A/N: Sorry for the wait on this one! Hope you enjoy, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed etc so far :D x
"I mean it. Fuck off."
"Gene, don't be so ridiculous. It's all signed and paid for, sweetie. Anyway, what can be better than having yer kids live opposite? If that bitch don't like it, tough," Diana grinned smugly.
Gene was seething. "We've just moved in together," he spat, "we want privacy, not my flipping ex-wife opposite us, poking 'er nose in."
Diana sank back in her armchair. Gene had gone over to her house to have it out with her, leaving Alex to stomp off into their own house, sulking. She refused to talk to Diana. Especially after that weekend with her two months ago.
"We didn't move to poke our noses in," Diana shot back, "I moved us down to this southern shit hole because one of us actually cares about our daughter. As soon as she turns sixteen, I'm gettin' her into one of London's best dance and performance schools. Kieran's always wanted to live here, I like it and it's near their dad. What's the problem?"
"The problem is that London is absolutely fucking massive and you pick the house opposite us!" Gene shouted. "Don't tell me that's a coincidence, Diana, because I know how your mind works! Get the council to transfer yer. I love my kids, but I'm not having this ruin my relationship with Alex. She made a real effort wi' you that time we visited, and you were just a Class A bitch. She's really upset now. She wants 'er space, with me, and I want my privacy with her. We're starting a life together, for Christ's sake."
"She's no good for yer, Gene," Diana purred, sitting up and resting her hand on Gene's thigh, "what are yer doin' with a posh slut like her? Bit o' totty on yer arm? Make the lads jealous?"
Gene whipped his leg away, fury boiling in his blood. "I love her," Gene growled, "she's anything but a slut, you poisonous cow. Not her fault she looks good naturally and doesn't have ter whack on the slap ter look anywhere near decent. Alex would look sexy an' stunning in a bin bag wi' no makeup on. Just leave 'er alone. Leave us alone."
Diana sighed in frustration as Gene leapt up, leaving and slamming the door. She peered out the window as Gene stomped across the lawn, striding across the road until he reached his own house.
Gene slammed the door as he pulled off his shoes, looking around for Alex. But as he called out for her, he could hear her muffled cries from the bathroom. Racing upstairs and charging in, Gene met the sight of Alex slumped up against the wall, hugging her knees with tears pouring down her face. Her breathing was hitched and erratic.
"Christ, Alex!" Gene panicked, sliding down next to her and pulling her into his arms. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Have you hurt yerself? Alex…love…I can sort it out, Bolls, I promise…what's wrong? Talk ter me…"
Alex's chest heaved as she sobbed into Gene's shirt. Gene soothed her, pulling her closer. This couldn't just be because Diana and the kids had moved in opposite, could it? Then again, this was a woman he was talking about…
"Gene," Alex wept, "she's not going to take you away from me, is she?"
Gene breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course not, yer daft tart. I love you. I'm fuming with Diana at the moment. I don't feel anything towards her and I haven't done for over ten years. Christ, is that what all the crying is about? You've shed enough tears to sink the bleedin' Titanic!"
Alex laughed through her tears, taking big, staggering gulps of breath.
"Stay with me, Gene," she whispered, "please."
Gene kissed her head in reassurance. He wasn't going anywhere. They sat like that for about fifteen minutes, Alex relaxing in Gene's arms as her breathing calmed itself and her heart stopped pounding. The odd tear trickled down her face as Gene rocked her gently, eventually dropping a kiss on her head once more and making to get up.
"Dead leg, Bolls," he groaned, "wash yer face and come downstairs, yeah? No need to cry about anything. I'll sort this. You just leave it to me, sweetheart. Love you."
"Love you," Alex mumbled as Gene left the room and lightly thumped down the stairs. As soon as he left, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Opening her hand and looking at the small instrument of truth clutched in it, Alex felt like her world was breaking.
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.
That's what Gene had said. Too her face, in the car, only hours before. Gene had already been through the baby thing twice with Kieran and Tiffany, and he had obviously hated it. He didn't want another. Looking down at the two lines on the evidence, a scared sob escaped Alex's lips.
Pregnant. She was pregnant. Alex was pregnant, with Gene's baby, but what she was going to do about it she had no idea.
Gene said there would be hell to pay. How on Earth was she going to tell him that they were going to have a baby? Alex buried her face in her knees and sobbed, scared what he would say, scared what he would do when he found it. But she couldn't do it alone. Not again. Pete had left her with Molly when the young baby was six months old. Alex couldn't handle Gene walking out on her and leaving her to cope on her own again. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Alex swallowed with difficulty. Gene had a right to know. But Alex had no idea when she was going to pluck up the courage to tell him.
-xx-
On Monday morning, just as Alex had suspected, she and Gene were ambushed as they made their way to the Quattro to go to work. Diana called out loudly from the kitchen window, waving sickeningly, and Tiffany charged outside to give her dad a hug. Kieran, apparently, was still in bed as the kids were not due to start their London school until September as the school summer holidays had started. Alex hung back awkwardly, trying her hardest not to look at Diana smirking from the window.
"Isn't it great how close we live now, Dad?" Tiffany beamed, stepping back from hugging Gene tightly. Gene forced a smile, trying to appear genuinely pleased in front of his daughter.
"Great, sweetheart," he smiled down at her, "a shock mind, but great. You been up ter much, Tiff?"
"Just the usual," Tiffany shrugged, "won a dancing trophy, came top in the year for English in the tests, broke up with Harry –"
"Good," Gene cut in, "I didn't like him."
"You never met him," Tiffany pointed out as Alex laughed. "Nah, he wanted to go further and I didn't. So I chucked 'im."
"Good," Gene pouted, "cos if I 'ad a grandkid, I would not be happy my girl. Babies are not my thing. You and yer brother were bad enough!"
Tiffany nudged him good-naturedly as Alex swallowed. "Well…surely if someone had a baby you wouldn't mind? You'd love it, care for it –"
"Don't think so," Gene brushed her off, "if I see another baby it'll be too bloody soon."
Tiffany rolled her eyes as she waved them off and went back inside. Alex's heart sank as she settled in the Quattro next to Gene.
"So if someone had a baby…" Alex gulped as Gene began to drive off. He groaned, hitting the steering wheel.
"Bolly, will you shut the bloody hell up about babies? You're doing my nut, woman!"
"But what if I was –" Alex burbled, desperate to tell him.
"Shut it. We use bloody condoms, love. You can always trust a good condom. What, yer worried 'cos Mr Blobby ain't made an appearance yet? I wondered where the red-blooded bastard had buggered off to. Mind you, yer wouldn't know. Not with your mood swings."
Alex pursed her lips together as Gene sighed. "Stop goin' on, Bolls. Yer pissing me off now. And if this is some mental way of you trying to ask me if we can start trying for a baby, the answer is over my dead body. We've just moved in and we've only been official for about four months," Gene explained moodily as Alex remained silent, "anyway, I'd 'ave ter make an honest woman o' yer before any bloody baby came popping out. So drop it, Bolls. I'm happy with just us two."
Alex swallowed. Well too late, Gene, she thought fearfully, we don't have to try for one. One's already there.
Pulling up outside CID, Gene and Alex walked into the office without a word said between them. Striding through the double doors together, the detectives looked up as their Guv and female DI arrived.
"Right, Ray!" Gene said loudly as Alex slid into her seat behind her desk. "What's going on?"
"Just talked ter the snout," Ray explained, "and they said they'll meet us at London Bridge tonight at midnight. You, me and Chris. They've got information on where the drug dealer works and how and to whom he's selling the drugs."
"Excellent," Gene nodded, "what for?"
"Tenner," Ray grunted, "fair I suppose."
"Good, out o' your pocket it is then," Gene decided, waltzing over to his office.
"What about me?" Alex piped up before Gene's hand could even reach the handle. Gene sighed in frustration, turning round.
"What?" he barked. Alex swallowed determinedly.
"What about me? I'm a DI. I'm the same rank as Ray and two above Chris. I should be there."
"Where you should be as at 'ome warming my dinner for me," Gene growled. Alex gasped, insulted.
"You misogynistic bastard!" Alex burst out. "I may be with you in a relationship, Gene, but I'm also your Detective Inspector! I'm coming with you!"
"No you're bloody not and that's an order!" Gene snapped as the other officers looked down, trying to pretend they weren't there.
"And is that you acting as my partner or my DCI?" Alex shot back.
"Your DCI," Gene glared, "you're not coming and that's final! Now stop pissing me off, Drake. That's all you've done all bloody weekend!"
"You know what, just because your bitch of an ex-wife moved in opposite does not mean you can take it out on me!" Alex yelled as the CID officers gasped.
"Shit, Diana's in London?" Ray gawped. "Opposite yer? Bloody 'ell!"
"Yes, and thanks ter DI Gobby Tart over there, now the whole station knows!" Gene seethed. "Nice one, Alex. Gold star for keeping our private and professional lives separate."
"Don't you dare blame it on me," Alex barked, "you're the one not letting me near a snout because I'm your girlfriend! What the hell is that about?"
"HE'S GOT FORM FOR RAPE!" Gene roared. The office was silent. Alex's heart hammered as she felt sick.
"What?" she whispered in a small voice. Gene breathed violently as Shaz stopped tapping on her typewriter, Chris stopped humming and the others stopped talking.
"This little snake was in prison for three and a half years for rape," Gene growled, "he's already taken a fancy to yer when he saw yer on another job a while back. I am not having you exposed ter that type of scum again. So you'll stay at home. Where you're safe. Got it?"
Alex nodded timidly, feeling everyone's eyes on her. "Yes Guv," she croaked in a tiny voice, wincing as Gene slammed his office door and collapsed in his chair.
Alex felt awful as the day went on, and it took all her strength to stop herself bursting into tears right there and then. She still hadn't told Gene she was pregnant, and she was still too scared to because she feared his reaction. And now they had had a big bust-up right in front of everyone in CID about something that had got way too personal. Alex knew she owed Gene an apology. As a DI to her superior, and as his partner.
It was in Luigi's that evening when Alex finally managed to apologise to Gene. They had avoided each other most of the day but both of them caved in to forgiveness as they succumbed to each other's kisses outside the Italian restaurant. It had been a stressful day, and they sealed it in the restaurant drinking as a team. Alex kissed Gene lovingly on the lips as they sat with the others, and he wove his arm around her waist, pressing her towards him as he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"Love you," he murmured in her ear, nibbling at it lightly. Alex giggled.
"I love you too," she smiled softly, "you will be careful tonight, my love, won't you? I'll be waiting."
"It'll be gone midnight, Bolls," Gene sighed as Ray passed him his drink over, "want you ter go ter bed. Get some sleep."
"Can't sleep without you," Alex muttered into his neck as Gene swelled with importance, "need you with me."
Gene kissed her as Shaz looked on fondly and the other CID officers chatted raunchily, seemingly unaware of the intimacy going on between their two senior officers.
"Love how protective you are of me," Alex grinned up at him, "but…I can take care of myself, you know that?"
"I know that," Gene mumbled, "but I want ter take care o' yer, Alex. Make sure you're safe and things can't hurt yer. Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine."
Alex nodded. She knew he would be. He was Gene Hunt. Nothing scared him. And in Alex's mind, nothing really scared her either. Until she was left alone that night.
The silence was deafening as Alex sat in the dimly lit living room at quarter-past ten that night. Gene had just dropped her off home and he had gone back to Luigi's with Ray and Chris to wait for midnight. Alex began to read one of her favourite books to perhaps pass the time, as she wasn't yet that tired. She wanted to stay up for Gene. She hadn't slept on her own in months.
Time began to tick away slowly, and Alex even managed to have a bit of a doze on the sofa. Finally, she decided to go and get ready for bed. After she had washed and cleansed her face of the day, she dressed in her favourite silk shirt with her black knickers on, just in case of any unwanted visitor.
Going downstairs to clean up the plates from her dinner, a shrill ring was suddenly heard from the telephone at about half-past twelve. Alex hopped over to it, expecting news from Gene.
"Hello?" she said cheerily. "Told you I'd stay up, Gene."
There was a silence on the other end of the phone. Alex frowned. "Gene?"
Still nothing. Alex put the phone back on the hanger, confused. She began to walk away, returning to washing her plate.
The silence was a lot eerier now. The slightest sound was magnified, including the hammering of Alex's heart.
And the startling ring of the telephone once more.
Nervously, Alex picked it up. "Gene?" Nothing. Alex breathed heavily, becoming a bit panicked. She slammed the phone down, and before she'd even walked a metre away again, its shrill ring assaulted her ears once more.
Grabbing it, Alex's hands shook. "Just piss off," she spat, "it's not funny." Placing the phone back down, within a second later it rang again.
Then the lights went off in the house with zap. Alex whimpered in total darkness, fear bubbling in her stomach.
"Please stop it," she shivered, picking up the phone, "please…"
"How's the baby, slag?" a nasty, malicious voice of a man sneered. Alex gasped.
"W-what?" she stammered in a whisper.
"Are you alone?" he snarled.
"Go away…" Alex whimpered, clutching the phone in fear as her voice shook.
"I think you are, slag. I can't see that nice red car out on the drive. All I can see…is you. Tell me, slag, are you wearing knickers?"
Tears poured down Alex's cheeks as she gasped audibly, looking around in fear.
"Your legs look so good in that black shirt. Turn around and wave at me, slag. There's a good girl. Maybe I should come in. I don't think you locked the door tonight, slag."
Alex screamed, throwing the phone back on the hanger in complete terror. She charged over to the windows and locked them, dragging the curtains across and determinedly not looking out to the street outside. She raced to the front door, locking it and double-locking it as scared tears flooded down her face and her heart hammered. Alex then sprinted into the kitchen to lock the back door, bolting it tightly. Alex was about to charge upstairs when she heard it. A knock on the door.
Alex gasped, a whimper escaping her lips. She stood in silence, frozen to the spot. The knock came harder, a furious fist on the door.
Lunging into the kitchen, Alex grabbed a knife. Her eyes widened in complete terror as her body trembled. Her small frame was shaking with tears and she had never been more frightened in her life.
The person continued to knock thunderously. He wasn't going to go away. Alex approached the door, the knife trembling in her hand.
Then there was a voice. "OI! OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR YER CRAZY TART!"
Alex sobbed. "Who…who is it?" she squeaked, her voice shaking. "Who…who…"
"Alex? Alex!" the voice shouted in concern. "It's me, yer dozy mare! Open the door!"
Sobs tumbled from Alex's lips as she hiccupped violently, tears running down her cheeks. Clicking open the door, she peered around, absolutely terrified, and Gene's eyes widened in horror. He spotted the knife as Alex continued to sob.
"Oh my God," he said slowly, "Alex…it's okay…give me the knife, darling…give it to me…it's all right…"
Gene slipped in the door as Alex's body shook uncontrollably, audible sobs coming through erratically. Taking the knife from her, Gene looked on in complete shock as Alex leant against the wall, her sobs coming loud and fast.
"Shh," Gene whispered, dropping the knife to the floor and wrapping her in his arms, "come 'ere…I'm here…you're safe, Alex…it's all right, sweetheart…there now, love…it's okay…"
Alex shook in Gene's arms as her shoulders heaved. Her cries were still loud and terrified. Gene held her tightly, desperate to find out what had happened.
"It's all right, Alex," Gene soothed her, "I'll protect yer. I'm here. I'm here."