Alex had suggested they move out of the locker room and talk more openly in the office. Partly so everyone else could hear, partly to get out of there. She felt better now she knew the baby wasn't Genes and that it had obviously been before they got together, even almost before he knew her, but she still felt a bit shaky and being in a room where she felt more confident and more at home even would be better.

They sat down with the rest of the team and discussed how bus loads of girls come down to the capital and a lot of them, as young as 14 disappear never to be heard from. Ray had opened his mouth at one point no doubt to make a brash comment but Gene just glared at him with a stare that seemed to say 'shut it or I'll shut it for you'.

"....and so I've come down here because this is where Rachel came. See if I can find out for myself what happened. But I have hit a dead end, none of you lot will help so that's why I came to see Hunt."

Gene had sat next to Alex the whole time Jackie was speaking. His was resting on his hands and was leaning back a little and the direction of his eye sight wondered slightly down to Alex's backside, where it had stayed for the past 5 minutes. He was sort of listening but he had heard it in the locker room and thought this was a much better use of his time.

"Boss?" Gene looked up at Ray and everyone else staring at him. Realising he had been rumbled he jumped up and cleared his throat. Alex too had noticed Genes attention had drifted a little and Hiding a chuckle stroked his back as if to tell him to carry on.

"Erm . . .yeah, right. So then what does everyone think ? Bolls? "

"Did she come down by bus or train Jackie ?" Alex too had stood up now and made her way over to Jackie who was smoking on the edge of Rays desk.

"By bus, that's the other thing, i went to the bus station to see if anyone around there noticed her and that's when I saw him."

"Saw who ?" Asked Gene.

"The creepy looking bloke waiting for the girls to get off the busses. I saw him talking to girl after girl Gene as they were getting off. One of them left with him as well god knows what . . ." Jackie stopped talking . She was clearing getting emotional. Alex suddenly thought what if something like this happened to Molly. She wasn't much younger and she placed her hand on Jackie's back. Jackie turned into Alex and grabbed on to her as she started to sob. Knowing she had no competition from her now Alex comforted her like a friend and stroked her back looking over Jackie's shoulder smiling slightly at Gene.

Ray made his way over to Gene and took a drag from his fag. With a smirk on his face at the sight of Alex hugging Jackie he said:

"Here boss, bet that sights a right . . ."

"Ray if you finish that sentence I will punch your ugly mug so hard you will be able to see out of the back of your head. Got it ?"

Ray looked anywhere but at him. It was only meant as a joke but obviously the guv didn't see the threesome joke appropriate.

-

They all bunched up into the Quattro and headed for Victoria bus station. After Alex trying to be polite and offering Jackie her seat she was told to shut up and get in the front where she belongs by Gene. Half way there she had turned to ask if Jackie was feeling better and found all 3 back seat passengers to be smoking away happily.

"See Bolly, it's like the three wise monkeys back there."

They arrived and gathered round the seating area to view the buses arriving. Just as Jackie had said the man in the bomber jacket was waiting in the wings for them to arrive too.

"So how long have you and Gene been together then DI Drake?"

"Please call me Alex, about a month, and I know what you're going to say." Alex took a sip of coffee and waited for the onslaught of 'bit soon to be getting married' or 'are you pregnant too then ?'

But Jackie just shrugged and smiled taking a drag of her cigarette.

"Aye, that man always gets what he wants. You know that don't ya ?"

"That I do Jackie that I do." Both women looked at each other and laughed. It was something new for Alex having another woman around that knew Gene. She had Shaz but she was Genes work colleague and unfortunately tea maker. Jackie was becoming more and more like a friend to Alex every minute. A luxury Alex had little of in 1982 outside of work.

"Oi ! I hope you 2 aint comparing bloody stories. Don't listen to a word she says Bolly that's an order! " She looked up at him and He winked at her. Keeping each other gaze both knowing the relief that this morning's upset was nothing more than a miss-judged joke now.

"Guv, look." Chris pointed out the bus that had just arrived from Manchester. The man in the bomber jacket that Jackie had pointed out had stirred and had walked over to the luggage compartment. A girl had gotten off and as she had gone to collect her bag the man looked like he had offered to help her carry them and started to walk off with her in the direction of the car park.

"The dogs seen the rabbit, Come on." Everyone put their polystyrene cups down and started to follow Gene after the Man and girl. Alex was behind everyone and heard her radio crackle. She stopped to get it out of her pocket.

"Base to DI Drake, base to DI Drake." Still smiling from her chat with Jackie she answered.

"Drake here."

"Oh Alex."

The mystery man. All other sounds stopped and she listened intensely.

"Where are you ?" She felt sick. The last time she had seen him when she met Mrs Staines in the street and hadn't heard from him since. Stupidly thinking for a few days that that was it, he had gone.

"I could smell your hair Alex as I walked passed you. Who is the pregnant lady Alex ?"

"That's none of your business, where are you?" She was talking through gritted teeth now and starting to shake looking round everywhere to see if she could see him.

"I keep missing you on your own Alex, but soon, soon I will get you alone and then we will go home."

She felt a breeze of wind behind her and jump round.

"Bolly ! Come on were losing him !" Alex looked forward to Gene and put the radio back in her pocket. There he was again when she needed him. While Gene was around she knew who ever it was on the phone, her TV, in the street she was safe. She ran towards him full pelt and grabbed his hand firmly as they caught the rest of the group up.

-

They all crammed back in to the Quattro and followed the guy who had got the girl into his car.

After about 10 minutes he pulled up outside a little semi detached maisonette. He gathered the girl's bags and showed her up the side stairs.

"Look at him, bastard. I bet he has done this so many times. She only looks 15!" Jackie had yet again sparked up and was scowling in the direction of the house.

"Jackie please for the babies' sake . . ." Alex had asked her for the third time since they got back in the car to stop smoking. If she was being honest Alex was only getting on her back to take her mind off the radio contact with the creep who was stalking her.

"Trust me love its better for it I carry on. I'm a right bitch when I try and pack up."

Ray and Chris looked at each other and gaped. Alex knew what they were thinking, she was too. Maybe Jackie was better smoking.

"Right come on her has had 10 minutes let's go in and get that girl out." Gene ordered everyone out and they made their way over to the flat.

Using the usual Gene Genie door knock they barged in and found the girl already half naked with the guy who had carried her bags taking her photo.

"Right you dirty bastard your nicked!" Gene pointed at the man so Ray and Chris could grab him as he tried in vain to run for the door. Alex walked over to the girl with her arms open showing she wasn't a threat.

"It's ok, it's ok. We're police officers." Jackie was stood in shock at the door way. Looking round Alex could see she was looking for any indication of Rachel.

"Here Bolly get that poor girl dressed." Gene threw her the girls top from the floor and Alex was trying to calm her down sat at the table.

"Right you little shit start talking." Ray and Chris were still restraining the guy. Gene looked like he was about to floor him. Alex knew this was the sort of case Gene hated. Young girls and worse from the north, bad men and a mixture of probable police corruption.

"I was only taking photos! nothing wrong with that!"

Gene got right in the guys face nose almost touching.

"THERE IS WHEN THE GIRL IS ONLY 15!"

Gene turned from him and walked over to the girl at the table with Alex. He put his hand in his pocket and grabbed a bunch of notes.

"Here love takes this and go back to where you come from and never talk to men like this again yeah?"

The girl nodded and grabbed the money out of Genes hand and made a hasty exit.

Jackie had started to walk around now and was riffleing through some photos. She stopped and pulled one out the pile.

"This is Rachel! You bastard! What have you done to her?" Before anyone could stop her she was over the other side of room and head butted the photographer. Out cold.

-

After uniform had arrived and took the guy back to the cells Gene, Alex and Jackie all made their way back to the station leaving Ray and Chris to gather up evidence.

"Can you not keep that bloody temper down woman?" Gene snapped when they got into the car.

"Your only upset because I got in there first Hunt!" Alex turned to look back at Jackie and smiled, biting her bottom lip. She was right Gene had restrained himself and not knocked three shade f shit out of the guy and she causally walks up to him and knocks him out.

They parked the Quattro and went to the front desk to see the guy they had just sent in.

"Right Viv your latest edition if you please to the interview room"

"Bit of a problem there guv. Seems he is still dazed and keeps passing out, the doctors are in there with him now, might be best to leave him till morning when he can speak."

Gene turned to Jackie and glared. She put her hands up as way of apology.

"Right then, well bugger all else we can do here. Bolls?" He looked up at her and smiled.

"To the bar Gene?"

"To the bar."

-

The 3 of them made their way over to Luigis and ordered some food it was late evening now and all of them had not ate since the bus station.

It was a pleasant evening in a way. Alex now saw Jackie as a path to Genes past and they talked about how her and Gene used to hate each other but try and help at the same time, about the hostage situation they had been involved in and ,briefly, about Sam Tyler.

Luigi, ever the gentlemen, had offered Jackie the spare flat to sleep in tonight so she was close by. After a final drink, and cigarette, they bid good night to each other and Alex and Gene went up to Alex's flat leaving Luigi to deal with Jackie.

"Bloody hell, never a dull day with you is there Bolls." Gene flopped down on to the settee.

Alex followed suit throwing her jacket onto the chair as she sat next to gene.

"What a day hey. Jackie's alright though. God to hear about your past, you never talk about Manchester."

Gene, face in shock, turned to look at Alex.

"You know why I never talk bout Manchester love and I'm sorry but she's alright? Did you bang your head today Bolls?" She slapped his thigh and sat up.

"She is, not sure about what sort of a mother she is going to be but she is very strong. Good to have another . . . well friend."

"Changed your mind since this morning then Alex?" He pulled her over to him. They hadn't been alone since the locker room this morning and hadn't really had chance to talk about the miss understanding.

"Well after I realised she wasn't baring your child yeah." She reached up and kissed him keeping her hand over his cheek.

"I'm sorry I reacted how I did Gene. I just couldn't bear the thought of you having kids with her." She looked away for a second then turned back to him with a wry smile on her face. "Though I saw you Gene." She slipped her hand down to his chest and swung her legs round his knee. "When she told you it wasn't yours there was a small tiny glint in your eye that disappeared. Not a daddy hey Gene. .Thankfully!"

"It wasn't because I was disappointed that she wasn't having my kid Bolls. It was because I realised I . . . well you know." She could see he was uncomfortable about something. It suddenly dawned on her, she knew he had tried to pack up smoking recently and saw how he was after Elvers birth. Was he trying to tell her he wanted kids?

She straddled him and grabbed hold of his face.

"I know Gene me too. After Elvers birth in the woods I thought of Molly and how great it was having a child." Her eye gleaming with tears as she mention Molly's name." One day Gene I will tell you about Molly, one day." He raised a hand and placed it over hers on his face.

"Take your time Bolls we got years aint we." He brought her lips down to his and kissed her. Softly and full of love just like the night they had first slept together. His hand lowered to their usual spot on her hips , both of them starting to get deeper into the kiss the phone rang.

"Leave it." He mumbled on her neck.

"MMM Shouldn't." She reluctantly got off his knee and went to answer the phone. Leaving Gene to calm down on the settee.

"hello." Alex was glad when Mrs Staines answered.

"Oh hello dear I was erm just wondering . . .it's James trial on Thursday and i wanted to know if you were free that is . . ."

Alex smiled, that sweet old lady.

"What time would you like us to be there Mrs Staines ?"

"Oh bless you dear, I'm so very glad you can come. I had a lovely lunch the other day. The trial starts at 10 in the morning shall I meet you there ?"

"Why not Mrs Staines, me and Gene will both be there." Genes head snapped up at the use of his name.

"Please Alex dear call me Dot. I shall see you Thursday then , thank you again your both to kind."

Dot Staines hung up and Alex turned around to find Gene facing her.

"Where we going Bolls?" He sneaked his arms around her waist and bent down to kiss her neck.

"That was Mrs Staines, James Wagstaffs mother, remember i told you i had run into her the other day."

"Mmm" He was still kissing her neck.

"It's his trail Thursday told her we would go with her . . .is that ok?" She didn't even think to ask him first.

"We seem to come as a pair Bolls, why not." He took the receiver out of her hand and replaced it on the phone set and turned his attention back to her neck.

"Now then why don't we go practice that baby making lark."

A/N: Bit of a long one but we need to set up the big Mac chapter right ! Plus the mystery man is getting a bit to close, what if Alex found herself alone ?