Fic: Hiding in Plain Sight - Part Eight

[nikki4noo]

Leonard was waiting in the office for Christine to arrive. He was still in the same suit he had been dressed in yesterday, but this time he had two important additions. His gun and his ID.

He took a deep breath as the front door started to open.

“Morning, Christine,” he said as she walked in the door.

“Leonard! You are here early and...wearing the same clothes as yesterday,” she said as she stood in the open doorway.

“Come in and shut the door,” Leonard requested.

“What happened?” she asked as she did as he had wished.

“I have something to tell you. I’ve been a little less than truthful with you,” Leonard admitted.

“Leonard,” Christine said with a concerned look on her face. She placed a hand on his arm.

Leonard reached into his jacket to pull out his ID. He presented it to her.

She opened it and looked up at him with shock, before quickly glancing back down again.

“I’m a Federal Agent and have been working undercover. I’m very sorry but I couldn’t tell you the truth,” Leonard told her while she continued to look at his ID. Her fingers were tracing over the shape of his face in his picture.

“But you are a doctor?” she asked.

“I was and still am. It’s why they needed me for this job,” Leonard said, hoping that she would look up at him soon. They had worked together closely for a few months and he really did appreciate her friendship. He hoped this hadn’t ruined anything.

She finally looked up, but it was to see the front door opening. Leonard pulled his gun out of his holster. He had kept it hidden, but where he could easily bring it out if needed.

He needed it. Kirill Popov entered the room. Leonard put a hand on Christine’s shoulder to push her gently to his side, all the better to protect her.

“Miss Chapel, Christine,” he said as he stepped inside and then stopped dead as Leonard brought his gun out into plain sight.

“Dr. McCoy, or is it?” Popov asked.

“That is my name and my job,” Leonard agreed.

“Not your only job,” Popov observed.

“True, although I do wonder about your past too,” Leonard offered.

“Leonard, a gun? Really?” Christine asked.

“With him in here, it’s needed,” Leonard replied.

“They know about you,” Popov pointed out. “Spies are not looked upon kindly.”

“Like former cops?”

Popov narrowed his eyes and then gave Leonard a slight nod.

“What?” Christine asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. It was obvious to Leonard that she really was a little lost with everything that was going on.

“Mr. Popov here used to be a cop back in Russia and then he decided to quit that job, immigrate to the good ol’ U.S. of A and join his uncle in a new line of work,” Leonard explained.

“A policeman? You were a policeman?” she asked.

“I was,” Popov said as he took a step toward Christine.

Leonard raised his weapon higher. Popov put his hands in the air and stepped back to his former position.

“How can a policeman work for the mob?” Christine asked him. “And you!” She turned toward Leonard and smacked him gently on the shoulder. “You’re a doctor! Not a policeman.”

“Christine!” Leonard complained.

She crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Can’t I be both?” he asked.

“Can you?” she queried in return.

Leonard sighed. She had brought up the exact question he had been asking himself all night. The one that had kept him awake for most of it, once he and Pike had returned to Pike’s house, his own apartment now strictly off limits to him if he wanted to stay in one piece. They had been at the hospital to check on Sirol, the ill Romanian, plus Pike had literally frog marched Jim into the Emergency Room and got him seen to. Leonard hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jim since that brief time in the warehouse. Being a Fed suited Jim; it was almost as if it was what he was born to do, but Leonard thought of his own calling and that seemed to be medicine more than law enforcement.

He was stopped from answering by the door opening again. The man who entered had Christine inhaling sharply, Popov stepping to the side and Leonard clicking the safety off and raising the gun up. Up to aim it directly at Vasily who was now standing in the doorway.

“Tsk, tsk, Leonard. Is this any way to treat a friend?” Vasily asked as he stepped in and closed the door.

“Where’s Lebedev?” Leonard asked.

“I do not need him today. Nephew,” Vasily said as he turned to greet Popov. “Leonard, put the gun down,” Vasily said.

“Nope,” Leonard said.

“Leonard, you are my friend and no harm will come to you.”

Leonard looked at Vasily disbelievingly.

Vasily laughed. “This is why I like you, Leonard. You should have been respectful, but I knew I would always get the truth from you. Mostly the truth.”

The door started to open again, which meant that Vasily moved off to the other side, Leonard moved his gun back and forth between the door and Vasily, unsure of where the biggest threat was going to come from.

A head appeared around the door. Jim’s head. It was attached to the rest of the body, as Jim quickly stepped in to join the impromptu party that seemed to be taking place in the office waiting room.

“Damn it, Jim!” Leonard groaned.

Jim brought his own weapon out. “You’re a bit popular this morning, Bones. Hi Christine,” Jim said.

“Jim,” Christine greeted him.

“Agent Kirk, so pleasant to see you,” Vasily obviously did not like to be ignored.

“Can’t really say the same,” Jim responded.

“You are just in time. I was about to tell Leonard the good news,” Vasily said.

“Really? Like how you want to come back to the office and tell us how the Romanians got into the country?” Jim asked.

“Ahh, Agent Kirk, do not change,” Vasily told him. “I was just helping out an acquaintance. I was about to tell Leonard that he does not need to move. He has been an excellent doctor and my boys have been told that Leonard is my friend.”

Leonard looked at Vasily in shock. He didn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

“You were doing your job, Leonard. It must have been difficult for you and to have to lie to people is not in your nature, I think. You are a little like my nephew. A good boy he is. This life is not for you, or for him.”

“Uncle?” Popov asked, a confused look on his face.

“I am pleased that you are here, nephew, but I think your life should be your own. My sister would not want it any other way,” Vasily smiled benevolently towards Popov.

Leonard looked at Jim, who just shrugged at this new development and Vasily’s ‘change of heart’. Popov seemed to be a bit taken aback by his uncle’s words, his gray eye’s flickering back and forth between Vasily and Christine, Leonard noted with interest.

“Are you saying that I could stay here and have no trouble from any of your associates?” Leonard asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You can stay and all will know you are my friend,” Vasily said.

“Can’t say I rightly believe you. What if I go somewhere else? Will I be your friend there too?” Leonard asked warily.

“Bones, where you going?” Jim asked.

“Now is not the time, Jim,” Leonard told him.

“No matter where you are, you will be my friend. I would be sad to see you go back to Atlanta. I have friends there that will make sure you are treated well. I think you have good friends here who would much prefer you to stay, no? You have a lovely nurse and Agent Kirk will be bereft without your company. Who will patch up his bruises?” Vasily asked as he waved toward Jim’s face that was looking a little the worse for wear after his tête-à-tête yesterday.

“Nephew, come. I think it would be best if we leave the friends to talk,” Vasily continued before Jim or Leonard could protest at his words. “You can visit Miss Chapel later.” With that, Vasily was walking toward the door. He stopped by Jim, waiting for him to move out of his way. There was a short battle of wills between the two of them before Jim stepped back and allowed Vasily to leave.

Vasily stopped when he reached the door and turned back to address Leonard again. “I know you do not trust me, Leonard, but when I have been less than honest with you? You are under my protection and shall remain so. I know you appreciate plain speaking, and this is as plain as I can make it. I would like you to stay and I am sure there are others here that would wish it so too. If you wanted to leave and did not feel safe, you would not be here this morning. I think you wish to stay too? No?” On that question Vasily walked out of the office, turning it into a rhetorical one and leaving the four of them inside with a look of confusion on each of their faces.

Popov turned to Christine and appeared to be asking silent permission to approach her. Leonard nodded and Popov wasted no time in walking forward and claiming one of her hands.

“I am sorry if you were scared, Miss Chapel. It was never my intention. I find you most honorable and would be pleased if you allowed me to, how you say? Call on you?” Popov asked.

Christine blinked at him, she glanced at Jim and Leonard. They both just shrugged at her, leaving the decision in her hands.

“I’ll think about it,” she offered.

“It is more than I deserve,” Popov said as he raised her hand and pressed a kiss to it. He let go as he walked away from her and out the door, following his uncle.

Christine was still standing with her hand in the air where he had let go of it. A slightly stunned expression was on her face.

“Christine, I’m closing the practice. Can you please call and cancel all our appointments?” Leonard asked gently. “Tell them that I recommend Dr. Piper as an excellent physician.”

She dropped her hand and nodded before walking around the desk. Leonard holstered his gun and then held out his hand toward her.

“Can I have my badge back?”

“Oh, yes of course,” she said as she handed it over.

He tucked the badge away before speaking to her again, ignoring Jim who was still standing silently by the door.

“I wanted to know if you might be interested in moving to Atlanta?” Leonard asked her. “It’s not as far away from St Louis as San Francisco is, but it’s far enough?”

“Bones! No!” Jim said as he stepped up to Leonard and grabbed his arm.

“I can’t stay here, Jim,” Leonard explained.

“You heard him, he kept saying over and over that you could stay here. Even if you go there, he will be watching. Here we can protect you,” Jim offered.

“Jim,” Leonard said sadly. “What if it’s another of his games?”

“Excuse us, Christine, I need to take your boss into his room and beat some sense into him,” Jim said as he pulled Leonard toward his office.

Leonard dug his heels in. “No, Jim. My mind is made up.” Leonard looked away from Jim, knowing he spoke less than the truth and that Jim seemed to already have an uncanny ability to pick up on what was truth and what was not, so he wasn’t game to lock eyes with the man.

“Get your ass in that room so I can un-make it or so help me I will kiss you right here and now!” Jim declared.

Christine’s head snapped up to stare at the pair of them. Jim had a bullish expression on his face that told Leonard in no uncertain terms that the kissing would be the least of his problems.

Leonard growled at him and stormed off toward the office. Yanking the door open, he entered, Jim close upon his heels.

Leonard rounded on Jim the moment he closed the door. He hissed quietly knowing that sound travelled easily within the office. “I’m not cut out to be an Agent. I’m a doctor, it’s what I do best. I want to help people. Even in the midst of all that chaos yesterday, I thought more like a doctor most of the time. Let me go home, be what I should be,” Leonard ended on a plea.

“What we do helps people,” Jim countered.

“Not in the same way,” Leonard retorted.

Jim dropped his head as he nodded.

“I thought you might see it that way,” Jim said quietly. “Can’t you stay here and be a doctor? Open another practice, maybe get back into your surgery at one of the hospitals here?”

Leonard looked at Jim in shock.

“That one,” Jim said as he pointed toward one of his framed degrees. “That means you are a surgeon. You’re not just a doctor, but a surgeon.”

“Why would I stay here, Jim? Always waiting for the day that I am no longer Vasily’s friend? Wondering when and if that would ever happen? Can we really trust him after all the running around he’s made us do? What’s here for me, really?”

“Like Vasily said, there’s Christine. Are you just going to leave her?” Jim asked.

“You heard me, Jim, I asked if she would come with me. She’s got excellent qualifications and is one of the best damn nurses I have ever worked with. She’s too good for a little local practice like this,” Leonard gestured around him.

“He couldn’t have made it clearer that you don’t need to leave. I think he really did mean it. I mean, didn’t you hear what he said about Popov, how you and he are alike. He’s also made sure that he keeps Popov away from most of his activities so he can’t be arrested. He’s a former cop and the others all hate his guts but none of them will touch Popov for fear of Vasily. Really though, what’s back for you in Atlanta? An ex-wife? All those rumors that had you running this direction? Vasily’s friends looking out for you? Why not stay here?” Jim pushed.

“It was where I grew up, Jim,” Leonard said. What Jim had said about Popov made sense in a weird way if you knew Vasily, and Leonard had gotten to know Vasily well these past months. Not many of his crew were allowed to address him by his first name, and Leonard had been granted that honor. He had doubts still, but Vasily was right, if he didn’t feel at least a modicum of safety he shouldn’t have turned up at the office this morning. He could have had Christine protected and safe easily, but he wanted to speak to her face to face. She was his friend and she deserved that. Now, Jim...Jim deserved something too.

“Fine, whatever. Go on then,” Jim said, interrupting Leonard’s thoughts as he put his hands in his pockets and refused to look at Leonard. The floor seemed to be of great interest to him.

Leonard took in the man in front of him. There was one thing that could really keep him here. But it hadn’t been offered to him. His mother had taught him to always wait for his presents. To never demand or take, to be patient and good things would come to those who wait. The downcast look on Jim was making him rethink what his mother had told him. Jim had pushed and Leonard had backed away. Jim had then respected his decision even if he didn’t like it. Just another thing that made him like and respect the man.

His marriage hadn’t ended well because he hadn’t insisted on what he wanted or needed. Maybe he needed to insist for once in his life and good manners be damned.

“Jim,” he said quietly. “There’s one thing that might keep me here, now that I think upon it.”

“Really. Change your mind so quickly, Bones?” Jim was idly pushing one foot back and forth across the floor, scuffing the shine on his shoes on the cheap linoleum.

“Jim,” Leonard said. “Jim,” he repeated louder, trying to get Jim to look at him. “It’s something I’ve wanted and something I was thinking about all last night, but I thought it was selfish. So, ask me to stay.”

Jim snapped his head up. “What?”

“Ask me to stay,” Leonard repeated.

Jim grabbed the lapels of his jacket and tugged hard. Leonard stumbled forward, his hands reaching to grab hold of Jim before he fell body-first into him. Jim raised his head and brought their lips together in a clash of teeth. Leonard pushed back, softening the pressure so that the kiss wasn’t an uncomfortable one, but one of desire and heat instead.

When they finally broke apart from the kiss, Jim smiled at him.

“You can resign Special Agent Dr. Leonard H. McCoy on one condition,” he offered.

“What?” Leonard asked warily. A Jim promise was something always to be concerned about. There had to be a trap somewhere.

“As long as you keep your handcuffs,” Jim announced with a wide grin.

Leonard growled and pushed Jim back onto his desk. He proceeded to show Jim exactly what he thought of that idea.

Fin.

Notes:

Well, now that’s over I have a little link to share with you all. As a special treat I have a "DVD Extra" or an alternative take on a scene from the story. One of the people who had the opportunity to watch me write away, was actually watching as I was writing in gdocs. There came a section where I paused while I thought about how to word the next section, so they took over and helped me out. ;) So, here be a cracky alternative take on a scene. There is even art!

They also came up with a summary for the story that I find hilarious and have been waiting to share. I think it is actually a little more accurate than the one I ended up with, but it gives away a few plot points so I couldn’t actually use it. :)

Boy meets boy. Boy handcuffs boy and discovers his previously unknown bondage fetish. Boy realizes the badboy image is just a facade. Boy discovers bisexuality. Twice. Kissing becomes a communication scheme. Bad guys get caught and then more kissing ensues.

A lot of the information and practices about the FBI and Interpol came from their own websites. Interpol really can’t interfere and can only offer advice, they can be present though. Poor Spock was going to have a bigger part to play in the capture of Nero, but he just had to stick within the rules.

Iowa doesn’t have an FBI Office, hence the mention of Omaha which is the office that has jurisdiction over some of Iowa, including Riverside. The San Francisco office is really on the 13th floor.

Popov means Priest, I wonder why I used that as a surname for Kirill? :D There might have been a few other shout outs to past roles hiding amongst this story too.

I hope you all enjoyed the story. I had a great time writing it and imagining the crew in the strange world of late 1990’s San Francisco.