Still here.

After everything that had happened in one long, miserable day. Still here, in this time and place with these ridiculous clothes and this man.

Just a delusion. A second-hand delusion at that. Something Sam Tyler had dredged up out of his twisted subconscious and bequeathed to her when he took his own life. If she ever saw the bastard again, he'd get a piece of her mind for that. Not that her mind was worth all that much anymore.

But Gene had to be real. She'd seen him save the little girl who'd been her. Watched him make sure that that Alex would be all right, or at least strong enough to grow up to be her.

And now he was here. In her flat. Watching her pour the obligatory drinks, and waiting. If she was still here, and he was with her, then there had to be a reason. Maybe he was here to save her again, this time from herself. The fears and doubts and loneliness that the little girl had never really gotten over.

"Gene," she started, handing him a glass.

"Don't," he replied, taking it, and downing the shot quickly. "If you talk, we're gonna fight, and that's not what I'm here for."

"Well, at least one of us seems to know what your purpose is."

"You know, Bolly. You've known all along."

His voice was low and steady and his eyes ran over her body, still clad in the ludicrous attire that had actually started to feel normal to her. The trip through her past had led to this. Undoing the belt, pulling the blouse off, removing her bra. She didn't look at Gene, but she knew he was watching her, or maybe she was watching herself, from somewhere far, far away or deep inside her mind. It didn't matter anymore.

Gene stood up. He hadn't even taken the coat off, she noticed and wondered what that meant, until he kissed her, exactly the way she'd always suspected he would. Roughly,with one hand working its way under her skirt, pushing her back toward the couch.

No fake romance here then. Even if she'd gone completely bonkers, she wasn't stupid enough to imagine that.

Alex had her eyes closed but could still see everything that was happening. The images flashed by like highlights from a pornographic film starring her, looking like the whore they'd taken her for and that she must feel she was on some level.

Dim lighting showed her being fucked on the sofa. Gene, still wearing the coat, her legs wrapped around his back, complete with ungainly spike heels, clearly necessary for the full obscene effect, and naturally the sound track, because Gene still had a few choice words as he pushed inside her and the mind she'd lost responded to all of it.

The words, the hard cock, and the rough fabric under her fingers as she pushed back, moaning and screaming, letting out all the feelings of the day, both the girl's and the woman's.

Time sense was completely distorted so she had no idea if it lasted too long or was over too soon. Either way, she ended up sore, sticky, tired and elated all at the same time.

"Good lord," she said, touching her lips, now raw and sensitive, "that was…"

"Not bad for a first go-round." "

"First and last," she announced emphatically. "That was the end, right? I'm going home now."

Gene shook his head sympathetically, and Alex found herself terrified in a way she'd never been in the face of Hunt's loudest bellowing.

"Sorry, love. You are home, and that was just the beginning."