Flukes and Lilacs [Discworld, Vimes/Sybil] Title: Flukes and Lilacs Part 1 of 6 Author: roruna Fandom: Discworld Pairings/Characters: Vimes/Sybil Rating/Warnings: PG-13 A/N: I've already posted this on fanfiction.net what the heck. I'm trying to work on a sequel(s) that I'll definitely post here and I thought it would be good if you all had the background story. This is an AU fic of Night Watch so you better have read Night Watch before you try to read this. Theme: Meta, #3 Cannon What-If
How could this have happened? Vimes asked himself. This was not how it went. She wasn’t here. She was safe at home, with her dad probably. She wasn’t here. Vimes kept playing these remarks in his mind over and over like a prayer. He secretly hoped, deep, deep down, probably in his colon (1) that if he thought it hard enough it would become true. Rust as the Watch captain was ridiculous enough but this?
She hadn’t even screamed that loudly or that high. It wasn’t even really a cry of distress; it was one of those screams that happen when one is in a fight. But Vimes’ ears picked it up and his hindbrain knew that it was Sybil. He ran crossing the barricade towards the scream, the whole world forgotten. When Vimes got there, she was in a fight. It had probably started out as an attempted mugging or… Vimes couldn’t finish that thought. But this was Sybil and while she was a teenage girl, she was no helpless damsel. But it was her against two men, so the fight was not going great for her.
One man had hooked his arms under her armpits but was having noticeable trouble keeping her still and himself unscathed. The other man was keeping his distance since Sybil was well aware of the fact that her legs were still free and whenever she thought he might be in range, she’d kick savagely at him. Eventually, the man picked up a long bit of wood and was going to swing at Sybil with it when Vimes, using one of Mrs. Goodbody’s handy equalizers, laid the man out from behind.
This distracted the man holding onto Sybil, giving her a chance to give him a swift kick between the legs and drive her elbow under his ribcage when he let go of her arms. It took Vimes a great deal of restraint to keep from beating both men to a bloody pulp once he was sure that Sybil wasn’t in any danger. Instead he bellowed for Sergeant Colon and Snouty. They arrived almost instantly. Vimes pointed at both men who were either unconscious or smart enough to fake it. “Take these two to the cells.”
He told himself that he’d teach them some manners later. When Colon and Snouty had gone, Vimes rushed over to Sybil but stopped in his tracks when she picked up the bit of wood and held it in both hands like a sword. She glared at him and Vimes noticed that she looked furious but also scared. “You’re that dreadful man from the other night.” She took a step forward just as Vimes was going to say something. “Don’t make a move! Why are you following me?”
Vimes reached out a hand slowly and was about to take another step to Sybil but stopped himself. Something in his brain stopped him, something beyond ‘if you get to close she’ll beat you with a big stick’. He couldn’t stop looking at her. She was so close. At the moment, she was the only real thing in the world and it was killing him, especially when she called him dreadful. Vimes remembered that Sybil would use the word dreadful when describing the really ruthless men he dealt with daily; the murderers, the really imaginative thugs, the rapists… and now she had condemned him to be among them.
“Sybil…” He couldn’t think of anything to say to her. He wanted to tell her everything of course but he had long figured out that she wouldn’t believe him. “I’m not following you… I just heard a scream and I…” Here was where it got tricky. He wanted to say that there is no universe where he would hurt her and that he loved her and that he was sorry. Sorry about… well, everything. The benign neglect, for making her feel like she wasn’t that important to him, making her worry, the fact that she was his third thought and not his first. He pulled himself together and groaned. “I really think that you should come with me behind the barricade until we can figure out how to get you home…” He stepped closer to her. Sybil tightened her grip on the bit of wood and raised it sharply.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” “Sybil—” “Miss Ramkin to you, thank you very much.”
Vimes sighed; he was really starting to lose his patience. “What are you even doing here? You live on Scoone Ave. You’re not even supposed to be here!” He really hadn’t meant to shout and as soon as he did, he knew that it had been a mistake. Sybil’s eyes widened momentarily but she rallied herself quickly. “Where I go is none of your business.” This was getting him nowhere. She wasn’t going to listen to him at this rate. He reminded himself that she was not his wife. She was just a girl looking at a scary man with an eye patch who knew too much about her.
He took several steps back until there was almost the street’s width between them. Sybil relaxed her grip on the bit of wood but kept her eyes on him. He looked away from her and tried to think. He knew he had work he needed to do. He needed to keep Treacle Mine Road safe and find Carcer and try to get back home… and Sybil was insanely distracting. He wasn’t going to just leave her to her own devices, it was too risky. He knew that she’d be safe if she just agreed to get behind the barricade, which is where he needed to be anyway. Also some part of him didn’t want to be far from her. He had the cigar case she gave him but having her close was something he didn’t want to let go of and he knew that was selfish and short sighted even as he thought it.
He also knew that she didn’t trust him and saw him as more of a danger than anything else, including those two men. He had to reassure her she’d be safe. He needed someone harmless, someone trustworthy, or at least honest looking. Harmless… Harmless… He walked slowly to the barricade, turning to look at Sybil occasionally just to make sure she was all right. They weren’t that far from the barricade, in fact she was still in his sight once he was right in front of it. He found a large gap and spoke into it loudly. “Get Vimes and Miss Battye out here, please.”
Someone said, “Yes, sarge” Then there were the distinct sounds of running from behind the barricade. Vimes turned to look at Sybil again and noticed that she tightened her grip each time he turned to look at her. After a few minutes, Sam and Miss Battye climbed over the barricade. “What’s up, sarge?” Vimes motioned to Sybil vaguely. “She’s a long way from home… see if you can convince her to get behind the barricade with us until we can figure out how to get her back home.”
Sam nodded sharply and walked over to Sybil. Sam held up his badge as he got closer to Sybil and in a clear voice said, “Lance-Constable Vimes, City Watch.” Miss Battye looked at Vimes more or less bemused and followed after Sam slowly. Sam motioned towards Vimes. “That’s Sergeant Keel.” Sam pointed at Miss Battye. “This is Sandra Battye, she’s a—” Miss Battye gave Sam a sharp look. Sam coughed nervously and tried not to smile. “She sews.” After an embarrassing pause, Sam spoke again. “Miss… er…” “Sybil.” “Miss Sybil—” “Just Sybil, please.” “Er…” Sam blushed, of course he did.
Ye gods, thought Vimes, she’s always been a sucker for the skinny ones. He probably would have found the situation more amusing if he wasn’t trying to tell himself that he wasn’t jealous. This is crazy. Jealous of myself. Why couldn’t she just have stayed home? I don’t need this grief. He looked back to Sam, Sybil and Miss Battye. Sam had given up the guard act and just seemed to be trying to avoid looking at Sybil at all costs. He was still blushing and Vimes noticed that every few seconds, Sam would glance up at Sybil but only for an instant.
How in the hell was he instantly attracted to her? Vimes wondered. Vimes hadn’t even been instantly attracted to Sybil when they first met. Actually he had been terrified of her. Of course that might have had something to do with the ‘do you know anything about mating’ line she had sprung on him. (2) But Sam wasn’t the same person as Vimes, was he? Sam was a teenage boy who was just grateful to get attention from any girl. And Sybil was pretty… in a way. As in, ‘you have such a pretty face, if you just lost the weight’.
Miss Battye finally broke the silence. She put her hand on Sybil’s shoulder. “Would you like to come behind the barricade with us? At least until things quiet down and then we’ll take you home.” Sybil smiled genteelly to Miss Battye but then looked over to Vimes. She wasn’t bothering to hide her apprehension towards him. Sam spoke up on Vimes’ behalf. “Don’t worry about Sarge, miss. He’s a good copper.” Vimes smiled a little. That really was the kindest thing anyone could ever say about him, in fact that was the kindest thing he could say about anyone. Sybil spoke this time. “I’ll go, but only if you promise to call me Sybil, none of this ‘miss’ business.”
Sam coughed loudly; his face, if it were possible, was even redder now. He nodded and that was quite tricky since he still refused to look up at Sybil. “All right… S-Sybil.” Miss Battye really tried not to laugh. She smirked a little while her shoulders shook a little. She walked over to the barricade, passing Vimes and climbed over with his help. Vimes turned to look at Sam and Sybil and with great reluctance, climbed over the barricade to the other side leaving the kids to their own devices, even if it only was for under a minute.
(1) His heart wasn’t deep down enough. (2) Oh, and the dragon breeder armor she was wearing at the time.