Story: "Retrograde" Chapter 28 Part 2 - BtVS/Ats
Title: Retrograde Chapter 28 Part 2
Author: Guardian Erin
Fandom: Ats/BtVS
Rating: PG-13 (R overall)
Disclaimer: I'm not getting paid for this.
Summary: Sarah introduces herself to Galen.
Previous parts
Previous Chapter 28 chunklet
Galen laid his head against the bed, staring hard at where he knew the door was. All he could see were bluish shadows, and the longer he stared, the less confident he was that those were even real. The sometimes blended together as his eyes tired, but remained the same when he focused again. The images of blood and decayed remains were figments of his imagination only, too vivid to ever be real, but they kept him from falling asleep.
He was rapidly learning that at least half of what he thought he knew, or saw, was nothing but his own imagination. It made him wonder if he spent half of his life sleeping, then, and had only just woken up. Or maybe this was just an interlude to some sort of living hell. Either way, it surprised him that in all of the stillness, the shadows refused to speak to him. Something had scared all of the nightmares away.
The door to his room opened with a click. He fancied he saw her move through his line of sight, but it was nothing but a subtle shift of blackness.
"You're not Buffy," Galen stated, without so much as a twitch. He listened while his visitor remained motionless.
"You're right," Sarah said, smiling slowly. "How did you know that?"
"This… being blind stuff eventually grows on you," he said.
"So can you hear a hummingbird from fifty yards away?" Sarah asks, creeping closer to the bed. "Catch a whiff of a lady's perfume when she's a block ahead of you?"
"I'm blind, and still getting used to it, not a super hero," Galen answered dully. She breathed a soft laugh and ran a hand through his hair, causing him to sit up and move away from her.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know you, and you're in my room," Galen answered, his voice tense with all of other unmentioned reasons why she was making him uncomfortable.
"You don't know me?" Sarah echoed with confusion, her mouth turning into a little smile. "I remember you, though. From the hospital. We talked about… suicide. Pills and razorblades. Things you swallow down." Sarah judged his reaction to the words, his rapt attention telling her that she was spot on. "You took my hand," she reached out and found his, letting him wrap his fingers around her wrist. "You told me you'd never forgive me if I killed myself. You told me not to hurt myself. Well, I've slipped up. I can't deny that. But you're looking more than a little fucked as well."
"Sarah," Galen whispered, sliding his fingers over the scars on her wrists again and again.
"Yes," she smiled eagerly, a laugh subdued as she met in a hug. "I found you," she said, gently tracing a spatter of bruises that led from his shoulder to the middle of his back. His breath was quiet against her ear, and she felt him nuzzle against her neck in perfect trust.
The slayer stood in the doorway, watching the two. She didn't know whether to be more distraught by the fact that Galen was only separated from Sarah by a modest bed sheet, or that two minutes ago she could have been under that sheet with him.
Sarah barely detected the shift in the atmosphere before Galen lifted his head.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah," Buffy responded, letting Sarah get a good look at her before she entered the room. "I brought you something to eat."
"Thank you," he said, but his words seemed oddly displaced. Sarah still had her arms around him. "This is… this is Sarah." He didn't say anymore, throat tightening just to get that much out.
"I know," Buffy said, glaring at Sarah as she spoke. "I met her."
"I knew her," Galen said quietly.
Sarah ran her fingers over his back. "I'm right here."
"I brought you some cereal," Buffy told him. "I hope you like… Cap'n Crunch… that's what was on the shelf."
"It's not as good as pudding, but maybe it'll do," Sarah said, taking the bowl from Buffy's hands.
Buffy gave Sarah a burning look and moved the girl slightly to the side. The slayer leant down enough to grasp the back of Galen's head and press a kiss against his lips. She broke away after a few seconds, her lips trembling until she could speak calmly again. "I have to go, Spike, but I'll be back soon."
"Okay," he answered, but it might as well have been a breath.
"Don't worry," Sarah said as Buffy headed towards the door. "I'll take good care of him."
"Make it quick, 'cause when I get back I'm gonna have to bleach the sheets," Buffy growled under her breath.
Part 3
Author: Guardian Erin
Fandom: Ats/BtVS
Rating: PG-13 (R overall)
Disclaimer: I'm not getting paid for this.
Summary: Sarah introduces herself to Galen.
Previous parts
Previous Chapter 28 chunklet
Galen laid his head against the bed, staring hard at where he knew the door was. All he could see were bluish shadows, and the longer he stared, the less confident he was that those were even real. The sometimes blended together as his eyes tired, but remained the same when he focused again. The images of blood and decayed remains were figments of his imagination only, too vivid to ever be real, but they kept him from falling asleep.
He was rapidly learning that at least half of what he thought he knew, or saw, was nothing but his own imagination. It made him wonder if he spent half of his life sleeping, then, and had only just woken up. Or maybe this was just an interlude to some sort of living hell. Either way, it surprised him that in all of the stillness, the shadows refused to speak to him. Something had scared all of the nightmares away.
The door to his room opened with a click. He fancied he saw her move through his line of sight, but it was nothing but a subtle shift of blackness.
"You're not Buffy," Galen stated, without so much as a twitch. He listened while his visitor remained motionless.
"You're right," Sarah said, smiling slowly. "How did you know that?"
"This… being blind stuff eventually grows on you," he said.
"So can you hear a hummingbird from fifty yards away?" Sarah asks, creeping closer to the bed. "Catch a whiff of a lady's perfume when she's a block ahead of you?"
"I'm blind, and still getting used to it, not a super hero," Galen answered dully. She breathed a soft laugh and ran a hand through his hair, causing him to sit up and move away from her.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know you, and you're in my room," Galen answered, his voice tense with all of other unmentioned reasons why she was making him uncomfortable.
"You don't know me?" Sarah echoed with confusion, her mouth turning into a little smile. "I remember you, though. From the hospital. We talked about… suicide. Pills and razorblades. Things you swallow down." Sarah judged his reaction to the words, his rapt attention telling her that she was spot on. "You took my hand," she reached out and found his, letting him wrap his fingers around her wrist. "You told me you'd never forgive me if I killed myself. You told me not to hurt myself. Well, I've slipped up. I can't deny that. But you're looking more than a little fucked as well."
"Sarah," Galen whispered, sliding his fingers over the scars on her wrists again and again.
"Yes," she smiled eagerly, a laugh subdued as she met in a hug. "I found you," she said, gently tracing a spatter of bruises that led from his shoulder to the middle of his back. His breath was quiet against her ear, and she felt him nuzzle against her neck in perfect trust.
The slayer stood in the doorway, watching the two. She didn't know whether to be more distraught by the fact that Galen was only separated from Sarah by a modest bed sheet, or that two minutes ago she could have been under that sheet with him.
Sarah barely detected the shift in the atmosphere before Galen lifted his head.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah," Buffy responded, letting Sarah get a good look at her before she entered the room. "I brought you something to eat."
"Thank you," he said, but his words seemed oddly displaced. Sarah still had her arms around him. "This is… this is Sarah." He didn't say anymore, throat tightening just to get that much out.
"I know," Buffy said, glaring at Sarah as she spoke. "I met her."
"I knew her," Galen said quietly.
Sarah ran her fingers over his back. "I'm right here."
"I brought you some cereal," Buffy told him. "I hope you like… Cap'n Crunch… that's what was on the shelf."
"It's not as good as pudding, but maybe it'll do," Sarah said, taking the bowl from Buffy's hands.
Buffy gave Sarah a burning look and moved the girl slightly to the side. The slayer leant down enough to grasp the back of Galen's head and press a kiss against his lips. She broke away after a few seconds, her lips trembling until she could speak calmly again. "I have to go, Spike, but I'll be back soon."
"Okay," he answered, but it might as well have been a breath.
"Don't worry," Sarah said as Buffy headed towards the door. "I'll take good care of him."
"Make it quick, 'cause when I get back I'm gonna have to bleach the sheets," Buffy growled under her breath.
Part 3