The morgue

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Gene's acceptance of her plan had been more than begrudging, but it was a step in the right direction, she decided.

By the time they'd made it down to the morgue, it almost felt a little like old times, even if Ray was relentlessly eyeing her up and Chris was too nervous to even speak to her. But then she'd catch that look of suspicion in Gene's eyes and she'd remember why she was here and how this wasn't like old times at all. Where was Shaz when you needed her, hmm?

As they pulled back the sheet, Alex looked grimly down at the young man before her. A bullet to the head. Seeing it so clearly, she wondered why she'd ever thought there was any surviving it.

"She's not going to faint, is she?"

Gene's voice broke her gaze, his tone leaving her in no doubt that he assumed she'd be generally useless. He sniffed bored, as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You want to talk?" Ray smirked. "Get it off your chest."

"I've got a spare curly wurly going, if you're interested." Chris offered, feeling around in his pockets.

"No thanks, Chris." Alex smiled, deciding to be nice and ignoring Ray's murmur of poof. "I can call you Chris, can't I?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Chris was taken aback that the new inspector was speaking to him directly, "whatever you want Boss...Ma'am," He frowned, confused, looking between Sam and Alex, "- who's in charge of who, then?" Using gestures to point between them.

"I am in charge of all of you." The Guv snapped, fed up and needing a drink. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'm waiting for Dr. Death to tell us the bleedin' obvious here!""

"Quite," The well-spoken doctor smiled charmingly, entering the room and making his way to the head of the body, "and it is all rather obvious, I'm afraid. Shot at point-blank range, we found this imbedded in what was left of his temple." He smiled still, passing Ray a bullet.

"Magnum, Guv." Ray provided, giving it the once over.

"A gunshot wound like that to the head - he didn't stand a chance." Alex sighed as the doctor went on. "There is some sort of erosion on his skin, his arms in particular, and his wrist is broken but my best guess is that all took place post-mortem. He's a big chap, it would have taken a few men to move him and I'm assuming they didn't take much care when tossing him into the ditch."

"No, they bloody didn't." The Guv muttered dryly. "What I wouldn't do to bring back hanging."

Alex dragged her gaze away from the victim. "And you're sure his death is connected to Craig Peters?"

"Of course, I'm bloody sure." He snapped back, standing taller. "Which is why you are gonna do exactly what I say, alright? One wrong move tonight, and you could end up on one of these an' all."

She almost barked a laugh. It was looking very likely at this point. "Concerned?" She didn't bother waiting for a response, walking back out through the morgue and into the early evening. Alex sighed as she heard Sam's footsteps rush after her.

"You'll be alright. Lightening doesn't strike twice." He tried, before grimacing at what a bad joke it was. She smiled grimly; Sam had the same idea she had. It was all over for her. "Sorry."

"It's alright," She assured him, too tired to bicker with anyone, let alone the only person who knew what she was going through, "it's just...I don't know that I'm..." She sighed, trying to make sense of it all. "I can't be dead, can I? Not after everything...there was so much happening, I knew when they were operating and I knew that I had an infection, and now, nothing. Silence."

"You haven't been here a day, Alex. Give it some time." Sam tried, urging her not to give up. Logically, Alex knew he was right.

She might yet hear from 2008; she hadn't tried turning on a telly yet and voices were always coming out of there. But still, that feeling - that the link to her former life had been broken.

"How do you know them?" She frowned at the question. Sam nodded towards where'd they come from. "All that stuff you were yelling at Hunt, not to mention the fact that you don't bat an eyelid at Ray being...Ray."

"I do know them." She couldn't help the fond smile. "I've been here awhile, but in a different time. A later time." Alex shrugged, helplessly. Saying too much had burnt her once before in this world - that's why she was now here -, she didn't want to run the risk of doing so again. "I don't want to say too much."

"In case it changes too much?" Sam inquired, interested.

Alex looked at him, bemused at how unfazed he now was about all of it. "You don't seem half as worried as I am."

"No, because in this place I believe things happen for a reason." He smiled, confidently. "You being here means something."

Did it? She'd been so sure of that once. "Everything is significant."

"Exactly." His smile turned into a grin. "So maybe, just maybe, you're here to change things for the better."

A ghost of smile crossed her lips at his optimism. His idea of things sounded like sweet music, against the dark thoughts running through her head. "I best get ready for tonight quite where, I don't know."

"Well, you're in luck, me and Annie have got a place together now and the lease on my flat doesn't come up for a month or so, so here," He pulled a set of keys out, handing them to her. "I was meant to hand them in, but your in more need. If you want I'll swing you round there and you can borrow one of Annie's dresses, she won't mind." He gestured towards his car down the road, for her to get in. "Go on."

The smile dropped off Sam's face as she walked away. Bullet to the head. Infection. It didn't look good, but she'd have to figure that out on her own. He went to follow her, but paused as he heard a grunt from behind. Sam turned, seeing the Guv's eyes, also following the woman. The woman that suddenly arose from ashes.

"I don't know about this, Sam."

Whether the Guv was worried for her or just didn't trust her, Sam wasn't sure, but if everything happened for a reason, Alex showing up when they were trying to take down Jim Davids had to mean something.

"We've been chasing this guy for a long time; we could use a fresh perspective. It's worth a try."

Gene sniffed, unconvinced. "I'll be the judge of that."

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