Title: "Shaken" (courtesy of CritterKeeper- thanks! I was stumped!)

Disclaimer: Ala WorkerCaste: All of the characters contained herein are the property of USA networks, Stu Segall Studios, Sci-Fi Channel, or someone else who isn't me.

Spoilers: Perchance to Dream, Cat & Mouse, Chrysalis in general

I wrote this fic ages ago and have had it up on my site, but decided to finally "break down" and archive it here. Darien-, Bobby-, and Claire-whumping; one brief "adult" situation in Chapter 6. I don't do clever chapter names; it is what it is. Enjoy, read & review, and who knows? Maybe my muse will come back to me.

-Shel

Claire zipped up her jacket and fixed the Official with a steely glare. "I put my request for time off in over a month ago, sir, and there is no reason you should deny it. I'm going, and that's that." She settled her bag over her shoulder and took a step toward the door.

"May I remind you I have one very good reason?" The Keeper froze in mid step but didn't turn around. "I'm the boss."

Claire spun on her heel and gave him a look of utter incredulity. "You'll forgive me for saying so, sir- but at the moment you're being an ass." With that she stormed out the door, nearly running Hobbes over in her haste to depart. "Oh! Bobby! Thank goodness. Could you give me a ride to the convention center? I really don't feel like dealing with parking."

"Uh, sure, I think so," Hobbes stammered. "Fawkes and I were just gonna go and grab some lunch, but- hey Fawkes!" At the end of the hall, emerging from the stairwell, Darien looked up expectantly. "Come on. We got a little detour before we hit hamburger hill."

Fawkes shrugged. "No problem, I'm only starving." Claire frowned at him as the trio turned and headed back down the stairs toward the exit.

"You can't possibly. I saw what you had for breakfast, and that was only two hours ago!" Bobby opened the door and they crossed the lobby.

"That? You thought that was breakfast? That was my mid-morning snack. I ate breakfast at 7:30."

"Yeah- polished off the entire box of donuts," Hobbes muttered under his breath as he unlocked the van.

"What? The super-ultra-mega-size breakfast combo was a little less than super-ultra-mega-sized."

"Darien, I've seen those, they're monstrous!" Claire exclaimed, settling into the seat and buckling her belt. Darien tried to arrange himself comfortably between the seats and finally gave up; until they dropped Claire off he'd just have to put up with his butt on a broken spring and his knees up to his chin. Why was he always the one who had to sit in the middle, anyway?

"Monstrous for a midget," Darien sighed. Claire fixed him with one of her looks and he sighed. "Sorry."

Bobby zipped through traffic with his usual obliviousness and Darien, without the benefit of a seatbelt, went banging from one side of the bench to the other. Yep, he was gonna have bruises tomorrow.

"Right here is fine," Claire urged, pointing to an open spot in front of the hall. There were signs everywhere promoting "renowned telepath Jamie Morgan" featuring the picture of a fairly handsome dark-blond man, and Bobby snorted.

"If my parents named me 'Jamie' I'd change my name." The Keeper glared but Bobby continued on blithely. "I've seen this guy on TV, he's a big fake." He turned to Claire and found himself speared by her expression.

"Pick me up in four hours," she said icily, slamming the van door behind her. Darien was hard pressed to contain a snicker as she stormed around the front of the van and crossed the sidewalk briskly without looking back.

"Ouch," he drawled, sliding gratefully into the seat. Bobby sighed and watched Claire as she went in the double doors and vanished in the crowd inside.

"How the hell was I supposed to know she bought into that crap?"

"I don't know- maybe you should have asked her where she was going before you shot off your mouth."

"Oh, that's very supportive of you, my friend. You're supposed to help me through my times of crisis."

"Help you through your what? Hobbes, you were an idiot."

"An idiot who sees something that he doesn't like."

"What? Where?"

"Back corner, by the tree." Darien looked. Several dark-suited men milled around an equally dark cargo van. All appeared to be fairly young, and the van looked new. As they watched, the group conferred, checked watches, and disappeared at a fast walk around the corner of the convention center. Darien sighed.

"Security? Maybe?" Bobby shook his head.

"Nuh-huh. Security goons are in white- see?" Darien followed Bobby's point and indeed- a guard wearing a very conspicuous white shirt with "Security" in big letters across the back could be seen idly watching the crowd. Darien and Bobby met each other's eyes across the van.

"Chrysalis," they said in unison.

"What's the plan?" Darien asked softly.

"Here," Bobby said, handing Darien a headset and mic, and arranging his own over his ear at the same time. "We follow the Chrysalis goons and call the fat man."

"And then?" Darien settled the tiny speaker in his ear canal and adjusted the mic slightly, hearing his voice both in his free ear and through the headset.

"Play it by ear, my friend." Bobby came through loud and clear, and Darien grinned as his partner checked the clip in his gun.

"That's what I'm talkin' about," Darien drawled, and he and Bobby low fived each other and slipped out of the van. They threaded through the crowd, apart but within eyesight of each other. "What do you think, Hobbes?" Darien murmured.

Bobby, eyes taking in everything around him, shook his head slightly. "No saran wrap yet," he replied. "You didn't have much left, I noticed."

"Crap." Darien dared a glance at his wrist. Less than one quarter full- about 6 minutes of see-through time. "And the Keep is at this… this THING."

"I got you covered, partner." Darien looked up and Bobby flashed the inside pocket of his jacket at him. Something rectangular and chrome winked in the sunlight and Darien sucked in a breath. "Grabbed a refill off the Keep's desk this morning on my way up to the fat man's office."

"God bless you, Bobby." Darien followed Hobbes around the corner.