Soooo,
We've seen hard Rose, soft Rose, vulnerable Rose and now we get to see angry Rose...
this ended up WAY longer than I planned. And this is actually the start of a new arc! And yeah, this sucker has been in the works since day 1...ENJOY
Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.
"I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root:/It is what you fear./I do not fear it. I have been there."-Sylvia Plath "Elm"
"It's no big deal at all, Mom." Rose sighs into the phone cradled between her shoulder and cheek as she pours more coffee into her mug. "I can make up this liniment from a recipe Layla sent me the other day. She swears by it and so do all of her clients. I can make it today, if you want."
"I don't want to make more work for you." Her mother insists, as she always does.
"Mom, it's my job. I don't mind at all."
"All right. Fine. If you think it'll help. Have you gotten that watch fixed yet?"
Automatically, Rose's free hand goes to her opposite hand, where her father's watch hangs, face in, on her thin wrist. "Not yet. No."
"Oh?" Rose can hear the Calvert smirk in her mother's voice. "Because I know someone who can fix it for you."
"You are so funny, Mother."
"No, I'm being ironic, dear."
Her phone beeps for call waiting. She pulls it away from her cheek to check and rolls her eyes. "Mom, I gotta go. Call on the other line. But I'll send you some of the liniment this week, okay?"
"Don't work too hard, all right? Love you. Say hello to Monroe for me."
"I will. Love you too." She clicks over. "You're calling at a decent hour, how noble." She greets Nick.
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry about the Volcanalis thing?"
"Well, when you stop dragging creatures out of the underworld, I'll be happy. Now, what's up?"
He sighs, like does when its one of those cases. "Do you remember those burn victims in Salem, I told you about?"
Her heart drops to her knees. "Yes. You said you didn't have anything to go on. No DNA, no prints. Nothing."
"Well, it happened again. In South East."
"Mein Gott."
"But I've got a witness this time. And she won't talk to me. I thought maybe you could...relate?"
"I see. I'll be there in fifteen."
Wu shows her to the observation portion of the interrogation room with Nick. Hank sat on the floor, talking, seemingly to an empty room. As Council Liaison to Portland, this fell squarely on her lap, regardless.
"She won't come out from under the table." Nick tells her. "She got one real good look at me and woged. I don't think she's come out of it yet."
"How old?"
Nick runs his hand over his eyes. "Eight or nine? I thought Monroe said it wasn't until about thirteen or so?"
"It's early..." Rose agrees. "But probably because of the stress. Did you get a look at what she is?"
"I think she might be a Fuschbau...which is why I called you. Otherwise I would have called Monroe."
"You should probably call him. If you want to find the people who did this, you may want him to take a look at the crime scene. I won't be able to smell anything with all the smoke." It was a lie, of course. When woged, she could smell just as well as Monroe and sometimes better ("I had a cold that one time..." he always insisted when she threw it in his face). She just couldn't bring herself to see the scene.
"You've seen this before." He says. "It's how you knew before." He turns to her. "How? When?"
"Do you remember when I first came to Portland? And told you I was a consultant for Interpol?"
Nick nods.
"It's not completely true."
Nick takes a step back. "What do you mean?"
"Has Monroe told you anything about the Wesen Council? Ever? The Gesetzbuch Ehrenkodex?"
Nick shakes his head.
"Did you ever wonder why we don't show ourselves to everyone? Why we keep it a secret?"
"I just thought...you know, it was easier if it was kept quiet." Nick shrugs.
"Back in the sixteenth century, wesen from all over the world came together and decided to keep themselves secret. The Council is made up of a rotating number of wesen who monitor that this rule, called the Gesetzbuch Ehrenkodex is enforced."
"What happens if they break the rule?"
Rose just shakes her head. "It's a capital offence to kill a Kershite or expose the secret for selfish profit."
His jaw actually drops. "Wait...wait... let me get this straight–You killed people for this sketchy council of Wesen?"
She holds up one finger. "First of all, I busted Jay rings in Europe. I never actually killed anyone. Second, they're not sketchy, they keep the status quo. They fight against the people who do this." She gestures to Hank who's trying hard to draw the kid out. "They do what they can to stop this."
"So are you still an...agent?"
"No. I haven't been since I got back from Den Haag..." Rose nods toward the room.
"Wait...wait. Does Monroe know? About all of that?"
She rolls her eyes. "He knew something was off...But yes, he knows. What's her name?" She points to the room.
He checks the paper work. "Malena...I couldn't get a last name out of her."
Rose stares harder at the room, willing Malena to appear. "Her parents are Anita and Garret Georges."
"You knew them?"
She fights to keep her voice level. "They come-came into the shop a lot. Malena has asthma...bad. And I make her tea to help. And Anita's-" She stops suddenly, trying to keep the tears out. "I have to see her!"
"I really need to get this info from you about-" he barely makes it out of her way before she shoots past him. She burst into the room, startling Hank. "Malena? Kiddo? It's me! It's Miss Rosie!"
There's a shuffle from under the table and Malena appears, fully woged. A perfect Fuschbau in miniature. Malena gives a hiccupping gasp and slams into Rose's waiting arms. Rose turns to Hank. "I've got it from here, thanks."
"Yeah...no worries. Just holler if you need anything. " he insists and closes the door behind him.
Rose crouches down on the floor with Malena. "Oh, Kiddo..." she breathes. "Oh Kiddo. I'm so so sorry."
Malena only clings tighter to her, her tiny heart beating hard against Rose's chest. Rose rests her forehead on the top of the girl's head. She woges right back.
Malena looks up at her and burrows her face into Rose's shirt. Huge wails pour out of her. "You're safe now. I've got you." Rose purrs and runs her fingers through the girl's loose wild hair. "I've got you." She lets out a few tears of her own for her friend and for the poor girl in her arms.
Rose's not sure how long they're curled up on the floor like this but finally, Malena retracts, her olive skin gone smooth again, eyes back to their usual dark brown. She's left shaking and still clinging to Rose's blouse, her eyes barely focused on anything. "I wanna go home." She rasps with all the certainty of some who is can't tell if they're still in a nightmare. "I want my mommy."
"I know, honey." Rose kisses the top of her head and shifts back. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."
"I don't want to talk to the scary man." She insists.
"Which one is that?"
Malena shudders so violently Rose is surprised she doesn't woge again. "The one with the scary eyes."
"He won't hurt you. He's a friend of mine."
Malena looks up at her, all the fight gone from her tiny shoulders. "Sure?"
"Very."
She shakes her head. "I just want to go home."
"I know. But we have to the policeman. And we'll figure the rest out." Rose gets to her feet slowly and takes Malena's hand.
Malena nods finally and rests her head on Rose's hip, half hiding behind her; the exhaustion winning out over fear.
Opening the door, Rose finds Hank and Nick in conference with the Captain, who nods politely in her direction. "Malena says she's ready to talk."
Nick takes a step forward and Malena ducks farther behind Rose, only one eye peeking behind a curtain of long dark hair. Nick's smile falters. He kneels down and Malena retreats all the way behind Rose. "Maybe..." He looks up at Rose. "Maybe Hank could take this one?"
"Sure." Hank strides toward them. "Kiddo's cool with me, aren't you?" He wonders.
Malena nods.
"Okay then."
"Rosie...stay." Malena whispers, gripping Rose's hand. "Please?"
"Am I allowed to?" She asks Hank.
"Sure," Hank turns to Malena. "But it's gotta be just me and you talking. Miss Rosie can stay if she's quiet, okay?"
Malena nods.
And so, Rose sits through Malena telling Hank every detail from the last four hours that she can recall. Breaking windows and screams and the smell of the fire in her front yard. Rose holds her breath several times to keep from busting out in tears, she smiles at Malena ever time the girls turns to look at her. She nods in encouragement and as soon as Malena turns back to Hank, Rose covers her face, gathering herself up for whatever's next.
"And where were you?" Hank wonders, pen poised above the paper.
"I hid under the sink in the bathroom... I always hide there during hide and seek. I always win." She holds her small hand over her mouth and nose. "They walked by and I held my breath. Like this."
"If you heard their voices again, do you think you could recognize them?"
Malena nods. "Their voices were all scratchy and rough."
"Did you ever hear them say names?"
Malena pauses, placing her hand palms down on the table. "Alders...Hansen...There was another but I didn't hear his name." She turns to Rose. "Can we go now? Please?"
"I have to talk to the scary policeman for a minute. Do you want to stay with Detective Griffin? Or come with me?"
Malena looks over at Hank. "No scary policeman." She mutters.
Rose drops a kiss on the top of head and heads back to the room behind the interrogation room where Nick is waiting with the Captain. "You have to leave her with me. You can't send her to a foster home." She turns to the Captain for back up.
"She's right, Nick. If the girl can't keep a firm hold on her woging, we can't leave her in a human foster home. Are you sure, you're up for this, Rosalee?" The Captain turns to her.
She can't quite believe that The Captain even knows her name. "Of course. One of us will have to contact the Council though. Have you ever dealt with them before? The PWO, I mean. " Rose wonders.
"I've had my brushes." The Captain insists. "In Italy and in Zurich. Both unpleasant circumstances. Unfortunately, none of them made it out the fire they set. We'll post a unit outside your apartment, incognito of course. It's been a while since I spoke to De Groot, I'll call."
"I'm gonna grab Hank and meet Monroe at the crime scene. " Nick grabs his coat. "You call me if there's any trouble, all right?"
"I will." Rose promises and before he's out the door, she grabs his elbow. "You don't do anything crazy. They could be in the area, still watching."
Malena rests her head on Rose's lap and finally, after hours of cajoling and tea, closes her eyes. Rose keeps humming anyway, running her fingers through Malena's dark hair. She tries to settle into sleep curled into the back of the couch. But it won't come. Instead all she hears are the cries of those left behind, all the accounts in every language she knows. Nobody knew who told or when. There only ever were stories of breaking glass and screams. And then heady silence and families with holes that could not be healed. When she sat across from what was left of the victim's families, grieving and pale, Rose could always see them wondering if they should have stopped such a relationship from going forward. The fear always gives rise to doubt, its human nature.
They're lucky Malena wasn't found. So often children like her vanish along with their parents. Rooting out the infection, a member told her once in an interview in Vienna. He had that hangdog look of an addict and there was the distinct stink of jay that lingered. Getting every last piece of filth. She went back to the hotel and showered for a good hour after that one.
Malena turns over in her sleep and presses the crown of her head to Rose's thigh. She exhales a tiny warm breath of, maybe not contentment but at least, some sort of peace. And Rose can't understand how anyone could see Malena that way; a problem, an infection. Malena's a tiny girl with hopes and dreams and insatiable curiosity.
"Everyone tells you that you'll never love anything like you will your child. And it's true. It's an impossible sort of love." her mother told her once. "No matter what they do or who they turn out to be, you love every bit. Every freckle and every flaw. You can't help it."
"...Even when I was...gallivanting..." Rose used a word that DeEtta would throw her way.
"I couldn't stop loving you even if I wanted to." Her mother assured her. "It never stops. It never goes away. I loved you before you had a name. Before I knew who you were."
Rose rests her hand on Malena's head, thinking of Anita and knowing they wouldn't have another Christmas together. And Rose doesn't even want to try to imagine it for herself. Anita and Garret knew what they were doing, how they'd be viewed. They had to know this was a real possibility.
It wouldn't be any different for her. DeEtta's stupid taunt comes back, "You want to have his babies..." Children always seemed like a luxury for a life she wasn't living. Council Agents, much like addicts, did not call the shots in their own lives. Besides there had been no candidates for her. No one in the landscape of one night stands or backroom affairs who had ever told her they loved her fifteen minutes before midnight.
Until now.
There's the sound of a key in the deadbolt. She turns to watch the door open slowly and Monroe slip through. She eases Malena's head off her lap. She waits just a moment to be sure and Malena curls up into a little ball under the throw blanket.
She meets him in the kitchen where he sets his keys on the counter, like always, and shrugs off his coat to leave on one of her kitchen chairs. He turns to find her standing there. There's only sorrow written on his face, only heartbreak. He reaches for her; it's as bad as she thought.
Rose opens her mouth but only a low hiccup of tears comes out. She cups her hands over her mouth to keep from making noise and scaring Malena any further. His arms come around her and she's so glad because she's sure she won't be able to hold herself up anymore. "Oh Rose..." He says and they rock back and forth for a moment. "I saw everything," he says quietly. "I know."
Rose can only nod against his neck, hating that she actually lost in front of him.
"Nick says the whole force is one this one. And Wu's trying to get school records or wills. Anything."
She pulls back, but keeps her hands on his arms to steady herself. "She was...um...homeschooled." Rose sniffs and wipes at her eyes. "Anita and Garret were afraid to put her in public school, they didn't know when she'd go through the change or what'd she'd be...And...and..."
He reaches up and soothes one hand down the back of her head. "Hey...hey...hey...Rosalee..."
Rose sniffs hard and looks up at him. He never calls her by her full name. Ever. It's always Rose.
"It's gonna be okay. We're going to figure this out. Between all of us, we're going to figure it out."
She shakes her head. "No... no it won't, Monroe. None of this is okay."
He sighs. "That's not...that's not what I meant..." He reaches out and wipes away the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. He settles his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know...she was your friend and Malena..."
Rose sighs. "I just...I'm..."
"Terrified?" he supplies. "Horrified? Because I am. Completely." He shakes his head. "These people...They aren't here to play."
She bites her lower lip. "Everything and exhaustion. Would you stay? Please? I'd feel better...Safer."
"Are you sure? With the Kiddo here?"
"She'd feel better too." She pulls him with her to the far side of the couch where he sits against the arm and she curls up against him. He wraps one arm around her waist, pulling her in so close that she can feel his heart against hers. Normally, it's enough to calm her.
He press a kiss to the back of her neck. "You're thinking so hard, you're practically humming."
She shifts just enough to make out his profile in the low light. I could be looking into our future, she thinks. How could I not think about it?
"I was joking..." He tells her as he tightens his arm around her. "Rose..."
"I just keep thinking about what they'd do. Tell me I'm being silly."
"You're not. I'm a little surprised is all. You're faced down drug lords and Verrat and Laufer agents, nothing. And this? I've...I've never seen you like this."
"The others," she shrugs. "They're easy. There's always something they want, you can bargain but with the PWO..." She shakes her head. "They burn everything, Liebling. Not just the two people but the people they care about, friends, and family. They burn everything until there's nothing and no one left. They don't bargain. And there's no upper hand."
His forehead rests on the back of her head, and she feels his breath on her neck. She could map out his face by just those two factors alone. She knows all the places to kiss, how to make him smile. And she doesn't even want to try to imagine him not being there. She squeezes his hand, wondering if she could find the same courage Anita had.
"We're gonna be okay," he murmurs and she tries to latch onto that confidence. For today, maybe. But not forever.
In the morning, she finds herself alone on her couch, half under the throw blanket with a cup of steaming coffee sitting beside her on the coffee table. Her neck aches, back is sore and Rose realizes that she has reached the point she never thought she would: too old to spend the night on a couch.
She hauls herself up (and swears that everyone on the West Coast can hear her spine pop) and peeks over the back to see Malena sitting on the kitchen counter, her little hands fluttering while she tells Monroe something. He responds in kind and flips something in the pan. Malena gasps in surprise and claps. And Rose sees the girl's first smile in the last twenty-four hours.
"Rosie! You're awake!" Malena calls. "Finally! We thought you were going to sleep all day."
"No, no..." Rose hauls herself up off the couch and runs a hand over her face before grabbing the coffee. She wanders, blinking into the kitchen to see Malena digging into scrambled eggs and toast.
"You fed her?" Rose looks up at Monroe.
"She's not a dog, Rose. She's a kid." He insists. "It wasn't that hard."
"Yeah but she wouldn't eat for me last night."
He turns to Malena. "Why not?"
"I wasn't hungry last night." Malena slurps marionberry jam off her pinkie.
Rose rolls her eyes and takes a long pull of coffee. "It's too early for both of you."
"I told you she wasn't a morning person." Monroe tells Malena, who giggles.
"Now you're just filling her head with nonsense." Rose insists.
"It's not nonsense if it's true." He replies, pressing his lips to her temple.
Malena giggles from the counter, setting aside her already empty plate.
"And you..." Rose starts. "Why don't you go change and wash your face and we'll figure out what to do today?"
Malena hops down. "Okay."
"Hey, Sie sprechen deutsche, Kind*?" She wonders.
Malena cocks her head to one side as she passes.
"Ich werde das als ein nein nehmen*." Rose replies and sets her coffee cup down on the counter. "So," she continues in German. "What happened yesterday?"
"Do you really want the details?"
She nods.
"There were at least three guys and they were guys, Drang-Zorn, and two Höllentier—"
Rose runs a hand over her eyes. Just lovely.
"And there was the unmistakable stink of Jay."
"There usually is." She curses in Dutch. "I know a dealer in North Portland who's still active It'd be a start."
"Are you...on good terms?" He wonders.
"I sort of threatened him with Nick the last time I saw him." She winces. "It was after Freddy died...and I sort of lost it. Not that I was on terms with him before."
"Do you have an address or something? I can take Nick there, see if they're still around."
She nods and looks for her scrap paper to write down the address. "He's a fucking asshole so feel free to be as mean as possible. I told him that if he set one toe out of line, I'd set the Grimm after him. And—" She finishes and folds the paper in his hand. She lets her fingers settle on his wrist. "Monroe...I-I watched my dad...waste away and it was so awful... but I didn't hear him screaming, I didn't listen to him die..." She gestures toward her bedroom. "How is she going to be okay? I don't, I just don't know."
He settles his hands on her shoulders. "We're going to find her family and get her as far away from here as we can. And we're going to find the guys who did this so they can't do this to anyone else."
Rose nods silently.
"Okay?"
"Okay." She breathes and repeats. "We're gonna be okay."
"See, I told you." He grins.
"You know," Rose pulls him in a little closer. "I didn't get a good morning kiss..." she grins up at him. "I sorta like that tradition."
He doesn't need any other push and gathers her up in his arms. "Good morning." He murmurs to her.
"Good Morning." She grins. "Thank you for staying. And for getting her to eat... And, you know...everything."
"Of course. I like the Kiddo." He shrugs. "And you're not so bad yourself, I guess."
She pops up on her tiptoes and kisses him, looping her arms around his neck.
There's a small sound behind them and they part to find Malena standing in the doorway, smiling. Rose pulls away and wraps her sweater around her waist a little tighter. "You missed a spot." Rose insists, pointing to Malena's cheek.
Malena rolls her eyes and treads back to the bathroom.
"I should help her." Rose insists.
"I'll call you later." He promises, giving her one last kiss.
"I love you," she murmurs. "Be careful."
He grins. "I love you, too." He pulls on his coat as she heads over to help Malena clean up.
She grabs a washcloth from the top shelf of the linen closet and hands it to Malena. "This might help." Malena runs it under the tap while Rose runs her fingers through her hair and winces at her appearance, especially the dark circles under her eyes.
"Kiddo?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't mind that he was here when you woke up, did you?"
Malena runs the washcloth over her cheek. "No. I like Monroe. And he likes me. He brought me books."
Rose smiles. "Mythology books?"
"Yep."
"Rosie?"
"Yeah?"
"You like him too?"
Rose turns to the girl with the washcloth pressed against her cheek. "Yeah, but in a slightly different way than you do."
"Are you gonna marry him?"
"Why do you ask?"
Malena turns back to the mirror and finishes wiping off her cheek. "Isn't that what grown-ups do? Get married to nice people, have kids. I was just wondering. "
"The world is a complicated place, Kiddo." Rose says quietly. "There are no easy answers for anything."
"Yeah, I know." She sighs in a world-weary way and it breaks Rose's heart all over again.
*You speak German, Kid?
*I'll take that as a no
"And the girl?" A Balaam asked her the next morning in the shop.
Rose seals the tea bag and hands it over. "On her way to Florida this morning." The lies slip from her lips as easily as they always have.
The woman shakes her head. "Poor baby. I can't imagine...has the Council been contacted? Do the police know?"
Rose nods. "Both. The police have a few leads. And the Council contacted me this morning that three agents are enroute to deal with everything."
The woman nods. "I'll say a prayer for her." She looks down at her five-year-old son, hanging from her coattails. "We both will."
Rose waves to them as they head out the door and ducks back into the back to check on Malena.
She and Hank have covered her back window in drawings of herself, Monroe, Hank and all different manner of Wesen. Malena's a tiny teacher, pointing to various drawings that Rose barely recognizes as Wesen, and giving Hank quite the education. Hank's at rapt attention; Malena couldn't ask for a better student.
"What's going on here?"
Malena rolls her eyes. "He doesn't know anything, Rosie."
"He's a Kheresite." Rose mutters out of the corner of her mouth. "What do you expect?"
"Hey, now," Hank starts up. "I'm learning, aren't I, Kid?"
Malena trots back over to the far window where Hank's hung all of her pictures. It's a lovely addition, Rose decides. "She been good for you?"
"Great. Learning more from her than the books in Nick's trailer. Half of them are in German or French or..." he makes a face. "Latin."
"Ars longa, vita brevis*." Malena throws in over her shoulder.
"Are all Fuschbau smartasses like this?" Hank wonders.
Rose shrugs. "Sort of. My sister is downright terrifying when she wants to be."
Hank grins. "I can't imagine anyone related to you being terrifying."
"You'd be surprised." Rose grins. "Thank you again, for keeping an eye on her. She was up half the night with nightmares about the PWO and Nick. I didn't think she'd want him in a tiny room with her all day."
Hank smiles over at Malena. "Sort of reminds me why I joined the force in the first place, you know."
The bell above the door rings out. Rose holds her finger before her lips and returns to the front. Immediately it hits her; Höllentier.
She does her best to slap a smile on her face, while she texts Hank under the counter to have Malena listen close. "Can I help you?" She calls.
He runs his fingers over his eyes and across the bridge of his long nose, as if it's just too much to take in all at once. The shadows beneath his eyes are deep and purple and the jaundiced tinge to his face practically sings Jay to her. "Got a wicked headache. Got told this is a place to get help." He grumbles, voice low and raspy. He runs his fingers through his short dark hair.
"You detoxing?" She wonders.
He glares at her, as if daring her to say more.
"I know the look." She insists. "When was the last hit?"
He starts to snarl but pauses when she doesn't wilt or wince. "About two days ago..."
"I've got something in the back. Give me a sec." She excuses herself. The moment she closes the door, she catches sight of Hank already on the phone whispering to Nick and Malena crouched half under the bed with one hand covering her mouth.
Rose kneels down quick and kisses the top of Malena's head. "It'll be okay, Schatz, I promise. Just stay calm."
Malena only nods and buries her face in a pillow.
Rose turns to Hank who mouths "Stall him." She goes to the cabinet and pulls out several tiny bottles and heads to the front.
The man's wandered to the front door, like he's checking for something.
"I don't think I've seen you before." She starts. "You new in town?"
"Passing through." He replies and turns to her. "Fuschbau?"
She nods and measures out a few drops of almond oil into the sandalwood, ylang-ylang mixture. "This sort of work has been in my family for at least three generations."
He cocks his head to one side. "You pure?"
The word sends a chill down her spine. "I don't see how that matters much." She replies as evenly as she can. "I have a cure for your headache and you're not going to get anywhere else."
He moves to the front counter, his shoulders nearly cutting off the light from the street.
She stares straight up at him. "You and I both know the conventional methods won't work. And there isn't another shop like mine for a hundred miles."
"You're awfully sure of yourself." He murmurs.
She turns to the last bottle and drops in three of the peppermint. "I know what I'm capable of." She seals the bottle and shakes it. Rose slides it over the counter. "That'll be fifteen even."
Frowning, the man digs through his back pocket and slowly withdraws a gun and sets it on the table. He leans on his knuckles over her. "I don't think so."
She grabs her box cutters from under the counter and holds the blade just under his jaw. "Don't, for one second, think you can come into my city, hurt the people I care about and threaten my life over a headache cure and walk out of my store without a scratch."
He grins. "Big words for a Fuschbau with box cutters."
The bell above the door rings out again and she grins. "I wouldn't say that."
"Rose?" Monroe calls out. "Rose-" He must have caught sight of the gun.
"I'm fine." She calls out. "He might not be, though."
Monroe comes around the counter, eyes wide at the sight of her holding the blade against his neck. The man twists to see. "Blutbad. Well, well, well, no wonder you're attached to the little mutant."
Rose woges and presses the blade in hard enough, a few drops of blood trail down his neck. "Careful now," she hisses. "You wouldn't want that to be your last word, would you?"
"Rosalee..." Nick starts. "Put it down. I got him."
Monroe places his hand on her arm and tries to gently lower the box cutter blade away from his throat. "Rose..."
"You should listen to him. Wouldn't want blood all over your nice shop... Grundfalsch bitch, would you?"
Rose doesn't have to look over to see him woge and his hands drops away.
"Guys..." Nick starts. "Come on."
Slowly, she lets her hand fall, shaking from effort to keep from slashing across his throat. The man grins at the both of them as Nick pulls him back while he recites the Miranda rights. Monroe runs his hands over her shoulders and tries to capture her attention but Rose keeps her eyes on the man Nick's dragging out of the shop.
"You okay?" he asks.
She nods. "Yeah..."
Monroe cups her face in his hands, making her look at him. "He didn't do anything? Did he?"
"He just tried to threaten me. 'Tried' being the operative word." She manages to smile a little. "It's a good thing you two came in when you did. I might have done something really stupid."
"No, you wouldn't." He tells her and smiles.
Malena busts out the door and runs to her. Rose leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "It's okay, Schatz. Like I promised."
Malena just nods into Rose's hip.
*Art is long, life is short
"Rosie..." Malena's little voice echoes in her ears. "Miss Rosie, wake up!"
"Hmm?" Rose checks her phone. Four in the morning. "What's wrong, Schatz? Are you worried about the agents again? I told you they're all very nice." Not an hour after Nick hauled away the man named Anders away, Alexander and his protégée Gunther arrived with a small round woman who introduced herself as Fadia and would be accompanying Malena to her Aunt's house in Connecticut, once things settled down. Malena had taken to Gunther and Fadia carefully but still hung onto Rose's hand.
Malena's eyes are huge in her tiny olive face. "I heard them."
"Heard who, Schatz?" Rose sits up finally. And then she hears it too; a car horn gone on too long and heavy footsteps. She snatches up her phone and dials Nick's number, while Malena tucks herself against Rose's side.
"Burckhardt..." is the sleepy reply.
"Nick. I think they're back."
"And the officer outside?"
"I don't think he's going to be of much help." Rose murmurs. "Please hurry."
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just stay calm and keep away from the windows." He shuts off the phone.
With one hand, she texts Alexander, all the while keeping an eye on the windows and twisting at every sound. Malena tucks her face against Rose's back, trying to be as silent as possible. Rose reaches around and pulls the girl into her arms. "It's gonna be all right, Schatz."
"What does that mean?"
Rose pulls back and runs her fingers through Malena's hair. "It means 'treasure' in German. Someone started calling me that when I was sad."
"Did it make you feel better?
"It did." Rose whispers. "It did very much."
And then she smells it; smoke trailing through her window.
"Rosie..."
"Shhh." She flicks at her phone and there's only the answer: We're on our way.
The power goes out and plunges them into total darkness and silence. Rose clutches the girl to her, Malena clings back.
Glass splinters and Malena shrieks. Rose pushes her under the bed, passing her the phone. She grabs the wooden baseball bat from her closet, heading to the living room. She woges, missing a patch of moonlight and waits until two shadows duck into the kitchen. Gripping the bat hard, she listens for every footfall as they draw closer and closer. She pulls back and swings with all her might, feeling the other end of the bat connect with one of their heads. They roar and fall back into the kitchen.
Rose pulls the bat back as the other comes flying at her. She braces herself for the second one and holds the bat between both hands as he pushes her against the door. Pushing back with all her might, she aims a kick between his legs and he goes down. She lays down the bat with one sure stroke across his ribs and he cries out in pain. Savagely, she hopes she broke a few ribs. Smoke billows across the ceiling, thick and gray and Rose starts to call out to Malena.
The first one—Rose takes a deep inhale and amid the growing stench of smoke, sweat and blood, she smells Drang-Zorn— staggers into the living room. "Where's the little mutant?"
"Get the fuck out of my house, ingrate." Rose hisses, choking up on the bat.
"Where is she?!" He roars.
"I said 'Get the fuck out of my house!'" Rose roars right back and swings at him. He dodges this time.
She hadn't been paying attention to the other one and he suddenly appears behind her and grabs the bat out of her hands. He tosses it into the kitchen where it echoes on the linoleum. The Drang-Zorn steps up into her face. "Where. Is. The. Girl?"
Rose regards him for a minute before she spits in his face. "I'm not going to tell you again; get out of my house."
He turns and heads for Rose's bedroom. The Höllentier pinning her hands together gives her a hard squeeze. "Not a smart thing to do, Grundfalsch bitch."
"Fuck you!" She coughs. The smoke's building up, creating a haze in her kitchen. "You want this to be a murder-suicide thing?" She wonders.
"Shut up!" He shakes her a bit. "Where's the little mutant?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She growls. "She's an eight year old girl."
"She's a mistake!"
Rose stomps hard on his foot, but he doesn't move. He only squeezes her clasped hands together harder. The Drang-Zorn drags Malena out by her arm, holding her cell phone a loft. "Calling on friends, are we?"
Rose just smiles sweetly at him and shrugs.
The Drang-Zorn tosses Malena to the ground and hits Rose right in the diaphragm. "Rosie!" Malena cries out. Rose collapses on ground, hitting her head on the coffee table on the way down.
She sees stars for a minute and Malena's voice cracks and breaks with the sound of shattering glasses and screams. She can't catch her breath, can't find the horizon line.
Malena's a dark shape to her right, biting at one of the men's legs, while the other tries to pull her off. She looks to her left and realizes that her bedroom is on fire. But only in a vague, semi-concerned sort of way.
The Höllentier looms over her, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and hauling her up again. More glass shatters from the fire that's spread to her bathroom.
"Rosie!"
"Rose!"
There are too many people, too much noise and she can't grab enough air. She needs to get Malena out. Out...out...
A dark shapes moves through the apartment and Rose tries to call out to it. She falls to the ground again, pain blooming against her cheek. The linoleum isn't cool against her face, in fact it sort of feels like it's melting.
"There's no where to run, Grundfalsch bitch!" The Höllentier stands over her.
Rose reaches out and finds the bat. She grips it tight in both hands and swings hard. He falls over against her kitchen counter. Dragging the bat with her, Rose crawls out of the kitchen.
The dark shape appears and grabs her and hauls her out the door. The cold night air hits like a punch in the gut and makes her feel all her lumps and bumps. On thought carries her through. "Schatz...Kiddo..." she starts, her tongue thick with smoke and blood. "The girl! I need to get to her!" she tries.
This time when she hits the ground, the pavement is cool against her cheek. "Schatz...Schatz...can you hear me?"
"Malena..." Rose mutters. "She's got...asthma...I need- I need..."
Alexander's hand presses to her shoulder. "It's all right, Schatz. Just be still. Help's coming."
With every deep breath, clearing her lungs of smoke and the ache starting to set in, Rose starts to hear the fire trucks and the ambulances roaring closer and closer. Just as the first ambulance pulls up, Nick comes barreling down the stairs with a lump in his arms.
"Malena!" Rose cries out but can't find the strength to get off the ground.
Nick deposits the girl in her arms, panting. "Where's Monroe? He went in first."
Rose turns to Alexander, who's crouched around her like a shield. Alexander shakes his head.
Nick gets up and runs straight back into the apartment.
"What in the hell is he doing?" Alexander asks.
"He's going back for his friend." Malena coughs and leans into Rose's shoulder as the EMTs approach. One kneels down in front of Rose and hands her a breathing mask and starts checking her eyes for concussion. He hands her an ice pack and moves on to the help his partner lift Malena onto a gurney.
"Rosie..." Malena rasps through her own oxygen mask.
As if by magic, Fadia appears next to the girl on the gurney.
"It's okay, Schatz, I'll be there soon." Alexander helps her stand. "I just have to check on Monroe, okay?"
Malena nods as the load her into the back of the ambulance. They close up the doors and take off.
Alexander loops one arm around Rose and helps hold her up as two shapes emerge from the now entirely on fire building. Rose tries to lurch forward but Alexander keeps her firmly in place.
Nick and Monroe collapse on the pavement three feet from her and Rose leaps away. Nick curls on his side, coughing and strangely pale. Rose pushes away sweat soaked curls from Monroe's forehead. Unlike when he's usually asleep, he doesn't move closer. He doesn't even seem to know she's there. "Liebling... Liebling. Monroe, can you hear me?" She presses her fingers against his neck, his pulse is thready and weak. "Monroe? Please...wake up."
The EMTs rush forward past Rose; Alexander tries to pull her away. "No...no— Alexander, you don't understand. I need to help him, please!"
"It's all right, Schatz," He murmurs. "I'll take you to the hospital and we'll see how he is. It's all right."
The waiting room feels eternal, eons pass outside and inside nothing changes. Nothing moves. The clock on the waiting room is stuck at 3:45AM and the T.V.'s off. She looks down at her father's watch and regrets for the ten thousandth time that hour that she never got him to fix it. And she may not get the chance.
Nick tries to get her to give her more details about the break in and the two men but after a few failed attempts, Juliette, who met them there, pats his arm and distracts him.
"Where's the Kiddo?" Hanks wonders on her other side.
"With her agent in the pediatric wing. Its one of the few things I'm grateful for." Rose murmurs, re-adjusting the ice pack on the back of her head. Alexander has been drifting back and forth between the ER waiting room to Malena's room to give updates. "She's been through enough, doesn't need to see this too."
"Do you think you'll see her before she leaves?"
"I hope so." She looks over. "I can say good bye for you if you want."
He grins. "That'd be nice."
"She liked you. A lot. She drew you a picture. But...um..."
Carefully, he puts one arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. She can make me another one." Rose just nods. "Usually, the kids only like Wu." He goes on. "He's got a binder full of drawings they make him and he makes a big deal of adding new ones to it..." He goes on and one and Rose clings to each word. She knows he's doing it only as a distraction and she's grateful for anything to keep checking watches and clocks that don't work.
An ice age has passed and Juliette's gone to sleep against Nick's shoulder when the doctor finally emerges. He says a lot words that she doesn't quite grasp but at the end he says: "He's awake and you can see him, if you'd like."
No one else gets up and they smile at her like there's some big secret, saying they'll be there in a minute. She follows the doctor until they reach an open door, much like all the others.
"His blood work looks good and there's only one serious burn on his forearm. We'll keep him over night just to be safe but there's no reason he can't go home in the morning. " The doctor says quietly. "He might sound a bit raspy though for a while and he'll be susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia for a bit, so keep an eye out. Thankfully it'll be summer soon and we won't have to worry much more about the rain."
Rose nods. "But there's no permanent damage? He was out for a while."
"Everything looks reasonably good for the amount of smoke he inhaled. He was lucky." He checks his watch and makes his apologies, leaving Rose standing outside the room door, wrapping one arm around her middle and trying not to cry in relief.
She pokes her head around the corner to find him, sitting up and smiling at her. He makes the "come here" gesture and it's the last thing she sees as the tears win out and he blurs before her. She walks in with carefully measured steps until she reaches the bed.
Rose furiously wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand but it doesn't help any. She takes his outstretched hand and makes her self look up at him with the cannula snaked under his nose and the pale set of his face.
"I...I..." she tries to find the words as she sits on the corner of the bed. He settles his hand against her thigh to pull her in close. She grips his wrist and tries to swallow back the tears again. "No more fires, all right?" Rose manages to choke out. "I'm putting my foot down."
He nods.
"We're not doing this ever again. Ever."
He nods again.
She leans over him and kisses both of his eyelids and the bridge of his nose, each freckle she can find. "No exit points, remember?"
He cups his free hand around the back of her neck and holds her close for a moment. "No exit points..." he manages to rasp out. And every syllable is like a knife in her chest.
Rose throws her arms around his neck and buries her face against his collarbone, promising herself to never take it for granted ever again.
*CURLS UP DEFENSIVELY "NOT THE FACE!"
I'M SORRY! The Whumping is not over, but unfortunately I have to finish getting ready for Camp NaNoWriMo and won't be back for another month or so.
Also, yes, every Oregonian has Marionberry something in their house. If you don't, you get carted off by the secret police.
