Disclaimer: All Characters property of the BBC and Kudos Production, They do not belong to me.

Apologies for the shortness of the chapter, at least you can trust that i will update again soon! Thanks to all reviewers for thier valued opinions and the TRA lot for thier's too! Emzi.x is 'the man'. (Probably not the best thing to have said with this fic in mind)


Alex felt uncomfortable. Gene's arm was draped over her shoulder like some trophy piece while Chris and Ray sniggered at her behind their hands.

"I swear to god you two…laugh one more time and I'll-"

"Now, now, Mrs Gene, stay in character like." Ray smirked.

Alex smiled pleasantly.

"Fine."

Alex pushed Gene's arm away and Gene gave her a confused look.

"What yer doin'?"

"This is me, in character, pissed off at your immature friends."

Gene turned his icy glare on the boys, who stopped giggling and looked away.

Gene huffed.

"Right, time t' up the stakes."

Gene got to his feet but Alex caught his arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Gonna talk t' the landlord."

"You can't do that! You'll blow our cover!"

Gene looked to the heavens for strength.

"Well we're not findin' anythin' out sittin' 'ere are we? Got any better ideas?"

Alex smiled

"We'll improvise."

Alex stood at the bar, her low cut backless dress drawing all eyes to her. She smiled at Gene giving him a sultry look and a little wink before turning her back to order a drink.

Gene took the opportunity to let his eyes wander down her body. The silk hugged her hips and bum and Gene couldn't stop thinking about his hands replacing the material.

That was until she turned around again and caught his assessment. She frowned at him for a millisecond, communicating her distaste without giving the game away to the legions of men that sat watching her.

Alex began to walk back towards the table, stopping dead when she'd half covered the distance. She dropped the glass, causing it to shatter into hundreds of tiny pieces at her feet with a crash. Anyone who hadn't been paying attention certainly was now.

Alex brought a hand to her throat, alarm in her eyes as she struggled to breath. She started to sway a little and her eyelids drooped. Gene jumped to his feet.

"Sweet'eart?"

Alex looked as though she was trying to focus on him, but her eyes wouldn't work. She let them close and with a dramatic sigh dropped to the floor with a thud. Gene was at her side in a second, the others stood around him. Gene patted her wrist lightly.

"Love?"

He checked her pulse and his eyes widened. He shouted out, panic in his voice.

"Is there a doctor in the 'ouse?"

Gene looked around, desperately searching for someone to step forward, no one did. Thinking quickly, he gathered Alex up in to his arms. The barman came forward, alarm in his voice.

"You can't move her!"

"I'm getting' 'er t' an 'ospital."

Gene shoved his way past him and left the pub, Chris and Ray following with their girls. They were watched from a booth in the corner, his face hidden by bad lighting. Had they been watching him, they would have seen him smile.

Gene set her down in the Quattro, she didn't move until they were out of sight of the pub. Gene gave her a look.

"Well fun as that was Drake…"

"It was worth a try. You were the one who was bored of sitting in the corner, remember?"

Chris and Shaz exchanged looks from the back seat but said nothing. Neither did Gene.

As they pulled up outside Luigi's, Alex hopped out and made her way inside with a self satisfied smile. Chris and Shaz followed quickly, keen not to be left with the bad tempered Guv. Gene locked up his car and lit up a cigarette. He wondered if anyone in that pub had seen how close he'd been to a coronary back there.

"Bloody woman."

He began to walk over but Chris rushed back outside to meet him.

"Guv! Viv's been tryna get 'old of us. They found a woman round the corner from that pub."

"Where's Drake?"

"Jus' gettin' changed Guv."

Chris had barely breathed the last word when Alex came running up the steps. Gene frowned at her as Chris got into the car.

Alex shrugged.

"I had to change my dress!"

She stepped around him and got into the car. Gene raised his eyebrows to himself. He acknowledged it was one hell of a dress.

Shame to ruin it.

All done, update up in the morro! Thanks for reading! LQx