Le Tourbillon de la Vie (12/12)
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: 663
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: So yes. Final chapter. I'm staggering. Epilogue to come.
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]
He had no problem at all with Sandra being there, fussing over him.
Clearly the same couldn’t be said for Noah, who was looking more uncomfortable than he had even when tied to a chair.
“Sandra, love?” he said, and she seemed to snap to attention. “D’you mind getting me a glass of water?”
“Anything for my hero,” she smiled, and patted his hand. “You just sit tight now, I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll do my best,” he half-grinned, and Sandra laughed, shaking her head as she walked out.
“She was worried about you,” Noah said after a moment, still staring at the door.
“Was a bit worried about me too, mate,” he couldn’t help smirking a little, and the other man laughed and turned back.
“Management is very pleased with us,” trust Noah to not come straight out and ask the question, but in a way, it was comforting.
“Well, we found them an empath,” he shrugged. “One that’s natural, as far as we know. Been a while since they had one of those.”
“Of course,” Noah nodded. And then continued, tone mild as usual, eyes a little softer. “I guess I should thank you.”
“For not leavin’ you to die?” Claude laughed. “’s my job, rookie. Nothin’ personal.”
“Nothing personal,” Noah raised an eyebrow, and Claude looked away.
Then looked back, and cleared his throat. “About the other night…”
“Yes?” Noah moved closer, more uncomfortable looking than ever, but determined.
“No regrets and all that, mate, but I’m thinkin’ it’s not something we should make a habit of, yeah?”
Noah blinked, and Claude had to grin.
“Unless o’ course you’d want to make a habit of it, could come by a little earlier on Sundays, work up a bit of an appetite before-“
“No, that’s…” anyone else would’ve laughed nervously, but Noah just ducked his head and tried to turn it into a nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
“What happens in Paris stays in Paris, then?” he held out a hand, and Noah reached out his own.
“What happens in Paris stays in Paris,” they shook on it, and Claude smiled as Sandra appeared in the doorway.
“There are my boys,” she drawled, leaning up to kiss Noah’s cheek and handing Claude the glass of water she was carrying. “The two of you need to start takin’ better care of yourselves, I can’t be everywhere at once.”
“Well, cloning’s always a possibility,” Claude said, and Sandra giggled, settling her long, flowered skirt around her as she sat at the edge of the bed. Noah moved to stand beside her, one hand on her shoulder. “But in the meantime…” Sandra smiled down at him, impossibly fond, and he fought the urge to look away. “Think the two of you should get out of here,” he nodded at the window, which, completely improbably, had a view of the Eiffel Tower. “‘bout time for dinner, isn’t it?”
“We couldn’t just leave you, all by yourself-“
“I’ll mostly be sleepin’, Sandra,” he visibly stifled a yawn. “And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s bleedin’ Paris out there. Go on,” he nudged at her with his thigh and winked at Bennet. “Go have some fun. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Are you sure?”
“’m sure,” he mumbled, and let himself yawn again, and shut his eyes.
Heard Sandra laugh, lightly, and could feel her lean over, her hair falling against his cheek and her scent everywhere, it felt like, as she kissed his forehead.
And then she was gone, and so was Noah.
*
He woke up alone, and that was a relief.
No partner and partner’s wife to have an embarrassing moments with, no armed woman about to shoot him, no not-quite empty warehouse full of fog. Alone. Safe.
Couldn’t move, though. Couldn’t move and not being able to move was rarely a good sign.
He opened his eyes and grabbed at what he could which…turned out to be white sheets.
Hospital, he remembered. That was good. Not better than his room, back at the hotel, but good. He could rest. Finally. He hadn’t slept since…he could rest.
He shut his eyes again, and relaxed.
*
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: 663
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: So yes. Final chapter. I'm staggering. Epilogue to come.
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]
He had no problem at all with Sandra being there, fussing over him.
Clearly the same couldn’t be said for Noah, who was looking more uncomfortable than he had even when tied to a chair.
“Sandra, love?” he said, and she seemed to snap to attention. “D’you mind getting me a glass of water?”
“Anything for my hero,” she smiled, and patted his hand. “You just sit tight now, I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll do my best,” he half-grinned, and Sandra laughed, shaking her head as she walked out.
“She was worried about you,” Noah said after a moment, still staring at the door.
“Was a bit worried about me too, mate,” he couldn’t help smirking a little, and the other man laughed and turned back.
“Management is very pleased with us,” trust Noah to not come straight out and ask the question, but in a way, it was comforting.
“Well, we found them an empath,” he shrugged. “One that’s natural, as far as we know. Been a while since they had one of those.”
“Of course,” Noah nodded. And then continued, tone mild as usual, eyes a little softer. “I guess I should thank you.”
“For not leavin’ you to die?” Claude laughed. “’s my job, rookie. Nothin’ personal.”
“Nothing personal,” Noah raised an eyebrow, and Claude looked away.
Then looked back, and cleared his throat. “About the other night…”
“Yes?” Noah moved closer, more uncomfortable looking than ever, but determined.
“No regrets and all that, mate, but I’m thinkin’ it’s not something we should make a habit of, yeah?”
Noah blinked, and Claude had to grin.
“Unless o’ course you’d want to make a habit of it, could come by a little earlier on Sundays, work up a bit of an appetite before-“
“No, that’s…” anyone else would’ve laughed nervously, but Noah just ducked his head and tried to turn it into a nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
“What happens in Paris stays in Paris, then?” he held out a hand, and Noah reached out his own.
“What happens in Paris stays in Paris,” they shook on it, and Claude smiled as Sandra appeared in the doorway.
“There are my boys,” she drawled, leaning up to kiss Noah’s cheek and handing Claude the glass of water she was carrying. “The two of you need to start takin’ better care of yourselves, I can’t be everywhere at once.”
“Well, cloning’s always a possibility,” Claude said, and Sandra giggled, settling her long, flowered skirt around her as she sat at the edge of the bed. Noah moved to stand beside her, one hand on her shoulder. “But in the meantime…” Sandra smiled down at him, impossibly fond, and he fought the urge to look away. “Think the two of you should get out of here,” he nodded at the window, which, completely improbably, had a view of the Eiffel Tower. “‘bout time for dinner, isn’t it?”
“We couldn’t just leave you, all by yourself-“
“I’ll mostly be sleepin’, Sandra,” he visibly stifled a yawn. “And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s bleedin’ Paris out there. Go on,” he nudged at her with his thigh and winked at Bennet. “Go have some fun. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Are you sure?”
“’m sure,” he mumbled, and let himself yawn again, and shut his eyes.
Heard Sandra laugh, lightly, and could feel her lean over, her hair falling against his cheek and her scent everywhere, it felt like, as she kissed his forehead.
And then she was gone, and so was Noah.
*
He woke up alone, and that was a relief.
No partner and partner’s wife to have an embarrassing moments with, no armed woman about to shoot him, no not-quite empty warehouse full of fog. Alone. Safe.
Couldn’t move, though. Couldn’t move and not being able to move was rarely a good sign.
He opened his eyes and grabbed at what he could which…turned out to be white sheets.
Hospital, he remembered. That was good. Not better than his room, back at the hotel, but good. He could rest. Finally. He hadn’t slept since…he could rest.
He shut his eyes again, and relaxed.
*