Title: A Demon's Fate
Author: Annie Newton
Fandom: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (book!verse/AU)
Genre: Angst, Romance, Drama, Horror
Summery: When a letter from Henry calls Abe back to his dear friend, feelings blossom. But an old enemy lies in wait, ready to destroy the Hunters' new found happiness.
Pairing: Abery, Crowley/Henry, a bit (a teenie, weenie little bit) of Crowley/Abraham, Henry/Edeva
Rating: NC-17 (overall) / G (Chapter 3)
Warnings: Language, Violence, Disturbing Images/Concepts, Gore and Blood-Play, Graphic M/M Sexual Content, Non-Con/Rape, Torture and Character Death
Disclaimer: I do not own Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter nor any characters or concepts contained within.
Word Count: 1,781 (4,960 so far)
Chapter 3: "I Guess We Are Done"
The two of them sat in the dark basement, frozen and mute within the heavy air. Henry gazed at the young hunter, who stared into the tepid liquid of his mug, an odd tranquility etched across his face. Though Henry's jaw was set with unresolved tension, he waited patiently for Abe to speak.
Finally, Abe moved. He arched his back in a tired stretch, a couple of loud pops sounding from the taut vertebra. "I'm going to go on a ride," he announced calmly, rising from the chair.
"Beg pardon?"
Abe headed in the direction of his room, "I'm going for a horseback ride."
Henry blinked, his lips parted in bewilderment, "Whatever for?"
"It looks to be a beautiful day," the man replied, his voice muffled by the layer of stone separating the two rooms. He reentered the kitchen sporting a mid-length, tweed overcoat and a serene smile. "You are welcome to accompany me, Henry."
The vampire watched, dumbfounded, as Abe made his way up the staircase, his steps giddy and light upon the worn timbers. He had anticipated and prepared for Abe to yell, or to cry, or even to brood for the rest of the day in angst-ridden silence in response to his order. Henry certainly had not expected the man to go for a horse ride.
But it wasn't just his announcement of action; it was Abe's buoyant tone that worked to baffle Henry so. He could detect not a hint of anger or resentment within the young man's words, nor any trace of concern for his predicament.
This last realization immensely troubled Henry.
Moving quickly in order to catch up with Abe, Henry loaded the stove, turning it down to make the wood burn longer. He laced up his leather mid-calf boots, grabbed his own jacket and bounded up the flight of steps leading to the false cabin above.
The white rays of the morning sun were already piercing through the gaps of the cabin walls, revealing ghostly swirls of dirt churning in the air. The day would only become brighter when the sun rose above the hilltops of the valley to throw even the darkest regions of the wood into illumination.
Henry reached a hand inside an inner pocket of his coat, pulling out his favorite pair of sunglasses. The black lenses immediately filtered out the stunning radiance, granting protection for the one part of his vampire body that would always remain vulnerable to the daylight. After fastening the buttons on the front of his coat, Henry stepped out into the dawn of the virgin day.
While the cottage was a bit on the shabby side, the stable in comparison was impressive. The structure stood behind the home, with a lush paddock nestled between the two. Henry had learned long ago that the health of a man's horse was crucial to his survival, and that importance only increased when in remote areas. Naturally understanding this, he had built the barn sturdily, enclosed on all sides to protect the animals from the oftentimes volatile weather.
As Henry looked on, Abe led his big bay through the stable door leading into the corral, tying the end of the rope to a fence post. A frown played at the corners of Henry's mouth, slight though it was, at the sight of the hunter's ax leaning upon the rail, placed alongside the horse's tack.
Leaning on the fence, Henry examined Abe as the man positioned the saddle pad behind the gelding's withers. "Abraham?"
"I am heading out for a ride, Henry," Abe answered, his voice betraying only undying tranquility. After he had hefted the saddle into place, he turned to face his friend, taking note of the displeased expression marring the vampire's striking features. Despite this, he grinned, working his famous innocence to its fullest, "Will you not join me? Come, it'll be fun!"
The brows above Henry's lenses formed an interesting curve, and Abe knew that if he could see the other man's eyes, exasperation would be burning bright within them. He could practically feel it emanating from the vampire as it was, his skin prickling from the glare. At length, Henry pushed off the rail and spun on his heel, marching into the barn.
Abe patted his horse's neck. Good. There were certain things that needed to be spoken between the two friends. But here was not the place and now was not the time. Perhaps, with a few miles of rugged cross-country under them, the atmosphere between the vampire and the man might prove a bit more amiable.
That was what Abe was counting on, anyway.
oOo
The day was indeed beautiful, as Abe had rightly predicted. Though the air was on the cool side, the warmth of the sun graced their backs with a comfortable caress as they rode through the woods. It was a picturesque autumn day, with the clouds like fresh cotton and the colorful leaves twirling from the trees as they danced their way to the earth.
They had begun their trek easily enough, following the narrow deer trails along gurgling creek beds and in-between valleys thick with brushy undergrowth. As the sun climbed higher in the sky and the horses warmed beneath them, they aimed for the crest of the highest hill, picking their way over mangled roots and loose stones as they wove up the steep grade.
By the time that they had reached the top, horses and riders alike were puffing from exertion and eager for a rest. Halting under the shelter of a shady grove, Abe removed his feet from the stirrups, stretching his long legs free from their stiffness as he wiggled in the saddle, attempting to find a comfortable position on the firm, thinly-padded frame. Henry came up alongside him, looking not the least bit sore from the past couple of hours spent on their morning jaunt.
"Beautiful," Abe remarked, as he watched the billowing clouds toss silhouettes across the rolling countryside before him.
Henry sniffed at the air, trying to enjoy the fragrance of the damp earth and the ancient trees. "Yes," he said, working hard to keep the detachment he felt out of his voice.
"I will not stop, Henry." The abruptness of the statement caused the vampire to grind his teeth in vexation. Abe turned his gaze upon his friend, the breeze toying with his dark, unruly hair. "I cannot stop. I made a promise."
Henry was silent for a long while, staring down into the shadowy gorge below them, purposefully keeping his face angled away from Abe. Though his expression was sour, his thoughts were even darker. "That is a mistake, Abraham."
"Perhaps," said Abe, pursing his lips in thought. "Though there would be much less risk to myself if you would care to help me."
Confused, Henry whipped his head around, at last looking to Abe.
"Two against one, Henry."
"Surely you are not considering hunting him?" Henry asked, voice pitched with dread in response to the sly smile that had imprinted itself onto the young man's mouth.
Abe's response was immediate and sure, "That is exactly what I'm considering."
Snarling, Henry jerked on the reins and dug at his mare with the heel of his boot until she had pivoted in front of Abe so that he could face the man directly. "Abraham, do not be stupid," Henry stated carefully, thankful his glasses hid the raw emotion that pooled within his deep irises. "Crowley cannot be defeated, not by me and certainly not by you. And he would not suffer such a reckless display of foolishness from a human boy. He would surely kill you."
"Then teach me how to better protect myself," countered Abe. "There must be more that you haven't yet shown me. If we start now, I can be ready if he comes for me."
Henry looked down at his own hands as they rested on the pommel, "You speak as if you are determined to meet him in confrontation." He was quiet for a long moment. Sensing his anxiety, his horse shifted beneath him, pawing at the dry leaves upon the ground. Henry raised his covered eyes to his former pupil, and said in a voice haunted with guilt, "I am afraid that I cannot help you, if that be your goal."
Now it was Abe's horse that moved nervously, snapping his long, feathery tail against the man's trousers. With a suppressed sigh, he narrowed his gaze in careful scrutiny. "The reason that you don't want to interfere with Crowley," Abe began, as evenly as he could muster, "is it because you are close with him?"
"Vampires have only one of two relationships with their maker," Henry said, painfully straight in the saddle. "They either like one another, or they do not. There is no in-between. No," he confirmed. "No, I do not have ties with him."
"Alright. Good. So…?"
Swallowing against his parched throat, Henry shook his head. "I am sorry, Abraham."
"Why do this then?" Abe asked, finally allowing his frustration to seep into his tone. "All of this? Why instruct me on how to kill vampires and send me on your missions if with the first sign of danger, you tell me to desist?"
Henry remained quiet, his mouth a sliver of a line.
"I do not understand." Abe blinked, trying to hide the rejection he felt from spreading over his cheeks. "Together we could put an end to him; together we could be great, unstoppable!"
Henry lowered his head, endeavoring to conceal a puckered frown.
Abe's horse snorted, shaking the reins in agitation. Biting his lower lip, Abe nodded once, hoping that Henry would attribute the rosiness on his face to the chill air. "Well," he breathed, "then I guess we are done. Good-bye Henry." He grimaced, unbelieving that he had uttered those words. "I do thank you, for all you have done."
Though it was said without malice, Abe's last statement hung in the air, the hidden message of the words palpable to vampire and young man alike. Abe sat up, finding the stirrups and taking up the leather reins in clammy hands. With a gentle press of his legs, he nudged his horse forward and rode passed Henry, aiming to begin his trek back down the side of the hill and away from Henry.
As Abe plodded by, the light of the noonday sun caught on the edge of his ax, reflecting brilliant silver against the dark glass of Henry's shades. The vampire waited until the hunter was gone before daring to uncurl his balled fists, the blood thick upon his claws from where they had knifed into his smooth palms.
oOo
Author's Note: First off, I do apologize for the long delay. I was "terminated" from my primary job and so have been splitting my time with job hunting (*snort* like there are any jobs available), writing this chapter and conducting research for upcoming chapters. My hope was that if I do some of that research now, it won't take me so long later.
Also, this chapter was supposed to be way longer. But as I was looking at it, I finally decided that I should cut it where I did and save the other stuff for later. I do kinda feel bad for posting what I call a "bridge" chapter (a scene that really only serves to "bridge" one scene to the next, and that doesn't have too much importance by itself), because I've made you all wait so long for an update… But have some faith in me; I think you'll enjoy the next couple of chapters. Also, this will be the last chapter, for a while, in which Abe and Henry are miffed at each other. I hate writing them angry. They'll cheer up soon, promise!
Not sure if anyone cares, but I've picked out horses for our guys! Abe's gelding is played by the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird. (That Derby was the most fun I've had in a loooong time!) Henry's mare is the beautiful Zenyatta, the Queen of Racing. I'll have pics of them up soon in my FanFiction profile.
I have got a couple of one-shot story ideas that I am absolutely DYING to write. One is just fluffy and set to a very popular song, and the other just racy, and dark. Very dark. I have not yet made up my mind if I'm going to deviate for a while and split my time writing those and this, or if I'm just going to continue with this for now. I guess I'm just beginning to get scared because I've realized just how massive Demon's Fate is going to be. Maybe I should have saved this for that November fanfic writing competition thing…
But I am determined to see this thing through. From beginning to end; from concept to completion. Never fear, my pretties :)
Well, gotta go. I do love you all, and I really, really appreciate you all reading this story!
Till next time we meet!