"I'm not a movie," Remi said, his eyes flashing. "This isn't a movie."

Charlie scowled. Was he seriously saying that to her? Her. "No shit, Remi. In case you forgot, I know what your blood feels like on my hands." Her throat seized up for a second, her fingers going slick with phantom blood. She latched onto her anger again. "I'm the very last person you need to tell that to."

For a long moment, he didn't say anything. She could practically see the thoughts fluttering behind his eyes, his expression blank. Just as she was about to snap something else, his face changed. He blinked, and she saw wonder mixed with fury. Surprise. For the first time she saw something...soft wasn't the right word, but she couldn't think of anything better. 

Eventually, she couldn't bear the weight of it anymore. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered.

He blinked slowly, everything clearing away. "Like what?"

When she hesitated, trying to put words to what she'd seen, he leaned forward, an expression of intense concentration now on his face. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she had no idea what she was going to say. What had she even seen? What had she wanted to see?

The whole day had been one strange moment after the next. He had caught her off guard so many times today she really didn't know what to say. She didn't know what was safe to say. She didn't know what was true.

The sound of the doorbell startled her so much she very nearly dropped her food. She swallowed hard against the sudden knot in her throat, rage at whoever was behind the door flaring as Remi slumped back into the couch cushions and began stabbing at his chicken. 

Another chime rang through the house, somehow more demanding this time. Her hands shook lightly as she set her food on the table and stood up. It took more self-restraint than she cared to admit not to look over her shoulder as Remi muted the TV. She let out a small sigh through her nose and opened the door.

A tall, slender woman stood on the other side. She looked like a model with high cheekbones and large eyes, her brown skin was flawless and her black hair fell in perfect glossy waves around her face. A man with salt-and-pepper hair and a neat beard stood a little behind her, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He was turned slightly, staring at the street.

"Charlie?" the woman asked in a melodious voice that stirred a memory. "Charlie LaSalle?"

After another moment of staring, Charlie's mouth dropped open. "Tanya?"

"It's been a while. I wasn't sure you'd recognize me." Tanya smiled, though the expression was reserved. "Could we come in?" She gestured toward the man behind her, who nodded a greeting.

"I..." Charlie frowned, casting a half-glance at Remi to find him sitting still as a statue, his eyes glued on her. "Um... What are you..." She turned back to Tanya. "What are you doing here?"

As soon as she said it, she knew it had come out more rudely than she had intended. Then she decided it wasn't that rude, seeing as how she hadn't talked to Tanya for nearly five years. And who was the guy with her?

For some reason, Charlie got the feeling this wasn't about a feel-good reunion between long-lost friends.

That feeling intensified when Tanya bit at her lower lip, exchanging a glance with the man. "Would it be okay if we came in?" she asked again.

A chill spidered its way down Charlie's spine as she took a step back, opening the door wider. Tanya and the man came in, and Charlie shut the door behind them. Remi stood, his eyes meeting hers. She shook her head minutely, letting him know she had no idea what this was about.

"Please," Charlie said, gesturing toward the furniture. "Have a seat."

"Thank you," the man said, perching on the edge of the armchair. Tanya sat on the couch, eyes wandering between Charlie and Remi, though they seemed to linger on Remi as he came to stand beside Charlie.

She made sure to school her face to a puzzled blankness. She felt it would be best to play the ignorance card until Tanya finally revealed why she was here.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, Tanya said, "There's really no elegant way to put this." She reached into the pocket of the deep purple blazer she was wearing and extracted her wallet. Beside her, the man reached into his suit jacket.

Charlie watched in a sort of haze as Tanya flipped the wallet open, revealing a badge. The shield glinted in the light from the TV.

"You...you're a cop?" Charlie asked, her voice far too faint. She felt a slow rush of breath ruffle her hair as Remi exhaled.

"Ah—agent, actually," Tanya said, her cheeks darkening with a blush. She had never been a bragger. "We're with the FBI. This is my partner, Agent Clark Devron."

Charlie took a step back, stumbling into Remi, who caught her up against him. His hands were too hot on her arms as all the blood seemed to drain from her. For a moment Charlie stared at the badge, trying to understand what this meant. Why were they here? They couldn't possibly...

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" Remi said, his voice cool and steady. Charlie let the sound calm her and she stood a little straighter, eyes locking with Tanya's.

Agent Devron's eyes went down to where Remi's hands were still on Charlie's arms. "And you are?"

"Remi," he said. "Robicheaux." It startled Charlie when he gave them his real name, but not half so much as what he said next. "I'm Charlie's fiancé. Is she in some kind of trouble?"

He really was an excellent liar. His voice was steady, but woven through with just the right amount of concern, hinting at anger. He sounded like nothing more than a concerned lover.

On the other hand, it took every ounce of self-control Charlie had to keep the surprise off her face. To act like everything he'd just said was the perfect truth. Again, her eyes found Tanya's. The other woman was watching the both of them with a narrow gaze, but at Remi's question she shook her head.

"Not at all," she assured. She hesitated for a moment, then let her shoulders slump. Her face suddenly appeared drained. Tanya looked up, exhaling slowly through her nose. "When was the last time you saw your parents, Charlie?"

A small sneer automatically plucked at the corner of her mouth before she managed to force it away, noticing how Agent Devron was watching her, his grey eyes far too keen. Shaking her head, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know. Maybe a year ago. Year and a half. Something like that. Why?"

Tanya hesitated for just a moment. "There was...an incident this morning. And, well, we would appreciate it if you could accompany us to the morgue, Charlie."

"The morgue," Charlie repeated blankly. "What's at the morgue?"

As soon as she said it, she berated herself for asking such a stupid question. What the hell else would be at a morgue.

Beside her, Remi seemed to relax minutely, though his fingers didn't loosen their grip on her arms. There was something comforting in his nearness—like she could just lean back into him, and he would be able to keep her from falling.

"Which one?" she asked.

The flat quality of her voice made Agent Devron frown, but Tanya simply said, "We think it might be your mother, Charlie. But it would be appreciated if you came and identified the body for us."

Silence seeped through Charlie's veins, the world around her quieting. She stared down at the floor, waiting. Waiting to feel something other than dull resignation. But no other emotion was forthcoming, so she looked up and nodded.

"Yeah," she said, her voice dull and distant in her own ears. "Yeah, I can come with you."

Tanya and Agent Devron stood at the same time, Tanya stepping forward, her arms half-raising like she might offer Charlie a hug. But she just as quickly lowered them before nodding toward Remi. "You can come with her, if you want?"

Charlie turned to look up at him. Remi was watching Tanya, a frown marring his brow. "Of course I want to come with her," he said, sounding vaguely insulted. Before Charlie could decide if she even wanted him to do any such thing, he was herding her toward the door. "Would it be all right for us to follow you there?" he asked, keeping a light hand on her waist, like he thought she might fall. Or run away.

"That'll be just fine," Tanya said, exiting the house after them, Devron on her heels.

Remi shut and locked the door, then gestured for the agents to take the lead. No one spoke as they made the short trek down to the street. Charlie watched in a haze as Tanya and Devron peeled away from them, heading toward a nondescript, dark-blue sedan parked a little farther up the road. Remi opened the door to the McLaren for her, and Charlie fell into the passenger seat staring blankly out the windshield.

It didn't really register that they were moving until Remi slammed on the brakes, swearing as he was cut off by a white cross-over. 

Charlie blinked for what felt like the first time in minutes and looked down at her hands. They were perfectly still in her lap. Then she looked at Remi, who was already watching her from the corner of his eye.

She opened, then closed her mouth, frowning. Her thoughts seemed disjointed. One moment, a hundred questions, emotions and thoughts would be whirling through her head, and the next her mind would be steeped in numb blankness. Finally, something stuck. It was simultaneously the least and most important question she had at the moment.

"Fiancé?" she muttered.

Remi looked over at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"

"You said you were my fiancé."

He nodded slowly, still looking like he had no idea what she was talking about. Charlie let out a huff, feeling trying to spark in her blood. She watched the blinker of the blue sedan in front of them, her mind blurring again.

"I already had a fiancé," she murmured, slumping down in the seat. "I don't think I want another one."

"Oh." Remi snorted, making her grimace at him. 

Didn't he understand the panic trying to reach a boil in her stomach? She never knew when he was being serious. Never knew when he was saying what he meant, making it nearly impossible to know when he was telling the truth unless she was watching him closely. She hadn't been able to so much as glance at his face when he'd first said it.

"It was just to...make it easier," he finally said. "It's a little more official than boyfriend. Less argument about me coming with you."

Charlie digested that for a moment, then managed a dry scoff. "I don't think they would have cared either way. Why would they have cared if you came with me? I'm just going to identify the body. It's not like they think I killed her."

"As far as you know," he said, the car slowing down.

"Dramatic," she muttered, undoing her seatbelt as Remi pulled into a parking lot. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Isn't it kind of stupid for you to be here, either way?" Remi gave her an affronted look, but before he could snap anything back, she said, "You gave them your name, Remi. They're freaking FBI."

"So?"

"So?" Charlie shook her head in disbelief. "So you're...you. And you told them your name." 

Remi gave her a droll look. "Why shouldn't I? I don't have anything to hide."

Charlie didn't know if she wanted to laugh or scream. A soft tap on the window made her flinch. She turned and found Tanya staring at her with an uncertain expression. It took her a moment to realize that Tanya couldn't see through the window's tint. She shook her head, giving Remi one last look.

He sighed. "Lying would have been a bad decision, Charlie. It's easy enough for them to find out who I am, and if I'd lied that would have made them look closer." Remi cocked his head, then reached forward, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry about it, yeah?"

"Yeah," Charlie muttered. She turned and threw the door open, making Tanya stumble a few steps back in surprise. Getting out of the car, she slammed the door, taking satisfaction in the angry sound.

Charlie stared up at the stone building, flinching when Remi closed his door behind her. She didn't turn to look at him, just gestured for Tanya to lead the way. She looked like she wanted to say something, but pursed her lips and began walking toward the glass doors, the heels of her shoes clicking on the concrete. Charlie kept her eyes firmly on Tanya's back, not looking left or right as they entered the building. The main floor bustled with activity, people dodging around them as they crossed to a bank of elevators on the opposite wall.

When the doors closed, Charlie stared at her blurred reflection in the brushed metal. Remi stood just at her shoulder, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. A small divide existed between them and the agents, though Charlie could feel the looks she was receiving from both Tanya and Devron.

Charlie was sure they were expecting some kind of emotion. Grief, maybe. Sadness at the very least. All Charlie could wonder was how she had died. It had to be something other than an overdose to draw the attention of the FBI, right?

After what seemed like an age, the elevator doors opened with a soft ding. Charlie finally let her eyes flick over to Tanya. She tugged lightly at her blazer to straighten it before she stepped out of the elevator. "It's just down here."

They walked down a dim hall lit only by fluorescents that flickered and buzzed as they passed beneath them. Finally, they reached a door labeled Morgue.

"Would you like a moment to—"

"No," Charlie snapped, cutting Agent Devron off. She took a calming breath, registering the surprise on his face. "I mean...no. I just—I want to get this over with. Please."

"Of course," he murmured, reaching for the handle.

Like he was whispering in her ear, Remi's warning came back to her. As far as you know. She ducked her head and walked into the room, shivering against the chill. The medical examiner was sitting at her desk filling out a form, but she looked up when the door closed.

Immediately, she assumed a grave, sympathetic mien that put Charlie's teeth on edge. The woman stood and walked toward a metal table near the center of the room. A body lay there, covered in a white sheet. The cold of the room lifted goosebumps on Charlie's arms. The temperature wasn't quite enough to stop the gentle cloy of decay.

It startled her when a hand took hers, rough fingers engulfing her own. His skin was warm, nearly hot against her freezing fingers. Charlie looked up at him to find a reserved expression on his face. After a moment, she remembered what role he was playing and didn't pull her hand from his.

"Charlie," Tanya said softly.

When she looked over, she found a worried expression on her old friend's face. It puzzled her, seeing as how Tanya knew better than almost anyone the sort of relationship Charlie had with her parents.

Used to have, she thought, again waiting for the realization to hit her.

"Show me," she said, her voice steady, unemotional. She realized that Agent Devron was watching her again, and she let her shoulders curve forward, making sure to huddle a little closer to Remi.

She couldn't quite make herself look away from the covered body, though.

"Her injuries were quite severe," the medical examiner said, her voice cool and professional. "Just prepare yourself."

Charlie nodded. Beside her, Remi let out a slow breath. She could feel as his gaze shifted between her and the body as the medical examiner leaned forward and rolled the sheet down, exposing the face.

For a long second, she stared at the mottled blue and red bruises covering the face. She could tell with a glance that the woman's nose and cheekbone had been shattered. Chunks of hair had been torn out, showing shiny patches of scalp. A gaping wound stood out on the side of her neck, nearly severing her head from her body.

A hiss of breath from beside her made her look up at Remi. To her surprise, his teeth were clenched, a muscle in his jaw ticking rapidly, his eyes narrowed furiously. She followed where his gaze was trained to find he wasn't staring at the revealed face, but the covered body.

"Charlie?" Tanya prompted.

Swallowing hard, she rasped, "Could you show me the rest of her body?"

The medical examiner exchanged a surprised look with Tanya and Agent Devron. She hesitated for a moment. "I'm...not sure that's something you want to see."

"Show me," Charlie demanded, tearing away from Remi's hold and approaching the table. She stared down at the ruined face, the straggly blonde hair. She was already sure it was her mother, but she could tell there was something Remi wanted to see. "I...I can't tell from—" She gestured vaguely at the face.

Again, the medical examiner looked at the agents. When Tanya nodded, she let out a defeated sigh and lowered the sheet farther. Remi swore under his breath viciously and Charlie took a staggering step back.

Huge, gaping slashes covered the torso. Flesh hung in flaps from her ribs and her abdomen was in ribbons. Defensive wounds littered her arms, bits of bone poking through the shredded skin. Charlie was glad that the autopsy had obviously already been performed. 

A hand on her shoulder made her whirl around to find Tanya watching her. Her face looking sallow and wan, she said, "We can take a break if you want?"

"No," she croaked. "No. I'm...I can do this." Holding her breath, she moved back toward the body, pretending that this was just another anatomy lab. That this was just another dissected cadaver. She made a show of examining the area just below the woman's collarbone. Most of it had been obliterated by an ugly gash that had broken the clavicle beneath, but Charlie could just make out the edges of a bad mermaid tattoo. She nodded her head, the movement stiff. "It's her," she whispered.

As soon as she turned away, the medical examiner pulled the sheet back over the terrible wounds. Charlie went back to Remi and buried her face against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss against her hair.

"Would you like a moment to say goodbye?" Tanya asked gently.

Charlie debated that, still using Remi as a shield. Eventually, she decided it would be impossible to make any show of grief seem authentic. Better to seem like she was just trying to hold it together here and make a quick getaway so she could break down in private.

In fact, that was probably what Tanya expected. So she let out a long breath, making it judder a little before she shook her head. "No," she whispered.

Over her head, Remi said, "Would you mind if I took Charlie home?" His voice was polite, but held an edge. "This has obviously been upsetting."

"Of course," Agent Devron said. Charlie watched from the corner of her eye as he handed Remi what looked like a business card. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Sure," Remi said, then he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Charlie nodded and allowed Remi to guide her from the freezing room out into the hall. She let herself spiral further into her shell as they took the elevator back up to the main floor. Moving through the building and out to the parking lot was a blur, and Charlie idly wondered if she was actually going into shock. It was a relief to make it to the car and fall into the passenger street. 

Before Remi could manage to shut the door, Tanya slipped past him and crouched beside Charlie. Taking her hand, Tanya asked, "Would you mind if I came by tomorrow? I just want to...to make sure you're all right." She made a brave attempt at a smile. "I'd like to catch up a little."

At first, all Charlie could do was stare. Then she shook her head. "Can't." At Tanya's surprised, hurt expression, she added, "I have a shift at the hospital tomorrow."

"Oh." Tanya's hand slipped from hers and she stood up.

"Maybe the day after?" Charlie offered before she could think it through. "I have a shorter shift that day. We could...have dinner or something?"

Tanya smiled. "That would be great."

Charlie nodded and Remi finally shut the car door. She watched Tanya and Devron as the car began moving, watching as they shrank in the rearview mirror. When they turned and she could no longer see them, she shut her eyes and leaned her head back.

They were almost back to her house when Remi asked, "Are you okay?"

Charlie opened her eyes, contemplating the inside of the car's roof. "I don't know," she said. She let her head loll so she could look at him and smiled. "What's your definition of okay?"

Remi didn't seem to have an answer for that. Turning her head, she watched as the house drew nearer. 

"Are you going to stay?" she asked suddenly, her heart growing cold at the idea of being left alone with her thoughts—her memories.

He stopped the car. "Do you want me to?"

Meeting his eyes, she nodded once. Remi considered her for a while, then dipped his head. He went to open his door, but Charlie reached out, grabbing his arm. When she had his attention, she asked, "Do you know who did this?"