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."

Darbok’s fingers ceased their wriggling, though only to just barely slip under Molly’s shirt, gently brushing against the smooth curve of her back as he seemingly pulled all breath from her with just one kiss.

Molly knew that this was not the night. And she didn't want it to be. It was still too soon. But the feel of his lips on hers and his fingers on her body was more than enough for now. After a long while she found herself breathless. "Go..." She whispered finally. "I'll see you in the morning."

Darbok grinned, rather impressed with her self control. “Not if I find you first...” he chuckled, dropping warm lips against Molly’s throat before he stood up and gently set her back down in the seat he had just vacated.

Talon wasn't interested in drinking. He stated at the beer in front of him and frowned at the fact that the bottle had gone warm. As far as parties went, this was the worst and for an orc bar that was really saying something.

“Funny things about beer, you gotta drink it to get drunk.” Darbok mused as he flopped into a seat beside Talon. “What’s wrong? You look like a guy destined for the gallows, not marrying his supermodel fiancé.” He added with a chuckle.

"Nothing. This is all part of it. Right? Birth. Child. Marriage. More children. Then death. Except with Lillian I think we skip the children part." Talon shrugged. "I hear you are doing the clan marriage thing soon too."

Darbok waved to the bartender and signalled that he wanted two more beers. “Wow, you would think I would be in on something like my own marriage.” He remarked. “Why no children though? I thoughts what you always wanted?”

Talon actually drank the cold one without a thought to what his friend might be doing. "Your boys were talking earlier about a clan joining. This was supposed to work out for everyone? And what I want doesn't matter anymore. I stopped caring about anything I wanted a long time ago." He finished the bottle and set it down hard on the table. "Lillian makes me hate myself and I lost the ability to care."

Darbok glanced behind them to the other orcs who were celebrating Talon’s last night as a free man. Once he was certain none of them were sober enough to be listening, he watched his friend with a steady gaze. “This won’t bring her back.” He told the other man after a painfully long moment. “You forget, I know Lillian as well as you do... what makes you think she didn’t have a hand in her leaving?” He had learned several months ago that Viola’s name was best not said out loud in front of Talon.

"Lillian isn't smart enough for something like that." Talon muttered, listening to a group of orcs singing a bawdy song about the lady with the cheerful breasts. "She only cares about herself. Look, I know you're trying to help, man. But just leave it be. She's gone and I never should have messed with a good thing anyway."

If orcs could blush, Darbok probably would have right then, given that he could think of only one pair of ‘cheerful breasts’, and not much else. “No, you never should have given up on a good thing.” The orc corrected. “You just accepted what Lillian presented to you, which just leaves one course of reasoning; you got what you wanted from Viola. It was done. Over. She was expendable, because let’s face it... humans don’t marry elves.” He knew what he was doing, and prepared himself for the feel of Talonks fist in his face.

"It's gonna take a few more beers before I start a fight I can't win." Talon muttered. "I've seen you put down guys twice my size with half the effort. And yeah you just pissed me off but what's the point fighting about it? She's still gone." He added with a sigh. He waited a moment until a rather large orc came by and smashed his empty bottle over his head. When the bull faced orc turned to see who'd done it, Talon pointed at Darbok and the bar exploded into orc fists and elbows. 

A few hours later Molly was dabbing antiseptic on his swelling eyes and shaking her head. "A bar fight? And I missed it? It's a good thing your kind heals quickly."

Darbok signed softly, barely even noticing the pain while Molly’s fingers touched his face. “What can I say... I hate to see a guy making the biggest mistake of his life.”

"Why don't we just lock the bride in the bride's room? Then he'll think she ditched him." Molly laughed softly wiping a stray line of blood from his forehead. "Or we could set fire to the church?"

“Wow, I never knew you had such a sinister side.” Darbok mused. “But no, I don’t think even that would make him care. Ever since he started sneaking around with that girl he rescued... I knew things were going to go south. Lillian is not the type to just accept defeat. My guess is, she can’t stand Talon, she just didn’t want his little Vi to have him.” He added, not thinking for a second his new partner knew the girl he spoke of.

"Wait... you mean Viola?" Molly pulled away from him, nearly dropping the bloody rag. "Your friend is in love with an elf? He's insane. That elf is bad luck. Every time she shows up bad things happen!" 

Talon sat on the front pew of the church staring at nothing in particular. This day needed to be over.

“You know her?” Darbok asked with a frown as he sat up.

“Now that’s not the face of a man with his whole future ahead of him.” The priest who would be marrying them in no more than an hour sat down beside Talon in the otherwise empty church. “Cold feet, son? Don’t be ashamed, I’ve seen it many times. You know my advice? No marriage can work if there’s only one person in it.”

"long story." Molly said, her tone bordering on a sob. "The last time I saw her...I don't want to talk about it. Come on. Let's get going. We have a dress to buy and a wedding to get to."

"My dad used to say if I said yes dear everything would be fine." Talking said softly, staring at the ornate windows.

Darbok didn’t get up, instead he pulled Molly against his chest and simply held her. “I’m sorry.” He breathed into her hair, knowing what it was she choked back her tears for.

“But fine isn’t good.” The priest pointed out. “Is fine what you want to wake up to each day?”

Molly returned his embrace, burying her face against his chest. "Why doesn't it get easier? Why does it seem so much easier to blame someone else than myself?"

"I can't remember the last time I wanted to wake up." Talon confessed.  "I don't remember what it was like to be happy or alive. I'm just here."

“Because you didn’t do anything wrong.” Darbok breathed as he stood up, still holding Molly in his arms. “But how about this, forget about everything else. Just for today, all you need to do is wear a dress, and have a good time, okay?”

“Reach down deep, and I’m sure you will.” The priest assured Talon gently as he pushed his weary frame back to his feet. “Your guests will be here soon, I trust you will do what you know is right.”

Molly was so surprised by the move her tears turned into laughter. "All right. You just watch yourself. I have a feeling this wedding is going to be more fun than we plan for."

"I do." Talon said with a nod. He waited until the priest left to look down at the pill in his fingers and swallowed it. The cyanide wouldn't take effect until it was all over.

Darbok had neglected to tell Molly that he was in fact best man at the wedding, having been flitting back and forth between the church when needed. He had felt she would certainly refuse to come with him if she knew he was part of the wedding party, and Talon had seemed to accept this of his friend.
Lillian was in her absolute happy place the moment she was certain all eyes were upon her. Her dress was the kind of minimalist elegant that people paid over the odds for, but drew attention all the same. Nothing could ruin this moment for her at she stood before all her friends and family, about to exchange vows with who she considered to be the perfect man. 
If only she could hear the ragged breathing and tiny footsteps hammering up the church steps at that very moment.

Molly hated everything about this moment. She didn't even look at the bride. For more than a long moment she looked over the crowd, her stomach lurching when she saw a familiar blue head and his partner in crime. Though she longed to alert Darbok or at least one of his men, she knew this wasn't the time or place. So instead she focused on the groom for a moment, finding it odd that he was pale and sweating. It was then that she caught the orc leader's eye and began to give him the sign that things weren't right.

Darbok saw the look Molly was giving him, and it was as he turned his attention to what she was trying to warn him about, the church doors suddenly burst open. A bloody handprint was left on the ornate wood as it’s owner stumbled forward, knocking over several flower displays in the process. The noise was enough to halt the ceremony, all eyes now off the bride and on the small figure staggering down the aisle, her jaw length amethyst hair stained with what seemed to be her own blood, which also covered the dirty and torn clothing she wore.

Talon was sure he was seeing Viola the way he had that very first night. He was so desperate to see her again he was certain he was making her up. He wanted to hold her so badly his chest hurt. "Viola...little bit..." He breathed, swaying in his spot. 

Molly nearly threw up. She was more than certain the appearance of this little elf meant death. She found herself hoping it was her own this time.

Lillian could be heard screeching, stamping her foot and hitting anyone who close by with her bouquet. “Get that thing out of here!” She howled, completely missing the fact that her fiancée was struggling to stay standing.
Viola was pushing forward, barely able to breathe she was so exhausted, and had lost so much blood. The small elf fell at the steps leading up to the alter, her once bright eyes now a much more human looking periwinkle blue, or would have been had they not been so bloodshot and surrounded by deep bruising.

Celia was sat beside Kandomere amid the guests, a rather large hat hiding her face from view, though she shrank down in her seat somewhat, certain He would punish her for her daughters escape.

Talon didn't deserve an angel. He deserved hell. It was probably the beginning of his personal hell. He shouldn't have taken the pills. He should have prolonged the earthly hell as long as he could. What was the difference?

Kandomere was seething. His wand tapping at his side. This was too much. He was going to curse everyone here for this and then burn the church down.

Viola looked up at the man about to marry the woman who had sold her into the very life Talon knew terrified her more than anything. She had suffered for a full year, only to find he hadn’t even looked for her. Not once. Not only that, he had seemingly slid back into his own life without a second thought. “You said you never asked her!” Viola sobbed, realising her statement made little sense, but it was all she could manage. The months had bled into one another, leaving her hazy about whether it had been one night she spent with Talon... or several months. Had he ever said he loved her, or had she imagined it to ease the pain?

Celia saw Kandomere’s fingers twitch, and settled her’s over his own. She dared to squeeze, knowing a massacre here would draw attention they didn’t need. Not yet.

So this was how it started. His hell hell started with accusations. With a test to see if he would lie. "I didn't. I never have. This is..." For a moment the room spun. "Her world not mine."

Kandomere took a breath, feeling a little calmer. "I'm going to lay waste to this room." He hissed.