(A.N.) Hey everyone! This'll be the last update until after the New Year because of the updates taking place on the site but I'll get working while the updates are happening and get a couple of chapters written in advance. Thanks for the reviews, it means a lot that people review but please keep on doing it, I dont mind what you write, just a sentence even, but I just love to get feedback and see if what I'm doing is working. Also as I've said before suggestions are welcome!

A slightly longer chapter today and contains lots of S/S and some fluff towards the end. They're starting to put the pieces together but they dont kow everything just yet.

Anyways R/R and I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

xxxx

In The Spotlight

A very tired looking suited man scratched his head looking frustrated. He sat in a very basic room containing only a desk and a chair at which he sat. The only light was from the lamp which sat to his right. He ruffled the papers in front of him and jumped as there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" he called.

"They're ready Sergeant." A woman police officer said, her head peering around the door.

"Okay, thank you." He hurriedly gathered his papers, stuffing them into a briefcase. He dashed out of the room and down the hallway, soon reaching a white door.

In entering he found himself in a small white room with a bright light on. Three other people stood there. The tallest man welcomed him.

"Ready then Serg? Oh, you remember Dr George and Dr West?" The man gestured towards the other two people, one a woman and one a rather small man, both nodded politely as the Sergeant slipped on a white lab coat.

"Right then gents, when your ready, follow me."

The two officers followed the doctors into the next room, the mortuary. One table was in the centre of the room. A body laid on it but was covered with a surgical sheet. The female doctor slipped on some surgical gloves and paused.

"Miss Natalie Harrison, cause of death, a single stab wound through the heart. Right then, I'll begin. West, take notes wont you?" The other doctor nodded, conjuring up a notepad and pen.

Dr George pulled back the sheet and revealed Natalie. She was wearing her nightwear and the top was soaked with blood from the stab wound. All her hair had been torn away leaving bald and bloodied patches on her head. Her hand were covered in black permanent marker and her trousers were torn. She looked like she'd suffered a very violent death.

"Okay, we have a stab wound to the heart which caused this young lady's death. From my earlier examination I discovered that the wound was very clean and precise, straight through the heart so the killer knew what they were doing. There is internal bruising on the back of the skull, probably from a fall after she was stabbed. The scalp was shaven after the death and has been done in a very rough and fast manner, this is indicated by the bloody patches. A post mortem will not take place as the cause of death is known and I feel that no more significant evidence can be drawn from the body. Any questions?"

"No, I think that we have all we can. May we take a look at the body ourselves?"

"Of course. Thank you gentlemen. Good night." The doctors left the room and the tall officer turned to the sergeant.

"So, she was obviously killed by the same killer of Beth Jones. I mean look at the clues, both had their hair removed, hands coloured in and clothes torn."

"Why thank you Smith, I didn't realise that," the sergeant smiled sarcastically. Smith glared.

"Well Serg, you're gonna have to work harder. Two deaths within two months, both teen girls and both had their appearances messed with. We gotta catch someone before people get scared."

"I think they're already scared…"

Summer stared at the empty seat to her left. Her heart was heavy and her palms were clammy. Natalie should be sat there, chattering away about her boyfriend and how they're going on vacation to Maui after graduation. But she isn't. She wont go on vacation and she'll never see her boyfriend again. Summer's eyes widened and she felt ill. She slowly turned her head back to her books, trying to get rid of the thoughts swirling in her head. The silence in the room was thick and hardly anyone had spoken the whole time since class had begun.

It had been shorter than planned anyway because of the memorial assembly held that morning. Dr Kim expressed her sadness at having to do two memorials within such a short space of time. A group of her friends had wept the whole way through it and her boyfriend sat alone, not speaking a word. Marissa was also quite upset, Natalie was an active member of Social Committee so she knew her quite well. Ryan just held her hand tightly throughout the service.

Summer's brain jumped as the bell rang, piercing through her skull. She slowly gathered her books and headed out of the room, still in a dreamy daze.

"Hey Sum." She whirled around and saw Seth waiting by the door for her.

"Oh, uh, hey Cohen."

"Are you okay? You don't look well at all," he said, looking concerned.

"Actually, I'm not. Could you drive me home? You have a free period right?"

"Yeah sure, come on let me take you." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. She was glad but wanted to wriggle away from him, she just felt hot and clammy and didn't want to be so close to him.

They reached the car park and he opened the door for her, helping her in. As they set off down the road, Seth fiddled with the AC and did everything he could to make sure she was comfortable.

"Cohen, stop obsessing, I'm fine. I promise you," she sighed, smiling at him. Summer let her head lean towards the window and she stared at the scenery, taking deep breaths.

"Is this to do with Natalie?" Seth asked quietly. Summer turned to him and nodded discretely.

"I thought it was, I mean you used to hang around with her."

"I just can't believe she's gone…"

"I know but you gotta admit, she wasn't that nice was she?" Summer sat up slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied, trying not to sound as harsh as she felt.

"Well she was a bully and a gossip and well just nasty in general."

"So you're saying she deserved it?" Summer cried, her anger rising.

"No, I didn't say that, its just, she wasn't the angel everyone's making out she was." Summer sat with her mouth open. How could Seth say this stuff?

"And Beth as well, she was such a bitch, its weird isn't it? How these girls were both totally mean bullies," Seth said.

"Seth stop it!"

"What? I'm only stating the obvious!"

"The obvious being that I wasn't always so innocent!"

"I never even mentioned you! Summer you're blowing this up way out of proportion." Summer saw her house up ahead and had never been so happy to be there.

"No, you are! I wasn't always so innocent, I hung around with those girls and we bitched about people and we were horrible!" Summer cried, unfastening her seatbelt.

"I think you need to lie down, you're not well at all," Seth said, pulling to a stop outside her house.

"No, you know what? Go back to school, I don't need you to help me."

"I think you do, Summer wait!" She climbed out of the car, pulling her bag after her.

"You're such an ass Cohen, just leave me alone. I don't need you!" She ran to the front door and slammed it behind her.

Seth looked at the door, toying with the idea of going after her. But she was right, he was an ass. He shouldn't have said those things while she was that upset. The words that she'd shouted bounced through his mind. 'I don't need you!'

She might not need him but he needed her.

"Summer please just listen to me…" Seth cried. He sighed as the line went dead. He tossed down his cell feeling defeated. It was 6pm and he'd been trying to call her all day but she hung up after about 10 seconds. He fell back onto his bed feeling defeated and lousy. He was a terrible boyfriend and she wasn't speaking to him because of something he'd said, it wasn't a new situation.

"Knock, Knock!" Seth sighed even louder as April appeared in the doorway.

"Go away April, I'm so not in the mood," Seth said quietly.

"Whassamatter?" she asked, coming in and jumping on the bed.

"I'm not telling you."

"Please, pretty please. I'll help you," she said, batting her eyelashes. Seth glanced at her, her big brown eyes looking up at him, they reminded him so much of Summer.

"No, go away!"

"Fine I'll just sit here." April wriggled up to Seth, her little arms wrapping around his arm. He tried to shake her off but couldn't so he gave up.

"Okay, Summer and me are in a fight, that's all."

"Oh no! What did you do?"

"Why do you just assume its my fault?" he asked, looking slightly mad. April just shrugged and looked at him expectantly.

"She's mad at me and wont talk to me…" Seth said quietly looking genuinely hurt. April hated to see her brother so sad and snuggled closer to hug him. He held her and she smiled up at him.

"Everything will be good soon, Summer loves you and yous gotta be together so's I can be a bridesmaid when you get married!" Seth smiled at her and thanked her.

"Its okay Seth, what are sisters for?"

"Hey you're more useful than I thought."

"I know," she got up, kissed Seth on the cheek and brushed down her skirt. "I love you."

"Love you too April." She smiled widely and skipped out of the room.

Summer sniffed, holding a tissue to her eyes to catch the tears rolling from them. She was sat in her dark room watching 'The Valley' re-runs. It was what she did when she felt sad. She could forget her problems and concentrate on the angst of good looking fictional characters. She cried harder as she watched Jake confessed his undying love for April at the winter dance. As they danced away on the screen, Summer felt even worse. Suddenly her cell started to ring beside her. She opened it up and saw Seth's picture on the screen. Should she answer it? Summer glanced back at the screen as Jake and April swayed to the slow music and decided to answer it.

"Hello?" she sniffed.

"Hiya Sum, its April!"

"Oh hi April, what's the matter sweetie?" Summer really didn't feel like talking to April right now.

"Seth is really sad and wont play with me or talk to me or anything," she said sadly.

"He is?"

"Yeah, and you're sad too, I can hear that you are." Wow, for a three year old she sure was perceptive.

"Well sometimes, Seth says stupid things," Summer sighed.

"I know he does! But you gotta ignore him!" she said.

"But the things he said really hurt me, and he hasn't apologised…"

"Maybe because you haven't let him," April replied. Summer paused, she was right. She hadn't even given him chance.

"Well, does he want to?"

"Sure he does! You have to let him so you can be in love again and I can be your bridesmaid!"

Summer giggled and bit her lip.

"Okay, tell Seth he can come over if he wants to."

"Yey! Summer you're the bestest. I'll go tell him. Bye!"

"Bye Ap." Summer put down her cell and sat back. She suddenly realised that she was a mess and so was her room. She sprang up and changed her clothes, did her hair and makeup and tried to prepare herself.

"Hey Cohen, come in." Summer gestured for him to enter the house. She led him outside to the pool because her room was a mess.

"So, uh, I came here to apologise for being such an ass," Seth said, looking into Summer's eyes. "I really am sorry." Summer stared back, she knew him well enough to know that he really meant it.

"The things you said really hurt Seth," she replied quietly, not looking at him.

"I know that and it was stupid of me to say them. You know I'd never hurt you intentionally."

Summer bit her lip and nodded.

"So, do you forgive me?" Seth asked, praying and hoping that she did.

"Yeah," Summer said with a small smile on her face. Seth grinned at her and she stepped forward, into his arms. She leant into his chest, trying to keep the tears inside her eyes. Seth held onto her, relief sweeping throughout his body.

"Just don't tell anyone that my three year old sister practically did everything," Seth said. Summer looked up at him, laughing.

"She didn't do everything. You came."

"And I'm glad I did," Seth nodded, gazing into her chocolate eyes.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Summer whispered, leaning up to kiss him softly, the hazy lighting around the pool combined with the bright moon created a spotlight and the couple stood by the rippling pool just glad to be back in each others arms.