Fallen

by Erin Griffin

Fandom: Murder In Suburbia/Imagine Me And You crossover

Pairing: Ash/Scribbs, Rachel/Lucy

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: ITV owns these characters.

Summary: When Ash falls and hits her head one rainy afternoon, she wakes up without her recent memory. What she does remember leads her to believe she is married to Scribbs, so to help her get better, Scribbs has to care for Ash as her wife, which leads to many new revelations about her partner... and herself.

Warning: This story has heavy angst, mentions of murder (duh), rape, and other unpleasant things, which is why it will only be mentioned. There is also hurt/comfort, something I don't do that much if ever in fic, so we'll see how it all works out.

Chapter 1

Friday

*Slight crossover with Imagine Me and You in this chapter and possibly later in the story because I like that movie and the character(s) highlighted later on.

"So then he tells me that it's really not me, it's him, which we both know is total bollocks," Ash continued on as she had for the past half an hour. "I mean, I'm a detective for Christ's sake. Seeing through lies is my job."

"Mm-hm," Scribbs murmured in agreement as she had from the start, changing lanes as she did so.

"So, I went for a long walk after that, and when I got back, my flat was empty except for a note of apology next to our unopened bottle of champagne," Ash said. This got Scribbs' attention, and she looked to her left at her partner.

"That's the third 'long walk' this week, Ash. Is something wrong?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm feeling the itch to move again."

"I remember the last time you wanted to sell your flat. The term 'bimbo geisha whore' comes to mind," Scribbs replied, trying to sound sympathetic, but she was not sure if she made it or not.

Ignoring her partner's mention of that awkward time, Ash pointed ahead of them. "Here. That's Coin Street. Follow it to Bourbon."

"Thanks," Scribbs replied. Both women knew that the blonde would be able to get them back to the police station from there. "So, any particular area you're looking at for a new place to live?"

"I've looked, but like last time, none of them seemed to say to me, 'Kate, you're home now'. I'll find something."

"You aren't planning to move away from Middleford, are you?" Scribbs asked and Ash heard the hint of sadness that came with the question.

"No, nothing like that."

"Good, because no one gives me more rules to break than you do, Ash; I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd actually have to do the paperwork for once," Ash replied, and Scribbs visibly shuddered.

"Oy, don't remind me," the blonde said, and then shared a grin with her partner. There was the usual comfort in their silence as they made it to the station's car park. Just as Ash held the door open for Scribbs and the blonde walked through, Scribbs' mobile phone went off.

"Make it quick and if Sullivan asks, I'll tell him it's your mum," Ash said.

"It really could be my mum," Scribbs argued, but Ash's look said she was less than convinced. "Could happen," Scribbs protested before she opened her phone. "Hello?"

She shot Ash a look, then looked down. The brunette saw a look of pleased surprise on her face. The voice on the other end was indistinct, but Ash could tell that it was a man calling, something that didn't surprise Ash in the least. "I'm at work, so this has gotta be quick. Yeah. Really? Yeah, what time? Uh huh. Great, see you then... Bye." Scribbs closed the mobile phone and began walking to her desk with Ash in tow.

"So?" Ash wondered as she sat at her desk chair and booted up her computer, ignoring the vase of flowers next to the mouse pad. She knew who they were from and roughly what the accompanying card said. She didn't need to read it again. Not this time.

"That was Dunn. He asked me on a date."

"Dunn? I thought you chucked him over a month ago," Ash said cautiously.

"Yeah, I did, but I ran into him over the weekend and we talked over coffee. He said he was sorry. It was sweet of him."

"It took him a month to say he was sorry?"

"I know what you're going to say, Ash. 'Rule number I've stopped counting: If a man takes more than a week to apologize for anything, he's most likely forgotten what he was supposed to be apologizing for'."

"That was exactly what I was going to say, Scribbs, though it could've done without the Anne Robinson impersonation."

"Well, he's taking me to that French restaurant we are always talking about going to but it takes forever to get a reservation."

Ash raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, we're going there tonight, so I have no choice but to forgive him. He's been planning this for the last month, you know. Jealous much?" Scribbs said.

"Tonight?" Ash asked, ignoring the teasing comment.

"Yeah," Scribbs replied slowly as if to ask what the significance of 'tonight' was.

"We were going to go for drinks after work today. We planned this since last Monday." At Scribbs' look Ash added, "Don't tell me that you forgot."

"Erm... Okay, I won't?" the blonde said with a tilt at the end, making it into a sentence rather than a statement, something else that often irked Ash about people.

"Scribbs!" Ash protested.

"I'm sorry! He said he'd got the reservation, and he was so sweet about it... If you want, I'll call him back and cancel."

"You can't," Ash said with a sigh, "because you just said yes. It'd be rude and he'd think something fishy. We can go some other time." Ash looked at her watch, then back at Scribbs. "We can take lunch now, I suppose. I'll be back in a bit."

"You aren't angry with me?" Scribbs asked. She didn't like how absent that last sentence had been.

"Disappointed, but not angry," Ash admitted. She stood up and stretched, even though she had just gotten to her desk. She turned the monitor of her computer off and gave Scribbs a partial wave. "Enjoy," she said, and walked down the hallway. Scribbs watched after her colleague with a thoughtful frown as behind her a door was heard opening and closing.

"Alright Scribbs?" Sullivan asked.

"I can't tell if she's lying and she's mad at me, or if she's truly disappointed. I don't know if I should catch up to her and apologize again or leave her be."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Sullivan didn't need clarification on who 'she' and 'her' were.

"Made a date tonight and forgot that Ash and I already had plans. She says to go with Dunn tonight, but she's taking this a little bit hard. But then... Oh! Mitch!"

"Sorry?" Sullivan asked. He'd been following along up until that point, but Scribbs always had a way of getting him confused.

"Ash just went through a break up, Boss, but you don't know that, okay?"

"Know what?"

"That-" Scribbs stopped talking when she saw the look on Sullivan's face. "Er- right."

"Scribbs, perhaps a compromise is in order. If this man- Dunn- was to take you out to dinner, then that leaves you with a few hours in between. You could leave an hour early, say three or so, but that is something else I don't know about. You could grab a drink or two with Ash and be home in time to do... whatever it is you women do to get ready for a date. Or maybe you could invite her over for some tea and she could help you get ready; seems like she just needs your company right now."

"Thanks Boss."

"For what?" The look of innocence was back, and Scribbs grinned.

"Oh nothing," she replied.

Just as Scribbs was about to go find Ash or at least ring her mobile, Sullivan said, "Be careful with her, Scribbs." His tone was completely serious, and there was a touch of concern on his face. Scribbs studied him for a moment, which caused the tall man to touch his tie in his nervousness.

"Boss," Scribbs asked, "is there something you're not telling me?" Sullivan cleared his throat, but said nothing more. Another DS walked by and Sullivan directed his attention at him. Scribbs felt confused and walked towards Ash's chair. She'd forgotten her jacket, and it looked like rain. The streets and pavements were already wet from the morning's almost nonstop drizzle.

Somehow Scribbs knew something else was going on, mostly because of Sullivan's confirming behavior. Did he know, or just suspect what it was that was wrong with Ash? Thinking back, Scribbs remembered the first couple of years she'd known Ash, and how she would stiffen up at this time of year. It was a barrier that not even Scribbs could get through. It wasn't long though until Scribbs had asked if Ash needed a drink to ease the tension and the brunette had reluctantly agreed. That one drink, which had started their ability to bond after work, had also started what Scribbs now realized also started what had become their tradition of sorts.

Scribbs tried to remember: Did they always go out to drinks on the same day each year? Was it an anniversary of some sort? Back then, Ash had been snappy with her at about the same time of year and Sullivan had said to be careful with Ash then, too, when she'd complained to him. Scribbs wondered about this as she slipped into her own jacket, hoping she'd soon find Ash and get to the bottom of it all.

As the air got a little thicker with moisture and more clouds rolled overhead, Ash began to long for her jacket, but, after an exit like that, she couldn't go back to the station. She'd look foolish. She continued on her walk, deciding to go in a general circle of the station so that if it did decide to rain, she wouldn't be too far away and get completely soaked through. Ash had to appreciate the weather, though. It always seemed that much greener in Middleford on the days it rained, as if the grass and trees showed emotion and smiled at the feel of the water.

Ash's pace slowed only slightly when she started to hear the children in the yard playing football. Right away, she thought of her. How old would she be now? Fifteen? Would she still look so much like her father? Right then, the football came crashing into the fence, startling Ash.

A little girl who seemed to be in charge of the group came running for the white and black ball. As she picked up the ball, she studied Ash, and Ash studied the girl in turn. The child had blonde hair to the tips of the shoulders, though it was shorter and darker than Scribbs'. She looked no older then maybe twelve, and her uniform was muddy at the hem of the skirt from where the ball had hit her. There was almost no color to her left calf, as mud covered it.

Studying Ash, she said, "You're very pretty."

"Thank you. So are you." A little dirty maybe, but Ash wasn't lying when she said that to the girl.

"Are you an actress?"

"I'm a police officer," Ash replied.

"Where's your uniform, then?"

"This is my uniform... of sorts," Ash told the girl, who looked as if she was considering this.

"Name's H."

"H?"

"Yeah, short for Henrietta, but who wants to be called Henrietta? Besides, I'm called that because my mum screamed Jesus H. Christ when she found out she was about to have me," the girl explained.

"Henrietta is a pretty name."

"Yeah, but I like being just H. What is your name?"

"Kate. Kate Ashurst, but my friends call me Ash."

"Because who wants to be called Kate?!" H said, and Ash couldn't help the laugh that came.

"I suppose."

"Hey, you're a police officer, so maybe you might know the answer to my question. Ready?"

"Okay, I think so."

"If you tried to fail and succeeded, then what?" H looked at Ash expectantly as she waited for Ash to answer.

"Then I'd say congratulations because you've stumped me."

"That question has stumped me, too."

"H!! Get the ball!" called a dark boy from the other side of the field. H turned to him.

"I'm coming!" H turned to look at Kate for a second. "It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, H. Have fun with your game."

"Bye."

"Bye." H ran off to join her friends. One of the boys stole the ball from her and she ran after him. Ash smiled before she started to walk on, making her way back toward the station for her jacket and a cup of tea. No matter how melancholic she may have felt, she still had her job to do. She walked close to a block before she felt the large droplets of rain on her head. She began to run as the water slid down her neck and inside her collar. Just as she got to the top of the station's back steps, Ash's foot twisted and she fell back down the steps and hit her head on the way. She heard the rain hitting the pavement all around her before it went black.