We're back!!
First off, let me apologize for the extremely long delay between chapters. When I didn't finish this before the second series of Ashes started I knew there would be a delay, but I didn't anticipate one this long. I'm honestly surprised I've managed to get back to it at all. But I promised a few people I would. So here it is.
I also want to apologize for the fact that my general disappointment with Ashes probably impacted this chapter, and possibly the next one, in a negative way. I'm not feeling terribly generous towards Gene Hunt, or towards the actor, and it shows. Sorry. I'll get over it. Not that either one of them will care. Lol.
So thanks to anyone who's been reading, and I promise the next chapter will be soon. I've already started it. We'll get this thing finished one way or another.
Special thanks to grainweevil for the transcripts, louella for special services and my editor for not abandoning me, or killing me, at any time in the last 4 months.
I own nothing....
–
Alex pushed the red button on her phone, not for the first time. She had been trying to call Rupert all afternoon, but could never manage to stay on the line until he picked up. And she didn't want to leave him a message. She would need to see him in person, it was the least she owed him. He'd been so nice to her. Saved her life. But it would be better for Molly if they didn't go on. At least for now.
–
He was on his third scotch. He knew why she'd called him, by the way she said his name. It was cold, he couldn't hear her smile. He shouldn't be surprised. She was too messed up by something, her ex-husband maybe. Men, generally, he suspected, and he probably hadn't helped by wanting to see her so much. But he couldn't help it. All or nothing. He couldn't go halfway. He had hoped she wanted him too.
Now she was late, and as he drained his glass the tall redhead that had been staring at him all night made her move, slinking up to the bar next to him.
"You know, I thought you were waiting for someone, but you've been drinking on your own for over an hour. Would you like some company?"
Rupert frowned, considering her. She was attractive enough – long legs, almost pretty. He shook his head. "You were right the first time."
The redhead forced a seductively disappointed pout. "Shame." she turned to go. "But if you change your mind..." She turned to go. "I'll be at that table in the corner."
"I'll keep that in mind." He tried to sound disinterested, but the scotch had gotten to him. He watched her ass wiggle away.
"Making a new friend?" Alex appeared out of nowhere.
Shit. "No." He turned to look at her, steeling himself for what was coming. "Drink?"
"Um, yeah. OK." She figeted with a bar napkin as she sat on the barstool next to him. "White wine." She waited until she had her drink before she said anything else. "I've been thinking Rupert."
"I see." He shifted away from her, leaning his back against the bar. "And what have you been thinking about Alex?" She frowned and he wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth. He forced himself to look at her eyes instead.
"Molly. About Molly. And what's good for her." She sipped her wine. "I just think it's too soon. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry Alex, but I can't accept that. It doesn't make any sense to me." He stared at the ceiling. It had little cherubs painted all over it. He wondered briefly if the proprietor knew cherubs would rip off the head off a human and suck his brains through his neck without thinking. Probably not. "Is there something wrong? Haven't you been happy? You seemed happy..." He felt drunk. He hoped he wasn't slurring.
"That's not it Rupert. Please try to understand." She realized then he'd had more to drink than she thought. He was drunk. Good. It made it easier. She didn't need a drunk.
"I don't." He shook his head. "I don't understand why being with someone who makes you happy could be bad for your daughter. Shit, you don't even know if she likes me or not." She wasn't even giving him a chance. "Alex I -"
She stopped him. "No. Please don't. I need you to respect my decision."
She got up to leave and Rupert threw some money on the bar, following her out into the street. "Is this because I'm in love with you? Is that it? Because I am. And I don't care that you're not in love with me. You're so fucking messed up it's OK if we're just screwing around, but fuck it if it's serious?"
She looked at him like he'd hit her. "You barely know me. How can you think you're in love with me?" Several couples walked by, staring at them. She did not want to have this argument in the street.
He wanted to tell her he knew the night they met. That there was something in her eyes that turned him inside out, drew him so deeply inside her he wasn't certain he'd get out. That her vulnerability made him weak, and her strength made him better. That he was a mess too. That he wanted her. She'd saved his life.
He reached for her arm but she pulled away. "Because I do" was all he could manage.
"Please let me go." She turned away, and Rupert watched her get into her car and drive off.
–
Forty minutes later the redhead was tearing the buttons off his shirt, her hands moving over him so fast he worried for a moment she might not be human. He couldn't remember her name – Becky? Meg? Who the fuck knew. He didn't really care as her tongue ran over his chest, her hands tugged at his pants. Once she'd got his shirt open and his pants bunched around his ankles he took over. He didn't want to take his clothes off.
He couldn't look at her face. Lifting the hem of her dress above her waist and pushing her face down onto the bed he felt bad for a moment then plunged inside her. Pulling her hips up he pushed in deep, her ass tight against him. She squealed – in pleasure he thought, as he thrust hard and fast. But now that he was here he wanted it over. Come and go he told himself, and he pushed deep and pulled out again and again. Only he couldn't. He couldn't come. Hard and fast, short and slow, he lost track of time. Her cries of pleasure turned into just cries but he couldn't stop. Thrusting harder he screwed his eyes shut, pushing thoughts of Alex from his mind until his body finally gave in to the pain, his mouth falling open as he exploded, nowhere near satisfied.
–
"Yeah, whatever. That is so lame."
Alex sighed. "Return the classified document, thank you." She tried to change the subject. "What did Evan get you for your birthday, Molls?" \
"A Blackberry."
"Oh yeah? I'll get you some more while you're at school and you can make a birthday crumble." Molly giggled. Alex did love her laugh, even if she was far too smart for her own good. "Did your dad manage to...?"
"No. He's in Canada with Judy."
"Hmm." Bastard. Not even a phone call?
"So, this guy, Taylor..."
"Tyler. He died. April, last year."
"Schizo? Delusional? What's the German one? Is he going in 'the book'?" Molly flipped her fingers up into air quotes.
Alex really hated when she did that. A teenager already. She sighed. "Oh, DCI Tyler's getting a book all to himself." But was he? Given what she'd learned in the past few months, she had no idea where to start. She couldn't exactly write the truth. If it was the truth. She hardly knew what to think any more. She thought about Rupert. Was she really making the right decision for herself? Or for Molly? The police radio broke into her thoughts on the subject.
"Charlie 75 to DI Drake."
"Roger that."
"South Bank, outside Tate Modern. Gunman has taken female hostage. Trojan units are assigned. Over."\
"Shit!" She did not need this this morning. "Pass me the thing. Molls. Pass me, pass me." Alex reached for her siren.
"I'll do it!"
"OK. Hold on." In minutes she pulled up to the curb, behind a crowed obviously gathered around whatever situation was playing out in front of them. "OK. Now stay put, sweetheart."
Molly watched her mother run toward the crowd. "Mum, don't go."
But she did.
–
Rupert rubbed the towel over his wet hair as he stepped into the bedroom. He wanted to forget last night, every part of it. Alex was right to dump him. He'd gone back to the bar, downing a few more drinks before deciding he'd just give her some time and try again. Then the redhead had offered herself and he'd let her lead him to her flat. He couldn't remember where it was. A normal life wasn't in his future, it seemed..
Sitting heavily on the bed he ordered room service and lit a cigarette before turning on the television. He was due to meet Luke at 10:30 at the gym for training, then hoping to get drunk for lunch.
He was flicking channels when he saw it. Saw her. Alex on television, clearly involved in some police activity. No. In the second it took to pick up the phone and dial Luke a young girl ran into the shot and all hell broke loose. Shitshitshit. He pulled on clothes and ran out, Luke already on his way to meet him.
–
"You... you... you feel trapped. I mean, I can understand that. Those officers were itching for a fatality outcome." Keep talking Alex. Keep him talking and he might let you go.
The last thing she saw was a dull orange glow around the rims of of his sunglasses.
--
"I'm looking for Detective Inspector Alex Drake." Rupert accosted the first officer he saw at the scene.
"And who are you?" The officer frowned at him suspiciously.
"A friend. A good friend. I saw her on the television and I can't reach her on her cell, her mobile." He turned to Luke, nodding his head down towards the bank. Luke set off down the steps.
The officer still looked suspicious. "I suppose I can tell you that Inspector Drake left a while ago. She was headed out to her station, I believe. Reports."
Rupert shook his head. "She never made it." Turning, he ran down the steps after Luke, finding him looking underneath the jetty.
"Nothing here Galvin." He looked around. "She could be anywhere."
"I know. But she's not far. I know it." He did. He didn't know how, but he knew. She was somewhere nearby. "Let me have your police radio." Luke had been carrying it, but they hadn't picked up anything helpful. Rupert held it, staring at it. Willing it to tell him something. Tell him anything. When it crackled he almost jumped out of his skin.
"Inspector Drake's car has been found abandoned...near the Greenwich peninsula. No sign of Drake...searching...all officers...."
He threw the radio at Luke and ran back up the steps to his car, Luke on his heels.
–
He found her car first. The police must not have moved it yet. Surely they'd found it but why wasn't there anyone around? No matter, he opened the door and searched for her bag, digging around in it until he found her pager. Why didn't it work? He pushed the power button. Nothing. She let the fucking battery go dead. "Fuck." He punched the roof of the car. Why didn't he remind her more often?
"Galvin, there are a couple of boats down there along the bank. Let's go." Rupert stared at Luke. Then followed him down to the riverside.
The searching brought them to a dilapidated boat with Prince Charlie faded into the wooden planks. Without thinking he ran over the walkway onto the boat, with Luke hanging behind on the bank. It was this one. It had to be this one. Ducking into the darkened hold he found her, lying on her back, blood seeping from her head. Rupert cursed and choked back a sob, falling to his knees beside her. Feeling for and finding a pulse with one hand he flipped open his cell phone with the other and called for an ambulance. Would it get here in time? While he was waiting he examined the rest of her. One shot to the head, but she wasn't loosing a lot of blood. It looked like the bullet had penetrated her skull, but it was a shot not intending to kill. Fucking monsters. He couldn't see any more than that and had to fight his urge to pick her up and carry her off the boat, run to the hospital himself.
After an eternity he knew was only minutes, he heard the sirens and let the air out of his lungs. He waited for the paramedics, telling them everything he knew and giving them Evan White's name as her next of kin.
"Would you like to come with us to the hospital sir?"
More than anything. But he still had something to take care of. "I'll meet you there."
–
Once the paramedics had left Rupert found Luke waiting on the bank.
"I need to find this bastard Luke. I don't think it was human."
"Not human? You mean those wormhole things that were chasing her in New York? How d'you know?"
Rupert nodded. "I'm sure of it. He didn't try to kill her, just put her in a coma. Stay near the boat but out of sight. I'm going to have a look around."
"How will I know it's him?"
"Orange eyes."
"Orange. Check."
Killing this thing wouldn't bring Alex back from wherever she was, but it might make him feel better for about three seconds. He'd take the three seconds.
After an hour of searching his frustration level was so high he'd have shot anything that came near him. Nothing did. Another twenty minutes convinced him he'd never find Alex's attacker, and he headed back to the boat. As he got near he spied Luke walking toward him from the opposite direction, cursing the boy under his breath. Stupid kid couldn't even follow instructions. Rupert sighed. Maybe he'd found something.
But as he got closer he realized it wasn't Luke. He kept walking, not changing his pace, hoping he didn't look as if he were heading for the boat. Maybe it was the half-life scum who attacked Alex. But how would he know? He'd have to be ready.
The stranger reached the boat before Rupert and when he turned onto the walkway Rupert knew he had his man. He reached the end of the walkway at a run, calling out.
"Don't move!"
The man turned into Rupert's raised pulse gun. His eyes grew wide for a moment as he stared at the gun, but it was the flash of recognition as he looked into Rupert's face that made him hesitate.
"It can't be. No...it can't be you. You're dead."
Rupert froze. "Dead? What the...?" He never got his answer as the man's eyes glowed orange and he disappeared in flash, purple tendrils disappearing into the air with a crack to reveal Luke standing behind him, pulse gun glowing..
"Please tell me it was him." Luke asked. "I'd hate to think I killed a person by mistake."
Rupert stared into the spot previously occupied by the half-life. What did he mean he was dead? "It was him."
"Good." Luke moved down the walkway. "Let's get you to the hospital."
–
By the time they arrived Evan and Molly were waiting in the visitors' lounge. Rupert made a bee-line for them.
"Is there any word?" Please let her be alive. He would go away, leave her alone, anything she wanted, just let her be alright. He had no idea what he was praying to.
"She's in surgery." Evan looked worried. "We've got no other news."
"You must be Molly." He tried to smile at the girl clinging to Evan's arm. The daughter Alex wouldn't let him meet. If he had just been with her.
She nodded. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rupert Galvin. I'm a friend of your mother." There were empty chairs and he gestured for all of them to sit down, Molly in between the two men. He wanted to say something more, but he didn't know what. Did they know Alex didn't want to see him any more? Was he even welcome?
"Galvin I can't thank you enough for finding her. How did you know?"
Rupert swallowed hard. "I saw the hostage situation on television this morning. I guess instinct took over after that." He shrugged, not knowing how much Alex had told her godfather about him, about who he was. Not much, he suspected.
Evan nodded. "Yes, Alex did say you worked special government projects." He raised his eyebrows knowingly.
Christ, he thinks I'm a hired killer. OK. He lowered his voice. "I want you both to know that the man who did this will never bother her again. Or anyone."
"Did you find him?" Evan's eyes widened.
"Yes."
Molly looked up at Rupert. He thought she looked pleased. "Evan, I'm hungry."
"I know. But I don't want to go anywhere until we hear something about your mother." Molly pouted.
"I can take her. Is there a cafeteria or something?" He needed to do something, and he didn't want to leave the hospital.
"What? Oh, yes. The canteen's on the 2nd floor." He turned to Molly. "Is that OK Molls?"
She nodded.
"OK. Please come get us if there's news. Any news." Evan agreed.
Molly slid her hand into Rupert's as they walked toward the elevator. "Did you kill him? The man who hurt my mum?"
He took a considered breath as he reached to punch the elevator button. How much do you admit to a 13 year old girl? Turning to look Molly in the eye, he slowly exhaled. "Yes."
"Good."
–
There was no news that night. Or the next day or the day after. Rupert spoke to Evan every few hours, but the story was always the same. The surgery went well, they removed the bullet, her reflexes were good and her brain activity was encouraging. Her body simply needed time to recuperate. It could be days, or weeks, or never. They simply didn't know.
By the fourth day Rupert could barely see straight, so when Luke mentioned Mr. Tibbs he went hunting. Found him too, even tortured him before killing him. It didn't make him feel any better – well, it did for a few minutes, but at least he had closure on that part of his life. He had returned to the stacks for a drink when his phone rang.
"Galvin?" It was Evan. "She's awake."
–
Rupert waited in the corridor outside Alex's room. He shouldn't even be there, but he'd managed to sneak his way past anyone who should have been paying attention. He didn't even know if she would see him at all, but he had to know she was alright, what had happened. If she would see him.
He didn't have to wait long. The doctors chased Evan and Molly out quickly so they could run tests, and so Alex could rest. Molly hugged him when she saw him waiting.
"She's awake! She's awake!! Mummy's awake!!"
He couldn't help smiling too. "I'm so happy for you Molly. How's she feeling?" He looked at Evan. Did she ask about me?
"As well as can be expected, I think. But she could talk, and she recognized us. I told her you found her, and how much you've done. She wanted me to thank you but wasn't sure she could handle another visitor yet. I suspect she just doesn't want to see you looking like she's woken up from a coma." Evan smiled.
Maybe. But surely she'd see him in the next few days, wouldn't she? He just needed to see her. Then he'd leave her alone. "Oh, of course, of course. She'll need some time to get her strength. I'm just happy she's awake. And feeling herself. It's a lot to deal with. She must be tired." Jesus Christ could he say anything meaningful at all? "If she needs anything at all. Or you or Molly, please, don't hesitate."
"I won't. Thank you." Evan took Rupert's hand with both of his. He understood. He was just as relieved.
–
Rupert showed up at the hospital every day, hoping to see Alex, but she wouldn't let him in, claiming she was tired. He prowled the corridors, eavesdropping on the nurses. She was getting stronger every day. They wanted to get her home, so she could recover in comfort. Maybe he could take care of her there. Molly liked him, maybe it would help.
At the end of two weeks Evan handed him a note. Rupert left the hospital, tearing it open when he reached the the street outside.
"Dear Rupert,
Thank you so much for coming to my rescue. I hate to think of where I would be now if you hadn't been there looking out for me.
I am sorry about what happened before, but please don't think I am uncaring about your feelings for me. For reasons unrelated to that I cannot see you now. I don't know when I will be able to face you. Please understand.
Yours always,
Alex."
Rupert crumpled the letter, throwing it into the street.