Gene and Alex were completely elated. Things were slowly coming together for them, and it couldn't be more perfect. They left Manchester after the night at Diana's with beaming smiles on their faces, something that made Diana resemble a bulldog chewing a wasp. Back in London, it took another two months to finalise everything to do with the move as Gene and Alex made the next big step in their relationship.

The house they had bought was perfect for them. A week after leaving Manchester, Gene and Alex had approached numerous estate agents and finally found a small, semi-detached house that was just down the road from Luigi's. The estate it was in was not too bad either – it didn't have a high crime rate and the neighbours seemed friendly enough. Alex was so excited about moving in and couldn't wait to sign all the papers. When everything was set, Gene and Alex hired a removal van to transport their belongings into their new house.

Alex didn't have a lot, just her clothes, accessories and personal items, as all the furniture had been there when she arrived in the flat two years ago. Luigi was sad to see Alex leave the flat above his restaurant, but was cheered up immensely when she reminded him he would most likely see her every night with the CID lot having a drink after work. The CID lot themselves however had mixed feelings about the Guv and DI Drake moving in together.

It had been six days since they had moved in together, and six working days in CID when the officers had began to notice a difference. Gene was a lot more protective over Alex and they tended to leave Luigi's earlier than normal. Also, the Guv had taken to making Alex tea. He never made anyone tea. He never even made himself tea as he usually got Alex or Shaz to do it. The CID boys looked on in wonder as Gene plonked down a cup on Alex's desk, sneering at the rest of them as if taunting them to challenge him. As predicted, the CID officers all ducked their heads and continued going through reports on the new case.

They had just been assigned a new case to do with drugs and one of Gene's most reliable snouts had informed them that a new dealer was on the streets and was selling illegal drugs in order to get money for something bigger. What that was, Gene didn't know yet, but they were determined to find out.

Gene had arranged a midnight meeting with the snout for Monday night, giving him the weekend to discover more as it was only Friday. Ray had protested, arguing that they had no leads so how were they meant to progress with the case, but Gene had shot him down by insisting that when they got the snout's information, that would be when things got interesting. Gene had then sauntered over to Alex and given her a swift kiss on the cheek before charging into his office.

Ray sighed. First Chris and now the Guv. The Guv. The Manc Lion of Fenchurch. Ray glared at Alex as jealousy bubbled in his stomach.

"Making 'im go soft," Ray muttered as Gene and Alex excused themselves from Luigi's that evening, "they've only been living in that house for a week and she's already got 'im on a tight leash."

"They're goin' shopping together for new furniture tomorrow," Chris revealed as Shaz rolled her eyes, "Ma'am has got the Guv to go with her. Never thought I'd see the Guv in a shop. Like he's normal."

"He is normal, silly," Shaz sighed, "yeah, to us lot he's the Guv. At work he's the Guv. But at home with Ma'am, he's her partner. He's going to go shopping with her, help her decorate the new house and be a completely different person."

"Don't know about that," Ray snorted, "no-one changes the Guv. Especially not birds."

"Don't know why you're giving her such a hard time, Ray," Shaz muttered, "you fancied her a month back."

Ray's jaw dropped and his face blushed purple. "I did not!" he spat. "Why would I fancy her…a posh bitch that never shuts up…"

"And that's why you said she was hot and tried to grope her at the Police Ball," Shaz smirked, "of course. Makes perfect sense."

"I was pissed," Ray said moodily, "and so what if I did anyway. I'd only want 'er for a shag, which is all I thought the Guv would want. Get her ankles behind her ears, a good blowjob and then piss off. Now he's actually living with her."

"I think its sweet," Shaz announced, "now you leave him be. He really loves her, and she really loves him. Leave 'em to it."

Ray sighed, swigging back his beer. Chris had already turned into a bit of a poofter ever since he proposed to Shaz. Hopefully the Guv wouldn't be stupid enough to go that far…

-xx-

Gene Hunt could get used to this. Waking up every morning with Alex Drake in his arms, lying in their bed in their bedroom in their house. Together. They had been living in this quaint little house for about a week, and this weekend they were going shopping for some new furniture and getting started on some serious decorating.

Upstairs had their room, a spare room and a bathroom, all of which Alex wanted to re-wallpaper as the walls were white. Alex had already persuaded Gene on a blue bathroom, red and white spare room and golden orange bedroom. Alex wanted their room to be full of rich, warm colours to surround her and Gene every night.

Downstairs, Alex was happy with the living room as it was a pretty purple and blue colour. She just wanted a couple of new sofas to brighten the place up and Gene wanted a more modern television, although by Alex's standards it was going to be by no means modern. The kitchen had a white and blue tiling pattern that the two of them liked, but they wanted to get a new fridge and cooker. They also had a study and a small toilet downstairs which could probably just do with a quick slick of paint, and Gene wanted a bright red door instead of boring brown. When Alex protested, he claimed it matched his Quattro.

Gene knew it was going to be a busy weekend what with shopping today and decorating tomorrow and the next weekend, so Gene felt it was time to wake Alex up and get a move on. She had suggested getting some workmen in to help but Gene had scoffed at the idea, insisting that he wasn't paying a bunch of poofters to do something he was quite capable of doing himself.

Leaning forwards slightly, Gene gently pressed his lips to Alex's forehead. Trailing kisses down her nose until he reached her lips, Gene felt Alex smile into him as she began to wake up.

"Morning Bolly," Gene smiled at her, "ready ter get goin'? Stuff ter do, places ter see…"

"Five minutes," Alex mumbled, snuggling into him and closing her eyes again in bliss.

"You've got three seconds," Gene warned her with a smile, "or I'll do it."

Alex's eyes shot open and her jaw dropped. "No. No. Don't you dare."

"Three…"

"Gene –"

"Two…"

"Gene, I'm serious –"

"One!"

"No! No!"

Gene was on her then, tickling her mercilessly as Alex shrieked, wriggling uncontrollably underneath him as his fingers danced across her stomach, the backs of her knees, under her chin and under her arms – Alex's most ticklish spots.

"Gene! GENE! No, no, okay, okay! I surrender! I SURRENDER! You win, Gene, stop it!"

"I always win," Gene smirked, chuffed with himself as he hopped off her, kissing her forehead and leaving her to catch her breath. "Shake a leg, Bolls. Or I'll pick the wallpaper me self. What was it, a bright yellow kitchen yer wanted?"

Alex suddenly jumped out of bed. "I'm coming! I'm up!"

Gene couldn't keep the grin off his face as he walked round the DIY shops with Alex that late morning. He was getting many jealous looks from the male assistants and customers so took Alex's hand in his proudly to rub their faces in it further.

Alex had to pull away however when she found it too difficult to manoeuvre the trolley full of paint and wallpaper with one hand.

"Ow," Alex complained as she tried to turn down the aisle with a heavy trolley, "bloody thing…"

"Come on, Bolls!" Gene sighed. "I do want ter get out of 'ere before Christmas, yer know."

Alex scowled at him. "Well seeing as I'm having trouble why don't you be a gentleman and push the damn thing?"

Gene snorted. "Don't think so, Bolls. Gene Hunt does not push sissy, girly, poofter trolleys."

Alex rolled her eyes and continued to push it. They had gathered most of what they wanted for decorating, and Gene was becoming increasingly tired of watching Alex struggle. When he caught her trying to lift the heaviest pot of paint into the trolley, stumbling and straining herself, Gene knew it was time to step in.

"Come 'ere, Bolls," Gene gave in, taking the paint off her and putting it in the trolley as she massaged her wrists. Batting her hands away, Gene took the trolley and began to push it.

"Thought Gene Hunt didn't push sissy trolleys," Alex said with a grin, linking her arm through his.

Gene stiffened. "Yeah, but Gene Hunt's also not a bastard. Can't be seen letting my woman struggle and do herself an injury, can I? So in that case, I'll push the bastard trolley."

Alex sniggered as they turned the corner, Gene a little too sharply as if he was driving the Quattro. Unfortunately, the trolley went right into a man's leg.

"Sorry!" Alex apologised as Gene grunted for 'the twat to get out of the way'. "We didn't see you…wait…DCI Waltham?"

Gene's blood froze as the face of DCI Bill Waltham split into a huge grin. Great. Just what he needed.

"Ah, Gene, DI Drake!" Waltham smirked. "Shopping, I see? Nice to see you're dragging this lump out and about, Bolly."

Alex clenched her teeth as Waltham deliberately tried to rile her. Sensing their discomfort, Waltham pushed it further. "Christ Gene, are you pushing a trolley? There's a domestic goddess in you after all."

"Ha bloody ha," Gene spat, "very funny, Waltham. Now if you don't mind, me an' Lady Bolls 'ere have got some things ter be getting on with."

"Need any help?" Waltham offered with a smirk.

"Not from a useless bastard like you," Gene shot back, "you didn't even manage to solve the case on theft at the Police Ball. Some DCI."

"The case was dropped after a few weeks," Waltham muttered, "not through my wishes, I'll have you know."

"That's nice," Gene said sarcastically as Alex hovered awkwardly, "now why don't yer go back to lookin' at porn films or whatever you're doing here. We're busy."

"Of course," Waltham snarled, leering at Alex, "and darling, if you're looking for pregnancy tests, they don't do them in here."

Alex gasped. "Excuse me?"

Waltham smirked. "I assume that's why you moved? You need more room?"

"That's none o' your fucking business," Gene growled angrily, putting an arm round Alex protectively, "and for your information, smartarse, DI Drake is not pregnant. Now piss off!"

Waltham left them with a satisfied grin as Alex felt a lump form in her throat. Gene squeezed her soothingly as they slowly walked down the aisle to the checkout.

"Don't let 'im get ter yer, Bolls," Gene sighed as they unloaded the trolley onto the checkout, "but er…you're not…erm…"

"No, I'm not," Alex said forcefully, perhaps a little too bluntly. Gene was taken aback.

"All right, Bolly, was only asking. I mean, we're using protection…so yer shouldn't be…bloody good job too…"

Alex stopped still, her eyes flaming. "Bloody good job? Are you saying you'd be angry at me if I was pregnant? It takes two, Gene! You can't be that ignorant about the science of reproduction!"

"All right, all right, keep yer voice down woman!" Gene hushed her as the lady at the checkout finished serving the customer in front of them. "Don't need a ruddy great scene in the middle of a DIY store. You ain't up the duff, so no problems. Don't let Waltham get to yer."

Alex sulked most of the way home. Gene thought it best to keep quiet when she was in one of her little moods. However, Alex wasn't having any of it.

"Gene, why would me being pregnant be such a problem?" Alex burst out as Gene drove. Gene groaned in frustration.

"Just drop it, Alex!" he snapped at her. "You're not pregnant. So shut up."

"But if I was," Alex said carefully, "why do you keep referring to it as a problem? What would you do if I was?"

"Bolly! Shut. Up," Gene said through gritted teeth, "we're still sorting out us. Moving in together. We do not need some crying little shit living with us as well that just craps, shrieks and eats. Who the hell would look after it? And I am not having my DI piss off on maternity leave waiting for a miniature human being to pop out when things need doin' at the station. I don't like kids anyway. That's why it would be a problem. A bloody big problem, so when these condoms stop bein' my best friend they'll be hell ter pay. But you're not bloody pregnant, so shut yer lipstick and stop goin' on, woman."

Tears formed in Alex's eyes as she faced the window, swallowing determinedly. "Right," she croaked, her eyes laced with fear. Her fingers curled round the little box in her pocket.

Pulling up on the drive, Alex helped Gene take everything in. They had ordered the new furniture after picking it out in the shops and it was supposedly going to arrive within the next few days. Meanwhile, they wanted to get a start on decorating.

It was a bit harder to manoeuvre the Quattro into its usual parking space as another family was currently moving into the house opposite theirs. The removal vans were inconveniently in the way, but Gene and Alex managed to get all the paints and wallpaper inside within a few trips to the car.

After lunch, Gene snaked his arms around Alex's waist and nuzzled into her neck.

"How about you go and get your gorgeous arse into some sexy overalls and help me paint the door?" Gene mumbled, kissing her neck lightly.

Alex giggled. "Are you sure you want a red door?"

Gene pretended to look offended. "It matches the Quattro, so yes. Come on, somethin' short and slutty if yer don't mind."

Alex rolled her eyes as she went to get changed into a pair of short denim dungarees. The legs finished only inches down from her arse and the short straps gave Gene a brilliant view of Alex's sexy black bra when she leant forwards. Alex placed the little box carefully in her draw, nerves building in the pit of her stomach. It would have to wait.

It was a hot day in late July so Gene was glad to have the fresh air float in as he opened the front door and began to paint it, laying down towels and bits of cloth as Alex poured the paint into a large pallet.

It was good fun, painting with Gene. Whenever Alex got bored or fed up she would flick paint at him, something which Gene had no shame to retaliate about. By the time the first coat of paint on the door was nearly complete, Alex's dungarees had numerous splotches of red on them and Gene's sandy blond hair looked like he had asked for scarlet highlights.

Dropping a kiss on Gene's head, Alex made her way into the garden to lay out the soaking sheets they had used to protect the floor. Looking over at their new neighbours, she heard a woman's tough Northern voice ordering the removal men about.

Just then, a shrill wolf-whistle was heard and Alex felt extremely uncomfortable as a young lad started to jeer at her.

"Lookin' good, gorgeous! Nice legs in those dungarees!"

Alex blushed vulnerably as Gene marched out in a jealous rage. "Who said that?" he growled.

"The son of the new neighbours across the road," Alex muttered, "Gene, please don't! It's harmless."

"No-one looks at your legs but me," Gene spat protectively, "OI! SHUT YER GOB IF YER KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YER!"

"Ah, come on Dad, I'm only messin' with 'er!"

Gene and Alex froze as the young lad called back. Alex's heart was pounding so hard and she felt sick. The removal van was blocking their view, but then it began to pull away, revealing a tall, curvy blonde woman and her two kids – a darker haired, tall lad and a petite young girl.

Alex screamed. A full-on, horrified scream and Gene had to grab her to stop her fainting from the shock. Gene felt like a thousand angry bees had found their way into his stomach. His spine tingled with rage. He clenched his fists furiously.

He wanted his life. With Alex. The one they had just started to make together. And that did not involve Diana Hunt and the kids waving from the house opposite them.