Truth Takes Time
Miles and Rachel have a dark and tangled past that they are both trying to overcome. Will exploring their past, and airing the multitude of secrets they've been keeping, help them move on? Can they help each other heal, or will they just hurt each other more?
A dual-timeline exploration of Stockholm syndrome.
- Author's Note: This is going to be a psychological exploration of Rachel and Miles, their damaged/fractured psyches and how their relationship caused and reflects this. This piece will be dark, and isn't a smut piece. Rated M for POV exploration of tormented souls.
Trigger warnings: POV PTSD/Stockholm syndrome, POV torture, Aftermath of Torture, POV suicide attempt, references to Non-con
Part of this story will parallel the second half of the first season, spoilers for the whole first season.
Chapter 1: Time Will Tell
Some dialogue taken from 1.10 – written by Monica Owusu-Breen & Matt Pitts.
I don't own the characters or Revolution; I'm just playing with them for a bit for fun, not profit.
Seven years after The Blackout
*knock knock knock*
Rachel was in the process of fixing her kids a late breakfast, and turned to them. She softly told Charlie to take Danny up to the attic and lock themselves in until she or Ben gave them the safeword.
Ben was out checking his traps, trying to teach Aaron, and though the world was considerably safer than the year or so after The Blackout, it was still less than safe and she wasn't expecting anyone. They lived in the back-of-the-beyond for a reason.
Rachel grabbed their now illegal pistol from a box on the mantle and tucked it in the back of her jeans, pulling her jacket over the slight lump. She peered through the peephole and spotted a young man, maybe 20, in a Monroe militia uniform. Crap.
*knock knock knock*
He knocked a second time, more forcefully, and Rachel knew she'd better open the door – or else. She undid the dead bolt but left the chain on the door. She opened the door enough to peek out, and quickly scanned the area. She only saw the one militiaman, and only one horse; even she could handle one boy.
"Hello?" she asked politely as she inspected this young man. He was maybe 6-foot nothing and had closely cropped black hair. His olive skin and blue eyes spoke of mixed heritage, and he appeared to be only lightly armed and unarmored.
The young man snapped a salute and said, "Good morning ma'am, I've got a letter for Mr. Ben Matheson from General Matheson."
Rachel took a few deep breaths, and locked her knees, trying to stay upright. She nodded to the young man and wordlessly put her hand out through the semi-open door.
The young man handed her a letter sealed with wax. The max bore the impression of Miles' and Bass' encircled M. The young man saluted once more and leapt off the deck, gracefully remounting his horse. Rachel stood at the door, watching him ride off, before closing and relocking the door and sliding bonelessly to the floor.
Miles had located them.
Rachel had had a hard time reconciling the Miles Matheson she had known with all of the rumors about General Matheson – yes he had a short temper and was a drunkard, but he wasn't bloodthirsty, or rapacious – but she knew, without a doubt in her mind, she didn't couldn't let the militia to get their hands on Danny, or Charlie.
Rachel literally slapped herself out of her contemplation, and raced up the stairs and the over the attic hatch. She shouted "Dora and Diego," the family's safeword since Charlie was old enough to go to preschool.
Rachel heard the creak and groan of the bar being removed and then the attic hatch was thrown open. Rachel stepped back and Charlie dropped the rope ladder down and her two children shimmied down it like little monkeys.
Rachel kissed Danny on the top of his head and turned to Charlie, "Go find your dad, he's supposed to be checking his traps along the creek. Tell him to forget about the traps, we have important news."
Rachel gave Danny a large bowl of almost burned oatmeal and sat down at the table, thinking. How am I gonna keep Charlie and Danny safe? I'd do anything to keep them safe, but what would be best? The only thing she knew for certain sure, was there was no way Ben would go to help Miles; one Ben was a pacifist, two they had had a rough relationship even before Miles had cut off all contact with Ben a few years before The Blackout, and three Danny.
Fifteen years after The Blackout
Miles and Nora, his ex, ran through Bass's weapons R+D power plant searching for his niece and nephew. All his senses were highly tuned, anticipating detecting signs of Charlie or militiamen. Miles needed to get Charlie back. Get Danny for her. Get Charlie. Get Danny. That played over and over in his mind, like a refrain, like a prayer, like a bloody broken record. He needed to make one small step back, away from this road he had paved to hell.
Miles heard the unmistakable sounds of a firefight to his right; he wordlessly nodded to Nora, and they loped off in that direction. Miles hadn't been in this plant for years but he remembered a defunct water catchment and cooling area nearby.
To Miles' relief he saw Charlie – and a young man with a shock of blond hair – being pinned down by a militiaman. Charlie had her hands on a militia-grade semi-automatic, but was raising her hands in surrender. Miles suppressed a flicker of annoyance; he needed train her up better.
Miles killed the militiaman without a blink; he cleanly slid his sword through the man's spine and heart with a minimum of effort.
"Miles" said Charlie; she took a step back. Miles glanced at Charlie, he didn't know if she was stepping away from him out of shock, or disgust, but he pushed those thoughts back. Miles gave her an once-over and was happy to note that she appeared fine, and bent down to grab the fallen militiaman's gun.
"You're Uncle Miles?" Asked the young man – definitely Danny.
"And you're the reason we're in so much trouble," snarked Miles, then proceeded to ask the battered boy, "You all right?" He was bleeding and bruised, but that all would heal given time, other, less noticeable things, might not.
"Yeah, I'm okay," responded Danny. Good.
"We gotta go," stated Miles obviously.
"We can't," said Charlie simply, "My mom's here." What the FUCK?!
Miles felt the earth fall out from beneath him; he locked his knees, trying to stay upright.
Inhale, thud, thud, thud.
Exhale, thud, thud, thud, thud.
Inhale.
Miles studied Charlie's face to see if she was serious. He gazed aside to let a thousand different thoughts crash through his mind at once. The implications and consequences of Rachel being alive roiled about in his brain.
Miles looked back at his niece, and asked for conformation, "Rachel's… she's alive?" His voice cracked on her name, he cursed himself mentally for showing such signs of emotion.
"Yeah. Monroe's been keeping her here as a prisoner," stated Charlie, thankfully not noticing Miles intense reaction to this news.
Miles glanced down at his boots, and silently cursed Bass. That lying immoral bastard. Bass said she had died in a failed escape attempt, had fallen from a three-story window and broke her back. Bass had shown him the body – her body – bloody, broken, empty. Miles took a few more heartbeats to collect himself once more.
Miles licked his lips, exhaled and told his niece and Nora, "Okay. You gotta get Danny out of here."
Bullets careened off the green cooling tank they were crouched behind – more militiamen had arrived.
Miles sniped the first shooter easily, and exchanged fire with a second. He spared a second to survey Charlie, Nora, and Danny. And then he shouted, "Go!"
He took off running to find Rachel. He tried to remember the locations of a few easily secured workrooms; places the treacherous Bass might be keeping her. A small sliver of his mind was fixated on the previously inconceivable chance for redemption he now held within his grasp. Getting Danny back for Charlie was a small step back, away from hell; saving Rachel and reuniting her with them would be a much larger one. So much of the guilt he carried was because of what he let happen to her.
I've been working on this fic since I first saw episode 1.11, it has changed at lot, for the better after 1.17. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated :)