It was early Friday morning when Alex Drake was rudely awakened by loud knocking on the door of her flat. One glance at her alarm clock was enough to let her know that she was running late. Even so, in a childish act of defiance, Alex buried her head under the pillow in the futile hope that her early morning visitor would go away.

"Gene! Gene Hunt! Open this bloody door before I break it down you lardy bastard!"

The woman's shrill Mancunian accent cut painfully through Alex's impending hangover. As vague as the details from the previous night were, she was fairly certain that she'd gone to bed alone and had stayed that way. Unless he'd broken in during the night, Gene Hunt certainly wasn't in her flat and whoever was at the door needing apprising of that fact. Rolling from her warm blankets, Alex staggered to the door and hauled it open.

"What?" she demanded.

Her visitor was blonde, plump and pretty… just the kind of woman Alex expected Gene Hunt to find attractive.

"Where is he, then?" the woman demanded, forcing her way into the flat. She paused in the kitchen, her eyes raking Alex up and down as if she didn't like what she was seeing. It was then that Alex remembered she was using a man's shirt as nightwear and there was an awful lot of leg on display.

"You don't look his type," the woman said.

"What?" Alex repeated.

Her sleep fuddled brain was having trouble following this conversation.

"I'm guessing you're his latest but he usually likes 'em young and stupid."

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

The blonde woman didn't seem surprised by the question. She offered Alex a condescending smile,

"Sorry love, forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gene's wife."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Sylvia Hunt was definitely not the woman Alex expected her to be. Once it had been explained that Gene didn't live in a flat above Luigi's Trattoria and that Alex wasn't shagging him, she apologised profusely.

"This is the last address I had for him," she explained, whilst Alex made them both tea. "I'm down in London for the weekend and I wanted to take care of some unfinished business."

She pulled a large brown envelope out of her handbag.

"I couldn't exactly walk into the station with them, could I? He might be a bastard but he don't deserve that."

"Divorce papers?" Alex questioned, "I didn't realise that he was still married."

"Not for much longer if I can just track the buggar down."

There was an awkward pause which Alex tried to fill by searching through her cupboards for biscuits. Something about Sylvia's tone of voice suggested that she was putting on a brave face about the end of her marriage, a notion that was reinforced when Alex put the packet of Garibaldis on a plate. Sylvia stared at the biscuits but didn't take one. It hadn't been a vindictive move on Alex's part. She was convinced that any woman who had lived with Gene Hunt deserved a measure of her respect.

"Come round here a lot does he?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think…" Alex started to mumble.

The harsh edge had returned to Sylvia's voice and Alex had no idea how she could redeem herself. Luckily, she didn't have to. Before she could speak again there came a loud knock quickly followed by his voice,

"Bolly, you lazy tart, open this sodding door!"

"Shit… I'm late for work," Alex explained.

"Go on, answer it," Sylvia urged, "He'll break it down if you don't."

And Alex found herself wondering just how many times Sylvia had tried to keep Gene out… and how many times he had forced himself back into her life.

"I won't be long," she shouted through the locked door. Normally, she would have opened it and at some level Gene must have sensed that something was wrong.

"You got a bloke in there or something?"

"Ten minutes, no more."

"Just say the word and I'll throw the wanker out on his arse."

Alex turned to Sylvia, who nodded in response to her unasked question.

"Might as well get it over with," the other woman said quietly.

"Sorry," Alex whispered, not quite understanding why she was apologising for Gene. It was just something she was used to doing. She barely had the chance to open the door before Gene barged into the flat, a smirk on his face when he noticed her state of undress. His eyes lingered on her legs as said,

"Blimey Bols, the scum of London aren't going to wait for you to get your knickers on, you know."

Placing her hands on her hips, Alex sent a mock glare in his direction, refusing to make any attempt to cover herself up. Strange as it might seem, the shirt wasn't the skimpiest outfit she'd worn in front of him.

"Hello Gene."

Sylvia's quiet words wiped the smile from Gene's face as he tore his gaze from Alex and realised who was standing in the kitchen. The look he swept over the pair of them was one of complete disdain. Without even trying he somehow managed to make Alex feel dirty, as if she wasn't good enough to stand in his presence.

"The ex-missus munching on Bolly's beaver… can't decide whether it's a dream come true or the stuff of nightmares."

"Could you possibly be any more offensive?" Alex returned, her voice rising in disgust.

"Give me a moment and I'm sure I'll think of something. What is she doing in your flat?"

"Sylvia was under the impression that you still live here because you couldn't be arsed to leave a forwarding address."

"I didn't want to see the stupid cow again!"

"Sign these and you won't have to," Sylvia interrupted.

There was a catch in her voice. She sounded like she wanted to cry as she held out the envelope to Gene. He snatched it from her, barely giving it a cursory glance before he stuffed it into the pocket of his coat. Once again, Alex's heart went out to the woman. No one deserved this.

"It'll be my pleasure," Gene sneered before turning on his heel and marching out of the flat. He slammed the door with enough force to shake the walls.

The silence that was left in his wake was punctuated by Sylvia's quiet sobs. Now Gene was gone she had finally given into tears. Alex was so angry that she could have cheerfully followed the man out into the street to give him the kick in the balls he deserved.

"I knew this was a mistake," Sylvia said as she blew her nose. "I haven't seen him for so long… I just wanted to make sure he was okay, you know?"

"Do you still love him?" Alex questioned, regretting the words almost as soon as she'd said them. It almost sounded as if she had a reason for wanting to know.

"Not love exactly… but God help me I'm still fond of the bastard."

Sylvia took a deep breath.

"Would it be okay if I had a fag?"

"Yes… of course, I'll get you an ashtray," Alex heard herself reply, even though she hated people smoking in the flat. She busied herself making more tea whilst Sylvia lit up.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," the other woman went on. "I'm not usually this much of a mess."

"When I gave my ex the divorce papers I could have cried for a week... if it hadn't been for my daughter I probably would have done."

Sylvia's next words were spoken so quietly that Alex didn't think the other woman had been intending to speak at all.

"Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if Gene and I could have had kids. That's where it all went wrong," Sylvia continued, hinting a something so deeply personal that Alex wondered why she was choosing to unburden herself to a complete stranger.

"You don't have to tell me any of this."

"We tried for ages before I could get him to agree to see a doctor so we could have some tests done."

"Really… I don't need to know…"

"Finding out he had a low sperm count… well you can imagine what it did to a man like Gene? That's when he started shagging everything that moved… trying to prove that he were a real man…"

Sylvia stubbed out her first cigarette and immediately lit another. Her nervous behaviour only adding to Alex's discomfort.

"And then... I don't know if it were luck or what but I got pregnant. And when I told him… you know what he's like. He accused me of having an affair. Didn't matter a heap of shit anyway, I lost the baby and I lost Gene. Weren't much point in staying around after that."

"I'm sorry."

Alex's reply was heartfelt. She had seen Gene with children and had often wondered why he had none of his own. She had watched as Jackie Queen had offered him the chance only to snatch it away. Only now could she appreciate how cruel that had been. She sat quietly, letting Sylvia pull herself together but it was a while before the woman straightened and offered a false bright smile.

"Look, I'd better go. My partner's waiting for me at our hotel. I'll pop back Monday and pick up the papers."

"I'll be here," Alex promised.

Sylvia nodded and headed towards the door. She paused before leaving, not looking at Alex as she spoke,

"You know what else is hard… seeing him look at you like that."

"Like what?"

But Sylvia had gone leaving Alex more confused than ever.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Alex didn't know what to expect when she finally sat down behind her desk. She'd made a quiet entrance, choosing not to announce her appearance to her boss. The office door was shut and the blinds down. That and the fact that the incident room was unnaturally quiet was enough to tell Alex that Gene Hunt was in a foul mood. She wasn't going to be the one to disturb him.

It was lunchtime when he left. Real lunchtime… not whatever time he decided was right to take the team out to get pissed. Gene didn't spare her a second glance as he strode past her desk and Alex almost gagged on the stench of whiskey that surrounded him. Peering into the office she could see the familiar brown envelope resting on the desk.

"What's the matter with the Guv?" Chris dared to ask.

"No idea," Alex lied. It wasn't her place to reveal the details of Gene's personal life. They didn't need to know.

"He were in a good mood until you didn't show up on time," Ray grumbled.

"Did you say something, DS Carling?"

"No."

"Good."

She would give Gene a couple of hours, Alex decided, before going to check that he hadn't drunk himself to death on Luigi's house red.

Conversation gradually picked up, but Alex was only half listening to Ray as he recounted the unlikely story of his latest sexual conquest. Given the fact his tale sounded suspiciously as if it had been lifted from the plot of a porn film, Alex doubted it was true.

No one was paying attention when she slipped on her white jacket and said quietly to Shaz,

"I'm going to check on the Guv."

"Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine," Alex replied with more assurance than she felt.

The Quattro was still in its parking space when she stepped outside. The sight of the familiar red car was somewhat reassuring. It meant that Gene wasn't tearing around the streets of London risking the lives of fellow road users. Alex tried to pretend that she didn't care what he did with his own life but in her heart she knew that wasn't true. She'd be devastated if Gene managed to hurt himself. Her joy was, however, short lived. When she entered Luigi's she quickly ascertained that Gene wasn't there and no one had seen him. Alex swore to herself as she realised that she'd have to check every pub within staggering distance. She wondered if she shouldn't go and recruit some help but quickly dismissed the idea. Gene wouldn't want to appear weak before his team. If he was lying in a gutter somewhere then it was best that Alex was the one to find him. She, at least, knew how to keep her mouth shut.

There was a wide variety of drinking establishments in the area and most of them Alex didn't feel comfortable walking into alone. The later it got, the more disreputable the crowds became. It wasn't the worst place to be on a Friday night but after Alex had had her bum slapped, pinched and groped her temper was starting to fray. More than once she contemplated flashing her warrant card and making a few arrests. Gene Hunt was bloody well going to pay when she finally found him…

… and find him she did. The pub wasn't large. A single, smoky, dimly lit room that was packed with people. He was sat at the back, a whiskey chaser in one hand and the breast of a Madonna wannabe peroxide blonde in the other. Alex felt slightly sick as she watched them. Gene looked like he was enjoying himself and she had no idea how she was going to get him out of there. In search of inspiration, she turned to the bar and bought herself a drink. She caught a glimpse of Gene whispering something in the girl's ear and being rewarded by a high pitched giggle and a tongue down his throat. God, the girl couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen… what the hell was he doing?

Taking her drink with her, Alex put a bright smile on her face and sat down at the table.

"Mind if I join you?" she said in a voice loud enough to break through their false passion.

Gene tore himself away from the kiss, staring blearily at Alex as if he didn't quite know who she was.

"Don't you have homework to do?" Alex said pointedly to the girl, gesturing towards the door. The girl lit a cigarette and blew the smoke in Alex's face.

"Left school a while back, grandma," she sneered.

"And I bet you passed your domestic science CSE with flying colours."

"Piss off, Alex," Gene slurred. "Don't need you. Having fun with…"

He frowned as he struggled to remember the girl's name.

"Donna," she supplied.

"Having fun with Delia. She's not like you…Hasn't got a stick up her arse."

"Oh for God's sake," Alex muttered to herself. She really didn't need this. Praying to whatever deity controlled this twisted reality she mentally counted to ten before steeling herself and placing her hand on Gene's thigh.

"But we could have fun too, Gene," she pouted at him, squeezing gently. He looked as Donna and then back at Alex. She lent forward a little, just enough so that he could see down her shirt, knowing damn well that her bra was see-through.

"What kind of fun?" he demanded, talking to her left nipple.

"Any way you want… any where you want," Alex breathed, feigning sexual excitement that she certainly didn't feel. She really hoped that, when he was sober again, he didn't remember any of this.

"Come on Genie," Donna was suddenly on her feet, tugging at his hand.

"In a minute, Delia" Gene replied, his attention still fixed on Alex. "Everyone wants a bit of the Gene Genie, Bols… you'll have to wait your turn."

Panicking slightly, Alex slid her hand higher, using her nails to dig into the sensitive flesh for a second… and then she let him go.

"You know I don't like waiting Gene. Don't turn me down again… who knows who I might end up with."

She sent a pointed glance to one of the young men gathered by the bar. It was risky but she was playing on the fact that Gene wouldn't want to see her with someone else. Standing, she sauntered away, walking in such a way that half the men in the place turned to watch her pass. Leaning on the bar, Alex accepted another drink from the man closest to her but she was somewhat relieved when someone clumsily removed the glass from her hand. Gene was standing behind her, swaying slightly but there was no sign of Donna.

"Alright you're on," he said. "But this better not be a wind up."

"Come on… let's get you home," was all Alex said as she slung her arm about his waist and led him out of the pub.