AN: Inspired, and built around a picture. I've been told this fic's heartbreaking? ;D
(pic in the title image and also a link on my profile page!)
Abby suddenly stopped, taking a moment to catch her breath. It was a little hysterical. She had good reason, to be honest. She was trembling. She was strong, she could defend herself.
It was just hard to want to hurt someone when they looked just like your missing husband. He was a clone - despite the fact that Helen seemed to have improved her technology, the clone still seemed disconnected with the world. No emotions. She knew, rationally, that he would do whatever Helen had asked - no, commanded - of him. But the chocolate brown eyes were his, everything about him read her Connor.
Except the fact that he had been brusk with her all that evening - she'd thought Connor had come home, maybe he'd just gotten lost or drunk or something, she didn't really know - and then they'd driven out to the middle of nowhere. Her phone lay smashed somewhere behind them. She hadn't taken a black box with her; why would she? She loved Connor, he loved her. This was not Connor. He'd turned dark and menacing and she'd panicked, because he wasn't like this. He wouldn't pull a knife on her.
The one thing she thanked Helen for was in not giving him a gun.
Behind her the Connor clone rolled up his sleeves, his mind mostly blank, focused on the job at hand. He didn't know, could not understand.
She took a gasping, deep breath, shut her eyes, and slowly turned around, opening them to see the man who looked so much like the love of her life that it was utterly unfair.
"Connor - " She bit her lip. "I know you're just a clone, but please, won't you listen to me? You really, really don't have to do this." She thought maybe, maybe she could reason with him. Maybe make that connection. G-d knew what she would do with him if it worked in her favor: she couldn't imagine giving up on looking for her Connor, making do with this substitute. It was highly unlikely anyway.
"I'm sorry. I really do." He said in a tone that didn't sound sorry at all - short and clipped and unConnor-like. She stared at him, heart in her throat.
"Please?"
FIN...