It Could Be Worse (4th Season)
Episode 2: Into Thin Air
By Sulia Serafine
[A Protector of the Small fanfic set in an alternate universe; all credit goes to Tamora Pierce. I'm broke, so you can't sue me. Any other copyrighted things that don't belong to me in here in fact belong to other very businesslike people. Could you believe that? I guess that's why I'm broke.
E-mail me at silverwlng@aol.com okay? And you know the drill: titles or subjects of emails are fanfiction.net, s.serafine, or icbw.
Rating of this episode: PG-13 for bad moods and bad jokes…
~~
It was not even an hour from when Wolset watched Keladry walk away from the squad car when he had found Domitan Masbolle and implored his advice.
"Well, you're really observant," Dom remarked. "You picked all that up?"
Wolset nodded.
"Talk about Karma Police," the Rider chuckled. When he saw Wolset's confused expression, he rolled his eyes. "Never mind."
"So, is she okay?" the younger man asked. "Ulliver's my friend, too, you know. I just wanted to know if I should warn him—"
Domitan clapped a hand on his shoulder. He offered him an assuring smile. "You've got nothing to worry about. She'll recover from whatever's dragging her down. Now, what I'm really worried about is…"
"Is?"
He exhaled deeply. "Definitely not her." He glanced toward his drawer. Inside it was an assortment of pictures, including one candid shot that he took of Joren several years earlier before the blond biker left for his first undercover mission with the late Paxton Nond. Joren had asked him once if it was meant to be a funeral portrait. Dom had replied the affirmative, but he hoped he would never have the opportunity to use it. He met his friend's gaze again. "No, as long as he's gone, she'll be fine."
Wolset leaned forward. "Who?"
Dom's eyes flashed something lethal. Wolset stepped back.
"No one," Dom chuckled, putting on his mask in the next second and bewildering the other man. "Let me treat you to a drink tonight. I'll get Qasim out of his cave in the garage and we'll get plastered somewhere."
"Um, okay. Are you sure there's nothing to worry about?"
"I'm touched that you care so much about your new partner, but trust me. She's got her problems solved." Until he comes home, that is. I love the damn man, really I do—more than Keladry, definitely. He's like a brother to me. But please, gods, don't let him come home!
~~
Meanwhile, Keladry felt a butterfly flutter in her stomach. She stared at the couple seated across from her, almost in disbelief. At last, she found her voice and stammered, "You… you want me to… to be the godmother?"
"Of course we do! You're our closest friend, Kel," Lalasa insisted.
The female officer shifted uneasily on the couch, one hand squeezing the armrest. "Isn't it a bit early to be asking that, though? The baby isn't even here yet."
"We're too excited," Roald admitted. "I think we have his," he froze under Lalasa's reproachful stare," or her life planned out for the first five years!"
"Are you absolutely sure you want me—"
"Stop asking! You know we wouldn't have anyone else." The mother-to-be sat down beside her friend and laid her head on Keladry's shoulder. She pouted. "And also…"
"Also what?"
She hugged Keladry's arm. "Come shopping for baby things with me!"
Roald got up with a sigh from the loveseat and headed to the kitchen. He threw a knowing look over his shoulder at Keladry. She realized that he must have been dragged to a mall every week being Lalasa's husband. Roald refilled his glass and took a long sip.
When Lalasa's gaze landed on him, she released Keladry and raised her head so she could see over the kitchen counter. "Honey, please cut me a piece of the key lime pie."
"Yes, dearest." Was that a hint of amusement that Keladry saw just now on his face?
"Oh! And could you add some of the whipped cream?"
"I already did," he sang.
Lalasa squeezed her arm again. "Isn't he wonderful? I knew he'd be like this when I first saw him. Didn't you think so, too?"
Roald closed the refrigerator door with a small kick. He rolled his eyes and picked up a fork. "The first time she saw me, I was lying unconscious in her trunk, Sweet. Wasn't I, Kel?"
Keladry nodded, smiling slightly. "But you looked very nice and kind in your oblivion."
"Thank you."
He joined the two women in the living room again, settling on the couch on the other side of Lalasa with his glass of water. Keladry was both surprised and proud to see that he had become so domestic. Some would be upset to live that mundane a life, but she knew he preferred it to the life his parents had mapped out for him. Roald appeared very relaxed while simply reclining on furniture bought with his own money.
Lalasa eventually cancelled her shopping plans when they received a call from Thom saying that he was coming to visit that day. He had been in the city for a convention and looked forward to the chance of seeing them again. Keladry couldn't help but remember the last time she saw Thom, weak from the poison he received at the now infamous Tusaine Gangster Slaughter. Cleon had vomited. Neal had been in quiet shock for days. Thom, well, he'd been poisoned.
But how this happened, no one really ever figured out.
"I should probably get going anyway. I wanted to keep Neal company during his physical therapy session." Honestly, she simply had no wish to see Thom again. He'd changed from the time she had met first met him Carthak, and she had not liked it. She pointed to the table. "Can I use your COMscreen?"
"You don't even have to ask," Lalasa assured. She turned all her focus on her dessert. Roald sat beside her, gently chuckling to himself over his own musings.
Keladry called both Neal's apartment and his pager. He did not answer. She wondered if he had already started therapy. After their little spat over Ulliver, they had distanced themselves quite a bit, but Keladry could feel the gap shrinking as they settled back down into the old ways. She half expected him to enter her apartment uninvited like he used to and fix himself a cup of coffee. But maybe that was an event that would be a while yet in coming.
As it was, Neal was not answering and Keladry had no pressing excuse to seek him out. She turned the COMscreen off retreated back to her seat across from the hosting couple. Lalasa swallowed her bit of pie and beamed at her.
"I have to cook before Uncle Thom gets here. Help me, would you?"
"I'll get the phone book," Roald murmured. He got to his feet with a heavy sigh.
The DJPF officer looked from first her, then him. "What for?"
"Pizza delivery," he confessed.
Lalasa slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Ha! You think you're so funny."
"I know I am," he replied mischievously, showing her a devious expression that only Lalasa saw. It sent shivers up her spine. She found it incredibly sexy how someone as reserved as Roald could change attitudes within seconds.
Keladry mentally gagged at the passionate looks the couple was exchanging. There they went, off in their own little world—with only each other for company. It irked her to see them so indulgent in each other. But why was this? She had seen them act that way before. Keladry insisted to herself that it was not jealousy. No! Her? Envious?
As green as the Jolly Green Giant.
Keladry ended up making Alfredo sauce while Lalasa brought the water to a boil for the pasta. Normally, she had no aptitude for cooking, like the Carthaki woman, but the recipe card was very straightforward. She even liked cooking a bit more than she used to, thanks to Ulliver's encouragement. He came to her apartment every now and then to cook with her. It had been one of their newest bonding activities. Now she used it as a distraction from the saccharine sweet faces that Roald and Lalasa were making at each other. Is this what happened to people when they had babies? Did they become annoyingly happy?
Gods be thanked, Keladry thought, that none of her other friends were expecting. She probably would have shut herself up in her apartment with a stockade of food and anti-romantic books and magazines for nine months. The Complete History of Mithros would have made a good candidate for reading material during her isolation.
Her thoughts strayed back to her best friend. Where was Neal?
~~
"Sorry I'm late. I had to reschedule my physical therapy session."
Neal massaged his own forearm gently as he took his seat beside Dom and Wolset. He'd left his place as soon as Dom had called. Though he had rushed on over, he still had no idea what the reason for their meeting was. His god brother appeared calm enough. Surely it couldn't be anything more than a trivial get together among friends.
The presence of the injured officer reminded Wolset of his initial goal in seeing the two men. He was seated in his chair, his knees drawn up to his chest and his shins leaning against the edge of the table. Dom offered him a can of soda, which he gratefully took.
"So, what's new?" Neal began.
"Besides you getting lucky with a couple of nurses, nothing," Dom smiled.
"Cute," he replied sarcastically. He nodded toward Wolset. "Hey, man. What's going on? How's work? Because I heard," he shook a finger pointedly at him, "that work is the number one cause of work-related accidents. Take me for example!"
Dom rolled his eyes at his relation's sorry attempt at humor. Thank the Goddess he hadn't chosen to be a comedian. "Well, no d'uh. Look at you, Neal; you're always injured nowadays. Poor Wolsie has to fill in for you with Kel until you're back in the field. And at the rate you're going, you'll be dead before next winter holiday."
He was rewarded for his comments with a half-hearted punch from the injured officer. Wolset, to his credit, simply became a spectator to events. He had no desire to speak up. And now that Neal was actually in the room, he felt his earlier reason and purpose slip away from his grasp. As far as he could tell, Keladry and Neal were friends again after whatever minor falling out they had had. Neal probably wanted to put it all behind him and look toward the future.
The youngest man was stirred from his thoughts when he noticed a hand waving in front of his face.
"Something bothering you?" Neal asked.
Wolset gulped. He set down his can on the table and lowered his feet to the floor. "Nothing," he lied. "I am as carefree as can be."
"Glad to hear it," Dom nodded. Unlike Neal, he knew what was really going on in Wolset's mind. But as far as he was concerned, it was nothing to worry about. The best remedy was to just spend some time together, being guys with nothing else better to do than drink and talk. He glanced at his watch. Maybe he ought to order pizza, too.
He looked up when Neal patted his arm.
"What now?"
"Go call Ulliver up. See if he wants to come hang out with us. While we're here, we might as well make it a small party, eh?"
"Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess. I'll call him right now."
It was one more thing that nagged at the corner of his mind. But for some reason, he didn't know why. Dom dismissed the thought and got up to use the COMscreen. In the background he could hear Neal giving Wolset a hard time about being so passive. The younger officer was trying very hard to look unbothered by Neal's intimidation, but it wasn't working.
He hoped Wolset would learn to be more comfortable around them. The young man had been accustomed to working with men he'd known for a while, at least, and now Neal and his circle of friends were more or less initiating him into their group as well. It was a jittery feeling that Dom was sure Wolset would get over soon with the help of conventional 'guy' behavior.
Where's my DVD of The Lioness Rampant? He wondered. Nah. Not manly enough. Look's like it's Scarface tonight.
His attention turned back to the COMscreen when Ulliver picked up. The major was dressed in a black T-shirt and was rubbing a towel over his head. He had obviously rushed to get dressed after his shower. The clothing clung to him like a skin.
"Hey, Dom. What's going on?"
"Nothing much. Wolsie and Neal are over here. You should come up. We have beer, Al Pacino, and his 'little friend'?" he asked, accenting the last two words in a horrible imitation.
Ulliver caught the hint. "Ah. Damn. As much as I would enjoy that, I'm inspecting new SWAT recruits. Putting them in the hot seat and all that." He slung the towel over his shoulders. Then, he scratched his head and sighed. "I was going to see Kel tonight, but she said she'd promised a friend to go with him somewhere."
Neal sneezed in the background.
"Oh. Well, we'll save a couple of cold ones for you in case you want to drop by later."
"I don't know. I might be out until two a.m."
Dom rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? I'll still be trying to get a buzz by two a.m. Just barge in whenever, alright?"
The major grinned. "I hear ya."
When the connection ended, Dom turned around and glared at Neal, who helplessly shrugged. Neal leaned back in his seat and flashed an apologetic smile. "Oops? Aw, it doesn't matter. I thought those two were spending too much time together anyway."
"You're the one who set them up in the first place, genius."
Neal's expression darkened. "Yeah. Don't remind me."
~~
Keladry was glad that she was washing dishes. When Thom Trebond, also known as The Wizard, walked through the door, she was not obligated to greet him right away because she was doing the chore. Her curtness went unnoticed since Lalasa made a big fuss about welcoming her adopted uncle. He hugged the Carthaki woman earnestly and exchanged a firm handshake with Roald.
She could hear them talking in the living room, but she refused to look up. She pressed the sponge to the plate and scrubbed in circular motions, forcing all other matters to the back of her mind. The dishes had to be done. The sound of the scrubbing could have prevented her from really noticing anyone enter the apartment anyway.
It wasn't as if Thom and she had any connection other than Lalasa. He had seemed so different the last time he had been in town, when that awful massacre had occurred. The poison, Lalasa's hysteria… Why had he looked at her so strangely when she had come to visit him in the hospital? It had appeared like he was hiding something from her. But what?
The list of grievances did not end there. First and foremost in her mind was the fact that Joren had taken him aside for a talk at Neal's birthday party.
Joren had ignored her to talk to him about something she never found out about.
It made an angry heat well up from the bottom of her gut, making her want to spit. He'd kept secrets until the very end. She had not minded at the time, but now that she thought about it, Keladry wished she had known. Yes, it was hard for him to tell her everything that he already had. But wasn't she just as involved as him? Whatever the two men had talked about—it must have had something to do with the Tusaine mafia that had wreaked so much havoc the previous season.
Get over it. You're crazy, she told herself.
"Yes. Yes, I am," she muttered.
Eventually they sat down to eat what Lalasa had managed to cook in addition to the Fettuccini Alfredo. It was a nice casserole that actually resembled the picture in the cookbook. Keladry's honest opinion was that it was a tad bit bland, but she did not dare say anything aloud. She had helped cook it, anyway. She deserved her own blandness.
"So!" Thom began, attempting to strike up a conversation with the otherwise silent officer. "Miss Mindelan, how have things been? How's that incorrigible partner of yours? Stone?"
Lalasa dropped her fork in surprise. Immediately, Roald bent down toward the floor to retrieve it for her. The looks of dismay on both of their faces told Keladry that they were concerned for her.
For my answer, more likely. To her friends' horror, she decided to smile back at the scientist and chirp, "Vanished. That's all. I've got a new partner now."
The mother-to-be and her husband paled and gaped at her open-mouthed like fish on ice.
Thom blinked. "I see. Sorry to hear that." He chuckled nervously. "Well, you know how it goes. I suppose in the career of law enforcement, there are always plenty of partner changes in the system. If there weren't, how would the DJPF maintain the level of effectiveness that they've always had? You've got to match the talent and experience, right?"
"Right," Roald answered for her. He nodded sympathetically to Keladry, attempting to cover up any past shock that he had received. "We're all very proud of our DJPF friends. We wouldn't know what we'd have done without them."
"You'd be in Tortall, working in some candidate's campaign," Lalasa reminded airily.
"True," Roald confessed.
"But we could always have left you in that trunk," Keladry reminded.
The politician's son pouted. "I could hardly imagine who I'd be today if I'd ended up in some psycho's trunk."
The night continued on rather awkwardly. After dinner, Keladry made an excuse to see Neal and make sure he was doing well. Roald secretly understood her unease around Thom. His wife would never have seen it their way, having known Thom nearly all her life. So he escorted Keladry to the door and bid her a fond goodnight.
"Enjoy your midnight runs to the grocery store," Keladry whispered.
He smiled. "I always pick up a thing or two myself. If I'm not careful, I just might grow a big belly, too."
She hugged Roald and waved to Lalasa who was seated on the couch with Thom. As soon as the door was closed, she let out a deep sigh and trudged wearily down the hall. The lights were dim and everything around her was silent and still.
Keladry felt alone.
Glancing back and the door to her friends' apartment, she knew that she was not truly alone. But for some reason—some gut-twisting reason—she felt like there was no one to connect with at that very moment. There were certain days in which she felt so separate from the world. Like she was standing still in a crowded intersection, watching the world go by.
When she was outside, breathing in the fresh air, she walked over to a public COMscreen booth and shut herself inside. There were only so many people she could page. If circumstances were different, her fingers would have automatically dialed for Cleon or Faleron. Neal, if they hadn't been so distant as of late. She dialed a number and hung up after five seconds.
Only a minute passed before the COMscreen rang. Keladry answered it, putting on her bravest face.
"Hi. Is something wrong?" her caller asked.
She let her gaze stray to other things than the screen. The lamp post looked semi-interesting, did it not? "No… yes. I don't know." She glanced toward his eyes. "Am I interrupting you? Did I page you at a bad time?"
His eyes widened imperceptibly. "No! No, of course not. I can cancel right now and meet up with you in a few minutes if you want."
"I don't want to interrupt you if you're working."
"You're too work-oriented. Let me get out of this thing real quick and I'll come pick you up. Where are you?"
She looked down at her feet to hide her embarrassment. "In front of Lalasa and Roald's building."
"And you're not waiting inside?"
"I… I don't want to talk about it. It just feels weird to be there."
He relented. "Okay. Hang on, I'll be there soon."
When he arrived on his motorcycle fifteen minutes later, Keladry was seated on the curb, lost in her own thoughts. He dismounted from his motorcycle and kicked the stand into place before sitting down beside her. It was slightly chilly out. As an intuitively gentleman response, he put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.
"Ulliver…" she whispered.
He gently shushed her and kissed her softly on the top of her head. She leaned into him and closed her eyes. Eventually, he coaxed her into standing up and following him to his motorcycle. This is what she needed. No questions. No provocations. He was not there to judge her, or be judged. He was balance.
And she so dearly needed that.
"Want to run away with me?" he asked her playfully.
The words had an adverse effect on her. Run away. Everyone else had run away from her. Not intentionally, perhaps, but where were they now? Cleon, Faleron… even Liam—even Neal! Where was Owen? Roald and Lalasa were too wrapped up in each other. Even Lerant and Yuki, or Dom and Qasim! She bitterly mutilated the word in her mind: vanished. Not vanished. They had not up and vanished. Just run away. Left her feeling separate. Alone.
"I don't want to run away," she murmured into his neck. "I just…" She searched for the right words. "I need to—to stop standing in the same place watching everything pass me by."
He nodded as if he understood. And maybe he did.
Ulliver straddled the motorcycle, handing her a helmet. Keladry held it in her hands. She eyed the machine before her. Reluctantly, she placed the helmet on her head and reached out tentatively toward his arm.
"Do you mind if I…?"
He blinked, but then caught himself and waved her ahead. "Uh, sure."
Keladry smiled as she straddled the motorcycle, being in front of Ulliver. He rested his hands around her waist easily. She liked that, too. At that particular moment, she couldn't recall Joren ever letting her drive while he remained passenger. It wasn't a concession to her. But she was sure that was how he had viewed it.
"Ready?" she called as she started up the motorcycle and revved it twice.
Ulliver grinned. "Always."
~~
He woke up abruptly, not with a jerk, but a rather slow exhalation. Turning on his side, he looked out the window. The sun was climbing into the air. Perhaps someone had summoned him to breakfast and he had ignored the calls. He did not know. And he did not particularly care.
He mechanically dressed himself, pulling on the first garments he pulled from the wardrobe. To his chagrin, they were white. He smoothed down the wrinkles absently as he sauntered to the window and leaned out to see the view more clearly. The azure sky was dotted with cottony wisps of clouds. He could see the sun peeking over a tuft of white in the distance. His host had specifically insisted that his room be placed in the east wing to catch the morning light.
Another day in paradise.
"You've got that look about you," a voice came from the doorway.
Joren glanced over his shoulder briefly, and then returned to gazing outside. Liam approached him. He came to a stop beside the blond man and also began studying the outside view.
"What look?" Joren asked. He feigned disinterest.
"Like someone just walked over your grave."
The blond shook his head. He rested his hands on the windowsill and peered at the horizon. He could see the faint outline of the mountains past the emerald bottom of the valley. It looked so alive. How could he be allowed to see such vibrancy flourish?
"You ever had the feeling something was being stolen from you when you weren't around?" he asked Liam.
"At the Ferris wheel," Liam cryptically answered.
"What?"
"Nothing. But yes, I know the feeling."
Joren turned to him. "I expect that feeling to stay for a while. It's an annoying thought." He coughed, spinning around so that the base of his back was pressed against the windowsill. Joren folded his arms across his chest and gave Liam a scrutinizing look. "So what is it? I know you didn't come here just to exchange pleasantries."
Liam nodded. "You're right. I came to say he's awake."
"Is he?"
"Yes."
The blond smiled subtly. "What rotten luck we have."
A Cheshire Cat grin. "Absolutely."
~~
Author's note:
It is April Fools Day as I write this. That means I graduate in 47 days.
*mumbling and grumbling*
Why couldn't it be next week?
Anyway, I really really hope you haven't been too annoyed by my lack of posting. I've been studying for senior exams and whatnot (calculus, especially…) and I'm also writing material for scholarship contest essays, poems, and short stories.
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be famous.
Thanks for reading! Tell me what ya think—seriously—either by email or review. I haven't bothered to edit for typos and incongruence. Too tired. See ya next time!
Ciao
Sulia Serafine
P.S. One non-spoiler (by my interpretation, not yours) question answered for the first person who can tell me what Liam was "cryptically" talking about.