Hearts and Fates Entwined

By: Fairedust

Part three

Chapter 14

When Comet, one of Apollo's and Tabitha's bunkmates, saw her enter the gym; he knew there was something definitely wrong. Her face had a strange look about it that was very unsettling. It was almost as if she were searching …no that wasn't right. It was more like she was hunting something. He began to quickly scan the room, looking to see if he could discern who or what her target may be. Seeing her zero in on the four boisterous marines, he realized she must have found what she was looking for. There was a momentary flash of a look he had seen once before. The look that was on her face when those two fools had entered their room, to beat on Apollo. It was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, but he knew he'd seen it. Looking over at the man he came here to spar with he said urgently under his breath, " You need to go find Apollo and bring him here, quickly." He had already decided he couldn't just leave her in here all alone. This wasn't the gym she usually worked out in. This one held a much rougher crowd. "Go!" he hissed.

He was relieved his friend didn't question him, but quickly jogged out of the room. He thought at first it may be best to approach Tabitha, with the thought of delaying any action she may take. But once again he saw that lethal look flash across her face. He'd seen what she had done in their bunkroom. He knew she was a lethal opponent. But here in this room, she would be clearly outnumbered. These marines tended to stick together. And right now she was casually circling up to those four. He had no idea which one may be her target, but he did know if she attacked any one of them the others would all stand together as one. He really didn't think, even after what he'd seen, that she would stand a chance. He also wasn't stupid enough to think he'd be able to control her. The only person he'd ever seen do that, was Apollo. He'd seen when Tabitha was about to rip that fool's head from his shoulders, that all it took was a touch from Apollo to still her hand. Damn, he hoped he got here soon.

Knowing he would have to try his best to delay any action from her, in order to give his friend and Apollo time to arrive, he moved forward. Since she had arrived on the Pegasus, she had become friendly with all her new bunkmates. Well not like she was with Apollo, but certainly friendly. Even so he approached with some apprehension. He didn't want to become her mistaken target. "Tabitha? What are you doing down in this gym? I thought you were getting ready to head back over to the Galactica for your day."

"No Comet. That's not until tomorrow. I just got off duty a little while ago and went to visit with some friends of mine. After I left them, I realized I needed to work off some …tension. So I headed down here to see if I could find someone willing to spar with me." Her tone was light but since he'd already seen her momentary flashes of anger, he was able to discern the notes of steel underneath.

Thinking quickly and not to brightly, "Hey, why don't you spar with me. My sparring partner just had to leave. I'd be willing to spar with you." as soon as the words came out of his mouth, his throat tightened. What the hell had he been thinking?! He knew better than to spar with a pissed off wild cat, so why did he just offer to do so?

Tabby looked him over carefully. At first she was surprised Comet had offered to spar with her. It was something he'd never done before, so why was he offering to do so now? She'd seen his eyes grow large momentarily just after his offer. Ah, so he had figured out why she was here. He'd noticed that she was angry. Good. Maybe that would keep him out of her way. She'd just found the four men who'd attacked Karl and Tyrol in their cell. "I don't think so. I've been told by the Admiral not to damage any of her pilots. She never said I wasn't allowed to play with her marines, though." The woman and pilot's conversation finally caught the attention of the marines standing by the mat. Tabby noticed she now had their full attention, as did Comet. Comet let out a small groan that only made her smile all the more.

She began to circle all four men, who unknowingly allowed her to herd them onto the mat. Comet soon realized that she didn't have a single target, but was actually targeting all of them. For the love of the Gods, Apollo hurry up and get here! He had no idea of how to dissuade her from her current course. He knew he was no match for any of these men singularly, let alone as a team. Knowing he was going to regret his current course of action, he took a single step onto the mat. When he saw her shake her head and signal him to back off the mat he did, to his instant relief and shame.

She was circling around the marines closely, almost cat like. "So, I've been told that you marines are real men. Is that really true? I've been looking for some real men to play with. Would you like to play with me?" She purred. She knew she now had all four men's total and undivided attention, along with several others about the room. Comet noticed her face momentarily flash with possibly anger or pain. It came and went too quickly for him to translate it. Her face once again looked confident and … flirtatious? He was definitely confused. He'd never seen her act this way. All he knew is her behavior was making him very nervous, indeed. The expressions on the four men panting after her changed his nervousness into fear.

Comet was fortunate he didn't know what was flashing thru Tabitha's mind at that very moment. Her thoughts were racing and changing like a kalidascope. These men were literally panting after her, just as she had hoped. Good, she thought with relief. She really wasn't sure if they would. It was about time her body finally did something positive to help her. Usually all it did was get her into trouble. Or worse, it caused her and/or those she loved pain. The image of her broken mother materialized in her mind, causing her to wince. Almost instantly the image changed to Damitri. Damitri loved to taunt her about her appearance. He'd said it was due to her angelic face and womanly curves that he insisted she breed with his son. When she fought against that, he turned her over to his men. Soon, to his amazement, he realized even that wouldn't break her. That's when he decided it was time to change her appearance from an angel into a monster. This was when the whipping began in earnest. How he delighted in taunting her. Against her will over the years, she began to believe his and his men's cruel taunts. She believed no man would ever be able to look at her without disgust, or worse. She believed he had truly turned her into a monster. Her time on Caprica only seemed to reinforce what had been drilled into her.

This time, however it was finally going to be an asset. She'd chosen her clothing carefully. Unlike her usual custom of wearing loose fitting shirts, she was wearing a skin tight t-shirt coupled with her usual tight fitting leggings. This served her two fold. It was a way to get their attention but also a way to be sure her clothes couldn't be used against her. She would not be restricted by bulky clothing and her opponents would be unable to gain purchase. Knowing she'd be up against multiple targets, she had planned for this.

She closed her eyes briefly, and took a steadying breath. "What. None of you want to play with me?" she said with a sultry pout. "I was led to believe you liked to play with helpless looking opponents." she purred once more. None of the men seemed to hear the steel underneath her sultry tones. Comet did. He just wasn't sure what this was about. The only thing obvious to him was she definitely had a grievance with these men, and it was soon to get out of hand. There wasn't a single man in the room that wasn't completely focused on the beautiful woman slinking her way among the men on the mat. "Come now. Are you saying you don't want to play with me? How disappointing. I was looking so forward to sparring with you all."

The men began to look among themselves. The woman before them was extremely tempting. Not only was she beautiful, but she was foolish enough not to realize she was helpless. They all took a quick look around the gym. Their look clearly told those present they were to leave. All but Comet did. He couldn't do that, he just couldn't. Shaking his head, he did back up however when one of the men stepped up to him. The man thinking he only wanted to watch the show, shrugged his shoulders and moved back toward the mat and the woman. Comet saw the look that glittered from Tabitha's eyes. These fools thought it signified her mounting excitement. Well in a way they were right. They just didn't understand what was truly behind her excitement. Things were definitely about to get ugly. Where the FRAK was Apollo.

No sooner had the last man except Comet left, one of the marines stepped up to Tabitha. Putting his hands around her upper arms, he pulled her up tight against his powerful chest. "Well now, as you can see, we all want to play with you. What did you call it? Sparring I believe? You want us to be rough? We can do that for you. All of us will be extremely rough with you, and there's nothing you can do to stop us. There's nobody here to save you either." he said with a vicious leer. None of them were expecting her reaction. They all were expecting, …wanting her to show fear. But that's not what they got. She slithered seductively down the man's chest and laughed deep in her throat. She'd been waiting for these fools to clear the room. She wanted as few to see what she was going to do to these men as possible. Under any other circumstance, Tabby would never have gone after all four men at once. In her rage at what they had done to Karl, she never even hesitated.

When they saw her unexpected reaction, they all looked at each other with momentary confusion. Their confusion soon turned to anger at her continued laughter. They were all determined to show this tiny, defenseless woman her place. They began to circle her in pack formation. Tabitha for her part finally stopped laughing, but a vindictive smile was now on her face as she evaded their moves. "Finally you 'boys' are gonna play. I was afraid you'd be to much of cowards to face someone who wasn't helpless or defenseless. Worried you'd only play if you were armed with your guns, like you were in the brig with Karl and Tyrol."

Comet finally began to understand. These four men were known for seeking their own justice. They must have gone to the brig and beaten the Galactia men who'd stopped the heinous act of their Cylon prisoner being raped. Holy frak! One of the men brought to the Pegasus' brig was called Helo. Sweet Mother Hera. He'd learned weeks ago, how much Tabitha cared for that pilot. She considered him as family. Oh my Gods. If she felt half as much for him as she did Apollo… For the love of the Gods! Where was he? Comet knew there was nothing he could do on his own. He was not a coward, he just wasn't stupid either. He needed to wait for his friend and Apollo to get here. It was the only way they stood a chance against these marines.

In the next instant he knew they would not arrive in time. Tabitha had finally grown impatient, just like she had done in their bunkroom before. She suddenly struck out at one of the marines, snapping his head back on his shoulders. As soon as the other men saw her snap their companions head back they moved in. The looks on their faces looked as if they were going to enjoy this. Comet knew if they were able to subdue the tiny woman they wouldn't stop with just a beating. They were going to tear her apart as they violated her as well. He knew he could wait no longer. He stepped onto the mat with the intention of backing the woman up. Two hits later he was lying flat on his back, unable to get up.

Tabby had seen Comet move up to try and watch her back. Although she was grateful for his effort, she was angry she was the cause for his pain. All humor finally left her. She no longer wanted to do this as a game and take her time. She only wanted these men to feel pain. If any of the men had been paying her more attention, they would have seen the exact moment her attitude changed. They would have realized their numbers and training were not going to do any of them any good. As Comet watched from the ground he saw her become the 'wild' thing he'd witnessed in the bunkroom when she released her rage. He noticed the moment she changed from being dangerous to lethal. He scooting backward, to avoid being trampled on by the men or tripping her.

By the time Apollo rushed into the gym, there were only two men still conscious. From the look of those lying unconscious on the floor, they hadn't gone down easy. They looked beaten to a pulp. The two remaining on their feet didn't look much better. When Apollo lunged forward in an effort to help her, Comet grabbed his ankle. Lee looked down at his fellow pilot with impatience. Comet relayed in a rush, what Tabby had said just before she began beating these men. That's when Lee took a moment to actually watch her in action. She didn't appear to be having any trouble handling these two that remained standing, even if she were sporting a few new scrapes and bruises of her own. Knowing she needed this, he decided to stand back and watch. He wasn't without any chivalry, he made sure he stood close enough to come to her assistance if it became necessary. He just didn't think it would be.

As he watched, another man went down for the count. She was now circling her last opponent as he looked around himself in confusion. The man simply couldn't understand how his fellow soldiers were out of the fight, leaving him the only one remaining standing. How was it she was still standing? He knew very well they had all managed to connect with her at one point or another. He couldn't know it was rage that powered her. A rage that gave her the edge she needed to remain on her feet. An edge, under any other circumstance, she should never have had.

Circling her last opponent, she made sure to tell him she'd best never learn of him thinking of attacking another helpless prisoner. If she did, she would not be as merciful the next time. With that she spun and knocked him out with her foot. She stood panting over the last fallen man, feeling her rage seep out of her. She was well aware of Lee's presence, she just wasn't ready to face him yet. She needed to calm down before she could hazard a look into Lee's eyes.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

When it was all over, Lee knew instinctively to give Abby a moment to collect herself. As he watched her pant over her last opponent, he could see the primal energy radiate off of her. He watched her breathing begin to settle back out and her posture relax from it's aggressive pose. When he saw her shoulders finally droop, he stepped forward and placed his arm around her waist. Without saying a word, he guided her out of the gym and back to their bunkroom. Comet was right on their heels. Lee needed to reassure himself she was truly going to be alright. He remembered how she had reacted the last time she went primal.

When they arrived, Lee settled her down on her bunk and sat next to her, never removing his arm. He was afraid if he did, she may take it as him seeing her as 'the monster' she seemed to think she was. He'd made the decision when she had defended him here in this very room, to never allow her to believe he saw her that way. Not that he'd ever seen her that way. But that night was the first time he'd ever heard her refer to herself that way.

Over the next hour, it all came out. How she'd discovered that Karl and Tyrol had been sent to the Pegasus' brig. That once there, she'd discovered why they were there and what had been done to Sharon. She also found out what those four marines had done to them while they were trapped, defenseless in that same cell. How she had come back to the bunkroom to change into her tight fitting clothing and began to hunt all the bastards down. How she had to make them pay for what they had done. She told Lee that if she didn't, nothing would be done to any of them. The men who'd attacked Sharon were never put onto the report. The men who'd attacked Karl were dismissed by Fisk with no reprimand what so ever. As far as Abby was concerned it was up to her to deal with them. So she had. She told him how she had found the two marines that had been holding Sharon down while she was being raped, first. She told Lee over and over she only wanted to give them pain. She promised him, her intension had never been to kill. She needed him to understand and believe she wouldn't have killed any of them, even if she had been left alone with them.

Lee realized just how upset Abby must be at this very moment. He'd been at first unconsciously then knowingly rubbing his hand over her back in an effort to reassure and calm her. Instead of pulling away as he assumed she would, he noticed she'd unconsciously been leaning into his hand. Due to her shirt being so tight fitting, he was able to feel all the ridges on her back, with his fingertips. He was able to discover they started at her waist and stopped just below her shoulders. Thru his fingers, he was able to feel their patchwork pattern. He was able to feel the different shapes they created, some were very long whereas some felt short or cut off abruptly. Some of the ridges felt as if they barely protruded her skin whereas others seemed to stand out significantly. Since he'd been able to catch a glimpse of her lower back once before, he was able to create a mental picture by using his fingertips. His heart ached for the pain she must have suffered in acquiring these scars. But he never once thought they detracted from who or what she was.

Lee suddenly recalled his recent conversation with Kara and her unusual request. He'd promised to back her up. He'd told her she was his Wing Man and it was all about trust. Without it they were all nothing. He knew the odds of Kara and himself surviving this mission his father had set them on were slim to none. He knew he had to make sure Abby was safely aboard the Galactica when this all went down. "Abby. We are set to go on a mission to take out that Resurrection ship in a few hours. I think it would be best since you have already put in your shift, that you go over to the Galactica, now. I'd feel much better knowing you were over there with the Commander, than here when the Admiral finds out what happened in the gym. Or before any of their friends happen to find out. Can you do that for me? Can you go back to the Galactica until this mission is completed?" Lee's asked softly. When she looked into his worried eyes she nodded her head in response. She quickly rose from her rack and gathered what she needed to take with her. Lee knew she would never leave the ship without her bag of stones or her small black bag containing an odd assortment of items.

Both Comet and Lee flanked her as she made her way down to the flight deck. Lee was scheduled to do a 'milk run' to the Galactica. He'd actually requested to be the one to deliver the paperwork packet to his father. He wanted his father to look him in the eye, when his father confirmed what Kara had asked of him. Lee decided it would be best to bring Abby along for the ride. This way he would know she was safely aboard the Galactica, before their mission began in a few hours.

Even though Comet had never been over to the Galactica, he sensed she would be much safer there than here, once Cain discovered what she had done. If the Commander was that headstrong to defend simple crewmen, how much more would he defend a woman who was his adoptive daughter? Lee was thinking much on the same lines as Comet. He knew he needed to know Abby was safe as he went on his next mission. He needed to be able to concentrate completely. He'd be going in virtually alone in the beginning. It had been left to him to fly the Blackbird right into the Resurrection ships gut, and take out their FTL drives before any of the others could begin their attack. But where Comet's was only thinking about Tabitha being reprimanded; Lee was thinking about her safety after he and Kara took out the Admiral.

On the flight over, Tabby felt Lee's unease. As promised, she wouldn't read him. Besides, he seemed to have an ability to make it extremely difficult for her to read him anyway. When he helped her disembark the Raptor, he seemed to relax slightly. She knew without a doubt his relief stemmed from her now being back with the Commander and the Galactica. Why he felt that way she didn't know. She knew it couldn't really be because he was afraid she'd be in trouble with the Admiral. She also didn't think it was because he was actually afraid any of the other crewmembers would retaliate. No, there was definitely another reason. One he had thus far chosen not to share with her. She was suddenly getting a very bad feeling about his upcoming mission. Somehow it didn't seem to be just simple nerves regarding the enemy. She'd seen him launch to attack the Cylons before. This was something different and she was beginning to get nervous too.

Shortly after her arrival, the Commander called her to his office. She knew Lee had already seen his father. With her head hung low, she entered his office. She was fully expecting to hear his disappointment in her. When she was engulfed in his fatherly embrace, she looked up at him in shock. "I'm so glad you are alright. Cain called on the wireless. She'd said you had been in a fight with several of her marines. She wasn't able to tell me if you'd been hurt or not. She sounded very irritated and she demanded you give her a full report before you report back to duty." Finally leaning back to get a good look at her. "You are alright aren't you Tabitha?" He looked her over from head to toe, taking in her new scrapes and bruises.

His fatherly concern was like a balm to her soul. Before she was even aware of it, tears began to fall from her amethyst eyes. When Bill saw them his brows lowered menacingly and his grip on her shoulders increased; but Tabby knew his anger wasn't directed at her. He guided her over to his sofa. Once she was seated he knelt in front of her so they would be eye to eye. At seeing the concern in his eyes she impulsively reached her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. It had been so long since she felt she could lower her guard completely. Only in Lee's and Bill's presence did she feel truly safe. But unlike Lee, when she was with Bill she didn't feel she needed to hide this side of her emotions. Seeing Bill as more her father, she had no fear her emotions would overwhelm him.

She was afraid for Lee to see her this way, to know she was actually scared, lonely and weak. She was afraid to show him her heart. She was afraid if he knew, it may frighten him away. She had accepted long ago that they could only be, would only be friends. She knew it could, would never be more than that. Tabitha had no illusions of what she was. She was horribly scarred, a monster. She was not a warrior like what she felt Lee deserved. She was not a strong enough woman for a man like him. She wasn't enough of a woman for him period. All she had to do was look at herself in a mirror, well try to anyway. She was too small to see much more than her head in most. She thought he deserved someone beautiful and whole, someone he could desire and feel passion for. In other words nothing like herself. She felt he needed someone who could watch his back but also be there just when he needed to talk things thru. Someone who could be a true partner in battle and in life no matter what. Someone who could be strong yet gentle at the same time. Someone who could not only nurture his heart but protect it also. As far as she could see, she simply didn't measure up. Damitri had made sure of that.

But with Bill she had no such reservations. She clung to him and released all her pent up emotions. Bill not really knowing what this was about but figuring she would tell him when she was ready, simply held her to him as she released her tears. When she was able, she leaned back and sniffed embarrassedly. Bill gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs. The look of fatherly concern never left his eyes. "So, you going to tell me what that was all about?" and she did. She told him all about what she'd learned in the Pegasus' brig. She then told him what she had done about it. At his look of shock when she related the events in the gym, and those before; she gave an embarrassed giggle.

By the time she was done, Bill had come to a new respect for this powerful, tiny woman. He was not a fool. He knew she must have downplayed the events in the gym. He was well aware how well the Colonial Marines were trained in hand to hand combat. That she had taken out two and then another four of them single handedly was truly amazing. That she'd decided to deal with these men personally was also very telling of her personal moral code. He knew she never abused her abilities. She simply refused to accept anyone abusing those who were helpless or defenseless. To be honest, he was surprised she had only beat them unconscious. Lee had informed him of the events in their bunkroom a few weeks ago. He'd done so in an effort to have his father bring her back to the Galactica. Lee had been worried about the Pegasus' crew retaliating, or Cain for that matter. It was for those exact reasons that Tabitha had refused to return to the Galactica. She insisted on remaining on the Pegasus, to watch Lee's back. Bill had begrudgingly agreed. What he'd never told either of them was he'd been relieved Tabitha had insisted on staying.

The phone by the Commander's desk buzzed. When he rose to answer it he spoke for a few moments into the line. Walking back to Tabitha, he informed her that the mission was going to be starting soon. When he saw her look at him with worried eyes he came to a decision. He'd realized quite some time ago how much Tabitha cared for his son, even if neither of them realized it. Somehow he felt she would watch his back until she simply couldn't. She'd do anything within her power to protect him. He wasn't fool enough to think she'd always be able to protect Lee, but he knew it wouldn't be for lack of trying. "Would you like to be in the CIC while this one is under way?" With a sigh of relief and a grateful smile, she accepted his offer. She had been hoping he'd offer, but ever since the test flight of the Blackbird, he'd never allowed her to come back. The two proceeded to the CIC. Bill told her she could stand over by the wall, where she could still have a view of the large dradis screen. Both gave each other a look, remembering this was exactly where she had stood during the Blackbird's maiden flight. Everyone in the room was now waiting for the Admiral's orders for them to Jump.

tbc