Hello everyone! Gosh it has been too long! I never forgot about this story, life just got all kinds of insane. I got married and found out I was pregnant all within the same month. Now said baby is outside in the world kicking and showing off his adorable smile.

And I'll admit this was a chapter that was super challenging for me to write. I have very dark themes and stuff going on in this first part. I didn't know how much to do. How much to leave out. Finally settled for this cause the show must go on.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to work on the next chapter soon and will be delivering it to you awesome guys!

GIANT DISCLAIMER!!! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TWO CHARACTERS GETTING TORTURED. If this will be too much for you, skip until the scene break. Indicated by these *

Please follow, favorite and let me know your thoughts. Would make my day if you leave a review!!!!

Lian Yu 2008

Victoria awoke with a painful jolt. The shock that rocked through her body caused her head to spin and nausea to settle into her stomach. A mix between a whimper and a scream continued to come from her as the sensation tore through her body. Spots were the only thing she could see with her vision. The rest of the room was surrounded in darkness.

"Stop it! Please just stop," she pleaded.

A distant voice barely reached her ears as the tidal wave of pain washed over her. Finally, finally it stopped. Her head spun and she nearly found herself spitting up all the stomach acid that rested in her stomach.

"Victoria, is that you?" a voice asked, it was panicked and even through the confusion and now throbbing pain she knew that it was familiar to her.

Opening her mouth to answer but her thoughts were still too jumbled and her mind in too much agony to actually let any words come out.

"Victoria?!"

"I'm here," she managed to voice. Though her voice was weak and her mouth as dry as it had ever been.

"I am here. It is going to be okay. I am here," she recognized the deep and unmistakable voice of the man she loved.

"Slade!" relief filled her.

Memories of the last encounter with Billy flooded her mind. Slade was still alive! How could that have happened, she entertained for a moment only to come to the decision that it didn't matter. He was in this room with her.

"Don't panic. I am going to get us out of here. I heard you in pain. What hurts?" Slade's voice was calm, as though talking to an animal he wanted to not frighten.

"Everything," she answered quickly. "My head feels like it wants to split apart."

"I'm going to get us out of here and we will have Shado look over you," he reassured.

Ears picked up a faint rattle of metal and then a sharp, electric pain seared into her wrists. Groaning, wishing it would stop but she tried to bite back yelling.

"Victoria?!" Slade's voice was panicked. "What is happening?"

"My wrists. They… they hurt so much," she groaned out as the pain subsided.

This time the rattling of the metal was almost deafen as it mixed with that same intense pain that had jolted her awake. Between the throbbing of her head, the spotted and dizzy vision and the onset of nausea she did throw up. Did again immediately when the nasty and clammy feeling of it seemed to trail down herself. The shear force of the pain rocked her body this way and that. For one faint second she thought she heard a faint pained moan coming from Slade. However she was too caught up in her own torment to actually focus on it. She just wanted it to stop. Wanting all the pain to just stop.

"Please," her voice soft. "Please just stop it. Just make it stop. Make it all stop!" she let out a hoarse scream.

The faint rattling sound that had been present during the attack stopped. Pain continued to roll over her body in waves. Then it slowly stopped. Her whole body felt like it had been battered and thrown about. Mouth dryer than it had been. She had thought her brain felt like it was splitting before but that had been nothing compared to now. It was so intense, so conitunious she felt like it was just going to combust on her.

"Victoria, what is it? What is wrong?"

"Pain. I… in so much pain… Searing pain that comes from my wrists and then all of me." she tried to explain. Though she didn't fully understand it herself. "Make it stop…. Just make it stop," she begged him.

"Oh good, you both are awake," a voice interrupted Slade.

It was both very similar to the man's and yet very different.

"Billy," Slade growled.

Again the rattling return and the searing pain to Victoria's wrists returned. It was too much .Her wrists already felt raw and she wasn't sure they would ever feel the same again.

"Stop! Stop it!"

"Uh uh ah," Billy clocked his tongue. "You might want to stay still, Slade. Can't you see you are distressing your girlfriend?"

"What are you doing to her, you fucking bastard?"

Billy remained quiet but she could feel the tension in the air. Everything hurt so much she just stayed very still and prayed silently that the pain would at least lessen if complete relief would not come.

"Come now, Slade. You are smart, work out what is happening here."

It took a few minutes but then she heard Slade answer him. His voice filled with venom and hatred, "You fucking bastard! Let her go. You can do whatever sick twisted crap you want with me, but let her go."

"And give up my advantage in this situation? How stupid do you think I am, Slade. She is your one true weakness. So really, it is your own fault she is here. Don't you agree?"

"I'll fucking kill you! You understand me?!"

"See, making threats to your captor. Not very smart, Slade. But I suppose we all are fools when it comes to our weakness. No… no you see," he paused.

Victoria's vision had finally cleared enough she was able to just faintly make out both men's outlines; they were straight ahead of her. Billy stood in front of Slade, his head just slightly tilted downward to meet his glare. Slade was strapped to what looked like a medical restraint chair. A bunch of wires coming out from the wrist restraints and even a few from the ones that forced his legs down. She tried to look down at herself and see if she was in the same. But her head spun too rapidly to even be able to move it an inch. The firm and unyielding feel of metal on his wrists and ankles made her aware that she probably was in something similar to Slade. That didn't explain the searing pain. Nor the shocking pain that had repeatedly wracked through her body.

"What are you doing to us?" she found herself asking. Though her mind had barely formed the thought before it tumbled out of her mouth.

The smirk in Billy's voice was dominant as he slowly made his way towards her, "I'm not sure she is as smart as Adelaide was, Slade. I'm sure she would have figured out the situation at this point. But I'll give her a break, her head did get hit really hard."

"Leave her alone, Billy," Slade's voice dropped to a dangerous level. Never since she had known him had it been so filled with a threat and hatred.

She no doubt knew that if he was able to escape he would make good on his earlier threat.

Billy ignored Slade and continued towards her, "The process is pretty easy to understand I think. I strapped you both to those different chairs. But that did not seem like enough. No, not enough to keep this one from going rabid." His face flickering back to Slade as he pointed back at him. Only to turn back around and focus on her again. "So I came up with this."

Reaching down he grabbed the multicolored wires that were attached to both Slade and her wrists. Without thought she flinched away from him, a sharp hiss came from Slade. She looked down and noticed that surprisingly she didn't have them on her ankle restraints, unlike Slade.

"See," Billy smiled proudly. "Every time. And I mean every time, either of you strain on the restraints on your wrists, or in Slade's cause his ankle and wrist restraints, the other will get a pleasant shock to their system. So basically a motion controlled version of say… a taser."

"Let her go, Billy," Slade pleaded. "I am perfectly aware why you'd like to keep me around but she doesn't need to be involved."

Victoria's mind went to Shado and Oliver. Where were they? Were they alright?

"What have you done with the others?" Slade demanded.

"Wow, now you ask after them. See… I know you Slade. They might be your friends but no one is ever more important than family. And this one," he lifted Victoria's chin so that she was leveled with him.

Victoria tried and failed to prevent the pained groan from coming out.

"You have decided to make your family. I wonder if your kids would appreciate you replacing their mother?" he finished with a little hum as though in deep thought.

"Listen here, you bastard. If you let her go now perhaps I won't rip you limb from limb when I get out of this. And you know I'll get out of this."

"Do I now?" Billy dropped her chin which made her jaw rattle. Now he turned his full attention toward Slade. "How are you not going to be the one responsible for killing her? When every rattle, every movement is picked up and causes her pain…." he chuckled but then offered a sympathetic smile.

"No Slade, I think I have you right where I want you. And there is going to be no leaving until or if I decide you are allowed to leave."

He seemed to have said what he had wanted to say as he made his way toward what she could only assume was the exit. He unlatched the door and only let the barest amount of light into the room. Only enough for her to see that Slade and her were completely alone and there was nothing they could get to if they were able to.

"I'll bring down someone with food and water soon. So be good," he mocked them.

Then they were surrounded by darkness again. She could still only faintly make out Slade's outline. Her eyes almost had completely reseted to blind when the light had been snuffed out again.

"I'm so sorry, Toria," Slade's voice was weak and she could pick up the self-loathing.

She wanted to reassure him.Tell him that they were going to get out of this together. But with the resounding pain and the continuous throbbing of her head, she couldn't. Just felt like she couldn't lie to him. Instead she focused on something else. Something that did reassure her even within her pain.

"I'm so glad that you are alive. It scared me to death when he impaled you. I thought…" her eyes felt sore but all her tears were dried up. "I was so worried he had killed you."

"Yeah, I'm alright. I am fine," he reassured. "I wish you weren't in this mess with me."

Shado sat patiently staring at the large, metal, bolted door. The room was eerily quiet, but she did not pay it any mind. Her ear strained to make out any sounds outside the chamber she was in. Anything that would let her know that someone was coming. Minutes after minutes passed in this way, turning into hours. Still, she remained, as ready and alert as a tiger squaring its shoulders before bouncing.

Finally, the faintest sound of footsteps rang in her ears. Waiting. Taking a deep breath. Hand twitching for a knife or some weapon to grasp. The door opened. One second, she saw the huge smile that spread across Billy's face. Seeing the gleam in her eyes. Four seconds later, she was rushing towards him. Rage and anger built within her. Trying to put in a lot of strength in her upper body. Making hard contact into his mass. Shaken. Though he remained standing tall, without having moved an inch. Trying to avoid his capture. Quickly he grasped her shoulders. Surprisingly gentle and he slightly tried to pull her towards him. Fists pounded and beat onto his chest. Frustration, not knowing if it was more towards herself or to him. Why had she wasted so much energy and it had not affected him at all? God, she hated that miracle drug.

"Shado, stop. Please stop," he moved down her arms and grasped her hands.

His hold upon her wrists tight enough that they were beginning to hurt. She hid all of the pain away as she tried and failed to pull back from him. He kept adjusting and then forcing her still. Concern and frustration in his eyes.

"What have you done with them?" she sneered.

"Please Shado, calm down. This can't be healthy for you," Billy tried to soothe.

"I can calm down when I know what has happened to my teammates."

He stared looking at her. His head shook a few times. Opening and closing his mouth. As though silently arguing with himself.

"Just tell me what you have done with them. The truth, Billy."

"I do not want to lie to you, Shado. But that doesn't mean I want to tell you everything. I need to… First I have to make sure we are both on the same page."

"What have you done to Oliver, Victoria and Slade?"

Billy let out a deep sigh. Still clinging to her like he was afraid she would just disappear if he let go. Thankfully his hold wasn't as tight. But his eyes never seemed to miss a single movement she made.

"Oliver is being held down below with all the men that had already been on the ship. They have plenty of food down there to last them a few days without me having to interfere."

"Victoria and Slade?"

"Being held separately. And that is all that I am at liberty to say right now."

"If you have hurt them, if you plan to hurt them…"

"You'll what, Shado? What will you do?" His voice wasn't angry but simply confused. "They are fine right now."

"But I saw you stab Slade with my own eyes. Is he receiving any medical attention? Or is it too late for that?"

"I could lie and tell you that he is dead. Or that I treated his wounds. But I do not want to lie…"

"I know you have said that already. Then what is their status? If I am going to be on your side," she paused for a moment. "I need to know as much as you are willing to tell me. That's what partners do, right?"

This comment cheered him a bit. This time a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he replied, "Thanks to the drug, Slade seems to be healing well. I could have given him medical attention, yes. But honestly it would have been a waste of supplies. Victoria I did clean up the nasty cut she had received during our last…"

Shado simply nodded. She tried to rein in her relief but he still saw it briefly on her face. He had let her go part-way during his explanation of where Victoria and Slade, now he reached out for her hands again. Hestatiely she grabbed them. Looking down. Unable to meet his intense stare.

"I am not a fool. I know why you agreed to be alongside me. I know you did to protect your friends. Though they do not deserve your loyalty. But I hope… I pray in time you will want to be here, alongside me, my equal of your own free will."

Shado remained quiet. Not sure how honest she could possibly be without showing her hand. Though she didn't have good cards as it was.

"Give it time, Shado. I do not expect you to just accept this wholeheartedly yet. But please give it a chance."

She saw the hope and the affection that rested in his eyes. At that moment she wanted to gag. Instead she forced a compassionate smile.

"You have to be patient with me."

"I will wait. Oliver does not understand how special you are. How kind. How patient. You always look after everyone else Shado. I promise… I promise, I will look after you from now on. You no longer have to just look out for yourself."

"It isn't easy being in someone else's care. To let someone take control of your health and safety," she leaned in closer. Eyes focusing on his face.

"You can trust me to look after you, Shado. I would never, could never hurt you."

He drew closer to her, she pulled away, "Please, I still need time."

The hurt was plain on his face but then he nodded and gave a halfhearted smile of his own, "I'll still be here when you are ready."

Her next words made her stomach turn. Silently she prayed that the ends justifies the means, "thank you, Billy. It is nice to know that you will have my back."

"Of course," he replied matter of factly.

Quietly she wondered how much she could push for? Should she offer to look after something or indirectly help one of her friends? Today seemed rather soon to ask for any favors so she remained quiet. That wouldn't stop her from slowly working on a plan to get everyone out of this current mess.