Title: Smooth Addiction
Author: AriellaGiselle
Rating: R, for graphic death, substance abuse, language, and major angst.
Pairing: Darien/Semi-Borrowed Female Character: Annie
Distribution: My site, Fanfiction.net, IMFanfic, QSArchive, and NeonSilence. Anyone else, just ask.
Spoilers: I don't think there are any.
Summary: Inspired by the songs by Alien Ant Farm and K's Choice. An agent assigned to Darien and Bobby is murdered, and the death takes a major toll on Darien.
Status: Finished
Author's Notes: This is an AU storie. This will *not* end happily. There's my warning. It's violent and painful and depressing. This storie is extremely personal and is painful for me to write, for several reasons.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot and Annie Li. The Invisible Man belongs to Scifi and Stu Segall. The idea of "Annie" and "Smooth Criminal" belong to Alien Ant Farm and/or Michael Jackson, you choose. "Not an Addict" is the property of K's Choice. Bobby Vu and the Fukinese Dragons belong to the writers and producers of "The Corruptor."
****************************
*Six Months Later*
"How are you feeling today, Darien?" Claire asked, making both mental and written notes.
"I'm feeling wonderful, Claire. How about you? How's Pavlov?"
Part of Darien's rehab had involved counseling, including animal therapy. Pavlov had been his first choice.
"He's good. Enjoying being a dog, I suppose. How are you sleeping? Any nightmares?" she flipped through some pages on her clipboard.
Darien scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, the same one. Always the same."
*Well, that's not the whole truth,* he told himself. The dreams *had* changed over the last couple of months. He was no longer plagued with thoughts and dreams of suicide and his own blood, but now it was Annie's horrified, blank face that haunted him. More often than not, he woke in a sweat, crying.
The amount of tears and the severity of the pain had lessened incredibly, but they still festered in Darien's psyche.
"Hmm, let me see your tattoo," Claire said, reaching for his wrist. "Two segments. Good, you won't need a shot for another few days. Please, Darien, don't use any Quicksilver. Not right now."
"I haven't used it in six months, Claire. I'm not going to start again until I'm back on what Hobbes calls 'active duty'," he replied, smiling.
"You two are talking about me again, aren't you?" the familiar Brooklyn accent bounced around in Darien's ears.
"Hello, Bobby," Claire smiled warmly.
"Hey there, Keepy. You look good today. I like what you've done with your hair," Bobby commented.
Darien looked at Claire. She'd cut it! His mouth dropped open as he reached for the now chin length blonde locks. "Wow, yeah, it looks great, Keep."
"Thank you both. Darien, you can go, if there's nothing else you want to talk to me about," she looked at him expectantly.
"No, but I'll see you on Friday. Okay, Claire?" he answered.
She smiled a friendly smile and nodded. "See you then." The smile never left her face as her two favorite agents walked out of the lab.
*****
"So, what's going on, buddy?"
"Not much. Just got a tip on Annie's case."
"After six months? Are you sure about this?"
"Sure, I'm sure. I got it off Hobbes-net."
"Oh, Hobbes-net."
"Since you went up, Hobbes-net has expanded, my friend."
"Yeah, what does it include now? Chinese Fundamentalists?"
"As a matter of fact, it does, Fawkes."
"Really? Is that your tip?"
"You'll see."
*****
"You came alone?" the small Asian man nearly whispered.
"What does this look like? A convention? Of course I came alone," Bobby snapped.
"Good. Do you have the cash?"
"Do you have the information?"
"Yeah. Annie Li, right? Agent, former-CIA, former-FBI, current-DHHS? Yeah, I got it."
"Hand it over, man." Hobbes snatched the papers from the trembling man. He opened the file and scanned the first and last page. "Thanks. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Chung," Bobby flipped out five twenties into the man's quivering hand.
"Hey, thank you, Mr. Hobbes," Chung replied and made a hasty exit.
"Fawkes? You might want to see this," Bobby called.
"See what?" Darien's voice rang closely over Bobby's shoulder. He de-silvered and held his hand out for the file folder. His eyes darted over the papers and stopped abruptly. "'The Crimson Rule?' What's that?" he asked, looking up.
"A Chinese Fundamentalist group that thinks all outside influences on Chinese culture should be purged."
"And Annie was a target why?"
"Her father is the current Chinese ambassador. I'm saying that her death is a message to her father."
"A message? Not to be crude, but what would one girl's death mean to the US government?"
"Not to the government. Aren't you paying attention? I said to her father."
"Oh. Who is this man?" Darien pointed at a picture of an older-looking Chinese man. "Kim Li? I wonder if that's any relation to Annie or her father."
"Oh, my god. Kim Li is Sum Li's brother. Kim was up for the ambassador position until his younger brother Sum took the job. Right out from under him."
"How do you know this, Hobbes?"
"I read the newspaper, too, my friend. This was all big news a few years ago. The Agency was on high-alert at this time."
"I see. What say we go visit Sum Li?"
"Let's go."
*****
"Welcome to my home," Sum Li said politely.
"Thank you for seeing us today, Mr. Li," Darien offered.
"I was a bit surprised to here from you, Mr. Fawkes. Now, I understand that you worked with Annie, correct?"
"That's correct, Mr. Li," Bobby answered. "We have a lead on her murderer. We just want to confirm a few things with you first."
"What kind of lead, Mr. Hobbes?"
"Well, we think that the Fundamentalist group The Crimson Rule may have had something to do with her death," Darien spoke up.
"The Crimson Rule? We haven't heard from them in months, Mr. Fawkes. What makes you think that they had something to do with my daughter's death?"
"We have reason to believe that your brother is now in command of The Crimson Rule," Hobbes replied.
"Kim? In command of something? I'm sorry, but that's a little hard to believe."
"Oh, believe it, Mr. Li. We believe that Annie's murder was meant to be a message to you. A warning to cease all dealings with our government," Darien pushed a little.
"You both know I can't do that," Mr. Li said sternly.
"We know. We don't expect you to do so, either. Continue on with your business, and we will keep you updated, sir," Bobby said, standing and offering his hand to the older gentleman.
"Thank you, Agent Hobbes, Agent Fawkes," Mr. Li bowed in respect. Darien and Bobby nodded and left the spacious home.
*****
"Talk!" Bobby yelled and slammed the rail thin boy against the brick wall.
The boy spit and cursed in Chinese. "I'll never talk to you, G-man," he hissed.
Bobby dropped the boy on the ground. "Remember, Vu, you'll want something from me someday," Bobby promised.
"Hobbes! Wait!" Vu called. "Stay away from the Fukinese Dragons, ok?"
"It's not our jurisdiction, but I'd be willing to make an effort," Bobby shrugged.
"Fine. The Crimson Rule is behind the murder of that girl. Their leader is jealous of her father. That's the word on the street, man. I don't know nothing else."
"Why don't I believe you?" Hobbes said, almost menacingly.
"Fine, fine! The Crimson Rule, you know their main ideal, right? Fundamentalism and all that. What you don't know is that they're also Communists. Where do you think they got the whole crimson thing, huh? They want Soviet rule to remain in China forever. And they're willing to kill for it," Vu spoke solemnly.
"And you and your crew just want what? A sunny vacation?" Darien smirked.
"We just want respect for the Chinese people," Vu spat at him.
"Hey, Fukinese! Watch how you talk to my partner!" Bobby shoved the boy into the wall again.
"Come on, Hobbes," Darien pleaded.
"We're gone," he said, smiling at Vu, who sat slumped against the dark red brick.
*****
"So, what do you think this means?" Darien asked.
"I think it means we'll never catch these guys. We might get a few, but we'll never get them all," Bobby replied somberly.
"I figured. Do you think we can get Kim Li?"
"No, probably not. Besides we've got nothing to pin on him."
"We've got a murder, Hobbes!"
"No, we've got underground, uncomfirmable suspicions. How're ya gonna prove it, Fawkes? By running in, guns a-blazin', demanding information? Nah, you'd be dead before you got to him."
"So, what do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do, Fawkes. We found her killer, and we can't do jack shit about it. It'll be hard, but I think we're gonna have to let this one go for now."
"Come on! The Bobby Hobbes I know would never give up so easily!" Darien shouted.
"You're right. Bobby Hobbes doesn't give up so easily. I said, 'For now'," Bobby pointed out. "We'll keep our eyes on Li, and when he slips, BAM! We'll have him. It may take a while, but we'll get him, partner."
"Yeah. We'll get him," Fawkes repeated.
*****
Darien stared at the black stone in front of him, standing watch over her silent body.
"Hey, Annie. Just thought I'd come say hi. Hi. We found your killer, but we can't do anything. Hobbes is sure we'll get him. I hope he's right. For your sake. And for my sanity.
"I miss you, Annie. Bobby misses you, too. God, even Eberts misses you. You really brought the Agency to life, ya know? Always smiling and joking.
"Sleep the sleep of the righteous, Annie. I'm sure I'll see you again, girlfriend."
Darien smiled at the use of his nickname for her. She'd cringed the first time he used it, but she'd grown to like it.
He kissed his fingertips and gently brushed them against the cool marble. Turning around, he saw a small rose, obviously discarded as the smallest of the bunch. He picked it up and laid it on the grass in front of her headstone. She would've picked it up and taken it home. He was sure she'd like it.
He turned again and sauntered to his waiting car. The drive home was short, unbelievably short.
Darien tossed the keys on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch. He breathed in and out, slowly, in an almost calculated way.
It felt good to breathe.
FIN~
Feedback is welcomed. Ok, so, maybe I was a little harsh when I said that this wouldn't end happily. It doesn't, but it ends on a happier note than I thought it would. I'm thinking of a sequel. What do you guys think?
Author: AriellaGiselle
Rating: R, for graphic death, substance abuse, language, and major angst.
Pairing: Darien/Semi-Borrowed Female Character: Annie
Distribution: My site, Fanfiction.net, IMFanfic, QSArchive, and NeonSilence. Anyone else, just ask.
Spoilers: I don't think there are any.
Summary: Inspired by the songs by Alien Ant Farm and K's Choice. An agent assigned to Darien and Bobby is murdered, and the death takes a major toll on Darien.
Status: Finished
Author's Notes: This is an AU storie. This will *not* end happily. There's my warning. It's violent and painful and depressing. This storie is extremely personal and is painful for me to write, for several reasons.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot and Annie Li. The Invisible Man belongs to Scifi and Stu Segall. The idea of "Annie" and "Smooth Criminal" belong to Alien Ant Farm and/or Michael Jackson, you choose. "Not an Addict" is the property of K's Choice. Bobby Vu and the Fukinese Dragons belong to the writers and producers of "The Corruptor."
****************************
*Six Months Later*
"How are you feeling today, Darien?" Claire asked, making both mental and written notes.
"I'm feeling wonderful, Claire. How about you? How's Pavlov?"
Part of Darien's rehab had involved counseling, including animal therapy. Pavlov had been his first choice.
"He's good. Enjoying being a dog, I suppose. How are you sleeping? Any nightmares?" she flipped through some pages on her clipboard.
Darien scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, the same one. Always the same."
*Well, that's not the whole truth,* he told himself. The dreams *had* changed over the last couple of months. He was no longer plagued with thoughts and dreams of suicide and his own blood, but now it was Annie's horrified, blank face that haunted him. More often than not, he woke in a sweat, crying.
The amount of tears and the severity of the pain had lessened incredibly, but they still festered in Darien's psyche.
"Hmm, let me see your tattoo," Claire said, reaching for his wrist. "Two segments. Good, you won't need a shot for another few days. Please, Darien, don't use any Quicksilver. Not right now."
"I haven't used it in six months, Claire. I'm not going to start again until I'm back on what Hobbes calls 'active duty'," he replied, smiling.
"You two are talking about me again, aren't you?" the familiar Brooklyn accent bounced around in Darien's ears.
"Hello, Bobby," Claire smiled warmly.
"Hey there, Keepy. You look good today. I like what you've done with your hair," Bobby commented.
Darien looked at Claire. She'd cut it! His mouth dropped open as he reached for the now chin length blonde locks. "Wow, yeah, it looks great, Keep."
"Thank you both. Darien, you can go, if there's nothing else you want to talk to me about," she looked at him expectantly.
"No, but I'll see you on Friday. Okay, Claire?" he answered.
She smiled a friendly smile and nodded. "See you then." The smile never left her face as her two favorite agents walked out of the lab.
*****
"So, what's going on, buddy?"
"Not much. Just got a tip on Annie's case."
"After six months? Are you sure about this?"
"Sure, I'm sure. I got it off Hobbes-net."
"Oh, Hobbes-net."
"Since you went up, Hobbes-net has expanded, my friend."
"Yeah, what does it include now? Chinese Fundamentalists?"
"As a matter of fact, it does, Fawkes."
"Really? Is that your tip?"
"You'll see."
*****
"You came alone?" the small Asian man nearly whispered.
"What does this look like? A convention? Of course I came alone," Bobby snapped.
"Good. Do you have the cash?"
"Do you have the information?"
"Yeah. Annie Li, right? Agent, former-CIA, former-FBI, current-DHHS? Yeah, I got it."
"Hand it over, man." Hobbes snatched the papers from the trembling man. He opened the file and scanned the first and last page. "Thanks. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Chung," Bobby flipped out five twenties into the man's quivering hand.
"Hey, thank you, Mr. Hobbes," Chung replied and made a hasty exit.
"Fawkes? You might want to see this," Bobby called.
"See what?" Darien's voice rang closely over Bobby's shoulder. He de-silvered and held his hand out for the file folder. His eyes darted over the papers and stopped abruptly. "'The Crimson Rule?' What's that?" he asked, looking up.
"A Chinese Fundamentalist group that thinks all outside influences on Chinese culture should be purged."
"And Annie was a target why?"
"Her father is the current Chinese ambassador. I'm saying that her death is a message to her father."
"A message? Not to be crude, but what would one girl's death mean to the US government?"
"Not to the government. Aren't you paying attention? I said to her father."
"Oh. Who is this man?" Darien pointed at a picture of an older-looking Chinese man. "Kim Li? I wonder if that's any relation to Annie or her father."
"Oh, my god. Kim Li is Sum Li's brother. Kim was up for the ambassador position until his younger brother Sum took the job. Right out from under him."
"How do you know this, Hobbes?"
"I read the newspaper, too, my friend. This was all big news a few years ago. The Agency was on high-alert at this time."
"I see. What say we go visit Sum Li?"
"Let's go."
*****
"Welcome to my home," Sum Li said politely.
"Thank you for seeing us today, Mr. Li," Darien offered.
"I was a bit surprised to here from you, Mr. Fawkes. Now, I understand that you worked with Annie, correct?"
"That's correct, Mr. Li," Bobby answered. "We have a lead on her murderer. We just want to confirm a few things with you first."
"What kind of lead, Mr. Hobbes?"
"Well, we think that the Fundamentalist group The Crimson Rule may have had something to do with her death," Darien spoke up.
"The Crimson Rule? We haven't heard from them in months, Mr. Fawkes. What makes you think that they had something to do with my daughter's death?"
"We have reason to believe that your brother is now in command of The Crimson Rule," Hobbes replied.
"Kim? In command of something? I'm sorry, but that's a little hard to believe."
"Oh, believe it, Mr. Li. We believe that Annie's murder was meant to be a message to you. A warning to cease all dealings with our government," Darien pushed a little.
"You both know I can't do that," Mr. Li said sternly.
"We know. We don't expect you to do so, either. Continue on with your business, and we will keep you updated, sir," Bobby said, standing and offering his hand to the older gentleman.
"Thank you, Agent Hobbes, Agent Fawkes," Mr. Li bowed in respect. Darien and Bobby nodded and left the spacious home.
*****
"Talk!" Bobby yelled and slammed the rail thin boy against the brick wall.
The boy spit and cursed in Chinese. "I'll never talk to you, G-man," he hissed.
Bobby dropped the boy on the ground. "Remember, Vu, you'll want something from me someday," Bobby promised.
"Hobbes! Wait!" Vu called. "Stay away from the Fukinese Dragons, ok?"
"It's not our jurisdiction, but I'd be willing to make an effort," Bobby shrugged.
"Fine. The Crimson Rule is behind the murder of that girl. Their leader is jealous of her father. That's the word on the street, man. I don't know nothing else."
"Why don't I believe you?" Hobbes said, almost menacingly.
"Fine, fine! The Crimson Rule, you know their main ideal, right? Fundamentalism and all that. What you don't know is that they're also Communists. Where do you think they got the whole crimson thing, huh? They want Soviet rule to remain in China forever. And they're willing to kill for it," Vu spoke solemnly.
"And you and your crew just want what? A sunny vacation?" Darien smirked.
"We just want respect for the Chinese people," Vu spat at him.
"Hey, Fukinese! Watch how you talk to my partner!" Bobby shoved the boy into the wall again.
"Come on, Hobbes," Darien pleaded.
"We're gone," he said, smiling at Vu, who sat slumped against the dark red brick.
*****
"So, what do you think this means?" Darien asked.
"I think it means we'll never catch these guys. We might get a few, but we'll never get them all," Bobby replied somberly.
"I figured. Do you think we can get Kim Li?"
"No, probably not. Besides we've got nothing to pin on him."
"We've got a murder, Hobbes!"
"No, we've got underground, uncomfirmable suspicions. How're ya gonna prove it, Fawkes? By running in, guns a-blazin', demanding information? Nah, you'd be dead before you got to him."
"So, what do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do, Fawkes. We found her killer, and we can't do jack shit about it. It'll be hard, but I think we're gonna have to let this one go for now."
"Come on! The Bobby Hobbes I know would never give up so easily!" Darien shouted.
"You're right. Bobby Hobbes doesn't give up so easily. I said, 'For now'," Bobby pointed out. "We'll keep our eyes on Li, and when he slips, BAM! We'll have him. It may take a while, but we'll get him, partner."
"Yeah. We'll get him," Fawkes repeated.
*****
Darien stared at the black stone in front of him, standing watch over her silent body.
"Hey, Annie. Just thought I'd come say hi. Hi. We found your killer, but we can't do anything. Hobbes is sure we'll get him. I hope he's right. For your sake. And for my sanity.
"I miss you, Annie. Bobby misses you, too. God, even Eberts misses you. You really brought the Agency to life, ya know? Always smiling and joking.
"Sleep the sleep of the righteous, Annie. I'm sure I'll see you again, girlfriend."
Darien smiled at the use of his nickname for her. She'd cringed the first time he used it, but she'd grown to like it.
He kissed his fingertips and gently brushed them against the cool marble. Turning around, he saw a small rose, obviously discarded as the smallest of the bunch. He picked it up and laid it on the grass in front of her headstone. She would've picked it up and taken it home. He was sure she'd like it.
He turned again and sauntered to his waiting car. The drive home was short, unbelievably short.
Darien tossed the keys on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch. He breathed in and out, slowly, in an almost calculated way.
It felt good to breathe.
FIN~
Feedback is welcomed. Ok, so, maybe I was a little harsh when I said that this wouldn't end happily. It doesn't, but it ends on a happier note than I thought it would. I'm thinking of a sequel. What do you guys think?