Pay it Forward - Part Two (3/?) Rated PG
And here is the third section. :) Thanks go out again to With the What Now.
Title: Pay it Forward
By Marns AKA Bumpkin
Rated PG
Gen
(Wordcount: 1,540)
Part 2:
His instincts were still impeccable. John had been utterly professional and told his younger brother nothing. This, of course, left Yassen in a bit of a difficult situation.
At gunpoint at Ian's front door.
"Perhaps I could have handled this a bit differently," Yassen murmured with a wince as the mouth of the weapon dug into the softer skin of his belly near his navel. "But I wanted to approach you as I mean to go on - openly and without artifice. I honestly did think that John might have told you about me."
"Why would he do that?" Ian asked in a voice rough with grief.
"Because," Yassen replied simply. "He was my mentor. I owe everything I am to the man. He saved my life, and then gave me the world."
Ian let the gun he had been pressing into Yassen's belly fall to his side as he stared dumbly at Yassen while he struggled with that revelation. Yassen Gregorovich was infamous, lethally so - a man known to be one of the deadliest in the world - and he was so skilled because…
"My brother, the MI6 agent, taught you everything you know?" Ian finally asked in what could only be called shocked disbelief, but then he quickly recovered and bitterly followed up with, "Then how can you do what you do? How can you take what he taught you and be a murderer for hire?"
Yassen sighed. "May I come in? This isn't exactly a conversation you want the neighbors to overhear I am thinking."
Ian gave him one last considering look and then after he seemed to have deemed him sincere, opened the door fully and stepped back, inviting Yassen in. "Yes, yes, get in here. We wouldn't want old Mrs. Hendricks three doors down to get an earful, it would be all over Chelsea an hour later. Bloody nattering hen of a gossip."
Yassen grinned as Ian ushered him into the kitchen and offered him a tea, while at the same time he groused about the gossipy neighbors. Yassen was amused, he knew that if his plans worked out as he hoped they would have a lot more to talk about. Salaciously speculate actually, he thought with a mental chuckle. He knew the way people's minds worked, bored housewives being the worst of the lot.
Ian saw the grin Yassen hadn't bothered to hide and asked with a frown as he sat down after putting two cups of tea down on the table, "What?"
Yassen shook his head and answered, "Nothing of consequence, just some idle thoughts." When Ian looked like he was about to challenge Yassen on the issue Yassen derailed him by reminding him of his question from earlier, "You asked before how I could use John's teachings to kill for money, well the answer to that is simple - it's what he taught me to do."
Ian looked like he wanted to object that his brother would teach anyone to be a cold blooded killer and Yassen overrode him before he could say anything, "Remember, Ian, when John was my Mentor he was under cover as 'Hunter', one of Scorpia's top assassins. If he had trained me to be anything else it would have broken his cover and lost him his life that much sooner." He stopped speaking as a pang of grief ran through him again as he spoke of John's untimely death. Yassen saw that it was echoed in Ian's eyes and in that moment the two men came to an understanding.
Regaining his equanimity in what most would think was an inhumanly short time, Yassen tried to reassure Ian a little, "As it is, he did manage to instill some manner of ethics into me - a minimal morality if you will - much to Scorpia's dismay and detriment, although they aren't aware that he was the one to do it. Scorpia believes my minimal scruples come from my childhood as a street rat in the slums of Moscow before he found me." Yassen smirked. "I found it convenient and let them."
"A minimal morality, hmm?" Ian said with small smile flirting around his lips. "What pray tell does that entail? No puppies?"
Yassen snorted. "Yes, puppies are quite safe from me," he said dryly. "As are all children, and many women. Technically, most are safe from me unless they have done something - if not to deserve death, then to get the notice of the big players. I don't actually kill indiscriminately, Ian, I do my own research on the targets and then choose whether to take it or not."
"But once you do take a contract you don't fail."
"No, there is a reason my reputation precedes me." Yassen said. "I am that good."
Ian rolled his eyes. Then he said with more warmth than Yassen had directed at him since the last time he had talked with John, "I can't believe you just said that with a straight face, but I have to say it convinced me more than anything else that John had a hand in your training and perhaps more than was wise in your formative years." Yassen grinned at that and Ian continued, "So what exactly brought you to my door anyway? You could have sent a card if it was just to offer your condolences."
"His son, Alex, I want to help you raise him."
Ian blinked at him blankly. "What?"
"John basically raised me, I want to help his son. Pay it forward."
"Okay, I can understand that," Ian said bemused, "but you do realize I work for MI6 right?"
"As do I on occasion." Yassen said slyly. "As well as most of the other intelligence agencies of the world. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but I think if we are to share quarters, and the raising of a child, certain things are going to have to be disclosed. I am sure we can rely on each other's discretion, can we not?"
"Yes, certainly." Ian said absently, then part of what Yassen said hit him. "Wait, what? Share quarters? You want to move in here?"
"Yes," Yassen said. "You are well situated here, you have a fair amount of room and it's a good area for Alex as he grows; close to schools, parks and other amenities. My work is very ah, flexible, and so I have no problems working from anywhere. This is as good a place as any for both of us to live and raise Alex together."
Ian sat back and grabbed up the cup of tea he had ignored until now. He slowly took a sip, to stall for a bit while he thought things over, but then as the over-steeped and cold tea hit his taste buds he made a disgusted face.
"Blergh!" He spluttered. "Oh good God, that's awful!"
Ian's reaction to the cold tea was so unexpected that it startled Yassen, both for the sheer vehemence of it as well as to the meaning behind it. For Ian not to have noticed the tea was cold before taking a sip meant that he wasn't still in the hyper-vigilant state that kept the good operatives alive, which in turn meant he'd at least allowed himself to trust Yassen subconsciously. It was a good sign, but still - the reaction was funny as hell, Yassen started to laugh. Then he actually fell off his chair as he was laughing so hard.
Ian glared. "It's not that funny!" He insisted, but Yassen could tell it was half-hearted, he had obviously figured out the same things that Yassen had and couldn't deny the humor in the sight he must have made. Things might have started to deteriorate between the two of them at that point but the loud thump from Yassen hitting the floor must have woken the baby napping upstairs as shortly afterwards a wail was heard from there. Ian got up and went to get Alex. He was still trying to scrape the taste off his tongue as he passed Yassen, who was still on the floor and still laughing. Ian favored him with a dirty look as he passed. "Oh yeah, loads of help you are."
Yassen managed to calm himself down by the time Ian came down with a cherub of a toddler. Blond hair curling gently around a flushed apple cheeked face, set with serious little brown eyes, button of a nose and a little rosy pouting mouth. He was adorable, and very much a Rider from the mini-glare he was bestowing on Yassen.
"Oh, you are your father's son, aren't you?" Alex grunted at him and glared a little more. Ian laughed.
"Is he ever." Ian ducked the fist the toddler swung wildly as he gazed consideringly at Yassen. Then he seemed to come to a decision. "I think we can come to an arrangement, Gregorovich. Honestly I was dreading trying to raise this little guy on my own, I have a feeling he's going to give the two of us a run for our money."
One of Alex's wild swings finally managed to connect and he started to giggle. Yassen raised an eyebrow and said with a small chuckle, "I have a feeling you are right."
Let me know... :)
Title: Pay it Forward
By Marns AKA Bumpkin
Rated PG
Gen
(Wordcount: 1,540)
Part 2:
His instincts were still impeccable. John had been utterly professional and told his younger brother nothing. This, of course, left Yassen in a bit of a difficult situation.
At gunpoint at Ian's front door.
"Perhaps I could have handled this a bit differently," Yassen murmured with a wince as the mouth of the weapon dug into the softer skin of his belly near his navel. "But I wanted to approach you as I mean to go on - openly and without artifice. I honestly did think that John might have told you about me."
"Why would he do that?" Ian asked in a voice rough with grief.
"Because," Yassen replied simply. "He was my mentor. I owe everything I am to the man. He saved my life, and then gave me the world."
Ian let the gun he had been pressing into Yassen's belly fall to his side as he stared dumbly at Yassen while he struggled with that revelation. Yassen Gregorovich was infamous, lethally so - a man known to be one of the deadliest in the world - and he was so skilled because…
"My brother, the MI6 agent, taught you everything you know?" Ian finally asked in what could only be called shocked disbelief, but then he quickly recovered and bitterly followed up with, "Then how can you do what you do? How can you take what he taught you and be a murderer for hire?"
Yassen sighed. "May I come in? This isn't exactly a conversation you want the neighbors to overhear I am thinking."
Ian gave him one last considering look and then after he seemed to have deemed him sincere, opened the door fully and stepped back, inviting Yassen in. "Yes, yes, get in here. We wouldn't want old Mrs. Hendricks three doors down to get an earful, it would be all over Chelsea an hour later. Bloody nattering hen of a gossip."
Yassen grinned as Ian ushered him into the kitchen and offered him a tea, while at the same time he groused about the gossipy neighbors. Yassen was amused, he knew that if his plans worked out as he hoped they would have a lot more to talk about. Salaciously speculate actually, he thought with a mental chuckle. He knew the way people's minds worked, bored housewives being the worst of the lot.
Ian saw the grin Yassen hadn't bothered to hide and asked with a frown as he sat down after putting two cups of tea down on the table, "What?"
Yassen shook his head and answered, "Nothing of consequence, just some idle thoughts." When Ian looked like he was about to challenge Yassen on the issue Yassen derailed him by reminding him of his question from earlier, "You asked before how I could use John's teachings to kill for money, well the answer to that is simple - it's what he taught me to do."
Ian looked like he wanted to object that his brother would teach anyone to be a cold blooded killer and Yassen overrode him before he could say anything, "Remember, Ian, when John was my Mentor he was under cover as 'Hunter', one of Scorpia's top assassins. If he had trained me to be anything else it would have broken his cover and lost him his life that much sooner." He stopped speaking as a pang of grief ran through him again as he spoke of John's untimely death. Yassen saw that it was echoed in Ian's eyes and in that moment the two men came to an understanding.
Regaining his equanimity in what most would think was an inhumanly short time, Yassen tried to reassure Ian a little, "As it is, he did manage to instill some manner of ethics into me - a minimal morality if you will - much to Scorpia's dismay and detriment, although they aren't aware that he was the one to do it. Scorpia believes my minimal scruples come from my childhood as a street rat in the slums of Moscow before he found me." Yassen smirked. "I found it convenient and let them."
"A minimal morality, hmm?" Ian said with small smile flirting around his lips. "What pray tell does that entail? No puppies?"
Yassen snorted. "Yes, puppies are quite safe from me," he said dryly. "As are all children, and many women. Technically, most are safe from me unless they have done something - if not to deserve death, then to get the notice of the big players. I don't actually kill indiscriminately, Ian, I do my own research on the targets and then choose whether to take it or not."
"But once you do take a contract you don't fail."
"No, there is a reason my reputation precedes me." Yassen said. "I am that good."
Ian rolled his eyes. Then he said with more warmth than Yassen had directed at him since the last time he had talked with John, "I can't believe you just said that with a straight face, but I have to say it convinced me more than anything else that John had a hand in your training and perhaps more than was wise in your formative years." Yassen grinned at that and Ian continued, "So what exactly brought you to my door anyway? You could have sent a card if it was just to offer your condolences."
"His son, Alex, I want to help you raise him."
Ian blinked at him blankly. "What?"
"John basically raised me, I want to help his son. Pay it forward."
"Okay, I can understand that," Ian said bemused, "but you do realize I work for MI6 right?"
"As do I on occasion." Yassen said slyly. "As well as most of the other intelligence agencies of the world. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but I think if we are to share quarters, and the raising of a child, certain things are going to have to be disclosed. I am sure we can rely on each other's discretion, can we not?"
"Yes, certainly." Ian said absently, then part of what Yassen said hit him. "Wait, what? Share quarters? You want to move in here?"
"Yes," Yassen said. "You are well situated here, you have a fair amount of room and it's a good area for Alex as he grows; close to schools, parks and other amenities. My work is very ah, flexible, and so I have no problems working from anywhere. This is as good a place as any for both of us to live and raise Alex together."
Ian sat back and grabbed up the cup of tea he had ignored until now. He slowly took a sip, to stall for a bit while he thought things over, but then as the over-steeped and cold tea hit his taste buds he made a disgusted face.
"Blergh!" He spluttered. "Oh good God, that's awful!"
Ian's reaction to the cold tea was so unexpected that it startled Yassen, both for the sheer vehemence of it as well as to the meaning behind it. For Ian not to have noticed the tea was cold before taking a sip meant that he wasn't still in the hyper-vigilant state that kept the good operatives alive, which in turn meant he'd at least allowed himself to trust Yassen subconsciously. It was a good sign, but still - the reaction was funny as hell, Yassen started to laugh. Then he actually fell off his chair as he was laughing so hard.
Ian glared. "It's not that funny!" He insisted, but Yassen could tell it was half-hearted, he had obviously figured out the same things that Yassen had and couldn't deny the humor in the sight he must have made. Things might have started to deteriorate between the two of them at that point but the loud thump from Yassen hitting the floor must have woken the baby napping upstairs as shortly afterwards a wail was heard from there. Ian got up and went to get Alex. He was still trying to scrape the taste off his tongue as he passed Yassen, who was still on the floor and still laughing. Ian favored him with a dirty look as he passed. "Oh yeah, loads of help you are."
Yassen managed to calm himself down by the time Ian came down with a cherub of a toddler. Blond hair curling gently around a flushed apple cheeked face, set with serious little brown eyes, button of a nose and a little rosy pouting mouth. He was adorable, and very much a Rider from the mini-glare he was bestowing on Yassen.
"Oh, you are your father's son, aren't you?" Alex grunted at him and glared a little more. Ian laughed.
"Is he ever." Ian ducked the fist the toddler swung wildly as he gazed consideringly at Yassen. Then he seemed to come to a decision. "I think we can come to an arrangement, Gregorovich. Honestly I was dreading trying to raise this little guy on my own, I have a feeling he's going to give the two of us a run for our money."
One of Alex's wild swings finally managed to connect and he started to giggle. Yassen raised an eyebrow and said with a small chuckle, "I have a feeling you are right."
Let me know... :)