*9*
"Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." Now, George Orwell had his own view of government and made his opinions well known through his writing. Thanks to him the phrase "Big Brother is watching you" has become a part of our culture. The problem? Who is watching "Big Brother?"
"How ya holding up, my friend?" Hobbes kept his voice down this time, unlike the day before when he'd been out to actually inflict pain on his bone-headed partner. Course he had deserved it, at the time.
Darien was doing better, but was still dealing with the painful remnants of his overuse of Quicksilver. In many ways, it was far worse that what used to occur when he went Quicksilver mad. Then a shot of counteragent would usually do the trick, leaving Darien just feeling tired and possibly depressed, depending on what had occurred while he'd been gone off the deep end. On this occasion the only help involved time and some mild painkillers that relieved some, but not all of the residual symptoms. It had taken nearly 12 hours before the seizures had finally ceased altogether, leaving Darien exhausted, sore, and with one hell of a headache. Though the kid being there through most of it, probably provided more help than anything else could have.
They were currently cruising at a comfortable 65 and watching for their exit off highway 77 heading for the small town of Crete that was about 30 miles southwest of Lincoln. The two of them had been tracking down old friends and family of the Keller-Mercherson-Randall trio to find out what, if anything, they knew about Angela and the baby. Hell, trying to find out anything of use, and having limited success. It had taken most of the day and several phone calls, but they finally found Angela's parents, who, once contacted, actually agreed to speak with them.
Graywolf and Alyx had headed back to D.C. to speak with Gray's contact about Keller and Lee. It had been Alyx's suggestion that they split up when an agreement couldn't be reached on their next move as a team. Hobbes had wanted to stick it out in Lincoln and see what other information they could dig up, while Graywolf had wanted to head back and speak to his mysterious contact about Keller; attacking the problem from the opposite side.
Alyx had also suggested that by heading back to D.C. it would keep whoever had attacked them from doing so again, drawing them back to the capitol with her. Her idea had been reluctantly agreed to, even if it was the most logical use of resources. So once Darien had recovered enough to be moved, they checked out of the hotel, dropped Alyx and Graywolf off at the airport to catch a plane back to D.C., while Bobby and Darien had found a new hotel to spend the night at. Even with the medication Alyx had provided, Darien was going to need at least 24 hours to recover and he was under express orders to not Quicksilver before then.
In fact, Claire had ordered limited use for the next week, until Darien was back in the Keep and she could run some tests. She had tried to order them back home, but the Official had overridden her. He wasn't in any real danger as far as they could tell without detailed diagnostic equipment. Alyx had done what she could to check out both Darien and the gland and pronounced them whole if unhappy. If there had been any serious, or even the slightest hint of damage to the gland she would have escorted him back to San Diego herself, and told them so.
"Not bad," Darien answered, shifting slightly. He had suggested they just simply try the records again, in hopes the bad guys hadn't taken the files. Hobbes had, rightly, nixed that idea on the off chance the unfriendlies that had tried to eliminate them the day before had staked out the place in hopes of finding them and finishing the job. So it had, instead, been a day of phone calls and questions to people somewhat reluctant to answer, as they gathered what little information they could. In some ways he thought they had lucked out in not only learning Angela's parents were both alive and in the area, but in convincing them to talk with them on such short notice. "Not sure I like this splitting up." He raised a hand to forestall Hobbes' commentary. "Yes, I understand. Yes, it makes sense. But that don't mean I have to like it."
Hobbes chuckled softly. "True enough." He spotted their exit and glanced down at the directions the Randall's had given to him. "We should be there in 15 minutes or so."
Darien nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that part of the reason he didn't like splitting up was that Alyx was now alone with Graywolf and that the man was going to do something in regards to his relationship with her. What he was going to do worried Darien, no matter how many times he told himself not to, and it made that lunatic idea of his seem just a bit more realistic, a bit more worthy of serious consideration.
"Hobbes, how'd you know when ... Vivian was the one?"
Hobbes twitched in surprise. "What brought this on?" Since Viv had married that... Brock, he'd done his best to not think about her and had succeeded for the most part. His almost-more-trouble-than-he-was-worth partner had kept his mind on far more immediate things.
Suddenly struck with the sinking feeling that he'd just made a major error Darien mumbled, "No reason, just forget it."
Hobbes considered letting it drop, but after thinking over some of Fawkes' comments the last few days, hell weeks, he decided to press on. "So, you're actually thinking of popping the question?"
Darien groaned and tried to hide. Slouching down about as low as he could go in the seat and rubbing the back of his neck to try and relieve the tension that suddenly seemed to spring up there, he did his best to make himself invisible without using the damn gland. Great, now Hobbes would be teasing him about it for weeks, or telling him what a fool he was to even think about it. "Hobbes, just forget I said anything, would ya?"
"Not this time, my friend. I'm rather surprised this hasn't come up before now." Hobbes made sure to keep any of the humor he felt about the situation tucked well inside. Getting Fawkes to open up was worse than pulling teeth on an angry and conscious alligator. "It won't get her back to the Agency."
"I know," Darien replied in a tone of resignation. He did know and, though part of him still hoped it would... encourage her to leave the CIA, he knew that wouldn't happen now. Three, four months ago, maybe. But now? Not likely. What with the new unit, being closer to her family, and... and her partner.
"Fawkes, I'm not saying it won't work, but it sure as hell won't be easy." Hobbes tapped one finger on the steering wheel as he drove. He didn't want to miss the turnoff to Crete and have to backtrack. "Just think about why you want to do this, that's all I ask."
Darien was surprised. "What, no jokes? No trying to talk me out of it?"
"Nope, in fact if you decide to go through with this, and convince the kid, I'll help." Hobbes glanced at Darien and was unable to contain the laugh the look on his partner's face caused. "Fawkes, don't look so damn shocked. You've been nuts over her since day one and if being apart for over a year didn't change nothing..." He shook his head. "Don't screw this up or I'll be forced to beat some sense back into that head of yours."
"Bobby, I don't know what to say." The use of Hobbes' first name gave away how much his words and support meant to Darien. Even after all this time, Hobbes could still surprise Darien. "I... Thank you."
"Yeah, well, when she says yes, I had better be the best man," Hobbes commented as he slowed the car and turned down the main street of the town of the small town. All two stop lights of it.
Darien laughed in relief. "You know it, my friend."
It was only three turns and about five minutes later that they pulled into the driveway of an average sized suburban home among dozens of others. At least it wasn't subdivision hell, with cookie-cutter houses and a bad case of "keeping up with the Jones'" permeating the neighborhood. Quiet streets lined with sidewalks and trees that provided plenty of shade to keep the front yards cool on even the hottest of summer days. Of course, with the exception of the occasional evergreen, the trees were currently naked and the remains of the last snowstorm still lay on the ground, though it had begun to melt during the day's comparative warmth.
The two men sat in the car, the ticking of the engine the only sound for long minutes as they contemplated how to question the couple about events that occurred 15 years ago.
"Let me handle this, Fawkes." Hobbes opened the door and stepped out into the chilly evening air and Darien followed a moment later.
"Sure. I'm perfectly capable of being an accessory." Darien kind of wished he'd thought that sentence through before saying it, but was still hard pressed not to smile at the look Hobbes shot him.
"Now, is not the time to be a smartass," Hobbes warned, as he shook his head. And Fawkes thought his comments belonged on pillows. "Accessory might be about the only thing you never got caught doing."
"Hobbes, there are lots of things I never got caught doing." Darien grinned slyly. Sometimes telling the truth was more than worth it just for the reaction. Luckily Hobbes was prevented from saying a single word as Darien mounted the short flight steps, using his long legs to take them two at a time. He rang the doorbell just as Hobbes sidled up next to him.
An older man, who was in his late 60s at a guess, stared at them with more than a bit of suspicion as he opened the door. "Can I help you?"
Bobby pulled out his badge. "Agent Hobbes and my partner Agent Fawkes. We spoke on the phone earlier..."
"Of course, my apologies." Mr. Randall swung the door wide and gave them a bit of a smile as he waved them into his home. "Come on in. The missus has decided to use your visit as an excuse to cook up a storm, I hope you don't mind."
As if on cue, Darien's stomach rumbled and he ducked his head, looking sheepish.
"Got your appetite back, I take it?" Hobbes asked rhetorically. "No need to go to any trouble on our account, considering what we came here to ask about."
Mr. Randall led them into somewhat intimate sunroom that, based on the smells wafting in, was right off the kitchen. He waved towards the table that overlooked the backyard and poked his head through a nearby door. "They're here." Mere seconds later a woman, who was obviously his wife, bustled out with a tray holding a complete sterling silver coffee service.
Much to Hobbes' surprise Darien moved quickly to help, he took the tray and carried over to the table for her.
"Thank you. I'd forgotten how heavy that thing can be. Been a while since we've had guests." She brushed a stray hair off her face, tucking in behind her ear and gave Darien a welcoming smile. "Sit, young man. Let me at least pretend that I remember how to be a proper hostess."
Darien grinned and took the seat next to Hobbes. Once the coffee was poured, sipped, and proclaimed wonderful by both agents, an uncomfortable silence ensued. "Mr. and Mrs. Randall..."
"Why are you interested in Angie and... and the baby, now?" Mrs. Randall suddenly interrupted. "We did as we were asked and never said a thing to anyone."
Hobbes and Darien exchanged a look before Hobbes spoke up. "We are looking into Harrison Keller's past for... reasons we can't go into right now."
"William Mercherson and your daughter came up in connection," Darien finished. Then his curiosity got the better of him. "Why wouldn't you talk about it?"
This time the couple exchanged a look. "You don't know, do you?" Mr. Randall asked and when it was plain on the two men's faces that they had no idea what he was talking about he continued. "The three of them were... inseparable. Surprised a lot of us considering how different their backgrounds were, but they were good kids and... It was like they completed each other." He took a sip of his coffee before explaining in more detail. "Harrison was the rich kid. Daddy a big time attorney with all the money and power to go with it. Even as a kid Harrison could move in those higher circles and felt comfortable there. Angela was the typical girl-next-door; friendly, outgoing, and everyone liked her. William was often considered the outsider because his looks took after his mother's side of the family. You would never have known his dad's family had lived in these parts for generations the look was so strong, in fact, William's sister took after his father with blonde hair and blue eyes, her skin tone was the only real difference, being slightly darker." He paused shaking his head.
"They were a trio," Mrs. Randall added. "They were known as the Three Musketeers from about the fifth grade until college. Well, the summer before actually." She glanced over at her husband, who nodded slightly. "Everyone knew both boys were crazy for her, but even we were surprised when she chose William alone for her prom date. It was almost as if even they hadn't realized something more had happened between them until that moment."
"Harrison didn't handle it all that well. Don't misunderstand me, nothing seemed to change and they continued their plan to attend college together, but it was obvious there had been a shift in the group." A sigh escaped from Mr. Randall. "When Harrison decided to join William in government work we were all surprised, he'd always wanted to be a lawyer and go into politics. It happened about the same time Angie and William announced their engagement.
"He was jealous?" Darien guessed, figuring it was the most obvious conclusion.
Mrs. Randall poured more coffee into his cup; he hadn't even realized he'd emptied it. "Not so that you could tell. Seemed to support them. Was best man at their wedding."
"But?" Hobbes prompted, suspecting they knew something.
Mr. Randall shrugged. "There was never anything specific. Harrison and William, because of so many years of friendship, turned out to work real well together. William had a flair for undercover work, while Harrison called the shots from behind the scenes. They were eventually paired simply because they worked so very well together."
"Doing what? If you know, that is." Hobbes leaned forward in his seat, resting his forearms on the table even as Darien sat back doing his best to look casual, but Hobbes knew better, could see the tension and discomfort in his body and suspected it was only partially due to the headache he still had.
"Exactly? We have no idea. Even Angie didn't know for sure. Just that it was undercover work and that it took him away for months sometimes." A sad smile crossed Mrs. Randall's face. "But he always came home to her. Except that last time. It was so hard on her, especially since he had planned to..." She stopped, shaking her head
"Not retire, but stay stateside for a while. Do something less dangerous so that he could be there and help raise their daughter." Getting to his feet, Mr. Randall began to pace the width of the room. "If only he'd been able to say no to that last mission or whatever it was."
"What happened?" Darien kept himself composed, but he knew the signs that they were about to get hit by the unexpected.
"Angie was in D.C. then. William wasn't supposed to be leaving the country at all, but when she was about six months along he was ordered to go do... something, and he had no choice. Angie came back home and stayed with us for the rest of her preg..." He choked off the words, obviously the memories affecting him more than he'd thought they would.
"We found records that said she died in childbirth and that there was a daughter, but unnamed. We were wondering what happened to her?" Hobbes had to wonder at the confused looks on the faces of the couple.
"The baby died," Mrs. Randall said with confusion in her voice. "We buried her next to her mother."
Hobbes closed his eyes and rubbed them for a moment. "Huh?"
"Harrison showed up out of the blue when Angie was eight months along," Mr. Randall explained. "With the news that William was dead."
Both Hobbes and Darien looked at them blankly, considering they'd had the crap beat out of them the other evening by who they suspected was William Lee, this completely unexpected news that the man was dead threw them for the proverbial loop. "Dead?"
"Yes, and Angie went into labor early because of the shock. There were complications and..." Mrs. Randall's voice became faint.
"The baby died minutes later, too young at a guess. We were so devastated that I'm afraid we just... dealt with things and didn't ask too many questions," Mr. Randall explained, his voice nearly as tight as his wife's. Moving to her side he sat and took her hand into his and tried to comfort her. "Even when the agents came and told us not to talk about William, Angie, or baby to anyone, we didn't think anything was odd. Still in shock I guess. Sides we knew most of William's work was classified so we figured it had to do with that." His brow wrinkled in consternation. "Are you saying it was something else?"
"We're not sure, but I promise we'll tell you what we can as soon as we know anything definite," Darien stated quietly. He ignored the quick glare Hobbes shot at him. As far as Darien was concerned the Randall's deserved to know as much of the truth as possible. It was just a matter of finding it.
***
A low groan of pain drew Graywolf up out of the pleasant doze the drone of the plane's engines had lured him into, and where he'd been trying not to think about everything that had gone wrong the last few days. He slowly opened his eyes to see Alyx folded over, the top of her head nearly pressed into the back of the seat in front of her. Her arms hanging down, with the palms pressed into the floor. She groaned again, but this time he was able to guess the cause as the muscles in her lower back visibly twitched, the cramp taking up her attention for the moment.
"Ah, Sil, you should have said something," Gray commented softly, since most of the other passengers were trying to sleep on this late flight back to D.C. "How bad?"
"Bad enough," she answered, her voice muffled do to her awkward position, which involved speaking directly towards the floor of the plane. She'd been fighting off this cramp for almost an hour now, but as she had known was inevitable, it had won, and dragged her up out of the state of numb endurance she had managed to force herself into. "You were trying to sleep. I didn't want to wake you."
Reaching out he gently, but with the firmness that was necessary, began to work the muscles of her lower back with his fingers. "So instead you make yourself suffer. Always smart." He avoided the bandaged area even though he knew that's where the cramp was probably centered. Neither of them wanted to deal with tearing it open, yet again, especially while 30 thousand feet in the air. After several minutes the muscles began to relax and Alyx did as well. A sigh escaping from her.
"Well, to be honest the pain was a bit of a distraction from the being in the air thing." She sat up a bit, her forearms resting on her thighs, and turned to look at him. She spoke barely above a whisper, perhaps to give him the option of ignoring her question by virtue of having not heard her. "Talk to me, Gray. I want... need to understand why you are so angry at me."
Gray's hands didn't even slow their movement, there was no reason to, and she was still in very rough shape no matter how well she tried to hide it. "Fawkes." He kept it simple neither wanting nor needing to go into any great detail. She would know and, though the people about them might be mostly asleep, there was still no reason to share their problems with their fellow travelers.
Alyx closed her eyes for a second, feeling truly worn. "You had no problems with him before you met him. What changed?"
Gray shook his head. How could he explain that when the man was across the country and rarely mentioned that is was easy to forget that he even existed. To delude himself into thinking Alyx was free from entanglements, free from outside commitments. Free to be with him.
Alyx decided to not prevaricate and struck directly at the heart of the matter. "Gray, did you sleep with all, or for that matter, any of your other partners?"
His hands did freeze in place at those words and he forced himself to quell the sudden feeling of -- disgust wasn't quite right, but it was akin -- that washed over him. He was no homophobe, but he wasn't entirely sure how to react to her question emotionally. "No, of course not."
Alyx just raised one delicate eyebrow as she watched his reactions, being careful not to probe beyond what she was already picking up from him.
"Damn it, Sil, that's not the same. They were... And you are..." His inability to complete a sentence gave away how flustered her comment had made him.
"Yes, Gray. It is the same. I'm your partner. You've simply chosen to perceive a difference because I'm female." Her voice was soft and, because of that, her words had more impact that they, perhaps, otherwise would have.
Gray huffed and leaned back in his seat contemplating, carefully, the quite accurate observation she had just imparted to him. But after a moment of mutual silence he latched onto the one thing that would drive his point home. "Fawkes was your partner," he hissed.
Alyx should have known that was coming, but was still more than a little hurt by the comment. Still, she screwed up her courage and faced the issue head on. "Yes, he was. And it doesn't matter as my situation was completely different."
"Different," Gray sneered. "You slept with your partner. With a... man you knew to be less than worthy of you. Yes, I can definitely see that it was different." He paused for a moment his anger rising even further. "Or was it just because of the Quick ... his talent. Only he's good enough and to hell with his past?"
She shook her head, not sure how to turn his anger towards something more productive. Something that might get them back on some sort of solid footing with each other instead of this very slippery slope they could easily fall off of. This... disagreement was going to tear everything they had built apart if they couldn't resolve it and soon. Sitting up, she carefully leaned back against the seat and met his eyes.
"Gray, I was a very different person then. My control was shaky at best, my situation, and my hold on life even shakier. Darien... well, he was a island of light on a sea of darkness." Alyx grimaced at her sudden attack of prose. "His past didn't matter. Hell, in many ways he didn't matter."
"Sil, you're not making a bit of sense," Gray told her in confusion and frustration. Her flowery words in reference to Fawkes throwing him off and dampening the anger.
"You're lucky I ever do some days," she muttered more to herself than him. "Look, my records to the contrary, I was not hired by the Agency and my leave of absence was... forced upon me, even though it was ultimately my choice to leave. I became very ill, Gray, an illness directly related to my abilities." Alyx knew she would have to skirt around many issues, as it was not yet time for Gray to know some things. Not with the problem of Darien still lying between them like an armed bomb ready to go off at any moment. "In truth, I never wanted this life, but I learned to live with it, learned that it was inevitable. And, sadly enough, have learned it's a necessity." Gray sat there, silent and, though she was sorely tempted, she didn't use her abilities to show him what she had been through as she easily could have. Right now, that would do far more harm to them, to their relationship, than good. "I damn near died, Gray."
"What does this have to do with Fawkes?" Gray asked in total exasperation. Near as he could tell she was trying to change the subject, to divert his attention away from the fact that she chose a relationship with Fawkes, over the possibility of one with him.
"Everything. And... nothing." She shook her head not sure how to make him understand. "He showed me I could care again, that I didn't have to be afraid. Back then I was damn dangerous and was just as likely to hurt friend ? innocents – as foe because my control was so bad. And yet watching Darien fight with his own demons taught me I could deal and live with mine. Live being the key word." She arched for a moment, her back still unhappy for having been in the same position for so long, and because it was a convenient way to avoid seeing his reaction to her words. When she had settled she continued, "I cared about him, for him, hell, slept with him long before I fell in love with him." She folded over and set her hands on the floor to complete the stretch. Gray's massage, short as it had been, had helped loosen things up enough for now.
"That doesn't change who or what he is, Sil. And he's not good enough for you. Never will be." Gray had heard her words, but didn't want to believe them, didn't want to look deeper into the meaning of them, to admit that this bright beautiful creature beside him could ever fall so low as to not want to live.
Alyx sighed and slowly sat up, drawing up one leg she turned in her seat to face him. "Gray, when I was just starting out with the Agency a man I now trust very much told me something important." Alyx paused wanting to get this just right, her tone bland, calm, and totally honest. "He told me, 'I never met that other person, just the one sitting here with me, and it's this one I'm partnered with. That's all that matters to me.' It made a huge difference in my relationships with those at the Agency, even if it still took months for it to show."
"And you think I should do this for Fawkes?" When Alyx made no comment he lowered his voice and snarled, "He's a thief and a con, Sil. Why should I trust him? Why should I give him the benefit of the doubt?"
"Because you're letting words on a piece of paper color your judgement. Don't look at who he was. See who he is." She held herself very still, knowing that one word too many, or the wrong one, would make him close up and ignore everything she said after. "Look at Bobby. He'd be the first to extol you with stories of Darien at his first year with the Agency." She smiled wryly and shook her head slowly. "It was not a match made in heaven by any stretch of the imagination. Yet today he trusts Darien with his life and is his partner... more he's his friend." When Gray remained quiet she set a hand lightly on his forearm. "Everyone has things in their past they regret. You pay your dues and move on. Trust me when I say Darien has more than paid his."
"Right. A lifer who got a get out of jail free card. How is that paying his dues?" Gray's voice was a harsh whisper, her words having indeed made an impact, one that caused him to become angry again for other, even more confusing, reasons.
"Do you really think the... his talent comes without a price? Mine certainly doesn't. You saw him earlier today. He's suffered far, far worse and all for the glory of the Agency. Suffered and lost and hurt in ways you can't imagine all in the name of the god damned greater good." Alyx closed her eyes as bone deep exhaustion swept over her. She wouldn't force this on him, couldn't in all good conscience. He had to make the choice. "Look, Gray, you're my partner and you're swiftly becoming a friend, but if you can't deal with Darien then..." She took a deep breath and released it slowly, finding it far harder to say the words than just think about them. "Then after this mission maybe you should go to Cavanaugh and request reassignment."
Gray just stared at Alyx as her words hung in front of him, refusing to sink in. The hand that had been resting on his arm moved away, leaving a cold spot where seconds before her warmth had been, to grasp the pendant she'd been wearing the last month and a half and only now did he realize it must have been a gift from him. From Fawkes. She was willing to break up their unit over this, for that's what it would amount to. His leaving, not that he had ever contemplated it, would leave a void in the unit to be filled and then downtime as the new member adjusted, which would cause the unit to be off balance for possibly months. From that standpoint alone he couldn't do it, not over this. "Sil..."
"Xavier..." It was obvious she had startled him by using his first name, since she used it so rarely. "If you're unhappy I will know and it will throw me off. This has to be settled one way or another by the time we've completed this mission. Just think about what I've said for now. Please."
He saw the exhaustion in her eyes, in her posture, and sighed softly, knowing she was right about several things. He forced himself to relax, to push away the residual anger and discontent in order to deal with the now. "All right, I will, but later, Right now you need to rest." When she was about to complain he set a finger over her lips to stop her. "I know you won't be able to sleep, but you can still relax, conserve some energy, and heal." He moved the arm dividing the two first class seats out of the way and cautiously drew her closer.
She grumbled, but didn't fight him, knowing his presence, even with the current disagreement still between them, would be a comfort and help ease her mind. "Thank you, Xavier."
"You're welcome. Now rest or I'll be forced to drug you." One hand wandered to her lower back to work the muscles some more, while the other took up the task of holding his chin as he looked out the window at the moonlit clouds passing below them.
