Sanctuary fic: "It's Not The Fall That Kills You" - PG-13 [Will, Kate/Will UST]
TITLE: It's Not The Fall That Kills You
SUMMARY: It's not the fall that kills you; it's the short, sharp stop at the end.
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Kate/Will UST, Kate/OMC
CATEGORY: friendship, UST, angst
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, making no money from these.
NOTES: For windandthestars, who wanted "angsty fic". It was going to be longer, but the second part wasn't working and I thought I should post this ASAP since it's a pinch-hit anyway.
It's Not The Fall That Kills You
Kate's passing through the foyer as Will lets himself in the front door. "Hey, Z-man. How was DC and Agent Corrigan?" She waggles her eyebrows suggestively. Usually, the teasing would make him smile sheepishly. Today, her smirk stings.`
"Okay, I guess."
Her expression clears as she falls into step with him on their way to the elevator. "Trouble in paradise?"
"You could say that. We decided it wasn't working out."
"Ouch." She touches him on the arm, a quick compassionate squeeze that works wonders for his mood. "I'm sorry. You guys seemed to be doing good."
"Yeah, well, 'seemed to' sounds about right." This isn't something he wants to talk about. Will blows out a breath as they wait for the elevator. "What's been happening here?"
"Not much. Magnus flew out to Buenos Aires this morning. Hank's working on something new and he won't show me what it is - or even explain - maybe you can get him to spill. I've got a lead on the missing shipment of horii from an old friend, and I'll be heading out tomorrow to start tracking that."
"Right. Business as usual."
"Never stops. Oh, and the Big Guy has a pile of requisitions for you to sign, just as soon as you unpack." She glances sideways at him as they take up position in the elevator. "Are you going to be okay? I can delay heading out for a day if you need time to get ground again."
He'd like to ask her to stay - if Henry's working on something, Will won't recognise one word out of six, and the Big Guy will just have Sanctuary business for him - but that missing shipment is a worry. So he just says, "Nah. Head on out and do your thing."
Kate doesn't hide the quick, concerned look she gives him, but shrugs. "Okay. Chess tonight before I go? You owe me a rematch."
"You do know you're never going to beat me, don't you?"
"I know nothing of the sort. Never say never."
"I'm saying never."
"Hah. We'll see, Z-man."
The familiar banter feels good - comfortable. Friendship without demand, without any hooks or layers of meaning attached.
--
Will hopes it doesn't look like his skin is crawling. The law enforcement officer in him feels jumpy in these kinds of neighbourhoods; too many eyes that watch him, too many secrets being kept, even as they tell him their version of the truth.
"Your boyfriend there, he don't look so comfortable. Too clean for us."
"He's not so bad. I'm trying to rub off the gloss." Kate picks the cigarette out of the guy's hand and takes a long drag from it. "He rubs up pretty nice."
For one moment, Will's imagination gets a very visual image of Kate 'rubbing him up' nice. He takes a deep breath and ignores it.
"I bet you rub up pretty nice yourself." Cigarette guy takes a good long look-over of the kind that makes Will bristle. Kate's not meat, for God's sake!
Kate, on the other hand, shrugs it off with a laugh. "Thanks. You got this area?"
"Yeah, me and my boys got this corner. You looking for someone?"
"We're hunting a guy who came through here one night, maybe two ago. Tall, would have been trenched up. Might have had a bird with him. Strong, silent type."
Cigarette guy looks her over. "You LEO?"
Kate snorts. "Not in a million. Just have a few questions for him."
".22 sized questions?"
"Maybe. If I don't like his answers."
It disturbs him sometimes - the things she's capable of. They're not the sort of things he was taught to respect, to admire. But Kate's not ashamed of her past, and Will's learning not to judge her for situations he never found himself in.
Five minutes later, they're getting back into the car, having found out what they came for. Apparently the guy was headed off down towards the Old City El. They'll keep hunting down the trail until they find him - and the last male gutierre he suborned. "Truth?" Kate asks as she slips into the driver's seat with an easy swing and a wriggle to get comfortable.
"So much as these guys tell the truth."
"Gotta let go of that badge, Z-man. It doesn't make you friends out here."
"According to them, it got me you."
Cigarette guy's parting suggestion was that Kate dump her pretty-boy and try something a bit more hot-blooded. Will nearly told the guy to back off, but Kate just laughed and said she'd consider it.
"Well, you're just too pretty not to keep," she teases him now, and the once-over she gives him is wicked. "What was it Worth called you? Concubine?"
He glares at her as a flush washes over his skin. "Just drive."
Kate laughs.
--
"You've been out a lot lately."
Will doesn't mean for it to sound like an accusation when he catches her snoozing in the library.
Kate blinks the sleepiness away from her eyes with a frown. "I've got things to do."
"Things? Or a guy?"
He doesn't mean for it to come out that way. Only she's been sauntering around the place like...well, like Kate. Only more so.
Her eyes narrow. "I get my work done."
"Sure. When you're not falling asleep over..." Will tugs the book out from under her arms and reads the title. "Gervaise Bonel's Bestiary. And you'd be a lot of help if we got called out right now."
"I'd deal," she says, brief and grumpy. "Since when did you become the sex police, anyway? You had your long-distance with Agent Toe-In-The-Abnormal-Water. Henry has his HAP girlfriend across the pond. Some of us just prefer to get our satisfaction closer to home. With guys who are straight-across-the-board normal."
"And that's all it is? Satisfaction?"
Kate rolls her eyes. "None of your business, Zimmerman."
"Look, I didn't let my relationship with Abby interfere with my work."
"And my relationship with Everett won't interfere with mine." She holds out her hand. "I'd like my bestiary back."
Will catches himself watching her a few times over the next few days. When she goes out. When she comes in. Unfortunately, she notices him watching her. And as things grow terse between them, the others notice them sniping at each other.
Two days later, Henry puts MOLE down in her cradle and folds his arms over his chest. Serious Henry, about to have a Conversation. "All right. What's eating you, man?"
"Eating me?"
"You've been a little black thundercloud the last couple of weeks. And I can tell ya, it's getting on my nerves. So 'fess up or shut up."
Will grimaces. "Do you know anything about Kate's new guy?"
"A little. Bits here and there." Henry shrugs. "He's clean."
"He's-- You did a check?"
"Of course I did a check! Just in case."
It's a relief to know he's not the only one who's had misgivings about the guy.
"And?"
"And the guy's clean as a whistle. Smallgoods transport - none of our stuff. Pays his taxes, files his 401Ks, files his employees' 401Ks, health plan with dental and optics-- Lemme tell you. If I wasn't working for Magnus, I'd be all over this guy for work." Henry eyes him. "And he makes her happy."
Henry doesn't mean Magnus.
"Yeah. Hard not to notice that. I'm just...worried about her." Will wishes he could express why Kate's mystery boyfriend is making him antsy.
"Kate's a big girl. She doesn't need us hovering over her."
"She said that to you?"
"Sort of. More like, 'keep your nose out of my personal life.'"
"Right."
"Will." Henry pauses. "If you got any, you know, deep confessions you wanna make?"
Will snorts, amused by the idea. He's not in love with Kate. Really. Not. "Yeah, I'll bring them to you."
"Actually, I was gonna say, 'Take it to Magnus. I got work to do.'"
--
Will wishes he could dislike Everett Wilson-Scott.
Call it petty, but it would make him a little feel better.
Wilson-Scott pauses at the door of the ICU observation room, fingers closing convulsively about the handle as the Big Guy turns around to administer an injection into Kate's IV line. For a moment, Will thinks maybe the guy is going to react with horror at the 'monster' - then the Big Guy spoils the scenario by stroking one clawed hand gently down Kate's hair before moving away.
"Is it okay? If I go in?"
"Yeah. Magnus finished the surgery six hours ago. We're keeping her under for the moment to give her body time to recover from the attack."
Kate's boyfriend nods, his eyes fixed on the woman lying in the room as he pushes open the door goes to stand beside the bed. Will makes himself stay behind in the observation room, watching as the other man closes his hand around Kate's, then bends down and plants a kiss on her knuckles.
Will doesn't think he's taken a whole breath since he came upon Kate bending over an unconscious Henry, her fingers checking his pulse, her tranq gun still out and pointed at the feral HAP who'd been fighting him. Will saw it twitch. She didn't. His gun fouled on his holster. The feral HAP did a number on her ribs and stomach before she managed to tranq it a second time.
There's movement behind him now, Helen coming to stand beside him at the window. "No change?"
"No. The Big Guy just gave her the six-hour shot."
"Good. If Kate's come this far, she'll pull through. Even if it won't be easy." Helen gives him a swift, reassuring smile, then indicates Wilson-Scott. "How did he take it?"
"The discovery that his girlfriend's a monster-hunter?" Will shrugs, nonchalant, although relief pounds through him at Helen's news. "Well enough, I suppose. It's a risk."
"I did some research on him - a good man. Kate thought he could be trusted, and I agree." Helen turns to him. "How are you doing, Will?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"You were helpless to stop the attack."
He gives her a steady look, knowing what she's doing. "Don't shrink me, Magnus."
Her smile is light and wry. "You should get some rest. I'll send you out to pick up Kate's mom in the morning. Bigfoot will get her brother when he arrives tonight. She'll have her family around her."
She's already got her family around her.
Only that's not true for Kate. It doesn't hold the way it does for him, for Magnus, for Henry, for the Big Guy.
Kate has other people outside the Sanctuary - normal people, unconnected to the abnormal world, like Everett Wilson-Scott. An anchor to 'normality' - or what most people would consider 'normality'.
And in that circle of Kate's life, Will's on the inside and the outside both.
It squeezes his chest, an unexpected catch.
- fin -
SUMMARY: It's not the fall that kills you; it's the short, sharp stop at the end.
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Kate/Will UST, Kate/OMC
CATEGORY: friendship, UST, angst
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, making no money from these.
NOTES: For windandthestars, who wanted "angsty fic". It was going to be longer, but the second part wasn't working and I thought I should post this ASAP since it's a pinch-hit anyway.
It's Not The Fall That Kills You
Kate's passing through the foyer as Will lets himself in the front door. "Hey, Z-man. How was DC and Agent Corrigan?" She waggles her eyebrows suggestively. Usually, the teasing would make him smile sheepishly. Today, her smirk stings.`
"Okay, I guess."
Her expression clears as she falls into step with him on their way to the elevator. "Trouble in paradise?"
"You could say that. We decided it wasn't working out."
"Ouch." She touches him on the arm, a quick compassionate squeeze that works wonders for his mood. "I'm sorry. You guys seemed to be doing good."
"Yeah, well, 'seemed to' sounds about right." This isn't something he wants to talk about. Will blows out a breath as they wait for the elevator. "What's been happening here?"
"Not much. Magnus flew out to Buenos Aires this morning. Hank's working on something new and he won't show me what it is - or even explain - maybe you can get him to spill. I've got a lead on the missing shipment of horii from an old friend, and I'll be heading out tomorrow to start tracking that."
"Right. Business as usual."
"Never stops. Oh, and the Big Guy has a pile of requisitions for you to sign, just as soon as you unpack." She glances sideways at him as they take up position in the elevator. "Are you going to be okay? I can delay heading out for a day if you need time to get ground again."
He'd like to ask her to stay - if Henry's working on something, Will won't recognise one word out of six, and the Big Guy will just have Sanctuary business for him - but that missing shipment is a worry. So he just says, "Nah. Head on out and do your thing."
Kate doesn't hide the quick, concerned look she gives him, but shrugs. "Okay. Chess tonight before I go? You owe me a rematch."
"You do know you're never going to beat me, don't you?"
"I know nothing of the sort. Never say never."
"I'm saying never."
"Hah. We'll see, Z-man."
The familiar banter feels good - comfortable. Friendship without demand, without any hooks or layers of meaning attached.
--
Will hopes it doesn't look like his skin is crawling. The law enforcement officer in him feels jumpy in these kinds of neighbourhoods; too many eyes that watch him, too many secrets being kept, even as they tell him their version of the truth.
"Your boyfriend there, he don't look so comfortable. Too clean for us."
"He's not so bad. I'm trying to rub off the gloss." Kate picks the cigarette out of the guy's hand and takes a long drag from it. "He rubs up pretty nice."
For one moment, Will's imagination gets a very visual image of Kate 'rubbing him up' nice. He takes a deep breath and ignores it.
"I bet you rub up pretty nice yourself." Cigarette guy takes a good long look-over of the kind that makes Will bristle. Kate's not meat, for God's sake!
Kate, on the other hand, shrugs it off with a laugh. "Thanks. You got this area?"
"Yeah, me and my boys got this corner. You looking for someone?"
"We're hunting a guy who came through here one night, maybe two ago. Tall, would have been trenched up. Might have had a bird with him. Strong, silent type."
Cigarette guy looks her over. "You LEO?"
Kate snorts. "Not in a million. Just have a few questions for him."
".22 sized questions?"
"Maybe. If I don't like his answers."
It disturbs him sometimes - the things she's capable of. They're not the sort of things he was taught to respect, to admire. But Kate's not ashamed of her past, and Will's learning not to judge her for situations he never found himself in.
Five minutes later, they're getting back into the car, having found out what they came for. Apparently the guy was headed off down towards the Old City El. They'll keep hunting down the trail until they find him - and the last male gutierre he suborned. "Truth?" Kate asks as she slips into the driver's seat with an easy swing and a wriggle to get comfortable.
"So much as these guys tell the truth."
"Gotta let go of that badge, Z-man. It doesn't make you friends out here."
"According to them, it got me you."
Cigarette guy's parting suggestion was that Kate dump her pretty-boy and try something a bit more hot-blooded. Will nearly told the guy to back off, but Kate just laughed and said she'd consider it.
"Well, you're just too pretty not to keep," she teases him now, and the once-over she gives him is wicked. "What was it Worth called you? Concubine?"
He glares at her as a flush washes over his skin. "Just drive."
Kate laughs.
--
"You've been out a lot lately."
Will doesn't mean for it to sound like an accusation when he catches her snoozing in the library.
Kate blinks the sleepiness away from her eyes with a frown. "I've got things to do."
"Things? Or a guy?"
He doesn't mean for it to come out that way. Only she's been sauntering around the place like...well, like Kate. Only more so.
Her eyes narrow. "I get my work done."
"Sure. When you're not falling asleep over..." Will tugs the book out from under her arms and reads the title. "Gervaise Bonel's Bestiary. And you'd be a lot of help if we got called out right now."
"I'd deal," she says, brief and grumpy. "Since when did you become the sex police, anyway? You had your long-distance with Agent Toe-In-The-Abnormal-Water. Henry has his HAP girlfriend across the pond. Some of us just prefer to get our satisfaction closer to home. With guys who are straight-across-the-board normal."
"And that's all it is? Satisfaction?"
Kate rolls her eyes. "None of your business, Zimmerman."
"Look, I didn't let my relationship with Abby interfere with my work."
"And my relationship with Everett won't interfere with mine." She holds out her hand. "I'd like my bestiary back."
Will catches himself watching her a few times over the next few days. When she goes out. When she comes in. Unfortunately, she notices him watching her. And as things grow terse between them, the others notice them sniping at each other.
Two days later, Henry puts MOLE down in her cradle and folds his arms over his chest. Serious Henry, about to have a Conversation. "All right. What's eating you, man?"
"Eating me?"
"You've been a little black thundercloud the last couple of weeks. And I can tell ya, it's getting on my nerves. So 'fess up or shut up."
Will grimaces. "Do you know anything about Kate's new guy?"
"A little. Bits here and there." Henry shrugs. "He's clean."
"He's-- You did a check?"
"Of course I did a check! Just in case."
It's a relief to know he's not the only one who's had misgivings about the guy.
"And?"
"And the guy's clean as a whistle. Smallgoods transport - none of our stuff. Pays his taxes, files his 401Ks, files his employees' 401Ks, health plan with dental and optics-- Lemme tell you. If I wasn't working for Magnus, I'd be all over this guy for work." Henry eyes him. "And he makes her happy."
Henry doesn't mean Magnus.
"Yeah. Hard not to notice that. I'm just...worried about her." Will wishes he could express why Kate's mystery boyfriend is making him antsy.
"Kate's a big girl. She doesn't need us hovering over her."
"She said that to you?"
"Sort of. More like, 'keep your nose out of my personal life.'"
"Right."
"Will." Henry pauses. "If you got any, you know, deep confessions you wanna make?"
Will snorts, amused by the idea. He's not in love with Kate. Really. Not. "Yeah, I'll bring them to you."
"Actually, I was gonna say, 'Take it to Magnus. I got work to do.'"
--
Will wishes he could dislike Everett Wilson-Scott.
Call it petty, but it would make him a little feel better.
Wilson-Scott pauses at the door of the ICU observation room, fingers closing convulsively about the handle as the Big Guy turns around to administer an injection into Kate's IV line. For a moment, Will thinks maybe the guy is going to react with horror at the 'monster' - then the Big Guy spoils the scenario by stroking one clawed hand gently down Kate's hair before moving away.
"Is it okay? If I go in?"
"Yeah. Magnus finished the surgery six hours ago. We're keeping her under for the moment to give her body time to recover from the attack."
Kate's boyfriend nods, his eyes fixed on the woman lying in the room as he pushes open the door goes to stand beside the bed. Will makes himself stay behind in the observation room, watching as the other man closes his hand around Kate's, then bends down and plants a kiss on her knuckles.
Will doesn't think he's taken a whole breath since he came upon Kate bending over an unconscious Henry, her fingers checking his pulse, her tranq gun still out and pointed at the feral HAP who'd been fighting him. Will saw it twitch. She didn't. His gun fouled on his holster. The feral HAP did a number on her ribs and stomach before she managed to tranq it a second time.
There's movement behind him now, Helen coming to stand beside him at the window. "No change?"
"No. The Big Guy just gave her the six-hour shot."
"Good. If Kate's come this far, she'll pull through. Even if it won't be easy." Helen gives him a swift, reassuring smile, then indicates Wilson-Scott. "How did he take it?"
"The discovery that his girlfriend's a monster-hunter?" Will shrugs, nonchalant, although relief pounds through him at Helen's news. "Well enough, I suppose. It's a risk."
"I did some research on him - a good man. Kate thought he could be trusted, and I agree." Helen turns to him. "How are you doing, Will?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"You were helpless to stop the attack."
He gives her a steady look, knowing what she's doing. "Don't shrink me, Magnus."
Her smile is light and wry. "You should get some rest. I'll send you out to pick up Kate's mom in the morning. Bigfoot will get her brother when he arrives tonight. She'll have her family around her."
She's already got her family around her.
Only that's not true for Kate. It doesn't hold the way it does for him, for Magnus, for Henry, for the Big Guy.
Kate has other people outside the Sanctuary - normal people, unconnected to the abnormal world, like Everett Wilson-Scott. An anchor to 'normality' - or what most people would consider 'normality'.
And in that circle of Kate's life, Will's on the inside and the outside both.
It squeezes his chest, an unexpected catch.
- fin -