DAR
I've just set out plates, in spite of the fact that I'm fairly certain nobody will be eating much tonight - or sleeping well either for that matter - when an unhappy Zedd returns to the kitchen alone. At my questioning look, he says, "He wants to be alone for a while." Well don't we all.
"I told you to probably expect as much," I remind him calmly. "He just needs time to deal with what happened that's all."
"I think it's more than that." Looking decidedly miserable, Zedd lays his head on the table and I have to wonder if all of his unhappiness is really his own or if the human isn't unintentionally failing to block his misery from Zedd through the bond. "He thinks I'm afraid of him. He told me to lock him up in the dungeon so he couldn't hurt us again."
Jason sighs, looking about as concerned as Zedd now. "That's about what I expected. You'll probably be dealing with this for the rest of his life, Zedd."
"What do you mean?" Zedd asks.
"The last I knew, he still wasn't completely over trying to kill me all those years ago and this is way worse."
I can't help the sigh - or the smart remark. "We finally get the human half tolerable and now we have to deal with him being moody."
"Dar," Pina scolds.
"Sorry." But not really.
"I don't know what to do, he won't let me help him and he refuses to see that keeping me away is only making things worse for both of us. I'd fix it if he'd just tell me what he needs to fix it, but he won't even let me touch him right now." Head again finding the table Zedd now has all of our concerns up.
Moving to him and soothing her fingers through his hair Pina also tactfully checks his head for signs of fever before shaking her head to signal he isn't currently ill, yet.
Looking at my friend sadly and forcing myself not to go up there and drag the human down here by his neck I try to appeal to what bit of willpower he has left right now. "Zedd you need to get a hold of yourself, you're making yourself depressed and I'm certain his depression is only adding to it through the bond. You have to calm down and focus. You mated with him remember, that makes your connection to him all the stronger."
"So?"
"So," I begin pointedly, urging his head off his plate and forcing him to sit up. "You are going to make yourself sick over this situation, that as you yourself pointed out, you can do nothing about right now. Zedd I know you're upset, and I know you want to fix this, but right now all you can do is step back from it and wait." When he opens his mouth to protest I quickly cut him off, "No Zedd, I mean it, I watched you sink into a self-made hell of misery and almost die on us once, I'll be damned if I do it again. Now eat your dinner."
"Wasn't the same thing." The muttered response just snippy enough to make me smile, he at least picks up his fork and keeps his head off his plate this time.
"I know, but I figured reminding you how Zordon's little wave almost did you in would give you enough anger to pull you out of your slump long enough to at least eat something."
"Stupid Zordon." Close enough I suppose.
Everyone eats at least a little bit, which is something I guess. Half an hour after we start eating, Tommy walks into the kitchen and I'm relieved to see that Zedd at least got some food down before the human could show up and distract him again.
Jason addresses him. "Want something to eat, Tommy?"
"Not really, Jason. I've lost my appetite."
"You should eat something, you haven't had anything all day." Moving to get up and get him a plate, I stop Zedd before he can get further than pulling his chair back.
"I'll get him a plate Zedd, finish yours."
"Really not hungry" Tommy insists much to my friend's misery it seems.
"Why don't you sit down with us then?" Zedd suggests.
He shakes his head. "Actually, I want to talk to Dar." Stunned looks all around as he continues. "Outside. Alone." He's not serious, is he?
"Thomas I-"
"It won't take long, Zedd."
I can feel Pina's concern as well as see Zedd's, but I incline my head and follow him out the kitchen door nevertheless. He walks deep into the garden before he stops. I wait impatiently for him to speak. When he does, he says the last thing I expected. "Zedd trusts you, right?"
"Yes" I answer, puzzled.
"He trusts you to take care of things that he can't do himself, right?" You mean like making sure he doesn't curl up and die because his mate is a moronic brat? All right perhaps I shouldn't say that out loud.
"So?" Where is he going with this?
"There's something that needs to be done and Zedd can't do it, so it falls to you." I'm suddenly not certain I like where this is going.
"What exactly would that be?"
"Payback." I can feel my mouth fall open as he turns to face me. "Zedd can't, for whatever reason, bring himself to hurt me willingly. I remember that. And, as you yourself pointed out, Pina's too nice for her own good sometimes. The things I did - there's no excuse for them and no way to make it right. I beat the hell out of my bond mate - your friend - and assaulted your mate. I'm sure you want a little payback of your own, so - go ahead."
"Are you insane?! Do you have any idea what it'll do to Zedd's and my relationship, never mind me and Pina, if I do what you're asking of me?"
He takes a deep breath. "Actually, that's only part of what I'm asking you to do. Part one is to get revenge for your friend and mate. Part two is helping me make sure that it never happens again."
"And how exactly do you think I'm going to do that?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. Lock me in the dungeon and throw away the key. Ship me back to Earth with Jason and Andros. Crush my hands so that I can't use them anymore. I really don't care. All I know is that you can't kill me because we don't know what that will do to Zedd and - it's better than I deserve for what I've done."
I can feel my rage cool somewhat as the obviously penitent human before me is planning out his own punishment. I change the subject hoping to distract him from his current train of thought and also solve another problem at the same time. "Where is Zedd's staff, Tommy?"
He points toward the tool shed in the far corner of the garden. "In there. Will you do it or not?"
I look at him for a long minute. He wasn't in control of himself, any more than anyone caught in that kind of spell. I'm definitely still not happy about what happened, but since he is back to himself, I can't hold the same level of rage I had before. I know that the man in front of me would never have done those kinds of things if he'd been in his right mind, just as I know Zedd would never forgive me for dishing out some undeserved punishment to his mate while I'm in mine.
I sigh. "Tommy, you were under a spell and even I know that you'd never have done it if you were in control of yourself. If you truly want to be punished than go talk to your mate, he's the one sitting inside wallowing in misery because you won't let him help you right now."
"Zedd won't hurt me." Fists clenched in frustration, the human is starting to work my nerves again.
"No, he won't, at least not in the way you're looking for right now, but he will help you. Go talk to him, argue with him, spar with him, hell have him bend you over his knee and spank you for all I care, but don't come to me and ask me to hurt you because we both know it would in the end do little more than hurt Zedd." Moving to the shed to retrieve Zedd's staff I only make it a few steps before his voice stops me cold.
"It wasn't all beyond my control you know." Fuck me.
"Tommy, don't."
"I did it because I wanted to." I start to turn away when he speaks again. "I started thinking about it when I followed Pina down to the infirmary."
"Stop it, Tommy," I warn him.
He moves a step closer and then another. "She was hot and I didn't remember you two were together at the time. I found myself wondering when the last time she'd gotten laid was. Wondering how tight she'd be, is she a screamer, does she like it fast and hard?"
My hands clench into fists as he speaks. I grit out through my teeth, "Shut up."
He doesn't take the hint, however. "Imagining her riding me right there on the table. Then when she gave me the shot, I started to imagine hurting her as I had her. Maybe take her in the ass to make her scream - in pain, not pleasure."
I've had enough. As I spin around, I snap at him, "That's enough!"
"And then she mentioned spending time with you. That's when I realized that you were together. I was going to put both of you in your places and show you just who was in charge by making you watch as I fucked her."
There is no longer any thought as my fist flies out, striking him in the mouth and putting him on the ground. Before I can get in more than a few more hits, I hear someone calling my name. "Dar, stop!"
Pina's voice makes me pause. Suddenly, I realize what he's done. He baited me into doing what he wanted and I fell for it. I was outsmarted by a damn human.
