An: this is based on a gif set made by versoaverso on tumblr. I just really liked the idea of this so I had to write it. Maybe I'll write more I'm not sure yet x (some dialogue from the show is used in the first but)

XxX

"I understand that I am emerging from a coma, I understand that one might have difficulty adjusting to the real world..." Alex kept her eyes fixed on the corner of the table so she didn't have to make eye contact with with her therapist. The woman thought she was insane, she was probably right. Alex had been out of her coma for almost three months and she had been seeing her therapist for at least once a week since waking up. Alex had thought it would help but it wasn't helping at all. She left every appointment feeling more confused and frustrated than before.

"Sense of dislocation's natural. The place you went to in your subconscious felt completely real."

"But what if it was real? You didn't see them."

"Are you still hearing voices?" The therapist asked.

"No."

"And are you still dreaming about him?"

Alex closed her eyes as images of Gene flooded her mind. "Of course I'm glad to be back..."

"But the real world scares you?"

"Because it's not as real as the one I left." It was true. This world. It didn't feel real at all. Every day blurred into another and everything seemed so insignificant. Nothing mattered.

"You're isolating yourself, you sent Molly to stay with her Father."

"Because I have to deal with this by myself."

"You want to return there?"

"I thought it was all in my head." Alex raised her eyes to meet those of the woman sat opposite her. "But Sam Tyler was in a coma too. He was a copper in the same place. Now how is that possible? Sam told me when he woke up, he could hear them begging him for help and he listened. What if it is a real place? What if Sam and I both had a...a purpose there?"

"Alex," the therapist sighed, it was always the same story with Alex. "Sam Tyler is dead and the world you describe isn't real."

XxX

Alex sat on her living room floor surrounded by mountains of notes and files she'd made about what happened to her. She'd written down every case she'd worked on, every shop, restaurant and pub she'd visited, every person she could remember having contact with. She couldn't have made everyone up. She hadn't done anything with all this information however, it all just lay all over her floor in an unorganised mess which for Alex was out of character. Usually everything was neat and tidy but now? She didn't care. She'd find what she needed somehow.

Seeing as she wasn't allowed back to work until her therapist cleared her fit she couldn't access police records. As much as she missed work she was glad for the break, she needed time. She needed time to just get her head together.

She picked up her laptop and decided to search all the big jobs she'd worked on. The last time she'd read about the Douglas Lane robbery there had been no mention of corrupt police officers being involved. A quick read of the report sent a shiver down the spine. It stated quite clearly that 'bent officers' had been involved in the robbery. 'How?' Alex thought. 'It wasn't real? We couldn't have changed anything...'

A sharp pain suddenly went through her forehead. She grit her teeth and put her hand to her scar trying to alleviate the pain. It always hurt when she was thinking too much. The doctors told her that whilst she was recovering she'd get some bad headaches, bad wasn't the right word. Excruciatingly painful was how Alex would've described them.

When the pain subsided slightly Alex picked up the list of names. Her eyes scanned the list. She was nervous about searching any of them. If Gene, Ray, Chris and Shaz were real what on earth would she say to them if she found them? Had she really been with them in the 80's or had she just heard of them and wedd ust in her dream for that reason. Maybe they wouldn't even know who she was?

But they knew Sam. She'd met the same people he had. Hadn't she? Had she just imaged them the same because of what Sam had told her? No. They had to be the same people. They had to be.

Alex swallowed before deciding which name to search first. Of course. She new which name to search.

'Gene Hunt' the search brought up hundreds of results. She had to narrow it down. 'DCI Gene Hunt' how many of those could there be? 2, Alex found. One was a man in Scotland who looking nothing like him at all. The second result was a news article and the title made Alex's heart pound.

'Officer critically injured in bomb explosion'

She clicked and almost started praying.

'3rd August 2005 - DCI Gene Hunt and his co-workers DS Fallon and DC Everton were called to a hostage situation on Halls Lane. The detectives entered the house in exchange of the three hostages being held by ex-DCI Jim Keats. DCI Keats left the force five years ago after rumours of corruption. On entering the building witnesses watched with horror as the house went up in flames after a bomb exploded. DS Fallon and DC Everton escaped with minor injuries, however DCI Hunt was rushed to hospital with critical injuries. We have been informed that DCI Hunt is now in an indefinite coma as is ex-DCI Jim Keats.'

Alex scrolled down to see a photograph. She gasped seeing the picture of DS Fallon, DC Everton and...Gene. It was him. The same man. He was real. How could he be real?

She searched the bomb explosion to try and find more information but all she could find was that Gene and this DCI Keats had both remained in indefinite comas.

A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't understand. If he was in a coma too why and he did he call her a liar when she tried to tell him the truth? Then she had a thought. She'd only been in a coma a matter of days and she'd started to forget things. He'd been in a coma for three years, maybe he'd forgotten everything? She'd clung on because of Molly, who did he have?

She had to find him. According to the report he'd been working in manchester, so that was where she would go. She wanted to talk to the other detectives he'd worked with, DS Fallon and DC Everton. She did a quick search for them and found DC Everton had a Facebook page. She sent him a message saying she was a police officer and was doing a psychology study about officers who experience trauma and would he be able to meet to talk about the Halls Lane job. It wasn't a total lie. She added on the end she was a friend of Gene's. All she could do now was wait.

XxX

The next day Alex got the first train she could to Manchester. She had gotten a reply from Everton and he had agreed to meet with her in a cafe not far from the station. Alex had no idea what he would tell her, what she'd learn. She didn't know what she would say to him either.

When she arrived at the cafe she sat down and waited nervously. She didn't understand anything anymore but wanted to know what kind of person the real Gene Hunt was. Was he anything like the Manc Lion she had known for three years? Or had he been gone so long he hardly resembled anything of who he really was?

"DI Drake?"

She looked up to see DC Everton, he looked older than he had done in the photo she had seen. She put it down to stress. "DC Everton." She shook his hand.

"Kian." He nodded.

"Alex."

He took a seat opposite her and they both ordered tea and then sat in awkward silence waiting for it to arrive.

"So what's all this about?" He asked.

"Well, you see, other than my detective work I am a psychologist and write about officers who had dealt with traumas. I wrote about a man called DCI Sam Tyler a few years ago and...after a recent trauma I experienced I wanted to look into the Halls Lane job..."

"You said you knew the Guv?"

She nodded. "I haven't seen him in a long time..." 26 years she added in her head.

"I have replayed the day of the explosion over and over in my mind everyday. I keep wondering what if we'd done something different...we entered the house to replace the hostages he let go. The Guv realised there was a bomb and started shouting at me and Andrew. We both started moving back. We reached the door just as it exploded. We got away with just burns and cuts...nothing like what the Guv got..."

"What kind of boss was he?"

"The best." He chuckled. "He would go in like a bull in a china shop, liked to shout and think he was always right but he was the best boss we ever had."

Alex smirked. "That sounds like him..."

"How did you know him? It's just, he never mentioned you and you don't exactly sound as though you're a Manchester girl."

"We worked together, a while ago now..." She looked down. "How is he?"

"Same as he was three years ago. Still alive just...in a coma. The doctors at The Royal wanted to turn off his life support but his mum wasn't having any of it. Lillian is almost as bad he is, she's in her 70's but you wouldn't want to argue with her. She wouldn't let them turn it off because he spoke a few weeks ago. Just one word. Didn't make any sense but still, it's the first time he ever said anything..."

"What did he say?"

"He said the word 'Bolly' whatever that means the doctors said he seemed worried or concerned when he said it." Kian shrugged. He looked at Alex and saw how her face changed. "Does that mean something to you?"

"Bolly was his nickname for me."

Kian was puzzled for s second then smiled. "He must've liked you then. We were lucky if he even said our names. Usually just barked orders at us...in the nicest possible way of course."

She laughed. "Yeah, definitely sounds like him..."

"I just wish that Keats didn't end up the same way. He should be in prison not being treated like any other patient."

"Where is he?" Alex asked.

"Some secure unit. He's still in a coma too. He was mad apparently. Lots of brain activity going on..." He shook his head. "Justice has not done for the Guv, or anyone who was hurt that day. Anyone who Keats hurt before we found him."

Alex could see how much the lack of justice was hurting the younger man. "I understand how hard it is to see someone you know, someone you like or care about hurt and there not be any justice..and not understand why the person who did it did what they did..."

"Is that why your looking into Halls Lane? This psychology thing..."

Alex swallowed. "I guess so."

"Well..." He got to his feet. "I need to go, work to do. But you know where to find me if you need me, Alex. Keep me informed on how your report goes."

Alex nodded and watched as the detective left the cafe. She ran her hand over her face trying to decide what her next move would be.