AUTHORS NOTE: So this chapter is slightly AU but it worked for my point so there's no real argument. I would like to say that this story is slowly getting totally stupid but I'm loving writing it. I think this is my take on a spoof *laughs*

DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC's

[Let Them Go]

"We know longer have the rights to hold you here anymore," Robbie said moving into the interrogation room where Ellanna was still curled up asleep in the corner, her head resting in Leigh's lap. Leigh and Ellie looked up at him, their arms crossing over their chest as they stared at them.

"Are you kidding? There's someone out there hurting us and you're going to let us go." Ellie whispered so not to wake Ellanna. Robbie looked down at them thinking of the argument he'd had with Burke over the entire situation.

"We have to let them go," Burke said from behind his desk, his gaze not leaving his laptop where Robbie guessed he was reading his e-mails. Burke hadn't created a relationship with the three girls so he had no bond with them and definitely didn't understand why he was so calm about sending them back into the streets.

Robbie slammed his hand down on the table where a newspaper headline boasted about Sheila's death. "There is a mad man out there on a mission by this woman to destroy their lives and you just want to put them back out on the streets? Are you out of your mind? He's trained. He'll know to follow them. Hell he could be sat outside right now watching us and he'll know the minute we release them."

"We're detective Robbie, not babysitters! We're not paid to take care of three teenage girls because they've messed in things bigger than them!" Burke barked angrily causing Robbie to glare at him.

"Are you kidding? They take part in recreational writing. They didn't realise at all that it would come real. You're turning victims here into targets and as a team we never do that, boss." He shouted angrily causing Burke to turn off his screen and turn to look at Robbie.

"Look, I understand that you've taken a liking to the girls. I know all three of you have but they're just getting in our way staying here now, Robbie. We need the interrogation room and the stress is causing them more damage than being here."

"Then put them in a safe house, Boss. I don't want them out there alone. He could be..."

"So you keep saying, Robbie but do we have any evidence at all that he's going to go after the girls?"Robbie looked at him, his eyes wide as he wondered if Burke had been drinking then he realised why Burke was so determined for them to be let go and the idea disgusted him.

"You're using them as fucking bait! You want him to attack one of the girls!"He ran his hands through his hair as he wished that Jackie was here to help him fight their case. "They're young girls. Do you really have the conscience to let them go out there knowing that some monster..." he was cut off by Burke saying,

"I bet if you asked them, they'd be game. They'd do anything to catch Sheila's killers, Robbie and this is all we've got." Robbie found himself shaking his head. This wasn't a Burke suggestion. This stupid plan was normally a Robbie suggestion! What the hell had got into the boss? He knew that he could argue until he ran out of air but Burke wasn't going to cave on his decision.

"Fine," he said nodding his head before moving towards the door. "However if one of them dies, you'll be answering to me." Burke didn't bother to reprimand Robbie for the threat because he knew that he'd deserve anything that would happen to him if any harm came to the girls.

"Your boss is right," Leigh whispered shaking Ellanna's shoulders lightly so that she would wake up. "But can you not be bait in one of the safe houses? That way we're all together." Robbie looked down at her and agreed that that was the best idea that they'd had all week. He decided to go sort that out while they gathered up their stuff.

"We can't be this stupid, girls." Ellie whispered looking at them. "We're just school girls messing around in things that are bigger than us. I know we're all happy to die for each other but he's not going to stop after one of us. He wants to kill us all and he's one of Ellanna's psychopaths! Whenever she writes one of those, they know what they're doing. He's got into character and there's no breaking of it now."

"We have to try everything, El." Leigh said back shrugging her shoulders. "We tried changing the story and that just pissed him off so let's just walk out there and show him that we're not scared and in the safe house, we'll be together and protected." She promised taking hold of Ellanna's hand and smiling up at her.

"You realise after all this hell, I'm not writing for a very long time." Ellanna laughed causing the two girls to hug her, their laughter causing them to have the strength that they'd need to continue with the stupid plan they were dealing with.

He watched as the three girls hugged the detectives, their tears obvious and he couldn't help but smile. The vulnerability was beautiful. He could see that they were being put together in a house just outside of town and this was beautiful for his plan. They'd think it was a safe house but he knew his way to get through security and when they slept, they'd know that he had been there. He found himself wanting to laugh as he hid back in the shadows as the three detectives left the house, the patrol car being instructed to drive round the street at least twice an hour. He smiled. He didn't need long for what he was going to do.

"You realise there are three separate bedrooms, yeah?" Ellanna pointed out that night in a teasing tone of voice at the fact all three of them were curled up in the double bed she'd picked as her room. It had started out her being alone but it wasn't long before Leigh had joined her and Ellie followed not long after. She had laughed and had patted her hand onto the bed as a hint that they could lie with her.

"We know but I feel safer knowing we're together," Leigh whispered pressing her cheek to Ellanna's shoulder as she felt the older girl pull her closer.

"There's no need to worry. It's a safe house, we're protected." She promised as she stroked soothing patterns onto the young girl's arm. "Let's just sleep." She said sighing. "The sooner this case is solved the quicker we get to go home," she said realising how much she missed her student life.

"Here, here," Ellie whispered sleepily and it wasn't long before they all fell asleep together, their limbs entangled as another sign of support and protection.

They were his sleeping angels. That's what they looked like curled up together in the bed, their fingers linked or their hands touching so that they knew there was someone there. He wanted to touch them but he didn't want to wake them. Taking out his camera, he snapped a photo for his wall and took a step backwards. He looked back into her room, his chosen one, and smiled at his message.

He couldn't wait to hear their cries in the morning

TO BE CONTINUED...