A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Would you believe I got the first 80% done really fast but the last 20% just fought me every step of the way… My muse wasn't completely absent, but she definitely lost concentration at some point… ;-)
Chapter Warning: Non-graphic discussion of violence and sexual assault.
LSLSLS
There it was. The absolute confirmation of one the worst case scenarios. This one, a scenario that he had been trying to tell himself for a month, was just a figment of his overactive imagination. But it hadn't been. Oh god… How had he let this go for so long? How had he let it happen to start with? This was on him!
"Oh, god…" Rachel watched as Tom slumped down further in his seat before her, both hands now covering his face. The gesture, and his entire countenance, spoke of deep grief, regret and sadness. She wanted to comfort him…as he had comforted her, she had liked it when he had touched her, drew strength from it. She wanted to give that feeling back to him, but she wasn't sure how.
It was ironic, that out of the two of them, the high-ranking military commander was the one more comfortable with the offering of emotional and physical comfort to another person. It was also a somewhat sad statement of her emotional availability, particularly her demonstrative ability.
Not at all sure, but sure she wanted to do something to help his current state, she nervously extended one hand to lay it on his knee gently. He looked up at her at the gesture, then down at her hand on his knee, and back up at her again. His gaze seemingly penetrating into her very soul. The numerous emotions that were currently assaulting him, were easily visibly to any outside observer, but far too numerous to try and count. But Rachel could easily recognize pain, guilt…and indecision.
Finally, after what seemed like a full minute of him just staring at her, Tom did seem to come to at least some small decision. Abruptly, he took the hand she held outstretched in her nervous gesture of comfort, and gripped it tightly in both of his much larger hands. He held that small physical comfort she had offered him as if it were his only remaining lifeline. He then returned their joined hands to rest between them on his knees. Her small hand still held fast in his. To her it was a beautiful sight…and she relished that she did in fact have some comfort she could successfully offer him.
His first words after her massive disclosure were intoned with unreserved anguish.
"Rachel…why didn't you tell me?" As his voice become more inflected, his grip on her hand also tightened.
"I…I couldn't…" She stammered. He broke in before she could even try to come up with something better.
"Yes, you could have, you should have! Why didn't you, really?"
Why didn't she? Why didn't she betray a trust, a promise she had made? Because she simply couldn't, that was why… She had however, asked herself numerous times, in hindsight, why she had agreed to that promise to start with. She supposed the answer was that she could all to easily put herself, at least partially, in the young Lieutenant's shoes… She would absolutely not want her will ignored if their roles had been reversed.
Alisha had just been so desperate and adamant…so broken and powerless. Rachel hadn't been able to deny her anything that was in her power to give her. It had been as simple as that...then. Of course nothing had turned out simple in the long run.
"It was Alisha's choice…so very many choices had been stolen away from her, she was so broken… and so very desperate to not lose what small amount of control she still had. I'm sorry, I just couldn't deny her wishes in this." She spoke apologetically, but adamantly.
But Tom detected a hint of something else in her tone, and in her manner.
"Is Alisha the only reason you didn't speak of this sooner?" He asked suspiciously...and knowingly.
Rachel held his strong gaze briefly, stubbornly…but then couldn't stop herself from casting her gaze downwards again, guiltily. It was all Tom needed to pounce on.
"She isn't, is she? You didn't want to talk about what happened any more than she did…why?"
Rachel tried to meet his eyes again, but when she did she found that they were even more strong and determined than before. Again she averted her eyes, without any actual intent to do so. It was just a reaction, a natural reaction to being caught in a, both painful and humiliating, conversation…that she could not escape from.
At this particular moment, the hand that he still held reverently but sturdily in his strong grip, seemed less of a support measure and more of a incarceration method. She literally couldn't escape either him or this conversation right now.
"I…" She couldn't find words to answer him…to deflect him. This wasn't about her right now. It was about Alisha. Now that Tom knew at least part of the truth of events, she had a responsibility to make sure he did not use that knowledge to cause the younger woman any more harm.
Of course, she knew he would do no such thing intentionally, but Alisha was so fragile right now, and distraught at just the idea of him knowing what had happened to her. If he went clamoring around without the complete and full picture of the circumstances the younger woman now found herself in, he could very much make those circumstances worse.
Which meant she had more explaining to do…and none of it would be easy. But before she could move to do just that, Tom spoke, his voice strained.
"Rachel…did…the same thing…really happen to you as well? Happen to both of you?" He still couldn't bring himself to say the word. It seemed even further from his tongue now that it was Rachel he was asking about.
For just a moment she didn't understand his meaning…and then she did.
"Tom, no! I can assure you…I have told you the complete truth about what happened so far, and nothing like that occurred before you got us out. Alisha and I weren't separated again after that." She argued her case adamantly.
Tom still eyed her with suspicion. Something just wasn't adding up. There was just something about all her injuries…her reactions at the time…that spoke of a lot more, and a very different kind of trauma, than the one she was currently letting on to.
He supposed the answer could be in the details of what came next. He could wait to preform his mental autopsy on events until after he had all of the facts, at least the ones she was sharing…then he could decide himself how complete a retelling he felt she was sharing with him.
He didn't want to accuse her of lying, especially when she hadn't even finished explaining…he supposed there was every chance she would get to those missing pieces that were niggling at him. He was just very much getting the impression that she was deliberating holding something back, something important, something specifically about her. So far she had focused her story almost entirely on Alisha. But he suspected she very much had her own story to tell too…one she was much more reticent to share.
"Nothing like that?…You still haven't told me how you came to have all those injuries, Rachel…Alisha, yes. You, no. I think you need to tell me the rest, because I'm thinking there is more…a lot more."
Just the memory of her battered form, that he had found upon their rejoining, made his heart sink. She had looked so broken, physically and mentally, from her usually indomitable self.
Of course when one sees a woman looking like that, especially a civilian woman, with those kinds of injures…a badly blackened eye…split lip…large finger shaped bruises running down her arms, it is hard not to consider the obvious stereotype. A woman beaten by man, deliberately and personally abused by someone stronger than her… Someone who was supposed to protect her…
The only circumstance where a man was supposed to use his superior strength for a woman, was for a woman, in aid of her protection. That is it. Period. Point. Blank. Tom had been immovable on the subject. Of course recent events had provided him with a few notable exceptions to the rule. Amy Granderson being the most prominent of which. But barring such clear and obvious exceptions, in the course of duty, in the aid of protecting the weak and downtrodden, a man held the high and absolute responsibility to never use his greater physical power as a weapon against a defenseless and innocent woman.
Thinking back now, he worried, not for the first time, that he had let her put him off finding out the true and exact cause of her injuries, far too easily. During their debrief she had mentioned an encounter where she had made an ill-fated escape attempt. Remembering now, she had more let them assume, than actually told them that that was how she had received her injuries…both of them actually. Now he knew that that lie/omission had been false in Alisha's case. And he's bet money that Rachel's story wasn't nearly so clear-cut either.
Tom was realizing how close an eye he needed to keep on the woman before him. She was wily, and at least subconsciously, still resistant to the full disclosure she had agreed to. She said she hadn't lied to him, then or now, and he supposed she technically hadn't. But now that she was admitting to her rather large omissions, he could see exactly where she had fashioned the truth to direct it away from areas she did not want light shone upon. Yes, he would most definitely have to remain vigilant in regards to his little inconvenient genius.
Looking at her now, he thought Rachel looked like she was trying to psyche herself up to something. He watched her as she straightened her back and drew up to her full height in her chair. A pained but determined expression crossed her features, she looked at him square on…and she spoke.
"Yes, there is more. And you should know it. I should probably pick up where I left off…"
He still held her hand. He had absolutely no desire to release it, and she made no move to retract it, so stayed cradled in his, it did. He gave it a gentle, and he hoped, reassuring squeeze as he replied.
"Yes, I think we all need that. I think everything needs to come out now, Rachel…everything."
Looking at him intently, her lips pursed together anxiously. She made a brief study of his kind but determined features and nodded her genuine, but nerve addled, agreement to his request.
"Yes…yes, I know…I will tell you everything now…but you have to understand, some of it is very hard to say…" Understatement of the century…
"I understand that, Rachel. I really do. And the absolute last thing I want to do is put added pressure on you…either on you…but surely you know that I have been left with no choice now...after how bad things have been this last month…after what you have already told me. This has already festered on far too long already…and I know a lot of that is my fault…but you understand that I can no longer afford to let this be given any more time to fester, that I have to push now, you understand that don't you?" He implored her in an almost desperate tone.
"Yes, Tom, I do. And you are completely right, in fact, you don't even know how right you are…we have definitely run out of time… But I should pick up the retelling where I left off…"
He inclined his head shortly, the gesture one of acceptance, and communicated his wish for her to proceed. He could tell the prospect was a daunting one, but her manner was determined and committed…if also a little scared and wounded.
Tom still felt bad for forcing this conversation, despite being left with no other options…but he just couldn't stand her obvious hurt state. He deliberately loosed his fast grip on her hand, but he didn't release it. Instead he held her hand more loosely in his and used his newly freed hand to capture her other elegant limp and drew it too him as well. He now held both her hands gently, in both of his, their bound tributaries resting in the space between them.
The twin connection was imminently pleasing to both, the feeling was very much like they were indeed paying a comforting kind of tribute to one another. As Rachel gazed down at the beautiful sight, she felt imbued with a physically and emotionally gratifying strength. The amazing feeling of her emotional fortitude being replenished, as if she could stand easily against any foe…so long as he would stand beside her…holding her…always.
She supposed that had already proved true in the past months…but she had to admit she wished he would hold her like this more often…and more intimately too. Hollow hope that that one was, it was still an exceedingly intoxicating one.
Even her internal ruminations were working to distract her from the task at hand, trying to comfort her by seducing her into far more pleasant contemplation paths. But she needed to focus, to not be seduced by dreams. It was reality she needed to face…and reality was always so much harsher to confront, than anything her imagination could dream up.
"Well, I told you how they brought Alisha back to our cell, and what I later learned had happened…although it was a suspicion I held from the very moment I saw her again. But even without that particular confirmation, I could easily identify the rest of her numerous fresh injuries. And well…what I hadn't got around to mentioning before was that, at that point, when they first brought her back…well, I sort of lost my temper a little…well…maybe a lot…"
"What did you do?" He could see where this was going… He may not have seen her raging mad as of yet. But in those times when he or someone else had managed to piss her off, he had easily identified the potential in her to…let's say, not shy away from physical confrontation.
"I went nuts. Completely lost it on them. I was just so angry. I can't even report that it was part of some kind of futile escape plan gone bad. It wasn't, I wasn't thinking nearly clearly enough for that. While obviously, if I had actually managed to better the guards, even briefly, then I certainly wouldn't have wasted any time in getting us the hell out of there…but alas we never got that option." She ended in a defeated tone.
"What happened when they guards came back with Alisha, Rachel, what exactly did they and you, do?" While he may have an aptitude for it, especially in regards to her, he was getting tired of reading this story from in between the lines.
Gazing down at their joined hands, she gave the part of his hands that she held a small squeeze. He returned it in kind. Rachel draw on the sight and the feelings, focused on it…and then focused her memories back in time. A Time she didn't particularly ever want to revisit again in her lifetime, but no true choice existed for her right now. Continue she must.
"When they first unlocked the door and brought her in, I was stunned. I tried to go to her but they pushed me back, roughly…I fell. From where I landed on the floor, I watched them throw her on the ground as if she was a sack of potatoes… The saddest part was that, while she was still conscious at this point, she didn't fight them at all...I don't think she could, thought more for mental reasons, than any physical. I tried to get back to my feet, for what felt like forever… It was not as easy a task as it should have been. I think the sedative's effects were still lingering. I watched them standing over her menacingly…laughing at the condition she was in." These memories were so painful. Not being able to do anything about them in the past month, her coping strategy had been to burry them deeply. But now both the Captain, and circumstances completely beyond his control, were forcing her to get her mental shovel out and do some very painful unearthing.
"They did that to her?" He practically growled the question. He was looking uncomfortable in his chair…as if he was only barley preventing himself from rising and pacing…or turning the ship around and going back to pummel the men she was describing… Instead, she felt it as his strong grip on her hands increased, as he noticeably tried to focus his energy and concentration internally, instead of acting it out externally, in one of the aforementioned ways.
"Yes. They did…but they didn't stop at that." She confirmed and started to explicate, sadly.
She watched him let out a long breath then. He was still noticeably fighting his rage. He did eventually seem to win the battle…at least in part…because when he spoke again…just a single word, filled with meaning, his voice was softer and much more controlled…perhaps too controlled…
"What…?"
There was something about his specific tone. She thought it held a vibration reminiscent of being restrained under such taut control that it could snap and explode at any second…certainly with too much added pressure. And she very much feared that her next words could easily provide that.
"They…they started to kick her…where she was on the ground…they were saying things…taunts mostly. Things I heard but didn't truly process at the time…even when I considered them later…they didn't make much sense…they all make much more now." An extremely uncomfortable amount of sense, actually. But before he could question her further on things she was ready yet ready to discuss, she continued in her retelling of events exactly as they had unfortunately occurred.
"I was still struggling to bloody well get up, to get to her, to help her…to stop them! It wasn't until I actually tried to exert some energy that I realized how prolonged the after effects from that damn sedative really were. But eventually I managed it. I went straight at them, pounced on the man that was the closest to me, one the one that was Alisha's biggest threat. Not exactly being much of a fighter, and also in my reduced state…I was not able to inflict nearly as much harm on the man as I really would have liked to. However, my actions did work well to garner their focus away from Alisha…and on to me." She said the last part in a false bright tone.
"Nothing about that is comforting, Rachel!" Though it wasn't like he hadn't personally experienced her predilection for foolhardy self-sacrifice in the aid of helping others…it was how she had helped rescue Tex and him from Ruskov's clutches. And he supposed in that case it maybe hadn't been quite so foolhardy, it had worked… But it that instance there was also a decent plan behind her reckless altruism…it sounded like that wasn't remotely the case back there…
"And yet it's what happened! Do you want the truth or not?" She asked in a moody exasperated tone. The stress of the retelling was indeed getting to her.
"Continue..." It was more of a growl than a word, she took it to mean that he did indeed want the truth…he just damn well knew he wasn't going to like it. She could clearly see how distressed he was about every part of this encounter.
She regretted her tone then, he had done nothing but be supportive of her. He had given and given, and she had taken and taken. And even in the wake of his own personal loss he had not complained. Leveling any of her understandable but misdirected temper at him was simply shame inducing.
"I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't mean to snap at you." Her regret was genuine. He was the absolute last person she wanted the results of her own guilt and regret inflicted on. Not only was he a good man who in no way deserved it, she also couldn't stand the thought that she could risk pushing him away. She needed him, in as much of a capacity as he would allow. Even if at arms length, it was an infinitely preferably state, compared to his absence. That thought sent a cold chill of dread running through her.
Tom studied the woman before him. She was truly ashamed to have even lashed out at him in that very small way. And it wasn't even like that had been the first time she had laid into him in any way. His Rachel was no shrinking violet…usually. Truth was, the forced proceedings were emotionally cutting to both of them. He couldn't blame her for acting out, especially in a way that could only really be called mildly cantankerous at best.
Rachel watched as Tom let go of both her hands then. Caught off guard, they fell slackly into her lap. It was then that she started to panic. Was he really upset at her? Enough to not want to offer or take comfort from her anymore? The thought was a miserable one.
Before she could continue in her detrimental ruminations, she felt before she saw, a strong hand come up to caress her cheek. He had the back of his fingers pressed to her exposed skin of the said of her face, his knuckles drawing a trailing path up and down her jaw. Even while still shocked and unsure about what this could mean, she couldn't help her instinctual response to the gesture, and she leaned into the caress as her eyes slid closed gratifyingly.
"Rachel, I'm not angry at you…in any way…for anything. Obviously I wish you had both felt able to share these things with me a lot earlier…but anger is still not even close to the emotion I feel in regards to the ill-advised delay."
After he had spoken, he edged closer to her and lifted his other hand to rub the other side of her face, running it from the underside of her jaw to where her neck and shoulder met. His other hand was still in place, gently and comfortingly skimming against the smooth skin of her jawline, her face keenly tilted towards it, leaning into it. The gesture was meant to be entirely comforting…for her, but he couldn't deny the exceedingly pleasurable aspect to touching her bare delicate skin…and watching her react so favorably.
Rachel brought her gaze back around to meet his very slowly, the purpose was to not make him think she was pulling away from his wonderful touch. And it worked, his exquisite knuckles traveled with her, continuing their leisurely roaming path along her jaw, unfettered.
"What do you feel?" She spoke on a breathy whisper.
Tom was pulled out of…somewhere else…by her voice. His musing mind had definitely travelled in the short space of time…starting when he had first touched her bare skin. Part of him knew this was not the time to get distracted by such things, but in his defense, it had not been his intent…since when was unbidden attraction and arousal something one could control?
When love was combined with the strong desire to comfort, how could touching not be the result? And when a man touched a woman that he loved, how could arousal not occur?
Wait. Love?
Yeah, he had thought it…
And…as he took an emotional inventory…he realized he also felt it.
Hmm…
That was…well, right now that just was. He couldn't even begin to contemplate what he could do about it right now.
What he was contemplating was if this revelation made their current circumstance…their current conversation, better or worse. Easier...or even harder… As he again took inventory of how much difficulty he was having controlling his reaction to her retelling of the cursed events…he thought initially…it was definitely worse. Yeah, this was definitely harder…no doubt about it…
As he again forced his attention outwards, he found her staring at him quite oddly… She had asked a question! What was it? Wait, she had asked him how he felt. Could she really be asking him about… could she have caught him in his feelings? Even before he had properly figured them out for himself?!
No, no wait, that wasn't it. They had been talking about something else. How long it had taken Rachel to confide in him. He had stated anger was not how he felt about it. That was true. That was what she was talking about…asking about… It wasn't those kind of feeling to which she was enquiring about. When he made the true connection, he was briefly relived, before he realized that he was actually somewhat disappointed…
As he looked at her now, he realized she was still waiting for a response, patiently, but with concern. No doubt regarding the unexplained silence that followed her query. Upon fully realizing his distraction and unplanned pause, he moved to remedy the situation. His hands that had already slowed in their searching paths on her heated skin, withdrew…against their preference. He let them attempted to rub the cobwebs of misdirected concentration from his own face…before he dropped them back in his lap.
"I feel frustrated, helpless, guilty…and yes, very angry…but that last one is not directed at either you or Alisha in the least." He hoped she understood and believed that.
"We've been over this, Tom, you have nothing to feel guilty about…"
He interrupted… "…and that is just something we are going to have to agree to disagree on." His words were not aggressive, but neither did they give way to argument.
After a pause, in which the pair met each other's eyes unflinchingly, Rachel gave a short nod as she broke their mutual gaze and let hers lower. She would not argue this further at this particular moment…that was all she was agreeing to with her assent. And he was dreaming if he thought her acquiescence meant anything more.
Tom considered her. Her silent agreement had come too fast. He didn't for a second think she was actually was going to stop fighting him on this… and that probably explained the stubborn tilt to her chin at the moment that she had let her eyes leave his.
They were both getting distracted too easily, now that he thought about it…he wondered if it wasn't actually both of them that were instituting subconscious stall tactics. He knew she really didn't want to talk about this, of course.
And as for him? He needed to know, sure. But, yeah, his subconscious really might not be on the same page and probably was to some degree directing him away from something he really didn't want to have to deal with. Only because it didn't want confirmation that facts were indeed as bad as he now knew they were. A self defense mechanism, but a one that had not served him well in this case. Conformation had already occurred…and likely more was to come, therefore his subconscious could shut the hell up. His conscious mind had some very tough work to do.
Tom leaned forward and reached out to re-grasp Rachel's delicate hands in his. Hands that had been laying listlessly in her lap since he had freed them. He surrounded them in the warmth and strength of his. He took comfort from the connection and he hoped he gave it back to her in turn, because with his next words, and with difficulty, implored her to continue.
"Rachel…tell me what happened then…exactly what happened then, exactly what they did to both of you. Leave nothing out." He silently added a firm 'this time' but only to himself. He didn't want to add to her unease with his persistent inquisitions…at least not when more gentle methods would suffice. Luckily it worked and he was not forced to any such lengths.
"As I said, I lost it on them...those two guards that had returned with Alisha. There was only the two of them that had come that that time...not even any others waiting outside. I don't think they believed Alisha was any threat in the state she was in, and the fact was, they seemed a little surprised to find me even awake…" She took a deep breath, a far off look in eyes. She wasn't looking at him or anywhere particular when she continued… Her gaze was fixed on what looked like thin air him, but he knew unpleasant memories were playing in that space for her.
"I got a few punches in…weakly, that's about all I can boast, and I know it's not much. Like I said I know I'm not much of a fighter at the best of times…but with the sedative...it was far from the best of times. I was pathetic!" She bit her lip in angsty self-derision remembering how hard she had tried and how completely she had failed.
Tom saw that she still had that pained far off look was in her eyes. His instinct was to bring her back from that place. But he knew he could not. She had to go back there at least this one last time.
"The second guard…he grabbed me from behind and pulled me off the first. He…well he manhandled me as much as you would expect from a men working for a regime with no ethics or integrity to speak off." She felt sick remembering the feel of his hands on her body, and now with recent discoveries, that feeling was even further heightened.
Rachel spared a glance at Tom. He wasn't looking at her. He was staring fixatedly down at their joined hands. His grip had increased too…a lot. He was angry. He was trying to hide it. Trying not to react. This was so difficult for him. How she wished she could spare him all of it…
But she couldn't, he wouldn't let her. For him, this couldn't start being over until all was said and out in the open…at least between them. She hoped she understood correctly and that the specifics of her private admissions would not become the talk of the ship... No, of course he wouldn't do that to her. She would go on, she would try to get them to the point where they could move on, but now she knew that it was never actually going to be truly over…
"The second guard who had pulled me off the first and taken his time about restraining me finally actually did. I struggled…a lot…to address your earlier question that was probably where most of the bruises on my arms came from. In fact almost all the injuries you found me with can be explained by the encounter I had with those two guards…you came for us not long after that…"
"So if I'd been quicker I would have spared you that." He deduced, his voice hard.
"You can't look at it that way, Tom! You were severely outnumbered. It is amazing you were able to get to us at all. But you did! Focus on that…please, for me…"
He didn't argue or assent. "What happened next, what did they do to you? What exactly, I promise I'll only make you say it once but I need to know."
Rachel returned her gaze to his when she continued. It was hard, avoiding eye contact of any type was her natural instinct at this moment, but she wanted to make sure he was doing alright with what he was insisting on learning.
"One of the guards stood in front of me…leering at me…while the other restrained me…I was so damn weak he could do it with one hand behind by back…the other hand…roamed." And again Rachel felt the grip Tom held her hands in, increase with her last word. She decided to go on as if she had not noticed. It was probably better just to get it all out as quickly as possible and then deal with it. So pull the band-aid she did.
"Next they started to assault me…sexually." Ok, now he was going to cut off blood flow to her fingers…
"Tom…" But he interrupted her.
"You told me they didn't…" His voice was hard, now she thought maybe he was angry at her.
"And they didn't. They didn't get that far…not even close. It was all above the waist stuff…mostly. More was certainly what was on their minds but thinking back, I don't even think they would have taken it that far…"
He lifted his gaze then, to spear her with a hard speculative look.
"I'm serious. The reason I think that, has to do with the things they were saying, the things that didn't make sense then…anyway, when I look back on it now I don't think they were allowed to do what they wanted…though they didn't seem to think that just 'playing' was going to get them into any trouble..." She finished the last part in revulsion.
Tom couldn't believe he had stayed seated for that. He had so much anger that was roiling inside him right now and it had no release valve. As he once again fixated his gaze on their joined hands, he realized he was holding them far to tightly, that could not be comfortable for her. He carefully reduced the pressure on them until they were again just cradled gently in his.
"Is that all?" Please let it be all.
She wished! It was true that there was not much left of the encounter she was currently recounting. Tom had indeed found them and got them out before too long...and more importantly before too much more could happen. Now that it was getting close she didn't know how she was going to tell him about their recent discoveries… Best just to get this part out of the way, then she would simply have to deal with it. She had no choice.
"Almost, almost... The guards…their 'playtime' did unfortunately go on for a little while. I struggled as much as I could, but I was held fast. I got the facial injuries as a result of daring to fight back…the little that I even could… It seems the face is still the favorite target for men who like to his women…he certainly seemed to like it. I got the split lip when he tried to kiss me, and a bit him instead. The eye was a pretty spectacularly painfully backhand after I kneed him in the groin." She laughed a little then, but it was lacking all humor.
Tom's rage was boiling beneath the surface now. He honestly didn't know how he was successfully containing it. Though he did partially know the answer…for her sake.
"Is that all they did to you Rachel? Be honest with me!"
"Yes, yes it was, I promise."
"Then what stopped them?"
"Actually I think it was you."
"Me? How?" He looked at her in abject confusion.
"They got a call on their radios, sounded urgent and they swore and ran out of there…"
"Why do you think that was me?"
"Because it was only a few minutes later that you and Burke arrived. I think the call must have been them noticing that they had intruder's. Guess we were lucky they didn't decide to do something smart like actually guard their prisoners, instead of just relaying on locks…which you made short work of when you arrived."
She hoped the news would be a comfort to him, but it seemed he took little from it.
"I would have been ok with them sticking around to be taken care of once and for all." He spoke the words on a razor sharp edge. He would have been very ok with it actually. He could happily imagine snapping their necks…and enjoying the task. The only comfort he had for the rest of it was that thankfully Granderson was dead and gone from their lives forever. But Rachel's attackers…they could still be alive, and even immune thanks to the cure she created…everything about that was wrong.
Silence again descended between the pair. Tom waited for the heavy feeling in his chest to lift just a little. He waited for the relief he hoped would come when he at least finally had the facts. But it didn't come. If anything his chest felt heavier, tighter than before.
He regarded Rachel closely then. Worryingly, relieved seemed to be the furthest state from her demeanor too. In fact, the primary impression he was getting from her demeanor was…extreme anxiety. That was a condition that didn't seem to gel with a huge weight being lifted off her chest, even if it had been a difficult one explore.
Studying Rachel further, Tom got a really bad feeling.
"Rachel…is there something else you're not telling me."
A very long pause and a very long meaningful look… Which were probably both answers in themselves. But she offered him the courtesy of answering verbally anyway.
"Yes…" She exhaled heavily…miserably?
"There is."
"What is it? What else can there be, Rachel?" He asked in genuine distress.
This was another on of those band-aid moment's. Best just to pull it off. She really just wanted to get this over with. Of course, as fate would have it, that was the last thing either her or Alisha were going to be able have.
"Actually, there's unfortunately more than one thing, Tom…but the first, and most immediately relevant is…Alisha is pregnant."
TBC…
A/N: Some of you guessed it, but my plot has not done unraveling quite yet… Let me know what you think. :-)