It was Valentine's Day, and Desmond was trying to finish up at the office, so he could keep his promise and meet Piper for dinner. He'd recently given his two weeks' notice at work, but leaving the D.A.'s office in the midst of a big case was easier said than done. It was going on three weeks already, and despite his promise to Piper and Lyneth that they'd be a family, he was having trouble breaking away. There was just too much responsibility, too many details, too many loose ends to tie up before he could get away. They'd done their best to talk him into staying, telling him he was making a huge mistake, throwing away a promising career for what? A woman' Was he out of his mind" Why couldn't she move to New York" What was the big deal" As much as they'd tried, Des had stuck to his guns. He knew what he wanted, and what he wanted wasn't in New York. Not anymore.
A million miles and a heartbeat away, an excited little girl was helping her mother put on the last lick of make up and grab her coat, cheerfully informing her that she didn't have to come home tonight at all. Piper laughed as she slipped from the house - Des had called earlier to say he was unlikely to get away from the office when he had thought he would, and would she mind meeting him at the restaurant instead" Of course she didn't mind, and with Kaylee at home already, wrapped up with Lyneth, there was no need to linger. It was Valentine's Day, as Lynnie had taken great pains to tell her mother, and the tiny girl didn't want any "kissin' or cuddles" to interrupt her chance to spend the evening with her silly Auntie Kaylee.
In the weeks since he'd decided to move to Rhy'Din, an innocent had been attacked by Nicoletti's thugs complicating matters further. He knew they were trying to send a message, trying to scare people into dropping the case, but Des didn't scare that easy. That wasn't why he was leaving, and it had only made him dig his heels in all the more while he was still in New York, working tirelessly to put together an ironclad case, with the objective of toppling the biggest, most powerful crime family New York had known in decades. It was the part of his job he loved most, and he reveled in it. He'd reluctantly agreed to stay a few weeks more, just long enough to make sure everything went according to plan. He was finally on the verge of cutting a deal with Sam Nicoletti that would blow the case apart and put his father away for good. Everything was going according to plan, or so Des thought. But as everyone knows, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and it was Valentine's Day when it all came to a head.
Left alone with Kaylee and Loki, and promised the prospect of having Des at home for a long weekend, Lyneth settled happily into her evening routine, curled up against Kaylee on the couch to watch Beauty and the Beast. She seemed completely engrossed in the movie, and yet some part of her had wandered elsewhere, a part of her no adult had yet to reconcile with the tiny child she appeared to be. It was the part that had bonded itself to her mother, and to the faery folk who lived in their home, the little people who had skipped through the portals earlier that day to keep a close eye on a certain prosecutor and be certain he was not going to cause any disappointments tonight.
Des had suspected for weeks that something was very wrong in the District Attorney's office, but he hadn't quite put his finger on who was the culprit. There were only a few people who had access to the case files, only a few people who knew the particulars, and it had become increasingly obvious to him over the last few weeks that someone in the D.A.'s office was not what they seemed, someone right under his nose. He wasn't quite sure who it was, but before he left Manhattan for good, he was determined to find out. He'd stayed late at the office that Valentine's Day digging into anything he could get his hands on, any small clue that would lead him to the guilty party. As it turned out, he wouldn't have to bother. The guilty party came to him.
Satisfied that the two most important people in her life were where they should be, tiny Lyneth turned her attention back to the T.V. screen, giggling with her Auntie happily over the antics of animated clocks and teapots as she cuddled in close. Mummy was happy, Des would be home soon, and Lyneth had an evening of fun ahead of her. All was right with the little half-Fae's world.
Glancing at his watch, Des frowned. It was half past six, and he'd promised to meet Piper at the restaurant by seven. He hadn't had a chance to clean up yet, and he still had to make his way through the portal and to the restaurant. Thankfully, he'd already packed an overnight bag, but in the end, it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't have a chance to take it with him. He debated calling her again, putting off their date until the weekend. He'd been stupid to agree to meeting her during the week, but at the time, he hadn't expected to get tied up at the office.
Torn between his personal and professional life, he sighed, deciding work could wait another few days, and gathered up his papers, stowing them in a locked filing cabinet for safe keeping. He had no reason to suspect anything would go wrong. No one knew what he was digging into, no one but the office mole. He went about his usual routine, slinging his coat on over his shoulders, turning the lights out in his office, and taking up his briefcase and overnight bag before heading out. His heels clicked on the marble floor as he made his way down the empty hallway to the elevator, punching the button for the lobby. He was anxious to be gone. This case was going to be the death of him, he thought, unaware of the irony of that particular thought.
Something didn't feel right tonight. Lyneth lay cuddled close in Kaylee's lap, trying to ignore the vague sense of unease that was coiling through her. It was almost as though the little girl was nervous about something, agitated with the prospect of some unknown darkness that was slowly but surely creeping into her senses. Even white chocolate popcorn wasn't cheering her up, though she knew still that nothing was wrong. Piper was at the restaurant, waiting patiently for her date. And the date? Lyneth's small mouth curved into a happier smile as she took a peek through a little friend's eyes. Des was on his way. Finally.
Distracted by his worries about the case and anxious to be keep his promise to Piper, Des didn't notice the trio of footsteps that followed him at a short distance as he made his way from the office into the streets of New York. The portal was a short walk, and it was a crisp night for walking, a clear sky overhead with a pattern of familiar stars, the man in the moon laughing down at him. He made a mental note to pick up some violets in the market before he met Piper at the restaurant, quickening his steps in anticipation of seeing her again and putting all his worries behind him, at least for a little while. He hadn't even started to tell her about the case, not wanting to worry her, trying to keep his personal and professional lives separate was it was all starting to wear on him.
Two more weeks, he promised himself. That was all they were getting out of him. He'd given them enough. It was time someone else stepped up to the plate. He was nearly there, nearly free when the trio took him by surprise, waiting until he was alone and there was no one there to witness but the alley cats and the drunks. Though Des was no slouch in a fight, he was outnumbered three to one, dragged into an empty alley and shoved up against a wall. The trio of men didn't waste any time. There was no time to waste. They weren't stupid, and they didn't want to be caught.
A million miles and a heartbeat away, an excited little girl was helping her mother put on the last lick of make up and grab her coat, cheerfully informing her that she didn't have to come home tonight at all. Piper laughed as she slipped from the house - Des had called earlier to say he was unlikely to get away from the office when he had thought he would, and would she mind meeting him at the restaurant instead" Of course she didn't mind, and with Kaylee at home already, wrapped up with Lyneth, there was no need to linger. It was Valentine's Day, as Lynnie had taken great pains to tell her mother, and the tiny girl didn't want any "kissin' or cuddles" to interrupt her chance to spend the evening with her silly Auntie Kaylee.
In the weeks since he'd decided to move to Rhy'Din, an innocent had been attacked by Nicoletti's thugs complicating matters further. He knew they were trying to send a message, trying to scare people into dropping the case, but Des didn't scare that easy. That wasn't why he was leaving, and it had only made him dig his heels in all the more while he was still in New York, working tirelessly to put together an ironclad case, with the objective of toppling the biggest, most powerful crime family New York had known in decades. It was the part of his job he loved most, and he reveled in it. He'd reluctantly agreed to stay a few weeks more, just long enough to make sure everything went according to plan. He was finally on the verge of cutting a deal with Sam Nicoletti that would blow the case apart and put his father away for good. Everything was going according to plan, or so Des thought. But as everyone knows, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and it was Valentine's Day when it all came to a head.
Left alone with Kaylee and Loki, and promised the prospect of having Des at home for a long weekend, Lyneth settled happily into her evening routine, curled up against Kaylee on the couch to watch Beauty and the Beast. She seemed completely engrossed in the movie, and yet some part of her had wandered elsewhere, a part of her no adult had yet to reconcile with the tiny child she appeared to be. It was the part that had bonded itself to her mother, and to the faery folk who lived in their home, the little people who had skipped through the portals earlier that day to keep a close eye on a certain prosecutor and be certain he was not going to cause any disappointments tonight.
Des had suspected for weeks that something was very wrong in the District Attorney's office, but he hadn't quite put his finger on who was the culprit. There were only a few people who had access to the case files, only a few people who knew the particulars, and it had become increasingly obvious to him over the last few weeks that someone in the D.A.'s office was not what they seemed, someone right under his nose. He wasn't quite sure who it was, but before he left Manhattan for good, he was determined to find out. He'd stayed late at the office that Valentine's Day digging into anything he could get his hands on, any small clue that would lead him to the guilty party. As it turned out, he wouldn't have to bother. The guilty party came to him.
Satisfied that the two most important people in her life were where they should be, tiny Lyneth turned her attention back to the T.V. screen, giggling with her Auntie happily over the antics of animated clocks and teapots as she cuddled in close. Mummy was happy, Des would be home soon, and Lyneth had an evening of fun ahead of her. All was right with the little half-Fae's world.
Glancing at his watch, Des frowned. It was half past six, and he'd promised to meet Piper at the restaurant by seven. He hadn't had a chance to clean up yet, and he still had to make his way through the portal and to the restaurant. Thankfully, he'd already packed an overnight bag, but in the end, it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't have a chance to take it with him. He debated calling her again, putting off their date until the weekend. He'd been stupid to agree to meeting her during the week, but at the time, he hadn't expected to get tied up at the office.
Torn between his personal and professional life, he sighed, deciding work could wait another few days, and gathered up his papers, stowing them in a locked filing cabinet for safe keeping. He had no reason to suspect anything would go wrong. No one knew what he was digging into, no one but the office mole. He went about his usual routine, slinging his coat on over his shoulders, turning the lights out in his office, and taking up his briefcase and overnight bag before heading out. His heels clicked on the marble floor as he made his way down the empty hallway to the elevator, punching the button for the lobby. He was anxious to be gone. This case was going to be the death of him, he thought, unaware of the irony of that particular thought.
Something didn't feel right tonight. Lyneth lay cuddled close in Kaylee's lap, trying to ignore the vague sense of unease that was coiling through her. It was almost as though the little girl was nervous about something, agitated with the prospect of some unknown darkness that was slowly but surely creeping into her senses. Even white chocolate popcorn wasn't cheering her up, though she knew still that nothing was wrong. Piper was at the restaurant, waiting patiently for her date. And the date? Lyneth's small mouth curved into a happier smile as she took a peek through a little friend's eyes. Des was on his way. Finally.
Distracted by his worries about the case and anxious to be keep his promise to Piper, Des didn't notice the trio of footsteps that followed him at a short distance as he made his way from the office into the streets of New York. The portal was a short walk, and it was a crisp night for walking, a clear sky overhead with a pattern of familiar stars, the man in the moon laughing down at him. He made a mental note to pick up some violets in the market before he met Piper at the restaurant, quickening his steps in anticipation of seeing her again and putting all his worries behind him, at least for a little while. He hadn't even started to tell her about the case, not wanting to worry her, trying to keep his personal and professional lives separate was it was all starting to wear on him.
Two more weeks, he promised himself. That was all they were getting out of him. He'd given them enough. It was time someone else stepped up to the plate. He was nearly there, nearly free when the trio took him by surprise, waiting until he was alone and there was no one there to witness but the alley cats and the drunks. Though Des was no slouch in a fight, he was outnumbered three to one, dragged into an empty alley and shoved up against a wall. The trio of men didn't waste any time. There was no time to waste. They weren't stupid, and they didn't want to be caught.