Annalise

Date/Timing: 30 April 2016
Setting: various locales; Hong Kong, China
.
Edan sighs out of the library, stretches and pops his back, makes a quick weather check. "No rain, no fog, no hurry ...." He shrugs, resettles his satchel over his shoulder, points his feet for the long route to the train station.
Three-quarters of the way across Victoria Park, there's a flash of pink and lace from between the trees and something soft slams into him.
He rocks back a half-step, looks down. "Whoa, there! What's—"
«Don't let him take me away!» sobs the little brunette latched onto his legs. «Please, Cousin!»
Edan, pushes his satchel 'round to his back, pries off tiny hands, takes them in his own, crouches to tyke level. «You're alright, sweetheart. Now—»
The kid octopuses on, wails, «/Please don't let him take me!»
«No one's going to take you.» Edan kneels, cradles her head, coos, «You're safe now, sweetheart.»
Damp patches grow on his shirt as she whimpers. 
He strokes silky-soft hair.
«Please don't let him take me.»
«I won't, I won't, you're alright.»
She sniffles.
«What's your name, sweetheart?»
«Annalise.»
«A perfectly pretty name for a perfectly pretty girl.» 
She shakes her head against him.
«I'm Edan, by the way.»
Annalise suddenly jerks away, eyes frightened, squeaks, «You're not my cousin!»
«Not unless we're /really distant cousins, I'm afraid.» Smiles reassuringly. «I /wish I had a cutie like you in my family, though.»
«Are you another Uncle?»
Edan's eyebrow climbs. «My partner has three niblings, but I've got none of my own.»
Annalise seems satisfied with that, nestles against his chest again.
He smooths her hair. «Can you tell me what's got you so scared?»
«Grandfather—» Gasps. «My new family doesn't want me anymore because I got sick again and had a-a seizure and Grandfather said I'm not perfect enough for a /new new family and sent an Uncle to take me Away.» Clutches at his shirt, whispers, «We /never come back from Away.»
«What does—»
««Annalise! Come here!»» barks a voice.
Annalise squeaks, buries herself in Edan's shirt.
Edan watches a man—tall, solid, with the stride of a bully—approach along the trail, frowning powerfully.
"Thank you for minding my niece, sir," he says. "I'll take her home now."
"I don't think so."
"Excuse me?"
Edan puts on his best glare. "I'm not letting her go without some proof she belongs with you /and she'll be safe."
Bully puffs up. "I don't understand. What right—"
"I've got a terrified little girl here, yea? I'm not handing her over to the first guy who strolls up claiming to know her."
«Annalise. Tell him you belong with me.»
She whines.
"She's not going anywhere." Fumbles one-handed in his pocket, keeps the other curled protectively around Annalise.
"She's my—what are you doing?"
Edan waves around the still-whimpering Annalise, puts his mobile to his ear. 
""Police. What is the nature of your emergency?""
"I've got a bit of a situation in Victoria Park—" Glances about. "—off the jogging trail, near the trees, maybe fifty meters from the big fountain. A little girl's run up to me asking for help and now there's an adult male claiming to be her uncle come to get her and she's utterly /terrified of him. Would you send someone 'round to help me sort this out?"
""A constable should be with you in the next five minutes, sir.""
"Thank you."
""If the situation becomes more threatening, ring back immediately.""
"Will do. Thanks again."
""You're welcome.""
Edan stuffs the mobile in his pocket, smiles sweetly up at the bully.
He glowers, growls, «He can't help you, Annalise. You'll be coming with me sooner or later. It's best to give this up now.»
She whimpers.
«Stop threatening her, asshole,» snaps Edan. To Annalise, gently, «Sorry about my language.»
«You speak French?»
"/Obviously, you prize monkey."
Bully narrows his eyes. «You're not one of ours, but—»
"I /couldn't work for anyone who frightens kids as a matter of course."
Bully glares.
Edan stares levelly back, holding the sniffling Annalise tight.
«Please don't let him take me.»
«I'll do whatever I can, sweetheart.»
«It won't work.»
"Get stuffed."
Footsteps crunch along the path.
""Someone here call for the police?""
Edan waves, calls, "That would be me."
The constable strolls up. "Your name, sir?"
"Doctor Edan Reid, from the PPDC base on Tsing Yi."
The constable makes a note with a stylus on a tablet. "Tell me what's going on, please, sir."
Edan repeats his tale.
"Is what he's saying true miss?"
Annalise doesn't respond.
Edan gives her a little squeeze. «It's alright. You can answer him, sweetheart.»
«I don't understand what he's saying.»
«You don't speak English?»
Annalise shakes her head.
«No problem. I'll translate for you. The constable wants to know why you've run up to me.»
Annalise repeats her story with Edan echoing it.
"Thank you," says the constable, then beckons Bully a short distance away.
Annalise mumbles.
«What was that?»
«He's going to get me.»
«Don't say that—»
«Grandfather's /very important and he's got /papers.»
«The police are good people; they won't let you get hurt.»
Annalise sags, hopeless.
«It'll be alright, sweetheart. Trust me.»
«I do.»
«Good.» He nuzzles her temple.
Motion in his peripheral vision.
The constable approaches, apologetic; Bully, looking very, very smug.
Edan braces for it, hugging Annalise tighter.
"Doctor Reid?"
Edan grunts.
"I'm—Mr Royer has proven to my satisfaction—and that of my lieutenant—that he is Ms Dufour's rightful guardian. You'll need—" Shifts his feet. "You'll need to turn her over to him."
Edan swallows, whispers, «Annalise, darling, I'm sorry—»
«/Please don't say it.»
«I'm sorry.»
«But—» Eyes huge and wet. «But you said—» Sobs.
«Sweetheart, I'm sorry.» Deep, shaky breath. «I'll find some other way to help, swear on my life.»
«Come along, Annalise,» orders Bully.
Annalise trembles, but pulls back.
Edan releases her from his hug, kisses her forehead. «I swear I'll figure something out.»
She nods, disbelief in her lowered eyes.
Bully clamps on hand on her shoulder, steers her away.
Edan gets to his feet, plants himself in their path. «I'm not going to let this go.»
The constable hovers.
«The law is on my side,» smugs Bully.
«I don't give a flying flip. You're not going to hurt Annalise if I have anything to say about it.»
«You /don't have anything to say about it.»
«Maybe not with the law, but I can make a right racket when I want to and I really, /really want to.»
«If you know what's good for you, you will drop this matter completely and forget it.»
«No.»
«'No' what?»
«You have no standing to tell me what I can—»
«I can offer you substantial compensation for your cooperation.»
Edan goggles. «A /bribe? To look the other way while you much about with kids?! You're bleeding /insane if you think that'll work on me!» Blinks rapidly. «You're offering to bribe me in front of the /police. You /are bleeding insane.»
Bully shrugs. «I strongly recommend you accept the offer.»
«No sale.»
«Please, reconsider, Doctor Reid.»
«Get stuffed.»
«I beg you; there are forces at play—»
«There's nothing on Earth can scare me as much as a Kaiju—and I've already seen those—so you and yours can do your worst.»
«You're making—»
«I'll be /making sure the lot of ye go down if anything happens to her.»
«If that is how you wish to proceed, you are welcome to try,» he sneers. «Let's go, Annalise.» He stomps off, pushing Annalise—dragging her feet—in front of him.
Edan watches them go.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but—"
Edan waves off the constable's apology, takes a deep breath, shakes tension from his shoulders and arms, exhales.
The constable wanders off.
Edan throws a last glance the direction Bully and Annalise went, then trudges the rest of the way to his station.
The train back to the Tsing Yi station takes a very long hour, the shuttle from the station to the 'Dome an age, the schlump to the workroom an eternity.
He drops his satchel on the floor, slumps into Hermann's desk chair, setting it slowly spinning, and lets his head roll back.
Hermann stops maths-ing at the board, raises an eyebrow. "What's happened?"
"I think I fucked up, big style."
Hermann shuffles over, perches on the nearest corner of his desk. "Tell me about it."
"I handed a little girl over to someone who scared the hell out of her—only because the police told me to, mind—and I think she's going to be hurt." Swallows, shakes his head. "I shouldn't have let her go."
"You didn't have a choice if they police were involved."
"Logically, I know that, but in my gut ... something bad's going to happen."
"Why do you think that?"
"You should've /seen her. She came came running up wailing and absolutely /convinced that man meant her no good." Sighs. "It was also weird she only spoke French."
"/Only French? In Hong Kong?"
"Received pronunciation, no less."
Hermann makes a surprised sound.
"I said it was weird." Snorts. "Even weirder? She seemed to think I was a cousin of hers at first."
"That part's not so surprising."
Edan finally drags his head up. "Huh?"
"Panicked as she was, if she has a red-headed cousin, she probably saw your hair and jumped to the conclusion you were him."
Edan smiles weakly. "Yea, can't be too many gingers in this town."
"Certainly not too many as trustworthy-looking as you."
Edan winces.
Hermann jazz-hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"It's alright. I just—" Runs a hand through his hair. "I promised her I do something to help, but I haven't a /clue what I /can do."
"I would suggest you speak with Officer Lò. They would know what, if anything, can be done."
"Brilliant idea." Edan stands. "I love your big brain." Puts a hand on each side of Hermann on the desk, leans—
"Not in public," reminds Hermann, tipping away backward.
Edan sighs spectacularly, straightens. "Everyone knows, /leannan."
"It's a matter of keeping our private lives private."
"What private lives are these? We work /and live watched over by an all-seeing AI and surrounded by thousands of curious human eyes, if you've forgotten."
Hermann sniffs.
"Of /course you haven't. I tease."
"I know."
"So you probably also know that I'm off to make an appointment with Lo and throw together some tea for us."
Hermann smiles. "I do." Slides to his feet. "I'll join you shortly."
"Right, then. I'm off." Edan turns, walks to the door.
"Wait a moment," calls Hermann. "I'll join you. This formula will keep."
Edan smiles as he catches up. "Thanks. Your company will help my mood after this whole mess."
Hermann hums and they stroll along the corridor toward their quarters.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hong Kong (setting)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan's POV
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Annalise
Category:Annalise (ficlet)
Category:Langlais (mention)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images