Talk about some bad Mojo {Maddie}

[lucien]

Because heaven sends and heaven takes
Crashing cars in his brain
Keep him tied up to a dream
And only she can set him free
And then he says to me

Kill me now

[/size][/i]



Sometimes, it just didn’t pay to get out of bed in the morning.
And it was even worse for a guy, if he was determined to keep a sunny disposition around his head. Yeesh. The world was just a friggin crazy place.

“What do ya have for me, Donny?” The younger officer standing in front of the yellow caution tape jumped a foot, his thin hand flying to the butt of his gun. Blinking as he realized who he was talking to, his face relaxed and stance straightened.
Right out of the academy, this one was.

“Got a murder, Detective Paoletti.” The kid replied, blinking sleepy brown eyes at the crime scene in front of them.

Well…duh. Anyone standing in front of a practically burned out building would think of ‘murder’. But wait for it, the kid just needed a bit of steam…

“I was the first on the scene. There’d been reports of fighting and gunshots, so my partner and I headed over; we were the closest to the apartment.” The officer went on, running a hand through his hair. Said ‘partner’ was nowhere to be seen; probably off playing ‘secure the scene’ with the other greens. “When we got here, the place was smoking, and there was a…body lying facedown on the grass.” Shuffling a few steps, he nodded at the burned out lawn. Tobias Drone, the local medical examiner, was squatting down next to it doing his thing, while a gaggle of onlookers took pictures, straining against the restricting hands.

It always disgusted him; the morbid curiosity that people had. They craved violence, loved the rush of adrenaline and the pounding of blood in their ears…

Until it was their blood pouring out of various wounds, or staining their faces, seeping into their mouths to slide horribly down their parched throats. Then it was an abomination.

Standing a bit to the side with the younger officer, Detective Griffin Paoletti, the department’s newest pro, took a sip of his coffee while he gazed absently at the tourists taking pictures, the curious children inching their way forward under the yellow tape, the reporters chomping at their collective bits while they smiled and preened at their cameras. Not even the park next to the crime scene seemed to distract the gawkers too much. But that was tourists for you; never distracted by the ordinary.

Standing at a moderate height and nondescript build, the detective really wasn’t much to see. Evidence of morning shadow brushed across his cheeks and chin, his hair was a messy brown pile on the top of his head, and his clothes were a bit rumpled from being slept in two days in a row- cliché, thy name is Griffin. What was so interesting about him, however strange and quite frightening, lay hidden behind those deep blue eyes. If one were to look behind the title, the honor of being made detective so young, and the haughty smile that never left his face, they’d be thrown into a blood covered world; a colorless scene with an ever present frigid wind.

Like all men of his ilk, Griff had seen too much, too quickly. Having spent most of his later childhood in the bowels of Boston, where the Russian mob loved to show its superiority over the local white-boys, it really wasn’t a big surprise.
The lack of conscience and impending insanity, however; now THAT was the surprise in the cracker jack box.

“Why don’t you go help Reynolds keep the crowd at bay?” Griff said to the young officer, sliding a cigarette into his mouth with one smooth twist. He had a feeling that he’d need it. Without waiting for an answer, he moved forward, those dark eyes looking down at the body of his latest vic; his latest obsession.

Jenny Myers; pretty, hopeful, and covered in blood.
She was only 18 years old.
What a fucking waste.


[/center][/blockquote]

[maddisonlynncarpen]

Nebraska. A death sentence to an aspiring career in journalism compiled into a three short syllables. An ending to all things she had be enthralled with in the big city. When she got the news of her temporary assignment, a few choice words that should not be expressed by a lady were uttered. She was an up and coming journalist with the added bonus of taking her own pictures, and yet despite all of her prestigious awards and abounding letters of recommendation, they had still assigned her to one of the most undesirable locations. Sure, there was violence there. Violence existed anywhere the human raced inhabited. But would there be the kind of morbid butchering and gruesome mysteries in a place where there were more cornfields than people? Highly unlikely.

The only small glimmer of hope that she clung to was that of the nature of her assignment. She was to be assigned to a lead detective and shadow his every move (minus his personal ones of course). She wasn’t told much about the cases he would work or even anything about the detective himself, just that she would take part in his investigations as a documenter and photographer. Realistically, she knew it was going to be painful. To sit back while someone else did the investigating, merely asking clarifying questions and writing transcripts of conversation, taking digital imprints… all things she wished more than anything to do alone and from the comforts of home. It seemed somewhat pointless to her to be assigned to such a mundane assignment, but it was something that would pay the bills and for now, that was her priority.

It was for this reason she didn’t throw the assignment back in the editor’s face and for that reason alone. She had a tendency to be a bit forward when she disagreed or felt offended. She lacked some social skills when it came to expressing emotions, she rarely expressed them and not always in the most befitting way. She was learning, slowly but surely. Instead, she had mastered the art of being stoic. She seemed to have master the somewhat unreadable expression and even better, faking the emotions that may be desired. Like making the awful flirting with the silly coroner’s assistant seem believable and even the intrigued expression that filled her face now as she smiled at the young police officer.

“Hello there officer…” she stumbled for a minute, turning her glance to his badge, “Officer Donny. What’s going on over there?” She flashed a warm sweet apple pie of a smile and batted her silver streaked hazel eyes. She had used this before and quiet successfully, so she couldn’t help but mentally pat herself on the back for his arrogant smile that followed her statement. “Well ma’am, there seems to have been a murder as well as an case of arson.” He smiled boldly at the brunette, feeling proud of his exclusive knowledge. Little did he know she had already come to those conclusions on her own just by the use simple observations. She decided very quickly to play the coy role because she knew all too well that an arrogant man loves a coy soft spoken woman. Sure, she knew she was already allowed onto the crime scene since the head chief had man a point to call her from her hotel room and books to go meet the detective she was to follow for the following weeks. She smiled softly and pulled her badge with the words “Media Specialist” written in bold print with her name Madeline G. Carpenter underneath it. This was one of the first things she received upon arrival to this lonesome state.

” I’m supposed to be meeting a detective by the name of Griffin Paoletti, any chance you know who is and could point him out to little ‘ol me?” she followed it up with a soft bite of her lip to add to the effect of her role playing. She saw the spark in his eyes ignite, completely giving into the idea of saving the leading lady in her moment of distress. His brown eyes crinkled as his smile widened, “ I sure do. He’s right over there...” he said with a toss of his head in a backwards direction, “would you like me to take you to him sweetie?” Kaching! She made a mental note that he would be an easy informant through out her stay and she needed and smiled brightly. “ I sure would love that!”

He stepped aside, as she took a step forward, her cute black heels sinking into the dirt beneath the plush grass. She wobbled for a minute, cursing herself for her wardrobe choice in a place where it shouldn’t really matter. The officer reached out a hand and grabbed her silky one helping her steady herself. She let out a coy giggle to cover the curse she wanted to utter. Polite, shy women don’t often curse at simple incidents and this would blow the persona she started for herself.

The cute and very expensive black heels had seemed like the perfect compliment to her charcoal pencil skirt with the gorgeous pale pink button up blouse with the black lace cami peeping from the top. She wore a matching fitted charcoal business jacket and her hair was curled in complete symmetry. She had become very aware of her appearance understanding very well how quickly one could be dismissed if they seemed... unbecoming. But the heels did no justice for her as she awkwardly made her way across the grass, holding tightly onto the young police officer’s extended elbow as they made their way to the detective whose back was to them as he focused on the mystery in front of him.

((Hope that was okay!))

[lucien]

Shuffling feet brought his eyes up from the body, and Griffin frowned at the older cop that approached. Oh, happy day, it was Donny’s partner coming over…probably in an attempt to fill him on what the green cop couldn’t manage to get out.

”You got anything else for me?”

The older officer shrugged. “Just that me and Donny were the first on the scene; got a call in about a body found in the alley. Thought it might’ve been some kid pulling our leg and high, being prom night and all, but we came anyway and…well, there it is. Looks like someone went all out on him, Paoletti.”

Griff only nodded, his eyes on the body in front of them. From what he could tell from the various…pieces of flesh still attached to bone, Jenny had been wearing something none too conformist, and if the tattoos were any indication, she definitely wasn’t one of the city’s finer socialites. There were some chains around the slashed neck, adding to that…and fuck him, a finger lying near the dumpster than had a ring on it.

Great, now he could deal with family members AND the press. Wonderful. Just fan-fucking-tastic. As if he didn’t have enough people looking to kick his ass into next Tuesday.

The Lieutenant was going to love this one. What was this now? The third killing in the past week, all with the same MO? They could seriously start looking into a serial killer angle, and his boss was probably going to shit a brick when he realized that he’d assigned the department psycho to the actual psycho.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he stood. From deep inside the pocket of his coat, he took out a pack of cigs and quickly lit up, needing the sweet release of nicotine. While the scene techs and beats started mopping up, and the reporters squawked into their microphones near the street, he cleared out everything from his mind and slowly turned to look back at the scene. He took in every inch of the place; the blood stained brick walls, the grimy cement, the broken door to the Laundromat off to the side. He walked the scene, going over the details in his head and pictured a working girl running for his life, eyes wide open in terror and mouth set in a silent scream.

“Yo, Detective Paoletti; you gotta visitor,” Donny’s voice rang out in the alley, momentarily distracting him from the movie in his head. Blinking in surprise, he glanced up, watching as an unfamiliar woman strolled up right on the mook’s arm.

Bad idea, honey, he thought with a sigh, rolling his eyes as the young cop caught the look on his face and faltered. Man, they needed to go stick the kid behind a desk before he hurt someone.

With a martyred sigh, he strolled over, taking a deep drag of his cig. Stopping a few feet in front of the woman- woman or girl? Mmm…whatever she was, she was definitely hot- he looked her up and down. Nicely proportioned, had a killer smile, probably had a nice ass if she turned around and bent over…yeah, all in all, not bad looking.

Now, if only she wasn’t barging into HIS fucking CRIME SCENE.

“Next time, Officer Donaldson, don’t let civilians cross onto my crime scene. For all you know, you’re letting the killer come back to get his or her jollies,” He watched as the kid blanched and gave the woman a wide eyed look. Don’t you have some yellow tape to watch? Get on it,” Came the unhappy snarl. His lips curled into a nasty smile as the cop proceeded to scuttle away.

Now, his attention focused on the lady, he took another drag of his cig and blew the smoke in her general direction. “Now that we’re alone…watchoo want with Detective Paoletti, beautiful?”


((It was perfect! ^__^ ))

[/blockquote]

[maddisonlynncarpen]

Once they made it to the concrete, Maddie immediately began scanning the area for clues about what occurred. Her hazel eyes scanned the surroundings, occasionally tossing a glance towards the blabbering officer to reaffirm her pretend interest. It wasn’t looking pretty and her mind raced with a variety of answers. Miscellaneous people stood around, photographing and taking notes. Murmurs could be heard from the small group of officers near the body. She could not make out any details of what was being said, just that this was definitely something note worthy to these corn feed and bred boys in blue. She wasn’t even sure what had happened, but the word murder buzzed around like the flies that lived in alleys much like the one they were now located in. She wasn’t even sure where they were headed until the young cop called out to a man who had his back to them.


“Yo, Detective Paoletti; you gotta visitor,” the voice rang out in the air, grabbing the attention of the man. She watched careful as the young cop immediately froze and took the subordinate stance as the man who now acknowledged their presence with an eye roll. Interesting. She took note of this in her mind as she watched the Alpha's mannerisms as he approached them. She did not speak, only merely observed as the man approached the now tense cop and his guest. “Next time, Officer Donaldson, don’t let civilians cross onto my crime scene. For all you know, you’re letting the killer come back to get his or her jollies”, he spoke condescendingly to the young officer, whose face had drained of color at this mockery. Somehow, the presence of this man regressed the once arrogant and self-assured young officer into a small child in the presence of a ridiculing father. When his eyes turned towards her almost as if she could TRULY be the murder, Maddie merely shook her head “no”, brunette curls shaking to reassure this young one she was not the murder. As soon as the order was spoken to return to some other task, the young man slid from her grip and was gone before she could even THANK him for his help.

She watched him almost run from the direction of where he’d left her to deal with this…individual. Hazel orbs streaked fiercely of gray as she turned her attention to the man in front of her who now addressed her, both verbally and with the direction of the rancid smell of cigarette smoke blown in her direction. “Now that we’re alone…watchoo want with Detective Paoletti, beautiful?”.

“Just fantastic”, she thought in a low growl. He was one of THOSE cops, the kind who thought they floated 5 feet about the ground and their stool didn’t smell. She had had one too many of these run-ins with this type of officer. They saw her appearance, pretty smile, captivating eyes and cute form and immediately chalked her up to some groupie with a fetish for blood and handcuffs. They always addressed her with a pet nickname like “beautiful” or “sweetie”. It made her stomach turn. It wasn’t as if the man in front of her was unattractive. If anything, he was quiet the opposite. But from simple observations before he even spoke to her that she assessed the kind of man he was. Chain smoker, arrogant, demanding, and stubborn... not to mention, quiet typically a womanizer. Brown tousled hair, charming smile (though currently it was more a sneer than a genuine smile) and there was something jutting about how familiar the rich brown eyes that were now looking at her curiously. There was a slight dizziness she felt from looking into them, like looking at a picture of someone you’ve known for eternity yet she had no clue why. His physical appearance would be otherwise quiet appealing had to not been made aware so quickly in their moments together that he was everything she DISLIKED.

Then, as if the world around her had stopped turning, her eyes widened in disbelief. As she stared at the quizzical brown eyes, her heart leapt at the recognition. It was him! The man who had haunted her visions for what seemed like an eternity. The one she had seen holding her close as tears rocked her very being, the man she saw herself in a deep passionate embrace. The one who sat with her, rocking a small pink bundle of joy as they stared loving at the small child beneath the blanket. The images flashed through her mind as she stood there in front of him, frozen. Her mouth gaped slightly as the recognition hit her like a thousand pounds of solid brick. She tried to force words to come forth but found that the wind in her lungs had left her in celebration to join the inconsistent beats of her heart. So instead, she stood there in front of him, unable to move or speak or even breathe for that matter. Just stare wide-eyed and gaped mouth.

[lucien]

Griffin could have laughed at the expression on poor Donny's face, especially when the kid practically ran for the yellow tape. They just didn't grow anyone with balls these days, he thought with an inner sigh. Then, turning his attention to the pretty little brunette, he waited for the imminent explosion.

This was how he liked to start things off; give strangers the rough, angry side of himself and see how they'd react. If they had a set, they'd stand up to him and put him in his place. If they had anger issues, or some other kind of mental thing, they'd explode right back and stomp off. And if they were complete fools, or even worse, had no backbone? It'd be all quivering and stuttering, just like with 'ol Donny. He couldn't stand those last two; the weak and the hot headed had no place anywhere near his person.

His job in Nebraska was to help the Sherrif's office when they had more than they could handle. Being a veteran of the Boston streets for over 10 years, he was their go-to guy; the one who could actually look down at a dead body and not lose their breakfast. The one who didn't blink when faced with cold criminals, and who didn't mind spending all nighters in the office, staring at crime scene photos.

This job was his life now, after all. After one stupid mistake had taken damn near everything from him, from his home to the girl he'd thought he'd love forever, the Joon's Heights Sherrif's Department was just about the only thing he had left.
And people wondered why he thought of eating his gun, sometimes.

So, there he was; waiting for the girl to either slap him in the face or start shaking like a leaf. He figured it'd be the latter, given the delicate look about her. Even though she'd given him one helluva glare after he'd told 'ol Donny off, the fact that she didn't save face by giving him a slap-in-the-face retort had him wondering who the hell had let Little Sister out of the house. While she seemed to be content with staring holes into his forehead for some unknown reason, he proceeded to do the same; giving her a nice, easy once over.

Oh yeah, this one was meant to really hold a guy. She was so damn delicate looking that someone like him would have to always be afraid of breaking her...but there was a sharp intelligence to her as well. For a second there, he could only picture summer nights spent arguing and making love. His other half would have to be able to keep up with his wit, after all. Not to mention his bitterness toward the past. He'd thought he'd found that in Boston, that such a thing was actually possible...

But he'd been wrong. For him, there would only be a bottle of booze and one bullet.

Irritation flashed through his mind, as he waited for her to say something, ANYTHING...but only got a wide eyed stare. Scowling, he cast a covert glance down at himself. Okay, his fly was closed, he hadn't spilled hot dog crap on his shirt and he didn't have an extra body part waving at her from somewhere on his person. What was she freaking staring at?! Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave into the urge to up the growly demeanor he'd settled into and proceeded to glare.

"You DO know that I've got a homicide that needs solving, don't you? Are you gonna keep staring at me, or tell me what the fuck you want from my life? I know I'm handsome, honey, but I'm sure you didn't come here to stare me to death. What. Do. You. Want?!"

[/blockquote]

[maddisonlynncarpen]

She could not comprehend what had her mind spinning in a thousand different directions and made her pulse speed up ten times its normal rate. How could this be right? This rugged, mean spirited person was to be the father of a child, HER child? There was no way. He reeked of alcohol and cigarettes, the latter being something she hated almost as much as liars. She rebelled against the images of passionate embraces and bright smiles. This could not be. He could not be the man she longed for in those lonely hours spent in bed, alone. The one she felt overwhelming crazy for in those visions and the one who provoked sadness when she woke from those scenes. She almost wanted to cry. It was some kind of cruel joke that her curse had all too often brought to her doorstep. But this was cruel on the deepest level. It was the only hope she had seen for her future and it wasn’t at all what she wanted. Not in the slightest.

Those thoughts of denial rang clearly in her mind, screaming wildly when his voice rocked her from her thoughts and jutted her back to reality with a harsh quality. What. Do. You. Want?!" frustration ringing clearly in his raised voice as he glowered at her. She merely looked at him stunned for a minute. This could not be him. The man she saw so many times before would never YELL at her. She found the strength to force herself to swallow, as her throat had dried out in the moments of her illusions. Despite her burning lungs and faintness, she forced her voice to sound stable and professional, extending a well-manicured and silky hand as she spoke.

“Hello Detective Paoletti. My name is Madeline Carpenter and I have been assigned to you by your Lieutenant to act as a documenter and photographer. I am a media specialist so I have a multi-faceted position to fill while assisting you. I am to shadow you as you investigate, to write reports and observations, take additional photographs of said investigations as well as help deal with PR for the department and report on such findings as they happen. ” She had practice this speech and made a point to practice an air of confidence, intelligence and dedication. She planned to add in an encouraging smile as she spoke, practicing it in the mirror and committing it to memory multiple times before coming to this forsaken place. If she was stuck there, she might as well make a name for herself and a good one at that. Unfortunately, this was worse than she could have fathomed so all she could manage was a very tight smile. It wasn’t a grimace but it was definitely not her normal bright and vivid smile. It was professional and polite but nothing dazzling and captivating like she had planned.

She did not know what to think or how to feel about the realization that the man standing before her was a complete an utter stranger and not at all the man she imagined him to be. She had seen his face so many times before it seemed impossible to her this could truly be happening. She reprimanded herself and struggled against the intense desire and need to throw herself into his embrace. instead, she continued to hold out her hand and smile professionally, hoping that the touching of their hands would not cause her to crumble and that the soft trembling in her knees remained there. She didn’t need it make it’s way to her extended hand, revealing the nerves that were tightly wound beneath her cool and composed demeanor.

[lucien]

Oh, thank you Jesus, he wasn’t talking to a complete moron. Relief flickered through Griffin’s eyes as Maddi started to speak and his stance relaxed somewhat. He’d thought for a minute there that she was either going to go into that crazy mode that women sometimes fall into, or faint on the spot. Either was better than crying- he could never stand seeing a lady cry- but when he was running on almost no sleep, his stomach was practically gnawing at its cavity and there was an obsession waiting in the alley behind him? He just didn’t have the energy to freak out.

Man, he was tired. Bone, soul tired.

And then the tension came back, as Little Miss Silent finally spilled out the real reason she was there. Damn it, when would he be able to catch a break?!

If the scowl he’d shot her was dark before, the sun had just been eaten by a freaking shadowed pit, because if he had his way, the look he shot her would have melted her on the spot. She was there for WHAT? To shadow him? HIM? Good Lord, did the Lieutenant/Sherriff really hate him that much? Gah, he knew that those little insomnia-related ‘incidents’ last month had made the guy a bit growly, but to punish him with…THIS?!

Half of his cigarette disappeared in one long, calming breath as he did his best to resist the urge to slap a hand over his now throbbing eyes. Great, now he had to hunt a psychotic killer AND babysit some stuttering little girl. Awesome. Wonderful. Fan-fucking-tastic…he was so gonna kill himself, and soon.

Without a word, he whirled on his heel and stalked back to the crime scene. He needed some distance from the situation- and a really big ass drink- and from ‘Madeline Carpenter’ before he lost it and blew a gasket. He was only a tentative member of the police force around there, and if he lost his job because he’d made the new ‘media specialist’ cry, that’d be the end for him. Thanks to his past, even being hired in the first place was one hell of a miracle, so he wouldn’t put it in jeopardy. He’d just pretend that the woman had never approached him and concentrate on the dead body. Jenny Myers was the one who needed his attention, after all. Not Stutters McGee over there.

Not that he made it three steps, before he turned around to vent some of that pent up frustration. So what if he was taking out some of the anger that had been building up over the past few months on her? She was convenient, and HELL if she was going to do what she was proposing.
”I’m sorry, lady, but there ain’t no way that you’re ‘shadowing’ me anywhere, ‘cept to your car. If the department needs help with PR, they can stick you with a beat cop. I don’t babysit. Now…get off my crime scene.”

Now he was ready to head back to his body, the detective thought smugly. Turning once again, he dug around in his pocket for his cigarettes and lighter, not waiting for her reply. Ignoring everyone but the bloody sheet on the ground, he knelt down beside Jenny and did his best to take his mind off the image of those chocolate eyes.

[/blockquote]

[maddisonlynncarpen]

Maddie had expected a less-than-thrilled response but it was as if any humanity in the man left when the realization of her purpose settled in. It was as if everything in the world that was good and warm and cheerful dissipated in that moment and the cruel and harshness took over. While on the inside Madeline found herself grimacing at such a glance, the outside showed nothing of it. Her mastery of being emotionally illusive was something she was grateful to have full control of in moments like this. So instead of replying with her own barrage of emotions, she remained stoic, her hard steely gaze fixed on him. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure to see her flinch.
He turned quickly and she found her heart took a deep, labored breathe and dropped her eyes to the ground. This could not be happening. How could he be... and before she could even finish her thought of disbelieve and awe at the turning of events, he turned on his heels and began stalking back to her. She immediately drew her stunned eyes back to him, mouth slightly a gap, not expecting him to react so quickly and so explosively. She only allowed herself a moment of this weakness before quickly regaining her composure, mouth closed tightly and her gaze solidified into that of solid steel.

”I’m sorry, lady, but there ain’t no way that you’re ‘shadowing’ me anywhere, ‘cept to your car. If the department needs help with PR, they can stick you with a beat cop. I don’t babysit. Now…get off my crime scene.” His expression was cold as ice as he quickly and effectively ran her off. One thing he did not know about Madeline Carpenter was that she never… NEVER… allowed someone to speak to her as a subordinate and order her around. She was a highly educated and talented woman from an Ivy League college not to mention a renowned reporter. If he thought a few harsh words and gruff behavior would run her off like a scared little girl, he was sadly mistaken. She allowed nothing to keep her from her goals, not friends, not relationships, not family. And certainly not a foul-mouthed, over indulgent, control-freak detective who was use to getting his way by bullying others. There was no way in HELL.

Her jaw tightened as she took a moment to process her response. Despite the fact she wanted to tell him precisely where to shove that disgusting cancer stick, she knew she still must remain professional but assertive. Clearing her throat, she raised a frosty and unwavering voice in his direction as he stormed off like a child. “Detective Paoletti. While I do acknowledge your dislike of the current situation and my placements in your investigations, neither one of us had a choice. Trust me; I tried negotiating my way out long before taking a STEP on to this WONDERFUL bit of land you call home. My preference is big stories with a true mystery and suspense in it, not someone’s tractor going missing… .

She paused taking a deep breath, feeling the anger of her own detest at their situation coming through. She took a step towards him, straightening her fitted coat jacket and fixing a sassy smile on her face. Her eyes burned with confidence as well as fortitude as she continued. “So here’s the deal: We both have a job to do and while neither one of us desires company while we do them, we don’t have a choice. So instead of stomping around and acting like adolescents, we’ll come to a clear and simple understanding of our purpose in one another’s life. I am here to observe and document your investigations, with notes and photography. I will only speak to you when I need clarification or details, and you speak to me only when you have something for documentation.” Her grin widened as she continued, “ Also, when you DO find the need to address me, it’s Ms. Carpenter. Not babe, sweetie, beautiful or whatever cute little nickname you typically use when addressing women so you don’t have to remember their names… Do we have an understanding?” .

((Sorry for the delay! Hope that is alright!))

[lucien]

Well…hell. There he’d been, feeling all confident in the knowledge that he was right; that her being there was more of a hindrance than a help…and with one little speech, she managed to verbally slap him in the face and make him feel guilty. Guilty! HA! She was a damn reporter, and this was a murder investigation! Investigators didn’t allow her kind anywhere NEAR their crime scenes! What was the damn Lieutenant thinking?!

But none of that really mattered, now that his common sense was shuffling its feet. Damn, but when she got angry, she really got angry. He couldn’t help but stop and stare; the slow creep of that pink blush mesmerizing him. It crawled up her neck, then fanned out about her cheeks…and when it hit her eyes, man, he almost saw stars. They practically spat fire at him as she read him the riot act, and he was so enthralled that he almost missed the amused snicker of the Forensics guys around him.

She was a pretty one, but when she was riled…ah, man. For a split second, the image of her curled up next to him flashed into his mind, and ‘would she be that feisty in bed’ was quick on his heels.

Which was REALLY damn inappropriate, and REALLY damn stupid. Him and a reporter, who obviously hated his ass as much as he hated hers. Damn, even his subconscious was losing its mind…

Slowly, after extinguishing his cigarette and tucking the bud into his pocket, he pushed himself to his feet. Standing at his full height, he more than dwarfed her, and used the distance to loom over her. ”Just so we’re clear,” He said, voice deep and rough. ”Your being here is going to put my investigation at risk, because this killer wants media attention. So, if you’re really going to ‘document’ anything, you’ll run every story and every picture you take through me, before it goes to print. And for another, Ms. Carpenter,” He managed to say her name without growling too much, thank God. ”If I see my name mentioned in anything, I will hunt you down and make sure every cop where you live blacklists you. Got it? Good.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the ME and barked at the technicians to move the body. That was his biggest concern after all, wasn’t it? Not the fact that the alluring reporter was mucking up his crime scene; that his name would get leaked and the vultures would come running. His shoulders tensed at the thought and a headache started to build.

Digging in his pocket for his bottle of aspirin, he popped out two and swallowed them dry. Making it halfway to his car, he stopped, took a deep breath, then turned to glare back at her. ”Well? Are you gonna come on, or think of some other fuckin’ lecture to spit out at me?”

[/blockquote]

[maddisonlynncarpen]

She felt victorious. She represented herself as thoughtful, education, strong woman. Now if only she could keep her knees from trembling. Of course, she truly felt everything she said and she wasn’t one to shy away from honesty, but there was always a feeling of nervousness after a movement of bravery like that. What would be the retaliation for so blatantly ignoring his authority (being as he was an officer and all) and telling him how it was going to be? She expected him to kick it up a notch, scream, yell and possibly use a profound amount of profanity, but... much to her dismay that wasn’t the reaction she received. She had expect the outburst and was prepared to take that as an act of aggression and report it to be removed from the assignment, letting some other poor sap to get the placement, but instead he didn’t raise his voice. Not even in the slightest.

She watched in anticipated as he put out the disgusting habit that made his arrogant, beautiful mouth look distasteful (even though the urge still lingered), waiting for the rage to come out. He merely stood but that was enough. She would not allow herself to show the trembling as it increased, his voice causing her heart to stutter. She listened to him dish it right back to her how it was going to be. As he spoke, she could see the fire behind his words, the strength behind his meaning. She knew he wasn’t kidding. She tried to reason with her more empathetic self, one that was telling her she was being too harsh on him and judging too quickly. The one that kept trying to show her images of how it was suppose to happen. She pushed them aside, dismissing every and all possibilities of this occurring. They obviously would have nothing in common and would speak as little as human possible, so how could they share anything like what she saw in her visions? And why was he adamant about not letting his identity be revealed in an article? Madeline had no idea but they both had drawn a line and this is how it would remain.

She watched him turn from her again, barking some orders to the local medical examiners and other staffers on the scene. He really didn’t have very many people skills and she made a note to make sure to win these people over. If she was going to be stuck in BFE for the next 8 weeks on this assignment, she might as well make friends with anyone BUT the arrogant police officer who she watched intently. He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out some kind of medication. Probably some blood pressure pills she thought disdainfully, remember the look in his eyes as he made clear his expectations just as had hers. Those eyes, so entrancing and yet so cold. She couldn’t help wondering if he had ever been treated with kindness or love as a child, or was his family much like he was? Rough and gruff and whole-heartedly unpleasant.

She almost was lost in her own reconciliation of his behavior when he turned to her, contempt still lingering in his voice. ” Well? Are you gonna come on, or think of some other fuckin’ lecture to spit out at me?”. UGH, she already despised his language and smoking and sure reasoned a whole lot of things she didn’t already know about him. She folded her hands into a neat pile in front of her and headed after him. This was going to be a LONG 8 weeks…