Summary: When you find yourself lost in a storm, you cling on to the only thing that makes you feel safe. But what if you lose your grip and you feel like you're going to drown? Can two completely different women, shaped and scarred by their pasts, hold on together in the most testing of times when one of them is about to lose everything?

Pairing: Megan x Kate

Rating: T – mainly for language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Body of Proof or any of its characters. I just play with them and promise to put them back where I found them once I'm done.

Timeline: I started writing this before the season 3 premiere which last night and went back to it to change the names of the detectives as I had originally intended for it to feature Bud and Sam. Sadly, they are no longer there, the same goes for Peter so he won't be showing up here either. This story is set after the events of Abducted 1 & 2 (although we don't know how things are going to end). After that, I'll ignore whatever timeline is being suggested on the show.

Authors note: Well, I am new to writing for the Body of Proof fandom but obviously not new to writing fanfiction. I recently started watching the series and went through seasons 1 and 2 in a matter of days. I am hooked and Kate and Megan share am amazing chemistry on screen that is extremely intense. The love/hatred thing is a brilliant basis for any fanfic and there are some scenes that just makes you wanna scream at your screen for them to just kiss already. I felt I needed to write something for this show so here we go!

"And what was it inside you that love never satisfied?
The thin thread that held you, how did it come untied?
The grace you only ran from, the bridges that you burned
The peace of mind you learned to live without

I hope you found it now

The burdenes that you carry and all of you mistakes
You're looking for a place to lay them down."

~Jason Walker - I Hope You Found It Now

I.

Doctor Kate Murphy walked into the morgue, her white lab coat billowing behind her and her blonde hair falling down her shoulders. The sound of her heels clicking against the lino echoed around the room. It was just after eight o'clock in the morning and she'd been at the office for over half an hour. She'd flicked through the masse of paperwork that had somehow magically accumulated on her desk overnight, answered a phone call from City Hall and politely declined a dinner invite from the mayor for that evening. By the time she'd slipped her hands into a pair of gloves, Kate felt like half the morning was already behind her when in fact her day had only just begun.

"What have we got?" she asked as she approached the autopsy table, her eyes lingering on the body lying there. Their latest arrival was male and she estimated he was in his late sixties. He was well dressed in a pair of pants, matching jacket and buttoned up white shirt. None of the pieces of clothing seemed disturbed and at first glance Kate didn't see any blood either.

Doctor Ethan Gross, who stood next to the table, looked up when he heard Kate's voice. He was all gloved up and held one of the morgue's standard issue tablets. He'd been flicking through whatever information they had but now his brown eyes found Kate's blue.

"Looks like a single gunshot wound to the head." Ethan glanced back down at his tablet as Kate leant in to inspect the wound. "We matched his fingerprints to a Jonathan McEldery but that's all we have for now."

"Where are Adam and Tommy?" Kate asked. She was used to seeing the detectives in the autopsy room with the body, waiting to be officially informed about a cause of death, even though it seemed rather obvious in this case. She looked over her shoulder but found that the detectives weren't waiting outside the room either.

"They had to go back to the crime scene," Ethan explained. "Apparently there's a lot of evidence to go through and the crime scene was a bit of a mess."

Kate nodded and stepped closer to the autopsy table so she could inspect the body more closely. A single wound could be seen right between the victim's eyes and she arched an eyebrow. "Somebody didn't like him much. Gunshot wounds to the head like this one are mainly used in execution style killings."

"Tommy did mention that they found him sitting on his knees with his hands beside his body. He'd fallen forward a little."

"On his knees?" Kate asked and looked back at the body. "Whoever shot him made him beg for his life." She ran a gloved index finger across the wound and inspected it before reaching for a magnifying glass. "Black seared skin around the point of entry."

Ethan put the tablet down and he too leant in for a closer look. "Gunshot residue?"

"Looks that way." Kate picked up a swab from the tray to her left and dabbed it around the bullet wound. She then took one of the plastic bottles containing a clear liquid. She put a couple of drops onto the swab and held it up to her eye. The diphenylamine solution changed to a blue colour and a triumphant smile spread across her face. "Positive for GSR. The killer put the gun against his head. Only a direct contact shot would leave this kind of marking." She put the swab down. "Do we have a bullet?"

"Unless there's an exit wound, it should still be in his head."

"Bullets are high velocity objects," Kate mused as she let her hands slide underneath the dead man's head to feel for any exit wounds. She frowned as she found none and looked down at her hands. There wasn't a trace of blood on her gloves. "That's odd. You'd expect a bullet fired at such a close range to come out at the other end."

"What do you think could have caused the bullet to lodge itself in his brain?" Ethan asked.

"I don't know," Kate answered. "But we'll find out." She turned around and walked over to one of the cupboards on the wall. She took off her gloves before pulling out a clean set of scrubs. She slipped them on, bound her hair back in a ponytail and grabbed some new gloves. When she walked back to the table she inspected the tray of instruments to her right. It was all laid out ready for autopsy.

"Is Doctor Hunt still at the crime scene?" she asked Ethan as she began unbuttoning the victim's shirt.

"I think so," Ethan answered. "The body was delivered twenty minutes ago." He picked up a notepad from the side and inspected the paperwork. A frown appeared on his face as he went through the pages. "Hmmm."

"What is it?" Kate asked. She'd unbuttoned the victim's shirt and now carefully began pulling the lifeless arms out of his jacket. The evidence bags were ready and the lab would test the clothes for gunshot residue and other particles that could help identify the killer. As she undressed Jonathan McEldery, Kate kept her eyes peeled for any abnormalities like bruising on the body's torso. The harsh, unforgiving light in the morgue never made anyone look good but it did help to observe things that could easily be missed in a different setting.

"This isn't Doctor Hunt's signature," Ethan said and he looked up.

Kate stopped what she was doing and instinctively took a step away from the body. "Then whose is it?"

"Looks like Curtis'."

Kate heaved a sigh, relieved that they hadn't fallen victim to some mix up that could have had some serious implications. She ran her gloved hand across her forehead and her blue eyes darted to the large windows that separated the autopsy room from the rest of the department. She'd walked past Megan Hunt's office on her way to autopsy. It had been empty and she had automatically assumed Megan was out at the crime scene. The call of the body found in the alley behind an expensive restaurant in an upscale neighbourhood had come in just before seven that morning.

"Have you seen Megan?" she asked as she looked back at the body in front of her.

"I assumed she was at the crime scene," Ethan answered and at that same time the door to the autopsy room opened and Doctor Curtis Brumfield walked in. He looked from Kate to Ethan and back.

"What 'ya doin' with my body?" he asked.

"I assumed it was Megan's case," Kate answered. "Ethan just informed me it's yours so I'm sorry." She peeled her gloves off and shrugged herself out of her scrubs. Curtis approached the autopsy table and looked at the now partially dressed body of Jonathan McEldery. Kate followed his gaze and pointed at the swab on the side. "It came back positive for GSR."

"Thank you," Curtis answered. "I was expectin' this case to go to Doctor Hunt but when Adam called sayin' she hadn't shown up, I went instead. Looked like any other shootin' so I had the body transferred back here."

"Wait, Megan didn't show?" Kate asked, a hint of worry echoing in her voice. "Did anyone call her?"

Curtis picked up a set of gloves. "Went to voicemail. I gave up after five times."

"Everything ok, Doctor Murphy?" Ethan inquired when he noticed the sudden absentminded look in Kate's eyes. She seemed fixated on a spot on the glass but whatever it was she was staring at, he couldn't see it. She didn't acknowledge him so he tried again. "Doctor Murphy?"

Kate blinked a couple of times and snapped back into the moment. "Ethan, work with Curtis on this one. If there's anything you need, I'll be on my cell." She started for the door but turned around just before leaving. "Curtis, did you call Lacey?"

He nodded. "She spent the weekend at her father's house. Apparently he's in town for a few days."

Kate nodded and left the autopsy room. She walked across the department to her office. She picked up her coat and her handbag, double checked she had her car keys, and then started for the elevator. She pressed the button and as she waited she dug her phone out of her bag. She found Megan's number under the ones most recently dialled and waited. The phone rang several times before a click announced she had reached Megan's voicemail. Something inside of her stirred when she heard Megan's voice.

"You have reached the voicemail for Doctor Megan Hunt. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Megan, it's me," Kate said and stepped into the elevator as the doors opened. "Where are you? Call me as soon as you get this." She hung up and slowly the doors slid shut. Kate rested against the wall of the elevator and an unnerving feeling settled in her stomach. It wasn't like Megan not to show up for work.

Megan Hunt lived for her work. Kate admired her devotion. Megan was driven and didn't take no for an answer. She managed to rub people the wrong way the second she walked into a room but somehow that attitude always got the results they needed. Kate had never been one to use elbows, preferring a more political approach instead, but it worked for Megan. They'd been working together for a little over three years now and although their relationship and budding friendship was often strained, at the same time they had managed to find some kind of balance that was based on mutual respect and a certain like and appreciation for each other.

Kate reached the parking lot and got into her car. She'd only ever been to Megan's apartment once but she found her way through Philadelphia's busy morning traffic without any problems. The radio played a soft country song as she waited for the traffic lights to change and she found herself drumming along to the melody on the steering wheel. When she eventually reached the building where Megan lived she found a space not too far from the front door and parked. As she got out of the car, Kate's eyes were drawn up to the building's windows. She knew Megan's apartment overlooked the front and she half and half expected the redhead to be staring through the glass.

She crossed the street and noticed Megan's car parked not far from her own. Kate frowned for a moment. It looked like Megan was home after all. She quickly climbed the few steps leading to the entrance of the building and crossed the lobby to the elevator. Before she got in she spotted the office of the landlord and changed her mind. She didn't know what drove her to knock on his door but a few seconds later her knuckles rasped against the polished wood. She heard footsteps inside and quickly took her badge out of her bag. The door opened and she looked into the face of a man in his late fifties, with grey hair and kind green eyes. He smiled when he saw Kate.

"Can I help you?"

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but my name is Doctor Kate Murphy. I'm with the Medical Examiner's Office and I'm looking for Megan Hunt. She lives in this building but didn't show up for work this morning. Would you be able to get me a key to her apartment?"

He inspected her badge for what felt like an eternity but then he nodded. "I can't give you the key but I can come up with you and let you in, if you want."

"Thank you." Kate shared her most impressive smile. "I'd appreciate that."

She waited for him to lock up his office and then they walked to the elevator together. Kate pressed the button for the floor Megan lived on and watched how the doors closed. With every passing second the unsettling feeling in her stomach got worse. It wasn't like her to come out looking for Megan but in all the time that she'd known the former surgeon Megan had never once not turned up for work. When the elevator let out a soft 'ping' to announce they had reached their destination, Kate jumped.

Megan's apartment was the end of the corridor and Kate knocked the door. It was soft enough to still be considered polite but loud enough to let Megan know she was insistent.

"Megan?!" she called and listened for any sounds on the other side of the door. There was only silence. She knocked again and chewed the inside of her cheek. "Megan?! It's Kate! Look, you didn't show up for work this morning and I just want to make sure everything's allright." There still was no answer and she turned to look at the landlord beside her. He was already fumbling with a set of keys. "Could you let me in?"

"Are you sure she isn't going to kill me for doing this?" he asked. "I know Doctor Hunt. She can be a little feisty."

"That's an understatement," Kate muttered. Her heart pounded in the back of her throat. The door was unlocked with a soft click and the landlord stepped aside, clearly wanting Kate to enter the apartment first just in case Megan was about to attack them. She pushed against the door and stepped into the apartment's hallway. Her eyes darted towards the living room. Even from where she stood Kate could see that it was empty. Hesitantly she walked further into the apartment and turned to her left, towards the kitchen. An empty wineglass stood on the counter but otherwise it was abandoned.

"Megan?!" Kate called. Her voice echoed around the empty room and her gaze fell on Megan's handbag standing on the table by the door. Her car keys lay next to it. She took a deep breath and started towards the two bedrooms. She knew the one that belonged to Lacey and knocked, although she knew Lacey wasn't here. She opened the door, poked her head around it and was confronted with another empty room.

Kate left the door slightly ajar, turned around and walked across to the other room. She had never been in Megan's bedroom before. She tapped against the door before reaching for the door handle. The second she opened it she knew something was wrong. The curtains in the room were drawn and a lingering stench penetrated her nose. Kate searched the wall for the light switch and flicked it once she found it. The room now bathed in a bright golden light.

"Megan?"

Kate's eyes were drawn to bed. Megan lay face down in the middle, only partially covered by the sheets. One leg was bare, the other was covered. She only wore a t-shirt. Strands of dark red hair covered her face and Kate rushed over to the side of the bed, falling to her knees when she reached it. Skilled fingers found their way into Megan's hair and pressed down against the side of her neck. She sighed in relief when she felt a pulse but the relief was replaced by panic when she realised Megan wasn't responding to her touch.

"Megan?!" Kate shook Megan's body but the other woman didn't open her eyes. Her limbs moved only because Kate made her move. Her eyes remained closed but now that Kate had rolled her over she saw the slightly grey colour of Megan's skin. Kate's blue eyes snapped up to the landlord. "Call an ambulance! Tell them to hurry!"

She lay Megan down on her side, into the recovery position, after checking her airways were clear. As she touched the redhead's face Kate felt it was slightly clammy. Her eyes darted around the room and she grabbed the sheets of the bed, wrapping them around Megan's exposed lower half. She didn't see anything that could explain why Megan was unconscious. There were no signs of injuries but as she came closer Kate picked up the distinct smell of alcohol on Megan's breath.

"What the hell happened?" Kate whispered as she brushed some hair out of Megan's face. She knew she didn't have much time and the paramedics would have to hurry. She cupped the older woman's cheek as she sat on her knees beside the bed. Megan still looked slightly grey although some of the discolouration had begun to fade since Kate rolled her onto her side. Kate's heart hammered in her chest and every so often she checked Megan for a pulse.

The minutes seemed to crawl by until the moment she heard voices and footsteps outside the bedroom. Two EMT's rushed into the room and Kate got up, took a step back and watched them work. One of them shone a light in Megan's eyes but even from where she was standing Kate could see that Megan's pupils didn't react the way they should have.

"What's her name?" one of the EMT's asked.

"Megan," Kate stammered. "Her name's Megan."

"Megan?!" the paramedic called and he pinched Megan under her arm. It was one of the methods used to apply a pain stimulus and it was meant to provoke the patient in responding but Megan didn't move. The EMT looked over his shoulder at Kate. She could see the worry flash through his eyes as he shook his head. His partner had applied an oxygen mask to Megan's and was now putting an IV into Megan's wrist. He found the vein in one go.

"Are you her partner, ma'am?"

Kate blinked and her voice suddenly sounded fragile. She picked at the hem of her blouse. "No. I'm err… I'm her boss. She didn't show up for work this morning and I came to check on her." She realised her hands were shaking and she briefly averted her eyes. The storm of emotions that came to life inside of her overwhelmed her and she tried to fight back the tears that were suddenly burning behind her eyes.

"Good thing you did. You may very well have saved her life."

The two paramedics worked in unison as they transferred Megan from the bed to their stretcher. The IV was now in place and Kate took the bag from the paramedic nearest to her and held it in the air. When he met her eyes she said, "I'm a doctor. Please, let me help."

By the time they wheeled Megan into the ambulance, the fear had taken hold of Kate. She climbed into the vehicle, still holding Megan's IV bag, and sat down. Her eyes were drawn to the other woman's face. She had regained her colour and Kate reached for Megan's hand. It was surprisingly warm and she swallowed as she squeezed it. Tears glistened in her baby blue eyes.

"God, Megan," Kate whispered. "Whatever you do… just wake up, ok? Promise me you'll wake up."