#either way. seeing olivia kinda makes me breathe easier if that makes sense | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

happy-whumper · 3 years

Text

Rules

previous/masterlist

Guess who finally wrote something actually whumpy!! It's me :) And honestly, this chapter was really fun to write xD Although I am neglecting Theo a bit...oops

CW: manhandling, whipping, dehumanisation, forced to kneel, swearing (kinda?? i mean with Olivia there is usually some swearing involved), scar mention, knife tracing (i didn't know what else to call it xD), slapping, hair pulling, creepy whumper (if i forgot anything, please let me know!)

A loud banging sound echoed through the basement, causing Rain to immediately spring awake with a jolt. The sudden movement caused him to lose his balance, leading to him falling off the side of the bed and landing on the stone floor. He turned his head in confusion, looking around the cell. This didn’t look right. In a sudden rush the memories of the day before came flooding back over him, immediately causing his breathing to pick up again.

He was still there, in the cold room, locked up with the two others. It hadn't been a dream. This was his new reality.

He turned his head and noticed Olivia looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“What are you doing on the floor?”.

He felt his cheeks heating up from embarrassment and turned his eyes away.

“I uhm...I fell from the bed.”

“I see.”

There was an amused undertone in her voice, but not as though she was mocking him.

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs. They weren’t particularly slow but also didn’t sound like there was any rush. A few moments later Nick appeared in the hallway. He was wearing a white collared shirt and a pair of black trousers, looking well rested. Rain couldn’t exactly say the same about himself.

His whole body was aching, presumably from the uncomfortable sleeping position and the hard material of the bed. Nick let his eyes wander over all of them, an unsettling grin at the corner of his mouth. “Good morning. I hope you had a good sleep.” His voice was sweet and it was almost convincing. If there wasn’t the malicious glint in his eyes.

When none of them said anything in response, he just shrugged, leaning against the wall behind him. It seemed casual, as if he was talking to some friends and not his...to people he was holding there against their will. “Oh come on, why the long faces, hm?” From the corner of his eye he could see Olivia rolling her eyes in annoyance and glaring at the man, ready to throw an insult at him. But she stayed quiet. For now.

Nick didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, still smirking at them, “I think this is exciting. Really, I was thinking I would simply get one new pet but three?” He chuckled darkly, “That is a lot more interesting.”

There was an annoyed groan, causing everyone's attention to shift towards Olivia. She didn’t seem bothered by that in the slightest. “Let me guess, now comes your little speech about how, what, we’re just some worthless pets that should be grateful for you?” Her voice was sharp, spitting the words out as if they were poisoned.

Nick smiled. “I am glad to see you already have that in your mind, Olivia.” She narrowed her eyes, clenching her jaw. There had been a small flinch, it had barely been noticeable but definitely there. “How original. It’s almost funny how you are all the same, really. All the same kind of sick bastards with some very obvious issues. Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone to just go to therapy?”

There was a slight change in his posture, but Rain suddenly felt that the energy in the room shifted. Theo seemed to notice it too, he shifted in his position, his expression hardening. If Olivia had noticed as well, she didn’t seem to care. “What’s next, you’re going to explain your rules? To make yourself feel all powerful?”.

The smile didn’t fade, but now there was something else on his face. Anger? Annoyance? Rain wasn’t sure what it was, but it most likely didn’t mean anything good. “Yes. I have some rules and you know what? I think you’re a great example to what will happen to disobedient pets that don’t follow them.” He stepped away from the wall, moving to a closet on the side of the room.

He had his back turned to them, his body blocking any sight on what was inside it. Rain turned his head, noticing that Theo had gotten up and stepped to the bars separating their cells. His expression seemed almost a bit concerned, but he wasn’t quite sure. Couldn’t really place it.

His heart was racing in his chest, his hands nervously fidgeting with his shirt. He shot a glance over to Olivia but she seemed...calm. The only thing that made him doubt this was her breathing, which was a bit too fast for someone relaxed. Rain knew that rules were important. If everyone followed the rules, no one would get hurt. Right? He just had to follow the rules and it would be okay. It had to be.

Now Nick turned around again, holding something in his hand. It took him a second to see what it was but when he did he felt his blood go cold. He was holding a whip. Something that Rain wasn’t...unfamiliar with. Seeing it in the man's hand brought back memories of dark rooms and pained screams. It had happened to him only once before but it had been enough to burn the feeling of his back being torn open over and over again inside his mind.

Olivia shot a glance at it and shifted slightly in her position. She didn’t look scared exactly but there was something that seemed as though she wasn’t as unbothered anymore. “Wow how original. Do you people all go to the same torture store or something?” While her tone was still snappy, there was a slight shake in her voice, making it unsteady.

The tall man just stepped towards the cell, slowly and calmly, taking all the time he wanted. The closer he got the more uncomfortable Olivia seemed to get, her eyes fixated on him, studying every move. When he unlocked the door and pushed it open, there was a creaking sound, causing Rain to flinch. It seemed so loud in contrast to the previous silence. As if it didn’t fit in.

Now he was standing in front of the girl, looking down with a smug grin on his face, towering over her. She glared right at him, not willing to let any fear come through, “What, you just-”, he interrupted her by grabbing her arm, pulling her from the bed and pushing her in the middle of the room.

She crossed her arms in front of her. “You know what, I’m feeling nice today.” Olivia raised an eyebrow, not buying that for one second. When she didn’t say anything, Nick just kept talking, his tone oddly sweet. It felt...wrong. “If you beg for me, I won’t punish you.”. Rain's heart felt like it skipped a beat. He would never have expected this man to be so generous. Back at the academy begging had always only made it worse, no way to escape a punishment. He turned his head towards Olivia, his eyes wide. He was sure she was going to do it, begging was way better than whipping! But she stayed silent. He was confused, it didn’t make any sense. Turning his head to Theo now, he noticed that he looked tense. Why was he worried? Surely no one was going to get hurt now. “Forget it, asshole.”

The younger boy stared at her, utter horror written on his face. Why...why would she do that? Behind him he heard an exasperated groan, but he was too occupied by the scene taking place in front of him. Nick just shrugged at her answer, as if he hadn’t expected anything else.

Rain didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense, nothing made sense.

“Alright, your choice.”. He took another step towards her, causing her to immediately take a step back. Instinctively stepping away from the man, away from danger. From pain.

“Turn around and get on your knees.” he paused when she didn’t react, his eyes narrowing, “Now.”. She hesitated for another moment, before slowly turning her back to him. Since Nick was already impatient, he took another step forward, pushing her to the ground easily. Her knees hit the cold floor and she almost fell forward.

It reminded Rain of the auction, back then she hadn’t wanted to kneel either. He wondered what the reason behind that could be.

Now the dark haired man stepped back, turning his head towards the other two. When his eyes turned to Rain, he immediately scrambled backwards, his eyes glued to the ground in front of him. He heard a dark chuckle. “With your history this really shouldn’t be surprising. Though I thought you had learned at least something.” He was talking to Olivia but he was still looking in Rain's direction. He could feel his gaze on him. It caused a shiver to run through his entire body.

“Oh I did learn”, there was a bitter smile on her face, “I learned that you bastards are all the same. Whole lot of talking, clearly some kind of ego problem. I am not scared of you. Or men like you.”

When Nick laughed now, Rain flinched. The laugh was cold. As if he was trying to cover up the anger lying underneath. He slowly lifted his head again, to his relief the man's attention had gone away from him and back to Olivia again. “A tough one huh? Well let me tell you this.” He stepped around her, so that he was standing in front of her. “A lot of pets start out like you. Thinking they are so strong, so brave and nothing will ever break them.”

He crouched down, a wicked grin at the corner of his mouth. “In the end they all beg for mercy. Like good, obedient, worthless pets.” For a moment there was silence. The girl looked like she was trying to kill Nick with her stare alone and then-

She spat in his face.

Rain felt his heart drop, suddenly the room seemed to be spinning around him. There was no way she was going to be okay now.

For a moment it was as if everything had frozen in place. Then Nick lifted his hand, slowly wiping the spit off his face.

His anger was very clearly visible now. Clenched jaw, a hard expression in his eyes. In a quick motion, he slapped Olivia, so hard that her head flew to the side, hair falling over her eyes.

Her breathing had picked up, it took her a moment to recover from the hit. Nick didn’t give her that time. Instead, he grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back. There was a pained hiss coming from her and even though there was still the same look of defiance on her face there was something else as well. Something she desperately tried to keep hidden.

When he spoke again Nick’s voice was quieter, barely audible but not any less intense. “So that’s how you want to play huh?”

In a quick motion he pulled a knife from his pocket, while still grabbing her hair with the other.

When she saw it her eyes grew slightly wider, struggling against his grip in an attempt to get away. He seemed to notice that, a small grin returning again. With an evil glint in his eyes, he brought the knife close to her face, putting it under her chin, the unspoken threat of cutting her throat looming over her.

Her eyes kept flicking between him and the knife nervously. The last time she had a knife near her face...it hadn’t ended well. When he took the knife away, she felt a sudden moment of relief, before she felt the cold metal tracing the long scar on her cheek. Her breath stopped for a moment, before starting at double the pace again. She could feel her face burning, her heart racing in her chest.

It was as if she was frozen, as though a part of her was convinced that if she moved she would end up with another cut in her face. “What a nice little scar...would be a shame if i had to add another.” His tone spoke a whole other language than his tone.

There were a hundred things she would have loved to throw at his face in that moment but the apparent threat of the cold blade stopped her.

After what felt like an eternity he finally put the knife away again and took a step back. “Now, I think you still need to learn your lesson.”

Rain's eyes went wide. He knew what happened at this kind of disobedience. As Nick stepped back around, the whip in his hand again, he felt like he couldn’t breath. He wanted to say something, something to make him not hurt her but he didn’t know what.

There was an ominous crack as the whip hit the floor. “Now. As I said before being so rudely interrupted”, with an almost casual motion he swung the whip, causing it to hit Olivia's back with an ugly sound, “There are some simple rules.”

Rain almost couldn’t focus on his words, his eyes focused on the kneeling girl. Besides a slight shift on her face there were no signs of the amount of pain she was probably in.

Again, he couldn’t help but be impressed. He would never be able to stay calm like that. “If you follow the rules”, another lash hit her back, the same spot, causing the skin to split open and a red stripe to appear on the fabric of her shirt, “You won’t get punished.”

Rain shot a quick glance towards Nick and his expression made him feel sick. There wasn’t even a hint of regret or discomfort. If anything it was the exact opposite.

“Let’s start with the simplest, you will not speak unless you are spoken to. I am guessing that will be harder for some of you than for others.” He was looking at Olivia, who looked like she was too occupied with the pain on her back to even pay attention. Two more lashes, quickly followed after another. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her breathing steady. Now everytime the whip hit the skin the sound was almost...wet. Caused by the blood coming from the ruthless injuries.

“Secondly, you will show respect to your Master.” At that Olivia scoffed, causing Nick to raise an eyebrow. “You got an opinion on that you would like to share?” “Oh well a few actually-”, before she could finish speaking the whip hit her back again, causing her sentence to end abruptly in a pained yelp.

Watching the scene, Rain felt his whole body shaking, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. He didn’t want to watch, didn’t want to hear the awful sound the weapon made when it hit the skin but it was as if something was forcing him to keep watching. As if something awful would happen if he didn’t pay close attention.

It took Olivia a moment to steady herself again and she turned her head slightly in Nick's direction. “Looks like someone can’t take criticism.”

Rain shot a quick glance towards him, just to see that there was anger on his face now. Not just anger...frustration? He wasn’t sure, couldn’t quite place it. Instead of replying to the comment, he just brought the whip to use again. Again and again and again.

But no matter how much pain she had to be in, Olivia didn’t make any sound. Even though the shirt was drenched in blood and her breath was getting unsteadier with every hit, she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of showing her pain.

After what felt like forever, he finally put the whip down, a sick smile on his face. At this point Olivia looked like she was about to pass out, barely able to keep herself up. Her eyes were half lidded, looking as if she would collapse any second now. A thick layer of sweat coated her forehead, making strands of her hair stick to it too.

Nick turned his head again, looking over to the other two. “Now, take this-”, he kicked Oliva in the side, causing her to groan and lean forward slightly in an attempt to keep her balance, “-as an example of what happens if you decide to not listen to me. And believe me”, he smiled cruelly, “It can be much worse than this.”

Taglist: @starnight-whump, @froggywhumpy, @jordanstrophe, @whumpasaurus101, @as-a-matter-of-whump, @jojothepanwithoutaplan, @myst-in-the-mirror, @whumpsweetwhump (let me know if you would like to be added or removed!)

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plaidbooks · 4 years

Text

Red

A/N: Hey, remember that made-up fic title game where I made this up and then an anon asked for it and I said I was already kinda working on it? No? Me either. But here’s a fic about Rafael being kidnapped. I’ve always wanted to write a darker fic where reader gets to go ham, so I did! I also love the idea of shooting someone while they’re posturing, and hate that it doesn’t happen in shows/movies. Lemme know if you want a part 2 or not!

Edit: I forgot to mention that this is dedicated to @prurientpuddlejumper, who wanted so bad for me to stab Rafi

Tags: kidnapping, murder/death, guns, whump (but not really until the end?), allusions to torture by knife/stabbings

Words: 3890

Taglist: @the-baby-bookworm @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @stardust-fray @permanentlydizzy @infiniteoddball @ben-c-group-therapy @glowingmess @whimsicallymad @lv7867 @storiesofsvu @cycat4077 @barbasimp @dianilaws @averyhotchner @mrsrafaelbarba @detective-giggles

“Rafi, what the hell is this?” you asked, arms crossed, and eyes narrowed. You were inside his office at One Hogan Place—what was a happy surprise was slowly turning into something more—glaring at the desk. Everything was in its place, undisturbed, except for an open letter laying innocently on the wood. You couldn’t see the handwritten words, but you could make out the crest that acted as a signature—the emblem of the BX9 gang. You had seen it multiple times in your career as detective in Manhattan’s homicide department, usually spray painted at a crime scene, or tattooed on a member. Or carved into someone skin with a dull knife in more extreme cases.

Rafael came up behind you, glancing over your shoulder at his desk. He sighed. “Just a thinly veiled threat, hermosa. Nothing to worry about—”

“Nothing to worry about?” you spat. “BX9 is threatening you and there’s nothing to worry about?”

He grimaced at your tone. “Cariño, they’ve been threatening me since I became an ADA—it’s background noise at this point.” He kissed your cheek, wrapping his arms around your waist. “I promise you; it’s fine.”

You melted against his solid chest, but you didn’t uncross your arms. “It doesn’t feel fine, Raf…what if something happens? What are they even threatening you about?”

His lips moved to your neck, kissing the soft skin just below your ear. “Remember that conviction I got last week on Alfonse Romero? Well, he was a high-ranking member of the BX9…. They want him released,” he explained.

“That’s…a serious threat, Raf,” you murmured back. You moved your head to the side, giving him more access to your neck as your body started to relax under his touch. “Do I need to have unis watching you?”

Rafael bit down on your neck and you let out a whimper. “No, and I don’t want to talk about this right now. Right now, I just want you,” he whispered, kissing and sucking at you. He was impossible to resist, and you let him push you towards his desk, his hands groping at you.

******************

Ever since you learned your husband was coming under threats, you started wearing your vest everywhere under your shirt, just in case. BX9 were ruthless, and it wouldn’t surprise you if they went after you to hurt Rafael, whether you were a detective or not—they didn’t have qualms about killing cops. You wanted Rafael to wear a vest under his suits as well, but he refused, thinking it ridiculous. Even so, you snagged one that was his size from the department, and headed home, intending to force it on him. You’d rather him safe, if uncomfortable, than dead; fuck his pride. It was the weekend, so he was off, relaxing on the couch last you saw him that morning.

The elevator doors dinged open and you walk towards your shared loft but stop short. Even from here, you could see that the door is slightly open, the wood in the frame splintered. Your heart in your throat, you hurry to the door, unholstering your gun as you go. You push the door open, aiming you gun inside.

“Rafael?” you called out, taking a few steps in. The coatrack by the door has been knocked over, and there’s flecks of red on the carpet. Blood. Rage and fear coursed through you, and it’s with shaky hands that you step over it, moving through the quiet loft, searching every room. But there’s no sign of anyone there. Holstering your gun, you looked for something, anything, that could be a clue as to where they took him. There was no doubt in your mind as to who took him, and you closed your eyes, sending a silent prayer that he was still alive, fear and nausea overtaking you for just a moment before you shoved it down.

There was a piece of paper on the coffee table in the living room, and you could see the familiar crest of BX9. You glanced over it, your eyes scanning it quickly as you read it once, twice, your breath coming in sharper as you absorbed the words.

“Release our Captain Romero to us by 9am tomorrow morning, and we’ll trade back the lawyer. Fail to give us Romero, and you’ll find the lawyer’s corpse. -BX9”

You clenched your hands into fists. The good news was that Rafael was alive. The bad news was there was absolutely no way you could get Romero released, especially by 9am…it was already 1pm—you had less than 24 hours. There was an address at the end of the note; the meeting place for the exchange. You snapped a picture of it on your phone, then left the loft. You had some favors to call in, but one thought kept coming back to you; if there was so much as a scratch on Rafael Barba, you were going to kill everyone involved.

*********************

“BX9 owns this warehouse,” one of your informants, Johnny, relayed to you. “I’ve seen a couple guys going in and out recently.”

You nodded. “But you didn’t see the ADA?”

“No,” he replied, shaking his head. “But I did find a back door that seemed unguarded.”

That caught your attention. “Show me.”

It was 10pm, and your resolve had only hardened with the passing time. You had less than 12 hours to find your husband. After going to the meeting place and finding it deserted, you had sent out every druggie and rat that owed you a favor to track down BX9 hubs. You had then busied yourself with gearing up—making sure your vest was on tight, your ammo in your handgun full, an extra clip on your hip. You also grabbed your trusty pocketknife, and finished your ensemble with a fully-loaded, pump-action shotgun strapped to your back. You didn’t plan on taking hostages—BX9 would extend the same curtesy to you. It was all about who could pull the trigger faster. And you didn’t plan on losing.

Olivia Benson, head of Manhattan’s SVU, who Rafael worked with constantly and considered a friend, had tried to contact you after finding your home broken into, but you had ignored her calls. No distractions. You were going to find Rafael, and there was going to be hell to pay. There was a good chance you were going to lose your shield for this, but you didn’t care. You just didn’t want to drag anyone else into this. If you lost your job protecting your husband, then so be it. You didn’t need the self-righteous Lieutenant, nor her loyal lapdogs, holding you back.

*****************

The warehouse seemed dark, abandoned…except for the one or two men in black, trying to look nondescript. They were doing inconspicuous laps around the place, or would lean against the front of the building, smoking. It made sense why the back door was unguarded, though—the warehouse was on the harbor, the back of the building against the water. You’d have to swim to get there. Not a problem.

“Thank you, Johnny,” you murmured. “Keep your eyes open for other hotspots, in case he’s not here.” He nodded, and you waved your hand, dismissing him. You were on a separate pier, gazing across the black waters to the warehouse that most likely held Rafael. As Johnny left, you looked around, trying to see if there was an easier solution than swimming; it was already 40 degrees outside, and the cool breeze would chill you to the bone if you were wet. Plus, you had your gun and a shotgun slung across your back that wouldn’t work if waterlogged.

Luckily, you found a small, rubber raft attached to a boat, oars laying on the deck next to it. You grabbed an oar, gently tossing it down to the raft below, then climbed down the ladder. One foot in the raft and taking out your pocketknife, you quickly cut through the ropes that tied the raft to the boat, then fully sat down inside. Silently, you paddled against the light current, heading towards the back of the warehouse. The two men never thought to check the water, their vigil consisting of only the front doors. It was an almost 30-minute fight across such a small expanse of water, your arms burning as you made it to the other side, but you felt none of it, your anger fueling you.

You carefully climbed up the ladder onto the pier, heading to the back door on silent feet. The door was locked, and you squatted by the locking mechanism. You popped open your pocketknife, shoving it into the keyhole. You fiddled with it, jerking it this way and that, trying to brute force your way in—you didn’t have anything else to pick the lock…besides the shotgun on your back. But that wasn’t really silent.

With a satisfying click, the keyhole turned. You tried the doorknob, and it turned, opening the door as the blade of your knife snapped inside the keyhole. Glancing at your broken pocketknife, you closed it, tucking it back into your pocket before entering the warehouse. A broken knife is still a sharp object, and the blade was still good for cutting ropes or tape.

It was silent inside as you crept along, gun held at the ready. You weren’t nervous, you weren’t sad. All you felt was a cold, simmering rage that was barely being contained within you…and the smallest kernel of fear that Rafael may be severely injured or worse. If he was truly dead, then—no, you wouldn’t finish that thought. He couldn’t be dead. You weren’t quite sure what you’d do if he was, and that scared you more than anything. But you took that fear and shoved it deep within yourself, letting anger and instinct take over. There’d be plenty of time for fear and stress later.

Gun drawn, you made your way down a hallway of open doors, the rooms small and empty, when you heard a muffled groan from behind a closed door. You holstered your gun, taking out the shotgun—if this room was like the others you had passed, it was small enough for the shotgun.

Holding the shotgun at the ready, you made your way to the door, then knocked harshly, taking a step back and aiming. As the door opened, you looked a member of the BX9 in the face before you pulled the trigger, blasting him backwards.

“What the fuck?” a voice yelled from inside the room. You kicked the door open, and it bounced off the dead man’s leg. You wedged your foot against the bottom of it, propping it open, and shoved the barrel of the shotgun towards the other man standing there. He jumped back in shock and fear, putting his hands up, a bloody knife falling from his hand and clattering to the floor. Between you was a man strapped to a chair, his back to you. But one look told you it wasn’t Rafael—he had blonde hair and his shoulders weren’t as broad. The man in the chair let out another groan, but you didn’t look away from the other BX9 member.

“Where’s Rafael Barba being held?” you asked, voice dangerous.

“Yo, he’s the one we tradin’ for Romero, right?” The man asked, voice shaky.

You gripped the shotgun tighter. “You have until the count of three to give me a location. One—”

“I don’t know! I wasn’t part o’ that hit! I was here, with—”

“Two—”

“I…I can find out! Lemme just text Jose—”

“Three.” You pulled the trigger, the shotgun blast deafening in the small room and silencing the man, splattering his blood on the wall behind him. You moved into the room, squatting down and reaching into the second dead man’s pocket, pulling out his cell. It was an old flip phone—a burner cell—so you didn’t need him to unlock it for you. You thumbed through the contacts until you found Jose, shooting him a text, asking for Rafael’s location. As you went to leave the room, you glanced at the poor man slumped in the chair, whimpering and groaning in pain. Using the burner cell, you called 911, requesting an ambulance, before leaving the warehouse. If Rafael was in the same shape as that man…you were already clenching your fists in rage.

****************

Jose didn’t text you back until almost 6am. Needless to say, you were furious, waiting for information, checking other BX9 hotspots, but finding no hint of Rafael there. At least he gave you an address instead of wondering why you were asking questions. So, with less than 3 hours remaining, you made your way to the destination, shotgun on your back and handgun on your hip. You felt no exhaustion from the sleepless night, having kept busy searching the city for your husband, your anger fueling you like gas to a flame.

You were across the street from where Jose had told you; it was an empty lot, a chain-link fence surrounding it, a rusted-out shipping container in the far end. Either Jose had completely fucked you, or they were in that shipping container. The only problem with the second option was that if you shot your gun—either one—inside there, you’d probably burst everyone’s eardrums, including your own…and Rafael’s, if he was indeed in there. But how to lure them out?

You made your way through the gate, your eyes never leaving the shipping crate. The opening was facing you; even though you could only see darkness inside with the barely rising sun casting shadows, you were sure they could see you just fine.

“I got your Captain out here,” you lied, your voice echoing along the buildings. “Show me the counselor.”

You heard scuffling inside, and a low voice saying, “go check,” before a man stepped out into the light.

“Where’s Romero?” he asked gruffly, coming to stand in front of you.

“Safe. Where’s Rafael?” you shot back, flexing your hands. The man had a gun in his waistband, but you knew you could draw faster.

“Safe,” he parroted back. “Show me Romero, and I’ll show you the lawyer.”

You stared at each other for a long time, sizing each other up. His hand twitched and you drew your gun, shooting him once in the chest. He had only made it halfway to his waistband before he was falling to the ground. You heard a scrambling inside the crate, and you aimed at the opening, waiting.

“Show me the ADA,” you called. “Or you all die.” You didn’t know how many there were, but you were following your own rationale—they wouldn’t fire a gun inside the container. Though there was still the option of stabbing Rafael…and you were praying they wouldn’t give up a chance at getting Romero back that easily by killing him.

A burly looking man came lumbering into the open, but you paid him no attention, your eyes instead locked on the man he was half-dragging with him. Rafael looked barely conscious, blood leaking from his temple and nose, his polo shirt torn and splattered with red. It looked like he had multiple stab wounds and cuts, and his legs were shaky beneath him. You clenched your teeth, your heart in your throat, but you didn’t lower your arm, gun still aimed at the man. You were seeing red as your eyes went to the gun pressed against the side of Rafael’s lolling head, then back to the man holding him up.

“Drop your gun, or he dies,” the man commanded.

A rush of adrenaline pumped through you, but you willed yourself to stay calm, unblinking as you stared the man down, unmoving. “I’m only going to say this once; let my husband go, or I’ll make you let him go,” you muttered, voice barely audible.

The man laughed. “Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do—” He was cut off as you pulled the trigger, hitting him between the eyes. As he fell backwards, Rafael stumbled forward, his legs buckling beneath him. You rushed forward, dropping your gun and catching him as he fell to his knees.

“Babe, look at me, are you okay? We gotta get you to a hospital,” you murmured, all the anger and rage that had filled you for the past day instantly leaving you. All you felt now was concern for your husband, and a profound relief that he was alive…plus an all-encompassing exhaustion that quickly filled in where the anger had left. You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you through fluttering eyelids.

“…[y/n]? Wh-what happened?... I’m so tired…” Rafael mumbled, unable to keep his eyes open.

“Stay with me, baby,” you replied, suddenly afraid that he may not survive. You pulled out your phone with one hand, calling 911 for an ambulance, while lifting his shirt with your other hand, checking his injuries. He had various cuts and stabs on his torso, but they all seemed old, the blood dried. You grit your teeth as fleeting anger washed through you once more, wishing you left the bastards alive so that you could shoot them again.

Helping Rafael to his feet, you half-walked, half-dragged him out of the lot, laying him on the cool concrete. You murmured encouragement to him while waiting for the ambulance, trying to keep him conscious, your heart straining. The police showed up first—someone must’ve called in the gunshots. You flashed your badge, telling them that the two dead were with BX9 and were killed in self-defense. Not a full lie, but you also weren’t telling them the full truth, either. They didn’t ask too many questions, and you surrendered the shotgun instantly, your handgun laying in the lot still.

The ambulance finally came just as Rafael lost consciousness. You waved the paramedics over, watching with bated breath as they loaded him onto a gurney.

“I’m riding with him,” you said, climbing into the ambulance with your husband, clutching his hand.

***************

Rafael slowly awoke a few hours after being admitted to the hospital, his hand still clutched in yours. You had yet to contact SVU—or IAB, for that matter—wanting to let Rafael and yourself relax before being subjected to all the visitors, all the questions. The various cuts and stab wounds were shallow, and only a few needed stitches. Thankfully, he didn’t have anything too serious done to him physically—probably because they were afraid that they wouldn’t get Romero back if they fucked Rafael up too much.

“Hey, honey. How’re you feeling?” you asked, voice soft.

He blinked groggily, eyes slightly unfocused. “Like I was hit repeatedly by a car,” he groaned, trying to sit up.

“Relax, dear. Don’t strain yourself,” you said, but he didn’t stop. So, rolling your eyes at his stubbornness, you helped him sit up.

Once up, you poured him some water, then helped him lift the cup to his mouth. “What happened? I…I remember getting attacked from behind at home. They knocked me out…and then I woke up in a metal room…” he trailed off, and you could see the pain in his eyes.

“I found you in a storage container in an empty lot—they wanted to trade you for Romero,” you explained, eyes hard. You both fell to silence for a moment before you said quietly, “if you want to talk about it, I’m all ears. You know I won’t judge you.”

Rafael was silent for a long time, eyes downcast. He wasn’t one to talk freely about his emotions or thoughts—something that you learned to live with—but he was getting better about it with you. “When he stabbed me the first time, all I could think about was you…about how I was never going to see you again. I was sure I was going to die in that box….” Tears clouded his vision, and your heart shattered. “They didn’t tell me why I was there, why they took me. I…I didn’t know what was happening—”

“It’s okay, baby; you’re safe now,” you muttered, squeezing his hand. “I got you.”

Rafael sniffled. “I…should’ve listened to you about the threats. You were right—I should’ve had protection—”

“It’s in the past, Rafi. We can’t change it now.” It broke your heart to see Rafael like this, so shaken up. “Besides, I don’t think the BX9 are going to come anywhere near you anytime soon.”

He cocked an eyebrow at you. “Why not? You didn’t give them Romero, did you?”

“Of course not. But….” You weren’t positive how to tell him, but you also couldn’t lie to him. “I was so…enraged when I found you were taken…. In the process of tracking you down, I may have…taken out some members….”

Rafael blinked at you. “You…you killed people?”

“Technically, yes, I did. But—”

“Are you crazy? How have you not been arrested yet? What’s going to happen—”

“Calm down, Raf. They were all done in self-defense. I won’t be arrested…though, I may lose my shield for it,” you explained.

Rafael fell back into silence as he thought about this. You were a little embarrassed about it, guilty because you knew how he felt about murder. But you wouldn’t feel bad about protecting your husband, and that’s what you had been doing. You weren’t sure how IAB would come at you, though, but you also weren’t too worried about it; you were a decorated detective with a clean record. Plus, there were no witnesses to what happened…except that one man in the warehouse. There would definitely be questions about why you left him strapped to a chair, bleeding out. And you didn’t think it would go to trial, but you were already wondering if “not guilty by mental defect” applied, since you were out of your mind with worry and rage at Rafael being abducted.

You shook yourself, pushing all that from your mind. “I do still want to have some protection put on you…just for a little, okay?”

Rafael nodded vaguely, gaze not quite meeting your eyes. “How long am I stuck here for?”

“I’m…not sure, but it shouldn’t be too much longer. They were waiting for you to wake up, but your injuries aren’t severe…. Speaking of, did you want me to find a—a therapist—”

“Absolutely not. I’m fine,” Rafael cut you off. You figured as much; he’d never admit something wrong with his mind, even when he had tough cases wearing him down for weeks, months. He just powers through it; that was his way. But you were afraid that this time may be different…for both of you.

You squeezed his hand once more, and his eyes softened as he looked at you. “Okay, love. Let me go find your nurse, see if I can take you home. I’m making you your favorite dinner tonight, and then we are sleeping in.”

Rafael gave you a soft smile, bringing your hand up, his lips brushing your knuckles lightly. “Thank you, mi amor. Te amo.”

“Te amo, Guapo,” you replied, standing and making your way out the door, reluctant to leave him alone, to take your eyes off him, even for a second. But Rafael was safe…for now…as safe as he could be.

#rafael barba x reader #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfic #fanfic #my writing

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iamknicole · 4 years

Text

Familiar Face (3)

SVU Fic

A month had flown by and Olivia had yet to have the talk Elliot wanted to have. The flurry of cases they both had made that even easier for her.

"Hey, Cap. You busy?" Peach asked knocking lightly on the door.

Olivia waved her in, waiting for her to close the door and have a seat. "What can I do for you, Peach?"

"Just wanted to check on you. You've seemed out of it the last couple of weeks. You okay?"

"You're very observant," Olivia chuckled, "I'm alright, I promise."

Peach smiled, "You're not but it's okay, I know you don't know me yet. Whatever it is that's bothering you will work out."

"What about you? How do you like being here? Settled in okay?"

"I like it, its different from what I'm used to but a good different." Peach explained nodding her head. "I'm still getting use to Rollins though."

Olivia pushed her glasses up on her face to look at her phone, "Rollins is not fond of change at all. Its not you, its that. She'll come around though."

"I'll remember that. I'll leave you to whatever or whoever is on your phone." Peach left the office going to her desk looking through some paperwork.

"Busy tonight Rollins?" Fin asked twisting in his chair.

She looked away from her computer and shook her head. "Besides hanging with my two at home, no. Why?"

"Dinner tonight to celebrate Peach's first month with us and Nick's first month at violent crimes. You in?"

"Nick's at violent crimes?" She asked giving him her full attention. "I didn't know that."

Fin shrugged smiling, "Either way, we're celebrating. You comin?"

Rollins nodded, "Yeah, I'll go celebrate with him. I just gotta let the babysitter know I'll be later."

Peach chuckled under her breath at Rollins choice of words. The other detective had been making little remarks and doing little things to piss Peach off but it hadn't worked thus far.

"Who's all coming?" Kat asked

"Us four of course, Nick, Phoebe and Carisi. It'll be like a family reunion." Fin joked before picking up his ringing desk phone.

Rollins went back to her computer and rolled her eyes, "A family reunion with extras."

"What was that, Amanda?" Peach asked smiling.

"Nothing, nothing, just talking to myself. I hope you don't feel any way that you have to share your celebratory dinner with our old coworker."

"Nope, I don't. I actually suggested that Nick and I have our dinners together. Wouldn't make sense to have two separate ones."

Rollins glanced at her, "You suggested to share a dinner with a stranger? Southern hospitality at its finest."

Peach chuckled shaking her head. "He's not a stranger. Me and Nick are friends and we used to be partners. We were undercover together as well."

"Huh, is that so? He never mentioned you while he was here."

"There was no need for him to mention me while he was at work. But trust me we're close friends."

Kat watched and listened to the conversation closely, she knew Peach and she knew when her friend started to get agitated and wanted to intervene when she noticed it was getting close to that moment. As much as Rollins worked Peach's nerves, Peach had never said anything out of the way to Rollins or about Rollins. However, Rollins complained about Peach whenever she could and to whoever she could.

----

Olivia stood in her kitchen fixing dinner for her and Noah. Her son came running from the back of the apartment from his room when he heard a knock at the door. Olivia laughed hearing his feet.

"Ask who it is before you open it, Noah."

"Who is it?" He yelled standing at the door.

"Elliot! Open up, Noah." He yelled with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Before she could stop him, Noah snatched the door open with a wide smile on his face. He launched himself at Elliot as soon as the older man stepped in, hugging him tight.

"Whats going on, buddy? I take it you missed me?" Elliot laughed hugging him back.

"Yeah! Mom said you've been busy with work."

Elliot nodded glancing over at Olivia, who still had her back to them. "Yeah, work's been busy but I'm here now. Why don't you go play for a bit while your mom and me talk."

Watching him run off, Elliot went to the kitchen area sitting on the stool at her breakfast bar. He let her move around in silence for a few minutes.

"I've been calling you, Liv."

"I know but between work and Noah I've been so busy. I'm sorry, El."

Elliot nodded rubbing his hands together. "At least turn around and look at me while you lie to me. You've been avoiding me."

Turning the stove down, Olivia moved to lean against the counter finally looking at Elliot. She couldn't help the small smile that started to spread on her face.

"You could've just not asked, El. We could've just let it be."

Elliot shrugged, "I could've but if we're really moving past everything then this needs to be discussed. So let's discuss."

"Not with Noah here."

"If we don't talk tonight, right now then you're gonna avoid me again," Elliot replied shaking his head, "You said it yourself when he's in his room playing he doesn't hear anything. Now let's talk."

Olivia sighed wiping a hand down her face. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's start with why you didn't tell me about Noah?"

"You left, El. It was three months before I even realized and how was I supposed to tell you?"

"That was something that was important to tell, Liv. It's not easy but you say it," he sighed. "The night that you and I spent together ... did you regret it?"

"No of course not. No." She replied immediately.

"Then you should've told me. I wanna hear you say it, tell me."

Olivia stared at him trying to make herself say it. She never said it out loud to anyone not even aloud to herself. And here she was having to say it to the very person that helped her into this situation.

----

"Well, well, look at what the wind blew in," Fin laughed standing up to greet Nick. "And with a beard at that."

Nick laughed hugging Fin then Phoebe. "Had to start looking my age. Got tired of everyone calling me choir boy."

"You'll always be chior boy to me, man," Fin replied sitting back down. "Everybody else said they're on their way. How's the job treating you?"

"Actually pretty good. Captain and me get along pretty well so do me and my partner so that's all I can ask for. You used to work with him, right? Stabler."

Fin nodded, "Sure did. For years. He can be an ass and a hot head but a good dude. Kinda like you."

Nick chuckled, "I'll take that as a compliment. How's Peach doing with you guys? Yall taking care of her?"

"She fits in pretty good, Rollins hadn't come around yet. Wait, why? You got a thing for your ex- partner?"

"No, not that. We're friends. We go back to my vice undercover days. What's Rollins deal with her?" Nick asked getting comfortable.

Fin shrugged. "You know Amanda, she's real finicky sometimes. I ain't figured out what the deal is but I'm sure she'll tell us eventually."

"Speak of the devil," Nick joked under his breath seeing Rollins walk in with Carisi behind her. He smiled, "Long time no see Amanda. What's going on, Carisi? You two a thing now? Finally."

Carisi shook his head quickly sitting across from the others. "No, not at all. We both just got here at the same time is all. Look at you with this beard, man."

Rollins shot Carisi a look then hugged Nick. "Well don't say it like it's such a bad thing. Hey, Nick. How ya doing?"

"I'm good, I'm good. What about your girls? How are they?"

She got comfortable in the seat beside Nick. "They're good, a handful but good. How's Zara and Maria?"

"Good," Nick nodded, "Zara's happy to be back in New York, wasn't too fond of LA."

"And Maria? She happy to be back?"

"I guess she would be if she was here," Nick shrugged with a small smile on his face. "So, Carisi, DA's office treating you good?"

Carisi laughed, "If good means giving me ulcers then yeah. I don't enjoy it everyday but I don't regret my decision."

"You wouldn't have ulcers if you stayed a cop." Rollins rolled her eyes trying to sound as playful as possible

Nick looked between the two of them, thankful he didn't have to deal with her snide remarks anymore. "He had to do what was best for him, Amanda. You can't fault him for that."

"I'm just saying," she shrugged, "He could've waited."

"Waited for what?" Carisi asked with a frown.

Before Rollins could respond, Kat and Peach approached the table laughing and talking loudly. Kat started to hug everyone.

"The second guest of honor is here so the celebrating can begin," Peach announced excitedly.

"I promise she hasn't started drinking yet," Kat joked sitting to the right of Carisi, "This is just how she talks off the clock and when she's excited."

Fin laughed pulling away from hugging Peach. "Loudest I've heard you talk this whole month."

"There was no reason to talk that loud at work," she responded playfully.

Smiling, Nick got up going around the table with his arms open wide. "Get over here and gimmie a hug, girl!" The two friends embraced tightly for a minute or so before letting go. "Haven't seen your mug in a while, munchkin."

Peach laughed pushing him playfully. "I told you about the name, Nick. And you act like you don't talk to me at least two or three times a week."

"So what? I can't miss your mean ass face?" Nick joked. "These people get to see it every day just about."

"Oh whatever, Nick. Move," she laughed going to sit to the left of Carisi, "Is this you dressing down?"

Nick went back to his seat laughing but noticed the look on Rollins face. He leaned in close to her to keep his voice down. "What's with your face?"

"Nothing, nothing. You and her close, huh?"

"Yeah we are. That's my friend."

Carisi laughed fixing his shirt, "I didn't wanna be overdressed in my suits but this was still a celebration. Does it not look nice?"

Peach raised a brow playfully. "No, no, it looks nice. You look good, Carisi."

"I see you dressed up as well. Showin' leg, huh?"

"I don't get to dress up that often so I figured I'd show out a little. Too much?" She asked looking over at him.

Carisi looked down then back at her face, "Na, not too much. You look beautiful. Did you drive?"

"Thank you," she shook her head, "Nope. Me and Kat wanted to drink tonight so we're gonna get a Uber."

"You know how I feel about that."

Peach shrugged playfully. "I know but we're gonna be together and we love in the same building." Carisi stared over at her making her roll her eyes. "Fine, fine. You can take us home, Dominic."

"Thank you very much, Bianca."

Rollins squinted at the two, "What's so funny you two?"

"Shhh," Peach laughed, "Yall hear that?"

Fin frowned a little and chuckled. "Hear what?"

"The sound of somebody minding my business again."

----

Olivia sighed softly fixing the three dinner plates, she had yet to say what Elliot wanted to hear. She knew she was going to have to say it before Noah came out to eat but she was buying time. Taking the plates over to the breakfast bar, Olivia sat them down then grabbed Elliot's hands.

"The night we spent together after that case with that boy Hunter was the night I got pregnant," Olivia explained softly, "I didn't find out until a few months later, by that time you were already gone. Cragen let me stay as long as I could then I went out on leave until Noah was about six months. I never told anybody but Fin and Cragen figured it out when they say him."

Elliot squeezed her hands smiling, "Thank you for finally telling me. Thank you."

"Wait," Noah called out, "You had a baby before me, Mom?"

Olivia and Elliot stared at each other then at Noah speechless.

#law and order svu fic #svufic #svu fic #Elliot & Olivia #stabler & benson

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write-havoc · 6 years

Text

This Is How I Disappear Ch. 48

Summary: A girl named Chuck finds herself in the exact place she doesn't want to be, living with violent men in a desolate nursing home. After her former gym teacher finds her, will he be the savior she was looking for?

Fandom: The Walking Dead AU

Pairing: Negan/Original Female Character

Status: Completed (story continues in The Flame Is Gone, The Fire Remains)

Contains: swearing, violence, sexual assault, blood, smut

Intended for readers 18+ of age only

Masterlists in my bio

——— Negan’s POV ———

When we drive within radio range of the bridge, I call out to my guys. I tell them to stay the fuck there and to keep out of fuckin’ sight. I want to know if someone crosses back over to our side of the goddamn river. But I also don’t want Eldritch fuckin’ knowing that I’m scoping shit out. I want him to think that I’m some dumbass he can get one over on. Underestimate me so he’ll make a fuckin’ mistake that I can take advantage of.

We pull up to Alexandria a few minutes later. After we park the car, Rick starts to lead us to his house so we can fuckin’ discuss all this Eldritch shit. But Aaron comes running up to us before we get there.

Aaron looks us over and his face fuckin’ drops. “He still has her.” It’s not a question. He sees that Chuck’s not with me. He knew she was taken. Rick fuckin’ filled him in on the situation after I radioed it to him. And he looks fuckin’ crushed that she’s still out there.

I rub my hand down my chin. “Eldritch said he’d keep her until he gets what he wants,” I explain, trying not to fuckin’ break down myself.

Aaron looks at me with fuckin’ red rimmed eyes. “Is she okay, at least?”

I push my hand into my jacket pocket and take out the picture Eldritch gave me. Aaron takes it and stares at it for a moment before covering his mouth with his other hand.

He lets out a tiny sob. “She looks so scared,” he chokes out before looking up to the sky and wiping his face with his other hand. He clears his throat, calming himself down, and looks back to me with determination. “We’re gonna get her away from him.”

“Yes we are,” I respond with just as much fuckin’ certainty. I will get her home safe and fuckin’ sound if it’s the last goddamn thing I ever do.

Me, Dwight, and Arat go into Rick’s dining room to discuss shit with him, Daryl, Michonne, and Aaron. I start off by telling them the shit that went down at the meeting. Which I fuckin’ hate, by the way. I pretty much have to say that Eldritch slapped me in the face with his dick and I just sat back and took it.

But they all get it, which kinda makes everything worse. They all fuckin’ know that I can’t let anything happen to Chuck and my baby. Which means my weakness is out there with a big fuckin’ neon arrow pointing right to it for everyone to see.

Fuck. I was too open with Chuck. I should’ve done fuckin’ everything different.

“So if Eldritch is livin’ on the other side ‘a the river, why’s he comin’ over here?” Daryl asks.

“He has to have a base on this side,” Michonne answers. “Leading as many dead as he did to The Sanctuary, there’s no way he crossed the river.”

“I’m thinking the same fuckin’ thing,” I reply. “My guys on the bridge said a truck crossed it before the meet. Coulda been Eldritch heading there. He could’ve already had guys living in that fort like an outpost while he stays at fuckin’ home over here.” I shrug a little. “Don’t forget that he’s been sending smaller herds at us for a while now which, logistically, would be fuckin’ hard as shit to do from further away. It would take too much fuckin’ time and planning.” I run my hand down my beard. “He was probably just putting his fuckin’ feelers out with that shit. Seeing how we’d all do in a fight. See what kinda fuckin’ firepower we got.”

“Yeah,” Rick agrees. “Makes sense.”

“If those fuckwit brothers hadn’t fuckin’ defected and told that Eldritch fuck about my inner workings, I bet he wouldn’t have made a fuckin’ play,” I growl out, getting more pissed when I think about it.

If those fuckers hadn’t spilled their shit to Eldritch, he would have never known about Chuck...

Aaron jumps in. “He would’ve attacked us all at some point. He would’ve found the weak points eventually.”

Michonne looks to Rick. “He’ll come for us next.”

“He knows we’ve been working together,” I say to Rick. “The fact that Eldritch hasn’t attacked you is fuckin’ telling. Either he doesn’t have the men or he doesn’t have the weapons to fight both of us. And I’m fuckin’ inclined to think it’s the weapons. Since he wants mine.”

Daryl lets out a fuckin’ huff. “Then he’ll use ‘em against us once he gets ‘em.”

“Probably,” I say bluntly. “That would be the smart fuckin’ thing to do. Use my guns to take you guys out and get your guns. He’d rule this whole fuckin’ area.”

Rick scratches at his beard as he thinks. “How many weapons are we talking about?” he asks me.

“A lot,” I answer vaguely.

Everyone is silent as they process that shit. A fuckin’ psychopath is about to fall into a fuck ton of guns. And that will definitely impact every-fuckin’-body.

Daryl finally breaks the silence. “You can’t give him those weapons,” he directs at me.

“I can’t fuckin’ not ,” I bite back. “If I do the wrong fuckin’ thing here, Chuck could die. My baby could die. And I can’t take that fuckin’ risk. I won’t. She’s fuckin’ innocent.” I pause for a second at the thought. And about how all this must seem to Rick and his guys. “I know this shit sucks ass and it would be easier in the long run to take that fucker out right now, but I have no fuckin’ idea where Chuck is. If I attack him now, I could lose her for-fuckin’-ever!” I take a deep breath to calm myself down a little. “I have to play this shit smarter. Let Eldritch win now so he can fuckin’ lose later when I get my girl back. I will not put her in danger.”

“We don’t want to put Chuck in danger, either,” Rick says gently. “We’ll back your play.”

I continue. “Look. He’s not gonna get all my guns, like he fuckin’ asked. Eldritch only knows about the guns that Conner fuckin’ knew about. And I’m fuckin’ smart enough not to let anyone know exactly how many guns I have. My saviors know what’s in my fuckin’ armory. But I got stockpiles all over the fuckin’ place. So no matter what, I’m not gonna be fuckin’ defenseless. And I will have the guns to fight back against him after Chuck is safe. I will not let that fucker live one minute longer than fuckin’ necessary.”

My radio suddenly squawks to life. “ Negan? ” It’s my guys on the bridge.

“Yeah? Go ahead,” I answer.

“ That truck from earlier came back over the bridge. We followed it back to this unmarked tunnel in the middle of nowhere. It was guarded by a shit ton of guys so... I’m guessing your man was in the truck. ”

“Where’d the tunnel lead?”

“ No idea, sir. We couldn’t get that close or they’d get wind of us. ”

When my guy starts to describe this tunnel and give its location, Rick goes over to a cabinet and comes back with a big ass book of road maps for the area. He opens it to the right page and points down at the fuckin’ area.

Rick taps the page with his finger. “The tunnel must be right here.”

I put my radio away and lean over the map to look. I can’t see shit, so I get my glasses out and put them on. The place Rick pointed at looks like it’s in the fuckin’ forest. Where that tunnel leads to isn’t immediately fuckin’ obvious.

I look back at Dwight and point at the map. “You know what’s out here?” I’m not asking Rick cuz I know he’s not from around here.

Dwight comes forward to lean over the table. “Nah. I don’t know this area very well.”

I look back to Arat, wordlessly asking the same fuckin’ question.

“Sorry, sir,” Arat shakes her head and shrugs. “I’m from further north.”

“Olivia might know,” Aaron jumps in.

“She’s in the armory,” Michonne adds, prompting Aaron to leave to get the woman, I guess.

Rick looks over to me. “Olivia is originally from this area. And she’s kind of a local historian. Or used to be.”

A few minutes later, Aaron comes back in with a woman following. She’s kinda chubby with black hair in a pony tail and fuckin’ glasses on her face. She looks exactly like the kinda fuckin’ woman that would be a local historian.

“Come on over here, honey,” I call out to her with my arm outstretched in her direction. “We’re in need of your expertise.”

“O-Okay,” she says nervously and comes closer to the table.

I put my arm on her back to push her in closer to the map. “My guys found a tunnel out in the woods and we need to know where the fuck it leads.”

“What kind of tunnel?” she asks.

“It’s unmarked and leads underground,” I relay the info my guys told me. “It’s big enough for fuckin’ trucks to get in an out.”

“Hmm.” She thinks a second. “Some government building have alternate entrances. And since we’re so close to D.C., there are a lot of government buildings around.”

I point on the map where the tunnel is. “It’s right there,” I say to her.

“Umm.” Olivia pushes her glasses up her nose before leaning down to look at the map. She flips through more pages, finding maps of surrounding areas, then flipping back to the big map, but it looks like she’s not finding anything. “Hmm,” she hums then straightens up with her hands on her hips. It looks like she’s gonna fuckin’ tell me she’s got nothing, but then her face lightens up suddenly. “Oh, wait!” She leans back down and finds a zoomed in page in the book. “Here!” She points to a spot.

I lean down to look where she’s pointing. “What the fuck is it?”

“It’s a military building. Logistic... defense agency...?” She shakes her head. “Something like that. I think it dealt with military equipment or something. I toured it once. It’s a huge building with like a pond behind. It’s nice.” She shrugs a shoulder. “It’s like two miles away from that tunnel entrance.”

“You think that’s where it leads?” Rick asks Olivia as he points down to the map.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure,” she answers.

“Where’s this place in relation to us?” I gesture out to the map.

Olivia flips back to the larger map and points to the area.

“Motherfucker,” I whisper when I see how fuckin’ close it is.

Then I realize just where it is. It’s in that overrun part that we’ve been fuckin’ avoiding.

“God damnit !” I turn and kick one of the dining room chairs across the floor. “That fucker has been in my backyard for months! If we fuckin’ cleared that huge ass herd out there, we woulda found him! We woulda fuckin’ dealt with him and this shit wouldn’t have fuckin’ happened!”

I look up and see that Olivia looks fuckin’ scared of me. But I can’t fuckin’ help it. I’m pissed off. Pissed off that all this shit is happening. Pissed off that it’s all my fault.

I hang my head and wipe at my brow. “You can leave, Olivia,” I mutter, but she hears me.

Olivia quickly pushes through everyone and hurries through the front door.

Everyone’s quiet for a few moments until Rick opens his fuckin’ mouth.

“We didn’t know-“

I whip my head up to cut him off. “I know!”

Rick glares at me for a second like I pissed him off. “I’m just saying- We can ‘shoulda coulda woulda’ all you want, but it’s not gonna solve anything. We need to find a way into Elrdrich’s base and get your wife back so we can get rid of that asshole before he ruins everything we’ve all built here!”

I process that shit. Then I nod because he’s right. “I’m gonna take my guys and head out there to check shit out. Actually see if this is where he is.”

“We’ll go, too,” Michonne says with a nod of her own.

A few minutes later, we’re on the fuckin’ road. I’m in my car with my guys and Rick is behind with Michonne, Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham.

Before we left, I radioed my guys on the bridge to tell them to stick tight. They’re going to be stationed out there for a while. Probably until all this shit with Eldritch is fuckin’ settled. That is, until he and all his fuckin’ men are dead.

When we get within a few miles of the building Olivia talked about, we park up and head off on fuckin’ foot. We don’t want to alert anyone to our fuckin’ presence. There’s a line of trees on the edge of the property, so we hide in there. And it’s just outside of where the dead fuckin’ are, so we’ll be good as long as none of us are too fuckin’ loud.

“I don’t know how anyone could live there,” Sasha comments as she looks through the scope of her rifle. “With all those dead so close.”

I look through my high powered binoculars. “They make good fuckin’ cover,” I comment. “Most of the windows are covered in newspaper, so there was definitely people in there at some point.”

We keep watching for a long fuckin’ time, but there’s no fuckin’ sign of anyone.

Abraham puts his binoculars down. “Maybe Olivia was wrong-”

“I got movement,” Daryl cuts him off. “Top floor. On the left.”

We all train our eyes on the window in fuckin’ question. And what I see makes my heart fuckin’ ache.

It’s Chuck. It’s definitely Chuck. It’s hard to see because the sun is just starting to fuckin’ set, but I know it’s her. She’s looking out the window, one of the only ones not fuckin’ covered. I can’t really see what she looks like, but I know she’s standing, so she must be not fuckin’ hurt, at least.

I smile first, glad to actually fuckin’ see her. See that she’s alright. But it falls quickly. She’s not alright. She’s prisoner to a man who wants nothing more than to fuckin’ destroy me, in a building surrounded by the goddamn dead that I can’t find a way to get into.

“That your girl?” Daryl asks.

“Yes,” I answer without taking my eyes off her.

She turns around like something got her attention, but turns back. Then I see what what she was fuckin’ looking at. Fucking Eldritch comes to stand beside her. Too fucking close to her. They talk, then both turn to leave our fuckin’ sight.

I watch for a while more to see if they come back. But they don’t, so I drop my fuckin’ binoculars. When I look around, everyone is fuckin’ staring at me.

“It was him,” is all I say, answering the fuckin’ question on all their goddamn minds.

Abraham lets out a gruff noise. “So, confirmation that this is the place.”

I take in a deep breath. “This is the fuckin’ place.”

Rick moves to stand next to me. “We still have some radio equipment left. We can find a place around here and set up a base of our own. Close to here and the tunnel so we can keep in contact in case Eldritch makes a move.” He looks around to his guys. “We can search the area for a place right now before it gets too dark.”

“I saw a country club close by on the map,” Michonne comments. “We could search it. See if it’s clear.”

I rub my hand down my face. “We have some generators back at The Sanctuary. I’ll send some guys back with them so we can set up this... recon base, I guess.” I let out a groan. “I gotta head off to fuckin’ Hilltop now. Tell them the fuckin’ news.”

We part ways, my guys and Rick’s. I’m headed to Hilltop to inform them that Gregory is coming back. I have no idea how the fuck they’re gonna take it. But I can’t have them fight me on this. I don’t know what Eldritch will do if they don’t fall in fuckin’ line.

——— ———

Chuck has been pacing around her room for the past few hours, it seems, waiting for Eldritch to get back to see how his meeting with Negan went.

Her only distraction was about an hour ago when someone came in and dropped off clothes for Chuck to change into. It was a powder blue scoopneck dress with a ribbon around the empire waist. Along with the dress is a bra and pair of underwear, which weirds Chuck out to think that Eldritch may have considered what she looks like naked. Plus, the underwear is more like lingerie, white and lacy. Definitely different from her normal cotton underthings. The man who dropped them off insisted that she change into the new outfit because it was “Eldritch’s orders” so she did, not wanting to risk raising a stink. The man removed her old clothes, including her underclothes, and gave her matching powder blue heels to wear, saying that Eldritch would collect her for dinner when he arrived.

She didn’t put the shoes on, just continued to pace without them.

He mind alternates between racing and vacant. At some points, she just mindlessly puts one foot in front of the other because that’s all she really has to do in her room. At other points, her eyes well with tears as everything she could potentially lose flows through her mind.

Her husband, her baby, her home, her life.

She finds herself staring out of her window hoping for something to focus on to keep her from going insane. That focus is shifted when the lock on the door clicks. Chuck looks back over her shoulder to see the door swing open. When she sees that it’s Eldritch, she turns back to continue looking out the window.

“Everything fits well, I see,” Eldritch says from behind her. “But you’re missing the shoes.”

Chuck doesn’t say anything in response.

“You’ve done some redecorating.” Eldritch comes up to stand beside her. “We don’t like the dead to see us moving around in here,” he comments as he plays with a bit of ripped newspaper.

“I just wanted to let the sunlight in,” Chuck replies quietly.

“We’re high enough up,” he shrugs one shoulder. “You can keep your sunshine. Besides,” he swipes a lock of her hair off her shoulder, “it suits you. Your hair is the exact color of a sunset.”

She turns away from him and walks into the center of the room, not wanting to be so close to him.

Eldritch lets out a light huff. “Sit down.”

Chuck obeys the order and sits on the edge of her bed.

He walks over to the door and bends down to pick up the heels resting on the wall beside it. Kneeling down in front of her, he starts to slip the shoes onto her feet. His hands linger on her legs a little too long, causing Chuck’s anxiety to spike.

“Are you hungry, Red?” His face tilts to see her.

Chuck just nods, not trusting her voice at that moment.

Eldritch stands, taking Chuck’s hand and pulling her up with him. He leads her back into the conference room where they first met, only now there are table settings for two at one end. Eldritch pulls out Chuck’s chair and gestures for her to sit, pushing the chair back in after. He takes his seat directly to her right, which is at the head of the table.

Eldritch takes a sip from his glass of red wine, letting out a satisfied breath after. “Would you like some?” he offers.

Chuck shakes her head.

“One glass won’t hurt the baby. They do it in Europe.”

Chuck shakes her head again. “No, thank you.”

She takes a sip of her water and notices that the glass is very heavy. It’s expensive crystal, just like Eldritch’s wine glass. And the silverware is very nice, too. Everything at the table is incredibly fancy, almost like the table settings were taken from a presidential dinner.

A couple of men walk in carrying covered trays containing the entrees, Chuck assumes. The men set the plates down in front of Chuck and Eldritch and swiftly leave.

Eldritch shakes out his napkin and sets it in his lap. “We might not have everything you’re used to here, but I instructed the women to prepare the nicest meal they can with what we have.” He looks down to his plate. “It smells delicious, don’t you think?”

“The women?” Chuck asks, ignoring Eldritch’s question. She has only seen men here since she arrived. And the way he said the words rubs Chuck the wrong way.

“Yes. The women,” he answers. “I know you haven’t seen them, but I have women here. I just keep them away from all this ugliness.” He gestures upwards, vaguely denoting the state of the world, Chuck assumes. “We’re fighting a war everyday, now. And women are nothing but liabilities on the front lines. I don’t put my people in danger like Negan does by sticking women where they don’t belong.” He takes another sip of wine. “But you women are useful in other ways.” He points to the food. “Cooking, cleaning. Hopefully child rearing in the future.” He sticks his fork in his food. “Eat,” he demands before taking his bite.

Chuck takes a small bite, but refuses to raise her head to him. She’s absolutely hating this. Eating with him like everything is normal is one thing. But listening to his misogynistic views is another. Everything in her wants to stand up to him, but she is afraid to make him angry.

“How is it?” he asks.

“It’s very good.” Chuck wants to make sure to praise the women, because she has a feeling that their lives here are probably pretty dire. Not that the food isn’t good. It’s actually delicious.

“One of the women was a five star chef. She makes all my food.”

“What’s her name?”

He casts his eyes up in thought then looks back to his plate. “I don’t know.”

That sends a chill down Chuck’s spine. He knows why this woman is useful to him, but not her name. Like she’s not an actual person.

They eat for a few minutes in silence before Eldritch resumes the conversation. “I thought you’d be asking about your husband as soon as I got you. You don’t want to know how the meeting went?”

“How did it go?” she asks almost quietly. It’s not that she didn’t want to know. It’s just that she didn’t want to ask. If the meeting went poorly, she didn’t want to risk being on the receiving end of Eldritch’s anger. Because who better to take it out on than her.

Eldritch smiles. “It went exactly as I wanted it to. Negan is cooperating one hundred percent. He’ll be pulling his men out of his outposts and handing over all of his guns to me when we meet again in two days.” He lets out a little chuckle, very pleased with himself.

Chuck knows that no matter what, Negan would never fully cooperate with Eldritch. Whatever Negan said to Eldritch, he has a plan to take him down. Negan always has a plan.

“Am I going home when you meet again?” Chuck asks, hopeful.

He shakes his head. “I still need you a little bit longer, Red. Besides, I think I‘m starting to like you.”

She looks down to her plate and tries to blink away the ears that are starting to fill her eyes.

They finish the rest of their meal in a tense silence, only the occasional clanking of a fork on a plate breaking it. When the dishes are empty, Eldritch takes Chuck by the hand and leads her back into her room.

Chuck’s eyes immediately land on her bed and the white satin nightgown that sits on top of it. Someone had apparently left it there while she was out.

Eldritch gestures to the garment. “Put it on.”

Chuck turns to face Eldritch to wait for him to leave. But he doesn’t. Instead, he grasps her shoulders and turns her back to him. When Chuck feels him tug at the zipper to her dress, she instantly flips around and backs away from him.

“Don’t!” she yells and throws one arm around herself while she holds the other out to keep Eldritch back.

He walks toward Chuck with a stoic look on his face. “I’m just helping you into your nightgown, Charlotte.”

“I won’t wear it!” she cries out in fear.

His face suddenly twists in anger. “You’ll wear it or nothing !” he screams in her face. He backs away and inhales a few heavy breaths to steady himself. “Either you let me take the dress off you or I’ll rip it off and take the nightgown with me, too,” he says more calmly.

Chuck weighs her options and hesitantly turns around to face away from Eldritch, making her choice to let him undress her.

Eldritch slowly unzips the dress and pushes it down her arms. But he doesn’t let the dress drop. He kneels down behind her to pull it to her feet. “Step out.”

Obeying the order, she steps out of the dress with one foot, then the other.

“Turn around and step out of the shoes, too,” Eldritch orders again still from a kneeling position.

Wrapping her arms around herself to shield her from his gaze, she turns and kicks the shoes off before he can touch her. She hopes to god that he’s not going to take her underclothes off as well.

Eldritch grabs the nightgown from the bed and walks to her. “Arms up.”

Chuck raises her arms and Eldritch pulls the nightgown over her arms and head, letting it fall down he body naturally. She immediately brings her arms back around her, still feeling too exposed. The nightgown is spaghetti strapped and made of thin satin cut above the knee.

Eldritch steps back and bends down to take the matching white satin kitten heel slippers from beside the bed. “Put these on.” He hands them to Chuck then goes to the door, opening it and calling out for someone.

Chuck throws the slippers down and slips them on, completely confused and upset about what is happening. Her tears are freely falling from her eyes and traveling down her cheeks.

Eldritch comes back in with his Polaroid camera, pausing to look Chuck up and down.

“Perfect,” he whispers with a smile and brings the camera up to take the picture.

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