Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own any of them... (T.T)

Author's note:

Uwah..... How long has it been since I last wrote and posted something online....?! At least 3 years, I think... Wow, that long... Frankly, I wasn't planning on writing another Fake... But this came to mind and I couldn't resist!!! 3 It's short for now. But just so my dear readers know, I've got at least 3 chapters planned out. Hehehe...!! By the way, the title, - some might find it rather familiar. Yeah, I 'borrowed' it from Destiny's Child's Say My Name. It doesn't make sense now. But you'll see... ^^

Anyway, please enjoy this short prologue for now~! Don't forget to R & R!


Say My Name

Prologue

'BANG!!!'

Loud, near deafening, - that was how ominously intimidating it was. All it took was a single noise to shatter the vigilant yet fragile silence shrouding the dead of the night. A rude awakening for most, but an unfounded trepidation was gnawing on the nerves of the 27th Precinct's homicide detectives. Psychological fear personified in the form of a chilling grip seizing the beating of their hearts.

"…No…no…" The blond Oriental detective feebly vocalized denial at all the worst possible situations that were playing like a messy horror movie in their minds.

But none could deny hearing otherwise, even if they blamed it on momentary deafness. Yet the short-lived sound reverberated repeatedly as though taunting them to try to forget.

Not even one out of the four men paid heed to how much time they had spent standing dumbfounded there outside the abandoned building construction. Neither dared to make the first move fearing that if they did, they would have to acknowledge the dreaded well acquainted sound and its consequences. And whichever the outcome may be, it wouldn't bode well.

"We- we have to … go in there…." The absence of JJ usual arrogant composure was a testament itself how much this whole situation was affecting not only him, but the rest of them as well.

Drake eyed on his mixed heritage colleague wearily, "Ryo… we have to go. Chances- chances are the shot missed its mark…"

Snapping out of the nightmarish trance, Ryo bit his trembling lips as he tried to embrace his friend's optimism. His single nod was all they others needed to break into a run towards the building.


It could have been a minute had passed. At most 15 minutes. But to the dark-haired detective, the passing of time doesn't even begin to mitigate the consuming hollowness despite his eerily calm demeanor. The void was like the blossoming blood spilling out of the chest, growing but never fading.

His heeled leather shoes clicked sharply against the granite flooring as he took a few steady strides forward, paying very little regards for the thick, sticky liquid life essence pooling beneath his shoes.

Looking down onto the other lying motionlessly on the floor, "Why?" he asked, barely above a whisper. His question was unanswered, but he could almost hear the other whisper again his last words in the wind.

'Happy Birthday, Dee. I hope you like my present to you…'

A hauntingly deep velvety voice Dee shuddered faintly at remembrance.

Absently, his emerald abyss reassessed the man. The undisturbed peacefulness and small smile could have fooled others that he was only sleeping, and not dead. But suffocating scent of metallic tang slowly melding into the air around them and the evident blood pool was sore reminder of what actually transpired here.

A man was dead.

And the .45 semi- automatic Smith & Wesson that took the man's life with a single shot laid indifferently at a hair breadth away from his feet.

Picking up and turning the bloodstained handgun in his hand, 'For Dee Laytner, - my life for yours' – was inscribed in cursive penmanship on its black carbon finishing.

"That's your real present, isn't it Ryan? Your life for my eternal guilt…" he voiced, laced with hollow sadness.

"DEEEEEEE---!!!"

Empty emerald eyes turned to look behind him, in time to see his friends and lover burst into the room with standard issued guns ready in their tight grasp and unbidden terror in their erratic eyes as they scoured the room.

Dee watched with them impassively as apprehensive eyes turned surprised before confusion finally set in.

Scoffing mentally, Dee couldn't exactly blame them for being confused. He was no less shocked himself when he arrived much earlier that evening.

Tea lights strewn all around the room in all heights and places were the only sources that illuminate the otherwise dark room. Party banners in every corner with canopies of light-weighted draperies across the barren ceilings and walls. Balloons of all size and colors filled the floors. And in the middle of this romantic setting was a candlelit coffee table served with two glasses of red wine, - one with one third of its content gone, while the other was left untouched.

Not exactly the kind of setting anyone of them had in mind when they heard the shot outside, but, -

"What's going on here?!" Anger, hurt and confusion entangled together in Ryo's voice.

Collective gasps and cusses filled the silent room when Dee pivoted his heels for them to get a full profile of him with the bloody gun in his hand, and the dead body at his feet.

"It was self-defense,… right?" It wasn't supposed to be a question. Ted knew he wouldn't doubt his friend if Dee denied the slight suspicion in his voice.

However, the dark-haired man said nothing in return.

"Dee…?" Ryo voiced with concern, eying his lover carefully for any sign of recognition or even the slightest of body movement. But the man's poise was unnervingly still, like a marble statue on display. The only semblance of acknowledgment of their presence was the slow scanning movement of his clouded green eyes.

Familiar depth was replaced by murkiness; it was almost as though Dee's usually brilliant eyes were now unseeing, - lost in the depthless haze.

"Dee… Ted isn't accusing you of anything. We're not...!"

"… I know…" the dark-haired man finally spoke.

It should have been a relief to all, but the broken smile he wore was both devastatingly beautiful and sad.

"Thank you...," he added, "- for believing in me… But…"

Breaths were held forebodingly, waiting for the man to continue.

"I'm sorry… for betraying your trust, too…"

Brows knitted, mouths fell slightly agape but not one comprehended the meaning of his words.

Holding up the .45 in his right hand for it to be visible in their eyes, explicitly fortifying the ignored notion.

A sore reminder who they were,

where they were,

why they were here in the first place.

But if they had a choice, neither would wanted to hear him out. Everyone would pulled the 'temporary deaf' card out and dealt it over and over again if they had to.

All wanted to pretend they had never hear him say, -

"I'm the one who killed this man. I killed Ryan Kendall."


Gasp! Dee killed someone?!!! How? Why?! AAAAAHHHHHH~! The questions...so many questions unanswered!!! Try asking them in your review and see if it gets answered in the next installment!!!

I'm a sadist, I know... ^____^