Breaking the Chains 10/?
Title: Breaking the Chains 10/?
Characters: Keith
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence
Summary: Modern day slavery AU. One bad mistake by a young Keith leads to a life of slavery, suffering... and perhaps hope.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's note: shout-out to my lovely beta tigris18
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six /Seven /Eight /Nine
Chapter 10
Six years later.
Rachel Maddow sighed and flopped down on the couch. “Ali, why do I have to go?” she asked of her partner in radio and life. Twenty-three years old, and already knew she had found the person for her. Both were also rising stars in the world of radio, at least at AirAmerica.
Alison Stewart walked out of the kitchen, a soda in hand. “Your name got picked from the hat.” She grinned. “I’m just glad it wasn’t me.”
Rachel groaned. “Is there really a point to going to this media source party thing, anyway? It’s not like it doesn’t happen every year. Who decided that this is so important, anyway?”
Alison laughed. “You weren’t like this when Bill had to go last year.”
Rachel stuck out her tongue, then muttered, “Fucking Murdoch having to throw this stupid social function every year. Argh.”
Alison bent over to give Rachel a quick kiss. “You’ll be fine. Shouldn’t you be going now? You don’t want to be later than fashionable.”
Rachel snorted with affection. “Have you ever known me to be fashionable?”
“First time for everything.”
“Alright, alright.” Rachel pushed herself up to her feet. “I’m going.” She grabbed her purse, then pulled Alison into a deep kiss. It was Alison who had to separate them after a minute.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re trying to get us both aroused enough so that we have to have sex before you go.”
“It was worth a try.”
“If you’re good, you can have some when you get home. Now go, and try to have fun.”
Rachel made a mock-pouting face. Alison smiled and pushed her towards the door of their apartment. “Out.”
The smile on Rachel’s face stayed until she hailed a cab to the gathering hall where the event was taking place. She became apprehensive as the cab pulled up and she stepped out. She had thoughts about Rupert Murdoch, and none of them were flattering.
While Rachel had known that Murdoch owned a lot of slaves, she almost hadn’t expected them to be milling around, ready to refill a drink or whatever other little tasks anyone might need of them. They weren’t hard to pick out, all dressed in identical formal shirts and bowties.
“You’re looking for them,” said a voice at her side.
Rachel flinched and quickly turned to face the person.
“Sorry if I startled you, Miss…?”
“Rachel Maddow,” Rachel answered, extending her hand. “Shepard Smith, right?”
Shepard nodded. “Who are you representing tonight?”
“AirAmerica. Now what was that you said?”
Shepard lowered his tone. “You’re picking out the slaves from the rest.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re curious. I will tell you that none of Murdoch’s security guards are. When it comes to his personal safety, money is more of an assurance that they’ll do their job.”
“That makes… sense, I guess.” One slave caught her attention, though she didn’t know why. He was tall, with glasses and longish brown hair. She saw the way he rubbed his neck and winced. That smudged some of the make-up, and revealed a bit of darkened skin underneath. It looked like a bruise. Rachel watched as the slave walked around for a moment before turning her attention back to Shepard.
Rachel almost asked Shepard how Murdoch treated his slaves, then thought better of it and changed the topic to the latest GOP presidential candidates news. That was a safe enough topic.
During the course of their conversation, the two of them somehow ended up near Murdoch, who was talking with a bunch of other people. All were sitting in chairs.
Rachel stopped talking to Shepard when she heard one of the people, a woman, ask, “Rupert, are all these slaves here tonight yours?”
“Why yes. I even have more at home. I didn’t need them all here tonight.”
“Impressive,” another person remarked.
Shepard didn’t try to reengage Rachel, but he didn’t leave, either. He also seemed curious as to where this conversation was going. Rachel tried to not call attention to herself as she listened and watched.
Murdoch summoned the nearest slave- the one who had caught Rachel’s attention earlier- and told him to refill his drink. When the slave left, Murdoch’s mouth lifted in a smug grin.
“How do you handle them all?” asked a guest.
“I make sure that they know who their master is, very quickly. It’s also a game of reward and punishment… with the reward being no punishment.”
The group laughed. Murdoch slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed something, but he didn’t take it out. He continued talking about how he trains his slaves. When the slave returned with his drink, Murdoch took a sip of it and set it on the floor next to his feet. The slave turned to leave. “I didn’t dismiss you, Keith.”
The slave turned back to Murdoch and stayed near his side. He was trying to hide his nervousness at being told to stay.
Murdoch continued talking to his audience. “Take this one, for example. I’ve had him for awhile now. He’s can still be quite… stubborn at times. But, I do enjoy the occasional challenge.” Within a second, Murdoch took the object from his pocket, and Keith was on his knees at the man’s feet, whimpering in pain.
When Keith fell, the stungun disconnected from his thigh. Murdoch reactivated the current on his shoulder. Keith was clearly trying his best to not cry out.
Rachel instantly moved to help in whatever way she could, but Shepard discreetly grabbed her sleeve. Rachel took the hint and stayed.
“Isn’t that right, Keith?” Murdoch asked.
“Yes,” Keith answered while biting his lip.
Murdoch jammed the stungun into the slave’s shoulder again. “Yes, what?”
“Keith grit his teeth. “Yes, Master.”
To Rachel’s disgust, many of the guests watching the scene laughed as Murdoch kept the stungun on Keith a little longer before turning it off and putting it back in his pocket.
“Get up and go freshen up, boy,” Murdoch ordered, with a sly grin on his face. “You look a little pale.” The guests laughed harder.
While Keith struggled to stand, Rachel stole a glance at Shepard. He wasn’t laughing, not even smiling. He seemed to be trying to conceal his anger. His hold on her sleeve tightened.
Rachel turned back to the scene. Keith had gotten to his feet. He took a second to catch his breath, then hurried to the closest restroom.
Murdoch went back to conversing with his guests. Shepard excused himself from Rachel and went to the same restroom as Keith had. Concern for the slave was evident on his face. Rachel stared after him for a moment, until a voice at her side asked, “Rachel Maddow from AirAmerica?”
Rachel turned around. “Oh, Brian Williams. Hi, umm… it’s an honor to meet you,” she nervously said. “I’m surprised that you actually know my name.”
“I like to keep up to tabs on upcoming talent in the business,” answered Williams.
Any thought Rachel had to leave after Shepard left disappeared. Now she had a reason to stick around, other than for simple appearance and representing AirAmerica. So she stayed awhile longer. But that slave, Keith, stayed in the back of her mind for the rest of the night.
********
“Hey, babe,” Alison greeted when Rachel walked into their apartment. She waited until Rachel took off her jacket and shirt to change into pajamas, before pulling her into a deep kiss. When Rachel didn’t respond the way she usually did, Alison knew something was up.
“Rach, are you alright? Too much to drink at the party?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong? You seem… kind of distracted.”
“Something happened there.” Rachel changed her clothes and sat on the edge of the bed. Alison sat next to her. “Murdoch had a lot of his slaves there as waiters.” Rachel told what happened to Keith. “… And the guests were laughing at him. It made me so… sick. They were laughing at another person’s suffering. Not everyone was laughing. Shepard Smith wasn’t. He actually seemed concerned for Keith. But still, the fact that people were laughing at all that…”
Alison kissed Rachel’s cheek and wrapped her arms around her to hold her close. “Oh, Rachel…”
Rachel rested her hands on Alison’s forearms. “I’ve been thinking about him- Keith- all night. There was also a bruise on his neck. I think… I think Murdoch regularly abuses him. He just shocked him so… casually, and Keith was so nervous at being told to stay before he did.”
“Unfortunately, it’s perfectly legal for slaves to be abused by their masters.”
“I know. But it was so hard to see it. I just… nevermind.”
“Rachel,” Alison quietly prompted.
“Ali, I want to help him. I know that there aren’t really any ways to do that, though. But, I really want to do something.”
Both women were quiet for a few minutes. “Rach, the only way to help him would be to buy him.”
“Yeah… I came to that conclusion, too.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t even know if Murdoch would even sell Keith, and if he did, I think it would be pricey. We couldn’t…”
“If we decide to do this, Anderson might help with that.”
“He… he might, yeah.” Rachel sighed. “We see him and Jon and Stephen in a few days. I’ll think about it.” She tried to stifle a yawn.
“Whatever you decide, I’ll support it. Now, you’re tired, and so am I. So let’s sleep.” Rachel laid down , and waited for Alison to cuddle her from behind to say “Goodnight, Ali. I love you.”
Alison kissed the two spots on Rachel’s neck and pulled the blanket over them. “Love you, too, Rach.”
Characters: Keith
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence
Summary: Modern day slavery AU. One bad mistake by a young Keith leads to a life of slavery, suffering... and perhaps hope.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's note: shout-out to my lovely beta tigris18
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six /Seven /Eight /Nine
Chapter 10
Six years later.
Rachel Maddow sighed and flopped down on the couch. “Ali, why do I have to go?” she asked of her partner in radio and life. Twenty-three years old, and already knew she had found the person for her. Both were also rising stars in the world of radio, at least at AirAmerica.
Alison Stewart walked out of the kitchen, a soda in hand. “Your name got picked from the hat.” She grinned. “I’m just glad it wasn’t me.”
Rachel groaned. “Is there really a point to going to this media source party thing, anyway? It’s not like it doesn’t happen every year. Who decided that this is so important, anyway?”
Alison laughed. “You weren’t like this when Bill had to go last year.”
Rachel stuck out her tongue, then muttered, “Fucking Murdoch having to throw this stupid social function every year. Argh.”
Alison bent over to give Rachel a quick kiss. “You’ll be fine. Shouldn’t you be going now? You don’t want to be later than fashionable.”
Rachel snorted with affection. “Have you ever known me to be fashionable?”
“First time for everything.”
“Alright, alright.” Rachel pushed herself up to her feet. “I’m going.” She grabbed her purse, then pulled Alison into a deep kiss. It was Alison who had to separate them after a minute.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re trying to get us both aroused enough so that we have to have sex before you go.”
“It was worth a try.”
“If you’re good, you can have some when you get home. Now go, and try to have fun.”
Rachel made a mock-pouting face. Alison smiled and pushed her towards the door of their apartment. “Out.”
The smile on Rachel’s face stayed until she hailed a cab to the gathering hall where the event was taking place. She became apprehensive as the cab pulled up and she stepped out. She had thoughts about Rupert Murdoch, and none of them were flattering.
While Rachel had known that Murdoch owned a lot of slaves, she almost hadn’t expected them to be milling around, ready to refill a drink or whatever other little tasks anyone might need of them. They weren’t hard to pick out, all dressed in identical formal shirts and bowties.
“You’re looking for them,” said a voice at her side.
Rachel flinched and quickly turned to face the person.
“Sorry if I startled you, Miss…?”
“Rachel Maddow,” Rachel answered, extending her hand. “Shepard Smith, right?”
Shepard nodded. “Who are you representing tonight?”
“AirAmerica. Now what was that you said?”
Shepard lowered his tone. “You’re picking out the slaves from the rest.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re curious. I will tell you that none of Murdoch’s security guards are. When it comes to his personal safety, money is more of an assurance that they’ll do their job.”
“That makes… sense, I guess.” One slave caught her attention, though she didn’t know why. He was tall, with glasses and longish brown hair. She saw the way he rubbed his neck and winced. That smudged some of the make-up, and revealed a bit of darkened skin underneath. It looked like a bruise. Rachel watched as the slave walked around for a moment before turning her attention back to Shepard.
Rachel almost asked Shepard how Murdoch treated his slaves, then thought better of it and changed the topic to the latest GOP presidential candidates news. That was a safe enough topic.
During the course of their conversation, the two of them somehow ended up near Murdoch, who was talking with a bunch of other people. All were sitting in chairs.
Rachel stopped talking to Shepard when she heard one of the people, a woman, ask, “Rupert, are all these slaves here tonight yours?”
“Why yes. I even have more at home. I didn’t need them all here tonight.”
“Impressive,” another person remarked.
Shepard didn’t try to reengage Rachel, but he didn’t leave, either. He also seemed curious as to where this conversation was going. Rachel tried to not call attention to herself as she listened and watched.
Murdoch summoned the nearest slave- the one who had caught Rachel’s attention earlier- and told him to refill his drink. When the slave left, Murdoch’s mouth lifted in a smug grin.
“How do you handle them all?” asked a guest.
“I make sure that they know who their master is, very quickly. It’s also a game of reward and punishment… with the reward being no punishment.”
The group laughed. Murdoch slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed something, but he didn’t take it out. He continued talking about how he trains his slaves. When the slave returned with his drink, Murdoch took a sip of it and set it on the floor next to his feet. The slave turned to leave. “I didn’t dismiss you, Keith.”
The slave turned back to Murdoch and stayed near his side. He was trying to hide his nervousness at being told to stay.
Murdoch continued talking to his audience. “Take this one, for example. I’ve had him for awhile now. He’s can still be quite… stubborn at times. But, I do enjoy the occasional challenge.” Within a second, Murdoch took the object from his pocket, and Keith was on his knees at the man’s feet, whimpering in pain.
When Keith fell, the stungun disconnected from his thigh. Murdoch reactivated the current on his shoulder. Keith was clearly trying his best to not cry out.
Rachel instantly moved to help in whatever way she could, but Shepard discreetly grabbed her sleeve. Rachel took the hint and stayed.
“Isn’t that right, Keith?” Murdoch asked.
“Yes,” Keith answered while biting his lip.
Murdoch jammed the stungun into the slave’s shoulder again. “Yes, what?”
“Keith grit his teeth. “Yes, Master.”
To Rachel’s disgust, many of the guests watching the scene laughed as Murdoch kept the stungun on Keith a little longer before turning it off and putting it back in his pocket.
“Get up and go freshen up, boy,” Murdoch ordered, with a sly grin on his face. “You look a little pale.” The guests laughed harder.
While Keith struggled to stand, Rachel stole a glance at Shepard. He wasn’t laughing, not even smiling. He seemed to be trying to conceal his anger. His hold on her sleeve tightened.
Rachel turned back to the scene. Keith had gotten to his feet. He took a second to catch his breath, then hurried to the closest restroom.
Murdoch went back to conversing with his guests. Shepard excused himself from Rachel and went to the same restroom as Keith had. Concern for the slave was evident on his face. Rachel stared after him for a moment, until a voice at her side asked, “Rachel Maddow from AirAmerica?”
Rachel turned around. “Oh, Brian Williams. Hi, umm… it’s an honor to meet you,” she nervously said. “I’m surprised that you actually know my name.”
“I like to keep up to tabs on upcoming talent in the business,” answered Williams.
Any thought Rachel had to leave after Shepard left disappeared. Now she had a reason to stick around, other than for simple appearance and representing AirAmerica. So she stayed awhile longer. But that slave, Keith, stayed in the back of her mind for the rest of the night.
********
“Hey, babe,” Alison greeted when Rachel walked into their apartment. She waited until Rachel took off her jacket and shirt to change into pajamas, before pulling her into a deep kiss. When Rachel didn’t respond the way she usually did, Alison knew something was up.
“Rach, are you alright? Too much to drink at the party?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong? You seem… kind of distracted.”
“Something happened there.” Rachel changed her clothes and sat on the edge of the bed. Alison sat next to her. “Murdoch had a lot of his slaves there as waiters.” Rachel told what happened to Keith. “… And the guests were laughing at him. It made me so… sick. They were laughing at another person’s suffering. Not everyone was laughing. Shepard Smith wasn’t. He actually seemed concerned for Keith. But still, the fact that people were laughing at all that…”
Alison kissed Rachel’s cheek and wrapped her arms around her to hold her close. “Oh, Rachel…”
Rachel rested her hands on Alison’s forearms. “I’ve been thinking about him- Keith- all night. There was also a bruise on his neck. I think… I think Murdoch regularly abuses him. He just shocked him so… casually, and Keith was so nervous at being told to stay before he did.”
“Unfortunately, it’s perfectly legal for slaves to be abused by their masters.”
“I know. But it was so hard to see it. I just… nevermind.”
“Rachel,” Alison quietly prompted.
“Ali, I want to help him. I know that there aren’t really any ways to do that, though. But, I really want to do something.”
Both women were quiet for a few minutes. “Rach, the only way to help him would be to buy him.”
“Yeah… I came to that conclusion, too.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t even know if Murdoch would even sell Keith, and if he did, I think it would be pricey. We couldn’t…”
“If we decide to do this, Anderson might help with that.”
“He… he might, yeah.” Rachel sighed. “We see him and Jon and Stephen in a few days. I’ll think about it.” She tried to stifle a yawn.
“Whatever you decide, I’ll support it. Now, you’re tired, and so am I. So let’s sleep.” Rachel laid down , and waited for Alison to cuddle her from behind to say “Goodnight, Ali. I love you.”
Alison kissed the two spots on Rachel’s neck and pulled the blanket over them. “Love you, too, Rach.”