[Reviews - 0]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 255 times

- Text Size +




Chapter Ten


Buffy hung back a little and let Spike take the lead. After all, Harmony was staring at the blown up high school and crying. Even if she was a vampire now, Buffy couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for her.



Spike’s hand touched Harmony’s shoulder gently and tilted the umbrella her way, sharing the shelter. She sniffled and gazed up at him with wide pitiful eyes before collapsing against him. He put his arm around her shoulders. For some reason, that simple action stirred up an emotion that Buffy had never in her life felt in reference to Spike: jealousy. God, she was jealous of Harmony and the gentle way Spike was with her in that moment. Tamping down the confusing feeling, Buffy focused on what Spike was saying.



“What’s going on my little Creampuff?” His voice was low and gentle.



Harmony let out a little sigh. “Oh, Spike. It’s just terrible. I’m so glad you’re here. This storm is so weird; I don’t remember ever having a hurricane here. This guy invited me to a hurricane party. I thought it might be all festive and stuff. Well, he said there’d be beer and music and lots of people. But it really wasn’t. It was just him and his stupid blow up – ”



“Harm.” Even Spike’s interruption was tender.



“Oh, sorry. We ended up hiding in his basement when the storm started, and I was stuck. And then, I ended up taking a little sip out of him because I got hungry.” She batted doe eyes at Spike, putting her hand on his chest. “Don’t let her stake me.” She flashed a glare at Buffy. “He’s not even dead.”



This time, Buffy let her eye roll fly free, and she thought that Giles was really being very good behind her. He usually got huffy in a stuffy sort of way around any sort of antics.



“I won’t let her stake you,” Spike reassured Harmony.



Buffy cleared her throat. She really didn’t like this. Not at all. Spike was cuddling up with her last night, and now he was getting his snuggle on with his. . . Harmony. This was the same old story. Buffy liked a guy, Buffy slept with a guy, guy left her in the dust. Hence, something was very, very wrong with Buffy. She shook her head as if to rid herself of thinking of herself in the third person.



“Buffy’s right,” Spike said, “what’s wrong? Why are you moping around the periphery of the school?”



Harmony shot a glare at Buffy – a tiny one. “Because I. . . because I am afraid that this is where I peaked. That nothing I do now will ever give me back the life I thought I was going to have with lots of friends, lots of guys, and lots of money. I was planning on a cushy life. I had the keys to open doors to everything! And now what do I have except a rusty old key to basements with skanky boys who lie about hurricane parties to get in my pants? I’m afraid. . . I’m afraid I’m a pathetic loser like Cordelia after Xander cheated on her.” Harmony clapped a hand over her mouth. She turned her wide eyes on Buffy. “I love Cordy. Don’t tell her I said that.” Then, her attention went back to Spike. “Can you take me away from this mediocre life?”



Spike peered back at Buffy, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Can’t, Harmony. I’m helping the Slayer out with something important.”



Harmony pouted. Her bottom lip literally jutted out. “But I’m important. More important than the Slayer – someone y-you hate with all your whole. . . self.”



“Harmony, we really have something important to do,” Buffy said, trying not to sound too annoyed and succeeding but just barely.



Harmony twisted around, ducking under Spike’s arm but staying firmly close to his side. She crossed her arms, hip jutting to one side. She swiped a hand over the tears on her face and then gestured beyond Buffy at Giles. “Even he understands my pain. A-and he doesn’t even know me. I mean, I checked out a book or two, but we never spoke except for that time when he thought I didn’t return a book and I had. It was all filed on the shelf where I left it.”



Buffy didn’t even listen to the last part of what Harmony was saying because Giles had tears streaming down his face. Buffy hadn’t seen Giles cry since maybe Jenny died. “Giles? What’s wrong?”



Giles shook his head as if trying to put what was happening into words. He stripped off his glasses and rubbed his temple. “It’s just as I feared.”



“What is?”



“I have no job, no career, no family, and I’m absolutely useless as a father. I-I mean Watcher. Useless as a Watcher.”



Buffy’s anxious confusion made her babble. “What do you mean? You’re a wonderful Watcher. I told you that I need you. A-and I meant it. I need to have more understanding of my power. The key to what it means to be a Slayer. And you’ve been helping me.”



Giles gave her that look he sometimes had when he was about to lecture her or provide background on some monster she didn’t understand. “No, I really haven’t. You’re just placating me to keep me around and make me feel useful.” He sank to the ground and buried his head in his hands. “Speaking of keys. I can’t even figure out the key to this bloody storm.”



Spike pulled up next to Buffy again. The side-by-side thing was becoming a habit. “Something’s not right. Harm. Rupert.”



“Especially Giles,” Buffy said.



Giles rocked back and forth a little.



“Hey!” Harmony appearing on the other side of Spike. “Just because I’m having a little quarter-century crisis. . . wait, is it quarter-century or quarter-life? Unlife? Oh, that’s it! Just because I’m having a quarter-unlife crisis doesn’t mean I’m like him.” She nodded in Giles’s direction as if pitying him.



“Harm. Vampires don’t have quarter-life crises,” Spike said, “because we’re immortal and there’s no way to suss out when a quarter will be.”



“Unlife.” Harmony squared her shoulders. “And I’m not a normal vampire.”



“That you aren’t.” Spike’s voice was a little husky



Jealousy ratcheting up another notch, Buffy decided to distract herself from the knowledge that she was doomed to be alone for the rest of her life by saying, “So, now what do we do? We have to figure out what’s going on and get back to the house before the winds show up again. And I can’t talk about you know what with – ”



Spike’s eyes widened just a touch. “Right.” He touched Harmony’s shoulder again.



A strange noise emitted from Buffy’s throat.



Spike made a face at her. “Did you just – ”



“She growled at me!” Harmony exclaimed. “You see? I’m such a loser that even Buffy’s growling at me. My whole life sucks. I’m doomed to an eternity of loser-dom.”



Spike stepped between Buffy and Harmony, keeping his eyes on Buffy. “Harmony. Take Rupert back to your shag’s house. Stay in the basement.”



“Really?” Harmony sounded petulant.



“Do it,” Spike insisted. “And don’t bite him or the other bloke anymore than you already have.”



Harmony sighed. “Fine. And I don’t bite librarians because ewww. And he’s old. Plus, I just ate.”



“I’m not a librarian!” Giles protested. “I’m a middle-aged man in need of a purpose. And,” he gestured at Spike, “and Spike’s older than me!” He sounded a lot like he did under the influence of band candy.



“Maybe he’s having the quarter. No. Half-life crisis and not me.” Harmony dragged Giles up by the elbow and walked him toward his car, hobbling along in her heels as Giles pulled away from her.


Chapter End Notes:
Spike and Buffy get to talk coming up...and do you really think Giles and Harmony are going back to the basement to hide?



You must login (register) to review.