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THE WATTPAD TADC X Y/N IMAGINES + ONESHOTS ARE OUT TO READ!!

OKK SO THE ONESHOT I WAS SHITPOSTING ABOUT IS OUT NOW!! ITS ON THE ONE BELOW ME! IDK HOW TO LINK IT SO UHHH- ITS ON WATTPAD!! MY USER IS r0r0zst4r!! Y/N IS ALWAYS GENDER NONE (idk how to spell the word LOL) (REQUESTS ARE OPEN FOR NOW. ONLY DOING ABOUT 2-3 RN SINCE IM BUSY WITH SLEEPING) 💗

does this happen to everyone?

i'm like on the verge of finishing my fic, and i have another idea that i want to write about........ the fic is almost complete and my brain doesn't want to cooperate.....

I Hate myself some times.

my fic has over 6k words...... my blood, sweat and tears..

David Bowie: The Actress

Imagine David Bowie being interviewed, and the conversation suddenly focuses on you:

David Bowie's POV:

"So David, in the newest music video you had a lovely woman beside you. Would you mind telling us about her?" The question caught me off guard, we had previously been talking about advice for younger artists, so this was a drastic change.

I find myself tilting my head in confusion, Y/N was a well kept secret. She is beloved by all of America, yet somehow managed to stay hidden away from all of Europe; but I never thought she was so niche that the British media couldn't find any information on her.

The interviewer noticed my change in mood, deciding to reword her rather blunt question.

"I don't mean that in a rude way, we know that she is the lovely actress Y/N L/N. I was simply wondering how it was that you stumbled upon her... Over here many haven't even heard of her." She leans forward, eagerly awaiting my response.

"Of course, what would you like to know?" I don't really know what to expect, Y/N is quite the spectacular woman, and the questions are sure to be spectacular as well.

"Well... How did you two meet? Did her people contact you? Was it pure chance?" The interviewer clasps her hands together as she awaits my answer. I start thinking about how I got in contact with her, having to stifle a smirk at the memory of her manager's surprise when he learned that David Bowie wanted Y/N in his newest music video.

"I reached out to her." I state calmly as I imagine her serene voice, smiling slightly as I replay her moments of stubbornness during filming. She wasn't a rude sort of stubborn, but she stuck firm to her beliefs, and always knew how to win my approval.

"You did!?" She's clearly taken aback at hearing I specifically wanted such an 'unknown' actress starring with me. I can't help but want to sigh in annoyance, Y/N deserves much more recognition for her amazing skill. Her acting is stunning, and I learned over filming that her musical talent is just as brilliant, if not better. That reminds me, I'll have to ask her about a possible future collaboration.

"Yes... I had seen her in the film 'Poem to a Murderer,' and had subsequently written a song in admiration of her. Then when the song was chosen from my album to get a music video, I simply couldn't pass up on the chance to meet the wonderful actress herself." She was breathtaking in that film, gaining both my admiration and attention in the psychological thriller. The interviewer nods in thought, mulling my answer before opening her mouth to respond.

"Can you tell us anything about her role that caught your attention?" There's so much I could say, so much I want to say, but I don't want to spoil the amazing movie. How do I word this into a short sentence whilst still exclaiming my admiration for Y/N?

"Well, the movie itself was a beautifully written and produced piece of art in itself, disturbingly surreal in a way with the imagery they created. I don't want to spoil too much, but I can tell you that every second of that film keeps you on your toes, and Y/N's character kept me on the edge of my seat every scene she was in." I can't help but praise everything about her. She was exceptional in the film, and started me on a search to find and watch everything that she starred in.

"Ever since the music video, theories about you have been flying all through England. Any chance there might be some truth to them?" She asked the question so bluntly that I'm almost stunned. I'll never get used to interviewers being borderline rude while asking intrusive questions.

"Well it really depends on what's being said. I always have rumors circulating about me." I chuckle slightly, both in humor as well as hidden disdain at the truth of my statement. I am slightly intrigued about what she is talking about specifically, what theories have formed about me this time?

"I have sources who claim to have been on set during filming. They said you two were incredibly flirty with one another. They reckon a romantic fling occurred behind closed doors?" Her question isn't said cruelly, she genuinely seems curious; as does the audience from the looks of it. I hate these questions, why does everyone always have to spread rumors?

"Sorry to disappoint you, but there was no 'romantic fling'. Y/N was a very polite and professional person, so much so that I actually thought she didn't like me at first." I laugh through the latter part of my sentence, but I also cringe faintly at the feeling of dejection I had during that time.

"Really! She didn't like you at all?" This is becoming vaguely annoying, I tell them something, then they restate it wrong.

"That's not what I said, I said I thought she didn't like me. During the beginning of filming she was very closed off and focused, but even when the cameras were off she was professional to the point I thought she didn't like me." I explain with a sigh, remembering those moments where I shyly would try talking to her, only to be met with what I perceived as a closed off response.

"Oh, but... did she like you?"

"Luckily she did. It was funny, I remember the specific moment I realized that she didn't hate me. We were filming the fight scene, and the person I was sparring with, Jeffrey Callos, actually caught me in the jaw." I explained before she burst forward in astonishment.

"You were punched? Bet he got the sack." Her eyes are wide open as she surveys me, the crowd laughing lightly at the second half of her sentence.

"Ha ha, not quite. You see, my crew plotted this because they said I was being daft thinking she hated me. I had bet that she would stay in character and play it off, maybe even laugh. Practically everyone else bet that she might kill Jeff."

"Well! What did she do!"

"Funny enough, she nearly killed Jeff... " The audience burst out laughing at my statement, the interviewer and I were chuckling as well. I waited for everyone to settle before continuing my story.

"No no, she didn't kill him. She did run right over, fretting over me and asking if I was okay before running off IN HEELS to get me an ice pack and towel. I can't tell you the relief I felt at that moment. I was worried that she really hated me, but deep down she was incredibly caring and very sweet." I feel embarrassed in a way, describing how caring this reserved woman became when she saw me topple over from the punch.

"So... Does she know? The truth I mean?" Her question is quick to follow my explanation, so quick I don't understand it completely.

"What's that now?"

"Does she know the truth? Did she find out it was a set up?"

"Ah, yes well, it is kind of hard to miss when everyone is smirking at us as she helped me up. I had to explain the situation, and she got awfully flustered." A warm smile spreads across my face at the memory of her with a deep blush across her cheeks.

"I almost thought she would punch me as well, but she just kissed my cheek before saying she could never hate me."

"Aww." The crowd 'oohs' and 'awwws' at the story, I admit that the memory has me blushing slightly as well.

"She seems like quite the memorable lady." She smiles at me, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Oh, she was great... I only wish I could've gotten to know her better, but her manager was getting calls for her every second of filming. She's probably much too busy to even remember me." I drop my smile slightly, I hope she remembers me, because I'll always remember her.

"I wouldn't say that David." Her response caught me off guard, what's she talking about?

"What do you mean?" My tone shows a little confusion, but I try to keep a check on my emotions.

"You know we invited you here to not only talk about this album, but also your future role in the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence?" She's grinning widely now, but I just want to know what she's building up to already.

"Yes... But what does that have to do with Y/N?" I squint my eyes slightly as I watch her sit up sharply.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the lovely Y/N L/N, who will be starring alongside David Bowie in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence." The shock on my face must have been priceless as I turned and watched as Y/N gracefully walked towards us, the crowd's cheers quickly shifting into a mixture of giggles and laughter.

I stand up quickly, wanting to be polite as well as impress her. I may have neglected to tell the interviewer, but I did develop a slight attraction towards Y/N during filming.

"Hello Jonesey." Her sweet voice has me ignoring the name, a wide smile erupting across my face. She leans forward to hug me, kissing my cheek softly in greeting before shaking hands with our interviewer. I wait for her to sit before following suit, nervously glancing sideways to see her smiling at me already.

The crowd cheers for a few more moments, gradually beginning to quiet down.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Jonesey?" I blush at the nickname, remembering when she first started calling me it. I don't even know how it started, but she first called me 'Jonesey' to make me laugh when I was filming a serious scene in the video, and laugh I did. From then on, 'Jonesey' was her go to nickname whenever she saw me.

"It's only been a few weeks, love." I grin, patting her hand gently as it rests on the armrest. Surprise gripping me as she lifts up my hand to her lips, gently kissing it before speaking.

"Too long for me." She smirks playfully to me, and I offer her a warm smile in reply before nervously glancing away.

The crowd has quieted down enough now, hopefully not noticing the intimate moment that passed between us.

"What was that? Seems like a lot more than costars catching up." Of course, the interviewer is sadly never one to miss a possible question. My mind stutters as I try to think of what to say, luckily not having to.

"I just love making Jonesey blush, surely he's told you that."

"What do you mean miss L/N?" Oh no, why do interviewers always manage to dig up embarrassing personal things. I'm usually okay with this, but being so near Y/N just has my mind fried.

"I mean, hasn't David told you of all the times I purposely just tried to make him blush during filming? I have a wonderful amount of memories where he couldn't even get a word out with how flustered he was." She giggles at the end of her sentence, lightly shoving my shoulder humorously as a blush dusts my cheeks again.

"David? You've been holding back on me?" The interviewer looks at me in a jokingly accusing way, crossing her arms as she looks at me.

"Nooooo... I've just been.. Selectively sharing?" My voice is uneven, I couldn't even form a proper sentence when she was near me. I glance to Y/N as I practically ask my sentence, waiting for her to nod in confirmation before shifting back to the interviewer a little more confident.

However, that confidence was a little damaged when the audience laughed at the interaction.

"Well, I think we know who wears the pants in the relationship. Anyways... " The interviewer continues on as I struggle to try and find my words to argue with her, but I'm quickly silenced by Y/N's gentle tug on my sleeve. She pulls me back in my seat, quietly whispering in my ears,

"You can show me who's the boss after... " Her words are delicate, no longer exuding the confidence from earlier, clearly unsure of how I'll respond.

The interviewer continues rambling, but I simply gaze deeply into her eyes, calmly kissing her hand in response before we both turn our attention back to the interviewer. But we aren't really paying attention, our minds wandering to scenarios of what might play out when this interview finishes.

Rockstar: Your Story(Interview)

You're a famous rock star being interviewed about the beginning of your career to the current (includes mentions of Mick Ronson, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger):

"Ma'am, can you tell us a little bit about when you first met David Bowie?" The question was so sudden that I could only scrunch my eyebrows at it. I expected David to be brought up sometime, but I didn't expect the first question to be about him.

"Sure, let's see.... I can't remember the exact date, but my dear friend - Mick Ronson - had called me up saying some band was interested in having us as guitar players. I was hesitant because I enjoyed my job as an architect, but something pushed me to go with him; we hopped on the next train to London and did the audition." I explain, tilting my head up at the memories resurfacing. Ronno had been unsure as well, but I'm glad we went.

"We heard it wasn't a pleasant experience? What happened?" They emphasize 'wasn't', clearly looking for some juicy gossip on Bowie, and who am I to disappoint.

"Well, David had accepted Mick but rejected me, and Ronno originally turned down the offer because of that. He didn't even tell me the truth, just grabbed me by the arm and lugged me as well as the guitars out of the building. I knew it hadn't gone well because he had this angry glare in his eyes, which is strange, because if you've ever met him, then you'd know he's rather sweet, and has a very discerning disposition.

I asked what was wrong and he just said that they didn't want us. I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to argue with him. We spent the rest of the time wandering around London sightseeing." I state, folding my hands up in my lap as I look at the interviewer. I don't like looking back to the '70s, a lot of stuff happened, and I fear what they will bring up.

"What happened after that?" The interviewer continues hastily digging, wanting more information. I guess this person isn't going to quit until they get the full story.

"We had stopped by a restaurant and were having lunch. Ronno was saying we should catch the train home after, but we were interrupted by David. I don't know how he found us, I just remember being shocked when he started begging Ronno to join his band. I was also a little confused, and I remember saying, 'I thought you didn't want us?'

To which David responded, 'No, I want him, I just don't want you.' That line had run through my head the following 3 years until I realized how lucky I was David didn't want me." I say the last few sentences in a softer voice, not liking to relive that particular memory.

"He said what?!" The interviewer over exaggerates their movements, getting the audience laughing just as they had hoped. I laugh a little too, David saying something so rude does seem rather uncharacteristic.

"Yah, I was rather astonished as well because the words left him in such a casual way, as if choosing what bread to buy at the market." I say, gently chuckling at the visual of David buying bread in such a critical way.

"What- How, how did Mick react to that." Their eyes widen, the crowd quiets down as they await my answer.

"Oh, he almost punched David! But I grabbed him and pulled him aside, asking why he lied and all that stuff." I respond, remembering the beautiful anger that he so desperately wanted to act on.

"I bet the last thing you wanted was for him to join David's band, right?" The interviewer asks the question humorously.

"That's... Wrong actually. He was vehemently against playing in a band without me, this is mainly due to the fact that ever since we were 12, we've always played together. But, I wanted him to take the opportunity, to show the world his ability, and to be able to be a confident player without me." I explain in a gentle voice, vaguely thinking of how self-conscious he was at the time when it came to him playing guitar.

"You seem to be a really supportive friend, (Y/N)." The tone of their voice turns genuine, the whole conversation losing the humorous quality that had been sustained.

"I try to be, the last thing I want is for people's failings or regrets to be because of me." I smile, my relieved guilt ebbing away as I think of where he and I are now.

"As well as being supportive, you also seem to be fairly protective, at least, that's what I got when Mick told us the story of you traumatizing his high school bully! With that in mind, how did you feel when you learned he was earning next to nothing during the tour?" The beginning of the sentence sent the interviewer and audience into a bit of a laugh, I laugh as well at the memory of scaring off Ronno's bully.

The laughter lightly quiets down to a more serious tone at the end discussion.

"I was appalled! I hated myself for a while because of that, because I pushed him into this situation where he was barely getting paid. Which was the opposite of what I thought would happen, especially after their popularity went through the roof!"I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I relived the shock; the ebbing guilt rushing forward tenfold.

"I heard you went to some extreme measures in order to help him out, what exactly did you do?" The interviewer goes on, the questions digging into lesser known information.

"Well, I joined any band I could, I would try and get hired by restaurants for live music during nights, and then during the day I had a job as a waitress as well as working part time as a lyricist." I explain, just saying that makes me remember how tiring my schedule was back then.

"Now that's a lot to juggle, and I'm sure you have some great stories from those days, but we have a specific story. What happened during one of your many tiring nights of live music?" They ask, this question is sort of a bore to me, one I'm frequently asked to retell.

"I had been band hopping at the time, and was hired for a gig when I didn't have a supportive group, so I improvised. I played my guitar and was singing live, but before that I had recorded the drums and rhythm guitar parts for the songs I was scheduled to play, so when I got up there I just started the recording and played along.

This was for a club where they wanted rock, so it was heavier playing. It was during my guitar solo I noticed someone in the crowd." I divulged, deciding to add in some information I had never shared before.

"Ooh, is this when you met the Rolling Stones?!" Someone screams out, the crowd and interviewer looking in shock before they all burst out laughing at the person's eagerness.

"Yes... but I technically only met Mick Jagger that night. I wasn't a big fan of the Rolling Stones at the time, but I did have an appreciation for their music. I was actually playing one of their songs at the time. Either way, it just surprised me to see him." I continued after we had all calmed down.

"I know you joined their band after that, but can you tell us what exactly went down?" I squint slightly at my interviewer's vernacular before deciding to just answer them.

"I don't think I can tell you all the details, I worry J might get embarrassed! But, I can tell you that he met me backstage after I was done and asked me if I was available tomorrow to meet him at a recording studio. It was the weekend the next day, so I said yes, he wrote down the address and time on a piece of paper, handed it to me, then said goodbye and walked away." I state in a jovial tone, Jagger is one of my favorite people to talk about, because he loves to call immediately after the interview and schedule a meet up. He's strange like that.

"Sounds strange? How did you feel after that?" They looked intrigued, clearly wanting me to divulge the information that I withheld.

"I was shocked. The next day I went and met him and his band mates, then they started playing a song together and asked me to improv. I had never heard the song before, so I just started watching their movements and playing off of that; by the end they asked if I was interested in joining their band, which I clearly said yes to." I exclaim, the interviewer's face looking shocked by what I just said.

"Wow, that all sounds like it went really fast?"

"Oh it was, we had only been playing for 20 minutes when they all stopped and asked me to join. I was going to say no because I needed to make enough money to send to Ronno, but when they mentioned how much I would make weekly I immediately accepted." I reply, chuckling as I remember my astonishment.

"I know after joining the Stones, your career skyrocketed, your solo albums have done well, and you write all your own songs?" They continue, motioning to my newest album sitting on their desk.

"Yes, my solo albums have done surprisingly well, and I write my own songs. I do accept and sing other songs sometimes, but I usually have a story told throughout my albums, and throwing in a random song messes that up." I explained.

"Did you and Mick Ronson keep in contact during this?" They question, looking at me in interest.

"Of course! In the beginning, Ronno and I called every week at the least, and we would send letters sometimes too!" I state ecstatically before calming myself down.

"How did that work? He was touring at the time right?" They ask in a befuddled way.

"Yes he was, but he would tell me the places he would be as well as the dates that he would be there, and I would do the same with him. It was a little complicated, but it was worth it." I reply, my hands waving as I mimic us writing letters.

"Honestly though, what would you send him that couldn't be said over the phone?" They ask after a few moments, laughing as their mind runs.

"Photos, drawings, songs, food-"

"Photos?" I can hear what they're implying, and I can't help but squint my face in disgust. The crowd's laughter magnified at my reaction.

"Stop thinking like that, you all have dirty minds! I would take pictures of me and the band, as well as the places around me. I loved drawing as well, so I would send him some, as well as some songs that I thought he would enjoy playing. Lastly, I knew he was getting food, but I knew it wasn't food he was used to, so I would bake him something, or buy him local snacks and ship them off to the correct address." I explain, describing the different things I would send him.

"Did he ask you to do any of this?"

"No, Ronno was never a complainer, he hated telling people his issues. I was usually the exception, but he prefers telling me in person as compared to over the phone or in a letter. He did enjoy them though, and he would send me songs and pictures as well. I remember him snapping a picture of his drummer scarfing down some cookies I made!" I jubilantly state, smirking as I remember that the picture is still hanging on my fridge.

"You sent him all these lovely things, what did he send you?"

"I never asked for anything more than a letter or a phone call, but he would send me these extravagant songs, asking me how I thought they sounded and if I liked them. He would also send me drawings - he's not really an artist, but he knows I love the little doodles he does randomly, so he started sending them to me." I grin, knowing Ronni will be embarrassed by me sharing this information.

"Was this an easier time in your life or would you consider it one of the more stressful?" Ah, here it comes, the questions I am most dreading.

"The fame and fortune made my financial issues about none, but socially I felt isolated. I had played in popular bands before, but never like this, I was only consistently around my band mates and the people that worked for them. I only really talked with Jagger and Keith, and then Keith randomly started hating me, so I was down to only talking to Jagger." I reply almost subconsciously, my mind wanting to distance itself from these memories.

"What about Ronson? I thought you said you had weekly phone calls and sent letters?" They ask in confusion.

"We did, but about 3 months into that, David started complaining to Ronno that he spent too much time talking to me, and that he was ignoring his band mates for someone he might never see again." The answer in a short tone, clearly still holding resentment for David's decision.

"David said that?" They say in shock.

"Yah, he said it straight to Ronno's face. We obviously didn't stop talking, we kept calling and messaging each other, but it lessened after that to about 1 call every 2 weeks. They became much longer phone calls though, he said that David was limiting his amount of calls, but stated that David couldn't limit his time, so we would end up talking through the entire night!" I smile on glee, our weak form of rebellion still makes my heart warm.

"We've talked about Ronson and his band mates reactions, but how did your bandmates react?" They continue, going down a different avenue.

"Well, everyone basically made fun of me and said we were in love. They told me to stop being so desperate because I was probably annoying Ronno, that remark actually made me start to overthink a lot. I started worrying that I was annoying him, and that he didn't like talking to me anymore. I think that's around the time I began to develop anxiety, I was already depressed, so that just added on to my plate." I responded before realizing I was over sharing on live TV.

"Did you tell Ronson about that? How did he react?" They gratefully kept moving right along, not leaving an awkward silence.

"Well, I never actually told him about that, I think this is the first time he's hearing this." I smile in discomfort, and an uncertain smile on my face.

"Really? You never spoke to him about any of this?" They ask in surprise, slightly taken aback.

"My anxiety had me thinking that saying a single word to him was annoying him, so no, I didn't just start talking about this to him. It was a really dark spot for me, the person to pull me through was Jagger actually. He noticed my extensive isolation, how I stopped eating around others, how I stopped talking. He really pulled through for me, which is probably why I'm still friends with him." I voice solemnly, deciding that I might as well be honest about the situation since there is no going back now.

"I know this is a heavy topic for you, I have some more questions, but if you're uncomfortable we can move on." Wish you had said that earlier, but oh well.

"Ask away, we can just skip the ones I'm uncomfortable with." I smile in response.

"Alright, what did Mick do? Did he just pull you aside and talk to you?"

"No actually, he wrote a song and asked if I would listen to it." I responded.

"What?" Perhaps I should rephrase my vague response.

"That's honestly what he did. But he wrote a song with true meaning, it was rather dark, and it actually made me cry and begin to hyperventilate. We were alone, so he just rushed over and helped calm me down; he didn't ask me any questions until I had completely relaxed." I explained honestly.

"What did he say exactly?" They continue.

"He just apologized, asking if I wanted to talk. I said no at first, but then he asked why I've been distancing myself from him and the band, why all the songs I was writing were either dark or sad.

I told him the truth, that I was depressed, that I felt so intensely alone, and that I could no longer talk to Ronno because I was probably annoying him." An uncomfortable shiver ran up my spine, reliving those memories makes me feel nauseous.

"How did he react to that? I can't really picture him being the best at giving advice and comfort." She smiles in a joking way, attempting to lighten the conversation.

"He was lovely, he hugged me like a giant teddy bear and told me that he would help me through this. We talked for a while, he asked me why I thought I was annoying Ronno, and I told him what the band had said to me." I answer, feeling a small smile appear at the memory of Mick comforting me.

"What did he say to that?"

"He told me that they were a bunch of single idiots who were jealous, and that I shouldn't ruin a meaningful relationship with my best friend by believing the words of immature drug addicts." I respond, barely withholding my laughter as I watch everyone's reaction.

"He said that?!" They nearly yell, everyone laughing at my answer.

"Yes, and the next day he told them all off for belittling me. During our talk he spoke to me about my isolation, I explained that I did that when I was sad or feeling out of place, and he asked what he could do to make me feel like a part of the team. He honestly made me cry a couple of times from how caring he was. Then he started talking about heavier subjects, such as why I wasn't eating during lunch breaks, why I never accepted snacks, and why I was noticeably losing weight." I state, realizing that I was now broaching the subject of my eating disorder.

"That must've been tough." They state seriously.

"It was, I realized at that moment, how much I missed Ronno. I asked Jagger if he wanted me to leave the band since I was such a problem, but he told me to stop being an idiot. The next day I was given a few sheepish apologies from my band mates, and Jagger became a very prominent person in my life from that day on." I explained.

"That's good. So Mick Jagger stepping up to help you must've put him pretty high on your list of friends right?"

"Yes, I only realized how much he was doing for me when he barged into my room during a depressive episode and all but shoved the phone into my hand. I distinctly remember him telling me not to come out until tomorrow morning. When I held the phone up, he had actually dialed up Ronno, who sounded very tired and confused, as well as concerned." I smile, these are the memories that I hold onto dearly.

"Really? How did he know what number to call?"

"I assume he went snooping around my desk, in one of my drawers was a paper with dates, addresses, and numbers. It was one of the sweetest things anybody had ever done for me." The look on my face was genuine, that was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me.

"I know you two are still good friends, but was there ever the possibility of anything more?" Oh boy, I hate it when they try to talk about this subject.

"I did find him to be attractive if that's what you're asking, but I was never in love with him. He did ask me out on a date and I had said yes, the date was lovely, but we got caught in a crowd of fans and he was like how he normally is. It made me remember how many groupies I'd seen leaving his room, and how many women I've seen smothered over him at all times, and it scared me away from ever allowing myself to love him." I reply sincerely.

"Could there have been something? If you hadn't cut it off?" They continue to push the topic.

"There could've been something eventually - from the despondent look on his face when I said I didn't want a relationship, I think he wanted us to become something more. I don't regret what I did, I like the friendship I have with him, the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it with his promiscuity and my need for loyalty. We've moved on though, I kind of see him as the older brother I never had." I reply, explaining my reasoning and the aftermath.

"Well, since that ship has definitely sunk, what about Ronson? Was there ever anything there?" They just won't give up will they?

"No... Well, there was one time in high school when we thought we should try dating, but that was spurred on by our teenage inability to understand that we loved each other, but not in that way. We realized that that wasn't us when we tried to act like a couple and both noticed that it felt forced. Ever since then we've been best friends." I state.

"Gosh, you're shooting down all of the fan favorites. Are you interested in anyone? Anyone at all?" They sound slightly exasperated, maybe I should throw them a bone.

"Hmmm... Maybe." I smile, a mischievous glint surely in my eye.

"What do you mean maybe? You can't leave the fans hanging like that!" I can tell that I have their genuine attention now.

"Well, ever since David and I have become friends, I've been... slightly interested in him." I say, jumping straight into the deep end.

"..." The silence could almost be described as palpable, it almost makes me want to laugh at how everyone is stunned into silence.

"Well, don't just stare at me." I laugh lightly.

"... I'm sorry, just processing. Does David know this?" They ask in hurried confusion.

"Well, if he's watching like he said he would, then he knows now." I laughed once again, but this time it had an air of uncertainty to it.

"Don't tell me you just confessed over live TV, in an interview no less!" They say in shock, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What can I say! If he likes me back then this has worked out great." I respond, grinning at their reaction.

"What if he doesn't!" Their response makes me shiver in discomfort at that possibility, but I respond in humor.

"Then I die of embarrassment, cut all ties, and become a hermit!" I state loudly.

"Oh don't do that Y/N! Only healthy reactions are allowed on this show." The crowd laughs lightly at our convo.

I'm about to respond, but my Motorola starts ringing in my bag. I look to the interviewer before quickly digging through my bag and pulling out the phone. I sheepishly glance at it, the audience having fallen silent at the interruption.

"Is it alright if I answer this? It might be important." I state, I know this sounds bad, but it could actually be important since I left my home and animals under the care of my neighbor.

"Of course, but you owe us one more question before you leave then." They respond, holding out their hand.

"Deal!" I agree, shaking their hand quickly.

"Hello, this is Y/N." I state in a professional tone, getting a funny look from the interviewer at my seriousness.

"Y/N darling!" I am thrown off by the happy and familiar tone.

"...David?!" I state in slight confusion, everyone seeming to lean in closer.

"...Yes?" He responds in the same tone, making fun of the way I responded.

"Why are you calling me? I'm in an interview." I explain, swiftly going back to my professional tone.

"Yes well, when someone confesses they are interested in dating you, I thought the first thing one should do is accept." He responds in a joking yet serious tone.

I'm silent for a few moments in surprise, did David just say he wants to date me too?

"Well, don't leave me without a response darling... Will you go on a date with me." His serious and self assured tone dwindled slightly, I can hear his uncertainty.

"Yes." My response was short, it was rushed and all I could muster with my amount of shock.

"Good, I'll pick you up after the interview, so I'll see you in a few minutes." He stated before hanging up.

I can't contain the overjoyed smile that spreads across my face, most certainly accompanied by a warm blush. The audience snickers as I clumsily put my phone away, then they start laughing as the interviewer stares at me with a smug grin.

"Who was that?" They ask tauntingly.

"Ohhh... no one." I try to brush it off, but I know no one is believing.

"Really! Does this no one happen to be named David Bowie?" They continue.

I avert my eyes in embarrassment, the audience laughing even louder as I sheepishly nod my head.

Unraveled Ch.1: Introductions

Ch.2

My original name is Elswyth Carlisle, but my friends now call me 'Elspeth' or 'Els', and to strangers I always introduce myself as 'Carlisle'. 

I am a 5"6 female with short, black hair, brown eyes so dark they could be considered black if the sun wasn't shining into them, and light honey colored skin.

I moved to Broadchurch not too long ago. My childhood friend and I both worked together as D.I.'s, and ended up going through a very serious case, and I simply couldn't stand being there anymore after it all fell apart, so I packed up and switched stations to one of the quietest places I could find, Broadchurch. 

I never did tell my friend where I was going or that I was even leaving, but that's because even just seeing him brought back memories of the case and the poor family. Not to mention he would probably somehow talk me out of leaving.

So far my life could be better, I suffer from depression, insomnia, and anxiety because of my last case. Panic attacks are something new that I've gotten since moving to Broadchurch because of a traumatizing event happening to me here, which I've made sure absolutely no one knows about. Though I've gotten a little bit better over the time that I've been here. I don't really want to go into detail at what happened to me, I wasn't even in Broadchurch when it happened, I was actually on my way home from a friend's party. As I said, I won't go into detail, but that event left me traumatized and reclusive, and it has led to me having reoccurring nightmares, and the scars on my wrists don't exactly make it easy to forget.

Luckily no one here knows about my relation to my past case, they simply think I'm a city D.I. who was looking for a quiet town; which is really good because I think my new best friend, Ellie, would hate me if she knew the truth. So far Ellie has been the most welcoming person, inviting me over, helping me get settled, and introducing me to all her friends and family, who quickly became my friends; we all became really comfortable and close to each other in the year that I've been here. 

I remember the first time I arrived at the station everyone gave me a warm welcome with faces clad in friendly smiles, it really helped me to move past some of the traumatizing events.

Ellie and Beth have even learned about some of my health issues and are trying to help me, though I refuse to go to therapy or the hospital, luckily they don't ask about my past or what caused these problems. Not to mention I'm really good at hiding them when I'm going through a serious episode, I never allow anyone of the public to see my issues, only Beth and Ellie know about them.

I pray nightly that this life of mine will only continue to improve, but like all good things, they never do end up lasting as long as you'd like.

Ch.2

Unraveled Ch.2: Unhappy Ellie

Ch.1 Ch.3

It's my first day back to work in a week since I was called out on a family issue back in Scotland, and luckily I had a week of vacation days stored up. Ellie has been out too on a family vacation to Florida, and we decided to meet up and go to work together.

Walking down the sidewalk, I ran into her and Joe pushing around little Fred with Tom walking alongside them, talking with a joyful Mark. As soon as Ellie saw me her smile grew even wider.

"ELS!!!!!"

"ELLIE!!!"

Ellie quickly handed the stroller over to Joe before tackling me in a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of me as I returned the favor to her. We finally separated after a few more seconds of hugging, smiling widely at each other before I looked over to greet her family.

"Hello Joe, Tom, little Freddy!" I exclaimed, my Scottish accent thicker than normal due to my visit back to Scotland. I lean down to tickle Fred, his laughs of glee ringing through the crisp morning air, helping to renew my spirits.

"Hello Els, are you coming to sports day with us?" Joe questioned as we recommence walking, the stroller being returned to Ellie as he pulls Tom into his side to ruffle his hair.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss seeing my favorite godson play." I state as I ruffle Tom's hair as well. Him laughing, pushing my hand away before hugging me quickly.

"So Miller, first day back at work, how do you feel?" I question sarcastically, falling in step next to the family as they continue along.

"Honestly Els, we've known each other for almost a year and you still call me Miller sometimes." Ellie states in fake annoyance, having grown accustomed to my habit.

"I know Ellie, but it's a habit, just think of it as my nickname for you." I respond honestly, frowning slightly as I briefly think back to who gave me this habit.

"Fine. I'm super excited to be back, because they said I would have the D.I. job, so I can't wait!! How about you, CARLISLE. I know you just got back from a week off, so how are you feeling?" Ellie smirks as she mocked me using last names.

I let out a slight huff at her, "I'm feeling the same as always, just can't wait to get back to work. Being with my family is overwhelming sometimes."

"Hope your family is doing alright... How about you come with me to drop the kids off and then we can go to work together." Ellie smiles as she looks at her family quickly.

I smile back and nod in agreement.

——————————

"Morning! Hi! Hiya, morning! Hi, I'm back!" Ellie exclaims jubilantly in her happy personality, everyone clapping as they welcome her back. I simply lean against the counter of the small kitchen area with a small smile as I watch her enjoy herself and give gifts to some people. Everyone always loves Ellie's warm and welcoming personality.

Stuck in my thoughts, the sounds and the applause starts to fade into background noise, my skin beginning to sweat slightly and my eyes shuttering closed. I quickly get up and walk as calmly and casually as possible, slipping out the door and rushing into the bathroom, locking the main door after assuring that it's empty. My memories are fighting me, forcing me to relive the case that caused all these problems, all the welcoming and cheering that mixed together at Ellie's return sounded far too similar to the sound of rushing water. It didn't help that on my visit to my family they brought up that dreadful case.

I try to calm my quick breathing, desperately attempting to think of something else but the only image in my head is of my friend and I looking into the water and him immediately rushing in with myself following soon after, watching him nearly drown before dragging him and the body out of the water. I can still feel the icy water encompassing my body, my lungs being suffocated by water as I allowed myself to be pushed under so that I could push my friend up.

I almost stumble to the floor, grasping onto the counter for stability as I try to steady my breathing, slowly pulling myself up and patting my face with wet paper towels before looking at my reflection and seeing a tired and lonely person.

Ever since I was called out to my family the flashbacks have increased and have been stronger than usual. I have been avoiding my family because they remind me of the case and of my childhood best friend; the sudden rush of having to see them, and then being forced back into a life of crime solving was a little much. But I have to pull myself back together, this is Ellie's day after all, she's going to get the job she wanted, and I can't trouble her with my stupid issues.

Putting on a facade I walk out of the bathroom, heading back to the room to see it quieting down. I stride over to Anna and quickly ask, "Hey Anna, do you know where Ellie went?" My eyes scanning over the room to see no sign of her jubilant self.

"Oh yes Els, she just got called in by the head, most likely telling her the bad news right now."

"Alright." I say about to walk off to the office before immediately stopping as I comprehend what she said.

"What do you mean 'bad news'?" I question, the confusion overflowing my voice as I look at Anna. Her face showed slight surprise before remembering I was gone. I don't wait for a response, rushing over to the office only to run into a very unhappy Ellie.

"Can you believe this Els! They gave my job to someone else! And a man at that!" Ellie whisper-shouted at me as she dragged me outside of the station. Her anger was overflowing, so I tried to calm her down, but my attempts were futile.

"And not only a man, but one with a case so bad that it's going to screw our station over!" She exclaimed as she stomped her foot in contempt.

"Alright, easy Ellie, I had no idea this was going to happen and it's awful, but let's evaluate the situation. If he's as bad a D.I. as you say then you will get his job, if he's a good D.I. then we should try and learn from his experience. I know you may not like it, but you haven't experienced a lot in this station. I've been through homicides and rapes on a daily basis, but the worst you get out here are misdemeanors. So let's calm down." I explain firmly as I grasp her shoulders, making her look at me. She lets out a slight huff of irritation, knowing that I'm right in that she does lack some experience to be a D.I.

"Fine, let's just go back inside and see how it goes." She mutters before trudging back inside. I can tell she's going to definitely hold a grudge against this new D.I., and it's going to be a new experience, because an angry Ellie has never been seen so far.

Ch.1 Ch.3

Unraveled Ch.4: Reacquainting

Ch.3 Ch.5

"Was it an accident? Did he fall?" Beth questioned, trying to get a grasp on the situation after having calmed down.

"We don't know yet." Alec responds, though he and I know the grim truth that Danny was most likely kidnapped and murdered.

Ellie and I had been making tea for everyone, hoping to calm their nerves slightly. I could tell that Chloe wasn't okay with this situation at all, she was just leaning solemnly against the wall.

"Can you think of why he might've been up on the cliffs last night or this morning?" Alec starts questioning, trying to get as many ideas as to why Danny was up there, and who some suspects might be.

"He wouldn't have been." Beth states, just trying to stay calm, her mind still having trouble believing Danny is dead.

"Well, he obviously was." Came Mark's quick and blunt reply, causing me to subtly glance over at him, wondering why he would snap slightly at Beth like that.

"He didn't have any reason to be." Beth quickly recovered.

"How was Danny over the past few days. " I immediately voiced, wanting to get the tension between the pair gone.

"He didn't kill himself, if that's what you're suggesting Els." Mark stated, looking directly at me, almost as if slightly offended by my question.

"He's been just... normal." Came Beth as she tried her best to reply.

"He wouldn't kill himself. He knows he can talk to us about anything." Mark states, Chloe finally walks away from the wall to sit down next to her father.

"And you last saw him when?" Alec asks, attempting to understand the situation and create a timeline of the events.

"I looked in on him about 9:00 last night. He was lying in bed, reading." Beth states as she rocks herself to try and gain comfort. There is a short silence that follows, Alec thinking about what to ask next.

"Anyone see Danny this morning?" Alec questions as he looks between the family members.

"No, he's up and out before anyone else, he's got a paper round. But he didn't turn up for that. Jack, I spoke to him, he runs the paper shop." Beth states slowly as she recounts what occurred that morning.

Alec continues to question them, but my mind goes to thinking about suspects, so far Beth, Mark and Jack will have to be individually questioned, We're going to have to get the family's alibis as well as Jack's. My thoughts are suddenly brought back to reality when Mark asks if he can see the body. Everyone looks at him in slight shock and disbelief, especially Beth, but I understand his reasoning of wanting to make sure it's Danny and not someone else.

——————————

Ellie leaves to take Mark to go view the body. Alec and I are left at the house, he's goes around to Danny's room, and I'm left with the family.

"Auntie Els, are you sure it's Danny?" Chloe questions timidly, her grandmother looking at me as well. I look down at the floor before looking into Chloe's eyes.

"Yes Chloe.... the body we found is Danny's; and I know that our D.I. is a new person, and that you don't know him, but I can assure you that Alec, Ellie, and I will make sure to find out the true story as to what happened to Danny." I assured them. Chloe only nodded whilst her grandmother attempted to comfort her.

——————————

Back at the police station Alec and Ellie we're giving a debriefing, I was asked to join them but I always preferred to watch, one of the reasons I never went for the D.I. position after my last employment. Alec being the softy he is for me, allowed me to watch instead of give the debriefing; which earned a surprised expression from Ellie, almost as if she didn't believe he would cut anyone some slack. But she quickly pushed away the shock, probably thinking of confronting me at another time as to why the abrasive D.I. got along with me.

"Was Danny Latimer abducted? Did someone gain access to the house, if so, how? If it wasn't forced entry, who has the key? We need to collect any CCTV from a mile radius around the house...Miller, the family, who are they and where were they?" Alec voices, walking in front of the whiteboard before leaning against it during his last few sentences, the group in front writing down what they say.

"Beth had Chloe, their eldest daughter, when she was 15 and Mark was 17. Mum and daughter were at home watching telly, they say they didn't leave the house until school the next morning. Dad was out on an emergency call-out, he's a plumber, he got in around 3:00. Neither parent thought to check on Danny. Gran lives nearby, she was there all evening, the other Gran lives in Wales." Ellie recounted, looking like she was falling apart inside at the thought that her closest friend's son is now dead.

After taking in all the information, Alec sternly looks at the group, stating,

"Until we're ready, all of this remains confidential. No gossip. You understand?...Right, go on." His voice stern and serious, not wanting any of this information to get out in the press. Everyone getting up to follow up on the information given.

——————————

I was down near the pier, taking in everything that had happened. After the debriefing I had rushed out of the department and to my home near the water because I was right on the edge of having another panic attack. There was a pushy male coworker who seemed to have more than a crush on me, he also didn't understand boundaries or how to take no for an answer; leading to him sliding his hand onto my lower thigh while I was sitting at my desk. This movement brought up the traumatizing event that happened only a month after moving into Broadchurch, the memories hit harshly, and I simply rushed out of there immediately. Luckily I made it home and got inside just before my mind was taken over. When I finally calmed down enough to make myself look proper I headed outside, and sat down on a bench, able to see a lot of the ocean and pier.

As I'm looking along, I see our Chief Super talking with Alec. I can only imagine that she's talking about him handing the case over, but knowing him he would never stand down just because of the past. God, I've never really paid attention to how much I've missed Alec, how I've missed his headstrong personality and his ability to stay focused. How he would chew someone out to the point where they were practically crying and then turn back to me and ask if I would pick up Daisy with him. I especially miss his daughter, Daisy, now that I think about it.

My chest tightens as I reflect back to right before the case, his family life struggling, but when it was just me, Daisy, and Alec, he would always be smiling.

Back then, Alec and I were always together, and Daisy absolutely adored me, I never really realized how empty my life has been without them. Even though I befriended the Miller's and the Latimer's, my life was depressing, though I always put on a facade so no one asked questions. Alec and Daisy were my life, sure, his wife hated me and my closeness to her husband and daughter, but that didn't stop Alec and Daisy from loving me.

Sometimes, when I am reminiscing about before the case, my mind will drift to my favorite memory of the three of us.

It was a total of one day before we would get called onto the Sandbrook case. Alec and myself had our off day, and were sitting down in a park. He had been explaining to me about the troubles he was having with Tess, how he had heard rumors in the office about her cheating, and how when he confronted her, she barely argued about it. Alec has only been getting more stressed out, he was even more stressed out than back in high school when his parents would constantly fight and argue in front of him.

Since I knew we would be busy the next day, I suggested we spend this day with Daisy. I texted her that we would pick her up from school and take her to ice cream. As I drove us to her school, I explained to Alec to forget work and his issues, and to focus on enjoying the moment.

At the ice cream store, Alec and I both got mint ice cream whilst Daisy got strawberry, we had just finished eating when it started bucketing down outside, not taking more than a few seconds for puddles to form. Me being the child I am, sprinted out the door to stand in the rain, splashing in some puddles as I ran to the park down the street. I could hear Alec and Daisy running after me, Daisy laughing gleefully at my childish personality whilst Alec chuckled as well.

At the park I finally stopped running, taking deep breaths as I looked back just in time to see Daisy run and jump onto me, causing both of us to fall back into a puddle since she is practically my size. Alec just stood there smiling at us, helping me out of the puddle and finally dragging me out of the rain and to the car, Daisy dragging me as well with a smile on her face. We were still drenched and smiling when I drove them home and walked them to their door, hugging Alec bye and giving Daisy a hug and a kiss on the forehead before waving goodbye. That was the last day of real happiness I can remember, everything else only causing a fake show or shallow version of joy on my face.

A shout harshly brings me out of my thoughts, my eyes drifting off the water to spot Alec walking off from Jenkinson, heading off towards town, I immediately ran to catch up with them.

"Alec!" I shout as I near him. He halts so suddenly I barely have enough time to stop, he turns around to face me, having to look down seeing as he is much taller than my 5 foot 6 form. His messy brown hair being blown by the wind as the previous scowl on his face disappears when he realizes that it's me who shouted his name. A ghost of a smile forming on his face as he visibly softens his harsh features.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure, Carlisle." He states in his rugged accent, his accent thickening as he says my last name, which caused my right eyebrow to raise slightly.

"Shut it Hardy, I know you're glad to see me too." I state sassily back. He glares into my eyes when I use his last name, and I glare back, only able to hold it for a few seconds before breaking into a smile. Stepping forward, I wrap my arms loosely around his neck and drag him down in a tight embrace. His stature immediately tenses, and for a second I even think he's going to shove me away, but then his arms delicately envelope me in return before pulling me tightly against his chest. We stay like this for a few moments before releasing. He looks at me questioning as to why I broke off the hug.

"Don't give me that look, I know you've got the mean, hard-ass D.I. image to hold up, you hugging me in public is not going to help maintain it." I smirk as I poke his chest. He thinks for a moment, then widely grins as he grabs my hand poking his chest and yanks me into a tighter hug, to which I gladly return. We release each other after a minute or so and begin walking down the sidewalk, smiles on both of our faces as we talk.

"So, is this where you ran off to all that time ago?" Alec finally asks after a few moments of silence, his voice not harsh or confronting, but more of a soft questioning and wondering tone. He looked at me, awaiting my answer, his eyes always seemed so vulnerable to me.

"Yes... I've been here the whole time. It brought back good memories; and when I left, good memories were the only thing that kept me alive." I hesitantly state as I look away from him. He nods his head slowly while glancing down in thought.

"I heard Miller call you Elspeth; but you and I both know that isn't your name." He gruffly voices, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets as he glances up at me questioningly.

"I was wondering if you had noticed that. I no longer go by Elswyth, I'm mainly doing that to... prevent any connections to Sandbrook." I speedily state the second part, shutting my eyes quickly as if that would block out the memories of the case, my whole body shuddering slightly at the thought of it.

"It's alright if you still want to call me Elswyth, though I'd prefer not in public. When we are around other people just act like you normally do, call me Carlisle and be rough and rude like normal so that no one knows of our past connections." I follow up, stopping our walk as I look over to Alec. He seems conflicted, but understands why I would go through such hassle to avoid connections with the case. He lifts his eyes from the ground, his gaze looks softer, his tough guy facade always seems to fade when he's around me. He simply nods his head and we start walking again quietly.

"Want to know what I was thinking about when I saw you talking to our Chief Super?" I suddenly voice, a smile spreading across my face as I remember. Alec looks up from the floor, releasing a grin as well when he sees mine.

"What were you thinking about Els?" He questions softly yet slightly sarcastically as he looks at me expectantly.

"I was remembering that day when you, Daisy, and I went out for ice cream and ended up splashing in puddles at the park. You remember that?" I explain, my smile brightening as I look over at Alec. He smiles back at me, but I can see that among the joy of the memory there is some pain.

"How are Daisy and Tess?" I ask, wanting to know what I've missed since I've left. His smile immediately falls as he breaks eye contact, seemingly thinking about how to answer.

"Well Els... Tess and I are divorced now.... I haven't seen Daisy for quite a while. We got divorced shortly after the case, turns out those rumors were true, and Tess has Daisy." At hearing this my steps sharply stutter to a sudden halt. My eyes wide at hearing the news of my best friend's divorce and loss of custody, guilt flooding my eyes as I think of how I left and didn't contact any of them, thinking they would recover with each other, but in reality Alec was all alone. The guilt that had been buried is resurfacing, a sharp pain welling in my chest as I look guiltily over to Alec's tired face.

I'm about to say something when Ellie walks up to us. We all start walking down the sidewalk in silence.

"So what did Jenkinson want?"

Ch.3 Ch.5

Unraveled Ch.3: The Family

Ch.2 Ch.4

After doing some paperwork for about an hour Ellie suddenly runs into the office, rushing over to my desk.

"Come on Els! The beach has been blocked off and we're both being called down there. Apparently there is a body." Ellie whispers quickly to me in distress.

I look up at her, feeling my memories attempting to resurface, but I quickly push them back, swallowing my nerves as I put on my cold, stern exterior. We quickly walked out of the department, hopping into our respective cars and heading over to the beach. I can constantly feel the memories of that little girl's body in the water trying to pick its way into my vision, but I shake it off. I couldn't avenge her, but I can try and solve whoever it is that we find.

Flashing our badges we park our cars and get access to the beach, I stumble slightly in the sand as Ellie and I weave through the small group of people beginning to crowd against the police tape.

We walk straight up to the tape, quickly being allowed in by the uniforms, Ellie going first and walking towards the body. I, however, feel myself slowing down, the waves rolling and the image of a child's dead body being all too similar. My mind and my body feel disconnected, like I am physically here but my mind is simply watching the nauseating scene unfold.

The only thought in my mind being, 'Is this penance for my downfalls, God?', closing my eyes and sharply reopening them I push myself forwards, watching Ellie beginning to get emotional, I think I heard her saying 'no' and 'I know this boy.' Both of these caused my blood to run just that much colder.

I trek towards the body with false confidence, keeping my eyes trained on the body. I can see figures of the D.I. and Ellie having a slight confrontation in my peripheral vision, but I pay them no mind as I spot the body of Danny Latimer lying in the cold sand.

I then look up when I hear an all too familiar accent and tone. The buried feeling of longing resurfacing as the voice awakens old memories.

"Shut it down. You're working a case now!" His voice was serious and his accent Scottish, I finally look up to see his face. He luckily hasn't seen me yet, but seeing him causes my striding over there to hesitate greatly as I feel my facade of confidence crumbling in mere seconds.

He introduced himself to Ellie but I care not about that, all I can focus on is the face of my best friend, Alec Hardy. Luckily they are talking about Danny, him turning around as Ellie identifies the body, Alec turning around as he learns this information. The sickening feeling in my gut is only growing in this whole situation, but I push myself forward. I've got a crime to solve now and I can't let past personal experience interfere with that.

I walk forwards, my feet feeling heavy, the type of heavy like when your boots are filled with water that can never be emptied. I only stop when I reach Ellie, trying to stay out of Alec's view.

"Ellie? Is that who I think it is?" My question rang through the tense air, my voice soft and accent not as noticeable. Ellie jumped in fright before realizing it's me.

"How bad are the uniforms at keeping civilians out of a crime scene?!" Alec exclaims in anger, luckily not looking at me yet.

"They're not that bad, seeing as I'm no civilian Alec." I state. Ellie looks at me in surprise and confusion as I call our new D.I. by his first name. Even he freezes at my tense greeting, almost as if having a moment of realization at hearing my voice. He slowly turns to see my face, the face of his missing best friend, the face of a person he desperately longed for though thought he would never see again.

"Elswyth?" His soft yet gruff voice is full of longing and questioning. His eyes seemingly darkening in sadness as he remembers our past together. Sadly we don't get long to remember as I hear the sound of someone who is not going to take this situation well at all, Beth Latimer.

"Oh, God, who's that?" Alec questions as he shifts his gaze to the distraught mother.

Ellie and I both looked as well with wide eyes, seeing one of our closest friends and mother to the now deceased Danny. We both glance at each other before stumbling forwards, holding our arms out to catch Beth before she can reach Danny. Ellie is telling her she can't be here, but my only focus is to keep her from reaching Danny. I grab her, struggling as she pulls me slightly forward, Alec grabbing her too until the uniforms finally rush over and drag her back, Beth fighting violently as she screams about how those are Danny's trainers, screaming both of our names in despair.

I quickly look away, stumbling backwards slightly, this is all wrong, it's happening all over again. I feel as though I'm going to collapse and be sick when two strong arms grasp me quickly, holding me against their chest as comforting words are spoken quietly. I recognize him, his smell and touch are the same even after not seeing him for so long. He turns me around, as I rest my head against him, his arms wrapped tightly around me as we both understand how this is affecting each other.

After a few more moments I push away from him, I can't let Ellie see this, she would quickly catch on to what happened in my past, and I don't want her hating me like how she loathes Alec. He looks at me as I stumble back again, reaching out to steady me but I push his hands away, he stops immediately, looking down slightly and lowering his hand at my rejection. I can't stand looking at him sad, so instead I turn to Ellie, her hands against her forehead at the despair of Beth. I quickly pull her into a hug, I know this is going to be one of the worst experiences of her life, and I have to be there to make sure it doesn't end up how my case did.

——————————

We're walking along the cliffs, the tape now blocking the edge. We all walk through the y'all grass, I cross my arms across my body as a form of comfort, the waves below splashing loudly.

"They let people walk along here, no safety barriers?" Alec questions, his tone confused as to why.

"It's the coastal path, people know to be careful." Ellie responds simply, all of us continuing to trudge through the tall grass.

"It's a death trap." Alec states as he looks behind us then back around. I give a small, almost nonexistent smile at how blunt he still is, hopefully he doesn't realize how much I've missed his rudely blunt and socially awkward personality.

We continue walking, finally running into SOCO at the crime scene.

"How's it going?" Alec asks as we stop to speak with Brian.

"Well, from what we've got up here, sir, it's looking like the rockfall around the body was faked." Brian responded solemnly. My eyes going dark as I now know for sure that this is a murder.

"What do you mean?" Ellie questions. I hold in my sigh of annoyance as I remember that I can't be mad, this is after all her first murder, as well as this town's first murder; I'm going to have to be patient for Ellie. Brian continues to talk but I feel my mind wandering elsewhere as I examine the area in my head, already having seen that there was no proof Danny was even up here, I then begin to think of all possible suspects, the family are always suspects at first, as well as anyone he might've seen on a day to day basis.

I don't even realize we're leaving until I hear my name being yelled, "Els! Let's go!" I quickly look over to see Alec glance over at my frozen form before walking down the path and Ellie waving me over before following Alec. I quickly run over to catch up, hearing Alec telling Ellie to get the pathologist to hurry up even if it's preliminary. I walk a few feet behind them both, my head looking down at the steps until I hear a sharp yell that grabs my attention.

"D.S. Miller! D.S. Carlisle!"

"Who's that?" Alec questions Ellie as to why someone is shouting our names. I look up to see the one and only obnoxious reporter, Olly Stevens. I push in between them, pushing both of them forwards faster.

"Just keep walking." Ellie sighs as she picks up the pace.

"Ellie! Els!" Olly shouts as if we're best buds.

"He seems to know both of you." Alec states, albeit a little bitterly as he looks at me. I roll my eyes knowing exactly what he's thinking.

"Auntie Ellie! Auntie Els!"

"No no no, don't pull that bullshit Olly." I angrily snarl as I continue walking, now leaving the other two behind as I head to my car.

"I told you, don't do that!" I hear Ellie practically growl at him in annoyance. I ignore them as I go to open my door, looking back to see Alec scowl and release a disgusted sound when hearing Olly works for the Broadchurch Echo. I smile slightly at that scowl upon his face, it makes me remember back to when I would call him Hardy when we were younger and he would scowl in annoyance before returning the favor and calling me Carlisle. I realize what I'm doing and wipe the smile off my face, slipping into my old Alfa Romeo and waiting for Ellie to leave, hearing bits of their conversation and how they're not giving statements.

Olly, seeming to not have any luck with them, instead rushes over to my car.

"Auntie Els, I heard there was a body?"

"Don't pull that shit Oliver, we're not giving statements right now, and you are not allowed to speculate. Now shut it and wait till we give a proper statement." Feeling pissed I slam my door, harshly shifting gears before I speed off to follow Ellie to the Latimer house.

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We all exit our vehicles, Ellie looking a little confused and perturbed. Alec must've told her to tell him if the family we're acting odd. I understand why she's acting like that, but she needs to understand that right now everybody's a suspect. Ellie walks up to the doors first, Alec hangs back and pulls me aside.

"Els, I know this case is bringing up bad memories, if you want to hang back in the cars I understand." Alec states, his normally rough Scottish voice now quiet and concerned. I smile slightly, resting my hand against his shoulder as he looks at my eyes.

"I would love to take up that offer, but this is Ellie's first homicide, and I can't let her face that with you, I know you understand what you're doing, but Ellie won't listen to you, she needs me there to guide her." I pat his chest before walking up to the door, Mark answering it. A flash of uncertainty streaming across his eyes as he greets Alec, Ellie, and myself.

We enter their home, meeting the whole family in the living room. Beth standing up, anxious and restless as she already knows why we're here. Her daughter Chloe, gazing up at me as if begging me to tell them it's not Danny. I look away, the ground becoming my sole focus as they take their seats.

"Hi I'm Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, and I believe you know D.S. Miller and D.S. Carlisle" Alec introduces, inviting them to sit down as he grabs me and himself a chair. We all sit down, the whole family distraught, Ellie barely keeping it together, and Alec being the one forced to keep it together. I'm simply there, I'm there for Ellie and the family, and now I'm also here to make sure that Alec is alright as well.

"The body of a young boy was found..." Alec starts before Beth interrupts, being hushed by Mark before he tells Alec to continue.

"We believe it's Danny's body." Alec states.

Beth looks over at us as she breaks down, "Please Ellie, Elspeth... Was it him?" Beth's question destroys Ellie, she looks over at me before nodding in confirmation to Beth. Beth breaking down even more now, Ellie being unable to hold in some of her tears.

The whole family shudders, the dread of the situation amplifies as everyone cries and Mark attempts to keep it together and hold the family.

I have a feeling of complete emptiness, this is the second murder of a child I have to investigate where I know the family personally, and this is going to be the one to destroy what was left of my shattered soul. My hands shake slightly, and Alec discreetly reaches over to hold them, running his thumb over the top of my hand to calm me down whilst still keeping an eye on the family's reaction. I knew this case was hitting close to home for him as well, so I attempted to soothe him as well, squeezing his hands in thanks and comfort.

Ch.2 Ch.4

Unraveled Ch.5: Tough Times

Ch.4 Ch.6

"Jenkinson?" Alec questions back, looking forward and shoving his hands in his pockets as he continues forward, as if our conversation never occurred.

"The Chief Super. I saw you walking with her." Ellie quickly states back, looking over at him.

"No." Alec quickly denies, his blunt and stubborn attitude making it hard for me to stifle the smirk begging to appear.

"I did, you were having 99s." Ellie pursues, looking over to me for help. I simply smile and continue walking.

"Miller, your son went to school with Danny. Does he know yet." Alec voices as he continues to avoid her questions by changing the subject, instead getting straight to talking about the case.

"...No." Ellie reluctantly replies back, looking at the ground in thought as Alec glances over to her.

At this point I begin to space out, something I've been doing way too much of, but I have too much to think about. How will Tom take the news of his friend's death? Does Tom know anything? I also should probably go and check on Beth and her family after this.

I continue walking until I hear Ellie asking Alec to stop calling her Miller, causing my head to turn up to watch the conversation play through, already knowing he's not going to call her Ellie.

"Why?" He questions, genuinely wondering why.

"I don't really like the surname thing. I prefer Ellie." She quickly replies, looking over as she talks. I look over to Alec as he thinks about it.

"Ellie..Ellie... No." he states after speaking her name, striding away after deciding 'No'. This time I'm unable to hold in my slight giggle at her facial expression, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a side hug.

"Oh Ellie, you'll get used to him." I voice as I continue to grin widely. I quickly release her before I run to catch up with Alec. Looking back to see her look of shock dwindle into one of annoyance. Elbowing him slightly, he looks at me before breaking a smile at seeing my obnoxiously happy grin. Myself laughing even more as I hear Ellie shout at how he calls me by my first name.

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We have just arrived at Jack's, we're here to question him because he interacted with Danny regularly. In my time at Broadchurch, he's probably the third closest person to me, Ellie and Beth being tied for number one, with Reverend Paul being second.

As soon as we walk in Jack slightly smiles at me in welcoming.

"Hello Elspeth. What can I do for you?" I smile back as Ellie replies.

"Jack, we need to ask you a few questions. Danny didn't turn up for his round this morning?" A look of sadness engulfs Jack's face at Ellie's question, Alec over to the side looking through some papers as he listens.

"I assumed he was sick." Jack replies.

"Did he often miss his round?" I question, Jack's vision shifting to me.

"They all do, one time or another." He responds, Alec looking up finally to make eye contact with Ellie and me. I could see immediately that Jack was going to be in for it if Alec thought he heard something incriminating. I know about Jack's past, I did some digging up on everyone I met here, after finding the news I made him explain what really happened. I believe that there is only one other person who knows about his past wife and son, and I can only pray that it doesn't get dragged into this investigation.

"How was Danny yesterday?" Ellie replies as Alec looks away. Jack's expression looked as though his eyes were watering in grief.

"No different than usual." He replies, slight exasperation in his voice.

"Did you notice anything on his mind in the last couple of weeks?" Ellie continues questioning.

"He was only in here 15 minutes first thing. I-I'm not a psychiatrist." Jack answers, I notice Alec lifts his head up and looks at Jack. I know Alec is a great detective, but his blunt questions always have startled me, even when we were just children.

"You married?" Alec suddenly asks, I glance over at him then back to Jack, knowing Jack's response.

"No. Are you?" Jack fires back, his eyebrows scrunched down at the question. They stare at each other for a second, Jack turning to me as Ellie glanced over at Alec, I just slightly cringe seeing as I only recently learned of my best friend's divorce.

"They brought him in here, Mark and Beth. Three days old, he was. It's not right." Jack states as he looks between me and Ellie before glancing at Alec at the end.

Ending our questions, Alec and Ellie walk out of the shop, not noticing how I didn't follow. I waited a few seconds before going over to Jack and grasping his hand, a few held back tears escaping his eyes.

"Jack, I know this is an awful thing, especially with what happened to you. You're like a father figure to me, as well a guide for the young children in the Sea Brigade, but you need to tell them what happened in your past." I explain in sympathy as he grips my hand.

"I know Els, but my past is mine, and mine alone." Jack states as he releases my hand and wipes away his tears. I sigh, knowing that would be his response.

"I promised to never tell anyone about it, and that promise still stands; just know that with this case, reporters are going to try to get a story out of anything, guard yourself." I state as I nod my head bye and run to catch up to Alec.

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"What'd ya have?" Alec asks solemnly. I look away from the man to the screen as he gives us the rundown of his injuries.

"Superficial cuts and bruises to the face. Traces of domestic cleaning fluid on the skin. Cause of death was asphyxiation. He was strangled. Bruising to the neck and the windpipe, and at the top of the spine. Patterns of bruises suggest large hands, I'd suggest a male. It, um, it would've been brutal. The angle suggests he would've been facing his attacker. He would've known." The man finishes. Throughout his explanation I stayed leaning against the wall by the door, looking down. Child murders have always been the worst experiences for me, and it seems this one plans to leave a lasting effect.

"Any sexual violence?" Alec questions after the explanation, throwing a glance over to me, but I don't return his look as I continue to stare at the floor. Silently holding my breath, praying the answer is no, ever since that terrible event happened to me I have become excessively sensitive when this question comes up.

"Mercifully, no." I let out a quiet sigh of relief, finally looking up. Glancing at Ellie to see she's nearly crying. I slowly step over and grasp her hand.

"Time of death?" Alec continues.

"I'd put between 10:00pm Thursday night, and 4:00 am Friday morning." Alec sucks in air noisily as he closes the folder before saying thank you to the man and shaking his hand, I release Ellie's hand and shake the man's. We turn to leave, Alec grabbing my upper arm and leading me with him before we hear the coroner start talking again.

"We don't get these around here. Make sure you find them." The man voices. Alec looked from me to Ellie. Before continuing on his way, myself being pulled with him.

Alec drags me out of the station as we're already on our way to inform the family. Ellie looks questioningly at his actions, especially at how he is holding my arm and is about to say something when Alec interrupts.

"Go grab the car Miller." he harshly vocalizes, not even sparing her a glance. Ellie looks like she wants to say something, but leaves to grab the car with a huff of annoyance, leaving us alone.

"Are you alright?" Alec quietly questions as he releases his harsh grip on my arm. I rub it slightly staring down at the ground.

"I'm fine, why?" I respond, though my voice quivers slightly, the memories of Pippa's decomposing body flashing through my mind, causing me to scrunch my eyes close in an attempt to rid my mind of the image.

"Els...Els... Elswyth! Look at me dammit!" Alec nearly shouts after a few seconds of me not reacting. I look up at him shouting, the tears blurring my vision, his frustrated gaze immediately softening at my state. He reaches over, but I flinch and back up slightly. He hesitates before he reaches over again, but confidently continues as I don't move away. He tenderly grasps my left shoulder and drags me into a soft hug, my face pressed into his neck as I hug him back, his head resting against the top of mine. One of his hands rubbing soft circles against my back, his other softly resting against my neck as he calmly hushes me, some tears managing to escape my tired eyes.

After a few seconds of his comfort I am significantly calmer and try to pull myself together, Alec softly kisses the side of my head before we pull back from the hug, myself blushing slightly, Alec having a light tint of pink on his cheeks. I look at him before smiling despite my burning eyes.

"Thank you, this case has been harder to deal with than I expected." I say as I sheepishly lower my gaze.

"It's alright Els, I knew this would bring back bad memories... for the both of us." Alec softly replies. He's about to say more when Ellie pulls up in front of the station.

"Are you riding with us?" Alec questions, looking back at me.

"No, I'll grab my car and meet you at the Latimer's." I reply after thinking for a second. I was going to hug him before remembering Ellie was there, deciding a smile was better before heading off to my car.

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"We have some preliminary findings.... We are treating Danny's death as suspicious." Alec states to the family. Ellie is trying to hold it together as I watch their responses. Beth looks like she's falling apart, Mark looks like he's bottling it all up, and Liz looks heartbroken.

"We think he may have been killed." Alec finishes.

"I should've checked on him before I went to bed. If I'd checked..."Beth voices, immediately blaming herself. I want to tell her this isn't her fault, but I know it's best to let them run their mouths. I look over at Chloe to see her leaving as Ellie talks.

"Beth, this is not your fault. Whatever happened, this is not down to you." Ellie immediately emphasizes. I can see Alec glancing over at her as a silent 'shut up'.

"I promise, we will find the person responsible....You have my word." Alec promises after a pause. I look at him, knowing that he's probably going to overwork himself to find this killer, and I'm going to have to work even harder to make sure he doesn't kill himself in the process. I know how this case is bringing up memories of our failure, and Alec is making a personal promise to this family.

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After informing the family we all head out, Alec and Ellie in one car and myself in my own. We pull over at a shell station, I pay and start filling my car before heading in to buy some food, bumping into Ellie.

"Els, do you and Hardy know each other or something?" Ellie questions, I glance outside to see Alec anxiously waiting. I'm about to respond when Ellie gets a call, I quickly grab two granola bars, and pay for them, heading out while Ellie is on the phone. I walk out to see Alec hold up his watch as a 'hurry up' to Ellie. I sit next to him and hold out one of the bars, he looks down at it skeptically, then back to me as if to say 'I'm not eating that'.

"Don't give me that shit Alec, I'm not stupid enough to miss how much weight you've lost since the last time we saw each other. Not to mention you look like a dead man walking." I state sternly as I stare straight ahead, still holding out the bar for him. He grumpily mumbles something as he lazily yanks it out of my hand.

"So, do you think Miller's noticed that we know each other?" He questions, the sound of the crinkly wrapper being pulled down off the bar filling the already noisy atmosphere.

"Funny thing, she was just asking me if we knew each other when she got a phone call." I state. The air between us quiets down as he takes a bite of the bar, giving me an incredulous look after swallowing it. I look over at him, eyebrows raised in amusement at his look of disgust.

"Why would you buy this, it's appalling." He questions rhetorically, his accent thickening in his last word. I hum humorously at his expression, earning a small smile from him. He tentatively wraps his arm behind my back, pulling me into his side slightly. I lean against him as I gently sigh in exhaustion.

"Y'know, I've really missed you Els." He voices as he looks down at me, his smile turning into a pleased grin when I look up at him and return the smile. I'm about to respond when a disgruntled Ellie exits the shop, both of us instantly separating from each other.

I slide off the hood and head back to my own car as Alec and Ellie get into hers, the expression of worry was very obvious on Ellie's face, which is only prompting me to worry about what that phone call was about.

Ellie and Alec head off, and just as I start my car I get a notification on twitter, one that immediately infuriates me. My only thoughts are on how I'll postpone going to the station and make a detour to slap Oliver upside the head.

Ch.4 Ch.6

Unraveled Ch.6: I Fucking Hate Reporters

Ch.5 Ch.7

The anger continues boiling inside me as I cut off from the road to the station, instead driving towards the Broadchurch Echo; the audacity of Oliver to publicly give Danny's name is appalling and a new low for him. This is going to be gaining too much attention, we're probably going to have some uppity reporter from national down here to stir up some trouble now.

I park my car right in front of the Echo, revving my engine in irritation before turning it off, stepping out, and slamming my door noisily before turning to look inside the building. Everyone near the door looks at my angry movements hesitantly, knowing I'm not just there to pop in and say hello; I ignore them, slamming the door open and furiously stride over to Oliver's desk. As I near him he looks up at me, almost as if he might smile until he realizes that I'm incredibly agitated right now. He opens his mouth, about to ask what is wrong, but I quickly silence him by harshly smacking him, everyone immediately quieting down at the audible smack that interrupted them.

"Ow! What the hell was that for!" He shouts at me, holding his cheek as he looks at me as if I'm crazy. My messy hair falls slightly into my eyes as I harshly grab his arm tightly, forcefully ripping it off his face and dragging him to Maggie's office, Oliver tripping slightly as I make no move to slow down. Maggie looks over at me in welcoming before seeing my facial expression,

"Elspeth! What can I do for you petal?" She questions as she looks at me, I harshly push Oliver forward, himself stumbling to the floor, both of them giving me an extremely surprised look due to how I'm usually quite a kind and mellow person.

"Sorry for barging in like this Maggie, but it seems you need a little help controlling your reporters." I grate out through clenched teeth, my face blank but my voice and eyes conveying the rage I am withholding. Oliver quickly brushes himself off as he fixes his now ruffled shirt, looking at me incredulously.

"What's he done this time?" Maggie sighs as she gets up from her desk.

"Go on Oliver, tell her what you did." I sternly growl as I sharply push him forwards. He looks down as though only now feeling guilty because he was caught, eyeing me before quickly turning away from the ferocious glare I was giving him.

"I announced that the body on the beach was Daniel Latimer's." He hesitantly spoke, sheepishly looking up at Maggie to see she was now just as angry as I am. We both make eye contact, I give her a look and she nods as a 'go ahead', I quickly give him another harsh smack, but this time on the back of the head, sending him reeling forward from the impact.

I slowly take a step back as I attempt to gather myself, the last time I got this angry I ended up attacking a man I knew was guilty but got let off. Needless to say, I don't want to almost kill someone again, I like my life in Broadchurch too much to give it up for some lousy reporter.

Taking in a deep breath, I ignore the yelling Oliver is receiving, clenching my fists and closing my eyes as I think back to when I was happy, mainly memories of when I was with Daisy and Alec. The anger in me gradually dissipates, though not completely, but enough that I can restrain myself. Finally opening my eyes, I glance over at Oliver, my first slap having left a bright red imprint that is sure to bruise later on, and he is currently still holding the back of his head. Maggie seems to still be yelling, but my mind is ignoring it. Finally stepping in I calmly explain,

"Maggie. You know what he's done, I'm not going to allow the Latimer's to blame Alec over something one of your reporters did." As I look over at my friend I watch as she runs a hand over her face in frustration, sighing as she nods for me to go on.

"You're both coming with me to explain what happened to Alec, then you're going to explain to the Latimer's, the last thing this case needs is the family not wanting to cooperate with the police." I sternly state in a tone of finality, glowering at Oliver one last time before motioning for them to follow me out. I don't wait for them to respond, I simply walk out of the office, knowing that both will follow.

Leading them down the road we approach the Traders hotel, I nod over to Becca in acknowledgement before herding the two into the bar. I leave them and head back over to Becca.

"Hi Becca, how's the hotel?" I ask out of politeness, leaning against the desk as I rub my tired eyes in hidden frustration. She smiles at me before responding,

"It's been fine, business has been a little bit slow, but that is to be expected. Can I help you in the bar?" She responds back with an uneasy smile, Becca and I have had our fair share of altercations, most were nonviolent, but I know she's being polite now cause she needs the money.

I motioned for her to walk to the bar, "Please, and while we're waiting in the bar, will you please tell D.I. Hardy that he has visitors when he arrives." I say as more of a statement than a request, Becca simply nods as she finally walks behind the bar and starts getting us our drinks.

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Oliver and Maggie were having a quiet conversation as we waited, mostly Maggie explaining to Oliver what he was going to say, how his actions will cause problems for the police, and that he should know that his actions were incredibly rude and inappropriate. She had attempted conversation with me as well since we are friends, but right now I am still irate at the situation. To be as nice as possible I only give short replies to avoid any possibility of snapping, and I completely ignore anything Oliver says, instead focusing on the Italian soda I am drinking, the peppermint syrup taste watered down slightly.

After a few more minutes of waiting I can hear footsteps entering the hotel as well as Becca trying to make conversation and find out if the beach will be open. People wondering that already just angers me even more, my tightening grasp on the glass is starting to turn my knuckles white. I look over my back to see my favorite disgruntled D.I. entering the room, looking warily at the two reporters sitting beside me before giving me a subtle friendly glance.

I run my eyes over his appearance swiftly, his hair is messier than usual, his loose tie is disastrous, and his shirt wrinkled. Judging by his stressed look, he most definitely is feeling pressured by the information being leaked, and probably gave the team a good shouting at.

He looks between us, having a harsh glare on Oliver before Maggie speaks,

"Well, go on." She urges, seeing Oliver's hesitance when facing the rigid D.I.

"I was, uh, I was wrong to post that news. I'm sorry." Oliver explains, I release my grip on the glass in fear of breaking it, turning away from them both and walking next to Alec, eyeing Oliver as I stop.

"I should hang him by the bollocks from the town hall spire. All reporting on this will come through me now. The Echo works with the police. I'll, uh, I'll speak to the Latimer family, give them our apologies." Maggie states, exasperated that one of her reporters would do such a thing. Our gazes drift away from Maggie and back to Oliver, who I know for a fact is not going to stop reporting on this whether Maggie likes it or not.

"Stay out of my way." Alec voices, his words not harshly spoken, but seeming to carry a silent threat. Oliver's slightly scared look is enough for me to allow myself to be pulled away by Alec as he walks away from them. He let's go of my arm and I turn to leave as well when he reaches out and stops me.

"You and I need to have a talk before the press conference." He states in his business tone since we are in hearing range of Becca, lord knows neither of us want this town to know about the past. After observing Alec's stern gaze I simply nod, knowing that we're talking whether I agree or not, allowing him to lead me to his room.

As we enter I hear the door close, taking a deep breath I turn and face Alec. Not expecting what happens next, I am pleasantly surprised to be pulled into a lingering embrace, returning it happily. We both pull away, and it is only now that I glimpse a boyish grin I haven't seen in quite awhile.

"What's got you all happy and smiley?" I tease with a questioning smirk, squinting my eyes playfully at his expression. He maintains the grin as he pushes me away bashfully.

"Oh nothing extraordinary, I've just finally come to the realization that my best friend is back." He states in his thick Scottish brogue, glancing over at me before back to the ground in embarrassment of how he's acting. I can't withhold my joyous smug grin at knowing he missed me as much as I missed him.

"You have no idea how much I've missed that accent." I state just above a whisper as I pull him back towards me, my arms resting on his while his rest lazily on my waist, both of us smiling at each other in glee in spite of recent events. Pushing away from him gently, I pull him over so we are both sitting on the bed, myself glancing at the time before quickly around his room while missing the fact that he is simply looking at me.

Finally stopping my wandering gaze I focus onto Alec, giving him a sheepish smile, my eyes drifting to the ground as I wring my hands slightly.

"Sorry... about Oliver. He's quite a brat, first he claims he's my boyfriend, and now he's giving away a dead child's information to the world." I explain in disgust, emphasizing on how he's a brat. Alec reaches over, grasping both my hands delicately to stop me from wringing them, his eyes visibly soften at how I'm apologizing for Oliver.

"No need to apologize Els, I knew from the first time I saw him that he was going to be a thorn in my side, so don't you dare go apologizing for him." He answers in a serious tone as he subconsciously runs his thumb lightly over the top of my hand. I grin back at him, I've always noticed that he was kind to me and only me, even with Tess he never seemed to be this gentle and vulnerable.

"I've really missed you." He quietly states, bringing me out of my thoughts, looking up into his amber brown eyes. A slight smile formed on my lips at their warmness.

"I'm really sorry about leaving, I understand if you hold a grudge against me for that. After all, I didn't even tell you where I was going, or that I even was going." I respond and retract my hands, fearful that even with him being so kind, he would still hold a grudge. I am pleasantly surprised when he lets out a gruff chuckle, not sinister or anything, more of an amused one. I looked up at him in confusion, I was sure he would hold a grudge against me.

"Oh Els, after all our years of friendship! I was sure you would know by now, that it is impossible for me to stay angry at you." He exclaims in amusement, holding out his hands for me to grasp them again, which I willingly do.

After talking with him, we ended up with us laying down and staring at the ceiling as we talked, almost forgetting about the conference in a few hours. We quickly catch up on what we've missed since we've been separated. I learned more about the divorce, like how the rumors about Tess cheating were true, how he didn't even fight to get her back, and how he and Daisy seem to have an even greater tension in their relationship now, apparently she barely even answers let alone returns his calls; and then, worst of all, how Tess lost evidence and Alec took the blame for it.

The guilt of me leaving returns, I openly apologize for leaving him alone, but he is so forgiving to me that it makes me feel even more guilty, though I withhold telling him that. In return to his explanation, I explain how I've been doing in Broadchurch, how I've become a fairly popular person, most people in the area at least know me, though my closest friends would be Ellie and Beth. The things I do keep from him are all my health issues I have now, depression, insomnia, and panic attacks would only make him worry, and I am most definitely not going to tell him about what happened in my first month of being in Broadchurch that caused the panic attacks. Continuing on, Alec questions how I can even put up with Ellie, which ends up with both of us having a laugh as we argue about Ellie.

"She's not that bad, she welcomed me without a question when I arrived." I state as I look over at Alec with a giggle, thinking back to when I first arrived and felt like a fish out of water.

"I can't bloody stand her, she just smiles so much, and can't remain objective, and she acts like she's everybody's bloody solicitor." He replies with slight frustration at Ellie's friendly attitude. I simply give him a grin as I turn over onto my side and poke his chest in an amused way.

"Maybe if you weren't such an ass, you would get along with her better." I playfully accuse, emphasizing him acting like an ass to everyone. He glares at me before quickly grabbing my hand, though surprisingly gentle. His playful glare slips away as a new look enters his eyes, one I haven't seen him give me since back in high school.

The look in his eyes is one of love, placing a soft kiss on my hand as he looks up at me. My eyes widened slightly, I've liked him since high school, but I never acted on it in fear of the repercussions and my feelings became dormant, and when he married Tess I thought his feelings for me were gone, but clearly not.

"Never knew you as the romantic type Alec." I state quietly, trying to play it off as if he were simply teasing me. We both sit up now, still looking at each other in silent tension, both unsure about what to do next, though neither of us is uncomfortable. I make no move away from him as he lightly cups my jaw in his hand, and slowly brings us closer together.

We are mere centimeters away from each other now, he hesitates slightly as he glances down at my lips momentarily before searching my eyes.

"Tell me to stop, and I will." He voices, slightly hoarse in anticipation and nervousness. I swallow slightly as I look into his warm and welcoming eyes, only nodding my head in fear my voice will fail me.

He quickly searches my eyes once more for any signs of rejection before swiftly moving forward, our lips meeting before I can truly believe what's going on.

Once, then twice, the first seeming as a hesitant one, almost as if testing the water to make sure it's safe to go further. The second was far different, almost as if all his pent up emotion was trying to be conveyed in one moment, it was during the second that I realized I'd never have enough of him. Both of us feel a fervent, almost urgent need for each other, as if all our years of dormant feelings are trying to make up for it in this one moment.

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The conference was now only about 40 minutes away, and Alec still hadn't changed out of his disgruntled clothes and into his other suit, but then again, we both were a bit distracted.

After a couple more minutes of indulgence I finally had enough self-control to break apart, both of us panting slightly though still looking at each other hungrily.

I softly place my hand on his chest before giving him a short kiss and pushing him away.

"Come on, we had a couple hours to get ready for that conference, and now we are nearing only having a half hour left." I say as we continue to look at each other. Neither of us truly want to separate, but knowing that we have to. He slowly pushes himself up and stands, holding out his hand and helping me up as well.

"I have to pop off back home to get changed, but I'll meet you at the station." I explain as I walk towards a mirror and straighten my shirt and hair to make it look like I didn't just have a snog.

"Fair enough." Alec responds as he grabs another suit, though surprising me by walking up and softly kissing my cheek.

"I'll see you at the station." He states, his voice hoarse as he smiles at me before I leave.

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Driving back to the station, my normal blue business suit changed to a formal black one, a pair of black Dr. Martens boots shined to perfection, my hair also neatly combed.

I enter the code and drive into the parking area, quickly pulling the top up and locking the doors. Entering the station I greet the uniforms before heading off to our section of the building.

As I walk in I am greeted by Alec nearly bumping into me, a blush rising on my cheeks before our attention is pulled over to Ellie talking to us.

"Look at this. CCTV from the town center, last night." Both of us walked over to different sides of her chair and leaned over her desk to watch.

"Is that Danny?" Alec questions.

"It matches his clothes and his height. And that looks like his skateboard. He wasn't abducted." Ellie states as we watch the footage.

"He snuck out?" I mumble, wondering why, where or who he would possibly be going to see that late at night.

"Why? Where was he going? Who was he meeting?" Alec vocalizes everything I was just thinking.

"And where's his skateboard?" I fire back, earning a 'yeah' in response.

"Oh, and another thing. I was checking through the list of belongings recovered from Danny's body and at home, and there's no mobile phone. He definitely had one, because he and Tom, my son, had the same model. Virtually identical." Ellie continues, causing only more questions to pop into my head. Ignoring the rest of what they were saying as I think about what I've heard, where is his phone and skateboard? Someone is definitely keeping them, so who? They would've had to either be out really late/early, or be the killer, did the phone have proof of them meeting?

I'm dragged out of my thoughts, realizing Alec had just walked off and Ellie looked surprised.

"Spacing off again, CARLISLE?" Ellie sarcastically questions, over-emphasizing my last name.

"No idea what you're talking about, MILLER." I sassily reply before walking off, both of us giggling to ourselves because of our childish antics.

————————

Alec is a few minutes away from going up in front of the cameras. I quickly pull him aside, fretting over his messy hair and loose tie, only earning an amused look from him.

"I'll be fine, I always look this way." He says as I do up the top button, brushing his hair out of his face.

"That's what worries me." I respond before finishing his look by tightening his tie and smoothing his shirt. Giving him a small smile before kissing him on the cheek and sending him to wait to be called up. The only thought running through my head is,

"What am I going to do with that man?"

Ch.5 Ch.7

Unraveled Ch.7: Frustration

Ch.6 Ch.8

After the conference I had a feeling Alec was withholding something from me, something that brought back bad memories for both of us. I let it slide for now though, simply happy to have him back as company, though this time a little bit more than friendship.

Afterwards we both went back to his room, laying down and talking a little more, I invited him to stay at mine instead of living in a hotel, even offered him my spare house near the pier if he didn't want to stay with me in my other isolated house on the hills, but him being him, he refused, and I know better than to try and change his stubborn mind. I left his room afterwards and drove to my small home near the water, falling into another night of nightmares, waking up several times as the haunting experiences continued to replay in my mind.

————————

Waking up early after barely having slept, I throw on my normal work clothes, tucked in shirt with trousers and a jacket, only eating a piece of toast with black coffee; a habit I've gotten into, slowly having it become what I'm living off of, with the random dinner invitation from Ellie every month or so.

Walking outside I am immediately greeted by the eager waves splashing about, and the sun already having risen slightly. Pulling the cover off my car and sliding into the leather seat, pushing the stick shift into gear and speedily heading off towards work.

Clearly, I still don't get up early enough to beat Alec, running into him up as I reach the steps to the station. Both of us glance up from the ground, and smile when we see each other. Alec is about to say something to me when a little demon from the past decides to make an abrupt appearance.

Karen White. The reporter who ruined our lives. Well not exactly, more like turned us over.

I hide behind the side profile of Alec, hoping his hunched over self would be able to hide me from this reporter, and Alec seems more than willing to oblige in hiding me.

"D.I. Hardy. Karen White, Daily Herald." She states as though he's never met her before.

"I know. You came to the briefing last night." Alec responds, trying to keep her attention away from me and on him. My anger was growing though, who does she think she is, coming here, acting like we've never met her before, acting as though she never did what she did to us.

"I just wondered if I could buy you a cup of tea." Karen asks, completely taking me off guard on how casual she can be after what she did to us. Clearly Alec feels the same as he suddenly stops right before the door, I didn't expect it, so I kept walking, allowing Karen to finally see me. Her eyes instantly widening at the sight of myself, clearly only thinking Alec was on this case.

"D.I. Carlisle? Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" Karen immediately asked, causing me to glare at her, about to respond and say 'piss off', but Alec beat me to it.

"You're astonishing." Clearly pissed at her question, walking over and holding the door open for me, then quickly following me inside.

"Well, if you need me I'm staying at the Traders." Karen manages to get in just before the door shuts.

"This is bloody great! Now she knows we're both here, and bonus, she's staying in the same hotel as you!" I exclaim in sarcasm, tossing my short messy hair out of my eyes as Alec rolls his. We continue in silence and walk into a VERY busy reception.

"Oh, sir, for you. You need to get yourself organized up there. It's Saturday, the phone lines can't cope." The uniformed officer states, handing Alec some papers whilst I wait at the elevators.

As we enter our area, the busy reception seems like nothing, people are moving benches, some moving tables, everyone noisily at work as we both walk over to his office.

"Morning. We got you a coffee." Ellie says in an attempt to be nice to her grumpy boss.

"Oh no, he doesn't drink coffee" "I don't drink coffee." Alec and I state at the same time as he walks into his office. I let out a humorous laugh as Ellie replies,

"Course you don't." Making me give a small smile and walk over to her.

"I'll take the coffee since grumpy doesn't want it." I reply as I reach over and take it from her, getting a slightly shocked look from her due to how I openly called him grumpy in the office without even lowering my voice. I go over to my desk and sit down, straightaway not liking how busy the office feels, and getting slightly uncomfortable at the strangers who are putting in the phone lines. After trying to work for several moments I give up, walking over to Alec and Ellie at the whiteboard while trying not to run into anyone.

"SOCO are at work on the beach, it's going to be a long one. Oh, we're still going through the Latimer house." Ellie states as she leans against the whiteboard, smiling over at me in acknowledgment before looking over at the distracted D.I. Who was looking at Danny's photo in thought.

"Sir, are you listening?" Ellie questions.

"Danny's skateboard. Danny's mobile - Priority. Also, main suspects. Both of you know this town, I've heard you're pretty popular Carlisle, who's the most likely?" Alec questions, causing me to back up at having to think about any of these people as murderers, but I quickly shake the feeling off as Alec continues.

"If the boy was killed before he was left on the beach, where's the murder scene? What're you doing now?" He suddenly asks, catching Ellie off guard, myself being used to his multiple questions and then a sudden blunt one.

"We've managed to find a Family Liaison Officer, I'm gonna take him over to the Latimer's. Oh. And Jack Marshall, owns a paper shop, rang in. He said he'd remembered something." Ellie says, walking over to her desk, then back with a paper in hand, Alec grabbing it and heading off, grabbing my arm and pulling me along with him. Ellie giving a confused look whilst saying,

"You're welcome." Although Alec, ever the rude one, never said thank you. Almost dragged out of the office by Alec, I quickly shout a 'thank you' to Ellie and wave before out of hearing range. Alec dragged me down to the parking lot, myself grabbing the keys, unlocking my door then leaning over and unlocking his. Watching his tall frame squeezing into my two seater literally made my day.

"Jesus Els, I don't know how I forgot how small your car was." Alec sighs in annoyance as he lowers and backs up the seat to make leg and head room. I simply let out a laugh, reaching over and ruffling his hair slightly, earning a playful glare from him as he returned the gesture and ruffled mine, making it even more messy.

"Oi, don't mess with the driver or you'll be walking." I threaten jokingly as I point at him, Alec holding up his hand in fake surrender. I put the car in reverse, then switched into first gear and exited the lot.

"So where are we off to then?" I question as I can hardly remember the conversation.

"Have you been spacing out?" Alec asks right back, seemingly genuinely concerned at how much of the conversations I've been missing. The spacing out is an effect from the thing that happened when I got to Broadchurch, so I'll have to make something up.

"I don't know what you're talking about Hardy. Now answer the question, where are we heading?" I state sassily as I shift gears.

"You don't get to call me Hardy, it's Alec to you. And we're heading to Jack's shop, I'm sure you know where that is." Alec states pointedly at first, then drifting off as he looks out of the window.

"Spacing out Hardy?" I say mockingly as he takes his attention away from outside and gives me a playful glare, earning a smile from me.

————————

"Couldn't stop thinking about him all last night. I help run the Sea Brigade. Danny had been coming for about 18 months, on and off. Cheeky lad, but a good heart. It matters, a good heart." Jack finishes, I smile slightly, knowing Alec cares little for sentiment. His arms are crossed, and that scowl on his face looks permanent. The wind blowing his hair slightly as I hear him breathing in before speaking,

"You said you remembered something about seeing Danny." Alec voices, clearly wanting to get to the point as to why he's here. I give him a glance at his impatience as we listen to Jack.

"Must've been end of last month. Around a quarter to 8:00 on a Wednesday morning. On the road leading up to the cliff tops on the way to Lingo Hull, I saw him." Jack states as he leans against his shop, remembering the occurrence.

"What was he doing, Jack?" I inquire.

"Talking to the postman. Well... Not talking. More like arguing. He was quite a way away. But the body language was pretty clear. Then Danny stormed off. The postman was calling after him." Jack says, wandering into his store as he continues work.

"You're certain it was the postman?" Alec questioned as he leans against the cash register.

"Well, he has a bag. And one of those high-visibility jackets. Who else is going to be out that time in the morning." Jack responds, I watch him as Alec takes out his notepad.

"Can you describe him for me?" Alec questions, clearly wanting to get the information and interview the guy already.

"Well, he was a long way off. Medium height, short brown hair, I think. It was only after you were in yesterday that I remembered. I should've mentioned." Jack says as Alec looks up at him. I have a feeling Alec doesn't trust Jack at all, and I know that I'm not supposed to take sides, but I just know that Jack would never hurt Danny, especially after what happened to his son.

Alec heads off to the car after getting a call from Ellie, I stay back a bit to speak to Jack real quick.

"I urge you to tell them about your past, Jack. Alec is already suspicious of this sudden sighting, please, just tell him, I'll make sure to find the truth, but he will never trust you if you don't tell him and it gets out!" I state, exasperated at this whole situation.

"I've already told you Elspeth, my past is mine, and mine alone." Jack states stubbornly. I walk over and calmly place my hand on his arm as I stare,

"I know Jack, but..." I'm cut off as Jack turns and harshly grabs my arm, backing me up a few steps as his grip tightens.

"But nothing Elspeth, you promised to speak nothing of it and you will keep to that if you don't want everyone knowing what happened to you!" Jack coldly threatened. He was the one who found me after the altercation, that is one of the reasons why we had become so close.

I look at Jack with fear in my eyes at his betrayal, ripping my arm away from him and leaving. I pull down my sleeve and I slip into the car, knowing that my wrist is going to bruise from his tight grip.

"What took you so long." Alec sighs as I start up the car.

"Just wanted to check out the newspapers." I state, looking over my shoulder as I reverse, too lazy to think of a better excuse. Alec leaves it alone after hearing my tone, instead telling me to head over to the hotel where we would meet Ellie. I'm mulling over my thoughts, thinking about what happened back there at Jack's. All I had been trying to do was help him, but he took it as a threat and threatened me back. Christ knows everyone would treat me like a fragile piece of glass if they found out, and Alec, well Alec would either leave me, or kill the person who did it.

————————

"So why are we meeting Ellie at the hotel?" I questioned as I pulled in across the street.

"I don't know, why don't you want to tell me what really happened back there at Jack's?" Alec asked back, his question seeming to hold a sarcastic sass to it whilst remaining completely serious.

"Don't start Alec, I'm not in the mood." I nearly growl as I get out and slam my door shut after locking it.

"Lock your door." I yell before walking over, not caring to wait.

Inside the hotel we take Becca into an empty room before talking to her.

"Chloe Latimer says you supplied her with a wrap of cocaine." Ellie suddenly states, causing me to almost do a double take out of surprise. I already don't like Becca, but this made it worse. The thought of Becca supplying someone I thought of as my niece with cocaine made my blood boil.

"What? You're kidding?" Becca replies, myself maintaining a glare at her, which Becca promptly avoids.

"Why would she say that if it's not true?" Ellie replies, probably wanting to find out the truth as much as myself. Becca lets out a sigh as she thinks about how she's going to answer us.

"Tell us the truth, or I will get your license removed." I harshly threaten as I eye her coldly. Ellie looked over at me, not only surprised by my tone, but also by the fact that I said that, Alec also gave me a questioning glance before returning it to the now fearful hotel owner.

"There was this couple down from London for a long weekend, in a suite, spending money. They asked me if I could get them some coke." Becca replies after a sigh and stumbling upon her words slightly as my threat floated in the air.

"Chloe was working for me that weekend. I asked her if she knew where I might find some. She took so bloody long, the couple had gone. I just gave it back to her." Becca continued exasperated at how she might get in trouble. My glare on her only got colder as she continued, making her squirm, slightly uncomfortable. Alec, with his arms still crossed, slightly nudged my ribs, making me turn to him, his facial expression telling me 'lighten up, being a hard ass is my job'. I almost listened, but then remembered how Becca just asked my "niece" where to find cocaine.

"Where did Chloe get it from?" Ellie continued questioning, both Alec and I staying silent with our arms remaining crossed.

"Um, she said a friend. She didn't tell me his name. She said he didn't deal, but he knew where to get stuff." Becca replies, slightly calmer since I'm no longer glaring daggers at her.

"Did her brother have anything to do with it?" Alec suddenly questioned. Getting looks from both Ellie and Becca at his question.

"It's, it's nothing to do with that." Becca replies. A moment of silence ensues as we all mull over a possible connection, even Ellie thinking about it while Becca just looks more and more nervous about the situation.

"Do I get arrested?" Becca suddenly asks.

"We will have to process the offense." Ellie responds, myself looking around now bored of this conversation.

"Is there any way we could keep this quiet? As Elspeth clearly said, I could lose my license." Becca questions, nervously glancing over at my rigid form.

"Fix a time to come down to the station, make a formal statement." Alec explains. Becca gave an anxious and questioning look between all of us before nodding.

We leave the hotel, Alec and myself getting into my car. Still angry and shocked at my conversation with Jack I tightly clench my fists around the steering wheel before I place my hand on the stick, about to shift gears when Alec gently places his hand on top of mine. The frustration in my mind suddenly stills, I feel slightly calmer as I slowly look at our hands before looking up to him.

"Y'know, out of all the people I thought you'd snap on, the hotel owner was not who I expected." He says in an all too familiar tone, picking up my hand and lightly gliding his thumb over the top. I let out a sigh in displeasure knowing that my frustration was so obvious. Letting my head fall back against the headrest lazily, I stare up at my car's ceiling before responding.

"I'm just having a bad day." Blunt, vague, but that was how it would stay. I'm taking no risks on anyone finding out about Jack, because then they would find out about me, and that is not something I need during this case.

"You want to talk about it." Alec asks softly as he looks over at me. I really do, but I know I can't.

I pause in thought, letting a few seconds of silence float stiffly in the air before replying, "Nope."

Taking my hand out of his, throwing the car in reverse then into gear, heading back to the station in silence, mostly because Alec rarely ever sees this side of me.

Ch. 6 Ch.8

Unraveled Ch.8: Dull

Ch.7 Ch.9

"Cocaine though... Must be a one-off." Ellie spoke as Alec poured himself a cup of tea.

"They're not that type of family, Chloe's not that type of girl." Ellie continued to say - though she seemed to be attempting to reassure herself. Her hands on her hips as she observed Alec at the kitchen; myself standing to the side of Alec, peering through the blinds to the gray sky.

"Nobody ever is." Alec states in response, continuing to make his bitter tea.

My mind drifts away from the conversation, it's not that I'm uninterested, it's just that I can't seem to focus. What Jack said to me at his shop still replays in my mind, the confrontation still fresh. I just can't believe he would say that to me, after how close we've gotten, I've even started to think of him like a second father. I understand why he doesn't want to tell anyone, but he should know that I would never break my promise, and that him threatening to tell others of my experience frightens me more than anything.

In my peripheral I notice Ellie walking away, probably something to do with the dull phone ring I heard a few seconds ago. Shaking my thoughts away, I attempt to settle back into reality when I hear someone - I presume to be Alec - speedily walking out of the door and down the hallway. I turn just in time to see the door close, quickly following after him. I just manage to catch a glimpse of him as he slips into the restroom. I'm a little confused as to why he left in such a hurry, it's not like we haven't had the restroom available at all times.

I decide to just go back into the room and wait for him to return, sipping the bitter tea he made whilst daydreaming.

_______

Alec walks back into the office and I quickly put down the now empty mug, slowly walking after him until he enters his private office. Deciding to give him his space I head over to my own desk.

The workers in here still make me uncomfortable, their eyes are scanning everything, and I don't like how that one guy is looking at Frank's desk. Having strangers here in general makes me uncomfortable, though there ain't much we can do about that at the moment.

I glance up as I hear Ellie telling off a phone line guy, this guy specifically makes me feel nauseous. I don't know why, but just being in the same room as him makes me uncomfortable, uncomfortable to the point of having an internal argument on whether I should just continue working at my desk or walk into Alec's office with my laptop and continue work from his couch. However, I don't have time to decide as Alec quickly strides out of his office, calling for us to follow him.

"Carlisle, Miller. Postman, come on." He speaks as he shoves on his jacket, not even sparing us a glance. Ellie pushes me forward as I stumble back into reality, hastily tossing on my jacket as well before following after Alec.

_______

We're out here in a nice, quiet part of town. I remember looking for a house out here, but everyone living in this area has a family, and being around them just made me sad. The children of said families either reminded me of Pippa or Daisy, both of which left me feeling guilty, ashamed, and morose.

Deciding I need to pull myself together and get back into this investigation I listen carefully to Kevin. He's a nice lad. I've seen him a couple of times on my occasional early morning walks, but we've never said any more than 'hello's' or just the normal greetings.

"Yeah, that's my round, up past Briar Cliff." He responds, hands shoved in his pockets casually.

"And did you work the route last month?" Ellie questions, hands folded politely in front of her as she awaits his answer.

"I think I've done every delivery out there for the past eight or nine weeks, I'd say." Kevin states as he estimates how long he's been working his route, glancing slightly between Ellie, Alec, and myself.

Ellie also gives the both of us a small glance, about to say something before I decided to speak,

"Did you ever see Daniel Latimer during your rounds?" My voice is steady, holding no accusation, maintaining a neutral tone.

"Yeah, all the time. He used to deliver papers up there to a couple of houses, including the hut... When I heard, I thought, 'I've only seen him a couple of days previous'." I can tell he's answering honestly, I really don't think Kevin was involved, but I know we have to be thorough and be completely sure.

Stepping back I allow Ellie to continue her questioning,

"And did you ever talk to him? I'm thinking particularly the last week in June."

"I might've waved, and maybe said 'hello'. I didn't really know him to talk to." Kevin replied, his voice holding a hint of confusion as to why last week in June was important.

"That's it? Just 'hello'?" Ellie clarifies, her mind likely wondering as to why the information Jack gave us isn't adding up, myself wondering the same thing.

"What else would I say?" Kevin asks, curious as to what else he would say and why he is even being questioned about it.

An empty pause fills the atmosphere, the information we were given isn't adding up. I look over to Alec's stern and stoic figure, he hasn't said a thing the entire time, just listening and reading Kevin's body language. As the silence drags on, Kevin's curiosity turns into confusion, his mind now realizing that something must've been said about him that led the police to warrant questioning him.

"You didn't ever have a conversation with him?"Ellie breaks the pause

"No" Kevin responds.

"Or an argument?" Alec's voice is steady and calm, he must also know that Kevin is more than likely not a suspect. I cross my arms and glance away from him as I listen to Kevin's answer,

"What am I gonna be arguing with a paper lad about?" He responds, probably a little weirded out as to why they would ask if he ever argued with Danny.

"And where were you Thursday night?" Ellie continues, asking him for his alibi.

"Thursday, I'd have been with the boys. We got hammered. Six of us, there was. Finished at 4:00, My missus woke me up at 7:00, I was out cold." Kevin explained, nodding his head as he remembered his whereabouts.

"We're gonna need the names of all those you were with." Ellie replies, Alec glancing over at her before going to me, then back to Kevin.

"But I mean, you don't think I had anything to do with it?" Kevin concerningly asks, pointing at himself in disbelief.

"Oh, it's just to rule things out. Nothing to worry about."

"Alright, thank you Kevin." I quickly say as I attempt to draw Alec's attention away from Ellie, pushing them forwards.

I can almost feel Alec's struggle to hold back telling her to shut up. The questioning was going good, and Ellie is doing fairly well for her first murder, but her and Alec will most definitely continue to butt-heads on this case.

"Don't say that." Alec speaks in a quiet and frankly tired tone, being careful to not allow Kevin to hear their conversation.

"Don't say what?"Ellie asks, confused as to what she's done this time."

"No need to worry." Alec replies.

"Why not?" Ellie questions, finding no fault in her past words.

"Don't reassure people. Let them talk." Alec states. Hearing him talk like this reminds me of when he would be forced to mentor new recruits back at our old station.

"Can I just say, you can't just walk up here and try to mold me. I know what I'm doing, and I know how to handle people. And you can keep your broody bullshit shtick to yourself." Ellie frustratingly rants for a moment as they approach her car.

Releasing a tired sigh I lazily grab Ellie's arm and pull her away from the car and a little down the sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" Ellie questions, still frustrated from her prior conversation.

"Ellie, I get that you don't like our new boss, but that doesn't mean you ignore everything he says!" I grunt as I glance over to see Alec leaning against Ellie's car.

"Don't tell me you're taking his side!" She responds, now even more frustrated.

"Listen, whether you like him or not, what he is saying should not be ignored. You shouldn't have reassured Kevin, he would have continued talking had you not said that." I explain calmly.

Her expression goes from frustrated to conflicted, hopefully my words get through to her, the last thing we need is for her to make her first murder case harder than it already is.

She releases a quiet sigh before looking up at me, giving a small nod. I smile in reassurance before giving her a playful shove and walking off to my car.

_______

I decide to take a detour, sending a quick text to Ellie before turning my car away from the station, instead heading towards the grocery store.

The real reason I postponed going back to the station was because I needed a breath of air away from everything. With everything that's going on, feeling bad and haunted by my past makes me feel selfish, but that doesn't stop my memories from affecting me; I feel disgusted and shameful of myself, I should be worrying about Beth and finding Danny's murderer, not worrying about what happened to me.

I pull into my parking spot, the steady foot and car traffic isn't really helpful, but it's a welcome change from the foot traffic of the phone men in our office.

I just sit in there, my eyes glazed over as I stare through the windshield, trying to convince myself to get out and buy something I want to eat. The only thing that awakens me from my internal thoughts is the sound of a loud scrape.

I jump in my seat, praying it's not a crash that will require my attention. Instead of finding two drivers arguing, I see Beth, who, in a fit of rage, is slamming her hands against her car.

My recent thoughts forgotten, I speedily shove my door open, and run towards Beth. I grab her arms lightly but firmly, attempting to stop her from hitting the car and possibly hurting herself.

"Beth...Beth stop." I calmly speak as her rage simmers down, only her sadness remaining as she leans herself against me, slowly crouching to the ground, myself following.

I can hear someone else calling her name, but I'm too focused on her to care. I only realize it's Paul when he crouches down across from us, a concerned look displayed upon his face.

"Are you alright?" His question is obvious and stupid, but it is what you would expect anyone to ask. Though I saw his question coming, Beth's answer was far from expected.

It takes her a few moments before she responds, her entire face seeming dazed at everything that is truly happening to her.

"I'm pregnant." She states, leaning against the car as though both physically and mentally exhausted. Her response shocks me, I can only imagine how this affected her when she first found out.

Shaking myself out of my thought-filled daze, I assist Paul in helping Beth up, Paul lifting her by her left hand whilst I provide stability on the other side.

We sit in her trunk for about a minute before Paul breaks our silence.

"Have you told anyone?" His question was, once again, obviously going to be asked. But that's not to say that it hadn't preoccupied my mind for the past 60 seconds.

"I only found out about two weeks ago." Came Beth's reply. Usually when someone talks about their pregnancy they are filled with happiness, but with Beth I can hear how exhausted she is.

"You don't want to tell Mark?" Paul asks as he glances over at her.

"It's complicated" Was Beth's short reply.

"Of course." Paul accepted, though you could see the worry and confusion at her current situation.

Placing my hand gently on her shoulder, I give her a small smile as she glances at me.

"Do you have anyone you can talk to? Your mum, maybe?" I question calmly.

"No. Not now, and don't you go telling her either." Beth states, her voice serious and her tone final.

Another silence ensues for a couple of moments, and I know for a fact that Paul is going to ask her another question. As much as I love Paul, he tends to ask a lot of questions whenever he's in a situation like this.

"What are you gonna do?" He questions, I hide my grim smirk, knowing now is not the time to find humor in knowing your friends so well.

"Can you stop asking me bloody questions?" Beth retaliates, beginning to become frustrated.

"Beth, you know he isn't trying to upset you." I state, trying to calm her growing tension and Paul's growing uncomfortableness.

"No, no, it's alright, I do ask a lot of questions, apparently." Paul explains.

"I'll leave you alone." Paul continues, standing up, nodding his head to both Beth and myself before heading on his way.

I can practically hear Beth thinking, though I don't know what to say. So much has happened in such a short amount of time, and finding out your pregnant after your son's murdered must be a very shocking and unnerving thing to deal with.

"Beth.. I know you don't want to talk about this, and that's okay, but are you going to be alright on your way home?" I question softly, trying not to enrage the already on-edge Beth. She simply gazes forward at the bustling people before glancing towards myself, offering a short smile before replying.

"I'll be fine Els, you go on." Her voice is strained, almost as though her body has had no rest in quite awhile. Unsure of her answer I simply nod and get up to leave, but not before saying,

"If you ever want to talk, whether it's just in general or about this, I'm always here." I state comfortingly before nodding to her and heading off to my car, the thought of buying myself a snack long having left my mind.

Ch.7 Ch.9

Joao Felix x Male reader

Summary: joão and reader fall in love after reader broke up.

Important

Warnings: mentions of abuse and sa

Fc: Charles Leclerc

—

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Yourinstagram silly me to fall in love with you ~

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Yourinstagram Rather be hell than alone ~

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Joaofelix79 guess who I’m texting

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Dailymail

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Dailymail y/n has reportedly filed a lawsuit against ex for Sa and abuse. We currently have no specific date on when the trail wil be held. We here at dailymail wish y/n the best of luck.

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Ynfan1 can’t wait till the world sees how evil his ex is

Ynhater1 wbk he’s going to lose💀

Yourbestiesname bffr

Joaofelix79 it’s in two days y’all

Yourinstagram ^^ what this dumbass said

Billiefan1 we will be supporting y/n in this household

Exbf_name we already know y/n already bought the judge lmaoooo

Ynupdates

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Ynupdates after a long 12 hours of tension, tears and talking, y/n’s case is finally over. Ariana grande, Billie Eilish, João felix, Nicki Minaj and many more friends of y/n were seen leaving the courtroom. We don’t know every detail, so more news coming soon!

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Joaofelix79 everyone in that room was there for y/n 🤭

Billiefan1 like i said everyone in this household is supporting y/n

Nickiminaj let’s talk about the tension in that room

Arianagrande you could literally see it😭

Sza most tense 12 hours of my liffee

Billieeilish i love how nameex was so silent during my testimony teehee 🤭

Yourinstagram

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Yourinstagram “bitch we won” ~ random lady. Thanks for all the love, means more than you think 🤍 📸 : @joaofelix79

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Joaofelix79 best flight i’ve ever been on;*

Yourbestiesname PLEASE JOÃO😭

Billieeilish fav person on this earth<3

Sza PLS joão’s comment??? Explain…

Yourinstagram pls girl lemme have fun 🥰

Neymarjr ❤️❤️❤️

Arianagrande wouldn’t have thought otherwise

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Joaofelix79

Liked by yourinstagram, billieeilish, sza and 15,306,286

Joaofelix79 proud to call you dad- babe<3

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Yourinstagram pls💀 love you more baby <3

Judebellingham oh? Can i jo- congrats 🥳

Yourinstagram fine by m- JUDE PLEASE

Arianagrande uhm what’s goin on in these comments, congratulations…

Sza told you; my fav couple

Billieeilish cutee phottoooo congrattssss

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Yourinstagram

Liked by joaofelix79, maddisonbeer, Neymarjr and 35,407,367

Yourinstagram proud to call you mine🤍

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Joaofelix79 yes papi ☺️

Arianagrande 😀

Billieeilish all loveeeee

Zendaya the cutest little dog 🤍

Sza stuck in them 20 something<3

————

Sorry i am shocked at how bad this is 😀

Phil Foden x Male reader

Note: AYYY Did the ask thingy wrong again😍😍😍

Important

Warnings: no cut for nsfw part! Both sfw and nsfw. Kinks being mentioned.

————

Sfw

You two definitely already knew each other before you two started crushing on each other.

Phil definitely started crushing on you when he first saw you shirtless. you two were at the beach…

You started crushing on Phil when you were at football practice. You two both play for Manchester city.

Your crush just randomly started, while on the other hand Phil had always kinda crushed on you, but had just denied it.

After drunkenly admitting to you his crush one night, the two of you immediately had hit it off. You went on a date the day after.

Phil really loves the way your around 20cm taller than him, especially when he wants to snuggle on the couch you become his personal teddy bear.

Phil also likes how good you are with Ronnie - with kids in general - and sometimes wants to cry when he sees the two of you having fun.

-

Nsfw

In bed your 100% the dominant one. And he’s 1000% not a power bottom. And that shows really well, he tried topping you ones but he was too nervous.

Thought he doesn’t like it rough, he’d definitely scream if you go to fast. Although you always put your huge hands over his small face because you don’t want to wake up Ronnie. But when Ronnie isn’t around, he definitely likes to cry because of how much it hurts.

You definitely have a huge member, though Phil’s is far from small either. And he definitely has a thing for choking on it. He also likes to role play and to be cuffed to the bed.

He gives the best blowjobs, he never fails to make you cum in his mouth. Wich you definitely have a thing for.

He also likes it when you whisper really naughty things in his ear with your deep voice. He definitely doesn’t care to give a blowjob in the plane or team bus, he’s really good at keeping it unnoticeable.

————

LMAO WHY IS THIS SO SHORT BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHG

WEDNESDAY ADDAMS X READER WRITING IDEAS

Hello everybody!! Please keep reading this post! I have a lot of Wednesday Addams x reader writing/prompt ideas so I would like your feedback and know which one you guys would want the most!!

I used a prompt generator and it came out with so many cute fluff ideas so here they are and you can request/dm or comment which one you would want!

1st!

•Wednesday Addams wakes to find that it has snowed overnight and gets excited about playing in it. reader gets excited because this means that when Wednesday comes inside, it will be time for cuddling by the fire.

2nd!

•reader reading in bed while Wednesday Addams rests their head on reader's shoulder, sleeping.

3rd!

•Wednesday Addams and reader reveal their tumblr blogs to each other. reader turns out to be Wednesday Addams 's #1 tumblr crush.

4th!

•Wednesday Addams and reader literally sitting in a tree, kissing..

5th!

•reader staring admiringly at Wednesday Addams from across the room. A friend whispers into reader's ear: 'Why are vou so thirsty?'

6th!

•Wednesday Addams doesn't like talking on the phone, but Fem!reader always calls them instead of texting. Fem!reader admits that it's because they want to hear Wednesday Addams 's voice and Wednesday Addams gets flustered.

Tension. (part 5)

⁎ warnings: romantic slasher ? neglect, mentions of murder, manipulation, female!reader.

⁎ summary: you fell for him. hard. the murders started, and you knew it was him. billy lured you into his dark and twisted intentions. it was so wrong. but it doesn't feel wrong... there was something stopping you. or someone.

⁎ author note: hii. im so grateful for all the notes and followers i got for this series :) sorry for taking so long i caught the flu :( this ones a little short :p

Living with Billy felt like a dream at first. The two of you, no more hiding, no more masks—just you and him. It was everything you’d always wanted. Billy as your boyfriend was something you never thought would happen, not like this. The thrill of being with him, knowing you were the one he chose, made it all worth it.

But lately… something was off.

At first, it was little things. He’d stay out late without saying where he was going, or he’d brush you off when you asked about it. Then he started getting quieter, not the same smirking, charming Billy you knew. You couldn’t shake the feeling that he was pulling away. Like he was already tired of the life you’d built together.

You tried to ignore it, but every time you looked at him, there was this distance that wasn’t there before. And the worst part? You didn’t know why.

01:34 AM: Billy's house:

You are sitting on Billy’s couch, the dim light of the living room casting shadows on the walls. You have been waiting for him all night, your thoughts racing with doubt and anxiety. The clock on the wall ticks loudly in the silence. It’s well past midnight when the door finally creaks open, and Billy walks in, looking casual but distant. You stood up as soon as he entered, your heart pounding. "Where were you ? I’ve been waiting for hours… again." You said, with a hint of neglect and sadness in your eyes. You HAD to ask him what was going on, you were already suspicious of him.

"Had some things to take care of. Why ? Got a problem with that ?" Billy answered, barely looking up as he tosses his jacket onto a chair, his tone indifferent. You feel your chest tighten. This isn’t the same Billy who used to hang on your every word. There’s a coldness now, like you've become an afterthought. ''You've been doing this every night. Ignoring me. Avoiding me. What's going on ?'' You ask with a shaky voice, trying to keep it together. You were genuinely hurt. What if this was a mistake ?

Billy looked at you and sighed, stepping closer to you. ''C'mere babe.'' he said, opening his arms. You wanted to refuse, but you couldn't. You stepped in his arms and engulfed him in a hug. ''I miss the way things used to be. I miss us.'' you said, tearing up. You were overthinking the entire thing. What if you never agreed to start the killings with him ? What if you never ran away with him ? What if you never fell in love ?

''Don't cry. I'm still here...'' he said before suddenly pulling you tighter towards him, a little too tight. ''I'm the reason you have somewhere to stay. Don't forget that.'' he whispered coldly before letting go of you, walking upstairs. You look at him with shock and hurt, tears flowing down your cheeks. You decide to brush it off by assuming he was in a bad mood, even though this wasn't the first time.

Later on, you were in Billy's kitchen. His earlier coldness was still lingering in your mind. You couldn't sleep after he said what he said. You were starting to second guess the choice of being with him. Billy, having noticed your lingering frustration, decides it's time to charm his way back into your good graces. He approaches you with a gentle, almost too-sweet smile, his tone soft and sorry.

''Hey,'' he said as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, giving you a soft peck on your cheek. ''I'm sorry about earlier, I'm going through alot right now.'' he murmured. You sigh, not quite believing him anymore. He noticed your hesitation and sighed. ''C'mon, i said i was sorry. You could atleast forgive me.'' He looks into your eyes, his gaze tender, filled with a fake sincerity that almost makes you forget the earlier neglect.

"You’re the most important person in my life, we’re so close to having the life we’ve always dreamed of. But there’s one last thing we need to do, and I need your help..." he said. Your heart skips a beat at the mention of a new task. You're wary but hopeful that this will be the moment they can finally leave Woodsboro behind and start over.

Billy looks at you before gently squeezing your hand. "Look, I need you to trust me. This is the final step." he said before moving closer, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear with a feather-light touch. His voice is a soft murmur, almost hypnotic. ''I need you to kill Gale.''

You freeze. Kill... Gale...? You slowly turn to him with a shocked look on your face, shaking your head. ''Billy... you promised. You promised me we wouldn't hurt any more people ! We already did enough !'' you exclaimed. You did not want to go back to your old ways, his old ways. You were good with what was going on now. Billy's eyes darkened before stepping closer. ''I'm just saying; you kill Gale, take her money, we leave Woodsboro. You won't get caught.'' he murmured. ''Do it for me. For us. I love you.''

You couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth inside you. He barely ever told you that he loved you. But he did. Your eyes softened before thinking about it. If you killed Gale and took her money, you and Billy would have enough money to buy another house. But killing Gale would just be so cruel. Billy waited for your answer, staring into your eyes. ''Can't you figure out another way to earn money ?'' you asked him quietly. ''No. I can't apply for a job that would be inconvenient... please.'' Billy pleaded softly, also with a hint of impatience in his voice. You sighed and looked at the ground, considering this decision. What's next ?

To Be Continued...

Tension. (part 5)

⁎ warnings: romantic slasher ? neglect, mentions of murder, manipulation, female!reader.

⁎ summary: you fell for him. hard. the murders started, and you knew it was him. billy lured you into his dark and twisted intentions. it was so wrong. but it doesn't feel wrong... there was something stopping you. or someone.

⁎ author note: hii. im so grateful for all the notes and followers i got for this series :) sorry for taking so long i caught the flu :( this ones a little short :p

Living with Billy felt like a dream at first. The two of you, no more hiding, no more masks—just you and him. It was everything you’d always wanted. Billy as your boyfriend was something you never thought would happen, not like this. The thrill of being with him, knowing you were the one he chose, made it all worth it.

But lately… something was off.

At first, it was little things. He’d stay out late without saying where he was going, or he’d brush you off when you asked about it. Then he started getting quieter, not the same smirking, charming Billy you knew. You couldn’t shake the feeling that he was pulling away. Like he was already tired of the life you’d built together.

You tried to ignore it, but every time you looked at him, there was this distance that wasn’t there before. And the worst part? You didn’t know why.

01:34 AM: Billy's house:

You are sitting on Billy’s couch, the dim light of the living room casting shadows on the walls. You have been waiting for him all night, your thoughts racing with doubt and anxiety. The clock on the wall ticks loudly in the silence. It’s well past midnight when the door finally creaks open, and Billy walks in, looking casual but distant. You stood up as soon as he entered, your heart pounding. "Where were you ? I’ve been waiting for hours… again." You said, with a hint of neglect and sadness in your eyes. You HAD to ask him what was going on, you were already suspicious of him.

"Had some things to take care of. Why ? Got a problem with that ?" Billy answered, barely looking up as he tosses his jacket onto a chair, his tone indifferent. You feel your chest tighten. This isn’t the same Billy who used to hang on your every word. There’s a coldness now, like you've become an afterthought. ''You've been doing this every night. Ignoring me. Avoiding me. What's going on ?'' You ask with a shaky voice, trying to keep it together. You were genuinely hurt. What if this was a mistake ?

Billy looked at you and sighed, stepping closer to you. ''C'mere babe.'' he said, opening his arms. You wanted to refuse, but you couldn't. You stepped in his arms and engulfed him in a hug. ''I miss the way things used to be. I miss us.'' you said, tearing up. You were overthinking the entire thing. What if you never agreed to start the killings with him ? What if you never ran away with him ? What if you never fell in love ?

''Don't cry. I'm still here...'' he said before suddenly pulling you tighter towards him, a little too tight. ''I'm the reason you have somewhere to stay. Don't forget that.'' he whispered coldly before letting go of you, walking upstairs. You look at him with shock and hurt, tears flowing down your cheeks. You decide to brush it off by assuming he was in a bad mood, even though this wasn't the first time.

Later on, you were in Billy's kitchen. His earlier coldness was still lingering in your mind. You couldn't sleep after he said what he said. You were starting to second guess the choice of being with him. Billy, having noticed your lingering frustration, decides it's time to charm his way back into your good graces. He approaches you with a gentle, almost too-sweet smile, his tone soft and sorry.

''Hey,'' he said as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, giving you a soft peck on your cheek. ''I'm sorry about earlier, I'm going through alot right now.'' he murmured. You sigh, not quite believing him anymore. He noticed your hesitation and sighed. ''C'mon, i said i was sorry. You could atleast forgive me.'' He looks into your eyes, his gaze tender, filled with a fake sincerity that almost makes you forget the earlier neglect.

"You’re the most important person in my life, we’re so close to having the life we’ve always dreamed of. But there’s one last thing we need to do, and I need your help..." he said. Your heart skips a beat at the mention of a new task. You're wary but hopeful that this will be the moment they can finally leave Woodsboro behind and start over.

Billy looks at you before gently squeezing your hand. "Look, I need you to trust me. This is the final step." he said before moving closer, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear with a feather-light touch. His voice is a soft murmur, almost hypnotic. ''I need you to kill Gale.''

You freeze. Kill... Gale...? You slowly turn to him with a shocked look on your face, shaking your head. ''Billy... you promised. You promised me we wouldn't hurt any more people ! We already did enough !'' you exclaimed. You did not want to go back to your old ways, his old ways. You were good with what was going on now. Billy's eyes darkened before stepping closer. ''I'm just saying; you kill Gale, take her money, we leave Woodsboro. You won't get caught.'' he murmured. ''Do it for me. For us. I love you.''

You couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth inside you. He barely ever told you that he loved you. But he did. Your eyes softened before thinking about it. If you killed Gale and took her money, you and Billy would have enough money to buy another house. But killing Gale would just be so cruel. Billy waited for your answer, staring into your eyes. ''Can't you figure out another way to earn money ?'' you asked him quietly. ''No. I can't apply for a job that would be inconvenient... please.'' Billy pleaded softly, also with a hint of impatience in his voice. You sighed and looked at the ground, considering this decision. What's next ?

To Be Continued...

Tension. (the last part)

⁎ warnings: romantic slasher ? mentions of a knife, mentions of AND !murder!, mentions of blood, manipulation, angst, female!reader.

⁎ summary: you fell for him. hard. the murders started, and you knew it was him. billy lured you into his dark and twisted intentions. it was so wrong. but it doesn't feel wrong... there was something stopping you. or someone.

⁎ author note: here's the last part for yall :). im planning to write like a few headcanons abt scream and then move on to something else. if you have any requests, dont be afraid to ask :) ill keep it anonymous. thanks !

You thought it was over. After you and Billy moved in together, you really believed the killing was behind you, that you could finally just be together without all the blood and chaos. But you should've known better. Billy always had a way of pulling you back in, no matter how much you wanted out.

When he asked you to do it again, you felt your stomach drop. You dreaded it. Every part of you screamed that this wasn't what you signed up for—this wasn't the life you imagined when you ran away with him. But then he looked at you, that look that always made you weak, and you realized you'd never be able to say no. You still loved him, no matter what.

So here you were. Scared, but ready. You'd do anything for him. As always.

Your hands were trembling as you stood in front of the mirror, staring at your reflection. You already hurt too many people, already crossed too many lines. The thought of doing it again, of killing Gale, stealing money... You took deep breaths, trying to steady yourself.

Billy came into the room, his face calm, completely unfazed. He was just focused on the plan. "You ready ?" he asked, barely looking at you, focused more on the task of killing Gale and getting the money than on you. You shook your head, your voice merely a whisper. "No…" you sniffled. He turned to you with a frown on his face, stepping closer. "Hey," he said softly, his tone shifting. "You've done this before. You're fine. We've come far. We can't stop now." he said. "This is it, okay ? You finish this, and you're done. No more running, no more hiding. Just us."

You bit your lip, tearing up. You didn't wanna do this again, you didn't want to be that person anymore. But when Billy looked at you like that, all soft and content, it made it harder to say no. "You love me, right ?" he asked in a whisper, his eyes gazing into yours. You nodded, unable to say anything, your heart beating faster and faster every second. "Then trust me." he said, pressing a kiss to your cheek. "We've got this. Just one more time."

His words got to you again. Your heart was pounding as you got ready to go outside, the fear evident in your body language. But no matter how scared you were, you couldn’t back out now. You loved him. You'd always do whatever it took to prove it.

After he had reassured you that everything was going to be okay, you were ready to go out and do the job. ''It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be over soon.'' you told yourself before grabbing your bag and put your mask, knife and costume in it. ''Remember, bring the money to me after you took it, okay ?'' Billy told you, leaning on a wall. You looked at him before nodding. ''I will... I love you.'' you told him, just in case. The end of his lips curved upwards as he looked at you. ''Love you too. Be safe.'' he said.

You stepped outside and started walking towards Gale's home. You already knew where she lived. Unfortunately this time, you wish you didn't. You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself, but your heart wouldn’t stop racing. This was it. You didn’t have a choice anymore. You reached over, grabbing the mask and slipping it over your face, the familiar cold feeling settling in as the fabric clung to your skin. It was suffocating. But this was who you had to be tonight. Just for him.

You snuck past the gate, walking to the back of her house. You quietly took out a hairpin and picked the lock before the backdoor opened with a small creak. You knew didn't know if Gale was home or not, but you knew that she was very alert. So you quietly tiptoed inside her house making sure she didn't hear you. Then, you pulled the knife out, your hand trembling as you gripped it tight, hiding in the kitchen closet. You waited and waited until you heard some motion.

You hear a few footsteps coming downstairs, bracing yourself for what's about to happen next. As you hear the footsteps stop right infront of you, the closet door opens and it reveals Gale. You quickly act and stab her stomach before she could react. She yelped in pain as she put her hand on the place she got stabbed. You stabbed her chest continuously until she went completely limp and eventually, dead. You panted as you watched her take her last breath. You quickly snapped out of it and look around for any trace of cash or money. You run upstairs, desperate to find the money.

You eventually find her bedroom and went in. you yanked open the closet doors, digging through shoes, boxes, anything that could hide what you were looking for. And then you saw it, a small lockbox shoved into the corner. You grabbed it, fumbling with the lock, cursing under your breath when it didn't open right away. You weren't thinking straight, hands trembling as you tried to focus. Finally, the lock clicked open, and there it was—the money. Stacks of cash, just sitting there like it was waiting for you.

You quickly grabbed all the stacks of cash and put them in your backpack, wanting to leave this place as quick as you could. You finished taking the money and ran downstairs towards the back door, but... it was locked ? You pulled on the door handle, trying to open the door but it wouldn't budge. You hear a few footsteps behind you. You slowly turn around to see Billy, standing in the middle of the living room, knife in hand. You didn't even hear him come in. ''Wow. You really did it. Not that it was unexpected...'' he said with the sly smirk that always lured you into his tricks. You take off the mask before showing the frown you had on your face. What was he doing here ? ''Billy... w-what are you doing here ?'' you asked with confusion. Billy took a few slow steps towards you, toying with the knife in his hand.

''Oh... just came to check on you babe. Good job.'' he said with a nod, looking back at Gale's lifeless body on the floor. You backed up till your back hit the wall, intimidated by his body language. ''You were always so good to me. And i appreciate that. Honestly, without you, i wouldn't be where i am right now. You helped me.'' he said, his eyes narrowing as he got closer, now inches away from you. Your breath hitched, barely containing eye contact. You were just so confused... ''But... I'm afraid all good things come to an end.'' he said before you felt a sharp pain in your abdomen. You look down to see some blood dripping down the floor. You didn't realize what he did until Billy smirked at you, hand hovering over your cheek. A tear rolled down your cheek. You felt betrayal, pain, anger, sadness all in one. You couldn't believe it. All this time, you were just bait. All the ''I love you's'' he said to you, were all fake. All of it was fake.

''Hey... it's okay.'' he said softly, removing the knife from your stomach. You let out a whimper, holding onto his shoulder, trying to look for any sympathy in his eyes. But there was none. ''The police are on their way. If you're lucky enough, maybe you've already stopped breathing before they found you...'' he said, smirking softly. He then stabbed you twice more, no remorse in his actions at all. You let out a sob as you slowly felt your heartbeat slow down. ''Why...?'' you managed to choke out. Billy looked at you and tilted his head softly. ''This isn't a fairytale. Like i told you, I don't believe in love.'' he said coldly before you dropped to the floor, holding your stomach as you coughed up some blood, seeing your life flash before your eyes. Billy took the backpack full of money, looking at you one last time. ''Thank you for everything.'' he said before leaving the house, leaving you for dead.

The last thing you saw before your vision went black were the police sirens, the loud siren echoing in your ears. The thing that disgusted you the most is, no matter what he did, no matter how cruel he was;

You'd always love him.

The End.

Tension. (the last part)

⁎ warnings: romantic slasher ? mentions of a knife, mentions of AND !murder!, mentions of blood, manipulation, angst, female!reader.

⁎ summary: you fell for him. hard. the murders started, and you knew it was him. billy lured you into his dark and twisted intentions. it was so wrong. but it doesn't feel wrong... there was something stopping you. or someone.

⁎ author note: here's the last part for yall :). im planning to write like a few headcanons abt scream and then move on to something else. if you have any requests, dont be afraid to ask :) ill keep it anonymous. thanks !

You thought it was over. After you and Billy moved in together, you really believed the killing was behind you, that you could finally just be together without all the blood and chaos. But you should've known better. Billy always had a way of pulling you back in, no matter how much you wanted out.

When he asked you to do it again, you felt your stomach drop. You dreaded it. Every part of you screamed that this wasn't what you signed up for—this wasn't the life you imagined when you ran away with him. But then he looked at you, that look that always made you weak, and you realized you'd never be able to say no. You still loved him, no matter what.

So here you were. Scared, but ready. You'd do anything for him. As always.

Your hands were trembling as you stood in front of the mirror, staring at your reflection. You already hurt too many people, already crossed too many lines. The thought of doing it again, of killing Gale, stealing money... You took deep breaths, trying to steady yourself.

Billy came into the room, his face calm, completely unfazed. He was just focused on the plan. "You ready ?" he asked, barely looking at you, focused more on the task of killing Gale and getting the money than on you. You shook your head, your voice merely a whisper. "No…" you sniffled. He turned to you with a frown on his face, stepping closer. "Hey," he said softly, his tone shifting. "You've done this before. You're fine. We've come far. We can't stop now." he said. "This is it, okay ? You finish this, and you're done. No more running, no more hiding. Just us."

You bit your lip, tearing up. You didn't wanna do this again, you didn't want to be that person anymore. But when Billy looked at you like that, all soft and content, it made it harder to say no. "You love me, right ?" he asked in a whisper, his eyes gazing into yours. You nodded, unable to say anything, your heart beating faster and faster every second. "Then trust me." he said, pressing a kiss to your cheek. "We've got this. Just one more time."

His words got to you again. Your heart was pounding as you got ready to go outside, the fear evident in your body language. But no matter how scared you were, you couldn’t back out now. You loved him. You'd always do whatever it took to prove it.

After he had reassured you that everything was going to be okay, you were ready to go out and do the job. ''It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be over soon.'' you told yourself before grabbing your bag and put your mask, knife and costume in it. ''Remember, bring the money to me after you took it, okay ?'' Billy told you, leaning on a wall. You looked at him before nodding. ''I will... I love you.'' you told him, just in case. The end of his lips curved upwards as he looked at you. ''Love you too. Be safe.'' he said.

You stepped outside and started walking towards Gale's home. You already knew where she lived. Unfortunately this time, you wish you didn't. You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself, but your heart wouldn’t stop racing. This was it. You didn’t have a choice anymore. You reached over, grabbing the mask and slipping it over your face, the familiar cold feeling settling in as the fabric clung to your skin. It was suffocating. But this was who you had to be tonight. Just for him.

You snuck past the gate, walking to the back of her house. You quietly took out a hairpin and picked the lock before the backdoor opened with a small creak. You knew didn't know if Gale was home or not, but you knew that she was very alert. So you quietly tiptoed inside her house making sure she didn't hear you. Then, you pulled the knife out, your hand trembling as you gripped it tight, hiding in the kitchen closet. You waited and waited until you heard some motion.

You hear a few footsteps coming downstairs, bracing yourself for what's about to happen next. As you hear the footsteps stop right infront of you, the closet door opens and it reveals Gale. You quickly act and stab her stomach before she could react. She yelped in pain as she put her hand on the place she got stabbed. You stabbed her chest continuously until she went completely limp and eventually, dead. You panted as you watched her take her last breath. You quickly snapped out of it and look around for any trace of cash or money. You run upstairs, desperate to find the money.

You eventually find her bedroom and went in. you yanked open the closet doors, digging through shoes, boxes, anything that could hide what you were looking for. And then you saw it, a small lockbox shoved into the corner. You grabbed it, fumbling with the lock, cursing under your breath when it didn't open right away. You weren't thinking straight, hands trembling as you tried to focus. Finally, the lock clicked open, and there it was—the money. Stacks of cash, just sitting there like it was waiting for you.

You quickly grabbed all the stacks of cash and put them in your backpack, wanting to leave this place as quick as you could. You finished taking the money and ran downstairs towards the back door, but... it was locked ? You pulled on the door handle, trying to open the door but it wouldn't budge. You hear a few footsteps behind you. You slowly turn around to see Billy, standing in the middle of the living room, knife in hand. You didn't even hear him come in. ''Wow. You really did it. Not that it was unexpected...'' he said with the sly smirk that always lured you into his tricks. You take off the mask before showing the frown you had on your face. What was he doing here ? ''Billy... w-what are you doing here ?'' you asked with confusion. Billy took a few slow steps towards you, toying with the knife in his hand.

''Oh... just came to check on you babe. Good job.'' he said with a nod, looking back at Gale's lifeless body on the floor. You backed up till your back hit the wall, intimidated by his body language. ''You were always so good to me. And i appreciate that. Honestly, without you, i wouldn't be where i am right now. You helped me.'' he said, his eyes narrowing as he got closer, now inches away from you. Your breath hitched, barely containing eye contact. You were just so confused... ''But... I'm afraid all good things come to an end.'' he said before you felt a sharp pain in your abdomen. You look down to see some blood dripping down the floor. You didn't realize what he did until Billy smirked at you, hand hovering over your cheek. A tear rolled down your cheek. You felt betrayal, pain, anger, sadness all in one. You couldn't believe it. All this time, you were just bait. All the ''I love you's'' he said to you, were all fake. All of it was fake.

''Hey... it's okay.'' he said softly, removing the knife from your stomach. You let out a whimper, holding onto his shoulder, trying to look for any sympathy in his eyes. But there was none. ''The police are on their way. If you're lucky enough, maybe you've already stopped breathing before they found you...'' he said, smirking softly. He then stabbed you twice more, no remorse in his actions at all. You let out a sob as you slowly felt your heartbeat slow down. ''Why...?'' you managed to choke out. Billy looked at you and tilted his head softly. ''This isn't a fairytale. Like i told you, I don't believe in love.'' he said coldly before you dropped to the floor, holding your stomach as you coughed up some blood, seeing your life flash before your eyes. Billy took the backpack full of money, looking at you one last time. ''Thank you for everything.'' he said before leaving the house, leaving you for dead.

The last thing you saw before your vision went black were the police sirens, the loud siren echoing in your ears. The thing that disgusted you the most is, no matter what he did, no matter how cruel he was;

You'd always love him.

The End.

Hii!! Since your requests are open could you write some cuddling hcs for vanitas?? I am desperately in need of vanitas content atm 🫶🫶

Notes: Hii!! Of course i can! and AHHH- Cuddling with Vanitas give me serotonin!!🙌

Anyway i hope you like the head canons 💙

TW??/CONTENT: cuddling with Vanitas , fem!reader

-I started by saying that Vanitas LOVES cuddling with you but he will never admit it

-It would be terribly awkward for him if one day Noè found you two just cuddling like a normal couple would

-You don’t know why but he HATE when someone discovers/interrupts y’all in your intimate moments

-He loves hugging you from behind, kiss your neck and make you tickle.

-Generally cuddle each other in the morning when you wake up to ‘energize’ each other.

-He calls you with adorable nicknames but only while you two cuddling, he doesn't want people to start thinking he's a guy who melts easily.

-He call’s you “my pretty princess”, “my girl” and sometimes even “my love”

-Once he starts pampering you, he never wants to stop

-“Ow Princes pleaseee!! Only five more minutes, do it for me! pretty pleasee!!”

-becomes needy and childish like a child (but in a good way)

-But if anyone ever found out about you two cuddling, he would say that you are the one in need of affection and that he, as a good boyfriend, grants your wish.

-“Me? Pffff no! I don’t need affection from my girlfriend, she’s the one who need it and as a good boyfriend i have to make her feel loved, am i wrong? I don’t think so”

-and if you are a vindictive person then as soon as you find out about this, for 'punishment' you will not cuddle him for quite a while until he will ask you by himself.

-How long will it be able to last in your opinion? a week or two?

-“ohh please i’m sorry! You know i didn’t mean to,right? Now... can we please cuddle?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------so that's it! i really hope you enjoy your head canon's!💙