Hello, my lovelies. :) Good grief, where to start? First of all, I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter… I'll put a better explanation to everything at the end of the chapter, but yeah basically, this'll be a normal thing for a little while. :) Anyway, I hope you can forgive me, and that you enjoy this chapter, even if it has been a long time coming.

X :D

Disclaimer – Ashes to Ashes is not mine. I mean hell, with my life, you'd be lucky to get an episode once every few months if I did! :P

Chapter 14

"Long case?" Gene asked when Alex finally arrived back at his house at quarter to seven that evening, a tired look in her eyes that said she was dead on her feet.

She gave him a small smile as she dropped her white leather jacket to drape slightly haphazardly over Gene's black Crombie coat where it hung on the post at the end of the banister. For a brief moment, she was struck by how domesticated that one little sight looked – her jacket, hung over the top of his coat, almost as though they were… Well… She cut her thoughts off before they could wander any further and turned back to Gene.

"Sorry, no, I had to go to my flat to get some things," she held up a small holdall bag for him to see and then deposited it at the bottom of the stairs, "and I went to see a friend."

A frown immediately flicked across Gene's face at that. "A friend?"

Turning back to face him, Alex nodded casually and said, "Yeah, he's someone I met a few months ago. Gene, he and I were talking and – "

Gene interrupted her. "Who is this 'he', Bolly? And where did yer meet him a few months ago?" It was hard to conceal the note of surprise in his voice because, well, Gene had always thought that, well… That Alex didn't really have much of a life outside of the station and… him. But he'd rather die than admit he thought that and see the look of rage come into her eyes. He didn't really want to be on the receiving end of one of her infamous right hooks again.

Supressing the urge to laugh and roll her eyes at the way he had so quickly jumped onto the offense as soon as he found out her 'friend' was male, Alex crossed her arms over her chest and leant her hip against their coats on the end of the banister. "His name's Daniel and I met him whilst I was looking for a book in the library, but I don't see what that's got to with anything. Anyway, he and I were talking about Scarlett and – "

Gene's eyebrows rocketed. "What? See whatever fancy blokes yer like but don't go gossiping about my personal business to 'im! What were yer blabbing about me ter 'im for? "

Alex sighed and felt the urge to laugh again. He would never change. "Because, Gene,Daniel is a psychologist. A child psychologist, to be specific. I think he can help Scarlett."

There was a short moment of silence, in which Gene's mouth formed a small 'o' shape before his eyes narrowed at her and he frowned. "Well tell 'im thanks fer the offer but my daughter's not a nutjob, Bols. She just needs some firm handling is all."

A small smile played on Alex's lips as she looked at him kindly. "Psychologists aren't just trained to deal with 'nutjobs', Gene. And that's not the sort of child psychologist Daniel is. He's more of a…therapist, really. And he specialises in teenagers – talks to them, helps them through any issues they might have, tries to help them make sense of things. It could really help Scarlett to have someone on the outside to talk to – someone who isn't going to judge her or react in any way to whatever she might be thinking or feeling."

Gene's eyes narrowed further in suspicion. "He trying t' get into yer knickers, Bolly?"

This time, she did roll her eyes, but didn't glare at him. His protectiveness seemed almost… sweet, all of a sudden, rather than annoying. Dear God… she made a mental note to sort all these ridiculous thoughts out later when she had time.

"I can't believe that's what you're focusing on right now, Gene, when I'm trying to help! But no, he isn't."

Gene looked surprised. But then he never could fathom the existence of any man who didn't take one look at Alex and want her in his bed. The question came out automatically. "Is he gay?"

Shaking her head, she laughed. "No, Gene, he isn't. Is it really so impossible for you to imagine a man being friends with me and not wanting to have sex with me, just because you can't st-" She stopped abruptly, feeling a flush rising in her cheeks. These near brushes really needed to stop. "Anyway," she said, sounding slightly flustered, and Gene was reminded of her strange behaviour that morning, "If you must know, he's married. But if we actually get back to the point of why I'm telling you all this, we were talking and he says, if you're agreeable and if Scarlett agrees too, of course, he'll happily see if he can do anything for her."

Finally satisfied that this 'Daniel' character was married and therefore probably not trying to worm his way into Alex's knickers with his psychology degree and no doubt fancy car and fancy whatever else, Gene relaxed. His mouth settled into its usual thoughtful pout as he considered what Alex was saying.

"So… he would just be someone for 'er t' talk to? He wouldn't be examining her 'ead and looking for signs of madness or whatever else it is you fruitcakes do?"

Alex nodded and smiled, but she was inwardly quite surprised that Gene was even considering Daniel's offer. She had expected an instant no and some sort of muttered comment about not letting thatcherite wankers with posh degrees anywhere near his flesh and blood, but then Alex was coming to learn that there were many layers to the enigma that was Gene Hunt, and she was only just beginning to peel back a few of them. She supposed that, the way he saw it, if something was going to help someone he loved, then he didn't really mind.

"Like I said, he's a sort of therapist, and a very good one at that. He might be able to help her open up in a way she won't completely to you yet, because there's too much water under the bridge, and I know she won't tell me much of what's going on in her head because she knows I'd just pass it onto you, so… I really do think a few sessions with Daniel could help her, if she agrees to see him."

Gene pouted again and rubbed the side of his neck. "I'll think about it, Bolly, yeah? How about we both talk t' Scarlett about it in the morning. She's sleeping now… Or at least she was when I last checked. Think she's still exhausted…"

A bright smile came to Alex's face to ease away the look of worry that had dawned on his. "Sounds like a good plan to me, Gene," she said, and carried on looking at him, smiling.

Unnerved by the way she was just looking at him and smiling, Gene met her gaze. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just… I'm just proud of you, I suppose," she told him softly, her gaze dropping as she laughed to herself. "God, I bet you never expected me to say anything like that to you."

"Not really, no, Bols," Gene chuckled, looking at her perplexed. Would she ever cease to amaze and surprise him? "What 'ave I done now?"

Alex smiled again, and there was almost a hint of wryness to the curve of her lips as her eyes danced with amusement. "You acted like an adult, no, scratch that, like a parent. It's astounding to watch, truly."

"Cheeky mare," Gene shot at her, but the words didn't cut and weren't meant to.

"I mean it, Gene," she said, her voice softer, quieter, this time. She took a small step towards him. "You put someone else before your own opinions and prejudices and… I don't think I've ever really seen you do that so… So naturally, without hardly thinking."

Gene looked back at her for a moment, searching her gaze for something he couldn't decipher. There was a look in her eyes, on her face, that he knew he had seen before, but he couldn't place it. It didn't belong on her face, yet at the same time it did. His head hurt from trying to work out, so in the end he just allowed the corner of his lips to quirk up and he chuckled again.

"Yer a fruitcake, Bolly, yer know that?"

She smiled. "I know that."

Then before Alex knew what was happening, he had put his arms around her and pulled her close. Her head was buried against his shoulder, his scent infiltrating her sinuses and filling her up, causing her eyes to close of their own accord. An absent smile played confusedly on her face as they hugged, two close figures in the dim light of his hallway.

"What was that for, Gene? Two hugs in two days… If I didn't know better I'd say you were going soft."

"Me? Soft?" Gene scoffed, looking at her with mock reproach as he released her, his arms falling back down at his sides and body mourning the loss of contact without him knowing it.

"Hm… Or maybe you've always been soft, underneath," Alex mused thoughtfully, a slight sparkle in her eye as she stood back and surveyed him. "Well I'll just have to peel back a few more of your layers to find out, Mr Hunt."

He wasn't really quite sure what she was talking about, but the Lord knew he'd long since got used to her not making any sense when she babbled on with that faraway look in her eye. So he merely quirked an eyebrow upwards at her and said: "Peel back a few of my layers? Are you looking t' undress me, Bols? Because yer can buy me a drink first before yer do."

"Oh don't be ridiculous, Gene." She swatted his arm with her hand as she made to go past him with her bag, but her tone was more teasing than truly annoyed. "Do you ever drag your mind out of the gutter long enough for you to actually appreciate me as a friend?"

Gene watched as she turned from him with a well meant sigh to make her way upstairs and as he did so, a wry smile came unbidden to his lips. Because yes, he thought, he did appreciate her. More than she would ever know, and more than he would ever care to let her know. Good heavens, maybe he was turning soft… His eyes widened imperceptibly at the very thought.

The Gene Genie turning soft? Over a bloody woman, and a crackers one at that? Hell would freeze over and Scarlett would be in modest jeans and have ginger hair again by the time that happened.

I'm sorry this chapter didn't really have any Scarlett in! I've just been wanting Alex and Gene to have that conversation for ages, and thought it went best here. I promise Scarlett will be in the next chapter though! Thank you very much for reading, and please so review to let me know what you think! :D

X :D

P.S – Okay… explanation as to why this chapter took so long coming and why the next few might be spaced quite far apart… It's just I've started revision for my final GCSE exams now, so I'm finding myself a little bogged down with work and pretty busy. I promise I won't disappear off the face of the earth or anything, but just so you know why if updates take quite a few weeks or something! You know I'd never abandon you, I just hope you can stick it out with me! Once my exams are over, I'll have all the time in the world to write fanfiction, which is something I can't wait for! :P

Also, just to quickly say I'll soon be changing by penname. I feel like I'm growing out of XTimeGirlX a little bit, so I'm just waiting to post this little note at the end of all my in progress stories so that everyone knows about the change. But yeah, I'll be changing to 'Eleantris' soon, which is sort of a play on my real name. :)

But that's about all, I think! Again, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review!

X :D