Just wanted to say I'm blown away by the reviews/comments/favourites/follows! Thank you all so much! Seriously, never thought I would get such a response! I'm still debating over whether to turn this into one-shots or a continuous plotline, any advice? I have little experience with long-term plot lines.

Anyway, here's the next one. Please continue to review/offer criticism/favourite/follow, anything is appreciated! – H.L. x

Darkness.

The eerie blackness that pervades through everything – nothing was immune to it. Darkness was not comforting: darkness was the unknown, a silent God, an inkling of a presence but not enough to make one recant. Shapeless, it conformed to the shadows of your mind and crept slowly behind every corner and every crack of conscious, creating shadows and whispers of forgotten fears and desires. Darkness was indifferent to the qualms of its victims. Only noticed when in comparison to the small, flickering light it loomed from nothingness when light quivered under its cooling touch. The glowing embers gradually fading as the cold enveloped it, turning red to orange to grey to black. Again the light retreated to the darkness, to nothing.

My gasps echoed the room quietly, confusion shrouded my mind and I struggled to let out a steady breath as my eyes adjusted to the room. I was alone. The room was obviously small, with a low ceiling. All I could smell was damp – I was in a basement. My eyes wouldn't focus, all I could see were vague patches of darkness and pixelated light fragments that crackled and spat across my vision; disorientation was upon me. I tried to slow down my mind and wipe a hand across my face to try and clear my thoughts. But I couldn't. My hands were bound behind my head. Shit. What the hell is going on? I tried again to move them but I couldn't: the movement caused my arms to throb as I sluggishly struggled against whatever was holding me. I tried to move my legs. Again, I couldn't. Fuck. I lay there on the flat surface for another moment; my top had ridden up to above my ribs causing me to feel the cold, smooth…table?

I whipped my head around and saw tendrils of light flash before my eyes again – they bounced across my vision, pervading through the effervescence of delusion. My eyes opened again once I felt the throbbing subside. My mind was racing even faster, I couldn't breathe properly anymore, and I knew I was drugged. Shit, shit, shit, shit. You're kidding me. Gail, Gail, no, what the hell happened?!

It came flooding back to me in an instant, a tidal wave of emotion clouded my sight again as the flashbacks enshrouded me.

The man. The apartment. The fight.

I could feel the strong hands grip my sides, cause bruises upon my skin as he roughly dragged me away from the house, I tried to scream and I couldn't. Something was stabbed in my arm, preventing me from moving. My mouth wouldn't co-operate as my limbs slowly started to fade beneath me. His fingernails dug into my skin, causing my back to spasm in pain, it hurt so badly but I couldn't move his hands to the side – I was helpless. I felt my feet being dragged across the surface of the road as he struggled with my dead weight. I felt the cool breeze of the outside temperature hit my body, making goose bumps appear upon my arms. My breath fogged in front of me; plumes of icy grey made my vision even foggier as I struggled to see through the night surrounding me. I saw nothing but darkness.

He was panting, whispering under his breath but I couldn't understand what he was saying. My breath grew uneven as he pushed his body against mine to lift me into the car. Again, I tried to see past the shadow of his looming figure and find help. Anything. Anyone. But I was alone, it was just he and I, I was going to die.

A while later I was thrust out of the car and thrown into a small building, the man's hands on my waist as he shoved me down staircase upon staircase. I closed my eyes briefly as I accepted my helplessness. The hands grabbed me again before I was lifted upon a cool surface while my arms and legs were strapped down. The hands then stopped, suddenly becoming caressing, I felt sick come up in my mouth and I bit down on my tongue. My mind went blank as the flashbacks took their toll.

"Wake up!"

A loud crack perforated the air as a rough hand came across my cheek. The force was blinding and I cried out in pain. A cool trickle of blood across my cheek started its path downwards creating a shadowy reminder of the tears my body wouldn't allow me to express.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me you were a cop?" cried the blurred shadow, his voice shaking as I heard footsteps pace quickly across the darkened room. Ironically, the slap allowed my mind to clear briefly as I attempted to focus upon the moving figure I just recognised. Perik.

"I didn't want to do this, I swear. But you made me. You did this," Perik muttered, justifying his actions to himself. He hunched over as he walked in circles, he was not predatory, but disgusting. His hands were wringing together in front of him and his crazed eyes darted across the room. The clicking of his heels reminded me of a man, but all I saw was an animal. Perik looked into my eyes again, and saw the disgust emanate. He looked away and yelled,

"She's not even my type but I couldn't help myself. You're mine. You know that right? I'm only getting rid of her for you. For us." Perik shuffled over to the corner and grabbed something from the murky darkness.

My heart raced, Her, he said 'Her'. Shit, Andy? Traci? No- no it can't be, no Hol-' I craned my neck to see who Perik was dragging out. Perik stopped briefly to flick on a light above my head. Into the stark artificial light he brought a woman, a tall woman with caramel skin and long brown hair. My heart plummeted from my chest. I couldn't breath. Hyperventilation came over me – the walls were shrinking – I writhed as much as I could attempting to scream but the drug made my body useless and my mouth wouldn't cooperate with my shrieking brain. He can't have her, it's a mistake, no, no, no, no, no – Perik shoved the bundle to the floor again and a soft whimper shuddered from her body. Her hands were bloody, her legs scratched. She looked upwards and met my gaze.

Brown eyes met blue.

My limbs went numb, numb to my bone. I stopped moving. Shock came over me first; wave after wave it crashed against me. My breath came in heaving attempts while I tried not to drown. Then came anger that roared through my body causing me to shake. Perrick looked at me in concern, obviously mistaking my emotions for a seizure, he stepped forward and laid a hand on my thigh but I couldn't feel it, I couldn't look at him I just stared at Holly. My beautiful Holly that was broken in front of me. Her mouth cracked open by jagged lines while red marks and purple bruises eclipsed her body in shadows.

Then, then came the fear: the fear that I had swallowed when I woke up in hell, the fear that had snaked itself around my throat constricting it slowly, the fear that dissipated when I was in her embrace. I did this to her, I did. It's my fault. How did he find her? My eyes broke contact with her as I stared at Perik, willing him to understand my look, I don't care what you do to me. Just let her go, my eyes begged, do whatever you want but don't fucking touch her –

Perik shook his head sadly and walked over to Holly again drawing his knife from a back pocket. My mouth suddenly gained the ability to speak, "No!" I shrieked, "Don't touch her, please don't touch her. I can't – please, do what you want with me. Kill me, do whatever, just don't hurt her. I-I love her! Please don't touch her, please don't," my voice cracked as I sobbed, realising words I said may have just damned Holly.

Perik stared at me, "You love her?" he screamed frantically, his arms waving about in the air, "No, I need you to love me!"

Holly's eyes flickered at me again, their warmth echoing through and she opened her mouth to speak but suddenly Perik turned around, knife in hand –

X

I woke up, a scream threatening to break through my lips. My body was shaking and cool sweat poured down my back. I quickly glanced to my right and saw a figure huddled close to me. Holly. I breathed out and tried to calm my shaking breath. She's safe. Oh thank Christ she's safe. I leant back against the soft pillow now cool with sweat. That nightmare. Again. Except tonight was different, Holly was there. Never has anyone else been there besides Jerry. A frown flickered across my forehead. That was new.

The dream was hazy now as it retreated into the recesses of my mind, hugging the corners in shadow. Fragments splintered off until I couldn't picture the dream again – I was grasping at the dust that haunted me and was everywhere: stagnant until someone stepped upon the surface, causing plumes to rise in chaos.

I shuddered. I turned over on my side and saw the glowing light of the alarm clock: 04:00. I turned onto my other side, groaning inwardly as I realised only an hour had passed since Holly and I decided to snuggle down on the bed and I lost myself to sleep in her warm embrace.

I studied her features and they were pretty damn perfect. She was curiously beautiful and while I watched her slow breathing I felt myself calm down slightly, watching her lips, slightly parted, breathe in and out smoothly hardly ruffling the pillow next to her and slightly grazing my lips with her breath. Although calmer, I couldn't settle. So reluctantly I retreated from her grasp and rolled off the bed, made my way down to her kitchen and sat in the cool darkness on a barstool by the island.

My hands palmed the cool marble surface – a fragment of my dream appeared before me and I remembered the cool touch of the table against my broken body. Nope, I shuddered, not again. I need alcohol. I swiftly got up, crossed the kitchen to the wine rack and picked out an already open bottle of single malt. I didn't bother with a glass but raised the bottle to my lips and had a quick sip. The liquid was stale, bitter, and oaky, burning my lips as I shakily swished it in my mouth. Cautious not to let it remain I swallowed, satisfied in the wisps of fire that left my throat numb.

I took another small sip, careful to not lose control. I would not let myself lose control in Holly's house. No freaking way. This is just to calm my nerves. Nothing wrong with that. Just calming my nerves after imagining the woman I lo-like be beaten to a pulp before my eyes and I was powerless to stop it. Casual. Sure. Fuck. I took another sip. But with every sip she appeared in my mind. Her whimper echoed around me dizzyingly. I closed my eyes as the poison momentarily numbed my ache.

I decided it was perhaps best to fill a small glass and put away the bottle. My hand shook as I watched the drink tip into the crystal, watched chaos paint the emptiness with liquid luminescence. The slick spread effortlessly, seeping into the abyss until a sea of stars surrounded me, washed in my iniquity.

X

Holly woke for the second time that morning to feel the cool sheets surround her. She reached out for Gail's warm body but felt nothing. She opened her eyes and only saw the empty pillow across from her. She grazed her hand over its surface, feeling the damp cold. Damp. Holly frowned as realisation dawned upon her, the nightmares. Gail had told her about them once, in a drunken haze at Holly's one night: the nightmares that occurred every night, the guilt that shadowed her every step and the single malt that was likely close to follow. Holly bit her lip and threw the sheets off of her body, exited her room and crept downstairs.

Holly only saw her shadow in the morning light, a silhouette hunched over the island table. A quarter full glass of amber liquid was to her right, slightly outside reaching distance as if Gail knew she needed to keep herself under control. Sympathy welled up in Holly; she couldn't imagine what Gail was going through. Holly saw the report; she was assigned to the case briefly when she was an intern. She saw the mangled bruises upon Gail's cheeks, the doctor's report of violence, trauma and…assault. Holly's heart broke as she remembered the details, cursing her photographic memory. She moved slowly towards the slumped figure so as not to startle her. When Holly came within touching distance she swept her hand slowly across the island and took the glass of whisky, raising it to her lip and taking a small sip. It was ok.

"You know," she suggested dryly, "If you're going to drink whisky at four in the morning, you might as well drink the good stuff." She moved to a small cabinet at the other side of the kitchen and pulled out a dusty bottle of extremely good stuff.

Gail's figure jolted at Holly's voice bouncing through the room. She looked upwards and offered a fragmented smile, "Oh really? Well, that'll explain the headache."

Holly dumped the remainder of Gail's glass down the sink and poured a small glass for her, "Uhh yeah, that stuff is crap,"

Gail took a small sip, "Holly, why the hell do you keep the crap stuff on display? This is amazing"

"Meh, only I drink this stuff. Everyone else has to deal with the other stuff – if I have it out, people will want it. I can't have my four am supply running out now, can I?" Her eyebrow rose as she looked at Gail across the counter.

"Well, find a new place because that stuff is gonna be gone asap." Gail stopped at the look on Holly's face, "Hollllyyyy I'm just joking! I don't drink. I hate alcohol. Like, with a passion. Do you ever see me at bars?" She crinkled up her nose in mock disgust at the liquid before her.

Holly laughed, reaching over to grasp Gail's hand. Gail took it gladly and kissed Holly's knuckles with affection. Holly's heart raced as Gail's lips brushed her skin, the softness of her lips shot lightning across Holly's skin, reverberating up her arm. That didn't however stop the concern that was blooming in her abdomen. Gail was hurting, but Holly wasn't sure if she wanted to broach the subject again, just yet.

"It was Perik," Gail's voice mumbled over her glass. She winced slightly as the liquid poured too quickly down her throat. Holly's heart sank as she waited for Gail to continue, "He was, doing the stupid stuff that he always does in my dreams. Except this time was different." Gail paused before continuing, "Anyway, that's besides the fact. The fact is that Perik needs to go the hell away."

"Gail,"

"Nah, it's fine! Honestly Hols, it is. I'm fine," said Gail, her voice growing loud in mock conviction of her statement.

Gail got up and quickly went to Holly's side of the counter, sliding next to her and holding her chin in her hand, "I'm fine, I'll be fine, I promise. Please don't worry,"

Holly couldn't tear herself away from Gail's eyes. Her eyes were a thunderstorm of vulnerability. Holly's heart went out to Gail, but she wasn't going to push her. She was determined to make her feel as at ease as she possibly could. Holly sighed, knowing that this wouldn't be the last she would be hearing of Perik. She shuddered in anger at what that man did to her gorgeous love. She didn't voice these sentiments however, knowing that Gail needed distraction so she nodded and wrapped her arms around Gail before cheekily suggesting, "So, is it time for IAMS yet?"

Okay, I know that was a bit dark…the next one, regardless of one shot or whatever will be all happy stuff and sunshine I promise!