AN:

Title: Gene's Letter

Words: 802

Romantic Pairings: Gene&Alex.

About: Ashes To Ashes

Summary: Post Series 3, Episode 8. Gene finds the letter that Alex wrote to him during Series 2, now that she has finally gone he can read it, but what did she write to her favourite construct?

The team was gone. He'd bundled them off into The Railway Arms to move on when really he wanted to wrap himself around their legs and beg them not to leave, especially her. Most especially Alex.

It had only been a few hours but already he missed her. He longed to have one last look at her beautiful eyes, one last feel of her hand brushing his, one last waft of her sweet expensive perfume that lingered on his clothes if he hung around her for long enough.

'Soft bastard' he thought 'Going all poofy like these southern gits'

He poured himself a healthy measure of scotch to take his mind off missing his friends, but every time he let his mind wander he thought about her, and every time he looked out of his office window his gaze fell on her desk. He pulled himself to his feet and walked out of his office, heading into the kitchen he picked up a cardboard box that had been left on the side before heading over to Alex's desk. He began bundling her items into the box, he couldn't bear having to look across the office and have all those memories rushing back. The memories hurt, but those same memories always felt like bandages for his open wounds. He remembered times when she'd been furious with him and launched biros across the room, time's when she'd strolled wearily to her desk with a raging hangover, time's when she'd pulled on her jacket and walked with him to Luigi's to share a bottle of wine and amazing yet pointless conversation. He knelt down to clear her desk draw; the lock remained broken from when he had forced it open with a crow bar. He stopped suddenly; his eyes fell upon a white envelope that had his name written on the front. It was the same letter that she had given him months ago before he had shot her, the letter that she'd given out when she had told the team that she may be leaving; the letter that he was only supposed to read after she had gone. He sat down on her chair and tore open the envelope, taking out the letter.

Dear Gene,

If you are reading this then I am either gone or you are disobeying my wishes.

We've shared some great times and I have to say you were my favourite construct, so strong and so brave. There are two sides of you, Mr Hunt, there is the angry, violent bravado that everybody has to see, then there is the gentler side that I think only I and a few others have had the chance to witness.

I remember the first day I arrived here, dressed like a tart and confused as hell. That was one of many times that you took me into your arms and made me feel safe. Because that's who you are Gene, you're a protector.

Remember the time in the vault at Edgehampton? Well as the lighter went out and I said your name, you cut my sentence short. You said that you knew. What did you know Gene? In a way I do and do not hope that that was the point that you realised I had feelings for you, but if you did realise then why did you not say anything to me? If you didn't, then you're not to blame; I did try to keep it to myself. The truth is Gene that I've slowly grown to fall for you, and I know for sure that I am going to miss you; you became a part of my life that I will never forget. I suppose if this is the last chance I will have to say this to you then I should tell you.

Gene Hunt, I love you.

Yours forever,

Alex x

He put the letter on the desk and sat back, sighing deeply. She loved him, and he loved her. They could have had something amazing, but they had missed their chances...

Alex was sat at a corner table in The Railway Arms, an empty bottle of red wine in front of her beside a half empty one. She ran her finger around the rim of the wine glass, sighing deeply.

'You've given up everything Alex, for what?' she thought 'To spend the rest of your afterlife stuck in a pub without the one person you need'.

She drained the rest of the wine from her glass and poured herself another drink, leaning on the edge of the table to sip some.

"He'll come sooner or later, just wait for him and then we'll have forever" she whispered to herself, before tears began to well up in her eyes "But forever seems even longer when you're on your own"