Do you ever wish Kudos/the BBC would bring out Alex and Gene dolls just so you could smush their faces together and make kissy noises? Maybe when you put Gene doll's hand on Alex doll's boob he'd say the fandabbydozy line...wait, where'd everybody go?

Gene tried not to think about why he needed him and Alex to be back to the way they used to be, or even better. He could just about admit that his reasons weren't solely professional, they were already getting on well enough for work, more or less, and there was no shame in wanting somebody to sink a few with after a long day at work. The admission he couldn't make, the truth he couldn't acknowledge, was that his motivation to strengthen the wavering connection they had was far from job-related. It wasn't professional at all, which made it completely personal. That was just too damn close to having personal feelings…which was beyond insane because he'd bloody shot her and she was…well it was never going to happen and that was that. Gene Hunt did not do unrequited.

He'd been quiet for too long again and that clever DI of his was probably trying to work out what he was thinking. The last thing he needed was for Alex to turn into a bloody mind-reader.

"I believe I owe you a drink an' if we don't go now we'll miss last orders."

"It's not that late."

"Are you being insubordinate Drake? Mush!"

"I need to do my cool down and shower first."

"I'll agree you look sweatier than a chubby nonce in a playground in August but what the bloody hell's a cool down?"

"I need to stretch for a few minutes to prevent muscle damage. I'm sure you find it all very tedious but if I don't do it I'll be in pain tomorrow." Stretching? Well that could be interesting viewing.

"Fine. I'll wait. I'm not going back to Luigi's to come back here for you to go back there again. I'm not opposed to a bit of in-and-out but that's taking the piss." He didn't have to personally escort her to the bar but Alex saw no reason to argue the point with him. If he was determined to stand and watch her finish her work out then that was fine with her, she was equally determined not to be put off by his presence.

Knowing her muscles would lock if she stayed still much longer, Alex grabbed the aerobics step from behind the cassette player and started her stretches, putting only the balls of her feet on the step and lowering her heels.

"I dread to think what Chris and Ray are getting up to over the road without a grown-up there to supervise."

"Shaz can handle it."

"I'm sure she can. You know you really should do something about getting her ready for promotion. She's got so much potential, she'll make a brilliant DC."

"Don't nag me woman. I know all about it." He watched her put the step away and pull out a rolled up mat. Oh goody, floor exercises.

Thankful that Ray wasn't the one who was watching her, Alex lay down on the matt and pulled each leg to her chest, holding the position for a while before letting go.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"About what?"

"Shaz."

"I thought I said don't nag."

"I'm not nagging Guv, I'm just interested. I want her to get all the chances she deserves. She could make Super or higher if she's given the right support and opportunities."

"SuperShaz? I'm not taking orders from my ex plonk."

"Well I doubt you'd still be on the job, probably retired abroad by then."

"They'll have to carry me out of CID feet first in a wooden box before I leave the force." Sadly, Alex thought that was probably true. As far as she was aware he had no life to speak of outside of work. Then again, with returning to Molly being completely and utterly impossible, neither had she. All they had, it seemed, was each other. She rolled on to her side and pulled one foot to her bum.

"So have you made any plans or do you want me to see if I-"

"I'm quite capable of doing what's best for my team thank you Bolly."

"It was just a suggestion." Alex swapped legs again.

"You've got quite a soft spot for her 'aven't you?"

"Yes. I've got more soft spots than you realise Gene." He didn't know quite how to take that. Was it a dig at him for calling her a cold bitch or was she telling him she had a soft spot for him? He needed a degree in psychobollocks just to hold a conversation with her. She changed positions again.

"I was going to do something about Granger in the new year, new start an all that…but it never happened."

"It could happen now."

"You're barely off your sick bed."

"You don't need to worry about me Guv. If there's anything I can't do I'll get somebody else to do it, perk of being a senior officer."

"An' that's exactly the kind of attitude I want rubbin' off on an up an' comin' WPC." His mouth went slightly dry as Alex knelt on the matt, put her hands on her heels and leaned back, keeping her arms straight. His mind conjured up all kinds of images while he continued performing covert surveillance of her assets. "Takin' advantage of your postion an'…" she moved again, if it had been any other woman her new pose would have been taken as an invitation to slap her arse at the very least, if not to go the whole hog and slip her shorts down and... "Are you tryin' to give the the 'orn or what Alex?" She clenched her teeth and counted to ten.

"I'm trying to stretch my upper back. How you react is beyond my control."

"That's debateable."

"You're the one indulging your voyeuristic tendencies. I didn't make you watch me. And you'll be happy to know that I've finished with the matt." She stood, flashing him a warning look.

After stretching her biceps against the wall Alex finally did something he recognised as exercise and not foreplay, shoving one hand further down her back by pushing on her elbow with the other. Then she stretched her arms over her head. That was when her t-shirt rode up.

Alex knew the exact moment Gene saw her scar. He looked down, away. She pulled the knot out of her t-shirt and the scar was hidden from view but the damage was done.

"Gene I…" Words failed her. Should she explain, again that she knew he hadn't meant to, would never mean to, or would that just make things worse? Was it better to pretend the elephant in the room hadn't just taken a massive shit right under their noses? Alex dimly recognised that as an expression Gene was more likely to use than her.

"About Shaz's promotion…" Her mind struggled to make the connection for a moment, then she realised what he was doing. Changing the topic of conversation for his own sake and doing something she wanted for hers, still trying to make it up to her without talking about it, apologising without saying 'I'm sorry', so very Gene.

"What about it?"

"I was going to have her work with a senior officer, when she's done all her plonk stuff...shadow them, observe in interviews, do a DC's work under close supervision, that sort of thing."

"Mentoring sounds like a good idea, but…" Alex ran through the list of potential mentors, there was really only one name that didn't sound like a stupid idea. "Are you sure you've got enough time?"

"Me? I'm not doing it."

"Then who?"

"Nice to see that expensive education wasn't a waste. You're going to be her mentor."

"I am?"

"As of right now Shaz is your responsibility. Do what with her what you will." Alex grinned, not just a smile, a full on grin. She had so many plans for Shaz's future and now they'd be coming true thanks to Gene.

"Gene Hunt...if I wasn't so sweaty right now I just might hug you." Really? Gene's eyebrows went up and he struggled to find something to say. The whole thing clearly meant more to Alex than he'd realised.

"Well, uh…I s'pose you should…do something about that then. Shower…" Why the hell did he act like such a twat whenever she was nice to him?

"Right. Shower." He waited by the door while she put the room back the way she found it. By the time she was done Gene had regained his composure.

"Want me to scrub your back?" Alex laughed, even though the thought wasn't exactly abhorrent anymore.

"I don't think that would be appropriate." Appropriate? Gene bloody hoped not.

"I've got a loofah that would get to those hard to reach spots."

"I'm flattered Guv but I'm going to have to decline…when I want your loofah you'll be the first to know."

"I'll be in my office then."

They walked together in comfortable silence as far as the front desk. When their paths diverged Alex pulled the t-shirt off, her skin grateful for the fresh air. Gene saw out of the corner of his eye and saw no reason not push his luck a little.

"Bolly!" Alex turned around and gifted him with a view that only her in lingerie or in nothing at all could better.

"What?"

"Nothin', just checkin'…still not 'undred percent sure if you're a C or a D cup." She looked down at her breasts then gave him that infuriatingly mysterious smile.

"No comment Guv." He watched her walk into the women's locker room and tried not to imagine her in the shower. Footsteps approached from behind the desk.

"Not a word Viv. Not a bloody word."

"Wouldn't dream of it Guv."

Gene was sat in his office with a drink and a fag before it hit him, not only had she almost hugged him…

She'd said when.

Not if.

When.