Title: Cracks

Rating: T (possibly M later on?)

Warnings: Murder, Swearing, Slash, mentions of abuse.

Characters: Brendan Brady, Ste Hay, Cheryl Brady, Warren Fox, DC Ethan Scott, Noah (even though we don't know him yet)

A/N: My first ever Hollyoaks fic! Please don't be too harsh. It's written in Brendan's POV because I adore him! =) feedback/reviews, please? The rest of it is set right after Brendan and Warren dump the body and will continue onwards past everything that we've seen onscreen! =] Contains missing scenes too! hope you like.

I stand here, the rain lashing my face and hands. I should not be here. I know that. I am dressed in my formal clothes, all black and white. Everything about funerals is dreary. I hold a large black umbrella above myself and the person beside me. I look round through

the heavy rain, trying to see despite it blurring my vision.

Steven is beside me, huddled underneath my umbrella. He's so close yet he looks as if he's trying to stay miles away from me. His grey-green-blue eyes are not on the coffin being lowered into the ground but on me, glaring at me, cutting through me. I catch his eyes for a moment and he sees the fear in mine. It somewhat softens his.

On the other side of me, under her own umbrella, is Cheryl. Curls of blonde hair folded into a bun, looking mournfully at the coffin. I know, of course, that she's glad to get rid of the man inside the coffin but still she tries to show sorrowfulness, out of respect, I think. What would she say if she knew the truth?

Family and friends are among the rest of the crowd. Surprisingly, I spot Jacqui McQueen stood among the mass. She's dressed in proper funeral attire, yet I see nothing in her eyes. She does not care that he is dead. She hated him. By her side, hand in hand with her is her fiancée, Rhys Ashworth, his expression a mirror image of Jacqui's. Neither of them care.

Then, on the other side of the grave where the coffin is being lowered, parallel to me, is Warren Fox, staring at me. He's in that big coat he always wears and he's not here for the funeral. He's here to stare at me. To remind me what has happened. What I've done.

This is the funeral of Danny Houston. My fault.

Then a voice, familiar, professional. The voice of DC Ethan Scott. He strides over, followed by two police officers.

"Mr Fox?" He speaks, interrupting the service. "You're under arrest for the murder of Danny Houston…"

Warren glares at me. Uh oh.

I suppose I should start at the beginning, as that is the normal way that someone starts a tale, is it not?

My name is Brendan Brady. The village where everyone spoken of above lives is Hollyoaks. It's small but seemingly buzzing with life and activity. I have only been a few months and my arrive was shortly after the death of a man, shot at his own wedding and the death of another man, a villain, who died during a blazing fire at his own club.

During my time here, there has been two murders, one of which committed by myself. A dead man has returned, seemingly unharmed. Two other deaths have happened, due to a vicious fire in a nearby restaurant, one a heroic death, the other a long drawn out death in a hospital bed. Our village, no matter what the time or date, is always buzzing. Each week, it feels, there is an event worthy of being nationwide.

Of course, anything worth speaking of above will be mentioned during my tale that I am about to tell you.

I arrived in August. Why Hollyoaks, you ask? Well this is the home of my half sister, Cheryl Brady. Here, I am a joint nightclub owner. I own half of the club Chez-Chez and half of the SU bar. The other owner was Danny Houston. I say was with such emphasis because he is dead now. He is one of the two murders. He is the murder I committed. The current owner is Warren Fox. The man who died in the fire at his club, The Loft, now named Chez-Chez. He is also the man who returned from death, seemingly unharmed.

Now, I shall return to the topic of Danny Houston. He is an old, good friend of mine. Or at least he was. There was a poker game. A stupid, pathetic game of poker. Two employees of mine, Rhys Ashworth and Jacqui McQueen, got into a bit of trouble with Danny. Well, they had a long time before but this time, they made it worse with a plan and a deal. It almost worked. But Danny got them. So, I betrayed my 'old friend' and I helped them.

Danny hated me for it. He wanted me to finish Warren off, and he'd forget I ever did it. Me and Warren made an alliance. I lied to Danny, telling him Warren was dead. He wasn't. Warren was supposed to kill Danny. But he didn't.

Danny, then, threatened to go and kill Steven. I flipped. Did him with a hammer. For fucks sake, I have to explain who Steven is now, don't I? Steven is my… we… It is difficult for me to think that I have become the one thing me and my father despised the most. But Steven and I, let me say, are more than mere friends. Danny was aware of my sick, disgusting secret. So he threatened to kill him. Threatened to kill the only person I have, and probably will, ever love.

That is why I killed him.

Warren now owns half my club, so he helped me get rid of the body. Danny is gone. He is not to be spoken of again.

From here onwards, you need to know the real story. In depth, full.