Disclaimer I do not own anything related to Ashes to Ashes or Life on Mars.

Fight Back

"Bloody legs!" Gene swore as he forced one leg in front of the other. He tried not to think where Alex could have got to when she promised him she would be there for his physiotherapy appointment. He swore again as the young physio watched him.

"Gene, you had a major car accident."

"And don't I bloody know it!" Gene barked. "And there was me thinking I'd tripped over me shoelaces."

"What I am saying is you need to get it into your head that your body is doing its best to recover. Muscles were damaged but not beyond repair. The spinal cord is in tact so there is no reason you can't walk properly again." She watched as he nodded.

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Look luv, I don't mean to be funny but whats the time scale on this?"

"Gene it's up to you. The more you work the sooner you get home." The blonde wrote something on the pad in her hand as he grunted and swore under his breath.

"Well, I seem to remember a certain DCI promising to chase my bony little arse around the place as soon as possible. So hurry up Gene." Alex smiled as Gene turned to face her. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was bad."

"That's ok luv." He couldn't help but smile as he saw her stood in the doorway. "And I will chase your bony little arse around again, you see if I don't."

He forced one painful step after the other and watched as tears filled his wife's eyes as he got to her.

"What you crying for?" Gene was dumbfounded as he watched her smile.

"You."

"What the bloody hell av I dun now?"

"I'm just looking forward to being chased." She stepped towards him as he drew himself up to his full height. "I just might let you catch me a little more often from now on." She smiled as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I keep my promises Bolls. You know that." He kissed her cheek as closed her eyes.

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Annie stared at the tiny boy in the incubator as the nurse passed her a cup of tea.

"Mrs Tyler?"

"He's so little." Annie was amazed at how small her son was. She had felt so huge when she was pregnant she was convinced he would be at least a stone at birth.

"He's a tough lad." The welsh accent of the nurse was almost soothing. "He's passed all the tests so far. We've got him on a drip and the doctor wants a few more blood tests and scans but he's doing well."

"Thanks." Annie was amazed that she could feel so proud of her son, just for surviving the first twelve hours of his life. It didn't seem fair that he was stuck in the incubator.

"I'll leave you two alone. Once he's off that ventilator you can have a cuddle."

"I can't wait." Annie smiled as the nurse squeezed her shoulder. "You hear that Danny? You are getting off that machine soon. When Daddy gets here, you just wait." The baby lay in the small incubator looking impossibly fragile. She sighed heavily wondering where Sam and the others were as she heard the doors of the Special Care Baby Unit open to reveal a dark haired girl holding a huge blue helium balloon with "ITS A BOY!" emblazoned across it.

"Shaz?"

"Hiya." She walked across to her. "You ok?"

"Danny's going to be alright." Annie smiled slightly.

"Yeah? Great. Are you going to be ok?" Shaz stared at her as Annie's eyes filled with tears.

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Ray was annoyed. Really annoyed. He had no idea how Keats was involved in the attempt on Gene's life but he knew he was. He clicked his pen on and off as he watched Sam on the phone. He knew if it were Mia in hospital he wouldn't be sat in the Squad Room.

"Sam." He watched as the DI put the phone down.

"Yeah?"

"Why ain't you up the hospital with Annie? Shaz said she was going to drop in after she went to see the Magistrate about that search warrent. Said she'd go and see the Guv while she was there."

"I'm going later." Sam sighed. "She'll love seeing Shaz."

"Why ain't you there now? For Chrissake man. You are a father now. Why are you here?" Ray glared at his friend. He had always thought Sam was the intelligent one. The man on the team that wasn't the neathanderal. He watched as Sam stared at the desk, trying to control his temper.

"Because Annie and Danny are the most important people in the world." He couldn't believe he was telling Ray this of all people. Ray, who had the emotional intelligence of a pirhana fish. "I have to catch this scumbag Ray. I have to."

"We will. You know it's almost definately Keats?" Ray didnt know where the sudden change in conversation had come from.

"Probably, it could be anyone we crossed over the years. Chas Gale is out on probation. Teresa Morgan is out. Saw her nicked for shoplifting in town last week." Sam ran a hand over his face. "It's the only way I can keep them safe Ray. If whoever it was came after Gene could come after them. I can't have that."

Ray watched as Sam closed his eyes. He suddenly realised why Sam had almost run back to work. He smiled slightly, perhaps Sam hadn't changed that much. He had just reverted to type. When terrified do what you know best. What Sam knew best was being a policeman.

"You bloody muppet." Ray smiled slightly.

"The love of your life has just 'ad your kid. And the kid ain't well."

"I know that."

"Shaz is on her way back 'ere. Alex will be 'ere after visiting time. Me and Chris aint as thick as 'e looks."

Chris looked up at the mention of his name and raised an eyebrow as Sam smirked.

"Thanks Ray." Sam grabbed his jacket and almost ran from the room.

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Shaz dug her hands in her jacket pocket as she walked across the hospital car park towards the bright green mini she drove. She smiled slightly as she thought of Annie and the baby. Her friend looked exhausted but happy. She wondered briefly where Sam had got to but decided not to think about it too much. He was the least likely bloke to end up a dead beat dad. The rain threatened to fall as she got to her car and drove off wondering what they would find once the search warrent had been issued on the house of the lorry driver. She felt slightly sorry for the middle aged man but the more they looked, the more it seemed he was the cause of what no longer appeared to be an accident. What she wanted to know was why.

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Gene smiled slightly as Alex sat next to him on the bed. The consultant had seemed happy with him but for the life of him Gene didn't know why. He may have been able to breathe on his own now and walk a little without collapsing but Ruby was still faster at getting about than he was. He felt Alex hold his hand.

"Annie had the baby."

"Sam said." Gene watched.

"Gene I have to have a paternity test. Evan is telling everyone he's my father." The words were out in a rush as Gene tightened his hold on her hand.

"You 'aven't got to do anything Bolls."

"Court order. Came this morning. He is going on trial for attempting to abduct Molly and conspiracy to abduct me." Alex looked at her hand as Gene wrapped his fingers around hers.

"And he's going to prison."

"Did you know? About him and mum? About me?" Gene frowned, he had always insisted if there was nothing else between him and Alex there would always be trust.

"Alex." He held her gaze.

"I know." She smiled slightly. "But he's telling his defence I'm his biological daughter."

"Bloody Hell Bolls."

"I know."

"Alex listen to me. I didn't know. Course I bloody didn't." He watched as she closed her eyes. "I knew he never liked me. But then if the likes of me turned up wanting to marry one of me girls I'd be pretty annoyed an all."

"Gene." Alex sighed.

"Probably wouldn't go about kidnapping one of the dozy mares after she had married him. Christ on a bike I 'ope Molly and Ruby find decent blokes. Not for a bit mind. Not till they are about 40." Gene watched as Alex shook her head.

"40" She watched as he nodded.

"Yeah, might think about letting them go out wiv a bloke when they are about 33."

She kissed his cheek as he closed his eyes.

"I feel sorry for any boy they bring home." Gene opened his eyes as she whispered.

"Alex." He kissed her lips. She opened her eyes as she touched his face.

"Yeah?"

"Get me out of 'ere Bolls." She nodded. Gene was coming home.

A/N Back to the actual case on the next chapter. :D More soon. Thanks for the reviews. What will Shaz and the others find when they search the house? Is Keats really the man behind it all? Who is the mysterious lorry driver? Are Annie and Sam going to cope with Danny and can Gene really come home. More Evan in the next chapter.