Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Repetitions of the Future	By : gallygaskins Category: 1 through F > Ashes to Ashes Views: 1464 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ashes to Ashes and I do not earn any money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10 – A few days in 2007: Part 2

As Gene Hunt came to, he realised that a tune was playing. He hadn’t got a bloody clue what it was but it was coming form the mobile phone he’d left on his coffee table the night before. Stiff from his nights sleep in his armchair he lent over and picked up the phone. ‘Ray’ flashed on the screen with ‘accept’ and ‘reject’ over two of the buttons. He pressed what he hoped was accept and held the device to his ear. “’Ello? Ray?”

“Yes, Guv’, just to let you know, I’ve been doin’ a bit of diggin’. Markham is dead. Died of a suspected drugs overdose two year ago, well that’s what the coroner’s report says anyway. But I’m not so sure. The amount of coke ‘e ‘ad in ‘is body was, quite frankly, enough to sink a battleship!”

Gene began thinking, ‘who could have got t’ the coroner’. “’Oo was the coroner?”

“Gregory Pullen!”

Christ that old dog was still going. And for the right amount of money he could be bought. “Ahh, Straight Greg, eh. Maybe ‘e needs to be sat on, Ray, see if he squeals. If you ‘ave no joy at first, tell him I’ve got a stack of photo’s to show his wife. She’s still alive is she?”

“Yes, Guv’!”

“Good, I’ve got pictures of ‘im and a young chorister, named Stuart.”

“Right, Guv’, what ‘bout Lacey and Layton!”

“See what Greg spills, may get someat else to help us with ‘em other two bastards!”

“Are you gonna be in this morning?”

“’Course! Ain’t I always?”

“Erm, no! Not normally, don’t seem as necessary now seeing as your job is more retirement orientated.”

“What do you mean? They’ve promoted me up out of the way to see when I’ll go?”

“Someat like that! Most the time you’re busy with makin’ the force look good!”

“Me? The Manc Lion who gets scum off the streets with the ‘elp of gut instinct and the bruise free groin slap! Does that involve me goin’ on television by any chance?”

“Sometimes!”

“Oh Jesus!” Gene was sat in his chair with his head between his legs making sure he didn’t pass out.

“Guv’? Guv’, you alright?”

He straightened up, hoping that the colour had returned to his face. “Yes, Ray, I’m fine. Hope I get back to reality soon for me own sake. In that case then, shall we meet for lunch?”

“Ok, Guv’, there’s this place around the corner from CID, Starbucks it’s called. Meet ‘bout 12 pm?”

“Yeah, ok. Bye Ray.” He sat back in the chair, if this was meant to be ‘retirement’ he may as well enjoy it. His eyes closed briefly enjoying the peace, and then he felt his right hand move and a kiss planted firmly upon it. His eyes were wide again searching the close vicinity but there was no one there. What else was 2007 going to throw at him that he wasn’t used to? Seeing as his mind was now playing tricks on him as well, he supposed anything could happen. He settled back relaxing into the squashy cushions.

He became aware of himself lying in a bed with a drip sticking out of his arm and various machines around his bed, much as Alex was in 2007, but where was he? 1981? He looked around finally allowing his gaze to rest on Alex as she came and sat down next to him, a plaster cast on her leg. She began to speak. “So this must be what I look like then, in 2007, all wired up and looking vulnerable. Not that it’s much better here, seeing as I’ve got a bloody cast on my leg. Oh God. This is all my fault,” he felt his hand being moved upwards, she took it toward her mouth and kissed it. “If I hadn’t been shot in the bloody first place, none of this would be happening, I would be with my daughter and you would be living your life. But then I’d have never come here, and I’d have never met you. And that, Mr Hunt, would be a very great tragedy.” Her hand moved to his face gently stroking his cheek, he thought he’d never felt anything so good in all of his life.

“I’ve never been very good with relationships, probably never having a full and happy relationship with my parents didn’t help, but any that I’ve had have never worked for one reason or another. I’ve always tried to find things in them that didn’t exist. You’ll find out that in 2007 it’s very different, the way the sexes are meant to act and react to one another, it’s very confusing sometimes. No one really knows what to do or say for the best, everyone is so PC afraid that the wrong thing said will land them in jail. We’re still allowed to have freedom of speech, just the right kind of speech.

“God, I’m prattling on again about stuff that doesn’t matter, I definitely do think too much. I suppose what I’m trying to say is, you’ve made me feel alive. You may have neanderthal tendencies but you’re still a gentleman, always making sure that I’m alright, looking after me in your own sweet way, saving me from myself as well as others. I never realised that such a male domineering factor could be such an attraction, your caveman capers actually turn my knees to jelly. I have always been so independent, standing on my own two feet, looking out for myself and my daughter. But here in 1981 I have you and I never have to rely on my own instincts because I know you’ll always be there looking out for me.

“I wish that I could say that everything was going to be ok but I can’t, you’ll be fine, the doctors are hopeful that you’ll be out of this coma soon enough, whilst I’m still strapped to a bed in 2007. I don’t even know how long I’ve already been there. Will I return home or will I stay here? Mind you, this now feels like home to me, I prefer it here with you. If you can bring me any information back then I would be grateful, I think you can hear me. I heard you, telling me you liked my hair being straight. I saw you, wearing jeans and a green pullover, your hairs shorter too, I like that. But the most surprising thing was that I not only felt you caressing my hand and brushing my hair out of my face, but I could smell you too, Hugo Boss, you smelt wonderful.

“Short of actually having you here in my arms, I’ll have to do with my dreams, for now anyway. I’m staying here, by the way. I know Ray said he’d look after me and take me home when I was ready and I do hate hospitals, but I’m not going anywhere until you damn well wake up out of this coma, alright.” He watched her as she smiled, “Besides, this is where I feel safest, next to you.” He continued to watch her as she struggled up from her seat to the edge of the bed, her warm small hand never letting his cold large one go. She lent over him and kissed his forehead before shifting over toward his ear. “Come home soon, I miss you … very much. I love you, my Manc lion and my ever attentive pussy cat.”

She settled back a smile playing on her face. “One more thing, whilst you’re there, in 2007, there’s a song I want you to listen to. Get someone to help you find it, but please find it. I have it playing in my head at the moment as it seems to sum us up, especially the first verse. It’s ‘When Tomorrow Comes’ by the Eurythmics. I’m not going to sing to you, my voice is hideous, mind you it might be just what’s needed to get you to wake up and tell me to ‘shut it’!”

For a moment, he just sat there not sure of what had happened, had he really just seen her talk to him in 1981 or was it just some crazy vision. He looked at his right hand, the one that she’d never let go. He put it to his face; it was warm to the touch. He tried the other, it was cool. A scent wafted to his nostrils, he immediately sniffed the skin of his hand, an interesting mixture of floral tones made him realise that that was Alex’s scent, the one she’d used since she’d arrived in 1981. “How can this be?” He asked, not quite understanding it but putting his trust in it, after all she’d told him things he’d said to the 2007 sleeping Alex, not the 1981 very awake Alex. And then there was the fact that she’d obviously experienced something similar to him as she was able to describe what he was wearing and the length of his hair. “Perhaps there’s a connection here, me, Alex, Layton, Lacey … Sam. After all, it started with ‘im!”

He began looking through Sam’s notes again; nothing struck him as being odd, apart for his father. “Mine was an abusive alcoholic, Sam’s was a bastard and Alex’s was a murderer. If that’s the commonality, the fact that we’ve all ‘ad father’s that didn’t love us then maybe that’s what we have to change, but they both tried didn’t they and couldn’t stop the inevitable happenin’, so it can’t be that!”

He pondered ideas, but couldn’t come up with anything conclusive. “Maybe it’s just the simple fact that I’m the Gene Genie and I’m the only one that can nail these bastards for Alex.”

Looking at the clock he realised that it was time for him to leave to meet Ray. “Don’t worry, Alex. I’ll be ‘ome soon, as soon as I work this all out.”

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

When Gene met Ray for his meeting at Starbucks Gene had started by asking a bemused Ray, “thought that’d be a poncy name for a wine bar but drinking coffee at lunchtime?” Apparently they had always met there for lunch since the Guv’ had had to calm down on his drinking habits under doctor’s orders. “This is under duress mind!” He’d spat out. Ray just shook his head.

They’d discussed the leaning on of Straight Greg, he’d squealed as soon as Ray had told him about the pictures. Lacey had been the one to buy him off. That made sense if their assumption about Lacey was correct. “Was there anything in Markham’s file about drugs?”

“Yes, Guv’. He was quite a big dealer when he died. Every time we managed to get close t’ ‘im all avenues were shut down. Obviously, ‘e outlived ‘is usefulness, wound up dead.

“Mmm, so is Lacey the mole? Or is there someone else? Could we be missin’ someat ‘cause he’s back in uniform. When did that ‘appen exactly?”

“Ooh, ’94 if I remember rightly,” Ray suggested, “’at’s when Markham rose to a higher level in dealin’, and ‘e stopped bein’ watched. Now’t anybody could do!”

“So Markham had Lacey in ‘is pocket, why did ‘e end up dead? Unless …”

“Unless?”

“Ray, I assume by some of the expressions I’ve seen cross your face over the past 24 hours or so and some of the thin’s you’ve said to me that you think I’m different in some way?”

“Well, err, yes, Guv’, to be honest you look a lot younger than you did when I saw you a few day ago. Then there’s been some thin’s you’ve said.”

“Right, ok. Ray, do you remember a conversation we ‘ad in 1981, where I told you that there were thin’s I would tell you that you would need t’ take on trust?”

“Err, yeah, vaguely. Someat to do wit’ when you got shot by Layton, weren’t it?”

“That’s right! Well, DI Drake was put in a coma by a bullet from Layton’s gun as we’re all very much aware.” Ray nodded, “she told me that Layton was blackmailin’ someone, he was usin’ her phone to call this someone.”

“When di’ she tell you that?”

“Erm, she came to me a couple of days before the shootin’!” He lied, trying to sound convincing.

“But Guv’, she wouldn’t known that ‘til the shootin’!” Ray surmised, knowing something was definitely wrong with Gene’s explanation.

‘OK,’ Gene thought, ‘trust time’. “Ray, ok, she didn’t tell me then. She told me in 1981.”

“Come on, Guv’, pull the other one!”

“Ray, I’m serious, in 1981 I am in a coma. That coma has sent me ‘ere to obviously do someat ‘bout Layton shooting Alex. If I can sort this out then maybe, just maybe I can get back to my life and you can ‘ave your sorry excuse for a retired boss back. I’m gonna ‘ave to do someat ‘bout that when I get back. No one’s gonna promote me up out t’ way.”

“So, how come she’s in 1981?”

“I don’t know but it seems that the same ‘appened to Sam, here,” he handed Sam’s file back to Ray, “have you looked at this?” Ray shook his head, “look at it, you won’t believe some of t’ stuff that’s in it! It’ll back up what I’ve told you! Now, what to do ‘bout Lacey and Layton?”

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

Gene stood outside Lacey’s office and knocked. A gruff “come in!” was heard so he entered the room and took the seat opposite his rival. “Detective Chief Superintendent Hunt, what can I do for you?

“It’s more what I can do for you, and what I should’ve done 26 year ago. Now answer me a few questions, there’s a good boy! Firstly, how much were Layton blackmailin’ you to keep quiet ‘bout Di Drakes parents, obviously too much in your opinion, as she were shot by him?”

Lacey, sat back in his chair, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lacey was adamant, his accent had changed over the years and was now indiscernible. ‘To hide where ‘e’s from!’ Gene thought.

“Well, I think you do. In fact,” he pulled out a file from under his jacket, “I ‘ave evidence enough ‘ere that puts you at t’ scene of t’ crime, so to speak. Layton’s fingerprints are all over t’ phone that were used t’ call you just before ‘e shot ‘er. It were ‘er phone ‘e used.”

“Gene, surely we could …”

“It’s Detective Chief Super t’ you! And what? Come to some arrangement where you get early retirement and I get a medal from t’ Queen.”

“Well, maybe …”

“Lacey, why did you kill Markham?”

“I didn’t! It was Layton,” he stammered, “look, I did get the coroner to say in his report that Markham had died from an overdose but Layton wanted his business back. It seemed the best thing to do at the time.”

“Because, you and Markham were in cahoots? You were getting a cut from his dealing?”

“I wasn’t!”

“Lacey, you should know by now that I’m a picky bastard and make sure I have the facts to back up my statements. I’ve more evidence, from t’ bank where there is an account held in the name of ‘Julius Hannover’, an’ guess what, security pointed you out as t’ holder of said account!”

“I …I …”

“Just give me Layton! That’s all I want! The man that shot Alex Drake.”

“Oh god! He has a flat in Bermondsey, 46 Queen Victoria Flats, Romany Way.”

Gene got up from his seat and went to the door, “Ray did you get that?”

“Loud an’ clear,” he grinned, rewinding the digital recorder back a bit and checking, “…Victoria Flats, Romany Way.”

“Better arrest him then,” Gene turned back to Lacey, “Superintendent Lacey, I am arresting you for perverting the course of justice, you have the right to remain silent, but anything you do say …”

“Guv’? Do you want me t’ do it?” Ray asked.

“Why?”

“’Cause t’ caution changed ‘bout 13 year ago!”

“Of course it did!” Gene responded, sarcastically, “ok Raymondo, it’s over t’ you.”

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

“Plod say they’ll let us know when ‘e returns. Council say ‘e rents that place an’ everythin’ is in order, all paid! Just gotta wait it out,” Ray reiterated the information to Gene. Gene asked Ray to keep him informed should anything happen, “Why, what you up t’ now?”

“I’m going to ‘ave dinner with Ms Drake’s daughter and godfather, if that’s ok wit’ you?”

“Fine, boss, keep your mobile wit’ you, I’ll ring when someat happens.”

Gene left CID and looked at his watch, nearly 4 pm, he was to meet Molly and Evan at 5 so he decided to make his way straight to the hospital. It would give him an opportunity to speak with Alex and maybe a doctor. There were a few things he needed to know to be able to tell her, one thing he was sure of was the date and to quantify it he looked at his mobile. 5th March 2007, just as he’d expected.

Soon he was within the ICU and noticing a man dressed in a white overall and expecting him to be a doctor, went over and spoke to him. He turned out to be a staff nurse but paged Alex’s doctor for him so that Gene was able to find out the information he required.

He checked the time and he still had half an hour. Sullenly entering the room that Alex occupied he decided to sit on the edge of her bed, taking her left hand and holding it between his own. “Hi, Alex. It’s me again, your Manc Lion. I’ve just been talkin’ to the doctor and its not good news.” A stray tear fell from his eye and landed on her cheek, “time is running out for you ‘ere in 2007, they can’t remove t’ bullet, the chances of you living through that operation are practically zero. You’re depending more and more on the machines and even if you did wake up, which they suspect you won’t, chances are you’ll not be able t’ fend for yourself. You’ll ‘ave t’ be looked after by a nurse or someat.

“I feel pretty lousy, t’ be ‘onest, knowing that I’m the one to be the bearer of bad tidings. I only ‘ope that by t’ time I get back t’ you in 1981, you can forgive me! I love you and I can’t bear to let you go but I might ‘ave t’, like your family will ‘ave t’ ’ere, an’ that’s gonna kill me.” His expression was forlorn, he didn’t know what to say for the best. Within seconds tears were falling hard and fast, splattering on her body when they landed.

Eventually, he’d calmed enough to look at her pasty features. Brushing more hair from her face, “got some news though,” he said, a little happier now than he had been. “Markham is dead, Lacey ‘as been arrested an’ we’re waiting for Layton to turn up at ‘is flat to get that toe rag an’ all. So thin’s are workin’ out ‘ere, ‘opefully I’ll be back t’ you as soon as you like, before tea time I ‘ope. Maybe even tonight, well tonight ‘ere. By t’ way, its 5^th March.”

The sound of the door opening behind him had him stood bolt upright and breaking his contact with Alex. Molly ran up to him and hugged him, thanking him for turning up. She took up the position he had just vacated so he sat in the seat next to her, listening to her intently as she prattled on to her mother. ‘Now I know where she get’s that from!’ he thought. Evan took up a position behind Molly and joined in when he was needed. He shook Gene’s hand and struck up a conversation with him whilst they both allowed Molly her time.

Once she was done they went for dinner, a tiny family run Italian that sat opposite the hospital. Gene managed to get Evan to open up when Molly had excused herself to use the bathroom. “Evan?” He’d asked, “Have you decided what to do if the doctors suggest that Alex won’t wake up.”

Evan looked at Gene directly, pursing his lips together, he knew Gene meant well and that his question was probably routine considering he was her boss. “Molly and I have talked, we’ve decided to give her 3 months. If by that time she is still unresponsive or worse then we’ll …” Evan couldn’t say anything more, trailing off his unfinished sentence.

“I see.” Gene merely said.

“It would be wrong of us to expect …”

Gene held up his hands, “Evan, I don’t blame you or think it’s wrong. I’m sure that Alex wouldn’t want to live a life depedent on others, she’s too self-sufficient for that.” He kept his face as straight as he could although inside he was dying. “She’ll be missed but quality of life has to be thought about.”

“Yes, Gene, it does. Everything ok, Molly?” Evan asked her as she returned to the table.

“Yes thanks!” She answered brightly enough. For a kid that was on the verge of losing her mother, Gene thought she was very brave. He told her so. She thanked him.

“Molly?” Gene asked, “A friend of mine has asked me to get a copy of a song but I’m not very technologically minded, not sure ‘ow to get it or where from even.”

“What is it?” She asked.

“’When Tomorrow Comes’ by the Euryht…” He said, not quite remembering what she’d told him.

“Oh, I’ve got that on my Blackberry,” she said, “it’s one of mum’s favourites. I’ll Bluetooth it to your phone.”

“You’ll what it?”

“Give me your phone, please, Mr Hunt.” She smiled, taking the proffered item, doing what she had to do and giving it back to him. He looked at her quizzically so she showed him how to retrieve it and play it. He thanked her and they got on with their meal. After, spending time with them both he began to realise that he had misunderstood Evan completely and found that Molly was not only the image of her mother but would be as beautiful and smart as her mother was when she reached her mother’s age. Just as they were settling up the bill his phone went off. It was Ray.

“I’m really sorry I ‘ave t’ take this call! Thank you both so much for this evening, maybe we can do it again sometime.” And with that he’d answered his phone and was on his way to Layton’s flat, Layton had returned home at last.

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

By the time he’d got there, uniform were milling around everywhere retreiving evidence and helping out with forensics. He noticed that Ray was stood by the BMW, smoking, and made his way over to him. “Where is ‘e?” Ray pointed to the body bag.

Shaking his head Ray began to explain, “I think ‘e realised someat was up when ‘e got ‘ere. Anyway, e’ decided e’d ‘ad enough and threw himself over t’ balcony. Not much left o’ ‘im!”

Gene shook his head, “Bastard! At least, e’ll not be anymore ‘arm to no one. Good riddance. So, I thin’ a drink’s in order, don’t you?”

“Sorry, Guv’, no can do. Told the wife I’d be ‘ome smartish tonight, it’s our anniversary.”

“Oh right, congrats! Chris?”

“Sorry, Guv’, gotta sort out the kids with their footie practice an’ that!”

“Ok, well I’ll see you both tomorrow then!” Gene walked away from the crowd and back to his car. He decided to drive back to the hospital and tell Alex that Layton was dead. Before starting the car he pulled the phone from his pocket, did as Molly had shown him and waited for the tune to start playing before he proceeded to drive listening to the words as he went on his way.

Underneath your dreamlit eyes shades of sleep have driven you away.
The moon is pale outside and you are far from here.
Breathing shifts your careless head untroubled by the chaos of our lives.
Another day - another night has taken you again my dear.
And you know that I’m gonna be the one
Who’ll be there when you need someone to depend upon
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)

Last night while you were lying in my arms and I was wondering where you were
You know you looked just like a baby fast asleep in this dangerous world.
Every star was shining brightly just like a million years before.
And we were feeling very small underneath the universe.
And you know that I’m gonna be the one
Who’ll be there when you need someone to depend upon
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes – yea yea …)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes – yea yea …)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…)
Oh yea … hah … ooh ooh yea

And you know that I’m gonna be the one
Who’ll be there when you need someone to depend upon
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes – yea yea …) Ah yea
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes – yea yea …) Ooh Ooh
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…) I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait
When tomorrow comes... (Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea…) Ooh yea
I cant’ wait for tomorrow now baby Ooh Ooh
When tomorrow comes
I wanna be with you when tomorrow comes
I wanna be with you when tomorrow comes

Once the song had finished he got out of the car and walked back into ICU for the second time that evening. He took up his usual position on the bed and took her hand once more. “Good news Alex, Layton’s dead. You can rest easy now, luv, ‘e’s gone.” He wanted to kiss her, to let her know how he felt, if he never got the chance again he’d have to take this one. He lifted the mask from over her nose and mouth pushing it to one side so that he could get to her. Whispering into her left ear he said, “I’ve listened to that song by the way, Molly bluetoothed it to my phone. God, I’m useless with technology. Anyway, I know what you mean now, that first verse does seem to sum us up perfectly, I can’t wait for tomorrow to see you again, my love, my precious Bolly.” He looked back to the lifeless face that stared back. Gently he traced her lips with the tips of his fingers before finally briefly pressing his lips to hers.

Suddenly, with a shock of electricity and a blast of white light he was floating, and floating downward, he tried to see where he was going but the light was too bright for him to make out anything discernable. He only hoped that wherever he was going he ended up at home, in 1981.
- 9
- 10
- 11
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Repetitions of the Future