Angel, part 7
A/N: Warning, a little rated R in the beginning!
When Duff closed his eyes last night, he imagined when Abby kissed him, and she didn't stop to feel guilty or think about her soul. He imagined that they kissed passionately, embraced each other, and of course, to the same place they always go when Duff's mind wanders. That was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep.
Duff opened his eyes to find his nose in a cloud of soft, silky smooth golden hair. He breathed in the scent of fresh air and cleanliness. A little dazed from his long sleep, he lifted his head slightly and attempted to find all of his body. His chest was against Abby's back, and his arms circled around her waist. Their legs intertwined.
Duff grumbled. He didn't like getting up in the morning. It was more likely the afternoon, but it was all the same to him. He knew he had to get up. They had a long day ahead of them, planning their ruse to end the drones. But he didn't want to move. It felt amazing and relaxing to spoon Abigail. He was at peace. He wanted to wake up every morning like this.
Then he remembered last night, and everything Abby said. There was this dead man he had to worry about, now. He promised to give her time to figure things out before he let her go further with their relationship. He didn't want her to get hurt any more. It hurt him to say that, because he wanted nothing more than to love her openly.
He felt Abby stir. She was finally waking. He felt her body move until she discovered she was trapped by his grasp. Duff gave her the time to realize where she was, and eventually she turned her head to look at him.
"Goo' mornin', lassie." He smirked. He grinned like a spider after it's caught something in its web. Still hazy from his dreams, Duff momentarily forgot about Abby's uncertain feelings. He leaned in and kissed her. His lips were happy, and peaceful, but at the same time sly and hungry. Suddenly, he remembered the things she said last night again. Also, he suddenly became very self-conscious if he had bad morning breath.
He pulled away. "sorry…eh know eh said…"
"It's okay." Abby whispered. She certainly didn't have morning breath. She still smelt sweet and minty, even from last night. Was there anything not perfect about this woman?
Duff cuddled to her a little. He nuzzled his nose in her hair. He wanted to enjoy this moment before Abby started to feel uncomfortable.
"How did ye sleep?" Duff mumbled.
"Alright. And you?" she muttered as well. She, too, was tired, and didn't want to get out of bed. Despite the kiss and feeling Duff against her, Abby was quite content.
"Mmm…very good. Eh had eh nice dream…" he tried to restrain himself, but he couldn't help but pull back her hair and little and kiss her ear.
"I know, I can feel it."
It took Duff a good minute to process what she said. He didn't get it at first, but then it dawned on him how close his body really was to hers, and just why he felt so good this morning. He looked down past his hips and saw what she was talking about.
"Fuck!" Immediately he backed away and turned from her. His face was the color of a tomato. He felt utterly embarrassed. He knew he was known to move or speak in his sleep. Had he done anything in the middle of the night? On her? To her?
"Och, Abby ehm so sorry…eh didn't realize…did eh do anythin' in te night? Did eh…?" he covered himself with blankets and tried to calm down, but he couldn't.
"You…may have muttered a syllable or two." Duff was surprised that she was so casual about this.
"Ohh….fuck. Whut did eh say?"
Abby turned to face his back, now. She smirked and giggled a little bit. "Just moaned a lot and said my name…and other…body parts."
"Abby eh haven't been more embarrassed in meh life…an' after ye trusted meh, an' ye said all those things las' nigh', of all the things fer meh te do!" he mumbled to himself and slammed his palm into his face. "Duff, ye really screwed up tis time…"
Abby said nothing but snickered a little.
"Oh, yer so amused are ye?" he turned to face her now, but still paid attention to cover his lower half, and keep his distance.
"A little. You move in your sleep, too, you know."
Duff could feel his skin turn red again. He felt like a talking beet. He didn't even know what to say to that. Part of him didn't want to know what he did, but he could imagine. He didn't need to ask.
"Abby…"
"I know it's not your fault." She mumbled. The emotions were flying back to her again. "I know how you feel about me and how much you…want me…in different ways." She looked down, too embarrassed to look in his eyes.
"Eh do." Duff lifted her chin a little so he could catch her gaze. "Bu' tha' doesn' make up fer te fact tha' eh disrespected ye an' violated ye."
"Violated me? Duff, I know you. I know what you do subconsciously in your sleep. I know how you feel. And I kept that in mind when I told you to get in bed last night. You didn't rape me or anything. And you know I…want you too. I just have a lot of feelings to sort through first."
Duff paused. Did she just say what he thought she said? She wanted him too? Like that? Is that even what she meant? It had to be…obviously she didn't mean kissing.
"…oh." Duff felt daft for having such a bland response to something like that. He was just so stunned that she admitted to that. He didn't actually expect Abby to feel that way. He always thought he would only ever be with her…like that…in his dreams. He thought the most she would ever feel for him is love, or at least close to it. He always doubted that she could ever feel lust for him, too. Abby had always kept this innocent, peaceful image, and it was often hard to picture her wanting to have sex. Even now, as she lay her head on the pillow and looked at him, she could have easily been a little girl. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight that came through the window. Her lips were soft, and they smirked curiously.
"…Whut?" Duff said, after he noticed she was staring at him.
Abby giggled a little. "…nothing."
Duff raised an eyebrow and propped his torso up a little. He leaned on his elbow and rested his chin in his palm. "Nae, yer laughin' at meh. As if ehm nae embarrassed enough!"
Abby giggled again. "No, I'm not laughing at you."
"Then why are ye laughin?" he gazed at her body. He watched her curvy outline like they were hills he wanted to run over.
"What, I can't laugh after my…experience last night? I found it amusing." Duff loved to see her smile. He loved to see her teeth show through her lips. They were white and perfect. Duff shook off his dirty thought of wanting to run his tongue over them. Why couldn't he calm down this morning?
"Well, eh found it embarrassin'."
"Why? You should be confident about that, I would think."
Duff crinkled his brow. "Whut are ye talkin' abou'? Eh should be confident tha' eh…did…whut eh did last nigh'?"
Abby raised her eyebrow this time. She gave a sly smile. "Not at what you did, but obviously you were showing off a bit."
Duff took a minute to think about that. Why was she teasing him so much this morning? He didn't understand. "An' whut exactly wus eh showin' off?" Did she mean his protection of her? He held her against him because 'subconsciously', he wanted her all to himself. He wanted to own her, and call her his woman.
Abby rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about your size…"
Duff's eyebrows shot right off his face and left burn marks behind. He became a beet again. Duff's mouth was agape. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. His mind just kept repeating 'what?!' over and over.
For about five long minutes Duff just looked at her with that blank expression, and Abby smirked and snickered. She was having fun teasing him like this.
"Eh cannae believe ye jus' said tha'." He muttered.
"You know I've always been one to speak my mind."
"So…ye…um." Duff gulped. "Whut? Ye think…felt…och, fuck." Duff rubbed his head.
"Cat got your tongue?" she grinned again. She was having way too much fun taking advantage of his awkwardness.
"If yer eh cat, then aye, ye sure as fuck got it."
"Yeah?" Abby leaned over him and put her lips to his. She reached her tongue into his mouth and lured his tongue out just enough to lightly bite onto it.
Duff grabbed her body and slammed it against his. He wasn't going to play around anymore. If she still had feelings for this other guy, she wouldn't be fooling around like she was. He could feel Abby reach her hand down and stroke him, feel him. He immediately felt like he had a fever. His breathing was heavy. His tongue explored in her mouth as his hands explored her body. He grabbed every inch of curve he could find. He thrust his hips forward, and she tugged at him, then she was gentle, and only ran the tip of her finger up and down.
"Oh…Abby…"
She responded with body language. She kissed him harder. Duff couldn't believe she was being so naughty. It wasn't like her. She made him moan and tingle and relax like he's never done before.
"OH, fuck…eh haven't had sex in so long…eh waited fer ye…yer te only woman eh wanted…"
"Duff!"
He felt a sting on his body. Where was it? What was it? Was it on his cheek or his shoulder or arm? Did she bite him? That was hot.
"Duff!"
He felt the sting again...actually, several stings. It made him feel even hotter that she was calling out his name. He moaned and wanted to call her name out too, but somehow he couldn't.
"DUFF HONDSCIOH KILLIGAN!"
He was amazed at how perfectly she pronounced his middle name. He felt strange, however. Like he was falling asleep, or fainting. He tried to look at Abby's face but it was a blur to him. What was going on? He started to panic. He felt like poison was running through him. He felt like he was dying, and being lifted to heaven. How could this happen when he felt so good just a moment ago? Abby's face was clear again. She was crying out…not in pleasure, but in pain. He didn't notice it at first, but now it was clear that his hands were covered in blood. He saw her pale skin and little white things under his fingernails. The red liquid ran down her back and her sides.
Water.
Duff gasped and opened his eyes. His torso shot up out of bed and he wiped his face, shook himself off, and looked around the room in panic. He was drenched in ice cold water and he shivered. Abby was standing next to the bed, with her arms crossed. A bucket stood next to her on the floor.
"Will you get up?! I'mlate for some important appearance in town. Griffin's been waiting in the carriage for fifteen minutes now. Gee…I never thought you'd wake. I would've thought you were dead if it wasn't for all the mumbling in your sleep."
Abby was dressed in a purple and emerald gown and jewels. She looked like a queen.
Duff got up and dried himself off with the bedsheets. He was disappointed but also relieved to find out everything was just a dream.
"Mumblin'? Whut did eh say?" he asked. Duff prayed she didn't hear her name…or body parts.
"I don't know. I couldn't make it out. After I woke up I left the room, and by the time I got back I thought you'd be awake but you weren't. I tried waking you up and calling your name but you slept like a cat."
"An' ye threw water o'er meh?"
"Well what else was I going to do? Get dressed…quickly. Like I said I have to make an appearance in that town and announce some stuff or something. Griffin planned it. He has some ideas he wants to share with you later."
"Ideas?"
"Yeah, for the termination plan."
Duff quickly got dressed. There was no need to shower at that point. He put on a clean shirt and fumbled with his shoes.
"Whut are Griffin's ideas?" he asked.
"He said he would explain it when we rode into town together. He didn't tell me much."
"Did he tell ye why yer makin' tis speech or whutever it is in Paranologia?"
"He said it was just to make a distraction and keep up with appearances. Apparently I've been big news all over the island these past few days, even those other important drones in Base want to meet me and question me."
"Tha's because tey know ehm te real Creator. Tey want te know who ye are."
"Right, I guess. Well he wants me to be a distraction in Base and keep up with this whole story of me being the true Creator so when we try out his plan not many drones will be paying attention to what we're doing, whatever that may be…"
"Eh'm interested in seein' whut his plan is…"
"Whut's yer speech goin' te be on?" they started to walk out of the room and to the front door.
"Nothing, really. I'm just going to make up something to say. Griffin asked me to mention some things."
Duff walked past the door that Kim and Ron were in last night. He remembered them and stopped.
"Wait, whut happened te…?"
"Griffin said he sent them to his quarters in Base, and that they would be safe there….I thought you guys just escaped from Base."
"Well…technically eh escaped, wit his help. Griffin is one o' te triad, so no one has access te his quarters, nae even Ace. She's considered te highest o' te three, but in terms of ranking, she's equal te him. An' if she cannae get in, no one can."
Duff and Abby walked out of the cabin, and like Abby said, the carriage was waiting in the front and Griffin was already inside. Abby got in and sat next to Griffin, which Duff didn't like. He had to sit opposite them. Almost immediately the drone-driver snapped his whip, the horses took off and they were on their way to Paranologia.
"So Abby told meh ye came up wit eh plan?" Duff asked. He leaned in to Griffin, like he was afraid of anyone outside the cabin hearing them. They got right to business.
"Yes. Drones are nearly invincible, am I correct?" Griffin began.
"Aye…?"
"So the way to shut down the drones is not physical. But if the chip is destroyed, we can no longer function."
"Question…what's a chip?" Abby asked.
Griffin turned to her and pointed to his head. "I do not have a brain like a human does, like you or Killigan. A drone has a microchip that works as the brain." He turned to Duff again. "When you built us, you guarded this chip in a cube of diamond. Do you remember why?"
"It's te hardest natural material known on Earth, so it will protect te chip from being destroyed, but eh used te send out messages wit eh transmitter, an' te waves could conduct through te diamond an' reach te chip, which also had eh small antennae. It wus like eh phone or eh radio built inte te brain."
"Exactly. When we began to mass produce drones, we built on the same exact frame. Every drone has this antennae built in. My idea is that we can send out a signal through Base that would be able to pass through the diamond and reach the chip and be received by every single drone on the island. But the signal would be a sonic disturbance at ultra high frequency."
"It would fry all te microchips…whut about te hybrids?"
"I figure there is no need to harm them, we have done that enough already. They are only physically transformed to be stronger. They have no corruption in the brain, none that is intentionally downloaded from our race."
"Whut about ye?"
"Do you wish to spare me?"
Duff paused. "Of course, Griffin. Ye were meh first drone…ye've always been smart, loyal, an' ye've never brought harm upon meh. Ace an' Four are te ones who stared tis corruption. Eh dunno whut eh did wrong when eh made tem, but eh sure did sometin right when eh made ye. Ye've been eh good friend an' eh wouldn't want ye te be…terminated. Eh can always try te remove yer antennae surgically, but it might be dangerous. Or eh could try makin' ye some sort o' helmet tha' would block te disturbance."
Griffin said nothing. He nodded his head. At that point, they reached town. Griffin escorted Abby out of the carriage, while Duff cloaked himself to hide his appearance, and slowly walked behind them.
There was a crowd of drones and hybrids waiting for her arrival. They were about to surround her, but when they saw Griffin they simply bowed down.
"All these people think I'm the one who created the drones?" Abby whispered to Griffin.
"Yes."
"But why? You know Duff made you. What makes them think it wasn't him?"
"Duff created me, Ace, and Number Four. He taught us everything we needed to know and together we began to multiply our kind with special machinery. Ace has led them to believe that Duff was not to be trusted, he was a traitor, and he wanted to destroy us all. I suppose somewhere along the line, someone heard of Duff's late sister Carol, who originally helped him when he created us, before her death. Everyone simply formed these random beliefs from rumors and misinformation, and then chose to worship their new figure."
"Why didn't they just worship you, and Ace and Four?"
"The hybrids are half human; your people feel as if they have to worship someone who cannot be seen or heard. They want to believe in hope that there is someone greater for them out there. Humans want what they do not have. Once they created your story, some of the drones who did not believe in Duff began to follow as well, like sheep."
"I see."
Abby stepped onto a small stage, and Griffin stepped up with her. Duff watched from afar, behind the crowd. Griffin lifted up his arms and with his hands made a symbol that must have meant 'quiet', because all the drones and hybrids silenced. Abby began to speak.
"I have come down upon you to send a message. For some time now I have been watching over this race and I sat back and allowed your civilizations to form, and I gave you your freedom to rule as you pleased. Some of you may still believe Duff Killigan was your true creator. I chose him to lead you and oversee this race so that he may teach you the ways of the human, and you may learn to disguise yourselves. But you may ask yourselves…if you are not human, then why should you follow a human? Because you were created to be a synthetic human. Your anatomy is different, your anatomy is mechanical and human-made. You are a species created by a species. You must learn from your parent species, and evolve independently. The humans rule this world, and by disguising as them, we will be able to blend in and overthrow their power from inside their trust. But Duff Killigan has given up on this race. He did not like the way you all were so brilliantly growing. I am human, but I am no longer from this Earth. I died and was reborn with the divine power and vision to create the greatest species of the universe…"
Duff was impressed with Abby's speech. He could tell she didn't rehearse this, and was making it up as she went. She was a good actress. She knew that the drones were filled with pride and loved to hear that they were superior, but she also gave them discipline and showed them whose boss. He saw Griffin step down from the stage and let Abby continue. He walked through the crowd and walked towards Duff. The drone stood by his side and together they listened to her finish.
"My message to you is this: you have been led by the wrong minds, and you have been strayed from your purpose. You have been corrupted by a leader you have chosen, but who was sick. You have been corrupted by another leader who experiences the terrors of human emotion. They are called Ace and Four, two members of your Triad leadership."
"She's tryin' te blame Ace an' Four?" Duff exclaimed. This surprised him. "They are goin' te hear abou' tis an' go after 'er. She should 'ave never came here pretendin' te be tis person. It's too dangerous fer her te be makin' t'ese comments."
"Precisely. They will be paying much attention to her now that she has challenged their authority on this island."
"But they'll kill her! Griffin so help meh, if ye put Abby in danger eh'll…"
"She will not be put into any situation she cannot handle."
"Cannae handle? Eh wouldn't even do tis!"
"I sense much strength in her. There is nothing to worry over. I promise to protect her from any harm."
Duff raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by 'much strength'? Sure, Abby was a strong person mentally but she had a small build and Duff figured she was not an expert in wrestling or martial arts. But the way Griffin said the word 'strength' had human emotion in it. And when Griffin tapped into his emotions, which were locked away in a deep part of his mechanical mind, Duff knew it was something to pay attention to.
"She really is quite beautiful." Griffin added.
Duff had the urge to punch him when he said that, but he knew he would just end up hurting his hand, even if he practically had built-in brass knuckles.
"…and I know you love this woman."
Duff looked up and stared at him. "Ye can sense tha'?"
"I can sense many human emotions, thanks to you. You gave me that ability to identify and understand the ways of the heart."
Duff took a minute to realize how wonderful Griffin's gift was. The possibility dawned on him.
"Can ye sense if Abby…?"
"Feels the same?"
Duff stared blankly. He became afraid. Did he want to know? Before he could say yes, Griffin told him what he thought.
"I can sense many emotions from her. There is love, but it is mixed with pain and confusion. There is also power, and fear."
"Power an' fear? From whut?"
"That I do not know. I believe she has a secret that she wishes to keep from you."
"Eh secret?"
Duff never thought that Abby would keep anything from him. Nothing important at least. He knew her past was one big secret to him, except for her marriage. What was the power? Who was she before she came to him? What was the fear? Was she afraid of letting him know about her past, or was it something else? Duff started to realize the reality of how much he didn't know. Abby could be anyone. He knew absolutely nothing, except for the fact that he loved her.
Abby gradually finished her made-up speech. Did she plan with Griffin on challenging the Triad or did she plan it herself? It was a good idea, Duff admitted, but very dangerous. It was like wearing raw meat and swimming through shark-infested waters. She was officially drone bait.
Duff waited as Griffin approached the stage again and escorted Abby through the crowd and inside the coach. Together they headed towards Base to start designing the wave that would destroy all the drones, and to commence their plan.
No one said anything during the short ride. Duff watched Abby's every move. He was enchanted by her. She looked as if she should be lounging on velvet while he fanned and fed grapes to her. The sparkle in the emeralds and amethysts she wore matched the sparkle in her eyes. The shine on her dress couldn't compete with the shine in her hair. Duff wanted nothing more than to become her servant. He wanted to repay her for all the service that she has given him.
Abby glanced at him and caught his gaze. Duff was embarrassed she caught him staring at her, but he didn't look away. They looked into each other's eyes. It was only for a moment before the coach stopped, but during that moment Duff could tell she was thinking of last night.
The coach stopped about a mile from Base. Griffin instructed Duff and Abby to change clothes. Abby couldn't enter dressed as the 'Creator' or she would be attacked. Word had most likely already gotten to Base about her speech. Duff also had to disguise himself for obvious reasons.
Griffin already had outfits for them to change into. He gave each of them different uniforms and they would pretend to be prisoners that Griffin would bring into Base for questioning. Abby asked Griffin to unzip the back of her dress as she removed the veil on her gemstone headdress. Duff was a little angry that she didn't ask him to do it, but Griffin was right next to her. Duff didn't think Abby would really change in front of them, and he wanted to look away, but he didn't. As Duff slowly took his boots, pants, and shirt off, he watched as Abby took her arms out of the front part of her gown, stood up, and shimmied out of it. Her glowing body was in perfect view, right in front of him. He saw nearly every inch of her skin, except for what lay hidden behind her white lacy bra and boy shorts. He nearly fell over trying to get his new pants on as she turned around and bent over a little to pick up her new clothes. He gazed at her back again, which still framed the beautiful angel wings tattoo.
"You know ye never told meh why ye got tha'." Duff said.
Abby turned her head to look at him. Golden locks dangled in front of her face and she tried pulling them behind her ear, but they just fell and covered her face again.
"What do you mean?"
"Te tattoo."
"What tattoo?" Abby asked. She raised an eyebrow.
Duff raised an eyebrow right back. "Uhh…te huge one on yer back? Te wings?"
Abby widened her eyes. "…oh, that. Sorry…I've…had it for so long I sometimes forget it's there. It's…a long story. Not for right now."
"Mm."
Secrets, Duff thought.
Abby continued to get dressed, keeping her back to Duff. He couldn't avert his eyes from her butt. It was impossible. She had a perfect body. It wasn't super skinny or bony or firm, but not fat either. She had curves in all the right places, but she didn't have any excess weight in the wrong places. He wanted to hold her against him and feel every inch of her, like when they first kissed. He started to breathe heavy and feel warm just watching her.
Duff thought about that kiss. The memory of it relaxed him and made him smile. He remembered how happy he was. Abby was his true happiness. He knew they had to talk about Abby's husband, but Duff wouldn't let this man stand in between them. He's been fighting all his life for this one woman.
Duff and Abby finished dressing into their disguises. Griffin chained both of them with a special handcuff. Instead of two rings that went around the wrists, it was a block of the drone alloy with two holes that tightened to the size of each wrist. Only Griffin could unlock it with a special key that matched his drone 'DNA'.
They got out of the coach and it took off to resume its trail around the island. Griffin walked behind Duff and Abby, whose faces were covered by their costumes, and pretended to force them into Base. The doors opened and they all walked in with ease. The guards didn't stop them because they saw Griffin. The drone led them into a special elevator, clear like the last one Duff was in, but it was used only for the Triad. This elevator had access to their quarters. Griffin hit a few buttons and pass codes, and up the elevator they went.
Abby watched as they ascended and moved past the many floors. "This place is very…interesting."
"By interesting ye mean whut?" Duff mumbled.
"Do not speak, I will not ask again." Griffin yelled. Duff forgot they could still be monitored, and they were still in role-play.
Once they reached the top floor, the elevator door opened and Griffin stepped into a holographic sphere. The sphere circled around him and scanned his body up and down. A robotic voice said 'Confirmed match. Drone number 1.0, welcome Griffin.'
The sphere disappeared and many bright lights turned on. Duff and Abby stepped out, and they were all standing in a grand foyer. The walls and floors were of white marble, and decorated with luxurious ivory furniture.
The elevator doors closed. "We are free to speak without restriction now," Griffin announced. "Make yourselves comfortable. Pardon my quarters, for they are not fit for a human. You will find no kitchen or bathroom here, but I have a guest room that you may find useful. There is a small bathroom attached to it, and I may request food to be sent from Paranologia and brought up to this accommodation."
"If this place isn't fit for a human, then why are your chairs so comfortable?" Abby said as she sank into a plush velvet lounge chair.
Griffin lifted his chin and looked down at her. "Though I am not human, I am programmed to have character. I have been chosen to enjoy such luxuries."
Duff felt a grumble in his stomach. "Ye know we didn' 'ave breakfast…"
"Then I will request a meal right away." Griffin took out what looked like a cell phone and dialed a service line. He spoke a strange language into it. Duff understood it, but Abby just looked confused as she stared at the drone. Griffin hung up. "You will be supplied with food in a short time. Let us begin."
The three sat in plush ivory chairs around a glass table. Griffin lay down some papers and took out an old fountain pen to write with. He was programmed to live old ways. He began to write down some formulas and drawings, and drew a map of Base.
"This floor is for wave communication. We can build a small device which can be attached and downloaded into the system. There is a laser which can emit the sound waves we need across the entire island within just a few minutes. We just need to build this device and get access to this section of Base."
"We shouldn' 'ave eh problem wit tha'. Te drones won' ever expect ye te betray tem. They trust ye more than Ace an' Four, eh'll bet." Griffin nod his head. "An' as fer ye…eh think eh should jus' surgically remove yer antennae. If ye go inte the communications section of Base wearin' eh reflective helmet, they'll be suspicious."
"Good idea. When will we plan this surgical procedure?"
"As soon as possible. Eh can do it right 'ere, but eh'll need some equipment. Eh'll need surgical knives, eh drill tha' could break through diamond, eh super magnifying eyeglass, tweezers an' eh electrical saw tha' are hair-thin, an' eh bright light."
"I can easily obtain those items from the floor you were on just the other day, where they transform the hybrids and repair corrupted drones. I will wait until your break-fast arrives and then obtain these items."
About twenty minutes later a bell sounded that someone was at the elevator. Griffin instructed Duff and Abby to hide in another room while he took the food from the drone servant. The elevator doors were just opening when Duff took Abby's hand and quickly pulled her into the nearest hidden space—a small, dark closet. They fit in and closed the door just as the drone stepped out of the elevator to meet Griffin. The spherical hologram confirmed the servant's identity and Griffin confirmed that he was allowed to enter the foyer.
Inside the closet, the walls and floors were also made of marble, but with the door closed, it was pitch black. The closet was filled with Griffin's luxurious wardrobe, and it was only big enough for Duff and Abby to fit in, chest to chest, with no extra room. How they managed to get inside so comfortably and so quickly was a mystery.
"Why do we always find ourselves in such awkward situations?" Abby mumbled.
"Maybe we're meant te be in t'ese situations fer eh reason."
"And what reason would….oh." Abby realized what he meant. She remember the last 'awkward' situation they were in, when she just got out of the shower and fell on top of him on the castle floor. He was referring to a romantic or sexual reason…which one he thought of first, she couldn't tell.
"Eh'm kiddin'…" Duff said, remembering that Abby was still not ready to move on yet. It was hard for him to remember that what happened that morning didn't really happen, even if it felt so real.
"No you're not."
Duff sighed. "Eh wish eh wus, but yer righ'…ehm nae."
It was not the servant's place to ask, but he may have been curious about why a drone would need human food. Griffin decided to inform him that he had 'human guests', and he desired an abundance of food to present to his starving guest to assist with an interrogation. The messenger praised Griffin for his ruthless tactics.
"Heh heh…that is good work 1.0, use the human's curse…show him the drone is stronger, we do not need to rely on food and water for survival. We are the ultimate race! Yes you show him the curse of being dependant on their Earth…we can live and adapt anywhere! We do not need food, not like those damned hybrids…"
"Thank you for your delivery." Griffin cut him off. The messenger was now quiet, realizing he was just taking up a member of the Triad's time. Griffin didn't need to give him a trading card. Any service that was given to the Triad was automatically paid by the service they did for the entire island on a daily basis. It was like asking the President to pay for a pizza pie. The drones didn't feel like the Triad needed to submit to any form of civilian work. Everything was gladly complimentary.
Duff and Abby waited and waited in the dark. They were silent, but the fact that their bodies were so close encouraged Duff to come up with more fantasies that he knew wouldn't happen. It was so quiet that he could hear Abby's breathing. He listened to it carefully. It was slow and relaxing at first, almost like she was closing her eyes and trying to meditate. Gradually, her breathing became quicker and heavier. Duff took that as a hint that maybe she was thinking of things, too. Duff put his hand on her hip and almost immediately in response Abby put her hand on his chest.
Duff was confused. He wanted to know what she really felt for him. He wanted to know right now. He didn't know what to say, though. He mumbled her name, and he felt like all his emotion was there for her to hear just from that one word.
"Abby…"
He heard her sigh. It wasn't a tired sigh, or a sad sigh, it was an anxious, intimate, sexy sigh. Duff took that as an invitation to place his other hand on the back of her head and stroke her soft hair. He felt Abby lean in, and he thought she was going to kiss him, but his lips brushed her hair and he felt her head on his chest. He continued to hold her and they stayed like that for a few minutes.
'What's taking Griffin so long?' Duff thought. He didn't hear any voices outside.
Duff chuckled. He knew what was going on…Griffin knew that Duff had feelings for Abby…he was purposely leaving them in the closet so they could kiss or something. It amused Duff. Griffin was his favorite for a reason.
"What's so funny?" Abby mumbled. Duff felt her head lift from his chest.
He continued to chuckle. "Nuthin'. Eh jus' really want te kiss ye righ' now." He looked down, and though he couldn't see anything, he could feel that Abby's face was close to his. He didn't move closer to her, though, or try to find her lips. "But eh meant whut eh said…eh don' want te hurt or confuse ye."
A few more moments passed and Duff was getting anxious. He tried so hard to not get so excited. He didn't want his dream from this morning to come true. He felt hot, he still held Abby and she still had her hands on his chest, and every inch of his body was antsy and itchy. He wanted to kiss and touch her. His heart beat fast and he hoped Abby couldn't hear it.
He heard Abby sigh again. Another intimate, sexy sigh. She mumbled softly, more to herself than to him. "I want to kiss you too."
Duff lost his control again. "Fuck it." he leaned in, and at first he didn't know what part of her body his lips were touching, but he didn't care. He started kissing, he found her collarbone, then her chest, then her neck, chin, and lips. His body had a mind of its own. He wanted to taste all of her. He felt Abby's hands slide up his chest and over his shoulders and arms. She was feeling his muscle. Duff just continued to kiss her lips and all over her jaw and neck like he was a hungry dog. He reached her lips again and bit them, remembering his dream. Abby moaned a little and gripped his biceps tighter. Duff wanted her now. He didn't want to leave the closet. The more they kissed the more room he needed. Abby stopped to pull back and breathe. Just at that moment, the door swung wide open and Griffin stood in front of them.
"Are you no longer hungry?" he said. He turned his head to Duff and though bandages covered his face, Duff could tell he was smirking.
"No, I'm still starving." Abby said. Her hands slid down his forearms and her fingertips brushed the palms of his hands. Duff didn't know if she meant to say that as a sexual pun, but it was hot. The two of them awkwardly tried to shuffle out of the closet and nearly stumbled over onto the floor. They looked out into the hall and saw a large rectangular cart displaying a feast of foods they could not identify.
"I will be off to get the materials needed for my surgery. I shall be back in a short time."
Griffin walked back to the elevator and ascended down. Abby stared at all the food before them.
"What is all of this?" she asked.
Duff walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She gasped a little, not expecting him to do that. He held her tightly and rested his head over her shoulder. "Tha' in te corner is eh pot o' julco. It's eh hot bubbly drink similar te wine. Tha' o'er there is kundrak, eh mixture of herbs an' vegetables tha' grow on te island. Tha's eh bowl of fruits native 'ere, tha' dish is muepil, eh spread of nuts an' herbs, there's cheeses 'ere, an' yogurt from eh goat…everythin' is fresh an' organic…"
Abby put her hands over his. "The way they prepare everything is so strange…it doesn't even look like food."
"Frankly it's nae food ehm hungry fer."
Abby breathed a bit heavier when he said that, and Duff kissed her neck. Abby closed her eyes and whispered, "I shouldn't be doing this."
"Dye nae like it?" he kissed her neck again.
"I just shouldn't be doing this. I feel disloyal."
"Ehm sure he'd want ye te be happy." Duff whispered.
"He never…had that kind of attitude."
"He wus eh jealous man?"
"For a good reason."
Duff loosened his hold on her. Abby turned a little and looked at him. "…oh." Duff said. This he didn't know either.
"That was…a long time ago, though. I don't think he ever forgot."
"Look, ye…made eh mistake. So did eh. Eh mean ehm thankful fer Bessie, but eh hurt mehself in te process. It wus wrong fer meh te do in te first place. Eh didn't care abou' loyalty because it wus meh brother. Ye haven't forgiven yerself, 'ave ye?"
Abby looked away. Tears formed in her eyes. "…no."
"Tha's probably whuts holdin' ye back from movin' ehn."
"I know."
Duff looked down. "Ehm sorry te say eh dunno whut te tell ye. Eh didn' regret it, because if it didn' happen, Bessie wouldn' be in meh life. Eh guess everythin' happens fer eh reason."
"Was the reason to break a heart and cause pain to our lives? That's all that happened because of what I did. I still don't even know why I really did it. It was simple…I wanted…"
"Someone else?"
"Not that I was upset in my relationship…I wanted a new experience. I wanted to have fun. I remembered the first time we fell in love and how exciting it was. After a couple of years it wasn't exhilarating every day like it used to be. But I don't know…it doesn't justify…"
"Eh know." Duff held her close as she started to cry again.
"I'm sorry I'm such a mess. I can't…I can't keep doing this."
"Whut dye mean?"
"I can't…act this way with you anymore. Not until…" Abby choked back tears. "I just can't keep giving into my feelings and putting myself into situations and…"
Duff knew what she was saying. It broke his heart a little, but he understood. She was there for him, and now he needed to be there for her. He let go of her and stepped away. He took a plate from the cart and filled it with a little of everything. He poured a glass half-full of julco and handed both to her.
"Go. Eat in a separate room if you please. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He said it in monotone. Abby could hear the pain in his voice, and it just made her even more upset. She couldn't stand bringing others pain anymore. She took the glass and plate and left the room.
When Griffin got back, he walked into his quarters to see Duff lounging next to the buffet cart, loosely holding a nearly-emptied bottle of julco.
"…what happened?" the drone asked.
"Fucking love sucks." Duff mumbled. He was clearly drunk.
Griffin approached him, took the bottle, and placed it back on the cart. "What happened after I left? Did you and Miss Abigail have a fight?"
"Abigail is such eh beautiful name…eh want te 'ave another daughter an' name 'er Abigail…listen te how it rolls off te tongue…Abb-eh-gaaaailll…"
"Oh my." Griffin said.
"But someone always gets te her first…someone always gets in meh way…say, one point oh, ehm standin' behind another brick wall in meh life, think eh can punch meh way out?"
"You need to get some rest. You cannot perform surgery in this condition. Where is Miss Abigail?"
Duff responded by throwing punches to the air. "Whut does it matter if eh break eh few bones an' loose eh wee blood…tis only bricks…"
Griffin got up to search for Abby. He knocked on a door and walked in to find an empty plate and empty glass, and Abby was curled up in the guest bed. Griffin ran to her side, for she looked like she was dead. The drone shook her body lightly.
"Miss Abigail…? Are you sick?"
Abby opened her eyes a little to see a bandaged face and tinted red goggles.
"Your eyes are red, and you have white streaks on your face." Griffin said.
Abby smirked a little. "So do you."
Griffin didn't understand. Abby lifted herself out of bed a little. "I was crying."
"Crying?"
"Yes, I was upset."
"That is when you humans leak water from your eyes."
"Yes."
"What caused you to cry?"
"Things have been complicated for me and Duff."
"He feels love for you very much."
"I know how he feels. I just don't know how I feel, or how I should feel.
"He was very upset from this. He drank all the julco and I am afraid he is now acting very strange."
Abby looked up. "He's drunk?"
"Yes I believe that is what humans call such action."
Abby moaned and held her head like it was hurting. "This is all my fault, all I do is cause pain."
"I do not believe so. If that was a fact, I do not think Duff would have become so smitten with you."
Abby said nothing but she started to cry again. Griffin shifted his body awkwardly.
"Um…do you require physical comfort?"
"Huh?"
"I learned once that the action of what you call a 'hug' to be quite effective in comforting another individual."
Abby laughed a little. The way he worded things amused her. "Sure, just not too hard."
Griffin gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her, awkwardly. After a few seconds he pulled back.
"Was 4.67 seconds sufficient time for comfort?"
"You have already comforted me in more ways than one, thank you."
Griffin bowed his head in response. "Did you discuss your secret with Duff?"
Abby nearly snapped her neck she turned her head so fast to look at him. "What do you mean? What secret?"
"I sense you are a special human. You have an extraordinary physical anatomy."
"Wait…you know…?"
"I am a drone. I can scan and read your chromosomes." He said, as a joke.
"Duff doesn't know anything about it. He can't know. Not now."
"I understand. Come and help me bring Duff to rest. I will bring him to the room I am holding his friends. The new hybrid is healing well. Now Duff needs healing, too."
Abby followed Griffin into the living room. Duff was holding the bottle of julco again, swirling the last few drops round and round the bottom, gazing at the motion like it was art. Griffin took the bottle again and easily lifted him up. Duff saw Abby as she stood in front of him.
"Ah, beautiful, ye know eh wus thinkin' tha' eh might 'as well jus' fuck ye now, since it'll never 'appen. Let's see…let me ah her, ehm doomed te misery anyway, eh wus cursed te be unhappy. Eh don' deserve love. T'ese dead husbands keep cumin' back te haunt meh."
His words brought tears to Abby's eyes. She tried to help Griffin carry him, not like he needed any, but she wanted to make sure Duff went to bed.
As they walked towards the medical room Griffin was holding Kim and Ron, Duff tried to grab at Abigail and made sexual comments that made her uncomfortable. He was acting like she was another woman he brought home for the night. He spoke rancid to her.
"Do not pay attention to the things he says. Julco is not alcohol or a drug, but it encourages hallucinations. Duff is not himself."
"Will he be okay in the morning?" they reached the medical room. When Griffin opened the door, Abby saw that Kim was up and caring for Ron, who looked half awake.
"He will most certainly have ache in his head."
"What happened to him?" Kim asked.
"Lassie, yer hair is ehn fire." Duff told her.
"He drank too much julco." Griffin stated. Kim didn't know what julco was, but she understood the concept.
Griffin lay him down on a bed and strapped his arms and legs in tight drone-alloy cuffs.
"Is that completely necessary?" Abby asked.
"As the julco runs through his body he will start to become violent. I advise you do not witness this event."
"No, I'm staying."
"Then I will stay and protect you."
As Duff mumbled to himself, Kim came up to Abby and looked at her suspiciously.
"Hey…how did you get on this island? We left you home with Duff's daughter. Did you use Duff's ray gun to break through the force field?"
"Um…yes, I did use the ray gun. He left an extra one in his lab."
"Why did you come here though? I remember he wanted you to stay at the castle."
"He was in trouble. I had to protect him."
"How did you know he was in danger?" Kim crossed her arms. The crime fighting part of her felt like there was something fishy going on with this woman.
"Kim…" she heard Ron call her name, weakly. It sounded like his throat was stuffed with cotton balls. Kim immediately forgot about Abby and ran to his side.
Abby looked back at Duff. She took a chair and sat down next to him. She sat for hours and watched as he mumbled to himself how miserable and loveless his life was. Then his wrists began to jerk in the chains. Abby looked down and saw his fingers twitching.
"Duff?"
He continued to speak unintelligently and he began to jerk his head back and forth like a madman. The muscles in his arms flexed and his chest heaved up and down to his raspy breathing. Abby felt Griffin's hand on her shoulder.
"Why don't you leave now."
"I'm staying here with him."
"He is feverish now…he does not even know you are here. He cannot see you."
"I said I'm staying with him!" Abby growled like she turned into a ferocious monster and it startled Griffin so much, he took a step back. He thought maybe she had a little too much julco, too.
Duff started to fight his way out of the metal cuffs. Every single muscle in his arms and chest bulged as he tried to rip through the indestructible metal. He thought he was the strongest man alive, and that he could break through anything. He couldn't feel the pain in his wrists, he couldn't feel the blood dripping down his palms. Abby started to panic when she saw the blood. He wasn't going to stop. She shook Griffin, and he was surprised at the strength she had.
"Do something! He's going to break his wrists!"
Duff was growling and shaking the bed violently. "There is nothing I can do. I cannot give him an anesthesia, it will kill him at this point. The julco must run its way through without any excess chemicals in the body."
"Can't you hold him down more or calm him somehow?"
"Nothing can calm a human with an overdose of julco in the blood."
Abby wouldn't sit with this. She launched herself onto the bed and kneeled next to Duff. Griffin reacted at the speed of a rocket and tried to pull her off. He was surprised that she was strong enough to resist him. She was fighting to lean over Duff's raging body but Griffin wouldn't let that happen. He promised Duff that he would protect her.
Griffin forced Abby away. He locked her in his grasp and she struggled, like she was going mad too. She started yelling.
"Duff! Duff! Stop it!" her voice expressed pain. She was hurt that he turned to harm himself to cope with his pain. She was hurt that she caused him to do it. She felt claustrophobic in Griffin's steel grip. She wanted to rip his arms off in whatever way she could. She was acting just like Duff. Both of them were raging, but for different reasons. Abby screamed louder.
"DUFFAILE! Please! You promised me…"
In Duff's hysteric mind, a part of him could hear her voice. He heard her pain. He couldn't see where she was. Was she in danger? He remembered his dream, and seeing the blood on his hands in bed with her. It made him angrier. He felt like his body was encased in a block of drone-alloy. Abby was in pain, and he wouldn't let a material he made several years ago stop him from saving her.
"Duuuuuuff!" Abby screamed.
Kim had been watching the act, and she was beginning to get worried. Abby's screams were blood-curdling, and Duff's body looked like it was about to explode.
"How long do these hallucinations last?" Kim yelled at Griffin. It was hard to be heard over Abby.
"A couple hours." Griffin yelled back. "Help me with her…I think it's best if I strap her down as well, I am sorry to say."
As Kim got another cot ready, she heard a strange noise. She looked over at Duff, and could see that the cuffs were starting to strain and bend.
"Uhh…Griffin? I thought you said your special drone metal was indestructible?"
The drone looked over and saw that Duff was actually distorting the chains. He could hear the links stretching. Duff was lifting his torso up off the bed, and pulling his arms up, like he was trying to haul an airplane all by himself…and he was doing it.
Griffin released Abby to restrain Duff again, but she was faster. She jumped onto the bed and sat right on top of Duff. She quickly placed her hands in his and intertwined their fingers.
"No!" Griffin shouted. Duff was going to break her delicate hands. He thought he was about to hear dozens of tiny bones cracking, but he didn't. By the time he reached the edge of the bed, Duff had calmed down. He was still breathing heavy and acted like he was blind, but he wasn't jerking his body or forcing himself out of the cuffs. He was relaxing. It amazed Griffin.
"It isn't possible…she controlled him." He mumbled.
"That's the power of human emotion, I guess." Kim said.
Duff and Abby breathed heavy in unison. Duff looked up at her, but he could not see her face. It was a blur. He felt her hands, though. The julco still pumped through his blood but his heart raced out of passion, not rage. Duff closed his eyes and mumbled Abby's name, so low no one could hear him, but he mouthed her name over and over again. Abby looked down at him, trying to calm him with her gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears. She wiped them away with her fingers, then placed them over Duff's lips. His breathing became slower.
"It's incredible. I never believed in the miracles so many humans believe in…I thought they were only tricks of the mind…"
Kim looked at Griffin strangely. Was he going insane too?
Abby forced Griffin to unlock Duff's chains. He obeyed willingly. Abby took some bandages and wrapped Duff's wrists to stop the blood flow. He had strained his wrists so much, his skin had peeled off. She lay down next to him, a continued to hold his hand. Griffin left the room and instructed Kim to do so as well. She insisted to stay with Ron, but Griffin promised her that he was taken care of, and needed nothing but rest.
When they left the room, Kim paced back and forth down the hallway.
"There is something strange about Abby. I can't put my finger on it, but I just don't feel like she's…normal. Or that she can be trusted. She's hiding something."
"Yes, she is." Griffin stated.