Title: A Voice in the Dark
Author: helsinkibaby
Fandom: The Following
Pairing: Mike Weston/Debra Parker
Rating : PG
Spoilers: AU for the season finale.
Disclaimer: The Following and it's characters are the property of Fox and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: After she's been taken, Mike needs to talk to Debra and enlists Mitchell's help.



"Hey, Dee." Mike leans in close to Mitchell, pitching his voice so that only she can hear him. "I need a favour."

Mitchell looks up at him and blinks, and for some reason, he gets the idea that she knows what he's going to ask. "Shoot," she simply says and he looks around to make sure no-one is listening. 

"Can you patch me through to the cell Parker's on?" Which he knows she can; it's the next request that's more problematic. "And can you make sure no-one hears it, that it's not recorded?"

"You got it." The speed with which Mitchell replies surprises him and it must show on his face because she continues, "I've been waiting for you to ask." She glances around too, wary. "How're you holding up?"

He's surprised into honesty. "Not great." A pause, then, "How long have you known?"

Mitchell gives him a wry smile. "Mike, everyone knows. We've known since Quantico." Punching some buttons, she tilts her head as if something has just occurred to her. "I'm not sure if Nick does actually... no one mentioned it in case he didn't; we didn't want to be there when he found out..." Her voice trails off as she presses one final button with a flourish, hands him a phone. "Here you go."

He takes the phone, stares at it for a moment. "Thanks," he says before moving away, into a separate conference room, closing the door behind him. 

Once there, he holds the phone up to his ear, takes a deep breath. "Deb?" He says. "You there?"

"Mike?" On the other side of the line, her voice is shaky, scared, and he talks quickly. 

"It's me... I'm alone. It's just us now. And I don't want you to talk, you need to save your air... I just... I wanted to tell you that we're going to find you. That everything's going to be ok." His throat closes and he's suddenly fighting back tears. "We're going to bring you home, Deb."

He hears a shuddering breath on the other end of the line. "Mike," she says again. "I have to tell you-"

"You can tell me when you see me," he interrupts. 

She makes a noise of disapproval and tries again. "Mike, I lo-"

"Don't you dare." The words sound harsher than he intends but he can't stop them. "You've never told me that. Don't you dare try to do it now, like you're telling me goodbye. This is not goodbye, Deb, you hear me?"

There's a long silence before she speaks again. "I hear you."

"OK," he says, setting his jaw. Through the window, he can see movement. "I think something's happening... I'm going to give you back to Dee, ok? Stay on the line with her... and for God's sake, take shallow breaths and don't talk. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

The words are a whisper and they're all he can hear as he heads into the command centre and hears the news they've been waiting for - they've got a break. 

*

Debra's hands are numb but she keeps holding onto the cellphone. Mitchell has kept her end open and through it, Debra can hear the noises of the command centre, can hear Mitchell telling her exactly who is doing what to find her. It's comforting, lets her feel like she's not alone, even if none of the voices is the one that she really wants to hear. 

It's getting harder to hold the phone up, harder to keep her eyes open, harder to breathe, and she fights it, she really does, but her eyes are heavy and the noise on the other side of the phone is getting fainter and fainter...

Then there's a new noise, scuffling earth and a dull thunk that sounds like metal on wood. Then there are voices and movement and so much light that she screws shut her eyes and twists her head away. 

"Deb!"

That's the one, that's the voice she wanted to hear and then there's a pair of strong arms around her shoulder, a second pair at her ankles and she's being lifted, placed ever so carefully on the ground. A hand on her cheek, a familiar touch and a noise that's halfway towards being a sob. 

"Deb, can you hear me?"

It's Mike's voice and she forces her eyes open, even as she opens her mouth, greedily gulping in lungfuls of air. She starts coughing and those same strong arms are pulling her into a sitting position, holding her tightly. 

"Thank God," she hears him mutter into her hair and she can feel him shaking. "Thank God."

She leans back, wants to see him, to look at him. He's slightly blurry, because her eyes are filled with tears, but he is beautiful, even if his own eyes are none too dry either. "I told you we'd find you," he reminds her and she smiles, despite everything, because there's something she has to tell him. 

Something she's never told him before and almost missed her chance to. 

"I love you," she whispers and the smile on his face could power a city block for months. 

"I love you too," he tells her and then he kisses her, all too briefly, before reaching down, untying her hands and ankles. "You're safe now," he promises her. "Everything's going to be ok."

Debra's not so sure he's right, but she wants to believe him. And maybe, for now, that's enough for both of them.