After a second night in Tom's comfortable spare bed, Alex was up and dressed in time to have breakfast with him before he left for Collier Street. He had a meeting with both his Superintendent, and Gene that morning to discuss the case. He and Alex had both avoided the subject during dinner the previous evening, instead concentrating on Alex and her misgivings about continuing to both work, and live, with Gene.

Now Tom paced around the kitchen, nervously sipping his coffee. Alex said nothing, knowing she couldn't make him feel any better. "Do you want my toast?" he asked her with a panicky smile. "I'm not going to eat it. I can't. I'm terrified that we're going to get in there and Gene's going to tell him about me. I know he said he wouldn't but.." He shrugged and shook his head. "I just can't be sure that he'll keep his promise. I want to believe him, but it's difficult…. Sorry. It's not fair of me to say that about him to you."

Alex sighed. "For what it's worth, Gene's a very honourable man, in his own illogical way. If he's said he'll keep your secret then he will. I do understand your misgivings though."

Tom threw his toast into the bin and found his car keys. "Right. Once more into the breach, dear friends, as the bard so eloquently puts it. I'll maybe see you later?" He raised his eyebrows hopefully at her.

Alex shrugged, following him down the stairs. "I've no idea. It all depends on whether or not I'm summoned into his Lordship's presence. More than likely, I'll still be here this evening." she added, morosely.

"Well, if you are, we'll stay in, get drunk and sing along to truly awful, heart-rending love songs." He locked the front door behind them and they walked up the street to where his car was parked.

Alex laughed "A Bridget Jones evening!"

Tom looked puzzled, and she grinned. "Never mind. Just a film I watched once." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Have good day at the office, darling," she joked, trying to send him on his way with a smile.

Tom hugged her hard. "Thanks, Alex."

As she turned away, Alex caught a movement put of the corner of her eye. When she turned further, to look back up the street, there was no-one there, but she could have sworn that someone was watching them. She waited while Tom drove away to see if anyone appeared, but the street remained deserted.

Puzzled and strangely unsettled, she began to walk back to her house. She'd decided that she'd spend the day there instead of at Tom's. If she couldn't be at work with Gene, then the nearest she'd could get to being close to him was at home.

When she got there, the house felt oddly still and quiet. She checked the kitchen and the sitting room and realised that they were untouched from her visit the previous day. The bed still hadn't been slept in, and there were no extra clothes in the laundry basket. Gene clearly hadn't been home.

Alex was puzzled, and more than little worried. Surely, he hadn't gone to join Ray at the Royal Oak after having dinner with Ros? She lay down on the bed, a wave of desolation sweeping over her.

He couldn't have, could he?. Yes he could, she reasoned. It all depended on his temper when he'd left the restaurant. If he'd fallen out with Ros in any way, then he'd have been in just the right mood for a strip club. It wasn't the strip club that was upsetting her though, it was the bit after that, the bit where he'd stayed out all night.

She pulled Gene's pillow into her arms and breathed in deeply, the familiar smell making her ache with longing. "Please don't have done anything stupid," she whispered. "We're got enough to work out as is."

Sitting up quickly before the tears came, she punched the pillow hard several times. "Ros" she said decisively. "She saw him last night. I'll go and ask her"

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Ros took an inordinately long time to answer the door. When she at last did so, Alex was surprised to see that she was still in her dressing gown, looking pale and shaky.

"Are you OK? You look like you're coming down with something," she asked, concerned.

"Not ill. Hung-over," Ros croaked, waving Alex into the hall. "Too much wine, far too much bloody whisky" She pulled her dressing gown round her tighter. "I need a fry-up to soak it all up. Feel like cooking?"

Alex bit her lip, trying not smile. "I was going to ask if you knew where Gene went last night after you left the restaurant, but I don't think there's any need to now."

Ros winced as she moved her head too quickly. "You just missed him. He fell asleep on my damn sofa after drinking nearly all my whisky. Goodness, that man can snore fit to wake the dead. I could hear him from my room."

Alex followed Ros into the kitchen and set about assembling the ingredients needed for a hangover cure – bacon, eggs, tomatoes, bread.

While she cooked, Ros sat very still, head in hands, eyes closed. Alex slid a full plate in front of her and placed the cutlery gently on the table. She then sat and concentrated on her own plate of food, tactfully leaving Ros to get over the bit where you felt as though you were either going to eat or throw-up. Finally, Ros picked up her knife and fork and slowly began to cut up her fried bread.

When her plate was clear, she looked up at Alex with a fierce glare. "You want to know the worst thing?" she asked indignantly. "He looked as fresh as a bloody daisy. Not a trace of a hangover." She shook her head ruefully. "I really am far too old for this morning-after-the-night before lark."

Alex smiled. "It's really unfair, isn't it? He never ever seems to suffer no matter how much he drinks. Never affects his performance either," she reflected.

Ros just raised an eyebrow.

"I meant, at work" Alex added, hurriedly.

Ros gave her a wicked look. "Of course you did, my dear."

She pushed her chair back from the table. "I'm going to get dressed and then we can both go out somewhere. I take it you're still banned from work?"

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Twenty minutes later, Ros returned, looking slightly more human. "You've got a coat haven't you?"

Alex nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Let's go up to the Heath" Ros suggested. " I need some fresh air and it'll be nice and brisk up there today. Now, I'm still feeling a little shaky, so you can drive my dear."

Alex frowned. "I don't have a car, Ros, and Gene's taken his to work."

Ros grinned. "I know that. I wasn't talking about his car. I was talking about my own, infinitely more stylish, vehicle. Come on, follow me."

She led the way out of the back door and down the long, narrow garden to the small brick building at the end. As Ros unlocked the door, Alex saw that it was a garage, with double doors opening out on to the street behind. A long, low shape sat in the middle of it, covered with a tarpaulin. Ros took hold of the corner and folded it back.

"I really don't drive this as often as I should these days. The steering is just too heavy for me now, but it still runs beautifully…. Here." She handed Alex the keys as she pulled back the last of the tarp.

Alex face broke into a huge grin. "Oh wow!" she exclaimed in delight. "You're actually going to let me drive this?"

"This" was a soft-top E-type Jag, sleek and shiny red, with pale leather upholstery. Alex slid behind the wheel as Ros opened the doors of the garage. The engine started with a deep-throated roar and Alex crowed with laughter.

"Bloody Hell Ros! It's fantastic! Can we drive past the station on the way back?"

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Hampstead Heath was windswept and empty as Alex and Ros walked briskly along, their faces tucked down into their scarves against the bitter wind. Alex had told Ros everything about the events of two nights ago. She'd tried to be calm and dispassionate about it all, but she'd failed miserably, raging at length about Gene and his reaction to the whole situation.

Ros finally interrupted her. "Oh, come on, Alex! I know he did completely the wrong thing by behaving so violently, but let's leave that aside for the moment. Think about what kind of man Gene is. How on earth did you expect him to react?"

Alex was shocked. "I expected him to be more understanding. More accepting. Tom's gay, that's all. It's no big deal. I know it was a shock, but he was really offensive."

Ros nodded vehemently. "Of course he was! Ninety-five percent of men of his age and background would react like that if one of their friends announced they were gay. They don't know how to cope with it, so they react with anger."

Alex snorted derisively. "But they shouldn't! Surely they should realise that's it's perfectly OK for a straight man to be friends with a gay guy. I've known lots of men who've got gay friends and they're not ashamed of it."

Ros looked at her cynically. "Really? Well, I've never met one yet. You must know some exceptionally well-adjusted men. Tell me, are they actually for real, or are they secretly gay themselves? "

Alex started to reply, indignantly, and then stopped. They were for real, but only in another twenty or so years. The realisation hit her like a physical blow, rendering her silent.

"If it makes you feel any better, Gene does feel terrible about the whole thing. He told me that he went totally over the top and it all got really nasty. I gave him a good talking to last night over dinner"

"I know, Tom and I saw you."

"I was going to ask how you knew we'd been out to a restaurant. He really does understand that he's done the wrong thing. He should never have expected you to tell him about Tom."

Alex shrugged miserably. "I was equally to blame, though. I should have handled it differently. He thought that there was something going on between Tom, and me, and I didn't take that into account. I just shouted back at him."

"Well that may be, but he didn't need to react as badly as he did. He didn't hold back on the details of it all, either. He was very candid about how threatening he'd been to both you and Tom."

"I can't believe you managed to get through to him. He's so damn stubborn it's almost impossible to talk to him sometimes. How did you manage it.?"

Ros looked at her steadily. "You know, if you weren't so damn stubborn yourself, Alex, you'd be able to handle him better. I just asked him to put himself in Tom's place. To think about the thing he was most ashamed of in his life, and then ask himself if he'd want that secret revealed to the world. Then I asked him to think about the position you found yourself in, knowing that you've got to do the right thing professionally, but still feeling an intense loyalty to your friend."

"And what did he say when you asked him all this?" Alex was desperately curious to know what Gene had said to Ros.

"Well, he didn't tell me what his deepest secret was, but he looked pretty cut up about it for a moment. When he's ready to deal with it, he'll tell someone, I'm sure. Then he started to tell me about an old Governor of his, Harry Wolf. Gene knew he was responsible for a series of robberies and had to turn him in. He didn't want to, but he did the right thing and it nearly broke his heart."

Alex kicked a stone hard as she walked along, irrationally hurt that Gene could behave so reasonably when Ros asked him to. Why couldn't he be like that with her? "Why can't he just think more before he goes off at the deep-end. He's always so bloody defensive all the time!" she snarled, angrily. " We're supposed to be on the same side!"

"He's so lonely, Alex." replied Ros, gently. "He gets scared that it's all too good to be true, and one day you'll come to your senses and leave him. He doesn't give his trust easily, and you and Tom made him feel foolish."

"Gene's not lonely! He's got more friends than I have. There's all the lads for a start! Ray and Chris. They've been friends with him for years!" She deliberately ignored the last point, knowing it was the major cause of Gene's anger.

Ros glared at her angrily. "Oh for Heaven's sake! Grow-up Alex! They're not his friends! They're his work-mates. He's the Guv. He's not supposed to have doubts or worries. He can't talk to them about his hopes and fears. He certainly can't talk to them about his relationship with you. You're their DI! Just stop and think for a minute, Alex. Step back from it all and take a look at what's really going on underneath all the shouting."

Alex said nothing, frowning, knowing that what she'd just been told was true, but not willing to concede the fact. Ros sighed in exasperation.

"Here's a man whose best friend's died, he's left everything behind him, started again in a new city, and he feels lost. Really lost, as if he's never going to find himself again. He told me he felt like a ghost when he first moved down here. "Insubstantial" was the exact word he used. Then you crash into his life and turn it upside down, making him feel things he's never felt before, even in his wildest dreams. You frustrated him, confused him, terrified him, even. Not to mention that, despite all of this, he fell hopelessly in love with you. Do you really think he's going to talk to Ray and Chris about it all?"

She continued, her tone gentler now. "Tom is his equal in rank. Someone he could talk to about everything. His job, his relationship, his feelings. He thought that any chance of a friendship like that had been lost when Sam died. He talked for ages about him last night, Alex. It would seem that Gene credits Sam with making him a better copper, and you apparently, are making him a better man. So, now I've told you all this, think about it all and work it out. You already know the answers."

Alex pulled her beanie hat down over her ears, her mind whirling with everything that Ros had just said. She was right. Taking a deep breath, she tried to unpick the mess that she found herself in.

"I need to talk to him, don't I? Really talk to him. Not just shout at him and get all indignant on Tom's behalf." She sighed "I did try to apologise to him Ros, but he just told me to stay away from him."

"Ah. Yes. I think I'm probably to blame for that. You see, he rang me from the station just after you'd told him you were staying the cell with Tom. It's a good job I don't need much sleep, as we talked for ages. I suggested that he let you both out, but that it might be best to have some time to cool down before you tried to talk things over. Last night, at dinner, I did persuade him that he has to talk to you sooner rather than later."

She shivered, suddenly. "I'm freezing, but at least my headache's gone. Shall we make our way home? Via Fenchurch East, of course."

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Back at Ros's house, Alex shut the garage doors and went to hand Ros the keys. She shook her head, making no move to take them from Alex.

"You keep them. You look so good behind the wheel and the car deserves to be driven more often." She gave Alex a knowing smile. "It will give you back some of the independence I think you sometimes crave. Although, that's half your problem, you know Alex. You're too independent ofr your own good. Gene feels as though you don't really need him at all sometimes."

Alex hugged Ros tightly. "What would I do without you? You will never know just how much you've helped me. Thank you."

Ros hugged her back, before pulling away, gripping onto Alex's hands hard. "When Gene comes to find you, just listen to him. He's fighting so hard not to be like his father, Alex. For so long he's believed it's inevitable he'll turn out like him. You are his "chance of redemption", and those are his words, not mine. You're his chance to heal the damage that's been done to him. Promise me that you'll let him talk for as long as he needs to?"

Alex nodded, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

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She filled the hours between leaving Ros and meeting Tom at King's Cross, with housework and errands, walking up the road to collect Gene's shirts and suits from the dry-cleaners. Returning home and putting them away, she found immense satisfaction from seeing them all hanging so neatly in the wardrobe.

Sorting out the clean washing a few minutes later, she laughed. "What would the Feminists say?" she chided herself. "All that time at University, Alex Drake, struggling to climb the career ladder, and you're enjoying the fact you've managed to pair up all Gene's clean socks."

Alex made sure that she left just after five, so that there was no chance of Gene coming home and finding her there. As much as she longed to see him, she knew that he had to be the one to decide when and where they would talk.

Tom collected her from the front desk at Collier Street and they drove up to Liverpool Road, stopping at the large supermarket that was just a few doors up from Chapel Market. Tom had no food at all at his house, and Alex insisted that they needed to eat as well as drink that evening. In truth, she didn't want to be steaming drunk in case Gene rang and wanted to talk things over.

While she paid for the groceries, Tom went across to the video rental shop, returning triumphantly with "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "Roman Holiday". Alex said nothing, looking at him with raised eyebrows. He stared at her in wide-eyed innocence before laughing. "OK. I'll admit it. Sometimes, I like to be a little clichéd. Just be thankful I that didn't choose "The Wizard of Oz" and "Caberet".

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As they unloaded the shopping from the car outside Tom's house, Alex had the feeling that they were being watched again. Remembering the figure from this morning, she scanned the street, but there was no one there. Tom looked at her, frowning.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just thought there was someone there. It's just me being silly. That bloody wreath has made me feel all creepy."

"Well, if makes you feel any better, Gene's apparently had Chris ringing round all the flower shops in the vicinity to try and find out who sent it."

Tom patted his pockets, and swore softly. "No bloody cigarettes. I knew there was something else I wanted. Never mind, I'll go round the corner to the pub, get some there. I'll only be ten minutes." He turned and began to walk back up the street in the direction of Exmouth Market.

"OK. I'll open the wine. Hurry up or I'll have eaten all the crisps" Alex picked up the shopping bags and disappeared inside, letting the front door swing shut behind her.

She put the shopping away, before turning on the radio and singing along softly as she opened the wine. Suddenly from downstairs, there was an almighty crash, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Alex jumped, and the corkscrew slipped from the top of the wine bottle, nearly impaling itself in her hand. What the bloody hell was that?

Tom?" she called, anxiously. "Tom?"

She hurried towards the stairs, pulling open the door, her heart beginning to race as the strong smell of petrol hit her nostrils. Reaching the last set of stairs, she began to cough as thick black smoke came roiling up from the ground floor. She could here the roar of flames as she bent double, feeling her way down the stairs, knowing that she had to try to reach the front door. The door that opened into the studio was shut and Alex was terrified of opening it in case it caused the flames to be sucked into the stairwell.

"Think, Alex, think" she urged herself. "Is there any other way out?" She forced herself to think about the layout of the rooms upstairs. There were no other staircases, no fire escape. She had no option; she had to open the door. The smoke was thicker now, and she pulled her jumper sleeve down over her hand, holding it over her mouth to try and stop herself from coughing so much.

Turning the handle quickly, she kicked the door open, flinging herself down on the stairs as low as she could get, hoping that the flames would go over her head. Thankfully, there was no huge rush of flame, just heat and more smoke. Peering through it, she saw that the whole of the front of the studio was on fire, flames roaring up the walls and across the ceiling. The front door was almost obscured by a wall of flame. No way through. Fighting down the panic, she checked to see if she could climb out of the smashed front window. There was a better chance of doing that as there were less flames on that side and Alex decided it was her only option.

She heard a voice shouting her name from outside and realised that Tom was there. "Alex! Come on! You'll have to run! I'll help you climb through!" She could see him now, leaning as close as he could, shielding his face against the heat. Gathering her courage, she pushed herself up off the stairs and ran, only to catch her foot on one of the chair legs, sprawling off-balance and cannoning heavily into one the desks.

She felt a sharp blow to her head and then everything blurred. Alex could hear Tom shouting as she tried to get to her feet, but her legs wouldn't work. With a huge roar, part of the ceiling collapsed, blocking both the front door and the way back upstairs. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright, hanging onto the desk as the world spun and heaved around her.

As she fell again, she felt arms catching her, dragging her backwards towards the window. The cool air on her face made her gasp as she was manhandled over the sill, only just managing to put her arms out to stop herself falling heavily, face-first, onto the pavement. A figure climbed over the sill behind her, coughing and retching with the smoke. She looked up into Tom's smoke-streaked face as he bent down to grasp her arms, and pull her further away from the building.

As they reached the opposite pavement, two fire engines arrived with a blare of sirens. Alex sagged back against the wall, shaking with relief, Tom leaning beside her, still coughing.

"You know, if you don't like Audrey Hepburn, you should have just told me. Burning the place down is going a little too far, Lexi." He smiled shakily at her and she thumped his arm hard.

"You stupid bloody idiot! Just stop bloody joking for once! I nearly got burnt to a cinder!" She glared at him furiously, knowing that the anger was all that was stopping her from crying.

Tom pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "Sorry Lexi. I really am. I didn't realise the place was on fire. I just saw someone running away, so I chased them. Copper's instinct kicking in. I should have come back to check if you were OK."

Alex realised that he was holding her awkwardly, one of his hands held out and away from her body. She wriggled from his embrace and took a closer look at it. There was a deep cut running right across the palm of his left hand, the blood running freely from it and dripping onto the pavement.

"There was broken glass sticking up from the edge of the widow sill. I cut myself as I climbed in." He looked up the street, over her shoulder. "The ambulance is here now. They'll patch me up."

Alex waited with Tom as his hand was bandaged up, refusing to have a dressing put on the graze on her head. "I'm fine, really I am. Just sort him out."

A dark car drew up alongside them and Tom grinned. "Here are my faithful deputies come to see if their beloved leader is still alive. Tell you what Lexi, I'll get them to give you a lift home. I need stitches in this cut and there's no point in hanging around here with me."

"You're sure?" she asked him. "Where will you go after you've had your hand stitched? You can't come back here."

He waved her away with his good hand. "Yes, I'm sure. One of the guys will let me kip on their sofa. Go home, Alex. Wait for Gene to come home to you. Even he can't continue to sulk after this drama. I'll get the lads to radio Fenchurch East and let them know what's happening."

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She was in the shower washing smell of smoke from her skin when she heard the front door slam and then Gene's voice, full of angry concern, shouting for her as he came up the stairs.

"In the shower!" she called "I'll be out in a minute."

The bathroom door burst open and Gene erupted into the room, puling off his tie with one hand, the other dropping his jacket on the floor. He said something but Alex didn't catch it as she plunged her head under the jets of water, washing the shampoo from her hair. "What?" she spluttered as the water went into her mouth. The next thing she knew, the shower door opened and Gene stepped in, still wearing his shirt and boxers.

"I said, I can't wait that long" he growled as he slid his arms around her, pulling her to him. She laughed, breaking off with a gasp as his mouth crashed down onto hers, devouring her, his hands leaving her waist to tangle in her hair. Alex held on to the soaking wet material of his shirt as her knees gave way with the force of her desire. Gene kissed her hungrily, growling deep in his chest as his tongue plundered her mouth. Hands shaking, she fought to undo his shirt, tugging it from his shoulders. Gene let go of her for an instant, ripping open the last couple of stubborn buttons with one hand, stripping off his boxers with the other.

He groaned as she took the hot, hard length of him in her hand, his mouth on her neck, his hands on her breasts, her nipples hardening instantly at his touch.

"I need you, Alex" he gasped. "God, I've missed you so much." She kissed him urgently, biting at his lower lip, still working him with her hand, the water cascading over them both. He turned her round, hands on her hips, pulling her against him, pushing into to her in one smooth, forceful movement. Alex flung her head back and howled at the incredible sensation of him sliding his cock deep inside her.

She arched her back, angling her hips back towards him, bracing herself with her hands against the tiles. Gene reached round to brush his fingers over her clit, moving them in small circles, making her moan wordlessly in ecstasy. She felt her legs start to tremble as the heat spread out from her centre, Gene thrusting up into her as hard as he could, his breath hot and ragged against her shoulder. Her body convulsed hard against his and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him as she came, shouting out with the intensity of her climax.

She felt him shudder, arms gripping her tightly as he spilled into her, groaning her name into her neck, biting her shoulder hard. For a minute, as they both recovered, they let the water from the shower continue to soak them both, before Gene reached out and turned it off with a shaking hand.

Stepping out of the shower enclosure into the steamy bathroom, he pulled a towel from the rail, wrapping it round her, before doing the same for himself.

He brushed her wet hair back from her forehead, wincing as he uncovered the bruise that was already showing there. "You OK?" he asked her gruffly. "Sorry.. should have asked you that before.. you know.. before I …" He looked up at her with a naughty-boy grin. "Just couldn't wait, knowing that you were in here all naked and soaking wet."

Alex smiled back at him. "I'm fine, thanks. Much better now you're here with me." She reached out and brushed her fingers across his chest. "I hate being away from you, Gene."

He nodded, looking at the floor, awkwardly. "Me too." He looked up at her with a fierce glare. "Is it true about Fletcher? Did he really rescue you from the fire?"

"Yes. Absolutely true. He climbed in through the window and dragged me out. I'd hit my head." She indicated to the bruise. "I couldn't stand up properly. If he hadn't risked his life to get me, I'd have been killed when the ceiling fell in. It was already starting to come down as I tried to reach the window. The fire brigade wouldn't have got there in time."

She watched as he thought about what she'd just said, his mouth compressed into a hard, grim line. Wordlessly he reached out and pulled her to him, enveloping her in the warmth of his embrace. She felt the huge sigh that issued from him before he began to speak, so softly that she had to strain to hear his words. "You are the most precious thing I have ever had, Alex, and I am an idiot for nearly messing it up again…..forgive me….. please don't ever go away, Alex...stay with me... forever."

She pulled back from him, wanting to see his face, beginning to try to apologise for her behaviour, wanting to reassure him. He put his fingers on her lips, his silver blue gaze burning into her "No. Not now. There'll be time enough tomorrow to talk." Alex nodded, leaning forward and kissing his neck softly, licking at his damp skin.

He swung her up into his arms, deliberately breaking the solemn mood, laughing at her surprise as he carried her in to their bedroom.

"Gene! What are you doing!"

"Taking you to bed…… I want you again Alex" he growled.

"Again? Right now?" She laughed at his affronted face as he flung her on the bed.

"Haven't had you for two nights. I can manage it again this quick, you know, Bolly. I'm not past it yet." He lay down beside her, his fingers tracing small circles across her bare skin.

"I can see you're far from it, Mr Hunt" purred Alex, removing his towel with a grin of delight at what she'd revealed. " Let me show you just how much I've missed you" she murmured, pushing him back onto the pillows.