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--
Gene couldn't sleep. Did he really think that all they needed was a good shag and everything would be back to normal? That he'd stop worrying and she'd remember everything? Apparently. But it had been different. Not what he'd expected or remembered. Maybe he remembered it wrong. Rolling over he opened his eyes, watching her sleep, her shoulders rising and falling gently. No. It was different.
--
Alex slept late. She'd dreamt all night, images she couldn't recall once she woke but unlike other nights they hadn't kept her awake. Other than a few surprisingly sore muscles, she felt good for the first time in a while. Almost rested. Almost normal. Pulling on her pyjamas before heading to the living room, she found Gene sitting up on the sofa, chin to his chest, sound asleep. His feet were stretched out on the coffee table next to a mug of lukewarm tea and a cigarette burned almost to its end.
"Gene?" She sat quietly next to him, touching him lightly on the shoulder.
He stirred. Eyes blinking slowly awake.
"How long have you been out here? It's nearly eleven."
"Not too long then," he mumbled. "You slept late."
"Tired." She tried to smile at him, but she knew he was worried. They'd have a lot to talk about today. If he'd talk to her at all.
"Mmm hmm." He removed his feet from the table, leaning forward. "How about I make some breakfast then?" He stood and took the few steps towards the kitchen.
"Just tea and toast for me, thanks." Alex took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. This wasn't going to be easy.
--
Gene said nothing while they ate, looking away quickly whenever Alex caught his eye. He couldn't bear it much longer, the wondering.
"Gene, we really should talk about last night."
He finally looked up, still chewing his toast. He swallowed and nodded. "Ok. Where d'you want to start? I pressured you into having sex with me or you're not in love with me?"
"Gene you didn't pressure me into anything. It was going to happen at some point."
"It was? Could've fooled me." He grunted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Christ, it's been six weeks since you came 'ome from the hospital."
"Yes, Gene. Six weeks. Six weeks of not knowing where I am, what's happened to me. Of trying to remember eleven apparently very important months of my life. Six weeks of living with a man I thought I barely knew and suddenly am having unbelievably confused feelings about." She sat back hard in her chair, her head shaking in disbelief. "I cannot believe that we make love once and you think I don't love you. Did I do something wrong? What did you expect was going to happen last night? We'd shag and I'd suddenly remember everything?"
She looked hurt and it surprised him. "I dunno" he looked around the room. "Maybe. It was different. You were different." He suddenly didn't want to talk about this anymore.
"Different? Suddenly you can tell how I feel because I'm different?" She leaned forward, almost shouting now. "Of course I'm bloody different Gene! I've had a head injury! I may always be different. Even if I wake up tomorrow and remember everything I may still be different!" She sat back again, her voice dropping back to normal. "Doctors know very little about head injuries. I may never be the same as I was. Have you thought about that?"
He had. He had thought about that. "Yes I have."
"What if I'm different Gene, if I stay different. What if I do remember everything and I'm still different. What if six months from now you decide you don't love me because I'm different from how I was before? Have you thought about that? What if you don't love whatever me I am now Gene?"
That had never crossed his mind. She'd become so much a part of everything he thought. He couldn't even imagine it. "No, Alex. No. It couldn't…I couldn't not…" He shook his head uncertainly. "No."
"Because the Gene Hunt I remember, the Gene Hunt I know, isn't some patient, funny, warm man falling over himself to make sure I'm OK, that I feel better. What if I fall in love with him and he doesn't want me?"
For the first time he saw how scared she was. Realized how scared he'd been. A year ago he'd have walked out at that moment. He wanted to now. He wanted a drink or seven. He didn't move.
"I'll always want you" he answered her quietly.
"You can't know that."
He noticed her eyes filling with tears. "I can. I do." That much he did know.
"Then be patient, please." She reached across the table, curling her fingers into his, her eyes pleading.
He squeezed her fingers with two of his, nodding slightly.
--
"Open for dinner yet Luigi?" Gene stormed through the door to the restaurant.
Luigi was carefully cleaning glasses behind the counter. "Not yet Mr. Hunt. Just getting everything set up."
"Good." He sat on a barstool. "I'll have a beer and a whisky. Wait. Make that a double."
He tapped his fingers on the bar as Luigi scowled and moved to get Gene his drinks. He shouldn't be there. He'd told Alex he was going out for fags but he needed a drink. They'd spent the entire day in uncomfortable silence, each of them trying to stay out of the others way.
He couldn't stop wondering what she was thinking, but he didn't want to ask. And he couldn't stop thinking about their conversation. He knew he'd never give up, but what if she was different? What if she was never the same Alex Drake that drove him up the wall, made him think, made him crazy with emotions he not only thought were long gone, but some he thought he'd never had?
Luigi set Gene's drinks in front of him. "How is she, Mr. Hunt. Senorina Drake?"
Gene was lost in his own thoughts. "Hmm? Oh." He tilted his head noncommittally. "She's good. Feeling better."
"Still doesn't remember?"
"No." Gene downed his whisky in one gulp. "Well, a few things, here and there. But not everything, no."
"Not you?"
"Of course she bloody remembers me!" He knew that's not what he meant.
Luigi shook his head.
"No. Not…us." Gene drank his beer.
"Give her time, Mr. hunt. It was meant to be. She will remember."
Gene smiled grimly. Finishing his beer he left with a request for Luigi to put it on his tab.
--
Alex worried about Monday morning, about going back to work, but she needn't have. The whole team cheered when she walked into the squad room, and Ray dropped a stack of files on her desk not five minutes later. Welcome back.
"The Guv has instructed me to leave these for you. Said you're to read through them all and work out why we can't get anywhere."
"I see. That's quite a stack Ray. How have you been getting on without me?" She smiled at him.
"Not well at all, Boss. Him especially." He indicated toward Gene's office. "But don't tell him I said anythin'." He winked at her.
"Of course not Ray." She winked back, somewhat more obviously. Alex knew they all wanted to see her and Gene back to normal, or their version of it. Shaz had told her so on more than one occasion when they'd met over the past few weeks. Still, she hoped they wouldn't all have to say something about it. It would be easier if they were left to work it out on their own.
Unfortunately, everyone seemed to want to share their opinion. Alex tried to spend the day reading through her files of open drugs cases, new prostitution rings, and what looked to be a new series of related armed robberies, but every half hour someone would interrupt her to let he know how much the Guv had missed having her around. Each one of them making her promise not to tell him they'd noticed.
By the end of the day Alex felt overwhelmed. Not by the policework, but by the pressure. To his credit Gene had left her alone. He let her know early in the day he would want an update on her findings by the next morning and left her to do her work. Alex watched him run in and out of CID, taking calls, going to meetings. Other than a few non-committal grunts barely acknowledged she was there.
But he had noticed and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Back on the job, not sure where they were with each other. He took every opportunity to leave the station, unable to concentrate fully when he could see her at her desk. He expected to get over it, but for today it was a distraction.
He was sitting in his office, trying not to watch her when she got up from her desk and headed toward him. He shuffled some papers in an attempt to look busy.
"Gene."
"What can I do for you Inspector?" He looked up, eyebrows raised expectantly.
"I'm going to head home. I'll have a report for you tomorrow on a few of these, but I'm actually quite tired."
He nodded, twisting his mouth in contemplation. "OK. Was planning to have a few drinks. Would you like to join us?"
Alex took a deep breath. She really wanted to go home. "No. I think I'll pass tonight. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah. Probably not too late."
"OK." Gene watched her leave. Tomorrow would be better. Maybe they'd even start fighting. He could look forward to that.
--
When there was no sign of Gene by ten Alex decided to go to bed. She had been irritated all day at the team's apparent need to see her and Gene 'together,' but now that she'd had some time to relax she wasn't so bothered by it. It seemed that everyone thought they were meant to be together. She tried to think of it as sweet instead of intrusive. Probably it was. Sweet, that is.
No matter. As she got ready for bed she found herself wishing he was home. The phone rang while she was brushing her teeth.
"Hello?"
"Ma'am?" It was Viv.
"Viv? You aren't at Luigi's?" The noises in the background were not the bar.
"No Ma'am. Call came in on those armed robberies. I stuck around. Inspector, the reason I'm phoning is, well, it's DCI Hunt."
Alex felt her stomach drop. No one ever phoned with good news. ""Viv, what is it? What's happened?"
"He's been hit by a car, we think."
"You think??" No no no no. She started shaking.
"Um, yes. Some of the chase ended up on foot and the Guv was hit by one of the suspects as he was trying to escape. The suspect also hit one of his partners. Someone's in critical condition, but we haven't had a clear report yet."
Someone had to know something. "Ray. Have you spoken to Ray?"
"Not yet Ma'am. He went after the suspects. Both victims are at Mile End Hospital, but it's a bit crazy in A&E and no one can give us a straight answer on the injuries.
"OK Viv, thanks." She paused for a minute. "Where's his car?"
--
Alex had a uniformed officer drive her to the Quattro. She was surprised to find another one standing guard. Apparently no one had been brave enough to drive it back to the station so they just left someone there until the Guv could retrieve it.
An hour later she stepped up to the reception desk at the hospital. She was really shaking now and could barely choke out the words as she spoke to the receptionist.
"I'm looking for Gene Hunt. I was told he was brought here. He was hit by a car." She couldn't lose him.
"We've 'ad three car accident's tonight, love. Fifteen poor sods in various states of broken bits. I'll need a little more to go on."
"Oh, um. He's a DCI with the Met. If he's conscious he's probably not a very cooperative patient." She tried to smile.
"Oh yes. You've got a right one there." The receptionist rolled her eyes. "All the nurses have been complaining about him. Down the corridor to the left."
Alex thanked her and practically ran in the direction she'd pointed. As she got closer she heard his voice.
"Bloody woman! Where'd you get your nursing certificate? Back of a bloody porn magazine?"
"Gene?" Alex stepped around the curtain as he looked up at her. His suit was torn and she could see a few scrapes. She breathed an audible sigh of relief, surprised at the silent tears now running down her cheeks. "Thank God" she said quietly.
"What are you doin' here?" He grunted. "Told 'em to send plod to get me." It took him a second to notice the streaks on her face. He stopped fighting the nurse for a moment as he looked at her.
"Viv called. I had uniform drive me to get your car and I came over."
"You drove my car?"
The nurse interrupted. "Sir you have to sit still so I can finish this!"
"Oh bugger off!"
Alex finally looked at the nurse. She was trying to tape two of Gene's fingers to a splint.
"Um, let me." She reached for the nurse's supplies as she handed them over.
"Be my guest. Just tape those together and he can leave. Good riddance." She stomped off.
"Gene what happened?" She carefully wrapped the tape around his fingers.
"Bloody scumbag jumped into a car while I was chasing him. It wasn't going that fast so I managed to roll over the boot when 'e tried to back over me. Landed on my bloody hand." He held up his hand. Apart from the fingers his wrist was tightly bandaged. "Sprained me wrist and broke two fingers. Like t'return the favor when I find the little shite."
"Well, I think you're all set. Come on, I'll drive you home." Alex lead him to the desk where they wrapped up his paperwork and gave him a small bottle of painkillers with a prescription for more if he needed them. He followed her to the car.
"I'll drive." She opened the passenger door, but before he could protest or even get in she grabbed him by the shirt and carefully kissed him on the mouth. "Sorry." She broke away, but his good hand tipped her chin up as he recaptured her lips with his. He slid his tongue over hers as her lips parted and she pressed her body against his. After what seemed like an eternity they broke apart, Gene's eyes searching hers. "Get in the car" she said finally. "Let's get you home."
--
Once they got home Gene wandered to the bedroom to change out of his clothes. He may have survived being hit by the car, but they hadn't. He hated buying new suits.
"Shit!"
Alex walked into the bedroom quickly. "Is everything OK?" She was holding a wet towel.
"Fine." He grumbled. "Just having a hell of a time getting my buttons." He waved his bandaged fingers in the air. "What's that for?"
"Thought you might want to get cleaned up." She set the towel on the bedside table. "Here, let me help."
"No, it's OK. I can get them." He pushed her gently.
"Oh come on." She took his arm and finished unbuttoning his cuffs, tugging the shirt past his left hand, careful not to bump his fingers.
"Ow!"
"Sorry." She smiled at him sympathetically. She couldn't believe how relieved she was to have him home.
"Bloody painkillers never work. Maybe I should take another one."
"You can have another one in two hours."
"Bad as the bloody nurses you are." He scowled and struggled to pull off his vest and without warning Alex moved to help. Gene shuddered involuntarily when one hand smoothed slowly up his side as she gently pulled it over his head. Her hands moved down over his chest and he watched the side of her face as, without looking up, she moved to unfasten his trousers. Gene held his breath, trying to maintain control as she slid the button through the hole, as her fingers moved along the waistband.
He slid his hand over hers. "I can do the rest."
She looked up at him and nodded. "I know."
He paused for a moment, staring into her eyes before his lips descended gently on hers. Alex slipped one hand around his neck, pulling him closer while the other slowly lowered his zip. He didn't stop her, didn't want to. He didn't care how much it was going to hurt.
With her mouth still locked to Gene's Alex slid her hands around his trousers, pushing them down to his ankles.
"Watch the bruises" he murmured.
"OK" she smiled back against his mouth. Carefully she reached for the straining bulge fighting with his boxers. She gasped and he groaned as she stroked him lightly over the fabric. "Maybe you should lie down."
Gingerly he sat on the edge of the bed. "Take your clothes off first." The words rumbled from somewhere inside his chest and Alex shuddered. The command almost made her knees buckle.
He slid his right hand under her shirt, running his fingers over the exposed flesh, gently teasing her nipples, already hard beneath the delicate black lace. Alex pulled her shirt over her head, unhooking her bra and quickly pushing the straps down, exposing herself to him. She watched as he kissed her stomach, as his hand cupped her breast, tongue licking her aching buds.
"Oh god, Gene."
His arm curved around her, pulling her closer as he sucked gently on her breasts. Her hands moved to the back of his head, holding him close as he carefully attended each aching bud.
"Jeans, Alex" he murmured against her flesh. "Can't…one arm."
Breaking away from him she stepped back, unbuttoning her jeans and pushing them down as he watched. Gene found himself unreasonably aroused by the plain cotton knickers she wore underneath. Maybe it didn't always have to be slutty. He ran his finger under the elastic.
Alex tilted his chin up, kissing him gently. "Now lie down."
Gene swallowed and moved back on the bed, watching as Alex peeled her knickers off and crawled across the bed toward him. He closed his eyes as she slowly kissed up his body, groaning when her tongue trailed over his pointed nipple. Gene tilted his chin as she made her way to his neck, kissing, nipping, teasing until she bit gently on his lip.
"This is gonna hurt" he murmured.
"Do you want me to stop?" She whispered in his ear, wanting him to say no.
His eyes drank her in, naked above him. "No bloody way" he growled. "Do your worst."
Alex kissed him, her tongue dipping in and out of his mouth. She couldn't stop. She felt electrified every time their lips met, their tongues connected. She was vaguely aware of Gene's hand moving between them and gasped as he touched her clit, teasing gently before sliding one long finger inside her. Finally breaking their kiss, she thrust her hips against his hand, realizing how badly she wanted him inside her. She moved lower, now out of his reach as she pulled his boxers down and over his feet. She stroked his hard, twitching cock with one hand, unable to tear her eyes away until she noticed the purple bruises on his leg. She released her firm grip on his cock.
"Gene, my God!" she touched the bruises lightly with her fingertips.
"What?" He lifted his head off the pillow. He'd hooked the good fingers on his left hand around the headboard and was hanging on. "Why'd you stop?" He was panting.
"Your leg. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Oh." He lie back on the pillow, nodding his head yes. "Just…go slowly."
"OK" she said quietly. But now she wasn't sure. Tentatively she moved her hand over his full length and he groaned appreciatively. Gradually she felt her need for him overcome her wariness and she moved over him, arms on either side of his chest, rubbing her aching clit against him until she reached his tip. Eyes locked onto his she took him slowly, moving back to his tip and taking him deeper with movement of her hips until she thought her insides would melt. "Gene, my god, you feel so good." He bit his lip, grunting heavily in response. Sitting upright she settled on her knees, riding him slowly until she felt she'd explode, then faster as she reached her own climax. "Gene, god, oh god," she flung herself over him as every nerve in her body shattered.
Gene had to shout to keep from coming, holding her tight against him with one hand. He tried to thrust, but it hurt too much. "Alex I can't..my leg. Please don't stop." He held her with one hand as she rode him again, harder, faster until he couldn't hold on any longer, couldn't stop from pushing deeper, coming hard inside her as she climaxed again, crying out, shaking above him.
--
"Fuck that hurt!"
They lay together, both panting. Alex still on top of Gene.
"Sorry" she panted. "Shouldn't have…."
"Yes you should've" he pulled her down, his mouth finding hers. "'M gonna wake you up in a couple hours and make you do it again, in fact."
Alex smiled, a bit shyly he thought, considering his cock was still buried inside her. "Two hours Gene?" The smile turned into a smirk.
"Well, I was hit by a car earlier you know."
"Yes, I remember." Kissing his shoulder she slid gently off him, but not far as his right arm caught her, keeping her close.
They lay quietly, their breathing slowing as they dozed off together. Gene stirred.
"Alex?" he murmured drowsily.
"Hmm?" She wriggled closer, her arm around his waist.
"Can you get me one o' them pills?"