DCI Gene Hunt (![]() ![]() @ 2015-01-01 22:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | alex drake, gene hunt |
Who: Alex Drake & Gene Hunt
Where: The house, then shopping
When: Boxing Day
What: Alex needs clothes... Gene agrees to go shopping
Status: Closed/Complete
Warnings: None
The room was still unfamiliar, but as she found herself drifting out of sleep, this morning Alex had a better idea of where she was. In truth, she was sure of a few more things than she had been two days ago... After yesterday and the evening before that? How could she not be?
She was sore, in the best way, and after yesterday she wasn't surprised. What was surprising was the lack of Gene in the room. There wasn't a note, the door was closed and his pillow was luke warm. For a moment, Alex cursed the fact that she didn't yet have a robe. She had the shirt that he'd lent her however, and started reaching for it, with every intention of heading down to go find him. She didn't think that anything had happened, technically she already had her job; if something police related had happened he would have woken her... of that she was certain.
Gene pushed open the door with the side of his foot, walked back into the room, and closed the door using his hip. He was wearing only a pair of pyjama bottoms and was carrying a tray. "Morning DI Sleepy Knickers," he said. Gene sat down on the edge of the bed and turned to face her. "Did a bit of a fry up for us for brekkie. Scrambled eggs, toast, rashers of bacon, and tea. Thought you might be 'ungry after all the exercise yesterday."
By the time he opened the door she was sitting up and had the shirt half on. Alex turned towards the door when it opened and couldn't help the small smirk that crossed her lips. Exercise was a good way of putting it. They'd taken breaks for food and very little else. "Breakfast in bed?" she nodded maybe a tiny bit impressed. "Have to say guv, I didn't even know you could boil water."
"I'm a man of many talents, Bolly. And you've seen me make tea plenty of times at work. Okay, whenever Granger was busy..." He leaned in to kiss her, then smiled and gave her a nudge. "Shift yourself, woman."
Well he had her there. But boiling water and cooking breakfast were two very different things. "Tea and food, not the same," she said with a small smile as she scooted over to make room for him to sit. Alex pulled her arm through the shirt sleeve - mostly because she already had it half on and taking it off at this juncture seemed counterproductive, before reaching forward and grabbing a piece of bacon. "Was wondering where you'd gone off to. This is nice."
Gene smiled and took a bite of a piece of toast, nodding at the compliment. "You're welcome, Bols." His eyes roamed up and down her body appreciatively and he smiled. "You look good in my shirt."
"Somehow I had the feeling you wouldn't mind me taking you up on the loan," she said after swallowing the first bite of bacon. "Was just about to come down and look for you too." She looked him up and down, clearly liking what she saw. "So, how long before you have to head in to the office?" Did they have any time today?
"I don't... One of the perks of being the Chief of Detectives. Unless there's an emergency, I get today off." Gene are some of his eggs and took a sip of his tea. "Was thinkin' we could take you out to get some clothes and stuff... Essentials you might be needin'." He caught Alex looking at him and smiled as he asked, "Like what you see, Bolly?"
Day off? "Suppose that's one difference between here and back home. You couldn't just bugger off any time you wanted. Can't tell you how many times I pulled the short straw because Evan lived half an hour away." Working the day after Christmas becuase they needed coverage. "If the last 36 hours weren't proof enough that I do, than I really don't know what else will convince you, Gene," she said finishing the bacon. The plan seemed like a good one. She needed clothes. She couldn't just wear the same clothes for the rest of her stay here.
"I know you do, Bols. But you know I can't 'elp but wonder why. I'm on the wrong side of 40, you've told me countless times what all me bad points are, and you're bloody gorgeous." Gene finished off his slice of toast, something niggling at the back of his mind about what she'd said. Her ex was named Pete... "Who's Evan?"
Really? Sometimes, in moments like this, she realized that he really didn't know what she saw in him. "Do you really want to know? Goes against the rules, not supposed to tell you everything," she smirked. That was right... he'd met Evan once or twice but hadn't actually been introduced. "My godfather. He raised me." ...and now he'd be raising Molly too.
Gene looked puzzled at her response. Godfather? Why had she been raised by her godfather? And then the pieces started slotting into place like a jigsaw puzzle. How she'd reacted to the Price's dying... Evan White taking custody of little Alex Price... How Bolly had kept saying that Gene couldn't have been the one there... "Evan White's your godfather... That was you I carried into CID after the explosion..."
Thoughts of her daughter were chased away by Gene's sudden revelation. A revelation that came in spite of years of her telling him just that. But now he had put the pieces together and while she was proud of him for making the connection, she couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that he was only NOW believing her. "I did tell you that you weren't there. I wasn't just working on the Prices' murders before they happened for no reason." Partially for her health, partially to try and change the past. She looked down at her hands, which were sitting on her thighs now that her piece of bacon was eaten. In some ways it suddenly felt like she was open for the whole world to see, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was only in his shirt. "It's unbelievable, but I did tell you the truth."
Gene set the tray aside and turned slightly, gently pulling her into his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and murmured, "Sorry... For not believin' you back then. I'd... Forgotten. Thought you were just ramblin' on like Sam used to. After I remembered and saw the four of you off to the pub, I did a lot of thinkin' about things. Lot of thinkin' about you," he admitted. "Makes sense now... 'ow you reacted to certain things. Why you thought Peter Drake was a little wanker. How you knew about the King Douglas Lane blag."
She relaxed a bit, leaning against him. Closing her eyes she nodded. "Now that you have all the memories back it must put the things that Sam did in a different light." Of that she was certain. After all, her own experiences made his case make so much more sense. "I don't know if it was coincidence or if whatever brought me back," brought her to him, "placed me there intentionally so I could try and set things right... but yes. I tried to save my parents and I failed. And found out much more than I wanted to about them in the process." But she'd needed to know, hadn't she?
"Thing is, you weren't goin' to be able to change it. That place is to sort ourselves out, not to change 'istory." Gene pressed another kiss to her hair. "But it gave you the chance to know your mum better."
"She was brilliant," Alex said with a sigh. "But no one is the way you think they are when you're little," she added. "Now Molly is going to be raised by Evan, but I won't have to worry about missing Christmas because I hve a shift." She didn't want to be this serious right now. She wasn't realy hungry anymore.
Gene frowned and gently nudged her chin up so Alex was looking at him. "I know, I know, I know... But Molly's gonna be fine, Alex. Evan might be a ponce, but 'e did right by you. And 'e'll do the same by Molly. As for Christmas... Well, you missed it this year because we were too busy makin' up for lost time."
He said things like this and he wondered what it was that she saw in him? On some level she knew that he was right. She didn't have anything to worry about, but... When you were a mother... Molly was her child. It wasn't something that was just going to go away... "I know," she said quietly before chuckling. "I'm not arguing about missing it. Best Christmas I've had in three years." She winked at him and felt a little bad about it, but not because of the two of them, there were no regrets there. "No more lost time."
"No more lost time," Gene agreed as he repeated her words. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers for a lingering kiss. "You need to finish eatin', Bols... Get some meat on that lovely boney arse of yours," he teased.
She kissed him back, but at his comment her eyes narrowed a bit. "Nothing wrong with my arse, thank you." but she knew that he was just trying to rile her up. Still she grabbed a piece of toast and put some eggs on top of it, taking a bite. It was good. She used to make this sort of thing back home. "Mm."
Gene smirked as he watched her eating, clearly satisfied that she was actually listening to him for once. "See? Told you I could cook. Trust the Gene Genie, 'ey Bols?" Gene finished off his own plate and popped the last bit of his bacon into his mouth.
"I trust you, but trusting you and getting food poisoning are two completely separate things," she said, quirking a cheeky smile. She took another bite and moved one of her legs so it was hanging off the side of the bed. "Might mean I see what else you can cook..."
Gene was only half paying attention, his gaze far too interested in the fact that with her wearing his shirt unbuttoned like that, she left very little to the imagination. And he couldn't help but to take a look at her bare, toned leg as it dangled over the side. "Count on it. There's only so much of the food round 'ere that I can take. So yes Bols, you'll get to see what else I can cook. What about you then? Can you cook? Seemed like most of the time we just ate at Luigi's or got take away while at work."
She glanced at him after a moment and saw where he was looking. The smile that crossed her lips was a bit more sly and gone the moment he looked up, and she'd returned to looking at her breakfast as if she hadn't noticed him looking. Best to let him think he'd gotten away with something... "Me?" She looked back at him as if she hadn't a second before. "Well of course I can cook. Though with longer hours I didn't get to as much as I may have wanted. And it was really only Molly and me. Used to cook when Evan came over. Better to cook for three than two."
Gene nodded and set his plate back on the tray. "Same... But was just cookin' for me. Been a long time since I 'ad to cook for two. Even back then, I'd mostly eat at work or grab a bite in the car."
"I did a bit of cooking back in '83. But we didn't really have the schedule for it." But here? Now? "Maybe we could try cooking together then. Or we could always say bugger all, go out or instead of cooking for two make friends here and force them to come to dinner," she chuckled.
"You'll meet Martha later when I give her a call about the shoppin'. And there's 'er bloke, Jack. Both from the UK, but Jack sounds like an American. Don't even ask me to explain that one." When she'd finished eating, Gene stacked her plate on top of his. He went quiet as he thought about her cooking together comment, fiddling with the items on the tray for longer than necessary.
For a second, Alex wondered if some of these people were the ones who'd been with Gene at the pub on Christmas Eve, but she'd meet them soon and ask them herself. "Did he move away as a child?" she asked. With breakfast done, she pushed off the bed and glanced around. Her clothes were where she'd left them folded the night before. "I'm glad you've made some connections here, Gene." Because she knew that it would have been easy enough for him to not have a social life... and that would be BAD.
"Hmm? You mean Jack? No... It's complicated. He was a time traveler or somethin' and got stuck in Cardiff. Lived there ever since and became a citizen." He reluctantly got up from the bed and picked up the tray. "Be back in a tick," he said, before disappearing to put tray and its contents in the kitchen. It also gave him a way to avoid replying to her comment about connections.
If this conversation had been happening three years ago, Alex would have laughed at the idea of time travel. But now? Yes, now that wasn't a thing. At all. "Hmm..." was all she said, clearly she'd have to get an answer out of him!
Alex got up from the bed and took off the shirt, getting back into her clothes from when she'd arrived. She left the shirt on the bed, and realized that she couldn't give it back to him as was. She'd launder it first. It was polite after all. But she'd have to find a cleaner's first. Things she hated about starting over.
Gene stood in the kitchen for several minutes before heading back upstairs. In truth, he was still half expecting this to just be a dream. After months of missing her, suddenly Alex was here... And had arrived on Christmas Eve no less! He knew there were things they needed to discuss, but wanted to try and avoid them for as long as humanly possible. Before going back to her room, Gene popped into his own so he could change. He freshened up and shaved, then pulled on a pair of jeans, his trainers, and a light blue button up. But something on his desk caught his eye. Gene frowned and picked it up, stared in disbelief, then hurriedly charged down the stairs to throw open the front door. "BOLLY!" He yelled out.
The yelling from downstairs actuay made her jump. She finished pulling on her clothes and ran out of the room, over to the stairs where she looked down at the first floor. "What is it?!" She exclaimed. "What's wrong?!"
Instead of answering her, Gene just stepped aside and pointed. Sitting in the driveway was the Quattro. "Looks like I got a present..."
Alex's eyes widened a bit. "But... they shot that up." And it was back in 1983. Where the hell had that come from? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE?!
"Wormhole. They 'ad told me it causes weird things to 'appen, but this? I'm not complainin' one bit!" He smirked and closed the door, shoving the keys to the car into his pocket. "Looks like we'll fire up the Quattro instead of botherin' Martha today." The license plate on the front was still his one from London, but there were legal Portland plates on the back. And tucked into the glove box was his registration, same as always. But attached to it was new insurance paperwork.
Of course! Why would it be anything but that?! "I'm noticing a pattern about this place," she said with a sigh. But she couldn't deny the fact that Gene clearly hyped about this new turn of events. "Boys and their toys..." She smirked and started down the stairs. "Are we sure it isn't going to do something like blow up? Thus far that wormhole has given me no reason to trust it."
"Jack's SUV didn't. And considering that psychotic carnival that's been goin' on? They say you get both good and bad shit in this place." He thought about that for a moment, held up a finger, then charged back upstairs into Alex's room. He pulled open the drawers, then her closet, and grinned as he spotted the new arrival. "Bolly? Looks like you've got somethin' too."
Okay... that made her pause. "There's a psychotic carnival in town? Please tell me that people aren't going into it..." But given what she knew of human nature, the odds were that they had. Becuase when something shiny came along most people's first instinct was to run towards it! When Gene rushed upstairs she almost protested, but there was nothing IN those drawers. Or that closet. So when he said there was something in there she was hesitant as she approached. "There's nothing in there," she protested. Hanging in the closet was her jacket.
Alex was taken aback by this and started looking it over. "I was just thinking about it last night..."
"Merry Christmas from the wormhole?" Gene shrugged and sat down on the edge of Alex's bed. "As for the carnival, what do you think Bolly? Course they did. So we were stuck answerin' calls at work from people askin' us to go find others and get them out. It was... Insane."
Why was it that it didn't matter the world or the city. People were always going to make the worst decisions? Alex took the jacket out of the closet and tried it on. It was the same. And that boggled her mind. "Did everyone get out?" She was trying to look at her back. How the hell was this possible? It had been ruined when Gene had shot her...
"The ones we were sent in to find? Yeah, but wasn't easy. Got into a bit of a punch up with some of the carnies. We've been warnin' people not to go, but they don't listen." Gene smiled as he watched Alex trying on her coat. "I can still remember the first time I ever saw you wearin' that... You came down to Luigi's wearin' it, with your tight jeans and blue top. Took me breath away the moment I saw you." Gene glanced down at the floor, smiling wistfully at the memory as he added quietly, "Knew right then I wanted you, but also told myself it would never 'appen."
"Just when you think you've heard it all..." Alex shook her head and tested the jacket's shoulders. It was the same... this WAS her jacket... Hell her wallet was in the pocket? She was a bit surprised at his words and looked up from the jacket to look at him. A smile inched its way onto her face and she tilted her head. "Well, seems that you've proven yourself wrong, hasn't it?"
"Took three years and losin' you to prove me wrong, but yeah... Yeah, seems I 'ave. And it's one of the few times I'm glad I was." Gene leaned back against the wall as she continued testing the jacket. "You nearly done there Bols? Thought you wanted to go shoppin' today."
"Well, I'll just have to keep reminding you, if this is the one time your wrong? I can completely handle that." She was teasing of course, but she shot him a glare. "Yes," she said a bit sarcastically. "It's mine." and she pulled out her wallet as if to prove it. "We can go."
Gene sighed and rolled his eyes to look up at the ceiling. He pushed up from the bed and headed downstairs, grabbing his coat and his pack of cigarettes. As he stepped outside, Gene lit one up and smirked as he unlocked the Quattro. "Time to fire 'er up. Get in, Bolly. Where do you want to start?"
Alex followed him down and got into the passenger side. She paused for a moment before shrugging. "You're the one who knows what's around here, not me," she pointed out. It was true. She'd been here a grand total of 48 hours and most of them had been spent in bed. It then occurred to her that they were in the US... he hoped that Gene remembered to drive on the correct side of the road.
"I know. I meant what sort of clothes are you lookin' for so I know which stores to take you to." He glanced over at her as he started the motor, smirking at the fact that she'd not bothered with her seatbelt. Good girl.
Well that was a different sort of question and that WASN'T what he'd asked. "Start with jeans? Basics of a wardrobe: Jeans, tops, shirts, other stuff? I'm starting from scratch here..." She didn't really know what else to say. It was sort of obvious. It was only after she said this that she noticed something... He was wearing jeans?
He nodded, already pulling out of the drive and heading towards the first store he had in mind. "Right... I know where to start then." As he drove, Gene smirked and commented, "Going to need some of those fancy French knickers too..."
Of course he'd say that, but then now he had more of an investment in that too. She couldn't help but smirk at that. "Don't you worry about that, I'll get what I get. And it it'll be a surprise," she smirked, knowing that that might just get his mind curious. "But yes. Today it's staples." She paused for a moment looking him over again. "You look good."
Gene broke into a grin as she teased him. He glanced over at her and winked, clearly pleased that from the sounds of things, he'd been seeing quite a lot of her knickers in the future. "Hmm? Look good?"
In the past she might have looked up and humphed, but she just shot him a knowing smile before reaching up to grab the bar. It occurred to her for a moment that this wasn't 1983 anymore... seatbelts were a thing here now... And she'd actually forgotten. "I said it once, you really fishing for further compliments now?" She was kidding around of course. "Never seen you in jeans before. Always wearing suits."
"Wasn't sure what you were on about at first," he replied, his eyes on the road as he navigated traffic. "And that's because I didn't wear jeans back home... not since I was a kiddie. Seein' as 'ow we always saw each other and work and then it was off to Luigi's straight after..." Gene thought about that for a moment. "You know, you're right Bols. I did always seem to wear suits around you, even when we weren't workin'. Probably because like I said that one time, I think I was tryin' to impress you a little."
He turned the corner, frowning at the amount of cars currently on the road. What he wouldn't give to open up the Quattro and really put the car through her paces! "You like them? Don't think I look silly?"
"Well, you didn't have to wear suits to impress me. You're plenty impressive and subborn and infuriating all on by your lonesome," she looked a bit cheeky. And he did. He looked... amazing really. His hair was in a more modern cut, a bit shorter in the back. "You don't look silly at all. There are some things you just can't see when you wear suit pants." And she'd meant that EXACTLY as it had come out. She was unapologetic.
Gene arched an eyebrow and shot a quick look over at her, thinking for a moment he hadn't quite heard her right. "Bloody 'ell woman... you are going to be the death of me," he joked in response. But Gene was smiling again, something he'd done far too rarely since losing Sam. If Alex liked the new casual clothes though... he really did need to do soemthing nice to thank Martha again for her help.
To be honest, if they hadn't killed one another by now, then she figured that they were rather safe from that eventuality... but saying that aloud was in strange taste. She didn't know if it was becuase they were here or because of the fact that they'd taken out Keats or what but... It wasn't just the clothes. He was different. Not in a bad way of course, but it was there. "Oddly I think it might be the other way around, if you keep up like the other night." Looking out the wiindow, she tried to memorize the way they were going, she would need to walk around a bit to get her bearings but this was a good start. "It isn't just the clothes," she said after a moment. "You're the same, but you seem... lighter somehow. And you wear that well too."
"Didn't want to waste any time in case it turned out to be a dream." So she'd picked up on it too... figures. Alex was always quick on the uptake. Honestly, she was a bloody genius at times and it's one of the things that made her such a good copper. "Ray mentioned that once... 'im and Wonder Chris actually. Said 'ow back in Manchester, we'd sit at the Arms and play darts, crack jokes, and have a laugh. But things changed... times changed, Alex. The wife left, Sam moved on, and I transferred down to London. Cops were the enemy in the 80's... everyone was out to get us, even each other. Bloody corruption everywhere... you fought it first 'and with me. You know what it was like."
Gene braked for the light and it gave him a chance to look over at her. "I 'ad to be strong for my team... the Manc Lion. Told you though... it did get lonely at times. But you? You were a bit of fresh air, Bolly. Granted, there were plenty of times when we were at each other's throats. You unfuriated me with your bloody psychology, stubbornness, the way we'd wind each other up just 'cause we could, and 'ow you were more than willin' to take me to task and challenge me. And I loved every minute of it. I could let my guard down around you and I knew I could trust you not to take advantage of it." He reached over to set his hand on top of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You challenged me to be better, Alex... same as Sam did."
The light changed and Gene released her hand as he started driving again. "This place... Portland... it's different 'ere, Bols. No Keats, no sortin' out coppers with unfinished business, and it's a different atmosphere at work than back 'ome. And I 'ave you," he added softly. "If you're not enough to put a smile on my face... well, then nothin' is."
For a moment Alex was speechless, something that happened so rarely she almost didn't recognize it. In all honesty, the only times that he'd really opened up like this was after they'd had far too much wine, when their lives were in danger or ... well most of that last year when they'd been going round and round in circles. But here? He was right.
Alex had turned to look at him but then he started driving again. She braced herself, one of her arms restingover the side of the seat she was in, a small smile on her face, a gentle one. "Well, like I said. You wear it well. Side of you I want to see more of, guv. No reason to wear the world on your shoulders all the time."
Gene glanced over at her and nodded, not saying anything. But he face her a wink and pulled the Quattro into the shopping plaza. "Right... This place should 'ave most everythin' you're lookin' for. I know Holly starts you off with a bit of cash, but probably won't cover it all. I'll take care of it. If you want, you can pay me back later," he offered.
Well... this place looked like it would do the trick. She had the money that Holly started her off with but she turned to Gene with a raised eyebrow. "You really don't have to do that," she said seriously. "I can make this work. You'd be surprised. Especially now that I don't have to buy a coat for winter." She tried at least. IT was very sweet of him. She had a thing about owing people. Then again... it was Gene.
"I know I don't 'ave to, you daft tart. But you're practically skint at the moment. Look... every Sunday, we get an additional $200. That's on top of your salary at work. Just pay me back later and stop being stubborn about it." Gene slammed the door closed and walked around to her side. "I've done the shoppin' bit already, so I know $200 won't get you very far. Just pick out whatever you want or need." Gene placed a hand on her rear and smirked as he gave it a playful smack. "Mush!"
For just a second she shot him a look that read 'murder' but all the same, this once, she did as she was bid. She pulled open the door and walked into the shop, taking a look around before heading for the section that had jeans. Today it was jeans and tops. She could figure out more specific pieces later. She glanced over her shoulder and decided to be a little bit mean, she held up two itdentical pairs of jeans and smirked. "Which do you like better?"
Gene glared at her in response and flicked her a 'V'. "Funny!" God, he hated shopping with women...
"I have to get my fun in where I can, don't I?" She winked at him and put one of the pairs back before grabbing another pair which was actually different and holding one up to her and then the other. "But seriously. Which?"
"I can think of better ways to have fun that involve us and no shoppin'," he replied with a smirk. But then she held up the jeans again and he sighed. "I don't see much of a difference Bols. Just try them on and see which you prefer. Anythin' that shows off your arse nicely is fine with me."
The smirk never really left her lips as she leaned in, "This first, other things later." She needed to get this done and while she could play along she was going to be an adult right now. And she rolled her eyes when he gave no opinion, but what was she expecting? She grabbed the two jeans and started looking at tops. "Then I'll expect your help when it comes to opinons once I've actually tried them on." At least that he could do.
"Okay, fine." Gene began idly flipping through the rack of tops nearby, pausing as one caught his eye. He eyes her critically for a moment, checked the tags, then nodded and thrust the jumper out towards her. It was royal blue and reminded him a bit of that off the shoulder number she'd worn that first night at Luigi's. "Here... I think it's the right size."
Alex blinked for a moment before looking from the jumper to Gene and putting a hand out to take it. Well... alright, if he was trying to prove her wrong than he was doing a rather good job of it."Alright," she said it almost too seriously. "I'll give it a try." She by this time had a few tops and pants. "Let's find a changing room. Can't buy jeans without trying them on. Rule of thumb. Especially with kids." She'd learned that.
"Martha said the same thing when I told 'er I didn't care what kind I bought. Then she started explainin' different cuts and styles. I ended up with... what's the bloody word... relaxed fit." He shrugged his shoulders and paused to grab a red, silk button down blouse. "This too... You've always looked good in red."
Whomever this Martha was, Alex needed to find her and thank her. Somehow she had a feeling ever since he questioned if he looked good or not - that he hadn't necessarily been responsible for the haircut or the clothes. But the result was impecable. She gook the blouse and looked it over. "Alright." she'd try that on first then. "You wait here... I'll be right back."
Gene nodded and walked over with her to the changing room. He leaned against the wall and reached for his cigarettes, then frowned and shoved them back into his pocket. "Bloody no smoking rules," he grumbled to himself. Instead, he pulled his hip flask out of his coat pocket, took a swig, and tucked it back away again. While Gene would never admit it, a small part of him was enjoying being here with Alex and doing mundane things like shopping. It made everything from the past few days feel that little bit more real. That maybe here in Portland, they really would have their chance together that they'd been denied in London.
In the changing room, Alex looked over her choices. A few of them she was already certain would fit. It was only those that she wasn't that she was at all concerned about. She grabbed the blouse and slipped on the jeans - happy to see they were an almost perfect fit - and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She liked it. She liked them a lot actually. She waited for a second double checking everything before she stepped out and let Gene take a look. Not that she needed him to, but still, he'd picked the top. It was only fair, yes?
Gene turned his head to glance over at her, blinked as he got a better look at her, and pushed off from the wall. "Looks nice," he said, nodding in approval. 'Nice? Looks bloody gorgeous,' he thought to himself.
She wasn't sure what sort of reaction she was going to get from him, but she shot him a wink before turning around with intent, "Think I'm going to get it," she said over her shoulder. She needed to try on the other tops she'd gotten but they were easy over the head ones. She grabbed the sweater and although it didn't go with the top at all, she tried it on and nodded. "This works too." she hadn't closed the door yet.
Gene was far too busy staring at first to reply. It didn't matter what she wore. To him, she was always gorgeous. "Looks good," he agreed. "Any chance you'll model the lingerie for me too after you pick some out?"
"And who else would I be showing it to?" she asked like a smart ass. She glanced at him again over her shoulder and winked before going to try on the others. "But you'll have to work for it a bit," she teased. It might be a bit before she bought any as she was rather particular.
Gene sighed and shook his head, but there was an amused twinkle in his eye as he played along. "You're lucky I think you're worth it, Bolly. I wouldn't do this for any other bird."
"I doubt that you'd be in the middle of a shop like this if I weren't," she shot back. She pulled on the next set of jeans and tried on the other three tops before deciding on two of them and switching bacck into her clothes. "In fact," she grabbed the purchases and exited the changing room, walking right up to him and looking him over. "Somehow I think there's a lot you wouldn't do if you didn't think it worth it."
"Exactly. So I 'ope you appreciate it. Right... Boots next?" He asked. "Or lingerie?"
She rolled her eyes. "Boots. If I'm going lingerie shopping you're not going to be there. There have to be some secrets!" Of this she was sure and she held back from fwapping him in the shoulder.
Gene chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Can't blame a bloke for trying. Although, I wouldn't mind seein' you in somethin' like that red number you were wearin' in the vault..."
This comment, the red blouse... she was noticing a pattern here and she made a mental note of it but just smiled. She didn't say anything, just smiled. It was a knowing smile and her eyes showed that she might have something up her sleeve but she'd never tell.
Gene noticed she'd gone quiet and that she was just smiling again. "You're thinkin' again, Bols... That's never a good thing," he teased. As they walked towards the shoe department, Gene took the clothes from Alex that she'd picked out. "Need your 'ands free to try on boots and shoes," he explained.
Shooting him a frown, she tilted her head slightly. "Well fine, see if I tell you now." Certainly seemed like a fitting punishment, didn't it? Keep him guessing. He never would. Not till she was ready to do the reveal. In this case literally. He had a point, and because of that she didn't argue when he took the clothes. She started walking through the rows, realizing as she did that she was used to heels with bright colors. But this was the middle of winter... She pulled two different pairs of boots from the shelves, both in her size and started examining them. "Not going to get too much right now," she repeated. "Just need one pair to start. Boots you can live in." She liked both of these it'd fall to which felt better.
"None of those 'igh 'eeled jobs you like?" He teased. Gene caught a few women in the store smiling at the pair of them, so he nodded politely. "Somethin' sensible and something sexy. Maybe a pair of trainers for the 'ouse." Come to think of it, Gene couldn't recall ever seeing her wearing a pair of trainers before. Mostly various kinds of boots and heels.
"Well it's the wrong season for them isn't it?" But he wouldn't really have the reference for that, now would he? And if he did - he had been married once - he'd never admit to it. She raised an eyebrow at trainers. But then she would need a pair, she might start working out again... before she'd gotten a lot of exercize keeping up with Molly. She grabbed a pair of sensible flats, the type she used to wear before she'd been sent to Gene's world. Slipping them on was quick nad she decided she'd get them. The boots took a bit longer and once they were on she needed to start walking a bit. "Hmm.... not bad," she took a few steps, they were comfortable enough for unbroken in shoes...
Gene had sat down on a nearby chair as she tried shoes on. He was bored... He hated shopping, but it was a necessary evil and at least Alex wasn't one of those birds who would wander for hours and not buy anything. He liked that she was decisive. Gene looked down at the floor at his own trainers, the white stripes of the Adidas standing out in stark contrast against the gray/blue of the shoe. He glanced over to where Bolly was walking and commented, "Looks good on you."
She liked them too. And they were comfortable. Admittedly these might not have been her first choice, but among everything else they were the best for now. And this wasnt the right season for boots. Gettingthese now, they were cute, would mean that she could get something else later come spring. "I think I'll get these and the flats. Between the two of them I can go chasing after baddies," she smirked a bit as she said it. Call her crazy but she was looking forward to getting to work.
Gene smirked in response and nodded as he got to his feet. "Sadly, less chasin' than back 'ome. More forensics, inquiries, and computers. But they do let coppers carry a gun 'ere without 'aving to sign them out. Mind you, I always just 'ad me own. Privilege of being DCI. Right! All sorted except knickers and toiletries?"
Alex slipped off the boots and put her own shoes back on. "Well, I've heard that they have a different arresting speech they give in the states than we had back home, so we'll both be saying it wrong," she teased. And then she rolled her eyes. "Yes, all sorted except for those. Why don't you go pay for these? And I'll handle those? Yeah?" She was just getting some basic that was it really.
"They do. But now it makes sense why Tyler was always gettin' it wrong." Gene hesitated at her suggestion, then nodded and said, "Meet back at the Quattro?"
Alex nodded, and then leaned in and pecked him on the lips. She'd be fine. It was a clothing store not a mountain range. "I'll meet you there," she promised. It would only take her a few minutes to pick out a few things, and making her way over to that department, she started looking at the different styles and colors and picked out a few things that would work for her, and a few colors that she liked... with a few things still in mind. She took her time, looking over some of their other wares, picking up a slip, realizing that she'd probably need it at some point.
Gene smiled as he watched her go, his eyes naturally drifting to look at her arse she walked. She'd kissed him... In public. While he hadn't expected it, he was clearly pleased. Unlike the rest of the population of Portland, he was grateful for the wormhole bringing then here and to each other.