'Till Death Do We Part
A/N: Wow, more people liked the ending of the last chapter than I expected. I thought it just kinda... ended. *shrug* I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, here's chapter 6. Enjoy. Cheers.
Chapter 6: Memories of a Dark Night
You would think that, after all the kicking and screaming about sleeping in the same bed, the Cliche Fairy would find time in her busy schedule and Megan would wake up in Don's arms and everything would be right in the world.
Instead, she woke up on the floor.
"What the..." she muttered, rolling over and looking up. Gentle snores floated away from the bed, and Don's arm hung over the side.
Megan rolled her eyes and got up.
Three hours later...
After deciding that a new hotel room was in order, the two left to check out Brownfield's apartment one more time.
As they got closer to the apartment, though, Don stopped and put out one arm to stop her while his other hand went for his gun. He nodded toward the apartment door, which stood slightly ajar. Megan nodded and pulled out her own gun.
They approached the front door, silently taking up positions on either side of the door. Don held up one finger, then two, then three...
He nodded and Megan pushed the door open with one hand. They quickly stepped into the apartment, searching each room until there was only one door left. It was only open about an inch, but Megan could hear a voice floating out.
She signaled for Don to join her, and on his count, they pushed the door open.
There was a woman standing in the middle of the room, putting her cell phone away and facing away from them. She froze when she heard Don push the door open.
"Don't move," Don said in his "Don't-you-dare-try-anything" voice. "Put your hands on top of your head and stand up slowly."
The woman complied, and Don pulled out his cuffs and quickly locked them around the woman's wrists. Then he slowly turned her around to face them.
Megan's jaw dropped. "You're Jeremy Brownfield's girlfriend," she said in confusion.
"Ex-girlfriend," the woman huffed. Megan searched her mind for the woman's name. C. It started with a C.
"What are you doing here?" Megan asked. Cassidy? Cassandra?
"I thought Mac might like to know his brother's dead," snapped the woman. Cassie, maybe? No. That wasn't right either.
"Have you seen him?" Don asked seriously. Catherine! That was it!
"Who, Jeremy?" Catherine snorted. "He's dead, remember?"
"Mac Brownfield," Don corrected.
"No." Catherine flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He's running off, probably stalking some poor innocent soul again, the son of a bitch."
Megan shot a glance at the girl sitting on the floor, but she seemed unfazed.
"What do you mean by that?" Don asked.
The woman's eyes flared. "The bastard stalked me for three years. If it weren't for Jeremy, I'd be dead."
"Stalked?" Megan frowned. The victims of stalkers usually weren't so forthcoming with that particular bit of information.
"S-t-a-l-k-e-d," Catherine spelled angrily. "Damn son of a bitch. He ruined my life. I couldn't go anywhere without looking over my shoulder. Jeremy saved my life. We met when Mac took me out to dinner. Jeremy met us there. Threatened to tell the police if Mac didn't lay off."
"Did he?" Megan asked, frowning still.
"You bet your scrawny little ass he did," Catherine spat. "Little bastard ran for his life with his tail between his legs. And you know what? Screw him. He can go screw himself for all I care."
Don shot Megan a look. "Then why'd you come here?"
"Because Megan deserves to know that Jeremy's dead," Catherine said. "Mac'd never tell her. Son of a bitch doesn't tell anyone anything. Screw him."
Megan glanced over at Don. "Have you had any contact with him before Jeremy's death?"
"No." Catherine's eyes flared once more. "If I had, he would probably be dead."
Megan shared a quick glance with Don.
"Look, since I didn't actually do anything, can you get these damn cuffs off me?"
Don rolled his eyes, but quickly uncuffed the girl. "Now get out of here. And don't let me catch you here again."
Catherine started to walk away, but Megan called her back. "Wait! Where's he work?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow, but quickly rattled off the address before disappearing out the front door.
The previous night...
As soon as the door closed behind her, Lisbon had her phone out, dropping her bag on the floor, and fumbling for the speed dial.
Then she stopped. Things like this, though not as bad, had happened before. There had been Brandon in accounting, the main reason Rigsby hated everyone in accounting. He'd only asked her out once, but Rigsby, Cho, and Jane had decided that something needed to be done about it. So they'd ambushed him in the CBI bathroom and threatened him until he swore he wouldn't ask her out again.
It was like being the big protector sister all over again. Her brothers had taken over for her dad when she had started dating, since it was obvious her dad didn't really care.
She didn't want to think of what would happen if she told them. Her finger hovered over speed dial 1, Jane, and forced herself to slowly close the phone.
Then she sank down, back pressed against the door, and sobbed for what seemed like the first time in years.
It was gone!
"No, no, no, no!" He ran around the room, throwing up frantic cries and scattering old drawings around the studio.
"No!" His voice cracked on the word. The photo was gone. The original, the final piece to the set. It was gone!
This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have lost it. It wasn't possible!
"NO!" he shouted. He slammed his foot against the door to the studio. "NO, NO, NO, NO!"
He grabbed the nearest object he could find, a ballpoint pen, and slammed it into the wall. He had to get it back. Now. If he didn't...
"No," he whimpered, sinking to the floor, not knowing that his subject was doing the same thing in her apartment.
"No," he whispered again, tears sinking down his face. "No. No, no, no."
Then he bent over, seeking the knife he knew was there, and stood up. Something had to be done. Now.
A/N: Ooh, what's he gonna do? Stay tuned to find out! Sorry for the wait. Review!
Off to take over the world,
Crazy Girl