Chapter 34

Khan stood in the shower, inhaling the thick steam, half-wishing it was a poisonous gas that would just end everything once and for all. Not that toxic fumes would kill him – they would just irritate his eyes and throat and probably make him vomit. He laughed dryly at the thought, or at least he meant to; he didn't recognize the choked-off sound coming out of his throat.

He felt completely alone, possibly more alone that he'd ever felt before. Beth and his children had become his conduits to everything, and knowing they were close by, without being able to see them and touch them and know they were safe, was worse than any physical torture Graves could have imagined for him.

It wasn't just their safety that Khan was worried about. The Commissioner would grow increasingly attractive to Beth as they spent more time together, and he was related to the twins by blood. If Graves didn't kill them it was only a matter of time before he took Khan's place at the head of his family.

And what if Beth was already pregnant with Khan's third child? Khan's stomach flipped excitedly at the thought of a new life gestating inside her body, but he couldn't help regretting the way it had been conceived, with both of its parents overcome by resentment and fear. All Khan could do was promise himself that the child would not be born in this prison, and he would do everything in his power to make things right with Beth once they had escaped from this hell.

Turning his head to let the hot shower spray down on his face and sting his cheeks, Khan almost missed the sound coming from the apartment, outside the bathroom.

"Deanna?" he called, turning off the shower.

He had been grateful for her absence from their shared rooms when he'd first arrived back, so he didn't have to explain the blood and filth covering most of his body. But it had also bothered him not to know where she was. In many ways she was the ultimate target for Graves' vindictive violence.

As cruelly as the Commissioner treated Lucy and Arma and seemingly every other woman he encountered, Khan knew it all stemmed from his anger and resentment towards Deanna. Khan's imagination sawed between sick and violent scenarios of what Graves could do to Deanna now that she was under his control, so he was relieved to think that she had returned to their rooms.

"Deanna!" he called again as he wrapped a towel around his waist and rushed, still soaking wet, into the apartment.

But it was not Deanna standing in the kitchenette by the small wood-burning stove. It was Lucy, wearing a short, but elegant, dress made of dark blue lace. Her legs were bare and shapely and she was wearing tall silvery heels. The dress had long sleeves but she was rubbing her arms like they were cold as she stood by the fire. Then Khan noticed that the lace was thin and see-through, and Lucy was naked underneath.

"What are you doing here?" he asked suspiciously. As much as she was Graves' victim, she was also one of his agents.

The young woman turned to him. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying but her voice was almost under control. "Simon said to tell you to get ready for dinner."

It was the last thing Khan had expected her to say. "He wants to have dinner with me?"

"Not just you, there are a handful of guests."

"Beth?" Khan asked immediately, both hopeful and apprehensive at the thought of seeing her again.

But Lucy just shrugged. "He didn't tell me, he just said you should put those on." She pointed to a pile of black clothes on the bed. It was the standard black uniform of the Department of Extreme Threats.

Khan eyed them dourly, knowing what this meant. Graves was making it clear that Khan worked for him now.

Lucy approached slowly, and the way her legs were moving awkwardly as she walked, Khan could tell she was still injured. "He said I should help you get ready," she said.

She reached out a hand to take hold of Khan's towel, but Khan gripped her wrist to stop her before she could pull it off. "That won't be necessary."

She nodded and pulled her hand back, neither relieved nor disappointed. Her blue eyes were dull as she looked up at his face. "I still need to wait. I can't go back to him without you."

"Then you might as well sit," Khan said. "I will need a few minutes."

"I'll stand if you don't mind."

It still hurt her to sit down, Khan guessed as he picked up the uniform. "Graves never took you to the infirmary?"

Lucy turned away. "He stopped the bleeding and gave me something for the pain."

"And kissed it better as well?" Khan asked viciously, wondering how long it would take Beth to start defending her brother's cruelty.

From Lucy's hunched shoulders, Khan knew he was right, and the thought of Graves going down on the frightened, injured girl was too much to bear.

"And he sent you in here hoping I would hurt you as well?"

With Lucy's back still turned he dropped his towel and pulled the black pants and shirt on over his wet body. He shoved his feet into the black boots waiting beside the bed and then retrieved the hypospray he'd stolen for Allister from its hiding place under the mattress. He shoved it inside the top of his left boot.

"I'm ready," he growled, leading the way to the door. Lucy followed slowly behind him, grimacing as she sucked air through her teeth. Whatever Graves had given her for pain, it was starting to wear off.

"Come here," Khan said gruffly, still angry at her, but also trying to conceal the guilt he felt for the way he'd hurt her.

He didn't want Graves to have the pleasure of seeing her limping into the room behind him, so he picked Lucy up carefully, trying not to hurt her further. She put an arm around his neck and he carried her from the room and into the corridor.

"Down here," she said, pointing, although Khan knew the way. He thought bitterly about the last time he'd gone to the Commissioner's quarters. It had been so easy the first time, to find Beth and get her into the Yard. He hadn't imagined ever returning again.

Still in Khan's arms, Lucy entered the code to open the doors, and as Khan entered the room his senses were overwhelmed.

Classical music was playing from modern speakers embedded in the walls, but it crackled and hissed pleasantly like an old-style recording. The smell of roasting meat and vegetables permeated the air, making Khan's mouth water and his stomach rumble. But the most overwhelming thing to Khan was the sight of his wife standing by the fireplace with her arms around the shoulders of Commissioner Graves.

"Beth," Khan breathed, almost dropping Lucy on the floor.

She turned her head sharply and pulled her hands from the back of Graves' neck.

"Khan!" she gasped, sounding both guilty and frightened, and she took a step back to hide behind her half-brother. She was wearing a muted green lace dress similar to Lucy's blue one and Khan couldn't help noticing she also had nothing on underneath. Perhaps to a human, it would have been difficult to tell that she was naked, but to an Augment, and to Graves, she might as well have been standing there in the nude.

Except for something gold glinting brightly in the firelight.

Khan recognized the long gold chain draped around Beth's shapely waist like a belt. It was a replica of the silver chain Graves had used to secure Lucy to the drain in the white-washed room.

"No," he said, stepping forwards, and Beth took another step back, putting a hand on Graves' shoulder and ducking further behind him.

Was she just acting, or was she truly afraid of him? Khan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Commissioner's satisfied face.

"You can put Lucy down at the table in the dining room," Graves said smoothly. "And take the seat beside her. There are just two more guests to arrive before we can begin."

Beth gripped Simon's arm as she looked over his shoulder. She watched Khan carry Lucy from the room, the girl's head resting on his shoulder.

He was safe, and Beth felt relieved, but there was something different about him, and it unnerved her. He was acting subdued and subservient for Simon's benefit, but there was also something real and broken in his eyes when he'd looked at her. It was the look he'd had years ago, when she had first met him: haunted and out of control, with nothing to lose.

"You said I'd never have to see him again," she reminded Simon when Khan and Lucy were gone. She knew it was important to keep up her act of fearing Khan.

Her brother turned to face her, his eyes scanning her own. "You don't have to worry," he said, taking the end of the gold chain wrapped around her waist. "He knows that you're mine now, he wouldn't dare touch you."

"Then this is a test." Beth said, knowing the test was as much for her as for Khan. She tried to smile playfully. "I hope you pass."

She managed a weak laugh, but her stomach was churning. How far would Simon push things to make one of them break?

He was still laughing at her joke when there was a chiming noise at the door. He looked up, taking a sharp breath, and Beth saw for a moment he was actually afraid.

"Simon, what is it?" she asked, putting her hand on his cheek. He covered it with his own hand, gripping her fingers.

"Nothing," he said, smiling strangely. "Go and wait with the others. We'll be through shortly."

Beth looked at the double door. "Who is it?" she asked.

But he just shook his head. "Just another guest, no one for you to worry about."

"Then don't you worry either," Beth told him, and she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his troubled mouth. "I'm here if you need me."

Simon closed his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. "You're either the kindest or cruelest woman I've ever met," he whispered.

Beth smiled as he blinked his green eyes open. "Maybe I'm both, like you." She said as she started to back away. "Maybe that's why you love me."

He was still holding the end of her long gold chain, and when it was stretched out as far as it would go, Beth stopped moving, waiting for him to release her.

"I do love you, Beth," he said, and he took another deep breath, like he was building up the courage to say something else. But rather than say something, he used the chain to yank her back towards him.

Beth stumbled and fell, but Simon caught her easily. He turned her quickly, leaning her back in his arms, and bent his head to kiss her on the lips.

Unlike her earlier kiss, this one was passionate. His left hand holding the back of her head, Simon pushed his tongue against Beth's lips and before she knew what was happening, she had opened her mouth to accept him. He groaned and pulled her against his body, and Beth wrapped her arms around his neck. She tried to hold on as a torrent of hormones and desire and relief washed through her, shredding what was left of her papery control.

His right hand moved down her body, following the contours of her breasts and waist through the lace dress. Beth could feel the electric heat of his hand as it made contact with her skin through the material. She suddenly wished she was naked, so she could feel his unobstructed touch.

"Simon," she breathed, and it was like one of her dreams, except this was no dream. The strong arms circling around her, the breath on her face, the erection pressed against her bare thigh… they were all hot and real.

"Wait," she said, but her hands had other ideas. One of them was wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer, while the other hand snaked under his shirt, thrilling at the heat and hardness of his chest.

But then there was the sound of chimes again, reminding them someone was still at the door.

"He can wait," Simon hissed against Beth's lips before deepening his kiss. Beth felt like she was drowning and didn't want to be saved.

But just as she thought she might never take another breath, Simon stood swiftly, raising her so fast it almost made her pass out. He held her steady and whispered in her ear, "I won't let anyone take you from me." Reluctantly, he released her and took a step back. "Now, go into the dining room, take the seat across from Lucy and get ready."

"Ready for what?" Beth tried to ask, but her lips were numb and swollen, missing the pressure of his mouth against hers. She could barely stand either, without his arms holding her up. How long until she wouldn't be able to do anything without him? The thought made her frightened, but she realized she was smiling, because even though he was more in control, she knew he must be feeling exactly like her.

"It's almost okay if I don't move."

Lucy gripped the edge of the antique table, leaning back in her chair. Khan sat beside her, looking down at her pale face. She looked incredibly young with her blue eyes wide and anxious with the pain. She was starting to sweat and he could hear her grinding her teeth.

There was no way she could make it all the way through dinner. And even if she did, what came next? It's not like Graves would leave her alone until she was healed. Now that he had started to take her apart, it would be injury after injury, until she wasn't worth hurting anymore.

Khan shook his head, disgusted with himself; he was the one who had drawn first blood.

"This will help," he said, reaching into a water glass with two fingers and pulling out a large ice cube. He tried to hand it to her, but she couldn't make herself let go of the table. So Khan reached down and gently pried her thighs apart. He pushed the ice between her labia, and she cried out in shock and pain. But Khan held it firm, pushing it against her damaged clitoris, until he could feel her start to relax.

Her hands dropped to her sides. "Oh, that's better," she moaned, taking hold of his hand to move the ice even higher. She nodded appreciatively as the pain numbed away. "That's amazing, thank you, Kha…"

"Khan!" Beth shouted from across the room. He looked up, but had enough control not to drop the ice.

"Take it, Lucy," he said calmly, waiting for the girl's trembling fingers to replace his. He knew what it looked like to Beth, to see Lucy moaning while his hand was between her legs. Part of him was glad after the way he'd just seen her with Simon, and he realized he was still angry about catching her naked with Matthew.

Khan crossed his arms, offering no explanation. It would be stupid to act contrite or guilty, if they were being monitored, plus it wouldn't hurt to let Beth think that she wasn't the center of his universe for five minutes.

"Forget it, I don't care," she said hotly as she dropped into the chair across from Lucy, but she obviously did care, and that gave Khan hope.

"I shouldn't be surprised," she continued. "She's already had her claws into Simon."

Khan realized Beth was just as jealous about Lucy's relationship with Simon as any imagined connection to Khan. Or was Beth still acting? Or was it partially real? If so, which part? Khan was starting to wish they'd never started this charade. Her even pretending to dislike him was more than he could stand right now.

"Beth, have you seen the twins yet?" he asked, as much to change the subject as to find out what she knew.

She looked up at him, surprised, and her expression softened immediately. "Simon says I can see them tonight."

She seemed happy at the thought, but Khan's heart sank at the news. If Graves was already offering a visit with Taren and Allister, then he expected big things from Beth at this dinner. "Did Simon say who else he invited?" Khan asked.

But before she could answer, Graves came through the door. He was looking back at the person behind him. Khan heard their voice before he saw its owner, and his blood ran cold at the sound of the Texan drawl.

"Well, hello, son, it sure is good to see you again." Chairman Henry Cross greeted Khan with the warmth of a long lost friend, but he was salivating like a wolf that had discovered a rabbit in a trap.

Khan watched as the fair-haired Chairman - Beth's biological father - looked around the other faces in the room, his eyes quickly passing over Lucy and Beth. Khan immediately realized two things: he didn't recognize Beth, and he was expecting to see Deanna.

"Where is she, Simon?" Cross asked shortly, looking around the faces again. This time, his eyes did falter on Beth, perhaps seeing a resemblance to himself or her mother.

At the same moment, Graves stepped into his line of vision. "She'll be along shortly. You know women." Graves laughed, but he was the only one. "It's been decades since she's seen you, I'm sure she wants to look her best. In the meantime, why don't you take a seat, Henry?"

He pulled out the chair at the head of the table. "This is your place," and he waited for the Chairman to sit down. Henry Cross gave him a long, impatient look of contempt, but finally sat without a word, turning his chair to face the door.

Khan looked at Beth, sure that she would have realized her connection to the new guest, but she was just staring at Graves, completely oblivious to anything else. Khan couldn't help but notice that her eyes were so dilated he could hardly see the color of her irises from where he sat. He could also see that her nipples had hardened beneath her dress, and even over the smell of the cooking food, he could detect the even-more-mouthwatering aroma of her sex.

The scent triggered a visceral reaction in Khan, not only because his body had become conditioned to respond to her arousal, but because he knew she was being aroused by another man. Khan swallowed hard, balling his fists beneath the table. He had tried to prepare himself for the reality that Beth would succumb to Graves' anomaly, but he had not expected to be forced to watch it happening.

"And now," Graves began, hovering over his guests. He placed a hand on Beth's shoulder and Khan wanted to retch as Beth looked up at her brother with such pleasure and desire. "Let me introduce you to Lucy and Beth."

The Chairman barely glanced at the women over his shoulder. "I have no interest in meeting any more of your whores."

Graves laughed, but Khan knew it was to hide the insult he felt. As much as he seemed to resent Henry Cross, part of him clearly still sought the older man's approval. "Since when have you been disinterested in my female friends?" Graves asked. "You were interested when you had me bring classmates home from school for you to enjoy, and when you needed my help to win over your female colleagues on the Security Council."

Graves' voice tremored with either anger or excitement at the memory of the Chairman using him and his anomaly for sexual and political gain. Khan wondered how old Simon had been when it started, and how it had affected his cruelty towards women.

Henry Cross rolled his eyes. "Don't act so offended, Simon; you benefited as much as me from all those encounters. In fact, you should be thanking me for introducing you to some of those women. You wouldn't be a Commissioner now if I hadn't helped you."

"Helped me?!" Graves shouted, taking a flaccid step towards Henry. "You did everything you could to make sure I didn't advance. If you had your way I'd still be in Houston."

The Chairman sprang to his feet, and although he was human and many times weaker than Graves, the action made Simon fall back.

"You don't want to know where you'd be if I had my way." Henry hissed, smiling cruelly and looking again like a wolf as he began to toy with Graves. "And I know that you liked bringing those girls home to me, and you liked watching me use them. Is that why you invited these two?" He grinned lasciviously at his own wide-eyed daughter. "Do you miss my sloppy seconds?"

Beth was definitely paying attention to the Chairman now, but Khan wasn't sure how much she'd absorbed. She knew enough to turn away, insulted and frightened, and it hurt Khan that she looked to Graves for protection instead of to himself.

Graves did go to her and put an arm around her shoulders, but rather than looking protective or angry, he had a smirk of satisfaction on his face. "You shouldn't say such things, Henry," he advised. "Especially not to Beth."

The Chairman looked at Beth again, and Khan could see the flash of curiosity in his eyes. "Don't tell me you're in love with this one," he scoffed. "And you think she loves you back? You know it's impossible for anyone to love you."

"She does love me!" Graves said fiercely, unable to cover the nerve Henry had struck.

"Your own mother didn't love you," Henry smiled as he watched Simon expectantly, perhaps waiting for him to crumble under the words that must have devastated him as a child.

But Simon did not crumble. He pulled Beth closer and raised his chin defiantly. "Deanna does love me. She left because of you. She left to protect her unborn daughter… your daughter… so you would never know she existed."

Henry opened his mouth to laugh or argue, but then he froze, and his eyes fell on Beth again, realizing who she was.

Khan stood instinctively, prepared to leap across the table if the Chairman made a move towards her. Both men looked at him, temporarily distracted, but in that moment the door opened again, and Deanna was led into the dining room with a guard at each elbow.

Deanna was wearing a short, black lace dress, matching the dresses worn by Beth and Lucy. She was also naked underneath, and Khan realized this was the first time he had ever seen Deanna looking the least bit sexual. He had always appreciated her attractiveness, in the way any man appreciates an attractive mother-in-law, anticipating how his wife will age, but this time Graves had set out to objectify her, and the change in her appearance was startling.

Her fair hair, always pulled back and a bit disheveled, now fell around her face and shoulders in smooth and shining waves. Her face, normally scrubbed clean except for the odd smudge of grease or dirt, was heavily made up with blush-pink rouge, green eye shadow and blood-red, glossy lipstick. Her athletic legs looked long and sensuous, her feet adorned with tall black heels. She stumbled in them clumsily, forcing the guards to hold her up. Khan realized her hands were bound behind her back.

"Mom!" Beth shouted, trying to stand, but Graves' hand on her shoulder kept her where she was. She looked up at him with confusion and anger, and Khan could see his wife – the woman he loved - trying to break through the trance he'd put her in. "Tell them to untie her," she insisted.

Graves smiled at her indulgently, and then looking up, snapped at the guards. "I didn't tell you to restrain her."

"No, sir," admitted the guard to Deanna's left. "But she put two men in the infirmary. Do you want me to release her?"

"No, don't release her," Henry said quickly. He took a step towards her but then stopped and circled her instead, staring like he couldn't believe his eyes.

Deanna kept her head down, turning her face away from him whenever he ducked down to get a look at her.

"Hold her head up," he said impatiently, pointing to the guard who had spoken earlier.

The man gripped Deanna's jaw roughly, dragging her head up until she was facing Henry. She kept her eyes closed for a long time, but finally they opened, and she stared defiantly at the man she had been hiding from for over thirty years.

Khan saw conflicting emotions contort Deanna's face beneath the makeup: hatred, love, excitement, terror… whatever had happened between her and Henry, she was reliving it as they watched.

Henry's face, on the other hand, was full of wonder and joy. "You haven't changed at all," he marveled, trying again to approach her and again holding himself back. He reached out just one hand to touch her face.

Deanna tried to turn her head to avoid it, but the guard held her still and she whimpered as Henry touched her cheek with his fingertips.

"I love you, Deanna," he whispered reverently. "I've missed you so much. I'm so happy I finally found you."

"I found her," Graves reminded him peevishly. "I did in one year what you couldn't do in a lifetime."

"And we have a daughter," Henry continued, ignoring Graves. "She's so beautiful. She looks just like you."

He turned back to Beth, reaching his arms out towards her.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, pushing herself away from him and falling out of her chair.

"No, don't be frightened," Henry said quickly, going to help her. "Forget the things I said earlier. I didn't mean them, I didn't know…"

But Simon stopped his approach with a firm hand on his arm. "That's close enough. I didn't say you could have Beth."

"She's my daughter!" Henry said, trying to knock Simon's hand away. "She belongs with me, and her mother."

"She belongs here with me," Graves told him threateningly, tightening his grip. "And with her husband," he added, indicating Khan, "And her children."

"Children?" Henry gasped in shock. "I have grandchildren?" He looked at Khan. "And you're the father?"

But Khan said nothing as he watched Simon push Henry backwards. Henry might be used to dominating Simon, but when it came to Beth, Simon would clearly not be moved.

Khan realized in that moment that Henry had been lured into a trap, with Deanna as the bait and Beth as the snare. Simon wanted Henry to try and steal Beth. He wanted him to go that one step too far.

She was the one thing that could give Simon the strength to stand up to the man who had used and abused him for so long. She was the one thing that could make Simon fight back against Henry… maybe even kill him.

A quick note to let you know I will soon start posting Darker Wet on Archive of Our Own (same writer name "darkemp") in case the story gets yanked from fanfiction due to smut and adult content.

Not too much smut this time :p but I hope this chapter was fun! But poor Khan, feeling so alone and unsure of Beth :(

And finally, we get to see Beth's father a little bit, but what's going through Beth's mind? And what about Deanna? And what about the tension building between Beth and Simon? Next chapter will be something as (many) things boil over :)

Thanks to everyone for reading, and for all the new follows and favs, and a special thanks to those readers who took the time to leave a review or send a PM since last time: LadyInAzure, cstab, Sinister Bunny, StarlitStar, sherlockscoat, MelissaWritesThings, Sassiebone, tavingtonsbeauty, CLTex, Carlypso, Benedict'sZombieGirl, WhitneyG, FecklessFemale, Bilbo is my hobbit, DoctorGiggelstheMouse, Cordelia123456 and TheJewellersHand.