"Mum... Mum! Come on Mum, shake it, it's already seven thirty!"

When Alex faded back into consciousness it was to Molly's voice. Wait... Molly! Did she go to sleep in 1981 and wake up in hospital in 2008? She sat bolt upright, her eyes flying open, her hands instinctively reaching to smooth her hair; still permed. In fact, she was still in her flat above 'Luigi's.' Molly. Was she just another crazy hallucination? Had the 'hallucination' Molly ever talked before? She couldn't really remember...

"Mum?" Molly shot her a quizzical, concerned look. She touched her arm. "You okay? You look spacey."

Wait... Molly was touching her. She could feel her hand clear as day on her arm. Molly. She was real, here, in the eighties.

"Is it really you, Molls?" she whispered, hardly daring to believe it. This must be yet another crazy dream, surely...

"Are you sure you're okay, Mum?" Molly sat cross-legged on the bed and took Alex's hand. "You had a bad night again. You were crying out for me."

"How... why are you here?"

"Don't you remember? You were ill, Mum. In July, you weren't well so take took me to Canada for the summer and then I came home to start a new school here in Fenchurch last week."

Alex froze. Molly felt so real. The hallucination spoke just like her; it even smelled of the Pantene shampoo Molly liked.

"Mum, are you really okay? You look like you're spazzing..."

"Oh, Molly!" Alex cut her off by flinging her arms around her daughter and holding her as tight as humanly possible.

"Oxygen... becoming an issue..."

"Sorry, sorry." Alex drew back and cupped Molly's face in her arms, letting tears run down her cheeks.

"What's going on?" Molly smoothed some of her Mum's hair away from her face. It was so familiar a gesture Alex could've burst with happiness.

Her mind raced to process everything. Molly obviously remembered nothing of the future. That should buy her some time. "Nothing, just a nightmare, that's all. Go and put some toast on, I'll be right out."

"Okay." Molly gave her mum a hug. "I'm so glad I'm home."

"I know."

Molly smiled; grateful she understood and left her mum in peace to wake up properly.

Alex flopped back on the pillows, her mind whirring. Molly being in the eighties was what she wanted, wasn't it? What about Gene? Oh God, Gene! Did their date really happen? Had he met Molly? Would Molly even like him?

Fearing she'd wake up any moment and this perfect fantasy scenario would end, Alex quickly showered and dressed, racing into the kitchen to make sure Molly was still there. She was, sat at the kitchen table; clear as day, munching absent-mindedly on her toast and reading 'The Guardian.' Alex beamed with happiness; the situation was just too perfect.

Molly gestured to the second plate of toast she'd made her mother. "Sit. Eat."

Alex did as she was told for once, still watching Molly intently.

"What?" Molly asked, bemused. "Do you want the travel section or something?"

"No." Alex grinned again. "I missed you, Molls."

"I know, but I'm back now. I missed you too and I'm not going anywhere. Scout's honour." She made the three fingered sign and returned to reading an article about how to wear leg warmers correctly.

"Molly?"

She sighed at yet another interruption. She needed some quiet time in the mornings while she read the newspaper, drank coffee and consumed toast smothered in enough strawberry jam to rot her teeth. "Yeah?"

"Have I... have I introduced you to anyone at work yet? I'm having trouble remembering things."

"No worries, Mum. The doctors warned me you might forget stuff, you were shot in the head after all. No, you haven't introduced me to anyone at work and by 'anyone,'" Molly made little air quotes with her fingers, "You mean Gene."

Alex blushed a little, taking a sip from the coffee Molly had poured her. "Do I talk about him a lot?"

"It's cool. I've had a fortnight of, 'Gene did this' and 'Gene said that' and 'Guess what the Guv did today?' Actually, I'd quite like to meet the one who has Alex Drake so smitten."

"Not smitten! Not exactly. You would? Like to meet him I mean."

"Totally! I can't believe my Mum has a crush."

Alex blushed deeper. "Of course I don't!"

Molly stuck her tongue out. "Do!"

"Don't."

"Do!"

Alex stuck her tongue out right back and giggled. She'd missed her little girl so much. "Okay, you win, I do."

"I knew it!"

"Would it be okay... if I did like him?"

Molly didn't bat an eyelid; in fact she went right on back to reading. "It's cool. Dad's a tosser anyway. But I want to check him out first, make sure he's good enough for you."

"Okay, deal. When?"

"How about right now? We've got time before school starts..."

888888

The first thing Molly noticed was a huge amount of noise and commotion coming from the CID office. A lot of noise, in fact, and a lot of words her mum would die if she heard her use them. As Alex opened the doors, a small wastepaper basket came flying across the room, its contents pouring out everywhere.

"Skelton! You useless shittin' pissin't wanker! I..." Gene had turned to see who had walked in and his face drained of colour. "Drakey... and baby Drakey."

Alex forced a smile. She could practically see Gene breaking out in a cold sweat. He looked positively terrified, staring at Molly as if she were a Martian from outer space.

"I just wanted to bring Molly to show her where I work."

"Well now she's seen it, she can go!" Gene hissed. He didn't want to meet Molly under these circumstances. He wanted to make a good impression and for Molly not to have seen him in one of his typical Monday morning rages. "Take the sprog to school, where she should be, then get back here lickety-split! Good collar, very tasty, you'll like it. Now mush!" Then, he added as an afterthought. "Nice to put a face to the name, Molly dolly."

Alex couldn't help but feel bitterly disappointed. She hoped she would at least try with Molly and not send her away but he'd been his usual pig-headed self. Maybe it couldn't work between them. Especially if Gene Hunt wasn't going to be 'child friendly.'

Molly assured her over and over on the drive to school that she liked Gene but Alex still couldn't help the niggling doubts. Was trying to juggle both Molly and Gene even going to be possible?