At last I have managed to update. This was a hard chapter to write and isn't easy to read.
If you are easily triggered by sexual harassment ect please don't read after the asterisk. I will have summarised what happens at the end.
Anyway go read and please leave comments, questions and suggestions!
The next day, Coulson decided to get them all out of the house as soon as possible to avoid any contact with Campbell. Otherwise he feared that he could not be held responsible for what would surely happen if his team saw the man.
On the way, Simmons had filled in Fitz on what little information Siff had given them as well as asking Fitz multiple times if he was alright, all of which Fitz brushed aside with a small smile that barely hid his pain.
The air was turning colder and it made a shiver slip up Phil's spine. They were taking more samples from an area slightly further away from their original spot to see if there were any significant signs of electromagnetic fluctuations or other tale-tale signs of the bridge further on.
It was then that Phil noticed that Fitz was staring of into the rock face of a small mountain not too far away from where they stood. He walked up to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder making the young man flinch before smiling weakly at his boss.
"What's over there Fitz."
"Some caves. I used to play there when I was a child. It was a place where you could be alone, where no one would disturb you. I could do whatever I wanted, even if everybody else I knew would never have let me… A sanctuary of sorts."
"You know my old house used to have an attic. And that was my space, my sanctuary. I used to love it for what it offered me. Silence, solitude – of the good kind that is."
"Yes indeed sir."
Phil looked at the Scotsman sadly. "But then one day I realised that even a sanctuary doesn't offer only good things. In fact it can offer the bad as well. Sometimes in our isolation we forget who we are leaving behind, who it is that really cares for us. And sometimes we lose our way."
Fitz nodded solemnly. "and some lose their way more than others while wishin' never to be found again." He sighed before turning around. "I should get back to work."
"Fitz."
"Yes sir." he said without looking back.
"You know you can talk to me if you want right?"
"Of course sir."
"You're one of us Fitz. You're a part of this team, and we need you. Don't forget that."
"I'll try sir."
And with that Coulson watched as the young man walked over to Simmons to help her analyse the data the D.W.A.R.V.E.S had managed to acquire.
Campbell had requested that Fitz be woken up in the early hours of the morning and that he would need to look presentable. So Malcom gently lead a half-asleep Fitz into the bathroom where he helped him into the bath, pointedly trying to ignore the deep purple and blue bruising that painted the young man's body. No wonder Fitz was walking so stiffly.
"What time is it Malcom?" slurred Fitz as he allowed the older man to wash his curls.
"'Tis six o'clock Leo."
He watched with sadness as the boy's brow furrowed. "Why so early?"
"Someone wants to see ye."
"Who?"
"I don't know lad."
Fitz didn't say anything else, knowing full well that it would be one of his father's friends. From then on, he remained silent and dressed himself in the clothes Malcom had laid out on his bed which did unfortunately involve a kilt but not a pair on knickers which made Fitz sigh in frustration. He did not want to go commando, he wasn't used to it anymore even though he'd had to do so on a daily basis after his mother died. It was always either a kilt or an uncomfortably stiff suit.
Once dressed he headed downstairs towards the other drawing room where his father always greeted guests since it was on the opposite end of the house, meaning they had to walk through the opulence that was the Campbell manor. It was also one of the few rooms in the house that was sound-proof, excluding Campbell's own office. Opening and closing the door quietly before looking to see who was there with his father.
"Finally." came his father's cold voice. "Come here."
Fitz walked forward, his eyes still cast towards the floor until his reached the middle of the room.
"My, my how fetchin' ye look in that kilt Leopold."
Fitz felt his entire body tense, the thick and heavy feeling of dread coiling in the pit of his stomach making him glad that he hadn't eaten anything yet or else it would have made a rather sudden re-appearance.
"Leopold!" snapped his father. "Address Robert please."
Fitz gulped in attempt to clear his throat but it remained stubbornly closed with fear and discomfort. "Good mornin' Mr McFarlen."
"Yes," replied McFarlen as he gazed languidly at the young man "a good mornin' indeed."
"Now Leopold," Campbell stood from his chair and began making his way towards the only door in the room "you are going to stay here and discuss with Robert about your relationship with his daughter as well as between yourselves."
"But father I'm not going to mar…"
"Don't be ridiculous Leopold." Campbell's eyes seemed to have been filled with flames as he regarded his son before he walked over and opened the door to leave. "You will apologise to Robert and do as he says. You also will write a letter of resignation to be handed to you idiotic group who will be leaving today since you will be marrying on the third which is tomorrow."
"No." said Leo, his eyes staring straight into his fathers. Campbell quietly shut the door behind him without leaving the room before stalking up to his son.
"What did you say?"
"I said no. I'm not goin' to marry tomorrow. I'm not marrin' anyone especially if they are related to him," he said pointing an accusatory finger in McFarlen's direction "and I am not, I repeat not goin' to ever leave my job and my team unless it is by my own choice."
The blow never came. Campbell merely glared at Fitz before turning to Robert and saying "I'm sure you will find a way to convince Leopold to do as we agreed."
McFarlen merely grinned, his hands rubbing together in non to subtle excitement. And with that, Campbell left.
Leo immediately turned around, not willing to have McFarlen behind him where he couldn't see him.
"Sit please Leopold." He gestured to the chair beside him at the table. Fitz attempted to walk around to the opposite side but the man caught his collar and dragged him into the chair.
"Now let's start with the guest list. Your father and I have already taken the liberty to begin this list but you can check over it. Of course you cannot invite any of your…'friends' but you may invite any other people. That is as long as they are considered eligible by either me or your father. Also these are the vows that you will say with Myrna at the alter in the Campbell family chapel."
"I'm not lookin' over these because I am not getting' married." he said getting up.
Robert slammed his fist on the desk making the glass of whiskey wobble precariously before cornering Leo against the wall.
"Now look here Leopold!" Robert snarled. "You have been promised me since before the day you were born. When they found that you were a boy your father ruled out marryin' to me. Not that I would have minded," Robert said with a lewd smirk as he placed his hands either side of the younger man's body from which the boy attempted to shrink away from making McFarlen chuckle.
"You don't know how long I have been waitin' for this." He leaned in, close enough that Fitz could smell the alcohol on his warm breath which made his stomach churn. "Ever since we had that delightful night together, I knew I had to have you. I even adopted Myrna so that you could marry her and then once you'd gotten the bitch pregnant, I could have you to myself."
Fitz' entire body trembled with fear. He was going to be sick. He was sure of it this time.
"Oh God, oh God." he cried silently begging for somebody to come here and stop this man, the man that had haunted his nightmares. He thought he would never again have to be in this position. And yet here he was, his back pressed against the wall and McFarlen's body beginning to press against his front.
He was about to scream for help when McFarlen said "There's no point in calling for help boy. Your father always knew what we did that night and he doesn't care. You're just an object to be sold to the highest bidder. And oh how high I bid for you." McFarlen's hand began wondering down Leo's chest which was fluttering under the shallow breaths that racked his lungs.
"They'll come for me and you can't stop them." Fitz stuttered eyeing the door as if it held all the answers in the world.
"Well too bad they're all being drugged up to the gills right now by you father." McFarlen laughed, his eyes devouring the young man as he reached his hand towards his own trousers. "He's using his old hunting rifle. Hunting them like the scum they are."
Fitz tried to duck out from beneath the man's hot body but he'd only got half way across the room when McFarlen snagged his collar.
"Malcome! Alice! Help me!" he screamed at the door.
"They won't come for you boy. They won't dare cross your father."
"Let me go! Malcome! Alice! Please help me!"
"How about this Leopold," McFarlen hissed into his ear "if you come quietly and do as I say for the wedding plans, I won't touch you… for now. And I'll also leave that sweet looking young English girl alone as well."
Robert smiled as he felt the boy's body tense up even more at the mention of Simmons. Fitz could feel his heart ache at the thought of McFarlen getting his revolting hands on his Simmons. He had to protect Simmons, no matter the cost.
"I have him now." he thought as Fitz relented and nodded in agreement.
Fitz is woken up early to got to his fathers office and is told that he is to marry McFarlen's daughter Myrna. This deeply distresses Fitz since McFarlen abused him when he was young and his father knew yet did nothing to stop it. Fitz refuses to marry but then relents when McFarlen threatens his team, especially Simmons.
