I don't own Ashes to Ashes

---

It felt as though barely ten minutes had passed before Gene was re-entering CID the next morning, and though his anger at the renewed separation of himself and Alex as she entered her new office was clearly noticeable at first, he knew that, when he allowed his mind to drift to the precious hours they had spent wound together in their bed, there was a small smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, earning him many a peculiar glance from Ray and Chris and promptly resulting in a harsh demand for them to do some work, before he quickly disappeared into his office.

He couldn't quite believe it, if he was being honest with himself; the idea of Alex having his children, however much he might have considered it beforehand, suddenly became frighteningly attainable, and the prospect of what sort of a father he might be loomed over him like a cloud. Could he be the sort of father Peter wasn't to Molly? Or would he be just as bad as Peter, or even – please God, no – as frightening and frankly awful as his own father?

It had worried him, as the sun had set and he shifted slightly in his bed, but gazing down at Alex, her peacefully sleeping face so soft and content, he realized that nothing that was half her could ever merit his anger or aggression. His hands had caressed her sleeping face, tracing each of the familiar contours with the very tips of his fingers, and in that moment his mind had filled with images, dreams of blonde haired children with hazel eyes flashing through his thoughts, the girl adopting those same facial features, the boy taking on the feisty stubborn nature that had first turned Gene's head, acting irrationally protective over his younger sister... A smile had dawned on his lips, and as he slipped into slumber, Alex held protectively against his chest, the doubts that plagued his mind ebbed slowly away, replaced by a warm feeling that he would once have considered the height of shame, but which brought on a night of such peaceful sleep that he remained oblivious to Fitz's insistent barking, and only awoke when Alex had slipped from his grasp to let the whining dog into the bedroom. The dog had promptly leapt into Alex's vacated spot and refused to move despite her best efforts to shove him aside, before she herself had relented, walking around the bed and sliding herself in behind Gene, pressing close to his back and brushing soft kisses against his neck. "Your dog has stolen my bed," she murmured quietly.

Gene had chuckled, drawing her arms around him and closing his eyes. "I ain't complainin', Alex. Not s'long as you're still in it... Yer can spoon me as much as you like; an' if yer hand happens to drift a little low, I'll even forgive you." With a lecherous grin, he had cracked open a single eye, looking round at her in amusement.

She had rolled her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "Not with the dog in the bed, Gene; there are some things even I won't do."

Now, still attempting to come to terms with the previous evening's events, Gene sat in his desk chair, contemplating when best to arrest Ciaran Merlot; break time, in front of all of his friends? Or go for the simple route, as he had the previous day, and have the receptionist fetch him instead? A grin formed on his lips; there really was no contest, was there? Not when Alex was busy upstairs.

----

The moment the car skidded to a halt, Gene was out of the door, his black coat billowing behind him, Ray and Chris flanking him within moments as they stalked menacingly across the school grounds, Gene's hawk-like gaze picking out the platinum crop of hair adorning Ciaran Merlot's head, unwavering as he walked without a trace of doubt through the crowds of milling students, clenching his jaw to avoid smirking as they dispersed, making a path before the three police officers and casting nervous glances at one another as they walked assuredly into the shade of a large oak tree, Gene's gaze certain and confident as he met Ciaran's look of distaste as the young teenager sat casually against the tree trunk.

"Ciaran Merlot," Gene said calmly, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and yanking him forcefully to his feet. "I'm arresting you for deliberately providing false information; say anything, and I'll personally cut off your tiny little bollucks and pickle 'em fer yer sisters' mantelpiece!" With a metallic snap, the handcuffs clamped down around the young man's wrists, and a moment later Gene had grabbed the neatly cropped hair in his hands, jerking his head back.

"And," he added, growling quietly in the young man's ear, "tell me anymore lies, and I might just 'accidentally-on-purpose' let my DS loose with his fists." With a jerk, he pulled Ciaran upright and began to march him from the field, with Ray and Chris following close behind, saying nothing as the on-looking students stared in confusion. It was only when Gene had fiercely shoved the teenage boy into the car that he even thought to consider the lack of resistance the young man had shown.

----

The phone had barely rung once before Alex had snatched the receiver from the cradle, eagerly pressing it to her ear and squeaking a hurried "Yes?" before Gene's gruff voice reached down the telephone line.

"We've got him Bols," he said, sounding distracted for a few seconds, but then, a moment later his tone was more focused and driven. "Make sure you get down here on yer lunch. Shaz is gettin' you a buttie with the rest of us, but Harrison ain't gunna let you leave while yer on shift."

"Yes, of course," Alex said, biting her lip as she grinned in anticipation. "Thank you Gene, you won't regret it, I promise it'll be worth-"

"I know, Alex." He interrupted, his voice soft and husky. "It's always worth it with you... Just make sure you're here, alright? You can show me 'ow thankful you are at 'ome."

Alex paused, then, in a mischievous whisper that was overly dramatic, she added, "have you got any special requests?"

Gene chuckled. "Several," he replied, "all involving you on yer knees with yer knickers down around yer ankles."

Shivering, Alex nodded. "Ok... I love you."

Gene chuckled again, voice melting her stomach as he spoke. "Yeah," he murmured, "you too, Alex. See you at lunch."

----

If Harrison thought her leaving without a jacket was at all suspicious, he said nothing, and at one o'clock Alex was heading towards the familiar office of CID, walking through the double doors with a smile spreading fluidly over her face. The atmosphere was so much more relaxed in here than under Harrison's tight watch, and a moment later she felt the weight on her shoulders lessen considerably, greeting Shaz, Ray and Chris with more enthusiasm than could really be considered normal, before lifting her eyes to the domineering figure before her, slightly silhouetted against the bright light of the office at his back. He was smirking, she realized as she got closer. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie was loose, and his hair was ever so slightly ruffled, as though he had been running his fingers through it for some time; her heart rate quickened.

"Lady Bols," he murmured, nodding at her with a smile that was only for her, before standing back and allowing her into his office. Alex spared him a small frown, before politely entering, standing casually against the desk as he shut the door and closed the shutters. As Alex continued to crinkle her forehead in mock-confusion, Gene covered the space between them in two strides, hands cupping her face before his lips crashed down onto hers, mouth hot and searching as he tugged her firmly against him. Alex responded eagerly, fingers tangling in his hair as his teeth and tongue reduced her to a quivering wreck, the only thing holding her up his firm arms held tight around her back. When he pulled away, she was trembling and gasping, looking up at him with a dazed expression on her face as he smirked down at her knowingly.

"Been wantin' to do that all day," he murmured, pressing his mouth to hers briefly once again before stepping back, stifling a chuckle as her fingers scrabbled for purchase on the desk behind her to stop herself falling. "Come on then." Gene said reluctantly. "He ain't said a word, just sat there like a dead man's ding-a-ling; ain't moved a bleeding muscle..." Gene ground his teeth. "Bloody git – I was looking forward to watching Ray kick ten shades o' shit outta him an' all." He pouted slightly, before tugging her out of the office, stopping only to smirk at her as she stumbled awkwardly into his back.

"Yer need to watch it, Drakey," he murmured playfully, taking in her flushed skin and swollen lips. "People might think you've fallen prey to the otherwise unattainable Gene Genie- and then where will you be?" Having tipped her a quick wink, he left the room, and, after collecting herself and returning her breathing to normal rate, Alex followed.

---

When Viv brought Ciaran into the room, Alex expected some sort of protest or resistance. It unnerved her when the young man sank obediently into his chair, cuffed hands resting on his lap as he sat quietly in the wooden chair put out for him. Somehow he carried the air of coolness with him even as he sat there silent and cuffed, looking at Alex with an apparent nonchalance, one eyebrow raised in query.

"Look, I really don't know why I'm here, but I'm actually meant to be at school..." He lifted up his hands and nodded to the cuffs around his wrists with a pointed look. "So, can I go?" Ignoring him, Alex sat down calmly, pressing record on the tape player in the middle of the desk before folding her hands on the table in front of her, ignoring Gene's soft growl of annoyance as he angrily drew his chair out and slumped down, arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed on the young man in front of him.

"Interview with Ciaran Merlot, commencing at five past one, October second." She smiled softly as Ciaran, speaking in a calm voice. "We're going to need to ask you a few more questions – we've received some information that would say your interview yesterday wasn't quite truthful... Do you have any comment to make?"

Ciaran snorted. "You didn't arrest me, so actually, there was no reason for me to tell you the truth."

"You gave us misleading information in a murder investigation- we can't allow you to simply walk away. What made you tell us that you'd never met Jeremy McKellen?" Alex was calm, but Ciaran was conversely gulping, wringing his hands together, beads of sweat gathering on his brow.

"Look," he said, glancing away. "I knew him, alright, but what's that got to do with anything? It's his daughter you're investigating- his wife knocked Jezza off, so what makes you think she wouldn't kill her daughter an' all?"

"I don't believe our police investigation is of your concern," Alex said sweetly, "but there was no evidence to suggest Amanda McKellen's involvement in the death of her daughter. Please, answer the question, and tell us why you didn't mention your association with Jeremy McKellen yesterday?"

Ciaran's tooth began to worry at his lip, before he shook his head briefly. "I didn't really 'know' him... I mean, he shagged my sister and the others didn't know about it, an' sometimes I sat down the Bull with 'em all, but I didn't know him- he was just another bloke down the pub. He wasn't a mate or anything- I didn't really speak to him unless he was buyin' the next round, an' he never really bothered with me either. From what I gather he was a complete and utter tosser anyway, so why would I want anything to do with-?"

"You say he's a 'tosser'," Alex said, wiggling her fingers in the air, much to Gene's chagrin. "How do you mean?"

Ciaran shifted, his Adams apple rising and falling briefly before he shrugged. "He was married, left the Missus, got with Soph, and then buggered off back to the wife again..." There was hesitation in his eyes before he added, "An' he never saw 'is kid either. Weren't like with the rest of us- least our old men had the decency to piss off completely instead of stickin' around an' shaggin' our Mam's when we were at hospital or school or round a mate's house! An' Soph never let me say anything to him anyways, 'cause nobody was meant to know 'bout them two, so I didn't need to, y'know?" His voice was slightly panicked and defensive, and he glanced apologetically at Alex, who nodded slowly, ignoring Gene's snort of derision and pressing on.

"Was it common knowledge that Rosa's parents were still seeing one another?"

Ciaran stiffened slightly, before shaking his head. "No. Soph told me... Don't think anyone but Rosie and Bragden knew other than that, and-"

"You called her Rosie," Alex stated, her voice inquisitive, eyebrows slightly raised, although her expression remained calm.

He blanched, staring at Alex with fearful eyes before glancing briefly at Gene, whose face remained quietly thunderous as he sat rigid in his chair. "I- what?"

"You called her Rosie," Alex repeated softly. "Did lots of people call her that?"

He shrugged, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. "I guess so... just a name, it ain't a big-"

"Barry and Andy," Gene said suddenly, leaning forward and ignoring Alex's reproachful glare as he met the young man's eyes with a look of hardened steel. "You ever drink with 'em?"

Ciaran looked confused, and his eyes darted from Alex to Gene before he nodded slightly, shoulders relaxing slightly as he followed the new line of conversation. "Yeah... Barry's a mate."

"Well that says it all," Gene muttered in an undertone, before speaking again. "An' Andy?"

The teenager shrugged, looking nervously at Alex, who was grinding her jaw in annoyance, before speaking, apparently eager in his attempt to talk. "Not really fussed either way. Right poofter, an' he's been slippin' one to old Joe Ellison for bloody years, but he ain't too bad, I guess. S'long as he keeps it to himself I don't care who he's doing or how."

Gene's brow creased into a frown as he spoke again, voice ever so slightly bemused. "Joe Ellison?"

"Yeah; you pulled him in remember? You really thought he killed her? He wouldn't step on a twig, let alone kill his Goddaughter! He's a complete pushover; she'd only have had to say 'don't' and he'd have stopped!" He paused, nervously wetting his lips as Alex narrowed her eyes on him, before shrugging nonchalantly, shaking his head in apparent disbelief before he sat back in his chair, hands rubbing subconsciously at his wrists.

"So Andrew Summerton and Joe Ellison are involved?" Alex asked, her voice gentle and yet edged with something Gene couldn't quite fathom. Ciaran nodded hesitantly, and then, after a moments frowning, he shrugged.

"They're- well, y'know..." he looked hopefully from Gene to Alex, as though hoping they would catch on. Gene, his face drawn into a smirk, seemed determined not to allow Ciaran off the hook, and raised an eyebrow in apparent naivety. When neither Gene nor Alex made any comment, the teenager groaned. "They're shagging, ok? I dunno if it means anything – never got the impression they were in love or something, but I could be wrong... Look, why am I here? You didn't pull me in to ask whether Joe takes it up the arse or not!"

Alex kept her voice carefully measured and collected as she replied. "Why didn't you tell us you knew Jeremy McKellen?"

Ciaran shrugged, eyes averted. "Didn't seem important?"

"But you knew he'd been murdered?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

"And you knew Amanda admitted to it?"

"Everybody knew that."

"So you weren't scared about your connection to his death?"

Ciaran snorted, laughing drily. "No. Why? D'you really think I'd kill him?"

"You could've been angry," Alex suggested. "Seeing him hurt your sister that way must have upset you I should think... Maybe you saw an opportunity and took it?"

"I didn't kill Jezza, alright? We didn't even know he was back with the Missus till we heard about her killing him." Ciaran answered calmly, meeting Alex's eyes levelly and without a trace of fear.

"So, if you weren't afraid of your connection to Jeremy McKellen, then why didn't you tell us that you knew him?"

"Because I didn't want to." Ciaran remained calm and unbothered, and a moment later, Gene was out of the chair, striding round the table and grabbing him by the scruff of the neck.

"Right you filthy little scrot," Gene spat, "just answer the bloody question before I throttle you with that little nancy tie of yours! Why didn't you tell us you were getting pissed with Rosa McKellen's old man?"

"Because it's none of your business who I drink with!" Ciaran growled, bringing his cuffed hands up to dig strong fingers into Gene's wrists. His grip broke for the briefest of moments, and Ciaran attempted in vain to shrug free, before he was slammed face down onto the interview table, cuffed hands cushioning his face as the wind was knocked from his lungs and Gene pressed one elbow into his spine, voice low and menacing in Ciaran's ear.

"If I say it's my business, it is my business! So you better get your facts straight and start talking, else you won't have a bloody tongue to lie with!" His hand jerked Ciaran's hair back as he spoke, spit flying from his mouth and landing on the younger man's face.

"Gene," Alex said softly, maintaining the same sense of calm as before, "stop."

"You better talk, you filthy piece of pig-scum," Gene went on, ignoring her. "'cause I don't play nice when little bastards like you start getting cocky on my patch!"

Ciaran snorted, turning his head round to meet Gene's eyes, bristling with anger as he hissed in reply. "And I don't play nice when lardy coppers start bending me over like some bloody poofter!"

With a jerk of the wrist, Gene slammed the young man's face into the table, hearing the sickening crunch of bone as Ciaran's nose broke, blood gushing from his nostrils as he swore and spluttered, ignoring Alex's shout of protest. "Well lucky for you I don't swing that way, but that ain't to say the fat bloke in your cell doesn't!" With a heave, he shoved Ciaran back into his chair, sitting firmly on the desk in front of him and placing one booted foot on the chair between his legs. Even with the blood trickling down Ciaran's face and chest, covering up the majority of his features, there was no mistaking the anger and hatred in his eyes.

"You're a knob," Ciaran muttered, turning his head away and gritting his teeth; with a harsh kick to the groin, he was doubled over, coughing and groaning, red in the face as Gene shoved him back in the chair.

"Wrong answer you smarmy bugger!" He growled, raising his foot in threat once more. "Tell me what made you lie about Jeremy McKellen, else I'll land yer arse in jail quicker than you can say-"

"Gene!" Alex protested, and suddenly he was aware that she was standing beside him, face thunderous as she forcefully tugged on his arm. For a brief moment, he considered shrugging her off and bringing his foot down, but a glance into her eyes was warning enough, and, despite his reservations, he let himself be led from the room, warily eyeing Ciaran as they went, positioning himself on the other side of the door so that he kept the crippled-over teenager easily within sight.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Alex hissed the second the door had closed behind them. "You cannot beat him into submission – there are more civil ways to get information, and if you'd paid attention to anything he said, instead of picking up on all the things he hasn't, perhaps you'd have realized that you're not asking the right questions any longer!"

Gene ground his teeth before replying, in a terse, angry voice, "You were the one asking why he didn't bloody tell us about Jeremy Mc-fucking-Kellen!" His blue eyes flashed as he glared down at her, but she stood her ground.

"I was waiting for a diversion in the conversation!" Alex stressed, waving her hands around as though to emphasise the point. "And if you'd waited a few minutes before pulling your 'macho' act, you'd have found it alot more enlightening than a blood-stained carpet and a now angry teenage boy!"

"Well if you don't tell me you're gunna get all your psycho-bollucks on the table, what am I meant to do?" Gene's retort was aggressive, his eyes dark.

"Well you could try listening to the conversation for starters!" Alex snapped.

"I was bloody listening to that conversation!" He growled, towering over her angrily. "He's an evasive little shit who needs a quick boot up the arse an' you'll get all the answers you bloody need!"

"If you were listening," Alex hissed, "you'd have heard him mention the fact that 'Joe Ellison is a complete pushover'!"

Gene narrowed his eyes at her. "Brainless as I am," he murmured in a gravelly voice, "I did hear that. And it doesn't change the fact that he misled a Police Investigation and-"

"Have you considered the fact that when Joe Ellison was brought in for questioning, he told us that he couldn't tell us anything because he'd been 'told not to'? Or did you ignore that in favour of beating him up, too?"

"Don't you dare question the way I run my bloody team again, Drake!" He snapped, eyes flaring with unbidden anger. "I'm still the superior officer no matter how much you fanny around upstairs with the Super, so unless I tell you otherwise, you'll keep that gob of yours shut while I do my job!"

He made to push past her, but was surprised to find her shoving him in the chest, eyes glittering with anger as she hissed back at him. "The only reason I'm 'fannying around' in the Super's office, as you so politely put it, is you, so don't you dare-"

"Don't use that against me, Alex!" Gene growled, bringing his face to within an inch of hers, eyes narrowed. "You know full well I didn't bloody want you stuck with him, so you better-"

"I never used it against you, Gene!" She snapped. "But before you start accusing me of playing about with the Super, you'd do bloody well to remember why I'm stuck there in the first place!" She reached out for the door handle, glaring up at him venomously. "I'm going to interview a suspect- if you think you can resist accusations about my promiscuity, then you can sit in on it! If not, why don't you try growing up!" With a shove, she opened the door, slamming it behind her without waiting for a reply. Gene stood stock still, staring through the glass panel as she sat down.

----

"Why are you with him?" Ciaran asked the moment she shut the door, his voice cracked and ragged as he attempted to breathe without worsening his pain.

Taken aback, still reeling from her and Gene's disagreement, it took several moments for her to even begin to form a response. "How'd you-?"

"It's obvious," Ciaran muttered, glancing sideways at Gene, who stood plainly on the other side of the door. "The way you look at him – and how he looks at you an' all... I just don't get it though – he don't seem your type."

Alex couldn't help but laugh bitterly, "My 'type' is a very questionable thing, and it's probably best not to go into it."

He shrugged. "I just don't see how he got you... He's a brash bastard and yet he looks at you like- y'know- like it's not just sex."

Alex blinked, sitting back with a frown. "You're quite perceptive, you know..."

He grinned, gingerly touching his nose before cursing under his breath, grimacing slightly as he spoke again. "He just – he ain't the sort've guy who'd take you out an' buy you flowers..." He shrugged. "Like I said, he just don't seem your type to me..."

Smiling, Alex shook her head. "There's more to our relationship than flowers, sex and dates, I assure you. It's just not immediately noticeable when he's behaving like a misogynistic bastard..." she hesitated. "How is your nose?"

Ciaran snorted, an action that made him cry out in pain and bring his hand up to cover his face. "Fine..." he said unconvincingly. There was a small pause, where Alex wondered how best to bring the interview back around, before Ciaran was speaking again, his voice soft. "Do you love him? Y'know, like, the forever sort o' love?"

Alex, though taken aback, smiled despite herself. "Forever is a very long time... but yes, I do."

Ciaran nodded, gulping. "I loved someone once... still do, actually..." A shadow passed over his face before he looked up at her again, frowning. "Don't it hurt when he's being a twat though?"

Laughing, Alex shook her head. "It hurts, yes... But I know he himself doesn't believe what he's saying most of the time."

"But, when they accuse you, of like, sleeping with other people an' that, don't it make you angry?"

"They?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ciaran's jaw tightened and his hand covered his nose before he nodded, breathing shakily. "Yeah, when you're with someone – anyone, not just him – doesn't it piss you off? And, y'know when they actually are with someone else, but won't end it, no matter how much they say they love you...? Have you ever-?"

Recognition dawned and Alex gave him a sad smile. "You loved her didn't you?"

Ciaran looked scared, then gulped, shifting nervously and avoiding eye contact as he attempted to appear nonchalant. "Who?"

"Rosie."

The use of the nickname he had so carelessly let slip seemed to stun him; he went rigid, eyes glistening with unshed tears before he turned his head away, nervous hands struggling to wipe the blood from the cuffs that held his wrists together, as though searching for distraction as he looked resolutely away from Alex. "No. I didn't love her..."

Alex sighed, sitting back in her chair and eyeing him carefully, saying nothing, waiting for him to move... It took him several minutes to turn to her, but when he did the tears were tracking down his face, cleaning a path through the smears of bloody on his cheeks where he had attempted to clean his nose.

"I mean... I did... but it's not like you think," he said sincerely, meeting her eyes this time. "Like, it wasn't teenage love, y'know? It was... It was different. Like it was real... an'... and it wasn't meant to happen... I didn't want it to really... it was just- well, we were friends once... before all the lumps an' stuff... and the thing was I liked her, y'know, like... I really liked her... more than a friend. She was- well everyone liked her. She was nice, and pretty, and fun, and all that kinda thing, but once she got ill, well, everyone else- well, they all buggered off. And I didn't want to... she just... she got hung up on the idea that I didn't like her anymore- didn't want her... And I know we weren't that old an' all but – I tried telling her I was different, that it was special... and she- she hurt me, y'know? I wouldn't have left her, 'cept she was convinced the only person who could like her was scrotty little Bragden, 'cause he was 'in her league'. And the thing was, she didn't wanna hear that I still loved her too, and she stopped calling on me, and phoning me, and talking to me on the playground and whatever and it was – it hurt. Every time I saw them together I felt sick, and it drove me crazy for years..." He stopped, gulping, his face red as he struggled to fight back the tears threatening to pour forth from his eyes. Alex said nothing, watching him carefully, feeling sympathy begin to well in her chest.

"She got worse," he said eventually, biting on his nails. "Couldn't walk properly, her arms kept getting so painful she couldn't move... she leant me a pencil once, but she could barely reach across to give it to me, and I tried to see if she was ok, and she didn't answer, then the next day she wasn't in, and I just thought- I guess I was worried I upset her, so I went round her house to talk, and she just broke down on me..." He looked nervous, grimacing against the pain in his face before looking away, voice dropping an octave as he spoke on. "I didn't know what to do. She was all upset, saying how Benji wouldn't help her, and how he didn't understand... And I just told her that if he knew what he'd got, he'd do anything for her, don't matter what it is... She said I was being stupid- said nobody could love an-" he gulped, closed his eyes, then murmured, "nobody could love an 'ugly spastic' enough to do it for her, and I couldn't help it, Miss, I really couldn't I just-" He looked away, whispering softly.

"I hadn't held her in so long- I hadn't forgotten, or anything, I just hadn't felt it, and she was crying on me and letting me hold her, and she smelt like – she smelt just like I remembered, and all I wanted to do was just not let her go and tell her how bloody perfect I thought she was whether Bragden could see it or not!" There was a crack as he clenched his fist, knuckles crunching loudly as the vein in his jaw strained, anger plain on his face. "She started saying how horrible she was, how miserable he made her feel about the whole thing, 'cause he'd never see there was anything wrong, never act like he bloody understood her at all, always pretending everything was fucking fine when she was miserable as sin!" He was seething, arms tensed, the veins straining against his skin as he fell silent, glaring at the wall with tears sliding unbidden down his cheeks.

"Did Rosa say anything else?" Alex asked, eyes soft and sympathetic. Ciaran seemed to try simultaneously to shake and nod his head, then fell still, gulping slightly.

"She felt alone." He said finally, still staring at the wall. "Said God didn't love her and was punishing her for stuff she couldn't remember... she thought he'd abandoned her because she couldn't get better, and – well, I didn't know what to say. I ain't religious, and I don't believe in God, but I believe in something... and whatever it is they weren't abandoning her, y'know, it was just that she needed help and stuff, so I just said-"

"Do you believe in angels?" Alex asked quietly, her voice soft and sincere, looking at him with sympathetic understanding as her mind began to whir with thought. Ciaran blinked, head jerking around in shock, seeing the knowing look in Alex's eyes, his pupils widening as he did so, before he nodded slowly.

"Yes..."

Alex nodded, attempting an encouraging smile before speaking, "I'm going to quote something... I just want you to tell me if you know it, ok?"

With another sharp nod, Ciaran gave his assent.

Speaking in a soft voice, Alex kept her gaze fixed on his, the words from a young girl's diary swimming before her eyes. "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee... And in their hands, they shall-"

"- shall bear thee up, lest any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Ciaran whispered, voice cracking as he turned his head away once more. "Yes. I know it."

Alex was silent for several moments, her voice evading her as she stared at the broken boy before her. It was him, eventually, that broke the silence, meeting her eyes with his own tearful ones. "I told her I'd do anything for her," he whispered, tears tracing down his cheeks without shame, "and she called me her Angel."

Alex could only nod vacantly, slightly dazed, murmuring absently to the tape player as she went to stand. "Interview suspended." She murmured, pressing down the stop button, barely able to look at him as she did so, her hands trembling. It was only when she reached the door that Ciaran spoke again, his voice solemn and sincere.

"He'd do the same for you."

She froze, turning to look at him with confusion written on her face. "What?"

"DCI Hunt," Ciaran said, meeting her hazel eyes sadly. "He'd never admit it, but if you asked him to, he would..."

"No, he wouldn't," Alex said softly. "He's not-"

"He loves you." The teenager said simply, eyes unwavering. "He'd do it."

---

Another huge thank you to Feline for beta-ing :-)

And huge hugs for my Smut-Pit ladies for making me smiley this week :-)

Hope you liked it :-)

Mage of the Heart