Title: Let the Black Waves Roll
Author: Jmaria
Rating: FR-18
Disclaimer: I do not own: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Dark-Hunters (The Avengers, Charmed, Doctor Who, Glee, Supernatural or Torchwood.)Summary: This is what happens when a Watcher of average abilities is forced into tight quarters with a Bear who's faced numerous heartaches. Sanctuary will never be the same.
Words: 3,664
A/N: Whoo, boy. This chapter was not easy to write. But, on the bonus side, no more teasing.
This chapter brought to you by: I Was Here by Beyonce.
Let the Black Waves Roll
And Know I Meant Something In Somebody's Life
His words pulsed across her brain like a damn neon flashing light as she jerked the wheel hard and pulled up to the stretch of a long-ago harvested cornfield. A fucking cornfield. Vi was sitting underneath a big old maple, her feet swinging from the back of a beat-up pick-up truck.
"What's happening?" Kit demanded as she pushed her door open and marched over the uneven ground.
"Hey to you too," Vi jumped down with ease from the bed, her eyes still going round, as if she couldn't believe she'd landed on her feet. She'd been a slayer for nearly four years. You'd think she'd be used to her abilities by now.
"Vi, you used the emergency code, what the hell is up?"
"Jo's stuck in a tree," Vi shrugged. "There's some serious asshole prick vampires surrounding her and I need backup."
"Jo Harvelle is stuck in a tree and surrounded by vampires?" Kit blinked twice, not believing this.
"Oh, I could take most of them on, but I figured you needed an out from your grandma and the cheerleader," Vi shrugged, her lightweight jacket lifting with the movement.
"Peltier had his hands down my pants," Kit deadpanned. "And you needed me to help get Jo Harvelle, hunter extraordinaire out of a fucking tree."
Vi's eyes got big at the mention of Remi. "Holy shit, Rina's plan worked?"
"Rina's plan?"
"The pic bombing and then the threat of you never coming back -"
"Where the hell is Jo?" Kit cut her off. Oh, her slayer was in so much shit when she got back to Lima.
"Lookee what I found, boys! More munching!" A vampire growled from behind Vi.
"I'm up here!" Jo yelled from her tree. "Peltier made a move. Hot damn."
Kit shook her head, threw up a protective shield around Jo as she clamored down the tree and then turned to face her own vampiric attacker. Vi and Jo were supposed to be at Buffy's big Thanksgiving bash. Kit kicked out at the vampire bearing down on her and really wished she'd turned off her phone that night.
Remi never did come back that night, a fact that had Kit tossing and turning in her bed at the crack of dawn. Quinn had texted sometime around 6, pestering her about shopping. Apparently, she'd forgotten how much Kit had hated it during their tiny shopping spree during Quinn's protective detail. And Kit was still nursing her shoulder. The sudden dip in temps had caused her old wound to ache, and she was feeling ten years older than she actually was. Not that rolling a vampire over her back had helped the old ache any.
She, Jo and Vi had come back to the apartment complex around midnight. She'd gone to her apartment, while the hunter and the slayer had gone to the apartment Vi had been given and that Jo was crashing at for the holiday. While Jo's mom and the Winchesters' adoptive Uncle Bobby had been crashing at the slayer HQ in Cleveland, Vi and Jo had opted out of it. Mainly because Jo still had a serious crush on Dean Winchester, and Vi was still recovering from the whole 'oh-Sam-Winchester-finally-figured-out-I'm-female' dilemma she was having.
Vi had tortured Kit for the drive back - Jo had taken her truck, Vi had called shotgun for the Focus. Not that Kit could really explain why any of it had happened. Why Remi had showed up or why, after all this time he wanted in her pants. Vi had been pumped for her. Kit had been feeling iffy.
She punched her pillow again and heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She jerked upright and reached for her nightstand. She'd left a blade there just in case. She slipped from her bed and went quickly to the door. A tall shadow stood in her kitchen, a hand reached out to trace over her counter.
"What the fuck?" Kit straightened as Remi's head snapped up. "Are you doing out here? I thought you had a crisis!"
"It got squashed," Remi shrugged, ambling over to her. "You?"
"It was over seven hours ago," Kit's grip on the blade loosened as Remi stepped up to her.
"I told you we weren't done, Kitten," Remi grinned at her.
To be honest, he'd wanted to skin his brothers when he got called back for what turned out to be bar duty. They'd gotten the brilliant idea to open up after dinnertime and shit had gotten crazy in the bar. Remi'd nearly broken their fool ass heads when he'd gotten there. And they'd been tripping all over themselves when they smelled Kit on him.
But now he was standing in her kitchen, remembering her on the counter. And she'd come at him - with a blade, godsdammit - wearing nothing but a long tee shirt and her panties. He could see them through the thin shirt she had on, just as he could see her nipples hardening. His grin spread as he backed her into the room. She was sleep-softened, but she'd woken up within minutes of him being in her kitchen.
The knife dropped to the carpet as Remi swooped down for a hard, hot kiss. Kit's mouth opened under his, and their tongues dueled for a few moments. Her hands dug into his shoulders as Remi walked her up to the bed. He nipped at her bottom lip as she hit the bed.
His hands slipped down her sides till they hooked up under the hem of her sleepshirt. Remi yanked it up over her head and growled as his head dipped forward and laved at her throat. Kit groaned when his hand dragged back down to the elastic of her panties.
"Why the fuck am I the naked one?" Kit's breathe caught as her hands pulled away from his shoulder and fought with the button on his jeans.
"I'm faster, Kitten," but his breath caught as her hand didn't even bother fucking with the zip and dove down into his pants.
"Commando, bear?" Kit grinned up at him, her hand sliding down his shaft, curling as Remi's mouth pressed against hers again.
"Wasn't takin' any chances on interruptions again," Remi reached around her arm and pulled his own zipper down. "Your girl good?"
"Yeah, some stupid save-me-from-the-awkwardness bullshit. Jo and Vi owe me huge," Kit chuckled as she swiped her thumb over his head, and Remi's whole body shivered at her touch. "You're still too fucking dressed for my liking, bear."
"Was fixin' that," Remi growled as he pulled her panties down and then yanked his shirt off over his head. Kit's mouth popped open as he shoved his pants off and lumbered towards her.
"My god," Kit pushed herself up on her elbows and pulled him close, her mouth hard on his.
"I try," Remi chuckled, his hands fisting in her hair as her tongue peeked out between her lips to lick at his nipple. "Fuck me."
"I'm tryin' to, bear," Kit's voice had gone husky, her tongue still toying with his nipple.
"Shit, you're trying to kill me," Remi growled, one hand dipping down to toy with her curls. Kit stiffened against him as he picked up where he'd left off on her kitchen counter.
Kit's nails bit into his chest as her other hand worked his shaft. Remi slipped a second finger into her channel and her whole body shook. She hooked her leg around the back of his knee to bring him closer. He obliged, sliding his body closer, her hand trapped around him and between their bodies.
"Wouldn't be much use to me dead," she murmured against his throat. She tightened her grip on him as she worked him over. "We need anything?"
"Can't catch any human diseases, can't get you pregnant," Remi added a third finger and a little twist that had her arching up into him.
"Then what the fuck are you waiting for?" she breathed heavily against his ear, giving him a sharp nip.
"This."
She almost whimpered as his fingers left her, leaving her feeling hollow. She didn't feel hollow for long, as he slid slowly - so fucking slowly - into her. Her thighs spread, her knees pulling him closer to her body as he worked himself deeper. Her hand was still clasped around him as he slid home. She let go and cried out as his mouth caught hers again. His tongue slipped over her lips as she arched into him, shifting her hips against him. He groaned and surged into her again. Her hand tangled in his hair and his arm slipped around her back to drag her upright. Her breasts were crushed against his chest and she'd never felt fucking better.
Kit's breath caught as his mouth trailed kisses over her jaw, down her throat and he lapped at the crease where her shoulder and neck met. He was dragging her back to the breaking point and she let herself go. They hadn't even gotten fully on the bed when she came. She was still poised on the edge and he was bent over her, pouring out all of the tension they'd spent the better part of a year building up.
As her body stopped shaking, Remi growled in satisfaction and scooped her up in his arms. With him still inside of her, he pulled her over him and lounged back against the sheets like a king waiting for his harem to perform. Kit grinned down at him and swiveled her hips.
Remi's groan started low in his abdomen and she rode him for all she was worth. When she hit the cliff for a third time, she took him with her - with a clench of muscles and another bite on his nipple.
Remi clutched her close to him as the sun started to creep through the windows. She'd been out cold since they'd finished, and he'd been beneath her, unwilling to jar her in the least. One hand was clenched in hers, and the other was still tangled in her hair. He'd pulled a sheet up over her and listened to her breath.
And all the while he was holding his breath. He'd fought the attraction to her so hard for so long that he couldn't even believe they'd finally gotten to this place. And he'd held his breath because he was waiting for the mark to show up on her palm. A mark he'd loved seeing on Mama Lo and Papa Bear's hands. A mark he knew brought nothing but pain to him when he'd seen it on Becca and Q's hands. A mark that Savitar himself had personally given to both Dev and Samia and Fang and Aimee. A mark that had left Zar and Penelope, Alain and Tanya nothing but longing for what-if's. A mark that had given Serre nothing but joy. A mark that both Bastien and Gilbert would have killed to have themselves, had they lived long enough to find their mates.
And that he was holding his breath to see if the Fates were gonna fuck him around a second time. Sometimes it took longer. But as the sun rose higher, Remi had a sinking feeling the Fates were feeling fickle again.
Kit's whole body rose with Remi's breath. She didn't know how long he'd been up - or, hell, if he'd ever slept at all. His hand was wrapped tightly around hers and she knew he was waiting. Aimee had told her it had burned, tingled when Savitar had given her the mark that made her Fang's. She didn't feel the burn. Didn't feel the tingle.
It was killing her, because she'd wanted it so damn much. She wanted proof that their attraction meant something. She wanted to be needed by someone, made for someone, and she fucking wanted that someone to be Remi. Because he'd been so fucked over that they deserved some damn happiness. She should have known. Why would anything be that simple for them? Savitar had fucked the Fates, and now they were fucking Remi. Her eyes burned as she was saved from facing Remi by her phone.
Kit jerked upright on him, grabbing for the phone on her bedside table. She pulled herself off him as she glanced at the caller id. Her brow furrowed as she slipped from the bed, taking the sheet with her.
"Quinn? I'm not loaning you any money if you ran out -" Kit's head snapped up as she turned back to face Remi, her face pale. "Did you call an ambulance? I'll be there as soon as I can. I need you to focus and stay calm. It's gonna be okay. Quinn! Are you listening to me? I'm coming."
Remi was already pulling on his jeans when she'd snapped the phone shut. Her hand was fisted on her sheet as she stared at the spot over his head.
"Quinn got back from shopping and - she found Eleanor at the bottom of the stairs," Kit said quietly. "I have to get dressed."
"What do you need, Kitten?" Remi stepped up in front of her, his hand burrowing in her hair and tilting her face up.
"I need Vi and Jo. Then I need to get to the house. Quinn's by herself - actually, go there. She's scared shitless. I need someone with her now, before the ambulance gets there. They were five minutes out."
"Get dressed, I'll take you right now," Remi nodded.
"No! Go to Quinn. My little cousin is alone with the body -" Kit's voice hitched as her words sunk into her mind. "Go to Quinn. Vi'll drive me."
"You sure?"
"Her voice, Rem - you didn't hear it. I've never heard Quinn sound like that," her voice shook. "I'll be there. Five minute drive."
Remi gave a tight nod and yanked his shirt off the bedpost. He grabbed her forward for a quick, hard kiss and then transported himself to Eleanor's house.
Kit nearly fell over when he left. Shit! She quickly cleaned herself up and threw on last nights jeans and yanked a tee shirt and her jacket on. She shoved her feet into her boots and snatched her keys up. She hit Vi's number and said emergency.
Jo and Vi were down by her garage door when she backed out. She told them what had happened and Jo pulled her out of the driver's seat. Vi hopped in the back and they tore off to Eleanor's house and got there right as the ambulance did. Quinn was sobbing on the porch, wrapped in Remi's arms. Her friends Mercedes and Kurt were on the porch beside her.
The paramedics were working on Eleanor when Kit ran up the porch steps. She couldn't look at Eleanor's glassy eyes, so she turned to Remi. He pulled her into his arms as Quinn launched herself at Kit.
At first, she thought the teen was trying to attack her, but instead, Quinn sobbed against her shoulder. Kit's throat closed up as she flashed back to when her father had died. Quinn had never really lost any one. And now, the one adult who'd actually given a shit about the kid was -.
Kit felt the tears burning at her eyes as she held Quinn tight to her. Eleanor was gone. Remi wasn't hers. And she had a teenage kid to console. She let them fall down her cheeks as she murmured soothing words to her little cousin.
As much as Kit and Quinn both tried to blame themselves, there was nothing they could have done to save Eleanor. She'd been going up the stairs to bed when she'd suffered a major heart attack. The heart attack she'd might have survived, but the fall she wouldn't have. Cassie had told them later that there would have been nothing they could have done. Had she been in bed, they wouldn't have heard her. Had she been out shopping, she would have hit her head. Every possible outcome led to the same conclusion: Eleanor would be dead before the sun came up on Friday. It didn't stop either of her granddaughters from blaming themselves.
Remi sat on Eleanor's porch the day of her funeral and watched as Kit leaned over her mother's car. He hadn't left in the week since Eleanor's death. Aimee had cried out when he'd told her the news over the phone. Rina had come up with Cody and Kyle, who'd come to look out for their Kitten. Quinn hadn't left Kit's side, even sleeping in the same bed as her cousin. She was sinking and clinging on to Kit for dear life.
Elizabeth Holden had gotten to Lima yesterday. She'd have to leave before the funeral. She'd held a grudge against Eleanor, for obvious reasons, but had felt a need to be with her daughter. He wondered if it hurt Kit more that she only flew into town to fly right out again.
"Be safe, Mom," Kit said as she leaned against the car.
"I - I just can't stay, Kit," Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Not after what that woman -"
"That woman is dead, Mom," Kit sighed. "But I get it. Just - be safe, will you?"
"I don't know how you could have forgiven her -"
"Mom, I didn't have much of a choice," Kit pushed away from the car. "I told you about everything that happened with Quinn -"
"Your father hated Russell and Eleanor. How you even found out about his daughter is beyond me," Elizabeth shook her head.
"A trick of Fate," Kit shrugged. "But she's my responsibility now, and I can't let her down."
"Why not? Her father and grandmother let your father down - repeatedly -"
"Mom. I'm not having this conversation. And you have a plane to catch," Kit pushed away from the car. "I love you."
"I love you too," Elizabeth cleared her throat.
Kit watched her mom pull away. She couldn't understand why Kit was doing what she was. She didn't know what it had been like to have that teenage girl clinging for dear life onto her. She hadn't heard Quinn blaming herself for not being there. Kit had. And she remembered blaming herself for not being with her dad in the car the night he'd crashed. She took a deep breath and turned to find Remi standing behind her. A week and the mating mark hadn't shown up. Not that they'd been together since then. And the mark wouldn't show up unless they had. Didn't much matter any more.
His hand caught hers, and he brought it to his lips. She'd been Quinn's rock in this week, and he'd been hers.
"It's time," Remi said quietly.
"Yeah, beyond time," Kit answered.
The funeral was small. Eleanor had few friends, what with being a recent transplant to Lima. The Glee kids were huddled around Quinn in the church. Mercedes and Cassie had pulled in close to her. Puck, Rachel and Kurt not far down the pew behind them. Remi and Carlos were around Kit. Dawn, Rina, Jo, Vi and Rona were behind her with the Winchester and Peltier brothers. Kit had been left with the eulogy. And she hadn't known what to say. She stared out across the chapel before she found her voice.
"Eleanor Dandridge made a lot of stupid choices in her youth," Kit's voice shook as her eyes locked on Quinn's. "She fell in love with the first handsome face to cross her path. Eleanor married Jonathan Holburn at twenty years old and had one son before Jon died in Korea. She remarried when he was five to a mean drunk who sold her a load of goods he couldn't cash in on. She gave my father to her mother to raise and essentially lost her oldest son because her heart was broken. Marriage number two didn't last long, but just long enough to lose her son.
Bachelor number three was better for her, Andrew Fabray, by all accounts loved Eleanor. She bore him a son, Russell, who well, didn't amount to much. When he died, Eleanor was heartbroken - again. Said she'd never love again. But she did. Duke Dandridge treated her like a queen, but by then, she'd lost both of her sons."
Quinn's head had jerked up. And Kit couldn't blame her. She hadn't known the whole story about her grandmother until she'd died, and Kit had found her journals. She'd never known her about her father's years growing up. She'd never known that Eleanor's husband Jimmy had been an abusive drunk who'd almost killed her before she'd left him. That Russell had been so angry the first time he'd met Kit's father John, that he'd broken his nose. That Russell and John hadn't met until Andrew's funeral, when Kit was two. Or that Duke had died two weeks before John had. That Eleanor's break-down at John's funeral had been a culmination of everything at once. Kit cleared her throat and carried on.
"Eleanor only wanted to be loved and to give her love, but she didn't get a lot of chances to do that. Until she got to meet two of her granddaughters - one she hadn't seen since she was a toddler and one she'd never even met. She didn't get the chance to tell us how proud she was of us. Or how much she loved us. Not often enough anyway. But we felt her love, and that's all she'd wanted us to know. We can only hope that she's watching out for us, and do our best to carry on without her here."
She slipped back into the pew and felt Quinn squeeze in next to her. Whether she liked it or not, Quinn was hers to take care of now. And that meant she'd have to lose Remi. She glanced up at his face, and saw that it had finally hit him.