Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! T t R, f p u w m, e w I w l t... (hahahaha) And now, the penultimate chapter!
Chapter 11: Waking the Fallen
His father had finally succeeded. He had tried to kill Gene three times, and the third time, he had finally succeeded. His nightmare had finally come true. The funny thing was, Gene realised, was that his father had actually saved his life once. If he had not called to Gene that day in Italy, Gene would have been blown to bits.
But if Gene was dead, what was he still doing here? Why was his existence still hovering? Why wasn't he in hell yet? His eyes were unseeing, he could not hear anything, or feel anything. Maybe this was hell. Complete solitude in complete blackness for all of eternity. He could dwell on the fact that he should have been a better man, but Gene had dwelt on that often enough in life to really give it much consideration now. Still, if he had all eternity, what was he going to think about?
Gene knew the answer immediately. A brunette woman, with hazel eyes, with the education of a toff and the manners of a sewer rat. And the mind of a sewer sometimes, it seemed. She had come into his life when he was ten and it took him nearly three years to realise that Alex was the same person. He could not blame himself for this, however. How many people expected the person that raised them as a ten year old to come back at the same age, thirty years later as a love interest? It was messed up, completely mad, Gene knew that easily. But he knew he was right.
Gene tried to imagine her voice.
"Gene."
Yes, that was it. He had gotten it spot on! Now if he could remember this for eternity, he would be happy.
"Gene." Was he only going to imagine her saying his name? That was okay, but he'd like to hear more.
"It's just a bloody stab wound. You're stronger than this."
Aah. So now he was imagining what she had said to him in the hospital. So now he could feel guilty for dying on her.
He didn't feel like he was hovering anymore. In fact, it felt as though he was laying on something. His body was immensely heavy, it felt as though it had been packed in sand.
"You want to wake up, I know you do." He did, but he couldn't! He was dead! Maybe he shouldn't imagine her voice. He should think of someone else. But that did no good. All he could think of now was Lexi, telling him to fight for Alex. Gene knew that he was going to be driven insane. This was the perfect version of hell for him.
There was the feeling of bed linens underneath his fingertips. Wait a second, he had fingertips? When did he get those back? He tried to move his fingers, but he couldn't. They were still packed in the sand, in the mud that the rest of his body seemed to be under.
"Your eyes are moving Gene. I swear to God, if you wake up today, I will kiss you." He could hear relief in Alex's tone, and smiled to himself. Kiss her? He wouldn't mind that. Maybe he would try and wake up. Maybe he wasn't dead after all.
"I see you smiling a bit. Maybe I should have offered a kiss two days ago. Then we wouldn't have had to go through all that nonsense of you trying to die on me."
Gene knew that this couldn't just be his mind. He had to be alive! His mind would never allow Alex to say that she was going to kiss him.
Gene tried to open his eyes, but they seemed to be stuck shut. He could smell now, the sterile scent was clogging his nostrils. He had to be in a hospital.
Gene continued his fight against his eyelids as his body seemed to become less packed in sand. He felt a warm hand in his, thumb rubbing idly against the back of his hand. Gene tried to squeeze it, feeling as though he was making a monumental effort.
The thumb stopped against the back of his hand, and he felt a gentle squeeze back. "You're trying," her voice whispered. "Good. Now c'mon. Open your eyes."
God, she'd gotten bossy. Gene laughed to himself. She could boss him around for the next several years, and he wouldn't care. As long as he got to be with her.
Gene knew that he would eventually win the battle against his eyes, but they were being difficult. Alex murmured encouragement. There were other voices around her, but he paid them no mind. She was the only one he wished to hear. Her hand dropped from his, and her voice disappeared. Where had she gone?! Gene tried harder to open his eyes to see where she had gone. Eventually, they opened a crack, showing him blurred figures around the bed. He blinked and they came into focus. There were two doctors and a nurse at the bottom of his bed, all looking on with excited smiles. He looked around. There was no sign of Alex.
"Mr. Hunt. You gave us quite a scare there. We weren't convinced you were going to make it for a while. But, with the encouragement of Ms. Drake, you came back."
Gene didn't care. He just wanted to see Alex. "Where is she?" he asked quietly.
The doctor looked disconcerted by the fact that Gene didn't acknowledge any of what he said.
"Mr. Hunt, you shouldn't have visitors quite yet..."
"I want Bolly," he said firmly.
"Mr. Hunt."
"Now." He could not roar the command like he usually would, but his voice was such that the doctors scurried from the room. The nurse stayed, however, checking his medications, before also exiting as a tall brunette woman entered.
"Gene!" she exclaimed in delight. Realising the emotions on display, she quickly reigned herself in, changing her expression to mild happiness instead of extreme delight. "I tried to stay in here as you woke up but the bloody brilliant doctors decided that you couldn't have visitors while you were waking up."
"Bolly." It was a statement of acknowledgement, of thanks. He couldn't say any more, and Gene knew he'd never be able to express fully his appreciation for her calling him back to life.
"You bloody bastard!" she yelled. "You nearly died on me! More than once! They had no hope for you!"
Gene couldn't yell back, couldn't get angry at her. He just stared at her, drinking in her features, Lexi's features.
"Shaz, Chris and Ray have all been worried sick about you, Gene Hunt," she continued, hardly stopping for breath. "Bloody fool you are, charging a man with a knife! Don't you remember Shaz?! At least Chris and Ray didn't beat the bastard up like you let them do to Hollis. He's getting at least a ten stretch, if not more."
"Didn't know he had a knife," Gene mumbled. "He threatened you."
"And you had to pull out your superiority complex and tackle the man who held me hostage?" Gene knew that this was mostly out of relief that he was receiving such a bollocking, but he wished she could have waited until at least he was strong enough to fight back a little. Right now, he felt exhausted still and was having trouble stringing two words together.
"And then, you tried to die on me," she ranted. "TWICE, Gene. How bloody dare you! Can you imagine what CID would be like without you in charge?"
"Fought death, Bolls," he said, smiling softly. "Fought it like I usually do you." She stopped and stared at him.
"You heard me?"
"You heard me talking about Lexi." She stared at him, full of sudden understanding, finally silent. "Fought for you, Alex. Had to come back."
God, had he gone soft in the past six years? Why was he telling Alex how he felt? Deep inside, Gene knew. He had nearly lost Alex twice. Once was because she had nearly died, the other because he had nearly died. He couldn't wait anymore. He wouldn't wait anymore.
Suddenly, he became aware of a pain in his lower left leg. Gene reached down unthinkingly and gasped in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked.
"It's...it's there."
"What's there? And if you're being pervy..."
"My leg," he interrupted, not hearing her. "My leg is there."
"What do you mean? They don't amputate legs for a wound to the stomach."
"But...Six years! Six years, hobbling around on bloody crutches, when all the time I was here, leg intact!"
"Gene," Alex asked, confusion showing. "What are you talking about?"
"I was in the war...Italy, fighting, and my leg, it was amputated. I met my dad, Lex. And me. And..."
Comprehension was dawning on Alex's face. "There's no way," she said. "No bloody possible way. Gene Andrews?"
"Lexi."
"How? I held him in my arms. He died in my arms!"
"And Lexi died in mine," Gene whispered. "You, Alex. You died in my arms."
"You were your father's partner? In the war?"
"No. I wasn't my father's partner. I was my dad's partner. He only became my father after the war. I was a bastard to you when I was younger. I'm sorry."
Alex just smiled. "You didn't know it was me. You were angry. I understand."
They stared at each other, as if seeing each other for the very first time.
"I have a question," Gene asked. "The man you were travelling with, from London, who was so far away?"
"That was you Gene. And your woman, that you talked about as you died."
"C'mon, Bolls. Think about it. 'What's her name?' 'Bo..Bo...'"
"Bolly," she finished. Suddenly, she started laughing.
"What?" Gene asked, annoyed.
"You admitted you liked my psychology! In the park!" She grinned widely at him.
"Did not," Gene pouted. "Anyway, Lex, you owe me something."
"What do you mean?"
"You said that if I woke up today, you'd kiss me," he smiled.
Alex looked at him, stunned. "You heard that?"
"You heard me talking about Lexi," he shot back.
"I was Lexi," she retorted. "I just didn't know how I died. Plus it wasn't too hard. I was awake for several minutes while you were jabbering on, too distracted to notice I was listening."
"Some psychiatrist you are. S'not a good way to describe your patients, Bolly."
"Psychologist, Gene Hunt, and you did know that at one point in your life."
"Oh! So now you're going to use this against me!"
Alex grinned at him. "Just as much as you use it against me."
"Well there is one thing I will use against you."
"What's that?"
"Your promise." Alex laughed.
"Yes. My promise. You aren't likely to let me forget, are you?!" Gene playfully shook his head no. "Well, fine, if you're going to be that way." Alex leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. She pulled back, and laughed. "I didn't say how, Gene, so don't give me that!"
"C'mere, woman," he growled. "I have something I want to tell you."
"Then tell me," she said, crossing her arms.
"No. Not with those vultures around," he said, waving in the direction of the curtain. Alex sighed and leaned in.
"What is it?"
Gene raised his head up, and met her mouth before she could protest. Her lips responded immediately, almost eagerly. Gene put his head back on the pillow, unable to keep it up any longer, but Alex continued the kiss. Finally they broke apart.
"Been wanting to do that since the day I met you. Shuts you up quite well," Gene commented. His eyelids were growing heavy. He had been up for a half hour already, and he knew that they probably had him on a massive amount of drugs at the moment.
Alex laughed at him, noting how tired he was becoming. "Go to sleep Gene."
"Only if you shut up long enough for me to sleep," he mumbled, already losing consciousness.
"Sleep well Gene," she murmured, as he slipped into the land of dreaming.
One chapter left...
