Thanks to grainweevil for the superfantastic transcripts. They really do make it easier.

--

The dreams kept coming.

"So, skimpy enough?"

"It's a start"

–

"I am going to stamp your arse, you do know that"

"You most certainly are not"

–

"No, I don't know. Tell me"

–

He didn't want to tell Alex. Things had been going well, even though after two weeks they still hadn't managed to spend a night alone together. Molly liked him, and Evan tolerated him, and he didn't want to upset the balance. On top of it, Alex's nightmares had all but disappeared, as he'd suspected they would. He'd suspected her nightmares were just nightmares, not some mystical connection to another existence. Eventually they would fade away completely. But his hadn't. Not yet anyway.

Whatever the vampires had done to him hadn't faded. It worried him enough that he had sent Mina in search of a supposed expert on the Kronon – he didn't think he could disappear into another place in his dreams, but he didn't want to find out the hard way. Luckily they'd found one living in Manchester. Apparently he'd known his father and was happy to help. Rupert wanted to talk to him face to face. But until Mina returned, time-travel expert in tow, his only concern was spending some time alone with Alex.

--

"So what are you doing tonight?"

"Well hello, Rupert, how are you?" Alex tucked the receiver under her ear and sat back in her chair.

"I'm great. I want to see you tonight."

"What a fantastically romantic proposal." She laughed into the phone. "But I have to work late tonight and then I have to take Molly to her orchestra rehearsal. I'm sorry."

"I took care of that, Evan's going to do it. And pick her up. And spend the night."

"Well in that case I seem to be free later. What did you have in mind?"

He chuckled. "It's a surprise. I'll pick you up at the station at seven."

"Pick me up here? Do I need to change?"

"Yes. White tie. See you at seven."

"But Rupert – wait I -" He had already hung up.

"Inspector Drake? This just arrived for you."

Phone still in her hand, Alex looked up to see Natalie carrying in a large box.

"I wonder what it is?"

"So do I. It's huge!"

Her curiosity piqued, Alex hung up the phone and came around her desk, stopping at the small coffee table in her office where her assistant had set the box. Inside was a gunmetal grey, strapless gown in layers of chiffon and raw silk, with matching shoes and shoulder wrap. "What the...?"

She moved to the phone and punched in Rupert's number.

"Just wear it," he barked.

"Rupert? What is this?"

"I'd have thought you knew what 'surprise' meant. Just put it on. I'll pick you up later."

Alex looked at her watch. 5:00. She still had two sessions before she could get dressed.

"If you weren't so charming," she mock scolded him.

"You can spank me later."

"Oh, I intend to."

"Then it'll be a perfect evening." He hung up again.

–

Two hours later, with Natalie's help, Alex had managed to squeeze into the dress and was attempting to do something with her hair.

"Do you want me to put it up?" Natalie asked.

"Can you?" Alex asked, slightly desperate by this point. "Do you know how to do that?"

"Of course!" Natalie ran out and was back in a moment with hairclips and a chopstick. In no time she had turned Alex's neglected mess of hair into a small sculpture.

Alex looked in her pocket mirror. "I'm impressed."

"You look great Inspector. Do you know where you're going?"

Alex shook her head. "I have no idea." She glanced at the clock on her desk, "but I may already be late. Thank you so much for your help Natalie. See you on Monday."

Exiting the building Alex smiled as she spotted Rupert standing near the car, smoking a cigarette and walked towards him. Her jaw dropped a little. He was wearing full white tie formal dress. And he'd cut his hair.

"Very nice," she said as he approached.

He slipped his hand around her waist as he bent to kiss her cheek. "Alex," he growled, "I have spent the entire day wanting to see you in that dress and now all I want to do is peel it off you." He opened the door to the backseat and helped her in, sliding onto the seat next to her.

"Maybe if you're a very good boy,"she teased.

"Where's the fun in that?" He shut the door and the driver pulled into traffic.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

He looked at her, obviously considering. "British Museum."

Now she was intrigued. "What's at the museum?"

He leaned over to kiss her. "Party."

–

The 'party' turned out to be a charity cocktail party and silent auction. Alex took the offered program as they walked through the museum entrance.

"What are we doing here?" She glanced at the small pamphlet. Inside were listings for the auction items along with a small description of the charity's services and high volume donors. Her eye caught one listing in particular. "Rupert?" She held out the paper. "The Charles and Harriet Galvin Foundation?"

He winced. "Yeah. My parents. This was mom's favorite charity and when she died she left an annual benefit. I'm supposed to come every year to this thing but I never do." He shrugged. "But I thought it might be fun to hang out in the museum after hours." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Sneak around." He raised his eyebrows with a suggestive leer.

Alex hooked her arm into his. "Your parents. Why would your mother leave so much money to a British charity? Did she live here? How did she manage that? Was she British?"

"Well, with enough money you can pretty much do anything you want," he said with a shrug. "But no, not British. Born in Indiana. I think...I grew up there, anyway. She moved here after my father died." Rupert lifted two glasses of champagne off a passing tray and handed one to Alex.

"What did you do?"

"Me? I was married by then. He died six months after the wedding."

And then your wife died, Alex thought. She didn't say it. Alex sipped her drink as they walked through the galleries. She really knew so little about him.

"You've never talked about your parents."

Rupert cleared his throat. "No."

"Tell me about them."

"Tell you about them?" He made a slightly puzzled expression as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "Huh."

"You know all about mine." Alex smiled at him. "Your turn to spill."

Where should he start? The parents he thought he knew a month ago? Or the parents he suddenly didn't know at all? He wasn't even sure why it mattered, in the end he'd even wound up in the family business. He couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if he had known. If his life might have taken a different path. He supposed that didn't matter much at this point, either.

"OK. My parents. My father was a construction contractor for an international firm. We traveled a lot when I was small, Europe, India, Cairo. I don't remember too much but I do remember Cairo. I think we were there for a long time – maybe even six months, right before I was to start school. We even spent some time here in the UK. My mother loved it here – it's why she chose here after Dad died."

Alex loved when he talked about himself, it happened so rarely. "And your mother?"

"Lovely woman. When I was old enough to start school we moved back to Indiana permanently. Dad still traveled on business, but he made shorter trips, though more of them. I had a remarkably uneventful childhood and they were both very proud when I got into Notre Dame on a Religious Studies scholarship."

"I'm sure they were."

They had stopped near a statue of a giant horse head, and Alex turned to face him.

Rupert took the hint, leaning down to kiss her. Alex slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He leaned in, pinning her to the base of the statue, kissing her ear.

"Maybe we should find something with a little more cover?"

Alex pushed him lightly on the chest. "Not that I would shag you in the museum, but I'm afraid I couldn't hitch this dress up high enough if I tried."

Rupert frowned and slid his hand down her thigh. "Hmm. Maybe I should think about that for next time."

"Oh? Next time you dress me up and kidnap me?" But she was smiling. He smiled back. "You're family sounds lovely Rupert." Alex hooked her arm through his and they walked back toward the party.

"It was." They stopped to nab some hors 'd'oeurves off a passing tray. "Except it was a lie."

Alex stopped. "A lie? What do you mean?"

Rupert swallowed his nibble and grabbed two more glasses of champagne. "I have recently discovered that my father was not, in fact in construction." He paused to sip his drink. "He was a demon fighter. Like me."

"What? You never knew?"

Rupert shook his head. "No. Not until Albania. That old witch knew. She told me. She seemed surprised that I didn't know."

"I don't understand why he never told you, especially once you became interested in the same life."

"Well, apparently my mother didn't want me to follow in his footsteps. Thought it was too dangerous. They discouraged my friendship with Jay - Luke's father, although I didn't realize why at the time. I just thought it was growing pains." He laughed.

"She wasn't wrong, Rupert, look at what has happened to you, to your life." He said nothing. "She loved you Rupert, she didn't want to see you hurt."

"I suppose" he answered, looking at his shoes. "But Mina knew too."

"Mina? And she never said anything? Even after your mother died?"

He shook his head again. "No. She said something about thinking that by then it had been so long what did it matter." He shrugged. "But I don't know what I believe."

Alex put her hand on his arm. "I know it must be a shock, but it doesn't change how your parents felt about you."

"No. I guess not." He still wasn't sure if he should tell her the rest, he didn't even know if it meant anything yet. It probably didn't. "And I've thought about it a lot in the past few weeks. It probably doesn't matter anyway, you're right. Other than the whole my father wasn't who I thought he was thing."

"Yes, I do understand how that feels." She slipped an arm around his waist. "I'm starving. And I'd like to see what's up for auction. And I think you promised to show me a good time."

The corners of his mouth flickered up. "I did. But I was saving that part for later."

–

They left the party a couple of hours later, both having had more than a few glasses of champagne. Rupert swung her around abd into his arms as they waited for their car.

"So what do you think," he leaned into her ear. "Back to my place for a nightcap?"

Alex laughed, playing with the lapels of his jacket. "Nightcap? Rupert," she nibbled his chin. "I was really hoping we could go back to your place and have sex."

Rupert feigned shock. "I can't believe you would suggest that. You British women are so forw-"

He never finished. Alex pressed her mouth against his, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth. Rupert broke away as the car pulled up beside them. "See what I mean?" He pulled the door open with one hand, the other snug around her waist. "Out in public and everything!" His eyes sparkled at her as he guided her into the car, following her into the back seat.

Alex turned to him, sliding her hand behind his head, into his hair, kissing him hard. Her other hand moved under his jacket, first the buttons on his waistcoat, then lower. He groaned against her mouth as she stroked him hard beneath the fabric of his trousers.

"Save something for later," he mumbled as his mouth traveled across her jaw, over her neck.

"I'm sure you can manage," she whispered.

"No doubt," his voice was husky. "But I want you in my bed, all night. No fucking interruptions."

Alex felt her insides turn to lava as he kissed her again.

As soon as they'd got through the door he threw his jacket on the hallway chair, followed by her shoulder wrap, his waistcoat. He kissed her against the wall at the foot of the stairs, his body pressed hard against hers. 'Don;t move," he told her, disappearing for a minute before returning with a fresh bottle of champagne and two glasses and started up the stairs.

"Rupert, wait." Alex leaned against the wall. "These things are killing me." She dropped her shoes on the floor and followed him.

In the bedroom Rupert set the bottle and glasses down. "Drink?"

Alex tugged on his arm, pulling him closer. He moved his arms around her waist. "Later."

She started on his tie, unbuttoned his shirt; his fingers worked the zipper down her back. Alex shuddered as his fingertips touched her flesh, her head rolled back on her shoulders as her dress fell to the floor around her feet. Rupert kissed down her neck, like a feather over her shoulder, her collarbone. He unhooked the strapless push up bra, quietly pleased at how well everything had fit her, then tossed it aside before cupping her breasts with both hands. He dipped his head, mouth covering each hard tip as Alex moaned against him. He was already so hard, he wanted her so much. "Rupert," she breathed, "now."

"Yeah." He tore off his shirt, Alex working on his trouser fastenings.

"These are hardly easy access," she joked shakily. She wanted him.

"Just have to work a little for what you want, Alex."

"Like this?" She stared into his eyes as she worked his zip down, as his trousers fell to the floor. One hand slid under the elastic of his boxers and they followed, her other hand reached for his balls, teasing, curved a firm grip around his his hot length.

His breath hitched. "Exactly like that." He moved her to the bed, kneeling over her as he pulled her string cut panties over her feet. Shit, she was beautiful. He trailed kisses from her ankle to her knee, spreading her legs wide as he kissed the inside of her thigh before lifting it over his shoulder. His tongue trailed over her clit, later, he thought, kissing up her belly, her breasts, finding her mouth with his, his tongue searching. She curved her hips to meet him as he entered her with a groan, his body going tight with the strain. He thrust slowly at first, his face buried in her neck, her soft moans feeding his desire. She whispered his name and he moved faster, pushing off the bead to look at her, to see her face, what he could do to her. She bit her lip and he did the same, pushing his tongue between her lips, over her teeth. Her hips moved faster against him and he responded, her face had changed, her control disappearing. "Alex" "Oh god yes, Rupert, yes yes" her voice was a hot whisper and he moved in long hard strokes as her fingers dug into his arms, as her body clenched around him, as she climaxed, gasping and clinging to him. Rupert grunted, he wanted more. His body rebelled and he came in a flood, collapsing onto her arms.

–

"You're on your own, Jenette. Whatever he offered you to get between us, it was a lie. It's over, love."

"Let her go."

"Just do it!"

He watched as Alex jabbed her elbow into the blond woman, causing her to stumble backwards and fire blindly at him. He fired back, just as blindly... "Bolly."

–

He was sitting by her bedside, in the hospital. He didn't know what to do. How to say it. It would never be enough. But it was all he had. "I'm sorry Alex. About all of it."

–

"It's your turn now Mr. Hunt." The greasy haired man pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. Gene Hunt spun around as the bullet tore through him....

–

He woke in a sweat, sitting up without knowing where he was. He swallowed and looked in his bed. Alex. Right. OK, he exhaled in relief. He needed a drink. Getting out of bed he pulled on his boxers and went downstairs, remembering all the liquor was still in the kitchen. Rupert's hands were shaking as he downed a tumbler of scotch.

"What's the matter?" Alex appeared in the doorway, wearing only his shirt. He tried to light a cigarette.

"I keep having them Alex. The dreams. Nightmares." He exhaled and seemed to relax a little. "They aren't going away."

"Are they getting stronger?" She sat next to him on the sofa, brushing her hand across his face.

Rupert shook his head. "No." He closed his eyes, not wanting to tell her. "But he's waiting for you."

Alex looked puzzled.

"Gene Hunt. He's in love with you Alex."

"What? That's not possible. He can't be." Her head shook violently. "I can't...I don't believe it." Tears welled in her eyes.

He put an arm around her, pulling her tight. It helped him to comfort her.

"It won't happen Alex. You won't go back." I won't let you.

"What's are you seeing in your dreams? How do you know this?"

"I don't know. I just know they're real. I've dreamed so many things that happened to you." He kissed her. "Alex, before you left, did something happen to him? To Gene?"

"No. He was fine as far as I know. Of course he did shoot me, so I really have no idea what happened after."

He inhaled his cigarette, blowing smoke out slowly. He knew what happened after. "I keep dreaming something Alex. Something bad is going to happen to him."

"Bad? What do you mean?"

"Someone is shooting him, or is going to shoot him. I can't tell. It's fuzzier than the others. But I think he's going to die."

Alex was silent for a moment. "Maybe it hasn't happened yet?"

"Maybe." He stubbed out the cigarette. He'd seen Alex there, lying in a hospital bed. Alex couldn't have seen that. He swallowed, not wanting to think about it. "Lets go back to bed," he said, standing and tugging her hand.

"Do you think you can you sleep?"

"No."

–

Alex crawled over Rupert as he lay back on the bed. She kissed along his scars, such an intimate part of him. When he'd told her in detail what had happened to him all she wanted was to make it better, make every touch matter. She kissed lower, her tongue slid over the head of his straining cock and he gasped...

...he was having the dream again. Alex Drake, swallowing him deep, her hands gripping his balls. But ohmygod this was different. this was real, felt real. His hand twisted in her hair and he felt it, felt the pressure as he held her, felt her tongue as it swirled and tasted him.

It was happening, but it wasn't, it couldn't be real – she was still lyin' in a hospital bed, nearly dead. But it was happening. Shit,he'd dreamed this every night since they met. Unless he was drunk, or tired. But it had never been like this. It wasn't his hand wrapped around his swollen cock, it was her mouth. Hot and wet and oh bloody hell doing unspeakable things.

It was so real, he wanted more. He opened his eyes and there she was, looking up at him, eyes dark, smiling like she wanted it, wanted him. He pulled he up to him, 'Bols' he murmured, and she kissed him, mouth open, her tongue searching to meet his in a frenzy of desire and need.

It wasn't enough. Rolling her over he kissed down her throat, the curve of pale flesh, lips finding her perfect tits, teasing and licking until she screamed and clawed, until she begged...

He entered her hard,she begged for more and he couldn't stand it, couldn't hold on, it was so real...oh god...

'Gene! Yes! Yes! Yes!'

In the second before climaxing Rupert cried out, his entire body felt like it was trying to split in two. Alex clawed at his flesh as he slammed her to the bed again and again. He'd never been in so much agony. Even as a vampire's dinner.

It was minutes before he could see, or hear, and it took some time before he noticed Alex shaking beneath him, her body convulsing with dry sobs as he pulled her close. He could barely speak. "OK?" he murmured. "You OK?"

She nodded wordlessly. "I don't..." she was still shaking, curving her body under his, looking for protection. "Don't let me go, Rupert."

Pulling her into his arms, he shook his head. "I won't."

What the fuck had happened? It was bad enough that he had this asshole in his head when he slept, that he knew everything about him – everything that had happened. Bad enough that he knew how he felt about Alex, even if she claimed she didn't. After that performance he wasn't so sure.

She was crying now, and he kissed her forehead, her cheeks. "Alex, is there something you want to tell me?" She shook her head against his chest. "It's OK Alex. You can tell me anything."

"No." It was a lie. But she didn't want to tell him. She had more than trusted Gene, she had been in love with him. Was still in love with him. And now that she was home and happy and safe, and in love with Rupert, she knew it was true. She just hadn't expected to ever have to face it again. And not like this, in Rupert's arms. She didn't know why she couldn't tell him. It wouldn't have mattered to him.

The real truth was that she couldn't face it. She didn't want to think about him, to wonder what might have happened. To wonder what did happen.

"I just want to sleep." She knew she couldn't.