A quick thanks to my lovely reviews from the last chapter – glad you liked after such a long delay. Here's the next chapter as promised. As always reviews are more than welcome :D xxx

Alex was awoken by the shrill noise of a car horn outside on the street. Slowly opening her eyes and slipping further in consciousness, she felt a dull ache throbbing up her back and a small groan of pain escaped her lips.

"Bols? What's up? Ya stomach still hurtin'?" Gene's voice startled her a bit as she lifted her head from where it had been resting on his shoulder and blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"Gene?" Her voice betrayed her confusion but even as she whispered his name the events of the previous night came flooding back into memory.

"Come on Bolly, ya need to see a quack."

Alex felt his attempt to pull away from her as he withdrew his arm from around her back but she quickly grabbed his hand. "No Gene I'm fine." He looked sceptical. "Really", she added. "It's just a crick in my back where I've been sat hunched over."

"Ya sure Bolly? I can take ya down the hospital. I'm gonna be late for work now anyway so it makes no difference."

There was no judgement or malice in his voice but Alex suddenly felt guilty. She had called him out in the middle of the night, fallen asleep in his arms and now he was going to be late for work and people might talk. She looked up but couldn't see the clock on the mantelpiece from their position on the floor. "What time is it?"

Gene looked at his watch. "Ten past nine."

Shit. "Oh God Gene, I'm so sorry." She let go of his hand and sat up straight so she was no longer leaning on his chest. "You should go."

She looked at his face and felt guilty for the second time that morning when she saw pain flash in his eyes for a split-second before his face adopted the traditional pout she had come to expect and maybe even find attractive. She would never admit that to anyone though of course and especially not to him. He didn't say anything for several moments but just simply stared at her. She noticed his hesitation but didn't know what to say. After what seemed like hours he got to his feet. "Right you are Bolly." He looked confused for a moment. "Mind if I use ya bathroom?"

Alex shook her head. "Course not." She noticed for the first time how rumpled Gene looked. Obviously in a hurry to get dressed last night, or rather earlier that morning, he must have simply thrown on the clothes he had worn to work the day before. Getting dressed in a hurry and spending a couple of hours sat on the floor being used as a human pillow had taken its toll. His shirt was creased and half untucked from his trousers while his hair was ruffled and a light sheen of overnight facial hair covered his chin and cheeks. Suits him, she thought to herself before clearing her throat of the lump that had suddenly appeared there. "I think there's still one or two of your shirts here too, I'll go and find you one." Gene leapt forward as she moved to get up.

"Not sure you should be moving too much today Bolls. After last night you should probably take it easy."

Alex couldn't believe what she was hearing. Compassion from Gene Hunt. Momentarily touched by his concern, Alex didn't know what to say and simply smiled at him as he held onto her arms. "I think I can manage a trip to the bedroom to get you a shirt Gene."

Gene dropped her arms as though she had just bitten him and she watched his face as he suddenly became very interested in something on her carpet. "Yeah, right, thanks ..."

Confused at the sudden change in mood Alex brushed past Gene and into the bedroom. What the hell happened there? Opening her wardrobe, she reached up and pulled down the only remaining clean shirt of Gene's that had been in the flat when she first arrived all those months ago. The truth was she actually had several of his shirts left in the flat, keeping them in a drawer by her bed and she had been using them to sleep in before the shooting. Alex loved the idea that they were Gene's shirts that he had worn and every time she slipped one on at night she couldn't help but feel a little closer to the man himself and wonder what he would do if he saw her in one. But of course that was before the shooting and everything that had come with it and she was no longer sure of what they meant to each other. Any thoughts or dreams she may have had regarding an advancement of their relationship were probably shattered, although she couldn't forget the way he had rushed over in the early hours of the morning and stayed with her while she fell asleep to make sure she was ok. Not that he had much choice Alex, what with you ringing him in tears and all. Any man, or woman for that matter, would have done the same. You yourself would have done the same for Ray or Chris or Shaz. Stop reading so much into it.

Taking the clean shirt out of the bedroom she knocked on the bathroom door. "Gene?"

Gene shrugged yesterday's shirt from his back before rubbing a hand across the stubble across his chin. Shit, no razor here. He hadn't had time to think about such practical things when Alex had called him last night. He subconsciously balled his fists on the sides of the sink and squeezed his eyes shut as he thought about that call. Gene had realised one person could sound so pained in such a small number of words. But the sound of Alex on that phone last night had caused a pain deep in his gut that he couldn't possibly ignore, even if he'd wanted to. All she has to do is call me and I come running.

Just for a split second he'd thought he was too late when he entered the flat and saw her crumpled up in a heap on the floor. If she'd been ...... he shook his head. That was too horrible to even contemplate. She was up and awake and fetching him a shirt from her bedroom.

God, that comment has caused a reaction in him he'd never expected. Gene Hunt, the Manc Lion, put off at even the slightest hint of domesticity. However, the truth was that he hadn't been put off or intimidated by Alex's comment at all. It had scared him yes and even though he knew she hadn't meant it to, it had sounded so much like something a wife would say to her husband. Fetching his shirt from their bedroom. But it wasn't that he was scared of the implied commitment. He was scared at how much he had wanted it in that second she looked up at him with those wide, hazel green eyes of hers.

Big poof, he chided himself. It was a silly throw-away comment that meant nothin' an' you're acting like a love-struck teenager because of a woman that is way out of your league an' has made it clear on several occasions that she is not interested in you. An' that was before you shot 'er.

Gene resolved to be more manly about the whole issue. That lasted about 5 seconds until he heard a knock on the door and her voice.

"Gene?"

He moved to open the door still in a daze thinking about the past couple of weeks. It didn't even register that he had removed his shirt to wash and was still half naked in Alex Drake's flat. He pulled the bathroom door back to reveal the current occupant stood in the hallway clutching one of his old light blue shirts to her chest in an almost death grip. She had pulled a red silk dressing gown around her black satin pyjamas but her hair was ruffled from a restless night and her face was still devoid of make-up. Bloody gorgeous. Neither of them spoke for several moments but Gene didn't miss the way her gaze travelled down his bare chest and lingered there.

Nor did he miss the blush in her cheeks as she returned her eyes to his own, cleared her throat and held out the shirt to him. "Erm . . . . here's your shirt, it's the only one I can find", she pushed the shirt towards him and inadvertently brushed the skin of his chest with her fingers. She jerked her hand back as though she'd been electrocuted but he could feel the tingling of his skin where she had touched him.

Gene's resolve practically leapt from him then as he pulled Alex inside the bathroom and pushed her up against the wall next to the doorframe. Looking into her eyes he waited for the inevitable slap or shouting match but they never came. He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but a mirror of his own desire and apprehension. It's now or never.

Gene thought he'd died and gone to heaven when he covered Alex's lips with his own and she responded, moving her mouth against his own almost hungrily. Gene moaned into her mouth as she took his bottom lip between her teeth and ran her tongue along it silently requesting access. Gene complied opening his mouth and sliding his tongue into her mouth and tangling it with her own.

Pressed up against her heaving chest, Gene could feel Alex's heartbeat hammering in her chest in a similar beat to his own. Breaking the kiss after several minutes, Gene bent his head to kiss and nip at the silky skin of her neck at the same time he moved his hands to her waist and he felt her own hands slide up into his hair.

He bit down on her neck harder than he meant to when she moaned his name and wrapped one of her longs legs around the back of his. Alex let out a sigh of contentment and ran her nails down his back as Gene continued his path down from her neck along her collarbone towards the top of her breasts. "Oh God Gene."

Gene was in a blissful state of arousal when he realised Alex was no longer enjoying herself and wanted him to stop. "Gene wait .... stop .... ow ...... please ...."

Confused he stood back and immediately realised what he'd done. He'd moved his hands from her waist up across her stomach in the direction of her breasts but under her pyjamas had forgotten about the hospital dressing and the wound it hid under there. The wound you inflicted ya selfish bastard.

Racked with guilt and unsure what to say he simply mumbled "Shit" and swept past Alex, picking up the clean shirt she had dropped just outside the bathroom when he'd first grabbed her. He planned to just grab his coat and leave. He was almost at the front door when Alex called his name. The pain in her voice made him stop dead in his tracks and turn around to face her as she came into the living room. She was holding a hand to her stomach and Gene couldn't decide if he wanted to throw up or punch someone.

"Where are you going?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

As far away from you as possible so maybe you'll be safe. "Home . . . work . . ." She looked down at the floor. "Listen Alex, I'm sorry for ya know . . ." he gestured towards her stomach. "For hurtin' ya . . . again. I didn't mean . . ."

"I know you didn't mean to hurt me Gene. It was my fault-"

"No it wasn't", Gene cut her off.

"But I wanted to Gene."

"Yeah maybe but-"

"No buts Gene." This time it was Alex's turn to cut him off as her voice was steadier now. "It was just as much my fault as it was yours." He thought he was imagining things when she moved towards him and gingerly placed a hand on his cheek. "I could've said no Gene but I didn't want to." She replaced her hand with her mouth as she pressed a light kiss to his cheek. "I want you", she whispered to his ear.

Gene wanted nothing more than to tell her truth about how he really felt right at that moment but instead he did what he always did. He pulled away. "No Alex, you don't. I ain' good for ya."

He watched as her brows knit together in a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

Where do I even start? "Just wha' I said Alex, it ain' ever gonna work so why go there?"

The look on her face as she recoiled from him cut up his insides and he wanted to put his arms around her and never let go. But he knew that could never happen. The hurt she felt now would be nothing compared to the damage he would cause her in the future. Better to give her a get out clause now before it's too late for both of us.

I have to get out of here now before I give in again. He felt awful leaving her in a state of confusion and pain but he feared he may do something they would both regret later if he didn't. "You gonna be ok?" He looked pointedly at her wound.

She nodded. "It's fine I just to take my medication."

"Good." He sniffed and slung his coat around his shoulders. "Better get to work then Bolly . . . I'll ring later an' check you're ok?"

She was looking at the floor again and simply nodded. Turning his back on her and opening the front door he glanced back once more "Bols?" Alex looked up and Gene saw the tears in her eyes. That punch or gag reflex returned as he put on the most sincere voice he could muster with a lump in his throat. "I am really am sorry Alex."

And with that he was gone.

Thoughts? xxx