Author's Notes: Yes it's very early but I made a deal with another writer, so you all get it early feel special and thank Chylea3784.
I do believe there is just one more part. Thank the freaken powers that be, because this thing got waaaay too long.
Summary – Zedd is tired and Tommy is agitated. The result can't be good.
-o-
Adjusting
Tommy
-o-
"Shh you're going to wake him."
"I am not, besides I need to check his bandages."
"Check them later, he needs more rest now."
As the conversation continues on, both parties clearly getting more and more agitated with the other, it takes my still sleepy mind a moment to place the voices.
"Zedd? Hayley?" Coming around slowly but not yet feeling as if I want to open my eyes, I instead settle for simply burrowing further into the strong warm arms currently holding me. "Could you guys keep it down a bit, my head is killing me."
"Told you you'd wake him." Voice annoyed and protective Zedd tightens his hold on me, pulling what I'll assume is our bedcovers up higher around us.
"You're the one that started it, if you'd have just let me check his bandages like I need to instead of arguing with me about it…"
Snarling out something too low for me to really make out, Zedd snorts in satisfaction as my best friend most likely throws up her hands and storms out of the room, her parting comment making me smile ever so slightly. "Fine but if his wounds get infected I'm going to cut you open and use your intestines as Christmas decorations! And don't think I can't do it."
"She can you know."
Fingers moving to thread through my hair he presses a tender kiss to my still throbbing temples almost seeming to know just how badly my head does in fact hurt. "Yes well I trust that you'll protect me if the need should arise." Voice changing quickly from haughty and annoyed to soft and tender his coming request is barely heard over his heartbeat, which I suddenly realize I can hear with surprising clarity. "Thomas, pet, open your eyes for me."
"Tired."
"I know, but I need you to do this for me. Come on, show me those loving eyes of yours."
Grumbling, but really unable to deny such a heartfelt request I force my eyes open to enough of a degree to see him, but still shield against the far too bright light filtering into the room from our open bedroom window. "Happy?"
Studying me intently for a full minute, I'm almost about to question what's wrong when he finally gives a slow but satisfied nod. "Yes I believe I am. Are you?" Um…
Shifting, or attempting to so I might see him better, I find his hold on me has become just a little tighter then I'd normally like. "I guess so. Though my head is killing me, the room is way too bright for some reason, you're holding me a little too tightly, and I feel like I've take the beating of my life."
"Probably because you have." Yeah probab… wait what?
"What?"
Still calmly keeping his arms around me in a near restraining manner he continues, voice holding clear weariness and concern. "I actually thought for a minute I'd misjudged the force needed and stabbed too deep, I swear I heard your heart stop."
Now more confused then ever I struggle to get out of his hold, grunting in pain and effort as he is not letting it happen. "What are you talking about? And let go, you're holding too tight."
Heaving a sigh but reluctantly letting me move away just a bit, I can see for the first time just how much he looks like hell. Has he not slept at all since the bonding? Did Zordon screw it up and take too much blood from him? What is going on here? "Zedd what's wrong? What happened?"
"You don't remember do you?"
"I remember the bonding ceremony." Looking at my bandaged hand I can't help a wince as I recall all too clearly that little part of it. "It hurt like hell when he stabbed me through the hand and then the neck, I just… The last thing I remember is telling you to sleep, then nothing really. I think I passed out. Zedd what happened? You look like you feel just about as crappy as I do. Are you okay? Is there something I can do?" Reaching out my uninjured hand to touch his face suddenly feeling rather alone without the contact despite my only moments ago desire to be free, I frown unhappily as he pulls out of reach.
"That's all you recall?" At my confused nod he shakes his head. "Then it worked well enough."
"What worked?" Becoming agitated with his short answers and cryptic comments I feel my concern quickly being replaced by annoyance. "Damn it Zedd make sense."
Raising a brow and again avoiding my touch, he is fast getting on my nerves. "Control your anger, I'll not have a repeat of yesterday's performance." Yesterday? What performance? Damn it he's worse then a soap opera character some times.
"I'd control my anger better if you'd start making a lick of sense, and damn it stop moving away from me!" Ready to lunge for him in order to satisfy the sudden desire to touch I'm beaten to it as I suddenly find myself pinned down onto my back, his slightly large form holding me tightly to the bed.
"Control yourself, Thomas." Name said in a tone I find I dislike to a very high degree, one that gets my haunches up and feelings hurt for some reason he tightens his hold on my wrists as I begin to struggle in displeasure.
"Let me up!"
"Submit."
A growl pulled from my throat before I can stop it I buck up try to throw him off, but in the end only cause the strength of his hold to increase. "Get off! I'll not submit like this!"
"You will or I'll punish you. I already told you I'll not have a repeat performance of yesterday. I've taken most of the dark power back, but I cannot get it all without kill you, so you're going to have to learn to live with it and coil your temper when I say until you can learn to do it on your own."
Going deadly still as a flash of something flitters across my mind, I close my eyes letting bits and pieces of a dream resurface.
-oooooooo-
Rage spiking to levels I'd never even imagined I could posses I whip back towards Zedd, Mercer having escaped my clutches relatively unharmed. "You ruined it! He was going to pay! He was finally going to pay for what he had done to me!"
Leaning onto staff be it out of indifference or weariness, he continues to stand almost insultingly calm, allowing me to continue my rant as if it's no concern of his. As if he's not the least bit afraid of what I can and will do to him for such a blatant show of disrespect.
How dare he interfere with my business! How dare he give such a show of indifference! Of lack of fear! I'll make him pay. I'll destroy him and everything he holds dear! He ruined my chance to take my revenge! He ruined everything! Hand clenching unconsciously it's only when I feel a sudden weight settle in my unharmed palm that I look down in surprise, seeing what is some form of concentrated power resting there.
Apparently noticing this himself Zedd's voice filters through my anger filled brain. "And what may I ask do you intend to do with that?"
Suddenly recalling just who it is I'm still angry with, I take a moment to hide my momentarily shock at having unconsciously it would seem called forth this new weapon. "What do you think."
"I think you're about to get yourself into a great big heap of trouble. Now drop the energy orb and maybe I'll be lenient with you. Maybe."
Snarling at his response and still missing fear, I rear back intending to show him just who is in charge around here. Hurling the no doubt dangerous ball of energy at him I wait for impact hoping it at the very least puts him in his place.
Staff up and out before I can move my own attack is forced back upon me with startling speed and pain. Hitting the ground with enough force to have most likely cracked my ribs were I still human, it takes me a moment to regain control of myself and fight off the urge to stay down.
"Are you ready to submit?" Suddenly over me and still seeming unconcerned, Zedd. Will. Die.
"I will not submit to you!" Springing up and snarling at his insolence I prepare for my next attack.
"As you wish." Lashing out with speed that he should not have in his current weak state he manages to catch me in left leg, bringing me to my knees before applying a hard kick to my midsection.
Grunting in fresh pain, I crawl back a bit, giving myself distance and a small level of security, feeling fairly certain he's going to rely on short range attacks. "You'll pay."
Gesturing for me to bring it if I'm going to he waits patiently as I prepare myself for my next strike. Moving into position I charge, this time dodging his staff with the speed and fluid grace that I know he's always admired in me. Let's see how much he admires it when I use it to rip his heart from his chest.
Pulling back as his staff misses me I know then that despite his appearance of indifference he's not yet recovered enough to effectively fight. Taking the blow I deliver in his solar plex with a pained grunt, he staggers slightly but infuriatingly enough does not fall.
Lowering his head and sucking in a breath his next words for some reason make my blood run cold. "Consider that your one Thomas." One? One what? One attack? One act of revenge? Why is he looking at me like that? How dare he look at me like that!
"One what?" Voice superior to his own I decide I will not let any uncertainty show. Rearing back to hit again, this time going for his know it all mouth, I'm abruptly stopped mid-swing.
Catching my fist in his hand he raises his eyes to finally meet mine dead on. "Your one and only hit. I hope you enjoyed it because you'll not be allowed another." That said he strikes back with startling force. Shit.
Shoving me back into the nearest tree he for the first time in all the years I've known him does not seem to hold back.
Crying out as I hit the trunk, wood splintering from the impact, I have no time to recover as he continues to advance.
Having no time but to realize through very hazy thoughts that I am in deep trouble, I barely open my mouth for a new threat when I find myself raised from the ground by my throat.
Ignoring my gasps for air and near frantic clawing at his hands, he repeats his earlier question with infuriating calmness. "Do you submit?"
"Never."
"As you wish love." Throwing me again with nearly the same level of force, he makes a stupid mistake to think I am not prepared for this.
Catching myself with one hand before I hit the ground I tuck into a roll. Ha! He may have more strength then I had anticipated but I'm still more intelligent. More engineering. More resourceful. More-
The energy orb coming out of nowhere it strikes me square in the chest sending currents of red hot pain throughout my entire body. That was not like the one I had thrown. What the hell did he do to make it hurt so much? I'll kill him for that…that is assuming he doesn't now kill me first.
Waiting for me to get my bearings and once more climb painfully to my feet, he asks his ever constant, ever aggravating question. "Do you submit?"
"Fuck you!"
Sighing loudly and looking as if he has nothing but regrets now I don't have time to question it as his staff is raised once more and aimed directly for me. "I'm so sorry pet. I truly hope that when this is over you understand that I had to do this to save you."
Opening my mouth to counter, to warn him of the hell is about to bring down upon him I never have a chance as he releases the power sooner then I had expected, hitting me with what I feel certain is deadly force.
Slammed into an old oak tree several feet away I fall in a heap to the grass below feeling as if I've literally been both electrocuted and stabbed. Blackness encroaching on my vision I take a moment to try and keep consciousness. If I allow myself to fade now I'll be completely at his mercy. I have to remain awake. Have to keep it together. I can still win. I can…
"Do you submit?" Suddenly standing over me repeating that damn phrase I realize he will strike me again, and next time I very likely won't live to eliminate him or Mercer. Fuck it all!
Eyes filled with immeasurable amounts of rage and hate, I finally, reluctantly admit defeat. "I submit."
Crouching down and pressing a soft kiss to my still growling mouth he lets the back of his hand caress my face in what I take as a rather indignant and demeaning gesture. "Thank you."
Standing once more and surprising me as he does not leave me to lick my wounds in peace, but rather raises his staff I realize too late what's about to happen.
-oooooooooo-
Shaking away the highly unpleasant dream, or is it memory I shrink back into the mattress visibly submitting as my fear over my own actions quickly take priority over any anger I may have at his.
Seeing that I've lost the need to fight him, his grip loosens a bit, but not yet enough to allow me freedom. "Calming down are we?"
Giving a nod at his suspicious tone, I suppose I really can't blame him for being uncertain, if what I've just recalled is anything even close to the truth, I think I'd have put me in chains if I was him.
"Memory kicking back in?"
Another nod, this time a rather humiliated one at that. How could I have done such a thing? To Mercer. To Kira. And challenging Zedd? Did I have a death wish?
"Good. Now as long as I've got you here allow me to explain something to you. I am very VERY tired right now Thomas. Not to mention still highly annoyed. And while I acknowledge that what happened is not your fault, I am not in the mood to deal with such a thing again."
Taking a breath and continuing he at least settles down for the most part, thumbs rubbing my still trapped hands in a near soothing way. "The bonding was successful, make no mistake about that. Half of the reason for this latest little outburst was most likely due to the fact I was not allowing you to touch me. Am I right?"
Thinking it over and finally having to agree that that was agitating me almost as much as his cryptic responses to my questions, I respond softly making sure to keep my temper in check this time. "Yes, you kept pulling away. I didn't like it."
"I know, that's why I was holding you so tightly. I could have easily restrained you to the bed or a chair until you woke and I could determine that you weren't a threat anymore, but the need to touch you was too present in my mind. It's the bond calling you to me and vice versa, since it's still so fresh the need to be in contact with each other is going to be more pressing. It'll dwindle in time, but for now it will pick at you making you agitated when you're not near me."
"Then why wouldn't you let me touch you?" Voice taking on a more tense and snarky tone, I wince slightly as this does not go unnoticed or unpunished in a way.
Stopping his thumbs from rubbing my palms almost instantly, his grip once more tightens on my wrists, not enough to hurt, but definitely enough to be noticeable. "Because I wanted to see if I'd managed to pull enough of the dark power from you and unfortunately the only way to do that is to upset you. Knowing the lack of touch would be no more then a small aggravation it was a good test. One which I'm not wholly certain you pasted."
"Who are you to test me?" Words out before I can stop them I inwardly cringe as my common sense keeps kicking in just a moment too late.
"The only one who's going to put up with this new fond sense of entitlement you seem to have." Heaving a sigh but not reprimanding me for my latest outburst, he suddenly looks far too exhausted to be doing this. "I'm not trying to dominate or hurt you Tommy, I've no desire to do either, but too much of my power, my dark power was transferred to you and almost like a conscious being it knew you weren't strong enough to fight it off and remain in control of yourself. I tried to pull it back to me yesterday using my staff, that's why I was forced to strike you with it, and to a degree it seems to have worked. However I cannot take it all back, you'll have to learn to control it and yourself now. Especially now. You're not human anymore, you're a half-breed. You're stronger, faster, and less easily harmed. You pose a very real threat to those around you if you should lose yourself again. I just, I don't want to see them or you hurt."
Closing my eyes and taking a calming breath I respond as honestly as I can knowing his concerns are real and important. "Everything's aggravating me now."
"No, you're aggravated in the same way and by the same things you've always been, it's just the power is making it more noticeable. It took me a very long time to realize that in myself. It's just something you'll need to learn to control be it by a method of ignoring it, or a calming exercise. It will take time and practice but you'll eventually get the hang of it and not be so, let's say temperamental, which will be a very good thing as I'm already growing weary of kicking your ass into submission."
Last comment striking a cord as I recall more clearly that the majority of out battle yesterday was in fact due to the fact I refused to submit, my next question comes as what I'm sure is no surprise. "Why do you keep making me submit?"
"Because it makes the logical part of you recall that you are not the end-all be-all of power. That you can still be dominated and harmed and thus better get a grip on yourself before it happens." Shifting so as to finally release my wrists his sits up a bit straighter on my abdomen. "Think of it as me helping to control you until you learn to control yourself."
"I'm not entirely certain I like that description." Rubbing my red but otherwise undamaged wrists soothingly I give him just a bit of a glare.
"Whether you like it or not it's the way it's going to be for right now. I'll not let you harm the children or yourself in a fit of rage. When I make you submit it's just a cooling down technique, it gives you time to regain control of yourself and remember that you're in control of the power not the other way around. Understand?"
Giving a nod though be it a reluctant one, I can't deny the fact that I am a threat to the kids when so completely consumed by anger and power and if his technique works, which it seems to, I'll apparently have to accept it for now. "Yeah."
"Good." Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly perhaps to regain his own form of control or maybe in just relief that I'd agreed without forcing him into another fight first, he rolls off of me laying down now in the space by my side. Remaining silent for a good stretch of time letting both of us take in the new territory we're now in, his next comment comes softly and just a bit hesitantly. "You really scared the hell out me yesterday you know."
"From what I remember you had no reason to be scared. You kicked my ass without more then a flick of your wrist." Feeling just a bit bitter about that too, I turn over onto my side studying him closely. "How much did you hold back when we fought I was a kid?"
"A lot." Great, just great. "And as for being scared I wasn't scared for me pet, I was sacred that I'd lost you. The way you behaved and knowing how hard headed you are naturally, it seemed like a very real possibility that I could have lost you to the power taking over."
Feeling rather bad now I slide over him, resting my head on his shoulder and smiling slightly as his arms come up to wrap around me once more. "You won't lose me. Even if you do stab me through the chest with a six foot metal staff."
"Six and half." Smiling himself now he leans over pressing a less then heated kiss to my snickering mouth. "I love you."
"Well I'm glad to hear that because apparently you're now stuck with me for the rest of your life."
"Good thing I know how to handle you." Flipping us both over quickly and effectively he once more has me trapped under his weight and grip as his mouth quirks into an all too playful smile. "Submit."
To be continued……
