984. Chapter 984

After Under the Gun

Episode 3.3

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I own none of it. Rating: K Time: See above. And chapter one.

"You're telling us that some chick who sorta looks like your partner put a total of eight of Sweet Jimmy's people in the hospital while you were on your ass?"

"I was on my face both time." I said honestly. They didn't believe me.

After that I had to go talk to Captain Montgomery who all but accused me of going all medieval vigilante on Sweet Jimmy's people. But, surveillance video from a store across the street showed the four jumping me. And there was no sign of any woman. The redhead and the three goons insisted no woman had attacked them. Lying bastards.

I was seated at a desk, writing a report of what happened when Beckett sat down next to me. "You okay?"

"Where were you last night?" I demanded.

"Okay, so you're fine. And I was at home from six thirty on."

"Beckett, it was you. I saw her up close. Your face, your body, your voice."

"Mike, whoever it was, it wasn't me. I was at home."

"Can you prove it?"

"I don't have to prove it." She said coldly.

"Kid, she had curlier hair than you do and she had an accent, French, I think."

"Mike, I don't have curly hair and I don't have an accent."

"You could wear a wig and fake an accent." I took a quick look around. "Look, you can tell me if you have some sort of secret crime fighting identity, right? Maybe super powers?"

She gave me an odd look. "Mike, I'm going to pretend you never said that and that I never heard it. Okay? Now, it's time for roll call." She got up and walked away.

I kept an eye on her that day, but she never said anything in French or beat up a dozen goons.

The next day when I came in she dragged me to a computer. "Here!" She said. "Look at this."

The screen showed two guys. "So?"

"They look identical, but they aren't twins. They aren't related at all. DNA proved it. But, "she changed the shot, "one guy is five seven and the other is six two." Now look at these." A picture of two blondes popped up. "To women, born within two days of each other, one in Oregon and one in Texas. Not related. Both are five seven and exactly one hundred and twenty-eight pounds. One has really long hair, but when they pull the hair back, they're identical. It happens, Mike. There are people out there that look exactly like someone else."

"Somebody who looks exactly like you, follows me around and saves my ass?"

She shrugged. "You have a guardian angel. A really tough one."

When I went home that night, I did a lot of thinking about what might be going on. When I found myself wondering if the CIA was testing its latest female cyborg by having her follow me around, I decided that I'd be better off cracking open that bottle of good Scotch I'd gotten for Christmas.

Two more days got me no nearer to a conclusion about what was going on, so the next night, I decided to head for Midtown and see if there was anything to see.

Was there ever.

I turned a corner and there was Sweet Jimmy himself with a nasty smile on his face and a .45 in his paw. I reached for my Glock, but I knew I was too late.

Just as he fired, from out of nowhere, she was standing in front of me and took a round right in the chest. I got my Glock out but her body falling against mine caused my aim to be off. I missed and Sweet Jimmy took off like a rocket. I stood there for a second, stupidly looking down at her body, then ran after Jimmy. All I saw were some tail lights disappearing into the night. I walked back and checked her pulse. She was gone.

I pulled out my phone and started to dial 911 when a hand closed over mine. "There's no need for that."

It was her. Standing there, smiling at me. I damned near fainted. "What…? How…?"

There were sirens in the distance headed our way. Someone else had called 911, I guessed. At least now I'd get some answers.

"We need to go." She said. "Put your arms around me." When I just stood there, she wrapped her arms around me and we moved. I have no idea how we did it, but in a second, we were standing on top of the building we'd been in front of. Then we were on a foot wide ledge too far off the ground for my tastes, then we were on some damned bridge cable and…. I did what any sensible man would do. I shut my eyes and held on for dear life.

I sensed we had stopped and I opened my eyes. We were in a very nice apartment. It was big, which led me to believe it was probably a condo and very expensively furnished. Well, compared to my one bedroom dump, most places are. But this was way nicer than I was used to. I noticed that the windows were covered by very thick curtains. I couldn't look out and see where we were.

She had taken a step or two back and was looking at her blouse. It had a hole in it and powder burns as well. "I always have liked this blouse, but it never seemed to go with anything I had. You have no idea how many things I've had to buy to try to find something that worked with this."

I tried to say something and on about the third try, I managed to say, "You were shot. You should be dead. You were dead!"

She smiled at me. "You checked. That was so sweet of you." She took off her blouse and I saw she had nothing at all on under it. "See, not a scratch." She jiggled a bit for me. "If you'll excuse me for just a second, I need to get another top."

She came back quickly with some sort of bright red and yellow blouse on. "And how are you, Officer Royce?"

"Call me Mike." I managed.

"Of course. You can call me Simone." She held out her hand. I thought that maybe she expected me to kiss it, but I just shook it.

"What are you? Who are you? How did we get here? How come you aren't dead!"

She laughed. "But I am dead."

"You're the liveliest dead person I've ever seen."

"That's because you've never seen a vampire before."

"A what?"

"A vampire. I'm a vampire."

"Uh, does that mean I'm dinner?" I was reaching for my Glock, but I knew it'd do me no good.

"I would rather die than kill someone to feed." She said, as if I'd said something very insulting.

"I don't believe it."

Suddenly she was right in front of me, with fangs and a weird glowing in her eyes. Then she was normal.

"Believe me now?"

I nodded my head. "Okay, you're a vampire. So why have you been helping me?"

She shrugged. "Just because I'm a vampire, that doesn't mean I'm not a law abiding citizen. When I saw those men attacking you the first time, I went to your assistance."

"Okay, but why keep at it?"

"Once the men were down, I wanted to make sure that you weren't some thug from a rival gang or something. But I found your gun and your badge and then I looked in your wallet to get your name. That's when I saw the photo of you and the woman. She looks just like me."

I took out my wallet and showed her the picture. It was me and Beckett in uniform just after she'd made her first bust all by herself. She was ecstatic.

"Is she your lover?"

I shook my head. "She's my partner. It's a bad idea for partners to start dating, and well, Beckett has problems. She became a cop because her mom was murdered and they never caught the guy. That's about all she has time in her life for. That's a shame, because she could really use a good guy in her life. And I'm not that guy, I'm afraid."

Simone looked at the photo for a long time. "Revenge. I understand that."

"Not revenge, justice."

She shrugged. "The same thing in this case, I think." She sighed. "It's a shame I can't meet her."

"You can. I can arrange it."

She laughed. "You're sweet, Mike. But the fewer people who know what I am, the better. People think we don't exist. Imagine what my life would be like if people knew that vampires were real?"

Not many people, other than my mother, had ever called me sweet. But I could see her point. "So, what now?"

"I'll be leaving New York soon and going home. My business here is done." Simone smiled at me. "It's been nice meeting you, Mike." She put her arms around me and kissed me. I could feel we were moving again and I kept my eyes closed. She broke the kiss and I opened my eyes. We were in a little alcove just across from my place.

"Simone, thanks. And if you ever need anything, you know where I am."

She winked at me and then just disappeared.

Two days later at roll call, the shift sergeant came up to me and Beckett. "Royce, you won't have to worry about Sweet Jimmy Gough anymore."

"Why's that?"

"He drove right into the Three Three last night, and I mean he smashed right into it. His car was full of drugs and money as well as a book with all the names of his dealers, his suppliers, and where all of his money is. He claims he got hit from behind and has no idea how he got there. Weird, isn't it?"

I just nodded.

I thought about trying to track Simone down, but what she'd said to me made sense. I'd be taking a chance on ruining her life. I never saw her again.

Beckett made detective soon after that and I got a new partner. It wasn't the same so I decided to retire.

I still think about both of them.

Author's note. For those of you who are unaware, and I'm looking at you, Guest, Simone Renoir, the vampire, was Stana Katic's character in The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice.

Up next is another After Always. Yes, I know, I did one of those not long ago, but I really like that episode,