Assembling the Picture
Title: Assembling the Picture
Author: kerrykhat
Fandom: Mercedes Thompson series
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Charles and Buffy Summers were nearly finished with their lunch when her phone rang.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and related characters; Patricia Briggs owns "The Mercedes Thompson Series" and related characters; I own nothing.
Word Count: 1086
Author's Notes: Part of the Come Around Soon verse. I'm really sorry if Charles sounds off. I'm super tired and finishing this took way too much effort.
Charles and Buffy Summers were nearly finished with their lunch when her phone rang. She glanced down at it and made a face.
“Excuse me, but I got to take this,” she told Charles. “Meet you outside?”
“Of course,” Charles answered, nodding to the waitress to indicate they were finished.
His companion stood up, answering the phone as she left. “Willow. What’s the sitch?”
Charles unhurriedly paid the bill, making sure to leave a sizable tip for their server. She’d been polite and prompt, even though there was no hiding the undercurrents of a power battle of sorts between Charles and the Slayer that could’ve frightened most waiters away. He idled a few more minutes to give Buffy some time to finish her call before he slowly walked towards the front of the restaurant.
She stood just to the side of the open door facing the parking lot, one arm crossed over her stomach. Through the glass, he could just hear her conversation. “...not blaming you, but we need access. We have enough for a few more months, maybe, if we budget well.”
She waited while her contact talked, too faint for Charles to make out, before sighing. “Look, Wills. Let me get back to the house and I’ll round up Faith and Robin and we can go over the finances with you and Giles, and we can try to figure out a strategy. I’ll talk to you later.”
Charles watched as she hung up the phone, her hand curling around it, almost like she wanted to crush it. Her hand relaxed, though, and Charles took it as a signal to leave the restaurant.
“Are you ready?” he asked blandly, as if he hadn’t just overheard her conversation.
“Yeah,” she replied with a sigh. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
Buffy remained silent through the car ride back to her house, only speaking to point out where Charles needed to turn. Charles didn’t mind. The lunch and the overheard conversation gave him much to think about, and he wanted to start putting some of the pieces together for his report to Bran.
He knew that Buffy wasn’t telling him the whole story of Sunnydale’s final days. He would swear that the activation of the Slayers and the town’s collapse were connected, official story notwithstanding. While he could understand the Slayer’s reticence in explaining the situation to him, it still frustrated him. He didn’t like walking away from situations without knowing what the full picture was, especially if it had the potential to harm the pack.
But unless he ran into somebody who had been in Sunnydale and knew what happened, he would have to accept her explanations. For now at least.
When they arrived back at her house, he parked the rental and waited for her to unbuckle before reaching for his wallet. “My card,” he said. “In case you ever need to get in touch with me.” There wasn’t much in the way of identifying information, just his name, cell phone number, and one of his secure email addresses. All members of the were community knew about him, but there were times when he dealt with humans, and having cards made it much easier.
“I’d give you one of mine, but you already seem to know how to find me,” Buffy commented wryly, taking the card and slipping into her pocket. “Thanks for lunch, Cornick. Next time it’ll be on me.”
“I thought you didn’t want to make this a thing.”
The corner of her mouth quirked up and she said, “I don’t, but fair is fair.”
“Very well,” he answered, although he had no intention of taking her up on the offer. He and the pack had more than enough money, and after today’s lunch, had a good estimate how much a meal for the both of them would cost. His mind drifted back to the pizza mentioned when he picked her up, and he wondered how much something like that would set this resurgent Council back.
He watched her walk up the drive, aware of the faces pressed against the house’s windows. The door opened before Buffy reached it, and Dawn bounded out, grabbing her sister’s hand and talking excitedly. The distance and the sound of the idling car made it impossible for Charles to overhear what they were saying.
Sparing the scene one last glance, Charles backed out and headed towards his hotel. His flight wasn’t until tomorrow morning, and he wanted to get his report written before flying out. Although, given the lingering sense of wrongness here in Cleveland and Brother Wolf’s relative silence, he wished that he was leaving sooner.
~*~*~
“So it went well?” Bran asked once the door to his office was closed. Leah was currently out, but Bran’s house was usually open to the back and he didn’t want members walking in while he and Charles discussed the Slayers.
“It did,” Charles replied. He knew his da already read his report outlining the current situation with the Council and Slayers, as well as giving his recommendations for cautious overtures should the situation warrant it. After much consideration, however, he decided against putting in his speculations regarding the Council’s financial status. It wasn’t relevant to his assignment of assessing the Council’s risk to the North American weres, and if Buffy ever learned that he’d overheard her conversation, it could undo the tentative goodwill between them.
“Very well.” A familiar playful gleam entered Bran’s eye, and he continued, “Since you did so well in establishing contact, I think you should remain in charge of cultivating this relationship. You and Miss Summers have reached some sort of rapport, and I would hate to inflict her on some other unsuspecting wolf.”
Of course that’s the reason, Charles thought to himself while Brother Wolf laughed quietly. The amusement in Bran’s face deepened like he was reading Charles’ thoughts. “Is that all?”
“For now. I believe our accountants from Aspen Creek Holdings are trying to get in touch with you. Something about evaluating some new investments that we made.”
Charles nodded, accepting his father’s dismissal. Letting himself out of the house, he walked to his home, his mind already turning towards the pack’s finances and putting thoughts of the Slayers and future meetings with Buffy Summers out of his head. He would deal with one thing at a time, and for now, the Slayers were a lesser priority. The pack and it’s security, both physical and financial, needed his attention now.
Author: kerrykhat
Fandom: Mercedes Thompson series
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Charles and Buffy Summers were nearly finished with their lunch when her phone rang.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and related characters; Patricia Briggs owns "The Mercedes Thompson Series" and related characters; I own nothing.
Word Count: 1086
Author's Notes: Part of the Come Around Soon verse. I'm really sorry if Charles sounds off. I'm super tired and finishing this took way too much effort.
Charles and Buffy Summers were nearly finished with their lunch when her phone rang. She glanced down at it and made a face.
“Excuse me, but I got to take this,” she told Charles. “Meet you outside?”
“Of course,” Charles answered, nodding to the waitress to indicate they were finished.
His companion stood up, answering the phone as she left. “Willow. What’s the sitch?”
Charles unhurriedly paid the bill, making sure to leave a sizable tip for their server. She’d been polite and prompt, even though there was no hiding the undercurrents of a power battle of sorts between Charles and the Slayer that could’ve frightened most waiters away. He idled a few more minutes to give Buffy some time to finish her call before he slowly walked towards the front of the restaurant.
She stood just to the side of the open door facing the parking lot, one arm crossed over her stomach. Through the glass, he could just hear her conversation. “...not blaming you, but we need access. We have enough for a few more months, maybe, if we budget well.”
She waited while her contact talked, too faint for Charles to make out, before sighing. “Look, Wills. Let me get back to the house and I’ll round up Faith and Robin and we can go over the finances with you and Giles, and we can try to figure out a strategy. I’ll talk to you later.”
Charles watched as she hung up the phone, her hand curling around it, almost like she wanted to crush it. Her hand relaxed, though, and Charles took it as a signal to leave the restaurant.
“Are you ready?” he asked blandly, as if he hadn’t just overheard her conversation.
“Yeah,” she replied with a sigh. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
Buffy remained silent through the car ride back to her house, only speaking to point out where Charles needed to turn. Charles didn’t mind. The lunch and the overheard conversation gave him much to think about, and he wanted to start putting some of the pieces together for his report to Bran.
He knew that Buffy wasn’t telling him the whole story of Sunnydale’s final days. He would swear that the activation of the Slayers and the town’s collapse were connected, official story notwithstanding. While he could understand the Slayer’s reticence in explaining the situation to him, it still frustrated him. He didn’t like walking away from situations without knowing what the full picture was, especially if it had the potential to harm the pack.
But unless he ran into somebody who had been in Sunnydale and knew what happened, he would have to accept her explanations. For now at least.
When they arrived back at her house, he parked the rental and waited for her to unbuckle before reaching for his wallet. “My card,” he said. “In case you ever need to get in touch with me.” There wasn’t much in the way of identifying information, just his name, cell phone number, and one of his secure email addresses. All members of the were community knew about him, but there were times when he dealt with humans, and having cards made it much easier.
“I’d give you one of mine, but you already seem to know how to find me,” Buffy commented wryly, taking the card and slipping into her pocket. “Thanks for lunch, Cornick. Next time it’ll be on me.”
“I thought you didn’t want to make this a thing.”
The corner of her mouth quirked up and she said, “I don’t, but fair is fair.”
“Very well,” he answered, although he had no intention of taking her up on the offer. He and the pack had more than enough money, and after today’s lunch, had a good estimate how much a meal for the both of them would cost. His mind drifted back to the pizza mentioned when he picked her up, and he wondered how much something like that would set this resurgent Council back.
He watched her walk up the drive, aware of the faces pressed against the house’s windows. The door opened before Buffy reached it, and Dawn bounded out, grabbing her sister’s hand and talking excitedly. The distance and the sound of the idling car made it impossible for Charles to overhear what they were saying.
Sparing the scene one last glance, Charles backed out and headed towards his hotel. His flight wasn’t until tomorrow morning, and he wanted to get his report written before flying out. Although, given the lingering sense of wrongness here in Cleveland and Brother Wolf’s relative silence, he wished that he was leaving sooner.
~*~*~
“So it went well?” Bran asked once the door to his office was closed. Leah was currently out, but Bran’s house was usually open to the back and he didn’t want members walking in while he and Charles discussed the Slayers.
“It did,” Charles replied. He knew his da already read his report outlining the current situation with the Council and Slayers, as well as giving his recommendations for cautious overtures should the situation warrant it. After much consideration, however, he decided against putting in his speculations regarding the Council’s financial status. It wasn’t relevant to his assignment of assessing the Council’s risk to the North American weres, and if Buffy ever learned that he’d overheard her conversation, it could undo the tentative goodwill between them.
“Very well.” A familiar playful gleam entered Bran’s eye, and he continued, “Since you did so well in establishing contact, I think you should remain in charge of cultivating this relationship. You and Miss Summers have reached some sort of rapport, and I would hate to inflict her on some other unsuspecting wolf.”
Of course that’s the reason, Charles thought to himself while Brother Wolf laughed quietly. The amusement in Bran’s face deepened like he was reading Charles’ thoughts. “Is that all?”
“For now. I believe our accountants from Aspen Creek Holdings are trying to get in touch with you. Something about evaluating some new investments that we made.”
Charles nodded, accepting his father’s dismissal. Letting himself out of the house, he walked to his home, his mind already turning towards the pack’s finances and putting thoughts of the Slayers and future meetings with Buffy Summers out of his head. He would deal with one thing at a time, and for now, the Slayers were a lesser priority. The pack and it’s security, both physical and financial, needed his attention now.