Fillmore!

Today's Episode: De Oppresso Liber

Act 9: Nostrum Est Opus – The Task Is Ours

Fillmore pushed open the door to the gardener's shed, the last remnants of a smile lingering on his face. He could still smell the soft hint of jasmine that was Third's washing powder, clinging to his clothes from where she had hugged him. The sensation was new, though not at all unwelcome.

He was brought rudely from his thoughts, by the sound of the trapdoor opening. He looked up to see Adelie Johnson standing on the ladder that led down into the M.S.C.C., head and shoulders above ground.

"Where have you been? I was expecting you back ages ago." Her voice was cold and hard, the look in her eyes was calculating.

Fillmore frowned, "I had some business to take care of. Not that it concerns you."

Johnson's smile was cold as she gestured for him to come towards her. "Oh but it does concern me Fillmore. Especially, if you were with that attractive ex-partner of yours. It would be shame if anything were to happen to that pretty face."

Fillmore felt his blood run cold at the other cadet's words. Johnson had issued threats before, but none so obvious or as violent as this.

Satisfied that she once again had his full compliance, Johnson climbed down several rungs on the ladder, calling up to Fillmore once her head was below ground.

"Hurry up Cadet, I have an assignment for you."


Ingrid walked quietly into HQ, still contemplating Fillmore's words to her in the forest. A soft smile graced her lips as she remembered the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, the warmth she'd felt when she'd held him.

Lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the familiar face in the room until she heard the voice.

"Please you have to believe me, Nemis wasn't the one planning this, you've got it all wrong, it was Johnson – she's behind all this."

Ingrid looked up, eyes wide. "Sarah?" utterly confused, Ingrid watching in astonishment as Vallejo removed a set of cuffs from his pocket and proceeded to mirandise Sarah.

"Sarah Marrows, you are hereby under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, obstruction of justice, and for the attempted aiding and abetting on known criminal. You have the right to remain silent until your parents are present. Anything you do say can and will be used against you."

"No you don't understand – it's the truth." Sarah cried, struggling to turn and look Vallejo in the face.

"Nice try." Anza smirked. "We did some digging on you Ms Marrows and we found out some rather interesting information about you and a Mr Christopher Stabler – who, coincidently, just happens to have been arrested in connection to a spate of robberies as part of a cancer cell in the M.S.C.C. Apparently you and Stabler were going steady until a while ago…are you sure you weren't trying to just get your ex-bf off the hook."

"Yes. Please, I had no idea Chris was M.S.C.C. I dumped him because he was cheating on me. Why would I try to help him?" The young reporter wailed.

Anza snorted. "Pretty convenient, that the moment he get arrested, you come here with information with takes most of the blame of Nemis and proportionally diminishing the responsibility and also the punishment of your ex-boyfriend. Pull the other one."

"But I'm telling the truth." Sarah yelled at him as she was escorted to one of the holding rooms.

Ingrid walked swiftly over to Vallejo. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Two minutes ago, Ms Marrows here walked into this Office claiming to have evidence which, whilst not exonerating, Nemis certainly lessens his responsibility in this whole affair."

"SO what do we do now?" Ingrid inquired.

Vallejo sighed. "At the moment nothing. Folsom's ordered us to bring all the perps, and anyone connected to the case before Student Council. Immediately."


The Student Council Court Room was large and spacious. Fashioned much as a regular court of law would be. Those on trial sat in the front bench, whilst the Safety Patrol sat beside them and the Student Council sat in the 'jury box' to the left and right. Folsom sat on a dais above them all, looking down at them with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

"Before we begin," Folsom said, "I would like to hear just what Miss Marrows has to say. If she thinks that her story is pertinent, we might as well hear it before making any decisions on this matter. Miss Marrows, if you please."

Sarah nodded slightly shakily, visibly intimidating by the Principal. "Yes Ma'am." She gulped and took a deep steadying breath. "After I spoke to Officer Third the other day, I did some digging on Nemis, Mendez and Johnson. I located a source who knew about all three individual's history. My source told me that Nemis and Mendez used to run a small crime ring here at X – forging parental signatures mainly - they were trying to branch out, hit it big in the crime rings, but it wasn't working so well. Then, Nemis starts talking about this girl he's met – raves about her, says he'd do anything for her. So when she asks him to join the M.S.C.C he agrees."

"Did your source tell you who this girl was Miss Marrows?"

"Yes, Principal Folsom. The girl was Adelie Johnson." Ingrid's forehead creased in a frown, as bits and pieces of the last few days' events started to group together in her mind. "When Matt Nemis joined the M.S.C.C, he left Greg Mendez and their crime ring behind, causing it to fall apart. Greg was furious, and jealous that Nemis and been offered greater opportunities whilst he had been left out in the cold. My source told me that he tried to get even by bringing down the M.S.C.C. – writing an article to expose them, which Johnson squashes. The thing is Principal Folsom, what my source failed to realise is that Greg Mendez was not working against Adelie Johnson … he was working with her."

Murmurs and whispered comments broke out across the courtroom at those words causing Folsom to yell for quiet. Once it had been achieved she addressed Sarah again

"Why would you say such a thing Miss Marrows?"

"Because Principal, six months ago, Adelie Johnson became Greg Mendez's step-sister."

This time, the young freelance reporter's statement was greeted with dead silence. Folsom leaned forward to peer down at the young girl.

"That's impossible Miss Marrows." She said.

"No Ma'am, it's not." There was a collected intake of breath as all those present waited for the inevitable fallout that came from correcting the principal.

"Oh?" One blonde eyebrow arched on Folsom's face, and her voice was icy.

"Six months ago, Adelie Johnson's mother married Greg Mendez's father, but Adelie chose to keep her father's name, and whilst Greg continue to live with his mother, he also kept his father's name. Legally, there was no need to them to declare their new found 'sibling status' to the school, as they're not blood related, and as Johnson didn't change her name to Mendez, there was nothing to link to the two of them together. Subsequently, their relationship did not appear on any school record.

"I see, well I need time to review this new information, and the Safety Patrol needs to determine its veracity. We'll reconvene tomorrow. Dismissed."


"Officer Third, Officer Third."

Ingrid stopped and turned; looking for the voice she heard calling her. She located its source quickly, as a girl with auburn hair waved quickly and jogged over to her.

"Can I help you?" Ingrid asked looking the girl up and down, taking in the immaculate appearance. She couldn't help thinking that the girl reminded her vaguely of Johnson.

The girl nodded, "My names Bridget O'Conner. I need to talk to you?"

Ingrid frowned, "About what?"

O'Conner shook her head. "Not here. Come on" The red head dragged Ingrid quickly down a corridor and ducked into the first empty classroom she came across.

Ingrid backed across the room, slightly ruffled, in an attempt to give herself room to manoeuvre. She knew distancing herself from the door wasn't the smartest thing to do, but the other girl was strong, and Ingrid wanted to put space between them before they had this 'talk'

"You wanted to talk," Ingrid said, "so talk"

Bridget nodded, and ran a hand through her hair. "As I said my name is Bridget O'Conner, I'm captain of the Track and Field team, I sit on the Student Council and," here she pause and seemed to be stealing herself for something, "I am also a member of the M.S.C.C. Now it's not what you think," She cried as Ingrid stiffened in response to her words. "I'm not Johnson, I despise her. She's treacherous and she plays games with peoples lives." Bridget took a deep breath. "Look Officer Third, I'm not trying to make friends here, but I am trying to tell you that you've arrested the wrong girl. It should have been Adelie Johnson standing at that hearing today not Sarah Marrows."

"Oh?" Ingrid asked, raising one eyebrow, "and I suppose you have some proof to back that story up?"

"Yes I do. I would have said something earlier but I was afraid what I had wouldn't be enough on its own. That reporter's story provided enough evidence for me to come see you. You're detectives said that Johnson provided the evidence for Nemis' arrest – that he had been running this big crime ring all by himself. That doesn't make any sense. Johnson and Nemis were partners."

Ingrid frowned, "So? She said that in her report. She worked closely with Nemis first because it was assigned, and then later so she could keep track of his activities. She also mentioned they were friends. She didn't accompany the Safety Patrol on the bust because she said she couldn't trust herself not to let her emotions get in the way. "

O'Conner snorted derisively, "Yeah right. For starters, Adelie Johnson has never let her personal feelings cloud any of her judgements. And, second of all, Adelie Johnson and Matt Nemis were not just friends - they were … involved."

"Romantically?" Ingrid asked.

O'Conner huffed. "Romantic on his part, sure. As for Adelie? Well let me put it this way. If you hit her on the chest all you would hear is rolling echo."

Ingrid smirked at the Wizard of Oz reference. "The Tin Man forgot to put in her heart?"

O'Conner nodded. "Exactly. Anyway the point is, that Nemis was infatuated with Adelie, practically worshipped the ground she walked on. He did nothing without her say so. They may have been partners, but Johnson was definitely the dominant personality in that relationship."

Ingrid sighed, "What are you trying to say O'Conner?"

"I'm saying, that no way does Nemis organise a criminal venture all by himself. If that boy has done anything, Johnson was the mastermind."

Ingrid's eyes went wide. "Crackers" she said. "She wasn't worried about her emotions getting in the way at all, she was worried that Nemis would rat on her if he saw her at the bust. But she knew that as long as he thought she was free, he would lie to protect her."

"Bingo" Bridget said grimly.

Ingrid shook her head in worry. "We have to tell the Safety Patrol."


Ingrid banged through the door to HQ, eyes scouring the area for Vallejo. After a few more minutes of conversation and more than a few uncomfortable questions on Bridget's part, O'Conner had gone ahead to try and find Fillmore at M.S.C.C. HQ. Both girls knew that the young African-American would want to be in on it when they brought Johnson in.

Seeing the junior commissioner exiting his office, Ingrid grabbed him, turning him around and pulling him back into the office he had just vacated.

"Third? What in the ---?" Vallejo asked as he stared at the best female detective on the force.

"Sarah is innocent. Johnson is dirty. I just got corroboration from another source?" Ingrid said.

"Third are you sure about this?" Vallejo questioned, raising one hand to scratch his head. "I mean at the moment all this amounts to is 'he said – she said', all evidence is circumstantial. We're working on getting hard facts to back up Marrows' story but until that happens, there's not a lot we can do."

"Vallejo we have to do something. Fillmore said he had something to sort out, that he would get out of the M.S.C.C. as soon as it was done and I ---"

"Whoa,whoa,whoa." Vallejo interrupted. "Fillmore and the M.S.C.C.? Is there something you're not telling me Third?"

"Fillmore joined the M.S.C.C. after he quit the Safety Patrol, Vallejo, but I'm starting to think Johnson had something to do with it. He said there was something he had to take care of. We need to help him. What if he knew Johnson was dirty and was trying to take her down from the inside?" Seeing the junior commissioners face she hurried on. "I know it's a long shot and I know I have no evidence to support that, but think about it Vallejo. Fillmore wouldn't just leave us for no reason. He had to have known something."

Vallejo sighed. "Maybe he did, and maybe he didn't Third, but I can't expend time and manpower chasing after something which, for all intents and purposes was an Officer's personal decision to leave the force. I'm sorry."

Ingrid stared. "Vallejo you can't be serious. This is Fillmore we're talking about. I mean---"

"No, Ingrid." Vallejo said, "That's final. No."

Jade eyes met brown with such fury, that the older detective looked away in shame. The slamming of the door signalled Ingrid departure from the room.


Starting to sweat a little, Bridget O'Conner turned yet another corner in the M.S.C.C. None of the cadet's she'd questioned had seen Fillmore at all, but more to the point none of them had seen Adelie either. Bridget was starting to worry as to what that could mean.

Coming to a closed door, she didn't bother knocking, instead throwing the handle and pushing the door open with all her force. The door bounced off the wall, revealing a rather startled looking Cornelius Fillmore bent over a desk, examining a schematic.

"You okay O'Conner?" He asked, one eyebrow cocked in inquiry.

"I spoke with your partner, Ingrid. We've got circumstantial evidence against Johnson, enough to bring her in for questioning. We're hoping that if we can show Nemis that Johnson doesn't really care for him, that he'll turn on her and give us the confession we need."

Fillmore frowned, "It's a long shot."

"I know," Bridget said, "Which is where your pretty detective friend comes in. Once she's managed to scalp some surveillance listening devices from the AV room, she's going to go find Johnson, see if she cant catch her stating outright that she was just using Nemis."

Fillmore shoulders tensed. "She's going to what?" Bridget took a step back at the intensity of emotion in his voice. He sounded near panic. Before Bridget had a change to speak, Fillmore was moving past her and dashing down the corridors of the M.S.C.C. After a moment's time spent blinking at empty space, O'Conner turned and rushed after him, just in time to see him throw himself up an access shaft which led into the middle of Maize Maze.

Blinking in the sudden sunlight, Bridget O'Conner, panted slightly as she lengthened her stride in an attempt to keep up with Cornelius Fillmore. The African-American boy was racing through the Maze, and for all her track experience, Bridget still found herself lagging slightly behind.

Forcing her legs to move that little bit faster, Bridget drew level with Fillmore; close enough now that their voices would not be lost to the wind. "Why the rush? Surely the Ingrid can handle herself?"

Fillmore nodded, barely sparing a glance for the cadet running along side him. His main priority now was Ingrid. "Johnson threatened me with Ingrid's safety to make sure I joined the M.S.C.C. If Johnson finds out that we know she's behind all this, she might try to punish Ingrid for it. I can't let that happen."

Taking in the determined look of Fillmore's face, Bridget did not fail to miss the undercurrent of fear that was plaguing his features.

"It's a weakness, you know." She panted, as the pair shot through the exit to the Maze.

"What is?" Fillmore asked, his breathing only slightly uneven as he tried to talk and run and the same time.

"Caring for someone. You and Third – you're each other's weaknesses. Third's the reason Johnson trapped you in the M.S.C.C. and I'll bet you anything, Johnson was hoping to exploit her feelings for you in order to keep the Safety Patrol away from the M.S.C.C."

Slowing his pace slightly, Cornelius Fillmore looked over at the cadet running beside him. "What feelings? You're talking like there's something going on between me and Third. We're friend's, partner's that's it." Well that's all I am to her, he added in his head.

Bridget shook her head. "Nonsense. That may be what you're both telling yourselves but you as good as admitted, when you showed me that photo that she's more than a friend to you. And she said the same thing to me today."

Fillmore skidded to a halt and stuck out one arm, yanking O'Conner round to face him. "Wait. What did she say?"

Bridget shook her head, letting the boy know that it wasn't her place to say. As they once again sped towards the buildings of X Middle School, Ingrid Third's words played over and over in her mind. "I care about him … a lot more than I'm supposed to."


Scowling to herself and chewing on her lower lip, Ingrid Third paced back and forth along a corridor in the basement that was directly beneath the school's ice rink. The smell of coolant and old gym clothes was over powering but Ingrid was too preoccupied to notice.

Guilt gnawed at her as she reviewed how she had set up this meeting. She had hacked into Vallejo's personal files, knowing that he would have stored the number Johnson gave him under sources only he had access to. It was a breach of her junior commissioner's trust, which ate at the young genius. But she convinced herself it was for the right reasons. At least it would be if everything turned out as planned.

A sound from behind caused Ingrid to whirl around, arms coming up in a defensive pose, until she realised that the person who had caused to the disturbance was actually a few feet away. In the dim, half-light of the basement, Adelie Johnson's hair was muted to near-black, her dark clothing lost to the shadows, and only her pale skin signalling her presence at all.

"I must say, Officer Third, I'm rather surprised by your choice of location." Johnson's soft, mocking voice cut through the silence. Echoing slightly off the damp, stone walls.

Ingrid fidgeted slightly, unnerved by the other girls unwavering calm. She'd practically threatened Johnson to get her to come down here, but the cadet standing before her seemed entirely unfazed by it all. Realising that she had been silent for too long, Ingrid spoke.

"I wanted to make sure no one overheard this. Everyone on the Safety Patrol thinks you're a hero." This was not entirely true, whilst the Safety Patrol were grateful for Johnson's aid in the arrest, the debacle at Student Council had cast doubt in people's minds.

Adelie chuckled, moving towards Ingrid and further into the light. "A hero? Me? Do tell." There was something pleased, self-satisfied and vaguely amused in her tone. As though Ingrid had just told her a joke, only for it to be one that Johnson had invented.

"You're the one who gave us the information to bust X's latest crime ring. The streets are safe, Folsom's happy; the Safety Patrol is singing your praises." Silently Ingrid thanked years of delinquency and under cover jobs that her voice did not waver as she told the lie. She sounded sincere, albeit bitter.

"But not you." Johnson said. She had picked up on the resentment in Ingrid's tone when she added the last – there was at least one Patroller not handing her laurels.

"No," Ingrid admitted, "I don't trust you. It was all too," she paused searching for a plausible word, "perfect, I suppose. You turn up, give us just the right amount of evidence we need for an arrest. At the same time that Fillmore quits the Safety Patrol and then turns up wearing the uniform of the M.S.C.C.?" Ingrid winced as she realised that her voice had unconsciously risen with her last few words. Kicking herself, she hoped Johnson hadn't picked up on her obviously emotional response to Fillmore's leaving.

To her surprise, far from mocking Ingrid's attachment to Fillmore, Johnson froze. "He talked to you, did he? I wasn't aware you knew he was M.S.C.C." Her voice was forcibly calm, but there was an undercurrent of anger Ingrid was unused to hearing in her voice.

"Yes," she said, taking one step closer to Johnson, "and he told me why he joined. He told me everything," her voice was rising with every word until she was almost yelling at Johnson, her voice reverberating off the walls, "he told me he joined because of you." The moment the words had left her mouth, Ingrid knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Even in the half-darkness, Ingrid saw the other girl's face go white, her mouth thinning with anger and two spots of colour flaming high on her cheeks. Adelie Johnson was livid.

"How unfortunate for you Officer Third." Ingrid gulped, taking a step back from the advancing cadet. Johnson's voice was perfectly calm, though her face was a mask of fury. Ingrid knew from experience that only the most dangerous criminals could still have a reasonable conversation when they were this angry. Reluctant to turn her back on an enemy whose training she could only guess at, Ingrid hastily stumbled back a few more paces, groping blindly behind her for anything she could throw at Johnson long enough to make her escape.

Feeling her hand connect with something cylindrical and cold, Ingrid made the mistake of glancing back to see what it was. In the moment, Johnson pounced, toppling them both to the floor and knocking the breath from Ingrid's lungs. Luckily for Ingrid, her head impacted on Johnson's arm where it lay pinned beneath her rather than the stone floor.

"I warned him," Johnson hissed, breath warm and moist against Ingrid's cheek. "I warned him what would happen to you if he talked." She laughed darkly, one hand snaking around to press into the side of Ingrid's neck. "I guess dear Fillmore, doesn't care about you as much as I had guessed. Oh well, he still has a lesson to learn."

Ingrid struggled against the weight of the other girl pinning her as she felt two fingers press into a point on her neck. The two fingers retracted for a moment, before jabbing back in with full force. Ingrid's world went black.


A/N: I apologise for how long this took to update. I actually had the chapter written ages ago, then I reread it and realised it was dreadful so I had to rewrite it which took longer than I expected. The next chapter should be up relatively soon. As always criticism and reviews are highly appreciated.