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Title: The Master Willow Series: The Return Of Wicked Red
Author: psimetis
E-mail: psimetis@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17
Feedback: if it pleases you, do :).
Summary: This Chapter: The Booky Life, Rough Trade On The Phone, and, The Joy Of Unlife With Harm
Warning: BDSM implied


Chapter Fifteen

Dawn made its warmth known. It changed the air, it brought its light and made its ageless promise upon the earth once more; a new day beginning. Tara’s internal clock worked with the dawn. She was raised doing morning chores before school, but it wasn’t just a farm girl’s lifestyle that attuned her to the sun’s rising. Her body responded to the assurance the arrival of the sun brought, in that early, early change of night to day. What leather belts, fists, and harsh words did at night, ended, and dawn was the promise that she had survived. Time for a new day.

Tara woke, eyes still shut, feeling the familiar change in the air. She opened her eyes to a dark room, remembering that she had secured the curtains closed for Dru. She turned slightly to look at the nude, cool body that clung to her possessively. Willow.

The red hair was damp. She wasn’t even smirking in her sleep, she looked dead tired. Dru was smooshed against the wall and wrapped around Willow. It was amazing that they all fit in her bed, even with the vampires as slender as they were. Tara disengaged herself as gently as possible. Willow’s arms looked so empty, so she put a pillow in them, which the vampire immediately curled around.

Tara dressed and prepared for the day quickly. Willow was right, her side felt almost normal again, and the bruise on her cheek had faded to yellow already. She noticed that Willow had used her bath kit, so she put it away. The vampire had also brought her breakfast; orange juice, bagels, and cream cheese. There was even a coffee.

“Be careful...I could fall in love with you,” she whispered, smiling to see such a considerate gift. She ate her breakfast.

When Tara was about to exit her door, she noticed the plastic bag that lay beside it and Willow’s long leather coat draped over it. Curious, Tara lifted the coat a little, only to be assaulted with a foul odor. The bag contained Willow’s clothes and shoes, and by the look and smell of them, she had been busy doing...dirty work. When Tara dropped the coat back on the pile, she saw the blood stains.

Tara glanced at the vampires snug asleep in her bed. Through the drawn curtains, morning’s warmth radiated. Quietly, Tara made her exit from her room.

* * *
Willow found that it was pretty easy to navigate Kitten’s dorm building in the daylight. The light that filtered into the laundry room was indirect enough not to give the vampire a burn, but bright enough to prickle her skin uncomfortably. She bounced a little on the working washing machine she sat cross-legged upon. She’d already scrubbed her boots squeaky clean and wiped down her coat, although the coat probably needed drycleaning anyway. As the hard working washer bounced her some more, she gazed idly for the tenth time at Kitten’s laundry card.

A girl entered with a basketful of laundry. She looked at Willow critically, taking in the tousled redhead’s pale, bare feet, rolled up yoga pants, and oversized tee shirt.

“Y’know, you’re not supposed to sit on the machines,” the girl said.

“Sorry,” Willow replied, and jumped off. “How long do these washers take, anyway?”

“Twenty minutes,” the girl answered, as she started one up. “And the dryer’s ten minute increments. If you’re lucky to get one that actually dries.”

Willow picked up Kitten’s soap box and left the laundry room. She dodged the sunbeams that lit the stairs and then made her way through the few passing students for Kitten’s room. Once inside, she grabbed one of her witch’s older, magic texts and plopped unceremoniously against her sleeping sire.

* * *
When Tara reentered her dorm room in the late afternoon, she was greeted by a whirlwind of red. Slender arms lifted her easily into the air. She heard a feminine growl as she was spun from the door. Tara laughed.

When Willow finally set her down, the vampire kissed her soundly.

“Missed you, Kitten,” Willow breathed. Tara could not help placing a gentle hand to the vampire’s sweet face. How easily she could lose herself in those expressive green eyes.

“I,” Tara began.

“Are you vegetarian, Kitten?” Willow suddenly asked.

“Wha? I, yes,” Tara answered, confused. Willow stepped back, smirking.

“I ordered Indian for you. Do you like Indian?”

Tara finally noticed the very fragrant, steaming take out containers on her desk.

“Oh, Willow!” she cried. She turned back to the vampire, her warm blue eyes shining. “I love Indian! Thank you!”

Willow stole another kiss, happy to have made Kitten happy.

“I used your laundry card. And your soap. And your shampoo,” the vampire said.

“You’re welcome to everything I have,” Tara smiled. Her nose wrinkled in mirth. “I’m sorry my clothes are a little big on you.” Willow’s rumpled, barefooted figure just looked so adorable. She looked nothing like a killer, but more like a very sweet, innocent girl. Tara was suddenly reminded of Buffy’s stories of the human Willow. Her smile faded slightly.

“I don’t care if they’re big on me, they are meant for,” and then Willow caressed up and down Kitten’s sides. “A perrrfect body,” she purred. Kitten lowered her eyes bashfully.

“Oh,” she said, as Willow stepped in to explore with her hands more attentively. “Dru is still here.” The elder vampire was still curled up beneath the bedcovers, as still as stone.

“Mum always sleeps the day away. Myself, I sleep less,” Willow informed. “More time for Kitty.” Her cool hands came up to fondle.

“I-I have evening classes,” Tara apologized. “In an hour.” She glanced uncertainly at Dru, who still made an immobile lump in her bed.

“I know,” Willow pouted. Reluctantly, she stilled her hands. “I will hate Wednesdays. Come eat, Kitten. I’ll have to leave at dusk anyway. More business tonight.”

“More--” Tara took a seat at her desk. “H-hard work?”

“Yes Kitten,” Willow affirmed, trailing a finger down the back of her witch’s neck. “More hard work.” She wondered if Kitten would ask.

Tara only looked up at the vampire instead, her blue eyes searching. She reached up and brought Willow’s face down to gently kiss her.

Realizing that she was experiencing relief that Kitten chose not to be curious, Willow tried to dismiss the feeling as their lips parted. She flipped open the food containers, hoping to distract her witch.

“Mum will walk you to and from your classes tonight. I’ve even made her a schedule!” Willow showed Kitten a small paper upon which she’d mapped out Kitten’s classes in different colored pens.

“Oh, I don’t want to be any t-trouble,” Tara began.

“No trouble,” Willow assured firmly. “And don’t try to dissuade Mum. It will keep her out of all sorts of mischief, especially with a new Slayer in town.”

Kitten accepted that, and began to eat. Willow plopped back against her sire’s slumbering form.

“Now, tell me everything about what happened last night.”

* * *
Harmony stood silently beneath the sewer access of Crawford St. She’d been down there for half an hour already. Willow had indicated seven thirty, but Harm would be damned if anything made her even a second late. She and Will were no longer in the tight assed Order, but there were still rules one followed in a vampire’s house. So Harmony waited patiently and glanced at Barry’s watch again.

Will might have been the nerd Harm relentlessly tormented when they were both alive, but the vampire Will un-living now was definitely not to be fucked with. Harm didn’t know what happened to Willow since her Turning, but the redhead’s power signature gave her major wiggins. She was certain in the sewers last night that she and her little family were dust. Her short time in Aurelius serving under Luke had taught her enough of the viciousness of the vampire life. What was funny was that Harm in life was probably the most vicious, selfish bit of femalehood to inflict itself on Sunnydale. In the Order though, with Xander’s disgusted abandonment, and then Luke...Harm didn’t get it, but even the demon in her wanted out.

Harm was powerful, thanks to Xander’s blood. She could make her own little house, fuck to the Order and their backwards, backassed ways. So once the Slayer took out the Master, Harm fled and followed her unnatural calling. She had four surviving boys, and she was pretty proud of them. God, she hoped Willow would be good to her and hers.

She checked the watch again. Time to meet her new Master.

* * *
Willow took a pensive drag on her Turkish cigarette and then a sip of blood. She had barely filled the glass half way. She didn’t need it, really, it was for looks. She could still survive the week on Kitten’s blood, and Harm’s last night was very potent. Mm, Xander. She was sorry he was dust.

Willow exhaled sharply, turning the exiting smoke into a long sigh. She’d rather be with Kitten right now, even if she was away in classes, but a Master’s work is never done. Angel was probably all smug with the ‘I told you so’ face right now.

The door chimed, and Willow gestured, remaining in her armchair as Harmony strolled through the opening door and then came to a stop before her.

“Harm, I need a lieutenant,” Willow merely said, taking another drag.

“I’m your girl,” Harm replied. Willow was totally floored by the new, abrupt Harm. She was usually the bitch that could be depended upon to give her unneeded opinion and never shut up.

“How many boys do you have?”

“Four.”

Willow nodded, flicking her cigarette into the ashtray. “I need to get a message across.”

“Yeah, I saw some of them on the way here.”

Willow smirked slightly. Her eyes narrowed as she raised the cigarette to her lips. “This week you’ll be cleaning the town for me. If you’ve trained your fledges well, you should have no trouble.”

“I’ve got big boys, Will.”

“I’ll be happy to see them. Bring them tomorrow, same time.”

“Yes Willow.”

Willow then tilted her head back, indicating the hallway behind her. “Four doors down, to the left. Go down and make yourself ready.”

Harmony left the living area without another word.

Willow finished her cigarette and then the glass of blood. She gave the blonde vampire ten minutes. Then she rose and headed for the cellar.

* * *
“Hm mm, hm mm mmm mmm,” Dru hummed as she sashayed to the fine jazz melody wafting from the open hall doors behind her. ‘Jazz concert tonight!’, the posted paper had said. Cubby was in the building across the grass. The booky life was rather fun. Her Spike went to one of these places when he was a warm thing. She always knew her Spike was smarter than Daddy, but shh, shh. Daddy was Daddy because he was bigger. Like a Clydesdale.

Dru felt a slight prick of the senses. Not the smelly thing. More like a fledgy. She swept around the building and then paused, coiled and ready. There was the baby bird, waiting in the shadows for a warm meal to leave the music. The elder vampire approached silently.

“RRRrrrr,” she growled, making the fledge jump. “Know you, the Master’s warning?”

“Hada, ah,” the fledge fumbled, easily making no sense. He looked around rapidly, and saw no humans about. “I-I’ve not seen a Pet, honest! I’d know one when I see one! M-maybe you can point out, him, or or her--”

He looked around desperately again, then made a decision. He made a run for it.

Dru nearly followed. Since Precious said no more draining of the warm things, Dru had felt at a lost at what to kill to pass her time. Little birdies would do. But then she remembered.

Dru looked at the piece of paper Precious had pinned to her dress. The hall suddenly discharged people into the night air, signaling a break in the performance.

“Do you have the time?” Dru asked the nearest warm thing, smiling sweetly.

* * *
Tara gathered up her books. Thank god, last class for the night.

“Hey Tara, can we walk back with you to the dorms?”

Two of her Wicca group members stood before her, smiling. Cait and Denise were really nice. They had figured out that Tara knew how to do stuff that kept the weird campus muggers away. Especially the scary muggers who wore those frightening masks.

“Sure, c’mon,” Tara said, smiling.

Once outside, Tara found herself suddenly swung into a dance.

“Cubby!!” Dru sang. “The stars looove jazz.”

Cait and Denise clutched their book bags and stared at Tara and her strange friend, wide mouthed.

“Oh, Dru, I’m glad,” Tara gasped, as the quick dance ended. She looked at her bewildered friends. “Cait, Denise, this is D-Drusilla. Dru, this is Cait and Denise--some of my Wicca friends.”

“Blessed Be,” Dru greeted with a wicked smile. Then she snickered.

“Blessings Be,” Cait said, as they began walking together. She wasn’t sure what to make of the Gothy lady. “Have you been to school here long?”

“Oh, Dru d-doesn’t go to school here,” Tara answered for the elder vampire, who, ignoring the others, gazed dreamily up at the stars. “She’s, um, my g-girlfriend’s mom.”

“Tara!” Denise exclaimed, smiling. “You’ve got a new girlfriend? Cool!”

“Wow, and you didn’t tell us?” Cait added, also enthused. She and Denise had alot of admiration for the older girl. To them, Tara was so Wicca knowledge woman and everything. “Is she like, ten years old or something, because Drusilla doesn’t look that old!” Cait laughed. She couldn’t resist that one.

“Oh, stop,” Tara admonished, and blushed bright red. The fact that Willow looked so young did embarrass her. There was only a two year difference, physically, but still. High school robbing.

A man suddenly moved menacingly out of the bushes, effectively interrupting the teasing. Tara raised a hand to prepare a spell. The man took one look at the slave bracelet on her wrist and turned tail. Cait and Denise let out frightened breaths they didn’t know they were holding.

“What, what was that all about?” Cait said fearfully, watching the man run away.

“I don’t know,” Tara said with a frown. “C’mon, Dru and I will walk you to your rooms.” She looked at Dru, and the elder vampire merely shrugged and went back to humming to the stars.

* * *

Willow walked into her bedroom. She entered the bath suite and realized she still held the short whip, wrapped neatly in her hand. She put it down. She peeled off her black, leather gloves. They needed cleaning. She looked down at her white, long sleeved shirt.

She liked wearing white shirts for these sort of things, she wasn’t sure why. The contrast of it, she supposed. Harm’s blood decorated the front. She took it off. She found the solution she’d concocted for cleaning bloodstains and applied it to the shirt. She then went to her closet and found an identical, pressed shirt, and put it on. She buttoned the cuffs.

Harm would probably regain consciousness soon, she had good stamina. Willow made sure the shirt was well tucked in and all the buttons neatly fastened. She ran a hand through her hair. She left her bedroom.

* * *
Angel pulled his head almost guiltily out of the fridge upon sensing Willow’s presence enter the first floor level, but his grandchilde did not come to the kitchen. Instead, she moved back to the cellar again. When Angel had entered the mansion earlier, he didn’t need vampiric hearing to recognize a young woman’s screams from beneath the house. Outrage brought his demon face to the fore, thinking that his grandchilde had tricked him--all of them--and was now torturing Tara. Before he could break through the reinforced cellar door however, he realized he didn’t hear a heart beat.

When he paused a moment, listening harder, he had to admit--after a few more tormented screams--that he doubted Tara would screech like such a harpy.

Whatever vamp the little one had in her cellar, it obviously had to do with the attack on her Pet. Angel decided to let be, and then had the bright idea to maybe find some of that good blood his grandchilde kept around. He found the right bottle and poured himself a glass.

Why was he still here? his souled self had to ask. A good question, as he had not intended to come to the mansion for anything unless it was to talk business with his grandchilde. But Willow was unavailable and here he still was, helping himself to human blood--something he had denied himself for decades. As the microwave dinged, Angel decided to put away such well meaning intentions as guiltily dumping what he had portioned out for himself and just drink the damn stuff.

Kendra had made it clear that she didn’t want him helping with patrol tonight, preferring to take Larry and Oz instead. She was trained as a loner fighter, Angel recognized, so taking the boys with her was quite a concession for the very conservative woman. However, he knew his being a vampire--and possibly the most notoriously evil in Watcher history--helped in quickly pushing him out of the White Hats current circle. Giles warily trusted him, and Larry and Oz never expressed either support or rejection of his presence. It was Buffy who had readily accepted him and his help. Granted, that trust was gained by his trying his best to act as a human man, and their both inadvertently falling in love, but he felt that Buffy accepted him as a vampire too. And he had needed her; needed that golden warrior girl to keep his condemned self on this road of redemption, to inspire him and give him cause.

But now his beloved Slayer lay broken in the hospital, and a new girl was in town.

Angel sat in his armchair and drank his blood. He should not be here. He was no more prepared to re-enter this Family than deciding to once again be a Sire to Dru. He should be with Buffy. He shouldn’t be here.

After a long while had passed, Angel was roused from dark contemplations by the sound of the cellar door opening, then closing. Light footsteps entered the living area.

“Granddad, how nice to see you,” he heard Willow say in a clipped voice. “Sorry I can’t stay and chat. Good night.” He glanced back to his grandchilde’s retreating form as she took to the stairs. He sensed her wound up, tense state.

“Good night, Little One,” he quietly answered.

* * *
The cold water came in torrents, drenching her face and body, but since she was a vampire, it was not like the frigid shower took away all the sensitivity of her skin or dampened her heightened, hormonal excitement. That’s what she gets when she spends the night initiating pain with someone and then giving pleasure. Harmony was quite a filly in chains, but it was all business; the usual, master/sub vampire type relations. The way Harm responded to the second part of her treatment however, made Willow certain she now had a loyal lieutenant in the making. What would seal Harm’s devotion would be what Willow will demonstrate on and for the blonde vampire’s beloved boys tomorrow.

Willow turned around, letting the unmerciful cold pound her back. God, she wished Kitten were here, she wanted, oh she wanted--

Willow gasped, entering herself with her fingers. She began to move them rapidly. She can see Kitten, heavy lidded and aroused eyed, her mouth, moist, so well kissed, her flushed, hot body, legs spread--like that--and, the way her breasts moved, and, her beautiful, wet, wet sex so hot and--writhing, yes, responding and now--yes, that’s it, Coming--

Oh Kitten OhKittenOh

Willow arched hard into her rapidly working hand. Her other slammed into the tile before her. She nearly did the same with her head. She twisted, facing the pounding cold water again. She finally collapsed awkwardly to the tub bottom, shower water entering her mouth.

She was panting. Panting on...reflex. Thoughts of Kitten had made her do that. Willow felt the foreign sensation of her dead chest move of its own volition. She coughed up some of the water that had entered her lungs. She finally removed her hand from between her legs.

She still wanted Kitten.

An hour later, lying spread eagled and wide awake on top of her bed, Willow still wanted Kitten.

It was too early for bed, but she was still aroused and didn’t feel calm enough to talk to her grandsire. Who she sensed was no longer in the house anyway. At least he better not be. Willow looked at the clock once more. Still enough hours before dawn, but this time was Kitten’s sleep time. If she went to her witch’s dorm room right now, Willow would definitely not let her sleep. Willow whimpered at her predicament and then pouted. She indulged in demony thoughts of throwing her ‘progressive vampire’ image out the window and chaining Kitten to her bed right now.

Such lurid images only made her pout more. They weren’t so fun when the images came with Kitten crying in them.

“I wish Kitten were here,” she moped out loud. “I wish Kitten would call.”

Her cell phone jingled. Willow’s hand shot out for it immediately.

“Willow?” came her Kitten’s soft voice--so pretty!!

“I wish you were here!” Willow nearly shouted into the phone. She looked around, expectant.

“Well, it was worth a shot,” she finally said, deflated.

“I-I wish I were there too,” Kitten answered, sounding slightly confused. “Are you still, um, working?”

“Nope, that’s over for the night. But I have to do it again tomorrow. You don’t have any classes on Friday, Kitten, but I really want you here tomorrow night, in my house.”

“That’s fine, Willow. I can do that.”

“Okie doke! I wish I were there with you right now, but if I were, I wouldn’t let you sleep, Kitten.”

“O-oh?”

Willow giggled. She could imagine Kitten biting that full lower lip of hers.

“Was there something the matter?” Willow suddenly asked, realizing she didn’t know why Kitten called.

“Oh, n-no, I just wanted to wish you good night. I’m ready to go to bed.”

Willow wriggled.

“Kitten,” she breathed. Oh please please let her want to play this. “Kitten...would you...would you fuck me over the phone?”

There was silence.

“Please?” Willow pleaded, her voice small. She hoped she hadn’t offended Kitten by using the ‘f’ word. Kitten never swore, as far as she knew.

“I...”

“Oh Kitten, please,” Willow begged in her best little girl voice.

“What are you doing now, Willow.” Kitten’s voice was a little different. Still feminine, but now...more powerful. Willow wiggled on the bed, thrilled.

“I’m all naked and ready for you,” she breathed. “I’ve been wanting you for hours and hours.” She waited, but Kitten said nothing. “Are you naked too, Kitten?” she asked cautiously.

“Oh no,” Kitten answered, her tone firm. “My clothes are on, and will stay on. You’ve obviously put yourself in quite a state. You’re going to have to get yourself out of it.”

Willow writhed. “Oooh, Kitten!” she moaned, needy.

“Touch your breast, Willow.”

She did so, cupping and massaging one of her small breasts.

“Whose hand is that, Willow?”

“Yours, Kitten,” she moaned.

“Am I holding you roughly?”

“Yes!” Willow cried, grabbing her breast hard.

“Am I touching your nipple? Am I tweaking it? Fondling it, making it hard?”

“Yes, Kitten you are,” Willow breathed, biting her lip at the exquisite sensation of her nipple hardening.

“Maybe I should pinch harder, give you something to think about. Maybe I should rake my nails from your chest right down to your stomach. How does that feel?”

“Ah, Kitten--you’re so bad!” Willow ground out, her nails digging deeper than Kitten’s would, leaving welts.

“I should spread your legs now, I want to see it all. How wet are you? Are you drenched? Are you ready?”

“Oh, mmph--” Willow chose an inappropriate moment to whimper in her throat, Kitten’s words just making her want to bend over right that minute and take it.

“Maybe you’re not so ready. Maybe I have to play with you a bit more. Stroke your clit. trace your lips. No, you’re not ready. I’m not entering you yet. Is your clit responding to my touch? Is it?”

“Oh--oh, Kit--” Willow forced herself to touch herself. Only the clit. Only the clit.

“Are you ready now? Can I see it? Are you really wet for me? Are you spread wide for me to see?”

“I am I am I am,” Willow babbled, her knees practically to her shoulders. God was she spread wide for Kitten!

“Then I should...” Willow held her non-existent breath, her eyes wide as she waited, hanging. “FUCK you now.”

Willow nearly screamed, hearing her Kitten’s beautiful voice use the ‘fuck’ word.

“Put two in you--”

Willow placed the fingers at her entrance.

“Sink them in deep--”

Willow did so, ecstatically.

“To the hilt. Start pumping you, hard--”

“--make your little breasts jiggle. Watch your hands clutch the bedspread. Make you moan over and over while I take you. Can you feel me? Feel me want you? Feel how hard I want you? Do you need more of me? Do you need it harder--faster? How much harder can I give it to you, Willow, you’re shaking for me. I want you to come now. I want you to come now for me, Willow. While I’m pounding your sweet body into the--”

Willow screamed, Kitten’s name barely recognizable from her lips. She convulsed around her hand, jerked once more as she came again, then finally collapsed, a well spent, thoroughly fucked little Willow heap. The phone had slipped from her other hand, but Willow found the strength to lift it to her ear again.

“Kitten,” she said drowsily. She was absolutely...god, what Kitten could do to her. “You’re my...beautiful Kitten. Thank you.”

“Go to sleep, Willow,” she heard Kitten whisper.

“Nighty night,” Willow murmured.

As soon as she heard Willow click off, Tara turned off her cell. She dropped her head, a slender hand pushed through her thick, loose hair. She was sitting on the floor, back to her bed, forearms resting on her bent knees. She passed her hand through her hair again, and realized she was sweating.

Tara felt like quite a picture, and she indeed, looked like one. Her face was flushed, her blue eyes were glazed, and her sensual mouth was parted to accommodate the ragged breaths she took. She was considering her options: another shower, meditation, or just plain jacking off.

None were what she wanted. Thanks to a certain horny vampire, all she wanted now was Willow.

* * *

“Karma--see, people think I don’t know that word, but hey, just because I’m blonde doesn’t mean I can’t pick up mental-physical crap. Karma,” and here Harmony paused, taking a sharp bite out of the chocolate bar she found. “Is me being butt slave to the biggest geek to walk the earth. But now that we’re both demons, it actually works. Kay say-rah say-rah, y’know?”

As she finished off the bar, the trussed up and gagged cab driver began to fidget, frightened eyed, in his chair. Whenever the crazy blonde stopped talking, that was when he got hurt--really bad.

“I mean, for once, could Harm be queen? First there was Cordy, and now Will. But even when Cordy was knocked on her ass and I took over, I wasn’t happy. No, being Biggest Bitch wasn’t going to make me happy. I came to realize, that maybe all I wanted was something really simple. A five bedroom with the two jeeps in the garage and my well fed boys and I’m good.” With that announcement, Harmony began thumbing through the cash she found. Barry was going to need some new clothes. The dummy slipped in some demon slime the other night.

“I know you’ve got more,” she said, slapping the cabbie’s face back and forth with the cash. “Do you need me to break your other fingers?”

The cab driver jerked his head franticly towards the bed. Harm frowned. She’d already torn up the whole apartment and the bed was thoroughly thrashed. Putting a few brain cells to use, she pulled the bed frame back. Bingo, loose floorboard. She smashed it and pulled out a money tin.

“What’s funny,” she began, as she paused in industriously stuffing the new cash into a bag. A pensive frown was on her face, which was hard for Harm to do, because she was rarely pensive, so her face kind of hurt. “Is I never cared for anyone or anything as much as myself. Harm first, that was me. Then I become this thing, and next thing I know I’m making babies, and what’s worse is I care about my babies. I can make hundreds of them, I shouldn’t care if someone stakes them, but I do. I shouldn’t care that Will did more for me after a disciplining like no Master’d ever done for me, but I do. I mean, I can not even sit right now, that’s how fucked up I am, and you should see the rest of me.”

Harmony began to tremble, and the cabbie began to weep.

“I mean, I should care about that, getting fucked over, but I don’t. And yeah, demon here, we get off on that, but she didn’t have to--”

Harm shoved a bandaged hand close to the cab driver’s face.

“See that? A. Bandage. She didn’t have to do that. It’ll heal in another hour. She touched me all over, with her bare hands. Every hurt she made, she touched. She even--”

Harm shakily shut up, straightening. Even now, as a demon, Harmony could not admit out loud to something she didn’t even let guys do to her, in life and now in unlife.

“No one’s ever done for me. That’s why I shouldn’t care. Harmony first, and everyone else can drop and die. But then I had to go and have kids. This. This, y’know?”

She looked at the bandage.

“This is how I know she’ll take care of them. Or else me, and this money, and my family would have been on the train out of Sunnyhell, like that! Tonight.”

“She didn’t want me to kill you, did you know that?” Harmony then said, finally returning her attention to the cab driver and the task at hand. “I think that’s really weird, since you were the one who abandoned her girl to get killed. You’re a real jerk, you know that?” She began to work the gag off. “Don’t scream, or I’ll bite your tongue off,” she said sharply. The cab driver just breathed hard, making funny, scared sounds. “If it had been my Pet, I’d be peeling your dick now and feeding it to you like a banana. Maybe I should still do that. It’s not like you’ll die if I did. But instead, I’m supposed to give you this.”

Harm forced the man’s mouth to open wide, and then blew something into it. The cab driver coughed, then rolled his eyes to the back of his head.

“Happy nightmares,” Harm bade, putting the gag back on and slapping the man’s head. Already the cabbie appeared deep asleep, his eyelids fluttering. Harm exited out the apartment window, feeling dawn’s approach.

“Well I’ve had the perfect night,” Harm announced to the growing dawn as she ran--stiffly--for a manhole cover. “Got a new master, passed the ‘get fucked’ test, did a job, made money for the kids. I should be on the cover of Lady’s Home ‘Fuck Me’ Journal.”

As she pulled the cover in place, Harmony’s muffled and vexed voice underground could be heard, sharply asking, “Now that I’m dead, can I still get my picture taken?”

* * *

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