"Oh, Mum, come *on!*"

"No, Molly, no drugs raids!"

"Gene says it's a safe drugs raid..."

"No such thing..."

"Come on Bols," Gene said, exiting his office where he'd been watching the entire scene play out.

He could scarcely believe how much his life had changed in seven short weeks. One day in late July, Alex had pitched up in CID with a twelve-year-old girl who turned out to be her daughter. Neither were very forthcoming about how exactly she'd got to London (Gene had assumed she was in Canada with her father) and he'd volunteered to help the girls decorate out the spare room for Molly.

And he hadn't left them for a single evening since. The Manc Lion had been tamed by a little girl and surprisingly he didn't mind one bit. He hadn't even been to Luigi's in weeks except to get their regular Friday night takeaway. Since Molly had turned up he found himself wanting to play Scrabble with her and Alex or watch crap TV or take them to the cinema, not get blind drunk every night.

Alex sighed and looked back at Molly.

"Come on, Mum, school starts in two days, let me do something fun," Molly protested.

"It's a simple collar, Bolly, I promise to keep her safe."

"Okay then," Alex reluctantly agreed.

Gene was beside himself. Molly was even more insubordinate than Alex and that was saying something. He'd told her to stay in the car... but now he was sat in St. Bart's A & E waiting for news.

Somehow she'd got grabbed, her arm twisted behind her back and her entire body slammed into a wall. Despite Molly's protests that she was fine, Gene had sped off to casualty with her where he was currently perched in an ugly, orange plastic chair and chain-smoking. Alex was going to kill him; after all, he'd promised her he'd keep Molly safe...

"Gene?" Shit. Alex's voice. Ray must have told her. He braced himself for the punch he was sure would follow and he was pretty sure he deserved it. What she said next therefore, really surprised him. "Are you okay?" She put her hands on his shoulders.

"What?"

"Molly called me from the payphone. She said, and I quote, you were, 'hysterical.'"

Gene took another drag of his cigarette. "I let her down..."

"No, she didn't stay in the car, did she?"

"Mum!" Molly called from down the corridor.

Alex pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Molly drew away from her mum's embrace and hugged Gene. "Again," she told him, "I'm sorry."

He squeezed her tight, a strange mixture of annoyed, relieved and worried all at once and said, "It's alright, Mols."

"No it's not!" Alex cut in. "Why don't you do what you're told for once?"

"I was trying to help!" Molly disputed.

"Enough!" Gene interjected. "It's getting late."

"Get in the car," Alex told her daughter.

"No! I want Gene to drive me home." Molly pouted.

"Straight home," Alex told Gene. "She's grounded."

Much later, Alex found Gene sat on the top step outside her flat, smoking as usual. He hadn't smoked in the flat since Molly had arrived. She sat down beside him.

"She's asleep. It's just a wrist sprain, Gene. She doesn't blame you and neither do I." Her hand curled around his arm.

"Yeah, well..." Gene stubbed out his cigarette on the step. "I thought..."

Alex saw a raw honesty in his eyes she thought she'd never see. It was something she'd been longing to witness.

"I thought for a second I'd lost her," Gene continued. "I've only ever been that scared once in my life before..."

"When?" Alex asked, her hands preventing him from lighting yet another cigarette.

"Day I pulled you out of Chas Cale's freezer."

She dropped his hands in shock and watched him light up once again.

"You see, Bols... You. Molly. You've got me tied up in knots." As much as he tried to fight it, the emotion, the pure fear he'd felt that day welled up inside him and he was forced to blink back a few tears. "She's so... *you,* Alex. She's so stubborn and loud and restless and she never shuts up and... I bloody love her." He looked at his DI, wondering if he'd said too much.

Apparently he hadn't. "She loves you too," Alex assured him. She sighed, burying her face in her hands, exhausted. His hands cupped her shoulders and rubbed in soothing circles, easing some of the tension away. Alex turned her head to him and gave him a little smile. "You're always saving me."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I *had* noticed."

Glancing at her watch, she hadn't realised how late it was. "You staying?" More often than not, Gene had been sleeping on the sofa after another late-night Scrabble game had gone on past midnight.

"I think I'll give you and the little lady some space tonight."

"Oh..." Alex bit her lower lip feeling strangely rejected. She wanted, no needed, to be with Gene and have Molly by her side and she wondered if after the events of today Gene would be giving her the cold shoulder. Would he be able to deal with a petulant twelve-year-old after all?

"If Molly's okay..." Gene looked at his feet, uncharacteristically shy. "How about I take you to dinner tomorrow? Early of course so we can get back to her. Maybe we could pick up ice cream afterwards, get a video in, watch it together."

Alex's smile was possibly the brightest he'd ever seen. "Yes, that sounds wonderful!" She could have hugged him, feeling some of her fears and anxieties melt away.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow at six?"

She nodded, standing up. "Okay, six o'clock." Suddenly she felt nervous and looked down at where he still sat. "We have to take this slow, Gene. I'm trying to figure everything out and..."

He stood swiftly and cupped her face with his hands, silencing her. "As slow as you want, Bolly."

After she'd said 'goodnight' to Gene, Alex went to check on Molly one last time. The covers had pooled around her waist, exposing her back a little where her pyjama t-shirt had ridden up. Alex pulled the duvet up and Molly stirred.

"Why are you tucking me in? I thought you were mad at me..."

"Not really." Alex lay down next to her daughter. "Molls?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I go out with Gene tomorrow night?" Alex was nervous. What if Molly didn't want her to go?

Suddenly Molly was wide awake and squealing with delight, her eyes sparkling. She threw her good arm around her Mum. "This is awesome!"

Relief flooded her veins. "So this means you're okay with it then?"

"D'uh!" Molly squeezed tighter. "We have so much to do before tomorrow..." Molly chattered on. "We have to get you a new dress- turquoise. You look good in turquoise and I bet Gene would really like it and you have that kick eyeliner that would go with it so perfectly and..."

"Molly?" Alex cut in, exhausted. "You talk too much," she told her, leaning across to flick off the bedside light.

Molly mock-gasped, pretending to be offended. "Look who's talking."

With that, they both descended into a fit of giggles.

Outside, Gene was watching. He smiled to himself seeing the light go out. He couldn't leave without knowing his girls were tucked up safely in bed; once he'd left before Alex's light went out and he couldn't sleep and drove back over at 2.30 a.m. just to make sure.

As he walked back over to the Quattro, Gene Hunt had a rare smile on his face. She'd said 'yes...'