Hiya all, this is my first ever fanfic, so be gentle with me, pwease? lol nah kidding, all reviews welcome, good or bad. Big thanks to x.Emzi.x for beta!

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters from BBC series Ashes to Ashes, and there for do not belong to me, sadly :D

Hunt: The Fox - Hunt begins

April 17th 1981

"Nice of you t'make an appearance this mornin' Drake. Are yer feeling alright? Fancy a brew?" Alex knew better than to provoke him in his current mood, so she took to her desk silently. Gene glared at her momentarily before turning back to the team.

"Now, as I was sayin' before psycho 'ere interrupted, last night a Mrs Levine 'ad a visitor. He broke into 'er 'ouse, and indecently assaulted 'er. Chris, Ray I want you on door t' door, find out if anyone saw anything. Viv, get uniform out of that 'ouse and onto the street, we need evidence." Gene turned his attention to Alex who was shrugging out of her coat.

"Don't bother with that, Bolly, yer coming with me." Alex let out a sigh and got to her feet. After Gene had taken his coat from his office, the pair walked down the station steps and got into the Quattro. Gene started the engine and for a few minutes there was nothing but silence. Gene looked at Alex; she looked a little pale. He was a little worried if truth be told. He cleared his throat, and tried at his best teasing tone.

"Wassup bolls? You're as pale as a Jew at a Nazi knees up."

Alex shivered.

"I'm fine. Mrs Levine, what's her background?"

Gene noticed the change of subject but went along with it anyway, it was just easier.

"Agatha Levine. 72 years old. Lives with 'er cat, don't like the neighbours and isn't afraid t' show it neither. Whingin' old bat but she's got spirit." Alex could have sworn she'd seen a ghost of a smile flicker across his face for a moment, but on a second take it was gone. The two of them climbed out of the car on knocked on the door. Alex waited for a bitter old woman to answer the door, but to her surprise, Mrs Levine seemed a fairly pleasant, level headed old lady. Oh she had her problems, but she was strong, didn't lay down and take it. Alex listened to her story with interest, taking notes as she did so.

As the front door closed behind them Alex smiled at Gene.

"They don't make them like that any more."

Gene frowned at Alex. Secretly, he wasn't so sure.

Alex stood in front of the whiteboard. While she waited for C.I.D to gather round her, she wrote a few more notes and making connections. As far as Gene was concerned, C.I.D could take as much time as they wanted to assemble themselves as it was giving him a perfect reason to take in Alex's appearance, as he did several times daily. Those long slim legs, that lovely round rump, those slim, perfect hips, and her generous bosom were enough to drive any guy crazy. He enjoyed those rare moments when he could watch her, unspeaking, concentrating, without having to worry about his boys spotting his 'appraisal.'.

But all too soon, his impatient D.I rounded on them and summoned them into they're places more quickly. Gene inwardly sighed, half relieved, half bitterly disappointed. Alex caught that look, and wondered what it was all about. No time to dwell now though.

"Right, Mrs Agatha Levine. 72 years of age. Last night she awoke to find a man standing over her bed-"

Ray, impatient as ever, interrupted.

"Yeah, we know all that."

"I'm aware of that Ray. What you didn't know was that at nine o'clock that evening, Mrs Levine took herself up to bed, where she read for about an hour, before she started dozing off. This makes the time around about ten thirty last night. If you'd care to listen, you might hear something you don't know."

Ray looked closed to seething, as Gene came to stand at Alex's side and continued on her behalf.

"Mrs Levine described the attacker as a white male, late twenties/early thirties, 5'8, slim athletic build, between 10 and 11 stone, with long smooth fingers."

Chris raised a hand.

"What about 'is face?"

Alex shrugged.

"Mrs Levine said that her attacker, kept one gloved hand over his face, that's how she was able to fight him off, causing him to flee."

Gene nodded.

"Now what about the door to door?"

Ray looked over his notes.

"Next door neighbour 'eard a disturbance about 10.35pm, said it sounded like a struggle next door. When 'e went outside to investigate 'e saw a bloke of the same description running off across the field."

Alex nodded.

"Anything else?"

Chris shook his head.

"Nothing Ma'am."

Gene turned to Alex.

"So all we've got is a description of a bloke 'oo could be half the bleedin' population, 'n that's it?"

Alex nodded. Gene pinched his nose and got to his feet with some new found energy.

"Right Ray, get onto to the snouts, do what yer've got to." Ray nodded and got to his feet.

"Guv."

"Chris, get on t' forensics. See if they've turned anythin' up yet."

Chris reached for the phone.

"Yes Guv."

Alex smiled in awe, and not for the first time, at how efficiently Gene directed his team. They all obeyed without a second thought. She'd never come across a team more loyal in all her career, but no matter how many times she saw it here, she still felt a warm admiration and respect for the man behind it all.

May 11th 1981

Alex was walking through the station corridors when she bumped into Gene.

"There yer are Drake I've been looking for yer."

He smiled and Alex was a little shocked at the affect his smile had on her. It was a good thing nobody saw him smile very often. She realised she'd been silently contemplating for quite some time and knew he was waiting for an answer.

"Oh?"

It was the best she could come up with. Gene's smile widened and his eyes narrowed with intent.

"Yeah, there was somethin' I've bin meanin' t' give yer. Think of it as an early birthday present."

Alex saw him smile again and noticed for the first time he had one hand behind his back. She tried to crane her neck round him to see, but realised far too late how close her face was from Gene's. He smiles again, his eyes flicking to her lips and lingering there for a second. "It's not be'ind me back Bolls."

Gene licks his lips and Alex finds herself mimicking him, helpless as her eyes moved to his lips of their own accord, watching his tongue work, and feeling the temperature rising.

"What is this present then?" Her voice low and breathy. Gene raised one eyebrow lazily.

"It's a surprise."

Without anymore warning he swooped down and claimed her lips, crushing her against the wall as he pushed his hard length up against her. That certainly was a surprise!

A big enough surprise in fact to wake Alex. With a gasp she sat bolt upright and took in deep gulps of air, her eyes darting about the room, taking in the surroundings. She was in her bed, in her flat, alone. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or….her thought trailed off. She didn't want to think about that. Her phone's shrill tones brought her mind back to reality.

"D.I Drake? It's Shaz. You better come in, there's been another one." Alex sighed.

"I'll be right in."

Gene watched through his window as Alex made her way up the stone steps and into the station. He didn't quite know how to face her today, not after last night. It was a dream you moron! Yeah, but it was one hell of a dream. Just thinking about it got him all hot under the collar. He forced his mind back onto his paperwork; Alex would be expecting an update after all. Since the incident involving Mrs Levine, there had been spates of burglaries all over London. Although Gene suspected more than one of them was down to the Levine burglar, there was no sign of sexual assault or even so much as him being spotted. That was until now. Gene heard the knock on his office door, and was dragged out of his thoughts. Alex entered and stood before his desk.

"Shaz called, there's been another robbery?"

Gene nodded, not quite meeting her eye, somewhat confusing Alex. Why can't he look at me?

"Yeah, 'cept this is no ordinary blag. It's like the first one at Levine's."

Alex sat on his desk, causing him to look up, and her to look away. What the 'ell's she looking away for?

"Have forensics been over the crime scene?"

"Yeah, nothin."

"What about the victim?"

Gene stood up and reached for the file, only to find Alex was sitting on it. They looked at one another like awkward teenagers for a moment, before Alex hopped off the desk and Gene retrieved the file. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Paul York, 35."

"A man?"

"I dunno 'ow many of you're bloody posh tart mates call 'emselves Paul, but in the real word blokes names are used fer blokes!"

Alex wondered if that was a dig at her name, her stupid comment or both. She settled for rolling her eyes in a way that sent Gene to hell and back, not that she knew that.

"Okay, so what happened?"

"Paul goes out t' see 'is girlfriend, comes 'ome around kickin' out time to find blankets all over 'is sofa, like a child's play-den, he said. It wasn't til it was too late that 'e noticed the blagger 'olding 'is own shotgun to 'is throat. The blagger tied 'im up, stuck some porn on fer a bit 'n then he…he touched him, indecent assault, just like Levine."

"Did Mr York get a look at his face?"

Gene shook his head.

"No, 'e was wearin' a mask. Stole 300 quid, the shotgun and cartridges, and left him tied up fer a neighbour to find."

Alex looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well I think I've got enough to build a profile on."

Nearly one month later, after five more burglaries, C.I.D were not really any closer to catching him. The press had started calling the assailant 'The Fox", after his latest blag. Alex entered the house, with a torch in hand.

He had been there. When he entered, the house had been empty. He had systematically gone about the house, pulling curtain cords and phone wires and the proceeding to set up traps throughout the house. He had made himself at home helping himself to food from the fridge, and he had gone to the trouble of making a den in the front room again.

Team the idea of a den, and a sly guy keeping the police at arms length and the name was born. Alex felt a shiver of dread run through her again at the thought of it. She knew 'The Fox', knew his case well. She herself had been scared to go to the toilet at night in her younger years, in case 'The Fox' was lurking on the landing. Alex knew that a desperate and trying time was ahead, but at least she was forewarned. If only she could remember his name…

"Bolls, are yer plannin' on drinkin' that, or am I gonna 'ave to pour it down yer?"

Alex tried not to picture it in her head but failed: her sitting there, wine soaked shirt clinging to her flat stomach and breasts, smelling of alcohol… she'd be a siren for Gene. She pushed the thought away and sipped her red wine.

Many, many sips later, Luigi looked frustrated with the mess Gene's officers were making of his restaurant, but Gene was too busy to notice, and Luigi didn't want to distract him when it seemed as though he might finally be getting his act together. Alex smiled at Luigi, who smiled back, a man charmed, and headed off to the kitchen. Alex turned back to her DCI and her smile faded. He was leaning heavily on the table, probably having had a few too many to drink. However, she was in no position to criticise.

"Why do you do it Gene? Come here every night, drinking yourself half to death."

Gene looked up from the table top, a resigned look on his face he shrugged.

"Dunno Bolls."

He paused for a moment, and when he looked up again, Alex could see the change in his eyes. Her breath caught, but he continued.

"Probably the same reason you do. No place better t' go, nothin' better t' do."

His eyes moved over her body and she felt suddenly hot. She smiled.

"Oh is that right? I think you come here, with all your men around you, so you can still feel in control."

"I like bein' in control."

Alex would have been a fool to have missed the low growl in his voice, and even bigger fool to be confused about his meaning. She leaned forward slightly, inclining her head at an angle to him, dropping her lashes in a seductive way.

"In control of yourself? Or everyone? Would you like to be in control of me, Gene?"

Alex watched his eyes smile, but his lips never betrayed a thing. Oh, how she wished she hadn't looked at his lips.

"I am."

Alex had lost her train of thought.

"Sorry?"

"I am in control of you Bolly, just not as much as I would like."

He made a shrugging gesture as though it didn't bother him, but the rest of his body betrayed him. His eyes moved down her body, taking in every single inch and looking with every passing second like a very hungry man. Deep down, Gene knew he was making a twat of himself, again. He knew that she was too, but somehow, even when she totally threw herself at him and he did the right thing, he still looked like the prize twat. How did she do it? He was distracted from his thoughts by Alex leaning closer, reaching out to him with her hand….

Hope you all liked it! Chapter 2, if you want me too, up real soon! LSQ x