Incomplete

[im_not_a_rookie]

Who: Elena, OPEN
When: This evening
Where: Walking the streets
Rating: TBA
Warnings: Angst, language, touch of blood?
Summary: Elena is out punching walls taking a walk after finding out Reno’s gone poof.

Comments

[el_legendaire]

It had probably been a mistake to leave the safehouse, what with everything going on. Always things to keep track of these days. Always problems to follow, on the outside of the filter, champing useless at the bit when he had to hear after the fact about a death, a disappearance, a department feud.

They were his children and they wouldn't thank him for his interference, not now or ever, but that didn't change his duties to them.

And Marri had brought up Veld's name. It had to have been more than a month since he'd even spoken to the man, but still, all it took was the hint of suspicion, of fear, to call him like a dog.

There were days when Duke hated his partner, and this was one of them. As if wandering the streets was really going to do any good. As if he might somehow magically stumble upon the problem, when he didn't even know what had happened. An abduction. A murder. A dismissal. Veld simply, as Marri had said, running late. Duke certainly didn't honestly expect to find him, hunting uselessly like this, but the

[im_not_a_rookie]

Elena’s ears perked up first at the whistle, then at the words. She was already grinding her teeth, her eyes narrowed darkly to confront whatever threat life had decided in this wonderful moment to toss her way. She marked that by having her good hand reaching for her gun, a quick motion that was blurred only by skill and length of time perfecting it.

And then she stopped, the surprise filtering into her face and destroying the anger that had set up camp there.

Duke?

Duke.

She tried to think of the last time she saw the deserter, wondered if it was the night with the bourbon, then decided it didn’t matter. The soft patter as the blood dripped from her hand stretched the moment between them, and she was left looking at him with large brown eyes and little to say.

“It looked at me funny…?”

She tried a small smile, failed, and let her shoulders sag with a long exhale. “What are you doing out, sir?”

[el_legendaire]

"Ah." His gaze went from her injured hand to the impact crater and, though his expression didn't change at all, something clicked. He'd seen enough of Jisella's handiwork to recognize a difference.

"Definitely a reason to administer a beating." He smiled for her when her own crashed, his best Charming With a Touch Of Sympathy smile that usually led to the other party telling him their woes. "As to your question, could I possibly answer that I had a sudden, overwhelming desire to see your pretty face again, darlin'?"

[im_not_a_rookie]

Duke was one of those people that she loved to see and hated to be around all at the same time. He made her comfortable, like any good friend, like Reno or Rude or Ondrea or Tseng did, and it was forbidden with a defector as far as she was concerned. Especially a defector that had taken up a habit of freeing their enemies.

She smiled a little though, in spite of herself. Damn him, damn his sweettalking, damn everything about him.

"You could answer it, but you'd have to forgive me if I didn't believe it one hundred percent, sir."

Raising her hand up, she cradled it as discreetly as she could with her other arm. "Are you doing well, sir? You've been quiet as of late. At least, with me, you have."