Title: The Agency: Meeting of Souls 28/??

Italics telepathy

Many thanks to ShenLong Deb for betaing this chapter.

Chapter Twenty Eight

He had the distinct feeling they were in serious trouble.

Wu Fei had never had the dubious pleasure of being near Treize when the Prime was generating such rage. In his opinion the word 'anger' did not do the raw emotion emanating from the man justice. Not even when Wu Fei had cast aspirations on his ethics over his interest in a certain blonde student had Treize generated such powerful emotion.

The very air around the Prime seemed to shimmer with the force of his temper and Wu Fei felt his hackles rising in response. He wanted nothing more than to shift his backside out the door with as much speed as he could muster… and Chang Wu Fei could muster quite a turn of speed if the occasion called for it.

He was, however, the man's partner and his back up.

There was no one else in their immediate vicinity with an iota of knowledge usable in this situation and thus the responsibility fell to him. As the nearest Psi registered talent and as an Agency employee, the man's partner, he had to step into the field of danger and attempt to assist the Prime in regaining control of his abilities. He wanted to make himself scarce but he could not forget where they were.

Tsuberov was a school for the Psychically gifted and there were vulnerable young people at risk. By the time they could get the University training staff involved it would be too late; for everyone, including Treize.

The best thing he could do, Chang decided, would be to remind the Prime of just where they were and that he was not alone in the room. Treize had to moderate his reaction for the comfort and safety of others.

A quick glance toward the third body in the room revealed a very wary Heero Yuy edging toward the door and escape. An eminently sensible reaction, Wu Fei decided. Yuy was not keen on the idea of lingering in the immediate vicinity if the Prime was about to lose whatever control remained to him and Yuy certainly had no defence against a Prime run amuck.

Not that Wu Fei himself stood much of a chance against the man. He might have all of a second to attempt to knock Treize out using his kinetic talent, but that would be his one and only chance should Treize lose control.

The fact he was still capable of thinking and feeling his own thoughts and emotions, instead of reflecting the unreasoning anger of the Prime, indicated that Treize had not, as yet, lost control of himself. It was decidedly uncomfortable to be so near the man, and no doubt that discomfort would be extending out further and further beyond the room. Uncomfortable, not impossible, that was the important thing just now.

Beyond the confines of the room it would be the telepaths and empaths who would feel the wave of emotion first, and they would succumb to it as quickly as their shields crumbled beneath the force of it. Some would last longer than others, but no one would last long enough for the med teams to arrive and sedate the source of the disruption.

What was he to do? What could he do against the man? Knock him out using kinetic talent and pay the consequences if he failed at the first try? He might give the man permanent brain damage; the strike would need to be quick and therefore the force could not be completely controlled and the human brain was a delicate organ.

"Treize?! Shields man!"

How utterly ineffective to shout at the man like an enraged fishwife.

The tide of anger sweeping out from the Prime snapped off with the immediacy of someone switching off an electrical appliance, leaving a charged but harmless emptiness in its wake.

All Wu Fei could do was blink owlishly in the sudden release.

He drew a relieved breath, staggering as though a weight pushing him backwards had been removed. He could feel his heart rate begin to slow and his limbs beginning to tremble as his body reacted to the adrenaline surge incited by an anger not his own.

"Treize?"

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It was deplorable.

His loss of control, even for a few seconds, was utterly reprehensible.

He was a Prime talent and trained to exacting measures to effect control at all times for the safety of others. He was a Prime, of the order of the highest ranking users of psi, not a rank beginner spreading their thoughts and emotions for all the world to sample.

He should have had more control.

He should have greater control than to lash out in rage.

Treize would not be surprised if he later learned his physical form was shaking as he fought to contain his fury. His anger was justified, in his view, though no doubt that incorrigible old harridan would disagree. How dare Gabriella interfere with his working talent during an investigation of this magnitude. It would require his best, his exacting sensitivity at full reach, to solve the present situation, and how was he to give his best if she had limited his abilities?

But there was no excuse for losing himself in generating his rage and broadcasting it for anyone and everyone to feel, including the perpetrator of the crime. Should the killer learn he was not at his best it would give the stalker confidence and do nothing to contain his activities. That placed lives needlessly at risk.

He needed to regain control as no one needed to know his supreme rage at the affront her manipulations were to his professionalism.

It was not even Chang who had been the deciding factor and snapped him back from that immediate flare of outrage, though Treize determined never to permit Wu Fei to know it. The man was insufferable enough as it was when it came to his 'holier than thou' attitude, but should he learn who had stepped into the breach in his shields, Treize would never hear the end of it. Chang would consider his criticism justified if he knew the enquiring and very concerned 'presence' in his mind belonged to a young man who certainly had no need to be distressed by the emotions of a man who was ticked off with the high handed methods of a pushy old woman.

"Treize? Limited you?"

Chang was nearby, he could 'feel' his presence more than hear him. He was tightly drawn into a ball of unwilling emotion. Worried, almost terrified, and with good reason, Treize was forced to admit. Chang was wishing he was anywhere but in the presence of an angry T/E Prime with tattered shields that were the only protection the innocent unknowingly had.

Somewhere nearby, Treize received the impression of flowers and sunshine surrounding the presence of Zechs Marquise.

The young man's psi function appeared to be linked to Treize, a by product of their contact the night before and evidence of the further manipulating nature of that terrible old woman who ran his life. Unknown to him or to the young blonde, it appeared Gabriella had established a link between the three of them and through it Zechs had received a blast of the Prime's anger.

The young man well might have been overcome by that tide of anger.

Gabriella had chanced much by leaving the link binding them intact and, in the process, exposing all three of them to legality issues. Nor was it just the legality of the unorthodox situation which Treize would have to face and come to terms with. It was what might have happened to the blonde who, all unknowing, had borne the brunt of his flare of temper. There was the additional possibility, in that surge of contact between them, that there was potential for a leakage of confidential information pertaining to the case and potentially compromising the investigation.

Not to mention the horror of knowing that he might have dropped the younger man into unconsciousness with the intensity of his rage. He could have so easily overwhelmed Zechs and sent him into deep trauma.

It appeared, once again, the old witch had succeeded in manipulating events to best suit her.

He had not killed, or made a vegetable, of Zechs Marquise and he had regained control of himself and been reminded of the inherent dangers of his talents.

The searing surge of his rage had opened the link he had thought closed the night before; and how had the manipulating Gabriella hidden that bond? She was a devious old biddy, plotting and scheming and laying safety measures wherever her schemes chanced to unravel.

For the latter he supposed he should be grateful.

It was to the shy blonde with the crystalline clear shields as tough as diamonds, that the university owed the sanity of its telepaths and empaths this day.

"Treize?"

The shields of the soon to be Prime had extended out to envelope him and snapped down, sealing Marquise and Treize behind a wall which felt disturbingly, and delightfully, like a protective embrace. Just as Gabriella would have intended should he have reacted badly to her manipulation.

As if he would react any other way than badly to discovering his capabilities had been curtailed and his professional integrity compromised. What information had the old woman lifted from his mind regarding this and other cases? Did he dare think she would not have rifled through his mind while she set up her limits?

Was there anything Gabriella would not dare?

Damn her and her deft touch.

Zechs was there now, lingering in the Prime's awareness, a gentle and secure strength filling Treize's perceptions, offering silent comfort and support. His curiosity was very much in evidence, that was to be expected, yet it was controlled. The quiet tranquillity Treize found within this enveloping protection quite frankly astonished the older man, and he could do little other than allow it to leach out his rage and replace it with something far more stable and pleasant.

Treize could feel Marquise relaxing as he gained control and restored his mental equilibrium. It must have been far from pleasant for the younger psi to have been drawn into the maelstrom of emotion, but he generated calming warmth Treize could all too easily languish in for eternity.

And Marquise had been worried that his shields were weak? Treize determined to review the latest test results of the younger man and determine just how sensitive a talent he could claim.

Thank you. I must apologise for my unbecoming, and exceedingly unprofessional, loss of control.

It was… my pleasure to be of assistance but… what happened? I felt… your anger was… directed… at Prime Gabriella?

Treize could feel the younger man searching for words designed not to offend, or trespass, on what he considered shaky ground. The young man was well aware of Treize's position, both socially and professionally.

She has placed limits on your talent… but why? Why would she do this? Placing limits on another Psi is a serious breach of etiquette.

He would need to tread carefully as the last thing he needed was for Zechs to be afraid of Gabriella. The woman had only the best of intentions, but her methods often left Treize trembling, whether from amusement or anger, or simple fear, depended on the circumstances. They wanted to take Zechs into the fold; protect the younger man from what appeared to be an uncertain future.

He could not afford to have Marquise fear the old woman, not now, and that too was a consideration he knew the old gypsy would have known he would consider. They needed to have Zechs' willing cooperation to effectively remove him from the questions surrounding his future and to offer him the protection of the unique family that was the T/E Primes.

However, regrettably, sometimes it is necessary to place restraints upon a talent. I have been engaged in high level and taxing work recently, and I am due a period of rest to revitalize my shields and unwind. It is now apparent that Gabriella felt the need existed to ensure I did not fully extend my abilities; though she should have had the manners to mention it before she accomplished the deed and thereafter bolted.

How could he call the old witch all the names under the sun when she had made such a positive impression on Marquise? In short order she had taken the place of a matronly grandmother in the younger man's psyche; cementing her place there with the promise he was no longer alone. She had assured him that she would be there for him and take on his problems: solving those he could not and being there when he needed her. It was something the younger man had not had, a family, and he would thirst for it.

How could Treize ruin that?

It was exactly what she had done for Treize at the beginning of their association. She had taken the place in his heart his relations domination had caused him to harden. He had been rebelling against all that was his ancient bloodline, fighting with those who had been named his Guardian's on his parent's deaths. They had chosen to ignore his awakening Psi talents in favour of their own plans completion to retain the dynasty and control of the family fortune and title.

She had promised to be there for him and he had never really regretted her presence in his life; though that did not mean he had to take her heavy handed interference lightly.

"Treize? Are you alright? Do I need to call in a support med team?"

Chang. He would have set the wind up his partner's back with his fury. Wu Fei had been warned repeatedly on what could happen if his T/E partner ever lost his restraint and let loose with his talent. It must have more than frightened him after Gabriella's lecture, and the last thing Treize wanted was to draw attention from the Med Teams employed by the Agency to govern their psychic employee's mental and physical health.

He could feel Chang's anxiety, his growing belief he would need to call for assistance. Indeed, he was rather surprised Chang had not already done so. Maintaining the link with Zechs, he was loathe to let it fall away from him so soon, Treize concentrated on his optic vision, filtering a view of the room into his talent. He was rewarded with a view of Chang watching him with wary concern, though admittedly holding his ground. Yuy, he noted, was slowly edging toward the door.

The anger of a Prime level Empathic Telepath could kill if unbridled and both these men seemed only too aware of that fact. It was a pity that should he actually have lost all control they would not have had the time to take a single step, let alone cross the debris strewn room, and make good their escape.

Oh my…

Marquise.

He grasped at his temper, reining it back and containing it behind his shields, taking advantage of the assistance offered by Zechs. What the hell was he supposed to say to the young man who, through his eyes, had glimpsed the destruction of the suite? That was more than unfortunate, but it was an unavoidable by product of their current link.

First thing was first and he must settle his partner down lest he summon the med team. With the protection offered by the younger man's shields there was no reason for others to feel the discomfort of his pique with Gabriella; not Chang nor Yuy, or the students of the University.

Not Marquise either.

There were talents in the surrounding gardens and buildings with little to no shields available to them. Not all of the buildings were shielded against Psi intrusion, and even a non psi would go down beneath unbridled talent such as his. This was a school, a place for training the talents of the young and he needed to have more control over himself.

Thank you, Zechs. I have control now and the use of your shields was more than timely and, if I might say so, quite expertly executed.

He was loathe to let the contact fall away but he had no other option. Only seconds would have passed and he could hope Zechs had been alone and no one would ask him awkward questions. He did not wish to be brusque but Zechs would have classes to attend and he had a job to do.

I… was pleased to be of help.

The shy and less than confident young man was back, replacing the confident professional in the making Treize had glimpsed. He found it more than endearing and longed to linger in the contact, and for that reason he knew he had to end their merge.

You will make a fine Prime talent and I will look forward to your joining our group. Forgive me, but I had best calm my partner before he does something we will regret. He looks to be about to faint at the prospect of having to calm me. Thank you, Zechs Marquise, and I am afraid I must request you keep what you have learned secret. From everyone.

For a moment the contact strengthened, reminiscent of a warm hand squeezing his shoulder in reassurance and then the contact fell away. Treize was left to his own mind and a deepening regret at the loss of warmth and the feel of shields to rival Gabriella's in security. If the clarity and strength of those shields was a mark of the training to be had at Tsuberov, then Zechs Marquise had been served well by being placed here.

He drew a deep breath, rising swiftly through the layers of consciousness. Work now, more pleasant contemplations when he gained the privacy of his loft and the time to enjoy a thorough examination of their contact.

Yuy, he noted was near the door, feet picking a careful path through the debris, boot shod feet splashing in the water soaking the carpet with every careful step. The man looked as though he thought any sound might set off an explosion, and Treize supposed it might well have, if he had lost control and not merely engaged in a moment of honest temper.

Wu Fei had stood his ground, though his body had that 'ready for action' look about it. Whether that action might have been to leap bravely, but stupidly, on the irate psi or throw himself toward the questionable safety of the door was another matter.

"My sincere apologies, gentlemen. I assure you I am not about to emulate the last psi to experience a temper tantrum in this suite. You can relax."

Yuy froze at the sound of his voice and looked to Chang, no doubt determining to take his cue from the Agency operative. For his part Wu Fei actually shuddered, a shivering movement Treize could not miss for all Wu Fei would have tried to hide it. He honestly had scared his partner and Treize decided he would need to make some sort of amends.

"What the hell happened, Treize?"

Wu Fei made no move to relax and neither did Yuy. He supposed they had been told enough horror stories of high talent psi's losing control to ensure they looked at him in askance for the next week. This would be wonderful for their working relationship, having them tip toe around him. He could see there was no hope what-so-ever this incident would not go unreported either to the Agency through Chang, or to the Security Agency through Yuy.

Wonderful, he would face a psyche exam for certain.

"I am afraid Gabriella happened. It appears, in her infinite wisdom and sea of good intentions, she has placed a control limit over the use of my talent."

Wu Fei looked blank for a moment, clearly not believing what he had heard and Yuy just looked confused. Well he could understand that, Yuy knew next to nothing about psi.

"What that means, Mr. Yuy, is that effectively Gabriella has limited me in the use of deep scanning techniques, and it is highly possible that other functions of my talent have been affected. I will require a little time in which to investigate the triggers she has set and to determine what I will be capable of doing in the pursuit of this case."

Wu Fei glanced at Yuy who, after a wide eyed look at the Prime, shrugged. He knew little about Psi, it was outside the parameters of his training and he would need to be guided by others. The kinetic talent decided caution was the better part of valour; he had no intention of further aggravating his partner and certainly had no intention of coming to the attention of the evil woman who had, it appeared, taken it upon herself to interfere in their case.

"This is… an unexpected complication. Will her interference strongly affect the direction of the investigation?"

"Of course it will!" Treize snapped then immediately hissed and looked contrite. "I'm sorry Wu Fei, this is not your fault and I have no right to snap at you. Please accept my profound apologies. Gabriella and I will be having an extensive discussion upon her return, concerning her heavy handed methods of containing me to what she terms 'safe limits'."

"One would think if the Prime saw fit to establish the limitations, it means you required them," Yuy murmured as he returned to his former position at the garbage disposal door.

Treize did not know what his physical reaction to the observation was, but Chang blanched visibly and motioned urgently in placating gestures. Deciding to forego the explanation of exactly what it was about the limiting blocks that upset him, Treize merely contented himself with a low and wordless growl.

Wu Fei looked anything but appeased by his reaction.

"One does not merely slap limiting blocks in another Psi's mind," Wu Fei informed Heero. "There are more than a few laws against using psi in that manner. Such treatment is required by law to go through a process of approval and the subject has the legal right to appeal, however, should it be done it has to be performed under controlled conditions. It is never done without the full knowledge of the subject."

Treize nodded when Yuy looked to him to confirm Chang's comments. It was a brief explanation which missed out more than a few of the requirements for such an action to be performed, but they had neither the time, nor was this the place, for such a discussion.

"One usually does not find out one has had one's wings clipped in the middle of performing a scan. If you would be so kind as to permit me a few minutes to explore the extent of her blocks, I can more accurately gage the limitations and how it will affect my performance in the course of the investigation. I assure you that as soon as Gabriella returns to the city I will have her remove her handiwork, or I will go in after the blocks myself and, thereafter, she will have a bigger mess to clean up. In the mean time, there are other angles we can pursue."

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Wu Fei nodded, a mere inclination of his head to acknowledge the truth of that statement, and turned back to the window. His partner required a few minutes and he could take the time to consider the implications to their investigations and to their lives in general. All protocols he had been drilled in required he inform his superiors of the incident and no doubt Treize would not be amused if he did.

This woman, the Prime Gabriella, was proving to be most bothersome. Her presence in the city was the direct result of his, as his wife had so delicately phased it, shoving his foot into the cavernous opening of his mouth. In effect, it was all his fault.

Had he not committed an unpardonable sin by accusing the Prime of breaching the moral code a telepath lived by, then his partner would not have lost his temper and drawn the Prime's attention to them. Once upon a time he had thought the clan elders to be a trial when they were displeased with him. However unlikely it seemed, the elders were amateurs compared to the horrendous Gypsy at making him feel like an errant three year old.

He had been a terrible child and had always seemed to be in trouble. Escaping the colony when his psi gift had been tagged had come as a relief. It had opened up a world of potential the child of the clan had never before considered would be available to him.

Now all he could do was wonder what they were to do with the woman. Limiting the Agency's Prime in what he could do was interfering in the investigation in no small way. There was simply no way they could avoid informing their Commander of the reduced capabilities now available to them. Of course Commander Une had been on the receiving end of one of Gabriella's lectures, so she would have at least some understanding of the woman's methods. He rather received the impression Treize had had no idea before now that his function was impaired.

//No doubt this explains the hasty departure from the city. Gabriella determined a strategic withdrawal was in order until he calms down. I can understand that, the man has a temper for all he is usually Mr. Calm and controlled. But until, and unless, she lifts the blocks she has placed and frees Treize of the restraints he is now under, what do we do?//

Their target was a high powered psi and Wu Fei had no illusions how he would fare against a Prime level Telepathic or Empathic killer. He might stand a chance if it was simply kinetic against kinetic, but against someone with Treize's abilities and a penchant for killing…

//We could be at a serious disadvantage.//

Movement below the window caught his attention and he recalled the three students who were unknowingly mixed up in the investigation.

Marquise appeared to be well rested, he noted as he watched the blonde stretch and for a moment he had a full view of the young man's face. Duo Maxwell was almost dancing circles around the two blondes, gesturing expansively and constantly moving. Winner seemed to ignore the antics of his companion and the three walked from the car park to one of the paths leading deeper into the grounds.

//They would have classes.//

From his vantage point Wu Fei could see the three security guards moving about in the immediate area, none obviously watching the students but never-the-less present. As the threesome moved off Wu Fei found himself watching the shift in the guards; two falling back to a discrete distance as they moved out of sight. One of the three strode off a little ahead of the students, as though he had a duty to attend, and he possibly did, as none of the students paid him any attention.

The remaining two guards fell into discrete flanking positions, both maintaining a discrete distance and shadowed the three until they moved out of his line of sight. From ground level Wu Fei doubted anyone would have notice the guards were following the three; they had been well spaced apart and the garden beds would have obscured at least two of the men from the sight of the three students at all times.

//Otto does appear to have them well watched.// He approved the precaution.

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New York, New York

For centuries the city had worn the title, 'city that never sleeps' and Noin had to admit, since arriving three weeks ago, the city had always been active around her. Admittedly at night there was a great reduction in the sheer mass of humanity active in the daylight hours, but to the eyes of a simple country girl the reduced crowds still constituted too many people for her comfort.

You could take the girl out of the country, but you could not take the country out of the girl.

She missed her quiet Italian village where little had changed in centuries, where the heat of a summer afternoon demanded the location of shade and a breezeway be known. She was desperate for some authentic Italian food, not what passed for it in this seething mass of constantly moving humanity. If there was actual authentic Italian cooking to be had in the city she had yet to find it, but above all, she missed the people.

In New York everyone was in a hurry. Everyone had to be somewhere half an hour ago and no one had the time of day to so much as smile at the stranger walking past.

She longed for old Mama Maria and her quiet, herb filled house, old man Mario and his goats and the garlic hanging in the kitchen; the ripe tomatoes on the chopping board with bunches of fresh herbs waiting to be chopped for the saucepan. She missed the cool shade offered by the old olive trees, the bright geraniums under the windows and the sound of the goat bells; the laughter of the younger children chasing hoops through the town.

She was a big girl now and living beyond those stony country hills and the olive groves of her native land. Had she remained in the village of her birth she would have been married to Gerogio now, perhaps with a child or two and no doubt quite content not to be a part of the wider world.

With the conclusion of the current case she had hoped to return, if only briefly, to her home town to rest. Simply breathing in the country air for a day or two would have meant so much to her, but no, it was not to be. She was stuck with the perpetually smoggy air of the city and the need to lay the dead to rest. There was always someone, somewhere, who required her particular services. Some days she regretted the arrival, in the old cobbled market square, of the tall woman with the no nonsense attitude, designer suit and black briefcase.

The arrival of that sophisticated woman had marked the end of Noin's lazy days as a teen in the quiet rural backwater.

"I must admit I was sceptical at first about the use of Psychics in an investigation of this type. I am delighted to have been proven wrong and unashamed to say I will miss you."

She was a professional now, a Medium of the highest order, A Prime talent in her field, not that quiet country teenager who, when her 'gift' had become known around the village, had been asked to quiet the restless dead. Not that there had been many of them, but word had spread and she had been asked to 'visit' with the dead of the surrounding villages. That was how word of her gift had reached the ears of the Parapsychic Institute's field division testing children in a nearby village.

Thereafter her life had irrevocably changed.

"I have found most people are sceptical of my skills at first. It is most common for the non psi to consider me a freak… or a charlatan."

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She was not a tall woman and she was slender with a good figure and quite young. Much younger than the portly man had expected when he was first informed he would be working with a Prime level Medium. The case featured a serial killer they had hunted unsuccessfully for four years, and suddenly they were informed the skills of a psychic medium were at their disposal and they were expected to solve the case post haste.

He had thought, when his Chief had first informed him of the idea, that his Chief was, to put it politely, nuts.

Admittedly they had needed to try something different, the killer had been running rings around them, and not surprisingly so when he now considered the identity of that killer. Even the efforts of the best criminal profiler in the department had been unable to lead them to their perpetrator. Something new had needed to be done, something that might circumvent the near omniscient abilities of the killer, but to pull in a tealeaf reader? He had thought the man was reaching at straws and frankly had told him so.

It had taken this twenty one year old woman with the oddly violet-blue eyes and short cropped black hair to give them their vital clue as to the identity of the killer and bring him to ground. It had taken help from the dead, from the killer's victims themselves, to nail the bastard who had been laughing at their best efforts.

When he had first met Lucrezia Noin he had not known what to think. She was certainly not what he had expected a Prime talent to be. The woman was so ordinary, so young and, of course, there was the small matter that he had not believed in ghosts.

At least not until he had had occasion to sit down with the woman and have her demonstrate her skills in relation to his own personal life.

She had terrified him, torn his world apart and proven to him that despite his belief in his own worldly experience, he knew precisely nothing about the mind and determination of the female of the species. He now knew men to be so much less complicated than women

On their first meeting he had found himself pinned in place by those intense eyes which had seemed to have trouble meeting his gaze. A certain sign, he had thought, of the woman realizing he knew her to be a charlatan. She had kept looking over his right shoulder as they had been introduced and they shook hands, an action she had initiated. It surprised him and was another nail in the coffin of belief of her authenticity as, had they not stated in the initial briefing before she arrived, that the psychically aware avoided physical touch.

She had stepped toward him, hand extended with such an air of authority that to take her hand had been an ingrained reflex. At the touch he had noted her lips quirk up into an odd little smile and there after it seemed to him, she had focused on him with a disquieting intensity.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective. I am informed you are not particularly comfortable with the idea of working with a Medium."

Well, there was no beating about the bush with the girl, she obviously liked to come straight to the point, and he was not one to prevaricate either. It was an invitation to express his concerns, but given he considered himself to be a gentleman, and the girl was almost young enough to be his daughter, and there was the fact the Chief was watching him with narrowed eyes in open warning, he had to be polite about his views.

"I'm sure my objections are nothing you have not already dealt with in the past and that we will come to an understanding soon enough."

In other words, he would tell her to take a seat and let him get on with the real work of finding the elusive serial killer. He knew she understood him when her eyes narrowed just a little and hardened, but the smile stayed in place, as did the confidence.

"Indeed, we will."

Had he half a brain he should have been afraid then, but he had always been a fool when it came to women.

Lucrezia Noin had given the appearance of being the consummate professional during the briefing presided over by his Chief. She had asked all of the right questions when the opportunity presented itself, proving at some stage she had received some training in police procedures and the reading of forensic material. It was not until they had concluded the briefing and were in the privacy of his office, away from everyone else, that she dropped the bombshell.

"First, it is not my usual modus operandi to leap in feet first, but your mother is quite insistent about asking for forgiveness. She has been lurking at your shoulder for the last fifteen years and quite frankly she is eager to get on."

What could one say? His laugh had been anything but mirthful, but then the blue-violet eyes had been anything but amused. She had stared not at him, but just to the right and behind his shoulder where, when he looked, there proved to be nothing but his hat stand.

"My apologies, but there is no gentle way to say this. I get the impression you are a forthright individual who does not like dancing around a topic. Therefore, your mother wishes to ask forgiveness for interfering in your marriage. Quite frankly, she lied about your wife having an affair, and Francesca was pregnant with your daughter."

He had not known what to do or say. He had known his mother had been domineering and less than happy about his marriage to Francesca, but he had been handling her… or so he had thought. A series of confrontations between the two women had seen the strain reach a point where he cringed at the very thought of the two being in the same room together.

Over the course of five years his relationship with his wife had become strained to the point where they had gone through a messy divorce after his mother had shown him evidence of Francesca's infidelity. Her parting words to him were that he was an idiot to believe she would cheat on him and that their daughter was not his child.

It had very nearly broken him, particularly as his mother had died little more than twelve months later and he had found himself alone. It was odd though, he had always felt that his mother was still with him, still looking out for him, and to learn that she was indeed hovering near him was, to say the least, disconcerting.

She was a firebrand, this Italian woman, up front and honest and understanding of scepticism. Some things you had to experience for yourself before you could believe, and he was now a believer. Her unique touch with the dead had seen, in three weeks, an arrest of a highly placed law enforcement officer, and himself convinced to forgive his mother and approach Francesca and see if he might not mend some bridges.

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"Never the less, Lucrezia, I apologize for doubting your abilities and treating you as less than the professional you have proven yourself to be. I considered myself fairly open minded, until I was told I was to have the assistance of someone who talks to the dead."

"It is not something many people feel comfortable about discussing, Alonzo. It has its good points and its bad, like most other professions and abilities. Being considered a money grabbing sensationalist feeding off the grief of others is part and parcel of being a Medium."

He winced. "I never quite went that far."

"Others are not so generous as you. I hope we can work together again in the future."

He stood as she did, turning her back from the window to face him and extend her hand. She was uncommon amongst psi's, he had learned, in that she craved physical touch. He supposed having the insubstantial dead surround her would lead one to ensure the person one was talking to was solid flesh and blood.

"I'll be sure to ask for you by name if we should again have need of a Medium. You take care now, where ever you are heading to. I was hoping to take you to this little Italian restaurant I know, where they make the best pasta and sauces."

Well that was just typical. She might have found something that tasted reminiscent of home and not a poor imitation, but such was not to be. But still, if the fates were kind, she might find herself back and, if not working with this man, then at least able to visit with him.

"I hope to be back in New York around Christmas. If the invitation is still open, I might look you up."

"My dear Lucrezia, you visit whenever you pass through and I will buy you lunch or dinner, which ever is the more appropriate."

"I have to admit I will miss the bagel lunches," Lucrezia laughed.

Bagels had become a staple of his diet, with donuts for dessert, since his mother's death. If Francesca would see him he would need to remember to offer her something different. It was time he turned his life around.

"So, where is your next stop?"

"Luxemburg. I have an unidentified corpse, a murder victim, whose spirit I need to have a little chat to so that I might provide him with an identity, and hopefully some justice. Take care, Alonzo."

Given she had been placed on a high orbital shuttle she knew her presence was considered to be urgently required. A one stop flight, New York to Luxemburg courtesy of the Agency, but at least she would be able to nap without the distractions she normally faced. In space, unless she was unfortunate enough to be assigned a shuttle in which someone had died in an unsatisfactory manner, she could rest undisturbed by the dead.

Sometimes the restless dead were a little too much to take, even for her, and she could only wonder what the new case awaiting her would bring.

Being a Prime level Medium her particular skills were on call only to what was judged to be the neediest of cases. Alonzo's case had acquired twenty three victims over the course of four years before someone had convinced the powers that be that a high level Medium might make a difference. This request for her services had come from the Agency and was underwritten by the ESUN Security Agency's investigations division. It was more than sufficient to inform her the case was of particular importance, not that anyone would dare to waste the time of a certified Prime talent.

The briefing she had received from her office stated her particular skills would be required to identify the spirit of a murder victim. The subtle warning that there was something else involved had been subtly woven through the wording of the official request for her services. That oblique warning was enough to arouse her curiosity and ensure she accepted the request.

There was another reason she had accepted the case, of course. Something decidedly more profound on a personal level. The news she would be working along side the T/E Prime talent Treize Khushrenada would, if all worked out, give her the chance to size up the man and perhaps sound him out on his thoughts of fathering the first of her contract children.

A car had been waiting out front of the precinct building to take her to the shuttle port. The staff were polite and efficient and within minutes she was settled comfortably on board the shuttle and listening to the first rumblings of the engines.

Lucrezia smiled. Unlike other professional working psi's she would not approach a prospective sire exclusively through the use of legal representatives. Treize Khushrenada had proven particularly resistant to such overtures in the past few years, and she knew he had had a regrettable experience or two with eager female talents out to snare his genetics.

She was not such a fool as to think that there was anything in particular about her that would tempt the man. She would not leap into the matter of producing an heir without first ensuring they could deal fairly together. She would have the opportunity at some point during the investigation to personally speak to him and sound him out on whether or not he was ready to father another child.

She knew he had sired that feisty little red headed granddaughter of the Barton clan, and that the contract was quite a hefty sized legal document. She might, if she decided to approach him, be able to learn what contractual obligations he might consider and not have their individual legal agencies interfering and squabbling over conditions and clauses before they were ready to actually approach the legalities of the matter.

In her opinion, producing a child should be much more personal than merely fulfilling contractual obligations with the government.

She was not bothered by his reported homosexuality, indeed quite the contrary. It would possibly incline him towards accepting her overtures. He was a Duke after all and was required to provide children for his lineage, as well as pass on his unique gene set for the generations of the future. Of the prospective sires to be found in the top echelons of Psi society, those with talent listed at level two or Prime, she was favourable to only three. Of those three males Duke Treize Khushrenada was top of her list.

//I can be subtle when it suits me. I'll just have to pick the best time to approach him and sound him out on his thoughts on adding a second contracted child to his extended family. He agreed to the Barton contract, and he is obligated by law to provide at least three children. I don't see why one of those three could not be mine.//

t.b.c

Karina Robertson 2009

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Authors Notes:

Treize Kushrenada : Level 10 Sending/Receiving Telepath + Receiving and Projecting Empath at Level 10. Prime rated. Agency Operative contracted term of 5 years with 2 years remaining. [25yrs of age] Training facility: Psychic Institute Munich Division.

Chang Wu Fei: Level 9 Telekinetic + Receiving Telepath Level 5. Agency Operative contracted term of 10 years with 8 years remaining, [22yrs of age] Training facility:Psychic Institute Luxemburg Division.

Heero Yuy: ESUN Security Agency Elite Operative. Government sanctioned Genetic enhancements performed by Romefeller Genetic Laboratory, Tokyo for adult service as Security Enhanced Operative. No Psychic Talent. Genetic induced enhancements include enhanced Strength, Hearing, Speed and Olfactory senses. Assigned regularly to liaison with The Agency's psychic agents. [21 / 22 years old]

Lucrezia Noin: Italian. Prime Level Medium [Clairaudient] Talent. Level 6 Send / Receive Telepath. Training facility, Psychic Institute Rome Division. [21 years of age]