Law And Order - Series Fan Fiction ❯ I Am Dragon! Hear Me... Roar ? ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: See chapter One for all.

 

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Chapter Two

 

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“Hai…”

 

The sound of the word still vibrated in the air when Doctor George Huang sat up suddenly from a dead sleep. He still felt the ghostly pains from the wounds that were inflicted in the dream. He felt his stomach and sides convinced that there should be holes and blood gushing.

 

His throat felt closed and he was convinced that he had been holding his breath to imitate the death in his dream. He was gasping for air in great big gulps.

 

His sleepwear was stuck to his body from the cold sweat he felt running down his face and back. He was dizzy from the sensation and the feeling that there was more to the dream than just his imagination taking a turn for the fantastical.

 

George looked around for other signs of the battle that took place in his dreams and then shaking his head he got up. He took a shower and dressed in comfortable, yet not quite flattering clothing for the day. This was the day that he had to visit that one patient that always made him uneasy, but knowing that Elliot was going to be with him, eased his mind slightly.

 

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Elliot woke up with the sounds of the battle still ringing in his ears. He was confused by the language that he thought he had spoken in his dreams. `Those dark eyes reminded me of George's,' he thought.

 

His body still felt like he should be pierced and bleeding. He felt nearly overwhelming sadness that the creature, Dragon, in his dreams had died. He'd never thought that his mind could ever contain such an imagination, as he was very much a `in the moment' kind of man.

 

He didn't live in the whimsical world of fantasy books or stories. He was more concerned with life and the cases that he worked with on a nearly daily basis.

 

SVU took a lot of time out of him, so much so that it contributed partly to his divorce. He knew in his heart that there were other reasons and he was also honest enough with himself to know his own failings.

 

It certainly wasn't the first time that he was attracted to a man, but it was the first time since his wife that he was slowly and seriously considering about acting on it. He wasn't sure how the Doc would react, but as they always say, `nothing ventured, nothing gained.'

 

Since he was up early and knowing that the Doc needed to speak to him, he showered dressed with the intention of getting breakfast and coffee for the both of them. He called Fin to let him know about their early day.

 

There was one patient of the Doc's that had Captain Cragen worried and so Fin was ordered to be with them for the day.

 

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Fin received the call from Elliot, telling him to meet at the Doc's place so that they only had to take one car. It was a good arrangement and Fin said that he'd be there in time for their shift to start.

 

Elliot had his hands full when he entered the Doc's apartment. It was a largish place with many windows and an actual sky light. It gave the illusion that it was a loft apartment, but since he'd been there before he knew about the master bedroom, master bath, two extra bedrooms, full bath and a half bath that existed as part of the whole apartment.

 

It was huge, but seeing as the man was a Doctor with various `consultation' jobs in and around the area, it wasn't all that surprising that the man had money for such a place. Worse was the feeling that it had been in his family for a few years and so the rent was considered `controlled'.

 

Elliot walked in, removed his footwear out of respect for the Doc's quirky culture. He liked it though. Calling out as he walked in, “Doc… Are you up yet?”

 

Familiar with the layout of the apartment, he made his way into the kitchen area and set his burden on the island in the middle. “Doc…” he called out again. It was then that he heard a muffled groan in the direction of the living room, once there he leaned over the back of the couch and looked at the semi-awake man.

 

George heard a distant voice calling out to him. He had apparently fallen back to sleep on his very comfy couch. `Never do without comfort if you don't have too,' he father once told him. `Sometimes it can be just that very little thing needed to improve your day.'

 

He heard the voice again and mumbled a vague reply, rolling over and tucking himself back into a ball facing the rear of the couch. He pulled the blanket over his head to blank out the noise.

 

Elliot grinned at the image. It was almost like one of his kids not wanting to get up for school. “Doc,” he said softly, tugging gently at the blanket the Asian man was trying to hide under. “Your coffee is getting cold.”

 

George sat up quickly, blinking and looking for the heaven in a cup. He frowned when he heard chuckling in his general direction and a voice floating away saying, “You need to get up off your butt to get it.”

 

“Humph,” he grumped. He stumble upright and slowly made his way towards the kitchen, pausing at a bathroom to wash his face in cold water. It was an old trick that sometimes worked to wake him up.

 

He entered the kitchen and saw the place settings ready for them on the counter island. “Elliot?” He questioned, looking at the variety of breakfast goods that he saw there.

 

The larger man just shrugged with a slight flush on his cheeks and said, “I was hungry. I also thought that you might be too, so I picked up a bit of anything that looked good.”

 

George nodded his acceptance, as he was filling up his plate with fruits and a fresh made muffin. Taking a sip of fresh hot coffee he said, “Thank you.”

 

“I called Fin while you were trying to wake up,” Elliot said. “He's on his way here and will be here as soon as he can, since there's a chance he may be caught in traffic.”

 

George didn't say anything, but he did smile and continued to eat his breakfast.

 

Elliot soon was doing the same, but throughout the whole meal they kept glancing at one another. Each was wondering about the dream that they had the night before and whether it was just there imagination or perhaps something of portent.

 

Eventually Fin showed up and the good Doctor was able to begin his explanation about his concerns regarding this one particular patient. “The man that I must meet and review is probably best described as a type of sexual deviant.”

 

“You mean he's into kinky stuff?” Fin asked.

 

“Yes, but there's more to it than that,” replied the Doc. “He shows a severe lack of care for certain acceptable social interacting situations. This particular case was assigned to me so that I could assess and review this individual over a specific time period. This was in order to assess his competency for trial as a material witness to a very high profile Federal case.” He held up his had to stall the obvious questions. “I can't reveal anything more because it's strictly under Federal Jurisdiction.”

 

The other two men just looked at one another and rolled their eyes. George looked on at their antics with fond amusement. He had a very soft spot for the detectives of the NY-SVU under the no nonsense Captain Cragen. They came in contact with some of the most, foul elements of the criminal elements that human nature can create or live. Yet, there was something that caused them to continue these pursuits. Some drive in them that needed to fight for those particular victims.

 

He waited for them to finish commiserating about being blocked from potentially valuable information by the FBI and then he continued. “This particular individual has live-in `Toys' that you must never speak to or even attempt to make eye contact with. This man is very particular about them and will take very serious offence at anyone trying to undermine his `control' of them.” He paused again this time to gauge their reactions to this information.

 

“How bad will it be?” Elliot asked. He was very concerned about a situation of this nature and most times he wasn't too comfortable with some people's candid views on their own lifestyles.

 

“Yeah,” Fin wondered that very same thing. “How do you usually go to see this guy? Doesn't he make you nervous, especially if he needs that kind of control of people?”

 

“Truthfully… He does,” George admitted. “That's why when I go to see I have at least four people with me, but this time it's you guys because of your assignment to me, Detective Stabler.”

 

Elliot nodded and had an idea where the Doc was headed with this. “You need me inside and you want someone to play the part of a visible bodyguard.”

 

“That's right,” he agreed. “This person needs to see the increased measures that my superiors have taken for my protection.”

 

“So it's a ploy,” Fin said. “An arranged situation that may force his hand.”

 

The Doc nodded, agreeing with that assessment. “There might be a bit more to it than that.”

 

“What else?” Detective Stabler asked in a tone that showed he wasn't pleased to have stepped into a set-up arranged by the FBI.

 

“I may have alluded to this client that I'm involved in a serious relationship,” the Doctor admitted.

 

“I don't see how he could fail to see that ring on your left hand,” Fin stated. “I believe that's what we all think at the office.”

 

“Yes, but this person believes that a ring on the left hand can sometimes mean nothing,” George said sadly. “This is all I have left of my wife. She died in China… Tiananmen.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Elliot said. Fin nodded to also show that he was sorry for the loss.

 

“It was years ago,” George said. “This ring was also a form a protection against unwanted advances.”

 

“You must have had a lot of those, if you need to continue to wear it like that,” Fin speculated.

 

He knew that sometimes, over a long period of time some people removed their wedding rings after such a loss, just to prove to themselves that they were ready to move, it was symbolic. Sometime they preferred to wear them around their necks on chains because it maintained a spiritual closeness without throwing people off. In this case it looked like the Doc needed to have people around him continue to believe that he was in a serious relationship, married.

 

“Yes,” the Doc agreed that he needed to continue wearing such a deception for protection.

 

Elliot now had to ask, “Serious relationship? Who did you say that you had a serious relationship with? I mean when you were talking with you client.”

 

“I didn't, but that doesn't mean that this person did not have me followed,” George said. “I've felt like I've been watched and this is not a normal kind of feeling for me to have.”

 

“I get it,” Fin said. “If this guy thinks that you're in a serious relationship he might want to have you followed to see if it's true. A guy like that is dangerous.”

 

“You have no idea,” George mumbled, turning away from the Detectives. They didn't comment on that statement, as it was clear that the Doc just needed to voice his frustration.

 

“So how are we goin' to play this?” Fin asked.

 

“One of you has to come in with me and remain in close proximity and the other has to remain by the door on the inside,” Doctor Huang said. “Another thing… the place we are going to is a private warehouse, where my client likes to `play'. It's a place where he and his Toys play at different scenarios and their mode of dress will be very casual to nearly revealing. However it won't be worse then your average semi-revealing bathing suits.”

 

The men agreed that Elliot would walk in with the Doctor and Fin would stay by the door. It was an impression thing that they were going for and a black man as a bodyguard was “stereotypically acceptable” by the client's standard.

 

Doctor Huang did mention that Fin would not be alone at the door, but that the bodyguard there would belong to the client. There were going to be other agents, however they were going to be located outside of the warehouse.

 

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Munch was spending a worrying day looking over the books and trying to read some of the `olde' languages that they were written. His great-grandfather has basically spent his entire life in that house and in the basement.

 

He began the arduous task of translating the information into Hebrew, which was the language he was most familiar with when he had immigrated to the United States. Actually this man was one of the few people who pawned something of Antique value in order to obtain one of the first typewriters that were produced from 1874 - 1878.

 

It wasn't any of the collected books, but an old dining room set that his wife had brought over with her. She didn't want it anymore and the value of it was fading, but since it had ten matching chairs it was sold for a very good price. She approved of his works and often helped him to organize the books and journals and she helped work the new “typing” machine back then.

 

Munch's grand-father, the one who built the basement library, had a few friends that were blind in life and they used to transcribe the books and journals around the 1940's by a more modern typewriter. They were more reliable. His grand-father employed his friends and a couple of student readers to read aloud for these men to type out the information.

 

Of course with the advent of computers, Munch was able to hire similar individuals to transcribe the few remaining works onto some of the first computers like the first IBMs in 1975 to the first Apples in 1976 - 1977, to something called commodores VIC 20's & 64's in 1983 - 1984, on up to the more recent stuff.

 

Although his grandfather also invested into Microfilm machines and viewers in order to preserve what he could, however he could. Now there were usually only a couple of live in people at the house who worked in the translations, but they signed notarized waivers that protected the information in the house.

 

Many were still students, but mostly they were linguists who wanted to research the history of a language rather than what the content of a particular document might be. Still he was very careful with revealing anything about Dragons. Luckily the library was comprised of various literary works that had nothing to do with these fascinating creatures.

 

Currently he was locked in a very semi-small and secure room. He was looking over specific references regarding the sighting of un-Changed Dragons and Changed ones. It was so rare that it was just chance that he noticed that most fell into the category of the “believe it or not” variety. Writings or notations were made in various papers, on articles that were issued or printed in their day.

 

Some of the sightings he could not credit the person with having seen a Dragon, but there were a couple that did stand out. Two were during the American Civil War, five were claimed to have been spotted during World War I and seven during World War II. There was always a sighting of one or two in the various `acknowledged' wars around the world.

 

“I wonder how many were seen during any other political conflicts in other countries around the world,” he muttered to himself. He shook his head and wondered how Elliot escaped from being revealed during the Gulf War, but then if his Human wasn't a part of it, he couldn't Change then.

 

Munch pulled a few of the transcribed journals, specific to initial bonds and things that may occur within their first year of being bonded. He also found a couple of references to Hunters and he wasn't surprised to find that there were game hunters in the world looking for bigger and more exotic animals to hunt.

 

He was just putting together the papers when his cell phone rang. “Munch,” he said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder.

 

“Munch,” said the worried voice of his working partner.

 

“Fin,” he replied. “What's going on?”

 

“I don't know whether to tell you or not, but right now I'm looking at a twenty foot lizard with razor sharp teeth,” Fin told him. “I can't find Elliot anywhere and the Doc looks like he's bein' protected or sheltered under one of the wings.” He gulped and continued, “I hope he's still alive.”

 

Munch dropped the books and papers in his hands. He sat back down and in a soothing voice he tried to calm his partner. “He is… Fin, listen to me.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Don't turn your back on him and don't look him in the eye,” John instructed. “Are you doing that?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Munch let out a sighing breath of nerves and the said, “Talk to the Doc. Tell him exactly what I tell you, OK?”

 

Fin let out a sigh of his own when he noticed that the creature was no longer focused on him. He was watching it out of the corner of his eye and saw when the focus veered away from him. “OK,” he sighed.

 

“Talk to the Doc and tell him to do exactly what I'm telling you,” Munch said.

 

*”Doc, you need to calm down and lean into the body behind you.”* Fin watched as the stiff body under wing relaxed.

 

*”Reach up and touch him, as much as you can.”* Again the short man moved as much as he could. Fin heard him murmuring to the creature, but was soon distracted by another motion next to him. It was one of the `Toys', in fact it was the Head-Boy. “Just a minute John,” Fin said, stopping the instructions. “What do you want?”

 

“Just watch,” he said. “I think that he's getting the hang of it.”

 

It was true. The good Doctor was able to move away from the body and actually looked at the Dragon before reaching up to pet it. Soon the figure shifted and its size reduced back into the human form that it once held.

 

Elliot barely stumbled before leaning into the arms that were holding him upright. “George,” he said, sighing and leaning in to rest his mouth against that of the one that he Changed for... his Human mate.

 

“Elliot,” George sighed into the lips that reached his for a slow passionate and claiming kiss.

 

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TBC…