Winner Takes All
Spoilers up through Season 3 mid-season finale
AN: Standard Disclaimer! I own nothing
Inspiration Soundtrack: "Broken Tooth" - 'Dracula Untold' Soundtrack
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The street lights blurred together and the world tipped sideways for a moment before Jenny could catch her breath. She grabbed the passenger door handle tightly.
"Hey, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she waved away the helping hand. "I'm fine, Nick. I mean it. I just...I think that curry didn't agree with me."
"Yeah, ok," Hawley mumbled. "Lets just get you home, ok?"
That Jenny didn't argue only deepened his concern.
They were halfway to the trailer when she yelled: "Pull over! I'm gonna-"
Nick swerved into the parking lot of a gas station and slammed on the breaks. The vehicle hadn't come to a full stop before Jenny had the door open and was stumbling away to vomit into the nearby bushes.
"Damn, Mills. You said it wasn't bad-"
"It wasn't," she muttered, wiping away the spit from her mouth. "I need...I need water."
"I'm on it," Nick called out over his shoulder as he headed for the convenience store entrance.
Jenny dropped down onto the curb to try to settle her cramping stomach.
She had never felt so ill in her life, even the full moon's light felt heavy on her flushed cheeks.
"Looking peaky there, Mills."
Snapping her head up, she saw Sheriff Reyes leaning against the brick wall nearby.
"What are you doing here?" Jenny growled, reaching slowly toward the pistol tucked into the back of her pants.
Reyes shrugged her shoulders. "It's a free country, I can go where I like."
"And you're here to harass me? Shouldn't you be poisoning school water fountains or whatever?"
"What kind of monster do you think I am?" The Horseman frowned in mock offense. "Still, children really do make the best vectors for infection. Some of my finest work, if I'm honest."
"You're sick."
"No, my dear," Reyes' eyes glittered with an odd yellow light. "You are."
Jenny's gut heaved suddenly and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from spewing the last of her dinner on the sidewalk.
"My, my," the sheriff drawled. "It does look like you are feeling a it under the weather. I hope it isn't too serious."
"What...what is happening?"
"I'd say you might have a stomach bug. Eat some shellfish? Forget to wash your hands when leaving a bathroom?"
The truth dawned on Jenny and she glared up at the Horseman. Pestilence. "You...you did this to me!"
"Well...maybe not directly."
"How?"
Reyes checked her fingernails, looking bored. "It was shockingly easy, to be honest. I'm almost disappointed. But as they say: all girls like shiny things..."
Shiny? Jenny tried to focus through the waves of nausea. Wait...the emerald pendant.
She remembered feeling a weird jolt when she picked it up, but had thought it was just residual magic from the original owner.
What if it wasn't Katrina's spell at all...
Jenny could hear Abraham's voice from the jewelry store echo in her mind: "That is not meant for you, Miss Mills."
Was he working with Reyes all along? Had he meant to infect Abbie and I got in the way? That fucker! To think, I actually fell for his lovesick act!
Fury boiled up like hot magma as Jenny snarled at the Sheriff: "I'll kill you for this! Both of you!"
"Oh come now, this is supposed to be an amazing moment! We should be celebrating your ascension, not bickering!"
"My what?" Horror flooded Jenny's veins, freezing along the nerves that were already scorched from fever. "What are you..."
"I'm doing you a tremendous favor, to be fair. You need a way to vent all of that rage I feel in your heart and we need a fourth member of the band-"
"NO!"
"Stubborn to the last, aren't you? I wonder if that's what charmed Death so much," Pestilence sighed indulgently. "I guess now that I have my own pet Mills, I'll just have to see!"
Darkness lapped at the edges of Jenny's sight, making her fight all the harder to maintain consciousness. No! I have to warn Abbie!
Glancing around, she spotted a man with a motorcycle finishing at the gas pump.
"'Pet Mills' my ass. You'll have to catch me first, you bitch!" Jenny staggered to her feet and ran across the pavement without stopping to think about what she was doing.
With skill worthy of an NHL player and strength borne of desperation, she body-checked the unfortunate stranger off his feet and snatched his keys from the ground.
Blessedly, the motorcycle was new and roared to life as Jenny crouched over the tank.
She could hear the man's angry shouting as she sped away and risked a glance behind her in time to see Reyes touch him on the shoulder.
Whatever Pestilence said was lost, but the man's shouts turned to painful screams as he clawed at his face and fell to his knees.
Jenny didn't look back again and prayed that Nick would stay inside long enough to escape the Horseman's notice.
The bike she had stolen was a Japanese import, thick in the body but fast when she opened the throttle. Leaning down tight over the tank helped her cut through the chill air to gain even more speed, but it wasn't long before she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye.
No, it can't be...
An armored horse and rider burst from the treeline and galloped alongside the racing motorcycle.
Glancing at the speedometer, Jenny saw she was going over a hundred, and yet the horse matched her pace with ease.
You can't escape this, came the sound of Reyes' voice in her ear. The change has already begun.
The Horseman pointed at the ground.
Afraid to look, but more terrified not to, Jenny glanced downward.
Instead of the sharp lines of the bike's profile, a long legged shadow of a running horse stretched out beneath her.
NO!
Tears blurred her vision, but she gunned the motor even higher and grabbed the pistol from her waistband. Jenny squeezed off a few wild rounds in Pestilence's direction with little hope of scoring a hit.
The Horseman just laughed and dropped back, content that her prey would soon weaken and fall.
Shit! We are in such deep shit! Jenny thought frantically as she felt the unnatural fever lick at her insides. Abbie, I'm so sorry...
Still unbalanced by Abraham's question, Abbie could only blink as a concerned knot formed on his brow.
"Abigail?"
"I..." she swallowed hard. "A year ago I would have said 'no' without even thinking about it. But now...I don't know."
The Horseman's expression cooled, it was clearly not the answer he was hoping for.
"Look," she continued before he could speak. "I understand how this may seem. But we've been fighting so long to keep it from...well, from you. How am I supposed to justify throwing those sacrifices away because I want to do something nice for you?"
"Nice?" His blue eyes clouded over. "I did not realize that being whole was such a gift."
Anger sparked along their connection and she grit her teeth to keep from being swept away with it. "That isn't what I meant! You're asking me to put my feelings for you ahead of the lives of everyone else. I...I just can't."
The Horseman stared at Abbie as she scrambled for something more to say.
"You know I can't. Please, 'Bram. This isn't...this isn't anything against you-"
"How is it not?" His look of agonized betrayal made her feel even worse.
"Because this is bigger than just you and me!"
"Have I not done everything within my power to earn your trust?"
"You have, but this is the whole world we're talking about! If you get your head back the Apocalypse clock will start back up. The other Horseman will come-"
"They are already here, Abigail! Whether I have my head or not has no bearing on their arrival. War had been awake for years before I arose."
"But Henry is dead now. We-"
"The absence of War is temporary. Already the forces of evil strive to fill the gap."
"What?" Her eyes went wide. In a flash she remembered, among the countless midnight talks, how Abraham had told her of his creation. How Moloch made him an irresistible offer of vengeance as his life bled away from a British bayonet.
He had replaced the Rider of Death before him, surely the other Horsemen would have similar histories...
"There's going to be a new War? Do you know who?"
He gave her a scathing look. "Conquest has not see fit to share. It would seem she questions my loyalties as well."
"'Bram..."
"Pray excuse me, I find I have no more stomach for this conversation."
"Abraham!" Abbie called after his retreating back.
He paused at the top of the stairs, saying: "Do not leave the estate until I return."
The morass of negative emotions swirling through their connection finally got the better of her tongue. "So I'm the prisoner now?"
"You are not my prisoner!" The Horseman spun around and stomped back to loom over her tiny frame like a thundering storm. "If you were, things would be a great deal less pleasant!"
"But you still won't let me leave? Isn't that the same thing?"
"And have you fall into Conquest's clutches? Is it so great an inconvenience to ask you to stay where it is safe?" His lips thinned with anger. "How you have survived this long without serious injury, I shall never know. But you are now my betrothed and there are many creatures who would rejoice at doing you harm. As long as you remain on the estate, no lesser demon would tempt my wrath-"
"So this is an ego thing? I was doing just fine before I met you! I can take care of myself!"
"Abigail!" he roared. "You are the most infuriating of mortals! But you are just that: mortal. It is not your life alone that you toy with. Have you forgotten what it means to share a Bond with me?"
She gaped at him.
"As ironic as it may seem, I do not wish to die again. Not when I have finally found someone worth living for."
Her stomach clenched with guilt, cooling some of her anger. "I...But I just can't sit here," she said softly. "I feel like I'm on the sidelines while the world is racing for a cliff."
Abraham consciously tried to reign in his own temper and smoothed his hands along her arms. Quieter, he murmured: "It is not my wish to cage you, nor keep you from being who you are. But alone, you are no match for Conquest and her minions. I nearly lost you once, I could not bear to see you like that again."
Abbie let the Horseman fold her into an embrace and she put her head against his chest. The beat of his heart hammered under her ear, as if the mere thought of her dying had driven him to a panic. After several long moments where they comforted each other, he seemed to reach a decision.
"I understand your fears and...I respect them," Abraham whispered into her hair. "It is just...I had hoped to be able to kiss you someday,"
The desolate tone of his voice cut through her, and Abbie buried her face into his coat to hide her tears. "I'm so sorry."
"As am I." He tightened his arms around her shoulders. "I ask that you, please, stay here on the estate until I return. I promise that any dangers that arise, we will meet them together. Agreed?"
Abbie lifted her chin to regard his solemn face for a long time. "Ok."
AN-
It has been so very long since I have posted here and it even gives me anxiety just to publish what I have. I have been struggling so badly with motivation and confidence in my writing, it is really quite crippling. You all have been so patient, understanding. I read all of your comments and replies - they are so kind (even the ones with critique).
Time is a precious resource, and I can't express how thankful I am that you have taken moments to spend them on my work.
I have about 20k words in draft for 'Winner', but there are gaps that still need to be filled in before I can release them. So much time has passed, my Betas have all surely moved on to better things, but here is to hoping that there is still interest in this little corner of Brambie land, :)
Thank you all so much!