Sorry for not updating...? I disgrace fanfiction, I really do. Not the long, this chap, but hopefully you guys will like it. :) Where were we? Oh, yeah- Meg is dead. Why? *cue ominous music*

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The door to Aurora's office banged open, John barging in. In one hand, he held his phone and in the other he had Merida's hand. Aurora glanced up at them, worry creasing her forehead. She was on her computer, bringing up files. John wordlessly pulled Merida towards Aurora's desk, peering at the computer screen with their blond counterpart.

"How did she die?" John asked gruffly.

"That's the thing, John," Aurora said softly. "She took a bullet to the heart, with the same weapon that killed Esmeralda." A look of disbelief passed between Merida and John.

"With the same weapon?!" Merida exclaimed. "No. No way. It's been in safekeeping in the lab for weeks!" Aurora glanced down and realized Merida and John were still holding hands. She coughed lightly, nodding towards their clenched fingers. John and Merida quickly let go of each other's hands, both blushing.

"There was a lab break in yesterday," Aurora said grimly. "Lots of evidence from the case went missing, along with the weapon."

"Why weren't we informed?" John said angrily, raising his voice. His blush was long gone by them. "God, Aurora. This, this is... What went missing?"

"Fingerprint copies, blood samples, and the rifle," Aurora said. "So, basically all the important stuff that we could use to bring someone in."

"What about Frost?" Merida asked. "Can we still bring him in, even if some evidence is missing?" Aurora shook her head.

"Since his fingerprint copies are gone, we technically have no evidence and cannot force him in here," she said. "Trust me, I've been as out of this as you guys." John groaned, banging a fist on Aurora's desk.

"Now what?" he said. "The case is dead, we have yet another mystery in the mystery. I signed up for a murder case. I didn't ask for a missing person and another murder inside of it."

"The case can't be dead!" Merida insisted. Aurora let a sigh escape past her pink lips.

"The rifle was taken back from the crime scene, which was the Kellis household," Aurora said. "Her parents reported no suspicious activities, and no one came by. They only heard gunshots and ran downstairs."

"So.. was it a suicide?" Merida raised her eyebrows.

"Very possible," Aurora said. "The weirdest thing, however, was that Meg was found lying in the exact position Esmeralda was when she was found. Coincidence? I think not." Aurora crossed her arms, sure of herself.

"You're implying, then, that Meg saw Esmeralda when she was dead?" John asked. "Because- she didn't say anything about that. She said she had seen Esmeralda that day, but not when she was murdered."

"Unless she was the murderer," Aurora pointed out.

"Preposterous," John said. "There was none of her evidence on the weapon."

"That's why it's a bit strange," Aurora sighed. "But tell me, who else fits the description?"

"I'm sticking by Rider," Merida said firmly. "He's still the best candidate in my book."

"I'm going to say Frost," John said. "I think he did it." Merida turned to John in an irritated swish of her curls.

"There's no way Frost did it," Merida said. "No evidence, no real tie to the murder victim..."

"Tie to the murder victim's boyfriend," John pointed out. "Real convenient. He could've forced his way into Esmeralda's apartment, taken Flynn's rifle, and then shot her."

"His fingerprints were not there on the weapon," Merida reminded him.

"But it's still a possibility. He had fingerprints on the windows. Jack Frost knows more than he's telling us," John said.

"Oh, really John?" Merida began to raise her voice. "Just like Meg did?"

"Guys, I wish you two would go back to holding hands instead of bickering!" Aurora said loudly. "You two are impossible!" John and Merida both blushed, and tried to hide it.

"Shut up Briar Rose," Merida said darkly, ignoring the fiery red that dotted her cheeks. "We're trying to solve a case here." Aurora uncharacteristically stuck out her tongue in a childish manner at Merida, enjoying their discomfort.

"Alright," John said, back to business. "You said the rifle was obtained again?"

"Yes, we collected it," Aurora said.

"Then we'll need fingerprint reading, stat. We also need to get back to Esmeralda's apartment and get Jack's fingerprints again," John said. "When's the soonest we can leave, Aurora?"

"What are you in a hurry for, Sherlock?" Aurora said, rolling her eyes. "Can't get enough of that murder." Still, the blond sat down at her computer, bringing up the necessary warrants for entering the apartment.

"And just when we think we're gettin' close, eh?" Merida lamented to John. John nodded in reply, groaning and laying his head on his arm.

"Sometime I wonder why I got into this field," John admitted, his voice slightly muffled by his elbow. "But I really love it, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"You're right," Merida agreed with him, her voice unnaturally tender. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's just stress John, we'll solve this case."

"I know we'll solve it!" John shot upright, causing Merida's hand to fall off of his. "But Merida, it's getting worse, and people are getting hurt be getting involved." Merida was silenced, but she knew he was right. Unfortunately.

"Got Shang to lend us a warrant for searching the apartment again," Aurora said, swiveling in her chair. "Sooner we leave, sooner we get out of the hellhole called my job."

"Then let's do this," John said.

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"You're lying to me." Jessica's voice was tiny and wavering, her eyes tearing up. "She's not- she can't be-"

"Meg is dead," Jack said quietly. "I know it's hard to believe and all, but it's true. She is." Hiccup, who had been hearing this and kept his silence, gaped at him.

"I hardly knew her, but she and you were close, right?" Rapunzel asked her boyfriend, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"Don't be," Jack smiled faintly. "Meg was just an old friend; she and I got together a few times with Flynn and Esmeralda sometimes, that's all." Jessica, who had been grief stricken, suddenly turned to Jack in a fury.

"You!" she pointed a finger at Jack's chest. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"M-Me? What did I do?" Jack raised his arms in surprise.

"Meg told me," Jessica said, tears flowing from her eyes. "She told me she was getting death threats. And she said they sounded like you."

"That's crazy!" Jack said. "Tell me why I would threaten Meg, Jessica."

"Because she knew who killed Esmeralda, and so do you!" Jessica yelled. Rapunzel and Hiccup turned to look at Jack in shock, but he wasn't fazed at all.

"That is complete and utter crap!" Jack balled his hands into fists. "You're just insane, you-!"

"Both of you, stop!" Rapunzel grabbed Jack's arm. "What is up with you two? What are you talking about?"

"Sure, just leave us out," Hiccup crossed his arms, agreeing with Rapunzel.

"I don't want you mixed in with this," Jack told Rapunzel, gently touching her shoulder. Rapunzel glared at him uncharacteristically, frowning.

"Don't act like I don't deserve to know," she said. "It's bad enough Flynn is gone, and now you're trying to hide the fact that Meg had been getting death threats before she died? From now on, you're honest with me. One hundred percent." Rapunzel crossed her arms, waiting for Jack to speak up. His hand slipped off of his girlfriend's shoulder.

"I-," he stammered. Jessica wiped the water from her eyes, also waiting for his answer. "I can't tell you for your own protection!"

"I don't need you to protect me, I'm fine!" Rapunzel was raising her voice as she talked. "But you're not making this easy on me, Jack. Please just tell me why you've been secretive all this time, since Esmeralda's death!"

"I can't tell you!" Jack insisted. "Then you're going to get mixed up in this- just like Flynn- just like Meg-"

"Flynn and Meg weren't chums," Jessica said bitterly. "What happened to them?" Jack looked away from them, and locked eyes with Hiccup, silently pleading with the brunette to help him out.

"Guys, maybe-" Hiccup sucked in a long breath. "Maybe we don't want to know where Flynn is, and who killed Meg." Jack looked down at his hands, tucking them into his hoodie pockets.

"Don't lie to me," Jessica said fiercely, poking a finger in Hiccup's chest. Hiccup staggered backward. "Meg was a friend of mine; and now she's dead. If you and Jack are mixed in with her murder, I swear I'll-"

"Hiccup has nothing to do with it!" Jack yelled. "I told you, you guys can't know!" Rapunzel looked between them all, bewildered. This wasn't like them to be fighting... they were supposed to just be enjoying their senior year in high school, and now...

The home phone rang, but it wasn't like Jack or Jessica noticed. They were yelling at each other, Jessica screaming about how Jack must've killed Meg if he didn't want to tell her, and Jack was screaming back about how she was insane.

"Guys, the-" Hiccup's words were cut off as Jessica slapped Jack across the face with such force, the pale-haired boy had a red mark on his cheek. Rapunzel, worried, reached for Jessica's arm to stop her, but Jessica shook off the blond girl. Hiccup answered the phone himself; seeing as his friends were preoccupied.

"Hello?" he asked.

"You tell me, Jack Frost!" Jessica had Jack by the shoulders. "Why do you know that Meg was getting death threats? Why did the words sound like you?!"

"You're crazy, you're fucking crazy!" Jack yelled back, grabbing Jessica's wrists. "Let go of me!"

"Jessica, please!" Rapunzel begged, grabbing the redhead from the waist. "Let him go!" Hiccup was listening to the person on the phone talking, his eyes widening in shock.

"She was my friend, you bastard!" Jessica was still yelling. "My friend! Esmeralda was too... And Flynn also.."

"Do you really want to know why she's dead?" Jack yelled. "I helped her!"

"What do you mean, Jack?" Rapunzel dropped her hands off of Jessica's waist in shock.

"I mean I helped Meg get the weapon from safekeeping in the lab!" Jack yelled. Jessica stopped her struggle, and looked at Jack in surprise, just as Rapunzel did. Hiccup, who'd been listening to the phone, put the receiver down with a soft click.

"That's hard to believe, Jack," Rapunzel said softly. "You want us to think that you killed Meg?"

"I didn't kill her," Jack said. "You've got to believe me when I say that I had nothing to do with her death threats; but Flynn got us mixed up with Esmeralda's death, and.."

"You guys have been talking to Flynn? Jessica's voice turned angry again. "Tell me what happened!"

"No, it's not like that Jess," Jack said quickly. "It's a long story, and-"

"He doesn't have time to tell the story," Hiccup interrupted, "Because the police station called. An officer is coming to pick up Jack."

"What do you mean they're coming to pick up Jack?" Rapunzel demanded, just as Jack blanched.

"They said he had his fingerprints and were taking him in for questioning," Hiccup said. "I- I don't know why, but, erm..."

"You don't have to worry," Jack could see the worry on Rapunzel's face. "I've talked to them before; it's nothing new..."

"Then tell me why they have your fingerprints," Rapunzel asked, in a hushed tone. "Tell me why they're taking you in!"

"I don't know," Jack admitted. "But- I swear I didn't do anything wrong, Punz. It's just some questions."

"Questions?!" Rapunzel freaked. "I'm sorry if I'm flipping because my boyfriend is being taken by a police officer any minute now, and-" Sure enough, there came a banging on the door. The four friends exchanged worried glances.

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"You're being taken in for trespassing on property and for lying to the police," Merida smacked a file down in front of Jack's face. "Do you have anything to say?" Aurora sighed. Straight to the point, Merida always was.

"I don't know what you mean," Jack said. John wrote this down on his notepad.

"We have your fingerprints on the windows of Esmeralda Ayres's home," Merida continued, "Along with signs of forced entry." Jack gulped, easily rattled by this turn of events.

"We're going to need you to tell us, Jack," Aurora said. "Why were you at her apartment, and why were your fingerprints all over the rooms?" Jack blanched a bit at the criminal investigator's words.

"I-" he stammered. "I didn't mean for it to go that far!"

"For what to go that far?" Aurora asked.

"Flynn," Jack said. "I never meant to hurt him, I swear, but he and I were arguing again and-"

"Wait," Merida raised her hand to stop Jack. "I thought he was missing." Jack guiltily looked down at his lap.

"Well, he and I might've been talking a bit since his disappearance..." he muttered.

"Where is he?" Merida's glare hardened. "He's the top suspect in this case, and you said he was missing-!"

"I'm not disclosed to give that information," Jack said stubbornly.

"Well, when his blood and yours have been spilled in Esmeralda's house, I think there's plenty of evidence to lock you up," John leaned closer to Jack. "Unless, of course, you want to talk."

"You can't threaten me!" Jack said.

"I'm not threatening anyone, I'm merely stating what you need to know!" John was raising his voice. In an attempt to call him down, Aurora laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Merida frowned at her actions jealously.

"Take me in, I don't care," Jack snapped. "Flynn and I were never friends; but he and I got into an argument. Because of me, he's almost dead. I'm not going to let you finish him off!"

"Who said anythin' about lettin' 'im die?" Merida started talking in a thick Scottish accent, which she only did when she was pissed. "Ah never said he was goin' to die, unless yeh think he killed Esmeralda!"

"Merida, you're talking weird again!" Aurora said, laying her hand on Merida's shoulder now. Merida calmed down, but glared at Jack with hate.

"Argh!" she said. "He won't cooperate, Briar. And we'll get nothing out of him!"

"Not true," John interjected. "We've got enough evidence to convict him. Unless..."

"I'm not talking," Jack said. "You can look for Flynn, but you won't find out where he is from me."

"You're an accomplice to destruction of private property, forced entry, and a possible suicide abet," Aurora said. "Still not saying?"

"No," Jack said. "Convict me if you want, but you'll never get Flynn's location from me."

"You know, you might think we know less then what we know-" Aurora said, and took a small device out of her purse. "But the tracker on Meg showed two locations you might think are of interest to you: your house and Esmeralda Ayres's apartment."

Jack's face blanched at her last words.

What'll happen next? I don't know, but hey, you could try and guess, maybe some of you figured it out already. :)