Pairings: Mickie/OC and other pairings
Rating: M for mature events that will appear throughout the story..
I own nothing except for any OCs that I use and the story itself. All the other characters belong to themselves obviously and Impact Wrestling/WWE/whatever promotion. This story is complete fiction. AU (Alternate Universe)
NOTE: This is Femslash.. don't like don't read..
Blaire's POV
A scream exited my mouth as I took in the scene before me. It - It can't be! Maria is dead? My Darling's scream matched mine as she raced towards her best friend's body. My feet were cemented on the floor, blood pooled around it. My breath left my body as I trembled at the sight. Why? Why is this happening again?! I heard feet racing towards us from behind.
"We heard screaming and-" A voice spoke, causing my head to turn. Daisy and Victoria ran in, eyes wide as they took in the bloody scene. The redhead froze, at a loss of words.
"Oh my god.. No. No. This can't be real!" Victoria screamed before collapsing on the floor. "Ria.. She's.. She's.. I-'' Vic stammered out, her hands covering her mouth as she looked at the horror before us. Daisy snapped out of her daze and crouched down beside her fiancée, shaking her shoulders.
"Snap out of it, babe! The person who did this might still be here! I have my gun; I am going to check out the house for the killer. I want you to stay here with Blaire and Mickie and call the cops. Can you do that?" The security guard ordered, the raven-haired girl nodding her head quickly, her trembling hands poking around in her pockets. The security guard stood up quickly, grabbing her gun from her waist band. "Blaire." She called out, quickly turning to look at me. My head whipped towards her in a daze, tears streaming down my face. "I need you to help Mickie. She needs you right now. Don't let her out of your sight, ok?" She said, bringing back my attention to what I needed to focus on right now. She's right. I'm so scared right now but my Darling is hurting, and she needs me. I looked towards my Darling, who wept loudly, shaking Maria's dead body, trying to get her to wake up.
"Maria wake up!" She screamed; her voice broken. "Wake up!" My heart broke seeing my Darling in such a fragile state. "I'm sorry Ria! Please, wake up." Mickie wailed, taking Maria's body into her hands and rocking her best friend back and forth. My feet moved towards her on their own.
"Mickie, Darling come here. She's not going to wake up." I pleaded, hoping she would let Ria go. But it seems as if SugarPlum didn't hear anything. My heart raced in my chest, as I tried pulling Mickie away from Maria's body.
"Mickie! Please! Let her go, she's gone, Sugarplum." I sobbed, pleading with my Darling to come back to me. Mickie's body stilled at my words, her arms slack, it looked like my words were getting to her. Pulling on her arms to get her away, Darling took one last look at Maria, caressing her face, before I managed to yank her away, bringing her shaking form into my chest. We landed in a crumpled embrace on the floor, Maria's blood pooled around us, but I ignored it all as I patted Mickie's hair as she wept into my chest.
"I'm so sorry, Sugarplum." Was all I could say. I didn't know what to do, or what to say to soothe her pain but I just kept holding onto her, as if I would lose her if I didn't.
"She's dead. She's really dead." The brunette kept sobbing over and over again, in total shock. I rubbed her back, trying my best to console her. I should take her away from here, there's so much blood around us.
"Darling, follow me, okay? Let's go over to where Victoria is. We should stay together." I said gently, hoping if I spoke to her soft and slowly, that she would calm down enough to take a breath. With firm but guiding hands, I tried to pull her up. Darling, started to get up with me, but her body went suddenly limp, her weight falling on to me. I stumbled, almost falling over as I caught her in my arms. "Victoria!" I screamed, panicking as I struggled to keep Mickie from falling into the blood on the floor. I looked around seeing the raven-haired girl panicky rushing out a few more words on the phone before she hung up and ran over to help me.
"The police are on their way! We should get out of here. Let's bring Mickie outside." Victoria said as she helped me hoist Mickie up. The two of us struggled as we made our way outside, our feet slipping on all the blood under us. As if noticing all the blood for the first time, I started to feel a bit woozy, feeling like I couldn't breathe. Every breath I took smelled of death. We stumbled our way outside, gently carrying Mickie between us. As we rounded the corner, I started to feel myself almost collapse from all the horror.
"Victoria, I don't feel so good. Can we stop here?" I got out, feeling panic begin to rise. Victoria, nodded mutely before lowering Mickie to the floor. I sat down on the floor as well, resting her head in my lap. This is no time to faint, I have to stay strong for Mickie. Inhaling a few breaths of fresh air, I felt my heart rate slowing down. I looked down at the unconscious brunette who was currently laying still in my lap. I hated to bring her back to this horror, but we have to be awake until the cops get here.
"Darling. You really need to wake up. We can't sleep right now!" I pleaded desperately, shaking her vigorously. My heart pounded with worry as she didn't respond. Is she okay? My poor Darling is all bloody and pale. As if hearing my pleading, my Goddess stirred, her eyelids fluttering open.
"Oh, thank God you're awake!" I shouted, tears flowing from my face. The panic that I was feeling began to subside as her eyes opened. My Goddess jolted up, pure terror on her face.
"Ria!" Mickie wailed, as she shoved her crying face into my chest. I held my darling close, running my hands through her hair to try soothing her.
"She- she's gone Mick. There's nothing we can do for her. We need to stick together until the cops come, okay?" Victoria said, remorse in her voice. At her words, I felt my Darling suck in a deep breath, trying to calm her sobbing.
"You think you're okay to stand up Darling?" I asked, seeing her rest against me limply. She gave a silent nod, biting her lip to keep from crying out more. As we stood up, my mind wandered to Daisy. Where is she? Is she still inside? I really hope no one else is hurt. At that thought, I felt panic begin to rise again. What about Gabi? I need to call her! "W-we need to call the others! What if they are in danger!" I shouted, trying to wipe my tears away. Gabi is all alone! I need to check in on her! Christy and Brooke aren't here either. What if something happens to them too? I can't. I need to make sure my best friend is okay. "We need to call them!"
"Yeah, that's smart but first we need to make sure that we are in the clear here." Vic said as calmly as possible, looking back toward the front door of the house. There was no noise inside which made my heart beat a little faster. I hate the eerie silence. "Babe, is the house clear?" The raven-haired woman asked, only to be met with no response. I looked around the front yard and over by our cars and there was no sign of Daisy anywhere. Last I knew, she was heading in the direction of Mickie's room and the couple's room. Oh no, did something happen? No. Blaire, you can't think like that. She's fine. She probably couldn't hear us from inside the house. "Babe?!" Victoria shouted out; her voice stricken with panic after over a minute of silence. I held onto my Darling close as her eyes stayed glued to the front door, tears still going down her cheeks. Once again, there was no response from the security guard. I'm scared. Why isn't she answering? The next sound we heard was the sound of glass shattering. It sounded like it was from the backyard. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as Mickie screamed again. "Daisy!"
The tallest woman made a dash to the side of the house. "Vic! Wait." I shouted, making sure to grab a hold of Mickie's hand. She can't go by herself, it's not safe. But.. my body is shaking, I'm scared but we need to stick together. "Darling, I'll keep you safe. Let's go with Vic." She didn't verbally respond so I ran around the side of the house with my Goddess holding onto my hand. Victoria made it to the back gate by the garden and swung it open.
"Babe!" The raven-haired woman shouted again. The first thing whenever we entered the backyard that I noticed was the broken shards of glass on the ground. The window on the door had been broken into, there were tiny droplets of blood on the ground. No. More blood. The door opened wide like someone was coming out of the house. I got myself in front of my Darling, we might need to run for it. But what I saw washed away all worries we had once we saw the redhead walk out of the poolhouse. Daisy wasn't alone, Pixie was in her arms. "Oh baby, thank God! You're okay!" Vic exclaimed, running up and hugging onto her lover, Daisy gave her a confused look.
"Uh, of course I would be. Pixie was locked in the pool house. I heard thumping inside and had to investigate. The fucker locked the door from the inside and put Miss Pixie in there. I did what I had to do to gain access." The security explained, pointing back to the broken window. I noticed that her right hand was cut up and had glass shards sticking out.
Vic grabbed a hold of the wrist of the injured hand, examining it. She looked at the redhead with worried eyes. "You need to get the glass out of your hand and start cleaning it up before it gets infected."
Daisy nodded, giving Vic a small kiss on the lips. "I'll be okay babe; I'll take care of it." She reassured, and her attention turned to me and Mickie. "Thank you for looking out for Mickie, Blaire. Please allow me to take over for a few." Daisy gave me a soft smile, as she walked over closer to the both of us. She handed the dog to Victoria and grabbed both of our hands. "You both have shards of glass in you, let me help you get it out. We will stay here until the cops arrive."
No One's POV
Katarina drummed her fingers against the steering wheel impatiently as she sat alone in the police car. Daffney had gone inside the station to receive their next assignment although they are no closer to completing their current one. Crime won't stand still for them to uncover the identity of the Devil's Advocate. Toni's murder case resulted in no further clues or leads like the double murder a couple days prior. The spike in murders has the young officer interest peaked. Two in three days very against the profile she had given this psychopath. What changed? Is this a cheap copy mimicking the original? Kat didn't have an answer. It angered her. For over three years, this asshole has been running freely slaughtering dozens of people. Katarina has lost count; it might be in the triple digits now. "Oi babe, whatcha thinking about?" What good were her skills if she's incapable of catching this serial killer? This isn't a normal serial killer. This is some cult bullshit that is growing more sinister as time goes on. Something isn't right and Katarina had felt this feeling for a while now. The sound of the passenger side door slamming shut made her almost flinch. "Sorry Kitty Kat, I didn't mean to scare you."
Kat exhaled a sigh, her head turning to look at her partner; she didn't bother correcting her about anything. It would go in one ear and out the other. "I need any available units in the area to report to 831 Rosewood Drive. 10-64. 10-64, perpetrator location unknown. Proceed with caution and patrol the surrounding area."
The radio went back to dead silence as Katarina felt a ton of pressure suddenly feel like it was collapsing on top of her. That address was one that she knew all too well, her heart thumping rapidly in her chest and she turned on the sirens. Within seconds, the police officer sped off; her hands violently trembling. "That's.. Mickie's address.. My friends live there.." She must have misheard the code, right? Daffney surprisingly didn't say anything, noticing the constant flickering of emotion in her friend's blue eyes. She didn't know how to comfort her, how could she? They aren't at the scene, so the duo had no clue who laid dead inside that house. The raven-haired woman reached down and grabbed the radio, confirming that they were heading toward the location.
Katarina found herself piercing her bottom lip with her teeth, anything to keep herself from losing herself to the horrible thought racing through her mind. That was impossible, there was a corpse at her close friends' house, and she had no idea who it was. 'This doesn't make any sense; this can't be a real call. Mickie and the others, I just saw them a couple hours ago at the engagement party. They're fine; they were fine! No one is dead inside that house, please.. It can't be true!' The police officer's thoughts overwhelmed her, almost causing her to black out but she managed to regain her composure slightly. Perhaps she was overreacting, and the dead body was a robber that attempted to break it. That still means that someone attempted to hurt her friends. Daisy and Victoria are there, and they would surely be able to apprehend someone or neutralize the threat. Katarina was the one that taught Daisy some of her combat skills once the redhead had decided to stay and become a protector for Mickie. But her gut was telling her that the second theory was too farfetched, she wanted this to be some sort of nightmare.
Pulling over to the side of the road, Katarina unbuckled herself and rushed out of the barely stopped vehicle. Daffney followed behind, glancing between the other two cars that managed to make it here before them. The European woman surveyed the vehicles in the parking lot, it was Mickie's car, Vic's bike and Maria's car parked here. One of the police officers noticed Kat approaching the house and spoke, "Officer Waters and Officer Spruill, follow me." Each step felt heavier and harder to muster the strength for as the pair followed behind the unnamed co-worker. Her blue eyes darted around seeing if she can locate any of her friends, they weren't in the front yard. Where are they? Surely, they weren't still inside the house where the supposed body was. Once the trio reached the door, a familiar rustic smell filled their noses; one that could make a normal person vomit. Sadly, Katarina was used to the scent, but this one felt so different, the blood was one of her friends. "We have been able to identify the victim."
Time froze the second Katarina turned the corner into the living room and her eyes stared coldly at the gruesome scene in front of her. The European woman locked eyes with the body, her body moving slowly toward the couch. She couldn't believe it. "The victim is twenty-nine-year-old, Maria Kanellis-Bennett, we have gone ahead and notified her husband. We have someone on their way to talk to him now and see if he can provide any helpful information." Kat didn't see Maria at the party but it's possible that she arrived after she had to depart but judging on where it was in the driveway; she arrived here first. But now, the picture is crystal clear; Maria never made it to the party.
Katarina released a very shaky and broken sigh, but her eyes stayed glued to the lifeless green eyes of her friend. Why did something like this happen?! "What information do we have so far?"
"From what intel we have gathered so far from a couple of the residents here, they had all been out celebrating and arrived home not long ago. Apparently, the victim was supposed to attend the same party but was tending to her sick daughter. Once her husband was home, she offered to stop by the house and tend to the animals instead of the homeowner."
Katarina absorbed the information carefully, knowing exactly what she needed to do at this exact moment. She turned to look out the patio door to see a couple officers standing outside in the backyard. Daisy was talking to the police officers; most likely explaining and giving any information possible. She took one look in the redhead's eyes and could see how distraught she was. Victoria sat on one of the lounge chairs, her hand covering a majority of her face. Next to her was both Mickie and Blaire, the blonde cowgirl trying to keep her arms wrapped comfortably around the brunette. The police officer noticed the dead stare in the singer's eyes as tears poured out of them. Her heart ached, she was powerless to protect her friends. What the hell was this badge even for? The brunette had blood all over her cocktail dress and Blaire also had some blood staining her dress. That gives Katarina the reason to believe that the pair were the ones to stumble onto the horrid scene. Instincts kicked into overdrive and she sprinted over to the body, hoping for any signs of life. "Katarina." A voice spoke somberly, the European woman felt a hand get placed on her shoulder; she turned to see Daffney giving sympathetic eyes. "Go to them, I'll get started here."
"Thank you, Daffney." Tears were attempting to form in the corners of her eyes, but Kat fought back, not allowing them free. Her crying is not going to help right now plus there are several people that need her right now.
Opening the patio door caught the attention of almost everyone except the brunette. Victoria was the first to actually speak. "Kat.." She said weakly, removing the hand away from her face. The European woman stepped closer as the raven-haired woman stood to her feet. "..Fuck.. It's s-so horrible!"
"...It really is. Fuck." Those were the few words that Katarina was able to respond with as Vic pulled her into a tight embrace. She heard the older woman sniffle and fight back choked sobs. No amount of strength could have prepared them mentally for something so tragic. Nothing is going to prepare the police officer for once she has to go inside and inspect the crime scene herself. She's going to be staring and inspecting her good friend's corpse. "I know it's going to be difficult, but I'll need you to give us as much information as possible." Katarina looked over to the blonde cowgirl and Mickie again; the singer hadn't acknowledged her presence at all. Understandable. The police officer broke the embrace from Victoria, who nodded at her words; Kat walked over closer to the pair. "Oh Love." She crouched down noticing that Mickie's head remained down still staring at the ground. Blaire continued to hold onto the brunette, her fingers running through her hair while the other hand was laced on top of Mickie's. "Blaire, thank you for helping her. Can you run over what happened to me please? We can do it in private."
"I'm not leaving my Darling's side; she needs me right now. B-but I'll tell you what I told the other officers, so you can make whoever did this pay." Blaire sniffled, bringing her hand up to wipe the tears causing more of her eyeliner to stain. "We were the first ones in the house, it smelt awful but at the time, I didn't really notice. Darling called out for Maria and Pixie, but no one answered. We turned into the living room a-and.." She hitched a breath, trying her best to recall the traumatic experience. "Darling screamed and ran over to her, she fell in the blood. I had to restrain her and pull her away, so she didn't have to look anymore."
Katarina's attention went once again to Mickie, who remained still, she's in a state of complete shock which no one can fault her for. Maria was Mickie's childhood friend; their friendship extends for over twenty years; they have known each other the longest. Kat placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and did her best to muster up a small smile. Katarina was truly thankful for the actions of a woman she hasn't gotten the privilege to get to know yet. Who knows if her other friends would have been able to in the mental state to do what she did? "I'm glad that you were there for her, Blaire. When was the last time anyone heard from Maria, do you recall?"
The blonde pondered the question for several seconds until she remembered. "Darling called her around five-thirty to check up on little Freddie, she said she was waiting on her hubby to come back and she'd be on her way after. Darling offered to pick her up because she had to head back to the house to check on Pixie and the horses. Maria offered to stop by and do so and that was the whole call. Brooke tried calling her again but she didn't answer."
"Around when was that, any estimation, I know that my questioning isn't making this easier."
"Um, i-its whenever you were there and talking to Gabi."
"I see.. Thank you Blaire, you have been very helpful. I'll leave you alone now." Katarina wanted to cling onto Mickie so hard but didn't want to scare her. She's not processing what's happening around her and the sudden movement and touch might startle her. 'I had arrived at the party a little after seven in the evening, I was lucky to squeeze in about ten minutes to see and talk to everyone a little. So between five-thirty and seven, Maria hadn't notified the others of not coming. Which means, within those ninety minutes, she most likely was killed. Fuck..' The European woman stood back up and looked over to see a familiar redhead trudging toward her. "Daisy, love.. I know this question is a stupid one but how.. how are you holding up?"
"..Hey Katarina. …I'm holding it together." Daisy spoke softly, walking closer to her friend, wrapping her arms around Kat's neck, nuzzling her head against her shoulder. She cracked a small sob and asked. "H-how can something like this happen, Kat..?"
"Fate has been very cruel to us today, love. I'm so sorry..I can't say much to comfort anyone." Katarina didn't have the answer. Why did something like this have to happen to Maria? Someone who was loved by everyone around her; she had no enemies. Daisy released the hug, her eyes almost lifeless as she stared at the police officer. Out of all the people present right now, Maria was the first of the group that Daisy met whenever she moved here. She was Maria's neighbor and they grew really close. Despite being a couple years younger than everyone else, Daisy was able to fit into the group well and the rest was history.
"..You'll catch this bastard, right, they have to pay." She growled, looking down and clenching her own fists fighting back the tears in her eyes.
Katarina didn't answer; it's what she wanted but if this is the same serial killer as she's been hunting.. She is nowhere closer than three years ago. "..Daisy, love, was there anything suspicious in the past couple days that really stood out to you?"
"Not in the past few days no, the strangest and most horrific thing was the festival..the encounter with Trish and.. what happened with Toni." Katarina clicked her lips together at the mention of the festival. Both of these murders happened so close together and both victims interacted with the group close to their deaths. What does that mean? Trish randomly appearing back then was a shock to hear but is that connected as well?
"Was there anything that happened at the party at all?"
"No. It was an amazing time and then, we came home to.. this."
"...What was the order of people that arrived at the party?"
"Mickers and I arrived first to start setting up the decorations, we got there around four-fifteen. Blaire and Gabi arrived close to five. Christy and Brooke strolled in at about five forty-five and Vic arrived a quarter past six around there." Katarina nodded her head upon receiving the new information. If Katarina's theory of the ninety minute window being where the murder took place, there are three people that arrived after the phone call. Those three have to be people of interest for now. She didn't want to suspect her friends. Never in a million years; Katarina refuses to believe any of her friends are capable of being this monster.
One name for now stuck out due to the timeframe, she had to pursue it reluctantly. "Victoria was the last to arrive, was there any particular reason?"
"She went to meet with Lilian Garcia to discuss details of Mickie's next concert." Daisy explained calmly, she knew that this was routine questioning. The redhead also refuses to believe that anyone close to her would do such a horrible thing.
"This will help string up a timeline of events to give us the best timeframe to look at." Katarina knew the best course of action to clear her friends. 'Hypothetically speaking, if the murder took place at five thirty, Christy and Brooke wouldn't have had enough time to commit the murder clean up and make it to Bar Amore. It's not impossible though. They weren't there whenever Maria called and offered to stop by. Neither was Victoria but she was the last to arrive. So how would they know she was here? Vic was also the only one by herself but going to the record label and looking at the footage should clear her name.' Her eyes looked to the corner of the backyard at the camera looking into the backyard. "By the way, do the security cameras still work? If so, the footage from them will be essential."
The bodyguard looked at the camera and nodded. "Yeah, they do, I had the security man come by recently to touch them up."
"Perfect, I'll have one of the officers secure the footage to look at." She sighed, knowing good and well that she was going to have to be the one to watch the footage. Katarina was going to witness her friend's murder over and over again in order to capture her killer. "...Sit and rest with your lover, you've stayed strong long enough. I'll take things from here."
Katarina knew that Daisy was doing her best to remain strong for the others. It's always the mask of the tough persona she puts on. She needs to mourn too. The redhead looked back to the police officer after being deep in thought. "Kat.. I'm worried that this isn't random.."
"I'm not so certain about that myself. You obviously can't stay here so you ladies need to go somewhere safe." This house is now a crime scene so they will not be able to remain here. Even so, it wouldn't be smart to remain where a killer has attacked. Was Maria the intended target or was it whoever was in the house at the time? "..Are you worried that Mickie was the target?"
Daisy bit into her bottom lip to fight back to sobs, "...It's possible, I.. I don't want to think that."
"Babe, we don't need to think like that right now..but I was worried about that too." Victoria joined the pair, wrapping her fiancée into a comforting hug. Kat understood why both of them would think such a thing. This was Mickie's house after all and given her status and all. Fame comes at a high reward but also a high risk. The raven-haired woman ran a hand through Daisy's hair, giving her a small reassuring kiss on the nose. The police officer watched the couple interact with each other. Vic turned to look over to the blonde cowgirl and the singer. "...Blaire..?"
The petite blonde sniffled and kept her hold on Mickie, she looked over to the others. "...Yes Vic."
"I know this is going to be a heavy burden to ask of you, but do you think you can let Mickie stay at your place for a bit?" The raven-haired woman asked, walking over toward the pair.
"I'll help my Darling however I can, you can count on me. What about you two?" Blaire's eyes looked back to Daisy, who was staring at Mickie with saddened eyes. The redhead mouthed a 'thank you' over at her.
"We will stay at a hotel close by, that way someone can periodically stop by and tend to the horses."
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you guys here." Under normal circumstances, Blaire would be ecstatic at the thought of having some quality time with her Goddess. But knowing that Maria was murdered in Mickie's house, it frightened her. It would anyone. Her body has been trembling the whole time but she's remaining strong to comfort her Goddess however she can. One of her new friends died and Blaire doesn't want to lose anyone else if the killer was targeting someone in the house.
"Mickie is safest with you and Gabrielle right now." The bodyguard never wanted to leave her best friend's side but if she was the target, she needed to be as far away as possible. They all needed to be safe. "Make sure Katarina knows the address and only her, we will be doing the same with the hotel room we will stay at."
"I believe this is the best course of action for the time being. I'm sorry that I have to leave and go inside now but I'll be sure to keep in touch." She watched Victoria crouched down and hugged Mickie as she sobbed, the brunette didn't budge at all. Katarina begrudgingly turned her heels and walked back toward the patio door. The European woman opened the door and walked inside as her eyes focused back on the corpse still on the sofa. She exhaled, closing the door. "Daffney, what have you discovered so far?"
Katarina approached, looking down at the redhead, whose eyes are now respectfully closed shut. "I've counted a total nine stab wounds, not all of them are fatal but the one the killing blow was definitely the one into her chest. The wound's trajectory looks to be slightly downwards which gives me the assumption that the killer is taller than the victim. It's also the deepest." The raven-haired woman pointed to the one in between the redhead's breasts. It was clear the sick bastard didn't want this to be an instant death. Whoever it was wanted Maria to suffer. Katarina felt the rage building inside her, she couldn't decipher if it was directed at the killer or herself. Noticing the silence, Daffney continued her explanation. "There are no signs of strangulation or asphyxiation, so the most logical cause of death is that she bled out from all the wounds. But we won't know if anything else is at play until the autopsy is completed." She released a sigh, grabbing the bottom of Maria's top. "But more importantly, Katarina, is this.."
Katarina watched her partner pull up the shirt slightly to reveal something that made her wretch. It's what she feared. "No. That's what I was afraid of." Like Toni, Maria's abdomen had the exact same symbols carved into the skin. It was indeed the work of the Devil's Advocate. If they hadn't heard the call on the radio, she would have been requested here regardless.
"The bastard left another note, it was sticking out of the purse on the floor.." Officer Spruill informed her partner, passing the note up to the younger of the pair. She scanned it thoroughly, 'I hope it makes you squirm. I hope it makes you cry.' The note didn't make any sense to her at the moment. This is the third note that has been left at a crime scene. Is the note directed at her this time? Was Maria chosen because she's friends with Katarina? Was this her fault? Kat didn't know. "Do you have any idea what this could mean?"
The European woman stared at the paper intently, there has to be something she can deduce from these two lines. As usual, the words were written in blood which means.. she's holding a paper with her friend's blood. "If it's connected to the previous notes, someone has wronged the killer in some way, and they are hoping that whoever suffers with the murders they are causing."
"Do you think the victim wronged the killer or are the notes directed at someone else?" Kat's grip tightened on the paper, enough to make it crinkle in the corner. She didn't want to think that Maria would have any enemies. The redhead had a heart of gold and loved everyone. "You know, Mickie was the last one to interact with the last two victims. Could that be a connection?"
Mickie has been a pivotal factor in the past two murders, being the last person to interact or speak to the victim. That part in itself was odd, she didn't want to think it but perhaps Daisy was right. Is Mickie a future target or is the killer going after people around her? But Toni had only interacted with the singer one time, why would the murderer go after her? So many factors made sense to have a theory like this one, however not all pieces were connected. "It is certainly the case with Toni and Maria, but the Copelands have no ties with her. We have to consider the double homicide as a factor too, that's whenever the notes started." Katarina rested a hand on her hip. "Let's see, that one read out 'I hope it breaks your heart. Just like you broke mine.' Along with the one with Toni, we know that whoever the notes are directed through shattered the killer's heart."
"What if the notes are a load of shite?"
"Then I will be wasting precious time theorizing why these notes were written. But given how methodical the Devil's Advocate is, I am sure they are a piece of the puzzle." Her eyes went back down to the piece of paper in her hands but instead of fixating on the note, her gaze was on Maria's face. She couldn't stay here any longer. "Tch, Daffney, I am going to step out front for a minute."
Officer Spruill wasn't going to protest; despite everything Katarina is trying to keep her emotions locked up for her job. Daffney knew how difficult this was for her and would do anything to help out. "I'll finish up here Win, please, take some time to breathe."
Officer Waters said nothing more but silently thanked her partner for being so understanding. The pain in her heart wasn't stopping; it was growing exponentially larger by the minute. Fuck, this is hardest thing she's ever had to do. She doesn't know how much more she can take. "Katarina!" A voice yelled out to the police officer, one that seemed all too familiar. The second her blue eyes locked onto the person coming closer to her; her heart continued to shatter into more pieces. This wasn't a confrontation the raven-haired woman was ready to make. Two of the officers stepped in front of the man, preventing him from getting closer to the house. "Move, get out of the way, my wife is in there!"
Katarina walked closer, sticking her hand out in between the officers and the man. "I'll take care of this." She dismissed the pair of officers; they obliged by going back to their police cars. Kat's gaze softened as she stepped forward and hugged him. "Mike, I'm so sorry.." This killer destroyed another family tonight; all Katarina's mind was thinking about right now was Mike and Fredrica. A distraught husband and a little girl that is now forced to grow up without her mother. After about a minute, Mike separated from her, his attention drifting to the front door. He attempted a couple steps in the direction of the front door until a hand grabbed onto his shoulder. "Please, you don't want to go inside there, don't etch that into your memory."
"Is it that bad..?"
"..." The softness in her accented voice told a whole story, Bennett noticed how Katarina was doing her best not to look him in the eyes. She begged him not to witness the same scene that she was forced to see.
"Oh, babe no, fuck.." Mike struggled to keep any composure, his breath hitched and choked sobs were overpowering him. He paced back and forth, his hand running through his dark brown locks. Officer Waters stayed close to him, allowing him to release some tears. No one needed to see what lies inside the house but now for several people; this is potentially the last memory of Maria they'll have. An image that was going to forever haunt them. "I.. Maria.. She wanted you to have this.." The younger man spoke again, pulling something out of a plastic bag that he had with him. He wiped his eyes as Katarina looked down at what the item was. "..She said that if something happened to her.. that I needed to give that to you no matter what."
It looked to be a journal of some sort; it was hardcover with a little blue-gray cover. The front cover was plastered in flowers with a paper that had a saying written in the middle. In cursive it read 'Seek the Good in Everything'. "Do you know its contents?"
"No.. I wouldn't disrespect my wife and look inside."
"I'll take good care of it. Thank you, Mike." She reassured him, holding the notebook close to her chest. "Please wait for them to be done in there before you do anything, give all the information you can. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help."
"R-right.. Catch this fucker, Katarina, please." She didn't give a verbal response but gave a slight nod of the head. Her hand clutching the diary while the European woman made her way back to her police car. The focus now is going to be to read the journal and figure out why Mike was instructed to do such an act. Did Maria possibly know something that none of them knew? Did Maria know that something like this was going to happen to her? Hypothetical questions were useless at the moment; but that was a sound possibility to the police officer. Kat opened the driver side seat and climbed in. The answer hopefully lay inside on these pages.
Katarina looked down at the diary with a disheartened look after closing the driver's side door. Knowing that Maria might have been prepared for this outcome was really tugging at her heartstrings. Why else would the redhead instruct her husband to give this diary specifically to her? The police officer released a broken sigh and turned to the very first page. 'Dear Kitty Kat, if you are reading this then I am no longer around, and my husband remembered what I told him to do.' Katarina closed her eyes for a second as a couple tears managed to fall onto the page, she fought back a sniffle. The raven-haired woman needed to regain her composure in order to catch this bastard. She continued reading. 'I bought a new journal to keep my thoughts of recent events of the past few months. But there was one particular night that triggered it all, that night was March 23rd, 2022. The day before I wrote this page for you. Mike had to work out of town for the weekend and I was left alone with Freddie. I had put her to sleep whenever I heard a thumping sound from my back door. Gemini, Zeus and Ruby were outside, I thought nothing of it so I went to let them inside. The noise wasn't them and I was confronted with someone wearing baggy black clothing, and a mask that looked like the devil himself. A knife to my throat, the distorted male-like voice told me that if I made any sudden moves or screamed… that he was going to kill my daughter. The murderer went on to explain all the information that he knew about me, my friends and my family. If I disobeyed him in any way, they would kill my friends and my family one by one and save me for last. If I ran out of uses to him, I'd be one of his victims. The Devil stared me in the eyes and instructed that my first order was to remain silent about this and future encounters or everyone will die. I won't disobey verbally but writing my potential encounters for you to read later is my voice about this now. They hopefully won't find this diary.. Katarina, I love you. Always remember that no matter what you have to catch this guy.'
That was the end of the first page and Kat couldn't stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks. A choked sob left her as the raven-haired woman covered her mouth. Her whole body trembled, reading over those last two sentences repeatedly. Hearing them in Maria's voice, she slumped back in her seat and cried. This wasn't Katarina Waters, the police officer; this is Katarina Waters, the woman that is grieving the loss of one of her closest friends. "Love, I am so sorry. I failed you. My incompetence caused this. My lack of leads and failure to catch this man. Fuck. I am so sorry.." Her thoughts were broken and loud for no one else to hear but her. Katarina wiped her eyes, now ruining her eyeliner and mascara in the process. That however didn't matter. "I'm going to catch this fucker if it's the last thing I do."
Officer Waters snapped her thoughts back to the diary, looking over onto the hardcover inside were a list of numbers. The number one, the number forty-two and the number sixty-five. There was nothing else written on the inside, but Katarina had a hunch that those are the pages she was going to need to read. No one's eyes are meant to see this except hers. Turning to the entry matching the second number, Katarina braced herself to keep reading. 'May 1st, 2022. It happened again but this time, they managed to lockpick and break into my house. I didn't scream and was forced to pretend like nothing was out of the ordinary. This mask was now smeared in blood. it looked recent. One of the upper fangs had a broken tip and scratches were now present. Whoever the victim was fought back, but the Devil's Advocate claimed they now had hundred victims, some that have never been found. I was absolutely shaking but he told me that I was spared for now if I did him a favor. My heart raced, thinking that he was going to make me kill someone. But luckily that wasn't the case, he handed me a piece of paper. They went on and on about how they knew my dreams to release my own album. On the paper were song lyrics, he ordered me to put that song on my album and relayed their message. Of course, I agreed to do so and this cold-blooded murderer said that I was a good girl, and they would be in touch soon. Fuck.. I wish I could speak about this; I am so scared, and I am forced to smile and pretend like nothing is wrong. For my family and friends, I have to do what he wants.' The end of the second page had Katarina feeling a mixture of emotions. Anger, sadness, disgust mainly targeted at herself and her inability to stop this from happening. Would the situation be entirely different if someone else had taken the case instead of her? Officer Waters had the experience and knowledge needed for something like this. That didn't matter apparently since no positive results have been made and all it has been a wild goose chase. All the symbols either one the body or written in blood at the crime scenes. Not a single crime scene is the same, this killer is toying with them.
'June 17th, 2022, it was about two in the morning. It was only a couple hours after I had arrived home from Mickie's house. Daisy's birthday was yesterday, and everything was so fun and happy. My phone rang, the number was unknown. I swallowed hard and answered it. 'Time to prove your worth, meet me at Ted Rhodes Park. You have twenty minutes, don't be late.' The call immediately ended before I could say a word. I lied to Mike and told him Mickie needed help with something even though it was super late. It was the morning that the CMA Festival was starting. Mickie was the opening performance on day 1. I'm so proud of her. I wish I could see her perform. Fifteen minutes later, I am at the park. Not a single soul in sight but a lone car. It approached, inside the car was an infant. A little blonde girl with the brightest of blue eyes, later I discovered that this the daughter of Lita Dumas and Adam Copeland. Her name is Lyric. The psychopath claimed more victims. The instructions were simple. Take this car and abandon the infant at a fire station in Franklin. That was a thirty-minute drive. If I didn't do that, my husband and daughter were going to die. I obeyed and made sure that a firefighter found her before leaving. Fuck. Lyric has no parents and I had to do that. It was either I save her, or she could have been killed. This is so fucked; I am an accomplice now. I helped them kidnap that child. Should I have done things differently? I don't know anymore but I am so scared.'
Katarina's hand balled up so hard that her knuckles popped, she slammed her fist against the dashboard. "God damn it!" She felt so useless knowing that one of the people she treasured most was going through all of this and she was completely clueless. "Ria..love, I'm so sorry." Tears poured from her eyes; her vision distorted as Kat felt her own world crumbling around her. The police officer moved the diary over onto the center console, so she didn't stain the pages further. With everyone else away from her at the moment, now the raven-haired woman could finally allow those walls to break down. The time that she spent crying was unknown, but it would never ease the pain she's feeling. Her eyes looked back to the journal and noticed a piece of paper sticking out in the back of the book. It was a different color compared to the paper used inside the journal, so it had to be placed there. Once again wiping her eyes, she grabbed the diary and opened it to the back cover. The handwriting wasn't Maria's so that meant, it was the killers. She read the first two paragraphs.
My demons are my company,
I'm feeling like a zombie (I'm feeling like a zombie)
The devil finally got me, hands around my throat
Trying to make me choke
I cannot get back what I desired
So I'll just lay here in this fire
It was heaven yesterday, how could I throw it away
Give me one good love cliche
Give me one more game to play
'These must be the lyrics that the second journal entry talks about. If the second paragraph tells me anything, it's that the killer lost something. They threw something away and now they are suffering with the consequences. This sick bastard thinks all of this is a game to them. Is killing people the game they are playing to cope with something? The first paragraph is harder to interpret, whatever demons they have could be consuming them. But they are also talking about how the devil has a hold on them, are they forced to kill? No.. I am not certain about that.' Katarina read the rest of the lyrics. The song mentions seven sins which most likely refer to the seven deadly sins. Talking about lust and how they didn't give someone trust. The killer talks about falling in love and how they are trapped in hell under a person's spell. Now blaming the person for throwing what they had away instead of them like in the second paragraph. This is the biggest piece of evidence Kat's gotten a hold of and no matter what it takes, this bastard is going to pay.
Gabi's POV
The next morning..
The past twelve hours went from one of the best nights of our lives to a living hell. A time of laughter and celebration turned into heartbreak and tragedy. Whenever I was at the party, I felt strange, it wasn't long after I had my little discussion with Katarina. That in itself was certainly a surprise but I'm glad she was able to come see her friends and congratulate them. The feeling came suddenly almost like a rush, something so strong, it made me feel sick. Everything was spinning but I had a hunch it wasn't just the alcohol contributing to it. My gut was telling me that something was wrong. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect something so bad to happen to someone I know. Mickie and B, they were the ones that witnessed the horrific scene first. I can't even fathom what either of them were thinking. It's close to seven in the morning now, the sun is barely starting to rise, and I've been awake for about an hour or two. I didn't sleep that well, how am I suppose too? The sound of a door creaking open caught my attention as I saw my best friend yawn and trudge out of the bedroom. "B.. Were you able to sleep at all?"
Blaire rubbed her eyes and fixed her t-shirt that was lopsided from laying down. "A little but it doesn't feel like it." She walked over to the kitchen counter, looking at the coffee pot that I had started a little bit ago. B shook her head and went over to the fridge and opened the door. "Hey Gabi, do I have any more redbulls? I am going to need one or five to keep me awake today."
"B, those are not healthy for you and if you had any, they would be on the door shelf." I have been telling her for the past five years or so that those energy drinks are not healthy for her in the slightest. She's going to end up having a heart attack. "Do you want some coffee instead?"
She sighed in disappointment and shut the fridge door. I grabbed an empty mug for her. "Son of a whore, and yeah, I'll take some. Thank you, Gabi." She managed to flash a usual Blaire smile my way. I'm guessing that B stayed up most of the night to make sure that Mickie was able to sleep peacefully but I know that what she saw is now permanently imprinted in her mind. My bestie smiled again as I poured a cup of coffee for her. She took a small sip and that smile disappeared from her face as her eyes wandered over to her bedroom. Her teeth pierced her bottom lip as it started to quiver. Her hands were trembling while holding the mug. "...Gabi, I'm so scared."
My heart was breaking, I don't know if I can say or do anything to really ease her in this situation. Blaire looked so defeated and helpless; her eyes were welling up with tears as she fought back a choked sob. I reached over, grabbing the coffee so she doesn't burn herself and put it to the side. Without further hesitation, I pulled her close to me in a tight embrace. "B, come here, you're safe here."
At that exact moment, all her defensive walls came crumbling down and she was able to release whatever pain she was holding. I know she wants to be strong for Mickie, but Mickie's not the only one that needs help right now. Everyone does. We didn't know her very long, but Maria was our friend too and it affects us. Those feelings are unhealthy to hold in, whenever Blaire called me, I had to pull over and cry. "W-why did something like this have t-to happen!" She shouted with a broken voice, crying into my shoulder. B had wrapped her arms around me, I felt like I was in a vice grip, it was so tight. I could barely breathe.
"I don't know B, I really don't. Let it out, it's okay. It's going to be okay.." I attempted to soothe but, in my gut, I wasn't so sure about that. I ignored this weird feeling before but this time. I'm hoping it's the anxiety of the situation causing this. "Follow me, Blaire. I got you." I whispered, as I felt her nod her head against me. I grabbed a hold of her hand and led her over to the couch with the motive of hoping she'd be able to get some kind of sleep after she cried.
"Gabi.." She whined as I sat her down, she leaned into me the second I joined her on the couch. "I'm s-so scared." There have been too many scary situations recently that a normal person should never have to witness. Back at the festival, Blaire took the lead and helped us get back to the parking lot. We didn't see what happened on the stage, but others did. The fact it so happened to be someone we met hours beforehand too; it's giving me a bad feeling again. Focus Gabrielle, one thing at a time, right now B needs you. For the first fifteen minutes, I remained silent as my best friend cried in my arms. I didn't have any words that could help her, but I am sure as hell going to try my best to do what I can. Even if it's merely a shoulder to cry on, I'm always going to be here. What were once loud sobs turned into quiet ones all while I ran my fingers through her hair. This always calmed her down whenever she was sad. I know this is obviously a way different situation but it's all I can think to do at the moment.
"Hey B, with everything going on, I can't help but feel that we're in the middle of something bad. I made this a little earlier, I want you to take it." I said, handing the small blonde a necklace with a tiny spell jar on it.
"W-what is this? Is this one of those spells y-you do?" Blaire asked between her tearful hiccups. She held the necklace up, looking at its contents. I put a few protective herbs and crystals, and I even put a few nails in it. It should protect her from any harm, and if need be, she can even use it to have something sharp on hand. Not that I trust her with sharp things, but I guess it's better than her being totally defenseless. I nodded, answering her question.
"Yes, I crafted it this morning. I used some potent ingredients in it. It's a protection spell jar. Use it as a necklace and never take it off. I made one for myself too." I said, pulling mine from the inside of my shirt. Blaire nodded, pouting her lip. She handed over the necklace to me before turning around.
"Can you help me put it on?" She nearly whispered. I nodded, taking the necklace in my hand and fastening it around her neck. "Thanks Gabi, you're the best. Did you make one for Mickie?" Blaire asked, looking at me with wide eyes.
I shook my head. "I don't know who to trust right now, B. I'm sure Mickie is innocent and hurting just like us, but if anything, this necklace should let us know. It'll break if anyone or anything is trying to hurt you or have any malicious intentions. So, pay attention and make sure to get away when your necklace breaks." I explained, hoping she would remember my words.
At first, she looked a little sad that I didn't make one for Mickie, but I might in due time. Right now, she is completely safe with us, and we have two alarms that will go off the instant. I gave her another small hug as Blaire finally managed to stop crying. She continued to look at the necklace until a loud thud caused both of us to jump from our seats. Wait, what the hell is that! That sounded like a door slamming into the wall with a lot of force, is something unwanted in our house? No.. Our necklaces aren't breaking, so it's not malicious, right? I know I did the spell correctly. In that instant someone ran into our line of sight, her head frantically looking in every direction until she noticed us. It was Mickie, her body was shaking noticeably hard, her hands were clenched against her chest. The brunette's eyes were puffy and red with tears flowing down them. Mickie ran over toward us saying a word and hugged onto Blaire for dear life as loud sobs escaped her. As she cried, Blaire looked at me with teary eyes, holding onto the singer tightly.
"I- I.. You weren't in th-there. I was s-scared something happened to yo-you!" The broken woman managed to scream out, as the blonde cowgirl eyes widened at me. It's the first time I heard Mickie say anything since her and Blaire returned last night. "I-It's my fault, she's dead! I ki-killed my best friend.!" It's not true.. It's not true. I can't even attempt to imagine what is going through the singer's head right now, but I imagine the guilt is taking a lot of space in there. My heart continued to crack as if it was made of fragile glass the louder her sobs grew. "S-She was my Gabi! I got her killed!" Mickie screamed out; it was like she gave me the answer I needed. Maria is her Blaire, her childhood friend, the friend that was basically a sister.
"S-SugarPlum, it's not your fault.. I promise, it's not your fault." Blaire reassured her almost in a pleading tone. She's trying her darndest to get through to Mickie, but the singer is still repeating 'it's my fault'. Why do I feel so powerless in this situation? What can I do to help? I'm not sure I'm the right person for that. B embraced her tightly, running her fingers through her hair as she continued to soothe. "Mickie, it's not your fault.. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Please Darling, I got you."
For now, I am going to make sure that everyone eats and has something to drink that isn't red bull or booze. "B.. I'm going to start breakfast. Holler if you need me." I told her, stepping over into the kitchen to find something to prepare for the early morning. I'm not even sure what to make at the moment, maybe some pancakes. Before I could even get to the counters to check for pancake mix, my phone started ringing and vibrating in my jean pocket. Who would be calling this early in the morning? Part of me wanted to ignore it but deep down, my gut was telling me to answer it. I looked at the number after pulling it from my pocket. It was a number that I hadn't saved. Almost hesitantly, I pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Hello Gabrielle, Daisy gave me your number and I thought I'd check up on everyone." An accented voice spoke which gave me the answer of who it was immediately. It's Katarina. There was something off about her voice, she sounded exhausted but that's natural. I don't imagine she slept much last night either. "Are Blaire and Mickie doing alright? What about you?"
My heart thundered in my chest upon her asking me such a thing. I know that since Mickie is staying with us for the foreseeable future that Katarina would have to talk to us. That's a given but it's the empathetic way her voice sounded; she truly cares for everyone. I exhaled a breath and started explaining the situation. "I'm managing as well as I can but Blaire and especially Mickie are in rough shape. A couple minutes ago, she ran out of B's room in a panic because she had woken up and was alone in the room. Blaire's doing all she can to help her." I'm still not sure how I can help right now besides being here for them both. I wasn't there for B whenever she needed me there. With that weird feeling earlier, maybe I should have trusted my gut and went with them. What would that have accomplished? Sadly, Maria was already dead whenever they were there. "I should be the one asking about you, you and Maria had been friends a long time, how are you doing?"
A stupid question to ask but everyone is having to adjust in different ways. But Katarina is a different story, she's investigating the murder which means she has to constantly look at the files. She had to investigate the scene and the body. Most likely, Kat is going to have to look at the footage from the cameras and watch Maria's murder happen in front of her. Fuck.. "There are a lot of emotions that are coursing through me at the moment but for now, my focus is on catching the bastard that did this." Her demeanor was surprisingly calm, but I know that her job requires her to be in complete control of her actions. "My hypothesis is that this was a planned hit and whether or not Maria or someone else in that house was the intended target remains a mystery."
Her last statement shocked me, I didn't even consider that possibility. I thought it was a circumstantial thing, that the sick fuck randomly picked that house and Maria happened to be the one inside. "So does that mean Mickie could very well still be in danger?"
She sighed, "To be frank, I would extend the possibility to everyone, including you and Blaire." A wave of nervousness and nausea jolted through me, I felt dizzy. Blaire and I could be in danger too. Breathe Gabrielle, you made the protection spells. Everything is going to be alright. "I'd prefer to overanalyze the situation and be safe. Protect yourself and everyone else there, I'm sure you have strong protection spells to aid with that."
"Yeah, I d-" I cut myself off, realizing what the police officer had said to me. She knows. She also has knowledge of protection spells and knew that would be the first thing I'd do. If Katarina didn't know then I blew my cover, shit.
"Your secret is safe with me, love, I'll keep in touch. Please be safe." The police officer reassured me, putting me at ease. That connection I felt with her, it's because we are similar, isn't it? Is she a witch as well or just has knowledge of the arcane arts?
"You too, Katarina. Talk soon." We exchanged brief farewells and the call ended, placing my phone against the counter, I attempted to absorb everything that just happened. I looked over my shoulder to see that Blaire and Mickie were still cuddling on the couch, the brunette sobs were muffled as she cried into B's chest. I couldn't see my best friend's face since her back was turned to me, but I imagined she's crying too. I'm struggling to keep it together myself. How am I supposed to?
Author's Note: Tweedle Dee (Daisy) and Tweedle Dumb (Tori) Here! This is Tweedle Dumb! In case you needed more trauma in your life, we got you 3 Am I psychotic because I love writing the depressing murder shit? (Yes.. Yes you are.) IDK you let me know hahaha. Tweedle Dee here, you really didn't think the main cast was safe, did you? Who should we kill off next? Is anyone safe from this serial killer? Who done did it? Please don't let it be one of our girls. You know what I feel so bad for Katarina, like bruh, she has it the hardest. Anywho, the Queen and her Empress are signing off. Maybe it won't take 3 months for an update.. Cough cough Tori.. She's bitching at me for putting this. LOL. We love her here.