Disclaimer not mine.

Too easy?

Gene muttered under his breath as he saw the blod drip from his hand. The laceration was only small but it had bled more than he expected. For a moment he wondered how deep the cut really was. Chris and Ray were already in the disused shop as Alex and Sam followed them, for once Gene had hung back. He knew finding Sharon was a blessing but he couldn't help but think it had been too easy. She had been missing a matter of hours and as the night air began to give way to daylight he began to wonder if Sharon's abduction was just the start of Hughes' vendetta against the team. He sighed, hadn't they been through enough in the last few years? Sam's car accident, Bolly's coma, Layton, Keats, Morgan, Viv's nephew's murder. It was too much, I'm too old I can't do this anymore. I can't keep all these daft sods safe all the time. He closed his eyes as he saw Sam stare at him.

"Right then Sammy boy" He stared at him

"Guv" Sam answered, frowning. He had seen the blood drip through his friend's hands.

"Where is she?"

Another shout was heard from the top of the stair case as Ray yelled for everyone to get out. Sharon was hugging Chris as if her life depended on it when Ray shouted.

"Get out! Everyone out!" He ran down the stairs almost knocking Alex from her feet as he tried to get everyone out of the shop. Gene grabbed Alex to steady her as she fell back in to the wall.

"Ray!" She yelled as he bundled her out of the shop. Her head spun as she realised what was going on. Chris and Sharon were inches behind them as the shop erupted in flames, a huge explosion throwing them all from their feet. Gene landed face half on top of Alex as she buried her face in the tarmac. He instinctively held her head to him as burning debris covered the street. She rolled on to her back to see the shop front ablaze. Ray was on his back coughing as Sharon lay silently next to him. Chris seemed to be beating flames from Sam's leather jacket as Sam tried to get the coat off.

"What the beleedin' ell?" Gene yelled as his team stared at the burning building. Sirens could be heard in the distance as car alarms sounded in protest.

"Bomb, Guv" Ray answered. "I saw it on the landing when I got upstairs" He coughed as he suddenly became aware that Sharon had been silent since they had got out of the shop. She had been silent since they had heard her scream.

"Sharon?" Alex pushed herself in to a sitting position as she looked across to the younger woman. Sharon groaned as Ray shook her shoulder gently. It was then Chris turned to see his girlfriend laying on the pavement. He stared in shock for a moment as he saw Ray leaning over her, trying to get her to open her eyes.

"Hurts" She muttered. Suddenly Alex remembered the time the youngest member of the team had been stabbed. She had gone in to Cardiac Arrest. The incident had given both her and Chris nightmares as Alex remembered carrying out CPR on the young woman so long ago. She hoped that history wasn't repeating itself.

"Open yer eyes luv" Ray commanded as Sharon groaned. It was then he spotted the bruising on her face and the cut above her eye.

"Chris?" She muttered.

"He's 'ere luv. Tried to get the dozy sod to stay at the station but 'e weren't 'aving none of it" Ray shook his head as the fire engines finally reached them. Gene stood and walked towards the Chief Fire Officer. It was a bomb, he was certain of it and he didn't want any evidence destroyed. Ray knew his stuff when it came to explosives and Gene had no reason to doubt his DS.

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Annie sat at her desk with a cup of tea that Phyllis had placed on her desk. She knew Phyllis was worried about her, but she was more worried about Sam and the others. There had been no word from them since Chris had stormed out of the Squad Room with Ray. She sipped her tea as she stared at the phone. She willed it to ring as Phyllis looked up and caught her frowning.

"They will be alright luv" Phyllis smiled slightly.

"I hope so" Annie sighed.

"They will. Our Sharon will be back here before you know it" She smiled at the younger woman "She's right exited about that baby of yours. And the adoption business with Alex and the Guv will be through before Christmas won't it? They are not going to do anything that will risk that are they? You've seen the Guv with Alex and the girls. Alex, Molly and Ruby are his priority these days" Phyllis smiled as the phone on Chris' desk rang.

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Alex leant against the waiting room wall. The explosion had been a nightmare, her head ached and her ears rang. Sharon and Gene had been taken to the hospital against their will but both she and the boys had insisted. Gene had insisted that the cut on his hand was nothing and that she was making a fuss over nothing. The fact that Hughes was still on the run was bothering her more than anything. They had to find him. She sighed as she saw Sam walk towards her.

"You ok?" Sam glanced at her before sitting on the plastic chair in front of her.

"Yes, thanks. Did you ring the station?"

"Yeah, I spoke to Annie. The Chief Fire Officer wants to talk to Gene in the morning" Sam answered as Alex sighed.

"Definately arson then?"

"Looks like"

Both fell silent as Chris and Ray returned. Ray had been trying to ring Mia while Chris had called Sharon's mother. The older Grainger woman was distraught at the news her daughter was in A&E. She was on her way to the hospital and Chris knew he was going to have a very difficult conversation with Fiona Grainger. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he thought about it.

"The doctor said Sharon has been really lucky" Sam sighed.

"Yeah, concussion and a fractured collar bone" Ray looked at Chris. "She is fine, she's going to be fine. Did I not say?" Ray grinned.

"Yeah" Chris sighed as the nurse walked in to the waiting room.

"Anyone with Sharon Grainger?" She called as Chris turned and walked towards the nurse.

"I'm her boyfriend. Can I see her?" Chris looked like a little boy lost as he followed the nurse through the wooden doors.

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Alex felt like she had been waiting in the hospital waiting room for hours. Gene had disappeared throught the doors almost an hour before she had sent Sam and Ray back to the station. Chris was with Sharon and her mum as she thought about how arresting the older Hughes brother for a number of murders had led to all the trouble with Sharon. She closed her eyes as she thought about how the paperwork with the adoption would be through in a few weeks. She opened her eyes as she felt movement next to her.

"Bolls" He grinned as he saw her turn to him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah" Gene smiled as he waved his bandaged hand in the air "Eight stitches, inadine dressing and a tetanus shot in the arse. But I'm ready"

"Come on then" Alex stood up and took his good hand in her own "Let Chris and Sharon have some time on their own"

"Yeah, back to the station eh? Ethel will be worrying where we are" Gene handed her the keyes to the Audi as they walked out of the hospital.

authors note. Please review. More soon. Or should I leave the story there?