Title: "Lightning Crashes Part Two"
Author: Rebecca Bradstreet
Rated: PG-13
Archive: Sure.
Summary: David visits the cabin.
Warning: Violence, language.
Disclaimer/Notes: This is a Profiler/Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Crossover. I don't own John Grant, or any other Profiler character. I don't own Asher, or any other Anitaverse character. I do own Rebecca Belinda "Becca" Drake. She is a dragon version of me. I own various other characters that aren't Profiler or ABVH canon. I've included the end of Part One at the beginning of this part inside <<>>. I use // for thoughts, :: for telepathy, and ** as emphasis. This isn't beta'd so all mistakes are my own. ;)
"Lightning Crashes Part Two"
Rebecca Bradstreet (c) 2002Atlanta
Coffee Shop
Friday March 30, 2001<<"That is the question," John and Becca agreed in unison. They started to laugh, and David shook his head smiling.>>
John's Apartment
Saturday March 31, 2001"You know you've been here a week, and you're still living out of a suitcase?" John said to Becca as she walked out of the bathroom trailing steam and wearing his towels. Becca nodded making the wet towel on her head bounce. She sat next to him at the table.
"Yes, but this place doesn't smell the same as it did a week ago," Becca grinned, helping herself to some of his breakfast.
"The bathroom doesn't smell the same. The kitchen doesn't smell the same -- the bed," John smiled at her, and took some of her breakfast.
"I am moving in John. It's just...I don't need a lot of stuff. What I need most is already here," she squeezed one of his hands.
"I'm sure there are a few other things you could use," he countered while he gave her hand a return squeeze.
"If I promise to think about what else I need, can we drop this conversation until after our meeting with David?" Becca asked.
"If you promise, until after the meeting," John allowed.
"Good, I promise," she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss.
"Now that you've reminded me about our meeting with David lets finish breakfast," he suggested.
"Sure," Becca agreed, starting in on her breakfast in earnest.
The Woods
John's Cabin"Maybe I should have ridden with David," she laughed, shaking her head as she got out of the car.
"What?" John asked defensively while he closed his car door.
"Despite your efforts I don't think you lost him," Becca continued to laugh. She also moved to him, put her arms around him, and hugged him tight.
"I wasn't trying to lose him, just seeing how well the wizard can keep up," he admitted, grinning down at her.
"Mmhm...if he hadn't already agreed to help you I'd be more worried. You think we have enough of a lead to do anything with?" Becca smiled up at him mischievously.
"We probably don't have a lot of time, but..." John grinned before he kissed her soundly.
She kissed him back passionately.
Morgan rolled up the driveway and parked his car. David didn't spot John and Becca immediately, when he did he shook his head. They were incorrigible. Morgan had taken some satisfaction in telling Elisheba just how in love her young friend was. The old dragon had some idea but she didn't know. Sooner or later Elisheba would want to meet John Grant herself, but as far as David was concerned getting that meeting set up was her business not his. As Morgan got closer to the love birds he coughed to give them fair warning of his approach. It wasn't as if they had to scramble back into their clothes, but they did have to untangle themselves.
"I see you managed to get here safely," Drake grinned at David as she stepped to Grant's side.
"I did all right. This is a nice place you have here, John," Morgan nodded.
"Thanks. I like to say I built it myself, but I had some help," Grant smiled.
"I don't think the cabin is magical. The land definitely is," Becca told David.
"I felt the magic when I crossed the property line," Morgan admitted.
"You don't think the cabin is magical?" John gave her a disappointed look.
"Not by the definition we're using in this conversation. Try to keep up," Becca grinned before stepping out of his reach.
"I can't say for certain how magical the cabin is or isn't *yet*. I have to get the feel of it just like the land under my feet," David warned. He resisted shaking his head at what was promising to be a long morning.
"Well, the cabin is right up here," Drake smiled at Morgan and Grant, climbing up onto the cabin's deck.
"I think he can see that," John responded, scrambling up to trap her against the deck's railing. He didn't have to hurry. She waited for him.
"David can see a lot of things I can't," Becca cautioned John, leaning her head against his chest.
"You see plenty," Grant whispered softly to her.
"Not enough," Drake shook her head.
"May I see the inside of the cabin?" Morgan asked as he stepped onto the deck.
"Sure," John walked over to unlock the door dragging Becca along with him.
"Thanks," David nodded to them as he slipped through the door into the cabin.
Grant followed on his heels. Drake lingered in the doorway, //I wonder how much David can tell about the land's magic. I can feel it, but...//
John grabbed Becca's arm and pulled her into the cabin. He asked her softly, "Penny for your thoughts?"
"Just wondering what David can sense about the magic here," she answered him quietly.
Morgan ignored their whispering, //It's strange. There is some magic in this cabin as if John put it into his work without even thinking about it, but it doesn't have the same feel as the magic outside.//
David shook his head and turned to face the pair by the door, "There is magic in this cabin. I think it's John's laid in by him while he worked on the cabin. Of course to be certain that it's his I'll need to explore his magic more."
"The cabin *is* magical?" Grant questioned with surprise, glancing at Drake.
Becca closed her eyes and shrugged.
"Yes, it isn't very strong just a taste," Morgan explained.
Becca's eyes snapped open, "A taste?"
"A scent, a feel, it's magic. There isn't exactly one word for how you sense it," David reminded her.
"Explore my magic more?" John repeated.
"You let me come out here so I could see what this place had to tell me about what you are. Right now it's mostly telling me what I already know. You're powerful John, very powerful," Morgan refrained from saying, "You're so powerful your leaking magic past a potent binding spell centered on your magical powers."
"You've already done a reading of John what do you want to do next?" Drake nervously grabbed Grant's hand.
"What I want to do next, if you'll let me Becca, is form a telepathic link with you. I'd like to show you what I see when I look at John's powers so you can help me train him," David had told her that he'd need her trust, now he was asking for it.
Grant squeezed Drake's hand. Becca swallowed her unease, "Okay."
Morgan moved in close to the couple taking Drake's free hand in his, :: Relax, and let me in Becca. ::
:: I'm trying. The magic out there and in here...it's got me rattled, :: Drake admitted to him.
:: We're safe enough in here. The magic in here is John's, :: David promised her.
:: Yeah, in here. Oh my! That's...what's wrong with him? :: Becca asked, trying to understand what she was looking at as she saw Grant with Morgan's power.
:: Someone at some point in John's life laid a powerful binding spell over the center of his magical powers. It never covered everything, and as it's gotten older it's faded around the edges, :: David explained.
:: I bet the damned spell we blundered into in St Louis helped the fraying process, :: Drake frowned.
:: Spell in St Louis? :: David questioned.
:: The last case we worked. I didn't know John had any magical ability. The spell was set to keep witches from finding the remains of a death ritual. We walked right into it and it damn near killed him, :: the anger and pain from Becca were so strong Morgan nearly yanked his hand free of hers.
"Guys?" Grant spoke to them softly as he watched emotions flash across their faces.
"It's okay," they were quick to assure him.
:: The spell probably damaged the binding, but it was fading before then. And, Becca, if it had cut the binding then, there's know telling what might have happened. I can't say for certain what will happen when *we* cut the binding, :: David confessed.
:: When *we* cut the binding? :: Drake repeated.
:: We have to cut it. Sooner or later it will give out on its own without warning. John has to have access to those powers to be able to control them. We have to give him that access, :: Morgan told her firmly.
Becca took a deep breath, :: What do I have to do? ::
:: It would be nice if you left yourself open to me as a power source. What you have to do is keep on holding John's hand, :: David answered sympathetically.
:: Can I look at him with my own eyes while you're cutting the binding? :: Drake asked.
:: Sure, :: Morgan answered as he dropped their telepathic link.
Becca blinked, looked John up and down, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Do I get to know what that's for?" Grant asked her.
"Sure. It's for holding my hand," Drake told him.
David reached out with his power and sliced the binding in two. For a moment he wasn't sure if it was going to fall away. Then the power it had been holding in flared out of John shattering the cut binding. Morgan wasn't exactly sure when or how his butt hit the floor, but he was content to sit for a while and wait for his head to stop spinning.
Becca felt the power crackle over her, and watched as it knocked David down. When John's knees buckled and he started to fall, she moved to catch him, "I've got you. I've got you, John."
"I'm glad one of us does," Grant mumbled.
Drake eased them onto the floor, "We're all still alive, if not standing."
"Oooh...don't mention standing," Morgan groaned holding his head.
"What he said," John agreed from Becca's arms.
"Can I ask if that was a success?" Drake ventured.
"Yes, that was a success, no more binding spell. John has complete access to all of his magical power. And, in case you couldn't guess from the show, he *is* a wizard -- a damned powerful one. I had to leave myself open a bit to see the binding and what was behind it, or I thought I did. It's possible every magic sensitive person in Atlanta felt that," David shook his head and immediately regretted it.
"Are we in danger?" Becca asked holding Grant close.
"Possibly," David answered, trying to focus on Drake.
"No maybe about it folks," a fourth voice declared.
"Grandfather?" John struggled to sit up.
"In the spirit. While I can't fault you folks for wanting to help Johnny get control of his powers, or for cutting the binding here, you've still opened a mighty big can of worms," the specter drifted into view and looked at each of them in turn.
"Did you place the binding spell on him?" Becca questioned warily.
"Me? Girl, if I was the one that set the binding on the boy, I wouldn't have sunk myself into the land here to wait for someone else to cut it," the apparition explained to her impatiently.
"The power out there -- all of it -- was you?" Morgan said dubiously.
"All of it was mine, laid in over fifty years of living on this land. I knew when Johnny's mother was born she had the potential to give birth to nine kinds of trouble. When she ran off and married Patrick O'Doyle I was sure she was going to," the ghost sighed.
"She left Patrick O'Doyle," Grant said each of the words very carefully.
"And that, John, along with the binding she got someone to set on you, is what kept you safe growing up," the specter told him.
"It might have kept him safe growing up, but it stopped keeping him safe a while ago," Drake stated grimly.
"It couldn't keep him safe forever. Truth to tell I thought he'd get the binding cut before now," the ghost admitted.