Time for some AdamXIvy fluff before we get a little deeper again. We still need a name for them people!

Enjoy!

Chapter 26

The next day was a weekend and all the Homicide Detectives were grateful. All except for Allison who had been so preoccupied with the Jigsaw Case and finding Eric, she was becoming more and more desperate to find him whether he was dead or alive. Allison thought that finding Eric would be a huge step forwards in the case, if he was alive then they could finally call of the searches. Ivy thought that Allison needed to know for the sake of the poor woman's sanity; Allison Kerry needed her conscience to be cleared before she finally rested. She had taken home the Jigsaw tape despite Ivy and Rigg's protests that she needed the weekend away from the case and had been madly calling Ivy whenever she thought she saw something which ended up being something they already knew, or something completely insignificant. Ivy had had no choice but to switch her phone off on her friend as she posed awkwardly for Adam in front of his camera.

"I don't feel comfortable doing this." Ivy confided frowning up at the camera her eyes big and pleading. It was having little effect on Adam and she hid her face under the flimsy sheets he had brought round.

"But you look amazing." Adam told her. He had asked her to wear no makeup whatsoever and if he wasn't her boyfriend she would never had allowed him to take one photo.

"But I don't feel amazing." She told him still hidden under the sheet.

Adam leaned over and pulled the sheet off of her and quickly snapped another picture. "You keep modelling all the pictures. I've got so many awkward shots where you look deliberately strained or sultry. If I wanted sultry I would have had make up on you." He was very blunt when in his element and Ivy often felt herself shutting up at once when he told her off. He peered very closely at her.

"What do you want me to do then?" She said, her voice dropping so it was gentle.

"You're beautiful and I just want you to be doing whatever while looking as normal and beautiful as you can." He told her gently pulling a piece of her hair in front of her eyes. She scrunched up her nose and frowned at him. He flashed the camera again quickly nearly blinding Ivy and she flopped back earning another camera flash.

"But it's hard to do when you don't have anything to be normal with. Normal for me is slugging coffee while pouring over a Jigsaw file lately."

"Well, imagine the file or your Uncle or whatever you need to." Adam smiled putting his camera back on the tripod and refocusing.

After another hour, in which Ivy did considerably better just mulling through yesterday's new trap in her mind, Adam allowed Ivy a quick break while he dug through her wardrobe, Ivy promised herself it would be the only time he was allowed to pull out what he wanted her to wear next. She turned her phone on briefly to see some missed calls from Allison and called her back in case it was anything important. Allison didn't answer and Ivy frowned, instead there was a new text from Lawrence.

"Thank you ever so much for the entertainment at the hospital last night, it made my week that's for sure. If only Tibbs would let me treat him. Anyway, first Jigsaw Survivors Group session tomorrow at 1.00pm please tell me you can make this." 3.22

She sent one back saying they would be there and went in to tell Adam. All thoughts of the survival meeting and Allison however were forgotten when she saw the skimpy outfit Adam had laid out for her.

"What's this?" He asked her in a suggestive tone. Ivy stared at it in embarrassment.

"I completely forgot I had it." She said stunned.

Adam's eyebrows wiggled playfully. "Put it on." He ordered.

"What?"

"Come on put it on." Adam instructed handing it to her and then pointing to the array of make up he had spread out across her dressing table. "And then really make up your eyes for me please."

"I'm not putting this on." Ivy told him flatly going over at once to the make up glad she could put some on at last.

"Do you want me to fire you?"

Ivy turned to give him a look. "Of course I do."

"Okay forget I told you that." Adam said with a frown and a roll of his eyes. "Please? I need the opposite of what I've got now. I have the kinda sweet and innocent style and now I need the sexy, bitchy side of you I didn't have before."

"The bitch won't be hard and I thought I was being sexy before?" She asked.

"Well you were but I want it with the eyes and I'm going to do these ones in colour. Not black and white like before."

"Okay." She sighed adding some deep eyeliner. "If you stretched out and bought photoshop then you could choose what filters suit it best." She suggested again and Adam nodded.

"I know but it's expensive." He sighed wistfully.

"You could also just get a model to do this for you." She told him while putting on the extremely lacy pants. "I really wouldn't mind."

"But I don't need a model. You have an amazing body but hide it under those clothes of yours all the time. I only see it when we're in bed or when you wore that pink dress when we met up with Larry." Adam reassured her and Ivy smiled shyly up at him. As she pulled on the figure hugging top Adam's eyes bulged and Ivy hoped he would be able to take the pictures over his staring.

"Come on then where do you want me to sit?"

"Right on the end. Kind of straddle it to begin with, like you did on me a couple of nights ago." Adam grinned wolfishly.

"Couldn't resist that could you?" Ivy gave him a look and Adam grinned nodding quickly.

Ivy felt exhausted when the whole ordeal is over. She was hardly wearing the 'outfit' anymore as she and Adam had become so carried away with trying to out do each other on the sex appeal. Adam's shirt was off and the two were out of breath and lying exhausted on the bed next to each other. Ivy's hand came over lazily to drift across Adam's defined stomach muscles and smiled in delight when she caused goosebumps to erupt all over.

Adam shivered. "I am so happy to have you as my girlfriend." He told her with a lazy smile which matched Ivy's. "I honestly don't know if I could have managed if I had gone back to my own shithole apartment without you. I probably would have been clinging onto Lawrence the whole time and I know I would have let Scott walk all over me again."

"Well you don't have to. You've come out stronger and better from the ordeal. You'll get with this agency and start handling some huge clients and never look back."

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear so it tickled. "And you will become a part of the FBI forever and we will stay together and let nothing come between us."

Ivy raised her eyebrows a little at the strong belief in his voice. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah I do. It's gonna happen. Everything is going to be amazing forever."

His belief was comforting and filled Ivy with a happy bubble but after what Allison had asked her about earlier Ivy knew she couldn't settle properly till Amanda and Mark were jailed. "Well don't jinx it." She warned him and he laughed softly snuggling her better into his arms. They remained that way for a few more minutes while Ivy contemplated with herself whether she should confide in Adam or not.

"Adam, you know the game I went to after the whole Scott mess." She ventured wondering whether she should inform him when he was so happy.

"Yeah you haven't told me much about it."

"Well, the victim couldn't get out. At all." Ivy told him. She hoped she had not completely ruined their perfect moment but felt as if Adam had to know. He was the only survivor in a similar position to the game they had just uncovered.

"What do you mean?" He asked her slowly positioning himself so he was leaning on his elbow.

"Allison has a theory about there being a second apprentice to Jigsaw." Ivy began. "The man in this trap, he was practically unidentifiable. He was meant to release himself from the chains stuck in his skin and get out before the bomb went off."

"God these things freak me out." Adam muttered, "I don't know how you can do it."

"Believe me this one freaked me out. I'd much rather be handling a cyber hacker at the FBI any day." Ivy said disgust rolling off her tongue. "It was horrible and the smell, oh God the smell from it Adam. Like charred flesh and death."

"I get the mental picture."

"But the door was sealed shut, the SWAT team had to cut the door down to get in. You could see where they had done it. There was a disturbance call and obviously the victim didn't survive..."

"Because there was no possible way he could get out." Adam nodded getting the picture. "Like your theory with my test."

"Yes exactly. Like how it looked like you were meant to be free from your shackle the whole of our game, but because you had no hope of getting the key you could never escape." Ivy's voice was becoming hurried in her excitement to get Adam's view on Allison's theory. A theory Ivy had accepted herself at once.

"Yes you keep reminding me of it." Adam twinged in annoyance but his hand lost itself in playing with her hair.

"Like how the key went down the plughole, trapping you, meaning even though you did what you were meant to do. To survive until six o'clock you would still die. Just like how even if this man, Troy his name was...even if he had got rid of the chains he would still been blown to pieces when the bomb went off because he couldn't get out."

Adam went silent for a couple of minutes thinking it all through before nodding. "I think you're right. I think this guy was meant to die either way. I'd still rather be blown to pieces and got it over with quickly than what I went through." A subconscious hand ran over his stomach. Adam was still thinner than he had been before his trap and was often finicky with what he ate. Strong foods and occasional takeaway still had an adverse reaction and Ivy had come home a few night ago to find him throwing up in the sink. The somber look in his eyes was wiped away when he saw Ivy's concern and he pulled her forwards for a small kiss which she accepted at once, only after making sure he's cleaned his mouth out. "Well we know who is responsible for this then don't we?"

"We do?" Ivy asked.

"Yeah that Amanda bitch. The one that made my game un winnable it has to be her again." Adam was definitive with his words and Ivy pursed her lips thinking of Mark.

"I don't know."

"Well it makes sense doesn't it?" Adam said and Ivy agreed.

"It does make sense but would she really attempt to do it again? She knows that we know it was her. So even if she attempted to blackmail me into not telling or something, which she hasn't done so far, she would still have to contend with you."

"But the police are already looking for her and your Uncle so maybe she thought what the heck. Might as well as carry on with her psycho rampage while she still can."

"But that isn't what John wanted." Ivy protested. "My Uncle's philosophy is to give people a chance to survive, to live their lives properly but Amanda is just robbing them of the chance to do so."

"That's why she's a crazy psycho." Adam said bluntly and Ivy smirked at him.

"But what if she had a helper?" Ivy asked him deciding to test the waters. "Besides my Uncle John. A third person to help get these people into the traps and that man was a fully grown person..." She trailed off as some words Agent Strahm had asked her earlier. I may also need the weight of Dr Lawrence Gordon and Xavier Chavez if you could keep that information on hand. Ivy looked hard at Adam and sat up, he copied her at once understanding she was mulling something through. "Agent Strahm, my real boss, was asking me about your weight, and then the weight of Lawrence and another of the victims." Ivy explained slowly, allowing her brain to think things through. "Amanda would never have been able to lift that Troy man into position. The same goes for Lawrence and Xavier and most of the other men that have been tested. She's way too skinny to be able to do that."

"So?" Adam asked not keeping track with her and finding it best just to give minimal input answers.

"So what if the third helper was a man? A bulky sort of man who could help both John and Amanda with the games. And that's how John set up such a complicated game such as the Nerve Gas House while Amanda was a player." Ivy said her tone becoming excited as she grasped Adam's hands. It felt extremely weird to her, knowing the man she was speaking off in such a cryptic manner was Mark Hoffman, but to Adam and the rest of the world they had no idea of another accomplice to Jigsaw besides Amanda Young. Because I've sworn to my Uncle I won't rat Mark out. "I think this was what Agent Strahm was on about. I think he's beginning to work it out. There could be loads of people helping my Uncle. They don't all have to be doing it of their own volition some of them could be blackmailed, or doing it as part of a test.

"You mean your Uncle could have hundred of little workers all running round after him?" The fear in Adam's tone was noticeable at once. "All reporting back to your Uncle himself as the top dog?"

"Maybe." Ivy said darkly and Adam shivered.

"But you think there is another person? A man who is on the same level as Amanda, so to speak?"

"I think so. To quote you before it makes sense doesn't it?" Ivy grinned and Adam smirked.

"Touche."

"Amanda who is sadly a woman and a drug addict so is weak and my Uncle is suffering from cancer and an inoperable brain tumour. They can't carry much between them, never mind knock out someone like that victim Paul without a bit of muscle on their side."

A bubble of happiness swelled inside of Ivy. She knew she wouldn't be able to say much to anyone else but present her theory to Strahm and have him take over from there? What if I can use Strahm and his theories as a way to end these games quicker? Get Strahm to start thinking about Hoffman and keep him away from Lawrence who is no threat? Find Amanda, discover Hoffman, both of them rotting in a cell for the rest of their lives like they deserve. John hasn't got much time left anyway, Amanda told me so herself. It all seemed so easy and straightforward when she laid out the big, beautiful dream before her, as if spreading it out across her duvet. So straight forward and easy to accomplish. Yet a small part of Ivy, the demonic side of her wanted Hoffmann to suffer as much as she herself had suffered was warring with another sympathetic side that begged Ivy to not judge the lonely Detective so harshly, to pass an easier sentence.

Despite Mark's alleged brutality and the hints of it she herself had seen, Ivy couldn't help but feel that Mark was one of the few being blackmailed by her Uncle. He was a very lonely man with no one to speak or share his troubles with and although he was a wanted serial killer, Ivy wanted to view him with the same empathy she had given John. He had a good sense of humour and seemed to only be able to sleep knowing he was doing something to quell the still burning rage he felt from the departure of his sister. Seth Baxter's death seemed to not be enough. Or if it was, then John had some large amount of blackmail held over his head. She had heard whispers from the other Detectives about Mark's drinking habits before, which explained his reasons to avoid drinking with them, how the Detective had been driven over the edge and flung himself into a frenzy of work, burying his head in paperwork to try and ease the pain. It would have been child's play for the barely sober Detective to have been kidnapped by her Uncle and Amanda and brought to see their ways. Just as Lawrence and she herself had been convinced. The urge to lash out at Mark for his actions was killing her lately. She wanted to speak to him about it so badly but was afraid of what might happen to her Uncle if she told, and more importantly herself for she was naturally still terrified of what Mark would do if he ever found out she knew about his hand in the Jigsaw murders. He was built far larger than Ivy and would easily be able to carry her anywhere he wanted. Or would he be grateful for a listening ear that wouldn't judge him? For if she had kept his secret for so long, then perhaps he would understand that she would not call him out on her own. Strahm might be the key.

Ivy looked to Adam to see him righting his clothing and flicking through the shots he had got on his camera, his eyebrows were furrowed as he deleted some straight away and others his smile spread across from ear to ear. Eventually he beckoned her over to him showed her some of the pictures he thought were the best. She was surprised to see herself looking, hot. Ivy was not the type of woman to pour over copies of Elle and Vogue endlessly, mainly because she never had the time for such idle pursuits, but she often stared at the front covers before moving on. The pictures of her looking normal had turned into vulnerability and reminded her of the word 'editorial,' she thought being 'edit' anything was a stroke of genius from Adam; while the modelesque shots of Ivy using all of her sex appeal looked as if they belonged in a Playboy magazine. She was stunned to see such a change in personality between the two women in the pictures. Adam was smiling too and he leaned in towards her so he could whisper in her ear, she was still in her 'costume' from the photo shoot.

"That's what I see everyday." He told her simply and she looked at him wondering if Adam felt particularly like he needed to worship her today, he was becoming somewhat of a compliment factory and Ivy's thoughts strayed back to Mark briefly. Adam's likeness to be close to Ivy made her think of how quickly Mark did that favour for her. As she watched Adam, she saw how he could have easily fallen down a similar path to Mark if it wasn't for her. But she nodded and smiled at him, touched at the sincerity none the less and kissed his cheek. Adam flicked back to the vulnerable, normal looking picturesand Ivy peered at them a little closer. They were all filtered in black and white, adding to the simplicity of the picture, it was the one where Ivy had scrunched her nose up and one of her own personal favourites. There was something about the style and filter of the black and white pictures that was familiar to Ivy, she just couldn't figure out what.

"So when are you going to develop them all properly?" She asked Adam. "You need a better camera."

"Yes I need a better everything, camera, photoshop, the works but until I get a big enough pay check and find a new place to live I'm stuck with this shitty thing. It's a nightmare having to develop them by hand, although it's the best way to do this black and white stuff, but the pictures in colour I could so easily upload them onto your mac or something and then just send them." He moaned and Ivy opened her mouth to speak, "And no I'm not letting you pay for it. I'm talking thousands and thousands for the type of camera I need." He told her swiftly and Ivy closed her mouth letting the corner of her lips fall to one side.

"Okay. Well when we drop these off at the agency and you get put on their books then we'll go shopping for one." She consented and her gave her a watery smile.

"I do have a job lined up incase I don't get on the agency, it's a little running side job for a while but it pays decently and will provide my rent for a while." Adam confided and she smiled at him.

"Good for you, did you see it in the paper?"

"No the guy came to ask me personally. He recognised me at the restaurant while you and Larry went to speak with that informant guy and asked me about doing it. I got his details and everything, it's for a low budget movie working closely with the d.o.p on locations and I start on Monday."

"That's great." Ivy brightened happy that things were falling in Adam's favour at last. "That is such a good idea, why not earn a little on the side eh? Half of photography is probably word of mouth, more than acting and other business like it."

"It is." He told her and began packing up the camera equipment. He was now fully dressed and in decent composure and Ivy felt as if she should do the same.

"So I think we should get these pictures sorted out today because tomorrow we are following through on our commitment to Lawrence." Ivy said bossily, remembering Lawrence's text.

"Oh okay." Adam sighed though he was still happy. "Best to get it done quickly before anything else happens to us." He joked and Ivy narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm kidding Ives." His nickname did not help to comfort her in any way and she just pushed his chest gently and moseyed into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. In the kitchen Ivy had fully expected to see another text from Allison, but all she had was a quick note of thanks from Lawrence and how excited he was by the occasion. She picked up her phone and decided to give Allison one more call. The phone rung out and then went to Allison's voicemail, she decided to leave one in case Allison was just onto something and didn't want to be interrupted. Maybe she was beginning to jump onto the same theory as Agent Strahm, he may even have shared his with her as Detective Kerry and the FBI were still in contact, thought Allison was more in contact with Agent Perez now than Strahm. Or she was digging up dirt on Amanda trying to find the now well known apprentice. Gideon Meat Packing Plant. Why can't I just slip the information in somewhere? Perhaps a picture into one of the case files of the abandoned factory? What if the police had already searched it before John and Amanda relocated there and had scratched it off the list. I can't sit and do nothing anymore I need to start playing the cards I have in my hand. Amanda had some gall coming to speak to Lawrence and I in a still largely populated place when the whole city was looking for her.

The phone rang and she picked it up at once. "Allison?" She asked at once.

"No Ivy. It's Jill." Ivy's Aunt's voice came across clear. "Are you referring to your Detective friend you've told me about?"

"Yeah I am, she's not answering her phone." Ivy admitted and Jill made a small noise of acknowledgement.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to do something tomorrow? I had a talk with John today about all that was going on. The latest game is in the paper and the police said about how the victim had no way to survive and I'm a little scared that he's going down a dark path."

"Let's meet up. I don't want to say much on the phone in case it's being tapped or anything over the top like that." She sounded like she was in a complicated thriller film, "But I need to talk to you about Amanda. You were treating her for drugs, you'll know of her behaviour. I'm worried she's going to kill more people the way she tried with Adam."

"I think she's being a bad influence on John. I don't like her or the Detective you're watching much. He's too quiet around me and they are always fighting. I heard them on my way down to see John and the territorial look in her eyes. It was like she was warning me to back off or I'd be next."

"Jill calm down. It will be okay."

"But he's not got long left Ivy. He was in a wheelchair with an oxygen mask when I saw him. I asked him to stop while he still could. I don't care about him doing it anymore I'm just scared about what will happen to us when one of those two take over. We are the loose ends I hope you realise this and either of them could try to blip us out, to shut us up. You're just lucky that Mark doesn't know you know all about him."

"Jill tapped line remember?" Ivy said frowning and peering over her shoulder in case Adam had come out and was listening in.

"Sorry. So tomorrow we'll go shopping? Come to mine?"

"Yes but I'm going to that Jigsaw Survivors Meeting Lawrence has set up with Adam as a favour to him now we're all getting along well. So it will have to be after that."

"No there hasn't been anything about it." Jill said in confusion, "I suppose that is good. You don't want loads of reporters poking their noses around there. I like Lawrence he seems to be okay. Oh I hope John lets him take over if anyone must. He actually called me to see how I was doing. It was unexpectedly sweet." Jill was a rambler on the phone and Adam was coming out, camera all packed away and ready to go back to his apartment, he smiled and gestured to his cup of coffee and gave her a thumbs up. "And he doesn't seem to want to be very involved like you are. Oh John told me you aren't reporting to him anymore but he does want you to stay safe. I must say I'm happy."

"Thanks Aunt Jill. I have to go now because Adam and I are going to his apartment but I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe he can come along?"

"If he wants to." Jill said with a laugh and hung up.

"Maybe I can come along to what?" Adam asked warily.

"Shopping with my Aunt Jill?"

"I don't mind after the huge favour you did me today." Adam smiled, "Wait is this the Jill who was married to Jigsaw John?" He asked stopping his coffee mid way to his lips. Ivy nodded slowly, "Count me out then."

Everybody hates Amanda, oh dear.

Next chapter is the first Survivor's meeting which means new and old characters yay!

Where is Allison?

Read and review they are the light of my dreary uni time xoxo