Disclaimer: I don't own the character of law and order SVU they belong to Dick Wolf. I do however own the characters that I make up.

That night Alex's sleep was filled with strange nightmares, she'd wake up every hour or so covered in sweat.

Dream:

Alex was at the beach sitting alone on a cliff, staring out at the water. She was the only one there, behind her there were no roads just a great field stretching for miles, it all seemed so empty. The air smelled salty and she figured this must be an ocean.

She walked out to the shore and put her feet in the water, she walked further out until it was deep enough for her to swim. She did breaststroke, and her cloths felt like seaweed around her.

She stopped after she was far away from the shore, looking out at the distance she could see lights, almost like a city. She felt hair with her fingers and looking down she saw herself, not her reflection but her body, her blue eyes appeared glazed over has they looked up at the sky. The hair in her hands was blonde not brown.

"Alex really is dead." She spoke aloud, "I am Emily now. Good-bye Alex." She then proceeded to push 'Alex's' body deeper into the water mumbling good-bye as she did.

Eventually she left 'Alex's' body there and swam back to shore. She then walked across the field for what seemed like years in the distance she saw a tiny black dot, as she walked further the dot began to appear larger and after awhile she could tell it was a person.

After walking for a long time the person got closer until 'Emily' could tell it was Bethany.

"What are you doing here Alex? You should be swimming."

"What do you mean Bethany?"

"Did you not see them? The lights across the water."

"I saw them, but what were they?" 'Emily' questioned.

"You already no the answer. But no time for games now, you must return to them."

"I can't it took me so long to get here, I'm so tired, I can't walk back now, besides those lights were all the way across the lake, I can't swim that far."

"But don't you see you've already been there, you've already been amongst the lights."

"I can't it's far too late to go back now…" Alex tried to explain.

"You must go to the lights if you wish to return to the life you once lived as your own person."

"But how?"

"I will help you that's why we met. Finally after all these years you're time on this field is up, now come walk with me and lets go back to the lights." Bethany smiled slightly and with her hand motioned 'Emily' to follow her.

Alex awoke with a start. It was strange she could remember her dream as if it had actually happened. It didn't seem like the other nightmares she had been having that night this one was different. Still she shook all over, something seemed to frighten her about her dream, and maybe it was seeing her body in the water. But not really her body she corrected herself, Alex's body.

She turned slightly so she could see her clock; it was 7:30 am. She could here the TV was on in the kitchen, it must be Bethany watching it, she thought, Bethany always watched cartoons early in the morning.

Bethany was in her dream, and for some reason Alex thought that she should tell Bethany about it.

Alex got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, Bethany looked away from the TV at Alex, "Some guy named Huang or something called on your cell phone last night."

"Okay my cell phone eh? And I take it you answered…"

"Yeah." Bethany said her gaze returning to the TV, "Um he said he uh gave you a number for someone, and uh…um yeah to call it."

"Uh…okay thanks." Alex said, she must mean the psychiatrist that Huang wanted me to see, Alex thought. "Bethany, this may sound uh weird but uh do you know anything about dreams?"

"Well a bit, dreams are supposed to have certain meanings, and every detail should be considered if you're trying to figure out what they're telling you."

"Do you think you might be able to tell me what this weird dream I had means?"

"Maybe uh first tell me about, and use every detail you can think of. But bare in mind I'm not exactly an expert on the subject…" Bethany replied, and turned off the TV.

Alex recounted her dream to the best of her ability, Bethany appeared to be listening but her eyes seemed clouded over.

"It's a prophecy… probably well that's the way it seems to me." Bethany said slowly.

"Then what does it mean? Are you sure?" Alex questioned.

"No I'm not certain but, as for what it means, well we wont know until it happens, that's the nature of a prophecy."

"Doesn't seem like any use then does, I mean if it's something bad then by the time it happens it will be too late…"

"You didn't see any bad omens in your dream so it should be fine, besides we still don't know if it means anything or not… I wouldn't think too much of it."

"Okay…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alex called the psychiatrist that Huang had given her the number for. Her name was doctor Mishan.

"Hello uh doctor Huang gave me your number…"

"Ah you must be Emily Jones, yes he arrange it so we would have one session. You're in luck too because first session is free." Mishan said.

"G-great um so yes I'd like to make the arrangements for that."

"Well I'll list of the available times."

"Can we do this today?" Alex asked, immediately after saying this she felt foolish.

Mishan laughed, "That would be fine, I suppose you're eager to get this over with. However the only available time I have today is from 10-11, would that be suitable?"

"Yes, uh thank you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Only 5 minutes were left in the session with Mishan, the last 55 minutes Mishan had been asking Alex about her relationships and home life.

"So you say you've been having nightmares lately?" Mishan questioned. Mishan was a small woman with black hair and eyes; she appeared to be of European decent.

"Yes."

"Why don't you tell me about them?"

"Because their only dreams." Alex said sarcastically.

"You know that's not what I mean, I simply want to here about them."

"I keep on seeing my body, dead or decaying."

"I see, tell me do you have any explanation for this, why do you think you keep on dreaming of this?" Mishan questioned.

"Because they symbolize the person I once was who is now dead."

"The person you once were? Hmm tell me Emily, who do you like better the person you are now or the person you once were?"

"The person I used to be, she was powerful and on the top of her career, with many friends to turn to. The person who died. Look at me now, no career and my only friend is a twelve year old girl…"

"You speak of other friends that your old self had, tell me what became of them?"

"They live, and remember me but we can never spend time together because of certain issues." Alex said thinking of witness protection.

" 'Issues'? Tell me about them."

"I moved away a few years back, and started up a new life, my friends are unable to be a part of that life."

"Well our time is almost up. Let me just tell you what I think okay?"

"Uh sure…"

"First let me say everyone has something their hiding, it usually takes people a few sessions to fully open up. I know you're not telling me everything however from what I've learned I'll tell you what I think." Mishan explained. "You have been weakened by the cards that have been dealt out to you, there's no doubt about that. At the beginning of your career you were a generally happy person am I correct?" Mishan asked staring Alex straight in the eyes.

"Um I suppose yes…"

"Yet you may have quit or lost your job a friends for some reason."

"Yes." Alex said, ugh she's only recounting what I've already told her, Alex thought.

"The track you're going down isn't healthy, Emily, the old Emily I mean isn't dead, and she is alive and well. She had healthy relationships and has a good home life. Emily, you may have lost your friends and career but if you could have them once you can have them again, you must remember that." Mishan said, "Despite the fact that you may have lost them, that doesn't mean you cant get them back! I'm worried that the path you're going down will lead you to depression and I recommend that you get a therapist, I'm sure there are some near where you live. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'll try."

"Good well I think were done."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hi this is Alex."

"Oh great so when would you like to meet up?" Olivia questioned.

"Um well I was thinking we could meet up for lunch at this great Greek place I found around noon."

"Sure what's the name of the restaurant?"

Alex gave Olivia the name and street address, "And after that where were you thinking of going shopping?"

"There's this new mall that's just opening up, uh to be honest I'm not sure what it's called but I do know how to get there." Olivia said jokingly.

"Great."

Authors note: Okay please send in those reviews, and I like to get constructive criticism too so that's also welcome.

Okay I'm not an expert on the psychiatry thing, so if anything was a little off in that part of this chapter then I'm sorry.

And I know that Alex's dreams may seem strange but they do have meanings. Also the lights across the water mentioned in this chapter have no religious meaning, I showed this chapter to my cousin and she thought it meant heaven or something, which it doesn't. So don't send in any reviews asking me about that.