Here it is, the last chapter. Sorry I haven't replied to everyone's reviews this week but I do appreciate the time everyone takes to leave one. I hope you've enjoyed the story, even if it has been a little weird and nonsensical at times!!
Six weeks later
"Bloody sodding hell!"
"Bloody sodding hell!"
"What?" Gene turned from where he was standing at the cooker trying to make head or tail of what he was supposed to do and saw Danny standing at the table grinning at him. "Eh…no you…you didn't 'ear that, ok?"
"Bloody sodding hell!" Danny exclaimed again.
"Stop it."
"Bloody sodding …"
"Daniel Edward Ryan!"
The use of his full name brought Danny up short and he deliberately closed his mouth and looked cowed.
"Do you know 'ow to work this thing?" Gene gestured to the cooker.
"No."
"Fat load of 'elp you are then," he said turning back and opening the door. It smelled as though it was about ready, but he couldn't be sure and the last thing he wanted to do was give the three of them food poisoning. As he straightened up, he felt his scar pull painfully and cursed himself for not remembering to move more slowly. Six weeks on and people were still saying he was lucky to be alive. Knowing that he was the only person left to look after his son made him realise that what they said was true and, crazy or not, he thanked Meg every morning for what she had done.
"I'll set the table!" Danny declared, hurrying over to the drawer and beginning to pull out cutlery. One by one, he banged three sets of knives and forks down followed by three glasses. "There!" he said when he was finished.
"Very good," Gene replied, turning to admire his son's handiwork. "Go and watch out the window and let me know when you see 'er coming." Danny scampered off into the living room leaving him to try and work out how best to salvage the meal.
After she had brought Danny down to London, Alex had taken him straight to Gene's house and got him settled in the spare room. She had suggested taking him to the flat above Luigi's instead, but he had told her that it would be best that Danny be where he was going to live from now on. While he was in hospital, she stayed at his house, slept in his bed and it gave him comfort to know that she was there. She took leave from work and brought Danny to the hospital every day to see him. All in all, she became like his mother. The irony of that wasn't lost on him. The fact that Meg had been here and was now gone forever and the fact that Alex still talked about her own daughter and the fact that she had left her behind in 2008. He still wasn't entirely convinced that she wasn't completely mad, but he decided to let it go. He was just happy to have her in his life.
"She's here!" Danny shouted from the living room.
"Bollocks!" Gene declared, slamming the oven door shut and cranking up the temperature again for good measure. Then he made his way through to the front door where Danny had let Alex in.
"Danny tells me you're getting angry with the cooker," she said by way of greeting, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Yeah well," he said, not wanting to reveal the depths of his ineptitude, "Not the kind of thing I've done before. Cooking for a bird that is."
She stepped towards him and kissed him lightly, a promise of what would come later. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful," she said softly, "especially if this young man helped." She turned back to Danny who was jumping around from foot to foot.
"'elp? 'im?" Gene replied jokingly, "all 'e ever does is stand around and criticise!" He turned back to her, "Wine?"
"Yes please." Alex sat down on the couch while Gene poured her a glass and Danny launched into a long monologue about what he had done that day. As he handed her the glass, he tried to convey to her that he was grateful she was indulging his son.
"And Dad says I don't have to go back to school til after the holidays!"
"Really?" Alex raised her eyebrows.
"Well 'e missed it what with 'is leg and all and it's practically the holidays anyway," Gene replied, "besides, it's a whole new world to get used to down 'ere." The truth was, he was enjoying spending the time with his son and trying to make up for all the years he had ignored him. They were bumping along together pretty nicely at the moment.
"What are we eating tonight then?" Alex jolted him back to reality.
"Chicken."
"Lovely."
"Let's hope so," he walked to the kitchen door and peered round it, relieved not to see black smoke emanating from the cooker. "It shouldn't be too much longer."
"Alex, Dad bought me a new train!" Danny declared suddenly.
"For your collection? Wow!"
"I'll show you!" Before either of them could reply, he bounded out of the room and took the stairs two at a time.
"It's good to see that his leg's healed well enough," Alex commented.
"Like father like son."
"How is it?" she asking, moving closer to him and placing her hands gently on his chest.
"How's what?" he asked, feeling the pleasurably swelling in his abdomen.
"Your injury," she replied, stretching the words out fairly lasciviously.
"Fine," he replied, "want to take a look?"
"Maybe later," she whispered as the sound of pounding feet indicating Danny's imminent return.
Gene left Alex admiring the new engine while he went back into the kitchen and made a show of banging around to indicate that he was slaving away. Minutes later, he announced that dinner was ready and the three of them sat down.
"If it's terrible, just leave it," he whispered to her as he put her plate down in front of her.
"I'm sure it'll be lovely," she replied encouragingly. Danny, meanwhile, was wolfing his down as though he hadn't seen food for a week. "Slow down," she chided him, "you're as bad as Molly sometimes."
Danny stopped chewing and looked at her thoughtfully, "Would I like Molly?"
"Yes you would," Alex replied, "in fact you'll be her father-in-law one day."
"Her what?" Danny asked.
"More coke?" Gene said loudly, opening another can and passing it to his son, who immediately appeared to forget his original question. "'ow is it?" he asked Alex, keen to divert the conversation away from anything remotely strange.
"Lovely," she replied honestly, "you can cook for me more often."
"Don't know about that," he replied, secretly pleased that she liked it.
"Why not? You have the makings of a modern man, Gene," she pointed her fork at him.
"Women's stuff all this," he said, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Alex looked momentarily insulted and then, seeing his mirth, made a face at him.
"You are not as funny as you think you are Mr Hunt."
"We'll see about that."
XXXX
"…and after the evil King died, peace and harmony was brought to the land of Hagapoo and all its citizens lived happily ever after."
Alex closed the book and glanced somewhat scathingly at the cover. It hadn't been the best children's story as far as she was concerned, but her audience appeared to have enjoyed it. Danny was lying in bed, the covers pulled up to his chin while Gene sat splayed out in the chair at the other side.
"Can we read another one?" Danny asked, his tone eager but his eyes obviously heavy.
"Reckon that's enough for tonight," Gene replied, pulling himself up.
"Awwwww…but…"
"I said, that's enough," he repeated, raising his eyebrows at his son who immediately stopped whining. "If you ask Alex nicely, she might come back another night and read you another one."
Danny looked at her expectantly and she smiled, "I would love to. It makes a change from My Little Pony and Moondreamers which is all Molly ever wanted when she was your age." She got to her feet, bent over and kissed him on the forehead. "Night night."
"Night," Danny replied sleepily.
Alex stepped backwards out of the room, allowing Gene and his son their privacy before the former followed her out and closed the door over, leaving it only slightly ajar. Then she followed him into the bedroom.
"Thank you," he said, turning to face her.
"For what?"
"Indulging my son."
"It's no trouble, really. I thought you picked a nice photograph for him."
Gene looked away. The loss of Ted on top of Meg would most likely affect his son in ways that he couldn't imagine, so he had tried to find a nice picture of the two of them that could hang in Danny's room. Ray and Chris, ably assisted by Shaz, had offered to clear out Ted's house and had sent all his things down in case Danny had wanted anything. Looking through them one night, Gene had come across a photograph of Meg, Ted and Catherine that had been taken at the latter's wedding anniversary party in 1971. The same party he and Meg had sneaked away from to get drunk in the pub. The three of them looked really happy and Gene thought it was important that Danny know where he came from. He often found his son looking at the picture and, when asked, would reply that it was Mummy, Grandma and Grandpa. Gene only hoped that they would all approve.
Alex stepped forward and placed her hand on his cheek, causing him to jump slightly. "You're doing a good job, you know."
"You think so?"
She nodded, "I know so. No-one could be more devoted than you are right now." She leaned closer and brushed her lips against his, "I've missed you."
They hadn't been together for months, not since the night in the motel on the way back to London where both had been ever conscious of Meg in the car park. He had missed the feel of her, the smell of her and the sensations that coursed through his body whenever she touched him like she was touching him now.
It didn't take long to get undressed, mere seconds, and even less time to get to the bed. He fell back, grunting in pain as she landed on top of him.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, "I forgot…" trailing hot kisses down his throat and over his chest, she kissed the red, puckered skin around his wound, the very action causing more spasms in his groin than he would have thought possible. "What's the best way…?"
"Any bloody way," he growled. They settled for her on top, straddling him, her body displayed to the best advantage. As she lowered herself down on him, he groaned her name loudly, "Alex…"
"Ssssh," she said, putting her fingers to his lips, "quietly, remember?"
It was the one disadvantage to having Danny in the house, remembering to be quiet when all he wanted to do was scream her name at the top of his lungs and hear her scream his. The other disadvantage was, of course, her agreeing to leave before Danny woke the following morning. Although Gene was determined that she be part of both their lives, it was a delicate subject which had to be handled carefully.
At the moment, however, all he cared about was her. She started to rock gently against him, panting above him, her breasts tantalisingly close to his face. He reached up and cupped them in his hands causing her to growl at the back of her throat. Then she lowered herself down and kissed him, her tongue plunging into his mouth before she trailed it over his lips, down the side of his face to the crevice of his neck.
"God, Alex…" he groaned.
She pulled herself up again and looked down at him, "You like that, don't you Chief Inspector?"
"You really are the dirtiest DI I've ever 'ad to work with," he replied, his breathing become shallower.
"You can talk," she gasped, before throwing her head back and groaning loudly, seemingly to forget her own warning mere moments earlier.
She looked incredible, arched towards him like that. He couldn't believe that she was here, that they were both here and that it felt as good as it did. He had forgotten just how hungry he was, just how long it had been since he had been buried inside her.
"Gene…" she whimpered, looking at him again, grinding herself hard against him, "Oh God….Gene…"
He knew he was going to come. Any second now he was going to come…
"Daddy?" The bedroom door swung open, light spilling in and illuminating the bed.
"Shit!" Gene swore loudly, pushing himself up quickly, causing Alex to tumble off of him and down the side of the bed next to the wall. "Bloody 'ell!" he swore again. Danny stood blinking at him. "What…eh…what is it?"
"I had a bad dream," Danny said, "There was a robot in the cupboard."
"Oh…eh…right," Gene peered down the side of the bed and saw Alex looking up at him, contorted in an obviously uncomfortable position, her breathing still shallow. "Erm…" he made to push the covers back and then remembered he was naked underneath with a pulsating erection. "Go back to bed and I'll…erm…I'll be there in a minute, ok?"
"But the robot might come out the cupboard and get me," Danny protested, his lower lip trembling slightly.
"Well…eh…" Gene fought for a way to get his son out of the room. "Go to the door and shout "I'm not scared of you, you bast…naughty robot!" That should scare 'im and…and then I'll be there, all right?"
Danny nodded, though he didn't look very convinced. He turned and walked out of the doorway and back to his own room.
"Bloody 'ell!" Gene exclaimed again, swinging his legs gingerly over the bed and looking for something to throw on. In the background, he could hear Danny shouting what he had told him to shout.
Alex pulled herself up and leaned over the bed, dropping a kiss on his bare back. "Welcome to parenthood."
XXXX
"What are you thinking about?" she asked later after order had been restored and another, more successful attempt made.
"You," he replied, "and 'ow glad I am that you're 'ere."
"I'm glad to be here," she smiled. "In fact, there's nowhere else I'd rather be." He squeezed her tightly and she felt herself overflow with happiness. "Danny seems happy too."
"Reckon 'e 'is."
"You seem happy to have him here."
"I am."
"A proper little daddy." She craned her neck back and, smiling, looked up at him. "I never would have thought it."
"Neither would I," he replied honestly, "when we 'ad that conversation in my office all them weeks ago and you found out that I'd left 'im with Ted…"
"I judged you then and I was wrong."
"No, you were right," he sighed, "but I intend to change that. A new start, Bolly. You, me and Danny." He paused. "If you want it, that is."
"Depends on what you're offering," she quipped. "Endless nights of amazing sex being interrupted by a seven year old with nightmares?"
Gene pushed himself up the bed, forcing her to pull back away from him. He looked at her, really looked at her and knew that he was going to ask her. "Well, you could always…"
"Move in?" she finished for him. "I'm quite good with nightmares."
"No, I…uh…I was thinking more like…marrying me." He looked away, not sure if he wanted to see her reaction. There was a long pause. "I mean, it's all right if you don't want to. I won't be offended if…"
"Gene." Her voice was soft and he raised his eyes to meet hers again. "I'd love to."
"You would?"
"You sound surprised," she laughed.
"Yeah well…you know, I don't 'ave the best track record when it comes to women and…well…Meg always kept saying no…" he broke off, suddenly aware that it was perhaps inappropriate to be talking about Meg at such a moment.
"I would love to marry you," Alex said, "on one condition."
"ere we go," he said, "what?"
She cocked her head on one side and smiled gently, "That you're never afraid to talk about her." She nodded as he raised his eyebrows at her. "She's Danny mum, and we can't ever forget that."
Gene held out his arms and she nestled back into them. "I can live with that."
"Good, then so can I."
She fell asleep shortly after that, comfortable and secure in his arms, her heart singing with the commitment he had offered to her. She knew that Molly was going to be all right and Gene and Danny needed her. Lord only knew what they would get up to if she wasn't there to lend a steady guiding hand, particularly as Gene found his feet as a father.
Sometime during the night, she woke and went to the bathroom. On the way back, she stopped and looked into Danny's room. He was lying, the covers half off, one arm above his head, facing away from her, his body rising and falling in peaceful sleep. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Gene in practically the same position.
"Like father like son," she whispered, climbing back in beside him. Instinctively, in sleep, he put his arm around her and pulled her close, causing her to fall instantly back to sleep.
"Daddy?"
Gene moaned slightly in his sleep, not entirely sure of what he had heard.
"Daddy?"
He shifted slightly and could feel the warmth of Alex's body pressed against his.
"Daddy!"
His eyes flew open and he saw Danny's face mere inches from his own, his eyes wide, his little body shaking slightly.
"What the…" Gene mumbled, "Danny, what you…why up…what's time…" he fought for coherent speech.
"The robot's back again," he said in an exaggerated whisper, "he says he won't leave because it's his room and his house and he wants me to leave and never come back." His words came out in a rush.
"Mmm…hmphammm…" Gene babbled, still half asleep. "Be there…minute…"
"Daddy?"
"Whatisitnow?"
"Why is Alex in bed with you?"
THE END
Ok, I've decided that I have to do a third story. I wasn't going to but reckon I need to explore the 'Sam undercover' thing and what effect that might have on Gene and Alex, especially because she knows he's alive and is keeping it from the Gene Genie. Am currently gathering my thoughts and once have them sorted, I'll get something posted. Hope you will all come along for the ride!
Isabella xx