Hey, ok I'm just going to warm people that this chapter is going to tough on the emotions! I'm sorry! Thanks for all your lovely reviews, they mean a lot! x x x
Meredith flopped down on the tattered sofa with a contented sigh. She stifled a yawn as she pulled the blanket up around herself and grabbed the remote. Wedding arrangements were finally starting to come together. Admittedly the last few days had been chaotic, with caterers calling to confirm the menu and wedding invitations having to be re-issued due to the rescheduled date.
At this point she would have argued that organising a national tour was less work. But it was worth it. She glanced down at her hand and bit her lip, smiling reminiscently at the neat diamond ring. It was nothing flashy but it symbolised her fairy-tale ending. It hadn't been the romantic Hollywood engagement she'd imagined it would be, but in a way it had been perfect,
Brian tapped the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the lights to change. He looked over at Meredith but she was staring silently out the window. He decided to let her be. They'd had their first production meeting since they'd lost Lauren and the future of the company required attention. They knew the fans would support them but as a team it was hard to imagine Starkid continuing without her.
Everyone had come, except for Joe of course, but Brian hadn't expected to see him there. The Langs's old rocking chair had stood vacant in the corner, no one volunteering to take her favourite perch just in case she came swanning in the door munching a gluten free brownie.
Of course she never arrived, they knew she wouldn't but sometimes pretending made things a little bit easier. Brian shook the memory of the day out of his head, refusing to think about it any more. There were days when things seemed ok and then there were days like this when you just couldn't escape the grief.
As they trudged up the stairs he slipped his hand into Meredith's, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as she squeezed back reassuringly. He walked into the apartment ahead of her, turning on lights as he went,
"Mere, do you want me to..."
He stopped as he noticed her standing rigidly in the kitchen doorway. Tears dripped slowly down her cheeks. In one step he had her in his arms, hugging her close to his chest as her timid sobs gradually turned to hysterical wailing. Eventually she began to calm down,
"When will it get easier?" she whimpered into his chest.
"I don't know Mere...but it will."
Meredith pulled back and looked at him strangely, her red rimmed eyes a picture of sorrow, "you don't know that," she said hoarsely.
"I do, because as long as we have each other we'll have something and something's a whole lot better than nothing. I promise I'm not going anywhere."
Meredith smiled sadly, "Me neither."
Brian tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her gently, "I mean it. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to marry you and…"
"I'll say yes," she said quietly.
That silenced him as he stared at her, "You will say yes...or you are saying yes?"
Meredith shrugged and smiled coyly, "... I am saying yes."
In that moment, when they'd needed each other most, they'd made the commitment. Now with Lauren home, the memory could finally be the happy memory it should have been. She got up and stretched before padding down to her bedroom in search of a hoodie. She spotted her favourite one draped over the headboard. As she reached across for it she heard the sound of someone coming in,
"Hey Bri," she called out cheerfully, "I thought you'd never get back..."
The hoodie fell from her hands as she turned. Her scream was silenced by the swift, experienced pull of a trigger. She was a fiancée, but she would never be a wife.
Brian sprinted up the stairs, only narrowly avoiding a collision with a guy coming against him. Upon finally reaching the apartment he swore as the key jammed in the lock. He jiggled it around frantically before hearing the familiar sound of the lock turning. He stumbled through the door, hearing slightly muffled voices drifting out into the hall.
Slowly, he pushed the living room door open, sighing in relief when he saw that the voices were coming from the television in the corner. However his nerves were still on edge,
"Mere?" he called, beads of cold sweat rolling down his back.
He stumbled down the hall, flinging open every door until the only room he hadn't checked was their bedroom. Tears streamed down his face. He felt weak as he trudged towards the white wood panelled door. He was only vaguely aware of his hand closing around the brass handle.
The door swung open with a slow squeak that he'd been meaning to fix for months.
"Meredith," he whimpered, feeling his body crash against the door as he saw what his nightmares had been prophesising for months.
A single bullet wound to head had done it. Her blood matted hair splayed out on the pillow case. He staggered towards her and reached for her hand. It was still warm,
"No no no no," he sobbed, checking her pulse futilely.
He intertwined their fingers, watching her engagement ring catch the light. A slip of paper fell from her hand. Picking it up, he winced at the blood splatters that stained the crisp white paper. He opened it up slowly and began to read,
Treasure hunts are only fun,
When hunting people with a gun.
Who is next to need a grave?
It all depends who you can save.
Another Starkid waits in fear,
For death is coming very near.
Every hour a bullet will fly,
So if you fail, a friend will die.
So now you understand our rage,
It's time you take centre stage.
Brian stared at the words for a moment before letting the piece of paper flutter helplessly to the ground. The implementations of this single action failed to register with him as he stared helplessly at the woman he loved. Even in death she looked beautiful.
He lay down beside her and pulled her close to him, not yet ready to say goodbye to his fiancé.
Joe stood in Lauren and Julia's empty apartment, a piece of paper gripped in his hand,
Brian knows the game we play,
But it's up to you, to lead the way.
Down by the lake, block 443,
What will happen? You'll have to see.
He dialled Brian's number shakily, swearing when it rang out. He dialled again, running his hand through his hair as he tried to imagine what this game could possibly entail. One thing was for sure, it wasn't just a playground reputation at stake.
Brian still wasn't picking up. Joe gave up and shoved his phone in his pocket. However as he turned to leave, he noticed a streak of what looked like blood across the floor. His stomach clenched as he tried not to think about whose it might be. His brain debated ferociously whether or not he should go straight to the lake or find Brian first... what if it was a trap? What if they were already dead? The possibilities were endless and each one was worse than the last.
"Meredith."
Brian lifted his head and saw Joe standing in the bedroom doorway, his eyes locked on Meredith,
"She's dead," Brian croaked, stating what was blatantly obvious by the unnatural volume of blood surrounding her.
"What... how... oh god."
Brian's jaw tightened and he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of anger and contempt take hold, "You thought you and Lauren were the only ones that mattered," he snarled
Joe swallowed and looked at Brian sadly, "I didn't think they'd go after anyone else… I'm sorry... They have the others, Julia, Joey… Lo."
"MERE'S DEAD," Brian roared, feeling his voice scratch his throat, "she's gone."
"Exactly, she's gone," Joe said slowly, his voice now frantic, "and we're not doing her any good by standing here doing nothing while the people we love are in danger. Meredith wouldn't want that…"
"Don't use Mere as a way of getting what you want from me."
"Help me," Joe pleaded quietly.
Brian observed Joe with an unreadable expression before looking at his watch,
"We're too late," he said quietly.
Before Joe could question this, Brian held out his own note. Joe's eyes raced down through the note. He threw it back at Brian with a look of disappointment,
"I presume you're staying," he said sadly.
Brian didn't answer, refusing to even look up as he heard Joe leave. He picked up Meredith's hand, startled by its coldness. She felt like a statue, a cold, lifeless statue. She wasn't his Mere anymore. He felt a single tear trickle down his cheek as he leaned down to kiss her forehead,
"Goodbye," he whispered,
He stood up and with a final glance back at his former bride to be, he ran from the apartment. He sprinted out the door, waving his hands as the car headlights blinded him. Joe stopped the car, allowing Brian to jump in. The car door was barely closed and Joe was already tearing up the street,
"Thank you," Joe whispered before lapsing into a fearful silence... Who was next?
I think I may need to go into hiding after posting this :s Thanks to everyone who's still reading this, please leave a review if you can, it's lovely to hear back from people x x x