#(it was probably when his candy coating got a little scratched and whoops all the tragedy fell out)

[grailacademy]

Welcome To Grail Academy - Chapter Ten: Another Life

Azora’s arms were folded over her chest at the front door. Over the years, the strain of battles and the unrelenting passage of time left her body misshapen and damaged. Stiff in some places, squishy in others. Her hair was once the same mousy brown as her grandson’s, but now it was a stringy grey bun balancing precariously on her head. In a way, her disheveled appearance affirmed her reputation. She zipped up the wool sweater and stepped out onto the small porch of her crooked apartment. It was built on a steep hill with low-bearing structures, so it hunched over the same way Azora did when she walked. “Yorick!”, she shouted to a small boy across the street, who was sitting in the grass and crying. “Get ‘yer ass back inside.”

She washed the bits of dried blood off his knees with a wet cloth, and bandaged the scrapes with Yellow Kitty bandaids. Yorick sat at the dining table on a chair with 3 extra cushions so he could see the chicken soup he was eating, feet dangling over the floor. He had always been a sensitive child. He threw a couple of chunks of the meat to two dogs that slept under the table, splattering drops of lukewarm broth over their white coats. “How many times do I gotta tell ya,” Azura rattled plates in the sink as she spoke, “you ain’t Superman, kiddo.”

“I know, Gramma.”

“Not made a’ steel.”

“I know, Gramma.”

“You have to be careful.”

“I know, Gramma.”

When she knelt down next to him, her bones cracked and popped like some kind of cheap candy wrapper. She placed her brittle hand on his leg. “You ain’t built like other little boys, Ricky.” He couldn’t look into those milky blue eyes that watched him with worry, so instead he played with the peas that bobbed around in his soup. Across from the dining table, in the hutch that housed the nice china that they never used except when grown-up friends visited, he saw an old photo in a wooden frame. A man and a woman, holding a boy much smaller than the size he was now. “Tell me a story about Ma and Da?”

The request took Azura by surprise, but she didn’t decline. She sighed, pulled up a chair, and scratched the underside of her chin trying to think. “Hm….let’s see. Well, your father was a gentle kind. Brought your mother flowers every day, even before they married. Now your mother, she was the wild one. I remember, their first date she took him to the tracks to throw bottles at passing trains! Their wedding was something fierce. Your ma was so stuck on me coming that she followed me on a mission, into a Grimm-infested forest on a moped to deliver an invitation. She was a crazy girl, that one.” She paused to laugh, and Yorick laughed along with her. He didn’t completely understand everything she was saying, but it was nice to be reminded that his parents didn’t only exist in photos.

“The reception was a hot mess. The Violletas drunk and screamin’ about some great-great-aunt’s stolen silverware, the Navyns hiding behind the catering service van. Gosh, your father even got his glasses broke trying to grab a slice of cake! But the ceremony. The ceremony was beautiful. First time I’d ever seen that family stay quiet for more than 7 seconds. The vows even had me tearing up. They really loved eachother….” She reached out and tousled her grandson’s hair, “And they loved you too. A whole bunch.”

Yorick looked up at the flickering light in the empty locker room and smiled to himself. It was hard to tell when the high hit, so thinking back on fond memories always helped to pump it through him a bit faster. The tournament only lasted an hour, but it felt like an eternity to him. He heard cheering from the stadium, people talking and laughing outside the locker room. His friends. He should probably go out and talk with them, pretend like he was a normal person who wasn’t an addict on the verge of having a breakdown, but he couldn’t get up. He just wanted to stay there for a bit longer, sitting in the serene. He relished the peace for a few good minutes before putting out the cigarette butt under his shoe. It had been so long since he had been left to his own devices, much less done so in a quiet room. It was nice. He was so happy to be in his own little world, he never noticed the shadow slipping out of the room behind him.

“I can’t believe I lost.” Queenie bandaged her hands in the dugout, and Buck cleaned the barrel of his sniper while while watching the final match. Beau against Scarlet, and her partner was close to losing. “Don’t get hung up on it. The fight isn’t what mattered.” Rettah skipped down the steps to her team, heels clicking on the cement as she announced, “Screw it, we’re moving to phase two.”

“What?”, the both of them questioned.

“We’ve got all we need on him.” She held up a still smoldering cigarette butt between her fingers. Buck and Queenie both sat up, eyes widening. Rettah smiled at her friend’s reactions, flicking the butt onto the floor. The crowd whooped and threw their empty cups, and those resting in the dugout turned to see Beau pumping her fist in the air in revelry, Scarlet slumped bottom-up with her foot planted on his back. Rettah continued, twirling her hair. “Besides, we have nothing better to do now. Let’s bounce!”

“Esme, babe, why do you have so many feather boas?” Nico was rummaging through the trunk at the end of her bed, looking through all of the fancy clothes as Esmerelda posed in front of the mirror with an orange boa. “I like to have options”, she retorted, swinging the end around her neck like a foxy Atlesian duchess. “And don’t call me babe.”

The fights still had the adrenaline of everyone on EBNY rushing, which made getting ready for the dance that much more exciting. Esmerelda brushed out the wrinkles in her gown and painted another coat of polish on her nails, Nico did his hair and applied stolen eyeliner in the bathroom mirror, Bernard fumbled with his cufflinks and necktie until the green goddess of their group came to his rescue, and Yorick sat uncomfortably in a desk chair in his skirt and suit jacket. He wanted to say something to them. He wanted to tell them he was sorry, that he was being a jerk. But he didn’t want to ruin the moment, this little scene of comradery and happiness. Instead, he stood up and went to the door. “I’ll see you guys at the dance, I have to go pick up my date.”

“Our little Yorick is growing up so fast! Now, is this date of yours a real person, or is it a body pillow?” Nico cackled at his own joke, and Yorick laughed along nervously if only to get him to stop. Then he left the room, Esmerelda watching him leave in the mirror. “Not like us, Bernie. Going stag, it keeps things open for possible….encounters, haha.” He nudged Bernard’s shoulder, but his partner only rubbed his arm in response.

“Actually, about that. Have to pick up my date too.”

“What?”

“Can’t keep Iris waiting.”

“Iris?”

“Yup.”

“Iris.”

“Yup.”

“You?”

“Yup.”

“And Iris?”

“Yup. See you later.” Bernard gave them a small wave and left the two of them to their own devices. As they watched him stroll out, hands in the pockets of his suit, Nico’s mouth hung agape. “Huh.” Esmerelda pat him on the shoulder and shook her head with a rie expression. “Tough break, Romeo.”

“Rettah? It’s Yorick, are you ready?” He knocked on the door to BRSQ’s dorm room, which creaked open slightly when he hit it. Strange. It was unlocked, and the lights were off. He took a step back to weigh things out. He didn’t want to invade their personal privacy, but….something was wrong. He went against the advice of the little voice in his head telling him to walk away, and what he found was complete chaos. The room was ransacked, mattresses flipped over, clothes scattered on the floor, the sink in the bathroom running, the window shattered. Something sat folded neatly on the desk.

Just before they were about to leave, the door to their room swung inches away from Nico and Esmerelda’s noses, Yorick clutching a piece of paper on the other side of it. “Get Bernard and the rest of BRSQ.”

“What’s going on?”

“They took Rettah.”

#rwby #rwby oc #team ebny #ebny #grail academy #welcome to grail academy #rwby fanteam #rwby fanfiction #ocs #oc #oc fanfic #oc fanfiction #writing

[waywarddaughterwrites]

Chuck

Hey guys! I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I practically work three day jobs, so sometimes writing has to take a backseat to the backseat. I’ve finally had time to write, and I want to share with you the fic for my first ever fic request from the lovely @thecatcharmer! They requested a cute, fluffy fic with Gabriel, The Reader, and a cat. I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Gabriel/Reader, established relationship

Warnings: Some cottony fluff

Summary: You’d been working back-to-back cases and needed a break. While on a day trip to an outdoor mall with your boyfriend, Gabriel, your day takes an interesting turn.

*********************

“Gabe. Seriously. That is not practical. You don’t need it!”

The mighty archangel Gabriel frowned like a scolded child and dramatically hung his head as he walked away to put the DIY Cotton Candy Machine back on the shelf. You chucked as you turned back to the rack of clothing you were browsing through. Your eyes widened at the outdated patchwork and ungodly amounts of denim in front of you. You had been working back-to-back cases for about a month now and had been in dire need of a break. Not only were you physically exhausted, but you practically hadn’t seen your boyfriend, Gabriel (the heavenly toddler himself), in all that time. Apparently Heaven had been busy, too, not to mention the Winchesters were causing trouble that Gabe inevitably got roped into. You’d met them a few times, even worked a couple of cases with them. They’d offered for you to tag along, but solo was more your style. The less you had to worry about, the less there was to distract you on a hunt. Of course, as your boyfriend had lovingly pointed out, also the less there is to back you up when you need it. You’d brushed that off, knowing that with a quick prayer Gabe would always have your back. You’d known him for several years and had been dating him for two. Sometimes it felt like the relationship was still brand-new. Sometimes…

“Hey babe! Look at me!”

…sometimes it had felt like forever. Rolling your eyes in anticipation, you turned and saw Gabriel standing in the aisle in front of you in the most hilariously hideous combination of clothing you’d seen. He had lime green corduroy pants tied with a scarf belt, a 70’s-esque suede tassel vest over top of a neon pink tshirt with the words “Fight The Man” emblazoned on the front. Overtop of all of this was a giant probably-used-to-be-white fur coat that trailed onto the floor. He had a comically large sombrero on his head and thick, orange-rimmed coke bottle glasses on his face. He had a shit-eating grin and spread his arms wide, turning slowly to allow you the full effect of the nightmare. Your mouth had dropped open and you were torn between laughing until your lungs gave out and pretending you didn’t know him. You looked around the small thrift store and noticed that there were only a couple of other people there and luckily, they hadn’t noticed the monstrosity that was your (luck you!) boyfriend.

Gabriel sauntered over toward you, palpably proud of himself. You couldn’t help your giggles as he wrapped his hands around your waist and dipped you. He leaned down to kiss you, but the sombrero bumped your forehead on his way down, effectively blocking him from his goal. He huffed up at the hat and you couldn’t stop the sudden burst of laughter the sight instigated from you. He grinned back down at you, eyes shining in mirth.

“So, about that cotton candy maker…”

You raised your eyebrows at him. “Are you..? Is this..? Is this a *threat* sir?” His only response was to waggle his eyebrows at you. “Gabriel, why do you need a cotton candy maker when you can literally snap it into the room whenever you want?”

He pouted “it’s not the same!” He lifted you back into a standing position and whipped off the hat, bowing to you and offering his hand. “A dance, good madam?”

“There’s not even any…” Gabe quirked an eyebrow and suddenly the dusty speakers overhead were belting a hoe-down type of song, “…music.” You rolled your eyes and took his hand. He immediately started into a mix between a tango and a line-dance. You laughed at the sheer absurdity of it and noticed as he spun you that you’d garnered the attention of your handful of fellow shoppers. They were smiling and when the song ended and Gabriel finished with you in a dip, your onlookers clapped and whooped good-naturedly. You blushed in embarrassment, but when you saw the mirth in Gabe’s face you didn’t care. God, you loved that man.

************

Twenty minutes later the two of you had left the store and were walking along the sidewalk of shops, Gabriel was cooing at his new cotton candy maker like it was a newborn baby and (thank his Father) back in his normal clothes. You were absentmindedly window shopping as the two of you casually strolled past the shops, vaguely thinking about dinner and a long, hot bubble bath in your future, when something caught your eye. Actually, your hip, as Gabriel had stopped dead and you’d walked into the corner of his new “cottony baby.” Letting a small huff of annoyance, you glanced at your boyfriend, who was paying you no mind. You followed his gaze to the shop ahead of you: Buddies “R” Us. The pet shop. In the window was a glass container with small kittens playing with brightly colored balls. Gabriel’s eyes were wide and you had to admit, the sight was cute.

“Can we go in?” Gabriel asked in a voice like a child asking if the present really was for him.

You raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, sure? But what are you going to do with that?” You looked pointedly at the giant box in his arms. He rolled his eyes at you and the box was gone, probably now sitting in your apartment. He took your hand and raced to the door, pulling you along in his excitement.

The shop was impressive. You were struck by the cacophony of animal sounds. There were squawks and chirps and meows and barks and a few snorts coming from every corner of the shop, which was bigger on the inside than you had expected. Gabriel had gone immediately to the tank of kittens you’d seen in the window and was leaning over the side, scratching one on his head as the others scrambled for attention. You smiled fondly at the sight. He looked up and saw you watching him. He winked and beckoned you over. Picking up a golden kitten, he plopped him into your arms. You giggled as it immediately began purring and batting at your hair.

“He’s a sweetie, isn’t he? Good choice.”

You turned and saw a young woman, obviously a shop employee, watching you with the kitten.

“Oh, no. I’m not actually getting an animal today, I just…I’m sorry,” you stammered, putting the cat back into the tank.

“Well why not?” Gabriel asked from behind you. You turned to him and looked at him as though he had grown a second head.

“Because I’m barely home? Because my *job* makes me travel and stay away for days at a time? I don’t have the time to take care of an animal.”

The clerk had been standing beside you, good-naturedly listening and smiling. “Not to worry!” She started, “there are several animals you could get that are low-maintenance. Just refill their food bowls every couple of days, clean their cages, and you’re fine!”

You gave her a halfhearted smile and said a little more firmly, “I appreciate it, but no. It’s not going to happen for me, I’m sorry.”

The clerk seemed to take the hint and walked away to another customer. Gabriel came up behind you with a puppy in his hands. The puppy licked your ear and caused you to startle and turn around toward the pair. “Come on, (y/n), not even a fish?”

You raised your eyebrow at him again. “No, Gabe. I’m not getting an animal. It wouldn’t be fair to the animal.” Your phone began to buzz in your pocket and you turned away to pull it out as Gabriel put the puppy back where he found it.

Looking at your phone, you saw:

“Working a job in town. Vamps. In and out but could use the backup. You in?”

You sent back a quick reply and closed your phone as a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist from behind. You leaned in to the embrace.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“Got a text from Jamie. She needs backup for a case tonight.” You felt his shoulders sag a bit and you turned around to face him and wrap your arms around his neck. “She says it’s a quick in-and-out vamp nest, she just wants some backup. I promise I won’t be out too late.” You smiled sweetly up at him and he gave a small sigh and leaned down to kiss your nose.

“Just be safe.”

“I always am.”

****************

“Quick in-and-out my ass,” you thought to yourself as you limped toward your apartment building. The two vamps Jamie had been tracking had had four secret friends. Three-on-one with vamps had been exhausting. You’d been through worse, but you knew Gabe was likely to scold you for not calling him to help. He hated when you showed up bruised and beaten, no matter that this was the life you’d chosen and he could easily patch you up with a snap of his fingers.

You rolled your shoulder, hearing pops and cracks as your muscles and joints protested. You’d been thrown into a wall on that shoulder, you were lucky it hadn’t been dislocated. The gash on your left leg where one of them had gotten you with a knife was much worse. You’d torn off one of your sleeves to wrap around the wound, but the torn sleeve exposed the fresh bruises and cuts down your arm. You were in bad shape, but you’d beaten them, and you both had made it out alive. That was a success in your book, no matter what the angel said.

One more block to go. Your building was in sight but your leg was aching and begging for a quick rest. You leaned onto a stoop and stretched. You groaned at the feeling of your muscles extending.

A sound from the alley beside you startled you into defense-mode and immediately you were standing with your weapon drawn facing the potential threat. There was something rustling near the dumpster. Cautiously, you approached it. Kicking aside a bag of trash you located the potential threat.

“Mew”

You put your blade away as you took in the bedraggled sight in front of you. Staring up at you was a small bundle of matted fur with pointy ears and tiny paws. You crouched down and reached your hand out, letting the kitten sniff your fingers to prove that you weren’t a threat. He sniffed a moment before rubbing his face against your hand, purring.

“The fact that you aren’t bothered by the smell of dead vampire is a sign of how long you’ve probably been out here all alone, huh? What are you doing out here boy?”

The half-starved little kitten boldly moved toward you and rubbed against your leg, letting you pet his back. He squeaked a bit in surprise when you scooped him up, but didn’t protest.

Wait, why were you holding a kitten?

You pulled him back away from you and thought about putting him down. What exactly was the plan here? You’d told Gabriel earlier that very day that a pet wasn’t going to work for your lifestyle. You looked at the pair of large lamp-like eyes staring back at you. The kitten mewed and began licking at a small wound on your hand. Well…there’s nothing wrong with helping a cute little stray find a new home. You’d promised Gabriel you’d take a few days off, this time you’d keep the promise and use the time to help relocate this little guy.

Your mind made up, you tucked him into the crook of your arm, where he snuggled into your dirty shirt and purred again. You limped the rest of the way home, trying to figure out what you were going to tell Gabriel when you showed up and what he might say.

You were right around the corner from your apartment, the biggest hurtle being the damnable stairs you were trying to climb while injured and holding a cat. Why did you live on the third floor? Why?

You finally got to your apartment and, after fumbling with your keys one-handed, opened the door to the sight of your boyfriend sitting on the couch setting up his new cotton candy toy. The moment the door opened he looked up at you, concern evident on every inch of his face. His frown deepened as he took in your current state. He didn’t seem to notice the tiny ball of fur curled in the crook of your left elbow.

“You have a funny definition of ‘won’t be out too late’.”

He walked toward you and cupped your face in his hands. “You were starting to worry me.” He kissed your forehead and with the touch you felt the wonderfully tingling sensation of warmth and lightness wash over you. You sighed in relief, your pain gone.

“Mew?”

You’d forgotten about the suddenly-squirmy bundle in your arms. Gabriel started at the noise, looked down, and raised his eyes slowly back up to meet yours, an eyebrow cocking in question.

“Who’s your friend?”

You blushed and began to stammer out, “I was walking, well, limping back here and…he was in a dumpster-well not in the dumpster-but the point is he looked so sad and I couldn’t leave him there-” you stopped when Gabriel began to chuckle at you.

“What happened to 'I don’t have time for animals?’”

“I still believe that, but you’ve said for weeks now I need a break and this little guy needs a home so I thought: why not spend my break helping him find one? I mean look at him, isn’t he adorable?”

You looked down at the kitten in your arms and noticed vaguely that Gabriel’s healing seemed to have accidentally affected him, too. The matting was gone and in its place was a beautiful brown tabby coat.

Gabriel lifted your chin with his finger and kissed you softly on your lips.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea, sugar plum. Did you have any ideas on a name for the little guy?”

You lifted the kitten with both hands to eye-level. He gave you a calculating stare, as if measuring you up, which quickly turned playful as he batted your nose with his tiny paws. You grinned.

“How about Chuck?”

#waywarddaughterwrites #gabriel fic #gabriel x reader #gabriel x you #Established Relationship #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #Reader Request #TheCatCharmer

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Nikki was beginning to notice a pattern. Silence was Griffin’s default, while Boz couldn’t seem to do anything without music. Even driving.

“You’re sure you don’t mind The Beastie Boys?” He shouted over the stereo playing Sabotage.

Nikki shook her head in the rearview mirror. “Isn’t it a little loud though?”

“What?”

Shrill chiming of a phone cut through the noise and Griffin shot forward to crank the volume down. He answered while glaring at Boz.  “Morning, John.”

Boz hunkered down in his seat, mouthing ‘whoops’.

Amsterdam’s voice was tinny as he replied, “Morning. Do you have a moment?”

Griffin stared out the window, watching the passing buildings. “Sure, what’s going on?”

“I need you to call a territory broker by the name of Bartholomew La Grange, and ask him what he knows about Alexander Rex.”

Cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder, Griffin tapped Boz and pantomimed for a pen. “Sorry, say that name again?” Griffin said, catching the ballpoint Boz tossed at him and scribbling on the inside of his palm.

“Alexander Rex,” John repeated. “And the broker is Bartholomew La Grange.”

Griffin finished scrawling the two names and then jotted down the phone number given to him. “Not that I mind, but why do you want me to make the call?”

“La Grange and I don’t speak often,” Amsterdam explained. “And to be frank, we don’t really like one another.”

Smirking, Griffin clicked the end of the pen. “You forget his birthday or something?”

“He doesn’t care for my neutrality, and I don’t care for his blind deference to Alphas.”

“Gotcha.” Griffin stared down at the second name already beginning to smudge in the creases of his hand. Rex… The name rang a bell of recognition that stirred the dogs in their cage. His thumb pressed the end of ball point. Click. “You didn’t mention this La Grange guy yesterday.”

“I hadn’t had a reason to.”

Cl-click. Click.

Griffin scowled. “But you suddenly remembered him, and this new guy- Rex, out of the blue?”

A short, irritated sigh filtered through the speaker. “Not exactly.”

Click click click cl-click clii-

“Would you stop that?” Amsterdam snapped. “The spring mechanism is off center and it’s scraping the plastic. It’s very irritating.”

Griffin froze mid-click. “Sorry.”

He heard Amsterdam take a full breath. “No, I apologize for being curt.”

Handing temptation back to its owner, Griffin settled back in his seat. “John… did something happen?”

After a long pause, Amsterdam said, “It’s been handled. Contact La Grange. See if he’ll give you any information about Rex.”

“I’ll let you know what we find out. And John?” Griffin added. “If you need anything…”

“The offer is appreciated.” And with that the Historian hung up.

Boz spared a glance at his friend. “Everything okay?”

Still staring out the window, Griffin said, “Yeah, I think so. John just- son of a bitch.”

Nikki’s head jerked up. “What? What is it?”

“Pull over,” Griffin ordered.

Boz tapped the brakes. “What? Why?”

“Just pull over!”

Wet tires squealed as Boz did what he was told. Griffin was out of the van before they’d even come to a complete stop.

“What’s going on?” Nikki asked, fumbling with her seatbelt.

Throwing the gear into park, Boz wrenched open his door. “Hell if I know,” he said, hopping out and racing across the street.

Nikki jogged after him between two parked sedans.

“Hey!” Griffin’s voice boomed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Nikki skidded onto the curb behind Boz just in time to see Griffin shove a much smaller man in a bulky red parka against a wall. The guy yelped, covering his head.

“Whoa! C’mon G!”

“I thought I told you never to come around here again,” Griffin shouted.

“I- I- I was just passing through, G, I swear!”

“Is that so?” Griffin advanced. “Just like the last time you were passing through?”

Cowering, he stammered, “N-No way, G-man, I swear!”

Gripping the front of the guy’s coat, Griffin growled, “You think I’m an idiot, Twitch?”

“No! Look, G, I wasn’t doing nothin’. I swear on my mother’s grave-”

“Your mother lives in Brooklyn.” Griffin shoved him harder.

“It-It’s just a figure of speech man,” Twitch cried.

“Like hell it is. I’m gonna kick your ass.”

Nikki was dumbfounded. This guy was worth making a scene? “Oh no…” she muttered when a few people stopped to witness the impending fight.

Boz winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… this isn’t good.”

Nikki stared at him. “Shouldn’t you break them up or something?”

“Ha! Yeah, right. I’ll just jump on in there ‘cause I’m Captain America.” He waved an arm out at the other two men.

“Boz.”

He sighed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, alright. Uh, hey Griff… You might not wanna, you know, break him in half. Just in case the cops show up. ‘Cause, fair warning, I think we blew the emergency ‘get out of jail’ fund the last time you got arrested… so…”

Nikki faltered. “Last time?”

Boz jerked his head. “Yeah, we uh, we don’t talk about that.”

Despite Boz’s valiant effort to convince him brawling in the middle of the sidewalk wasn’t a good idea, Griffin didn’t seem deterred in the slightest.

“Oh for God’s sake,” Nikki sighed, pushing past Boz.

The two men were still arguing over each other, and the droplet of patience she had vanished. Pressing her thumb and forefinger between her lips, Nikki let loose a sharp whistle, making everyone in the vicinity cringe and stop mid syllable.

“Now that I have your attention…” she glared at Twitch and Griffin with equal annoyance. “Would someone like to explain what the hell is going on?”

“Oh, yeah, I can do that,” Boz offered, stepping forward. “That’s Twitch. He’s a sleazy drug dealer for the Underground who nearly got himself killed a couple of times because he’s an idiot. And Griffin, who you’re already acquainted with, really, really doesn’t like him. As you can probably tell.”

Nikki gave Twitch a judgmental once over before turning to Griffin. “You tuck-n-rolled out of the van to wail on this kid?”

Moving away from the wall, Twitch puffed out his chest. “Woah, hold up baby, I ain’t no kid.”

“And I’m not your baby. So back off, short-stop.” Nikki snapped, pegging him with a withering stare.

Twitch jerked like she’d smacked him, but he grinned. “Nice. I like a lady with confidence.”

Griffin slammed Twitch back into the wall. “How about you shut your mouth before you give me another reason to break your jaw.”

“Aw, c’mon G-man, don’t be like that. I was just being friendly.”

The two started arguing again but over the raised voices, Nikki heard Boz’s phone go off.

Staring at the caller ID, he motioned to them and said, “I should take this. It’s James,” before walking away to answer.

Griffin towered over Twitch. “Are you still dealing Red?”

“N-no,” he said with an unconvincing shake of his head.

Griffin stared him down. “Empty your pockets.”

“What? No way!”

“Do it, or I’ll do it for you.”

In a brief moment, Twitch vacillated between complying with Griffin’s order and trying to bolt. He decided to empty his pockets.

With no finesse whatsoever, Twitch unloaded his parka, as well as the front pockets of his jeans, into Griffin’s hands. When he was finished, Griffin held about a dozen plastic bags of various substances that were all tinted crimson.

“So this is you, not dealing Red?” Griffin shuffled the packets around, inspecting them. “Let’s see, you’ve got Candy Apple and Sour Cherry so you’ve covered the Ecstasy and Speed markets. This looks like Red Devil- for the pill popping Oxy lovers out there- and a shit ton of Dusted Ruby, when run of the mill cocaine just isn’t hitting the spot. What, no Red Haze? Heroin too much for you, Twitch?”

It was then Twitch proved his namesake. His right eye began to twitch as his legs wobbled and shook like he’d had too much caffeine and then stood in a freezer. Unsteady hands adjusted the blue Yankees cap shoved down over tufts of curly brown hair, and he tugged at the gold Saint Michael’s medallion around his neck.

Griffin ignored Twitch’s jitters and continued. “All in all, you’ve got about eight grand worth of Red here Twitch. That’s a lot of product to just keep on hand while you go out for a nice morning stroll.”

Twitch scratched the underside of his jaw. “I like variety.”

“Bull. You’re making deliveries.”

“Look G, there’s good money in the biz, okay? I can’t just walk away!”

Griffin narrowed his stare. “You’re gonna say that to me after what happened last time?”

Twitch sniffed. “That was an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“You broke Code and nearly got yourself killed.”

“That was the unfortunate part.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Twitch,” Griffin snapped.

“Hey! I’m not doing the same gig as before, G. I only provide my services to a select clientele.”

Griffin blinked at him. “So rich people and prostitutes.”

“Escorts. They prefer the term escorts.”

Nikki fought the urge to cover her face with her hands and groan.

“I’m sorry,” she interjected. “But what the hell is Red?”

Flicking his gaze to her, Griffin answered. “It’s an additive mixed with other street drugs.” He paused before continuing. “It’s dehydrated Vampire blood.”

Nikki stared at him and frowned at the sudden dryness of her tongue.

Oh, it was because her mouth was hanging open.

“You sell Vampire blood to people?” She turned on Twitch. “What kind of psycho are you?”

“Whoa baby, I’m just giving the customers what they want,” Twitch said, taking a step away from the wall. “Supply and demand, you know?”

“So it’s ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’, right?”

Twitch beamed. “Exactly!”

“You’re disgusting.”

His face fell. “Well that’s kinda harsh, baby…”

Squaring her shoulders, Nikki bit out, “Call me baby again, and I’m gonna take away your ability to make them.”

Muddy brown eyes widened and Twitch backed up, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets.

Nikki caught the curve of a smile flashing across Griffin’s face just as Boz was walking back.

“Yeah, okay… I’ll take care of it.” Hanging up, Boz looked to Griffin. “We’ve got a problem.”

Griffin nodded before jabbing his finger into Twitch’s sternum again. “Don’t. Move.”

Grumbling, Twitch slumped against the wall and hunched his shoulders to his ears.

The three grouped together, lowering their voices.

“What is it?” Griffin asked.

Boz gripped his phone tightly. “James and Joel found tracking devices under their cars,” he said. “Before he called me, James searched the rest of their house and found another bug. He called Queens, told them to check their place too, and guess what.”

Griffin cursed and dragged his hand through his hair. “Is everyone accounted for?”

“Yeah, everyone’s safe,” Boz said. “I told them to leave everything like they found it. If they shut anything off it might send an alert back to the people that put them there.” He shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable with what he had to say next. “I told them I’d come out and do a back-hack. Try to figure out where the signal is being sent to.”

Griffin nodded. “Good.”

A scowl hardened Boz’s face. “Griff, that means I’d have to leave you and Nikki. I told you I’d be your back up.”

“Boz, other people need you right now. Those bugs are probably how everyone got ambushed yesterday.” Griffin leveled his stare with Boz’s. “I’ve got this. I can handle Twitch and Doctor Oliver when we get there. If things look dicey, I’ll call Lisa.”

Boz’s fingers tapped along the casing of his phone as he chewed his bottom lip. “I’ll check the van just to make sure, but I don’t think it’s bugged,” he finally said. “If I hurry, I can make the train out there and then Joel can probably give me a lift to Queens.”

“Then you’d better go now,” Griffin told him.

Scrubbing his hand over the back of his skull, Boz finally called an end to his internal battle and started toward the van. Before his toe went over the curb he stopped and turned back, digging in his left pocket.

“Here,” he said, holding out a flash drive. “I downloaded a virus I made onto that.”

“I thought you said you were done with that kinda thing,” Griffin cut in, taking the drive from him.

“Yeah, well I’m a twenty-six year old computer genius slash Vampire Hunter without a girlfriend or a pet. That-” He pointed at the device “Is a product of boredom and a lot of caffeine. When you get to Doctor Oliver’s, plug that into his computer. The virus will sweep through and collect everything- I call it a Hoover.”

Griffin looked down at the flash drive and then blinked at Boz.

“Get it? ‘Cause it sucks up everything like a-”

“Yeah, I get it,” Griffin said flatly.

“Great, just bring it back to the house and I’ll dump all of the Doc’s files and see if there’s anything useful.” Boz started towards the van again. “And watch your back,” he called over his shoulder.

Nikki glanced up at Griffin. “I’m guessing Vampires don’t usually resort to spyware when it comes to dealing with you guys.”

He shook his head, tucking the flash drive into his pocket. “This is the first time I’ve heard of it happening since I became a Hunter.”

“Shit,” Nikki breathed.

“You said it.”

Big Pimpin’ by Jay-Z started playing from behind them, and they both turned to see Twitch pull a phone from inside his jacket.

“This is La Grange,” he answered, clearing his throat.

Griffin’s stare narrowed. He opened his hand to read the smudged ink on his palm and stopped.

“Twitch…” He growled under his breath, rushing forward.

Snatching the phone from kid, he lifted it to his ear and said, “He’s gonna have to call you back.” He dropped the phone on the sidewalk, plastic case splintering, and fisted Twitch’s jacket. “You have three seconds to explain why you answered the phone as Bartholomew La Grange.”

Nikki stared, eyes wide. “Who’s La Grange?”

“That’s who John just called me about,” Griffin answered her. Glaring down at Twitch he said, “Your three seconds starts now.”

Doing his best impression of a scared doe, Twitch shook his head. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Three…” Griffin ground out.

“Look G, I swear, I’m completely-”

“Two…”

“I don’t know what-”

Griffin took a menacing step forward and Twitch flailed.

“I’m La Grange,” he shouted, ducking preemptively. “I’m La Grange, okay? Alright, I’m not the first La Grange, but…”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Twitch swatted Griffin’s hand away and drew himself up to his full height. “I’m La Grange now.”

“Do me a favor, and start from the beginning,” Griffin said.

“Okay, look, you know how I just said I started servicing a different crowd?” Twitch glanced around, eyeing any nearby pedestrians with suspicion. “Well, La Grange- the first La Grange- was a customer.”

“What happened to him?” Nikki asked.

“He kicked the bucket,” Twitch said with a shrug.

“How?”

A short bought of nervous laughter bubbled out of Twitch. “He was a sixty year old white guy with a two thousand dollar a day coke habit,” he said. “He OD’d. Face down in a pile of the stuff, Tony Montana style. I found him in his office.”

Griffin’s lip curled. “Jesus Twitch, the guy’s body wasn’t even cold yet and you took over his business?”

“Hey, no, it wasn’t like that,” Twitch said, fluffy curls jostling as he shook his head. “I did right by him. La Grange didn’t have any family, or nothing, so I gave him a simple funeral on the down low and then I, sorta… replaced him.”

“When did he die?” Nikki asked.

“A couple weeks ago.”

“And no one’s figured out you’re not the real La Grange yet?” Griffin asked.

“The guy was a friggin’ recluse, okay?” Twitch shrugged again, noticeably uncomfortable with being questioned. “He did all of his business over the phone, and like I said, he didn’t have a wife and kids or nothin’. Nobody ever saw him. Hell, I was the only one who knew where his office was.”

Nikki sighed. “So you pulled a Dread Pirate Roberts.”

“Ain’t that from a movie or somethin’?” Twitch cocked his head. When he was met with stern glares he sighed. “Look, why is that such a big deal?”

“Because your predecessor is the only one who had the information we needed,” Griffin said.

Nikki still didn’t know what Amsterdam had needed from Griffin involving La Grange, but she was beginning to believe Boz’s motto. In the Underground, nothing is a coincidence.

“You said you knew where La Grange’s office was?” She asked, looking to Twitch.

“I think you mean my office, ba-”

Griffin slammed Twitch back against the brick, cutting him off.

The dealer cupped the back of his arm, wincing. “Ow! Uh, I mean… It’s my office now.”

“You still use it?”

“Yeah, I kinda had to,” Twitch said, the puffy red material of his coat covering his ears as he shrugged. “La Grange had all sorts of files and he wasn’t really a computer geek, if you know what I mean. The dude kept everything in these huge filing cabinets. It would have been a pain in the ass to move all that shit out, so I just moved myself in.”

Tightening his grip on Twitch’s shoulder, Griffin bared his teeth in a grin that was anything but friendly. “Well Twitch, you just earned yourself a ride in the back of my van. C’mon La Grange, we’re going on a little field trip.”

* * *

Michael stuffed the last quarter of his hot dog in his mouth and tossed the paper tray into the garbage. “Seriously?” He threw his hands up, glaring at the people across the street. “Seriously?”

“I’m not sure I understand why you’re so upset,” Gabriel said, casting a glance at his brother over the edge of his newspaper.

Swallowing, Michael said, “Oh- oh really? Okay, well, let’s just tally this up shall we?” Counting on his fingers, he continued. “I think my bullshit meter started dinging around four in the afternoon yesterday when what’s-her-face’s friend got the shit kicked out of her, and we did nothing-”

“I told you, that path was already set. There was nothing we could have-”

“Ahem. I’m not finished.” Michael wagged his index finger at his brother. “Then there was mister tall, dark, and emotionally damaged’s little trip down ‘why the fuck haven’t you been committed yet?’ lane. And by the way, I hate theme bars. They’re ridiculous. Just give me alcohol and shut up.”

Gabriel sighed. “Now are you finished?”

“Nope, not even close.” Fishing in his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter, Michael continued. “Now we’ve got that upstanding young fellow joining the mix, and he just screams ‘beneficial’.” He stared at Gabriel’s unflinching profile. “But you’re just standing there, hiding behind your New York Times, while those poor fuckers are chasing their tails and tripping all over themselves.”

When Gabriel didn’t respond, Michael stepped closer, shoving the newspaper away from his brother’s face.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Hot blue fury sparked in Gabriel’s eyes and he wrenched the flimsy paper out of Michael’s hand. “Yes, I hear you,” he snapped. “I can’t not hear you, with all your insipid yammering about how poorly I’m doing my job, and the constant, loud smacking and chewing as you eat food you don’t even need.”

Schooling his expression into one of calm amusement, Michael stared back, eyebrows lifting higher. The air around them pressurized, making his skin tingle to the point of burning, and he swore his eardrums might burst.

Holding his ground, he said, “Something you’d like to share with the class there, Gabe?”

Smoothing the fresh crinkles in his paper, Gabriel took a deep breath. And then another.

“No,” he said at last. “I’m just…”

“Frustrated?”

Gabriel pressed his lips into a hard line. “A bit.”

“Huh, I couldn’t tell,” Michael said with a smirk.

“I’m really not in the mood for your sarcasm,” Gabriel muttered.

“And I’m not in the mood for your pouting, but I guess we’re both just gonna have to suck it up and deal.”

Gabriel coughed out an offended noise that caught at the back of his throat. “I do not pout.”

“You pout. You’ve always been a pouter. Ever since the wrestling match with Jacob-”

“I wasn’t the one that wrestled him,” Gabriel interrupted. “Why would I pout over a match I didn’t even participate in?”

“Because that was the only time your wack-a-doodle visions have been wrong. And you hate being wrong.”

“I do not hate being wrong.”

Michael snorted. “Liar.”

Rustling the paper as if to open it again, Gabriel said, “I don’t understand why I put up with you.”

“Because you’re a stodgy, socially inept moose and without me, you’d be up a shit river the width of the Ganges.” Michael grinned. “And you’d be bored.”

Gabriel huffed. “I would gladly accept boredom if it meant I wouldn’t have to suffer any more time with you.”

Clutching his chest, Michael gasped and fluttered his eyes. “Brother, how could you? Do you have no love in your heart?”

Gabriel only blinked.

Michael paused and dropped his hands. “You’re no fun,” he said. “Look, annoying or not, I’m still here to help.”

“You’re treating me as if I’m a child, incapable of performing my duties,” Gabriel said. “When in reality, you’re the impatient one. Things aren’t moving fast enough for you, there’s no war to wage or battlefield to tear through as you scream your lungs out. You hate waiting, and that’s exactly what my job is- Waiting. And watching.”

With that, Gabriel unfolded the paper and snapped it pointedly, ignoring his brother.

Michael lolled his head back to roll his eyes at the skyline. “Yeah, well your job makes you look like a pervert.” Gabriel scowled but Michael continued before he could speak. “You’re a grown man loitering on street corners, with a day old newspaper in front of your face, ogling people. You don’t think that’s a little pervy? And where did you learn your camouflage techniques, nineteen sixties spy movies? You’re in a white linen suit, no coat, in New York City, during autumn. Oh yeah, you’re definitely CIA trained.”

Scuffing his boots on the sidewalk, Michael stepped away and lit his cigarette, taking a long drag.

A faint smirk played at the corner of Gabriel’s mouth. “Now who’s pouting?”

Michael spun, jabbing the two fingers holding his cigarette into the air. “Okay, you know what-”

Gabriel’s pained gasp cut him off. Michael watched, panicked, as his brother doubled over, crushing his newspaper in his fist and clutching his head.

“Gabe?” Dropping his cigarette, Michael rushed over, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Gabe? Can you hear me?”

Eyes screwed shut, Gabriel sucked down ragged breaths between clenched teeth.

Cloaking them from human eyes, Michael leaned in and whispered, “What do you see?” When Gabriel didn’t answer, he repeated, “Brother, what do you see?”

“Death,” Gabriel croaked. “Bone chips in a river of blood. Dirty finger nails. And…”

Michael cupped his hand around the back of Gabriel’s neck, willing him to stop trembling. “And?”

Gabriel shook his head, forehead and nose brushing over Michael’s leather clad shoulder.

“You saw her… Didn’t you?” Michael felt him tense under his hold, and he knew the answer.

He wanted to be angry. He really did. But with his brother in his arms, so wrought with sorrow he could barely keep himself vertical, it was impossible to force even a grain of negative emotion out of his core.

“Okay,” Michael murmured, helping Gabriel straighten. “You’re okay. See? You’re alright, Gabe.” He ran his hands over his shoulders, hoping it would help ground him like it had so many times before. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Blinking his eyes open, Gabriel squinted down at his brother. He stared for a long moment before saying, “You’re not very good at pep talks.”

Michael looked up at him and gave an aborted chuckle. “Yeah, you got the language skills in the family.”

“You are good with a sword though.”

That made Michael beam. “Aw, thanks bro,” he said, cupping Gabriel’s face, giving his cheek a playful tap.

Silence blanketed them and the weight of it shown in Gabriel’s reddened eyes.

“Hey,” Michael whispered, still holding onto his brother. “We’re…” He swallowed. “This’ll be…”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, hearing the words he was unable to voice.

Michael nodded and after a long moment, released Gabriel and took a step back. Uncloaked and feeling the sting of morning light in his eyes, Michael pulled out another cigarette and lit the end.

And that time he was able to finish it.

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