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Mystic New York [Xilo&DarkAngel]

Kat smiled to herself at Reilly’s admission that the tea was actually good. She knew it wasn’t an easy thing for him to admit. Especially to her. And given that, she decided it best to not needle him on the matter.

Reilly’s mood changed, became a bit more relaxed than usual as he sipped the apple-flavored tea and flipped through the files. ‘Much better,’ Kat thought to herself. She was pleased that the tea helped calm him down. He needed it, desperately.

After going through the files a bit more, Kat saw Reilly’s face show frustration once again. “I don’t get it. I don’t understand how we can stop them,” he finally said, totally exasperated. “We can’t touch them, legally speaking. And you can’t just go and curse them or whatever… Because of your rules.”

Kat nodded. It was true. The Wizards had a code, a set of laws that they had to abide by or else they had to answer to the Wardens of the White Council. Not something she planned on having to do. Ever. Magic was meant for defensive purposes. For protection or self-defense. And the White Council took that very seriously, as did most of her kind. And given the positions held by the Reds that William had told them to look into, it would indeed be tricky trying to learn more about them and their motives. They were going to have to go undercover for the crime lord and for the judge, they’d have to travel in his circles, maybe even work their way into getting to know him somehow or finding someone else who did. The Deputy-Inspector was going to be the hardest one for them to nail down. Reilly knew him and trying to pin him could totally jeopardize his job and relations at the station.

Kat heaved a sigh and took her hair down once again, letting it fall over her shoulders. She tugged on her lip a little and then looked up at Reilly.

“It’ll be tricky, but we can handle it,” Kat offered up. “I say we start with crime lord. I think he’ll be the easiest one for us to get close to. We’ll have to go undercover and given that the Deputy-Inspector is one of the suspects, it’s going to be tricky explaining this since he probably knows him.” Kat took another sip of her tea, finishing it off. Biting her lip, she set the empty cup down. “Hold on a minute.”

Kat got up and ordered more tea. She didn’t turn to see if this bothered Reilly or not. She needed the tea. Her nerves were starting to frazzle a little and she needed the tea to ease that. While ordering her own tea, she also ordered a second cup for Reilly. She walked back over to their table and handed him the cup, not saying a word about why she got it for him. It somehow just felt natural.

As she took her seat once again, Kat took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes. “I think we’re on our own a bit with this case. I think we might need to give a cover story as to what we’re really doing.” She knew this wouldn’t bode well for Reilly. He liked to do things by the book. Unconventional methods weren’t his thing. Then again, he did always come to her whenever such cases arose. So maybe, just maybe, he’d be willing to bend this time.
 
Reilly frowned a bit as she talked, his eyes darting from page to page in silence as he absorbed the information quickly. He hadn't gotten to where he was by being dull... If he had been dull, he'd never have been assigned in a job that would end up getting him fired. If he was even half-dull, he would have been fired by now. "I think we're on our own for a bit with this case. I think we might need to give a cover story as to what we're really doing." Kat finished her thoughts after getting a second cup of tea.

"A cover isn't going to be a problem. They don't really want information from me when I'm working on a case with you anyways. Trouble seems to follow you around." He smirked quietly, placing his hand over the picture of the crime lord. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander to where it wanted. Surely there was a way to get to him. He blinked a few times, looking up at Kat with a slight smile. "Wait. We don't have to kill them. We just need to block their attempts... Ruin their nest?"

"Where could we find a cop, a judge, and a crime lord all in one place without it being too suspicious? I'm thinking a court house." He shakes his head, placing his palm over his eyes and groaning. "One of the old ones.... With lots of nooks and crannies?" He chuckles quietly, looking back at the files with a sigh. This was the best idea he had, and the only one he had. But it was definitely worth a shot. He sat up suddenly.

"There's an abandoned courthouse. It's been that way for over 30 years. It's been sold, recently, but they haven't developed it yet. We may want to start there." His frown slowly turned into a slight smile as all the ideas clicked to him. All they needed to do was stop the advances. They didn't need to kill the Reds that were heading it up. Ruin the lair, and you stop it temporarily... If they could find the missing persons, all the better. 'Well, as long as they aren't half-vampires already.'.

The Lieutenant wanted to jump out of his chair right that second and hurry and drive down over there. But it was barely past 2pm, and they had plenty of time. He sat back after folding the files back up, watching Kat finish her tea. "And don't you think that just because I got an idea in this tea house, that I want you to bring me here every time we have a tough case." He smirked at her, offering a little grateful nod. He would have thought of the idea eventually, but the tea and the atmosphere had really helped clear his head. But he'd be damned if he admitted that to her.
 
Kat couldn’t help but smile as she sipped on her tea. She could see through Reilly. She could tell very well that the tea and everything about the place had helped him gain focus. Even if only a little bit. Strangely, this made her happy. A peculiar warmth ran through her at this realization, but she merely nodded at his statement despite what she was certain she knew. There was no need to contradict him. She didn’t want to. It was so bizarre, so very unlike the other times where she couldn’t wait to prove him wrong or one up him.

Kat set her cup down. “You might be on to something there,” she added. What the hell was she doing? Why was she praising him? “That might be a better tactic. An easier one. It’s the best idea yet, well done.” She couldn’t believe what she’d just said. It was like her body and brain weren’t functioning as one. It was unnerving and she couldn’t shake the oddness about it. She looked at Reilly, whose expression was unreadable. But that only got to her more, made her feel embarrassed. At that, Kat suddenly stood up, “Excuse me a minute. Sorry.”

Racing to the bathroom, Kat went over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. “What the hell is wrong with you, Kat?” she asked herself aloud. “Where the hell is your head because it sure doesn’t seem to be working right now.”

Blinking a couple of times, Kat turned on the water and dampened a paper towel, which she gently blotted against her face. The coolness of the towel felt nice against her skin, which felt hot. Again she looked at herself in the mirror and then scowled before tossing the paper towel in a trashcan.

“Okay,” Kat said to herself. “Pull it together. Okay.” Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and went back to her seat.

Reilly just looked at Kat as she sat herself down. Focusing on her tea, she picked it up and took another sip. “So, uh, when do you want to start checking out the courthouse?” she asked. Setting her cup back down, she began pulling on her hair again so that she could put it up in another sloppy knot.
 
Reilly blinked quietly, watching Kat hurry away from the table. He turned to watch her escape into the restroom and he tilted his head. "Hmm. Wonder what that's about." He muttered under his breath. He looked at the closed files and sighed. He hoped that his idea was going to work. There was no other way, was there? He let out a quiet sigh as he waited for the Wizardess to come back. He slowly started to form an idea of what they would need to do. And how they would have to go about it.

Kat sat back down and took a sip of her tea, "So, when do you want to start checking out the courthouse?" She fidgeted with her hair once more, as Reilly looked up at her, holding up a finger.

He smiled slightly, starting to explain the plan. They very well couldn't just barge into the building and start kicking ass and taking names. Despite the unorthodox situation, he would try and stay to the letter of the law best he could. Vampires or no, he had to do what he could to uphold justice. "Stake out.... pardon the pun. We'll wait outside of the building, hidden, at night. We'll try and find out who or what, if anything, comes out of there. If they do, then we'll think of the next step. I know we're pressed for time, but we still have to do things roughly by the book. Got it?" The plan was simple, really.

Reilly grabbed up the folder and glanced at the door. "I'll drop you back off at your office and swing around in a few hours to get you for the watching." He hid a smile, laughing to himself. This would be the first time he took her to a stake out; although he had done a few in the past from her information. But he couldn't bring in any of his officers into this investigation, not this time. Not with who they might be going against... Or who might leak information unintentionally, or even intentionally. "Wear something comfortable, and nothing that stands out... okay?" He stepped outside after she finished her tea, sliding into his squad car.

The drive back to her office was against traffic, so it passed relatively quickly and quietly. He let Kat out and glanced through the window as she walked to her office. "Three hours. Sharp." He called out before her door closed, driving off to get himself mentally ready for a night of sitting with her in an enclosed car all night. It would certainly be an interesting evening. But he hoped that's all it would be... Sitting in an enclosed car. If the events with the Reds escalated, he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. With a gulp, he headed back to the barracks to prepare for the evening.
 
The ride back to Kat’s office was a quick and quiet drive. Kat was thankful for that, in a way, because she still felt so stupid for letting down her guard earlier at the tea house. Whether or not Reilly had noticed it, she didn’t know. All that mattered was that he didn’t let on and that right there allowed her to save face. Either way, she was grateful.

Kat tugged on her lip and twirled her fingers through her mousy hair as they drove. Her eyes fixed on whatever it was they passed by on the other side of her window. Once Reilly slowed his car and stopped, Kat swung open her door and stepped outside.

“Three hours, sharp,” Reilly called after Kat as she started walking back to her office. She turned around to face him, her eyes locking with his for the briefest of moments.

Kat nodded and gave Reilly a small smile before turning back around and heading toward her office. She needed to get a few things she kept there and then quickly head home so that she could get ready for their stake out later. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was nervous about going on one. She’d never been on one before and she wasn’t all that thrilled to finally be going on one either. And then there was the fact that she was pretty certain that Reilly probably wasn’t all that happy that he’d have to have her tagging along with him in such close quarters for several hours.

“Ugh,” Kat said to herself as she opened the door to her office.

Kat walked over to something that looked like an antique wardrobe. She opened it up and began rummaging through the things she kept inside it. A bracelet, a small staff and something that looked like a belt. Each item held a special property, something that could possibly assist her and Reilly on their stake out if something unfortunate happened. The amulet she always wore helped Kat focus, especially when outside forces attempted to alter her emotions or state of mind, it acted as a means of keeping her grounded. The bracelet increased the strength of her abilities, allowing her to do more damage than usual if she needed to act offensively, making her shields that much stronger when on the defensive. The staff was Kat’s means of focusing energy on a specific target. Without it, any energy she sent out would hit anyone or anything within a specific radius around her. It did not discriminate despite how much Kat tried to control it. So without it, she was reluctant to ever send out energy as a means of attack. The belt increased her success of executing spells or using anything related to her magical abilities. It was why she called it her ‘lucky charm’, though most just groaned at her little term of endearment for it.

Once Kat had everything she needed together, she got her bag and immediately headed home to change and get ready for the night. It was going to be a long one, so comfort was definitely in order. She was home in no time and scowled when she thought on how Reilly more or less insulted the way she dressed. Frowning, she looked at herself in the mirror. No wonder Reilly had said what he did about her standing out. She was a ghastly mess. She wore a purple skirt and a bright blue blouse. Staring at the colors, she winced. And to think that morning, it looked fine to her. Now, it just clashed and made her head throb, making her feel stupid and hopeless when it came to something as simple as picking out clothes. She kicked off her black high heels and headed into her bedroom to change. For some reason she really needed to get out of the clothes she currently had on.

Kat dressed herself in a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark gray t-shirt along with a pair of sneakers. Her hair was its typical disheveled mess thanks to her habits of constantly playing with her hair. But she didn’t care. It was how it was. She then grabbed a black hoodie and her bag, filled with her special items, as she finally left her place and made her way back to her office. Once there, she had about ten minutes to spare before Reilly would show up.

It was strange, the idea of seeing Reilly after typical ‘on the job’ hours. Especially with the sky beginning to darken. Kat stood outside the building where her office was located, her back leaning up against the wall. She glanced at her watch. It wouldn’t be long now. Reilly would be showing up in three… two… one…

Kat couldn’t help but smile when she saw Reilly’s car round the corner.
 
Reilly's personal car was nearly as unobtrusive as his squad car. Everything about the man was relatively simple, and he liked it that way. He stopped at the curb, directly in front of Kat. He unlocked the doors and leaned over to open the passenger door for her. He blinked a few times, a laugh escaping his lips as he saw what she was wearing. "And here I didn't think you owned anything.... regular." He laughed for another thirty seconds before being able to restrain himself. "Hah... Well, you are full of surprises today, Miss Balmont." He droned, trying to imitate William from earlier.

He shook his head to himself, pulling the car away from the curb and starting to head downtown towards one of the older districts of the city. The Lieutenant was wearing something similar to Kat, simply replacing the hoodie for his black leather jacket that he always seemed to wear whenever he could. Like earlier in the day his sidearm was sitting under his arm, along with his badge. During the drive, he ventured a few glances at the Wizardess silently. It surprised him that she had actually toned down the usual bright colors. He was grateful, but surprised.

"There's coffee in the thermos, as well as some sandwiches in the cooler in the back." He said after a moment, pulling a parking lot up the street from the courthouse. There were a few other cars around, so they weren't sticking out like a sore-thumb. With a slight grunt, he reclined the seat slightly, allowing himself to start to get comfortable with their situation. 'I certainly won't complain about a quiet stake out. She might get antsy, though...' He thought with a frown. Only one way to prevent that. "Listen, if you need to get out and stretch or anything, take care of it now before the sun starts to set." He mumbled, glancing to the West and catching sight of a nearly set sun.

The view of the sun struck him with such suddenness that he was unsure why he felt hesitant all of a sudden. Night was the time for the creatures... All of them, not just vampires. He frowned, shaking the thought out of his head. He grabbed one of the Styrofoam cups he had brought and poured himself a bit of the coffee. It was heavy smell in the car, one that he loved. Coffee to him was her tea. He took a deep breath of the freshly brewed beverage and grinned quietly, sipping at it slowly.
 
“Right on time,” Kat muttered to herself as Reilly’s car slowed and came to a stop to pick her up.

Kat opened the door and stepped inside to seat herself down. As she did so, Reilly let out a laugh. Immediately, her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks redden. What on earth was he laughing for? Did she doing something stupid? No, she just got in the car. She hadn’t tripped; she hadn’t even said anything. Then, she realized he was making fun of her attire. She frowned a little as she thought about what she’d worn early in the day. She suddenly found herself wondering how many other people were put off by her odd color choices and strange sense of fashion. Not that it really mattered, but still. Sometimes such things gave off impressions, and the idea that she could be giving off a bad impression suddenly bothered her.

Silently, Kat sat in her seat, her eyes fixed on the road as they drove toward downtown. She noticed that Reilly looked good in something other than his usual uniform. The casual attire suited him, especially the leather jacket. It was funny because she didn’t peg him to be the sort to ever dress in such a way, but it seemed to fit somehow. And it was surprisingly nice. She also noticed a heavy smell in the air. It smelled like coffee and she had to admit that the smell was heavenly even though she wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. Kat closed her eyes for a moment as she quietly breathed in the scent.

After a while, they finally reached their destination, a parking lot located just up the street from the courthouse. Given the time, there were still a fair number of other cars parked around them. But that would change as the sky got darker and night fell upon them.

“There’s coffee in the thermos, as well as some sandwiches in the cooler in the back,” Reilly spoke as he stopped the car and turned off the engine.

Kat just nodded as she watched Reilly recline his seat and prepare himself a cup of coffee. She smiled slightly at the sight. The man loved his coffee, just as she loved her tea. She didn’t understand how he could stand the stuff like he did. Then again, she hadn’t had coffee in years. Maybe the newer blends were an improvement to the older ones.

As Reilly sipped contentedly on his coffee, he suddenly said, “Listen, if you need to get out and stretch or anything, take care of it now before the sun starts to set.” His face was serious, but Kat thought he also looked a little worried. He was probably dwelling on what could maybe happen later on. Or all the ‘what ifs’ if any other creature decided to show up unexpectedly.

“All right,” Kat responded. She didn’t really feel like getting out just yet. She was rather comfortable where she was. Surprisingly. But, she did have to get her items ready and it would probably be an easier thing to do if she stood up. So, she opened her door and took her bag with her. She could’ve sworn she saw Reilly laughing at her, but she wasn’t sure if that was real or paranoia at this point.

Kat closed the door and placed her bag on the hood of Reilly’s car. She opened it up and carefully removed her things. She slipped the bracelet around her wrist and then looped the belt on her jeans and around her waist. Her small staff, she took out just to inspect before placing it back in the bag. Smiling weakly, Kat closed her bag and then fingered the amulet around her neck. Everything was in place to the best of her ability. She just hoped it would be enough if something crazy happened later on.

Kat then opened the car door and sat back down. She placed her bag at her feet and made sure that she had easy access to her staff, just in case she needed it. She looked over at Reilly who actually appeared quite comfortable. It was so unusual. Heaving a small sigh, Kat reached into the back and poured herself a cup of coffee. For some reason, she was feeling daring. Reilly had given in to her ‘tea’. So maybe she needed to do the same, give in to his ‘coffee’. Again, she had to admit that the coffee did smell wonderful, but she would never say that aloud.

Reilly just watched Kat as she got herself the coffee. Trying not to be bothered or embarrassed, she took a sip. The liquid was somewhat bitter, not light like her tea. But strangely, she found it to be quite delicious. She couldn’t help but look over at Reilly out of the corner of her eye as she took another sip.
 
Reilly didn't comment on her trying the coffee, but he didn't try to hide the smirk that crossed his features at seeing her try the strong drink. He turned his eyes away, looking at the courthouse with a sigh. The Lieutenant continued to sip from his cup, letting his mind go through the various outcomes of the evening. His idea could be a terrible one, and nothing would happen. It could be dead on, and they'd have a fire fight with a bunch of Vampires. Or anything in between. He finished his coffee quickly, and decided to wait on the second for the moment. The cup found it's way to one of the holders as he finally broke the silence that had been sitting in the car since she had gotten back in after preparing her own things for the possible events.

"By now, is there any hope of getting them back... normal?" His voice was quiet, the last of the cars around them leaving them in a rather overwhelming silence once more. The weight of his gun felt reassuring against the slowly darkening night, the dim lights above the streets blinking to life slowly; although they weren't illuminating much outside of their bulbs. His fingers drummed softly on the wheel, going through the files once more in his head. The four missing persons, the supposed vampires, and all the details that Kat and William had given him. There was so much information, and so little that he could do until either something or nothing surfaced.

The hours crept by slowly, until the night was all consuming. Reilly sat quietly, his body and mind used to having to do this kind of thing before. Occasionally, he'd glance over at Kat when she fidgeted, smiling to himself in the dark interior of the car. And every time he did, his mind would fill of thoughts of her, putting him offtrack of his business thoughts. He never lied to himself, and claimed that he had never been attracted to her... And their constant bickering only seemed to keep their working relationship exciting and enticing. However, he was constantly aware and trying to keep it that way. But the way things had been going as of late...

He shook his head repeatedly, clearing his thoughts. He was about to turn to say something to her when a darker shadow against the darkness seemed to glide past his car on the way to courthouse. He frowned, straining his eyes to watch the shadow. When it moved through the puddles of light, it never got illuminated. "What.... is that thing?" He whispered, leaning forward over the wheel as he continued to follow it with his eyes as it entered the courthouse by the front door. "Bold, whatever it is... Just walking into there right through the door." He grunted, narrowing his eyes
 
Kat sat in her seat quietly, staring out the window and sipping the better-than-expected coffee. It definitely wasn’t tea, but it was still pretty good. She noticed Reilly’s smirk as she sipped at it, but she chose to keep silent, only smiling a little behind her cup.

The two sat there for a few more moments when Reilly finally spoke on a sigh, “By now, is there any hope of getting them back… normal?”

Kat just shook her head and frowned, her expression saying much more than words ever could. Something inside her felt awful when she saw Reilly’s face turn serious and distraught over learning this. But it was the truth. She was never one to lie or beat around the bush. With Kat, you never had to wonder if there was anything cryptic behind her words or actions. What you saw was what you got. She mulled over the thought of those poor missing people. She was fairly certain that they’d been turned by now, or at the very least made into half-vampires. Keeping them as halfies could be an advantage for the Reds since they could still move about during the day light hours… recruiting, wreaking havoc, doing god only knew what to strengthen their power. The thought of it made her shiver a little.

Slowly the sky began to darken and finally Kat and Reilly were totally swallowed by the darkness of night. Kat wondered what would happen, if anything. She’d never been on a stake out before and had no idea what to expect. The anxiety of waiting for something to occur ate away at her and she couldn’t help but let her mind wander a little, though she tried to keep it focused on the doors of the courthouse.

Kat took her hair down and ran her fingers through it several times before putting it back up again. She looked down at her lap, smiling a bit at the sight of the belt around her waist. The item always brought her luck of some kind or another and seeing it there helped give her reassurance just in case anything bad happened in the upcoming hours. She then looked up and tugged on her lip a little, going over all the possibilities of what could happen… from best possible case scenario to the worst. She winced a little at the thought that she and Reilly could be taken captive by the Reds and then turned or killed. Feeling a little uneasy, she shifted in her seat and took her hair down once again, twirling her fingers through the waves hanging below her shoulders. The time ticked away and her anxiety wasn’t lessening, it was growing.

Kat noticed Reilly glancing her way several times. She wondered what he was thinking. She could find out, but she didn’t want to do that to him, despite the fact that it was killing her to know what went on in his mind. Especially at that moment. But to do such a thing was ridiculously personal, intimate. It was a wizarding power she’d never use willy-nilly like nor without explicit permission from the person she used it on. Trying like hell to push the thought from her mind she put her hair back up once more and looked out the window.

As Kat stared at the courthouse, she felt her skin suddenly get hot. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Reilly casting a quick glance at her. ‘Odd,’ she thought to herself as she shifted in her seat and tugged on her lip, trying desperately to hide the smile she found creeping its way across her lips. ‘Damn it, what’s he thinking?’ she wondered to herself. She felt her cheeks reddening as her mind started to fill with distracting thoughts. Blinking, she shifted in her seat again and took her hair down as she tried to make her stare out the window more focused. But it was difficult with Reilly sitting so close to her. Even in silence he was getting under her skin. He was the only person in her life to ever get her like this, this riled, this… excited? Kat scowled and shifted in her seat again as she twirled her hair.

Suddenly, Kat noticed Reilly shift in his seat. He looked like he was about to say something to her. ‘Finally!’ Kat thought to herself, dying to kill the deafening silence not to mention break the tension she felt growing inside herself due to mind wandering.

“What is that… thing?” Reilly asked, his lips frowning.

Kat felt a rush of adrenaline surge through her body and let out a breath. ‘God damn it, Kat,’ she thought to herself. ‘Get your fucking head back in the game.’ Blinking, Kat gazed over toward where Reilly was now suddenly looking.

“Bold, whatever it is... Just walking into there right through the door,” Reilly added.

Kat narrowed her eyes trying to better see the dark figure skulking about the building. When she saw it, she immediately reached for her staff in her bag. She looked over to Reilly as she began quietly opening her door.

“Looks like we’re getting some action tonight,” Kat whispered as she quickly got out of the car feeling stupid and hoping that following a potential suspect would clear her head.
 
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