Title: Shiver 2/?

Author: Anna Maxwell

See first part for disclaimer.

Thanks to all those who reviewed!! *bounces with joy* And thank you for telling me I was spelling Arnaud right. ^_^

Hobbes pulled the van to a slow stop in front of the manor that lay before them. You couldn't even see the house from the road because of the dense foliage planted around the area. It was gated and Bobby was willing to bet there were Doberman pinchers around somewhere.

Darien pulled his sunglasses down to look over them. "How are we going to get in there?"

Hobbes parked just out of the way of the gate. "Flash our badge and hope they believe us."

"Right." Darien followed his partner up to the phone box and camera. Bobby pushed the button he hoped was the doorbell.

The camera clicked to life and swiveled around to focus on the two men. It had to do an up and down sweep to get all of Darien in. A voice came through the box.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

Darien and Bobby exchanged a look. "The butler, I guess." Darien said.

"I beg your pardon!" the voice exclaimed.

Hobbes rolled his eyes and quickly flashed his badge into the camera. "We're federal agents. We're here about the car?"

"What car?" the voice asked suspiciously.

"The black Mercedes for sale. We're here about the stolen car!" Bobby answered impatiently.

"I'm still not quite sure…"

Darien lightly pushed Hobbes out of the way and grabbed the camera. "Look, Jeeves, we're here about the red corvette and Charlie sent us."

"Well why didn't you just say so? You don't have to be snappish about it." The voice replied huffily. "Please drive in."

The gate swung open and Darien grinned smugly. "Who's a pro?"

"Yeah, yeah," Bobby brushed it off.

A minute later they were pulling into a circular drive hidden by trees and shadowed by a multi-story home. The front door opened as they stepped up.

"Right this way, gentlemen. R.J. will be with you in a moment."

Fawkes and Hobbes' jaws dropped. "It's a woman," Darien said.

She gave a thin smile. "Never make assumptions."

She led them into a living room, ignoring all the moves Darien was trying to put on her. The woman told them to have a seat and left the room.

"She wasn't very receptive, was she?" Darien remarked.

"With you, who would be?" Bobby replied.

Darien shot him a look, then made note of the room. "Pretty nice digs here. This guy must be really successful. And own more than one car. Wonder why he called in the government for it."

"He probably didn't. When the connection was made with all five, they probably came to him."

At that moment a young, blonde woman entered the room. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, gentlemen."

Bobby glanced at the file. "Uh, we're looking for an R.J. Wilson."

She smiled graciously. "I'm R.J. Don't let the initials fool you. They stand for Rebecca Jacquelyn."

"Never assume anything." Darien murmured.

"Now that you know me, you are?" she prompted.

Bobby smiled at her. "My apologies, Ms. Wilson. I'm Bobby Hobbes and this is my partner Darien Fawkes. We're here to investigate the car that was stolen."

"Well, I'd gladly let investigate the car itself if it was here; however, as you say it was stolen. You can look at the garage, but there isn't much there." She replied smoothly.

Bobby reddened slightly at the first statement, and Darien grinned. "We'd appreciate it." He said.

R.J. showed them the way to the garage and then disappeared back into the house. The 'isn't much there' turned out to be a massive building containing at least ten other cars, all of which were covered with protective tarps.

Bobby and Darien stared down the line of cars that resembled a small parking lot.

"Man, all I can say is that we better find that car and be heavily rewarded for it." Darien remarked.

"Right. Do your thermo-eye thing and see if there're any traces of quicksilver." Bobby instructed. He rubbed his arms. "Is it…" he trailed off.

Darien had just coated his eyes with liquid like substance. "Is it what?" he asked while scanning the one empty space in the garage.

Hobbes didn't answer for a moment. He'd been about to ask if it was cold in there, or was it just him. He was suddenly afraid of the answer. "Is it to old? I mean, you know, has it been to long to pick up anything?" he covered.

Fawkes turned his solid black orbs on his partner. "If he left any traces, I could still see them. It was stolen what, two days ago? Quicksilver doesn't degenerate that fast. Unless someone's been in here and stirred it up and away."

Bobby tried not to squirm under the all black gaze. "Well, it was a crime scene. You mind? Keep looking."

Darien grinned at his friend's uneasiness. "What? Scaring you?"

"Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror when you look like that? You remind me of something out of the Exorcist. Hollow man cometh." Bobby replied dryly.

"Gee, I feel loved." Fawkes muttered, walking down the row of cars, trying to find anything helpful.

Bobby started to say something to appease the last statement, but sighed and waved his hand at his partner's back. As he brought his hand back down an excruciating cramp seized his arm and he bit back a gasp. He pulled it sharply against his body and tried to pull it out of the cramp. He stared at it in horror. The skin from the back of his wrist to the crook of his elbow was a light blue, and the veins were standing out like icebergs in the night sea.

Fawkes was saying something, but it sounded muted to him and far away.

"I'm losing my mind," he thought desperately.

Then it was gone as quickly as it had come on. His skin color returned to normal and his veins went back to normal. Bobby shivered. He could almost feel his blood slugging along trying to regain circulation.

Fawkes stood from behind the car he'd been crouching by, irritated at being ignored. "Did you hear me? I found something over here."

Bobby tried to get control of his vocal chords. "Yeah, yeah, okay." He murmured.

Darien shook the quicksilver off of his eyes. "You okay, buddy? You're looking a little pale there."

He looked up at his partner still feeling slightly bewildered. "I'm fine, Fawkes. What did you find?" Bobby walked over the car Fawkes was by, rubbing his arm.

Fawkes pointed at the floor, but was still watching Hobbes. "Traces of quicksilver. It doesn't make sense, though. The car that was stolen was all the way over there."

Momentarily forgetting the strange occurrence, Bobby glanced around the garage. "Arnaud could have come in through that bay window at the end there."

Fawkes nodded. "I bet he doesn't walk into them, either."

"I wouldn't know. Anything else?"

"No. And it probably wouldn't help to check for fingerprints?"

"No." Bobby affirmed.

R.J. Wilson reappeared at the garage door entrance. "Have you gentlemen satisfied you curiosity?"

Both men looked up, startled. "Yes, ma'am. There's not much here for us to find, but don't worry. We'll get your car back."

She smiled. "Of course you will. It's not the end of the world if you don't."

"Who was the last person to see the car?" Hobbes asked.

"I was. I drove it to a charity function and back the night it was stolen." R.J. replied.

"Did you see the car being stolen?" Fawkes asked.

"No. I went to bed right after that. Elaine, the lady who let you in, saw it stolen, but as she told the police, she didn't see anyone driving the car. It was more than likely too dark." R.J. said.

"She lives here with you?" Hobbes asked.

"Yes."

"Thank you Miss Wilson, we'll contact you if we need anything else." Bobby said. "Let's go, Fawkes."

Bobby headed back to the van, and Fawkes followed slowly. He was trying to catch another glimpse of Elaine. He had a weird feeling about her.

Hobbes stood by the van, waiting for Fawkes. He looked down at his wrist and frowned. One of the veins was beginning to swell under his skin and turn a lighter shade of blue.

Fawkes ambled out of the house, giving R.J Wilson a final wave. She returned it and stood in the doorway. She stared at Bobby and smiled. Bobby caught it, and it gave him a tight feeling.

"Hurry up, Fawkes. We have work to do." He called. He just wanted to get out of there.

Darien heard the tone and picked up the pace a little. Something was bugging his partner, and he was determined to find out. He hoped into the van next to Hobbes. "Where to next?"

Hobbes nodded his head in the direction of the file on the seat. "See which car owner lives closest to here. We'll check them next."

Darien looked at the addresses on each one. "You know, if there's something going on you can tell me. Honest." He said, attempting to sound nonchalant.

Bobby glanced over at him. "Thanks, partner. I'll let you know when something goes wrong."

Darien fought from sighing in aggravation. "No problem. There's a viper missing from an address a few blocks over."

"Right."