Title: Why?

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Pairing/Character: Connor/Abby

Rating: T

Warnings: Talk of abuse.

Time Frame: Anytime really.

Inspiration: An interview with Hannah Spearritt on her character Abby Maitland and episode 3.07 (I think)

Author's Notes: Thank you guys so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Yeah, I haven't really been adding these, have I? Well, I don't own it. You don't have to be a geeky genius like Connor to figure that one out.

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I'd had been teaching Connor how to kickbox for about a week. We were currently taking our biscuit break that Connor insisting on having halfway through the lesson.

"Hey Abby," he asked, his mouth filled with lemon squares. "What got you interested in kickboxing?"

"Chew Connor," I sighed. He really did need to learn how to talk without a mouth full. "My mum."

"Oh, did she kixbox too?" he asked cheerfully.

"No, she just hit," I mumbled sadly.

He put down his sweet and turned to face me, his eyes filled with concern. "What?"

"Nothing, Conn, forget I said anything, yeah?" I said standing up to go back over to the punching bag.

"No,' he said pulling me back down on the couch. "This is the kind of thing we tell each other, Abs. We're a couple. We should know about each other's childhood. You know all about mine and the only thing I know about yours is that you have a brother."

"I dunno Conn."

"You can tell me anything."

"I know," I sighed, crawling onto his lap and leaning her back against his chest. I didn't want to see his expression as I told him the story and I started to cry, I didn't want him to see.

"Mum was more into boxing. Only instead of using a punching bag, she used me and Jack. More me but that was because I would always try to get him out of there before she starting one of her fits. I started taking lessons when I was sixteen."

"Abby that's awful," Connor whispered, wrapping his arms around me tightly. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't be, you didn't do anything to hurt me. You're crazy ex-girlfriend on the other hand…well that's a different story but never you," I laughed, turning around to kiss him.

"Did it ever get really bad?" he asked, ignoring my jab at a change of subject.

"You don't want to hear bout it Conn. Besides, that's way in the past. I mean Jack's already forgiven her and everything."

"But have you?"

"I got beat up a lot more than he did," I shrugged.

"How bad was it?"

I let out a sigh. If I was ever going to tell anyone about it, I'd tell Connor. I just never thought I'd have to. "The worst was one night when I was sixteen. I'd snuck out to go to this concert. I'd taken jack with me so she wouldn't take her anger out on him if she found out I was gone. She was sick and she drank too much. She wasn't right in the head, but that's no excuse for what she did to us. Anyway, we got back around three. We crawled up the rose bush and into my window. She was waiting on the bed. I'd come up before Jack so I saw her first. Her eyes had this crazed look in them so I shut the window behind me and locked, so at least he'd be safe.

"I could tell she'd had more to drink than normal, which meant that night was going to be pretty bad. She reeked like alcohol and she had an empty vodka bottle in her hand that had been nearly full early that day. She yelled at me, then shook my around a bit, screaming that I was a useless cow and ruining Jack's life with my 'late night devil stunts'. She said some other things but I don't really remember what. I do remember Jack beating on the window for me to let him in and then her bringing the bottle down on my head while I was turned towards the window.

"Everything after that is kind of fuzzy. Jack told me in the hospital room that I'd fought back and was doing really well, but I was dizzy from the blow and just passed out. Jack had gone to one of the neighbor's houses and rang the ambulance who then contacted the police.

"I had a few broken ribs, twelve stitches in my head, a wicked concussion and was covered in bruises, but Jack was unscathed, except for the cuts on his hands that he'd gotten from rushing back down the rose bush. We got to say with my aunt for the next two years until I was old enough to take care of Jack on my own."

Connor turned me around and traced the pale scar on my hairline. "Is that what this is from?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"I wish I could make it so that it never happened. Make you forget it all," he mumbled, his voice hurt. It felt good to have told someone though, especially Connor.

"It made me tough," I shrugged before kissing him.

"Abby, I promise I'll never ever hurt you, or let anyone else. I promise," he whispered trailing light kisses on my face- my nose, my forehead, just under my eyelids, m my temples and finally back down to my lips.

I was grateful I had Connor and his protection, even if I could take care of myself. It ws nice to know that he'd always be there for me.

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Okay don't worry, after this one there will be a lot of happy wedding stuff.

Spike.