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Chapter Five
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
tornado warnings
—by fifteyshadesofdylan
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After the whole situation that Duke was in, him and Louisa had grown slightly closer. He felt more comfortable when the blonde woman was around. Though his brain had remained fuzzy on the events that transpired while he was rapidly aging, he still felt like she had helped him somehow.

Louisa had been brought into the loop partially about the Troubles. With witnessing first hand one unnatural thing, she was a bit more "accepting" of the idea of troubles. Not that she had really much of a choice. They were everywhere in Haven, some either dormant, or really well hidden. Vince and Dave had tried their best to sum up what they could. Putting it in simpler terms for the young woman so it wasn't a lot all at once. Though once Nathan had explained what had happened while Duke was dying and how Louisa had helped in her own way, it left the men to fake a look of surprise. They after all were the only ones who had some idea of her true lineage. So faking it like the information was new was the only thing they could do.

Nathan Wuornos had decided to also let the Teague brothers in on another find of his when it came to Louisa Gordon. He hadn't been able to feel anything since his trouble had first been activated. And for the first time, he had felt an actual human being. When Louisa had touched his arm that day he was at her house, he was sent into shock. It startled him because of how foreign the feeling was to him. Dave had proposed that maybe she was immune to the troubles. Him and Vince both knew that was a highly likely thing. Though Nathan had questioned how it would be possible that she was immune yet seemed to possess a trouble-like trait. That led to the men shrugging him off and telling him that they would look into it more. But they knew their answers could've only been answered by one person.

Lucy Ripley. Or so they thought.

"You know, the partial salt and pepper hair is really growing on me," Louisa commented, running her fingers over part of Duke's hair where some gray and white stuck out in the mass of brown. It was something about it that just added to his already good looking features.

She had been sitting on the deck of the Grey Gull with the man eating lunch he had made for the two of them. Her legs sprawled across his lap while one of his hands rested on her thigh.

"Oh really? You don't think I should get it touched up?" Duke amusedly asked. He had been having mixed feelings about the gray because of his new past trauma from Helena.

"Don't you dare!" Louisa gasped, almost offended he would think of that as an option. "That's a no-no. It's a good look you got going right now. A little bit of spice if you will. Another no-no is shaving your entire head. Your hair is too precious, Crocker."

"Do you only hang out with me because of my hair? If that's the case I'm highly offended, Lulu."

"No, that's not the only reason," She chimed out. Oh there were many reasons she had. Some were still very unexplainable even for her.

He smirked, moving a little closer to her. "And what's another reason?"

Duke wanted her to say because she liked him or that he was at least good looking. And although those couple things had been a part of Louisa's lists of reasons. She wasn't going to tell him that to fuel his ego. He didn't need his ego inflated anymore right now. If it got any bigger Nathan would come storming into the place to stick a pin in it to burst the enlarged ego of Duke Crocker.

She hummed out, deciding to tease him slightly. Moving closer to him too. His hand squeezed her thigh, thumb running over the fabric of her leggings. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot up from where his hand was running throughout her body. It had made her a little excited which added more to the mischief that was brewing.

"The free drinks of course," Louisa smirked as she pulled away from him. Taking her legs away from him so she could stand up. He let out a frustrated groan while she looked down at him with a mischievous grin.

"What? Were you expecting a different answer?" She taunted. Pretending like she had no idea as to why he was suddenly affected by her pulling away.

He pointed an accusing finger at her, "You're playing a dangerous game."

"Whatever do you mean?" Louisa acted confused, shrugging it off. She went to run off around the deck that went around the building. Giggling as she heard Duke close behind. Running around the tarp he had hanging with some of his imported goods hidden behind it. He had caught up to the woman a few moments later, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her in when they were stopped.

Of course.

"Duke?" Audrey's voice called out as she stepped outside.

"No. Hey. Haven's finest," His shoulders deflated slightly when he saw Audrey and Nathan. Getting interrupted. Again. It seemed to be a pattern.

"You know, I could add 'Ass' to that, "Haven's Finest Ass," and it would still work for both of you. Just in different ways," Duke told them. Louisa rolled her eyes and slapped his arm.

"He's talking out of his own 'Ass' right now," Louisa gave a small apologetic look.

"You guys want something to drink? Beer, wine, clamato?" Duke offered, getting ready to steer them away from the area where the tarp was now that he realized them being in that specific place wasn't the best thing for him.

"Or you could tell us what's behind the tarp," Audrey proposed, her interest piqued seeing the thing hanging there.

"Well, that–that's the central mystery of life on the water, isn't it, Detective Parker? What is behind the tarp? So many have asked. So few ever find out," Duke rambled.

Louisa would be lying if she said she wasn't amused by how the man tried to get out of exposing his work. He was a talker, but the smooth-talking, he had to work on it more when it came to something other than trying to win ladies over.

"Fine. We had a guy standing on the back of a boat who suffered from some ruler-straight injuries–."

"Broke both his legs right across here," Nathan cut right to the chase instead walking around it like Audrey was. Showing an example of the area of where the man's legs were broke.

"Boom?" Duke looked at them.

"I don't know what sound it made," Audrey replied, Louisa shook her head snickering.

"Now I know why you think he's a boat expert," Nathan said unamused by Duke's childishness.

"Come on, I was kidding," Audrey tried to lighten the mood. She forgot Nathan wasn't one for jokes most of the time.

"It was slightly amusing," Louisa shrugged.

"Joke."

"Not a sailboat. Sport fisher. Deep-v hull," Nathan explained to Duke.

"Somebody else's boom. Aye, the ocean, she be a mysterious and dangerous place," Duke said.

"Like a tarp," Audrey redirected back to the thing hanging from the roof.

Duke clicked his tongue, "Sure."

"Come on, just tell us what's behind it," Audrey tried to get him to spill.

"Something I'm trying to protect," Duke told her.

"Because you're a model citizen? If you don't tell me, I'll just have Louisa tell me later on," Audrey challenged.

"No you won't," Duke pointed at Audrey before pointing at Louisa.

Louisa rolled her eyes, "Calm down, Crocker."

"I have a code. Just one that says I don't have to show you. In fact, not showing you will probably be the most fun that I have today," Duke continued to talk out of his ass, Nathan turned away slightly scratching at his mouth annoyed. "Alas, I hate to see a beautiful woman suffer."

Duke moved around to pull the tarp aside for Audrey to see. Louisa snickered slightly at the stuff behind it.

"Pam Seligson, she's the town librarian. It's her 8oth birthday. Asked me to hide the setup," Duke told Audrey before closing the tarp. Though it wasn't necessarily the truth. They were decorations, just not for Pam.

Nathan had actually talked Louisa into helping him and Eleanor with throwing Audrey a party. And well, Duke was the one who had gotten some of the decorations on such short notice. After Louisa had brought it up to the man about the party he instantly agreed to help her. Though he clarified he was helping the blonde with getting the party stuff, in no way was he helping Nathan.

"I smuggled it," He whispered. "All of it. From Iceland."

"That is really sweet, Duke," Audrey said with a smile.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "So glad we came." Not interested in seeing Audrey gush over Duke doing a "nice" thing.

A walkie seemed to go off before a voice began to talk. "Nathan, you there, sugar?"

Louisa giggled while the Detective sent her a small glare.

"Copy, Laverne," Nathan radioed back.

"You better get up to tradewinds real estate, doll. Sounds like somebody got pretty p.o.'d at their broker."

Nathan gave Audrey a look that it was time to go. She laughed before the two partners began to walk away.

"Bye, Audrey," Louisa called out.

"You too, Sugar," Duke snickered.

Louisa looked at the tall man having a little too much fun at that moment. And she decided then was the perfect time to leave. She had headed towards the inside of the Grey Gull to grab her keys. Duke took a moment to process that she had walked away before following after her.

"Hey, where are you going?" Duke questioned, confused.

She dangled her keys, "Home."

"But– I... Why?" Duke asked.

"I got laundry to do and a house to clean. You know, regular weekly things. You should try that sometime at the Cape Rouge," Louisa told him. He crossed his arms slightly, trailing behind her outside to her truck.

"Can't you stay here for a little longer?" Duke wondered.

She laughed, amused by the man and his clinginess all of the sudden.

"No. I cannot stay because I can't keep putting it off. You're a bad influence, Crocker," Louisa got into her truck before looking at the man who had a deflated look on his face. She sighed in defeat. "Hey, you know where I live if you get bored."

A smile made its way to Duke's face before he nodded, "I'll see you soon then."

Louisa let out a chuckle, shaking her head before she put her truck in reverse to pull out from the Grey Gull. She was like Mary and Duke had somehow turned into her little lamb with how attached he became to her.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"Dave, if I wanted to write poetry I would've published a poetry book already. Give me a break," Louisa said over the phone as she listened to the man suggesting to her different things she could potentially write for the paper. She wanted something interesting and juicy, not something where she actually needed to insert her emotions into. She wasn't a 'roses are red, violets are blue' type of person. Especially since violets are purple. It wasn't her cup of tea.

"Well, just sit on the idea for a little. There's nothing we need help on for right now. Now I have to go take the lasagna out of the oven," Dave told her before hanging up.

"Nice talk," She grumbled.

"Ooo, someone seems a little cranky," Duke spoke up, entering the living room with a bag of take out under his arm.

"I would ask you how you got into my house without a key, but honestly I really don't want to know."

Duke scrunched his nose slightly, Louisa's stomach fluttered a little at the small action. It was rather... cute?

"Yeah, probably for the best," Duke agreed. Also not wanting to give away his secrets. Though they both knew he was pretty good at stealing, which also meant he was good with locks. "So I made sure they gave us extra fortune cookies and soy sauce."

Louisa smiled, "That's what I like to hear." She made grabby hands for the bag but he was quick to pull it out of her reach.

"Woah, woah. Let's have a proper meal at the table. I don't think we should make a mess of the food on your couch," Duke made a point. Louisa sighed, getting up from her comfy spot to follow his lead.

"We're watching the movie upstairs. I'm not falling asleep on the couch again and waking up with your foot near my face," Louisa told him.

"If you wanted me in your bed so badly, all you had to do was ask," Duke teased, which caused the woman to glare at him.

"Choke."

"I'm more of the choker," Duke corrected. Louisa scoffed before moving around him to sit down.

"You can sleep on the couch after the movie," She grumbled.

"Hey. No need to get mean and take away my comfy bed privileges. I can keep my hands to myself," Duke said with confidence.

"Mmm. Since you're so good at that. I believe the women in Haven would say something different."

"No need to bring that up. Those women don't matter. And at least I'm not complaining about your snoring," Duke brought up and her mouth dropped open.

"I don't snore!" Louisa let out.

He gave her a tightlipped smile before nodding his head. "Yeah, you kinda do."

"Duke Crocker, I will keep all this food and banish you from my house and from being anywhere near me," Louisa threatened him.

His eyes widened slightly, his hands going up in defense. "No need to take drastic measures, Lulu. Let's just eat so we can watch the movie."

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"Now. What exactly do you want me to do?" Duke asked while looking at the shot glass he had been cleaning.

"Use your boat to get close to the endorfin. A police boat is just gonna stick out like a sore thumb," Audrey explained to him in the bar stool she sat on. Nathan stood a little bit away with a brooding look as perusual.

Duke hummed out, "You remember when I asked you to help me with those parking tickets? You turned me down."

"This is more important than parking tickets," Nathan spoke up.

"That's a matter of perspective, Nathan. Those things get expensive," Duke told him. Something he wasn't necessarily wrong about.

Louisa sighed, taking a break from writing in her notebook to look at the three.

"It's not their fault you don't know how to read a sign," Louisa commented.

Duke looked at her offended, " I know how to read."

"Sorry, I forgot, it's just selective intellect," Louisa corrected. Still annoyed with the man for dumping her strawberry lemonade from the mini fridge she had behind the bar.

"Duke, seriously, I'm just asking for a favor," Audrey tried to get him to agree.

The man looked up at the Detective, "I'm sensing a dangerous trend here. Truth?"

"That would be nice," Audrey nodded. He sighed, resting his elbows on the countertop.

"The endorfin is a high-end fishing charter. It takes out big-ticket customers who want big-ticket items. I can get those things," Duke informed them.

Audrey looked at the man surprised, she asked, "You do business with them?"

"Yeah. In fact, I'm getting them a delivery of some very expensive noble grape. Don't worry, Nathan. I paid the customs fee," Duke looked over at Nathan. Informing him that he did something legal.

"And so protecting your business with the owner is more important than helping us?" Audrey questioned.

Louisa raised her eyebrow, "I mean. You don't have to look at it like that. Yes, he's your friend. But he also has a... job? Hobby? I don't know what to call it," she shrugged slightly sparing Duke a quick glance, "But it's like how doctors have patient confidentiality. They aren't just going to expose their patient's medical issues to their close friends just because they asked them to."

Duke looked at Louisa in slight admiration. Audrey scrunched her nose. She understood what Louisa was meaning but she was really bagging on Duke helping her for this specific case.

"Come on. I got another idea," Nathan told Audrey before they got up to leave.

"Good luck," Duke mumbled before turning to look back at Louisa who had returned to writing in her notebook.

"You're staring," She hummed out without looking up at him.

He grinned, "You stood up for me."

"Well, you don't always have to help them. And in my opinion if you do a favor for one person they should be able to return a favor. You can't be handing out all these favors if there's no guarantee people will hold up their side," Louisa pointed out, "Besides, Audrey knows you need time to sit on a proposition like that."

"How about a drink?" Duke suggested with a smile. Louisa's face dropped suddenly before she turned to glare at him, "Right, Strawberry lemonade. I'll run out to the store."

Duke tapped the countertop before walking away. Louisa let a small victorious smirk fall onto her lips. She was getting her lemonade afterall.