Title: "Playing With Fire Pt. 5"
Author: Rebecca Bradstreet
Rated: PG-13
Archive: Sure.
Summary: Becca looks at the Daniels' house alone.
Warning: Darkness, and death.
Disclaimer/Notes: This is a Profiler/Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Crossover. I don't own John Grant, Bailey Malone, or any other Profiler character. I don't own Rudolph Storr, Jean-Claude or any other Anitaverse character. I do own Rebecca Belinda "Becca" Drake. After all she is just a dragon version of me. I've included the end of Part Four at the beginning of this part inside <<>>. I use // for thoughts, and ** as emphasis. This isn't beta'd so all mistakes are my own. ;)
"Playing With Fire Pt. 5"
Rebecca Bradstreet (c) 2001St Louis
Café
Friday Feb 23, 2001<<"You are a Special Agent of the FBI. Everything about you is on a need to know basis, and she doesn't need to know," Malone grinned back at her.>>
"She doesn't need to know. Bailey, I think I need to take a look at the first crime scene," Drake told him grimly taking her hand from his.
"The first crime scene?" Malone asked leaning back in his seat studying Becca's bleak expression.
"There's something I'm missing, and I am *not* up to going back into the Merrill's house," she shook her head at the thought of going back into the Merrill's house without John.
"Or up to going back into the warehouse?" Bailey tested. Becca's bark of laughter was harsh painfully close to a sob.
"Bailey, I've known John a week -- one week, and sitting here at this table without him I miss him more than I have ever missed anyone in my entire life. I don't just miss him like a missing friend, or a missing partner -- I miss him like a missing piece of *myself*. I close my eyes, and I can feel him here -- right here. I close my eyes, and I feel him bump his knee against mine to get my attention. I open my eyes to see the smile that should go with the touch, and he isn't here. John will be all right, I'll be all right, *we* might even be all right, but John isn't the only one that's a wreck. I can't sleep through this, but maybe I can work through it. Can I see the first crime scene?" Drake gave Malone a pleading look.
"I'll talk to Dolph," Bailey promised her.
The Daniels' House
Becca got out of the car, and walked up to Detective Sergeant Rudolph Storr. Somehow he hadn't seemed quite so tall when she was standing between John and Bailey. Storr had to be 6'8" and it wasn't just his height he was built like a pro wrestler. Dolph watched Becca get out of the car. Malone had told him Drake was going to stick with the case. He wasn't sure it was a good idea knowing what she'd looked like at the hospital. Getting out of the car Becca looked better, but it was plain that the space next to her where her partner should have been was an open wound.
"You sure you're up to this?" Dolph asked.
"There is a homicidal maniac on the loose I have to be," Drake shrugged uncomfortably. Everybody had to have their turn at giving her a *hard* looking over. Malone had had a turn. Jean-Claude had had a turn. It was definitely Storr's turn.
"Okay," Dolph said, waving her towards the house. Becca was surprised. Oh sure, he had been down right chatty by what she'd seen of him so far, but she was surprised he took her word. Becca walked up to the front door of the Daniels' house, and could almost hear John ask her teasingly, "Going in all by your lonesome?"
//I have to. I have to catch this thing. And, I'm not exactly all by my lonesome. I remember the feel of your hand in mine,// she held her hands at her sides as she began to explore the house. Becca looked at every room in the house, and every scratch left in every room. The monster had torn up each room it had killed in, and it had left scratches at every door that led out of the house.
//What's the matter beastie can't get out?// Drake thought, looking at the scratches by the kitchen door. That could be it. There was no sign of how it got in or out. Maybe it was appearing in the houses, killing for the power to escape, and continuing to be drawn back to wherever it was coming from.
//Is someone holding your leash, or did you kill them and *still* fail to escape your bindings?// Becca was afraid there was no way around it she was going to have to go back into the warehouse.
Becca exited the Daniels' house, and walked up to Storr, "Nobody has noticed any scratches at the crime scenes outside of the homes?"
"No one," Dolph answered her question with slightly more than one syllable.
"I think it's bound in the houses somehow. While it's in them it can't get out of them. I need to take another look at the warehouse," Becca told Storr.
"Not tonight?" Dolph tested.
"Not tonight," Drake confirmed.
"You can look at the warehouse bright and early tomorrow," Storr volunteered. Becca was surprised, and uncertain of what to make of it.
"Bright and early," she echoed.
Hospital
Malone sat in the chair Drake had slept in, and wondered how she'd managed it. Then he remembered she was 4,000 years old she'd probably slept in more uncomfortable positions. Grant was looking better, though Bailey would have worried about his not flirting with the nurses if Malone hadn't seen how John looked at Becca.
"Where is Becca?" Grant asked Bailey once they were alone.
"She's taking her life back," Malone smiled.
"Becca's asked back into the Bureau?" John questioned hopefully.
"She *demanded* her badge back as soon as we were out of here yesterday," Bailey told him.
"She's out there alone," Grant worried.
"Becca loves you. She'll forgive you for missing a few days," Malone stood and squeezed John's shoulder reassuringly.
"I *love* her. I hope she remembers she promised to be careful," Grant's expression was so serious Bailey squeezed John's shoulder again, and smiled, "I'll remind her."
"Bailey, take care of her," Grant's tone was somewhere between a request and an order.
Bailey patted John's shoulder and left his hospital room.
Circus of the Damned
"Not that I am unhappy to see you ma flammeche, but aren't there other places you should be just now?" The Master of the City inquired of Drake.
"A few. Jean-Claude, I have to go back to the warehouse tomorrow." Becca wasn't sure she should tell him, but he knew her better than anyone else in the city. Well maybe not anyone... And, she needed to talk.
"Ah," Jean-Claude responded, motioning his guards to leave them alone in his office. Becca watched the guards go, and wonder if they had any idea what she was. Drake had warned him against using her as a boogie monster to scare...well...anyone, but he knew what she was, and Bailey, and John. Becca was feeling vulnerable in too many ways, and she couldn't see how to undo any of them.
"So you think there is something important yet to be found at the warehouse?" He left unsaid, "After you, I, and the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team have been over it."
"RPIT thinks some kind of a ritual was performed there. If...if John and I exposed some remains there I didn't see... Didn't see when John and I went in, then I have to go back. I have to go back *into* that warehouse Jean-Claude, and I... I..." She leaned forward in her chair covering her face with her hands. He didn't have to take her hands away from her face to know what she was doing. Becca was fighting back fear and frustration. Jean-Claude had seen Drake work cases before; seen her frustrated by a case, and afraid she couldn't solve it. This case was more than any of those. This criminal had to be caught because he'd hurt Becca worse than anyone had in 2,000 years.
"And you will go in and see what is to be seen ma flammeche," Jean-Claude told her firmly, sitting down next to her.
"See what's to be seen. I don't know if I'll be able to see anything in that warehouse beside John's blood on my hands," she held her hands out in front of her as if they where someone else's, or she could see the blood on them sitting there in his office. Jean-Claude reached out and took one of her hands in his squeezing it tight.
"This *thing* it has been killing adults, and children. It kills more and more each time. It is a monster in the truest sense of the word, and you have been fighting such things all your life. This one has hurt you deeply Becca, but don't let it defeat you," he did make her look at him then.
"Jean-Claude, I've never really understood how someone could die of a broken heart before. Now, with John, I need him. I need him so much." She did. He could see it in her eyes. Jean-Claude had seen her fall in love before -- seen her fall in love, and have her heart broken. He knew this one was different, and Becca didn't hold her heart any more John Grant did.
"Have you told him?" With someone else it might have been a foolish question, but Drake...she held so much of herself in. Jean-Claude wondered when she'd spread her wings and flown last.
"I've told him I love him. I told him at the warehouse, and the hospital. He said he loves me. I dunno if I can face him again without catching this thing, and I can't lose him. I can't," Becca's tears weren't falling yet, but they were close.
"Becca, tell him that you need him. After you have faced the warehouse tomorrow if it must wait that long, but tell him," Jean Claude held her hand to his chest, and gave her a toothy grin.
"You've fed recently," she smiled weakly, blinking away her unshed tears.
"Have you eaten recently?" He asked.
"I had breakfast with Bailey, grabbed something to eat before I met with Storr, but I haven't had anything in a while," Becca admitted.
"May I offer you something, or are you expected elsewhere?" Jean-Claude suspected Malone was wondering where she was.
"I should get back to the hotel, Bailey is probably wondering where I am," Drake confessed.
"Ah, then you shouldn't keep Malone waiting, *and* you should remember to *tell* John you need him," Jean-Claude stood, and returned Becca's hand to her.
"I will tell John, but I have to face Bailey and the warehouse first," Becca smiled warily, standing and moving to leave Jean Claude's office.
Hotel
"Where have you been Becca?" Malone demanded as she slipped into his room.
"Mixing business and pleasure," Drake offered hesitantly.
"Business and pleasure?" Bailey repeated as if he hadn't heard her quite right.
"After I looked at the Daniels place I went to see Jean-Claude," Becca told him.
"You went to see the Master of the City because..." Malone probed.
"Because he's an old friend. I said business and pleasure. I told Dolph I'll have to take another look at the warehouse. He said I can do it tomorrow bright and early," she hoped that would be all Bailey needed to hear to understand why she'd gone to Jean-Claude.
"You think there's something at the warehouse you have to see?" Malone asked, his worry shifting from where she'd been to where she was planning on going.
"If there was enough there for Detective Reynolds to suspect a ritual was performed there, yeah, I have to see it. I...I have to go back there anyway. I don't know if I can look John in the eye without facing that warehouse again, and I have to be able to look John in the eye again," Becca let out a breath she'd been holding all the way from the Circus.
"I've been told to remind you you promised John you'd be careful," Bailey smiled watching Drake breathe in and out slowly.
"Yeah, I promised him I'd be careful. Dolph will supervise my visit to the warehouse this time. He's got to be at least 6'8"," Becca grinned at Malone.
"He *is* 6'8" Becca," Bailey grinned back.
Hotel
Saturday Feb 24, 2001"Up and at 'em Becca. Seems the killer struck another family yesterday," Malone banged on the door to Drake's room. Becca leaned out the door to John's room.
"I'm over here Bailey," she blinked at him sleepily.
"5 dead this time," Malone told her walking towards her.
"5 dead...I need to get dressed, and get some coffee into me. Meet you downstairs?" Becca responded pulling her rob tight around her.
"Downstairs. Hurry," Bailey nodded.
Café
"Kids?" Drake asked as she sat down opposite Malone.
"Three. They've got parts of two of them. The third..." Bailey shook his head.
"Let me guess the third was so little the thing ate the kid whole," Becca said, surprised at how calmly she could say it.
"They've got a baby blanket showing the same burn damage as the human remains," Malone looked at her uneasily.
"It started with two adults. Then it tried kid. Now it's after more, and bite sized kids. It is trapped in the houses while it's in them, and it prefers child to adult. As many as it has killed already Bailey it is still weak. If it finds itself a daycare center...the 6 kids it's taken so far will just be a start. Are we going right over to the new crime scene? I still think my next stop should be the warehouse," she didn't expect anything new at the latest crime scene. There was stuff she'd missed at the warehouse.