Eurgh I'm so sorry about the horrendous delay but, you know, Christmas, New Years, a campervanning holiday, University acceptance, and lots and lots and lots of forms for my Student loan got in the way...

Here's a longish chapter to make up for it :D

Blackness swirled in front of her eyes. It felt like a mixture between falling and flying. It felt like she was somewhere between death and life. The silence was pleasant and welcomed and she wanted to stay here forever.

Hold on, where was she? And who was she?

"Bolly!"

The voice spoke gruffly with just a hint of urgency. But she didn't care. She wanted to sleep. Why couldn't she just sleep?

"Bolly!"

That name. It sounded familiar. She tried to open her eyelids; they felt too heavy. Who was calling her? Wait. Where was she?

"Alex! Open yer eyes yer daft tart!"

She didn't know who the voice belonged to, but it sounded like the type of voice she could trust. Begrudgingly, she obeyed and slowly fluttered her eyelids open.

"About time, Sleepy Knickers. I always tell yer ter wear proper shoes don't I?"

A blurry vision danced in front of her eyes. "Who ar– " She began, croaking slightly.

A youngish, rather handsome doctor walked rather suddenly into the room, as if he'd been waiting for the moment she'd cracked an eyelid open. "Ah good. You're awake Ms. Drake." He proceeded to shine a small light into her eyes. It hurt and she cringed, blinking several times rapidly.

Wait. Doctor?

"Doctor?" She said, starting to panic slightly, "Why am I in hospital?"

The doctor, in an attempt to calm her down, took her hand, "It's okay Ms. Drake, you took a fall and got rather a large cut on your forehead. We stitched you up but kept you in overnight to make sure you had no concussion."

Gently she reached up and felt the cut on her forehead. It stretched from her left eyebrow up to her hair line. She winced. How did that happen?

The doctor took his hand away from hers and looked into her eyes, "However, you've been given the all clear and your DCI has discharged you. You can leave anytime you want, but take it easy okay?" He turned to the other man in her room, "I think perhaps desk work for a week or so?"

Alex. That was her name. How could she forget that?

"Ponce." The voice in the corner of her room said as the doctor left her room, "Get yer knickers on Bolly. Dr Dreamboat said yer've been discharged by yours truly."

It was only as he said the last part that she properly saw him. He was tallish, with blonde hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She looked away. His blue eyes were almost burning into her. He looked very familiar but she hadn't the slightest idea who he was. How did he know her? And why was he in her hospital room?

She coughed a little before sitting up in her bed, "I'm sorry but do I know you? And who is this Bolly person?"

The man looked upset all of sudden, "Boll – er Alex. I'm Gene Hunt. Your DCI."

Alex –she was sure that was her name now – blinked, "DCI? What's that?"

The man, who was called Gene – apparently – sighed like he was in pain, "Come on Alex. Jokes over yeah? We've got scum to catch. I can't leave Chris and Ray alone much longer, they might chew the furniture."

Again she blinked, "Chris and Ray? Who…what are they? And why on earth would I want to catch scum? Especially with you! I don't even know who you are!" Her voice ran high with tension and she felt tears burning the corners of her eyes. "Get out of my room!"

"Shit," Gene muttered, seeing a tear roll down her cheek. He felt rather out of his depth – he was used to beating things into and out of people, but this was something entirely different. As much as it pained him, this needed 'professionals'.

"If yer can call 'im that," he muttered. He turned left out of Alex's room and went to find that poncey doctor.

"Oi! Dr. –" Gene faltered as he realised he didn't actually know the doctors' name. Dr. Dreamboat probably wouldn't fly.

"Kingston, Mr…DCI Hunt. Daniel Kingston." Daniel Kingston replied, looking up from the reception desk. "Can I help you?"

"I…er…Alex doesn't seem to remember…" Gene searched for a word that could describe his DI's current predicament, "…anythin'." He finished lamely.

Dr. Kingston's' eyebrows crinkled into a frown. "Really? This is odd. Follow me please."

Gene felt like a right twonk following Dr. Dreamboat down the hall like a lost puppy. He would have gladly slapped remembrance back into Alex, but the doctors knew what they were doing. Apparently. Even if they were rather poncey and all Gene wanted to do was whack him over the head with his stupid poncey clipboard.

Alex seemed to have recovered slightly from her initial 'tantrum', as Gene would now call it, and was sipping a cup of tea that Gene had actually made for himself while he was waiting for her to wake up. Not that he would admit that of course. Gene Hunt didn't stay overnight in a plastic hospital chair made by Satan himself, waiting for a beautiful – sorry ballsy – woman to wake up. If Chris and Ray were there, they'd have pissed themselves laughing.

"Now Alex, DCI Hunt tells me you don't remember..." He risked a small glance at Gene, "anythin'."

Gene really had to restrain himself from grabbing the clipboard and swatting Dr. Kingston over the head. And not just because he was talking to Alex like she was five.

Alex calmly placed the cup of tea back on the bedside cabinet. "I haven't forgotten him. I don't know who he is," she said sincerely.

Dr. Kingston's frown deepened. He shined the torch in Alex's eyes again, a touch of concern on his face. "Alex, can you tell me your full name please?"

"Alex…um…" She whispered, suddenly feeling very small. It was on the tip of her tongue but for the life of her she couldn't spit it out. Instead she dropped her head and closed her eyes.

"Nothing? How about the date?"

A tiny shake of her head.

"Your job?"

Another tiny shake. Gene winced inwardly. This was more painful than watching her use her psycho bollocks and failing.

Dr. Kingston stood up and sighed deeply. "I believe Alex is suffering from retrograde amnesia. The fall must have given her brain quite a shake."

Retrograde amnesia. What the bloody hell is that? "Will 'er memories return Doc?"

"It's hard to say. Often in cases like this, little sensory things, say a familiar smell, can trigger memories to return. I would like Alex to have a psychological exam to determine how much trauma and memory loss her fall sustained."

"She's a psychiatr…psychologist 'erself." As soon as he said that, Gene felt rather stupid. As if being a psychologist would make any difference in this matter.

"Really? Well I do believe she'd benefit from a little time with a psychologist anyway. I don't think she will remember her training at this time. With a little luck it should all return."

Gene tried to imagine Alex without all her psycho-babble. He couldn't.

Dr. Kingston gave Alex a sympathetic look. "I'm sure all your memories will return in time Ms. Drake. In the meantime I think DCI Hunt here is going to take you home."

"Okay." She whispered, giving a small nod. She was looking less sure of herself now.

"Relax Alex. Everything will be fine." Dr. Kingston flashed a dazzling smile in her direction as he left her room.

"Ponce."

Alex looked up at Gene, a slight smile gracing her face. "Take me home please. Wherever that is."

"Righto Boll…er…Alex."

"Is this it?"

The car ride to Luigi's had been in absolute silence, which would have normally been a welcome change for Gene, but this time it felt, well, weird not to have Alex mutter curses under her breath at him or moan about his driving skills. He drove carefully, although he was tempted to swing the car so Alex would bang her head on the window or something, you know, just in case it helped.

Luigi had been is usual over ecstatic self, showering Alex with long winded Italian praises that went over Gene's head. However it did some good because after five minutes of 'bellissima' and other similar sounded words, Alex's eyebrows knitted together until her face suddenly lit up.

"Luigi! Yes! I remember you! You make the best sea scallops and pineapple rings I have ever tasted." She stated, sounded rather smug. It was almost as if the old Alex was back. Sort of.

Luigi's smile grew until he was practically a smile on legs. "Signorina Drake! You like the sea scallops? I make you some more? And I give you a bottle of Chianti on the house yes?" He beamed at her.

"Do I like Chianti?" She'd whispered to Gene.

He gave her a look that clearly said 'yes and a whole lot of it', so she'd taken the bottle but declined Luigi's offer of food. For now. Then Alex followed Gene up the stairs and he'd opened up her flat for her.

Is this it?" She repeated, looking around. Gene had to admit it was a bit messy, but nothing to suggest the walls had caved in or it had been replaced by a cardboard box.

He dug his hands into his pockets and shrugged, "Yeah."

Again, Alex's eyebrows knotted together. "I…live here?"

"No I just decided ter bring yer ter some random place and leave you here." Gene replied. He sounded so serious that Alex believed it for a second. Then she realised he was kidding and she scowled at him.

"Well I wouldn't know any different would I? How could I? I don't even know my last name."

There was an awkward pause and Alex looked around the room before her. It didn't seem like the type of place she'd inhabit. But, then again, she had no idea who she was before her…amnesia. God, it felt weird using that word. Amnesia. That word was best suited in soap opera storylines and fan fiction. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to shake the memories back into place.

"Drake."

Lost in her thoughts, she forgot he…Gene…was still there. "I'm sorry?"

"Yer last name is Drake."

"Oh." Alex Drake. Alex Drake. She spun the name in her mind. It seemed to fit. But did she have a middle name? Parents? Children? Questions began building up in her mind, spinning around and around until she felt a bit sick. She wobbled slightly and her knees almost buckled. She braced for the floor but was surprised to find a hand clamped over her upper arm, holding her up.

"Don't want yer losing more of yer memories Drakey." He said, making sure she was well balanced before letting her go.

Alex smiled weakly at him, "I am rather tired now, so…um…if you wouldn't mind – ?"

Gene understood and began a hunt for his car keys. "Righto Drakey. I'll pick yer up tomorrow mornin' then."

Alex nodded as he made his way to her front door, "If you must." She didn't know why but she felt the strongest inclination to argue constantly with this man.

After he left, Alex slowly wondered around her flat, deep in thought. It was a strange feeling, not knowing who you were. It was sort of like being lost in a familiar place; like the terrifying first week of a new school.

Whoever she had been, that was in the past. It was time for a change.

Alex Drake was going to re-invent herself.

Let the games begin ;)