Warning: This chapter is not nice. It's dark and meant to be that way. It will not make you feel happy and good. I promise it will get better later, but this is necessary for now. Don't read it if you don't feel comfortable. That is all.

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Chapter 13: Imprisonment

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Abby sat in the dark, alone and cold for what seemed like an eternity. She tried to call out to Connor in her mind but couldn't find her way through the muck. Finally the door to the room she was in opened and the man walked in carrying a candle and a plate.

"You've been here for a while now," he said. "You must be hungry." He sat down next to her. Abby had to remind herself that he was not, in fact, her husband. He looked just like Connor and, when he was nice, he even sounded like him.

He offered her a bite of what was on the plate. Abby was starving but she refused to open her mouth, not wanting to be a complacent prisoner.

"Come on," he ordered, his voice losing the soft tone. "I know you're hungry, just eat." Abby kept her mouth shut. He sighed and then grabbed her chin. "I don't want to hurt you, so just open your pretty mouth and eat." Abby relented and took a bite. He continued to feed her. After they had finished he stood up to leave.

"Could you loosen these ropes, or take them off, or something?" Abby asked, trying her best to look cute and innocent. She had been struggling with the bonds for several hours and her wrists had been rubbed raw from the action. He laughed.

"Not just yet," he said. "Maybe after a while, but those will be of use to us soon." He laughed again, sending chills down her spine, and then left her alone again in the dark.

~*~

After a while the man returned. He sat down again and looked at Abby, who had fallen asleep.

"Wake up, little Queen," he whispered, softly nudging her. She opened her eyes, looked at him, and then scooted away. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't hurt you. Yet." Abby stared at him, frightened but not wanting to show it.

"What do you want, then?" she asked. He looked up and down her body with a sick grin.

"Well, I know what I want, but I'm here to talk to you. I'm assuming you're getting bored all alone in the dark." Abby shuddered at the gleam in his eye, but decided to talk if it would at least keep him off of her.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I told you once before," he answered with a sigh. "You're in my secret hide-out. That's all you need to know."

"Fine," she replied. "Who are you?" He smiled.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that." He thought for a moment. "Well, since I've blocked your connection with your husband, I suppose I can just tell you. I am Kivar's son."

"I didn't think Kivar had a son," Abby said. "No one every told us about you. And, if you're Kivar's son, why are you a shape-shifter?" He chuckled.

"At least you know your Antarian history," he said, moving closer to her. Their bodies were now touching and Abby was becoming queasy because of it. "Kivar's not my actual father. He adopted me as an infant and raised me in secret. He said I was his secret weapon and my time would come. He was right." He paused for a moment. "As for your other question, I'm not a shape-shifter. I couldn't do it if I wanted to, and I really don't want to."

"Why, why do you look like Connor, then?" Abby asked, confused and scared.

"Because," he said, moving his face towards hers. "I am Connor." He kissed her softly and she received the same visions she had gotten in the garden.

"No you're not," she insisted. "I know Connor. You're not him."

"Well," he said, backing away again. "I'm not actually Connor. My name is Cirdan. He and I do share the same genes, though. Genetically we are the same person. But, mentally, I'm far superior." Abby tried not to laugh at the idea of this creep being superior to her Connor. "Why do you think Kivar wanted Tess to bring Max's child to him? Why do you think he sent Connor back? Kivar has been preparing for King Zan's return for years. He was fairly certain he would never return but, in case he did, I was his safety." Abby nodded, understanding. Kivar was far more conniving than she had originally thought.

"Why kidnap me, then?" Abby asked. "Why not just storm the palace with your little army of whatever those things are..."

"Flad-adan," he interrupted.

"Yeah, Flad-adan," she repeated before continuing. "And take power? Wouldn't that have been easier and quicker?" He nodded.

"Yes, it would have been, but this all was quite a shock. We hadn't planned on Kivar being captured when he was, so we have no plan to work from. We're basically lost without his leadership." He sat back in thought for a moment.

"You know," he said, "You're asking an awful lot of questions. I think it's my turn to ask the questions." Abby's eyes widened as he moved closer to her again and ran a hand down her body, caressing her skin.

"Do you like that?" Biting her lip and trying to move away, Abby answered.

"No, please stop." He smiled his most disgusting smile and continued downwards. He stopped the movement to play with her breasts a bit and then continued downwards, reaching her thighs. She cursed herself for wearing such a flimsy nightgown to go walking in. Every muscle in her body tightened as he explored her, finding her most sensitive regions and enjoying them.

"What about that? I know you like that."

"No, I don't. Please stop," she begged. "Why are you doing this?" He pulled her away from the wall and laid her on the ground.

"Because I can," he hissed, climbing on top of her. "And because, when my genetic duplicate finds you so desirable, how can you expect me not too?" Abby struggled desperately, but the bonds around her wrist were too tight and he was too heavy. Her struggling only heightened his arousal and, before long, he had claimed her as his own.

After finishing with her Cirdan left the room and Abby lie curled on the ground, crying.

~*~

Back at the palace, Connor was desperate. Something kept telling him Abby wasn't dead, despite what his closest advisors were saying. Shortly after she had gone missing the King of Antar and his court were summoned. Now they were arriving. Connor was pacing in the foyer as they entered the palace.

Maria looked panicked and Michael lunged at Connor, stopped only by the High King's substantial number of bodyguards, who had been watching him closely since the Queen had disappeared.

"You promised you would take care of her!!!" Michael shouted at him. "You said nothing would hurt her as long as she was with you. I'm going to kill you if she's not alive. I should have never trusted my daughter with you." Connor knew he should be frightened, but he was in far too much distress to notice.

"Michael," Max said, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "Shouting at one another won't help anything. We need to concentrate on finding her." Maria, who had been standing quietly, broke into sobs and sank to the ground. Liz sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Michael, feeling helpless, fled the room. Max looked at his son, who had resumed his frantic pacing.

"Connor," he began, "Calm down. The only thing you can accomplish by acting like this is making yourself sick." Connor looked at his father.

"How can I be calm when she's not here? She's missing, Dad, and she might be dead. I can't feel her anymore." Max placed a supportive arm around his son.

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll figure it out. I promise." Connor nodded and, for the first time since Abby's disappearance, broke into tears, sobbing on his father's shoulder. Max stayed with him for a while and then, once the tears had subsided, left to go find Michael. Maria left Liz's embrace and went to Connor, finding comfort in being close to the last person to see her daughter.

Max searched the palace for Michael, worrying about what he might do in his state of hysteria. Finally he found him in Abby and Connor's bedroom, sitting on their bed, staring into space.

"Michael," Max said cautiously, entered the room. Michael looked up at him and Max could see the tears running down his face.

"I don't know what to do, Max," he said. "I can't help her. My baby needs me and I can't help her." Max sat next to Michael.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Michael," he said. "Things look bad, but there's still hope. We need to concentrate on finding a way to help her right now, instead of berating ourselves and others for not being able to." Michael nodded.

"I know, I'm just so scared for her. I love her so much, Maxwell." Max nodded.

"I know," he said. "Believe me, I know." One of the first things he had done when he had heard the news was to go in search of Lane, just to make sure she was fine. "C'mon, let's go back downstairs. Maria needs you right now, Michael." He nodded and stood, wiping his face.

"We have to find her," he said. "We have to."

~*~

Abby lay cold and shivering on the ground, not really caring what happened to her. She wanted so much to die. The door had opened and closed on several occasions, but she had taken little notice. First some kind-looking woman had brought her a blanket. Then Cirdan had come to check on her. Finally the woman had returned to clean her up. Abby knew not much time had passed, but it seemed like an eternity. She knew she had to find a way to contact Connor. She knew she needed to find a way out of there.

After a while the door opened again and Cirdan entered along with one of the strange creatures she had seen when she first awoke. He walked over to her and she sat up and inched away.

"Relax, my precious, I don't want you for myself right now," he assured her, gently, almost lovingly, stroking her cheek. Abby relaxed a bit, but not much.

"Bind her feet," Cirdan ordered to the creature. Abby tried to fight it, but the creature had her feet tied together within a matter of moments.

"Good to see some of that feisty nature's left in you," Cirdan said, enjoying the show. "That could be useful later." Abby's temper flared. She hated this man so much.

"What do you want?" she hissed, not really caring if he killed her at the moment.

"It's time to put our plan into motion," he explained. "It's time to let your husband know you're not actually dead." Abby stared at him, shocked. "Oh yes," Cirdan said, answering her silent question. "He believes you to be dead and, believe me, he is suffering for it." Abby fought to free herself, simply so she could kill the detestable man in front of her. He laughed.

"Are you ready, my lord?" the creature next to him croaked. Cirdan nodded and the creature moved to Abby, laying her flat on the ground and holding her there. Cirdan walked over and withdrew two needles from behind his back.

"You see," he explained as he went to work, "We need to send a message Connor will receive loud and clear. He'll fear for you and then, when he gets our demands, he'll cooperate. I'm sure you've noticed I've blocked your telepathic abilities. This will free them up, but just a little. It'll be enough for him to sense your presence, but not enough for you to talk to him or work any of your powers on me." With that he plunged one of the needles into the back of her neck.

Abby lay there for a few minutes, feeling woozy. Then, suddenly, her senses cleared up. She could work the part of her brain that had been so foggy and distant a few moments ago. Cirdan watched her and, when he was sure the medicine had worked, he spoke.

"I bet you're wondering what this other needle is now, aren't you." Abby looked at him with apprehension. She had long since forgotten that she shouldn't show fear, and she was most definitely afraid. He sat down next to her and ran a hand through her hair.

"Oh, Abby," he sighed. "I feel like we've become so close since you arrived. We've eaten together, we've talked, we've made love...." Abby hissed and he looked down at her. "You know, in a way, I love you." He looked off in the distance for a moment and then looked back down at her. "Well, I hate to have to hurt you, but I don't really have a choice." With that he stuck the needle into her abdomen, pushing its contents inside of her.

Abby lay there for a moment, wondering what was going to happen. Then it came. The pain. Abby had never felt anything like it before. It was a burning, blinding pain that started in her abdomen but quickly spread throughout her body. Her muscles tensed, her back arched, and sweat poured down her body. She wanted so badly to scream, but she wouldn't allow him the pleasure of hearing it. In her mind, however, she screamed, and screamed loudly.

~*~

Connor awoke screaming. He had been sleeping for the first time since Abby disappeared. Lane, who was watching over him, rushed to his side.

"What, Connor, what is it?" she asked, panicked.

"Abby, Abby," he said hysterically. "She's alive, I can feel her. She's in so much pain. I can hear her screaming. Oh God, I can hear her screaming." Lane held her brother in her arms and yelled for Nate, who was in the next room, to get their parents. Within a few minutes Max, Michael, Maria, and Liz were in the room.

"What's going on?" Max asked, voice elevated.

"Connor says Abby's alive," Lane said, looking at her father. "He says she's in pain. He can hear her screaming." Maria found refuge in Michael's arms and Michael stared off into space, not knowing what to do.

"The pain," Connor gasped, sweating and crying. "It hurts so much; it burns." He could feel everything that Abby felt and was so frightened for her. Max looked helplessly at Lane and then wrapped an arm around Liz. Connor continued shaking and, after a few moments, fell into a deep sleep.

Lane stood up and walked over to Nate, who took her in his arms. For the first time since this began, he spoke up.

"You guys have been in meetings with all these people all day. You have to have some idea what's going on." Max looked at Michael and Michael looked at his son.

"We think Kivar's behind this," Michael said. "In fact, we're pretty certain. He denies it, but we're having him brought here in hopes that we can get it out of him."

"I'll kill the bastard if he hurts my sister," Nate growled. Michael nodded in understanding.

"Not if I kill him first," he said. Everyone stood in the room, helpless, no one knowing better than the next what to do.

~*~

After a few minutes the pain had stopped and Abby had gone limp. Her eyes were tightly closed and she lay there whimpering, tears running down her face. If she had wanted death before, she begged for it now.

Cirdan had the creature cut the bonds on her legs and arms and then dismissed him. He took Abby's limp body into his arms and held her against him. She didn't protest and she didn't try to escape. Abby was exhausted and her body ached. She knew she despised this man, but she just wanted to be held. He looked like Connor, smelled like Connor, and felt like Connor. Now that his anger had passed and the soft voice returned, he even sounded like Connor. Abby was so afraid, so upset, so tired, she let herself believe it was Connor, and she let herself be held. Pleased, Cirdan pulled her tight against him and rocked back and forth, rubbing her back as he whispered soothing words to her.

"I'm sorry my love, but I had to do that," he explained. "I had to get through to him, and that was the only way I could make the impression I needed to. I promise I'll never hurt you like that again. I love you." He continued to hold her until her breathing slowed some and her grip on his shirt released. He looked down at her and felt something new. This emotion was strange to him; it was very different. He stood with her in his arms, walked to the door, and spoke as he walked out carrying her.

"I was thinking that maybe, when this is all over, Father would let me keep you around. I can kill him, Abby, and I can make you forget him."