Repeals

Tweaked away scenes from "Camille Langlais (No. 191)", the Blacklist fusion. 
Please see "Discards" for fully deleted scenes and "No. 191" for all links in the series. 
This may get rolled back into "Discards". 
==Langlais==
Red follows the valet into the obsessively-groomed garden, so indicative of its owner. And speak of the devil—«Camille! It's been /ages!»
Langlais glides up, shakes Red's extended hand. «It has been quite a while since we've done business, Mr. Reddington. I must admit I feared you were avoiding me.» He starts along a garden path.
Red steps with him. «/Never! You know me better than that. A shiny new toy caught my attention and I felt /compelled to play with it for a while. But a little bird tells me this latest offering is something /special.»
Langlais inclines his head. «I certainly believe it is, but I will let you judge for yourself.»
They round a hedged corner onto a lawn schooled into a carpet.
Seven children—all white, all with blond curls, all alike enough to be siblings, all about five years old—tumble about the yard like puppies, giggling.
A ball breaks free from the play and bounces off Red's shin, stops next to his feet.
He crouches, offers it to the girl in the teal puffer coat who runs up.
She hesitates just beyond reach, looks to Langlais.
«It's fine, Angelique.»
The girl gives Red a bright smile and a perfect curtsy—«Thank you, sir.»—and accepts the ball.
«You're very welcome, sweetheart.»
«Angelique, return the toy to your siblings. I'd have you join my friend and I inside.»
«Yes, Grandfather.» Another curtsy and she darts off.
Red straightens. «She is /exquisite.» 
Langlais smiles over a secret, takes Angelique's hand in his as she returns, and leads them into the villa and to a formal drawing room.
The valet melts out of the wall, collects Red's and Langlais' coats, evaporates.
Angelique stands in the middle of the rug, tracking Langlais' every movement.
«Take off your jacket,» he says.
Angelique chews her lip, works the zipper.
Langlais peels the coat from her back.
White wings rise above her shoulders, flutter nervously, then stretch before Angelique folds them down.
«Turn around,» orders Langlais.
The little girl shuffles about, wings extended slightly, quivering.
«Absolutely lovely.» Red peers closer. «Grafts?»
«Pfft. I would never stoop to something so barbaric as surgery. Those are written in her genes.»
«Amazing.» Reaches— «May I?»
«Of course.»
Red gently runs his hand along the leading edge of the wing.
Warm and soft; undeniably living tissue.
Angelique shivers, huddles more tightly around herself.
Red withdraws his hand. «You should cover up again, sweetheart.»
She checks with Langlais.
He nods.
She grabs her coat and climbs inside.
«Is there anything else you would like to see?»
«I've seen enough.»
Langlais nods sharply. «You may go, Angelique.»
«Yes, Grandfather.» She curtsies and flees.
Red watches her go, then turns back to Langlais.
Langlais indicates a chesterfield.
Red sprawls. «I simply /must know how you've come by these—I assume the other six are similarly gifted?»
Langlais nods, possesses a wing chair.
«—little angels.»
Langlais smugs, «I had them produced in-house.»
«Such /objets d'art are hardly your style, Camille.» Accepts a cup of tea from the valet. «I thought you were more of a big, burly soldier man.»
Langlais snorts over his cup. «That remains my goal. These 'angels' are a stepping stone.»
«And a way to secure additional funds.»
«Perhaps.»
«The construction sector still hasn't recovered after last year's excitement, I've noticed,» drawls Red.
«The coastal re-building efforts are lagging behind projections,» Langlais concedes.
«Tell me. How'd you do it?»
Langlais waves negligently. «A technology I've shepherded along for decades.»
«Gene activation?»
«Pfft. Cross-species genetic splicing and a dash of cloning.»
«Really, now. You make it sound so mundane.»
«The process is well-established. The real challenge was obtaining the DNA template for them.»
==Frankenstein==
===Over my head===
("Fusion scraps")
"It's all very scientific and over my head, but it's very expensive and the results can be gorgeous."
"How many, uh, siblings does she have?"
"There're seven of us!" Angelique chirps. "Well, seven of us are perfect."
"What does that mean, Angelique?" asks Keen, leaning forward.
Ressler ... doesn't like where this is going.
"I dunno." Shrugs. "Grandfather wouldn't let us play with them."
Red covers her ears—
She squawks, squirms.
—whispers, "Think factory seconds, 'slightly imperfect' goods." Releases Angelique's ears.
"They're /children."
Angelique pouts at Red.
"To [baddie], Lizzy, they're products." Red materializes a plush lion from his coat, offers—
«Mr Puff-Puff!» Angelique clutches the lion to her chest.
===Science===
* "Human trafficking for five hundred, Alex?"
* "... to exploit the potential of the human genome. And the animal genome, too, obviously."
* Angelique's biological parents
"So why are gene-spliced kids in France an FBI case?"
"Because, dear Donald, Angelique's siblings are coming to the United States." Holds up a finger. "Human trafficking for five hundred, Alex?"
Ressler crosses his arms. "Then why are /we flying to China?"
"Angelique's new guardian is anxious to meet her." Materializes a stuffed lion from his coat, offers—
«Mr. Puff!» Angelique clutches the plushie to her chest. 
—smiles. "And we have five days before the sale to find her siblings. I wouldn't do to finish /too quickly now, would it? I /do know how much you government types like your dramatic last-minute rescues."
Ressler rolls his eyes.
"Red, how did you get Angelique out of France?"
"The way any good criminal would."
"You bought her."
"Don't be silly." Reclines his seat. "I /stole her."
"Wonderful. It's not a hostage situation; it's a kidnapping."
"Think of it as the removal of an innocent from the custody of an abusive guardian. It may soothe your savage conscience."
Angelique yawns into Mr. Puff's mane.
«Are you sleepy?»
She nods, yawns again.
«There's a couch, blankets, and pillows across from Dembe. Why don't you lie down and take a nap?»
«Thank you, Mr. Red.» 
«You're welcome, sweetheart.» 
Angelique smiles, undoes her seatbelt, wiggles down, and pads off.
Reddington peers over the back of his seat—
Angelique's snuggled up safely on the sofa with her lion.
—twists back. "Now, we can have our big people talk."
Ressler sighs; Keen leans forward.
"Camille Langlais—" Crosses his legs. "—a former diplomat with a love of money, rules, France, and proper breeding—not necessarily in that order, of course."
Ressler snorts.
"How do little girls with wings fit in?"
"Patience, Lizzy. The angels—or are the owlets?—" Shakes his head clear. "—are trinkets Langlais whipped up to raise quick cash and recruit investors for his long-term projects, including his personal favorite: genetically-modified soldiers."
"He sounds like a comic book supervillain."
Reddington raises an eyebrow. "Any more so than some of our previous, presumably non-super, villains?"
Ressler grudgingly concedes.
"I won't bore you with the details, but Langlais has used part of a substantial fortune to build and hide a network of research facilities across the world to exploit the potential of the human genome. And the animal genome, too, obviously."
"/Obviously."
"His greatest coup came about forty years ago when he recruited a brilliant and com-/pletely amoral young scientist with ideas about how to revolutionize genetics. He gave her a lab, assistants, and unlimited funds and in four years, she produced her first angel." Shrugs. "Or so the legend goes."
"Very /Frankenstein."
"I'm impressed, Agent Ressler. You've read something other than a government report."
Ressler does not make an obscene gesture.
"You comparison is apt, however. Those first attempts were apparently real /monsters—hollow bones, defective hearts, autoimmune problems, schizophrenia—but, as Angelique so ably demonstrates, that's all sorted now. She and her six siblings are perfectly healthy and as typical as can be.
"Aside from the wings."
Reddington rolls his eyes. "Yes, Donald, except for the wings."
"So he, what, grows them in vats?"
"Now who's talking about supervillains?" Reddington drawls. "It's much more low-tech than that. Langlais controls a number of clinics which, operating in conjunction with shell adoption agencies, recruit young women to act as surrogates for non-existent infertile couples. A little embryo transfer, nine months, and a handsome cash payment later, Langlais has a 'product' to sell."
"What happens to the women?"
"They go on about their lives, blissfully unaware that the fruit of their wombs are not living happily with loving families."
Ressler shifts uncomfortably. "What about hers?"
"A Russian university student, now a citizen and resident of Canada."
"And her biological parents?"
Reddington shrugs. "All Langlais would say was Angelique is the product of a 'propriety genetic blend'."
Keen hisses.
"I'm sure the answer is in his files, which you will recover along with the rest of the brood."
==Tea Party==
* Serious business of a tea party and by Jove I wish I could fit it in
* Angelique's reactions
«Hello, Angelique,» greets Red.
«Hello, sir,» she replies, smile guarded, eyes to his left—on Langlais.
«You can call me 'Red', sweetheart.»
«Yes, Mr. Red.»
Langlais says, «I'll leave you to your tea,» and exits.
«Now that that old sourpuss is gone, we can get down to the serious business of—» Transfers the tray from behind his back. «—a tea party.» Glances over his shoulder, whispers, «With /cookies.»
Angelique brightens, skips over to the low table in front of the couch, pulls down cushions for both of them.
«Thank you, Mademoiselle Angelique.» Red arranges the tea service, folds himself to his cushion. 
* The ten siblings and Angelique knowing about them
* New families
* "People on the outside"
* Red being old
* Angelique's reaction to them going
«There were supposed to be ten of us—» Eyes flick to the door—the window—Red's face. «—but three of us were bad and Grandfather sent them away.»
«Your Grandfather sounds like he can be very scary.»
«Mmhm.» Angelique nibbles a cookie. 
Red sips tea.
Angelique pushes a cookie around her plate. «Grandfather says we'll all be getting new families soon.»
«Do you want a family?»
«I think so, but ... I like it /here.»
Red eats a cookie.
«Our Uncles and Aunties and Grandfather say people outside don't have wings. It's only us who do.» Pokes the cookie. «Have you ever met a person with wings, Mr. Red?»
«I'm positively /ancient—»
«Did you ever ride a dinosaur?»
«I'm not /that old.» Smiles. «Though I /was chased through a forest by a saber-toothed cat once.»
«Really?!»
«Cross my heart.» Clears his throat. «I've been a lot of places and seen a /lot of things and met /thousands of people, but you are the very /first person with wings I've talked with.»
Angelique sighs.
Red refills her teacup.
«What's the outside like?»
Red hums. «Well, it's very big and full of marvelous people and things. I think you'll love it.»
Angelique studies her tea.
«Oh, would you look. at. that. We're out of cookies.» Leans closer. «I saw this lovely bakery in town. Let's pop down there and get some more.»
Angelique frowns. «Grandfather says I'm not to leave the house.»
«We'll only be gone a few minutes.» Grins. «I even have my own car and driver.»
Angelique wavers.
«There's sure to be chocolate.»
Angelique wrinkles her nose. «I'm allergic.»
«I find chocolate overrated anyway.» Waves airily. «Now, /croissants aux amandes: /there's a treat.»
«I like almonds,» Angelique hedges.
«And I know the place that sells the best almond macarons in the /country.»
Angelique considers. «Can I have two?»
«We'll get a whole box so there's more for later.»
Angelique pops to her feet. «Let's go!»
«Let's!»
Category:Ficlet
Category:Scraps
Category:No. 191