Favor: a confrontation

Author's Notes: Another chapter posted. Again, another non Harry/Lara one. The conversation chapter was supposed to show how other people would react to their relationship, while this one is supposed to provide provide some post-Changes insight into how Lara would react to Harry's disappearance. Also a chance to show how Lara and Karrin would interact as well.

So enjoy Lara propositionining Karrin (in multiple ways, not all of them kinky!).

Time: Post Changes

Lara Raith was drinking her coffee alone. She did so while reading from a battered paper back. This one wasn't a Harvard University Press release. This one was one of her own guilty little pleasures.

If anyone ever found out of her fondness for Anne Rice, she might have to eliminate them.

She wasn't expecting company, but she kept an eye on the door anyway. Because of that, when a familiar face entered, she had time to close her book and slip it discreetly into her handbag.

By the time the newcomer abruptly pulled a chair across from and sat themselves down in front of her, she her cup in hand, leaning back, smiling slightly.

"Ms. Murphy," she greeted.

Karrin Murphy looked at her. Her expression was firmly blank, her posture relaxed.

"Raith," she finally acknowledged.

Lara recognized the woman's posture. It was the kind of enforced looseness a true professional used, right before they expected to have to suddenly exert themselves. If Lara were to hazard a guess, it would be that Ms. Murphy expected this meeting to end poorly.

In response, Lara maintained her own relaxed posture. She knew very well how dangerous the mortal woman in front of her was, but she herself had been doing similar work for much, much longer.

In the corner of the café, one of her bodyguards' hands reached for a firearm. She subtly gave the all clear signal.

Ms. Murphy saw the interaction, but did not respond to it. She simply continued to look at Lara.

"Do you have him?" she asked simply, directly.

"Information always has a price," Lara did not answer her question immediately. "Are you willing to pay it?"

"Depends on the price," Murphy responded, and though she probably didn't intend to let it be seen, Lara saw her jaw tense.

"A conversation. Here and now. Nothing more, and nothing less." She crossed her legs and waited patiently. She could see Murphy's mind race as she tried to find any hooks, any double meaning in her demand.

Finally, she nodded once. Even as she did, the barista Lara had previously signaled set a cup in front of her. Murphy made no move to drink from it.

"The coffee is not the dangerous thing at the table, Ms. Murphy," Lara assured her.

"That would be you," the woman said, and Lara smiled slightly.

"Are you certain? I am here in good faith, to simply refresh myself. Why are you here?"

She could see Murphy's twitch. Lara didn't need to be a betting woman to think that under her jacket, the woman in front of her was heavily armed.

"Do you have him?" she demanded again.

"I do not," Lara answered. "Nor does any of my staff, or my Court. Nor do I know who does."

Murphy twitched, ever so slightly. Lara could see her working through the response, trying to find any loopholes.

"But if you were to look, you could find him?" she asked. Lara smiled. Yes, if she was being willfully ignorant, than that would be the right question to determine it.

"I am looking," she denied. "If he has been taken, then someone has taken something that is mine. I do not abide poachers."

"He is not yours," Murphy cut in, her expression finally shifting out of neutral as her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Not yet," Lara allowed.

"Not ever," Murphy denied.

"Then to whom does he belong?"

"Himself."

Lara laughed quietly. She knew it made Murphy even more angry.

"What?" the human demanded. "What's so funny?"

"He hasn't belonged to himself for a long time," the succubus declared. She leaned forward. "You would know that, if you paid attention."

"No matter how much you try to sink your claws in him, you will…" Murphy began, her temper flaring. Lara merely snorted.

"He belongs to the White Council. He belongs to the Winter Court. He belongs to the people who come to him for protection," Lara listed, and Murphy flinched. "He belongs to the city of Chicago. He belongs to humanity. He belongs to the weak, and the defenseless."

"That…!" Murphy flinched. Lara could see the moment when Murphy realized the truth of her declaration. She could see the flinch.

"They don't deserve him," Lara shrugged, tracing the rim of her cup. "They will use him, and he will let them. They will take until there's nothing left, but he will keep offering. No, it's better that his ownership be reduced."

"And you volunteer, I take it?" Murphy snapped.

"Will you?" Lara countered.

Murphy flinched visibly.

Lara knew why Murphy had come here: she had come for a fight. The woman wanted a confrontation, a battle. She was a warrior, and battle was where she thrived.

So a battle was what Lara provided. Albeit, perhaps not the battlefield that Murphy had been anticipating.

"He would accept that claim," Lara went on. "If you staked your ownership, it would so reduce the hold of the others. Your claim would have priority over the many."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Murphy snapped, angrily drinking from her coffee for the first time. She probably did it to cover the flush creeping over her. "Is the Queen of the White Court actually trying to hook up her prey with another woman? Are you freaking playing matchmaker right now?!"

"You two would be, how does it go? A cute couple?" Lara offered sweetly.

"And you are the worst matchmaker in the world if you try to hook people up just so you can steal them away in the end," Murphy declared.

Lara paused, and put down her cup.

"Karin Murphy," she said quietly. "I do not poach."

This time, it was not Murphy who was on the verge of violence. For a moment Murphy tensed, and Lara wondered if she would take the invitation. She had come here for a fight, after all.

Finally, Murphy relaxed, slightly.

"I apologize if I have given offense," she said stiffly, formally.

"I accept," Lara responded just as formally. "And I would not take, Ms. Murphy. After all, if he was yours, I would simply have to seduce you as well."

Murphy twitched. "My inclinations lie in another direction," she offered uneasily.

"And I know how to work around such inclinations," Lara easily accepted. "I assure you: you would find none of your sensibilities offended, only your passion enhanced."

"Great," Murphy ground out, for the first time in the conversation looking a little frightened. "You really are the worst matchmaker ever."

"I assure you, I am a marvelous matchmaker," Lara sniffed. "I managed well with Harry and Ms. Rodriguez, didn't I?"

"And look what happened to them," Murphy snapped.

"Yes: they found true love."

Murphy went quiet at that. She continued, softly. "And how did that turn out for them?"

Lara considered the question. "Do you think that they regret their love? Or the fruits of it?"

Murphy's eyes widened.

"You know… he told you?" she asked, the shock in her tone obvious.

"Of his child?" she asked softly. "Yes, he did."

"He told you," Murphy studied her carefully, a scowl growing. "He would have asked you for help. But you weren't there at Chichen Itza…"

"Do not think that because you did not see me, I did not aid him," Lara cut her off, her tone warning.

When Harry had called on her, she had arrived. Though he had asked her for help, she could not commit the forces of the White Court to his aid. To be seen moving so overtly would have caused harm to her people.

However, the increased scrutiny he had been receiving from law enforcement was another matter. She had connections in powerful places, and it had taken merely a phone call to crush the investigation that had been focused on him. Similarly, armaments were within her scope…

"Thomas," Murphy declared, her eyes narrowing. "He showed up awfully well armed and ready to share. With some rather specific munitions…"

Lara had been anticipating conflict with the Red Court. It was inevitable. Preparation for such a conflict were completely natural. Diverting some of those preparations had been simple.

Though she had not anticipated how… complete Ser Knight's wrath would be.

The Red Court was no more. There were a few, scattered remnants. The last baying dredges of a ravaged species.

Lara was ensuring that those too, would soon be gone. Cleaning up after her wizard was natural, after all.

"You two know each other," Murphy finally concluded, eyes narrowed. "More than you let on. He trusts you."

"He knows me," Lara corrected. "Sufficient knowledge precludes the need for trust."

"I spoke with Thomas before I came here," Murphy said slowly. "He had a different opinion of you and Harry's relationship."

"Thomas is a prattling fool," Lara immediately snapped, eyes narrowed, "who projects his foolishness on others, and speaks when he certainly should not."

Murphy simply watched her, not speaking.

Lara maintained her demeanor, but inside she was experimenting with the outer reaches of profanity, and considering just how best to punish her idiot brother for his delusions.

That look that Murphy was giving her… she hadn't felt this judged since the damn dog!

Finally, Murphy closed her eyes, sagging slightly. The fight had gone out of her.

"Do you know what happened to him?" the other woman asked, tiredly.

"Did I not just confirm that I did not?" Lara responded.

"You said you didn't have him, or know who did. You never said you didn't know what happened to him," Murphy countered.

Lara smiled, slightly. No, she hadn't. The smile slipped into a pensive frown.

"No, I do not," she admitted. Murphy studied her carefully.

"But you suspect?"

It was a guess, Lara was certain of it, but it was a shrewd one.

"It is telling, that the Winter Queen has not yet announced a new Knight in her service," Lara noted, in an offhand voice.

"Damn telling," Murphy agreed. "If she's taken him…"

"Then it would be within her right, as his liege," Lara interrupted.

"Well, she wouldn't want to harm her new knight…" Murphy tried.

"As she did his predecessor?" Lara noted simply. The other woman's face tightened. Lara continued softly, offering what brief condolences she could. "I have made overtures to the Winter Court in seeking an alliance. So far, the reception has been not un-promising."

Overtures had been made, and while no definitive acceptance was returned, no rejection had been given either.

"God damn it," Murphy swore softly. "How can you be so calm?"

"What use would I have to not be so?" Lara countered.

"You're just sitting there, drinking coffee like it doesn't matter…" the woman went on. Lara felt her eyes narrow imperceptibly.

"Considering what and who I am, is there some other activity you believe I should be engaging in?" she countered.

"It's like you don't even care…!"

Lara's Hunger snapped. It was ravenous lately, demanding. It wanted to hunt, both her chosen prey and whatever got in its way to it. It wanted to feed, and rip, and tear.

Murphy snapped her mouth shut, shuddering and pulling away.

"Do not presume about what I feel." Lara was proud that she maintained her countenance, but she knew that her allure was leaking, that her eyes had faded dramatically.

It only lasted a moment, before she mastered it. But the silence stretched on afterwards.

"I misspoke myself," Murphy finally offered. "My inability to take action directly caused my frustration to get the better of me."

"Forgiven," Lara told her. "I offer regret for my own display of temper."

"Accepted," Murphy offered back, stiltedly. "You really do care for him, don't you?"

It was not a question, and more an assertation. A confused, unbelieving one at that.

"In my own way, I may find his absence trying," Lara admitted nothing.

She cursed how unmanageable her Hunger had been as late.

"The Fomor have been getting more and more bold," Murphy extended an explanation for her outburst. "Trying to coordinate resistance has been difficult as of late."

Lara raised an eyebrow, and a slow smile began to spread on her lips.

"If I may be so bold," she began. "But I have heard your suspension process has been… pessimistic."

"Don't go there," Murphy warned, immediately closing off. The few brief moments of emotion she had let slip were gone, and her professional demeanor was back.

"I don't bring it up as a provocation," Lara explained. "Rather, I was wondering if the process has opened your consideration to other employment?"

Murphy narrowed her eyes, before they widened in surprise.

"Are you offering me a job?" she asked, the sheer disbelief breaking back through her professionalism.

"You are an experienced professional in handling certain more esoteric circles," Lara explained. "I believe that experience would be quite valuable in my organization."

"No," she rejected immediately.

A pity. If Ms. Murphy had accepted, it would have presented so many future opportunities. Still, there were other ventures.

"There have been several organizations, my own included, who have had similar concern about the Fomor activities, as of late," she went on. "Even if direct employment is out of the question, I believe liaising between these organizations and the more… cautious members of the supernatural community would present a valuable opportunity to see those activities more successfully curtailed."

Murphy's eyes narrowed, but this time she did not reject the offer summarily.

Lara's smile widened.

Lore Check:

Alright, couple of aspects here. First, does Lara actually like Anne Rice? You know, I can't help but feel that there's potential there. I mean, Dracula was written to undermine the Black Court. A series of books about how vampires are all sexy, misunderstood creatures that can't help themselves and crave affection and companionship? I mean, that sounds like the sourt of thing the White Court might set up, just to make their own hunting easier. Add on that Anne Rice definitily wrote some erotic and kinky crap...

Next, the interaction between Lara and Karrin. I found myself considering how Harry would have handled his relationship with Lara with the rest of his friends. We know that once upon a time he tried to involve her in the nerd world (which Lara refused) but that was before he knew she was a vampire. Add on how much caution he took to keep the fact away from the White Council, and I got the impression that very few people knew of his and Lara's relationship. I think Karrin would have known about it, but I think she would have been less thrilled about it. Less trusting. She might acknowlege the need to keep enemies close, but I don't think she would actually really believe that it was anything other than Lara trying to get her claws in Harry.

As for how Lara would have acted in Changes, I really believe that she would not have gone with him. It's too overt, and too dangerous, and could have set all of the Red Court on the White, as well as convince the White Court that she was unsuitable for ruling with all the overt action. She would know this, and Harry would know it. However, in true White Court politics, if she were to make several anti-Red armories available to a family member, who just so happened to assist and aid Harry, well, ain't that something? Similarly, if her forces happened to be near a place where she knew a certain disruptive Wizard was about to make a scene, and they were prepared to perhaps take advantage of the scene?

Though even Lara couldn't have anticipated just how successful Harry would be in his attack on the seat of the Red Court's Power.

Also, the thought of Lara indirectly torpedoing Rudolph's political aspirations amuses me. Nobody likes Rudolph. Even Rudolph doesn't like Rudolph.

The whole meeting itself can be considered undescribed cannon, I believe? I mean, we know that the White Court was working with Murphy and Marcone from Ghost Story. It would have had to started somewhere, so why not somewhere like here?

Similarly, we know that Karrin was convinced Harry was still alive, up to the end of Ghost Story as well. I think the fact that no new Winter Knight was announced would be a good bit of strong, albeit circumstancial, evidence to his continued living. Admittedly, considering how dangerous Mab is, that might not be a good thing either.