As soon as Molly arrived home she was sure this was where she belonged. Everything seemed to melt away, all the hurt, the betrayal and anger she'd been feeling were gone. She was *needed* here. Her Mum especially needed her.

Gene watched them together through a crack in the living room door. Molly fussed over Alex, obviously shocked by how ill she looked. They looked perfect together, their own little family unit and Gene wasn't sure he belonged in it, or that he deserved to belong in it anymore. He wanted to, more than anything, but he'd let them down: at least, his future self had and he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it up to them after so many years.

Deciding to leave them alone, he began to cook tea, so deep in thought he barely registered that Molly had crept into the kitchen and hauled herself onto the black marble worktop. Alex didn't allow her to sit there but he didn't feel like he'd earned the right to scold her yet.

"She's exhausted. I left her asleep in front of 'Deal or No Deal,'" Molly explained, sounding considerably wise beyond her years, as usual.

"Can't stand that programme. Noel Edmonds is a wanker." Then, realising what he'd said in front of Molly, "Don't tell your Mum I said 'wanker' in front of you."

A sly smile graced her features. She liked how Gene talked to her like she was an adult. "Our secret." Molly looked down, deep in thought, suddenly. "She needs me, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does."

"I'm coming home then."

"Good."

"What about you and Mum?"

He sighed, knowing he had to be honest. "I don't know, I don't know how to make it right with her. Is it time for grand gestures?"

"You didn't ask her to marry you yet?" Molly was a bit surprised since he'd already given Alex a 'promise' ring and in light of everything that had happened. "You're crazy about each other."

"I'm crazy about her," he confirmed. "Truth is, Molls, I don't think she even likes me that much at the moment."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Molly crossed her arms and pouted, looking the image of her mother. "She loves you, more than anything."

"Does she though? Even after I ruined everything with you."

Molly looked downcast again, her eyes full of guilt. "It's my fault, isn't it?"

"No. *No.*" Gene moved over to her swiftly, putting his hands on her arms so she'd look at him. "This is *my* fault, no-one else's. I wasn't there for you or your Mum when you needed me. But I'm going to try to make it up to you if you'll let me..."

888888

Gene hated the spare room. He'd had hardcore insomnia since he'd moved in there; he was barely sleeping without Alex by his side. Dinner had been nice, very pleasant. Molly was on her best behaviour, then they'd played 'Snakes and Ladders' and Molly had put Alex to bed, insisting on looking after her. He knew having Molly home would help Alex infinitely, but he still couldn't settle. The house was too quiet with his girls in bed and him alone downstairs. He'd tried to watch 'The Searchers' on DVD (Alex had bought him his own little DVD collection so it would look more believable to Molly that he'd been living in 2008 all along,) but he couldn't concentrate so he'd come to bed and been wide awake, predictably, ever since. Sighing, he rolled over and thought of the engagement ring he'd bought for Alex before this whole fiasco started. It was stashed away in the bedside cabinet where she wouldn't find it; normally they never had cause to go into the dusty box room he was currently sleeping in. Maybe they were better off without him. Maybe he'd never get the chance to ask her.

He heard footsteps outside on the landing and the door creaked open. He was surprised to see Alex standing there; she looked beautiful in the moonlight and he was surprised to see her wearing one of his shirts. "Gene? You awake?"

"Yeah."

She shut the door behind her and crawled into bed with him. He was shocked, especially given that she hadn't let him near her for weeks.

"She's a miracle, you know," Alex said, tracing little patterns across his chest, the material of his t-shirt creasing where her fingers had been. "Molly."

He sighed. "Alex, love, it's late, you need your sleep..."

"Sshhh..." She placed her finger to his lips and then kissed him before laying her head on his chest and continuing, "What are the odds of her even existing? Two people, from completely different times, coming together, meeting by chance for one, random union and then finding each other again in a completely different time and..."

He kissed her, hesitantly at first because he wasn't sure if she wanted him to. When she didn't pull away, he sighed in contentment. It really was the only way to shut her up sometimes, not that he didn't secretly love her babbling. "I'd say about one in six billion, Alex."

"One in six billion."

"You're the one for me, Bolly. I've always known it." It was now or never. He reached into the bedside cabinet and eventually found the little velvet box he'd been looking for. "I said I wanted to marry you someday. Except... I know I screwed up and I have a lot of making up to do to you and Molly but I'm going to try. I love you, Alex. Will you marry me?"

She gasped as she opened the box. The ring was perfect, a square diamond, her favourite; it was almost as if she'd chosen it herself.

"You can think about it... if you want to..." He touched the back of his neck like he always did when he was tense or nervous. Alex thought it was adorable.

She silenced him by kissing him again. "Yes," she said before planting little, feather-light kisses on every inch of his face that she could reach. "Yes, yes, yes."

Gene couldn't stop grinning after that, even if Alex did keep him up half the night talking. While it used to infuriate him that she just never shut up, he now loved hearing her talk for England. He wasn't even cross when he was woken abruptly by Molly pouncing on him and squealing because she was so thrilled, 'her mum and dad were getting married.'

In fact, Gene Hunt thought he'd never have a cause to frown again. He may have screwed up royally, and their family, which he now felt very much a part of again, wasn't exactly conventional but they were trying and he was going to make sure Molly knew how much he loved her and how pleased he was to be her dad.

Alex soon came back, expertly balancing three cups of tea in her hands. She kissed Gene on the cheek and gave Molly another hug before settling beside Gene and asking Molly what she wanted to do today.

Here, with her parents, Molly realised how much they really did love her, and how sorry they were, they hadn't meant to lie to her. She had a real family now... and that was good enough for her.

END.