Don't let me fall into the pits of the darkness.

I have to hold on until I get back.

"Mummy!"

I'm not going to lose you Molly.

I'm not going to lose myself.

Solve the cases and maybe I can get home.

Maybe I will save them.

Alex cried out in her sleep as the Bowie clown popped up in her dream. She grabbed the duvet, clenching her fists. It was only one week until her parent's death and each night got worse and worse. The clown stared at her with an evil grin spread over his face.

"You can't save them, Alex!" His voice boomed, echoing the darkness. She cried out and woke from the nightmare, her breathing pace quickened.

"It was just a dream, Alex. Just a dream…" Alex closed her eyes and chanted it over and over again.

Each night she had gotten less sleep than before and each day she was getting more and more confused. Being deprived of sleep every night was taking its toll on her job and she was making more mistakes and couldn't keep her eye on the case. Alex looked at the clock and squinted. It was only 3:06am and already she knew she wouldn't get back to sleep.

Alex climbed out of bed and walked into the living room and over to the calendar. Her index finger traced the days left until the death of her parent's. "Seven days." She whispered. "I need to save them."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Keep my eye on the case and maybe I will get home. Get back to Molly." Alex was vaguely aware that Molly was sitting on the sofa, out of the corner of her eye. "I will make it to your birthday party, Molly. Wait for me and we can blow out the candles together." Alex swallowed and looked around, but she had vanished.

DCI Gene Hunt sat at his desk, his legs propped up against his desk while he took a drag from his cigarette. He could hear outside his office the shouts and laughs from the men mucking about. Gene frowned and saw DI Alex Drake enter the room, blearily making her way over to her desk and slumping down. Gene stubbed out his cigarette into the ash tray and watched her eyes flutter open and shut. What was she? Drunk?

Gene heard his phone ringing and picked it up, pressing it up to his ear.

Alex yawned, knowing she would hardly get any sleep in this environment. She hadn't even been drinking the night before; the nightmares kept her awake. Alex finally started to drift off, only to be woken by the clown, his cold eyes boring into her. She opened her eyes suddenly and noticed Gene standing in front of her.

"Get your coat, Bolly." He glowered, starting to walk towards the door. He whacked Chris with a rolled up newspaper and pushed Ray out his seat. "Stop mucking about you twats and get to the Quattro. We gotta solve this case."

Alex rose from her desk and yawned, following Gene, Chris and Ray. They all made their way to the Quattro and quickly climbed in. Alex shut the door and pressed her head against the window, eyes quickly closing. She could hear Genes voice in the background, telling them where they were going and what they were going to see, but Alex wasn't listening; she was too busy drifting off to sleep. Alex could hear her voice being called in the distance, but she wasn't sure whether it was a dream or in real life. Her name began to get louder and gruffer and finally she opened her eyes.

The Quattro had stopped and Gene had opened Alex's door and was staring at her. "Wake up yer dozy cow!" He boomed, staring at her. He wasn't sure what was with her that morning, but she had bloodshot eyes and could hardly keep her eyelids from drooping.

Alex yawned and nodded. "Where are we…?" She muttered blearily, totally disorientated.

"A man's body was found murdered under this bridge." Gene explained while making his way to the crime scene. The body was slumped against the bridge wall and she grimaced. It wasn't a pretty sight. He had stab wounds in his chest and stomach.

"What's his name?"

"Gareth Port." Gene answered, staring at the body. "He was stabbed thirteen times. They found this note with the body, it is written in blood."

"Unlucky thirteen…" She muttered.

Gene passed her a crumpled piece of paper and she unfolded it, reading it carefully.

AD 1981

Alex frowned and gave the note back to Gene. "AD 1981?"

Gene shrugged. "There is that Latin thing isn't there which-"

"Anno Domini… doesn't make any sense."

At the back of her head she knew that there was something she was missing. She knew it wasn't Anno Domini.

Then it struck her.

Alex Drake