"You should have left me at the bar."
As they walked in to the Toronto Police Department Mike was growing tired of Sinead's constant bitching. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, not even for a moment" he replied as he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her towards his old desk.
As he looked over at his empty workspace Mike found himself pining for his job back. It had only been a few days since his suspension and he already felt homesick.
"If you're looking for Mike he's not here" piped Detective Kate Lam in a snide tone from her cubicle.
"Kate. Hi..." Mike replied awkwardly, surprised by his partner's gruff greeting.
"It's Detective Lam to you" she said bluntly, her focus on the computer as she tapped angrily at the keyboard.
Mike had seen Kate a little upset and stressed from time to time, but she looked particularly bothered by his presence. He scratched his scalp and was reminded by the brown curls atop his head that he was in Henry's body. Her jaw was grinding back and forth. "Something wrong?" he asked cautiously.
"You want to know what's wrong? I'm pissed because our case load is through the roof. We need Mike here, and it wasn't for you and Vicki he'd still be on the job."
Forcing back a smile Mike was a little proud of Kate for defending him - and the way her nostrils were flaring angrily was actually kind of cute. He fumbled and tried to say something but was wary that any word at all would just elicit more anger from the female detective.
"Mike's a good cop...." Kate continued, her arms folded across her chest, "or more accurately he was a good cop until you and Nelson dragged him in to your little soap opera."
Celucci stuttered, "I don't know what to say." He agreed with her but he'd never realized that it was that obvious to the rest of his team. "If it means anything at all... I'm here to try to fix things..."
"Oh please... you? Fix things? With what? That boyish charm you're always using on Vicki? It might work on her but it won't get you any favors here." Kate shook her head and resumed typing. "Why don't you go back and play your little private detective games and leave us professionals to actually get the job done?"
Mike fumbled and struggled to say something, then sighed in defeat. Sinead was tapping her foot impatiently behind him - her arms folded as she yawned melodramatically then patted her mouth with one hand. He gave the vampire witch a stern glance before turning back to Kate. "I need to see Crowley.... is she here?"
"She's in her office." Kate replied nonchalantly as she gestured to the other side of the office.
"Thanks." Mike gave her a polite smile but didn't get one in return. "C'mon..." he then whispered to Sinead, yanking her by the arm again. "Follow me."
"Hey! Get your hands off me. I'm not your fucking dog" she growled.
"Yeah, well how 'bout you stop acting like such a bitch then huh?" He tugged aggressively on her arm again.
As they approached Crowley's office they were stopped by Detective Dave Graham. "Well helloooo gorgeous" he exclaimed loudly as he looked at Sinead, letting out a low toned whistle of approval.
"Well hello there yourself...Detective?" Sinead asked tentatively, her sour expression quickly shifting to her vixen-like sultry demeanor. She swayed her hips to one side and pursed her full red lips.
Dave reached out and took her hand, placing a kiss upon her fingers. "Detective Dave Graham at your service. Wow... Sinead... that's a beautiful name..." His eyes drifted downward to the ample cleavage that overflowed from her tight dress.
Mike cleared his throat and raised his eyebrow. "Dave...seriously...shopping for another wife already?"
Detective Graham was unsure how to respond to the man he only knew as the mysterious Henry Fitzroy. "Has that Celluci been trash-talkin 'bout me?" He turned and gave Sinead a smile. "Don't listen to a word you hear about me. It's all lies I tell ya."
"Uh..sure" responded Mike, suddenly distracted by Dave's scent. The portly detective had an alluring odor that he had never noticed before – musky yet sweet. Was it Dave's blood, or was it the scent of sugar and grease as it oozed from the man's pores? It made Mike hungry. He began to wonder if drinking Dave's blood would be like the vampire equivalent a big, juicy steak, or would it be more like warm cordial – blood thick with sugary syrup? Oh God, Mike cringed upon the realization that he was actually considering eating his colleague. What the hell is wrong with me?
"Hey don't suppose you've seen Mike lately have you?" Detective Graham asked.
"Uh..." Mike stammered, trying to shake off the mental image of biting into Dave's short and chubby neck. "Not for a few days."
"Well if you see him, tell him I hope to see him back here soon." Dave added. "I'll have doughnuts waitin' for him."
"Aren't you just the sweetest" gushed Sinead, "I could just eat you up." Her eyes flashed black with hunger.
Mike saw Sinead's reaction and growled as he grabbed her by the arm again. Clearly she could smell him too. "We need to see Crowley."
"OK well... have fun." Dave turned to Sinead again and gave her a smile. "If there is anything you ever need, be sure to come and see me."
Sinead fluttered her eyelids at him and licked her lips. "Well thank you Detective. Perhaps I'll take you up on that offer." She let her gaze linger before following Mike down the hallway.
As they approached Crowley's office they found the door open and the Captain sitting inside at her desk with head buried in paperwork. Mike rapped gently on the door. "Captain Crowley?"
Crowley looked up but remained expressionless. She always looked like that – as if the wind had changed one day and fixed her expression to one of total indifference. "Well....if it isn't Vicki Nelson's lapdog...." she then looked over at Sinead, "and friend....what the hell do you want? I'm busy."
Mike took a step toward his boss's desk. "I came to talk to you about my... I mean... Detective Celluci's suspension."
Sinead was busy staring back out into the precinct, fixated on Dave Graham's every move.
Crowley was grinding her teeth, clearly impatient and bothered by the interruption. "That would be official police business, and given you're a civilian I suggest you turn around and walk straight back out of my office."
Mike sighed loudly through his nose while ruffling his hair with one hand. He turned and closed Crowley's door, then drew the Venetian blinds for privacy. Sinead continued to be distracted - peeping at Dave through a gap in the now-closed blinds.
Crowley stood up. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
In an instant Mike was in Crowley's face. His fangs descended and eyes as dark as night. "You're going to listen to me very carefully. You'll do exactly as I say."
The expression on the Captain's face turned even less expressionless – the muscles in her face relaxing – the wrinkles in her furrowed brow flattening. "OK" she replied to Mike.
"Detective Celluci is one of your best Detectives. You're going to undo his suspension. You will reinstate him immediately is that clear?"
"Yes, understood." Crowley replied obediently.
"And.... when you see him next you're going to commend him for the fantastic work he did on the kidnapping case." Mike added.
"Agreed." Crowley replied.
"But most of all...... you're going to take that goddamn stick outta your ass and stop being such a bitch! Start being a little nicer to everyone around here. Is that clear?"
Sinead gasped loudly as she realized what Mike was up to. She finally averted her obsessive gaze from Dave and raced to Mike's side. "You glamored her didn't you?"
"Never you mind." snapped Mike.
"Let me try."
"Forget it. No way."
There was a knock at the door. "Captain Crowley?" Kate was calling from outside the office door. "I've got those reports you were waiting on." When there was no response Kate knocked again. "Captain? Everything OK in there?"
Mike looked at the door, then looked back at Crowley. "Tell her to go away."
"Everything is fine Detective Lam" yelled Crowley towards the door. "Please come back later."
"Wait!" shouted Sinead. She raced back to the office door, flung it open and grabbed Kate by the shirt and pulled her inside.
"What the hell?" cried Kate as she struggled with the female vampire.
"Goddammit Sinead! Let her go!" Mike screamed as he watched her pin Detective Lam to the wall, her hand closing tightly around the woman's neck.
"Why should you get to have all the fun?" she spat back at him, the detective struggling under her tight grip.
"I swear to God... if you hurt her.."
"Relax Detective Celluci. I just want to try this glamour thing. If you can do it so can I." Sinead chuckled quietly then turned her attention to Kate. "Now calm down Ms Kate.. stop trying to reach for your gun... and look into my eyes...."
"Sinead... don't... stop it." Mike begged, but it was too late.
The female vampire's eyes were already as black as night as she hypnotically stared at Detective Lam. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Yes" murmured Kate.
"Well don't be afraid. I'm going to let you go now, but you're not going to fight me are you?"
"No" replied Kate.
"I told you to get away from her!" Mike flung himself at Sinead, forcing her up against the adjacent office wall.
Sinead pushed back, sending Mike flying back into the centre of the room, reminding him that her strength matched his own. "Oh what's wrong Michael?" She laughed sarcastically. "So it's OK to screw with your boss but not your colleague? Why so protective of Ms Kate here?"
"She doesn't deserve to be messed with."
"Ohhhh you like her don't you..." Sinead sauntered back over to Detective Lam and whispered in her ear "Did you know that Detective Celluci here has a little crush on you?"
Kate looked flustered and confused. "Mike is here?"
"Yes he is. He's right over there." Sinead gestured with her head in Mike's direction. "He's borrowed Henry Fitzroy's body for a little while."
"Kate, don't listen to her."
"It's no use Detective. She's under my control, not yours." Sinead replied smugly before circling Kate, studying her, looking her up and down. Sinead raised her nose to the air and inhaled deeply. "Oh can you smell that Michael? I think it's Kate's time of the month. I guess that would explain her foul mood."
Mike cringed, slightly disgusted at his ability to smell when a woman was having her period. There were certain things a man preferred to be totally clueless about – and this was definitely one of them. Yet, at the same time, as he became more aware of Kate's unique scent, it teased him like a batch of freshly baked cookies straight out of the oven. It was different to that of the blood he had taken from the girl back at the restroom. Mike closed his eyes for just a moment to savor it, then cringed again at his actions.
"Oh Kate" Sinead continued as she swept the female detective's long black hair to one side. "Can you see the power you have over Detective Celluci? He's all weak at the knees for you. Why don't you take a little step closer to him?"
"Sinead.. seriously.. enough with the games!" Mike was frustrated, feeling cornered in a room full of women. He kept expecting Crowley to bark orders from over at her desk, yet she sat complacent and quiet, watching the other people in the room with her blank expression. As he wrung his fingers through his hair he wasn't sure if he should fight or flee. Mike feared he may hurt someone, and he feared that someone might not be Sinead.
Sinead took a step forward with Kate. She reached out and trailed a finger along the detective's neck. "Can you hear her heart beating Michael? Can you see her blood pumping beneath her skin. Warm, thick, delicious, just begging to be tasted."
Mike felt weak, his mouth was salivating, his tongue running over his fangs as Sinead mercilessly teased him. "No. I won't do it."
"But it's what we are now. This is what we do."
"Not to Kate."
Sinead laughed quietly. "Detective Lam, why don't you show Detective Celluci just how willing you are to be his?"
Kate took a few more steps towards Mike, a faint smile on her face. She closed her eyes and arched her neck towards him.
Mike clenched his fists, fighting temptation while his whole body demanded he drink. Maybe he could take just a little? Maybe it wouldn't hurt? He leaned in closer towards her neck, licking his lips as he felt the heat of her blood radiating from her flesh. Kate's heart rate seemed slow and relaxed - she seemed willing and waiting. Mike nervously placed his lips against her skin, closing his eyes as he bit down, feeling his fangs pierce her vein as the blood began to dribble into his mouth. He lapped at it with his tongue as Kate sighed leaned against him. Soon he was gulping it down like the hungry beast that he was. This was so much more intimate, so much more fulfilling than the girl at the bar.
"That's it..." Sinead cooed quietly.
Mike growled and pulled away, quickly stepping backwards. "No! This isn't me! I'm not that bastard Fitzroy!"
"Oh but you are him. It was part of the deal remember?"
"No, not any more. The deal is off. Change me back!"
"Hah.. no way. I'm not done with you yet Michael."
"This is supposed to be about Henry. Not me. Turn me back Sinead! Now!"
"You're such a fool... did you seriously believe we were playing by your rules? No wonder Vicki walks all over you... it's just so easy."
"You bitch!"
"I'll turn you back when and if I'm good and ready. In the meantime. You're stuck with me."
"I'm going to kill you Sinead. I swear to God."
Sinead laughed hysterically. "Oh Michael... you want to do all sorts of naughty things to me, but killing me is not the top of your list."
Mike growled. The monster inside him wanted to tear the witch to shreds. The animal within wanted to throw her down and screw her senseless, but most all, the man inside him wanted to run home and cry to his momma.
Mike Celluci had dug his own grave and now he was desperate to claw his way out of it. He was in over his head, and he needed help.
There was only one place he could turn.