Summary: A ransom leads to a very long weekend for Walker and Alex
Disclaimer: I do not own them
A/N: First attempt at a Walker fic, be nice
Chapter 32
Walker was jolted from his rest by a scream. It was not an ordinary scream by any means; it was Alex. Walker reached over to touch her, but Alex crawled away from him. Her eyes were glazed over, her whole body trembling. Walker knew she was still asleep, but the reaction made him uneasy nonetheless.
"Alex," he whispered, trying to coax her awake. The immediate response was sobbing from Alex, who was now crawling further and further away from him, nearing the edge of the bed. Walker was getting nervous now, as he feared Alex would fall off the edge of the bed if she moved any further.
"Alex, honey, you are just having a dream," he tried again.
This time Alex seemed to look towards him, but instead he could still see the glassy look in her eyes and knew she was not yet awake. He reached for her to ease her back onto the bed, but she started trembling.
"Please ... don't hurt me anymore," she whimpered.
Walker's hand stilled in mid-air. Alex, though staring at him, was seeing Culliver. He had to wake her, and soon, for he did not like the thoughts of what she was seeing.
Walker did the only thing he knew to do and reached out his hand, touching Alex on hers as he tried to pull her gently back onto the bed. The reaction was instaneous. Alex let out a bloodcurling scream and started to back away even faster, falling off the edge of the bed. Walker ran around the side of the bed and tried to see if Alex was hurt, but she screamed even louder.
"I don't want you! Walker! Please, Walker, help me!" Alex pleaded, pulling her legs up against her.
Walker couldn't move, for fear of frightening her, but her words had cut a hole deep inside his heart. What else had Culliver done to her? What cruel an unimaginable things had she had to go through before he got there? Walker did the only thing he knew to do, he yelled.
"Alex! Wake up! You are dreaming!" Walker watched as the glazed look slowly left her eyes, but he almost wished it hadn't when tears began to pool in them and fall down her face.
Walker couldn't stand it any longer and pulled Alex over to him, holding her tightly against his chest. He held her there despite her flinches. When he felt her tremble beneath him, it only made him hold her tighter. They sat there on the floor until Walker felt her hand and noticed it was cold. Carefully he hoisted her up in his arms and laid her back down on the bed.
"I'll go and get you a glass of water," he told her, before going into the bathroom. When he came back, she had a faraway look in her eyes as if she were remembering something that he did not know.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" he quiered softly, as he sat down beside her.
Alex shook her head, and Walker thought she would withdraw from him. Walker was heartbroken that Alex felt she couldn't tell him, but her hand came to lay on his arm and soon she was sobbing into his chest again. Once the flow of tears came to a halt, Alex was curled against him. She lifted her head and stared deep into the brown eyes staring back at her. She didn't see anything but love in them, and this had the words rolling out of her mouth.
"Walker, I didn't mean to ... I thought you were him."
"I know, Alex. It's all right. You are safe here. Do you want to tell me what it was about?"
Alex didn't want to, but those pleading eyes staring into hers could not be resisted. She shook her head but curled her legs up to her again.
"He wanted me to tell him I loved him and I wouldn't," Alex began, her voice sounding strangled.
Walker didn't prod her for anything more. He waited to she started again, holding her hand.
"When I wouldn't say it, he became angry. He screamed at me, called me a whore and said I would never see you again because he was sure to kill me before then. I was scared, Walker."
"I'm here, Alex, you don't have anything to fear anymore. I will protect you," Walker said, trying to comfort her.
"That's just it, Walker, I didn't know. He swore I wouldn't live, Walker, and the pain, it hurt so much I couldn't stand it anymore," Alex said, as a fresh wave of tears tumbled down.
"What, Alex, you can tell me?"
"He beat me, Walker, and he kept on beating me. I tried to fight back, honestly I did. I kicked and screamed and begged, but he didn't stop. I can still feel him punching me; I can still feel the pain I felt then, and it hurts me to know I was so weak."
"You weren't weak, Alex, you were a victim," Walker soothed, though his other hand was clenching the sheets tightly.
"I couldn't stop him, Walker. He was too strong," Alex sobbed.
Walker's hand gripped the sheets until his knuckles turned white. He hated Chuck Culliver and was glad Trivette had killed his brother. He knew it was wrong to hate, but he did. With every fiber of his being, he hated them.
As the memories became too real, Alex leapt up from the bed and only made it to the bathroom just in time before retching. As the visions of what had happened assaulted her mind, her stomach clenched with a new wave of nausea, and it only ended when there was nothing left in her.
Walker handed her a cloth to wash her face and then excused himself so she could freshen up. He waited for her by the door and carried her now wobbling body back over to the bed, tucking her under the covers.
He was angry, not with Alex, but with himself. He was her husband; he was supposed to protect her, and now he felt as if he had failed in doing so. He was also ashamed of himself, for he was scared to learn what else they had done to her, afraid of what he might do should he find out. Knowing nothing else mattered right now but Alex, he lay down beside her and glanced down and her stomach.
Alex was just now starting to show a bit. No one else would noticed, but Walker knew that inside her were his children. He carefully ran his hand over her stomach and smiled to himself, but then realized that if this trial did not finished soon it would not only harm Alex, but the babies, as well. He could not lose any of them, and he wouldn't, no matter what he had to do to insure it.
It was only when he looked up that he noticed Alex staring back at him, her lashes still wet with tears. "I will protect you, Alex, I promise."
He saw her about to say something but pressed his finger to her lips. "Nothing that has happened could make me think differently about you. In fact I only love you more because of who you are."
Walker laid down beside Alex and ran his hand over her stomach until he could hear the soft breathing to alert him that she had fallen asleep. He then kissed her atop her head, before crawling out of the bed and going to the phone in the livingroom. He didn't want Alex to know, but he was going to call the doctor, for all of this couldn't be good for her or the babies.
After his call, he came back into the room with a frown. The doctor had informed him of the consequences, and they were nothing to play around with, but the serene look on Alex's face drew him to the bed. He laid down beside her and her arm wrapped instinctively around him. This was his family, this was his life, and he would fight to kill all who stood in their way of happiness.