Dickory

Farewell

Gavin hated it. He really fucking hated it. He sighed as he tugged the collar of his black shirt restlessly. How had Elijah done this at their father's funeral? Dozens of people had come up to him so far to offer their condolences since he was acting as chief mourner. Chloe had done more than Gavin could have ever hoped for. Within three short weeks, she'd hired the venue they'd wanted, gotten the staff to attend, called in Aaron's work colleagues, wrangled his publisher and editor, and even a few people from Aaron's apartment block. It was sort of nice that Aaron had such a big turnout. Gavin was surprised that the majority of mourners were human. Gavin had called Edward Morgan, who'd been sorry to hear the news and agreed to pass on information about the ceremony to the other papers. Gavin was touched to find that so many had turned up, including Morgan himself.

The papers were, of course, intending to run stories about Aaron and the murder, but Gavin hoped that they'd at least put in something about Aaron himself. He hoped that any articles would celebrate Aaron's life rather than focus too much on the mystery killer. Gavin was damn well going to keep the killer a mystery, too. It was too soon to let the news get out about the real Hickory Killer returning. The FBI and DPD had been as discreet as possible about the murder, doing everything imaginable to stop the news from slipping out.

Gavin forced another small smile and shook another hand. It was Aaron's boss. He only knew that because of the introduction Chloe gave. Apparently, the man was so sorry to hear about Aaron's untimely death. He'd never imagined when he'd disappeared that it had been something like this. He'd thought he'd simply found a better job. Did Aaron really seem like that sort of person? Like he'd just phcking up and leave out of the blue without notice? He was a phcking professional! That's what Gavin had wanted to say. Instead, he'd tightened his jaw and nodded his thanks. This was Aaron's day, and he wasn't going to ruin it with his temper.

Once the man had headed further into the restaurant, Gavin felt a hand close over the back of his neck. He closed his eyes with a sigh as he leaned into the firm touch. He gave Nines a small smile of thanks and reassurance. He was alright so far. He'd swallowed down every sharp retort, and every choked sob that had tried to slip out. Further inside, he'd seen Elijah and Connor working the floor, making sure their guests were all comfortable and accepting any gifts and donations on Gavin's behalf. He hadn't quite figured out what to do with anything like that just yet. Maybe some android charity or anti-AAL group could do with some extra funding...Chloe or Connor might have a good idea...

"Detective Reed," Morgan greeted solemnly as he entered, gripping Gavin's hand tightly as he held it out in greeting. "I was really sorry to hear about Aaron. He mentioned seeing you on occasion, but I had no idea you were so close! If you need anything-if there's any information you need or...I'll help!" His usually bright eyes were somewhat dimmed on this occasion. It was the first time Gavin had seen him without his notebook. That touched him more than anything. Morgan had come as a mourner, not as a reporter hunting down a hot story.

"Yeah, we were...Well...we were," Gavin said regretfully, deciding that was enough. They'd been something. Now they weren't. Morgan seemed to understand the weight of those words, giving him a sympathetic smile in return. "I'm glad you could make it," Gavin added with a nod before Chloe politely directed Morgan towards the open floor of the restaurant. That made way for the next set of guests to step forward to offer their condolences and regrets about the sweet boy who'd always helped so much around the apartment block. Apparently, the older people living in the apartments had really liked Aaron. He'd gone out of his way to pick up shopping, fix broken appliances, and even find lost cats.

The owners of the restaurant had outdone themselves. Chloe had managed the flower placements and directed the arrangement of the room. The tables had either been put away or lined the open space with platters of food. The bar was open, paid for by Elijah at his insistence, and the staff were working on rotation to man it and bring out fresh food from the kitchen every so often. There was soft music playing. Tunes that Gavin recognised from Aaron's playlist. He'd let Chloe arrange that sort of thing, thinking she would know best. He'd made the right decision. He didn't think anyone could have planned it better.