~Shawn and Gus's POV~
"Shawn, why did we let Lassiter go? Don't you know the man is going to kill Despereaux?"
"Please, Lassie isn't going to kill Despereaux. If anything, this is going to be a fun, comedy fight between friends, like Roger Rees and Cary Elwes from Men in Tights", Shawn said as he reached for another cake.
Gus looked over at Shawn as he popped a tiny lemon cake into his mouth.
"You're casting Lassiter as Cary Elwes", Gus asked.
Shawn looked back at Gus with the same look of disbelief.
"Of course not! Gus, I'm casting Despereaux as Cary Elwes and Lassie as Roger Rees."
Gus looked back at the screen as Lassie made it to the roof top.
"Lassie and Despereaux look nothing like Roger Rees or Cary Elwes", Gus yelled.
Shawn pointed at the screen at Despereaux.
"How can you say the Despereaux and Cary look nothing alike", Shawn asked.
Gus tsk at Shawn.
"Because Shawn, Carly Elwes is a hero and wears tights and feathers. Despereaux is a thief and wears tacky expensive suits and has gadgets. Clearly, they look nothing alike."
"Despereaux clearly has Cary Elwes potential and I think that if we have the two meet, Cary would think the same thing. Plus, I think you're just jealous that Despereaux has cooler stuff."
"Please Shawn,...maybe a little. Oh, did you take Lassiter's gun off of him before you untied him?"
"Was I supposed to?"
Gus and Shawn looked at each other as the realization sunk in.
"Oh no!"
~Dominique's POV~
"I'm your Huckleberry."
Carlton's eyes were inflamed with rage as he glared at Despereaux. Despereaux looked at me in total disbelief.
"Dominique, you turned me down for that", Despereaux asked me while pointing at Carlton.
Before I could reply, Carlton took his jacket off and tossed it on the ground.
"You're damn right she did! And now we're gonna turn on a hot light, do the Lindsey Hop and see who cracks first."
Despereaux raised an eyebrow at Carlton as Carlton put his fist up.
"Is that a sexual thing", Despereaux asked.
Carlton's face turned red.
"No! J-just put your fist up so we can fight."
Carlton started to punch the air for practice. Despereaux looked at me and smiled. Then he smiled at Carlton. I never wanted these two to meet because I figured something like this would happen. Stupid male testosterone.
"A battle you want, is it? Very well, I accept."
"Last man alive gets Dominique", Carlton added.
"Carlton! Don't be silly. Despereaux is not going to have a death match with you."
I couldn't believe this, Carlton was completely mad! At least I know Despereaux has at least enough sense to stop this idiotic thing before it starts.
"I accept!"
I was wrong.
"WHAT!?"
Despereaux immediately took his jacket off and handed it to me. Carlton looked hurt as I took the jacket.
"Dominique, don't help the enemy", Carlton said as his fist dropped slightly.
I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.
"Despereaux is not the enemy, Carlton. Despereaux, put your damn fist down!"
"Don't worry Darling, I'll be sure to give Carlton here a swift and elegant death, graceful even", Despereaux said as he got closer to Carlton.
"How about you kiss my sweet ass", Carlton yelled.
"Well then Carlton, I take back what I said, I'm going to hurl over this building."
Despereaux got into a boxing stance just like Carlton. Carlton raise his fist back up. His eyes were completely glued on Despereaux. Despereaux bounced on his feet slightly while Carlton stood still. This wasn't going to end well for either of them. Carlton ran at Despereaux and was about to attack when I threw Despereaux's jacket on the ground and cut myself in between them. I grabbed both Carlton and Despereaux by the arms, twisting my body, giving them both a hard yank. Both Carlton and Despereaux flipped through the air and landing hard on their backs next to each other. Both men let out a low, long groan.
"No death matches, damn it", I demanded.
I felt a migraine forming in my temples. I bent down and grabbed Carlton by one ear and Despereaux by the other ear, pulling them up.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow", they both said together as I finally got them on their feet.
I pulled the two men towards the table and had them stand in front of the chair before I finally let go of their ears.
"Sit", I commanded as I folded my arms across my waist.
"Now Dom-", Despereaux began.
"SIT DOWN!"
Both boys sat immediately; their hands were on their knees, their bodies were perfectly stiff, and their eyes widen and looking down on the floor. I took a deep breath and counted to three as I gathered my thoughts.
"Let me be clear on something. As long as I'm in Santa Barbara, I do NOT want no more nonsense death matches between the two of you. Second of all, I'm on a case here and I would love to avoid any forms of stupidity at all cost. Third, I'm a strong, independant woman. I'm not some prize trophy that you two can just bet on!"
"We didn't technically bet we were going to-", Carlton began to speak.
"ZIP IT!"
Carlton dropped his head once more, keeping his eyes glued to my feet. I rubbed my face, hoping to calm my nerves. I looked over at Despereaux, who glanced up at me.
"Despereaux, that favor I need," I paused.
I didn't want Carlton evolved but now, there's just no getting around it. Damn Shawn and Gus.
"Yes, Darling", Despereaux asked, with a smile playing at his lips.
"I need information about the Human Trafficking Ring, the name I need is Grimm Blood."
Despereaux's mouth harden, as did his eyes.
"You mean the Sadist Rapist", Despereaux said bluntly.
"Yes."
Carlton looked over at Despereaux and then at me. Despereaux folded his arms around his chest and crossed one leg over the other.
"No."
I was taken back. Despereaux never refused to help me before. Despereaux never refused me anything before.
"What", I asked.
"Dominique, I said no."
Despereaux's voice was harsh and demanding. Carlton stood up and glared down at Despereaux.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Dominique saved your worthless life from me and you won't help her!? Now I know why she chose me over you."
"Carlton," I tried to interject but Despereaux stood up in a flash.
"Now see here, since you don't seem to understand the overall sensitivity of the situation, I'll be sure to use little words as to not to confuse that tiny brain of yours."
Carlton crossed his arms in fury but let Despereaux continue.
"Grimm Blood is a international criminal in the black market. His trade is Human Trafficking. But that's not the thing that make him dangerous or have you forgotten the phrase Sadist Rapist so quickly? And since Dominique is the one who is chasing this mad man, what do you possibly think will happen to her when hecatches her?"
Despereaux turned to look at me before continuing.
"Dominique, I would do anything for you no matter the cost however, I will not help you dig your own grave. As for this Grimm Blood case you're currently working on, I demand that you walk away from it right this instant."
I gasped, Despereaux never demanded me to do anything before either. What the hell is going on?
"Hey Pal, you can't tell Dominique what to do. Dominique, don't worry. With my help, we'll catch this son of a bitch."
Despereaux glared at Carlton, never taking his eyes off the other man. Carlton glared back, not backing down from the challenge.
"Dominique, as your friend and former lover, I forbid it!"
"Dominique, as your current boyfriend and lover," Carlton said as if he was rubbing the words in Despereaux's face, "I forbid you to do whatever Despereaux says."
Carlton smirk as if he won the battle. However, Carlton didn't know the door that he just opened.
"Very well", Despereaux nearly sang.
Despereaux smiled at Carlton and in an instant, Despereaux was back on one knee. He grabbed my hand after quickly pulling out the ring from his pocket again and slid the ring on my finger.
"Dominique, don't marry me."
"Hey!"
Carlton grabbed Despereaux by the arm and pulled him up.
"That's cheating!"
"Oh but dear Carlton, all's fair in love and war", Despereaux smirked.
"Why you smug pr-"
"ENOUGH!"
Both men looked at me. I pulled the ring off of my finger and handed it back to Despereaux, who unhappily took it.
"Grimm Blood is after me."
"What", Carlton and Despereaux shouted in unison, both men's eyes was completely fixed on mine.
"That's why I needed your help Despereaux", I continued.
"Oh Darling!"
Despereaux came up and hugged me tightly.
"Get your hands off her", Carlton yelled.
Despereaux ignored Carlton and held me even tighter, cutting off my air in the progress.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I patted his shoulder. He looked at me and saw my face turning blue.
"Air," I gasped out.
Despereaux took a step back muttering a soft sorry. I took a few breaths before I tried to regain my composer.
"Carlton", I said.
Carlton stop glaring at Despereaux long enough to look at me. Once he did, his face soften.
"Yes?"
"The woman that you found today was raped, tortured, with a piece of paper with a Grimm fairytale quote found somewhere on them?"
Carlton eye brown dipped down slightly as he pondered on what to say.
"Yeah but, how did you know?"
"It's the mark of Grimm Blood you simple minded twit", Despereaux remarked.
"Despereaux, be nice", I warned him.
I focused my attention back to Carlton.
"You told Shawn that this woman looked like me. Well, each of the previous woman also had similar physical traits. If Shawn hadn't pointed them out, then I would have never seen them."
"Wait a second, Shawn Spencer is on this case as well", Despereaux asked.
I looked at Despereaux with curiosity.
"Yes, why?"
"Oh thank that heavens. At least there is 'some' good news that will easy my mind", Despereaux said as he let out a small sigh of relief.
"You and Shawn are acquainted?"
"We are, and I grew rather fond of him over the years. And if Shawn is apart of this case, then I will do wait I can to help you", Despereaux said.
"Why the change of heart, Darling", I asked.
Carlton rolled his eyes and tsk when I called Despereaux darling.
"Because, if anything should go wrong, and it will," Despereaux glanced at Carlton before looking back at me, "Shawn is the only one who is gifted enough to track you down."
"Hey, we don't know if this Grimm Blood sicko is still in the area. Even if he is, what makes you think that he's going to go after Dominique", Carlton asked.
"Because Love, Grimm Blood attacks survivors. Not survivors of war, or drugs; he attacks survivors of love. He's going to come after me because I announced how I was a survivor of an abusive relationship in front of a large crowd of reporters and TV cameras. He'll come after because",
"You're the bait", Carlton interrupted.
His voice was low and sad. Carlton sunk back down on the chair and put his head in his hands.
"Carlton", I asked, worried about Carlton's reaction.
"Tell me more about this, Grimm Blood", Carlton said.
The sound of his voice was heart breaking. Carlton sound defeated.
"Grimm Blood is the most wanted man in America and one of the most wanted men in the World. He abducted children by what we think is on the scale of 1,000's, and women by the same scale. Who he is is completely unknown, however, it's believed to be said that this man was once apart of the US government, or at least is working with a current employee of the US government. We've come to believe that Grimm Blood is using international secretes in order smuggle people in and out of the country."
"Then why isn't this guy in the police database", Carlton asked as he finally looks up at me again.
"Grimm Blood is a big whale in a small pond, Love. As it turns out, the FBI isn't even aware of his existence. Fortunately for me, I'm not FBI. And once I get this bastard, then I will take down largest Human Trafficking Ring in all of history."
Carlton's eyes widen. Suddenly, he got on both of his knees and grabbed my hands.
"Really, you're not going to suddenly propose to her are you", Despereaux ask with disgust in his voice.
I hope not, I already had to break one heart today. I don't think I could go through it again.
"Dominique Danger, would you do me the honor of putting me on this case", Carlton asked.
"What", Despereaux and I said in unison.
Carlton's eyes were hypnotic. It was like looking into the eyes of someone had just received a gift from God. Damn him!
"Fine! Fine, you're on the case."
Carlton jumped up and fist bumped the air.
"HAHA! In your face Despereaux!"
Carlton started to do a little step dance as he couldn't control his happiness. Despereaux gave me an odd look.
"Dominique, what the hell", he asked.