Title: Invincible
Author: Unknownsoldier42
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Own not. Profit not. Sue not.
Summary: In the end, no matter how much she didn't want to, she'd said no. Unable to stand, to breathe, and completely overwhelmed with fear she'd cried out. Like a weakling.
A/N: JAG crossover
Staring at the nauseatingly familiar oatmeal colored walls Temperance flexed her foot and counted her breaths until a pang of agony blossomed and shot all the way up to settle hotly behind her ears. She ground her teeth together, fighting her damndest not to give in as she continued to move her foot against the pain. A tortured moment later she surrendered, tears slipping free as she sagged back against the pillows. Rather than defeat she felt a swell of triumph overtake the self-pity she'd been wallowing in. Even bed ridden she could still fight. A small victory is, after all, still a victory. This was one thing she could do to aid her recovery, at this point everything else hurt too much to even consider. She had known, of course, that it was bad before she'd even passed out the first time, knew each bone broken with each blow - but now, confined to a hospital bed, she was just beginning to understand just how comprehensive the damage truly was - and how lucky she was to simply be beaten. Effectively immobilized sucked, but it was better than dead.
Bastard, she hissed internally, thumped a fist down onto the mattress, and started to work on her other foot, watching her wiggling painted toes wave sadly.
The memory had surfaced, slowly at first, fractured images and sounds a plague on her weary mind. There were splashes of color, blurs, almost like one of Angela's abstract paintings. One image continued to elude both her conscious and unconscious remembrances, skirting on the edge of her mind. It was driving her absolutely crazy, she couldn't stand that her mind, her greatest tool, the best weapon in her vast arsenal, was the problem. The other elements were so vibrant that she could still feel each blow, still taste the copper of her own blood. Insignificant details that were keeping her awake, but not nearly as paralyzing as knowing that something was missing in the big picture. Of course every time she managed to remember a new piece she immediately wished she could forget it. He came at her again and again, waking terrors that left her exhausted - and they were only memories. It was like he was beating her all over again.
When she happened upon the enigma floating around in the muddled depths of her concussed genius she regretted wanting to know so badly. The shame rose with the bile in her throat and the tears in her eyes because she could remember now, crying out, just once, begging him to stop.
How pitiable she'd sounded saying "No."
No, not really said, more like whimpered, like a child. This was not the first time in her life someone had raised a hand to her. God knows she'd been injured far worse, but to say no?
Temperance Brennan was stubborn and strong. She prided herself on that and the fact that she was truly independent. She was more than capable of taking care of herself; she didn't need anyone for anything. He'd caught her unaware and in that brief moment of weakness on her part, well, that was all the window of opportunity he needed. In the end, no matter how much she didn't want to, she'd said no. Unable to stand, to breathe, and completely overwhelmed with fear she'd cried out. Like a weakling. She had betrayed herself in an unrecognizable sob of a plea. One word: No. It echoed inside her head, bouncing and clamoring like a church bell in a belfry. Over and over, just like his blows had fallen on her, over and over. When it reverberated in her skull she felt helpless all over again, unable to escape from her mind. She knew from experience that the hazy resonance drumming between her ears would haunt her far longer than the scars or bruises ever could.
TBC