I apologise profusely for my lack of updates- time has just sort of flown by lately with work, family/friend commitments. Anyway here it is...

It had just gone ten when Gene managed to get Karen to go up to the spare room claiming he and Alex had 'police business' to discuss. He was just glad that getting rid of her meant that the death glares being fired off round the room stopped, obviously something had happened while he was gone and Alex's little mind reading stunt with the music had just added to the ice in the atmosphere. On the other hand having Karen downstairs had meant that their 'talk' had been delayed. Christ, he didn't think he could escape the slip off speech much longer.

The coffee table was strewn with radios and spare batteries, which Alex was still sat on the settee tinkering with, when he came back downstairs. She gave him a warm smile and watched carefully as he poured a scotch and took the seat at the opposite side of the settee.

"So, Bolls, what did Karen say that got yer expensive French knickers in such a twist?"

"She was just trying to get me."

"Oh, 'ow was she doin' that then?"

"Bad mouthing you mainly and telling me 'her side of the story' although I'm far than inclined to believe it."

He pouted slightly at that. "What she say? Tell yer what a shit 'usband I was?"

Alex sighed; this was going to be difficult. "She said that the reason she had the affair was because you worked a lot- which is obviously no excuse. She also said that she divorced you, not the other way around but I know that's not the case, Ray...er... Ray told me about it," she confided.

"Raymondo may like to think 'e knows the truth about it all but 'e doesn't. Karen's tellin' the truth- she finished with me."

Alex raised her eyebrows and sat back. "Oh."

"Was a shit 'usband. Obsessed with the job. Married 'er cos it was the 'right' thing whatever the bloody 'ell that is. Christ there were rumours back then even that she was no virgin bloody Mary but I still married 'er. Reckoned she was pregnant- soon found out she wasn't once the ring was on 'er bloody finger. Were both too young."

He sat back slightly mirroring her, gulping bitterly at his scotch.

"W's never there, was just like my poxy Father. She was better off without me knockin' about all the time. There were rumours started that she'd been shaggin' other officers. Superiors in the early days, then junior officers tryin' ter get one over on me. No one dared breathe a word about it ter me. If I didn't acknowledge it it wasn't 'appenin'. Just rumours."

He became very quiet, lost in thought. Alex just watched him as he mentally flicked through twenty years of his life.

"Couldn' blame 'er fer my faults. Deserved everythin' I got. I wasn' goin' ter run off like my Dad so I jus' ignored it. Then there was Litton. I bloody 'ated that arrogant bastard. Flash fucking git. Always tryin' ter steal the glory- it was all 'e cared about. 'e thought shaggin' Karen would humiliate me but as long as no one said anythin' 'e couldn't. He was the only one I never knew about. Sam couldn't let it rest though, went an' told me when the others wouldn't. I refused ter believe it. Christ Bolls, Karen and I both did some shitty things but I never thought she'd step over that mark. I beat the shit out of 'im and I called 'im a liar."

Silence fell again. All Alex could do was whisper 'oh Gene' and take hold of his hand, a gesture which he didn't reject.

"'E were jus' bein' a good mate but 'e hurt my pride, Bolls. I was the Manc Lion. Day of the jewellery blag, Sam didn't wait for me ter get there cos he thought I wasn't comin'- ended up in the river. He thought I 'ated 'im. Died cos of me. Got the divorce papers off 'er solicitor the day of 'is funeral. I went and gave Litton a good kicking and got pissed, told everyone I was divorcin' 'er."

"He didn't die because of you, Gene. Sam would have known you'd be angry- he would have expected it. It won't have affected his judgement that day."

"Yeah well, Bolls, just shows what a shitty bastard I am."

"You're not Gene." She squeezed his hand gently.

They sat there, like that, a while pondering Gene's past and the consequences of Karen's deceit. The turntable crackled in the background as Ashes to Ashes came on the Bowie record.

"Gene, you mind if I change the music? I'm not a fan of Bowie."

"Not scared o' clowns are yer Bolly?"

"Er yeah something like that."

She stopped the turntable and slipped the record back into its sleeve choosing instead to pop a U2 cassette into the tape machine. Gene cocked his head back over the seat to watch her.

"'Ow did yer know what music I listen to then, Bolly? I pride myself on leadin' everyone ter believe I 'ate all modern music."

She laughed and rejoined him on the settee, sitting slightly closer than before. "Well it wasn't that hard to figure out. David Bowie sang Jean Genie so naturally you would like his music and I'm sure Sam listened to Bowie a lot too. Dexy's Midnight Runners did Geno which again you would take on as your own personal anthem. Sam studied the IRA so he probably liked U2 due to their anti-conflict lyrics and recommended them. That's why you have them on tape because they're different to the others- it's not something you picked or would admit to liking. Dire Straits were a guess since Knopfler's a northerner- I put two and two together there. And well who doesn't like Genesis?"

"Christ Bolly I never knew clairvoyance was so sodding easy- can we get yer channelin' the spirits o' the victims next? Might save a bit o' time catching the pond life."

"It's not clairvoyance, just logical deductions."

The light flickered slightly.

"Christ, not another bloody power cut?"

Alex glanced up at the ceiling.

"No, just a dodgy bulb. Not that I'd mind another power cut the last one was rather... interesting."

Gene snorted indignantly. "Interesting?"

"Yes, interesting. Which reminds me we haven't talked about that yet."

"Not much to talk about Bolly. You just need ter give me the old heave hoe and we'll say no more 'bout it."

She turned herself around on the settee to face him properly, gazing intently at his nonchalant expression.

"Is that really what you think I'm going to do?"

"I don't bloody know do I? You're the one who can read minds, Bolly."

"Well I wasn't going to. I would hardly have let you kiss me if I didn't want you to."

"Oh," he pouted and looked away down towards his glass which he suddenly seemed to find intriguing. He swirled the amber liquid. "Right well er... d'you fancy goin' out sometime then, fer dinner, properly this time not just sodding Luigi's. Do it properly, dates and all that nancy bollocks."

She smiled. "Nancy bollocks sounds good to me."

"Right, well, that's settled then."

They sat in companionable silence again until Alex took his glass from his hand explaining she was 'going to make coffee' and 'yes with garibaldi and pink wafers'. U2's 'The Ocean' was starting to play softly as Alex set the mugs and plate down on the table. Gene, she found, was asleep slumped against the arm of the settee in much the same way she imagined he had been slumped against her door. She couldn't help but smile and sit down close to him watching the fascinating sight.

He didn't look at all comfortable where he sat and she thought he'd be far more comfortable in bed. She decided to wake him, he could sleep upstairs for a while and then they could swap places later. She leant forward and tentatively pressed a kiss to his lips to wake him. He stirred slightly moving his lips against hers and wrapping a possessive arm about her waist.

"'Lex," he mumbled through the haze of sleep. Alex giggled and called his name to get him to come back from his dreaming state.

"Gene," she whispered when he opened his eyes. "Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep? I don't think the Collins twins will be showing their faces tonight, if they know Karen is here then they know that we'll be on alert tonight. I'll wake you up at about four and we can swap- it's just gone twelve now."

"Yer sure, Bolls?"

"Yeah. Besides if someone's out the room then there's always backup. Here take a radio."

He took the outstretched radio and nodded. Getting up he released his hold on her and went to hover in the doorway still watching her.

"Night, Bolly."

She smiled.

"Night, Gene."

.o0o.

Karen having heard Gene come up the stairs and into the room next to hers decided to put an end to his little budding romance with Drake once and for all. She knew it wouldn't take long for him to sleep and after a half hours wait snuck into his bedroom and then his bed. She draped herself over him careful not to wake the snoozing lion. Gene slept deeply though and threw his arm over her drawing her closer, much to Karen's delight.

.o0o.

Alex knew that Gene must have been exhausted from his nights stay on her landing floor and so didn't have the heart to wake him at the agreed time but waited until morning instead. She knew that any appearance by the twins was increasingly unlikely as the night wore on and Gene did have a radio if she needed him.

At seven when he still hadn't stirred she wandered up the stairs finding her way to his bedroom and tapping on the door lightly.

"Gene? Are you awake yet?"

No reply. She sighed and pushed the door open slightly poking her head into the room.

"Gene?"

Still nothing. She opened the door and stepped in to find not just Gene but Karen fast asleep in each other's arms the slats of early morning light from the blinds illuminating their figures.

Alex stared agog at the scene. What the bloody hell? Karen stirred a little and pushed at Gene to wake him up too. When he groggily came to turning to find Karen lying next to him he shot out of the bed glaring down at her.

"What the bloody 'ell?"

Alex cleared her throat slightly catching his attention. He looked up at her like a deer caught in the headlights- a novelty for Gene she thought wryly.

"I...er... just came to um... wake you. Work in... um well a couple of hours. Yeah. I'll err.. I'll see you..."

She turned and hurried out the room.

"Alex! Bolly get yer arse back 'ere!"

He caught her at the foot of the stairs, grabbing her arm. She slipped out of his grip and moved to the door.

"I'll see you at work."

With that she was gone and he let out a puff of breath in frustration. Karen was sat rather smugly in his bed when he went back upstairs.

"Yer better start explainin' and 'ave a very bloody good excuse or I'll hand yer arse ter the Collins twins on a sodding silver platter myself!"

She swallowed visibly. Bugger.

Sorry about the ending- I was just going to leave it at 'goodnight' but my friend, genie17, convinced me to put it in.

Next update probably not till after the weekend because I'm away to Cambridge then I have to work double shifts at work to cover it :)

Reviews and constructive crit. welcome as ever and always appreciated :D