![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
- dia,
- fic,
- ic,
- justpromtps,
- kidnapping,
- simon,
- stephen,
- when: just married,
- work
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
justprompts: Normal
After this.
It had been a bleak day at work for Max. Not exactly bad, but one of the shipments was running late, and until they got news about it, the possibility that it had been attacked was all too real. Which nobody liked at all.
But there was nothing anybody could do until there was more information, and he knew he'd be called at home as soon as there was something. So he went home - and insisted Stephen would, too, for the very same reason. They couldn't do anything but wait. And if they had to react... the more rested and ready they were, the better.
So he was driving home, looking forward to, despite the waiting, an evening of being normal. Not immediately responsible for people who might be dead right now. An evening with Dia when it might not be perfect, not with his thoughts trying to refine contingency plans, but it would be good. Because she was amazing and he loved her and she loved him, and they liked the time spent together, always. He'd not thought there would be somebody he'd want to marry, ever; he'd not known that he wouldn't do something that would hurt her - but he was doing fine, they were doing fine, and it was amazing. In a totally not magical and yet magical way. Just... normal. Loving.
He was looking forward to it, that is, until he drove up and saw the signs of struggle.
It wasn't anything big. A broken flowerpot. Something kicked over which was usually upright in Dia's neat housekeeping.
Her car was outside, but she wasn't home.
He was calling on neighbors to learn if anybody had seen what had happened within moments, and the story was sketchy but undeniable.
Dia. His Dia. Had been kidnapped.
The one person who was supposed to be not just protected, but unattacked, because who did she have as enemies?! She was missing.
The call from his man on the convoy that was late that they'd arrived alright came in the middle of his setting up the locating spell. At least there was no lack of things that he could use for that. And he was getting her back, now, the sooner the better.
He answered the call. No problems in fact, just inclement weather. Max took in the brief report, confirmed over the headphone. "Go home and get some rest then. Debriefing can wait till tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
End of phonecall. End of one worry. Quick, but not rushed, spell, and he was driving with the little pendant pointing in the right direction hung over his rearview mirror within moments. And he was besides himself, which was the only reason he could come up with, later, for not calling for help immediately.
Stephen would have helped. Simon would have helped.
Although both would take time to get close, and he didn't want to waste time. Or get them worried before he had results.
He found her, and he swept the location with his Sight. Two men inside with her - she was alive, thank the Powers, alive and hurt but alive, and he could see the waves of fear and yet stubbornly holding out radiating from her. Two more men on the perimeter. No... two ghouls.
Super.
His long-trained reflexes kicked in. He probably could take them all. But he couldn't take the chance, not with her. So he did call for help, somebody he'd worked with, before he started for Stephen, and knew was still in the business - and happened to live a few blocks away. And happened to be at home - Max had a few ideas beyond Mason, but he was the closest.
Together, they managed to take out the ghouls quickly and quietly, and Max was glad that there were people who could work like that, at such a short notice and with so little incentive to go ahead on - but old favors, and such.
Check on the gun loads, quiet, hand signs communication. Bursting in through the door, one shot each, two idiot kidnappers on the ground, Dia's wide-eyes staring at him from bruised face.
"I'm sorry." He was already untying her, picking her up and away from the whole mess, but he was sorry.
"It's alright. I'm alright."
"Gonna get you into a hospital, they'll look over and say."
"I'm alright, Max. Just take me home, please."
But he didn't trust himself right now, not with bandages, and definitely not with trying to stitch her up if she needed it.
(Of course, he hadn't counted on the fact that in a couple of hours' time, when he was planning on settling, and spending the night holding her hand, letting her rest but just touching her, making sure she was there, after the panic that she might be lost, that--
He hadn't counted on the fact that they'd kick him out. She was out of danger, she needed to sleep, they needed to close the ward. He could come back in the morning.
He would.
But he couldn't get back home now, not alone. It wasn't right without her.)
[Open to Dia going to the hospital/at the hospital, and Stephen, after, if either wants to.]
It had been a bleak day at work for Max. Not exactly bad, but one of the shipments was running late, and until they got news about it, the possibility that it had been attacked was all too real. Which nobody liked at all.
But there was nothing anybody could do until there was more information, and he knew he'd be called at home as soon as there was something. So he went home - and insisted Stephen would, too, for the very same reason. They couldn't do anything but wait. And if they had to react... the more rested and ready they were, the better.
So he was driving home, looking forward to, despite the waiting, an evening of being normal. Not immediately responsible for people who might be dead right now. An evening with Dia when it might not be perfect, not with his thoughts trying to refine contingency plans, but it would be good. Because she was amazing and he loved her and she loved him, and they liked the time spent together, always. He'd not thought there would be somebody he'd want to marry, ever; he'd not known that he wouldn't do something that would hurt her - but he was doing fine, they were doing fine, and it was amazing. In a totally not magical and yet magical way. Just... normal. Loving.
He was looking forward to it, that is, until he drove up and saw the signs of struggle.
It wasn't anything big. A broken flowerpot. Something kicked over which was usually upright in Dia's neat housekeeping.
Her car was outside, but she wasn't home.
He was calling on neighbors to learn if anybody had seen what had happened within moments, and the story was sketchy but undeniable.
Dia. His Dia. Had been kidnapped.
The one person who was supposed to be not just protected, but unattacked, because who did she have as enemies?! She was missing.
The call from his man on the convoy that was late that they'd arrived alright came in the middle of his setting up the locating spell. At least there was no lack of things that he could use for that. And he was getting her back, now, the sooner the better.
He answered the call. No problems in fact, just inclement weather. Max took in the brief report, confirmed over the headphone. "Go home and get some rest then. Debriefing can wait till tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
End of phonecall. End of one worry. Quick, but not rushed, spell, and he was driving with the little pendant pointing in the right direction hung over his rearview mirror within moments. And he was besides himself, which was the only reason he could come up with, later, for not calling for help immediately.
Stephen would have helped. Simon would have helped.
Although both would take time to get close, and he didn't want to waste time. Or get them worried before he had results.
He found her, and he swept the location with his Sight. Two men inside with her - she was alive, thank the Powers, alive and hurt but alive, and he could see the waves of fear and yet stubbornly holding out radiating from her. Two more men on the perimeter. No... two ghouls.
Super.
His long-trained reflexes kicked in. He probably could take them all. But he couldn't take the chance, not with her. So he did call for help, somebody he'd worked with, before he started for Stephen, and knew was still in the business - and happened to live a few blocks away. And happened to be at home - Max had a few ideas beyond Mason, but he was the closest.
Together, they managed to take out the ghouls quickly and quietly, and Max was glad that there were people who could work like that, at such a short notice and with so little incentive to go ahead on - but old favors, and such.
Check on the gun loads, quiet, hand signs communication. Bursting in through the door, one shot each, two idiot kidnappers on the ground, Dia's wide-eyes staring at him from bruised face.
"I'm sorry." He was already untying her, picking her up and away from the whole mess, but he was sorry.
"It's alright. I'm alright."
"Gonna get you into a hospital, they'll look over and say."
"I'm alright, Max. Just take me home, please."
But he didn't trust himself right now, not with bandages, and definitely not with trying to stitch her up if she needed it.
(Of course, he hadn't counted on the fact that in a couple of hours' time, when he was planning on settling, and spending the night holding her hand, letting her rest but just touching her, making sure she was there, after the panic that she might be lost, that--
He hadn't counted on the fact that they'd kick him out. She was out of danger, she needed to sleep, they needed to close the ward. He could come back in the morning.
He would.
But he couldn't get back home now, not alone. It wasn't right without her.)
[Open to Dia going to the hospital/at the hospital, and Stephen, after, if either wants to.]