Chapter 28
"Do you know who I am?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes, and folded her arms in front of her chest. "And how do you know about magic? Who are you?" Her guard was completely up now, the friendly and playful tone in her voice gone.
"Well, up until a second ago, I would have said a really awesome woman. Now I'm a bit concerned that you're either crazy or… crazy," Dean said, not overly bothered with how she had gone from relaxed and cool to kind of paranoid and crazy. "I'm Dean Ambrose, the guy you've been hanging with all day," He half-bowed, taking another drag before stubbing out his cigarette on the rock, hopping up to approach her. "Babe, don't you know anything about this place? It ain't no secret that Taker hates magic. It's stupid as fuck, considering he USES it, but…" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Them's the brakes. Now, your turn. Who ARE you? Because obviously, doll, you're someone fairly important or…. you're kinda… mmm, I don't want to say dumb, Abs, because you're not, but you are, get my meaning?" She was so adorable. He reached out to brush a strand of her ebony hair out of her face. "Magic isn't a secret in Wonderful. So… where are YOU from where apparently, it's all hush-hush, and Who. Are. You, Miss Paranoid?"
"No one. I'm no one."
She was leaving it at that and it was time to go. She had overstayed her welcome and decided she wouldn't be going exploring again around Wonderful. Maybe she was a little on the crazy side, but that's what happened to a person who was sheltered as much as she was and had endured what she had. Bray had never harmed her physically, or let anyone else do it, but mentally and emotionally she was a wreck.
"I-I wasn't aware magic was a topic around here. Like I said, I don't know much about this place…" Dean began circling her slowly, like a predator and Abigail kept her eyes on him, waiting to see if he would try anything. "I need to head back, sorry for freaking out on you." She began walking away and gasped when he grabbed her by her upper arm, pulling her back against him as their eyes met. "Dean, please…"
"I don't get you, Abigail." His grip on her wasn't all that tight, he didn't want to hurt her after all. "You are someone." Dean meant that, not in the 'you must be very important, like royalty' way, but she was someone to him. "How do you not know about this place, but you seemed so sure earlier that you were saying you knew what needed to be done?" She had been cautious of him, her shackles raised, but she was the one making all these weird comments. Dean had to wonder about her and where her mind was at. "Where is it you're heading back to, babe? Common house? Someone's house? Come with me back to my place, I'll cook for ya, okay?" He didn't think they had had such a bad time together. Maybe it was his breath. Dean stepped back, shaking his head and then ran a hand through his shaggy curls. "Sorry, Abs, I know I can be pushy."
"I-I don't trust easily…"
Abigail frowned, the ball of guilt forming in her gut at how she'd treated him and jumped the gun with accusations. He was a nice guy, what was her problem? All he'd done for her today, being her escort and showing her more of Wonderful, something Taker hadn't offered…was she really THAT paranoid not to see someone doing something nice for her?
"I'm sorry, Dean." She murmured, walking up to him and touched his face with her hand, his eyes meeting hers. "You're not pushy. You're right, I shouldn't have said half the things I did. I'm just…you're easy to talk to and I'm frustrated, it's not you, it's me. I can't tell you who I am, not yet, okay?" That secret had to be kept close to the chest for the time being. "If you want to cook for me, lead the way and I'll come with you…and we can talk some more."
Dean studied her thoughtfully, cocking his head to the side and pursed his lips, finally blowing out. "So you ARE someone then, huh?" She pinched her lips together and he chuckled. "Go ahead and keep your secrets, we do, don't we?" He draped his arm around her shoulder again, turning her towards the barns. "You like eggs? I love eggs, let's go get some eggs, and I'll make you breakfast for supper. We even got real butter. Get some meat on those…" Dean stopped, studied her and grinned impishly. "Well, I'll help you keep those beautiful curves, Abs, real butter it is."
Her cheeks turned crimson at his compliment as Abigail rolled her eyes playfully, leaning against him while they walked down to the barn. Breakfast for supper? That was…interesting, though it also sounded delicious. She'd missed breakfast due to her activities with Taker and barely at lunch, only those two tacos Dean bought them, so she was hungry. After they grabbed some eggs, Dean guided her up the street toward his place, which happened to be the same building they met in front of.
"Wait, you live here?" At his nod, he guided her inside and up the stairs to a loft, of sorts. It was nice with a couch and table, a small kitchen, bathroom, and looked like a couple bedrooms. "Do you live here alone?" Dean shook his head and guided her to sit at the small table, once again kissing her forehead before getting started on cooking. "Do you want me to help with anything?"
"You are my guest, you sit there and do guest things while I make a delicious breakfast." Dean liked breakfast; pancakes, lots of syrup and they had that in abundance, thanks to the maple trees right outside of Wonderful's walls. Whipping up the pancake mix expertly, he set that aside before raiding his fridge for ground sausage, shaping it into patties. "So, what can you tell me about yourself that isn't a secret?" He asked, winking at her before turning towards the stove.
"Guest things?"
Abigail laughed at that, accepting a glass of juice he handed to her, which was freshly squeezed from oranges. It was 5 PM in the afternoon and he was making her breakfast. How bizarre was this!
"There's really not much to tell, Dean. I love books, reading in general is what got me by and made me survive up to this point. I like to work out too, though I've only been doing it for a month and…after we eat all that fattening food, I'm gonna have to hit the gym harder." Abigail joked, taking a sip of the juice and grinned at how delicious it was. "What about you? What do YOU like to do besides escort women around Wonderful and harass the ducks?" She smirked at his eye roll, giggling and leaned back against the chair.
"I told you, babe, I'm a jack of all trades." He repeated his earlier sentiment, shaking his head. "And feed ducks. And save damsels who go falling into lakes." Flashing her a cheeky smirk when she rolled her eyes this time, Dean chuckled. "I work out, help down at the farm sometimes, help outside Wonderful. Everyone has to pitch in, right?" Since he wasn't allowed out on runs… he snickered inwardly at that. "Do a lot of work on the walls, those things don't maintain themselves."
He even had a special section of that wall, or near enough to it, not that she needed to know that. He liked Abigail, quite a bit actually, but… she was a part of that scene – Taker's scene. Had to be careful.
"And on the rare occasion, I cook breakfast for dinner for gorgeous women."
"Yeah, you really are."
Dean was completely different, the opposite of Taker and light-hearted. Hell, if she actually knew WHY he couldn't go out on runs, she probably would've run in the opposite direction. He seemed like the type who wasn't a one-woman type of man, that was for sure. Abigail liked him, but she didn't feel a type of connection she did with Taker. Still, it was nice to get away from that 'circle' and meet other people, expand her horizons, so to speak.
"Dean, you said Taker doesn't like to use magic." He'd even told her point-blank to her face magic had destroyed this world. "Do you know of anyone else around Wonderful that does or is he really the only one?"
"Dangerous topic, Ab-i-gail," He sang out softly, his back to her as he finished up with the food. When he turned back, he held two plates, walking over to set them down before retrieving butter, syrup, and utensils. Dean dropped down opposite her, nudging her plate towards her and gave her a thoughtful look. "Magic is neat, don't you think? Like, people have to be born with it. Most others can learn the principles of it, how it works, how shit works in general, but they'll never be able to use it the way natural born users do. So, to answer your question and not answer it at the same time: The Deadman is not the only one…. but he's, as far as anyone knows, the only one who was born with it."
Her curiosity hiked up more as Abigail studied him, wondering if Dean had any magical abilities and began eating her food, groaning at how amazing it was. "Oh man, you are a really good cook." She complimented with a smile, mulling over what he said regarding the magic and Taker. People assumed he was born with it, but that wasn't the case and Abigail would not share those intimate details with someone she just met. Glen had given up his life for his brother and his…lifeforce, his spirit, was what gave Taker his powers. "What if I were to tell you I know someone who was born with magic and who could potentially bring down the DOV?" She asked out of nowhere, watching his brow slowly rise and the fork stopped mid-bite, his eyes lifting to meet hers.
"I would say you already tried telling this to Taker and he shot you down, Abs." He summarized, not a doubt in his tone. That would explain a lot. Such as her earlier outburst about how she knew what needed to be done, but no one would take that chance, along with all her questions about magic and the Undertaker. "Tell me the truth, doll, you out slumming it because you needed the breather, or because you're frustrated with the Deadman's lack of action? Maybe both?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, smiling when the corner of her mouth curved almost grudgingly.
"Both." Abigail admitted, rubbing her forehead with her fingers and sighed, hating sitting around waiting. Action had to be taken, but Taker was steadfast in the belief that, going to the DOV for just one person, even though said person was his own father, wouldn't be worth it. "And I'm not slumming it. This isn't the slums, you actually have a nice setup here." She argued, waving her fork at him and smirked, taking another bite of eggs. "I just don't understand how someone who has magic doesn't like using it. He thinks the world has been destroyed with magic, but…it might be the only thing that can save it too." The same words she had used on Taker, which had fallen on deaf ears. "You feel the same way about him when it comes to his magic, don't you?" It was more of a statement because she could see the resolve in Dean's eyes. "Is that why you don't get along with him and don't fit in his 'circle'?"
Dean held up a finger, his mouth full of food, his cheeks a little puffed out. He chewed, swallowed, washed it down with the rest of his orange juice, and then reached for his cigarettes. "After dinner smoke," He chuckled, lighting one up, staring at her intently. "Okay, do you remember way back when, before all this shit?" At her nod, he continued after a drag. "Right, me too, but I was a kid. But…. there was a gun debate, it was all across Vesperia, about how guns were killing people, going unchecked, unregulated, all that shit, and people wanted them locked down, no guns." He took another long pull, tipping his head back to exhale at the ceiling, contemplating his smoke stream before looking back at her. "Now, since the revolution shit with the Dominion, guns are used ALL THE TIME and I think of them as just a tool, so does most people. We use 'em to hunt, protect ourselves, they're tools. Dangerous ones sure, but tools just the same. There ain't no more talk of gun control, is there?" He gave her a moment to think about all that, smiling as he watched her face. "Now, with magic, that's just our new gun control debate when you think about it. It's dangerous, sure, and it can be used for horrible things, just like guns used to be, but… I think it's also just another tool, if used right. Taker disagrees… and him and I don't see eye to eye on it."
"You can't bring a knife to a gunfight." Abigail murmured, more to herself than him, nodding in agreement with his logic.
It was true. Magic, if used right, could really benefit the world and change it for the better, but Taker didn't see it that way and probably never would. The DOV was LOADED with gun and firepower, Bray had made sure they would be protected because not everyone agreed with his breeding techniques to build an army.
"But what if magic is the only way to save this world?" She stood up to stand alongside him near the open window, deciding she had to put her faith in someone other than Taker. If he wouldn't listen and see reason, she would find another way to save the people of DOV and it had to start with rescuing Malcolm. "I've heard…rumors…about magical artifacts scattered throughout Vesperia. Things like a cloak that can make you invisible or a talisman that has magical properties…have you ever heard of something like that?"
"Sure, it's in an old mineshaft 2 days from here." Dean glanced down at her before pulling her to stand in front of him, resting his chin on top of her head, sighing. "Getting down there is a bitch though. Dangerous. You know more than you're saying, Abs," He murmured, smiling and stepped back. "It's getting late." Dean had to wonder if she would get in trouble for being gone, banking she had a job up there in the main square with the other monkeys. "You should come see me again, babe." He turned her to see her face. "Tomorrow. Come see me tomorrow."
A mineshaft? So, there WAS magical artifacts that weren't too far from Wonderful. Why hadn't Taker gone after them? Dean wanted her to come back, despite what a bitch she'd been to him during her minor freak-out earlier. Maybe she didn't need Taker's help, not with rescuing Malcolm.
"Dean…" He pressed a finger to her lips and she nodded, agreeing to come see him again. "It'll probably be around the same time as today." He was right, she knew a lot more than she was letting on, but first, she had to make sure she could trust him and felt his lips brush against her forehead. "Thank you for the food. I'll see you tomorrow, Dean." Then she headed down the stairs and headed back to the front of Wonderful, this newfound information rolling through her mind.
