Fic - One of Our Own (part 2 of 2)
Title: One of Our Own
Author: prehistoriccat
Rating: NC17
Characters/Pairings: Abby/Connor, Burton, Becker, Matt
Genre: Angst
Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended
A/N: Huge thanks again to the brilliant tay_21 for the beta.
Burton's about to discover how the ARC team look after 'one of their own' when Abby confides in Connor.
Connor was sat staring at his computer screen. The numbers and formulas just didn't seem to be working for him today. No matter how hard he tried, he kept coming to a dead end. He leaned back and the muscles in his neck tensed. Something was bothering him about Abby. In all the time he'd known her she had never taken a day off sick. She was the sort of person who just gritted her teeth and got on with it, even if she wasn't feeling completely herself. He'd voiced his concern to Jess as they drove into work, but she said he should stop worrying. “Everyone has a sickie day once in a while, Connor. Abby's entitled to have a day in bed feeling sorry for herself if she wants. It's perfectly normal.” He'd been a little reassured by her words at first, but as the day wore on, he became less convinced.
It was late morning by now, and he was thinking about taking a break. He would call Abby to put his mind at rest. Jess was probably right and he would get his ear chewed off for disturbing her, but he just had something niggling him about this situation. Just as he was about to call, the door opened and Abby came in, much to Connor's surprise.
“Abby? I didn't think you were going to come in today?” He decided he was right to be worried about her. It was obvious she'd been crying, and that rang alarm bells straight away. Abby didn't cry unless it was over something extremely serious.
“I need to talk to you,” she sniffed.
Connor pulled out the spare chair and motioned for her to sit down. His heart was thumping and his throat dry - something was terribly wrong. “Abby?” he took her hand. “What is it? You're scaring me.”
“I had a meeting with Burton yesterday,” she began. “He thinks I'm too much of a distraction for you.”
Connor laughed. “Don't be daft, Abby! Only last week he was saying that we could use his villa in Ibiza for a holiday if we liked. I was thinking we could go there in July for your birthday.”
“Shut up and listen, Connor!” Abby snapped. His face fell, and he gave her his 'kicked puppy' expression. “This is important.”
“Sorry. I'm listening.”
Abby swallowed hard. If she didn't say it now, it would get harder and harder. Her suspicions had been correct - Burton was planning on making her look like the bad guy here. “He said I should end our relationship so that you could focus on your work. I refused of course, but then he offered me money.”
Connor looked at her. “Money? I don't get it, Abby? Why would he...”
“I don't know, Connor! I refused that too, and that's when he...” Abby felt her throat tighten. “He said he had ways of persuading me to do what he wanted.” Shaking, she unfastened the first few buttons on her shirt and pulled the fabric to one side. Just above her left breast was a small burn mark that Connor instantly recognised.
“You've been shot with an EMD? How? When?”
“Burton.”
“This is how he...this is his way of persuading people to do what he wants?” He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. “He shot you with an EMD?”
Abby nodded. “There's more. Connor, please don't get angry. I just need you to listen and help me.” He watched her unzip her jeans and slide them down to her knees and then she parted her thighs. Connor gasped as three large bruises came into view. Abby was shaking, and it didn't take a genius to work out why. It suddenly all slotted into place; why she had gone home so suddenly yesterday, her illness... Connor hardly dare ask.
“Abby. Did he... did he... force himself on you?” Connor's stomach was twisting and lurching at the thought. She'd asked him not to get angry but how could he not get angry at this? Her face said it all, she didn't need to answer him. Before he'd even thought about it, he was on his feet and out of the door.
“Connor!” Abby screamed. She knew Connor acted on impulse and she feared he would do something he'd regret. She followed him, and saw him disappear into Burton's office. “Jess, find Becker and Matt!” she yelled and pulled open the office door.
She'd never seen Connor so angry; his face was red and his entire body was shaking. He ignored her pleas to calm down and back away, just one thought on his mind. As his fist connected with Burton's jaw, Abby heard the sickening crunch of bone - though whose bone it was she couldn't tell. She opened her mouth to yell at him again, but Becker pushed past her.
“What the hell are you doing, Temple?” Becker growled. Abby had never felt so relieved to see someone as she did at that moment. Becker would make Connor see sense. He had already wrestled Connor away from Burton, gripping him like a vice in both arms.
“Get off me! You don't understand!” Connor raged, struggling to free himself. He kicked out at Becker's shins.
“He's crazy!” Burton managed to force out, clutching at his jaw. “Get him out of my sight, Captain Becker.”
“Connor, you need to calm down. Come into my office and we'll talk about whatever it is that's got you so wound up.” Matt's soft and unfaltering voice said from the doorway.
“Calm down?” Connor spat. He tried again to free himself from Becker's arms, but the soldier was too strong and too experienced to allow Connor to escape. “He raped Abby!”
There was a stunned silence. The words hung in the air like the stench from a stagnant pool. Matt exchanged a look with Becker, then glanced at Abby who stood shaking in the corner and then over to Connor, every straining muscle in his body looking set to explode at any second. Finally he looked at Burton, backed against the wall and holding his jaw. There was a tiny trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth which he wiped with the back of his hand before turning to look at Connor.
“Is that what she told you?” Burton said. “I'm afraid you've been the victim of the lies of a young woman that isn't used to her sexual advances being rejected.”
“You're lying!” Connor yelled. He didn't care that his cheeks were stained with tears, nor did he care that Becker had to hold him so tightly he would likely be bruised. “She showed me what you did to her! The burn from the EMD you used so that she was paralysed... the bruises on her thighs where you...” Connor was shaking his head.
Matt glanced at Abby. She was edging out of the door, hoping no-one would notice. She looked like she wanted to just disappear, and that spoke volumes to him; Abby was not the sort of person that shrunk away from a difficult situation. Then he looked at Becker. The soldier was torn between his duty and his loyalty to his friends; he was holding Connor back to prevent him from hurting Burton further, but at the same time there was anger in his eyes directed solely at Burton. Sooner or later Matt knew loyalty would win; that was the sort of man Becker was. He had to step in and take control, keep things calm and deal with the issue before it escalated.
He moved closer to Connor, looking him straight in the eyes. “Connor, I understand your frustration, but right now you're too emotionally involved to deal with this properly.”
“How can you stand there and be so bloody calm?” Connor said, his voice wavering between anger and pain.
“It's my job, Connor. Let Becker and I handle this, the best thing you can do right now is be there for Abby. She needs you.” Matt rested a firm hand on Connor's shoulder. He felt Connor become less tense, but there was still anger there.
“You don't understand!” Connor was close to tears, his throat so tight the words were barely audible.
“I do, Connor. I do.” he glanced sideways at Burton, then looked back at Connor. “Go find Abby, tell her how much you love her and take her home. I promise you that Becker and I will sort this out.”
Connor gave up his struggle. Deep down he knew he couldn't fight Becker and Matt, plus there was something reassuring about the way Matt spoke and the look in his eyes. In turn, Becker released his grip on Connor and allowed him to move away. Connor gave a nod of thanks to both Matt and Becker before striding out of the office. He had no idea how long Abby had been gone, but he knew where he would find her.
-o-
Abby was stood with her hands and forehead pressed against the reinforced glass, looking down into the menagerie. Rex had spotted her straight away and he kept flying up to her and clinging to the window. His head cocked to one side and he seemed to be looking at her as if to say, “What's wrong?” Back when he lived with her and Connor, Abby could have sworn Rex knew their moods. Being close to the creatures was a comfort - at least she knew where she stood with them. No doubt Burton was spinning his web of lies and convincing Matt, Becker and Connor that it was all her fault; that she had come on to him and he'd rejected her. It wouldn't be long before she'd be called in to Lester's office to explain herself, and Burton would probably have her thrown off the team. At least then he wouldn't have to worry about her being a distraction for Connor.
“Abby?” Connor's concerned voice was behind her. His arm circled her waist and he rested his other hand next to hers on the window. Abby gasped, his hand was black and purple and swollen to almost three times its usual size.
“You should get that x-rayed.”
“Had worse than this before, nothing a bit of ice won't fix.” He sniffed, then stared down into the menagerie, following Abby's gaze towards the mammoth. After several long moments he finally said, “I would've killed him, you know.”
Abby shook her head. “You're not a murderer, Connor. You hated killing the fish we used to eat in the Cretaceous.” She turned and pressed her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her in closer, holding her tight. “Take me home, Connor.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” he whispered. They walked slowly through the ARC, Connor holding on to Abby protectively. He glanced at the closed door of Burton's office as they passed it, wondering what Matt and Becker had in mind to sort everything out.
-o-
“I'm extremely grateful you arrived so promptly, Captain Becker,” Burton said, finally moving away from the wall. “And you handled that situation extremely well, Matt. It seems we made the right choice in appointing you as leader.”
Becker let out a sarcastic laugh, and curled his fingers tightly around the trigger of his EMD. Matt shot him a look that told him to ease off; he obeyed, but his fingers were fidgety.
“It was an awkward situation to say the least,” Matt said. “I understand Connor's reaction though.”
“Oh, so do I!” Burton responded. “His girlfriend has told him a pack of lies and I...”
“Shut up!” Matt practically spat the words at him. Burton stared, wide eyed. “There's only one liar around here, and I'm looking at him right now.”
“Matt, I don't know what...” Burton began,
“He said, shut up!” Becker barked. He moved his EMD into full view, his fingers poised on the trigger.
“I'd do as he says.” Matt said calmly. “He's been dying to use that thing from the moment he came into this office.”
“This is all completely unnecessary.” Burton said.
“I disagree. I think it's time you had a bit of your own medicine.” Matt nodded at Becker, who responded in the blink of an eye. Burton didn't even have to time to open his mouth to protest; the blast from Becker's EMD sent him sprawling to the ground, his body twitching and writhing.
Matt knelt beside Burton's head and forced him to look at him. “Is this what you did to Abby? Used the EMD on her so that she couldn't put up a fight?” Burton stared up at him, trying to speak but only able to utter a groan.
“Captain Becker and I are both ex-military as you know, and sometimes old habits die hard. We always look after our own and we have certain ways of dealing with situations like this.” Matt glanced at Becker, an unspoken understanding existing between them. “No doubt you've heard stories of how men deal with those long lonely nights away from their wives and girlfriends.” He stood up and stepped aside to allow Becker to come closer to Burton.
Becker shoved Burton with his foot, then stood over him. He was an imposing figure, tall and dark and a fierce expression on his face. “This is for Abby!” he growled angrily, reaching down and grabbing Burton by the shirt collar. He pulled back his arm, ready to punch him, almost enjoying the look of horror on Burton's face.
“Easy, Becker. Let's have some fun first shall we?”
“What do you have in mind?” Becker asked.
“Strip him,” Matt replied, watching Burton's face twist as he tried to protest. Between them, Becker and Matt had Burton down to his underwear in just a few seconds, leaving him squirming on the cold floor.
“And now its time you experienced exactly how you made Abby feel,” Matt sneered, unfastening the belt on his jeans and indicating for Becker to do the same. His hand moved to his zip and he began to tug at it - and then he heard the wonderful sound he had wanted to hear from the start.
“Matt, please, no!” Burton whimpered. “Please!” Tears were falling down his cheeks and his lip was quivering. Matt paused for a moment, sniffing the air. The smell was unmistakable, the scent of someone that had lost control of both their bladder and bowels - this was better than Matt had anticipated.
“Get up!” he spat. “You're pathetic! Becker and I wouldn't stoop to your level.”
Burton tried to sit up, but he was still feeling the effects of the EMD shot. Becker yanked his arm and pulled him to his feet. “What now, Matt? Do we tie him to a lamp-post or something?”
“Oh, I have a much better idea than that!” Matt said, his eyes twinkling. “Is that anomaly from the other day still open?”
“I like your thinking!” Becker grinned.
-o-
Connor had held Abby in his arms for almost three hours, not letting go once. As soon as they got back to the flat, they had gone into their bedroom and curled up together under the duvet. Abby cried non-stop for over an hour whilst Connor tried to soothe her with soft whispers of, “It's OK, I'm here,” and, “I love you.” He stroked her hair and her face and allowed his own tears to fall silently down his cheeks. He tried to be strong for her, but his own emotions got the better of him.
When she couldn't cry any more, Abby closed her eyes and rested her head against Connor's chest. Being like this reminded her of the first night they had finally admitted how much they needed each other in the Cretaceous, and being in Connor's arms was the only place she felt completely safe. Finally, she fell asleep; it had been an extremely difficult and tiring 24 hours and the exhaustion had caught up with her.
When Connor was sure she was finally asleep, he carefully slipped away from her and went out into the lounge area. His hand really hurt, and was even more swollen than it had been earlier. It looked like Abby was right and he was going to have to go to the hospital to get it properly looked at. Still, the pain was worth it. He was pretty certain he'd at least dislocated Burton's jaw, and he found himself smiling at that fact.
“You should get some ice on that,” Jess said softly. Connor was startled; he hadn't seen her sitting in the corner at the computer. She went into the kitchen and came out with a large bag of frozen peas. “Best I can do, but it is effective.”
“Thank you,” Connor winced slightly, placing the bag over his hand. It instantly began to feel better.
“You should probably take a couple of aspirin for the pain too.” Jess smiled, and disappeared into the bathroom, returning moments later with a small plastic bottle. “I'll make us both a hot drink shall I? You look like you need one.”
Connor smiled gratefully, realising he hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day - neither had Abby, but she needed sleep more than anything at the moment. “Hot chocolate?” he asked hopefully.
“I think that can be arranged. I might even be able to find a couple of marshmallows to put in as well,” Jess smiled. There was a knock at the door and Connor froze. “I'll get rid of whoever it is,” she said. Connor sighed and followed her with his eyes until she had gone out into the hallway.
“I just wanted to update Connor on what happened this afternoon,” It was Matt. He appeared in the doorway. “Are you up to a visitor? I'll keep it brief.”
“Come in, Matt, please,” Connor motioned for Matt to sit down on the sofa.
“How's Abby?”
“She's sleeping.” Connor said. “She'll be OK, as long as I make sure I take better care of her from now on. I should have protected her...”
“Don't blame yourself for this, Connor. The only person to blame is Burton,” Matt looked Connor straight in the eyes. “And he's been taken care of; Abby doesn't need to worry about him again, and there'll be no comeback on anything you did. You were perfectly justified in your actions; I'd have done exactly the same if it was my girlfriend.”
“Taken care of? What did you do to him?”
“A little ARC justice,” Matt said. “You don't need to know all the details; suffice to say he got a taste of his own medicine and now he's somewhere where he won't bother any one ever again.” Connor looked at him questioningly. “Remember our anomaly that leads into the mid - Triassic period?”
Connor nodded. Becker's men had been guarding it for the last few days, waiting for it to close.
“We took Burton out to visit it, and the locking device failed. Somehow he managed to fall through the anomaly, and then the locking device started to work again before we could go grab him. Sadly, the new ARC rules prevent us from unlocking an anomaly and going through it after what happened to you guys, so I'm afraid Burton is stuck there.” Matt tried to look serious, but his eyes betrayed his amusement and satisfaction.
“Thank you,” Connor said gratefully.
“My pleasure. We're a team, and when one of our own is hurting we do everything in our power to help. Don't ever forget that, Connor,” Matt said, standing up. “Give Abby my best wishes, and you should probably get your hand x-rayed.” He nodded a goodbye to Jess and left.
Connor sat for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He wasn't sure how he felt; Burton had been his idol, he was encouraging him, providing him with resources beyond his wildest dreams - and then everything had come crashing down around him. What Burton had done to Abby was unforgivable, and if he ever set eyes on him again...
Abby. He shouldn't have left her alone for this long, not tonight. “I think I'll pass on that drink, Jess. Its been a long day,” he said.
He opened the bedroom door and paused for a moment, looking at the sleeping Abby. She seemed so peaceful, but he knew that her head would be far from being at peace. Getting rid of Burton was only the start for her, and he had to make sure she knew he was there for her. He slipped back under the duvet and curled himself around her, determined to protect her from anything like this happening again.
Author: prehistoriccat
Rating: NC17
Characters/Pairings: Abby/Connor, Burton, Becker, Matt
Genre: Angst
Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended
A/N: Huge thanks again to the brilliant tay_21 for the beta.
Burton's about to discover how the ARC team look after 'one of their own' when Abby confides in Connor.
Connor was sat staring at his computer screen. The numbers and formulas just didn't seem to be working for him today. No matter how hard he tried, he kept coming to a dead end. He leaned back and the muscles in his neck tensed. Something was bothering him about Abby. In all the time he'd known her she had never taken a day off sick. She was the sort of person who just gritted her teeth and got on with it, even if she wasn't feeling completely herself. He'd voiced his concern to Jess as they drove into work, but she said he should stop worrying. “Everyone has a sickie day once in a while, Connor. Abby's entitled to have a day in bed feeling sorry for herself if she wants. It's perfectly normal.” He'd been a little reassured by her words at first, but as the day wore on, he became less convinced.
It was late morning by now, and he was thinking about taking a break. He would call Abby to put his mind at rest. Jess was probably right and he would get his ear chewed off for disturbing her, but he just had something niggling him about this situation. Just as he was about to call, the door opened and Abby came in, much to Connor's surprise.
“Abby? I didn't think you were going to come in today?” He decided he was right to be worried about her. It was obvious she'd been crying, and that rang alarm bells straight away. Abby didn't cry unless it was over something extremely serious.
“I need to talk to you,” she sniffed.
Connor pulled out the spare chair and motioned for her to sit down. His heart was thumping and his throat dry - something was terribly wrong. “Abby?” he took her hand. “What is it? You're scaring me.”
“I had a meeting with Burton yesterday,” she began. “He thinks I'm too much of a distraction for you.”
Connor laughed. “Don't be daft, Abby! Only last week he was saying that we could use his villa in Ibiza for a holiday if we liked. I was thinking we could go there in July for your birthday.”
“Shut up and listen, Connor!” Abby snapped. His face fell, and he gave her his 'kicked puppy' expression. “This is important.”
“Sorry. I'm listening.”
Abby swallowed hard. If she didn't say it now, it would get harder and harder. Her suspicions had been correct - Burton was planning on making her look like the bad guy here. “He said I should end our relationship so that you could focus on your work. I refused of course, but then he offered me money.”
Connor looked at her. “Money? I don't get it, Abby? Why would he...”
“I don't know, Connor! I refused that too, and that's when he...” Abby felt her throat tighten. “He said he had ways of persuading me to do what he wanted.” Shaking, she unfastened the first few buttons on her shirt and pulled the fabric to one side. Just above her left breast was a small burn mark that Connor instantly recognised.
“You've been shot with an EMD? How? When?”
“Burton.”
“This is how he...this is his way of persuading people to do what he wants?” He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. “He shot you with an EMD?”
Abby nodded. “There's more. Connor, please don't get angry. I just need you to listen and help me.” He watched her unzip her jeans and slide them down to her knees and then she parted her thighs. Connor gasped as three large bruises came into view. Abby was shaking, and it didn't take a genius to work out why. It suddenly all slotted into place; why she had gone home so suddenly yesterday, her illness... Connor hardly dare ask.
“Abby. Did he... did he... force himself on you?” Connor's stomach was twisting and lurching at the thought. She'd asked him not to get angry but how could he not get angry at this? Her face said it all, she didn't need to answer him. Before he'd even thought about it, he was on his feet and out of the door.
“Connor!” Abby screamed. She knew Connor acted on impulse and she feared he would do something he'd regret. She followed him, and saw him disappear into Burton's office. “Jess, find Becker and Matt!” she yelled and pulled open the office door.
She'd never seen Connor so angry; his face was red and his entire body was shaking. He ignored her pleas to calm down and back away, just one thought on his mind. As his fist connected with Burton's jaw, Abby heard the sickening crunch of bone - though whose bone it was she couldn't tell. She opened her mouth to yell at him again, but Becker pushed past her.
“What the hell are you doing, Temple?” Becker growled. Abby had never felt so relieved to see someone as she did at that moment. Becker would make Connor see sense. He had already wrestled Connor away from Burton, gripping him like a vice in both arms.
“Get off me! You don't understand!” Connor raged, struggling to free himself. He kicked out at Becker's shins.
“He's crazy!” Burton managed to force out, clutching at his jaw. “Get him out of my sight, Captain Becker.”
“Connor, you need to calm down. Come into my office and we'll talk about whatever it is that's got you so wound up.” Matt's soft and unfaltering voice said from the doorway.
“Calm down?” Connor spat. He tried again to free himself from Becker's arms, but the soldier was too strong and too experienced to allow Connor to escape. “He raped Abby!”
There was a stunned silence. The words hung in the air like the stench from a stagnant pool. Matt exchanged a look with Becker, then glanced at Abby who stood shaking in the corner and then over to Connor, every straining muscle in his body looking set to explode at any second. Finally he looked at Burton, backed against the wall and holding his jaw. There was a tiny trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth which he wiped with the back of his hand before turning to look at Connor.
“Is that what she told you?” Burton said. “I'm afraid you've been the victim of the lies of a young woman that isn't used to her sexual advances being rejected.”
“You're lying!” Connor yelled. He didn't care that his cheeks were stained with tears, nor did he care that Becker had to hold him so tightly he would likely be bruised. “She showed me what you did to her! The burn from the EMD you used so that she was paralysed... the bruises on her thighs where you...” Connor was shaking his head.
Matt glanced at Abby. She was edging out of the door, hoping no-one would notice. She looked like she wanted to just disappear, and that spoke volumes to him; Abby was not the sort of person that shrunk away from a difficult situation. Then he looked at Becker. The soldier was torn between his duty and his loyalty to his friends; he was holding Connor back to prevent him from hurting Burton further, but at the same time there was anger in his eyes directed solely at Burton. Sooner or later Matt knew loyalty would win; that was the sort of man Becker was. He had to step in and take control, keep things calm and deal with the issue before it escalated.
He moved closer to Connor, looking him straight in the eyes. “Connor, I understand your frustration, but right now you're too emotionally involved to deal with this properly.”
“How can you stand there and be so bloody calm?” Connor said, his voice wavering between anger and pain.
“It's my job, Connor. Let Becker and I handle this, the best thing you can do right now is be there for Abby. She needs you.” Matt rested a firm hand on Connor's shoulder. He felt Connor become less tense, but there was still anger there.
“You don't understand!” Connor was close to tears, his throat so tight the words were barely audible.
“I do, Connor. I do.” he glanced sideways at Burton, then looked back at Connor. “Go find Abby, tell her how much you love her and take her home. I promise you that Becker and I will sort this out.”
Connor gave up his struggle. Deep down he knew he couldn't fight Becker and Matt, plus there was something reassuring about the way Matt spoke and the look in his eyes. In turn, Becker released his grip on Connor and allowed him to move away. Connor gave a nod of thanks to both Matt and Becker before striding out of the office. He had no idea how long Abby had been gone, but he knew where he would find her.
-o-
Abby was stood with her hands and forehead pressed against the reinforced glass, looking down into the menagerie. Rex had spotted her straight away and he kept flying up to her and clinging to the window. His head cocked to one side and he seemed to be looking at her as if to say, “What's wrong?” Back when he lived with her and Connor, Abby could have sworn Rex knew their moods. Being close to the creatures was a comfort - at least she knew where she stood with them. No doubt Burton was spinning his web of lies and convincing Matt, Becker and Connor that it was all her fault; that she had come on to him and he'd rejected her. It wouldn't be long before she'd be called in to Lester's office to explain herself, and Burton would probably have her thrown off the team. At least then he wouldn't have to worry about her being a distraction for Connor.
“Abby?” Connor's concerned voice was behind her. His arm circled her waist and he rested his other hand next to hers on the window. Abby gasped, his hand was black and purple and swollen to almost three times its usual size.
“You should get that x-rayed.”
“Had worse than this before, nothing a bit of ice won't fix.” He sniffed, then stared down into the menagerie, following Abby's gaze towards the mammoth. After several long moments he finally said, “I would've killed him, you know.”
Abby shook her head. “You're not a murderer, Connor. You hated killing the fish we used to eat in the Cretaceous.” She turned and pressed her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her in closer, holding her tight. “Take me home, Connor.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” he whispered. They walked slowly through the ARC, Connor holding on to Abby protectively. He glanced at the closed door of Burton's office as they passed it, wondering what Matt and Becker had in mind to sort everything out.
-o-
“I'm extremely grateful you arrived so promptly, Captain Becker,” Burton said, finally moving away from the wall. “And you handled that situation extremely well, Matt. It seems we made the right choice in appointing you as leader.”
Becker let out a sarcastic laugh, and curled his fingers tightly around the trigger of his EMD. Matt shot him a look that told him to ease off; he obeyed, but his fingers were fidgety.
“It was an awkward situation to say the least,” Matt said. “I understand Connor's reaction though.”
“Oh, so do I!” Burton responded. “His girlfriend has told him a pack of lies and I...”
“Shut up!” Matt practically spat the words at him. Burton stared, wide eyed. “There's only one liar around here, and I'm looking at him right now.”
“Matt, I don't know what...” Burton began,
“He said, shut up!” Becker barked. He moved his EMD into full view, his fingers poised on the trigger.
“I'd do as he says.” Matt said calmly. “He's been dying to use that thing from the moment he came into this office.”
“This is all completely unnecessary.” Burton said.
“I disagree. I think it's time you had a bit of your own medicine.” Matt nodded at Becker, who responded in the blink of an eye. Burton didn't even have to time to open his mouth to protest; the blast from Becker's EMD sent him sprawling to the ground, his body twitching and writhing.
Matt knelt beside Burton's head and forced him to look at him. “Is this what you did to Abby? Used the EMD on her so that she couldn't put up a fight?” Burton stared up at him, trying to speak but only able to utter a groan.
“Captain Becker and I are both ex-military as you know, and sometimes old habits die hard. We always look after our own and we have certain ways of dealing with situations like this.” Matt glanced at Becker, an unspoken understanding existing between them. “No doubt you've heard stories of how men deal with those long lonely nights away from their wives and girlfriends.” He stood up and stepped aside to allow Becker to come closer to Burton.
Becker shoved Burton with his foot, then stood over him. He was an imposing figure, tall and dark and a fierce expression on his face. “This is for Abby!” he growled angrily, reaching down and grabbing Burton by the shirt collar. He pulled back his arm, ready to punch him, almost enjoying the look of horror on Burton's face.
“Easy, Becker. Let's have some fun first shall we?”
“What do you have in mind?” Becker asked.
“Strip him,” Matt replied, watching Burton's face twist as he tried to protest. Between them, Becker and Matt had Burton down to his underwear in just a few seconds, leaving him squirming on the cold floor.
“And now its time you experienced exactly how you made Abby feel,” Matt sneered, unfastening the belt on his jeans and indicating for Becker to do the same. His hand moved to his zip and he began to tug at it - and then he heard the wonderful sound he had wanted to hear from the start.
“Matt, please, no!” Burton whimpered. “Please!” Tears were falling down his cheeks and his lip was quivering. Matt paused for a moment, sniffing the air. The smell was unmistakable, the scent of someone that had lost control of both their bladder and bowels - this was better than Matt had anticipated.
“Get up!” he spat. “You're pathetic! Becker and I wouldn't stoop to your level.”
Burton tried to sit up, but he was still feeling the effects of the EMD shot. Becker yanked his arm and pulled him to his feet. “What now, Matt? Do we tie him to a lamp-post or something?”
“Oh, I have a much better idea than that!” Matt said, his eyes twinkling. “Is that anomaly from the other day still open?”
“I like your thinking!” Becker grinned.
-o-
Connor had held Abby in his arms for almost three hours, not letting go once. As soon as they got back to the flat, they had gone into their bedroom and curled up together under the duvet. Abby cried non-stop for over an hour whilst Connor tried to soothe her with soft whispers of, “It's OK, I'm here,” and, “I love you.” He stroked her hair and her face and allowed his own tears to fall silently down his cheeks. He tried to be strong for her, but his own emotions got the better of him.
When she couldn't cry any more, Abby closed her eyes and rested her head against Connor's chest. Being like this reminded her of the first night they had finally admitted how much they needed each other in the Cretaceous, and being in Connor's arms was the only place she felt completely safe. Finally, she fell asleep; it had been an extremely difficult and tiring 24 hours and the exhaustion had caught up with her.
When Connor was sure she was finally asleep, he carefully slipped away from her and went out into the lounge area. His hand really hurt, and was even more swollen than it had been earlier. It looked like Abby was right and he was going to have to go to the hospital to get it properly looked at. Still, the pain was worth it. He was pretty certain he'd at least dislocated Burton's jaw, and he found himself smiling at that fact.
“You should get some ice on that,” Jess said softly. Connor was startled; he hadn't seen her sitting in the corner at the computer. She went into the kitchen and came out with a large bag of frozen peas. “Best I can do, but it is effective.”
“Thank you,” Connor winced slightly, placing the bag over his hand. It instantly began to feel better.
“You should probably take a couple of aspirin for the pain too.” Jess smiled, and disappeared into the bathroom, returning moments later with a small plastic bottle. “I'll make us both a hot drink shall I? You look like you need one.”
Connor smiled gratefully, realising he hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day - neither had Abby, but she needed sleep more than anything at the moment. “Hot chocolate?” he asked hopefully.
“I think that can be arranged. I might even be able to find a couple of marshmallows to put in as well,” Jess smiled. There was a knock at the door and Connor froze. “I'll get rid of whoever it is,” she said. Connor sighed and followed her with his eyes until she had gone out into the hallway.
“I just wanted to update Connor on what happened this afternoon,” It was Matt. He appeared in the doorway. “Are you up to a visitor? I'll keep it brief.”
“Come in, Matt, please,” Connor motioned for Matt to sit down on the sofa.
“How's Abby?”
“She's sleeping.” Connor said. “She'll be OK, as long as I make sure I take better care of her from now on. I should have protected her...”
“Don't blame yourself for this, Connor. The only person to blame is Burton,” Matt looked Connor straight in the eyes. “And he's been taken care of; Abby doesn't need to worry about him again, and there'll be no comeback on anything you did. You were perfectly justified in your actions; I'd have done exactly the same if it was my girlfriend.”
“Taken care of? What did you do to him?”
“A little ARC justice,” Matt said. “You don't need to know all the details; suffice to say he got a taste of his own medicine and now he's somewhere where he won't bother any one ever again.” Connor looked at him questioningly. “Remember our anomaly that leads into the mid - Triassic period?”
Connor nodded. Becker's men had been guarding it for the last few days, waiting for it to close.
“We took Burton out to visit it, and the locking device failed. Somehow he managed to fall through the anomaly, and then the locking device started to work again before we could go grab him. Sadly, the new ARC rules prevent us from unlocking an anomaly and going through it after what happened to you guys, so I'm afraid Burton is stuck there.” Matt tried to look serious, but his eyes betrayed his amusement and satisfaction.
“Thank you,” Connor said gratefully.
“My pleasure. We're a team, and when one of our own is hurting we do everything in our power to help. Don't ever forget that, Connor,” Matt said, standing up. “Give Abby my best wishes, and you should probably get your hand x-rayed.” He nodded a goodbye to Jess and left.
Connor sat for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He wasn't sure how he felt; Burton had been his idol, he was encouraging him, providing him with resources beyond his wildest dreams - and then everything had come crashing down around him. What Burton had done to Abby was unforgivable, and if he ever set eyes on him again...
Abby. He shouldn't have left her alone for this long, not tonight. “I think I'll pass on that drink, Jess. Its been a long day,” he said.
He opened the bedroom door and paused for a moment, looking at the sleeping Abby. She seemed so peaceful, but he knew that her head would be far from being at peace. Getting rid of Burton was only the start for her, and he had to make sure she knew he was there for her. He slipped back under the duvet and curled himself around her, determined to protect her from anything like this happening again.