A/N: WOW. This one is a loooooooooooong one. I made a point to use the dialog directly from the manga so that the scenes would hopefully be more believable.

You might want to grab something to eat...this may take a while.


Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part Five

May 25th 1994

Lloyd groaned as he heard the radio alarm go off and rolled over quickly, pressing sleep. He then rolled back over and put an arm around his wife, burying his face in her hair. It always smelled so nice. The woman smiled at this, murmuring softly as she slowly woke up,

"I thought you were meeting Sven today..."

"I am."

"Then, shouldn't you be going? You'll be late..."

Softly kissing her cheek, he grinned and held her tight,

"Nah...he can wait a few minutes."

She giggled at this and rolled over to look up at him,

"That doesn't sound like you...I thought you always made a point to be punctual."

"Well, today is special."

"Oh, is it?"

He nodded and leaned down, kissing her tenderly on the lips. At this, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kept him close, enjoying the intimacy of the moment...

...until a shrill cry echoed throughout the house.

They separated, Susan groaning as the girl's cries grew louder,

"And that's the end of that."

Lloyd smiled and pulled away from the woman, clambering out of bed,

"I'll get her."

"You sure?"

"Of course!"

He disappeared from the room for a moment, re-entering moments later with his spitting image in his arms. Her eyes were red and puffy from sobbing and she clung to her father tightly, continuing to hiccup as he brought her over to her mother,

"What's wrong, Jessie? You should be happy! It's your birthday."

She buried her face in her father's shoulder as he sat down, Susan brushing at the child's soft, brown hair with a giggle. Lloyd bounced her a little, but the girl did not perk up,

"You're gonna be two, today! Yes, you are!"

Jessica made a noise at that, a noise that sound like 'boo'. He laughed, kissing her on the top of her head,

"What's the matter, huh? You don't wanna grow up?"

Grinning, he pulled her up so that her head lay on his shoulder and gently rubbed her tiny back,

"It's okay. I don't want you to grow up, either."

Pulling her away, he planted a loud, wet kiss on the one-year-old's cheek and the girl smiled, letting out the happiest giggle either of them had ever heard.

He then turned to Susan and they shared a kiss as their daughter continued to giggle and coo at them.

~ø~

Next door, a woman with warm brown hair was waking up as well. She smiled as she rolled over, her eyes still closed as she reached for her husband,

"Good morning, sunshine..."

Her hand hit empty mattress. She opened her eyes and frowned. He wasn't there...and it looked as though he hadn't even come home the night previous. She sighed. He'd been growing quite distant toward her lately, and everytime they did talk, it ended in an argument. Running a hand through her hair, she let out an aggrivated puff of air.

What had happened to them?

~ø~

Lloyd grinned as he kissed his wife one last time, buttoning up his coat hastily as he reached the front door,

"I'll see you tonight."

"Her party is at seven, don't forget."

"I won't!"

He hopped in his car then and backed out of the drive way, the woman continuing to wave as he pulled away from the house. The tiny girl in her arms looked on as the car drove down the street, a pout striking her face,

"Dah...dee."

~ø~

Next door, a small boy excitedly put on his back pack and ran for the door, his mother grabbing her car keys,

"Now, now! Merrick, wait for Mommy, okay?"

"But it's show and tell today! We have to hurry!"

"Well, the school day doesn't start for another half an hour, so don't worry! You won't miss it!"

Merrick grabbed her hand as she took her coat and dragged her toward the door, the woman laughing as he madly babbled at her,

"Jake's bringing in his baseball card collection! And Sammy is bringing in his dad's archi...R-key..."

"Archaeology?"

"Yeah! His dad's archology kit!"

He bounced in place as he reached the car door, waiting, albeit impatiently, for his mother to lock up the house,

"Come on, Mommy!"

Sarah shook her head and laughed, trotting over to his door and letting him in first,

"If only you were this excited about school all the time..."

At this moment, a sleek black Mercedes drove up next to their station wagon and she smiled; recognising it to be her husband's work car. He stepped out and she motioned to the boy to wait, who groaned, and slammed back against the car door with a sigh. Strolling over to him, she smiled and stepped in his way; wrapping her arms around his neck,

"I missed you this morning. You pulled an all-nighter, again?"

She went to kiss him and he turned his head away; the woman frowning as he lips met his cheek instead of their intended target. He pushed her away from him then, and marched toward the door,

"I only stopped by to pick something up. I don't have time for you, now."

Sarah frowned as he disappeared into the house, following after him in a huff. Merrick pouted as he saw the anger in her steps and he sat down on the driveway, resting his cheek on his palm.

They were going to fight, again. Now he'd really be late for show and tell.

~ø~

Sarah stormed after her husband, her arms folded as she followed him into the back where his office was,

"You mind telling me what the hell is the matter with you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"The cold shoulder," she shouted, a hurt expression on her face,

"Ever since Merry's birthday, you've been acting different! It's like everytime I try to talk to you, you brush me off!"

"And who's fault would that be?"

She stopped as he turned sharply and glared at her, a confused frown on her face,

"You're blaming this on me?"

Letting out a shocked laugh, she rubbed her eyes with one hand and shook her head,

"I don't even know what to say to that..."

"You could start by explaining yourself-"

"Explaining myself," she shrieked, shaking her head,

"I don't even know what you're talking about! I have no idea what's made you so distant and cold and-"

"You could ask your little friend that question. I bet he'd be able to answer it real well."

She straightened, raising an eyebrow at him,

"My 'little friend'?"

He glared at her silently. With a hurt smile, she nodded,

"Oh...you think I'm cheating on you. And who would my little friend be, Jeremiah? Want to clue me in?"

The raven-haired man remained silent. To this, she clapped her hands and pressed her fingertips to her lips,

"Oh! Oh, I know. It's Lloyd, right? Because I go over there an awful lot and he's just across the lawn? Easy access, am I right?"

His scowl darkened at her sarcastic tone and she laughed, shaking her head,

"No? Not him? Hmm, then let's see, who else could I be spending copious amounts of time in the bedroom with? It's certainly not you, since you're never home, so it's gotta be somebody, right? Cause I just can't handle myself around other men? So, let's see, who else do I know that is young and attractive enough for me to want to hop into bed with? Hmm..."

She paced the floor, tapping her index finger to her chin,

"Oh, well, there's Rick at the hospital. Oh, wait! He and his wife just had a baby! No no, that would be too complicated a mess for me. Newborns and mistresses really don't mesh well, you know?"

"So, who else do we have on the table, then," she said sarcastically, a hurt tone in her voice,

"Correction, who else have I had on our table?"

He snarled at that and clenched his fists,

"Don't mock me, Sarah. I saw the two of you together at the hospital."

"You saw us?"

She stopped then, a lightbulb in her head seeming to click on at that moment,

"You...you think I'm having an affair...with Sven?"

She laughed at that, shaking her head as she saw the venomous flicker in his eyes,

"That's it, isn't it? You think Sven and I have a thing on the side, don't you? I mean, he is good looking. Oh, and he's just wonderful with kids. He's a great catch. That and he has really strong arms. Helps a lot with the love making."

He charged toward her and grabbed her arm harshly,

"I said, 'don't mock me'!"

"How can I not! You're being ridiculous!"

She pulled her arm away from him and turned away from him, storming into the next room,

"Sven and I are just friends! Nothing more than that."

The woman turned as she reached the door, her eyes narrowing as he rentered her line of sight,

"And you'd know that if you were around more. Have a good day at work."

She slammed the door behind her and he snarled. Grabbing a nearby vase, he hurled it at the wall; smashing it into pieces.

~ø~

Sarah wiped her eyes quickly as she hurried back out to the car, Merrick jumping to his feet upon seeing her. He could tell she was trying not to cry. She opened the door for him and smiled, her voice quivering a little as she cleared her throat,

"Hop in, sweetie."

The little boy nodded and she leaned in, helping him buckle up. He smiled up at her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek,

"I love you, Mommy."

To that, she stopped and gave him a hug; trying her hardest to surpress her tears,

"I love you, too..."

Closing the door then, she climbed into the driver's seat and checked her makeup briefly in the rearview mirror. She then turned to Merrick and smiled,

"Okay, let's get you to show and tell!"

He flashed her a toothy grin.

~ø~

Jeremiah sighed as he pulled out his cell phone and a slip of paper. Dialling the number on said paper, he waited patiently for someone to pick up on the other end. They answered after three rings,

"Vasquez."

"Yes, Mr. Vasquez...I have some information for you that you may be interested in."

"Oh?"

The raven-haired man narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the front door,

"Yes, it's about the two IBI agents who stripped you of your job. The ones who arrested Mr. Bernado, your employer?"

"Who the hell is this?"

"Meet me at the bar on 4th street at six 'o clock...and I'll tell you all I know about them."

He clapped his phone shut, and narrowed his eyes; his blood still boiling in wake of Sarah's words,

'" That and he has really strong arms. Helps a lot with the love making."'

"You'll regret it, Vollfied," he seethed, his fist clenching tightly around his phone,

"You'll regret ever laying eyes on my wife."

~ø~

Sarah sighed as she pulled away from the elementary school, her son waving vigorously as she drove off. He then turned and ran inside with his friends. As she reached the traffic light, she stopped and laid her head down on the steering wheel. He didn't deserve to be put in the middle of their fighting. She could tell how much it affected him; especially since he didn't seem to want to leave the Goldwynne's house nowadays. A loving family was what he needed. Another sigh escaped her.

Maybe she'd pop the question today. Even after they had just had that terrible fight, she couldn't stay angry with him. He was under a lot of stress from work, and without sleep, the man could get pretty wild. She remembered one time when he'd gotten no sleep for a week and climbed the roof, insisting that she wasn't his real wife, but an imposter. He'd had to be admitted to the hospital then, but once he'd come back to his senses, they'd shared a laugh about it and moved on. The same would happen this time, she was sure, but hopefully without the hospital stay.

With that she smiled. She would ask him today; it was a good time. Maybe it would help mend the growing void between them. And she was certain their son would be thrilled to have a little brother or sister to run around the house with. As the light turned green, she placed her foot on the gas and started down the next street. She glanced over to her left as she reached the corner of 5th and smiled a little as she spotted a man with lime-green hair standing by the street light. Another man, with brown and spectacles, was striding up to him, and after a minute, the two started down the sidewalk and disappeared in the crowd.

~ø~

Jeremiah sat in the corner most booth, his raven-hair hanging down slightly in front of his face. He glanced down at the manila envelope in front of him, his eyes narrowing. He would have that power; the power of the vision eye. If Goldwynne wouldn't willingly give it up, he'd take it by force...and by any means necessary. It was a plus that Vollfied was his partner; he could kill two birds with one stone.

"You Jeremiah Warren?"

Jeremiah glanced up, spotting a man with short blonde hair and a five o'clock shadow standing in front of him. He wore a red turtleneck with a black sweater over top of it, and a pair of hideous, paisley pants. Behind him were two other men; both equally unattractive in features and dress.

He turned to address at the leader of this trio, a strange look in his eyes,

"I am. You are head of the Bernado family muscle, I presume? Mr. Vasquez?"

The blonde-haired man grinned, flicking open a lighter as he popped a cigarette into his mouth,

"That's right. And I hear tell you got some information for us...about the two bastards that got our bosses locked away?"

"I do..."

"Well, then," the man sat down, his eyes a light with revenge,

"Start talkin'."

~ø~

BANG BANG.

"Agh!"

A man with greasy, black hair fell to his knees; a bullet lodged in his thigh. The other bullet had hit his shoulder and he dropped his gun, glaring up angrily at the two men walking toward him,

"Curse you...IBI dogs!"

"That's right," the lime-haired man said calmly, smoking gun in hand,

"And you don't stand a chance as long as dogs like us can sniff out crap like you. So, what's it gonna be, Mr. Assassin? You gonna go quietly and make this easy?"

"Sven Vollfied. The man is a nasty thorn in my side...I need you to get rid of him for me."

The greasy-haired man chuckled as he reached into his coat and rummaged around for a moment. Lloyd straightened at this,

'He's got something...'

He narrowed his eyes, willingly activating the foreseeing power of his eyes.

-ø-

The assassin pulled out a grenade, and moments later it exploded in his hand; taking them along with him.

-ø-

Lloyd's eyes widened and quickly he reached into his coat, pulling out a utility knife,

"No!"

The knife sailed through the air; it's blade digging into the assassin's hand. He yelped and dropped the grenade, and it hit the ground with a loud 'clunk'.

The bespectacled man swallowed hard, shouting to his partner nervously,

"Sven!"

"I'm on it!"

Sven darted forward and scooped the grenade off the ground. Without a second thought, he hurled it up into the air and it exploded seconds later, raining small scraps of debris down on them.

"I need you to spare his partner, however. He has something I want."

~ø~

Vasquez smirked at the man's proposal, sighing deeply as he took the wad of cash from the manila envelope,

"I can't make any promises, Mr. Warren. Both of those dogs put our boss in the penn, not just one. If I put one of 'em down...I may just have to do the same to the other."

He then stood, his boys following him out of the bar,

"Thanks for the hefty tip, though," he said, pocketing the cash, "I'm much obliged."

Jeremiah straightened and stood from the bar,

"W-Wait a minute! What about my offer?"

Vasquez grinned, as he glanced back at the panicking man and chuckled,

"Oh? You mean that bit about saving the world from evil? Sorry, not interested. The only thing I really want...is to make those bastards pay for making me lose my job."

He and his posse then turned and left, leaving Jeremiah to himself. He grit his teeth and cursed, his heart racing. Those fools, he knew he shouldn't have trusted them. Quickly, he stood and hurried out the door. He had to put a stop to this beast he'd set in motion and fast...before an innocent man was needlessly killed.

~ø~

"Here you are."

A man with slick, black hair sighed as he handed the last of the paper work to the brown-haired nurse and she smiled,

"Well, I'm glad to see you leaving here, Mr. Smith."

William smiled as he slung his coat over his shoulder,

"Me too, though I'm not quite 100 percent just yet. Thank you...it's Sarah, right?"

Sarah smiled, nodding shortly to him,

"Yes, sir, that it is."

"I thought Jeremiah told me you worked as a children's nurse. What are you doing over here?"

"Oh, just covering a friend's shift. She had to leave suddenly."

"Oh, right. Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you at the office party this weekend?"

She straightened, her eyes wide,

"Office party?"

"Yeah, didn't Jeremiah tell you about it? We're having a party on Saturday for the chief. He's retiring."

She shook her head, hugging the clipboard with a sigh,

"N-No...he and I...we've been having trouble lately. He didn't say a word."

"I see...he was rather stressed last I saw him. Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure once the cartel assassin is off the streets, he'll get better."

"I hope you're right. Take care, now."

"You, too, Sarah."

He turned and left then and she sighed, handing his paperwork to the other nurse at the station. She looked to her watch. 7:15. Quickly grabbing her purse, she waved to the other nurse and smiled,

"See you, Nancy!"

"Goodnight, dear!"

With a deep breath, she hurried down the hall. She didn't want to be late picking up her son from his soccer practice. They still had to stop in at the Goldwynne's to give Jessica her birthday present...

~ø~

"Oh, crap! Look at the time! I have to get home...!"

Lloyd cursed softly as he sprung off of the bar stool and grabbed his coat. Sven raised an eyebrow at him, a joking tone in his voice,

"The wife got you on a short leash?"

"It's not like that!"

He set some money on the table and hurried for the door, calling back to his partner as he dashed away,

"Sorry, Sven! See you tomorrow!"

As he hurried out of the bar, he was completely unaware of the eyes that peered out from the shadows; watching his every move.

~ø~

Jeremiah cursed as he finally reached the street he had tailed Bernado's men to, his heart racing. He watched from afar as they approached a man with lime-green hair and sighed with relief. Lloyd was not with him. Good.

His eyes widened then as a man approached Sven from behind and the man turned; receiving a wrench to the right side of his face. He went down hard, blood spilling through the air as he fell. Jeremiah grit his teeth and swallowed hard. He suddenly felt nauseous as he watched the men drag him to their car and toss him in the trunk. They sped off shortly after that. Taking a deep breath, he followed after them.

He wanted to be certain this job was done correctly...

~ø~

Lloyd sighed as he hurried down the street. He hadn't realised how far away the station was. Glancing down at his watch, he swallowed hard. It was now 8. He had missed the party by an hour. Susan was going to kill him. He paused a moment upon reaching a toy store window and glanced down. A small bear no bigger than his palm sat in the window; seeming to stare up at him with pleading eyes. He looked down at the price tag,

"Eight dollars, huh?"

~ø~

Susan sighed as she sat in the living room, gazing blankly at the table. 8:10. She shook her head and began cleaning up the coffee table. Sarah and Merrick had left already, and her husband had yet to show. Grabbing a trash bag, she began to toss things into the bag and frowned. This wasn't like him. First not to come home for his own daughter's birthday, and then not to call?

She sat back down on the couch and growled in annoyance. That man was going to have a long night of explaining to do when he got back.

~ø~

Lloyd sighed as he left the shop and tucked the small bear into his coat pocket; starting on down the road,

'I'd better go straight home...before I do any more damage!'

He halted then, his eyes widening as the sound of his heart pounding met his ears.

TH-THUMP.

-ø-

He was falling in a fog, blood spiralling up from his chest as the bullets collided with his body.

TH-THUMP.

His glasses clattered away from him as he fell to the floor, his vision now blurry. From what he could see, there was no a crack in one of the lenses...

TH-THUMP.

-ø-

He staggered and fell into the wall, his eyes locked onto the ground as his legs grew weak. He trembled, his voice a soft whisper as he felt his throat constrict with fear,

"N-No... P-please, no..."

He jumped as his phone suddenly rang and with a shaky hand, he pulled it from his pocket. He answered it cautiously,

"...Hello?"

"Inspector Lloyd? Check your caller ID and you'll see I'm making this call on your partner's phone..."

His eyes widened and he glanced down at it briefly. It was Sven's phone all right, but that wasn't Sven talking.

"Who are you? And what did you do with Sven?"

"Come to the warehouse and you'll find out. I think you know which one, Inspector..."

CLICK.

He pulled his hand away as the dial tone met his ear and stared down at the phone in silence.

Swallowing hard, he searched through his phone book and stopped upon reaching his house number. He took a deep breath. He knew he should call her...but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

He couldn't say goodbye to her.

He turned off his phone and started back down the road in the opposite direction...

~ø~

Parking by the fence outside of the warehouse complex, Jeremiah stepped out of his car and cautiously slipped through the gate. He had to see this through; had to know that Vollfied was assuredly out of the picture for good. Then, he could deal with his adulterous wife.

Sneaking in through a hidden side entrance, he ducked behind a crate and glanced around. Toward the centre of the warehouse, he saw the lime-haired man handcuffed to a metal support beam. At this, he frowned,

'Those idiots...why haven't they killed him, yet?'

The front door slid open then and he jumped, crouching down further as he heard a shout,

"Sven!"

His eyes widened. He knew that voice. That was Lloyd Goldwynne's voice. He watched, horrified as the bespectacled man ran to his partner and knelt down, using his key to free him from the handcuffs. Sven swore at him, a tinge of panic in his voice,

"It's a trap! Are you trying to get us both killed!"

"Keep your voice down," Lloyd whispered harshly back as the handcuffs clicked open.

They both stopped as booming laughter echoed through the room, and Jeremiah looked to the doorway again, cursing softly. It was Vasquez.

"Oh, this is priceless! It's good to know we can still depend on IBI agents to be as sentimental as they are stupid," he began, running his hand calmly over his slicked-back hair, "Don't you know how this works by now? We lure you here...then we kill you!"

Jeremiah swallowed hard, glancing back at the two agents. They were sitting ducks. If he could just get Lloyd's attention, he could get him out of there...but that would mean saving Vollfied's life as well. He bit his lip, his body beginning to shake with fear. Maybe it would be all right. Lloyd had the vision eye after all. If he looked ahead, he could see what these men were planning and he could easily evade their attacks. That was right. He sighed in relief. It would all turn out fine, he was sure of it.

"Sven, where's your gun?"

Lloyd whispered as the blonde idiot kept blabbering. Sven cursed, wincing as his hair brushed the wound on his eye,

"He's got it."

Quietly, Lloyd reached back and slipped the lime-haired man his pistol,

"Take mine."

Sven glanced back at him, his eye wide as he raised an eyebrow curiously,

"Lloyd...?"

"In a minute, there's going to be an opening," Lloyd began, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"When you see your chance, take it. Don't think...just shoot."

He set the firmly gun in his partner's hand,

"Got it?"

The blonde-haired man let out a laugh and aimed for the two men, his shouts echoing throughout the warehouse,

"Time's up! Now you DIE!"

Sven's eye widened as, at the last second, Lloyd leapt out from beside him,

"LLOYD!"

Jeremiah's mouth fell open in horror as six bullets collided with the bespectacled man's body. He watched, paralyzed, as the man dropped to the floor, blood pooling around him. Sven leapt up as the man fell to the side, an anguished cry escaping him as he let off the entire round into the Bernado crew. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he quickly dashed back out of the hidden side entrance and rushed to his car; doubling over as he felt the contents of his stomach rushing up through his throat.

What had he done? He felt his body growing cold. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Vollfied was the one who was meant to die, not Goldwynne! He hadn't wanted this. He felt sick as he climbed into his car, his skin pale and his insides shaking. An innocent man was dead. He pressed his forehead to the steering wheel, his sapphire eyes growing void. He had hired those men to kill Vollfied, and instead, they'd taken a loving father and husband away from his family. Forever. Again, he felt sick.

He had done all of this for a chance at obtaining the vision eye. Now, he had ruined those chances. He had wanted Goldwynne as a partner,not as a corpse. The foreseeing power of the vision eye was lost. He straightened then, his heart stopping as he remembered that day in the hospital. He had followed Vollfied after the lime-haired man's rendezvous with Sarah. He'd gotten a cup of coffee, then gone back to the waiting room where Goldwynne...

'"Organ donation? You planning on dying soon?"'

That was right. Goldwynne had registered as an organ donor that day. His eyes lit up with a strange fire and he started the car. There was still a chance. If he could find someone who needed an eye transplant...

He frowned, remembering the wound on Vollfied's face. It was likely he would need one, but he didn't want that man as a partner. He wanted nothing to do with him. Perhaps someone closer to him would be better suited for the role? But who...?

He drove away silently, the black Mercedes disappearing in the shadows...

~ø~

William sighed deeply as he carefully climbed into his car. He still felt sore from the explosion, but this was nothing compared to how he'd felt a few days ago. Back then, the pain was so terrible he'd thought he was going to die. Sighing, he started the car, his radio kicking on immediately.

"Officer down! Need ambulance at St. George Harbour, Warehouse 113. Repeat! Officer down! Need ambulance..."

The man's eyes widened as he recognised the distressed voice blaring over the speaker, and he swallowed hard, quickly starting his car,

"Sven...?"

~ø~

"...at St. George Harbour...Warehouse...113."

The lime-haired man cursed as his strength left him and he dropped his phone. In his other hand, he held tight to a small, plush bear. He glanced back down at the body of his partner; his vision beginning to blacken. His world began to spin as he fell back onto the cold concrete, eyes now locked on the man's broken glasses,

"Lloyd..."

His eyelid fluttered shut as he lost consciousness...

~ø~

Jeremiah turned off his headlights as he pulled up in front of the brick house; his eyes narrowing. Taking a swig from the bottle of scotch in his hand, he wiped his mouth and closed his eyes. He had to do this. He couldn't let that vision eye go to waste. Stepping out of the car, he smashed the bottle against the door. A good portion was left of it and it ended in a jagged tip. He clenched his fist, marching up the front walk to the porch. Once he did this...there would be no turning back.

Unlocking the front door, he stepped inside, immediately spotting Merrick playing on the floor a few feet before him. The boy turned from his truck and smiled up at his father,

"Daddy!"

He remained silent as he stared down at the boy, his throat growing hard. The boy frowned up at him, confused,

"What is it? Daddy, what's wrong?"

He raised the bottle over his head, Merrick's eyes widening as he brought it straight down on the left half of his face...

~ø~

Sarah straightened as she heard Merrick's scream from the laundry room and threw down the shirt in her hand. She tore through the house like mad, her heart racing in terror. Nothing should ever make her little boy scream like that. As she reached the living room she gasped, covering her mouth in fright. Her husband stood over their son, a broken bottle of scotch in his hand. It dripped with fresh blood; blood from the gash that now marred the little boy's face.

He began to reach for the child and she shrieked, rushing forward,

"Stop it! Don't you touch him!"

Sarah reached down and scooped the injured boy up into her arms, cradling him carefully. He trembled in her arms, whimpering in pain. Shaking her head, she started for the door,

"What...what is wrong with you!"

"What's wrong with me?"

He whispered softly as he watched her run toward the front door. He grew angry; his body beginning to quake as the image of Sven Vollfied entered his mind. She was going to him, there was no doubt about it. She was leaving him...and stealing their son away, to boot,

"What? Are you running to him again? Running back to that little twerp?"

"No," she said sternly; grabbing her purse and keys,

"I'm taking Merry to the hospital. And I'm calling the police-!"

He stepped forward and grabbed her by her hair; throwing her backward to the floor. She let out a scream, making sure Merrick was safe in her arms as she hit the ground. Trying to push herself up while still protecting him, she let out another scream as something hard and solid slammed her into the back of the head.

"He won't help you, you know. He can't. He's dead."

She groaned as she glanced back at him, her voice wavering with pain as he head throbbed,

"What...what did you do?"

He glared down at her with a crazed smile, his eyes more wild than she had ever seen them,

"I took care of him...there's no way he'll ever come between us, now."

He raised the broken bottle over his head again and her eyes widened. She turned away as he brought it down...

"It's all right! It's all right! It's all right!"

~ø~

Susan straightened upon hearing the distant sound of a scream and glanced out of her window at the neighbour's house. For the next few minutes, she heard nothing. It was eeriely quiet. Then suddenly, Jeremiah burst out of the house and tore down the walk to his car. There was a broken bottle in his hand. It dripped red from it's jagged tip. She waited for him to drive off, then hurried across the lawn. Upon reaching the front door she gasped in horror; her eyes wide. Lying a few feet inside the house were the unconscious figures of a woman with long, brown hair and her small son. The back of the woman's head was broken open and covered in blood, and she held the boy protectively underneath her,

"Sarah!"

~ø~

William skidded to a stop just outside of Warehouse 113 and jumped out of his car; tearing inside. An ambulance pulled up a few moments later, it's lights flashing and sirens blaring. He came to a stop upon reaching the doorway; seeing the unconscious gang members first. His eyes then fell upon the body of Lloyd Goldwynne; six bullets buried in him as he lay still in a pool of his own blood. A few feet away from him lay the unconscious form of the lime-haired man who had made the desperate call just 20 minutes prior. William straightened and ran for them quickly,

"Sven!"

"Lloyd was already gone by the time I had gotten there...and Sven was hanging by a thread."

~ø~

Susan frowned as she stood in the waiting room, bouncing Jessica in her arms. She paced back and forth, her heart racing. This had been such a crazy night. She wished Lloyd would pick up his phone. She'd call him five times already, and not one had gone through. They all went straight to voice mail. Jessica let out an aggravated coo, and the woman calmly shushed her, rubbing her small back soothingly,

"It's all right, sweet heart. It's all right. Daddy will be here soon."

A moment later, the doors to the E.R burst open and a team of EMTS rushed in surrounding a man on a stretcher. She watched them, wide eyed as they flashed by her. The man on the stretcher had lime-green hair. Behind the team, a man with slick, black hair stood, his eyes filling with tears as he looked up and saw her. She mouthed to him, frowning deeply,

"William?"

Walking over to her, he gently touched her arm and opened his mouth to speak. No words came out. She shook her head and glanced up as another stretcher rolled in. The person was completely covered, but from under the sheet, she could see a man's left hand peeking out. On that hand was a gold band; a wedding ring. She glanced up at William, and took a few steps back, shaking her head as the stretcher went by. She knew who it was on that stretcher, no one needed to tell her.

Hitting the wall, she let out a wailing sob and held her daughter tightly, William rushing forward to catch her as she sunk,

"No! Please, no!"

Jessica began sobbing as well, screaming in her mother's arms. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her tears just continued to fall.

"LLOYD!"

~ø~

One Week Later...

"This...he wanted Jessica to have this."

The lime-haired man handed her a small, stuffed bear, to which she laughed, her voice wavering with grief,

"It's cute."

Susan held the toy to her heart, running her fingers over it slowly. She then looked up at him, her heart constricting at the sight of the bandages on his face,

"I...was so angry when he didn't show up...I had no idea..."

She trailed off and he bowed his head; letting out a deep sigh,

"So, where's Jessica?"

"My mother came down from Castoral City. She'll be staying with us until the funeral's over."

"Oh," Sven straightened, raising an eyebrow,

"Sarah couldn't watch her?"

The blonde-haired woman stopped, and bowed her head; biting her lip,

"I...I meant to tell you..."

He frowned, confused.

"Sarah...she and Merrick were attacked...the night Lloyd was killed. Her husband snapped...Merrick nearly died..."

"And Sarah," he whispered, choking on his voice.

Susan hiccupped, wiping her eyes as they filled with tears again,

"They're taking her off life support today..."

His eye widened.

~ø~

They now stood outside of another hospital room, Susan entering carefully. Inside, a little boy sat up in his bed, staring blankly at his sheets. The left half of his face was bandaged. She offered the child a warm smile and sat down in the chair beside him,

"Hello, sweetheart! How are you feeling?"

His voice was soft and devoid of happiness as he shrugged,

"Tired..."

Sven edged into the doorway, gazing at the child with a sad look in his eye. Susan handed him one of his trucks, which he had trouble finding, but he took it silently; rolling it slightly in his lap. The blonde-haired woman shook her head as she gently ran a hand through his soft brown hair, her voice soft and sad,

"He doesn't remember anything...from before the accident."

The lime-haired man straightened as she turned to him, tears in her eyes,

"I've shown him pictures...of our family, of Lloyd...even of his own mother. He doesn't recognise any of them. Not even her."

Sven swallowed hard. The boy...there was something lost in his expression,

"Will he ever...?"

"The doctors are optimistic...they said it's likely the memories have just been repressed. It'll be a while before they know for sure."

She smiled, tears hitting her eyes,

"I've told him all about them, though...I'm hoping...it'll make it easier for him to remember one day."

The lime-haired man nodded at this; coughing harshly to clear his throat,

"Let's hope so..."

The boy straightened, his eye completely blank as he looked to the woman,

"So...is Mr. Lloyd okay?"

Sven frowned at this and the blonde-haired woman sighed, biting her lip,

"He asks this...everytime he hears Lloyd's named mentioned. It's like...he just can't remember."

Susan shook her head as she turned back to the boy and lightly patted his hand; tears filling her eyes,

"No...no he's not."

She glanced back at Sven and swallowed hard,

"Mr. Lloyd...he's...he's in heaven, now."

"Heaven?"

She nodded, clearing her throat,

"Yes, sweetie. Heaven. With the angels..."

He stayed silent for a moment; glancing back and forth between her and the man in the doorway.

Bowing his head, as if in deep thought, the boy frowned,

"I want Mommy."

Susan straightened at that, her eyes wide. With as many times as he had asked about Lloyd, not once had he said anything about his mother. There was a strange flicker in his eyes as he repeated himself,

"I want...Mommy."

She opened her mouth to say something; but no words came out.

"Then we'll go see her."

She turned as Sven spoke out from behind her and stepped a little ways into the room. The boy glanced up at him, obviously confused as to who he was. The lime-haired man offered him a sorrowful smile and glanced briefly over at Susan, then back to him,

"C'mon...let's go see Mommy."

~ø~

They were already unhooking her as they arrived and Susan straightened, hurrying into the room behind the doctors. Sven stayed outside with the boy, who was seated in a wheelchair, and he glanced down at him. The boy was completely in a daze. In this state, he was sure the child would never remember what was happening today. After a few moments, the doctors took their leave and Susan stepped out, taking hold of the boy's wheelchair. She glanced up at Sven, tears glinting down her cheeks,

"They said...it will only take a few minutes before she..."

She bit her lip and quickly wheeled the boy into the room. Sven watched from the window as the boy climbed out of the chair and up onto the bed beside the bed-ridden woman. Her head was wrapped in bandages, and the tubes, now disconnected from the life support system, remained in place. Her heart monitor was the only machine left to unhook. The tiny boy reached out and curiously touched her face.

At first, his face was blank. Susan swallowed hard. He had no idea who she was, after all. She clamped a hand over her mouth; stifling a sob. It was so unfair.

He then perked up strangely, a bright smile hit his face as he pulled her cheeks upward,

"Mommy!"

She made no response. Laughing happily, he continued to play with her face; bouncing slightly in his spot as all of his memories of her seemed to flood into him,

"Mommy!"

When she still did not stir, the boy pouted. He took to gently shaking her,

"Mommy?"

He continued to shake her, his tiny voice becoming more pitiful with every passing moment,

"Mommy? Mommy, what's wrong? Why won't you wake up?"

Susan let out a sob at that, quickly biting her tongue. The little boy raised an eyebrow, confused as tears hit his eyes,

"Mommy? Momm-"

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

~ø~

Sven sat in the hall outside of Sarah's hospital room, listening to the steady tone of her heart monitor with his head buried in his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his cheek,

'"Well, if I do, I know just who to call, Mr. Gentleman."'

He sobbed.

~ø~PRESENT DAY~ø~

William shut the yearbook quietly and wiped his eyes; taking a deep breath. Reaching over, he pulled open the bottom left drawer of his desk and stopped. Apparently, the former chief had forgotten to completely clear out the desk before he had left. Staring up at him was Sven's badge. He swallowed hard.

"Not guilty."

-ø-

Sven jumped up from his seat in the back of the courtroom, his solitary, brown eye wide in shock and anger,

"Not...guilty? You're shitting me, right!"

He stormed up the aisle, the blonde-haired woman toward the front covering her four-year-old girl's ears as he continued to shout,

"I was there! I saw it ALL. These bastards...you know what they did ,right! You have to! They lured him to that warehouse! They wanted to kill us both! You've got to be shitting me if you think they're innocent!"

The judge glared at him angrily; shouting over him with a booming voice,

"Mr. Vollfied! I won't tolerate any outbursts in my courtroom-"

"Courtroom! CIRCUS is more like it!"

"Mr. Vollfied-"

"Don't 'Mr. Vollfied' me! Somebody paid you off, didn't they! I bet I know who it was, too...it was Bernado, right! Fattening you up so you'd let his toadies off the hook!"

William stood from his seat then, and grabbed Sven's shoulder,

"Sven, come off it now. He'll have you placed in contempt-"

"LET HIM DO IT THEN!"

He shoved the black-haired man away from him and hopped over the railing, rushing toward the judge. Reaching over the podium, he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and glared him in the eye; a deadly tone in his voice,

"If you think I'm gonna let you get away with this...if you think I'm just gonna stand by and watch them go free...then you've got another thing coming...!"

He let out a yell as the security guards grabbed him suddenly, yanking him away from the judge as they placed him in handcuffs. They shoved him toward the side exit, yet all the while, he continued screaming,

"I won't let you! I won't let you get away with this! THOSE BASTARDS KILLED HIM! THEY KILLED MY PARTNER! LLOYD IS DEAD BECAUSE OF THEM!"

William turned as he heard a stifled sob and watched Susan stand. Guiding Jessica by the hand, she hurried out of the courtroom and disappeared into the lobby.

-ø-

After the trial, I worried for his mental state. The look in his eyes when the judge gave his verdict...I had never seen it before. Something had died within him.

ø~

William sighed as he pulled his coat on and exited the room, waving to the few officers left in the building,

"Goodnight, Rogers."

"Goodnight, sir. Have a safe trip home."

He sighed deeply.

'Shortly afterward...they tried to give him a new partner. I suppose the chief thought it would help him if he worked with someone new. He had been working alone for nearly two whole years after Lloyd's death...the plan backfired though.'

He remembered the moment that Sven had come out of the chief's office, a dead expression on his face.

-ø-

The man shoved his hands in his pockets, refusing to look up at anyone as the black fedora atop his head cast a dark shadow over his eyes. The chief had called after him, a pleading tone in his tired voice,

'"Vollfied!"'

Sven had not looked back. Not even once.

They had lost the best investigator the IBI had ever had on that day...

-ø-

William sighed as he sat down in his car, and shook his head,

'I worried about him a long time after that. Wondered what might have become of him. He'd looked so desperate in those last few days...I had no idea what to expect. But...on that day, five years ago.'

-ø-

"Yo, William!"

I was surprised to see him there. I hadn't expected a former colleague to show up at the house of a famous scientist.

"It's been a long time."

The lime-haired man smiled at him fondly. He was no longer dressed in his tan, detective's coat and black fedora, and he had finally left behind the look of complete and total loss. Something was different about this man; and it wasn't just the new, cream-coloured suit and stubble he sported. His disposition...he seemed geniuenly happy. A little girl with blonde hair ran up behind him then, calling his name in her tiny voice,

"Sven! Train said he wants to talk to you about something-."

She stopped upon seeing him and took hold of his jacket, stepping closer to him. She clung to him like a daughter would her father. His eyes widened.

I knew instantly what had changed in him.

"Don't worry, Eve. This is an old friend of mine. He and I go way back. This is William."

"Way back?"

She bit her lip and stepped away from Sven then. Holding out her hand, she swallowed hard and offered a smile,

"It's nice to meet you, then...William."

Reaching out, he took the girl's hand and smiled, giving it a firm shake,

"And it's nice to meet you...Eve."

The little blonde smiled.

-ø-

When he disappeared a year later...I made sure I was the first to the scene.

He stood in the centre of the alleyway, his eyes wide as they settled upon a tiny girl with short blonde hair. He recognised her as the girl from Tearju Lunatique's house. She was wailing horrifically, her eyes red and puffy as she sobbed. A man with chestnut-hair held her as she cried, a torn up expression on his face. He'd recognised this man as the sweeper who Sven had become partners with...

A call came down from the main headquarters just one year later...calling off the search entirely. Apparently, we'd exhausted all of our funds on the case, or so they told me.

-ø-

"I couldn't help them...and I couldn't help you, either."

He bit his lip as he rested his forehead on the steering wheel, his hands gripping said wheel tightly,

"I'm sorry..."

~ø~

'"I'm so sorry I let you down, Sven."'


A/N: Next chapter is back to the main plot! Phew~ That was a doozy of a side story. -3-;