Back to School, 1/5
Jun. 21st, 2011 11:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackofknavesTitle: Back to School
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tripatch
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Hannibal/Face
Summary: The boys take a case at a local high school.
Marilyn Heigler, a no-nonsense woman dressed in a smart pantsuit and a hairstyle that fell out of fashion sometime in the eighties, looked them up and down with a calculating eye. She had been the principal of River Oaks High School for twenty-three years and could appraise a person from one glance. On the outside, they did not look promising. A silver-haired, gravelly voiced man who smoked far too many cigars, an intimidating man with a Mohawk and tattoos on his hands, a lithe, hyperactive man with shaggy hair tucked under a ball cap who kept stroking an invisible pet, and the sweet-faced charmer whose smile hadn’t wavered under her unimpressed stare.
Not promising at all.
If they had been students, she would have immediately pegged them: the successful, argumentative one, the trouble-maker, the stoner, and the slacker who thought a smile could pass his classes for him.
But something about them…
“I’m at my wits' end, gentlemen,” she said briskly. “These kids are low-income students. Most of them don’t have parents who are around and this school is all they have. If funds are disappearing that are meant for them, I want whoever is doing it caught and those funds returned.”
“Ma’am,” Hannibal said respectfully, “have you tried your own investigation? It’s probably some secretary who’s been dipping into the till.”
“I’m not an idiot,” she said peevishly. Hannibal held his hands up in a truce and she huffed out a sigh. “I’m sorry. It’s just that these kids have never had much to start with and to take more from them—I can’t even imagine who would do something like that. I’ve looked into it, but whoever it is, they’re clever about it. I can’t pinpoint where the money is going or when it’s leaving. It’s like it’s just never been there. I know it has to be someone in the school, because the system is, quite frankly, outdated and not many people can even operate it anymore. If this goes on any longer, I’ll have to report it to the government, and they might shut down the school while the matter is looked into.”
“And the person moves on to another one,” the slacker said grimly.
She nodded curtly. “So there you have it. I’m afraid I can’t pay you much, as it will be out of my own funds, but anything you need, I’ll try to accommodate it. Will you help?”
They exchanged a look and without saying anything, the man with the ballcap stood up and bowed extravagantly.
“We will look into your case immediately, madam,” he said with a put-on accent. His face suddenly lit up into a genuine smile and he reverted back to a Texan drawl. “In the meantime, why don’t we get you some lemonade while’s the boys discuss things.”
“Well?” Hannibal said after lighting a cigar and taking a long draw on it.
“I don’t know,” Face said, rolling a beer bottle between his hands. “It’s a little small for us, don’t you think, boss?”
B.A. leaned against the doorframe, a mulish expression on his face, arms crossed in front of his chest. “It’s kids, Hannibal.”
Every one of them had their weak spots. No one threatened a member of his team. Murdock couldn’t stand the thought of being locked up again. Face could never say ‘no’ to a pretty girl. And Heaven help anyone who did anything to kids around B.A.
Hannibal nodded.
“Face,” he jerked his head to where they could hear Murdock chattering excitedly to the petite woman who had marched in two hours ago and demanded to speak with a Colonel Hannibal Smith. “Go and tell her we’ll take the case.”
The first problem was usually the easiest, Hannibal had decided. They had convinced Mrs. Heigler that they had to be in the school, and there weren’t that many reasons why four grown men would be hanging around a high school that weren’t questionable.
“I don’t know,” she said, the first sign of uncertainty she had shown since she had arrived.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Heigler,” Murdock said with an encouraging smile. “It’ll be alright.”
Despite her initial misgivings, she had apparently thawed toward Murdock, because she gave him a wan smile in return before turning to Hannibal. “You intend to act as the principal?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hannibal said.
“There are some things you should know that we’ll go over before I make the arrangements.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Face snickered from his place at the table, clearly amused at the picture of his colonel being intimidated by a woman who barely reached his chest with heels on. She whirled on him.
“Mr. Peck,” she said crisply, and Hannibal felt a little vicious glee at the way Face automatically straightened in his chair.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You intend to be working in the history department?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She nodded sharply before turning to B.A. “Mr. Baracus, I presume you would like to teach either shop or gym?”
“Shop,” B.A. said immediately. “Kids ain’t bad, just no one around to show ‘em something to do other than get into trouble.”
Her eyebrows raised and she smiled approvingly. “Yes, indeed. I’m sure you’ll do very well with them.”
B.A. accepted the praise with a nod of his head. She turned to Murdock last, her face visibly softening at his eager puppy dog eyes.
“And me, ma’am?”
“You, Murdock,” she hesitated. “I don’t know, dear. What do you like to do?”
“Fly.”
“Well, unfortunately this isn’t a flight school. What else?”
He scratched his head. “Watch cartoons, pretty much. Take Billy out for walks.”
Mrs. Heigler opened her mouth to ask who “Billy” was, but Hannibal interjected before the conversation could turn anymore awkward. “He’ll teach English.”
“English? That fool don’t know how to teach English!”
“I do indeed, my good man,” Murdock said haughtily in a posh British accent.
“Not that English,” Hannibal said long-sufferingly. “The literature kind.”
“Ah! Righto, sir.”
“You… you can do that?” Mrs. Heigler said, clearly doubtful.
“Did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree?” Murdock answered blithely.
Like a student who had passed a test on the first try, Mrs. Heigler beamed at him. “He did indeed. Yes, I think you’ll do marvelously.”
With matters sorted, she turned to Hannibal, who was waiting expectantly. “Well, Colonel Smith, I am leaving my school in your hands. I trust you will do well by it.”
“We certainly will,” Hannibal said.
“Take a vacation, get some sun,” Face said with a grin. “By the time you get back, we’ll have this wrapped up, no problem.”
“Very well.” She picked up her purse and slung it onto her shoulder, clutching the strap tightly. The rhythmic clip-clap of her heels against the floor paused as she reached the door and she turned around to face them. Her expression was stern, but underneath was a hint of desperation. “Please. These are good kids and you really are their last hope. Don’t let them down.”
On that note, she disappeared outside.
First Day, 2/5
Grading Papers, 3/5
Exam Time, 4/5
Summer Vacation, 5/5
Author:
tripatchRating: PG-13
Pairing: Hannibal/Face
Summary: The boys take a case at a local high school.
Marilyn Heigler, a no-nonsense woman dressed in a smart pantsuit and a hairstyle that fell out of fashion sometime in the eighties, looked them up and down with a calculating eye. She had been the principal of River Oaks High School for twenty-three years and could appraise a person from one glance. On the outside, they did not look promising. A silver-haired, gravelly voiced man who smoked far too many cigars, an intimidating man with a Mohawk and tattoos on his hands, a lithe, hyperactive man with shaggy hair tucked under a ball cap who kept stroking an invisible pet, and the sweet-faced charmer whose smile hadn’t wavered under her unimpressed stare.
Not promising at all.
If they had been students, she would have immediately pegged them: the successful, argumentative one, the trouble-maker, the stoner, and the slacker who thought a smile could pass his classes for him.
But something about them…
“I’m at my wits' end, gentlemen,” she said briskly. “These kids are low-income students. Most of them don’t have parents who are around and this school is all they have. If funds are disappearing that are meant for them, I want whoever is doing it caught and those funds returned.”
“Ma’am,” Hannibal said respectfully, “have you tried your own investigation? It’s probably some secretary who’s been dipping into the till.”
“I’m not an idiot,” she said peevishly. Hannibal held his hands up in a truce and she huffed out a sigh. “I’m sorry. It’s just that these kids have never had much to start with and to take more from them—I can’t even imagine who would do something like that. I’ve looked into it, but whoever it is, they’re clever about it. I can’t pinpoint where the money is going or when it’s leaving. It’s like it’s just never been there. I know it has to be someone in the school, because the system is, quite frankly, outdated and not many people can even operate it anymore. If this goes on any longer, I’ll have to report it to the government, and they might shut down the school while the matter is looked into.”
“And the person moves on to another one,” the slacker said grimly.
She nodded curtly. “So there you have it. I’m afraid I can’t pay you much, as it will be out of my own funds, but anything you need, I’ll try to accommodate it. Will you help?”
They exchanged a look and without saying anything, the man with the ballcap stood up and bowed extravagantly.
“We will look into your case immediately, madam,” he said with a put-on accent. His face suddenly lit up into a genuine smile and he reverted back to a Texan drawl. “In the meantime, why don’t we get you some lemonade while’s the boys discuss things.”
“Well?” Hannibal said after lighting a cigar and taking a long draw on it.
“I don’t know,” Face said, rolling a beer bottle between his hands. “It’s a little small for us, don’t you think, boss?”
B.A. leaned against the doorframe, a mulish expression on his face, arms crossed in front of his chest. “It’s kids, Hannibal.”
Every one of them had their weak spots. No one threatened a member of his team. Murdock couldn’t stand the thought of being locked up again. Face could never say ‘no’ to a pretty girl. And Heaven help anyone who did anything to kids around B.A.
Hannibal nodded.
“Face,” he jerked his head to where they could hear Murdock chattering excitedly to the petite woman who had marched in two hours ago and demanded to speak with a Colonel Hannibal Smith. “Go and tell her we’ll take the case.”
The first problem was usually the easiest, Hannibal had decided. They had convinced Mrs. Heigler that they had to be in the school, and there weren’t that many reasons why four grown men would be hanging around a high school that weren’t questionable.
“I don’t know,” she said, the first sign of uncertainty she had shown since she had arrived.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Heigler,” Murdock said with an encouraging smile. “It’ll be alright.”
Despite her initial misgivings, she had apparently thawed toward Murdock, because she gave him a wan smile in return before turning to Hannibal. “You intend to act as the principal?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hannibal said.
“There are some things you should know that we’ll go over before I make the arrangements.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Face snickered from his place at the table, clearly amused at the picture of his colonel being intimidated by a woman who barely reached his chest with heels on. She whirled on him.
“Mr. Peck,” she said crisply, and Hannibal felt a little vicious glee at the way Face automatically straightened in his chair.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You intend to be working in the history department?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She nodded sharply before turning to B.A. “Mr. Baracus, I presume you would like to teach either shop or gym?”
“Shop,” B.A. said immediately. “Kids ain’t bad, just no one around to show ‘em something to do other than get into trouble.”
Her eyebrows raised and she smiled approvingly. “Yes, indeed. I’m sure you’ll do very well with them.”
B.A. accepted the praise with a nod of his head. She turned to Murdock last, her face visibly softening at his eager puppy dog eyes.
“And me, ma’am?”
“You, Murdock,” she hesitated. “I don’t know, dear. What do you like to do?”
“Fly.”
“Well, unfortunately this isn’t a flight school. What else?”
He scratched his head. “Watch cartoons, pretty much. Take Billy out for walks.”
Mrs. Heigler opened her mouth to ask who “Billy” was, but Hannibal interjected before the conversation could turn anymore awkward. “He’ll teach English.”
“English? That fool don’t know how to teach English!”
“I do indeed, my good man,” Murdock said haughtily in a posh British accent.
“Not that English,” Hannibal said long-sufferingly. “The literature kind.”
“Ah! Righto, sir.”
“You… you can do that?” Mrs. Heigler said, clearly doubtful.
“Did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree?” Murdock answered blithely.
Like a student who had passed a test on the first try, Mrs. Heigler beamed at him. “He did indeed. Yes, I think you’ll do marvelously.”
With matters sorted, she turned to Hannibal, who was waiting expectantly. “Well, Colonel Smith, I am leaving my school in your hands. I trust you will do well by it.”
“We certainly will,” Hannibal said.
“Take a vacation, get some sun,” Face said with a grin. “By the time you get back, we’ll have this wrapped up, no problem.”
“Very well.” She picked up her purse and slung it onto her shoulder, clutching the strap tightly. The rhythmic clip-clap of her heels against the floor paused as she reached the door and she turned around to face them. Her expression was stern, but underneath was a hint of desperation. “Please. These are good kids and you really are their last hope. Don’t let them down.”
On that note, she disappeared outside.
First Day, 2/5
Grading Papers, 3/5
Exam Time, 4/5
Summer Vacation, 5/5
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 09:31 pm (UTC)