Ashes to Ashes 1. Chapter 1

**Decided to have a go at doing this A2A fanfic, which I've been thinklng about doing for a while now.**

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**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 1**

From the very exact moment he'd managed to have found the confidence to finally acknowledge his final fate and confidently correct a few certain wrongs along the way before reaching his conclusive journey. Gene Hunt was now wandering through the Railway Arms' doors, brooding over on what the next surprise might possibly be for him. Maybe it could be the obvious one, getting a good deserving slapping in the face or worse still, being on the receiving end of the dreaded straight in the gob punch as soon as he confirmed his forever presence, he presumed this would most likely be from the woman he considered to have disappointed and frustrated far too often in the past, for 18 years he'd been feeling completely relegated, watching on unhappily while life around had every so often affectedly worsened. In January 2008 the main office was fitted with 5 high "bloody" tech computers and in February 2010 an 40 inch High Definition television had annoyingly been positioned in the far corner of the working office, frequently the presence of the television had distracted the team from finishing important paperwork. Gene was constantly struggling to masquerade his loneliness and his unmistakable longing for the woman he profoundly loved, sometimes dreaming about her certainly proved how much he was missing her.

"Well..well my old friend…I can tell you one thing I've definitely bloody missed you.." Gene said, while grasping onto the ultimate acceptance that everything more importantly beyond the pub itself was now more like home to him. Feeling as though he had to make a defiant statement like he normally preferred to, apologize to his former respected colleagues, some of who he'd considered that he'd previously poorly treated and behaved horribly to, while being caught up within a foul mood. With the hundreds of apologizes he was expecting himself to make, he wondered how much long it was going to take for him to apologize before he got to Alex. While mulling over this, he started to glance around the bar and the seating areas clockwise.

The first question sprung to mind, where the bloody hell was everyone? The place looked more deserted than a night out at a rundown cinema with a clumsy date. It was baffling to say the least as he soon struggled to get his head around this, the fact that nobody was there anymore. Gene suspected that something serious must have happened to his absent friends, something clearly worrying had occurred presumably not so long ago. As he quickly started to investigate furthermore, in his mind he knew he was fully determined enough to get right to the bottom of this once and for all.

While wandering around the bar, feeling hopeful on finding some potential evidence as soon as possible. Gene suddenly began to uncover a few unexpected shocks. He crouched down and acknowledged that it was a torn piece of fluffy material, seemingly ripped at from a grey coat. He determined that whoever it belonged to might have been involved in a frightening fight with someone. Gene ran his his fingertips across it and spotted a few bloodstains around the lighter part of the material.

As he picked it up, he had an unexplained hallucination, normally he had these whenever he was bloody pissed. Gene pressed the palm of his hand up against the front of his forehead as he began to experience a long-lost memory. The memory was from the night he'd said goodbye to the team and had vulnerably stood motionless, watching them head off into the Railway Arms. He vaguely remembered the particular coat Alex was wearing, grey , fluffy coat which he thought looked too heavy on her shoulders. He snapped out of remembering this and stared in shock at the the piece of material he was holding his hand. _"No...no Bolly.." _Despite fearing something dreadful might have happened to her, Gene still refused to accept this. "No I promised myself I'll bloody find ya and I still will. "

Gene looked around, he was stunned when he sensed his emotions intensifying in a surprising way he'd never felt before. It was horrible having this bad feeling overtaking his thoughts, right at that exact moment he was feeling saddened and he was desperately trying to prevent himself from crying . While clutching the material in his hand, he sat with his back against the bar frame looking broodingly. Things need to be corrected and investigated likewise as soon as possible, while he thought about this he glared up and saw the television resurrecting itself back into life, however nothing seemed to appear on the screen straight away. Gene thought he was going bloody mad especially when he heard persistent whistling,the song seemed to be "I'm forever blowing bubbles" and then the sound of manic laughter which felt like it was overpowering and mocking him. He was reluctant to fight back, having now lost his strength, instead he just sat alone in despair, burying his exhausted head within his hands. To his horror he wondered whether or not this might be Jim Keats' last minute revenge on those vulnerable coppers who had decided to trust and put their faith in Gene.

**End of Chapter**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 2**

Gathering whatever strength and encouragement he had left, Gene gradually began to pick himself up and despite the ominous presence of the menacing whistling, he continued searching everywhere around the bar and the customer toilets that was situated on the right hand side of the darkened, gloomy room. Afterwards whilst rummaging through the till which included 2 £2 coins, 1 £ £5 notes, 2 £10 notes & 3 £20 notes Gene suddenly came across the next piece of potential evidence, he discovered a brown hair clip hidden under the notes. He presumed this might have also belonged to Alex. _"I'm not giving up, the Manc Lion isn't a bloody quitter when times start getting too tough. This is Keats' fucking doing, he's honestly trying to scare the shit out of me because without me being here to protect everyone I love and respect he's presumed he could get to everyone probably by worming his slimy backside into the heart of this pub through someone's unbalanced state of mind. You taught me that Bolls.." _He laughed as began to acknowledge that Psychology tactics had helped him impress colleagues by resolving a few case investigations over the last 8-10 years

"I promise I'm going to find out which poof he's targeted and then put things right in here, the way it should be." He clarified, realizing he was awkwardly talking and addressing only to himself. As the intimidating laughter and annoying whistling heightened, Gene was quickly tempted to perfectly aim and fire his gun at the vacant screen that was now reflecting his lone figure. He decided he shouldn't take the chance as he remembered Nelson had once previously reprimanded him on unwisely placing his gun on the counter. _"Mon brave this pub isn't exactly the Wild West, you should be having your gun placed away safely on you."_

While finding it a tricky and challenging to ignore the fact that he still didn't have nobody to chat to and share his difficult worries with, Gene now found himself deliberately wondering about what sort of calculating and scheming tricks Jim might have orchestrated, on helping him to crawl his way into the pub. _"He'll only ever play on the vulnerable whenever he gets the opportunity to, preying on the isolated. Maybe the D&C'S been crumbling around him and he's been hounded into charming and persuading everyone that use to work for me, to join the D&C. No wonder he vanished five years ago without a trace. _

Fenchurch East and West for the past five years had been considered to be more of an absolute safe haven and a safer environment given that Jim Keats had mysteriously petered out from existing reality, it wasn't known when exactly that had been, Gene only assumed this might have transpired after the local council had been congratulated for turning Fenchurch into one of London's impressive boroughs especially after every building within the borough of Fenchurch had undergone a deserving makeover. Maybe Keats had regularly been struggling with the changeable surroundings everywhere around him and couldn't manage lurking around the neighborhood, Square King Lane where he'd temporarily lived for the last 22 years. Life afterwards for Gene, throughout the Summer of 2006 hadn't precisely been one of the finest for him as he'd managed to escape unhurt from a bus and coach crash along by the Fenchurch East tropical garden centre in Smithdown Street. Although feeling glad, he wasn't too shaken up about this nevertheless he was still busy considering that fate wasn't going to be granting or possibly be fulfilling his desire for utter happiness.

After having be forced into putting the Beijing 2008 Olympics on in the main office nearly every day of the week. He'd gotten fed up, he quickly decided to have a loyal, respected friend working alongside him in the station, he was hopeful this person would teach his wayward and misbehaving younger colleagues on how to do their jobs properly. "Good to see ya again Derek..." Gene stretched out his hand to shake the former DCI's hand.

"Geno look I'm done with policing, after everything that went down with that slimy pencil neck Keats. I've moved on and working elsewhere, my family's depending on me to get a bonus wage in my job at the local college." Derek appreciated the generous offer he'd been given.

"You haven't moved on Derek...somewhere in that bloody heart of yours, you're desperately eager to do what you've always brilliant at doing, keeping the streets clean from scum and arresting them if they refuse to behave. What Keats done to you, was unforgivable, spitefully forcing you into handing over your badges and warrant card. I know and you it wasn't fucking right that you'd gotten all the blame placed on you for all that happened. Times have changed now Derek, but one thing I can reassure you of is that this place is always going to be protected from now on from the likes of Bevan and Keats. You You're needed, more than you've ever been needed before. Come on consider it, working here at Fenchurch East." Gene explained additionally on his proposed offer.

Derek reached his hand out. "Alright..but on one condition...".

"Oh it's always based on one bloody requirement with you isn't it. You're never satisfied until your requirement's accepted." One thing was for sure, Gene was enjoying squabbling and bickering with his former rival.

"I get my own office Geno...Capiche" Derek smiled.

"Okay you'll get your own office and a mini fridge if you want with your favourite drinks." Gene sighed in annoyance before finally shaking his hand.

As Gene was still wandering around the inside of the pub, he opened one of the doors that he managed to have located. He slowly peeped and looked around the corner of it, there was nothing particular in this room. It looked as it hadn't been used for anything. He soon heard oncoming footsteps approaching from god knows where, this promptly alerted him in trying to some attention. "Hello...anyone here...Hello!" He shouted louder than he expected to. Moments later, the unidentified footsteps were coming closer behind him but he hadn't noticed this, as he continued glancing around, he soon felt a horrible thud at the back of his neck and collapsed forward onto the wooden floorboard. He'd been attacked from behind, by someone who'd wrongly suspected he was an intruder in the bar.

**End of Chapter**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 3**

Gene had been unconscious and out cold for at least 20 minutes before gradually around on the cold chequered floor in one of the back rooms, he couldn't identify this particular room as the blurriness faded away from his eyes. It didn't take him long before cottoning on to the fact that the person who he heard quietly coming into the hallway, must have been the same person who'd deliberately clobbered him from behind with a heavy object. The person who'd attacked him was now watching Gene as he slowly began to recuperate. The anonymous individual soon acknowledged he'd made an ill-judged mistake and desperately wanted to apologize as soon as possible.

"Sorry for knocking you out Gene, look I know you didn't deserve being knocked out by me despite the obvious fact you've left us all feeling pretty disappointed by delaying your appearance in here after you promised each and every one of us that you would do. I'm glad you've finally shown your face" this person's deep, husky manc voice sounded clearly familiar and didn't take long for Gene to recognize on who it belonged to.

"Raymondo bloody hell, you can be a right dozy fairy sometimes. I thought you'd known it would be me from behind...anyone can tell it's me even if they're blindfolded." Gene stressed, making a few of his thoughts crystal clear. He knew for certain that the chance of hugging his friends ought to happen when he was reunited with them.

"I wasn't too bloody sure Gene. I just came downstairs and saw a lonely figure nosing around everywhere and so I went with my gut instinct believing that the pub was getting robbed by armed poofs. It isn't a safe place in here anymore, especially after all the punch ups and arguments that have happened over the past few years. " Ray explained, he carefully helped Gene up from the floor, holding onto him with one supporting arm and guided him to one of the blue chairs within the room.

"Ah that might explain the bloodstains behind the bar. You don't know who they might belong to by any chance?" Gene was curious on finding this out once and for all.

"I don't bloody know...my memory hasn't hardly been that impressive over the years. There's been too many people jumping over the bar, stealing barrels when Nelson had his back turned. Those bloodstains could really be anyone's." Ray informatively filled Gene in on every thing which had taken place inside the pub. Some stories saddened Gene while he was listening. "It's been more like a living nightmare...feels as though someone's put one of them weird voodoo spells on the foundation of this pub. Might also explain why haven't managed to get any sleep each and every night." much to the DI's shock he felt his hands forcefully shaking.

"Christ why are your hands shaken Raymondo?" Gene was just shocked as his baffled friend while he was looking on.

"It's hard to tell, because they've haven't actually been this bad before. I've only ever experienced the odd one or two bad nerves in both of my hands. Personally I blame it on stress and worry." Ray told him, this was clearly frustrating him as he couldn't properly be convinced about this. It wasn't exactly too long before he soon quickly picked up on and commented on his friend's unexpected quietness.

"You're wondering about where Alex is, aren't you? look don't you bloody dare to try and deny it Gene." Ray highlighted in determination. "I might not be the perfect expert on a bloke misses his friends and a woman that means so much and who he cares very deeply about. She's annoyed the bloody hell out of all of us so many times, telling everyone how much she regrets not affirming her love for you...when you said goodbye to her, you must have felt the same way Gene?" He was trying to encourage him into giving the game away regarding his secret feelings for Alex.

"Yes...Trust me I've been regretting not telling her. I know I made the biggest mistake of my life by persuading her that she should come in here. Honestly I thought she'd be safe and protected especially with all of you being with her. Although she annoyed me and as much as I got pissed off at witnessed her getting her knickers into a right twist, the one thing that's kept me strong throughout the years has been remembering the good times me and her shared together. " Gene finally confirmed his feelings even though he was wishing he'd told Alex first. "So where is she now? because I've found some tearing from the coat she was wearing on the night she left and walked through those doors."

"None of us have seen Alex since we were all sitting around the bar and watching a Christmas episode of Eastenders on the television. When I last spoke to her, she seemed quite fine and happy, before you ask nothing was bothering her. "

"So she disappeared without a trace, without an explanation?" Gene couldn't exactly get his head around this at all, all he could presume that perhaps as Ray had mentioned about the night she'd vanished and the possibility that Alex might have been taken hostage while her friends were distracted by the scene from Eastenders, where Archie Mitchell got clobbered by his unseen killer. "Can you remember whether anyone was acting like her best friend around the time before she vanished?"

"No..not really..unless it might be Heather Pullman, she was this overweight woman that hung around with Alex a lot. None of us ever really knew too much about her. We just assumed she was very reserved and wanted to be around the popular people. Guv I'm thinking it probably might be her." Ray told him, looking just as worried.

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In Cardiff, while numerous tourists were busy taking a few snaps around the bay side of the city. A young couple, in the mid twenties were happily admiring the glorious view of the beautiful sunset while they were taking their labrador for a walk. "Pepsi slow down, not too fast son" the dog seemed to be running ahead of them and barking constantly. Unbeknownst to them their beloved dog had seen someone crying down below on the beach.

The husband decided to investigate and looked over the railing. "Rhys be careful." his wife looked on concerned.

"Hello you okay love?" he shouted down to her, showing some sympathy for her.

The woman glanced up, but didn't give an answer.

"What's your name?" He asked her, still ignoring his wife's plea.

"Alex" She mouthed as she replied to his question, she was suffering with slight hypothermia.

**End of chapter**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 4**

After Ray helped his friend up and helped by accompanying him to one of the other rooms. It didn't take too long for him to start worrying about his friend as he was now watching him anxiously pacing around the room like a peeved, forgotten about, Tiger, he was walking back and forth around the same spot. He was clearly proving himself to be a nervous wreck and was annoyingly starting to test Ray's patience. "Will you bloody stay still for christ sake, you're getting more nervous like Chris does when he checks the other football results on Match of the Day" he sighed in annoyance.

"So Chris is around here somewhere then?" Gene's mood soon softened upon hearing this.

"Of course he is, him and Shaz always visit me every weekend, they've persuaded me to start watching this show called Britain's Got Talent. You know I reckon you'd love it once you watched it Gene." Ray said, smiling as he knew his friend wouldn't like seeing the head judge's smug face.

Gene wasn't exactly sure "Why am I getting a feeling that one of the judges would really piss me off if I gave it a go in watching it." It was as though he had cleverly read Ray's thoughts. Being back in The Railway Arms still felt rather out of the ordinary for Gene. So much had changed, the saloon bar had been transformed into a futuristic, technology obsessed bar, one thankful thing that hadn't changed was that the wine, whisky and scotch bottles were stacked together in the way Nelson preferred.

"Christ I really have been away for far too long haven't I." he commented.

"Yeah you have, but at least you're finally here now and that you're willing to make up for the lost time with all of us." Ray encouragingly reminded him, trying his best to cheer him up.

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In Cardiff, Ruth and Rhys were now looking after Alex back at their house. Ruth had requested that they'd both chat in their refurbished kitchen with the door closed. "What if she's a missing person Rhys, her family might have reported her missing" she expressed some worry as she believed that they should contact the police, if her husband chose not to then she knew should would almost certainly panic because someone might not believe them.

" Will you bloody calm down love. if you haven't noticed she's got hypothermia and she's in shock. I think she may have amnesia as well because I get the feeling she doesn't exactly know how she ended up on the beach by the pebble-stones. Look please just don't continue argue about this, for the moment she needs as much rest as possible before we can think about contacting the police." Rhys was approaching this differently from his apprehensive wife. He knew this quite well because he was an off duty paramedic with 10 years experience.

"Better let her sleep downstairs, just for tonight then." Ruth suggested as she was quietening down, feeling that her husband was right. "I'll go and get some extra pillows from upstairs." she told him before going to leave the kitchen and quietly wandering towards the main living room to check on their house guest for the night. She sensed that Alex looked reasonably exhausted and pale faced while she was sleeping on the sofa.

"What are you doing?" Rhys asked as he saw his wife spying on Alex.

"Oh sorry, I was thinking in the morning, we should make sure she gets seen to by the station doctor. Because I know they have them in most police stations nowadays." Ruth said.

"I thought you were getting the bed pillows love, make sure you get one of the blankets as well." Rhys suggested to her, he found himself agreeing with her on what she just mentioned.

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Back in the pub, Ray was now expertly teaching Gene how on to play Fifa 08 on the one of the widescreen televisions in the modern day living room. It wasn't precisely going as well as originally planned. "Bloody Hell I can see this is definitely going to take ages to teach you on what button to press when your player on the screen to actually pass the bloody ball." They were playing as Manchester City and Manchester United.

"Who the fuck is Wayne Rooney? and why does he look like a fairy gorilla when he tackles a player." Gene said, as he still didn't have a full clue, his clueless looks were making Ray laugh out loud. He was continuing to press the wrong buttons on the control device.

"Bloody Hell you have got so much to learn about, Gene. By the way it's good to see you cracking a joke again." Ray smiled, he was glad to see his friend looking slightly relaxed, he was also smiling because Manchester United were beating Manchester City 10-0 on the screen.

"Raymondo I know you're trying your best to cheer me up but I don't want to waste anymore precious time, I want to find Alex now." Gene said.

"Oh alright, suppose we can leave this Fifa game until another day" Ray said, he could tell that Gene couldn't stop thinking about her and that it was driving him crazy as he was missing her so much. He picked up the games box and quickly switched it off. "We'll go and find Alex right now"

**End of Chapter**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 5**

_Cardiff, Wales - Tuesday 10__th__ July 8:45am _

Alex still looked particularly scared and as anxious more than she seemed to be yesterday when Rhys and Ruth discovered alone on the beach. Although unexplained questions and utter confusion continued to affect her memories, there were a few reoccurring memories that suddenly flashed before her eyes like a bright light-bulb. She knew she couldn't exactly tell them the exact reasons as to how she'd managed to stumble alone across the beach, obviously they would strongly question her given explanation. She was now sitting at the kitchen table, eating some breakfast that Ruth had cooked for her.

"Alex, are you okay with us taking you to the police station?" Ruth asked her, she was still trying not to be worried too much about her house guest and be too meddlesome at the same time.

"Yes if they can find the person responsible for leaving me on the beach." Alex answered, she seemed concerned as to how precisely the police might react to her story.

"You were left the beach? can you remember what the person looked like? You know like what type of branded clothing they wore on the night you last saw them?" As she was normally a caring and sympathetic young woman Ruth made a supreme effort in trying to help her to remember as much as she possibly can regarding the thoughts about her half forgotten memories that were clearly continuing to torment her constantly.

Alex decided to attempt to remember some of the recollections of the night she was taken from the pub she'd been drinking in. "It's difficult for me to memorize anything, the only thing that springs to mind for me was the night I was drinking in a street corner pub and the next thing I knew was being bungled into a dark room, I couldn't see anything. I heard some voices, a man and a woman's. They were arguing from what I could tell. However I didn't have time to react, everything after that moment just became blurred and unclear." she sighed sadly but managed not to start crying. She was surprised to realize that she'd confessed more than she was expecting to.

"So someone randomly abducted you from this pub you were in one night? Oh shit, god that's terrible. Whoever it was must be one spiteful and weird bastard, pardon my language. Look I believe you Alex, this is a screwed up and unpredictable world nowadays, but if you trust yourself and everyone around you. It can permanently help you get through it" Ruth helpfully explains to her. She understands everything Alex must have gone through, despite even when she remained knocked out cold, to end up where she was eventually found.

Alex soon starts to memorize another important previous memory. "Someone I previously knew told me that exact same thing, well something almost pretty much comparable." she found herself smiling while continuing to speak about this., bearing in mind she believed this was helping her enormously "I can still remember the man who told me this, the moment I set my eyes on him, oh god he looked so sexy in the crocodile boots he was wearing. Standing tall and poised, not afraid to make himself heard. His gorgeous brown eyes I definitely can't forget them however it still annoys me because I can't remember his name. I keep telling myself not to give up on trying."

Ruth chose to help out by means of cheering her up with some stories of her own. "While we're still waiting for Rhys to come back from the newsagents. I'd better tell you how me and him first met one another. About 10 years ago, my mum and dad were driving me to an important interview at the local bank in the city centre. One moment mum was roleplaying what I should tell the interviewer and the next moment a bloody rugby ball hit the car bonnet. Of course dad was fuming and got out of the car to confront whoever the rugby ball it belonged to. I got out after dad to watch him challenging the person. Turns out the ball belonged to Rhys' friend Owen, he must have crapped his pants straight away as he apologized to my dad and offered to pay for any noticeable damage to the car. Meanwhile I noticed Rhys flirting and smiling at me. I told him to stop checking me out or he'd be getting a two fingered v sign. Mum then got from the car and told me to stop being rude to him. I was like mum stop taking his side. She wasn't having any of it so she persuaded me to go on a date with him. I did and I soon found out impressively that me and him both shared a lot in common. It then became very much like a romantic fairytale for the both of us. We got married a few years later and now I'm still happily in love with him."

"That's a really beautiful story Ruth if you don't mind me saying so." Alex gave a bright smile as she was telling her this.

Rhys came back from the newsagents and walked into the room. "Sorry they didn't have the Summer fashion magazine you wanted me to get for you love" he told his wife, instead it looked as if he'd bought magazines for himself, the latest copies of the Top Gear and WWE magazine from what Alex could tell. She didn't gossip about the magazines she sensed that Rhys was trying to hide under his arm.

"Alex are you still up for going to the police station today?" Rhys asked her after he sat down at the kitchen table,

"I have no other option because I can't decline. If they can help me with finding the person responsible for leaving me here in the first place then it might help me get home for good." Alex said, sensing she was feeling quite self-assured. Rhys gave a baffled look to Ruth as he didn't quite follow some of the things she mentioned.

"I'll explain later love." Ruth believed he wouldn't fully understand.

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_Liverpool, 10th July 9:00am_

"Raymondo would you mind explaining why the bloody hell we're both standing by the Albert Dock, watching the ferries coming into the docks." Gene looked particularly nonplussed as he glanced around, watching a few locals and some tourists enjoying the hot weather.

"Don't ask me because I don't bloody know. Anyway I thought you'd be happy to be getting out of the pub and trying to find Alex." Ray argued, he didn't look happy either about them ending up in the wrong city.

"Well she can't be here. My gut feeling's telling me she's somewhere else. I don't like fannying around here like a lost puppy, I'm going off on my own if you're not gonna make your bloody mind up" Gene used his initiative for once as he tried to put the pieces together on his bid to find the woman he longed to be reunited with. It didn't help him as he found himself getting half blinded by the blistering sunshine as it was shining down on the water below.

"Don't blame me for getting us both lost, look I reckon we could back to the pub and then try another way of finding her. We're bound to cross paths with her sooner rather than later" Ray suggested, he just wanted to get out of Liverpool especially when he saw two Liverpool fans waving their red and yellow scarves.

"Well come on then. Let's give your brilliant suggestion Einstein ago shall we, see where it gets us next, hopefully Manchester." Gene sarcastically said, while he was looking up at the large ferry wheel before him. He lead the way first, walking towards the Beatles Story museum and opening its doors. He and Ray disappeared from view.

**End of Chapter**

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	6. Chapter 6

**This next chapter's slightly shorter but starts to make this story unravel out a little more.**

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**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 6**

While standing amongst an enthusiastic crowd of tourists in what appeared to be a different city, it wasn't pleasing both Gene and Ray. "I'll make sure that poof's feet are squashed like mini pancakes in a minute if he doesn't start thinking about getting out the way." Gene was suddenly in fine form as he and Ray were now where they considered they were destined to be, within the main part of Cardiff City Centre. They both seemed bewildered to see so many youngsters crowded and dancing around them as if they were attending an out of control pop concert.

"Tell me what's so bloody special about Cardiff Raymondo, don't tell me it's for the rugby isn't it. You've got a gut feeling that their smarty pants bulldozing players can outsmart us both off the pitch." He asked his friend out of curiosity. Unfortunately this wasn't precisely what Ray was thinking about as he looked further ahead, acknowledging the police station across the road from where they were.

"Not exactly although I wouldn't mind seeing them bloody try and see things go pear-shaped for them. Gene let's just concentrate on discovering where Alex might be in this city." Ray highlighted their foremost reason for being there. Over the years Ray had matured impressively especially a few times when he found himself having to break up numerous fights between groups of punters in The Railway Arms and straightening out confrontational people he met whenever he visited a few cities after briefly leaving the pub on occasions.

"You really have done well for yourself by the way." Gene smiles and he points this out to his friend.

"How do you mean?" Ray asked, pretending not to know what Gene was going on about.

"Well for one, back in the pub you only knocked me out once and that wasn't with your fists and another thing you didn't throw a tantrum, well let's just say you didn't argue with me about us turning up in Liverpool out of the blue a few hours ago." Gene can't resist smiling, as he voiced his decent of thoughts.

"Well I've erm...If I can be completely honest I've learnt from two of the best friends I've ever had the honor of having the biggest respect for." Ray reluctantly admitted to him, while his eyes looked elsewhere.

"Blimey Raymondo, you've gone all bloody soft nowadays." Gene chuckled as he could tell by the look on the given away awkward reaction written across his friend's face. He felt as slightly awkward himself a few minutes later as the crowd around them had turned around to see what they were talking about, he didn't want to humiliate him anymore "Look you don't have to feel too bloody nervous. The two friends you've respected the most, one of them's me isn't it" Gene had cleverly figured it out.

"Of course, you didn't think I was going to suggest DCI John Luther did you" Ray chuckled, suddenly finding a funnier side to this.

"Who?" Gene asked, not knowing that Ray was referring to a fictional tv detective.

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After reporting to the nearby police station around 10:30am that same morning and inquiring about any possible reported missing people, 2 and a half hours had flown by without having no luck on the British database. Rhys and Ruth were now talking to a worried Alex while she was waiting for a medical examination "I'm scared, what if they tell me I have short-term or long-term loss of memory. I don't think I can go on living my life knowing that this will effect me." She couldn't block out her bothersome worries.

"You'll be okay I promise, look me and Rhys we'll be here waiting for you, we won't be going anywhere." Ruth vowed to remain seated in the waiting room while Alex underwent her examination. "The doctor will only be looking at the frontal lobe part and maybe the Temporal part as well. It doesn't take that long." She held her hand, giving it a squeeze.

Alex smiled back in response. "It's going to be extremely tough for me to remain brave in the examination room."

"You can overcome nervousness because I can tell you're a very brave woman Alex Drake" Ruth smiled again. A elderly Indonesian doctor named Taj Smike quietly entered the room alongside two male nurses, who quickly helped Alex into a wheelchair and wheeled her out of the room. While walking alongside her and the other nurses dressed in blue uniform.

Doctor Smike was happy to reassure she had nothing to feel worried about. "Don't worry Miss Drake, this examination will take between 10 - 15 minutes." he smiled down at her and placed his glasses in one of his upper pockets. He exchanged a prolonged look with Alex, who was starting to remember something important from her previous life. She closed her eyes tightly almost squeezing them, she was feeling strongly determined to uncover what this unaccustomed memory might actually be and why Doctor Smike reminded her of someone from her foregoing past, someone who she presumed she could rightly remember. The only fly in the ointment proved to be that she couldn't effectively manage to put a full name to this forgotten person. _"Why do I remember your face but not your name. Judging by the look engraved across your lips you look as though you were far too clever by wearing your suit like someone from the 1950's" _She re-opened her eyes and soon realized she must have fallen asleep while she was being wheeled to the examination room.

As she started to acknowledge where she was, she realized she couldn't see anything within the room. The only sound or vision she could see or hear was of a tall skinny man whistling the same song repeatedly. "Who are you? tell me who you are?" She raised her voice, shouting at the unidentified individual, who was presently looming over the bed she was lying on.

"Oh don't you worry Alex, you'll soon be remembering me...only me" The individual laughed out loud before walking away.

**End of Chapter**

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	7. A Brief Encounter

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 7**

While she searched around the glowing room, Alex suddenly started panicking especially when the visions of this distinctive individual became more ambiguous to see. She knew she really didn't want to feel emotionally alarmed and terrified by the intimidating mind games being shrewdly aimed at her. Without having no outright knowledge of what she was facing, one important thing which seemed too evident was that this mysterious person looked confident and completely hell-bent on crushing her unique willpower that she constantly displayed. Within seconds, disappointingly everything around her in the examination room reappeared.

"Ow my head hurts" She clutched the front of her forehead, lightly with her wrist.

"Good to have you awake Miss Drake, we tried to wake you about five minutes ago but I guess you must have drifted off into a relaxing sleep as you were getting wheeled into this room." Doctor Taj Smike confidently explained to her. He couldn't gloss over a concerned thought he had about her. "I can write out a prescription for you, it might help relieve and reduce your drowsiness."

"Thank you." Alex smiled and thanked him. She chose to ask about the man she saw a glimpse of, a few minutes earlier. "Doctor Smike, by the way was there a man in here with you before. It's just that I thought he might be trying to dabble with a few things in here." She looked closely at his characteristic manners as he was listening to her. She could tell he seemed to be quite a self-confident person.

"No I'm afraid not, it's just been me and Nurse Hollway here. Unless it was one of other nurses you caught sight of. If it's possible could you describe this person you saw Miss Drake." Doctor Smike showed some notable concern, wondering if she might actually be correct.

"Well..he looked to be around 6ft 1in, well dressed and dapper. Definitely had black curly hair and wore glasses. Told me I'd only manage to remember him and no one else. It really scared me." This made her feel all the more stressful.

Much to her surprise, Doctor Smike decide to tell her, what he planned on doing to help with her this. "Alright, I'll make sure this is fully investigated. If someone's deliberately trying to tamper with life saving equipment and apparatus. CCTV footage should be able to pinpoint anyone on camera acting suspiciously. This might take a few days to go through but I promise to phone you and let you know what we've found. In spite of everything we definitely take allegations very seriously within this hospital."

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Gene and Ray had managed to circumvent themselves away from more welsh residents and tourists by taking a shortcut down one of the side-streets, Mount Palace Road. "You sure this is the right thing to do be doing. Marching into Cardiff City Police Station, mid-afternoon and demanding to find out where exactly Alex is. Let's be honest they're more than likely going to presume you're bloody off your rocker. " Ray wasn't sure about the latest plan of action, Gene had verified.

"Look I'm putting all my Gene Genie eggs in one great big bloody basket here Raymondo. Got to admit though feels like I'm losing my patience, thinking about how she's bearing up wherever she is. Knowing Bolly she's probably doing all she can to overcome everything." He sighs and looks engrossed in thought, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets.

Ray stopped walking and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He wanted to confirm what he promised a few hours ago. "You don't have to feel worried because before you know it we'll find her even if it takes us 40 days and 40 nights."

A worrying thought suddenly occurred on Gene's mind while he stood engrossed in thought, with his back against the cold brick wall. "What if she doesn't remember me Raymondo, what if she alienates herself from me when I try to help her relive some forgotten memories. What if it's just a complete waste of time and I'm left more agitated than ever."

"What you can't forget is, that it takes so long for someone you care so much about, to have their long-lost memories be rediscovered." Ray explained with strong confidence.

"All the same I don't know I can effectively wait that long. I'll just keep blaming myself for the wrongs I done back in 1983, encouraging her to go into the pub when really I wanted her to stay behind with me and help me mind the station until I decided to give everything up altogether." Gene sighs again, looked thoughtful. They started to walk on and soon reached a local street cafe on the corner of George Street.

"Fancy a coffee Gene. Let's face it we could both do with one pronto. Maybe I might have a croissant alongside mine as well." Ray tried to look on the bright side of their current situation.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you're still getting the munchies way too often when it comes to food." Gene manages a smile despite still feeling crestfallen. He followed Ray as he was making his way towards this certain contemporary cafe. As they stepped inside, he was surprised to see so many computers placed around everywhere. Ray acknowledged his friend's puzzled reaction.

They were both standing behind the counter surface, waiting to be served. Ray chose explain the reasons why he believed so much technology had annoyingly changed far too much. He grabbed his friend's complete attention and pointed to a leaflet pinned to the wall. "That over there it's called Wi-fi, all of the computers must have them built in. You know these days they even have this so-called Wi-fi fitted into mobile phones and IPhones. Regrettably things have been updated a lot nowadays, so it's quite difficult for newcomers to find out for themselves on how to get use to it. The first time I seen all of this, it didn't half give me a bloody headache, one time I got so frustrated and broke out around about 5 smartphones. However in time you can eventually get use to it." Ray tells him. "Where's the cafe assistant when you need them? Most likely gabbing about bloody X Factor " He quietly sneaked around the counter and went to investigate.

"You're not going to achieve anything by looking for the cafe workers. Nobody's obviously told you have they, that you're doing a good job of making yourself look like a right pain in the backside and the way you act like a hairy snoopy eagle-eyed bird." Gene whispered to him, feeling unimpressed by what he was now doing. Knowing that his friend would probably be mistaken as a wannabe pick-pocketing cash till thief.

"No they haven't" Ray whispered back to him, folding both arms as he waited by the oven.

"Hurry up anyway before someone catches you and thinks you're up to no good." A smirk emerged across Gene's pursued lips. Gene's eyes looked elsewhere and to the passing people as they wandered past the cafe window. He soon caught an unexpected sighting of Ruth, Rhys and Alex in a blue Peugeot car.

"Alex...Ray I've just seen her. She's with two other people maybe they're the ones we should be reporting to the police...Ray! oh bugger it I'll run out myself then, seeing as you're more interested in spying on those poor cafe workers" Gene shouted before running out of the shop as fast as his shuffling feet could make him. He couldn't believe it, they'd crossed one another's paths only for a disappointingly brief time. He remained hopeful that their next meeting would prove to be more than a brief encounter. While he was regain his breathing back, he concentrated a lot more than he'd previously done before and attempted to memorize the car plate number DEC 5427, while it was still driving down the street.

"We'll be reunited Alex, me and you. The headstrong Manc Guvernor of the Streets and you, the feisty sexy posh bird." Gene smiles and walks back into the cafe only to see Ray getting chased out by two elderly welsh women.

**End of Chapter**

**All Reviews are Welcome**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ashes to Ashes: Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 8**

After leaving the hospital more than an hour ago and dropping Ruth off at her workplace. Rhys was now driving back along the main road with Alex earnestly sitting alongside him in the passenger seat. She looked deep in thought and absorbed, Rhys just presumed she was rethinking about what she mentioned back at the hospital regarding the male individual she claimed who'd spoken to her.

She knew she hadn't exactly known her kind welsh friend for more than five minutes but then again she considered that it would be better enough to remain optimistic and hopeful that he and Ruth would both continue to provide plenty of support for her . "Rhys please don't doubt me because I'm know that I'm not losing my mind, I perfectly know what I heard and caught sight of in that hospital room. It's just a shame I can't prove or find out who this person could have been"

"Alex look I'm not doubting you. Well to tell the truth there's actually been a lot of reported stories about that particular hospital over the last ten years. Keeps getting reported in the local newspaper five to six female patients have alleged that they've been oppressed by one or two of the doctors." Rhys sighed awkwardly.

"I don't want to nag you or anything Rhys on this but can you remember at all about what specific allegations got processed against the hospital?"

"Nah it was just rumours, press kept claiming some of the former patients were always lying through their chapped lips. I think everyone knew they were just defending them. So they just shunned a few of the stories as well and ended up putting a 2 page article in the Cardiff Evening Star Newspaper claiming that the hospital was one of the finest run ones within Wales itself." Rhys briefly enlightened Alex on some of the stories he could remember. She seemed reasonably intrigued by some of the stories she heard him talking about.

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The more they carried on walking, the more Gene found himself feeling clearly frustrated and annoyed that they didn't appear to be getting anywhere with finding out where Alex was living in the city. "Where are we going now because I hope it isn't bloody far?" he complained as his feet began to feel sore while walking around. Despite a few particular arguments about the amount of walking they had undertaken since arriving in Cardiff, they could still effectively agree on something nonetheless, one problematic thing, about the steep stoned pavements and sloping tarmac roads. While scouting around with his determined eyes, Ray decided that Welsh streets looked like being stuck in a maze. Ray was walking on quickly ahead of Gene who was lacking behind him.

"Well we're obviously not going to find her if you keep sulking about your sore toes and heels like a cry baby Gene. What car registration was on the car Alex was sitting in?" Ray asked him.

"I dunno, I could remember OCW 3DF...I suppose that could have been the one.." Gene wasn't completely confident that might be the one. He placed both hands on his hips and prevented himself from walking on.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked after turning around suddenly to face him, seeing his friend looking expressionless and implying that he felt completely defeated.

"This isn't going to help us is it. Us getting nowhere makes this feel worse than getting locked up in one of the Old Trafford locker rooms for the night" Gene huffed and puffed, wishing he could give up and return back to The Railway Arms.

"Hey..hey this isn't like you..You've got nothing to feel ashamed about Gene. Why don't I explain.." It was clear to see that over the last few years Ray had proven to have changed his ways of thinking, the ways in which he spoke looked more reflectively and pleasantly. "I remember back to when I first staggered into your office back in the old days. I threatened to knock your lights out and you didn't back down from the possibility of fighting me. I looked up to you after I was officially welcomed to the team back in Manchester. I admired what you always taught me and Chris that going with your gut instinct gets you the full results. I don't want to see you throwing away the confidence and bullshit you've displayed in the past." Ray was now surprised that he was virtually begging Gene not to give up everything because of his lost confidence. While he calmly expected a convincing reply by his friend, a gust of wind ruffled his hair out of place.

Gene didn't respond, instead he began to quietly reconsider some important decisions. His lips were pouting familiarly, they always did whenever he was forced to make some vital decisions. He knew he shouldn't be blaming himself for his misgivings and sudden;y came to the conclusion that it was better for him to continue searching for the lost love which he knew he shouldn't have he given up on so easily over 30 years ago.

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Not remotely far away from where Gene and Ray were, in another welsh written named street Rhys and Alex were slowly getting out of his car together. "This is my sister Janet's house, normally during midweek depending on whether I've got time off from work, if I'm off for a day or two then I help her out with promoting her nail and beauty business." he comprehensively explained to her.

"Why have you bought me here? Won't your sister starting asking questions? What if she thinks I'm your lover" Alex worried that Janet might wonder if she's Rhys' mistress.

"She won't, I'll explain everything to her. Oh the reason why I've bought you here is so you can help take me out with the online bookings, it'll only be for an hour or two." Rhys told her. Alex started to consider that he wasn't dependably being the friend he claimed he was. It was as though he appeared to look lazy minded, he wanted to make her look foolish and just wanted her to complete the tasks on her own, while he sat on his own backside.

"Why do I feel you don't really care about me and that you're not the friend you're claiming to be to me." Alex pulled him up on this, determined to hear a full explanation from him.

Rhys was stunned to be lectured on this, he didn't want to argue with her over this misunderstanding and so took it upon himself to clarify on what he actually meant . "Alex I don't want to jump to the wrong conclusions or anything. All I just want to see is you slowly gaining confidence. I thought it might help you gain a hobby or help trigger a memory you'd forgotten like whatever job you had previously maybe it involved working on the computer."

"I'm really sorry for getting the wrong end of the sticks. It's just like you said just now, I don't feel confident enough to trust anyone." Alex looked awkward and embarrassed as she spoke.

While they chatted, a smart business dressed young woman opened the door to the house they were stood outside of. "And what bloody time do you call this...Rhys Andrew Bennett..." this woman certainly had a voice like a thunderous foghorn. "Who's your friend?" She quickly acknowledged Alex who was stood alongside him.

"Alright sis, this is Alex Drake, she's a friend of mine and Ruth's. She's staying with us for a while. Alex this is my sister Janet. She's Cardiff's female answer to Tom Jones" He politely introduced both women to one another. Alex quietly laughed at his comment. She could tell that Janet looked none too pleased with the comment.

"Oi you I'll be having none of your comparatives." She shook her head a little, she exchanged a happy response with Alex who could tell that she pretty much looked like an optimistic and buoyant young woman "Nice to meet you Alex, so are you two going to be coming in then?" She soon invited them into her house.

"Oh of course." Rhys walked in through the front entrance of the gate first followed by Alex. Further down the street, outside the first house, Ray and Gene were both looking on.

"What the hell is Alex doing with another man. You don't think he's brainwashed or perhaps charmed the knickers off her with bullshit do you Raymondo." Gene worried that Alex must have been under the influence of this man he'd spotted her with.

"I don't reckon he doesn't look dodgy enough. Probably a friend she's met while she's being staying here perhaps. If you want to find out I suggest you make the first move into coming back into her life." Ray didn't want to think the same as Gene. He was wise enough to think differently.

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**End of Chapter**

**All Reviews are welcome**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for the reviews so far to this fanfic. I haven't updated since June but have now chosen to update the first of three chapters to this fanfic.**

* * *

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 9**

"Are you coming over with me or not Gene? All I know for you is now isn't precisely the time to be having that head of yours stuck in the sand. Yes I understand right now you might be feeling bloody guilty for everything that's happened in the past but if you feel you want to start from the beginning again, start bloody now. Don't keep acting like a poof." Ray was still honestly trying the best that he could do in encouraging Gene to hopefully follow him over towards the terraced house that they witnessed Alex reluctantly going into with her new male friend.

"I wouldn't know what to say to her, what if I blurt out something typical you know, Manc Lion like. Also I mean how's she going to react when she finally remembers me, knowing her she'll give me a bloody punch in the gob which I might be nursing for hours on end." Gene clearly hated feeling awful all the time, this wasn't his style of personality. The truth wasn't going to fade away anytime soon and always going to be a formidable kick in the teeth for only responsible thing he could was try to somehow overcome his gloomy thoughts by helping Alex remember her true identity and where she truly belonged in life.

"So are you coming with me or not? or do I have no option but to drag you down the road." Ray wanted to make sure and was optimistic that his friend would finally confirm this.

"I'm coming...I'm coming for christ's sake...No need to get all bloody high and mighty about it Raymondo..." Evidently he didn't enjoy being told twice about the same thing.

Before long, within a few minutes or so, Ray was now making the most of this first opportunity in helping to reunite both of his friends by knocking on the letterbox. There was a fleeting glimpse of the light purple curtains in the front living room getting moved back. Obviously someone inside the house was certainly taking it upon themselves to investigate who might be knocking at the door.

Gene looked pretty much convinced that this seemed to be an absolute waste of time. "If no one answers I'm clearing off."

"Just give it a few more minutes..I don't want you swanning off on me Guv" Ray had been concerned that he might do without warning. Suddenly the sound of muffled voices somewhere either in the front lounge or in the hallway could be heard. "I can't understand a word they're saying."

"Maybe because they're having a conversation in welsh Raymondo. You know you'd be crap at being a teacher and teaching a foreign language. For the starters you're rubbish at French because if my memory serves me right you once tried to ask a woman who spoke French out on a date and you ended up finding yourself on a date with the wrong woman."

"Oh yeah that's right, I mentioned _Belle Mere_ instead when I should of really said _Mere_,_ Belle Mere_ means Mother in Law and _Mere_ means Mother, so no wonder I was getting them jealous looks from the french nonce at the bar. That was Chris' fault that, one of his annoying pranks." Ray burst out laughing after recalling this disastrous date from a few years ago.

"Ray shut up your gob..someone's coming to answer the door to us." Gene quickly forewarned, also giving his still sniggering friend a prod in the shoulder. He couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous while he quietly watched on as the door opened to reveal a young welshman.

"Yes gentleman can I help you?" The young man asked as soon as possible despite having a few suspicions about them and their reasons for turning up at the house.

"Yes you can..we're not from around here but we've been asking around the town for a friend of ours, Alex Drake. You see the thing is she's been missing for a long time..." Ray honestly didn't know how to explain things thoroughly to the young man. However as it became even more tricky to explain what else he aiming to mention in simple terms, Alex silently appeared in the hallway, all of a sudden a delighted reaction overwhelmed as she soon recognized one of the visitors. She dashed excitedly towards the front door and stood behind Rhys.

"Ray...Ray Carling?" She couldn't wait no longer and so decided to ask him there and then.

Ray looked sideward at Gene, he picked up on his friend's look of disappointment and unhappiness. "Yes Alex"

She embraced him with a welcoming hug. He hugged her back despite still feeling worried about Gene.

"That memory of yours must be a right mastermind in it's own rights. How can you remember me though especially after everything that's happened to you?" He needed to hear her enlighten him on this.

"I'll leave you all to catch up on your stories together." Rhys said before departing to the back kitchen and closing the door behind him.

Before she could respond, she traded looks with Gene. "I'm sorry do I know you? no I said that wrong haven't I. You must be a friend of Ray's?" Straight away she managed to pick up on the fact that he looked surprisingly tongue-tied and quite shy for a confident looking friend.

"Yes..I'm Gene...Gene Hunt, some of my friends call me with all sorts of nicknames." He smiled nervously, knowing this was the first presented chance for him to re-introduce himself to her in the hope that this might help to her unearth some forgotten memories of him. He politely offered a handshake in which she gladly accepted as soon as possible.

"Well it's very nice to meet you Gene." She smiled pleasantly at him. As soon as she gently grasped his hand she had to admit to herself that he definitely did have a very smooth hand and despite not knowing too much about him, that he looked like a very charming and wonderful looking man.

"This house belongs to Rhys' sister, she's in the kitchen with him at the moment." Alex explained. "You're hardly not a hard person to forget Ray, I can never fail to recall how much of a moaner you can be sometimes. Throwing a strop every now and then." She couldn't help but giggle right at that moment.

"I'm not a stroppy ponce whenever I have ever thrown strops anyway" Ray claimed, wishing he hadn't heard her admitting this.

"Yes I think you are one Raymondo, sometimes you can tend to drive us all up the wall with your random opinions on occasions" Gene sniggered, he wasn't at all afraid to hide away what he might be genuinely thinking. Thankfully for him, a few familiar strong points were gradually building up within that iron man heart of his.

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Later that evening, "Well we'd better be going home unless, Alex do you feel up to wanting to go home with your friends?" Rhys asked her after noticing the unmistakable impression that she was displaying. "Me and Ruth have enjoyed slowly getting to know you. We'll miss you dearly but if you feel you have to leave then it's understandable." He got an answer back within 30 seconds as she walked over to him and gave him a generous hug.

"Thank you for taking me in, Rhys. It's been wonderful getting to know you and Ruth. I desperately need to recount my steps, remember how I came to be here in Cardiff." Alex was sad to leave Cardiff before quite determined to find out the real reason behind why she ended up in South Wales without any explanation

"So remind me again, how are we getting back to London when we're apparently running low on money." Gene whispered questioningly to Ray, this way Alex wouldn't overhear about the money they had left in their pockets. Unfortunately for him she just so happened to have eavesdrop on their conversation after she had finished hugging Rhys by the stairs in the hallway.

"I've got £50, that can last us at least 3 days depending on where exactly we'll be travelling to" Alex offered to share what she had in her jacket's pockets.

"That's very nice of you to suggest..Bolls" Gene was the first person to thank her, he blushed as soon as he realized he'd given her a telltale sign on her forgotten past. He knew he couldn't avoid calling her what he previously nicknamed her back in the 1980's. This near mishap soon triggered her first recollected memory. She looked closely but not too close at him while studying him.

"The pub and Luigis I use to dine in them both, didn't I, is that where me and you both met...Gene?" She asked him.

"Yes...kind of, erm sort of.. met somewhere else. Believe me Alex, I for one really hope you're able to remember everything you can. Make sure that posh educated brain of yours will soon be working like regular clockwise. There's way so much more that you need to rediscover..Me and Raymondo are going to help you as much as our possible backsides and our feet can take it" Gene tried to encourage her as much as he possibly could, now all he wished for was to have the feisty, determined Alex Drake back, the one who'd screaming frustratingly at him whenever he disagreed on something with her.

After they'd left the street together and were now wandering through the local park, Alex stopped them both from walking further on. She had something important she wanted to tell them. "I didn't realize until now that you thought so much of me Gene. I guess I'm touched and grateful to the both of you in offering to help me remember everything I've forgotten." They carried on walking on alongside each other, all three of them still pretty much undecided on where to go next.

"You know what." Ray spoke out when they got to the nearest bus stop.

"What?" Gene asked, he was feeling the cold snap of the weather and wishing it would go away.

"Me and Wales might actually be a good combination." Ray suggested, a suggestion met by uncontrollable laughter from his friends.

"I didn't have you down as a wannabe farmer Raymondo." Gene sniggered.

"Well how would you know, I might be a good farmer if I tried my hand at it. I might pick an excellent tip or two on shearing wool off a few sheep" Ray fought back in this conversation. A bus pulled up while they continued their conversation. They got on this particular bus quickly and paid their bus fare. It pulled away within a few seconds.

For some reason Alex felt uncomfortable, she also began to experience a sense of cold fear after exchanging a look or two with the smartly dressed bus driver who was wearing old fashioned spectacles and who looked more as though for job-wise he belonged more in a city hospital. This man's personality and appearance distinctly looked rather too familiar. She couldn't possibly quite put her finger or mind thinking to work on why this might be, why she suddenly felt unsettled.

"We're not travelling far are we?" She asked them, she was trying to put on a unafraid face.

**End of Chapter**

**All Reviews are welcome**


	10. Chapter 10

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 10**

"Christ you're shaken Alex, you're moving about way too much, like you've had too many go's on the Carousel." Gene straight away became aware of the fact that something bad had without doubt left her feeling unnerved. He quickly positioned his right hand across her forehead, his eyes searched everywhere, across her sweated out point of view. He was wondering whether she might have suddenly picked up a serious temperature . He was more than surprised to see that she didn't seem too bothered to protest about the traditional way in which he was taking her temperature. This isn't like her, the old Bolly wouldn't have let me play temporary Doctor for at least five seconds.

"It's nothing, please let's just concentrate on other matters ..The only thing I want to focus on now is discovering the truth. So can you just stop fussing over me" She desperately wanted to forget about the previous few minutes of panic about whoever she thought she'd seen towards the front of the bus. If she didn't she knew this would constantly keep bugging her for as long as possible.

Deep down Gene couldn't thwart his genuine doubts while continuing to try and single out where or what was continuously disturbing her.

"I won't, honest. It's just like I said earlier when we're walking to the bus stop. How much I want you to remember all you can Alex. Why we, your friends respect and admire you. What hobbies and interests you like." The journey throughout the Welsh Countryside, a few bumpy moments occurring a few times when the bus turned left or right alongside the main shopping areas in Cardiff. In reality it hadn't taken too long for them to get to where they hoped to arrive next in their complicated trip back to that well known glorious street corner pub. Ray and Gene both pleasantly had plenty of thought-provoking plans on restoring The Railway Arms back to it's onetime magnificent brilliance.

"Are you sure, you're going to stick your words eh Gene. Most of the time you never do, you go on you act on your hunches." Ray suggested in a tongue in cheek manner.

"No I do not, well not anymore I don't. Doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a doughnut shaped softie." Gene clarified with determination. He didn't want a ridiculous argument with his friend especially not in front of Alex in case she finally cottoned to why he was nearly on the verge of annoying her specifically right at that moment.

"I wish you two would stop acting like squabbling brothers..It's bloody frustrating having to put with watching the way you behave." She didn't really know how any woman could possibly have the patience of a saint in putting up with them. "Both as bad as each other." she sighed and turned her head away.

"I'm not, I'm more the reformed ponce nowadays, Gene's more of the obnoxious and non attention pleaser." Ray told her, unwittingly unaware his words had triggered another huge flashback for her.

"You're grabbing a chance to wind me up again Raymondo, not bad but it isn't as funny as watching a fairy poof tripping over and falling face first into some dog shit." Gene said.

"Gene we argued back then, didn't we? You repeatedly went against everything I suggested about a few important, you're still the most obnoxious, unpleasant and self centered man I can vaguely remember you being. " Alex suddenly shared this detailed memory with them. A brief smile managed to inscribe itself across her delicate lips as she watched both of their reactions to what she'd just told them.

"Now I remember more, Gene you always did this thing with your lips, pouted them when you realized I was right and you were wrong." She giggled unable to prevent it. It was such a fresh of breath air and massive relief to feel the overwhelming feeling of joy washing over her.

Approximately around 20 minutes later, just as the narrow sized bus passed across and along the outskirts of the Welsh capital. The three reunited friends soon accepted that they badly needed to acquire accommodation for the night. Alex was the first person to make her towards the front of the bus and to stand alongside the quiet and tight lipped bus driver.  
"Is this the last stop by any chance? I'm not from around here, you can probably tell by my accent and I thought I should just ask." She asked him, purposely trying to strike up a short conversation with him.

"Yes it is. You're Londoner aren't you love. Hope you don't mind me asking but I've noticed you've been eyeing me up since you got on with your male friends." The Bus Driver hadn't really liked being watched by any of his bus passengers.

"Alex what's up?" Ray asked her as he soon went to stand alongside her. In the spur of a moment Alex didn't wish to tell him, her reasons for questioning the bus driver.

"I'm married love okay." He wasn't taking too kindly to the unusual stares she was giving towards him.

"This is difficult to explain but I just thought you reminded me of someone I use to work with. I'm sorry if I give out mixed signals." She was too embarrassed and hurried off the bus as soon as it's doors folded open. She panicked and quickly left Ray and Gene in the lurch by running as fast as she could from the bus stop's archway, without thinking this forced them to follow on after her.

"She's fine one minute and the next minute she panics out of the blue. Gene we seriously have to get her to open to us and encourage her to mention why she's acting out of character." Ray just couldn't understand any of this anymore.

"Ray stop...just stop running will you. My bloody feet are going to run out of steam any second now." Their 15 second run across the pebble stone pathway was abruptly grounded as soon as some things began to make some complete sense in Gene's thoughts.

"We could lose her Guv." Ray argued.

"She won't go far, believe me I know her too bloody well. I think she's swearing that she's seeing Jim Keats everywhere she looks. He's not here or there but I think good old Jimbo wants her to be unbalanced and driven coo-coo mad." This felt oddly predictable for Gene to guess, he knew he couldn't be underestimated by his nemesis and knowing this made him feel stronger.

"Why are you sure?" Ray asked him.

"Because the other night when I walked into the pub he done the same thing and look at me now I'm not frightened. Jimbo will only go and pick on the people who he thinks he can mentally destroy and that's exactly what he's doing to Alex because she originally chose me. i'm going to take on that freak of nature bastard and before he knows, I'll be leaving him dangling from one of those lifts." Gene clarified with some good old fashioned determination.

"Well Raymondo, let's go shall we and find Alex." Gene smiled, they quickly resumed their search.

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**End of Chapter**

**All Reviews are welcome**


	11. Chapter 11

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 11**

She ran as fast as her feet could take her, across a nearby welsh rugby playing pitch. Alex reacted tearfully, believing she wasn't brave enough to face up to recalling all of her one-time memories whereas she understood that Ray and Gene were both bending over backwards as much as possible to help her to remember everything. She was still deliberate a few things in her head about Gene, why actually had he been the only one out of her two friends that seemed the most desperate for her to remember. She didn't acknowledge this but her thoughts were genuinely getting the better of her especially as she was trying to find out the real reason for this. Had they despite their constant disagreements and differences had, some sort of mutual respect for each other or even more. had they possibly taken a romantic shine to each other.

"Gene and me? No that can't be right, can it? I couldn't possibly see him as being more than a friend to me?" Alex whispered quietly to herself, she was hopeful that she hadn't been overheard by her friends, particularly as they had now caught up with her. Her running eventually grounded to a surprising halt as soon as she heard the unmistakable voice of Gene stridently calling her name from further back. She turned around and saw them running and staggering about, out of breath.

"See I told you Gene. I'm a better runner than you. £50 says you can't run the 100 metres race against Usain Bolt." Ray confidently challenged his friend.

"Usain who?" Gene asked.

"Never mind. Alex why did you run away from us at the bus stop? Gene suggested that you might have thought you saw someone familiar who you knew from years ago" Ray smiled before eventually turning to Alex and quickly asking her what her reason for running away from them.

"It's nothing Ray, please just don't ask me anything more. I'd rather we just carry on to wherever we're going." Alex was determined to erase any thoughts or flashback descriptions she had of Jim Keats and to dismiss any possible mentions of his name. Because unarguably she knew within her already anguished mind that he was the only person who she believed was fully responsible for everything that had unfortunately happened to her.

"It's fine if you don't feel like mentioning this nonce's name." Ray suggested, he was trying to think of something logical to comment about but nothing good seemed to enter his thoughts. "We did come to hate him back then, for toying with all of us and you to encourage me into stepping out of the Guv's shadow. He might have been right to tell me this but he played us fools wanting us to abandon Gene, the bloody cheek of him, the sly trickster."

This coincidentally triggered off another big memory for Alex, immediately she felt thankful to Ray for his significant comments. She was soon distracted by the last conversation she shared with Jim. Why had she easily allowed him to pander to her only for him to cleverly get inside of her head. Oh this unpleasant memory quickly made her feel uncomfortable and creeped out. "I remember but I don't feel confident enough on speaking up on how horribly he toyed with my emotions" she sighed, wanting to keep her head held high.

"We'll keep you out of harm's way and well protected Alex, you've got my word." Gene spoke up and made sure he was quick on the uptake to reassure her of this. Within a matter of seconds, she showed her appreciation for his promise by quietly thanking him. She still found herself contemplating over why he was showing more support, care and thoughtfulness towards her, even more than Ray was. Maybe he did fancy her after all, she needed to work out the reason behind this. Her mind soon started racing with numerous theories.

"Oi...and mine too." Ray said, wondering about why his name hadn't surprisingly received a mention.

"Sorry about that Raymondo." Gene apologized, smiling unpretentiously as a potential way of winding him up .

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They soon found themselves in Bristol, wandering through the high street. Not one to enjoy using public transport and walking on foot, Gene was still wishing he had a replacement Quattro, the never-ending walking around was beginning to get on his nerves._ "No more Quattro, Bloody tosspots I haven't forgotten what they did to my beloved car"._

"You alright Gene, it's just that you haven't said a word since you shouted at the bookmaker in William Hill for not you collect your winnings on the Virtual Horse Racing." Ray didn't like to see his dear friend keeping things to himself.

"I miss the Quattro. I miss speeding around in it. Bloody Mercedes car I had afterwards was a shit arse useless motor" Gene whispered back to him and looked to Alex who was walking alongside him, she looked slightly preoccupied about something.

"I know, well I understand how you feel. Cars nowadays have got nothing on the ones you owned in the past. Sat Nav this and Music gadgets that, you'll be shocked when you see what they look like in the driver's compartment." Ray warned.

"I don't want find out yet. Anyway where are we going now?" Gene asked.

"Well there's Starbucks or Costa, I think we could all do with some coffee to refresh ourselves." Ray openly suggested, he preferred to drink coffee from both of these shops even though they were a bit expensive to buy. Ray walked on ahead of them, eager to find them free seating in the coffee shop. Suddenly an emergence of entrenched attraction started to grow between themselves.

"I'm up for that, Bolls you coming into Starbucks with us?" Gene asked, not realizing he'd made an unexpected slip of the tongue.

Alex for some reason was close to tears upon remembering this nickname she now knew that Gene preferred to call her every now and then. "Yes I'm coming in" She anxiously rushed past him while he kindly held the door open for her.

**End of Chapter**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 12**

Ray's mouth was now parched and excruciatingly sore, 30 minutes ago they'd paid for their refreshment drinks which hadn't been bought over to their table next to the window, while waiting Ray was now munching on a buttered croissant which he'd picked up from the counter. Alex couldn't shake off her feeling of awkwardness and quietness around Gene. She longed for and wished she could get the chance to discover the real reason behind why they both shared a deep and profound connection. Maybe the reason as to why he nicknamed her Bolly might actually be linked to this or maybe their first ever encounter might manage to shed some light on this.

Gene's eyes glimmered as he glanced across the table towards her. He hadn't failed to notice how intently Alex had been watching him. "What's the problem Alex?" He asked her forthrightly.

"It's nothing Gene" So she claimed.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me" Gene tried to make an exceptional effort with her. Packing away his tough as boots stance for the time being with the intention of helping her out with retracing a few important memories.

"Well if you really want to know what's bothering me. It's this apparent connection we have between ourselves that's niggling me. You know so much about me and yet I don't know too much about you. Oh believe me I want to discover everything about you " She wished knew the finest points about him and knew him like the palm of her hand. She needed to be courageous enough about her still confused situation.

"You will soon enough." Gene looked casually as he confirmed this. He thought he ought to tell her another significant story. "You know when I met you a long time ago, you were dressed up in a prozzy's costume, your legs were clad with see through tights. Soon as I stepped out of the car and saw you standing there, you looked like you'd been expecting Harrison Ford instead. Still you looked very seductive in your clothes. However Raymondo here, disagreed" Gene dropped Ray's name into the conversation much to his friend's surprised reaction.

"Oh Guv no need for name dropping." Ray suggested.

"Sorry I couldn't help it" Gene apologized as soon as possible, knowing how bothered Ray felt about this comment. Gene suddenly went into thinking mode while he watched her once again, he was considering about whether Alex might start asking questions about how Jim Keats had come to previously work alongside them .

"What's the matter?" It didn't take too long for her to get the message about his unexpected silence. It was rather strange to see him with flushed cheeks and for him to wrestle with whatever thoughts were now pegging him down.

"Guv...Gene?" Ray displayed a concerned look for his friend.

All around them, the customers one after another left the coffee shop. This unfolding development only added to Gene's now uneasy feedback. Ray got up from his chair and went to speak to the person in charge. "Oi! Hang on, it said on the opening times you're not due to close yet and where's our paid for drinks by the way. We've been waiting long enough."

"I'm sorry we can't just hand your money back." The person in charge negligently stated.

"What a rip off, Gene have you heard his excuse." Ray shouted over to him, hoping he might back him up in the brewing argument.

Gene wasn't paying no attention to the almost one sided conversation the former DI was having with the carefree manager. Instead he found himself paying some excessive attention to the manager's distinctive appearance. There was something uncharacteristic about this unfashionable dressed bloke, especially the way he half-smiled and the unsettling manner in which he glanced over to the table. It made him feel ever the more suspicious of him.

Confidently enough Gene got up from where he was seated and went to join Ray at the threshold of the restaurant. Hopeful on confronting this bloke once and for all. "I think my friend demanded an explanation, you snot faced weasel." This bloke didn't seem scared of him and almost attempted to laugh impolitely, in his face.

"You're not getting anything"

"I don't intend to get anything, all I want to know is how the bloody hell did you end up owning this coffee shop." He asked the younger man. Gene stood his ground in the only way he knew possible. He gathered this wasn't some ordinary guy who'd come to be placed in charge of a high street coffee shop. He knew who he was now contending with.

"Fess up you scumbag." Gene found the confidence he'd long been seeking.

"Gene" Alex thought he was being too harsh on the manager.

The manager looked away momentarily and stuffed a hand in his pocket, before bringing out a familiar pair of glasses. "Ahhh you got me, well done Gene. Well Bloody Done. Hello Ray..hello Alex long time no see."

"Jim _Better the Bloody Devil You Know_ Keats" Gene angrily confirmed.

"Oh temper...temper Gene. You knew I would be following you around and you knew deep down in that skinny kid mind of yours. You know I'm all but ready to take what's mine at any provided opportunity." Jim grinned obsessively across the room at a frightened looking Alex.

"You bloody bastard." Ray looked as though he would take the first swinging punch at Jim.

Jim persistently walked around them, studying them before turning his attention on Ray. "After all this time, you're actually still acting like his moody prodigy and you keep defending him like he's an untouchable king of Heaven. Oh how you've disappointed me choosing the wrong path and finding yourself in such poor existence ."

"I'm glad I chose the right way. You fooled me into trusting you back in 83, but I'm glad I saw your true colours eventually." Ray strongly clarified. He was proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Gene.

Jim headed towards Alex. "I provided you with a lifeline Alex but I guess in the end love conquered all, I never stood a chance of getting you to come with me. I really was a true friend to you but it was such a shame we couldn't ultimately remain friends." Jim sighed deliberately, knowing she was still vulnerable and fragile, so he tried to gather some sympathy from him.

"You leave Alex out of this. This has always between me and you Jim." Gene warned him as he approached him.

"Gene get him a way from me" Alex cried out, Jim's words had set off a flood of emotional flashbacks.

Gene intervened on her behalf and quickly grabbed hold of Jim, his hands tugged on Jim's shirt collar as he turned around and then slammed him forcefully against the brick wall. Jim's head narrowly missed hitting the sharp corner of a framed wall picture. Alex got to her feet and soon stood behind a protective Ray. A few things for her had become crystal clear now, she knew Jim could never be trusted, she knew he was only out to damage Gene's strength of character by any means conceivable.

"Well isn't this nice, she's about to watch you beat me to a bloody pulp and about to realize what sort of man you really portray yourself as." Jim rubbed in a few more insults.

"I'm not going to punch you sodding lights out Jimbo, I'm going to send you back to where you belong and I don't care if I have to drag you" Gene tightened hold of his grip on Jim, psyching him out.

**End of Chapter**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 13**

The continuous madness and senseless response from Jim soon surprisingly quietened down. He cleverly managed to wriggle out of Gene's strengthened hand grip on his shirt collar. "No I'm not going, at least not without a fight. One of us will win and the other will be erased out forever. By my estimations, I would say you're about to bring your true colors to light Gene. Alex will finally see what pathetic excuse of a man you really are."

"Oh change the record Keats, is that the best you can suggest, childish nancy arsed insults." Ray exclaimed, having his proper say on this. There was a comprehensible look of frustration etched across his face especially as he was watching on. Gene had managed to overhear everything Ray had mentioned and soon went into thinking mode. He was now considering about what he ought to do to his irredeemable challenging rival, either toss him about everywhere until he could take no more or whether he ought to take him to wherever he was lodging nowadays.

Alex observed on, as she stood shoulder to shoulder alongside Ray. An overwhelming part of her, wanted to applaud and cheer on Gene for capably standing up to Jim and for holding the fort against him. She couldn't help but admire and respect him for this, being a single-minded and a resilient individual. Maybe this was what connected them to each other, the most profoundest and sincerest of feelings that any single person could genuinely feel.

"You're not getting it are you, you pencil neck weasel. You can't put the good old frighteners on me anymore. If my memories serve me correctly you never actually bloody did. Because after the last time we encountered each other, I learned from my mistakes, remembered something a great friend of mine told me once. Learn everything I still can, flush a ponce's head down a toilet not being the way to go about things and just do things the Sam Tyler way. Stand up, be the tamed Manc Lion once again and send you underground on a way train ticket to Keatsville." Gene clarified with detailed facts and with precise confidence.

"Spare me the details Hunt." Jim wasn't in the mood for taking his nemesis' words on board. He looked back across the room towards Alex, constantly grinning.

"Don't let him get to you Alex. It's what he wants, one final chance to tempt you away from me." Gene notified on this.

"I'm not. Because I remember everything, know who you are now Gene. You saved me so many times, you saved me from a frozen freezer. Yes you shot me that one time but I realize now that was only an accident because of me being in the wrong place at the wrong time " Alex was pretty much glad to be getting all of this off her chest.

"I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean to hurt you Bolls when that happened. " Gene apologized, it felt a tad uneasy discussing this once again.

"I remember you apologized last time, I forgave you then and I forgive you now." Alex managed to reassure him. She could see how embarrassed he looked about this foregoing incident being bought up suddenly out of the blue. She shook her head infuriatingly as soon as she saw how delighted Jim seemed upon hearing about the past shooting. She knew he would willingly attempt to use this as an eleventh hour advantage over Gene.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned this." Alex quickly apologized to Gene.

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"Disaster after unfortunate disaster. You're deluding yourself into thinking you a different man. When in fact the 19 year old skinny lad within you is a bumbling and irresponsible person." Jim wasn't letting his guard down even while finding himself being dragged towards the nearby docklands.

"Toss him in, Guv. He deserves everything he gets." Ray shouted over towards him as he stood in the background. Both DCIs were determinedly standing their ground against one another, Jim soon found himself now dangling and hovering above the freezing high level water beneath him. He appeared to be unaffected and impervious over concerning the treacherous circumstances being stacked against him.

"Go on then, if you loathe me so much. Why don't you do as DI Carling has told you to do so. If you want me gone, just throw me into the water. I can't swim anyway, I'll drown within a minute or so." Jim smirked while speaking. This seemed too good to be true Jim Keats actually admitting defeat or was he trying to trick him?

Gene couldn't work him out, inside his mind was screaming dark and unpardonable thoughts. _You should have run him over, drowning isn't the best suggestion. He wants you to strike out, this is him trying to undo my backbone. He seriously thinks Alex will be won over by him if I threw him in the water._

"Well what are you waiting for Gene?" Jim shouted at him, in a threatening manner.

"No I'm not going to throw you in there you deluded weasel. That's a coward way of dealing with things. I'm going to do what I originally had in mind." Gene released Jim from the metal bars by the water but grabbed hold of him again.

Ray and Alex both dashed over to Gene but he seemed reluctant on them following him to wherever he was planning on getting rid of Jim.. "Don't follow me." he surprisingly requested but didn't explain why.

"Why not? Why were are you taking him?" Ray couldn't hide his worries and concerns.

"I'm taking him back to where he's come from." Gene finally revealed a little more information.

"You're coming back aren't you?"

Gene abruptly stopped walking and turned to acknowledge Ray and Alex face to face. He couldn't take his eyes off at Alex even as he spoke to Ray. "I don't know if I might be back. If I don't, promise me you'll look after her for me."

"You're seriously giving up on the woman you love. You're going to leave her heartbroken if you don't return" Ray refused believe his friend would contemplate this.

"See this is what he does Alex, rips your heart in two" Jim laughed to himself. He turned around, so he could rub the insult in Gene's face, only he was soon shocked to find himself on the receiving end of a knock out punch to his face instead, he collapsed back on the grass. Alex wasn't listening at all to Jim, she was pleased that Gene had punched him...finally.

"I know, here take this..." His hand was rummaging through his jacket pocket, the only thing he could find was his warrant card.

"Why are you giving me this for?" Ray struggled to hold back his tears.

"Not for you dozy nonce, it's for Alex. I drew something inside it a while ago, well a sketch thing. Make sure she keeps hold of it eh" Gene wouldn't reveal the meaning of the sketch he'd drawn inside the plastic casing of the warrant card but remained hopeful his friend would make certain Alex kept it on her at all times.

"Look I have to go." Gene whispered, he walked over to Alex, as he longed for a tender enough moment with her. His eyes gazed deeply into hers, studying them mesmerizingly, at the same time he ran his fingertips against her delicate cheek, she clearly enjoyed the feel of his hand brushing her cheek. He struggled to find the right words to tell her where exactly he would be going to.

"Just keep remembering me Bolls. I'll be back in time, so me and you can be reunited." Gene smiled gently. "Oh and I want you to always remember that you're responsible for bringing out the best in the Gene Genie. " he whispered to her, not wanting Ray to overhear his talk with her.

Ray cropped up alongside them, he clearly felt disappointed that Gene was taking on this mission alone. Despite showing his doubts and emotions he knew he had to do the right thing as Gene requested. Take care of Alex and obviously himself, money wise and accommodation wise. He and Alex both watched on as Gene handcuffed Jim and quickly lead him up towards a bridge walkway. Within 15 seconds they disappeared from view into the cold dark night.

**End of Chapter**

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	14. Chapter 14

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 14**

**1 month later - London Trafalgar Square**

An uncomfortable and subdued month had gradually passed since they'd last seen Gene. Presently they were now lounging around at a nearby bistro Bella Italiano within Trafalgar Square. "You know this place reminds me of Manchester, feeding bits of bread to the pigeons when nobody was bothering to look at whatever I was doing. Normally always cheered me up especially whenever the Guv accidentally dropped one of his sandwiches and the pigeons would go for the leftovers of it. Most of the time he had this right grumpy look on him everytime that happened."

"Ray I do know precisely where we are." Alex fleetingly smirked, knowing he was trying to help her remember whereabouts they were at that moment in time. _"Bless him, he's being very caring about everything". _ On the thought of picturing Gene's frustrated reaction, she grinned at the thought of what Gene's genuine reaction might have been, watching on frustratingly as pigeons consumed the scraps of his half eaten sandwiches. "I just can imagine his reaction too."

It wasn't at all difficult to see that both of them were missing their sometimes unpretentious, sometimes presumptuous absent friend. Ray missed the arguments, the football related rows especially. A few weeks earlier Gene had taken great pleasure in winding up his friend when he came across a back page newspaper photograph of Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany lifting the silver Premier League Trophy above his head. Ray knew deep down that he wouldn't be hearing the last of this excited response from his surprisingly delighted friend.

Alex found herself missing him too, for over a month now she had begun to rediscover the long forgotten dreams she once visualized of him all of those years ago. Her hero, her Prince Charming to her Maid Marion, she thought it would be better to keep these fantasy dreams just to herself for the time being at least. She knew he was only doing what he truly considered was the right thing, dispatching Jim Keats out of their lives forever. She hoped and secretly prayed that he would hopefully return as soon as possible otherwise he didn't she would feel absolutely lost without him.

"I hope Gene's okay wherever he is." Alex sighed despairingly.

"Oh he will be. He's definitely as bricks nowadays. If Jim's given him another bloody knock down sentence about loneliness I'm convinced Gene won't be taking too kindly to his words. He finally strolled through them doors of the pub. Took a lot of balls for him to that on his own. I knocked him out, that's only because I mistook him for an intruder. When he came around eventually, you know the first thing, the first name he mentioned was yours. And from then on he couldn't stop talking about you everyday, he was worried about what your reaction would be like whether you'd welcome him back with open arms or perhaps you wouldn't be happy with him for taking his time to see you once again. Luckily I give him a right kick up the backside talk into reconsidering his feelings." Ray confirmed to her.

"Your a true friend to him Ray, I've always been able to notice this most of the time" Alex smirked, she reached over and happily gave him an encouraging pat on the top of his shoulder. In the process she almost knocked over some of her coffee over his knee.

"Sam's more of a better friend to him. Christ I wish I knew where he and Annie are." Ray said, sadness expressing itself fully across his face.

"We can still try to find them." Alex suggested.

"No not just yet. Rather we wait for Gene to come back first" Ray responded.

"I miss him too and it feels heartbreaking for me Ray, just sitting here and waiting for news. Is there really no way we could contact him, by mobile phone or smartphone? Does he even own a mobile phone?"

"No, he hasn't discovered the wonders of the mobile phone and the smartphone yet. If he does he'll probably just think they're both shit." Ray laughed at his own comment, Alex joined in with the laughter as well, as she knew what his given reaction might be on handling a smartphone and probably breaking it straight away.

**End of Chapter**

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	15. Chapter 15

**Forgotten Memories**

**Chapter 15**

The following day, Ray and Alex were sightseeing around East London. For Alex it was refreshing and wonderful to rediscover facts, statistics and knowledge about the history behind some of the buildings she briefly remembered learning about for many years as she was growing up in the 1990's. A part of her hopes and wishes, one of them was how much she longed for Gene to be there for and to be standing alongside her, affectionately holding her hand. She was still obviously emotional and understandably forlorn about his noted absence. Her eyes suddenly fell upon the magnificent Canary Wharf, she walked on ahead of a concerned Ray.

"He's not going to be forgetting us both in a hurry you do know. Gene's not the type of bloke who'll erase his dearest of friends from his mind. Yeah I know he did when we left him a long long time ago but for some reason something must have triggered into that hard nut brain of his which made him remember us once again." Ray suggested, he knew it would feel better to remain optimistic and hopeful of this being the case. He glanced across at Alex who still didn't look too reassured by what he only just mentioned. "If he knows you love him so much, he'll return. One thing I know is, Gene hasn't given up on anything. He's got more might than Winston the Churchill dog and won't dare to let a nobody ponce walk all over him . That's Gene in a nutshell." Ray cheekily grinned after he finally bought a prompt end to his evocative discussion.

Alex responded a few seconds later. "I know I remember." She couldn't prevent the odd smile or two as a few flashbacks flashed up unexpectedly in her mind. One which became crystal clear and reasonably stood out amongst the other flashbacks was of a particular time when mounting pressure and spur of the moment panic ensued in the CID office. The last minute arrival of the well regarded Lord Scarman. She could remember how he behaved on the morning of the visit back in the day.

"What are you thinking about?" Ray tried to find out what was now really occupying her mind.

"Just how Gene liked single out underdogs back then. Did he ever explain why he placed Chris in a cell with Tom Robinson?" She found the inevitable courage to reminisce on this marvelous encounter between them during the shouting and squabbling amongst the people being held in the one cell.

"You know I can't remember, however do I remember you and me arresting Tom Robinson during a protest. I got left with a bloodied nose when expectation got the better of you when you were in the driving seat of the Quattro" Ray bursting out laugh as he dredged up this particular highlight.

"Oh really, I actually got the chance to drive Gene's glorious Quattro." She couldn't quite believe the surprising fact that she'd been given the wonderful chance of driving around in one of Gene's finest cars. Had he actually trusted her considerably with babysitting this great flatcar.

Despite his best of efforts, annoyance expanded significantly within his thoughts. "Yeah" He didn't think they ought to be talking too much about everything that fortunately happened a long time ago. More to the point it felt a great deal better to think on ahead on what the future might hold.

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Three hours later, during the late afternoon/early evening rush hour traffic. Alex was gazing in awe across the River Thames. She was chewing on a red wine gum, feelings still heavily bothering her. She didn't want to confess this to Ray as she knew he'd only just tell her to face up to her biggest reservations and regrets. Life wasn't getting any greater nor optimistic. To make up for the disappointment of the afternoon, where they hadn't accomplished any worthwhile activities. (Alex fed some bread crumbs to the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, Ray didn't) eager to cheer herself up she decided to splash out on some more of her ready cash.

"Shouldn't we be saving this up?" Ray wasn't sure on indulging on anymore food or attractions treats around the Capital.

Alex couldn't resist the challenge of purchasing one of her favourite sandwiches from one of her favourite food shops. "Just the one more shop Ray...I fancy the Chicken Tikka from Subway."

"Subway, really?" Ray hadn't previously preferred paying for an advertised sandwich from Subway.

"Must you complain, honestly you're turning into an absolute diva Ray Carling." Alex had, had just about enough of the one or two of his relentless criticisms and grumbles. She wandered on ahead of him, away from the picnic tables alongside the River Thames. Unbeknownst to them as they carried on walking individually, an unseen individual was watching them thoroughly in the distance. Whoever might have been, came across as an enthusiastic onlooker especially as he monitored Alex's extremely tense body language.

"You're one who's becoming a diva" Ray fought back into their awkward, contrary discussion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was now Ray's chance to demonstrate the perfect textbook choice on where they ought to go for a drink that very evening. "Why isn't there pubs around here?" Bafflement and Bewilderment soon grabbed his attention, he couldn't understand why most of the pubs had suddenly vanished around the local area. Both of them were astonished to discover that they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. Only playing fields and houses dominated around the surrounding area.

"Something's wrong?" Alex looked around, she was scared and worried.

Through the heavy fog and poor conditions. A recognizable public building soon came into clear headed view right into front of Ray's eyes. "Hang on a minute, I don't think anything's wrong. This place looks way too familiar." The fog quickly faded away. The beloved and illuminated Railway Arms emerged from it in all of it's finest glory.

"How did we get here?" Although a questionable look was etched across her face, Alex still couldn't quite believe it, seeing the pub once again.

"I don't know, only Gene knows the answer." Ray sighed, he was wishing it wasn't freezing cold.

"Of course I'll know the answer. But I'm not telling you Raymondo you bloody dozy div." An identifiable voice bellowed as loudly as possible. Alex and Ray both turned around and both reacted with gladness to see a proud looking Gene before them. Strangely he wasn't wearing his normal clothes, instead he was dressed in modern day clothes, a Manchester City Home shirt and dark blue trousers and a thick brown overcoat to keep him warm.

"Well isn't somebody going to give the Manc Lion a big great bloody bear hug or are they going to allow me to stand here alone, freezing my balls off" Gene had been expecting one straight away. Wasting no time at all Alex jumped at the chance first, she dashed across the road towards him and enveloped both of her arms around him. She hugged him as tight as she possibly could, she didn't want let go of him. "Good grief Bolls, I can tell you've missed me." he was taken back but glad to feel of the warmth of her arms squeezing themselves rightly around him.

"Where have you been this last month? Me and Ray haven't stopped worrying about you. I've missed you like crazy"

"Been to hell and back, wasn't a barrel of laughs or a fandabydozy sort of place like I thought it might be. Keats is no more, let's just say he's been dealt with, in the way he deserves to be." Gene responded. He wasn't willing to tell her more about the risk-taking challenge he'd taken himself on in order to get rid of his rival forever.

"Oh thank goodness." Ray joked, he was the only person laughing, he stopped laughing immediately. He acknowledged that Gene and Alex should be left alone together. Looking over at the pub, he decided he should go back in and greet the rest of the team. "Oh I'll leave you both to get reacquainted then." He informed before heading inside.

Alex watched him going inside, she was wondering how the pub on it's own had suddenly managed to restore itself once more, accurately back to it's glory days. Gene soon noticed her surprised reaction and commented on the reason behind the restoration.

"Keats' gone but when he was still lurking around he possessed a stronghold over the pub. Persuaded people to vandalize this place, it was left in a right shit hole because of him. Now I guess because he's no more, everyone's returned and they've pulled together and were able to rebuild the pub to way it always was. You want to come inside and be reunited with the team?" Gene explained in painstaking detail on what he knew. He invited her to walk into the pub with.

Alex's mind was reasonably already made up, as she knew exactly where she belonged, with Gene and with the rest of the team. "Yes I will, just before we head inside. There's one more thing I've been waiting to...for such a long, long time"

"You name it" Gene smiled with affection.

She didn't quite tell him, not waiting any longer as the enormous urge and desperation took over her, she quickly closed the gap between them and bought her lips nearer to his. "Kiss you Gene Hunt" she grinned with delight before finally kissing him gently on the lips. Gene couldn't hold back his own urges no longer and gave in. Bringing his hand up to her cheek as he eagerly responded. For a first kiss between themselves, it felt breathtaking and properly from the heart. Alex threw her arms up and placed them around the back of his neck and shoulders, bringing him in closer towards her as they began to kiss much more passionately.

Three minutes later, they both pulled away. Unable to break eye contact as they gazed and admired one another. Alex looked over again at the doorway. "It's getting very cold out here, we should go in there together." She suggested, Gene nodded in agreement and grasped hold of her hand. He lead her over to the pub, eventually they both walked inside together, hand in hand.

**End of Chapter**

**End of Chapter**

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