Fic: A Little Evil Comes A Long Way (Kahlan/Cara) 24/33
Title: A Little Evil Comes A Long Way
Author: raug_moss
Pairings: Kahlan/Cara
Rating: NC-17
A/N: modern AU
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23
Chapter 24
After a surprisingly rather restful second half of the night Dahlia and Kahlan have gathered in the living room for a small breakfast and while they both chew on their French toast, lovingly prepared by the latter, they can hear loud yelling in the hallway.
Dahlia looks at the brunette who only shrugs. Putting down her breakfast Kahlan hurries over to the door and opens it to see what is happening outside.
A man is running past her, down the hallway and she gets a glimpse of heels and a skirt.
There’s someone else right behind Tess and by the frantic look on his face she can tell that he is actually afraid of whoever is chasing after him.
She waits for a moment and then flings the door open all of the sudden, only to have it vibrate with the impact of someone running into it.
A pained groan comes from behind the door and Kahlan steps around it to see a bulky man, with long greasy hair, holding his bleeding nose.
“What the hell?!”
“You looking for trouble?”
Kahlan purses her lips and crosses her arms before her chest.
The man stares at her and suddenly Tess is standing right behind Kahlan.
“You better not mess with my girl here, ‘cause she’s gonna kick your scrawny ass. Got a black belt and all that shit.”
Tess lifts his chin in defiance but the man on the ground doesn’t seem impressed. He laughs and then suddenly gets back on his feet and lunges forward. Kahlan however simply side-steps his attack and with a grimace grabs a fistful of his greasy hair and rams his face against the nearest wall. His own momentum adds quite a lot of speed to his forward fall and he literally leaves a hole in the wall when he slumps down, out cold.
“Damn.”
Tess exhales audibly.
“That was fast. Didn’t know you really had a freaking black belt…”
“What’s this all about?” Kahlan asks turning toward the designer.
“Mind if I come inside for a moment? I’ll explain…”
Kahlan nods.
“What about him though?” Tess asks and turns his head toward the guy on the ground.
“He’ll be out for a while and when he wakes up he won’t be in any condition to chase after anyone,” Kahlan answers and walks back into the apartment.
“What’s all that ruckus cousin?” Dahlia, who hasn’t even bothered to move, calls from her spot on the couch.
“Well, it seems like Tess here has some kind of problem and he is eager to enlighten us.”
The dark-skinned man sighs and drops onto the couch next to Dahlia. He claims the rest of Kahlan’s French toast and heaves another sigh.
“Someone is trying to blackmail someone else through me,” he finally blurts out his explanation.
Kahlan raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms before her chest.
“Now we still don’t know what is going on. Details Tess, details.”
“I can’t really tell you anything, you know, the person I’m talking about is in the public eye and every scandal could do a lot of harm.”
“Tess, there was someone chasing you down our hallway and if you want us to help you you’re going to have to trust us that we’ll handle everything you tell us with care,” Kahlan argues.
“I still owe you one for the dress,” she adds and Dahlia nods in agreement.
“A dress ain’t worth risking your neck for.”
Tess is obviously reluctant to share any information, but under Kahlan’s unwavering stare he starts fidgeting and rakes a hand through his hair.
“Well okay, if you guys are willing to help and treat this with discretion I’ll tell you what’s going on.”
Kahlan sits on the couch as well and both she and Dahlia crowd in on the designer, waiting for him to tell his story.
“I have a boyfriend, sort of. I mean we have some fun together now and then, but he doesn’t want anyone to know about us…”
“Tess!”
“Okay! I know. Here’s the thing, this sort of boyfriend of mine is the mayor. He has a wife and kids, but the truth is that he likes dick. Now a guy named Alec has gotten wind of our little arrangement and wants to use it against him. He and his gorillas want to force me to blackmail him with pictures or whatever, but I refuse to do that.”
“And you can’t go to the police?” Dahlia asks.
She munches on the last bit of her breakfast while gazing at Tess. It’s in momenst like these that Kahlan is reminded that Dahlia is in fact two years younger than her. With her hair tied into a ponytail and a fluffy blue oversized sweater and shorts she looks so incredibly innocent. Although Kahlan knows full well that it’s far from the truth.
“The police?” Tess exclaims and Kahlan’s thoughts return to the situation at hand.
“I can’t ask the cops for help. Hell half of them are corrupt anyway and they would surely use this information to their own advantage.”
“I think I might know someone who’d be willing to help without revealing any information,” Kahlan announces. Two pairs of eyes are on her.
“Why would you know someone?” Dahlia asks, cocking her head to the side.
“Long story. I’ll see what I can do and while I’m trying to figure something out, you lay low Tess.”
The designer jumps up and wraps Kahlan in a big hug.
“You’re the best. I knew I was doing something good when I asked you to come in that night.”
She returns the hug and smiles.
“Sure, sure.”
…
Cara picks up after the first ring. “Mason,” she says sharply.
Kahlan hesitates for a moment and her first words come out rather intimidated. “Uhm, hello? Cara, this is Kahlan, I’m calling to ask for a favor, sort of…”
After a short conversation they decide to meet near West Park and it’s Kahlan who waits with two steaming cups of coffee in her hands while leaning against a waist-high wall.
Cara quickly crosses the street and approaches Kahlan with purposeful strides.
Her heart beats a little quicker in her chest as she watches the detective. Why in all the world does she behave like a schoolgirl whenever the blonde is near? Sweaty palms and all that stuff. It’s almost embarrassing.
“Hey,” Kahlan says with a smile and hands the detective a coffee cup when she comes to stand in front of her.
“Thanks. So, what kind of favor were you talking about?” Cara asks, cutting right to business.
Whatever happened to their friendly conversations? The blonde’s eyes are decidedly more distant than before and her shoulders are tense as if she is more than ready to get this over with.
Of course, Kahlan thinks. Cara must certainly believe she is some kind of phony criminal who is trying to use their relationship to her advantage. She still hasn’t been able to explain why she’d been walking around in the industrial district, covered in blood, clutching a metal pole for dear life.
“Well, I have a friend who is in a precarious situation…” Kahlan begins.
She describes Tess’ problem without actually mentioning any names or facts, because she first needs to make sure that Cara will handle everything with discretion.
“So you’re saying that you want me to arrest some man and his minions for trying to force your friend to blackmail yet another friend of his?”
The detective seems genuinely confused as she takes a sip of her coffee.
They have both settled on a nearby park bench while Kahlan tries to make sense of her own story.
“That’s the gist of it,” she says nodding.
“And you can’t just go to the police because one of the persons involved is a public figure who needs to uphold a certain reputation?”
“Yes.”
Kahlan finishes her coffee and expertly throws the empty cup into a nearby trash can.
“And that is why I came to ask you if you’d be willing to help. It would mean that a few bad guys would get off the streets and no one is harmed,” she explains and looks at Cara whose brows are furrowed in deep thought.
“Alright fine. But I definitely need to talk to that friend of yours.”
“Absolutely!” Kahlan exclaims, overjoyed that the detective seemingly wants to help her. Despite everything that looms between them, Cara still is the good cop and if a citizen is being harassed she just can’t stand aside and let it happen. A smile emerges on the brunette’s lips.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, I don’t know if I can actually help without bringing any attention to the case,” Cara warns.
Kahlan is once again reminded that their relationship seems to have strictly been reduced to the business level. But has it ever been anything else to begin with, she wonders.
For some odd reason she’d wanted to believe that there is something between them, an attraction or some sort of pull, but in the end it all comes down to wishful thinking. Cara has a boyfriend, and Kahlan has to begrudgingly admit that he is an attractive guy. And yet her minds keeps on asking what he can offer Cara that makes him so damn special.
“Thank you for the coffee. Just give me a call and we’ll figure it out. Make sure your friend has time for a meeting. For now I have to get back.”
Kahlan nods and as Cara gets up she follows suit.
“Cara…”
There is something on the tip of her tongue, an apology or maybe a confession, but nothing makes it past the lump in her throat.
The detective looks back over her shoulder.
“Yes?”
“Uh…I was just wondering…if you had time for dinner…sometime?”
Kahlan is surprised by her own words as Cara raises her eyebrows. That sounds way too much like a date to be anywhere near comfortable.
“Don’t you think your girlfriend would mind?” the detective asks.
“My…who?”
Kahlan would’ve expected a rejection, a little humiliation maybe, but not that.
“That blonde…” Cara reminds.
“Denna? You mean her? Oh. No, she is not my girlfriend. I mean we’re not a thing…”
“Just friends with benefits?” Cara pushes and Kahlan takes a small step back as if physically attacked.
“What? No… I… that’s really not… I’m sorry I asked. Let’s just work together on that case if we can…”
She fumbles for words even as Cara shakes her head as if to clear her mind.
“No. I’m sorry. That was completely uncalled for and not to mention none of my business. I really don’t know why I said it.”
The blonde looks apologetic as she moves a little closer to Kahlan.
“I would actually like to have dinner with you. I think we might have to talk a few things over anyway.”
Kahlan nods.
“I’ll cook, as a way to make it up to you…”
A hesitant smile crosses the detective’s lips and Kahlan has no choice but to agree.
Chapter 25
Author: raug_moss
Pairings: Kahlan/Cara
Rating: NC-17
A/N: modern AU
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23
Chapter 24
After a surprisingly rather restful second half of the night Dahlia and Kahlan have gathered in the living room for a small breakfast and while they both chew on their French toast, lovingly prepared by the latter, they can hear loud yelling in the hallway.
Dahlia looks at the brunette who only shrugs. Putting down her breakfast Kahlan hurries over to the door and opens it to see what is happening outside.
A man is running past her, down the hallway and she gets a glimpse of heels and a skirt.
There’s someone else right behind Tess and by the frantic look on his face she can tell that he is actually afraid of whoever is chasing after him.
She waits for a moment and then flings the door open all of the sudden, only to have it vibrate with the impact of someone running into it.
A pained groan comes from behind the door and Kahlan steps around it to see a bulky man, with long greasy hair, holding his bleeding nose.
“What the hell?!”
“You looking for trouble?”
Kahlan purses her lips and crosses her arms before her chest.
The man stares at her and suddenly Tess is standing right behind Kahlan.
“You better not mess with my girl here, ‘cause she’s gonna kick your scrawny ass. Got a black belt and all that shit.”
Tess lifts his chin in defiance but the man on the ground doesn’t seem impressed. He laughs and then suddenly gets back on his feet and lunges forward. Kahlan however simply side-steps his attack and with a grimace grabs a fistful of his greasy hair and rams his face against the nearest wall. His own momentum adds quite a lot of speed to his forward fall and he literally leaves a hole in the wall when he slumps down, out cold.
“Damn.”
Tess exhales audibly.
“That was fast. Didn’t know you really had a freaking black belt…”
“What’s this all about?” Kahlan asks turning toward the designer.
“Mind if I come inside for a moment? I’ll explain…”
Kahlan nods.
“What about him though?” Tess asks and turns his head toward the guy on the ground.
“He’ll be out for a while and when he wakes up he won’t be in any condition to chase after anyone,” Kahlan answers and walks back into the apartment.
“What’s all that ruckus cousin?” Dahlia, who hasn’t even bothered to move, calls from her spot on the couch.
“Well, it seems like Tess here has some kind of problem and he is eager to enlighten us.”
The dark-skinned man sighs and drops onto the couch next to Dahlia. He claims the rest of Kahlan’s French toast and heaves another sigh.
“Someone is trying to blackmail someone else through me,” he finally blurts out his explanation.
Kahlan raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms before her chest.
“Now we still don’t know what is going on. Details Tess, details.”
“I can’t really tell you anything, you know, the person I’m talking about is in the public eye and every scandal could do a lot of harm.”
“Tess, there was someone chasing you down our hallway and if you want us to help you you’re going to have to trust us that we’ll handle everything you tell us with care,” Kahlan argues.
“I still owe you one for the dress,” she adds and Dahlia nods in agreement.
“A dress ain’t worth risking your neck for.”
Tess is obviously reluctant to share any information, but under Kahlan’s unwavering stare he starts fidgeting and rakes a hand through his hair.
“Well okay, if you guys are willing to help and treat this with discretion I’ll tell you what’s going on.”
Kahlan sits on the couch as well and both she and Dahlia crowd in on the designer, waiting for him to tell his story.
“I have a boyfriend, sort of. I mean we have some fun together now and then, but he doesn’t want anyone to know about us…”
“Tess!”
“Okay! I know. Here’s the thing, this sort of boyfriend of mine is the mayor. He has a wife and kids, but the truth is that he likes dick. Now a guy named Alec has gotten wind of our little arrangement and wants to use it against him. He and his gorillas want to force me to blackmail him with pictures or whatever, but I refuse to do that.”
“And you can’t go to the police?” Dahlia asks.
She munches on the last bit of her breakfast while gazing at Tess. It’s in momenst like these that Kahlan is reminded that Dahlia is in fact two years younger than her. With her hair tied into a ponytail and a fluffy blue oversized sweater and shorts she looks so incredibly innocent. Although Kahlan knows full well that it’s far from the truth.
“The police?” Tess exclaims and Kahlan’s thoughts return to the situation at hand.
“I can’t ask the cops for help. Hell half of them are corrupt anyway and they would surely use this information to their own advantage.”
“I think I might know someone who’d be willing to help without revealing any information,” Kahlan announces. Two pairs of eyes are on her.
“Why would you know someone?” Dahlia asks, cocking her head to the side.
“Long story. I’ll see what I can do and while I’m trying to figure something out, you lay low Tess.”
The designer jumps up and wraps Kahlan in a big hug.
“You’re the best. I knew I was doing something good when I asked you to come in that night.”
She returns the hug and smiles.
“Sure, sure.”
…
Cara picks up after the first ring. “Mason,” she says sharply.
Kahlan hesitates for a moment and her first words come out rather intimidated. “Uhm, hello? Cara, this is Kahlan, I’m calling to ask for a favor, sort of…”
After a short conversation they decide to meet near West Park and it’s Kahlan who waits with two steaming cups of coffee in her hands while leaning against a waist-high wall.
Cara quickly crosses the street and approaches Kahlan with purposeful strides.
Her heart beats a little quicker in her chest as she watches the detective. Why in all the world does she behave like a schoolgirl whenever the blonde is near? Sweaty palms and all that stuff. It’s almost embarrassing.
“Hey,” Kahlan says with a smile and hands the detective a coffee cup when she comes to stand in front of her.
“Thanks. So, what kind of favor were you talking about?” Cara asks, cutting right to business.
Whatever happened to their friendly conversations? The blonde’s eyes are decidedly more distant than before and her shoulders are tense as if she is more than ready to get this over with.
Of course, Kahlan thinks. Cara must certainly believe she is some kind of phony criminal who is trying to use their relationship to her advantage. She still hasn’t been able to explain why she’d been walking around in the industrial district, covered in blood, clutching a metal pole for dear life.
“Well, I have a friend who is in a precarious situation…” Kahlan begins.
She describes Tess’ problem without actually mentioning any names or facts, because she first needs to make sure that Cara will handle everything with discretion.
“So you’re saying that you want me to arrest some man and his minions for trying to force your friend to blackmail yet another friend of his?”
The detective seems genuinely confused as she takes a sip of her coffee.
They have both settled on a nearby park bench while Kahlan tries to make sense of her own story.
“That’s the gist of it,” she says nodding.
“And you can’t just go to the police because one of the persons involved is a public figure who needs to uphold a certain reputation?”
“Yes.”
Kahlan finishes her coffee and expertly throws the empty cup into a nearby trash can.
“And that is why I came to ask you if you’d be willing to help. It would mean that a few bad guys would get off the streets and no one is harmed,” she explains and looks at Cara whose brows are furrowed in deep thought.
“Alright fine. But I definitely need to talk to that friend of yours.”
“Absolutely!” Kahlan exclaims, overjoyed that the detective seemingly wants to help her. Despite everything that looms between them, Cara still is the good cop and if a citizen is being harassed she just can’t stand aside and let it happen. A smile emerges on the brunette’s lips.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, I don’t know if I can actually help without bringing any attention to the case,” Cara warns.
Kahlan is once again reminded that their relationship seems to have strictly been reduced to the business level. But has it ever been anything else to begin with, she wonders.
For some odd reason she’d wanted to believe that there is something between them, an attraction or some sort of pull, but in the end it all comes down to wishful thinking. Cara has a boyfriend, and Kahlan has to begrudgingly admit that he is an attractive guy. And yet her minds keeps on asking what he can offer Cara that makes him so damn special.
“Thank you for the coffee. Just give me a call and we’ll figure it out. Make sure your friend has time for a meeting. For now I have to get back.”
Kahlan nods and as Cara gets up she follows suit.
“Cara…”
There is something on the tip of her tongue, an apology or maybe a confession, but nothing makes it past the lump in her throat.
The detective looks back over her shoulder.
“Yes?”
“Uh…I was just wondering…if you had time for dinner…sometime?”
Kahlan is surprised by her own words as Cara raises her eyebrows. That sounds way too much like a date to be anywhere near comfortable.
“Don’t you think your girlfriend would mind?” the detective asks.
“My…who?”
Kahlan would’ve expected a rejection, a little humiliation maybe, but not that.
“That blonde…” Cara reminds.
“Denna? You mean her? Oh. No, she is not my girlfriend. I mean we’re not a thing…”
“Just friends with benefits?” Cara pushes and Kahlan takes a small step back as if physically attacked.
“What? No… I… that’s really not… I’m sorry I asked. Let’s just work together on that case if we can…”
She fumbles for words even as Cara shakes her head as if to clear her mind.
“No. I’m sorry. That was completely uncalled for and not to mention none of my business. I really don’t know why I said it.”
The blonde looks apologetic as she moves a little closer to Kahlan.
“I would actually like to have dinner with you. I think we might have to talk a few things over anyway.”
Kahlan nods.
“I’ll cook, as a way to make it up to you…”
A hesitant smile crosses the detective’s lips and Kahlan has no choice but to agree.
Chapter 25