Chapter 34
Only a few people knew his given name. Several people knew his last name. Only Stephanie called him Calaway, and Amy had addressed him as Mark in private, so had Steve, that was about it. Mark did not make people outside these walls stop and hesitate. Whereas the moniker 'Undertaker' made potential enemies take a moment to wonder how a person got that name. Mind games, scare tactics.
"I don't know. Roman Reigns, who I'm sure you've met since you like to hang out with Ambrose, modified a trailer and some motorcycles. We've done testing on it out in the fields. Between four of us, we can haul it, and we're only taking two runners for protection. Few weeks there, sooner if we're lucky. Few days in the hospital stripping it down and packing it up, a few weeks back." Sooner, he hoped.
A month or longer, which really boded well in her favor because DOV was clear across the map and it would take at least 2 weeks to get there and two weeks to get back. They would be cutting it close, but she had to take the risk anyway. Abigail didn't miss that underlying tone of his when he spoke Roman and Ambrose's name, a smirk curving her lips.
"He offered me a job, you know." She moved to lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. "He said I'm too talented to be a kitchen maid or servant. I don't know if I agree with him, but he said he could find me something to do in the 'slums', as he likes to call it." Her head turned to stare at him, trying to register the look on his face. "So, I'm thinking about taking him up on his offer and 'slumming' it while you're away. Just thought you should know and you can inform your comrades, so they don't send out another search party for me and worry."
"My comrades," He echoed, not entirely sure if he liked that word. Taker knew he definitely didn't like the idea of her slumming it with Dean Ambrose and his… pals. "So… you'll be working with Ambrose and his ilk while I'm gone." He said quietly, thoughtfully, catching her nod and stroked his chin. "And where will you be sleeping?" Because he could delay his trip, just so he could strangle Ambrose if he had to. Taker didn't like the reckless idiot and now – now he was curious if that was jealousy he was now feeling, not liking that either.
"Not in his bed, that's for sure." Abigail could hear the jealousy in his voice and stroked his face with her hand, scooting closer to him. "He said he has a room for me in that Shield building. Roman will be gone, so it'll be him and Seth. He's got one extra room available and said I could have it if I wanted to start working with him. I'm just gonna see how it goes and, if I don't like it, I'll go back to the common house. But maybe he does have a job for me that I'll like better. Won't know until I try." It was the perfect excuse for her absence because she knew Taker's 'circle' didn't leave the front of Wonderful often. "You're not…mad about this, are you?"
"I'm not happy about it," He could admit it; it wasn't like she couldn't tell anyway. "But this is your choice."
Given Abigail's lack of freedom all those years, suffering under the DOV and Bray Wyatt, he would never tell her what she could and couldn't do. Not over something that was likely trivial, even if his male pride was screaming at him to quit being a pussy and tell her hell no. Egos were not good for relationships.
"You don't like working in the common house? And, if you don't mind me asking, darlin', what talents exactly are going to waste?" He wasn't saying she wasn't talented, but he wanted to know what Ambrose seen in her.
"The common house is fine, and I like it. I have no idea what 'talents' Dean sees in me, but he said there's other things I can do down in the 'slums' that would be better than the common house." Abigail shrugged, feeling his arm wrap around her to pull her closer and softly brushed her mouth against his, sighing softly. "He's a good guy, he won't steer me wrong and, if he does, you can beat his head in when you get back and I'll return to the common house. I won't get into trouble, I promise." That was a flat lie because what she was about to do could potentially kill her.
It was worth the risk though.
Taker wanted to tell her that just associating with Ambrose was being steered wrong. The man had no respect, he was a wild card, and he KNEW Ambrose was smuggling items into Wonderful; he just didn't have the time to prove it. Ambrose had made his opinions, which usually contrasted very sharply with his, known, and his derision for the way things were done had been a major source of issues in the earlier years.
"Fine." he growled, pressing his forehead against hers.
She giggled at his growl, knowing he was both frustrated and exasperated with her, kissing him again harder. "Enough talk about him."
Abigail could tell he was still tired and drained from the magic siphoning, so all they would do was kiss and touch. She was fine with that and kept her clothes on, though she had kicked her shoes off earlier, refusing to leave his side. Trish was probably really pissed at her, along with Amy, for not coming to the common house to work, but Taker was more important. Eventually, his eyes did close, and Abigail settled next to him, pulling the blanket over them to snuggle, eventually fall asleep herself.
4 AM rolled around as Abigail's eyes opened, seeing Taker was up getting around to leave. "Now I know you weren't going to leave me without saying goodbye. That's not very nice, Mark." She smirked, despite waking up and stretched her arms in the air, slipping out of bed. There was no way she wouldn't see him off with the others and looked at the huge bag on the floor that probably held all of his personal belongings. "Do you want me to help you with anything? Are you feeling better?"
"I've been living on magic for so long now, darlin', that I think it's going to take me a bit to learn how I feel. I feel… okay?" He said it thoughtfully, his emerald eyes surveying her. "It is weird, not being able to feel it pumping through me, and it makes me wonder just how much of the strength, and stamina was me and how much was magic." He was about to find out, he supposed. Smirking, he moved so he could push her back down on the mattress, hovering over her and brushed his lips against hers. "Going to miss me, Abbie?"
"What do you think?" Abigail remarked, feeling the strength radiating from him and knew it was himself and not the magic, which made her feel marginally better. She accepted his kiss, caressing his face, and only broke it when they both needed air to breathe, pecking his nose. "Be careful, be safe, and come back to me in one piece, okay? I know you can't promise it, but…try your best." The same could be said for her. It did bother her a bit he couldn't disguise himself, but then again, not a lot of people truly knew his TRUE form, so maybe they would just think it was another disguise instead of actually him. "I'm walking you down to the gates and seeing you off."
Speaking of the gates… Taker kissed her again, pouring everything he felt into it and cursed inwardly because she was responding while he was rising to the occasion. This was going to be a very long trip. Groaning, with more than just a hint of longing in his tone, he pushed himself away from Abigail with great reluctance.
"Where'd you put the talisman?" He asked, looking around.
Watching as she stood to retrieve the satchel, Taker pulled out the little orb of Mythril he had fashioned and watched as the black faded, revealing itself properly. "Can you do something for me, Abbie?" He asked quietly. "Nobody is going to notice if you slip off and do this. Me… they will." Taker put it back and handed the satchel to her. "Hide this, here in Wonderful, where nobody will find it. Nobody will be able to use it, nobody but me because that magic only responds to me, but if someone got a burr up their ass, they could take it outside the walls." And then, the protection would fail. "I don't even want to know where you would hide it, not until I return. Will you do this for me?"
Tears filled her eyes as he handed over the satchel to her with all of his magic stored into it, into the crystal. Taker – no, Mark – entrusted her with this task, nobody else, not even in his elite circle. He wanted her to do this, to protect Wonderful and nodded, gasping when he kissed her passionately one final time.
"You better come back to me, Mark." She whispered, a few tears slipping down her cheeks and hugged him tightly around the neck, clutching the satchel in her hand. "I meant what I said. You are the hope that will save Vesperia…and you're my hope too."
Abigail reluctantly pulled away from him, slipped her shoes on, and gave him one final look, already knowing in her heart she loved him. She was in love with him and they hadn't even known each other that long. With satchel in hand, Abigail left the tower and let the tears flow down her cheeks now that she was away from Taker, heading inside the building to climb the ladder. Quietly, she packed all of her belongings up, which wasn't much and left, turning just in time to see them all roar away on their bikes and a truck to head to the hospital.
"Goodbye, Mark." She whispered brokenly before turning and heading down the street, still dark out, toward the Shield building.
First, she stopped at the workout room and went into the far corner, remembering when she found this spot the first time she and Amy worked out. There was a broken floorboard nobody knew about, so she pulled it up, set the satchel inside, and closed it, making sure it blended in with the rest of the floor. Then, she headed on her way further into Wonderful to the Shield building, wiping her tears away angrily.
Dean was already up, sitting out on what had been the front stoop, smoking a cigarette in just a pair of old, gray sweat pants. He had rolled out of bed in order to see his buddy off. To be honest, he hadn't expected Abigail to be showing up this early, so it was a bit of a surprise to find her strolling up the dark, foggy street, looking like she had slept for shit.
"Morning." He grunted, pulling his leg off the step to make room for her, bending down to brush his head against hers. "You look like shit, babe."
"I'm fine."
No, she wasn't, and it showed, but Abigail couldn't let her personal feelings interfere with their plan. She just didn't expect Mark to actually entrust her with protecting Wonderful by hiding that satchel with the crystal. Sniffling, she let out a soft growl and wiped the remainder of her tears away, clearing her throat somewhat hoarsely.
"I told Taker I was staying with you while he's gone and working with you. So that's my reason for not being seen for the next month." She pulled back to look up into Dean's eyes, another tear falling down her cheek. "I think we should sleep throughout the day and when the sun goes down, we can leave, what do you think? Still got that extra room for me?"
"Read my mind, Abs."
Dean tossed the cigarette out into the street before standing up and gently pulled her towards him. He may not have liked the Undertaker, but he knew she more than liked the guy, maybe even loved. Reaching out, Dean brushed away her tears with the pad of his thumbs before gesturing towards the door.
"Come on, let's get you back to bed." He murmured, guiding her inside. Seth was still asleep; the man could sleep through anything, tornadoes included.
"Dean, wait…" Abigail did not want to be alone right now, not when Mark was off on a potential suicide mission and also knew what she'd told him about not sleeping in Dean's bed. What the big man didn't know wouldn't hurt him, however. "C-Can I stay with you? I won't sleep by myself right now."
At his nod, Abigail let him guide her up the stairs with her stuff in tow, dropping it in the spare room that would be hers, and pulled her into his room. She kicked her shoes off and pulled the covers over her, making sure to leave enough for Dean before turning on her side. When he pulled her against him, his arm wrapped around her waist, Abigail didn't push him away and let the silent tears fall, wishing it was Mark holding her right now instead of Dean.
Dean didn't fall asleep right away and neither did she, or at least he was assuming she hadn't. Every now and then he could feel her body tremble as if she were trying to repress tears. He was so screwed. He knew he was. He was her Taker substitute at the moment, and only for comfort, and he was completely fine with that. That was how he knew he was screwed.
"He'll be fine, Abs," He whispered against the back of her head, running a hand up and down her side soothingly. "He'll be back before you know it."
If only he knew why she was terrified for Mark, but Abigail couldn't tell him. She was sworn to secrecy, remembering how he'd specifically told her not to tell anyone. Dean wasn't a substitute for anything, he was a friend and she needed comfort right now. If he thought of himself as a substitute, that was on him, not her. All she could do was nod, trying to focus on his hand on her side because it was a distraction of some kind.
"I-I know you don't like him…and I u-understand why. S-Some things he does…doesn't make sense." At all. "But I-I appreciate you h-helping me, Dean." Turning, she buried her face in his chest, not wanting him to see her tear-streaked face and soaked in his warmth, closing her eyes trying to calm down.
Dean regretted not wearing more clothes besides those sweats, because her tears were hot and so was her erratic breathing as she tried calming herself. Like the sap he was, he just kept rubbing her, now her back, trying to help her settle herself. What was it about the Undertaker that drew her in? He couldn't understand it. They were opposites on their beliefs and, down the road, he could see that being a major source of contention between them, especially if this plan of hers worked.
"It'll be alright." He whispered, raining kisses on the crown of her head.
