AB/CM Fic: Truths and Lies 1/?
TITLE: Truths and Lies 1/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
FANDOMS: Criminal Minds and Anita Blake universes
PAIRINGS: Jason Gideon/Spencer Reid, Spencer Reid/Asher, plus the usuals for the AB 'verse, and probably more down the line.
RATING: arr for now, probably en.sea.xvii later
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone!
FEEDBACK: Constructive only, please.
DISTRIBUTION: Here and AO3 only.
WARNINGS: The usual for the AB world.
NOTES: This is a sequel-ish to Victories and Anniversaries
Jean-Claude's face was perfectly blank.
To those unfamiliar with the habits of older vampires, the sight of such an empty expression could be alarming.
To Spencer Reid, who knew Jean-Claude---thanks to an introduction made by Gideon, a few years ago---the sight of the vampire's mask was a relief.
It meant he was still in control.
"You wish to interview my kiss," the Master of the City said. "You arrive unannounced, show yourselves into my place of business, and expect me to hand over those who are mine without posing any questions of my own.
Derek spoke first. "Yeah, we do. This guy's killed people. Families. Quit wasting our time and let us talk to them."
Jean-Claude's mask cracked enough to show a sliver of amusement in the form of a small smirk.
Holding in the glare he wanted to level at his teammate and ignoring the looks of surprise on the others in his group, Spencer took a step forward.
"Jean-Claude," he said quietly, "we were invited here by your city's preternatural---"
"Oui, moon petit agneau, I know," Jean-Claude interjected. "The police no longer trust our local Marshall with these matters, so they called for you. They do not understand what we are working to accomplish---nor do some of your team."
"Do you know who---"
"Slaughtered those two families? Non, I do not."
The other team members with Spencer---Aaron Hotchner, Dave Rossi, and Derek Morgan, since Jennifer "JJ" Jareau and Emily Prentiss were at the police station reviewing the case files---tensed and frowned. The youngest profiler knew they didn't trust the vampire; he, however, did and hearing Jean-Claude admit that truth relieved some of the stress he had been feeling since they began the journey to St. Louis.
"Could someone sneak into your territory without you knowing?" Spencer asked, since no one else seemed willing to speak.
"It is not likely."
"Why is that?" Hotch asked.
"We have been taking precautions to protect those of our kinds since... our lives have complicated," Jean-Claude answered as he rose to a standing position behind his desk.
"Our kinds?" Rossi echoed.
"Oui. I am surprised you---"
Spencer cleared his throat. Dave Rossi might've been a werewolf, like Gideon, but he, too, was also in hiding.
Jean-Claude seemed to understand. He stopped talking and turned to Spencer.
"Am I within my rights to make a request?"
Spencer looked to Hotch, who nodded.
"I'd like to choose mon petit agneau and your colleague---" he gestured to Rossi "---to conduct these interviews."
"Sure," both Spencer and Rossi said, almost in unison, cutting off the expletive forming in Derek's mouth.
"There are some meetings I must arrange first," the Master of the City said, to no one in particular, "and I would also like to contact my legal counsel, to be sure no one's rights are violated."
Spencer nodded. Rossi shrugged.
"Tomorrow night?" Hotch asked.
"I will send a car to your hotel at five o'clock, if that is agreeable. It will take you to a place where you can meet with as many as I can make available."
"Okay," Spencer replied.
"No, not okay," Derek insisted. "They won't be safe with you, on your turf."
"It's alright, Morgan," Rossi said, looking from the furious agent to the brooding one next to him. "Hotch?"
"Yeah... alright. But, if Garcia can't get in touch with you---or even find your phones---"
"I will not harm either of them," Jean-Claude vowed.
"Hotch!"
The team leader looked at Derek. "It's a fair compromise," he said. "We don't have to like it, but it's a complicated situation, and I don't see any other way around it."
Derek sighed.
Jean-Claude clapped his hands together. "Bon," he declared. "Now, if you don't mind, there is some business to which I need to attend onstage."
The vampire gestured towards the door to the hallway; Spencer waited until everyone else was on their way out before making a move. He wasn't sure why he hesitated, except that he knew he wasn't ready to be away from the Master of the City. He knew there was more information to learn, about the case in particular, and he was hoping that Jean-Claude would give him something he could work with if the others were out of sight.
He wasn't disappointed.
As he turned to follow Rossi out of the office, he felt a piece of paper being placed in the palm of his loosely-curled left hand.
He knew Jean-Claude was passing him a message that couldn't be heard by other profilers; he also knew it was a message that could not wait until the next night.
Without looking back (even though he wanted to), he tightened his hand around the note. He felt the briefest touch of cool fingers before he passed through the door.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
FANDOMS: Criminal Minds and Anita Blake universes
PAIRINGS: Jason Gideon/Spencer Reid, Spencer Reid/Asher, plus the usuals for the AB 'verse, and probably more down the line.
RATING: arr for now, probably en.sea.xvii later
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone!
FEEDBACK: Constructive only, please.
DISTRIBUTION: Here and AO3 only.
WARNINGS: The usual for the AB world.
NOTES: This is a sequel-ish to Victories and Anniversaries
Jean-Claude's face was perfectly blank.
To those unfamiliar with the habits of older vampires, the sight of such an empty expression could be alarming.
To Spencer Reid, who knew Jean-Claude---thanks to an introduction made by Gideon, a few years ago---the sight of the vampire's mask was a relief.
It meant he was still in control.
"You wish to interview my kiss," the Master of the City said. "You arrive unannounced, show yourselves into my place of business, and expect me to hand over those who are mine without posing any questions of my own.
Derek spoke first. "Yeah, we do. This guy's killed people. Families. Quit wasting our time and let us talk to them."
Jean-Claude's mask cracked enough to show a sliver of amusement in the form of a small smirk.
Holding in the glare he wanted to level at his teammate and ignoring the looks of surprise on the others in his group, Spencer took a step forward.
"Jean-Claude," he said quietly, "we were invited here by your city's preternatural---"
"Oui, moon petit agneau, I know," Jean-Claude interjected. "The police no longer trust our local Marshall with these matters, so they called for you. They do not understand what we are working to accomplish---nor do some of your team."
"Do you know who---"
"Slaughtered those two families? Non, I do not."
The other team members with Spencer---Aaron Hotchner, Dave Rossi, and Derek Morgan, since Jennifer "JJ" Jareau and Emily Prentiss were at the police station reviewing the case files---tensed and frowned. The youngest profiler knew they didn't trust the vampire; he, however, did and hearing Jean-Claude admit that truth relieved some of the stress he had been feeling since they began the journey to St. Louis.
"Could someone sneak into your territory without you knowing?" Spencer asked, since no one else seemed willing to speak.
"It is not likely."
"Why is that?" Hotch asked.
"We have been taking precautions to protect those of our kinds since... our lives have complicated," Jean-Claude answered as he rose to a standing position behind his desk.
"Our kinds?" Rossi echoed.
"Oui. I am surprised you---"
Spencer cleared his throat. Dave Rossi might've been a werewolf, like Gideon, but he, too, was also in hiding.
Jean-Claude seemed to understand. He stopped talking and turned to Spencer.
"Am I within my rights to make a request?"
Spencer looked to Hotch, who nodded.
"I'd like to choose mon petit agneau and your colleague---" he gestured to Rossi "---to conduct these interviews."
"Sure," both Spencer and Rossi said, almost in unison, cutting off the expletive forming in Derek's mouth.
"There are some meetings I must arrange first," the Master of the City said, to no one in particular, "and I would also like to contact my legal counsel, to be sure no one's rights are violated."
Spencer nodded. Rossi shrugged.
"Tomorrow night?" Hotch asked.
"I will send a car to your hotel at five o'clock, if that is agreeable. It will take you to a place where you can meet with as many as I can make available."
"Okay," Spencer replied.
"No, not okay," Derek insisted. "They won't be safe with you, on your turf."
"It's alright, Morgan," Rossi said, looking from the furious agent to the brooding one next to him. "Hotch?"
"Yeah... alright. But, if Garcia can't get in touch with you---or even find your phones---"
"I will not harm either of them," Jean-Claude vowed.
"Hotch!"
The team leader looked at Derek. "It's a fair compromise," he said. "We don't have to like it, but it's a complicated situation, and I don't see any other way around it."
Derek sighed.
Jean-Claude clapped his hands together. "Bon," he declared. "Now, if you don't mind, there is some business to which I need to attend onstage."
The vampire gestured towards the door to the hallway; Spencer waited until everyone else was on their way out before making a move. He wasn't sure why he hesitated, except that he knew he wasn't ready to be away from the Master of the City. He knew there was more information to learn, about the case in particular, and he was hoping that Jean-Claude would give him something he could work with if the others were out of sight.
He wasn't disappointed.
As he turned to follow Rossi out of the office, he felt a piece of paper being placed in the palm of his loosely-curled left hand.
He knew Jean-Claude was passing him a message that couldn't be heard by other profilers; he also knew it was a message that could not wait until the next night.
Without looking back (even though he wanted to), he tightened his hand around the note. He felt the briefest touch of cool fingers before he passed through the door.