Mermaids In Haven
Chapter 3
AN: Hi guys! So this chapter brings in the Haven universe! Set between seasons 2 and 3, but before Colorado (if you get my drift Haven fans *wink*) This is a little shorter than the first two but I wanted Duke to have his own chapter before I brought Rikki around. And don't worry if you haven't watched the show, some things will be explained a bit later so you won't get completely lost. Let me know what you think in a lovely review! Thank you!
Duke Crocker didn't ask for much. A bed to sleep in, a roof of some kind over his head, warm coffee in the morning, his favorite beer, and on occasion a glass of smooth scotch. He did his thing and stayed out of everyone's way. To the ladies he was known as the resident bad boy. To the authorities, a troublemaker. And to his business dealers, a smarmy wise ass who couldn't necessarily be trusted but always delivered. That's just the way Duke liked it.
But then a certain Federal agent had to show up (who technically wasn't a real fed) and turn his nice little world upside down. Now, Audrey Parker has Duke actually working with police (just Nathan, really), his sex life has been less than stellar, and because of the Troubles his work has been put on an indefinite hold. Not that Duke didn't want the Troubles to end. Like everyone else in Haven he was getting tired of dead bodies piling up week after week. Like everyone else he just wanted answers.
"Morning, Giselle," Duke said as he casually strolled into his favorite coffee shop. He gave the girl behind the counter a classic Crocker grin and she blushed.
"Morning, Duke," the coffee pot she was wiping down almost slipped out of her hands, which made her dark cheeks flush even more from embarrassment. Duke leaned against the counter and glanced around the shop. It wasn't as busy as it usually was. Business picked up by seven and it was right about six-fifteen. "You're here early."
"Yeah, well, I was close by. Had to bunker down at the Gull last night. Didn't want to be on the Rouge in the storm."
Giselle made a noise in agreement. "That sure was crazy, huh? Never seen anything like it. I thought for sure my windows were going to bust."
"It certainly was…odd," Duke came up with the only word he could think of to describe the monsoon that raged through Haven the night before. "Didn't the weather channel say it was supposed to be sunny and clear all week?" He joked.
She shrugged. "I don't know but that kind of thing happens all the time, doesn't it?" Without thinking she reached under the counter and pulled out a tall Styrofoam cup. "I mean weather can just change in an instant. Maybe somehow they missed the storm on the radar or something."
Duke smiled. "Or something," Giselle grinned and set to work getting together his regular order: large coffee and a cranberry scone. "You know, you're pretty perceptive. Ever think about becoming a meteorologist?"
She laughed. "What and leave all of this?" She said sarcastically and gestured at the shop around them.
"I'm serious! I know you've got the smarts for it. You went to Cornell, right?"
"Yeah and ended up back here with loan debt the size of Texas," she set down the coffee and pastry in front of him. "Four fifty, please."
He handed her a five dollar bill. "I know loans are a pain in the ass. But it's something to think about."
She gave him his change and grinned. "Thanks, Duke."
"Anytime," he winked and left the cafe feeling pretty good. Flirting with Giselle was always the highlight of his morning.
The scone was gone in five bites while he made his way to the docks at the opposite end of town. He sidestepped many fallen tree branches and broken power lines. Other kinds of debris littered the streets. Trash cans were overturned. A few windows from various businesses were smashed in. Glass crunched under his feet as he passed by one such place. To an outsider it seemed as if Haven really had been hit with a hurricane. Audrey and Nathan had both texted him last night speculating a Trouble. If that was the case Duke was going to have a long day ahead of him.
He was nearing the docks now. He spotted his boat, the Cape Rouge, floating peacefully and thankfully above water. A few of the other boats were not so lucky. His cell phone rang. He pulled it out of the back pocket of his jeans. He sighed when he saw the caller I.D.
"Yes, Audrey?" he answered. It wasn't that Duke wasn't pleased to hear from her but he thought his text reply to her said he would call her first and after he got things cleaned up.
"Hey, Duke, bad time?"
"Not at all. I'm nearing the boat now so depending on how bad stuff's been tossed around I probably won't have much time to talk."
"Okay, no problem. I just wanted you to know that Nathan and I are heading out in an hour or so. Think we're going to help with the cleanup around town and maybe investigate this Trouble."
"So it was a Trouble that caused this?"
She hesitated. "We think so."
"You think so?" Duke echoed.
"We're not one hundred percent positive but-"
He stopped walking, staring past his boat. "Did you ever consider that maybe this was just a regular, everyday thunderstorm that happened to get a little out of hand? I mean it's possible that not everything unexplained is connected to a Trouble."
"Nathan said that several reports came in last night involving fires and lightning strikes, all centered around one neighborhood. I'd say that's pretty suspicious."
"Well by all means, if Mr. Good Cop says so then it must be true," Duke said sarcastically. "In reality it was probably a pyromaniac who started those fires and some schmuck who put up a lightning rod for God only knows what reason. There, I solved the case."
"Duke," Audrey sighed in annoyance. She was never one for jokes and sarcasm when it came to the Troubles.
"Did anyone die?"
She paused before answering. "What?"
"Well there's usually a body or two to go with said Trouble so I assumed-"
"Nothing's been called in if that's what you mean."
"Alright, alright, I was just making sure."
"What's up with you today? You seem crankier than usual."
Duke sighed heavily. "I'm just tired of all of these freak things happening in this town. I want a thunderstorm to be a thunderstorm, not a monsoon that someone conjured up because of an unknown supernatural ability."
"I know," she agreed. "I want that too but, Duke, my gut tells me it wasn't normal. So the sooner Nathan and I can ask around, the sooner I can help them get it under control before it happens again. Okay?"
"Yeah okay. You got it, Wonder Woman. Always with the saving people thing," he grinned as he took a sip of coffee and started walking again. He secretly loved how much she cared about this crazy ass town. She let out a sharp breath, a long sigh, and he could almost hear her smirk through the phone.
"You're an ass," she said, and the line went dead. Duke chuckled and put his phone away. He eventually made it to the Rouge and hauled himself aboard.
There was minimal damage. Some of the deck chairs were scattered, the card table and traps were upside down. A few other odds and ends were out of place but otherwise everything seemed okay. At least she wasn't underwater. Several long, thick ropes were missing along with a few fishing nets. He rarely used the nets but figured he ought to look for them anyway.
Minutes passed as he cleaned the deck. Empty beer bottles that he meant to throw away ages ago rolled around out of his reach. He chased one that was headed for the grab rails.
"Ha, gotcha," Duke said triumphantly. He bent down and scooped it in his grasp. As he stood up something shimmery caught the corner of his eye. He peered over the rails and saw the remainder of the nets in the water. They floated in one place close to the hull. He groaned. Those were going to be a bitch to pull out.
The sun came out from behind a cloud and bounced off the surface of the water. This time he saw a glimmer of something orange tangled up in the nets. He squinted. It was hard to tell from this distance but it kind of looked like…scales? Orange scales? Maybe a fish or two had gotten caught because of the storm. Well, no need to let good food go to waste.
He tossed the beer bottle in a trash bag and went to fetch a long metal rod. It was curved on the end like a hook. He never liked using this thing because it was as tall as he was and awkward to handle. He positioned himself in the general vicinity of the nets where it bunched together the most. Legs shoulder width apart, Duke leaned over the rail as far as he could and managed to successfully hook a section of net. He dragged everything in and the orange scaly thing came with it easily. However when he tried to pull it up they kept getting caught. So he tugged and tugged until they came free.
"Holy shit," he breathed. The nets were safely on board now. But what he thought were fish was still in the water. And it was definitely not fish. He was staring at a girl's face. Her eyes were closed, her skin was pale, and her blond hair floated beneath her like a halo. Briefly he scanned her body for any signs of damage. What the hell was she wearing? It was a bikini halter top made out of scales. Weird. And…no way.
No.
Freaking.
Way.
A tail. Was that a tail? Like a real tail? She didn't have legs so he could only assume it was real. Unless it was part of a costume. Either way, what the hell was she doing out here?
Duke was born and raised in Haven. Over the last year he had seen things that could never be explained before. The Troubles were a part of the town and you either believed in them or you didn't. But this…this was something else entirely. How could mermaids exist?
He didn't waste another second and silently prayed she was still alive. He quickly scanned the area for anyone else out and about but saw no one. So after much struggling and heaving and cursing, he managed to pull the mysterious mermaid onto the boat. One can only be so gentle for so long while hauling an unconscious body around. The tail alone felt like it weighed a ton. She was now flat on her back. He held two fingers to the side of her neck to check for a pulse. It was there, but faint. Duke let out a breath. Thank God. Her skin was so pale, almost porcelain. That couldn't be good. What should he do?
Think, Duke. Oh, right, he should call an ambulance. Maybe the tail was fake, right? He felt the very bottom and gave it a gentle tug in an attempt to pull it off but nothing happened. He tried again with both hands this time, a little harder. Nothing. Jesus, it even felt like a fish. Wet but still somehow slimy. Okay so definitely not fake, which meant no ambulance. He couldn't turn her over to just anyone. She'd be dissected and studied in seconds.
Well he couldn't let her lie there like that. Maybe if she woke up he could get her name and help her find her…pod? Her school? Her clan? Whatever the proper word was he could help get her home. He bent over near her ear.
"Miss, can you hear me?" Duke said loudly. That didn't work so he placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on her wrist at her pulse point. This time he gently shook her shoulder while repeating the question. "Miss?" Her eyelids fluttered and he perked up. She was coming to!
Everything from there happened in a flash. The mermaid's eyes flew open and she looked around frantically. Her breathing sped up to the point of near hyperventilation. He leaned over just above her face to give her a friendly smile but she seemed not to see him. He still had his hand on her wrist and he could feel her pulse quickening. She might be going into shock. He tried to calm her down, tell her she was okay, asked her her name, but to no avail. She leaned up with her opposite arm to grab his forearm, just below the elbow, and the second she did he felt a searing pain and had to snatch it back instantly. He cried out and released her wrist. What the hell was that?! He glanced down to inspect his arm and saw a cherry red welt in the shape of her hand. It was almost like he hand been burned. Damn it hurt like a mother.
She was on her back again when she started coughing violently and spitting up saltwater. Duke stood up and raced inside for his medical kit. When he came back patched up with gauze she had finished coughing and managed to roll over onto her stomach. He went to her, bent down, and warily checked her over. She was passed out again but was breathing normally. She didn't burn him this time when he placed a hand on her cheek to move the hair off of her face, but she was red all over, like a bad sunburn. What the hell was happening? And what was he supposed to do now? An idea hit him and he snapped his fingers. Simple. He'd put her on his bed so that she could have some privacy when she woke up.
More heaving, much more cursing ensued but ten minutes later she was inside the boat, laying supine on his bed. The sheets could be washed later. Now came the hardest part: To call Audrey or not to call Audrey. He wasn't sure why she specifically came to mind but she was used to dealing with odd occurrences on an almost daily basis. Maybe this was a Trouble. The weirdest one to date but a Trouble nonetheless. Surely she could handle a mermaid.
AN: Hope Rikki's okay! Find out next time!