Chapter Text
Salvation
It had been at least 45 minutes since he left the hospital after seeing Annalise. He knew Laurel was at the Hapstall mansion earlier that night, and he was trying to understand what had happened that caused Annalise to call, ordering him to take care of Catherine. He knew something had gone wrong with the plan of framing her. He had tried to reach Laurel, unsuccessfully. Had she shot Annalise? If so, had she covered her hands? cleaned the gun? Was that a part of the plan? He was almost sure Annalise would have instructed her correctly, if she had had time, but on the stomach? "She wouldn't have shot her to kill her...no, she couldn't." He needed answers.
His concern increased by the minute, since Philip was still out there. Finally, Frank heard a noise outside. He peeked through the peephole and quickly opened the door, eager to see her. The moment she saw him, Laurel brought up all the strength left over after a draining night, and slapped him hard, marking his face.
- the hell was that for?? - he said, covering the burning sensation on his left cheek.
- YOU LIED TO ME!!
She had rage in her eyes. Laurel burst into his apartment, her voice a mix of sob and anger, pain and sorrow. She walked from side to side in the living room, trying to collect her thoughts, her headache pulsing on her temples.
- What?! What is this about?!
- Stop! Just stop pretending! How could you do that to her?! and to me?!
- Do what? Laurel… - he took small steps towards her, carefully. Frank had never seen her so shaken up, not even the night after Sam died.
- Stay away from me!!!!
Laurel moved backwards, trying to breathe. “Fine, he wants to play, bluff, keep pretending he doesn’t know what I’m talking about, let’s play, then!”. She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. She was determined to get it all out, make him admit it to her. He owed her that. Laurel walked until she was face to face with him.
- Rebecca’s dead, Frank. Annalise told us everything. You killed her! - Laurel’s voice trailed off as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Frank couldn’t look at her. Of course, Annalise had to try to mess with his life, their lives, because she was losing control, Frank thought. This time, he was innocent, at least from the worse. But he had still lied to her, her anger was justified.
- She told you I killed Rebecca? Or are you just so sure I did that it doesn’t even matter what I say?
His response caught her off-guard. "Is he going to keep denying?"
- Answer me! - Frank yelled, making Laurel jolt back. - Did she say I killed Rebecca? Or is that what you think?
- I'm going to ask you for the last time, Frank... Did you or did you not kill her?
They were a few feet apart, looking at each other, defying each other, separated only by the coffee table, as if this was a wrestling match.
- I already told you I didn’t.
Laurel knew what she had to do. She needed to know exactly what happened and he was her key witness. It was time to pull it together and handle him.
- You also told me she ran away! How am I supposed to believe a word you say? Just because we’re getting to know each other, it doesn’t mean you’re actually telling me the truth about anything, does it Frank? What other lies have you told me? How can you say you care about me and lie to me so effortlessly? I mean, was that even your real family? Or was all that cash in the suitcase used to pay them to play a part for a night? It’s so clear now...
- The hell are you talking about? - Frank said over her words, but she didn’t stop talking, not for a second.
- ... just so poor little Laurel falls for you and stops asking you damn questions and you get to lie freely…
- Shut it, Laurel!
- ...Did you shoot her? Did you run her over? Did you strangle her? And where is her body, Frank?
- Enough!
She felt a rush of adrenaline run through her veins, prompting her to ask him a million questions, cross examine him with loaded questions, using the techniques she’d seen in court, messing with his emotions to provoke, make him spit out the truth.
- Where did you dump the body, Frank? I can’t even believe I fell for the whole dinner joke, conveniently when I was starting to believe Wes!! God, you do think of everything! What better way to get me to trust you then introduce me to your family? I’m such a dummy, like you said it yourself! It’s so obvious!
She would be good at trial. He’s going to talk. He is disturbed, I can tell! - Thought Laurel.
He walked over to get a glass of whiskey, to shut down the pain of seeing her like this. Frank knew there was nothing he could say right now that would make her believe him and he didn't want to lie anymore. "I have to tell her the truth, I can't keep doing this". Frank was losing it, and they both knew it.
- Tell me the truth, Frank! - she screamed.
Laurel had one more thing to say, hoping it would drive him over the edge. If anything they had was real, it should work.
- I get it. You can’t tell me, because then I’ll know your M.O., right? I'll know your bad secrets? You have no feelings for me, none! And who is next, Wes? Or... - She took a deep breath and squinted her eyes - Or is it me? You’re going to kill me next, aren’t you? strangle me to death? Shoot me? Poison me?
Frank threw the whiskey glass on the kitchen sink and grabbed her shoulder, pushing her against the wall. Laurel stopped talking, frozen in fear. He slurred the words an inch away from her face, the tears and the lack of air making it hard for him to show any control over his emotions. He had lost it.
- Bonnie killed her! She strangled Rebecca with a plastic bag in the basement that same day! I carried the body to the cemetery. There's your truth! I had no choice, as I have no choice of denying anything Annalise asks me. Yes, I lied to you, I knew she was dead, so if you don’t want to ever look at me, fine! I get it! I deserve it! But don’t you ever fucking say I would hurt you, Laurel, because God only knows I’d rather die myself than have to lay a finger on you. I knew you and Waitlist were onto something, and you were close, so I saw Bruno at the cemetery, told him to deny it and make up the whole locker story. Then I put the damn money in the suitcase, to throw you off. The suitcase with the money is in my closet, right there! Now don't you bring up my feelings for you because I have been trying to protect you and show you how much I care about you like I never did before, to anyone! And yes, that was my family, my whole entire fucking family, and they adooored you, so if you insist that’s a lie, go there right now and tell them your theory. Ask them whatever, curse at them and spare them the disappointment of you not caring a rat’s ass about my life and theirs!
He let out a loud breath after saying it all. In a split second, Frank let her go, realizing he was grasping her shoulder too tightly, and fell on his knees.
- I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Not now, not before. - he said, afraid he had accidentally hurt her.
Laurel slid down against the wall, to the floor next to him. Bonnie? How could she? Her body felt a thousand times lighter as she had heard a better version of the truth than she expected it. She didn’t need proof for Frank’s words, she just knew it was the truth. It made sense, because she remembered Bonnie going down to the basement to try and talk to Rebecca. And no one had seen Rebecca since then. She was angry he lied, disgusted that he got rid of the body. But so had she, in a worse way, and she hadn’t told him about it, either. So she sat there, watching him breathe heavily. Frank finally looked up, directing his eyes straight to her shoulders, searching for red marks or bruises.
-I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me. - she said, realizing he was worried.
- I’m sorry.
- I hurt you, though.
He squinted, confused.
- You have four fingers on your cheek.
- I‘ts alright. I deserved it.
- Yea, you did. Don’t lie to me again, Frank.
- I didn’t mean to. I didn’t have a choice. I had to protect you, If I had told you, you would have told Waitlist and Annalise and Bonnie would retaliate against me. Against you.
Laurel reached for his hand and with her other hand she slowly touched his face, feeling the marks she had left.
- Thank you for protecting me, as I’m sure you did tonight, too.
Before she even had the chance to ask, Frank went ahead and spoke what she wanted to know.
- No, I did not kill Catherine. She’s fine, I swear.
Laurel smiled, realizing he had read her mind.
- Frank...do you think Annalise is going to be okay?
- I don’t know. We’re just gonna have to wait. I know you’re not very good at that, but I’m gonna help you through it. But first you need to tell me what happened. Every bit of it.
- Okay. I don't even know where to begin. Nate helped us...and...uh...
- Just rest for now, kay? We will talk about it soon.
They stared at each other in silence and slowly lowered themselves to lay on the cold hardwood floor, numb with everything that had happened. Laurel rested her head against his chest, hearing his heart beat frantically, fast.
- Your heart sounds like it’s going to pop out of your chest any second.
- Yea? he sighed. - So don’t hate me, and it will be back to normal soon.
- I don’t hate you. You’re always saving my ass.
Frank chuckled and stroke her hair.
- Nah, you’re the one saving me, more than you know.
Laurel moved herself up to look at him and again they locked their gaze, only broken by the need to kiss.