A/N: There is slight blood and gore in this chapter, so be careful, potential readers.
"Is Albuquerque far from here?"
Ian shook his head.
"500 miles, 7 hours of worth of driving or so."
"Is that it? Why would he say three days if that's the distance?"
"I don't know. I'm guessing it's a way for him to cause you pain."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed.
"I've been a victim of this tactic many times. The uncertainty of the fate of your loved ones, in this case, your mother, can make you reckless, and act rashly," he looked me dead in the eye, "and I know the mere thought of pain being inflicted on them is horrible. But when we go there, you need to listen to me, and do as I say."
I looked at him hesitantly.
"You make me nervous when you say it like that. What does that involve, exactly?"
"Best case scenario is that I can help you in getting your mother back without either of you getting hurt. But with men such as your ex-husband, there is a high risk of getting hurt."
He remained silent for a moment, and what he was actually saying was starting to hit me.
"Are you saying…?"
"I am saying that you are my priority if it comes down to violence, not your mother."
I slowly took my hands out of his, and felt tears taking shape in my eyes.
"Are you serious?"
He nodded without hesitation.
"Have you considered asking how I felt about this, before just leaving my mom for dead?" I coolly asked, attempting to keep the tears back.
"You are not listening to what I am saying, Nicole. Did I say that I would leave your mother for dead?" he just as coolly replied.
"No, but I'm still not liking what you're telling me! Why do you get to choose between my life or hers?"
"I'm not choos-" he started, but I couldn't even let him finish speaking.
"Then what are you doing?" I inquired.
He was silent for too long, obviously thinking about what to tell me next.
"I'm just protecting what I hold dear."
Now it was my turn to sit in silence.
Was that a declaration of his affection? His love?
"If that's your viewpoint, then you should understand that I plan on doing the same; my mom is what I hold dear, and what I plan to protect," I shook my head, "I'm sorry Ian, but I can't give you that promise."
He took my hands in his again.
"I see. But will you consider it until we reach Albuquerque?"
I couldn't face him until he repeated the question, a little more disciplined this time. Our eyes locked for a second, and I let out a small nod.
"I will, but I am making no promises."
"I'm not asking for promises, merely consideration." He replied.
I let out a huge sigh, and quietly turned straight in my seat, eyes looking outside the Texas cityscape. The truck stirred to life and we were slowly beginning our exit of the large state.
"Are we heading straight there?" I asked and looked towards Ian again.
He shook his head.
"Not yet, anyway. I would like to have a quick conference with my comrades, the ones that's been helping us out so far, and to get their opinion on the proper course of action."
"Sounds fair enough. Are we stopping somewhere for the night then?"
"We can, if you'd like."
I arched and stretched my back with a smile.
"Feels like we've slept in this car for ages. Which I don't mind entirely, but a proper bed would be nice for once," I let out a small grin, "beats me how you can just sleep with the seat fully reclined."
Ian laughed and smoothly made the right exit on the highway.
"This is nothing compared to some of the nights of discomfort I've had. Sleeping on cold, hard gorund, with a few pebbles as your pillow, now that's discomfort. A reclined seat is a luxury, if you ask me!"
"I could never be a soldier," I admitted, "a nice big bed, good food and no conflicts for me please."
Ian lifted a finger from the wheel, and wiggled it in front of my face.
"Can I correct you on something?"
"Sure."
"There is a soldier inside you, don't you realize?"
I couldn't help it, but I laughed.
"Me?! A soldier?" I almost snorted and looked towards Ian. He almost looked hurt, and my laugh stopped.
"Yes, you are, Nicole, and it bothers me endlessly you cannot see her," he quietly said, "because I have. I have not been there entirely to witness all of your strength and courage, but I have seen some of it."
"But I've never been to war," I objected, "never shot someone, never taken a life."
"Do you really think that's all there is to being a soldier, though?"
I opened my lips to reply, but once I started reflection on his question, I realized the answer was likely to be no.
"I used to."
He let out a knowing smile.
"At least you've realized your mistake. You are a soldier in your way, and I a soldier in mine. I can understand the thought however."
"Guess we can be each other's soldiers?" I asked with a coy smile, and now it was Ians turn to laugh. He glanced at me, and gave me a sly wink.
"I can be anything you like."
As he spoke those words, the already fluttering butterflies in my stomach seemed to flutter just a bit harder. I returned my gaze to the outside world, passing us at a fast pace. Cars, people and buildings passed us, and it seemed so soothing to let it fly by, and I fell asleep.
Nicole and Ian stood next to each other, quietly waiting for Tom to appear. The vehicle he had escaped San Antonio stood before them, and they could see the shapes of two figures inside of it.
"It's over, Tom!" Nicole confidently shouted, trying to lure him out of the car.
The car door opened, and she saw him leaving the comfort of his sanctuary. He took a glance at Nicole, and she saw his eyes burn with hot rage.
"Hello, Nicole. You look… ravishing." He quietly said, his voice not revealing the wrath his eyes did.
"And you look like a pathetic asshole."
Tom ignored Nicole's bold statement, and instead moved his focus to Ian.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Ian said nothing, but simply crossed his arms.
"I asked you a question, sir." Tom continued, his hands taking shape of tight fists.
"I heard you."
"Then answer me!" the man shouted, before quickly regaining his posture with a cool smile. "No matter. I know what you're here for."
Tom opened the car door, and roughly pulled out Emma. Her face was heavily bruised, and a cloth was pushed into her mouth, preventing speech. She looked exhausted, but not beaten, and her eyes appeared to light up at the sight of her youngest daughter.
Nicole let out a sharp gasp, and held a hand up to her mouth in shock. Inwardly, she cursed at herself for appearing vulnerable, because she was not. The tears she had felt pressing on were pushed back where they belonged.
She was a soldier, and she was ready to fight.
"We can make a deal, darling. You just walk to me, and I'll hand over your mother to that brute you've brought along."
"Fuck you!" Ian spat, not enjoying the hostage situation, despite being well aware that their opponent had the upper hand.
"Don't interrupt me, dickface!" Tom retorted, and held Emmas arm in a tighter grip.
Nicole leaned towards Ian and began whispering in his ear.
"Any suggestions?"
"Best I can suggest is agreeing, then knocking his ass on the floor, and getting out of here."
"Any other suggestions?"
Ian shook his head, and took a quick glance towards the competing couple. He returned his eyes to Nicole's, and she nodded to him.
"It's a deal, but no funny business."
Tom returned the nod, and harshly pushed Emma forward. Nicole felt herself getting tense at the sight of her mother being abused, and she tried to keep her cool as she strode towards them.
But her tense muscles didn't grow more relaxed, rather the opposite the closer they got to each other. She kept wanting to look back at Ian for comfort, but was too afraid to show weakness in front of Tom; he already had the upper hand, and there was no need for him to know her uneasiness.
Despite initiating this deal with strength and confidence, Nicole felt herself grow smaller and weaker until she finally stood face to face with him.
The man that had caused her so much discomfort and pain throughout the years. She felt her thoughts slipping into their old habits; it was her fault, she was disobeying her master and she was worth nothing to anyone.
She hated herself for so easily falling back into old habits. Why was she so inclined to just ignore all the lessons she had learned regarding self-loving and acknowledgement of herself?
Ian and herself had worked so hard on restoring and maintaining confidence and an idea of self-worth, so why was it so easily thrown out the window?
"Are you ready?"
Ian's voice through a tiny earpiece broke her trail of thoughts, and she swallowed hard. She smiled inwardly, and realized that whereas Tom had broken her into several thousand pieces and never bothered to pit them back together, she had found something who was more than willing to.
Together, the messy pieces of herself would come together to create the complete and glorious Nicole that she once was.
She braced herself and looked her ex-husband straight in the eye.
"This is over."
Tom let out a wicked smile, before pulling out a gun and holding it to her mother's forehead.
"Indeed."
With the same smile on his face, the trigger was pulled. Ringing occupied Nicole's ears and her heart ached as she saw Emma's eyes roll into the back of her skull and becoming void of life. As her mother's body hit the ground with a loud thud, Nicole fell to her knees and let out a screech. She wrapped her arms around herself, before crawling over towards her dead mother's body. Her tears weren't even visible on the blood stained shirt Emma wore, and a pool of blood was steadily spreading under her head.
She could faintly hear Ian shouting her name and the sound of his pounding footsteps coming towards her. Nicole could only focus on the body that laid before her, crying and trying to find meaning in what had just happened. She tried to shake her mother awake; gently but then rougher towards the end, desperately hoping for her awakening.
Nicole took a glance at the bullet hole perfectly placed between Emma's now dead eyes, and wept while wiping away the few trickles of blood coming from the wound. She felt two strong hands on her shoulders, and forced her to look at Ian, still fast approaching her.
"This is what you get for disobeying me, you bitch."
The cold edge of the barrel would've sent shivers down her spine, but she didn't even get a chance to, before she heard another gun shot and an immense pain in her chest and heart. Nicole let out a loud gasp, and held a hand up to the left side of her chest.
It was wet and painful, and as her hand brushed her chest, she felt a hole. Nicole glanced down to see blood pouring from the wound and she slowly came to terms with what happened.
I'm going to die.
"Nicole, Nicole, wake up!"
She kept squirming in the seat, and it seemed that no matter how much I urged her to awaken, she wouldn't. Her voice cried 'no' continuously and she was sweating as if she had run an enormous distance.
"Nicole, please, wake up!" I harshly said, and grabbed her arms firmly, placing a kiss on her lips. Her cries stopped and her muscles relaxed in my embrace.
I quickly withdrew and looked at her face. Her cheeks were red and flustered, but her eyes were filled with tears.
"Ian…" she whimpered at me, and I held her fragile, shaking body in my arms.
"Shhh, you don't have to speak." I mumbled and rocked her back and forth, in what I hoped to be a soothing pace.
"I died, Ian… My mom was shot and he shot me afterwards…"
I said nothing, but felt a rage growing within myself at her words. She pushed herself away from me and looked into my eyes.
"You were coming towards me, but you couldn't save me…"
"I promise to save you whenever you need to be."
She nodded quietly, tears still coming down her cheeks.
"But the worst part is…" she burst into louder sobs and more violent crying, "I was happy to die. I was free of his grip. The only way to be free from him was through death!"
She hid her face in my chest again, but her breathing became less controllable and more violent. I stroked her hair quietly and held her still.
With every heartfelt sob and tremor of her body, Ironhide realized the rage that he felt in his spark must be quenched. Whether it was through Nicole's own way of justice or her former lover's demise, he was unsure, but he was hell bent on finding out.
The embodiment of justice, revenge, retribution, whichever term fitted best, was coming, and he was pissed.