I own nothing. Sequel to I could fall in love.
Vicki looked up from a file and saw Henry. She immediately looked back down. (Don't act guilty, he doesn't know you were up all night.) she mentally scolded herself. He moved to her side and looked at the file. He yawned and she felt a deep yawn claim her as well. "So you didn't sleep." he accused, closing the file. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"I don't need the third degree, Henry. I'm fine. I just. . .I was looking over it and I lost track of the time. The next thing I knew, Coreen was here and I had research done on it."
"So why didn't you sleep during the day?"
"I had other cases, a few meetings."
"Vicki, you can't keep working like this. You never take a break, you barely sleep." he scolded. The door opened and Mike stood in the doorway. "Not now, Celluci."
"Aw, what's wrong? Someone else's fangs bigger?" he smirked. Henry growled silently and Vicki set a hand on his arm.
"He's just trying to provoke you." she sighed.
"Vic, come on. Stale beer and bad chinese at my place." Mike offered.
"Celluci, she's busy." Henry snapped impatiently.
"I didn't realize she'd made you her spokesperson."
"Don't you have a cat to save from a tree somewhere?"
"Don't you have some poor innocent victim to kill?"
"As a matter of fact." Henry started towards the detective.
"Stop it!" Vicki ordered, standing. They both looked at her and she started for them, but her head started spinning. "This is ridiculous. You guys can't keep. . ." she fell and Henry caught her.
"Vicki?" he asked. Mike's eyes went wide and he kneeled by them.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She hasn't been sleeping. That would be what I was referring to as her plans, by the way." Henry tossed him an annoyed look, carrying Vicki into the inner-office. He set her on the couch and pulled her hair loose of its constant pony-tail, then pulled a blanket from the closet and covered her. "If you would leave."
"Why should I leave? I've known her longer."
"Did you know she's barely slept a wink in the last week?"
"I have a job, I can't just get off my princely ass and follow her around."
"I have a job, too, but I'm always there when she needs me. If you won't be there for her, don't be the cement block that holds her to the ocean floor." Henry gave the detective a cold glare, tucking the covers around Vicki. He looked back at her and brushed his fingers through the hairs over her face, tucking them behind her ear. Mike watched him, frowning.
"Fitzroy, why the hell did you stick in her life? Before you, things were great."
"Before me, things were normal, you mean." Henry stood and glared at the taller man. "Vicki and I work cases. Don't worry, detective, it's all she wants from me. In a few years, when the novelty of a vampire has worn off, she'll come back to you. It's happened time and time again. Leave so she can rest." he tried to keep the pain and defeat from his eyes. Mike froze, staring intently at the vampire, seeing the emotions just under the surface, then nodded.
"Tell her to call me when she wakes up." he left and Henry pulled a chair from the desk to the couch in order to watch over her. He sat there for hours just watching her chest rise and fall.
Around three, she bolted up, eyes wide, and sighed. "Hey." she greeted.
"If you ever. . ." he glared at her, eyes black. "EVER do that again, Victoria, I will make sure you sleep for a very long time."
"Sorry, I'll never leave you alone with Mike again." she joked. He was instantly leaning over her and she was laying back down.
"Sleep. You need it."
"I don't. I'm fine, really. Nothing some coffee can't cure." she bit her lip, staring into the deep opals. (Those dark eyes. I always forget how perfect they are.)
"Coffee would be very bad for you right now. If I have to sit on you to make you sleep, I will."
"Don't go all dramatic on me, Henry. I'm perfectly fine. I'm just having a little trouble sleeping. That's all."
"What are the nightmares about?" he asked, settling back into his seat. She stayed lying down.
"Why do you assume I'm having nightmares? Maybe I just have a lot to work on."
"Vicki, you passed out in the middle of your office. The truth wouldn't be such a bad option right now."
"It's nothing." she lied again. He sighed, eyes closing, and his jaw ticked.
"Fine. Celluci wants you to call him." he was gone a blink later and she frowned.
(What the hell? It's just a little trouble sleeping.) she got up and went to the phone to call Mike. Ring. . .ring. . .ring. . .r. . .
"Celluci."
"Mike, Henry said you wanted me to call you."
"Yeah, how are you feeling? Captain Midnight got you on a sleep schedule?"
"Um. . .no. He just left."
"He left?" Mike didn't sound as surprised as he was trying.
"What did you say to him?"
"ME? I didn't say anything, he's the one that said in a few years the novelty of what he was would wear off and you'd come back to me when it did."
"Novelty? And you just let him believe that?!" she started pulling on her jacket.
"Hey, he said it, not me! Why does it matter?"
"Mike, dammit, you're such a. . ." she hung the phone up and ran outside to hail a taxi. It took her to Henry's building and she went up to his apartment immediately. She knocked on the door and he opened it, an annoyed look on his face.
"You should be sleeping." he said coldly. She just stood there. "Yes?"
"I. . ." (Say something!) "Every time I close my eyes, it's the same thing." she crossed her arms. He moved aside, letting her in, and she moved past him slowly. They settled on the couch. "We're walking through the park and then this vortex shoots up out of the ground. A woman comes out and she's trying to kill me. You get in the way playing hero and. . ." she shook her head.
"So you stopped going to sleep because you had a nightmare I died? What, it wasn't Celluci?" he tried to remained aloof, but she could hear the bitter bite in his question.
"What? No. Actually, Mike. . .Mike's the one who called the woman. And speaking of him, what the hell did you mean, just a novelty? Henry, you're more important to me than some stupid side-show. Mike and I broke up for a reason. And, hey, it wasn't you."
"Exactly how much of that conversation do you know?"
"Just that little bit."
"Your precious Celluci asked why I kept near you."
"And what did you say?" she started playing with her nails.
"We work together, what else is th. . ." he stopped abruptly at her quick nod.
"Okay, well, I should go. Like you said, I need to sleep." she got up and started for the door. As quickly as she opened it, he pushed it closed and turned her. Vicki looked at him, his hands on either side of her, and took a deep breath. "Yes?"
"Vicki, is there something else I should've told him?" Henry asked. (Please say yes, Victoria, my Victoria. Please) he silently pleaded. She shrugged.
"I don't know. Anything inparticular you think you should've told him?" (Please say it. Please. Three words, please. I don't want the world, just those words.)
"Not if you don't think so." he moved back and she felt her heart pull away with him. A hole formed in her chest and she winced, but she ran out and waited until the door closed again to double over from the pain. On the other side of the door, Henry slid to the ground, clutching at his chest, keeping himself from running out to her and ravaging her lips. He heard her on the other side of the door, her breathing uneven. (Go see if she's okay.) (She doesn't want me to) (How do you know?) (You heard her!) (I also heard you being just as resistant. What happened to all of your talk about love being worth it?) Henry scowled at his concience and stood, opening the door. Vicki was across the hallway, leaning against the wall and holding her stomach. "Vicki? Are you okay?"
Vicki's head shot up and she looked at him. "Yeah, fine." she started for the elevator and he caught up to her there and turned her.
"Vicki, if you feel something for me, I want to know. Give me some indication I'm not in this alone. That I'm not just following you blindly and that you know where you're taking me." he pleaded rapidly. She looked at him, shocked.
"I don't know where. I'm following you." she shrugged helplessly. He pulled her to himself and she wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you, Vicki." he murmured against her hair. She remained silent and he looked at her, then laughed. She was asleep. "Your sleeping habits suck." he joked, carrying her back to his place and to his room. He laid her down on the bed and pulled out his sketch pad.
When the sun rose, Henry was still sketching and wasn't paying attention and dawn claimed his concious mind while he was still in the chair by the bed.
Henry woke that night to see Vicki still sleeping, though it was a light sleep now rather than a comatose slumber. He smiled and stretched the kinks from his body before he continued shading his sketch. He was nearly finished when he noticed Vicki's eyes were open and she was watching him. "Pleasant dreams?"
"I slept, didn't I?" she smiled.
"No vortex with an evil woman sent to kill you?"
"No."
"Any dreams at all?"
"No. It was completely dreamless. When did I fall asleep?" she yawned off the last of her sleep and he set the sketchpad aside, moving to her side and leaning down to her.
"Right after I told you I love you." he grinned. She pinkened slightly.
"My apologies, majesty. I'm sure you're used to far grander reciprocations than snoring." she apologized formally. He laughed.
"You don't snore."
"That's nice to know. And exactly how much did you sleep?" she accused.
"Very funny." he played with her hair, grinning foolishly. "Why were you acting so strange when I was at your place with you?"
"What do you mean?" she avoided his gaze.
"I mean when we were watching the movie."
"Oh, I ... " (Tell him!) (NO! It's stupid and he knows I love him now) (Fine, I'll tell him!) "I was kind of worried about getting hurt so I was avoiding actual interaction."
"Getting hurt?"
"Do I have to spell it out? Henry, you feed, you fuck, you help me with cases. I thought maybe you didn't really feel ... that way. Not for me. And then if you did and we got together you would always have the other women and ... " she'd started to ramble, so he put a finger to her lips.
"I love you. I always will. And the women are gone." he promised. She grabbed his hand.
"Henry, no, you need to feed, I can't tell you ..."
"You didn't have to. This is going to be a dedicated relationship, no more female donors. And no passionate males, either." he shook his head.
"But I thought you loved tasting a lover in the throes of passion." She rolled her eyes at the phrasing. He grinned.
"It's quite the experience, yes." he nodded. She smiled and tilted her head to the side slowly. He leaned closer and she moved her hands to his shoulders, flipping him onto the bed and kneeling over him.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing, because nothing is ever that simple with you." he shook his head. "Just once ..."
"I'm on top." she said cheekily, cutting him off.
"Only for as long as I let you be." he smirked. She grinned and moved her fingers over his face, tracing his lips.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."