Trigger Warnings – torture, mild self hate
20 Hours {Valerian}
Valerian gazed at the clock on his right, its digital numbers mocking him. The time of day didn't matter to him, all that mattered was the stopwatch underneath the main numbers, climbing with every second. He exhaled audibly, the computer system Alex booting up.
"It's been 20 hours since Y/N has disappeared. I can't find her DNA signature anywhere, she seems to have completely vanished." Alex voiced, continuing to scan for your DNA across the near galaxies. The ship had been flying ever since you went missing on a previously unknown planet. The species had taken you away, taken you away from your husband.
"Thank you for the reminder, Alex." Valerian sighed, moving his gaze to the wedding band on his left ring finger. He blinked back a tear of worry in his light-colored eyes, twisting the metal ring on his finger. It was a little over eight months ago the two of you had said 'I do,' tying you both together for the rest of your lives.
"I don't think you really appreciated my answer." The AI talked back, a small smile breaking on Valerian's lips. No matter what happened, a sassy AI computer could always make you smile.
"My wife is missing. I won't rest until I find her, Alex." Valerian insisted, putting more power into his voice with every word. He had just begun to mope around, unsure what to do with himself without you were around. "Seatbelt."
The seatbelts strapped themselves over his shoulders, buckling down by his waist. The dream scanner immediately flipped down without him asking, images of your past with Valerian flashing before his eyes. "Thank you." Valerian whispered, thanking the artificial being built in to his ship.
He cracked his knuckles, placing his fingers on the screens in front of him. They unlocked to his finger prints, images of the past planet flashing on the screen. The planet you were taken from was rocky, shards sticking out almost everywhere. Small cuts littered Valerian's fingers, serving as a physical painful reminder to your disappearance.
The species that took you, or Species X of Planet X, were a people of teleportation. Since they had you, it was unlikely they kept you on Planet X. You and Valerian didn't even have time to learn the real name before you were kidnapped.
"Keep scanning. The Species X can't have taken her too far. Their teleportation must have a range, they must be able to teleport a few times before needing to replenish their energy. We'll find them somewhere."
The projection of the surrounding galaxies rotated on the screen. Species and planet names continuously popped up, taking away from what Valerian was truly looking for. A red dot signally where you were. But, it didn't appear.
20 Hours {Y/N}
You woke in a cave under water, an air bubble surrounding your body. The pressure in your ears was almost unbearable, you felt as though someone was trying to break through your skull. Your entire body was in a dull ache, the air thinning as you took deep breaths.
"Valerian." You gasped, suddenly realizing you were alone in this underwater bubble. Memories began to pop up in your brain, reminding you of what had happened.
You remembered jumping from planet to planet, held in the arms of an alien, species X. You remembered being placed in this bubble, something weighing it down as you sank to the cave. Everything else that happened was a fuzzy blur, gaps unable to be filled in your mind.
"Hey!" You screamed, suddenly noticing the ground beneath you in the cave was dry. "Let me out!"
A single being from Species X emerged, un-camouflaging itself from the surrounding rocks. A breathing aid was in their mouth, their brown eyes showing confusion at your words. The species skin was a variation of colors, rocks protruding from their flesh. They blended in to their home planet, hence how they captured you so easily.
You screamed as the species broke the bubble, shrinking it to the size of your mouth. Your whole body erupted into pain as they pushed you against the cave floor, consciousness leaving your body as the pain became so intense you couldn't bare it anymore.
40 Hours {Valerian}
Valerian stifled a yawn, dark bags sagging under his eyes. An untouched plate of food sat to his right on the floor by his seat, his eyes still staring at the map of surrounding galaxies. Your DNA signature had briefly appeared on a planet that contained only water, but then disappeared before he could arrive.
"Valerian, you have an incoming call from Laureline." Alex's voice broke the overwhelming silence, Valerian gazing even higher on the screens. His best friend's image appeared, concern littering her face.
"You haven't found her yet?" She asked, Valerian's chest tightening as he was reminded of his failure.
"If I had, she would be next to me." Valerian replied, beginning to play with the ring on his finger again. Nothing would take him away from his mission to find you, his determination was all he had.
"Hey, when's the last time you slept?" Laureline questioned, squinting her eyes at the screen. The concern on his ex-partner's face was genuine, making him feel even worse.
"It doesn't matter, Laureline. I won't rest until I have Y/N back." Valerian snapped, his heart pinging with despair. He didn't know he could hurt this much, didn't know he could despise himself this much.
"It's not your fault." Laureline pointed out, seeming to read his thoughts. "I read your mission report. They came out of nowhere."
"I should have been able to get her back. You know, I found her signal!" He yelled, swiping away the galaxy map with his hand in anger. A small tear slipped down his face as he paused, taking a deep breath. "I should have been able to save her. The planet she briefly appeared on is all water…"
Laureline hadn't replied, waiting for her friend to finish his rant.
"They probably drowned her. I lost my wife because I wasn't fast enough." Valerian finished, hopelessness filling his voice. "She's dead…"
"You don't know that-"
"She's my wife, Laureline. I have a feeling. Y/N is dead!" He screamed, punching the projection. His hand phased through, Laureline's face disappearing from the screen.
Tears ran down his pale cheeks, his hand pulling at the seatbelts strapped over his chest. Valerian kicked the plate of food across the room as he got out of his chair, his voice booming as he made commands to Alex.
"Extend the search. I want to at least find her… body."
"Valerian, I highly recommend you seek some form of nourishment and rest. Kicking your food across the room was a childish act." Alex criticized, his artificial voice aggravating Valerian's ears.
"It's as I said, I will not rest until I have Y/N back beside me. Now do as I say and extend the search."
40 Hours {Y/N}
You awoke to the aching pressure of being under water disappearing. Fresh, breathable air filled your lungs, consciousness fulling returning to your body. The same being from Species X studied you with curious eyes, marveling at your excessive need for the fresh air.
"What do you want?" You sputter, beginning to take in your surroundings. You were on a rock perched high above other land, a mysterious red ocean crashing beneath you.
Species X studied you, the rocks protruding from their skin appearing painful. You didn't know if they were male or female, or both. Many species were hermaphrodites.
"We want to know everything. How your government works, how your body works, how your brain works. Everything. But more importantly, how to destroy it." A new being spoke, startling you as they walked up from behind. A javelin was in their hand, stabbing into the ground each time they stepped.
"I won't tell you anything." You spat, your mind moving to your husband. Valerian wouldn't want you to give in, he would want you to fight.
"Too bad." The new being added, raising an eyebrow. He locked eyes with your original captor, a language being shared between them. "I didn't want to do this."
Before you could react, the first being from Species X pinned you down. A scream escaped your lips, but it was premature. The javelin was stabbed into your arm, pain shooting through your body once again. You didn't feel it for long before you lost consciousness once again, the pain becoming too much for you to handle. Your thoughts were last on your husband, Valerian filling your mind before you lost it.
"Weak." The leader sneered, teleporting to a new planet. The first being nodded in agreement, picking you up in their arms before following.
96 Hours {Valerian}
Valerian woke up on the floor of The Intruder, his head aching. Grunting, he slowly pulled himself up, blood sticking to the side of his face. "Alex!" He shouted, wincing as his voice echoed off the closed walls of the enclosed room. "What happened?"
"You passed out Valerian. Your heartrate is dangerously high and your blood pressure dangerously low. Laureline called while you were out, she saw you on the floor. She's on her way. We have been moving slowly, no traces of Y/N have been found so far. Laureline will be docking soon, I must insist you eat something fir-"
"That's enough, Alex." Valerian cut off, clambering to his feet. He stumbled to his room, grabbing some food on his way. "How long was I out?"
"Over 12 hours."
"And you didn't try anything to wake me?!" He yelled, forgetting the food in his hands. He tried to stand, but only fell back onto his bed, a loud grunt escaping his lips.
Silence gave Valerian his answer, his hands trembling as he tore open the wrapper of a protein bar. He took a bite, chewing a little before swallowing. Hunger took over and before he knew it, all the food he had managed to grab was consumed.
"There hasn't been any trace of Y/N?" Valerian asked again, his eyes drooping as he gazed at a photo of the two of you.
When you got married, you both decided to take one of the wedding pictures to an old-fashioned photo developer. A physical copy of your photo remained in your bed room, two other copies being made of just one another. Those copies remained in your suits, a reminder of the one you both truly loved.
"There was one trace, but it vanished within seconds. From observation, these beings do need time to relax and can only jump a certain number of galaxies before needing to stop. We are getting on to them." Alex assured, taking note of Valerian's increased vitals. "Laureline is docking."
"Thank you." Valerian spoke, taking out your picture from his chest pocket. A small smile crept on his face, disappearing as he looked up. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, relief building up in his body as he saw Laureline walk on board.
They didn't talk, just exchanged a glance and they knew what to do. Valerian laid down, falling into a dreamless sleep almost instantly. Laureline watched the galaxies on the screens, waiting for anything to show where you were.
You had been missing for four days, 96 hours. Even if Valerian had finally managed to sleep, the anxiety on the ship remained the same. There was an ache in everyone without you there, a hate towards themselves building.
96 hours without you and Valerian's world had begun to fall apart, but the hope was keeping it. He would find you, even if it killed him.
96 Hours {Y/N}
You drifted in and out of consciousness, only allowed to be contained in your thoughts. Valerian was all that was on your mind, distracting you from the pain. Particularly, the day you both decided to bind your lives together.
Valerian took your hand in his, his light-colored eyes gazing into yours. He wore his normal clothes, a t-shirt and black pants, running shoes clad on his feet. A bowtie was positioned around his neck, an award-winning smile plastered on his face.
You wore a white dress, your usual combat boots on your feet. Your hair was tucked back, your beautiful eyes shining against the white of your dress. The two of you were still on the ship, getting ready for your wedding.
"I don't think I'm ready for this." You whisper, doubting what you were about to do. Valerian leaned over, pressing his soft lips onto yours. His smile turned gentle, his body turning to face you.
Valerian's hands traveled down to your waist, one remained there while the other traveled up your back. His fingers played with the zipper of the dress, he pressed his forehead to yours. You smiled at the feeling of his body on yours, his hot breath and lips on yours melting away your nerves.
"We don't have to get married today if you don't want to. But, we've been together for a long time. Getting married just makes it official. I want to marry you." Valerian whispered, pressing his lips to yours once again. You kissed back, your fingers hooking into the belt loops on his pants.
"I love you so much." You gasp, pulling your lips away from his. He smirked, kissing you again before replying.
"I love you too." Valerian grinned, picking you up so your legs wrapped around his waist. He kissed you passionately being setting you down, his hands trailing up your body. "Let's go get married."
A painful stimulus jolted through your body, taking you out of your dream. You opened your eyes, craving your husband's presence, his touch. But, all you got was an ocean spray, reminding you even more of Valerian.
You glanced over at your arm, blood seeping from a makeshift bandage made from your pant leg. The first member of Species X must have done that. Your face ached, bruises most likely already swelling. You could feel your skin tightening, blood leaking from small cuts adorning your body.
"She awakens. But, not for much longer."
120 Hours {Valerian}
Valerian was back in his seat, Laureline was in yours. A painful silence overwhelmed them, Valerian right back where he started. Every so often there would be a dot showing where you were, but once they got even remotely close, you disappeared. That was until now.
Valerian's heart rose from his feet to his chest when the dot remained for more than a minute, then to ten minutes. "I think we might have her." He said, waking Laureline from the half sleep state she was in.
After passing out, Valerian had only managed another 6 hours of sleep. He was still weak from lack of food and sleep from the past five days, only eating a protein bar and two sandwiches. It was all he had, same with sleep. Valerian hadn't even cleaned the dried blood from when his head hit the floor.
"Don't get your hopes up. Valerian, if she's not moving. If they aren't taking her anywhere-"
"Laureline, I warn you to bring up the topic." Alex cut in, the AI not wanting a repeat of the past incidents.
Valerian's heart sank back to his stomach, his left hand weighing a million pounds. His wedding band suddenly felt heavy, the reminder of you two weighing down on not only his heart, but his whole body. Everyone noticed the sudden mood shift, including Alex.
"I…" Valerian began, making himself stop before he got too upset. "Let's just go get her."
The remaining few minutes to the planet were silent, no one wanting to jinx finding your DNA signature. The Intruder hovered over your general location, Valerian preparing to get out, running to find you. Laureline would stay with the ship, leaving you both to have each other moment of reunion.
Riddled with weakness, he changed into a special suit. The suit prevented teleportation, hopefully keeping them from taking him as well. "If you get dizzy or lightheaded-"
"I'll call you down, yes I know." He finished, the hope returning to his body. Valerian tied a gun to his waist, allowing himself to take a deep breath before the door opened. He clambered down the long ladder, swaying in the wind from the ship.
Sand blew in his eyes as his feet touched the ground, a figure no more than 300 yards from him. His heart rate increasing, Valerian stumbled across the sand, a smile forming on his face as he reached your body.
Dropping to his knees, sand spraying everywhere, Valerian searched for a pulse. "Y/N! Y/N. Please, please." He begged, using the rest of his strength to pull you into his arms. He sat on the ground, your torso in his lap. Your hair was tucked behind your ears, bruises littering your skin.
Valerian continued to desperately search for a pulse, he tugged the glove of his hands to press his fingers to the black and blue flesh of your neck. Your body twitched in pain, but you didn't wake up.
A pulse was absent, he couldn't find one of the sensitive tips of his fingers.
"No, no, no, no, no, NO!" Valerian screamed in despair, sand gluing to his face as tears ran from his beautiful light eyes. You remained limp in his arms, consciousness nearly completely absent from your body. The sight of your injuries alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes, let alone the belief that there wasn't life left in your body.
"Use the scanner." Laureline's voice cut in to his ear, reminding him before he was completely lost into hysterics.
Desperately, Valerian took the scanner from his pocket, taking it to your temple. The cold metal made your body subconsciously shudder, a small pang of hope rising in his body as he felt you move.
"Is there a heart rate?" Laureline asked, suspense building in her body. The ship continued to hover, whipping sand into your wounds.
"Yes!" Valerian sobbed, pulling you closer than before. He forgot about your injuries for a few moments, needing his wife close to him. Species X was nowhere in sight, making it feel safer.
The ship didn't land, but steadied and moved closer. The next view events were a blur for Valerian, seen through the eyes of tears. He could barely move, whether from relief or exhaustion he didn't know.
Laureline had come down, taking you from your husband's arms to strap you to a board. Valerian watched, still unable to move. All he knew was he had you back and there was nothing left to fear, besides whether or not you would wake up.
Valerian's body had finally completely exhausted itself. Laureline had to help him onto the ship, he was nothing more than deadweight now. His vision swam as he made his way to the bed beside yours. If he wasn't so physically spent he couldn't stop falling asleep now that he finally knew you were safe and sound.
125 Hours {Valerian}
Valerian woke to the loud beeping of two heart monitors. He gasped, shooting up in the bed. The elastic on oxygen mask on protested, his hands tracing his face to pull it off. An IV needle pricked his arm, feeding him nutrients and keeping him hydrated.
"Welcome to the living." You joke, your voice hoarse from the lack of drinkable water you'd have. You were being hydrated and fed through an IV needle as well, your throat still internally dried and cracked.
"Y/N!" Valerian shouted, wincing as you did at his voice. "Sorry." He whispered this time, yanking the IV needle out of his arm. Laureline must have put it in after he passed out again.
"You look absolutely terrible." You gently laugh, weakling holding out your good hand. A tear slid down your cheek, relief swelling throughout your body once again. Valerian choked back a sob, sliding over a chair to be closer to you.
He took your hand in his, entangling your fingers together. "I couldn't relax knowing I probably… lost you…" He muttered, tears rushing down his face like a dam broke. Gently, you reached for his face, wiping away the tears with your slightly bruised thumb.
"But I'm still here." You whisper, allowing a small smile to stretch on your lips. "What if I woke up and you weren't here?"
"What do you mean?" Valerian asked, resisting every urge in his body telling him to kiss you. You didn't have an oxygen mask over your face, but you had a tube snaked under your nose.
"You look like you haven't eaten or slept since I was… taken… Promise not to do that to me again." You persist, wincing in pain as you tried to move your injured arm.
"I promise. Anything. As long as you don't get taken again." Valerian chuckled slightly, giving your hand a tighter squeeze. "I know you couldn't control it, but I really need you here. You're my wife, you matter more to me than I do. I love you so much, I can't do without you."
"Obviously." You smile, twitching as the bruises on your face pulled.
"I can't live without y-"
"Please, just shut up and kiss me." You laugh, ignoring any pain you felt as Valerian's soft lips pressed firmly onto yours. He gently placed one of his hands on the side of your waist by your injured arm, his fingers spreading up the side of your ribcage. One of his hands stayed entangled with your fingers, his forehead resting on yours.
He broke away, the tips of your noses brushing together in butterfly kisses. Valerian kissed you again, his hand lightly tracing from your waist up to your hair. He tucked your hair behind your ears, smiling as he physically felt having you back safe and sound. "I love you. I'm so happy your safe, that you're back with me."
"I'm glad to be back. Please." You gesture, weakly making more room on the bed. As carefully as he possibly could, Valerian pulled your body into his arms, sorting out the IV on your arm so it didn't hurt you.
"Are you tired?" He whispered, his breath on your ear send a shudder down your body. Valerian pressed his lips to your temple, a small smile curling on your lips. His face was buried in your hair, the image of his light blue eyes left to your imagination.
"Extremely. So are you." You point out, slowly burying your face into his neck. His arm wrapped around your body brought security and safety to your mind, allowing you to genuinely rest.
"We can sleep. Laureline's got the ship, we have nothing to be worried about. You're back and you're safe, that's all I'll ever need." Valerian reminded you, gently resting his loose hand on your hip. He turned his lips so his hot breath could be felt on your temple, his skin just brushing on yours.
"I love you." You whisper, closing your eyes to the rhythmic sound of Valerian's steady heartbeat.
"I love you." He mumbled, allowing himself to truly rest.
You both fell asleep intertwined in each other's arms, your bodies aching from your past week's troubles. You could rest easy, knowing the other was safe. Species X couldn't take anything from you, neither of you. All that mattered to Valerian was that he had his wife back, Y/N, the love if his life.
Everything had turned out alright.
