Realization hurts(Darcy,cont.)

[hugodouglass]

"That's who I'm worried about." He kissed her once more before he heard Casey's call. A look of anxiety flashed through Hugo's face before saying:
"Claire, analyze perimeter."
"Analyzing, Detective...analyzing. Two lifeforms detected in back yard area. Composition..."
"Claire, I don't care what they're made of! What are they?!"
"Class: Human. I believe they have weaponry." Hugo grunted, saying:
"Activate defense systems."
"Gladly." There was a minute hum before Claire said:
"Lifeforms have fled."
"They did what now?"
"Fled, Detective."
"They're not anywhere around the perimeter? Do a sweep of half a mile."
"Analyzing...no abnormal life forms detected. Detective, I believe I scared them." Hugo couldn't believe it. What would spook spooks? All he knew was that they needed to be on high alert.
"Claire, activate shudders."
"Activating." The outside of the house did not change, but an energy field was now surrounding the home. It would ensure that they could get the upper hand in case of a fight.
"Thank you Claire."
"You are very welcome detective." Hugo looked down at Darcy, telling her:
"Don't get antsy. Claire's got us covered." He kissed Darcy one last time before saying:
"I'm going to sleep."

[darcyneumann]

As per usual, no sooner had the drama started, Hugo had it under control. The intruders fled, which was odd, and that meant that despite Hugo's reassurances, Darcy probably wouldn't sleep as well as she had hoped she would.
"Night," she said, giving him a small and probably unconvincing smile as she left the room. Casey was standing out in the corridor looking suitably confused, and Darcy pulled her into a one armed hug as she steered the girl into a nearby bedroom.
"It's okay, everything's fine."
"If you say so," Casey said half-heartedly.
They both threw their pyjamas on and climbed under the covers, Casey facing Darcy.
"This is so scary," she admitted, "I don't know what to do, or what to think. I know you trust Hugo, I do too, I just don't trust what goes on out there."
Casey wasn't shy or unadventurous, but she always got anxious in situations which she deemed to be too dangerous, or where someone was likely to get hurt. She had also never driven, because she was afraid of the other people on the highways, what they were or weren't thinking. This was all because of the crash.
"We can't control everything," Darcy told Casey, brushing her hair behind her ear, "but we can control what we do. And you know that I will do everything I can to keep you safe, both of us safe. And trust me when I say that we are protected, and we're going to be okay.
"Okay."
With that assurance, Casey seemed to fall asleep quite quickly. It took Darcy a while longer, her mind still ticking over about all that had happened. But eventually, she gave in to exhaustion, and was out like a light.

[hugodouglass]

(Just noticed: #152!!! Yeowza!!!)

Hugo sat on the edge of the bed and then heard a whimper coming from the bathroom across the hall. The detective walked inside to find Lisa sitting on the floor, legs tucked into her body, quietly sobbing.
"Lisa?" He knelt down next to the girl, stroking her hair gently as he asked:
"What's wrong, baby?"
"I hate this."
"Hate what?"
"Why can't we be normal, Daddy? Why can't I go to school? Why can't I have friends for more than two weeks because we have to move? Why are people trying to hurt us?!" On that last statement, Lisa broke out into a full on crying episode, flinging herself into her father's arms. Hugo kissed his daughter on the head, rocking back and forth gently as he told her:
"Baby, I want things to be normal too. Believe me, I do. But right now, we have to stick through this." He put a hand under his daughter's chin, lifting it gently as he wiped away the tears from her eyes(those beautiful orbs of color), telling her:
"I promise you, when this is done, we're going to get back to normal."
"You mean it?"
"I mean it more than anything in the world, darling."
"Really? Pinky promise?" Hugo laughed, sticking out his pinky.
"Pinky promise." Lisa intertwined her pinky with his, a solemn oath being confirmed.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Can I sleep with you?"
"You're getting pretty big for that, baby."
"Just this one more tiiiime." He knew it made her feel better, so...
"Don't hit me in the face while you're asleep, ok?"
"Ooooook."

"What's the status of the squad?" Goodwin had just arrived back at his headquarters from a length campaigning run through the heart of downtown. The elections were getting closer and if Douglass discovered the dirt he knew was out there...
"They've isolated the location, but apparently they're in a safehouse provided by LAPD. Can't get in touch with the PD right now."
"WHY?!"
"Emergency over at the Governor's place."
"THEN GET A WAY IN THERE!"
"We've tried everything, sir."
"No...no, not yet." Goodwin smiled gleefully, tapping his ear to activate the comm device.
"Get me SFPD. I need an arrest warrant put out."

After about five hours or so, Hugo woke up, alert, fresh. It was almost like being back on the beat: a few hours, then good to go. He saw that Lisa was still asleep, so he quietly(the floorboard creaked once) dressed himself and got himself downstairs without too much noise. He placated himself in front of the holo's from a few hours ago and brought the data up on screen. Hugo was realizing very quickly that this was more than just murder.

This was politics.

[darcyneumann]

((Bahahahaha, awesome! These threads get so insane xD))

Darcy's sleep was restless, she tossed and turned, unable to settle properly. Luckily, Casey had stolen the covers before the real movement started, and was safely wrapped in her cushioned cocoon, completely oblivious to Darcy's troubles.
Darcy wasn't asleep, but neither was she really awake, she seemed to be in this half sleep state, where she was sometimes aware of the bedroom, and lying in the bed, but she kept drifting in and out of dreams, her brain running in circles, thinking that her dreams were reality, and vice versa.
With a harsh blink, and forcing herself to sit upright, she managed to break the cycle. She felt too awake to go back to sleep, and yet still exhausted.

Clambering out of the bed, she pulled a jacket around herself, and shoved her shoes on, heading downstairs in order to find coffee, or something else with high amounts of caffeine in it. This would prevent her from getting any actual sleep, but hopefully it would keep her awake enough throughout the day to be alert and understand what was going on.

Walking into the kitchen, she located coffee in the cupboard, and started the water boiling. Then she drew her eyes up to look past her reflection - she didn't even want to think about what she looked like right now - and out into the yard.
Her thoughts drifted, first to why she possibly couldn't sleep. Maybe it was because of the situation they were in, or maybe all the drama lately had her thinking about the last time her life was this turbulent, back when she still lived with her father in Vancouver. One particular memory in particular kept appearing in her dreams, she was standing in front of a large oak door, twisting her long, skinny legs around each other. She'd just failed an exam for the first time, stayed up too late the night before desperately cramming knowledge into her brain. The verbal assault that had followed was unbearable. She'd never failed an exam again.

Dragging her hand across her face, Darcy realised that the water had boiled and was already cooling. Instead of doing anything though, she just sort of stood there, staring at the kettle.

I need a holiday.

[hugodouglass]

(SO sorry for not posting lately. No cpu + end of semester=BLARGH)

Hugo didn't notice that Darcy had been in the kitchen, so when he turned his head towards the kitchen and saw his lover staring at the antique stove(electric stove? Who used those anymore), he was pleasantly surprised. He wouldn't disturb her just yet. The detective turned back to his casefile, now displaying the information he knew on the holo screen. Five starstrikers killed. Who funded that military organization?

A senator from New York. An ugly one at that. Paul Goodwin had backed the project himself(he was ex-military) and was the first one to back up the strikers when they were brought into question about the colonial massacre. When the case went flat, Goodwin disappeared for a few months, then came back in a politically furious fashion to win a third term in the UGAP. Problem was, the murders sync up really nicely with Paul's political hiatus. Two plus two equals four.

Hugo now got up from his seated position, walking to the kitchen and putting his arms around Darcy's waist, kissing her on the neck as he said:
"Morning, nurse. How'd you sleep?"

[darcyneumann]

((It's cool, it's only been a couple of days xD besides, I have work to be getting on with myself.))

Stirring some milk into her coffee, she inhaled the aroma of the roasted coffee beans and let out a contented sigh. It was such a gorgeous smell, with so much texture flavour, she could practically taste the coffee. Too bad the flavour of the drink on her tongue never lived up to the smell.
Hearing movement behind her, she twisted her head and saw Hugo approaching. Had he been in the living area all the long? Oops. Oh well, he was here now, and she had to say, having him close made her relax somewhat, almost forget all the worries that were swirling around her brain, trying to turn her into an insomniac.

Leaning her head back against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and said, "terrible, detective. Kept dreaming, twisting and turning. I'm surprised I didn't find myself on the floor." She let out a breath, "how about you? Feeling any better this morning?"
Opening her eyes, she twisted her head slightly to catch his lips with hers, smiling a little.

[hugodouglass]

He managed to returned the kiss before he responding:
"A lot better. I found a few things littered around in the old case files that were interesting." Hugo did his best to summarize the information he had dug up, trying to not bore her with all the gritty details. It took a few seconds, but now she knew what was going on. He let go of Darcy and leaned up against the counter, saying:
"I've got to get to New York city one way or another. Talk to Goodwin, see if my suspicions are true." He blew out a small sigh before continuing:
"This is dangerous. Really dangerous. Going right into the heart of a possibly crooked political arena. That's why I want Lisa and Casey with my parents. They're up in the mountains near Beverly Hills and have their own security force thanks to Dad's money. They'll be safe there. I would tell you to go with them, but I already know what the answer is."

He couldn't believe it...arresting Douglass? Nah, that couldn't be right. Michael Hurd, captain of SFPD, was in anguish. He couldn't believe these accusations. Third degree murder, evading arrest, recruiting terrorist suspects...what in the world was this dude planning?
"Sir?"
"What is it?"
"We're closing in on the safehouse. Tech team is almost in range." Hurd nodded, punching a button in the backseat of the hovercar, a small holo coming up of the safehouse provided by LAPD. Entry point would be easy: just crash through the front door. He was a detective, not an intelligence operative. He couldn't evade them...

[darcyneumann]

Darcy listened quietly while he explained, nodding occasionally to signal that she understood and was keeping up. Basically, Hugo was being framed, this much she had assumed already. But now they had a name, someone who may have actually committed the murders, and for some reason, had it our for her loved one.
"You're learning," she said with a slight smile, "that sounds like the best idea for the girls, they can't stay here, that's for sure."
She took a sip of her coffee, it was just about the right temperature now. "I take it you'll be wanting to get out of here as soon as possible?" If that was the case, she could get dressed and splash some water on her face. Unearth Casey from beneath that mountain of covers. Little did she know, she would probably be running for her life in her pyjamas.

((Sorry it's short =/))

[hugodouglass]

(giiirl, it's good)

"Detective, life forms app..." Claire cut off in mid sentence, the home appearing to shut down. There was a tech team nearby, which meant that they were going to have company.

Wonderful.

"Get upstairs, wake up the kids, get into the closet into my room. There should be a duffel bag with supplies. Take the bag, turn around, and hit the closet wall. There should be a slide that will lead you straight to the garage. Start the car. I'll meet you there." Hugo had gone through this drill so many times in training that he knew it all by heart. He quickly shut the holo's down, snagging a portable drive from a cabinet nearby and plugging it into a wall socket. A few moments later, the data was saved and Hugo slipped that into his pocket. Now for the preparations...

Hurd and his men pulled up to the home, the men quickly exiting their vehicles, pulse rifles out and ready to attack. The captain figured he could at least be civil with Hugo and give him a chance to get out of this. He activated a portable mic and spoke:
"Hugo! Come on now, we got this place on lock. Just get out of there and everything's gonna be alll right."

"Oh it is." Hugo said under his breathe, standing in the second floor hallway, a small device in his hands. He planted the device on the ground and set the timer for three minutes, the detective now getting to the slide himself, getting into the garage.

Two minutes, thirty seconds.

[darcyneumann]

Following his directions to the letter, and not much time for thoughts otherwise, Darcy sprinted up the stairs, quickly waking Casey before being a bit more gentle with Lisa.
"Come on sweetheart, we have company, we need to move."
Lifting the young girl up into her arms, Casey appeared with their bag strapped to her back, and Darcy headed for the closet, knocking the appropriate wall with her foot. They were in the garage in no time.
After making sure both girls were in the back, Darcy clambered into the car. Realising that she'd automatically got into the driver's seat, she looked to start the ignition, then realised it could only be activated by the owner. Clambering across the passenger seat, she strapped herself in. She could practically feel the anxiety rolling off Casey in waves.
"It's okay, we're going to be fine."
"Mhmmmm," Casey mumbled.

[hugodouglass]

Hugo could hear Hurd's bargaining tactics through the garage door(that mic was loud), the detective strapping himself into the car as he told his passengers:
"This is going to get bumpy. I don't know if you all noticed, but this is one of the older hover cars that didn't get slapped with altitude restrictions." Hugo began to fire up the car, a set of controls flipping out to Hugo's right.

One minute, thirty seconds.

Hurd was getting impatient. He ordered his men to charge the home, the squadron leader hurriedly moving to the door, kicking it down forcibly and fired a few shots. Nothing.
"Captain, first floor is a no-show."
"Get upstairs!"

Thirty seconds.

The roof of the garage was now opening, Hugo hitting the auto ignition sequence and sat back in the chair.
"This is going to be quite a ride."

"Sir!"
"What is it?" The squadron leader leaned over the shoulder of his subordinate, noting the device on the floor of the hallway.
"This is a..."

The car lifted up into the air, the engine roaring as the car itself asked for directions.
"Sara Mountains. Range 2246."

The house exploded, the force of the blast almost knocking the now streaking car out of the air. Hugo only laughed heartily, saying:
"That's a ride, ain't it?"
"YAAAAAHOOOO!" Lisa exclaimed with an excited fervor.

[darcyneumann]

The speed at which they took off made Darcy wish that she'd climbed in the back with Casey, and strapped Lisa in the front. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Casey had her eyes tightly closed, and she was clinging onto the seat for dear life, nothing but pure unadulterated horror on her face. Lisa's cry didn't help.
The image of the pair of them in the back was sort of ironic really, usually it would be the twenty year old enjoying the ride, and possibly the eight year old quivering in fear.
Casey was getting spa weekend or something after this, anything to make it up to her.

"Hugo," Darcy said in a low voice, gesturing to her petrified daughter, "when we're safe, take it steady, okay?"

Hopefully the journey wouldn't take too long, and Darcy would get a chance to comfort Casey before running off again.

She'd completely forgot that she was still in her pyjamas. She'd have to get dressed at Hugo's parents house.

Hang on, parents. Meet the parents.

Oh dear.

[hugodouglass]

(Yeah, so I didn't mean to get all back to the future on you, but I figured "Hey, it's the future. We can get away with a few things like this.)

Hugo nodded at Darcy's comment, knowing that this was a huge shock(especially for Hugo, seeing as he didn't know if the car was going to work or not). As they began to stabilize, Hugo looked over at the nav screen located directly in front of him. ETA twenty minutes.

Hurd had watched the explosion and the subsequent get away by Douglass in shock. Who would have thought that one of those old cars was still active, let alone in a safehouse for the LAPD, one of the more modernized departments.
"Captain?"
"What is it?!" His private, Johnson, walked up next to him with an organic matter scan.
"The men...they're still alive!" Hurd breathed a sigh of relief, that relief melting away to anger at Douglass. He put some fine men in danger today.

And he was going to pay. Pay big...

"Darling!" Hugo had parked the hovercar right outside the home(to the ire of the security forces on the ground), the detective now seeing his mother emerge from the monolith known as the Douglass home. She was, as usual, looking refined. She was a proud woman, very dignified, very formal, as if she was straight out of the twenty one hundreds(She loved that period of time. Called it the age of civilization). Her green eyes glowed with excitement(the dress she wore only magnified that glow: bright orange with yellow hues) as she kissed her son on the cheek, saying:
"You weren't supposed to come until the end of this month!"
"Well, things changed."
"Gramma! Gramma!" Lisa nearly knocked Hugo aside to jump into the arms of her grandmother, who embraced her tenderly, kissing her on the forehead and promising her granddaughter a few gifts(what a surprise...she always spoiled Lisa) when they went inside.
"Darling, who are these two?" Hugo looked over at Darcy and Casey, then back to his mother with an apologetic smile, saying:
"Mother, this is Darcy Neumann. She's a doctor working on the same assignment as I am."
"Quite a uniform, Doctor Neumann."
"And this is her daughter, Casey."
"How do you do, my dear? Why, your hair looks lovely!" Well, at least she liked Casey. That was a start.
"Where's Dad?"
"Inside, dear. He's in another one of those hush-hush meetings. You know how your father is." She made a dismissive wave towards the house.
"Gramma, can I have my gift now?"
"Of course you can, darling. Come."

The interior was, to say the least, gorgeous. The main hall had a cathedral ceiling with stairs looping up to the second floor. There were hallways branching left and right on the first floor, as if it were a miniature maze.
"I'm taking your daughter, dear. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, Mother."
"Make sure to tell your Father you're here. And breakfast will be on the table in twenty minutes. I hope you do like the new Chef, darling. He's quite sterling." And with that, she left the trio standing in the enormous main room, taking Lisa to another part of the home(most likely the garden).
"Sorry for the rough start. She'll soften up." He looked over at Darcy and Casey, telling them:
"We have a room for situations like these. Come on."

Down one hallway, down another, and third door to the left. Inside was a queen sized massage bed, cabinets, a closet, and a bathroom that extended from the room.
"This is one of the guest rooms. Mother keeps most of these drawers stocked with clothing just in case. I'll give you two some time to freshen up." Hugo wanted to go talk to his father, see what was going on back in Tinseltown. And besides, the girls could handle themselves.

"No, no, I don't want to negotiate lower Balwin, I want more!"
"Mr.Douglass..."
"Don't Mr.Douglass me! Twenty million credits? That's an outrage!"
"We'll work on it then."
"Good!" Hugo strolled into his father's workroom just as the call was ended, which meant he would catch his father in an extremely moody time. Just wonderful.
"Hugo, my boy!"
"Hey Dad."
"Come here and give your old man a hug." His once black hair had totally gone gray, his large six foot four frame reduced by a few inches, but he was still the imposing and gentle human being that Hugo had always known. The two embraced, a moment of silence passing over them before the father commented:
"Son, you smell terrible! Have you taken a bath at all?"
"Not recently."
"Ah! Rebelling against the standard of cleanliness, are we?"
"I was never a rebel."
"Except when it comes to sanity, my dear boy." The two laughed, Hugo's father continuing:
"That woman you brought. Who is she?"
Yeah, he'd have to explain all this, wouldn't he?

Hugo opened his mouth and began:
"She came into my life..."

[darcyneumann]

Darcy practically shrank at the sound of his mother's voice, the critical comment that she made. Out of all the stuff that had happened so far on this adventure, this was definitely the most humiliating. It was hard not to turn as red as a tomato.
Nevertheless, the first meeting was a whirlwind, and before she knew it, and had been allowed to gawk at the gorgeous architecture of the whole house, she was standing inside the fabulously made up guest room, her arms wrapped around herself, and Casey stood beside her, still as pale as a ghost after that car ride from hell.

As soon as Hugo had departed, she and her daughter embraced, and didn't let go of each other for a good few minutes, not until both had managed to gather their wits.
"Well, meeting the parents for the first time was terrible."
"The first time? Really?" Casey said, pulling away, seating herself on the edge of the bed, "you've never done it before?"
"Yep, and I turned up in my pyjamas."
Twirling round, she collapsed onto the bed behind her daughter, her hands above her head.
"Well, at least you weren't blind drunk or a hippie or something, that would have gone down worse."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm serious."
"You try it sometime, see how it works for you."
Casey leaned back and rested her head across Dee's stomach, "will do."

After a small rest, Darcy creaked up and clambered into the shower - they had healing powers for the soul, she could have sworn they did.
Feeling refreshed and dry, she dressed in something much more appropriate, and emerged to find Casey fast asleep.
"Come on sweetheart," she woke the girl gently, "you need to come watch me make awkward conversation."

They headed downstairs, taking a moment to gaze at the ceiling in the main hall again before they found their way into the kitchen. The spread on the table looked delicious, Darcy could have sworn she heard Casey's stomach rumble.

[hugodouglass]

Hugo obviously had skipped a few moments in his story(being kidnapped, their current situation,etc), but he was able to tell his father most of what had happened. After he finished, his father let out a guffaw, saying:
"Well kiddo, you've been doing a lot, haven't you? But that's how you've always been. Active." For the first time in a long while, Anthony's face darkened, as if some morose thought had crossed his mind.
"Dad? You ok?"
"Of course, my boy! Never better." That was a lie, but Hugo wasn't going to press the issue. He DID need to press another issue however...
"So Dad, you still have Marvin on your contact list?" Marvin Zindler was a bigwig over transportation of stars in Anthony's films. Good guy. A bit chubby.
"I do. What do you need Marvin for?"
"I need a private jet. Trip to New York."
"And for what, may I ask?"
"I want to take Darcy to see some of the old sights. Times Square, Empire State, you know, old New York."
"I'll make the call. You get out of my office and take a shower. One more whiff of you and I think I'll keel over."

Hugo had showered and trotted to the kitchen where he saw Darcy and Casey already staring at the spread. Was it spoiled of him to say that he was used to this kind of treatment?

Yeah. Yeah it was.

"You can eat you know. It's there for a reason." He sat down just as Lisa and his mother strolled in, Lisa carrying a new doll(ANOTHER ONE?!) in her arms.
"Hey Dad, look at what Gramma got me!"
"Wow! Another doll!"
"She deserves it. Come now darlings, sit." She motioned for the two ladies to take seats as she herself gracefully(she seemingly did everything this way) did.
"Now Ms.Neumann, you are a doctor, no? How long have you been in this profession?"

"Operation failed, sir."
"WHAT?!?" Goodwin got the call at his penthouse, the politician sitting up in his bed in a drowsy, yet irate state of being.
"We're sending drones out now. Shouldn't be long."
"GET HIM HERE NOW!"

Anthony now came into the kitchen, clapping a hand on Hugo's shoulder and saying:
"It's all set then."
"Thanks."
"Marvin owed me one anyway." He turned to look at Darcy and Casey, giving them a heart smile, saying:
"Our two guests! My name is Anthony Douglass. Forgive me for not greeting you at the door, but I was occupied." He went to his wife, kissing her on the cheek before sitting down next to her. It was obvious that the duo were polar opposites in personality.

After breakfast, Hugo took Darcy aside and told her:
"We're headed to New York in three hours. Take whatever you need from the house and spend time with Casey in the gardens. She'll probably like it." He gave her a quick kiss before leaving for the opposite end of the Douglass compound to where he had set up an office(when he was visiting, he could work on casefiles,etc.), deciding to get a few phone calls in before he hit New York. Just in case.

Hugo stood at the entrance of the mansion, looking over to his far left where their transport stood. It would take them to their ride. Standing with him was Lisa, who was staring up at her father with a quizzical expression.
"Why are you leaving again?"
"Because I need to take care of something in New York."
"Will you be back?" Hugo knelt down next to his daughter, smiling as he said:
"You'd better believe it. Behave while you're here. You know how Grandma gets when she's angry."
"Uh huuuh."
"I love you." He took his daughter in his arms, quietly hoping that this would be the last time, the LAST time he would ever have to leave his daughter behind. And if it was up to Hugo...

It would be.

The transport took Hugo and Darcy to their ride, which was a medium sized airshuttle that looked mundane on the exterior, but was decked out on the interior with holo monitors, comfortable looking chairs close to the windows, a queen sized bed in the back, and a mini bar. Their pilot had informed them the trip would take close to four hours. Not bad. Hugo threw his bag on the bed and plopped down on one of the chairs, looking over at Darcy with sympathy. She didn't belong here and he probably knew SHE knew she wasn't supposed to be cavorting around the country with some crazy detective.

She must really love him.

As the shuttle got moving, Hugo motioned for Darcy to sit on his lap, a smirk forming on his face as he asked her:
"Take my temperature?" He knew they hadn't had much time since their outing in San Francisco to sit down and enjoy each others company, so why not now?

Before everything went down the drain.

(argh! Didn't mean for it to get this slow! I will speed this up!)