A/N: I didn't get the rights to Ashes to Ashes for Christmas, so BBC and Kudos still have all the fun.

I promised I wouldn't leave that ghastly cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 31 hanging for too long, so here as promised is the next instalment.

I'll be posting a couple of non-A2A oneshots shortly (shock, horror), but fear not, there is plenty more of this story in the pipeline, and I'll post another chapter as soon as I can.

If you want to review, you know what to do...

A happy, healthy, wealthy, A2A-filled 2018 to everyone reading this!

"So is that what you do when you're looking for contacts in Soho?" Lisa raged. "Go to see your tart and her son? Your son?"

"He isn't my son." Jason found his voice at last.

"Pull the other one, it's got bells on. It's that or you've been cloned. And that's not all, is it? I saw where your tart went when she left the house. She went into the Golden Domino. The club we're raiding tomorrow. So is that what you were doing? Tipping her off about the raid? Putting the whole team in danger?"

"No, I didn't, I didn't tell her about the raid -"

"You've betrayed me, you've betrayed all of us!" She jumped to her feet. "You. Are. Dumped."

"What's up? Trouble in Paradise?"

They both started as a tall shadow fell across the table. Gene loomed over them, a glass of red wine in each hand. Over at the corner table, Alex watched in open-mouthed horror. The restaurant had gone very quiet.

"Pardon me for intruding on your little love-nest," Gene said ironically. "When you 'ave a discussion at ninety-five decibels in a restaurant full of coppers, you've got to expect to be over'eard."

Lisa was very white. "Guv - "

"You were discussing tomorrow night's operation."

"Guv, it was nothing - "

"Didn't sound like nothing to me. It sounded like a lot."

"No - " Lisa subsided into her chair and looked as though she was about to start crying again. Jason was dumbstruck with horror. If I admit I've been talking to a member of the Domino's staff, I'll be finished here. And even if I don't say anything, he'll get it out of Lisa. She'll never stand up to the Guv's interrogation. The Guv'll never believe that I didn't warn Mum about the raid. Any more than Lisa did.

"Craven. Collins. A word." He looked around him. "The rest of you, kindly talk amongst yourselves."

They followed him to the exit. Alex rose from the corner of the table and joined them, just as Sandro arrived with her food and Gene's.

"I'm sorry, Sandro, you'll have to keep those hot," she said softly to him. "We have important matters to discuss." He nodded and took the plates back to the kitchen.

Without saying a word, Gene led the group across the road, past Steve, the skip on the night shift, and into his office. He turned the light on, sat on the edge of the desk, gestured to Alex to stand at his side, and faced the other two.

"Right. This isn't an interview, yet. It might become one. Depends on what you're both prepared to tell me now, off the record. Collins, you are facing an allegation from your lady colleague 'ere with regard to tomorrow night's operation. Is it true?"

"I haven't told anyone anything about the raid. You have my word for that."

"Don't know what that's worth. Craven, you were talking about 'im tipping off 'is tart. Whom you saw going into the Golden Domino. The club we're raiding tomorrow."

"She isn't a tart!" Jason burst out.

"Stick to the point. Did you or didn't you?"

"I've already told you, I wasn't tipping her off!"

"So you're admitting that you went to see an employee of the club we're raiding tomorrow?"

"Yes, but it wasn't to tell her about the raid."

"Then why did you go and see her at all?" Alex spoke up. "Surely you must have realised what a foolhardy thing it was to do. And how it would look if anyone found out about it."

Jason swallowed, but he realised that it would be easier to answer Alex's gentle questioning than Gene's browbeating. She might even be giving me the chance to clear myself with the Guv and with Lisa. "While you were both away in Manchester, I spent a night in Soho looking for an old contact. Someone I used to know when I worked in a restaurant, not the Golden Domino, when I returned to London when I was seventeen. I didn't find him, but I stopped in the Domino for a Cola and met this lady. I - used to know her, a long time ago, when I was first in Soho. She's not a tart."

"What does she do, then?" Gene was sceptical.

"She used to be one of their singers, now... she works behind the bar," Jason admitted reluctantly.

"An' you knew perfectly well that Shorty fingered the bar staff as being behind the drugs!" Gene roared.

"Guv, she's a decent woman. She's trying to scrape a living and bring up her little boy. Whatever's going on there, I know that she has nothing to do with it."

"If she's scraping a living, might be all the more reason she's doing the drugs as a sideline. Could be one of their runners. One of their pushers. An' you warned 'er. Craven's right. You've betrayed this team."

Lisa burst noisily into tears. Alex pulled a chair forward and sat her in it, and Gene, scowling, dragged a Kleenex from the box on his desk and crammed it into her hot hand.

"Please, Sir," she moaned, "this is all my fault. If only I hadn't lost my temper..." She broke down into sobs again.

"Not at all." Gene was as stern as a judge. "If it 'adn't been for your plonk's instincts, we wouldn't 'ave known we 'ad a traitor in the ranks."

"I'm not a traitor!" Jason shouted. "I've told you, I didn't tell her about the raid! All I did was to tell her not to go to the club tomorrow!"

Gene sprang to his feet and faced Jason, nose to nose. "An' 'ow did you do that, if you weren't betraying the operation?"

Jason flinched. "I told her that Social Services were after her. That they might take her son away from her if they knew that she was leaving him with a neighbour. I told her they were running a check in the area tomorrow night and that she should stay with him in case they knocked on her door. She said that she'll call in sick. I was very careful to tell her not to tell anyone else what I'd told her."

"Even if that's true, 'er absence might alert 'em to the fact that something's up. Especially if any of 'er colleagues an' fellow pushers spotted 'er talking to you."

"I met her on neutral ground, Guv. Freemans Cafe in Poland Street."

"Doesn't matter. Soho's one big village, everyone's in everyone else's pockets. Your do-goodin' boy scout instincts 'ave compromised this investigation."

"Guv, I swear to you, the investigation's watertight!"

"You are off this case."

"Guv - "

Alex looked troubled. "Guv, can we have a word?"

"As many as you like, Lady Bols, once I've finished with this traitor 'ere. Collins. You can think yourself lucky I'm not suspending you. I did that once before to an officer I didn't trust, just before a big operation. Meant they were a loose cannon, an' someone got badly 'urt. Took us months to clear up the shit. You'll be spending tonight in the cells. I'll tell Skip it's for work experience. Tomorrow you'll be in 'ere, bright an' early, where I can keep an eye on you all day. Just to make sure you can't tip off your little friends again."

"But I didn't - "

"You. Come with me. Birds stay 'ere."

He strode out of the office with the wretched Jason in his wake. Alex looked anxiously at Lisa, who had dried her tears and sat very still, staring ahead, devoid of emotion.

"Oh, Lisa, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"No, Ma'am, it's mine." Her voice was flat and toneless. "I trusted him, and that made me find out things that showed me I shouldn't trust him."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I'd rather not."

Alex ached to sweep the younger girl into her arms and comfort her. It'll be just like this for Molly when she breaks up with her first real boyfriend. Only I won't be there for her.

"Did you believe him when he said that the woman is an old friend?"

"No."

"Are you upset because he's in trouble?"

"I should be, but I'm not. I'm glad. Maybe I will be sorry, but I can't feel anything at the moment. I know everything's over between us, anyway. He won't be able to forgive me for getting him into trouble."

"If it's any consolation, think how much worse it would have been if the raid had gone ahead without our knowing what he'd done. He may only have meant to warn his friend to stay away from the Golden Domino, but if she does tip off anyone there, we might have walked straight into a trap. You might have saved all our lives."

"He won't be able to forgive me. I've ruined his career."

Alex laid a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. She felt as rigid as a board. "Think how much more it would have been ruined if the raid had been compromised. The Guv would have had to charge him then. You prevented that. You've enabled the Guv to deal with it unofficially. That's his way."

They both jumped as the door flew open and Gene marched in.

"What's all this, Lesbos United?"

"I think you can hardly accuse me of that, Guv," Alex said acidly.

"Right, Collins is safely tucked up for the night. Craven, a word before you go."

"Does it have to be now, Guv? She's very upset."

"Yes, it does. Just tell us, 'ow did you know what 'e'd been up to?"

"I'd better start, Guv." Gene looked at Alex in silent surprise at her interruption. "Jason told me that he was going out to re-interview Janice Wakelyn. I checked the file because I remembered her statement saying that she was away this week, and I asked Lisa if she'd transcribed it correctly."

"So both of you knew 'e'd been lying?"

"It was perfectly possible that he'd made a mistake and forgotten that Janice Wakelyn was away. We didn't know where he'd gone, or why. That was when you collared me to interview Hobson."

"An' you followed 'im, Craven."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Lisa's face was stony. "Because I was worried about him. More fool me."

"Because you thought 'e'd lied?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"Because I didn't want to get him into trouble."

"You didn't need to. 'E did that all by 'is little self. Just tell us what you saw when you followed 'im."

"It's all right," Alex added soothingly. "You aren't in any trouble, but we need to know if he told us everything."

"I followed him to the cafe in Poland Street. I sat just inside the door, he went straight to a table where a woman was waiting for him. She's old and fat. They were talking for several minutes, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but - " she had to stop for a moment - "he kissed her when she left, and she touched his shoulder, it was obvious they knew each other very well. I - I followed her back to a flat in Lower John Street, right opposite the Golden Domino. I waited outside, and when she left she went into the club. I saw her." She would not say what else she had seen. The little boy who was proof of Jason's duplicity.

"Might she have been a customer?" Alex said gently.

Lisa shook her head. "No, she knocked to be let in, and I saw a notice outside saying that the club didn't open until six."

"Time you saw 'er?"

"Five thirty."

"Good police work, Craven. You've rumbled a traitor for us. If you 'adn't followed 'im, we wouldn't 'ave known about 'is tip-off and we might all 'ave been in danger. You've done well. That's why I want you to do another little job for me."

She looked up, surprised. "Sir?"

"Tomorrow night." He fished two ten pound notes from his pocket. "I need Collins kept under guard during the raid. You'll take 'im to the pictures. 'Ere's the money, enough for food an' a cab as well. Take 'im back to Sandro's after the film an' wait there with 'im till we're back. Don't dare let 'im out of your sight until we tell you."

Lisa stared at the money in his outstretched hand. "No, Sir. I can't."

"What d'you mean, you can't?" Gene barked.

"I can't see him, ever again. I'll have to transfer."

"Listen to me, Craven. You're a good little plonk, but you've still got to learn that being a copper means that not everybody'll like you all the time. Principally killers, blaggers, muggers, fences, rapists, buggers, nonces an' ponces, but also your colleagues. It's not all playin' Tufty an' seein' kiddies across the road. You won't be taking your dumb DI out for a social occasion. You will be on duty as 'is police guard. To stop 'im doing anything else tomorrow night that reveals the poverty of 'is IQ."

"Oh, but, Sir - "

"That's an order."

Lisa knew when she was beaten.

"Yes, Sir." She took the money.

"An' use some of that for a cab. Now. Get Skip to phone for it."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you. Good night, Sir. Ma'am." She stumbled out, empty-eyed, into an empty world.

"I'll go with her." Alex made for the door.

"Yeah, make sure Skip gets 'er that cab, an' stay with 'er till it comes. Don't want 'er visiting Collins in the cells. She might beat 'im up."

Alex caught up with her at the front desk, where Steve had just finished a phone call.

"Evening, Ma'am. Lisa's cab'll be here in five."

"Thanks, Skip. Lisa, would you like me to wait with you until it comes?"

"Thank you, Ma'am." Reaction was setting in, and she was shaking. Alex steered her to the swing doors.

"We'll wait in Interview Room One until the cab's here, Skip."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Alex got Lisa into the interview room and helped her to sit in the nearest chair. She buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, God, Ma'am, what have I done?"

"Never mind now." Alex pulled a chair up beside her and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "Go home and get some sleep."

"I won't be able to... Oh, how could I have been such a fool? I've ruined everything!"

"No, you haven't. Tomorrow you and he will be able to talk to each other, if that's what you want."

"He won't."

"You never know." Alex stroked her shoulder soothingly. "I'm a psychologist, and I know there are things you haven't told us about tonight."

Lisa jerked up to face her.

"How?"

"Body language. Eye contact. The pitch of your voice. All elementary stuff. I can teach you more about it someday, if you like. But that means that there are things you and he need to talk about. Believe me, it'll be better if you can."

Lisa was near to tears. "C-can I tell you, Ma'am? I'm sorry, but I must tell someone, and there's no-one else."

"Of course you can. Take your time. Skip can tell the cab to wait if necessary."

Lisa stared straight ahead of her. "I didn't tell the Guv this, but when I followed that woman back to Lower John Street, I saw her go into a flat opposite the club. After she'd gone into the club, I knocked at the door of the flat. There was an old woman there, with a little boy called Jason, who, who looks just like him!"

"Ah." Alex's suspicions had been confirmed.

"I thought he and I had a connection!" Lisa wailed. "Now I find I'm nothing but his bit on the side!"

"Did you tell him that you'd found this out?" Alex said very seriously.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"That that woman isn't his tart and the boy isn't his son."

"Did you believe him?"

"No. Part of me wishes I could, and part of me never wants to see him or speak to him again."

"You're tired and upset," Alex said soothingly. "Have a warm bath and plenty of Horlicks with cinnamon before you go to bed. Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow you and he will both be clearer-headed, and then you'll have to talk. Maybe after the cinema."

Lisa became stony again. "If I can. If I want to. If he wants to."

"Whatever happens outside of work, the Guv isn't going to tolerate the two of you not communicating as colleagues. That could impair the work of the team. So you and Jason will have to find a way of working together, and I tell you now, the Guv will not allow either of you to transfer out because of this incident. I'll tell Jason the same when he's let out, tomorrow."

"I don't want you to ask him to forgive me, Ma'am."

"I won't. That'll be up to you. If you want to. But you must give him a chance to explain."

There was a tap at the door and Steve put his head round it. "Lisa's cab's here."

"Thanks, Skip." Alex helped the shattered girl to her feet and supported her out to the front entrance. "Good night, and remember what I said."

Lisa nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and stumbled down the steps to the waiting taxi. With a nod of thanks to Steve, Alex took herself back to Gene's office, where he sat morosely drinking whisky. She knew that she would have to handle this carefully . Even if Jason turned out to be innocent, his actions could not help but recall Chris's treachery. She hoped that Gene would not be too drunk to discuss what had happened.

"Guv? Can we have that word now?"

Gene set his glass down and glared at her with all the force of the bitterness she recalled from the night of the stakeout at Talbot Street. "Talk."

"I'm afraid this is partly my fault. You know Jason gave me his life story when he first came here."

"Yes?"

"I summarised it for you, but there were things I didn't tell you then which I think have an important bearing on what's happened today."

Gene took another generous gulp of whisky. "Expound."

"I told you that Jason suffered a tragedy in his childhood, just as Sam and I did. In his case, that his mother tried to make a go of bringing him up but took to drink, handed him over to a grandfather whom he hated, and died shortly afterwards."

"Yeah. Ray's dad. So?"

Alex took a deep breath. "When his mother found she was pregnant, she left Manchester, came to London, and got a job, first as a singer, later as a barmaid. In Soho."

"Shit. So you think Mr Brainless was warning 'is mum off in case we nicked 'er tomorrow?"

"It looks like that. Trying to change the past, just as Sam and I did. There's one other thing which supports that theory. Lisa's just told me that the woman has a son, called Jason, who looks just like Jason. She's jumped to the conclusion that he's Jason's son. But if my theory is right, the boy is Jason's younger self."

"Hm. We know 'e's a Carling, but today 'e's acted more like a Skelton."

"Because you think he may have betrayed us?"

"Because 'e's demonstrated an IQ so low that 'e makes Chris look like Brain of Britain."

"I'm sorry, Gene. If only I'd told you more before."

"Good job you didn't." Gene finished the Scotch and set his glass down with a decisive clang.

"What?"

"We're guardians, you an' me. We've got to act as though we don't know what this world is. I didn't know what Tyler was up to when 'e pulled a gun on me to let Vic Tyler escape, I didn't know what you were doin' when you locked the Prices up. I can't treat Collins any different. He's a copper who's endangered an operation by talking to a civilian who might be involved."

Alex nodded slowly. "You were right when you said that knowing makes it harder to bear."

"The price for being what we are an' doing what we do."

"So do we cancel the operation?"

"No. We go ahead tomorrow on schedule."

"Why?"

"Because it's the only way we can prove whether Collins did betray us or not."

"I thought that would be your reason."

"Stop tryin' to psychobabble-analyse me."

"But won't it be too dangerous, if he did tip the club off?"

"Would 'ave been, if we didn't know what 'e'd done. Thanks to Craven, we do. I'll go in with Terry, Bammo, Cotsey an' Poirot, all five wired, an' we'll take our guns."

"Hang on, I was going in."

"You'll be taking Collins's place in the van."

Alex stiffened. "Why? Because I'm a mere bird and need to be kept out of danger?"

"Keep your corset on, Drake. You'll be in the van. That's an order."

"I'm not made of glass, for God's sake!"

"I know you aren't!" Gene shouted. "I'd like to 'ave your left 'ook an' Sargent's judo throwing abilities in there. But Collins was to 'ave been in charge of the listening operation in the van, an' we 'aven't got anyone else I can trust with runnin' it."

Her anger dispersed like morning mist. "Oh, Gene..."

"Sargent's a good plonk but I don't know 'er well enough yet. Can't risk leaving 'er in charge an' 'ave 'er panickin' an' sendin' reinforcements in too early. You've got the common sense of a grain weevil, but you'll know when we need the backup. An' if the fun lasts long enough, you can come an' join in. Just make sure you don't leave the van empty. Don't want it nicked."

Alex was torn between guilt and righteous anger. She felt terrible about having assumed, yet again, that he was being a sexist bastard, and she knew that what he had said was eminently reasonable, for him. The less charitable part of her brain suspected that, despite his disclaimer, his chauvinistic protective instincts were at work. For once, she decided not to push the issue. The evening had been hard enough as it was.

"Roger that, Guv. In the meantime, shall we see if Sandro has managed to salvage our supper?"

Gene snorted. "It'll be pulp or cremated."

"And we'll have to say something to the team. They must be speculating like mad."

"Yeah." Gene heaved himself out of his chair. "We'll tell 'em Collins is off the case because 'is little difference of opinon with Lisa's obliged 'im to disclose to us that 'e's got a contact in the area who could compromise 'is cover."

"Not convincing, but it's the best we can do."

"Yes, when you've got Craven yapping like a demented Jack Russell all over Sandro's about covert operations, we've got more chance of Ray becomin' a relationship counsellor than we've got of keeping things secret around 'ere."

"Says the man who's frequently used the restaurant as a command centre in the past. Remember how Luigi used to complain about it."

Gene glared. "That was information I chose to let out. Safe for public consumption. Makes it completely different, as well you know."

"Oh, yes, I forgot how much you hated giving anyone else any responsibility." Alex allowed herself to sound sarcastic.

"Not just that," he blustered. "Craven's got some lessons to learn before she'll be ready to leave us. About not sounding off like Aretha Franklin about confidential police business in a public place. And about not jumping to conclusions."

Alex rolled her eyes. "The mote and the beam."

"Come on, woman. I'm 'ungry. An' not just for Sandro's grub."

She smiled fondly as he slipped his arm around her waist. "Sex pest."

-oO0Oo-

It was hardly surprising that Jason barely managed a wink of sleep all night. Even had it not been for the extreme discomfort of his cell, the turmoil of his thoughts would have kept him awake. He was sustained by the knowledge that he had done the right thing. Whatever else happened, saving his mother and his younger self had to be paramount. But it was balanced by the despairing knowledge that he had destroyed the happy, fulfilling existence he had created for himself in this world. Lisa thought him a liar and a cheat, and he could not tell her the truth. The Guv despised him as a traitor. So would the rest of the team once they learned that he had apparently betrayed them. He had a slight ray of hope that Alex might believe him, as she had accepted his story about coming from the future, but he feared that she would have no chance of convincing anyone else. He would have to leave. He could not look any of them in the face again. But where else could he go in this world? If wishing alone could have done it, he would have gone home that night.

"Sir? Are you listening?" he said softly. "Because I think I am ready to come back, after all."

Silence.

He fell into a troubled, intermittent doze around 4.00, and at 6.00 he was disturbed by the sound of his door opening. He looked up, bleary-eyed, as Alex walked in and pushed the door to behind her.

"Morning. Sorry about your uncomfortable night. I've got the Guv to agree that you can go now, so that you're out before Paul arrives for the day shift. The fewer people who know about this, the better. I'm afraid he won't let you be alone, though, just in case you try to contact anyone to tell them that you were rumbled last night. I'll take you back to your flat so that you can get ready for the day and I'll see you back to the office. Lisa's under orders to take you out tonight during the operation."

"But I can't - "

"Come on." Alex used her most magisterial don't-dare-argue-with-me voice. "Paul will be here soon and we don't want to have to explain to him. Steve will keep his mouth shut."

Jason followed her out of the cell, up the stairs, and past the desk, where Alex handed the key to Steve.

"Thanks for the loan of the cell."

Steve beamed. "Think nothing of it, Ma'am. Hope your work experience was useful, Sir."

"Wor - ?"Jason caught Alex's eye and felt her kick his ankle. "Oh, yes. Very. Thanks."

She would not allow him to speak again until she had shepherded him into the flat. Much to his relief, she took him via the external stairs to avoid Sandro and his staff. As soon as she had locked the door behind them, he sank onto the sofa, his head in his hands.

"Oh, God..."

Alex sat beside him. "It's bad, but it might have been worse. The Guv and I have ensured that the team learned as little as possible. So far as they know, what Gene overheard Lisa saying last night obliged you to disclose to us that you have a contact in Soho who might unwittingly blow our cover. Which I gather is something near the truth."

"Yes, but - "

"They've been told that's why you've been taken off the case. The operation's going ahead tonight, and you'll be under guard until it's over. You won't be allowed out of the office until beer o'clock, and this evening Lisa will be with you."

"But I can't - "

"The Guv's going to see how things go tonight before deciding what happens next, but I can tell you that he won't allow either you or Lisa to transfer because of this incident. He believes that everyone's worth saving, especially those who've lost their way."

Jason looked full at her. "Do you believe that I betrayed the team?"

She returned his gaze. "No, I don't think you did. What you did was very foolish, but I don't believe it was criminal. Are you prepared to tell me why you took such a risk and lied to all of us - even if you wouldn't tell the Guv?"

"But I did tell him."

"Not everything. Did you?"

He lowered his eyes. "No."

"Care to tell me, off the record? I'll be wearing my psychologist's hat, if you prefer."

It was what he had hoped for. He looked up at her. "You remember I've told you that I come from the future."

"You have said that, yes," she agreed guardedly.

"I told you that I spent my childhood in Soho."

"Ye -es?"

He swallowed. "While you and the Guv were in Manchester, I went back to Soho to find the place where I lived and the nightclub where my mother worked. I - I went in there and found her."

"Oh, Jason." The sorrow in her voice made him look up, and he would never forget the deep pity and grief he found in her eyes. "Was this the woman you saw this evening? The one Lisa saw?"

"Yes," he said wretchedly."You know, I told you, in the real world my mother gave me up to my grandfather when I was five. In September 1984. She died soon after. This is May. What if the reason she gave me up was because she was caught up in the raid on the Domino and jailed? That's why it was so terribly important for me to see her today and warn her. It might change her future and mine - that is, my younger self's."

Alex swallowed hard. Jason's plight reminded her so starkly of her own efforts to save her parents, and she longed to be able to confide in him, but she knew that the consequences could be fatal for all of them.

"This was the little boy Lisa saw?" she managed to say.

"Yes, but I can't possibly tell Lisa that I was seeing my mother. She'll think I'm mad."

"Candidly, so do I," Alex lied. "But at least you've already told me about your belief that you're dreaming your life while in a coma. I presume you haven't mentioned that to Lisa?"

"No," he admitted. "Only to you."

"Well." Alex sighed deeply. "No wonder she was so angry. And you can hardly tell her or the Guv any of this."

"I wasn't even going to try. I didn't want anyone to know. It was just so important to warn my mother. The most important thing in the world."

"If it's any consolation," she said gently, "you aren't the first person I've known who's faced this sort of dilemma. You may remember that when you first joined the team, I told you that I'd once corresponded with a colleague who'd been in a prolonged deep coma during which he'd experienced a full sensory hallucination, just like yours. He told me that during his hallucination, he was given an opportunity to get back home, but he knew that to do it, he'd have to betray everything in his hallucinatory world that he held most dear."

Jason looked at her intently. "And did he?"

She returned his gaze. "He did, and his sense of guilt was overpowering. He woke up to find that his coma world was more real to him than reality. It broke his heart."

"I didn't want to hurt anyone here, I swear I didn't," Jason said miserably. "I don't want to go home."

"Oh, Jason..."

"At least, I didn't," he amended. "Now, I'm not sure. What's left for me here, now? And what's waiting for me if I wake up? An empty life, either way."

"Whichever, your problems won't be solved by running away from them." God, I sound like Mary Poppins.

"I know."

"I've already told you, the Guv's solved one of them for you. What happened last night is between the four of us. It'll be up to you to decide how to mend things with Lisa. And we'll have to see what happens after tonight's operation. In the meantime, you have to get ready for work. I'll stay here. The Guv doesn't want you left alone until after we're all back tonight."

Thus adjured, Jason went to shower, shave and change, while Alex made breakfast for him and black coffee for herself, having already breakfasted with Gene. When he was ready, she took him across the road to CID and saw him to his desk. Lisa already sat at hers, red-eyed and grim-faced, typing as though her life depended upon it. She did not so much as look at Jason, let alone speak to him, but Alex could guess that it was not anger but embarrassment and fear that kept her silent.

Alex went straight into Gene's office, careful to close the door behind her.

"Well? What did you get out of Collins?"

"It's as I thought, Guv," she said quietly, careful that no-one should overhear.

"Hm. Doesn't mean we can trust 'im yet,"

"No. The only way he'll be able to clear himself with you, with all of us, is if the raid's a success."

"Yeah. An' even if it is, I'll still 'old it against 'im that I won't be seeing you tonight dressed in your sluttiest."

"Ah, well, I can always arrange for a private showing to make up for that," she purred, and his eyes kindled.

"Agreed. After the raid."

"After the raid."

TBC