Title: "Feeling Peckish Pt. 1"
Author: Rebecca Bradstreet
Rated: PG
Archive: Sure
Summary: Lori takes Face to her house.
Warning: There might be some PG language.
Disclaimer/Notes: This is an A-Team/Forever Knight X-Over. Well, it's an A-Team alternate universe with some FK vampires in it. I don't own Templeton "Faceman" Peck or any other members of the A-Team. I also don't own Javier Vachon, Janette or any other Forever Knight characters. I do own Lorelei "Lori" Remillard, and some of her contacts. I am using // as thoughts, and ** as emphasis. It's not beta'd so all mistakes are my own.
"Feeling Peckish Pt. 1"
by Rebecca Bradstreet (c) 2000The Fog was a Janette club, dark and crowded. At least it wasn't as loud as the Toronto one. LaCroix added strippers to the Raven when Janette sold it to him. Lori hadn't asked Janette what brought her to L.A. It was a lesson one learned fast don't ask, "What brought you here?"
And Lori didn't need to ask Vachon. He'd undoubtedly gotten bored with Toronto. Even without the Inca driving him, staying in one place wasn't his forte. Vachon was one of her favorite youngsters, learning her true age hadn't stopped him from treating her like one of the gang.
"I'm sooo bored." Lori moaned, leaning back against the bar, and looking out over the night's crowd.
"Don't you mean hungry?" Vachon teased.
"That too." She agreed, swiveling toward him and smiling.
"Don't you have a case you're working on dear?" Janette asked, as she came down the bar to stand behind them.
"Like that's going anywhere," Lori grumbled without looking at Janette. She couldn't understand how Vachon made her feel like an equal, while Janette made her feel like a grubby little kid, especially when Lori was so much older than Janette.
"I'm sure you'll come up with something. You've been a PI in this town long enough to find anyone." Janette tried to be encouraging.
//Thanks mom.// Lori thought snappishly, while she said tiredly, "What I really need is some inspiration."
"Well, how's that for inspiration?" Vachon asked, gesturing towards the man that had just come in.
Lori whistled soft and low, "Damn if he isn't absolutely inspiring! I wonder what he's doing in here."
The man gave her a nagging feeling of familiarity. He stood just inside the door -- a man looking for someone. He scanned the room carefully with the blue eyes that were just one of his striking features. He wasn't exactly dressed right for the club crowd, not that he wasn't well dressed, but his clothes didn't match the crowd's. The longer he stood there looking, the more curious she became, until his eyes locked on hers and he started moving her way.
"Well, well. Inspiration is coming your way. I think I'll go look for Urs." Vachon patted Lori on the shoulder and disappeared into the crowd.
She might have asked Vachon to linger if she'd been able to recognize the man.
"Hi…is uh…your name Lorelei Remillard?" Inspiration flashed her a nervous smile.
"Depends. Bill collectors call me Ms. Remillard, clients call me Lorelei, and friends call me Lori." She ran through the categories that were safe to mention in public.
"Lorelei can I talk to you someplace more private?" Inspiration looked around cautiously.
"Clients usually stop by my office first. It's private. But we can head home to my place, if you need to talk to me right now," Lori told him, deciding she wanted to take Inspiration home, remembering she was hungry.
"That'll be fine. My car is right outside." Inspiration looked relieved.
Lori turned to pay for her drink but Janette waved her off. She shrugged at Janette. //If 'mom' doesn't want my money I'm sure I can find other uses for it.//
Inspiration cut back towards the door through the crowd.
//I really should ask for his name,// Lori thought, as she realized she'd decided to take him home without getting it.
//I'm getting sloppy in my old age.// She scolded herself as she reached the door.
"Coat?" Inspiration asked, she wasn't wearing a coat, but he didn't know if she'd left one at the door.
Lori shook her head. "No, this is all I came in. I don't seem to have caught *your* name while we were discussing mine," she smiled, as she slipped by him and into the parking lot.
Inspiration looked around furtively before saying with an answering smile, "Templeton Peck."
Lori would have choked if she'd still been inside nursing her drink. No wonder he wanted to take the conversation someplace more private. Lori had seen his face before all right, in a B&W photo that did him no justice at all. She wasn't a cop, or a fed much less military, but she knew there was a price on Templeton "Faceman" Peck's head.
//What the Hell does he want?// She wondered, as the fact that Face had addressed her like a client began to sink in.
"Well, that would explain why you didn't visit my office first." Lori observed wryly. She had a nice clean office, in a respectable building, it wouldn't do to have some wanted soldier of fortune strolling in looking for help.
"My car's over here." Face steered her towards his Corvette, as out of place at the club as his suit. Lori stood silently watching him while he opened first her door then his. He slid into his seat and leaned across hers to ask with a smile, "Are you getting in?"
She swallowed, nodded, and slid into her seat closing the door behind her.
"May I ask what a member of the A-Team needs me for?" Lori asked bluntly.
"Lorelei…Lori, you're working on a case of two related kidnappings. I'm here to tell you there's been a third. Murdock is missing from the hospital and no one remembers a thing." Concern was written large on his face.
"Murdock? Damn! I wish I had my notes here. How are we doing on time?" Lori asked, forgetting any questions about the team for a moment, thinking about her case.
"We're almost to your place. Notes? I couldn't find your notes." Face let her know before they got to her place he'd already been through it.
//Smart man, letting me know while he's driving. It's less likely I'll kill him when it would probably kill us both. Of course, he might not be reassured if he knew *what* I am.// Lori thought, looking at Face and knowing she didn't want to hurt him.
"Mmh…well, there are parts of my place that are very hard to find. If you're a good boy tonight, I might let you see some of them." She gave him a smile more shark than sunshine.
Face coughed, and apologized, "Lori…I…we…we're use to looking after ourselves. This is…well…I'm sorry I broke into your place. Forgive me?"
//Heh! Sure you're sorry. You didn't find anything, and I might just be waiting for you to stop the car before I kill you.// Lori was amused by his nervous regret. She liked him. Face was an expert con man so she was supposed to, but she'd met her share even of expert con men, and he didn't set off any of the warnings others had.
"I duunnooo...did you bring me anything besides news of another kidnapping victim?" Lori doubted he had but she wanted to here him say as much.
"I brought myself?" His words were close to fear.
//Maybe he does know what I am.// She tried to decided what he was offering when he said he brought himself.
"Guess that'll have to do." Lori brushed her fingers lightly along his shoulder.
"Oh good. We've arrived." Face told her, before he punched in her security code without asking.
//Oh good? Faceman you are quite the riddle.// She thought, as she let him put the 'vette in her garage.
"Well…let's see…you've brought yourself, and news of another kidnapping victim. Shall I show you where my notes on the case are?" Lori asked him the immediate question, instead of all the others, like where were Hannibal and B.A.
"Lead on." Face placed a hand in the small of her back.
//Now, does this mean he's herding me into Hannibal and B.A.'s waiting charms, or that he's prepared to pay me for my time?// She wondered, not even considering he might only be moving from attempted theft to attempted swindle.
"Well, you were neat." Lori observed dryly, as she turned on the lights and looked around her place. There were no signs of Hannibal and B.A. She reached out and checked the whole house with her senses. There were no signs of Hannibal and B.A., and no signs of Face's search except to her senses.
"Thanks, I do try." He moved by her to stand in the hall and wait for directions.
//You try a lot of things I'm guessing. Just what are you trying tonight though? That's the question.// Lori smiled broadly, as she walked slowly up to him.
"Do you remember the way to my bedroom Face?" She asked, not touching him but breathing in the sent of him.