Kurt found his eyes, once again, shifting to the clock on the wall. Time seemed to be moving slow today. Slower than normal. It was most likely due to completing his written work. His new hire papers were done, reports he had been given—courtesy of the deputies because he was new guy—had been completed, too. There wasn't much else to do now. Calls weren't coming in either. On days like this, he shifts tended to drag. And no amount of reviewing past cases would make it go any quicker. Even going over rules and regulations had become tedious after a while. He wasn't even half way through his shift. Dade County had never been so dead. He hadn't ever needed to worry about not having something to do. With such a large population, it was commonplace. But Banshee was a small fraction compared to his former place of residence. At least, he didn't have to worry about people staring at him in disdain. Not as much, anyway.
Suddenly his felt his cell vibrate in his pocket. Furrowing his brow, Kurt shifted in his seat to pull this phone out. He glanced at the caller ID, and immediately a smile touched his face. Clearing his throat, he flipped his phone open and pressed it to his ear. He greeted his caller with a simple hello. "Bunker," she replied. Kurt looked around the CADI, just to make sure he was truly alone before allowing his smile to spread. "You working today?"
"Hardly," he replied, almost releasing a huff. Alison chuckled on the other end. Kurt felt his smile grow a bit more. He liked hearing her laugh. "I'm… I'm by myself right now." The reason he had told her was to reassure her that if he said her name during their conversation, she wouldn't have to worry about others knowing. In other words, he could speak freely. Alison made an inquisitive noise, most likely wondering why. So he told her. Deputy Raven was currently out on patrol. Deputy Lotus had left for the day. The Sheriff hadn't come in today at all. Ever since the FBI had packed up and left, after the unsuccessful capture of Chayton, Sheriff Hood's presence had been scarce. He hardly ever laid eyes on the man.
"Ah… Okay, so… um… If you're not busy… could you come over?" Alison asked. Kurt blinked, surprised. He then looked towards the clock again. It was only a little after 4:30PM. She should still be at work. He asked for her location. "Oh, I decided to take a short day. I… I'm not feeling quite right. Could you come over?" Something in her voice told him something was wrong. Not only that, Alison had never extended an invitation over to her home. Every other night, they would meet at his apartment, after his shift, for the past three weeks. Not once did she even imply that she wanted him over. Now, here she was, deliberately asking.
It was enough to have him worried. It was enough to make him stand up. "Y-Yeah, I can. Just give me your address," he told her. Alison sighed. She was relieved… Frowning, Kurt reached for a pen. He held his phone between his ear and shoulder, and then grabbed the small notepad on his desk. "Okay." At his prompting, she slowly and carefully gave her address, and then gave directions from the CADI. He repeated it back to her just to make sure as he wrote it down. At her confirmation, Kurt tore the paper from the pad and stuffed it into his pocket. "I'll be there soon," he said, dropping the pen and notepad back on his desk. He held his phone more comfortably to his ear with his hand. "Alison…?" She hadn't responded right away.
"Y-Yeah, I'm here. See you soon."
She hung up before a reply could be given. Kurt felt his frown deepen. Something obviously had her distracted. It made him uncomfortable. Alison Medding, normally composed, had seemed rattled over the phone. A sigh left his nose. He hoped she would tell him what was going on. They talked a lot, but sometimes he felt that they talked more about him than her. She was a private type of person. Any more prodding than necessary, and she would shut down or get angry. He had learned that when he had asked too many questions about her teenaged years. After the horrific incident that happened when she had been sixteen. She never liked talking about her parents either. Then again, neither did he.
Kurt pulled open his top desk drawer and fished out his set of keys. Since he was still new to the station, he didn't have a cruiser yet. Deputy Raven was currently using the only one left anyway. He would have to take his truck. In a slightly hurried manner, he made his way to the entrance of the CADI. After a 'Radio if you need me' to Alma—to which she expectedly rolled her eyes—Kurt headed out. It would seem that Alma would never accept him. At least she hadn't put in her two weeks yet. People had left because they had refused to work with him while he had been in Dade County. It was an awful feeling to carry around.
He made it to his vehicle and quickly climbed in. As usual, he glanced at the passenger seat. Ever since Alison had rode with him, his eyes would stray to 'her spot.' Before her, no one else had claimed it. Admittedly, she hadn't either. 'Her spot' was something Kurt had imagined all on his own. It had only taken three times. A light smile crossed his face, and then he started up his truck.
Concerning her address, he knew the street name. It was in a neighborhood that was on one of the patrol routes. He didn't think it was scheduled for today, though. That meant Deputy Raven wouldn't be in the area. He was sure his coworker was suspicious of him already, and to see his personal vehicle in a neighborhood where it didn't belong would make his suspicions skyrocket. Kurt did not want deal with that, especially since he could swear he had heard Deputy Raven call him 'Nazi-cop' more than a few times under his breath. It was expected, so there wasn't any use in protesting. His coworker was as friendly as Alma towards him. He could live with that.
Kurt pulled out of the parking space, and then drove out of the lot, heading east. It wouldn't take a whole lot of time to get there. Still, it was a residential—pretty high standing—so his slightly rusted truck would stick out like a thumb. She probably had a driveway. Would he be allowed to park there? He shouldn't. It was probably best if he parked a little ways from her house. Alison didn't want anyone to know about them. She didn't want their association to be known.
For the most part, Kurt agreed. If the Brotherhood caught wind… He couldn't allow that to happen. Other times, though, he caught himself imagining taking her out. For financial reasons. Of course. Alison loved to eat. It had been weeks, but he still found it strange to buy food for two. Cook for two. Honestly, he was beginning to suspect she only wanted him around for his culinary skills. His spare funds had gone to getting more things to cook for her. He didn't really mind, though.
Spending time with Alison Medding was worth… anything. Still, sometimes, he wanted to get something quick and cheap instead of the 'extravagant' meals he cooked every other night. No one had ever called his cooking extravagant before. Well, he supposed no one ever had the chance to. Except the Millers, and that had been when he had initially began learning. Kurt squeezed his eyes his shut, just for a moment, to focus on his breathing and nothing else. It had gotten… less painful to think about that family. At the very least, he no longer had the urge to vomit when thinking about them.
To be honest, it had mostly everything to do with Alison. Aside from meditating with him sometimes, she would also randomly mention members of the family during their casual talks. At first, it had jarred him every single time. Eventually, though, his heart had stopped clenching painfully, and he had begun to answer her questions—and replying to her comments—with minimal strain. Every time he had done so, he had been awarded with a smug-like smile. Kurt knew her motivation behind it. She intended to make him remember the little, good things so that he wouldn't always remember the giant bad thing. It worked for the most part. Naomi was harder to talk about than the others. Still, it was better than it had been. He would always be grateful to her. She didn't have to do anything for him, but she did anyway. Now he had the chance to do something for her. Something that didn't require cooking, he hoped.
A chuckle slipped out as he turned left, finally making it to her street. Alison had told him over the phone that her house was at the very end. The end happened to be a cul-de-sac, with her house being at the center. Kurt parked his truck near her mailbox. Her car took up both places in the driveway. Clearing his throat, he pulled his key from the ignition and quickly exited his vehicle. His eyes scanned the surrounding area as he made his way to the door of the house.
Kurt raised his hand to knock, but before he could, the door swung open. Alison stood there in a large black t-shirt with a white capital 'A' and a circle around it on the chest, and pink yoga pants. He assumed they were yoga pants by the way they hugged her thighs and flared out at the ends. Her feet were uncovered, revealing painted blue toenails. It was the most casual he had ever seen her. Normally, it was strictly business or business casual. Distractedly, he thought she looked different, especially with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Bunker…!" Alison's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. His eyes refocused on her face. Before he could greet her, her fingers reached out to grip the front of his uniform. She pulled him inside and hurriedly shut the door.
Not saying another word to him, she turned on her heel and went further into the house. Kurt could only blink once in confusion before following after her. She went down the hall and turned left, so he did the same. He found her, in what appeared to be a living room, leaning against the back of a two-seater white couch and looking through the blinds of the window behind the couch. He stood there for a moment, wondering what her actions could mean. She seemed almost agitated. Kurt slowly moved towards her, bypassing the bigger white couch in the middle of the room. He stood behind her, slightly leaning so that he could get a good look outside, too.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Besides his truck, anyway. There were no other vehicles parked on the street. There weren't any people taking a stroll either. What had made Alison so jumpy? Kurt opened his mouth to ask, but a familiar scent caught his nose. He leaned closer to Alison, realizing it was coming from her. It wasn't her normal perfume. It didn't seem like perfume at all. Probably a body wash. Had she just showered? It seemed so familiar to him. Shutting his eyes, he tried to remember where he'd- Oh. Vanilla extract. Not as potent, though. More sweet smelling and nice.
It took Alison's heavy sigh in order for Kurt to realize he had been standing too close with his nose a mere inch away from the top of her head. He quickly reared back and took more than two steps away. Fortunately, Alison didn't seem to notice. She turned, and then plopped herself down on the couch. She let out another sigh, not acknowledging him at all. "… Ali… Alison…?" He shifted his weight when she slowly turned her gaze on him. "What's going on?"
Her eyes shifted to the side and she licked her lower lip. Kurt waited patiently for her to speak. "Sit down," she said. He backed up again, attempting to locate the arm of the couch behind him. Noticing his attempt, Alison narrowed her eyes up at him. "Bunker…" Her voice came like a warning, causing him to freeze. He sheepishly walked forward, and then sat down beside her. That had taken some getting used to as well. Being next to her that is. More than just a few times, their arms had touched because of the small couch he owned. He had to pretend, every time, that he hadn't been affected by it. Had to pretend to ignore it. Alison shifted her body, facing him. She looked through the partially opened blinds before turning her full attention to him. "I… I'm being followed."
"What?" He wasn't aware if he had shouted or not. Alison's expression remained perfectly neutral, so he couldn't tell. But his mind had already been reeling with: Who the fuck would dare?! She could take care of herself, Kurt knew that already, but he would still beat the shit out of anyone who would be stupid enough to try to hurt her. Christ… What if it was the Brotherhood? No, they had been careful. He had been careful. No one realized that he was back home yet. Even if they had, they shouldn't be able to find his apartment. At least not this quickly. They definitely shouldn't have caught wind of his association with Alison. He would kill them all if anything-
"Bunker…!" She touched his arm and Kurt snapped out of the spiral of white hot fury. He swallowed hard, and then took a deep breath. Once he successfully calmed himself—he was becoming so much better at doing that without needing to cause harm—Alison returned her hand to her lap. "It's not the Brotherhood. They've never come after me even after putting away quite a few of them. It's not them. I…" She hesitated. "I saw who it was. Well, I caught a glimpse of him."
"Who is it?" Kurt asked.
"A man by the name of Clay Burton," she answered. "He has a very distinct look, so I'm pretty certain it was him. Have you heard of him yet?" He nodded. The man was closely associated with Kai Proctor. He had as many—if not more—suspicious activities as Proctor did. The most recent had to do with the disappearance of Nola Longshadow. The woman had last been seen heading over to the estate, according to the report he had read. She hadn't been seen since and around the time, Burton had been the only one home, but there had been no incriminating evidence to go on. No reason to investigate further apparently. Disappearing cases often became cold.
"Proctor's assistant," Kurt said out loud.
"If the rumors are to be believed, his personal bodyguard as well," Alison mentioned.
"Why would he be following you? When did you notice?"
"… A few days ago, I guess," she muttered, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I didn't find seeing the same car suspicious, since it's a small town, so…" She shrugged a bit. "I ignored it. Until today. I ate lunch here, but as I was about to leave, I saw the car again. Normally, it would just be parked near where I work, but today…" She bit her lower lip, body becoming tense. "It was parked just outside my neighbor's house. The window was rolled down and I saw his face."
"Did he do anything?"
"No, he didn't, but he stayed there for fifteen minutes before I called you," Alison explained. "Stayed another ten minutes after I called the Mayor to let him know I needed to stay home today. He might have left ten minutes after that. I'm not sure." Kurt felt his teeth clench. He had never seen her so… fretful.
"Do you know why he would be following you?" he repeated. She shook her head. "Maybe something to do with his boss?"
"Maybe… but that wouldn't make sense," Alison muttered. "I'm not dealing with anything involving Proctor anymore, so-" She suddenly stopped, turning her eyes away from him. A thought had struck her. "This doesn't make sense either…" Her mumble was barely heard. She visibly swallowed, and then looked at him again. "Do you remember that night when all of us were trapped?"
Of course he remembered that night. He still dreamt of that night. Sometimes, it played out the same. Other times, though, Alison would help him stand after she shot the Redbone that had almost killed him. She would pressed her hand firmly to his bleeding abdomen. She would look him in the eye, not saying a word. Sometimes, she would drop the shotgun and press his back against the wall. Still staring and not speaking. They would stare into each other's eyes while the world around them slowed down. And then… Then nothing. He would wake up. That's it.
"What about it?" Kurt asked after shaking remnants of his dream away. Alison chewed at her lower lip, looking away from him again.
"I would have died had it not been for Proctor," she said simply. He stared at her in stunned silence. Died…? Her? If that had happened, then… He would have died, too. "He saved me when he didn't have to. It doesn't make any sense to me because he had to have known I wanted to put him away just as much as the Sheriff. Getting rid of me would have halted his day in court or even postponed it indefinitely. But he chose to do it. I wondered why, but…"
"You think Proctor is the one that ordered Burton to follow you? An intimidation tactic?"
"Like I said, it wouldn't make sense. Everything we had on Proctor went out the window as soon as the Sheriff let him go that night," Alison stated. "And since he has his hand in just about everything, he would know that. So why would he choose to have me followed?" Kurt stayed silent. He didn't know the answer any more than she knew. But… The man had saved her life for a reason, and now he was having her tailed for a reason. It made him uneasy. He could understand Alison's actions now. Not only was she anxious, she was confused as well. "Could you do me a favor, Bunker?" He nodded his head almost immediately. "Could you…" She sighed. "Check into it for me? You don't have to find out his motivations, but it would make me feel better if-"
"Anything," Kurt interrupted. "I mean, I'll do it." She smiled at him. It had been weeks, and yet her smile was still something he looked forward to. Still something he actively tried to make happen. In a way, he had become greedy for it. "So… I guess I'll head back to the station to start." He moved to stand, and Alison stood with him.
"Can't you stay a bit longer?" she asked.
"… I'm… I'm still on duty," he replied, feeling a bit surprised that she wanted him to stay. Alison cocked her eyebrow at his feeble protest. She crossed her arms, looking very much unimpressed.
"It's not a busy day, Bunker—you said so yourself," she mentioned. "At least stay for a movie. I've been wanting to show you The Avengers for a while now. Still can't believe you haven't seen it yet…" When he didn't respond right away, she took hold of his hand and led him over to the other couch—three cushioned—which had a coffee table in front of it and an entertainment center in front of that. He didn't flinch anymore when she touched him. She sat him down and smirked. Kurt tensed for a reason he did not know. "Come on, I'm sure Alma will radio in if you're needed elsewhere. It's not like I'm forcing you to ignore your job."
"Okay," he conceded. Her smile grew and she turned to set up the movie, remarking that he was going to like it and that she would explain character backgrounds so he could understand references. While she rummaged through the television cabinets, Kurt smiled at her. He had meant what he said. He would do anything for Alison. Especially if it meant she could feel at ease. He wouldn't stop at just 'checking into it,' though. If need be, he would confront Kai Procter and ask for him to stop whatever he intended to do. Once. He would ask just once. If it required more…
Well, the Brotherhood wouldn't be the only thing he destroyed.
0-0
The next day, Kurt sat at his desk, hunched over various case files involving Proctor. He hadn't found anything sufficient. He wasn't adept at using a computer, so he hadn't bothered to use it. The man had been arrested a few times, charged with petty things. Any prosecutor that handled any of his cases either backed out or didn't get a chance in court. Alison had not been one of those prosecutors. Actually, only after she had become the District Attorney had she had anything to do with Proctor. They might as well still be strangers. So the question remained. Why had he saved her?
That was the question, but honestly, Kurt didn't care for the answer. What really had him going was Proctor's intention towards Alison. He had saved her. Confusing, but not unexplainable. He could have thought keeping a person alive on 'their side' would increase the chance of survival. It could have been as simple as appealing to good graces so that he wouldn't be shot on sight for escaping his cell. Keeping tabs on her afterwards, though? That was the issue. There was no reason for him to do that.
There was no indication, in his criminal history, at least, that showed any reason for him to save and keep track of Alison Medding. The two had no obvious relation. He doubted she would lie or hold back about a situation like this, especially since she had asked him to check into it for her. That meant he would have to go directly to the source. If he found out answers—fine, but his primary concern was to make him stop the tracking. It could lead to him. He didn't want their… secret to be discovered any more than Alison did. It would be more problematic than not, so it would be better to nip this in the bud. For now, he just had to wait until his coworker came back from lunch. Shouldn't be too much longer now, and then he could go 'patrol.'
As if prompted, Deputy Billy Raven walked in, fingers flicking at his mouth in an attempt to wipe away the crumbs from his meal. Kurt began gathering the files into a pile on his desk. Once they were stacked, he opened his bottom drawer, and then tucked them inside. It would put them away properly once he came back to the station. He had been waiting all day for this. He stood up, which, of course, caught Raven's attention. "Heading for lunch?" he asked. Kurt halted, a little dumbfounded that the man spoke to him. Usually, all he got from his fellow deputy was the side-eye. "They have a special today."
"Uh… No, sir," he answered. He cleared his throat. "Just going to take one of the cruisers out." Raven crossed his arms. Shit.
"Got somewhere to be?"
"Yes, sir," Kurt replied. He was beginning to feel nervous. "There was a… a call I'm following up on." Damn. He had already messed up the white lie. Raven narrowed his eyes, seemingly suspicious. That made him more nervous. "It shouldn't take too long, sir."
"Mind if I tag along?"
"Sir…?"
"You're following up on a call, right? That means you're going to someone's house or a place of business. You're going to need backup. Because of how you look, someone's got to be there to soften the blow." This was the longest conversation he had had with Raven. More than that, he was attempting to be in close proximity. Why did he choose now to do this? "What? Is there a reason I can't go?" He must have seen the grimace Kurt had been trying to contain.
"No, sir," he replied.
"Great, let's go," Raven said, and then turned away to leave again. Kurt stood stiffly for a moment before ultimately deciding he didn't have a choice at the moment. He breathed in deeply through his nose before following his fellow deputy out of the office space. He suppose threatening Proctor was out of the question now. At least in front of Raven… Kurt pursed his lips before forcing his expression calm. He sighed again, and then headed out, following the steps of his suddenly sociable coworker.
When he exited the CADI, he noticed Raven was already in a cruiser, buckling his seatbelt on the passenger side. Kurt tried hard not to sigh again. He walked over and opened up the driver's door. As he was settling in, he felt the eyes of his coworker on him. It hadn't been the first time. It wasn't the skin-tingling stares he felt—still felt occasionally—with Alison, but it was noticeable. Ignorable, too. Big difference. So the two headed out in total silence. Raven with his staring and Kurt with his ignoring.
Five minutes into the drive, Raven apparently couldn't hold on to the silence anymore. "Where are we going?" he asked. Kurt shifted in his seat a little, glanced at his coworker—who was still staring—and then gave a simple reply. "Proctor's…?! Why would Proctor call?"
"It wasn't him, sir," he stated. "The call was from a woman. She said a man matching the description of his personal assistant has been following her. I… I was going to ask a few questions."
"Clay Burton?" Raven questioned. Kurt simply nodded his head. "There's rumors that he's like a crazy guard dog." He leaned back in his seat and finally shifted his gaze to the windshield. "People say he's unsettling, and I can't say I disagree." Kurt wondered if it added to Alison's 'distinct' description of him. He would see soon enough. "Anyway, you know this woman?" Kurt cleared his throat, eyes focused on the road ahead of him. His mind, however, conjured images of the District Attorney. Her smiles. Her laughter. Her eyes as she looked at him in silence.
"No, sir," he responded, and then cleared his throat again. "It was an anonymous call. She didn't want to give out her information." Raven didn't react for a moment. Kurt glanced at him to see the frown on his face. Had he realized it was a lie?
"That's actually smart," he finally said. Kurt almost let out a sigh of relief. "Anything involving Proctor would be dangerous so I hear. If Chayton hadn't… that night…" Raven stopped talking for a moment. Just a moment. "Well, it's probably a good thing this woman didn't step forward." Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Kurt noticed his fellow deputy massaging his shoulder. Despite the resistance he had had with pretty much everyone, he decided to ask if Raven was alright. "I'm fine," he muttered, dropping his hand. His answer had been expectedly terse. Kurt went back to focusing on driving. They drove in silence for just a few minutes before Raven opened his mouth again. "So… you seem to be settling in nicely."
Kurt shut his eyes for a moment and remembered to breathe. He did not understand his fellow deputy's motivations right now. He was acting in an uncharacteristic way. This person beside him… hated him, right? Why was he all for striking up conversation now? It was confusing. "Um… Yes, sir," he replied, once again glancing in Raven's direction. The man had not returned to staring. "It's been fine."
"Fine, huh…?"
"Why do you ask, sir?"
"Nothing really… You seem more… approachable," Raven replied. "Just wanted to know if… things were going well with you." What. The fuck? "Maybe outside of work… things are going well?" Seriously? What the fuck? "Perhaps it has something to do with that phone I saw you looking at a few weeks ago? Did it ever get returned to its owner?"
Kurt almost slammed on the brakes. Instead, he breathed. He remembered to just breathe and not aggressively question his coworker about the nature of his line of conversation. "Yes, sir… I gave the phone back to her a while ago," he answered. His voice had not come out strained. A good thing. Raven hummed noncommittally. Christ, what did he know?
"Her…?" he repeated, voice becoming just a bit more high-pitched than normal.
"Yes, sir," Kurt said through gritted teeth. "She's someone who helps me with my rage issues."
"Rage? Most people say anger," Raven chuckled nervously. Kurt narrowed his eyes at the road in front of him, partly enjoying the sounds of his coworker squirming. The implication of his silence had been enough to drop the line of conversation. Hopefully. "So, uh… How we going to do this? With Proctor, I mean."
"I wanted to question them both," he stated, relieved that the topic had shifted. "Separately, and then see if their stories match up. Put pressure on them, maybe, depending on their answers. Let them know we are seriously investigating this anonymous call."
"Oh, the 'Every Breath You Take' approach?" Raven asked. Kurt blinked, and then looked at him. The man was almost grinning. "You know… because we're the police…?" He stared blankly at the explanation that explained nothing. The almost grin fell. "Forget it—I shouldn't've—forget it." Raven cleared his throat and looked outside his window. He was silent for a few moments. "Anyway, as senior officer, I call dibs on the primary suspect. You take Proctor." Great. He had wanted to speak with the source right away. Maybe he wouldn't have to disguise this as a simple police interview.
"Yes, sir," Kurt replied with a nod. He didn't have to spend the car ride coming up with an excuse to get Procter alone. As far as he was concerned, that man was the problem. He was convinced that Burton had only been following orders, anyway. Proctor was his primary suspect, and he intended to solve the problem.
After another twenty minutes of driving, the cruiser finally pulled into a large and excessive driveway. The house itself was even more large and excessive. Kurt frowned as he parked the cruiser. Kai Procter was a man of luxury, it seemed. Raven moved to get out of the vehicle, prompting him stop staring and do the same. "You know all my paychecks that I've ever had—and will have—wouldn't get me a place like this," Raven remarked as they walked towards the entrance.
"I imagine no one else in Banshee could get a place like this," Kurt muttered as his fellow deputy rang the doorbell. He wouldn't be surprised if this was the most expensive house around. To have something like this, the man had to be more than the owner of a local business. Mentally, he sighed. Proctor probably thought he was above the law. Wasn't going to make it easy if he approached him as an officer of the law… Before he had time to contemplate how to talk with Proctor—more than he already had, at least—the door swung open.
Clay Burton stood on the other side of the door. Alison had been right. He had a distinct look. He could see now that she hadn't been talking about the glasses and bowtie. It was his very presence. With a blank, almost dead, look in his eyes, and small stature, he appeared unassuming. But something was not… right with him. If it made him apprehensive, it was no wonder a person like Alison had called. "Good afternoon," Raven greeted. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Deputy Raven. This is Deputy Bunker. We're investigating a case and we'd like to ask you, and Mr. Proctor, a couple of questions. May we come in?"
"Mr. Proctor is busy at the moment," Burton replied, voice deprived of any sort of emotion.
"It won't take too long," Kurt stated.
"Just a few minutes of your time," Raven agreed. "This is an important matter."
Burton didn't respond for several moments. Then he finally backed away, opening the door wider. "Follow me," he instructed, and then turned around. The two deputies shared a look before following the man into the large home. Kurt shut the door behind them. Burton led them into a room just down the hall. "Wait here." Then he disappeared around the corner. Raven visibly frowned as he took liberty and sat down on one of the couches. Kurt chose to remain standing, facing the arch.
"That guy is really something," Raven mumbled. "You should be glad I chose to interview him." Kurt decided not to comment. His shoulders tensed, hearing the sound of footsteps coming closer. Within moments, Burton and Proctor appeared under the arch. Behind him, he heard Raven hurriedly stand. "Mr. Proctor," he greeted, coming to stand by Kurt's side. "Sorry for taking time away from your work."
"How can I help you gentlemen?" Proctor asked, ignoring the greeting.
"We'd like to ask you both a few questions to help us in an investigation," Kurt answered. "Shouldn't take too long… sir."
"Very well. I suppose I can spare a few moments," Proctor relented. "What would like to know?"
"Is there somewhere else we can speak?" Kurt asked. "In order to get this done quickly, we'd like to interview you separately." Proctor did not respond for a few seconds. He narrowed his eyes and gave a tight smile. He then turned, gesturing for Kurt to follow. He told Burton to 'be courteous' as he walked away. Proctor led him into a room just across the hallway. Looked like another living room except this one had a bar.
"May I offer you a drink?"
"I'm fine," Kurt stated.
"Alright then," Proctor moved to sit on a chair, which was adjacent to the long couch. Kurt waited until the older man sat before doing the same on the couch. "You're the new deputy, aren't you?" Stiffly, he nodded his head. "Quite the welcome you received." When he didn't get a reply to that, Proctor looked elsewhere for a second. "Well, how can I help further your investigation? I'm nothing if not cooperative."
"This is about your assistant," Kurt began. "Can you tell me about him?"
"Burton…? There's not much to say, really. He's loyal, follows instructions proficiently—I couldn't ask for a better assistant," Proctor answered. "Why? Is he in trouble?"
"We don't know… sir. Not yet. We've only just began our investigation," Kurt explained. "He only matches a description given by an anonymous caller." He saw the very slight twitch in Proctor's eye. Could mean anything, but it was a start. "So you can only tell me how he is professionally? He lives here, doesn't he?"
"Yes, he does. It's easier that way," Proctor told him. "But as for what Burton does in his free time, I do not know."
"As your assistant, he's always on call, though?"
"Yes."
"Then you're aware of his whereabouts—most of his whereabouts?"
"I suppose that would be accurate."
"Maybe you can tell me where he was yesterday, around 3PM to 5PM?"
"There is a large amount of time, deputy," Proctor commented. "More than likely, Burton was running errands for me, though."
"By himself? Where did he go?"
"Just a few places around town. And yes, I usually let Burton take care of things alone, and then report back to me."
The man had not looked away once as he had spoken. He was used to being interrogated. There was an underlying arrogance in the way he answered questions. It made Kurt clench his jaw. "You said he follows instructions proficiently, so it would be odd for him to stray from his tasks, wouldn't it.?" Proctor did not respond to that. "If that's the case, perhaps he was instructed to follow a woman from her work to her home."
"Are you accusing me of something, deputy?"
"I am just trying to find the truth… sir. I would rather have this investigation closed quickly and quietly," Kurt replied. "It's our job to make civilians feel safe. If they don't, we get involved." Again, Proctor did not respond, but his eye did twitch more visibly. Kurt shifted his gaze towards the opposite room. Raven and Burton were still talking. He couldn't hear words, so he turned back to the older man. "I'm sure you have better things to do than have the District Attorney followed, so call off your guard dog and leave her alone." His voice had dropped to a harsh whisper. He had forgotten to breathe, but he would not tolerate a man like Proctor to do whatever he wanted. Not when it came to Alison Medding.
"As an officer of law, that sounded a little more than professional."
"I'm not saying that as an officer of the law," Kurt stated, giving his own tight smile.
"Really?" He sounded intrigued, and Kurt cursed himself for not breathing and letting Proctor know more than he should. "And what, pray tell, are you telling me this as? Not a Neo-Nazi, I hope."
"… A good neighbor."
"Well, good neighbor, let me tell you that I have a… Let's call it an investment—a promise, really—to protect. As a business man, I am not willing to let that investment associate with a… questionable person." This time, Kurt remembered to breathe, but it was difficult. Not only had Proctor called Alison an investment, but he also realized—at least partially realized—his and her circumstance. Christ, he wanted to stop this disguised conversation already.
"I don't care," he said. "I don't care about your intentions or motivations. I don't care what it is you do to be the wealthiest man in Banshee. I don't care that you just might be the most dangerous either. But… if I get word that the District Attorney is still seeing glimpses of you or your assistant, being a good neighbor—being a cop—won't stop me."
"Are you threatening me, deputy?" Proctor asked.
"Not at all… sir," Kurt replied. "Let's call it a promise."
Proctor unexpectedly chuckled. Whether it was real or fake, Kurt didn't know, but he did know he didn't like it. His teeth clenched inside his mouth. "You know something, Bunker?" he asked. Kurt hated the way his name sounded coming out of his mouth. "I just might like you." Not something he wanted to hear. "But let me make it clear to you. If something… happens to the District Attorney, being a businessman won't stop me. You understand?"
"Perfectly," Kurt said through gritted teeth.
"Good. I believe this concludes our deal," Proctor stood up, causing him to do the same. "It was a pleasure, deputy." Kurt merely stared at him for a moment before turning and walking towards the hallway. Raven spotted him and stood up. His coworker flipped his notepad close.
Kurt didn't watch Proctor. He didn't wait for his fellow deputy to catch up. He walked down the hall towards the door, trembling. He opened the door and stalked towards the cruiser. He needed air. He needed to breathe. He needed to calm down. He needed to beat the shit out of Proctor. Deal? Investment? Like a goddamn bargaining chip? He should turn around and- No. No. He needed to calm down. He needed… He needed… Hastily, Kurt slip a hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. Swallowing hard, he dialed a number that had become so familiar to him. He leaned against the car and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting through the ringing.
"Hey," her voice came through and Kurt sighed deeply. "Bunker…? What's wrong?"
"Where are you?" he questioned, opening his eyes. Alison paused for a moment before answering. She was inside her office with the door closed. He sighed again, breaths becoming even again. "Can you come over tonight?"
"Sure," Alison replied nonchalantly. Then her voice dropped to a whisper. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I…" Kurt glanced at the entrance of Proctor's house. Raven was heading for him. "I'll tell you later. I have to go now."
"Alright," she said. "Talk to you later."
"Bye," he said, feeling a tug at the corner of his lips. He snapped his phone close just as Raven approached him. Of course, he asked about the way he had left. "Proctor's an arrogant bastard. Want to punch his face in." Instead of backing away, afraid of his sharp words, Raven chuckled.
"Welcome to the team," he exclaimed.
"Sir…?"
"You didn't know? The Sheriff and Brock both hate the guy," Raven explained. "Only the Sheriff was bold enough to use violence against him." He chuckled again as he moved towards the passenger side of the cruiser. Kurt raised his eyebrows, feeling more respect towards the Sheriff in that moment. "What'd you get from him?" Raven asked as he opened the door.
"Nothing much," he answered, opening his own door. The two men settled in their seats. "He wasn't very forthcoming with straight answers. What about you?"
"Oddly specific with his answers, but nothing to do with trailing after a woman," Raven stated. He sighed heavily. "There's really nothing with can do as it stands. If that anonymous caller calls back, we tell her to gather as much evidence as she can. Photos, recordings, stuff like that—stuff we can use."
"Yes, sir," Kurt nodded, turning the key in the ignition.
"I'll… uh write the report when we get back. So you can go to lunch."
"… Thank you, sir."
0-0
Kurt sat on his couch, pretending to read. His eyes scanned over the words, but his mind could not connect the story. Honestly, he was waiting for Alison to show. It was a quarter past midnight, so she would be knocking on his door any moment now. He had been wanting to see her all day after what had happened with Proctor. He was still a little irritated with how the conversation went—Proctor's use of words, really. But if the man had been truthful, it meant Kurt didn't have to worry about Alison being followed anymore. It meant she didn't have to worry.
A knock sounded, causing him to nearly jump from his seat. He tossed the book over his shoulder as he stood. Kurt waited for the second series of knocks before heading over to his door. He made sure both sleeves were pulled down before grabbing the doorknob. Without looking, he pulled the door open. Alison, of course, stood on the other side. "Bunker," she nodded in greeting and stepped forward. Kurt moved aside, noting the rectangular plastic container she carried. After shutting the door, he followed her into the kitchen. She set the container down on the counter and turned to him. "So what's going on?"
"Hello to you, too… Alison," Kurt replied with a slight smile. One brow raised before she rolled her eyes. Still, she showed him a smile and pushed away from the counter.
"Good evening," she greeted. Then she crossed her arms. "Now tell me what's going on. You sounded really upset when you called earlier." Kurt leaned against the frame, taking a moment to be grateful that someone like Alison could understand and care about his emotional state. They had come so far from that night in the CADI.
"Long story short—Proctor's a dick."
Laughter burst from her mouth, along with "Jesus Christ, Bunker!" Her guffaws eventually turned to giggles before she was able to speak again. "So I take it you saw him today?" His heavy sigh was answer enough. A grin lingered on her face before dropping completely. "What'd he say?"
"He basically confirmed that he had given the order to have you followed," Kurt replied. Alison visibly frowned. "He didn't say why, but… you won't be followed anymore."
"He didn't say why?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.
"No, but…" Kurt hesitated for a moment. "He threatened me." Alison furrowed her brow, eyes narrowing in confusion. "I uh… lost it for a second, and let it slip that the situation was personal." She didn't respond to his confession, so he continued. "If anything happened to you, he would hold me accountable and retaliate."
"He said that…?"
"Basically, yes," Kurt replied. Alison looked away, confusion still on her face. She didn't understand why. For some reason, Kai Proctor cared for her, and she didn't know why. She must have questions. She must feel more anxious than she had. Maybe he shouldn't have told her about the threatening…? "What are you going to do?" It took a moment, but her eyes finally found him again. She bit her lower lip, and then sighed. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug.
"Nothing," she said. "I… I don't want anything to do with Proctor anymore. I honestly don't want to know what-" She sighed again. "All that matters is that you got him to call off Burton."
"Are you sure? I can keep an eye on things—make sure Proctor doesn't go back on his word."
"No, you don't have to," Alison told him. "If he does approach me, I'll take care of it at that time, but for now, I'm just glad that I'm not being followed anymore." She smiled, and then walked forward. Her arms slipped around his middle and she rested her cheek against his chest. "Thanks..." Kurt's lips parted and he felt everything tense. No words managed to escape. It had happened so fast, but Alison was hugging him. Still hugging despite his lack of response. She squeezed him tighter. "Don't make this awkward, Bunker. You can hug me back."
At her words, Kurt tensed more. However, his fingers did twitch in response at his sides. He did… want to. Swallowing, his arms slowly moved around her, returning the embrace. They had touched before. Accidentally and intentionally. Never intimately. Never something so simple, and yet so unfathomable. At least, to him. He hadn't been hugged in so many years. Kurt shut his eyes and relaxed, resting his chin at the top of her head. He couldn't remember it feeling so nice. So warm. So… Good. His senses were completely filled with Alison Medding. He could feel her heartbeat. He could hear her steady breaths. He could smell her—a combination of her unique spiced scent and vanilla. Christ… He didn't want it to end.
He felt her shift, though. Kurt slowly dropped his arms from around her, knowing the hug was over. Alison stepped back, lowering her arms as well. He cleared his throat, feeling heat spread across his face. She merely grinned at him, and then turned around. She opened the top of the plastic container. "I brought you something," Alison announced. Kurt nodded, though she couldn't see. He had half a mind to close the distant between them again and wrap his arms around her. Would a hug from behind feel the same? She turned back around, presenting him with a circular treat. "Mini strawberry cheesecake," she supplied, handing it to him. "I don't usually use chocolate drizzle, but the strawberries were fresh so…" Kurt didn't hesitate in taking and eating the small treat. "Good, right?"
"Yeah, it's good," he replied, returning her smile.
They spent the rest of the evening eating cheesecake and talking. For once, he hadn't cooked dinner. It was a night of firsts, actually. It was the first time she had curled up against him to listen to him read. It was the first time that she had fallen asleep. It was the first time that Kurt hadn't become nervous. It was the first time he had fallen asleep beside her. It was the first time that he dreamt of her not just staring at him in the CADI.
It was the first time he had dreamt of Alison kissing him.
0-0
