Chapter 20: Not Quite Right I

OPOV

Roxy shoved the door to Der Waffle Haus open with a resounding "god dammit!" Inside the few people who sat in the booths looked up and locked eyes on her. Two specific pairs of said eyes kept their gaze as she made her way to their normal booth and slid in across from Rube and Rosslyn. The two glanced at each other quickly before turning back to their friend who sat, sopping wet from the thunderstorm outside.

"The fuck happened to you?" Rube asked simply as Roxy shrugged off her coat and rubbed a hand down her bare arms. She was wearing a dress and that was an oddity in itself, but why tonight? Something was amiss.

"I don't want to talk about it." Roxy answered and looked into Rube's eyes before turning to Rosslyn who blinked and turned her gaze away.

They sat in silence for a bit, the two older reapers gazing down at the table, Roxy off at the floor with no attempt to say anything between the three of them. Kiffany wandered by eventually and handed Roxy a chipped mug full of hot coffee which she graciously accepted and took to warming her hands on it before settling in to the vinyl seat and sipping it slowly.

"What happened, Roxy?" Rosslyn asked in a very gentle voice.

The other woman's eyes darted up and stared at her for a moment before her eyes returned to the table top. Roxy didn't answer and instead just stared on at the table top. Rube and Rosslyn exchanged another look as they regarded their fellow reaper and Rube shrugged, shaking his head.

"Hell of a night's all." She finally answered and took a long pull from the coffee in front of her.

As Roxy sat down on the couch she turned and saw William putting a cd into his stereo. She smiled, he did know her enough that she loved having music on whenever possible. It was a rare treat seeing him, let alone any man, offer up a symbol of affection that way. As he slid in beside her he caught her chin with one hand and brought her lips to his in a deep, heated kiss.

When they pulled away from each other Roxy looked at him, her eyes heavy lidded and she smiled, "What was that for?"

He grinned and slid an arm around her, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "because you're so beautiful." He answered and Roxy couldn't help the blush that burned up her cheeks.

"How sweet…" she smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and listened to the music pouring out from the speakers.

"But you know what I would love?" he asked and Roxy opened her chestnut coloured eyes and smiled.

"What's that?"

Something changed in his face and Roxy could feel an alarm growing in the pit of her stomach. Those once soft eyes turned dark and cold and the arm around her waist started to feel as if it were choking her and pinning her down. In an attempt to wrench herself loose William caught her face and smiled down at her, something sinister behind that smile.

"Dance for me. You said you like to dance and I want you to dance for me."

"I'm not going to just dance, Will." Roxy answered and tried to pull her way from his arms.

William reached down and wrapped his other hand around her arm, hard, and locked her there. Even Roxy, the bad ass witch of the North West, was a little worried. This was definitely not right. Something was really wrong.

"Dance for me, Roxy. Do it." His voice lowered an octave and again Roxy felt the tug of something in her.

"No, Will. Let me go."

"Fucking dance for me. You know you want to." He growled and she pulled herself out of his grasp and made way for the door. She grabbed the first coat she saw and pulled it on, throwing open the door to run outside.

William made a grab for her, but she slipped out of the house and ran down the now very wet sidewalk until she couldn't run anymore. The rain was pouring down and her heart was racing faster than it ever had. Never in her life had a man made a grab for her like that. Never.

Where could she go? Home? No, she didn't feel like being alone. Rube's? No, not this late. The others'? Ha, yeah right. She sighed and leaned against the side of a building, closing her eyes against the freezing cold rain and wind to try and collect herself before she went anywhere. She was alone and scared for the first time in years. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

"Rox?" Rube asked and she turned to look at him.

"Huh?"

Rube and Rosslyn shared another short glance before Roxy put down her cup and started to pull her jacket back on. She was a mess: her hair was plastered against her face, clothes soaked and clinging to her, makeup running down her face and she was shaking. Shaking from what, the other reapers had no idea, but she was shaking violently.

Rosslyn licked her lips and put a hand on Roxy's arm gently, "you want a ride?"

Roxy shook her head and started for the door. The younger looking girl jumped up and caught her arm again, "let me take you home. This weather's fucking awful and you shouldn't have to walk in it. Come on."

Roxy regarded her for a moment before nodding. Rosslyn smiled and turned to grab her keys and kissed Rube's cheek, "I'll be back. Stay here." She whispered and the two headed out the door.

Rube stared after them and took another drink of his coffee, going back to the paper he and Rosslyn had been reading earlier. As Rosslyn pulled out of the parking lot she turned to her fellow reaper and smiled slightly. Roxy said nothing and kept her eyes on the road in front of them, arms wrapped protectively around her body.

"Did something happen?" Rosslyn asked gently, her mind opening to try and pick up anything.

"Nothing happened."

"Come on, Rox. You can tell me. "Rosslyn tried not to urge her too much as she turned down another street.

"William was being an asshole tonight, okay? That's all." Roxy answered, still not turning her attention from the road ahead of them.

The minute Rosslyn heard her speak his name she felt a tug somewhere and a very bad feeling crept into her heart. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Roxy never got this shaken up over anything and the fact that neither she nor Rube could coax it out of her was disturbing.

"Did he do something to you?" Rosslyn asked, again in a very gentle voice.

Roxy shook her head but her face said otherwise. Her normally cool composure was gone and she looked like she'd seen a ghost. Rosslyn pulled up in front of Roxy's apartment complex and shut off the engine, looking at her passenger.

"Um…if you need anything call one of us. We'll come and take care of things if we have to-" Rosslyn started but Roxy cut her off by holding up a hand.

"I'm fine, okay? I just needed a ride home."

Rosslyn's mouth snapped shut and she nodded, turning the keys in the ignition as Roxy got out and slammed the door shut behind her leaving the other girl to look with a worried face. Never had Rosslyn seen Roxy that way and to tell the truth it was fucking scary as hell to see her like that.

The drive back to Der Waffle Haus was long as Rosslyn tried to feel a way around whatever walls Roxy was putting up. Something about William had scared the fuck out of her and it wasn't just a normal guy thing. Something deeper was going on. It was horrible thought, but what if William was trying to hurt her? Did he know something that could get Roxy in trouble?

"We have a problem." Rosslyn said in a matter-of-fact voice as she slid into the booth opposite of Rube.

He looked up from the paper and caught her eyes, his eyebrows rising in answer to the look she had on her pale face. They regarded each other silently for a moment before Rube reached out a hand to take hers. They sat there for another quiet moment before Ros bit at her lip and stared down at the table.

"William did something to her."

Rube blinked, "William?"

Rosslyn looked up and gave him a confused look, but she smiled instead. He didn't know about William obviously. This would definitely be an interesting conversation. As Rosslyn smiled to herself she felt Rube's hand squeeze her own, demanding answers.

"The guy she's been seeing. He did something to her and…it's not just a normal boyfriend-girlfriend thing either. There's something…else happening."

"Since when is she seeing someone?"

"Since a while now. That isn't the point."

"Well how come I wasn't told about her having a boyfriend?" Rube asked, leaning in a bit.

"Because you and I were having enough issues and I doubt she wanted anyone to know. She's not young, Rube, she knows what she's doing-"

"I'm her boss, Ros. She should have told me what was going on."

"It's her personal life! You can't dictate what they can and can't do."

"I should at least have been told, all right? Now…what?"

"I think he's…I don't know. I get a weird feeling when she's thinking about him."

"Weird feeling like what?"

"Weird feeling like I might reap him feeling."

Rube cocked an eyebrow at that one, "say what now?"

"How can you tell that?"

"I just can…something…about his name and the way he treated her seems really familiar about it."

Rube squeezed her hand again and she gave him a half smile, the ends of her lips just twitching up a bit. They sat in silence again for a while before Rube moved to sit beside her and she leaned on him as she had become accustomed to doing.

"I'm worried about it." Rosslyn admitted, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"We'll take care of it. No one's harassing my friends. And no one's getting reaped by you that we know, okay?" he was trying to be comforting…and failing.

"You can't know that."

He caught her chin and lifted it so that he could drop a kiss over her lips. The caused a blush to rise up in her and she averted her eyes. They smiled and laughed at that before resuming the position they had been in only with Rube's arm around her this time.

They sat there for a long time in silence before they tossed down a heft mound of cash and left for his apartment. As they neared the old, beaten up truck Ros slid her hand into his as they walked and looked over at him. Yep, she really made him feel young again and this time around he wasn't going to avoid it and shy away from the pretty girl who took a liking to him.

She stood beside the door and waited for him to open it, but instead he leaned in and they kissed in the rain. It was different than any other kiss they'd shared, but the same as well. It was so cold out, but between them it seemed as though fire was raging and when they finally broke apart Rosslyn looked up at him, her eyes glittering in the moonlight.

"What was that for?"

Rube grinned, an actual, bona fide grin, "Because you care so much."

Daisy sat in the arm chair in living room of the house she and Mason and George shared, listening to the rain. It was strange being alone in the house. Well, not really alone because Mason and George were up in her room doing whatever it was they did at night. In a way it made her jealous that Mason had taken a liking to someone else, especially George. Not to say that she wasn't a pretty girl or deserved a boyfriend or anything but…Mason loved me…ME.

She had never been genuinely loved before and Mason was the first to ever…truly say that he cared about her. And look what she did to him? He bought her an engagement right for God's sake and she just batted him away like he was some toy. Now she was alone. Really alone because she'd made a right ass of herself to him and George.

They're just up there talking…they have to be. She doesn't like him like that, there's no way. And he's too…he'll miss me. I know he will. I know he still cares about me. Why else would he give me that ring if it didn't mean that he really was in love with me, right?

She slid her finger through the little gold band and looked down at it. Once upon a time she thought herself to be unlucky to the guys she dated, but now she really understood. As long as she was looking for real love she would be doomed and now that she had no need for it she'd certainly find it, right? It was the law of definite proportions at its best. It really was a beautiful ring; Mason really knew how to pick 'em.

"He'll come back. He always comes back. And if he doesn't…I'll just have to show him the way…" she murmured to herself in a hollow voice.