Requiem of Saints/Mid-August

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

The one thing she had always hated about Paragon had been the lack of weather changes. Minus the time the Winter Lord had tried to take over and left ice everywhere, Paragon City had been as static as a snow globe. Kate had never gotten used to the lack of weather. She understood why the War Walls were necessary, and all that techno-babble bullshit they shoveled into the ears of anyone who’d stand still long enough to ask, but she missed rain, sometimes snow. It was one of the few things the Isles had over Paragon.

A jerk forced the lock, and she felt a moment of guilt. If she’d paid attention more to Ryu, she might have picked up on that lock-picking thing, but it had never appealed to Kate before. She’d leave David money to repair the door, it was only fair. She released a sigh and gently closed the door, sparing it one last look before she walked into the apartment.

It was still, the television on in another room. She stood in the hallway for a few moments to let herself focus on the place and get accustomed to all the little noises. This place was much bigger than the Jeffries’ old apartment, and much nicer. They must be doing much better now, than they had before Kate had been arrested. The pictures were still on the walls, and Kate smiled when she recognized one from David and Jo’s wedding. Taking a moment to pull her long hair back into a tail, she let her eyes roam over the framed pictures, noting the few new ones amidst the old and familiar.

Silently, Kate made her way to the living room, immediately spotting David sleeping on the couch. He looked exhausted, but hadn’t changed much. A bit thicker around the middle, and he’d grown a goatee, but otherwise he was the same David she’d worked with. The same David who’d laughed at her jokes, stood side-by-side with her on raids, who’d always remembered how she liked her coffee.

Who’d stuck her in prison.

Kate stood over David, face hard and hands clenched. In the beginning, she’d been angry at him. The bitterness had stayed with her even after she and Ramone had busted out of the Zigg. It was only after Ramone had died that Kate had given up all that hatred and rage. Guilt rose up again; David had just been doing his job. Even Ramone had said that. How could she fault him for doing what she might have done?

As she stood there, she remembered Dino’s expression and his laughter. She recalled vividly watching those Skulls sneer and mock and threaten them both, egged on by their arrogant leader. They’d been so egotistical, they hadn’t taken David’s gun. They hadn’t figured two mundane, seemingly cowed cops would put up a fight. David would have never shot them. He would have let them beat him, rather than act so violently.

But that wasn’t Kate. Even now, knowing how it turned out, she still would have reached over and taken David’s gun. She would have pulled the trigger, but maybe have aimed for Dino’s head, instead of his gut. A quick, easy kill. If he’d been dead sooner, he wouldn’t have been able to curse her.

Kate shook her head sharply, rubbing her eyes. It was water under the bridge, there wasn’t anything else she could do about it. She turned away from David’s sleeping form to look around the living room. More pictures were on the mantle, and Kate drifted over to look at them. One framed photo caught her eye, off-center and nestled behind a snapshot of two little girls on a carousel. She reached for it and picked it up, staring intently. Her eyes darted away to scrutinize the photos better, and a few more jumped out at her. Her fingers tightened on the one she held, and Kate had to blink furiously to keep the tears at bay.

Behind her, the hammer of a revolver clicked back. “Jo wouldn’t let me take them down. She said she’d leave me if I tried to. She didn’t mean it, but y’know, I didn’t . . . I didn’t want to . . .”

“Be reminded?” Kate turned slowly to David, who held his police-issue up and steady, aimed her way. His face was hard, all sharp angles, and he even had his cop-eyes down. He’d gotten much better at it, and Kate tried not to smile.

He didn’t waver, but simply lowered the gun and set it on the coffee table. He scooted forward and covered his face with his hands, releasing a loud, shaky sigh as Kate put the photo back on the mantle. He sounded tired and hoarse. “Why are you here, Katie?”

“I need help,” she replied quietly, moving to sit on the edge of the recliner to the left of the couch.

The former partners sat in silence for several long, tense minutes, David with his head in his hands, and Kate watching him. They were reaching the ten minute mark when he sighed again and dropped his hands, his face screwed up with several warring emotions. “Jo’s going to be pissed when I tell her you came by while she was at work.”

Kate bit her lip. “I waited ‘til she was. I didn’t want her to know what was going on. I figured you would know what to tell her.”

“She always could wring anything out of you.”

“She was the little sister I never had.”

David actually smiled a little, his dark eyes clearing. “She’s finishing her residency now. Even has a nice job lined up over in Founders’ once she’s done.” The smile vanished. “I worry about her every day, Katie.”

Kate nodded slightly. “You always did, and you always will.”

He shifted to lean back on the couch, and gave Kate a long, assessing look. His face softened with worry when his eyes finally met hers again. “You look like hell. What’s going on?”

Removing a plastic bag from a pocket, Kate explained in her usual flat voice what had happened. How she’d been out shopping with Julia, a girl Ramone had taken in from off the streets of Cap Au Diable, getting groceries for Ramone. Kate explained what she and Julia had come home to, what the security tapes had shown. She set the bag with the bullet casings on the table beside David’s revolver. She didn’t tell her once-partner about the gruesome scene, how Ramone had been left, how the other boys had died.

“ . . . so I’d like for you to have ballistics test those casings out.” She finished, locking her fingers together between her knees.

Sympathy, genuine compassion, shone in David’s face, and he opened his mouth to say something but Kate cut him off with a quick gesture. “No, don’t. Just say yes or no. If you say anything else, I don’t think I could handle it.”

“Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll take it in to Fitzgibbons and Moore.”

Kate gave him a look. “Just like that?”

“Kate, you never asked for help before. You put out your own goddamn back instead of calling me or Tom to move that bookcase, you remember? That you came back here, to me of all people, looking for help . . . I know something’s really fucked up. And if it was someone over here, someone dirty in whatever branch of law enforcement the city leaders allows to run around, I want to help clean it out.” David scooted over to reach over and take one of Kate’s hands.

She tilted her head down, eyes shut and jaw clenched, resisting the urge to squeeze the hand on hers. “Some of us still believe in you, Katie. We know that what you did, you did out of need. Joanna nearly beat the shit out of me, during your trial, for even putting you there. ‘She saved your life, David, how could you?’ she’d said to me.”

When he paused, she did give in and clutched David’s hand between her own. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing now, over in Recluseland, but I know you didn’t have much of a choice. The big-wigs here called you a murderer. But the people who count, they know better.”

“Daddy?”

Kate’s head shot up, tear-filled eyes swiveling to spot two little girls in the doorway. One girl Kate remembered – Chelsea, David and Joanna’s oldest, and Kate’s own goddaughter. She didn’t know the younger girl, but it was easy to figure out who she was; Joanna had been pregnant during Kate’s trial. Chelsea’s sleepy eyes blinked several times before they recognized Kate, and a smile lit her face. “Aunt Katie? Daddy, you big liar, you said she went away.”

David was up and walking over to his daughters in a flash, smiling but looking harried. “Why are you girls awake? Is something wrong?”

Chelsea shook her head, and the younger one followed the motion. “The talking woke me and Emmy-Kate up. Can I show Aunt Katie Emmy?”

“Introduce, not show. But it’s late, maybe some other time, okay pumpkin?”

“But they should meet!” Chelsea’s lower lip wibbled, and her big brown eyes darted from David to Kate’s. David glanced over, his own eyes wary, his posture tense. Kate already knew what he was thinking, and her gut twisted a little. I don’t want my babies getting close to her, she’s a criminal now. She’s killed people.

Chelsea, oblivious to the tension, propelled her sister forward until they stood in front of Kate. Little Emmy ducked her head into her teddy bear while Chelsea smiled. “Hi, Aunt Katie! This is Emmeline-Katherine Angela Jeffries. She’s my little sister. She’s nearly three.”

Kate put on her friendliest smile and held her hand out to Emmy. “It’s nice to meet you, Emmy.”

“Emmy-Kate,” Chelsea corrected firmly. An arm around her sister, she gave her a squeeze. “It’s okay, Emmy-Kate. Aunt Katie’s nice.”

Hesitantly, the toddler lifted her head and stared at Kate’s face. After a moment or two, a shy smile blossomed, and she said a very quiet, “Hello.”

“Okay, girls, c’mon. If your mother knew you were awake, she’d skin me. Back to bed.” David hurried over and ushered his children away, and Kate mutely watched them disappear down the hallway.

She could only stare at the floor again, and remained like that when David returned. “I’m sorry, I thought they were dead asleep.”

“It’s okay,” she muttered.

“Was there anything else you wanted?” His voice was brusque and polite, almost angry, and Kate nearly winced. Instead, she got to her feet and pulled two letters from her back pocket.

She looked over at him and set the letters down on the table. “Deliver those for me? I didn’t think the post office would put anything out from Etoile.”

David nodded. “Sure. How should I let you know when ballistics is done?”

“I left my cell number on the bag.”

“Okay. I’ll take them in tomorrow morning and see what the boys can do.”

Kate nodded, acknowledging the dismissal, and turned to head for the door. She was feeling sick, emotions all jumbled up in her stomach. She felt terrible and wished she had never even thought about asking for David’s help. What if someone questioned what he was doing? What if it’d been P.P.D. who’d done the raid? What if he got into trouble, and someone threatened his wife and children?

She was nearly at the door when she heard her name. She barely had time to turn when David caught her in a hug, head ducked against her shoulder. Kate remained stiff for a moment, then grabbed onto David’s shirt with a muted sob.

“I’m so sorry, Katie.” David managed to choke out. “I’m so, so sorry.”