Thank you all for your reviews! They really make my day.

I found out that Monastic are thinking of releasing a series of novels about Gene and co that bridge the gap between Life on Mars and Ashes. For more information, and a link to a petition where you can register your interest, copy and paste this link into your url: .com/television/694486/lets_get_gene_hunt_in_

At first Alex didn't understand why her bed was warmer than normal, why she was happier than usual when she woke up or why she was even in her bed at all. Then she turned her head and felt her heart explode with love.

More than half of Gene's face was covered by the pillow but she could still make out the lines in his forehead, the outermost corners of his mouth and creases around his eyes as he frowned in his sleep. She shifted as gently as she could so that she was comfortable to watch him for a bit but she jolted the bed so much that Gene awoke slightly, mumbled something incoherent and threw a massive arm over her in a sleepy gesture of affection. Then he suddenly snapped awake properly and gazed at Alex.

"I didn't dream it," she whispered, but there was humour in her eyes now, something that wasn't there last night. The unexpected sadness and doubt of their reunion had evaporated, now she would only ever be overjoyed to see him.

"Apparently not," said Gene, bending down to kiss her. Alex took his kiss, then swung her bare legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. Gene pushed her back down again. Alex tried to feebly swat him away but gave up when he kissed her again.

"And where," he growled, causing Alex's heart to flutter, "do you think you're going?"

"Work," Alex said as she got out of bed and opened her drawer for her underwear. She had pulled on her underwear and was searching through her wardrobe when she realised that Gene hadn't said anything in return to that. She spun around.

"Fenchurch East," he breathed and Alex nodded mutely. Was this about to be a source of tension? "You got made DCI."

"You weren't there," said Alex, trying not to sound accusing but she failed since Gene shot back with-

"I didn't choose to leave you!"

"I know!" Alex cried, throwing herself onto the bed, in front of Gene, "That wasn't what I meant, I meant that we- they- thought you were dead and they needed a DCI and I was a DI and…" her voice trailed away as she looked away from Gene. She supposed that this was how they would always be, always fighting, as usual. She had just hoped that their first fight wouldn't be this soon.

Alex looked back at Gene to find him smiling. "Yeah, when I was… you know… away, I wondered if that might happen. I hoped it would. I'd rather have you in charge of that lot than some shiny-shoed idiot with an A-level in General Twattery in my office- my old office, I should say."

"Oh," said Alex, taken aback by the complete absence of any anger, "But what are you going to do now?"

"Dunno. See if there are any DCI vacancies going in another district."

"But what about now? As in right this minute?"

"I can think of a few things," said Gene kissing her. Alex had missed him so much, that she let the kiss happen before interrupting him. Before, when she thought that they would both live forever, and have forever to kiss him in, she wouldn't have let his lips reach hers before talking.

"You could come in with me."

"Come inside you? If you insist Bolls," he said. Alex squealed and felt his lips turn up as he pressed them against hers.

"That's not what I meant," she gasped coming up for air.

"I know what you meant," said Gene, suddenly serious, "Won't I get in your way?"

"Probably," Alex said smiling, but Gene didn't smile back, so she sighed, "I missed you in so many ways, Gene. I missed you as a husband, you lying next to me, holding me, kissing me. I missed you driving the Quattro and how you make me laugh at things I know I shouldn't. I-" her voice broke and she had to look away from him, "I missed you as a colleague too. Seeing you every day, solving cases with you, fighting with you, the look on your face when you admit I was right all along-"

"Carry on missing those days, Bolly," said Gene, finally cracking a smile. "How would this work anyway? Am I there on a strictly voluntary basis or what?"

"Whatever you like," Alex replied, "Voluntary, helping with out with our investigations, paid full time, part time, whatever."

"Whatever what?" said Gene, half-jokingly, half thoughtfully.

When Alex replied, she was completely serious.

"The League is still active."

Gene didn't say anything straight away. His face was expressionless and Alex wondered what had happened to him. As she scanned her eyes over his form, there was nothing to suggest that he had been physically mistreated in anyway. There were no bruises, no scars. No bones had been broken. He had lost weight but he didn't seem malnourished.

Psychological scars were harder to spot and Alex could feel herself flitting between being Alex Hunt, his wife, and concerned about his well being, and Alex Drake, police psychologist, wanting to set Gene a series of psychological tests, to counsel him.

Already she could tell something was different. They hadn't even been together twenty-four hours and she noticed changes in him. Nothing huge, just sometimes when he looked at her, he looked through her. Sometimes she tried to catch his eye but he couldn't feel her eyes on him so didn't turn around. She was sure that before he always knew when she was looking at him. Alex wondered if maybe the problem was with her, during her brief widowhood she had romanticised him and had forgotten things she didn't want to remember.

"What do you know? Gene, if they told you anything, if you heard anything…"

"I didn't," Gene snapped and Alex flinched. There it was. A scar, and she had prodded it, causing him pain. She put her hand on his.

"Gene, I have to know what happened to you."

Beneath her hand, Gene's fist clenched. She took her hand away but Gene's fist stayed, forming little white marks on the knuckles. Alex watched fascinated as he slowly relaxed it and turned the palm up. Alex placed her hand there, palm to palm.

"I can't tell you anything- Alex I can't," he said as Alex opened her mouth to protest, "I didn't find out a lot about them, I was a small fish in a hell of a big pond and I could get anyone to let any cats out of any bags, but some things I might be able to help you with. There may be some gaps I can fill."

"That's something else I missed about you, your atrocious mixing of metaphors." Alex moved her hand away and reluctantly heaved herself off the bed. "Get dressed," she said, "and step into your office again."