ACT9 To Hurt or Not to Hurt
Author: Lucinda
Rating: y-14 for Vic's violent thoughts and use of bad language.
No Willow pairing, assumed Angel interest
Disclaimer: I do not own Sabertooth or anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Other people with more money do.
Takes place during FT10, beginning with Willow's talk with Xander.
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Red had decided to tell her friends that she was a mutant. She'd been pondering it out loud, talking about the advantages and disadvantages of it ever since she'd got the test results and had official proof in her hands. The moving manhole cover had been proof enough for me, but hey, her mind works differently than mine. She'd decided to tell them, because she figured it would cause more trouble, a bigger fuss if they'd found out by accident than if she told them upfront. I suppose it made sense. So, she'd told the brownie girl, Amy. The brownies were even better warm. Amy had been okay with the idea. The boy wasn't taking it so well. I could practically taste his blood the more he shouted, could imagine the feel of his flesh shredding beneath my claws. He already smelled of bruises and pain, it would be so easy to add the scent of blood to it....
"A mutant! Like your cousin?!? Like the guy who nearly killed several hundred ambassadors! Way to pick your family Wills. Way to pick who you want to get to know better! He's a convicted felon! Terrorist! Bad Guy! This isn't like getting into the advanced classes Wills, this is majorly weird and bad and... I'm outta here." He was practically shouting, and then he stomped off, glowering and muttering about mutants being dangerous.
She cared what he thought, which made his words cut her deeply. I knew that about her, although I can't quite understand why he matters so much. I can smell the tears in her eyes, she's trying not to cry as she watches him storm away... then I hear her voice, soft and sounding as if she's broken something inside.
"Xander?" The barest whisper emerged from Willow's lips.
Sabertooth thought to himself: "I wasn't certain what to do. It was extremely tempting to follow the boy, to rip him into shreds for what he'd just done to Red. He'd just hurt her, badly with his angry words. I could feel a rumble in my chest, knew I was growling a bit from listening to that boy. He wouldn't be able to stop me. All it would take... Then, I glanced at Willow. Her eyes were open, the tears gleaming over them, but she wasn't actually looking at anything. She wasn't seeing what was around her, wasn't paying attention to anything but her pain.
"Damn, she needs me here. If I leave her alone, she wouldn't be able to defend herself, lessons or not. It's more important to keep her safe right now. I can kill the boy later for hurting her. She's not even focusing when I move towards her... this is bad. What can I do for her? How can I help her through this? Maybe if I take her away from his spot, where he hurt her, it could help. She's not moving on her own, maybe if I put my hand on her shoulder and sort of... tow her along? We've left town now, walking the whole distance. There's a nice little spot, tucked back a bit from the main beach area. I'm not sure what to do now, so we're just sitting here, watching the waves crash on rocks, sending a spray of water into the air.
"Willow's face was damp with tears, and she sat there, her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, pulling herself into a small huddled mass of pain. Watching her, all I can do is sit with her and hope that she'll recover. I can't change it so that his words weren't said, can't undo the pain they caused her. Not all wounds are to the flesh, and the wounds of the soul and heart could cut far deeper than any bodily injury. Hell, I've used that before, there had been a few times that I can remember bits of... hurting people not by cutting them, but by destroying someone or something they cared about. It had been just as effective, if not more so than actually wounding the person so that there was blood flowing.
"Her tears have slowed though, from a constant flow to a mere trickle. All I can do is be here for her, sit here and watch her cry, hope that it would help purge the pain from her, like lancing a boil. Well, that and make certain that she knows I'm here, that I won't abandon her.
"The other thing I can do is to stay alert, to make certain that nothing attacks her now. She's so busy hurting, she might not notice if something came after her. That's why I'm here, to make certain nothing tries to eat her up.
The wind shifted, bringing to a new scent, the scent of vampire and smoke. As the vampire drew nearer, I recognized it as the one she'd called Angel. The one that doesn't trust me, remembers me from a long time ago. Part of me wonders what the vampire could tell me of my past, of who I was Before, but that isn't a matter for now. Best tell Red. 'Red, we have company. The vampire ... Angel ... is headed this way.'
"He may be able to fool some of them into thinking he's human, but.. he can't fool me. He smells of death and blood... and he's interested in Willow. I can tell from the way he keeps watching her, the way he's looking at her now. Looks like a part of him just wants to drink her up, not just her blood, but also her light, the whole cheer that she normally has. If that were all, I'd have to get rid of him, but... He worries about her too. He doesn't want the bad things to get her, and Red seems to like him too. She'd probably be upset if he disappeared. At least the vampire doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that she's a mutant. He looks worried; he can see how upset Red is. Makes me think a bit better of him, that he wants her safe, that her being so upset worries him. I can see his question forming, he wants to know what happened.
"I motion for him to step away from her a bit. She looks like she's just getting out of the shock, just starting to see the world around her again. I don't want to send her right back into her pain by making her hear the whole thing over. He apparently understands what I'm trying to tell him, he steps over to where I'm standing. Red can see us, she can tell that she isn't alone, that I haven't left her, but she shouldn't be able to hear us over the waves.
Sabertooth and Angel had stepped away from Willow, so that Angel could have an explanation of why Willow was so upset. It was obvious to Sabertooth that the vampire was worried about Red, that he wanted to know what had happened to leave her in such a state. He'd find out what happened eventually, no sense in not telling him. Also, the vampire had been at the house with the Watcher, so he already knew that Willow was a mutant.
"She ran into the boy earlier. She decided it would be best to tell them she's a mutant, not have them find out by chance later. You and Giles knew, and she told the brownie girl, Amy, about it. So, she decided to tell the boy. Started with he was all pissy because her cousin is Magneto, then he asked if she was a mutant too. She said she was, and he got all obnoxious, made me want to gut him. Called Magneto a terrorist; he said she'd turn out just like him. He hurt her bad. Only reason he's still alive is because I can gut him later, but she needed me now. She's been sitting there since afternoon, just crying. No notice of her surroundings." I'm trying to keep the words quiet enough not to bother Willow, but I'm growling again. He hurt her, made me angry at him...how can he do that and say he's her friend?
The vampire's looking all thoughtful, and growling faintly as well. It's obviously not directed at Sabertooth, it's for the boy. He doesn't seem to like Xander either. His face shifts to a hunter's mask, yellow eyes and fangs, changes to look human again, and back to his hunting face as he tries to control his temper before he speaks.
" Let me advise this. Give him a few days to come to his senses and grovel profusely. If he doesn't wise up and apologize to Willow, then gut him. I might even help. She doesn't deserve that sort of pain." Angel spoke, obviously trying to use reason rather than emotion to give his advice. His eyes were still vampire yellow, and there was a faint hiss to the s's because of his sharp teeth.
"Oh, there's an idea.... The vampire could help me gut the boy. Not that I'd need help, but if he wants to make the boy pay for hurting Red... Well, it sounds like a good idea to me. Except the part about waiting a few days... I'd rather kill the boy now. But, the vampire's probably thinking the same thing I am: for some reason, Red likes the idiot, she might be upset if he died. This vampire might not be so bad after all."
end ACT 9.
Author: Lucinda
Rating: y-14 for Vic's violent thoughts and use of bad language.
No Willow pairing, assumed Angel interest
Disclaimer: I do not own Sabertooth or anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Other people with more money do.
Takes place during FT10, beginning with Willow's talk with Xander.
=====
Red had decided to tell her friends that she was a mutant. She'd been pondering it out loud, talking about the advantages and disadvantages of it ever since she'd got the test results and had official proof in her hands. The moving manhole cover had been proof enough for me, but hey, her mind works differently than mine. She'd decided to tell them, because she figured it would cause more trouble, a bigger fuss if they'd found out by accident than if she told them upfront. I suppose it made sense. So, she'd told the brownie girl, Amy. The brownies were even better warm. Amy had been okay with the idea. The boy wasn't taking it so well. I could practically taste his blood the more he shouted, could imagine the feel of his flesh shredding beneath my claws. He already smelled of bruises and pain, it would be so easy to add the scent of blood to it....
"A mutant! Like your cousin?!? Like the guy who nearly killed several hundred ambassadors! Way to pick your family Wills. Way to pick who you want to get to know better! He's a convicted felon! Terrorist! Bad Guy! This isn't like getting into the advanced classes Wills, this is majorly weird and bad and... I'm outta here." He was practically shouting, and then he stomped off, glowering and muttering about mutants being dangerous.
She cared what he thought, which made his words cut her deeply. I knew that about her, although I can't quite understand why he matters so much. I can smell the tears in her eyes, she's trying not to cry as she watches him storm away... then I hear her voice, soft and sounding as if she's broken something inside.
"Xander?" The barest whisper emerged from Willow's lips.
Sabertooth thought to himself: "I wasn't certain what to do. It was extremely tempting to follow the boy, to rip him into shreds for what he'd just done to Red. He'd just hurt her, badly with his angry words. I could feel a rumble in my chest, knew I was growling a bit from listening to that boy. He wouldn't be able to stop me. All it would take... Then, I glanced at Willow. Her eyes were open, the tears gleaming over them, but she wasn't actually looking at anything. She wasn't seeing what was around her, wasn't paying attention to anything but her pain.
"Damn, she needs me here. If I leave her alone, she wouldn't be able to defend herself, lessons or not. It's more important to keep her safe right now. I can kill the boy later for hurting her. She's not even focusing when I move towards her... this is bad. What can I do for her? How can I help her through this? Maybe if I take her away from his spot, where he hurt her, it could help. She's not moving on her own, maybe if I put my hand on her shoulder and sort of... tow her along? We've left town now, walking the whole distance. There's a nice little spot, tucked back a bit from the main beach area. I'm not sure what to do now, so we're just sitting here, watching the waves crash on rocks, sending a spray of water into the air.
"Willow's face was damp with tears, and she sat there, her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, pulling herself into a small huddled mass of pain. Watching her, all I can do is sit with her and hope that she'll recover. I can't change it so that his words weren't said, can't undo the pain they caused her. Not all wounds are to the flesh, and the wounds of the soul and heart could cut far deeper than any bodily injury. Hell, I've used that before, there had been a few times that I can remember bits of... hurting people not by cutting them, but by destroying someone or something they cared about. It had been just as effective, if not more so than actually wounding the person so that there was blood flowing.
"Her tears have slowed though, from a constant flow to a mere trickle. All I can do is be here for her, sit here and watch her cry, hope that it would help purge the pain from her, like lancing a boil. Well, that and make certain that she knows I'm here, that I won't abandon her.
"The other thing I can do is to stay alert, to make certain that nothing attacks her now. She's so busy hurting, she might not notice if something came after her. That's why I'm here, to make certain nothing tries to eat her up.
The wind shifted, bringing to a new scent, the scent of vampire and smoke. As the vampire drew nearer, I recognized it as the one she'd called Angel. The one that doesn't trust me, remembers me from a long time ago. Part of me wonders what the vampire could tell me of my past, of who I was Before, but that isn't a matter for now. Best tell Red. 'Red, we have company. The vampire ... Angel ... is headed this way.'
"He may be able to fool some of them into thinking he's human, but.. he can't fool me. He smells of death and blood... and he's interested in Willow. I can tell from the way he keeps watching her, the way he's looking at her now. Looks like a part of him just wants to drink her up, not just her blood, but also her light, the whole cheer that she normally has. If that were all, I'd have to get rid of him, but... He worries about her too. He doesn't want the bad things to get her, and Red seems to like him too. She'd probably be upset if he disappeared. At least the vampire doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that she's a mutant. He looks worried; he can see how upset Red is. Makes me think a bit better of him, that he wants her safe, that her being so upset worries him. I can see his question forming, he wants to know what happened.
"I motion for him to step away from her a bit. She looks like she's just getting out of the shock, just starting to see the world around her again. I don't want to send her right back into her pain by making her hear the whole thing over. He apparently understands what I'm trying to tell him, he steps over to where I'm standing. Red can see us, she can tell that she isn't alone, that I haven't left her, but she shouldn't be able to hear us over the waves.
Sabertooth and Angel had stepped away from Willow, so that Angel could have an explanation of why Willow was so upset. It was obvious to Sabertooth that the vampire was worried about Red, that he wanted to know what had happened to leave her in such a state. He'd find out what happened eventually, no sense in not telling him. Also, the vampire had been at the house with the Watcher, so he already knew that Willow was a mutant.
"She ran into the boy earlier. She decided it would be best to tell them she's a mutant, not have them find out by chance later. You and Giles knew, and she told the brownie girl, Amy, about it. So, she decided to tell the boy. Started with he was all pissy because her cousin is Magneto, then he asked if she was a mutant too. She said she was, and he got all obnoxious, made me want to gut him. Called Magneto a terrorist; he said she'd turn out just like him. He hurt her bad. Only reason he's still alive is because I can gut him later, but she needed me now. She's been sitting there since afternoon, just crying. No notice of her surroundings." I'm trying to keep the words quiet enough not to bother Willow, but I'm growling again. He hurt her, made me angry at him...how can he do that and say he's her friend?
The vampire's looking all thoughtful, and growling faintly as well. It's obviously not directed at Sabertooth, it's for the boy. He doesn't seem to like Xander either. His face shifts to a hunter's mask, yellow eyes and fangs, changes to look human again, and back to his hunting face as he tries to control his temper before he speaks.
" Let me advise this. Give him a few days to come to his senses and grovel profusely. If he doesn't wise up and apologize to Willow, then gut him. I might even help. She doesn't deserve that sort of pain." Angel spoke, obviously trying to use reason rather than emotion to give his advice. His eyes were still vampire yellow, and there was a faint hiss to the s's because of his sharp teeth.
"Oh, there's an idea.... The vampire could help me gut the boy. Not that I'd need help, but if he wants to make the boy pay for hurting Red... Well, it sounds like a good idea to me. Except the part about waiting a few days... I'd rather kill the boy now. But, the vampire's probably thinking the same thing I am: for some reason, Red likes the idiot, she might be upset if he died. This vampire might not be so bad after all."
end ACT 9.
