[oom] Late Christmas Eve, Manchester, 1981

They'd stayed passed last call, and last last call, and no really last call.  They'd stayed till Nelson turned up the lights and put all the chairs up.  Alex's chin was heavy on her hand as she watched him try to focus on the bottom of his pint glass.  He was lucky he was still upright in his chair.

Nelson wandered over with a rag draped over his shoulder, hands clasped before him and a far more patient look than Luigi ever managed.

"Listen, Guv, you don't 'ave to go home yet but you can't stay 'ere, now.  Take your little lady 'ome and tuck 'er in, won't you?  So you can bot' be bright eyed for Christmas dinner tomorrow."

Alex smirked at the 'little lady' comment, and without turning her head, managed to look at him.

She held out her hand to him, palm up, fingers beckoning.  "Keys."