Orphans Beloved: "Beth Rhymes With Death…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…

Part IX…

So this is the home of my twin…Beth looked around the palatial apartment of Rachel Duncan.

Toney…And rather antiseptic…She moved through, then pausing, remembering the waiting concierge, Todd at door, she turned back to face him.

"That's all Todd. Thanks." Cool smile.

She nervously pondered…Tip? In the movies they always tip these guys. But he is sort of the permanent fixture and this isn't a hotel…?

"Yes, ma'am. Hope you're better soon, ma'am." He bowed slightly and went out, closing door.

Ok, right. You give them something at Xmas or their kids bar-mitzvah or whatever…

Though I suspect sis is somewhat of the GOP persuasion on giving.

Now…Where in this museum might I find…? She entered the living room.

Well, if I am Rachel, this place certainly isn't bringing back the memories. Though I'd doubt many were made here. It's like a giant curio cabinet for the super rich…I'd wonder if she ever even slept here, let alone cooked a dinner or had a friend over. She eyed the large flat TV.

Funny, I'd've thought, what with Dyad's cutting edge, you'd have a holosuite or something, sis…

She clicked the set on and a video began…A child playing with…

"Rachel!" the man, British accent, tall and wiry, calling gaily… "I'm going to tickle you to pieces, love."

She stared…

That's…Me?

A woman raced into the leaves the child was now sprawled on, collapsing beside her.

"I love you, Mummy." The girl hugged the woman who earnestly returned.

Wow. She seems…Human…Loving…

The man now raced into the frame… "Arrgh…Ha…" he fell beside the other two, hugging the girl.

"I love you, Daddy…" the girl, beaming, hugging eagerly, kissing. "I love you, sweetheart." He hugged her.

Does not look like your regular ice princess…Beth thought, watching.

Hmmn…She's eight or nine, gotta be twenty years ago if she is one of us, Rachel. She eyed the controls and pressed eject disk. Nothing.

"A videotape…?" she stared. "Well, that is old tech…" She took the tape.

"Christmas! 1993…" written on the cover.

"Ok, the family Duncan…" she sighed, looking the tape over.

"And doesn't ring a bell…Rachel wise." She noted aloud. Though…It did remind her of a similar scene, back home, with Mom and Dad, before that bastard gunned him down in…? 1996?

"So not even Mummy and Daddy get a peep out of poor lost Rachel, if she is still in here? But I remember my parents…My school…My first day at the Academy…First ride with…" she gulped.

Art…Oh…He's never gonna believe this.

I don't believe this.

Still, however it happened, official Dyad doesn't seem to know. And while, like Ally, I have a healthy respect of my acting talents, I doubt I could fool them if they were expecting Beth to take up residence in Rachel via some weird mind experiment…

Ally…God, poor Ally. She must be so freaked with all that's been going on.

But, it's either her, Cos, or Art…

God knows, I know who I want it to be…Sensible as the Cosima choice would be.

"The first thing you do, Beth…" she remembered, seeing his face in the blank TV screen, "You never take your eyes off the suspect…Never… You let me do the looking around and you keep those eyes on our guy. Until that day comes when I decide you're ready to do that job and I'll have your back. Which won't be for a damned long time, rookie."

"Dipshit…" she murmured, touching the screen…Which was just a blank, black screen again.

But even if he'd listen…Can I really take the risk? Not just Dyad surely being on my tail, as Rachel...But Rachel…I still can't be sure, even if she's still not showing up here. And I will not let her back hurting my sisters and…

Ok, focus…Detective. You are at a crime scene and you have evidence to collect. Evidence proving your sister is a freaking megalomaniac working for megalomaniacs who are killing and experimenting on human beings… You're hunting Nazis, Childs…This is the big time.

Lets do this. You've had your little train vacation break and then some. Time to anty up and kick ass. No more of and no more time for this sad-ass bullshit, as me partner would say.

Hopefully some of that ass-kicking involving a certain asshole of a monitor I once thought I loved.

"Hey." Wave…The tall man rising to meet the entering, eager to anxiety woman…

"Hey." Smile…

"Mum!" happy call from an opening door…

"Hey, mon…Leopard." Sarah beamed to the Kira being led over by a teacher to where she and Cal waited in the school hallway.

"Leopard." Kira nodded firmly. The teacher, a young red-haired woman smiling… "She's been teaching us about leopards this afternoon. Kira's got it down."

"I know…" Sarah rolled eyes… "I have the midnight oil burned to prove it."

"That's not true. We went to bed at eleven…" Kira giggled as Sarah lifted her.

"No problems today. Your husband kept a strict lookout." The teacher noted.

"Uh, yeah…Well, thanks Ms. Wendon." Cal nodded to the teacher who smiled and headed off, waving to Kira who returned.

"See ya tomorrow…" Cal called. "Bye…" Kira waved.

Sarah, putting Kira down, hissing to Cal as they walked out…"She's nice…If she does turn out to be Dyad, I'll just shoot her to wound if it comes to that."

"I'm sure Kira would appreciate that…" he nodded, grinning. "Anything new on Helena? Or Dragon bitch?"

"DB is out at Dyad, so says our guardian angel. But about to be or already sprung from hospijail, so…" careful stare.

"Right. When did we meet?" he eyed her.

"Good one…" she smiled. He smiled but eyed her. "I mean it, Sarah…When and how did we meet?"

"Nows there a good dad…" she grinned. "Will you marry me?"

"I'll think about it. Stop dodging…"

"You know you are kinda forgettable…" sly grin.

"It's mum." Kira had come back to them, overhearing the last bit...

"There, positive proof… And we met at a bar in Douglasville, I claimed to be in software sales, in from London…And, oh, so bored with that shite." She put on bored look, shaking head.

"Yeah?" Kira eyed Cal.

"She passes. Lets hit the road. And for the record, I never believed that story." Smile…

"You are a good dad." Sarah whispered, kissing him as they walked, arm-in-arm. Kira racing for the car…

"A pretty hapless one…" he sighed. "A few thugs with guns or lawyers or Rachel being clever and…" wry grin. "Donnie and I should form a support group…Freaked out dads."

"Welcome to my and Alison's world, Dads. I'm glad you get along…You two. It helps I know to have someone who knows what you're going through in all this." Sarah, thoughtfully.

"It's hard not to like the man who got one of the people tormenting my daughter out of her life for good." Cal noted. "And of course we're both cricket fanatics…" grin.

…..

Fee's loft…

"Ok, gentlemen…And Mrs. H." Art, gracious nod to Alison who beamed. "Lets review what we have…" he indicated the whiteboard on which he'd listed what few facts they had on "Subject-Helena"

"So I make the gentleman cut?" Fee beamed.

"Well, you miss, are no lady." Donnie grinned.

"Boys…Arthur is giving us the benefit of his experience here." Ally, sternly.

"Mom's po'd at us." Donnie noted.

"Donnie…" annoyed look.

"Sorry…" roll of eyes to Fee.

"Just doin' the bondage…Bonding thing…" Fee grinned. "I begin to see why you love this cuddly bear so much..." smile to Donnie, returned.

"Thanks, bro… Likewise." Donnie nodded…The two clicking beers together as Ally rolled her eyes.

And I thought Donnie might be just a teensy-weensy…

"Fellas…" Art cut in. "We can all feel the love…And it's beautiful But we have a job to do and a sister to find… "

"'Sestra'…Or 'Seestra'…She likes to use that term." Ally noted, helpfully.

"Right…Sestra…" Art nodded.

"She always used to suck up to the professor in university…" Donnie noted to Fee.

"I get that…" solemn nod.

"Hey!" Ally glared.

"But 'suck up' beautifully…" Donnie beamed.

"Shut up." Ally, struggling to conceal her pleasure.

"People…" Art, grim. "Helena either needs us to help rescue her or help rescue someone from her. Either way, sestra needs us."

"Right. Absolutely." Donnie nodded. "Sorry, Art. You're right."

"Right, we're here for the homicidal maniac." Fee noted.

"Felix…" Ally rolled eyes.