No Dominion, chapter two (highlander/ab:vh)
Here's chapter two of the Methos and Edward fic.
Chapter Two: Be Not Proud
"I know that through your eyes which look on me
Who stand regarding you with pitiful breath,
You see beyond the moment's pause, you see
The sunny sky, the skimming bird beneath,
And, fronting on your windows hopelessly,
Black in the noon, the broad estates of Death."
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Friday was not going well. That wasn't much of a surprise; Thursday hadn't gone well either. It was mostly my boss's fault. Summer is the slow season for raising the dead, and Bert had been scheduling appointments for me with people that I couldn't help as a way of filling my time - and collecting the appointment fees, the mercenary bastard.
I'd referred two of today's three appointments to Ronnie, the firm's licensed private investigator and one of my best friends. The third I'd been forced to send away empty-handed. Seeing person after person with problems - serious problems - that I couldn't do anything about had put me in a bad mood. I hadn't even been able to vent my bad temper on Bert. He'd been ducking me all week.
At the knock on my door, I sighed. I didn't have any more appointments scheduled, but Bert was known for his last minute add ons. I was going to have to get up early tomorrow, and ambush him when he wasn't expecting me.
"Come in," I called.
My visitor was 5'8" and slender, with short blond hair and cold blue eyes. He was also the last person I'd expected to see. Edward usually breaks into my apartment. He never comes to the office - it's not his sort of thing.
Edward is an assassin, one who specializes in things that aren't quite human. Apparently, killing regular people got too easy for him. He's only ever given me hints about his life, but I gather that the police would be very glad to get their hands on him. He looks like a regular person, and if you didn't know what he was, you might even consider him handsome. He is, however, the most dangerous human being I have ever met. The vampires call him Death, and the title is well-deserved. He's the only person I've ever seen go after them with a flamethrower.
He was playing at normal today, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a brown jacket over a white shirt. The chill in his blue eyes spoiled the effect a little, but he still looked more like a respectable citizen than a sociopathic assassin. Of course, I was willing to bet that he was carrying a small arsenal somewhere on his person. He always was.
"Anita," he said, closing the door behind him.
"Edward," I said, trying to hide my surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Anita," he said calmly. He has the most accentless voice I have ever heard. His eyes ran briefly over my body - checking for weapons. Edward is the ultimate professional.
"Are you here by appointment?" I asked. He shook his head and sat down casually, crossing his legs at the ankle.
"I told your secretary you'd asked me to stop by."
"I'll have to speak to him about that. What do you want, Edward?"
"It's business," he said. "I need a favor, and I'll owe you."
I didn't argue.
"What kind of favour?" I asked instead. If it was too much, I could always tell him to get lost.
"A place to stay for a few days, for myself and an associate. I'd check us into a hotel, but we can't be seen together, and I don't want to leave him alone."
I raised both eyebrows. "Might I ask why?"
Edward smiled faintly. "Someone tried to have me killed. I don't want him to figure out just how badly he failed."
"And your associate?" I'd never known Edward to work with anyone but me, much less to bring them around for a sleepover.
"He won't do anything to you."
"Who is he, Edward?"
"His name's Adam." Something in his tone told me that I wouldn't get anything else out of him. "I appreciate the help, Anita."
"Do I have a choice?" I grumbled.
"Not really," he said pleasantly. "But I appreciate it nonetheless."
"This isn't a set-up of some kind, is it?" I asked. Edward smiled; a genuinely pleased expression that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"Don't worry, Anita. If I were going to kill you, I'd tell you. Setting you up would spoil the fun." I believed him. That was the scary thing about Edward. He loved a challenge - and he was still alive to make them. He stood up in one smooth movement, and I caught a glimpse of a gun beneath his jacket. "I'll see you tonight," he said, and slipped quietly out, leaving me to stare in frustration at the door.
After I was sure he'd gone, I glanced at the clock on my desk. I'd been about to leave when Edward had made his impromptu appearance, and was now even more eager to get home. I grabbed my keys, clipped my pager to my belt, and left, locking the door behind me. On my way out, I stopped to talk to Craig, our night secretary.
"Did your friend find you?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Craig, don't let anyone back to see me without checking with me first - especially after dark."
He blinked. "Sorry, Anita."
"Not your fault. You're not a security guard." Which was another point of contention between Bert and myself. "What time does the boss come in tomorrow?"
"Eight. He wants to be gone by noon so that -- " He stopped, looking guilty.
"So that he can be gone before I get here," I finished. "Thanks, Craig."
His expression was stricken. "Don't tell him I gave you his schedule?"
"I won't say anything if you don't." I smiled sweetly at him. "Goodnight, Craig."
***
Edward and his 'associate' were waiting for me in the stairwell of my building.
"Couldn't get through the lock?" I asked. It sounded like sarcasm, but I was genuinely interested. If Edward couldn't get through it, then it was indeed pick-proof, as the salesman had claimed.
"You seemed a little jumpy earlier," Edward shrugged. "I didn't want to get shot." He stood up, brushing off his slacks, and gestured to the man leaning against the wall behind him. "This is Adam. Adam, Anita Blake."
Adam was nearly Richard's height, but less bulky, with short dark hair that looked as if he'd just run a hand through it, and a pale, aesthetic face that reminded me of Roman coins I'd seen in college. He looked more like an underfed graduate student than someone who belonged in Edward's world, and the sheepish, uncertain nod he gave me strengthened that impression.
"Sorry to put you out," he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his oversized duster. His voice was a pleasant tenor, and his accent was as British as the Queen. Edward gave him an unreadable glance.
"Don't be," I said, unlocking my apartment door. "Edward isn't."
Edward ignored the sarcasm in favor of doing a visual sweep of my living room, followed by a physical check of the other rooms in the apartment.
"It's all clear," he said, coming back to the living room.
"You're paranoid this evening," I observed.
"Someone wants me dead," he said. "Someone with money. That always makes me a little cautious."
"You were planning on filling me in at some point, right?" I asked.
The look Edward gave me said quite clearly that no, he wasn't. I folded my arms. He raised an eyebrow.
"Either tell me what's going on," I finally said, "or find somewhere else to stay for the night."
He gave me a cool, measuring look, but eventually nodded. "I was set up," he said. "I was paid for a job that turned out to be a trap. I'd really like to find out who it was, and I need a place to stash Adam while I'm asking some people some pointed questions."
***
( Chapter One: No Mortal Youth)*( Chapter Three: Before Me Today)
( details on 'Highlander' and the Anita-verse)
***
Author's Notes: First, a big thank you to
shellseeker for beta services. I've been waiting to write this fic for a while, and I appreciate the help more than I can say.
Thanks also to everyone who's taken the time to read/review thus far. Feedback keeps the plotbunnies from starving to death!
Chapter Two: Be Not Proud
"I know that through your eyes which look on me
Who stand regarding you with pitiful breath,
You see beyond the moment's pause, you see
The sunny sky, the skimming bird beneath,
And, fronting on your windows hopelessly,
Black in the noon, the broad estates of Death."
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Friday was not going well. That wasn't much of a surprise; Thursday hadn't gone well either. It was mostly my boss's fault. Summer is the slow season for raising the dead, and Bert had been scheduling appointments for me with people that I couldn't help as a way of filling my time - and collecting the appointment fees, the mercenary bastard.
I'd referred two of today's three appointments to Ronnie, the firm's licensed private investigator and one of my best friends. The third I'd been forced to send away empty-handed. Seeing person after person with problems - serious problems - that I couldn't do anything about had put me in a bad mood. I hadn't even been able to vent my bad temper on Bert. He'd been ducking me all week.
At the knock on my door, I sighed. I didn't have any more appointments scheduled, but Bert was known for his last minute add ons. I was going to have to get up early tomorrow, and ambush him when he wasn't expecting me.
"Come in," I called.
My visitor was 5'8" and slender, with short blond hair and cold blue eyes. He was also the last person I'd expected to see. Edward usually breaks into my apartment. He never comes to the office - it's not his sort of thing.
Edward is an assassin, one who specializes in things that aren't quite human. Apparently, killing regular people got too easy for him. He's only ever given me hints about his life, but I gather that the police would be very glad to get their hands on him. He looks like a regular person, and if you didn't know what he was, you might even consider him handsome. He is, however, the most dangerous human being I have ever met. The vampires call him Death, and the title is well-deserved. He's the only person I've ever seen go after them with a flamethrower.
He was playing at normal today, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a brown jacket over a white shirt. The chill in his blue eyes spoiled the effect a little, but he still looked more like a respectable citizen than a sociopathic assassin. Of course, I was willing to bet that he was carrying a small arsenal somewhere on his person. He always was.
"Anita," he said, closing the door behind him.
"Edward," I said, trying to hide my surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Anita," he said calmly. He has the most accentless voice I have ever heard. His eyes ran briefly over my body - checking for weapons. Edward is the ultimate professional.
"Are you here by appointment?" I asked. He shook his head and sat down casually, crossing his legs at the ankle.
"I told your secretary you'd asked me to stop by."
"I'll have to speak to him about that. What do you want, Edward?"
"It's business," he said. "I need a favor, and I'll owe you."
I didn't argue.
"What kind of favour?" I asked instead. If it was too much, I could always tell him to get lost.
"A place to stay for a few days, for myself and an associate. I'd check us into a hotel, but we can't be seen together, and I don't want to leave him alone."
I raised both eyebrows. "Might I ask why?"
Edward smiled faintly. "Someone tried to have me killed. I don't want him to figure out just how badly he failed."
"And your associate?" I'd never known Edward to work with anyone but me, much less to bring them around for a sleepover.
"He won't do anything to you."
"Who is he, Edward?"
"His name's Adam." Something in his tone told me that I wouldn't get anything else out of him. "I appreciate the help, Anita."
"Do I have a choice?" I grumbled.
"Not really," he said pleasantly. "But I appreciate it nonetheless."
"This isn't a set-up of some kind, is it?" I asked. Edward smiled; a genuinely pleased expression that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"Don't worry, Anita. If I were going to kill you, I'd tell you. Setting you up would spoil the fun." I believed him. That was the scary thing about Edward. He loved a challenge - and he was still alive to make them. He stood up in one smooth movement, and I caught a glimpse of a gun beneath his jacket. "I'll see you tonight," he said, and slipped quietly out, leaving me to stare in frustration at the door.
After I was sure he'd gone, I glanced at the clock on my desk. I'd been about to leave when Edward had made his impromptu appearance, and was now even more eager to get home. I grabbed my keys, clipped my pager to my belt, and left, locking the door behind me. On my way out, I stopped to talk to Craig, our night secretary.
"Did your friend find you?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Craig, don't let anyone back to see me without checking with me first - especially after dark."
He blinked. "Sorry, Anita."
"Not your fault. You're not a security guard." Which was another point of contention between Bert and myself. "What time does the boss come in tomorrow?"
"Eight. He wants to be gone by noon so that -- " He stopped, looking guilty.
"So that he can be gone before I get here," I finished. "Thanks, Craig."
His expression was stricken. "Don't tell him I gave you his schedule?"
"I won't say anything if you don't." I smiled sweetly at him. "Goodnight, Craig."
***
Edward and his 'associate' were waiting for me in the stairwell of my building.
"Couldn't get through the lock?" I asked. It sounded like sarcasm, but I was genuinely interested. If Edward couldn't get through it, then it was indeed pick-proof, as the salesman had claimed.
"You seemed a little jumpy earlier," Edward shrugged. "I didn't want to get shot." He stood up, brushing off his slacks, and gestured to the man leaning against the wall behind him. "This is Adam. Adam, Anita Blake."
Adam was nearly Richard's height, but less bulky, with short dark hair that looked as if he'd just run a hand through it, and a pale, aesthetic face that reminded me of Roman coins I'd seen in college. He looked more like an underfed graduate student than someone who belonged in Edward's world, and the sheepish, uncertain nod he gave me strengthened that impression.
"Sorry to put you out," he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his oversized duster. His voice was a pleasant tenor, and his accent was as British as the Queen. Edward gave him an unreadable glance.
"Don't be," I said, unlocking my apartment door. "Edward isn't."
Edward ignored the sarcasm in favor of doing a visual sweep of my living room, followed by a physical check of the other rooms in the apartment.
"It's all clear," he said, coming back to the living room.
"You're paranoid this evening," I observed.
"Someone wants me dead," he said. "Someone with money. That always makes me a little cautious."
"You were planning on filling me in at some point, right?" I asked.
The look Edward gave me said quite clearly that no, he wasn't. I folded my arms. He raised an eyebrow.
"Either tell me what's going on," I finally said, "or find somewhere else to stay for the night."
He gave me a cool, measuring look, but eventually nodded. "I was set up," he said. "I was paid for a job that turned out to be a trap. I'd really like to find out who it was, and I need a place to stash Adam while I'm asking some people some pointed questions."
***
( Chapter One: No Mortal Youth)*( Chapter Three: Before Me Today)
( details on 'Highlander' and the Anita-verse)
***
Author's Notes: First, a big thank you to
shellseeker for beta services. I've been waiting to write this fic for a while, and I appreciate the help more than I can say.
Thanks also to everyone who's taken the time to read/review thus far. Feedback keeps the plotbunnies from starving to death!