Outside A Distinctly Unpink Uncorner House, Bristol, Monday Morning

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell had woken up to find Carl missing again. He didn't panic, not this time: he knew his friend well.

Unwilling to get Jack or even his vampire involved in this, Mitchell slipped out early, pulling on his coat and heading outside. It was a short walk to Carl's old house, the one Dan had died in. He wasn't surprised to find Carl lurking outside, staring at the building like it was going to answer some big question.

"I just wanted to get some photos," Carl piped up without looking at him. "I realised I didn't have any photos to take with me."

Mitchell exhaled, even if he didn't have to. This wasn't going to be easy. "Carl," he said, "There's a problem." He watched the side of Carl's face as emotions flickered across it. "The coroner won't cover for us anymore."

That startled Carl.

"What...?"

"I don't think he'll go to anyone," Mitchell said, "But if they come to him-- if they ask him what he's done, he'll tell them." And wasn't that just a big, merry clusterfuck?

"He'll be destroyed," Carl said, gaping.

Mitchell glanced past him. Yes, he'd used that argument. "He says the compromise is worse than the punishment." Another glance, just to make sure no one was listening in. "And if all this comes out, the first they'll do is come looking for you. The police, the city, everyone. They will tear the city apart. We'll need to get you out of here."

Most other vampires would have just answered with 'where', but Carl had always been oddly altruistic. For a blood-sucking creature of the night.

"Think they'll come for you?" Carl asked instead.

Oh, sure. Ask a worrying question. "Not necessarily," Mitchell muttered, staring at his feet.

"You spoke to him," Carl snapped. "You identified yourself! As a point of contact. If they can't find me, they'll come for you!"

Yeah. Yeah, he knew. They'd try to come for Sebastien, too, but Sebastien would be gone by then. Leaving Mitchell. He knew. Inadvertently, this whole thing had come to rest on Mitchell's shoulders even though he'd been trying so fucking hard to avoid it.

"Why, why?!" Carl railed. "Why is he doing it?!"

Jesus. If even Carl didn't get that-- Mitchell twisted around, pushing forward into his face. "Because we're murderers, Carl," he said. "Herrick used to say we were like a secret bit of th--"

"Herrick?" Carl wasn't just scoffing, he was completely fucking angry, shouting. "Herrick?! Herrick was a bigot and a megalomaniac and they say shit like that, Mitchell!"

"I know," Mitchell murmured, trying to placate him. "I know."

They both quieted for a little while. Listening to the seagulls. Lost in their own thoughts. Brooding, maybe.

"I was safe," Carl said, finally. "And look what happened." He clasped his hands together. "Maybe... maybe it's time to stop."

Wouldn't that be easy. "No, no," Mitchell muttered. "No, you're not ready, not yet."

He couldn't stop pacing. The look on Carl's face, the bits of conscience stirred right back up again, all of it, fuck.

"I'm so tired," Carl said. His voice sounded tiny.

Tired. Wanting to end it all. Wanting to stop. It was so easy. So deceptive. So-- wait. Mitchell leaned his hands against the wall as he followed the idea that had just popped up in his head. Of course: it was so fucking easy.

They'd fake Carl's suicide. A dead body was still a dead body, after all. It would be perfect. And after that...

He spun around and paced back towards Carl. "Listen," he said, "Here's what we're going to do..."

[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay, and spoilers for Being Human 2x02! Comes after this ]]