Unraveled Ch.1: Introductions

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.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.

——————————

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

Aaron Hotchner: First and Last Phone Call

Imagine being followed, so you call your brother (Aaron Hotchner), hoping he might save you:

Y/N's POV:

The walk to my dorm was taking me longer than usual, the recent injury to my leg was definitely not helping me.

The sun had long since set, and the darkness of the night had fully set in, my only light sources being the sparse lamp posts dotting along the sidewalk. The dark has always been a fear of mine, but my fear is reaching a whole new level right now. I'm injured, alone, and in a new environment; anything could happen to me. I keep my head up and on a swivel, turning at anything and everything.

I eventually calm down after a few minutes of excessive paranoia, instead finding comfort in the soft breeze, the leaves russling under the trees, and gazing at the orange glow of the lamps against the dark blue sky, it's actually quite calming.

Rain lightly begins to sprinkle from above, something that I embrace as I love rainy weather. Of course my clothes and bag are getting wet, but I don't care.

I almost miss the quiet scuffle behind me, the sound of light footsteps against the wet sidewalk. I turn around quickly, but I see nothing. Turning back around, I shake my head, thinking I'm being paranoid again. I continue my slow walk, my dorm is still several minutes away.

After another few moments of walking, the light scuffle is heard again, this time I immediately turn around, once again seeing nothing behind me. I glare at my surroundings harshly, I'm about to continue my trek when something catches my attention.

Along the sidewalk is a dirt area with bushes and trees, large oaks that are spread every 7 feet along the sidewalk. Nothing about that is odd, but carefully surveying the tree, I noticed the rubber toe of a shoe, it reminds me of the thick rubber sole of Vans.

My breathing feels harder, an eerie sense of understanding floods through my body. I don't have my pepper spray or any of my knives on me, I made the stupid decision that a philosophy textbooks was more important. I'm wearing my Ariat leather books, good for walking and work, but not so amazing when it comes to having to outrun somebody.

My brain is turning with thoughts of what to do, but the first thing I know I must do is turn back around and start walking as if nothing is wrong; this may seem stupid, but I can't let this person know that I've spotted them. I force my breaths to be even, and I grasp my bag loosely to my side.

Continuing to walk was very hard, especially when you know somebody is following you, and you have no idea what their intentions are.

Grasping my bag, I swiftly undo its buckles, taking care not to look like I'm rushing. Rain drips down my skin as I pull my phone out of my bag, looking closely, I notice the slight tremble in my hands and the burning of my eyes. Clicking on the only contact I can think of, I hold the phone tightly to my ear.

———————

Aaron Hotchner's POV:

I hear my phone ringing, it causes the conference room to fall silent, all eyes going to me. Sheepishly reaching into my coat pocket, I glance at the name and know it must be important.

"What is it Aaron?" Rossi questions, clearly seeing the confusion in my eyes.

"It's my sister?" My voice is deep and raspy, I haven't spoken to her since I left home, and she has never reached out to me. I don't know why she's calling, but I know I need to answer it.

"Continue without me, give me the summary on the jet." Is all I say before pushing out of my chair and exiting the room, leaving it full of confused and concerned profilers.

———

"....Y/N?" I listen closely, hearing the slight pattering of rain through the line.

"...Hey Aaron." Her voice is tight, it only increases my concern.

"Why are you calling?" My question can't help but be asked, my personality doesn't allow for the polite bullshitting, instead wanting to get straight to the point.

"I'm doing great, heading to my dorm right now actually, I know you're waiting for me." Her response is confusing, we haven't kept in contact at all, and I didn't even know she was in university. Something starts to scratch in the back of my mind, this conversation feels off.

"What are you talking about? Why did you call me?" My question is overflowing with the need for an answer, my voice lowering so that prying ears can't hear.

"Yah, I did go down to California for spring break. The horse races were crazy!" With this sentence my thoughts still. When Y/N was just a little girl, I taught her certain phrases to say when something is happening to her; and this was one of the scariest scenarios:

She was being actively followed.

My breathing gets heavier, and my heart feels like it's ramming against my rib cage. I grip my phone so tight it feels like I might crush it. Thinking quickly, I stride out of my office and back into the conference room, JJ falls silent as they all look at me.

Motioning for everyone to stay quiet, I pull the phone away from my ear and put it on silent.

"I'm with my team Y/N, tell me where you are."

"...I'm walking to (university name), I was just in town, but I'm currently passing some gas station. I should only be about 10 minutes away, so I'll meet you there." I can hear her straining to keep a normal pitch and her breaths becoming faster, alerting me that she is worried. I point at Garcia, her eyes lighting up with understanding as she begins typing away on her computer.

By now, everyone looks confused and worried, but all are in work mode.

"Y/N, you need to get into a building, I don't care which one, you just need to find other people. NOW." My voice is harsh, and I know it's not helping the situation, but I need her to be safe.

———————

Y/N's POV:

He's almost shouting at me, but I know he's just worried, I can hear the almost inaudible waver in his voice. The tears are freely falling now, I've already passed the last building between town and my university.

The footsteps behind me speed up, it seems they noticed my predicament as well, they are going to do something to me, and there is nothing I can do. I speed up as well, wanting to be able to explain everything to Aaron.

"Aar.. A-Aaron...I-I'm sorry." I can't stop my voice from stuttering, sobs now mixing with my talking.

"I'm sorry I said I hated you. I was angry at myself, not you" My words drip with emotion, the guilt that flows through me is almost as painful as knowing I'm about to die.

"Y/N-" He tries to speak, but I interrupt him as I know I have little time.

"I'm sorry that your last memory of me will be over the phone, please forgive m-" My apologies are cut short, my phone being smacked to the ground. I try to face my attacker, but a punch to the face causes me to take a detour to the floor.

The rough asphalt rips into the flesh of my hands, it burns, but not as much as the kick I receive to the gut. I scream in pain, hoping someone will hear, but knowing deep down that no one will.

The person jumps on top of me, their weight forcing my already empty lungs to collapse even further, I feel like I'm gasping, but no air enters. Everything is blurry, and wet, it's all so disorienting.

Two large hands wrap around my throat, the pressure quickly increasing; I try to fight, feebly punching him with my weakening limbs.

I feel heavy, my head foggy, I kind of just want to close my eyes and sleep. As my eyelids droop closed, the last memory I have is of a blurry warm light from a lamp post a little ways away.

———————

Aaron Hotchner's POV:

After the screams and scuffle end, all we hear through the phone is silence, someone(I assume the attacker) picks up the phone, and ends the call after another few seconds. Sadness is surging through my body, I already know tears are dripping down my cheeks, but even through all my sorrow, I remain silent.

Everyone looks uncomfortable, looks of fear, anger, shock, and concern mingling in all of their expressions. JJ is about to say something when Garcia comes bustling through the door, she looks just as depressed as I feel.

"Sir, I know where she is."

Alec Hardy: A Messed Up Situation

Imagine your step-father abuses you, and you finally break; leading to an investigation and interview/questioning with a detective(Alec Hardy):

- Lil warning: mention of parent death, eludes to drugging, alludes to rape, pedophilia, rape, molestation, minor reader/underage reader, abuse, battery, alludes to non-con -

"Help! Someone! Please!!"

My voice strains against the hand, I've never been attacked, let alone raped before, and I certainly didn't think I ever would be. The only thing making a bad situation worse, is that fact that this is my step-father.

_______

My father was killed in a car crash when I was 12, my mother was all I had left, but it seems I wasn't enough.

The month after his funeral, she returned home, hanging on the arm of a 30 something year old man, his smile seeming to grow even wider when he spots me.

His name is Steven, and he looked to be 5"11, with dirty blond hair that was brushed to the side and light stubble on his jaw. He seemed friendly enough, and he was always playing games with me whenever he was over.

He came over often after that night, practically living at our house, so I got to know him fairly well. He always wanted to be near me, sitting next to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

Something I always found odd was how it seemed he would lightly flirt with me whenever my mother was gone. He would do it quickly, so quick you would miss it if you blinked; but I ignored it because he made my mother happy.

After a year of them dating, he officially moved in, right in time to celebrate my 13th birthday. That night was great, I invited all my friends over to the beach, we spent most of it in the ocean, but also had a lot of fun chasing each other and building sand castles. When I got home that night, he helped my mother to bed, and I quickly disappeared into my bathroom.

Though I had a great time, I had been making an effort to avoid Steven. His flirting was getting heavier and making me uncomfortable, he always stares at me, and always wanted to be touching me, whether it be him holding my hand or grasping my arm.

That was the night he first kissed me, he had cornered me after my shower, and his facial expression looked restrained, almost as though he was holding back a wild beast. He made me feel disgusted with myself, why was he doing this? He said I had been teasing him ever since I met him, but this just makes me even more confused, how did I tease him?

_______

The following year after that was normal, he would still hold my hand or hold me in a lingering hug, but he never kissed me again apart from kissing my forehead. He started to feel more like a father, or maybe that is what I made myself believe.

He married my mother the day I turned 14, it was sort of a special wedding-birthday mix thing. It was a lot of fun, my friends and their families were invited to the wedding, and my mother looked the happiest I'd ever seen her. Her white dress was beautiful, but she said I stole the show with my light lavender dress. That whole day and night, I felt eyes lingering on me, but I pushed the thought away, instead choosing to enjoy the wedding.

When we returned home from the wedding, my mother was acting strangely, her words were slurring and her movements droopy, this level of exhaustion seemed abnormal.

Steven put her to bed as I headed to my room to do the same. I was about to begin undressing when I heard the door to my room creak open, I quickly turned around, spotting Steven entering my room. He seemed so awake, but his calm demeanor made everything feel eerie.

"Here, let me help you." I didn't even have time to stop him, he had already grabbed the zipper for my dress, pulling it down my back slowly, almost as if savoring the moment. My body reacted in paranoia, I don't know why he's in my room, shouldn't he be with mom?

"Y'know... I've been waiting all day to take this dress off." At that moment, my paranoia seemed immensely justified. I immediately stepped away from him, but he moved quicker than me; yanking my dress down, the wispy material softly pooled around my ankles. I go to guard my body, but he's already shoving me down onto my bed, roughly holding his hand over my mouth, all the while whispering what he's going to do, and how much he loves me.

___

That night, he took everything from me, not only my innocence, but also my will to care.  It hurt so much, I was pleading for him to stop half the time, before falling silent and closing my eyes, praying that this was all a nightmare. I could feel the tears streaming out of my eyes as he hovered over me, his panting and movements forcefully reminding me of my horrifying reality.

The next morning I limped into school after rushing away from Steven and my mother. I spent the whole day in silence, never raising my hand, refusing to talk when called on.

This behavior continued for the next week, going to school barely half-alive, and then going home and laying in bed; Steven coming in any time possible to satiate his hunger. I don't know how my mother never noticed, but I pray she wasn't turning a blind eye to my fucked up situation.

I began making myself throw up, I don't know why, but it was something to help distract me. Some of the teachers pulled me to the side, asking me why I didn't play with the other kids anymore. I always shrugged my shoulders, refusing to speak.

After a month of Steven's continuous abuse, I finally did something that put all the teachers on edge.

___

It was an unnaturally hot day, and I made the mistake of taking my jacket off during recess.

My arms had a few bruises along them, but the most worrisome things they saw were the bruises around my wrists, they had distinct marks where Steven's fingertips had dug into them too harshly.

A small group of school teachers and others approached me. Mr.Rivers, a kind younger man who had the role of vice principal, made the mistake of lightly grasping my shoulder to get my attention. I shuddered away from his touch, cries of fear escaping my mouth as I fell backwards and to the floor. They all seemed shocked by my reaction, Mr.Rivers tries to comfort me, but I curl into myself, pulling my knees up and hiding my face against them.

I know he is distressed by my reaction, possibly feeling guilty, thinking he made me do this, but I hope he knows that he isn't the one making me cry.

The female teachers immediately move forward, some of them shooing the men away, and another carefully hugging me. I wrap my arms around her as she embraces me, holding and comforting me the way I wish my mother would.

___

I spend the next 30 minutes in an empty classroom, the same female teacher and a counselor sitting with me. They kept trying to get me to talk, but I gave only sparse answers. From the looks on their faces, they already have assumptions as to what happened to me.

My mind keeps replaying everything Steven has done to me, all the nightmares that plague me with each second of sleep I managed to attain.

I'm dragged out of my conscious terror when I hear a commotion outside of the classroom, the counselor and teacher glance at each other before getting up to investigate, but the door opens before they reach it.

A man and woman walk into the classroom, taking a quick scan of the room with their eyes before settling on my huddled form.

The man has messy brown hair that falls lightly over his forehead and a thickish layer of stubble on his jaw, he has deep brown eyes and looks eternally tired. The woman has dark brown curly hair that is pulled up in the back, she looks a lot more approachable, and is wearing a comforting yet sad smile as she gazes at me.

The counselor goes to stop them when they try to approach me, but they seem to show some sort of badge. After whispering some words, the counselor begrudgingly motions for the teacher to follow her out of the classroom.

When the door closes, I finally realize I'm left alone with these two strangers, I'm about to freak out when the woman starts to speak.

"Hello deary, I'm Ellie, and this is my partner Alec. We work for the police and we were wondering if you can help us?" She kneels down onto the floor, her voice is soft and comforting, drawing me to want to open up. I glance at the man, Alec, and my eyes tear up in fear when they meet his gaze, I quickly look away and back to the woman, hesitantly nodding my head.

She smiles, patting the chair next to her, I carefully walk over and sit in the chair, Alec pulling up one next to Ellie yet refusing to sit, instead standing behind it. They don't talk for a couple seconds, almost as though thinking of what to say.

"Can you tell us your name?" Ellie delicately asks. I glance at her eyes, before stiffly nodding.

"...Y-Y/N." I was worried that they didn't hear my hoarse whisper, but the smile she gave alerted me that I was heard. She asked me a few more questions, how I'm feeling right now, what my favorite subject was, how my parents were doing, just simple questions to establish a dialogue.

I stuttered a lot when answering the last question, I don't know how they are doing, and I don't want them being called my parents, not with what he has done to me and how she ignores what he does to me.

After the last question, a few moments of silence swirls through the air. It almost stings when I breathe in, I want to cough and yell, anything but be stuck in my mind.

"How'd you get those marks on your wrists?" This is the first time I've heard Alec talk, his voice isn't harsh like I thought it'd be, he actually spoke quite gently. This is the second time I've made eye contact with him, but instead of fear, a feeling of warmth and comfort seems to flow soothingly through me. He doesn't scare me like Steven, he actually reminds me of a teddy bear, I don't know why he is making me feel safe.

I don't answer the question, shifting my gaze to the scuffed up floor of the classroom. I can tell that Alec and Ellie are sharing a knowing look.

"You said you have a step-father, right? Steven?" I visibly recoil at the name, pulling my arms over my chest, almost as though subconsciously trying to shield myself from him.

"Don't say his name." My voice is weaker, I haven't talked this much in a while, I practically became a mute ever since he first raped me.

"Y/N... Y/N!" Alec calls my name gently at first, but the second time was a little sterner, though I don't know if stern is the right word. It's the voice my dad would use when I would ignore my chores even after he reminded me. Or when he learned I was being bullied, but I refused to tell him the bully's name.

I look at Alec, sighing in contemplation as I gaze up at him.

"Did he do this to you? Did Steven hurt you?" His question makes my heart beat faster in trepidation over what I was going to say. Was I going to tell him the truth, or was I going to lie and be abused for the rest of my life until I can leave home?

Something came over me, maybe it was how I was starved of real fatherly affection, or maybe it was how I finally felt seen and understood that caused me to stand from my chair and rush over to Alec's standing form.

One second I was rigidly sitting in a cold chair, and the next I was wrapping my arms around a man that represented the father figure I so desperately needed to comfort me.

Alec seemed stunned, this was probably the last thing he expected to happen, but after realizing what was going on he delicately wrapped his arms around me, hugging me back. I can't hold it in anymore, I cry and sob against him as he comforts me, hugging me tightly to him as he calms me down.

"Steven, he... he... he rapes me."

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.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