Molly was exhausted by the time they got back to the flat.

"Straight to bed," Gene told her.

She nodded, too tired to protest as she headed for her bedroom.

Gene felt a little lost. He didn't want to sleep in Alex's bed; it wouldn't feel right, too many painful memories... intimate moments... things he could no longer do. Instead, totally drained, he picked up the duvet and pillows from the bed and dumped them unceremoniously on the sofa. Suddenly unsure of what to do with himself, he went to check on Molly. She'd flopped on the bed, still fully clothed and clearly worn-out. He manoeuvred her onto the bed properly and shut off the bedside light. Back in the living room, as he tried to get comfortable on the sofa, despite his fatigue, sleep evaded him. The covers smelled of Alex: her perfume, her shampoo... her.

Eventually he fell into a restless slumber.

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Gene awoke with a start when Molly plonked a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of him. It was still dark outside. His vision still bleary, he looked at his watch and almost swore when he discovered it was only 5:30. This was taking the piss, even with Molly's early riser tendencies.

"Come on Dad, you have to be at the hospital for eight and with rush hour traffic this means you have to drop me at school before seven to make it."

"School? No way." Gene sat up and took a long slurp of his tea. "You were in a car accident, Molly. No school."

"But we have a geography test today and I can't miss it!"

"You can and you will," he told her. "Your Mum needs you here and it won't kill you to miss one Friday. Understood?"

Molly gave him a little lopsided grin. She secretly loved it when he acted like the overbearing parent. "Yes, Dad."

"Good girl. Now get back to bed. I don't want to see you again until at least seven or I'll make you watch 'Family Ties' for a week!"

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Alex was ready when they got there. It was no surprise; Molly knew how much she hated hospitals. The doctor made Gene sign to say he wouldn't leave her for at least 24 hours. Despite her protests she was fine and didn't need a babysitter, Gene endorsed the form and promised he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Part of him was secretly delighted he might have the chance to make it up to her, despite the less than fantastic circumstances.

Molly insisted she needed to go to school, despite Alex's objection. She assured Gene she wouldn't need collecting, that she would come straight home on the school bus and he promised her he would look after her Mum and that she had to call them straight away if she changed her mind.

They drove back in silence, and despite Alex disputing she was fine, she still had a few wobbly moments on the way up the stairs to her flat. Gene was always there, however, and she was secretly grateful for his hand on her hip, steering her towards safety.

Once inside, she shakily made her way to the sofa and put her head in her hands. "I lied," she confessed, her voice muffled. "I told them I didn't have a headache so they'd let me out."

"Drake," he scolded, using the same tone he would have if she was still his DI. "If it gets worse you have to let me take you back, okay?" He sat beside her, the worry evident in his face. He really could sympathise, he hated hospitals too.

"Okay... only if it gets worse though, I can't stand being away from Molly anymore." She pulled the familiar blue blanket she kept on the back of the sofa around her, shivering.

Gene put his hand to her forehead. "Jesus, Alex, you're like a bloody ice cube!"

Despite feeling her body tense at his touch, he pulled her into his arms to warm her up. "Now do as you're told for once, go to sleep."

"But..."

"Go. To. Sleep."

"We need to talk."

"And you talk way too much. You and Baby Drake. It's like being in a parrot house."

She smiled, despite herself, despite everything. Maybe it was the effect of the drugs but she felt so safe in Gene's arms...

When she awoke he was still holding her in his arms, watching her intently. She felt so secure and warm. But then, suddenly, his words from the restaurant echoed in her head, the sedatives well and truly worn off and she pushed him away.

"What time is it?"

"After noon," he told her. "Want a cuppa?"

"I can do it." She stood on quivering legs, her head swimming. "I feel better," she told him from the kitchen. "You should go, I'm fine."

"No way." He found her clinging to the back of a chair for support. "Look at you; you're more unsteady than bloody Bambi!"

"You saw 'Bambi?'" she asked, largely amused.

"That's not the point." He made her sit down, deciding she needed something to eat. On rifling through her cupboards he found a tin of spaghetti hoops, and thrilled at his find, he began warming them up for her on the stove. He'd figure out his own dinner once he'd taken care of her.

The hoops were steaming before either of them spoke again. Pouring them into a dish, he placed them in front of her. In an effort to explain his unexpected domesticity he said, "I promised I'd look after you."

"You mean if I collapse and die you signed to guarantee the hospital wouldn't be liable?"

"No, I promised Molly."

Alex knew no matter how bad things were between her and Gene that he still took his commitment to Molly very seriously and she appreciated that.

"Well, she won't be very happy with you."

"Why?"

"The spaghetti hoops are hers, they're her favourites."

She finished eating, strangely quiet, as he made them tea.

"I'm fine, Gene, stop fussing," she told him.

"Dizzy?"

She bit her lip, knowing he'd see right through her if she lied. "Maybe a little."

"Okay... bed."

"Excuse me?"

"The nurse said if you got dizzy you had to lie down straight away."

She knew there was no point fighting him, and regardless of everything he was being so gentle towards her, so loving. It was such a contrast to how he'd acted after he'd proposed it was almost enough to make her forget. Almost.

He lay her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her making her feel protected by him and cosy in the warmth of her duvet. Drawn to him, she couldn't help it, she wrapped herself around him.

"Come home, back to work, I mean," she added quickly, her huge green eyes shining in the light as she looked at him. "We need to be friends for Molly's sake."

"Yeah... still feels like I'm her Dad." His heart brimmed with how much he wished that were really true.

"You two have such a strong bond. She can't be away from you anymore; it's not fair on her."

He smiled, grateful. "I'll always be there for her. Even if she does go on longer than you do, always squawking about something, but... I bloody love her."

It was Alex's turn to smile. She knew he would never let Molly down.

"And, well... Ray and Chris. They're a nightmare. They won't take direction, not from me anyway. They need their Guv back." It was a blatant lie, both of them were very supportive of their acting DCI but she needed to say something to get him to come home.

"I can't, Alex."

"Why?"

"Because..." He trailed off. He couldn't for the reason that he couldn't bear seeing her everyday and know he wasn't going home with her at night.

"Okay, Molly needs you then. Come back to Fenchurch. If you won't do it for me and you won't do it for Ray and Chris then do it for her."

He nodded. Alex and he both know he'd do anything for 'his' little girl.