No Place Like Home – Chapter 11

Unbeta'd again so all mistakes are my fault!

Hope you have all enjoyed reading this story xx There will just be an Epilogue after this chapter to round things off.

Thanks again to all who have commented either here or on TRA it has meant a lot to me especially with this being my first ever fanfic. *Hugs*

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Alex began to feel she was experiencing life like some sort of automaton just going through the motions day by day waiting for something to happen to make her feel truly alive again. It was almost two months since she had awoken from her coma and she was no nearer to unravelling the mysteries of what had happened to her since Arthur Layton had fired that bullet. She felt she was letting her dreams seduce her and that she had only been viewing Gene and the world she had left behind through rose-tinted glasses. It wasn't as if he was perfect…far from it and at times she had wondered if they would ever be able to make a relationship work in the long term. If she concentrated on all the bad things that had happened there maybe she thought, she could break the spell so she conjured up images of all the times Gene had hurt her and of the harsh things he had said and she tried to convince herself that he would find comfort with some Irish trollop once she was out of the picture, but it didn't work her reasoning wouldn't allow it too because she had seen the truth in his eyes in their moments of deepest intimacy, she was his world and she found she could forgive him for everything that had gone before because we often do desperate things when we fear losing that which is most precious to us… 'We always hurt the ones we love the most!'

Getting back into the groove of her life meant picking up on all the old familiar routines from doing the weekly shopping to picking Molly up from school. Alex knew she had to try and find some normality but found she had almost wiled away another day with impossible dreams when she suddenly noticed the time, bursting into a flurry of activity she headed out to her car, she didn't want to be late picking Molly up, not with Arthur Layton still on the loose. Driving as fast as she could whilst still taking due care and was relieved to see Molly waiting at the school gates.

"Sorry Mol's" She called out to her daughter as she was skipping round to the passenger seat.

"Don't worry Mum I was late out anyway…Miss Herron wanted to talk to me about my attitude again!" Molly said rolling her eyes with contempt.

"Oh Mol's you haven't been getting in trouble again have you?" Alex said despairingly recalling her daughter's troubled record at school it had taken all her powers of persuasion to save her from being excluded twice before. Alex feared it was due to her over indulgence and trying to make up for the fact that her father had been so useless that had led Molly to become so headstrong.

"I hate school! That's all." Molly said.

Alex was about to probe deeper when her mobile phone started to ring, she put in her earpiece to answer it.

"Drake!" she said expectantly.

"Tick tock, tick tock." Layton spoke in a cold calculating manner

"What are you talking about?" Alex said her sense of panic rising. She saw a small car park ahead and pulled in waiting for Layton to respond.

"I said we weren't finished yet you and me…Well now we are…I'm happy hope you're happy to." He finished with a sneering laugh.

Alex's mind began to flood with thoughts and visions…

"There is a way back and you will know"

"You're way back isn't the same as mine but it will be the hardest thing you ever have to do"

"You can still have what you want but you must act quickly before the connection is lost forever"

"You can have everything you want you just have to believe it"

Then the image of the family portrait with herself, Gene, Molly and the baby flashed before her eyes and finally she saw her dad as the clown winking at her sat in the car that was about to….

"OH GOD!" She cried out realising what was about to happen… This was it… If she didn't get out of the car with Molly right now it would be too late, Layton had rigged her car to explode just as he had with her parents.

There was less than a second to make the choice and she cried out in anguish for the fate she was consigning her daughter too…

"FORGIVE ME!"

As she pictured Gene waiting for her and hoped against hope that Molly would make it with her this time.

They felt nothing of the blast that enveloped them as everything faded to black.

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"BOLLY! BOLS!" Gene's desperate shouts rang out.

There was an echoing sound of thudding footsteps approaching at speed and raised voices and everything faded into the distance once more.

"Alex can you hear me?" A voice punched through the darkness.

"You've been in a car accident Alex but you're going to be alright." The voice continued.

Alex slowly opened her eyes straining against the bright light and for a moment she remembered nothing of what had gone before.

"I'm Doctor Carter and I'll be taking care of you while you are here." He said smiling.

Alex noted that he was a jolly looking fellow in his forties, quite short and stocky with a shock of curly hair.

"Molly? Where's Molly?" Alex asked with desperate urgency suddenly remembering the horror that had gone before.

Doctor Carter stepped aside to allow Alex to see over to the bed opposite where her daughter was lying asleep.

"Molly will be fine…She has concussion but we are keeping an eye on her…She just needs a bit of rest as do you…Alex did you know that you were pregnant?" He asked.

"What?" Alex gasped did this mean she was back in 1982 and carrying Gene's baby? How else could they have survived a car bomb so relatively unscathed?

"It's still early days you are only about a couple of months along but everything is O.K." The doctor explained.

"What is the date today?" Alex asked to clarify the confusion.

"Don't you know?" The doctor asked concerned as he looked carefully at her head for signs of injury, she shook her head nervously.

"It's the eighteenth of February 1983." He said continuing his examination.

Alex gasped in shock she had been gone from this world for the same amount of time that she had spent in the other, there was no rhyme or reason to it she had been here for months before and only days had passed in the other world and when Sam had jumped to his death there he had ended up back in this world in the instant that he had left it. Her mind continued in a whirl of confusion as she glanced over at Molly she was overcome with guilt for making this choice for the both of them, there was no way back now and although she had her daughter with her as she had hoped she wondered if Molly would ever be able to forgive her. Tears were running down her cheeks as she heard a gruff familiar voice echoing down the hospital corridor.

"Which room is she in?" Gene's voice was filled with desperation.

"Sir please…wait…I need to ask the doctor if it's alright for you to be here." A nurse was trying to placate him unsuccessfully.

"Bugger that!" Was his response as he found the room he was looking for.

He bounded in only to freeze in his tracks at the sight before him struck temporarily dumb in shock.

"Gene!" Alex said quietly, beginning to sob in earnest.

"Are you Mrs Drakes husband?" The doctor inquired of Gene.

"Eh? What?...I'm DCI Gene Hunt" He said confused.

"It's alright" said Alex biting back her sobs "Please give us a moment?" She asked the doctor and he nodded and went out to talk to the nurse.

Gene said nothing at first he just stared at her; he looked hurt and a little bit angry although his resolve seemed to be crumbling at the sight of her distress.

"Where ya been Alex?" He finally said.

"I went home…But I've come back…For good this time…Look Molly is here too." Alex said gesturing over to her daughter.

"They told me you'd gone with DCI Gerrard and that you weren't ever coming back…You never even said goodbye." Gene said sadly.

"Gene I woke up in 2008 I heard you calling in that tunnel after I got away from Layton but it was too late…I had to go back." Alex explained wishing that Gene would come closer and take her in his arms.

"You've been in a car accident they said… What happened?" Gene asked looking increasingly confused.

"Does it matter?" Alex asked not feeling ready to explain how she had come to be back in this world.

Gene shrugged looking awkward and unsure of his next move. Then Molly stirred in her bed and called out in a shaky voice…

"Mummy?"

"I'm here Mol's" Alex said raising herself up slightly off the bed so that Molly would be able to see her.

"What happened?... I can't remember." Molly asked looking puzzled.

"Nothing to worry about…We'll talk about it tomorrow…O.K? You just rest now sweetheart" Alex said soothingly blowing her a kiss.

Molly nodded and smiled at her and Gene and quickly fell back to sleep.

"She's alright isn't she?" Gene asked concerned as he went over to Molly and stroked her hair tenderly.

"Yes just concussion the doctor said…Gene come and sit down a second…Please." Alex said wanting to be close to him.

He walked slowly over to her bed and sat tentatively on the edge.

"Gene I'm so sorry I hurt you…I love you so much…I came back for you…And there's something else..." Alex said searching for a way to explain about the baby.

"Go on" Gene said as Alex struggled to find the right words to continue.

"This is going to sound crazy…but…" Alex snorted realising the ridiculousness of what she had just said as Gene rolled his eyes but she collected herself and continued... "While I was back in the future I had a dream…A sort of vision really I suppose…I saw Sam Tyler and he told me I could find a way back to you…That I could have everything I wanted if I believed it…And I saw a picture of us…Me, You, Molly and…I'm pregnant Gene a couple of months the doctor said." Alex looked over at Gene whose face was a mask of concentration as his brain processed her latest mind bending offering, suddenly his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in shock…

"Come again" He said not allowing himself to comprehend what she had said.

"I said I'm pregnant…Up the duff! In the pudding club!" She said smiling.

"I'm going to be a daddy?" Gene said his face still a picture of shock.

Alex was about to answer when Gene took her in his arms in a tight embrace kissing her face and hair and pulling back slightly so that he could capture her lips in a slow desperate passionate kiss then he held her tightly to him she could swear he was shaking with emotion, indeed he had to sniff back tears as he spoke.

"I thought I'd lost you forever Alex, I don't know how I made it through after you left…Just shutdown I suppose…Couldn't let myself think about you…Told everyone not to mention your name ever again…Then today I got a call saying you'd been in a car accident…I still can't take it all in…All that stuff about the future… And now here you are with your daughter and you're having my baby…I think I need a drink!" Gene finished and looked into her eyes still looking dazed and confused and utterly gorgeous Alex thought.

"There'll be no more of that Mr Hunt! Only tea, coffee and maybe a sherry at Christmas for you from now on." Alex said with mock indignation.

"Sod that for a game of soldiers! When I'm married to you I'll need all the bloody help I can get!" Gene said ending with a defiant pout.

"Married? Jumping the gun a bit aren't we?" Alex said remembering how she had turned down Gene's proposal before.

"I don't know about jumping the gun…Bloody shotgun more like! We'll have to get a move on an all or else you'll never find a frock to fit you and I'll look like I'm taking Demis bloody Rousoss down the aisle!" He said mischievously.

"I might consider marrying you if you ask me properly…I'm sorry I turned you down last time but I hope you at least understand why I had to now…And anyway you didn't actually say the word marriage then did you? And you've never told me that you love me...I mean I know you do and I don't expect you to be saying it all the time but now…Here for me I'd like you to…Please Gene." Alex looked at him expectantly.

"I'll just go the whole bloody hog and get down on one knee shall I?" Gene said puffing indignantly. "I said before I'm no good with all that soppy stuff and if you do take me on…Well that's how I am I can't go changing not even for you…." He shifted about uncomfortably as if his next words were about to cause him physical pain. "I do love you Alex…More than I've ever loved anyone or anything…And if you agree to marry me I'll do my best not to ever give you cause to regret it." He finished and looked deep into her eyes.

"Where's the ring?" Alex teased with a grin as she continued not wishing to leave Gene hanging for long "Yes I'll marry you Gene Hunt… I bloody love you too and although I know there will be times when we drive each other around the twist I honestly wouldn't want it any other way." She leaned in to meet his kiss; it was a soft lingering kiss full of love and longing.

"Bloody Hell Bol's I'll be getting in that bed with you if you keep that up." Gene said as Alex's hands wandered.

"Not in front of Molly!" Alex said in mock alarm. "How do you feel about being a dad to Molly? She's a great kid Gene and I think she will really respond to a strong father figure." She asked worried that Gene didn't appreciate how things would be now she had returned with her daughter.

"I'll do me best Bolly…I didn't exactly have the greatest role model in my own father and if I'm honest I did think my chance at being a dad had passed…But here we are and it's good…Blimey if I can keep Ray and Chris on the straight and narrow, two kids should be a piece of piss after that!" He said smiling.

Alex moved in to kiss him again and he responded with enthusiasm.

"Shit! I'll have to get the ring back." Gene said suddenly recalling he was no longer in possession of it.

"Did you get rid of it?" Alex asked concerned as she had really loved that ring.

"No I left it at Luigi's after…Well when you said no before…Then I asked him to keep hold of it because I couldn't face looking at it again after you left." Gene explained.

Alex was nuzzling Gene's neck when she recalled about his promotion and how he had introduced himself as still being a DCI to the doctor.

"Shouldn't you be Detective Superintendent Hunt by now?" Alex inquired.

"Oh yeah…That!" Gene said awkwardly. Alex raised her eyebrows waiting for his explanation.

"Like I said after you left I had a bad time…" He stopped and looked ashamed of himself as he puffed out a breath and continued.

"There was an incident!...And the Chief Super thought it best if my promotion was put on hold for the time being since no official announcement had been made…" Gene was reluctant to elaborate any further.

"Incident? What incident?" Alex asked determined not to let him off the hook.

Gene shifted about uncomfortably "I put Arthur Layton in a coma...He's alright now and back in the scrubs…But it was touch and go for a while…Course that wasn't the official version of events, but the Super's no fool and I didn't care about the promotion enough to fight for it then."

"Oh Gene!" Alex said not knowing quite what to feel about what he had just told her.

"I'm still alright for buying us a house and everything though, like I said I've invested wisely thanks to Sammy boy." Gene said hopefully.

"And I'll carry on working of course." Alex said making her intentions on that subject clear.

"What after the babies born?" Gene said shocked.

"Well I'm not staying at home cooking and cleaning and darning your socks!" Alex said exasperated.

"I'm not having Gene Junior palmed off on baby sitters! Him an' Molly will need their mother" Gene said angrily.

"Gene Junior?" Alex questioned.

"Well Eugene then…Why what's up with it?" Gene said narrowing his eyes at her.

"Nothing I suppose…For better or for worse…Mm?" Alex said sighing not wanting to spoil the moment with pointless arguments, she snuggled close to his chest once more remembering Sam's words in her dream "No one knows how long they've got" However long she had she was determined to make the most of every second with Gene.

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A month later and a hasty registry office wedding had been arranged, Alex had just made it back to 1983 in time for Chris and Shaz's nuptials which occurred a week after her return, she had asked Gene to sit on their own happy news until after then as she didn't want to overshadow their big day; it was difficult for him though as he felt like shouting it from the rooftops. Alex had tried her best to explain everything to Molly who it appeared was swiftly becoming assimilated into early eighties living, she seemed to remember very little of what life had been like before their 'accident' and was happily accepting of her new situation. She and Gene seemed to hit it off in a way that was beyond even Alex's hopes and as she watched the two of them playing cards and laughing she thought her heart would burst with love for them both and she gently patted her stomach in wonderment at the life growing within, her happiness was almost complete.

Getting ready for the registry office with Molly Alex wanted to make sure her daughter was happy, the memory of how they had come to be in this world together still haunted her and although in her heart she knew that this was where they were meant to be there was still a feeling of guilt that gnawed away at her.

"Mol's You're O.K with all this aren't you?…I mean it's all happening so fast…Me marrying Gene and the baby…You know how much I love you don't you? It was just the two of us for so long." She pulled Molly into her embrace kissing the top of her head as she held her tightly.

"I think its fab! Gene's so funny and nice and I can't wait to have a baby brother or sister." Molly said grinning as she pulled out of her mothers arms and reached for a tissue to wipe her tears away. "You'll smudge your make up mummy and you look so pretty today." She said dabbing her mums face as they both looked into the mirror smiling back at each other.

It was a simple ceremony but it got the job done, Alex looked radiant wearing a patterned cream dress with a long matching jacket finished off with a cream feathered fascinator, Gene looked handsome in a dark blue three piece suit with a pale blue shirt and blue striped tie and all their nearest and dearest were there to give the happy couple their best wishes. Alex could swear that even Ray had a tear in his eye as she and Gene said their "I do's" although when he had to blow his nose he swore it was just a cold. Luigi had excelled himself with the reception spread he was so pleased that Alex and Gene had finally made it official that it was his present to them, and Alex had been so touched she hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oi! That's enough of that Mrs Hunt!" Gene said swooping in to take her in his arms.

Luigi had been playing a tape of romantic songs and Gene moved to dance with his wife as 'At last' by Etta James began to play.

"I thought the Gene Genie didn't dance." Alex said as she put her arms around him to sway to the music.

"There are a lot of things the Gene Genie didn't do before you came along." He replied giving her a teasing grin.

She laughed and snuggled closer to him "I finally feel like I'm home...And I want it to last forever" She said holding him close.

"It will my love…It will." Gene said kissing her softly as the song played on.

At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last

Lyrics by Mack Gordon & Harry Warren.