Author's note: Hello, anyone out there! This is the first chapter of the first fanfic that I have ever attempted to write. Basically, I stumbled onto this world of imagination by accident, and was inspired to make something productive out of my shameful attachment to television. I know this is super inner monologue-y, and probably not all that good, but I hope maybe someone likes it, and maybe my posting it here instead of in secrecy will keep me writing. So thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, 'cause if I did, Cold Case would be up and running again.

"That's what scared me the most, Audrey, I had no one!"

Felton Metz was screaming at her. Well, not at her, really. His memory ravaged my Alzheimer's, he thought that Detective Lilly Rush was his wife Audrey, back in October of 1938.

During their first interview, Lilly had been reluctant to play along, thinking that somehow it wasn't right to take advantage of his mental state. But when she and Scotty had come back to talk to the son and eliminate any last shred of doubt that Felton had been the one who killed his wife all those years ago, she knew it was the only way to hear what really happened, to uncover the truth that had been buried with Audrey's body at the bottom of that well for over 70 years. So there she was, sitting straight-backed in the chair next to his, embodying a dead woman.

Lilly had asked Robert for his father's glasses, remembering their first encounter where the elder Mr. Metz had asked for them, hoping the detail might make her pretending seem more real. She knew that she had some sort of acting skill—playing the good cop when you really wanted to throw a guy against a wall took talent—but this was different. If she didn't say what Audrey would have said, would it snap Felton out of it? Would they have to start from the beginning? It was one thing to play a version of herself, but a housewife from the '30s turned classy taxi dancer? Lilly Rush was certain she wasn't any of those things. In fact, any one of those details could constitute her perfect opposite.

Taking a moment before she entered, she thought about the picture that had taken residence on her nightstand for the past few days. Audrey had clearly been a beautiful woman, easily loved by the people she met, but through the course of the investigation, Lilly had learned just how strong Audrey had been. She tried to keep her family together during the Depression. She went without so her son wouldn't go to bed hungry. She took a risky job at a time when married women weren't taking any jobs at all, and perhaps most importantly in Lilly's mind, she took pride in her new self.

Strength and beauty, Rush thought. At least I had those things at some point. With a deep breath, she stepped into the room and into character, forgetting about her uncharacteristic nerves. Besides the unusual means to a confession, there was just something about this case that made her want a confession more than usual.

The move with the glasses had worked perfectly, and Lilly had easily fallen into the right line of dialogue. She hadn't said more than a few sentences before Felton started getting mad. In fact, she had almost broke character to smile when she saw Scotty tense up out of the corner of her eye. A 90-some-year-old man, and Scotty's still worried about me getting hurt. Then, in an instant, her amusement turned bittersweet. He wasn't just being his usual overprotective self. But just as soon as the thought entered her mind, she forced it out. She had a confession to get.

"Felton, you're not the man I once loved…" The words seemed strange coming from her mouth, but they had the desired effect. Felton's elderly exterior betrayed the young man from all of those years ago, and the truth came out in their reenactment of that night almost to the tragic end. Scotty, on edge the whole time, had arrested Felton Metz as soon as he stood with the intention of strangling Lily as he had Audrey all those years ago, still bellowing at her until the cold metal of the cuffs broke him out of the past.

Lilly had been just a few inches from him when he stood, but she was paralyzed by his eyes—dark with anger, fear, and underneath, deep, deep pain. For a split second, the role she had been playing became absolute reality. But the spell broke along with his memory, and now, with Scotty standing behind him, looking at her questioningly, those eyes that had so captivated her were mere husks—just dull and a little confused.

As she and Scotty walked out of the house with Felton, Lilly didn't feel the closure she normally enjoyed at the end of a case. She felt somewhat hazy, like someone had mucked up the dirt at the bottom of a pond, and she had to stay very still to wait for it to settle. Scotty had noticed the difference. He always did. After placing Felton in the back, he stood between her and their car.

"You okay, Lil?"

His question had almost startled her, but she managed to recover with little hint to the real source of her problems.

"Just the side effects of time travel, Scotty." She gave him the best smirk she could muster while walking to the passenger's side and hopping in.