The minute Ray saw Gene Hunt standing at the doorway he knew everything was going to be okay. Alex was armed behind him along with Chris and Armed Response. Six officers from Armed Response were holding down the four men that had ambushed Alex and Ray – so now it was just between Gene, Skyler and Marsh.
Noticing how quickly their plan was going wrong, Marsh scrambled to his feet and grabbed Ray by the hair, thrusting a gun into his temple.
"Nobody move!" screeched Marsh. "Or this slag gets it!"
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Gene thundered, his face a picture of pure anger. Skyler stood in the middle looking from Gene and the officers to Marsh and Ray, quite unsure of what to do.
"Guv, shouting isn't going to solve anything!" Alex hissed from behind Gene. "You need to be reasonable!"
"Thank you, Raymondo, but I believe Bolly 'ere is the psychiatric expert so if you don't mind!" Gene snapped back.
"As lovely as this little talk is," sneered Skyler, "this might be a good time to mention to you tossers that you haven't really got the time."
Silence echoed throughout the room, and that's when they heard it. The faint sound of ticking. And ticking meant…
"A bomb!" Ray bellowed. "They've got a bleedin' bomb, hurry up and get me out of here!" Panic erupted. Armed Response were shoving the four men down the stairs and out of the building and Chris was hot on the tails of Skyler and Marsh who had legged it. Gene and Alex ran to Ray's side and began to loosen the chains hurriedly.
"If we make it out of here alive, we're bloody killing those twats!" Ray fumed.
"Glad you feel the same way, Bolls," Gene smirked.
"Will you two just shut up!" Alex panicked. "Who knows how long we have before that thing goes off?"
The chains clattered to the floor and Gene pulled Ray up. "Then I'm not waiting to do this then," Gene decided, putting his hand behind Ray's head and leaning in for a kiss…
"WHOA, GUV!" Ray yelled. "Erm…let's wait, yeah? Please?"
"Just move!" Alex ordered as she, Ray and Gene all clattered down the stairs. Catching sight of Armed Response, the four arrested men and Chris outside, she Alex knew everyone was out apart from them. And Skyler and Marsh, but she didn't really care if they got blown up after everything that had happened.
Gene bashed through the front door of the warehouse and got as far away as he could, but before Alex could follow him, Ray grabbed her.
"Ma'am…what if…what if this is it?"
"What?" Alex shrieked, panicking more by the second.
"BOLLY! RAYMONDO! GET YER ARSES OVER 'ERE! YOU CAN BLOODY SNOG LATER!" Gene hollered.
"An explosion," Ray stressed, "that's what caused this, ain't it? Me becoming you and you becoming me. The Rothmore House explosion caused it…so what if this is the way back?"
"What if this is the way to die?" Alex spat hysterically. "I'm not going back in there, Ray! No way!"
"Trust me on this," Ray begged, "please, Ma'am. Alex. C'mon."
Alex stared at him. She had been in Ray's body for over a week now. She'd had to deal with Ray making her striptease, CID thinking she was giving Ray hand jobs, Gene thinking she was together with Ray and so much more. Maybe it was time to take a chance. Maybe it was time to swap back.
"Okay," Alex muttered, offering Ray her hand, "but you better be right or I am haunting you forever in the afterlife."
"You're on," Ray smiled, taking her hand as they ran back to the warehouse.
"YOU BLOODY NUTCASES; WHAT YER DOING?" screamed Gene. But it was too late. Alex and Ray barged back into the warehouse that was now echoing with ticks. Panic began to overwhelm Alex as she started to hyperventilate.
"Hey, I've got you," Ray whispered, "it's gonna be all right, Alex. We're in this together."
All Alex managed was a brief smile before that terrifying roar of an explosion deafened their ears. Alex and Ray were thrown backwards with the force of the bomb as the warehouse began to crumble around them, Alex's hand squeezing Ray's before they both blacked out and were covered in the debris. The last thing they heard was Gene's bellows of emotion.
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Alex's eyes opened groggily to the feeling of broken ceiling being lifted off her and the urgent voices of CID and Armed Response.
"Alex…Alex…no…please…Alex…"
Alex gasped. She never thought she'd hear Gene beg. Ever. And just then, she became aware of Gene's arms wrapped around her body.
"You bloody crazy woman!" Gene hissed. "Nearly got yerself killed Bolly! Dippy tart…"
"Gene," Alex mumbled, hugging the reassuring bulk of him. It was only when she brushed the fringe out of her eyes that she noticed.
"Oh my God!" Alex shrieked, breaking apart from Gene. She looked around madly for Ray, who was being sat up by Chris with a look of pure glee on his face. "We're back, Ray! You amazing, amazing man!"
"That's me, Ma'am," Ray grinned, giving her a wink, "you have no idea how good it feels ter…erm, yeah." Ray stood up hurriedly as he brushed himself down, trying to look hard and restore some of his reputation.
"Ray, you're officially my hero," Alex beamed. She got up hurriedly and dashed towards Ray, embracing him in their first ever hug. Ray smiled as he hugged his DI back. Things were definitely going to change for the better in their friendship now. She was no longer his slutty DI with a big mouth…she was his friend.
Gene frowned in utter confusion. "I'm the one who dived in 'ere after yer, Bolls, not that twonk. He was too busy tryin' ter get himself blown up!"
"Gene, I'm back, I'm back, I'm me!" Alex exclaimed shrilly, ending her hug with Ray and pushing off the medics as she leapt forwards and flung her arms around Gene. Gene looked quite confused, but then his face softened into an extremely rare smile as he hugged her back.
"Always gonna be a fruitcake ain't yer, Bolls?" he smirked. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."
A/N: Sorry about the longer wait! Real life lol :P next chapter is the last!!! Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and supporting in every way! :D loves xxx