"Orphans Beloved: "c-Harmony…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
(c'mon, I had to do this one…)
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Grim look…Drum of fingers…
On barrel of shotgun…Hard glance to tall, sneering, spikey-haired young man with scar in leather jacket. Glance at the house currently under surveillance…The rather ordinary-looking row house of Ms. Siobhan Sadler…
The scarred man shrugging, the finger-drumming man, bald and mustached, eyed the third man in their little trio of watchers…The slightest of the three.
"Pouchee..."
"I don't see Sarah. I don't see anything the f- worth waitin' out here in the f-ing cold for, Vic!" bitterly angry tone.
"Pouch…Pouchee…" hands up in soothing gesture… "I know Sarah's on to something…Something big. A big score, Pouch. And I'm lettin' you in on it…Pouchee…"
Pouchee glanced to Scarface who shrugged. "He's full of shit, Pouchee…"
"Hey!" Vic glared. "Pouchee, I didn't have to come to you and offer to let you in on the action…"
"The f- you didn't…" Scarface sneered. "You couldn't take that bitch by yourself. She'd beat the f-ing crap outta ya…Again."
"Hey, I'm talking to Pouch here…Pouch…?"
"F- you…" Scarface began, moving to offer a hard, back of hand, blow…Refraining at Pouchee's stare.
"He's talkin' to me…But I don't see Sarah and I don't see any score. I see a crap hole house in a crap hole neighborhood." Pouchee, air of finality.
"That's why it's such a good setup, Pouch. See she's got a place here, a fancy place downtown, a place in Scarborough…Pouch, I checked them out, this is big time shit, man…" Vic noted, earnestly.
"You sayin' I'm not big time?" Pouchee eyed him.
"No…No, course not…Pou…Pouchee…You're the biggest." Vic, hurriedly. "But for her…For a nobody like me…That's what I mean…Big time for us."
"Ok." Curt nod. "So where's the 'big time'?"
"Give it just a bit, Pouchee…You know Sarah's a smart girl…" he tried a cloying tone…
"That's the only reason I'm here. Manning's a smart girl. I can believe she might have something going on." Pouchee nodded.
"And I appreciate it, Pouch…One hundred percent. Truly…" Vic, eagerly. "I mean, man…Trust is the foundation, man…Trust…And respect… And you are giving me…"
"Enough." Pouchee, quick, violent hand up. "Where's the score? What is it? And what is my cut?"
"That's what we're finding out, Pouchee. I promise…And you can be sure I will see you get your fair cut for the trust and respect you've put…" firm wave of dirty bandaged hand…
"What did I say, Vic?"
"Sorry…Enough…Should be just a few minutes more…"
"Better be…The meter is runnin', man…And my support costs."
"Absolutely…" fervent nod.
"For Christsake, when are you gonna change that bandage?" Pouchee eyed the dirty bandage wrapping.
"Hey!..." Scarface, hissing… "Someone's heading out…"
"There we go…" Vic nodded happily. "And look, Pouch…It's our girl…" he beamed.
Oh, beloved…Oh, treasure of my heart…Sarah, dearest Sarah…He stared…
You f-ing whore, you greedy, two-timin'…Oh, my darling, I've missed you so…
That crazy psycho boyfriend with the nail gun? Not so much…
"I don't see her new boss…" Vic, returning to the practical as befitting a man who could combine a powerful romantic streak with real-world expertise. "But be careful, he's good at laying low."
"Do I grab her, Pou?" Scarface asked.
"Now, now…Lets…" Vic began. Cutting off as Pouchee suddenly grabbed and lifted him…
"You in charge now?" he shook the heavy-set man like a dog shaking a bone… "You giving the orders now, piece of…"
"No…No, Pouchee…" gasp… "Just sayin'…" gasp… "Better to wait…" he gasped again as Pouchee released him…
"Better to wait and see who she hooks with…" he gasped out…
Scarface giving shrug…Not a bad idea…
"Ok…" Pouchee nodded. "Lets see where she…"
"Hold it there, asswipes!" a stern voice. "I said hold it! Police!" the somewhat but not exactly familiar voice. All three turned to see the identical girl they'd just watched leave the house grimly staring at them…Rather better dressed.
"Sarah…?" Vic blinked…
"Why are you asswipes hanging round my twin sister's place?" stern command.
"You're Sarah's twin?" Pouchee stared.
"I'm Sarah's cop twin, asswipe! What are you doing here?"
Slightest trace of accent.
"I don't see a badge…" Scarface sneered, moving at her…
Groaning at her kick…Collapsing to ground…
"I am…Temporarily relieved of duty…But I can still bring you in."
"Oh, yeah…" Pouchee chuckled…Gasping, clutching at his throat where Helena's knife had just sunk in…Blood spurting…He collapsed on the ground…
Scarface struggling to his feet eyed the figure on ground and raced off…
"Sarah…" Vic, stunned…Raising hands…
"Beth…Childs…Officer Childs…" Helena noted… "That was, uh, of course…Self-defense…"
"We should…Call an ambulance?" he suggested, blinking…
"Ok…" she pulled out a cell phone, dialing… "Yeah, I would like to report a man attacked me and I stabbed him. He's bleeding badly…Not, I don't think he was a rapist, just attacked me. Childs, Officer Elisabeth Childs…Stay where you are…" she eyed Vic who was attempting to slip away…She gave the address.
"Yeah, I'm cop…Off-duty…Best to hurry…" she noted.
Vic staring…Odd accent she's got, keeps creepin' in…
She folded her phone and regarded him…Yes? Her stare saying…
"You're not Sarah…You're really a cop?"
"I'm not Sarah…" nod. "Come, we need to talk and you need to get away before the police and ambulance come and blame you for this." She indicated the gurgling Pouchee on the ground.
"We can't just leave him, poor bastard…" he stared.
"That's very kind of you…But you can't help him now, best to leave him for experts…EMTs…" she noted…Both looking up at the sound of sirens.
"Come, please…Mr.?"
"Really, you don't know me? Vic?" Vic eyed her.
"Really don't…Vic." Helena nodded. "Come now."
"Couldn't we just call it…?" he stared as she pulled the knife out in one swift motion from Pouchee…Even managing to avoid getting blood on herself…
Though on poor Pouchee…Not so…
"Lets go…Vic…" Helena pointed the knife. "Police are coming…And we haven't all the right answers for them."
"Shouldn't we stay? I mean, you're a cop?" he sighed.
"I prefer to handle this one on my own, without my coworkers' assist." She smiled gently.
"Fine…" he sighed.
"This way…We need to get to bus stop."
"Bus? We're taking the bus?" he stared…"
"Car is in shop…" she shrugged. "What's wrong with public transport? You snob?" she eyed him.
"No, fine…:" he put up a hand…Shrewd eyeing…
"You're not a cop, are you?"
"The sign on my cubicle says Detective Beth Childs…" she shrugged. Firmly Beth accent.
"So?...Why aren't we stayin'?..."
"This is personal…Family business. And maybe I don't want you involved." She eyed him. "You have an objection to that?"
"No…Nope…Whatever you want…" he spread hands expansively. "Family should handle family business."
"Right…This way…Hurry!" she pointed. "What?" she eyed his staring face.
"I just can't get over it…" he shook his head. "So that was it in suburbia that day, wasn't it?"
"Victor." She held the knife to his throat. "That is your name, right?"
"Yeah…" Sigh...Not this shit again… "Look I don't want no more trouble…I got pushed into coming here, Pouchee there insisted I take him to see Sarah..."
"And we know Sarah?...How?"
"I love her…" sigh.
"You?"
"Yeah, me." He frowned. "Why does everyone find that so strange?"
"Move, please, Victor." She urged. Prodding with knife.
"Twins…" Vic reflected, shaking head as he walked. "I shoulda guessed. The simplest explanation, ya know?"
"Yes. Is often the best." She agreed.
"Think Pouchee will be ok?" he looked back.
"I'm…Doubtful." She noted. "Sorry if he was your friend…"
"Well…He was sorta the violence-inclined type." Sigh. "You were probably right to act so fast, he's pretty hard to handle once he gets goin'.."
"Thank you."
"And you're a cop? Holy shit…Wow…" grin…Shake of head.
"Hmmn…Not really." Helena shrugged. "Is just a career, like other."
"Say what's with that accent? You keep slipping into it? You're not from here, are you?"
"I grew up in Ukraine…It comes out in stressful times." She noted.
"Oh, right…" he nodded, sagely. "I've heard that before…I gotta lot of immigrant friends, ya know."
"So you love my sister?" she eyed him.
"In spite of all she's done to me, yeah…" he sighed, bursting into tears…
Helena staring…
Uh…
"There, there…" she patted…
"Sorry…" he wiped his face with the dirty bandage. "I've been through a lot with her…Not that I don't admit to screwin' things up myself at times…"
She paused in mid-pat…
"You…?" she blinked. "You are Kira's father?"
"Only in the spiritual sense…" he noted. "I don't know who that guy was. She'd never tell me."
"Oh…"
Repressing slight sigh of relief…
"When I thought she was dead…Oh…It was so hard. I saw that body and…Oh…" He shook his head. "And then, she was still alive and it was all to get into her new racket…And away from me. After all the years we'd spent together." Downcast look.
"Well…" Helena pondered… "People…They change…"
"She told me she'd never loved me…" he sighed. "Worst of it is, I believe her. I know she never loved me. But I loved her…She was like a dark angel for me, ya know? Haunting my life…"
"Really? Angel, you say? Oh, here is bus stop." She halted him.
"Where are we going? Not the police station?"
"No, just someplace we can talk…Quiet." She noted.
"Sure, if you like…" resigned sigh…
"No, I mean place is quiet…Sorry. Please, you may talk if you wish. Tell me about you and Sarah…"
"Really?" he eyed her. "You know, no one ever wants to hear…As if I've had no pain in all this…"
"Please…Start by telling me why you and probably dead man and friend were at her foster mother's house?"
"Oh, well…I knew she was up to a new scam…Something big." He shrugged. "I was hurt…Emotionally as well as physically, ya know?...The way she treated me that other day after I found out she wasn't dead and Pouchee…That guy who's probably dead?...Had taken my fingers?" he held up the bandaged hand.
"He took fingers?"
"A debt of honor, that's the way it works in my business…" sigh. "But Sarah was the one who'd incurred the debt, takin' Pouchee's coke."
"Coke? Cocaine?"
"Yeah…Not that Sarah's a user…She's much too smart for that, don't worry."
"Good. That would be awful for Kira."
"I know…I know…I'm against drugs myself. But, sometimes, as a businessman, in this evil world…People have needs, somebody's gotta fill them."
"I see. She took Pou…Pouchee's cocaine and left you to bear the debt?"
"That's it. I'd gladly do it again, if it'd meant anything to her." He gave sad look. "I'd never have wanted her to be hurt, even when I lost it with her, I hated myself for it. But I've been workin' on getting' past that kind of anger, you know? This was strictly business…"
"That's good…Here's our bus…Please say nothing about your friend or the rest." She noted.
"Ok…" he sighed, resigned…Boarding at her urging…
"Can you tell me where we're going? I don't know the bus system that well, I may get lost goin' home." He noted.
"I will give you a drive home later."
"Thanks…So, you're Beth?" he took a seat, politely allowing a woman to take the first one and moving down to a seat, Helena sitting beside him.
"Childs, yes."
"Nice name…You gotta a nice look, too." He noted. "Police work pays, I guess."
"Thank you. You are not very successful? In business?"
"It's up and down…" he shrugged. "But I'm on the street mostly for my work so I don't get to dress up much."
"I see…" nod. "I too usually don't dress up for work."
"I get that…Undercover a lot, right?"
"Something like that…" she nodded, pleasant smile. Grinning as a woman with a small child passed.
"I'm very fond of children…" she explained.
"So am I…" he nodded. "I wanted to take care of Kira, financially? When I thought Sarah was gone?"
"That was kind." She eyed him.
"I wouldn't have intruded on Mrs. S…Mrs. Sadler. I just wanted to know that the kid'd be ok…But…Felix…You know Felix, Sarah's brother?"
"Felix…Oh, sure." She lied.
"He didn't want me to be involved with her…" sigh. "I didn't want to intrude, ya know…Just…I wanted to keep a connection to her."
"A connection?" she looked at him.
"Yeah, just keep the channels open…"
"I understand…I wanted to keep connection open with Sarah too." She nodded.
"What, she have her boyfriend drive you off too? What is the deal with that guy? Say…?" he eyed her. "Is he bad news? Dangerous? Is that why you were coming out there like that? Are you watching out for her?"
"In a way…" she nodded. "Sarah and Kira…And Felix…Are the only family I have now…I watch over them, even if Sarah doesn't want me around."
"I know that feeling." He shook his head. "I took some pain over it myself…" rueful look.
"Me too." She nodded, wan smile.
"But what about this guy…?" he asked, anxiously. "He's not gonna hurt her?"
"I think…Not…" Helena shook head. "I think he cares for her."
"Hmmn…Well, frankly…" Vic frowned. "He seems the really violent type to me…Like the kind who enjoys inflicting, you know what I mean?"
"I think he puts out that image…Macho thing to intimidate…Not the real him…" she noted.
"I hope you're right." He sighed. "I wouldn't like to see her and Kira hurt by this clown." Pause. "The thing with Pouchee and Sal…It really was just business…I wouldn't've let them hurt her."
"Well, they are no longer in a position to do so…" Helena noted.
"Right…" he nodded. "It was just that guy was so psycho…I wanted a little back-up…Last time he put a nail in my hand. He seemed kinda a crazy guy."
"I assure you…Paul would not harm Sarah or Kira. He has risked his life for them…I was there and saw."
"Really? Well…" sigh. "If you say so, bein' a cop and her sis and all…Still, I hope she'll be ok with him, if she sticks. She's kinda wild you know? Never sticks too long in one place or with one guy."
"I think she wants to stay near Kira now. She is trying to be a good mother to her."
"She is a good mom, when she keeps by her…Gotta give her that. And she always wrote to her when she was with me."
Frown…"Why did she leave with you, leave her angel Kira?"
"Sarah? She's wild…Or she was…Being a mom wasn't something she found easy. You know…" he gave a shrewd look. "I think she was afraid of not measurin' up to Mrs. S."
"Ms. Sadler seems a formidable woman…" Helena nodded. "What I have seen of her…"
"Oh, yeah." Vic nodded. "She's chased me off with her shotgun once or twice. Not sayin' I didn't deserve it then." Bandaged hand raised in resigned acceptance.
"You need to change bandage…" she frowned.
"I should…Probably getting' infected…" sigh. "But why bother?" shrug…
"Now, now…" Helena shook her head. "You should not be so depressed. I let depression in, take pills…Ruin, almost…Life. I end up losing Paul, quitting force, hurt…Almost…Myself."
"Paul?" he stared. "That psycho guy? He was your guy?"
"Hmmn-hmmn…" nod. "I was messed up, he didn't love me…I kill…Well, almost kill myself. But, now he's with Sarah and I…Am with angels."
"Found God, huh? I've been lookin' into that." He nodded.
"Sort of…" she nodded.
"You and Paul? How'd a girl like you get mixed up with that guy? Say…?" he eyed her. "You're not dirty, are you? He didn't get you into his shit?"
"Not…Dirty, no. But got into some of his shit, yes." Nod.
"That bastard…And now he's leading Sarah on? Your own twin? What a sick bastard…"
"I think he does love her and he's cleaned act…Some." She noted. "But I keep watch on him and her…"
"That's good…I don't know, Beth." Shake of head. "He's not a good person, I feel it. I know about violent people who aren't good and he's not a good person."
"It's good you are…Concerned." She patted his hand. Pulling back as he grimaced.
"Sorry…I should fix that for you. I am good with first aid."
"Cop training…" he nodded. "I get that. Thanks…Say…?" he looked out the window. "This is near where that dirtbag Paul lives…I found his place last week. Very nice."
"It's my place too. For now…"
"No way? Really?" he grinned. "That was a nice place…So it wasn't Sarah there before, with him? It was you?"
"I let her use it when she started with him. It was more…Convenient."
"That's above and beyond the call…" he eyed her wan smile. "You're quite a sis, Beth."
Shrug…"One tries…Sarah and I once recently found each other…She prefers to avoid me, actually."
"Well, you bein' a cop…" he nodded, sagely.
"We go there now…I fix your wound, we talk some more…" she smiled. "Have lunch, maybe?"
"That'll be nice…" he smiled back.
"Perhaps we can help each other…Look after Sarah…And Kira…" she noted, carefully.
"I'd like to make sure they're ok…" he nodded…
"So…It seems we have a connection, Victor." She eyed him, wan smile.
"I guess so…" he smiled back.