I don't own Ashes to Ashes

Ok, so, I've got another one done, but that's it until I finish my NaNoWriMo – hope it'll be worth the wait once the next chapters ready, and if I do get some moments of uninspired NaNo time, I'll try and get some of this done too :-)

There's a bit of Smut, a teensy bit of plot at the end, and maybe a little warming to a character I can see playing a bigger part than I initially intended – I hope you like it :-)

As ever, a huge thank you to all of you for reviewing, and to my wonderful beta for noticing that Gene isn't actually wearing jeans when I get too lost in my own filth-ridden mind :P

Mage of the Heart

---

Gene slumped into the chair in his darkened office, the shutters blocking out the hustle and bustle of the rest of CID, the light shut off and the computer whirring loudly to his left. His hand reached subconsciously for the whiskey, pouring half a glassful before throwing it quickly down his throat, grimacing only slightly as the liquid burned him. He'd barely placed the tumbler down before the phone was in his hand, his fingers punching in numbers without thought, twitching with agitation as the dial tone seemed to stretch on forever, echoing in his ears until there was a slight sound of movement, followed by a soft, worn, "hello?"

Gene breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in his body abating almost instantly, the sound of her voice acting as an instant balm to his former worry. "Alex," he murmured softly, "you ok?"

She sighed on the other end, and he could practically see the small twitch of her lip as she smiled tiredly and looked down at her paperwork. "I'll be better when today's over," she admitted. Gene half-smiled, sitting back in his chair and twining the telephone cord absently between his long, elegant fingers before he spoke again.

"Yeah," he murmured, "me too."

There was a small silence, during which Gene closed his eyes, listening to the grate of her breath down the telephone until she spoke again, her voice tentative and shy. "Did he say anything else?"

Gene hesitated, cracking his knuckles briefly before he sighed. "Yeah... he said- said alot else..."

"Are you going to-?"

"Not now," he said, his voice strained and cracked. "Later, Alex," he promised her, his gruff tone softening slightly. "I'll tell you later, just- just not right now, ok?"

"Of course," Alex whispered, "I'm sorry, I just thought- I don't know what I thought... I'm sorry, I just didn't think about-"

Gene chuckled, shaking his head. "Alex, I didn't call you to talk about the case."

"Oh..." she paused, and then added, in a confused voice, "then why are you-?"

"Alex, last time I saw you, you were sobbing like a doped up hippy at a tree's funeral – thought I'd make sure you ain't still blubbering like Niagara Falls, that's all." He drew out his cigarettes, lifting one to his lips and lighting it carefully with one hand before he went on. "If a bloke can't call up 'is bird and make sure she's ok when the last time 'e saw her she was blubbing on his best shirt, when can he?"

"That's sweet, Gene," Alex murmured after a moment of faltering surprise.

"Ain't bloody sweet," he growled defensively, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. "Jus' don't want bloody Harrison sniffin' around yer 'cause he thinks I'm a useless tosser." Holding the cigarette in his fingertips he repeated, "I ain't bloody sweet!"

He could practically see Alex's grin as she answered him. "No, Gene," she whispered, "of course you're not..."

They were both silent for several moments, before Gene stubbed out his cigarette, leaning on his armrest and holding the phone gently against his ear. "Alex," he murmured, his voice gently inquisitive, "what's your favourite smell?"

---

"What's your favourite smell?"

Alex blinked, pausing in the motion of tapping her pen as she frowned, trying to make sense of Gene's seemingly absurd question. "My favourite smell?" She repeated, confused.

"Yeah... what is it?"

Alex thought for several moments, resting her chin on her spare hand. Freshly baked bread? Evan's home cooking? Newly mown grass? She thought for several moments, the sound of Gene's breathing soft on her ears, before she smiled. "Your collar," she answered, smiling contentedly to herself.

"'ey?" Gene's reply was confused and bewildered, and Alex could barely contain her laughter as she spoke softly in confirmation.

"Your shirt collar- it's my favourite smell... why'd you ask?"

There was a long pause, Gene apparently turning the words over in his head before he answered. "My collar?" He asked, voice evidently disbelieving. "What's so bloody good about my collar?"

Alex smiled, looking down at her desk and tracing patterns on the paper in front of her. "It smells of you."

He snorted with laughter, delivering a swift reply that was laced with teasing, "What the bloody hell do you think I smell of?"

"No, I mean, it smells of everything that's- well, everything that's you, I suppose..."

Gene said nothing, and then muttered, "I don't follow."

Alex laughed. "I'll explain it to you later, I have to go."

He sighed reluctantly, and Alex could hear him moving slightly in his chair. "Yeah," he conceded, "I guess you should probably do some work, yer lazy cow. Behave yerself; I'll pick you up later."

"Ok," she smiled, "goodbye."

"Alex," Gene murmured before she could move to put the phone down.

"Yes Gene?"

He hesitated only briefly. "I'd do anything fer you... but I couldn't live without yer."

Alex's eyes began to sting, and she could barely speak above a whisper. "I know, Gene... me too."

"Good," Gene said, nodding his head even though he knew she couldn't see. "Right... I'll come by and get yer later."

---

'Later' couldn't come soon enough.

Having wrapped up two robberies with as little input on his part as was possible, Gene headed up to wait outside Alex's office half an hour early, agitatedly swirling a cup of coffee in his hand. Once, as he looked into the office itself and tried to catch Alex's eye, he thought the Super had seen him, and half-expected to be thoroughly reprimanded and suspended on the spot; as it was, if he'd been noticed, nothing was said, and at six on the dot Alex was leaping from her chair and wrapping her jacket around her shoulders as she headed swiftly towards the door. Gene placed his mug on a nearby box, sparing only a brief moment to press his mouth to hers before he was pulling her from the station, hand firmly wrapped around hers as he led her to the car and got in, only pausing to breathe once they were both settled in their seats.

Alex looked at him carefully as he lolled his head back onto the headrest, reaching over to grasp his hand and squeezing it gently. He looked at her through troubled eyes, leaning over to touch his free hand against her cheek, breaking eye contact to look at her lips as his thumb traced gently across.

"Sorry," he murmured softly, pressing his dry lips to the corner of her mouth, a sigh escaping him as her smell drifted teasingly into his nostrils enveloping him in a warm haze. "Just needed to get out of there..." He drew slowly away from her and turned the key in the ignition, his tense body relaxing slightly as Alex reached across to rest her hand on his knee, smiling at him softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She spoke tentatively, stroking his leg gently as she tried to meet his eyes.

Gene sighed, shaking his head and looking round with heat in his gaze, boring into her as he spoke, his voice gruff and loaded, full of need and teeming with desire. "No," he murmured, "not right now... Right now, I want a drink, and I want you... and preferably not in that order." His eyes traced the length of her body almost greedily, rendering him ignorant of the way she bit her lip in anticipation, or the slight nervous knot that gathered in her stomach as he turned his rapidly darkening eyes on the road.

Gene didn't say anything else, pressing his foot down and speeding down the street with his jaw tight and eyes fixed on the road. Alex gulped, gently tracing patterns in his knee whenever she felt him tense up, watching his face carefully as his eyes remained resolutely fixed on the road. The moment after they'd turned into their drive, he was out of the car, keys in hand, unlocking the front door before Alex had even had the time to step out from the car. She followed him slowly, stomach bubbling with nervous anticipation as she stepped over the threshold, watching Gene as he swiftly and methodically removed his overcoat, placing it on the coat-hook and loosening his tie, his eyes not leaving her as she shrugged out of her own jacket and kicked her boots off at the door.

Barely a moment later, Gene had crossed the space between them, his mouth pressing down onto hers with a tenderness that wholly contradicted the previous heat of his gaze, and the fierce strength of his hold. Alex slid her arms around him, allowing him to pull her closer to him, his tight hold on her absolute as he slid his hands to cover her arse, grinding his hips slowly against hers. He moved his mouth away sedately, passing across her jaw, down her neck and across the shoulder bared by her top.

"Need you," he murmured, fingers sliding to the hem of her shirt, lifting it slowly, barely allowing his mouth to leave her skin as he drew it up and off her body. "Always need you, Alex..." his hands caressed up her bare back, reaching the strap of her bra and gently sliding it free, before drawing the wispy material down her arms and discarding it on the wood-panelled floor. Alex sighed, her fingers loosening his tie slowly, drawing it free from around his neck before her fingers moved to his chest, deftly unbuttoning his shirt halfway before abandoning it, her hands sliding into his hair. Gene moved his lips to her neck once again, sucking, nibbling, biting and kissing at the tender skin while his fingers slid easily to the waistband of her jeans, popping the button and lowering the zip with deliberate slowness.

"Gene..." Alex murmured, tilting her head to the side to encourage the passionate assault on her neck, her breath coming short as she pushed her hips gently against his hand, feeling his fingers tease beneath the denim of her jeans, stroking her lightly through the sheer fabric of her knickers. "Gene, maybe we should go upstairs?" She gasped as he slid her underwear aside, two fingers entering her swiftly as he groaned into her neck.

"Too bloody far," he growled, pressing her into the wall as his free hand pushed her trousers and knickers down her body, the other continuing to move slowly within her as she sighed and gasped in his ear. She awkwardly kicked her clothes off, simultaneously reaching for his trousers as he pushed the full length of his body against hers, his erection pressing firmly into her thigh, her breasts crushed into his chest whilst his thumb repeatedly drew gentle caresses across her clit.

"Never have enough of you," he groaned, gently sucking at her earlobe as her hand slid beneath the band of his boxer shorts, grasping him confidently as his fingers continued to thrust softly into her. "Love how you feel," he murmured, spare hand trailing up to cover her right breast just as his mouth descended on the other. "And how you taste..." he breathed, before sucking gently on her tautened nipple as if for emphasis.

After several moments, he tugged her hand away from him, sliding down to his knees and leaving a trail of kisses in his wake as he moved further down her body, inhaling softly. "And how you smell... God, I love your smell..." he lifted one leg gently onto his shoulders, kissing his way up the inside of her thigh, breathing in through his nose and feeling her shiver with desire as he moved to her centre, his tongue flicking out to touch her folds while one hand slid tenderly over the flesh of her thigh, drawing teasing patterns into her soft skin whilst he sought out her clit, sucking and licking until she was quaking against him, her delicate hands buried in his soft-blonde hair.

Gene pulled away when she was trembling on the brink, ignoring her cries of protest as he moved his mouth to her thigh, biting gently and leaving a red mark before sliding his fingers to the quick of her, looking up to meet her eyes as she stared down at him.

"Tell me you want it," he murmured, stroking her softly. "I need to hear it... how much do you want me?"

Alex gasped, nodding, attempting to pull his head towards her as he watched her through smouldering eyes.

"Say it, Alex," he growled, his spare hand squeezing gently at her arse. "Tell me..."

"I want it," Alex whispered, "Please, Gene, I do- so much!"

"What d'you want?" He asked, shifting almost imperceptibly closer. "Tell me, and I'll give it to you..." Eyes softening slightly, mouth whispering across her thigh, he whispered, "I'd give you anything, Alex..."

She sobbed in frustration, pushing her hips forward as she tried to speak. "Need- I want to come..." She gasped, tugging at his hair. "Please Gene, please make me come!"

Gene smirked, teasingly flexing his fingers inside her before he moved closer, not once breaking eye contact, his fingers pumping faster as his mouth closed around her clit, watching Alex's face as her whole body went rigid with pleasure, the orgasm taking her over, shaking her body violently for several long moments.

When she finally stilled, Alex slumped against the wall, Gene removing her leg from his shoulder and tugging her easily down to the floor, his mouth finding hers swiftly as he rolled her onto her back, one hand pushing his trousers and boxers low on his hips, freeing his erection before settling himself between her legs and pushing into her smoothly, his eyes closed as her tongue tangled softly with his.

He pulled his mouth away, whispering softly in her ear as he thrust gently into her. "Love you..." he told her, throat tight. "More than anything..." soft lips found her neck, his breath coming fast as he increased the speed of his entry, gasping as she pushed herself up against him. "I'll forget to tell you," he whispered, "don't mean it ain't true though – love you... I love you..." His mouth found hers once again, hips moving harder and faster into her, pinning her to the floor as he groaned out his pleasure.

Alex gasped into Gene's mouth, biting down on his bottom lip as she swiftly knocked his elbow out from under him, rolling him onto his back and groaning as he thrust up into her, his hands on her hips as she began to ride him, her mouth tearing away from his. Straddling him, she rested her hands on his thighs, her head thrown back in abandon as she moved, while Gene lifted himself onto his elbows, watching her, transfixed as her breasts moved, as he watched himself disappear into her, as the thin sheen of sweat began to coat her body... Her hands reached up to cover her breasts, kneading them slowly as she met his gaze, still moving along his length with deliberate sedateness as she gave him that sexy little smile that made him want to burst...

"Fuck!" Gene gasped, lifting himself upright and wrapping his arms firmly around her, mouth assaulting her neck as his hand slid down between them, teasing, stroking, driving her further towards orgasm as she slammed her hips down onto his. He bit her hard as she clenched around him, her moan loud in his ears as she shook violently in his arms. He froze, biting back his own release, flipping her firmly onto her back, barely pausing to lift her legs over his shoulders before he powered back into her, gripping her thighs as he looked down at her, both pairs of eyes glazed with desire and lust as she writhed beneath him. Alex watched his face greedily as his mouth fell slack with pleasure, the length of him plunging into her over and over as sweat dripped from his brow, falling intimately onto her lips.

"Yes..." Alex gasped, pulling his mouth to hers before moving to whisper in his ear, voice cracking slightly as he continued to thrust, a deep growl emanating from within his chest at every movement. "I love you, Ge- oh god! – I love you!" She was practically sobbing, her nails digging into his back through the fabric of his shirt, clawing at him as he grunted, resting his face in her neck as her hips echoed the movements of his own. Her gasps and moans echoed in Gene's ears as he pushed into her relentlessly, until, eventually, as Alex threw her head back for the third time and let out a piercing moan, he released inside her, his whole body shaking with the force of his release.

With a groan, he withdrew from her, lowering her legs from his shoulders before he collapsed onto her, sated and incapable of movement as he pressed barely-there kisses to the soft skin of her shoulder, closing his eyes to the sound of their heavy breathing...

----

"Gene?" Alex managed eventually, drawing him from his private reverie, running her hand lightly down his back and beneath the fabric of his shirt.

"Mmmph," he grunted, shifting slightly to prevent crushing her, resting his head beside hers.

"You're still wearing all your clothes," she whispered, tugging absently at his shirt.

"Yeah..." Gene murmured, not moving. "You ain't though..." His hand strayed to her breast as he spared her a lewd grin through half-lidded eyes, "I like that..." Alex grinned despite herself, shifting against him and lightly kissing the pulse at his neck. His shirt collar brushed her nose and she smiled, lifting her hand to tug it lightly with her fingers, feeling him frown against her before drawing back to meet her gaze.

"Still smell good does it, Bolly-no-knickers?" he smirked slightly, tenderly tracing her cheek with fingers that couldn't help but tremble. She smiled.

"Yes, Gene," she murmured, meeting his eyes, "it still smells good."

He held her gaze for a long time, eyes soft on hers, before sighing. "I'll never understand you women," he told her, kissing her cheek softly. "It's just a shirt..."

Her lip twitched, and she shook her head. "It's your shirt," she said, grinning. "And it smells like you; whiskey, cigarettes, Old Spice and man-stink..." with a devilish smirk, followed by a swift kiss to the corner of his mouth, she whispered, "makes my rump quiver every time!"

Gene laughed, sliding his arms beneath her before rolling them both to the side, hand moving to rest lightly on her waist. He kissed her, his mouth soft, yet insistent and warm against hers, his head swimming. When he pulled away, his eyes were tender, breath short as he rested his forehead against her own, his skilled fingers gently tracing delicate patterns on her skin.

"He's a killer, Alex," he murmured eventually, fingers gently caressing her waist. "He's a killer- but he ain't a criminal... He doesn't deserve what's comin' his way."

Alex blinked, surprised, meeting his eyes and seeing the certainty in his expression. She gulped, stroking his cheek. "He told you then?" She asked, biting her lip.

He nodded, pulling her even closer as he whispered into her ear, kissing lightly at the base beforehand. "I'm a selfish bugger, Alex," he told her honestly, eyes closed tight as he spoke. "I might do it for yer, but I wouldn't bloody stick around ter live with it..."

Tears pricked at Alex's eyes, but before she could say anything, before she could tell him that she would never ask him to do such a thing for her, Gene had disentangled himself, standing up to pull his trousers back around his waist. She watched him sadly, seeing the way he kept his eyes averted, saying nothing until, almost unexpectedly, he held out a hand for her. She took it hesitantly, allowing him to draw her up to her feet and pull her into the circle of his arms, his eyes still not meeting hers.

"You should put some clothes on," he murmured softly, his nose buried in her hair, eyes closed tight as he attempted to breathe regularly, "else I'll end up shaggin' yer again – an' I ain't sure I didn't get a splinter in me arse from them floorboards."

Alex smiled gently, resting her hand across his chest and feeling the steady thump of his heart. "Was it worth it?" she asked, grinning shyly up at him. He chortled as he met her eyes, seeing the worry and the mischief combined before kissing her forehead softly.

"Yeah, Bols, it was."

For several moments, he said nothing, holding her tight, before, quite unexpectedly, he released her from his hold, shrugging quickly out of his shirt and draping it around her shoulders. He made a noise of approval as she slid her arms obediently into the sleeves, and proceeded to help her as she slowly buttoned it up, smirking when she turned her face and lifted the collar to her nose with a sigh of contentment.

Picking up her discarded knickers with a grin, Gene grinned. "And these," he said, pushing them into her hand as he bent to kiss her cheek, "you should probably put these back on an' all..." In a husky growl, he added, "you know how much I like ripping 'em off!"

He was about to move into the kitchen when her hand caught his wrist, tugging him gently back. He met her eyes with a frown as she spoke softly to him, her voice full of worry and concern. "Gene... I do lo-"

Gene pulled her into him before she could finish, covering her mouth with his and kissing her softly.

"I know," he whispered afterwards, stroking her hair for several minutes, watching her with piercing blue eyes before lowering his mouth to hers for another brief kiss. "Come on," he murmured, taking her hand in his as he drew her towards the kitchen. "I need a drink."

----

As Gene walked her up the stairs to her office the next morning, he could feel his stomach tighten, feel the worry smouldering in his gut at the realization that he would have to talk to Ciaran again; they'd had a confession, yes, and though he wished he could have been putting the whole of the sorry mess to rest and moving on to the next case, he knew there were loose ends everywhere, that just because Ciaran confessed didn't prove he'd done it...

But before he could talk to him, he realized, he felt as though he had to establish Rosa's feelings for Ciaran as firmly as he had established the boys. There was a fierce sense of male solidarity burning within his chest, and the worry that the whole situation was based on false beliefs made Gene's stomach roil with anger. As Alex slid into his arms outside the double doors, her fingers tracing over his back as he kissed her softly, her perfume began to permeate his nostrils, causing him to sigh with relief as he tightened his hold on her.

"How many more days d'you need to sit up here?" He growled as he pulled away, hands tightening on her hips, his eyes dark. Alex sighed, stroking his lightly stubbled cheek with the back of her hand.

"Eighteen and counting – not including weekends," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt him sigh, heard the low growl of annoyance in his chest as he bent down to murmur in her ear.

"Too bloody long," he told her softly. "Miss watching you wiggle that arse of yours about... DI Franklin's ok at his job fer the most part, but his arse ain't anywhere near as peachy." He nibbled lightly at her earlobe before adding, practically inaudibly, "an' I need you down there- bloody hate dealing with this bollucks on me own when all he's got yer doing is fannying about with paperwork!"

Alex sighed, pulling away reluctantly. "I wish I was down there too... but unless you plan on begging Harrison to let me do something useful, then it isn't going to happen, and-"

"Y'know, that ain't a bad idea, Bolly," Gene said, glancing into the office with a frown. "Is 'e in yet?"

"Gene, I was joking!" Alex panicked, voice rising in pitch slightly. "You can't seriously be considering going in and-?"

"Bloody can!" Gene retorted, craning his neck as he saw Harrison walk into the main room clasping a cup of coffee in one hand. "Bloody am!" He gave her a brief squeeze before walking away, pushing open the double doors with his overcoat billowing behind him, showing no sign of hesitation, even as Alex squeaked her immediate protest.

"Hunt," Harrison nodded politely, showing no sign of surprise, lifting the coffee to his lips with apathy as Alex walked in, her face livid with embarrassment. Gene thought he saw a grin tug at the Superintendents mouth before he was being pointed towards the office, sparing Alex a brief half-apologetic glance before stepping inside.

Harrison followed, shutting the door and moving to settle in the leather chair behind his desk. "I take it you're here to beg for Drake's return following a major breakthrough in some case I've never heard of, nor want to?" He smirked, eyebrow raised in amusement. Gene's fists clenched slightly in his pocket, jaw tightening briefly before he shook his head.

"Not exactly, Sir – we've had a confession for the McKellen murder. DI Drake might be useful in the old psychiatry part of it, and I thought-"

"Psychology," Harrison murmured, absently lifting his coffee to his lips and smirking as the vein in Gene's jaw leapt. He waited a moment, and then sat up. "This'll be from the blonde lad you dragged in yesterday, I presume?"

Gene gulped, momentarily taken aback, but nodded his head slowly. "Yeah- Ciaran Merlot."

The Superintendents eyebrows disappeared into his hairline for a brief moment, and Gene could only assume it was in recognition of the name, but Harrison proceeded by simply inclining his head in polite enquiry, indicating that Gene should continue.

"Says he was 'elping 'er..." Gene said tentatively, "'she wasn't happy with Bragden, an' apparently the poor sod's loved 'er fer years."

Harrison chuckled dryly, setting his cup down and shaking his head. "Poor sod indeed." He waited a brief moment before adding softly, "do you believe him?"

Averting his eyes so as to disguise the unease boiling away in his stomach, Gene nodded. "Sounded nancy enough to me..."

"So DI Drake will be doing what, exactly? Poking him with needles and asking insightful questions into their relationship? I'm sure you're more than capable of doing that yourself if you put your mind to it, Hunt- need I remind you that she's working on my floor because of your failure to behave responsibly?" He lit a cigarette as he spoke, eyes not leaving Gene as he sat back in his chair. "I'll need more than a pathetic excuse of profiling; DI Franklin's more than capable if that's what you're after... And he hasn't got breasts to distract you from doing your job, either..." A small smirk settled into place, but Gene ignored it.

"With respect, Sir, DI Drake's followed this case since day one. Franklin's gone over some case notes and keeps acting like he thinks he's bloody Jesus with all the preaching he's doin' 'bout bloody suspects and interrogation!"

It wasn't exactly true, Gene conceded inwardly, but it wasn't far off. Alex's replacement had made several digs at the overall management of the case, and the poor handling of the Ellison interview, before Gene had shouted him down and placed him on tea duty for the next month, much to the delight of everyone else – Shaz, in particular, had seen fit to take advantage.

To the amusement of the rest of the team, Franklin had then seen fit to complain about the Guv's methods, resulting in a fist in the face from Ray and some reasonably acidic remarks from both Shaz and Chris, albeit from the safety of the kitchen when Franklin was either busy at his desk or out on a call – Gene had half-heartedly reminded them to respect their senior officer, but he didn't think any of them had listened to him... Not that he'd minded.

"Plus," Gene went on, "she knows how to handle that whole cognitty-wotsitty sorta interview thing..." he trailed off at the end, waving his hand in hopelessness as the Super continued to watch him with amusement. With a sigh, he added, "she's always goin' on about it, I just ain't got-"

"I'm positive that I have no idea what you're talking about," Harrison interrupted with a smirk, taking another drag on the cigarette in his hand. "But it doesn't change the fact that, if you were to inform DI Franklin of the case properly, he'd be more than capable of providing the same results you seem to expect DI Drake to reap on her return..." He looked away briefly, flicking the ash into the tray on his desk as he exhaled softly. "Though I suppose," he mused, "that the fact she came down to interview Merlot in her lunch yesterday helped...?" he quirked an eyebrow daringly. "Am I wrong?"

Gene ground his teeth, shaking his head. "No Sir, you're not-"

"This against my explicit orders for her to remain on desk duty?" He let Gene stew, watching the vein in his head pulsing violently as he attempted to calm himself. Eventually, he shrugged, putting his feet up on the desk as he spoke. "Well," he said, "if the fact she came up here afterwards looking like a blubbering wreck was anything to go by, I'd have to confess to being more than a little concerned about her emotional ability to work this case; seems a little more involved than can be considered healthy, at least from where I'm sitting..." Harrison stubbed out his cigarette, flicking the dead end into the bin without looking.

"Just 'cause she's a bird and she cares and she got a bit choked up don't make her any less of a bloody good copper!" Gene snapped defensively, briefly forgetting himself, but resisting the inevitable apology when he saw the look of vague respect in the other mans eyes. He gulped, awaiting Harrison's response with a grimace.

"I'm fully aware of that, Hunt," Harrison said softly, taking a sip of his drink and letting the room fall into silence again. Gene waited only a moment before he nodded, moving towards the door without saying another word.

"I got a call from your old Superintendent yesterday," Harrison said as Gene's hand reached the door. Gene blinked, looking around in confusion as the Super continued to speak, almost wistfully. "He was sorry you hadn't dropped by to see him, but didn't blame you under the circumstances... he sends his sympathies, by the way." At that, he met Gene's eyes, looking thoughtful for several moments as Gene ground his teeth. "I'm not punishing you for bloody sentiment, Hunt; I'm not such a heartless bastard that you can't go to your mother's funeral, but you can't just swan off with your bloody deputy at the drop of a hat!"

Gene swallowed, throat tight as he nodded grimly. "Yes, Sir," he managed, eyes averted.

Harrison took a deep breath, sitting forward on his desk as he spoke. "Them blokes downstairs – Carling and Skelton- they worship you, Hunt; takes a lot to break that sort of loyalty – just set them a good example next time, alright?"

"Yes, Sir." Gene said again, hands in pockets as he clenched his fists against the anger in his stomach.

Harrison stood up, walking to the door as he drew out another cigarette, lighting it swiftly as he looked out of the glass panelled door. "She wears your ring like a bloody beacon, y'know?" He murmured thoughtfully. Gene blinked, saying nothing but meeting Harrison's eyes carefully, surprised by the change in conversation.

The Super shrugged, blowing smoke softly as he nodded again towards Alex; looking, Gene could see her nervously twisting the ring, glancing apprehensively at the clock, and then back at the door, looking quickly away when he made eye contact and pretending to busy herself with work. A smile tugged at the corners of Gene's mouth, but he said nothing as Harrison spoke again.

"Least, I assume it's yours..." the wry amusement in Harrison's voice was hard to ignore, and Gene found himself biting at the inside of his mouth as he continued to watch Alex in order to distract himself from the innate need to land a punch on the other mans nose. "If I were you," Harrison went on, "I'd shove that thing on the next finger pretty damn fast!" With a meaningful look in his direction that caused Gene to frown, he added, "she's a keeper, Hunt, and I'm not denying it; s'long as you're not thinking with your dick when you're on the job, you may as well seal the deal before she scurries off with some smug bastard of a lawyer - just don't forget who wears the trousers at work."

He opened the door dismissively, nodding Gene out as he did so, ignoring the frown on his face. "Make sure you get a result with the McKellen case, Hunt; the mother's been kicking up a fuss in jail 'cause she still doesn't know which bastard killed her baby." He hesitated only slightly before he nodded at Alex, drawing on his cigarette before he spoke again, voice calm. "Get going with that one and all; just don't go pissing on your rank again, else I'll forget to be so lenient- understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Gene muttered, eyebrows knitted into a frown. "Cheers, an' all, we'll get-"

"You're getting the drinks in every night for the next month, Hunt," Harrison smirked, leaning against the door frame casually. "And that includes weekends." With a grin, he turned back into his office and closed the door.

---

Gene blinked once, twice, three times, then turned around, walking towards Alex's desk in a slight state of confusion before he jerked his head in the direction of the door. "Come on, Bollykecks, pick yer knickers up off the floor sharpish- you've got work to do."

Alex stared at him, and then glanced uncertainly towards Harrison's office. "How did you-?"

Gene interrupted, hoisting her from her chair and steering her towards the door, "don't bloody know, and don't bloody care, but if you've got two brain-cells in that pretty skull of yours you'll get down them stairs before he changes his mind!"

With a gentle nudge, he pushed her through the door, smirking smugly as she continued to look completely baffled. "Gene, what did you say to him, and why is he-?"

"I'm buyin' his drinks fer a month, and you're solving the McKellen case with your mind-boggling insights into complete psychiatrical bollucks- got it?" His hand closed around her elbow as he steered her down the stairs, jerking her back when they reached the double doors and pulling her against his chest. Alex looked up at him, still baffled.

"But, he put me on desk for a month! How did you-?"

"Oh bloody hell," Gene growled, rolling his eyes. "What is it with you bloody psychiatrists always wanting to know the answer to absolutely everything?"

"I'm just-"

"Y'know, some blokes might get a blowjob for what I just did," he teased lightly, eyes hot as he murmured in her ear, "is my little psychiatrist gunna give me one of those later?"

Alex smirked up at him, shaking her head slowly. "Oh I don't think that's going to be possible, since you're going to be very busy entertaining Superintendent Harrison..." she trailed a hand lightly over his chest and then sighed, smiling sadly up at him. "So I suppose she'll just have to entertain herself until you get home..." With a smirk, she drew away from him, pushing through the doors and adding with a grin, "and it's Psychologist, Gene, not Psychiatrist- I will most definitely not be shrinking you." With a lewd glance downwards, and after seeing his eyes widen in surprise, she sashayed into CID. Gene gulped, running a hand through his hair before following her, freezing in place when he saw the woman stood angrily in front of Gene's office.

The moment Gene entered, he saw anger and recognition dawn in her eyes, before she was stalking towards him and jabbing him fiercely in the chest. Over her shoulder, Gene could see Ray shrugging apologetically.

"So you're the bastard who's gunna shove my little brother in jail?"

---

Ciao for now! I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to hearing from you. To any fellow NaNoWriMo writers this year, best of luck :-)

Thank you as ever for the lovely feedback, and comments etc guys :-)

Hope the smut can keep you warm until the story's back in the pipeline!

Mage of the Heart