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 XVI…

Ice Station Jaguar, northern Canada…

"So your last contact with Helena was at 1100 hours?" Colonel Dierden eyed the now-confirmed private who'd shared a bit of Helena's Northern Exposure experience as he sat glumly in chair. "Sir, yes sir." Nod.

"And yours…" Grim tone, which left the new-minted private rather content…Someone else to share the joy of failure…To the former lieutenants, who'd posed as man and wife to win Helena's elusive trust, likewise glum in their chairs. "…was at 1626 hours?"

"Yes, Colonel." The woman nodded.

"But your minivan was found about 40 miles further south, indicating she's probably made for Thompson or one of the smaller places in the area."

"I'd guess…Sir…" the woman began, hesitating at Paul's stare.

"Yes? Go on. I'm sure your expertise as a field agent will produce valuable insights into your failure…" coldly.

"She's most likely made for the biggest place in the area, Thompson, sir. Easier to get lost there…Or, if she believes she can pull it off, maybe with help from the others, to continue pretending to be Ms. Childs and seeking police assistance."

"I concur." Paul calmly. "Helena's always preferred to get lost in cities and larger towns. She almost enjoys her anonymity. We'll focus on Thompson." He eyed the woman. "So she really was trying to pass herself off as Beth Childs? And claiming I was her psychotic boyfriend?"

The young woman nodded.

"Was she any good?" he asked, amused.

"She hadn't quite got the hang of Canadian English pat but not bad. I imagine with practice…" the woman hesitated.

"I hope I get the chance to see it in person. Be interesting to see Helena calling her fellow cops on me." Paul noted. "But I imagine even if motherhood has softened her, she'd still much prefer catching me in a dark alley."

…

Plane en route to Thompson, Manitoba…

"'Fairy twin'?" Donnie stared at Alison from his seat… "So Rachel knew Gemma called Beth that that night, half-asleep? But Dyad probably kept a camera and mics in the house all during…My time with Leekie…" sigh.

"We never found anything. We've searched the house top to bottom." She noted.

"Nanodrones, Sound blaster 10000, who knows what else they got. I doubt I was enough for Aldous Leekie as monitor. You could even still have been right about Aynsley. She might have been in charge or something, me just the stooge inside. She and Chad…" narrow stare…Then brightening. "I really ought to have it out with him anyway. Get the truth out of him…I'd bet anything he's the brains behind the Hendrix monitoring team."

"Chad?" Ally blinked.

Of course, it would mean I'm a hair more innocent of wrongdoing…But, no…We have to take responsibility for our actions now. That's empowering…

God, am I still spewing some of Vic's crap? Anyway…

"I doubt it, Donnie. And even if he were, the kids are innocent. You can't go over and beat the crap out of him, pounding that miserable little gym-buffed body of his into pulp the way I know you could, darling." She beamed, taking hand. "The kids just lost their mom…"

Ooooh…Why did I have to say that…?

I killed someone's mommie…Ohhh…

Donnie, sensing, clenching her hand tightly in turn…

"You didn't kill her…" he whispered. "It was just an accident. You thought she was trying to hurt our family and so you 'let events take their course'. That's all…"

"Really?..." slight squeak, anxious stare.

"Really." Firm nod.

"And you didn't…" she began. Carefully glancing round.

Fortunately Thompson this am not being a favored travel destination they were rather isolated in their seats…Just a few loggers, drill workers, businesspeople, and such heading up, most seats empty even in their rather small plane.

"I wanted to…" he eyed her. "I have no regrets there. That man hurt you and us. No one asked him to violate every ethical thing I've ever heard of in Science. He got what he deserved, fatewise."

"His mother might not agree…" she eyed him, hard look for a second.

"I doubt his mom is even still alive…" he shrugged. "But if she's responsible for him being him…"

"What?" Ally stared. "Who's responsible for whom?" she stared at him, confused.

"His mom…Ally? Are you ok?"

"Sure…Yeah…Are we talking about Paul?" she asked.

"If you mean the guy who monitored Beth Childs…No…" he blinked. "Alison, are you ok?"

"Sorry…" she waved a hand. "Just lost my train of thought for a second. So we were talking about…?"

….

"Hey."

"Hey." Faint nod…Careful stare…

"It's Sarah." Sarah noted, stepping by the bed. She glanced round the room at the monitors and wires. "I see they got you all decorated for Xmas, ex-pardner." Smile.

Art, cannula in nose, raised head, sighing… "Looks like it." Ruefully lifting arms to see the wires and IV lines.

Sarah taking seat on edge of bed… "I asked the fellas for a few alone…The nurses were gonna give 'em the bums' rush anyway, though they think you're on odds to make it. Nothing too serious, they say." Faint smile then stern look. "I hear you decided to play detective with the Uber-bitch all on your lonesome…" Frown.

"She called me, I thought it was safer…"

"Yeah, and just look how that turned out." Sarah waved hands to indicate the room, then glared at him. "Bloody goddamned hell, Art. She and a few of her remaining goons could have killed you, what were you thinking, Detective? Is that following procedure?"

"I think she's goonless these days. In any case I'm a sucker for a mystery…" he smiled gently. She tearing up…Wiping with back of hand. "Art…What would Beth say to me finding I let this happen to you? She's gotta be furious with me already for putting you and your career on the line."

"She did a bit of that herself…But I'm not complaining." He put up a hand. "I made my own choices."

"Yeah, the noble Sir Galahad charged right into it as usual. Jesus, Art…" she shook head. "Rachel calls you, claimin' she's possessed or whatever by Beth and you walk right into it? Don't tell anyone?"

"Never said I believed her…" he shrugged. "She would've known if I brought back-up…And, I'm a big boy, Mom. Hell, you sent Donnie and Ally after Helena…"

"Yeah, but don't you realize…" she paused, grin… "You're my back up guy if Cal lets me down."

Wan smile… "Though if any of us had half a brain in our skulls…Beginning with Beth."

"I'm flattered." He grinned. "Do I get to chose?"

"Well, I was kinda hopin' you'd take Helena off our hands…" Sarah beamed. "She'd make a great unbalanced cop, and 'Helena Bell' sounds nice. Again, that's presumin' Cal comes through."

"I'm available, just fix us up…" he smiled.

"Dipshit of dipshits…I ought to, just to get back at you." She frowned. "Though one look at your kids' photos and she'd have you in the weddin' chapel by sundown."

"I guess she's outgrown her prejudices then…" he raised eyes.

"I've hopes for her." Sarah smiled, then tensed…

"Art?" Sarah looked at him, taking his hand. "You know she's lyin' or crazy and probably both. I wish to God I could give her back to you but Beth is gone. All I can say is I know…I know…She loved you." Pleading tone. "And the last thing she'd want…"

"Beth?" Art grinned. "She'd want me to get to the bottom of this…Sarah, I'm not blindly staggering after my lost love." He turned serious. "Something is going on here, something strange. I don't doubt Rachel is both crazy and lying but the woman I met today knew things even Dyad couldn't monitor and had vibes that couldn't be faked."

"Art…Are you listenin' to yourself?" Sarah closed eyes then frowned at him. "This sounds like some old flick where the detective gets conned into believing a dead girl's alive again. Conned, Art…Cause that's what it is. And we're the best, even the Cyclops. How does she explain the eye, by the way?"

"With surprising good humor and kudos to her sister for sticking it to the bitch, literally…All the more reason, if it is a con, to find out why…What would Rachel hope to achieve with a game like this?"

"Getting our friend to trust her…And puttin' them in the CICU…" Sarah raised hands. "That sounds like a good starting point. She needs allies…Human shields, really…And you're likely to be 'it'. She wants us to think she's flipped sos we'll protect her from Dyad. Or she just plain wants to get near enough to kill us when the time's right."

"We'll all be 'it' anyway if we don't know what she's up to…And what Dyad is up to." Art noted.

"I say we stick to our plan. Get Helena home safe, go public as big as we can." Sarah, steady gaze.

"I agree. But we need to keep an eye on the Dyad, particularly our new kid in town and on the Duncan, multiple personality or what…. What's this 'Ferdinand' like, anyway?" he asked.

"According to S…Smarmy ass, slick…Bright. Capable, no question. Very good, almost convincing." She noted. "Could charm a clone in to an early grave and has, I understand."

"A cleanser…"

"Yeah, that's what Delphine calls him. Though dear Del isn't all that forthcoming these days, I understand."

"Thanks to…" he paused, eyeing her.

"Cosima told you that…" Sarah shook head. "And it was most likely a way to separate us, divide us off from Delphine. I hope you're not putting stock in what she says."

"Delphine did keep something big from you all." Art noted. "When was she going to tell you a hit on a clone cluster had been carried out, sanctioned at the highest levels?"

"She says she didn't know if Rachel and Ferdinand had full sanction. She didn't want to freak us and bring a Topside investigation crashin' down." Sarah, shrugging. "I know, but Cos Mulder wants to believe…And Delphine's been reliable so far."

"Well, if you can put some faith in her, put some in me." Art eyed her. "Whoever this woman really thinks she is, she's focused on me, so let me run with her. Partner? I still got your back." Careful stare.

Sarah, shaking head. "But Beth would want me to have yours."

"Well…Then cover me." He smiled. She blinking…

….

"Yes, all right…I understand that not being family…" Beth paused…

Who is more so…? She pondered… "…I can't have information on Officer Bell's condition, I just.." she steadied herself, adopting a more Rachel tone. "I want to be assured that Officer Bell will receive the best of care. Just have the bills sent to the Dyad Institute as I requested. Dyad, D-y-a-d. Yes, that Dyad. Fine, then I'll have our administrator call you…Thanks." She hung up.

Call you, buy your place, and burn it to the ground, you… "These things must go through the proper channels…" she mimicked.

I guess that's that Marion…Sigh…

Well, she did suggest a girls' night out.

There's a chance to offer a convincing explanation as to why I might want to provide medical care to the detective protecting the girls. "I realize I'm off Project Leda, but it would hardly engender confidence if Detective Bell dies just now, unless of course…" She paused in mid-practice.

Unless of course there was another reason he had a mild heart attack besides the shock of realizing it really could be me…

As in maybe the bad boys (and girls) decided Art has to go, quietly.

Well then, definitely a reason for a fun girls out…With gun. She eyed the pistol she'd found in Rachel's bedside table.

Lousy choice, sister. Just lucky I've enough training to be able to shoot a toe or two off with this pop gun.

But I imagine a few belts in her and Marion will be telling me unasked how cleverly she had him poisoned.

After which I'll suggest a stroll down by Toronto Metro Rail…No need to blow my cover just yet and a vacancy at Evil, Inc might not be such a bad thing for my investigation.

Well, no proof yet, detective. Speculation only, we need facts.

He knows…She thought, happy in spite of it all…Maybe it nearly killed him, but he knows it's me. And he'll be looking to see me again.

Lucky for my sister she gave up the role of me before things got too serious…I'm the jealous type, Sar, no question. But, please…You're more than welcome to Paul.