Matters between Dee and Barclay weren't proceeding well. Ever since
the revelation, Dee had been extra bitchy, biting back at whatever Barclay
said, whether it was in private or in the office. The others noticed, but
most just thought it to be the culmination of a long time of mutual dislike.
Ryo tried to mediate, but he was getting nowhere. Dee didn't want to be
reminded of the fact that they were blood-related, and Barclay had closed
himself off. He was still there as a commissioner, but the times he had
effectively been himself, when he had dropped the pretense and approached
Ryo on a private level, had disappeared.
Even as an ally, Ryo could no longer talk to him as freely as he was
used to with other allies. The whole thing weighed on the older man and
he tried not to show it. It was painful to watch and Ryo was drawn between
his partner and the man he had just gotten to know as more than his superior.
Barclay's pain and quiet desperation touched something inside of him, and
he wondered which part of him was responding. The colleague? The man? The
ally? Or was it something that had developed inside him with his status
as a shield?
It was late. So late that everyone else of their shift had already gone
home. Drake and Ted were going to a Nicks game, and JJ had had his day
off today. The night shift was still coming in, some of them nodding toward
Ryo as he passed them by. He smiled at one or two, then looked around for
Dee. Apparently his partner was already on his way downstairs and he smiled
to himself. They had planned a leisurely dinner tonight, just the two of
them, since Bikky was staying over with Carol. After that, well, they would
see. Ryo knew his lover was thinking in one particular direction, and he
wasn't actually adverse to it, but he wanted the evening to proceed slowly.
There was so much going with Dee right now, Ryo knew his partner needed
a breather and some relaxation.
A small thrill raced through him at the thought of his dark-haired
partner. Even after two years, Dee had lost nothing of the magic around
him, the intensity that had left Ryo breathless and near-defenseless on
several occasions.
Magic, he chuckled to himself.
Yes, Dee had magic. Now in more ways than one.
And he had a brother.
That thought stopped him short and he sighed to himself.
Yes, tonight they would retreat from the world, just be by themselves.
He wanted to distract him, calm him, get Dee to take a few steps back and
review the situation from afar.
Something caught his attention just as Ryo was about to turn and leave
– the small ray of light peeking from under the door to Barclay's office.
He frowned. His superior wasn't supposed to be present at this time of
the night… Carefully pushing open the door he froze at the sight.
Ross Barclay was leaning heavily on the windowsill, his tall frame
slumped, head hanging between his shoulders. His entire posture spoke of
– defeat? A clicking sound alerted Ryo to the half empty bottle standing
on the desk. Barclay had been drinking?
"Stop snooping around, McLane."
Caught, he blinked; startled. "Sir?"
Barclay didn't even move.
"Don't 'sir' me, McLane."
Ryo's eyes widened. He had never heard Barclay sound like that, and
it pulled at something inside of him. So he stepped closer.
"Commissioner … "
"What do you want?"
"To know what's going on between Dee and you."
"He didn't tell you?"
"No. Not much, at least. Only … "
"That I'm his brother?"
"Yes."
From the looks of it Ryo would have expected a sarcastic tone, or even
a hurt one, but instead his boss sounded depressed. Ryo couldn't help but
step at the man's side, wanting to look at him more closely. Hazed blue
eyes regarded him from under heavy lids, telling about the fact that Barclay
might have had more than was good for him. He pulled a small brown wallet
out of his pocket and tossed it at Ryo, who caught it out of reflex. Confused
he opened it, glancing at what seemed to be family photographs.
"It's our family," Barclay muttered, gulping down the last of his whiskey.
"I was six when Dee was born. There," he pointed at a picture of a serious
looking boy holding an infant, "that's him."
"And you."
"And me," Barclay agreed. "You see… The day I looked at my baby brother
in the hospital I swore to keep him safe with my heart and soul. He was
a miracle, you know, and I wanted to protect him."
He was silent for a moment, then visibly steeled himself.
"Our family was special, Ryo, in many ways. You know enough paranormals,
I believe, to know that Shaman Pairs are rare."
Ryo nodded.
"My mother was a shaman, my father a warlock. Both were very powerful
paranormals in their own rights."
Ryo's eyebrows rose. That was an unusual connection.
"They were in love, they wanted to be together, and since there was
actually no chance for Mom to become pregnant, no one saw a problem. Then
came Bethany. She was a surprise and everyone thought Mom would lose the
child, but Beth was born. A healthy child – and without any powers. Then
came the others. We were all 'normal' so to speak, and miracles nevertheless.
There should have been no pregnancies. Everyone was baffled. Well, Mom
and Dad had four already and they wanted a last one. But Mom lost two babies
after me, and even if I was rather young back then I still remember it,
the pain it brought my parents. The doctors said she couldn't have another
baby, but then she got pregnant with Dee. He came early, he was so weak
and had to be incubated, kept alive with oxygen tubes and feeding equipment,
but he survived… He was a fighter even back then. When I looked into his
green eyes… babies usually don't have green eyes… I just knew he was something
special."
Barclay was gazing out of the window into the glittering New York night,
but his expression told Ryo he was far away – about thirty years away,
most likely.
"Our parents died because of him, Ryo," he said softly. "They were
protecting him with their lives… He was the inheritance of their power.
He was the embodiment of them. There were forces after him, trying to kill
my baby brother, and… and when… when their bodies were detected and he
wasn't with them… nobody could find him afterwards."
The usually so strong voice broke a little and Barclay stopped, inhaling
sharply as memories from long ago rose unbidden.
"At first the whole paranormal world was looking for my brother, but
when the years passed by the efforts grew weaker. Two of my sisters got
married and had families on their own to look after. But I… I had sworn…
I had sworn… "
The other man's voice trailed off. Ryo had listened wide-eyed and,
glancing at the pictures in his hands again he suddenly understood – Ross
Barclay had dedicated his life to the task of finding his lost brother,
had never even remotely thought about giving up, had believed against all
odds that the boy was still alive and had even chosen a career that supported
this efforts. And finally he had found him. Or more, fate had dropped Dee
Latener into his lp, so to speak.
He had spent his life with looking.
But he had never thought about what would happen when he had finally
found him.
Barclay shot him a look from haunted blue eyes and Ryo couldn't help
it – he put a comforting hand on the other man's shoulder, feeling him
lean into the fleeting contact minutely.
"Leave him alone!"
Dee had no idea what had triggered the reflex to walk back into the
precinct, climb the stairs to Barclay's office and barge inside. He had
been waiting for Ryo outside on the steps of the 27th, smoking one of the
few rare cigarettes he had nowadays. Ever since the revelation as to what
he was, what he could so, he had cut back. Ryo had always asked him to
in the last months, making him promise not to smoke so much, and Dee had
really tried. Smoking was his method to cope with pressure; he needed a
cigarette after a stressful case. Sometimes just to think, too. Well, right
now he had felt like one and Ryo wouldn't object to the one cigarette.
Gazing out over the evening streets, nodding at the few night shift
guys passing him on their way to the squad cars, he wondered what was taking
his partner so long.
And then it hit him.
It was like a surge of emotions that had no specific origin. All he
could say was that it wasn't him feeling this. There was no reason for
him to feel… sorrow, compassion, sadness… sympathy…
He blinked, the cigarette dropping to the sidewalk, rolling into the
gutter, but he didn't even see it. He didn't care either.
Sympathy… understanding…
Softer emotions.
Then something else hit. It was like knowing that it came from Ryo,
that he was… with Barclay!
Dee saw red. Almost literally.
What the fuck was going on? What was Barclay doing to his partner?
Long legs ate up the stairs and he slammed the door open, his eyes
falling on the cozy, almost intimate scene. Ryo standing close to Barclay,
touching him, the blond man leaning into the touch as if seeking…
Anger coursed through him. Anger and fury and rage.
Something crackled.
Something snapped.
"Leave him alone!"