"Orphans Beloved: "The Trouble With Ansley…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended…
Part XXI…
"I see you've shot my husband…A unique way to get acquainted." Siobhan noted. "But he's had worse…Aldous? Are you going to need to leave us?"
"I'll be fine. Ally…I think I wouldn't mind going through your choice selection of pain-killers if you'd bring them over." Leekie looked up to her, clasping scarf about knee.
"That's a foolish waste of a pretty thing, even if it's not yours love…" Siobhan eyed the scarf. "Well, get your box of pills and bring along a roll of paper towels and some bandages. And leave the gun, dear." She waved her pistol. "I won't insult your intelligence by making idle threats, Allison." Cool stare…
"Siobhan…" Leekie began.
"Aldous…You're a good father but leave this to me." She waved him off.
"Allison? I won't ask again. And you'll be no good to the chicks dead, kitten. Slowly now…"
Allison put the gun slowly on the coffee table.
"Thank you. Please get the other things now…And if you do have another gun about the place don't get clever and come back with it." She took a seat gingerly by Leekie, examining his wound quickly with a glance, pulling his trousers a bit.
Allison moved to her living room bureau, opening the locked cabinet to pull out a box of labeled pills. Pondering…
She turned round and carried the box over to the coffee table, her gun there gone now. She set the box down. "I'll get some towels and bandages in the kitchen."
"Keep where I can see you, love." Siobhan, pleasantly.
"What about Rachel and Don…At Dyad?" Aldous at Siobhan.
"What has to be done, will be done…" she shrugged.
"Not Rachel…" he insisted. "Siobhan…"
"You're too close to things Aldous…I always warned you to keep a distance." Calm stare.
"Like you, with Sarah and Kira."
"Yes…" cool nod. "Like me with Sarah and Kira…I told Rachel not to stay, she being not important enough for our friends to spring but knowing too much and being of too much interest to all concerned. If she didn't clear out in time, just to keep her piece of the Dyad pie, that's her misfortune…Oh, and here she is…" smile to the approaching Allison bearing a roll of paper towels in one hand, bandages in the other.
"Right here, love." Siobhan patted the table in front of her. "And now, have a sit down. No need to do the amenities with Mum and Dad." Grin…As Leekie, after swallowing some pills, began taping up his wound.
"You're not my mother."Allison, calmly, sitting…
"If you like…" nod. "Probably makes it easier at that."
"I'm grateful…" Allison, pausing… "I was too hard on my birth mother. Especially after I found out she'd fallen for Dr. Leekie's line and let him worm his way into my life and poison my marriage. I'll have to apologize to her. She's a very controlling woman, very nervous about things but she's not a monster."
"I understand you might see me that way, love." Siobhan nodded.
"It's inescapable under the circumstances, Dr. Sadler…Or is it, Dr. Leekie…?"
"No, I kept my name…It was the eighties, love. And we were of the radical persuasion." Smile.
"So Sarah mentioned…How does that jibe with becoming Dr. Mengele? Some weird perversion of the ends justifying the means…?"
"Very good…And in the end, the only philosophy that works."
….
I'm expendable?…I…? Rachel thought as Donnie looked round the dark lab they'd entered.
"Where does the rear door lead?"
"Hallway on the other side of course…" she frowned. "Well?"
"Where's Mrs. Leekie…Or whoever? Your mother…All of you's mother…"
"How should I know? Have Allison ask Aldous!"
"Ok, so there is one…Thanks…" he eyed her.
"We just agreed, birdbrain…" she frowned… Groaning… "Now lets get imitation wifey out of here or real wifey pays…"
"No, we didn't. I just mentioned Ally's thought on the subject. And since your mother is gunning for you, why should I think you can protect Ally?" he eyed her.
"Some of them will still listen to me…" she insisted, a bit less domineering. "Donnie…You can't leave me here. Allison wouldn't like it."
"I think she'd like it just fine. Where can we find your mother?"
"Goddamn you…I'm wounded…Look at me…I'm the same as Allison…" her plea turning anxious… "Donnie, don't let me die here. You can't…"
"You're not the same as Ally…She is not you." He frowned. "Your mother is still free, where can we find her?"
"Wherever Sarah is…She'll be close…Good enough?" annoyed cock of head. "You're right…Kira is her main concern now…So find Sarah and Kira and you'll likely find Mother."
"Or lead her to Kira…No, thanks…"
Sudden sound outside…A light in the hallway visible…
"Quiet…" he cautioned, whispering. "Come on…We'll try the other side."
"You have my phone…Could you call the police? Not all of them can be with her…Beth's partner who's been helping Sarah…?" Rachel urged.
"When we get out of here, sure…I…"
Rattle of the lab door…He put up a hand…Looking round for something to use as a weapon. They both moved back toward the rear door, slowly. Rachel, struggling to walk, leaning on his arm. The rattling stopped and was repeated one door down from them.
Both looked at each other, relieved.
"God!" she yelped as her foot struck a cabinet in the dark.
"Judas Priest!" he yanked her back, and carrying her, ran for the rear door as the front was shot open in two quick shots…
"Hendrix! Ms. Duncan!" cry…
He slammed the rear door shut behind them and setting the astounded and whimpering from pain Rachel down, half-dragged, half-led her down the opposing hall to an open elevator…Which failed to close on his pressing buttons.
"They've shut the power down, idiot!" she hissed. The lab rear door opening…
Oh, boy…Donnie sighed…Looking round…
Well, there's always the emergency button…He pressed as he peered out…An alarm bell rang…
"Hold it…" Angie, pointing gun. "Both of you, step out…"
"Oh, hi…" he nodded at her pleasantly, covering Rachel. "Sorry, I thought the other guy…" he tried…
"We both know…I'm the other guy, Mr. Hendrix…" Angie sighed…As the doors suddenly began closing, lights coming on all over…She staring…Rachel grabbing and pulling Donnie back…
"Damn!" Angie thrust a foot forward into the elevator, trying to aim gun…The gun clicked, empty…She struck out violently as the door reopened and Donnie grabbed her, pulling her in…
….
"So is this where we meet?" Art eyed Sarah as they sat in the highway parking lot. "Sarah, no offense but this is a pretty easy place to…"
"Not exactly…This is where I call from…In six minutes." She noted after a look at the car's clock.
"You can't call now?"
"If I do, Fee knows I'm either not me or under Dyad control…Is that better?" she eyed him. "Dipshit?"
"It is…Please never call me that again, Ms. Manning…" cool stare…
Long pause…
"Sorry. Thoughtless." She sighed. "Wish to God, she'd hooked up with you, Art. She'd be alive now, I know it. And no more will be said on the subject, I swear…" she eyed his look.
"It's time…You better call."
….
"So, love…"Siobhan eyed Allison. "You wanted to make a deal for your family. If it's still your intention and Kira or at least Sarah is part of the package…I'm sure an arrangement can be made."
"Donnie…Or it's no deal."
"That's nice…Aldous made a fine choice, I must give him credit."
"I made the choice…Not you two. I met him, I took him back in college…And I chose to believe in him now."
"I can't guarantee his safely, love." Hard stare. "You chose to leave him at Dyad, under the heavy guns…"
"I didn't think you'd kill your own…For such trivial reasons…Dr. Leekie seem ed to think getting out of prison for Dyaders was a piece of cake."
"For Aldous, certainly…For anyone else…Not so easy." Shrug… "I can call…See if he's still out and about, try to call the dogs off. But, first…I need some proof you're not just talkin' out of the horse's arse, kitten."
Allison sighed… "Can I use my phone?"
"Of course…But if you call Detective Bell or the police…I'm going to make a call that will end with Gemma getting a bullet though your mother's living room window. It might miss, it might end up in her head."
"Siobhan." Leekie glared.
"We've lost too many of the girls, too many daughters, too many friends, to give up now, Aldous…Not when Kira has the key to everything we've been seeking. Allison, I don't want to hurt you or your little girl. I know that pain a thousandfold. But this is a chance to remake human destiny. To change everything and to remake the world, for everyone. To choke the bastards to death with their own bioweapons. I can't let anyone, not even my own children, not even you…Not even Sarah…Destroy all we've fought for. Now…?"
"I said…Can I use my phone?" Allison, brittley…
"You've got guts, love. Yes, you are a…"
"Call me your daughter in some sentimental Celtic way and I'll break this phone…" she eyed Siobhan coldly… "Ok?"
"Yes, go ahead." Nod. Wry grin to Leekie, who shook his head at her.
"Sarah? This is Allison. I have your foster mother on the line."