A/N: Hi! Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, added to favourites and alerts etc :D I really appreciate it! Now on with the chapter :D x
Gene was adamant that Alex was not to return to work straight away, no matter how much she protested. He had escorted her home that night and put her to bed, kissing her forehead with strict instructions not to turn up in CID the next morning. Luckily, Alex slept through most of the day so Gene didn't have the embarrassing task of dragging her out of the office and depositing her back at her flat.
However, after two days of moaning, Gene allowed Alex to come back to work after three days rest from her ordeal. Doctor Williams gave his approval and Alex couldn't have been happier when she stepped through the doors on her first day back. The bruise on her cheek had faded considerably and her stitches on her forehead were due to come out in a few days, but in Gene's opinion Alex still looked beautiful, especially in her tight black jeans and turquoise sweater.
"Glad ter see yer back, Ma'am," Chris smiled warmly at her, "you been okay?"
"Poof," Ray muttered.
Alex laughed lightly. "I've been fine thank you, Chris. A few persistent phone calls from Oliver but Gene sorted him out."
Gene smirked as he strode over to Alex's desk. "Most certainly did. How yer feeling, Bolls?"
"Good," Alex beamed at him, "ready to get back in the swing of things. What's happened since I've been off? Any progress with the cases?"
Gene reached over to Ray's desk to retrieve a file. "A few things here and there," he murmured, "one big thing though wi' the murder case. We re-interviewed Mitch Roberts a couple o' days ago and discovered he had a watertight alibi for half the murders and pretty good ones for the murders of 'is girlfriend and Ellie Parker."
Alex frowned. "You checked this out?"
"Course we did, Bolls, you're not the only one wi' brains round 'ere!" Gene smirked. "On the night of Victoria Wentworth's murder he was out of the bleedin' country. When his colleague Jessica Hampton was murdered, he was out with some mates. We brought them in, and they all confirmed it. He was at work when Ruth Anderson was killed, and as you know he reported Miranda and Ellie's murders but was apparently in the pubs before he called."
"We also got a warrant to search his house yesterday," Ray cut in, "no drugs were found to support that he drugged and murdered the women. Nothin' out of the ordinary at his place at all. A couple o' porno films, but that was about it."
"There," Alex said smugly, "I told you he wasn't the murderer. Why would a murderer report his own crimes?"
"Yeah, yeah, very smart," Gene muttered as Ray rolled his eyes, "but as lovely as you bein' right is, Bollykecks, we now 'ave no more soddin' leads on who could have done it."
"Enemies, boyfriends?" Alex suggested.
"Checked," Gene said dully, "Victoria, Jessica, Ruth and Ellie were all single and had no real problems with anyone as far as we know. And as we're aware, Miranda was dating Mitch."
"Exes?" Alex pursued as Gene slammed the file down on her desk, annoyed.
"Bolly!" Gene barked. "We don't 'ave time to go investigating their bleedin' love-lives! An ex-boyfriend they 'ad ten years ago or somethin' is not suddenly going to go and make an appearance by killing them!"
"Okay, okay, fine," Alex sighed, straightening out the files.
Gene stalked into his office dominantly as Alex watched him retreat. There was something about that man – something that made her feel safe and cared for. Although Gene would never admit it, Alex had seen the softer side to him over the past few days and she absolutely loved it.
Alex found it hard to concentrate as Chris was seeing how many crisps he could fit in his mouth at once and Ray was counting loudly. Shaz glared at them from over at her type-writer, catching Alex's eye and smiling.
"Pathetic, aren't they?" Shaz grinned as Chris began to choke and cough crisps all down his front. "Urgh, baby! Watch ya shirt!"
Alex laughed as she watched Shaz grab a tissue roughly and lob it at Chris. Chris grinned weakly as Ray cackled, blowing cigarette smoke around the room.
As Alex continued to work through the paperwork, she came across Ellie Parker's report. The face of the young blonde girl stared up at her.
If only we could have done more, Alex thought sadly, if only she said more when she came to see us…maybe we could have stopped it…
Wait a minute. Said more. What did Ellie Parker say?
"No! She was just…my friend…and I…no. No. I don't know anything."
She didn't know anything? Bollocks to that. Alex scrambled to her feet and charged into the Guv's office. It looked like the investigation into Ellie Parker was going to become even more prominent.
"Gene!" Alex burst out, throwing open the door and slamming it behind her as Gene jumped.
"Bloody hell, woman!" Gene said sharply. "What's wrong?"
"Ellie Parker," Alex said bluntly, getting straight to the point, "she came to see us the afternoon before she was murdered."
"Well observed, Bolls. Gold star for you."
"Will you just listen to me?" Alex cried impatiently as Gene raised his eyebrows. "Ellie clearly didn't just come to the police station to ensure we found Miranda's killer. She looked panicked, uneasy…and when we asked her if she knew anything, she clammed up as if she was scared and regretting coming here. Then she ran for it before we could even insist she stayed for an interview."
Gene stood up steadily and paced around his office. "So you think she knew something?"
"I'm sure of it," Alex said confidently, "what if Ellie knew who the murderer is? What if she was coming to confess, to get justice for her friend, but chickened out? What if the murderer found out and had Ellie murdered too? The same MO…the strangling by a thin rope…"
"Christ, you must actually be onto something, Bolly," Gene admitted, "right. We need to get out Ellie's file and bring in any significant relations she 'ad. I want background on this girl. If she knew the murderer, he'll be someone we can find through her relationships."
Alex smiled as Gene set the team on it straight away. It was starting to feel like the good old days again, when she and the Guv worked as a team. The Gene Genie and Bolls, the Manc Lion and Bollyknickers. The way they were before Operation Rose, the shooting, the awkwardness after her coma and the days of dating Oliver Sarouche.
The team continued to work together for the rest of the day. They made some progress with the latest crimes and were currently tracing Ellie's stepfamily as they had discovered her parents were divorced and her mother remarried, creating a whole new line to follow up.
"Right ladies," Gene called out as six o'clock approached, "time for a couple o' pints in Luigi's. Christopher, you're paying."
Chris gawped as the lads began to pat him on the shoulder.
"Cheers Chris," Ray winked at him, laughing as they all made their way out.
-xx-
"Sometimes I really hate you, Bolls."
"The feeling's mutual, Gene."
"I just wanted steak and chips, but no. You 'ad ter get me trying this fancy pasta bollocks."
"It's macaroni and cheese, Guv. Hardly fancy. It's just a hell of a lot healthier."
Gene pouted as he sat opposite Alex in Luigi's that evening. The red light was illuminating their table perfectly as they both ate a portion of macaroni cheese, secluded away from the rest of the team that were enjoying the booze and chatting raunchily a few tables away.
Alex smiled smugly as Gene stared at her. "Oh come on, Gene, it's not that bad."
"It looks like someone's upchucked and Luigi's served it to me. Tastes like it too."
"Gene!" Alex scowled at him, looking at her pasta in horror.
Gene's eyes widened as he spotted a burnt bit of pasta smothered in cheese. Ignoring table manners, he picked it up with his hands.
"Urgh, you can be so disgusting," Alex tutted, frowning at him. Gene shrugged, and then threw the bit of pasta towards Alex, hitting her lightly on the hand.
"Hey!" Alex gasped. "Don't throw food, Gene!"
"You sound like me mam," Gene chuckled, his eyes never leaving Alex. Alex noticed he was staring at her and could see the clogs turning in his head.
"Don't even think about it, Gene," Alex warned him, "don't be childish."
SPLAT. A gloopy bit of pasta splattered onto Alex's top as she squealed, causing Gene to snort with the most genuine laughter Alex had ever heard from him.
"You bastard!" Alex gawped, picking up her fork, loading it with macaroni cheese and pinging it at Gene. The pasta zoomed forwards, hitting Gene square in the face.
Alex tried to control her laughter as the pair of them managed to attract quite a few confused stares.
"Now you've really done it, Bolly," Gene smirked at her, picking up a handful and lobbing it at Alex's chest.
Alex shrieked as the CID lot turned around in bewilderment, astonished to see their grumpy DCI roaring with laughter and their uptight, well-to-do DI with macaroni cheese all down her top.
"Urgh, it's gone down my bra, you bastard!" Alex moaned good-naturedly, hunching over in disgust.
"Need me to fetch it for yer, Bolls?" Gene offered lightly.
"No thank you!" Alex said firmly. "Urgh, yuck." Throwing her last bit of cheesy pasta at her boss and smearing his shirt, Alex stood up hastily. "Come on, we need to go and get cleared up. This is really not a professional image."
"You started it, Bolls," Gene insisted, slapping her arse as she walked past him. Alex jumped, startled, and then began to blush madly.
"I most certainly did not," Alex defended herself as they made their way up to her flat, "you threw pasta at me first!"
"Yeah, but you made me order the stuff. That's just asking for it, Bollyknickers."
Alex smirked as she let Gene into the flat. Approaching the bedroom, Alex pulled out a clean sweater for herself and one of Gene's spare shirts that she hadn't yet made into her pyjamas.
"Here, change into this," Alex instructed him as he watched fondly from the door, "and have a wash. You have cheese all over your face!"
"And you have it all down yer bra," Gene waggled his eyebrows at her, "need me to lather up yer –"
"No thank you, Gene!" Alex laughed as she slammed the bathroom door in his face. "I can sort myself out!"
-xx-
Alex smiled as Gene came out of the bedroom. Both of them had cleaned themselves up, washing and changing their tops. Offering Gene a glass of wine, Alex sat down on the sofa and was quickly joined by her DCI.
There was a tense silence as their knees brushed accidentally, sending sparks of electricity through both of their bodies. Gene cleared his throat awkwardly as Alex swallowed, desperately trying to think of something to say.
"I can't believe you actually threw food at me," Alex burbled, "in a public restaurant!"
Gene smirked at her. "You threw it back, yer dirty tart."
"I was provoked!" Alex whined as Gene chuckled. They looked at each other then, their eyes connecting. Suddenly, Gene frowned.
"Dozy mare," he muttered, "you've still got a bit of cheese on yer cheek."
"Really?" Alex blushed, rubbing frantically. "Gone?"
"Nah. Near yer ear. No. No, you daft tart. Come 'ere."
Gene put their wine on the little table and shifted extremely close to Alex. Her breath caught in her throat as there was no distance between them, their personal space invaded, Gene's legs touching hers as he carefully caressed her cheek, wiping the cheese away delicately.
"There," Gene said, satisfied. But he didn't move away. His hand was still stroking her cheek and Alex leant into it, loving the feel of his touch. This was how it was meant to feel. The sensation of another human being's skin on hers. This felt right.
"Alex," Gene whispered, his eyes looking deep into hers.
"Gene," Alex whispered back, her words giving him the consent that he wanted. Slowly, Gene began to tilt his head towards Alex's and she moved to meet his, their lips uniting with a soft, tender kiss.
Gently moving her lips in time with his, Alex put her arms around Gene's neck as she stroked his cheek tentatively. Gene parted Alex's lips slightly, tenderly intertwining his tongue with hers as he began to slowly lift up her sweater, tickling the soft, exposed skin of her waist.
"Gene," Alex murmured, grabbing his hand. Gene suddenly pulled away, looking down awkwardly.
"Sorry Bolls," Gene muttered, "shouldn't have touched you…not if yer didn't want…don't want to push yer, to force yer to do anything you don't want to do…"
"Gene," Alex smiled, her hand grasping his, "of course I want this. I…I just think we should move to the bedroom, that's all."
Gene looked up slowly, his eyes meeting hers once more, full of tender care and disbelief.
"You…you do?" he said quietly.
Alex leant forward to kiss him again, but Gene pushed her shoulders back. "Wait, Bolls," Gene said sternly, "it's too soon. For you…I mean, you've been through a lot lately, sweetheart, and I don't want yer doin' anything yer not sure about."
Alex raised her eyebrows. "The Gene Genie being chivalrous?"
"I have my moments," Gene winked, "God, I want yer so much, Alex, but I want to do this right." Gene paused. "Have dinner with me. Tomorrow night. Properly. Somewhere nice, no throwing pasta or interfering Italians or twathead police officers trying to light their farts. You and me. A date."
Alex smiled, leaning forward once again to kiss him. This time, Gene didn't push her back as their lips met again.
"I'd love to, Gene," Alex said softly, "I'd really, really love to."