Author's note - So it's been a long time since I last wrote anything, and I can't promise this is any good? Just an idea that I had pop in my head, about what would have happened if David hadn't left, what DTC would have done with him as a character and how he would be involved with the current storylines.

Basically everything up until the episode after Lauren met the cab driver is the same as what happened on the show, what comes after is this :)
Let me know what you think please xo

Chapter 1 alternates between Peter and Lauren's point of views.

The light seared his eyes as he swiped the lock screen on his phone and blinked a few times to clear his eyes from the sleepy haze that held him. 6:20am. He tossed his phone back on the side next to him. He'd always struggled to get up in the mornings, he was usually alert and chipper enough by the time he'd had a coffee and was out unpacking the produce for the stall, but the actual process of waking up early was something that had always been a struggle for him.

Until now. Until she died. Until his nights were spent with dreams that made his heart ache for loss of his twin, and nightmares that woke him gasping her name unable to help her.
The result always the same, never enough sleep to function properly, there never would be whilst his sister's killer was still walking the streets.

He rolled in his bed, debating whether to get up or to try and force himself to attempt to go back to sleep, when his phone vibrated.

Lauren.

"You up? Wanna run? X"

The only person who seemed to get it, get him, get it all. Get that he needed answers, couldn't rest until he knew. Get that he was never going to be okay again, having lost his twin but knowing the only ward forward was to keep going. To get answers and hope that each day got easier. She got it all.
Shooting her a text back, he'd meet her in 10 outside the cafe, he got up to start their day.

Rounding the corner that past the train station over an hour later, Lauren allowed herself to relax slightly and let out a small laugh. Her legs were aching already, for whilst she had started and maintained a running routine since she left rehab, she was by no means fit. And challenging Peter Beale to a race purely to try and cause a hint of a smile to break across his face may not have been her smartest idea. But it had worked, she could hear him catch up with her, calling that she was a cheat, the laughter evident in his voice.

She was not a cheat, no rules were declared. The fact she didn't run their usual route and took a shortcut was just a simple coincidence. She stated as much, turning to see a grin on his face that matched hers. "I don't believe in them." She raised an eyebrow at his words, biting back her laugh when he doubled over trying to relieve his stitch in his side. "Coincidences. Don't believe in them. There's a reason in everything, even if you don't see or know it at the time." She just shrugged, not wanting a serious conversation this early in the morning.

"You done?" She waved her hand in his direction, him finishing stretching out. "Yeah why?" He replied, confused. "Race ya back." She shouted over her shoulder, having already broken into a sprint, laughing as she saw him stumble into action.

Peter was three strides behind her, when she came skidding to a halt right next to his stall. When currently his empty pitch, seeing as he'd not set up yet, but that's where she stopped. Causing him to crash into her and it was only his fast reflexes that stopped them both toppling down to the ground.
Before he even got a chance to question what she was playing at, a movement caught his eye. His stomach clenched, his heart froze and he felt her stiffen in his arms too. The police were back. They must know something more. Something about Lucy. Something about how she died, was murdered.

Jake's trial was soon, but Emma was keeping them updated by calls. If they've come, to the house, this early in the day then...They know something.
He couldn't breathe.

"We could go to mine?" Her murmur calmed him. "Come back and talk to your Dad once they've gone?" She offered, him numb but managing to shake his head once in response to her question.

He could feel people staring, as the police officers entered his house, Denise shutting the door behind them. "Peter..." She was waiting for him, waiting for him to make a decision and she'd follow. "Peter!" Another girl's voice calling him. Lola. Wanting him, wanting him to turn to her. She sounded worried, but his head just felt foggy. He felt Lauren's arms tighten on his forearms, as his girlfriend got closer.
He couldn't think, his mind swimming, but there being one thought that wouldn't leave and hadn't since Good Friday.

Lucy.

It was his sister, his twin. He had to know what happened.

He moved in her arms, taking a step away from her, she suddenly felt cold. She didn't know what the police had come from, but she had a feeling it wasn't good. She'd woken up earlier than usual with a sense of unease, and whilst it had lightened on her run, the feeling was back now and stronger than before.

Meeting the blonde girl's gaze, her worried expression for Peter changing to look more smug towards Lauren as he moved away before her face fell. Lauren then realised then Peter had thought she had been following him as he stepped away from her and moved closer to his house, and upon realising she hadn't, had turned around to reach an arm out for her.

"Come with me?" His voice sounded rough, from holding back emotion. She knew the feeling well enough. "You sure?" She questioned but she was already moving towards him, him nodding in response, bumping his arm against hers. Lauren felt uncomfortable, walking past the younger blonde girl, knowing she just wanted to help Peter but Lauren herself needing to be with him more. To know what's going on more, her concern for him and her questions over her best friend taking over.
He spoke again, sounding more confident and sure of himself than he probably was.
"Let's go find out what they know."

His head was still a blur. Out on bail. Not enough evidence. Her phone found. Checking contacts. A list of names. Blah. Blah. Blah. Still no answers.

Poor Lucy. Questions swamped his head. How? Did it hurt? Was she alone for long? Was she scared? Did she know it was going to happen?

And why didn't he know? Why didn't he feel it, she was his twin after all.
His mind was a blur, with unanswered questions, the conversation happening around him purely just background noise.

Feeling her suddenly tense up next to him, his attention was back on what was being said though. "No we are certain those texts are to him."

What. Who. Huh.
Emma seeing his confusion spoke again "it looks like leading up to the night in question" the night she died seemed to be something no-one wanted to say which seemed ironic to Peter, seeing as they were police officers. "Lucy had been back in contact with her ex boyfriend, another Mr Branning... Joey?"

Lauren freezing up suddenly made sense to Peter, she – he wasn't either but her more so – wasn't yet over the knowledge her Dad had been involved with Lucy, the last thing she wanted was her cousin – and ex boyfriend – to be dragged into it too. And Peter didn't like the guy but couldn't imagine him killing Lucy, but then he honestly couldn't imagine anyone wanting to kill her.

"So once we have finished pulling together records, we will be checking in with him, and others we've identified" Emma finished. Peter just offering a nod in response, thanking her for her sharing more details than had originally been offered.

"Why have you got to check in with him?" Lauren said, there was something in her tone that had changed too. He didn't understand it, but she was still stiff in her chair, she seemed unable to relax.
"Just to check his movements on the night in question" Emma's colleague spoke. The night Lucy died, he wished they would just say it. Seriously what would happened if they just said it?

His mind blurred again, tuning out the police officer explaining multiple texts to Joey, Denise asking if they thought he was involved, his Dad not saying anything. Once again it was Lauren that got his attention.

"There's no point." Her voice broke through the haze. Denise having clocked her uncomfortable posture wrapped an arm around her, speaking as she did so "It's alright darling, just to be safe, just to rule him out."

Lauren shook her off. "No!" The police officer, Peter could never remember his name, went to speak but she cut him off.

"You don't have to speak to him, to know where he was that night." She paused, her gaze flickering around the room, but unable to meet his.

"He didn't kill Lucy." Noise broke out as his Dad burst into sobs, so that's what happened when someone was blunt enough to say it, and as Emma tried to tell her that it was just routine.

She rolled her eyes, speaking again "You don't need to speak to him." She shook her head, looking up to Emma before dropping her gaze, she still wouldn't meet his gaze.

"He didn't kill her okay? I know he didn't" Her voice had raised slightly, and her arms had crossed across her body as she stood up.

"He was with me"