Gene was taken back for a moment but pulled himself together to be able to return Alex's kiss. He's missed her a lot, of cause he had. He missed everything about her. Without her he felt empty. God, what had this woman reduced him to?

She slowly pulled back. "I want to stay."

"I know." He replied. "I want you to stay too."

She gave him a small smile. He had had to give her the option of leaving. She couldn't blame him for that. He was doing his job. Just like he had done with who knows how many people before her. Like he had with Sam. His best friend.

She'd met Sam in the railway arms, and Annie too. They were happy, they were together. Listening to his stories of him and Gene and their seven years of working together had helped her. It had been like moving from one world to another and in truth she was tired of it. She just wanted to stay in one place, one world, one time. 1983.

"Me and you Bolly, we're a team."

"We've got scum to catch."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not posh girl speak that is it?"

"No." She agreed. "You're a bad influence on me clearly."

He chuckled. "Probably so."

They'd just moved away from each other when the double doors to the open plan office opened and Ray, Chris and Shaz entered.

"Good to be back." Ray remarked looking around to see if anything had changed much.

"If I'm back making tea and biscuits..." Shaz muttered under her breath and the two men laughed slightly.

"How are you Guv?" Chris asked.

Gene looked at Alex for a second before looking back at him. "Just grand Christopher."

"Thought you'd need a half decent team Guv." Ray explained.

Gene chuckled. "That I do." He looked at them all. All back together. He'd sent them away because it had been the right thing. Now here they all were. All wanting to come back. To stay. "But first a drink."

"What's become of Luigi then?" Alex asked as they all left the office.

"Well he was left some money from a relative and was all set for going back to Italy them changed his mind." Gene explained. "So for the past month I've had his pleasurable company to myself."

Alex laughed, pleased the owner of the bar was still there. She added Luigi to the list of things she'd missed about his place. She wondered if she'd get her flat back? She shook her head. Of all the things to be thinking about.

"Señorita Drake." Luigi beamed as she walked in behind Gene. He kissed her on both cheeks the busied himself getting drinks this would be the one and only time he didn't mind staying open too late.

All five says round a table.

"So what have you been doing without us, Guv?" Alex raised an eyebrow bringing her wine glass to her lips.

"This and that Drake." He smirked.

"Is this what it's gonna be like now wi' you two?" Ray looked between them lighting his cigarette.

"How'd you mean?" Alex questioned knowing full well what he meant.

"You two. Flirting."

"Not that they didn't do that before." Chris said under his breath.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gene sighed before looking at Alex. Yes he did.

XxX

an: please review and make me smile haha . Where do you want this story to go? Xx