IMPORTANT: I didn't get a email notification for the last chapter update, which I always have, so if you're getting one for this one (Chapter 25), be sure to read Chapter 24 if you haven't.
These drabbles are winding down, so here are five of the better premises that I have had in the past two years, written as teasers/sneak peeks.
I might turn one or more into full fics that will likely reuse elements of each part because I'm still working on plot-arc-resolution. It will be a separate post, as I've shared before and it might take me a long time to post if I decide that I need it all plotted out before I start posting or writing.
Happy reading, and drop a line if you want or want to sway me on one premise over another.
Chapter 25: The Sting–ers
Summary:
The opening scenes of five AU premises/prompts.
…
King and Queen
Han stretched his arms as he made his way to his bedroom, flicking on the light and jumping slightly when he finds an occupant in his bed.
"What are you doing here?" he asks the woman draped in one of his old t-shirts, as he places his badge on top of his drawer.
"That's no way to greet your wife," Gisele replies, scooting over and patting the spot for Han.
"It was never legal."
"Maybe not here."
"Leave before I throw you out!"
"There's that fire that I love," Gisele sits up, "Bad day at work? I saw your partner. You sure have a type, don't you?"
Han offbalance as he's trying to remove his shoes, finally sits down next to Gisele.
"Soon enough you'll hook her in and then what? Do what I couldn't?"
"Why are you here?" he asks, avoiding her questioning as she sides shoulder to shoulder with him.
"I was in the neighborhood," she tells him, loosening the knot on his tie, breath at his ear, "You look really good. Suit and tie every day, though?"
"Don't-"
"Don't kiss me back."
Their lips almost meet, but he sharply turns his head away, lying down on the bed, "Get out."
"I'm here on official business. I thought I'd give you a fair warning before I walked into your headquarters tomorrow," Gisele informs, walking away as Han stares at the ceiling.
..
Rook
"Harabo, Stasiak, conference room," Luke Hobbs commands, stalking across the police station.
The woman drops her pen and follows the captain while the man is rushing to, caught in a storm of papers, trying to at least stack them neatly.
"Helene, please send in Ortiz, Lue, and O'Conner," the large man requests from the intercom.
A man in a cop uniform, and two others, a man and a woman in street clothes join the table.
"Stolen goods. TVs, computers, furniture even. Some of you may think this is small stuff, but we stop them now, and we might be able to prevent escalation into larger crimes. Give 'em a good scare. Someone has to do it, so here we are," Hobbs distributes the case files.
"The culprits move fast with sports cars. We need people on the inside. Harabo, I need you on the ground floor with Ortiz and O'Conner, Stasiak you're backup, Lue will go back and forth as needed. Get to it."
..
Bishop
A tall brunette entered the dimly lit bar on a mission to find a friend of a friend.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asks.
Dark hair, dark eyes –his name tag gave him away immediately.
"Gin and tonic."
She finishes her drink, and another, fiddling with her phone as she runs her fingers on the rim of the glass.
"Excuse me," The bartender interrupts, switching out the bar snack mix bowl, "Can I get you another?"
"Uh…" the woman hesitates, checking her watch.
"Company's late?"
"No. This was on my way…Are you still serving food?"
"I'll get you a menu," he smiles, the unmistakably warm one she's seen in pictures, "Pick any table and I'll be with you in a moment."
A chicken sandwich and a water later, the woman fingered the neckline of her black turtleneck, trying to absorb the words on the page of her novel with no luck.
The sparse bar emptied out even more, until last call was announced.
"I kn—We have a mutual friend," the woman starts softly, handing him an envelope, "You're Han?"
The man nods, swallowing the last of the bar nuts, accepting the lightweight and well-worn object, and debated opening the message then and there when he recognizes the handwriting.
The woman debated leaving, but was taking her time to settle her bill and pack away her book.
"Is she okay?" The bartender rolls back up his unraveling shirtsleeve, wiping down the adjacent table.
"I don't know," The woman answers, her soft and sympathetic eyes meeting the man's, "That's why I'm here…"
..
Knight
The post streetrace party was hopping as Han had his arms over two women as they lounged on the couch when Gisele approached.
"You're Han. Red mustang?" Gisele inquires, taking the spot of the woman on Han's left, "Can we talk?"
"Talk," Han nods casually over the loud music as the woman on his right nibbles his earlobe.
"I know Dom."
"Have we met?" Han states smoothly.
Gisele tries another approach, leaning in, hands gently clawing at his neck, as she whispers, just as smoothly, "I've been looking for you. For four days and fourteen hours. Get me alone and maybe I'll jog your memory. Just you."
"Third door on the right," Han answers as be detangles himself.
Gisele flips the lightswitch to the office, uncrossing her arms to take a bottle from Han when he finally enters the room, "I need an ID and a passport."
"Business."
"Five days," Gisele sighs, placing her drink down, and then sternly, "Can you help me or not?"
Han nods, traipsing to the desk, clearing a chair for Gisele, "I'll try. You can stay here, wait out there or wherever and check back in thirty minutes."
Gisele sits as they wait for a call. Han returns with a bag of chips.
"We've never met. I would have remembered-" Han starts as ringing interrupts, and then after a short chat that leads to another call, he scribbles on a notepad, handing the address to Gisele, "Be there in forty minutes."
"Can you get me a car?"
"Maybe in a week," Han responds, offering chips to Gisele, which she nods away.
"Does 2WAQ mean anything to you," Gisele responds with the 'secret code."
"Six days. Four if we're lucky. Day's notice…I think I can get you a new set of license plates."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
A FEW DAYS LATER
The dial tone on her cell phone continued when Gisele heard a clatter from inside the garage, and then a groan when she goes to check, a man is on the floor with a gun pointed at him, as another man kicks.
Gisele freezes before slowly walking away and debating on calling the police, she knows this world, perhaps it's just a scare tactic, and nothing more and she can't expose whatever side deals this man is a part of, especially if it's helping her out.
But it's too late, as a shotgun cocks, aimed at Gisele's head, "Easy. Drop the phone."
"I-I-I won't say anything. Please," Gisele acts, hopefully giving off an innocence that these men presumed, grateful to be in her cardigan and tennis shoes.
"I told you we should have locked the place down," the younger, tanner, bald man argues, pushing the garage door button and leading Gisele to the seat besides Han.
"They are closed on Sundays," a well-groomed blond man in a black suit and tie emerges, wrapping his bloodied hand, "Is this your girlfriend? Friend?"
Han kept his mouth shut, thinking these guys would kill her either way, stranger, friend or girlfriend.
"It doesn't matter. I tried the nice way. Tie them up and start searching, start with the cars."
..
Pawn
"Your cell's been ringing for a long while now," Han tells Gisele when she returns to the café table.
"It's yours."
Han nods a no, downing his beer, taking his cell from his chest pocket, as the vibrating continued.
"I ran out of minutes on my burner. I was going to get a new one later tonight," Gisele responds, reaching slowly into her coat slung on the chair, "Hello? This isn't the owner's—"
"Ms. Harabo, enjoying Hong Kong?" A man's jovial voice on the other end ponders.
"Who's this?" Gisele sneaks a confused and cautious look towards Han, and the couple looks around for signs of the caller, or a familiar face.
"Just a guy at the right place at right time."
"What do you want?"
"A face to face meeting. I misplaced something and need help finding it…"