Prodigal Son; Malcolm Bright

7.00

I was all smiles as I walked into the station. I had stopped and gotten myself half a dozen donuts. Plus, we had a case, so we were being briefed in the meeting room. I walked into the room and everybody immediately turned to look at me, Malcolm had a nervous smile on his face.

Celine: What'd you do?

Malcolm: I may have accidentally let it slip that you came to look at the baby's room...at my house

JT: You're telling me you're carrying Baby Bright

I shrugged and took another bite out of my doughnut, sitting down at the table. Malcolm went to grab one and I popped his hand.

Celine: No

Dani: When were you gonna tell us?

Celine: Honestly, I knew this was going to happen eventually, just didn't think it'd be so soon. Can we do work now please?

We headed over to the crime scene and it was pretty gruesome, and the evidence was so unorganized we didn't even know where to start. I couldn't get it out of my head that night, so I went to go and talk to Malcolm. I had texted him, but he never responded so I just used the key he'd given me to get in.

As soon as I walked in and I heard what sounded like the rattling of a chain. I walked up the stairs and saw Malcolm tossing and turning and grunting in his sleep. He was handcuffed to the bed, I went and sat next to him trying to wake him up.

Celine: Malcolm, wake up! Malcolm!

He sat up abruptly and looked panicked, I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me.

Celine: It's okay, you're awake now

He shakily removed his mouth guard and I realized he now had a death grip on my hand, but it didn't hurt.

Celine: I'm gonna go get you some water-

Malcolm: NO...

I stopped and sat back down on the bed. He took a breath and grabbed both of my hands, looking me in the eye.

Malcolm: Please don't go

I nodded and he gently pulled me into bed with him, wrapping his arms around me. After a few minutes, I slowly looked up at him to see he was sleeping and after a while I ended up falling asleep too.

The next morning, we went to go and get breakfast. We sat down, he had his coffee and I was drinking lemon water.

Celine: I know you told me you had nightmares, but I didn't realize how bad they were

Malcolm: They're a little worse lately

Celine: And you have them every night?

Malcolm: The nights when I actually go to sleep, yea

Celine: What're they about?

Malcolm: Lately they've been fragments of memories from my childhood, I've been trying to figure out why pieces of my memory are gone.

Celine: Does it have something to do with your father?

Malcolm: I'm sure of it

Celine: Was the one last night a memory?

Malcolm: No...it was about you

I opened my mouth to respond but my phone ringing cut me off. I didn't recognize the called I.D so I just answered it.

Jessica-Celine?

Celine: Yes?

Jessica-Good this is the right number. Listen I think you & I should talk, so maybe you could come over later

Celine-Um...sure

Jessica-Great, see you then

She hung up the phone and Malcolm looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I placed my phone back down on the table.

Malcolm: Who was that?

Celine: Nobody, finish telling me about your nightmare

He nodded and told me some more of what they're usually about. That evening I was nervous about meeting Jessica, but we hadn't spoken since that dinner. I entered the house and she was sitting in the living room. She smiled when she saw me.

Jessica: Celine, you made it. Please have a seat

I sat down across from her and took in some of the detail of the house that I hadn't noticed the last time I was here.

Jessica: So, I hope you don't mind but I did a little research on you.

She picked up a folder and that was the first sign that the night was about to take a turn for the worst.

Jessica: You're a detective and you dabbled in forensics for a little while. You lost your father when you were younger, and your mother raised you & your older brother

Celine: Where are you going with this?

Jessica: Your childhood wasn't the greatest, and as you know I was married to a serial killer so.

Celine: And?

Jessica: I'm saying you saw an opportunity for you to relate to Malcolm and you took it, and the DNA results aren't back yet but I think if you're just trying to get money out of him you should just confess now

Celine: Excuse me, how'd you even do a DNA test?

Jessica: That's none of your business

I stared at her in disbelief before I stood up and started walking towards the door. I couldn't believe this was happening

Jessica: Celine wait

Celine: No. You've obviously decided what kind of person I am off of what-my file from the station?

Jessica: I'm just looking out for my son; you just show up out of nowhere claiming to be carrying his child

Celine: You do realize Malcolm is a profiler right, a damn good one too, I'm sure he'd know if I was using him. Have a good night Jessica

I left her house and went home trying to process everything that had happened. I sat down on my kitchen floor, and the emotion came crashing down on me at once. I felt like I was back at the start, I didn't know what to do or who to call. I was alone...