Chapter Seventeen
Even without the benefit of seeing her, Cameron could feel Abby's fear, as real and as vividly as if it were his own. His mind raced. He needed to get to her. He paced the room furiously, trying to find the words to convince Ed to let him go.
As he had promised, at just that moment, Ed walked into the room. He had said that he would let Cam know when Abby was in harms way. Ed could see instantly the news would be redundant. Cameron clearly already knew.
Cam looked over, his voice pleading, "Ed."
"24 hours kid - that's all I can give you. Just make sure you make it count."
"Seriously?" Cam was overjoyed at the prospect of having that long to be with her.
"Seriously. Now - stop wasting time. Get out of here."
Cameron ran to the door. As he reached to turn the knob he turned and said simply "Thank you."
Seeing the love Cam had for Abby clearly in his eyes reminded Ed of a day not so long ago. "You're very welcome" he replied, "Just do me a favor and say hi to my son for me - will you?"
Cam nodded and continued on his way - completely desperate to be close to Abby again.
*********
Memories of the night before had Abby tossing and turning. She fought to wake up - to stop the nightmare from continuing. Nearly screaming in horror, she sat bolt upright in bed.
She was shaking with fear, a thin film of sweat clung to her skin causing her to shiver. Gasping for breath she reached to the nightstand, water spilling from the glass she held unsteadily in her hand. Taking a sip, she slowly placed the glass back down as she inhaled deeply, trying to get herself under control again. She didn't have time - she was once again startled.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" Cameron demanded - his voice quivering with rage and concern.
Abby's eyes opened widely - she was completely shocked. She swore she hadn't wished for this. What was he doing here? "Cameron?" she gasped.
"I don't know what you could possibly be thinking - unless you figured that the only way we could be together again is to get yourself killed." He paced back and forth at the foot of her bed, not entirely sure if he could keep from strangling her himself she had him so scared.
"Cam. Please. Let me explain." Abby began as she rose from the bed and crossed over to him.
"No." Cameron cut her off sharply, his voice rising. "I told you to get rid of that ring. I told you not to cross him. Why do you ask me for advice if you don't want to even consider it? Why is it you just can't just listen to me - FOR ONCE. What is wrong with you?"
"Stop yelling at me." Abby pleaded, beginning to cry. "You're scaring me."
"Good." He yelled louder. "You need someone to yell at you. You should be scared. You should be terrified."
"Don't worry. I am." She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.
Cameron walked towards her, still furious but wanting nothing more than to comfort her at the moment.
Abby pushed him away. "No. Don't."
"Abby.c'mon." He reached for her again and tried to pull her close.
She shrank away from him and moved to walk away, hugging her arms around herself as she did. She stopped to gaze out the window as she replied "No. Stop. You can't just come here and scream at me and then think you can kiss me and make it all better."
Cameron knew from experience he'd gone about this the wrong way. He couldn't help it. The thought of her in such danger made him crazy.
"Abby. I'm sorry." He began, his voice quiet.
"You should be." She said, sniffling - now becoming angry herself.
He walked to stand behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted you to realize how much danger you put yourself in."
His words were not helping. She shrugged him off, her temper flaring as she whirled around and faced him. Sarcasm oozed from each word she spoke. "Oh really? Cam - am I in danger? Thank you so much for telling me. You know - I'm so dense I never would've guessed."
Abby turned her back on him.
Cameron was still furious - but now with himself. He should have known better. There'd be no getting through to her in the state she was in now. She looked so tiny standing there in her short nightgown, with her bare feet and tousled hair. He just wanted her to let him hold her.
"Abby." He called her name softly.
She didn't respond.
"Abby - please." He tried again.
She straightened her shoulders and tossed back her hair - determined to ignore him.
Sighing Cameron realized that they had now moved on to the stage where she gave him the silent treatment. Great. Fantastic, he said to himself. A precious 24 hours to be with her and within the first 5 minutes he had messed up so badly she wouldn't even speak to him.
He began to get angry again. "Well, that's just perfect. You're ignoring me. Real mature Abby."
She glared at him quickly and then turned around again.
"OK. If you won't talk to me - if you won't even look at me, I guess I'll just go." Cameron moved to the door and before Abby could stop him - he opened it swiftly and then slammed it shut with a bang.
"Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath as he stood out in the hallway. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair.
A split second later, the door across the hall opened, causing Cam to look up. The man who faced him looked more than ready to fight.
"Great." Cam sighed. "What now?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rafe demanded.
"Popular question today." Cam replied.
"I'm waiting for an answer." Rafe said as he inched closer to Cameron, sizing him up as he did. "While you think about that one - here's another. Who are you and what were you doing in Abby's apartment?"
Cameron was in no mood for an interview. "That's 2 questions."
Seconds later, Rafe's hand was on his throat and his back was slammed against the wall next to Abby's door.
"Hey!" Cameron tried to shove Rafe off him. "Watch it!"
Hearing the commotion, Alison appeared in the doorway just minutes before Abby opened her own door.
"Alison - get inside." Rafe warned. "Go back in and lock the door."
"Rafe, stop. Don't hurt him." Abby cried.
"You too Abby. I'll take care of this." His hand tightened around Cam's neck, making him start to gasp for breath.
"Rafe, please. Don't hurt Cameron." Abby pleaded as she grabbed Rafe's arm. Hearing her words, he released his hold.
"Cameron?!" Alison said, completely shocked.
Abby looked over at her sister and then back at Cam. "Yeah." She said as she smiled softly.
Cameron rubbed his neck and stared at Rafe.
Rafe began to apologize. "Man. I'm sorry. I had no idea."
"It's OK." Cam grinned. "I'm glad to know you're around to look out for her."
"No problem" Rafe replied.
"No, really. It means a lot to me. Especially now. She's in way over her head. So, thanks." Cam held out his hand and Rafe shook it firmly.
"It's nothing. I hope you'd do the same for me if the tables were turned."
"Without a doubt."
Abby hated to interrupt this little episode of male bonding but she had had enough.
"Excuse us." Abby snapped, angry all over again. "You know. Us. The poor little damsels - so in need of looking after. Just, you know, keep on talking about us like we are not really here."
He couldn't believe she was still so angry. "Abby. C'mon."
"No. You'll never learn will you? You can't yell at me like that and expect me to just follow orders. I won't do it."
"I'm just trying to keep you safe."
"I can take care of myself" she said, her voice shaking.
"Oh yeah, Abs. You're doing a great job." He replied, his hands on his hips.
Abby stormed past him and over to Alison. Her sister put her arm around her shoulder to comfort her as she glared over at Rafe.
"Wait a second - What'd I do?" He asked, completely baffled.
"Like you don't know." Alison replied, the look in Abby's eyes mirrored in hers.
With that, she turned and walked into their apartment, taking Abby with her. She slammed the door closed.
The two men were left stranded out in the hall, staring at each other.
"Unbelievable." Rafe sighed.
"Tell me about it." Cameron agreed, as they both burst into laughter.
Even without the benefit of seeing her, Cameron could feel Abby's fear, as real and as vividly as if it were his own. His mind raced. He needed to get to her. He paced the room furiously, trying to find the words to convince Ed to let him go.
As he had promised, at just that moment, Ed walked into the room. He had said that he would let Cam know when Abby was in harms way. Ed could see instantly the news would be redundant. Cameron clearly already knew.
Cam looked over, his voice pleading, "Ed."
"24 hours kid - that's all I can give you. Just make sure you make it count."
"Seriously?" Cam was overjoyed at the prospect of having that long to be with her.
"Seriously. Now - stop wasting time. Get out of here."
Cameron ran to the door. As he reached to turn the knob he turned and said simply "Thank you."
Seeing the love Cam had for Abby clearly in his eyes reminded Ed of a day not so long ago. "You're very welcome" he replied, "Just do me a favor and say hi to my son for me - will you?"
Cam nodded and continued on his way - completely desperate to be close to Abby again.
*********
Memories of the night before had Abby tossing and turning. She fought to wake up - to stop the nightmare from continuing. Nearly screaming in horror, she sat bolt upright in bed.
She was shaking with fear, a thin film of sweat clung to her skin causing her to shiver. Gasping for breath she reached to the nightstand, water spilling from the glass she held unsteadily in her hand. Taking a sip, she slowly placed the glass back down as she inhaled deeply, trying to get herself under control again. She didn't have time - she was once again startled.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" Cameron demanded - his voice quivering with rage and concern.
Abby's eyes opened widely - she was completely shocked. She swore she hadn't wished for this. What was he doing here? "Cameron?" she gasped.
"I don't know what you could possibly be thinking - unless you figured that the only way we could be together again is to get yourself killed." He paced back and forth at the foot of her bed, not entirely sure if he could keep from strangling her himself she had him so scared.
"Cam. Please. Let me explain." Abby began as she rose from the bed and crossed over to him.
"No." Cameron cut her off sharply, his voice rising. "I told you to get rid of that ring. I told you not to cross him. Why do you ask me for advice if you don't want to even consider it? Why is it you just can't just listen to me - FOR ONCE. What is wrong with you?"
"Stop yelling at me." Abby pleaded, beginning to cry. "You're scaring me."
"Good." He yelled louder. "You need someone to yell at you. You should be scared. You should be terrified."
"Don't worry. I am." She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.
Cameron walked towards her, still furious but wanting nothing more than to comfort her at the moment.
Abby pushed him away. "No. Don't."
"Abby.c'mon." He reached for her again and tried to pull her close.
She shrank away from him and moved to walk away, hugging her arms around herself as she did. She stopped to gaze out the window as she replied "No. Stop. You can't just come here and scream at me and then think you can kiss me and make it all better."
Cameron knew from experience he'd gone about this the wrong way. He couldn't help it. The thought of her in such danger made him crazy.
"Abby. I'm sorry." He began, his voice quiet.
"You should be." She said, sniffling - now becoming angry herself.
He walked to stand behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted you to realize how much danger you put yourself in."
His words were not helping. She shrugged him off, her temper flaring as she whirled around and faced him. Sarcasm oozed from each word she spoke. "Oh really? Cam - am I in danger? Thank you so much for telling me. You know - I'm so dense I never would've guessed."
Abby turned her back on him.
Cameron was still furious - but now with himself. He should have known better. There'd be no getting through to her in the state she was in now. She looked so tiny standing there in her short nightgown, with her bare feet and tousled hair. He just wanted her to let him hold her.
"Abby." He called her name softly.
She didn't respond.
"Abby - please." He tried again.
She straightened her shoulders and tossed back her hair - determined to ignore him.
Sighing Cameron realized that they had now moved on to the stage where she gave him the silent treatment. Great. Fantastic, he said to himself. A precious 24 hours to be with her and within the first 5 minutes he had messed up so badly she wouldn't even speak to him.
He began to get angry again. "Well, that's just perfect. You're ignoring me. Real mature Abby."
She glared at him quickly and then turned around again.
"OK. If you won't talk to me - if you won't even look at me, I guess I'll just go." Cameron moved to the door and before Abby could stop him - he opened it swiftly and then slammed it shut with a bang.
"Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath as he stood out in the hallway. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair.
A split second later, the door across the hall opened, causing Cam to look up. The man who faced him looked more than ready to fight.
"Great." Cam sighed. "What now?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rafe demanded.
"Popular question today." Cam replied.
"I'm waiting for an answer." Rafe said as he inched closer to Cameron, sizing him up as he did. "While you think about that one - here's another. Who are you and what were you doing in Abby's apartment?"
Cameron was in no mood for an interview. "That's 2 questions."
Seconds later, Rafe's hand was on his throat and his back was slammed against the wall next to Abby's door.
"Hey!" Cameron tried to shove Rafe off him. "Watch it!"
Hearing the commotion, Alison appeared in the doorway just minutes before Abby opened her own door.
"Alison - get inside." Rafe warned. "Go back in and lock the door."
"Rafe, stop. Don't hurt him." Abby cried.
"You too Abby. I'll take care of this." His hand tightened around Cam's neck, making him start to gasp for breath.
"Rafe, please. Don't hurt Cameron." Abby pleaded as she grabbed Rafe's arm. Hearing her words, he released his hold.
"Cameron?!" Alison said, completely shocked.
Abby looked over at her sister and then back at Cam. "Yeah." She said as she smiled softly.
Cameron rubbed his neck and stared at Rafe.
Rafe began to apologize. "Man. I'm sorry. I had no idea."
"It's OK." Cam grinned. "I'm glad to know you're around to look out for her."
"No problem" Rafe replied.
"No, really. It means a lot to me. Especially now. She's in way over her head. So, thanks." Cam held out his hand and Rafe shook it firmly.
"It's nothing. I hope you'd do the same for me if the tables were turned."
"Without a doubt."
Abby hated to interrupt this little episode of male bonding but she had had enough.
"Excuse us." Abby snapped, angry all over again. "You know. Us. The poor little damsels - so in need of looking after. Just, you know, keep on talking about us like we are not really here."
He couldn't believe she was still so angry. "Abby. C'mon."
"No. You'll never learn will you? You can't yell at me like that and expect me to just follow orders. I won't do it."
"I'm just trying to keep you safe."
"I can take care of myself" she said, her voice shaking.
"Oh yeah, Abs. You're doing a great job." He replied, his hands on his hips.
Abby stormed past him and over to Alison. Her sister put her arm around her shoulder to comfort her as she glared over at Rafe.
"Wait a second - What'd I do?" He asked, completely baffled.
"Like you don't know." Alison replied, the look in Abby's eyes mirrored in hers.
With that, she turned and walked into their apartment, taking Abby with her. She slammed the door closed.
The two men were left stranded out in the hall, staring at each other.
"Unbelievable." Rafe sighed.
"Tell me about it." Cameron agreed, as they both burst into laughter.