Another chapter I really am too good to you all!

We get a glimpse of Pamela Jenkins, Adam's big reveal comes to light and I sort the enigma of the highly debated Faulker/Stanheight topic.

Enjoy!

Chapter 16

"This is not good." Ivy groaned pacing up and down continuously. They had put the passed out Doctor on the sofa Adam favourited so much and Ivy had taken care to detach Adam from the scalpel putting it in the kitchen drawer for safe keeping. Adam was standing a little to Ivy's right trying to stop her from pacing and rubbing his temples, grimacing every time he found a sore spot. "Adam why didn't you stay hidden? We spoke about what to do in these cases you have to keep hidden no matter what. Thank god it was only Larry."

"And what if he had thrust that bottle into you next? What if he had attacked you and all I'd done was sit back and hide in the darkness? That's all I've ever done." Adam retorted looking at Ivy as if he couldn't fathom her anger at him.

"I would rather that than see you dragged back to Jigsaw again." Ivy snapped back as Lawrence gave a long, low moan slapping his face with his own hand.

Adam stared at him shaking his head a little, "I never ever want to get that drunk again." He stated looking at Lawrence, his eyes were shining however with the sentiments of Ivy's last confession.

"What happened last time you did?" Ivy asked, she could never fail but to go along with Adam's many witticisms.

"I met my last girlfriend." He smirked.

"The feminist vegan punk?" Ivy asked recalling what he had said in the bathroom.

Adam stared at her as if she was a psychic for a moment before remembering himself and winking. "Precisely."

Lawrence's groans were becoming louder and louder as his eyes back to flutter open. "Maybe you should stay back a little Adam." She warned and Adam obeyed stepping a few steps behind her.

"What the...oh Jesus." Ivy smirked as Lawrence's eyes rolled back as his massive hangover came crashing down on him. His eyes were unfocused and blinking as he stretched a hand out in front of him which Ivy very carefully took.

"Lawrence, it's Ivy. Do you remember what happened last night?" She asked crouching down to his level on the sofa.

"Ivy careful." Adam warned and Lawrence turned blindly towards the sound of Adam's voice.

"Who is that?" He asked, wincing at his own croaky voice. "Ivy?"

"I'm here." Ivy reminded him squeezing the Doctor's hand. Lawrence turned back to her clutching his head as he tried to sit up, feeling sorry Ivy gave him a helping hand. "Let the world slide back into place Lawrence, the look around and let your mind think before you do anything rash again."

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor asked in his much more normal sounding voice. His eyes were focusing and to his credit he did what Ivy asked of him. Those electric blue eyes travelled over Ivy's form to which he frowned as some of last night's memories made his groan again. "Ivy. I'm so sorry about the bottle and lashing out. I didn't mean to." He grabbed her hand with both of his own and his eyes shone in regret.

Ivy patted his hands awkwardly. "I know you didn't it's alright I forgive you."

"Yeah but I don't." Interjected Adam his arms folded across his chest and Ivy rolled her eyes at his stubbornness.

The change in Lawrence was instantaneous. "I know that voice." He muttered, his eyes were a little wider as they scanned over Ivy's home to fall upon Adam. He shrank back into the sofa as he gawped at Adam in absolute horror. It could have been Jigsaw himself standing in front of him again and he wouldn't have reacted as strongly as he did seeing the living and breathing Adam Faulkner standing in front of him. "Am I dreaming?" He asked and Adam rolled his eyes looking to Ivy.

"No and your not in Kansas either." Adam mocked nastily.

"Not helping." Ivy coughed pushing Adam back a little so Lawrence's focus slipped to her for a second.

"And I'm not dead because your here." Lawrence cried his eyes snapping from Adam to Ivy. He stared long and hard at Adam. His lower lip began to tremble as he examined every single piece of flesh on Adam's body, the man in question ran his hands over his arms glancing again at Ivy, his look screamed his discomfort.

"I'm not one of your patients Larry. You don't need to give me the Doctor's eye." He snapped when Ivy couldn't help him. "I can walk and talk and more importantly breathe just like you." Adam began pacing like a robot to add emphasis to his words.

"I can't believe you did it." Lawrence whispered one eye on Ivy. "I can't believe you went back there and got him out."

"Yeah she did I owe her my whole life no thanks to you." Adam enforced as Ivy blushed as Adam slung his arm over her shoulder bringing her closer to him, he smells especially good today.

"Do you know how much danger you could have put us all in?" Lawrence hissed, "I thought I'd got through to you when we spoke at the hospital..."

"Woah wait you told him you were going to rescue me and you still refused her?" Adam caught on pointing from Ivy to Lawrence.

"He realised what I was going to do." Ivy said feeling as if she should try and justify herself.

"And the only reason I didn't come with was the same reason I tried to stop Ivy with." Lawrence answered regaining his strength. "I didn't want to go back with my hopes high to see your rotting corpse." He told Adam bluntly. Adam who was not expecting his reply tightened his hold on Ivy for a second for he still had not let her go. "Come on Adam you'd been in there for three days, that is pushing how long you can go without water." The Doctor defended hotly.

"Yeah funny I was drinking the water from that bathtub that was left and nearly throwing up every time I did it." Adam retorted back with a delicious snap.

Ivy frowned being clueless of that particular detail. "And I couldn't leave him knowing that I could have done something to help." Ivy told Lawrence, repeating herself once again. "We were going to announce that Adam was still alive today."

"And you have a story that will hold up under the cops questioning I'm sure."

"Yes because I am one of those cops aren't I?" Ivy retorted.

"But he had a gunshot wound and he would hardly have been able to walk." Stuttered Lawrence.

"Leave it to a Doctor to want to know every detail possible." Adam walked away from their cellmate's round of questioning to flick through the newspaper Ivy had circled yesterday.

"How did you even get the shackle off him?" Lawrence pushed onwards.

"She had help." Adam mumbled not digesting a word in front of him.

Ivy held up her hands as Lawrence's eyes bulged. She proceeded to tell him all that had happened as she done with Adam who had given up with the newspaper now he knew Lawrence Gordon was no longer a threat and had switched on the plasma to a news report once again all about the Jigsaw murders. He changed the channel very quickly. However unlike Adam who had only asked questions at the end, Lawrence was jumping in every time he had something to say or ask. He was clearly not impressed but agreed not to say anything as they were revealing Adam later today. What he refused to believe however was that Amanda had willingly helped Ivy release Adam.

"Impossible." He whispered.

"Oh yeah cause who else would have helped us? The crazy guy at the police station whom doesn't even know Ivy's on to him or Jigsaw himself?"

"Adam." Ivy warned shaking her head at him.

Lawrence stood up and beckoned Ivy towards the kitchen area where they could get some privacy away from Adam. "Can we talk alone?"

Ivy nodded and followed the Doctor, Adam watched them leave warily but trusted Ivy just enough to let himself relax a little. Ivy rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Lawrence it's seven in the morning can we do this once I've sorted Adam out?"

"I need to know how much he knows." Lawrence told her. His eyes held a darker expression than they had before. The loss of Allison and Diana had shaken his very being and his eyes were extremely focused despite the hangover he was coping with.

"He knows about John being my Uncle and obviously about Amanda. I don't want to tell him too much about what I'm doing with Mark incase he tries to do something about him. I don't know what but I just feel like I shouldn't tell him exactly who yet." She began and Lawrence nodded.

"I agree with you, but he's gonna find out eventually."

"I know I think the only reason he hasn't gone to the cops about my Uncle is out of benign loyalty to me. And because of Mark of course."

"He fancies you Ivy." Lawrence stated blankly. And Ivy paused in her speech to look at the Doctor. "In fact he liked you from the beginning and you did too." Lawrence trailed off into his thoughts. "I saw it straight away, it's why I was so defensive about him. I knew the odds weren't in my favour if you two became a team."

"We have had a few close moments." Ivy admitted and Lawrence smiled.

"I'm glad that you two are getting together...you will." He added as Ivy's eyebrows raised. "You will keep each other sane and happy through your dark times."

"Do you have the nightmares like we do?" Ivy asked, "You always seem to have it together so much more than us, apart from last night."

"No you're the one who has it together. You're so fucking perfect sometimes with how you've come out of this situation it made me very angry and I didn't want to come to you. I warred over it for whole day getting drunker and drunker while I tried to figure it all out. Course it was then I realised I didn't have any other friends I could talk about it with." He admitted sadly and Ivy patted his shoulder, regretting the patronising move.

"You better be alright in there." Came Adam's voice.

"See protective boyfriend." Lawrence mocked with a smirk.

"Shut up." Ivy stuck her tongue out and the Doctor laughed it was their first moment of true friendship. "So your okay with Adam and everything. It's gonna take a bit for him to forgive you because that's just who he is, but I think we can all help each other to get over this stuff. It's still hard for me and Adam's changed quite a bit from they idiot in the bathroom." Ivy smiled thinking about what Adam would say if he could hear their conversation. "And with your recent turn of events...I think we should try and stick together. I think the reason Amanda relies on my Uncle so much because she didn't have anyone else to share her experience with."

"That is very deep Ivy." Lawrence frowned grimacing once again, "Too much for my head this morning but I do want to stay friends with you. I can handle Adam." He told her and Ivy smiled. Lawrence went to leave but stopped. "I too am helping John with a couple of things." He confided and Ivy looked up to watch him intently.

"Like what?"

"I don't want to say, but it's something that no one else can help him with." He told her mysteriously, "I'm not an actual apprentice, I told him I wanted minimal input in these twisted games of his."

"Okay. I can't really tell you off can I?" Ivy shrugged and the Doctor laughed. "Thank you." He told her before walking to the door.

"Adam will be taken to a hospital tomorrow." He advised, "They won't be happy that you didn't seek one out despite these extenuating circumstances."

"I suppose your right. He won't be happy about that." Ivy sighed.

"And then there will be the therapy session like I have and you should be having instead of ignoring them." Lawrence said and Ivy shook her head.

"I don't need therapy Lawrence."

"And then physiotherapy for his ankle..."

"Are you having any? They didn't think mine was that serious."

"I am having sessions to manage, so to speak." Lawrence shared and for the first time Ivy let her eyes travel down to his artificial foot.

"I can't imagin..." She began.

"Don't. You won't and I don't expect you to." He said quickly before stepping forwards with his arms outstretched. Ivy blinked for a moment before accepting the Doctor's hug it was cleansing, a promise so to speak that left her feeling warm after he had exited.

"Bye Larry!" Shouted Adam not bothering to move his eyes from the plasma screen and Ivy snorted as soon as the door was closed.

"You're horrible." She told him sauntering over to the sofa.

"I know but he does deserve it. I'll lay off him in a month." Adam smirked, "Now we are going down to this police station and then we are grabbing the biggest, greasiest Chinese I've ever eaten."

The Detectives who were on duty assembled as soon as they got the memo from a speechless Kerry standing her mouth fully open in front of Ivy and Adam. While cops had peered round corners and whispers had already began as they made their way to her 'boss's' office no one could say in concrete that Adam Faulkner was alive till Kerry had called every single Homicide Detective into the room. Adam was trying not to laugh as he kept tightly to Ivy's side at the pure seriousness of all Kerry as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. Ivy stood her ground, resisting against Adam's hand when he tried to take her own, only to give him a small smile at his confusion. She didn't want to look weak or hint at something so early on in the Detective's analytical minds. The four in front of her, whom happened to be her drinking buddies and Eric Matthews, had formed a semi circle in front of the door to the office and were rooted to the spot their eyes hungry for information.

"What the fuck?" One of them whispered, Ivy couldn't tell which one but it caused an avalanche of volume to spill forth.

"Ivy what the hell is going on?" Kerry demanded and Ivy glanced at Adam, she had forewarned him about the personalities of these Detectives and so far Allison was abiding right with Ivy's advice. The woman could not function unless the information was right in front of her and if preferably she was the first to know.

Where on earth did she begin, it was much harder now they were actually doing it. "This is Adam Faulkner..." She began slowly presenting Adam to the Detectives.

"Yes we know that but the question is, how is he standing in front of us?" Matthews interjected he was glaring at Ivy as if she was a hardened criminal who had busted Adam out of prison rather than saving his life.

"He is standing in front of us because..." Ivy didn't get to finish her sentence when Mark Hoffman entered the office. If he was going to say anything it died on his lips the second he spied Adam and Ivy being held in the spotlight.

"The rumours were true then." He said indifferently as his head bobbed a little in Adam's direction but his eyes were fixed on Ivy. Despite the cold indifference in his voice however the shock was apparent in his eyes and gave Ivy both a spurt of fear and confidence for it confirmed one thing; that Amanda had not told Mark Hoffman about their great escape. Hoffman's expression whatever it was, was genuine.

"Yes I am alive." Adam replied his voice dragging a little. "Don't you all want to hear how I managed to escape that place alive and without my foot hacked off?"

The Detective's reactions to Adam were all rather over the top and all funny in an unusual way, whether it was recoiling from his sarcastic manner taking it for bitterness, and those who blinked stupidly or their eyebrows shot up in surprise, many of them had expected Ivy to do all the talking, wondering if the new survivor in front of them was suffering from some deeply troubled trauma. "I'm sure we all do Adam." Fisk said frowning at how unusual the situation sounded now he was involving himself in it too.

"Well after Larry and Ivy had left me to my fate, I found Zepp's tape. Zepp as I'm sure you guys know was meant to kill Lawrence's family if he didn't kill me in time. But I overpowered him blah blah..." Adam lent against Kerry's desk in full flow retelling the events everyone knew to be one hundred percent true. "So we all thought that Zepp was Jigsaw so when I found the tape I was terrified because I thought I'd killed him." He looked to Ivy now the story was getting more and more personal she nodded for him to go on. "But the body in the middle of the floor who we were told had shot himself began to get up, I thought it was some zombie come back from the dead when he full on stood up and began talking to me. I knew that this must be the real guy, the real Jigsaw and he told me the key to my chain was in the bathtub that had emptied when I woke up. Then I tried to shoot him with Zepp's gun but before I could he shocked me with some device."

Ivy turned at the news with a small frown though she was careful to not give too much away to Mark. The Detectives would all expect her to know every single detail of the story and of all the things to give them away it couldn't be her innocent surprise that she had never been the only one with an electrical shock device in that game. She kept her gaze firmly on Adam.

"He told me that 'most people were so ungrateful to be alive,' but that I wasn't and then shut the door on me. It was dark and yeah it was frightening beyond anything else you could imagine." Adam looked to Ivy and his hand twitched involuntarily. Ivy reached over and took Adam's hand despite how every Detective's eyes followed the movement but Adam seemed very grateful for the support decked out in his striking leather jacket, fitted jeans and white top and it was all that mattered. "So I passed out for a long time and didn't know what to do, then I tried to see if I could reach the plughole with my own hands. There was a blue light on the end of it so I knew it was there, it was painful and I kept thinking my hand was gonna get stuck and it did a lot." He added as this was where the story differed immensely. "Eventually after forcing my hand further and further down the plughole I got the bastard out and put it in my shackle and freed myself. So I stumbled over to the other side of the bathroom, I nearly passed out again but the door was locked of course so I just had to wait for someone to open it and build my strength. It took two days for someone to come so I was in there for three days in total, or that's what Ivy says and then the door opened and someone in a pig mask or something freaky came in and a grabbed them and shoved them onto the floor and ran for it. I'd been conserving my energy for the past two days and was drinking the shitty water from the bathtub that hadn't been emptied and I just ran and ran till I found my way out of that place and I didn't stop. It was adrenaline and complete fear that he was behind me with another of those giant needles to get me and I ran into the road to get the cars attention that was going by; I was nearly hit by one and had to jump out of the way, painful when you've been shot in the shoulder by a psycho Doctor and who should come out of the car but Ivy." Adam finished with all the drama of a Shakespearian play with the Detectives all hanging on his every word like groundlings mystified by every line of iambic pentameter. All except for Mark who was standing to the side like a Claudius or a Macbeth observing shrewdly.

"You were in the area?" Daniel asked breaking everyone out of their revelries.

"I was." Ivy confirmed stepping in to take the reins of this tale. "I hated the idea of not knowing if I could have done anything to help Adam so every night that I could I went driving around all the disused buildings in the surrounding area incase I hit upon the right one."

"That was an incredibly dangerous idea Ivy." Mark stated straight away his eyes penetrating her own, his tone was one of a protective bite.

"Dangerous it was but it worked." She answered making sure to add enough innocent understanding in her tone that was correct "Luck couldn't have been more on my side and I don't understand or know why we were that fortunate but Adam walked out right in front of me looking ten times worse than he did when I last saw him but he was alive. I too thought I was seeing a ghost but I took Adam back to my apartment because I knew it was far too dangerous to take him to a hospital. In Jigsaw's eyes he wasn't meant to survive so I had to treat him and keep him in secret till he was well enough to reveal himself to you. So that we'll be able to help protect him." Ivy finished.

"I'm sure most of us don't know what to say." Allison murmured and Fisk nodded eagerly.

"I know this must come as a shock to you all, especially because most of us had given up ever finding him. And I am sorry I couldn't tell any of you but if anything had happened while he wasn't strong enough to take care of himself then everything would have been in vain." Ivy explained desperate for her colleagues to agree with her point of view. Adam gave her hand an irritated squeeze as he shifted in embarrassment and Ivy shot an apologetic look his way.

"We're all glad Adam is alive and well Ivy." Allison reassured, "It is a huge surprise;" She broke off to glance at Mark who tilted his head one way and then the other as if giving her his permission. The exchange only solidified who was really in charge of the department. "But if the two of you both thought this was the best decision then who are we to try and challenge it."

Ivy smiled at her friend, she would have been lying to herself if she didn't hope that Allison at least would have sensed the chemistry that had been building between herself and Adam in that way women were so good at. Daniel and Fisk both nodded and Mark stepped forwards to offer Adam his hand. Adam took it gratefully as Ivy watched the exchanged between the two. She knew she had to be careful as Adam may know of Mark, but she hadn't told him he was a Jigsaw apprentice yet and would prefer to keep it that way. The less they knew about each other the better in her opinion.

"You'll both have to say all this again for the record." Mark told them and they both nodded already aware of that, the important part was to not change anything they said. "But I'm sure we can do that another time, it's one of your days off after all." Mark nodded at Ivy and she smiled as the situation bended right to Ivy's will, If your good at anticipating the human mind...

Matthews was the only one to remain as impassive as ever and was the first to leave Allison's office but whether he didn't believe her words or was just completely obtuse was as much a mystery as ever. He was shortly followed by Fisk and Daniel, Kerry clapped a hand on Ivy's shoulder her eyes catching their locked hands as she swept out of her office saying she needed to start the paperwork on Adam's survival. Only Mark stayed behind. He tried to disguise his own glance at their hands but gave himself away while Adam was busy eyeing the office with interest.

"Well Jigsaw will certainly be feeling at odds after this." He said with a smirk. "All three of you survived at the rarest and unlikeliest of odds. Fate was looking after you three in that bathroom." Mark reminded.

"Yeah we got one over on the bastard." Adam grinned as he made himself a little more comfortable leaning on Allison's desk. Ivy laughed at the situation with a smile on her face, Adam's casual demeanour was such a contrast to the rod that permanently lived up Mark's back. The price of being a hardened serial killer's helper in disguise.

"So what do you plan to do now your out in the open? I mean if Jigsaw does try to test you again we won't be able to do anything to help you with that if you get kidnapped." Mark's words were a genuine enquiry underlined with a dark threat that tested Adam's response just as much as a real Jigsaw trap.

Ivy turned to Adam worried about what his response to Mark would be, the survivor had already quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "Well I guess if he feels he has to test me again then there's nothing I can do about it but try and pass. But I feel like I already did by doing all I could to make it out of that shit hole." Adam shrugged earnestly before pulling Ivy towards the door. "Now I kinda wanna enjoy my first day of freedom with a good calorie stuffed Chinese she promised me."

Ivy laughed as Mark's face turned to stone and she gave the apprentice a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow Mark and help you out with the details for this." She said while still being pulled out by Adam.

"Just make sure he doesn't waste his opportunity." Mark warned her and she nodded as she disappeared from his view.

"And I'm not buying that Chinese for you on top of all those groceries I've been buying you. You eat twice as much as me." Ivy smirked knocking into Adam as they stepped outside the station.

"You leave your coat in there? You had one when you came in." Adam noticed and they stopped Ivy thought for a minute.

"Yes I did." She confirmed before looking up at Adam who had a confused smile on his face his slight change in personality was so lightening and his own innocent yet sarcastic view on the world was always welcoming from the darkness surrounding the Homicide department right now. She found herself drawn to Adam Faulkner like a moth to a very inviting flame and didn't mind one bit if the flame swallowed her whole and never released her from it's grasp. She rubbed his shoulder trying to contain her own excitement at finding someone who wasn't walking through life with his eyes closed. It was such a simple thing to notice but showed Ivy that Adam was truly looking out for her, that he was interested in her. "Adam." She said her voice unusually higher than normal as she flashed him her brightest smile.

"Hah hah I know I'm an amazing person now even if your tone was slightly patronising." He rolled his eyes before pushing her in the other direction "Go on I'll wait here."

"You'll be alright?"

"It's a police station Ivy, if I'm not fine here then we are fucked." Adam shooed her away and went to lean against a nearby lamp post to flick through his phone.

As Ivy neared Allison's office to ask her about her coat she could overhear the voices of her friend and Eric Matthews in a heated discussion. Feeling it would be impertinent to go strolling in Ivy shrank back against the wall to give them what she hoped would be a little privacy. She couldn't deny she wondered what had happened between the ex partners and if she could find a little more out about the elusive Detective Matthews then she might be able to help him before he wound up in his own little game.

"I get that we're not partners, what about the fact this guy wrote your fucking name on the wall huh?" Allison was getting agitated and Ivy, thanks to Mark, knew they were referring to Michael Mark's trap. "He asked for you."

"It's not the first time some psychopath called me out." Was Matthew's reply still in that irritating mundane tone of a man who was better off slitting his wrist now and being done with it.

"Alright what about the fact that I'm asking." Allison's voice had dropped in volume so Ivy had to really listen to hear her words, she knew something sinister had gone on with these two partners. She had heard the rumours about this Homicide department being 'thick as thieves' and they were living up to the rumours, or so it seemed. She was surprised no one else was walking down the hallway and would catch her so she picked up a forgotten dropped piece of paper from the floor and pretended to look busy with it. It was a picture of the broken Reverse Bear Trap from which Amanda had escaped lying on the floor. She frowned wondering briefly if Amanda had said anything to John about herself and Adam.

"Ask Reeves, you and her are best friend now." Matthews sneered, "She's gotta be convicted of withholding evidence or kidnapping for doing what she did with that guy."

"You have got to be kidding me Eric. She saved his fucking life and he's gonna be the biggest help we've ever received. Now will you help me too or not?"

"Can't help you." Matthews blocked her advances his voice echoing over to Ivy's ears pulling her away from the picture. "Your the Jigsaw expert."

"When'd you stop being a cop?" Allison asked nastily as she exited her office and Ivy on hearing her voice increase in volume back up so it would not look like she had been listening in.

"Allison I didn't leave my jacket in there did I?" Ivy asked as Allison turned tired eyes towards her.

"Yeah I think so, there was a red one on the back of the chair."

"Thanks." Ivy went into the office and saw Matthews sitting behind Kerry's desk writing lazily on some files he looked up when she entered.

"I'm just grabbing my coat I left." She said feeling the need to defend her reasons for being in what he believed to be her boss's office. Matthews chucked it to her and she caught it deftly.

"How come you're working in Allison's office?" She attempted as a stab of conversation.

"How come you never work in your own? Your always in Hoffman's or Kerry's, despite you being much lower in this department to them."

Ivy blinked at the sheer hostility of the remark. She stood rooted to the spot for a second before making a noise of disgust and storming out of the office. If her Uncle didn't test the man soon then she would herself. She ignored Fisk as she walked briskly out of the station nearly bumping into Mark who was out to do some investigative work.

"Forgot something?' He asked with a smirk when he saw Ivy's short temper flaring unattractively.

"Yeah my coat." Ivy said brushing part the Detective so she bumped shoulders with him. He caught her wrist and she had to force down her irritation all she wanted was some alone time with Adam right now.

"Hey what's wrong?" Mark tried to peer into her eyes but Ivy was adamant in avoiding them. She didn't want to reveal how irritated the comment had actually made her feel it was mostly due to the ghastly perfect timing it was delivered with. "Ivy..." Mark's voice softened as he looked around to make sure they were alone and lent in closer. "You can tell me."

No I can't. Ivy sighed wondering what on earth she could say that would help her and pacify the unusually nosy Detective. "Matthews." She whispered finally before pushing past Detective Hoffman and speeding out of the police station. She was grateful that Adam had enough decency to not ask what was wrong and to buy her Chinese food for her. They decided to eat in the takeaway shop where the TV was on the news as they tucked into their Bang Bang Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken and noodles. Adam had naturally filled his plate with as much as possible and was tempted to go back for seconds. Ivy shook her head fondly as the photographer was able to stow away mounds upon mounds of deep friend shit but whenever it came to Ivy's own good organic cooking he could only stomach one lonely burger; although through Ivy he could now stomach one and a half when very hungry, which was often. "So are you going to go back to being a photographer?" Ivy asked Adam her head resting in a hand while the other played with her noodles.

Adam paused to look up at her. "I dunno." He said slowly his eyes peering round the dingy takeaway Ivy frequented often when she was too tired to cook herself. "I want to, it's the only thing I'm any good at and if I get a couple of jobs on the go then it's good money. No way in hell am I gonna start following people again though."

"Well that's good to hear." Ivy said in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey don't you start sounding like me or I'll think you like it." Adam smiled.

"I do like your sarcasm it's witty."

Adam peered closer at her as if to make sure she wasn't taking the piss out of him "Really?" He asked tentatively.

"Really." Ivy confirmed. She took another bite and Adam copied her, it was comfortable doing such a simple activity with him opposite her. "So what kind of photography did you do before?"

"What do you mean?" Adam asked her with a frown, "I took photos that is photography or am I really missing something."

"No I meant were you paparazzi or for a specific newspaper? Were you an event photographer, weddings and birthdays? Or more of a funky landscape photographer who roams the city looking for artistic inspiration?" She teased but with a serious undertone.

"Well if I'd had the money, like you do, to go roaming the world for those photos you see as wallpapers then I wouldn't have been stalking unfaithful Doctors." Adam said picking up a piece of chicken and examining it before eating it.

"I'm not rich." Ivy began.

"Yeah you are. Your rich in my books I mean your Aunt runs a successful health clinic, your Uncle has what looks like hundreds of properties, business and designs he sells to fund his uh schemes and you said your parents had a restaurant and shares in some crazy exclusive hotel."

"When you say it like that it looks it but you know my Aunt and Uncle's earnings don't affect me in any way, I sold my parent's restaurant before starting my FBI training after the robbery and I've still got the shares."

"You've never mentioned your parents before." Adam began with a frown.

"Neither have you." Quipped Ivy.

"Dad's retired, mum never really did much to begin with and my brother's at University doing Journalism." Adam rattled off quickly.

"Maybe you should team up with your brother and start a whole new newspaper?" Ivy joked noticing the journalistic link between them.

"Very funny but I can't help but see your diverting the subject away from you." Adam wiggled his eyebrows.

"Alright. Well it wasn't long after I'd moved out and was just looking into the whole police/FBI thing when I got a call saying there had been a robbery in the middle of the night...and that they were both killed in the struggle. The robber got away and was never caught." Ivy said it all very quickly and with as little emotion as possible. "It was one of the main things that solidified my decision to become an Agent."

Adam's mouth was open in surprise at how she had just opened up. They had both imagined it on Ivy's sofa when they were somehow snuggled up close to each other and not in a sweltering busy Chinese takeaway. "And you never wanted to get revenge for them?"

"That was my way of getting revenge. I don't know what I'd do if I saw him again. In my opinion he's better rotting in a prison cell for life than having a quick death." Ivy trailed off and her eyes met Adam's.

"I think your right." He whispered softly.

"I never used to be able to talk to them before our game, I felt that now they were gone I'd lost my identity and place in society. I lived for the FBI, but afterwards I asked myself why I bottled it up so much. Isn't it better to just understand that it was fate and without it my life wouldn't be what it was today."

Adam turned towards the TV which was flashing with a 'BREAKING NEWS STORY'. A reporter with incredibly straight blonde hair and owlish glasses was speaking in a voice laced with hyperbole.

"Homicide Detectives in charge of the ever mysterious Jigsaw Murders have released a statement reporting that Adam Faulkner has been found alive and well. An informant says that Mr Faulkner walked up to the station himself accompanied by fellow survivor, the new Detective Ivy Reeves. The two appear to be a couple as Reeves discovered Mr Faulkner staggering out in front of her car and proceeded to treat him at home rather than raise questions in a hospital. The unorthodox methods have worked however as Mr Faulkner appears to have no serious harm despite the limp also seen on Reeves herself and Dr Lawrence Gordon. This marks the first time all three people being tested in a game have survived. Whether this will new development will put an end to the Jigsaw killing spree however remains unknown."

Ivy turned to look at Adam who had kept his eyes and head low as the few other people in the takeaway shop also listening to the news were all staring at Adam. A picture had been flashed of Adam along with the news report and the two survivors instantly felt uncomfortable. "Jesus now I get how a celebrity feels." Adam murmured as he finished his food with as much quiet and care as he could manage, he gasped involuntarily when his gunshot wound gave him a nasty stab of pain and Ivy gave him a sympathetic look as he confirmed what all their spectators were thinking.

"Maybe we should increase your tramadol or put you back on the methadone." Ivy whispered but Adam shook his head quickly.

"No I don't wanna get addicted." He said quickly shaking his head. Ivy regarded him with a smile. "But I could murder a cigarette." Adam mused as an afterthought that wiped the smile from Ivy's face.

"Please don't go back on the cancer sticks Adam." Ivy said taking Adam's hand which he took in his own eagerly.

"I won't." He promised and Ivy believed him. Was the rehabilitation Jigsaw was so infamous for actually working? Just like Amanda and the drugs would Adam stop smoking for good?

'The two appear to be a couple' Feeling the eyes on her back Ivy released Adam's hand and stood. "Shall we go?" She asked and Adam bolted from his seat instantly.

"Yes."

They exited the shop both looking over their shoulders, Ivy knew they were acting incredibly suspicious but she hated the attention she had been receiving lately. It was the staring from people, looks that told her she should have died, expressions asking what she was doing still on the planet with these incredibly 'normal' citizens. Mostly it came from people reading newspapers whom would spot her from the story of her survival on page 10 which had mysteriously circulated the newspapers even though Ivy knew she never gave an account to anyone but the police. It was exposing. As soon as the pair had stepped outside Ivy's phone rung.

"My apartment?" Adam asked and Ivy nodded as she answered taking Adam's hand in her own to pull him away from the newspaper seller whose front page story was Adam's survival.

"Detective Ivy Reeves, Homicide." She answered, it was finally beginning to be automatic.

"Ivy i've just seen the news it's all about Adam's survival." It was Jill sounding a mixture of anger and relief. "I knew you'd end up going back but I didn't expect this much. You must know how risky it was for you to go back there. You were lucky you didn't actually get inside and that Adam escaped himself." Jill broke off obviously wanting Ivy's confirmation.

"Uh yes I was lucky about that." Ivy started, she had forgotten that her Aunt only knew the same as the rest of the world. Ivy always assumed that she knew more but there were somethings it did seem not even John knew. It gave her faith that Amanda's plan had really worked.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Ivy the story in the papers, it's true isn't it?"

Ivy panicked as she stopped in the busy street her grip tightening on Adam's hand. Adam who had been enjoying the idea of walking round freely with the added bonus of attractive female company stopped to a look of concern flooding his features. "Yes it's completely true that I took care of him, not so much that he ran out in front of me."

"Ivy." Jill's voice was so deadly, the voice of a parent who was about to ground their child for eternity rang through the phone and Ivy winced but picked up her pace again, moving felt better, like she could run away. "What did you do?"

"It is bad Jill, and I need to speak to John about it but I couldn't sit there and let him die when he didn't deserve to." Ivy repeated for what she hoped to god would be the final time. Adam smirked as he maintained her pace his hand never leaving hers. "I'll take responsibility for my actions."

"There isn't anything I can say Ivy, a part of me knew you would. But you cannot expect to just get away from this unscathed, both of you." Jill paused. "You say you treated him yourself?"

"Yes um crude online forums and DIY methods." Ivy said sheepishly.

"Now tell me, why you never bothered to contact me?" Ivy froze glancing at Adam who had heard Jill's question and was looking back at Ivy.

"Never bothered to think of it, thanks Jill." Ivy said her eyes wide, she couldn't believe her own stupidity. Her Aunt should have been the first person she contacted even before thinking of Lawrence and she could have trusted her enough to not tell John until Ivy was ready.

"I'm going to leave you to think about that. Maybe you'll come and visit tomorrow?" Jill asked hopefully, her Aunt was still rather lonely.

"Yeah sure we'll do something. I'm just dropping Adam off at his own apartment." Ivy smiled before hanging up.

"So your Aunt's a Doctor too but you didn't think of contacting her." Adam summed up as Ivy's cheeks flamed.

"Not a Doctor but she does run a health clinic."

"For a Detective you really are clueless at times." Adam chided tapping her on the nose. Ivy detached their hands walking off in front of him her nose held up in the air, trying to conceal a smile. "Hey come here." Adam shouted as she took of running and he was forced to follow. It was a comical sight seeing Ivy jog wildly ahead looking as free as the mid-day breeze while Adam struggled on his bad leg making him falter and hobble along every few strides. It was the most strenuous exercise he had ever partaken in and was getting slower and slower with every stride. Her own injury was complaining and twinging at the burst of use but felt much better than lately even if it wasn't one hundred percent yet as she took a mental note to ask Lawrence to recommend a decent Doctor to look at it.

Feeling pity as Adam stopped completely puffing and panting Ivy looked over her shoulder and lightly jogged back towards him. "And that is the result of chain smoking and a weak constitution for alcohol." She concluded in a very teacher like tone while patting Adam's back as he coughed, doubling over.

"Very funny it's my ankle too and you know it." Adam frowned swatting away her hands as he straightened up. "Go away." He chided with a smile.

"Make me."

Before Adam could move more than an inch towards Ivy where her heart bumped uncomfortably wondering what he was going to do, the two were roughly interrupted by an all business looking woman who stepped right in front of Ivy and was staring at Adam. She had the features of a squirrel with her high cheekbones, perfect, line free face and the lack of movement in her eyebrows suggesting to Ivy straight away at the amount of botox this woman had pumped into her skin.

"Adam Stanheight?" She asked with a guess, however her devious little eyes told Ivy she already knew she was correct.

"Ah no Adam Faulker." Adam corrected quickly. "I changed my name when I moved out;" He glanced at Ivy who cocked her head with a frown. You really do learn something new everyday. "Too many jokes, nicknames. Always hated it." He told her with an embarrassed smile before turning back to the strange woman? "What?" He asked rather bluntly and Ivy sniggered.

"Vanessa Waters, I'm an agent for Lucid Photography perhaps you've heard of us." The woman introduced sticking out a many ringed hand with another charming smile.

Adam stared at the woman perplexed before taking her offered hand. "Yeah I've heard of you."

"Well we represent freelance photographers who are looking for work in photojournalism in the media, wedding or other event fields and after hearing of your recent survival story and being a budding photographer yourself I was wondering if you would like to send some of your pictures over to us to have a look at and see if we'd like to represent you." She said very quickly and very well rehearsed, although Vanessa Waters did not look like an agent who did this often.

Adam's eyes were wide by the time she finished. "I'm not looking at doing the Jigsaw pics or anything." He said worriedly.

Vanessa laughed calculatingly. "Oh don't worry we already have very experienced photographers handling those sort of high brow, all the rage stories." She said with that same sweet smile and Ivy's positive opinion of the women went down the drain. "We will place you when we see your work, if we decide to that is. Anyway here is my card with my email address and number, if you can send them over in the next couple of days. Good day Adam, I look forward to seeing them." She didn't give the poor stumbling photographer another breath before stalking away in her high heels that clacked horribly on the pavement.

"Bitch." Ivy said straight away seeing Adam's look of shock.

"You were right about things turning around." He whispered slowly as his eyes slid to the little card in his hand.

"What do you mean?" She asked coming to peer at the photo.

"They're a big time agent. I never expected anything like this to come of my...infamousness, all their clients are really good. Doing huge things. Fuck I don't have a direct path." Adam said turning to Ivy his eyes alight with worry.

"What do you mean a path? I don't know anything about photography."

"Well I don't wanna just do weddings cause they make me wanna throw up, I don't wanna do modelling stuff, although that's where the real money is...and the sights aren't bad..." He trailed off into the imagination of a man thinking with his neither regions while Ivy coughed jealously and he came back to planet earth.

"Then do photos for the media, not paparazzi because they are the scum of the word." Ivy said hotly and Adam snorted. "But cover real stories of newsworthy news." She advised and Adam nodded. "What were you doing before?"

"Occasional weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries and stalking people who are screwing up their own lives being lower than the scummy paparazzi." Adam replied with a look of irritation at Ivy's judgemental accusation.

"Sorry." She muttered forgetting Adam's voyerism. "Well get your photos together at the apartment and send her the best ones." Ivy concluded beginning to walk again before Adam caught her arm.

"I can't." He said awkwardly. "I don't have any good photos worthy of sending, all of them are of Lawrence bloody Gordon...I also don't have a computer anymore." He added and Ivy huffed before setting off again and not letting Adam have the time to catch up to her.

Things become interesting for Adam's career...does Ivy seem a little protective?

What was that with Hoffman about Eric Matthews? We all know Saw 2 don't we?

Read and review! xoxo