"Fringey…"
Summary: Sarah and her sisters see there's an even darker side to Dyad's little cloning-fest…
(Not sure about this one but while I await more details for "Nessun Dorma" I'll play round with this darker one and see how it goes. Afraid you'll have to consider this the Allison-Donnie-friendly corner of the OB multiverse. After all, she can't be veering toward insanity and he can't be a rat in every universe…)
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XIII…
"At the end of the day, I…must see the captain… And I'd better have something or else he'll pissed.
He's awaitin' and he's angry…Cause we forced him to stick his neck out…And there's gonna be hell to pay…A…
At the end of the day…"
"What the hell are you doing, Beth?" Art eyed Allison as they drove from a check of the warehouse…A carton of Helena's belongings found, including a blood-stained shirt…
Another one? Really? Allison had eyed the shirt.
At this rate we could start a collection…Sister Helena's casualwear for killing…
Though, really she tends to choose the worst possible materials for her hobby clothes…You could never get that out of that material…
"Uh…Just a little memory game to keep me thinking about this evening's meeting, Art. I find it helps me if I set any important task I have to keep in mind to music."
He closed his eyes a half-second, shaking head. "Do not start singing in the captain's office, Beth, please?"
"Certainly not, Arth…Art…Ummn…"
"Yeah?"
"Do we have anything…I mean that the captain would be pleased with?"
"Do you see Helena in this car?" he eyed her.
"No."
"Then we don't have anything the captain would be pleased with, Beth."
"Oh." She looked out the window."
"Art?"
"Still right here, Beth."
"He'll be pretty angry with us for not having anything, won't he?"
"I'd say you know so, Beth."
"Oh."
"Look…Just leave it to me and follow my lead. We'll just have to try to make something out of what we'll have."
"Ah." She nodded, a bit more encouraged.
"What was that… 'Les Miserables'?"
"One of the songs, yeah."
Pause…
"I remember you used to sing every now and then…When we weren't preoccupied…" he eyed her briefly.
"Oh, yes?…Ummn…Yeah, I remember…What was it I sang?"
"It wasn't from 'Les Miserables'." He grinned faintly.
"Well, my new sister Ally is always humming bits from it, it's catchin' I guess…" she said, staring out the car windshield.
"It's nice you remember that I sang…Thanks." She eyed him briefly.
"I guess I miss it…Though given you have a lousy voice, Childs…"
Stunned look…Uh…
"You know I'm not going to apologize for that, Childs." Hard stare.
"Uh, right…" sigh… "Dipshit…" sly grin…
"That's my girl…" grin…And hasty look away…
"I know she loved you, Art…" Allison whispered, watching him…
"That's enough of that…" he replied quickly. "Lets see what we can find out here…" pulling the car into a lot.
She stared…Eyeing the onion domed church building…
"It's Ukrainian?" she guessed.
"Ukrainian Orthodox…And within walking distance of the warehouse…A long shot, maybe, but Helena seems like the type to keep up with her Sunday services. I thought we might speak to the priest about any troubled young women hangin' around recently." he nodded, opening his door.
"Nice…Oops…" she reached for her buzzing phone.
"Hey…Uh, Childs here. Oh, hey, Coz…How's…Uh, Minnesota? We're good. Just checkin' out a Ukrainian church in the area near the crime scene."
Art eyeing her, then with slight sigh, eyeing the church and the parking lot…
"Really? You need a sample from Helena?" Allison asked the phone. "I think we can help at that." She eyed the box of materials… "Everyone ok? Uh…By any chance you hear anything from Allison's guys? Oh? Good, good…And our bro-in-law? No word since then? Ok, well…I'm sure he can take care of himself. Yes. Right, of course…We'll get this stuff to you asap, Coz…Right. Right. Well, give my best to our bro if he calls." She hung up.
Oh…She gasped…
Ok…The kids are fine…No attacks, no kidnappings…Sarah's in LA…All's good…
Donnie hasn't checked in yet but it's still early and he's probably tied up keeping the retreat folks thinking we're "occupied"…
He's fine…It's all good.
All good.
"Beth? We need to get moving." Art urged, standing at open door.
"Yeah, just got word from Cosima. She's got what we sent but could use another sample, something of Helena's? I think what we've got here would be fine." She eyed the box of Helena materials…
"Right." He nodded. "We'll get it out to her as soon as we finish looking round here. Now lets get a move on, partner."
Hmmn…Helena eyed the two in the car from the window of the building across the street…Beth's detective friend, the nice black man…And not-Beth…But is she not-Beth, my sister Sarah or…?
"I should be Beth again…You like me, nice detective…I very charming and dedicated type, hard worker, clever. I be good detective." She nodded, contentedly. "You see, we catch devil and all his kind…Make safe for my niece-daughter. But who are you, not-Beth?" she eyed Allison, who was looking round, trying to seem poised and focused…Totally where she was…A cop on top of the urban scene.
"You are not-Sarah either, are you? Who are you, little false sister? You know where my sister and my little one have gone? We should have coffee chat…" she told herself, watching.
Mmmn…She stroked her still aching head, feeling the bandage. "Need aspirin…"
Swing music…Specifically, "In the Mood…"
Olive, dry smile on her face, spinning Leekie around the room…Olivier and Simon watching calmly and silently from their respective chairs…Leekie putting up hand, gasping a little.
"Ok…Very nice, dear…Lets take a little break."
"Showing your age, Aldous…?" Olive, tight smile as he pulled away… "But thanks for the dance…"
"Excellent…" Olivier nodded. "I think there's no question the interphase is in perfect synch. Nicely done, Ms. Duncan."
"Olivier…" Olive nodded. "Give my partner due credit. You know, Father…" very Rachel sardonic expression… "I believe that's the first time we've ever danced together."
"A parental lapse on my part, dear." Leekie grinned. "Impressive work, Simon. Rachel? No indication of a time lapse? You're feeling natural?"
"None." Olive shook her head. "It's as if I'm in my own skin…Of course I am, in a way." Smile.
"Then I would say we're about ready." Leekie beamed. "Time to throw our errant girls a little curve ball of our own before we try our little coup de gras."
Rachel, in the body suit Simon had worn, emerged from a back room… "I'll need to review a bit…I'm not that familiar with my sister Allison."
"Just think tense, Stepford wife." Olivier suggested. Shortest of faint smiles.
"Oh, now Olli…" Leekie frowned. "Allison's much more complex than that…But fortunately, despite our problems with Hendrix, she is the best monitored of our subjects."