Disclaimer – I do not own Primeval, I merely enjoy playing with the characters (because honestly, who wouldn't want to play with Connor? Or Danny? Or Becker? Or Matt? Mmm). I make no money off of this and don't mean to infringe on any copyright.
A/N: This fic was inspired by an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It got into my head and would not leave me alone. For those reading Rebellion, I'm sorry it's taking so long! I have a major case of writer's block when it comes to that story. Don't shoot me! I promise more will be up soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic, which will have two chapters and there will be a sequel! So please keep an eye out for that as well.
WARNINGS: This fic contains slight mentions of rape, abuse, incestuous rape, and childhood abuse. If any of those topics are upsetting, do not read ahead. You have been warned.
Chapter One
Confrontation
Abby Maitland leaned back in her seat, looking around the pub fondly. It was, like every other night they came here, full of people, noise, and laughter. If it had been a good day, Abby, Connor, Jess, Becker, Emily, and Matt would come down for a few drinks, toasting the fact that everyone had made it through another day without serious injury. Some evenings Lester would even join them, though those were few and far between.
"Hey, my sexy lizard queen, can I buy you a drink?" Abby turned to see her fiancé, Connor Temple, sliding into the seat next to her, his arm winding around her waist as she laughed.
"Your pick-up lines have gotten so much better," Abby joked, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "They might actually work on other girls now."
"Just so long as they work on you, that's all I care about," Connor replied, cupping her cheek gently in one hand and kissing her softly. Abby smiled at him, bringing her hand up to gently run her fingers down the side of his face.
"Oi, love birds, get a room!" Danny Quinn called, pretending to shield his eyes. "I'll be scarred for life at this rate! My innocence will be forever ruined!"
"What innocence?" Captain Becker, who sat on Danny's other side, asked, snorting. "You've never been innocent. You came out of the womb corrupted. I shudder to think of what you get up to afterhours."
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Danny said, winking at Becker, an evil grin beginning to spread across his face. "You know, I've been looking for a playmate. What do you say, Soldier Boy? Up for a little afterhours 'security stuff'? Maybe a tussle or two in the vents? And of course beautiful Miss Jessica is invited as well."
"Alright you two knock it off," Matt Anderson, the team leader, said in his lilting Irish accent, cutting Becker off as the soldier opened his mouth to retort. Danny grinned, taking another swig of his beer.
"Don't worry, Matt, we wouldn't leave you out," Danny said, winking at the Irishman. "You can come play with us whenever you like. If Lady Emily can spare you, of course. Though I would never say no to someone as stunning as her joining in the fun."
"Danny, how about we go get some more drinks?" Abby said quickly, cutting Matt off, who had opened his mouth to retaliate. Emily Merchant sat beside him, a blush creeping up her neck. Emily and Matt had been dancing around each other for weeks. Abby was about ready to strangle both of them, but she figured she better get Danny out of there before he really got Matt going.
"I'm always happy to let a sexy woman ply me with drinks," Danny said, getting up and extracting himself from beside Becker. "Don't worry, Connor, mate, I'll return her to you unmolested. Probably."
That got a laugh from the whole table. Everyone knew that, despite Danny's player attitude, he was a gentleman and would never lay an unwanted hand on any woman. Abby shook her head at him, grinning, and looped her arm through his, hauling him towards the bar. They passed Jess on their way there.
"More drinks?" Jess asked in surprise, holding up two mugs of beer.
"I figured I'd better get Mr. Jokester out of there before he caused a riot," Abby said, jerking her head towards Danny, who grinned innocently.
"Baiting Becker again?" Jess asked, shaking her head, a blush tinting her cheeks just like it did every time she mentioned the handsome captain.
"And Matt," Abby replied, rolling her eyes. Jess and Becker had been dancing around each other for even longer then Matt and Emily. Jess laughed and walked back to the table, where she took her seat beside Becker and offered him one of the beers.
"You know, we could always lock them in a room and not let them out until they've finally dealt with all this sexual tension," Danny suggested, nodding his head in the direction of the table as they walked to the bar.
"Who, Matt and Emily or Jess and Becker?" Abby asked, snickering. Danny had once threatened to do the same thing to Connor and her. And the scary thing was he probably would do it.
"Both," Danny replied, grinning evilly. Abby laughed and shook her head. The idea had possibilities, but there was no way she was going to be anywhere around when they finally let Becker out. Matt would probably just shoot them with a small EMD, but Becker would kill them slowly and painfully.
"Abby!" Abby turned at the sound of her name being shouted. A young man several inches taller than her with light brown hair pushed through the crowd and came to stand beside her.
"Jack!" Abby exclaimed, recognizing and embracing her brother. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"What, I can't come see my big sis?" Jack asked, laughing as he pulled away. He noticed Danny, who he had met once before, standing behind Abby scowling.
"Well, of course you can, but I'm just not sure it's a good idea for you to be here," Abby said, glancing back towards the table where her friends sat. "Becker's here and he wouldn't be overly thrilled to see you."
"Well then how about you come join us?" Jack asked, gesturing to the far corner of the pub, as far away from the ARC table as was possible.
"Us?" Abby asked, her stomach suddenly lurching. "Who's 'us'?"
"Dad's here with me, and Dave," Jack said, smiling. "They'll be so happy that I found you!"
Abby felt all the blood drain out of her face, leaving her even paler than usual. Danny immediately moved closer to the younger woman, resting a hand on her shoulder. Abby jumped at the unexpected contact. She'd forgotten Danny was there.
"Danny," she said, turning around to face him, smiling at him. "Could you tell Connor and the others that I've gone to have a few drinks with my family? I'll come back before you all leave, I promise."
Danny hesitated. He didn't like the look on Abby's face. The usually energetic and fierce young woman looked like she was about to pass out at his feet. There was something in her eyes that made Danny want to grab her and hold her close. He didn't like it one bit, but finally he nodded.
"Stay in sight," he said quietly, leaning forward so only Abby could hear him. "And if you need anything, just give us a holler. We'll come running." Abby nodded and smiled at him again. Shooting one last dark look at Jack, Danny grabbed their drinks and headed back to the table.
"What'd he say?" Jack demanded, dropping his light tone as soon as soon as Danny was out of earshot.
"Nothing," Abby replied hastily, looping her arm around Jack's and giving him a tight-lipped smile. "Now, c'mon, let's not keep Dad waiting."
Jack nodded and led Abby over to one of the tables in the corner of the pub. It was partially hidden in the shadows, but Abby could make out the shapes of the two men sitting there all too well. One was of average height with the same brown hair and eyes as Jack. The other was a tall, muscular man with black hair and dark grey eyes. Abby swallowed, trying to settle her stomach.
Abby gestured for Jack to slide into the booth first, but he shook his head and indicated that she should sit next to the wall, across from the man with black hair. Abby looked at her brother pleadingly, but his eyes were hard. Ducking her head, Abby assented and slid in first.
"Hello, Abigail," the man diagonal to her, her father, said. He regarded his oldest child intently. Abby kept her gaze fixed on the table.
"Hey, Dad," she said, her voice bright and cheerful.
"What, no hello for me?" the man with black hair asked, leaning forward, one hand reaching for Abby's hand. Abby jerked her arm out of the man's reach, ignoring the snarl that erupted from his lips at her action.
"Hello, Dave," Abby said, glancing up briefly before looking at the table again, her arms crossed firmly across her stomach.
"What, no sugar for an old boyfriend?" Dave asked, leering at Abby, reaching out towards her again. Abby shrank back, unwilling to let him touch her.
"I can't. Connor's over there," Abby said, looking at her dad pleadingly.
"Connor? Who is this Connor?" her father asked, looking at Jack.
"He's one of the freaks," Jack replied, glancing across the pub at the group of ARC members before quickly turning away. "The pathetic geek that was always following Abby around like a puppy."
"So you're with this Connor now?" her father demanded, glaring at Abby. When she didn't answer, he slammed his hand down on the table. "Answer me, Abigail!"
"Yes," Abby replied, looking up at him, her eyes defiant. "We intend to marry in the summer."
"Marry?" Dave exclaimed, looking at Abby's father in shock. "What the hell is this shit? Jason, are you going to allow this?"
"Certainly not," Abby's father replied, looking at his daughter coldly. "Why is this the first time I have heard of this Connor, Abigail? Is it not traditional that the man asks the father for permission to marry his daughter before proposing? Or does your Connor not respect me enough for this?"
"Connor didn't ask me to marry him," Abby replied, clenching her fists so tightly that she could feel her nails biting into her skin. "I asked him. And he said yes."
"You asked him?" Dave repeated, shocked and enraged. "You jumped up little slut! Who the fuck do you think you are?"
"David!" Abby's father snapped, shooting the other man a quelling look. "Allow me to handle this." He turned back to Abby.
"Clearly being away from us has had a detrimental influence on you, Abigail," he said, his voice cold. "You have forgotten your place. You will leave this city, this Connor, and come back home with us, where you will wed David, as I promised him."
"No," Abby replied, shrinking back into the corner of the booth, trying to get as far away from her father as possible. "Please, Dad. I've finally found something here, something worthwhile! My work has meaning! I'm making a difference, helping people! Please, try to understand."
"You listen to me, Abigail," her father seethed, leaning forward and grasping her upper arm in a bruising grip. "You've forgotten your place. You are a fool if you think what you do here actually matters. Nothing you ever do could matter. You're useless, stupid, weak. These people don't want you, except maybe this Connor, but that's only because he's fucking you. That's the only thing you're good for, Abigail. Being used. You're dirt, just like your whore of a mother."
"Let go of me," Abby said, her voice low, a dangerous glint in her eye.
"What did you say, bitch?" her father snarled, anger twisting his face into something horrible.
"I said, let go of me," Abby repeated. Her father's grip tightened and he raised his other hand. Abby grabbed Dave's drink and threw it in her father's face. Jason Maitland let out a howl as the alcohol stung his eyes. He released his daughter, who shoved a stunned Jack out of the seat and bolted towards the door.
A rough hand grabbed Abby before she had made it even halfway. Dave hauled her back towards him, one hand grabbing her hair and wrenching her head back at a painful angle, causing her to gasp.
"Let her go!" Abby nearly cried with relief when she heard Connor's voice. He was there in an instant, fire in his eyes.
"Connor!" she gasped, trying to reach for him, but Dave pulled her flush against him, grabbing one of her wrists in a crushing grip.
"So, you're the fiancé, huh?" Dave asked, smirking at Connor, who was quite a bit smaller than him. "Shove off, pipsqueak. It's not worth tangling with us just for this stupid bitch. You may have had your fun, but she's my whore, and she always will be." Abby tried to hit Dave, tears streaming down her face, but Connor beat her to it.
A look of sheer rage on his face, Connor pulled back and slugged the other man as hard as he could in the face, who staggered backwards with a cry, letting go of Abby, who nearly dropped to the floor at the unexpected freedom.
But then her father was there. He slammed his fist into Connor's face, causing the younger man to fall back, clutching his bleeding nose. Abby's father reached for her, but a strong pair of hands pulled her back and suddenly all Abby could see was the backs of the men from the ARC, who had formed a barrier in front of her. Emily stood beside her, one arm around Abby's shoulders and the other on her dagger. Jess stood a little ways off, talking furiously on her cell.
"I suggest you three walk out of here right now, before someone gets hurt," Becker said in his best military commander voice. But Abby could see that his hands were balled up into fists behind his back and knew he was just waiting for an excuse to lay into the men before him.
"Oh really?" Dave asked, leering at the captain, recovering far too quickly from Connor's punch. "You think that, do you, pretty boy? Why don't you just walk away now, before you mess up that nice hair of yours?"
"Take his suggestion," Matt said, his voice calm, putting one hand on Becker's shoulder to stop him from lunging at Dave. "We won't ask you again."
"We're not some stupid idiots that you can just order around, patty fag," Abby's father snarled, glaring at Matt's unfazed expression and the hand he had placed on Becker's shoulder. "Now, clear the way. I want to talk to my daughter."
"No," Connor said, rather thickly, trying to stop the blood from flowing from his nose. "Stay away from her."
"Mind you tongue with me, boy," Jason Maitland said, looking at Connor like he was something nasty on the underside of his shoe. "You may be fucking her, but that doesn't give you any right to her. That whore will spread her legs for anyone."
"Call her a whore one more time, and I'll make sure you never speak again," Danny said, his voice deadly quite. One hand was tucked into his jacket, resting on the hilt of the knife he always carried with him, and he was more than willing to use it.
"You fucking her too, ginger?" Dave asked, leering at Danny, stretching himself up so he was taller than the other man. "Wouldn't surprise me, useless cunt doesn't have any morals."
There was a gasp, a rustle, and then suddenly Jess was there, slamming her ridiculously long heel into Dave's crotch, which was quite impressive considering the skirt the young woman was wearing. The tall man let out a bellow of pain, falling down onto one knee, clutching his family jewels.
"Don't you dare talk about Abby that way!" Jess shrieked as Becker grabbed her and pulled her behind him, getting her out of the line of fire again.
"Enough of this!" Abby's father yelled, his voice coldly furious. "Abigail! Come here!"
Abby flinched. She remembered all the times she had heard those words, and what they had preceded. She suddenly felt cold. Her hands began to shake. Emily immediately wrapped her arm more securely around the shaking blonde, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the trio of men facing them. Her dagger slid silently out of its sheath and she bent her knees, preparing to defend Abby if the men tried to take her.
"Abby, come one," Jack said, his voice pleading and gentle, stepping a little closer, trying to see his sister. "You don't belong here with them. They don't need you. You're useless here. All your good for is sex, and clearly they already have someone for that."
Jack pointed towards Jess, who was standing slightly behind Becker. Becker's face contorted in rage and he lunged forward, his fist catching Jack under the jaw. The young man was thrown backwards and hit the floor stunned. Matt grabbed the back of Becker's shirt and pulled him back into line.
"Leave. Now." Matt's voice was as cold as Abby had ever heard it. She could feel the rage rolling off of him in icy waves.
"You have no right to stop us from taking the bitch!" Jason Maitland snarled, taking a step forward, clearly intending to shove through the line of men and grab Abby. Danny slid his knife out of its sheath, Becker cracked his knuckles in anticipation, and Matt shifted so his weight was more balanced, intent on teaching these men a lesson. Even Connor held his fists up, though he looked uneasy and edged back towards Abby and Emily.
"Actually, we do," a dry, sarcastic voice said. Abby stared in shock as Lester marched in the door of the pub with three heavily armed soldiers. "Abby Maitland is an integral part of our operation and is under contract, and protection, of the government. You three, take them away."
The soldiers stepped up and grabbed Abby's father and Dave. One had to lean down to haul Jack, who was still dazed from Becker's blow, to his feet. They started to lead the three away.
"You have no right!" Abby's father yelled, struggling against the soldiers, trying to break free. "We are her family!"
"STOP!" Abby yelled, her voice echoing in the silent pub. Everyone froze. Pulling away from Emily's protective hold, Abby stalked up to her father. Connor quickly fell into step behind her, longing to reach out and touch her, but not daring to.
"You're not," Abby said, her voice so low that Jess, who was standing the farthest away, almost didn't hear it.
"Not what, Abigail?" her father asked, his eyes cold as he looked at his daughter, a sneer distorting his features.
"Not my family," Abby hissed, glaring at the man in front of her, all the long repressed anger bubbling up inside of her. "You stopped being my family the moment you laid a hand on me in anger, or let your friends use me for their own pleasure, or for your own."
"We're bound by blood, Abigail," her father replied, making no attempt to deny her accusations. "We can never be replaced."
"Oh, but you have been," Abby told him, her voice rising in volume so everyone could hear every single word she said. She pointed to Lester. "Do you see that man? He's become more of a father to me then you ever will be. As a matter of fact, I intend to ask him to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Do you see those people? I have blood for them, and they have shed it for me. They respect me. They care about me. They are my family. One of them is the man I love, who I intend to marry because he had shown me what real love is. And it's nothing like the toxic waste you have poisoned me with my entire life. Never come near me again, or you will regret it." Abby turned away from her father, facing the coworkers that had become so much more.
"What would you do, kill us?" Jason Maitland asked, snorting, his eyes narrowed. "You're too weak for that. You will always be our Offret."
"No," Abby said, turning back to look at him. "I won't kill you. I'll let them kill you." She pointed to the group behind her, a cruel smile on her lips.
"And trust me," Abby said, her voice low. "It will be slow, and painful. And I will watch, smiling as you scream for mercy, like I screamed."
With that she turned to the men and spat, "Get them out of my sight."
The soldiers immediately hauled the cursing trio away as they screamed threats at the group in the pub. Abby turned back to her friends, all of whom immediately rushed towards her. Abby smiled at them, then everything went black.
A/N: The other chapter should be up really soon! I hope you all liked it. I'm not particularly thrilled with how it came out, but it's the best I can do right now. Please, leave a review. Love it, hate it, think I'm an idiot, tell me. Thanks for reading.