I thought I should warn you - this is a long chapter but it really doesn't advance the plot all that much. The boys just wanted to have some fun so I let them. I promise that they will eventually get out of the house and go deal with the gargoyles.
Van Helsing listened to the phone ring and tried to decide how best to approach Jinette. The line was answered and a sharp, accented voice barked "Jinette". Van Helsing unconsciously straightened and began the dance.
"Jinette, its Van Helsing. I'm checking in about a situation." He didn't get any farther then that before Jinette cut him off abruptly.
"A situation. What have you damaged now? A building, cars… let me guess, your weapons are broken and you need them fixed? Tell me, how many people do we have to pacify this time? Well, just how badly did you screw up this time?" The chill that emanated from the phone made Van Helsing scowl.
"Nothing's damaged and my weapons are fine. I'm calling to say I ran into a nest of gargoyles here in the city. I took out a handful of them but there are about 4-5 still left to be dealt with. I'm tracking them back to their lair and will destroy it along with the remaining gargoyles. That's it. Situation is under control " The Hunter's voice was clipped as he was barely holding his anger in check. Jinette had a way of getting under his skin and the man took great delight in ticking Van Helsing off. On the other hand, Van Helsing had an ace in the hole because, thanks to Carl, he was going into this with a support system and therefore didn't have to crawl to The Order for aid. This helped him to keep from responding to Jinette's deliberate attack.
He could here Jinette's indrawn breath and smiled grimly. Score one for me. He knew that Jinette loved nothing more then to goad his subordinates into losing their cool. Once lost, Jinette had free rein to rip them to shreds. Van Helsing was one of the few people who had never broken under one of Jinette's attacks but they had some knockdown, drag out fights that he had metaphorically limped away from. It was the reason that Van Helsing existed outside the "safety" of Headquarters. Jinette couldn't stand having someone around he couldn't control and Van Helsing knew that he'd one day punch Jinette if he stayed. So there was an unspoken agreement that they would interact as little as possible and this would "keep the peace" with the other members of the Order. Needless to say, it made him very unpopular with the other Order members. No one wanted to be associated with someone who upset the boss.
Van Helsing didn't get long to enjoy his little victory. "So I suppose you are looking for resources – maybe another hunter to help you out?" Jinette said. His intention to wound was obvious. Van Helsing had to take a deep breath and count to five before answering.
"No, I've got it all under control. I'm only checking in because its clear that Headquarters had no idea that gargoyles had moved into this area, let alone found a way to get into the city undetected. I thought you'd like to know about it" Van Helsing's voice dripped with false helpfulness. He only wanted to twist the knife a bit that Jinette dropped the ball on this one. That he could reject Jinette's "offer" of resources was a sweet bonus. He made a mental note to do something nice for Carl as a thank you for giving him a chance to get back at Jinette for all the years of abuse.
He could practically here Jinette's blood pressure rising and a smile of satisfaction filled his face. He lounged back on the bed and waited for the explosion.
"You will send me a full report when you find out exactly how they came to be in the city. I want to make sure that none of the other Hunters run into the same problem. I'll have Carlson send you the intell on gargoyles within the hour. I'm hoping that you haven't managed to lose your computer?"
Van Helsing almost laughed at that extremely weak attack. Jinette was grasping at straws in an attempt to rattle him and it was satisfying to experience. Still, no point in burning too many bridges as Carl said he needed the intell the Order had on file. "Nah, the laptop is fine. Email me everything you've got and I'll take it from there. Is there anything else you need from me? I should probably get out on the streets soon. Got gargoyles to track and all." He kept his tone deliberately upbeat knowing that it would drive Jinette crazy.
Jinette just snarled and said "No. All I need from you is to do your job and not blow anything up. Think you can handle it?"
Van Helsing had to fight back a laugh as he said, "Yes, I think I can handle it. Until next time" and hung up. Once the call had been disconnected, he finally allowed himself to laugh. Even if this whole partnership thing turned out to be a total bust, it was worth it to know that for once, he had gotten the better of the Dragon. This definitely called for some kind of celebration!
He got up from the bed and decided to go find Carl. It was, after all, thanks to the geek that he was one up on Jinette and he should be thanked for it. He also realized he was hungry and was thinking that pizza and beer would go down nicely right about now.
He wandered down the hall and to the first floor. Since he had last seen Carl making off with his crossbow, he figured he'd find him in his lab. He could hear music and was surprised that it was rock. He would have thought classical music would have been more his speed. He headed off towards the lab and found Carl once again perched on a stool with one of his weapons before him. Van Helsing had to fight down a moment of panic at seeing the crossbow in pieces but reminded himself that Carl had fixed the tojos which were much more complicated and now they were better then ever.
Carl looked up absentmindedly when he heard Van Helsing enter but his attention snapped to full when he realized the man still hadn't put a shirt on. Dear lord and this man was now going to be living with him? Carl found himself blushing brightly and had to wretch his eyes away from the tempting sight. He picked up a piece of the crossbow and tried to look like he wasn't flustered and overheated. Be casual, Carl. Remember, this partnership is a trial run. If he thinks you're lusting after him, the game is over right now.
Carl fiddled a bit with the pieces of the crossbow and fought keep his voice casual and relaxed. "So how was your call to the office? Everything went alright?" He deliberately made the point of looking at Van Helsing's face so the well-muscled body on display wouldn't distract him.
Van Helsing grinned and said, "The call went great. Jinette is probably having a stroke as we speak" He reached across and picked up a piece of the crossbow and began to play with it.
Carl sighed, plucked the piece of crossbow out of Van Helsing's hand and put it back down in with the other carefully arranged bits of weapon. "You know, it's not very nice to want to drive someone over the edge. And since he's your boss, it's not exactly the best survival technique either. Did you ever stop to think that you might have a better time of it if you didn't antagonize the guy?"
Van Helsing just snorted. "Its not all me. Jinette thrives on breaking his subordinates. You should have heard the way he was baiting me. He figured I was calling in because I had screwed something up or was in over my head. Can't tell you how good it felt to tell him that I had everything under control and that I didn't need a damn thing. You could practically hear his blood vessels popping in frustration. The man does not like to be beaten at anything" Van Helsing grinned widely and reached again for the crossbow bits.
Carl slapped Van Helsing's hand away. "Stop that. I have them laid out like that for a reason. You do want me to be able to put this back together, don't you?" He shook his head and said, "In your enthusiasm to kill Jinette, I hope you didn't forget that I need that information on gargoyles?" Carl was feeling a bit grumpy, as a happy Van Helsing was far too tempting for Carl's concentration. At least when the Hunter was surly, the mild apprehension that induced was enough to dampen the hormonal reaction Carl seemed to have whenever the man was around. This newly chipper Van Helsing was wrecking havoc on Carl's libido.
Van Helsing just raised an eyebrow at Carl's cranky tone and said "Sounds like someone needs a nap. I was going to suggest pizza and beer but maybe I'd just do better to put you to bed" He grinned teasingly at Carl and moved towards him as if to make good on his threat.
Carl looked at Van Helsing with a mixture of annoyance and trepidation. He just didn't know the man well enough to know when he was teasing or not. And frankly Carl didn't think that letting Van Helsing cart him off to bed was a safe thing to do in Carl's currently aroused state. He put his hand up and said, "Don't even think about it. I've got far too much work to do here" He then turned to the crossbow and began slotting together a couple of pieces.
Van Helsing looked at Carl who was still looking a bit disgruntled and came to a decision. He moved quickly and snatched the pieces out of Carl's hand. Stepping back, he held them out of reach and said, "Fine, no nap but you still need to take a break. You are far too cranky". He grinned at Carl was sputtering with indignation.
Carl hopped out of his seat and tried to snatch the pieces back. Unfortunately Van Helsing had several inches on him and was able to keep them just out of reach. "Damn it Van Helsing, will you give those back? I'm trying to work here." He tried one more lunge but the Hunter nimbly dodged away, chuckling all the while.
"Sorry Carl but you aren't getting these back until you take a break and have something to eat." He started to back away, holding the pieces out like a carrot on a stick.
Carl watched him for a moment and then decided that two could play this game. He shrugged and said, "Fine, if you won't let me work on the crossbow, I've got plenty of other things I can do. " He walked over to one of the cabinets along the back wall and opened it. He rummaged around inside, randomly pulling things out while watching the Hunter out of the corner of his eye. He could see that the Hunter was assessing the situation and planning his next move. Carl continued to play it up by taking a piece of equipment out of the cabinet and pretending to size up its potential as the next thing to work on. He had to fight back a smirk when he saw Van Helsing silently put down the crossbow pieces and try to sneak up on him. He waited until the Hunter was almost upon him then turned quickly and dodged around him. He picked up the crossbow pieces and said "Thank you Van Helsing for returning this. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do." His grin was equal parts mirth and victory.
Van Helsing studied the smirking inventor thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. Carl chuckled gleefully and then turned his attention back to the crossbow. This would turn out to be a fatal mistake.
Carl let out a startled yelp when he found himself being grabbed off the stool and unceremoniously tossed over an unyielding shoulder. He protested vehemently but fruitlessly as he was lugged out of the lab like a sack of potatoes. He was carried into the living room where he was tossed down onto the couch. He tried to struggle up but was held down by a hand on his chest.
"Damn it, Van Helsing. Let me up. You have no right to treat me this way. Get off me you big oaf." Carl struggled to free himself but it really was a losing battle.
Van Helsing grinned at the sight of Carl attempting to escape. Carl thought he had been clever with that little diversion of his back in the labs but he had just learned that Van Helsing wasn't that easy to trick. Then Carl made a particularly vigorous wriggle and Van Helsing had to lean forward to keep the blonde pinned down. This brought him in rather close proximate to the squirming man and Van Helsing suddenly had images of other ways he could keep Carl pinned down and squirming. The thought went straight to his groin and he had to close his eyes for a moment to push those thoughts away. Opening them he realized that perhaps he hadn't thought this out far enough and let go of Carl.
Carl immediately pushed himself upright with an indignant snort. "I can't believe you did that. You can't just go around tossing people over your shoulder like that. I was trying to work" He tried to glare at the dark haired man in front of him but it was a rather weak attempt. The fact of the matter was that being pinned down on the couch like that had caused Carl's arousal to flare again. He was trying to fight it with indignation but it was a losing battle.
Van Helsing stood up and said "I wouldn't have to toss you over my shoulder if you had done what I asked. You needed to take a break. You've been going since I've arrived here and its time for you to stop and come up for air. We'll get something to eat and we can talk about this partnership thing. There are some rules and regulations we need to get straight if you are going to work with me. Now, can you get a pizza delivered here or is this neighborhood too blue blood?"
He lounged casually in an armchair while he watched various expressions chase across Carl's face. It was clear that Carl was annoyed by his "intervention" but he was also concerned about these rules that he wanted to discuss. Then of course, there was Carl's unending curiosity that just had to know more about what was coming next. In the end, curiosity won out.
Carl sighed as he looked at Van Helsing lounging so indolently in the stuffy floral armchair. Carl wasn't use to people who used such direct approaches. Most times they employed some form of manipulation – usually incessant nagging – to pry him out of his lab. Most of his exes had perfected a form of harping that was the vocal equivalent of fingernails down the chalkboard. That method however had a ramping up period in which Carl could continue work until the person finally hit their explosion point. Apparently this was not going to be the case with Van Helsing. And since the man had just proven that he could enforce any order he made with swift and decisive action, it would behoove Carl to take him seriously when he said he needed a break. Carl sighed again and resigned himself to time off. He could always get back to it after they ate and the truth of the matter was that he was hungry.
"There's a couple of places that will deliver out here. I've got menus in one of the kitchen drawers. Any preferences on your pizza?" Carl said, one eyebrow quirked in question. Now that he had surrendered to the interruption, he was trying to get things back on a more normal footing. Not that anything about his time with the Hunter could be described as normal. It really was hard to believe how much chaos had happened in the short time he had known the man! But if they were going to be partners, he was going to have to give it a try.
Van Helsing smiled at Carl's sudden attempt at cooperation. It really was fascinating how Carl could move through an entire range of emotions in seconds and come out friendly. He knew that the man was annoyed at having his work interrupted and for being outwitted (something he was sure rarely happened to the genius) but instead of being surly and stubborn, he let it go and was accepting Van Helsing's request. Well, it wasn't exactly a request but still, the blonde was handling it with far better grace then he would have in that situation. At the thought of Carl attempting to toss him over his shoulder, Van Helsing had to bite back his laughter. Somehow, he just couldn't see geeky, nice guy Carl ever doing something so aggressive. The thought was just preposterous.
Carl saw an amused look pass across Van Helsing's face and had the paranoid feeling the guy was laughing at him. Now what? He was trying to be cooperative and this is the response he gets? Carl was unconsciously pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest. His look screamed annoyed.
Van Helsing saw the pout and his grin grew wider. He wondered if Carl realized just how adorable that pouting, sulking look was. Probably not and if Van Helsing were to point it out to him, he's probably sulk even more. Van Helsing was tempted to say something since he really did find the pout appealing but on the other hand, it was probably best to keep things strictly professional. He really needed Carl's help with this mission and he couldn't afford to screw things up just for a quick fling. Best to resist temptation for once.
"Carl, quit sulking. Let's just order the pizza and get down to working out the details of this partnership. I think as this last little incident showed, you need some work on your obedience skills"
Carl glared at him and said, "You make me sound like a dog you want to teach to heel. I wasn't under the impression that you were planning on ordering me around in my own lab. I thought my work was my own business and that I'm only under your jurisdiction when there's danger about."
Van Helsing shook his head and said, "I wasn't trying to order you around. I was just trying to get you to take a break. You've hardly had any sleep since I've got here and when was the last time you ate?" He looked at Carl pointedly who squirmed a bit under the Hunter's gaze. Part of him felt bad for making Carl so uncomfortable but he also knew that he had to establish clear expectations of how things were going to work between them. He couldn't have Carl working himself into a state of exhaustion just because he was trying to prove something.
Carl bit his lip in discomfort and finally said "You're right, I have been working a bit too hard. It's my worst failing. I get caught up in things and I forget all about stuff like eating and sleeping. It's why there's a cot in the lab. Sometimes I work to the point where even going up the stairs seems like too much work. But I'll make more of an effort if it's that important to you." Carl was practically mumbling and his head was lowered to hide his face
Carl's body language spoke of embarrassment and shame and Van Helsing felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn't meant to make Carl feel ashamed of his tendency to lose track of time while he was working. He only wanted him to see that Van Helsing was trying to help by getting him to take a break. As he looked at Carl who was still staring resolutely at the floor, he realized that Carl had probably taken a lot of abuse for this habit of his. And as someone who had taken his own share of abuse for inborn habits, he felt a certain kinship for the man.
"Carl, I wasn't lecturing you. In fact, I'm the last person who should be lecturing anyone on their bad habits. There's a reason I'm out here on my own." Van Helsing grinned at Carl who seemed to relax a bit, even offering a tentative smile back. Seeing that he was getting through, he continued on. "Now we're both a bit new to all of this and we don't know each other very well, but I hope that we can establish enough of a relationship that we can say when we think the other person is overdoing things. After all, you aren't much help to me if you collapse from exhaustion." Van Helsing said this last bit with a teasing smile to take the sting out of it.
Carl looked at Van Helsing and nodded. "You're right. To be honest, I'm not use to people worrying about me. Most people don't care about what I'm doing unless they need me to be somewhere. And since I've been single for a while, I've been pretty much left to my own devices. Guess I've gotten a bit sloppy about insuring the basics like regular meals and rest. I use to set alarms for myself to remind me to take breaks. Guess I better get back in the habit so I don't get carted out again." Carl blushed fiercely for moment and then said "I can't believe you just tossed me over your shoulder like that!"
Van Helsing just chuckled and said "It seemed like the most effective method. And since it's got you agreeing to take better care of yourself, then I'd say I made the right choice. Speaking of which, what do you say we finally order that pizza? I'm in the mood to celebrate."
Carl smiled back and said "Large with everything on it? I have to confess, I'm starving!" He got up and started to walk towards the door to get the phone number.
Van Helsing nodded and said "Then we'd better get two because I'm pretty hungry myself. And I don't suppose you have any decent beer around here?"
Carl raised his eyebrow in mock distain. "Please, this is a high brow establishment. We have nothing but the best here." He was almost out the door when he heard Van Helsing's muttered response. "Nothing but the best? Then what the hell am I doing here?"
Carl turned to see Van Helsing scrunching down in the chair. He smiled at the rare sign of insecurity in the man and felt his heart warm towards him. "You're here because you are the best partner I've had" Carl smiled warmly as he leaned against the door jam. Van Helsing looked at him skeptically and said "And how many other partners have you had?"
Carl grinned and said "You're the first but I'll keep you because you've got a lot of potential" And with that parting shot, he left the startled Hunter to his thoughts.
He chuckled to himself as he headed towards the kitchen to find the pizza menus. Van Helsing may be a big, bad monster hunter but he was as much a novice as Carl was at this whole partnership thing. That meant that they were on a level playing field here and Carl rather liked that fact. He also liked the fact that Van Helsing actually cared about him rather then just what Carl could do for him. This partnership is turning out to be a really good thing. He was looking forward to seeing how things progressed over the next few weeks…