Disclaimer: All things Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars belong to Kudos and BBC television.

Just like Heaven?

Gene shot up in bed, sweating and shaking as he ran a hand over his eyes. Breathing heavily he glanced at Alex who was half asleep next to him. Since the incident at the prison Gene had been having nightmares. He had tried to hide it from Alex; after all he reasoned she didn't need the extra stress. Not now. The most vivid one yet had left him shaken. It was too weird. He glanced across at Alex, worried for a moment that he had woken her. He knew she had her own nightmares too.

"Gene?" Alex yawned as she sat up in bed. "What's wrong?" Her voice was befuddled with sleep as she pulled herself up in to a sitting position.

"I'm fine Bolls" He ran her eyes over her as he spoke. It was almost as if he was checking she was still there, that she was really still alive. That her walking in to the Railway Arms and away from him forever had been just a twist in this ever evolving nightmare.

Alex frowned as he looked at her, she knew her husband was keeping something from her, but she didn't know what. Sighing as he left the bedroom to make coffee Alex decided to leave him to it. She knew if she pushed Gene there was no way she would find out what was bothering him. Five minutes, Alex thought to herself. Just five minutes and then I'll go and see what has woken him up at 4 am in the morning. She prayed that Molly hadn't been woken up. She had school in a couple of hours as it was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Gene sat at the kitchen table. It had seemed so real. Some of it was, but then in his dream more and more had been added. Sam's car accident and Alex's shooting had definitely happened. It was strange in his dream Chris was dead too and Annie. They all were. Gene glared at his coffee. He'd even been dead himself. Some sort of spectre that moved on the souls of coppers who were killed before their time. He shook his head. A wry smile appeared on his face, yeah me a Guardian Angel?

The only plausible things in his dream, the only things that made sense was even then he had a need to look after his team, the people he cared about and the fact that Keats was sent from Hell itself. Well, Gene smiled wryly into his coffee cup. That made sense, he wondered if that was the case in real life often enough. God, Sam and Alex would have a field day with me and their psycho babbling nonsense. Good job I don't go in for any of that, I'd be checking myself in to the Priory. Gene glared at his coffee, wishing it was scotch as he thought to himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ray was awake. He had barely slept since he'd run into Nelson from the Railway Arms. It had been good to see the old pub landlord again. Nelson was definitely one of the good guys and had said he was down in London to meet his cousins. The football had also been an attraction. It had seemed like a chance meeting but Ray knew Nelson, there was never anything coincidental with him. Sighing he stared at the ceiling aware that in a couple of hours he'd be up and about ready to get to Fenchurch East. For the first time since he'd made his way down from Manchester he wondered if he really was in the right place. Keats kept telling him that he should be a higher ranking officer by now, but wasn't that just Keats trying to break the team up? And what about Chris? He couldn't leave that dozy plonker down south on his own could he? Nah never Ray thought to himself. Keats was playing mind games just like he always did.

Ray decided coffee and a shower would do him more good than trying to sleep. Not even DCI Litton had been as destructive to the team as Keats had tried to be. It got on Ray's nerves it really did. Turning the shower on in front of him Ray smiled, as if anyone could break up CID at Fenchurch East. They were like family - the three girls and four blokes pulled together whenever there was trouble. Even Phyllis and Viv had become indispensable. Ray suddenly felt depressed at the thought of his friend. Danny's funeral was to be held in two days time and no one had heard from the friendly desk sergeant since the email Gene had told them about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex had given up waiting. Gene could be a stubborn, self opinionated, sexist, pain in the arse but he was her stubborn, self opinionated pain in the arse and she wanted to know what was going on. Sighing she grabbed her dressing gown and made her way down stairs. Gene never even heard her enter the kitchen.

"Gene?" she leant against the kitchen doorway as he smiled in to his coffee cup

"Mornin' Bolls. Sorry did I wake ya?" He raised his eyebrows slightly as she crossed the room to him.

"Yes you did" She was in no mood to let him get out of this. Something was bothering him, it was the third night she'd woken to find him either up and about before her or sat on the edge of the bed covered in sweat. She knew something was wrong.

"Talk to me Gene" She pulled a chair up opposite him. He knew there was no getting out of this. The woman in front of him could read him like a book and he knew it. Glaring in to his coffee mug he thought for a moment. What would make him sound the least insane?

"Nothing much to say Bolls" She raised an eyebrow at him

"Gene, don't shut me out" She held his gaze as he realised how tired she looked. A tired Alex was never a good thing.

"I'm not. Just nightmares that's all. I'm fine" Alex sighed as he spoke.

"Nightmares? That's not like you. What about?" Alex seemed genuinely interested in why he was upset. They'd been together for almost three years and he still found it strange that someone cared about him.

"Weird stuff, you and Sam being dead. Everyone dead, me included but still bloody working" He shook his head.

"No rest in peace for the Gene Genie eh?" She covered his hand with her own. He smirked.

"Nah don't think so. Can't help thinking it means Keats is out to get me. To destroy the team. Don't know how and I don't know why but I don't trust him" Gene stood as Alex did too.

"Its probably just all the trauma of what happened to Danny and me" Alex stepped towards her husband.

"Yeah Bolls. Yeah" He was exhausted. "I can't shake the feeling that little twerp is up to something. You and Sam always say that the stuff we dream about means stuff. Reckon something is trying to warn me to be more careful, Keats is more serious trouble than I ever thought possible." He pulled Alex to him as she wrapped her arms around him. Holding her husband in her arms Alex couldn't help but think he was right.

author's note. Think this is going to end up a multichapter. I wasn't too sure about the ending of Ashes to Ashes so I decided to keep going with my 2010 stories. Will have major spoilers for the entire 5 years of Ashes and LOM. Please let me know what you think. Its only an introduction so far. More soon :D