For Lorna,

with much love.

"Come on, Mat," Fabian scoffed, as they both examined the computer screen. It was almost sad, how that 30 by 30 cm dimly glowing screen, displayed one persons entire life. Joy Mercer. A picture of her smiling, age 21. Her birth certificate, death certificate, close family, school, bank accounts, degrees. All that was left her on the world. A file on a data base. "You don't really believe this was a mugging gone wrong,"

Mat sighed, turning to look up at him "Look Boss, this case is technically closed, what about it is bugging you?"

"Joy was linked with loads of crimes, you don't actually believe this was just a coincidence?" Fabian shook his head, cutting off his friend "I know there's more to this crime. And I just bet Jerome Clarke had something to do with it,"

"I thought something we correctly identified in Jerome's profile from day 1 was that he wasn't a killer."

Fabian sighed, staring at the screen "We've been wrong before..."

Line Break

"Morning Rutter," Jerome chirped happily, he draped his blazer of the chair and Fabian smiled at him. For even though he suspected Jerome, and didn't trust him...he was now one of his closest friends.

"Hey Jerome," he smiled, hair in his eyes "I've got a case for us," Jerome nodded, biting into the chocolate donut and sitting on Fabian's desk as he sat on his chair. "Accounts."

Jerome fake snored. "Sorry-what? I think I just fell asleep that was so boring-"

"Excuse me Sir, calm down!" Mara's voice rang out, Jerome and Fabian met each others worried eyes, stepping out over the office to look at what was happening. Mara was clutching a strange mans arm, and he had blood trickling down one side of his face. The man looked up and spotted Fabian, who had his badge displayed proudly, making it obvious to this man that he was FBI.

"He-Hey Agent!" the man cried, he lifted up his hands, which were full of stacks of money, hundred pound notes. "I've just robbed a bank! Please, arrest me!" his voice wasn't sarcastic, it was honest, raw and afraid. Jerome's eyes widened, and he whispered to Fabian.

"I think we just found a real case,"

Fabian nodded, slightly stumped.

Line Break

"Okay," Mara brushed her hair back, sitting opposite the strange man. "Your name is George Maxwell. You've been arrested, for stealing from a shop. And you were released eight years ago. And now you're married, with a son-"

"I'm reformed." George nodded.

Jerome stiffened, his arms crossed tightly from the other side of the glass where he watched the scene beside Fabian. He didn't know why, but he saw himself in this man. Although, Jerome would never confess, not ever. It wasn't in his nature. But still...this man, this former criminal, who was now normal. It linked to the core of Jerome, something nobody had been able to relate too ever since he had been 'released' from prison.

Mara sighed "Yet you've come in today claiming you've robbed..." she glanced down at the paper "Natfar bank. You claim you've stolen £2000000, yet you've only £2000, where's the rest," he stared at her helplessly, and he shook his head, playing with the bandage that was now around his head.

"I'm telling you- I know it sounds crazy but I don't know, I swear, I don't," his eyes looked as though he were about to start brimming with tears. "All I know is, one second I'm leaving this building, and then I blank out. Then, like an hour later, I snap back, and I'm walking across the road, holding money..." he shook his head violently "Then I was just stood there, thinking...how could I have relapsed? I thought I'd recovered, what kind of example am I setting for my son? Then the taxi came and hit me, that's how I got this," he pointed to his head.

Mara looked sympathetic for a moment, before back to professional, Fabian nodded approvingly and Jerome half smiled at how...how incredibly worthy Fabian was. He was a friend when he needed to be, destroying that security tape for Jerome, he was a boy with a crush on Mara, then her boss, when he needed to be. He...he had a very notable mind set, one that Jerome could only admire, with quiet humbleness. "You've...you can't remember anything about the crime? What you did with the rest of the money?"

He shook his head.

Line Break

"Here," Jerome handed him a mug of coffee, walking in to take Mara's place in the interrogation room. He slid it across the smooth table, and took a moment to admire how far he'd come. Jerome almost laughed out loud, as he ran his hand through his highlighted blond hair. A mere few years ago, he'd be sat on the other side of the table, his arms handcuffed to the chair, though he could pick those in a matter of seconds.

"Y-you're not like the others," George noted, taking the mug, and taking a small sip. Jerome laughed in relief.

"Good, because I'm not." Jerome was grateful that no one was behind the glass, he had seen Mara leave for her office, and Fabian follow close behind, and though that unnerved him, he was glad they weren't watching him. "In fact, I use to be a lot like you,"

The man snorted delicately "You robbed banks?"

Yes. Jerome could have confessed, but of course, he didn't. "I've done a lot of things," he dodged the question. "The important thing is, we can change," the man watched him carefully "I mean, people like us. Criminals. We're not...we don't always stay that way. We can change," George gave a small, sad smile.

"What if I can't?"

Line Break

"It's weird," Jerome frowned. Fabian watched Jerome carefully

"Do you believe him? That he just forgot?"

Jerome nodded, half smiling "I can tell when people are lying," Fabian rolled his eyes, and Jerome added "I also looked at his records, he's on some prescribed drugs...and a lot of them, they're being prescribed by this woman, Willow Jenks. She's like some sort of hypno-therapist, she specialises in helping criminals get back on the right track. George goes there every week,"

Fabian's eyebrows raised at the dosage "That's a lot of drugs, George wouldn't need that many." He frowned, thinking hard "How do we find out, if she is manipulating her patients in anyway?"

Jerome's lips quirked "Give me a few hours."

Line Break

Mara sighed, running both hands through her hair as she sat beside Fabian at his dinner table. Jerome was opposite them. "Fabian," Mara reminded diligently "Need I remind you that there are many, serious risks involved sending Jerome in as a criminal. It's lying, we don't have a warrant, and what if she gets into his head?"

"Please," Jerome scoffed.

Mara and Fabian ignored him. Fabian sighed "We don't have any other way, let's just send him there, and he can tell us what she does."

"I'm good with mind stuff anyway," Jerome noted. They both turned to him, "Okay, Fabian think of a number." Fabian groaned and Mara smiled to herself. "No really," Jerome pushed earnestly "It's not odd, or weird, or anything. Just think of a number okay? Like, 2, 3, 4, 5, get it?"

Fabian nodded "Got it."

"Okay, now say it in your head over and over and over again," Jerome ordered, Fabian nodded "You know, like in your head, say seven, seven, seven, seven,"

"Nice try Jerome, it's not seven," Fabian smiled, but Jerome grinned victoriously

"I know it's not, because it's nine."

Fabian's smile dropped and Mara clapped, Jerome smiled brightly at her. "Okay," Fabian shook his head, completely bewildered "How did you do that?"

"Very simply," Jerome took a deep breath "Firstly, I said to you, 'it's not odd or anything' the use of the word odd would make you choose an odd number," Fabian nodded, and Mara stared at Jerome in amazement. "Then I crossed numbers off, I named numbers 2-5, so you didn't want to use them." Fabian gasped in realisation. Jerome laughed "So, then you only had the choice of 1, 7, 9. I guessed 7 subtly, you declined, then I knew it would be nine, because no one picks 1. It's too obvious."

Fabian clapped his hands "Wow, you coulda been a magician," Jerome cocked his head, bowing. "But remember, Jerome." Fabian warned "Just...be a little careful. She's good, if she could get this guy to commit a crime for her, and him not even remember doing it. You won't have any wires on, that's against the law so just...don't let anything bad happen. You'll still have the anklet on, so we can track your location."

Jerome nodded, not really listening.

Line Break

"So, tell me Jerome," Willow smiled, handing him a glass of water, she sat opposite him in a black chair, taking a sip from her own glass. "How long ago were you released from prison?"

"A few days," Jerome lied smoothly, he took a deep gulp of water, placing the glass on the table. "I just wanna be normal again."

Willow nodded, crossing her legs. Willow Jenks was pretty, vivid red hair, a pale fake, a sparkling blue eyes. But Jerome barely noticed how she looked, lately, the only girl he noticed was Mara. "And what if you can't be normal?" she asked softly, opening her note pad, clicking her pen to the ready. Jerome arched an eyebrow curiously

"I would say that was a very pessimistic view." He smiled wildly.

Willow smiled, jotting something down "I'm not here to make you normal. Because you're not. You're special. Unique. And that's a good thing," Jerome said nothing, simply smiling charmingly. Willow rolled her eyes, jotting something else down. "You don't like sharing."

"I just met you." he countered quickly

"So you don't trust me,"

Jerome frowned, a little stirred by the unusual questions "Of course not. No one trusts someone they've just met,"

"Well we've got to learn to trust each other. Tell me something about yourself,"

"Uh..." Jerome looked around, swallowing hard "I...I escaped from prison after 3 years, and I was proud," Willow nodded "What about you?"

"I bite my nails when I'm nervous," she nodded, looking at Jerome. "You're not comfortable when people ask you questions, directly related to yourself."

"My apologies, but I don't like to talk about myself when I'm with a lady," he smiled, blue eyes glittering. She stared at him, unimpressed.

Line Break

"I hope Jerome's okay," Mara whispered from the office, wringing her hands. Fabian smiled

"I'm sure he is. Jerome knows how to talk his way out of anything," he flicked his hair out of his eyes "You care about him?" Mara looked up, eyes wide

"Well yeah- only as a friend."

"Only a friend?"

"Yeah,"

Fabian smiled kindly, he looked down at her "Mara..." he took a very deep breath "Maybe you'd like to...go out some time? Like... a...date..."

Mara's eyes widened. She stared up at Fabian's dark brown eyes, his dark hair, and his kind face. Don't be stupid, Mara. Her brain chimed, say yes. Be happy, start a relationship with the man you're meant to be with. But her heart...well Mara's heart didn't say that. It said: You know this isn't right. You know the person you're meant to be with is much more complicated than Fabian Rutter. And you like that.

"I would love too," she answered, so much use to siding with her brain than her heart, it came out almost naturally.

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