Jul. 11th, 2007 @ 12:20 am Fic HL/CSI Xover: Street of Dreams 4/? (Was 'Stays in Vegas')
Mood: sleepy
Music: the iguanas
Tags: , , ,

New title: Street of Dreams (4/?)
Warnings: Crossover HL/CSI Vegas, intimations of slash
Characters: Methos, Joe, Catherine, Nick, Brass


Synopsis: Meanwhile, back at the cliffhanger...



Part 3
Part 2
Part 1
Prequel Reckoning Optional Prequel Reckoning



Street of Dreams Part 4




Too slow.

Joe heard the flailing cottonwood roots scrape against the side of the canal, and gritted his teeth. Jamming the side of his hand into the verticle crack in the concrete and curling his fingers to cement each hold, he started pulling himself upward with all the speed he could muster. As freeclimbing went, it was brute and inelegant, but sometimes speed trumped style.

And it was still too slow.

And the crack was getting narrower.

And the cottonwood was a lot closer, now.

Joe could only fit the side of his palm into the fissure up to the ring finger, now, but he was motivated. In the glare of the helicopter searchlight, he saw the root knobs gouge the concrete wall, creating deep horizontal gullies. As Joe hauled himself up the slope the approaching roots dropped from shoulder level, to belt level, to just below his artificial knees. And the first root touched his shin.

"Joe! Grab the rope!" He barely heard Catherine's words over the rotor wash from the hovering helicopter.

A swinging carabiner clinked on the concrete next to his shoulder, nearly clocking him in the head. He grabbed the rope. And the tree grabbed him.


*****


Methos slipped into the gas station, collar up, eyes down. The clerk was entranced with something on the TV overhead, which was just fine for sneaking without seeming to. Methos fingered some useful yet innocuous items (twine, screwdriver, Bic pen, duct tape.) Some found a new home in his pocket. With empty, innocent hands he went up to the clerk. "Do you have any rain gear?"

The clerk waved vaguely. "Garbage bags are in aisle three."

Methos shrugged. He couldn't really get any wetter, anyway. He glanced at the TV, wondering what would fascinate a denizen of this jaded town. And the cold water down the back of his neck turned to ice. "Is that a live feed?"

"Live as Las Vegas, man. There's probably nuts in the casinos taking bets on whether he makes it right now. Ow, look at that tree coming down on top of him..."

But Methos was already gone.

*****


The cottonwood might have had weight and reach in the tale of the tape, but in the end, Joe was too ornery to go down easy.

As the tree began to drag him sideways, Joe twisted his hips and flopped into the recessed runoff channel, enduring the waterfall as the roots slipped harmlessly over the gap. He felt the line tug as he rose by painfully tiny increments.

"Careful! Don't lose him now!" said a voice from above, as the pouring pressure of the runoff water eased.

Strong hands latched onto his shoulders and hauled him up over the edge. Sputtering, Joe shook the water out of his eyes and looked around a bit blearily.

"Joe?"

"Hey, Angel," he said with a wide smile. "Gotta love your timing."

"And I appreciated the boost up, buster, but you were taking a real chance," Catherine chided. "You could have been killed."

"Water under the bridge, as they say. Besides, what's a trip to Vegas without a little action on the side?" Joe peeked over the edge and watched as the tree that almost took him out slammed into the bridge abutment, scattering smaller trees like matchsticks. He shivered as the reaction started to set in.

"Where are you hurt?" Catherine came down on one knee and searched his face critically.

"My pride. I really wanted to beat you to the top." He searched her face in turn. "You know, you have really beautiful eyes. In fact, you have really beautiful everything." Joe was very, very careful to keep his eyes locked on hers. That rain-plastered t-shirt would lead him into all sorts of trouble.

"Oh, you're a heartbreaker, I bet," Catherine shot back. "Tell me, Joe, is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"

There was nothing like a cold dose of police procedure to rain on Joe's imaginary parade. "Both," he admitted sheepishly. He spread his arms wide, unthreatening. "There's a carry permit in my wallet," he added, a bit late. He was already being loomed over by a hard-bodied guy in a vest and a bullet-headed man in a bad suit. Though maybe the suit looked better dry.

"Tsk," Catherine reached carefully into his pocket and drew out the 9 millimeter. At least he'd tossed the clip. In all conscience, Joe couldn't throw the gun where some kid might eventually find it.

"Any other weapons, sir?" the man in the vest asked politely.

"Nah. My swiss army knife is in my luggage," Joe answered dryly. He artfully omitted the sword and poniard, which were still hanging down in the drainage ditch, beginning to rust as far as he knew. He handed up his sodden wallet to the gentleman without being asked.

"Who do we have, Nick?" Catherine asked, all business as she slipped the 9 millimeter into a plastic bag.

Joe glanced up with a wounded expression. He'd just established a new personal best in flaming out in a relationship.

"Joseph Dawson, Seacouver DL, carry permits for...six western states?" Nick read off.

Joe shrugged. "I travel some." He was acutely aware of the man in the suit glowering down at him. Joe looked gloomily down at himself, sitting in just about the most morose puddle in Las Vegas. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot to see.

"Give a guy a hand?" He held out a scuffed up palm to the soft-spoken gent with the hint of Texas in his voice. Nick obliged without thinking, earning him a look of reproof from Bullethead. Joe winced as some embedded gravel ground into the heel of his hand, but at least he was on his feet. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out his second-best cane to steady himself. One didn't hang around Immortals without learning a few tricks about stowing inconveniently long objects.

"Don't do that again." Bullethead had his gun already drawn--slowly he pointed it safely up into the rain. That voice. The same Marine voice he'd heard while hanging on the wall. Joe knew that voice.

Joe slowly let out a breath. "Might want to lay off the caffeine, Sarge," he said with deliberately acid precision.

Catherine and Nick edged a half a step away. "Joe, this is Captain Jim Brass of the LVPD," Catherine said warningly.

"I know who the hell he is."

Brass squinted through the rain, mystification robbing some of the steel from his expression. "I don't remember meeting you. For pleasure or business."

"Yeah, well, some guys are easy to forget." Joe fought to get his temper under control. This was the wrong time, wrong place, and really, really wrong situation for this little reunion.

"Maybe we'd better go down to the station and discuss this." The Captain's voice had softened a bit. Just a bit. Joe wasn't fooled.

"There's nothing to discuss," Joe said shortly.

"There's two dead bodies and a gun in your pocket to discuss." The two of them were nearly nose to nose, with Catherine and Nick hovering like corner men in a fight ring.

Joe held hard to his one advantage. Captain Brass only suspected he was lying. Joe knew he was. And his priest would be appalled at how much practice he'd invested in it over the years.

"Two bodies...? What? Where?" Joe didn't have to act too hard to be puzzled. Crazy Bob should have washed down to the Salton Sea by now, if he hadn't revived from shooting and drowning. And Adam..."Where's Adam?"

"I'm sorry, Joe. The coroner pronounced him soon after they lifted him over the top. Your friend is dead."

"That's not right. I don't believe you," Joe surged toward a nearby ambulance. "You made a mistake." Delay. Delay. Don't let Adam be closely examined. Above all, don't let Adam be autopsied.

But the ambulance attendent was already running toward them. "It's gone! Someone's stolen the body!"

Dawson grinned fiercely. That's my Methos. "I told you. You made a mistake. He's alive." Now was the time to sow confusion, muddy up stories, cover tracks, delay. Adam might have needed a little hand up from the canal, but Methos only needed a little time. Methos was in the wind.




As Joe rode the police cruiser downtown, he started picking gravel out of his palm. "Ow."

Catherine turned a concerned eye from the front seat. "We'll get a doctor to look at that, Joe."

"It's nothing."

"It's evidence."

Joe subsided with a sigh, dropping his eyes as his thoughts turned darker. He wondered if the Watchers were disappointed at his survival. Hell. Of course they were. That made hanging on worth the whole pain in the ass trip right there. Even the ride downtown. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the crash site...and where the hell was Adam, anyway? Though he knew it was just as well he didn't know. Methos flew best alone.

Alone again. Just like old times.


About this Entry
Leave a comment
Permanent Link

Add to Memories
Tell a Friend
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]elistaire
Date: July 13th, 2007 - 01:33 am

ooooh, more....

 (Permanent Link)
You're writing such an awesome Joe. I wish I could just go and hug him all over for being a tough guy, a sensitive guy, a funny guy, a sarcastic guy, and all while trying to keep from being dragged downriver by a tree branch!

Not a watcher of CSI, however, I have to say, I don't like these people. They're being mean to Joe! And I have serious doubts about their talents when it comes to solving crimes. Losing corpses. Ha!

Was the bit where Catherine said 'It's evidence' a joke or is she serious?

And Joe's got a history with Brass. That should be interesting. It doesn't seem like a warm and fuzzy remember when session is coming up.

(Oh, a typo: goudge should be gouge)

[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: July 13th, 2007 - 03:06 am

Re: ooooh, more....

 (Permanent Link)
Thanks very much for the comments (and also for setting me straight on the misposted HL post *g*)

And I'm glad you're sticking with it despite the awkward CSI crossover. The Las Vegas team really isn't that bad, though in the last couple of years CBS has been writing them that way. I don't see them as being mean to Joe--more like doing their job, and being cautious in a puzzling situation. Well, maybe Brass is a little strict *g*.

Catherine's comment about the evidence? Serious. But she does have a sense of humor. And she won't forget the scene on the cliff. She's old school under the protocol.

Also thanks for the typo heads up--I appreciate the catch!
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]elistaire
Date: July 15th, 2007 - 04:27 pm

Re: ooooh, more....

 (Permanent Link)
I don't think the crossover part is awkward at all. The two shows fit together very nicely the way you have set them up.

It's just me--CSI drives me nuts, so I don't ever watch any of them. But I love your Joe and Methos here so much that I am very much looking forward to more of the story.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]adabsolutely
Date: July 13th, 2007 - 04:03 am
(Permanent Link)
Never have liked Brass, he irritates me. This will be interesting. I wonder if they met in the Marine Corp. Hmm. This is getting nice and complicated.

We should let Tray peek at the Round robin one of these days. I've been writing a sex scene in my head.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: July 13th, 2007 - 04:15 am
(Permanent Link)
When I first thought about Joe meeting Brass, all I could see was sparks flying.

And as for the RR, why not? *g* The more the merrier.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]adabsolutely
Date: July 13th, 2007 - 04:03 am
(Permanent Link)
Never have liked Brass, he irritates me. This will be interesting. I wonder if they met in the Marine Corp. Hmm. This is getting nice and complicated.

We should let Tray peek at the Round robin one of these days. I've been writing a sex scene in my head.
(Reply)
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]zonya35
Date: September 22nd, 2007 - 06:52 am
(Permanent Link)
I'm in love with this Joe/Methos story! The xover is really good, it's well done. Please, update soon.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: September 22nd, 2007 - 09:02 pm
(Permanent Link)
Thank you for the feedback, Zonya! I'm afraid this little project got set aside while Adabsolutely and I concentrated on finishing the 'Joe's Truth' round robin fic (now finished, and in it's last stages of polish and post.) I did leave Joe in a tight spot there...and I hope to revisit this fic soon.

There's a lot of latent energy in some of these character relationships. The trick is to mine the crossover without making a total hash of the CSI procedural universe. Forensics is not my specialty. On the other hand, the TV show seems to ignore procedure at a whim if it suits them, so why not fanfic *g*
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mysticnights32
Date: November 28th, 2008 - 02:53 pm
(Permanent Link)

Methos/Joe yay!

I really love this fic and hope to see more of it.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: November 28th, 2008 - 06:33 pm
(Permanent Link)
Thank you! I kind of lost track of this fic a long while back when some other obligations took over. I forgot how much fun it was. Have to revisit this story and figure out how it ended down the line.
From:(Anonymous)
Date: November 15th, 2009 - 09:25 pm
(Permanent Link)
Ooh, Joe is in so much trouble, but at least he's alive. Hopefully Methos can do something to get him out of it. Too late for Joe to run, now, with the police having his wallet and his(?) rental car sitting in the river.

I foresee the Crazy K'immie of the day being really mad. =D I have an image of him rushing into the police station all insane like, being shot, and still trying to kill Joe. (("You dare to interrupt a God such as I, mortal!? DIE!"))

((I was looking under the Highlander tag for this fic, btw. The first 3 parts are under it))

~SlvrcrystalC(http://slvrcrystalc.livejournal.com/) Odd, how links don't work here.
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: November 15th, 2009 - 09:48 pm
(Permanent Link)
It's odd about CSI--even after all these years, i'm still foggy on the geography of the CSI offices. Are they in the same building as the morgue? As the Sheriff's offices? As the holding cells and interview rooms? Or do they live in different locations? (You do anticipate some of the ideas I had on where this fic might go.)

IJ doesn't have auto recognition of links, but it works the old fashioned way.
From:(Anonymous)
Date: January 15th, 2010 - 07:40 am
(Permanent Link)
Please, please, please update! This is so much fun... Now, how do I link this, if you do update?

nancy in chicago
[User Picture Icon]
From:[info]mackiedockie
Date: January 15th, 2010 - 08:16 pm
(Permanent Link)
I'm finishing another project right now, but I'd like to get back to this one down the line. If I do, I'll probably finish the damn thing before posting again, and make sure the whole thing gets posted together on DW and here, maybe LJ, and archived properly. I've got to kick the habit of posting WIPs. Sorry about that! I guess I'm still a little bit amazed anyone finds it.