Finally got around to finishing my first Republic of Doyle fic... after getting hung up on the last couple chapters for far longer than I care to admit. I'm just shocked I get to post this thing before season 4, which can't come soon enough. New chapters will be added as I have the chance to edit them. This fandom is a blast, I can't believe there aren't more fics for this show. Travesty!

All Fall Down

"This is not what was supposed to happen!"

"Well, it did," Jake replied morosely, trying not to take his eyes off the gun that Sonja had trained on him. He would be remiss to admit that he had a plan thought out beyond getting Sonja Sterling's confession, but at least he finally got something.

"Well I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, okay?" Sonja said tearfully and for a second—one conflicted second—Jake almost believed she truly was. But he had other concerns on his mind; unbeknownst to the desperate blonde woman, Des had run onto the tarmac, poised to create a distraction for Jake to disarm her. He looked up, waiting for Jake's signal.

"Can you repeat that?" Jake replied brazenly, peeking underneath his jacket. "What's the saying, y'know? Fool me once, fool me twice, or—whatever. I'm wearing two wires," he smirked even as the disgust crept across Sonja's face. Des chose that moment to hit the floodlights, and the split second of preoccupation gave Jake the chance he needed to wrestle the gun away from her. She fought back and the gun went off, the shot going wide, but Jake had it from her in seconds, finally regaining control of the situation. "I should shoot you right now for what you did to my car!" Jake shouted, feeling a bit cocky but mostly just pissed.

They both heard the whimper but Sonja was the only one who could afford to look and Jake knew by the look on her face what had happened. He faltered, lowering the gun, but too wary of the wily murderess before him to risk taking his eyes off her. "Des?" he called out, surprised at how difficult it was to produce the word. "Des, talk to me..." The silence that answered back only confirmed his fears.

Sonja looked back to Jake, her eyes hardening into steel. "What are you gonna do, Jake? Huh? Who do you need more? Him or me?"

"I hate you so much, you psycho," Jake spat, trying to subdue his panic.

"Better choose quick, Doyle. I don't think he has much time." The coldness stayed in her voice as steadily as her eyes stayed on Jake's. The sirens in the distance were growing nearer but still too far away... His brain tried to sort out the consequences of either action but he didn't get far before settling on the only possible conclusion: Des. Of course Des. How could there be any other choice?

Jake lowered the gun once more. "I am going to kill you," he promised. "Mark my words." Then they both turned away, Jake rushing to the fallen kid while Sonja took flight. He was on Des in seconds, pulling him away from the wall he was leaning on and lowering him to the ground carefully, but it wasn't as graceful as he'd've liked. Des was dead weight in his arms and he never had been known for his grace anyway.

"Jake..." he whimpered, looking down at his blood covered hands shakily. "What—"

"Hey, hey," Jake interrupted. "You're okay. You're alright now, c'mon."

"Sh-she shot me—" The disbelief was plain in his eyes. Jake heard the sirens and wondered if they'd know where to find them. He started to stand but Des's bloodstained fingers tugged on his leather jacket feebly. "Please don't go—Jake, please." The P.I. looked down into the kid's fear-steeped eyes. "You—you said you'd never let me die alone."

Jake blinked. He honestly didn't know where to begin protesting that one. "Des, you're—Don't say that!" he spluttered. "You're not gonna die alright? Hey—are you listening to me? Desmond Courtney—" Jake reached out and tapped the kid's cheek like he usually did to get his attention and wagged a finger at him. "You are NOT going to die," he ordered. Des nodded, trying his damnedest to focus but he didn't look entirely convinced. "I just—I gotta make sure the police can find us. That's all. I'll be back instantaneously, I promise." Jake jumped to his feet. "Don't go anywhere."

"Okay."

His legs felt like jelly as Jake ran around to the front of the small airport. He saw the two cop cars pull into the lot and waved both arms to flag them down. They were meant to be his backup, sent out to help him nab Sonja, but they hadn't arrived in time and Jake had been forced to step in before Sonja boarded her private plane—the plane! Jake chanced a look over his shoulder and was grateful to see that the aircraft was still there waiting, meaning that Sonja was still confined to St. John's. So that was something.

Filing this information under 'Things to be dealt with later', Jake confronted the officers who rushed from their vehicles, guns drawn. "She's gone," he supplied quickly. "She's escaped again, but never mind that—you need to call an ambulance."

Sgt. Hood was in the second vehicle that pulled up. He looked Jake up and down. "Are you hurt?" the bald man asked.

"It's not for me you friggin arse!" Jake shouted. "Des—he was shot. It's bad. Just—call them!" Hood cursed as he whipped out his phone and Jake was already running back to the tarmac, two uniformed officers on his heels. Apologizing to Hood would have to be another thing on that 'deal with it later' list, Jake thought fleetingly as he skittered to a halt next to the dazed bleeding boy and held him steadily. The officers assessed the situation, trying to hold Des's attention but it was obvious the kid was fading fast.

"Ambulance is on its way. Five minutes out," Hood told Jake as he appeared in front of them suddenly. "Which way did Sterling go?"

Jake looked around wildly and bit his lip. "She—I think—honestly, I have no idea," he shook his head, defeated. "I wasn't exactly paying attention."

Hood nodded slowly then gestured to the two uniforms to go search the area. He shrugged out of his light jacket and handed it to Jake to press against the wound and stop the uncontrollable bleeding. "I also called Leslie. She's on her way."

Leslie, Jake thought, unable to process his thoughts about her when his mind suddenly jumped to Mal and Rose. They were still in jail. They didn't know... He would have to tell them. And Tinny... Oh God, Tinny. How in the hell was he going to do that? Unconsciously Jake pressed down harder and Des cried out in painful protest. "Sorry," Jake said softly, squeezing Des's shoulder. "I gotta tell ya, kid, you are just about the unluckiest sonofabitch I ever laid eyes on, y'know? Only you could manage to take a bullet accidentally."

"M'sorry," Des mumbled. "It's my fault... Sonja got away."

"No, no no no, hey, don't worry about that," Jake reassured him. "That is not your fault. This? This is... 100% my fault." And it really was; the realization hit Jake like a punch to the gut. None of this would have happened if he'd let the police help him. If he hadn't tried to fix everything on his own, like he always did. Maybe Leslie was right...

"But Mal and Rose—" Des winced as his breath hitched. "You gotta clear their names, Jake."

"You just let me worry about that, alright?" the P.I. replied soothingly as, to his immense relief, the ambulance rounded the corner and screeched to a halt near the spot where, not fifteen minutes earlier, his father's best chance at freedom had once again slipped through his fingers. The sudden helplessness that seized Jake was enough to instinctively tighten his grip on his young friend when the paramedics descended but the sensation of Hood yanking on his leather jacket snapped Jake back to reality and he backed off to let them do their jobs.

He lost sight of Des for a moment amidst the chaos but never once took his eyes off the scene. He didn't know how long he stood like this, just staring dumbfounded when a voice he knew all too well pulled him out of his reverie.

"Jake? Jake, are y' alright?" The petite blonde detective appeared suddenly at his side, standing at a bit of a distance. She gave Jake a once-over with her eyes then reached across the space between them to clasp his hand firmly in her own, as if she needed to feel him to make sure he was okay. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"Me? I'm fine..." Jake began then gestured helplessly at the scene. "Des..."

"How's he doing?" Leslie asked, voice laden with sympathy.

"I don't know, I don't know," Jake sighed, pulling free from Leslie's grasp and running a hand through his hair. "They haven't told me anything yet. I—" Jake was aware of Leslie's scrutinizing gaze on him and it made him uncomfortable, but no one would ever accuse Jake Doyle of controlling his composure around Leslie. She had this inimitable talent of getting him to bare all when it came to emotions; right now it was really frustrating him. "This—this is all my fault," Jake shook his head. "It was an accident but it never should have happened."

Leslie looked at him sincerely and bit her lip, like she wanted to say something but was holding back. He knew she was thinking 'Didn't I tell you so?' but why she was holding back he couldn't tell. Leslie had certainly never shown any restraint in that area in the past.

There was activity with the paramedics; they were moving Des into the ambulance. Jake sprang forward, alongside the stretcher in an instant. "Are you riding with us?" one of the medics asked him.

Jake hesitated, thinking of Sonja on the lam and Mal and Rose in lockup, but Leslie filled in the blanks for him. "Yes, he's going."

"I can't—I have to track down Sonja. I got this—" he yanked the second wire he'd brought along out from beneath his jacket. He'd almost forgotten about it until just then. "It's... sort of a confession, but I think it might be enough to help dad and Rose for now."

"Go, Jake. I'll handle that," Leslie said, taking the recording device. "I'll see what's on here and maybe I can pull some strings. You have to be with your family."

Jake climbed into the back of the ambulance, looking back to meet Leslie's gaze before the doors swung shut. 'Thank you,' he mouthed and watched until Leslie and the airport vanished from sight as the sirens alternately wailed to life.

tbc