Thanks for all the reviews! They are much appreciated! ashes doesn't belong to me...

They sat across from each other in the interrogation room. Catherine had just finished giving her statement. Annie looked at her. She had seen pictures of Alex Drake from when she had gone missing. This woman did look exactly like her.

"Do you know why they think that you are Alex Drake?"

"No, I have no idea. I don't know anyone named Alex Drake, at least not that I remember."

"You keep talking about your memory. Is there something wrong with it?"

"I can tell you, but you have to promise not to tell that brute of a DCI."

"Fine. I won't tell him. So what is going on with your memory?"

"I don't remember anything before January 12th of this year. I woke up that day, and felt odd, like I had just gotten over a bad bout of the flu. I couldn't remember anything. I couldn't even remember my name. A man walked into the room, and told me who I was and who he was."

"This was your husband?"

"Yes."

"What happened up until this day?"

"I was bedridden for about a week. Then Matt started returning me to everyday life. People looked at me oddly, but he told me it was because they had heard I was so sick. Eventually, I was living a normal life."

"What do you do for a living?"

"Live. Matt makes enough for both of us. He's never told me what he does... I think he thinks that I would have remembered by now."

"So what were you doing at the bank this morning?"

"Matt gives me a sort of allowance. I was depositing it, because I am staying in this week. There was no point in me having the money."

Annie decided this was the time to figure out if her subconscious remembered anything about Alex Drake. While she would not perform hypnosis, she would test little things to see if Alex was still in there somewhere.

"Tell me, Catherine, does the name Gene Hunt remind you of anything?"

"No. I mean, when I first heard it, it was like I had heard the name before, but it must have been from before January, because I can't recall anything about it. That man, Viv? His name seemed familiar too."

"Can you tell me why you detest the police so much?"

"I don't know... I guess Matt doesn't like them, so I don't. He always told me to stay away from them. He said that they were more corrupt than the Met would let on and you shouldn't trust them. So I listened, because, I can't remember anything about them."

"I see. Thank you Catherine."

"Can I leave now?"

"Let me go talk to DCI Hunt. He'll let you know in a few minutes."

Annie walked out. Catherine settled in her chair for another long wait.

Chapter 9

Gene was sitting at his desk when Annie barged in.

"You're supposed to knock," he growled.

"Sorry Guv."

Gene gave her a small smile. He wasn't really angry at her; he just hadn't had anyone to fight with for a year. He had no way to get his temper out anymore.

"So what do you think Annie?"

"Before I can give you an answer, I need to know a few things."

"Just tell me what you think Annie!"

"Guv, calm down. I am still trying to determine whether or not Alex is still residing in the subconscious of Catherine."

"English?"

"I am trying to figure out if Alex still exists, or if she is permanently Catherine. I want to talk to her with you in the room. Maybe you can see if she still does little actions she used to do, or see if she uses phrases Alex would did."

"I don't know if you could get her to do anything in front of me. She seems to hate me. And all I did was swear in front of her. But there was something earlier. She was fiddling with a pencil on the desk when she was talking to me. Alex always did that."

"That's good, Guv. It means that she may still be in there. I'm going to go get Catherine, okay?"

"Her name is Alex."

"Yes, but as long as she thinks she is Catherine, it is better to refer to her as that. I'll be right back Guv."

*

Annie pulled in a disgruntled looking Catherine. Gene decided to try and be a gentleman, something he had never quite accomplished.

"Catherine, please have a seat."

She gave him an icy stare. "Did you watch an etiquette tape while I was sitting in the interview room? Or are you just faking so that I'll be a good girl and tell you whatever you want to know?"

Gene looked at her, a pout forming. Annie was standing in the corner, watching everything.

Catherine continued with her rant. "If you think I'm going to tell you everything about my life, Hunt, you have got to get a serious grip on reality! I would never, ever let scum like you know anything about my life!"

Gene was pissed.

"Shut up, you bloody pathetic excuse for a woman!" She stopped, and settled back on one leg, trying to put her thumbs in her pocket, before she realised she was in a skirt, and had none.

"Thank God, I can actually hear myself think! Let's get something straight, shall we? First off, you consider me scum? I saved your bloody life! You were nearly killed at the bank today! That's the real scum, the ones who don't give a shit who they hurt to get what they want! Secondly, I didn't bring you in here to discuss your snivelling excuse for a life. You can't remember your bloody life, so why would I ask?!"

Catherine stared at him, stung. She looked at Annie. "I thought you said you wouldn't tell him! You gave me your word!"

"Don't blame her. She didn't tell me."

"Then who did?"

"You did. Oldest trick in the book."

"You're an absolute bastard, Hunt."

"Naughty, naughty, you said a bad word!"

She jutted her chin out, turned, and walked out of his office, slamming the door. Annie ran after her.

"Catherine! Catherine! Wait!"

Catherine stopped. There were tears in her eyes.

"Oh Catherine." Annie hugged her. Catherine didn't resist, sobbing into her shoulder.

"How could he know, if you didn't tell him? Why would he bring that up even?"

"Remember, he thinks that you are Alex Drake. That's why he took a stab at you not remembering your life."

"What did this bloody DI look like? I mean, I can't look that much like her can I?!"

"Actually, Catherine, you two could have been twins."

"I want to see a picture."

"I can get you one."

Annie let go of Catherine. Catherine sniffed. Her tears had stopped. They were sitting in front of Viv, who looked terrified of being asked to console her. Annie gave Catherine a reassuring smile, who returned it.

The moment, however, was broken when Ray came crashing through the door hauling a man in handcuffs. The man looked up.

"Catherine!"

"Matt! Why are they arresting you?"

"He's dealing in cocaine ma'am," Ray explained. "Surprised you don't know that, him being your husband and all."

"What?! Matt, you don't..."

Matt hung his head. "I just wanted you to have a good life."

"Oh, Matt. I was happy. I had you!"

"God, I'm gonna chuck!" Catherine jumped, she hadn't heard Gene approach.

"Take him to interview one," he said to Ray. His next statement was directed at Catherine.

"Listen, love. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I don't always think things through when I get angry, and well, you pissed me off."

Catherine just looked at him, her eyes full of despair.

"You brought in my husband. How can I live without him? He's been there for me as long as I can remember." Catherine wasn't aware, but she had been led to Hunt's office. Annie walked in quietly, and shut the door. He poured her a scotch, which she downed in one gulp.

"Catherine." Gene's voice was sympathetic. "How far back can you remember?"

"January, this year."

Viv knocked on Gene's door.

"Come in, Viv."

"Guv, I got the fingerprints back. I also got a picture of DI Drake. Mrs. Williams wanted to see one."

"Right. Thanks Viv." Gene opened the folder. There was a picture of Alex, taken from the Christmas party in 1981. It reminded Gene painfully of the day he had shown Rebecca his picture; the day he thought he had lost Alex forever. Underneath the picture were the results of the fingerprints. His stomach was in knots. What if this was an innocent woman, and not Alex? He had harassed her for nothing. Shaking slightly, he pulled the results out of the folder. The prints on the top were labelled as Catherine Williams. The bottom prints were labelled as Alex Drakes. They were the same. There was no doubt now. Catherine Williams was Alex Drake. But did Alex still exist?

TBC!