A/n: Thank you for the lovely reviews, hope you like this next bit. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: (Forgot it last time) Don't own anyone or anything, unfortunately, but hey ho!

Chapter 2

Alex dreamily watched the smoke swirl above his head as Gene let out another breath. He'd been chain smoking again, she'd noticed, things obviously weren't right in the land of Gene Genie. She rested her head on her hand and eyeballed him, a cursory grin escaping his expression as he realised, not for the first time that night, that he was propping up the bar with the most gorgeous woman he had ever had the privilege to lay his eyes upon. "Why are you smoking so much, Gene?" She asked, her eyelashes fluttering under his intoxicating gaze.

"Because, I know how much it irritates you! And I live for irritatin' you!"

She sat up straight on her bar stool shaking her head, he intently watched the curls of her hair bouncing with her movements, "no, seriously, why?"

"I don't know; normally smoke more when I'm thinkin'!"

'Intriguing,' she thought, "so, what are you thinking about?"

'You, naked, in my arms!' He shook his head attempting to rid himself of her image. "You," he said honestly, "an' 'ow it is you're copin' so well with the death of Caroline Price!" Was that it? Just the fact that she'd coped so well with her mother's death! The fact that she'd seen it twice didn't mean she'd have to mourn it twice, but then he wasn't to know that was he, none of them knew. She only hoped … "an' why you haven't left yet?" He said gently, just above a whisper.

She reached for his right hand as it lay on the bar, remembering the feel of her hand in his as a child before she actually took it. She marvelled at its warmth, greedily running her left hand over it feeling the contours, moving over the long fingers and the thumb she had seen so clearly in those memories she'd had in the months up to her parents' death. She quickly let go allowing her hand to retreat but it was soon caught by Gene's as he pulled her hand back into his grasp. She surrendered to his touch allowing him to take her hand to his mouth and place a light kiss upon the middle of her palm. Her eyelids closed at the chaste moment, unaware of what was going on around her. When she resumed sight he was stood next to her his lips at her ear, whispering about getting some air.

Gene still had hold of her hand as they slowly moved through the crowded restaurant and up the stairs, when they reached the top his hand was around her waist guiding her up the street and around the corner into a small darkened alleyway. She could tell his body ached for her as he gently lent his frame into hers, her back against the wall. His eyes searched her face, expecting the worst but finding nothing untoward. She reached her hands up, over his chest and around his neck pulling him closer to her as she lent up for the one kiss she had been wanting for as long as she could remember.

Gene hesitated, was this the right thing to do? He wanted her, more than any woman he had ever wanted but what would happen at work, they'd get too close, wouldn't they? His first and last thoughts would only be for Alex and that wouldn't help the rest of the team, would it? He closed his eyes blocking her from his view, they'd all accused Alex of thinking too much but what would she say to him if she knew that he was thinking this way. Could they ever keep their personal life and their working relationship separate if he actually did this? If he took the one step toward certain doom, laid himself open to her, allowed her to love him and he love her in return, where would that get them?

He opened his eyes and looked at her, he'd let work cloud his desire once before and this time was going to be no exception either. His hands slid from her shoulders as he took a step back. Running his fingers through his hair, his head down and he sighed, finally leaning against the wall behind him. A dejected woman stood in front of him as he grazed his eyes over her lovely form. "I'm sorry, Alex," he shook his head, "I can't do this!"

"Why?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

"We work together and I need us to be focused, 'ow can we do that when as soon as half five comes around we're across the street in your flat shagging each other's brains out!"

"Unbelievable! Un-bloody-believable!" She shouted, "so that's what this would've been would it, a quick roll in the hay as Gene gets his leg over with some posh mouthy tart. Would I'd have been just another notch on that ever lengthening bed post of yours?" She stamped off around the corner and started climbing the stairs to her flat.

He followed, "Alex, that's not it! I … I …!"

"You … what, Gene, you didn't just want to have one shag with me, you wanted several, in fact? Or maybe, you see yourself settling down with me? Wait … wait, you love me, right?" Her eyes were filled with fury, it was no good talking to her tonight, he'd ruffled her feathers good and proper this time.

"This is the right thing to do, Alex!" He shouted to her retreating form, watching her as she stopped and descended back down toward him, pointing her finger at him as she began to shout back.

"The right thing? My god, Gene, I never ever thought I'd hear you say that. Do you know what? I'm sick of people doing the right thing. Here I am, very vividly, in bloody 1981in my own bloody mind and people are still doing the right sodding thing. I've been shot, Gene, in the head and I am so close to deaths door it's untrue. And do you know what I've realised?" She watched him shake his head, "I've realised that life is for living. I've never regretted my life, but I've never lived it either and on the cusp of death I want to make something of my life instead of all work, work, and more bloody work. Don't get me wrong I love my job, but my life is more important and if that means, god help me, that I want to spend some time with my DCI outside of work and maybe, just maybe, be allowed to love him as I realise I should be doing then so be it. I'm not scared or worried about what people will say; personally I don't give a shit! But I do give a shit about you!" There, she'd said it, all of her thoughts and feelings were now laid bare before him. "I just want you to know one thing, we could've been the best thing for one another, the bloody best and isn't that just so ironic, that I find out that the best man for me is 27 years in my past." She looked to the sky, "thank you!" She started laughing, as she turned on the step, stopping briefly to say one thing, "thing is, because you wanted to do the right thing, we'll now never know will we?"

He watched her retreat from him, up the stairs and around the corner to her flat. His foot was on the first step, should he go to her? Of course, he should, but he wouldn't. He was doing the right thing he kept telling himself, he wanted an uncomplicated life not one that had him up to his neck in the proverbial mire. This had to stop, no more favours toward her, no more longing looks across the office, no more late night drunken talks in Luigi's and no more desire. It, whatever it was, was quashed. He would put an end to it tomorrow and soon she would no longer have those desires for him any more.

He took the packet of cigarettes from his pocket as he walked across to his car. He didn't really need one, did he? He replaced the box in his jacket, sighing as he went, never once looking back up to the lone figure that stood at her living room window watching him. He never saw the anguish that was written upon her face, never saw the tears as they flooded over her cheeks washing away her make up in their wake, never saw her banging her fists and crying out his name, but he knew that it was happening, their connection was too strong. He sat in his car, put the key in the ignition and looked at the face of a man that had visibly aged about ten years in the rear view mirror. A single tear fell from his left eye, "I'm sorry, Alex, I can't …"

"DCI Hunt? Are you with us?" The familiar voice of the Super asked him as he returned to reality. "Gene?"

He stood up and shook the man's hand, "yes, sir, sorry 'bout that, caught up in thoughts of those serial rapes!" He lied.

"Yes, well, I have a little matter I wish to discuss with you but it's a little sensitive, would you mind coming to my office just before you're ready to leave for the day?"

"Of course, sir. I'll see you 'bout five?"

"Yes, Gene, see you then!"

His gaze drifted from the retreating form of his boss to Alex's desk, where she sat mulling over some evidence and profiling the suspected rapist. Why was it that she was always directly in his line of sight, he'd have to move her desk, that was the only option. "Drake, what are you up to?" He shouted.

"Oh, now you're interested!"

"Just get your arse in 'ere and tell me what you think! An' stop giving me so much bloody attitude!"

"At least that won't be for too long now," she said under her breath, Shaz the only person to hear her. "Just coming," she snarled, picking up her notepad and trudging into his office. "Right, we're after two rapists!"

"Two, 'ow d'you work that one out?"

"Because that's what the evidence is suggesting. The first three victims were calculated, the fourth was definitely a copycat and then this second rapist got sloppy as the remaining two don't fit the profile."

"Right, very good, well pass the info onto Ray and Chris, they can start askin' snouts 'bout these two, ok?" She nodded before turning on her heel, "Alex?" He asked softly.

She turned back defensively, her arms crossed over her chest. "Yes?"

"Come in, close the door a sec!" She did as she was bid, standing awkwardly in front of his desk, patiently waiting for him to speak. "Look, I just wanted to say good work, you've been doing a fantastic job recently."

"Thanks, is that it?" She asked coolly.

"No, I'm really sorry for the way I've been treating you, things may not 'ave gone the way that either of us expected but there really was no excuse for the things I said."

Alex eyebrows shot skyward, "No! Apology accepted!"

He continued, "it is nearly Christmas and it would be good to bury the 'atchet, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it would!" 'Preferably, in your head!' She thought.

"So, truce?" He stuck out his hand for her to take; she looked at it but decided against the idea of shaking it and evoking any new fantasies.

"Truce! Can I go now?"

He nodded as he brought his hand back to himself. He realised that the damage he'd caused had been irreversible, there was no way that he was ever going to get Alex back now. He had done a 'good' job he thought soberly, as he surveyed her walking back out into the office and conversing with Ray and Chris. It was then that it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was falling in love with her and falling very hard!

"Ah, Gene, come in. Sit down, please. Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee, spot of whisky?"

"Whisky, please." The Super pulled out his bottle of Laphroaig from his drawer with two crystal glasses and poured out a generous shot into each. He handed one to Gene who sipped at the single malt with relish, this was his favourite. "So, why 'ave I been dragged up 'ere?"

"Well, sometimes, things happen that need a little bit of an explanation!"

"Oh yeah, like?"

"Like the one hour conference I had with your DI this morning."

"I wasn't aware that …"

"No, I'm sure you didn't! She wants a transfer, Gene!"

"What? Transfer? When?"

"As soon as …, thing is I don't really want to lose her, she's probably one of the best DI's East Fenchurch has ever had!"

"Yeah, I told 'er as much earlier on. Can we stall it?"

"I've told her that there isn't much point in doing anything before the New Year, so she seems happy with that at present. You see, she told me that the reason she wants a transfer is that she wants to pursue a different path in her career, says that times are moving on and she'd like to be included in the new programme that's currently being set up at HQ, but I feel that that is just a cover. There are personal issues, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you, Gene? I mean the two of you seemed pretty close at one time."

"Personal issues? She's a bit of a fruitcake at times, if that's what you mean?"

"Not exactly! I really was referring to the episode that happened a few weeks ago!"

"What episode?" Gene instinctively knew what the Super was talking about even before he said anything more.

"Gene, I was here late the other Friday, I saw you and DI Drake come out of the restaurant and walk into the alleyway. You had your arm around her waist. Then you were shouting at one another before you walked away to your car. I saw her at her window watching you leave. I'm then getting reports that the two of you are less than civil toward one another. Would you like to let me know what is going on?"

Gene gulped; he could feel the sweat on his forehead and on his palms as he decided what to say. "Did you ask Alex, 'bout it?" The Super nodded. "What did she say?"

"That it was nothing to worry about as nothing was ever going to happen between the two of you anyway."

"An' what did you say?"

"I told her that I may be old but I wasn't blind. Gene, you know I'm not going to …"

"Please sir, I …"

"Gene, let me finish then you can decide what you want to do, after all she has put in the request and it's your responsibility to sign it, I can't let her go without your say so and I've made her aware of that. Things are different now, the world is shrinking and with it the way that people come together, find partners, get married, etc, etc. I think I can understand your reluctance; we're both cut from the same cloth, you and me. And I think if I were in a similar situation then I probably wouldn't just be thinking about myself, I would be thinking about everyone else in my team, that's what makes a good inspector after all. But I can also see where Alex was coming from too!"

"Sir?"

"I heard most of what she said to you, about living life to the full. My son was killed in an horrendous car crash six years ago. He was bright, witty, clever, everything I hoped he would be, in fact. He had a wonderful fiancé whom he adored, they had a lovely house together and everything was going well. Two days before the accident my wife and I went to theirs for dinner and they told us that Marie was five weeks pregnant. We were thrilled and we could see that they were too; he'd have made a wonderful father. When I was told of his death I made the point of seeing Marie myself and telling her, she was heartbroken but do you know what kept us all going, the baby. My son was twenty six, Gene, no life at all but I'm going to make sure that his daughter lives her life to the full. There are always obstacles to overcome and if you decide that you want to pursue her you have my full backing. I know that the two of you would be completely professional in your approach to work and that is the reason why I'd support you fully. Nobody deserves to be alone which is why some of the rules at the Met, on these kinds of things, have been relaxed."

"Sir, I …"

"Just go away and think about what I've said, and then talk to her."

Gene got up from his seat and downed the rest of the liquid in his glass, placing it on the desk in front of him. "Thank you, sir. I will think about it." He nodded his appreciation toward his boss and left his office. On his return to CID he noticed how everything was so blissfully quiet as everyone had obviously gone to Luigi's or home. He walked into his office and peered through the half closed blind out onto the street. His eyes travelled up the side of the building to the windows that he knew formed part of Alex's flat. A single solitary light shone over her form in a nightshirt as she sat on the sofa whilst she watched the television, a glass of red wine in her hand. She looked out of the window and seemed to look directly into his soul; did she know he was there, watching her? He hoped not, but he knew they would always have that something that kept them together, even if she was to be transferred up to Edinburgh or somewhere further away from him. "Well, she needs my signature in order to move, and I'm not ready to give it yet." He found his own bottle of whisky, removed the lid and threw his head back taking as much as of the amber fluid that he could handle. "Alex," he looked back to her window watching her as she moved from the living room and into her bedroom, "you're staying 'ere, with me!"