Monty is alive, even if it doesn't seem like it at the beginning.

-I know Monty did terrible, inexcusable things. He will face consequences for what he did to Tyler, but he won't die.

-This is a Wonty fic, so they will end up together.

-This story is basically just me trying to patch my heart back together after Brian Yorkey broke it with the ending of Season 4.

And with that, I hope you enjoy! :)

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"Monty had a secret. Bryce knew what it was." Ani finished saying as Deputy Standall rubbed his hand across his face.

"The secret being his assault on Tyler?" Deputy Standall asked even though he knew the answer.

Ani nodded, "Yes."

"And that would drive Montgomery..." Deputy Standall paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts as the girl continued to tell him lies, "To kill him?"

"That and a betrayal. He thought Bryce was his brother." Ani stated.

Deputy Standall shook his head as he remembered one very important detail, "No, Monty had an alibi."

"Talk to Charlie St. George. It won't hold up." Ani countered immediately. So quick, that Deputy Standall wondered how she was able to lie to him with such ease.

Deputy Standall let out a heavy sigh, "So, you're telling me Montgomery de la Cruz..." He trailed off, unable to finish the question.

"Process of elimination." Ani went on to describe in detail what each and every suspect was doing at the time Bryce was murdered.

"If you search through Monty's things, his room, perhaps his football locker, I imagine you'll find what Bryce wanted to give to Jessica Davis. And I imagine Bryce's blood will be on it." Ani said once she was done telling Deputy Standall the suspect's whereabouts.

"We've already searched his locker-" Deputy Standall began, but Ani cut him off.

"For steroids."

Deputy Standall looked toward the ground, then reached up to turn the tape recorder off.

"Montgomery de la Cruz killed Bryce Walker." Ani said as the final statement in her testimony.

"It would be a terrible thing to blame the wrong person for Bryce's murder." Deputy Standall sighed.

"Yet, you were all ready to blame Clay Jensen." Ani pointed out.

Deputy Standall slowly nodded. He understood that this so called evidence Ani had gathered was solid even if it wasn't the truth. Deputy Standall chose his next words very carefully as a plan formed in his mind.

"I don't think you would know this, because the Sheriff has us locked down on leaks."

He knew that he was risking his entire career by saying what he was about to say, "But Montgomery de la Cruz was killed in his jail cell. Just hours ago." He lied.

Ani gasped, "Oh god. Poor Monty."

After a few more minutes of Ani trying to convince Deputy Standall to let the dead bury the dead, she left the police station.

As soon as she was gone, Deputy Standall shot out of the room, quickly making his way to Monty's cell. Once he got there, he looked inside to see Monty sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

"De la Cruz." He whispered sternly and Monty immediately looked up. The fear in his eyes was evident.

"What?" Monty asked, confused, as Deputy Standall opened the door to his cell.

"Come with me. Be quiet." Deputy Standall grabbed onto Monty's orange prison uniform shirt and began dragging him down the hall.

"W-Where are we going?" Monty asked, his voice shaking.

"I said, be quiet." Deputy Standall reprimanded him as he continued to pull the boy toward the back entrance of the police station.

Deputy Standall pushed the door open, making sure to be as quiet as he could. As soon as they were outside, Monty looked up into the night sky that was splattered with stars. It was just after midnight when Ani left.

By the time they made their way to Deputy Standall's truck, Monty was beyond confused.

Deputy Standall motioned for Monty to get in the passenger side. Once he was inside the car, he began to ask questions.

"What the hell's going on? Where are we going?" Monty asked from the passenger seat.

"Did you kill Bryce Walker?" Deputy Standall asked as he drove the truck out of the parking lot.

Deputy Standall kept his eyes on the road, so he didn't see Monty turn and look at him with wide eyes.

"What? No. No, of course not. He was like a brother to me." Monty stammered out.

"I know." Deputy Standall assured him.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Monty was looking outside the window, watching all the places in town zoom by. Deputy Standall's fingers turned white from how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel.

When they finally reached their destination, Monty was hesitant to get out of the car. They were in the middle of the woods at night. It wasn't exactly the type of place you'd want to be.

He stepped out of the car slowly, "Did you take me out here to kill me?"

"No." Deputy Standall answered simply, as he began to kick the ground, "I know it's around here somewhere..." His foot made a clinking noise as if he'd hit metal.

"There it is." Deputy Standall reached down to open a small hatch in the ground, which revealed an underground bunker. Monty walked over to it.

"What the fuck is going on?" Monty asked as he looked down into it.

"My father was always super crazy about nuclear warfare. Convinced us all that some country would nuke us and we'd need a way to survive it. He spent almost every day after work building this."

"That still doesn't tell me what we're doing here." Monty said.

"I need you to get into the bunker." Deputy Standall stated and Monty looked at him like he was crazy.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Why? You can't seriously except me to get into that pit!" Monty exclaimed.

"Kid, listen, one of your former classmates just came into the station and gave a gruelingly long testimony about how you killed Bryce Walker with some pretty convincing evidence that a jury will eat up." Deputy Standall said and Monty's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"But, I-I didn't kill him!" Monty tried to say, but Deputy Standall held up his hand to get him to stop.

"I know, I know, and I will find a way to prove that, but for right now, no one can know where you are. No one can even know you're alive. You're life was already at risk being in there for raping that Down kid."

Monty looked down, clearly ashamed, "How long would I have to stay down there?"

"As long as it takes. It's fully stocked, kid, you won't have to worry about starving. There's light and plumbing. Hell, it's probably a better place to stay than that damn cell. Plus, I'll come by every so often to check on you." Deputy Standall said and Monty begrudgingly nodded.

"Fine." Monty finally said.

Deputy Standall stepped down the ladder into the bunker with Monty following behind him.

There was a twin bed in the corner, shelves of provisions, and a door that lead to a bathroom.

"I'll be back tomorrow, alright?" Deputy Standall placed his hand on Monty's shoulder. Monty flinched away.

"Whatever." Monty walked over to the bed and sat down on it, assuming his earlier position with his head in his hands.

Deputy Standall climbed up the ladder before turning around, "Maybe tomorrow you can tell me where you actually were the night of Bryce's death."

Monty looked up so fast, his neck made a cracking noise. He looked terrified.

I'm so screwed, he thought to himself.

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