Repetitions of the Future

 

Chapter 21 – A trip to Manchester!

 

 

March was soon April, spring became summer and CID ambled along much as it always had.  Chris and Shaz were often to be found canoodling in the filing and evidence room, Ray caught up on his sleep as and when he could, Gene and Alex squabbled as much as ever but always made up when they got home, and the nightly piss ups at Luigi’s continued even though they seemed to finish much earlier than they ever had done before.

 

One thing that had changed had been Gene’s unending desire to spend most of his weekends with Alex, apart from watching out for his beloved City’s score line on ‘Grandstand’, the highlights of a match on ‘Match of the Day’ or if they played in London, when an ‘unknown’ source would send him down a ticket.  At least she could look forward to the off season, 3 months where she would have his undivided attention apart from the odd phone call to a mate to find out which players had been transferred, if they were going to play a friendly or if there was any new investment into the club.

 

But even then she found Sunday’s to be the best day of the week, waking up in his strong but gentle arms, having breakfast in bed, reading the papers together and generally chilling out, they’d take walks in the park, sit out in the garden she’d learnt to tend if the weather was good, sometimes they’d even get out of the city altogether and find a nice pub to have some dinner before coming home to fill their early evening with a dose of passion, finally drifting off into a blissful sleep safely wrapped around one another.

 

She’d even managed to persuade him to take time off work.  How, she wasn’t quite sure but once she’d mentioned it he seemed more than willing to let Ray look after the team for a couple of days.  They’d spent a long weekend in Bath, wandering around the beautiful Georgian city built around a roman bath trying to imagine what life would have been like when the likes of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen resided there.  Alex had been surprised by Gene’s knowledge of the place and its famous residents, finally explaining that he’d learnt about Bath at school in his dim and distant past, history having been one of his favourite subjects.  “Why have you never told me that?”  She’d questioned.

 

“You never asked!”  He countered, in the calm, bantering way he had with only her, “I don’t like t’ think ‘bout me childhood much.”  He saw Alex give him one of her quizzical looks.  They were sat on a bench overlooking the Pulteney Bridge and weir, arm in arm.  “Nothin’ were ever good enough for ‘im, me dad!  Didn’t matter what it were, school, service, friends even.  Still ended up getting’ drunk and lashin’ out at us all, including me mam!”  His pensive face looked down at Alex’s hand as it rested on his arm, covering it he began stroking her soft skin, eventually tracing down her fingers and lacing his through them.  “I were glad when I were called up, able to get out of ‘ome for good, not that I wanted t’ leave me mam and me brother alone with that bastard.  Thankfully it weren’t for too long; he died a couple months after I left.  Didn’t go t’ ‘is funeral, seemed there weren’t much point.

 

“Me brother could ne’er live with the pain, got addicted t’ drugs, I tried t’ get ‘im back on track.  ‘E scarpered, by the time I found ‘im ‘e were dead.”  Alex moved closer to him, placing her arms around him attempting to help rid him of his own pain.  “Guess that’s why I drank, really, everythin’ in me life seemed to go the same way too, the wife, me kid, the only thin’ I had were me job and Sam’s friendship when he arrived!”  He looked to face her, finding serenity in her cool hazel eyes, a smile playing on her lips.  “Not that I need to now, eh?  Drink that is.  Look what I got instead.”  He said, his eyebrows motioning upward whilst searching her face and smiling down to her.  “I’m sleeping with the hottest, smartest, sweetest, although still very argumentative DI in the Met, and she loves me; craggy, saggy, ole me wit’ all me problems!”

 

“You can never be described as craggy or saggy, Gene!  Considering that you’ve cut down on the whisky and the love making is extremely good exercise, have you seen your beer belly recently?”  She lent up to his ear and purred, whispering, “you obviously don’t realise how bloody gorgeous and sexy you actually are!”

 

“You don’t have to humour me, DI Drake,” he teased.

 

“I’m not!  Just telling it like it is!  I never imagined that you would be the one I fell for, but I did!  At first I hated you and everything about you, your ways, your sexist remarks, the way you taunted me for an argument and the sexual innuendo you continually threw my way …”

 

“Sorry!”

 

“Don’t be, because if I hadn’t seen that side of you I probably would never have been lucky enough to see the other side of you either.  And when I finally got you on your own and outside of work you started letting me in, little by little.  You amazed and intrigued me, when you gave one of your suits to Reeks so that he could go to court, when you cuddled me in Edgehampton trying to console me my fears, they way you dealt with little Donny on his birthday, the way you dealt with the younger me when my parents were blown up, when you saved me at the Cales’ restaurant, even when you turned down my blatant invitation – ‘what would you do last few seconds on earth?’”

 

“Can I answer that now?”

 

“Yeah, why not?”

 

He winked at her, “last few seconds on earth?  I’d be down city watchin’ the lads!”

 

“Thanks!”  She rolled her eyes.

 

“Look, Alex, I think we both know that if I’d had the balls I’d have taken you upstairs that night and shown you exactly what I’d have done, last few seconds on earth!  Still pissed me off though, when I found out you’d slept wit’ that fuzzy haired twat.  Why?”

 

“Because you’d left me on my own,” she reiterated, “but if I’m truly honest, it wasn’t the greatest idea or moment I’d ever had, I’ve had much better since.”  She smiled up at him hugging his arm, “mind you, if I’d had the balls I’d have never allowed you to consider your answer for as long as you did, I’d have kissed you, there and then.  I remember your face was so close to mine, I could feel your breath warm my skin, if I’d been brave I’d have pulled you in with your tie!”

 

“Really?  And I had to live wit’ that as a bloody fantasy for four months, thank you Ms Drake!”

 

“My pleasure, Mr Hunt!  It was worth the wait though wasn’t it?  All that pent up sexual tension, the arguments helping, of course.”

 

“Mmm, pent up sexual tension, is that what we really had?”  He watched her intently, his eyes sparkling, “Did I ever make your rump quiver then?”

 

“Constantly!”

 

“Does it still quiver?”

 

“Yes, especially when I know you’re watching it retreat from your office!”  She decided to change tack.  “Tell me about your mum?”

 

“She’s old an’ grey an’ livin’ in Manchester!”

 

“Very helpful!”

 

“She loves me!”

 

“Mmm, that’s probably debatable, when did you last speak to her?”

 

“Last week, I phone on Wednesday’s from the office, before she goes out to bingo with her friends!”

 

“When did you last see her?”

 

“Not since I left for London!”

 

“Why?”

 

“Ne’er found the time!  Too much scum in London t’ sort out!”

 

“Would you like to see her?”

 

“Course I would, what kind of a question is that?”

 

“Well, we could go; maybe we could take a week off, when the football season starts again.  Maybe you could take me to a match!”

 

“Women and football don’t mix!”

 

“Really, like women and booze don’t mix until you realised I could hold my own.  Please, I’d like to go, not saying I really understand the game but perhaps I could learn to appreciate it under the guidance of a seasoned pro like yourself!”

 

“Now you’re butterin’ me up.”

 

“Pretty please?”

 

“Why?  It’s a man’s game!”

 

“You do realise that women play football in 2007, can’t think why they’d want to but they do, there’s even a women’s world cup, started in ‘91 I think!”

 

“Bloody ‘ell, women playin’ a man’s game?”  She nodded, “Ok, I’ll take you … once only mind!  Have to phone Sam an’ see when the derby match is!”

 

“Why, is Sam a Derby supporter?”  She asked innocently, she knew a little to know what he actually meant.

 

“’Ope not, bad enough he’s a United supporter.  I mean the derby match between City and United.  See, women and football!”  She smiled, “you bloody tease, you just wait ‘til I get you back to our room, I’m gonna tie you t’ one of them four posts on that bed, then I’m gonna make you pay for your insolence toward your superior officer, ‘ave you screamin’ my name out for mercy.”

 

“Can’t wait!  Hope you bought the cuffs with you!”  She smiled wickedly, getting up from the bench and holding out her hand for him to take.

 

He took her hand in his, and kissed the back of it.  “’Ave I ever told you ‘ow much I love you?”

 

“Yes, and do you know how much I love you?”

 

“I am aware of the fact.  Think we ought t’ get back t’ the ‘otel an’ do someat ‘bout it right now then, don’t you?”

 

************

 

So that was why they were now in the Audi travelling up the M6 into a land that was completely foreign to Alex, she may have travelled all over the world but quite frankly she’d never been anyway further North than

Stratford Upon Avon.  Well she’d been taken to Edinburgh by her ex-husband but they’d flown there and hired a car when they’d arrived.  She noticed that they’d just passed a sign for Stoke on Trent and she was getting irritable, they hadn’t stopped anywhere and she was getting stiff.  “How far have we got to go?”  She asked.

 

“About 40 odd mile, are you ok?  There’s some services here soon I think if you want t’ stop.”

 

“I’d like to, I really do need to stretch my legs, maybe get something to drink!”

 

They stopped for about half an hour before climbing back into the Quattro and continuing their journey.  It wasn’t long before they were entering the suburban limits of Manchester and Gene expertly navigated the city to the hotel that he had chosen for them.  Sam had offered to put them up, as had Gene’s mum but Gene had discussed the options with Alex and they had decided to opt for the safest alternative.  A room at the Palace Hotel, ‘and a very expensive one’ Alex thought as she moved into the beautifully decorated room with another four poster bed.  She turned back to Gene raising her eyebrows.  “Know ‘ow to keep ya in check now!”  He taunted her.

 

She inspected the bathroom and was confronted by a huge bath.  “Gene, are you actually expecting us to get out of this room at all this week?”

 

“Only for the little time we actually need t’!”  He grabbed her from behind and kissed her neck.  “What else do you want t’ do whilst you’re ‘ere wit’ me anyway?”

 

She turned in his arms trailing her hands up his chest and around his neck.  “I want to really get to know you Gene Hunt!  I want you to take me around your home town and show me everywhere you’ve been, where you went to school, where you had your first kiss, where you got married, where you lived, I want to know everything.  You’re an enigma and I want to learn about you and understand you.”

 

“Ok, in that case then, tomorrow I’ll take you to a few places before you meet me mam!”

 

“What about the rest of today,” she protested.

 

“Far too tired to drive anywhere else today, you have to think about me age, I’m no spring chicken!”

 

“Mmm, bet you’re not too tired for me though!”

 

“Never, Bols!”

 

**************

 

They’d wasted no time over breakfast, as soon as they were out of the hotel he’d ushered her into the car and they were off around the outskirts of the city.  He took her to all of the places she’d asked to see and more, sometimes they’d even got out of the car and strolled around the neighbourhoods of his past life, only where he’d had his happiest times though it seemed.  He’d taken her to a park, near where his childhood home was, and they walked around as he pointed out places where he’d played footie with the lads from school, where he and his brother had regularly gone paddling for three penny bits and silver sixpences in the murky lake and where he’d had his first kiss.  “Judy, her name were, hold on …” he bent down looking around the base of the tree, “… Jeez, it’s still ‘ere.”  He traced his fingers over the scratchy love heart that had been etched into the bark.

 

Alex peered at his rough handiwork, remembering back to a boyfriend that had done that for her as she’d been growing up, ‘GH + JD forever’.  “I’m quite jealous you know,” she said playfully, not expecting the wielding penknife that he’d just produced from his pocket.

 

He began marking the bark and skilfully changed the J into an A.  “That’s better!”  He said, beaming.  “Much better, don’t you think?  ‘Ope Judy don’t mind!”

 

She laughed heartily, letting him guide her body so that she now stood with her back against the tree.  “And this was the exact spot you learnt to kiss?”

 

“Yep, and more besides!”  He winked as he drew her up to him and kissed her taking her breath away.  Time seemingly stood still as they lost themselves in the other, kissing and cuddling for the whole world to see.

 

“Gene?”  Alex and Gene stopped kissing abruptly, turning their heads sharply to observe the woman that had just called his name.

 

“That’s not Judy is it?”  Alex whispered trying to soften the atmosphere.

 

He stepped away from her, “my God, Les,” he took the other women into a bear hug, “you’re lookin’ well!”

 

“Not as well as you by all accounts,” she said laying her gaze upon Alex as she drew out of his embrace.  “Who’s this?”

 

“My fiancé, Alex!”

 

She looked back at Gene before striding over to Alex, he followed.  “Nice t’ meet ya!”  The woman’s hand shot out for Alex to take.  Alex gave her a quick once over, about Gene’s age or maybe a little younger, dressed in slacks and jumper.  Her hair was mousy and straggly and she wore little makeup.  She had the look of a beautiful woman in her youth, but her looks had faded recently, she seemed happy enough with her life though.

 

There was something about the woman that she recognised but nothing was coming to her, she shook the offered hand, “nice to meet you,” she smiled and then looked to Gene for an answer.

 

“Alex, this is my ex-wife, Lesley!”  Ah, that was where she recognised her from, the photo of Gene’s daughter, admittedly his daughter had his eyes and colouring but there was no mistaking where she got her nose and mouth from.  “How are things goin’ with Richard?”

 

“Oh fine, you know, so, so.  Look I’m not goin’ t’ beat around the bush, Gene, I know you’ve done so much for Charley, keep sendin’ money for ‘er an’ speakin’ to ‘er every week, but she needs ‘er dad, she needs ‘im ‘ere.  We’re alright for money an’ Richard wants to adopt ‘er as ‘is own.”

 

“No!”

 

“Gene?”

 

“I said, no!  Maybe things didn’t work out ‘ow they should of but she’s still me daughter an’ I’m not letting some bastard solicitor bring ‘er up as ‘is own.  Besides what ‘bout me?  ‘As either one of ya bothered to think ‘bout how I’d feel?  No, I bet neither of you ‘ave.  Me an’ Alex are ‘ere for the week, I expect to be able to see ‘er whilst I’m ‘ere.  Understand?  I ‘ave bloody rights, you know, as well ‘e knows.  Don’t bloody upset me over this, Les, ‘cause as sure as eggs is eggs; I’ll fight the pair of ya for what’s rightfully mine!”

 

Lesley sighed, “Alright Gene, ‘ow ‘bout Wednesday night, we normally have a night out together, she stays with me mam!  You could babysit ‘er.”

 

Gene looked at Alex, she nodded, Wednesday sounded fine.  “Right, we’ll pick ‘er up ‘bout 6, is that convenient,” Lesley accepted, “make sure she’s got pyjamas and clean clothing and something to occupy ‘er, she’s staying with us for the night.  I’ll make sure she gets t’ school.”  He paused, “we’ll be seein’ you then?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Gene held his arm out for Alex which she gladly took as they walked from the park, staying silent until they got to the street; she pulled him up short of the car.  “Not so fast, Hunt!”

 

Gene was dour, how could that scumbag suggest trying to take his daughter away from him.  He looked down at the beauty that was Alex, knowing she would be alright about the plans he was forming in his head.  Wednesday would be a telling time, a chance for Alex to get to meet his daughter; hell, it would be his opportunity to re-establish his relationship with the seven year old.

 

Alex searched his face, looking for clues to take her along the road his mind was travelling at that moment.  “You’re thinking about asking Lesley to let Charley stay with us, aren’t you?”

 

“Bloody ‘ell, you really are good!  I were, but if you don’t think its such a good idea then I’ll scrap it!”

 

“No, I think it’s a great idea.  I’m never going to be able to see Molly again, I don’t even have a picture or photos of her, and I couldn’t live with myself if I was ever party, even in the smallest of ways, to stopping you seeing your little girl.”  A tear splashed down onto her cheek.

 

Gene gently rubbed it away, bringing her into his embrace.  “Thank you, I knew you’d want t’ help out.  We’ll discuss it later, yeah?”  She nodded and smiled, of course she’d help out, she understood better than anybody.  He returned her smile with his own before looking at his watch.  “Jesus, better get on, me mam will be wonderin’ where we are!”  He said as they both got into the car, firing up the Quattro and driving off to his next destination.

 

They pulled up outside a red brick mid-terrace house, the imposing pillar box red door being opened as soon as Gene put his right foot on the floor, “Gene, me boy!  Give your ole mam a kiss!”

 

He closed the car door, quickly crossing the distance to his mother and taking her into his arms and giving her the biggest kiss.  Alex walked around the car, amused by the sight of a tall blonde hulk of a man embracing a short, generously proportioned, grey haired old woman.  He finally stood away from his mother and motioned for Alex to join them.  “Mam, I’ve got someone I want you t’ meet.  This is Alex!”

 

“Nice to meet you, Mrs Hunt!”  Alex said, extending her hand out expecting the other woman to take it.

 

“Obviously in the South, they have different customs.  Come ‘ere, love.  Let me hug the woman that’s made my Genie sparkle!”  She wrapped Alex up in her arms and hugged her; Alex swore one of her ribs was going to crack.  “It’s Iris … or mam, by the way, now’t else.  Now let me look at you,” she held Alex’s elbows in her out stretched arms, peering at Alex, almost scrutinising her.

 

“Do I pass muster?”  Alex heard herself saying.

 

A wicked grin spread across the face of the older woman, a twinkle in her eye, and Alex knew instinctively where Gene had inherited his sarcasm and bare faced cheek from.  “You’ll do, now come on inside both of ya, you’ll catch your death out ‘ere.  I’ll put the kettle on an’ make us all some tea whilst I’m just finishing off the dinner.”

 

They’d spent dinner idly chatting, mostly answering Iris’s questions about how they’d met and got together, she’d even asked Alex about her life.  Finally, she’d asked them about the miscarriage, it had hurt talking about it but Alex seemed strangely at peace when Iris had consoled them both.  “I ‘ad one, you know?”  Iris said unexpectedly, directing the question to Alex.

 

“Mam?”  Gene questioned.

 

Iris smiled at her son, taking his hand in her own.  “I ‘ad a miscarriage, ne’er told anyone, not even your dad!  If the baby had been born you’d ‘ave ‘ad an older brother or sister!”

 

“Mam, why didn’t you say someat?  You shouldn’t ‘ave kept that t’ yourself!”  Gene was getting fired up.

 

“I ‘ad me reasons, son!”

 

“’E ‘it you, didn’t ‘e?”  He moved his seat closer to his mum, comforting her.  She cried against his shoulder.

 

Silently, Alex got to her feet and cleared away what was left of the cutlery and crockery, leaving Gene to Iris.  Once in the kitchen she put on the kettle and made coffee for them all, whilst washing up what was left to do.  She waited in the living room for them wandering around the room looking at the array of photographs and pictures that adorned every available space.  She moved over to the mantelpiece and picked up an old frame with a black and white photograph in it, the two boys in the picture lazily smiled back at her.  Clearly Gene and his brother on holiday somewhere, they were building sand castles, the sea crashing behind them despite it being sunny.  “That were taken in Blackpool,” Iris said from behind her, “oh, what a good girl, you’ve made us some coffee!”  Alex looked back over her shoulder as Iris began pouring the rich black liquid into the waiting cups.  “Which one do you think is my Gene?”  Iris asked Alex about the picture in her hand.

 

She quickly glanced over the picture again, “I’d say the shorter one of the two!”

 

“Very good, Alex knows you well son.  He was the shortest for quite some time even if he were the eldest.  Put on a bit of a spurt when he were fifteen.”  Alex smirked at Gene, but she found him comfortable, he’d obviously heard his mother’s protestations about him on several occasions and wasn’t embarrassed by them.  ‘Wonder if there are any baby photographs?’  She thought.  She looked back to the photo, not even thinking about his height, it was the eyes that had drawn her to him as they had in real life.  She replaced the frame on the mantelpiece and took up her position next to Gene on the settee.  He handed her a cup and she drank from it gratefully.

 

It was getting late and both Gene and Alex were beginning to feel tired, they said their goodbyes, promising to come back and see Iris before they headed back down South, knowing that the next time they saw her would be their wedding.  As they were driving back toward the hotel, Gene suddenly disrupted the silence.  “She likes you.”

 

“I like her!”

 

“No, Alex, she really likes you.  She ne’er thought much of Lesley, when you were in the kitchen earlier she told me that I ‘ad to do everythin’ to make sure I kept ‘old o’ you!  She said she’s ne’er seen me happier, ne’er seen me more settled.  An’ the biggest giveaway were when she told you t’ call her mam!”

 

Alex didn’t know what to say, she smiled to herself.  Things could have been so different for her had she not found Gene in 1981 when she’d arrived, she’d even given up hope on having a loving lasting relationship in 2007 and she hadn’t even believed in soul mates, but if there were two people that were definitely meant to be together then it was Gene and herself, of that she was sure.  And she felt that even though they were a small family unit that the love they all shared was incredibly large.

 

“You ok?”

 

“Yes, absolutely fine.  Thank you for bringing me up here so that I could meet your mum, she’s wonderful.  I was really taken with her.”

 

“I knew you would be, salt of the earth, me mam!”

 

“Just like her son!”

 

**************

 

They were soon at Wednesday evening and after taking Charley out for something to eat they we’re now back at the hotel room.  The sofa bed in the room had been made up for Charley by the time they had returned.  Alex watched as Gene sat with the little girl in his lap helping her colour in her book, continually asking her questions about school and friends.  She’d known all along that Gene would be the doting father and she had been rewarded with seeing him looking after the daughter he never really talked about.  Considering he hadn’t seen her in little over a year he was doing remarkably well with her.  Always the charmer.

 

She remembered back to when Molly had been Charley’s age, and the things they’d got up to together usually ending the day with her daughter climbing in bed by her side and not leaving all night.  A tear trickled from her eye just as Gene took the opportunity to look up to her, she could see the concern in his eyes and so she shook her head to tell him that she was ok.

 

When Charley began to yawn, both Gene and Alex decided that they’d better put her to bed.  Gene went into the bathroom and started running a bath for his little girl.  Charley crawled onto the bed and over to Alex, curiosity had clearly now set in and Charley wanted to found out a little about daddy’s girlfriend.

 

“Alex?”  Charley asked, sitting closely to her, “you smell nice!”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You’re beautiful, bet daddy thinks that!”

 

“Yes, I hope so!”

 

“’E loves you!” the little girl stated, “mummy said she could tell from the way ‘e looked at you.  She said ‘e’d never looked at ‘er like ‘e did you!”

 

“Is that so?  Does mummy still love daddy?”

 

“No, silly, she loves Richard!  Do you love daddy?”

 

“Yes, lots.”

 

“Good, don’t hurt ‘im!”

 

“I don’t intend to, Charley!  Would you like to spend some of your holidays with us?”  Alex asked, unaware that Gene was leaning against the door frame watching his two girls interact with one another.

 

“Yes, please!  I miss daddy!  I feel happy when ‘e calls me, I’m sad when I can’t see ‘im!”

 

“Don’t tell him, but that’s how I feel when daddy and I are not together.  Not that it happens as often for me as it does for you.  Do you like me, Charley?”

 

“Yes, lots,” she said using Alex’s words from earlier.

 

“Good, because I like you too, lots!”  Charley crawled over to Alex and put her arms around her, Alex returned the gesture kissing the top of her head.

 

Gene was in awe, he couldn’t believe how quickly the two seemed to have bonded and after watching them talk he knew that Alex definitely wasn’t averse to having Charley stay with them during her holidays from school.  “Busted!”  He said as he walked to his fiancé and daughter, he reluctantly picked his daughter up from within Alex’s grasp and took her into the bathroom.

 

“No, daddy, wait!  Can Alex help out?”

 

Gene turned around silently asking Alex his daughter’s question.  “I’d love to!”  She’d meant it too, she’d remembered bathing Molly when she was younger, well bathing with her when she had been very small, she looked forward to doing that again when Gene and she had their own to look after.  So whilst Charley washed herself, Alex washed her hair, Gene sat watching them having fun.  When Charley was done, they both dressed her before Alex took over once more combing her long blonde hair through and drying it for the little girl.

 

And whilst Gene put his daughter to bed, telling her a story to send her to sleep, Alex gave them their time and decided to have her own bath, she rested her head against a flannel on the edge of the bath and promptly fell asleep as the lavender fragrance invaded her senses.  She felt herself waking to the familiar touch of Gene’s hand stroking her hair from her face.  “You know, you shouldn’t fall asleep in the bath, very dangerous.”

 

She grinned at his comment, “Do you want to get in?”

 

“No, no, I don’t want to disturb you,” he said, thinking of his daughter in the other room.

 

She knew instinctively that he was thinking of Charley, “did I do good, daddy?”  She mocked.

 

“You did grand!  Thank god that all o’ me family ‘ave taken t’ you as much as I have!  I love you Alex Drake an’ I can’t wait t’ marry ya!”