Author: Desiree (Doretta78)

It took only a second. She was completely trapped under the weight of the man who's control was not his. The door hadn't yet shut when she was spun dizzyinglyaround coming face to face with the most hateful eyes she had ever seen. His cold hands clutched her arms and held them steady as he thrust her up over her desk and slammed her into the hard, steel wall. The lights around her spun out of focus as her head came in contact with the metal. But she was still conscious when he flung her angrily from his grasp and watched her slam into the concrete floor.

She heard her wrist crack as it broke most of her fall. Her right shoulder was next, popping out of its socket at precisely the same time her assailant grabbed at it and pinned her down on her back. The pain shook all her senses and her scream echoed it.

Those eyes…they were all she could see. God, the hate in those eyes. But even with the terror and anger running through them, she could still see him. She could see him crying out from deep inside…and wanted nothing more than to help him. Even if it felt like at this very moment he could and would kill her with a single blow.

And as she thought this, his icy hand angrily grasped at her throat relieving the pressure on her injured shoulder.

"Please…" she barely uttered through her closed airway. "Let…..go.."

But his grip only tightened as her pleas hit his ears. She was the one who was always in control….and he couldn't handle it anymore. He wouldn't let it go on this way.

"I'll give….you…." she gurgled as he forced her head sideways and pushed her cheek into the floor almost cracking the bone. "Take it…" she whispered now as she pointed helplessly up at her now demolished desk with here eyes.

His head jerked instantly to the direction she looked and saw the blue vile laying on the edge of the desk directly above them. Part of the reason he came here. But that wouldn't be all. He would be sure of it. Turning his gaze back onto his victim beneath him and once again using her throat to turn her gaze on him, he tried to portray this to her by willing her to see it in his eyes. No words could explain the hate building in him right now. But he wanted her to know. And he was sure he could kill her if he needed to go that far. Because he was in control.

Without releasing his hold on her neck, he grasped for the syringe and nearly knocked it to the floor his hands were shaking so horribly. With his teeth, he removed the cap from the needle and spit it angrily in the face of this woman…..this woman who would no longer do this for him. Her left arm shot to protect her face but came in only came in contact with his taut arm as it squeezed more tightly on her neck. And she left it there.

"Oh god, please" was all she could think. It would end in a moment. "Take it Darien," she whispered to him. "Take it….." she let her voice trail off as his eyes assaulted hers. He was screaming inside…she could hear it. But it wasn't Darien that heard her.

From the butt of his hand came the most explosive pain Claire had felt in an eternity. Lightning shot through her face as the strike from his fist landed on the soft spot between her ear and jaw. The lights dimmed around her and the throbbing in her head increased. She couldn't scream…he was choking her again. The air wouldn't come. As hard as she gasped…nothing came.

She began to go numb as the shock of what was happening shot through her.

'God, do it….take it!," she silently screamed.

A crash above her broke into her drifting thoughts and a breath of air assaulted her stinging lungs. 'He let go…oh thank god he let go…"But as she attempted to move her head, forgoing the numbness and cold, she felt a burning sensation radiate from a spot on her neck. Her eyes shot open, light burned at her pupils. A loud crack sounded somewhere and suddenly the weight of the man above her shifted but she remained pinned. Claire forced her aching neck to respond and turned her head to focus on the ceiling. Tears swam through her eyes and nothing would focus. With what vision still swam through her eyes, she saw him. Bobby was there.

"Bob…" she barely got out before the pain hit her. It moved so slowly but burned so badly she wanted to scream. But even as her throat attempted the action, it closed up and once again choked off her airway. Tracing a path down her body, the attack slowly measured up every muscle and paralyzed them. She wanted to die. And she felt as though she would.

Unable to move, Claire blinked back the welling in her eyes and turned them towards Darien. He lay over her, head on her shoulder facing her, eyes closed. And in his left hand positioned close to her neck was the empty syringe of counter agent she had prepared for him when Bobby's frantic call alarmed her in what seemed like a moment before Darien found her.

"Bobby…" she pleaded as her eyes remained on Darien. Panic struck her and before her breathing slowed to a halt. Her lungs had given out. But even as she began trying to explain….trying to help herself…Bobby leaned down, rolling Darien gently away next to her.

"I gotcha Keep…don't worry. I gotcha."

And as his warm hand found her cheek, the world went black.

"Claire."

Had she heard that?

"Claire."

Reaching her a little louder this time, she was certain. God, what was she hearing? And that voice…

"Crap…"

The voice trailed off in an anguished sigh and her eyes shot open. Even as they did so she scolded herself for being so stupid. The light above her shot waves of fire through her eyes and as quickly as she shut them, spots of bright oranges and yellows invaded the darkness. She swung her right hand up to rub them out of her vision and as she did so, pain exploded through her arm and chest.

"Bloody Hell!!" she screamed, eyes shut, clutching her shoulder with her good hand. "Dammit!"

The room was so quiet her bellowing echoed and rang around on the steel instruments and cupboards lining the walls. It returned to her sensitive ears three fold. The noise made her squirm as she attempted to right herself in the bed. But it took only a moment to realize that wasn't a wise idea. Heat shot through the back of her neck and down her spine. She flopped her head back down the three inches it had risen. Still clutching her shoulder she tried turning her head away from the blinding light and opening her eyes. The pain was excruciatingly tearing at her neck but she tolerated it. She needed to open her eyes.

It wasn't a shock to see the room in a haze. Blinking away whatever she could, Claire visually took in the room. Steel everywhere, bleached white floors, medical instruments….instruments she had chosen and herself had arranged around the room. Instantly she knew where she was. But wasn't sure why.

"Claire."

She turned her head so quickly that the mere motion made her feel nauseous and her muscles screamed in her neck and back. Releasing a moan she didn't intend, she rubbed at her eyes trying to regain her equilibrium.

"Oh, god, Claire….I'm so sorry."

She slowly lowered her hand from her weary eyes and attempted to focus in the direction of the voice she had heard. She heard the clanking of metal on metal and turned her eyes toward it.

"Oh my god." It was all she could say. Her throat tightened.

"Claire…tell me you're alright." Darien's voice hit her in exactly the same moment as the tears began pouring from her eyes. "Hey.." he whispered and trailed off.

As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop them. Everything hit her. The pain she was in, the throbbing in her head, the straps around Dariens arms and legs…it smacked into her senses so hard she couldn't handle it. And she doubted she would know how if she could.

With her good hand, she covered her mouth to keep from sobbing and just stared at Darien. The look in his eyes didn't help. There was so much anguish there it sent her over. She turned her head away and stared at the ceiling trying to get the vision out of her mind. 'What have I done?' she echoed to herself over and over. 'Look what you've done.'"

"Hobbes!!" Darien yelled from his bed never taking his eyes off of Claire. The straps around his wrists clanked on the bed frame as he tried to get the attention of his partner.

"'This is it,' he thought. 'I'm ending this.'" He could barely look at her. But he tortured himself by doing so. "'You did this.You look at her! Make this end!!'"

Hobbes bolted through the steel sliding door followed by a large man in a white lab coat who immediately found his way to Claire's bed.

"How you feeling, buddy?" Darien jerked his head to face Hobbes and was totally taken aback. Had he just said that?!

"What?" he asked astounded.

"You doin' ok?" Hobbes' steely eyes turned away from Claire and bored into him showing his true intent at the question. It wasn't concern. It was procedure. He was his partner after all. And Bobby Hobbes wasn't about to go back on procedure.

When Darien didn't answer, Hobbes turned his attention back to Claire and the doctor who was checking her pulse. He strolled casually to Darien's beside and looked down at him, blocking his view of Claire.

"Hobbes.Come on man…I wanna see her." His muscles tightened, a reflex reaction to not getting his way. He set his jaw and tried to maneuver his head around Hobbes to see Claire. He wanted to know what she was thinking.

In a split second, Hobbes had his hand on Darien's worried forehead and pushed his head angrily down onto the pillow. "Don't make me get the head restraint, my friend." He glared down at his partner with as much anger as he could possibly muster. He would regret that later. He always did. He knew what had happened, had been there when it began. But this time it was different.

Bobby had seen the madness fill Darien' eyes as he read those papers they had found. They had stumbled upon the safe accidentally while searching for bugging equipment. He had insisted. It hadn't been done in some time.

He knew Darien's insanity level was good for another few days and so didn't push the subject of invisibility as his partner slid from room to room ducking surveillance cameras. It wasn't after all company policy to let agents lurk the rooms…no matter the reasoning.

So when he had stumbled upon Darien intently reading a handful of papers obviously produced from an unsuspecting safe, it was nothing more than shock to see him go into quicksilver madness, shove the papers back into lockup, and bolt passed him down the hall. It took all he had to keep up with his long strides.

Remembering the scene he had witnessed catching up to his partner, Hobbes let loose a glare on Darien he hoped conveyed his anger well enough. Darien stilled and swallowed his formed argument. He knew Hobbes meant business. He expected nothing less. Hobbes looked down at the restraints on Darien's writs and with a quick move tightened them until the patient squirmed. Darien didn't protest. It was fitting and he knew it.

When Hobbes had finished tightening all the braces, he patted Darien playfully on his chest, gave him a mocking wink, and strolled casually over to Claire's bed.

"Bobby," she said as he came up beside the doctor. "My god, Bobby. What happened?"

"Don't worry about it, keep. It's handled."

"Damit, Bobby, don't do that with me." She set her lips and stared straight at him. He instantly looked away, the response she expected. "Is he alright?" It was a quiet question but her most dire one. This got Bobby's attention faster than she had anticipated. He just stood there with a confused look on his face, not sure where to look.

"Yeah. Fine," was all he gave.

"Yeah fine?" she asked furrowing her brow. "Bobby…tell me."

"Doc here took real good care of our boy, huh doc?" he asked as he slapped the doctor on his back and gave him a beaming smile.

"I'm Josh, by the way," the doctor smiled at her as he pulled up a chair and the tray full of hypodermics she always kept stocked. "You're in good hands, Claire."

She didn't doubt it. She had personally selected doctor Josh Nadua onto the agency's staff three years ago. But had never spoken with him for more than five minutes, she reminded herself as she watched him prepare a needle. She knew he was the best, though, and she wasn't going to second guess herself.

"Just a small prick," he told her with a smile as he lowered the needle to her arm.

Suddenly it was all she could do to keep from screaming. She threw herself up in the bed, equilibrium damned, and smacked the needle away from Josh. When her movement ceased she grabbed onto Hobbes's jacket to keep from falling off the bed. He grabbed her before she had a chance to speak and laid her back down.

"Don't."It was all she could get out as she looked over at the doctor. Her heart was racing, her mouth dried out, she couldn't swallow. An anxiety attack at its worse. She had never been afraid of needles but after what had happened, she reminded herself, it may take a bit of mustering.

"It's ok, Claire. Just relax. It's not necessary right now."J osh gave her a pat on the arm and walked over to Darien.

Darien…who was laying there watching her when she turned her head to follow the doctor.

He slowly turned his head away from her as the doctor reached for his wrist and began counting his pulse. He had no idea what to say. He knew how close he had come. He had had her throat in his hands and a part of him had wanted to finish it. How could he live with that? How could he let himself go so far?

"We're not going to let this happen again, Darien." Her voice was hushed but strong as she directed the comment to him across the room." I promise."

Darien closed his eyes slowly and swallowed the pain welling up inside him. "Claire…" he started, "I'm not going to let it. I swear it."

"It's not your fault, Darien."

However many times she said it, he would never fully believe that. He felt like there was a monster in him that he couldn't control. God knew he tried, but he just couldn't. He turned back to look at her. Her face was set, her eyes were serious. He knew better than to argue.

"I'm so sorry."

"I know."

She woke up feeling half way normal and sat up in the bed cautiously. The lights this time were weak to her eyes and the throbbing in her head had stopped. Glancing around she took in the fact that she had been moved to another room. She was still in the agency building somewhere, but she had never seen this room before. Claire swung her legs over the side of the bed and steadily got to her feet.

Her shoulder was harnessed and her wrist was in a cast. Laughing at the bright pink selection someone had made she made her way to the door on the opposite wall. It slid open as she approached.

"Hey Keep." She almost knocked into Bobby as he walked into the room. "I knew you wouldn't be down for too long," he quickly smiled at her before looking at the floor and turning serious.

"Where's Darien, Bobby?" she asked with concern.

He looked up her, forehead wrinkled, almost laughing. "Our little experiment is having himself a little…" pausing for emphasis he continued, "downtime."

"Where is he Bobby?" Her serious tone always put him on edge and he quickly answered.

"He's in lockup."

With that she bolted out the door as fast as her balance would allow her and looked around to get her bearings. Finding the stairs, she headed for the entrance, Hobbes close on her tail.

"Hey Keep…you really shouldn't be up and running around just yet."

"I can't believe you Bobby!" she angrily spun on him as he crashed down the stairs behind her. Eye to eye with him she continued, "This is Darien we're talking about Bobby. Not some freakish experiment or lab rat."

"Hey," he started pointing a finger at her, "he almost killed you. Let's not forget that."

"It wasn't Darien," she answered as she turned back around and headed down the steps. She slammed through the door on the next landing and sprinted down the stark hallway to the holding room. Reaching to the door, Claire angrily searched her empty pockets for her card key. "Damit!" she cursed as she put her good hand on her hip and stared at the ceiling. Bobby pulled up beside her within seconds.

"You need a key," he sheepishly said as he swiped the card through the lock. Instantly regretting what he had said. Expecting the look she gave him, he focused on the opening door and Claire bolting through it.

The room was freezing and caught her off guard. The cold shot through her flimsy hospital clothes and took her back. She stopped short of the view into the padded cell the agency had built five years previously. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. Sitting at the table in front of the viewing window sat Josh and Eberts, both who swung their heads up inquisitively as she entered their view.

"What are you doing up?" Eberts shot at her as he rose from his chair and joined her in the middle of the room.

"I'm fine Eberts," she angrily said as his hand came up to guide her arm to a chair. Putting her arm up in defense and with as much emphasis as she could muster she looked coldly at him uttering, "I'm not here to observe."

Eberts swallowed hard and backed slowly away motioning with his head to follow him. She slowly made her way over to the table that skirted the length of the window looking into the cell.

Darien was sitting motionless in the farthest corner of the room, arms crossed, legs out in front of him. His head was propped against the wall in back of him and his eyes were closed. But there was no jacket this time. And she was grateful for that.

"We didn't put him in a jacket," Josh began. "We have to keep an eye on his injury. The jacket would just make it hard."

"What injury?" Claire asked calmly without looking at the doctor.

"From the tranquilizer. Agent Hobbes shot him in the back…pretty close to the spine. We're keeping an eye on it."

Without a word, Claire walked over to entrance door to the cell and lifted the handle. Eberts rose from his chair but thought better of an encounter as Claire shot him a look from the doorway. "Turn the sound off." He didn't move. She could see the repercussions moving through his mind and the turmoil they were playing there. "Turn…it…off."

Hesitantly, Eberts sat down and flipped the switch letting the speakers into the outer room silence with a whine. Claire turned her back to the room and searched out a chair to prop the door open with. Finding one, she dragged it with her good arm into the doorway and used it to keep the heavy door from closing completely.

Turning herself around to search out Darien, she was greeted with him already on his feet, hands in his back pockets, watching her warningly from his corner.

"You shouldn't be in here Claire." His voice cracked as he rolled his eyes toward the mirror that was their window.

"You shouldn't be either, Darien." It didn't phase him. He wouldn't look at her. She crossed the padded floor slowly and stopped within inches of him. "Darien," she whispered trying to make eye contact. "Darien, look at me." He rose his head and looked only over at the wall behind her. He was so obviously uncomfortable it made her smile. But she wasn't going to let him pull away.

Claire put her hand under his chin and turned his face towards her. "Please look at me Darien," she repeated.

His eyes moved to meet hers and they remained locked together. "You shouldn't be in here," he said again with what voice he had left. He wanted her out. He was so afraid of himself, of the monster that lived in him that he wanted to scream at her and make her understand. But he also knew that he had already bruised her in more ways than one and wouldn't even think of such an attack right now. It was too soon.

"I want to be in here." Claire quickly glanced at the door to make sure there was no one standing there before continuing. "I don't want this bothering you, Darien."

"You don't want this…" he said in shock and broke their locked gazes. He turned his head away and continued with a snicker, "I can't believe you just said that."

"It's true Darien. You can't let this get to you."

"Look at you!" he said raising his voice just slightly above annoyance. He took his hands from his pocket and placed them gently behind her head. The screeching of metal against concrete was instant as both Eberts and Josh jumped towards the doorway.

Claire grabbed onto his arm before he could remove his hand as she swiveled her head to look at the two men coming anxiously toward them. "It's all right. We're fine," she told them hastily. "Leave." It was all they needed. Both men moved back out the door and she heard their chairs move as they sat back down. She turned to face Darien.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Her eyes fell from his and she concentrated on the arm she held. "I could have killed you," he said as he lifted her face back towards him with his palm. "Look at you," he spoke to himself under his breath as he gazed at her face, trying not to apply any hostility in the motion.

She realized what a sight she must have seemed. She hadn't yet looked in a mirror and the realization that she must look a mess washed over her.

"Oh," she said as she tried to cover the sore spot on her cheek with her hand. "Darien, I'm sure I look worse than I feel."

"Listen to me," he told her trying to sound as calm and serious as he could, "I'm not going to let this happen again. I swear to you, Claire. This is the last time."

"You don't know what you're saying, Darien. We've been over this." It was a conversation they had had so many times she had lost count. But yet he seemed serious. As if to say something had changed. "What are you saying, Darien?" She didn't even try to hide the scare in her voice. He was planning something. The determination in his eyes frightened her. Darien removed his hands and placed them back in his pockets, turning his head towards the window. "The speakers are off Darien. You would be hearing yourself through the door."

But he wouldn't speak. The trust level was shot and he knew it. So he would have to play this safe. "I'll help you," Claire whispered to him. What?! He couldn't believe his ears. And he knew his expression showed it. He felt all the muscles in his body go taught as panic sunk in. Her help was not what he expected.

Claire took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. Her shoulder was beginning to ache and her head was pounding again. With her eyes closed, she yelled loud enough so Eberts could hear her. "I'm taking him into custody, Eberts! Sign him out!" The shock on Darien's face was enough to make her laugh. And as the laugh broke through, she winced at the pain as her cheek muscle repelled.

"Claire, no," Darien shook his head, "no, I'm not gonna let you do this. Forget it Eberts!" he yelled as the doctor walked through the door. "Claire, no." He backed away from her, pointing at the doctor. "Tell her.Tell her it's too dangerous!" Darien began pacing the wall like he always seemed to do when he got nervous. He began running his hands through his hair as if for emphasis. "Look at her…"

"Agent Fawkes, the only reason I signed you in here was because of your injury. I'm releasing you to another doctor. Whatever other reasons your colleagues may have had for keeping you here is their business. And they seem to want you out now. It's not my call." Josh walked over to Darien and turned him slightly, lifting the back of his shirt to observe the wound.

Claire silently gasped and covered her mouth as she saw the enormous black and blue stain that had covered half of Darien's back. Oh god, the pain he must be in, she thought. She noticed Darien glimpse at her from over his shoulder but he quickly rolled his eyes back to the wall when he saw her watching. He yanked the shirt back down out of the doctor's hands and turned to face him.

"I'm a dangerous man, doc," he said to Josh nearly face to face. He could be a towering presence when he wanted to be. "You know what happened. You gonna feel all right about releasing me to her? You want that on your conscience? Huh?"

"Not my call," the doctor repeated as he backed away from Darien and walked from the room.

"Let's go, Darien," Claire told him as she followed Josh from the room. She stopped at the door to make sure he followed…and he hadn't. "Don't be stubborn. I want you where I can watch you." She had meant to say it with the utmost authority but instead it came out sounding like a plea. She has sounded scared, and she hated that.

And so he followed her from his cell keeping a safe distance. He had to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the outer room and so stood a moment just outside the doorway. Rubbing the sting from his eyes, he glanced around. Eberts and Josh remained seated at the table heatedly signing papers. Claire signed them as well as they handed her the sheets one by one. Placing his hands into his pockets he aimed his stare across the room.

Hobbes stood motionless against the wall. Arms crossed, foot up on the wall, his partner stared him down like the villain he felt he was. And Darien accepted that. He looked away admitting defeat. He wouldn't ask for his partner's forgiveness. Soon it wouldn't matter anyway.

"Let's go," she called from the end of the table. Turning from the room, Darien quietly followed her. Passing Hobbes, he avoided any eye contact but felt the gaze bore a hole harsher than the already present bruising through his back as he and Claire walked down the echoing hallway and disappeared around the corner.

They walked to the car in silence. Darien was sure she would take him to the lab to run tests and was perplexed as to why they were heading out of the agency's building. Keeping a distance behind Claire, he took the opportunity to survey his damage.Her shoulder was in a sling, her hand was in a cast….he grabbed at the bridge of his nose and massaged it trying to get the images out of his mind, trying to get the sounds out of his head.He shuddered remembering the cracking sound her hand made when it hit the ground. He remembered everything.It always came back slowly, but it all did eventually. Vividly.It had been the anger…pure anger.

They had stopped at the hospital room where they had transferred Claire after releasing her from the sterile, protected lab downstairs. She had grabbed her clothes and jacket and tried stuffing them all under one arm as she looked around to search for any forgotten items. Darien had come up beside her and grabbed everything from her. But in doing so, he made her jump and almost scream. God, he would have given anything for everything to have been different. She pushed passed him out the door and so here they were now.

Darien carried her baggage to her car now and pondered what was going to happen.He was in her custody, he knew that much, but what she meant to do was perplexing him. All he knew was what he had planned. He had to do it.

Claire stopped short of the passenger side of the car and Darien stopped a few steps beside her.She turned to him, keys dangling in her hands."Take them."

"What?"

"I can't drive, Darien," she stated obviously motioning toward her wrapped arm.

"Oh," he said sheepishly as he took the keys from her and quickly opened the door for her to step in.

He walked over to the driver's side and got in, placing Claire's items on the seat in back of them.A quick glance at her told him she wanted silence. She was thinking…he saw it…the way her mouth went pouty, her eyes narrowed…

He started the engine and put the car in drive. "Um, Claire?"

"What?"

"Where we goin'?"

"My house." He didn't say a word, just looked at her waiting for an explanation. There was no way he was going to take her to her house. There would be no one there but the two of them. And he was sure no one else knew where they were going. "I assume you remember where that is?" she annoyingly remarked.

And so they drove in silence for the next 20 minutes. Claire not once looking at him for the countless times he glanced over at her.

"Just throw everything on the couch," Claire ordered when they entered her home. She immediately made her way back to the kitchen searching for a glass of water so she could swallow her desperately needed pain pills. Digging through her cupboards, she found a bottle of Motrin and filled a glass.

With a quick glance up the stairs into the bedroom at the top of the landing, Darien threw the clothes onto the couch and headed in the direction of Claire's kitchen. She was taking a couple pills as he rounded the counter.

"Why are we here, Claire?"

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