Disclaimer: I own neither Ashes to Ashes nor The Time Traveller's Wife. I wish I did, but what are ya gonna do?
For those of you who haven't read the time traveller's wife, it is essentially about a man who's genetic clock periodically resets itself, causing him to time travel. The book looks at how he and his wife deal with this. It's an amazing book.
For the purpose of make sense, I have changed the roles around, so Alex is the one who time travels. I hope you enjoy it.
20th May 2010 (10:00 am) – Alex is 30, Gene is 40
Gene: "Oh shit!" I yell.
Alex looks up at me and hurries to my door.
"What's wrong?" she asks, worry evident in her voice.
"There's been another murder" I mutter. "Same as before."
"Shit" she sighs.
"Yeah. It's just so draining. 3 weeks and still no leads" I say.
She walks over and perches on the desk. "We'll sort this, Gene" she murmurs.
I stand up and we walk out into the main office. "Right, yer dozy lot" I bark to the team. "Arses in the Quattro. Now!"
When we get to the scene we see the murder is just like the others. The body is placed in the foetal position and the right breast has been slashed.
We stand over Ellie Jones. She was someone's daughter, someone's pride and joy. Alex shivers next to me and I lace my fingers with hers. She looks up at me and smiles apologetically. She shivers again, more violently this time.
Then she's gone.
14th September 1975 (4:30 pm) – Alex is 30, Gene is 5
Alex: A second ago, I was standing over a girl's body, holding Gene's hand. Now, I'm lying naked at the bottom of his childhood garden. I scramble to the first tree from the left, looking for the box of clothes Gene stashes for me. It's not there.
"Oh bollocks" I mutter.
"Oi!" a voice says behind me. "What're yah doin?"
I turn to see a young Gene, clad in dungarees and a bright tee-shirt. I guess he must be about 5.
"I know this must be hard to believe, Gene" I say hurriedly, "but I know you. You just haven't met me yet. I'm Alex."
"Why're yah naked?" he asks suspiciously.
"I don't really know how to explain it" I say. "But if you can get me some of your Mum's clothes, I'll try."
He runs back up the garden to the house. I sit down on the grass, my head spinning. It has that effect on me sometimes. I'm trying to work out how to explain all this to Gene.
I hear pounding feet on the path and I look up to see him coming back. He's brought me some faded underwear, a spotty shirt and some saggy trousers. I dress quickly then sit down next to Gene on the bank. He gazes at my quizzically, his bright blue eyes intense.
"I owe you an explanation" I sigh. "Please don't say I'm crazy, but I time travelled here. I'm married to you in 2010."
I study his face. He looks very confused, but accepting.
"What's it like in the future? What am I like? What do I do?" he gabbles.
"Woah" I say. "Slow down. I'm afraid I can't tell you all those things. But the future is brilliant."
"If you're really from the future, what can't you tell me?"
"Because if I did it would spoil the surprise" I reply.
He seems to accept this and relaxes slightly.
"So, what've you been doing in school?" I ask him, hoping to start another conversation.
"I can write my name" he says proudly.
"Wow" I say enthusiastically. "Will you show me?"
He runs to get some paper and a pen. He sits back down next to me and writes his name in wobbly cursive writing.
Then he looks at me and asks in a shy voice "Will you write your name for me? So I can keep it."
I take the paper and pen from him and write my name under his. "I can write down the dates I know I'll be visiting you too, if you'd like" I offer.
"Yes please" he nods. "I'd like that."
So I turn the paper over and write down all the dates I can remember. I hand it back to him and he folds it up before placing it in his pocket.
"I like you, Alex" he says matter-of-factly, a smile spreading across his face.
I smile back at him. "I like you too, Gene" I say.
He leans against my side and I put an arm around his shoulders.
"It's probably best you don't tell anyone about me" I murmur. "It might be a bit tricky to explain."
"Ok" he says. "Anything else?"
"Could you leave me a box of clothes behind that tree?"
He nods, then we hear his Mum calling him for tea. I squeeze his shoulders briefly and he runs to the house.
I lie down on the grass, looking up at the clouds. In another 15 minutes I am gone.
20th September 2010 (10:30 pm)
Alex: We slip into bed and I turn to Gene. "Do you remember the first time you met me?" I ask.
"Of course" he replies. "I thought you were really cool. Sort of like Doctor Who."
I giggle and he puts his arms round my waist, pulling me to him. I press a light kiss to his lips.
"Do you still have the piece of paper with our names and the dates?"
"Yeah" he says, reaching over to the bedside table.
The paper is crinkled and the writing is faded, but I can still make it out. I see small bits of decoration around our names. I smile, remembering the times when Gene would take out the paper, cross off the date then ask me to add more decoration. It's like a collage of our relationship.
"Were you there today?" Gene's voice breaks through my reverie.
"Yes, I was" I reply. "You were much sweeter when you were younger."
He chuckles and nuzzles my neck.
I love moments like these. When you're like me, you learn to appreciate the small things.
Just one last note: I would like to find a betareader for this story, but I'm totally clueless as to how send unpublished chapters to people. If anyone's at all interested, please pm me. Thank you :)