No Clue

Miss You

Thomas sat at his desk, staring at the images of the bloodied boat. The case he had seemingly solved years ago finally came back around to bite him in the ass. Everyone was looking to him with the same question and look of doubt.

How is Michael Clifford alive? Did Detective Sangster cover it up?

"Tom..." a sweet voice spoke suddenly.  He looked up and saw his partner. "We need to talk..." she whispered. Thomas closed the file and sighed softly, holding it out to her.

"You've probably come to get this, right?"

"No..." she said softly, sitting across from him at the cafe table. "I've come to apologize..." a silent tear slipped down her cheek.

"Why are you here to apologize?"

"It's my fault," she said softly. "It's my fault that you were suspended... it's my fault Michael was declared dead and shipped off to America... it's all my fault..."

"What are you talking about, Holland?"

"You were driving yourself out of your mind on this case, Tom... Michael just kept coming back and you blamed yourself every damn time. You were ripping yourself apart three years ago as if you were connected to the Hemmings... so I did it for you... I got rid of Michael and made everyone think he was dead... my old partner from America helped arrange it-"

"Holland, why would you-"

"Because I love you... I love you and you never had time to notice me because of Michael... I wish we would have let him die that day on the bridge..." Thomas felt his jaw clench as he stood up. "Please don't be mad at me..."

"I have to go," he whispered.

"Where?"

"I'm going to end this, once and for all."

~~~

He sat in the center of the abandoned room, staring silently at the slab of metal that stood against the wall as he played with the metal rod. The dragon  marking bent slowly as he rolled it back and forth, watching silently as the ghosts of his past walked around the room.

"Shut up, you little bitch," G shouted, slamming his fists against the table on either side of Luke's face. The seventeen-year-old boy let out a sob as he looked down at the floor, examining the cuts that traced his body. "Stop your fucking crying!"

"I want to go home," Luke sobbed. "Please, just let me go home to my family..." his blue eyes looked up, stopping at Michael's gaze. "P-please... let me go-"

"Don't you talk to him," G said, grabbing his face. "This is our time..." Michael was transfixed by Luke's beauty. Everything about him was absolutely perfect.

"Michael..." a soft voice spoke from behind him. He turned quickly, standing from his spot on the ground as he held up the metal branding iron. Thomas stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you to come with me... I'm not going to fight or arrest you. I just want you to turn yourself in..."

"I need to find Luke-"

"Luke's gone, Michael. He left..."

"N-no..."

"Maybe if you turn yourself in, I can convince him to come back... I might be able to convince him to see you..."

"You're lying." Thomas leaned against the doorframe and looked down at the ground.

"You've been through hell and back, and still you're suffering. You lost the only family you ever had... you lost yourself... and a lot of that is my fault... I'm sorry. I want to make it up to you." Michael sighed and dropped the iron, debating his next move.

"I-I want a home again..." Michael whispered." Thomas stood up straight and held his arms out.

"I know..." Michael stifled a sob and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the detective as he began to cry.

"L-Luke is my home..." he whispered, taking the knife from his pocket and stabbing Thomas in the stomach. He left out a soft gasp as he pulled away. He stumbled into the hallway and fell into the floor, holding tightly to his wound. "Stop taking my home away from me!" Michael said, stabbing him once again. Thomas coughed loudly, spitting up blood.

"L-Luke will never love a serial killer..."

"Luke will always love me..."

~~~

Calum sat in his living room, scrolling through the news on his phone. He hadn't been able to sleep, so he thought he'd try to give Ash some peace. He felt someone sitting next to him and looked over quickly to see Harry.

"Hey bud... what are you doing up?" He asked, putting his phone up and crossing his legs beneath himself.

"I couldn't sleep... I forgot something at home..."

"What'd you forget?" He shrugged and looked at the ground.

"You'll laugh at me..."

"I'd never laugh at you." Harry sighed and leaned against the armrest of the couch.

"I'm almost fifteen and I still sleep with the stupid penguin Luke gave me..." Calum smiled lightly and rubbed his brother in laws back.

"It's not stupid... I'll go by the house before I come home from work tomorrow and pick it up for you..."

"Really?" he asked, sitting up.

"Really." Harry smiled and looked down.

"What's going on in here?" Ashton asked, coming into the living room.

"Insomnia is running rampant through the house," Calum joked as his husband sat next to him.

"Can't sleep, Harry?" He just shook his head again. "You can sleep in our room if you want. But none of that take up the whole bed bullshit you used to pull when you were younger and would kick Luke and I out of bed. He laughed lightly and stood up with his older brother.

"Okay..." he said softly.

Little did any of the them know what was about to come. They had no idea that someone close to them was about to face Michael Clifford.