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savemefromanepicoftimewasted · 2 years ago

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It's Your Burden To Carry

Detective Joel Miller X F!Reader

Joel wished he had the answers, to figure out exactly why someone was attacking innocent women for their own sick pleasure. It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened, and it definitely wasn’t going to be the last. A/N:this fic deals with VERY heavy topics, please read with caution! there is also an alternate ending so if you would like to read it let me know and i will post that seperately! warnings:mentions of murder, descriptions of murder, violence, gore, blood, death, crime scenes

Joel was tired, he’d been staring at the crime scene photos for nearly two hours at this point. Not to mention his phone had been going off since he took off at four in the morning, sending a text to the two teens that they’d be cooking breakfast for themselves. It was the usual for them, Joel would get called into the office when the world was still asleep, and the girls would wake up to another text from him. It was a painful reminder that he’d started to neglect them, that he’d chosen this life when Sarah was just four years old.

It paid the bills though, and right now that was the only thing that mattered to Joel, he could deal with everything else in due time. Tommy was often the one telling him to go home, that he could pick up the slack and call if there was a break in the case. When was the last time he’d had a full day off with no interruptions? Shit, maybe he did need to take some time off and come back to everything with a clear head.

“Been another murder, already got the area taped off,” Well, there went Joel’s hopes of going home for a few hours.

“Let’s go,” Joel threw his coat on, following behind Tommy and Bill as they made their way out to their cars.

The drive wasn’t long which unnerved Joel to no end, the killer was getting even closer to home, and there was no way in hell they would get close enough to Sarah or Ellie. Tommy had given him the quick rundown of what the cops had found during the drive. She was the youngest victim yet, at barely twenty years old. What kind of sick person chose people that were barely even adults themselves to murder?

“They’re trying to keep this one from the press, said she was mutilated when they found her,” Goddamnit, it really was too early for this.

“How bad?” Joel had seen some horrific scenes in his day, but this would land at the very top.

Tommy didn’t say anything as he pulled up beside Bill’s car, shutting off the engine with a quiet sigh. The air was thick with humidity as Joel slipped outside of the car, hopefully the girls were staying cool at home. As he followed Tommy and Bill down to the area, the scent of rotting flesh hit him full force. It was something he’d never been able to get over, the way it lingered on his clothes and skin hours after he left for the day.

They were photographing everything that looked like it could be evidence, from the body, to the small blood trail that led down to the body. It was draining him slowly, day by day Joel could only handle so much before he would break.

“We got a name?” Joel slipped on his glasses, making sure there weren’t any smudges so he could take a look around for himself.

“Found her purse nearby, her license says Lily Evans,” Bill held out the thin plastic card, waiting until Joel slipped on a pair of gloves to safely take the card.

She really was just a kid, or what Joel would consider a kid at least, just a few years older than Sarah and Ellie. No, don’t start thinking like that, focus on finding the goddamn killer and stopping them from hurting anyone else. The media were having a field day with the fact that no one had been able to catch the killer, comparing them to people like Bundy, and Dennis Rader. It wasn’t for lack of trying, they would spend hours scouring the crime scenes for any signs of a clue that would lead them in any positive direction.

“Jesus, girl didn’t even hit twenty-one,” Joel sighed, handing the license back over to one of the agents that was collecting evidence.

“You know that’s their schtick, they go after the girls that can’t defend themselves,” Tommy had made his way down to the body, eyes taking everything in.

The sight was nearly enough to make Joel sick, mutilated was too kind of a word to describe the horrors that lay in front of him. The other bodies had at least been intact, this one was clearly a personal vendetta.

“She’s got bruising around her neck, can’t tell if it’s from their hands or something else,” Bill knelt down further, carefully turning her head.

Joel recognized that type of bruising, it wasn’t something that was done to cause any true harm to the poor girl.

“That’s not from the killer, the marks are too far down,” Joel’s face heated up, what a way to announce that he’d been on both ends of those types of marks.

“That solves at least one of the many questions we have, but why cut her body apart?” Bill had always been the first at every crime scene, nothing prepared him anymore.

Joel wished he had the answers, to figure out exactly why someone was attacking innocent women for their own sick pleasure. It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened, and it definitely wasn’t going to be the last. Maybe he could get transferred somewhere else that wasn’t so intense. Sarah and Ellie deserved someone that could be home for longer than an hour a day.

“Found something guys,” Bill waved Tommy and Joel over, keeping enough distance to not disturb the evidence he’d found.

It was a white card, Joel’s name written in calligraphy across the very middle of it. Joel nervously reached out, gingerly picking up the card and turning it over. A photo of him and his two girls was pinned to the back. Whoever this was had gotten too close and now his family was in danger.

“Get this to evidence, I’m going home and getting the girls down to mom’s” Joel handed the card to Bill before all but sprinting to his car.

The drive over was nerve wracking, Joel’s heart was racing as he swerved between lanes to cut off a few more minutes of driving. What if he was too late and the girls were gone by the time he reached the house? Fuck! He parked haphazardly, yanking the keys out of the ignition before running to the front door. As he turned the door handle his heart dropped, it was unlocked. He’d definitely locked it this morning, right? He pushed the door open harshly, barely wincing as it slammed against the wall.

“Sarah?! Ellie!” Joel could barely hear anything over the heartbeat in his ears.

“Dad?” Sarah’s head popped out from the kitchen, brow raised as she stared over at her father.

“Grab your suitcase and pack a bag, you and Ellie are going to grandma Miller’s for a little bit,” Joel didn’t want to worry either of the girls, but right now his biggest concern was keeping them safe.

Sarah looked flabbergasted, the last time she’d seen her dad this scared was back when Ellie came into their lives and Joel was now outnumbered. This was completely different, this was a fear she’d never truly seen.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” She ran over to him, placing her hands on his arms to stop his frantic pacing.

“I just need you guys to pack a bag for me, please,” Joel wasn’t above begging, he’d done it many times before.

“Okay, I’ll tell Ellie,” Sarah headed up to her bedroom, stopping by Ellie’s and letting her know the situation with the very little information she had.

Today couldn’t get any worse, it seriously couldn’t get any fucking worse. What would he do if something had happened to them while he was out checking another crime scene? No, they were both fine and he’d make sure nothing bad happened to them. He’d be able to spend more time at the office without worrying if the girls were in danger at least.

“Alright let’s go old man,” Ellie plopped down her bags with Sarah following close behind.

“Go get in the car, I’m gonna lock up,” Joel waited until both the girls had left before following close behind.

A Uhaul truck caught his attention, was he finally getting a new neighbor after nearly a year since the Adlers had moved out? The house had been renovated from what Joel had heard from when he would get his mail. Okay maybe it was Sarah who actually found out but that wasn’t important right now.

“Looks like we got a new neighbor,” Sarah threw her bags into the trunk, helping Ellie with hers.

“We’ll make our presence known later today, for now let’s get in the car so we can go,” Joel ushered the two girls into the car, sending a friendly wave to the pretty…very pretty neighbor.

She waved back excitedly before rushing back onto the truck. Joel’s luck truly was running out, he finally gets a new neighbor but he’s too worried about work to think of anything else. Maybe he’d introduce himself when he got back home. Ellie and Sarah kept up a constant conversation as Joel drove down to his mom’s place. There was no way the killer would know where she lived, considering she lived more in the countryside. Shit this was not how he’d wanted his day to go, or his entire week to be honest.

“Now I’m gonna need you two to behave, you hear me?” Joel glanced over at Sarah, knowing that Ellie was also listening in.

“Yes dad, we’ll behave for grandma,” She’d never had anything bad to say about either of the girls, even when Ellie had shown up for the first time.

“Thank you,” Joel needed to keep his blood pressure from rising. The last thing he needed was to have a heart attack in the middle of solving this damn case.

The scenery on the drive was gorgeous, enough to help ease his mind for the time that he would be out of the office. Tommy could hold down the fort and get everything organized until Joel finally got back.

“I’m not gonna be able to stay, so if she’s not home use the key that she gave you okay?” Joel needed to get back as soon as possible, and right now he was still nervous.

“You know she’s gonna end up calling you to ask for answers,” Sarah was too smart for her own good sometimes, but that's besides the point

“Yeah I know, and I’ll tell her as much as I can later,” Joel pulled up to the house, waiting until the girls got out before bidding them a quick goodbye.

Everything would be perfectly fine, he just needed to get back and discuss everything with Bill and Tommy and see where they needed to go from here. Maybe he should stop by the house and grab something to eat, he was practically running on fumes.

Now if you had asked Joel how he managed to make the drive back without crashing, well he wouldn’t be able to properly answer as he wasn’t sure how he’d done that. The Uhaul next door was gone when he parked, was he really gone that long? Shaking his head Joel slipped out of the car, stumbling up to the front door. The new neighbor was standing outside looking through a couple of boxes.

“Hello! You must be Joel,” How the hell did she already know his name?

“Umm yeah, you our new neighbor?” Joel walked over to the edge of his yard, unsure of how she would feel with him in her space.

“I am, pardon my manners, my name’s Y/N,” Your face flushed as you realized you were staring at this man who looked like a walking zombie at the moment.

Joel liked your name, the way it sounded slipping through your lips so easily.

“Nice to meet you, and welcome to the neighborhood. If you ever need something don’t hesitate to stop by, just make sure the lights are on before you do,” Joel nodded and turned to head back to his house before you called out his name.

“Well if there isn’t a Mrs, do you think a date could be in order?” You’d never been so bold before, but something about Joel drew you to him.

“Well I might have to make an exception for someone as cute as you,” Joel smirked as you became flustered, maybe the new neighbor wouldn’t be so bad?

~~~

It had been nearly a week since Joel had dropped off the girls, and besides trying to keep himself sane during work, the moment he left and was reunited with you? Everything was finally alright. The two of you were practically inseparable after that very first date, even if Joel couldn’t tell you much about what he did for work. You understood of course, he was working with some very serious topics and didn’t want to upset you. You’d told him your boring job of being an accountant at one of the local law firms. While the job was boring the pay was wonderful and you were able to afford a house on a single income.

You had gone out to nice places, and had even gotten a midnight dinner at a local diner Joel took the girls to from time to time. You knew it was too early to really decide what the two of you were, but god you were infatuated with him. Joel on the other hand was ready to admit that he really liked you and wanted to move things along.

Neither of you said anything though, not wanting to rush the relationship and scare off one another. So here you were, driving home after yet another amazing dinner date. Joel was going to head into the office and see if there was anything new found at the most recent crime scene. He wasn’t holding his breath, but there was always that small sliver of hope that things would finally look up for him.

As much as Joel liked to call himself a gentleman, he didn’t hesitate to walk you to your front door after each date. Tonight was no different, even if you could feel his hand grazing your lower back gently.

“Thank you again, tonight was absolutely amazing,” You turned to face him, a bright smile on your face.

“Thank you for letting me take you out,” Joel leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

You sighed softly into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck. The two of you stood there for what felt like hours, getting lost in the feeling of one another. Of course you didn’t want to pull away from the embrace, but your lungs were burning for air.

“Get inside before I get us in trouble,” Joel patted your ass, chuckling when you playfully slapped his chest.

“I’ll hold you to that, next time,” You pressed one final kiss to his lips before rushing inside.

Joel was on cloud nine, listening to the crickets sing their own songs as he made his way into the house. There wasn’t anything else that could bring down his mood, maybe they’d finally make a break in the case and he could bring the girls back home. He kept the lights off, heading towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As he reached for the glass he’d left on the counter earlier that day, a sudden pain spread through his neck. Reaching up he felt a syringe sticking out of his neck.

“Oh fuck,” Joel’s eyes rolled back as he hit the ground.

~~~

Joel’s head was pounding, vision blurry as he struggled to take in his surroundings. The last thing he could remember was going on a date with you. He’d dropped you off at your house before heading back to his own, Sarah wanted her teddy bear. Shit, did they know he was going to visit Sarah and Ellie? No, he’d been keeping their communication to a minimum because of what had happened.

His head whipped around as the sound of creaking floorboards caught his attention, so he was in someone’s basement. Glancing around the dim and musty basement Joel tried to take everything in that he could actually see. A washer and dryer sat in the far corner, a drying rack directly next to the two machines. Shit, there wasn’t enough to give him any idea of who this could be.

There was one thing that suddenly caught his eye, a coat he’d seen more times than not in the last few years. He’d given them shit for not fixing the rip in the shoulder, saying it would be ruined by the end of the year. Oh shit.

“I wondered how long it was going to take you to find out, but clearly you’re not as smart as you claimed,” Her voice sent chills down his spine, this couldn’t be happening.

“Lovely to see you as well,” Joel kept his gaze straight, refusing to acknowledge she was even in the room.

She snickered lowly, footsteps echoing as she came to a stop in front of Joel. A knife held loosely in her right hand should’ve made him more nervous than he was. This was how it was all going to end, he wouldn’t be able to tell Sarah or Ellie the truth.

“Why kill so many young women? What did they ever do to you?” Joel swallowed thickly, palms sweating profusely.

“It should’ve been obvious after you found the first body, why do you think Tommy was so unnerved around her?” Maria leaned down slowly, her presence was enough to make Joel feel sick.

“Anyone that’s sane is going to be unnerved around a dead body, don’t act surprised,” Maybe he shouldn’t be so snarky, but right now he was terrified.

Maria sighed, leaning away from Joel and the only light source she’d turned on. Joel was bathed in the light, giving him enough vision to see himself and a few feet in front of him. However once Maria had gotten far enough away he had no idea where she had gone, what was she planning on doing?

“He had been sleeping with her, each and every girl was a fucking bootycall for him because I was too busy with work,” Maria’s tone was venomous, she was murdering innocent women because Tommy was unfaithful.

“They did nothing wrong, if you’re going to be angry with anyone be mad at him!” Joel would defend Tommy with his last breath, but knowing he was the reason Maria had snapped? It sickened him.

Maria sighed to herself, setting down the hunting knife and slipping on a pair of thick black gloves. Shit, this was starting to get too real for Joel.

“I did confront him when I found out he’d slept with three different women, he got down on his knees and begged me not to divorce him. If he only knew what was going to happen,” Maria ran a finger along the edge of the blade, humming softly.

Joel grunted as he pulled against the restraints, blood pooling against the coarse rope binding his wrists together. The hold was loosening ever so slightly but he couldn’t do anything to let Maria know he was trying to free himself.

“He’s always been too proud to admit his faults, but Jesus, Maria, divorce would’ve been the more logical fucking answer,” Joel damn near screamed as his right hand was freed, grabbing the rope to prevent it from hitting the floor.

“And let him go after girls even younger? He’s a sick man, Joel, and the sooner you see that the better,” Maria turned back towards him, her eyes looked so lifeless.

“Then let me do my own investigation on him, get him off the street so he can’t hurt anyone else,” Joel would do whatever it took to get back to his two girls, begging be damned.

Maria’s smirk was enough to send the fear of God through Joel, how had he been so blind to see that she was behind all the gruesome murders. The knife suddenly caught his attention, a small flicker of light glinting off the blade before it was embedded into the soft plush of his stomach. Joel coughed violently, dropping the rope and struggling to free his left wrist. Maria had clearly not realized Joel’s wrists were free until he swung a fist towards the side of her head. He managed to hit her temple, knocking her to the ground.

Joel groaned, grabbing the handle of the blood and pushing up and off the chair he’d just been bound to. Maria didn’t move as Joel limped towards the stairs that lead up to the kitchen, maybe he’d gotten lucky enough to knock her out. Each stair brought on a pain that Joel never knew he could imagine. Just get out of the house and get to the station.

There was a set of keys sitting on the kitchen table, without thinking Joel grabbed them and ran out to where Maria’s car sat. All but throwing himself into the passenger seat, Joel locked the doors immediately. The last thing he needed was Maria managing to wake up and coming after him before he could actually escape. His vision was beginning to get spotty, darkening on the sides as he managed to get the car started and pulled out of the driveway.

If his calculations were correct he was only about a ten minute drive from the station, all he needed to do was survive until then and warn everyone about Maria. Joel wished he was in one of the cruisers, able to get through the traffic with ease. His shirt was nearly covered in blood, even though he’d left the knife in his stomach blood was pumping out steadily.

Joel could have cried the moment the station came into view, parking haphazardly as he threw the door open quickly. Getting out of the car was much worse than getting in, his body was growing weaker and he could hardly keep himself upright anymore. His face paled even more as he saw Sarah and Ellie inside talking with Tommy. Why the fuck were they were and not at his mom’s?!

“Tommy!” Joel’s voice was hoarse, hands pressed against the wound to help prevent anymore blood from seeping out.

Tommy’s brow furrowed as he stared out the double doors, eyes suddenly widening in fear as he noticed the state his brother was in.

Joel could barely remember the events that followed, his body slumped against the car as he waited for the end to finally come. Tommy had gathered as many officers as he could, running out to get Joel help and make sure he’d be alright. Sarah and Ellie were terrified, each of them crying as they watched Joel get taken away by ambulance. What the hell had happened to him, and what were they going to do until he was alright?

~~~

The sound of beeping is what caught Joel’s attention first followed by the absolute agony that was his right side. Was he finally in hell? Cause nothing could be worse than what he was currently experiencing.

“Gave everyone quite a scare there,” Tommy was sitting beside him, a cup of coffee held loosely in his hands.

“Yeah, well that’s what happens when your sister-in-law ends up stabbing you,” Joel said it so nonchalantly that even he was shocked.

Wait! He hadn’t gotten the chance to tell anyone that Maria was behind all of the murders!

“We already know, Joel, ended up figuring it out after you pulled up in her car. All the evidence was in the fucking basement,” Tommy was sickened by himself, he was the reason so many women were dead.

“She been taken into custody? I want to make sure that my girls are safe,” It was more than that, but Joel wasn’t going to spill any more information than needed.

“Yeah, they’re still scouring the house for anything else they might find. I’m a fucking suspect by the way,” Shit, that meant Joel and the girls were going to be questioned as well.

“Make sure they don’t go after Sarah or Ellie without me present, they’re still kids,” Tommy flinched at the word kids, why did that bother Joel so much?

Tommy didn’t stay long after Joel finally woke up, mentioning how he needed to be interviewed since the murderer happened to be his own wife. He was sure they’d come to interview him while he was stuck in a hospital bed, that way they’d get all the answers they needed. The stab wound wouldn’t be enough to prove he was innocent, people had done crazier shit before. As long as the girls were safe Joel could sleep a little easier.

“Hello?” You popped your head in the door, right hand resting against the doorknob.

“Hey, didn’t expect to see you,” Joel pressed the button on the side of his bed to help lift it more.

“Sarah told me what happened, I came over as soon as I got the chance,” You frowned as you walked closer to him.

The damage was hidden under the gown he had on, leaving everything to imagination except for the man who’d been dealt the wound.

“I promise it sounds much worse than it actually is,” Joel knew everyone was going to worry over him, especially Sarah and Ellie when they got to visit.

“You don’t need to act strong for me,” You grabbed onto one of his hands, lacing your fingers together before plopping down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs.

“Just being honest darling, I know better than to hide anything from you,” Joel was happy that you had come to visit, it was a nice break from all the pain and anguish.

Two FBI agents showed up, and as much as Joel tried to hide his shock, he could only keep it together for so long. The woman standing before him was someone he’d lost contact with after he went into the academy. Though he couldn’t be surprised she’d managed to work her way up to the FBI.

“Nice to see you too Miller,” Tess smiled at him, her hair was so much shorter than the last time they’d seen one another. “Could say the same to you, but I doubt this is what you’d call good circumstances,” Joel gestured to his side that was covered.

You were still holding onto his hand except now you were nervous on who this new person was, from the way they spoke to one another it was obvious there was a deep past. She didn’t keep up pretenses though, diving right in to asking Joel any and every question she could. He kept it straightforward, giving any kind of detail that would help in the case against Maria. It sent chills down your spin listening to the harrowing tale that was Joel’s near death experience. He of course acted like this was a normal tuesday for him.

“If we need any more information we’ll be in contact, stay safe,” Tess and her partner left with a quick goodbye, leaving you and Joel to settle back into silence.

Joel didn’t want to worry anyone, let alone you or the girls, and right now his biggest worry was making sure Maria was behind bars. There were other fish to fry, but that was the main one.

~~~

Joel was downright exhausted. From dealing with the murder trials, to having to go to physical therapy to help get more mobility in his right side. Everything was becoming too much and Joel was over it. Sarah and Ellie had come back from his moms when he’d been home for nearly a week, each of them taking turns yelling at him. He just reminded them that sometimes his job was deadly. They were still gathering evidence to charge her properly, most people were demanding the death penalty since she’d murdered as many as twenty different women.

Joel was thankful his name was kept out of the limelight, that no one had known he was related to the murderer's husband. It was more to keep Sarah and Ellie’s names out of the press and prevent anyone from coming after them as revenge. The families had poured into the courtroom, crying silently as each name was listed amongst the victims.

It wasn’t until the fifth day of trial that Joel was finally called up onto the stand to give his testimony. He told them everything that happened, images of his wounds being pulled up to show the jurors. It was a harsh reminder that Joel was even still healing as he sat in front of everyone, pressing a hand against his side as though the wound would reopen.

“Mr. Miller, is it true that you and your brother both work for the detective agency?” Maria’s lawyer was a scummy bastard, he’d given off bad vibes from day one. “Yes,” Joel wasn’t sure where they were going with their questions, as the defense was doing everything they could to make sure she didn’t go to prison.

“And is it true that you were always the first one on scene?” What the hell?

“Not always, sometimes it would be my brother Tommy, or other times it would be Bill,” Joel slid his hands down to his lap.

The courtroom was nearly silent as David, Maria’s lawyer, turned to face the jury. He had to have had evidence to disprove something Joel was saying.

“Now Joel, it’s no secret that you or your brother had an interest in younger women before,” Joel was taken aback, he hadn’t so much as dated since Sarah was a child.

“Objection!” Marc, one of the DA's, shouted loud enough to cut off David’s weird tirade.

“Stay on track Mr. Winters,” The judge even seemed annoyed with wherever David was taking his bullshit.

“Apologies, now if I may reiterate my statement, your brother had been sleeping with the victims prior to them being murdered, correct?” David turned to face Joel suddenly, a sickening smile on his face.

“Yes, Maria strictly went after those women because he had been sleeping with them during their marriage,” There was clearly some kind of bullshit statement he needed to make.

Everyone became tense as they waited for David to drop the bomb that was sitting on the tip of his tongue.

“And is it true you knew one of the victims personally?” Joel’s brow furrowed, he’d only known one of them from the diner he frequented with the girls.

“She was a waitress at a diner I take my two daughters to, we didn’t know each other outside of her employer,” David clearly had not liked his answer if the way he suddenly scowled was any answer.

Did he think that Joel was sleeping with all these random young women after his brother had? What kind of sick fuck did he take him for?

“No further questions your honor,” David quickly went and took his seat, Maria angrily whispering into his ear.

Joel stepped down from the stand, heading back to sit in his original seat while the jurors headed off for deliberation. With all of the families now knowing who Joel was, keeping Ellie and Sarah safe was going to be his top priority. What if they tried confronting him after the trial?

“The jury reached their verdict,” Marc leaned back to where Joel was sitting, whispering softly enough so no one else heard him.

Shit, that was quick.

Each juror took their original spots, standing up and waiting until the judge had been given the slip of paper that held their answers. Joel waited with bated breath, hoping the news would give him some peace of mind.

“In the charge of first degree murder of Lily Evans, we the jury find the defendant guilty,” The rush that fell over Joel was euphoric.

Each name spoken was followed by a guilty, all the victims that had suffered were getting the justice they so rightfully deserved. The families were crying louder, thanking the heavens their children’s deaths were not in vain. Joel couldn’t look at Tommy, to see the reaction he had after hearing the woman he’d loved was being charged.

The first thing Joel was going to do would be take a damn vacation and get the girls out of the town for at least a week. It was a good thing it was summer which meant they didn’t have to worry about school, but right now he wasn’t thinking about that. The clawing notion that there was something his brother was hiding still bothered him. He wouldn’t ask Maria what that meant, the last thing he would do is associate himself with a murderer.

“I’m gonna head home and see how the girls are doing,” Joel slipped his overcoat back on, fixing his tie so it looked more presentable once more.

“Alright, tell ‘em I said hello,” Tommy’s voice was void of emotion, nearly lifeless.

Joel didn’t waste another second before rushing out of the courtroom, narrowly missing the reporters that were waiting outside to get any information. He’d probably spill the beans to you after he saw the two girls and got a decent meal in him. Sarah had been worried about him since the incident, and now she could rest a little easier knowing he’d be home more. Maybe he could order in and they’d sit and watch a movie together. As soon as he pulled up to the house his entire plan was washed away.

You were standing outside with Sarah and Ellie, laughing at something one of the girls had said. Normally Joel wouldn’t be upset if his girls were talking to someone, as long as he knew about them or of them, but your relationship was too new. Had they heard about you through one of the neighbors? No, Joel had been careful not to kiss you while the two of you were outside at all.

“Dad!” Sarah ran over the moment Joel had parked the car, throwing her arms around his middle carefully.

“Hey sweetpea, you behaving like I told you to?” Joel hugged her a little tighter, letting her know he was here to stay.

“Yeah, Y/N’s been keeping us company for a couple hours since it got late,” That made sense, the girls were probably worried he wouldn’t be home again.

“Why don’t we go inside and order something for dinner, it’s been a long few weeks,” Even though he was beyond exhausted, Joel was going to make sure his girls were happy.

Sarah ran inside with Ellie, leaving you and Joel outside to talk. Well, Joel assumed that’s what it was at least.

“Hey there handsome,” You smiled up at him, pressing a hand against his chest. “Hey, they cause any trouble for you?” Joel needed to make sure everything was alright, parental instincts always on high gear.

“No they were perfectly fine, I wanted to keep them away from the news during the trial,” Well that was a relief.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” He would tell them eventually, but right now he wanted to put this all behind him.

Joel offered to let you eat with them, but you politely declined, saying that you had plans with a couple friends and would see him for your next date. Joel watched you until you were safely inside your house, pulling out his phone to order in some food. He might have gone overboard and ordered both pizza and chinese, but the girls deserved a little treat.

“Food should be here in a half hour, why don’t you guys get a movie set up,” Joel headed up to his bedroom, leaving the girls to their own devices.

He stripped down quickly, throwing on his comfiest pairs of sweats and a threadbare t-shirt that had definitely seen better days. Just because it had paint from before Sarah was born didn’t mean it had to be thrown out. He had talked with Frank about taking a couple weeks off once the trial was over, and now he was going to cash in on that.

“Food’s here!” Ellie’s voice was loud enough to carry up into Joel’s room.

Joel grabbed his wallet and headed back down to pay for the food so the girls could start eating and relax. He was surprised to see both delivery drivers already but it meant not having to get up multiple times to pay. Joel quickly paid for both meals, along with a hefty tip and handed the girls the food to separate. Ellie was screeching about how excited she was for the chinese, whereas Sarah was more excited for the pizza.

Joel let the girls make their own plates before getting any food for himself, they had gotten a movie ready to go while he was getting changed. He chuckled when he realized it was one of the new Star Wars movies that had come out recently. It was better to just let the girls choose instead of arguing for something else.

“Sarah keeps picking this movie cause she thinks Poe’s cute,” Ellie giggled when Sarah threw an eggroll at her.

“Shut up!” Sarah was nearly mortified, immediately shoving another bite of pizza into her mouth.

“Huh, he kind of looks like the ADA I met with today,” Joel was shocked at how similar they looked, the man was a real doppelganger.

Sarah’s head whipped around, he just opened a whole can of worms hadn’t he?

“No I’m not introducing you to someone I probably won’t see again for a while,” Joel scooped a forkful of rice into his mouth.

“Please? You won’t take me to meet Oscar Isaac so I have to make do!” Sarah wasn’t above begging to get what she wanted.

“I’ll take you to meet whoever this actor is as long as you don’t misbehave, got it?” Joel wouldn’t admit he’d bought tickets for the three of them to attend the con they had been talking about for ages.

“Thank you!” Sarah was all but vibrating in her seat.

Joel knew that he was doing the right thing, the girls would be much happier with the surprise that they were going. And once they got back home he would be starting his own investigation on the last person he wanted to do this to.

Tommy.