostage briefly years earlier. Evans already seemed to think they were over reacting for nothing.

"He killed a copper?"

"He tried to. She was in a coma for three months."

"Bloody Nora."

"And Gloria has taken up with him." She watched as the colour drained from his face.

"I might have something for you."

"Thanks." Annie stepped into the old office she had known so well and waited. For once it seemed as though they were getting somewhere.

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A/N Short update. More soon xx