[FIC] Gazes Into You - 24/27
Aug. 4th, 2015 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexisjane<<<<< Chapter Twenty-Three / Masterpost
Jensen lurched up when the sound of the doorbell echoed down the hall, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest as he was wrenched instantaneously from unconsciousness to wide awake. Jared's hand was already bedded in his t-shirt but the fingers tightened further when someone started pounding on the door as they continued to ring the bell.
"Jesus Christ, Jen." Jared could hardly choke the words out.
Jensen quickly cupped his hand over Jared's cheek as he rolled out of bed. "I'm sure it's okay." Jensen tugged on his jeans praying to everything that it was. Without thinking, he reached under the mattress and took out his gun. He checked the chamber and let the slide snap back, simultaneously saying in his most reassuring voice, "It's probably nothing." Jared clutched at Jensen's arm, wide-eyed. Jensen pried his fingers off as the banging continued. "You just stay here. I'll be right back." Nothing in Jared's demeanor suggested he believed him for a minute.
Jensen jogged to the door, noting that his cell was on the coffee table, buzzing like an angry insect. When he got to the door he slowed, pressing his back to the wall so he wasn't directly in front of it, and called out, "Who is it?"
"Oh, thank god. It's me! Open the damn door!" came the muffled reply, in a voice Jensen was really not expecting.
He walked up, undid the series of locks and flung the door open. "Brock? What the hell–?" He didn't get to finish the sentence before Brock pushed his way in past Jensen.
Brock looked a mess, his clothes disheveled, his face red and blotchy like he'd been running, breathing hard and barely able to speak, "I'm sorry, Jen. I tried calling. I tried calling Chris too, but he wasn't answering either and I didn't know what to do. And then I started to think that maybe he had got to you, or–"
Jensen shook his head and held up his hands in front of Brock's face. "Wait! Just...wait." He caught sight of Jared coming out of the bedroom over Brock's shoulder. Brock saw the way his gaze shifted and span around. He looked stunned to see Jared sheepishly standing there, in Jensen's old dressing gown, draping over his t-shirt and boxers, and partially obscuring his crutches.
"Is everything okay, Jen?"
Jensen stepped towards him, gesturing with his hand before realizing that he was still holding the gun. He took it awkwardly and placed it on the table, saying, "Yes. Yes, everything's okay. This is Brock. He's helping us. Brock, this is Jay."
Brock took a step back and seemed to let out a deep sigh of relief. He nodded. "Hi."
Jay nodded back, still wary but then asked, "You want some coffee? You look like you could do with it."
Brock nodded shyly. "Sure."
Jensen held out his arm and directed Brock to a seat at the kitchen table, saying, "Okay, well, you wanna tell me why you were trying to break down my door at five-thirty in the morning?" Jensen slid into the seat opposite him, aware of Jared pottering around in the kitchen behind him.
Brock scrubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times like he wasn't quite sure how to begin. Jensen smiled a little but said firmly. "Just start at the beginning."
Brock huffed out a laugh. "Okay. Um...I was watching Pellegrino at work like you asked. Nothing really was going on. I mean, the guy always seemed pissed off at everyone but then that wasn't anything new. Then a week or so ago...I don't know. I can't say for sure what it was. It was like he seemed calmer almost, not quite so mean to everyone. It just seemed off to me.
“I'd been keeping tabs on the cases he was working and it wasn't like he'd made a break through or anything. He was doing the bare minimum as usual. Anyway, it had me on edge but I didn't think to call you or Chris, 'cause, really, what was I supposed to say? Mark's thirty percent less of an asshole today?
"But then yesterday, he seemed quiet. Like he was trying to be invisible. Secretive. I had a quick look through his desk when he went to lunch but there didn't seem to be anything suspicious. So when he left for the day, I followed him."
Jensen's eyebrows flew up. "You did what?"
Brock sat back in his chair and fisted his hands in his hair. "I know, I know, but I was careful, Jen, honestly. He didn't see me, I'm sure of it."
Jensen slammed the palm of his hand down on the table in frustration, almost yelling, "That's not the point! The guy is dangerous, Brock! If he had seen you...Christ, he could have killed you! I told you to keep your distance!"
Suddenly, Jensen felt a hand on his shoulder. Jared leant into him and murmured, "He's okay, Jen, he's fine. Nothing happened." Jensen hung his head and took a breath. As soon as he relaxed a little, Jared shook his shoulder gently, "Can you get the coffee? I can't..."
Jensen patted Jared's hand and stood up. He made a carry on motion at Brock before he turned his back.
Brock took a deep breath, and started quietly. "So yeah, I followed him. I don't know what I was expecting but he went straight home. Which is a far cry from my crappy apartment, I can tell you. He has a fucking house. A fucking nice house. I really don't understand why IAB haven't been able to nail him because there's no way he could afford that on a cop's salary.
"Anyway, he went in, and I hunkered down expecting him to come out at some point." Brock leaned forward and tapped on the table with his pointer finger. "Except he didn't."
Jensen placed a mug of coffee in front of him and shrugged. "So?"
"So, when it started to get dark, he didn't turn on the lights. I didn't think anything of it. But the later it got...I don't know. He never struck me as the 'early to bed' type. So, I waited until it was late enough that if he was in there, he'd be asleep. Then I went and looked in the window."
Jensen opened his mouth to speak, but Brock was already ahead of him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I admit that was fucking stupid...except..."
Jared and Jensen both leant forward a fraction in their seats. Brock smirked briefly. "The place was empty. I mean, cleaned out. Not a stick of furniture or a piece of paper left in the place."
Jared looked at him questioningly. "You sure it was his place?"
Brock nodded. "Yup, I double checked. He'd been living there three years, since his divorce. The backdoor was unlocked so I went in to check, just in case he'd done us all a favor and offed himself. Everything was just gone. I think he'd been meaning to disappear for a while, maybe sold everything on the quiet."
"And you're sure he didn't come out the front?" Jensen asked.
Brock nodded his head. "Absolutely. His car is still parked there. My guess was he thought IAB might still have surveillance on him, so he went out the back to get a head start."
"And then you came straight here?"
Brock pulled his coffee towards him, warming his hands on the ceramic. "I tried calling. A lot. I...I tried Chris first, but he wasn't picking up and then when I couldn't reach you either...all I could think was that maybe he was coming after you."
Jensen leant back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight in the quiet of the morning. He could feel Jared's eyes on him. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to freak you out." He sat forward. "You did good, Brock."
Brock's head snapped up. He looked so surprised, Jensen felt the need to reiterate. "You did. And I'm glad you're safe. We never meant for you to put yourself in harms way."
Brock's lips pressed together and he nodded curtly.
A beat later, Jared whispered, "Jensen?"
Jensen turned to see the fear in Jared's face. He reached out and squeezed Jared's shoulder. "He's not coming here, Jay. We've been too careful."
Jared smirked unconvincingly. "Sure. Okay. So...what happens now?"
"Now?" Jensen smiled softly at him, slapping his shoulder before letting his hand drop. "Now, you," he pointed at Brock, "You get to finish your coffee, then go to work." Brock started to protest but Jensen just shook his head and continued. "You have to go in. Like nothing has happened. If Pellegrino shows, call me but otherwise just do your job. We don't want to tip our hand."
Brock huffed out a sigh but nodded all the same. Jensen then pointed at Jared. "You are gonna call Chad and get him to come over here."
Jared looked quizzically at him. "It's six-fifteen in the morning! Chad isn't even aware that there is a six-fifteen in the morning. There's no way he'll be conscious before ten."
Jensen ran his hand through his hair in frustration, when Brock piped up, "I can stay...until then...if you want. I'm on a late so I don't have to be in 'til one." He looked between Jared and Jensen as they shrugged and nodded silently at each other. "I mean, as long as you feed me. I'm starving!"
Jared blurted out a laugh. "You read my mind." When Jensen started to move towards the door, he asked, "And what about you? "
Jensen turned to him. "I am going to take a shower and get dressed. And then..." His eyes unintentionally glanced to his handgun resting on the table. "Well, let's just see where the day takes me."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jensen lurched up when the sound of the doorbell echoed down the hall, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest as he was wrenched instantaneously from unconsciousness to wide awake. Jared's hand was already bedded in his t-shirt but the fingers tightened further when someone started pounding on the door as they continued to ring the bell.
"Jesus Christ, Jen." Jared could hardly choke the words out.
Jensen quickly cupped his hand over Jared's cheek as he rolled out of bed. "I'm sure it's okay." Jensen tugged on his jeans praying to everything that it was. Without thinking, he reached under the mattress and took out his gun. He checked the chamber and let the slide snap back, simultaneously saying in his most reassuring voice, "It's probably nothing." Jared clutched at Jensen's arm, wide-eyed. Jensen pried his fingers off as the banging continued. "You just stay here. I'll be right back." Nothing in Jared's demeanor suggested he believed him for a minute.
Jensen jogged to the door, noting that his cell was on the coffee table, buzzing like an angry insect. When he got to the door he slowed, pressing his back to the wall so he wasn't directly in front of it, and called out, "Who is it?"
"Oh, thank god. It's me! Open the damn door!" came the muffled reply, in a voice Jensen was really not expecting.
He walked up, undid the series of locks and flung the door open. "Brock? What the hell–?" He didn't get to finish the sentence before Brock pushed his way in past Jensen.
Brock looked a mess, his clothes disheveled, his face red and blotchy like he'd been running, breathing hard and barely able to speak, "I'm sorry, Jen. I tried calling. I tried calling Chris too, but he wasn't answering either and I didn't know what to do. And then I started to think that maybe he had got to you, or–"
Jensen shook his head and held up his hands in front of Brock's face. "Wait! Just...wait." He caught sight of Jared coming out of the bedroom over Brock's shoulder. Brock saw the way his gaze shifted and span around. He looked stunned to see Jared sheepishly standing there, in Jensen's old dressing gown, draping over his t-shirt and boxers, and partially obscuring his crutches.
"Is everything okay, Jen?"
Jensen stepped towards him, gesturing with his hand before realizing that he was still holding the gun. He took it awkwardly and placed it on the table, saying, "Yes. Yes, everything's okay. This is Brock. He's helping us. Brock, this is Jay."
Brock took a step back and seemed to let out a deep sigh of relief. He nodded. "Hi."
Jay nodded back, still wary but then asked, "You want some coffee? You look like you could do with it."
Brock nodded shyly. "Sure."
Jensen held out his arm and directed Brock to a seat at the kitchen table, saying, "Okay, well, you wanna tell me why you were trying to break down my door at five-thirty in the morning?" Jensen slid into the seat opposite him, aware of Jared pottering around in the kitchen behind him.
Brock scrubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times like he wasn't quite sure how to begin. Jensen smiled a little but said firmly. "Just start at the beginning."
Brock huffed out a laugh. "Okay. Um...I was watching Pellegrino at work like you asked. Nothing really was going on. I mean, the guy always seemed pissed off at everyone but then that wasn't anything new. Then a week or so ago...I don't know. I can't say for sure what it was. It was like he seemed calmer almost, not quite so mean to everyone. It just seemed off to me.
“I'd been keeping tabs on the cases he was working and it wasn't like he'd made a break through or anything. He was doing the bare minimum as usual. Anyway, it had me on edge but I didn't think to call you or Chris, 'cause, really, what was I supposed to say? Mark's thirty percent less of an asshole today?
"But then yesterday, he seemed quiet. Like he was trying to be invisible. Secretive. I had a quick look through his desk when he went to lunch but there didn't seem to be anything suspicious. So when he left for the day, I followed him."
Jensen's eyebrows flew up. "You did what?"
Brock sat back in his chair and fisted his hands in his hair. "I know, I know, but I was careful, Jen, honestly. He didn't see me, I'm sure of it."
Jensen slammed the palm of his hand down on the table in frustration, almost yelling, "That's not the point! The guy is dangerous, Brock! If he had seen you...Christ, he could have killed you! I told you to keep your distance!"
Suddenly, Jensen felt a hand on his shoulder. Jared leant into him and murmured, "He's okay, Jen, he's fine. Nothing happened." Jensen hung his head and took a breath. As soon as he relaxed a little, Jared shook his shoulder gently, "Can you get the coffee? I can't..."
Jensen patted Jared's hand and stood up. He made a carry on motion at Brock before he turned his back.
Brock took a deep breath, and started quietly. "So yeah, I followed him. I don't know what I was expecting but he went straight home. Which is a far cry from my crappy apartment, I can tell you. He has a fucking house. A fucking nice house. I really don't understand why IAB haven't been able to nail him because there's no way he could afford that on a cop's salary.
"Anyway, he went in, and I hunkered down expecting him to come out at some point." Brock leaned forward and tapped on the table with his pointer finger. "Except he didn't."
Jensen placed a mug of coffee in front of him and shrugged. "So?"
"So, when it started to get dark, he didn't turn on the lights. I didn't think anything of it. But the later it got...I don't know. He never struck me as the 'early to bed' type. So, I waited until it was late enough that if he was in there, he'd be asleep. Then I went and looked in the window."
Jensen opened his mouth to speak, but Brock was already ahead of him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I admit that was fucking stupid...except..."
Jared and Jensen both leant forward a fraction in their seats. Brock smirked briefly. "The place was empty. I mean, cleaned out. Not a stick of furniture or a piece of paper left in the place."
Jared looked at him questioningly. "You sure it was his place?"
Brock nodded. "Yup, I double checked. He'd been living there three years, since his divorce. The backdoor was unlocked so I went in to check, just in case he'd done us all a favor and offed himself. Everything was just gone. I think he'd been meaning to disappear for a while, maybe sold everything on the quiet."
"And you're sure he didn't come out the front?" Jensen asked.
Brock nodded his head. "Absolutely. His car is still parked there. My guess was he thought IAB might still have surveillance on him, so he went out the back to get a head start."
"And then you came straight here?"
Brock pulled his coffee towards him, warming his hands on the ceramic. "I tried calling. A lot. I...I tried Chris first, but he wasn't picking up and then when I couldn't reach you either...all I could think was that maybe he was coming after you."
Jensen leant back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight in the quiet of the morning. He could feel Jared's eyes on him. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to freak you out." He sat forward. "You did good, Brock."
Brock's head snapped up. He looked so surprised, Jensen felt the need to reiterate. "You did. And I'm glad you're safe. We never meant for you to put yourself in harms way."
Brock's lips pressed together and he nodded curtly.
A beat later, Jared whispered, "Jensen?"
Jensen turned to see the fear in Jared's face. He reached out and squeezed Jared's shoulder. "He's not coming here, Jay. We've been too careful."
Jared smirked unconvincingly. "Sure. Okay. So...what happens now?"
"Now?" Jensen smiled softly at him, slapping his shoulder before letting his hand drop. "Now, you," he pointed at Brock, "You get to finish your coffee, then go to work." Brock started to protest but Jensen just shook his head and continued. "You have to go in. Like nothing has happened. If Pellegrino shows, call me but otherwise just do your job. We don't want to tip our hand."
Brock huffed out a sigh but nodded all the same. Jensen then pointed at Jared. "You are gonna call Chad and get him to come over here."
Jared looked quizzically at him. "It's six-fifteen in the morning! Chad isn't even aware that there is a six-fifteen in the morning. There's no way he'll be conscious before ten."
Jensen ran his hand through his hair in frustration, when Brock piped up, "I can stay...until then...if you want. I'm on a late so I don't have to be in 'til one." He looked between Jared and Jensen as they shrugged and nodded silently at each other. "I mean, as long as you feed me. I'm starving!"
Jared blurted out a laugh. "You read my mind." When Jensen started to move towards the door, he asked, "And what about you? "
Jensen turned to him. "I am going to take a shower and get dressed. And then..." His eyes unintentionally glanced to his handgun resting on the table. "Well, let's just see where the day takes me."
