A/N

This Fic was supposed to be a one shot, but decided to continue it....

Characters etc. Belong to the BBC/Kudos, no copyright intended


Where Am I?

My god what happened? She thought as she looked around the room. Clean, sterile, just the rhythmic beeping of machinery, her machinery, heart monitors and the like, she hated being confined to a bed. Realisation started to dawn on her, I was shot.

I was shot by Gene.... no wait Layton... what year is it? The last thing I remember is Jeanette holding a gun to my head and Gene trying to save me... but he shot me. Her hands reached for her stomach, they searched over her soft skin but found no bullet wound, no dressing and no pain. She had a headache though, one like she'd never had before. Putting her hand to her head, she winced. It was bound tightly in bandages; they were at least an inch thick. How did I get here?

She couldn't remember how long she'd been laying there but things were starting to become clearer. She'd been shot.... 1982... Gene.... shot.... 2008.... Molly. She remembered Molly coming to visit her as soon as she came round, it gave her a warm feeling just knowing she'd seen her daughter again. But there had been something else. Gene. She'd seen Gene, on the monitors, shouting for her to wake up... she couldn't be, could she?

Her surgeon had been to see her, told her about the infection and how she'd fought it off, and then woken, a miracle they'd said. Nobody wakes up that quickly after an infection, at least nobody had until her. She was happy to be back in the real world with Molly, she'd missed her so much, missed her scent, it was sweet like bubblegum and candyfloss mixed together. But her mind started to drift to another... Gene.

No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get rid of the image of him. Stood over her, gun still smoking, expressionless. How had it come to that? Why did she tell him the truth, why didn't she just tell him she'd been blackmailed and she didn't want to involve him until she had evidence. She knew he wouldn't believe the truth, hell she knew if someone had come to get and said they were from the future she'd think they were crazy, be straight on the phone to the men in white coats. She smiled remembering when Gene had said they'd come to take her away, she couldn't remember quite how the conversation had started; her memory was pretty hazy about the whole thing.

She tried to shift in her bed, get more comfortable, but it was difficult with tubes and wires coming out both of your arms. Her Doctors had said she'd have to stay here a while, they needed to observe her a little longer, just in case. She couldn't help thinking something wasn't quite right. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach... nous, she smiled, her coppers nous was telling her something wasn't quite right.

Who was Gene? She kept seeing a man called Gene in her dreams, his face, blue eyes, blonde floppy hair, ruggedly attractive. But who was he? Definitely familiar but where from?

They said she could go home tomorrow; she was looking forward to that. Get back to normal, finish her book. She sat in silence for a couple of minutes, her book. Her book about Sam and coma's, Gene. The realisation dawned on her. His face, the blue eyes, blonde hair, it was Gene who visited her in her dreams. Why did he feel so real?

She flicked the TV on, well it beats rainbow she mused... rainbow? When did I last watch rainbow. She was getting frustrated now, why did she keep seeing things, almost like memories but much more vivid, she could remember the colours, smells, sounds, a stripy sofa. Her stripy sofa, above Luigi's. My god! Had it been real? No it couldn't, she shook her head, there's no way any of that could be real, it was her mind, her brain, taking Sam's reality and morphing it into her own. Yes that was the only explanation.

The theme tune to Eastenders came on, she tried to focus on it, but she was struggling to focus on anything. Her head was pounding harder than ever, the pain killers no longer doing their job, they told her she couldn't have anymore, she was already on the maximum dose, technically she shouldn't be able to feel anything. "Bolly? Bolly? Please wake up Bolls I need you" her eyes flicked to the television screen. 'Gene' she gasped. He was in a hospital ward, the curtain pulled around a bed... her bed she assumed. He was begging her, pleading with her to wake up, she'd never seen him like this before. It all came flooding back, Gene, the Guv, Ray, Chris, Shaz... Luigi... her flat. All those nights she'd spent with him in the corner of Luigi's talking about everything and anything, most of it rubbish, but she enjoyed his company, they were both usually pissed but it felt good, felt right, she had actually been relaxed. She didn't relax in 2008, ever. Never had time to go for a drink, she used to say when people asked her. She thought about her life, she had her work and Molly, but that was it. No social life, no real friends, no one to sit drinking with, to argue with, no one to love, other than Molly.

She couldn't love him could she? He was a figment. Hers and Sam's construct mingled in to one. She paused, thinking, "You think too much Bolls, I can tell that's what yer doin', even in a coma yer thinkin'" her eyes shot open, every time she tried to rest she saw him, well no, she heard him, talking to her, saying things that only a friend could know. Don't be ridiculous Alex, he only knows about you because you invented him and the world he lived in. She didn't believe it though, not truly. Yes Molly kept coming to see her, but it just didn't feel right. They'd said she could go home a week ago but she was still here, there always seemed to be a different reason. She'd asked to leave the ward, just to stretch her legs, maybe get some air, but there was a reason she couldn't. She felt like a prisoner.

She held her head in her hands, this should have stopped now, her Doctor told her, the pain shouldn't be so intense. It made her feel sick, her head constantly throbbed, flashing lights before her eyes, even when there were no lights. She'd started to hear the others now too. Shaz, Chris, even Ray, all of them talking to her, saying they hoped she'd pull through, they all missed her, especially the Guv. They told her something else too. The Guv, Gene, was a suspect in her attempted murder; too many witnesses had heard him say he'd kill her. She knew he didn't mean it, he thought she'd been corrupt, hadn't believed her when she told the truth. At least he'd known the truth before he shot her. Didn't he? He must of. Martin Summers had been saying he couldn't corrupt her, Gene had to have heard, she hoped he'd heard, she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking she was a traitor to the team, a traitor to him.

She'd been given a dose of morphine for the pain. She was struggling to decide what made her feel the most sick, the morphine or the hole in her head from the bullet. Lying down, she closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn't dream of him, she couldn't cope with his pleading, she was happy to be back with Molly, wasn't she?

Molly had been in to see her again, laughing and joking, typical teenager babbling on about things Alex didn't understand. But it wasn't really her; Molly wasn't like that, yes she was a sweet girl, but babbling? She never used to babble, did she? She saw Gene frequently now, even felt him touch her hand, but when she'd opened her eyes there was nobody there.

Another dose of morphine, the searing pain, she shouted out, at least she thought she did, then the pain stopped. The morphine must be working she mused. Glad at finally getting some pain free sleep. But a new pain was starting now, lower down, in her stomach. Her hands moved down her body, until they touched a dressing, pressing lightly on it she winced. She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't, she could still hear the beeping of machines, but something else too. A man, shouting, ranting about... ranting about her, saying she'd moved her hand, squeezed his hand back. The Doctors were telling him they were just reflexes but he wouldn't have it.

"I'm tellin' you, she bloody moved 'er 'and! What do yer think I am an idiot?"

"No, you're an overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding" she rasped.

"Bolly!" Gene shouted

She swore he smiled. She was back, she couldn't decide if she was pleased or not. Molly was gone again, but she'd known that world she had woken up in wasn't real, not the real 2008. But was this the real 1982? Or just her constructed world? She didn't know, didn't know where to start finding out. But she felt calm, relived, relieved to see him, to see Gene, he made her feel safe, she didn't care if it was real or not, she wanted to be here with him.

"Bloody 'ell Bolls, you tryin' ter kill me off?"

"An apt choice of words there Gene, you shot me remember?" she said giving a half smile. He didn't smile though, dropped his eyes,

"Sorry" he whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Gene" she held her hand out for him to take, he paused for a minute, was this too much emotion for the Gene Genie to show?

"I should never 'ave doubted yer Bolls" he said as he took her hand and squeezed it tightly, "They think I meant ter shoot yer and that I wanted to kill yer"

"I know" she whispered

"I didn't though Bolls, never would think that of yer, yer my..." he trailed off, couldn't finish his sentence. She gave him a weak smile.

"Ow did yer know?" he asked.

"I heard you Gene. What did you say? Something about giving me a slap?"

"Shit, didn't think you'd 'eard that bit"

"I heard everything Gene, we'll sort it out ok?" she smiled at him and squeezed his hand, he nodded and squeezed back sending a lightning bolt of electricity through her, her skin tingling, yes she was glad, glad to be back with the Guv, glad to be back with Gene, her Gene, smiling as she closed her eyes, she soon drifted off to sleep, knowing she was where she was meant to be, knowing she was safe.

"Night Bolls" Gene whispered, standing up and leaning in, he hovered over her lips, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

TBC