Past Demons and Future Joys
By Dagmar De Meyer
Rated : General I guess
Disclaimer : All is owned by Warner Bros. Riggs, Murtaugh, Trish, Rianne ... TPTB at the studio. The idea is owned by Ree. But the mussings below are mine. I kinda just used the mentioned above to play in it! The pictures is from LW there for also owned by Warner Bros. The good looking man however is owned by Mel Gibson.
Summary : Response to a challenge from LWFF. It was a close call but there was a big change Riggs & Murtaugh would never be partners.
Warnings : Yes I wrote it. And it is my first ever piece … It was written more then a year ago!
Past Demons and Future Joys
Sitting in a rocking chair! Roger Murtaugh was looking at his grand daughter in his arms. So beautiful, so small and so innocent. And fast a sleep. She looked so much like his Rianne, when she was a baby. And now his baby had her own baby. His grand daughter.
"I'm a grandfather. Oh man I'm to old for this sh….., no I'm not to old for this, I'm perfect for this."
Looking across the room at the other end, his partner Martin Riggs was holding his son.
Martin Riggs a father.
Who would've thought!
A smile came to Rogers face. Looking at Riggs. Riggs always knowing what to do. Always ready for everything. Had no idea what to do with the little thing in his arms.
Beat up as he was, holding this new life.
Roger kept smiling. How proud he was of his partner.
The crazy person, ready to kill himself, the first day they met. Always killing people left and right. Had created this new life. His partner, his friend, family. Had his own family now.
Martin was intently investigating every inch of his son. Ten fingers, ten toes. Perfect.
Roger kept watching, thinking of all the times they chaired together. The bad and the good. This definitely was one of the good. Martin had settled down. A normal man with a normal family. For a moment that thought scared Roger. Was his crazy partner gone for good. Nope would never happen, Riggs could never change. He'd be back, full force, giving Roger lots of things to get stressed about, making him do goofy things. The underwear thing coming to mind!
Roger came out of his reverie when he heard Riggs yell.
"Roger help!"
Roger help?
" He's crying! Why? What do I have to do."
Roger smiled, looking at his freaking out partner.
"Maybe he's hungry!"
"Can't be Lorna just …"
"Maybe he needs a change."
"Nope, I had the nurse do that just a min ago."
"Well live with it Riggs, it will happen again, and again and again,…."
"Welcome to the life of parenting!"
Things finally settled down a bit. Both father and son seemed to get along. Although Riggs still looked a bit shaky. Not that anyone would notice. He had that air around him. I'm afraid of nothing, kind of attitude. But Roger knew better. After 13 years he knew the 'Riggs book' by heart. Nothing his partner did surprised him anymore. No not true he got a surprise everyday with Riggs around but in a way he always knew it was coming … somehow. Yes they certainly knew each other inside out. Or did they?!
The baby in his arms stirred, which made Roger come back to things at hand. He looked at his grand daughter trying to open her eyes. But then deciding not to, she closed them again and went back to sleep.
"Hey, nurse! Can I take her for a walk?" Roger asked
"Sure but not to long." The nurse answered.
Roger made his way to the door, turned back to see Riggs still sitting in the same position, looking at his son.
Soon his mind was in the past again.
A past not long after their first Christmas together. Their first case. Drugs, kidnapping, shooting, beating,…, normal actually. I shaved my beard around that time too, didn't I?!
Everything was going normal, …, no you couldn't call things normal, smoothly, …, no not smoothly either. Everything was going like it always went and still goes with Riggs chaotic! We just handled a case. Yeah, yeah that's right, our first encounter with Uncle Benny. Making Riggs want to learn Chinese. Major drug bust, not for us of course, actually this was a sting the guys in narcotics were on. They still haven't forgiven us for busting in like that. But Riggs could smell them miles away. Like a dog on a hunting trail. I had trouble holding his leech. When we arrived at the scene, all hell had broken loose. Which was actually a novelty, usually that was our job. Bullets flying left and right, wounded officers everywhere, … and Riggs … somewhere in the middle of it. Shooting clip after clip. In a fit of rage. Finally everything got quiet. No one made a sound no one moved. Except Sergeant Parker, with his great sense of timing yelled. This is the police. You are surrounded. Drop your guns and come out with your hands up. As I said impeccable timing. Nothing happened. Apparently we got all the bad guys lying in their own blood wounded or dead. We couldn't be more wrong. All of a sudden some boxes were pushed over and the shooting started again. And with Riggs the only one still standing … in the open was the main target. With his back to his assailant he was shot in the butt. Yeah really Riggs was shot in the butt!.
In the same movement as he was flung forward he turned around, shooting as he went, the last of his clip. As did we all … not much was left when I reached Riggs who had stumble over to the fallen body. It was a woman, a fucking woman, with long blond hair and deep blue eyes staring into nothingness. When I looked over to my partner, I saw him turn dead white, I catched him in time when he too went dead to the world. He had fainted. From being shot in the butt?
He was rushed to the hospital along with everybody else. I stayed with him after he got back from surgery. Having me worried, why he didn't wake up. The doctors informed me they had given him something to help him sleep and something for the pain. Later Riggs told me he just didn't want to wake up. Trish came by to pick me up. I thought I put up quite a fight, but she wouldn't hear of it. She practically dragged me home. Chair and everything.
When I got back the next morning Riggs was gone. No where to be found. The nurses didn't know where he was either. They hadn't even noticed he was gone. Idiots. I called Trish to ask if by any chance I missed him and he was at the house. No wasn't there.
I looked in all the places I could think of where he could have gone to, but no luck. Called the Captain, he hadn't see him either. He apparently vanished in thin air.
Which was exactly what had happened. Arriving at the beach, his caravan was gone. Martin Riggs had disappeared . And I had no idea where to start looking. Because if Riggs didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be found. But why what had happened. I'm his partner for god sake. Riggs I yelled. No one answered as my voice carried his name out to sea!
The next day. 24 hours later I stood in front of the Captain holding the paperwork to file a missing persons suit. He wouldn't hear of it.
"Dammit Captain. Something's wrong. We have to find Riggs!"
"Nothing's wrong. Sit down Sergeant. Riggs has disappeared before. He always turns up. And when he does...you'll wish he hadn't ! Now get back to work."
Did he really? Just disappear like that?
I had to find out!
And indeed I did. Riggs had disappeared before. All in the last year. He eventually turns up. Found somewhere, drunk and ready to shoot himself, or anyone who tried to stop him. But this couldn't be it. Why? He was doing so well. He had fun in life again. He had a family. My family , he kind of wormed his way in our hearts. My daughter 's in particular. Which reminds me I still have to have 'that talk' with him. But he always got up with a smile ready to catch some bad guys. And make me have a heart attack or two, three, four,….
I send for Riggs' file at personnel. Which apparently was quite a difficult question. It took them a week to locate. In the meantime the boss had me assigned to another case and a new partner. Yes, as you can probably guess ,'Sergeant Parker'. Man did that guy follow the book! Drove me insane, even more the Riggs ever did. Oh man, I wanted my partner back. Finally I received his files. I had never seen such a huge one before. One Dr. Woods report after another. Jeez, that women needs a life!For real because when she found out what I was doing, she went after me. Now you see I needed my partner back!
It was true, it was here in black and white. The first time Martin disappeared was a week after his wife's funeral. He was found dead drunk with a gun to his head in a bar. He always manage to get over it. Got a new case to work on. Full force always solved it in his own way. And again he would disappear for a week or two. But why? And why now. What had happened that …. Amidst the files was a picture a woman. A blond woman with blue eyes. Smiling at the camera. It was his wife I knew. Somehow she looked familiar like I had seen her recently. Which of course couldn't be possible, she had been dead for over a year now. Then I knew …the drug bust.
"The file, Parker where is the file from that bust?"
"Upstairs with the Captain…."
I didn't let him finish. I rushed upstairs (forgetting to breathe as I went) Running down dear Dr. Woods. Which of course set her off again!
"Mr. Murtaugh if you ever need someone to talk to, …, I'm here to help."
"Captain … (catching breath) I … (again) need the files from two weeks ago. I need to (remember to breathe) compare …."
I didn't even let him hand them to me, I pulled them out of his hands and off I went again. Down the stairs (which I must say is a lot easier).
The picture, where is the picture?! There it was the last one to get shot. Riggs shot her. Without hesitation. No one knew she was there. He shot in self-defence. A young woman. Blond with blue eyes. The spitting image of the other picture I had in my hands. Victoria Lynn … Riggs. She herself shot in a drive by. Later to be known as not accidental but a mistake it should have been Riggs not her. There was another picture in the Riggs's file. Vicky lying on the ground. Dead.
Oh God, Riggs. I'm so sorry.
The day of the bust was the day his wife had died. And I didn't realise.
It was about a month later when I finally heard from him. Well not really from him. But word came from the San Francisco Police department, that a Martin Riggs had ask for a transfer. The Captain eventually agreed. I don't know what went back and fort. My protests weren't heard. The Captain just told me to keep it cool and work with my new partner. Martin Riggs was no longer part of the department.
I couldn't take it. That evening I drove to San Francisco. He was going to talk to me. Whether he wanted to or not. He was going to listen to me. And he better explain to me why he felt that deserting me was the best thing. I found him. In his caravan. A nice spot he had picked out, overlooking the bay. He sat there overlooking the bay, watching the fog curl around the Golden Gate Bridge.
"Hi, Roger."
"Uh,, hi Riggs."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine, splendid, … couldn't be better!"
A lie, I knew. I could tell by the way he was avoiding to look at me.
"I had expected you sooner."
"I had expected you back."
"I can't go back. Not after what I did. After …"
"After you did what? Riggs … you … ."
"After I killed Vicky!"
"You didn't kill her Riggs. That wasn't Vicky. She may have looked like her , but that wasn't your wife. You know she wasn't."
"Come on buddy let me take you home. Trish misses you and so do the kids. Oh what the hell I miss you too."
"That's the fucking point. I can't go back. Don't you see, … if I …I love you man. And I can't have this now. I can't be your partner anymore. I can't protect you this way."
"I'm a big boy Riggs."
"So am I Roger. Now leave me alone."
Very well! I did. But I wasn't through with him yet.
The next morning I volunteerd at the precinct where he worked now. Oh,not without a good reason. I had a very good one. The case I was working on with my , hm, new partner had his leads to San Francisco. The Captain had agreed that I check out some leads! He did know I was talking about the Bay. We were on the trail of a serial killer. Killing men in high places. This Captain had heard of the case too, but so far nothing was found. He teamed me up with a new team he had just formed, Sergeant Riggs and Sergeant Lewis. Yes of course I requested that. Oh man if looks could kill, I would be dead ten times over! Riggs was none to happy about it. He however, as told by his Captain, had no choice but to do what he was told.
I'll spare you the details of the case! Very boring! Cursing, running, shooting, hiding, dodging bullets, Riggs being beat up. The guy looked worse. Sergeant Lewis had disappeared at the first sign that there was actually a gun involved.
"Hey Roger! We got him"
"Yeah partner we got him. Are you through now? Come to your senses? Ready to come home?"
"Yeah partner. I'm ready to come home."
We made it home all right. Don't ask me how, but we got the caravan back on the beach in one piece.
And when working on securing it I realized I had never been in there before. Ok, I couldn't help myself. The place was a big mess. But then again, not really... I liked the mess. Real Riggs-like. I wish I could have a mess like that. Nope, that would never work. Trish would have a fit. Unmade bed. Clothes everywhere. …
Above the bed was a frame. A beautiful one. Not with a painting but a text, written in beautiful lettering. One could see a lot of work had gone into it.
To my cop:
"by nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be far apart."
Love, Vicky
"She made it for me. Last Christmas. She said it would give me something to think about."
"And did it?"
"Oh yes. I still haven't figured it out. Do you know what she meant by it?"
"Not a clue, I was going to ask you. You are the one having it hanging over your bed!"
"Maybe it is a woman's thing!"
"Probably. I'll have to ask Trish."
"You do that. Come on, Rog. I'm hungry!"
Everything went back to normal after that. We were partners again. Not that I think we ever weren't. Riggs seemed to think for a while. I'll leave him to that. Not long after that, we got another big case. Our big Leo case. Oh, you'll get to know Leo. Strange little fellow. But we can't do without him. If you ever repeat this, I'll just deny it.
Did I ask Trish? Did I ask her what? Oh about the phrase. Yes, I did. She didn't want to tell me. I would figure it out one day, she said. If I paid enough attention. To this day I still don't know. Frustrating. So, my little girl, if you ever find out, be sure to tell me,ok?
Roger had reached the nursery again. He put his grand daughter in her bed. And went to look for Riggs. Who had left his son to dreamland as well.
"Rog!" Riggs came running.
"What"
"Got to go! … Got to go catch some bad guys!"
"Oh man, not now."
"Yes, yes, come on."
"Ok, Ok, I'm coming. Man, let go of my hand!"
"Can I drive Rog?"
"No. I'll drive."
"OK, just checking."
"Where are we going."
"Hollywood Boulevard. Just got a report in that they found a bomb under the Chinese Theatre."
"A bomb! Oh no, not a bomb again."
"Yes, yes, come on Rog, step on it. I heard Mel Gibson is there, too."
"I will not step on it. We're not going. This is a job for the bomb squad."
"Riggs! Get you foot of the gas. Riggs, dammit. Riggs!"
"Oh Rog, just steer the wheel, will you?"
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigs!"
And there the dynamic duo went, ready to wreck the city!