I hadn't planned on a sequel to OSAS, but you guys asked for one, and the other day an idea came to me that made me grin... And so Avenging Heaven was born. I HAD thought that if I did write a sequel it would be just a oneshot about Alex's recovery...but I do about one happy fic a year, and my quota was met with Ares: God of War. :) Thanks to Bloo for giving me support and some really brilliant ideas.

Chapter 1: Scarred

It had been eight months. Eight months being stuck in this hell hole. All because he had been doing the Lord's will. Ryan sniffed. The righteous had to endure persecution, and this was probably just a trial set forth by God.

Ryan knew in his heart that the Lord wanted him to cleanse Alex Drake. She had been shown to him so many years ago on that boat, in that whore's outfit. He had made plans during his first stay in prison, when he was falsely accused of trafficking drugs, to save her soul. When his innocence was proved, he had gone forth on his mission. He had nearly succeeded. If only he had whipped her just a bit more, she may have bled out faster.

Ryan knew that his mission would continue until she could either prove that she was now pure or she was dead. He didn't want to kill her, but she had been so stubborn when he had tried to save her soul. She had probably gone back to her ways, whoring herself out to every man she met. He knew that the Lord would provide an opportunity for him to get out, to try and save her all over again.

A loud noise sounded from outside his cell. Ryan sat up, and stepped outside, looking at what was going on. Several officers were trying to push back a giant mass of prisoners. A riot. Ryan grinned. Matthew seven, verse seven. "Ask, and it will be given to you." He started to run down the corridor. The Lord would always provide.

~(*)~

Gene stared at the woman sitting nervously at the desk out in CID and smiled softly. It was Alex's first day of work since the day she had been kidnapped over a year previously. She was strictly on desk duty, but she was back. She had been given the hero's welcome, a standing ovation from CID. Alex had merely given a nervous smile and sat down quickly, looking instantly at a file on her desk.

Gene knew that she was only just ready to come back. It had indeed been small steps she had taken over the past year. Alex still did not wear skinny jeans or skirts. She had only stopped wearing jogging bottoms or pyjama bottoms a few weeks before. The clothes she wore now were loose fitting, showing none of her figure off. The shirts she chose were like those she wore when she first arrived, buttoned up to the top button, and a little bow around the neck. A silver chain always glinted from her neck, always fitting a little too tightly.

Gene knew why it was there. He wished she didn't have to depend on the feel of the chain to feel safe out in public, but knew that it was the only way she could convince herself that she was safe. It reminded her of her collar, the only way she felt safe when imprisoned with Ryan Burns.

It had taken him a while to realise that Alex may never make a full recovery. She may never be the posh mouth tart he had fallen in love with. Every day was still another step forward in her slow progress. She had flatly refused to see a psychologist after Annie left, something that Gene thought hurt her progress.

It took her nearly three months for her to look someone in the eye after Burn's trial. Soon after that, emotion started showing in them more often. Slowly, she was letting Gene get closer to her, but she still kept a part of herself barred off, reminding him of when she had first joined CID in 1981.

They had only started sleeping in the same bed the month previously, and still had not made love. Alex was still too nervous, still too afraid of being touched. Gene could not initiate contact in public. Alex would immediately stiffen and look over her shoulder to see who was touching her. Several times she would cry with relief when she realised who it was. CID had been informed not to touch her under any circumstances, not that many people touched her before anyway.

Alex was speaking more, but she was still soft-spoken, something that Gene had never dreamed of before. She could carry on a conversation easily, would offer opinions and decide things, but did not yell and scream like she used to.

She still refused to eat. Her face was still much too thin, the hollows in her cheeks still too pronounced. Gene would chastise her gently at meals, but she still could only pick at the food presented to her. Luigi would fret over her during their meals there, asking if she needed anything different, to which Alex would simply shake her head. Alex also refused to drink much either. She refused wine point blank now, and would only drink maybe one drink a week. Gene smirked. Luigi must have lost loads of money when Alex became almost tea total.

They hardly visited Luigi's anymore, Alex preferring to stay at home, away from any men leering at her. She had only visited the flat above once, to get her things so she could move in properly. Gene still remembered the day vividly.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked uncertainly.

Alex steeled herself and looked at him. "I have to. Facing the flat is the only way I'll be able to progress. I have to do it sometime, Gene."

Gene could tell from her voice that she was trying to convince herself as well as him. However, he said nothing, merely nodding and inserting the key into the lock. The door swung open wide, both standing, staring into the flat they had not looked in for so long. Gene had not been there for six months, since the day before Alex was to be released from the hospital when he had gone to collect a variety of her clothes. Alex had willingly spoken a few sentences to him, but only to ask that he not bring her any jeans, just jogging and pyjama bottoms.

Alex stepped cautiously into the flat, Gene following closely behind her. She moved towards her bedroom. Pausing at the door, she stared into the peach room.

"Exactly...like I didn't expect anything to happen," she muttered to herself. "I didn't. Just you to come barging in after I was already pissed and getting angry at me. Not that. Never expected that."

Gene said nothing as Alex babbled to herself. He figured it was part of the healing process, that she needed to voice things out. She kept a running commentary as she continued to tour the tiny flat, saving the loo for last. She stepped in, staring at the dark red wine stain on the floor where several shards of glass glinted in the light.

"I was sitting...there." She pointed at the tub. "On the side. Feeling the water. I had the wine in my hand. It was my third. Then...I woke up there," she shuddered. "I must have dropped the glass. Then he must have dragged me out."

She stopped for a moment, just staring at the spot, unmoving. Suddenly she turned to Gene.

"I want to leave." Her eyes were begging him to not try and convince her to stay, to just say 'okay' and leave it at that. Gene, however, decided to push just a little bit.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I thought you wanted your things."

"I can't be here anymore, Gene. Please. Can you just get them later?" She was on the verge of tears and Gene knew that he couldn't push her anymore without her having a breakdown and going silent for a few days as she tried to deal with the torture of the past.

"Okay," he agreed, seeing her visibly relax. "I'll collect your things later."

They had gone down to Luigi's after, Gene still not used to Alex ordering merely a soda. He had returned a few weeks later to collect her things and slowly her knick-knacks were placed amongst his.

Gene watched carefully as Bammo approached her, starting to talk to her. He watched her look up and respond, smiling gently before she responded. Gene continued to watch as the conversation continued and Bammo eventually walked away.

Gene let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. He was nervous about Alex returning to work. She had made loads of progress the eight months and he didn't want any of that to go away. It had been hard enough to see Alex terrified the first time. To see her get better and become silent and scared once more would be more than he could handle.

Gene looked down at the file on his desk and pushed it away. Alex was doing great. And nothing was going to ruin it. He would make sure of that.

Gene was distracted by his thoughts by his door opening.

"Knock," he said, without looking up, knowing who it was.

"Never gonna happen, Guv," Alex said, her voice several decibels lower than it would have been a year ago.

Gene looked up. She was smiling softly as she closed the door behind her.

"All I ask for is a few hours of peace in my office, and you have to disturb it without even a knock," he teased, making sure that a small grin was on his face and his voice was clearly in a teasing tone. Alex had started taking the smallest things as threats after her ordeal. After the first few incidents of her bursting into tears and backing away in fear, he knew that he had to adjust how he dealt with her. He couldn't yell at her like he used to. Everything had to be neutral, said with a clear facial expression so that she knew that she was going to be fine.

"Yeah, and I ask for a few hours of peace and I get stuck outside with CID," she replied.

"They're not that bad!"

"Ray keeps going on about some sawn off shotgun and Chris is in a panic, shooting Shaz anxious glances every few minutes. Shaz keeps coming over to ask me questions about her wedding and the rest keep bringing me cups of tea."

Gene had to do his best not to laugh. "They missed you, Bolls," he replied. "Missed your mad theories and your psychiatry."

"Psychology," she corrected automatically, even though she knew he only did it to wind her up.

"Right," he replied. "Same thing."

Alex said nothing, just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"How are you doing Bolls, really?" Gene asked, the room suddenly taking on a serious atmosphere.

"It's not too bad, I guess," she responded honestly. "I don't know how long I'll be able to handle desk duty though. I'm going mad just sitting there."

"You'll have to clear it with the Super. He's the one who made it clear that you were restricted to desk duty only."

Alex nodded and looked at the clock, smiling. "It's lunchtime. Can we go?"

Gene looked up at the clock, and surely enough, it was gone six. He nodded and stood, grabbing his coat. He opened the door and strode out, Alex following behind him.

"Lunchtime!" he yelled. For the first time ever, Gene was the first one to leave for 'lunch.' He strode outside and looked at Alex.

"Do you want Luigi's tonight?" he asked. "Or would you rather go home?"

"I think I've had enough of CID for one day," she said.

"Right. Let's fire up the Quattro." They got in the car and Gene drove home. "Do you want a curry?" he asked on the way. "I don't feel like making anything, and I don't feel like trying one of your concoctions." Gene had found out why she had always eaten at Luigi's several months earlier. Alex was, in fact, a terrible cook. Gene had had some experience cooking with his mum in his childhood, and made most of the meals.

Alex nodded and Gene veered off to the right, tyres squealing. Alex waited in the car as he barked orders at the man and returned several minutes later with two curries. He drove quickly home and they walked in, Alex going straight down to the couch, Gene going to grab some silverware from the kitchen. The television was on by the time he got downstairs.

This was how they spent their nights. They would spend the time in front of the television, talking occasionally. One of them would go up and make tea before the news came on and after the news, Alex would usually go to bed.

Alex came down the stairs with two mugs of tea in her hands as the opening notes to the news started. She handed Gene his tea, smiling as the camera closed in on the anchor, who had started announcing something about a prison riot.

Alex sat down, focussing her whole attention on the news.

"...the riot was stopped after about three hours, but not before a prisoner had the chance to escape. Please be on the lookout for a man named Ryan Burns. Burns is currently serving a life sentence for..."

Gene jumped as glass shattered on the floor. He looked over at Alex in concern. She stared at the television, unaware of the mug that she had just dropped. Her whole body had gone rigid.

"Alex," Gene said quietly.

Her head snapped over to look at him, her eyes wide with fear. "He's out, Gene." Alex started shaking as tears welled in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She unconsciously rubbed the scars on her hands, still pink from the nails that had been driven through.

Gene cautiously put his arms around her, letting her sob into his shirt, his hand rubbing her back soothingly.

Ryan wasn't going to get Alex. Gene would find him first. He'd make sure of that.

to be continued