Till the End of Time: Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Henry sat at the table, stunned, which was slowly giving way to anger. How dare Vicki tell him that he was a snob? How dare she make pass judgment on him? Who the hell did she think she was? She was - she was a mortal for God sakes! She hadn’t been around as long as he had been, she didn’t know the ways of the world as he did, she didn’t “see” it rise and fall over and over - how dare she!
This little excursion to Sunnydale was not supposed to be like this. Sure, work was supposed to be done, people were to be saved, but this arguing with Vicki, this having to play nice with others was not what he forecasted.
Anger incited his hunger, and arguing with Vicki incited his lust. Jumping to his feet and striding out of the lounge, Henry set out into the night, intent on quenching at least one - possibly both-of his desires before the night’s end.
*********
“I know you don’t like him, so I’m not even going to ask,” Buffy said to Spike as they headed toward her house. Well, at least she was planning on going home; she wasn’t sure what he had planned. “But what did you think of her?”
“I like her,” Spike said frankly.
“Oh?” Buffy liked Vicki too, or at least so far she did, but Spike’s answer provoked some jealousy within her that she hadn’t been prepared for.
“She’s straight-forward, she tells you how it is and there are no hidden agenda’s with her. So far anyway. It’s been my experience, which you so kindly balked at tonight that people play games far too much. They don’t always say what they mean, and they most definitely don’t mean what they say.”
“That supposed to mean something?”
“Jus’ what I said, pet.”
Buffy stopped and turned to him, “That was a hidden jab at me though, wasn’t it?”
“Feelin’ guilty about something, Slayer?”
“No,” Buffy retorted and started walking once more, arms wrapped about herself. “And what do you think of Henry and her working together? Do you think there’s something more there?”
“If there is, she’s bloody stupid,” Spike muttered. “He’s a pompous wanker. She could do much better than someone who probably takes more time to get ready in the bathroom than she does.”
Buffy couldn’t help but laugh at that. “That’s rich coming from the man that nearly had a canary when I used the last bit of his gel one night.”
“Oi! ‘S not easy for me to get out in the day, luv, I couldn’t very well go out with my hair stickin’ out every which way.”
“I happen to like it when your hair is sticking every which way. I like your curls.”
“Do you now?”
Deciding it was best to ignore that, Buffy continued on. “What is he in it for, that’s what I want to know. He doesn’t strike me as the type to necessarily care about a missing girl.”
“I wager he thinks it’s the best way to get in Vicki’s pants.”
“You should know all about that, huh?” Buffy mused.
“You didn’t even try to conceal that jab.”
“Nope. What’s the point?” Stopping before the walkway to her house, Buffy turned to him, smirking, “Might as well work on saying what I mean, and meaning what I say. Good night, Spike.”
“’Night, luv. See you tomorrow,” and he started off with a little wave.
“And I know I’m probably wasting my breath by asking this of you,” Buffy called out to him. Stopping he turned round, brow raised inquiringly. “But do you think you could keep down the verbal sparring with Henry tomorrow? You’re as bad with him as you are with Xander.”
“Perish the thought,” Spike grinned, “I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything. Someone needs to put that pompous prick in his place.”
“Maybe that job is meant for Vicki.”
“We’ll see, I guess. Night Slayer.”
Watching him go, Buffy pondered their conversation, their normal, civilized conversation. To add just another new wrinkle to her ever growing confusion over Spike was the fact that she had truly wanted to know his opinions on Henry and Vicki. Perhaps his opinions and thoughts mean more to me than I originally thought. Maybe his insights are more dead on than I gave him credit for. So many things about Vicki and Henry reminded her of her and Spike, what they were exactly, she couldn’t put a finger on. Not yet, anyway.
********
Laying down on her bed and staring up at the ceiling, Vicki found sleep would not come. In her mind she kept turning over her conversation with Henry, Buffy, Spike, Mike, the way Henry woke her up, the missing girl, the vampires, Henry again…
Whipping her covers off, feeling stifled suddenly and hot, she wondered if she’d gone too far with Henry. However, thinking back on Henry’s behavior for the past few months that she’d known him, she decided that no, she hadn’t gone too far. It was just what he needed to hear.
Sure she’d made the occasional barb about his cocky behavior, but the fact of the matter was Henry could be a downright snob and he did expect that whatever he wanted should be handed to him on a silver platter. Must be a throwback to his royalty days. Except that he wasn’t living in those days anymore. He was a man, a vampire, living in society and while he was rich and handsome and all those things that gave him “power” in the world, he abused it.
She wasn’t so blind to have figured out that he wanted her. That was apparent. And she’d by lying if she said it wasn’t tempting, it was more than tempting, but Mike aside -would Henry still want her after he “got” her, or would he be done with her and move on to the next conquest?
Having had experience with men leaving her, Vicki was not about to put herself in that position, which was why she was the one that left, not the one that got left. She was not wired to have the kind of open relationship Henry would most likely be obliged to have. If she was with someone, then she was with them and they were with her and that was the end of it. There would be no other women for him, and no other man for her. From what she’d seen of Henry and the few women she’d seen him around, he was a born flirt and just as bad as the incubus. In short, he wasn’t the faithful kind.
Getting up from bed, Vicki made her way to her balcony. Sliding her doors open, she stepped out and breathed in the warm night air. Maybe tomorrow she’d hit the beach and get some sun -
“Good night handsome,” a girl giggled below.
Curious, Vicki peered over the ledge and found Henry in an embrace with a blond. She couldn’t make out the face, but it didn’t matter. The hurt was acute and only served to drive home the fact that Henry lived for the hunt - he was a vampire after all, it was what he was - and all she was to him was prey. Gripping the railing, she watched Henry wave and smile flirtatiously before jamming his hands in his pockets and whistling on his way in the hotel.
Vicki wanted to be anywhere and with anyone besides where she was with Henry in that moment.
Her heart aching, Vicki went back inside her room and contemplated calling Mike to apologize for how often she defended Henry to him.