TITLE: Green
DISCLAIMER: Nightworld concepts belong to LJ Smith. Characters belong to me…ask if in the unlikely event that any take your fancy and you want to use them
SUMMARY: "…Joseph would never use her like he had used other girls. He had never fed from her and never would unless she let him. Harri's name entered her mind unbidden; Harri was with her soulmate right now. Harri who's innocent smile made Gracie want to slash the girl's throat with a nice sharp and pointy kitchen knife…."

Gracie Bismarck always knew that her relationship with her soulmate Joseph Hannah wouldn't be easy, but she never expected so many humans to get in her way.

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Coffee-Freak: Yeah, Harriet's a bitch. Well she is. Glad you liked the last chapter…. I liked it too = P. Thanks for reviewing. It makes me so happy.

Ganymade: Thanks for reviewing…. I don't know if I want Joseph and Gracie together….he's hurting her so much. Bastard. Oh well at least he feels how much he's screwing her around.

Rayv: Hey, I'm writing more…. ::points down the screen:: I'm so glad that you like it so much that you made my story your hero…thanks for reviewing.

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CHAPTER IV

Ari stared blankly at the television screen. Pictures of scenes in far off countries flickered over it. The news depressed him, reality TV annoyed him and there weren't enough comedies. Rosie Willow moved into the lounge room with plate of vegemite saladas. The lamia girl had a weird obsession with the Australian delicacy. Ari screwed up his nose at the food.

"What?!" Rosie exclaimed at his expression.

"How can you eat that?" Ari asked amazed that she could stomach the vitamin B spread.

"I put it my mouth, chew and then swallow," Rosie replied sarcastically, following through her words with actions. "Mmmm, v e g e m i t e.''

Ari turned away, "Sicko."

Rosie snorted, changing the channel from the ABC news to Home and Away.

Ari rolled his eyes, "I swear girl, that you are deranged."

Rosie glared at him, deep green eyes boring into his golden eagle eyes. "What did I do now?"

Ari didn't deign to answer but waved to another Daybreaker entering the room.

"Boss wants to speak to you," the girl told him, plopping down on the couch beside Rosie.

Ari stared at the blonde, "Now?"

"Yes," the girl turned to look at Rosie. "Is he always this thick?"

Rosie looked at her associate and friend. "Thicker than the average brick wall."

Ari's eyes narrowed at the vampire. "I do not need you two to gang up on me okay?"

The two girls laughed, and Ari scowled.

"You know Boss doesn't like to wait…she said that she wanted to see you now," the girl cast an amused grin at him.

"One of these days Belle I'll get you," Ari threatened the blonde.

Belle laughed, "Looking forward to it Ari."

Ari shook his head as he exited the rec room, and made his way through the maze of corridors that were the local Daybreak centre.

"What took you so long?" the middle aged woman behind a pine desk asked as Ari walked into her office.

"Belle decided that I was a source of entertainment," Ari slid into the leather chair in front of the brown-eyed woman's desk.

"Did she now? I have a favour to ask."

Ari surveyed the woman, she looked nervous. "What is it Boss?"

Her brown eyes flashed downwards, "I know about your feelings for Gracie Bismarck."

Ari tried not to look surprised, he knew it was obvious to everyone except Gracie. Still he didn't want anyone to know that he cared about her. It was precious to him. He didn't want it to change. "Oh," he replied, hoping he sounded carefree, knowing that he didn't.

The woman gave a small smile. He knew it was meant to be reassuring but he had a feeling that it was designed to soften the blow.

"Yes," Boss replied solemnly, Ari's heart leapt at her tone. Had something bad happened to Gracie? "I know it's hard to let go of people you care about-"

"What do you mean by 'let go'?" Ari interrupted. What was Boss saying? "Has something happened?"

"No, nothing bad has happened to Gracie. She's fine," Boss took in a deep breath. "I know you probably won't do this but I have to ask you. Please distance yourself from her. If you keep fuelling your feelings for her you'll get hurt."

Ari's eyes widened. "Why are you asking me to do this?" He was confused. Why were his emotions towards Gracie any of Boss's business?

"I don't want to see the situation with Joseph Hannah and Gracie Bismarck get any messier than it is. They're both working hard to make it work, and you could be a distraction for Gracie."

Ari bit his lip. He couldn't be hearing this. He felt the brown eyes of his superior watch him, taking in his reaction.

"Soulmates aren't always meant for each other," he knew his answer was dangerous.

"Please Ari. It's best for Gracie," Boss's voice tried to soothe him.

"Have you asked Joseph to stay away from Harri?" Ari got defensive. "That would be best for Gracie. Since they're both working so hard," Ari clenched his jaw. He always knew that it was pointless to harbour feelings for Gracie. He knew that he no chance with the witch, she had a soulmate. A soulmate that was completely wrong for her in every single way possible, but he was still her soulmate. Joseph Hannah still completed her, in a way Ari knew he never could.

Boss spoke, amazed by Ari's words. "Who's Harri?" her eyes narrowed.

Ari sighed, "A girl at school who's wants Hannah."

Boss shook her head. Dealing with seventeen year olds was trying. "Oh, I wasn't aware of any other influences."

Ari gave a weak smile, "Yeah."

Boss looked at Ari. "I don't know what to do."

"How 'bout stay out of it and let everyone sort it out in their own messy way?" Ari suggested viciously, golden eyes glinting maliciously at the older woman.

~*~


Harriet looked at her family. Her mother was aging ungracefully, her father was a slob on the tattered couch in the lounge room, beer in hand and the football turned up loud. Her little sister was making chocolate chip muffins in the kitchen. Batter smeared across her cheek. The wrinkled eyes of Eve Miller looked at Harri who was working on her homework.

"How was your day?" The question was routine and Harri wondered if her mother even noticed her answer.

"I'm working okay? Leave me alone," Harri snubbed her mother.

Harri didn't notice the hurt look in her mother's hazel eyes. She ignored the love that her mother offered her. Harri had ignored her family's love for her for years. Harri wasn't even sure that they were related anymore. Her isolation was self-inflicted.

"Harri, do you want to lick the bowl?" Sally asked from the kitchen bench. Harri glanced up; her sister's face was a mess. Harri restrained herself from a biting comment and rolled her eyes.

"No, thanks Sally."

 "Are you sure, 'cause it's really yummy," the twelve year old persisted.

"I'm fine," the icily reply sprung from her lips.

Harri looked down at her homework. The words sounded crap to her and she screwed up her nose at it. The English essay wasn't making any sense to her.
Harri wasn't aware of the cold glare that her sister threw after her. Harri left the table she was working on. She marched up the stairs books in hand and threw them on her desk when she made it to her room. She sighed. Her family irritated her. Her sister so innocent, so sweet and her mother…. trying so hard to make her family work. Pity that Eve Miller's husband was redundant and the family only had one income. William Miller had been unemployed for a very long time. Harriet wondered why she didn't hear arguments late at night when her father was intoxicated with alcohol mixed with despair and why her mother still bothered to speak to her. It was better this way. It was better, Harriet thought, to ignore them and pretend that the world was perfect.

Harriet pressed the play button on her stereo listening to the wails of the distressed singer pump through her speaker. She sung along, knowing the words off by heart as she changed into her pyjamas.

She crawled into her bed, snuggling into her doona. Her family made her sick. They did nothing to help themselves. Nothing to help her, her father drunk and drunk, and her mother lived in her disillusioned world and her sweet sister. Sally Miller annoyed Harri to no end.

The phone rang down stairs. Harri sat up, waiting for someone to answer it. One ring, two rings, three rings, four rings. Harri got out of bed, five rings, and started back down the stairs. No more rings. Her saddened mother looked at her, "for you."

Harri took the phone from her mother's hands, nodding her superficial thanks.

"Hello?" Harri took the cordless phone to her room. Snuggling back into her bed.

"Harri? This is Ari," the boy on the other end sounded deadly calm.

"Oh," Harri was confused. Since when did Ari call her? Since when did Ari have her phone number? "How are you?"

"Well y'know. I'm pissed," the blatant honesty shocked her. The deadly calm twisted into something sharper, something that would somehow hurt her if only she knew how.

"Oh why?" curiosity made her ask. She sensed a danger in him.

"Well you obviously know that I like Gracie," the eagle 'shifter on the phone spoke, the certainty in his words were tainted with anger.

"Well you're not denying it," confusion clouded Harriet. She thought about what he had seen in his eyes earlier. It was there the infatuation he held for her mahogany haired friend. There had been protection and love in those golden eyes as they had looked upon Gracie.

"No," Ari sighed, "I'm not. Are you going to deny that you're interested in Joseph Hannah?"

"He's a very interesting person," Harri replied. She wondered absently if she was incriminating herself.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ari responded, voice like tempered steel. "Why are you doing this?"

Harri was confused about the conversation; she didn't understand why it was any of Ari's business. Why he cared so much about what happened to Gracie, after all they were only in high school. It wasn't like she was going to marry any of the guys she went out with.

"Doing what Ari? I haven't done anything," Harri defended herself from his accusatory tone.

"Yet," Ari conceded.

Harri had to smile. No, she hadn't done anything yet. "Ari, calm down all right? If I get mine, you get yours." Ari stayed silent. Harri could feel his despise emanating through the phone. Ari?"

"What?" the loathing thickened his voice. Making it heavy and all the more solid. Harri flinched at the sound.

 "Why did you call me?" the question was the only thing she could think of to break the silence. "I know you don't like me for what you think I'm doing. So why bother?"

"Stay away from Hannah. If Gracie was ever your friend just stay away," the warning sounded tired and frustrated. Odium threaded though his voice like a serpent slithering through the grass.

A cruel smile spread across Harriet Miller's lips. It was a smile that meant she was accepting a challenge. "Or else what?"

~*~

Rosie Willow worried about her partner. He had come back from his meeting with Boss angry. His golden eyes burning, fury and rage smouldering.
Rosie had seldom seen the shapeshifter that angry. The few times were enough for her to know that she never wanted to see it again.

The sound of a phone being smashed into its cradle made Rosie's hairs stand on end.

"Ari?" she called gently. No answer. Rosie became worried, "Ari?" she called again louder this time, louder and more commanding.

Rosie crept into the rec room Ari had been using the phone in. It was empty besides the golden-eyed boy with silvery blonde hair crouched in the corner. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes flashed murderous thoughts.

 "Ari?" Rosie asked. Not sure if the boy would speak.

"What?" he asked sullenly. Rosie saw tears glistening on his cheeks.

 "What did Boss say?" she was sure Ari would inflict his anger on her. Instead he stayed silent. Rosie looked at him pity in her heart. She didn't know what to do. "Would you like a drink?"

Ari glanced at her. Rose decided it would not do to show that she was frightened by what she saw in his eyes.

"No," Ari replied clearly.

"Who were you talking to?" Rosie asked. Maybe that was the reason he was so angry.

"Harriet Miller," Ari replied, bitterness twisting the name into a bad word.

Rosie understood at once. This had something to do with the witch. "It was about Gracie wasn't it?"

Rosie's partner nodded. Rosie was glad to get some response out of him. She wanted him to be his normal self. He was much easier to deal with that way.

"I've been asked to stay away," Ari told her bitterly. More teardrops slid down his cheek. Rosie couldn't understand why he was letting this girl tear him apart from the inside. "Boss asked me to stay away from Gracie. I might be a distraction she said; me a distraction? Gracie's never seen me anything more than a vague acquaintance. If you asked her I'm sure she wouldn't even say we were friends."

Rosie listened to her friend and colleague.

"I mean, I've always like her, before she found Joseph I had a crush on her. I didn't realise how much I cared until I found out I could never have her," Ari sighed, trying to dry his tears with his sleeve. "I'm so stupid Rosie. I should just get over it. Really, I should."

Rosie kneeled beside him, putting an arm around him and letting him cry onto her shoulder. "It'll work out alright?" she told him. Not sure if she had just lied to him.