Chapter 21

Abigail walked out with several baskets of biscuits, setting them on the table in the middle like usual before beginning to make plates. Tonight's menu was greens, meatloaf and mashed potatoes with rolls. While Amy sliced the meatloaf up, Abigail began cutting up plates for the toddlers to eat off of and smiled at Melina, setting a plate down for her and little Davey.

"Thank you."

Nodding, Abigail went to serve other people with plates of food from her tray, finally arriving at the table Undertaker and Susan sat at.

"This looks so good!"

"It is, now eat up. Gotta put some meat on those bones."

She winked at the girl, setting Taker's food in front of him, since he was eating in the common house, for a change, instead of up in his tower. Abigail wanted to ask him if he was alright, but that was a stupid question, so she kept her mouth shut and went back to the kitchen to grab another tray full to hand out.

"Good to see you up, girl." Steve had joined Taker at the table, a bit surprised the man was down here tonight as he usually dined alone and in private. "Your face is showin', boss." He pointed out, a bit more surprised, watching as the look instantly changed.

It occurred to him, then, that he could show Susan what her mother had looked like, what he remembered her looking like, and Malcolm… and Glen… she hadn't known anyone except Malcolm. "Abbie, when you're done, join us." He ordered when she passed by again.

That request surprised her, and she nodded, another tray empty and blinked when Amy informed her everyone was eating. They really did make one hell of a team, despite the slight pause, thanks to Taker. She took her plate of food and did as Taker instructed, joining them at the table. Steve scooted over, so she could sit beside him since Susan had the spot beside Taker occupied. Something told her there was a major connection between the two of them, though she knew it wasn't anything romantic or sexual. She began to eat quietly, trying not to think about the upcoming meeting after dinner that would forever change everyone's perception of her. Hell, she also didn't know Susan would be announced as Taker's family too.

"Scoot over, Steve. Where's your woman?"

Steve looked around as Melina took his other side, spotting Trish sitting with Stephanie and John. "I think she's talking to Stephanie about something personal… you know, chicky things."

Melina hadn't done a very good job of keeping friends. She and Trish used to be best friends… before her grief had turned her into a raging alcoholic bitch. "You're looking so much better, Susan." She smiled at the woman besides Taker. "I'm Melina, by the way, I don't know if you remember me."

"Yeah, I do. Thank you for taking care of me Miss Melina." When all eyes turned to stare at her that sat at the table, besides Abigail, Susan began feeling very self-conscious. "Sorry…"

"Just Melina sweetie, you don't need to be formal around here. We're all friends and family." Melina kissed the top of her son's head while he devoured his food. "I still wanna do another exam on you since you kinda ran out on me."

"Okay…Melina." Susan had to pause before calling her 'Miss' again, looking across the table at Abigail. "Abigail, do you like it here?"

Now all eyes were on her. "Yeah sweetheart, I do. Every person in this town has welcomed me with open arms, and they didn't have to." Though, she didn't know how much longer that would last. "Hell Steve, she might be asking Stephanie tips on how to get pregnant."

Steve promptly choked on his meatloaf.

"Oops?"

Taker snorted into the glass of water he had been raising to take a sip from, instantly setting it down and began shaking his head.

"Shut the hell up, Deadman."

"Oh, that's hilarious, Austin! Your woman is asking for tips on how to get pregnant. Let me ask you something, you ever try the plain old-fashioned way?"

"You're hilarious…"

"We have some old fertility pills, herbal of course, but-"

"I am quite capable of knockin' her up!"

Abigail tried, really hard, not to laugh and covered her mouth with her hand to keep the giggles inside, her eyes refusing to meet the bald man's. "Not according to her." She tightened her lips together when those blue eyes were SEARING through her now.

"What the hell you mean?!"

"Women talk, Austin, or didn't you get the memo? She's been trying to get pregnant for a while and…well, she thinks you might have some…issues…in that department…"

"WHAT?!" Steve exploded, standing up from the table and tossed his hands in the air. "THAT IS THE MOST GODDAMN RIDICULOUS THING I'VE-"

"Um, Steve?" Trish had walked over, looking incredibly nervous and had no idea what had set him off, but this announcement couldn't wait until later.

"I'm – uh – I'm pregnant…"

Steve gaped at his woman for all of 3 seconds before doing a fist-pump in the air. "I TOLD YOU BASTARDS I COULD DO IT!"

Everyone busted out laughing.

Trish had asked for Abigail's help to 'break the ice' about pregnancy to Steve, to gauge his reaction and they had a secret hand motion for her to come over when Abigail felt the time was right to tell him.

'Thank you.' Trish mouthed, crying while Steve held her close.

Abigail winked at her before resuming eating.

Steve wasn't as amused so much as relieved that he wasn't shooting blanks. When it hit, eventually, that they were having a baby, he was going to have a full out panic attack because they had never talked about kids. Raising kids in this time was scarier than anything he had ever contemplated. Taker was just watching, not wanting to know just what kind of female trickery had just happened here. If the women of the world banned together, he had a feeling they would take over within days.

After dinner was finished, Abigail began cleaning up and carried plates to the kitchen, starting the water for the dishes. She was exhausted after the emotionally straining day they'd all had, but Taker was adamant about having the meeting. Stephanie looked dead on her feet, so Amy ordered John to take her home and put her to bed. It wasn't good for her to be on her feet for extended periods of time, especially so far into her pregnancy. Trish, Amy and Abigail all banded together to do the cleanup and they were shocked when Susan asked if she could help with anything. They nodded, putting her to work on clearing the tables and bringing the dirty dishes to the sink, stacking them neatly. Taker and the men had ventured outside to talk amongst themselves until the cleanup was completed. Then, they would go to Taker's tower, which had a long round table inside of it where everyone in his council could convene and sit comfortably. Stephanie and John would be there, providing the woman didn't fall asleep from exhaustion.

"You sure you really wanna do this? Tell them all?" Steve asked, having taken a 'perimeter' walk with Taker to get the story.

It was a HELL of a tale, one he could both believe and at the same time… there were niggles. That just couldn't be helped in this day and age, though. Taker said he trusted Abigail, and he trusted the boss.

"The timing though, with Susan… that's-"

"Overly coincidental, I agree." That did trouble Taker, the timing. "Send everyone up to the tower when they're ready."

He walked off, needing to think about the past 24 hours and all the revelations. How all this was going to play out was beyond him. He did know they definitely needed to get Malcolm out of Bray's grasp, one way or another because it was the magic that was enabling him to have that army and more added every day.

When the cleaning was done, an hour later, Abigail had to stop herself from having a panic attack and breathe, folding what was left of the now clean towels. Trish and Amy went ahead of her to the tower since she needed a minute to herself. Susan had stayed behind and looked just as nervous as Abigail did, for obvious reasons.

Time to face the music, she thought, swallowing hard and walked out of the common house with Susan, who had grabbed her hand.

They arrived at the tower far faster than Abigail would've liked and the door was already ajar, allowing people inside instead of having to knock. They descended the winding staircase, which was dark except for the torches lit on either side to give them a path. Abigail had never been past the first 2 rooms of this place, so when it opened up into a room with a huge round table and chairs, along with a bar, she was…flabbergasted, to put it mildly. Everyone else was here and had waited for her along with Susan, who immediately went to Taker's side. Taker gestured for everyone to take a seat and Abigail did so, clasping her hands in her lap, wishing her heart would stop pounding a beating drum in her chest.

Taker had considered giving Abigail the floor, but… all things considered, he figured his people would take it better hearing it from him first off. Then they could question her all they wanted. Also, Abigail looked ready to hurl all over his table and that would be gross. Taking a deep breath and staring at the faces assembled, he began recounting what Abigail had told him in the library, taking note that Steve was observing everyone's reactions. There was a reason Steve was his right-hand man. When he was finished, he leaned back in his chair, giving everyone a moment to digest and hoped Abbie was ready for the onslaught about to come her way.

"Oh my god…"

"Jesus Christ…"

Amy immediately stood up from the table and walked over to Abigail, seeing the tears in the woman's eyes. What she must have endured and witnessed…nobody deserved that kind of pain, that agony, that heartbreak. She pulled the woman up out of her chair and hugged her tightly, showing she wasn't alone in this, ever. Sure, she had lied when she first came to Wonderful, but Amy didn't blame her for that. Who the hell would crucify her after the horrific details Taker had given them about her life and she'd suffered? Being called a Queen Mother and being forced to watch innocent women dragged out of their homes, away from their own families, all to become breeders and eventually slaughtered and burned…her arms tightened around Abigail's neck, not letting her go because it was obvious the woman needed comfort at the moment.

"Do you still…I can't believe I'm asking this, but do you still have feelings for Bray Wyatt?" Trish had to know, rubbing her flat stomach, and felt Steve take her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"No." Abigail gently but firmly extracted Amy from her and held her hand up, letting her know silently she was fine, but she needed a minute. "So much innocent blood has been spilled in Vesperia. Our world is in shambles because of the DOV. It has to be stopped, all of it. Women are dying on a daily basis because they can't perform to standards. Innocent blood is coating his hands…his body…his soul…and he's never going to be the same man I once loved and followed. He did save me, and the only way I see saving him is by putting him out of his misery." Abigail gripped the chair in front of her so tightly, her knuckles turned white. "I already told Taker I will do whatever it takes – WHATEVER IT TAKES – to put an end to this, even if it ends with my death." Again, she held her hand up to Amy and smiled sadly at her. "I'm not afraid of dying. But I will fight, I will not succumb and surrender to him a second longer. That's why I left the castle in the first place, to come here 'undercover'. I came here to see if there was hope in this world, if there was someone to stop Bray…and there is." She pointed at Undertaker across the table, tears sliding down her cheeks. "He's…our hope. He's the only one who can stop this. If he can't, the DOV wins and I'd rather be dead than watch that come to fruition, as I'm sure all of you feel the same way."

"So why deceive us?"

"If you were in my shoes, Stephanie, what would you have done? I couldn't just come walking in here and say, 'oh hi, my name is Abigail Waters and I'm from the DOV, undercover mind you, and I need to speak with your leader, master, whatever'. No, I don't think that would've gone over well. I had to play it safe, close to the chest, and when I went on that trip with Taker yesterday, I found my chance to tell him everything, to come clean."

"Good point." Stephanie couldn't argue with that, feeling John's arm wrap around her shoulders.

"This isn't about me. I didn't come here to save myself. The only people I want to save, truly, are the ones that are suffering at the hands of the DOV, at the hands of Bray Wyatt. Girls like Susan, who have no idea what the world is truly about and haven't had a chance to live, who are being FORCED to grow up too fast because of a damn serum that should never be used in the first place! She was lucky, she got out, but there are many more that need to be liberated."

"Okay, honey, that's all well and fine," Steve said gently after the women had gotten the feelings and pretty speeches out of the way, clearing his throat. "But it sounds like you two share, or did share, a special bond." He held up his hands when he got a few looks. "Now I'm not tryin' to paint you as a bad guy. I'm pretty sure all of us would've been the same way, growin' up in those conditions. But when the time actually comes, words and actions are two different things."

"Then when the time comes, when Bray does come for me, and he will, use me as leverage. However you see fit, I accepted my fate long ago that I may not survive this. If you have to threaten my life or kill me in order to gain an advantage over him, I'm ready. I will pay the price for my people if it means they are saved." Abigail did not blame Steve for his trepidation, but she had nothing left to hide and had bared her soul to everyone surrounding the table.

"It won't come to that…"

"It may very well, Amy. And you need to come to terms with that. If it's me or the liberation and destruction of the DOV, my life is not worth hundreds, possibly thousands." She placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, smiling softly, resignedly, knowing her fate the moment she stepped foot inside Wonderful.

"So, why would Bray Wyatt come for you? I mean, I get you're the Queen Mother or whatever they call you in the DOV, but what makes YOU, specifically, so special to him that he would come strictly for you?"

This was a difficult subject for Abigail to talk about, but she had to be completely honest with everyone here. "To breed with me, to make an heir, or heirs, to the DOV. Bray has never…" She shut her eyes, feeling her cheeks burn a deep crimson and took a deep breath. "He's never went to bed with another woman…and the same goes for me. He thinks by taking each other's virginity, we'll create some kind of powerful heir that will carry the DOV into the next generation…and I made him believe that's what I want and waited for my chance to escape. He said, 'when the time is right, we would be one', and I think he planned on using the serum on me, laced with Mythril, to ensure I birthed him a son instead of a daughter." She looked positively disgusted, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. "I'm the only one he wants to breed with, so therefore, he will come for me, along with the Mythril."

"I don't know about that…" Matt Hardy said thoughtfully, having been silent as he listened to the chatter. Jeff wasn't present; he tended to be a bit more on the emotional side. Matt was the brother one went to when they needed pragmatism. "If, when," He corrected himself. "He finds out about your betrayal, he's going to… well, pride damages people. If someone is already damaged to begin with…"

"He's going to rape you and then probably put your head on a pike."

"Yeah, that."

"And no martyrs, honey, we don't deal in that bullshit. You're just fine alive."

"This is not me being a martyr, Steve. This is me accepting what is and what needs to be done, should it come to that. My betrayal will wound him, possibly destroy him mentally, emotionally…" Her eyes flashed, darkening slightly. "He'll be scared, vulnerable, and not think clearly. Again, IF you need to use me against him, I'll go willingly without a fight. If he gets his hands on me, then it is what it is. As long as he goes down with me and the DOV, that's all I really care about in the end. I'm done watching him kill our world, innocent people, and using magic as a means to an end to build his army. Fuck religion and fuck the DOV." This all started with religion, because of what happened to them in the foster home and it warped Bray into the monster he was now. "I'm sorry I lied to all of you. It wasn't easy to do, whether you believe that or not."

It ate her up inside, actually.