Prologue

The smooth hand that slid over Gene's shoulder wore dark purple nail polish and had a delicate beaded bracelet around its wrist. His gaze travelled up the arm attached to it which wore a smart but fashionable purple jacket and led, eventually, to the smiling face of Alex. She brushed back one side of her Posh Spice bob and smiled at Gene's reflection in the mirror.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think you and DC Fell are auditioning for a tribute band," Gene said gruffly but there was a growing bulge in his trousers that betrayed his real thoughts on her new haircut.

"Thought so," she said with a smirk, slapping a newspaper into his hand, "here. Cover yourself up."

Gene mumbled and grumbled as he used the newspaper to give him a little dignity and glanced at the date atop the front page. Autumn was well underway now. Four weeks had passed since the fateful day that Jason Redlake had scaled a building in pursuit of Layton, with Keats and Simon both following in his footsteps. There had been shock in the aftermath of the whole affair, even moreso after Redlake met such an unfortunate end. As a replacement was sought there had been some rumours of a promotion for Fletcher but he knew where he was happy and, somewhat to Gene's relief, he decided to stay where he was.

"Christ almighty, the last thing I need is some shiny new super waltzing in and setting me on the straight and narrow," Gene had commented at the time.

Fletcher had taken that as a compliment, or at least as close to one as he was going to get.

Things had settled down somewhat and Alex and Gene had continued to enjoy married life, except on tuesdays when a yellow fiat would turn up outside and whisk Alex away for an evening of what Gene liked to think of as 'top-shelf sapphic delights', leaving him an evening alone to enjoy his new, secret pastime of receiving an occasional long distance phone call from a wanted man calling from somewhere in the Med, wishing to catch up on the English football results from someone in the know. Plenty of newlyweds met another couple and swapped addresses whilst on honeymoon, Gene knew that as a fact. Most of those couples weren't Nick Nailer and Victoria Stone though.

"What's with the suit?" Gene asked Alex as she dusted down her lapels, "is it Malcolm fancy Dress day?"

"It's from Victoria Beckham's new collection," Alex told him, "so new it's not out until next year," she gave Gene a sly smile, "Got to love the anachronisms in this world."

"Anachronisms?" Gene frowned, "that a new kind of watch?"

"Ha ha," Alex rolled her eyes as she doused herself in perfume, "no, Superintendent Fletcher says we have some newbies starting today so I wanted to make a good impression."

"They'll take one look at all the Spice Girls, think they're in the Top of the Pops studio, turn around and flipping leave," Gene said gruffly but he caught Alex staring smugly at the bulge in his trousers that was going nowhere.

"Not all of them will turn and leave," she said, raising an eyebrow.

Gene growled a little.

"Well if you're going to turn from being me posh bird into posh spice then you can come and spice up me life at lunchtime," he walked past and held the door open for Alex, "in the stationery cupboard."

Alex grinned and left the room, preparing for another day at work. She and Gene had been through so much and yet the humour and banter never died down. It was the two of them against the world. Nothing could cast a shadow over that sunshine.

~xXx~

"Robin... Robin!" Kim rolled her eyes, tutted crossly and leaned against the front door, "Rob, we're going to be late!" She waited for a few moments and heard the sound of the toilet flushing. "Dear god, Rob, what are you doing in there?!"

A rather green and exhausted Robin emerged from the bathroom, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Just needed to pee," he mumbled, grabbing his eyeliner and stepping to the hall mirror.

"For half an hour?!" Kim asked, amused.

"Several times, OK?!" Robin mumbled through gritted teeth as he started applying make-up. He saw Kim grinning out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

Kim smiled.

"Nothing."

"What?"

Kim tried not to laugh.

"You're looking a little green, that's all," she said and Robin blushed. "Oh, now you've added red! You could be the mascot for the fabled Rainbow Brigade!"

"I felt a little queasy, that's all!" Robin protested.

"Rob, it's OK," Kim said, a little more sympathetically, "I heard you throwing up."

Robin froze for a moment then turned around slowly.

"Must have had a bad tin of beans last night," he blushed.

"Do you have morning sickness again?" Kim asked gently and Robin scowled.

"No," he lied.

Kim glanced at his surprisingly dishevelled appearance.

"Why are your shoes half on?" she asked.

"I couldn't get my swollen ankles in them," Robin mumbled as he put down the eyeliner and reached for a pale lip gloss.

"And your belt?" she coughed, glancing to his undone trousers.

Robin looked at her in alarm.

"No reason," he mumbled.

"not having any trouble doing them up then?" she asked awkwardly, only to find Robin's reaction hilarious as he grabbed for the belt and tried to fasten it.

"No!"

"OK, OK, just asking!" Kim held her hands up as though surrendering as she tried not to giggle but a few laughs spilled out as she watched him trying to hold in his stomach to no avail. "Don't they fi-"

"Belt's shrunk," Robin cried, taking it out the loops of his trousers and throwing it to the floor.

"Robin," Kim tried hard to keep a straight face as Robin's cheeks burned more brightly, "Rob..." she placed her hands on his arms and looked at him seriously, "Rob... it's OK," She couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face, "you're about a hundred times more pregnant than I am. That's OK." she giggled a little. "It seems fitting somehow."

Robin blushed harder but a little smile crept over his face as he looked down.

"You... don't mind that I'm hogging all the attention?" he asked shyly.

Kim smiled.

"Not really," she said softly, "...although you could share all the goodies you make the others bring you back from Latte Land with me from time to time."

"Yeah," Robin felt a little guilty about hoarding them, "sorry." He looked up and caught Kim's eye. Her smile was making his heart turn cartwheels. How long had they been together now? Two... three years? It was so hard to work it out over different worlds and times. However long it had been, one thing was for certain – the honeymoon never seemed to end. "Hey," he said quietly, "I don't have the monopoly on this pregnancy, you know." He gently ran his fingers down Kim's curving belly and in an instant she turned redder than Robin was. Her cheeks burned but a soft smile spread across her face and she looked down, watching his hand grace her little bump.

"Then maybe you should share some of those cookies you've got stashed in your bag?" she commented and Robin's expression fell.

"Maybe I should hide them better so you don't know I have secret cookies," he mused, making her laugh but a moment later his expression grew urgent.

"What?" Kim asked.

"Sorry," Robin's feet almost tripped over each other as he high-tailed down the hallway, "need to pee again..."

"Oh for -" Kim sighed and rolled her eyes, but her smile couldn't be hidden. She watched him close the bathroom door behind him, then turned to face herself in the mirror. She ran a hand through her hair and checked to make sure there were no crumbs on her face, then shyly she turned to one side and smoothed down her shirt to see her stomach curving outward. Her cheeks felt warm again but a broad smile spread across her face. After everything she and Robin had been through this was their time to be happy. Nothing and nobody could get in their way.

~xXx~

"Hey babe!"

Marci's eyes sparkled as soon as she heard the voice on the line.

"Shaz!" she beamed. There was a thump in her chest as her heart started to speed up. "Hi! What are you..." she hesitated, not really wanting to say the words she was about to say. She was about to ask Shaz what she was calling her for when it wasn't so long ago they were calling each other all times of the day and night. Her brief spell off the rails had damn near seen the complete end to their relationship. Things hadn't been the same between them since that fateful night; the one in which Shaz had found her in a state and her mind far from her own after sneaking some 'evidence' away from the station for her own personal use. That night had terrified her in so many ways. She'd lost herself so completely that she'd almost lost those closest to her as well, not to mention her job. She was fighting hard to overcome her addiction and her life was getting back on track, but things with Shaz had never quite managed to return to the way they were.

"I was just wondering..." Shaz's voice broke through Marci's thoughts, "if you were doing anything? I mean, later?"

"Tonight?" Marci could hardly believe what that sounded like. "Are... you asking me out?"

Shaz seemed to giggle nervously.

"That's what you do when you're going out with someone, yeah?"

Marci bit her lip, trying not to smile too much.

"So we're..." she coughed, "still going out then?"

Shaz hesitated. She seemed reluctant to answer, not because the answer was anything other than yes but because she didn't want to think about how close Marci had come to self-destruction.

"Depends if you're doing anything later?" she said with a nervous giggle.

Marci leaned back against the cabinet, regarding her reflection in the mirror. Her usual animal print top had been replaced with a sophisticated blouse and her short skirt and fishnets swapped for a smart pair of pants for the day.

"I am, actually," she said, "celebrating."

"Celebrating?" Shaz repeated.

"Hopefully with you," Marci smiled.

She could almost hear Shaz smiling back.

"But what are we celebrating?" she asked and Marci stood up straight, staring at her reflection.

"You are speaking to the new DS Marcia Fell, designated public relations and publicity officer under the responsibility of the Hi-Tech crimes department!"

"What? When did this happen?" Shaz cried, "Marci, that's wonderful!"

"Jake doesn't think so," Marci stuck her tongue out, even though Shaz couldn't see, "Now I'm the same rank as he is and I get my own free camera!"

"Well look who made good!" Shaz giggled, "when did this happen?"

"The super talked to me about it when he asked me to cover some of DCI Shoebury's cases while he was away," Marci explained, "he said if I did well there was a permanent position in it for me."

"Well done you!" Shaz cheered, "in that case we're definitely on for that drink."

"Oh, it's a drink we're going for, is it?" asked Marci.

"Maybe something more," said Shaz and Marci beamed.

"I'll bring my new camera," she said and Shaz laughed on the line.

"Listen, babe, I've got to go or I'll be late in to work," she began, "but I'll see you at lunch. Or... do you want a lift in?"

Marci sighed with disappointment.

"I wish I could, babe," she said, "got to go to some presentation this morning. Let the local press know who I am. Got me dressed up like a toff for it. Bought me some things from the Victoria Beckham collection for it," she frowned suddenly, a strange fuzzy feeling clouding her mind. "Funny... I didn't think she'd gotten married yet..." she felt suddenly a little queasy, "or released a fashion collection..."

"Marci? Babe?" Shaz's voice sounded concerned as Marci fell quiet, "everything OK?"

Marci took a moment to shake herself from the strange feeling she had right then. She blinked a few times and cleared her throat before she continued,

"Oh... yeah. Yes, sorry, babe. Must just be feeling pangs of nerves."

"You'll be fine, promise," Shaz told her and Marci smiled again. Shaz's voice made her feel more at ease. "I'll see you lunchtime then, yeah? Buy you a round of sprouts."

"I hope to god you're joking," Marci gagged as Shaz laughed.

"See you later then. Love you."

"Love you too," Marci smiled as she and Shaz hung up the phone just a moment before it rang again and she jumped a mile. "Oh god, who now?" she tapped her foot, worrying about being late for her presentation, "hello?"

"Marci!"

Marci smiled and leaned back against the counter again.

"Jake, hi!"

"Just seeing how you are," he told her, "big morning and all that."

"I'm fine," she sighed, "few nerves. Nothing I can't handle."

"Sure you'll be fine after a cup of tea," Jake told her.

"Only of the tea happens to be eighty-percent proof," Marci told him and he laughed.

"I'm sure the Guv will have a little something alcoholic on hand," he told her and she shook her head, even though Jake couldn't see her.

"He won't be there," she told him, "the Super wants to keep him as far away as possible. Said the last time DCI Hunt met the press three of them ended up in casualty and an other one had post traumatic stress disorder."

Jake laughed softly on the phone.

"Alright, then I'll meet you afterwards and you can tell me how it went," he said.

"Oh..." Marci bit her lip, "I'm meeting Shaz for lunch," she said.

Jake hesitated.

"Oh."

Marci felt a little guilty, even though she wasn't sure why

"Yeah... that is OK, isn't it?" she asked, not even sure why she was asking permission.

"Yes... I suppose..." Jake seemed awkward suddenly and Marci wasn't sure why.

"You.. have you two fallen out or something?" Marci asked and Jake spluttered on the line.

"Me? No... god no," he said, "no, not at all."

"Why do you sound so... funny about it then?" Marci asked and Jake laughed nervously.

"I wasn't..." he lied, "I just... knew you hadn't been seeing as much of her lately. That's all. Didn't know how things were between the two of you, that's all."

"They're... fine," Marci cleared her throat, "or at least I think they will be."

"Good," Jake didn't sound convinced of that, "that's... that's good to know,."

Marci hesitated.

"Jake?" she said quietly, "is something wrong?"

Jake seemed to hesitate a moment too long for her to accept his denial.

"Nothing's wrong, Marci. Honestly. I'm just not fully awake yet, that's all. You know how it is. Monday morning and all that."

Marci smiled a little nervously.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "if you're sure?"

"I'm sure," Jake told her, "I'll see you later, anyway."

Marci closed her eyes.

"OK, Jake," she said, "see you when I get back." she paused, hoping he would say something but he stayed quiet. "Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Marci."

She felt a little weird as she hung up, but she couldn't worry about it for long. She had to get going before she found herself late for her first day in her new role. Her life was moving forward and nothing was going to pull her back.

~xXx~

James's hands shook as he tried for the fourth time to tie his tie. He still wasn't happy with the knot. Or with the presses in his trousers. Or with his hair. Or the new glasses he'd picked out to replace his broken ones. Or with the way his palms were sweating before he'd even gone anywhere.

"Are you ready?"

James turned around and the sight of Simon was the first 'right' thing he'd seen all morning. A warm feeling spread across his chest like a fever and he felt himself blushing. A half smile twitched onto his face as he swept his hand through his hair anxiously.

"Sort of," he said, "Kind of." he paused, "No." He gave a growl of frustration, "it's this tie, I can't... I've forgotten how..." he calmed down a little as Simon came closer to him, Simon's mere presence soothing him near completely. Simon's fingers took the silk expertly and tied a smart, clean knot in his tie. "Thank you," he whispered and found himself lost in Simon's bright blue eyes.

"James, are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked softly.

"Yes. No," James shook his head, "I mean, ready?" he shook his head,"I don't think I can ever be ready. But," he took a deep breath and looked Simon in the eye, "I can do it. I can. As long as I'm with you."

Simon smiled, even though his own nerves shone through.

"I'm going nowhere," he said. He held out his hand and James slowly placed his own in Simon's palm. "Let's go then."

James nodded slowly, took a deep breath and took his first step towards the door. He felt shaky from anxiety but if Simon was beside him he could cope with this. he could cope with anything.

"OK," he said, nodding slowly. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and took his first step forwards, towards the door, towards a new phase of his life and towards the scariest of all possible days. He'd never felt so scared, but he knew he wasn't by himself. The hand holding his own gave him the strength to face a fresh start.

"Come on," Simon whispered, "let's go shake up some worlds."

~xXx~

A/N: For the first time in quite some time I have to offer a disclaimer that I've given so many times before. I don't own Ashes to Ashes. I do however own some characters who mean the absolute world to me and I am proud to be continuing their stories, their lives. Thank you to anyone who is following this journey still. This story follows on from No Regrets and the rest of the Real Cool World series.

This fic is going to be fairly short in comparison to many but I felt it needed to be written as a kind of transition into a new phase of writing and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I think I'll enjoy writing it. Updates will be as often as my health allows – thank you for your patience and understanding, and thank you for reading. Your reviews, messages and support means so much!

This story is dedicated to my beautiful moirspritmaterail, the Robin to my Kim. I love you, Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx