Astrid knows you want her (porcelaine) wrote in mnhttnprjct, @ 2010-05-16 07:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, astrid lisle, cam beckett |
Who: Astrid Lisle and Cam Beckett
When: Sunday Night/Early Early Monday morning, About 2 AM
What: Just checking for foreign nationals folks.
Where: Cam's house in district 4
Rating: PG-13 for Language
Status: Logged/Complete
Curling close to Astrid, Cam wrapped his arms around her. They hadn't had sex for weeks. Not since he'd sent her the couch, but he'd wanted to prove to her that he liked her, actually liked her and wasn't just trying to buy her, or whatever it was she'd thought. It had seemed like forever, but the waiting turned out to be a good thing because, at least in his mind, tonight had been pretty amazing. The banging on the door woke him, almost immediately, and he sat up, blinking in confusion. What the hell was going on? Glancing over at the clock, he furrowed his brows at the time. Who the hell would be at his door at two in the morning? Astrid was sound asleep. It was a learned skill, sleep wherever you could when you could, and she could usually fall asleep at the drop of a hat, but also she woke up quickly, on edge, which was why her eyes flew open and she moved a bit, trying to get her bearings, before she remembered where she was. Cam's. They'd gone out last night and she'd ended up staying over. She reached out for Cam, her arm sliding around his waist as she shifted in the bed and then sat up, pulling the sheet up around her as the knocking continued. "Did your sister forget her key?" Cam shook his head and fumbled in the darkness beside his bed before switching on the lamp. "Ari never forgets anything," he said, listening as a shouting accompanied the banging. "Stay here." He pressed a kiss to her lips and swung his legs off the side of the bed, grabbing his boxers from the floor and tugging them on. He was pretty sure that Arizona was out, but she wouldn't knock like that, even on the off chance that she had forgotten her key. Coming out into the hallway, the shouting clarified into a few short words: "Open up! NYPD!" Brow furrowing, Cam crossed the living room, still bleary from his abrupt awakening and peered through the peephole. There was a badge there and Cam tugged the door ajar, opening it until the end of the chain lock. "What th - " he caught himself, leaning against the doorknob and peering out at the officer. "What's going on?" Astrid, back in the bedroom, had thrown on her jeans and pulled Cam's shirt on over her head, before going to the bedroom door, wary, and watching carefully as he talked to whoever was outside. Seeing it was the police made her shrink back into the room, and she stood there, undecided, for a moment, before pulling her boots on as well. "Routine compliance check," she heard the officer saying. "We've identified two individuals in this space, and we need to your identification." Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Cam peered at the cop, swallowing his irritation. "Yeah, there's two individuals in here, but it should say that two people live here." He glanced back towards his bedroom door protectively but caught no sight of Astrid. "Look, she's sleeping," against his better judgment, he closed the door and slid the chain lock out of its latch, reopening the door for the officer. "Just, let me get my ID, let her sleep." "I'm sorry, but we need to check the identifications of every individual in the home." The officer stood stiffly just inside the doorway, a second man just behind him. His eyes took in the details of the room, before looking at the half open bedroom door. "We're looking for people who are violating the ordinance," he said, holding his hand out for Cam's ID. "Trying to make certain people are keeping to their allotted space." Cam handed over his card, crossing his arms over his chest and staring down at the man. "We're not allowed to have visitors?" he asked, his voice hard. "It depends," the officer said, giving Cam a look and then looking past him into the apartment again as if looking for whoever this visitor was. "On if they belong in your district or not." Astrid, hearing this from the bedroom, debated coming out and finally decided to play dumb, appearing in the doorway as if she'd just awoken. "Is everything all right?" she asked, eyes going to the police officers. Her accent was obvious, but she tried to look as if she wasn't bothered in the least by being here. When Astrid appeared, Cam instinctively took a step towards her, furrowing his brows. He'd hoped he could get the cops to leave without involving her in things, he had even considered trying to find Ari's ID to show them, but his sister never left anything at home. "Yeah," he answered for the officer, making an effort to relax his aggressive stance. "They just want to see your ID." Astrid nodded, then went back into the bedroom for her bag, pulling out the ID and considering it for a moment before bringing it back out. "Visitor?" The cop said as she came back into the room. "I didn't know that's what they were calling it these days." "I live in District 2," Astrid said, eyes on him evenly. "You should have my address on file. We went out and I just... was staying here tonight." He took her ID and looked at it, then looked at her. "Sorry, Miss... Leezle. But you're out of area. I mean, we're just starting these checks, and you have a registered domicile in the appropriate district, so there's no serious punishment, but we'll have to issue you a ticket and charge a fine. Foreign Nationals from High Threat states aren't supposed to be staying in this district other than for work or business during normal business hours." "Hold on," Cam blurted, holding his hand out and looking between the officers. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The rest of the cop's words struck him and his frown deepened. "She's my guest. Are you telling me I can't have guests?" The police officer looked over at him after he'd scanned Astrid's ID into his hand held. "Well, she has a place of residence. According to the law it's where she's supposed to stay. Now there's exceptions, of course, hospitalization, that sort of thing, but really, you ought to be careful who you associate with." His eyebrows lowered as he saw something on the monitor and he looked back up at her. "Really, Miss Leezle. You're lucky we don't book you again for suspicion of soliciting." Astrid just stared at him, bright spots of angry red staining her cheeks, and she couldn't look at Cam. That had been several years ago, and she did not want to repeat anything regarding to that incident again. "I'm sorry, officer," she said. "I... I'll pay the fine. And consider myself warned." Cam couldn't help it, his jaw actually dropped and he stared at Astrid for a moment. "Soliciting?" he snapped, angrily. "Are you fucking kidding me?" His feet moved him towards the officer, towering over him, his fists clenched at his sides, speaking before he thought. "That's my fucking girlfriend, you asshole. Fucking apologise." He made a move towards the cop, but caught himself, resisting the guilty urge to look back at Astrid. The second officer whipped out a taser and held it at arm's length. "Back away. Now," he said. "Or you're going to be doing more than paying your girlfriend's fine." Astrid reached out and wrapped her fingers around his arm, pulling him back. "It's fine, Cam," she murmured, not wanting him to get in a fight over something like this. She could feel her own anger threatening to boil over, disheartened and tired, and frustrated all over again at being treated like this, when she'd never really done anything wrong. "Please, chere?" Taking a deep breath, Cam listened to Astrid, taking a step back and instinctively wrapping a possessive arm around her. "Now that you've fucking ruined our night," he spat at the officer, his fingers itching to punch the other man for what he'd said. Instead he exerted a great force of will power and held his hand out for their IDs. "Are you going to fucking leave?" He left the or and threat off the end of his sentence, his voice filled with malice. The police officer's face twitched as he handed over the ideas then tore the ticket off sharply as it spewed out of the little machine in his hand. He handed it to Astrid, pulling his hand away as if he didn't want to touch her. "You're lucky I don't haul the two of you downtown, but the Paddy Wagon's already full. Consider this a warning," he said. "Next time there will be more serious penalties." He looked at Cam with annoyance. "And next time I'd pick my girlfriend a little more carefully." Astrid put her hand on Cam's chest to keep him still as the officers went out the door, and she shut it behind them and leaned on it, not wanting to turn around and look at him. "I'm sorry," she said softly. It took Cam a few long moments to be able to speak, breathing deeply until he'd calmed himself. Astrid hadn't argued with the officer's accusation, she'd just apologised, cowed, and Cam wasn't sure whether to be upset at her or for her. "What..." he started, then shook his head, helplessly, not even sure which question to ask first. "I hate it here." The words came spewing out before she could help them and she was having a hard time holding back tears. She rarely ever cried, but she felt so helpless, so frustrated and angry, and there was nothing she could do. "I just want to go home. And they won't let me. And they treat me like... like..." She broke off, not knowing what to say, until finally she turned around and faced him. "I should go." At Astrid's outburst, Cam's anger faded and he waited a moment for her to finish before stepping towards her and taking her into his arms. He wasn't sure if this is what she needed, but he wasn't sure what else to, only that he needed to try and make things better. "Don't," he said, softly, but it wasn't an order, it was a plea instead. "Stay." Astrid wasn't expecting this. In fact, it was part of what made her want to stay away from Cam, with his couches and the looks he gave her that made her scared he wanted something more than she could give. There was weakness in needing someone. She hadn't needed anyone other than Lucien and Andy in years. And she wasn't sure she wanted to start now. It was comforting though, to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face in his chest and just hold on. "I want to go home." It was the first time, really, she'd said those words in a long time with the pain she really felt inside instead of annoyance or boredom or anger. Cam held her, gently stroking her back, his own heart aching with the pain he heard in her voice. He wasn't sure what it was about Astrid that he liked, by all rights he should have given up on her long ago, but there was something about the way he felt when he was near her, about the way she felt in his arms, that made him keep trying, regardless of how many times she pushed him away. "I wish I could help," he murmured, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way. Astrid nodded and let out a long breath, before leaning up on her toes and pressing a kiss against the side of his throat. "Thank you, chere," she said quietly. "I don't know there's much that can be done, but thank you anyway." Ducking his head, Cam gently tugged at her hair, tipping her head back and kissing her softly. "I meant it," he said, untangling his finger from her hair. "You don't have to go. And I'll pay the fine." He turned towards the bedroom, moving Astrid with him. Astrid looked up at him, a half smiling curving over her lips. "How about we split it. Since we're sort of equally both participating in this rule breaking here. Non?" She let him guide her, thinking the damage had already been done and she didn't want to have to go home just now if she could help it. |