Spirits of Passion

Rated PG-13 for Language and Scary Scenes

Couples:

Elliot/Olivia

Munch/Fin

SUMMARY:

Elliot, Olivia, John, Fin, Casey, and Cragen's flight has been delayed back to New York after commuting to New Orleans for a conference. They find themselves at an airport in Atlanta with no vacant hotels. A man says he has a house for them to stay, but he warns there are spirits. Nobody believes…until the spirits begin to turn violent.

DISCLAIMER:

Dick Wolf owns these characters, I am not using them for profit. You have your billions, Dick, let me have my fun. Please don't sue.

"Wow, New Orleans was a rush, wasn't it?" Fin said as they got off the plane into Atlanta.

Munch came up behind him and said in a low voice. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

Fin grinned at him, knowing that John spoke French and taught him a little. He knew what he meant.

Elliot's stomach grumbled loudly. "Geez, I gotta get some food. That trip was murder."

"I know, even I wouldn't touch the kosher meal." Munch rolled his eyes. Olivia pointed to a small bistro. "Let's grab a bite."

They sat down and ordered some sandwiches. Cragen came up with a pissed off look on his face. "Bad news, people. Weather's fucked up, word has it we won't get to New York for at least three days."

"Where are we supposed to stay?" Casey asked. "All the hotels have to be booked by now."

"I can help you."

They turned toward the voice. A man wearing a butler-like suit approached them. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. I own a Bed-And-Breakfast not too far from the airport. It's called Ruby's Hollow. Here's my card. Daniel Walker."

He handed them a business card. It looked legit. The man went on. "Three nights is a one-hundred dollar flat fee. Not many people know about it, so you'll have it to yourselves, except for my wait staff, who provide meals and cleaning service. There is one minor catch, however…"

They knew that already, but what he said surprised them. "The house is haunted."

Elliot smirked. The man continued. "The house used to be a plantation during the Civil War. The owners were Mary and William Manteen, they lived on that property until the day they died. They still inhabit the mansion, there are lights that flicker, doors that open and close with no warning, and sometimes sounds in the middle of the night."

"That all can be accounted for." Casey told him.

"I also must warn you, that Mary and William were slave owners, and were known for mistreating their servants. African-Americans have been attacked there in the past." He glanced at Fin, who shook his head.

"We're cops. Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts." Everyone nodded, except John, who squirmed a little. They caught it. "John, you believe in ghosts?"

He sighed. "Yeah. I stayed with my Aunt one summer as a kid, there was a boy named Frankie there. After leaving, I saw his gravestone. I know what I saw."

They were still skeptical, but also tired as hell. "We'll take it. How can we get there?"

"There is a van outside. I'll bring it around, so you will not get wet. The rain is very fierce."

They managed to get inside without getting too wet, but were still freezing from the wind. They looked around. "Wow, this is fancy for a bed-and-breakfast." Olivia said. "There has to be ten rooms in this place."

"There is also a library, a kitchen, and a lounging room, if you are interested. There is a private bathroom for each room. Make yourselves at home. My staff is on call if you need anything." The man bowed in exit.

John and Fin took a room, Elliot and Olivia took another, leaving Casey and Cragen with another. Luckily, there was one room with two beds, the others only had one. Casey and Cragen had no intention of sleeping together, even platonically.

John laid his suitcase on the bed and got out his pajamas. Fin was looking around. "This place looks pretty old." He walked into the bathroom. "Whoa…"

John came in and whistled softly. "That is nice. They must've refurnished it." It was almost like a spa, and wasn't historically accurate due to the brand names. Large tub, shower, two sinks…

Fin grinned. "Care for a soak?"

John wrapped his arms around Fin and kissed him. "I thought you'd never ask."

Elliot and Olivia were in their room looking around. "This is a nice place."

"Yeah. I still think that ghost story is a crock of shit, though." Elliot said.

"You know, I'm still hungry. Let's see where the kitchen is." With that, they went downstairs to search.

John and Fin were lying on the bed, entangled in their pajamas, not quite asleep, but drowsy. John stifled a yawn, which Fin noticed. "Let's get to bed. I need to wear off this jet lag."

They turned off the light and crawled under the covers. John pillowed his head on Fin's shoulder. "Good night, John."

"Good night, Oda."

The only sound after that was even breathing.

Casey and Cragen walked to the library. "Wow, there's tons of books in here."

Cragen spotted two portraits of a man in a Confederate uniform and a lady in a red, lacy gown. "These must be the Manteens."

They looked at it, then moved on, but noticed the eyes seemed to be following their every move…

John was startled awake when he heard a thunk. He listened for a minute, then relaxed again.

THUNK.

This time Fin woke up. "It's one in the morning…" He groaned. Then he noticed John was holding him very tightly. His hand found John's and noticed it trembling. "John? What's the matter, baby?"

"It's happening again…it's all happening again."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you about Frankie. But I didn't tell you everything." He sighed. "Frankie was…abused. Nobody knew him, but I could still hear sounds and screams at night. I was scared to death." He sighed shakily. "They sound just like this."

THUNK.

Fin noticed a tremor go through John's body at the noise. He began to relax his skepticism a little. "John, relax, I'm here, nothing's gonna hurt you."

"Okay…"

Fin didn't like this. John sounded like a child lost in the dark. He found his forehead and kissed him. "Go back to sleep. Everything's gonna be fine in the morning."

John managed to relax a little. "Love you…" He mumbled.

"Love you, too."

The next morning they were in the dining room having breakfast. They saw it was all hot and laid out for them when they came down. They noticed that John was very quiet.

"You okay?" Casey asked him curiously.

John shook his head. "I didn't get much sleep."

"Yeah. Those damned noises…" Elliot huffed, taking a bite of toast.

John paled and quickly exited the room. Fin looked after him and sighed. Elliot looked worried. "Did I say something wrong?"

Fin sighed. He told them what John said last night. "He kept waking up screaming." He shook his head. "I think we should go check it out. Maybe it's just a loose shutter."

Cragen nodded. "If it helps. Finish eating, we'll do some off-the-clock detective work."

John insisted on joining them, but kept himself close to Fin at all times. They found the attic steps. Elliot felt for a lightswitch on the wall. "Wow…" they breathed.

It was musty and old, cobwebs were gathering. Olivia and Casey gasped at an old dress on display. It was flowery green muslin with a emerald satin sash. "It's beautiful…" Olivia breathed. She touched it gently and recoiled in pain. Elliot ran to her. "What is it?"

She held out her hands. There were drops of blood forming at the fingertips. "There must be a pin." She picked up a small stick and poked it. "I can't find any…that's strange."

"She doesn't want you touching her dresses." John said. They turned to him. "She wants her property to be maintained."

Olivia shrugged. "Let's see what caused the noises."

Fin looked at the windows and pulled. "These shutters are bolted down." He noticed an old picture. He took a look at it. "There's a name on the back…WHAT THE HELL?!"

Everyone rushed to look. "What is it?"

Fin was in shock as Elliot took the photo from him. "Does that say what I think it says?"

The name on the back was 'Tutuola.'

Fin went to the library after that, seeing what other information they had on his possible ancestor. He found a dusty book on one of the shelves. "Anything?" John asked, bringing him a cup of coffee.

"Not yet. Still looking."

John shook his head. "This must be strange for you."

Fin nodded. "You have no idea."

John shrugged. "I do have some idea. My grandparents were holocaust survivors."

Fin looked to him. "I didn't know that."

"Now you do. Want some help?" Fin shrugged, and John picked out some books.

They all met up for dinner that night. Fin was still looking at books. "Any luck?" Elliot asked with a mouthful of potatoes.

"Hold on, I think I've got something…" Fin mumbled. "There's a note. It says, 'Mandrake', original name means 'gentle one'. That's what Tutuola means."

"Wow." Olivia said. They heard a loud crash from upstairs. John flinched visibly. Fin shut his book and placed a hand on his back. "What the hell's going on?"

As if that wasn't enough, the lights went out. A figure carrying a candle appeared.

"The spirits are at work." Daniel Walker said. "They do this often, to show they still own the house."

"Do you have a flashlight?" Cragen asked.

"I may, let me go check. Stay where you are."

Fin could still feel John shaking. "Relax." He whispered.

Then they saw two flashlights light up. "Here you are. But I must warn you. If you are going to the attic, let's hope one of you has a cross."

-TO BE CONTINUED-