Fic: Shadows of Serenity Hills (The Following, Mike/Debra)

[helsinkibaby]

Title: Shadows of Serenity Hills
Author: helsinkibaby
Fandom: The Following
Pairing: Debra Parker/Mike Weston
Rating: T; mention of past child abuse
Word Count : 2999
Spoilers : anything up to the end of the first season. AU from there.
Notes: for the 1_million_words song fic challenge. Song is "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge.
Summary: Debra thinks about the meaning of family.

*Now*

The newscaster looks immaculately coiffed, blonde hair sleek and straight, make-up affording her skin a dewy perfection unachievable by mere mortals. Certainly Debra, still clad in her pajamas at nearly noon, hair askew and face pale from a night of disturbed sleep, hasn't looked so well in a very long time. 

It's an odd thing to concentrate on, one part of her brain knows. The other part recognises it for what it is, a coping mechanism and a damn good one. Because if she focuses on the newscaster's appearance, she doesn't have to focus fully on what she's saying. 

"...standoff with FBI agents since yesterday evening. This morning, the leader of the commune, Dale Walden, published this video on their website."

The screen cuts to a shaky video and suddenly Debra can't look away, can't think of anything but what she's seeing. It's been ten years since she saw him and he looks like he's barely aged a day, especially around those eyes. 

Those eyes make her stomach roil, even now. 

"These charges against me and my family are absurd and baseless," Dale is saying. "We have a right to live here, work here, and yes, love here. The government have no right to interfere, or to take our children away from us. We are family... and we will not be broken."

That's all Debra can stand to hear before she runs to the bathroom and throws up. 

*Then*

"It's an honour, Debra." Her older sister Ruth sounded sure, determined and not a little unlike her mother. "To be chosen by Dale... you are blessed."

Debra's stomach turned in fear and uncertainty because she certainly didn't feel blessed. "I guess."

Ruth's mouth feel open and she narrowed her eyes, looking over Debra's head at Sarah. Their other sister's hand stilled as she stopped brushing Debra's hair. "You understand that this is important, right? That this matters to all of us...you, us, our parents..."

Debra nodded quickly, pushed back her unease. "I'm just nervous," she says and she hoped she sounded convincing. 

Ruth and Sarah smiled over her head, nodding as if they understood and Debra wanted to cry, to scream, to run. She did none of those things. Instead she let her sisters brush her hair, arrange it this way and that and tell her how lucky she was to be chosen as a wife of the prophet. 

"This is the last night of your old life," Sarah decided as she handed Debra a brand new long white nightgown, made especially for the occasion. "Tomorrow, you will be one of Dale's family... and so will we."

Debra took the nightgown and tried to smile. 

She failed. 

*Now*

Debra has just finished rinsing her mouth and splashing her face with cold water when the key turns in the front door and a familiar voice calls out. "Deb? You here?"

"Yeah." Debra gives her face one last wipe, glances in the mirror in the hope she doesn't look as bad as she feels. Luck not being on her side, she looks worse. She takes a deep breath before she walks out and comes downstairs, hoping she can brazen her way through whatever conversation is about to take place but when she reaches the bottom of the stairs and looks into Beth's eyes, she knows that's not going to happen. 

Beth takes one look at her and pulls her into a wordless hug that Debra instantly returns. It takes a long time before either of them want to let go and both of them have damp eyes when they do. "I came as soon as I saw the news," Beth says, tucking a strand of long dark hair behind her ear as she turns to the television. "But I stopped for breakfast first."

Debra smiles. On the coffee table are three cups of takeaway coffee and a paper bag that she knows will hold various forms of pastry. "I'm not sure I can eat," she says and Beth shrugs. 

"You will," is all she says as she drops down onto the couch, a frown appearing on her face as she reads the news ticker. "Sit down," she says, glancing up at Debra. "I think it's going to be a long day."

*Then*

"I don't like it, Mom."

Tears prick Debra's eyes but her mother continues folding laundry, doesn't even look in her direction. "These are the trials of being a woman, Debra, and a wife." Her voice is clipped, terse. "You have been chosen for a great honour... a great honour for our family."

"But, Mom..."

"Come, it's almost lunchtime." Her mother places the last of the neatly folded clothes in the closet. "You need to eat... There are prayers for you and Dale later... It's going to be a long day."

 

*Now*

Mike calls out a cursory greeting as he unlocks the front door, lets Sam run in ahead of him and hopes the dog's paws aren't too muddy. He takes care to wipe his own feet, goes into the living room qand grins when he sees Beth sitting beside Debra, Sam leaping between them in an orgy of welcome. "Isn't it a bit too early for you to be up, Beth?" he teases and Debra gives him a smile that's more wan that he might have expected.

 Beth's smile, on the other hand, is tight, her brow knit in a frown as she looks at Debra. For just a second, Mike's struck by the similarity between them, because he saw Debra frown just like that any amount of times on the Carroll case. 

Then he looks, really looks, at Debra and sees just why Beth is frowning - he hasn't seen  look that pale, that shaken, since the first day the three of them had been in a room together. 

*Then*

Mike was sitting at Debra's bedside, holding her hand, all thoughts of secrecy and frowned upon workplace relationships long forgotten when the door flew open and a woman rushed into the room. Debra's head turned and so did Mike's and he could have sworn the room tilted when he got a good look at the new arrival. She was younger than Debra, yes and she didn't bear the frowns and pallor that came from working the Joe Carroll case the last few weeks. That aside, she could have been Debra's twin and he realised instantly who she was. 

Even if he hadn't, Debra's whisper of "Beth," would have given the game away and he helped her move into a sitting position before getting out of the way before the two sisters fell into one another's arms. 

They stayed like that for a long moment before pulling away and both women had tears on their cheeks when they looked at Mike. "Mike, this is Beth... my sister. Beth, this is Mike Weston."

Mike extended his hand. "We spoke on the phone," he said and Beth nodded, shaking his hand vigorously. 

"Thank you for calling me," she said. "And for saving Debra's life."

Mike's cheeks flushed and he gave a self-conscious chuckle. "I'm not sure I did that," he began and Debra cut him off with a shake of her head. 

"You did." Her voice was quiet, serious. He swallowed hard, saw Beth look down and do the same. 

He was trying to think of something to say when his cellphone rang in his jacket pocket. He muttered a muffled curse, crossing the room to where it was hung up but by the time he got there he'd missed the call. "Turner," he said to Debra. "You mind if..."

Debra shook her head, held up her and Beth's still joined hands. "I'm good," she said and he nodded, grinned as he backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off Debra. 

He was just outside the door when he heard Beth's voice and it sounded like she was smiling.  "He's cute," she said. "We've got some catching up to do."

"Yeah," was all Debra got out before he heard a sound he remembered from the cell phone line, the sound he thought he'd hear in his nightmares from now on. Her voice broke and she began to cry, deep wracking sobs that sounded like they were coming from the depths of her soul. 

"Oh, Deb..." Glancing in, Mike saw Beth sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Debra, Debra's hands making fists of the material of her winter coat. Wanting to go in, but knowing she was in good hands, he unlocked his phone and called Turner back. 

When he heard the news the other man had to give him, he was very glad there was someone else with Debra, because he had to get on the next flight to New York. 

*Now*

He looks from Beth to Debra and then glances across the room to the television. CNN is tuned in which is unusual, because ever since they moved in together, that's a channel that he and Debra have avoided tuning in for any length of time. A ticker runs along the bottom of the screen and the second he reads it, all his questions are answered. 

"The siege  at the Serenity Hills compound near Cedar Falls, Iowa is entering its second day with trained negotiators from the FBI taking positions along the perimeter." 

"Serenity Hills," he says, looking back at Debra. "That's where you grew up...your parents, your other sisters...they're still there."

It's a statement rather than a question and Debra nods slowly. "Yes," is all she says and his jaw sets, hand already going to his cell phone. 

"I can make some calls to the BAU, find out who's there, get some information," he says, scrolling through his list of contacts. 

"You don't have to-"

Debra's voice sounds strained and he shakes his head as he cuts across  her. "I know, we're suspended, they can't tell us anything... but c'mon, this is your family."

Debra's hand tightens on Beth's and he's never seen a look in her eyes like the one that's there when she glances between the two of them. "My family is here," she says and he understands that on some level, he really does. But he also remembers that awful phone call, when Debra essentially gave him her living will and he knows she still loves her parents, that she wanted them to know that. 

"But there must be some people there... some people you want to check on..." He tries again, looking at Beth this time because she's left the compound more recently but she shrugs and shakes her head. 

"Don't look at me," she tells him. "Never been there, never want to go." 

The words hang in the air between them as he tries to make sense of them and he knows the exact moment Beth realises what she's said because her face blanches, her jaw dropping open slightly. She turns to Debra, opens her mouth as if to speak then closes it again and looks back at Mike. 

Just like that, it all falls into place. 

The uncanny resemblance that he'd noticed that very first day, along with the age difference and how he couldn't quite get over the fact that Debra had a sister who was fifteen years younger than her. 

*Then*

"Are you sure about this?" 

It's not the first time Debra had asked her aunt that question but it might have been the most serious. Still, Esther Parker smiled at her niece the same understanding smile she'd given her the first time that Debra had asked her that question, twenty four hours after she'd run away from Serenity Hills and landed on their doorstep. "Of course I'm sure." It was the same answer, given without hesitation but it didn't make Debra feel any better. 

"But are you really sure? This is a huge thing you're doing..."

"No it's not." Esther's smile only widened. "Ever since John and I left Serenity Hills, I'd given up hope of ever having a family of my own. Then you came to us. And now..." She shifted the small pink bundle in her arms, smiled down at the sleeping baby. "Now this little one has joined us. And however she came to be, however terrible those circumstances are... she is here. And we will love her, just like we love you."

Tears, always so ready, spilled from Debra's eyes and down her cheeks and her aunt reached over, squeezed her hand. "You are both our daughters now," Esther told her. "As much as Serenity Hills has taken from you... let us give you some part of your life back."

"I can't ask you..."

"You're not, silly girl." There was no recrimination in Esther's tone, only love. "We are family, Debra... that's what we do."

 

*Now*

"Mike..." 

Debra's voice catches in her throat and she wants to stand, wants to go to Mike, to touch him but she can't trust her legs to support her. "I can explain..."

"She's your daughter," Mike says, like he's still putting it together, like he's having trouble believing it. He's still standing there, hasn't left and that gives Debra some kind of hope - she just hopes it's not the false kind. 

"Yes," Debra says, at the same time as Beth says, "No."

Debra looks at her sharply, so does Mike and Beth holds up her hands. "Look, no offence, Deb, but my mom is Esther Parker. My dad is John Parker. And you're my big sister." Beth looks at Mike and shrugs. "For what it's worth, I know how you feel... I found out when I was fifteen and I broke my arm and realised my blood type didn't match up with my parents... high school biology for the win." She pumps her arm but there's no humour, no victory in the gesture. "And yeah, I was pissed... until I thought about and realised that all I ever had to worry about was trying to pass English and get on the cheerleading squad, thinking about the next game and the next party... when she was my age, Debra..." Her voice trails off and she swallows hard. "She could have made a different choice and I wouldn't be here. Instead, she made sure I had the best life." She reaches out, takes Debra's hand in hers. "She was a pretty kickass big sister too, let me tell you."

The two women share a smile but Debra's fades when she looks back at Mike. "That was the last time I was in Serenity Hills," she says. "Just after we told Beth... I wanted to see my parents one last time, tell them I forgave them..." Mike blinks in surprise; Beth simply rolls her eyes and Debra ignores it - they've had this conversation before and she's come to accept that Beth will never see it her way. "I wanted to let them know that I was ok... no matter what happened... I was just starting to put the paperwork together to join the Bureau, I was finishing up a boatload of therapy... and you were pretty kickass yourself..." The last is directed at Beth with a smile. 

"So that day... when you told me Beth would know how to contact your parents..."

"I know where they are... Dad has their number," Beth tells him. "But they don't know anything about me. A child of the prophet, can you imagine?" She rolls her eyes again but Debra is hard pressed to keep back a shudder at the thought of what her parents would do if they knew exactly who Beth was. "When Deb joined the FBI, we agreed that if anything ever happened, I would contact them and say I was a friend of Deb's... over the phone, never face to face."

"That would give the game away." Mike runs a hand over his face, glances back to the television screen. 

"I would have told you..." Debra starts and Mike turns to her just as Sam jumps up and begins scratching at his leg. 

"I'll take him out," Beth says, standing and scooping the little dog up in her arms. "Looks like he needs to find a tree stump..."

Mike watches her go, Debra watches him and when the door closes behind Beth, Mike steps towards her, takes her in his arms. She all but collapses into his embrace, takes several deep breaths and tries not to faint with relief. Whatever happens next, this is better than she had ever dared hope. "You don't have to explain anything to  me," she hears him say, his voice muffled against her hair. "All you've been through in your life... everything you've overcome... you are amazing, Debra Parker... and I love you."

She can't stop the sob that escapes her and Mike cups the back of her head and holds her as she cries. 

Later

They will spend the day, the three of them, sitting in front of the television together, watching in near silence as events unfold in Serenity Hills. They will order Chinese for dinner and when they are halfway through eating it, news will come through that an agreement has been reached, that FBI agents are in the compound without a shot being fired, that Dale Walden has been taken to the local police station for questioning and that Social Services are readying to interview children there. 

Debra will sag back against the couch cushions, weak with relief, and Beth will hold her hand as Mike slides his arm around her shoulders. "It's over," he will say as he presses a kiss against her hair. 

Later still, she will sleep beside him, wrapped in his arms, Beth asleep in the spare room down the hall. She will sleep soundly, for the first time in weeks, if not years, knowing that she is surrounded by her family and that the shadows of Serenity Hills have finally been banished to the past, where they belong. 

And where they will stay.