Major thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I have now hit 100 reviews! *throws party* Again, the next few chapters are mostly fluff, but they deserve it! Good grief, they've been mad at each other for nearly a year! :P And to those of you who put Stempel on your reviews, todays word is wurgen! :) (I'm trying this out, let me know what you think!) Thanks as always to Rolephant, for contributing a character to this fic, and to whom I owe an apology for misleading her completely on what happens to Alice. :D

Chapter 14: And What if I Asked You to Stay?

It was late. CID had left long ago, but still Gene and Alex worked on, tying together loose ends, making sure the case was watertight. The only thing that remained was to interview Louis, who was being released sometime the next day. It was about time. He had been in the hospital for nearly a week.

Alex looked at Gene. He was hunched over his desk, his face wrinkled in frustration. One lock of his sandy blonde hair fell in front of his face. Alex longed to get up and push it out of the way, but she stayed at her desk. Things were still too fresh between them, the wounds had just healed. She didn't want to push anything with Gene. She sighed and looked down at her papers again.

"Tired, Bolls?"

She pushed her hair back and looked at him. "Just tired of looking at this bloody paperwork."

He gave a hint of a smile. "We all are. If they could just release Hansen to us then we could finally wrap this thing up."

"Then I'll go back to Plymouth." Alex's voice was not excited or bitter. It was merely a statement of fact.

Gene looked down. "You don't have to," he muttered.

"What did you say?" Alex asked, not hearing him.

"C'mere." Alex stood, and entered his office. He shut the door behind her. Alex didn't know why, there was no one around at all. This late at night, no one would even come near CID. Gene stood close to her, staring down into her eyes. "You don't have to go."

"What do you mean?" Alex was confused. Of course she had to go. She worked for Plymouth.

"You can stay. Transfer back."

"D'you think Stotts would approve?"

"I'd make him. Stay, Alex." Alex looked up at him, disbelief etched clearly on her face. "There are changes going on in CID, Bolly. I want you to be one of them. I need someone who knows what they're doing. I need you." He wrapped his arms around her. Alex was shocked. She knew how much she wanted to stay, and even though they had finally kissed for the first time a week ago, she didn't realise how much Gene wanted her to stay too.

She put her arms through his, just holding him, inhaling the unforgotten scent of whiskey and cigarettes. "Alex?" his voice questioned her.

"Are you sure, Gene?"

"Yes. Alex. Stay."

Alex thought for a moment. Gene was close to pleading with her, and this is what she wanted. She wanted to stay at Fenchurch, with Shaz and Chris and Ray, with Gene. But what would happen if a split occurred between her and Gene again? Could she work like that once more? There was no way they'd let her transfer somewhere else so soon after transferring back from Plymouth. If a split occurred between them now, she'd have to leave her job. As Alex thought this over, she realised, it didn't matter. What she wanted now was Gene, and Gene was at Fenchurch.

"Gene?" She looked up into his eyes. His face was impassive but his eyes were etched with worry. "I want to stay."

His body relaxed against hers. She could tell that he had been tense, fearing she would reject him once again. "I'll get on it first thing in the morning," said Gene, his voice dangerously close to happy. "C'mon Bolly, let's go to Luigi's."

Alex walked happily into CID for the first time since before Operation Rose. No one noticed the spring in her step. Ray and Alice were staring at each other. Ray was looking rather miserable. Alice however, was looking slightly happy.

"So, how long?" Ray asked.

"Since Hansen was released to us today, all we have to do is interview him, and then tie up the loose ends. A couple days until we finish the case completely, I'm guessing."

"That's all the time we have left?" At that moment, Gene strode out of his office, silencing the room. He was holding something in his hands. Gene stared down the room a moment before he began to speak.

"Right. First off, as we no longer have a DI, we need a new one. So I want to introduce you lot to your new DI. Inspector Drake, please step forward." Alex stepped up, standing next to Gene.

"Detective Inspector Drake has decided to transfer back to Fenchurch East. It has already been approved by the Super. This is effective immediately."

The room stared in stunned silence. Suddenly, Chris started to clap. One by one the room joined him until all of CID was clapping. Alice was looking at her in shock.

"I didn't say I was done!" Gene yelled above the room. It instantly silenced again. "Secondly, the Super said he wanted some changes happening in CID. That means that we are going to start adding women to our ranks, besides Bollinger Knickers over here." The room laughed.

"First off, I would like to introduce our new DS, Alice Bittner. She came to me the other night and requested a transfer. She didn't know that due to her heroic actions at the church the other night, the Super had decided to promote her. Finally, we are adding another DC to our team. WPC Shaz Skelton, go home and change. Congratulations." He walked to Shaz and Alice, and handed them their new warrant cards. CID was staring in open-mouthed shock. None seemed quite as shocked as Ray, who simply stared at Alice in disbelief as she walked back to him.

"But...why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled, but...why?"

"I can't go back Ray. Not without you. So I transferred here." Ray smiled an enormous smile and pulled Alice towards him. She squealed as he wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Thank you," he said, barely audible. Alice lifted her head off his shoulder and stared at him. Slowly, his lips moved down to meet hers in front of a cheering CID.

"OI!" Gene yelled. "No snogging in my CID!"

Ray and Alice broke apart, laughing. Gene turned to Alex and looked her over. "Raymundo, I do believe we're in luck!"

"Why's that Guv?"

"Both the women that have transferred to CID are wearing skirts today!"

Ray grinned. "I'll get the stamp." CID cheered.

Alex knew exactly what Gene was talking about. She looked at him dangerously. "No, Gene."

"Sorry. You know the rules. When a woman joins the Met, they get their bum stamped, Drakey. As far as I know, you're a woman, and you just rejoined the Met." He stared at her, his lips in his sexy pout. Alex knew she couldn't possibly say no.

Instead she laughed. "Fine."

"You seem to be taking this quite well, Bolly," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

She leaned over toward him. "It means I get to see your arse again," she whispered in his ear, so that no one else could hear her.

He looked at her, shock showing clearly on his face. She smiled. Ray pushed the papers off a desk and pressed the stamp on an inkpad. "Right, Bolls. You know what to do." Alex rolled her eyes and bent over the desk.

"Detective Inspector Drake, we would like to formally welcome you to the Metropolitan Police Force." He held the stamp over her arse for a long while, like he had several years ago. This time, however, as the stamp pressed down on her bum, dating the day she rejoined the Met, no one walked through the doors of CID.

"Welcome to Fenchurch East, Inspector."

Alex stood, straightening her skirt and smiling as CID cheered. Alice was staring in shock at what had just happened. She looked at Ray uncertainly.

"What's going on Ray?"

"We're gonna stamp your arse," he said smiling at her.

"Why?"

"It's how we welcome birds to the Met." For a moment all Alex could see was the old, sexist Ray. He had seemed to regress with the induction of the old tradition.

Alice face darkened slightly, and she gave him a look. "I don't want DCI Hunt to see my arse."

At that moment, Gene walked over to Ray, stamp in hand. "Raymundo! This is your bird; you get to welcome her to the Met!"

He looked at Alice. "Is it so bad if it's me?"

She looked at him, her eyes clearly showing her discomfort. "I guess not."

Alice bent down over the desk where Alex had just been. Ray stood over her, holding the stamp. He stamped her rather quickly, allowing her to stand up and straighten her skirt immediately. "Detective Sergeant Alice Bittner, on behalf of Fenchurch East, I welcome you to the Met."

Alex stood and watch in amazement. Ray didn't take the opportunity to gape at her arse the entire time. Maybe Ray was turning into a gentleman. At least, he was for Alice. After Alice had stood, another woman walked into CID. She was in uniform. Her hair was brown, as were her eyes. She was tall, around five foot nine. She was smiling shyly.

"Right," said Gene. "I want to introduce you to our new WPC. Her name is Zoe Neiman. Make your own tea for a few days until she gets settled in. Now get to work!" The team laughed; everyone in a considerably better mood than when the day had started.

"Bolly, Shaz, Alice, Neiman. My office." The three women looked at each other and followed him into his office.

"Right. I'm making new desk arrangements. Shaz, you're moving to Bolly's desk. Alice, you're staying where you are, unless you and Ray can't stop staring at each other. Bolls, you're back in your old desk. And Neiman, you're where Shaz is now. Everyone move your stuff. Bolly, we're interviewing Hansen this afternoon."

"Yes, Guv," she said.

"Right. Now mush!" As Gene watched the four women leave his office, he settled back in his chair in amazement. He never thought Alex would call him Guv again. Now she was back. She was his. And she wanted to see his arse. He was okay with that.

It was lunch. The two sat in the Poseidon, not eating the meals they had ordered.

"Everything's going to plan?" the Southerner asked.

"Yes. I now own the restaurant. Took quite a sum of money," said the Geordie.

"Was it all of your payoff from Operation Rose?"

"No, I still have a bit. Lucky for me, since I'm out of a job."

"You knew that one of us was going to have to do it. We tossed. You lost. It was fair. Besides, I'm paying you half for the restaurant anyway," the southerner said, irritated.

"I know. And your half of the plan is going well too?"

A grin grew on the Southerner's face. "Yes. CID has been successfully infiltrated. Alex's movements will be monitored carefully now. Everything she does with Gene, everything she says, will be known."

The Geordie picked at the plate of food with a fork. "But that's just CID. What about in her everyday life?"

"That's where you come in. You become her best mate. Learn everything about her. Go shopping with her. Gain her trust. Then we make plans from there."

The Geordie shifted uncomfortably.

"You can do that right?" asked the Southerner. "You won't go out and tell her what we're doing?"

"How can you think that of me?!" the Geordie yelled. "How long have we been working together?"

The Southerner looked around. Faces were turning towards them all over the restaurant. "Just calm down. It's just, ever since we planned this out, you've been acting odd."

"Are you accusing me of being soft? May I remind you, it is you who are the Southerner, not me."

"Yes, but you live in the South now, don't you?" The Geordie's indignant face turned to one of confusion, and then to one of frustration.

"I may be down here now, but I'll never lose my heritage."

"Right. I have to get back to work. Meet Alex after work tonight. Start working on her. Got it?"

"Yes boss," said the Geordie sarcastically.

"What's gotten into you today? You're abnormally bitchy."

"Dunno. But I'll get on it after Alex finishes work tonight."

"Good. Good luck."

"Same."

Leaving their plates untouched, the two walked out of the restaurant, an air of grim determination around them.

TBC....! If I can't get 17 written, I won't be posting till Monday! (I almost didn't get to post today, but luckily I finished chap 16 at 6:45am this morning, because I was finishing up the fic I'm writing for Christmas! (and no, thats not amazingly late for me to stay up. I stay up that late most nights talking to Rolephant!)

O
OO
OOO
OOOO
OOOOO
OO
I WIN!
:D
(see its not wonky at all!)