Disclaimer-I don't own anything but Ariella and the plot of the story.
Summary- Temptation; Try and get a little bit. There's really nothing wrong with it~ When Buffy and Spike come to Ispwich, for their next mission, they didn't expect to make friends with their targets. Soon, all hell breaks loose. To make things worse Reid's little sister, Ariella, is caught inbetween the crossfire.
Enojy!,
Bella3
It's only been a week since Buffy and Ariella were laughing in the pool. Now? Now everyone is exhausted and broken. Caleb looks like he could sleep a month without waking up. Pogue looks like he could use the sleep too. Reid looked overly stressed, yet still laid back. Maybe because he hasn't seen her since they found her. Tyler looked the worst out of the four boys though.
Buffy wasn't any better. She felt like she was to blame for this. If she had gone after Spike, like her gut had told her to, none of this might be happening. She felt sick every time she saw one of the boys over the long, long, week. She felt even sicker when she saw Spike or Sarah. Sarah was still chipper as ever. She complained at night that Caleb never has time for her anymore. No duh on why. Spike held his emotions in like always. He only lets them out when no one was around, or he was very drunk. So here she sat, with Spike, at their usual lunch table. Neither talked. Neither even looked at the other. They didn't even en knowledge anyone else in the room until they heard what both were fearing they wouldn't ever again.
"Come on Ariella. Let's get you some breakfast" They heard Tyler's voice say as he and two others joined the two at the table. Ariella flinched seeing Spike and Buffy and sat two seats over from Buffy. Tyler sat in the middle of the two girls.
"I'll get you that breakfast, Kay Ella?" Pogue said as he left to go find some food for the little girl he considered his own little sister. All of the boys thought of Ariella as their own little sister. Ariella just stared at her shaking hands that were on her lap. Spike stared at her with a hurt expression on his face. She was wearing her uniform with her sleeves covering her hands, but a sliver of her bare skin was showing. He saw something he never wanted to see on her angelic skin. Bruises. That he had put there.
She notices his stare and fidgets with her sleeve to cover her hands completely. She's uncomfortable under his eyes watching her. His eyes drop from her frame slowly, his lips pressed tightly together. Tyler sat between the girls uncomfortably. He would have thought Ariella would have gone to Buffy's side when she saw her, then again Buffy's new. Maybe Ariella just wants to stay by herself and the boys.
Pogue came back and placed a try of food in front of Ariella and sat in the seat across from her. Ariella didn't move to even look like she knew the food was there. The four present frowned seeing this. Ariella looked dead, like she wasn't there at all. Spike even looked more alive than she did. Caleb came soon after and took the seat next to Pogue. He noticed Ariella not eating and was about to say something when . . .
"Coming through, leave this to the professional boys and, beautiful, lady. I present to you a classic scrambled egg and cheese sandwich made by the one and only Mama Garwin" Reid says as he comes up behind Ariella and picks up her tray of food "Lets get rid of this junk" He says as he dumps the tray of food into the garbage, then plops the brown paper bag in front of his sister.
"Reid, what makes you think . . ." Caleb starts, but Reid cuts him off as he sits down.
"That just happens to be Ariella's favorite breakfast meal" Reid says as he looks to see if his sister made any movement to eat the food. She hasn't. "C'mon, I had to go home and get this for you. Be grateful shrimp, and eat the damn thing" He says as he takes the sandwich out of the bag and unwraps it from the plastic wrap. "Eat" he demands her.
Spike made a small unnoticeable growl seeing how Reid was acting. He was acting as if she was baby and wouldn't eat her food. She's traumatized, and he's acting like an ass whole! Buffy kicks him under the table. She saw the death glare he was giving Reid. Reid rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand with his free one, not noticing her wince, and puts the sandwich in her hand.
"I said eat Ariella Elizabeth Garwin" He said with a firm tone. She looked wide eyes at him, innocence playing in her features. They were all shocked to see her nod a small nod to her brother. She took a small bite and chewed. "Good" He said seeing her take another bite. The others, besides Spike, smile softly seeing her eating again. Spike was glad to see her eating, but it angered him on how Reid went about it. Spike was the only one that noticed the wince she did.
"It's good to see you eating again, Ariella" Caleb spoke up with a weak smile. Ariella didn't answer back. Reid clapped his hands together with a smirk. Everyone looked at him, even Ariella, who was still eating her sandwich.
"Boss man's right, for once. Baby girl's eating again. This calls for a celebration. You, my little sister, are going to dinner with me tonight. We'll see you all at Nicky's after" Reid said to the group. Everyone nodded, except Spike and Buffy, who didn't know what Nicky's was.
"Who's Nicky's?" Buffy asked out to the group. The four boys started chuckling to themselves. Even Ariella managed to crack a, very, small smile at this. Of course they did really know what Nicky's was, how could they not? Xander made sure they knew where the hot spots were, but the boys didn't know that.
"Nicky's a bar Buff. We always go there to kick back and relax. Ariella's only gone a few times since she's only 15. Nicky 'bends' the rules alittle for her. He doesn't let her drink or anything, just lets her play pool and dance." Caleb explained to Buffy. She nodded and smiled at Caleb. Caleb smiled back at her. Both were entranced in each other's eyes.
"Sounds fun" Buffy smiled as she and Caleb's stare never broke. Caleb gave her a toothy grin and nodded. Pogue and the others could see what was going on. Some wanted to gag. Others wanted to 'aww' at them. They could all agree Buffy could handle Caleb's life better than Sarah ever could. Sarah doesn't . . . fit.
******
Reid closed his locker and saw his sister and best friend coming down the hall. She was still moping from the looks of it. What happened to his bubbly smiling little sister? All she's done for the past week, oh so Tyler's told him, is mope around. He walked up and wrapped his ams around the two, not noticing his sister wince again. He leaned close to his sister's ear, close enough that it made it hard for Tyler to hear.
"So, are you ever going to tell me what happened that night?" He whispered with a smirk to her. She froze, coming to a halt. Tyler watched as she glared at her brother. If looks could kill, Reid would be six feet under.
"Go away" She growled at him. He smirked. He was getting a reaction from her. Just what he wanted. He couldn't let this chance pass him by. He stuck his hands in his pockets and smirked down at his sister.
"What? Did you ruin your rep as school innocent?" Reid whispered in her ear. A chill traveled down her spine. Did he think she was easy? She clenched her teeth tightly together. She wanted to hit her brother so badly.
"Shut up" She muttered, trying her best to hold back all her freshly opened emotions. A million thoughts ran through her head at that very second. Did Reid think of his little sister as easy? Is that what Spike thought the night he attacked her? Does she make herself come off like that?
"Make me" He grinned down at her. He took a step closer to her. She felt uncomfortable with him being so close to her. Spike got too close, and look how that night ended. He grabbed her arm tightly and opened the door next to him. He knew it was empty this period. He shoved her inside it and closed the door after him. She yelped from his grip.
Tyler just stood there, completely lost. He didn't know what the hell just happened here. Pogue came up next to him and turned him around as he guided Tyler away from the class room door. "Just keep walking Baby boy. Just keep walking" He mumbled as the two left the scene.
******
"What the hell is your problem?" Reid shouted to her. Ariella pushed him off and backed up. Her problem? What was her problem? Did he serious ask her that? She really wanted to hit him now.
"My problem? You just called me a slut, Reid! What's your problem?" Ariella screams at him. He's taken back for a second. His problem? He knew what his problem was, but did she know what her's was?
"My problem Ariella, well, that would be you!" Reid shouted at her. That made her flinch. She knew that was true. She was always Reid's problem. She knew he hated being her real brother. He didn't want the problem of watching her like a big brother should.
"Don't you think I know that?" Ariella sobbed back at him. She knew she had always been his problem. She was a pain he couldn't remove permanently. She'd always be there. She was everything he wasn't, or rather, he was everything she wasn't.
"No. No, I really don't think you do. My problem is your moping, Ariella! All you've fucking been doing is mope!" Reid yelled. It took her by surprise to say the least. Ariella didn't see why he cared. He never even came to see how she was the whole past week. He only came that first time because he was forced to by Sarah.
"Why do you care?" Ariella screamed. Reid looked at her with a ice cold glare. How could she even ask that? Ariella stood her ground. She knew she had to when Reid was involved. She has to be on her best guard.
"I just do" Reid growled
"That's not a good enough answer" Ariella hissed at him, biting back her sob that wanted to be released so badly. She wanted to say so many things to him right now. It was now or never in her books. They were alone and could dish it out. But knowing Reid, he'd just say 'fuck this' and leave her alone.
"I'm your brother. That makes it a good enough answer" Reid hissed back at her. He was pulling the big brother card on her? Now? He's about 15 years too late to be pulling out that one. 'I'm your brother' isn't just going to cut it anymore for Ariella. She walked right up to her brother and glared up at him the best she could. He could see the tears threating to fall from her eyes.
"You never care about anything that isn't about you, brother" Ariella growled at him, clenching her teeth tightly together as she said this. Her tiny fist were clutched at her sides. Reid was just asking for it in her mind. Here she was, just attacked by a guy you thought cared for you for once in your life, and her so called big brother is saying he cares, when she knows for a fact he doesn't.
"Is that so?" Reid said as he took a step closer to her. She needed to leave, and she needed to leave now. Reid saw that she was about to leave, but he wasn't done with her yet. He grabbed her wrist, making her yelp out in pain. He hadn't even had a tight grip. Something was going on, he was going to find out what it is too.
"Reid" She warned, but he ignored her completely. He pulled her sleeve back so her lower arm was uncovered. His coal black eyes darkened if possible seeing the bruise around her wrist. It was shaped like a hand too. He thought back to the whole day. He had missed all the signs earlier. She winced at every touch he gave her. She had tears when he pulled on her arm. His eyes flamed, and a second later her sweater was off, leaving her in just her tank top, and laying on the floor. There on her arms were dark hand print shaped bruises.
"Where did you get these?" He growled as he looked the rest of her exposed body parts over. She pulled out of his grasp and took a step back, picking her sweater up in one swift movement. She pulled it back on and covered herself up quickly.
"It doesn't matter, Reid. You don't give a damn anyways" Ariella hissed at her brother. Hurt flashed in Reid's expression quickly. How could she even think, let alone say that? Ariella wiped her tears and sniffed as an attempt to stay strong in front of her brother.
"I do care Ari . . ." Reid was cut off by the slap of her hand to his face. He held his red cheek and glared at her, his eyes still pitch black. "Wow, that kinda hurt" He mumbled as he felt his stinging cheek. Ariella, most of her anger completely forgotten, rolled her eyes at her brother.
"That was the point" She tells him. He rolls his own eyes at her this time and goes to leave like nothing had just happened "Remember to pick me up, hurt face or not!" Ariella shouts over to him before he leaves the room. He grumbles something she can't understand and just waves his hand as an 'okay' and left.