It's been about a week and a half since Kester joined him in Miami.
Right now he was in the hotel Kester's room was in. There his best friend and agent sat next to him with a soda in hand. They had been watching tv and one of the mid-day game shows were on.
"I know you have been here for a while and I appreciate you being here, but-"
"Don't 'but' me. You haven't told me anything Sam." Kester said with a shake of his head. "I'm not leaving."
"What about-" Sam tried to interject, failing.
"Thou cannot guilt me about my work. I can do it from here with my laptop and I have a team of capable individuals to rely on." Then he mumbled something that Sam was barely able to hear. "I hope they're handling it just fine…"
Sam grabbed the remote and changed the channel. He wanted to know the weather for work tomorrow. The conversation turned to awkward silence as Sam ignored Kester staring at him.
"… and the crowd started chanting." Sam was now watching the end of the news segment as it turned over to the next one. "Today the funeral for Police Officer Ricky Simmons took place. Miami Metro Police department were there showing their support for the family he left behind." It turned to a clip taken from the beach side funeral with Maria there giving a speech about him. "We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of a fellow officer. We praise his courage. Ricky knew no fear." It was cut there before switching back to the newscasters. "The police haven't released any information on who they are looking at for this terrible crime, but we have an unconfirmed report that it may be tied to organized crime."
It was something he was aware of when he went to his job, but Sam shivered in his seat. Air conditioning gave him an excuse all the while it was fear that he was experiencing.
As October winded down, he knew the Ice Truck Killer would become known. Now as long as he didn't get involved in any way, Brian wouldn't kill him and Dexter wouldn't suspect him.
"What's wrong? Is it about the cop that died?" Sam realized he didn't even try to hide his emotions there.
"Nothing's wrong." Sam put on a fake smile. "Want something to eat?"
"We just ate a moment ago. You're clearly trying to change the subject. Why can't you tell me what's wrong? All I want to do is help you."
"Just don't worry about it." Sam brushed off his friend.
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Tuesday rolled around. The police station was a buzz. Radios flaring and people running about. Sure they were a coordinated department of professionals, but he couldn't imagine them as anything but a school of children.
Sam just stood there watching them running about. If he were to adapt this to one of his stories, this might be a good moment to add in. Although he might make it more… organized.
Through the halls as he passed over to the one of the restrooms, Sam heard what he feared. The Ice Truck Killer was now making his big break.
He remembered that in the show it was mentioned here and there, but the hysteria with the Ice Truck Killer created a huge hassle. Rita, Dexter's girlfriend, her children got scared hearing about it.
Like any event of hysteria, the kids weren't the only ones affected. There might be looting or people getting hurt because of this fear and paranoia.
"Sam, what are you doing?" Jorge came over to him.
Rather than telling Sam he wasn't working or getting angry, he just asked him a simple question. For whatever reason over this last month, they really clicked. Sam realized why Jorge was trying to get to know him. Out of the other two he had seen during the days he noticed how young they were. Early twenties easily. Even if Jorge is maybe ten or twenty years older than Sam, that would make them closer to each other. A thread of connection.
And Sam enjoyed their talks. Instead of heading home right away, Sam would stay behind and join Jorge for lunch. The man knew a lot about police procedure to rock climbing. A true fountain of random facts.
So while Sam considered them to be friends, he also knew he was his boss. As a boss, he isn't supposed to be his 'friend'.
"My bad, I just spaced out." Sam watched as Jorge rolled his eyes and said something in Spanish under his breath. "I'll get right to it."
"Sam, you're a good worker. After your… uncertainty, you came back strong. Hard worker. You have a promise to keep Sam."
It was a conditional expectation that Sam tied to his job. A promise not to leave and abandon a friend that gave him a second chance. A promise not to just Jorge, but to himself. He was going to see what he could do to get back to his own reality.
The thing was, he knew friendship was a factor in him really following through with his promise. He owed Jorge that much for letting him stay. Being able to keep an eye on Dexter and the investigation was very important to him even if he feared the killer.
Sam just nodded to Jorge with a smile and turned to the bathroom.
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As he had Lunch with Jorge, there was a suggestion made to Sam about coming in that night to help out. To show his support, Sam agreed.
"You have to work?" Kester's voice came through his mobile phone.
"My boss asked me to help overnight. It would only be for a couple hours."
"Sam…"
"Kester, you are not my mother. There is nothing to worry about. I may have been feeling terrible a while back, but it's better now."
"Lying now-"
"I have to get ready and go. Let's talk tomorrow." Sam hung up and sighed.
It was something he made a point of in his stories. Lies and misunderstandings led to wild events. As a storyteller it was something he knew well of. It is a staple and can really help provide context for characters and their emotions. For Sam he avoided them or when he did add them in, it was shortly after that it was cleared up. Teaching children that telling the truth was the only way to go forward.
Just sucked that his truth was worse than a lie.
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Due to the events on earlier that day, there was a lot of extra clean up. Detectives and officers working late into the night, trying to get the truth.
Sam did his job, focusing on what was in front of him. The night went on as he avoided his lingering thoughts about if he should tell Kester everything. It was a weight on his- Sam shook his head and set his broom against the desk he was near..
"Good." A low voice, filled with genuine feelings spoke.
Sam turned his head slowly towards where it came from and saw Deb and Dexter sitting at her desk that had a cactus on top of it.
'Was he following me?' Sam's thoughts went from zero to eighty in a single moment. His hands were shaking and the warmth surged towards his heart leaving his fingers frozen. 'Fight or flight?' It wasn't a conscious thought as he wasn't capable of that right now. His body and mind were at odds as to what he needed to do.
With his left hand, Sam grabbed the lanyard he was wearing on his neck. His ID card was in the open and he wanted to do everything to hide. As Sam hadn't really moved in that split second he could see Deb meeting his own eyes for a moment before getting back on Dexter.
"Why good?" Deb asked Dexter, not really understanding that her brother wanted to be the one to meet another serial killer who knew about himself.
"It's good for you. You're going to be the one to apprehend that heinous murderer." As Dexter spoke Deb blushed. "Not her." The flustered woman he spoke to looked away.
Taking the time to calm down, Sam turned around. He grabbed a rag from his kit and started moving on to the windows and getting them washed. If he could avoid looking in Dexter's direction, that was the best for him right now.
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The next morning, as Sam was working. He noticed a meeting taking place in the homicide department. While he would normally come to this area later in the day, he made a move to go right away in the morning.
Sergeant James Doakes, the face of a popular meme, was stating the information they had in this case. Maria walked over in front of the screen making a bold claim that the night watchman in the ice arena was the Ice Truck Killer.
It was something that became much more clear as time went on. This world was following very closely with the TV version of the story. Perhaps it is based on that or his own memories. There wasn't a way for Sam to really know, but it was his best guess.
Since it was so close, one of his theories was that he was here to fix something wrong with the story, however it was starting to fall apart. He couldn't, not yet at least, find out what was wrong or if anything was wrong in the first place.
Again what he remembered about the first season was that it was complete. It felt perfect and he couldn't remember any issues, at least from the author and TV show side of things, that he felt from his perspective as an author, was wrong. If this was a parallel universe, where he existed separately from the story he knew, then what was the difference? Just him and him alone? Someone else who knew everything like himself? Or was there just something different that he needed to spot? So much to think about and these same thoughts kept repeating over and over again.
Now it didn't help that his best friend, the one from the real world, was there with him. Kester might be a doppelganger with a different past than Sam's, but he was still the same guy who helped him build his career. Sure he was glad that he wasn't completely alone, but it was just that one man, not everyone he knew. So that meant that him alone came with him or whatever to fit in this universe. But the main issue he had with Kester being in the world and Miami was that he could be killed. There were just too many killers in Miami.
Sam still called Sarah and Max every time he could. Just looking at the photograph of his sister and her family made him weep. The stress was getting to him and he couldn't really hold back his emotions at all times. It was why he was happy that he had something to do in the mornings. It gave him time to process it when he was in public, because being stuck at home was getting unbearable.
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Thursday comes up. Sam was feeling the heat in more ways than one. He couldn't be sure, but he thought someone was following him yesterday. Today he had already finished work and told Kester that he was just going to rest for the day. Even though he insisted on seeing him, Sam made sure he was clear that he didn't want to be disturbed.
His timeline was coming together for what he remembered in the show. At least the vague parts. Within the week there Maria should be giving a press conference about the Ice Truck Killer and blaming Tony, the night watchman. Sam didn't believe that Tony was a bad guy in the show, but something bothered him about that guy. "Maybe the actor played a bad guy in some other show?"
Either way he was about done with the third or fourth episode at this point. That meant he had about eight or nine more to go. Which should last about another two or three months. If he was right and everything kept following the same order, he was almost done with the first season. If the reason he was here resided within the first season of the show, then he was getting close. He just had to find that reason.
Another thing to note with his timeline was how he encrypted it. With Kester being around and knowing how easy it would be for Dexter to break into his apartment, Sam had put in effort to change how open his information was. He wanted no one to know what he knew. If Kester found out, then a mental hospital might be in his future. If Dexter or Brian did… Sam would be dead. Brian wanted his brother to be with him and so if Dexter went to jail because of the information Sam had, then he would have to die. Dexter was in a similar position, because in the first season he doesn't really want anyone to know what he has done. That changes near the end and in season two of the show, but for now he had to keep most of it in his head. So he changed the way he presented the information to be like one of his story books. Where a kid making a pie was meant to take the place of a serial killer who loved blood.
Later that day, Maria gave her press conference.
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October 29th, 2006. It was Sunday and Sam didn't have to work that day. As he watched the news, before he planned to go out for a run, he heard that there was a plane crash in the middle east. Shortly-there-after local news talked about a hand being found.
Brian had dismembered Tony. Sam couldn't remember how much, but he knew it was pretty bad. It was something he himself couldn't understand. The pain and torture the man went through. It was horrible.
It was also real now. That was no actor, but a real man. A human suffering in some dark place getting cut up. Thankfully Dexter will find him soon.
Sam decided to clear his head. Grabbing his work out clothes, Sam started his run. People had already placed Halloween items. Spooky decorations littered the places he went.
However no one was excited. The Ice Truck Killer's infamy had hit a high and people were afraid to go out at night with their kids. The grocery store had run out of candy, but now no one intended on handing it out. Instead they were just going to give their kids the candy and watch movies inside.
Not everyone felt that way, those who were confident they could protect themselves and their children were fine, but it was tough. Everyone was aware that Tony was a serial killer. Only a select few knew that wasn't true. Actually if he remembered correctly, the truth hits Maria hard once they prove that it is Tony's hand.
Of course it was going to get worse when they told the world that Tony is innocent. The fear would increase much more when they knew that the killer was still out there.
"Ha…Ha…Ha…"
Sam's thoughts had cleared up as he finished his job around the neighborhood with a sprint. He slowed down to a walk and continued towards a food truck in front of him. Tacos were great with a side of salsa and chips.
As he sat there eating he watched police cars driving through the streets with sirens. People walked by, passing him by. Children excited about Halloween already wearing their masks or costumes they bought.
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The next day, Sam had to work. Another body part had been found. The police were all over it.
Brian would be making a move to get closer to Dexter's life now. Showing that he knew who Dexter was and what he did. The past was an open book.
Sam did remember that Brian broke into Dexter's home. There he looked through the photos and then used those as a base to place the body parts of the night watchman.
He was asked again by Jorge to come back to help the night shift as the main investigation was ramping up. Sam agreed and went back there again that night.
Everyone was working overtime. Really trying to rack their brains around locations that have changed. Either in name or what they used to be.
Now he couldn't be sure, but he thought the next place was supposed to take place on a farm. All he could remember was "hay and pumpkins…"
"Thinking about going out for Halloween Sam?" Angle came over to him and caught him when he was voicing his thoughts out loud.
It was something he noticed he had been doing a lot recently. Especially when he was alone at home. He couldn't help himself as the stress was getting to him.
"Detective, nice to see you again. Thank you for helping me out when I had started." Sam gave a quick fake smile towards the man who just scared the wits out of him.
"Hey we're all on the same side friend. Finding everything alright?" As another cop passed them both, Angle nodded at the guy, before turning back towards Sam.
"Of course. Well I should be getting back to work."
Sam's paranoia had increased now. If he was right and the next body part was found near hay and pumpkins, then Angle would start looking at him. Deb is close with Angle, so she would too. Then that would lead back to Dexter who would then try to find out if he was the Ice Truck Killer. If he wasn't and Dexter found something horrible in his past, then he would die. The real Sam Zillo only had a few parking tickets and a stern talking to by a police officer on his driving. Nothing more than that. But what about the parallel universe Sam Zillo whose life he now had. More money could mean that he had been a hitman and his children's stories were just a cover for his tax returns. Then again the accountant that he hired said everything was above board, plus his investments into companies for the future were starting to pay off. It will get better in the future as time goes on.
"Something wrong Sam?"
"Ah, no. Just forgot to buy some groceries is all." Not true, he had everything he needed already. It just happened to be the first thing his brain could think of.
The night winded down there after that and Sam had gone home. Of course the entire time his taser was in his hand throughout the night on his way home and in his house. He made sure that the entire place was clear before going to bed.
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Halloween.
When Sam was young, his sister and him would be driven in their costumes to the neighbors. Most people lived too far away to walk on foot. Especially at such a young age.
They weren't the only ones to do it either. Friends who they went to school with did so as well with their parents. Living far from the main part of the city and other houses it was necessary.
At the age of seven, when his mother was still alive, Sam wore a red ninja costume while his sister had butterfly/fairy like wings with a blue and pink dress. They were in the back of their parents' truck.
Sam was leaning against the heater in the truck. Snow made it difficult to really show off their costumes with how bundled up they were. It was dark out and the mountains were treacherous. They knew it, but their parents had been through this just two years earlier when it was as bad as it was that day.
"I'm cold… I want to go home." Sarah grumbled as she stuck to the warm air coming out of the heater.
"Just one more-" A spin and turn, his mother didn't get to say anything over the screams.
Sam's father thought he saw a deer on the road. He tried to avoid it and swerved. The slippery snowy surface made the brakes unusable. They flipped and went over the cliff edge. Thankfully it wasn't that steep nor did it end too far down. Actually they had landed in the backyard of the next house they were heading towards.
A few bruises for his family. No one was seriously hurt or injured. The neighbors helped them right away. Police and paramedics were called and it was a fine day.
Sam pulled himself out of that memory. He had plans to dress up as an English butler for Halloween. Maxine was going to be a princess again like last year, so it was the perfect chance. "The cool uncle… I will make it back to you guys."
That day on from his past, they never drove for Halloween. They stuck to their home, letting others come to them all the while they enjoyed scary children's movies.
Sarah stopped that once Maxine was born. For the most part they would walk to other houses, staying close to their own. Sarah and Max both wanted their little girl to enjoy Halloween with her friends instead of how Sarah felt about it.
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"Anyone want a doughnut?" Sam decided to do the Dexter thing and bring in doughnuts for the other three janitors that day.
The other two started eating right away. Jorge looked over the box and then picked out a jelly filled one, the same one Sam had in his hand.
He was thanked for the morning dessert. Flashing a smile at them, Sam turned around with his things and started out on his duties.
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"… so I jumped from the boat and ripped the fish right out of the water!" Jorge was telling him a great story about his cousins. They were currently eating lunch outside the police station on one of the benches from the food truck. "What's going on Sam?"
"What… Nothing." The smile Sam gave was as bad as his reaction. For him he wanted nothing more than to talk about his niece. How he wanted to spoil her and her parents. Give them a wonderful life with the money he has earned from his career. But if he talked about them, in front of others, they might think he is crazy since they wouldn't know who they were. In the middle of that though, Sam looked across the table. Not saying a word, letting the heat of the sun bleed through his thin shirt. Next Sam took out his wallet and the picture inside. "That's my sister Sarah, her husband Max… and that little princess is Maxine."
"Adorable… You miss them then?" Jorge figured it out right away. "They're in Montana?"
"…" Sam didn't know what to say. They weren't dead, just not in this universe. "Yes, I'm sure they are planning to watch some spooky movie together." He decided to speak as if they were. It was too tough imagining a world without them.
"The home sickness… I understand." Jorge wiped his hands taking a sip of the water next to him. "Sam, what are you even here for? You're a hard worker and you've been here for about a month. You're dedicated and strong. Yet you don't really want to be here at all. You want to be with them, the ones you care for." Sam couldn't say he expected Jorge to say that. "You've said you enjoy writing and drawing. Wouldn't it be better to find something that you enjoy doing near the ones you love? It's not like you need the money."
He gave a puzzled look at Jorge. He wasn't famous, but you had to see one of his books and look on the back to see his face or look him up. As his boss- 'Oh, he knows where I live. He must know how expensive it is.'
"Right now this is the place for me." Sam leaned forward with his soda cupped between both his hands. "Would you want to come with me after your shift today? I got something I want to show you."
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It was the afternoon and the book store was closing. Jorge was in his street clothes which were very… old looking. The only thing that stood out was the tan scarf around his neck.
Sam went in first, holding the door open for Jorge. Someone asked if they needed help and Sam just asked for the kids section. As they walked over there Sam kept a look out for one of his books. As soon as he spotted it, he grabbed it from the shelf.
"What do you have there?" Jorge's question wasn't really aimed towards the object in his hands, but why he had it.
"Take a look at this book. Let me know what you think about it."
It was a short book. For kids it helped teach them the importance of plants and trees. Even then it was no match for a grown man who could read.
"It's a good story…" Jorge said looking at the cover. It was then that he noticed the author and illustrator. "Is this you?"
"Yes, do you think your grandkids would like it?" Perhaps it was the suddenness of the question and this whole outing, but Jorge looked puzzled.
"You don't need to-"
"I don't need to and that is correct. I do however 'want' to get it for you." It was a simple reasoning actually. Jorge wasn't part of the plot set by the world he inhabited, nor did he know Sam prior to this whole thing. He was someone Sam could freely speak to. Sure he wasn't going to go full crazy talk, but he had the opportunity to speak about most things. The one major thing being his Sister and her family. It isn't something he can do with Kester, so he wants to rely on this new ally and friend in this strange world. "Can I ask you one question?" Jorge nodded. "Why did you let me stay? I mean I had only worked with you for what a day… and then I left for a whole week. I'm sure you could have found another employee, so… why?"
"Simple. You understand the importance of this job. Cleaning isn't just something that everyone can do. There are messes that some are too weak to take care of. We are there to actually take care of the facilities and the people there. It's our job to make sure everyone else can do their job without worrying. You put in the effort that first day and every day since then."
Sam didn't think that was true at all. He was only there to keep a lookout for Dexter. Perhaps his attention to the details were helpful, but he didn't think like that. So he returned an awkward smile and a thank you to the man in front of him. "Thank you Jorge."
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I hope you all are enjoying this fanfiction. I'm still new to fanfic and I find it really difficult to get the characters we all know and love correct, so I have been putting the focus on my original characters. I want to try and get better there as much as I can. It's a personal goal of mine.
Anyway, for all of you who are wondering where this story is going well... I didn't really know either actually. Just today I figured where I want to take the story, but the journey there is still unknown. I know that isn't the best way to write, but here we are.
Just like the first season of Dexter, things will start ramping up. I got a plan for the next part, so yea. Again I hope you all enjoy. Let me know if you see any mistakes and I will do my best to fix them right away. Criticism is welcomed, so throw it at me!