So again, this was intended to go another direction, but this ended up being so long, it has to be saved for another chapter! I think that's the very definition of your imagination running away with you! Thanks to you, Jess! Enjoy! xx

Andrea had slept, having finally accepted the sleep aid after multiple offers by the night staff and woke the next day to the sun shining weakly through the window; the first sign of spring she'd seen after the recent onslaught of rain. A beautiful day in all respects, but one Kirsty would never see again. She still struggled with how she felt about her, but wished more than anything that she was here right now. She lived and Kit's heart was still beating, albeit with help, but it still beat. If she'd said she wasn't tempted to storm into his room, rip out the breathing tube and stand by as he died, she'd be lying. It was always the way though, and she knew that, having worked with the police for as long as she did; the good, the innocent suffered and the evil in the world survived. Of course they'd be put in jail – if they were lucky enough to get the evidence against them – but they still had a future. Bruce, Bill, Kirsty, they didn't. And neither did the girl Kirsty didn't help in Venezuela and she didn't even know her name. she sat up slowly and looked around the room, realising this was the only moment she'd been alone in weeks, obviously the ward staff were there as well but in this room, this space, she was on her own. Getting up, she went into the en suite bathroom, locking the door behind her. She looked in the mirror at her bruised face and the thick turban of bandages wrapped around her head, under which she knew there was a shaved patch of hair where they'd had to perform the surgery. First world problem, she knew, but it still made her feel even worse. She sank onto the chair – god only knew why there was one in the bathroom, but whatever – holding her head and wishing again that she'd never gone to South America. That she'd never met Kirsty, that she'd not studied English at university, that she'd thought of being in the police years ago, that she'd never met Bruce, that she'd known Smithy first…if regrets were pennies…the thought made a sneering smile cross her lips. She'd be rolling in money right now. There was a knock at the bathroom door and she jumped.

"Andrea? Are you okay in there?"

The nurse. Andrea closed her eyes in irritation. What did they think she was doing in there? She reprimanded herself immediately afterwards. She didn't even want to think about what they'd find in the bathrooms sometimes.

"Fine," she said. "Thank you."

"Your brother is here to see you."

Her brother? Bewildered, Andrea stood and opened the door to reveal the nurse with Angus standing behind her. To his credit, Angus didn't blink.

"Hey sis," he said.

"I'll leave you to it," said the nurse. "Let me know if you need me."

When the door swung shut behind her, Andrea met Angus' eyes and the two dissolved in laughter.

"Honestly, I never said I was your brother," he said, helping her back over to the bed. "I think they just assumed, on account of the accent."

"Easy mistake to make," Andrea said. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said, gripping her hand. "Better question, how are you?"

"I'm…" she stopped. 'Fine' was on the tip of her tongue but she knew it was a lie and one he wouldn't swallow for a minute.

Angus gave her a gentle smile and put a hand on her arm, careful to avoid the cannula in her wrist. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

"I don't know who she is anymore Angus. Or who she was. Now I never will. How did I never see it?"

"Some people are just good at hiding it, Andrea. For whatever its worth, I don't think she ever wanted a double life. She was a stupid girl who got herself in too deep. She thought Kit was dead, too. She wouldn't have expected it to come back to bite her."

"But when she did, she could have spoken up instead of only telling me about the money. She could have owned up. I told her, time and time again the police here couldn't do anything about what she did in South America. She had no reason not to own up."

"Maybe that's what she was so scared of," Angus said. "Being extradited there, tried, jailed. The rumours about those prisons, they're terrifying. You and I both know that outcome would have been unlikely, but she wouldn't have been thinking like that."

"No. Thinking wasn't something she ever specialised in," Andrea said. "And now she's dead."

"That's not your fault, Andrea. Kit pulled her with him."

"She tried to protect me at the end of it."

"Well I'm sorry, but she did the right thing too late." Angus' words were harsh, though his tone was gentle. "You said it yourself, she told the truth too late. I'm sorry that she's dead, and I'm sorry for her child and for her family but this was her doing. Not yours."

"I should never have accepted that drink."

"What?"

"The night we met. In the nightclub in Brazil. If I'd said no…"

"Andrea, come on. You were eighteen. Just a kid. How were you to know how twisted he is?"

He sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder and rubbed her back, sighing quietly. They stayed where they were until the opening of the door made them break apart.

"Oh…sorry."

The voice was familiar but Andrea couldn't quite place it. She wiped the tears blurring her vision and blinked at Liam Knox and Melissa Beaumont standing at the foot of her bed. Angus slid back onto the chair, clutching her hand in his.

"Hi," Andrea said, her voice thick.

"Hi," said Liam. "How're you feeling?"

"All right, thank you," Andrea said, waving her hand at the vacant seats on the other side of her bed which they gratefully took.

"Good. Glad to hear it. Can we ask a few questions? Just to get an idea of how things happened. We can go through things more thoroughly when you've recovered."

"Yeah," Andrea said, feeling the warmth of Angus' hands on hers and was grateful for his strong, silent support. "Of course. Ask whatever you need to."

"We'll take it slowly," Melissa said with a smile. "This has been a horrendous ordeal for you."

"If it's all the same, I'd rather get this over with. I don't think stopping and starting will make it any easier."

"Well if you want to stop at any time, just say," said Liam and Melissa sat back, leaning her notebook on her knee. "So, if you could take us through what happened after Mr Maynard forced you to leave your house three days ago?"

Was it only three days? It felt like longer.

"He drove for a while. Ranting. Mostly about Kirsty and how she'd tried to drug him and screw him over, again. I didn't know what he meant at the time. Well I thought I did. The money. Couldn't have been more wrong. He stopped after maybe an hour in Epping Forest. I don't think he really had a plan. He was…jittery. Drumming his hands on the wheel."

"Did he say anything else to you?"

"He said he thought I wished I'd never met Kirsty." The angry tears rushed to her eyes and she looked away. "Sometimes, he's right. Anyway, I told him she wasn't the one I wished I'd never met. I think that hurt his ego. He said that wasn't a very nice thing to say."

Angus couldn't help it. He let out a snort and said; "did you hear the sound of a glass house shattering?"

"That was what I said," Andrea said. "Then he said that I could have stayed, with him, in South America and we would have been happy. I told him to be real, that it was a holiday romance. That I didn't want to be with someone who'd lash out every time he was angry, with someone who spread poison everywhere they went. He thought that was funny. He got something from the glove compartment, I couldn't see what it was at the time, and got into the back with me. Called me the 'eternal innocent who really didn't have a clue'. Then I saw what he'd gotten; a vial and syringe. I tried to get out of the car, but child lock was on. I…I couldn't… I fought and he punched me in the face, slammed my head against the window. Then he injected me."

She stopped and Angus squeezed her hand comfortingly. She took a deep breath and shot him a grateful smile, then continued.

"The hospital told me it was ketamine. It knocked me right out, but I remember him saying that when I woke up, I'd hear the truth from the 'guest of honour' myself. I guessed he meant Kirsty, but I didn't know why. He was so…angry. It couldn't just be about money. And it wasn't."

"Did he tell you any details?"

"Not all of it, no. I woke up the next morning. I think it was early, I'm not sure. He made me leave my phone and my hands were tied behind me, so I couldn't look at my watch. It felt early, though. The air had that crisp-like feeling. He dragged me out of the boot and rambled on a bit longer. Not about anything really significant, but that was when he told me and he and Kirsty had been sleeping together in Venezuela. Told me it hadn't even been 'that good.' He said caring about other people's feelings was a waste of time, because you were capable of more when you weren't bothered by them. He said it made you 'powerful'."

"Then what?"

"We were interrupted. I only saw a dog, but there must have been people there. He shoved me back into the boot and drove off like a bat out of hell. I'm guessing the people, whoever they were called the police?"

"Yes," said Melissa. "According to the gentleman who called, Mr Maynard 'looked like a wrong'un and he had sneaky eyes'. Direct quote."

Andrea laughed, then clutched her head, wincing.

"You okay?" Angus said anxiously.

"Yeah, fine. I guess that'll hurt for a while. Where was I…right. Yeah. He drove off. Before long I heard the sirens. Kit was driving like a madman. Then we crashed, the car flipped."

"Were you knocked unconscious?"

"If I was, it was only momentarily. I was struggling to breathe, then Tony and Gabriel – PCs Stamp and Kent – they opened the boot. The car was on fire and Tony said they had to get us out. He and Steve – PC Hunter – they pulled me out. I think the car exploded, I don't remember though. The doctor at the scene, he did something to help me breathe better, he said it was called…um…"

"Needle aspiration," Angus murmured.

"Yeah. That. The paramedics arrived and took us to hospital. I told Inspector Gold that I didn't know what Kit had done whilst I was unconscious the night before. Turned out nothing, but I bet he knew exactly that I'd have thought. Would have gotten a kick out of it, too."

"Andrea," said Melissa. "Since all this started, you never gave any indication you thought Kit was capable of sexual violence. What made you think he might have done something like that?"

"I thought he could have been capable of anything," Andrea said. "I never thought he'd be capable of murder either. I didn't think my so called best friend was capable of dealing drugs, then standing back and watching someone die. I'm questioning everything about my judgement right now."

"Okay," Liam said. "Let's carry on."

"Right, yeah. Well the next day I was thinking more about what he'd said, the insinuations about Kirsty. Nobody would tell me anything. I thought then about what I'd suspected when we were in South America, that she'd been taking drugs. But Kit was so angry, I knew there must have been more to it. Then the ward got stormed by a group of people."

"Yes," said Melissa. "A protest, as we understand it."

"Yeah. I thought as much. Anyway, they were running riot, attacking staff, throwing things around. And I took that chance to leave when nobody could stop me. It didn't occur to me that he might have done the same, but it should have. I just wanted answers."

"Understandable."

"Yeah, but of course I hadn't gotten very far before I realised I had no idea where Kirsty was it was such pandemonium, so it wasn't like I could ask. Some of the protesters – if you could even call them that, I'd put them at about seventeen, if that – charged past and I fell. That was when I hit my head. Two of them stopped to help and then Kit showed up. He was wearing hospital scrubs, but I knew it was him. I'd know his eyes anywhere. I ran, but he caught me. Told me he was looking for Kirsty too, that we could look together. He started to drag me up the stairs, then PC Kent turned up."

"What did he do?"

Andrea licked her lips, remembering Gabriel's blank expression and sure that he would have left her to Kit's mercy if he could have gotten away with it; if they both hadn't seen him, she was sure he would have.

"He told Kit to let me go, started up the stairs. Kit had a scalpel or something, put it to my neck and told Gabriel to back off or he'd slit my throat. He did, but fell on the stairs. I think he did it on purpose though, so he could push the panic button without Kit noticing."

"And he didn't?"

"I don't think so, but he must have clocked on when the others showed up. That was the Inspector and Sam – I mean, DS Nixon."

"What did he do?"

"He said he was sick of the sight of them – Sam and the Inspector – I don't know what that meant though, he'd only just met them. But he was watching. He said that before he made me leave my house. That Kirsty was across the road. He was there all that time?"

"It seems so," Melissa said. "We tracked down the letter, and he said Kit wanted a place to stay for a few weeks, pay in cash, no questions asked. I don't think the landlord was particularly fussy about who he let to."

"As long as he got the cash," Andrea said, her lip curling. "Corner cutting at its finest."

"Yes. He won't be getting off this, scot-free. I'll get something to stick. What happened next?"

"He said he wanted Kirsty. That we were going to the roof and if anyone tried to follow, someone would be finding the long way down, that it wouldn't be him. He dragged me up there. I don't know how long it was before Kirsty came. I don't suppose it was very long, but it felt it."

"What happened?"

"He outed her. Told me everything. About her dealing, about the girl who died and how she threw him under the bus for everything. I don't know if he was even that concerned about the money, really. It was almost like he blamed her for us not staying together, for me not keeping the baby. I never would have, not to either of them. But he said stealing the money made it the final nail in her coffin, and mine. He said he hoped she lived a long time so the guilt would eat away at her. He started to drag me to the edge."

She went rigid; Angus felt it and gripped her hand tightly. She returned the pressure and continued.

"I did self-defence classes when I was at university and they said that if anyone tried to drag you away or anything, to make yourself a deadweight because it would make it harder to move you, so that's what I did. I pretended I'd fainted. I think he bought it because he told Kirsty I wouldn't know, it'd be nice and peaceful. Then I did the other thing they'd taught me; dragged my knees up and powered to my feet. He didn't expect it; he lost balance and let go enough for me to free myself. He tried to grab me again and Kirsty ran at him. He must have been injured too after the crash, he looked a bit dazed, but he grabbed her. They were right on the edge. I wasn't close enough, I couldn't…he fell first, but he had hold of her, and pulled her with him." maybe if I hadn't done what I did…"

"Then he would have thrown you off that roof, just like he intended," Angus said firmly. "You did the self-defence you were taught. It wasn't wrong."

"Someone screamed," Andrea said. "I still don't know if it was me or Kirsty. The police came up then, and Angus brought me back down here. I don't remember what happened after that."

"Having brain surgery, I'm not surprised," said Melissa, closing her notebook. "Thanks, Andrea. You've been more than thorough, but we'll leave it there. We'll go through things in more detail when you're fit to do so. We've gotten more of a picture of him from his sister, too."

Andrea exchanged a surprised look with Angus and he said; "his sister?"

"You didn't know?" Liam directed the question at Andrea and she shook her head. "Well, when he told you he had a 'rich daddy,' it appears that was actually the truth. His father gave him money to stay away from the family when he hid drugs in his sister's doll. She found and ate one, almost died. She was only six. That assault conviction when he was nineteen? Inspector Gold said she mentioned it to you?"

"Yeah."

"It was against his own father."

"Just gets better," Andrea said. "His poor family."

"Yes. His sister turned up yesterday, wanting to see Kit and spoke to DS Nixon." Melissa inclined her head to Andrea. "She sends her best."

"That's kind," Andrea said, sitting back. "Sorry. I'm kind of tired."

"Of course," Liam said rising. "As I said, we'll leave it there for today. Thanks Andrea. Look after yourself."

She nodded mutely as they left. Angus gave her hand another squeeze and said, "You okay?"

"Yeah. I don't know why I imagined him coming from a family of monsters, but I did."

"I think that's natural," he said. "You don't want to believe someone can be that evil with someone making them that way."

"Nobody is born evil. Isn't that what they say?"

"I don't know if I believe that."

"How can we live with that? All the destruction he's left, and we'll never get an answer. Even if he does wake up, he won't give us one."

"Of course not," Angus said reasonably. "He doesn't feel remorse. Part of the fun for him is not giving people closure. I think we're just going to have to find a way to live with that."

The door opened again; Lachlan and Ailsa came back in, Lachlan's brow was furrowed as he looked at Angus.

"Apparently our son is here. Sorry, I don't believe we've met."

Andrea and Angus laughed again and he stood up, offering his hand to Lachlan and Ailsa in turn.

"Hi, I'm Angus."

"Bruce's brother," Andrea said quietly and saw the flicker on her parents' faces.

"Ah, yes," said Lachlan. "Smithy mentioned…I'm very sorry about your brother."

"Thank you," Angus said graciously, then looked at his watch. "I should make a move."

"Do you have to?"

"I'll come back," he promised. "It's just Smithy's arranged for me to see Bruce. I need to meet him downstairs."

"Oh," Andrea said, sitting back, not sure what to say. It wasn't as if she could wish him well, seeing his brother's dead body. This would be the final memory he'd have of him, and from what he and Bruce had said, it wasn't as if there would be many recent happy memories to remember him by. Angus smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. See you later."

He departed, Andrea staring at the swinging doors.

"Tiggy? You okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm okay."

Ailsa sat on the bed and wrapped her daughter in her arms. Andrea held her back, screwing her eyes up at the howl of misery fighting to escape her.

"There now darling," she said, stroking the back of her neck. "That monster won't hurt you or anyone else again."

"Is he awake?"

"They won't tell us," Lachlan said. "Need to know, apparently. They might tell you, though, if you ask."

The thought of Kit waking up when his victims never would nauseated her, but then, the thought of him not, and never facing justice was infuriating.

"I'm sure the police will keep me updated," she said. "I'm sure they'll tell me either way eventually, until then, I'd rather not know."

"Why didn't you ever tell us, Tiggy?"

"Ails," Lachlan warned.

"It's okay, dad. This conversation had to happen eventually. At first, I couldn't stand to even say his name. Just thinking about him would make me panicky, then I would panic. It just…got easier as time went on to pretend nothing had ever happened."

"But what about the baby? We would have supported you. You know that."

"I was scared," she said. "Scared that you'd ask about the father, and then I'd have to explain, or I'd have to let you think it was just some random man. I didn't want to disappoint you. I couldn't stand the thought of you thinking of me as…loose."

"We'd never have thought that of you," Ailsa said. "Nothing you could ever do would disappoint us. How did we not know?"

Andrea shrugged and said; "you were both at work a lot. I could hide the morning sickness, hide what little bump there was, until I had the chance to…deal with it."

"When?

Andrea stared at her hands as she spoke. "There was a weekend, not long after I came home. You were both going away to see Aunt Bonnie's and I said I was going away to Edinburgh to look around the city. And I did go there. Just…not to look around the city."

"But Kirsty went with you? At least that's something, I suppose, given everything she's done. At least she could do that."

This was a turnaround, given Ailsa had spent years trying to get her to forgive Kirsty, and she could let the lie continue – it wasn't as if Kirsty was around to contradict it, but she'd already told others she went there alone. And honestly, she was sick of lying.

"She wasn't. I didn't tell her."

Lachlan, who'd looked uncomfortable with Ailsa's interrogation of Andrea, sat forward at that.

"So who went with you?"

"Nobody."

Nobody spoke. Andrea raised her head unwillingly, meeting her parents' tear filled eyes with her own.

"It was a private clinic. They were nice. Really nice. Looked after me really well. Overnight stay. Taxi home the next day, before you'd even got back. And that was that. Over. They offered me counselling, but I thought I could just rationalise things away. After all, it wasn't a proper baby, was it? Just a cluster of cells. I had university, an internship, I was too busy to have a child. That's what I told myself. I didn't expect the side effect, though. Feeling broody whenever I saw a mum with her new baby. Leaving the room when your friends get the baby photos out. Most days I was fine. But I could only shut out so many crying babies before it hit me; reminds me that I had a life growing inside me once. For a few months, I was carrying a son or a daughter in me that would have changed my life forever."

Ailsa let out a sob, holding her hand to her mouth. "And I kept asking you about grandchildren, Tiggy, I'm so sorry."

"Mum, no," she said gripping Ailsa's hand. "I'm sorry. I could have given you one years ago. But I killed them instead."

"No, darling, no. You were just a baby too, my baby. The thought of you going through all that in South America, then being worried about how we'd react. The panic attacks, the nightmares, they make so much sense now." Ailsa tucked Andrea's hair behind her ears. "My beautiful brave girl."

This wasn't going the way she'd always imagined it in her head; the disappointed looks, the turned backs, the cross words. Andrea flicked her eyes to Lachlan, who was hiding his swimming eyes, his head bowed. Ailsa sat on the bed with Andrea, holding her close to her shoulder.

"I know you're a big girl," she said. "But I can still give the best hugs, can't I? My brave, brave girl."

She didn't feel very brave, or very big, as she clung tightly to her mother, the tears she'd been holding from both her parents finally laid bare for them to see. Lachlan stood and enveloped the two most important women in his life into his arms.

"I didn't want this," Andrea said, her voice muffled, but audible. "I didn't want to break down."

"You're not breaking down," Lachlan said. "You're breaking open."