AN: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. And ironically this is the shortest chapter I think I've ever written for this story. But I'll post the next one soon. I just read over everything I've written and I think the majority is in working order so I hope you enjoy, review and the rest will be up soon.
Chapter 54
Everything is Falling
In the next month Fish got a new group of girlfriends out of his groupies, but the band and Harry noticed as the weeks passed that he seemed to be getting more and more solemn. This was followed by a magazine article on a leak about him.
Fish, of As A Bee, Rich Bachelor
Famous lead singer of the popular new band As A Bee is not letting on what a great catch he really is. Living in a shabby apartment with his band mates and the rumors from his exes about how he lives, you would never guess that he was already worth over a million dollars. We questioned his ex-girlfriends about him after they left him. "When he took me back to his apartment I felt like I was in the wrong place. I thought, wasn't he a follower of the Savior? Did he spend all of his government money on drugs and booze or what? He sleeps on a mattress on the floor and the whole room is very small and very plain. It's like sleeping in a closet."
What did happen to all of that money, which Fish was paid alongside all of the Savior's followers for playing such a large role in the War? Well, our best guess is that its all just sitting around in a bank or his pockets. His girlfriends and friends report that he doesn't shop and lives off Ramen. What a waste of his fortune.
/
Harry questioned his followers but nobody talked so they guessed that the "friends" that the article referenced weren't actually friends.
And then, when they thought things couldn't get any worse for him, Wednesday came.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold on!" Fish yelled as he set his beer down on the kitchen table and walked swiftly to the door. He was alone in the apartment, writing music and playing his guitar at the kitchen table with a beer. He unlocked the door and pulled it open. Standing there, with a huge and dangerous smile, was Fish's father. His real father. "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"Well I came to see my son of course. I saw that article in US magazine. Well, my girlfriend did actually, and I just felt so proud that my own flesh and blood was so famous."
"So now I'm your flesh and blood?" Fish asked angrily. "What happened to me being the scab they pulled off my mother's womb?"
"Things have changed."
"Yeah, now I have money and now you need some from me. Don't bother. Mum already came by and I turned her down to."
"Well, I don't really think you have a choice in the matter." Up behind him three large men made an appearance. "Asabee, I really need a hit and I need your money to pay for it. Why don't you just hand it all over and we'll go."
Fish paused and then, trying to catch them off guard, slammed the door in their faces before running to find his wand, which he knew was on the floor in his bedroom. Before he got there he heard feet stomp behind him and then his own feet came out from beneath him. He pushed and shoved the heavy men off and used all of his strength to use wandless magic but he had been in such an awful mood for months it just wasn't coming out full force.
"There's nothing here," Fish mumbled, curled up on his side as his father kicked him. "I don't keep it in my pockets you ass."
"Oh, I bet you do." He got down to Fish's level and tilted his head to look at his face. "Where's your money Asabee? I know its here. You cheap guys don't put your money in banks. You keep it in the walls and your pockets."
"I only have a hundred dollars on me."
His father kicked him again and his friend shoved his hands in Fish's pockets pulling out crumpled dollar bills.
"Where's the rest?"
"I won't tell you you fucking bastard. I hope you suffer deeply in your withdrawal. I hope it kills you," he glared, then hawked and spit on the older man.
"That wasn't nice son."
"I'm not your son. Mum doesn't know who she was sleeping with. It could be him," he mumbled, nodding his head back toward the guy who was searching the cupboards.
"I don't appreciate that. I took care of you. Till you were seven. It wasn't my fault your mother kicked me out."
"You abused me."
"You deserved it. You were a bad child."
His father stood up and walked away.
"Oh, sorry. Almost forgot," he said. Fish heard his heavy boots on the floor as he came back. "Don't want you interfering." He lifted his boot and kicked him around with the help of his friends until Fish blacked out.
/
"Harry, would you please calm down?" Bonnie asked as she chased after him. "On the phone Elizabeth sounded very calm. She said he was fine."
Harry didn't reply back to her but continued to walk quickly into the waiting room. Elizabeth was sitting on a couch in front of a coffee table full of different candies, chips, pretzels and drinks. Her friend beside her seemed to have raided the whole candy and drink machine.
Elizabeth stood quickly when she saw him arrive.
"Where is he?"
"Now Harry, don't get all worked up. Fish is just fine. The healer was just here and told us he would be just fine. The boys are in there with him right now."
"Where is he, Elizabeth?" he growled, his voice emanating anger and power.
Elizabeth sat back down, staring at him. "He's in 212. It's on the right, down the hall."
Harry turned and walked down the hall without another word.
Bonnie walked over to the two girls and sat down across from them. "Is he really okay?"
"Oh, the doctor said he'll better in no time. Just a little bruised. He'll be out in a day or two." She looked down the hall as Harry came up to Fish's door. "I guess the boys will be out in a couple seconds. Harry's really very scary when Fish is ill."
/
Harry stood in the doorway of the open room 212. The first thing he saw was Fish, lying in the white bed sheets and in a disturbing, checkered nightgown. His hair was pushed back, a little greasy with a few strands hanging in his face. One of his pretty blue eyes was lined with black and purple but the swelling was gone. A few fading bruises on his cheeks and jaw and neck, down to his collar bone, his arms and disappearing under the blankets. He was leaned up against his pillows listening to his three band mates talk but not including himself. The four looked up when they heard him enter.
"Hey Harry," Jack greeted.
"Out."
The three boys stood quickly and left the room. Harry walked over to sit in the abandoned chair.
"You didn't have to come Harry. I'm sure Liz told you. I'm just fine."
"What happened?"
Fish sighed heavily." My dad saw me in that magazine that said I was a rich bachelor. I was in our apartment by myself when my dad and some of his friends came by for some drug money. When I refused they beat the crap out of me. Happened all the time when we were kids, remember? No biggie."
"I'll find your father," Harry said.
"No. Harry, I don't want you to. He only stole a couple hundreds. I don't know how much he expected me to have on me," he laughed. "Just forget about it."
"You want me to let them get away with beating you up?" he asked. "You know me better than that; well enough to know that I'd never let anyone get away with touching you."
"We never went after your uncle because you told us not to and he tortured you for almost fifteen years."
"Yeah, well those are the perks of being the leader. I get to decide who we kill and who we don't." Fish went to speak again but Harry pressed his hand over Fish's mouth. "I have the final word. You were always such a good follower, don't fall just because he's your father."
Fish pushed his hand away to speak. "But he is my father."
"Yeah, but he's not a very good one. Don't worry about it. I won't ask you to participate or to be there...unless you want to be. It'll be quick and painless if you want. But there must be a consequence."
Fish huffed quietly but didn't comment anymore than that. He looked away, irked that Harry wouldn't take his suggestion.
"Hey," Harry said, turning Fish's face toward him. "How are you? Mentally, physically? Overall?"
"I told you. I'm fine. The healer says I should be out in a couple of days," he said, refusing to look at him.
Harry leaned onto the bed and—unable to make Fish look at him- turned to face him. Before Fish could prepare himself Harry pressed their lips together.
Soft, full lips, Fish thought as they smoothed over his, light and gentle. But it was different. He didn't want to be comforted this way anymore. Harry's tongue glossed over Fish's bottom lip, Fish unconsciously inhaling the scent Harry breathed, before pushing him away.
"Jimmy...don't."
Harry moved away, back to his chair. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't. It bothers you. But it always used to work so well in cheering you up."
"And I still love you Harry but its just...I love kissing you and we're too old for it to be a way for you to comfort me."
Harry nodded. "You're right. I'll stop."
Fish nodded once to.
/
Later that day, while Fish was still in the hospital, Harry made some calls to his other followers to track down Fish's father. It didn't take very long to find him since a lot of his followers were still involved, if not personally but socially, in the drug world. As soon as he found him, Harry took some of his closest followers aside from Fish to find him. He left Bonnie with Ginny since he was gone for a few days. When they returned Fish was home again and there was no mention whatsoever as to what had happened.
/
The next month, Bonnie went into labor.
"How are we doing?" the healer asked excitedly, walking in and right over to Bonnie's vitals.
"Fine," Bonnie said, not acting like a normal woman in labor. She was stressed and in pain but she was terribly excited. Nothing could damper her mood, even the most awful pain known to man. "I'm prepared. Just let me know when its time."
Harry smiled at the healer. "She's very excited."
Bonnie turned to Harry, taking his hands. "I can't wait to see her. She'll be beautiful."
"Well you've got some time to go still. You can have some family come in in the meantime."
"Will you tell our parents to come in?" Harry asked.
"Sure," he agreed and then left.
A few minutes later Harry and Bonnie's parents both came in to keep them company for the next hour until Bonnie went into full labor. The parents were forced to leave and Bonnie was told to push.
/
Harry turned and smiled at Bonnie as the healers took their daughter to the table to clean her up. Bonnie breathed heavily but her body was relaxed and she looked pleased with herself. Harry gripped her hand and she smiled back at him, excited to finally meet her daughter. His smile then faltered, realizing how very silent it was in the room aside from the whispering healers. Harry turned to look at the healers who were hovering over the motionless form of his baby girl.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, his voice fierce.
Their healer slowly turned back to them and lowered his head as he answered. He lifted his head and looked Harry in the eye, though it took everything in him to do it, fearful for his own life. His voice shook as he spoke. "I'm sorry Sir. She was stillborn. There was nothing we could do."
"That's not possible," Harry growled.
"I am so sorry, Sir."
Harry's eyes traveled to the tiny figure in the pink blanket on the table. "Get out," he said quietly.
"Sir—"
"I SAID, GET OUT!" he repeated loudly. A powerful hex sent them flying toward the door and fire licked their heels as they ran the last bit of the way. The door slammed loudly behind them. Harry let go of Bonnie's hand without looking at her.
"Harry…" she said quietly, unsure, but didn't say anything else. She went silent as he went to the table and stood over the pink bundle. His fingertips ran gently down the side of the blankets as he gazed into them. Slowly and cautiously, he lifted the bundle into his arms and ran his fingertips over her forehead, down her nose, across her cheekbones and down her chin. A white light emitted from the blankets and Harry waited…and waited…and waited.
In slow motion he sunk down to the floor, clutching his first child in his arms.
