Disclaimer - nope not mine

Final Countdown

Alex sat back down on the bed and buried her face in her hands. Her hair obscured her face as Gene sat on the bed next to her. He was furious. He had wanted to pulverize Keats there and then. He knew if Alex hadn't been in the room he would have thumped him. He smiled as he remembered the time he'd had a scrap with Sam in a hospital. The ward sister hadn't been too pleased. Wrapping his arms around Alex he kissed the top of her head.

"Hey Bolls, c'mon" He waited while she settled down. She brought herself under control before pulling her hands away from her face.

"Gene" she sighed "Take me home. I'm not staying here anymore." He nodded. If Keats hadn't been there when he arrived he'd have thought she was paranoid. He squeezed her shoulders before kissing her hair.

"Right, Bolls. Home it is. Got a bit of news for you. Should make things a bit better in CID. Ol' Jimbo aint gonna know what's hit him" He smiled as Alex nodded. She was desperate to get home to Molly. The thought that Keats had been able to get in to her room while she was sleeping made her feel sick. At least at home she'd feel safe. In the hospital she felt vulnerable, although she would never admit it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sharon and Chris walked in to the Squad Room together chatting about the man they had charged with the Ashgrove Lane job. Sharon was genuinely happy as they pushed the door open. Chris was pleased he managed to talk her in to going to a new club that had just opened. He walked through the office doors a few seconds behind his girlfriend.

"Ray?" Sharon stopped in her tracks as Ray leant against his desk. He looked furious. "Where's the Guv Ray? What's wrong?" She sat at her desk as Ray shook his head.

"Gone to fetch Alex" He walked across to the white board and began to take down the pictures and pieces of information relating to the Ashgrove Lane robbery. He looked tense.

"I thought they would be keeping her in a bit longer. You know because of the baby" Chris swung his legs so his feet were on Ray's desk.

"They wanted to. When you two were talking to Davies a nurse at the hospital rang to say Alex was distressed and wanted Gene there. Apparently some bloke had turned up causing trouble" Ray glared at the white board as Chris and Sharon exchanged glances. They knew whch bloke he was referring to.

"Is she ok?" Sharon was genuinely worried. Annie smiled.

"Yes" Annie watched as Ray continued destroying the white board "But we have to stop Keats. Mia and I have been talking" She picked up her mug as Chris nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"You? Talking to Mia? Ray's Mia?" Chris was amazed.

"Yes Chris" Annie rolled her eyes. "Jim Keats is more dangerous than we ever thought. If we are going to save the Guv and Fenchurch CID we really have to be careful and act quickly." Annie watched as Sharon nodded.

"What do we do?" Sharon had made her dislike of Keats and Mia well known over the previous few months. She was wary about trusting Mia now.

"Sam has gone through the memory stick again" Annie continued as Ray nodded. "Yeah, he's gone home to set things up now. Look you two come to mine tonight. I'd rather talk about all this away from the station. I don't trust Keats as far as I could throw him so we'll get a takeaway and sort it all out tonight" Annie logged off her computer as Sharon nodded.

"Bout 7?" Annie nodded and smiled

"Yeah nice one Annie" Ray smiled as he turned away from the white board. "I'm fed up of this. Bout time we got it sorted. The Guv and Alex can't do this on their own anymore. Mia's been trying to get to the truth for months." He shrugged as Chris sat there, still amazed at the turn of events.

"Anyway until 7 lets just carry on as normal. Get some bloody work done" Ray threw a rolled up piece of paper at Chris.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex sat on the sofa in her living room. She had wanted to go straight back to the nick but Gene had insisted they went straight home. He had to speak to her about what Mia and Annie had found but he didn't want to mention it at the station. He walked in the room carrying mugs of hot tea as Alex curled her legs underneath her to make room for him.

"Molly will be home soon" He sighed placing the mugs on the table.

"Umm, so spit it out then" Alex smiled as Gene raised his eyebrows

"What makes you think there is anything to spit out Bolls? Like getting the third degree 'ere" He smiled as he pulled her in to his side. He was relieved she was home. He didn't like her being in the hospital, too many bad memories.

"Because Gene Hunt I know you. You never would have fronted up to Keats that way of you didn't have something on him" She turned in his arms as Gene smiled slightly.

"You really are the most infuriating woman I have ever known" He shook his head as Alex pretended to be offended. He smirked before realising she was teasing him. She reached up and kissed him on the lips as he held her tighter. Pulling away she waited as he ran a hand along the side of her face.

"Gene?" She held his gaze. He knew she was wary of Keats but he didn't like the fact she seemed to be scared of him. He began to wonder what had happened in her hospital room before he had got there. He was glad he'd got the nurse to ring him if anyone fitting Keats' description turned up.

"Annie and Mia.." He started

"Hold on. Annie and Mia?" Her raised eyebrows showing how shocked she was.

"Yeah, I know. Well anyway seems Mia knew Lucy Roberts. Worked with her over in West London. Seems Mia thinks our Keats knows a bit more about that girl's death than he wants us to think" Gene watched as Alex reverted back in to work mode. She stood pacing the room much like she did his office.

"So" She was thinking out loud as Gene leant back on the sofa watching her. He sipped his tea silently wishing it was scotch. "Mia knew Lucy. Both knew Keats." He nodded as he watched her walk up and down the living room.

"Yeah so?" Gene sighed

"So, if Mia has something concrete on Keats. Something we know he would not be able to get out of." She sat on the chair opposite Gene and leant forward.

"Counter blackmail?" Gene shook his head as the front door slammed. Molly bounded in to the room throwing her bag in the corner.

"Mum" She smiled as she threw her arms around Alex. "Gene didn't say you were coming home" Alex hugged her back as Gene stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He knew any talk of Keats and what to do would have to wait until Molly was out of ear shot. The last thing they needed was her life being disrupted again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam sighed as he opened the front door to Ray. Mia walked in behind him as Annie looked up. The whole team were there with the exeption of Viv, Alex and Gene. Annie hoped the senior officers would let them sort it out. If Gene could be linked to anything that suggested a plan to remove Keats had taken place she knew both Alex and Gene would be removed and discredited.

The team assembled around the kitchen table eating Chinese and talking about the case when Sam suddenly went quiet. Annie looked up, she knew he was thinking about something. She didn't know what.

"Sam?" She watched as Ray followed her glances.

"Keats removed Lucy and destroyed that CID. He thought he'd get the job as DCI there. Instead he gets transferred to us." Ray and Annie nodded. They already knew this. Sharon drank her tea as she watched the exchange.

"And?" Chris was lost

"And, Chris Viv left after Keats joined us. The riot at the prison ended tragically we all know that. But what if Keats spoke to Viv before you could Phyllis? Before Gene could? Advised him to resign. Told him Danny's death was Gene's fault for not getting the riot under control quickly enough?" Sam was warming to his theme.

"You want me to talk to Viv?" Phyllis smiled as Annie nodded. It was the least dangerous part of the plan. Annie didn't want Phyllis anywhere near the actual danger.

"Yeah Phyl. See if you can find out if he had any visitors before or after Danny's funeral. Hopefully he'll change his mind and come back" Ray knew he was clutching at straws. Viv wasn't likely to come back.

"Ok that's a job for tomorrow" She smiled as Annie nodded.

"Right, what have we got on him and can it stop the Guv being kicked out?" Sharon was keen to get to the plan. Mia placed her glass on the table before starting her story.

"You know I worked with Keats when I first joined the Met. Well he was always chasing some girl or other. Mostly got knocked back but he still tried. He has three separate investigations of sexual harrassment against him. He knows I wanted Lucy to persue hers but she wouldn't. She says it was her girlfriend, the DCI that really had trouble with him and she didn't want to push it. She didn't want to make things bad for her partner." Mia glared in to her wine glass as Ray rested a hand on her arm.

"So you think he's found this out about Gene and wants to use it to get the station and to get Alex away from the Guv?" Chris watched as Mia nodded

"Yeah. But if we warn him off with what we got on Lucy's memory stick" She shrugged as she looked at Sam. The doorbell rang as Annie excused herself and went to answer the door.

"It would have to come from Gene though" Sam was still talking. "When we were in his office earlier he said he'd do whatever was needed to keep Fenchurch going"

"That I did Sam" Gene stood slightly behind Annie as he and Alex entered the room. "I also said I fight my battles. Don't need you lot getting caught in the crossfire." He clapped his hands together as Phyllis ushered Alex to a chair. Alex smiled. She still looked deathly pale.

"But Gene" Sam started to protest.

"But nothing Sam. I meet Keats tomorrow. I've had just about enough of that little scrote and I aint putting up with it no more. I got more important things on me mind" He looked towards Alex as she met his eye.

"What are you going to do Guv?" Sharon looked terrified

"Tomorrow I meet Jim Keats and put an end to this once and for all. The Gene Genie runs from no-one. Never 'ave, never will. Now someone want to explain why Bolly and me weren't invited to this party?".

authors note - more soon