Then
(Three Weeks Ago)
Laura moaned as the kiss, that had started off hesitant, deepened. She tangled her hands in Danny's hair, melding their bodies closer together from where she straddled her and pushed her against the back of the couch. She felt Danny's hands gripping both her hip and one butt cheek as a second body pressed against her back and a third hand creeped beneath the front of her shirt to play with her breast.
"Still sure about this?" Carmilla breathed into her ear and then pulled its lobe between her teeth and caused Laura to finally break the kiss with a moan. "Is that a 'yes'?"
Laura nodded as she twisted her upper body to pull the brunette into a passionate kiss.
When Carmilla pulled away she looked at Danny and smiled; "How about you? Still sure?"
"I don't know," Danny answered, the timber of her voice belying how turned on she already was. "I think I need a little more," she started as she put her hand behind Carmilla's neck and pulled her close, "research…"
Laura watched as the two kissed; any jealousy she felt easily eclipsed by her desire.
Laura moaned in her sleep as the dream shifted and skipped ahead, the three now naked in the bed of the cabin's master bedroom. She was still straddling Danny, her hands gripping the headboard behind her as both the redhead and her girlfriend had their hands between her legs and had her seconds away from the biggest orgasm she'd ever had when Danny shook her awake.
"Laura?" she prodded sleepily. "You okay?" Laura looked up at her from where her head rested just above Danny's breast and nodded. "Well, could, you, uh…" she muttered as she took Laura's hand from under her shirt. Laura then reddened even further when she realized she was pressed rather tightly to Danny's hip. "You were moaning, you sure you're okay?"
Laura rolled to her back and looked at the clock; it was almost time to get up and she needed a cold shower. Her dream had left her both confused and drenched, not the state of mind she was hoping for given her plans for the day.
"I'm, uh," she stammered as she rolled away from Danny and went to get out of bed, "I'm, uh, going to take a shower, and, um, make breakfast after I go over my notes," she rambled, trying to cover for her still flaming cheeks as she gathered a change of clothes.
"Whatever," Danny sighed. "Wake me in an hour."
"Sure," she replied, and then, remembering her dream, blushed at her own choice of words. "What the frilly hell?" she thought as she flipped on the bathroom lights and then went to use the toilet. Maybe it was because Danny had taken to sleeping in her bed for almost three weeks. They hadn't once talked about it, but every morning since Laura had fallen asleep on the roof she'd woken to the redhead beside her even though she'd gone to bed alone. She woke before her, usually made breakfast, and would start work on transcribing Carmilla's journals before Danny would wake and join her without saying a word. Laura was content to let it lie, for awhile, but given her dream, she needed to know what was going through her friend's head.
Perhaps she was trying to delay the inevitable. While she wanted, no, needed answers, more importantly, they needed an excuse to search the estate. She'd been corroborating the information collected by Jan on the USB Bill gave her with Carmilla's journal and between that and the blueprints Bill had supplied; Deanna was as good as finished. However, everything depended on taking Deanna by surprise. If they didn't, they risked losing any evidence there might be. Laura had her friends inside her security team on high alert for any sign that Deanna was moving, or worse, destroying evidence. They'd also, at great personal risk, put cameras in every hidden passageway out of the estate. If Deanna made any attempt to use them, whether it be to escape or move damning items, they'd know about it.
She flushed the toilet and shook her head; a conversation that was already going to be awkward just became even more so given the dream she'd had, where her hand was and how she was just about dry humping Danny's hip in her sleep. Maybe, if she was lucky, Danny hadn't noticed the last bit. She sighed as she undressed and then went to start the shower. What bothered her more was the why of why she was having a dream like that now. It wasn't the first time since Danny had come back into their lives that she'd dreamt of her, but it was the first time Carmilla was also there. Perhaps it was as simple as she missed Carmilla and her affections and she'd dreamt of something sexy and Danny, being the last person she'd seen before going to sleep and, if she had to be honest, she was still attracted to, had innocently made her way into her dream? "No," she thought, "if it was that simple, I wouldn't feel nearly this guilty." She ducked her head under the barely warm water and let it do its work to alleviate some of her frustration. Unfortunately, it did nothing to soothe her confusion or guilt.
Laura was grateful that Danny joined her after she fell asleep as these days it was one of the few times she was alone. Alone to let herself feel the ever-growing ache of Carmilla's absence she'd cried herself to sleep more than once. She sighed and turned the hot water up as her frustration ebbed. Laura had never thought she'd miss sex so much. Well, it wasn't the sex, exactly, but everything that came with it; the cuddling, the closeness, the intimacy. Having Danny's warm body next to her in bed was a nice comfort when she woke in the middle of the night but it wasn't the same as having Carmilla there.
She shook her head and reached for the shampoo; pining after Carmilla wasn't helping anyone, let alone Carmilla herself. She wondered, sometimes, if the reason she missed her so much was because she knew everything was bound to change when Carmilla finally learned the truth. Laura had stopped bringing up her fears to her friends, she was sure they were getting as tired of hearing it as she was hearing them telling her to stop worrying, that everything was going to be okay. She knew they were just trying to help, she did, and they were Carmilla's friends first, they knew her better than she did, right?
"No," she thought; that wasn't a path she could afford to go down. Not now. She had Will to deal with. She was going to take a big chance today in hopes of getting something, anything, they could use as an excuse to search the estate. However, if nothing else, she'd find out how much Deanna had told him about her. Hopefully, with Danny's help, they might just get some truth out of the little bastard.
She finished in the shower, dried off, and once she was dressed, went to check her reflection in the mirror. Her late nights, drinking and not eating enough, were starting to show. Between her hours' long work out sessions and forgetting to eat she'd already lost almost ten pounds and while she was still giving her father the silent treatment, she hadn't missed the looks he'd been giving her. She tied her hair back and then went about covering the circles under eyes and adding some colour to cheeks. When she was done, she smiled; "Almost human."
Laura made her way back into the bedroom, dropped her pajamas in the hamper and then went to sit on the corner of the bed. She sat watching the redhead sleep, still unsure what, if anything, her dream had meant. She was so lost in thought that hadn't realised Danny had woken until she sat up and yawned a; "'Morning," as she stretched.
"Can we, um," Laura stuttered as she blushed; Danny wasn't hard to look at. "Can we talk," she motioned to the bed, "about this?"
"Do we have to?" Danny rubbed her face and fell back to her pillow.
"Is there any reason we shouldn't?" Laura countered.
"You keep sneaking off every morning," Danny sat up, scooted back, and sat against the headboard, "figured you didn't want to talk about it," she reasoned.
"And you keep sneaking in after I go to sleep," Laura pointed out. "Look," she sighed, "you mentioned Carm gave you permission to sleep in here, what I'd like to know, is why?"
"You really have no idea, do you?" Danny asked as she ran her hands through her hair. "Carm, the night before she left, she told me," she sighed. "She didn't want me to tell you," she frowned, "but I guess," she shook her head. "She said you were having nightmares, once, maybe twice a week when you first got together but that it had gotten to be a few times a night as it got closer to her leaving," she shrugged. "Carm was worried it was only going to get worse." Laura was stunned; she didn't realize she'd being having nightmares. But, if she thought about it, she had started sleeping better since sharing Carmilla's bed. "She said you usually wouldn't wake up completely but that she'd find you murmuring, sweating, or crying but she'd settle you back down before she'd fall back to sleep."
"Which explains why she seems to be sleeping like the dead every morning," she sighed. "I've been keeping her up every night."
"The first couple of nights I just checked on you, but after you bruised my arm to keep me from leaving, I figured it was easier to sleep in here if you needed me," Danny looked down. "I should have said something."
"So, have I? Been having nightmares?" Laura asked hesitantly.
"Just the one you had the night after you rode up to the cabin," Danny replied. Laura didn't usually remember her dreams, or her nightmares, but that one? She remembered it in all too vivid detail. In it she'd been the one to check on the car the cops pulled over. As she approached she saw Carmilla tied into the driver's seat for a split second before the car exploded. "But maybe I just sleep more deeply than Carm does," Danny reasoned as the silence stretched.
"Probably a habit formed from Deanna's fixation with watching her sleep," Laura sighed and reached over to squeeze Danny's ankle through the blanket. "I never would have asked," she trailed off as Danny laughed. "What?"
"That's what Carm said," she provided. "Look, it's okay," Danny smiled. "The bed is huge so I barely even notice you there," she teased. "And I get more sleep than lying across the apartment worrying about you."
"Well, thank you," she squeezed her ankle again. "I do wake up, a few times a night, but I didn't know why." Laura rubbed her face. "What, um, else did you guys talk about?" she asked, her insecurity showing. "I mean, that couldn't have taken forty-five minutes," she rationalized when Danny didn't seem inclined to answer.
"Well, she did take a shower," Danny stalled. "Laura, I," she sighed deeply and looked down. "I told Carm the reason I'd never do anything to interfere in your relationship is cause," she shook her head and met Laura's eyes. "You're not the only one I have feelings for."
"Wait," Laura blurted, "you and Carm?"
"No," Danny laughed. "We never even made it to the friend stage," she shrugged. "I was attracted to her, but I didn't have feelings for her," she sighed. "No, those are more recent," she shrugged again. "But see, here's the thing, the feelings I have for her now? It's because of the person she's become since she met you, how she acts around you," she smiled and reached for Laura's hand. "I care about her and I'd never do anything to hurt her, or you. I'd never forgive myself," she admitted. "Besides, Carm wouldn't be the Carm I have feelings for without you." Laura was stunned, she'd had no idea. "Is it easy sharing a bed with you? Holding you when you have a bad dream? Spending time with you every day?" She sighed. "No." Laura looked down. "But not helping you when I can?" Laura looked up. "Would be way more difficult."
Laura didn't know what to say so asked the first thing that came to mind; "Was I a rebound?"
"God, no," Danny laughed. "Remember all the crap I told you about Carm?" Laura nodded. "A lot of it, the way she treated me anyway, was true. The rest? The stuff Will told me?" She shrugged. "I doubt it."
"Speaking of Will," Laura segued, "you up for this today?"
"Talking to Will?" Danny frowned. "He's not going to tell me anything."
"He might, if he thinks you're on his side," Laura suggested.
"That's your plan?" Danny scoffed. She threw the blanket off her legs and got out of bed. "He'll never buy it."
"He doesn't have to," Laura supplied.
"What?"
"I want him," she thought for a moment, "unbalanced, when I see him."
"And what will that achieve?"
"With any luck, he'll take any help he can get," she smirked. "Even mine."
"You're hoping he'll give you dirt on Deanna?" Danny asked skeptically but sat on the edge of the bed again. "He's too scared."
"Then I offer him safety," she replied. "It's not dirt I need. No, that I have plenty of…"
"So, why not use it?"
"Because," Laura sighed. "The risk isn't worth the reward."
"What's with the vagueness?" Danny prodded.
"I," Laura shook her head and got up. "People's lives depend on their anonymity." She ran her hands through her hair. "Until Deanna is behind bars, they can't come forward." She met Danny's eyes. "I have little doubt they'd be dead before they could verify the proof they've given me." Laura sighed. "What I need is an excuse to search the estate." She smiled. "Deanna likes her trophies," she shrugged. "We'll have all the evidence we need."
Danny and Laura sat in the back of the Compass as they waited on Rick. Neither had said much since that morning. Laura assumed Danny was trying to figure out what to say to Will, as was she. How she was going to play it would have depend a lot on how it went with Danny. She was hoping Will would be so unsettled by Danny's visit that he would admit to something they could use. It was a lot of maybes, but Laura was accustomed to working with maybes.
Laura pulled her briefcase into her lap, took out a small box and opened it.
"Danny?" Laura prompted to get her attention. "In case you get stuck, I, um, brought these," she explained as she handed her one of the ear buds. "I'll already be able to hear you, the interview room has cameras and audio, but I think, maybe…"
"Laura, it's fine," she said as she took the ear bud and put it in her left ear. "Just don't be talking to me the whole time."
"How about a signal then?" Laura suggested. "Maybe run your right hand through your hair if you need help." Danny nodded. "Any idea what you're going to say?"
"No," she sighed. "Which is why I'm not fighting this ear bud thing." They were both startled by Rick knocking on the window. "I guess it's time to find out if I'm as good a liar as you," she teased.
"Low blow," Laura answered tersely as she opened her car door.
"Laura, I…"
"Save it," she cut her off. "Let's get this over with."
She knew Danny was only joking, she did, but it still struck a nerve. Was she a good liar? Yes, it was part of the job. Was she proud of it? No. But it was necessary even if she hated it. She loathed lying to Carmilla and kept a mental list of every major lie she'd told her. Every day since she'd started writing in her journal, she'd tried to think of five lies she'd told her and written down the truth and why she'd lied. Did it help? Not really, but it assuaged her guilt slightly. It would only be truly gone once she'd told her the truth herself.
When they came to a stop outside the interview room Laura turned to Danny.
"You're going to be fine," Laura assured her as she put a Bluetooth in her ear. "Can you hear me?" she tested.
"Yes, but you're right in front of me," Danny joked.
"Cover your right ear," she suggested and waited until Danny complied. "Hear me?" Danny nodded. "Okay, good luck."
"Hey kiddo," Ann greeted as she approached and then hugged her. She pulled back and held her face in her hands. "You aren't taking care of yourself," she accused.
"Yes, well," Laura sighed, "fearing for your life on a daily basis tends to be a little stressful."
"Fair enough," Ann conceded and looked to Danny. "We'll bring him in after you're seated. There's nothing to worry about, he'll be restrained," she instructed as she indicated the door to the interview room. "And we'll be right next door if you need us."
Rick handed Laura a manila folder as they entered the surveillance room.
"You sure about this?" he asked in an undertone as she looked over the 'deal' they were going to offer Will. "Admitting who you are?"
"Deanna already knows who I am," she replied as she took a seat at the table. "If I'm right, Deanna hasn't told him," she shook her head. "I might not be able to gain his trust, but if I can shake his trust in her?" she smiled. "We might just get something we can use." She opened her briefcase, took out a second folder and added Will's deal to it. Next, as they waited on Will, she slipped her gun from her shoulder holster, ejected the clip, emptied it, put it back in her gun and then handed the bullets and her spare clips to Rick. "I want him to know I have it but I don't want to be tempted to use it," she provided at his look of surprise as she slipped her gun back in its holder. "I want the key to the cuffs," she told Ann.
"Excuse me?" Ann blurted.
"Laura, I'm not sure…" Rick interjected at the same time.
"A," she talked over them both, "he needs his hands to sign the deal and b) it might help me gain a little trust." She was saved further defending her decision by the sound of an opening door over the audio. "Danny," Laura said quietly, trying not to startle her, "put your hands in your lap, you're fidgeting." The redhead nodded subtly and took her suggestion. She tapped a button on her headset and looked to Ann briefly before turning to regard Will. "He looks better."
"Later," Ann replied as the three of them gave the monitors their full attention. Will was seated by the attendants across from Danny and then the cuffs around his wrists attached to a metal ring on the table.
The former friends sat regarding each other, Will effectively hiding any surprise at his visitor's identity.
"What are you doing here?" he finally asked.
"Thought you could stand seeing a friendly face," Danny replied.
"Friend?" he scoffed. "The only reason you started talking to me in the first place was because you were trying to get into Carm's pants."
As Danny considered her answer Laura now understood why the redhead had admitted her feelings to her; she knew Will better than Laura. Knew he would use Carmilla against her.
"I won't deny it," Danny admitted softly and then met his eyes. "But how would you explain me staying your friend after she kicked me out of the gym? Hmm?"
"You were still trying to get into her pants," he mocked.
"You really believe that?" He nodded. "Is that what your stepmother told you?"
"No, she said you were after my money," he confided. "Guess she was right."
"Excuse me?" Danny hissed.
"I didn't hear from you for months," he explained, a small smirk on his face. "And then, well, that whole thing happened with your parents and you called me looking for help when you almost got kicked out of school."
"I didn't," Danny sighed and rubbed her face. "I didn't want anyone here to know what was going on." She shrugged. "I was embarrassed. I called you looking for support, emotional support." She shook her head, he wasn't buying it. "Was I ecstatic, grateful even, that you found me a solution? Hell yes. Was it the reason I called you in the first place? No."
"Sure," he replied slowly. "Where's Laura?"
"She's, um, running a little late," Danny stammered. "Thought I'd come see how you're doing."
"Like you care."
"Fine!" Danny pushed her chair back and stood. "Maybe I came because I want to hear it from you; why did you try to kill me?"
"I," he stammered, "I didn't…"
"You didn't poison me?" she accused.
"I wanted Carm to win," he deflected.
"By killing me in the ring?" she asked edgily. "And you have the nerve to accuse me of not being a friend?"
"Not kill you, no," he rushed out. "I thought she'd win by default when you couldn't make weight."
"And what would that have accomplished?"
"Thought she wouldn't get the Invicta fight," he shrugged. "Without that fight, no Ultimate Fighter."
"Danny," Laura blurted before the redhead could respond, "don't tell him she already had those."
Danny nodded subtly again and considered her next words; "So you did poison me?" He nodded. "Gee thanks," she taunted, "so, not kill me in the ring but I'd have died eventually without your sister's help."
"I knew they had a cure," he said flatly.
"How?" Danny blurted.
"I tried it on Carm first," he shrugged. "She was fine."
"You're done Danny, get out of there," Laura instructed, only to receive a barely noticeable shake of Danny's head.
"Is that why you invited me to your coming home party?" she questioned.
"No, I did it about a week before the fight," he supplied. "You're supposed to retain water," he shrugged. "Figured you'd miss weight and then your blood tests would show the parasite and you'd be fine."
"You miscalculated," she taunted. "Your sister was right; I had stress fractures in my hands from my poor punching technique. The bugs didn't need me to retain water to multiply; they did to me what they did to Dark." She shook her head. "I was your friend Will, tried to help you with your internet girlfriend, and this," she ran her hands roughly through her hair. "This is how you repay me?" She shook her head. "I was going to tell you to call me if you need a friend to talk to, but you know what?" She walked towards the door and put her hand on the doorknob. "Go fuck yourself, Will."
"So much for his deal," Laura sighed and looked at Rick. "Arrest him for attempted murder when I'm done, I want him transferred before Deanna realizes what he's told us." She looked to Ann as Danny joined them. "So, he looks better."
"Physically," Ann sighed, "he's recovering." She shook her head. "Mentally?"
"Ann, what is it?" Laura prompted.
"He showing classic symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder," Ann provided to the confused looks of all but Laura.
"That makes sense," Laura commented thoughtfully as she looked at the monitor.
"Could someone explain what that means to those of us without a psychology degree?" asked Rick.
"It means," Laura shook her head a she looked away from the monitor, "that he'll probably spend the rest of his life in either an institution or jail," she sighed. "Or dead." She looked to Ann. "What do we do?"
"We've got him on a variety of tranquilizers to try to keep him calm," Ann began. "And Laura's right, he may never be free again but he's young enough that he can be taught to fit in."
"Taught?" Danny questioned.
"Most of us know, innately, the difference between right and wrong. We're taught, from an early age, the consequences of our actions and that people could be hurt by our actions," Laura explained. "Will," she shook her head, "he doesn't." She looked back to the monitor. "All he sees, all he cares about, is himself. He'll do anything if it benefits him and it doesn't matter who gets hurt."
"This is her fault," Danny said quietly, "Deanna's."
"Yes," Laura commented simply and then turned to the door when someone knocked.
"Detective Hollis?" An attendant asked as they poked their head in the door. "A David Jervis is here to see you?"
"Thank you," Laura answered as she stood, picked up her folder and went out into the hall. "Mr Jervis, I presume?"
"Officer Hollis?" He greeted as he offered her his hand.
"Detective," she corrected as she shook his hand. "Frank get you caught up?" He nodded. "We have him on two counts of attempted murder and one of murder," she provided as she handed him Will's deal. "He's admitted to two already."
"But, with this," he looked up from the deal, "if he says Deanna made him do it..."
"He'll only be held accountable for crimes committed without her knowledge," she nodded. "And even then," she shook her head. "Off the record?" He nodded slowly. "Plead insanity."
"Excuse me?"
"He needs help," she provided. "He may seem sane. He's definitely aware of his actions, however," she studied him, "And he's even aware of the consequences but he doesn't' have the ability to care if people get hurt in the process, including himself." She shook her head. "We could send him to jail. We should send him to jail." She looked down the hall. "Even if Deanna doesn't get to him, he'd get himself killed within a few weeks at most."
"You're trying to help him?" She nodded. "Why?"
"He's not our target."
"You're after Deanna," he surmised, she nodded. "Doesn't explain why you're trying to help him."
"Because he's as much a victim as his sister is," she answered. "And he's my girlfriend's brother; she'd want me to help him if I can." She sighed. "If he doesn't want my help, or refuses to help?" She shrugged. "He goes down with her."
"So, why am I here?"
"I'd have thought that was obvious," she stated, "you're here to protect his rights."
"Or nothing he says can be used against him," he supplied.
"Exactly," she replied. "Give me a minute, I'll grab you a chair."
Once he'd nodded she re-entered the viewing room.
"You're sure you're up to this?" Rick questioned.
"I'm fine," she assured him as she picked up a chair. "Just be ready to move on anything he gives us." Rick nodded. "We're going to get her," she stated firmly, "and he's going to give her to us."
She went back into the hall and motioned Will's lawyer down it and then followed him into the interview room.
"Who are you?" Will questioned as he eyed Mr Jervis.
"This is David Jervis," Laura supplied as he put his chair down next to Will. "He's your lawyer."
"Since when do I need a lawyer to talk to my sister's latest fuck buddy?" He chuckled but then sobered as Laura leaned across the table to unclip his cuffs from the table and he spotted her gun. "What's with the gun?"
"It's not loaded," she deflected as she took her seat and then passed him his deal from the folder.
"You didn't answer my question," Will pointed out. "And why carry a gun if it's not loaded?"
"I've been a cop for almost five years," she provided as she slipped her badge from her back pocket and then slid it across the table to him. "I feel naked without its weight at my side."
"You're a cop?" Will blurted.
"You didn't know?" She smiled. "Deanna does, I'm surprised she didn't tell you."
"She does?" He spit out. Laura nodded. "So why are you here?"
"Mr Jervis?" Laura prompted.
"Detective Hollis has come to offer you a deal," Mr Jervis supplied as he pushed Will's deal closer to him. "It's a fair offer," he counseled. "You should consider it."
Will regarded him a moment and then looked over the offer.
"What does this mean?" Will asked.
"Right," Laura chuckled, "it's not like you attended any of your law classes." She smiled. "We have you on two counts of attempted murder and one of murder."
"Murder?" He blurted. "Who do you think I killed?"
"Robert Kirsch," Will paled visibly. "That one we can prove; we found Bob's original prescription with your fingerprints."
"She," he started but stopped when Mr Jervis put his hand on Will's arm.
"Mr Karnstein," he interrupted. "Sign that before you say anything else."
"I'm still not sure what it means."
"Simply put," Mr Jervis started as he handed him a pen, "you'll receive immunity for any crimes committed on behalf of Deanna Karnstein."
"However, only if you provide us with information that leads to her arrest." She paused to let that sink in. "As for any other crimes," she paused again. "Well, depending on how much help you give us; even those charges might be reduced." She tilted her head. "With any luck you'll be a free man before you turn thirty." She let him digest that. "Will, let me lay it out for you; Deanna hasn't made any attempt to find out how you are. Granted, there's the restraining order..."
"But we got married," he pointed out.
"You're not, actually," Laura corrected. "See here's the thing, marriage involves more than a ceremony, there's paperwork." She could tell the truth was starting to dawn on him. "Paperwork she never filed." Will rubbed his face. "She's after your money, she's only ever been after your money, but she isn't willing to sacrifice her own money to do it." He looked down. "The point I was trying to make, however, is that we have no evidence that Deanna has made any attempt to find out how you are."
"So?" He said quietly.
"So, she either doesn't care or she already knows how you are because someone is telling her," Laura replied. "I'm concerned you're not safe here." She regarded him a moment. "I'm trying to help you, Will, let me."
"Why?"
"You're my girlfriend's little brother," she supplied. "As angry as she is with you, I have to believe she'd want me to help you if I can." She motioned to his deal again. "Sign it, Will, it's your best, and maybe only, shot."
"What do you think?" Will asked his new lawyer.
"Detective Hollis has brought me up to speed on your case," he began. "It's a fair offer." He looked at Laura and then back to him. "As your lawyer, I suggest you sign it." He offered him a pen again. "I'm here to keep you out of trouble," he informed him. "I won't let you say anything you shouldn't."
"Fine," he sighed after he signed it. "What do want to know?"
"Let's start with," she started as she pulled a notepad from her folder. "Why did you infect your sister with the parasite?"
"I didn't," he shook his head. "She told me it was drugs."
"By 'she', you mean Deanna Karnstein?" Laura prodded.
"Yes," he replied. "She told me she wanted Carmilla to get disqualified and suspended."
"But you told Danny..."
"She told me after," Will interjected. "Deanna kept asking how her health was," he shrugged. "She told me when I finally asked why she wanted to know."
"So, she supplied the parasite?" She asked, he nodded. "What about Danny?"
"Deanna told me the symptoms," he supplied. "I thought she'd retain water and miss weight." He shook his head and looked down. "I thought she'd be okay."
"Whose idea was it?"
When Will hesitated Mr Jervis informed him; "Don't answer that."
Will studied him a moment and then looked back to Laura. She held his gaze a few moments, jotted a few words down on her notepad and then continued; "Fine," Laura looked back to him. "Tell me about Bob."
"I didn't know it would kill him," he sighed and rubbed his face. "She said it would make him sick."
"So Deanna supplied the drugs?" Will nodded. "Did she tell you why she wanted to make Bob sick?"
"Have you met Deanna?" he mocked. "You don't ask questions, you just do as you're told."
"But why?" she pressed. "I mean, why do as you're told? Was she giving you money? Sex?" He stomach turned at the thought. "Or was it out of fear?" He looked down. "Your sister has spent her life trying to protect you." He met her eyes again. "Taken numerous beatings so you wouldn't have to."
"Prove it," he hissed.
She regarded him a moment and then slipped three page sized photos from her folder. She slid the first across to him; Carmilla's naked back, slighting pink from the intentional sunburn she'd gotten to make her scars stand out and make them easier to find. He stared at it moment and then pushed it away. She slid the second across to him, this one taken midway through the painting of her scars.
"These have been examined by an expert," Laura began as she gave him the last picture. "He has confirmed these scars are not the result of..." she shook her head, she couldn't say the words aloud. "She couldn't have done this to herself."
"It was self-defence," he said tonelessly.
"Right," she said slowly and then studied him a moment. "Give me something, Will, something, anything, I can use to put Deanna away." She could tell the change of topic confused him. "So far you haven't told me anything we didn't already know." She let that sink in. "If it was enough, she'd already be in jail." She ran her hands her hand through her hair and leaned back. "Give me something, anything, so I can help you."
They regarded each other while Will seem to consider his options.
"I rented out the apartment Deanna rented for me," he began. "Used the money to rent a house in Surrey. Last time I was at Deanna's, before Carm and Danny's fight, I copied her hard drive." Laura raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what's on it, I didn't have a chance to look at it, but it's hidden in a safe under the floorboards under my bed."
She flipped the page on her pad and then slid it over to him.
"Write down the address," she prompted. "You'll be transferred Monday..."
"Transferred?" he blurted as he looked up from the pad.
"I'm trying to keep you safe," she offered. "And, as I said, I don't believe you're safe here."
"Then why wait until Monday?" Mr Jervis inquired.
"Because," she looked at her watch, "we need time to file the paperwork and set up the transfer," she provided. "And we have a distraction planned for Monday." She took her badge from her back pocket and her gun from its holster before handing both of them to Will's lawyer. "If you don't mind, I'd like a few moments alone with your client." She glanced at Will. "Not as a cop, but as his sister's girlfriend," she looked back to the lawyer, "off the record."
"And nothing he says will be held against him?" Mr Jervis asked. When she nodded he turned to Will. "It's up to you, Mr Karnstein." Will shrugged. "I'll be back to consult with you when you're done."
Laura saw him out the door, turned and leaned against the wall beside the door.
"How long was Deanna El?" Will met her gaze but didn't answer. "I've read the conservation, Will, all of it. I want to know, when did Deanna take it over?"
"She didn't," he said quietly.
"It was you?" She tried, but failed to keep her anger in check. "It was all you?" she prodded tersely and ran her hands through her hair roughly. "So you know," she accused. "You know she's telling the truth."
"I know what she's told me," he stated.
"Why Will? Why toy with her like that?"
"I needed..." he sighed and looked down. "One night," he began, "I followed her into Deanna's office, which was weird cause she hated that place," he shook his head. Laura had a feeling she knew what she was about to hear; between Jan's observations and Carmilla's journals, she knew the story but she wanted to hear his side of it. What she didn't know, however, was what had precipitated it. "By the time I got there she was already gone but I found a hidden door ajar." He closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "I found her, Carm, in a room full of hanging pictures. Pictures of her with a bunch of old people I didn't recognize." He shook his head. "She was starting to freak out when we heard a noise out in the hallway. She told me to hide and then went out to face Deanna." He rubbed his face. "I heard them arguing, a thud, and then nothing."
"What happened next Will?" she prodded.
"I went to see what was going on," he shook his head and looked away. "I found them in another room. She had her hands tied and she was hanging from them with her shirt off." He closed his eyes and swallowed. "Deanna had Carm's studded belt in her hand. She saw me, took me back into the hall and told me," he took a shaky breath, "told me, if I didn't use it on her, she'd use it on me."
"So, better her than you?" she accused.
"Does she know?" he deflected.
"That you beat her within an inch of her life?" Laura asked, trying to keep her tone neutral. "There are large gaps in her memory," she supplied. "She doesn't know it was you, but she knows it wasn't Deanna." She shook her head. "You know she isn't lying about the abuse," she stated.
"How do I know that wasn't the only time?" he countered. "You know she was in love with Danny, right?" he taunted and wrong footed her entirely.
"Excuse me?" she blurted.
"The night she threw Danny out of the gym, Dark found her crying her on the roof," he smiled. "Dark told me."
"That doesn't mean..."
"That's what she told him," he interrupted.
"Doesn't matter," Laura said dismissively. "Carm's with me."
"You're sure about that?" he mocked. "What is she to you anyway? Does she even know you're a cop?"
"No."
"So, what? She's your cover while you go after Deanna?"
"No," she sighed, "my cover was a nineteen year old journalism student." Laura corrected. "I fell in love with your sister."
They regarded each other for a few moments before Will leaned back in his chair and laid his cuffed hands across her stomach.
"May I offer a little..." he smiled, "friendly advice?" He waited until Laura nodded slowly. "Get out, Laura, get out now."
"Excuse me?"
"You're a good person, I'd hate to see you," he cocked his head, "get hurt."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, no, no, no," he chuckled and sat forward. "Just offering a little 'friendly advice'."
She walked over to the table, picked up her folder and went to lean against the wall again with it held in front of her.
"Fine," she smiled, "then let me do the same." She pushed off the wall. "If you ever threaten, or hurt, Carm, or anyone she cares about," she stepped towards the table. "I promise you, when Deanna goes down, and let there be no mistake; she is going down." She put her hands on the table and leaned towards him. "You're going to go down with her." She pushed off the table. "So let me offer you a little 'friendly advice'?" He nodded. "Help me take Deanna down or I promise you, you'll never see the light of day as a free man ever again." She regarded him. "Am I clear?"
"Crystal," he hissed.
"Good," she nodded and walked back to the door. "Then we're done here."
The words were barely out of her mouth when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and then turned as Will came at her with his hands aimed at her throat. More than a decade of training kicked in as first she kneed him between the legs, caught him with an elbow across his face and then knocked him to the ground.
He lay writhing on the floor, his hands protecting his wounded privates as Rick and two attendants rushed into the room and restrained him.
She knelt beside him as she gathered the contents of the folder from the ground. "I want you to remember one thing, Will," she told him as he stared at her through his tearing eyes. "I tried to help you." She stood and resisted the urge to kick him while he was down. "I'm done, Will, have a nice life."
She turned and left the room, Rick catching up to her and stopping her with a hand on her elbow.
"You okay?" he asked in concern.
"I'm fine," she shook him off. "Check out the house," she said as she took the pad from her folder, duplicated the address, tore it off and handed it to him. "But be careful."
"You think it's a trap?"
"I think he tried to play me from the minute I walked in the room," she told him and leaned against the wall. "He's Deanna's student, through and through." She shook her head. "He doesn't do anything if it doesn't benefit him." She pushed off the wall. "Take everyone; swat, bomb squad..."
"Alright, alright," he soothed. "I'm surprised you don't want in on the search," he joked. "I thought I was going to have to fight you on this."
"No," she shook her head, "if it is a trap I'm not about to walk into it willingly."
"You did good in there."
"No I didn't," she spat. "We still have nothing I can move on."
"Patience, Laura," he soothed. "Your Dad..."
"Don't," she warned.
"Your Dad has been trying to bring her down for twenty years," he pressed on despite her glare. "And yes, you've made more progress in the last four years than he has in all that time, but..." she tried to walk away. "Laura, no, listen to me." She turned back to him. "Patience, Laura, we've almost got her."
"Almost isn't nearly enough."
"It's the closest we've ever been," he differed.
"Whatever," she dismissed. "I need to hit the gym and blow off some steam."
"Laura..."
"No," she interrupted. "I'm pissed off, annoyed, and I need to blow off steam. Keep pushing and I will blow in your direction." She ran her hands through her hair. "Keep me updated." Once he nodded she returned to the interview room to retrieve her gun and badge from Mr Jervis. "Are you going to be able to help him?" she asked him as she reloaded her clip and then put it back in her gun before holstering it, Rick having left her bullets and clip on the table for her.
"It won't be easy," he replied. "But I'll work on the insanity plea."
"Thank you, Mr Jervis," she replied, dismissing him and then looking to Ann. "What?"
"You're not okay," she stated.
"I'm fine," she stated as she put her folder back in her briefcase.
"You're not," Ann corrected and motioned her to sit down.
"No," Laura sighed and sat down heavily, "I'm not," she admitted. "I miss Carm like crazy and I'm frustrated we're not making more progress."
"Did you know?" Ann asked carefully. "That they, Danny and Carm, had feelings for each other?"
"Danny told me this morning that she has feelings for Carm," Laura confided. "I'm not sure how I feel about that," she looked at her tattoo, "let alone the fact that it's mutual." She rubbed her face. "I'm not sure it matters, she'll probably leave me when she finds out the truth."
"You don't know that."
"And neither do you," Laura replied and stood. "Three weeks, Ann, three weeks; that's all I've got." She sighed. "I don't have time to worry about what happens when she gets home."
"Laura," she turned back to Ann, she knew her 'doctor tone' when she heard it. "How are you doing?"
"Danny's been sleeping with me for almost three weeks," she provided. "Apparently I've been having nightmares I'm not remembering and Carm asked her to stay with me."
"See?" Ann smiled. "She's trying to take care of you even though she's not here."
"So?"
"So," she started as she stood and went to take her arms in her hands, "she loves you. All this? Everything you've done to help her? It's all just details; she's a smart girl, she'll figure that out."
"I hope you're right," Laura smiled and pulled her into her arms. "Keep an eye on him?"
"Of course," she stepped back and studied her. "Why are you trying to help him?"
"Cause he's not just Carm's little brother," she confided. "He's probably mine too."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, seems so," she sighed. "But keep that under your hat, he doesn't know and if he does I don't want him to know that we do." Ann pulled her into another hug. "I'm going to be okay, I will," she smiled. "I'll shake it off."
"You always do," she teased. "Take it easy this weekend," she leaned back. "And get some rest, you look exhausted."
"Gee, thanks," Laura joked. "But, considering I'm giving a press conference on Monday, you might have a point."
They'd traveled in silence, Laura staring out the window while Steven drove and Danny respected her need for quiet. There were too many things going through her head. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted when her phone rang about ten minutes away from the gym. She frowned as she answered it and then placed it on speaker; it was Rick and it was a little too soon for him to have reached Will's hideout.
"What's up?" she asked.
"It blew," he replied, "just as they were pulling into the driveway."
"Anyone get hurt?" Laura asked.
"None of our people but one of the witnesses saw movement inside the house just before it blew sky high." Rick sighed audibly. "I'm still about fifteen minutes out but I'll let you know what I find out."
"Rick?" she started. "Transfer him to max, solitary confinement, until Deanna is dealt with."
"Done."
She resisted the urge to throw her phone out the window once she'd ended the call.
"Laura?" Danny prompted carefully.
"Not now," Laura dismissed with a glance at Steven.
"Fine," Danny sighed as they pulled into the gym's parking lot.
Laura got out of the truck without a word and walked towards the gym at a quick pace; she needed to hit something, hard and frequently. Danny, though, with her longer legs caught up to her easily and brought her to a stop before she reached the door.
"Laura," she started, "we need to talk about this."
"You watched the interview?" Laura questioned and received Danny's nod. "Fine," she nodded towards the picnic bench looking over the water. She sat on the table, took her cigarettes from her pocket and lit one as Danny sat beside her. "Is it true? Does Carm have feelings for you?"
"She told me not to say anything," Danny replied quietly.
"Why?" Laura questioned. "Unless..." she sniffed back the tears forming in her eyes. "Unless there's something for me to be worried about?"
"God, Laura, no," Danny rushed to assure her. "She didn't want you to worry when there's nothing to worry about."
"That's what you two were talking about the night before she left?"
"You know what she told me?" Danny smiled. "She told me you're her forever." She chuckled. "And that, had we dated a year ago, we'd have been a disaster."
"But you're not the same people you were a year ago," Laura pointed out.
"No," Danny conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that we probably wouldn't be friends if we had dated."
"You don't know that."
"No," Danny chuckled, "I think she was right." She reached for Laura's hand. "What you and Carm have?" Laura met her gaze. "It's the kind of love they write poems and songs about. Trust me; it's enough to make a girl jealous." She squeezed her hand. "But I'm happy for you, for both of you."
"That must suck," Laura commented.
"Yeah, Carm said that too," Danny chuckled, let her hand go and then rubbed her back. "She loves you Laura, all this? All the lies?" She stopped rubbing her back and squeezed her shoulder. "It might take a little while, but she'll get over it once she realizes she's never been happier."
"I hope you're right," Laura sighed. "Danny?" She sniffed and rubbed her nose. "I miss her, so much."
"I know," Danny pulled her into a one-armed hug. "I miss her too." She kissed the side of Laura's head. "But I bet she only misses you."
"At the risk of sounding like a total bitch," Laura chuckled. "I hope you're right about that too."
"You going to be okay?"
"In about three weeks, maybe," Laura joked. "Can you..."
"Give you some time alone?" Laura nodded. "Sure."
Danny hugged her and then took her briefcase for her when she offered it. She watched her walk away a moment and then looked back over the water, the tears she'd been fighting all the way back from seeing Will, finally made their way down her face.
They weren't because she missed Carmilla, though she'd already shed more than enough on that account. No, these were tears of frustration, anger and, well, exhaustion. She was tired. So very very tired. The stress of holding herself together coupled with being the keeper of so many secrets was starting to wear thin. Every day was a constant battle to appear strong, to not let the information in Jan's research and Carmilla's journals, get to her. It was dark and twisted stuff and she often found herself wondering, not only how Carmilla survived it, but how had she not turned into another Will.
"Will," she sighed. Was he a lost cause? Had he set them up today? Did he think Laura wouldn't be able to resist the urge to check out his hideout herself? Was he trying to kill her? "What is the plan here?" she muttered and rubbed her face. She'd gone to talk to Will to find answers and only ended up with more questions. Sure, she found some, but nothing she could use against Deanna.
"Time for 'Plan B'," she thought and made her way inside. If Will wouldn't give them Deanna it was time to press her into making a mistake. That's where the press conference came into play, and if that didn't work, Will's transfer to maximum security might. Her phone chimed just as she was about to go into her apartment indicating a text; "She fights on Wednesday and she's fine."
"Damn," she sighed; Dana had promised he'd talk to the coaches, make sure that Carmilla fought the last of the preliminaries to give her more time to recuperate from her fight with Rose. Something must have happened; an injury perhaps? It didn't matter, Carmilla thrived on challenge. She enjoyed fighting her fights close together. She'd be fine.
She headed into the bedroom, intending to change into her workout gear but sat on the bed to take off her shoes and laid back on it instead. More than anything else, Laura hated that she wouldn't be in Carmilla's corner for her fight. In all the time since Carmilla had started fighting this would be the first she'd missed.
But Laura had her own fight to worry about. A fight she was determined to win before Carmilla returned. Because, when she does, Laura was pretty sure she'd have a whole other battle to fight. But she wasn't a quitter and she'd never give up on Carmilla. So many others had, but she couldn't. She smiled; Carmilla was her forever too and she'd fight to the ends of the earth for her.