A/N- First- apologies- sorry I haven't thanked everyone who reviewed the last chapter- life's been giving me a real good kicking for the past couple of weeks- also sorry I've been so long in updating, hope you can make more sense of this chapter than I can , Fen xxx

Chapter Eleven

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Thin Ice

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The many men, so beautiful!

And they all dead did lie

And a thousand thousand slimy things

Lived on; and so did I

Coleridge

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Alex took care with her appearance before leaving the flat. To be in control of such things again felt good. Control was the key to life she realised. The days flat on her back in the hospital bed she hadn't had control. As she scrutinised herself in the mirror and slicked on a touch more pale pink lipstick, she reminded herself that this life wasn't real, it was an illusion, a hiding place from harsh reality, therefore she could do more or less as she liked with no consequence. But then she remembered what Black had told her about Gene, the copper who had died young and now existed only in this world. Black had told her about Winter Hill, and the farm at Farringfield Green, where his body was buried. Was this her reason for being back? To find the body? Black hadn't said as much. He had told her that Gene needed saving and that Sam would be able to help her.

When she arrived in the incident room Gene's office was empty. Sam was nowhere to be seen either.

'Where is DCI Hunt?' she asked Chris.

'Dunno' he shrugged.

'DI Tyler?' she tried.

He shrugged again, 'You could try the canteen.'

No-one said, 'Welcome back.' ,and why would they? She'd only been gone a day or so. They just looked at her as they always did, with their ill concealed leering. She wondered how they could all be dead, these grey men who wandered about carrying pieces of paper, cigarettes clamped between second and third fingers. Did they know what they were doing was futile? That all their investigations were pretty damn pointless? When Annie suddenly walked into the room, so bright and pretty and seemingly vitally alive, Alex felt a lump in her throat.

'Are you alright?' Annie looked concerned.

Alex exhaled and nodded, 'Yes, yes, of course. I just wondered where Gene and Sam were. The place seems a bit devoid of senior officers.' Her voice sounded a little high and desperate, she knew she had to calm down and try to be a bit more normal, but it was hard in this room full of ghosts. No wonder Black hadn't explained things in any great detail, it was difficult enough knowing what she knew.

'Sam's in the records room.' Annie said, 'I'm sure he'll turn into a mole, he's always down there, going through old documents. I think Gene's with the Super, explaining why Ray hasn't been suspended.'

'Oh dear, how's he going to manage that I wonder?' Alex said.

'With difficulty.' Annie smiled, 'Ray's a fool, but he's not a rapist.'

'No of course he isn't.' Alex agreed, 'So the records room, it's in the basement isn't it?'

'Yes.' Annie replied.

'I think I might just wander down and see Sam.' Alex said.

'Ok.' Annie said, 'DCI Hunt has assigned me to a missing persons case, no doubt he'll leave me to do all the boring stuff and then take over if I find any firm leads, but at least I actually feel I'm something other than a glorified tea girl.'

'Never think that' Alex said, feeling choked up, she touched Annie's arm lightly, 'Right- records room.'

Annie smiled and opened her mouth, then seemed to think better of it and shut it again.

'What?' Alex asked, 'You were going to say something.'

Annie looked around before speaking, 'You know there have been rumours flying round don't you?' she said quietly.

'Rumours about...?' Alex asked.

'You and Gene.' Annie said.

Alex nodded and stepped back awkwardly, feeling a blush bloom on her cheeks.

'I asked Sam and he was very reticent about it.' Annie grinned, 'But I heard you lumped the Guv on the jaw. Sam said he thought you might have left this department.'

Alex nodded, 'No- still here, and the jaw thing-I'm not proud of it.' She could see Annie was dying to ask more but Alex hurried off before she had the opportunity.

When she arrived down in the records room Sam looked shocked to see her, 'What are you doing here?' he let the paper he was reading flutter to the top of the pile. 'You disappeared into thin air, I was sure you'd gone back.'

'I did.' Alex said, 'I went back, but my body is pretty smashed up so they put me back in a coma.' She looked around the dark and dusty room, feeling compressed and claustrophobic, 'How can you stand it down here? It's like being...'

'Buried?' Sam put in.

Alex shuddered. 'Yes sort of. What are you doing down here anyway?'

'Trying to find out when Gene first arrived.' Sam said. 'And getting nowhere.'

Alex moved closer, 'I know what he is Sam. What this place is'

Sam's head snapped up, 'You do?'

'I think you probably need to be sitting down when I tell you.' Alex said gently, 'Maybe it would be better if I didn't tell you what I know here- walls have ears and all that.'

'Someone's out to get him.' Sam said, 'To uncover some deep dark secret.'

'I'd worked out as much.' Alex said, 'Can we meet later? Some pub that's not the Arms perhaps?'

'The White Lion?' Sam suggested.

'What time?' Alex asked.

'Seven?- It's quiet today, we should be away from here by six at the latest, but you never know do you?' Sam said.

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Alex went back to the incident room to find Gene was reinstalled in his office. He glanced up as she walked in but looked down again quickly.

'Contemplating your navel?' she asked brightly.

'Ah Miss Badpenny.' he replied. 'You decided to grace us with your presence then?

'I thought you'd be more pleased to see me.' she said, 'Another of your lambs safely back in the fold. You seemed quite pleasantly surprised this morning.'

Gene swigged from his ever present tumbler of scotch, 'I thought you'd apply for a transfer at least, Bolly.'

'I like it here.' Alex said, moving closer, 'Is that scotch part of your reward for winning the bet?'

He looked up and once again she was startled by the intensity of his eyes, 'All bets are off.' he said, 'I told Sam that. I was a twat and it won't happen again.'

'What won't happen again?' Alex asked, moving around the desk and resting her bum on it, looking down at him.

'Any of it.' Gene said uncomfortably, 'You're my DS, nothing more nothing less.'

'That's a shame.' Alex said, stretching her legs out and running her hand along the smooth wood of his desk.

'Yes' he took another swig, ' So DS Drake, I suggest you run along now and do something more useful than draping yourself over my desk, we've got an audience and it doesn't do to add fuel to the fire.'

Alex turned slightly and saw most of CID were gawping into Gene's office. She turned back to him, 'We could...meet later. At my flat for instance.' she said quietly.

Gene's eyes widened, 'What for?'

'Do I have to spell it out?' she asked.

'Well yes, you do.' Gene looked mightily confused.

'I enjoyed our last get together.' Alex said, 'I thought a repeat performance might be rather nice.'

'Rather nice?' Gene said wryly. 'That's a first. My attentions have never been referred to as 'rather nice', I'm not sure if I should be a little insulted. ' but he looked all puffed up and full of himself suddenly.

'Take it or leave it.' Alex said,praying he'd take it.

'What time?' he asked.

'Nine-ish?' she said.

'Ok' he nodded.

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'So what have we got?' Sam asked, as they settled down with two glasses of Chablis in the White Lion.

'Gene was killed as young PC.' Alex said, taking out a notepad and a pen, 'PC Hunt, 19 years old.'

'Fuck' Sam was visibly jolted.

'This is a passing over place, a kind of limbo.' Alex explained. 'Black said Gene's not the only guide, but he's the one who is in need of help. Someone- some.. thing is out to get him.'

'Morgan' Sam said. 'Black passed a file on to us, I took this out before Gene saw it.' He passed the sheet of paper he'd removed from Black's file to Alex.

'Clammy hands Morgan?' Alex asked, only giving the paper a cursory glance.

Sam nodded, 'He wanted me to leave Gene and the others to god knows what in the heist, that's one of the reasons I came back.'

'But why, what good would it do?' Alex asked, 'Is Morgan the same as Gene? Do they score points for the amount of souls they help over or something?'

'I think it's more a case of where they help them to' Sam said, 'I think Gene's go up and Morgan's go down.'

'You mean...?' Alex shook her head, 'I don't believe in all that heaven and hell stuff.'

'And yet you believe in this' Sam said, 'Or do you actually think you're dreaming it all from your hospital bed? I know I was tempted by Morgan in a kind of "all this I will give you" way.'

'So you're comparing yourself to Jesus now?' Alex asked.

'Of course not.' Sam said. 'Anyway, you said Black told you about Gene, when did you see him? He was supposed to be laying low.'

Alex put down the notebook and picked up her wine, 'He is my surgeon in 2006. He explained things a little before putting me into a coma. He's there and he's here.'

'So is Morgan.' Sam said.

Alex tightened her grip on her wine glass, 'Morgan's in 2006?'

'He was my surgeon.' Sam said.

'So he saved you.' Alex said, 'It doesn't make sense. Why would he do that?'

'He wanted to get me away from Gene.' Sam replied, picking up Alex's notebook, 'Winter Hill? Farringfield Green ?'

'That's where he's buried.' Alex whispered. 'PC Hunt.'

'You talk as if they're two separate people.' Sam laughed bleakly.

'Well they are.' Alex answered, 'DCI Gene Hunt is hardly a wet behind the ears police constable is he?'

'Be hard pushed to imagine him as such.' Sam agreed, 'So- what do we do next? Go to Farringfield Green? Look for the grave? Because I don't think it's a good idea.'

'Why not?' Alex asked.

'Gene has worked hard to build up his kingdom and now you want to tear it all down. Make him face his past. You'd be doing Morgan's dirty work for him.' Sam said tightly.

'Black said he needed saving but he didn't tell me how to do it.' Alex replied, 'If Gene really doesn't know who he is and what he's doing he's vulnerable, he's not in control of his destiny. How is keeping him in the dark going to help him?'

'He's managed pretty well so far.' Sam said.

'Yes but Morgan wasn't gunning for him in the past, now he is.' Alex said, scan - reading the sheet of paper Sam had passed her.

' ...but now the time has come to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Hunt needs to be dealt with. He must be proved unfit for purpose. He is an imposter, a sham. He has no right to be in charge of his department. He does not fulfil his remit- some of his officers have been with him for years- Carling, Dobbs and Skelton to name but three, and there are more who should have been moved through long ago. I will make it my mission to disassemble his department by discrediting his officers and ultimately have Hunt removed from the Force. I had hoped for assistance from Tyler, but it wasn't to be...

'See?' she said, waving the sheet of paper, 'If we don't tell him sooner or later Morgan is going to- and it's going to be much, much nastier. These are the ravings of a very disturbed mind- however did Black come across them?'

'I don't know, he didn't say.' Sam shook his head again, 'Fuck, fuck, fuck.'

'Will you come with me to Farringfield Green?' Alex asked.

'How exactly are we going to go without Gene knowing?' Sam asked.

'This weekend?' Alex suggested.

'You really think it's likely that we'll both be off at the same time?' Sam said.

'Are City playing at home?' Alex asked.

Sam nodded.

'Right, we'll go Saturday afternoon.' Alex said. 'Gene won't even know;he'll go to the match and then the Arms. He won't even miss us.'

'I still don't think it's a good idea.' Sam said, 'It's setting something bad in motion.'

Alex glanced at the grimy clock behind the bar, 'I have to go.'

'Got a date?' Sam frowned.

'With Gene.' Alex said.

'You're kidding.' Sam said.

'No- I like him.' Alex replied.

'You're using him.' Sam said. 'He's unaware of what you are. It's not fair. You start up a relationship with the poor sod and what happens when you disappear back to the future?'

'We're just having fun. Remember that? Fun?' Alex said, 'We're both adults, what harm can it do?'

'Like I said, he doesn't know what you are, what we are.' Sam said, 'What if he falls for you?'

'Highly unlikely.' Alex snorted, 'He'll just move on to the next one. I can't imagine Gene Hunt with a broken heart.'

'Up until now I couldn't imagine Gene with the same woman more than once- apart from his wife - and I don't think there was much of a physical side to that relationship.' Sam said, ' I know it's none of my business but I wish you wouldn't toy with him, he's flesh and blood you know, with real feelings and everything.'

'You're a good friend to him.' Alex said gently, 'I promise I won't hurt him- I still think you're worrying over nothing though. Can you imagine what he'd say if he found out you'd stood in the way of him having a good shag?'

Sam clamped his hand over his eyes, 'Enough! Too much information. Now I've got to try to banish it from my mind.'

Alex stood up, 'So - Saturday- one o'clock? We take the Capri? I'll bring a map.'

'Saturday.' Sam agreed reluctantly.

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Back at the flat, Alex felt nervous. She wondered what she was doing. Maybe she was wrong about her actions in this world having no consequences. She showered and put on demure clothing- pale blue cotton flared loons and a cheesecloth top- before applying muted make up.

Gene was late. It was almost ten when he appeared looking dusty and crumpled.

'What kept you?' she asked.

'Little scrote called Edmund Carstairs.' Gene said, 'Still, I got a confession out of him, Tyler wasn't around to soften my blows. It was just like old times.'

'You seem to gain inordinate pleasure from physical violence.' Alex sighed.

'So do you.' Gene replied, rubbing his jaw.

'Yes well...you asked for it.' Alex said, 'Betting on getting me into bed.'

'You're never going to let me forget it are you?' Gene turned towards the door, 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.'

'You could have a drink before you go.' Alex said.

Gene turned back speedily, 'Now you're talking.'

'Take your coat off then.' she said as she poured him a scotch; as she approached him with the tumbler she caught the flash of uncertainty on his face. Could it be that the great Gene Hunt was nervous too?

As he took off his coat she thought he may have lost a bit of weight. No more of Mrs Hunt's stodgy home cooked meals, she thought. It certainly wouldn't be down to vanity. He was totally unselfconscious regarding his appearance. He took the tumbler of scotch, nodded his thanks and made himself comfortable on the sofa.

'You're quite a resilient old bird Bolls' he remarked.

'Thanks for the old.' she said.

'You're no spring chicken.' he smiled.

'I'm not quite over the hill yet.' she protested.

'Keep thinking that love.' he said.

'Whereas you are every woman's fantasy man.' Alex said huffily.

'Yeah, they're queuing up.'he replied, he reached out and put his hand on her thigh, testing the water, waiting for her to react. When she didn't push his hand away he moved it a few inches higher, looking at her from under heavy lashes.

Alex held her breath and somehow, almost involuntarily, found herself picking up his hand in hers.

'The other night,' he said, slightly breathlessly as she examined his fingers, 'Was it just me or was it...pretty fucking incredible?'

Her mouth was dry as she nodded. More than anything she wanted him to take her to bed.

'See I keep wondering if I imagined that it was that good.' he said quietly.

'Me too.' she squeaked.

'Maybe we should try it again?' he closed his fingers around her hand, 'Just to check.'

'Maybe.' Alex agreed, getting impatient, this holding hands lark was all very sweet but the rest of her was getting insanely jealous, why weren't his hands roving over all the parts of her body that were crying out so desperately to him?

She moved towards him and he backed off for a split second before changing his mind, 'Oh go on then' he grinned, pulling her in one determined movement on to his lap. Her giggle was quickly stifled as her arms went up around his neck and their lips crashed together.

At last his hands were doing what they were made for and travelling up under her top, she pushed herself on to him, and wriggled, planting tiny kisses on his eyelids and down to his cheekbone, until he pulled her head forward so he could kiss her again, his teeth biting her bottom lip gently. At that moment she knew she had been absolutely right to come back.