Haven, Maine, Sunday Fandom time
Feb. 28th, 2021 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
betterthanaplanNathan had apparently been busy while they were away. He and Tommy had picked up a case of a woman with a resurrection trouble who'd been murdering rich people and then extorting their loved ones for cash in exchange for bringing them back. It was a hell of a con, really. Horrifying, but still. Duke had to respect it.
And, well. It was at least a little bit of a relief to know that there was a resurrection trouble in town. Even if it did apparently have a hard time limit. The woman and her sister hadn't made it to one of their victims by sundown, and they stayed dead, despite their family shelling out the cash to bring them back.
Audrey directed Duke to drive them out to some vacation cabins just outside of town. Nathan apparently needed their assistance right away, tracking the two women down. When they pulled up, it was immediately clear why. Tommy was firing after a figure retreating into the forest, and Nathan was on the ground.
Nathan was on the ground, and he wasn't moving.
Nathan was on the ground, not moving, and he was bleeding —
Duke's brain shorted out. He broke into a run without consciously choosing to do so, and only just stopped himself from trying to touch Nathan's wounds. There were two of them, one in the chest and one in the gut. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. The wounds were barely bleeding anymore, and who knew if the blood would even do anything if Duke did touch it, because Nathan was dead.
"It was Noelle," Tommy said. "The troubled girl. She started shooting and he got in the middle!"
Duke looked up sharply.
"By the time I got outside," Tommy said. "I just . . . ."
Audrey sobbed. Duke let his hand come to rest on Nathan's stomach, still careful of the blood staining his shirt. He was still warm, but Duke knew that didn't mean anything. Nix had still been warm, even after Duke had —
It took time for a body to cool, after death. And that was all Nathan was now.
A body.
"Where's the girl that brings people back from the dead?" Audrey asked, shaking Duke out of his dark and spiraling thoughts. "Where's Noelle?"
Tommy sputtered. "Sh-she's the one that shot him!"
"Where is she, Tommy?!"
"She. . . ." Tommy pointed to the woods. Duke got to his feet.
"You were shooting at her!" Audrey realized. "Why would you do that?!"
Duke spared Tommy a quick glare, then dashed into the woods, the way he'd seen Tommy shooting when they'd pulled up.
"Get an APB out on her!" Audrey called. Duke could hear her following, close on his heels. He spotted a flash of red on one of the ferns and waved her over.
"Over here!"
"You did hit her," Audrey said, fury building in her voice as she looked at the blood staining the plant. "Tommy, she's the only one who can bring Nathan back!"
"All right," Duke said, thinking fast. "She's still moving. That means she's still alive. Let's go. She'll head for the main road."
But by the time they got there, the road was empty. No people, no cars, nothing but the three of them as far as they could see.
"Where would she go?" Audrey demanded.
Tommy continued to sputter. "She's . . . she's a paramedic in town."
"They have partners, who's her partner?"
"Uhhhh."
"Come on, Tommy! You investigated her!"
Duke felt a small glimmer of vindication, under his grief and rage and fear. At least, someone else was seeing how totally incompetent Tommy Bowen was as a cop.
"I know, I know," Tommy said, raising his hands. "Look, it's a guy. And his name's Joseph Brentner. He's her boyfriend too, they live together."
"Okay." Audrey nodded sharply. "This is what we're going to do. We're going to get Nathan to Noelle and she's gonna do her thing. I wanna get a cruiser to their apartment."
"Wait, Audrey, maybe we should handle this ourselves," Tommy said. Duke shot him a sharp look. Tommy hurried on. "Because if word got out that Nathan died, it could be hard to explain if we get him back."
Audrey glared. "When we bring him back."
"Audrey. . . ." Duke said softly. He looked up at the afternoon sky. "Sunset's at 7:47."
Audrey nodded. "We've got two and a half hours to find Noelle."
They caught up with Brentner outside the home he shared with Noelle, watching him from the shadows to keep from spooking him or tipping him off. Audrey told Tommy to notify the roadblocks to let him through, and she and Duke hurried back to his truck to tail him. They followed him back out into the countryside, to another of the large, well-appointed vacation cabins that lined the woods. They broke in the back while he went in the front, and Audrey cornered him against the wall, ordering Duke to keep an eye on him while Tommy and Audrey searched the rest of the house for Noelle.
Duke stared at Brentner, a man who, as far as he knew, had done nothing more than love a troubled woman. And found that he hated the man.
"You'd better pray your girlfriend can bring my friend back to life," he said, voice low and dark. Brentner stared back at him and swallowed, then slowly nodded.
Noelle was dead. Tommy had found her in the basement, apparently having succumbed to the bullet wounds he had put in her. He was sorry, he claimed, so very sorry, the Chief had been a good man — but Audrey wasn't hearing a word of it. She ordered them to bring Noelle, to put her into the trunk of Tommy's car alongside Nathan. Duke stared down at the two of them — the two bodies — lying sprawled against each other in the tight space.
"Audrey," he said, swallowing. "I know why we brought Nathan, but why are we keeping her?"
"We might need her."
Duke wondered if she'd finally lost her mind. But she looked so determined. "What's the plan?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But we can't just — sit here."
"Noelle's gone," Tommy said, not as soft as he seemed to think. "No way to bring back the Chief now, right?"
Audrey started searching through Noelle's pockets, and pulled out a ziplock baggie full of IDs and passports and a little journal.
"Of course," she said. "The sister! We've got to find her."
Tommy frowned. "Why?"
"Troubles run in families! So if Noelle can bring people back from the dead so can her sister. What's her name?"
"Moira. But uh, she can't do it, that's why she's using her sister."
"Well, then, we'll bring out her trouble," Audrey said. She pulled out the notebook, throwing the rest of the papers back into the trunk.
"We can do that?" Tommy asked.
"We can try."
Audrey flipped through Moira's notebook, her expression hard. Duke reminded himself never to put himself between her and her goals. Especially where Nathan was concerned. She pointed to a list of names and addresses, noting that some were marked as being on vacation. Including the house they'd found Noelle and her boyfriend in.
"That's why she came here," Duke realized. "She knew it'd be empty. It's the perfect place to hide." He'd managed the same trick once or twice in his time, though he'd never been in quite as good a position to know when people were out of town as the sisters, with their housekeeping business.
There were two other houses the sisters could be using. Audrey ordered Duke to go with Tommy and search one, while she took on the other. It was the second time she'd paired the two of them up, and Duke didn't expect it to go much better this time than it had in the haunted house, but he didn't argue.
Audrey wouldn't have listened, anyway. The only thing she was thinking about was bringing Nathan back. Troubles required a big emotional response to trigger them, Duke knew.
Audrey was going to traumatize Moira.
It took him and Tommy a bit to find the house; by the time they were pulling up, Audrey was calling to update him on what she'd found.
"Duke," she said, voice low and fast. "Don't react to what I'm about to say. I have Moira here. She told me that Tommy killed Nathan." Duke's heart sank, though he couldn't claim to be surprised, exactly. Then Audrey continued: "She told me that Tommy's the bolt gun killer."
That — that was a surprise. He was careful to keep it off his face. "Are you sure?"
"Her story makes sense," she said. "Tommy's been acting weird all day."
Tommy had been acting weird since the moment he'd shown up, in Duke's opinion. He was also looking back at Duke over his shoulder, so all he said was "Okay."
"You keep Tommy away," Audrey said. "I'll trigger Moira's curse, get her to bring Nathan back. And when he's okay. . . ."
"Yeah."
"Take Tommy down."
Duke's grip tightened a little on his phone. He wondered when he'd become Audrey's personal assassin.
He was pissed enough that he didn't think he minded, though. Not right now.
"Got it," he said, and hung up. He held up the phone and gave Tommy a shrug. "She struck out. That ups the odds that Moira's here, we should keep looking for her."
"Took her that long to say that?" Tommy asked.
"Girls," Duke said. Wincing slightly on the inside for the terrible cover. "She was . . . still talking when I hung up."
"Yeah." Tommy snorted and nodded. "Yeah, I bet. Alright, let's find Moira."
"Yeah. . . ." Duke patted his pockets. He hadn't been able to carry any of his usual weaponry onto the planes, and hadn't thought to grab any from the truck. He didn't think he could take Tommy out barehanded, not like he had Nix (Nix's eyes, glazed and confused, his chest heaving as he fought to breathe past Duke's hand —). He needed a weapon. "Wait, you know . . . What if Moira has a gun, you know? You got like a — a back up piece you could lend me?"
Tommy gave him a sidelong look. "Nahhhhhhhh. No can do. Regulations, you know? You're not a cop."
Sure. Now he was concerned with procedure. Typical. Duke supposed it was too much to hope that he'd just hand Duke the means to take him down, though. "Whatever. Why don't you take a look inside, I'll . . . keep poking around out here."
Tommy watched him for another beat, then shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He headed off. Duke looked around, spotting a hatchet buried in a nearby stump, and went to pull it free.
Tommy paused, looking back at him. "What are you doing?"
"I told you. This chick could be dangerous. And since you won't give me a gun. . . ." Duke hefted the hatchet.
". . . So you're gonna chop her head off with a hatchet?" Tommy asked, amused.
"Better than flipping her off."
Tommy pulled a second gun from the back of his pants. Duke backed off a step, sucking in a breath. Tommy lifted an eyebrow, then flipped it in his hand, offering it butt first. Duke took it hesitantly.
"What happened to regulations?"
"Screw regulations." He turned to head back inside.
Duke blinked. " . . . Thank you." He looked at the hatchet in one hand, the gun in the other.
Well. At least he had some options.
The house was empty, but Duke hadn't heard from Audrey — or hopefully Nathan — yet. He needed to stall. He pointed to the detached garage behind the house, and let Tommy file in in front of him as they searched.
"Moira's not in here," Tommy siad.
"We need to be sure," Duke told him.
"A lot riding on finding her," Tommy observed. "How was Colorado?"
Why the fuck was he asking about Colorado? Right. The bolt gun killer was after the Colorado Kid. "Hilly," Duke said. He found himself in front of Tommy, and half-turned to keep him in his sights.
"You guys were investigating the Colorado Kid case, right?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, we didn't find anything." Duke stopped, letting Tommy move past him again. "27 years leaves a trail pretty cold."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. Worked a couple cold cases in my day. Very frustrating." He stopped as they cleared the shelves and moved into the open space where the car likely sat, when the owners were home. He tucked his gun away in its holster. "But you guys didn't find anything?"
Duke stopped, his back to the garage door. ". . . You're right. She's not here. Let's look someplace else."
He tucked the gun into his waistband, and turned towards the door.
"You're a bad liar," Tommy said.
Duke froze, then grabbed the gun again, turning and cocking it in one movement. "You're the bolt gun killer. Nathan figured it out. That's why you killed him."
Tommy shook his head. "Bolt gun killer. I don't like that. It's too on the nose."
Duke grit his teeth. "Why are you killing women?"
"Uh uh. It's my turn. You and Audrey. Did you find the Cogans?"
"Dad was dead. Mom's got Alzheimers, doesn't know anything about the Colorado Kid."
Tommy's nostrils flared. He grimaced. That had apparently not been the answer he was hoping for.
"Why are you so interested in a drifter that died almost 30 years ago?" Duke asked.
"Shut your mouth! Put the damn gun down. It's not loaded."
He slowly approached. Duke let him, taking his finger off the trigger.
"I know," Duke said. He tossed the empty gun aside and swung the ax he still carried instead. Tommy ducked into his reach and grabbed his arm, forcing him to let it go. Duke leaned around him and pulled Tommy's police issue pistol from his holster. Tommy jerked his elbow back before Duke could get a good grip, and the gun went flying across the garage, even as Tommy threw Duke to the floor. Duke rolled back to his feet, and they circled each other, both with their hands up. Like a pair of boxers, if one of the boxers (both of them, maybe) happened to be a serial killer.
Then one of Duke's blows drew blood, and a familiar warm, angry feeling washed over him. He watched Tommy's blood vanish into his fist, then looked up at him, breathing through the feeling.
"You're troubled."
And an idiot, clearly, as Tommy chose to charge directly at Duke. He caught him easily and threw him back before the effect of his trouble faded. Tommy scrambled back, and before Duke realized his mistake, he had his hands on the loaded gun. He got up, backing towards the door — and then screeched in pain and dropped to the floor.
Nathan's angry goth girlfriend, Jordan, came in. Her touch caused excruciating pain, Duke remembered — and then experienced himself, as Tommy managed to throw Jordan forward into Duke. It was barely a brush, but it was like a jolt of lightning straight through him. Duke managed to scramble away, howling.
"That frickin' hurt!"
There was the sound of an engine starting up outside, and Jordan stared at Duke, eyes wide. "I left my keys in my car!"
What a genius. Duke scowled. "We'll go after him in mine."
Jordan shook her head. "We can't go after him. Audrey needs your help right now to save Nathan."
Duke never found out how Jordan knew where to find them, but he was glad she did. They made it to the other house with only maybe ten minutes to spare before sundown. Duke heard a gunshot as he came in, and a bolt of terror ripped through him. If he lost Audrey today as well as Nathan — he rushed into the living room to find Audrey standing over a dark haired woman in glasses, who was cuffed to the chair. Nathan and Noelle lay on the floor, and there was a smoking hole in the rug by the woman's — Moira's — side.
Audrey barely glanced up at them. "Where's Tommy?"
"He got away," Jordan said. "For now."
Duke took in the room again, frowning. "What's going on?"
Audrey nodded to Moira. "Trying to activate her trouble."
Duke looked at the gun in her hand and the hole in the floor, and once again reminded himself to never get between Audrey and something she wanted. "Did it work?"
"You tell me, Duke. Can you check her blood? Tell me if she's troubled now?"
Moira cringed away from Duke. "What?"
Duke didn't answer, just ducked into the kitchen for a knife. Moira started screaming as he approached. "No! Get away from me! Get away from m — ow!"
Duke had pressed the knife into her hand. He wiped the blood off the blade onto his palm and watched it for a long moment, braced for the wave. Nothing happened.
"She's not troubled."
Audrey sucked in a breath, looking moments from breaking. Then she set her jaw and stormed across the room, thrusting the barrel of her gun into the woman's stomach.
"You thought I was bluffing?!"
Moira nodded. "Yeah."
"That's why it didn't work," Audrey hissed. "Because you didn't believe me. So this time I am going to shoot you."
Shit. Shit shit shit — this was too much. Duke leaned in, trying to draw Audrey's attention. "Audrey, what are you doing?"
"Duke, we are running out of time, okay," she said in a rush. "I need to do something."
"Does it make you feel crazy?" Moira asked. "Because that's how I felt that night, waking up in my dad's truck with my sister sitting next to me crying. And my dad gone. Forever."
Duke looked back at her. She blamed her sister for not bringing back her dad? Why the fuck did the sister even stick around?
"You woke up in a truck?" Audrey asked.
"Yeah," Moira said.
"But the police report said it looked like you were ejected from the vehicle."
Moira shook her head. "I was knocked unconscious in the truck. One of my dad's toolboxes hit me in the back of the head."
Audrey's eyes went wide. She tucked the gun away and hurried to Moira, uncuffing her from the chair. Duke felt like he'd completely lost the thread of the plot.
"Audrey," he said again. "What are you doing?!"
"Show me where," Audrey said. Moira lifted her hair off the back of her neck. Audrey looked, then rushed over to where Noelle's body lay, checking the same spot on her scalp.
"Moira," she said. "You weren't unconscious. You were dead."
Moira frowned. "What?"
"Your sister, she has the same scar. She brought you back."
Moira shook her head slowly, horror slowly creeping across her face. "No. Because that would mean . . . That would mean that she saved me, and not our dad."
"Why didn't she bring your dad back too?" Audrey asked,.
"Because she — she couldn't," Moira's breath roughened, her words growing choked as she tried to hold back a sob. "Dad . . . always told her that. . . if she saved two lives in one day, that it might not work. It could be fatal. So she could only save . . . one of us."
"But she chose you," Audrey said, using that even, sympathetic voice. Her trouble-soothing voice. "Her sister."
"Oh my god." The sob escaped. "All these years, I've — I've made her life hell! All — all because she — she saved my life?!"
"Do you love your sister now, Moira?" Audrey asked.
"Yes." Moira nodded and shook. "The wrong one of us is dead!" She looked over her shoulder, out the window. Duke followed her gaze and saw the red glow of sunset.
They were out of time.
"Oh my god." Moira scrambled forward. "I hope I'm not too late!"
She landed between the two bodies, pressing a hand to both their foreheads, but nothing happened. She let out another choked sob and fell back, leaning into the chair she'd just been cuffed to. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.
Duke couldn't take it. He couldn't just stand here and watch a woman grieve. He crouched down next to her, resting his hand on her arm, as she bawled into the chair. On the other side of the room, Audrey flung herself down onto Nathan.
"Nathan," she cried. "I was the one who was supposed to — I was supposed to go." She screwed her eyes shut, tears slipping out past her lids, then looked at him again. "I've always loved you," she said, like a whisper. Like a prayer. "I always will love you."
Duke chanced a glance at Jordan. She was trying not to stare at Audrey and Nathan, her jaw tight. Duke realized he knew just how she felt. He let go of Moira, running his hand down her arm, and started towards Jordan, then stopped and blinked at his hand.
At Moira's blood on it.
Disappearing into his skin.
"Audrey. . . ." he said, barely daring to breathe. He looked up at her as his trouble washed over him. Audrey gasped, and he smiled.
Moira jerked on the floor and groaned. Blood bloomed on her stomach and chest, the same wounds that had killed Nathan and Noelle. Duke didn't dare touch her again, so he looked to the bodies.
Nathan's eyes were open. He was gazing up at Audrey. "Hey, Parker. Where's the funeral?"
The sounds Audrey and Jordan made were both equal parts laugh and sob. Two women in love with Nathan, both desperately relieved to see him alive again. Duke let out a breath as the wash of his trouble faded again. Audrey glanced up at Jordan, then backed off, letting her rush forward and pull Nathan into her arms. Audrey folded her arms over her chest, looking guilty, and glanced at Duke. Duke bit his lip and just looked back.
She'd made her choice. Jordan might be with Nathan now, but Duke had seen the way Nathan looked at Audrey. He was head over heels in love with her, too. Neither Jordan nor Duke ever stood a chance.
That was fine. It was better, even. Duke was happy to be Audrey's friend. He had plenty of love, back in Fandom.
Assuming Octavia and Lucifer were okay. Assuming they'd forgive him for kissing Audrey in Colorado.
Assuming he ever made it out of Haven again alive.
Noelle sat up with a gasp.
"Oh my god, Moira!"
Duke looked over at the woman, who lay crumpled now against the chair, unconscious or maybe dead now herself.
"She saved you," he said helplessly.
"And him too?" Noelle asked sharply. "She brought two people back at once, it'll kill her!"
She rushed to Moira's side, grabbing her hand. Moira opened her eyes and stared up at her.
"You saved my life . . . and not Dad's."
Noelle nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Moira asked.
Noelle smiled shakily. "I didn't want you to feel guilty."
"Oh, Noelle."
"Should I have told you?"
"Things. . . . . would have been so much better . . . . with my sister."
Noelle clinged to her hand as her eyes fell shut again. Duke swallowed and looked away, feeling like a voyeur on everybody's grief. Then Nathan startled upright.
"Parker," he gasped. "Where's Tommy?!"
Duke let them handle Tommy. He headed to the Gull and tried to call Octavia and Lucifer. Considered trying Claire or Gloria. Had no idea what he'd say to any of them.
I fell in love with a magical girl FBI agent. She's in love with my ex. He died, but now he's alive again, and the town cleaner is going to move the woman who brought him back into hiding because their trouble is too powerful.
I'm sorry.
I'm going to die here.
I miss you.
I love you.
There was too much in his head. Duke grabbed a skillet, put on some Bob Marley, and took a page from Lucifer's book when it came to needing to avoid thinking.
He threw a party.
His instruments were all back on the Rouge, but it turned out Manny had a ukulele of his own he was willing to lend Duke. So Duke camped out on the steps to the upper deck, idly strumming, surrounded by happy people, determined to have a good time.
He grinned up at Audrey as she approached, after seeing Noelle and Moira off with Dwight. "Nathan's welcome back from the dead party is in full swing."
Audrey looked around with a smile. "What's the public reason for the party?"
Duke gave her a wide, innocent look. "Taco Tuesday."
"Oh." Audrey nodded with an amused smirk.
"Not thinking about skipping out, are you?" Duke asked.
"I wouldn't dream of it. I need a little more fun in my life."
"Ah." Duke strummed a chord. "I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
Audrey nodded. She glanced away. She looked back.
"About Colorado."
Duke kept his expression deliberately light and breezy. "Yeah, it all worked out for the best. We made it home in time to save Nathan's life. It's all good."
Audrey didn't look like she believed him. She definitely looked like she wanted to press the subject, but luckily, a certain therapist happened to wander over just then.
"Oooo, awkwardness and tension," she said, looking between the two of them. "I'd ask some intrusive questions, but . . . I'm off duty."
Both Duke and Audrey avoided looking at her.
" . . . Okay, I'll ask some intrusive questions," Claire decided, sounding far too cheerful. Duke shook his head and pushed away from the stairs.
"You know," he said. "I think I'm going to let Audrey catch you up on this one. Tacos aren't going to make themselves, now!"
Claire and Audrey watched him go, one looking thoughtful, the other faintly guilty. Well, Claire could sort that out for Audrey. And then not tell him a word about it when she swung by his boat tomorrow morning.
Duke was going to go make his friend Nathan some goddamn friendly tacos.
[NFB, NFI, OOC welcome. Adapted from Haven 3x08, "Magic Hour part 2". CW for danger, death, and some psychological torture]
And, well. It was at least a little bit of a relief to know that there was a resurrection trouble in town. Even if it did apparently have a hard time limit. The woman and her sister hadn't made it to one of their victims by sundown, and they stayed dead, despite their family shelling out the cash to bring them back.
Audrey directed Duke to drive them out to some vacation cabins just outside of town. Nathan apparently needed their assistance right away, tracking the two women down. When they pulled up, it was immediately clear why. Tommy was firing after a figure retreating into the forest, and Nathan was on the ground.
Nathan was on the ground, and he wasn't moving.
Nathan was on the ground, not moving, and he was bleeding —
Duke's brain shorted out. He broke into a run without consciously choosing to do so, and only just stopped himself from trying to touch Nathan's wounds. There were two of them, one in the chest and one in the gut. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. The wounds were barely bleeding anymore, and who knew if the blood would even do anything if Duke did touch it, because Nathan was dead.
"It was Noelle," Tommy said. "The troubled girl. She started shooting and he got in the middle!"
Duke looked up sharply.
"By the time I got outside," Tommy said. "I just . . . ."
Audrey sobbed. Duke let his hand come to rest on Nathan's stomach, still careful of the blood staining his shirt. He was still warm, but Duke knew that didn't mean anything. Nix had still been warm, even after Duke had —
It took time for a body to cool, after death. And that was all Nathan was now.
A body.
"Where's the girl that brings people back from the dead?" Audrey asked, shaking Duke out of his dark and spiraling thoughts. "Where's Noelle?"
Tommy sputtered. "Sh-she's the one that shot him!"
"Where is she, Tommy?!"
"She. . . ." Tommy pointed to the woods. Duke got to his feet.
"You were shooting at her!" Audrey realized. "Why would you do that?!"
Duke spared Tommy a quick glare, then dashed into the woods, the way he'd seen Tommy shooting when they'd pulled up.
"Get an APB out on her!" Audrey called. Duke could hear her following, close on his heels. He spotted a flash of red on one of the ferns and waved her over.
"Over here!"
"You did hit her," Audrey said, fury building in her voice as she looked at the blood staining the plant. "Tommy, she's the only one who can bring Nathan back!"
"All right," Duke said, thinking fast. "She's still moving. That means she's still alive. Let's go. She'll head for the main road."
But by the time they got there, the road was empty. No people, no cars, nothing but the three of them as far as they could see.
"Where would she go?" Audrey demanded.
Tommy continued to sputter. "She's . . . she's a paramedic in town."
"They have partners, who's her partner?"
"Uhhhh."
"Come on, Tommy! You investigated her!"
Duke felt a small glimmer of vindication, under his grief and rage and fear. At least, someone else was seeing how totally incompetent Tommy Bowen was as a cop.
"I know, I know," Tommy said, raising his hands. "Look, it's a guy. And his name's Joseph Brentner. He's her boyfriend too, they live together."
"Okay." Audrey nodded sharply. "This is what we're going to do. We're going to get Nathan to Noelle and she's gonna do her thing. I wanna get a cruiser to their apartment."
"Wait, Audrey, maybe we should handle this ourselves," Tommy said. Duke shot him a sharp look. Tommy hurried on. "Because if word got out that Nathan died, it could be hard to explain if we get him back."
Audrey glared. "When we bring him back."
"Audrey. . . ." Duke said softly. He looked up at the afternoon sky. "Sunset's at 7:47."
Audrey nodded. "We've got two and a half hours to find Noelle."
They caught up with Brentner outside the home he shared with Noelle, watching him from the shadows to keep from spooking him or tipping him off. Audrey told Tommy to notify the roadblocks to let him through, and she and Duke hurried back to his truck to tail him. They followed him back out into the countryside, to another of the large, well-appointed vacation cabins that lined the woods. They broke in the back while he went in the front, and Audrey cornered him against the wall, ordering Duke to keep an eye on him while Tommy and Audrey searched the rest of the house for Noelle.
Duke stared at Brentner, a man who, as far as he knew, had done nothing more than love a troubled woman. And found that he hated the man.
"You'd better pray your girlfriend can bring my friend back to life," he said, voice low and dark. Brentner stared back at him and swallowed, then slowly nodded.
Noelle was dead. Tommy had found her in the basement, apparently having succumbed to the bullet wounds he had put in her. He was sorry, he claimed, so very sorry, the Chief had been a good man — but Audrey wasn't hearing a word of it. She ordered them to bring Noelle, to put her into the trunk of Tommy's car alongside Nathan. Duke stared down at the two of them — the two bodies — lying sprawled against each other in the tight space.
"Audrey," he said, swallowing. "I know why we brought Nathan, but why are we keeping her?"
"We might need her."
Duke wondered if she'd finally lost her mind. But she looked so determined. "What's the plan?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But we can't just — sit here."
"Noelle's gone," Tommy said, not as soft as he seemed to think. "No way to bring back the Chief now, right?"
Audrey started searching through Noelle's pockets, and pulled out a ziplock baggie full of IDs and passports and a little journal.
"Of course," she said. "The sister! We've got to find her."
Tommy frowned. "Why?"
"Troubles run in families! So if Noelle can bring people back from the dead so can her sister. What's her name?"
"Moira. But uh, she can't do it, that's why she's using her sister."
"Well, then, we'll bring out her trouble," Audrey said. She pulled out the notebook, throwing the rest of the papers back into the trunk.
"We can do that?" Tommy asked.
"We can try."
Audrey flipped through Moira's notebook, her expression hard. Duke reminded himself never to put himself between her and her goals. Especially where Nathan was concerned. She pointed to a list of names and addresses, noting that some were marked as being on vacation. Including the house they'd found Noelle and her boyfriend in.
"That's why she came here," Duke realized. "She knew it'd be empty. It's the perfect place to hide." He'd managed the same trick once or twice in his time, though he'd never been in quite as good a position to know when people were out of town as the sisters, with their housekeeping business.
There were two other houses the sisters could be using. Audrey ordered Duke to go with Tommy and search one, while she took on the other. It was the second time she'd paired the two of them up, and Duke didn't expect it to go much better this time than it had in the haunted house, but he didn't argue.
Audrey wouldn't have listened, anyway. The only thing she was thinking about was bringing Nathan back. Troubles required a big emotional response to trigger them, Duke knew.
Audrey was going to traumatize Moira.
It took him and Tommy a bit to find the house; by the time they were pulling up, Audrey was calling to update him on what she'd found.
"Duke," she said, voice low and fast. "Don't react to what I'm about to say. I have Moira here. She told me that Tommy killed Nathan." Duke's heart sank, though he couldn't claim to be surprised, exactly. Then Audrey continued: "She told me that Tommy's the bolt gun killer."
That — that was a surprise. He was careful to keep it off his face. "Are you sure?"
"Her story makes sense," she said. "Tommy's been acting weird all day."
Tommy had been acting weird since the moment he'd shown up, in Duke's opinion. He was also looking back at Duke over his shoulder, so all he said was "Okay."
"You keep Tommy away," Audrey said. "I'll trigger Moira's curse, get her to bring Nathan back. And when he's okay. . . ."
"Yeah."
"Take Tommy down."
Duke's grip tightened a little on his phone. He wondered when he'd become Audrey's personal assassin.
He was pissed enough that he didn't think he minded, though. Not right now.
"Got it," he said, and hung up. He held up the phone and gave Tommy a shrug. "She struck out. That ups the odds that Moira's here, we should keep looking for her."
"Took her that long to say that?" Tommy asked.
"Girls," Duke said. Wincing slightly on the inside for the terrible cover. "She was . . . still talking when I hung up."
"Yeah." Tommy snorted and nodded. "Yeah, I bet. Alright, let's find Moira."
"Yeah. . . ." Duke patted his pockets. He hadn't been able to carry any of his usual weaponry onto the planes, and hadn't thought to grab any from the truck. He didn't think he could take Tommy out barehanded, not like he had Nix (Nix's eyes, glazed and confused, his chest heaving as he fought to breathe past Duke's hand —). He needed a weapon. "Wait, you know . . . What if Moira has a gun, you know? You got like a — a back up piece you could lend me?"
Tommy gave him a sidelong look. "Nahhhhhhhh. No can do. Regulations, you know? You're not a cop."
Sure. Now he was concerned with procedure. Typical. Duke supposed it was too much to hope that he'd just hand Duke the means to take him down, though. "Whatever. Why don't you take a look inside, I'll . . . keep poking around out here."
Tommy watched him for another beat, then shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He headed off. Duke looked around, spotting a hatchet buried in a nearby stump, and went to pull it free.
Tommy paused, looking back at him. "What are you doing?"
"I told you. This chick could be dangerous. And since you won't give me a gun. . . ." Duke hefted the hatchet.
". . . So you're gonna chop her head off with a hatchet?" Tommy asked, amused.
"Better than flipping her off."
Tommy pulled a second gun from the back of his pants. Duke backed off a step, sucking in a breath. Tommy lifted an eyebrow, then flipped it in his hand, offering it butt first. Duke took it hesitantly.
"What happened to regulations?"
"Screw regulations." He turned to head back inside.
Duke blinked. " . . . Thank you." He looked at the hatchet in one hand, the gun in the other.
Well. At least he had some options.
The house was empty, but Duke hadn't heard from Audrey — or hopefully Nathan — yet. He needed to stall. He pointed to the detached garage behind the house, and let Tommy file in in front of him as they searched.
"Moira's not in here," Tommy siad.
"We need to be sure," Duke told him.
"A lot riding on finding her," Tommy observed. "How was Colorado?"
Why the fuck was he asking about Colorado? Right. The bolt gun killer was after the Colorado Kid. "Hilly," Duke said. He found himself in front of Tommy, and half-turned to keep him in his sights.
"You guys were investigating the Colorado Kid case, right?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, we didn't find anything." Duke stopped, letting Tommy move past him again. "27 years leaves a trail pretty cold."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. Worked a couple cold cases in my day. Very frustrating." He stopped as they cleared the shelves and moved into the open space where the car likely sat, when the owners were home. He tucked his gun away in its holster. "But you guys didn't find anything?"
Duke stopped, his back to the garage door. ". . . You're right. She's not here. Let's look someplace else."
He tucked the gun into his waistband, and turned towards the door.
"You're a bad liar," Tommy said.
Duke froze, then grabbed the gun again, turning and cocking it in one movement. "You're the bolt gun killer. Nathan figured it out. That's why you killed him."
Tommy shook his head. "Bolt gun killer. I don't like that. It's too on the nose."
Duke grit his teeth. "Why are you killing women?"
"Uh uh. It's my turn. You and Audrey. Did you find the Cogans?"
"Dad was dead. Mom's got Alzheimers, doesn't know anything about the Colorado Kid."
Tommy's nostrils flared. He grimaced. That had apparently not been the answer he was hoping for.
"Why are you so interested in a drifter that died almost 30 years ago?" Duke asked.
"Shut your mouth! Put the damn gun down. It's not loaded."
He slowly approached. Duke let him, taking his finger off the trigger.
"I know," Duke said. He tossed the empty gun aside and swung the ax he still carried instead. Tommy ducked into his reach and grabbed his arm, forcing him to let it go. Duke leaned around him and pulled Tommy's police issue pistol from his holster. Tommy jerked his elbow back before Duke could get a good grip, and the gun went flying across the garage, even as Tommy threw Duke to the floor. Duke rolled back to his feet, and they circled each other, both with their hands up. Like a pair of boxers, if one of the boxers (both of them, maybe) happened to be a serial killer.
Then one of Duke's blows drew blood, and a familiar warm, angry feeling washed over him. He watched Tommy's blood vanish into his fist, then looked up at him, breathing through the feeling.
"You're troubled."
And an idiot, clearly, as Tommy chose to charge directly at Duke. He caught him easily and threw him back before the effect of his trouble faded. Tommy scrambled back, and before Duke realized his mistake, he had his hands on the loaded gun. He got up, backing towards the door — and then screeched in pain and dropped to the floor.
Nathan's angry goth girlfriend, Jordan, came in. Her touch caused excruciating pain, Duke remembered — and then experienced himself, as Tommy managed to throw Jordan forward into Duke. It was barely a brush, but it was like a jolt of lightning straight through him. Duke managed to scramble away, howling.
"That frickin' hurt!"
There was the sound of an engine starting up outside, and Jordan stared at Duke, eyes wide. "I left my keys in my car!"
What a genius. Duke scowled. "We'll go after him in mine."
Jordan shook her head. "We can't go after him. Audrey needs your help right now to save Nathan."
Duke never found out how Jordan knew where to find them, but he was glad she did. They made it to the other house with only maybe ten minutes to spare before sundown. Duke heard a gunshot as he came in, and a bolt of terror ripped through him. If he lost Audrey today as well as Nathan — he rushed into the living room to find Audrey standing over a dark haired woman in glasses, who was cuffed to the chair. Nathan and Noelle lay on the floor, and there was a smoking hole in the rug by the woman's — Moira's — side.
Audrey barely glanced up at them. "Where's Tommy?"
"He got away," Jordan said. "For now."
Duke took in the room again, frowning. "What's going on?"
Audrey nodded to Moira. "Trying to activate her trouble."
Duke looked at the gun in her hand and the hole in the floor, and once again reminded himself to never get between Audrey and something she wanted. "Did it work?"
"You tell me, Duke. Can you check her blood? Tell me if she's troubled now?"
Moira cringed away from Duke. "What?"
Duke didn't answer, just ducked into the kitchen for a knife. Moira started screaming as he approached. "No! Get away from me! Get away from m — ow!"
Duke had pressed the knife into her hand. He wiped the blood off the blade onto his palm and watched it for a long moment, braced for the wave. Nothing happened.
"She's not troubled."
Audrey sucked in a breath, looking moments from breaking. Then she set her jaw and stormed across the room, thrusting the barrel of her gun into the woman's stomach.
"You thought I was bluffing?!"
Moira nodded. "Yeah."
"That's why it didn't work," Audrey hissed. "Because you didn't believe me. So this time I am going to shoot you."
Shit. Shit shit shit — this was too much. Duke leaned in, trying to draw Audrey's attention. "Audrey, what are you doing?"
"Duke, we are running out of time, okay," she said in a rush. "I need to do something."
"Does it make you feel crazy?" Moira asked. "Because that's how I felt that night, waking up in my dad's truck with my sister sitting next to me crying. And my dad gone. Forever."
Duke looked back at her. She blamed her sister for not bringing back her dad? Why the fuck did the sister even stick around?
"You woke up in a truck?" Audrey asked.
"Yeah," Moira said.
"But the police report said it looked like you were ejected from the vehicle."
Moira shook her head. "I was knocked unconscious in the truck. One of my dad's toolboxes hit me in the back of the head."
Audrey's eyes went wide. She tucked the gun away and hurried to Moira, uncuffing her from the chair. Duke felt like he'd completely lost the thread of the plot.
"Audrey," he said again. "What are you doing?!"
"Show me where," Audrey said. Moira lifted her hair off the back of her neck. Audrey looked, then rushed over to where Noelle's body lay, checking the same spot on her scalp.
"Moira," she said. "You weren't unconscious. You were dead."
Moira frowned. "What?"
"Your sister, she has the same scar. She brought you back."
Moira shook her head slowly, horror slowly creeping across her face. "No. Because that would mean . . . That would mean that she saved me, and not our dad."
"Why didn't she bring your dad back too?" Audrey asked,.
"Because she — she couldn't," Moira's breath roughened, her words growing choked as she tried to hold back a sob. "Dad . . . always told her that. . . if she saved two lives in one day, that it might not work. It could be fatal. So she could only save . . . one of us."
"But she chose you," Audrey said, using that even, sympathetic voice. Her trouble-soothing voice. "Her sister."
"Oh my god." The sob escaped. "All these years, I've — I've made her life hell! All — all because she — she saved my life?!"
"Do you love your sister now, Moira?" Audrey asked.
"Yes." Moira nodded and shook. "The wrong one of us is dead!" She looked over her shoulder, out the window. Duke followed her gaze and saw the red glow of sunset.
They were out of time.
"Oh my god." Moira scrambled forward. "I hope I'm not too late!"
She landed between the two bodies, pressing a hand to both their foreheads, but nothing happened. She let out another choked sob and fell back, leaning into the chair she'd just been cuffed to. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.
Duke couldn't take it. He couldn't just stand here and watch a woman grieve. He crouched down next to her, resting his hand on her arm, as she bawled into the chair. On the other side of the room, Audrey flung herself down onto Nathan.
"Nathan," she cried. "I was the one who was supposed to — I was supposed to go." She screwed her eyes shut, tears slipping out past her lids, then looked at him again. "I've always loved you," she said, like a whisper. Like a prayer. "I always will love you."
Duke chanced a glance at Jordan. She was trying not to stare at Audrey and Nathan, her jaw tight. Duke realized he knew just how she felt. He let go of Moira, running his hand down her arm, and started towards Jordan, then stopped and blinked at his hand.
At Moira's blood on it.
Disappearing into his skin.
"Audrey. . . ." he said, barely daring to breathe. He looked up at her as his trouble washed over him. Audrey gasped, and he smiled.
Moira jerked on the floor and groaned. Blood bloomed on her stomach and chest, the same wounds that had killed Nathan and Noelle. Duke didn't dare touch her again, so he looked to the bodies.
Nathan's eyes were open. He was gazing up at Audrey. "Hey, Parker. Where's the funeral?"
The sounds Audrey and Jordan made were both equal parts laugh and sob. Two women in love with Nathan, both desperately relieved to see him alive again. Duke let out a breath as the wash of his trouble faded again. Audrey glanced up at Jordan, then backed off, letting her rush forward and pull Nathan into her arms. Audrey folded her arms over her chest, looking guilty, and glanced at Duke. Duke bit his lip and just looked back.
She'd made her choice. Jordan might be with Nathan now, but Duke had seen the way Nathan looked at Audrey. He was head over heels in love with her, too. Neither Jordan nor Duke ever stood a chance.
That was fine. It was better, even. Duke was happy to be Audrey's friend. He had plenty of love, back in Fandom.
Assuming Octavia and Lucifer were okay. Assuming they'd forgive him for kissing Audrey in Colorado.
Assuming he ever made it out of Haven again alive.
Noelle sat up with a gasp.
"Oh my god, Moira!"
Duke looked over at the woman, who lay crumpled now against the chair, unconscious or maybe dead now herself.
"She saved you," he said helplessly.
"And him too?" Noelle asked sharply. "She brought two people back at once, it'll kill her!"
She rushed to Moira's side, grabbing her hand. Moira opened her eyes and stared up at her.
"You saved my life . . . and not Dad's."
Noelle nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Moira asked.
Noelle smiled shakily. "I didn't want you to feel guilty."
"Oh, Noelle."
"Should I have told you?"
"Things. . . . . would have been so much better . . . . with my sister."
Noelle clinged to her hand as her eyes fell shut again. Duke swallowed and looked away, feeling like a voyeur on everybody's grief. Then Nathan startled upright.
"Parker," he gasped. "Where's Tommy?!"
Duke let them handle Tommy. He headed to the Gull and tried to call Octavia and Lucifer. Considered trying Claire or Gloria. Had no idea what he'd say to any of them.
I fell in love with a magical girl FBI agent. She's in love with my ex. He died, but now he's alive again, and the town cleaner is going to move the woman who brought him back into hiding because their trouble is too powerful.
I'm sorry.
I'm going to die here.
I miss you.
I love you.
There was too much in his head. Duke grabbed a skillet, put on some Bob Marley, and took a page from Lucifer's book when it came to needing to avoid thinking.
He threw a party.
His instruments were all back on the Rouge, but it turned out Manny had a ukulele of his own he was willing to lend Duke. So Duke camped out on the steps to the upper deck, idly strumming, surrounded by happy people, determined to have a good time.
He grinned up at Audrey as she approached, after seeing Noelle and Moira off with Dwight. "Nathan's welcome back from the dead party is in full swing."
Audrey looked around with a smile. "What's the public reason for the party?"
Duke gave her a wide, innocent look. "Taco Tuesday."
"Oh." Audrey nodded with an amused smirk.
"Not thinking about skipping out, are you?" Duke asked.
"I wouldn't dream of it. I need a little more fun in my life."
"Ah." Duke strummed a chord. "I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
Audrey nodded. She glanced away. She looked back.
"About Colorado."
Duke kept his expression deliberately light and breezy. "Yeah, it all worked out for the best. We made it home in time to save Nathan's life. It's all good."
Audrey didn't look like she believed him. She definitely looked like she wanted to press the subject, but luckily, a certain therapist happened to wander over just then.
"Oooo, awkwardness and tension," she said, looking between the two of them. "I'd ask some intrusive questions, but . . . I'm off duty."
Both Duke and Audrey avoided looking at her.
" . . . Okay, I'll ask some intrusive questions," Claire decided, sounding far too cheerful. Duke shook his head and pushed away from the stairs.
"You know," he said. "I think I'm going to let Audrey catch you up on this one. Tacos aren't going to make themselves, now!"
Claire and Audrey watched him go, one looking thoughtful, the other faintly guilty. Well, Claire could sort that out for Audrey. And then not tell him a word about it when she swung by his boat tomorrow morning.
Duke was going to go make his friend Nathan some goddamn friendly tacos.
[NFB, NFI, OOC welcome. Adapted from Haven 3x08, "Magic Hour part 2". CW for danger, death, and some psychological torture]