Author's notes: This was written very quickly based on the end of episode 6 and the previews for episode 7, so spoilers up to that point. There's more story in my head, but it will all be AU once episode 7 airs, so this may end up being a one-shot. I don't own these characters, etc. Also, this all just came out of my head and hit the page with virtually no editing, so I apologize for any less-than-stellar prose. Thanks for reading! Reviews always appreciated :)


It was eerie, walking along the same stretch of beach to the same huddle of officers standing at the same spot they had the morning Danny's body was discovered. The sky was darker, though, and so was the mood. When the young boy was found, shock had overcome all other emotion. Jack's death elicited a different response: dread, guilt, anger, shame. But not shock.

Few things had ever shocked Carver anyway, but Ellie was different. She was happy, optimistic, trusting. At least, she used to be. But as she got close enough to see the face of the man lying in the sand between the uniformed policemen, she realized that despite the jumble of conflicting emotions, she was no longer surprised. She was different now. Hardened. Numb. As if losing Danny wasn't enough to bear, gazing at Jack's broken and twisted body she suddenly realized that she had lost something else in the last week. Her innocence. Her faith in her friends, in her town. She'd lost some essential piece of herself, and it upset her profoundly.

While she had stumbled across the sand the morning Danny was found, gasping and sobbing, today she strode forward grimly with a straight face, keeping pace with the grizzled and jaded detective beside her. It was only as that epiphany hit her – as she saw clearly how much she had changed in such a short time – that her breath caught and her legs trembled. She went down on one knee, trying to make it look intentional and hide her face from her boss for a moment until she could compose herself again. It only took a second. She was sure he hadn't noticed.

But he had, of course. Emmett Carver didn't miss much. He had easily suppressed his own feelings of regret; they could wait. For now, he'd focus on the task at hand and blame the damn reporters for ruining an innocent man's life. He had watched Ellie climb out of the car and start across the beach. He saw her square her shoulders and jaw, and felt just a tiny bit proud of how far she had come in their short time working together. But he could also see the storm in her eyes and knew, even before she sank down in the sand, that she wasn't as untouched as she appeared.

Carver gave her a moment to pull it together before stepping forward and kneeling beside her to inspect the body. He'd have to wait for the coroner and crime scene investigators, but he could already tell that unlike Danny, Jack had fallen – likely jumped – from the cliff above. He stole a look at his colleague. Her face was carefully blank, fully focused on the body in front of her.

"Not much we can do here," he said gruffly. "At least not until the coroner shows up. Miller, you head over to his place and see if you can track down next of kin." But Ellie showed no sign of having heard him.

"Miller." Nothing. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook it once before quickly dropping it back to his side. "Miller," he said again, more firmly this time. She turned sharply to face him. "Next of kin. Find them." He jerked his head back toward the parking lot. "Go on. I'll take care of this."

Ellie nodded, swallowed hard, and got to her feet. She wobbled a second, almost imperceptibly. Carver resisted the urge to reach out and steady her, but watched closely as Ellie turned and walked away, never once looking back.