Orphans Beloved…II "The Donny Imperative…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later. I do plan at least one longer tale, "Nessun Dorma" but that's just getting sketched now.
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
"Let me get this straight?" Paul, standing, hard stare at the couple on sofa, Sarah Manning in Beth-style outfit sitting apart in a chair.
"You told him?" he eyed the female of the couple, Sarah's identical match, Allison, who firmly gripped her husband's hand…The said husband, Donny, watching Paul carefully…Clearly trying to project some air of menace…Or at least a vague "Don't mess with me…Us, man" air.
"I told him. He's my husband and he had the right to know." Allison, solemnly.
"Uh-huh. Not very fond of him or did you just think he'd make a great human shield?"
"We should expect that, coming from you." She replied, coolly. "My sister's murderer…"
"I didn't kill Beth." Paul, grimly…But slight paling. "I wanted to help her, save her if I could."
"She found out the man she loved…With all her heart…The man she trusted…" Allison, sharply. "Betrayed her to her worst enemies…People who studied her like a lab rat, with your help."
"It was either me…Or someone else, someone who didn't give a damn." Paul, firmly.
"And you cared so much…" Allison cooed.
"Ally…" Donny cut in.
"This man is one of them, pretending to love one of us…Lying to us, threatening all of us."
"Whoa, Allison…" Sarah tried…
"I came here…" Paul began.
"Yes, why did you come here? Why did you stay after hearing the truth from Sarah?" Allison asked, calmly. "Were you ordered to? Did they say… 'Go and seduce the new chick and see what the freaks are up to?'…"
"They might've…If they'd known." Paul, equal calm.
"Allison, Paul came here on his own, trusting us. And whether we trust him or not, he's a source of information on whoever did and is doing this." Sarah, carefully.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" Paul, wanly.
"I don't trust you…I'd be a fool, too. And you did play a role in killing Beth." Sarah eyed him steadily. "But I believe your life might be in danger too, now…And you might be lookin' to protect yourself. In any case…We're telling you nothing you couldn't know if you're still with them and if not…"
"I loved Beth, at the end…I wanted to help her even though I could feel her slipping away from me." He sighed.
"Really?" Allison, sharply. "Did you tell your wife about that?"
"What?" Sarah sat up as Paul paled a bit again.
"He's married, Sarah…And a war criminal…Which is why, no doubt, he was so willing to go along with his role with us."
"I'm divorced. And yes, I made a terrible mistake in bad judgment in Afghanistan eight years ago." He nodded.
"Must have been recent. When Donny found out about you, the records indicated you were still married." Allison, firmly. Sarah, blinking in her chair.
Allison, proud beam in eye…Firm grip on Donny's hand. Triumphant glance to Sarah…Yeah…That's right, my burdensome, bumbling Donny got the goods on soldier boy!
"We'd been separated for years. I wasn't attached to her when I was with Beth." Paul insisted.
"That's convenient." Allison nodded. "But I'm sure a little thing like marriage wouldn't have stopped a fellow like you from carrying out orders. How many kids did you kill that day, going from house to house and then having the place bombed to burned cinders?"
"We never made an exact account…" he eyed her calmly. "The Taliban naturally claimed we'd killed dozens…"
"Bodies too badly mangled, I guess." She agreed. Turning to the stunned Sarah. "Poor Beth really could pick 'em, eh?"
"I'm not denying that was how I got roped into this…I told Sarah some of that already." Paul noted quietly. "But I did love Beth and I want to know why all this was done to her."
"Terrific." Allison, mocking smile. "Go back to HQ, steal everything you can, and report back…We'll be waiting…Somewhere."
"I've thought of that." He nodded. "But I don't have the clearance to get much…I'm just a field observer."
"Which means you have a handler…" Donny cut in. "Someone you report to, who gives the orders."
"I do and I told Sarah that." Paul. Coolly.
"So we grab your handler and make him talk?" Allison suggested.
"You?" Paul stared. "You and Mr. Nine-to-Five, no abs, here?" he looked to Sarah, with grin. "Now, Sarah…Maybe she'd get somewhere…Hey!" he looked to see Allison holding gun on him.
"You don't get to make jokes about my husband." She said, coldly. "He's the one who was true and honest and you, 'mr. abs', are the lying scumbag, child murdering, spy and informer."
"You'd best be ready to use that thing." Paul regarded her carefully.
"Oh, yes." Allison nodded. "To save my husband, my kids, and my new sisters…You bet."
"Ally…We talked about this." Donny, gently.
"Fine. Keep it cool." She nodded, brittley. "But if he betrays us…Again…Like poor Beth."
"I didn't betray Beth! I was trying to…" Paul rose.
"Sit down or we shoot." Donny, calmly, hand on Allison's gun hand, steadying. "I want to be reasonable and understand all this but you don't have any credit with us…And our kids and my wife's safety come first."
Sarah, wan smile…
Ok…To Allison's quick glance.
My instructions regarding never being alone with my husband stand, by the way, her glance clearly stating…