I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.
Tick Tick Tock
Ticka…ticka…tick…ticka…ticka…tick… ticka…ticka…tick… It went on and on and was driving me crazy as I searched the room for something, anything that would point me to the source. Sam watched me with curiosity, like a cat watches lint ball sliding across the floor. I took the knife and held it aloft before I said a quick prayer. As soon as I said it the ticking stopped and I started breathing regularly.
"It gone?" Sam asked as his look remained curious.
"Yes, but once nightfall comes you either be ready to kill it or we sleep in shifts because there is no way in hell I'm losing this baby." I took a deep breath.
"Your priorities are screwed up. Losing the baby would be the least of your worries." I couldn't believe he just said that, not after everything we'd been through.
"Don't judge my priorities you prick. I can't fucking believe you." I stood up and went into the bathroom, leaving my coat and over shirt on the bed. I turned on the tap and splashed my face, daring to look in the mirror and flinching. I looked like hell. I gave myself one more splash and looked up, not surprised to see Sam reflected in the mirror. He didn't say anything he crossed the short distance and spun me around, grabbing my arms and kissing me. I stood in shock, expecting to feel what I always felt with Sam. While the kiss was technically proficient and pleasant I didn't feel the burning that usually started from one of his kisses and that allowed me to break his hold with a knee to the groin. He let me go and went down.
"Dammit Ari." He gasped and clutched his junk.
"Fuck you Sam. Whatever there was between us is done, completely one hundred percent done. I have a man, a family and I'm having a baby, my man's baby. I don't want you, don't need you and I know you don't want me. I didn't come here for you Sam, I came here because I wanted to get away, save people and hunt things. Why the fuck did you kiss me?" I hugged myself tight while he managed to get himself upright.
"It seemed like the right thing to do; you're still hot and it seemed like a good way to pass the time." I shook my head at him.
"Unbelievable, I'm stuck in a room with a six-foot four horny Adonis with no moral compass. Fan-fucking-tastic." I pushed past him and went to my duffel, taking out IDs I'd made for him since the day I discovered he was alive. "Here, I know you have use for these."
"R.J. Dio, Richard Dawkins, Mitchell Musso…Are you trying to get me caught Ari?" He asked as he chuckled.
"I just gave you whatever identity popped into my mind at the time. I realize now that I should never make docs when babysitting. Hey Mitchell good to meet you, I'm Agen Harley Davidson." I held out my hand and he laughed.
"You're joking, someone let you watch their kid?" I hit his arm, hard, and he ducked away as I made a move to cuff him in the head, "Kidding, kidding, what do you wanna do first?"
"I want to see the bodies but we need to find a way out of here that's not near the Sons' clubhouse." He shook his head.
"There's no way, all roads in this town seem to lead to the clubhouse. At least it seems that way since I had a bike following me no matter where I went yesterday. They only stopped the tail when I pulled in here for the night" He sat down on the bed while I grabbed a dress shirt from my bag and my makeup, if I was using my FBI ID I had to cover up my tats.
"That's because you messed with their President and his grieving family. There are rules and you broke them. Keep an eye out, I'll be in the bathroom getting dressed." I walked to the bathroom and turned the light back on.
"You can change out here, it's not like I haven't seen…or touched, everything." I gave him a look before I went into the bathroom and locked the door. In no time I was Government Stooge Barbie, ready to see a few corpses. I walked out and Sam gave me a low whistle.
"Shut up." I put the rest of my stuff in the duffle and took out my ID and two of my guns. One was going in the holster at the small of my back, the other in the shoulder holster. He was dressed in his usual suit with an understated tie and put his ID in his pocket. I knew he was armed to the teeth and I was relieved that I wouldn't have to save his ass.
"Ari, stay in the room." I was about to protest when I heard what must have tipped him off, bikes were coming down the road and I didn't want anyone recognizing me when I finally went to the club. I pressed my back against the wall by the door and listened when the bikes parked.
"Good afternoon gentlemen." Damn I forgot Sam could play the agent so well.
"We thought we told you to get out of town by sun-up. We had the mother charter's Intel Officer look you up and he says there's no Agent Robert Plant. What are you playing at boy? You like messing with families?" Shit, Juice had looked him up and since that wasn't an ID I'd done I didn't know how many levels Juice had to peel back before he hit that pay dirt. They wouldn't have shown up here if they thought he was a real agent, he must have felt off to them, like he was feeling off to me now.
"Did your Intelligence Officer look up X. Robert Plant? That's my full name; he probably wouldn't find the connection through a simple search." Sam you glorious bastard, it would take a few hours for Juice to do a full search of databases with alternate first names. Juice was thorough with his searches.
Ticka…ticka…tick…ticka…ticka…tick…Fuck, there it was again. We had about three hours until nightfall and the Aswang was closing in, the ticking was getting fainter. The ticking was meant to throw the victim off, it was supposed to make them believe the Aswang was getting farther away and give them a sense of relief that would make the ensuing attack that much more effective.
"Protect me, oh lord my god." With those six words the ticking ceased but I knew it was like putting a sheet over a spill. The spill was still there but you could ignore it. Once the sun set even a prayer wouldn't help me. I'd have to stay awake and not be alone. I knew Sam didn't have what we needed to kill it so I had to take other precautions.
"He's not ours, but we'll have him look you up. You have until tomorrow morning, then we want you out." I heard the tell-tale kick off and rumble, they were leaving and I waited a few minutes for Sam to call me out.
"All clear!" Sam shouted and I went out the door before he locked it behind me. "They always like that?"
"You hurt family and they don't take kindly to that. Hell, you and Dean have done worse." I looked at his face at the mention of Dean and there was nothing, there should have been something there. He said nothing as I got in his car and we pulled out. We started heading down the road when I saw a bike parked in front of the funeral home in town and automatically ducked when I saw a familiar head of salt and pepper curls and the ever-present cigar.
"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked as I kept ducking down.
"Clay, SAMCRO Pres, he's at the funeral home. He'll recognize me, even without the tats." I stayed down until we turned onto another street. This one had Mercy Hospital and I straightened myself up, we were going to the morgue.
"You say there was no trauma to the umbilical cord, not even a loss of fluids?" I asked as I gently prodded the umbilical cord as it lay next to the body of Maria Sandoval, victim number four and daughter to Pedro Sandoval President of SAMFOL. I'd just finished looking at the bodies of Miranda Morgan, Janice Cleaver and Charlene Dubois and they all had the same marks and lack thereof.
"That's the strange thing about this Agent Davidson, the cord was intact and the end appeared to have been cauterized. The uterus on the other hand was mangled, torn. It was like something had raked claws inside of her." Not claws, a hooked proboscis. Fucking Aswangs, one of the worst creatures to hunt, they were hard to track, hard to find, hard to kill and ugly as hell when they shed their disguises.
"Dr. Porter, Mr. Sandoval and his associates are here to see you." We both looked up as a pretty nurse who was obviously his assistant came in to usher him out. I observed her for a second, she was an Old Lady. The crow was just barely visible along the neckline of her scrubs.
"Agent Davidson, Agent Plant, do either of you have any further questions?" He didn't want us to see the Pres and his men. Fair enough, I'd be seeing them as soon as I was ready to talk to Juice anyway.
"No sir, I believe we have all that we need. Thank you for your time." I took off my gloves and shook his hand before Sam did the same.
The nurse escorted us out and I thought I'd be home free. That thought was shot out of the water when we turned down the hall and ran smack dab into the Sons of Anarchy and it wasn't just the Folsom Charter. I didn't have time to hide my face and saw that sickening flash of recognition in the SAMCRO's SaA's eyes. I also didn't miss Jax's blond head devoid of his reaper crew hat. In a matter of minutes Clay et al would know I was there. Rather than walk up to them and be confronted I broke off from the little group and took off down the hallway. I could always make the excuse of needing privacy for a call. I'd made it down the hallway and out a side exit before I realized I was being followed and the footsteps weren't Sam's. As a hand grabbed my elbow I went down and swept the feet out from under my assailant in a sneak attack. I barely had time to rise before a leg kicked out and took me out behind the knee. I went down and found myself face to face with Happy as he leaned over me.
"You?" Was all he said before he got up and picked me up under the arms. My knee was aching; I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd broken something. He dragged me to a picnic table the nurses must have used on smoke breaks and set me down. I started rubbing my knee as he shook his head.
"Surprise?" I gave an upward inflection as he snorted.
"You a fed?" Reasonable question given my attire and Sam's presence. Tig had probably sent him after me when he saw me dart down the hallway.
"Are you?" Yeah I shouldn't have been a smartass but I hated getting busted, especially when there was still so much left to do and once I entered that clubhouse I'd have to be creative if I wanted to leave. I also had a whole hell of a lot to lose if things turned sour.
"Answer me and don't be a bitch." He gave me his cold stare and I felt an answering one enter my eyes.
"I'm not a fed but saying I am opens a lot of doors. You don't understand half the shit I'm into." Dammit, he was going to kill me for that, Old Lady or no.
"I understand. Huntin's a dangerous business." I stared at him gobsmacked as he took a cigarette out of his pack and lit up.
"Are you? How did?" I couldn't seem to find the right words.
"Mom' was a hunter, I was raised with it. I knew what you were, just wanted to hear you say it; saw that look we all get, the look that starts when we have our first kill. My first kill happened when I was eight, could do that but didn't want that life. I'd rather have a family." I completely understood, it's why Dean was in Wisconsin, oblivious to Sam's resurrection. I wanted him to have a family.
"I know what that's like Happy, I was raised with it too. My first kill happened when I was thirteen. I'll tell you about it sometime. You should know that I'm here on a job. I'm investigating the deaths of those women. A person didn't kill them and what did is after me." As soon as I said that he was on alert. I was an Old Lady a member of his family; he'd protect me or die trying.
"Ari, Jesus." Sam came running out and Happy was suddenly standing in front of me, his hand on the gun tucked in the back of his jeans.
"It's ok Happy, he's my partner. He's hunting this thing too." I looked around Happy and saw Sam with his hands up. I tried to stand but discovered that my leg was having trouble supporting my weight. Fuck.
"Yeah man, no harm, no foul." I shook my head; he really had no idea how to handle these men. "Ari and I have to go though."
Happy shook his head and I started limping. I needed to get somewhere where I could ice my knee and see what damage Happy had done. I made it close to him and his arm shot out wrapping around my waist, he wasn't going to let me go anywhere.
"I'm taking her to the clubhouse, her Old Man's there." Fuck, now I was going to have Juice and the whole fucking charter pissed off at me.
"I can't ride; you messed up my leg pretty good Happy. Just let Sam take me and I'll explain everything when we get to the clubhouse. You can even escort us if it makes you feel better." I looked in his eyes and practically begged before he gave me a nearly imperceptible nod and allowed Sam to get closer to us. Sam grabbed me and held me up.
"Go to your car and stay there. I'll be trailing you." I nodded and Sam helped me limp to his sportscar, we got there just in time to see Tig, Jax and Kip leaning against it.
"You sure clean up nice Ari." Jax said with a smile as he lit a cigarette and turned his attention to Sam, giving him an assessing glare.
"I can explain everything; just give me a chance to. Juice knows what's up he just didn't know I was here." I explained and Sam kept a hold of me.
"You told Clay you were going to take care of your Dad. Pretty boy there doesn't look like your Dad." Tig said as he spit on the ground near Sam's feet.
"I'll explain everything, just know that this man's a friend. We're here to do good." Suddenly I felt dizzy and rested my forehead on Sam's shoulder.
"You don't look too good Ari. You get in this fine vehicle with the Jolly Green Giant there and we'll escort you to the clubhouse. We're just dying to hear what you're doing here with the fake afed." Jax said before he pushed off the car followed by Tig. Kip just stood there looking at me.
"This is nothing bad, right Ari?" Such a sweet guy.
"I'll explain it all Kip just go before Tig takes out his anger on you. Know this though I'm faithful to Juice, you don't have to worry about me stepping out on him." That's what he wanted to know so he nodded and went to his bike while Sam helped me to the car. Once we were inside I found a comfortable position for my leg and checked the damages. Happy's aim was true, he'd bruised the muscles behind my knee and either tore or sprained the tendons. I was down until this healed.
"We really gonna tell them Ari? Everything? We can trust them with this?" He was being cautious, that was good.
"You don't have to say a word. I'll tell them, have Juice and Happy at my side to soften the blow. They know the truth and Happy's well respected. I have to tell them or be marked as untrustworthy forever and there's nothing worse than an Old Lady you can't trust. They're usually the rats. As far as trusting them, that patch means you can trust your life with them so we can trust this. I need you to do something for me when we get to the clubhouse." I rubbed my knee and winced, fucking Happy.
"What?" He asked as we heard the bikes idling, waiting for us to pull out and follow.
"Keep your distance. In this world I'm an Old Lady and if they think you're pushing up on me they'll take you out. Juice already wants to." I sunk into my seat, wanting to hide.
"Done." It was all he said as we continued the drive. I felt dread pooling in my stomach as we made it closer and closer to the clubhouse. This was going to be it, either they believed us or they didn't. No chance for second guesses, no fence sitting. We were entering the lion's den and the sun was starting to dip in the sky.
Ticka...ticka…tick…ticka…ticka…tick…ticka…ticka…tick…