Thanks to all of you who are still reading and reviewing. This chapter is quite short and is simply a necessary part for the plot further on to make sense. If you can spot it, there is a TINY clue of something happening in the very near future of the plot! Please read, review and enjoy :)
Alex was led through a series of corridors before reaching her new 'office': there was no natural light allowed into the room, and it seemed no bigger than a standard wardrobe. In the centre of the room was a large, standard-issue police sergeant desk. There was a small machine which Alex soon realised was a state-of-the-art-for-the-time computer.
It had been explained to Alex, after she had relived the night that PC Summers had died, that as she had given herself up without provocation, she would be given a position in D&C to occupy her time. It wasn't a taxing job, but nor was it very stimulating. She would be given menial tasks, such as writing up other people's reports and other 'red tape' issues. Alex thought about all of the times she had yelled at the CID team for ignoring forms and procedure… perhaps that's why she had been put here: D&C were developing their abilities in irony. However, there was another aspect in her job description. Just when she thought that she had replaced Jim Keats – still a horrifying prospect – she had been given another responsibility. Alex would be responsible for the management of officer transfers. At first, Alex didn't understand, but she soon realised that she would be dealing with all new 'arrivals'. She soon realised that she would admitting her own replacement up to CID very shortly.
It was then that Alex realised what a huge mistake this could have been. The way that DI Fordley had put it, her position here was unusual practice. The possibility that they had also given Gene another job was fading fast. Alex was still reeling from having to recount her part in PC Summers' death and the thought of it all being for nothing made Alex weak. Even if Gene was here, Alex had no idea where to look, or even where to start. She began to think that, even if Gene was still here, they would keep Alex and Gene separate. What was the point of Hell if they took your feelings into consideration? In an attempt to keep her spirits up, Alex tried to find the positives. For Hell, it wasn't as bad as Alex had imagined. In fact, Alex had no idea what exactly she was expecting it to be like, but she thought it would be a lot worse than moving departments. It was early days, but Alex was going to keep fighting. She would fight until she was reunited with Gene and they would figure out how to either make a home here, or get back there.
As Alex once again was thinking about fighting for her future, Gene couldn't stop thinking about his past. After being reminded of his death, the wounds seemed as raw as they had been when he had first arrived. He wondered how long it would take him to forget. He concluded that, in his new position, he may never forget again. While Alex was dealing with new entries to this world, Gene would be dealing with those departing. He would be responsible for compiling D&C reports, just like the one written by Keats to claim his own soul. His position consisted of preparing and writing reports and, most importantly, looking over the collection of tapes residing in his new office. He wasn't told what was on them, but Gene took a pretty accurate guess. His heart sank when he realised: he had replaced Keats. Would he become like him? As twisted and miserable as him? Gene then realised that he really was in Hell.
He thought about Alex. He wondered how much they had told her, not that they needed to tell her much at all. Gene hoped that she was coping all right without him, quickly realising that she always had done. As soon as Gene promised to stay with her, he had left, and Gene knew that he only had himself to blame. At times like these, Gene envied Alex's determination and will-power. She would fight to get back to him if in the same situation, like she had fought to get home when all seemed hopeless. That was when Gene vowed to never give up on the hope that he would see Alex and hold her again. The thought of seeing that smile, hearing that laugh and holding her close would keep Gene going until he found the loophole, however small, that would bring them together again.
The only positive that Gene had at the moment was the sight of Jim Keats walking away from him. Keats had been given permission to 'settle Gene in' as a thank you from his superiors for finally nailing him. However, not even Keats could cheat death completely and was reassured by the man himself that they would never speak again. Although Gene never liked to take Keats' word for anything, his disappearance was something Gene was willing to accept.
One thing that Gene and Alex had in common was that they needed to be pro-active. If they wanted something done, it was better to do it themselves. Although Alex had become more accustomed to entertaining the idea of fate because of her recent experiences, she knew that even a chance meeting with Gene would not be enough. Gene knew that Alex was meant for him, but he also knew "fate" would not get him out. Actually, it seemed more logical that fate had brought him here in the first place, dragging him further away from Alex. They were both overcome with confusion and, most of all, frustration at the idea of being stuck behind a desk for… well, God knows how long. As boring and tedious as it would be, for the foreseeable future, Gene and Alex would be playing the waiting game.