Chapter 12

The terrorist was aiming to kill and Vic knew it. Steeling himself, he threw his body between the gun and the security guard. He heard the weapon discharge at the same time that he felt himself being pulled down and away by an invisible force.

A muffled "Ah..." as they landed told Vic everything he needed to know. Aeko was about and she had just kept him from getting shot.

Unable to see her and unwilling to give her presence away in case these people worked for Zarreth, he turned all of his attention to the security guard.

"You hurt, man?"

"No, you?"

Vic shook his head and turned his attention back to their captors, just in time to see one lose hold of his rifle and get smacked in the face with it. As he went down, Vic tackled the second one to the floor. The security guard was at his side a second later and the two were quickly secured. Vic took a deep breath, unable to believe how closely he had avoided getting shot.

"Thank you," he mouthed.

A cool, invisible hand on his face told him that the message had been received. It lingered on his cheek for a moment before slipping away. Vic reached up automatically, but his hand met only empty air. Aeko was gone.

"God," he breathed, leaning against the wall and shaking his head and focusing on keeping his breathing steady.

"You have good reflexes," the guard told him with a faint smile. "That was quick, I didn't even see it coming..."

"Neither did I," Vic laughed, pulling out his cell-phone and dialing 911. "Yeah, this is Detective Vic Bruno..."

***

Daggon hit the floor with a groan. Smiling maliciously, Zarreth hit him with another burst of liquid nitrogen. Stepping around him, she picked up the fallen artifact and prepared to leave the vault.

"Going so soon?"

Zarreth spun around defensively, her eyes searching for the source of this new voice. She realized why it was familiar at roughly the same time that she realized that the newcomer was nowhere to be seen.

"Aeko," she greeted the other Dessarian easily. "Lana send you?"

"Why else would I be here, hmm?" Aeko asked. "Let's see it."

Zarreth frowned. "Why aren't you showing yourself?"

"Let's just say I'm looking a little the worse for wear right now. Do you have any idea how long that liquid nitrogen incapacitates the Tracker for?"

"No. Don't you?"

Aeko scoffed. "Of course I do. It should stop working, oh... five seconds ago."

"Wh--" Zarreth let out a howl as she spun to face Daggon and threw herself on to his Collector.

Aeko dropped her camouflage with a little moan, sliding to her knees and pressing her hands against her stomach. "Sorry it took me so long to join you, sir. I had to keep Detective Bruno from getting himself shot..."

"You're injured," he whispered, stepping over Zarreth and hurrying to her side.

"I don't think it's serious," she assured him.

"Here, let me see."

"Can we get out of here first?" she requested firmly, nodding towards Zarreth's body. "Don't want to have to explain that to anyone."

"Of course." He nodded and rose, retrieving the artifact and helping her to her feet. "You're bleeding..." he whispered.

"Happens when you get shot. It's minor."

He nodded and pulled off his tux jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. "I can call an ambulance once we're outside..."

She shook her head. "I can't afford to trust a human doctor."

"Okay. I'll heal you once we get you home and get that bullet out."

She nodded. "Good plan. Detective Bruno should have called the police again by now, so the hostages should be safely out soon..."

"Good, that's good."

"Yeah." She nodded, swaying into him. "Ah, hell," she muttered, clutching his arm.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little dizzy..." She shook her head as they rounded a corner. "Fine, I'm fine." Looking up, she smiled. "Ah, how serendipitous," she said with a smile, nodding to the group of recently liberated hostages being herded from the building ahead of them.

"Hey, try to keep up," an officer called back to them.

"Sorry," Aeko called in a cheerful voice, quickening her steps to catch up to the group.

"You are very weak," Daggon whispered, frowning. "Are you sure you can wait until we get home?"

"I'm fine," she hissed.

Fine enough, at least, not to risk going near a human doctor who would probably take one look at her vital signs and blood-work and decide to vivisect her. She knew all about what those 'government' doctors had done to Daggon and that Nodulian Kres, and she was not about to invite a repeat of it with herself.

"Look, let's just get out of here," she sighed.

"Guys!" Vic called, running to catch them. "You both okay?"

"We're fine, Detective Bruno. A little worn around the edges, but just fine," Aeko assured him. Daggon could be talked out of calling a human doctor. The Detective would probably be another story.

Daggon glanced down at her, a little surprised, but did not comment.

"Okay, good." Vic nodded. "Hey, uh, Aeko… Uh, inside… thanks for that."

"You would have done the same," she said simply, touching his cheek as she had inside. "Still, you're welcome."

"You sure you're okay? You look awfully pale."

She smiled and shook her head dismissively. "Fine, I'm fine. How's Detective Cruz?"

"Well, I haven't actually seen her yet, but I hear that she was pretty instrumental in bringing down the hostage-takers. Apparently they forgot to check her for a clutch-piece…"

"You don't say?" she muttered, leaning into Daggon. "Well, that will teach them, yes?"


Vic chuckled and nodded. "It most certainly will." He frowned slightly, realizing that Aeko was wearing Daggon's jacket. "Aren't you cold, Daggon?"

"Fine, Vic," he assured the Detective, nodding. "But Aeko and I should probably be getting home if that's okay…"

"Yeah, that's fine." Vic nodded. Aeko looked badly shaken and it was not like there were no other witnesses.

"There's a body in the vault in the basement," Aeko murmured to Vic as they passed. "Sorry."

Vic sighed deeply.

"There's another body in the curator's office," Daggon added apologetically.

"Oh, for the love of--"

"Vicky!"

"Mar?" He turned in the direction of her voice, smiling widely as she came running up. "Hey, gorgeous!" he greeted her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He gave her a long kiss before asking, "You okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Never better."

"How'd you manage to take down two of them when they were armed and they weren't?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I had help," Vic pointed out.

"It was suicidal of you…"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time." He winked and grinned reassuringly. "Trust me, Mar, it was safer than it sounds. They got distracted, we used the opportunity…"

"If you say so," she murmured, glancing at Daggon and Aeko. Both looked like they, too, had seen their share of action tonight. "Dare I inquire after the nature of this distraction?" she asked Daggon, frowning.

"I don't know anything about any distraction," he replied honestly, shrugging. "Aeko might," he added helpfully. "Oww," he added as she smacked his arm.

"I see." Maria sighed and nodded. "Fine, just fine. I guess what counts is that no one got killed."

"We should go now," Aeko announced before Daggon could reply. "We have… stuff that needs to be done." Smiling at Maria, she tugged at Daggon's arm until he followed her to her car.

"Moron!" Maria told Vic when they were gone. "I can't believe you! You could have gotten yourself killed! How could you not let them think that I was in charge?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"So they could shoot at you instead of me? I think not, Mar." Vic shook his head. "Now call me selfish, but I don't want to lose you so soon after I found you."

Maria blinked, shaking her head. "You are so getting lucky tonight…"

"You're kidding?" Vic asked, grinning.

"Nope. We had an argument in there. Got to have makeup sex. Preferably followed by 'thank God you're still alive, you putz' sex."

Vic laughed and shook his head. "Damn, I should get shot at more often."

"You pull another stunt like you did tonight again and I'll be the one shooting at you."


He laughed and nodded. "You'd do it, too."

"You know it. So, my place? An hour?"

Vic's eyes widened. He had not realized that she had been serious. "That sounds good."

"Okay. You run home and grab a change of clothes, I'll order us some dinner and have a six-pack waiting."

"Okay." He nodded and smiled down at her, gently kissing her on the cheek. "I'll see you in a bit, Mar."

"Don't forget your toothbrush!" she called after him, chuckling as heads turned and Vic winced.

***

Vic leaned into Daggon's room to tell him that he was going to be gone for the night and stopped short. Aeko's clothes were on a pile near the door. Aeko was on the bed, along with Daggon, kneeling over her with his back to Vic.

"There?" Daggon asked.

"No, damn it! For the last time, to the left!"

"Okay, okay, to the left. You don't have to get--"

"Ah! Yes. Damn… There."

"There?"


"Yes, there."

"Okay. Just relax."

"Hey! Watch it, would you? Since when are Cirronians so clumsy? That hurts!"

"Well, I'm not surprised, considering how tense you are."

"You'd be tense, too!"

Vic reached for the door, wanting to pull it closed and leave before either of them noticed his presence when he heard a deep purr from Aeko.

"Ooh, that feels wonderful, sir…"

"It's supposed to," the Cirronian chuckled.

Vic shook his head and bit his lower lip. "Daggon, next time close the door," he advised.

Daggon smiled at Vic over his shoulder. "Why, Vic?"


"Uh, well…" he began. "Uh, humans…"

"Oh, hey, Detective Bruno!" Aeko greeted him, half sitting up.

Vic flushed and stared at the ground as her bare chest came into view. "Aeko," he greeted her uneasily.

"You've never seen a Cirronian do this before, have you? Want to watch?"

"Watch?" Vic repeated, gaping at her.

Aeko nodded easily. "I don't think Daggon would mind. You've done this in front of other people before, haven't you, sir?"


"All the time," he assured them.

Aeko frowned at the progressively brighter shade of red that Vic was turning, then began giggling helplessly.

"What?" Daggon asked, frowning down at the Dessarian.

"He thinks… You think…" She shook her head, laughing too hard to say much more expect for a plaintive "Ouch…"

"Okay, stop laughing now," Daggon ordered, shaking his head. "Do not make me knock you out."

"You wouldn't!" she laughed, shaking her head.

"If that's what it takes to finish, I will."

Daggon frowned when the comment only made the Dessarian laugh harder. He followed the direction of her gaze and saw that she was staring at Vic, standing in the door looking lost, embarrassed, and horrified all at once.

"Something wrong, Vic?" he asked gently.

"He thinks…" she laughed, patting Daggon's chest and shaking her head. "It's not important. Can we just finish this before I lose any more blood? I think I'm going to pass out."

"You're bleeding?" Vic demanded, entering the room. He had no idea how aliens handled these things, but he was not about to condone anything involving bloodshed happening in his home.

"She did get shot, Vic," Daggon pointed out mildly. "Do you have a pair of needle-nose pliers?"

"Shot? You got shot?" Vic demanded, staring down at her. Sure enough, there was a little round hole in her right side, just below the breast. "Oh, my God! We've got to call an ambulance!"

"No. Just get him the pliers so he can get the bullet out," Aeko directed firmly. "You want to keep it seeing as how it was meant for you?"

"Me? It was meant for me?" he repeated.

"The pliers, Vic?" Daggon asked firmly.

Vic hurried and retrieved a pair of needle-nose pliers from his tool-kit, handing them to Daggon and staring down at Aeko. "You took a bullet for me? When were you going to tell me?"

"Got it!" Daggon announced, holding the slug up for their inspection. "It looks like it cracked that rib, Aeko. It may take me a little longer to heal."

"Okay. That's fine."

She reached up and retrieved the bullet, examining it thoughtfully. She closed her eyes and let out a low moan as Daggon cupped his hands over the wound and a golden light spilled out from underneath it.

"Oh, my God," Vic whispered, staring. "What is he doing?"

"Healing me," Aeko explained. "Cirronian thing."

"Wow…"

"What did you think I was doing to her?" Daggon asked, frowning curiously at Vic.

When Vic fumbled, Aeko reached up and patted Daggon's shoulder. "I'll explain it another time, sir," she promised.

He nodded slowly. "Okay, Aeko…"

"You needed something from Daggon, Detective Bruno?" Aeko asked.

"Oh, just to let him know that I'll be… away… um, not in… uh…" Vic paused and took a deep breath.

"Staying with Detective Cruz tonight," Aeko finished for him, nodding. "Have fun."

"Uh, thanks." Vic nodded uncomfortably and backed towards the door.

"Don't forget your toothbrush," Daggon added helpfully before looking down at Aeko and asking, "What did he think I was doing to you?"

Vic fled before he could hear Aeko's response.