for Sherry

[formoftherapy]

Kite made it to Christmas break alive, which still feels like an accomplishment. (Sunnydale habits are hard to break.)

She's using the time to get through the rest of her grandmother's journals and the bar seemed like as good a reading room as any. Kite has laid claim to one of the couches, legs sprawled across the cushions and a coffee mug on the floor beside her.

Comments

[if_inconvenient]

"If he hasn't," Sherlock adds reassuringly, "he likely won't."

[formoftherapy]

She laughs nervously.

"Good to know."

[if_inconvenient]

"Any reason good enough to put it off for a day is good enough to put it off for a lifetime."

Not particularly because he expects his soulless self to be all that sentimental about the souls of others, but precisely because the bar would be so very high.

[formoftherapy]

"I think he was too glad to see him to want to change anything about him," she murmurs.

[if_inconvenient]

"Or perhaps afraid that the Tony he would get out of the process would not be the Tony he wanted."

[formoftherapy]

There's an idea she's going to try very hard not to have.

"Yeah, that too."

[if_inconvenient]

He shrugs.



Something occurs to him.



"Are you going to tell him you met me?"

[formoftherapy]

"Who, Tony or vampire-you?


Hadn't given it much thought either way, to be honest."

[if_inconvenient]

"Vampire me," his lips quirk, "is fairly likely to find out regardless of your intention."

And it would certainly be one solution to the problem of Obadiah Stane. He is divided on whether or not it would be a good one.

[formoftherapy]

"Point taken."

[if_inconvenient]

"I am not at all sure what he might take it upon himself to do if he became aware of the specifics of my situation."

[formoftherapy]

"I've got a few guesses."

Not that she thinks he would need that particular excuse to take out yet another Obadiah Stane.

She's not sure how to hold him back if he decides he wants to. (Or if she would.)

[if_inconvenient]

Which reminds him: "Has he killed your Obadiah?"

[formoftherapy]

"No."

Although she's worried he will.

(She's worried she won't be there if he does.)

[if_inconvenient]

"I wonder why not."

[formoftherapy]

"Probably afraid of wearing out his welcome with Tony."

And simple lack of opportunity has probably contributed.

[if_inconvenient]

"Ah, yes. That."

Half a beat.

"I am not entirely willing to believe it would stop him."

[formoftherapy]

She nods.

"It may not, but we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it."

[if_inconvenient]

"Quite."

[formoftherapy]

Something occurs to her.

"Was this your Obadiah? Or someone else's?" She gestures to his throat, stops short of actually touching him.

[if_inconvenient]

"A different one. Via that New York timeline I mentioned." Offhandedly, "Mine is in Hell."

[formoftherapy]

"Lucky.

And his Tony and Sherry, how are they?"

[if_inconvenient]

"Living."

[formoftherapy]

She sighs.

"Thank heaven for small favors."

[if_inconvenient]

"In his own way, Obadiah was quite noble about it."