Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was cold. So cold.

She remembers the burning sensation on her skin. Eating away at her like acid. Crawling through her skin into her flesh and bones. Her clothes seemed useless, clinging to her slender frame. Soaked.

Her hands went numb first. Then her lungs were fighting to take a breath. She knew she couldn’t. She shouldn’t. But her body was so tired and she couldn’t fight it. Not anymore. The ice above her was so clear. She could see her own reflection staring back at her. A colorless face. Dull eyes. The dark sky above her. That night the stars seemed especially bright. Welcoming her. No, mocking her.

She pressed her hands on the smooth surface and banged as hard as she could. Numb hands hitting sturdy ice. She wanted to scream, but water was already filling her lungs. Bloody hands, clouded mind.

Save me, please.

Was someone out there? She thought she saw dark, warm eyes looking back at her.

And as she was still thinking about the dark galaxy eyes, her body gave in to the exhaustion. And it finally gave in to the cold. In to the lack of oxygen. And she watched herself sink deeper. Being swallowed by the cold darkness underneath her.

Chapter Text

The Past – 2039

The Detective

The cold morning air was burning in his lungs. Every rapid breath was visible. A sign of him being alive. Something he asked himself every morning as he stared into his tired eyes. His nose was red, his fingers were freezing. Dew was laying on the grass and the stones under his shoes were making crunching noises. It was still autumn, but winter seemed to be right around the corner. Especially in those early morning hours. He loved this time of day. He seemed to be alone with the world. Maybe he was dead after all. The freezing cold months were a reason many people left Detroit. For him, it was why he stayed.

Gavin Reed was taking his morning runs quite serious. 5 miles. Every day. Staying in shape was one positive side effect, but he mostly did it to get his head free. Free of the buzzing which keeps him awake at night. Free of the memories of her face. He would get up early before work, throw on a hoodie and in this season a pair of fingerless gloves. Headphones in and out of his front door, turning left up the hill. Passing the pharmacy and the small baking shop. The smell of cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee. To the intersection. Passing by the post office, giving the old man running the shop a nod as he greeted Gavin, and following the street through a little park. Then over the bridge and… The crossing over the bridge was closed. A big warning sign was hanging on a pole. Gavin's detective skills were not even needed to find out why. With a closer inspection, he was able to see that the bridge was missing a few panels of woods in the middle. And he was not in the mood for wet feet, at least not this early in the morning, so he chose to take the longer way. A little detour through the cemetery. It was not as if he was actively avoiding it. He was not scared. He didn't believe in ghosts. Not real ghosts, at least. He knew he was a ghost. Living everyday behind a gray veil. Unable to reach out to anyone.

In the early morning light, the place seemed gloomy. A little blanket of mist was dancing around the gravestones. Gavin ran through the rusted gate, which was overgrown by poison ivy. The streetlights were still illuminating the path ahead of him. One of them was flickering. The sun was just starting to rise, so the first rays of sunshine were hitting the ground, starting to warm it up. As the light hit the autumn leaves, they showed off their true colors. Orange, yellow, red. Gavin would never admit to it, but he loved autumn. He loved natures last goodbye before months of rest. Spring and summer come and go, but everything will always return to the state in which the least energy is required. That's physics. At least, he's pretty sure it is. Rest. Although every so often, he felt like he was stuck in his own winter. Eternal rest. This cemetery got him almost poetic.

Gavin was about to turn right following the path to the east gate as he noticed someone. A man kneeling in front of a fresh grave. A bouquet of yellow tulips resting in front of him. He was hidden in the shadow as the sun was rising behind him, letting Gavin only see his silhouette. Hesitating, Gavin looked around for another way to not disturb the grieving man, then checked his watch for the time he had been running. As the Detective looked up again he meet the gaze of the man. Gavin nervously scratched the scruff on his chin. It made him uncomfortable as he was unable to make out the men's mimic, his face still being hidden by the shadows. Something about the stranger felt familiar. So much even, that the detective felt a little pang of guilt in his stomach. Gavin rotated on his heels, no longer wanting to endure the stare of the man. Already halfway through the path he turned one more time to catch another glimpse, but the stranger already turned his attention back to the gravestone. Gavin certainly had stranger mornings. It was Detroit after all. He wondered who's grave the man was visiting as he ran home to take a shower and get ready for work.

___

It was raining again. The blue and red lights of the police cruiser were reflecting in the puddles on the street. Detective Reed put up his hood as he got out of his car and walked towards the crime scene. Even though he knew exactly what sight would meet him inside, an anxious feeling was creeping around his stomach. Even after a few years on the job, this part was never getting easier.

"Hey Gavin", a familiar voice chimed from the side. It was Officer Chris Miller, a tall black man, so deeply hidden under his raincoat that Gavin almost didn't recognize him. Chris was lifting the police banner for Gavin to walk through.

"Hey Chris," he said, his voice a little husky from not talking. He reached into his pockets to fetch out a pack of cigarettes. "That's a hell of a time to drag me out to the middle of nowhere." He took a look around himself to prove his point, as he put a cigarette into his mouth.

Chris gave him an apologetic shrug. "Yah. I also wish criminals would only scheme weekdays from 9 to 5."

Gavin snorted amused as he struggled to light up his cigarette, mumbling curses about the weather.

"But honestly, I always try to avoid going inside." Chris confessed. "I hate seeing that shit."

"It's not like it's fun for me." Gavin replied taking a deep drag from his cigarette, watching the rain run down the rooftop of the extravagant house he had to enter sooner or later. No matter how much he dreaded it. It was a nice place for sure at least. "Do we have a name?"

Chris nodded again, lifting his notebook to give Reed the details. "Matthew Lewis, 27. Before you ask, yes Lewis. As in the son of the mayor. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis found him. They were supposed to meet for dinner tonight, and after he didn't show up nor return their calls the Lewis drove over here to check on him. They had a spare key to let themselves in and well…"

Gavin took another drag from his cigarette.

"Anyways, the Mayor and his wife are still here. In case you wanna talk to them." The officer turned around to point to a woman sitting inside one of the police cruisers and a man who is without a doubt the Mayor Lewis, next to it. He was safe under his umbrella, speaking franticly into his phone.

"Shit." Gavin grumbled through gritted teeth. The involvement of the mayor will make this investigation certainly more difficult. "Who's he talking to? His lawyers?"

Miller made a face as if he just handed Reed a Christmas present and couldn't wait for him to open it.

Gavin frowned. "What?"

"You won't believe it."

"Spit it out Chris, I am not in the mood for games." Gavin said as he threw his cigarette in a puddle.

"Apparently he is calling his psychic." The officer said with a grin.

___

The smell of decay hit Gavin as he entered the house. He swallowed hard. The forensic team already went through most of the crime scene. Big LED lamps lit up the room in a cold, clinical light. The first thing he saw was the body. The corpse was lying on his stomach. The carpet underneath Matthew Lewis was soaked in a dark liquid. Blood. His dark hair, wet from it, was sticking to his blueish skin. Gavin kneeled next to the body, taking a closer look at the hands. No signs of defensive wounds. No signs of a struggle. Lewis let someone in his house he trusted enough to turn his back to. Deadly mistake, Gavin thought as he glanced over to the shattered vase covered in dark spots of red. The detective took a closer look at the man's pale face. "What the fuck happened to you?" He mumbled, more to himself than to the dead body in the middle of the living room, who wouldn't be able to answer him anyway. He heard the door behind him opening again.

"Detective?" It's one of the other officers. Gavin believed his name was something average, like Scott Montana. No, was it Washington? He didn't care to remember and just grunted in response without looking up.

"There is a woman outside, she wants to see the crime scene."

Gavin turned to face Officer Washington. A tall, skinny white man. His reddish hair was curling from the moist air outside. He had a sheepish look about him. "Then fucking send her away? Do I need to tell you how to do your job?"

A little shocked about Reed's rude answer the officer blinked a few times before he continued to speak. "She claims that the mayor asked for her? Officer Miller is on the phone with Captain Fowler right now to clear things up. I thought I'd inform you since you're the leading detective on this case. She is very pushy."

Gavin sighed. It's not as if his job was hard enough, no he also had to do the jobs of every person around him because they were incompetent. He moved past the officer making the effort to bump into him on purpose.

___

Outside he could hear arguing. He glanced to the police cruiser in which the mayor and his wife were before. It was gone, obviously they were already at the precinct. He turned to the arguing which was between two other officers and a woman behind the police banner. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white. Colorless. Wet individual strands stuck to her face. She was wearing a black raincoat which looked a little too large on her. She was probably lying about knowing the mayor and was either a reporter or a creep. There were only those two types who really wanted to see a crime scene that badly. Which just made anger bubble up more in Gavin's stomach. He would do anything to unsee some of the things he had to witness. While for these people it was sensational. Entertainment. He was sick of it.

"The fuck's going on here?" He asked with a sigh as he put his hands into his pockets. His voice a little darker and more authoritative. The woman only now seemed to notice him. Her cold eyes meeting his. Alerted, focused, calm. Maybe not a creep.

"Detective Reed?" She wasn't speaking quietly, but she didn't make the effort to raise her voice to avoid being drowned out by the rain, sirens, and police radio chatter. It made Gavin lean a little forward as he tried to focus on her words. "I am Avery Fox. Private investigator and spiritual adviser of Mayor Lewis and his family." She reached out one of her glove covered hand over the banner for him to shake.

Gavin ignored her hand as it took him two or three heartbeats to understand what she just said and a glance towards Chris before he broke out into spiteful laughter. The women's face stays mostly neutral, but there was the slightest twitch in her left eyebrow as she let her hand sink again.

"I can't believe you guys dragged me out of a crime scene to talk to a crazy chick." The detective said, still laughing. He was about to turn on his heel to go back inside as Chris popped up next to him again just lowering his phone. His face a mixture between confusion and discomfort.

"Everything alright here?" Chris asked as his eyes nervously shot back and forth between Gavin and the woman.

"I am fine, don't bother. I am trying to do my job here while these clowns are holding me up." Gavin said with a dismissing hand gesture in the direction of Avery Fox and the other officers.

Chris put on a crocked apologizing smile. "That was Captain Fowler. He said we have to let Miss Fox here take full part in our investigation. Special request from the mayor."

Gavin's smile dropped as he looked back to Avery Fox. She shrugged a little, looking almost like she was feeling pity for him. "You're joking right, Chris?" Gavin says through gritted teeth again.

"You heard him, Detective." Fox said as she lifted the banner for herself now to walk past the men. "Special request from the mayor."

Gavin shot another glance to Chris.

"She is not allowed to be alone in there though, so…"

"I have to play babysitter. Great." Gavin scoffed. "Fucking typical."

___

Inside the house he leaned against the closed door, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he watched the woman slowly walk around his crime scene. "So what, you're going to have a nice chat with this dead bastard now? Can you ask who killed him by any chance? Because that would make my job so much easier."

Fox ignored him for a moment, examining some photos on a shelf more closely. Taking one that had been fallen over in her hands. "That's not how I work, detective." She put the frame back with care, this time facing upwards, so Gavin could see the faces of Matthew and his parents smiling back at him.

"Oh how else do you work then?" His tone was spiteful. "By fucking around with the grieving family of a victim and steal their money?"

"Exactly. That's my favorite part. Scamming desperate people." Fox answered dryly, not even giving him so much as a look. "Impressive book collection." She added as her hand over the book backs tapping into a missing spot.

"Can't believe Fowler is making me have some con artist with a morbid interest snoop around my crime scene." Gavin mumbled more to himself than to her, shaking his head.

"What have you been told about who I am?" Fox's tone was amused as she had stopped looking at the missing book in the shelf and moved on to pull one of them out to take a closer look at it.

"That you're the crazy mayors crazy psychic?"

Fox stopped in her tracks as she looked over to Gavin. Her face mostly still neutral but than she couldn't help but let a small smirk slide. "That's what you've been told?"

Gavin scratched the back of his neck. "More or less."

She chuckled. "Interesting."

There was a pause.

"These books are really nice. Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood. Multiples from all of them. Not different editions, just the same one again and again…" She tapped the missing space on the shelf again. "And there is one missing."

"How do you know that there used to be a book, huh?" Gavin asked, as he was sure Fox was just throwing everything against a wall to see what sticks. That's how these self-proclaimed psychics work. He once saw a documentary about it after a long day of work. He fell asleep halfway through it though, open beer can in hand, and he had the feeling that he missed some crucial details because of that.

"There is some dust on the shelf, but this exact spot is clean. Someone recently took something from this shelf, and it stands to reason that this was, in fact, a book."

Alright. Beginners luck. "You seriously think someone hit this poor bastard over the head for a book?"

"They are worth a little money. Someone could have been desperate. And the victim does not take good care of them. Dusty shelves, backs bleached out from the sun…"

"That would imply he wouldn't care if someone took one of his books. No need to kill him then. Nice try but no motive." Gavin wondered why he was even entertaining her theories. He should just throw her out of his crime scene and call Fowler himself and tell him what he thought. In hindsight that would probably get him fired.

She put the copy of The Frog Prince back where she found it, changing the topic. "By the way, just for your information, I actually don't take money for my services." She turned to the dead body on the floor.

"Ah? You're telling me you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart? I doubt you'll believe that crap even yourself."

"Well," Fox kneeled next to the deceased man on the ground. "My clients tend to compensate me for my great efforts."

"Okay, it's all fun and games to entertain your performance, but I am done with it now. Please take your ass out of my crime scene and go play tic-tac-toe on a graveyard." Gavin's voice was a little more sharp this time. He couldn't believe Captain Fowler actually had him take her to a crime scene. A fucking crime scene. It's pissing him off even more that she kept on ignoring him. Who does she think she is?

"Hey! Lady! I get it, you get off seeing this. But fun's over now." He aggressively opened the door and motioned her to walk out. Fox rubbed the bridge of her nose before getting up with a sigh. Her gaze lingered on the shattered vase and the roses that had fallen from it for a second before she gave in. Gavin was smirking in triumph as she walked towards the door. But instead of leaving she stopped right in front of him. A little too close for his comfort. They were more or less the same height, even as Reed adjusted his posture.

"Detective Reed. You very obviously have problems with authority and maybe even with woman but as far as I understood the Captain I am supposed to have full access to your whole investigation. Special request from the mayor." She quoted Chris again.

"The fuck you just said to me?"

"You reek of cheap alcohol, Detective. Perhaps that is why you are struggling with comprehension. No need to speak to the death for this — you need to take a shower. See you tomorrow, Detective Reed." And with that, she was gone, leaving Gavin fuming and his poor colleagues to take the blame.

Chapter Text

The Medium

The rain hasn’t stopped the whole night, and little puddles have formed on the uneven pavement. Today, Avery Fox was armed with an umbrella as she strolled into the precinct. The warmth of the building was a nice welcome to the contrast of the cold wind outside.

"Good morning," Avery said with a smile to the woman behind the counter. Her pretty long nails were clicking on the keyboard of her computer as she typed a little aggressive. She glanced up at Fox, and then her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. It was 11 am. Perhaps not morning for her anymore. Avery wasn't deterred.

"My name is Avery Fox. I have a meeting with Captain Fowler." She cringed a little as she heard her own voice pitch up a little to what she called her customer-service-voice. The police woman seemed unfazed.

"Your ID please." Avery handed her the documents. While the woman was checking her name, Avery slipped off her raincoat to carry it over her bend arm.

"Here is your visitor pass. Captain Fowlers office is in the big glass cube in the middle of the precinct. You won’t miss it." Challenge accepted, Avery thought as she grabbed the card.

"Wait there until he calls you in." The policewoman’s eyes haven’t left her computer screen, but as Avery thanked her and turned to leave, the woman raised her voice again, this time meeting Avery's gaze.

"Oh, and Miss Fox?"

"Hm?"

"The meeting was at 10 am."

___

The police station wasn’t big. The main area just seemed to be a big collection of the same desk model from Ikea. Some police women and men were working. The typing and clicking of their computers, quiet chats, radio chatter, flipping through documents was almost a calming background ambience. Avery headed for the large office in the middle — the lady was right, she couldn’t miss it. The glass walls seemed to be an interesting choice for privacy, but it played into Avery’s cards as she was able to see that a man — who she knew was Captain Fowler — seemed to be having a heated discussion with no other than her favorite grumpy detective, Gavin Reed. Avery smirked. Reed seemed absolutely like the type to stir up trouble wherever he goes.

She hurried a bit to browse through the name tags on the desks, and it didn’t take her long until she found Reed's. Of course, she needed to take a closer look at it. If there's one thing that Avery Fox was, it was nosy. She likes to know with whom she’ll have to work. A quick Google search last night didn’t bring up much about Gavin Reed. An old unused Facebook page which told her that he was born and raised in Detroit and friends with Tina Chen and Chris Miller. Both officers at the DPD. Avery remembered seeing Officer Chris Miller yesterday. Gavin Reeds name was also listed as a graduate from the Detroit police academy almost 17 years ago. The very same one Avery went to years later.

Just as she was about to take a closer look at Reeds belongings, a voice from behind startled her.

"Can I help you?"

She jumped a little as she met the gaze of a man. He was taller than Avery, white, lean, and his hair was deep brown. His eyes were friendly and dark, and he gave her a soothing smile. She stared at him a little too long, and it was probably the smooth skin that tipped her off. He was an Android.

"Oh, I’m just waiting for Detective Reed." Avery said, trying not to sound like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t because she was, in fact, not doing anything, yet she couldn’t help but smile a bit nervously at him.

"Detective Reed." The android repeated, glimpsing over to the glass cube to watch the men argue for a little. "You must be Avery Fox, then. My name is Connor."

"What do you think they are arguing about? Paycheck? Smoke breaks?" She said, trying to hide her nervousness.

He chuckled a little. "It’s more likely that they are arguing about you, Miss Fox. A consultant is not welcomed easy in the precinct." He tilted his head a little, sounding like he spoke from experience.

"Connor!" An older man wearing a funky patterned shirt called out from the exit. "We got a case, remember?"

Connor turned to Avery with an apologetic smile. "I have to leave. But it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Fox."

Avery reached out to shake his hand and after being hesitant for a second, Connor obliged.

"Nice meeting you too, Connor." His hands were cold. Even colder than hers. Early mornings in Detroit cold.

Before following the older man with gray long hair out of the station, Connor turned around one more time to catch a glimpse of Avery, who responded with a smile and a little wave. As soon as he was gone she  turned back to pursue her actual mission.

People always assume she was a con-artist or a liar. But she was neither. Okay, maybe a little bit of both. But the other half of her work was analyzing people. Body language. Connecting small details to a bigger picture. Making sense of the unimportant details. Researching a ton and making educated guesses. Avery had a good intuition and ever since the accident she felt as if she gained another sense. Nothing paranormal, at least that’s what she would tell herself. More a sensitivity to her surroundings. That everyone thought she could talk to ghosts is just, well, a fun facade to keep up.

Gavin Reed didn’t have much personal stuff on his desks. Unsurprisingly. A pack of cigarettes. Expected. Some paper flying around without any sense of order or aesthetic. Of course. A collection of a half empty pack of gum, a paper clip and an empty yellow mug with a broken handle. Interesting. This could have been an art installation if she didn’t know any better. Only one certificate hung on his pin board. Corners bend and a little rip was starting to build around the pin. Top of the class at the academy. Top of the class? Very interesting. Avery was just about to lean closer to take a look at his open calendar as she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She froze. It was already the second time, in the few moments that she was at the precinct, that she got caught snooping. She closed her eyes and cringed for a second before standing up straight again and faced Detective Gavin Reed.

He was a broad man, her height. Five o'clock shadow. In the cold lights of the station, Avery was able to see his bright-green eyes, which stood in contrast to his dark under-eye bags. A scar was on the bridge of his nose, which gave his face a little more character. And he seemed to have taken her advice. Today he smelled like his aftershave, a deep woody note and only a little like cigarettes. He grinned, but not because he was happy to see her.

"Someone is noisy. Be careful not to end up on Santa's naughty list." Reed took off his brown leather jacket and hung it over his stool. "I am assuming you believe in him as well." He let himself fall down on said chair and put his boots on his desk. Chuckling about his own sad joke.

"Good morning, Detective." She squinted her eyes. "I was just checking out your certificate."

His grin widened. "Ah yes, a graduation certificate of a real job. That seems to be news to you."

"Actually, I went to the same academy."

"Oh?" His brows rose as glimmer of interest sparked up behind his eyes. "Wild guess, they kicked you out before graduation." It was a statement. Not a question. One thing she could theoretically appreciate about him was his bland honestly. It was a nice contrast to most people. Herself included.

"Something like that."

"Reed." A dark voice chimed in and wiping Reed's smile away. He quickly took his boots from his desk as he sat up straight.

"Good morning, Miss Fox. I am Captain Jeremy Fowler." She knew that because his face was all over the DPD website. But she just smiled and nodded.

"Thank you for letting me take part in this investigation, Sir." Avery saw Reed rolling his eyes from the corner of hers.

"Well, to be honest with you, I did not have much of a choice. The mayor speaks highly of you. He mentioned you helping him with some business before."

"Yes, very important mayor-business in fact." Finding out who was blackmailing him with pictures of him and his affair. That one was easy. Captain Fowler lifted one of his sharp eyebrows.

"Important mayor-business? What is that supposed to mean?" Reed chimed in, still sitting wide-legged and his arms crossed in front of his chest. His default state.

"That’s classified."

He let out spiteful laughter. "Fowler, you can’t be serious. She has no experience in any police work."

"Wrong. I went to the police academy for 4 months and I closed countless private investigations successfully."

"Pff, where’s the proof for that? Documents? Names?" Reed countered.

"Classified." Avery said defensively, arms now crossed in front of her chest.

"Reed. We talked about this. I am done with it. No further discussions. Understood?"

"Understood." Reed grumbled through his gritted teeth.

"This case has top priority now." Fowler turned to Avery, looking down at her with a serious face. "You are not allowed to be alone at any crime scenes, with suspects or witnesses or even think about touching evidence. Everything you do regarding this case happens with Detective Reed over here. Otherwise, not even connections to the President of the United States can keep your ass here. Understood?" He smiled, but it was a threat.

"Yes Sir, I understand."

Fowler glanced between Avery and Reed before he turned around and left. She watched him walk back to his office cube before she gave her attention back to Detective Reed. He was watching her. No matter how tired his face might look his eyes were on high alert.

"You’re so full of it." He shook his head. "This all is just a fucking game to you, am I right?" A detective is definitely somewhere in there. He was a little off, but he tried looking behind her facade. What Reed didn’t know was that she had many, many of those. Looking behind one guaranteed nothing but just another idea or version of a person she really wasn’t. Sometimes Avery herself wouldn’t know who she really was.

She leaned a little forward, invading his personal space once again, before she whispered to him. "Prove it." It was just to provoke him, to play with him because she enjoyed that he backed up a little as his eyes widened for only a brief second before his face returned back to his usual disinterested self. He turned to his computer, booting it up.

"You heard the Captain. You do as I say. You don’t touch things, you follow me, and you let me do the talking."

"Are you going to do the whole talking to ghosts part as well then?" She couldn’t help herself. It was just too entertaining watching Reed trying his best to contain himself.

The detective made a noise somewhere between annoyed and disgusted. "I mind as well be just as qualified to do that as you are." He answered dryly.

Avery chuckled. He’s a lot more quick-witted than she assumed. She watched him type in his password — it’s password0000, clever — before he turned to her again.

"Okay lady, how about you don’t breathe down on my neck while I work and instead make yourself useful. Get me a coffee or something."

Avery's eyebrow shot up. Was he being serious? Trying her best to control the strong impulse to get some hot coffee to poor all over his lap, she instead chose to ignore his remark. "Have you talked to the parents already?"

"I just came in, Houdini. So no. And besides, are you not the one with the special relationship to the mayor. Strange by the way, you didn’t strike me as a woman whose type is a balding man." Avery of course already talked to Mayor Lewis and his wife, hence why she was late.

"What happened to letting you do the talking?"

He rolled his eyes over dramatically. So she fished her fluffy purple notebook out of her messenger bag.

"You spoke with them?" Reed said, eyeing the fluffy thing in her hands with a judgmental glance.

"Of course. Mayor Lewis hired me."

"You literally already broke a rule, and it’s been," he checked the watch on his left arm — right-handed, Avery noted. "Four minutes. That must be a record, Fox."

"In my defense, I spoke with both of them before I even knew there were rules."

Reed shook his head before letting it sink theatrically into his hands. "Just go on. What did you find out?"

"Matthew was supposed to meet his parents for dinner at around 8 pm at this new Italian place downtown. I heard they have great vegan cheese options." Seeing the impatience in Reed's eyes she interrupted her dreamy thoughts about vegan cheese and continued. "Matthew didn’t show up, answered no calls. At around 11 pm his parents got very worried so they drove to his house and let themselves in with a spare key that was hidden in the front yard."

"Talking about overbearing parents." Gavin commented.

"Not to play the devil's advocate, but they were totally in the right to be worried. Miss Lewis told me about having a gut feeling. She said mothers can feel it when their children are hurting."

He snorted disdainfully. "Bullshit." Mommy Issues aha. Avery’s first guess would have been daddy issues, but she doesn’t always hit the mark either.

"Wait." Reed grabbed his phone a little hectic out of his pockets to check his own notes. "Ah yes. Just what I thought. Of course, I cannot even trust you to take the witness's testimony correctly. Mayor Lewis wife said she opened the door with their key. You got that part wrong."

"No, I am sure Mayor Lewis said it was a spare key, and they knew the hiding spot. He said Matthew had his, and I quote, head always in the clouds. He would forget his key a lot and his father had the idea of hiding the spare key after they had to call the locksmith service three times in one month."

"Hm, I have to ask Chris again. He took their statements. But he doesn’t do mistakes like that. You on the other hand…"

"Maybe they’ve changed their statement, maybe they got something wrong. Maybe Miss Lewis was in shook yesterday."

"Or they’ve changed their story to hide something."

"Is that your detective skill or paranoia?"

"It’s the years of education and working as a police officer, actually." Reed answered to Avery's comment, unimpressed. "You said at 8 pm he was supposed to be at the restaurant?"

"Yah, the one with the great cheese."

He shook his head again. "Fox."

"Sorry. No more cheese."

"Chris talked to one of the neighbors who said they heard two men fighting at around 7 pm. But they didn’t see anybody."

"How does the saying go? "The obvious answer is the right one"?"

"Close."

"You work by it?"

"This isn’t a crime novel, Fox. There are rarely crazy twists and unexpected suspects. Most cases are cut and dry. Love, money, drugs. The holy trinity."

He drew another soft chuckle from her. "Anyway." Avery continued. "Matthew was studying political science — what a surprise — and he has a girlfriend. Her name is Elisabeth Porter. His parents said he was an absolute angel and had no enemies because everybody loved him."

"That's some bullshit parents always say." Reed turned to Avery, his eyes slowly drifting behind her.

"What else are they supposed to say? That he was a spoiled brat who had no enemies because he had no social life?" Reed was silent. Too silent. Oh, no. Avery turned around to look straight into the big eyes of a young woman. She remembered seeing the woman's face on a picture in Matthews living room.

"Elisabeth." Avery's throat went dry as a sinking feeling of shame overcame her. Elisabeth was a black woman with braids that reached her collarbone. She wore a frown under a pair of big red glasses. A tote bag was strung across her shoulders, leaving a deep indent. She was obviously carrying something heavy in there. It was really not a good day for Avery. She glanced to Reed, hoping for support, but he was very obviously enjoying her suffering.

"We were just… discussing the case."

"He was no spoiled brat." Elisabeth said. Her eyes filling with tears. "Yes, he was troubled, but he was such a kind and loving person." Avery Fox was actually speechless for a second. Luckily, Reed interrupted.

"Miss Porter," he got up and shook her hand, "My name is Detective Gavin Reed. I am working on your boyfriends case. I am sorry for your loss." A questioning glance from Elisabeth towards Avery made him add with a sigh he was unable to hide. "This is Miss Fox, a consultant of the Lewis'."

"So you knew him?" Elisabeth asked her. Avery straightens up a little, standing next to Reed, shoulders almost touching.

"Not really, no. I met him twice. We barely spoke. I did some business for his father." Avery told her truthfully.

"Then you have absolutely no business talking about him like that. You do not speak ill of the dead." Another glance at Reed revealed that he had to bite his tongue to not make a stupid remark.

"I am sorry, Elisabeth." Avery said. Another truth. Reed looked at her now. His eyes sparking mischievously.

"Well, Miss Porter, can you tell us when you saw Matthew Lewis last?" He finally asked, not to get Avery out of the grave she dug herself, but to proceed his actual job.

"It was at a party on Friday. Everything seemed normal at first. He left in a rush, though. Not replying to my messages anymore. That was the last time we spoke.“

Gavin grabbed his phone from his desk to write down some notes. "And what kind of party was that?"

Chapter Text

The Medium

"Nah, no way that this day turned into a fun one." Reed said, smiling as they entered the establishment Elisabeth sent them to. PINK BUNNY EARS was a kinky bar. Normally, still closed for the day, but the barkeeper slash owner of this place told Reed over the phone that they were very welcomed to come in to ask her some questions. The entrance was closed by heavy pink curtains and as Avery followed Reed further into the bar, he took special interest in the wall decorations.

"Jesus Fox, have you ever seen so many dildos in one place?" She bit her tongue answering him. He was already behaving like a teenager about this. No need to make it worse.

"Detective Reed, I assume?" A small black woman came out of a backroom as she probably heard the duo enter. She was wearing a long airy dress and Avery made a mental note to ask her where it was from in a good moment. Not that she had been wearing a dress for the last 14 years. She would like to, though.

"Yap, that's me. And the woman next to me who looks like she’s going to a funeral is Miss Fox, a consultant of sorts." He made a hand movement as if he was already tired of explaining who Avery was.

"Hi," Avery gave the woman a small smile, who now shook both of the investigators hands.

"I am Kira. The owner of PINK BUNNY EARS."

Reed pulled out his phone and a little touch pen. "Some nice decoration you got here." He pointed to a big papaya on the wall behind her bar.

Kira chuckled. "Thanks Detective. I take a lot of pride in making this a safe space."

Avery took a look around and found almost every pride flag she could think of. And a unicorn head. With a gag ball. Reed, meanwhile, asked every question in the book, showing pictures of Matthew and Elisabeth, asking if Kira remembered him (she does), if he’s been a regular (he was), asking if she noticed something off that evening. Avery did not even hear her answer as her eyes got stuck on a framed picture. She stepped a little closer. Something about it seemed to attract her attention. It showed a crowd of people, in party clothes — or rather lack of clothes. Something seemed so familiar in this picture, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was not the faces, nor the background.

"Hey Fox, you’ve never seen a shirtless man before or why are you staring?" It is Reed who’s now standing behind her.

"No, that's not it. It’s something with this picture. It feels like I’ve seen parts of it before. I just don’t know where."

Reed proceeded to lean a little closer over her shoulder to take a better look at the picture. She smelled his woody aftershave now even more intense. There was something fresh in it as well, she noticed now. Is that Mint? Before she could think more about it, he pulled back and shrugged. "Nope. No idea what you mean."

"Hey Kira, can I take a photo of this?" Avery pointed to the object of her confusion.

Kira looked up from putting away bottles into the fridge behind the bar. "Of course, anything you need for your investigation." She smiled at them. Avery took out her phone to snap a picture of the frame. With that Reed thanked Kira and they left the bar.

Back in Reeds car he turned to Avery "So is that your whole thing? Being weird? Or did a ghost speak to you?"

She sighed. "Are you never getting bored by ghost jokes, Detective?"

"Never."

She huffed.

"Our victim wasn’t even in this picture. What significance could it possibly have?"

"I have a feeling."

"A feeling?" Reed laughed but then got distracted by the ring of his phone. "Dr. Johnson, our coroner, just texted me that she’s done with the autopsy. We should head over." Reed announced before putting his trusted mobile device back into his pocket.

Avery nodded in silence as Reed started the car and headed to the precinct. "Did she say something? Kira, I mean. About seeing something unusual about Matthew?"

"She said that she saw Matthew and Elisabeth having a fight. Something Miss Porter apparently left out on purpose."

"Hm or she forgot about it. Maybe it was insignificant." Avery shrugged.

"There are no coincidences and nothing is ever insignificant." Reed sat up straight to start the motor of his Ford. "Despite, it would fit the profile, someone Lewis trusted. The forensics found no sign of a break in. And she for sure knew where the spare key was."

"No, that's too easy. My intuition is telling me something else. It definitely wasn’t her. Also, you said you didn’t believe the whole spare key thing."

"Your intuition. Aha. Maybe you’re watching to many crime shows on TV. And I just pointed out that their statements didn’t align. But don’t worry, I am sure it was just a mistake on your side." Reed leaned back into his seat as he stopped at an intersection, waiting for the green light.

"I can tell when someone is lying, Reed. She was not."

"Maybe you just feel guilty for talking shit about her dead boyfriend." He said, looking over at her before focusing on the road again.

"The spirits are telling me that you should shut up now." And to her disbelief, a small grin appeared on his face. Making Detective Grumpy smile, about anything but his own jokes, felt like winning a prize. She decided to take advantage of his good mood to continue some small talk, even if she knew the answers already, "So you grew up here?"

"In Detroit? Jup. Born and raised. It’s a shithole for sure. But it’s also my home. Always wanted to help make the city a little better." That was a lot deeper than small talk. Reed also seemed to notice his out-of-pocket confession, so he quickly adds. "And you? Your accent is definitely not from here."

"I was born in New York, we moved here when my sister was born. I was, like, two. But my mom is from London, the accent kind of stuck… so good detective work." She teased him.

"So…what happened?"

"Hm?"

"This morning you said you went to the police academy, but you didn’t graduate. What happened?"

Avery considered for a minute to lie or find a way to brush the question off. But Reed shared something with her as well. So why not make it even. More or less. "I didn’t pass the midterms." She confessed collected.

"So you were just lazy? Seriously?" The rain had stopped, and now the low-hanging sun was reflecting on every surface. His eyes seemed even greener as he glanced at her, and a sunbeam hit them just at the right angle.

"Not quite. I wasn’t able to pass the physical test." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I can’t swim." Currently, this seemed to be the easiest way to explain it.

Reed is silent. Keeping his eyes on the road. Then he broke out in laughter. "You’re joking, right?" He looked over at her again.

"Don’t laugh at me. It’s only fair."

"Fair?"

"I already have a deadly intellect. If I was athletic, I would be unstoppable."

He rolled his eyes again. Another Gavin Reed default. "You are impossible."

"So I’ve been told."

___

The elevator pinged as it stopped on the basement floor. The door opened and Avery was directly hit with the strong smell of formaldehyde and decay. A feeling of nausea washes over her and she could almost taste the iron. For a moment, she put her hand on the wall, trying her best to get herself together again. Reed stepped out of the elevator, seemingly unfazed by the smell.

"Oh god, and I thought the crime scene was already bad." She complained as she followed the Detective into the morgue.

"Stop the whining, Fox. What did you expect when you so enthusiastically wanted to take part in my murder investigation — Unicorns and flowers?"

Matthew Lewis's corpse was laying on a metal table in the middle of the room. The sterile ceiling light made him look even paler. His chest was already sewn back together again. Next to him, a curvy white woman, around Reed's age — presumably the pathologist — was finishing up her reports. She notices the two walking in.

"If that’s not my favorite Detective." Her bright smile was kind and warm as she pushed some ginger curls out of her face.

"Hello Doctor." Reed smiled back. Gavin Reed smiling? Oh, they are friendly. Interesting.

"Hey, I am Avery Fox, consultant."

"I am Dr. Johnson, but call me Vallery." An even wider smile revealed a smiley piercing in her mouth. "I would shake your hand, but you know. Blood and other fluids." She said as she took off the used gloves to throw them into the trash. "How can I be of service?"

"Matthew Lewis. What do you got?" Reed leaned against one of the other currently not occupied autopsy tables.

"Time of death was yesterday between 7 and 8 pm, according to his liver temperature. The cause of death is a little clearer. Poor Lewis here got hit over the head with a blunt object, which resorted into a skull fracture. Forensics already gave me their report, and we agree that the vase found on the crime scene was the murder weapon. I found particles of it still stuck in his skull." Avery shivered, trying to get the image out of her head. Vallery walked around the corpse, carefully lifting his hand. "I found no DNA under his fingernails, also he doesn't have any defense wounds. Which makes sense since he was attacked from behind."

"Okay? That's all you got?" Reed huffed. Avery looked over to him, a little surprised about his tone shift towards Vallery, but the pathologist just glanced at him and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"As a super special treat for you — I noticed some damage to his liver, so I made a toxicology test and it came back positive. I found traces of thirium, acetone, lithium, toluene, and hydrochloric acid in his system."

Avery looked at Vallery. Then she looked at Reed.

Reed sighed. "Red Ice."

"Absolutely correct." Vallery said with a snap of her finger.

"Red Ice?" Avery asked, vaguely remembering hearing about this substance before. Searching through her mind to find what she knew about it. Which turned out to be… nothing. Maybe she read something about it before? She wasn’t sure. Drugs weren’t here specialties.

"A new designer drug on the market." Reed explained, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Our colleagues over in the drug department told me about some cases. That shit fucks people up. It makes them aggressive and act out. They believe that they are invincible."

"Other frequent symptoms of the drug are that the users get overly sensitive about sound and light." Vallery added.

Avery lifted her eyebrow. "Strange. Neither his parents nor his girlfriend mentioned something about a drug problem. But what you guys describe would be difficult to hide, right?"

Vallery nodded in agreement. "The damage to his liver, heart, and lungs implies a long-term use."

"Wait, what did Porter say after you insulted her dead boyfriend?" Reed just remembered.

"You insulted her dead boyfriend in front of her?" Vallery made a grimace.

"No…well, yes, but… doesn’t matter now. She said he was troubled. And you think she could have been referring to his drug addiction?" Avery concluded.

Reed made a telling expression "Was Matthew Lewis was high when he died?"

Vallery nodded again. Curls bouncing back and forth.

"Okay, how can a dude high on red ice be killed without any struggle?" He continued.

"That one is an easy question to answer. He still didn’t see it coming." Vallery answered.

Reed nodded this time. "Red ice makes the user paranoid, right?"

"Can be, yes." The Doctor explained.

"So who would he let into his house in that state?" Reed pushed himself off the table. "Let’s go talk to Tina. She has a lot more insights into this whole drug thing." And with that, he turned to march out of the morgue.

"Reed. One more thing." Vallery said. Her tone more strict but she did not raise her voice.

He stopped and turned to wait for her to speak.

"The forensic team found multiple fingerprints on the crime scene. We need the once from the victims family and friends to see if any of them don’t match."

"Ask Chris." And with that Reed was gone.

"Great. Thanks, prince charming." Vallery said, now raising her voice to make sure he was hearing every word of it.

"Thanks Vallery." Avery said with an apologetic smile before hustling after Reed.

"No Problem. Good luck with Detective Grumpy!" She shouted after Avery, "Oh and no more insulting people please!" As a reply Avery just lifted her thumb up, entering the elevator just before it closed.

"You could have waited a second." Avery said, now crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Reed stayed silent. He didn’t look at her. Avery sensed that he was angry. Angry at her? For what exactly?

"Earth to Detective, what happens to be the problem?"

With an angry grunt, his arm shot next to her, pushing down the emergency button of the elevator. Avery froze in shook, the elevator stopped abruptly, the warm light turned off and instead a blue emergency light flickered on. Reeds hand is still positioned on the wall next to her waist. His green eyes looked washed out in the light. Someone definitely watched too much Grey's Anatomy.

"Is this all a fucking joke to you?" He spit out his words.

"Nothing of this is a fucking joke to me, Detective. Not sure where you got this idea from as you yourself aren’t really Mr. Overly-Serious."

"Well Fox, I’ve seen a lot of shit on my job already. This is how I cope. For you, this seems like a fun activity to fulfill your sad days after being kicked out of the academy."

A feeling as if someone poured ice-cold water over Avery’s head shivered through her, followed by burning heat in her cheeks. Why did she tell him this again?

"Fuck you, Reed." She said, forcing herself not to break eye contact with him, no matter how much she wanted to look away, run away, leave the country. But she forced another breath to flow through her lungs.

"You always get what you want, huh? Can’t finish the academy? How about getting the fucking Mayor to force the DPD to let you take part in their investigation? How often did you need to blow him for that, huh?" He laughs but it’s full of disgust. Gavin Reed was a cruel man. Like a wild animal stuck in a bear trap, biting everyone who even comes close, biting off his own limbs if he has to.

"I don't know what your deal is, but you act like an injured animal that’s cornered. Is it because you feel threatened by me? Or is it because you actually like my company, but you force yourself to push me away because you don’t want anyone coming close to that wound you carry around?" Avery reached out carefully before her hand finally touched his chest right above his heart.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean." He said, slapping her hand away.

"Proving my point exactly. Reed, the way we treat people around us says more about ourselves than about them. You are scared to be seen. So you act like a douche. Put up this facade that no one wants to cross. And trust me, I know a thing or two about that. You are actually allowed to feel and be vulnerable. Nothing broken is beyond fixing, even if you feel like it is at this moment."

He was playing unfair, so could she. Spending not even two days with Detective Gavin Reed gave Avery enough intel to make a guess about what was driving him. And his reaction to her words proved her guess correct, like so often. He was so close to her that she could smell the smoke and whisky on his jacket behind the fading scent of his aftershave. She got a good look at the scarred tissue on his nose. His sharp jaw. She was even able to make out small individual freckles on his face. She never noticed them before. Avery felt the impulse to touch his face. Caress his cheek, his hair, his neck, and then to pull him into a hug he desperately seemed to need. But she decided against it. For rather obvious reasons. After a moment of Avery and Reed fighting a silent war with their eyes, he stepped away. He pushed the emergency button and the lift started moving again. Reed turned his back on her, watching the floor numbers go up. She said nothing. What else was she supposed to say? She didn’t know.

Chapter Text

The Detective

Officer Tina Chen was still staring at Fox. Gavin, Tina, and Fox were sitting at the round table in the break room. Each one of them with a steamy hot coffee in front of them. It was late already. Gavin was feeling tired. Annoyed. Exhausted. Run down. He could spend forever thinking of more adjectives to describe his current miserable state of being. Fox's light eyes were nervously going back and forth between him and Tina. Gavin, who tried his best to avoid and ignore her presence, and Tina, apparently trying her best to read Fox's mind and dissecting her thoughts by staring holes into her. His pulse had settled down from the elevator incident. He wanted to be angry. Upset. His normal response to someone bringing up his feelings. But there was one thing that did not want to leave his head. Fox's eyes. Gavin got a close look at them in the cold elevator light. Gunmetal blue.

"So…" he cleared his throat, looking up from his yellow mug to Tina. He got used to waiting a little longer before drinking his coffee to avoid burning his hands, as the handle still wasn’t functional. "What can you tell us about red ice, Tina?"

"Why does she need to be here?" Her eyes narrowed. She had her police hat placed in front of her on the table. Her long black hair in a low ponytail.

"I have a name." Fox said, sounding as brave as she could.

Gavin made a sound with his tongue, "Fowler said she has full access to the investigation." He explained to his colleague, unfazed.

"And you’re okay with that?" Tina still had her no-bullshit-face on.

"We screamed at each other for 20 minutes, he threatened to fire me, I said he wouldn't, he said he will, and he will make sure no other precinct in the whole country would want to hire me ever again."

"He said that?" Tina and Fox said at the same time. Both glanced at each other surprised.

"Yah whatever, now I have a mascot. Red ice Officer Chen."

Fox snorted in disbelief, and Tina started talking.

"Matthew Lewis went to the Community College, right? Some of our guys had an eye on a dealer there for a while now. They go by the alias Cheshire Cat. There’s actually a party happening tonight, and rumor has it they will be present there as well." Tina took a sip of her coffee.

"Sounds like a great evening activity. What do you think, Fox?"

"Mayor Lewis and his wife gave me a list of his closest friends. Maybe we can talk to a few of them. Get a bigger picture." Fox replied, flipping through her small fluffy purple notebook she’s been carrying around all the time, like the holy bible. Despite actually growing up with notebook and pen, Gavin preferred his phone as his everything tool. Yet, he almost appreciated Fox's choice for an analog device.

"Good thinking. Let me see that list so I can run it through the database so we have some faces. Should make actually finding them at the party a little easier." Gavin held out his hand for the notebook, and after a few seconds of hesitating, Fox gave it to him reluctantly.

The Medium

Reed was on his computer, and Officer Chen excused herself pretty quickly. Avery was content with that. She didn’t need to spend more time in awkward silence with the officer. But one thing about her was that she loved challenges. So that woman is going to become her friend.

"It’s late." A warm, familiar voice stated. Connor entered the break room. He was no longer wearing his jacket, only the tight black turtleneck remaining.

"The city that never sleeps, am I right?"

"Wasn’t that New York?"

She chuckled, "Yah, but isn’t Detroit kinda like New York, but less sexy?"

"I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been."

"I only lived there until I was two. So we probably have the same intel."

This time, Connor chuckled as he leaned against the door frame. "How is working with Detective Reed going?"

"Hm, you mean besides the immaturity, anger issues, and the fact that he hates my guts?"

Connor laughed softly again. "I figured it would be something like that."

"Any tips?" Avery asked with a somewhat hopeful smile.

"How to handle Detective Reed? Absolutely not. But hey, if you find an instruction manual, please let me know."

"I am sensing that this is the reason he doesn’t have a partner, huh?"

"Are those your instincts or the ghost telling you that?"

"Please not you as well with the ghost jokes. How do you even know about that?"

"The Detective wrote some interesting things about you in his latest report. I have access to the complete database." He paused.

"Oh, yah, sure, makes sense." Avery said, trying to sound nonchalant. She slid down from her stool to put away her empty mug. "…What did he write?" She asked with her back still turned to Connor.

"I am not allowed to share police reports with you. But you could always ask him."

"Eh, no, thanks."

Connor straightened his posture. "Well, goodnight then, Miss Fox."

"Connor?" Avery turned to face him again.

"Yes?"

"One last question, Tina Chen? Is she like Reed? Or is it really just me?"

"Officer Chen? She is a sweetheart. If she was rude to you, I could only imagine it is because she is very protective of Detective Reed. They are good friends."

"Good friends?"

"As good as it gets, at least. Detective Reed isn’t the type to share much. He tends to keep to himself. For better or for worse."

She hummed thoughtfully, "That’s what I figured. Thanks, Connor."

He nodded before repeating himself, "Good night.“

Avery watched Connor leave as Reed entered the room. "You talked to that idiot?" He asked as he put on his leather jacket.

"Charming as usual Detective."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Ready for the mosh pit!"

"I will not even try to decipher what that’s supposed to mean."

The Detective

Gavin could hear the loud music as soon as he killed his car engine in the driveway of the penthouse.

"I can't believe this." Fox said as she threw the car door shut a little too hard, earning her a judgmental side glance from Gavin.

"What?" He locked the car and put his hands back into his jacket. The temperature had dropped quite a lot, and he was sensing that the first snow wasn’t far. The air was thick, and there was a certain smell. "The awful music taste?"

"That these college kids have parties in giant mansions. I thought that was an American movie cliché."

"You should know that we Americans are, in fact, worse than every stereotype."

That earned him a slight chuckle as she followed him down the stoned path, stopping next to him almost in front of the main entrance.

"You're not going to go in there screaming Detroit Police Department! will you? Because I can already confirm that this would be an awful idea and our dealer will be gone before you finish the word 'Police'."

"I am not as dumb as I look, okay? Let me do the detecting, and you do whatever job Captain Fowler hired you for."

"Consulting, analyzing, keeping the political situation in check."

"Jesus Christ, do you ever run out of smart ass replies?"

"Depends, can you be anything else but rude, uncomfortable, and off-putting for one minute?"

He bit his tongue, trying to focus on the task at hand and not on his insufferable ghost hunting intern. The watch on Gavin's wrist reflected some front porch light as he reached to ring the bell. Just at that moment the door already opened abruptly as two boys came out arguing about their favorite football team.

"I'd say after you, but you caused too much trouble already. So stay behind me. Don't talk to anyone. Don't touch anything. Don't even look at people."

"Am I allowed to breathe?"

"You're allowed to shut up, Fox. I am serious."

"Gladly. Since you asked so nicely."

The air in the room was thick. A mixed smell of the sweetness from vapes with strawberry flavor and soft drinks, as well as the bitterness of nicotine and hard liquor. The best of both worlds. The house was crowded. People dancing and chatting, drinking and snacking, smoking, and kissing everywhere. The ground was sticky, and Gavin thought in pity about the person who will have to clean this mess up in the morning.

"Ugh, I hate college kids and their dumb parties."

"A list of things you don't hate would be easier at this point."

Gavin stopped for a second. One thing he really didn’t want to be was predictable. Especially not to her. "Mercedes, Rock music, cats, and coffee. But actual good coffee, not just some watered-down bullshit like we have at the station." Detective Gavin Reed, professional nihilist and passionate hater, was, besides contrary beliefs, a human.

"You drive a Ford." Avery said. No stupid remarks, no clever comebacks. Was she trying to reward him for opening up? He shouldn’t entertain this, but he could also not pass on the opportunity to talk about cars.

"Okay, here's the thing, Fox," He said, continuing to maneuver his way through the crowd, struggling a little more not to constantly run into people with his broad shoulders. "I like a very specific Mercedes – the AMG GT 63s. Which is a hella expensive ass car. But god, is that thing beautiful. I cannot bring myself to buy anything less. Makes sense?" His tone had shifted. No longer the nasally annoyed one but a lower, more sincere one.

"Totally." She said with a straight face, making it impossible for Gavin to guess what was going on inside her. "Hey, that's one of the people from our list, right? The girl in the blue shirt?" Fox added, and Gavin swiped through his phone until he held up a photo to compare.

He nodded. "Danielle Green. 23 and in the same politics class as Lewis."

"After you then, Detective."

"Excuse me? Danielle Green?" Gavin's back was now straight, his stand a little broader, trying to seem at least a little more authoritarian. Fox stayed well-behaved behind him, eyeing the woman. White, mouse brown hair, a full-glam makeup look, and a very expensive looking blouse combined with red Converse.

"Do I know you?" She made a face only a teenager could make, besides being in her twenties. Fox raised a brow, and Gavin suppressed a sigh. Is he going to have to deal with the hellish circles of interacting with a mean girl?

"You look a little old to hang around her, creep."

"I am Detective Reed, DPD. This is..." He glanced over his shoulders, wondering again if she was even worth the effort of introducing her. It wasn’t. "We’re here to ask you a few questions about Matthew Lewis."

Her eyes widen a little. Gavin could see how her breathing quickened. "You got a warrant?" She said it with all the confidence she could have mustered. "You're not allowed to be on my property."

"Your property? This is your house?" Fox apparently couldn’t help but comment with a surprised look on her face. A disapproving glance from Gavin was enough to shut her up.

"No." The young woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defensively with a sigh. "It’s my parent's house."

"Well, Danielle, the door was open, and you're not a suspect. We're just here for a friendly chat." Gavin continued with all the patience he could muster.

"Suspect? Suspect for what?" Word by word, Danielle's facade seemed to slip away from her, revealing an actual person under the not-giving-a-shit act.

"Danielle, Matthew Lewis was murdered yesterday." If someone wouldn’t know Gavin Reed, they might have thought that his voice softened, which obviously couldn’t have been the case.

"Matthew is dead?" Danielle let her hand drop, nervously eyeing Gavin and Fox.

"I am sorry for your loss. Would you be able to answer some of our questions?"

She held up for a second before the mean facade came right back on her face again. Something was scaring her, Gavin was sure of it.

"Well, I am under the influence of alcohol, and you're not allowed to question me without the presence of my parents anyway. Or my layer." Danielle's voice was cold, annoyed, and a little panicked. Her eyes darted around some more, as if she was checking that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"You're 23." Fox stated.

Danielle scoffed, "I am done talking to you-" interrupting herself Danielle seemed to take now complete notice of Fox for the first time. Looking her up and down, then she tilted her head. "I know you. Do you go to my campus?"

"No, I don't. I just have one of these faces." Gavin turned to look at her, slightly confused as he heard the slightest hint of panic in Fox's voice. That wasn’t like her. At least from what he gathered in a day off knowing her. In his defense, it’s been a long day.

"No. I remember!" Danielle's high ponytail jumps as she claps her hand in excitement. Gone was the grieving friend with an attitude. "Avery something…some type of animal was it." She lifted her hand, signaling them to wait. "Avery Lynx! That’s it! Of course!"

Gavin made a noise as he suppressed a laugh.

Fox sighed. "Fox. It’s Avery Fox."

"That’s what I said. I heard that true-crime podcast about you."

"True-crime podcast?" Gavin's forehead wrinkled as he lifted his brows in surprise.

"Yah, that’s kinda a thing with the kids nowadays." Fox said with a nudge to his side. Her voice sounded flat, as if she was trying not to react.

"So how did you do it?" Danielle now leaned forward as if she seriously was expecting Fox to spill the details about whatever event could have brought her on a true-crime podcast. To a complete stranger. In the middle of a bad party. While they played ABBA in the background. Gavin didn’t have the slightest clue of what this could be about. Couldn't be good, though. Last time he checked, true-crime wasn’t all flowers and rainbows. He let Danielle's question hang in the room for a second, watching Fox closely. He could almost hear the gears in her head turn, probably trying to come up with another snarky remark. Just never the truth. He turned to Danielle.

"How did she do what?" He asked her. He came to the conclusion that Danielle was, in fact, the quickest option for an answer. Surely, Fox wasn’t too fond of finding herself in this conversation with an insensitive true-crime fan and a clueless detective.

"Survive. You must know that story. She's your colleague, isn't she?"

"More like an intern." Gavin replied with a shrug. "But what the hell are you guys talking about?"

Before the breath Danielle took to speak could turn in a recount of probably wrong and sensationalized facts about Fox, she interrupted the brunette.

"How about you come down to the station tomorrow when you're sober and talk to us? Maybe I can tell you than." Danielle's overconfident behavior was no longer, as she nodded excitedly.

"Sure thingy. But you can’t leave out any juicy details." With that, Danielle turned around to join her friends again.

"Interesting." Gavin chuckled low. "So you’re gonna tell me what that was about?"

"I need to go to the bathroom." Fox turned on her heel, making her way through the crowd quickly.

The Medium

Avery could hear Reed call after her, but he struggled to maneuver the crowd as fast as her. Taking a few turns, she finally found a door that looked suspiciously like a bathroom, so she entered and locked it behind herself. The lid of the toilet felt cold even through her jeans as she sat down on it with a sigh. Her thoughts were a carousel, and her head was running a marathon.

She ignored the soft knock and the muffled "Fox? You in there?" And Reed thankfully didn’t push it further.

Why was it so cold in here all of a sudden? She was shaking. Avery got up from the toilet seat and let some water run across her wrists. A lifeless face was staring back at her, and she wondered if she had always looked like this because she couldn’t remember a day she didn’t. Didn’t she use to be fun? Was there even someone left to ask that? Sophie would know. Sophie would tell her to use some concealer and put on something else than a washed-out gray sweatshirt. It took a second for Avery to realize that there was a second door leading to the bathroom, and as she was staring at it in the mirror, she also realized that someone was standing there. Eyeing her. She turned around quickly, facing a young man with dark hair.

"Sorry!" He quickly said, lifting his hands in surrender. He was just a kid. Avery let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. "I… I just forgot my book here." Her glance dropped to the counter as he pointed behind her.

"Your book?" In fact, there was a copy of Alice in Wonderland placed next to the sink. She picked it up, letting her finger run over the smooth spine. "Who takes a book to a house party?"

He laughed nervously, "My friends made me go. And that’s more entertaining than this shitty music and cheap booze."

She smiled understandingly. "Yah. I get that." That actually did sound like a stunt she would have pulled at his age. Avery took a few steps towards him and held out her hand for him to grab the book.

"Thanks." He said, grabbing it with a smile before awkwardly turning away to walk out.

Avery tilted her head. Even if she was sure that his face was unfamiliar and thereby not on her list of close friends from Lewis, she couldn’t let the chance slide of finding something out that she could rub into Reed's face. "Hey, I have a question."

The kid stopped in his tracks, turning back to her. "Yah?"

"Does the name Matthew Lewis ring a bell?" He froze as he held his book even tighter to his chest.

"Nope. Don’t know anyone with that name."

"Hmm." There was this feeling. But maybe she was wrong about it. She had nothing to go off on. Just a feeling.

"Can I leave now?"

"Sure."

This time he hustled out quickly.

Avery stood there for a solid 30 seconds as everything around her turned quiet. The music, voices, and laughter from the other rooms went from muffled to almost completely silent. She did not even hear Reed, who was talking to her through the door again.

She wasn’t wrong. She was, in fact, never wrong. The photo in the bar. It flashed in front of her. A guy in the background was holding a book. Matthews books. Alice in Wonderland. Cheshire Cat.

The sound came back, and with it the rushing of blood in her ears as she took off after the kid. The second door led around the corner, and she could see a glimpse of dark hair rushing towards the exit. Avery ran after him, passing Reed in the process, who was leaning against the door, and his face turned from  annoyance to absolute confusion as he quickly followed her.

The Cheshire cat had a good head start as he slipped out the front door. Avery's lungs were already burning as she pushed open the door. Outside, the cold air hit her heated face. A glimpse of Cheshire's white sneakers made her follow him around the house. Poor confused Reed shouted something after her, but she couldn't make out his words. Her blood was rushing too loud, and in her tunnel vision she could only continue to run. A path behind the house led them past a small pond. Avery's breathing was raspy. Her legs felt heavy. She could see the boy in front of her stopping. Why was he stopping? She almost had him. But then she saw it. Rails appeared on the ground in front of them. And with them the sound of a train.

"Phck!" Was what she heard behind her, as Reed had almost caught up to her. "Fox stop! Don't even think about it!" But Reeds voice was drowned out by the sound of the incoming train. This was stupid. But she knew she had to speak with this boy. She knew he was the key to finding out what happened to Matthew Lewis. She knew.

As Cheshire heard Reed, he proceeded to run but stopped again as Avery shouted with all the air that was left in her lungs. "Stop. I just wanna talk!" Now closer to the boy than ever. He turned now to face her.

"My name is Avery Fox. I am not a policewoman. I just wanna find out who killed Matthew Lewis. I don't care about any drugs or booze!" She was screaming, but her voice seemed so quiet.

The boy waited. Seemingly counting the seconds before jumping over the tracks. Avery, still caught in her tunnel vision, went ahead to follow him before getting violently jerked back by someone grabbing the hood of her jacket. She fell as the sound she blended out rushed in again, and with it, it’s cause. A freight train, which was inches away from Avery's face. She fell on her back, landing on Reeds leg in the progress.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Reed screamed, emphasizing fuck now more than ever. He continued shouting at her. But she couldn't focus on anything he was saying, as the train was so loud that it even drowned out the aggressive beating of her heart. He just saved her. Reed just saved her life. And he was right. What the fuck was she doing?

As the train passed by, there was no sight of the boy, and Reed was on his feet again, dusting himself off. "Are you tired of living, or just plain stupid?"

Avery sat up. Evaluating the damage. Her arm hurt a little. Her back did as well. But she was alive at least. "I...-" She didn't know what to say.

"Yah, I fucking thought so." Reed said, as he walked back and forth, seemingly trying to calm himself unsuccessfully. "Fuck, Fox…"

Avery could not make out a single drop of sweat on his face as she felt the heat in her whole body. She rang for another breath, "He’s the cat."

"What?"

Another rattling breath. "The dealer. I met Cheshire Cat."

"What? How did you know it was him?" Reed had put his hands on his hips, pushing his jacket up, making his gun and badge visible.

"He had the book. The missing book from Matthew's collection. Alice in Wonderland."

"He gave himself the name after the book and proceeds to murder the son of the mayor and steal it from his collection. Are you, and let me emphasize this, fucking hearing yourself?"

"I don’t know. I don’t know." Avery answered frantically as she got up clumsily.

Reed shook his head. "You really thought running after a potential murderer was a good call here? Oh, and not just that," he laughed bitterly. "No, you also jump in front of a moving train?"

"Should I just let him walk away?" Avery's breath slowed down as enough air was finally reaching her lungs.

"You are irrational, Fox. Is sticking to three simple rules really such a challenge for you?" He scoffed derogatorily as he counted on his finger. "No talking, no touching, and most importantly: You don’t do anything without me. You managed to break every single one of them. What even was your plan when you would have caught up to him, huh?" He was fuming.

"I… I didn’t think about it. I was gonna find that one out later. What else was I supposed to do?"

"For starters, don’t throw a tantrum, running away from me and locking yourself in a bathroom."

"I needed a minute."

"If you’re this easily triggered, you shouldn’t be out in the field. Actually, now I see why they kicked you out. Yah, being unfit is definitely one thing, but you’re overly sensitive and unable to listen to the most basic commands."

"Ah, low blow, Reed. Especially coming from a person who has as many problems with authority as you do."

"Careful Fox, one phone call, and you’re off the case." His spiteful voice was low as he gritted his teeth, stepping closer to her. She didn’t back down.

"I made an impulsive decision. You can be mad about that later. For now, I would like to catch our killer. And then I’ll be gone. How does that sound, Detective?" She leaned a little forward, her voice challenging.

"Stick to the rules, Fox." That was a threat. Reed fiddled out a pack of cigarettes as he turned around, walking back to the house, and Avery exhaled another breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Chapter Text

The Detective

To Gavin's annoyance, Avery Fox was already at the precinct when he came in early the next morning. The morning had been gray and dry, but according to the dark clouds hanging over Detroit, this was about to change sooner or later.

"Don’t you have a home? Or a real job?" He greeted Fox as he threw his brown jacket over his chair. She was sitting on top off Chris’ desk, her legs crossed and her ashy hair up in a high ponytail. In front of her a sketchbook in which she was drawing.

"Good morning to you too, Detective. I made you coffee." Fox replied without looking up. Gavin glanced down to his desk to see the yellow mug filled with steaming hot coffee. Before he got a chance to say anything Fox held up her sketchbook to reveal a portrait of a young man.

"That’s him. The kid I saw yesterday."

"Sure I’ll just put up a search warrant for Timothée Chalamet." He answered with a smug grin on his face.

"What?" With a face as if Gavin's statement took away all her confidence, she stared at her sketch again.

"Useless." Gavin muttered to himself before sitting down at his desk.

"This is definitely not Timothée Chalamet, look at the nose."

"I can barely tell that that thing is supposed to be a nose."

"Now you’re just being rude."

"Look," Gavin leaned forward on his desk. "I can’t do anything with a bad sketch of a potential suspect. And I am leaning myself far out the window for even saying 'potential'."

"I have a feeling about this, trust me."

"You did nothing to gain my trust. You, in fact, did the opposite by almost getting yourself killed yesterday." he pushed some of his stubborn streaks back, just for them to directly fall onto his forehead again. "Your ghost needs to give me some more evidence before I’ll arrest some random kid."

Fox nervously scratched the back of her neck as she slid down from Chris’ desk to lean against Gavin's. His brows rose as he curiously looked up at her, unsure what to expect next. Since his prediction abilities were limited to facts, he did not yet possess about her.

"I fully expected to get a call from Fowler this morning, telling me that I am off the case. Didn’t happen."

Gavin stayed silent. Watching her.

"Then I came in," Fox continued, "and he said nothing. I mean, he said Mornin'."

"And?" Gavin was trying his best to hide a smirk. It was almost hard for him, acting as if it wasn’t a big deal, since he was so very well aware of how big this deal actually was. Like loosing-his-job big of a deal.

"You didn’t report the incidence. I checked the protocols from yesterday. You didn’t even mention it."

"Wait," Now his smug smile was wiped away and replaced by confusion. "How did you read my protocols?
They are on my password protected computer."

"That’s not the point."

He needed to change his password.

"You didn’t tell on me?"

Fox eyes looked just like the sky over Detroit. Just like home. Grey, and yet he found more speckles of blue in them the longer he looked at her. He might even find blue skies over Detroit someday. He might find a way of living. Not feeling so heavy all the time. Not so drained. Was staring at her giving him visions of the future? He doubted his was as bright. He was staring at her for far too long. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Gavin cleared his throat. "Why are you so surprised? Thought you are clairvoyant." He turned as nonchalantly as he could to his computer and started typing away.

Fox was quiet for a bit. "Thank you."

"Yah whatever. Next time just watch your steps." He needed to calm down. Gavin Reed was surely not the type to start daydreaming about his annoying colleague. Fox wasn’t even his colleague. He needed to get himself together now. "How’s your arm?"

"Hm?"

"You hurt it yesterday. How is it?"

She shrugged. "It’s fine, I didn’t think you’d noticed."

"I am a detective, Fox. I notice everything."

Fox was about to laugh as she spotted a woman who just walked through the doors of the precinct. "You asked Elisabeth to come in? Why?"

Gavin looked up and saw Miss Porter walking into the station a little unsure of herself. She was tightly grabbing her tote bag. She was nervous.

Gavin straightened his back as he stood up and grabbed a couple of the documents that were on his table. "No more nice talk. It’s time for an actual interrogation. Oh, and before you ask, no you are not gonna come with me. You’re gonna be a good intern and stay outside." He held up a threatening finger in front of Fox’s eyes. "Watch and learn."

___

The Medium

"Is he gonna start talking to her soon?" The observation room was small and dark. In the middle of the one-way mirror was a camera pointed into the interrogation room to record the interview. If one would actually be happening. Gavin Reed sat across the table from Elisabeth Porter. A glass of water was standing in front of her and a mountain of documents was in front of Reed.

"Officer Miller?" Avery tried to get his attention again, which she wasn’t sure was focused on Reed and Elisabeth sitting in silence or the bag of pretzels he was currently munching.

"Sorry, what?" He finally seemed to notice her, though his eyes stayed glued on the mirror. He wore the navy-blue button up with a tie like every other patrol cop, but the detail of his tie pin being a Koi fish didn’t go unnoticed by Avery.

"Is Reed gonna ask her questions at some point?"

Miller glanced at her confused. "Yes he is. It's a tactic. An interrogation tactic." He explained before grabbing another pretzel out of the bag.

"Bore her to death?" Avery asked with a sweet smile.

Miller glanced at her. "Be patient young Padawan." He held out his bag of snacks to her. "Want one?"
"No, thanks."

"Take one."

"No, really."

"It helps with the patience."

Avery made a face and grabbed into the bag reluctantly to fish out one of the savory goods. "You didn’t
strike me as a Star Wars fan."

"I am not. But my kid is totally obsessed with it." The officer said with a chuckle.

Avery couldn't help to hide her surprise. "I didn’t know you had a kid." She made a note to herself that maybe a quick google search wasn’t considered actually research.

The bag crunched as Miller grabbed another pretzel. "Second one is on the way." His voice was filled with pride.

"Wow. How old is your first one?" She asked as she watched Elisabeth drink a sip of the water. She was obviously uncomfortable. And Avery had every last bit of understanding for her.

"If you ask me, I’d say seven. If you ask her, she’s seven and a half. Which is, by the way, not true. She is at most seven and two months."

Avery laughed. "And you’re already showing her Star Wars?"

"My sister did. She said you have to start teaching them young."

She laughed again, shaking her head.

"What about you?" Miller put down his bag of snacks.

Avery was still watching Reed who now started to aimlessly browse through the documents in front of him.

"What about me?" She repeated.

"What about your family?" Miller asked as he wiped some of the crumbs away that got stuck on his shirt.

"Oh no, I don’t have kids." Avery explained, thinking Miller must have misunderstood something she said.

"Kids aren’t the only family you can have. There are siblings, friends, pets…" Millers round friendly face lit up as he gave her an encouraging smile.

Avery smiled back at him. Letting the thought of having these things stay inside her head for a second before banning them out completely. "Not anymore, no."

Millers smile didn’t dim but the meaning behind it seemed to change, "I am sorry, Avery."

"Oh, it’s been a long time." Avery said with a dismissive hand gesture. It had been a long time. But it still felt like yesterday. Some things never stop hurting.

"It’s one of life’s greatest tragedies. I don’t know if this helps, but I used to tell myself this when my Pa died. What a privilege it was to have known him. That I got to have him in my life even if it was just for a little bit."

"That’s beautiful Chris. Thank you for sharing this with me." Avery said honestly.

Both of their attention were snapped back to Reed as he cleared his throat.

The Detective

"Miss Porter. Do you know why I asked you here?" Gavin leaned back on the chair. They were quite uncomfortable and Gavin wondered when the department would put some money into new furniture.

"I guess you have more questions about Matthew? How is the investigation going?" Porter looked like she hasn’t been sleeping well. Her eyes were a little bloodshot. Not even her big glasses could distract from that.

"Oh the investigation is going just fine." Gavin lied in full confidence. "I actually just talked to the bartender from PINK BUNNY EARS. You remember that you send us there, right?"

"Yes, of course," Elisabeth nodded as she continuously turned the ring she was wearing on her thumb.
Gavin leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. "Turns out you were not telling us the whole truth, Miss Porter."

Porters brows shot up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"A witness saw you fighting with Matthew on the night before he died." Gavin said.

Elisabeth's face was still filled with confusion. "But… I… didn’t I tell you about this?"

"No, Miss Porter you didn’t."

"Sorry. It must have slipped my mind. The last days were… a lot." She pushed some braids behind her ear.
"Classes, the funeral service and… and everyone keeps asking me if I am fine. I mean how could I possibly be fine?" She rubbed the bridge of her nose and Gavin saw that she did her best holding back tears. He glanced towards the observation room. No way Fox was right about this one as well. Porter did just forget to tell them. He knew she was being sincere.

His tone changed as he spoke a little softer, "What did you fight over?"

"He had been acting strange lately. Skipping classes, avoiding me and his friends. I just wanted to offer him help because he was very obviously struggling with something he didn’t wanna tell me about." Elisabeth explained.

That made sense. Gavin looked down at his documents. There were coffee stains on the autopsy report. He needed to lecture Fox about handling evidence and documents again. A Sisyphus task. "And what did he say?"

"He got upset. Defensive. Deflective. And then he left. I sent him messages after that, but he never replied. Guess the last thing he told me was to stay out of other people’s business." Elisabeth had taken off her glasses and had her face resting in her hands now.

Gavin nodded. In hindsight, he wasn’t sure why he said the following things. Comforting someone was not his strong suit. "We found traces of Red Ice in his system. He must have been using for a couple of months at that point. You were right to offer him help. And I bet he would have appreciated it in a sober state."

"Red Ice…" Elisabeth sat up straight again. "I can’t believe he was using. I should have done more for him. I shouldn’t have let him go that evening. It’s my fault he died." Now she didn’t try hiding her tears anymore. They were running down her flushed cheeks.

"There was only so much you could have done, Elisabeth." Gavin lowered his voice. He wished she was the only one who would hear what he’s saying next but he was just too aware of the two observers next door. "People who suffer from addiction need to have the will to get help. You cannot help someone who doesn’t want it. Trust me on this one, I have enough experience with it." He got up, collecting his documents. "And the only person whose fault Matthew’s death is, is his murderer."

Elisabeth looked at him through tears in her eyes before getting up. "Thank you, Detective." She grabbed her tote bag and glasses.

"Thank you for the talk, Miss Porter. I will call you again if I need anything else from you." He opened the interrogation room and nodded towards Officer Washington, who accompanied Porter out of the precinct.

Gavin pushed the door of the observation room open and was met with Chris and Fox, who both looked like they just watched a Disney movie. "What’s your problem?"

"You did great, Gavin." Chris smiled proudly.

"Very heartwarming, Detective." Fox said with a smug smile. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and despite her being quite tall, she was still a head smaller than Chris.

Gavin rolled his eyes, "Alright, entertainment's over." He turned on his heel to walk out of the room again. The other two followed.

"Oh, before I forget it." Chris said, fiddling around with his tie, "Forensic said they were able to match all the fingerprints in the victim’s house to either Matthew himself, his parents or Elisabeth. There was one pair found on the doorknob that did not fit any of them."

"Alright. Thanks Chris." Gavin said with a nod as he proceeded to walk to his desk. Fox followed him.

"So you finally believe me that she didn’t kill her boyfriend?" Fox asked as they reached Gavin’s desk.
Gavin turned to her. "I never said she did. I just said she wasn’t telling us things."

"Because she forgot them." Avery replied with a shrug.

"I don’t believe in coincidences."

"That’s no coincidence. That was just a normal human error."

"Our suspect pool is currently zero." Gavin said, letting himself sink into his office chair. "I need to consider all the possibilities."

"You’re scared." Fox said with a smug grin. "That’s what this is about!"

"What?" Gavin did not even sound offended, just genuinely confused.

"The son of the mayor is murdered. There is Red Ice involved. This is an important case. There’s a lot of pressure on you and you got nothing." Avery said gloating.

Gavin's eyes narrowed but they darted behind Fox, and a frown appeared on his face.

"What's the matter?" Fox’s said before turning around to see the same thing Gavin was gulping his eyes out for.

A young man had entered the still quite empty station. He was wearing a hoodie pulled deep into his face, but even so, Gavin could make out that he was, in fact, the boy from Fox's drawing. His next thought was wondering how he got in here, and then his next next thought was this was bad news. The boy finally met Gavin’s eyes, and then he saw Fox, and something in his face changed. Gavin's instincts let his hands dart to the drawer he kept his gun in, but Cheshire Cat reacted faster. He pulled out a gun from the deep pockets of his sweater and held it to the officer sitting closest to him. Gavin recognized his red hair instantly. Officer Washington. Washington froze up as he felt the metal on his neck. He was holding a stack of paper, grabbing onto them tightly. Gavin imagined how cold the metal must feel. Fox was on her feet before Gavin.

Chapter Text

The Detective

"No one move or he’s dead!" Cheshire screamed with a shaky voice.

This was bad, Gavin thought as his hand was frozen midair, not yet close enough to quickly recover his gun. Walking into a police station with a gun, the boy was unpredictable. Probably even high on red ice. Gavin glanced over to Fox. She was frozen in place as well. Two steps closer to the boy than he was. A feeling in his stomach made itself noticeable. He had the urge to step in front of her. Protect her. Probably from years of police work. She was still a civilian. She didn’t have the training to cope with situations like this. Yet, Gavin didn’t dare to move. He needed to assess the situation first.

"Please put the gun down and nobody gets hurt." It was Tina who spoke. She had been heading towards the changing room, now finding herself in the middle of a hostage situation. Her hair was down, and she was still in her gym outfit. Bag over her shoulder, hands in front of her body, signaling that she was no danger to him.

"Don’t come closer. I swear I’ll shoot him." The boy sounded more scared than threatening, which Gavin knew was actually more dangerous. Fear made humans act irrational. Act hastily. Fear was holding us back for sure, but it also lets us make bad decisions. And Gavin did not like the thought of bad decisions when it involved a gun. And Fox. Washington looked as if he was trying his best to stay calm as some pearls of sweat were running down his face, but he didn’t dare to wipe them away.

"Alright. I’m not moving. You’re in control." Tina's voice was soft and calm. She wasn’t shaking like Cheshire, and her eyes never left the boy. Gavin made a mental note of talking to Fowler to finally get Tina a promotion. No one deserved the detective title more than she did.

"What’s your name, kid?" She continued.

"It doesn’t matter."

"It matters to me."

"I just want to talk." He stated, almost sounding whiny now. Making Gavin realize again how young he was.

"Okay. Talk. I am listening."

"Not to you. To her." Cheshire looked over to Fox without moving the gun away from the officer in front of him.

"Don’t you dare, Fox." Gavin murmured loud enough for only her to hear. "Don’t move. You have no idea what to do. Let Tina handle this."

Tina's eyes darted to Fox, and there was a moment of common understanding as Fox again ignored Gavin's statement and slowly started to walk closer, lifting her hands up as well, mirroring Tina's body language.

"Fox!" Gavin hissed again, a little louder. He’s going to make Fowler fire him if he had to work one more day with this woman. No more letting her rule-breaking slide. She might as well be just as unstable as the boy with the gun.

"I’ll talk to you if you let the officer go." Gavin had to give her that, she was smart, trying to copy even Tina's tone.

"Absolutely not. You guys will just shoot me."

"I am not a cop, remember? Tell me your name, please."

The boy hesitated. "Derek."

"Derek." Fox repeated as she continued to walk closer to him. "Good. Now we talk."

Let her get shot so he doesn’t have to deal with this anymore, Gavin pleaded as he moved carefully, inch by inch, towards his drawer, making sure to not bring any attention to himself. He wasn’t sure how long Washington would be able to stay calm. He would get himself shot as well. At this point, the Detective was just hoping to get shot first so he didn’t have to do all the paperwork.

Derek was thinking. Even from this distance, Gavin saw his unfocused eyes dart around the room, and finally, he nodded. "I didn't kill him."

"I know that."

His eyes widen as he let the gun sink a little, just to catch himself again and push it a little harder against Washington's neck. "What?"

"I know you didn’t do it."

"Why did you chase after me, then?" Derek said calmer now. Almost sounding in control.

Gavin caught Tina's eyes and wondered if she had a plan and was trying to communicate it towards him via telepathy. Sadly, she was no Jean Grey, nor were they Androids, in which case they could have communicated via Bluetooth or iCloud or whatever other wonder of technology they use. Speaking of Androids, where the hell was Connor when he was actually needed for once?

"I just wanted to talk. We don’t care about the drugs, Derek."

Well, now Gavin did care. About the gun as well. Even if it was legal for Derek to own a firearm, walking into a police station and holding a hostage wasn’t.

"We just have some questions about Matthew. Especially about his drug use. And who better to ask than his dealer." Fox continued.

"His…Dealer? What? You guys think I am his drug dealer?"

"You are the Cheshire Cat…aren’t you?"

"What? No! He is! Matthew is the Cheshire Cat."

Fox's head turned a little as she glanced at Gavin, and Gavin looked at her. Mayor's son is a drug dealer? That sounded like problems, and he didn’t like to have to deal with problems.

"But you had the book." Fox’s attention was now on Derek again, who was nervously going through his hair with the hand that was currently not holding a gun to Washington's neck.

"Yes, ’cause he sold it to me. It’s how he sold his stash. He sold them in the books."

What kind of elitist bullshit was that?

"His stuff is clean and cheap, so most of us deal with his weird book thing."

Tina frowned, now joining their conversation again. "Cheap and clean? That’s rare on the drug market, if not unheard of."

Derek shrugged, unbothered by the question. "Doubt he sold it to make money. His parents were rich. I mean, have you seen Matthew's house?"

If Gavin wasn’t trying to move as discreetly as possible, he would have nodded out of reflex. He saw Matthew's house in front of his inner eye. No twenty-something college student should live in such a thing.

"Why did he sell then?" Tina continued questioning the boy.

"I don’t know? For the fun of it? For the adrenaline?" Gavin heard it in his voice. Derek was feeling safe. He was feeling in control. That was good for Gavin.

"A cry for help." Fox’s voice was quieter again, as if she only meant to think those words. Then she concluded loudly what was already clear to Gavin by now. "That’s why he had multiple copies of the same book. Every book corresponds to a drug. What’s Alice in Wonderland?"

"Red Ice."

"Of course." Fox said while Gavin thought it.

"I was there that evening, but only to buy something. I gave him his cash and went home afterwards. He was still alive when I left. I swear."

"Around what time was that?" It was Tina asking again.

"I don’t know, like 7pm maybe?" Right in the time slot of his death. Gavin disagreed strongly with Fox here. This guy was guilty.

"Did you see anything when you left?" Fox’s turn to ask a question.

"What was I supposed to see?"

"Anything could be of help."

"I don’t remember anything."

"Your brain processes more stimuli than you think." Fox explained. "Try to imagine being there again. It was evening. The sun had probably already settled. It must have been dark."

Derek blinked a little confused, but Fox continued.

"It was cold. It rained all day, so the air must have felt sticky. You come to Matthew's house. It’s a nice house. Great even."

Gavin asked himself what sins he must have committed in his previous life to have her sent as punishment. What. The. Hell. Was. She. Doing?

"You go in. Matthew seems a little off. You probably don’t even think about it twice. He’s an odd guy. Maybe a little troubled. Not your business. You give him the cash, he gives you the book, you leave. What do you see?"

Derek seemed to think as he took a deep breath. "I asked him what he thought about the latest match. Small talk, you know? Just trying to be polite. Matthew threw the door shut in my face. I remember it startled me. I turned to leave. I saw his dark green pickup parked in his driveway. On the other side of the street is an old lady. She’s walking her dog. The little rat barked at me. And there’s a girl passing me on the sidewalk."

"A girl? What did she look like?"

"I…I just remember she wore red shoes. That’s what stood out to me."

"Okay, Derek, you had your chat." Tina said, "Please put the gun down. Then we can make this a formal statement, alright?"

Derek turned around to face her, thereby turning his back towards Gavin. A gunshot made everyone flinch. Tina took cover, Washington did the same, and Fox fell to her knees while she held her hands over her ears. Derek dropped with a scream as a bullet went through his right shoulder. Gavin lowered the now smoking gun in his hands and watched as Tina scrambled to take a hold of the weapon the boy dropped, who was now on the ground crying and holding his wound. It was a clear shot, he will be fine. With a few quick steps, Gavin was kneeling next to Fox.

"You okay?" His tone matched the worried look on his face.

She ignored his question. "You didn't need to shoot him, Reed!" Fox hurried over to Derek, applying pressure to his wound. Her voice sounded as if she was close to tears. "He wasn’t gonna hurt anyone."

Gavin's face turned back to his default. "He held a hostage with a gun." He explained almost emotionless. "I was trying to protect-" he swallowed the 'you' and replaced it with "my colleagues."

"By shooting a child?"

"I am not a child. I am 19!" Derek whined.

"I was trying to get some information that he wouldn’t have given to us in a holding cell. Now would you at least call an ambulance?" Avery's voice was filled with spite, and it gave Gavin this twisted feeling in his stomach that he normally was only used to giving himself.

___

The Medium

The faucet was running as Avery used a paper towel trying to get the dark stains of blood from her gray sweatshirt. It was her favorite one. Actually, it wasn't. It was just the one she felt safe in. Comfortable. Invisible. She hadn't worn any of the clothes she used to actually love for the last 15 years. She finally gave up with a grunt, trying to throw the paper into the bin but missing. Her hands were shaking. She felt cold, and she did her best to concentrate on anything but this numbing feeling. With another deep sigh, she kneeled to pick it up, and as she stood up, a second person in the mirror made her jump.

"Sorry!" It was Officer Chen. Hands lifted in surrender like earlier. She had changed into her uniform. It looked good on her, despite being a little too big. She still had her long black hair open. The neon lights of the bathroom reflected on it. It was shiny. Something that no shampoo could ever transform Avery's dull strands into.

"It's okay." Avery said, almost emotionless. "It's my fault. I am very jumpy."

"Which is more than understandable after today." Chen gave her a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

Avery did not expect that, of all people, Chen would be the one checking in on her. She expected Connor. Hoped for Reed. What a fool she was. Her next words sounded hollow as she felt her facade slip away a little. "Oh, I am fine. Really. Thanks for asking."

Chen watched Avery turn back to the mirror to redo her hair into a ponytail. "My colleagues would probably call you brave." The officer stated as she leaned against the closed door behind her.

Avery had stopped twisting the tie around her hair for a second. "And you wouldn’t." It was a statement. Not a question.

"I know this type of behavior just too well to buy it."

Avery let out a sigh. So she was like Reed. She needed to call out Connor later for giving her bad intel. "I had this conversation before. I am just trying to do what I got hired for. Am I clear?"

Chen just continued, "I used to be just the same. Self-destructive."

Avery let her hands sink as she turned back to Officer Chen, "What?"

"You are hurting. There is a part of you that isn’t healed."

"Hurting- What are you talking about? You're not making much sense. Are you trying to psychoanalyze me or intimidate me?" Avery had abandoned the plan of putting her hair up.

"I am not trying to intimidate you. I am trying to help."

"That's a weird way of helping." The irony of Avery doing the exact same to others didn't get lost on her.

"You're gonna end up killing yourself. And maybe you think you want this, but-"

"I am not trying to get myself killed! What are you talking about?"

"Passive suicide is still suicide, Fox. There are resources. Numbers. People to talk to. You matter."

"You don't even know me. What are you talking about?"

"I wouldn't want to miss out on the opportunity to get to know you. Speak to someone about this. If it isn't me, someone you trust. The DPD offers resources, in-house therapists-"

"I didn't think I…“ Avery's ears were ringing as she went silent in the middle of her sentence.

"You are not worth the sacrifices you make, Avery."

Avery was quiet. Tina was quiet.

"Are you gonna report me?"

"I doubt that would help you. But I am keeping an eye on you." Tina handed Avery her purple, fluffy notebook. "Found this on Gavin's desk. My great detective skills told me it’s yours. I wrote my number in there. And a helpline in case it’s urgent. Please reach out."

Avery grabbed the little book and did her best, to concentrate on the fluffy felling of the cover. Tears were burning in her eyes as there were so many unsaid things. Tina was soft and strong, and for some reason, Avery couldn’t think about anything else than her shiny hair.

"Thank you."

"I got you. Oh, and" Tina slipped her DPD jacket off her shoulders. "You are shaking." She took one step closer and wrapped the jacket around Avery. "You can give it back tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Avery replied. Her voice small. Soft. And with another nod, Tina left the women’s restroom, and Avery inhaled deeply. She was wrong. She didn't befriend Tina. Tina befriended her.

___

"They matched Derek Smiths fingerprints to the unknown one’s that were found at the crime scene. He admitted to being there at the estimated time that Matthew Lewis died. I am just waiting for a warrant to search his house, but we have enough to charge him."

The sun had set already. Avery was sitting on Reeds desk, the stains of Derek's blood still permanent on her sweater. Her blonde hair was hanging in sad strands around her even more pale than usual face. On her shoulders still Tina's uniform jacket.

"He even dropped these pictures of you. Seems like he was definitely watching you after you met him." Reed dropped three photos onto the table in front of Avery. She frowned, taking a closer look at the picture of her outside the precinct this morning. They were taken from the other side of the street. Zoomed in. Had Derek been following her? But why? She had such a strong feeling about him being innocent.

"Cased closet. Meaning, I don’t need Fowler to fire you. You can just go home." Reeds tone was a little softer. Avery knew he wasn’t angry anymore because he closed the case because of her. Or so he thought.

"You know he didn't do it.“

"I have evidence he did. And that’s what matters to me."

"I thought you were a better cop, Reed."

Reed sighed as he ran his hands through his messy hair, making it a lot messier in the process. "Give me some reason to believe it wasn’t him. Name me another suspect. Anything, Fox. Do you have anything? I am really trying here."

"I have a feeling."

"For fuck's sake." He went through his hair frustrated again. "I am going home." Reed grabbed his jacket, "And you better do the same," and with that, he was gone faster than Avery could protest. She wasn’t sure if he was running from this case or from her.

___

Avery was staring at a picture of Matthew Lewis. Alive and well. All smiley. She sighed and rubbed her hand over her face. She was missing something. Sophie would say one of her usual phrases. Probably the devil’s in the details, or something like that.

"Miss Fox?" Avery looked up from her fluffy purple notebook. A good hour had passed since Reed left, and she, of course, didn’t go home. Instead, she spent her time trying to think of every small detail she possibly missed.  A tall officer was standing in front of Reeds desk, eyeing her curiously.

"Hm?" Her head was buzzing from the neon lights of the precinct. When was the last time she drank something?

"Do you know where Detective Reed is? I have someone who asked to speak to him." The man said. A streak of his hair stuck to his forehead from wearing a hat all day.

"Detective Reed went- Danielle!" Avery got up quickly as she saw the brown-haired girl peaking out behind the officer. Red Converse. "You can leave her with me. Thank you." The officer nodded before turning around to leave.

"Avery Fox." Danielle Green wore a winning smile. "I did some more research into your case. True-crime is great when you’re having a hangover."

Avery raised a brow. Oh, how she loved that people even sensationalized her case, even though it was officially being labeled as an accident.

"I brought a list of questions." Danielle unlocked her green smartphone, how fitting, before clearing her throat. "Question number one…"

"Hang on." Avery lifted her hand to interrupt Danielle. "I also have questions. Regarding an actual, real case that’s not solved yet."

Danielle’s smile dropped, and she pursed her lips. "The only reason I came here was so I could post about this on Instagram later."

Avery sighed. Now she understood why Reed was doing it so often. "Okay, let’s make a deal. I answer a question for every one you answer."

"Okay. Sounds fair." Green agreed.

Avery grabbed her notebook. "What were you doing at Matthew Lewis’ house at around 7 pm the night he was murdered?"

"What? I wasn’t there." Danielle's tone was offended as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I have a witness who says otherwise."

Danielle sighed this time. "I sometimes buy stuff from him. Well, used to, I guess. Now that he’s dead."

"What kind of stuff?" Avery asks with a head tilt.

"You know, like Xanax. Nothing crazy."

Drugs. Of course. She should have known that already. "Did you buy some that night?" Avery asked as she made herself a few notes.

"Oh no, first it’s my turn." Danielle pulled her phone up again. "So we start with the most interesting question: How did you survive?"

How could this case possibly be more interesting to a true-crime fanatic than having someone die who they knew? Maybe it wasn’t sensationalized enough yet. Avery noticed that the newspapers were lying low at the moment. Probably by special request from the mayor. "I don’t know, honestly. I don’t remember much. Luck, I guess. Someone called the paramedics fast." Avery finally replied. "Now my question."

"I didn’t because when I went up his driveway, another car had just parked there. I didn’t wanna be seen around Matthew's house, so I got lost."

Another car? There was someone else at the scene? But the forensics did not find any more fingerprints? Maybe the person wore gloves or cleaned up after themselves. Someone methodical.

"Question number two: Did they ever find your sister?" Danielle asked.

"No, they didn’t. What kind of car was that?" Avery answered bluntly. She didn’t wanna think about Sophie now. She needed to find out who else was at Matthew's house the night he died. His murderer or someone who saw something? She knew it wasn’t Derek.

"A red one?" Danielle shrugged, "I have no idea about cars. Question number three: How did your father react when he found out what happened?"

"He went MIA. Haven’t talked to him in years. Did you see who got out of the car?" Her heart was racing. She needed to call Reed. Tell him about this. No. She couldn’t. He would probably just tell her off like he did every other time before. This time she needed more. She needed to find out who this person was.

"Nope, like I said, I hurried away. Question number four: Why did she do it?"

Avery could feel the cold, anxious sweat in her hands. "We’re done here. No more questions."

"Okay. Whatever. Will I get in trouble because of the Xanax?" Danielle locked her phone before pushing it back into the pocket of her skinny jeans.

"I am not concerned about that. I just wanna catch a killer." Avery sat down at Reeds desk again.

"Ok. Thanks." Green turned around to leave.

"Oh, and Danielle. No Instagram." Avery shouted after her.

The only reply she got was a deep sigh.

___

Committed to solving this case with the actual correct murderer and now fueled by the knowledge that there was someone else, Avery started putting down all the evidence she had on the ground. The autopsy report, photos of the crime scene, witness statements, the book, her notes. And as Connor entered the precinct soon after, he found her kneeling on the ground, surrounded by paper. The android tilted his head a little amused until he registered the blood on her sweater.

"Are you alright, Miss Fox? I just read the report about what happened earlier."

"Yah, I am fine." She lied for the second time today, maybe even the third, she didn't keep track. She just gave him a short glance before focusing on what's in front of her again. What was she missing? "Thanks."

"In the report, it states that Detective Reed actually already made an arrest."

"He did. But it’s the wrong person."

"How do you know?"

"I have a witness who saw someone else at the scene that night. And more importantly, I have a feeling."

"A feeling... elaborate, please." She looked at him again, and somehow at this moment, she felt like she could tell him. Tina probably did her fair share of this. Because she was right. Avery needed to reach out. She needed to reach out so she wouldn’t drown. Connor was here. He seemed to care. He seemed to want to help. She had no idea about deviancy or if that was just his program telling him to do. Or if he was just more polite than Reed, and that’s why he’d actually listen. But she trusted him. And she trusted her instincts.

"I had an accident when I was 16." She leans back to sit on her heels. "I was dead. They didn't know for how long."

Connor had lowered himself to the ground, now kneeling in front of Avery's circle of madness. His head was tilted again, his soft facial features serious. He was waiting for her to continue.

"Since then, I... feel certain things. It’s like a heightened intuition, sort of? I am not saying it’s connected or anything. I go with this whole psychic thing, but actually, I never claimed I was. It was just what people started to call me."

"Heightened intuition. Interesting."

She felt a knot loosening in her stomach as he didn't laugh at her. He, the most logical and rational being, in theory, seemed to actually believe her more than most people. Except, of course, the people who think she actually can talk to ghosts. But they couldn't be further from the truth.

"So the problem I always run into is that I have a feeling about something. But I lack the context. I am not as good of a detective as I wish I could be."

"That’s why you did rely on Detective Reed to help with that part, and he took the easy out and left. And that’s why you’re upset." It wasn’t a question. "Luck is on your side, as I am actually the most advanced model Cyberlife has ever made, and I also happen to know a thing or two about detective work." She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile that was creeping up on her face.

"Give it a go. What do you got?"

So Avery does. She proceeded to walk Connor through all of her evidence, although she was certain he had access to all this data already, but she didn’t leave out what her gut feeling was telling her at every point. She finished with the information that were given to her by Derek before Reed shot him and her latest encounter with Danielle.

"I knew it couldn’t been Derek. And Danielle saw someone else at the scene. I just have to find out who. And I feel like with that I will be able to solve this case. With the actual killer."

"Did you go through all the people involved in this and cross-referenced if they own a car?"

"What? No. I didn’t know there would be such a list." Avery could feel the heat in her cheeks, as she was a little embarrassed to not have been able to think of that herself.

Connors gaze unfocused for a few seconds as he gained access to the system. Avery watched him as she thought how much faster her job could be if she could find out everything about a person as they spoke. But perhaps that would be a little creepy even for her.

Connors warm eyes met her cold ones again. "Bingo!" He announced proudly. "Guess who owns a red Ford GT."

Her eyes lit up in excitement as she sat up a little more straight. "I have no clue."

"Melanie Lewis."

Chapter Text

The Android

Connor could see the realization struck Avery like lightning. It all made sense to her now.

"I think we should inform Detective Reed about this." He said.

One moment Connor and her were staring at each other and the very next they were rushing out of the precinct. Avery did not make the effort to change into her jacket, she just tugged her arms into Officer Chen's uniform one. It fitted well, besides Avery being a head taller than Officer Chen, as the latter preferred an oversized fit of her clothes.

"I am calling a taxi." Connor said while he was already doing it.

"You know where he lives?"

"Of course I do. He lives just around the block."

"We’ll be faster with my ride than."

Connor nodded, following her as he expected a vehicle to be her ride, and he could not hide his surprise as Avery's ride turned out to be a rusty yellow bicycle. There was no time to protest, so he found himself on the back of Avery's bike, holding on to her waist as he tried his best to keep his long legs off the ground. At first, she struggled a bit to keep the balance with the extra weight. Avery probably did not calculate that an Android would weigh a lot more than a human, but she did not complain and fell into a normal rhythm as they drove down the street. Connor normally enjoyed the rain. The calming sounds and the refreshing smell just seemed to make him feel a little more at ease with existence. But today he was glad that it stayed mostly dry. He could feel the cold wind blow against his face.

Avery dropped her bike next to the front door of the apartment as they arrived soon after. She was right, taking the bike was a lot faster. Her cheeks were flushed, Connor was not sure if it was because of the cold air or because of the fast driving. Her pulse was up, and her pupils were dilated.

"You’re alright doing this? If you don’t feel comfortable enough to speak to Detective Reed, I could-"

"It’s also my case. I know he doesn’t like that, nor me, but I have a client. And I’m gonna deliver results."

He nods. "Affirmative."

The main door was a little stuck but opened with a load creak, as Avery leaned her body weight into it.

"Second floor." Connor answered Avery's question before she got around to ask it. She rushed up the stairs, Connor right at her feet. Avery looked through the names on the doors until she found the right one — Reed.

After the third time, Connor thought she would have stopped. After the tenths time, Connor thought she should have stopped. But Avery Fox did not stop ringing Gavin Reeds doorbell at 11pm until after the 17th time, they could finally hear a rumble and a familiar voice cursing. An even grumpier looking Detective Reed — Connor didn't know that was possible — opened the door. In sweatpants, and a tight black T-shirt that was stretching over his wide frame. His hair messier than usual.

"Fox. What. The actual. Fuck.," he said in disbelief, not taking notice of Connor yet. "I don’t remember giving you my address."

"You didn’t, but he has it," Avery said as she walked past Reed into his flat, revealing Connor behind her.

Reed let out a sigh and after Connor had entered with a polite nod, he threw the door shut.

"Do you know how late it is?"

Connor knew that tone. They were really testing his patience. "It is 11.07 pm. Would you also like to know the weather." Was it a good idea to joke with Reed in such a fragile state? No. Was Avery grinning about his joke? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

"Don’t test me, Connor." He said through gritted teeth. "I expected Fox to pull a stunt like that but you? Shouldn’t you already be in stand-by mode?"

"It may come as a surprise to you, but we aren’t here because we felt the strong impulse to check out your sad book collection." Avery said, ignoring Reeds eye rolling over her words. "We found the killer."

"Yah. No shit, smart asses. Me too. I arrested him this morning. Had to fill out tons of paperwork for shooting him."

"It was not him, and you know it."

"Okay, I’ll play along because I just know you weirdos won’t leave my flat before I hear you out. So Sherlock and Watson. Who’s the real murderer?"

"Melanie Lewis."

"Melanie- What? The mayor's wife? Killed her own son?"

"She did. Remember how Derek saw a car parked outside? Danielle came in earlier, and she also told me about a car. Both said on the night of Matthew Lewis' murder, there was a red vehicle parked outside his house. Guess who’s also driving a red car?"

"I can’t believe you seriously brought her here for this bullshit." Reed said to Connor. "You know how police work works. This is not even thin. This is none exciting evidence." His voice got louder as he turned to Avery as well.

"I am tired of working with your chaos methods, and I can’t believe you are entertaining her delusions as well, Connor. Out. Both of you, now."

"She has a feeling." Connor said.

"A feeling hm…" Reed was sarcastically nodding.

"Detective-" Connor tried again just to get hushed immediately.

"Nope. No. No. No more absurd theories. No more ghosts. No more wasting my precious free time." Reed put both his hands on each of their lower backs as he guided them towards his front door and quicker than Connor could come up with a convincing argument, they got the door shut in their face under heavy protest from Avery.

"Reed please!" Avery banged her hands against his door.

Nothing.

"Come on, hear me out once." She shouted against the closed door.

Connor heard Reed lock his door. Avery sighed frustrated.

"Remember how we both had contradicting statements from Mrs. Lewis? It was because she entered the house twice. First alone with her key, then later with her husband and the spare one hidden under the door mat."

Reeds voice finally answered through the door. But Connor heard that, he didn't even step away from it at all. The detective had some faith in Avery. "You’re being serious about this?" Reed paused before continuing, "If you’re oh so clever, why would she kill her own son?"

"The election is soon. She lives an expensive lifestyle. She needed Mayor Lewis to stay Mayor Lewis. Her son was falling behind at school. Fighting with his girlfriend. Abusing drugs. When he started selling them, it was enough. That evening, she went there to confront him before the dinner. She told him to get his life in check. To stay under the public radar before the election. Matthew had a picture of him with his parents framed in his flat. He loved them. He needed help. I am sure he wanted help. But he needed an outstretched hand. Not an election campaign." Both men fell silent as Avery continued, and at that moment Connor understood why people would think that she could speak to ghosts. He wouldn’t call it a superpower, perhaps just empathy. But both worked.

"They fought, he turned away from her, feeling maybe embarrassed, angry, guilty. He couldn’t look at her. Why was she saying all these things? And she was just so angry. Because to her, he was just a spoiled brat. A personification of all the mistakes she made. So she took the vase and slammed it over his head just to silence him."

The door opened again."I am getting my jacket, we're gonna visit the Lewis." Reed said. His eyes not leaving Fox’s.

"As much as I believe in miss Fox’s theory, we don’t have enough evidence to get a warrant."

"I don’t need a warrant." A smug grin appeared on the Detective's face. "I need her to do exactly what she was hired for. I need her to talk to Matthew's ghost."

___

The Medium

The drive in the car was silent. Avery was in the front, Connor sitting behind her. Reed had switched out his sweatpants for a pair of dark jeans. His car smelled like warmth and a hint of his aftershave. Just as expected, it finally started to rain and drops were running down the window shield. The radio was on, but it was too quiet for Avery to actually understand what the moderator was cheerfully announcing. She watched Reed for a few seconds. From this angle, the scar tissue on his nose was even more visible. His nose was a little crocked from whatever happened to him. He had a sharp jawline and as the streetlight illuminated his face in waves, she could see a few gray hairs peaking through his brown mess of a hairstyle. He was beautiful. No gun to her face could have her admitting this. Gavin Reed was a dick first. Beautiful second.

"Everyone knows what they have to do?" Reeds voice sounded a little rougher after not talking for a while.

They stopped in a save distance away from the Lewis house. Avery nodded carefully as she thought again about the plan Reed came up with in his living room while she was biting her lips and Connor had Reed's cat on his lap. Her name was bacon, which Avery thought was silly because who named a gray cat Bacon? Gavin Reed, of course.

She tried to hide her shaking hands by stuffing them into the pockets of Tina’s jacket. She was nervous. Connor seemed to notice directly, but he didn’t say anything. Avery wasn’t a saint. She wasn’t above lying. But this was definitely something else.

"Alright. Let's do this, then. Connor?"

Connor nodded, about to leave the car before Avery turned to him and stopped him with one hand on his shoulder. "Be careful."

He smiled a little as he tilted his head. "Don’t worry. I always accomplish my missions. And since you got Detective Reed on your side, I am not worried in the slightest."

"Just shut up and do your job, Tin can." Reed answered with a deep sigh. And with a wink to Reed, Connor got out of the car.

There was a second of silence.

"You are sure you can do this?" Reeds voice seemed to soften a bit. He wasn’t looking at her.

"Of course."

"Your hands are shaking." He was still staring straight ahead, watching Connor hurry through the rain.

She looked down at her hands in her pockets. So he did notice. Made her wonder how much more he usually noticed. He was a good detective at last. At least that was what her intuition told her. That was the reason she still had trust in him, even after all his shitty behavior. Maybe he felt the same way about her.

"I am just nervous."

"I’ll be next to you the whole time."

"Is that supposed to calm me?"

He laughed, "I won't let anything happen to you."

She wanted to protest, but he had been looking out for her. She had the tendency to get herself into dangerous situations. Tina's words seemed to gain a life of their own in her head. You’re gonna get yourself killed. She was right, wasn’t she? But that would mean Avery was not just a threat to herself, but also to Reed.

"Fox?" He interrupted her thoughts as he turned his head towards her.

"Yes, present. Let’s do this."

"Alright. Just one more thing."

"Yah?"

"Don’t play the hero."

___

Avery took a deep breath, and with one last look towards Reed, she rang the cold doorbell. In the following seconds of nothing happening, Avery tried to calm herself with every breath she took. And as the door opened carefully and a confused Mayor Lewis in casual wear peaked his head out, she fully emerged in her role. She needed to succeed in this. For Matthew, for Elisabeth, for Derek and even for herself.

"Avery? What's going on? It's late."

"Excuse me, Mayor Lewis. I think I know how to solve the murder of your son. But I need your’s and your wife’s help."

Mayor Lewis blinks twice before noticing the man behind her.

"This is Detective Reed."

After a few seconds of the mayor probably rethinking his life choices, he stepped aside to let them in. "Of course. Come in."

It was not the first time that Avery had entered their impressive house. The entrance area was a big open space filled with dark wood furniture and golden accents. She saw Reed form a silent wow with his lips as they followed the mayor into his living room.

"Please take a seat. I will get my wife." Mayor Lewis said, leaving Avery and Reed alone in his living room. Neither of them took a seat. Massive bookshelves were on every wall as a few small warm lamps were lighting up the space. Reed took a closer look around, his hands now shoved deep into his pockets.

"Avery?" Melanie Lewis was in a light blue robe and her hair was a mess hanging over her shoulders as she entered the room, "And who are you?"

"Detective Reed." Reed said, lifting his hand for a lazy greeting. "I am the lead detective in your son's murder. My colleague Officer Miller took your statements."

Before Melanie or her husband who showed up behind her could ask any more questions, Avery stated in a demanding tone, "I need candles. Black or white." And as she saw their faces, she added, "This all will make sense in just a second. Trust me for now, please." Abusing the trust of her loyal clientele to solve a murder? Avery was surprising herself every day.

Melanie glanced appropriately confused at her husband and as he gave her an affirming nod, she said, "Of course. I will get them."

The Detective

A few minutes later, Fox was lighting up seven white candles on the couch side table. The Lewis’ were sitting next to each other on their sofa. The mayor seemed calm, sitting up straight and not fiddling around with his hands like Gavin, who was next to them in an armchair. Melanie had her robe wrapped tightly around her. She seemed nervous. Chewing on her lips the whole time. Avoiding eye contact with both Fox and Gavin.

"Okay." Fox said as she lit up the last candle. "I need everyone's hands and I need you all to think about Matthew and let yourself feel whatever emotions this thought brings out in you. Understood?" She continued to explain as she sat on a little stool between Melanie and Gavin to close the circle.

"Avery, what exactly are we doing?" It was Mayor Lewis who dared to ask.

"We will be trying to reach Matthew." Fox said, reaching out her hands. So did Gavin and the now very serious-looking mayor. As Gavin's hand grabbed hers, he quickly squeezed it twice. He wasn’t sure if it was to calm or affirm her. Perhaps both. Her hand was cold in his, and yet it made him feel a little warmer as she grabbed it so naturally.

Melanie hesitated. Of course. "Is this really necessary? Do you believe in this, Tom?"

"I trust her completely. I don’t need to say more. You can either help us or leave, Melanie." Melanie winced a little as her husband snatched at her. Obviously, not used to him speaking to her like that.

"Alright. I'll entertain you." And with a glance to Gavin, she added. "I cannot believe the Detroit police department is investigating like this."

Reed shrugged. "This form of research is in it’s… trial era."

With another sigh, Melanie finally grabs Fox’s hand. Her other hand was now, just like Gavin's other hand, holding the mayor’s.

"I feel so many strong feelings and countless memories of Matthew in this house and from you two." Avery started to speak in a lower voice as she slowly closed her eyes.

"Matthew. Are you present?"

The whole room went quiet, and even Gavin did not notice how he started to hold a breath.

"Matthew. If you are here, give us a sign. We want to help."

The candles started to flicker.

"What-?" Melanie was interrupted as a noise of shattering glass made everyone besides Avery flinch.

"What was that?" Mayor Lewis asked.

"Please remain seated and concentrated. I am trying to reach your son." Fox cleared her throat before continuing. "Matthew. What happened to you that night?"

A light flickered on upstairs.

"That’s… that’s Matthew's old bedroom." Melanie stated in horror. Gavin's brows rose to a frown. Connor was doing his job great. That was more than they anticipated.

"I see… grass. Miles of grass."

The mayor looked confused. "Grass?"

"The golf course!" Melanie said in a shaking voice.

"I see a woman. Her laugh is beautiful. She is holding… a book?"

"Elisabeth…" Melanie’s voice was almost breathless.

"I see myself, a man and a woman next to me."

"She is in his house. She’s seeing the pictures on his shelf." Tom sounded calm.

"And I smell… roses?"

"Roses?" Tom frowned as Melanie's face whitened a bit.

The lights of the house started to flicker as Fox suddenly dropped Mrs. Lewis’ and Gavin's hands. Gavin directly feeling the absence of her cold hands who just got a little warmer in his.

Mrs. Lewis voice was shaking, "What's happening?"

"Mom?" Fox was slowly standing up now. Eyes still closed. Her hands were still stretched out. Shaking.

"What?" Melanie jumped up and Reed carefully and slowly followed. The Mayor remained seated.

"Mom, I…"

Melanie's eyes widened as she looked helplessly from Gavin to Tom. The Mayor was frozen in place again. His eyes glued to Avery, whose whole vibe suddenly had changed. Reed's worried frown was even more permanent now.

"Matthew?" Melanie asked this time.

"Mom. I don't feel so good." Avery's hands were shaking more. "My head." She reached out to touch the back of her head, as if she was expecting to find blood there.

"Matthew. Sweaty…"

"I needed you." A tear was slowly running down Fox's face and Gavin was stunned in place, unable to tell how much of this was acting. If it was, Fox was definitely on the wrong career path.

The lights of the house turned off completely. The wax was running down the candles onto the expensive wood table. They were the only source of light left and illuminating Fox’s face, twisted in pain.

"How could you?!" Her voice became a raspy sound. Nothing of the women Gavin knew was left.

"Melanie?" It was now Tom who finally spoke. "Melanie, what does this mean?!"

"I am sorry, Matthew. I am so sorry."

"Melanie what… what did you do?!" Mayor Lewis voice was a whine of pain as the realization of not only losing his son but his wife as well hit him.

"I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I did this for you, Tom."

"You did this for yourself." Gavin finally found the words to speak again.

"I needed you to forget who you are for once. I needed you to become what I needed you to be. For me." Fox’s voice wasn’t hers anymore. It was filled with anger and pain, as tears were streaming down her face. "But you couldn’t be a lesser version of yourself." And with that, Fox collapsed just as the lights turned on again. Gavin's quick reflexes caught her before she could hit the floor. Just as fast as she seemingly fainted, she opened her cold eyes again to meet those of a worried Detective.

The Medium

"Avery? You okay?" Reeds voice was muffled, as if he was talking through a pillow. It took a second before the rest of the outside stimulations flooded in. The fighting couple. The harsh ceiling light. The sounds of sirens in the distance. Connors knocks on the door.

"I’ll manage." She said as she rubs her tired face, not completely sure of what just happened.

"Alright." Reed helped her to sit down on the armchair, "Careful now." Then he reached onto his belt for a pair of cuffs.

"Melanie Lewis, you’re arrested for the murder of your son, Matthew Lewis. Put your hands on your back." His tone shifted to a more authoritative one as he cuffed Melanie, who was still trying her best to explain herself.

"Are you sure you’ll manage?" Reed asked again, and Avery quickly nodded as an answer. With one last glance to make sure Avery was really doing fine, he led Mrs. Lewis out of her house while reading her rights to her.

Tom sat down across from Avery again. Now his legs were nervously shaking. "Is he still there?"

Avery looked up to him.

"Can you still tell him that I am sorry and that I should have helped him more? That it’s my fault. All of this was my fault." Lewis winced as he put his hands over his face.

"I don’t think I need to tell him that, Mayor." Avery's voice was calm, soft. "I think Matthew knew all this. He loved you both very much." Lewis made another sob.

"He still had so much to do in his life. He didn’t even finish college."

"It’s the greatest tragedy of life, Mayor. I am so sorry for your loss." And that was when Avery finally noticed Connor standing in the door frame, patiently waiting. His clothes were completely drenched as drops of rain were still running down his smooth face.

"Excuse my intrusion." He said. "I was sent to ask Mayor Lewis to come to the station for a statement."

"Yes, yes, of course." The Mayor said, hurrying to be on his feet, but before he was out of the door, he turned to Avery.

"Thank you. For everything." And with that, he was gone.

Avery turned to Connor. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked with a weak chuckle. She felt exhausted. Drained.

"Detective Reed send me to check on you. He seemed honestly worried."

Avery chuckles low. "Pff, I doubt he does."

"He does."

She was quiet for a second. "Nice touch with turning the light in Matthew's old room." She quickly changed the topic.

"Pardon me?" Connor tilted his head a little.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I just did as Detective Reed asked me to. I made the light flicker before turning them off." He explained.

"So you didn’t turn on the lights upstairs?" Avery’s face shifted to confusion.

Connor shook his head, "No, I wasn’t able to do that without a more time-consuming hack, which I need authorization from a judge from."

"Oh."

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No, nope." She answered quickly as she jumped onto her legs again, still feeling a little shaky.

"Thank you for your help, Connor."

Connor smiled at her, "Of course, Avery."

___

Two days later

The Detective

"Did you read the headline this morning?" Chris asked, a steaming coffee mug in one hand, a tablet in the other.

Gavin grunted. "It’s 8 am, I spent the last two days filling out paper work and I haven’t had my first coffee yet. Of course, I didn’t."

A smug grin appeared on Chris’ face. "Too bad then, I guess." He said before walking towards his desk.

Gavin frowns before sitting up straight. "Wait, Hey, Chris! What is the headline?"

"Ask me nicely." He demanded, now a few steps away.

Gavin sighed deeply. "Would you please tell me what the headline is, my absolute favorite officer, Chris Miller."

Gavin didn’t think that Chris’ smile could widen even more, but it did as he walked over to put his tablet down in front of Gavin. "With pleasure."

"Mayor Lewis wins with a majority vote. That is…wow."

"Exactly! That’s what I thought. Mrs. Lewis didn’t need to kill her son — oh Hi, Avery."

Gavin turned around to see his least favorite medium in a blue overall. It had little flower decorations on the top, which felt improper for Fox, whose clothing style was normally as exciting as a glass of water.

"Fox, huh." He grinned. "Missed me already?"

"I have to give Tina her jacket back. And I came to say goodbye to Connor."

"I’ll leave you two to it then. Nice seeing you again, Avery." Chris said.

"Bye Chris." The tall man smiled at her before walking away.

"If Connor gets a goodbye, I should get a gift basket for having to bear working with you."

"Sincerity is a foreign concept to you, huh?" Fox made a face.

"Oh come on. I know you’re gonna miss our banters. What is your plan now, anyway?"

"Let’s see what institution I can force to give me another internship next." She joked. "Maybe the FBI?"

"Oh, you call this an internship? I call this medieval torture."

"Sincerity, Detective. This is the last time you’ll ever see me."

He paused, and it was one of the rare moments in which Gavin actually thought before he spoke, "You did a good job out there, Fox. Thank you for trusting your gut and trusting me to help you."

A smile and a nod was all Avery could answer before a low voice called out for them.

"Reed. Fox. My office now." It was Captain Fowler.

"You guys weren’t kidding, calling him the drill sergeant, huh?"

"Do I look like a person who makes jokes to you?"

___

"You both did an outstanding job out there. Congratulations on your arrest, Detective Reed." Captain Fowler was leaning against his desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, while Fox and Gavin were sitting in the two armchairs across from him.

"Thank you, Sir." Gavin couldn’t help himself but to smile a little proudly.

"I can’t say I completely support your…methods, Miss Fox, but you delivered results. And that's what I like."

"Yah, she did alright I guess." Gavin said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest with a smirk. Default state.

"That's why I am going to officially offer you a job as a consultant in this Department, Miss Fox."

"What?" They both replied in union, as Fox’s voice was filled with joy while Gavin's smirk dropped.

"And since you already worked so good with Detective Reed, you would be assigned as his new official partner." There was almost the hint of a smug smile on Fowlers face, and Gavin, for once, couldn’t blame him.

Fox smiled wide as her gray eyes lit up in excitement, while Gavin's jaw must have dropped to the floor.

"Well, do you accept?" Fowler asked a little impatiently.

"Of course, I accept!"

Gavin sighed, frustrated, "Oh fuck me."

Chapter Text

One year later; The Present – 2040

The Medium

It was cold. So cold.

She was running again. Her bare feet were numb from the ice underneath them, yet she felt everything. Every gravel, every sharp edge, every twig or stone. She saw her own reflection, staring up at her, running underneath the clear ice. Big panicking eyes. Blue skin. Wet hair. The endlessness of dark water underneath her. Perhaps she was below, staring above. She didn’t know.

It was so cold. Why was she running? Was she running from something? She couldn’t remember anymore. She only remembered the burning sensation of her lungs, desperately trying to get enough oxygen. She only remembered her hands, desperately reaching out before hearing the first crack.

She froze. Not moving a muscle. Only her heavy breathing was moving her torso up and down. The sound of the crack went through her whole body, her bones, and her spine onto the tips of her fingers. Dripping dark red liquid onto the ice. Muddying her reflection. That wasn’t her anymore. The lifeless eyes that stared back at her weren’t her own. No, they were… Sophie's.

Before her broken body could hit the cold, dark water, Avery jolted up in her bed. Breathing heavily as it took a second to realize that she was in her bed. It was a dream. Another nightmare. She was still freezing. That part was real. A cold breeze was coming through the window she left open. Cold sweat was running down her back. With a sigh, she glanced at her alarm. It was still early, but definitely not early enough to catch some more sleep. With another sigh, Avery swung her long legs out of bed and made her way into the kitchen. Flipping the power button of her coffee machine on, she spared herself of her own view, passing the bathroom mirror and jumping straight into the shower. The water was so hot that it steamed the little room up as Avery took her time to watch the water run down her aching bones looking like pearls. Nightmares weren’t uncommon for her. Especially not during the time of the year when it gets colder and everything loses color. In another life, Avery would have loved the winter. In this life, she dreaded it.

___

Despite the freezing winter temperatures, Avery took the bike today. The early morning hours were even colder, and she stuffed her still damp hair underneath her hood. Avery's first stop took her to a little bakery that she frequently passed on her way to work. A little bell chimed as she walked in, cheeks a little flushed and in the reflection of the counter she almost looked alive. The old lady with an apron gave her a smile as Avery was almost overwhelmed by the selection of cake she had. Because that was when the realization it hit her, she had no idea what to get. Zero. Absolutely none.

"Good morning, have you already decided?" The lady behind the counter smiled. She was white and had a round face framed by two streaks of white hair. Lines on her face from years full of laughter.

"Oh…" Avery smiled shyly. "Good morning…well all of them look delicious, which makes it really hard to decide."

"Maybe I can help." The woman offered with another, now more encouraging smile. "For what occasion would you like it for?"

"I need a birthday cake for someone who hates birthdays." Avery said. "Oh, and probably cakes as well." She grimaced.

"…"

"…"

"I think everyone loves chocolate." The lady finally said with confidence.

"Very good point. Could I get some writing on it?"

___

Avery wore a big smile as she scanned her ID card entering the precinct. The fact that it was no longer just a visitor ID still felt unreal to her. After she left the police academy, she gave up on her dream of becoming a detective. And it felt like this was the closest she’ll get to it in this lifetime. She was living her dream. For now, she could ignore the feeling of dread that was creeping around in the back of her mind. For today, she could have a good day. Like a normal person. Her good mood wasn’t long-lasting, as a voice calling out caught her attention and made her crash straight into another officer. The cake was the true victim of this accident as the box squished between them before falling to the ground.

"Oh no!" Avery bit her tongue not to swear.

"Sorry. So sorry!" The officer said as he kneeled to the floor to pick up the things Avery scrambled. "Are you alright?" He asked with a sheepish look.

"It’s okay, it’s…" Avery kneeled and carefully opened the lid of the cake box to assess the damage. "It’s not that bad, right?"

The officer leaned forward to peak a look into the box. "Nnii Pidun?" He read with a furrowed brow.

Avery pushed the lid shut. "It used to say Happy Birthday." She said bitter.

The officer grimaced as he stood up again. "Oh shoot. Whose Birthday is it?" He held on tight to Avery’s belongings.

"Detective Reeds."

He laughed bitter. "Then I don’t feel as bad. I might have done you a favor. This guy hates when someone even mentions his birthday." He shook his ginger hair.

"We all deal with aging differently. He’ll be fine. And thanks for smashing my cake. Ass." Avery replied bitterly as she grabbed the rest of her stuff out of the man's hands. The officer was stunned by her rude response, but she ignored him and just rushed to the break room, where she was supposed to meet Tina and Chris.

As she opened the door with her elbow, balancing a tower of cake and notebooks on her hands, she saw that both her colleagues were there already. Chris was in his patrol uniform, his hat was on the table. He seemed cheery, as usual, and that despite him having only a green tea in front of him at this time of the day. Chris was doing a caffeine cleanse together with his wife Cindy. Avery wasn’t as dependent on caffeine as Reed was, but even she couldn’t go a day without one. Someone being in a good mood before 10 am without a coffee sounded like a sighting of Bigfoot to her.

Tina was next to him. She was wearing a loose blouse and a sweater vest on top. She had been promoted to a detective position now almost three months ago. And every time Avery saw her in her normal attire, she couldn’t help but feel proud of her friend. The only downside of her promotion was that she used to look too good in her old uniform.

"What happened to the cake Avery?" Was he first thing Tina asked as Avery dropped her things onto the table and Tina got to peek into the cake box.

"Modern art?"

Chris snorted laughter. "I think Gavin might hate modern art even more than birthdays."

"To be fair, you can’t win with this man either way." Avery added. "But yah, someone ran into me, it wasn't my fault"

"You didn’t see that coming in your crystal ball?" Chris asked with a broad smile.

"I got up too late to check it this morning." Avery replied with a wink.

Tina sighed "Alright. Good. Imperfections make us all interesting and beautiful." She said before looking back and forth between Avery and Chris. Avery gave her an excusing smile and Chris a thumbs up.

"Let’s get this over with." Tina said before grabbing the candles she brought and added them to the cake. "Lighter?" She looked at her colleagues.

"I’ve been a week free of caffeine." Chris said. "I don’t smoke. This body is a temple." He nodded as he reassured himself.

"Despite popular beliefs, I do, in fact, not commit arson in my free time. So I don’t have one either." Avery added. They forgot the stupid lighter.

"Let me just… give me one minute." She said as she rushed out of the break room to approach Detective Gavin Reeds desk for the first time this morning. He was there already, of course. Hidden behind a mountain of paperwork, looking quite busy. Or at least pretending to be. As Avery rounded the corner, she found him playing Candy Crush on his phone.

"Productive, Detective."

He twitched a little as he turned around to her. "Not that I need to explain myself to you, Fox, but I was taking a break. Maybe you wanna be useful for once and actually help me with the case files?" He drummed with two fingers on one stack of documents.

"Hm, you know I am not allowed to work on any documents. I am only here for the fun part." Avery said with a cheeky smile on her face.

"Yah," Reed sighed. "It didn’t even need my amazing detective skills to notice that over the year you’ve been taunting me now."

"I need your lighter."

"My lighter? What are you planing?"

"I’ll get it back to you in one minute."

He sighed theatrically. "Fox, last time I let you hold my umbrella, you almost stabbed someone's eye out."

"That was definitely on him, like who wears reflective Nike's to a crime scene."

"No lighter. Now leave me in peace." He turned his attention back to his beloved phone.

With a grunt, Avery walked over to her next victim. Hank Anderson. He was sitting on his desk, in a definitely not orthopedically correct posture. Connor was sitting across from him. His eyes closed as he was probably either reading a case file or uploading something into the cloud.

"Good morning folks." Avery said with the worst country accent she could do.

Anderson slowly turned to look at her as Connors brown eyes shuttered open.

"Avery." The Android smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh I am fine, as usual." She tried to limit the small talk for now as she didn’t want Tina and Chris to wait.

Connor tilted his head as he got up from his chair, rounding the table to approach her. "You look tired." He stated and as he leaned a little down to her, he talked in a lower volume so that Anderson wouldn’t hear him. "Is it still the nightmares?"

His face looked genuinely concerned, and Avery wondered how, in the year she worked for the Detroit police department, she got the closest to an Android. He knew about her accident, he knew about Sophie, he knew about her nightmares. She was contemplating to lie to cut the conversation short, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to the one person who was there for her. Who knew about the darkness in her and yet never claimed to see anything but her light. So she gave him a shoulder shrug and answered also in a lower tone: "Let’s talk about this later, okay?"

He nodded understandingly before Avery turned to Anderson again, who was already back in his shrimp position googling something while typing with only two fingers.

"Ehm. So I am actually here because I need to borrow your lighter, Anderson."

Anderson turned again to face her. Today, he was wearing a shirt with little geometrical forms on it. It was one of his lesser silly once. "My lighter?"

Avery already thought she had to explain everything to him and wondered why no one in this damn precinct was able to do anything without asking one trillion questions. Typical detectives. But Anderson had already grabbed a yellow lighter from his pocket and held it up to her in an open palm.

"Keep it. I have so many flying around."

"Oh." Avery grabbed the lighter and glanced over at Connor, who just continued to smile at her. "Thank you!" And with that, she was off, finishing her mission.

___

"You took forever, Avery, I was about to send out a search squad." Tina greeted her with as she entered the break room for the second time today.

"People ask too many questions here." Avery answered dryly as she lit up the candles on the cake.

___

Gavin sighed deeply as he saw his three colleagues approach. Tina in the middle with the cake and Chris and Avery on either side of her.

"Happy Birthday Gavin!" Chris announced loud enough for the whole station to hear.

"First of all, I don't do birthdays," he said, his voice filled with annoyance. "Second of all, what is this sorry excuse for a cake? I bet Fox made it." He laughed, spiteful.

"Hey!" Avery called out defensively.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Gavin, blow out the candles and make a wish like a normal person."

"I wish you would all leave me alone today." He said before, unimpressed, blowing out the candles.

Tina grinned as she bravely placed the cake on top of one of Reeds document mountains. "Good thing that saying your wish out loud makes it not come true then."

"I cannot believe that you guys do this every year. You know I hate it."

"And we love you, Gav. So accept this as an offering." Chris joked and Reed rolled his eyes.

"At least you got me my favorite cake this year." He rubbed his hands mischievously together as if he was planning world domination. "I won’t share, by the way."

___

The day mostly passed like every other one. Despite not actually being allowed to help out with the paperwork, Avery spent it by sitting on top of Reeds desk and helping him out wherever she could. Whether it was by remembering something, finding something in her notes or researching with her phone. And if not any of those were working, she would do her best to entertain him, get him a coffee or lunch. She wasn’t nice like this every day, but this was also not just special birthday treatment. And despite never being able to thank her, she knew how much Reed appreciated her effort on those slow days. It had been a while since they had a case and both of them were kept on tenterhooks, somewhere between excitement and thirst for action for something to happen. Over the course of the day, Tina tried four times to persuade Reed into going out tonight. To no success, of course. And even Chris tried one time, but Reed cut him off directly. It was getting later and later, and Avery watched the sun set through the big glass windows.

"So what is this birthday-phobia?" She finally asked as Reed came back from the break room with both their mugs refilled. She was still sitting cross-legged on his desk, currently working her way through a pack of watermelon gummies.

"How do you even eat those?" Reed said and made a face, handing Avery her mug. "Careful. It’s hot." He warned her before carefully sitting his down, trying to avoid burning his hand because of the lack of a handle.

"You need to finally do something about this mug situation. Oh, and don’t avoid my question." Avery replied, smacking her lips.

"I like this mug." Reed protested.

"I didn’t say you have to throw it away. You could just fix it."

Reed sighed. "Alright psychic. You tell me why I don’t like birthdays then." He put one hand on his hip.

"Hm…" she took another watermelon. "I’d guess childhood trauma."

"That’s too broad. Be specific."

She continued chewing the gummy for a bit before jumping from the desk to slowly walk around him like a predator around its prey. "Well." She finally came to a stop in front of him. Reed could have been an intimidating man if she didn’t see right through him and already knew him far too well. Besides, they were at eye level.

"A day all about you, when you are used to trying to be as invisible as possible to survive, is probably more than stressful for you."

Reed squinted. "Remind me to not ever ask you to do that again."

She chuckled. "You’re doing fine, you know. Despite whatever happened."

"I know." He put on a smug grin, but she knew he put up a facade, and she was just about to think about how she could break it down as his phone rang. His green eyes lit up with excitement as he picked up the phone and Avery hurried to join his side.

Chapter Text

The Detective

The rain was loud and both Gavin and Fox were quiet as they drove to the crime scene. They have been called to a parking lot behind an old, rundown building that used to be a supermarket. Some kids had been using it as their hangout spot until today, where they have found a body. On the drive to the scene, Gavin and Fox passed Matthew Lewis’ house which had been standing empty ever since he was murdered in it, that day in November last year. That day Avery Fox walked into his life. Walked was the wrong word perhaps. She fell and stumbled and broke through a wall into his life. He looked over at her. Avery was looking out of the window, watching the rain run down. Her hair had gotten even longer since last year, and the dull streaks were hiding her face. So much had changed for both of them in the past 12 months. Avery seemed to found her purpose, her place, and her people. While Gavin found his one ray of hope in this life. He wondered if he should steal Chris’ joke that it should be illegal for criminals to do crimes at these times just for the chance to get a chuckle from Fox, but the deep frown she wore held him back. He set the car into park as the familiar blue and red lights welcomed them.

"You alright?" He asked.

Fox turned to him, still wearing this deep frown. "This must be the worst birthday ever for you."

He broke out into a surprised laughter. "I cannot believe that this is what you’ve been worrying about." But as he saw that she was, in fact, serious, he quickly added. "It’s fine Fox, really. I don’t care about my birthday. And even if I did, the worst was probably when my alcoholic father beat me up and kicked me out." That seemed to do the opposite effect of what he expected it to do, as Fox’s eyes widened.

"Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "It’s fine, let’s go."

Without another word, he got out of the car, and they hurried to get under one of the tents their colleagues put up. Chris was there already. He had a tablet in his hands and was typing on it.

"Gavin. Avery." He greeted them with a tired smile and Gavin remembered that even for him, a night owl, night shifts as a patrol officer used to be so exhausting.

"Hey Chris. How are you holding up?" The detective asked with something like worry in his voice. When did he, Gavin Reed, started worrying about other people so much? He glanced at the tall women besides him and remembered.

Chris sighed. "I am fine. It was just a long day, and we got this call like 15 minutes before our shift end."

Gavin made a face full of pity. He knew what that meant. A lot of overtime and tons of paperwork. His favorite.

"Do you need anything? I have some coffee in the car. I won’t tell Cindy, I promise." Fox offered with an encouraging smile.

"No, thanks Avery. I got this." Chris chuckled a bit before shaking his head. "It’s a Jane Doe." He continued. "We couldn’t find any documents on her. Looks like the crime scene was just a drop-off. Forensics are mostly done already. Oh, and Connor is at the scene."

"Thanks Chris. We’ll check it out." Gavin said as he grabbed one of the provided umbrellas to head to the scene. As he saw Fox reached for one as well he grabbed her arm and pulled her a little towards him.

"No Umbrellas for you anymore, forgot that already? Get under mine."

She sighed but complied. Fox was all too aware that any discussion with Gavin, especially at a crime scene, was useless.

After a second of walking in silence Gavin cleared his throat, trying his best to find words to fill the awkward silence between them. "Chris has been looking more tired than usual. Did you notice?"

"Yah." Avery chuckled. "He’s been doing this caffeine cleanse."

"That’s why you offered your coffee. I was surprised. You love sharing as long as it’s not your coffee."

"I think you’re reflecting. Remember that day the coffee machine at the precinct broke, and you threatened Fowler to quit if it wasn’t fixed by the next day?"

Gavin laughed loud which felt inappropriate at a crime scene. "But it worked, didn't it."

"Yah but people are talking about Gavin Reed and his unconventional tactics."

"Like employing a psychic."

"I am neither psychic nor your employee, but yes." they had reached the crime scene. Another tent had been put up at the edge of the parking lot. Yellow banner was wrapped around it and another officer was standing in front of it. Gavin flashed his badge and as they passed they saw Connor kneeling next to the body on the ground.

"Hey Connor." It was Avery who spoke first as she stepped away from Gavin and the umbrella.

The android was wearing a navy blue DPD jacket and, as usual, a black pair of suit pants. The rain had messed up his hair, but as usual, he didn't seem to care much. Yet, Gavin directly felt that something was off. Usually, it was Avery’s part to be hyper aware of everybody’s emotions, but Gavin could basically see the cloud above Connor's head. He had noticed more than once that Connor always got a little more cheerful around Fox. It made him wonder if that was just the effect she had on most people, since Gavin felt similar but made sure to use his talent of hiding his emotions. It also made him wonder how much a deviated android was able to feel. Were those emotions even real, or was his software just telling him that they were? Despite his curiosity, Gavin would never be caught dead asking Connor about this. And now he wondered how much was he missing by hiding behind this disinterested facade? How much was he missing of life? How much was he missing of...her?

"Avery. Detective Reed." Connor stood up quickly to his full height, a good head taller than both of them. "I think you should sit this one out." He continued, some urgency in his artificial voice as he placed himself between the body on the ground and Fox. Something was definitely up.

"What do you mean?" Fox looked at Gavin with a questioning face as if he was holding the answers.

"Trust me on this one, Ry." Connor's voice softened a bit. "You don’t want to see this."

Gavin's brows shot up so much that they disappeared under his hair. What could possibly be so bad about this crime scene that Connor would ask Fox to stay out of it.

"Don’t worry Connor." Fox said seemingly unbothered by the panic in the androids voice. "I can handle a dead body." And in a quieter tone that probably only Gavin heard she added,"more or less."

"It’s different. I don’t think it would help… with your nightmares." Nightmares? Fox had nightmares? And why did Connor know about this and Gavin didn’t? He was her partner. Not this Terminator. Gavin crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? What are you both talking about?" But both of his colleagues seemed to ignore the fact that Gavin was also present.

The detective could see how some worry creeped into Fox’s face. "Please step aside, Connor."

He hesitated. His dark eyes on her. Gavin could almost feel the tension between them which made him feel like he shouldn’t be present.

"Connor." Avery now repeated herself.

"As you wish." The android added politely before making space for Gavin and Fox to approach the body.

Gavin, who handed Fox his umbrella, took a few steps closer. Despite not being sure what Fox’s nightmares were about, he knew from the second he laid eyes on Jane Doe, he would be haunted by some tonight as well. The woman on the ground was white, skinny. Her skin was so pale, it seemed to be almost of a blueish tint. Her milky eyes were open. Staring into the now covered cloudy night sky. Her clothes were drenched and so was the long blond hair that stuck to her face. She looked exactly like Fox. Even her straight nose and the thin lips were a match.

Fox, who didn’t approach the body as close as Reed did, stood frozen in place, grabbing the umbrella so tight, that her knuckles were turning white. Gavin tried to find words. Anything to say. To explain this. To calm Fox down. To calm himself down, perhaps. But he just looked helplessly towards Connor, whose brows were furrowed.

"How… What happened to her?" It wasn’t rare that Gavin was bothered by what he saw in his job daily. It was rare that he struggled to contain his emotions though. He could hear his voice shake.

"She drowned." Connor replied as he continued to only look at Fox with his eyes full of worry.

Avery had now turned just as pale as the dead woman on the ground. The way Fox’s hair stuck to her face from the little rain that had gotten to her despite the umbrella made Gavin feel nauseous. He tasted metal in his mouth. It was as if he was looking into her future. He took a few deep breaths as reality slowly started to come back to him again. She was not his victim. Fox was not his victim. Fox was alive. Alive and alright. Well, alive at least.

"She was found here? Like this?" Gavin swallowed down the knot in his throat. He knew the answer, but he needed to say something. Say something to get this awful visual of a cold and dead Avery out of his head.

"According to the marks on her body she was murdered in a different place and her body was dropped here." Connor's voice was distant. Gavin wondered if the android had to push through these waves of negative feelings as well or if he simply could deal better with it. Maybe he just made it look easy.

"I think you were right, Connor." Avery said, still looking as if she was going to faint at any second now. She gave Gavin the umbrella back before adding, "I’ll wait at the car." With that, she turned around and hurried back.

"Fox." He said, and then he called out louder after her, "Avery!"

But she didn't turn back as she pulled her jacket tighter around her frame and jogged towards Gavin’s Ford through the rain.

"Shit." Gavin grumbled as he turned to look at Connor. "What is going on with her? You said something about nightmares?"

Connor tilted his head as if he was thinking about what to reply for a second.

"I need answers. What nightmares were you talking about? Has this something to do with her." Gavin pushed impatiently as he motioned towards Jane Doe.

"I am in no position to tell you about something Miss Fox consulted in private with me." Connor said calmly despite Gavin's urgency. The detective took two deep breaths. Just how he trained. First breathing, then talking.

"I am worried about her, Connor. Why would she tell you something like that but not me?" He didn’t feel jealous that Fox told Connor. He felt disappointed that Fox didn’t tell him as well.

Connors tone shifted a little as he readjusted his posture. "Excuse my bluntness, Detective Reed, but you’re not really a person who tends to be a good listener."

"Excuse me?"

"If you ask my opinion, Detective, then Avery did not tell you about her struggles because she doesn’t trust you enough."

"Trust me- you know what? Fuck you, Connor." Gavin blurred out. No more deep breaths. He was really running out of patience. Before following Fox he made sure his shoulder bumped into Connor's as he passed him.

___

Gavin found Avery leaning against his Ford. She was drenched. Shaken up. But some color had returned to her face. He approached her carefully, already taking off his heavy leather jacket.

"Avery…" He spoke in a soft voice.

"I am fine I just… I just need a minute." Fox didn’t look up as she spoke. She was staring at the puddle underneath her feet. At her muddy reflection.

Gavin handed the umbrella back to her before using both of his hands to put his jacket over her shoulders. Despite them being the same height, it looked big on her, and she looked nothing like her usual self. She looked fragile.

"You're very obviously not fine. What is going on?" Gavin asked as he leaned next to her against his car.

"I mean you saw her, didn’t you? What more is there to know, Reed?"

"I am missing the link here. Yah, she looks a little like you. That’s creepy okay. But it’s a coincidence." Gavin wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Fox or himself.

"Aren’t you always the one who says that there are no coincidences?" Her head spun around to face him and suddenly, her eyes were milky and empty. No. They were gray and watery. He needed to get himself together. For her.

"That’s not the point." He shook his head. "Fox, excuse me saying this, but you’re acting as if you saw a ghost. And what were those nightmares Connor was talking about? Is there something you aren’t telling me? Because if it’s related to the case I need to know."

"Related to the case, huh? Is that what you care about? The case?" She sounded frustrated. Angry.

Gavin bit the inside of his cheek before dramatically rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"You cannot be serious about this." Her voice was higher than usual, and she seemed to tense up.

"What?"

She took another deep breath before speaking. "I did not tell you because you obviously don’t care. You care about your case. And that’s it."

Gavin’s brows furrowed. "You’re being unfair, Fox. And you know that."

"How am I unfair?"

"I obviously care about you." His words left a sinking feeling in his stomach. There was so much unsaid things he needed to tell her. If she would just be less upset and if he would just be more brave.

She laughed spiteful. "You care about me?"

Her laughter left a pang in his chest. This was exactly why he hated telling people how he really felt. He crossed his arms in front of his chest defensively. "Oh, leave the sarcasm and be an adult for once, Fox."

"You’re an insensitive asshole Gavin Reed."

"Okay?" He shrugged theatrically. "And this insensitive asshole still cares about you."

She shook her head. A strand of her light hair stuck to her forehead. "Actions speak louder than words."

"Oh come on, keep your Pinterest quotes for yourself and tell me what’s wrong." He scoffed.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfectly fine. I’ll see you tomorrow." She pushed his jacket back into his hands and turned around to walk away yet again.

Gavin sighed impatiently. "Let me at least drive you home."

Fox didn’t react. She just kept on walking. Umbrella in her hand. Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before turning back to walk to his crime scene. He needed to ask Connor to go check on her. And perhaps even do what he came here for in the first place: his job.

Chapter Text

The Medium

The second Avery turned her keys around in the lock of her front door, she regretted coming home. Her flat was a mess. Piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and an empty fridge. Coming home meant being confronted by the person she really was. No more facade. No more lies. Just a tired mess of a person.

She let the door fall shut behind her, pressing her back against it to make sure it was closed. She felt drained. Even colder than usual. Today it was as if she saw her future. And it was dark. Darker than she had imagined. She was so sure she could keep it far enough away. She was so sure she could just keep on running. She was so sure that it would never, ever catch up to her. But that was where she was wrong. Stupid. Naive. She dropped her bag, kicked her boots off, and used the last energy she had to hang her wet jacket over the heater to dry. A warm shower. Surely that would help. She knew that. She at least hoped for it. She dropped her soaking wet clothes before turning the heat of the shower all the way up. She couldn’t find the strength to stand, so she crumbled down into a sad puddle of a person and let the water run down her cold bones. Flashes of the milky eyes and the slightly opened mouth of the dead woman came to her in a blur. Reed saying something incomprehensible. Connor stating that she drowned. Did Avery look like this? When someone fished her out of the cold, frozen river. When the paramedics arrived? Did they look into her cold eyes and saw nothing? Is that what her sister looked like? Is that what Sophie still looks like?

The loud ring of the doorbell made Avery jump. It was late. Too late for anyone ringing the bell. Who was she kidding? At any point in time, a doorbell would be weird because she just doesn’t get visitors. Half of it was her fault. She’d never invite someone into her depression cave. Another ring. Avery was out of the shower, a towel wrapped tightly around her before adding her gray bathrobe. Her wet feet left footprints all the way down the corridor to her front door as she peeked out of her peephole. She was a little surprised as she unlocked and opened the door.

"Connor?"

Connor looked a little out of place in the rundown hallways of her building. He was wearing a black button-up shirt, and his tie was a little loosened. He seemed to have changed out of his wet clothes from the crime scene earlier tonight.

"Hello again, Avery. Please excuse my intrusion. I was worried about how you left the crime scene." He paused before adding, "And Detective Reed asked me to check on you."

She grimaced and stifled a roll of her eyes. "I am fine," she lied. "Tell Detective Douche that I can take care of myself." With that, Avery wanted to slam the door shut in Connors face, but she hadn't expected him to have already put his foot in the door.

"Can I come in?" He made an apologetic face, and Avery struggled to say no to his puppy eyes.

"Honestly, not really," She said as she felt her anger fade. "I haven’t been home in a while. My flat is kind of a mess." She scratched the back of her neck a little embarrassed.

"Oh. In that case, I could help you clean it up a little." Connor put on a shy smile. God, why did Cyberlife give him such a stupid, attractive face?

"No. Connor, really." She shook her head. "There’s no need for this. I am fine." Avery tried her best to reassure him.

"Statistics show that a clean environment is a supporting factor in having a higher quality of life." And with that, he pushed past her into her flat.

"Statistics?" She sighed. "Are you making this up?" she called out after him as she pushed the door shut a second time and then followed the android into her kitchen.

"I am certainly not," Connor replied unfazed as he opened the cuffs of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up. Avery couldn’t help but to watch every of his movements closely. His long, thin hands. The veins under his artificial skin on his underarms had no other reasons to be there but aesthetic. As he caught her staring, she became just too aware of how little clothing she was wearing. She pulled the robe around herself a little tighter.

"Connor, please put down the plates. You don’t need to do my dishes." She protested as he started to let some water run into her sink.

"Tell me about your nightmare."

Avery shook her head before sinking on one of her kitchen stools. She watched the android clean a few plates before she took another deep breath. "It’s the same as usual. I am running from something on the frozen river. Sophie is trapped underneath the ice. I hear it cracking before I wake up."

"Seeing the drowned woman today must have been tough. I am sorry you had to see her. I tried to warn you, but I know I cannot protect you from everything."

She bit her lip. She knew Connor was only trying to protect her. She just didn’t know how to feel about that. Lately her thoughts and feelings about him had changed a little. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him. Something about him was magnetic. And that wasn’t a bad android joke.

"What do you think about the case?" Connor asked after she was silent for a moment.

"Nothing yet, honestly. Haven’t really had the headspace to put much more thought into it. All I saw was myself in her place." She stopped and interrupted herself, trying her best to get the picture out of her mind again. "Do we have more details?"

Connor grabbed some cutlery to clean. "Estimated time of death must be just hours before we found her. Dr. Johnson will be able to tell you more tomorrow."

"Is Reed sleeping with her?" Avery asked bluntly.

Connor set down a pot onto the drying rack before he looked at Avery. "Pardon me?"

"Reed and Valerie? Is that a thing?" She followed up again.

"You are unfocused, Avery. You didn’t strike me as a jealous person." Connor turned back to the task he gave himself, and he was perfect. Avery couldn’t remember her dishes ever being that clean. Maybe when she bought them. She saw her reflection in the metal of the pot and wondered if Connor was this good at everything he did. He was right. She was unfocused.

"I am not." She lied. "I am just nosy. It was just something I had a feeling about, but I could never prove nor deny it."

"If you’re asking for my opinion, I think they are just being casually flirty. I have no other evidence."

Avery watched him finish her dishes.

"So," Avery said, filling the awkward silence, "Where was Jane Doe murdered, and how did she end up in the parking lot?"

Connor's sleeves were still rolled up as he grabbed her purple laundry basket and started to walk around the flat to collect her dirty clothes. Avery followed him, having given up on complaining. She cringed a bit as he picked up some of her panties. He didn't seem to be bothered. Or at least he didn't show it.

"She was drowned in freshwater; we don’t know where exactly yet. The lab will have to run some more tests with the samples I transmitted to them. That way we can conclude a more precise location." Connor kneeled to grab some of her dirty shirts off the ground. Avery watched his every move. The way he kept his back straight and how effortless he got up again. "The marks on her body are an indicator that she was drowned elsewhere before being placed at the parking lot."

"So the parking lot must have some meaning for the killer." Avery concluded more to herself than to him.

Connor still replied as he grabbed some socks, "I would rather assume that the location was abandoned and empty and possibly on his way." He was now heading back into the kitchen to fill up the washing machine.

"Out of convenience then, huh?" Avery was unconvinced.

"I found DNA under her fingernails." Connor continued as he selected the washing cycle. "She probably tried to fight against her attacker and scratched him while doing that."

She leaned against her kitchen counter. "That’s great, so in case he’s in the system, we’ll have a match."

Connor stood up straight again. "It will take a while until we will get the results. It’s a big database." He explained.

"And you’re doing all this just with your head." She said, shaking hers as she was unable to hide the admiration she felt towards her counterpart. "No wonder Reed hates you. He’s so jealous. He hates paper work."

"He also hates puppies and birthdays. I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on his opinion." Connor countered with a slight smirk on his lips.

"So you like puppies and birthdays?" she asked, grinning.

He stopped and thought for a bit. "I like dogs. Lieutenant Anderson has a dog. It’s a Saint Bernard dog. His name is Sumo."

"Lieutenant Anderson has a dog?" Avery laughed in disbelief.

Connor grimaced. "Why are you surprised?"

"I didn’t think he’d be able to take care of another living being."

That drew a laugh from Connor.

As she watched the washing machine spin her jeans around, another thought occurred to her. "I have a feeling. I doubt that the killer dropped off Jane Doe's body out of convenience."

Connor watched her closely. "Go on."

She looked up to him. "Wouldn’t it have been easier to just hide or drop her into the water where she was murdered? Unless-"

"The killer wants to send a message." Connor finished her thought.

Avery drummed with her fingers on the counter impatiently. "What type of message would that be?"

"I believe those assumptions fall more into your job description." Connor crossed his arms in front of his chest with a grin.

Avery grabbed her little fluffy notebook to write something down. "Are we any closer to finding out who our Jane Doe is?" she then asked.

"I have her photo and DNA running through the database. I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything."

As she looked up from her notebook again, she realized that her flat now almost looked like a home again.

"You know," she said, still a little embarrassed, "you didn’t need to do that."

Connor was eyeing her again. "And you should know that you can always ask for help, Avery."

"I can ask for help. I just didn’t need it," she said quickly.

"You very obviously did. And that's okay. You’re not a burden for needing support. Through an anthropologic lens, it’s actually the reason humans choose to live in communities. So they can rely on each other." He gave her a warm smile.

"You know a lot more about being human than most humans do." She said as she followed him to her door.

"Is that the same as archeologists knowing more about dinosaurs than dinosaurs did?"

"Stop being silly." Avery laughed. "Thank you, Connor."

"I’ll see you tomorrow, at the station, correct?"

"Of course."

"Good night, Avery. I hope you get to rest tonight without any more nightmares."

"Connor?" There was something else she needed to tell him, but as soon as his warm eyes caught hers, there was no more way to say it. Perhaps ever.

"Yes, Ma’am?"

"Don’t call me that."

"I apologize."

"Good night, Connor."

___

It was the middle of the night as Avery woke up in a blur. It was the first time she wasn’t woken up by one of her nightmares but something else. She wasn’t sure what it was, and her eyes took a while to adapt to the darkness around her. Her window was closed, and yet she could hear the wind howling. Instinctively she reached out for her phone and found the reason she woke up. One missed call and three new messages. Avery rubbed her eyes as she sat up in her bed, pulling her mint-colored sheets closer around herself as she suddenly felt cold. The screen from her phone was the only thing illuminating her bedroom. Long shadows were creeping up behind her. Reaching for her. She unlocked her phone to see that the call was from an unknown number. With another tap, she opened her messenger app to find one message from Detective Reed.

"Are you ok? Talk to me."

Send earlier this night. The other two messages were from the same unknown number, and they were sent only minutes before her waking up. Her phone was on silent but Avery changed the settings that way calls were still coming through. The call was what woke her up. She clicked to open the messages from unknown.

"Blood is thicker than water."

Avery frowned. The second message was a photo. It was blurry. And dark. Avery had to squint her eyes, trying to make out what exactly she was seeing in front of her. Even though she wasn’t able to understand what she was seeing in the picture, a feeling of unease settled into her stomach. Who was sending her messages like that? And why? Was this related to Jane Doe's case? But why would anyone send her, of all people, messages about it? She hasn’t taken much part in this investigation yet. It was late, and Avery felt tired, and she was more than aware that she could not do anything about this situation right now, so she decided it was best to try to go back to sleep. But before she put her phone down, she quickly typed an answer to her partner.

"I’ll tell you everything tomorrow."

And with that she let her head hit her pillow again to fall into a restless sleep filled with fever-like dreams. She smelled a gun going off. She saw dark eyes watching her. And she felt cold hands dragging her down into the unknown.

Chapter Text

The Medium

The first few sunbeams were waking up the city. Avery's breath was visible, leaving little clouds every time she exhaled. Her trusty yellow bike underneath her. This early in the morning she actually found Detroit to be almost peaceful. Just before the chaos of the busy day had set in. A few joggers and common bicyclers were out on the pier. The sun reflecting on the river. A long winter was coming. It was in the air and in everybody’s faces. Avery could already see that Tina Chen was inside as she parked and locked her bike in front of the florist shop.

"Good morning, Tina… Wow!" Avery interrupted herself as she laid eyes on her friend, who wore her long dark hair open, a dark blue blouse, and even a little makeup. Blue really was her color.

Tina smiled, "Good morning Avery. I feel like a clown." She confessed, putting down one of the bouquets she was looking at.

"Lucy is one lucky woman, T." Avery said. "And you know it!"

Tina laughed a little embarrassed. "Sorry I ringed you out of your bed this early. It’s just… it’s our first anniversary and I really have no idea what is too much or what she would even like." Tina sighed. "And I wanted to get everything I need for our date tonight before work because otherwise-"

"You’d spend all day thinking about it. Sure. I understand, T. No worries." Avery was happy to at least help her friend with not overthinking, since she couldn’t do the same for herself. This morning she checked her phone twice to make sure the messages from last night weren’t just a nightmare. Sadly, they were real. And her wishing and telling herself they weren’t wouldn’t make them anything less.

"So what do you think of these?" Tina presented a bouquet of red roses. Some of them looked sadder than Avery felt.

"Hm." She made a face. "Well, roses are a classic. But maybe you need something a little more special. Because Lucy is special right? What’s her favorite color?"

Tina pursed her lips as she put the roses back again. "Orange."

"Orange?"

Tina laughed, "You said it yourself; she is special."

"Fair enough."

15 minutes and a lot of indecisiveness later, Tina finally settled on a bouquet of orange lilies. Avery said goodbye to her friend for now so she could head to the precinct early. She knew Reed would he there already, he was always there in the morning hours. First to come, last to leave. Didn’t quite fit his whole I-don’t-care persona he tried so hard to obtain.

The way towards the station was already busier than her ride to the florist shop. She knew people in big cities enjoyed that it was so alive. Avery just felt more lonely. She locked her bike in front of the station and headed inside. As she scanned her ID card, she took in how empty the precinct still was. The night shift was about to pack up and head home for well-deserved sleep. She headed to the familiar desk of Detective Reed and dropped her things next to it. Reed's leather jacket with a faint smell of whisky and mint was thrown over the back of the chair.

Avery headed to the spot she assumed he would be—the break room. But it was empty. No smell of coffee. Even the blinds were still closed. Reed's yellow mug was resting on the counter, unused. Curiosity came to life in her once again as she turned around and left the room. Reed was neither in the interrogation rooms nor in the bathroom – she even checked the stalls. He was also not out back in the unofficial smoking area. Last but not least, she decided to head down into the exhibit room to finish her search. Avery knew that he needed to be here. Reed would never leave his jacket.

The lights in the stairwell flickered a little, obviously not a well-loved part of the precinct. It was made of all the unsolved crimes of the last decades. Reminders of failure. Evidence of incapability. The counter at the bottom of the stairs was unsurprisingly not staffed. Instead a list for self check-in was laying next to a crusty ballpoint pen.

Avery risked a glance at it. What she read made her frown a little. Almost all year there was only one repeating name: Gavin Reed. Maybe he was full of more surprises than his scruffy image lead onto. What was Reed spending so much time down here for? The times noted on the list were always before and after his 9-to-5 shift. There was a case Reed couldn’t let go of. Was it one of his own cases? Or was it one involving a loved one? Before taking the next step, she wondered, did she want to know it? Was it right for her to be down here? Infiltrating a place he probably felt safe in, judging by the fact that rarely anyone got lost down here.

How can he be so upset about Avery not telling him about her nightmares when he himself had his own secret down here? She weighed her options. Leaning a little around the counter to maybe catch a glimpse of him. Shelves after shelves filled with boxes and folders stretching out for what she could only grasp was the entirety of the DPDs basement. And there he was.

Hunched over a folder, flipping through its pages. His dark brown hair was a mess again, a different mess today, though. Two pieces falling on his frowning forehead. His eyes gliding over the pages. In this bad lightning they looked almost grey. Avery, unsure of what to do, decided to watch him a little. He scratched his 5 o'clock shadow skimming through the pages in front of him, concentrated. She couldn’t make out the whole case number as a mountain of folders was stacked in front of the box. But the last digitals were ’37.

Avery mentally noted it before deciding to leave the room quietly again. Reed would have freaked out if he noticed her down there.

Upstairs she found the station slowly being filled with officers and detectives. She let herself sink into Reed's chair, inhaling the smell of his jacket once again before resting her head onto her arms just for a second. Getting almost no sleep tonight was already affecting her. She wondered if she could ask someone at the station to trace back the unknown number who sent her the messages. Then again, she would have to tell Reed about it. And she would have to tell Reed about all of it. She should really just grab a coffee and…

A stack of folders being slammed down onto the desk made her jolt awake for the second time today, letting Avery think she is going to die of a heart attack eventually. She could basically already read the headlines: "Medium dies from heart attack—Whose ghost did she see? More about that on page 3." Her freshly scared self locked eyes with the mischievous grin of Gavin Reed.

"Detective." She suppressed a yarn as she could smell the fresh coffee coming out of his yellow mug.

"Did your Ouija board session keep you awake for too long this night?" He pounced his lips with a look of pity.

"Not as long as you googling puns." She sat up straight.

"Hate to disappoint you, Fox, but they're all coming from in here." He tipped his temple, placing down a second mug for her, and she eagerly took a big sip from the dark liquid. "Now let’s talk," Reed leaned against his desk. "What is going on with you?"

Right, she promised to tell him everything. She had to tell him. But there was a knot in her stomach. Her throat felt tight all of the sudden and she could feel the palm of her hands become sweaty. This was definitely not the right time. Alright, maybe there was no such thing as the right time. But neither was the place. And most importantly, Avery wasn’t ready to give up on whatever they had just yet. Because she knew. She knew, he wouldn’t look at her the same after finding out the whole truth. He wouldn’t grin at her mischievously and his green eyes wouldn't light up with excitement anymore every time he saw her. No more coffee together. No more shared lunch breaks. No more ghost jokes. She never let people see the fragile parts of her. The broken parts. She couldn’t handle Gavin looking at her, his face changing from pity to disgust. To anger. To hate. She couldn’t tell him what she had done. She chose to be selfish. One more time. One last time, she promised herself, just knowing too well how meaningless her promises were.

Reed had stopped grinning as he went into his crossed-arms default state, and a look of worry now appeared on his face.

"Oh, it’s-" She suddenly took extreme interest in the sleeves of her pullover. "Nothing really. I just haven’t been sleeping well." Lying used to be her first tongue, now her voice was shaking as she couldn’t look Gavin in the eyes. "Still haven’t gotten used to seeing dead bodies. They give me nightmares." That was a bad lie. That might have been the worst lie of all lies ever told.

Reed brows rose until they disappeared under the loose strands of hair hanging on his forehead. "That’s it? Seriously?"

She nodded. If she just acted confident enough in her lie, he would definitely believe her. Right?

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" There was something in his voice that she couldn’t pinpoint to. She felt bad. Awful. Hot and cold at the same time.

Avery shrugged. "Oh I… I just felt embarrassed." How many lies could she tell until her construct would fall and suffocate her?

He moved his weight from one foot to another before scratching his head. "When I saw my first corpse, I threw up." He confessed. "Couldn’t sleep for a week straight. It’s still the worst part of every case. Having to walk into this room, already knowing what is gonna await me. The smell sticks around the longest for me. I get this…" He made a grand gesture trying to communicate something incommunicable. "Heavy feeling in my stomach every time I need to walk into a crime scene." His voice was soft; he spoke in a lower volume. He didn’t want anyone but Avery to hear what he was saying. "That’s why I do what I do. To give who’s ever left peace after something traumatic like this happens."

Her mouth went dry. She didn’t expect him to share such personal feelings with her after she just lied to his face. "What if there's no one left?" She said, ignoring that her voice sounded close to breaking.

"Theres always someone left, even if it’s just me."

Avery bit down on her lip as she realized two fundamental things at the same time. Firstly, she needed to tell him. She needed to show him the messages. The picture. She needed to pour out her heart, just as he did. He needed to know everything. He deserved to know the truth about her. And second of all, she was in love with Gavin Reed.

She held onto the small chance that he maybe wouldn’t hate her. That he was capable of forgiving her. Of freeing her from this curse. "Gavin-" she began as his phone rang with a message. His eyes stayed on hers for a second longer before grabbing his phone.

"Dr. Johnson just finished the autopsy. You don’t need to join but I have to go. What were you about to say?"

"No it’s fine. I am going to join." She grabbed her fluffy purple notebook.

Reed reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder, and Avery could feel heat flushing into her cheeks. "No, really, Fox. I can handle this."

"I can do this. I need to confront my fears, right?" Avery gave him a crooked smile.

"You can leave at any point if you need to."

Why did she have to come up with such a silly lie? Couldn’t she have told him that she has bad dreams about paperwork? She nodded before following the detective into the elevator.

___

One thing Avery did have to agree with Reed on was that the smell was the worst. The mixture of formaldehyde and decay. Once Vallery had shared a tip with Avery to put some Vaseline underneath her nose to distract from the odor of rotting flesh. It did not work for her, but instead her skin broke out, and Reed made fun of her pimples for a week. He must have been great in high school.

Vallery’s red curls were up in a big ponytail today, and as they came in, she was writing down notes into her report. Her face lit up a little as she saw the duo enter the autopsy room. "If that isn't my favorite psychic and her sidekick."

"Fox is definitely my sidekick. I am the one with the badge." Reed grumbled.

"But she’s the one with the magic powers. Also the rhyme doesn’t work otherwise." Vallery pulled Avery in a hug.

"You know that I don’t actually have magic powers, right?" Avery chuckled as she pushed some of the doctor's curls out of her face.

Vallery let go of her. "You can close your eyes in front of the truth. That doesn’t make it less true."

"Alright woman-of-science," Reed mocked. "What do you have for us?"

"Right, right." Vallery turned to one of the autopsy tables. A sheet was covering what was obviously a body. Avery stiffened, and she could feel Gavin's gaze on her. He was worried. He came a long way from the unbothered asshat he used to be when she met him.

"Jane Doe. I would estimate her age to be between 25 and 30. She was well nourished, and her teeth were taken care of." Dr. Johnson grabbed a metal plate to present Avery and Reed the jewelry of the victim. "The forensics just gave this back to me. The earrings and the necklace are 925 sterling silver. Her clothes were clean and undamaged."

Avery frowned. "What exactly does that mean?"

"That she wasn’t living on the street. She probably has an apartment and a job. Should help us find out who she is." Reed explained.

"Also," Vallery said. "I am trying to identify her through her dental record. You will have to be patient though. It does take a while." She told Reed.

"So she was drowned?" Reed asked, arms crossed, default state again.

Vallery nodded. "The samples that Connor sent the lab contain less than one percent salt. That means she was drowned in fresh water. So of course we compared the water found in her lungs to the water of the Detroit River. It was a match. I cannot give you an exact location, though." Vallery said as she pulled down the sheet to reveal Jane Doe's face.

The river. The Detroit River. Avery grabbed the table as she tried to get ahold of herself, but it wasn’t Jane Doe's face. It was Avery’s. The room started to spin around her. The neon lights were now only lines above her head, and Vallery’s and Gavin’s voices seemed far away all of a sudden. As if they spoke through a pillow. She couldn’t make out a singular word that was said. One moment she was standing frozen in the autopsy room. The next she was on the ice again.

The wind was howling. She felt the cold pierce through her skin as a wave of nausea overcame her. It was dark, but she could see the river go on forever. No end in sight. And everywhere she looked was ice. No shore. No safety. It always ends like this. It always ended here. Just her and the ice. Alone with nothing but freezing death. She took a step backwards as she heard the familiar cracking under her feet, and then she fell.

"Avery!" And with that, she was back in the morgue. The metallic noise of a plate full of instruments rang in her ears. She had ripped it down as she stumbled backwards looking for something to hold onto. She landed uncomfortably on her butt and was met with the worried eyes of Gavin, who was already kneeling next to her. Vallery had put up a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Damn it, I told you not to come." Gavin cursed. "Get up." He grabbed her arm as he effortless pulled Avery on her feet.

"What’s going on? Are you okay?" Vallery’s eyes were widened.

"I am fine. It’s okay." Avery said, doing her best to avoid looking at Jane Doe’s face again. She was drowned in the Detroit River. It must have been a coincidence. It has to. But Reed's voice inside her head told her that there are no coincidences.

Then Reed's voice outside her head spoke. "I swear to god if you say you’re fine one more time I’ll-"

"Gavin." It was Vallery who interrupted him with a meaningful look.

Reed stopped himself and took two deep breaths before continuing. "Let’s get you out of here."

This time Avery didn’t protest.

Gavin put one hand on her lower back to guide her out of the morgue. "Thanks Doc." He grumbled before they stepped into the elevator.

___

Avery stared at the sad cup of tea in front of her that went cold already at this point. Gavin had put it in front of her an hour ago, telling her she needed to drink less coffee. It would only make her anxiety worse. She hadn't touched it.

Reed didn’t stick around for long to babysit her. He asked her round about 23 times if she was okay and because he got more or less no answer his patience wore thin and he excused himself. He said something about wanting to give Jane Doe’s picture to the press in case someone would recognize her.

"At some point it doesn't taste like grass anymore. You'll get used to it." It was Chris who had approached Avery, who sat at Reed's desk. "I promise." The officer was in his uniform as usual. And he wore his usual comforting smile.

"I doubt that." Avery said her voice monotone and yet it made Chris chuckle.

"Do you… need anything?"

"I am fine, thanks Chris." She tried her best to give him a weak smile.

"I'll leave you alone in your misery then." Chris said.

"Actually," Avery sat up straight. "There's something I need to find out, and you might be the right person to ask."

"Sure, anything." Chris’ smile brightens.

"So," She leaned forward a bit. "You know Reed for quite a while now, right?"

Chris nodded. "Ever since I started working at the precinct here."

"Alright." Avery continued. "I need to know something about a case that stuck with him."

Chris froze in place as his smile dimmed. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Avery opened her fluffy purple notebook to read her notes to the officer. "The case number ends with ’37 and it must have been one of Reed’s first cases." She thought for a second before adding: "Or one he could never close."

The officer tensed up and a worried frown appeared on his forehead. "Avery, what are you up to?"

"It’s just curiosity."

"There’s a fine line between being curious and being nosy. And I think you crossed it there." Chris’ voice sounded flat.

"A hunch? Some crumbs? Please Chris." Avery’s forehead wrinkled as she lifted her brows.

He pressed his lips together as he shook his head. "This is definitely something you need to ask Gavin. Not Tina, not Connor, Not me. Gavin."

Avery’s eyes narrowed a bit. There was something going on. Something bigger. Something Gavin had been hiding from her? Just as she had been hiding something from him. They were in the same boat. Off to the winning line for the title, 'worst-communicators'.

She sighed. "Thanks anyways, Chris."

Chris turned to leave but then he cleared his throat. "Oh and Avery?"

"Yes?" She looked at him with tired eyes.

"You don’t have to play games. You can just ask. You can just talk. I promise you, that feels a lot better than snooping around behind someone's back."

___

Avery was staring at the computer screen in front of her. The cursor was blinking in the search bar of a search engine. Chris was right, wasn’t he? She should just give Reed a call and ask. Would he even tell her? There was a small part in her that told her to just let go of it. She didn’t know what she would find out. She had enough on her own plate to worry about. She should not get involved in something that was obviously quite important to him. She would hate if he’d do the same to her. But then there was a small voice that told her to find the last remaining puzzle piece. To find whatever is haunting Reed. To give some peace to his troubled mind.

Reed would never let her help with his mystery case. How would he, if the only coincidence he believed in was her feeling turning out to be correct? He valued her opinion, but more so her company. She knew that. And she also knew that he wouldn't let her close to any case if Fowler didn’t force him to. She wasn’t a detective, and Reed made sure to remind her of that every day.

"Are you thinking about what to order for dinner?"

"Jesus Christ, Connor!" Avery almost jumped from her chair. "You want me to die from a heart attack?" Today took five years off her life span. She was sure of it.

"I certainly do not." The android smiled at her mischievously, and dimples formed on his cheeks. He was in a black turtleneck and a police jacket that made his frame look wider. "What are you working on?"

Avery’s gaze dropped back her screen. "It’s nothing really, just-"

"You have a feeling about something?" Connor sat down on the corner of the desk. Everything about his body was a straight line.

"Something like that."

"You do not seem excited." He tilted his head. "You usually get this rush when you find something out."

"I am playing with fire here. It’s something I should stay out of."

Connor stayed quiet for a second. "Since when did that ever stop you?"

"Very funny, Connor." Avery rolled her eyes as she let her head sink into her hands.

"I am here to help, Sherlock." Connor said with a smirk.

Avery cracked a weak smile as she looked up to him. "You don’t struck me as a Watson."

"I think Detective Reed is your Watson." His soft gaze found hers.

This time Avery laughed. It was a warm laugh. An honest laugh. And she could see how a little proud smirk formed on Connor’s lips. "It’s about Reed. I know, I should just ask him about it but I just feel like he wouldn’t be-"

"Completely honest?" Connor lifted one of his dark brows.

"Exactly." Just like she wasn’t.

"So-" Connor readjusted his position slightly as he leaned a little closer to her. "Tell me what’s on your mind. Let me see if I can fix it."

Avery bit her lip as she felt a warm tingle in her stomach. She knew Connor couldn’t swoop in and fix all her problems. Especially not, if the problem is 5’9, emotionally unavailable and has trust issues. Especially not, if not even Connor knew the whole truth about her past. Especially not, if she felt all warm and fuzzy just talking to the android as well. Her head was a mess. She needed to sort out her thoughts. And feelings. Yet as usual, Connors trusting brown eyes made her say more than she preferred to.

"There’s a case." She said. "And unsolved one. Something significant enough that Reed is still working on it."

"I see." The android nodded. "And asking the Detective himself is not an option."

"Like you said, Reed wouldn’t tell me." She said quickly. She had been thinking about her reasoning a lot. Repeating it like a mantra. Anything to convince even her own conscience. "And if he would, he wouldn’t let me help him with it."

"And you have a feeling that you could solve this case?"

"I definitely could. I just need the chance to do so."

"And this is about helping Detective Reed?" Connor said, his voice a little lower. "Not about proving you’re capable?"

Avery inhaled deeply. "Okay maybe both." She shook her head as she squinted her eyes shut, cringing about herself. "You know what, forget I ever said anything. This is stupid. I am-" Then she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I’ll see what I can find out."

Avery let go of the breath she was holding. "Thank you, Connor. Really." She said as she got up and pulled him into a hug, burying her face into his shoulder. He smelled clean, like fabric softener and fresh air. Connor stiffened under her touch.

"Avery." He said, as he carefully placed his hands on her lower back to return her hug.

"Hm?"

"Look outside. It started to snow."

Chapter Text

The Detective

The snowfall had continued over the night and the temperatures had dropped drastically. Gavin stood outside the precinct shivering. He should have worn his winter coat. Instead he expected his fingerless gloves to perform wonders. Stepping from one foot to the other he took a drag from his cigarette.

He wasn’t outside because he needed a smoke. He was outside because he was avoiding Fox. Things were weird between them. Gavin was frustrated. She was keeping secrets. Not telling him things. She trusted Connor with these things but not him? Why not him? Hasn’t he gone out of his way trying to help her? Was she oblivious to how much he’d changed? How much he grew? How much he tried to be better?

"The nicotine addition is gonna kill you someday. One way or another."

Gavin was torn from his thoughts by the voice of Tina Chen. She was grinning at him, hidden in a big scarf and matching hat made of a very scratchy-looking wool. He lifted one eyebrow, amused.

"If you stole those things from a child on your way here, I will have to arrest you, Chen." He took another drag before exhaling the smoke through his nose. It was so early that it was still dark outside. If it were up to him, no one should have to be up before the sun.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Men will rather freeze to death before putting on something cute or dare I say, fun."

"Fun because everyone is laughing at you?" Gavin asked as he stuffed his left hand deep into the pocket of his leather jacket.

She grimaced. "What’s up with you today, Detective Douche?"

"You’re spending too much time with Fox."

"So you’re jealous?" Tina said.

For some odd reason Gavin felt his face heat up. "Jealous? What-? Why would I be jealous?"

"I was joking, Gav." Tina crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What’s going on?"

He let out a sigh. Tina was too good at this thing. Emotions and stuff.

"She’s being weird." Gavin wasn’t looking at his friend as he exhaled some more smoke.

Tina tilted her head. "Can you be any more cryptic?"

He sighed again. This time a bit more dramatic. "She’s not telling me what’s going on. She is distant. She has these meltdowns where she’s basically not in the room with me anymore, and I don’t know where she is going, but she also won't tell me." He threw his cigarette butt into the snow before stepping it out. "And it is frustrating. You know?"

Tina watched him bend down to pick up the cigarette stub to throw it into the trash can next to the entrance of the station.

Gavin got impatient. "What? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

"You like her."

He tried his best to play it off nonchalantly. But besides the cold he felt still his hands start to sweat. "Of course I like her. She’s my partner."

"No. You like her." Tina clarified as if she didn’t just say the same thing twice. Gavin understood what she meant. Of course he understood.

"I-" He stopped, unsure what to say next. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Tina leaned against the glass front behind her. "I think if you expect her to be honest with her feelings, you should be honest with yours as well."

How he hated that Tina was always right. He chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"You need to tell her." She continued.

"We work together."

"I didn’t say go in there and fuck her on the desk. I said tell her how you feel and find a way to work with it."

Gavin had lost it at this point, not getting the image Tina just painted out of his head. "I think you’re making this worse."

She rolled her eyes. "I have to stop playing your therapist now and go do the job I am actually being paid for." She winked at her friend before heading inside the station.

Gavin was left to shiver alone outside.

___

"What are you doing?" Avery leaned over Chris’ desk trying to catch a glimpse of Gavins computer screen. She wore a gray pullover with a turtleneck. Gavin could smell her perfume. Sweet. Flowery. They hadn’t talked for the whole morning. Gavin felt like it was appropriate that she would do the talking. She didn't. Maybe she thought he should be the one starting a conversation. He also didn't. So they just sat in silence.

He put down his yellow mug carefully, his eyes still glued to the monitor in front of him. "Checking traffic cameras around the area of the crime scene. Maybe I'll find something." He said, his voice flat.

"Good idea."

Why was she acting so normal? As if nothing had happened. As if she didn’t behave totally weird for the last few days. Ever since they found the body of the drowned woman. Gavin had to think about what Tina said. About the being honest part, not about fucking Fox on the desk part. He looked up to meet Avery’s gaze. She looked a little better today. Still tired but her eyes were filled with curiosity and thirst for action.

"But wouldn't Connor be more efficient doing this task?" She tilted her head.

Gavin sighed "Do you see him around? He has his own cases too, you know." He said, playing around with the broken ceramic of what was left of the handle of his beloved mug.

"Hm." Avery let herself sink into Chris' chair again. "Maybe I can help you."

The detective thought about it for a bit. He didn't want her to break down again. But not knowing what exactly caused her to feel like that made it a lot harder for him to protect her. But she was capable of taking care of herself, right? More or less? But then she also thought she could handle going to the morgue. Which ended miserably.

"Gavin I can look at cars. It's gonna be fine." Fox finally said as if she read his thoughts.

"Alright." He didn’t want to treat her like a fragile vase. Gavin got up and rounded the desk to open the data on Chris’ computer. He leaned onto the table next to Fox and it took him a second to realize how close they suddenly were. Gavin could feel her eyes on him, making his skin tingle and his body heat up again.

"There." He avoided looking at her as he opened the file in the archive. "I started from the top. You can start from the bottom."

"Sure."

Gavin could see her eagerly nod in his peripheral vision. He stood up again and watched her open the first clip.

She stared at it for a bit but then looked up at the detective again. "What exactly am I looking for?"

A warm chuckle left Gavin’s throat. "Suspicious activities."

"Oh yes, thank you, Detective Reed. Very helpful." Avery made a face.

"Maybe you’ll see a ghost, who knows." He shook his head. "For example, if you see a car twice or slow down at random. Maybe you just see a car that is big enough to transport a body."

"Isn’t that every car."

"I would like to see you put a corpse into a Smart."

"Challenge accepted."

___

"I might have found something."

The morning had gone by slow as the sun had started to rise, drawing long shadows across the room until the orange light hit Gavin’s face directly and he had to move to not be blinded. His mind was a little foggy. He felt tired. The constant watching of footage of cars driving by seemed to have a similar effect as counting sheep. The detective wondered if he’d rather be out there with the search party. He had organized two teams to cover the ground around the river, tasked to find any clues. Any leads. Tina was helping him out by leading one of them.

It took a bit before his brain registered what Avery had just told him. "'bout time." He jumped up, leaving his chair spinning to join her side in excitement just to directly be hit with a wave of disappointment. "That's a cop car."

"Yes." Avery said as her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "But they are stopping a silver pickup truck."

"Sure." Gavin pressed his lips together as he nodded. "Driving a Chevrolet Silverado is suspicious as hell."

Avery’s eyes narrowed as she took a breath to speak. But he knew what she was going to say. Her stupid tagline. He rubbed a hand over his face before interrupting her. "Don't say you have a feeling."

Fox stayed silent. Mirroring his face as she pressed her lips together as well.

"Fox." He sighed. "Two things. First of all, the pickup was probably speeding, or crossing a red light, something that got him pulled over by a cop. Would you do that with a body in your trunk?"

"I wouldn't have a body in my trunk."

Gavin stared at her.

"Also," she continued. "There are many more reasons to get stopped by the cops. Ever heard of racial profiling?"

"Alright, Okay. Then more importantly, I am sure any officer would have noticed a corpse. The smell. Or at least the passenger acting weird."

She crossed her arms defensively. "You’re making a lot of assumptions."

"I am trying to solve a case, not hunt a ghost."

This time, Fox sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Gavin knew he was being unfair. Fox had proved more than once that she had good intuition. But the detective refused to let her make him believe that it was anything but. It was also certainly a way to keep her at bay. To not let her into his head. At least not more than she already was.

"How about we find out who was patrolling that evening and ask them if they noticed something." Avery tried again.

"Alright," Gavin said. "If I can finally prove to you, that this 'feeling' is unrelated. It’s not real."

"Sure. I bet I'll just prove you wrong." She leaned back in Chris' chair as she gave him a broad grin.

A smirk appeared on Gavin’s face. "You wanna bet?"

"Of course." Excitement sparked in her eyes. "What’s the wager?"

Gavin’s brows rose as most of the ideas that came to his head were inappropriate. So he settled onto something simple. "Dinner."

Avery tilted her head with a sly smile. "Like a nice expensive one?"

He nodded. "Winner picks the place, looser has to pay."

"Oh I definitely know which place I will choose." Avery’s smile widened.

"Yah yah, the Italian place with the vegan cheese. Don’t be so cocky." He rolled his eyes before leaning forward to take a closer look at the freeze frame in front of him. "I don't even need to look up the identification code. I recognize that red hair anywhere. That’s Officer Scott Washington."

"I remember seeing him a couple of times. I never knew his name. Do you think he’s in today?"

"He must be. I-" the ringing of Gavin’s cell phone interrupted him. He grabbed it from his desk to answer the call.

A few hushed words were exchanged and as Gavin lowered his phone he was met with Avery’s worried frown.

"That was Tina. The search party has found something." He explained. "Something at the shore of the river."

"Another body?" Fox’s face went even paler. Gavin wasn’t sure how that was even possible.

"No, no." He shook his head. "No body. We should go." Gavin grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair.

___

Getting to the disclosed location turned out to be more difficult than expected. The snow had come down nonstop, and traffic was a mess. After an unnecessarily annoyingly long drive, he found out that the only way to get to the forest along the Detroit River shore was by walking. So there he was, fighting his way through the thicket, followed by Fox, who wore a winter coat that was way too big for her.

He cursed as he almost stumbled, missing a root along the snow covered path.

"Where would you like to go?" Avery asked from behind him after a few minutes of silence. She still had this habit of not raising her voice, making people give her their undivided attention in the effort of trying to understand her. So he played her game, turning around to her.

"Right now? Home. Have a nice whiskey. To warm myself from the inside."

She grimaced. "I meant for dinner. If you would win. Unlikely by the way."

He rolled his eyes. "The Two Whales."

"The Two Whales? That diner downtown?" Fox sounded surprised.

"Yup. What’s wrong with it?" Gavin asked, pushing a low-hanging branch out of the way, waiting for his partner to pass before letting go of it.

"Nothing. I am just surprised that you wouldn’t pick the most expensive spot in all Detroit."

"I am not that petty. Besides, I like that place. It has…memories. And the pancakes are the best you’ll ever have." He smiled, thinking about the sirup.

Avery started nervously playing around with the sleeve of her gigantic coat. Seriously, every time Gavin looked at her it seemed to become bigger.

"What kind of…memories?" She finally asked, a little uncomfortable.

Gavin stopped in his tracks. There was something else she wanted to ask. Something she wasn’t brave enough. And it was not if the diner had vegan options. Which they had, by the way. "What do you wanna know?"

"I am just curious. You said it has memories."

"Yah, like every place does. There’s something you wanna ask." It was not a question. "I know that look of yours."

"Gavin?" Gavin closed his eyes annoyed as he turned to the voice calling out his name. It was Tina who called out for him.

"What did you find, Detective Chen?" He said, through gritted teeth. His gaze lingering on Avery.

"There’s a cabin right over there. You both need to take a look at it."

Gavin glanced at Avery’s big eyes once again, taking note of how her iris was never touching the bottom of her eyelid. Then he gestured for Fox to follow as he turned to walk towards the cabin with Chen.

Cabin was definitely the wrong word for it; it was more like a shed. The angled roof was damaged, and the dirty window was broken. Graffiti was sprayed all over it, and the once white facade was slowly peeling off.

"Connor is already inside." Tina told him.

"What’s in there?" Avery asked. Tina glanced at Gavin before turning to Avery.

"It’s easier if you just look at it. But it’s not nice."

He frowned. Damn Tina and her pokerface. He hated walking into a room without knowing exactly what to expect. He absolutely hated surprises.

After taking another deep breath, Gavin set himself into motion. Even he had to lower his head as he stepped through the doorway. Fox followed him. Stepping inside the shed, the first thing he noticed was Connor, analyzing the scene. The android was in a DPD jacket, like all the other officers, and the only thing that was making him stand out was his height. The next thing Gavin noticed were the walls. And then his head started to spin. A feeling of nausea came over him as he could feel his whole body tense up.

Photos. So many of them. The wall in front was scattered in them. From the top of the ceiling to the ground. Amongst them newspaper articles, notes, food wrappings.

Connor looked up as he noticed Gavin. And with seeing the detective he seemed to realize that Avery must be right behind him because Connor’s head ripped around in urgency.

Gavin felt like he was in a trance as he stepped forward. Instinctively reaching out to one of the pictures on the wall. It showed a man. Dark, messy hair, laughing. Next to him a woman, his height. Long blonde hair. Proud smirk.

That was him. And more importantly. It was Avery. All the photos on this wall had one thing in common: Avery.

Avery at her front door. Avery on her rusty, yellow bike. Avery at Gavin’s desk. Avery and Tina sharing a cocktail. Avery next to Connor in a police car. Avery only wrapped in a towel in front of her bathroom mirror. Avery buying coffee with Gavin. Avery in Connor’s arms.

There were more. Endless amounts of them.

"What. The actual. Fuck." It was the only thing he could get out. Because really, what the actual fuck? His eyes scanned the rest of the items. Handwritten notes. He knew that handwriting. Avery’s. That food packaging from the burrito place? Avery’s favorite lunch. The strands of hair, neatly wrapped in a plastic bag? Avery’s. He felt like throwing up.

And then he remembered who was with him in the room. He turned to look, at Avery standing close by the door. Eyes widened with a look as if she was hoping her winter coat would finally swallow her whole. But there was something else. Recognition? Curiosity? Guilt.

"Out!" Gavin heard himself scream. "Out now!" He grabbed Fox’s shoulders as he pushed her two steps backwards until they both were back under the open sky. The cold wind helped him take a grasp on reality again. But every nerve in his body was on fire.

Connor quickly joined their side and so did Tina who had been waiting in front of the entrance.

"Next time, a warning, Tina." Gavin heard his own voice through a pillow. Who was speaking? He felt like an android running a protocol while doing his best to just not react.

"I didn’t know what I could have told you to make that scene less grotesque."

"Anything would have been appreciated. Anything!" He didn’t let go of Avery’s shoulders. Deep breaths, he reminded himself. But there was no air left. He turned to the android. "What do you know about the pictures, Connor?"

"Detective, I think you both should sit down first." Connor's voice was calm in an effort to not rile Gavin up even more.

"Answer the damn question." Gavin let go of Avery’s shoulders. She was quiet. Thinking maybe. Or maybe she wasn’t with them anymore. Maybe she went back to that place in the depths of her mind.

"The oldest I see is from December last year. The newest from yesterday." Connor's eyes, which were normally filled with so much warmth, now showed a different emotion, concern.

"Connor, I need you to analyze them. I need to know when and where they were taken. I need a timeline and a map." Gavin said, continuing to run his detective-mode-protocol.

"Yes, Detective." He said with another concerned look towards Avery.

"Reed. I need to tell you something." Fox said, quietly.

"What?" He looked at his partner who now suddenly seemed small. Fragile. He hated that look on her.

"We need to talk. Urgently." She said.

"Not right now, Fox." He shook his head. "Tina? Fox needs police protection. Bring her back to the station for now."

Tina’s blue eyes were still not revealing what she felt but she nodded. "Of course."

Fox shook her head. "I am serious, Reed. There's something you need to know."

"Right now I need you to leave my crime scene."

"You cannot be serious." Avery protested.

"I am serious. This is dangerous."

"You cannot send me away. Those pictures are off me. This is very much my business!" Her voice went up as she frustratingly tried to plead her case.

Gavin ignored her. "Connor. Pictures. Now."

The android gave Avery an apologetic glance before heading inside.

"There’s something you need to know." Avery tried again. Tina had her hand already on Fox’s lower back, carefully guiding her away from this awful place.

"We'll talk later. I need you to be safe right now." Fox’s disappointed look, hurt a little in Gavin’s chest as he watched the women leave.

Chapter Text

The Medium

"You’re not gonna wear that."

"What’s wrong with it?" Avery grimaced. She stood in the hallway in front of her friend. Looking down at her clothes, she did not really see the issue with them.

"Those are jeans." Tina shook her head in disbelief. She was rocking a dark blue suit with a black tie.

"It’s just a Christmas party. And these are nice jeans." Avery protested again, but Tina pulled her friend to her closet.

"Yes, it’s just a Christmas party but it’s the one day you get an excuse to put on something nice for." Tina dropped her bag and car keys on her bed again, before opening her big closet dramatically.

Tina was convinced that going to the DPD Christmas party was a good idea to get Avery’s mind off of things; besides that, it was also the safest place they could be, surrounded by almost every cop from Detroit. Avery was just hoping to get the chance to finally talk to Gavin. And as nice as Tina’s flat was, she couldn't stand staring at the interior for another day.

Two days had passed since they had found the shed in the clear down by the river. Two days since Avery stood in front of what could have been an art installation if the implications weren't so horrifying. Two days since she learned that she had a stalker.

"Your clothes are not gonna fit me." Avery tried again to escape this uncomfortable situation she had found herself in as she watched Tina browse through dresses and suits in all kinds of bright colors. One thing Avery felt uncomfortable in ever since the accident. Attention-grabbing clothes. Colors. Anything that celebrated life itself.

"Not mine." Tina pulled out a pair of bright-green suit pants and a matching vest. "But Lucy’s."

Avery sighed, and despite the knot in her stomach, she complied, and minutes later she was sitting in front of Tina’s mirror while her friend curled her hair. She knew she was doing this for Tina, but a small part of her felt excited. Perhaps hiding behind this mask will finally make her brave enough to tell Reed. Even if he never spoke another word to her afterwards. He had been ignoring her texts for the last two days anyway. Ghosting asshole.

"Did you get any news about the number?" Avery asked.

"Nope. You’d be the first one to know." Tina's voice sounded flat. Avery knew that Tina was still upset about the fact that she hadn't told her friend earlier about the mysterious texts she had received in the middle of the night.

Avery decided to change the subject. "Are you sad that Lucy cannot come?" She asked as she tried her best to get an even layer of red lipstick on her thin lips. Lucy was away on a work trip. That’s why she would sadly miss the event of the year.

"I actually think it’s good that she doesn’t get to meet the idiots from the precinct yet." Tina chuckled. "That’s too early into our relationship. They’re gonna scare her away."

Avery interrupted her lipstick mission as she laughed. "Too early? You guys are living together."

Tina released another curl from the curling iron. "It’s convenient." She said defensively.

The colorless curl fell onto Avery’s shoulder. She looked so much more like her mom now. "Don’t tell me you’re gonna adopt a cat."

The detective grabbed another streak. "Okay stereotype much? But no, Lucy is allergic."

"So you guys did talk about it?" Avery grinned.

"Shut up."

___

The women arrived at the precinct fashionably late. It being full and warm would have been an understatement. Christmas music was playing in the background as people grabbed drinks and snacks from multiple long tables. Avery glanced at the tasteless Christmas decoration. Plastic trees and way too much tinsel everywhere. She thought about all the microplastic as they made their way through the crowd.

"You think they set up a mistletoe somewhere?" She asked Tina jokingly.

Tina glanced at her colleague mischievously. "Who do you wanna kiss, Avery Fox?"

Before Avery could answer Hank Anderson - in a striped shirt and a tie with little Santa’s on it - approached them. Behind him stood Connor tall and straight in a dark blue suit. "Absolutely no kissing your coworkers." The lieutenant said in a rough voice. "That never ends well."

Avery could feel the heat rush into her cheeks. "Lieutenant." She said, doing her best to avoid eye contact with Connor.

"Don’t be jealous, Hank." Tina joked. "Bet we can find someone who would kiss you."

"Ugh." The man exclaimed. "I’d rather get another drink."

"I’ll join you for one." Tina said with a smile before turning to Avery. "You’re okay alone?" She asked redundantly, apparently deceived by Connor’s puppy eyes. He was still basically a superhuman killing machine, more than capable of protecting Avery.

"Obviously." Avery smiled.

Tina nodded. "Do you want anything?"

Avery shook her head. "No, thank you."

With another nod, Tina joined Hank on the quest to get more booze. There was a moment of awkward silence before Connor took a step closer and spoke up, his voice calm and warm as usual. "You look great, Avery."

"Thank you. Tina forced me into this." She chuckled as she felt her cheeks burn.

"Glad she did." Connor said, ignoring the red speckles that were appearing on Averys skin. "How are you feeling?"

"Hm, you know. I am fine. Considering my situation." She grimaced.

Connor tilted his head as he leaned a little forward before speaking. "I have found some information."

Averys face lit up. "About Reed?" Her head started to race. She almost forgot all about Reed’s secret case after finding that creepy mural of her.

Connor nodded. "But I have to warn you one last time. You should talk to the detective about it."

She stayed quiet. She knew he was, as so often, right about it.

"Are you sure you wanna know this?" He pressed again.

Chewing on her lip, she considered telling him no. Respecting Reed and his privacy. But just as so often, her curiosity—no, her nosiness—won. She nodded. "Go on, please."

Connor cleared his throat. Something androids didn’t need to do, but he was clearly tense, perhaps even nervous. He stepped even closer. He had no scent to him apart from laundry detergent. He smelled clean.

"Detective Reed had a wife." He said.

It took a moment or two for Avery to understand what Connor had just told him. Her eyes widened and her brows shot up. "A wife?" She heard herself ask. "Reed was married?"

"Her name was Ashley Cole. She died in a car accident."

She shook her head as a mixture of guilt and sadness overcame her. "What—Why—...When did this happen?"

"In 2025. A year after they divorced."

"Divorced?" Avery’s thoughts were racing and she struggled to focus on any of them long enough for them to make sense. She felt like she had skipped a chapter.

"What are you guys gossiping about this time?"

Avery jumped before she spun around to see Gavin Reed. Her face blushing even more as the familiar feeling of guilt build up in her stomach.

It took her a second to realize that it was actually him. The usual scruffy and grumpy detective had his hair slicked back. Clean-shaven. He wore a dark suit with a white button-up. Elevating his broad shoulders. No tie, and he left the upper few buttons open. Even a silver feather earrings dangled on his ear. Avery wasn’t even aware that he had it pierced. He looked good. He looked very good.

The Detective

Gavin felt a sense of relief as he saw that Avery was alright. Of course he trusted no one more than Tina to protect her, but he had carried around this sinking feeling of dread in his stomach until he laid eyes onto her. His head was a mess and he had spend the last two days not sleeping much as he tried to find the missing puzzle piece and putting it together. He had tried his best to keep Avery out of it. To keep the investigation far away from her. But Tina’s transcript of Avery’s statement wasn’t enough. He told himself that it wasn’t Fox’s intuition he needed but just answers from her. Clear ones.

He couldn’t hide a smirk as he saw the way Avery was staring at him. He did put extra effort into his appearance today, and he was glad it didn’t go unnoticed. Even Connor behind her seemed to be at least slightly impressed. However good Gavin felt, it was nothing to how good Avery looked.

Her hair seemed to shine a little as it fell into big, voluminous curls. The red on her lips was a contrast to her cold eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, and the splashes of red discoloration overshadowed her deep under-eye bags. She looked alive. The green suit she was wearing hugged her body tightly, and other than her usual wear, it showed off her lean silhouette.

"You look like I just caught you stealing, Fox." Gavin said with a smug grin.

Connor cleared his throat again. "I’ll leave you to it then. I hope you know what you’re doing Avery." Connor said with a meaningful glance at Avery before he stepped away.

"What was he going on about?" Gavin took his place next to her and continued his questioning without waiting for an answer first. "How are you holding up?"

"I am fine." She brushed off his question. "Have you spoken to Washington?"

"Yup." The detective crossed his arms in front of his chest. Default state. "You owe me dinner. He noticed nothing out of the ordinary with that pickup truck at all."

"And you take his word for it?"

"More than an abstract feeling of yours."

She huffed, frustrated. "Not very christmas-spirited of you, Reed."

Would she just stop using his last name? He sighed. "Can I actually talk to you?"

"Actually, I need to talk to you." She said, suddenly getting all serious.

"Good." He felt a thing in his stomach that normal people would call nervousness. Maybe excitement? Gavin Reed doesn’t get nervous or excited. Maybe about his cat, Bacon. But that’s it. Definitely not about a woman. A woman who wasn’t even the usual type he went for, and yet, she was the most beautiful person he had ever met. "I just know a place."

___

The rooftop of the precinct was completely snowed in. The night sky above them was muddy as usual. Gavin couldn’t see a single star. He glanced at Avery, who had her coat wrapped tightly around her. She was also gazing up.

"One thing I hate about Detroit." He commented. "You rarely get to see the sky."

Avery nodded. "Someday I’ll move away. Somewhere where it’s less cold. Somewhere where you can actually see the stars."

Gavin paused. He never thought about leaving. He had been here all his life. It never occurred to him that there might be a place out there for him to leave this city behind. The gray sky and the sad faces. "Just tell me when and where. I’ll join."

Avery laughed. "No way you could survive without a 24 hour supermarket."

"What?" He said, jokingly offended. "No way you could survive without at least seven different vegan cheese options."

Avery leaned against the railing. "I’ll just start my own vegan cheese factory." She said.

"And it could be open 24 hours, problem solved." Gavin answered as he joined her side.

She laughed again. "If only everything had a simple answer."

"We complicate things most of the time. I think most things are actually very cut and dry." He could feel his heart rate go up a little. There was no moon but the blue lights of the street lit up her face and for a moment she looked like a painting.

Avery shook her head. "You always say that. And then you’re always wrong."

Gavin laughed. "Maybe you’re right." He turned to face her, and suddenly the case seemed almost irrelevant. Unimportant. Secondary. He didn’t need her answers right now. He needed to tell her his truth. He needed to tell her how he felt about her. He took a deep breath. "Avery I think I am-"

"I know about Ashley Cole." She said, interrupting Gavin.

His stomach dropped as it took him moments to realize what she just said to him. He felt sick. Nauseous. Dizzy. A name that had been on his mind ever since. But the last time he heard someone say it out loud had been years ago. A decade maybe.

"What—" he tried to find words. Any words? But the only thing he found was this familiar feeling of anger. A feeling he hadn’t felt this strong in a long time.

Avery’s eyes were widened as if she was shocked about her own words leaving her mouth. "I saw you working on that case so I asked Connor about it and-"

"You did what?" His voice was calm. Dangerously calm. Two deep breaths. Three, four, five… This wasn’t working.

"I didn’t snoop around. Well, at least not at first-"

"I cannot fucking believe you got involved in this." Gavin said, grabbing onto the railing in front of him.

A frown appeared on Fox’s face. "I cannot believe you didn’t tell me about this."

"Tell you about this?" His voice was full of frustration. "I don’t owe you an explanation." He exclaimed. More breathing, Gavin reminded himself as he could see his knuckles turning white from how hard he grabbed the railing.

"Reed, I am sorry I-… I should have talked to you first but I don’t understand why you never told me." She stepped forward as she reached out for his hand. Could she just stop using his last name?

He pushed her hands down. "I think you’re the last person who gets to be upset about someone keeping secrets."

Avery dropped her hands, obviously hurt. "I don’t owe you an explanation." She repeated his words through gritted teeth.

"Ugh! I cannot work with you like this anymore. You, Avery Fox, are insufferable."

She huffed angrily. "You cannot fire me."

"No. But I can quit."

Gavin could see tears in her eyes, and he felt his anger faint. She was an angry crier. He knew that. And besides all the anger he felt, there was another feeling. He didn't want to scream at her. He didn't want to upset her. He wanted to comfort her. Protect her.

He took a deep breath. "Ashley and I got married when we were both very young." He started to explain. "It didn’t work out well. We got divorced. A year later a drunk driver hit her car. She died. What else do you wanna know?" His voice was emotionless. Detached. He was only repeating the facts he read over and over again.

She stayed quiet for a bit. Staring at the laces of her shoes. "You’re still looking for that driver? After all this time?"

"I am not ignorant. I know it’s more than unlikely to find him. A random person, presumably drunk. But I cannot forget about it."

Avery’s gaze softened.

As Gavin’s phone started to ring a feeling of darkness overcame him. He knew exactly what the call would be all about. It was fascinating how quickly the human brain was able to forget about something happening when it’s just pushed far enough away.

___

The snowfall had continued. All of Detroit looked like someone put a white blanket above it. Icicles were hanging from neon LED signs. Technology in 2040 was able to almost conquer death, yet the freezing temperatures of the long winter seemed to keep society as we know it in check continuously.

The cold was almost numbing as Gavin got out of his Ford. Avery’s nose was red and her eyes were swollen. She had been crying in the car, hoping for him not to notice. He did notice. Of course he did. But for her sake, he didn't mention it.

The detective’s hands automatically fumbled for the cigarettes in his pocket. Snowflakes stuck to his brown hair. The construction site in front of them was closed off with police tape. A big, intimidating concrete block. The familiar heavy feeling in his stomach and the bitter taste in his mouth seemed to get stronger the closer they came. He was almost relieved as he saw a familiar face among the officers guarding the scene.

"Washington." Gavin’s voice was a little rough from not speaking. Officer Washington glanced up from his tablet. Last time they had spoken, Gavin questioned him about the night of the first victim's murder.

"Detective Reed," he said, his eyes darting behind Gavin to eye Avery. Snow stuck to his light lashes, and under the cold streetlight Reed could make out faint freckles on his cheeks.

"Where is she?" Gavin asked impatiently.

"She's up there." Washington said as he leaned his head back a little to look upwards.

___

Gavin did not expect a construction site building without walls to have a working elevator, but he was thankful for it. One of many construction ruins in Detroit. The city was running out of money to finish them, so they would just leave them. Polluting the view, raising safety concerns. Two officers were guarding the elevator at floor 25. Gavin moved his suit jacket a little, giving them a glimpse of his badge and gun.

Big police spotlights were illuminating the grey corridors in front of him. One of them was flickering, casting long, creeping shadows over the concrete. Every heavy step was echoing all around him, making him think about how massive and how empty this ruin was at the same time.

His pulse was loud in his ears. He could hear his blood rushing.

Not another crime scene. Not another body.

His heart felt too big for his ribcage, and his breaths became shallow. Before the panic could overtake Gavin’s whole body, he felt a cold hand grab his. He turned to look at Avery. The wind was messing around with the streaks of her long hair. Dust particles flew around her. She didn’t need any words. He understood. He wasn’t alone in this. She was with him. Every step of this.

A body was lying on the floor. Pale and wet. A white woman with blonde hair. Her clothes were clinging to her frame, a puddle was slowly building underneath her, the concrete discoloring even darker.

Avery took a step forward before kneeling next to the dead woman.

After a long moment of silence she spoke up. Her voice almost not audible. "It’s my fault."

He waited. Giving her the time and space to continue. But she didn’t. "What are you talking about?" He finally asked, kneeling down next to her.

"It’s my fault. She is dead because of me." She repeated herself.

"Fox, you’re not making any sense."

"You were right, Gavin. No more secrets. There's something I need to tell you. Something big. Something important."

Chapter Text

15 years ago; The Far Past – 2025

The Medium

"Can you turn that down? I am trying to listen to my music here." Avery asked, irritated.

The window felt cold as Avery rested her head against it. Snowflakes were dancing past the car. She turned away from her little sister, who sat next to her in the back of their parents' car, to watch the city run by. Out of habit she tried to push one streak of her blonde hair behind her ear, just for it to fall back into her face. In an effort to look less like her mum and sister, she had cut it short to her chin and dyed the front pieces in a pastel pink. It might have done the opposite.

"Come on, Ry. You don’t like Dua Lipa?" Her dad asked with a smile. It was no surprise that Avery was so tall since her dad might as well be a giant, barely fitting into their SUV. He searched for eye contact in the rearview mirror. His face was radiating warmth. Lines across it proved that he lived, and more important, that he laughed. Splotches of his dirty blonde hair had already turned white, but he embraced it. Loved every bit of it. He always told his daughters that it was a privilege to grow old. To experience more summers than he could count.

"No. Not really, Dad." Avery rolled her eyes, pushing the volume on her phone up, but it was already on max.

Avery’s mum who had been quiet until this point, pursed her lips. "Soph loves her music." Peggie hadn’t been talking much the whole trip, she and Avery’s dad must have been fighting before. Avery sensed that her mum was in a bad mood. Which was dangerous.

"Sophie has objectively bad taste." Avery countered.

Sophie raised her brows, shaking her head. She looked so much like her older sister. Just her eyes weren't this indescribable color between gray and blue. They were like their dads. Chocolate brown. "Do you understand the concept of fun?"

Another eye-roller from Avery. "I’ve heard of it."

"Come on, let the girls have fun, Ry. You can listen to Nickelback later." Her dad chimed in again.

She gave up with a grunt, smoothing out invisible wrinkles in her washed-out Paramore shirt. The low-hanging winter sun was reflecting on the frozen surface of the Detroit River as they crossed it. With the sun rays shining directly on the ice, it sparkled and almost looked like something out of one of Ry's a fantasy books.

They were on their yearly winter trip. Two weeks of staying in a small cabin that had once belonged to her grandpa's dad. Something like that. Just made Avery think about the fact that her family had not made it out of this town over centuries and generations. She wondered what must happen for the Foxes to leave their den and make a new home somewhere else.

Ry was less than excited about this trip. She used to love it when she was younger. Playing outside with Soph or beating her dad in any type of board game. Now she knew that he always let her win, even if he denied it til this day. Alexander Fox used to tell everyone that his oldest daughter was special. Smart. Cunning. With a sixth sense. Something Ry ceased to believe in after her first week in middle school.

Thinking of her friends, she sighed. She didn’t get to see them all break long, but instead puzzle and movie marathon nights with her family and bad internet connection were on the menu.

"Compromise." Her dad offered now, trying to make both his daughters happy. "You can take turns choosing the songs. Next one is yours."

Avery was still not convinced until she saw Sophie's pleading eyes. "Alright." She said as she took off her wireless headphones. "Dua Lipa is fine."

Sophie cheered as their dad turned the radio even louder.

___

The sun had almost completely set as the family of four made their way through the snow. They had just settled in when Avery’s dad had the brilliant idea to use the remaining light for a nice walk. It would probably have been a nice walk if the absence of the sun hadn’t made the freezing temperatures even worse. Or maybe the lack of an actual path along the river would have helped.

Sophie walked in front with their mum, their dad in the middle with a silly-looking headlamp on top of his beanie, and Avery came last.

She had her phone in her hand, trying her best to find a signal so some of the messages she had sent her friends would go out. But they didn't. With a sigh, Ry pushed her phone back into her puffy jacket. It was quiet out here. She could only hear the muffled conversation of Sophie and her mum and the chirping of crickets.

She had been watching her parents like a hawk. Even if they tried their best to hide it, she felt it. They avoided each other, and she wasn't sure why. Even when they fought, they’d never be angry for long. At least that had been the case until now.

It had gotten dark as her dad joined her side. "Look up, Ry." He told her as he reached to turn his headlamp off.

Avery glanced at him, displeased, but did as he said.

"See that constellation? The one that looks like a wagon?"

The midnight sky was clear and blue, and it looked like the stars were competing with each other over who could shine the brightest. No clouds to hide behind. No city lights that drew them out. Avery had to narrow her eyes until she found what her dad pointed to.

"I see it. But they look more like hatchet." She said, rubbing her freezing hands together before putting them back into her pockets.

Her dad chuckled. "Well, there are two hatchets, then, if you look closely. Big Dipper and Little Dipper."

Her dad was right. There were, in fact, two of them. And both were sharing that silly name. "Is that why we have to come out here every winter so you can look at hatches in the sky?"

He laughed again. "You sound just like me, Ry. Be careful, or you’ll turn into an old grumpy man yourself."

"Come on." She winked at him. "You’re not that grumpy."

"We come out here so you girls get to see the sky. And something else than your phone screens."

She rolled her eyes. "You’re being such a boomer Dad."

He laughed again.

"Why are you and Mum fighting?" She suddenly asked bluntly.

The smile on his face froze before it slowly turned into a worried frown. "Fighting? We aren’t fighting."

"Come on, I can literally sense how on edge both of you are."

He sighed. "I always forget how hard it is to keep anything secret from you. You were always like this. You always know a little too much, and you are always a little too curious for your own good."

"Don’t avoid my question." She put her hands on her hips, fully aware how silly her gigantic jacket made her look.

"Alright, Detective. Your mum and I had a fight because we are disagreeing on how to handle a situation." Her dad sighed again.

Avery frowned. "What kind of situation are we talking about?"

Alexander avoided her question. "Don’t worry about it Ry. Nothing broken is ever beyond fixing."

___

"Ry?"

Averys eyelids were heavy as she opened them. Her room was dark beside a small beam of light that came through her ajar bedroom door. It had been opened a crack. A silhouette was standing in the frame.

"Soph, what are you doing? Go back to sleep." Avery rubbed her tired eyes.

"I had a nightmare." Her little sister said. Awkwardly stepping from one foot to the other.

Sophie was two years younger than Ry, and yet she always had the feeling that they were continuously on the same page. Sophie was witty and quick. Something both sisters shared. But Sophie was also kind and loving yet rational at the same time. Ry sometimes wondered how she carried around such a big heart without stumbling. In rare moments like this, she felt a sense of protectiveness for her little sister.

Ry suppressed a sigh. "Come here." She reached to flick on the little light above her bed as Soph closed the door quietly. It took a little for Avery's eyes to adjust to the warm light that illuminated her room. The celling as well as the walls were covered in a dark wood and a picture of the Detroit Lake was hanging on one of them.

"What did you dream about?" Avery asked as she scooched aside to make some space. Sophie joined her under the blanket.

"I can barely remember it anymore. But I was freezing. That’s what I remember. And darkness."

"You wanna continue reading?" Avery asked, already grabbing one of the many books she brought for the trip. Her dad complained that no one would need so many books for a two-week getaway as he put her backpack into their car. But Avery could never decide on just one book to take. She needed to have options. What if she suddenly didn’t feel like finishing the thriller she was currently reading? Or maybe the cabin in the woods inspired her to read a little horror? Or maybe she just needed a good old classic she knew by heart.

The book she and her sister were reading was about a journalist who was looking for her sister, who got lost in space. Sophie nodded with a smile, thankful that her sister knew exactly what would help.

"Remember what happened last? Because I barely do." Avery said as she opened the book on the marked page.

Sophie nodded. Her hair was darker and a little wavier than Ry’s. "They just escaped the purple planet."

"Right, right. Did she manage to get the tracker or not?"

Sophie shrugged. "We don’t know yet."

"Alright." Avery leaned against her bed frame before clearing her throat. "Let’s find out. Chapter 15…"

___

"They taste awesome, Mum!" Sophie said as she eagerly took another pancake from the plate.

It was the second week of their stay. The snow had continued, but so had the sun. It was early morning. At least for Avery, who hated to leave her bed before 10 am. But the pancakes her mum made for them did make her suffering a little better. As well as the big pot of coffee resting in front of her. She was eyeing her sister over her mug.

Their mum smiled brightly. "I am glad you like them, Soph. The secret ingredients are bananas." Even if Avery could still sense something weird going on between their parents, everyone had been doing a fantastic job ignoring the issue to the point that it almost felt normal again.

"Bananas? Can I have the recipe?" Ry asked as she reached for her orange juice.

Peggies face softened as she obviously felt a little excited that even her oldest daughter seemed to be interested in something for once. "I can write it down for you. I actually just winged it."

"Wait." Avery stood up to grab her new purple notebook from the counter. "You can make it my first entry." She smiled at her mum.

Admittedly, the days away from home had actually lifted her mood. Even if she missed texting her friends or checking their Instagrams for updates about their lives. She also enjoyed the walks in nature and even the silly board games her dad forced them to play every night. Yesterday she even won at Monopoly. This time, she was convinced it was without her dad letting her win.

Her mum nodded before grabbing the book with care. "I’d love to, darling."

Even Avery’s mum had been in an exceptional good mood the last days. Avery was enjoying every moment of it, being just too aware of how different Peggie could be when she got upset. It was a glimpse into another life. Where she wasn’t screaming. Where she wasn’t cursing. Avery watched her mother scribble down the recipe as she imagined how it would be to have a good relationship with her. How it would be to have an actual mum to turn to. To trust in.

___

That night was a full moon. Avery remembered that part so clearly. She was sitting on her bed. Today's choice in books was a collection of poems from Jane Austen. But she was not really reading much. The bright light of the moon caught her attention, distracting her from the pages in front of her eyes. She got closer to the window, admiring all the stars of the night sky once again. The Big and the Little Dipper. A swarm of fireflies was making its way towards the forrest that went on and on behind their Cabin and for a second everything seemed to be at peace.

Then she heard it. Something shattered. And suddenly the loud voices of her parents were there. Avery wondered what was going on. It was late. Sophie and her were supposed to be asleep already. With silent steps she walked towards her bedroom door to crack it open just a bit. The voices were clearer now, although she still couldn’t make out what they were fighting about. A sudden noise from right next to her made Avery glance to the side. Sophie was also awake. Leaning against her open door. She wore fuzzy socks and a Marvel T-shirt.

"Ry? What’s going on?" She sounded sleepy. Not quite awake yet.

Avery shushed her. "Go back to sleep. It’s just Mum and Dad."

"Yeah, I hear that." Her sister said. "But why are they fighting like that? They never fight."

"They fight all the time; they are just sneaky enough to hide it from you. Go to sleep." Ry said in a tense tone. But Sophie was almost right. Their parents fought, and Avery could tell something weird was going on because they never fought like this.

"Forget it." Sophie shook her waves.

"You’re so stubborn it’s annoying." Avery sighed.

Soph grimaced. "I wonder where I got that from."

"Hmph, we both got that from Dad. Don’t make me responsible."

A door slammed. "Girls!" It was their mum. Her voice was different. Calm but a little shaky. No warmth left.

"Now we got caught because someone chats too much." Avery threw a venomous glance towards her little sister, who just shrugged unimpressed. "Amazing." Ry rolled her eyes.

"Girls, come down. Now." There was a knot building in Ry’s stomach as she heard her mum repeat her command. She didn't know why. Her hands felt clammy. Something was wrong.

Sophie complied first as she started to walk towards the stairs, but Avery stepped forward to grab her arm. "No." She called out in a whisper. "Something is wrong. Stay behind me."

Sophie's dark eyes widen in confusion, but she finally nodded. Ry was glad her little sister trusted her for once without asking a billion questions. Carefully putting one foot in front of the other, she stepped down the creaky wooden stairs, Soph right behind her.

"Mum?" Avery asked carefully. Followed by the first observation she made. "Where’s Dad?"

Peggie was sitting at the dinner table. Her head in her hands, long streaks of hair covering it. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. But Avery couldn’t pinpoint it.

"He went for a walk." Their mum brushed some of her messy waves behind her ear as she sat up straight. "Get in the car."

"What?" It was Soph who spoke now. Soft and shaken up.

"I said get in the car. We’re going home." Their mum wasn’t loud, but her tone was threatening.

"Alright." Avery backed down a bit, not daring to ask why or what was going on. "Get your shoes and jacket, Soph." She ordered her little sister.

Before Soph could even turn around to grab them, her mum spoke again. "No time for that. Just get in the car. Now."

"I am not even wearing socks." Ry protested. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She needed to do something before it would combust through her ribs.

"Avery. I am serious. Get in the car."

Avery swallowed hard as she grabbed her sister's hand and headed outside. Fresh snow had fallen, and the ground was cold and slippery. Her feet were burning with every step she took over the frozen ground. She hurried to get herself and her sister into the car as quickly as possible. Avery took the seat next to her sister in the back. The engine sputtered, and it took their Mum a few tries before it finally started.

"What happened, Mum? Why are we leaving?" Ry tried again. But she knew her mother. She was too upset to tell her what was actually going on. But she couldn’t stay quiet. She needed to know what happened between her parents.

"Because your dad makes terrible decisions." Avery’s Mum stated as she maneuvered the car out of the driveway. The absence of streetlights was painfully noticeable as only the dimmed headlights of their car illuminated the narrow road in front of them in a fade light.

"What does that mean? Mum, what's going on?"

"Please, Avery. Shut up for once in your life." She took a curve a little too fast, and Avery reached for the car’s grab handle. In her peripheral vision she could see Soph shaking as she cried silently.

Avery felt a wave of nausea overcome her, and suddenly she knew one thing. She had to get out of the car. She had to get Sophie out of the car. "Mum, I am scared. Please just tell me what’s going on."

Her mother was staring at the road ahead of them. "I really wish you were a little less like your father."

"What?"

"All the time, every day, you are constantly making my life miserable."

Their car was approaching the bridge leading over the river, still going a little too fast.

"Mum. What are you saying?" Hot tears were now streaming over Avery’s face.

Avery's Mum turned her head towards her. "That you and your Dad-"

"Mum! Watch out! The road!"

The headlights of the car reflected back in the eyes of the deer in the middle of the bridge.

The loud noise of their car crashing into the bridge was a harsh contrast to the silence as it hit the water through the layer of ice. Everything turned black for what Avery felt was just a second, but it must have been more, because as her eyes shuttered open, the car had already filled with water up to her knees. It was too dark to see anything. But she could feel hot blood run down her temple.

Avery panicked. The water was so cold that she struggled to take breaths. Sophie wasn’t next to her anymore. A dark fear crawled up under Avery’s skin. Her mum was still in front of her. Unconscious.

"Mum? Mum!" Avery shook her shoulder to no avail. "Fuck!" She tried to open the door to no success. Of course it wouldn’t budge. She needed to wait until the car was fully immersed so the pressure could equalize. Where was Sophie? What happened to her? How would she get her mum out, and why did every breath burn and every one of her movements felt slowed down?

Now she frantically tried to open the safety belt of her mother. "Fuck. Open. Just open. Just fucking open!" Avery repeated to herself like a mantra. She was stuck. Trapped in this car in this dark, cold river. And it was her fault. Her fault. Her fault. Her fault.

Time was rushing past as Ry watched the car quickly fill with water. She took one last deep breath before the car was completely immersed. Rattling the handle, the door finally opened. Avery tried the safety belt of her mum again. It was still stuck. It wouldn't move one bit. She was running out of air, energy, and time.

She would come back, she told herself. She would get help for her mum. And Sophie. She had to. She would. It was her fault.

In the darkness of the cold river, gravity didn't apply anymore. There was no up and down. No left or right. She concentrated on the feeling of her body and listened to it. It took her two strides to get to where she assumed the surface must be. Ry saw the light of the moon. That must be it. But to her horror, she was met with a reflection of her own colorless face. Her own cold eyes staring back at her. Ice. Trying to find where the car broke through the ice, she swam along it; one hand was gliding over the smooth surface. Feeling for a crack. A bump. Anything so she could break through. She banged her hands against the clear layer of ice as hard as she could but it wouldn’t give it. Her lungs were burning. Her limbs felt numb. Why was she moving so slowly? She could see her hands starting to bleed.

No no no no, come on.

It had to be somewhere. Avery looked up again. So close to safety. She was fighting her body not to take a breath. She knew she couldn’t. No, but she had to. She could still see the moon from here. The stars. And it almost seemed peaceful. They were competing with each other about who could shine the brightest in the night sky. Were they welcoming her? No, they were mocking her. And as her body gave in and her eyelids were heavy, she thought she saw another pair of eyes. This time, warm and dark once, looking down at her.

Save me, please.

Her mind was clouded, filled with thoughts about the peaceful night sky, as everything went dark and the river swallowed her whole.

Chapter Text

The Present – 2040

The Detective

Gavin's green eyes were washed out by the dim light of his floor lamp. He leaned back into his armchair. The leather had been torn at some places. It was old. Used to belong to his grandfather, and Gavin never found the heart to throw it out. He had taken off his suit jacket, and his sleeves were rolled up.

Avery sat across from him on his couch. Bacon purred in her lap. Her curls had almost completely fallen out. She had taken off her lipstick. She looked like herself again. Like the undead shell of a person she never got to be.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital." She continued as she ran a hand through the soft fur of the cat on her lap. Gavin was glad that the little shit not just decided to behave for once but to also give some emotional support to his guest. "Paramedics claimed they found me at the shore. They managed to revive me. Apparently drowning in a freezing river is your best shot in surviving death."

Avery tugged the blanket that Gavin had put over her shoulders a little closer. But he knew that she was haunted by the type of cold that no blanket could fix. It was stuck in her bones. He hoped it would at least comfort her.

Gavin was chewing his nails as he stared out of the window. It had started to snow again, and the flakes were dancing on his windowsill. He didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? Nothing he could ever say could change anything. Nothing he could say could fix anything. The only thing he could do was to be there for here right now. "Fuck Avery-"

"Don’t say you’re sorry. I don’t need pity."

"I was about to say that’s fucked up." Gavin rubbed one hand over his face. "That’s why you didn’t finish your training at the academy? You’re afraid of water?"

She nodded slowly.

He took another deep breath and leaned forward to place one of his big hands onto her knee. He wasn’t sure if it was to comfort her or himself. "I know you don’t want me to feel sorry. And I don’t. I wish I could give you some type of comfort. But I can’t. I just know this must have been hell. And about hell I know a few things. Believe me."

Avery gave him a crocked smile. "That’s when I started to get these feeling about things."

Gavin paused, thinking for a moment. Then a smug grin appeared on his lips. "I didn’t think I would live to see this day, but that is where you are wrong for once, Avery Fox."

Avery frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

He got up from his armchair before pacing around his living room. His sudden movement scared Bacon, and the old cat jumped off of Avery’s lap. "You lived your life thinking that surviving this traumatic event gave you superpowers?"

"That’s not what I-"

He interrupted her. "You had it before. You literally just told me that you had a bad feeling getting into the car. You literally knew that you needed to get your sister out of there. You had whatever you wanna call this before."

Avery was quiet. Biting her lip. Thinking.

Gavin sat down next to her on his couch, which was in much better shape than his armchair. "Your mother. Did she-?"

"She didn’t make it, no."

"And Sophie?" He asked carefully, besides already knowing the answer.

Avery shook her head. "They never found her. The officers told me that her body probably got dragged away by the flow of the river." Her voice broke a little, and Gavin could see tears form in her eyes.

The Medium

Avery’s throat went dry. She felt sick and dizzy and numb and hot all at the same time, and she felt like the glue that was holding her together until now was about to give in. She was very close to shattering. Her heart was beating so loudly as she felt warm arms wrapping around her. Holding her so she wouldn't break.

She sobbed into Gavin’s chest, leaving dark spots on his shirt. He said nothing. He just held her tight. And in that moment everything else disappeared. Nothing existed but him and her. No accident. No superpowers. No police academy. No drowned women. No pain. No suffering. Just him and her. Gavin Reed and his warm body.

Avery was engulfed in his scent. Mint and cheap whisky.

Gavin didn’t even let go of her, as her tears had dried up and she had cried herself to exhaustion. They stayed like this for a while, and Avery wished they could be in this moment forever, but then it wouldn’t be a moment.

"Reed I-"

"Will you just stop calling me Reed?" He said, and Avery could hear the smile on his face.

She laughed with a snort. "Thank you, Gavin."

"Don’t even mention it." He said as he carefully let go of her. "What can I do?"

She sniffed as she wiped her nose with her sleeve. "You can put the bastard who's hurting these women behind bars so he never gets to see daylight again."

"You think the women we found, they are connected to what happened to you?"

Avery nodded. "Someone taught me that there are no coincidences."

Gavin paused. Thinking. He went into detective mode. "What happened to your father?" He finally asked after a moment that felt like forever.

"After Mum’s and Sophie’s funeral, he grew distant. Drowned his sorrows in alcohol. And we haven’t really spoken since I moved out with 18."

Something in Gavin's face changed. "When was the last time you heard from him?"

Avery tilted her head. Unsure of what point he was trying to convey. "Maybe last Christmas? He used to send texts on Christmas and my birthday, but in the last couple years he seemed to forget even that." Avery’s said, but her tone wasn’t bitter. She knew she lost him a long time ago.

"Avery. When exactly did the accident happen?" Gavin ran one hand through his brown hair, messing up his sleek back style.

The image of her mother's gravestone popped up in her head. Avery had stared at it for so long that she knew every scratch, every crack. Every moss that grew on it. Every flower that died on it. She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the presence of Sophie’s gravestone right next to her mother's. Nothing was buried there. An empty grave. As if even looking at it would make it real. As if it wasn’t already real. As if it wasn’t already the reality she’s been living for 15 whole years now.

"The 20th of December 2025." Avery finally said, her voice almost breaking.

Gavin paused before taking a deep breath. His eyes were on her as she started to understand. "That means tomorrow–" he said, but Avery interrupted him.

"15 year anniversary of the accident."

"The stresser." Gavin said as he got up and grabbed his keys. "Let’s get to the precinct."

___

The sun hadn't even completely risen when the whole team gathered in the station. Connor was there first. Of course, awake and alert. He was wearing a worried frown that didn’t even disappear as Avery whispered, "I am fine," as she passed him with a hand on his shoulder.

Chris and Tina were there. Tired, both with a coffee. Their night must have been as short as Avery’s when even Chris had a caffeine relapse. Lieutenant Hank Anderson and Captain Jeffrey Fowler were silent as they joined the, what Gavin called, emergency meeting. Gavin was nervously pacing back and forth in front of his case board. And Avery couldn’t help but think that he never looked hotter than this. Focused and messy. Still in his white button up although it was completely wrinkled at this point.

When two more officers had entered the conference, Gavin started to speak. "Alright." He cracked some bones in his hands before continuing. "After what I learned this morning, I came to the conclusion that we have a serial killer on our hands."

"Reed?" One sentence in, and Fowler already interrupted him. "What is this about? Why am I only hearing about this now."

"I’ll explain everything if you let me continue?" The detective was tense.

Fowler sighed. "Do what you have to."

Avery knew that besides both parties clashing together all the time, Reed was more than capable at his job. And Fowler knew that as well. Gaining Gavin some trust bonus.

"A week ago, we found our first victim. Jane Doe. White, mid to end twenties, blond. Drowned and her body left in an empty parking lot." Avery was staring at the face in the photo. Pale. Blue. Wet. "This morning we found a second body. Amelia Sky. Same victimology. Same M.O. White, 30, blond, drowned." He repeated.

"That’s a hunch." One of the officers said. "Could be a coincidence."

"There are no coincidences." Tina quoted Reed now. Crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, which Avery knew signified that she meant business.

Gavin waited for an approving nod from Avery before he continued by adding a newspaper article to his board. "Almost 15 years ago a family crashed into the Detroit river."

Avery could feel her mouth run dry as he hung up a picture of her mother. The face she avoided for years because she couldn’t decide if she felt anger or guilt. Maybe both which was even worse to understand. She felt in the wrong for every tear she cried. Worse for every one she didn’t.

"Peggie Fox, 43, drowned." Avery felt eyes burning in the back of her head, but she couldn’t face her colleagues. Her friends.

Another picture. Another hard swallow from Avery. How could she possibly swallow when her mouth seemed to be drier than sand?

Gavin cleared his throat. "Sophie Fox, 14, drowned."

Sophie's round, happy face seemed to still light up the room besides just being a picture. She was in so many ways the polar opposite of Avery. Maybe that’s why she always thought her sister was easy to love. It should have been her instead. A recurring thought Avery had thousands of times. Avery should have died, Sophie should have lived. Rather, it was her who survived and no day had passed where she actually felt alive.

"Avery Fox, then 16, survived." Reed saved everyone involved the trouble of hanging up another picture. His eyes seemed glassy and Avery felt a burning urge to hug him. To comfort him. "Tomorrow is the exact date of the 15th anniversary of the accident."

It was quiet in the room. No one dared to speak. Not even Fowler. Not even the rude officer. The air felt thick with pity. And Avery hated it. She didn’t want pity. She shouldn’t have left out the most important part of the story when she told it to Gavin. But she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t stand it. She wasn't strong enough to lose him now. It was her fault. Her fault.

Gavin continued, stating the obvious. "The women who were murdered resemble our colleague Avery Fox and how she would have died 15 years ago."

That was enough for Tina to get up and join Averys side. Putting one arm around her shoulders. She didn’t look pitiful. She wore her no-bullshit-face. She looked angry. She looked determined.

"Our presumed serial killer is thereby someone involved in this?" Connor asked as he stepped next to Avery’s other side. He placed a hand on her lower back. It felt intimate. And Avery was a little surprised that he did that in front of almost everyone at the precinct. But she guessed that one good thing about being a very logical being was that he didn’t care about what anyone else would think.

Gavin nodded. "Alexander Fox, 57." He added the last picture he was holding, finishing the board behind him. More or less since the central piece of his investigation was standing in the middle of the room. Still dressed in this silly suit. Looking like a sad, confused parrot. Or at least she felt like one.

"There’s not much we have about him." Gavin continued his briefing. "Since the accident, he’s been to multiple sobriety programs for his alcohol problems. The latest one he’s actually still attending. That’s how we have an address."

Avery’s dad was sober? Something she didn’t expect to happen. Like ever. She didn’t even need to wonder why he didn’t reach out to her. She knew. She knew it all to well.

"What are we waiting for then?" It was Chris now. He stood up so energetic that he almost pushed over his coffee mug.

Gavin’s forehead creased as he turned to look at Fowler. Avery would never want to play poker against this man. Besides her talent for reading people, the Captain was a closed book for her. Was he about to fire Reed? Promote him? Break out in unstoppable laughter? He could be thinking anything at this point.

"Good job, Reed." Fowler said after a moment stretched out like old chewing gum. "I am gonna get a warrant and a unit to join your team." He said, glancing at Avery before leaving the room to make the calls.

"Let’s do this." Gavin said before grabbing his jacket. Avery did the same, but Gavin put up his hands. "Hang on. You’re not coming Avery."

"What?" She was surprised her voice worked. But apparently Reed’s usual audacity still got her worked up enough to continue to function even if she felt like she shattered and was left in pieces.

Gavin sighed overly theatrical before raising his voice as he addressed the others. "Get ready, I’ll get changed." He turned back to Avery. "You are the grand finale. I didn’t think I have to spell it out. You are not coming. This is exactly what he wants." Reed turned around and started heading towards the locker room.

"Reed, that’s my father you’re talking about." Avery said as she followed him. Struggling to keep up with his pace. "I need to come with you. I can handle him."

He let out another deep sigh as Avery joined him in the mens changing room. The door fell shut behind her.

"Maybe you can, but there are two women dead. I am not taking my chances." Reed said as he aggressively opened his locker.

"I won’t be alone. There will be a full team of officers. And Tina. And Connor. And you?"

"Not gonna happen." Gavin said as he started to unbutton the rest of his shirt.

Avery felt heat rush into her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was so angry at him or because she had a shirtless Gavin Reed in front of her. The skin on his chest was ruff. Multiple scars. The faint outline of muscles made it clear he didn’t train for aesthetics but to be strong. The faint outlines of a flower tattoo were visible on his ribs.

She shook her head trying to focus. "I am definitely not staying here. You cannot force me."

He laughed sarcastically as he turned to her. "Oh, I so can. And I will."

"Do you not trust me? Still?" Avery sounded frustrated.

"Stop guilt tripping me." He clenched his jaw stepping closer to her. His shirt still hanging loosely on his broad shoulders. "You’ve been a pain in my ass ever since you walked into my crime scene, and I cannot believe that after almost a year of working with me you still do not respect my decisions."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I would respect your decisions if they weren’t so stupid."

His gaze darkened as he growled frustrated. "Avery. I am trying to protect you here. Not to punish you."

"I can take care of myself. Thank you very much."

"Obviously you cannot. Do I need to remind you?"

She took another deep breath, bracing herself to continue arguing. Maybe to shout at him. Maybe to curse him out. But all she got out was. "Reed you absolute ass-"

"Stop calling me Reed."

All of a sudden, Gavin was right in front of Avery. She could hear nothing but her blood rushing. His gaze dropped to her lips and Avery felt like her body was a magnet being pulled to him. He leaned in closer, waiting for her to shove him away. Then his lips were on hers.

Gavin’s lips were ruff, and the stubbles that had already regrown scratched Avery’s cheeks. Waves of emotions came over her. Anger, confusion, lust, more anger. It was like a dam breaking, releasing all the tension she didn’t realize had been building up. Her heart was racing and she could feel her cheeks burn.

Avery never once dared to let herself think she could have him. Not like this. Not at all. And yet here he was. She grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him closer, deepening their kiss. He hummed, and she could feel him smirk.

Kissing Gavin Reed wasn’t soft or tender. It was hungry. Messy. Passionate. She fumbled to pull down the stupid button up from his shoulders and Gavin let it drop. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore as he took up all her thoughts. Her body felt hot. Her mind felt hazy.

He carefully yet determinedly pushed her completely back until she hit the cold wall behind her. She let out a little gasp in surprise. Reed positioned one arm next to her head, the other stayed on her waist. Nipping on her lower lip before pressing a trail of soft kisses down her neck. Free from his mouth, she took a few heavy breaths and couldn't help but let a little moan escape her lips as Reed found the spot behind her ear.

He felt familiar. He felt safe. Yet even more he felt exciting.

She bit her lip, trying her best not to make too many sounds as she didn't wanna loose all her self respect in the few seconds this man had touched her. His breath was hot on her neck, and Avery felt like butter in his arms. She felt dizzy as her hands found his neck, and his hair and his shoulders and then his mouth was on her’s again.

"Detective?" A voice came from outside the changing room. Gavin sighed frustrated as he interrupted their kiss but didn’t dare to move away from her. His eyes were glued to hers with an intense gaze. His chest rose and fell with every heavy breath he took.

"Coming." His voice sounded hoarse as he let go of Avery and reached for a navy-blue shirt from his locker. The Detroit Police Department logo embroidered on its front.

Avery ran her hand through her face. Even without a mirror, she knew that she must have speckles of red all over her face.

Reed exchanged his white button up from the ground for his bulletproof vest before throwing the locker shut. He took a step towards Avery again and reached out to cup her chin and carefully tilted her head to look at him. He spoke low and soft. "I am not failing another person I swore to protect."

Avery wanted to protest but in the next moment Gavin had already opened the door to find Connor standing patiently in front of it.

"Connor." Gavin said, clearing his throat.

The android gaze went from Reed to Avery and then back to Reed again. He definitely knew. But he didn’t react. As usual.

"You’re gonna stay with Fox. And with that, I mean, do not leave her out of your sight ever. Be careful. She’s sly." Gavin told the android. It was an order.

Connor nodded, "Affirmative."

Avery’s brows furrowed. "No absolutely not. You’re not letting me come but instead give me a babysitter? You need me at the scene."

"Maybe I do Avery. But I also need you alive." Reed put up his boots on the bench and pulled his hem up, revealing a smaller caliber. He grabbed it and handed it to Connor. Androids still weren’t officially allowed to carry weapons yet Connor grabbed the gun as if this was just another Thursday morning for him. He checked the safety before putting it into the back of his belt in a smooth motion.

"Do not hesitate to use it. Can I trust you?" Gavin asked as he pulled his bulletproof vest over his head.

Connor cocked his head to the side. "Of course you can, Detective."

Reed nodded. Avery snorted in anger.

"Don’t do anything stupid." Reed told Avery before leaving without her.

Chapter Text

The Medium

"You are nervous." Connor said. It was not a question, just a statement.

The clock hanging over the door of the conference room seemed to be getting louder every second that went by, and Avery alternated between pushing a strand of her long, colorless hair behind her ear, playing around with the sleeves of Tina’s jacket, and checking her phone.

She had changed into one of Tina’s old Detroit police uniform. It felt wrong. She looked weird in it, although it was a lot better than that parrot costume she wore before. But now she looked like a version of herself from another universe in which she had actually finished the academy. She wondered if anything would have changed if she did. If she’d still be sitting in this room. Doing nothing while she waited to hear back from her friends. If she still would be the reason for these women to die. If Gavin Reed would have felt any different about her.

Gavin.

They kissed. That was something that happened. Avery had already noticed her crush on her grumpy colleague a week into this job. Now months later, Gavin had become less angry, more sarcastic, but his inability to communicate his feelings stayed the same. And her feelings, on the other hand, had just gotten stronger and more confusing.

They kissed, and Avery still had no idea how he felt. Was it something he just did in the heat of the moment? Was he just upset? Overwhelmed? Or was there more for him than this awkward intimacy they shared of being just a little bit more than colleagues but not quite friends?

Avery had just learned that Reed had a wife. A wife.

She had no idea how to feel about the last hours. Or how Reed was feeling. They were divorced, but he still lost someone close to him. And it was still haunting him. He was still looking for justice. Avery wasn’t sure if he did it for Ashley’s sake or for his own. Something she asked herself thousands of times along her way.

Nothing of this mattered as long as Gavin still didn’t know the whole truth. How can she judge him for not telling her things when she is the one keeping secrets? How could she judge him for his inability to communicate when she never told a soul about the truth? No, that was wrong. She told one person. She had told her dad. Her dad, who hadn’t spoken to her in years. Her dad, who was now a suspect in her murder case. She let her head fall into her hands, desperately clinging on to anything familiar as she felt overwhelmed with everything going on.

And there was yet another problem. There was still her sharp, attentive colleague who had been playing her therapist for a year now and who she definitely also had feelings for.

Said problem was standing beside the door, leaning against the wall. His dark eyes were not leaving her.

"Aren't you?" Avery asked the android, as she stared at her phone, trying her best to avoid making eye contact with him. The display stayed dark, making her only see her own reflection. It looked sad. Drowned out. And in that moment she knew that nothing would stay the same after tonight.

"You checked your phone seven times in the last two minutes." Connor said, avoiding the question.

"You’re not really helping right now." Avery sighed. Why did she even agree to stay here? After all, it was her father. Her fault. But then again, she didn’t agree to anything. She had to. It was Reed's call. And maybe there even was a small part of her knowing he might be right. He didn’t wanna lose her. That was what he said, wasn’t it? He wanted to protect her. He wouldn’t if she just told him the truth. Or what if he still would… Avery interrupted her thoughts. Hope was a dangerous thing for a woman like her to have.

"What would help you right now?" Connor asked, leaning forward a bit. "And do not say another coffee. You have reached the maximum caffeine intake for a horse today." An attempt at a joke. A bad one, but Avery appreciated the effort as she glanced on her phone display yet again. Still no new notifications.

Connor pushed himself off the wall.

Avery felt a tingle in her stomach as he stepped closer. She knew he would do anything just to see her smile. It made her feel sad. Guilty even. He didn’t know what she did. What she was. She didn’t deserve him. This soft smiley person with a heart of gold. A metaphorical heart, she knew he didn't really have a heart. Although he had more empathy and love than a lot of humans she met.

"I just need the team to come back and to tell me that everything went fine." She said, giving him a weak smile as she now nervously fiddled around with the collar of her jacket.

He tilted his head. "What outcome would you consider 'fine’?"

That was a good question. Definitely. Did she want her father to be guilty? Did she want him to be innocent? What would change for her if she was guilty anyway.

"There is something you aren’t telling me." Connor said suddenly. His tone was colder, more authoritative. She flinched as if she was caught in a lie. Of course he noticed. She was well aware that he would notice it eventually. That was what he was designed for. Analyzing human behavior. Catching the false statements. Knowing when someone lies. And she was a liar. A fraud.

"Connor-" Avery shook her head as she felt a heavy knot in her throat that stopped her from speaking.

"Ry, you are very obviously not okay." He said as he took another step towards her.

"Of course I am not." There was something almost like anger in her voice. "How could I ever be? And I am so sick of people asking me if I am fine."

"Tell me what is really going on." Connor said. "Tell me the truth." He wasn’t asking.

She looked up, now finally meeting his eyes. He was right. She needed to finally say it out loud. "Do you think the worst thing we ever did defines us?" She asked carefully. It was too much to carry. It had been weighing on her shoulders ever since. Guilt was a slow killer.

"What do you mean?" Connor’s dark brows were furrowed, confused, but his voice stayed soothing.

Avery felt tears burn in her eyes as she felt the words fall out of her mouth. "Can we ever be fully forgiven?"

With two steps of his long legs, Connor stepped towards Avery and kneeled in front of her. Everyone of his movements was smooth, calculated, sharp. Their eyes were now on the same level. Her heart was racing. And she knew that he knew exactly how her heart was reacting to him. "Please tell me what is going on in that brilliant head of yours." He asked, his tone soft.

Avery took a deep breath, and for the first time since forever, she spoke nothing but the truths.

___

The Detective

The whole drive long, Gavin’s thoughts were filled with Avery. With the tone of her voice. The softness of her lips. The scent of her perfume.

Alexander Fox’s registered address was the holiday cabin just outside of Detroit. The one where Avery’s whole life changed. They had passed over the bridge where the accident had happened. It was patched up. As if nothing had ever happened here. And yet everything seemed haunted. The river was frozen completely. And Gavin could only think about the story Avery had told him.

Tina had been sitting next to him. She was in a black police jacket, and her hair was in a ponytail as usual. She had been quiet. Probably thinking about all the things she just learned about her best friend. And without being much of an empath, even Gavin knew she felt a bit hurt that Avery never trusted her with this story. Before they had gotten in the car, Gavin said a hushed "She didn’t tell me before, either." as if that would have changed things. Now even Tina’s presence alone made Gavin feel a bit guilty. Like he needed to confess.

"I kissed Fox."

Not even Tina’s usual pokerface could withstand the weight of this information. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. "You did what?"

"I kissed her." Gavin repeated himself. "Well, and she kissed me."

Her face lit up with a mixture of excitement and pride. "So you finally told her?"

Gavin stayed quiet for a moment, focusing on the icy road in front of him. Then he spoke again. "Told her what exactly?"

"Your feelings, of course, idiot." Tina said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Perhaps it was. Gavin wasn’t completely unaware of his flaws.

He cleared his throat, staring right ahead and keeping his eyes on the road. "Nope."

Tina slammed her flat hand onto her forehead. "You cannot be serious."

Gavin’s gaze flickered from the road to her and back to the road. "What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"You seriously went and kissed her and then didn’t tell her how you feel?"

"That was neither the time nor the place to do that." He tried to plead his case, but he knew there was no mercy from Detective Chen.

"Then you shouldn’t have kissed her!" Tina said. Her voice a little higher than usual.

"She was just as guilty as I was. She even took my shirt off!" His efforts to make himself seem less like an ass might have done the opposite.

"Your fucking shirt was off?!"

Glad for the interruption, Gavin killed the engine of his car. "We’re here." He said, half out of the car already.

Fresh snow started to fall as Gavin threw the door of his Ford shut. Tina was right. Again. How he hated when she was right. There was no way around it anymore after today. He had to tell Avery how he felt about her. He had to tell her how she made him feel. How she calmed him even when she drove him mad at the same time. How her stupid jokes made him smile way too often. How her presence made him feel almost alive. How he didn’t want to go another day without her. How he wanted to wake up next to her everyday. That was exactly what he wanted. And maybe he could even have it. Maybe there was still time. Maybe they could make it work. Somehow.

The wooden cabin in front of them looked so rundown that Gavin had to double check the address. Poison Ivy was climbing its way up to the roof, and the wood was overgrown with moss in many places. The path to the house was plastered with branches and leaves. Curtains were drawn, and an old pickup truck rested in the driveway. Alexander Fox had to be home.

Gavin turned around. Two more police cruisers had accompanied them. He saw Tina walking over to a few officers, briefing them shortly before she gave Gavin a nod.

He caught Chris glance, who stood by one of the cruisers with his team. The officer gave Gavin a thumbs up. They were ready.

The detective grabbed his ballistic helmet, taking a deep breath before approaching the front door of the cabin. Gavin could tell that, once many years ago, it used to be mint green. Now the paint had pealed, revealing the dark wood underneath it. His hands were steady as he grabbed his gun from the holster. It was gonna end tonight. No more dead women. No more danger for Avery. He would keep his promise to her.

In his peripheral view, he saw two more officers and Tina joining his side. Tina gave him another nod, so he knew that Chris’ team had secured the back of the house. With another deep breath, he raised his fist to knock, but to his and everybody else’s confusion, the door opened already, and a very tall man peaked around the corner. His face was hollow, his hair was messy and gray, his eyes a faded brown.

It took Gavin a few seconds before he found his words again. "Detroit Police Department. Are you Alexander Fox?" He had his gun lowered, but he knew that Tina behind him had his back.

The glazed eyes of the man alternated from looking at Gavin and his team. "That’s me." He finally said with a voice, rough from smoking and drinking. He stepped aside. "Come in." And with that, he already disappeared into his cabin again.

Gavin blinked confused before he threw the door open and entered after him. He was tense. His senses heightened. He had been prepared for resistance. Ready for action. Not just to be invited into the cabin.

"Sir, you are under arrest for the murder of Jane Doe and Amelia Sky. Please keep your hands where I can see them. We have a warrant for your house and property." Gavin said, his voice clear and imposing.

"Under arrest?" Alexander Fox repeated as he sat back down on the black leather couch without a worry. The inside of the cabin looked similar to the outside. The blue carpet as well as the dark wooden furniture made the place look as if it was stuck in the early 2000’s. There was an ashtray on a side table next to the couch, and a TV was running in the background. Static. "I have never hurt anybody." The man continued. "I never even heard these names before."

Gavin had taken his helmet off. His brown hair now messier than ever. "Mr. Fox, please get up and keep your hands where I can see them. You need to come to the station with us."

Tina and the other two officers had their guns still drawn on their suspect, but Alexander didn’t seem to mind it much. "Officer, I only leave my house twice a month. Once for groceries and once for my sobriety meeting."

"It’s detective, and we have evidence that supports otherwise." Gavin stood a little lost in the middle of Avery’s childhood memories and wondered if in another universe he would have gotten to meet her father under different circumstances. Now it would make every family reunion awkward. Gavin stopped his train of thought. He was overthinking. They just kissed. It was just one kiss.

"Evidence? What kind of evidence?" Wrinkles appeared on Alexander's forehead as his dark brows rose.

"The victims resemble your daughter Avery Fox and how she almost died 15 years ago."

Something in Alexander’s face changed. His dark eyes went soft. "My daughter." He asked. "Avery? This is about Avery?"

"Please get up. I don't wanna have to use force." Gavin felt a knot form in his stomach. Alexander didn’t appear like the monster he expected to meet. Here, in his small, rundown cabin, he just seemed like a grieving father and widower. Even more of a mess than his daughter.

"How is she? Is she okay? I need to know." Alexander asked, and it was almost a desperate plea. Like he desperately clung on to anything Gavin could tell him about her.

"I cannot tell you anything about your daughter. This is an ongoing investigation." The strong urge to protect Avery bubbled up in Gavin’s chest, and even as he tried his best to sound professional, something in his tone must have slipped.

Avery’s father nodded slowly. "You know my daughter."

"Sir…" Gavin said, flat. He felt pity for the person in front of him. He expected a raging drunk. A violent serial killer. But he found someone who lost so much that they lost themself.

"No, there's more." Alexander continued, leaning forward a bit. "Are you her boyfriend?"

Waves of heat and discomfort washed over the detective. "No, sir, I am not her boyfriend."

Alexander tilted his head. "No. Not her boyfriend. But you love her. I can see it in your eyes." Perhaps Avery’s intuition was inherited. Or perhaps Gavin Reed was just an open book.

Gavin took a deep breath. He glanced over to Tina. Tina, who had her gun still aimed, wore her pokerface.

"Please just tell me if she's alright. I need to know." Alexander tried again.

Gavin felt his familiar anger flush over him, and the words fell out of his mouth. "You never seemed to care for her. You stopped talking to her. And now, all of a sudden, you wanna know how she is? I don't buy it."

"Officer. I watched both my daughters die the day of the accident. Avery is a troubled person. You must know. She's plagued by guilt. And I could never convince her otherwise. I couldn't be in her life, not while I was still drinking." Streaks of his gray hair fell into Alexander’s face as he shook his head.

"You’re sober." Gavin snapped back.

Avery’s father took another deep breath before continuing. "I couldn't stand to watch her fall apart. She looks so much like her mother."

Gavin laughed a bitter, spiteful laugh. "Then you’re doing this for yourself. Not for her. You are too much of a coward to face her."

Alexander shook his head again. "I-"

"Why does she feel so guilty?" Gavin interrupted him. "Why does she think the accident was her fault? What did you say to her?"

"She never told you, did she?"

Gavin’s throat went dry as a cold shiver ran down his spine, and he hesitated before speaking. He wasn’t sure if he wanted an answer to the question he was about to ask. He wasn’t sure what it would change for him. But he needed to know. He desperately needed to. "Told me what?"

"My daughter thinks she caused the accident that killed her mother and sister. Avery grabbed the steering wheel."

Chapter Text

The Medium

Avery was sitting on the ground, leaning against the cold, eggshell-colored wall behind her. She had always wondered how it would feel like to say these words out loud. To confess. To admit. It was the scariest thing she’d ever done. She didn’t think she would be brave enough to do it. But she was. She did it.

Connor was sitting parallel to her. Mirroring her every movement. He was quietly listening. His gaze stuck to her, completely focused on every word she spoke, and Avery wondered if anyone had ever listened to her as attentively as he did. When the heavy tears started to fall from her face, Connor didn’t react other than reaching for a tissue and handing it to her. When she started to sob, he closed the distance between them to sit down next to her at the wall, tracing circles with his thumb on her thigh. He was quiet for a long time after she had finished telling him everything, and she almost flinched as his deep vocals filled the room again.

"Mistakes are human, Ry." He said as he now started to track the shape of a spiral on her leg. "There’s not a singular moment that defines them. Everyone is made of hundred little moments. Hundred decisions."

Avery was quiet. No more tears. No more sobbing. "Since the day of the accident, I felt like I should have died." Yet another confession she had never said out loud before.

"You do not have to earn the right to exist. Days aren't earned. You just get them. I am aware that humans have a particular need to find meaning in everything. They want to see a bigger picture for their existence. But there is no bigger picture. There is no god. There is no karma. Bad things do happen, and they do not always have a reason."

"But it was my fault."

Connor shook his head. "You miscalculated. You made a mistake, Ry. You weren't trying to hurt anybody. You are not a bad person for being flawed."

"How do you know that?" Avery asked, and she hated how it almost sounded like a plea.

"Because I see you. I see you as a whole person. Not just a moment in time when you were a child. I see you every day when you are making your friends smile. I see you every day giving kindness to every stranger you meet. I see you every day doing your absolute best to help people. To save them."

Avery wiped her nose with the sleeve of her jacket as she sniffled. "Do you believe everything can be forgiven?"

"No." Connor said without hesitating. "I know not everything is worth forgiveness. In this line of work, I see the worst humanity has to offer. I see the pain and suffering you cause each other. Intentions matter. Your heart matters."

She stayed quiet as she felt his words hit a part of her she thought she’d never reach. And maybe for the first time in a long time, her head was actually silent.

"Who do you want forgiveness from, Ry?" Connor asked. And it was a good question. A brilliant one.

"A ghost that’s haunting me." Avery sighed as she let her head fall back against the wall. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Her life was a bad comedy, and the jokes were writing themselves.

"There is only forgiving yourself."

Avery opened her eyes again to look at Connor. Tears shimmering in her foggy eyes. "What if that is this is the one thing I cannot do?"

"Forgiving yourself doesn’t mean forgetting what happened." Connor said. "It doesn’t mean you have to let go of your responsibilities. But it means that you have to, at some point, let go of this guilt you’re carrying. And only you hold the keys to that prison."

Avery looked at him. Connor’s brown hair wasn’t as neat as usual. A few loose streaks were hanging on his forehead. His dark eyes had the color of coffee with just the right amount of milk in it. His skin looked smooth, yet she was close enough to see freckles and splotches of color on his artificial skin. He looked like a living painting. Like an artist had considered every stroke before placing it. Cyberlife didn’t make him perfect. They made him beautiful.

Something in his eyes twitched. "Your heart rate has picked up and your pupils are dilated." He stated, and Avery felt her face blush even more.

"I am aware." She said, not moving away. Instead, she couldn’t help herself but let her gaze drop to his lips for just a split second. Something Connor, of course, caught. "I was always wondering." she said as her breath hitched.

Connor tilted his head. "Wondering what?" He asked.

"How your lips feel." She said in a breathy voice.

He blinked rapidly before a sly smile tugged at his lips. Connor narrowed his eyes before saying something, Avery didn’t expect to hear from him. "Why don’t you find out?"

Avery bit her lip before she leaned in closer, carefully, almost shy. Her lips were almost on his. She had no idea what she was doing, but her head was blurry from excitement and nervous anticipation. Her heart was racing. Connor didn’t pull away. She expected him to. But he stayed. Eyes glued on hers. And then she closed the gap between them and placed her lips on his.

His lips felt soft and smooth. He returned the kiss timid at first. Reaching out his hand to cup her face. She wanted to pull him closer. To feel the contrast of his soft lips to his hard body. She wanted to open her mouth for his tongue to explore. She wanted to deepen the kiss, to get rid of his stupid uniform–

She abruptly pulled away from Connor. "Shit. Sorry." She blurted out. What was she doing? She was kissing Connor. Her best friend. And just hours after she kissed Reed. And both of them were her colleagues.

Connor was staring at her. His eyes widened a bit, and maybe for the first time ever he seemed speechless.

Avery jumped up. "I don’t know what I was thinking." She said, pacing around the room. "I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you."

A puzzled look appeared on the android's face. "Why not?"

"You’re my colleague. My friend. I-" Words were falling out of her mouth in an effort to make sense about the million feelings she had. But there was no way to bring some order into the chaos that was her heart.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, his eyes not meeting hers anymore. Was he… embarrassed?

Avery rubbed the back of her neck. "I-"

"Let me rephrase." Connor interrupted her as he snapped back to his usual demeanor. "Did you want to kiss me?" He asked as he got up from the ground, taking a step towards her.

Her throat went dry as she looked up to him. "Yes. But-" She paused as she watched how his gaze unfocused. "What?" Avery quickly glanced over to her phone. "Did you get an update from Reed? Is everybody okay?"

After a second of being static, Connor nodded slowly. "They are fine. Detective Reed and Chen as well as Officer Miller are still at the cabin."

"And my father?" Her brows furrowed. "What about my dad, Connor?"

"He is…here."

The Detective

"It wasn’t him. We have absolutely nothing." Gavin was shaking his head aggressively. He leaned against the hood of his Ford, still in his bulletproof vest, arms crossed in front of his chest, default-state. He was fuming.

Alexander Fox had been taken into custody and was already on his way to the precinct, accompanied by two officers. In exchange, a team of forensics had arrived to turn the place upside down. The detective watched the crime scene investigators stroll around, all geared up. Flashes of cameras were clicking. One was even using a ground-penetrating radar around the cabin. A crime scene without a crime. That was what it seemed.

"I really think we need to talk to Avery." Chris said. His voice was calm, and despite the freezing temperatures, he had to wipe off some pearls of sweat from his forehead. He seemed tense. "There must be something else. Another connection. It wouldn’t be the first time she wasn’t completely honest with us."

Tina was shaking her head as well. But her words contradicted her body language. "I hate to say it, Gavin, but Chris is right. We need to talk to Avery."

"You guys are completely out of your mind." Gavin scoffed. Yet he knew they were right. He knew they must be missing something. There was doubt in him. Doubt that Alexander Fox was responsible for these murders. And besides the urge to keep Avery as far from this as possible, he knew his colleagues were right. She didn’t have the best track record of being completely honest. Why didn’t she tell him before? Why didn’t she tell him the whole truth about her accident? Gavin knew the answer. Fox was still not trusting him. And he also knew that Connor must have known. That thought made him clench his fist. What was going on with him? Gavin Reed wasn’t the jealous type.

"Gav." Tina tried again. "Be reasonable."

Gavin adjusted his position. His gaze drifted from Tina’s blue eyes to Chris’ brown ones. It had been such a long day, and he really wished to just go home and sleep–

Brown eyes.

His thoughts were spinning and racing as if they were on a rollercoaster. Involuntarily. He hated theme parks. If he wanted to throw up at a sticky place, he’d hit a bar downtown. But suddenly another detail he had not considered before came to the front of his mind. All clear and non-sticky.

"What did you just come up with?" Chris asked, his voice pitched in excitement.

The detective eye’d his friends. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe he just had a breakthrough in his case. And all that just by thinking. It must be how Avery felt. Or Connor. And he had to admit, it felt pretty intoxicating.

"He is in detective-mode." Tina declared.

"Yup, definitely." Chris agreed with a nod.

Perhaps it was bullshit. Just something his tired brain came up with just so he could finally go home. Perhaps it was the most brilliant thought he ever had right after combining cheese with chocolate.

"Now don’t keep us on tenterhooks, Reed." Tina said annoyed. For someone with as much patience as her, she lacked any when it came to a case. Or Reed. "I never thought I’d ask for it, but please, share your thoughts with us." Her blue eyes were focused. Clear. Awake.

"There’s something else. Something Fox told me that I didn’t think much of until now." Gavin began, still trying to get a grasp of the idea that was forming in his head.

"Continue please." Chris asked his friend. He leaned forward a bit as if he got ready to be told a secret.

"Before she drowned, Avery saw something. She brushed it up to being hallucinations as she was dying." Gavin explained as he unconsciously traced the scar across his nose. "She saw dark eyes."

Tina blinked confused. "And…?"

The cold wind was howling through the trees, and despite it being only just noon, the gray sky was dim and washed out as if the day was ready to end again by now. And Gavin couldn’t shake off the wish of a new day coming. A new day with new chances. With new hopes. Perhaps he’d start it by waking up next to her. And perhaps, this nightmare would be over by then. He stopped himself yet again. When did Gavin Reed start to daydream? He never used to be the type of person who had his head in the clouds.

An inpatient throat clearing from Tina made him continue. "Her sister. Sophie Fox." He said. "Her body was never found."

Chris looked at Tina. Tina looked at Chris. Then both stared at Reed.

After a moment of silence, only interrupted by the in rhythmic beeping of the GPR, Chris was the one who spoke. "You’re not saying-" The officer interrupted himself.

Tina was now back to aggressively shaking her head. "You think her then 14-year-old sister saved Avery from drowning to then lie low for 15 years and is now murdering women?"

"If you say it like that, I sound ridiculous." Gavin scoffed.

"Yah." Officer Miller nodded agreement. "Absolute bananas."

"Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything from this weird ass family." Gavin sighed. Tina was right. Yet again. His theory was absurd. Yet the alternative was having nothing. And if he had nothing, that meant he couldn’t protect Avery. That he failed. He broke his promise to her.

Gavin took a deep breath as his thoughts cycled back. "What Alexander said." He tried, carefully. "About Avery grabbing the steering wheel…" He wasn’t sure what to say. Or what to ask. What to think.

"Doesn’t change anything, does it?" Tina said. And something about the tone of her voice comforted the detective. "She was a kid. There was a deer. It was an accident."

"People make mistakes. We make bad decisions. I doubt she wanted to hurt anybody." Chris added with the usual warmth of his words.

Gavin really needed to take another anger management class. He did not feel as in control of his feelings as he’d liked to. "You think the driver who killed my wife just made a bad decision?" Gavin watched the words leave his mouth, feeling the familiar feeling of anger bubble up in his stomach. "I am sure he didn’t go out that night to kill someone. Yet he left Ashley to die. Alone. In a ditch." He snapped back at them.

Chris’ eyes widened, and Tina took a deep breath. Gavin knew they didn’t know what to say. He never spoke about his ex-wife. He never even used her name in front of them.

Tina’s voice was calm. "Gavin, I don’t think you can compare-"

"Detective!" Chen got interrupted by a woman from the forensics calling out.

Gavin turned in her direction. She was the one using the GPR. "What now?" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "This better be good." He said, more to himself than to the crime scene investigator. He had enough of senseless interruptions for ridiculous questions.

"I found something." The woman declared. "I think it might be a body."

Chapter Text

The Detective

Gavin nervously chewed on his nails as he watched the crime scene investigators, who, in his humble opinion, worked way too slowly. His shoulders were tense, and he was shivering. He had thrown over his brown leather jacket which, in hindsight, was really not a great option for these temperatures. He had been waiting for an hour already at this point, and the body was yet to be exhumed from the frozen ground.

Dr. Johnson had arrived quickly after he had called her. She looked serious. Worry was something Gavin wasn’t used to seeing in Vallery’s green eyes. She was wearing a brown winter coat that was perfectly fitting around her generous curves. Despite the heels of her black boots, she was still shorter than Gavin.

"How is Avery?" Vallery asked as she watched another layer of soil being scooped out.

Gavin rubbed his hands together before breathing some air between them to warm them up. He really should have brought his fingerless gloves at least. "She’s with Connor, so she’s fine." He replied flat without looking at the doctor.

Vallery seemed to get the hint as she changed the subject flawlessly. "What do you think we got down there?"

"That’s kinda what you are here for." He grimaced.

Ignoring his sarcasm, Dr. Johnson continued. "So you have no theories?" She said provokingly. "Nothing?"

Now she had Gavin’s full attention as he turned to her, dropping his hands from the effort of warming them up. "Could be his first victim." He explained. "The first murder is always sacred to a serial killer. Keeping the body close would make sense."

Vallery hummed as she pondered.

"What?" Gavin said, a little more agitated than he meant to. He wasn’t sure if he was irritated because of the lack of process in his case, the long time he had been waiting in the cold, or simply the lack of caffeine he had in the last few hours.

"Oh, I thought I heard Detective Chen and Officer Miller discuss earlier that you have reasonable doubt about Alexander Fox being the killer." Johnson said, unbothered by the sting in Gavin’s voice.

He scoffed. "Are you his lawyer now?" Shaking his head, he turned back to the shallow hole in the ground. The team of forensics were dressed in white protective overalls, which blended in with the thick layer of snow all around them. Only the dark soil they dug up stood in contrast to the rest of the scene.

"No." Val said. "Although I took a couple courses of law in college."

"I have nothing, Val." Gavin sighed. "I have no idea how to find out who did this if it wasn’t Alexander Fox."

Vallery continued to watch the forensics work through the frozen earth. "It’s probably someone Avery knows." She said.

"What?" Gavin asked puzzled as his head snapped back to her.

"I took some courses of psychology in college as well and–"

"Yah, yah whatever." Gavin interrupted her. "What do you mean, it’s someone Avery knows?"

"I read the report about the cabin you found at the river. And all of this looks like a stalker to me. The photos, the trophies. Statistically speaking, a stalker is oftentimes already known by their victim. An ex-partner, a coworker, the person next to them on the bus." Vallery explained. "Oh, and it’s most likely to be a man."

Taking a deep breath, Gavin readjusted his posture. Someone Avery knew? An ex-partner? He needed a list of all possible candidates from her.

"Dr. Johnson?" One of the crime scene investigators called out. "Can you take a look at this?"

Vallery gave Gavin an apologetic smile. "Excuse me. Work calls." With that, she started to climb down into the shallow grave. Even as she was kneeling down in the mud, she looked gracious doing it.

Gavin kept away from the hole in the ground. He wasn’t keen on catching a glimpse of the body they must have dug up by now.

"Gavin." Vallery’s voice was toneless. He got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Whatever she was about to tell him definitely wasn’t good.

"What is it, Val?" He called out, not daring to take another step closer to the edge.

"It’s a child."

The Medium

Avery was staring through the one-way mirror. A feeling of uncertainty, even nervousness, was laying heavy on her chest. She had pushed her hands into the pockets of her mom jeans as soon as they had started to shake, hoping Connor wouldn’t notice. But of course, he did anyway.

Avery dreaded having to talk about their kiss. What would she even tell him? That she likes him a lot, but she also really likes her asshole colleague, and she can’t decide who she likes more? Good thing she had worse things to face for now.

Connor was standing behind her, silent. Next to them were Captain Fowler and Officer Washington. Washington was very obviously bothered by the awkward silence between them. He was nervously fidgeting around with the hem of his shirt.

Sitting in complete silence in the interrogation room was Alexander Fox. Her father had gotten older. His eyes were a little milky, and his hair completely gray. She didn’t even remember when she saw him the last time. It must have been years ago.

"Miss Fox." The sudden sound of Captain Fowler's voice made Avery flinch. Fowler was eyeing her. As usual, she was unable to make out what he was thinking.

Connor had tried to explain before as carefully as he could that there was no way she could speak to her father. At least not before Reed would finish his interrogation. But Reed was still at the cabin, and Avery didn’t know for how much longer, and her patience was wearing thin. The only reason she did not yell was because it was Connor. He didn’t make the rules. He was just bound to them. Although she caught herself wishing that Connor would see more nuances. And less black and white.

Avery took another deep breath before she finally spoke. "I know what you are going to say Sir, but I really need to talk to him. Five minutes is all I need. He’s my dad."

She knew it wouldn't be easy to convince the man Reed and Chris nicknamed 'drill sergeant'. She would have to play all her aces. Maybe even play a little unfair. Guilt tripping. Maybe she should fake cry.

Fowler was staring through the one-way mirror as well. He nodded. "Alright. You have five minutes."

Maybe crying was too much. She needed to seem professional. In control. Give Fowler logical arguments to convince him. "I am part of the investigation, and if this is–Wait, what did you say?"

"You can talk to him." Fowler repeated himself. "Five minutes. And the RK won’t leave your side." He said with a glance at Connor.

Avery looked at Connor, surprised. He gave her a timid nod. "Thank you, Sir." She said to the captain.

"Believe it or not, I also have a father." Fowler replied without another look at her. "Oh, and don’t let Reed know about this."

___

The door to the interrogation room opened slowly with a creaking sound as Connor stepped through it, followed by Avery. The lighting was cold, and the walls were in a sterile gray.

Alexander Fox was sitting at a desk in the middle of the room, still in handcuffs. He was hunched over, his face buried in his hands. He lifted his head as he heard the door opening, and some streaks of his dull hair were falling out of his withered face. His gaze lingered on Connor for a moment before noticing Avery.

Normally Avery’s intuitive feeling would come to her softly, careful. A way of protecting her. Of keeping her safe. But this time it came to her like a knife buried in her chest. Sharp and painful.

Alexander Fox did not kill these women. She knew that from the moment she laid eyes on her fathers. But there was something else. Something was wrong. He was hiding something.

"Ry." Alexander’s eyes were reddened. He had been crying.

"Dad." Was all Avery said.

Her dad made no effort in getting up. Instead, he was staring at his hands. "I am sorry." His voice sounded rough. Fragile.

She wasn’t sure what exactly he was apologizing for. It was weird seeing him like this. Despite Avery’s prior knowledge of the state her father would be in, she had always remembered him like he used to be. Funny, lovely, witty. Before the accident took everything from him, including his spark.

Avery took a step forward, which made Connor twitch a little, before sliding onto the chair opposite her dad. "I am sorry as well." She said, and she meant it. Perhaps Connor had been right. Perhaps she was holding the key to her own prison.

Alexander still didn’t dare look her in the eyes. "Are you alright?"

The million-dollar question. Avery was so sick of having everybody worry about her all the time. She was so tired of it. Everyone else must be tired too. "I am okay," she said with a glance towards Connor, and she finally actually wanted to be.

Her father looked up briefly at her. "I didn’t kill these women." He said.

She nodded. "I know that now."

He mirrored her nodding as if he knew she must know. "It wasn’t your fault, Avery." He said again. Something he said a million times before, but she never heard it until today.

"Dad, I-"

The door swung open and hit against the wall with a bang. Gavin Reed stomped into the interrogation room, gritting his teeth. His face had the color of a ripe tomato. "Fox. Out. Now." He said.

Avery didn’t flinch. And she definitely didn’t move. She had been worrying about Reed for hours now. Seeing him again after the kiss they shared left her with a weird feeling in her chest, and she could feel the heat rise into her cheeks. She closed her eyes, briefly pondering her options. "Fowler gave me five minutes, and I still have three left, Reed." She said.

Reed shook his head. "Absolutely not. You’re leaving this room. Now."

"Reed, this is my father. Let me talk to him."

"Is this what you think means protecting her?" He barked at Connor.

Connor had taken a few steps forward and was now positioned between Gavin and Avery. "I do. There is no immediate danger, Detective." He said, unimpressed by Reed’s outburst.

Avery grimaced. "How about you two continue your argument outside while I get to talk to my dad?" She snapped at Reed.

"This isn’t about you." Reed said after taking a few deep breaths. "He is my suspect, and I would like to interrogate him without your interference." He broke away from the staring contest he apparently had going on with Connor.

"Reed, please." Avery pleaded now. She only needed a little bit more time.

"We found another body." Gavin blurted out.

Avery’s mind seemed to haze up as a sinking feeling inside her stomach made itself noticeable. "A body? Another victim?" She looked at Connor. He knew already. "Why didn’t you tell me?" She asked the android, reproachingly.

Connor didn’t react. His brown eyes just rested on her, as if he was almost curious of how she would react. In reality, he probably just didn’t want to upset her. She knew that. It made it worse. She didn’t want to be a person her colleagues had to walk on eggshells around. She didn’t want to be fragile.

"We found the body behind the cabin. Dr. Johnson estimates that the victim was about nine years old when she died."

Avery closed her eyes as she felt a cold shiver run through her body. "It’s a young girl?" She slowly turned back to face her father.

He had closed his eyes and was shaking his head frantically. "Avery, I promise you I can explain–"

"Who is that body?" Avery asked. Her voice brittle.

"Avery, you need to understand–"

The chair fell down as Avery jumped up. Her heart was racing. She could feel it heavy in her chest, ready to burst out of her ribcage.

"Who is buried behind the cabin?" She was screaming now. "Answer me!"

She could feel Connor's strong hand resting on her shoulder. She wasn’t sure if it was to calm her or hold her back. Reed had turned silent. He was frozen in place. Pearls of sweat were shimmering on his forehead. Only his deep inhales audible.

Finally Alexander found the courage to look up to Avery and meet her gaze. Hazel eyes. The same her sister had. And a sting in her heart made Avery realize how much she was missing her little sister.

"Avery, I am so sorry."

"Who is it?" She felt tears uncontrollably stream down her cheeks.

"It’s your sister Ry. It’s Sophie."

___

The metal of the autopsy table was cold underneath Avery. She was sitting on top, her legs were dangling as Vallery took a swab from her mouth. The doctor had been quiet, but so was Avery. She had been staring at nothing. Listening to the buzzing of one of the LED lights.

"Don’t ask the question, please." Avery said as she sensed that Val was about to say something.

Val looked at her. "What question?" She asked.

Avery scoffed. "You know, the one everyone keeps asking me. And I cannot stand it anymore."

"Why you like pineapples on pizza?" Vallery closed the test tube before sticking a label on it.

Avery couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. "You’re impossible."

"Anything to make you laugh."

"Avery." It was Gavin who had walked through the door of the morgue. Not sleeping had crumbled at his appearance. His hair seemed even messier. His under-eye bags darker. His skin tone duller.

Vallery looked back and forth between Avery and Gavin before an awkward smile revealed her piercing. "I’ll give you two a minute." And with that, she hurried out of the room.

"DNA test done?" Reed asked as he strolled through the room.

"Yup." Avery pushed herself off the autopsic table. "What are the chances I find out that I am actually related to someone super rich and I’ll inherit a lot of money?" It was her way of coping. Jokes. Sarcasm. Anything to hide behind, to avoid facing the naked truth. And the implications this truth brought with it.

"You should ask Connor about statistics, not me." Gavin said, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Right. Connor. Should she tell Reed about the kiss? No. She needed to talk to Connor first and then talk to Gavin about the kiss between them before she could even think about bringing up other kisses.

Gavin leaned against a morgue table parallel to her. "Alexander hasn’t said another word."

"I really don’t understand what’s going on. Why was there a body buried in the garden of my childhood holiday house? And why does my father say it’s Sophie? Sophie died when she was 14, not nine."

"Yah." Gavin scratched the back of his head. "Dr. Johnson also said that she must have been buried there for over 20 years."

"20 years…" Avery repeated as she slowly tugged at her earlobe.

Gavin took a step forward and suddenly she could feel her heart start to race again. "Avery, you need to get some sleep for now. Take Connor with you." He said, and he sounded surprisingly soft for someone she expected to be fuming because of her.

She met his gaze before shaking her head. "Gavin, I can’t go home now. I have to look at the case again. I need to find out what all of this means."

Gavin was quiet for a bit. He reached out and carefully tugged a strand of her colorless hair behind her ear. "You’re off the case." He said. His voice emotionless.

"What?" She took a step away from him.

"I talked to Fowler. You’re off the case." Reed crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Go home. You’ll get police protection until we find out who did this."

"Reed, are you being serious?" She asked even if she knew he was. And she knew for a long time that she had this coming eventually. Reed had been giving her chance after chance after chance again. And she kept on finding herself messing them up one after another. And she was so tired. Maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to go home. "This is important to me, Gavin." She tried one last time.

"And you’re important to me. That’s why I am sending you home." His green eyes seemed foggy. He was tired as well. She shouldn’t be fighting with him now when all she wanted to do was hug him.

"Are you going to get some rest as well?" Avery asked as she grabbed her jacket.

Reed grimaced. "Of course not."

Avery hesitated. She should ask him. Ask him to come with her instead of Connor. Ask him to stay by her side. But something was holding her back. Shame? Embarrassment? "Good night, Reed." She finally said, and without another look back, Avery left the morgue. She could feel Gavin’s eyes follow her out. It took all her strength not to turn around one last time.

Chapter Text

The Medium

The cold wind was pulling at her. Ripping through layers of skin until her bones were fully frozen. It was dark. That type of darkness no city can offer. She couldn’t make out her surroundings, but she knew she was on the ice again. It was so familiar, yet the panic was rising in her stomach. Despite the cold, her hands were wet from sweat. Any wrong step could break the ice. Any wrong step would be deadly. The darkness below was welcoming her. There were no stars in the sky. No moon. No hope.

Every fiber of her body violently twitched as a loud sound of something heavy crashing through the ice was echoing all around her.

A bridge. A slowly sinking SUV.

Sophie!

She wanted to scream, but no sound left her throat. Her stomach cramped as she took careful steps towards the hole in the ice. Like in a chess game, every one of her moves were calculated. She was moving so slowly. Why was she moving so slowly?

"Ry." Said a voice behind her. "Ry, what happened to me?"

Avery spun around to stare into the twisted face that once had been her sisters. Her skin was gone, only pieces of flesh remained hanging on her discolored skull. She had no eyes. No more warmth. No more skin to cover her teeth. Bugs were crawling over shreds of her skin that were left. The humming of flys was so loud. And the smell… Avery slapped her hand over her mouth.

"What happened to me?" Sophie asked again, but it wasn’t Sophie's voice. It sounded as if someone was trying to mimic her voice and wasn’t getting it quite right.

"Sophie, I am so sorry." Avery took a step backwards to hear the familiar sound of the ice cracking. No longer could she stare at the corpse of her dead sister. But before the ice underneath her feet could give in, Sophie reached out, and her skeletonized hand grabbed Ry’s shoulder. She heard herself scream.

Avery jolted upwards. She was freezing. In the dim light of her living room lamp, she could make out Connor who was kneeling next to her. It took her a couple more moments to realize that she was on her couch. In her apartment. It was just another nightmare.

Connor’s soft gaze was filled with worry. Avery must have drifted away while trying to write the list for Reed. Everybody she knew was a long list. The android must have woken her up. His hand was still resting on her shoulder. "It was just a dream. You’re safe. Can you take a deep breath for me?" Connor said, his voice calm.

Avery swallowed hard before nodding. The air felt sticky inside her lungs.

"Was it the same nightmare as usual?" Connor asked.

"Yah." Avery said, a little out of breath. Her teeth were chattering. She felt so cold. "But now there was the addition of my sister's corpse talking to me."

Connor knew about her nightmares. He knew about her troubles to sleep. He nodded understandingly as he picked up another blanket to wrap around her shoulders. She enjoyed the closeness of his body for the few seconds before he pulled away again. "I am making you a tea."

"Connor." Avery said, and he stopped, halfway through her tiny living room, he was almost in the open kitchen area.

"What happened to my sister?"

He looked at her, and she appreciated how his gaze was never filled with pity. "I wish I had an answer for you, Ry. I really do." Connor said, his voice filled with sorrow. "We do not even have confirmation that the body that was found is your sister."

She sniffed. "What’s the probability?"

"Ry-"

Avery closed her eyes. "Please, just answer the question." He was just trying to protect her. She knew that. But she was so sick of it.

"98%"

Now regretting having asked him, she swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath, Avery turned and stared out of the window. It was dawn again. She had gotten a good few hours of sleep. And her body had been screaming for it. She wasn’t necessarily feeling refreshed, but at least she felt somewhat alive again.

The truth was out there, she knew it. And to find it, she needed to solve these murders. Jane Doe. Amelia Sky. What happened to them? Maybe Reed took her off this case, but she never solved crimes better than locked inside a room with Connor.

Connor. They still haven’t talked about their kiss. She knew she needed to say something, no matter how embarrassed or awkward she felt. She turned around to watch Connor prepare tea for a bit before she spoke up. "I think we need to talk about it, don’t we?"

He looked up studying her for a bit. "There’s no need to talk. I understand."

"You understand?"

"I do. I would categorize it as something you humans call 'the heat of the moment'. And I am fully aware of your special relationship with Detective Reed."

Special relationship? "No, Connor, that doesn’t mean–"

A knock at the door made both Connor and Avery flinch. Instinctively Avery jumped up, surprised her legs were even supporting her. She took a step forward, but Connor, who was already next to her again, held out his arm, signaling her to stop. One hand on the gun Reed gave him, which was still neatly tugged into his belt, he approached the front door to look through the peephole. The tension in his shoulders dropped as he reached to open the door abruptly.

"Officer Washington." Connor said, his tone neutral.

Washington was one of the officers assigned as police protection to Avery. He looked tired. The pale skin underneath his eyes glowing purple. In one hand a coffee to go cup, in the other his radio.

"I heard a scream." He explained. "Thought I’d check it out." Snowflakes were stuck in his bright red hair.

Connor tilted his head. "Your response time was 4 minutes and 39 seconds." He said, blinking a few times. Was he being judgmental?

"I had to walk up here. The elevator is out of order." The officer explained with a gesture towards the out-of-order sign on the elevator that had been there for the past six months.

"It’s the second floor." Connor said, his voice still flat. Avery enjoyed judgmental Connor.

Washington shrugged. "So everything's fine?"

Taking a few steps closer, Avery was now standing behind Connor. "Yes. Thank you for checking in." She replied because she knew her colleague would be less polite, and even if she enjoyed Connor's sass, she suddenly felt a little pity for the officer.

Connor slammed the door shut. "Unbelievable." He shook his head. "I’ll request that someone else be assigned for your personal protection as soon as possible." He turned to Avery.

She looked up to him with a mischievous smirk. "Coffee is a great idea, though."

"I just made tea." Connor complained. "And we talked about your caffeine consumption, didn’t we?"

"Caffeine helps me think."

___

A little later, Connor and Avery were sitting on the ground of her living room. Everything they had on the case spread out around them. Pictures of the victims, articles about the accident, case files, autopsy reports. They had to push the furniture towards the walls to make enough room for the both of them. Avery was holding a big cup of steaming hot coffee. She knew the answer was right in front of her. She just had to look closer. But where?

Two women were dead. Drowned. They didn’t even know the identity of the first victim. What was the connection to Avery? Besides the looks. Besides the way they died. They had to live out the fate she could escape from. All the odds were against her. Yet she survived. Why did she survive? Just for these women to die?

"I can basically hear the gears turning in your head." Connor said. "I know that face, what are you thinking?"

Even if she could ever let go of the guilt from the accident, how could she ever forgive the deaths of two uninvolved women? If it were only two. What if Jane Doe wasn’t their first victim? What if Amelia wasn’t the last? She knew how she could let go of her guilt. She needed to find who was responsible and close this case.

"Connor," Avery said as she started to chew on the inside of her cheek. "I need to have a list of all the women who drowned in the last 15 years around Detroit."

His eyes lit up a little. "That is the Avery I prefer. Can you give me more parameters to limit my search?"

"White women, between 25 and 35. Blonde hair. Do not rule out accidents and suicides. That might have been why we didn’t come across them yet."

"That’s surprisingly still a long list. 32 women drowned between 2025 and 2040 that fit into your parameters. Do you have anything else that could limit my search?"

Avery bit her lip as she stared at the pictures on the ground. What else could these women have in common with her? If this even was about her. That thought occurred to her many, many times. What if she has been on the wrong track the whole time? What if it was a coincidence? She heard Reed's voice inside her head again. There are no coincidences. What if he was wrong? Avery’s glance got stuck on a picture laying on the carpet in front of her. It was of Sophie. What happened to me? Her eyes narrowed as it clicked.

"Check if they had younger sisters." She told Connor.

Connor’s face changed as he seemingly finished processing the data. "I found three incidents like those you described. All of them happened a year ago."

Avery’s face lit up with curiosity. The spark in her eye urging Connor to continue to speak.

"Alicia Brooks, 27. Drowned in the Detroit River in late December last year in a swimming accident."

"A swimming accident in December?" She frowned.

The android glanced at her before he continued. "Mary Baker, 30, drowned in her own bathtub also last December. She was found by a police officer after sending a distressed call. The case got ruled as a suicide."

There it was. That familiar feeling of knowing that something Connor just said had more importance. She just didn’t know what. Or why. But Avery knew. She was on the right track.

"Tera Bennett, 32. Found at the shore of the Detroit River. She drowned last November. It was ruled as an accident as well." Perhaps Reed was wrong about many things. But he was right about this one. There were no coincidences.

"He kills in three. Every winter." Avery jumped up as she started to pace through the little space she had. It was, like always, helping her think. "November…What day was it exactly?" Avery asked in a hurry, as if she just found the missing puzzle piece. She only needed to place it down in the correct spot.

Connor’s brown eyes unfocused for a bit until he found the information he had been looking for. "Her body was found the 23rd of November, but the coroner suggested she died the day before, which was...

Avery’s gray eyes were widened as she looked up to Connor. "My first full day at the precinct." There was a break where there were no sounds except the faint buzzing of a bus passing by. "This isn’t about the accident." Avery concluded. "This is just about me."

The Detective

Gavin arrived at the precinct later than he anticipated. It had frozen over night again, and he had to wait way too long for the engine of his Ford to warm up before he could drive to the station. He could have probably just walked there in that time if it wasn't so damn cold. He even had skipped his sacred morning run. With these temperatures, it would probably be less running and more skating. And he hated skating.

Assuming he would still be one of the first people from the morning shift to arrive, he was surprised to find Chris there already. Chris was in his normal wear, a rare occurrence to see, a beige woolen sweater paired with a pair of dark brown suit pants. He was sitting at his desk, a coffee mug in front of him.

"Gave up with the caffeine cleanse?" Gavin asked with a grin as he dropped his jacket on his chair opposite from Miller’s desk. His own desk was a mess. Stacks of folders, case files, reports. One would think that in the great year of 2040, digitization would not have to be a topic anymore. But no, Gavin and his colleagues still had to deal with paper wars daily.

"Desperate times call for desperate masseurs." Chris answered, drawing a light chuckle from Gavin. "I’ve been looking into everything I could find of the Fox family." Chris explained further.

"Found anything suspicious?" Gavin stopped in his movement.

Officer Miller put on a proud smile. "I would call it that, yes."

"What did you find?" Gavin asked as he joined Chris’ side. His desk was the opposite of Gavin’s. Neat. Everything was in order. He even had a pencil holder. His desktop was different though. A mess of icons, files, and documents.

"I concentrated on the time between 2020 and the accident in 2025. I checked the call logs, which were a little uninteresting, same as the financial records, besides Mr. Fox having a decent income every month. But this got me wondering where Alexander Fox was working in that time." Chris clicked to open an article, and a giant picture of Elijah Kamski popped up on his monitor.

"No." Gavin shook his head. "He worked for Cyberlife?"

"Right on the money, Gav." Chris leaned back in his seat. "2020, the year Vallery estimated where Sophie died, was also the year first Android passed the Turing Test."

Gavin’s face froze in horror as he realized what Chris was telling him. "Excellent work, Chris." He said, already halfway through the precinct.

The holding cells at the station were big glass boxes. And in one of them was sitting Alexander Fox, his head in his hands.

Reed stopped in front of it. "She was an android?" He said, and his voice pitched a little. "You switched your daughter out for an android?"

Alexander’s eyes were wide open, and he seemed to be even paler than usual as he looked up to Gavin. But he must have known that they would find out eventually. Perhaps it rather was the accusation thrown at him that offended him. Avery's father slowly got up and straightened to his full height. "I didn’t switch out my daughter."

"Tell me what happened." Gavin took a step closer to the glass. "Tell me what happened to Sophie, Alexander."

Alexander hesitated for a second, but then he started talking. "She drowned." He said, his voice brittle. "It was an accident."

Gavin nodded almost understandingly, waiting for Alexander to continue.

"We were at the cabin, like every winter. Avery had gotten sick. And her fever had just risen." He looked down at his hands. "I tried to get cell service, to call for a doctor. So I went outside, and Sophie really wanted to come with me. And Peggie was so busy with Avery, so I took her with me."

"Why didn't you just drive to the hospital?" Gavin asked.

"It wasn’t that bad yet. And the drive would have taken us over an hour. I didn't think Avery could handle it." Alexander explained. He shook his head. "If I could go back and change anything I did that night I would. I would give everything for it."

"You went outside with Sophie." Gavin repeated where Alexander left off. "What happened then?"

Avery’s father took a deep breath before sitting down again. "It was dark." He said. "And I was so busy and worried that I didn’t notice Sophie sneaking off. She was just a curious kid back then."

"When was this?" Gavin asked.

"Early January 2020."

The detective nodded. He could feel his heart pound in his chest. He didn't want to know it, but he needed to.

A sob left Alexander's throat. "It would have been her birthday in February. She never even got to turn nine."

"Alexander, I understand that this must be hard for you, but I need to know what exactly happened." Gavin said, his voice soft yet filled with authority. He did his best to push his own feelings down to stay focused.

"Sophie, she... she must have broken into the ice. All I heard was this cracking sound and water splashing. She didn't cry. She didn't call for help. Nothing. And... by the time I got to her… I wasn’t able to save her."

Gavin felt his pulse rise. "So you buried her behind your cabin and built an android to look like her instead? And you’re telling me no one noticed? You’re telling me Avery didn’t know?"

Alexander flinched at the sudden change in Gavin’s tone. "I wanted to protect her. It’s all I ever wanted to do. She is the only daughter I have left, Officer." He said. "I think Avery must have noticed. But something inside her was protecting her from the truth. That’s why she never found out."

Gavin ran a hand through his brown hair. "What happened to the android after the accident?"

"She saved Ry. And I am forever thankful for that." Alexander said. "I think Sophie knew that if she went to a hospital, they would find out that she wasn’t human. Or they would ask too many questions how she saved her sister."

"Why didn’t Sophie save your wife?" Gavin asked.

"I wasn’t there, Officer. I can only guess that she needed to make a choice. And of course it was Avery. She adored Avery."

"Gavin–" It was Chris who suddenly had shown up behind the detective. A folder clutched to his chest. He seemed pale. "Sorry to interrupt, but it’s very urgent. We just got a match on the DNA found underneath Jane Doe’s fingernails."

The Android

"I do not follow." Connor said, looking up to his colleague, who was storming through her flat as if she just found a way of disproving the law of gravity.

"Gavin came to the conclusion that the 15-year anniversary of my accident must have been the stresser for my father. But that makes no sense seeing that these murders started a year ago." Ry explained.

"It could still be a valid theory." Connor stopped himself for a second. "But I am assuming that you have a feeling, am I correct?"

"You are so correct." Ry was out of breath, her eyes were glowing. She looked wild, more alive than ever. And it fueled a strange feeling in his stomach.

"So if this isn’t about the accident. What is it about?" He asked.

"The list!" Ry shouted as she jumped towards her couch, frantically searching for her fuzzy notebook. "Val was right. I have a stalker."

Connor tilted his head. "We knew that. We knew that from the second we laid eyes on the shack down by the Detroit River."

"Yes, yes, I know." Ry had found the purple notebook and was now skipping through her pages, trying to find the one she was looking for. "But I thought it must be someone involved in my accident. But now I think it has to be someone from the precinct."

"Someone from the precinct?" Connor repeated, not yet completely able to follow her train of thoughts.

Ry froze as she went even more pale than usual. "The pickup truck."

"Avery, you’re not making any sense."

"It wasn’t the pickup truck that gave me a feeling. It was the cop cruiser." She whispered more to herself than to him. "You need to call Reed now! We're in danger." There was something new in her voice. Something he hadn’t registered before. It was panic.

"I wouldn’t do that, If I were you."

Through everything, Connor hadn’t noticed that the front door of Avery’s apartment had opened. Now the door closed with a clink as Officer Washington leaned himself against it. His gun was drawn.

It clicked, and Connor understood everything Ry had been ranting about. "Officer Washington, I would recommend you putting your weapon down now." Connor sounded determined. "I am faster and stronger, and I am armed." He knew his mission. He needed Ry to be safe.

Washington just laughed bitter. "I know you are. But she isn’t. Move, and I’ll put a bullet through that pretty skull. "

Estimated scenarios were running down in front of Connor’s eyes in record time. Washington was correct. Connor was still sitting on the ground, and Avery was closer to the door. He wouldn’t be able to do anything without her getting hurt.

"It was you. Right in front of my eyes. The whole time. And I didn’t see it." Avery swallowed hart. She was frozen in place, still having a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Yah, you didn’t see it, did you? I guess your superpowers aren’t really so super, are they?" The officer laughed mockingly. "Of course no one would suspect the useless, clumsy cop."

"The photos of me… Reed thought Derek Smith dropped them when he took you as a hostage. But those were yours." She shook her head violently. "I should have known."

"You should have." Washington said with a grin. "And now, Fox, you’ll follow me to the cruiser, and you will be a well-behaved Tamagotchi and stay behind, will you?" He said to Connor.

"I cannot let you do that." Connor said. His hand wrapped tightly around the weapon in his belt.

Ry pleaded as she lifted her hands in surrender, turning to Washington. "Connor, please, don’t get yourself killed." Her voice sounded panicked.

"I appreciate your concern, Avery. But I am not alive. He cannot kill me." Connor’s eyes met her’s now. She knew he wouldn’t back down. He would rather get himself damaged than let her leave this room with Washington. Avery was more than aware of what happened if an android got badly damaged. She knew about the trauma and memory lost. How every time it would just let him lose more of his deviancy. Of his humanity. How the Connor who stood right in front of her, who kissed her wouldn’t be the one coming back. But he couldn’t care about that right now. He couldn’t let her be taken to a second location.

"You are more worried about the life of an android than your own?" Washington said with a click of his tongue. "Humanity really is lost. Now let’s move." He opened the door, waiting for Avery to join him. She had a look on her face Connor just didn’t want to get used to. Avery Fox looked scared.

"I am sorry, Avery. I cannot do what you asked for." Connor said as he pulled the gun out of his belt, but Officer Washington was already prepared.

"Wait no!" Avery’s scream was overshattered by a shot being fired right next to her. Connor’s ears were ringing with her scream, the last thing he saw was Ry’s eyes widened in fear before everything went to black.

Chapter Text

The Stalker

Scott Washington was driving slow. He was driving carefully. The road was slippery from all the snow that had melted and then had frozen again.

His car’s windshield wipers were making a rhythmic noice that was the only sound that filled the silence.

The scent of her perfume filled the cruiser. It was a floral scent. Perhaps roses. And there was something sweet in it as well. Definitely vanilla. A scent that wasn’t fitting to her at all, yet he had noticed her wearing it every day.

Her presence was warm. Like it filled a space he previously hadn’t know was empty. It felt right to be so close to her. To finally have her here with him.

After all his efforts he got what he wanted. He felt accomplished. He did well. He did exceptional. He felt proud. But he also felt a little pity for her.

The way her eyes had widened when he shot the android. The way tears were streaming down her face. He didn’t understand her attachment. He found it childish even. Crying over a broken toy. But he never wanted her to suffer. He took no pleasure in it.

He wasn’t a bad guy. He wasn’t a monster. He even had waited patiently for her to put on her boots and jacket. Her hands had been shaking heavily as she tried to tie her shoes and zip up her hoodie. When he reached out to help her she had flinched. He had retrieved his hand a little offended. He only wanted to help. He was helping her. When would she finally see that?

Her light hair seemed to almost glow in the darkness of the cruiser only interrupted by the street lights eliminating her face in intervals as they passed them. Her long streaks had this color he could never name. The first time he had seen her it had been wet from the rain. And back then there was this spark in her eyes. Now looking at her through his review mirror her eyes were red and swollen. She tried her best to keep her sobs as quiet as possible. She was trying to be brave. He watched her wiping her nose with the sleeve of her jacket.

He had always seen her loud and brave. Stubborn. Her and the detective were always on each other's throats. But now, she seemed so small. And it made him wonder if she was even worth his time. But he wouldn’t back down now. He was doing this for her. He couldn’t let her down as well. Not like everybody else in her life. No, he would be different. He would stay. He would do what she needed to be done. And he would be there with her. All the way. It would be all over soon. Soon he wouldn’t need to watch her suffer anymore.

The detective had given him a great idea for the beautiful ending he anticipated. Back when he had joined the detective and his team in a conference. Talking about his work. His hard work. And the detective really thought an old man was doing his labour? He had struggled to contain himself. To contain his anger. How dare they accredit something he had been planning every detail of for the last year to someone else.

It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. He had her. Now it was time for his greatest gift to her. Freedom.

“We’re here.” He said as he shifted the car into park. He knew she didn’t need to ask where they were. With a quick wipe of her hand she cleared the fogged up window to risk a look outside, before her sad eyes finally met his in the review mirror.

The Detective

Gavin Reed was speeding.

Fresh snow had started to fall and the snowflakes were dancing around in the headlights. The engine of his Ford was howling. He didn’t care about the ice on the road. It didn’t matter right now. He was a good enough driver and as often as he was cursing his car, he knew one thing; it never let him down when he needed it the most. Like right now. In this moment were he couldn’t be sure if he would ever see Avery alive again. The thought alone made him push down the gas peddle all the way to the ground making the Ford accelerate almost as quickly as a sports car.

He couldn't think about this right now. He couldn't. Flashbacks of the faces of the victims came to him. And suddenly he wasn’t able to tell the difference between them and Avery anymore.

No. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. She was alright. She will be fine. He will find her in time. He always does.

Next to him in the car was none other than Alexander Fox. The man who had been sitting in a holding cell just minutes before. He was so tall that he had to tilt his head a little to not hit the roof of the car.

Everything had happened so quickly that Gavin hadn’t even registered half of it before they were already on the road.

___

Less then 20 minutes ago

They got a match for the DNA sample found underneath Jane Doe’s fingernails. It was in the system. Officer Scott Washington.

Gavin felt hot and cold at the same time. He felt sick, like throwing up. It was not just, that he lost his bet to Avery after all, the horrible realisation struck that Avery was very much in danger.

He had sent her home. Thinking it would be the safest place to be for her. Now he knew that he was a fool. Gavin should have never left her side.

Connor.

Connor was still there to protect her. The detective took a deep breath in an effort to calm his racing heart. He just needed to let him know that the danger was right outside the door. Gavin just needed to get to them before Washington would.

Just seconds later, Gavin's cell phone started to beep. His gaze wandered to the display, and he instantly felt his heart sinking again. It was a message from Connor.

“Washington took Ry. Thirium pump is failing.”

Reed read it out load almost mindlessly. He slowly lowered the phone as he caught Chris' widened eyes. “Fuck.” He cursed. “We need to get to Connor. We need to know where Washington took her.”

“His Thirium pump is failing, Gav. I don’t think we’ll make it in time, and even if we do, neither of us will be able to fix it.” Officer Miller said. His voice surprisingly calm despite the terrified look on his face. It was one of many things Gavin appreciated about him. Chris’ ability to stay calm and focused in highly tense situations. He always started to apply everything he had learned in his training and years of experience. And even more important, he was patient and clear headed. Two things Gavin definitely lacked.

Chris was right. What would Gavin even do when he got there? He had no idea about the anatomy of an android. Especially not how to fix one. How to safe one. And he needed to safe Connor so he could safe Avery.

“I can help.” It was Alexander’s voice muffled through the glass between them. He was on his feet again. “I can fix a thirium pump with a phone battery and ducktape.” He explained, the words falling out of his mouth quickly. "Take me with you."

“Phck.” Gavin ran his hands through his hair.

Ignoring the impulse to directly tell Alexander off, Gavin turned back to look at the man. Avery’s father had been so passive the whole time. Not just during the investigation, perhaps his whole life. He wasn’t able to save his daughter the first time. Neither could he the second time. Or his wife. Every alarm bell was ringing in Reed’s head. He had to say no. “Can’t do that“ he explained. “That would be way too dangerous. We have no idea what to expect at the scene.”

“Officer, I am your best shot at saving that android and keeping his memory intact."

Gavin shook his head. “No, no. I can’t authorize that.” Despite the absolute destructive consequences of taking an arrested suspect without any warrant, Gavin also knew that if Avery was anything like her father, he was trouble.

“Let me at least try to safe my daughter. Just this once.” Alexander pleaded. He was begging the detective for another chance. Another chance to undo his mistakes.

“You’re all she has left.” Gavin said and he couldn’t possible hide the nuances of emotions in his voice. He didn’t sound as flat or cold as he usually did. He sounded worried, angry, terrified even. And Alexander caught every bit of it.

“Exactly my point.” Alexander said. “I know you love my daughter. So do I. Let me help. Together we can safe her.”

His words left a sting in his chest. And he could feel the doubt in him rise that letting Alexander Fox stay behind was the right decision.

"He's right Gav." Chris said suddenly. "We need to safe Connor."

“Phck.” Gavin ran another hand through his messy hair. “Can you get Tina?” He asked Chris. Gavin Reed successfully learned a new skill; asking for help. He knew Tina was at home resting. But if his intuition was even slightly right, he would need her.

Chris nodded. “Will do. Call me when you got an update, alright?” And without waiting for an answer from Gavin, Chris was already rushing out of the station.

Gavin turned back to Alexander. "Do anything stupid and I'll shoot you." He said as he unlocked the cell.

"Understood, Officer." The man answered as he stepped out towering over Gavin.

"It’s Detective for fucks sakes." He snapped at him.

Alexander seemed unfazed by the outburst. “Thank you Detective Reed.” Was all he said.

"Yah whatever.” Gavin started marching to the parking spot to get to his trusted Ford. “Just don’t get yourself killed. Your daughter needs you."

___

Now

The Medium

The sky turned orange as the sun was setting. It was cold. It was so cold. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, but nothing could keep the freezing temperatures away from crawling into her soul. Every step felt heavy. Like her shoes were made of steel. She could see clouds forming around every shaken breath.

She already knew this was coming for a long time. Ever since that night she was living on borrowed time. Haunted by the nightmare of her eventual demise. She thought they were memories. Memories of what she shouldn’t have survived that night. But they weren’t memories. They were visions. Visions of her future. Now she had the confirmation.

Today was the last day she walked on earth. The last time she would see the blue sky. The last time she tasted the bitterness of coffee. The last time she savored the feeling of a hot shower. The last time she heard Tina laugh. The last time she saw Connors warm eyes. The last time she saw Gavin’s mischievous smirk.

Gavin. Gavin Reed. He was everything on her mind right now. But she didn’t feel sad. She thought of what Chris had told her almost a year ago. What had still stuck with her, until now. She felt thankful. For every moment she got to have with Gavin. For every smile she got out of him with her stupid jokes. For his vulnerability towards her. Thankful he showed her all of him even if he wasn’t aware of it. Even if she never got to return the favor.

There were so many things she never got to tell him. So many things she never got to learn about him. So many things they never got to do together. So many firsts that they would never experience because they had waited for too long and now they had run out of time.

And after all this time, she didn’t expect to be scared. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live. It might be selfish, but she wanted another chance.

Scott Washington's steps sounded heavy behind her. The snow crunched under his shoes. She didn’t turn around to him. She knew he had his gun drawn. And she remembered everything.

He had been watching her since day one. Things came together in her head like a puzzle she could finally put the missing pieces in. The photos. The texts. It was him who murdered the women. A year ago and now. It was his hideout they found in the woods.

And now he was leading her to the open hole in the ice, prepared like an open grave, on the same river she crashed in and almost drowned exactly 15 years ago. Avery thought she would be prepared for this moment to come. She thought she would be brave. But she was terrified. She didn't want it to end like this. She didn’t want to be alone.

She regretted that she had to leave Gavin behind to pick up all the pieces of everything she shattered. That she didn’t get another minute to talk to Connor.

Connor. She remembered the noise the bullet made when it hit him. The way his body dropped. She could only hope that he was okay. She could only hope that someone found him. That someone helped him. Because the alternative was that she left him there to die. Alone. Just like she had to die alone now. Just her and the cold dark water that had been calling her ever since. Like a siren calling out to a sailor. She kept away from the shore for so long. Body’s of water still scared her. Every step she took closer to the hole in the ice felt more unsafe, as if the ice was about to break underneath her feet at any point now. Her legs were shaking and she did her best to not show it. It would be like giving up. Letting Washington win. She was too petty to do so.

"You’re quiet. I’ve never seen you quiet." It was Washingtons rusty voice coming from behind her. "You must have questions." There was some pride in his voice. He wanted her to ask him. About how he did it. How he killed those women. How he stayed undiscovered. Why he did it. So he could hold his lame villain monologue. But if it was the last thing Avery Fox did, then it would be to disappoint her killer.

"I have nothing to say to you." She said. Her voice flat. And she was glad that it wasn’t shaking like the rest of her body.

"Nothing?" She heard him stop behind her but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of turning around. "After all I did for you, you have nothing to say to me?"

Avery couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. "After all you did? You did nothing." She said through gritted teeth.

"Nothing? I killed five women. For you? Do their deaths mean nothing to you? Just like your family dying meant nothing to you?"

Avery expected his words to hurt, to leave a sharp stinging pain in her chest. But she felt nothing. She didn’t feel guilty anymore. She didn’t feel ashamed. She saw things for how they were. She saw herself as more than her mistakes. "You killed these women because you were too much of a coward to kill me."

Washington grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, forcing her to look into his face. His eyes were widened. He looked as scared as she felt. "You were the one who was too scared to end it all. I know you want it. I am doing you a favor."

"You know nothing about me. How is this a favor? I don’t want to die."

Washington laughed bitter. "I see you Avery. I’ve been watching you for a while now. I know you do. I know you wish for all this to end after what you did."

"That’s where you are wrong. I want my pain to end. Not my life. I want to live." Avery said, shaking her head. “You call it a favor for me but what about all those other women?”

Washington’s anger seemed to vanish a little as his eyes softened. “They were just like you.” He explained. “None of them were brave enough to finally end it. So I helped them.”

“Helped them? You helped no-one. You stole their lives. You stole their choice. You are just another entitled man. And you disgust me.”

A sharp pain travelled through her face as Washington hit her with the back of his gun. Avery stumbled a bit before dropping down on her knees. She could feel warm blood run down her nose.

“Ungrateful bitch.” Washington spit out his words.

And there it was. The most dangerous thing that could happen now. Avery felt hope as blue and red lights were lighting up her face in the dusk.

"Shit!" Washington cursed as he heard the sirens. "Move!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her back on her feet before he pushed her forward until she stood at the edge of the hole in the ice. He wrapped his arm around her neck, pushing the gun to her temple. Instinctively, Avery grabbed his arm with both hands, holding it from choking her. "Don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll promise you, your friends will get hurt."

Squeaking breaks, a door being thrown open.

"Scott Washington, drop your weapon and step away from her!" It was the sound of Gavin’s voice that Avery did not expect to hear in this lifetime ever again.

Gavin. Messy hair, wild eyes, gun drawn, slowly approaching, followed by no other than Connor. He was alright. They got to him in time. And now they found her.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t do that." Connor announced. His voice as strong as ever. Even from afar, Avery could make out where the bullet hole must have been in his chest. It had been fixed up with some tape. Blue thirium was splattered on his white button up. He did not seem to be bothered.

A police cruiser stopped on the other side of the bridge. "Drop the gun, Scott. Let us talk to you." Tina shouted as she jumped out of the car, followed by Chris.

Avery wasn’t alone. They were all here. Everyone she cared for. And that put them in immense danger. She still wasn’t sure what it was. This feeling she got. This heightened intuition. If it came after the accident. Or if it had been in here all along. But she learned one thing–to trust her instincts. She had to act.

"Avery! Are you alright?" It was Chris who asked. He had his gun stabilized on his other wrist. Avery never saw him like this. Serious. Focused.

"I am fine." Avery grimaced. "Considering my situation."

Washington pushed his gun even harder against her temple. "Shut up." He growled.

"We can all walk out of this alive, Scott. You just have to cooperate with us. Drop. Your. Gun." Tina called out again. Taking one careful step after the other.

Gavin was the first one to set foot on the ice. Taking slow steps, Connor right behind him.

Avery could feel Washington tense up behind her. "Stay away or I will blow her brain out."

"Do that and I will shoot you up until you look like a piece of Swiss cheese. Drop the gun. Now." Gavin said as he took another step forward.

"It was me." A voice shouted out. The back door of Gavin’s Ford had been pushed open, and Avery’s dad had stepped out. His hands raised in surrender. "It was my fault they died. It was my fault my wife and daughter died. Not Avery’s. That gun should be pointed at me."

"No! Dad!" Avery shouted, and Gavin growled a curse through his teeth.

"What did you not understand about staying in the car?" Gavin voice cracked a little in panic. “Get back in the car.”

Ignoring the detectives order, Alexander took a step after the other to catch up to them.

Washington laughed hysterically. "You seriously think this is about justice? I don't care about any of that. This is for her. I am doing this for her."

"She doesn’t want this, Scott. Listen to her." Tina called out again. “Don’t take away her agency.”

Avery understood directly what she was trying to do. Tina was trying to appeal to the wrongly twisted parts of Washington that was obsessed with Avery. The part that cared for her.

"She doesn't know what's best for her. Otherwise she wouldn't have chosen to engage with this wolverine." Washington said with a nod towards Reed.

Gavin growled frustrated. "I am serious. Drop the gun."

Alexander took another step forward, overtaking both Reed and Connor, the ice creaking underneath his steps.

Connor’s gaze went back and forth between Avery and her father, obviously conflicted what to priorities. Even he was running out of time to analyze all possible scenarios. “I strongly advise you to go back to the car, Mr. Fox.”

Her Dad was close. He was too close.

Washington changed his target without hesitating as he pointed his gun toward Avery’s dad. "Don’t come any closer!" He shouted and his voice was filled with fear.

The world decided to spin slower for her as Washingtons finger twitched towards the trigger. His other arm was still tightly wrapped around Avery. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. She wouldn’t watch. She wouldn’t let her father get hurt. Using her whole body weight to throw off Washington's balance she let her body drop.

She heard a shot go off. Directly followed by another one. Warm fluid splashed on her skin and then she fell.

She fell. He fell.

The last thing Avery saw before hitting the cold water underneath her were Gavins eyes widened in shock.

The water swallowed both of them. Victim and Killer. Avery’s body froze. An almost familiar feeling wrapped itself around her as she felt her muscles contract. And without much of her control, she gasped. Filling her lungs with water.

And through the haze of her mind she thought she saw eyes. Green eyes, green like the pacific. Then she was welcomed by the darkness underneath her.

Chapter Text

The Detective

Gavin lowered his smoking gun. The metal felt hot in his hands. The world around him was ringing. His vision blurred. Washington had taken the shot, and so did he. Aiming for his targets head, Gavin had only hit his shoulder. He never missed. Avery must have thrown Washington off balance before he was even hit by the bullet.

The sound came back to him slowly, and he heard the faint splashing of water. The next thing Gavin heard was Tina’s screaming.

"Avery!" Dropping his gun, Gavin started to run, but the ice was unforgiving, making him slide and lose his balance with every step. He was cursing under his breath.

"Detective, I am faster than you, and I do not feel the cold." It was Connor calling out from behind him.

The words didn’t even got through to him, as Gavin had already jumped head first into the unknown body of water.

Everything went silent as his body immersed into the water. The sudden cold shocked his nervous system, and a stinging pain went through his body. It was dark. Too dark for him to see anything. His body felt heavy. He was moving way too slowly. He wouldn’t reach her in time. It was too dark. Too cold. Too deep.

He would have to watch her drown. He would have to watch her die like all the other victims he wasn’t able to save. Like he wasn’t able to save Ashley. Haunted by every mistake he ever made, desperation creeped into his bones. It layed heavy on his shoulders. Letting him sink deeper.

Then he saw it.

Something reflecting in the darkness. It was glowing yellow. The reflective stripes of Officer Washington's uniform.

He took two quick strokes, and finally was able to make out the silhouette of Avery, not far from Washington.

She was floating in slow motion. Her long hair was spread out around her without any sense of up and down. Gravity did not apply in this realm. She almost looked peaceful. So quiet. So cold.

Gavin’s hand reached out until he got ahold of her arm. Interrupting her peace he pulled her in as he dove up.

Connor was already kneeling at the edge of the hole. He didn’t dive in after. He had trusted Gavin to succeed. Apparently having more faith in his abilities than the detective himself. Connor was tense, but his eyes were focused. He instantly grabbed underneath Avery’s arms and pulled her body up with ease, away from the hole.

Gavin pushed his heavy body out of the water. With two quick steps, he was kneeling next to Avery’s lifeless body and started rapidly shaking her shoulder. "Fox! Wake up."

Gavin was unsure if he was shaking from the freezing cold, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, or the suffocating fear of losing Avery. His hands were trembling as he tried to feel for her pulse. As he tried to hear for her breath. His clothes stuck to his broad frame. He could feel the streaks of his hair sticking to his forehead as drops of water fell down from him. He needed to stay calm. He needed to stay calm for Avery. Gavin closed his eyes, taking a second for a failed attempt to calm himself. He reminded himself to take a deep breath. Yet his brain still seemed unable to tell him what to do. Helplessly he looked up to Connor, who was already analyzing Avery’s vitals.

"She isn’t breathing anymore." The andorid told Gavin quickly.

Finally, his body sprung into action, and he started to push his two arms down into her chest. There were sirens in the distance. Tina and Chris had called for backup.

Gavin leaned forward, tilting Avery's head back to breathe air into her lungs. Her chest rose up and sank down again.

Gavin heard her laugh. He smelled her flowery perfume. He saw the way her skin creased around her eyes when she smiled. How her face lit up when she had an idea. But now her face was even more pale than usual. Her lips were blue. Her eyes were closed. He wasn’t fast enough. He wasn’t able to protect her. He broke his promise. "Come on, Fox. Wake up, for fuck sake!" He screamed at her as he continued to push down for the CPR. 30 chest compression. Two rescue breaths. Repeat.

"Detective." Connor’s voice came from far, far away. Muffled out by the rushing blood in Gavin’s ears. His movements were becoming more sloppy, more hectic, more frantic.

"You’re not gonna die on me like this!" Gavin shouted now at the verge of tears.

"Detective." Connor said again. His voice was so calm. So cold.

"Don’t you dare to fucking leave me alone now, Avery." Gavin couldn’t stop now. If he stopped now, she was dead. If he stopped now, she died because of him. He would have killed her.

"Gavin."

Gavin let go of the lifeless body underneath him as Connor quickly overtook. The android worked flawlessly.

Gavins voice was breaking as he tried using it again. "Avery, please…"

___

The Medium

A warm breeze was hitting Avery’s cheeks. They were flushed, giving her face a warm glow. Living in Detroit meant not seeing the sun for months at a time, the few times it peaked out felt like a glimpse into another lifetime. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warm feeling of the sun hitting her skin.

The sky above Detroit was this kind of blue that made her heart excited for better days to come. Not a single cloud on there. The cherry tree above her head was blooming. She watched a breeze drag away some of the pink peddles. It made her heart ache a little, knowing its season was about to end soon. But she also knew that the beauty of it was that it was so rare. So special. Just a glimmer in time. Just a moment.

"Ry?" A soft voice called out to her. It was distant, like someone trying to wake her up from her dream. She ignored it for a little until the voice repeated herself. “Ry!”

Avery looked up to meet Sophie’s warm eyes. "Not now, Sophie." She told her younger sister.

Sophie looked just like the last time Avery had seen her. Actually her. The last time she never knew was their last time. Back when she was still ten and Sophie was eight. Sophie was still a child while Ry got to grow up. Got to grow older, at least. Still Soph looked so much like her big sister. Down to the straight nose and thin lips. Just her dark blonde curls were the opposite of Ry’s light straight hair. "I am sorry for what happened." Sophie said with a crocked smile.

"It's alright.” Ry shrugged, leaning back on her hands. “I knew it had to come to this eventually." She felt the earth and grass on her palms. It was pulsing underneath her. Like a beating heart.

"Doesn't make it much better, does it?" Sophie tilted her head, eyeing her sister.

"I wasn't alone this time." Ry explained as she treasured every bit of air that found it’s way to her airways. Yet there was an uncomfortable, sharp pain deep in her lungs. She ignored it, inhaling again in an effort of breathing it away.

"You weren't alone last time. The RT600 was there. She helped you.” Sophie let herself fall down next to Avery, watching the peddles fly by. Of course Sophie even knew the model of the android that eventually replaced her. She was always so interested in their dad's work. “You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” Sophie continued.

“I know now.” Avery twisted a blade of grass between her finger tips. She could feel her sister's eyes on her.

The wind rustled through the leaves. Avery shivered. Despite the sun, she was feeling colder every second that passed. The smell of wet soil was all around them. "I always thought I would be prepared. That I would be ready." she said. Her voice quiet.

Sophie shrugged. "Nothing ever prepares you for this."

Avery stayed silent for a moment. “It’s kinda funny. Dying taught me that I want to live. Been stalling about it for way too long. I wanna have a life.” Avery explained. A strong taste of iron wouldn’t leave her mouth.

“It really took you drowning twice to come to that conclusion?” Sophie laughed. “I am glad you made that decision.”

“Decision? What are you talking about, Sophie?”

Sophie got up and dusted off some invisible dirt off her jeans. “I’ll see you again one day. Not soon, but one day.”

“Wait! Wait, Sophie!”

And suddenly there was another familiar voice calling out to Ry, and she felt a sharp sting in her lungs. She ignored the voice and the pain as she jumped up as well. “Don’t go, Sophie. Don’t leave me again.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ry. I am not leaving you. I have never left you.” Sophie smiled at her soothingly. “I have found out that no one ever leaves. They just change.”

___

“Hey sunshine.”

The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes was Tina’s soft face. Beams of sunlight snuck their way through the curtains in front of the window. The walls of the room were white. Avery could hear a steady beeping noise next to her. She could feel the warmth of the blanket on top of her. The world was still hazy, but she lived. She was alive.

Groggily, she turned to her friend. Tina was sitting on a chair beside Ry’s bed. “Hi.” Avery said, and her voice was rough from not speaking.

Tina was smiling, but Avery could see tears shimmer in her eyes. “I am so glad you’re okay.” And with that, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore as she jumped up and hugged Avery tightly.

Smothered under the weight of her friend Ry let out a groan, making Tina back up. “Ups, sorry! You’re probably in pain. I am getting a nurse.”

“No no, I am fine.” Avery smiled at her. “I am glad you’re okay too.”

Her mind was still hazy. She couldn’t remember any detail clearly. Like trying to remember a dream right after she woke up. But then everything seemed to come back to her slowly. Washington, Connor, her dad.

“My dad.”

Tina shook her head as she reached out to touch Avery’s hand. “He’s alright. It was only a gazing shot. Thanks to you. You saved him.”

“What about Connor? Did he recover? Is he alright?” Ry asked as she sat up straight in her bed. Her chest was hurting. Her throat felt rough. And she was wearing a horrible hospital gown.

“I am alright, Avery.” It was Connor who stood at the doorframe. Straight lines. Soft face.

“Your dad was there to fix him.” Tina explained. “He prevented the worst. Cyberlife fixed the rest.”

Avery’s worried frown softened. “Connor…”

“I’ll get you some more pudding.” Tina said as she looked back and forth between the android and her friend. “Be right back.” She got up and took one step towards the door before Avery stopped her.

“Tina?”

“Yah?” She turned back again. Her blue eyes were clear, yet Avery could tell how exhausted she was. Her friend needed rest. Pronto.

“You are amazing. I never said it enough, but thanks for always having my back.” Ry smiled at Tina.

T returned the smile. “Well, I wasn’t the one who jumped into a frozen river to safe your ass. But I’ll take it. It’s been my pleasure.” And with a little bow, she left the room.

Avery looked at Connor. “You jumped into a river to save me?”

He softly shook his head. “No. No, that was Detective Reed. Even after I advised strongly against it.”

Avery chuckled. “Yah. Sounds like Reed.” And she remembered the green eyes she saw in the darkness of the river.

There was a pause. Ry cleared her throat before she continued to speak. “I am sorry I kissed you, Connor. I really like you. I do. And I had this stupid crush on you, but you’re my friend, and I don’t wanna lose our friendship over this.”

Connor tilted his head before slowly nodding. “I understand.”

“Sorry that I made things complicated.” There was something in his face. As if there was still something on his mind. Something unsaid. And he chose to leave it that way.

“I am just glad you’re okay.”

Avery reached out to slightly touch his arm. “Thank you for finding me. For not giving up on me.” She said.

“I told you. I always accomplish my missions.” Connor said with a wink.

“I have a new mission for you. Get me some coffee that doesn’t taste like watered-down bullshit.” Avery grimaced, and Connor let out a laugh. A real one. It made her smile proudly as the warmth of his laughter filled her chest. She wasn’t over him. How could she be? With his stupid, attractive face and soft heart. But she knew things were better off like this.

___

The Detective

“Stop staring at her, creep.” Gavin flinched a little as he heard Tina’s voice behind him. He had been leaning against the window to Avery’s room uable to step inside. His heart felt heavy, and besides trying his hardest, he couldn’t come up with something profound to say to her. Everything sounded meaningless. Shallow. Silly. He had an old yellow copy of “The Great Gatsby” pressed against his chest like a shield.

Tina had shown up with two coffee-to-go cups in her hand. This woman was an angel. “She just dealt with her stalker. No need for a new one.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Hey, T. Pleasant, to see you as always.” He eagerly reached out for one of the coffees.

Pulling the cup out of his reach, Tina narrowed her eyes. “I know you love seeing me. Don't even lie.”

“I wouldn't dare.”

With a smile, she handed him the cup. The hot liquid instantly started to warm up the inside of his body as he took a big sip.

“What do you have there?” T pointed to the book in the detective’s hands.

Gavin looked at it as if he had never seen it before. “A book.” He said, but Tina’s face told him that his answer did, in fact, not satisfy her. He explained further, “They had a shelf of books on the second floor. I found it while wandering around. Thought maybe Avery would like a book to kill some time.”

“Are you gonna go in and talk to her?”

He took a deep breath. “I am worried I'd say the wrong thing.” Sharing his honest feelings without sarcasm? The real Gavin Reed had to be abducted by aliens, and this one had to be a clone. A bad one.

“The wrong thing would be saying nothing.” Tina took a sip from her coffee. “You know she loves you, right?”

Gavin bit his lip. “Yah. I know.” His glance trailed off to watch Avery, who was still peacefully resting in her bed. “I am just not sure if I deserve it.”

“You don’t get to decide if you are worth someone's love. People will love you anyway. But it’s your responsibility to treat them right. To not punish their love.”

“Tina. Have you ever considered writing quotes for calendars?” Gavin asked with a smirk on his face.

“I did. But I decided that the world isn’t ready for my words of wisdom. Now go in there.”

___

“Hey sleepyhead.” Gavin said as he saw Avery’s eyelids slowly open. He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Default-state.

“Heeey.” Her voice was low and sleepy.

“How did you sleep?” He asked, taking a step into her room. The curtains were drawn and only a few beams of sunlight were peaking out between them.

“It was good. Well needed. And no nightmares this time.” Avery said.

“Glad to hear that.”

She carefully pushed herself into an upwards position. “A little birdie told me you were an absolute idiot and jumped into a freezing river for me instead of letting an android do it?”

He shrugged. “In my last evaluation, Fowler wrote unpredictable, impulsive, bad at decision-making...”

Fox chuckled. “He might have been on to something.”

“You're welcome”

“Thank you.”

“But also.” He grabbed a chair, spinning it around and sat on it facing it’s back. “Don't think I didn't realize what you did. You let yourself fall into the water? I thought we were over this self-sacrifice bullshit.”

“We are.” Avery said. “I didn't do it because I didn't care if I died. I cared. I let myself fall because I knew you guys would catch me.”

“You spend too much time with Tina.” Gavin sighed. But he knew something fundamental had changed. Something in her heart.

“The Great Gatsby?” She tilted her head, trying to get a better look at the book Gavin was still carrying around. He had honestly already forgotten about it and was now almost feeling a little ashamed. He wasn’t good with gestures. It made him feel silly.

He shrugged. “You like it?”

“Did you know that F. Scott Fitzgerald plagiarized from his wife Zelda?”

“No.” Gavin blinked. “I didn’t know that.”

Averys gaze dropped from his eyes back to the yellow book. “Are you gonna read it to me?”

Gavin hesitated before nodding. “I can.”

Avery scooped to the side, making some space in the small hospital bed. Without a complaint, Gavin squeezed in next to her before opening the book. He felt her warmth and their legs were touching underneath their blanket. He could feel his heart beating so hard she must hear it too. She reached out for his arm and gently placed her head on his shoulder.

Skimming through the first few pages he cleared his throat before he started to read aloud. “In my younger and more vulnerable years...”