Ashes to Ashes 1. The Dream Lord

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Ashes, or any of the other works I've mentioned.

**A/N: **Hey everyone! This is the the first part of a new two shot I started during my exams, but have only found the time/muse to finish this part in the last few days. I haven't started the next chapter yet, but please bear with me as it shouldn't take long! I should really mention my inspirations in this piece, as there have been quite a few. Firstly is the _Doctor Who _episode entitled 'The Dream Lord' which plays with ideas of dream worlds/reality- hence the title. The second one was the 2008 Christopher Nolan film 'The Dark Knight', which actually holds a fair few quotes that correlate perfectly with Ashes. The third is another Christopher Nolan film, 'Inception', released next month which I've been reading a lot about. It's about a man who can invade people's dreams and extracting/placing ideas within those dreams.

Anyway, erm, here it is! Please R&R! :)

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**The Dream Lord**

"_The Joker took the best of us and tore him down."_

– _Lieutenant Gordon, The Dark Knight._

_He'd made a huge mistake by sending her in there, because as long as that door wasn't closed, she wasn't safe. She danced on the edge of two worlds as she had done before, forces battling for her being until he managed to pull her towards him. But it wasn't over yet, because as long as that door was open, I could get to her._

Alex's hand rested on the door handle, a cooling draft teasing her knuckles as she felt her breathing shallow, utterly panicked. She didn't belong here, not yet; the taste of the air seemed acrid, the voices in the pub seemed false- completely the wrong colour. Synesthesia told her to turn back now, before everything she perceived around her caved in on itself, more than it already had. She shook her head almost imperceptibly at Nelson, her heart aching painfully as she quickly pushed open the door and fell through back into the street before she had time to change her mind.

Her eyes quickly scanned the empty street, tears brimming as she saw no sign of him, breaking into a run and calling his name.

She stopped a few streets away, ragged breaths appearing before her face in pale clouds, eyes on her feet as she suddenly realised the ground was shifting beneath her, the hard pavement melting beneath her and swirling like water.

Alex tried to steady her breathing as she heard a boom of thunder above her, slowly raising her eyes skywards where she saw a rip in the sky. Heart clenching in panic and a scream dying on her lips, she saw the buildings around her crack and crumble, lumps of rubble landing on the street and bursting into a thousand glittering stars.

She felt a clammy hand clamp across her mouth before she had time to react, a strong arm shoving her downwards as the stars were subsumed by darkness.

_Physical torture is overrated. I like watching things fall down, whole kingdoms brought to their knees as I show them the truth, ripping down walls with my bare hands and placing people on the edge, on the precipice of existence until they scream with the knowledge they have, crippling them and ripping away at their eyes until everything around them is ruined. Hell may be a place of fire, but my little world is so much more than that._

The world glimmered around her, contorting like the clouds in a crystal ball, her head fuzzy as she brought a hand to her temple.

She looked around, her eyes fixing on a dark figure in the distance, sitting on top of a wooden trunk, facing away from her.

She saw the black and white squares materialise beneath her feet with every step, tentatively walking closer; "Hello?" she whispered nervously.

No reply.

"Hello?" she said a little louder this time, swallowing as she shakily reached out a hand.

No reply.

"Hello?" she spoke louder, her voice shaking as her fingers lightly dusted the figure's shoulder. At her touch he grabbed her wrist, Alex blindingly trying to pull away from the iron grip that held her.

He slowly turned around, grinning at her menacingly, "Hello Alex."

She stilled suddenly, the sound of his voice and feel of his sweat on her skin making her shudder, "You." she replied fiercely, "Where have you brought me?"

Keats chuckled, pulling her towards him so their faces were only inches apart, "Why would I tell you that?"

"Let me go _now_ Keats." she said through gritted teeth, once again pulling at her wrist.

He laughed again, "I'd love to, but unfortunately it's not really me keeping you here Alex."

She held eye contact with him as he smirked, desperately trying to hold her ground as he stared her down.

She schooled her features, a muscle twitching in her jaw, "What?"

He let go of her wrist finally, and she let it fall limply, wanting to rub the sore flesh but letting it instead burn by her side.

"When you first arrived in this world Alex, you believed it was all in your head, didn't you?" he said, cocking his head slightly, his expression patronising.

She didn't reply.

He shifted in his seat on the trunk, facing her fully, "Well, you weren't technically right. But luckily here, you are; where you find yourself Alex Drake, is the darkest, most personal place of your entire mind. All your deepest and greatest wishes reside here and also your blackest thoughts and worst fears. Of course I'm willing to inject a little reality here too; how well you know yourself will depend whether or not you can sift those moments from those of illusion."

Alex felt tears sting the back of her eyes, blinking as she rushed forward and grabbed his lapels in angered desperation, "Why am I here? I did everything you asked of me, I found out the truth-"

"You didn't do that for me though, did you Alex? You were doing that on your own watch."

Alex quietened for a second, silently accepting the validity of his words, until she spoke again, "What do you want from me? Why? If you brought me here, you can let me go."

He grinned this time, "You should know the answer to this already."

Her hands loosened from his jacket, stepping back as her eyes fell to the ground, moving like molten silver beneath her, "Because. . . because you said I was the best of them." she whispered brokenly.

There was a pause, "There have been few brave enough to try and pull you away, Alex, corrupt you. But there's only ever been one person who's capable of making you lose your faith."

Alex looked up at him, waiting for his name.

"_Gene." _

". . . This is nothing to do with him."

"Oh, but _it is Alex_! He's the reason I could get to you, his own actions- his secrecy- chipped away at your belief more than my words ever could. Think back to Supermac, when you thought you'd 'lost him', I wasn't even there and you were fading."

He smiled, straightening out his jacket, "That crack in your heart is how I could get you here- the one he made. The pain of losing your daughter is ever present, but you've adapted to this world; you always thought if you didn't have her, you'd have him." He laughed heartily as Alex's heart constricted, "Isn't it ironic? The moral compass, the shining example, the _best of them_ doesn't actually belong in heaven!"

She felt the burning taste of sick rising in her throat, clenching her fists in fury at his laughter, her focus on Keats suddenly breaking as she heard a quiet knocking.

"What's that sound?" she asked, her voice catching slightly in her throat as she moved back towards him.

"What sound?" he replied, feigning ignorance.

"That knocking." she said, hearing it louder, "It's coming from the trunk."

Silence fell again, and she heard more knocking from inside the trunk, followed the muffled cries of a child.

Keats didn't reply, Alex giving him a desperate look as she suddenly recognised the trunk- the cries- shoving him unceremoniously off it, and yanking opening the lid.

"Oh god. . ."

She saw the green eyes of her younger self look up at her, the little girl's voice haunting and unnatural, "Where's my mummy and daddy?"

"I don't. . . I don't know. . ." Alex whispered, "I'm sorry. . ."

Alex Price stared at her with glassy eyes, standing up slowly in the trunk and never breaking eye contact, her cream dress stained with blood and burnt at the hem, her tights ripped, "Mummy said she'd heal my hands when I touched it." she said, holding out her burnt hands, "But the fire had already got her."

Alex stumbled backwards, Alex Price slowly climbing from the trunk and walking steadily towards her, Alex scrambling away as the little girl still held her hands out towards her, "Where's my mummy and daddy?"

Suddenly Keats came back into view, standing up and slamming the trunk close, his eyes fierce and merciless. Alex Price turned around, screaming at the sight of him and running into the darkness, Keats switching his gaze back to the woman on the floor, two words leaving his lips.

"Run, Alex."

So she did, she ran in a world that never ended. A ceaseless, watery infinity that changed with her deepest thoughts, the only light that entered this world was from the checkerboard floor- which seemed now to be the only constant as her breath ripped her soft lungs, eventually slowing down to a stop as she clutched onto Molly's scarf that was settled around her neck.

She felt her breath choke her as she suddenly saw the image of her daughter form in front of her, blurred slightly by the wisps of dusky light that surrounded the image.

Alex felt a tear escape her eye, shaking her head mutely as she saw her daughter, _oh Molly_. . . still the same girl she had left on the bridge with Evan that day- yet she looked older, her face more adult.

She was dressed in her school uniform, yet she didn't recognise the new school shoes, her new fringe unfamiliar. Alex tried to swallow the stone in her throat, her dark eyes one of a mourning mother, filled with fear and panic at not recognising all the little things that had changed in her daughter since she'd died. Alex felt her gut twist, her heart sinking at the thought of all the small mundane changes that would occur in her daughter's life, the ones she would miss. If she was there, if she'd never been shot, then to a mother's eyes they would've happened so slowly that she wouldn't have realised that her daughter was growing up.

She'd seen her daughter only once in the past year, and only as some unreachable figment. And the tiny alterations in her daughter she saw now made her feel even further away.

She was sobbing into her pillow, biting the cotton to stop herself from screaming out loud, her body older but still with the voice of a child, "Mum. . . Oh mummy. . ." she wept, her nails digging into the mattress with anger and loss. "Why aren't you here mummy? I miss you so much. . . _please come back mummy. . ._"

"Molly. . . _I'm here Molly_. . ." Alex pleaded, her hand suddenly freezing as she tried to reach out to her daughter, moaning as her frozen fingers crunched, hugging them back to her chest.

Her daughter could not hear her mother as she stood up, screaming through her tears as she pushed everything off her desk in blind fury, piles of paper floating to the floor.

"Please. . .please make it stop. . ." Alex begged to herself, clutching her head as tears streamed down her own face, turning around and seeing the sneering face of Keats, his lip curled as he laughed at her distress.

"You left her Alex. You passed up so many opportunities to leave here, but you let them fly away. All because you thought you were here for a reason, here to help. . . here for _him. . ._ _Dancing with the devil- he leads, you follow. . ._"

Alex wiped her face, her make up smudged as she pointed an angry finger towards him, "You and I know he's not that, we both know what you are. . . everything I did here was to get back to my daughter. . ."

"And you've convinced yourself that?" he sneered, a nasty twinkle in his eye as Molly's sobs rang through her ears.

"I did everything in my power to get home, _I did all I could_!" she cried, her eyes shining with anger and tears.

"Oh but Alex, you can't lie to me. No no no. . ." he tutted, chuckling to himself as her hand slowly dropped down to her side. "I know everything about you Alex, _I've read all about you, _I can listen to your darkest secrets, your deepest longings and desires. . ."

She shook her head as she took a step back on the checkerboard floor, landing on a black square, the salty tear tracks glistening on her cheeks, "This is it, Keats. Let me go."

"This isn't about release, Alex, it's about escape_._"he said, almost too nonchalantly as he swiped off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "But for now, I get my fun with you at least. Although the thought of you locked up here as my little caged pet, _the best of them_, is appealing, don't you think?"

Alex tried to keep her face devoid of emotion, her heaving chest giving away her panic. The thought of being stuck alone, taunted by her own mind as she inevitably grew mad. . . she saw a fleeting image of herself as a child again over his shoulder, the cream dress still bloody and burnt as her feet tapped on the floor towards the wooden trunk, climbing in and closing the lid on herself again.

"She always comes back to that wooden box, she's more scared of this world than she is of me."

Her whole body shuddered erratically, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to block everything out, her eyes flying open again when she heard his voice over her left shoulder, a low, spiteful whisper. She looked around, but he'd vanished . . . yet she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

"It's awful really, how much you loved him. . . he ruined you Alex, ruined you. . ."

She felt her hands tremble, her throat constricting in shame at the truth behind his words. The utter fear that rose unbidden from her stomach. She'd never admitted it to herself, barely remembering the Alex that had first arrived here, strong and self assured, to the one that now stood motionless, broken and lost and crying out in pain.

He touched her shoulder, making her look down as she saw the floor being eaten away by a wave of blackened rose petals, thorny stems winding her way towards her like charmed serpents, a thousand hideous screams tearing at her ears.

She felt herself run again, trying to flee from the roses and from his voice that sparked pictures around her. She saw the image of Molly living a long, happy life morphing into one if her being stabbed in a dark back alley, her screams reverberating around her mind as she watched her daughter die alone, Molly's own daughter left alone on the kerbside waiting for her mother to collect her, crying into her mittens as the night grew darker.

Alex closed her eyes, repeating her words like a prayer: _This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real. . . _

_And how can you be sure it isn't real, Alex?_

_This is my mind, my rules. . ._

_So why don't you just leave?_

_Just don't hurt her, please don't hurt her Keats. . . please tell me you won't-_

_I don't think you're in much of a position to make requests, Alex._

Her lungs started closing in panic as her breath became more laboured, and she felt hers legs stop. Her body, or maybe it was her soul, imploding in on itself, preferring to die then let Keats' snake into her blood, rip her apart from the inside out.

She suddenly felt the weight of metal in her right hand, looking steadily up as she saw a golden haired figure on his knees, gagged as Keats stood next to him, one hand digging into his shoulder, the other forcing a gun into his hand and pointing it at Alex.

"Gene. . .?" she said softly, his tired blue eyes meeting hers, his face still bruised from Keats' treatment.

"I know he's held a gun to you quite a few times Alex, but it's your turn now."

Alex stared at Keats, shaking her head as she felt the gun slipping from her hand, "No. . ."

"If you want to escape from your mind, to move on, you need to wipe away the thing that's keeping you here. I'm giving you a choice, Alex, which is more than he gave you when he sent you away."

She felt a tear slip down her face. "I can't."

"It wouldn't matter- if you shoot him- he's erased from your mind, like he never existed. No pain Alex. . . just _peace._"

"No. . . I can't. . . I can't forget him. . _._" she shouted at Keats, meeting Gene's pleading eyes as she suddenly whispered quietly, "I don't want to forget him. . ."

She saw Keats grit his teeth, and out of nowhere, she felt herself being shoved backwards, falling onto the floor where she hit her head, warmth spilling from her skull and she started to slip from consciousness.

Keats' menacing voice dragged her back, screaming as her veins caught fire, unearthing every thought, every emotion she'd ever felt for the man she loved, her heart searing in pain as it overwhelmed her, tears dripping like rain from her eyes and onto the black and white floor as if the pain was going to consume her.

She managed to turn her head slightly, her retinas burning at the soft light in the distance that glowed. Through her blurry eyes, she could sdee two figures stood wrapped around each other, close enough at first she thought they were one person, steadily kissing and undressing the other with touches so tender and loving, her heart glimmered a little through the aching agony. She watched them sorrowfully as they locked fingers, met for the first time- soft but forceful words falling from their lips. She sighed almost silently, heard his voice in her mind like a distant echo. . .

"_I love you Alex. . . I love you. . .don't leave me. . ."_

She sighed again, the wisps around her caressing her body as she felt something soft against her lips, only to be snatched away again at the sound of hissing as she moaned at the loss of it, the taste of him. . .

"He sent you away Alex. . . he never loved you, he never really wanted you. . . he could never give you what you wanted. . . what you needed _so much. . ._ he could never say that to you, _never. . ._"

"No. . . _he does. . ._we have a connection. . .we need each other. . ."

"But he sent you away to a place where you would had nothing. . . _he felt nothing for you. . ._ just pick up the gun and _shoot him Alex._"

Alex shook her head desperately, her body shaking, the sound of Keats' voice starting to crush one side of her head, her ear burning at his words, _"Why are you doing this to me?" _she whispered helplessly, her nails scratching at the cold floor.

"You have to know the truth Alex. Not just about this world, not about Gene, but about yourself. You're mine now Alex, and this is how I play."

She didn't reply, couldn't reply.

Her eyes were closed, but she felt a shadow being cast over her body as he stood next to her, crouching down over her limp form.

"I feel sorry for you Alex." he mused as he played with her hair, her body too weak to push him away, "I really thought you were going to leave this place, get back home. I was willing to let you leave. I mean he _shot you Alex _and somehow, whilst you were gone, _you fell for him_. . . fell for the only man who could never love you back. . ."

Alex's heart seized in sorrow, the moon blocking the sun as she squeezed her eyes shut, a dying "No. . ." leaving her lips as the darkness started to eat away around the edges of her vision, the bed in the corner of her eye where two sleeping bodies lay blissfully intertwined was slowly consumed by black, closing her eyes as it engulfed her.

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**A/N: **Hope that was ok. Please review and let me know what you think, and hopefully you'll want to read the second part haha. :P Love Minx xx


	2. The Awakening

**Disclaimer: **I don't own A2A, just playing about as normal!

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Sorry this took a bit longer to write than I originally thought- the muse went AWOL over the weekend (blame days in the sun and late nights out!) but skulked back yesterday morning with a cheeky grin on its face and seemed ready to get back to work. Thanks for all the positive reviews from the first chapter, and really hope you all like this one- please do review! This looks to be a three shot by the way, as I need to write another chapter it seems! ;)

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**The Awakening**

_"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn. "_

_- Alfred Pennyworth, The Dark Knight._

Alex woke, her head fuzzy and heavy as she clutched the side of her temple, unable to stop the whole world swaying. She could hear the echoed _drip drops _of water in her mind, coming faster and faster like torrential downpour.

She tried to move, her whole body burning as she twisted her head slightly, her eyes focussing as she saw her mother and father's faces come into vision, "Some music Alex?" her father said softly, pushing a tape into the player.

Alex panicked at the strains of 'Ashes to Ashes' reaching her ears, suddenly realising she was seat-belted in the back of a car, "No, no, no, no dad- no!" she cried, leaning forward and trying to eject the tape, the world still spinning. Her father grabbed her hand and forced her back into her seat, looking over his shoulder as he morphed into the clown, grinning and winking as her mother looked back and smiled emptily at her too, the ticking of a bomb reaching her ears.

Alex hurriedly unclicked her seatbelt, her chest ceasing up in panic as she scrambled out of the car, pushing her way through a sea of red balloons, each one bursting at the sound of the clown and Keats' laughter- a horrific hybrid of taunting voices that roared in her head.

She kept running, her breath not able to catch up with her body, doubling over as she stopped, her chest heaving as her burning lungs stretched. She screamed suddenly as a wall came up in front of her, moving backwards as another wall was built, the last two walls shooting up and boxing her in.

Before she had time to think, Alex cried out as someone grabbed her wrists, pulling her round and laying them face down on a wooden desk, trying desperately to move them but finding them stuck tight. She slowly looked up, her breath shallowing as Mac stood in front of her with a jagged knife, a sinister grin on his face, his eyes missing as she stared into bloody sockets. "I thought I told you D.I. Drake, if you come near my private belongings with your creamy little fingers again, I'll cut them off."

"I didn't- I haven't! I didn't do anything. . ." she wept, pulling at her hands, the joints in her fingers burning as a forewarning of the agony to come.

"Which one should we start with?" he asked her, the point of his knife tracing the outline of her fingers, Alex shaking as she cried.

"How about this one?" he said, smiling as he laid the knife down on her little finger, Alex squeezing her eyes shut and biting her lip.

She suddenly heard Mac gasp and then buckled over, his eyes still fixed on hers as he lifted up the bottom of his shirt, a bullet wound in his stomach where blood was spilling rapidly, running and forming into the shape of a rose as he fell to his knees.

She pulled away her hands, only for someone to slam them back down on the table again, a man's body pressed to her back with his hands forcing her own onto the desk.

He heard his voice in her ear, felt his moist breath in her neck and shuddered in repulsion.

"I was thinking about the night I watched you sleep, Alex, and maybe thought I should join you next time. . ."

"Get off me." she ground out, a tear just slipping from her eye.

Summers chuckled, "Oh, but you and me could do so much together Alex!" he added, running a hand up her arm.

She felt sick, and the moment his fingers hit her shoulder she fiercely elbowed him in the stomach, turning around and landing a right hook on his face, running towards the wall and hoping she was strong enough to get through it. She closed her eyes, sprinting faster, opening her eyes a few seconds later and looking back to see it gone, her heart shaking with relief.

She stopped at something visible in the very corner of her eye, suddenly seeing a white, glowing door in the distance and without a second thought she found herself going towards it. The checkerboard floor beneath her flashed dimly like a dying firefly, reaching the door before the floor plummeted into darkness. She heaved it open, for a second her eyes engulfed by a supernova of light, but before she had time to acknowledge that she was standing on the edge of a meat freezer, someone had knocked her out and dragged her in.

_I wish I could've spent more time with you._

_I thought I couldn't change anything. . . and I tried. . . and I couldn't. . . I should've saved you, and I didn't. . . and now I don't know how to get home._

_You'll find a way._

_Will I?_

_Because you have to, because you're a mother too._

Her skull felt like it was trying to crush her brain, she was too woozy to even feel the tears silently trailing down her cheeks, knowing how she had failed her daughter, and how far away she was now. Alex wondered at how many worlds she'd travelled through, at how her own existence had depleted to this nowhere reality. Maybe even she wasn't real anymore.

She tried to swallow, struggling as she realised she was gagged, fear striking her heart and tears still running as she tried to move her arms and feet, only to discover she was tied up as well.

She could see shadows looming over her on the floor, turning her head awkwardly, seeing the clown steadily coming towards her- an evil born from the white light- his sinister glare boring into her. She watched as the image of him flickered into Keats, his grin menacing and blood thirsty as he approached her, once again transforming into the clown before her eyes.

She shook her head weakly, slowly feeling her entire body freeze over, the checkerboard floor still beneath her as her heart beat slowed into an exhausted rhythm. Teardrops like tiny stars fell from the corners of her eyes, hitting the floor and dying as soon as they existed.

"_Gene. . ."_

_0*0*0*0*0_

Gene stubbed out his cigarettes fiercely, crushing the butt under his fingers as he let out a long held breath. He hadn't smoked for ages, he wasn't sure why, but he suspected it was down to a certain woman's years of chastising over it had actually had some sort of subconscious effect on him. He rubbed his eyes, _subconscious? _He was even starting to sound like her, just as she had said of herself outside that shitty strip joint, a disbelieving look flashing across her face. He sighed in his empty office, the shadows under his eyes more noticeable as he looked around CID, everybody retreated to Luigi's which was soon to close as its owner would go home.

_Home. _That word had never meant that much to him, and it was even more evasive now. He guessed this place was his home, CID, his own little kingdom, but it seemed meaningless without people he knew and trusted to fill it- a heart without life blood- his little glass den an invisible prison. He felt claustrophobic, restricted, forced down a path that had been chosen for him.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a tired sigh leaving his lips as he remembered her tear stained face from such a short time ago- yet it felt already as if they'd been parted for decades- her eyes of a child, lost and alone. He had wanted to wrap her up and keep her with him, ask her to stay with him and never leave. But he'd had to remain strong, send her away where she was safe, lie to her and say that he knew her daughter would be ok. He hoped she would be, hoped she was as tough as Alex had been, but he'd never have any way of finding out.

A million thoughts had rushed through his head in those few moments; he'd wanted to tell her things that had settled in his throat, choking him as he forced himself to stay silent. He wanted to apologise for all those times he'd pushed her away- for calling her a liar when she said she was from the future, that she had a daughter, leading to that fateful day when he'd put a bullet in her side. He knew for certain now that as soon he'd seen her clutch her punctured stomach, eyes unblinking and fearful, his whole world had started to fall away around him.

Gene had wanted to tell her so much, but he knew he wouldn't have let her go if he'd said it; it wouldn't have been fair to give her any more emotional burdens. More than anyone she deserved the safety and warmth of the pub, the peace it provided. After everything she'd been through, the last thing she needed was to stay here with him- a world that was slowly but surely fading to black, a world so real and so raw that you wouldn't believe it was constructed on a bed of glittering stars.

He brushed the sleep from the corner his eyes, his face falling into his hands; he wasn't supposed to have come to care and trust about those he was supposed to protect, he wasn't meant to be feeling this heart ache. . . he wasn't supposed to have fallen in-

Don't say it. Don't make it real.

"_Gene. . ."_

He jerked his head up at the sound of her voice- a distant, drifting echo. Remaining stock still, his ears strained against the silence that had quickly consumed his name, wondering if he'd even heard it in the first place.

Gene's pupils dilated at the sound of Alex's soft sobbing, the sound reverberating quietly as it tried to evade his ears. He heard her breathing hitch, his own breath catching in his chest as it suddenly dawned upon him where she could be, _she can't? Can she? _ He visibly paled at the possibility, bile churning aggressively in his stomach.

He could here the crying louder now, growing with every second until it became almost unbearable, taunting him as worry flooded his body. Flinging on his coat and snatching his gun off the desk.

Out of nowhere, Gene suddenly felt drop of warm water on his cheek, wiping it softly away before looking up.

He felt another one fall onto his forehead, running down to the corner of his mouth, seeping through his lips, the warmth and salt of the water hitting his tongue. It tasted like tears.

He looked up again, squinting as he saw tiny droplets leaking from the checkerboard ceiling, steadily forming faster until they fell like rain, puddles growing on the floor as they dripped down his own face. A dying sob chased his ears again, and he felt anger and fear collide in his blood.

He ran out of CID, his boots splashing in the water, quickly exiting the station and pulling his car keys from his pocket, swearing as he remembered he no longer had the Quattro. He stood for a split second, gritting his teeth before he suddenly broke into a run, racing through the empty moonlit streets.

Gene went as fast as his feet could carry him, the gripping cold biting at his lungs as his breaths come out in mist as dark as smoke. Images of her face flooded his vision, his heart racing harder as he pushed himself to run faster, hoping he wasn't too late. . .

He felt physically sick at the thought of her hurt, at the thought of her taken. He didn't think he could carry on in this world if he knew he hadn't protected her; out of everyone who'd passed through this world, she was the one he'd let in, they were the ones that had the connection, she was the one who'd turned down every offer to go against him and place her trust in him, and he'd abused that. He knew he didn't have much time, his lungs shaking at the thought of her torture.

He finally reached Keats' building; a huge, oppressive monstrosity like a great, concrete prison, the dark windows like slits- the eyes of the devil. Gene crossed the road silently, reaching the locked glass doors and rattling them aggressively. He growled out his anger, pulling out his gun and shattering them with its bullets.

He quickly stepped inside, his thunderous steps quietened as he walked on the soft carpet, the labyrinthine corridors becoming steadily enclosed by more intense darkness as he went deeper into the building, following the signs for the staircase. The place was empty, a terrifying silence settled over the place as even the shadows remained still. Everyone would've gone home after a day's work; Gene knew you'd be a fool to stay here at night; whatever sort of deal you'd struck to end up here, 'Discipline and Complaints' officers were not known for their cast iron promises.

Gene turned a final corner; at the end another door which he cautiously pushed open, drawing out a strained creak. He held his metal gun firmly in his hand, uncharacteristically unnerved by the lack of light. He looked down the steep stairs in front of him; a dull, yellowed light bulb flickered, dangling from the stained ceiling as he stood on the edge of the first step. Gene took a breath, clicking his gun as he steadily made his way to the bottom and found himself faced with another locked door. This one was locked by a keypad he noted, but was not immune to a well placed kick from the Gene Genie.

The lower corridor was even more poorly lit, Gene looking down and barely able to see his own feet as he blindly crept around. Moving past a room with an open door, he took a step inside and squinted, just about making out the shiny doors of several elevators- elevators which only had the option of 'down'. Gene felt his hand tighten around his gun, quickly backing out of the room as his heart rose up into his throat.

He froze as he heard a heartbeat in his ears, a slow, faint pulse that was steadily weakening.

_Alex._

Gene panicked, moving quicker as his free hand glided along the wall, feeling the cracks deepening under his fingers. Suddenly the wall dipped into an alcove, running his hand along the wood of a door, the feel of cool metal under his fingertips as he slowly traced the letters protruding from the smooth oak.

_D.C.I. Jim Keats_

His hand quickly found the door handle, shaking it violently to no avail as he called Alex's name through the door, sick climbing into his mouth as he kicked the door down, faced with a large, empty room, his eyes immediately settling on Alex in the center, his eyes widening as he felt his stomach turn to stone.

The first thing that struck him was how incredibly pale she was, her body unmoving as if she were made of white bone. She'd been tied roughly to a chair, the red rope burns on her arms and legs the only other colour visible on her skin.

Her head had been pulled back, her neck exposed and her mouth slightly open as a cold sweat gathered on her face, the tear stains gathered around her eyes.

Standing behind her was Keats, his hands grasping her face, his thumbs pressing hard into her temple as Gene saw his nails dig deeper, drawing a trickle of red blood from both sides that run into her hair, Keats' eyes twitching beneath his closed eyelids, his mouth moving yet no words escaping.

Gene stormed across the room, his eyes clouded with unswerving rage as he grabbed Keats' hands, pushing them forcefully away from Alex's head and punching him across the face with a roar. Keats was immediately broken from the trance, crying out when his head hit the floor with a loud crunch, his eyes flying open and locking with Gene's.

_0*0*0*0*0_

Alex whimpered as the clown leaned forwards, Keats face appearing once again as she flinched, feeling his shadow cast across her face even as she squeezed her eyes shut.

_Time's up Alex._

She felt the floor shake violently beneath her, and her scream vibrated in her gag as her eyes flew open, her heart beating wildly as she drew her knees up to her chest fearfully, knowing that she was going to be plunged into eternal darkness. _Help me, please help me. . ._

Suddenly, she heard Keats cry out like a wounded animal, his face turned to the side as if he'd been physically blown, a split second passing before he was forced completely over. The white walls of the freezer vanished for a split second to reveal the battered grey walls of a room, Alex blinking to find the whiteness surrounding her again, the cold turning her blood into syrupy ice.

Gene kicked him in the stomach before the dark haired man had time to think, let alone speak, blind fury burning his blood and fuelling his body as he beat him over and over. He could feel a vein in his forehead threatening to burst, his fist sore as he hit Keats without remorse, finally stopping as the man lay sprawled unconscious face down on the floor, a stream of blood slowly trickling from his nose.

Gene breathed heavily, hair dangling over his forehead and his body exhausted as he hurriedly made his way over to Alex, slumped over in the chair. He lifted her face, his eyes shining with fear as he felt her soft pulse beneath his fingers, his heart surging with relief, but still worried that she could still slip between his fingers.

Her weak heart skipped a beat when she saw Gene's face swim into view, just like she had seen him all those years ago the first time he had recued her- she wondered if he'd always be the one who rescued her.

She didn't know if he was real or just a dream, but the relief that cleansed her fading existence made her sigh, letting her heavy lids close as she felt herself drift. . .

"Alex! Alex! Come on Alex, wake up! Wake up Alex, come on Alex, wake up!" he cried desperately, shaking her shoulders and tapping her face as his breath caressed her lips.

Alex felt herself being dragged upwards, her heart clenching as her breath could not find her lungs. Steadily, she felt a heat spread from her lips, finally gasping for air as opened her eyes a little, panting heavily and staring at Gene through her blurred vision, his face fuzzy like ink smudged by tears.

Gene sighed in utter relief as she half opened her eyes, closing his own and resting his forehead gently against hers, a tide of emotion sweeping over his heart.

"Gene?" she barely whispered, her breaths still heavy.

His breathing matched her own, "Aren't you lucky?" he replied, the humour of his words betrayed by the softness in his voice, his fingers dusting her jaw.

She let out a tiny, breathless laugh, her head slumping onto his shoulder in exhaustion, feeling his slender fingers tenderly untie the rope around her wrists and feet.

Alex felt herself being gently lifted up, and she clutched limply onto the lapel of his coat, relishing the texture of soft wool beneath her fingers and the overwhelming comforting smell of him. Her eyes fluttered close at the comforting pace of his strides as he moved steadily through the darkness, smiling faintly at the feel of his lips on her forehead.

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**A/N: **I think this needs a little final chapter, so I'm going to write one! :) I really hope you enjoyed it, please review, it'd be a _dream_ come true. ;) Love Minx x


	3. The Completion

**Disclaimer: **A2A etc. is not mine, just a culmination of other's ideas sparking my own. :)

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay- you would not believe this but I mamaged to delete my 'My Documents' folder over the weekend, and it did not end up in my Recycle Bin! So, I ended up using so many file restoration programmes to try and recover this chapter, among other things- and still this chapter was one to be lost in the abyss! D: I was also planning to publish this last night but I went to see _Inception _and oh my freakin' gosh, I've waited for this film for months and it did not disappoint- if you love LOM/A2A- you're smart and you'll appreciate a movie like that. ;) Anyhoo- here's the last little flufy(ish) last chapter- as I think it needed to be written to 'round off' the story. Enjoy, and please R&R. (For those of you who have reviewed thus far, thank you for your words of encouragement/praise!) *Hugs all round*

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**The Completion**

"_Because sometimes, the truth isn't good enough.__  
__ Sometimes people deserve more.__  
__Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."_

___- Batman, The Dark Knight._

Alex woke up slowly, keeping her eyes closed as she counted silently- waiting for a vision to dance in front of her eyes or voices to echo round her head. Nothing came. Her body was swathed in softness, she realised, and she tentatively fluttered her eyes open, surprised to see the early morning sun leaking through dusty blinds. Her bedroom blinds.

She sat up steadily, clutching the red duvet so it covered her chest, eyes darting around the room as she waited for Keats to jump out of the impenetrable shadows. He didn't. Growing a little braver, Alex shuffled slowly to the edge of her bed, peering over slowly as if she were standing at the top of a cliff, looking down into raging waters. Her whole body flooded with relief as she saw not a checkerboard pattern, but soft carpet.

A breath she didn't realise she'd been holding steadily escaped from her lips, a quiet "Hello?" leaving shortly after. The word dangled in front of her before dissipating, the air suddenly shifting as her bedroom door was pushed gently open.

She could feel her heart beating faster against her ribs, another shaky, thankful breath leaving her lungs as Gene walked in, a glass of water in one hand and a scotch in the other. He set them on her bedside table, sitting on the corner of her bed, his eyes studying her face.

She felt herself blush, despite everything they'd been through together. She didn't know what to say. There was too much to say.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gruffly, his grey eyes swirling, concern flecked in his irises.

"Better, ok. . . thanks." she nodded, stumbling over her words, studying her hands as she broke eye contact with him, "Thank you for. . . rescuing me."

"I got used to it a long time ago Lady B. Always getting yourself into trouble, you are."

She smiled a little, "I think you were right when you said I attracted nutters."

"That's as clear as day," he answered wryly, "Plus we all know you've got a thing for danger."

"Psychological profiler, are you now?" she quipped.

"Someone's got to get the brain ache." he replied, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Mine's still going" she replied, "I've been stuck in a dream world; I'm still separating fact from fiction." Alex half laughed, her heart beat picking up.

"Blimey Bolls, I forgot that you never stop thinking."

"You'd miss it if it did." she smiled tiredly, lifting her eyes, meeting his again.

His expression suddenly changed, the word _miss_ hitting a nerve as his eyes suddenly shone, something unspoken passed between them, but like everything else in this world now, it needed to be exposed.

He schooled his features, his eyes stormy again, a small pout fixed, "I found you in a room" he murmured, his voice lower,"Keats was holding your head- a dream world you said- what happened?"

Her eyes had glassed over, the tone in conversation taking the inevitable spiral downwards as she stared into the middle distance, "I was. . . stuck in my own mind. I walked out off the Railway Arms- and the whole world started caving in. Keats found me." she whispered, tears pricking at her eyes as she bit her lip.

Alex forced herself to continue; she didn't want him to see her cry again, "It's weird how much you come to rely on your senses to make things real, except in a state like that- you can depend on nothing. All my worst fears, all my hopeless wishes, all the worst points in my life were played out on in front of me. But nothing was linear as that, everything came in weird flashes, distorted like a nightmare. It's scary, I thought I knew who I was- what I wanted in this world- being buried that far into your own subconscious makes you realise how little we know ourselves. . ." She suddenly shook herself out of her reverie, a smile on her face that never reached her eyes.

"Nobody knows anybody Bolly." he said softly, a trace of a sorry smile.

"I thought I knew you." she whispered, her huge, glittering eyes like delicate footsteps walking over his soul, "Did I ever know you?"

The question put him on the back foot, he gulped. Gene moved closer to her, pulling her towards him so they were facing each other. His body was half twisted at the edge of her bed, Alex's legs tucked under her as they gazed at each other.

He saw a muscle jump in her jaw as he gently took her hand, placing it flat on his chest and interlocking his fingers over the top, her syrupy brown eyes looked at their hands and then at his face, her neck flushing and her pulse quickening.

"You're the only one I ever let in Bolls, but I still made it difficult for you, I know." He croaked, clearing his throat, his hand brushing her hair off her face, "I meant it you know, when I said we had a connection. You're one of a kind, Bolly Knickers."

She shuddered at his touch, his gentleness so uncharacteristic of him. Even now he kept surprising her; she wondered if he always would.

"Crazy, you mean?" she smiled tenderly.

"Ironically, you were sanest one out of all of us, Bolls. All those crazy things you said turned out to be true."

The joking lilt in his voice didn't carry, overwrought by the desperation in his eyes. It made her tremble, their depths holding every truth of this world- apologies for the things he'd said before he shot her, a vulnerability at the knowledge they both now held, a frightening uncertainty at what would happen next. He broke the silence.

"Why did you come back, Alex?" he whispered finally, eyes searching hers.

She felt herself crumble a little under his gaze, swallowing and dropping her head- as if she were ashamed, "Heaven isn't all it's made out to be." she whispered- there was nothing but sadness in her voice- pausing as she chose her words; it was too late to dilute feelings down, far too late, "And even if you don't need me Gene, I need you."

He felt something powerful tug at his heart, and he wanted to pull her closer, hold her forever, every part of him burning for her. He swallowed.

"You have to go back Alex, it's not safe for you here."

He saw her shake her head a fraction, pull her hand away, tears quickly filling her eyes, "No. . .no you can't make me. I won't."

"You know about this place, you've even seen inside the Railway Arms." he replied with tired eyes, "Keats and his people, he'll try to drive us apart again-"

Her brows crinkled, the tears still swimming in her eyelids, a sudden wave of fury rumbling in her stomach, "I don't care what Keats thinks, or what he tries to do. . . I trusted you Gene, and you sent me away when I was at my weakest. You used my own feelings against me, when you were the only one I had left. You made me think that everything would be ok- I'd be ok, you'd be ok, Molly would be ok-"

Her features crumpled suddenly at her daughter's name coming from her own mouth, realising she'd never get to call out to her again, fresh tears dripped down her cheeks, and Gene felt his heart rattle in regret and anger at himself. He knew she was right; he'd tricked her.

"Gene, you're all I have. . . please." she whispered tearfully, her insides breaking apart in grief, "You sent me away when I had nothing. . . going in there, it doesn't feel right. Gene. . ."

He felt a tide of emotion flood his heart, a lump in his throat as her thumb traced his lip. He wasn't used to seeing her like this, tiny stars dancing in her eyes- so open and so vulnerable- so close to him.

"Alex, if Keats catches you again, he won't show any mercy. . . I can't let you take that risk." he said finally, every fibre of his being curling up in sorrow at the thought of pushing her away. There was no 'putting him off his stride' in this explanation, this was about _her_, like it always had been, and a part of him knew always would be.

"But this time we'll be ready- we know Gene- I was foolish before for letting someone I didn't know plant doubts in my mind." she said, hearing the desperation climbing in her own voice and hating herself slightly for it, "Questions I should have asked you. . ."

"Answers I should have given you."

They gazed at each other, all their past mistakes centred around those two sentences; somehow it was possible for a relationship so complex and consuming to be deconstructed into a few words.

She didn't understand how she'd ever got here, sitting on her bed next to him- her life the crazy, most terrifying series of events. Reality was gone, she'd battled the 80s world, she'd fled from the Railway Arms, been rescued from her own mind and now she was back here with him- this inescapable man she'd fought so hard to leave for three years, yet it was only recently she'd realised this was exactly where she needed to be.

She felt an overwhelming feeling of longing looking at him now- in every sense of the word; his tired, grey, dragon-like eyes still holding that breathtaking ferocity, framed by those beautiful pale eyelashes. She wanted to reach out and touch him, wanted to stay with him.

And despite his better judgement, his protests, he knew he could send her away again. After all she'd been through to get back to him, he could not convince his heart to send her away, burning at the thought of her leaving. Their struggles had made him weary, and there was no hope in loneliness; she deserved better.

She knew looking at him now that they'd both accepted she was staying; his eyes had lightened- the emotion as vast as the sky- as if he were unburdened a little. Alex mentally captured every little emotion she saw there; there'd been too much to say and not enough time when they had last met- uncatchable smoke climbing the air.

His eyes studied her face again; he was doing that smouldering thing, and she felt naked under his gaze. She felt colour flood her cheeks, her throat. She swallowed.

His voice was low, hesitant when he broke their silence, "Was I there. . .in your dream?"

He saw her pupils dilate almost imperceptibly, she blinked, looking away, "Keats had you on your knees, and he gave me a gun. . . He wanted me to do to you what you did to me."

He nodded mutely, lifting his eyes up, tinted with shame.

"I know you didn't mean to. I didn't." she turned away, the look in his eyes so open, so lost, so incongruous.

She felt his fingers interlace with hers, and the breath that followed trembled from her lungs, the feel of his large, slender, strong in hands next to her own making her tingle all over.

"What else." It wasn't a question; he knew there was something else. She was still blushing. Shooting someone and blushing did not add up.

Her face was still slightly turned away from him, and he saw her breathe deeply, her eyes fluttering close and her lips parted slightly for a split second as she collected herself, "You were there to rescue me from the freezer again. But apart from that, there was nothing else."

His other hand was suddenly on her cheek, gently turning her back so he could see her fully. Even now, after years of knowing her, her beauty would always render him breathless.

She leant into his touch, but she would not open her eyes- the eyes that would tell him the truth, "Tell me, Alex."

She felt her heart beat spike, the low rumble of his voice sending a lingering shiver down her spine. She finally opened her eyes, her eyes sparkling as if she were seeing him for the first time, "It was us."

"Us?"

"Together." she barely breathed, adding the qualifier; it felt odd saying it out loud.

His brow furrowed in confusion, "Is that your idea of a nightmare?" he mumbled, not successfully smothering the hurt in his voice.

"No. . ." she quickly intervened, lifting up a soft hand to his jaw, feeling his perfect pock-marked skin beneath her fingers, "A nightmare can be the both the presence of something or the lack of something. . . I-"

She faltered, but the imploring gaze of Gene's steel grey eyes made her continue, a tiny smile on his lips as the side of his thumb stroked her jaw line.

"When I went into the Railway Arms, I felt crushed. . ." she whispered, sighing as he leant his forehead against hers, dropping a kiss on her nose as his masculine scent steadily drugged her, "My daughter was lost to me. . . and you. . . us. . . I knew it was never going to happen, it was all too late; the moment that would end my life had come."

He brushed his nose against hers, placing a slow kiss on her salty cheek, their eyes closed and their warm breaths mingling. She could feel the haze of desire descending on them, clouding her mind as she tried to finish her point as her lips burned with longing.

"I couldn't leave you behind. . ."

Their mouths were a hairsbreadth for one another, Alex's hand squeezing his as Gene's long fingers found her neck, his thumb dancing under her ear. With their eyes heavy and half opened, they met each other's gaze, she felt her heart race and couldn't help but smile through her watery eyes when she saw the emotion in his own- his acceptance of her, his feelings, of everything that had gone past them was laid out in front of them.

The whispering of her name was barely caught by the air as he gently pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was demanding yet gentle, passionate yet tender, compelling her to respond. To ask for more. She felt all the air leave her lungs, her body still in shock at the emotion behind this one kiss. It was not a kiss of good byes and final chapters as their last had been, it was full of hope, desire, and dare she think it, _love. _A second later, and she felt herself succumb, everything turning soft and swimmy- everything but him- strong, solid, raw, _real._

Her mind totally went blank and every ounce of strength she felt melted into thin air. She slipped her hands into the back of his neck deepening the contact their lips made. Their lips parted, finally tasting each other as years of yearning looks, smothered jealousy and burgeoning emotion; low moans and soft sighs surfaced and encompassed them, each finding the centre of their world.

_0*0*0*0*0_

Two figures stood wrapped around each other, close enough at first they could've been one person, steadily kissing and undressing the other with touches so tender and loving, her heart glimmering in joy. They locked fingers, met for the first time- soft but forceful words falling from their lips. She sighed almost silently, heard his voice in her head like an eternal echo. . .

"_I love you Alex. . . I love you. . .don't leave me. . ."_

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**A/N: **Hello! Yes, you've reached the end- hope you enjoyed this little fic- please do review, it'd be lovely to hear from you all. :D


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