A/N: Ok, don't hate me! Horrible gap between updates! See! This is why I should stick to one-shots! So here it is...last chapter! Please review it.

At that moment, Ray burst into the interview room, closely followed by a confused looking Gene. Parker stepped back from the table abruptly.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed.

"DS-Parker!" panted Ray, slightly out of breath, "Billy Jacobs…suicide…found this in his flat." Ray handed over a clear plastic bag in which a piece of paper was visible. "double checked with his girlfriend, Parker…she'd been shagging Billy's mate."

Silently, Parker took the plastic bag from Ray, scrutinising the note as if desperate to find something amiss. Seemingly unable to do so however, he looked up, apparently seething.

"I'll run this down to forensics. Check prints…" he muttered. "If this is a forgery…" he headed for the door, turning back briefly to mutter, "You can leave for now Drake…you'll hear from us soon."

There were hugs, cheers and many claps on the back for Ray that evening. Much to Parker's displeasure, all the evidence pointed to Billy having jumped out in front of the Quattro. Alex had thanked Ray fervently, but somehow couldn't bring herself to join in with the alcohol fuelled celebrations at Luigis that night. Instead, she sat at a lonely table, running her nail along the rim of a wine glass. A man had still died. Yes, she was not to blame, but she had struck the blow that had snuffed out his life, nothing could change that. Taking a sip of red wine, she couldn't help feeling a huge weight lifting off her chest; no matter how she looked at it, there was little she could have done, really.

"Y'alright love?" Gene had sidled over, speaking tentatively and eyeing Alex with concern, expecting her to lash out. He was greatly surprised however, when she broke into a small smile and held out her arms to him. He almost leapt into the embrace, having been starved of such closeness for days now. As he kissed her affectionately on the cheek, Gene felt as if all was well with the world, as feeling which evaporated quickly as he remembered Chris and Shaz.

"Shazza?"

"Hmm?"

Chris looked down at Shaz who was dozing on his chest, wondering how best to phrase it.

"Well, I've been thinking, see. What with all this stuff with Jack…"

"Yes darlin'?"

"Well, it's got me thinking…"

"…Yeah."

"Well it's got me thinking about family an' that…and maybe you and me…you know…having one?" Chris felt himself redden, he knew he had said the wrong thing. They were still grieving for one baby! How could he even talk about possibly putting Shaz through that again?

"…Me too babe…just not yet, eh? Maybe in a month or two…give me time to…heal."

"Yeah, yeah! I don't mean like right away…I just…"

"I know what you meant Chris." she said, kissing him gently on the forearm, "I've been thinking about it too…I think maybe soon we'll be ready Chris…I know I want to…Some kid deserves a good Daddy like you."

"A fab Mum an' all." said Chris, gruffly, craning his neck to kiss her on the bridge of her nose.

Christmas seemed to roll around sooner than usual that year, and before Gene could blink, decorations were up, fairy lights aglow and he was skipping through the house humming Christmas carols. Of course, Gene only ever did this when he was alone, to have done so in front of anybody would have been tantamount to turning up to work in a g-string and titty tassels.

On one particular evening, when Gene was cantering around the living room, almost up to the second verse of 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' he did not hear Alex come in after a bought of Christmas shopping. She stood in the doorway, watching him for a while before, unable to contain herself any longer, she bust out laughing, leaning on the doorframe for support. He stopped abruptly, unsure how he should be feeling. Embarrassment didn't quite cover it…his instinct was to be angry at her for laughing at him, but quickly realised how stupid he must have looked…he could hardly blame her for laughing.

Grinning cheekily, he took her shopping bags, threw them aside and pulled her into a ballroom hold,

"Don't just stand there woman! Join in for Christ's sake!"

For the next ten minutes or so, they danced exuberantly, Alex accompanying Gene in a laugh punctuated rendition of 'Good King Wenceslas.' Collapsing, at last onto the sofa they panted and giggled breathlessly. Gene was the first to recover. "That was the campest thing I've ever done." Alex began to laugh again, placing her cheek on his, their legs tangled awkwardly.

"Merry Christmas Eve, Gene."

"You too…Love you Bolls."

"Love you too…Ooh! By the way, I didn't tell you! Everyone's coming over for Christmas dinner tomorrow!"

"Bloody hell, you could've said!"

"I know, I know! I'm sorry! Well, we couldn't exactly eat that huge Turkey on our own, could we?"

"You might not be able to…" he smirked.

"Oh, and Millie's staying over till boxing day."

"Excellent." said Gene, grinning.

That night, Gene went to sleep with all the excitement of a five year old. Tomorrow would be his first Christmas as Alex's fiancée…

Around 12'o clock the next day, people began to arrive. First Jasmine and Ray, the latter waving a bottle of whiskey in his hand, then Shaz and Chris, subdued but cheery, and then Millie, presents in hand and beaming.

Typically, all four women ended up in the kitchen whilst Ray, Chris and Gene smoked and drunk, until Millie poked her head agitatedly out of the kitchen door.

"Gene! Get off your arse! You said you'd set the timer for the roast potatoes! Sort 'em out!"

Casting a nervous look and Ray and Chris, Gene obeyed.

When dinner was served without any further hitch, the seven people crowded around Gene and Alex's dining table. As they tucked in, Millie looked around at them all, smiling happily. The once, emasculated DCI; the fiancée who refused to believe he was dead; the woman who, only a few weeks ago, was at the point of jumping to her death; her husband who had stood by her, sweet and simple as always and the shop-girl who had found love in the arms of an awkward moustached and loyal man…these were her family, as mismatched as they seemed. In some ways, Millie couldn't help but thank her lucky stars that she had been bundled into the back of a van, beaten half to death and left to drown. If these had never happened to her, she would never have met him.

Gene Hunt. Her son, her once cellmate and her best friend.

When lunch had been cleared away, they all sat in a food induced stupor, tuning into the queen's speech and drinking whiskey in a lacklustre sort of way, passing around the chocolates they were only eating for the hell of it. All in all, the perfect Christmas.

When Chris, Shaz, Ray and Jasmine had left with final shouts of "Merry Christmas." and "Happy New Year Guv!" Millie, Alex and Gene sat in the living room, full of food, tired, yet blissfully happy.

"Great Dinner Alex, love."

"Thanks Millie." Grinned Alex, sleepily from under Gene's arm.

"Bloody brilliant Bolls." muttered Gene, having momentarily awoken from a doze.

"Thanks you two." smiled Mille, "For everything…best Christmas I've had in an age." Both Alex and Gene smiled back.

Suddenly, Alex sat bolt upright, her eyes alight with childish excitement.

"OH MY GOD!"

Gene jumped a mile, his heart racing like mad.

"WHAT? You Ok?"

"IT'S SNOWING!"

Alex leapt up and ran to the window, pointing at the flakes which fluttered serenely from the skies and peppered the tarmac below. Gene shot an exasperated look at Millie, who smiled in response.

"Ooh! Can we go out for a bit! Pleeease?" said Alex, looking at Gene, deploringly.

"Don't see why not," he said, trying to cover his own excitement, "coming Millie?"

"Not today Gene," she said, "My bones won't take that cold…got a bit of a bad chest. Go and have a good time you two. You deserve it."

They hurriedly gathered up their coats, scarves, gloves and hats, pulled them on eagerly and made for the door.

"Bye." said Millie as they left. "Bye Alex…Goodbye Gene."

Sitting alone in the arm chair, Millie managed as stave of the tiredness to see Gene and Alex begin a snowball fight. She chuckled appreciatively as a particularly large one hit Gene squarely in the face. Looking away and tilting her head back, Millie stared up at the ceiling. She had finished a book she had been reading last night…she was glad; she had wanted to finish it before…Millie sighed deeply.

Sometimes, it struck her how similar Gene was to how her Arthur used to be, same robust manner, same tender interior…God she missed him. Every now and then, she would forget what colour his eyes had been, and would really have to think back to picture that vivid green. They came to her now, as bright as ever.

Millie gazed up at the ceiling until she knew no more.

It was Gene who found her half an hour later, tortoiseshell glasses firmly in place before empty eyes. He moved forefinger and thumb over them, bringing her eyelids to cover them for the last time. Kneeling down beside her, Gene took her hand and felt the irrepressible flood of hot tears cascade down his face.

Just under a year later, a little girl was born. She was named Millie Skelton.

She had been so named for a woman who had touched the lives of everyone in Fenchurch East, and had it not been for her, a fair few of whom would not be there to tell her tale.

A/N: She's really gone this time. :( God, it really hurt my heart to kill her off. So this is the end now. 'The Start of Defeat' has reached its natural end. I know it seems bleak to leave it here, but you all know that the CID couples get a happy ending right? :'(

The Thank yous:

The BBC, Kudos, etc. It's all theirs (Except Millie who is MINE)

SephyRose (For allowing me to bore her senseless with this.)

And you if you have stuck with me until the end.

:D