Author's Note

Okay ladies and gents, this is what was supposed to be my last update before I went out of town. However, hurricane Dennis had other plans while I was away and decided to sabotage my laptop.

So, my apologies to all of you for waiting. On the happier side… The response for the last chapter was awesome! I'm glad to see most of you liked the plot twist. It's very encouraging to me because I love keeping people on the edge. Be safe and sound and keep the reviews coming. I love hearing your opinions! Thank ya'll for everything!

McFadden-

Chapter 7: Raging Storms Bring Tumultuous Feelings

King knew that Abby was fast. It didn't matter whether she was walking or running. So it was no surprise to him that she was halfway to the steel door exit when he was hobbling out of the kitchen. He tried his best to catch up with her, but with each step of his, she only seemed to get farther and farther away.

"Abby!"

Although she paused when she heard her name being called, she recognized the voice and continued walking a little faster this time. King noticed and grunted as he tried to pick up the pace himself. If he didn't catch her soon, he knew that days of silence and cold shoulders were ahead of him…and Abby's were the worst.

"Abigail…"

He was inching closer but he still couldn't get there. With her still not stopping and King surely about to break something, he cursed and screamed out her last name. His voice was so loud that it echoed off the walls.

"WHISTLER!"

He saw her flinch a bit. His hand tried to get hold of her wrist but it was just out of reach. If she didn't stop this time he was definitely going to fall down. Feeling his legs about to give out on him, he let out an aggravated sigh.

"Jesus Christ, would you slow down? I'm a fucking cripple for God sakes."

She whirled around fast and only then did he notice the tears streaked on her face. His jaw went slack. Obviously, now wasn't the time to be crackin' jokes. Abby had too much stress on her at once. Trying her usual cover by hiding it, wasn't helping out at all. Right now, she didn't care who saw her crying. Abby was officially broken beyond repair. Her voice was full of pent up emotion.

"What do you want King? Didn't get it out of your system yet? Haven't you done enough for one night? I'm already torn up physically and emotionally, what more could you do?"

King faulted with his answers and stammered a bit. He knew exactly what he wanted to say; he just didn't know how to say it.

"I… I want you… I want…"

Her brows creased in anger. How dare he ask anything of her right now! She shouted at him.

"You want me to what, King?"

His voice returned much softer than she was used to hearing, and she saw that he was actually unsure of himself. Never did she expect what would come out of his mouth next.

"I want you…That's it."

Her face was still upset but more confused as if she was trying to process everything around her. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair

"What? King, what the hell are you talking about?"

His gaze on her looked so vulnerable that it almost ruined her to look at him. She didn't understand what was going on inside that head of his. He looked like at any moment, he himself, was going to cry.

"Abby, I've never been so close to losing you like I was tonight. Sitting here just waiting for you to show up, it was torture on me. I belong with you, at your side. Not some crazy Norwegian! I was in agony without you. I don't want to ever feel like that again."

He came up and touched her face, threading his fingers through her hair. King felt how she shook from the pain she was in because of her injuries and burns. But, she also shivered underneath his fingers. His forehead touched hers as his lips were closer than they had ever been before. The atmosphere was intense and concentrated on them. As King was about to close the gap between them, Abby drew back at the last second. With a low and almost disappointed voice, she whispered.

"You don't know what you want King…"

The ferocity and passion duel for dominance in his eyes as he registered what she said. Before she could comprehend what happened, Abby found herself being bodily thrust up again the wall. King's eyes remained locked on her as his hand went around her throat. Her only response was a look of shock. He could've ended her life with just one squeeze, but his touch on her neck was gentle, contrary to what it seemed. King turned her head slightly to the side and brought his lips close to her ear with a deathly serious whisper.

"Don't ever try to tell me that I don't know what I want. I know that I will never go back to what I was when I met you. And I know that I need you to keep me from that darkness."

Telling from the determined look in his eyes, Abby then knew that he meant every word. She also recognized that look. King had resulted to his primal urges, the ones that were so strong from the traces of vampirism still left inside of him. Her eyes closed once again as she willed herself not to sob all over again. Sometimes it was so hard to understand that no matter how many treatments he'd gone through, there was something darker always lurking inside of him. Within moments, she felt his grip on her lighten and then he finally released her. Abby hand immediately went to her neck to try and sooth her throat and the delicate flesh surrounding it. King on the other hand, wobbled for a moment and collapsed under the stress of his mental anguish and physical exertion. He turned on his side and groaned, grabbing his ankle. From the floor, he glance at Abigail with sad eyes and, although reluctantly, she bent down next to him. Truthfully, she wanted to just leave him there and go on the rooftop for some fresh air.

"I'm sorry Abby."

Although the phrase was small in its simplicity, Abby had to forgive him. It was rare that King made such an apology without some snide remark or sarcastic joke following it to lessen the value. So she took these private moments and secretly cherished them for herself. In turn she pursed her lips together and ruffled his hair.

"C'mon you big lug, let me help you up."

She offered him a hand, momentarily forgetting that it was burned. That was, until he grabbed it and Abigail let a wail of pain and snatched it back from his grasp, recoil on the opposite wall. King hissed at the knowledge of how much that must have hurt and he hoisted himself up by bracing against the steel doorframe. He tentatively helped Abby up by the elbow.

"So…"

He began awkwardly. King wasn't all that good with post-argument make-ups unless they involved sex. And no matter how much he would like to entertain that idea a little longer, it was pretty much an impossibility. Abby was in no way, shape, or form letting King get closer than usual. He'd pretty much broken the daily 3-touch minimum Abby set up for him to abide by whenever she was irritated or tired Looking down the hallway he had just limped and she ran, then to the steel door, he asked her.

"Which way are you going?"

Abby nudged the door with her shoulder and left without answering him. Not that King really needed a reply to guess where she was headed. That door led to the rooftop. Now, his big decision was whether or not to risk following her when she obviously wanted time to herself.

Once out of King's sight, Abby herself collapsed on the gritty tar covered roof completely exhausted. She noted in an instant that the wind had picked up considerably in the last hour or so, which meant only one thing. A storm was on its way. Deciding right then, Abby would wait up until it came. The air was cool and refreshing as it blew errant strands of her hair about. She watched in silence as the clouds grew deeper and more menacing in the distance. Only a few stars were left flecking the sky in diamond-like dust. Give her a night like this and she'd stay on this roof till morning just enjoying the atmosphere. As time passed, Abby realized that she must've been caught up in her own thoughts because when she peered upward again, thick, black clouds engulfed what was left of the clear sky. Little to her knowledge, she was not alone anymore. King, who had been leaning on the railing at the other side for the last 20 minutes, was now watching her from behind. He felt that it would be safe enough for him to reveal himself because of the relaxed waves radiating from his partner. As his first footstep crunched the gravelly tar he saw her back stiffen in reaction. Abby almost whirled around but she then caught the faint scent of King's cologne, and sighed. She should've known better than to expect privacy, however, his presence made her relax more fully than she had been on her own. King stopped just short of her peripheral vision and sat somewhere behind her. His voice filled the air over her right shoulder.

"Look Abby…"

Here comes another awkward moment, she thought.

"…That one looks like a kitty."

King pointed to a cloud formation that had somehow strayed from the big mass that was now looming over them. All seriousness she had was broken by that random and unexpected comment, and Abby actually chuckled and nodded silently in agreement. Scooting next to her, he stretched both his arms out in front of him, looking at them casually, seeing different scrapes. King spoke again, this time hesitantly.

"So…"

Abigail inclined her head towards him.

"…you show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Abby smirked and looked at her own abrasions, raising an eyebrow at some particularly nasty ones. King leaned over and examined her arm too, grimacing. A hard gust ruffled Abigail's hair around them. Trapped inside, she began to feel his closeness a little more acutely than she would've liked. By the sight of King, Abby knew he felt it too. His hand traveled slowly up her arm and pulled aside the strap of her camisole. Underneath it laid a moderately deep gash. Wordlessly, he stared, intent upon it. Then, without warning, his head bent down and Abby felt the press of King's lips on her laceration. Laving at the cut with his tongue, he withdrew, his mouth lingering just centimeters above her skin. Abby's eyes fell closed at the contact and remained closed even as King broke it. She heard his breathing had changed to a deeper but rapid pace, no doubt attributed by the excess endorphins being released into his body. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with King, whose eyes were now boring into hers. Unconsciously, he leaned into her and caught to lips in a tentative kiss. Abby felt his hands come up to caress her cheeks as his mouth grew bolder. As soon as they broke apart lightening shattered the sky, follow by an explosion of thunder. Both Abby and King looked up. King spoke first.

"Should we head in?"

Abby shook her head no. The rain began to fall in sheets which both soothed and stung her skin. The coolness was welcomed on the parts of her flesh that was blistered and flayed. Within seconds he clothes had been soaked through which didn't leave much protection for the bare skin underneath. Abby caught King's heated eyes looking across her body. As the storm rage on, King's lips crashed down on hers again as her hand roved up under his shirt, feeling all the expanse of muscle there. She quickly rid him of it as he pushed her up against the target practice wall. He pulled off her sodden tank top and moved his ministration to her collarbone. A moan escaped from Abigail's mouth that made King look up at her with a small smirk as his kissed her again. The wind blew harshly and made her skin prick with an icy feeling. Abby bit his shoulder which made King become rougher with her. She smiled into his neck as she felt his fingers work their way into her underwear and her head fell back against the brick when he inserted two of them inside of her. King watched as the pleasure filled her face and her breathing became labored. This was proving his point to her perfectly. As he felt her rock up against him, he knew that it wouldn't be long until she reached her peak. He leaned in and caught her earlobe between his teeth, and then he whispered to her over the wind and rain.

"Don't ever tell me that I don't know what I want ever again…"

That was all it took for Abby to break as she screamed and moaned against King's powerful shoulder. As she came down from her orgasm, she just noticed that King was holding her against him and his hard erection pressed up against her thigh. Her hand traveled down to his waist before it was caught by his own. She looked up at him and her shook his head.

"No…not yet."

Watering was dripping off of every inch of him which made it harder for Abby to control her own urges. He grabbed her wrist, kissing the inside of it very tenderly and led her inside the hideout and down to the second floor. There were so many confusing things swirling around in her mind that she wanted to voice, but somehow she knew that right now wasn't the time to say anything. King remained silent as he led her down the hallway to his room, opening the door and letting Abby enter first. He followed her and kicked the door shut with his crutch, locking it with a soft click.