Companion Chapter 45 (Final)
Lyric screamed into the darkness as Clarissa, his one time pale mistress snapped the deadly whip across his flesh once more and her eyes gleamed eagerly in the firelight.
“You Bastard. You laughed as I screamed for my life. You tore me to pieces and made sure I felt every slice as I bled out across the floor.”
The Vampire hissed violent curses and struggled in his heavy chains, his eyes flashing with anger.
Scyrus tutted tutted sadly “People never ask to see the fine print. You see in order to bring Myra back I had to bring back ALL the people you had killed. You affected their fates you see, just as you impacted on hers. There is a price to be paid for everything.”
Lyric writhed as he hung suspended in the centre of the public gallery surrounded by the many hundreds of people he had brutalised, killed and tortured. Each waited their turn to exact their own personal revenge, while eagerly watching the punishment handed out by each individual.
With a scream of agony Lyric felt his mortal wounds magically heal up once more and he sagged in his chains. He looked up to see a small dark haired girl step down and face him. He felt his muscles clench in painful anticipation. Once he had made this tiny girl child his blood slave. He had kept her captive in the dark and slowly used her body, sapping her of nutrients and life until she was more ghost than girl. He had starved and brutalised her as the rats gnawed at flesh, extending her life over painful torturous months.
The girl pushed her long fine hair back from her face so Lyric could see her fully.
“Do you remember me? Do you remember what you did to me?” Her voice was quiet and held a controlled rage far beyond her once human years.
Lyric’s eyes bulged as the girl slowly reached into the fire and pulled out a white hot branding iron from the coals.
“I have spent two hundred years thinking about what I would do to you to make you understand how I suffered at your hands. I do hope you enjoy it. This is going to take a while”
Lyric threw back his head and screamed into the cavernous stony darkness as the metal seared deep into his thigh and the room was filled with the stench of burning, long dead flesh .
Scyrus closed the thick timber and metal door behind him, abruptly cutting out the terrible sound as he walked back to his personal den. There were other matters that needed attending to.
So much to do. So little time.
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6 Months Later
“McGeek seriously could you throw a little more light on the situation here?”
“I am not your personal glow bug Tony” Tim sniped at Tony's back as he carefully followed Tony through the cramped maze of dark rocky tunnels.
“Yeah, yeah just do it will you Glow boy”
Tim huffed but he concentrated a little harder and tried to think pleasant thoughts. A wash of soft white light filled the dark gloomy caverns.
“Thank you McGee. Geez you are so snarky lately. I know we are stuck down a labyrinth at the moment but seriously you have been a real jerk all week. What is with you?’
Tim sighed loudly “I know, I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that....well it’s embarrassing”
“Oh well if it’s embarrassing then I DEFINATELY want to know” Tony grinned into the darkness as he scratched the wall to his right with a rock, marking their path in case they needed to make their way back to the original rock fall.
“Well I’m moulting. It’s making me very irritable”
Tony stopped suddenly and Tim walked into him from behind with a surprised oomph.
“Moulting? Like shedding?”
Tony started laughing loudly and continued until he had to clutch his sides and wipe the tears from his eyes.
“Oh thank you McGee. Seriously here I was worried about being trapped down here and no one being able to find us and you have managed to make me laugh”
“It’s not funny Tony” Tim glared at his friend who disagreed happily.
“Oh yes it is.”
Tim sighed, dropped his head and allowed his angel wings to come into view.
Tony immediately stopped laughing
“Oh McGee, that looks.....wow actually that looks pretty painful”
Tony winced a little at the sight of Tim’s once magnificent wings which now seemed dull and grey. The feathers themselves looked battered and rumpled while painfully red irritated bald patches of skin were scattered across both large wings. There were a few sections of strong bright white feathers showing but they just managed to show how awful the rest of Tim’s wings were in comparison.
Even as Tony watched a large feather came free and dropped softly to the ground.
“It's like thousands of sharp little needles are trying to force their way through the skin. I can’t sleep, I can’t stand to be touched. My skin is dry and super sensitive. I don’t want to eat anything and when I do it tastes like dust. Dante is at his wits end trying to find a way to somehow make it better. He can feel how uncomfortable I am all the time. It’s even giving me headaches but it appears that aspirin doesn’t work on angels.”
Tim sighed and ran his hand across the feathers on his right wing anxiously, trying to smooth them but succeeding only in several smaller feathers falling free and landing on the ground.
“What are you doing still working? You should have tried to take some time off sick?” Tony frowned at his generally cautious and considerate friend.
“And sit around home thinking about it all day? How painful it is? How terrible it looks?” Tim snapped angrily, before he scrubbed his face with his hand tiredly and apologised again.
“I’m sorry Tony. I just don’t know what to do. It has to finish sometime. The new feathers that are growing through seem to be longer and stronger so perhaps it’s like baby teeth? You know a small set and then an adult set? “
Tony looked thoughtful “So you’re going through a sort of Angel puberty?”
Tim shrugged “I suppose that’s one way to look at it. Whatever it is, it sucks. My first puberty was bad enough. And I am definitely NOT enjoying this one. Although at least I’m not being shoved into a locker this time round.”
Tony moved to put a hand on Tim’s shoulder in fellowship but stopped as Tim winced away, remembering that he had just told him he didn’t like to be touched. Tony tried for a grin instead.
“Well I for one am grateful you are here with me. Wandering around in these caves in the dark by myself wouldn’t be much fun”
Tim mustered a weak smile in return “At least you know I can get word out to Gibbs to tell him where we are. Dante is just waiting for dark to fall before he goes to Gibbs and leads him down here to us. I don’t need mobile reception for that. Hell Dante will probably move the damn rock fall that got us stuck down here in the first place.”
“Actually it was that little rat Davidson that led us down here in the first place”
“Do you think he got out? That he was on the other side of the rock fall?”
“Right now I actually hope he got flattened by it” Tony muttered as he stood staring at three passageways, trying to decide which one to take.
The sound of a gun firing from one of the tunnels shrieked loudly in their ears and the two men dove to the side, sheltering behind the rocks.
Tony cursed “Well that answers your question McGee. Davidson it appears, is very much alive and apparently he is not happy that we are too.”
Tony turned to look at his partner as the soft glow that lit the tunnels suddenly dimmed considerably.
“McGee? MCGEE!”
A groan was all he received for his troubles and Tony reached for his friend only to have his hand impatiently slapped away.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. Oww. He just shot me. That’s all. Owwww. Right in the chest. Great. I was having such a great day, this just TOPS it off. Damn it. Dante is going to be so pissed. He hates it when I get hurt”
Tony laughed shakily, relief flooding through him at the aggrieved tone of Tim’s voice. “You’ve been shot and you’re worried about Dante? Man I still have to get used to this angel stuff.”
“Count yourself lucky. Otherwise you would be dragging my wounded butt through the dark, with no idea of how to get back to the surface and...”
Tim trailed off, wincing as his self healing finished and the bullet fell to the floor with a tinny ring. Tony watched as Tim glowed far more brightly again and smiled to himself, his pale face flooding with warm colour.
“Let me guess? Dante up and about?” Tony asked and Tim smirked.
“Yup. He sent me some strength as after a healing like that I get a little weak and wobbly.”
Tony nodded knowledgeably and sagged back against the cold rock walls, banging the back of his head at the weirdness of it all. Would he ever get used to it?
“Right. Of course. Silly me”
“Hey Davidson! You missed me you jerk! I’m going to come and find you and beat the crap out of you for that stunt. And then we are going to arrest you. And if you’re VERY lucky I might be able to stop my boyfriend from eating you. You hear me you slimy little weasel?”
Tim shouted angrily down the passageway into the darkness. The only answer he got was a scatter of small falling rocks as Davidson ran further into the tunnels.
Tim sighed “I think it would be a good idea if I go first Tony. If he tries to shoot again I can shield you. It hurts like hell but it won’t kill me. You might not be so lucky.”
Tony nodded and stood, held out a hand and pulled Tim up from the ground.
“You got an ETA on when the cavalry arrives?”
“Well Gibbs might drive like a bat out of hell but Dante is still faster. Not long now. Of course they will have to make it look legit, like they just stumbled on us so that will slow them down a bit. Let’s get Davidson so at least we have something to show for it when they get to us.”
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Dante was already waiting at the entrance to the tunnels as Gibbs pulled up in a cloud of dust.
Gibbs nodded to the vampire who looked furious about something as he waited impatiently.
“Dante? You ok?” Gibbs was well aware that Dante would know what was happening with Tim and consequently Tony too. What had happened to make the vampire so furious?
“He got shot. AGAIN! Seriously I know he’s an angel but every time he gets hurt I feel it too you know. I went hundreds of years without being shot. And lately it feels like every week. Did you know he’s not eating? He’s not sleeping? I swear he needs an immortal just to look after him. Did he always get into this much trouble when he was with your team?”
Gibbs smirked at the frustration and concern Dante was expressing over his ‘Timmy’
“Actually no. He was no trouble at all. Tony was generally the one I had to worry about.”
Dante was muttering to himself and then he vanished.
“Hey!” Gibbs shouted into thin air “Where the hell are they?”
Dante appeared before him looking almost sheepish.
“Sorry. One mile down the tunnels, first left then next two rights. Be careful it’s a little unstable. I will go meet them and guide them up towards you. They have someone else with them too.”
Gibbs nodded “Davidson. Good.”
Dante vanished just as several trucks pulled up and local rangers started piling out and setting up a search pattern.
“I’m pretty sure they got lured into the tunnels.” Gibbs hedged as lights and equipment were pulled out and handed around.
“Don’t worry Sir. We will make sure your boys come out safe.”
Gibbs smirked “Oh I think they are in good hands”
It was nearly morning as Dante waited for Tim outside headquarters to finish up his statement when he felt Abby attempt to sidle up to him.
“Abigail” He greeted her with a pleased grin before turning around. The Dream Walker seemed very pleased with herself in the darkness.
“Hey Dante” She whispered loudly before she beckoned him over to show him the large glass jar she held carefully cradled in her hands.
“I heard from Tony that McGee is having some issues with his feathers. I thought you might like to try this. I pulled a few strings with some eco warriors I know. They use it on birds that have been caught in oil slicks after they have got most of the crude oil off. It promotes new feather growth, balances out the natural oils and helps sooth the irritated skin. I figure if it works on penguins and seagulls it might work on McGee?”
Dante smiled at Abby and she felt her toes curl at the beauty of it. He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek with his cool dry lips.
Thank you Abigail. You are a good friend.
Abby bit her lip and hoped that the salve worked as well as she hoped. A grouchy McGee was NOT fun to work with. She had begun to wonder if it was something she had done to McGee to make him so short tempered and she had been relieved when Tony had explained the moulting situation to her.
“Just make him better ok?”
The vampire nodded and then instinctively turned towards the glass doors.
“He is coming. Do you wish for us to escort you home?”
Abby shook her head. “No thank you. Gibbs is nearly finished interrogating Davidson and explaining why he did NOT see an angel in the tunnels. Tony and Ziva should be finished with their statements soon and then we are all going to get some early breakfast before hitting the sack.”
Tim appeared beside Dante and looked curiously at the large jar of white goo he held in his hands.
“Hey Abby. What’s that?”
“Haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the angel?” Dante winked at Abby playfully and tucked the jar behind him.
Tim frowned theatrically and tapped his finger on his chin “I’m quite sure that it was a cat and not an angel that was killed by curiosity”
Dante shook his head “No no I am quite sure it was an angel. Besides when was the last time you saw Curiosity coming at you in a dark alley? Now young man it is late and you should be tucked up safe and sound in my bed where I can keep an eye on you.”
Tim nodded yawning. That sounded like heaven right now. It had been a big day BEFORE he got trapped in the tunnels with Tony and then shot. And now hours later he was exhausted.
“Night Abby”
“Night McGee, Dante” Abby waved as the two men vanished into the darkness.
Tim moaned happily as Dante scooped up another thick handful of salve and rubbed it into Tim’s out stretched wings, working it gently down into the dry inflamed skin as he lay across the bed.
“Oh that feels so good. Yeah just there. Ohhh. That itchy bit just there...ohhh”
Dante beamed as his Little One wiggled happily beneath his touch again. He was so proud of his Beautiful Boy. Surely no vampire had ever had so perfect a Companion.
“Your new feathers are going to be so beautiful Timothy. I can see that already. Some of the largest one’s have a tiny stripe of gold in them that will catch in the sun. You will be dazzling.”
“Uh huh. Dazzling. There. To the right. More. Yes. There. Ahhhh. Oh that feels Sooooo good.”
Tim groaned as the cool silky thick lotion soaked into his parched skin and the constant irritating pain began to ease beneath Dante’s careful ministrations.
“You really must remember to thank Abby for this. I never would have thought of it. You have some very good friends Companion”
Dante flexed his long fingers and began working the salve into the rest of his Companions naked body as he lay before him.
Tim nodded, his eyes closed shut in ecstasy. “Yes, yes I do. Good friends. Great friends. Now stop talking about them and get into bed with me.”
Dante pretended to be shocked “Why Companion, I thought you didn’t want to be touched?”
Tim raised his head off the bed and screwed up his face before replying sarcastically.
“Don’t pretend to be surprised at what I’m thinking Claudius because I know you can read my mind. Now are you coming to bed with me or are you planning on waiting for the sun to come up?”
Dante laughed as he sealed their room and pulled the velvet drapes around the bed closed. He prowled across the bed and watched as Timothy’s eyes dilated and drank him in eagerly. He had missed the touch and feel of his Boy and he was hungry for many things tonight. He dropped his voice to a slow growl as he captured his flightless prey in his arms and began to nibble on his delicious ear.
“And to think you used to be such a nice sweet boy.”
Fini
( A big thank you who have followed this story and commented, keeping me inspired over the many months. There will be a sequal to this story but I will be taking a break from this universe for a while before i start it. Thank you again. Velvet)