Disclaimer: I do not own Ashes to Ashes or any of the characters – this is merely my take on their awesome world!!

Thanks to everyone who's read or left a review!! :¬)

*~*~*~*~*

"Er, DI Drake, can I have a word?"

Alex looked up to see DCI Johnson leaning around the door of his office, calling to her.

"Of course sir," she replied, a little irritated, getting to her feet. There was something about this man she found vaguely irksome, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it; his position in that office just felt plain wrong. In her mind, that office would always belong to a far superior DCI.

"Drake, we have recently received a tip off about a local serge of drug smuggling. Rumour has it that a former dealer is behind it- a Mr. Edward Markham."

Alex's mind raced.

"Markham?" she stuttered, lost in thought.

"Er, yes, do you know him?" Her DCI looked rather puzzled.

I'll say, Alex thought to herself. When you've been held hostage by someone whilst dressed as a prostitute they're sort of difficult to forget.

Alex took a deep breath. "Er, I er, I think I read the file," she muttered, attempting to recover herself. "So they think he might be behind it?"

"Apparently. Listen Drake, it probably won't amount to much but if you wouldn't mind following it up- after all the doctors did advise we settle you back in gently."

Alex nodded absently, the full blow of this little blast from the past not having quite worn off. Then she had a brain wave.

"Er, come to think of it sir," she turned, smiling sweetly at her DCI, "would it be possible to rope in some assistance for this one? DCI...erm, I mean, Gene Hunt, from UCOS? It's just I seem to remember he was in charge of the investigation before."

The DCI frowned, slightly taken aback at her detailed knowledge of the case, but then nodded slowly.

"Yes, I suppose so. You want to watch him though, nasty temper apparently."

You want to try being on the receiving end of it, Alex grinned inwardly.

"Oh I'm sure I can handle it sir," she replied. This was going to be interesting.

*~*~*~*~*

It had to be one of the weirdest telephone conversations anyone had ever had- but then Alex Drake had once held conversations with a dying man whilst in a coma herself, and so ringing her former DCI, whom she had taken at first to be a figment of her imagination and living inside her head, was largely run of the mill.

"Hunt?"

"Hi, Gene, it's Alex," she replied chirpily, her mood instantly improved at the sound of his voice.

"'Ello Bolls," the DCI replied cheerily, "what can I do yer for?"

"I think I might have a case for you gov," she continued, not bothering to correct her affectionate mistake. "Do you remember Edward Markham?"

"Like me favourite dose o' the piles. Why, wha's he done?"

"Well, we've had an informant who says he's behind a surge of of drug smuggling over recent months. I was wondering if you fancied tagging along, since the pair of you got on so well last time."

Her irony was not lost on the DCI.

"For you Lady Bolls," he replied, "anything."

*~*~*~*~*

Of course, Alex Drake was the first to spot the irony. Upon her arrival in 1981, the idea of spending any time with Gene Hunt filled her with unimaginable dread and yet now here she was actively arranging it.

She felt a buzz of excitement as she caught sight of her former colleague striding nonchalantly towards the interview room. Just like old times.

"Ready Bolls?" he asked, a broad grin of anticipation spreading across his lips.

"I sure am gov," she smiled back. "Just remember the drop off point is said to be St. Gerrard's road, but the first shipment arrived between seven and nine am on the 7th of April. Look out for that."

The look of recognition on Markham's face at the sight of Gene Hunt was unmistakable.

"Mr. Markham, I'm DI Alex Drake and this is..."

"Gene Hunt-UCOS"- Alex smiled inwardly, shy and retiring as ever.

"Hunt," Markham grinned insolently, "long time no see." Then, suddenly, he turned to Alex, a searching look on his face, "Don't I know you?"

Alex's heart thumped. She blushed. "I think that highly unlikely," she muttered, trying valiantly to remain calm and professional. She still wasn't used to this.

"No, well- yes, that's right, there was another female DI- Hunt took rather a shine to her as I recall..."

"When you're quite done Markham," Gene interjected angrily, his cheeks having noticibly darkened to a strong crimson. Alex nodded in appreciation and, gathering herself, continued.

"Mr. Markham, we have reason to believe you are connected to a serge in drug smuggling over recent months. As such we would like to ask you a few questions."

"Drugs eh?" Markhamreplied, looking thoughful. "Last time I was involved in that business I ended up getting shot in the foot- literally. Sort of puts you off!"

Alex smiled in mock sympathy. Twenty odd years may have passed but he was still as smarmy as ever.

"If you wouldn't mind answering a few questions, Mr. Markham, such as where you were between seven and nine am on the morning of the 7th of April?"

Markham sat back, thinking.

"At home, can't imagine anyone wanting to be out at that time of the morning. One of the perks of being retired. Course," he said, grinning slyly at Gene, "some people just don't know when to stop."

Alex saw her colleague stiffen slightly but was relieved to see that he didn't react.

"And can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?"

"Yes, my wife. You see, Mr. Hunt, we don't all live alone- dreaming of the past."

What happened next took Alex completely by surprise. Rather than resorting to the predictable and, Alex had to admit, justifiable violent retaliation on Markham, Gene took a deep breath.

"D'you wanna play a game Markham?" he asked, sitting back in his chair.

Markham frowned, "What?"

"I wanna play a game," the former DCI continued, "word association- first thing that comes in to yer 'ead."

The suspect's confusion grew visibly but he sat back, arms folded, and waited.

"Dog?"

"Cat."

"Banker?"

Sly grin, "You."

Alex stared at her DCI, open mouthed. No, surely not?

"Rain?"

"Clouds."

"Mice?"

"Cheese."

"St. Gerrard?"

Blank look. "What?"

"St. Gerrard?"

Another blank look. "Er, St. George?"

Gene nodded and, with a look of immense satisfaction, got to his feet and marched out of the room.

Alex glanced from one to the other of them, completely lost for words, before mumbling to the PC behind her,"Take him to the cells."

She caught up with her colleague just as he was embarking upon an explanation to DCI Johnson.

"Well, frankly sir I don't think 'e did it. I tried to get it out of 'im subconsciously but 'e didn't seem to know anythin' about it."

The DCI nodded, then commented, "I didn't know you were into psychiatry, Mr. Hunt."

"It's psychology actually."

Alex felt a serge of pride at his words.

"Quite. Well, you kept that quiet. Where did you pick it up?"

"Oh, well, I once 'ad a colleague who was pretty hot on that sort of thing," Gene muttered, pointedly not making eye contact with the DI. "It's sort of difficult not to pick somethin' up."

"Naturally," Johnson nodded, in a feeble attempt to appear to understand. "So, er, you think he's innocent,"

"Yes sir, " Gene nodded, "plus his alibi checks out so- no, much as I'd like 'im to be, Markham's not yer man."

"Right, well, thanks for your help, Mr. Hunt," Johnson replied, holding his hand out to shake Gene's before turning and walking back in to his office.

"Well," Alex muttered, a broad smile spreading across her face, "quite the little A-grade student aren't we?"

Gene returned the grin, "Yeah, well, you got yer knickers in enough of a twist about it I thought there must be somethin' in it," he replied before leaning in closer and muttered softly, "Don't underestimate me Bolls."

Oh I don't think there's much danger of that, the DI thought to herself.

"Listen Bolls," he continued, beginning to look a little nervous and staring down at the floor, "how'd yer fancy dinner, Friday night, my treat?" his cheeks had, again, begun to glow before he mumbled, "Course if you don't want to..."

"Gene," Alex cut through determinedly, "I'd love to - it's been too long!"

*~*~*~*~*

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