DISCLAIMER: The Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and Fox Studios. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2001 by Djinn. This story is Rated PG.
Not So Stupid
by Djinn
Harmony held up her new
treasures. "Spike,
please?"
He didn't even look up from
the television.
"You know I can't do it
myself." She was pouting now. It usually worked.
"Oh all right, but you
have to keep it down.
"Whatever." She happily snatched up her package and
hurried over to him.
He let her settle into his
lap then inspected her booty. "More makeup."
"Isn't it the coolest?" She was glad he was so good at doing her
face. She hated the thought of not
looking her best. And she really wanted
to look her best tonight. So she had splurged for this awesome stuff. Eyeliner, liquid of course, harder to put on
but she loved the way it looked. Or used to, when she could still see her reflection. She had grabbed every color they had. She saw him reach into the bag for something
else. Oh, crap, she thought as she tried
to reach it first.
He evaded her hands, held up
the receipt. "Harm? Did you pay for this?"
She tried again to snatch it
out of his hand but he pulled it away.
"Like, duh. I'm a
vampire. I take what I want. I just needed a bag so I grabbed this from
another customer."
He read the receipt out
loud. "Eyeliner peacock 23.00,
eyeliner cobalt 23.00, eyeliner jet 23.00.
I'm seeing a pattern here."
She turned on her best
defiant look. "Well, I really like
this store. I want to be able to go
back."
He read a little more of the
receipt. "Oh hold on. You charged this?"
She tried not to look
guilty. "Ummm."
"You have a charge
card? I've been letting you live here
free and clear and you have a charge card you forgot to tell me about?"
"Well, it's not exactly
mine."
"Whose
exactly is it?"
"Daddy's," she
mumbled as she reached into the bag and grabbed the first color that came to
hand. "You said you'd put this on
for me."
He pushed the tube away. "You're using your Father's credit
card?"
She shrugged.
He pushed her off suddenly
and stood up. She fell onto the floor,
grunting as she hit the cement. He
stared down at her. "You told me
that you killed your parents."
She began to gather up the
contents of her bag. "Just because
that's what you and your other sick friends did, doesn't mean I have to do
it. I have a mind of my own, you
know."
"Actually, that's news
to me."
She scowled at him. "I hate it when you get mean like
this. What's your problem anyway?"
"I'm running around,
hustling every day for money, reduced to selling information to the slayer and
her gang of morons for cash to buy blood and you've had revolving credit this
whole time?"
"So you think I should
have let you borrow it? Oh that would
look just great. I can see my dad now,
'Gee, honey, why are you buying so much stuff at the liquor store and the
butcher?' I'm just sure,
Spike." She snickered derisively.
"You still talk to your
father?"
"Yeah, Spike. I still talk to my dad. And to my mom. And to my brother in
He stalked toward her. "Maybe you missed the orientation
lecture during that graduation kill fest you were turned at but vampires don't
keep in contact with their families!"
"Cute. There was no lecture so don't try to trick
me. And why shouldn't I keep in
contact. I was rich, and I still can
be. All it takes is a little bit of work
to keep them from worrying about why I don't live with them." She was momentarily distracted as she thought
of all her parent's daytime activities.
"That would be ugly, I can just see mom rushing in and trying to
get me to go out to see her new azalea.
That would so bite. This way I
can just go home when I want to and I can live you know," she glanced
around the crypt in barely veiled disgust," other places." At his look she threw her head back in
impatience. "I got the idea from
that guy the slayer is doing. You know,
secret agent soldier guy. They think I'm
working on this really, really secret project.
I told them I couldn't talk about it but that I was protecting the free
world."
"And they believed
you?"
"Of course they
did. My parents believe in giving back
to the community. Mom recycles, you
know."
"No, Harm, I mean they
believed that the government would actually want *you* for a special
project? Other than as
a subject of course."
"There you go being mean
again. Of course they believed
me." She held up an eyeliner, shook
it at him. "You're in a really bad
mood now. I don't want you to do my eyes
anymore." She glanced down at her
new gold watch. Now he'd made her
late. She moved around the crypt,
gathering up her things.
"What are you
doing?"
"I'm moving
out." She threw the last of her
stuff into an expensive carryall and walked over to him. "The slayer seems to have forgotten all
about me. And you are never nice
anymore. I've been meaning to tell you
that I was moving but you're always out.
So, I'm telling you now."
"You can't just
leave. How will you fend for
yourself? I mean look at you, Harm,
you're retarded or something."
She hid her hurt. "No, Spike. I'm not.
I've had to do a lot of thinking the last few months and I found out
something kind of amazing. I can take
care of myself. I don't need you, or
anyone else."
"So you are going off to
be by yourself?"
"Of
course not. I met this amazing man at that boutique Cordelia was working at before she bailed. I've seen him quite a few times." Not that you've even noticed, she thought
darkly. "Anyway, he's from LA. Has this huge mansion up in Bel Air. It has very
thick curtains." She smiled
happily. "And he's going to take me
to all the cool shops. Versace, Prada, Manolo Blahnik. It will be so perfect."
"So you met another
vampire."
"He's not a
vampire. He just likes them. You know, really, really likes them. Especially blonde, pretty
ones."
"What happened to
Harmony the liberated?"
She laughed as she opened the
door. "I said I could take care of
myself. I didn't say I wanted to. See you around, Spike." She threw her bags outside then laughed
meanly as she glanced around the crypt. "Or maybe not."
As the door closed behind her
she heard the sound of crashing glass.
So much for that new bottle of single malt she'd surprised him
with. She saw the slayer coming down the
path and for once didn't feel like running away. She stood defiantly in her way. "Buffy."
Her enemy looked
confused. "Harmony. Shouldn't you be fleeing in terror?"
"I'm moving
out." Hope you're happy now, she
thought bitterly.
"Oh. Gee.
That's too bad."
She gathered up her things,
squared her shoulders. Bel Air was a great place.
She was going to be so happy.
"Well. Bye and all
that."
Buffy stood in her way,
seemingly stunned. "Yeah. Bye."
Harmony moved around her,
tensed for a moment in anticipation, then relaxed as
no stake entered her back. See, I'm on
my way. She made it five steps before
tears began to well. Take care of him, she tried to mentally send to the other woman. Take care of my blondie
bear.
A man got out of a parked
limo, opened the door and took her bags as she climbed into the back seat. She saw her new friend waiting for her with a
wide smile on his handsome face. He took
her hand, bent his lips to touch her skin, then
noticed her eyes. "Why are you sad,
my lovely one?" His accent was as
exquisite as she remembered.
"I'm just happy to see
you, Francois." she said as she brushed the tears away. "These are tears of joy."
As the car pulled away she
allowed herself one quick look, just long enough to see Spike and Buffy leaving
together. She fought back more tears
then pasted on a bright smile as she turned back to her companion. "Totally tears of joy."
FIN