Orphans Beloved: "Beth Rhymes With Death…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…

Part XIII…

Despite Felix's remaining concern, maintained even in the light of the astounding news from Helena and the equally astounding announcement from Sarah and Cal, Art had managed to put off any further inquiry into the texts he'd received.

And on the pretext of arranging air or car transport to Thompson, Manitoba, slipped out in time to make his lunch date at Fung's restaurant.

Where, seated with an expression of beaming pleasure…Even, he had to admit, a sort of radiant joy…Neither expression he'd've ever expected to come from the source before him…He found Ms. Rachel Duncan, anything but composed and collected, in reasonably elegant suit. Though one he couldn't resist thinking was one Beth would have selected…A little more for attractiveness than business poise…

"Art…" she gasped, waving him to a seat. Startling him by bursting into tears…

"Sorry, sorry…Asinine, I know…Wussy…Just give me a mo." She put up a hand.

"Ms…Duncan…?" he gave her a long stare, taking seat.

Hard to be completely sure given he'd only seen her in photos, on the net, and from the window of the building Helena had planned to snipe her from, at fairly long range.

"No…" she hissed, shaking head. "Though if anyone gets close, call me Rachel. Or, Ms. Duncan. Art, it's me. It's Beth."

"Beth…" he gasped.

"You know, your dead partner…" she tried a wan grin. "Art, I wish I could explain this but…"

"You seem like Beth…Playing Rachel…It's a good performance, Ms. Duncan. Or whichever new clone you are." He'd closed down quickly, eyeing her coolly.

"Don't, Art." She reached to touch his hand. He let her but did not respond. "Don't freeze on me. You felt it was me."

"I'd love to believe it. Convince me." He eyed her. "Start by explaining who jumped in front of that train."

…

The knock at Fee's loft door brought the eagerly talking gang, Ally in mid-hug of Cal and Sarah, to dead silence. Fee eyeing Sarah.

We know that knock…

"Hello, mumsie." Fee eyed Mrs. Sadler as she stood in the hallway, a calm look back. "Welcome to the gathering…You're all we needed to make it special."

"Hi, Mrs. Sadler…" Cosima waved from the couch, Kira on her lap.

"Cosima…" nod as Mrs. S stepped inside, looking round and eyeing the quiet, suspicious faces. "Well, quite the party…Special occasion?"

"Mum and Dad are getting married, S!" Kira, happily.

"Really? About time." She looked sternly at Cal who gave a slightly abashed smile. "I hope you mean to wear something more appropriate than a sheepskin jacket and jeans."

"Auntie Cos found a tuxedo place…" Kira, eagerly. Cal rolling eyes at Cos' grin.

Though sensing that Mrs. S had more on her mind than her prospective foster son-in-law's wedding attire.

"Did you want something, S?" Sarah, calmly…Guarded. "New word from Ms. Bowles?"

"In a way…" Mrs. S nodded, displaying the large envelope she bore under her arm. "At least one of her minions deigned to contact us, at my place. A shave might be nice, too." She eyed Cal again.

"Oh, no!" Ally, hastily. "Hey." Sarah. "Hmmn?" Cos, looking over.

So they all like beards? Donnie hissed to Fee who shrugged.

"So..?" Fee looked the packet over.

"A new patent agreement and release form? Don't sue us and we won't kill or dissect you?"

"Something on that order, supposedly more benign…" S shrugged. "And there's a check, if you care to take it. If wedding bells really are chiming, you might find it helpful." She offered Sarah the packet which she took, opening as Cal came to her.

Sarah, glaring…S coolly eyeing her. "You can dump shite on me, you've cause. But Cal you treat right or don't bother to stay." Angry stare. Cal looking a bit uncomfortable…Sarah…

"A check?" Fee stared. "Really? What price does Dyad put on illegal human experimentation, murder, false arrest, more murder, kidnapping, imprisonment in their own private prison, more illegal human experimentation, more murder?"

"Pretty hefty price…" Sarah eyed the check she'd pulled out.

"Really?" Fee looked over.

"This could cover Kira's college, the wedding at really posh level, a mortgage on some place like yours Ally, and let me repay you." Slight grin, shaking check at Fee who grabbed. Whoa…

At least the Dyad aren't pikers…

"I put my father's insurance money to good use in our defense…" Alison explained to Donnie's puzzled look.

"Oh, good. I was afraid it was all going to your theater group and Ramon…" he grinned at her frown. "Donnie!"

"Donnie…!" the others all chorused.

"Sorry, Fee made us promise to do that next time you did a Donnie…" Cosima explained to Alison's stare.

"Oh…Well, don't do that again." Donnie, mock-frowning.

"Shut up." Alison, mock-glaring. "I know you were in on this." Roguish smile. "Donnie!"

"Donnie!" chorus, mass grin.

"I don't think we knew what we were creating, Frankenstein." Fee noted to a hapless Donnie.

"I should get it on tape or ipod." Ally smiled. "Maybe I could put it on my phone as an app."

"Ok, who ratted us out?" Donnie looked round to innocent stares.

"I assume the minion said the check came without strings." Sarah eyed Mrs. S.

"He did but I imagine that's what they told Ethan Duncan when they offered to fund his research." Siobhan, wry look.

"What was the new one like? He doesn't sound like the typical Dyad flak-flunkey. Another Daniel?" Sarah, hard stare.

"I got the definite 'Daniel' impression, though far more professional and charming…Said his name was Ferdinand…I've found nothing on him to date." Calm return stare.

"And you might offer your foster mother a cuppa…" she frowned at Felix who rolled eyes.

"I'll put the kettle on." Alison, rising hastily.

"Where you here before?" Donnie, staring, as she went to the cup cabinet and began taking down cups.

"Cos?" Sarah turned away, passing the packet to Cal who pulled out the documents and eyed them, reading.

"You think your boss and s.o. could be seduced into doing a check on this 'Ferdinand' guy for us? I'd like to be proactive with the new Daniel, if he is."

"I don't have to 'seduce' her…Though yeah, I could." Cosima, mock-irritated, then grinning.

"Little pitchers…" Mrs. S frowned, glancing at Kira who was leaning against Cal, looking at the papers he was intently reading.

"Sorry…" Cosima, blushing. "I should be more careful."

"She's seen people killed and been in Rachel's clutches…Speakin' of which…" Sarah eyed S.

"Nothing new that I've heard…Just that she's under care and Marion hoped to see her eased out at Dyad."

"That'd be a pretty fight. Like to watch them bloody well rip each other apart." Sarah noted, calmly.

"Too much blood and Topside might question Marion's judgment. We don't want to lose her, at least not just yet." Mrs. S noted.

"Yeah, hate to lose our guardian angel over a catfight with Rachel. Pity Helena couldn't join them." Sarah coldly. Putting up a hand at S' stare.

"I don't owe Marion Bowles a thing. She owes me, all of us. She and every member of that miserable cult of science geeks….No offense, Cos…"

"Ah, none taken…" Cosima, shrugging. "But not all of us are miserable or pro-immoral behavior in our geekiness."

"If they get into it for a while it's probably safer for us, no matter how brightly Marion smiles." Sarah, coolly.

"This does look pretty airtight." Cal noted, folding the sheets. "If you want I can have a lawyer friend go over it, line by line."

"I won't sign anything they offer." Sarah, simply. "I know it doesn't really matter to them, they'd violate any agreement as they like, when they want to, but I won't have my name on anything of theirs."

"It is hard to believe people who would kill a police officer or suspend one for doing his job would follow an agreement like that." Alison nodded. "I'd say screw them, Sarah."

"Will take the check though." Sarah noted. "They owe us that at a minimum and I won't have Ally lose her money in this. Just confirm it's no obligation, Cal?"

"I do still have a good stash put away, Sarah…" he replied.

"It'll make them think I can be bought and I want Kira set for college with some of me own. No offense, Cal…You can cover her grad school and any shortfalls, ok?" grin.

"He wants to meet you. Anywhere, anytime. Ferdinand." Mrs. S.

"Ok by me…If I control and once Delphy gives us a low down or we get what we can." Sarah nodded. "I'd like to meet Daniel Rosen's replacement."

"I think he's a bit higher up the chain than Daniel." Mrs. S noted.

…