"Please baby, just let me in" Harry says as he begs Louis to open his bedroom door.
The pet name sends shivers down Louis spine as he hears it from Harry's mouth, he sounds so genuine and Louis wants to believe that he was just doing his job, but he's so hurt and upset and a bit hysterical about it all if he's honest.
"Just go...gooo away" Louis manages, he's been upset and crying all afternoon, everything is getting on top of him, getting too much he can't breathe and he can't cope,
"I can't do that kid, I'm going to pick the lock if you don't open the door" Harry says.
Louis doesn't answer.
"Any luck?" Scott asks as he comes up behind Harry, Edward and Drew following.
"No, he's upset at me, he'll never forgive me" Harry says upset. He places his hands on his hips and sighs.
He came straight over after he and Scott finished their shift, he's been trying to coax Louis out of the room for the last half an hour, he refuses to give up.
"Kid, we are coming in there please just open the door to talk to us" Edward tries.
They then hear footsteps and Louis is flinging open the door. The sight before them breaks their hearts. Louis looks sick and pale and so so tiny. The kid looks devastated and broken.
"What do you want to talk about huh? About how I apparently killed Jax? How I snuck out my window to go and murder my best friend? You four are the only people that I trust that I thought would believe me, that should know how innocent I am, yet you're accusing me of sometimes so disgusting and awful. The fact you even think I'd do something like that, even for a second, makes me hate you all. You're supposed to be on my side, I didn't kill Jax but none of you believe me. I hate you all! I lost my best friend and none of you care, all you want to do is blame me for it. I didn't sneak out, I didn't do anything and I want you all to leave me the fuck alone" Louis yells angrily,
"Louis please babe, please listen to us" Scott tries.
"Listen to what?" Louis asks angrily.
"We were just doing our job, we're so sorry, we don't think you killed Jax" Scott says.
"Harry literally told me to confess and enter into a plea, how the fuck is that not telling me I'm guilty" Louis shouts.
"Watch your language, I don't care how upset you are" Drew says.
"I don't know what you want from me, I don't know how you think I'll ever forgive you. I'm probably going to go to jail for something I didn't do and all you can say is that you're doing your job?" Louis scoffs.
"Louis" Scott tries.
"You always told me that I meant more to you all than anything, that I'm your priority, I'm what's most important.....today I felt like you all hated me so much, that you all didn't think I was worth even standing up for. None of you have bothered, today your jobs were more important than me and you all hurt me more than ever, more than Jax dying, more than being blamed for it and even more than Mum and dad dying....please can you just leave me alone" Louis says.
He closes the door and locks it. The boys all have tears in their eyes and they feel utterly shit. They will do whatever it takes to make Louis forgive them.
.....
"Interview with Rhys King, commencing at 11:22am I am senior detective Scott Tomlinson and in the room with me is senior detective Harry styles and suspect Rhys king who has declined the right to an attorney" Scott says.
The boys dragged Rhys in first thing this morning, in the hopes to break him.
"Rhys, what was your relationship with Louis Tomlinson, Jax Burrows and George Smith?" Scott asks.
"We were all friends" Rhys says.
"The night Jax was murdered you went straight home after you left the Tomlinson's?" Scott asks.
"Yes my street goes first so I rode straight home" Jax says.
"So you didn't sneak out or see Louis and Jax enter the Forrest together?" Scott asks
"No" Rhys says and Harry and Scott can see he's beginning to sweat.
"How close are you and George?" Scott asks.
"We are best friends" Rhys says.
"Best friends that would do anything for each other and who would keep secrets for each other?" Scott says.
"Um yeah....I guess" Rhys's says.
"George has come forward and told us that Louis and Jax were in a secret relationship and that he saw the two enter the woods the night Jax died" Scott says.
"Um I don't know anything about that" Rhys says avoiding eye contact.
Scott sighs.
"Listen Rhys, Louis is going to go down for something he didn't do, George is framing him and we all know who the real culprit is. What's George got over you?" Scott asks.
Rhys looks at his fingers and doesn't answer.
"You will go down as an accomplice if you don't cooperate with us, you will also be tried as an adult as you're already 18" Harry says.
Rhys sighs as they sit in silence.
"He....he said he'd kill me if I said anything" Rhys stutters out.
"I promise you Rhys that he won't be able to lay a finger on you, you have our word" Scott says.
Rhys looks at Scott in the eyes, he trusts Scott, he's known him and Louis brothers for two years and they have always been so nice and welcoming, they brought him, George and Jax into their family and Rhys trusts them to fix this, he can't go to jail for George and neither can Louis.
"George and Jax were going out for a while, Jax broke it off because he said he still had feelings for Louis and was planning to ask him out again. George didn't like that and got really angry about it. The night Jax died, George and him went to the Forrest, they had sex, then they had a fight, George pushed Jax and he hit his head. Louis didn't do anything it was all George, but he said he wants Louis to pay, he hates him for taking Jax away and will make sure he's framed for the murder" Rhys says and he sighs relieved when he's finished.
"Are you willing to testify and stand up in court and tell them the truth?" Scott asks.
"Yes, if I'm not implicated and Louis gets off too" Rhys says.
"We will make sure you're not charged with anything. We have one more request though" Scott says.
"Okay, I'm listening" Rhys says and the boys explain what they need him to do.
.......
Two days later and Louis decides to venture out of his room, he's a little hungry and wants something small to eat and a cold bottle of water. He's showered and dressed in his grey sweats and white sweater, that are too big now. The boys should all be at work so he ventures into the kitchen. He sees them all sitting eating breakfast though, no one is dressed for work and even Harry is there.
They all stare at Louis, Louis ignores them though and goes straight to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, he then goes to the pantry and grabs the first thing he sees, a pack of rice crackers. He then goes to leave the walk in pantry.
"Kid, please, talk to us" Edward tries as he stands in front of Louis.
Louis sidesteps and passes Edward though, ignoring him. Scott then steps in front of him.
"We're not letting you leave until you speak to us" Scott says.
Tears prick Louis eyes he's so frustrated by all this. Louis puts the water and rice crackers on the counter next to him, he's done, he doesn't want to do this. He then tries to leave the kitchen but Scott is grabbing him by the waist.
"Not so fast, come on kiddo" Scott says.
"Let me go" Louis says brokenly as he struggles.
"Louis just listen to us please!" Harry then stands up to say.
"What more could you possibly have to say to me" Louis asks as Scott's hold doesn't let up, he looks at the boys with glassy eyes.
"We're sorry" Harry says defeated.
"We didn't mean to make you feel so alone Louis, we love you to pieces kid, we're so sorry if we made you feel otherwise" Drew says.
"Everything that's happened, we were just trying to do the right thing by the law and so you had the best chance of being found innocent, we had to ask the ugly questions Louis, it's the law, we can't be seen to be going lenient especially with the relationship you have with me and Harry" Scott says.
"We don't think your guilty Louis, we just have to convince everyone else" Harry says.
"By asking me to confess? Yeah Harry that's sure going to convince everyone I'm innocent. You didn't even believe it yourself, none of you did, I don't know why you've changed your minds but you first thought I was guilty and for that I hate you. I've lost my best friend ....no...I've lost three best friends, and everyone thinks I'm guilty of murder. When the truth comes out I hope you can all live with yourselves. You don't love me, I'm just the promise you made to mum and dad, your obligation to them, I'm 17 now though and you guys can be free of me whenever you want so just forget it. I understand you've just been doing your job and I'm really sorry you've had to stop your lives from me but you don't have to anymore" Louis says brokenly.
"Okay let's get one thing straight here, you are not our promise to mum and dad, yes you are our responsibility, but because we wanted you. We could have let you go to a foster home but we wanted to raise you, we love you so much Louis how can you not see that. We also legally can't leave you until you're 18 so your stuck with us for another year" Edward says.
"Whatever" Louis says.
"Don't you dare whatever us Louis William, we are sorry you lost your best friends and we are trying to get you out of this mess that's been created, but we need you to cooperate with us" Scott says.
"How have I not cooperated, I've done everything you've asked, including being escorted out in handcuffs by my own brother and suppose-ed boyfriend" Louis says.
"I'm not your suppose-ed boyfriend Louis I am your boyfriend and I will stand by you and protect you from everything I can. I'm sorry for what I did in the interview, I am, but I had to do it, I need to stay on this case for you, to get you out of this mess, please understand that" Harry says.
"Well please understand how hurt I am, please understand that I can't take much more of this" Louis yells as he pushes Scott's strong arms off him and goes to run.
Harry grabs him and pulls him to him.
"No, no!" Louis tries to struggle but Harry is stronger and he pulls Louis into his chest, he puts one hand behind Louis head and the other securely around his waist.
"It's okay, I'm sorry bud, it's okay" Harry says,
Louis breaks down then, for the first time in front of the boys he really cries, he just looses it completely in Harry's strong arms.
Harry lets a few tears escape at Louis vulnerability as he breaks down in his arms.
Harry stands there just holding Louis while the boys look on heartbroken as they watch Louis crumble, he's never, ever been this upset before. The boys all move over and they all share a tight hug.
"We love you kid it's going to be okay" Drew says.
"We are so sorry Lou" Edward says kissing Louis head.
"We are here kiddo, we will never let you feel alone again, we promise you" Scott says.
They all stand there for god knows how long and eventually Louis cries die down and they let go of each other. Harry pulls Louis off his chest, grabbing his face in his hands and looking him in the eyes.
"I love you, Louis, I love you so much. I promise I'll never let you go" Harry says as he thumbs Louis tears away.
"Am I going to go to jail?" Louis asks Harry innocently.
The boys all sigh and Harry looks at him truthfully.
"We are doing every single thing we can to make sure that doesn't happen, okay" Harry says.
"But that's not a no" Louis says.
The panic he's felt the last few days has been intense, he's had a few panic attacks about it, it's all so scary and he just doesn't know what to do.
"We won't let you go to jail okay, we will do whatever it takes" Edward says.
Louis nods but he's still so scared.
"Why aren't you all at work?" Louis asks.
"We knew you would come out at some point and we wanted to be here when you did" Drew says.
"Louis please know that mum and dad didn't just expect us to raise you, we chose to do it, together, because we love you and we wanted this family to stay together. None of us regret any decision we've made regarding you. Please just know that" Scott says and he's being transparent with Louis which is so rare.
"I...I know, I'm sorry I got upset about it" Louis says and Scott ruffles his hair smiling.
"Now let's get some food into you before you waste away completely" Edward says.
"I'm not hungry" Louis says.
"Can you just try to eat something?" Harry asks.
"My stomach literally wants to throw up at the thought of food" Louis says.
"If I told you you weren't going to jail would you eat?" Drew asks.
"Yeah but I know you're just saying that....its not just that it's, seeing Jax dead,it's the nightmares they just keep going through my head and won't stop. There is a killer still out there and that scares me too" Louis whispers.
"Darling, we will protect you to the ends of this earth, nothing will hurt you as long as we are here. I will confess to the murder before I let you get pinned for it. Got it " Harry says.
Louis manages a slight smile and nods.
"Good, now at least eat your rice crackers" Harry says and Louis obliges, eating straight from the packet making the boys relieved