End of Watch

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Judas Carmichael hated rain. He also hated the orc that stood in groups across the street from him. It didn't help that his partner belonged to the same social class as they did. It also didn't help that the orc group hated his partner. 
They were throwing up gang signs behind the other man's back, pretending to shoot at him and it wasn't the first or the last time they would do it. 
"Hey, Ruvik!" He barked, finally tired of standing in one place while the other man decided whether he wanted an orc burger or a bronto thigh. Both smelled like death. "Today, please! Geez, I swear four elves have died in the time it's taking you to decide on that garbage."

Talon wouldn’t get any further sense from his friend, even now the elves had left. It had been the kind of night that Darbok wasn’t even sure was real. A human conceiving a child with an orc? It was unheard of in all the histories of all the races.

Celia had aided Kandomere in escaping the building, returning him to safety, with the wailing child he was so desperate to steal. She was beginning to question her motives. What if she continued to give him the world, just for him to replace her? The elf didn’t have long to dwell on this as she returned to her own room, instantly on alert when she saw the door was ajar.
“Give me one good reason I don’t rip your spine out the back of throat right now.” Celia had the hot tips of her wand pressed to the back of Lillian’s neck. It didn’t matter that the other woman was considerably taller, the cold hearted elf did not take kindly to people trespassing. 
“I came to give your master an offering.” The taller woman replied, holding her hands up to show she wasn’t a threat, not that Celia would have cared.
“And what makes you think you, a plain and uninteresting human, has something the dark lord would want?”

Lillian smiled, glancing back over her shoulder to the elf behind her. “I know that you want to keep him happy, and that he has been searching for a missing bright for the better part of a year now.” She purred. “I heard... she breathed the magick back into him with just one kiss.” The human female could all but taste Celia’s anger at that little detail. “Imagine what she could do with more than a kiss?” Lillian knew what she was doing, she wasn’t here to offer Viola back to the dark lord, she was here to make sure the elf behind her hurt little bit immensely. 

Talon dragged the enormous orc into the hospital, holding onto the wound. Both men were covered in blood. Once the staff took control of him Talon tried to call Viola, worried she was angry with him when she didn't answer the phone but not knowing the real reason she hadn't picked up.

Viola had woken to find herself somewhere very cold. There was the strange smell of what almost seemed like... ammonia. A glance down would reveal that she was strapped to a table similar to that in an operating theatre. It didn’t take long for her panicked gaze to settle upon the figure of her mother. The last six months had been for nothing... she was right back where it all started, and the small woman didn’t know if she had the strength to endure it all again.

Lillian was humming to herself as she moved around the kitchen. It would be easy to assume she was cooking, but no, never in her life had the grey eyed woman cooked an edible meal. Instead, she was removing all traces of the elf who had been living in her home. She had won. Viola was gone, and soon she would have Talon’s attention solely back on her. The letter left in the now empty guest room would assure it.

Molly sat next to Darbok in the hospital room, darkness filling her soul. Everything good that happened that her ended with sadness. The doctors told her the baby had simply been born dead. It was the only way they could explain the fact that she'd come to their hospital as a woman who had given birth and yet there was no baby. 

Talon came home, looking for Viola. He'd been so sure she wouldn't leave him. Perhaps she'd come to get her things. The note on the now empty room crushed the proud man. Like Molly his soul began to fill with darkness.

Darbok’s fingers had reached for Molly the first time he felt her sit beside him. He hadn’t corrected what the doctors were telling her, thinking it the kinder thing. Once he was able, he would search for the child, but even then there was no assurance he would find the boy. But until that day, he would protect Molly.

Lillian saw his reaction to the note, and instantly she knew why. She could all but taste the betrayal on him, but this was better. So much better. He would torture himself, and she alone knew that as he gave up on his little bit... she would be screaming his name in agony. 
But Viola wasn’t screaming. She couldn’t. This was all too raw and familiar. She had screamed for Judas the last time... look what it had gotten her. It was the poisonous thought that Talon had fed her the same pretty lies Judas had that had the young woman losing all hope.

"They won't even let me see him." Molly whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. "I told you I was a bad mother." 

Talon sat at the table, staring at the wall. He was broken. No one had ever done that before. It was a new and unwanted feeling for him.

“You can’t be blamed for any of this.” Darbok breathed as his fingers gently stroked over Molly’s hair. “You’re so small... not meant for an orc child.” He whispered.

“Oh sweetie...” Lillian was stood behind Talon, her arms draped around him as she leaned down and kissed his temple. “Don’t worry about her, we finally have our lives back.”

"I almost got you killed too." Molly whispered. "I hate what I've done to everyone. I wouldn't blame your people if they want to murder me for it." 

"Yeah." Talon breathed. "All back to normal."

“Well they do have murder on their mind.” Darbok agreed. “But not yours, you pretty thing... Kandomere.” He added, brushing her cheek with a rough thumb. “And the traitors who helped him kill my brothers.”

Lillian sighed softly and deposited herself in her lovers lap. “It’s been so long since you touched me...” she whispered against his lips. Her slender fingers tangled in his dark hair, jerking his head back before letting her lips tease against his powerful jaw. “Don’t you love me any more?”

A year passed quickly for Molly. The Fogteeth clan took her in as one of their own but none more than Darbok. He treated her like a queen and the others seemed to love it. 
Molly settled into a life where she felt safe. The clan honored her former lover and they honored the child she'd been told she lost. 
She and Darbook had gotten rather close, a slow realtionship forming between them. She found herself wondering if taking it slow like this might be the best thing after all.

Talon had gone to bed alone that night and many nights after that.  Though he'd gone back to his regular self for the most part at the tattoo parlor, at home he was often silent and distant. Even with making the wedding plans he seemed uninterested and far off.

Darbok was intentionally taking things slowly with Molly. Aside from it giving him time to just know her, it was time he was also spending searching for her lost child, in secret. 

Lillian either didn’t notice, or most likely simply didn’t care. All the dark haired woman knew was that she had won. She had shown that annoying elf the door, and reclaimed her life. Her perfect life, with her perfect fiancée, and their soon to be perfect wedding. Most things were already in place, and she was having another dress fitting that afternoon.

That night Molly sat at the head table, pleased when the orcs who sat there all went wild for her cooking. It made her think of Ruvik. He always loved her cookies. "I miss the woman at the meat market she always knew where to get dragon meat." She said to Darbok after a moment. "Her son got the next best thing but I still miss her."

Talon slept through the tux fitting. He paid no attention to what the man was saying. In fact he didn't even care if he wore a suit. A year had passed and he cared for very little. His employees took care of his shop. He rarely came in anymore.

Darbok hand lifted his hand to rest it over Molly’s, until he realised they weren’t alone. “Tell me how much you need, and I can get it.” He assured her with a warm smile. “I could hassle some elves, it would be my pleasure.”

“You know, there’s still time...” Inside the tailors there was a young woman who assisted the owner with fittings, and she was currently checking the fit of Talon’s wedding tux. The little blonde looked to be about the same age at Viola, even the same curl to her lips when she smiled up at him. “I’ve been here long enough to know happy when I see it, and...” she glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were alone for the moment. “You’re not happy.”

"It was just a thought. And it's for you guys. I don't do dragon meat. Travla told me there's some type of special ceremony coming up. I thought I would help."

"Happy is just a word." Talon muttered.

“You know what would help?” Darbok asked with a slight grin. “A smile.” He added, tussling Molly’s hair affectionately.

“So is marriage.” The young woman pointed out. Like Viola, the top of her head barely came level with Talon's shoulder. In comparison, Lillian could damn near look him in the eye with those supermodel long legs she had.

"Another words the ceremony is none of my business." Molly said with a sigh, not giving Darbok what he asked for. "It's ok. It's not like we have the same customs anyway. It's probably not proper for a human to make the food for whatever it is." 

Talking absently patted the woman on the head like he would have Viola. He'd gotten so used to it he forgot she was gone. When he realized what he'd done the very idea made him that much more depressed. "Marriage is just a thing. It makes her happy, right?" He muttered, shrugging his massive shoulders.

Darbok lost his own smile and lowered his hand back to the table. “That’s not it at all, child.” He breathed. “I only meant that you don’t need to try so hard, will preparing the food finally make you smile?”

“But what makes you happy?” She breathed, pausing with a small hand pressed to his chest as her green eyes studied his face. “A lifetime is a long time to do something you don’t want to... just to make someone else happy.”

"I just like making people happy. You and your people have done so much for me. I want to return the favor somehow." Molly leaned over giving him a quick kiss on the cheek which was met with cheers and and wolf calls from the clan group around them. Molly sat back, finally grinning and blushing deeply. 

"My life left me a long time ago. I don't care anymore." Talon admitted. "Now I just feel like I'm floating through life, waiting for the next bad thing to happen."

Darbok wanted to grin in return, but knew better than to create rumours that might make Molly uncomfortable. Instead, his squeezed her hand beneath the table. “Come find when everyone is done here, we can see about getting you what you want.” He told her, letting her find her own meaning in the words.

“Why not wait for the good, instead?” The small blonde asked, daring to pull Talon’s lips down to meet her own, it wasn’t wrong if the groom didn’t even love the bride, right?

Molly came and found Darbok when the meeting with the clan was over. She noticed how tired he looked and sat at his feet, trying not to show she was worried for him. 

Talon didn't return the kiss. In fact when she was done he simply pushed her away. "Don't do something stupid, honey. You're going to get yourself killed." He mutter, paying for the suit and leaving the shop.

Darbok was reading, and absently reChed out, his hand resting on the top of Molly’s head. “I have a wedding I need to attend tomorrow, I was...” the Fogtooth leader actually seemed nervous. “Would you come with me?”

It was the night before the wedding now, and Lillian was sat on their couch, her long legs stretched out as she checked over their wedding arrangements. She had invited several of Talon’s orc friends, thinking it would warm him back up to her, but she simply didn’t want them there.

"Me?" Molly lifted her head in surprise. "Isn't that bad protocol? Someone will see us together and get an idea..." She began the terrible habit of chewing on her bottom lip. "I can't risk your life. I'm sorry. I'd be honored to go. Really I would but...I won't do that to you..." Just as soon as she looked up she looked down again, picking at the fabric of her jeans. She couldn't risk someone else she'd come to care for so much.

Talon ignored his bride to be for these orcs, finally leaving with them for an impromptu bachelor party. These men had him good and drunk, just like their boss had asked.

“Oh...” Darbok knew where Molly was coming from, but at the same time he couldn’t help but be disappointed. “Well... I could say you’re my pet.” He added after a moment of trying to hide his disappointment, grinning at Molly and ruffling her hair. “How about you think on it, while I attend the unlucky groom’s farewell party?”

"I'll go. I'd be honored to, Darbok. But thete are still too issues. One...it's not proper to mix races. Your own kind could protest that I'm there...Worst of all..." There was a strange but beautiful blush that she'd never shown him before. "I have nothing to wear." She admitted, ducking her head.

“Liar.” Darbok replied with a smirk. “You know you can buy anything you want, and second... you really think anyone around here will care that I took my human fri nd to the wedding of two humans?”

"All right then Mr. Know it all, just when do I have time to go buy a dress?" Molly asked, making a face at him. Now that they were alone she couldn't resist crawling into his lap.

“You could go while I’m drinking Talon under the table.” Darbok chuckled, his arms easily settling around Molly’s waist.

Molly rested her head on his shoulder. The realtionship had developed exactly as he'd intended. Instead of the wild and heated passion that she and Ruvik had had, this was a gentle and loving friendship that had just begun to blossom into something more. 
"What you want is a ride home." She teased him, sliding her hands along his sides. "All right but I'm waking you up early and we're going shopping before the wedding."

“Assuming I fall asleep...” darbok replied, tickling Molly’s ribs playfully. “But I would say...” he paused and rested his forehead against her’s. “it looks like I won...” he finished before tickling her all over again.

Molly squirmed just enough that their lips met. This time she didn't pull away. It was a gentle kiss that led into a much more passionate one. She allowed it to. When his arms slid around her waist and pulled her against him she felt safe. She didn't feel at all like she was betraying Ruvik. In fact in an odd way she felt like he would approve of this.