A Wedding Song 12: Mad Season -- Part 2
PG-13 for one bad word.
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The moment they entered the office, Darien moved straight for Alex, tossing aside an inconvenient chair in the process, and backing her against a wall, one hand on either side of her head.
"Okay." He spoke quietly, deliberately projecting menace and warm breath into her face. "So now you know. I'm not ever gonna go QSM again. Now all you have to worry about are the hands that were strong enough to break Liz Rendell's wrist.... and are most *definitely* strong enough to snap your neck...."
"Darien!" Claire yelled from somewhere behind him as she righted the chair he'd overturned.
"Enough, Fawkes! Get the hell over here!" Bobby added, wrapping one arm around Darien's waist and dragging him away forcibly. After a brief struggle, Hobbes was able to get his partner seated beside Claire, but it didn't last long. In a moment, Darien was back on his feet again but Bobby glared him back down.
"Look, quit it, willya? Sit! Now stay."
"That's right. Be a good puppy and maybe you'll get a Milk Bone." Alex taunted. Darien made it halfway to his full height again before Hobbes intervened, this time with gentleness and loving words.
"Damn it, stop listenin' to her!" Bobby exhorted, kneeling in front of Darien. "I'll handle Monroe. If you hurt her the fat man'll toss you in lockup, you know that. Don't be an idiot, okay love? Relax."
"I don't care. Seein' her head split wide open is worth a jail cell...."
"Not jail, I mean padded lock-up, right here at the Agency. He'll do it an' never think twice. No me, no home, no Bobbi.... for months maybe. I know the place makes you feel better some times.... but only when the door's not locked, right? Don't give him a reason to lock the door... Chill out."
"Okay. For you an' the baby."
"Thanks, babe...." Bobby murmured, sliding his arms around Darien's neck in a grateful embrace then taking his place in the third chair ranked before the desk.
"Someone find me a bucket. I'm about to be sick." Alex mumbled disgustedly.
"You.... need to not flap your gums right now 'cause I'm on the thin edge of rippin' your teeth out of 'em with my bare hands." Bobby warned her.
"Oooh, scary. Lithium Bob and the de-clawed pussy. Big deal."
"You forget Vegas already, bitch? The handprint I left on your face shoulda lasted a couple days at least. Long enough for somebody to ask about it anyway."
"Pancake makeup does wonders...."
"Alright, that's it! Both of you shut up!" the Official roared. "Alex, heel! Hobbes, you speak only when spoken to, understood?"
Bobby nodded. "Good. Anymore out of either of you and there'll be sanctions for everyone. We'll discuss your alleged assault on a fellow agent at a later time. For now... back to business. Fawkes, show me your tattoo."
"Give me a reason."
"Excuse me? Did I not just threaten sanctions?"
"What, you gonna slap my hand and call me a bad boy? Send me to bed without supper?"
"Let me clarify. Did I not just threaten two weeks suspension without pay?"
His expression grave, Darien stood, walked to the desk and turned his wrist over so the now defunct markings could be clearly seen.
"Satisfied?"
The Official nodded and Darien returned to his seat, giggling inwardly on seeing Alex move back a single cautious step at his approach.
"Doctor. What have you done?"
"Saved a man's life and probably my Godchild's life as well. If I hadn't administered the serum, Darien's immunity to the serum would have continued to grow until he was in permanent stage five madness. I wasn't about to allow...."
"You were well aware of the procedure should you ever develop a formula like this, were you not?"
"Of course. I was to bring the information to you first."
"And you ignored that edict because...."
"At the time you were acting like a jack-ass of the first order. Coming to you with information vital to the survival of Darien or the baby wasn't an option."
"So instead you decided to ensure the death of this Agency?"
"Wait a minute. You're ignorin' somethin' yourself there, fish."
"Don't call me that. Alright. Just for the sake of curiosity, what am I ignoring, Fawkes?"
"Nothin' much. Just the fact that I've been free of the counter-agent for almost six an' a half months.... an' I'm still here."
"Which means....."
"It means I have rent, utilities, a car loan to pay off an' a family to help support. I'm not goin' anywhere unless you force me to."
"Family?! Please! Hobbes may technically be a biological father, but *you* are not a mother..." Alex put in.
"I did give birth, Alex." Darien responded hotly. "What would you call me, a table lamp? Am I a T.V. stand, now?"
"You know what I call you?! A freak of nature...."
"Agent Monroe." The Official intoned, his voice low and intense. "Get out. I don't want to see you here for the next two weeks."
"What?! I didn't..."
"You were warned to keep your comments to yourself. Out. Go find somewhere to cool off, go get drunk, I don't really care. Just go."
After a final, enraged glare at Darien, Alex stormed out of the office, pausing at the door only long enough to accept Darien's parting shot.
"Just a warning, Alex? A de-clawed lion is still a big cat, with all his teeth. You might wanna stop stickin' your head in his mouth, 'cause if you get it hurt, it's gonna make you look real stupid.... an' noone's gonna blame the lion."
"Darien, that was completely unnecessary." Claire chided.
"Hell it was. I feel a hundred percent better an' I don't want her havin' even the slightest excuse to whine about bein' surprised when I break her jaw for her."
"You will not."
"A couple ribs?"
"No!"
"Can I flick her in the nose for God's sake?"
"That's a possibility." Bobby mused thoughtfully. "It'd make a nice distraction while you sneak in a body shot..."
"Bobby, you stop encouraging him!"
"Thrill-kill."
"Fawkes, can we please get back to the subject at hand?"
"Far as I'm concerned, there's nothin' to talk about. I told you my side of the story."
"That's if I believe you."
Do or don't. I can't bother to care either way. I like helpin' people. This job lets me do that and gives me a paycheck that helps keep food on the table. You get to stop payin' for production of counteragent *plus* you don't have to worry about me goin' QS crazy. It's a good deal for both of us."
"On the surface."
Darien laughed darkly as he stood, preparing to leave.
"An' you call Bobby paranoid? Look, it's like I said; I won't go unless you make me. That means you muzzle the wicked witch an' keep her on a short leash and you leave my family alone, including my daughter's Godparents. You comin', Bobby?"
"Right behind ya, babe."
The Official frowned and stared after the retreating pair. His mouth opened, then closed again, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to say something. They were almost out the door when he finally spoke.
"Darien, wait. Could I.... I don't even know what you decided to name the child."
"Uh-uh. It's not that easy. You earn your way off the number one spot on my shit list, bud. You might not know her name until she walks in here at twenty-five years old, ready to either sign a contract or blow you off. I'll leave both choices up to her."
"You mean you'd let her.... I assumed...."
"She'll be an adult then. Her life, her decision. I signed that paper, I'll stick to what it says. In case you didn't realize it.... I'm nothing like you. So what do you think about Monroe, Hobbes? Nose flick to distract her, then bust a rib?" Darien asked as they strolled out.
"Nah. Too fast, not painful enough. Nose flick, break the cheekbone, dislocate the jaw, do the collarbone an' work down from there...."
The Official watched them go with an expression of mild fear and sadness which he quickly suppressed.
"One of these days they really are going to hurt her, aren't they?"
"After what the two of you tried to do, how could you expect anything less?"
"Anything I did was for the good of the Agency. That child is nothing but a distraction from their work...."
"Except for a day or two here and there, before last week neither of them has missed a minute and you know that! With Eberts and I here they have built in day care and no distractions whatsoever!"
"Two more employees not doing what they were hired to do. Thank you for making my point, doctor. Since you brought it up, let's discuss last week, shall we? Fawkes practically admitted it was fear and rage for his own child that made him storm those last two locations alone. He could have been killed. As it was, we lost four children that should have been saved."
"Don't you dare try and blame him for those children dying! You know how hard he's still taking it...."
"Again, you make my point. He lets his emotions cloud his judgment. Anger and fear have no place in dangerous field situations, or on assignment period. I was an agent once myself, but I never let concerns about my children interfere...."
" *You* didn't give *birth* to any of your children! You didn't spend eight months feeling them grow inside you, or.... Ahhh!" Claire groaned in frustration. "You'll never understand, will you? You will never be able to see what a heinous, inhuman act you nearly committed."
Rising suddenly, Claire paced back and forth once then faced the Officials desk, slapping her hands down loudly on its surface and leaning forward. "You gave him the gland! You placed a piece of bio-technology with unknown capacity and limitless possibilities inside a living being with exactly the same qualities. When one of those unknowns comes back to bite you in your oversized ass, you're not allowed to tell Darien it's completely his fault and suddenly start making decisions for him as if you know what's best when you haven't a bloody clue!"
"You're the one who doesn't understand. What it takes to keep this place afloat.... what I've sacrificed to build a functioning government agency here...."
"You can sacrifice anything you damn well please, as long as it's yours," Claire told him, finally stepping back. "but from now on, keep your filthy hands off what doesn't belong to you! Darien and Bobby's child is *not*, I repeat, *not* a human chess piece you can just move where it will do the most good or... or allow to be swept off the board because it suits your strategy!"
"That's what pawns are for."
"Yes, well I wouldn't count yourself a king until you've survived the trip across the field of play. Even if you did make it, you might remember that regicide is a time-honored form of governmental overthrow."
"Is that a threat, doctor?"
"Take it however you like. I'll leave you with something to think about. For the moment, Darien's content to stay here and work for you, despite how much he loathes you, and his terms are more than reasonable. Refuse them and he's free to move anywhere in the country or the world on a moments notice and his family would go with him."
"Including you and Eberts?"
"Quite likely. For the most part, Darien and Bobby's work here has been exemplary, both before and after the baby's arrival. It's all in the records if you care to look. All Darien is asking is that you leave them alone to live their lives as they see fit. Be their employer, not their judge. It's not such a difficult request to grant."
"I suppose if I want the gland to stay under my control.... I'd better make the effort hadn't I?"
"Good choice, Charles. Good choice."
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Peering around a corner, Alex watched Bobby and Darien leave the office, walking close together, their inside hands tightly linked. She felt the fury inside her flare up, felt it destroying a little more of her humanity and she welcomed the sensation.
{Me? Suspend me? He threatens my life not two feet from your nose and you do nothing, but I express a little normal indignation and I get suspended.... we'll see, Charlie. I'm not one of your top agents for nothing....}
When Claire exited the office a few minutes later, Alex prepared to turn away, having no real interest in the scientist. She changed her mind abruptly when Claire was stopped by one of the morgue techs. The shock in her voice at whatever paperwork the man was showing her drew Alex's attention and she stayed to listen.
"What? This can't be possible. It just can't...."
"It is, Doctor Westerfield. I'm afraid there's no possibility of error. The tests were triple checked."
"But he was only two when he was here last... how can this be right?"
"If you'll look here, doctor, you'll see there was one compound we couldn't identify. We think it's some new kind of super growth factor, but none of us have ever seen anything like this before...."
"No. With Chrysalis and Jared Stark involved you wouldn't have. Damn... don't take insult at this, but I'm going to come down and re-run the tests myself. I have to be absolutely sure before I go to Alex with this."
"No insult, doctor. I expected as much...."
As the tech and Claire moved quickly away down the hall, Alex closed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists until blood began to seep out between her fingers and patter on the carpet at her feet. When her eyes opened once more, it was obvious her sanity had abandoned her, and even those who thought they knew her wouldn't have come within ten feet of her, fearing what was no longer behind her eyes.
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TBC..........
The moment they entered the office, Darien moved straight for Alex, tossing aside an inconvenient chair in the process, and backing her against a wall, one hand on either side of her head.
"Okay." He spoke quietly, deliberately projecting menace and warm breath into her face. "So now you know. I'm not ever gonna go QSM again. Now all you have to worry about are the hands that were strong enough to break Liz Rendell's wrist.... and are most *definitely* strong enough to snap your neck...."
"Darien!" Claire yelled from somewhere behind him as she righted the chair he'd overturned.
"Enough, Fawkes! Get the hell over here!" Bobby added, wrapping one arm around Darien's waist and dragging him away forcibly. After a brief struggle, Hobbes was able to get his partner seated beside Claire, but it didn't last long. In a moment, Darien was back on his feet again but Bobby glared him back down.
"Look, quit it, willya? Sit! Now stay."
"That's right. Be a good puppy and maybe you'll get a Milk Bone." Alex taunted. Darien made it halfway to his full height again before Hobbes intervened, this time with gentleness and loving words.
"Damn it, stop listenin' to her!" Bobby exhorted, kneeling in front of Darien. "I'll handle Monroe. If you hurt her the fat man'll toss you in lockup, you know that. Don't be an idiot, okay love? Relax."
"I don't care. Seein' her head split wide open is worth a jail cell...."
"Not jail, I mean padded lock-up, right here at the Agency. He'll do it an' never think twice. No me, no home, no Bobbi.... for months maybe. I know the place makes you feel better some times.... but only when the door's not locked, right? Don't give him a reason to lock the door... Chill out."
"Okay. For you an' the baby."
"Thanks, babe...." Bobby murmured, sliding his arms around Darien's neck in a grateful embrace then taking his place in the third chair ranked before the desk.
"Someone find me a bucket. I'm about to be sick." Alex mumbled disgustedly.
"You.... need to not flap your gums right now 'cause I'm on the thin edge of rippin' your teeth out of 'em with my bare hands." Bobby warned her.
"Oooh, scary. Lithium Bob and the de-clawed pussy. Big deal."
"You forget Vegas already, bitch? The handprint I left on your face shoulda lasted a couple days at least. Long enough for somebody to ask about it anyway."
"Pancake makeup does wonders...."
"Alright, that's it! Both of you shut up!" the Official roared. "Alex, heel! Hobbes, you speak only when spoken to, understood?"
Bobby nodded. "Good. Anymore out of either of you and there'll be sanctions for everyone. We'll discuss your alleged assault on a fellow agent at a later time. For now... back to business. Fawkes, show me your tattoo."
"Give me a reason."
"Excuse me? Did I not just threaten sanctions?"
"What, you gonna slap my hand and call me a bad boy? Send me to bed without supper?"
"Let me clarify. Did I not just threaten two weeks suspension without pay?"
His expression grave, Darien stood, walked to the desk and turned his wrist over so the now defunct markings could be clearly seen.
"Satisfied?"
The Official nodded and Darien returned to his seat, giggling inwardly on seeing Alex move back a single cautious step at his approach.
"Doctor. What have you done?"
"Saved a man's life and probably my Godchild's life as well. If I hadn't administered the serum, Darien's immunity to the serum would have continued to grow until he was in permanent stage five madness. I wasn't about to allow...."
"You were well aware of the procedure should you ever develop a formula like this, were you not?"
"Of course. I was to bring the information to you first."
"And you ignored that edict because...."
"At the time you were acting like a jack-ass of the first order. Coming to you with information vital to the survival of Darien or the baby wasn't an option."
"So instead you decided to ensure the death of this Agency?"
"Wait a minute. You're ignorin' somethin' yourself there, fish."
"Don't call me that. Alright. Just for the sake of curiosity, what am I ignoring, Fawkes?"
"Nothin' much. Just the fact that I've been free of the counter-agent for almost six an' a half months.... an' I'm still here."
"Which means....."
"It means I have rent, utilities, a car loan to pay off an' a family to help support. I'm not goin' anywhere unless you force me to."
"Family?! Please! Hobbes may technically be a biological father, but *you* are not a mother..." Alex put in.
"I did give birth, Alex." Darien responded hotly. "What would you call me, a table lamp? Am I a T.V. stand, now?"
"You know what I call you?! A freak of nature...."
"Agent Monroe." The Official intoned, his voice low and intense. "Get out. I don't want to see you here for the next two weeks."
"What?! I didn't..."
"You were warned to keep your comments to yourself. Out. Go find somewhere to cool off, go get drunk, I don't really care. Just go."
After a final, enraged glare at Darien, Alex stormed out of the office, pausing at the door only long enough to accept Darien's parting shot.
"Just a warning, Alex? A de-clawed lion is still a big cat, with all his teeth. You might wanna stop stickin' your head in his mouth, 'cause if you get it hurt, it's gonna make you look real stupid.... an' noone's gonna blame the lion."
"Darien, that was completely unnecessary." Claire chided.
"Hell it was. I feel a hundred percent better an' I don't want her havin' even the slightest excuse to whine about bein' surprised when I break her jaw for her."
"You will not."
"A couple ribs?"
"No!"
"Can I flick her in the nose for God's sake?"
"That's a possibility." Bobby mused thoughtfully. "It'd make a nice distraction while you sneak in a body shot..."
"Bobby, you stop encouraging him!"
"Thrill-kill."
"Fawkes, can we please get back to the subject at hand?"
"Far as I'm concerned, there's nothin' to talk about. I told you my side of the story."
"That's if I believe you."
Do or don't. I can't bother to care either way. I like helpin' people. This job lets me do that and gives me a paycheck that helps keep food on the table. You get to stop payin' for production of counteragent *plus* you don't have to worry about me goin' QS crazy. It's a good deal for both of us."
"On the surface."
Darien laughed darkly as he stood, preparing to leave.
"An' you call Bobby paranoid? Look, it's like I said; I won't go unless you make me. That means you muzzle the wicked witch an' keep her on a short leash and you leave my family alone, including my daughter's Godparents. You comin', Bobby?"
"Right behind ya, babe."
The Official frowned and stared after the retreating pair. His mouth opened, then closed again, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to say something. They were almost out the door when he finally spoke.
"Darien, wait. Could I.... I don't even know what you decided to name the child."
"Uh-uh. It's not that easy. You earn your way off the number one spot on my shit list, bud. You might not know her name until she walks in here at twenty-five years old, ready to either sign a contract or blow you off. I'll leave both choices up to her."
"You mean you'd let her.... I assumed...."
"She'll be an adult then. Her life, her decision. I signed that paper, I'll stick to what it says. In case you didn't realize it.... I'm nothing like you. So what do you think about Monroe, Hobbes? Nose flick to distract her, then bust a rib?" Darien asked as they strolled out.
"Nah. Too fast, not painful enough. Nose flick, break the cheekbone, dislocate the jaw, do the collarbone an' work down from there...."
The Official watched them go with an expression of mild fear and sadness which he quickly suppressed.
"One of these days they really are going to hurt her, aren't they?"
"After what the two of you tried to do, how could you expect anything less?"
"Anything I did was for the good of the Agency. That child is nothing but a distraction from their work...."
"Except for a day or two here and there, before last week neither of them has missed a minute and you know that! With Eberts and I here they have built in day care and no distractions whatsoever!"
"Two more employees not doing what they were hired to do. Thank you for making my point, doctor. Since you brought it up, let's discuss last week, shall we? Fawkes practically admitted it was fear and rage for his own child that made him storm those last two locations alone. He could have been killed. As it was, we lost four children that should have been saved."
"Don't you dare try and blame him for those children dying! You know how hard he's still taking it...."
"Again, you make my point. He lets his emotions cloud his judgment. Anger and fear have no place in dangerous field situations, or on assignment period. I was an agent once myself, but I never let concerns about my children interfere...."
" *You* didn't give *birth* to any of your children! You didn't spend eight months feeling them grow inside you, or.... Ahhh!" Claire groaned in frustration. "You'll never understand, will you? You will never be able to see what a heinous, inhuman act you nearly committed."
Rising suddenly, Claire paced back and forth once then faced the Officials desk, slapping her hands down loudly on its surface and leaning forward. "You gave him the gland! You placed a piece of bio-technology with unknown capacity and limitless possibilities inside a living being with exactly the same qualities. When one of those unknowns comes back to bite you in your oversized ass, you're not allowed to tell Darien it's completely his fault and suddenly start making decisions for him as if you know what's best when you haven't a bloody clue!"
"You're the one who doesn't understand. What it takes to keep this place afloat.... what I've sacrificed to build a functioning government agency here...."
"You can sacrifice anything you damn well please, as long as it's yours," Claire told him, finally stepping back. "but from now on, keep your filthy hands off what doesn't belong to you! Darien and Bobby's child is *not*, I repeat, *not* a human chess piece you can just move where it will do the most good or... or allow to be swept off the board because it suits your strategy!"
"That's what pawns are for."
"Yes, well I wouldn't count yourself a king until you've survived the trip across the field of play. Even if you did make it, you might remember that regicide is a time-honored form of governmental overthrow."
"Is that a threat, doctor?"
"Take it however you like. I'll leave you with something to think about. For the moment, Darien's content to stay here and work for you, despite how much he loathes you, and his terms are more than reasonable. Refuse them and he's free to move anywhere in the country or the world on a moments notice and his family would go with him."
"Including you and Eberts?"
"Quite likely. For the most part, Darien and Bobby's work here has been exemplary, both before and after the baby's arrival. It's all in the records if you care to look. All Darien is asking is that you leave them alone to live their lives as they see fit. Be their employer, not their judge. It's not such a difficult request to grant."
"I suppose if I want the gland to stay under my control.... I'd better make the effort hadn't I?"
"Good choice, Charles. Good choice."
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Peering around a corner, Alex watched Bobby and Darien leave the office, walking close together, their inside hands tightly linked. She felt the fury inside her flare up, felt it destroying a little more of her humanity and she welcomed the sensation.
{Me? Suspend me? He threatens my life not two feet from your nose and you do nothing, but I express a little normal indignation and I get suspended.... we'll see, Charlie. I'm not one of your top agents for nothing....}
When Claire exited the office a few minutes later, Alex prepared to turn away, having no real interest in the scientist. She changed her mind abruptly when Claire was stopped by one of the morgue techs. The shock in her voice at whatever paperwork the man was showing her drew Alex's attention and she stayed to listen.
"What? This can't be possible. It just can't...."
"It is, Doctor Westerfield. I'm afraid there's no possibility of error. The tests were triple checked."
"But he was only two when he was here last... how can this be right?"
"If you'll look here, doctor, you'll see there was one compound we couldn't identify. We think it's some new kind of super growth factor, but none of us have ever seen anything like this before...."
"No. With Chrysalis and Jared Stark involved you wouldn't have. Damn... don't take insult at this, but I'm going to come down and re-run the tests myself. I have to be absolutely sure before I go to Alex with this."
"No insult, doctor. I expected as much...."
As the tech and Claire moved quickly away down the hall, Alex closed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists until blood began to seep out between her fingers and patter on the carpet at her feet. When her eyes opened once more, it was obvious her sanity had abandoned her, and even those who thought they knew her wouldn't have come within ten feet of her, fearing what was no longer behind her eyes.
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TBC..........