[color=lightgray][right][sub]TIMESTAMP: [i]Timeskip[/i], Monday Afternoon at 6 PM
FT: [color=567157]Sly James[/color], [color=BCDD81]Clay[/color] & [color=5584AC]Laura[/color] [color=#BCDD81]C[/color][color=#AFD186]o[/color][color=#A2C68B]s[/color][color=#95BB91]t[/color][color=#88B096]i[/color][color=#7BA59B]g[/color][color=#6E9AA1]a[/color][color=#618FA6]n[/color]
Small FT: [color=E43736]Primrose Lyon[/color][/sub][/right]
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[indent][indent]The Afterlife.

It was a beautiful abomination.

A place for those who seek to shed their life and revel in the after night.

It was once Saint Paul’s Church, just beyond Lyon Park. It was a large, limestone building with innately gothic architecture. A breathtaking sight to some and to others, it was nothing short of a nightmare that stood resolutely overlooking a town whose sins it could not forgive. 

When the young pastor James Stronbow-Winters took over as the serving Padre at St Paul’s, the town was both excited and intrigued. His history as a local rocker cast doubt on his ability to lead a congregation but his youth and enthusiasm left most with a level of excitement. Things went well for a short time. Mass had become popular, church donations had gone through the roof and the community seemed to be in a healing mode. Then it happened. Even to this day nobody knows the real reason why it happened or even how it happened. All that is really known about that night was that somehow, the rectory caught ablaze. The rumour had consistently been that James was drunk and started the fire, cursing God over the recent death of his father. Whatever the cause, the fire did not stay within the confines of that small attachment, it spread, wild and fast until soon the entire cathedral was ablaze. Seven people lost their lives. Four altar boys who had been there for choir practice, a caretaker and the parents of the illustrious Mayor Teddy Grimm, parishioners devoted to their lord. James fell. The darkness swallowed him and his own life burned away like a candle. Of course he left a legacy, another horror story of Edenridge. A boy named Charlie.

After James' death, the church sat vacant; a burned out husk of a bygone era. That was until Colm Lockheart, a local beloved businessman decided to purchase the building through eminent domain. With his near limitless funds. He began the conversion of a House of God into a different kind of house entirely. By 2010, St Paul’s had given way to The Afterlife. Not only was it a bar, it had become a nightclub, a lounge and a live music venue. It began to regularly host nights for every type of reveller, dancing nights, jazz nights, hardcore grunge, whatever it could do it did. Afterlife had evolved and was the best nighttime destination in New England.

Laura Costigan had gotten a job there pretty much out of high school. She has always been a bit of a free spirit and unlike some of her compatriots, her goal wasn’t to escape Edenridge or save the world, she just wanted to get to the next day. She started dancing, of course, in the low hanging cages when she was eighteen. Then she tended the bar and bussed tables until finally graduating to her current role as Hostess. Lamb was the premier Candy girl at Afterlife. She almost exclusively only worked the VIP room, taking care of the wealthiest of clients. She would be in there later for her actual shift but for now, she would get her bearings. She was meeting an absolute darling later and she wanted to be in a good mood.

Following a dainty woman, who called herself [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/f3/d0/f7f3d09fb97ed37877b8f3fa8dfcdc93.gif]Primrose Lyon[/url], a beautiful redhead with so much life ahead of her, Sylvester found himself caught in memories of his past. He hadn’t walked inside this place since, well, since it was a place of worship. He surveyed the area seeing how the revelry masked the tragedy that was St. Paul’s Church. Oh how things changed since the last time he’s been here. 

There was Shannon’s daughter, with the youngest O’Brien girl, getting lost in their vices because that was better than coping with the reality of life. He wondered if Penelope ever tried coming here to forget her worries and live for the night. He knew the answer but he could imagine her hanging with Mei and trying something out of her comfort zone, simply enjoying the moment and being alive. Just how Shannon pulled him on adventures to get out of their comfort zone, together, all for the sake of having a good time. A Ling woman sure did know how to have a good time, that’s for sure. 

The faces he remembered, from James to Henry and Jacqueline Grimm, all seemed to come clearly to his mind as he walked deeper into the stomach of the night club. There was a period when many started to believe the curse of Edenridge had been lifted or was on the path to. That was short lived, as most things were here, when a defining moment changed the lives of many. Changed the lives of someone he considered a friend. James. 

Something Sly had learned throughout the years was that fires were the catalyst of a Decker man. The fire at St. Paul’s and the fire on Liberty. If it weren’t for the fire at St. Paul’s Church, perhaps Rhonda would still have James in her life, perhaps Charlie would’ve grown up with a father, and perhaps the town would’ve accepted the true founders of these lands. The Native Americans. 

While Sly knew Charlie was already falling apart, for a long while since Allison died, the nights he would come home and catch Penelope silently crying herself to sleep, out of worry this night would be Charlie’s last, Sly firmly believed the fire on Liberty changed James’ son, for the worse. Edenridge Tobacco warehouse, now ablazed on Class of 2020’s junior prom night, forced the boy to face a mirror and accept everything he was becoming. 

The Southie boys that were on site barely could answer any questions, it was the doctor’s son that painted him a scene and even without that knowledge, Sly felt it in his gut the following day when he saw Charlie and he tried to play catch up. Something wasn’t right about that boy and there were subtle signs that the Charlie he knew, that the Charlie his daughter loved, was long gone. Sly could tell Charlie hadn’t slept for days, his clothes were dirty, his neck had a pinch of soot on it, his eyes were endless voids, with no sense of human empathy, and the one thing that broke his heart, he was unreceptive to anything Sly was saying to him. 

Sly was no longer his best friend’s father. No, Sly was a cop who failed him, just like how Sly failed the Gallows, his brothers-in-arms, and his family. Charlie made it clear that day he wanted nothing to do with the James family. At the time, Sly didn’t think he meant it. Penelope was his world. His everything. But after the shooting, he started to believe that it was true. Sly was no longer Rocky of the Southside Serpents, he was the man in blue that would one day kill a kid he helped raise. A boy he saw as a son. Charlie Decker.  

[color=E43736]“So what’s your vibe, Officer James?”[/color] The Red Hot candy girl asked. Her outfit sparkled and had a similar cut to the dress that Jessica Rabbit wore. [color=E43736]“We don’t usually have the pleasure of serving men such as yourself, but your partner, he's one of our regulars.”[/color] She glanced over her shoulder to teasingly wink at Clay. Her red stained lips were in such an enticing, alluring, and bright smile, and the way her hips swayed would make any weak willed man grovel at her feet. 

Clay chuckled. He was a regular at the Afterlife and had been since he was eighteen to party and twenty one to drink…legally. If he just wanted to have a quiet drink and taste some mighty fine beer, the Hole in the Wall was always his go to, plus Rhett offered the best discount. Afterlife was Clayton’s old cruising spot. It was the perfect blend of the chaos of a club to the sultry vibes of a speakeasy. He had taken numerous dates to the VIP where whatever hostess was on would treat them like diamonds. Luckily, he made sure to never come when Lamby was on shift.

[color=567157]“Pardon?”[/color] Sylvester looked away from the bar and dancefloor, only to put the brakes on his walk as the vixen stopped in her tracks, turned on her heel, and glanced up at him. She playfully batted her eyes, in intrigue and curiosity. How old was she anyway? 

This was definitely not his scene. 

Smirking at his reaction, Prim played with her locket to bring attention to her chest, [color=E43736]“Music, honey. What kind of music do you like?”[/color]

Oh that vibe. [color=567157]“Yeah, sorry. Jazz, mostly,”[/color] Rocky wasn’t an easy one to manipulate. His light brown eyes never wavered from the gorgeous woman’s eyes. If there was one remarkable feat the older man displayed it was his loyalty to his wife and family. To this day, no advances worked on him and that’s because he didn’t care about what this girl was offering. He cared about the life he built and staying secure and stable. He cared about his wife on her meds and happy, not worrying about the grim side of things all the time, and he cared about his daughter living life again and seeing her own strength, outside of the boy they both used to know. He cared about being in a place where he could undoubtedly say he was at peace and he did all he could. He cared about a lot of things and infidelity was not one of them. 

[color=E43736]“Ooooh! We have a night for that! You should come back, but for fun next time.”[/color]

[color=567157]“I’ll think about it — hey is Miss Costigan ready for us?”[/color] Sly had no space for idle chatter seeing how the storm was just about to hit and the Chief wanted him and Clay to head home ASAP. 

His impatience was rewarded with an eye roll as Primrose pointed with her thumb to the door next to her, [color=E43736]“Take the stairs, it’ll lead you to the VIP section. She’s the first room to your right. Clay should know that whole area [i]pretty well[/i].” [/color]

[color=BCDD81]“Thanks Primrose,”[/color] Clay bowed his head slightly to the redhead before moving beyond Sly and opening the door to the stairs. [color=BCDD81]“Say hi to the girls for me.”[/color] He opened up the door and nodded for his Lieutenant to follow him. As the two men began to ascend, Clay looked back at Sky and shook his head. [color=BCDD81]“We all have our vice boss, don’t judge me,”[/color] He chuckled. 

A joke. 

Humour. 

It was easy to mask that horrible feeling he had in his chest with something to laugh at. Clay had spent the day interviewing his old friends about their shared dirty little secret. About their once and former leader, David. Rehashing the past and bringing back all the pain and suffering that the Elite had hoped to push off a cliff and never see again was not something that the young police officer enjoyed doing. Every question he asked a friend felt like a knife to his heart. He could only imagine how they felt about him being the one to ask those damning questions. And now? Now he had to interview his sister, his twin, the one person on this entire planet whom he shares his lifeblood. Lamb was the other half of his soul. Or at least, she was supposed to be.

Entering into the VIP area, Clay looked around before making his way to the first door on the right, Laura’s room. The only saving grace is that because of a conflict of interest, Sly would be leading the questioning. Small victories. Sighing, Clayton knocked on the door twice before opening it up slowly. 

Lamb sat on the wrap around couch, her arms stretched out across its back. Her chestnut hair hung at her bare shoulders and lightly over onto her collarbones. She looked dynamite. Dressed in a classy little black dress which hugged every contour of her body and screamed elegant sex, there was a reason that Laura was the top girl at the Afterlife. 

[color=BCDD81]“Lamby.”[/color]

[color=5584AC]“Big brother.”[/color]

[color=567157]“Mind if we take a seat, Miss Costigan?”[/color] Sly politely asked as he surveyed the intimate room. [color=567157]“Your brother and I appreciate your quick response to our last minute request. This shouldn’t take too long. Scouts honor.”[/color] Going deeper into the den, the man with the bigger muscular stature decided to stand by the side wall, respecting the boundaries of the lady of the hour. Even if Clay was her twin, Sly wanted to establish the professional undertone of this interview. There were enough crimes going on where cops were in the wrong, abusing their power, and he did not want to be in that percentage. Whether it was an issue with race or sex, a white man should always understand the priviledges he has when he walks into a room. 

Lamb motioned with her hand to one of the sides of the couch. [color=5584AC]“Please, feel free, Mr. James.”[/color] Sylvester James was a glorious chunk of man meat and a worthy soldier in the army of Edenridge fathers that the girls and guys of Eden would gladly call Daddy. She was playing it cool. Of course she was. In her line of work, appearance was everything and in a tense situation such as this one, the emptying of a grave, she couldn’t appear to be anything but calm even though inside she was holding back a storm just as bad as the one brewing outside. [color=5584AC]“You too, Clayton.”[/color] Laura loved her brother, she really did and even if they weren’t as connected as they could be, she was very much concerned about him. She was close to the Elite but she wasn’t in the Elite. 

Clay was.

And there was something off about him at that moment. He looked tired. His skin was pale and the dark circles over his eyes were quite present. He had always wanted to be a cop, ever since they were little kids but looking at him now? It seemed like Clay’s dream job was killing him.

Clay took a seat on the opposite side of his younger sister and took out a notepad and pen. [color=BCDD81]“We’ll be quick Lamb, ok? LT is going to take charge since I can’t with a conflict of interest.”[/color] He wasn’t a great lover of her job here but he did accept it. Lamb had always been her own woman, too much like their Mom and just a little bit too much Milligan in her. She was a free spirit swept up in a tornado and she wouldn’t have it any other way. [color=BCDD81]“If at any point you need to tap out, just let me know.”[/color]

Sylvester didn’t like bringing up the past, no more than Vicky liked taking her meds and with Charlie’s journal out there somewhere, with only God knows who, Edenridge was restless. Taking a seat beside Clay to level the dynamic, to show she had just as much power in the interview as he did, Sly clasped his hands together and went onward, into the foreboding history of the Elite, [color=567157]“Let’s start here. What’s your relationship with the O’Hara twins, both David and Jamie? If I am to understand why someone would go out of their way to send David’s secret love letters to the whole town, I need to understand the connections he had, like you with him and the closest person to him. His sister.”[/color]  

Lamb locked her fingers in front of her lap as she looked at the policemen staring at her. This was harder than she thought, trying to separate her big brother from the uniform he wore. She took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts and began. [color=5584AC]“Well, I grew up with them. We were neighbours our entire lives. Jamie was my best friend up until she went off to school. We stayed close but not as close as we could’ve. As far as David, he was just always there, always a part of my life. I…can I say this? He was Clay’s best friend. Whenever I saw him he was with my brother or another Elite or Jamie.”[/color]

[color=567157]“You say whatever you're comfortable with, Miss Costigan. And like your brother said, if there ever comes a time you want to tap out you can. You are doing us a favor by giving us a moment of your day, and I understand how heavy this is. For the both of you,”[/color] Sly glanced over at Clay who was focused on the notepad and his sister. While Sly would still be considered young, he knew through the years that this town never lets you forget. No matter how much time came and went, something happened where you’re forced to reflect and look into a mirror. [color=567157]“I’ve learned a lot about David today so I’m going to… change things up.”[/color]  

Crossing his arms, leaning back in his chair, Sly softened his eyes as he carefully watched Lamb and her subtle reactions. Sometimes being a cop sucked but he wanted her to feel safe around him. Deep down, he would always be Rocky before he was a cop. That part no matter how much he tried, tried to bury, would never change. He was a man of the people and at times, that made him do things that broke his heart, but everyone else would stay at peace. Sacrifices had to be made for the sake of his town. [color=567157]“The coach put a lot of pressure on his children. Anyone could see that. As Jamies’ former best friend, how do you think that impacted her?” [/color]

[color=5584AC]“Jamie is…”[/color] Laura looked to her brother, who offered in return a soft and comforting gaze. [color=5584AC]“Sensitive.”[/color] To be a Foundling in this town, to have that big house on Scott Street, was born a blessing and a curse. Depending on the name you carried, the pressure was different. The worst family to be in was the O’Hara’s. This had nothing to do with the parents, John and Lizette loved their kids. But the expectation that came with that name. O’Hara for the lack of a better term, meant greatness. [color=5584AC]“She loved David more than anyone. They were twins. Soulmates.”[/color] The sting in her heart as she looked at her own sibling, she knew he felt it too. [color=5584AC]“Coach never understood Jamie, not for the lack of trying but he just couldn’t work out why she was the way she was, so all of his attention went on David and the team. Jamie, well she never felt forgotten about like a normal kid would. Instead, she just got worried that she couldn’t take the pressure off of her brother. David worked so hard to be as good as he was on that court but it was never enough because Fran and Clay and even that idiot Russ, everything was natural for them.”[/color] She reached forward and picked up the glass of water on the table. After bringing it to her mouth and taking a sip,  Lamb returned her attention to the officer. [color=5584AC]“Jamie only ever wanted to help.”[/color]

Sly knew this feeling well, through his wife. Victoria Mooney was so young when her family got arrested. She wanted to ease the burden from her older sister, Samantha, and she wanted to prove to her younger brother, Dexter, that everything was going to be okay. In reality, Dexter was better at protecting both his older sisters combined. Even before the abuse, Vicky’s mom would tell Sly’s uncle that ‘something isn’t right about that one’. Something was off with the middle child of the Mooney family. She was unstable. 

And yet, Sly decided to be her protector and carry her through life. Everything Vicky ever did was to protect her family. She wanted to help. Though Sly did wish she wasn’t so impulsive. It led to many messes he had to clean up.  [color=567157]“Can you go deeper with her… sensitivity? Has she ever done something she thought would help her brother but it only made the situation worse?”[/color] 

Clay put his hand on his sister's shoulder and squeezed lightly. [color=BCDD81]“It’s ok, Lamby. Tell him everything you can. I’m here.”[/color]

Laura reached up and placed a hand atop Clayton’s for a brief second before moving her gaze back to Mr James. [color=5584AC]“There was one time, I think junior year? Jamie was home from her school and David was dating this girl from the Southside….I don’t recall her name and she had connections to the Serpents. This girl, well she and a brother that wasn’t particularly a great fan of her brother. I remember finding Jamie in her and David’s special place. She told him that she couldn’t believe somebody would even consider disliking her brother, so she went to this guy's house and ended up slashing his tires. Problem was the guy thought it was Davey and beat the shit out of him. Needless to say, that relationship didn’t last.”[/color]

Clay was adding his own notes to Lamb’s story as he could vividly remember it himself. The Elite covered for Jamie and paid the big Southside cat off to stay away. The former basketball player had considered the theory of some sort of revenge when the letter first appeared but those people would have nothing to gain from dragging Duke’s name further through the mud. [color=BCDD81]“Coach lost his shit. David was off the team for a month and Jamie was sent straight back to school.”[/color]

Mental instability. Her brother’s soulmate. A secret place that her and her brother only shared. The obvious questions stood out for Sly but as he looked at Clay, he saw himself every time his brothers got into stupid shit. His earlier days as a cop were not easy. When Rusty died, Reaper and Rooster just deep dived into serpent activity. This is before the gala that caused his old friend to leave town and become a ‘character’ of a man burying everything he once was under this professional facade. 

There was part of Sly that wanted Clay to come to his own conclusions. In his opinion, this was more his case than Sly’s. Sly had his theory but he wanted to see what Clay did under this emotional stress and pressure. Would he still be standing after all this is said and done? Or would he quit? [color=567157]“Thank you, Miss Costigan. I think that’s enough on Jamie.”[/color] Sly took a moment to himself to process the information and find the question that wouldn’t make Lamb feel like she was being interrogated but also give him a chance to see Lamb’s emotional attachment to the worst incident of the Elite’s lives. [color=567157]“The day he died. What were your thoughts when you found out David O’Hara got so drunk that he accidentally drowned in the lake? Did you know what he was going through?”[/color] 

[color=5584AC]“No,”[/color] Lamb responded quite emphatically. [color=5584AC]“By the time he died, I had already moved away from godforsaken Scott Street and was too busy trying to build my own life. Like I said, David was Clay’s friend. We texted now and again but that was it. When…everything came out, I was as surprised as everyone else. I don’t think I’d spoken to him for about a month before he died.”[/color]

[color=567157]“Hm,”[/color] Sly nodded at her answer and gave her a bright and warm smile. He had no more questions to ask. Like he said earlier, this interview was going to be short especially since the storm had already started. [color=567157]“That’s all I have for you, Miss Costigan, but I do want to say, off the record, of course,”[/color] Sly rested his right hand on his chin and absentmindedly rubbed it in thought, [color=567157]“I do know how you both are feeling.” [/color]

His attention went from the interviewee to his partner. The young man that looked like he hadn’t slept for days. The promising rookie cop who had so much ahead of him, so long as he kept strong. [color=567157]“This town doesn’t like when we forget about our ghosts. My daughter was in love with the kid I shot dead and now someone has his journal. My best friend was a ‘foundling’. The worst of them all. Carlisle. No one really knew and while I can’t say I understand, that shadow hung over him everyday until he died in my arms. This town will rip you apart, given the chance.” [/color]

Standing up, he looked at the Costigan twins and shook his head, giving them a piece of advice, [color=567157]“Don’t let it,”[/color] patting Clay’s shoulder, a sign that it was time to go, the veteran officer said one last thing, speaking to the air so both twins could take in his wise words, [color=567157]“You’re not as alone as you think. Keep those you care about close and never stop fighting. No matter what this town throws at you. Keep fighting.”[/color] As he went to the door, he wearily whispered to himself, [color=567157]“We need more fighters,”[/color] before waving at Lamb, thanking her for her time, and leaving the twins alone to have a moment to themselves. 

Lamb looked at Clay and he back at her. They weren’t identical twins but they carried themselves in the exact same way and shared the same chocolate coloured eyes of their mother. Laura felt overcome at that moment. She took hold of her big brother's hand and sealed it between her own. [color=5584AC]“Clay, we both know that whatever comes out of this investigation of yours, isn’t going to be a happy ending for everyone. We also both know that you’re not gonna stop until you figure this out because that’s just who you are, my big brother the superhero. What [i]I[/i] need to know is that you are going to be ok? That you’re going to be safe?”[/color]

Clay smiled at his twin. Sometimes, some days they shared that connection that they both desperately searched for. Sometimes and some days they were actually brother and sister. This was one of them. No doubt after this he wouldn’t hear from Lamb for another month and that was ok. He knew where she was and she knew where he was. If they needed each other, they’d be there. 

The rookie cop got to his feet and brushed a strand of loose hair from Laura’s face. [color=BCDD81]“It’s only a bit of rain, Lamby, I’ll be fine,”[/color] Clay made his way towards the door and opened it up. He paused for a brief second and ran his hand through his thick hair. [color=BCDD81]“Make sure they wear condoms, Lamb, we don't need any more Costigan’s running around. I don’t need the competition for the best looking.”[/color] With that, he departed with his boss to go solve the mystery.

Laura leaned her head back against the couch and let out a great sigh. It was so Clay of him to make a joke. He knew that she was talking about the case but Clayton wouldn’t admit fear. He wouldn’t admit doubt. It wasn’t any false sense of bravado, it wasn’t any foolhardiness believe it or not. It was his justice. Whatever that may mean.

God she hoped he could weather the oncoming storm.
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