End of Watch

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"I knew she would...one way or another... which is why I told you to wait at the hotel. I planned to handle things differently." Talon told her. 

Molly heard the voice and her stomach twisted. A part of her blamed the other woman for what happened to her baby. How could she not? She kept walking. Pretending not to hear Ivy.

Reggie grabbed Darbok's arm, his outburst catching her off guard. "What in the world? Terbo hasn't killed anyone yet but...Dar...what happened?"

Talon couldn't help but laugh. He loved this happiness they'd found. If it could last forever, he'd die for it.

“None of your damn business, human.” Darbok growled, shaking Regina’s grip from his arm. The touch of a human, a human female, was the last thing he needed right then. “You can’t change anything, so quit trying.” Molly had left a gaping void inside of him. It had always been there, he had just never noticed it until she had been there to fill it with joy. But now she was gone... he felt the emptiness like nothing else.

“Are you going to take me to the shop with you today? I haven’t seen the guys in forever.” Viola breathed once she had settled her feet back on the ground. “And while we were there... you could, I dunno... maybe finally give me that tattoo you’ve been promising?” She added, tickling Talon’s ribs playfully. She too wanted the happiness to last, six months wasn’t nearly enough after everything they had both been through. Though she never said it out loud, Viola blamed herself for bringing all this bad luck upon her husband. There were still some nights when he would have to calm her down when she woke screaming from a nightmare.

"Okay well..." His reaction stung. It took Regina a long moment to pull herself back together. "Are you telling me you aren't going to be watching your people? If that's the case? I'll just call a bus right now and have them start hauling guys in. I have the warrants. I was trying to give you some respect. But if you aren't going to offer the same then we're done here." She said firmly. 

Talon knew there was still dark things Viola was hiding from him but he left it alone. If she wanted him to know she'd tell him. 
"Darbok is coming around so yeah. I think it's a perfect night. Maybe you can lift the poor guy's spirits. But not until you get some rest." Talon told her, tapping her nose.

Darbok looked Regina straight in the eye as he answered her. “We’re done.” He replied simply. The once proud orc was no more than a broken man. He couldn’t put his own life back together, how was he supposed to keep everyone else in check?

Viola pouted slightly and toyed with the bottom edge of Talon's t shirt, a nervous habit she didn’t even know she had, though usually it was her own clothing she was fiddling with. “Alone? While it’s light out?” She asked.

"You might as well hand Terbo the reigns then." Regina said, turning to leave. "He's going to make hell and I have a feeling it's going to be hard to stop him." The little red head sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. Her day had just gone from bad to worse. "I'll see around, big guy."

"It's daytime, little bit. Of course it's not lights out." Talon smiled, kissing her forehead.

“Not if I can help it.” Darbok muttered, though all the fight had seemed to leave his voice. The orc simply pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was a long time until he had agreed to meet Talon at his shop, and Regina had put a dampener on his daytime drinking. 

“How am I supposed to rest while it’s light?” Viola asked, though she barely stifled a yawn as Talon kissed her forehead.

"Excuse me?" Regina stopped in her stride and turned back to Darbok, fire in her blue eyes. "I've had just about enough of the way you're treating me you giant pile of orc shit. I'm trying to help you and you're treating me like trash. Stop it." She shoved him as hard as she could, the surprise of it the only reason the two of them ended up on the ground.

"Do you ever trust me?" Talon asked, tossing her over his shoulder. "You're going to have a glass of warm milk and go to bed. I'll stay with you. I need to draw the design you wanted anyway."

Darbok was shaking with all the effort it was taking to touch Regina as little as possible. The poor woman was left simply lying on top of the large orc, who was staring up at the sky. It was almost like... he was afraid. 

This only filled Viola with more glee, and she practically vibrated on Talon’s shoulder with the excited squeal she let out. Watching her husband work on his designs was one of her favourite things since they had moved here.

Regina stared down into Darbok's eyes, unable to keep herself from running her fingers over his face. "Talk to me." She whispered, not sure why she was so desperate for him to do so. "Tell me what happened..."

"It's not that exciting." Talon laughed. "It's just warm milk. I may even give you tea to go with it." He teased her.

Darbok seemed to be fighting for the words, and failing. Eventually he met the gaze of the small woman on top of him and simply shook his head as he gently pulled her fingers away from his face. “It’s too soon...” he breathed, finding even speaking Molly’s name out loud was still a painful reminder that she would never say his own ever again.

“And if I’m real good, a cookie too?” Viola asked with an amused snort, though she was already losing herself in the smell of Talon’s shower fresh scent. Cold water or no, he still smelled good.

"I can't even begin to understand but... Darbok...you need to wake up. Your guys are going to get slaughtered. People are going to be hurt because you gave shut down. Please. Work through this. Let me help you or let someone do it..." Regina said softly. 

Talon tucked Viola in and kissed her on the forehead. "You rest." He said softly. "I'll be right here. I'm always here."

“Do you know the name Ruvik?” Darbok asked, seemingly out of the blue, though his fingers were still holding Regina’s just out of reach of his face.

“I don’t deserve you...” Viola told Talon, not for the first time, with a sleepy smile, catching his fingers before he could get too far away. “Promise you’ll be here if I fall asleep?”

"Yeah. The only orc ever to be on the force. Until he tried to kill a magic fed officer. Or so he said." Regina answered, a soft blush stealing the freckles from her cheeks at her confession.

"I swear." Talon breathed, leaning over to kiss her again. But the man that leaned back was not her husband. It was Kandomere and he was grinning like the cat who'd gotten the cream.

Darbok nodded, her answer seeming to appease him somewhat. “You’re the only one that does remember then.” He breathed. “He was buried for loving a human, magick Feds were just part of the deal.” He didn’t dare tell her the entire truth, he wouldn’t put someone e,she in danger of death from Kandomere.

A terrified scream ripped from Viola's throat, her hands thrashing about in front of her push away the  an who still haunted her nightmares even now. It was too real, too raw and vivid for her to comprehend it being anything other than reality.

"There was a rumor going around." Regina said with a nod, finally sitting beside him. "Why do we have to be punished for who we love? Can't love just be whatever it wants with whoever....you get the idea..." Regina was blushing again.

Kandomere was smiling wider now. "Well...the boy escaped...and you are weaker than you were a few days ago. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later."

“Thank the elves for that.” Darbok snorted. “And humans do what the elves tell them, like good little lapdogs.” He added, also sitting up now. “Maybe they’re right...” he was forced to recall Molly’s pregnancy, and the hell it had put her through trying to birth a half orc child.

Kandomere was correct, Viola could barely lift her arms after that little outburst. The young woman was staring at him in confusion, the fog of whatever spell he had had her under not yet fully lifted. “Talon... what did you do to him?!”

"That's not entirely fair." Regina said softly. "Humans don't bow to the elves. At least not many of them."

"Go back to sleep, lovely. Don't worry about him." Kandomere said with a soft purr. "Things are how they should be."

“They certainly don’t stand up to them.” Darbok pointed out. “Elves make the rules, and humans enforce them. Just like you are doing right now.”

“No! Where is Talon?!” Viola demanded, trying to stand up, though her legs simply gave way and the landed on the floor. It was here she saw the markings drawn into her flesh, part of the spell she had just woken from.

"I'm actually trying to keep you and your guys from going to jail, Darbok. And the elves didn't make the laws. The circle of nine did." Regina said, finally getting to her feet. 

"I told you. He escaped." Kandomere said, running his fingers through his hair. "He left you behind."

“Believe what you will, like a good little puppet.” Darbok snorted bitterly. He checked his phone again. He had thought about dropping into Talon's shop, it had been so long that anyone had heard from his friend that even in his miserable haze Darbok was worrying.

“No! He would never!” Viola replied bravely, still trying to get to her feet. “He promised... You’re just lying to me, like always!”

Regina shook her head, his words leaving a scorching place in her chest. "I'm not the one wallowing in the dark, drinking away my sorrows." She muttered. "Get your people in line, Darbok. Before, Terbo does it for you."

Kandomere leaned over her again and more of her dream world would fall away. There was no rustic farm room. Instead there was a stark metal cage. "Believe what you will, my dear. I won't stop you."

“If only the drink actually did get rid of the sorrows.” Darbok replied, though he sounded extremely sober. 

Viola took in a choking sob as her surroundings faded. Her memories of bliss were as false as the home she had come to love. Still, though, she clung to the belief that Talon would never leave. “Why do you keep doing this?” She whispered, no longer certain she was strong enough to keep enduring such torment.

"Ever think she might want you to be happy?" Regina asked pausing as she opened the door to her squad car. "Do you really think whoever has you so sad would want you to be this way?"

"You have her magick. I can't resist it. I keep trying and I can't stop myself." Kandomere said softly, his cocky smile gone for a moment.

“I never got the chance to know her.” Darbok replied, feeling that’s exactly how it was. Did he truly know the woman he loved at all?

Viola found herself shrinking away, disturbed more by this new reaction than anything else. It was her dreams... the ones she had been sketching all those months she lived with Talon. “Her... who?” She asked with a tremble to her voice.

"Then maybe you are mourning the wrong..." Regina didn't finish her sentence. In less time than it took to finish it, she had Darbok back on the sidewalk, covering him with her tiny frame. Bullets were flying over her head and orc was roaring about taking over in his native tonuge.

"Kali. She was the one who carried the magick. Trapped it in a bottle. She claimed it would keep it safe." Kandomere gave her a half smile. "Haven't I told you this story before? She was my wife. She tried to keep the magick from me so I killed her."

Darbok rolled Regina beneath him, his large body covering her’s much better. He fired several blind shots from his own weapon, though seemed more annoyed by the situation than worried.

Viola attempted to swallow the bile that was rising up in her throat as Kandomere told her the familiar tale. “I’m nobody... why don’t you just take Celia’s magick?” She asked, no longer even able to refer to the other woman as ‘mother’.

Regina too had her gun out, aiming it over Darbok's shoulder. "Terbo...at your six and coming fast." She hissed in his ear. "What's the plan?"

"Celia's magick wanes. Yours does not." The blue haired elf answered simply. "If I could figure out how to drain the magick the way she did and bottle it up, there would be no need for you or her, now would there?"

“No plan. You just stay clear.” Darbok reached, shoving to his feet and turning in the direction Regina had just pointed out. Bad move. A bullet slammed into his shoulder, and another into his thigh.

That acknowledgment gave Viola a little hope; he needed her. So long as she had a use, she could look for a way out. “The great dark lord needs the magick of one mutilated little elf, how satisfying.” She taunted.

"Not happening, big guy." Regina said, turning her gun on Terbo as he lept across the street. The orc was massive, though not as big as Darbok himself. He was dead set on ending the boss and the little officer. 

"I need wands. You're filling your head full of egotistical bullshit, child. Just like her. You think you know everything." Kandomere snapped.

Darbok grunted, but kept on shooting. “I will skin that boy alive for this!” He growled, a little emotioned returning to his voice for the first time in months.

“And you think you aren’t guilty of the same?” Viola sneered. “You know nothing, Kandomere.” The small woman spat his name like it left a vile taste in her mouth. “You reply on the magic of others to give you power.” The young woman was smiling, knowing he had no idea she could use magick without a wand.