Gene didn't exactly ever move in he just... never left. Sunday dinner had become late night 'Scrabble,' which had gone on past midnight and then when the third 'Scrabble' game had gone unfinished Molly asked him to come back the next day... and the game never seemed to end so Gene stayed. There was no discussion, just a general acceptance that he'd moved back in with them.

After a month, Alex decided she was okay with it. Gene was the perfect houseguest who generally didn't get in her way, looked after Molly and made her feel safe, especially at night. That and she was hopelessly in love with him. It didn't mean she didn't worry that she didn't love him the way he loved her, though. But it worked. Just the three of them. It worked.

It was December 23rd when she realised, without doubt, she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, that he wasn't going anywhere despite everything that had happened, Alex wasn't going to ask him to leave. Molly was overexcited about Christmas and it wasn't even a question that Gene would be spending the festive season with them. Shaz had offered to take Molly out for some last minute Christmas shopping and instead of going out and getting drunk with Ray, Gene had patiently followed Alex around an overcrowded 'Tesco's' for three hours, pushing the trolley, being attentive and interested and not complaining, not once. He'd good-naturedly loaded up the Quattro and not grumbled or swore when they'd got stuck in traffic. He'd even paid for the entire thing, for their Christmas. When they got home he insisted on unloading and putting everything away while Alex relaxed on the sofa, watched 'Top of the Pops' and drank the tea he'd made her. She'd never expected him to be so domesticated... that or he wanted something, she could read him like a book.

What he said next was the kicker. When he was done putting the groceries away, he joined her on the sofa, looking down nervously at his hands.

"Bolls, I wanted to talk to you about something... well it's about our Molly actually..."

Alex blinked. "Go on."

"She calls me 'Dad...'"

She sighed, annoyed. They'd been here before. "I've told you, if it makes you uncomfortable I'll ask her to stop-"

"It doesn't! Will you just let me talk for once, Alex? This is important."

"Sorry." She rested her hand on his. "Carry on."

Gene took a deep breath. "She calls me 'Dad.' And it feels like I am, her Dad I mean."

Alex squeezed his fingers reassuringly. "I know how close you two are and I appreciate everything you do for her."

"I just was thinking about making it official, that's all."

"I'm not sure I follow."

Gene suddenly stood up and began pacing nervously, a caged lion. "Went to see that Evan ponce. Still hate the bastard anyway, he charged me fifty quid to tell me I could make this well, official. If you agreed and she wanted to like, I..." He faltered and came to a stop. "If we can't find your ex and Molly told me he'd pissed off to Newfoundland never to be seen again. Or if he reappeared and he agreed... I could adopt her." To his surprise he saw tears glistening in Alex's eyes. "Shit. I knew it was too much. Sorry, Bolls. Forget it; I knew it was a stupid idea..." He unexpectedly found his arms full of her and she was kissing him.

"And you say I talk too much." She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him tight. "I know Molly would love it if you asked her."

"You're okay with it?"

"Very okay with it." As she continued to play with the hair on the back of his neck and he continued to hold her and soothe her for as long as she wanted she wondered what she had been so scared of. "I never answered your question," she murmured, absent-mindedly.

"What?" He drew back and cupped her face in his hands.

"At the restaurant-"

"Oh, Bolly, don't, it doesn't matter..."

"Can I say yes?" She whispered, looking into his eyes. She'd never been so sure of anything in her life. "Can I say I'll marry you now? If you want to."

"Are... are you serious?" His heart was hammering in his chest, triple-time, he was sure most of London must be able to hear it. It was like a dream, not the nightmare marriage had previously been for him, a good dream.

She nodded, tears still sparkling in her eyes.

He picked her up and twirled her round, just like in the movies. Once he'd put her down again and she was about to kiss him, he stopped her. "Wait."

"What?"

"Just wait here." He disappeared, into Molly's room of all places and after some swearing and shuffling about he reappeared. "Found it." He handed her the small, plastic egg-shaped object he'd been looking for. "Remember when I took Molly to the arcade a few months back?" Alex nodded and he continued, "She pulled this out of the machine. She said if you ever changed your mind you could have it, until we can get you a real one. Go on, open it."

Alex cracked the container open and out fell a shiny, plastic ring with a shiny, fake plastic diamond. She smiled as he placed it on her finger. "It's perfect."

888888

How was it possible? How was it possible that this tiny thing was louder than both Alex and Molly put together? Even the cat was camping out in the top of the wardrobe and refused to come out because of the noise.

At first, Alex had been shocked and upset to find out she was pregnant just a month before their wedding. She'd cried and lot and Gene had held her and then Molly had crashed in and he'd made up some lame excuse about Alex having a migraine which Molly hadn't bought for a second. Then Molly had asked Gene if she could go and babysit for some of their neighbours and when he asked Alex this seemed to calm her down a lot. They were going to be okay.

It was hard but things *had* been okay. Molly had spent hours helping them patiently look around seemingly every house for sale in London until Alex found one she thought was right. In fact, Molly had been a saint throughout the whole thing and she'd been thrilled and cried with joy when Gene had taken her out to dinner, just the two of them and asked her if she wanted to make this whole 'Dad' thing for real.

Yes, baby Hunt was definitely louder than any other woman he'd ever met. Alex groaned and jabbed him the ribs, exhausted.

"Your turn," she whispered into her pillow.

Gene moaned and sleepily made his way to the nursery only to find Molly already comforting her sister.

"Molls? Love, it's alright, I've got her, you've got school in the morning, go back to bed."

"It's okay." She gently rocked the baby, apparently knowing just what to do to soothe her. Often, she'd only settle for Molly, she was so quiet and calm around her. "It's her 'lonely' cry, she's not hungry."

"All sounds the bastard same to me." He rubbed his eyes and leaned against the doorpost. "What do *you* think we should call her, Molls?" He and Alex had been arguing about the baby's name seemingly non-stop since she'd been born.

"Oh, no, that's your problem, I'm not taking sides." The baby was now asleep and Molly gently laid her back down in her cot. "We've been over it a hundred times: Mum wants Carrie and you want Robyn. Personally, I think they're both horrible." She ushered him out of the nursery and quietly shut the door. "I'm wide awake, fancy a 'night cap,' Dad?"

He shrugged. "Why not."

He watched Molly boil the kettle and make up two of her famous hot chocolates with real cocoa, cream and sprinkles. They silently took their drinks through to the lounge.

"I told your Mum 'Molly and Carrie' sounded stupid," Gene said, pensive. "Too many 'e' sounds."

"Well," Molly curled her legs under her. "I have an idea."

"What? I'll take anything."

"How about 'Laura?' I like it and I think it suits her. And you know you and Mum won't ever agree. So what about 'Laura Rose?'"

Gene pondered this for a moment before trying it out loud. "Laura." Then again, "Laura." He nodded and smiled. "Think you might be onto something, Molls, I can imagine calling her that."

"Cool. Hope Mum likes it."

Gene nodded again, his face suddenly serious. "Look, Molly I know it's late and I was going to save this for the weekend but I can't wait anymore." He crossed over to the desk in their living room, opened the drawer and pulled out a seemingly innocuous looking piece of paper. He sat next to her on the sofa again. "You see I've always known, Molly."

"Known what?"

"You and me... it's not about blood. What matters is it feels like you're mine. I've never felt anything different, not from the first moment I met you."

Then Molly noticed the tears sparkling in his eyes. "Dad, what's wrong? What does the letter say?" She braced herself for bad news. "Did they deny our petition?" She was starting to feel a bit tearful herself.

He wiped away one of her stray tears with his thumb. "No, they didn't, Molly Dolly." He unfolded the already well-thumbed piece of paper confirming her change of name. It said 'Molly Hunt.'

She flung her arms around his neck and didn't say another word. It was then he saw a sleepy Alex creeping down the stairs, tying her silk robe around her.

"Molly Hunt!" she mock-scolded. "Why are you awake? It's after midnight and it's a school night."

"Laura was awake," Molly explained. "Going to bed now." She kissed Alex goodnight. "Will you tuck me in?"

"I'll be up in a minute," Alex told her, as Molly handed her the remainder of her unfinished hot chocolate. "She's such a daddy's girl," she observed as Molly left. Alex flopped on the sofa next to Gene and he pulled her in for a cuddle. "So it's Laura then?"

"Laura Rose, apparently."

"I can live with that. Actually I think it's pretty. 'Molly and Laura,' sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, both my kids have great names."

Alex grinned to herself as she finished her hot chocolate and headed to Molly's room to make sure she was okay. Suddenly she felt very confident about everything. Since Laura was born it had only made Molly and Gene even closer. She didn't need to worry anymore. The band of gold around her finger proved that.

- end