Le Tourbillon de la Vie (9/12)
Title: Le Tourbillon de la Vie
Characters: Claude, Sandra, an occasional OC or two
Pairings: Vague and one-sided Claude/Sandra, vague Claude/Noah if you really squint.
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Language, violence, wordiness. The usual.
Word Count: 1275
Spoilers: In this part not terribly much but for the story overall it really helps to have read the Golden Handshake series of the GN, as well as Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, Part 1 (marginally) and The Caged Bird, Part 2, but it's not essential.
Disclaimer: Not mine, blah blah.
Summary: A Company trip to Paris takes a turn for the...interesting.
A/N: Sorry for having missed posting in the past few days. It's been...hectic.
As always, special thanks for englishmuffin2 for beta'ing and being awesome.
[ Prologue] [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6]
[Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Epilogue]
In this sort of situation, it was never quite certain if he were supposed to knock on the door or just go in.
Just go in, most likely, although no one really appreciated being taken by surprise. But between him and them, he’d rather it be them.
Gun in hand, mostly for the purposes of surrendering it, invisible just out of habit, and he opened the door. To darkness and more darkness, as it turned out, even though there’d been a bit of light from the outside.
He kept walking, no need to bother with the fact his footsteps were echoing, or so he told himself; instinct made him nervous regardless.
A corner of light to move towards, a figure in a chair and-Noah.
Resisted the urge to run to him, but walked as quickly as he could. Asleep, seemingly, only not. Not at all, breaths too shallow and pulse too slow, skin too cool, and he was familiar enough the rookie’s sleeping habits to know the IV he was attached wasn’t exactly necessary.
“Noah?” he kept his voice down, hesitantly placing a hand on his cheek, and he swore he could sense the other man stir. He pulled his hand away, into his jacket pocket and out.
“Mr. Claude Rains?” a soft voice, female, behind him when there hadn’t been anyone before. He moved to turn around but he heard her tsk, and laugh, and hesitated.
“Yes?” he said carefully, and eased his gun unto the floor first. Rested his hand on Noah’s thigh for a moment before rising, and turning around.
His hands up but she just smiled and shook her head. She looked familiar, he had to admit, pale and dark-haired, dark suit of her own, about his age, maybe older, but he couldn’t place her.
“No need for that, Mr. Rains,” she showed her own hands. “I am not armed. Neither are you.”
“People like us, that’s hardly comfortin’,” he pointed out, and lowered his hands. Moved to take off his jacket and looked to her for…permission, he hated to think, but that’s what it was. She nodded, vaguely confused, and he turned away from her again.
Draped it on Noah, who wasn’t quite shivering but probably would be, if he was in complete control of himself. Took the moment to dislodge the IV needle as quickly and as subtly as he could.
“That was rather tender of you, Mr. Rains,” she looked genuinely surprised when he turned around.
“Full of dimensions, me,” Claude shrugged, and then crossed his arms over his chest. Wasn’t about to admit to the cold, wasn’t about to show it but…it wasn’t the warmest place he’d ever been. “What’s this all about, then?”
“This?” she said, lightly. “This is traditional, isn’t it?”
“I’ve no bloody clue what you’re talkin’ about, miss, but I do wish you’d get on with it.”
“Be careful what it is you wish for, yes?” the smugness felt even more familiar, but still unplaceable. “You owe something to me.”
“Never met you before in my life, don’t see how I-”
“You killed my sister,” her tone had not changed at all, and Claude blinked.
“Gonna have to be more specific than that, miss.”
“You kill a lot of people, Mr. Rains?”
“If it’s between me and them, yeah.”
“Their life is worth less than yours?”
“Everyone’s life is worth less than mine in the heat of the moment. Basic human instinct, that.”
“Hm,” she said, and nodded. “And yet here you are. Risking your life for another. Do you love him?”
“Not quite that kind of partnership,” Claude held back a laugh. “But he is my responsibility.”
“She was mine.”
“And what, you want me to feel sorry about that?” he chuckled, and shook his head. “They all are. Everyone of them’s someone’s….someone’s sister or child or…or lover. Even the one’s that’ll kill you, easily. Even the one’s that’ll destroy lives for sport. Think I don’t know that? Think it means anythin’ to me, in the end?”
“An eye for an eye. A life for a life. Does that mean anything to you?”
“Means you’re a bit behind in the times when it comes to justice, mate,” he raised an eyebrow. “But if that’s what you’re after, then I’ve got to ask. Which life’s it going to be?”
“What?”
“Mine or his,” he nodded back toward Noah. “’cos the thing is, right, he’s married. Him and his wife are tryin’ for a baby. Got a family back in wherever the hell he’s from, told me once but I wasn’t payin’ attention. Whereas,” he tried to nod at himself and found it impossible to do. “’m the invisible man. Got only a partner, a new one at that, and the job I do. Imminently replaceable. Expendable. I die, I’ll be missed for a bit but no one’s gonna be out for revenge, after.”
“You are offering yourself, for him?”
“You want me to suffer, right?” he noticed a glimmer of uncertainty in her dark eyes but she rallied. “A man like me, life’s all he’s got. Anythin’ else, I can get over losing. Have gotten over losing.”
“How?” she sounded suddenly quiet, suddenly lost.
“How what?”
“How have you…gotten over…losing the ones you love?”
“Practice,” he bit out. “We’ve got a deal?”
She half-shrugged, looking into the darkness, and then straightened. Nodded.
“Right,” he moved to turn around again, but changed his mind. “Who was she?”
She gave a blank look, and Claude sighed. “Your sister, the one I-“
“Julianne,” her lips curved to a small smile.
“I don’t…”
“She was a, how you say, vampire.”
Claude couldn’t help cocking his head. He’d put down a lot of people but none of them had required stakes to the heart, as far as he knew.
“Water-vampire,” she clarified. “Like me, only I…” she waved her hand slightly and the air around him felt suddenly thicker. Cheeky, lying git, Brahim, he’d said mind-wiping not…Fog. Brilliant. Actually not brilliant, in that he felt, currently, that he was trapped in white mist. “I do opposite.”
And it began to dissipate, the mist, bringing her into view again. Suddenly much closer, even more suddenly with a gun in her hand.
“Right, you meant now, then?” Claude could only chuckle. “Mind if I just untie him and get him outside? Not that I don’t trust you, love, but-“
“All right,” she nodded, with a smile he most definitely did not trust, one he wouldn’t have turned his back on, in any other situation, but now…
“Right,” he turned around. Dropped lower, rested his hands on Noah’s shoulders, and cleared his throat. Unfocused blue eyes met his, blinking rapidly, and Claude shook his head just barely.
“Claude…” Noah mumbled, lips just barely moving. “Wha’…your…plan, what do-“
“Shh,” he leaned closer, made as if to untie the ropes Noah’d already dealt with, thankfully. “Sandra’s all right,” he said out of the corner of his mouth. “Think you can walk? Just blink.”
He waited as Noah took a breath and his head lolled back a bit, and resisted the urge to shake him.
And then he blinked.
“Right,” Claude exhaled in relief, and before he knew it was pressing his forehead to Noah’s. “You’ll be all right, I-“
“Mr. Rains?” he heard behind him, in an even tone.
“Yeah?” he called back, but didn’t turn around, just positioned himself as much as he could in front of Noah’s body and hoped that would be enough. Could've reached for the gun but it'd take too long, Noah couldn't get out on his own, this was the best--
“I change my mind.”
And he didn’t even have the chance to ask what she meant, as if he didn’t know, before the shot rang out.
*
Characters: Claude, Sandra, an occasional OC or two
Pairings: Vague and one-sided Claude/Sandra, vague Claude/Noah if you really squint.
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Language, violence, wordiness. The usual.
Word Count: 1275
Spoilers: In this part not terribly much but for the story overall it really helps to have read the Golden Handshake series of the GN, as well as Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, Part 1 (marginally) and The Caged Bird, Part 2, but it's not essential.
Disclaimer: Not mine, blah blah.
Summary: A Company trip to Paris takes a turn for the...interesting.
A/N: Sorry for having missed posting in the past few days. It's been...hectic.
As always, special thanks for englishmuffin2 for beta'ing and being awesome.
[ Prologue] [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6]
[Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Epilogue]
In this sort of situation, it was never quite certain if he were supposed to knock on the door or just go in.
Just go in, most likely, although no one really appreciated being taken by surprise. But between him and them, he’d rather it be them.
Gun in hand, mostly for the purposes of surrendering it, invisible just out of habit, and he opened the door. To darkness and more darkness, as it turned out, even though there’d been a bit of light from the outside.
He kept walking, no need to bother with the fact his footsteps were echoing, or so he told himself; instinct made him nervous regardless.
A corner of light to move towards, a figure in a chair and-Noah.
Resisted the urge to run to him, but walked as quickly as he could. Asleep, seemingly, only not. Not at all, breaths too shallow and pulse too slow, skin too cool, and he was familiar enough the rookie’s sleeping habits to know the IV he was attached wasn’t exactly necessary.
“Noah?” he kept his voice down, hesitantly placing a hand on his cheek, and he swore he could sense the other man stir. He pulled his hand away, into his jacket pocket and out.
“Mr. Claude Rains?” a soft voice, female, behind him when there hadn’t been anyone before. He moved to turn around but he heard her tsk, and laugh, and hesitated.
“Yes?” he said carefully, and eased his gun unto the floor first. Rested his hand on Noah’s thigh for a moment before rising, and turning around.
His hands up but she just smiled and shook her head. She looked familiar, he had to admit, pale and dark-haired, dark suit of her own, about his age, maybe older, but he couldn’t place her.
“No need for that, Mr. Rains,” she showed her own hands. “I am not armed. Neither are you.”
“People like us, that’s hardly comfortin’,” he pointed out, and lowered his hands. Moved to take off his jacket and looked to her for…permission, he hated to think, but that’s what it was. She nodded, vaguely confused, and he turned away from her again.
Draped it on Noah, who wasn’t quite shivering but probably would be, if he was in complete control of himself. Took the moment to dislodge the IV needle as quickly and as subtly as he could.
“That was rather tender of you, Mr. Rains,” she looked genuinely surprised when he turned around.
“Full of dimensions, me,” Claude shrugged, and then crossed his arms over his chest. Wasn’t about to admit to the cold, wasn’t about to show it but…it wasn’t the warmest place he’d ever been. “What’s this all about, then?”
“This?” she said, lightly. “This is traditional, isn’t it?”
“I’ve no bloody clue what you’re talkin’ about, miss, but I do wish you’d get on with it.”
“Be careful what it is you wish for, yes?” the smugness felt even more familiar, but still unplaceable. “You owe something to me.”
“Never met you before in my life, don’t see how I-”
“You killed my sister,” her tone had not changed at all, and Claude blinked.
“Gonna have to be more specific than that, miss.”
“You kill a lot of people, Mr. Rains?”
“If it’s between me and them, yeah.”
“Their life is worth less than yours?”
“Everyone’s life is worth less than mine in the heat of the moment. Basic human instinct, that.”
“Hm,” she said, and nodded. “And yet here you are. Risking your life for another. Do you love him?”
“Not quite that kind of partnership,” Claude held back a laugh. “But he is my responsibility.”
“She was mine.”
“And what, you want me to feel sorry about that?” he chuckled, and shook his head. “They all are. Everyone of them’s someone’s….someone’s sister or child or…or lover. Even the one’s that’ll kill you, easily. Even the one’s that’ll destroy lives for sport. Think I don’t know that? Think it means anythin’ to me, in the end?”
“An eye for an eye. A life for a life. Does that mean anything to you?”
“Means you’re a bit behind in the times when it comes to justice, mate,” he raised an eyebrow. “But if that’s what you’re after, then I’ve got to ask. Which life’s it going to be?”
“What?”
“Mine or his,” he nodded back toward Noah. “’cos the thing is, right, he’s married. Him and his wife are tryin’ for a baby. Got a family back in wherever the hell he’s from, told me once but I wasn’t payin’ attention. Whereas,” he tried to nod at himself and found it impossible to do. “’m the invisible man. Got only a partner, a new one at that, and the job I do. Imminently replaceable. Expendable. I die, I’ll be missed for a bit but no one’s gonna be out for revenge, after.”
“You are offering yourself, for him?”
“You want me to suffer, right?” he noticed a glimmer of uncertainty in her dark eyes but she rallied. “A man like me, life’s all he’s got. Anythin’ else, I can get over losing. Have gotten over losing.”
“How?” she sounded suddenly quiet, suddenly lost.
“How what?”
“How have you…gotten over…losing the ones you love?”
“Practice,” he bit out. “We’ve got a deal?”
She half-shrugged, looking into the darkness, and then straightened. Nodded.
“Right,” he moved to turn around again, but changed his mind. “Who was she?”
She gave a blank look, and Claude sighed. “Your sister, the one I-“
“Julianne,” her lips curved to a small smile.
“I don’t…”
“She was a, how you say, vampire.”
Claude couldn’t help cocking his head. He’d put down a lot of people but none of them had required stakes to the heart, as far as he knew.
“Water-vampire,” she clarified. “Like me, only I…” she waved her hand slightly and the air around him felt suddenly thicker. Cheeky, lying git, Brahim, he’d said mind-wiping not…Fog. Brilliant. Actually not brilliant, in that he felt, currently, that he was trapped in white mist. “I do opposite.”
And it began to dissipate, the mist, bringing her into view again. Suddenly much closer, even more suddenly with a gun in her hand.
“Right, you meant now, then?” Claude could only chuckle. “Mind if I just untie him and get him outside? Not that I don’t trust you, love, but-“
“All right,” she nodded, with a smile he most definitely did not trust, one he wouldn’t have turned his back on, in any other situation, but now…
“Right,” he turned around. Dropped lower, rested his hands on Noah’s shoulders, and cleared his throat. Unfocused blue eyes met his, blinking rapidly, and Claude shook his head just barely.
“Claude…” Noah mumbled, lips just barely moving. “Wha’…your…plan, what do-“
“Shh,” he leaned closer, made as if to untie the ropes Noah’d already dealt with, thankfully. “Sandra’s all right,” he said out of the corner of his mouth. “Think you can walk? Just blink.”
He waited as Noah took a breath and his head lolled back a bit, and resisted the urge to shake him.
And then he blinked.
“Right,” Claude exhaled in relief, and before he knew it was pressing his forehead to Noah’s. “You’ll be all right, I-“
“Mr. Rains?” he heard behind him, in an even tone.
“Yeah?” he called back, but didn’t turn around, just positioned himself as much as he could in front of Noah’s body and hoped that would be enough. Could've reached for the gun but it'd take too long, Noah couldn't get out on his own, this was the best--
“I change my mind.”
And he didn’t even have the chance to ask what she meant, as if he didn’t know, before the shot rang out.
*