Waiting for Alex to be checked over felt like the longest moment of Gene's life. He waited in the reception of the local doctors' clinic for what must have been an hour as Alex went into one of the examination rooms, scared and vulnerable.

Gene felt physically sick. He was so sure he had got there in time, but if something else had happened to Alex…he would never forgive himself. He would never forgive himself for not being that extra bit faster, and then he'd rip the life out of those thugs before he locked them up and threw away the key.

Suddenly, Gene's thoughts were broken by the examination room door opening and a male and female doctor accompanying a very tired-looking Alex. Gene stood up abruptly, weight shifting from foot to foot, desperate to know what had been found out.

It was only when Alex's face broke into a genuine smile of relief and she leant forwards to snuggle in his arms that Gene let out a breath. Holding her tightly, Gene swallowed.

"Bolls?" he said quietly.

Alex looked up at him, still in his arms, as the doctors walked round to the desk to fill out some forms. "Everything's fine," Alex breathed, daring to smile. "I was drugged, but my blood tests show that I haven't been harmed from it. And the doctor just ran the checks, and found there's no evidence…nothing to suggest…to suggest rape."

Gene breathed in quickly as he wrapped her tighter in his embrace.

"You got there in time, Gene," Alex whispered, clutching him desperately, "thank you…"

Gene kissed the top of her head lightly. "No worries, Bolly. I'm always where I'm needed, me. Never goin' ter let anything happen ter you again."

Alex laid her head under Gene's chin comfortably, fully relaxed in the Manc Lion's arms.

"Hey, c'mon yer dozy mare," Gene chuckled, "we best get back ter CID. God knows what's happened ter the place with Raymondo in charge!"

Alex pulled away reluctantly. "Yes Guv," she nodded with a smile.

-xx-

It seemed as soon as they walked through the doors, the Guv and his Bolly were back to normal. The rest of the day passed with little progression on the crime scene, an interview with a witness and the arrest of Mitch Roberts. As Mitch refused to talk, Gene ordered for him to mull the night over in a cell as he and the team had a drink in Luigi's. Gene sat with Alex as usual, their relationship deepened as of the personal help he had given her over the last couple of days. There was a mutual respect between them both now. It wasn't just sexual lust. Not anymore. Both of them could see that, but at the same time, they were both too unsure to initiate anything.

The next day, the working day began with a bang as Gene, Alex, Ray and Chris arrested a gang of muggers. Upon arriving back at CID early afternoon, Gene turned to Alex as she fought one particularly lecherous gang member off before locking him in a cell.

"Lady Bolls," Gene boomed as he approached Alex, "care to interview Mitch Roberts with me? Might need some of yer psychiatric insight on this one."

Alex rolled her eyes. "It's psychological, Guv, and how many times do I have to tell you, there is no point interviewing Mitch Roberts because he wouldn't report it if he was the murderer!"

"Oh shut up, woman," Gene growled, "murderer or not, Roberts still 'as something ter do with the case. Jessica Hampton's colleague, Miranda Lawrence's boyfriend, Ellie Parker's discover. He's a bloody link, Bolly!"

Alex couldn't argue with that, so she stomped into the interview room, knowing full well that Gene was staring at her arse.

Mitch Roberts was already sitting at the table when Gene and Alex entered the room. He was tall, slim with blond hair and a handsome face. He certainly didn't look like a murderer to Alex.

Gene of course thought different.

"Right shit-stick," Gene spat, sitting down abruptly next to Alex, "why'd yer murder those girls?"

"I didn't!" Mitch yelped as Alex rolled her eyes.

"Gene, go easy on him," she sighed, "we haven't proven anything yet."

Gene snarled nastily at Mitch as the blond man smiled weakly in Alex's direction.

"Mitch," Alex said calmly, "a man matching your description was seen fleeing the scene of the crime before you reported finding the victim. Can you tell us where you were before you discovered Ellie Parker?"

Mitch gawped at her. "You can't seriously think I did it!" he panicked. "Kill a girl, and then report it? What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

"A very large one, as I matter of fact," Gene interjected as Alex kicked him under the table.

"Mitch," Alex said softly, "where were you before you found Ellie? All the evidence we have at the moment is completely circumstantial, and we need some concrete facts to move forwards in the investigation to discover who killed your girlfriend, your colleague, Ellie and the other women. So, where were you before you reported Ellie's murder?"

Mitch swallowed. "At the boozer," he said quietly, "where else?"

"Luigi's?" Gene frowned.

"Yeah, the little Italian restaurant," Mitch nodded, "I left, walked through the alley and found Ellie. Honest to God!"

"Can anyone confirm that?" Alex asked.

"No they bloody well can't!" Gene spat. "Because 'e weren't there! Me an' my team were in Luigi's that night and I don't recall seeing your poofter fairy face anywhere near us."

"Oh come on, Gene, we weren't the only people in there," Alex cut in, exasperated, "it's perfectly feasible for Mitch to have been there."

"And you're just goin' ter take 'is word?" Gene glared, turning to face Alex angrily as Mitch swallowed nervously. "You really are as ditzy as you look, Drake."

Alex ignored him, her blood boiling. "Was anyone with you to confirm your whereabouts, Mr Roberts?"

Mitch looked agonised. "I was on my own."

Gene snorted. "Conveniently."

"Shut up, you insensitive bastard," Alex snapped at him, perhaps too harshly.

"Ask the waiter!" Mitch said desperately. "The Italian one! He'll tell you I was there!"

Alex smirked at Gene superiorly. "We'll ask him, Mitch," she nodded, "now, if there isn't anything else DCI Hunt would like to add, you're free to go until we can confirm your alibi."

Mitch looked at Gene anxiously. The DCI gave him a snarl. "Piss off," Gene growled as Mitch scrambled to his feet and through the doors.

Alex began to get to her feet when Gene grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her forcefully back down and jutting his face towards hers.

"You ever talk to me like that again, Detective Inspector Drake, and I will see to it that you never come back in here again."

Alex flung herself out of Gene's grasp. "Is that a threat, DCI Hunt?"

"Gene Hunt doesn't threaten women, Bolly," Gene snapped defensively, "but he does warn them. You behave like that again and you won't be working in this division any longer."

Alex stood up angrily as she left the room, putting as much distance between herself and Gene as possible.

They barely said two words to each for the rest of the day. Gene brooded in his office for most of the time and Alex took a couple of phone calls, including a personal one which only earned her another bollocking from Gene as he noticed her flushing cheeks and light-hearted chuckle. When the day was out, Gene sent his team packing to Luigi's and scowled at Alex.

"You can buy me a drink, Drake," Gene decided, "as an apology for your disrespect earlier."

Alex got up slowly, fiddling with her blouse nervously. "I, er…I'm not going to Luigi's tonight, Guv."

Gene stopped in his tracks. Chris and Ray frowned, catching each other's eyes in confusion.

"Why not?" Gene asked quietly.

Alex swallowed. "I'm…I'm…I'm going somewhere else."

"Why?"

It was Ray that asked this. Alex looked at him in exasperation and Chris made to pull him away.

"Doesn't matter," Chris stammered, "Ma'am can go where she wants, Guv…c'mon Ray…"

"Why?" Gene repeated, suspiciously. Chris looked worriedly between Alex and Gene. He had overheard Alex's phone call earlier. He knew why she wasn't going to Luigi's. And the Guv would hate it.

"I've got a date," Alex said simply, stroking her hair behind her ears nervously.

Gene's mouth felt like sawdust. That was that. He clearly meant nothing to her. After all he'd done…

"You're dating again after bein' drugged and nearly gang-raped?" Ray piped up as Chris gasped. "You really are a whore."

"CARLING!" Gene thundered, spit flying from his mouth. "PISS OFF! NOW! AND YOU, SKELTON!"

Alex glared at Ray as Chris ushered him out the doors quickly, looking worriedly back at Alex before they left. This left Alex and Gene alone.

"A date," Gene sneered, "oh how lovely, Bolls. Goody for you. Who's the unlucky bastard?"

Alex swallowed. "Erm…Oliver…Sarouche."

Gene's eyes widened in shock and disgust. He had to have heard wrong. She couldn't have just said Oliver Sarouche. That stupid bloody woman…

"So you're tellin' me," Gene said slowly, "that you're meeting the man that abandoned you the other night? The one that allowed you to get absolutely pissed out your face and didn't bother to take care of you? Resulting in his scummy mates drugging you, sexually abusing and taking advantage of you, and me having to save your pert little arse?"

"It wasn't Oliver's fault," Alex said desperately.

"He left you, Alex!" Gene shouted. "He left you because he was scared of his mates! A real man would go in there and save yer from that type of horror! Not piss off because his mates mean more than his date!"

"I'm giving him a second chance, Gene!" Alex barked, equally as angry now. "Just me and Oliver, none of the other lecherous arseholes! Now I'm sorry if that doesn't suit you, but I like Oliver, Gene. I'm not missing this chance just because something nearly went wrong."

"Oh that is a bloody understatement, love," Gene spat, "you were bawling yer eyes out and begging me ter take yer to the doctors because you thought you'd been raped!"

"Not by Oliver, you stupid bastard!" Alex yelled at him.

"No, by his mates!" Gene roared back. "Because Oliver wasn't man enough ter protect yer! Well if you want to date a tosser like that, Alex, then fine! Piss off and get yer knickers off! But I'll tell yer one thing, love – I certainly won't be saving you when something happens this time!"

Alex glared at him furiously. "Good," she said spitefully, "because I don't need you."

And with that, Alex stormed out of CID, slamming the door violently. Gene kicked the bin over in fury before running his fingers through his hair.

Something bad was going to happen to her tonight with Sarouche. He could feel it.