Author: Eggy Weg
Rating: PG 13
Classification: Angst Webb/ Mac bonding.
Spoilers: Anything up through A Tangled Webb.
Summary: Webb and Mac talk during the hour alone in A Tangled Webb.
Archive: Sure.
Feedback: Please.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money being made, just for fun.
A/N: There was a discussion on the Webbfans group about what Webb and Mac talked about when they were left alone for an hour to decide who was going to be tortured. I took that as a challenge and this is my response.
A/N 2: I have notice quite a few people from that group didn’t like the ending where Mac kissed him and quite a few did. So I decided to try and make it so it could have just been a thank you kiss, or a promise of more depending on what you want.
~~~
“I’ll be back in an hour you decide woman. Your blood or his” And then he was gone leaving them in a deadly silence as they looked pleadingly into each others eyes. The same sentence running through there heads. << He will put you through hell with no one there to call him off>>
“I’m sorry Clay but I can’t let them take you again” She found the courage to speak refusing to watch him die. The past couple of days had been sickening. They would come in and take him away to the hut, for hours on end she would hear him screaming with pain and it wrenched at her heart.
He came back a broken man, the arrogant spy who couldn’t apologise in Columbia seemed a lifetime away. Each night he lay crying in her arms apologising every chance he got. <<I just wish I could die for both of us>> He shouldn’t have to die for her, he wouldn’t they were going to get out of this mess alive. Each thought made her grow more determined to find a way out.
“Sarah please, don’t” He begged. At any other time or place she would have found the idea of Clayton Webb begging funny, but not now. No now it was sickening, no one should have to go through this.
“I have to” She gently took his hand “Clay you need me” He started to shack his head and she took his hand in hers. “I know you don’t think it now, but hopefully you will when this is all over… I…You never lean on anyone, let me help Clay. Please, I can help I know you think this is your fault but Clay it’s not and you don’t deserve to die. You’re a good man…I can’t let them take you”
“No…” His sentence was cut off as his face scrunched when the wave of pain hit and he knew this was one argument he had lost before it even started. Mac sat helplessly watching him squirm trying to ease the pain, all she could do was hold his hand and pray that he survived long enough to escape.
“Trust me Clay. You need me and I’m not going to let you down…”She carried on when his pain eased. She knew what it was like to be let down, all her life people had been letting her down. It was a pain that stuck and grew each time another person let you down. Slowly killing your trust in human love, destroying the one reason anyone truly had for living. She wasn’t going to let Clay down, and damn it even if he didn’t understand she wasn’t going to make him go through it.
“Sarah I can go and die now and be free from this pain.” He tried a new tactic, the truth. “Or you could make my pain worse by going yourself and making me listen to them torture you. That would be the worst agony of all Sarah knowing that I let this happen to you too.” She was right he did feel responsible, hell he was responsible. He couldn’t let her do this; he was going to die anyway. He had to get her to let them take him and not feel guilty about it
“Look I know I have no right to ask you this, God only knows what its been like for you stuck in hear alone with nothing to do but listen and wonder what’s happening to me, but please don’t make me sit here and wonder what they are doing to you” Tears stung his eyes and his speech took what little energy he had left. He only hoped she would understand what he was saying as he passed out into oblivion.
Clays passing out was her undoing. He lay there dying in her arms and expected her to let him. She couldn’t let this happen. Yes sitting there and wondering was horrid, but she wasn’t going to let him die, not like this not in this hell hole. There was a way out and she was going to find, she just needed to keep him alive long enough.
He knew Gunny had gotten away or he would be trapped in here with them. And well if he was dead they would have shown them the body by now, to show they meant business. Gunny had gotten away he would get help. They would get her out, hopefully before she had suffered in that god forsaken hut.
He knew she was feeling guilty for not being tortured but there was no way he was going to let her take his place. This was his mess and he would take the punishment, he should never have let his personal feelings get in the way. Gunny would find her and get her out he had no doubt about that, he just needed to distract them from her for a little bit longer.
“Clay” She gently whispered to see if he was awake.
He opened his eyes to find her lying next to him stroking his hair.
“Clay we need to talk we only have five minutes left” She had to let him know she didn’t blame him, that they would get through this. She needed to try and get him thinking ahead like the old Webb would “We will get through this together.” She stated.
“I work alone” He reminded her.
“You stopped working alone when you put that ring on my finger.” He sighed so she took his hand in hers. The bond between them had grown from this mess and she wasn’t going to let him forget that. “Look, you know I can’t let them take you… I need you to survive. I need you when we get back, do you think I could get over this if you died here? I need *you* Clay...you’re the only one who will have any idea about what I have been through. I need you to lean on Clay and I hope you will lean on me too.” She tried to give him a reason to hold on. He was silent for a long while taking it all in.
“Did I ever tell you I was sorry about all this?” He apologised thinking he wouldn’t make it.
“Many times” She answered disappointed he wasn’t even going to try.
“If we ever get out of this…” He started
“When, when, not if” She interrupted. It was wrong seeing Webb act defeated, he never gave up and she wasn’t going to let him now.
“Aren’t you the cock eyed optimist” He joked in his old sarcastic tone knowing she needed him too. But a wave of pain hit and he squeezed her hand tighter while holding in his groan.
“I can’t except dying here Clay I wont and I wont leave you behind” She said in the strongest tone she could muster in this situation.
So there it was she was going and there was nothing he could do but tell her she was worth it and he’d be happy to die in here arms.
“There is something I need to say to you Sarah” He wanted her full attention for what he was about to say.
“You don’t need to say anything” She stopped him not wanting him to think he could talk her out of it.
He needed her to know so he carried on anyway taking a deep breath. But the door came crashing open and then the guards came in. Time was up his fate was in her hands. She threw an apologetic look his way and started to stand up hiding her fear. She was a marine she would get through this, for Clay.
“No, No, Sarah” He begged, but she wouldn’t change her mind. This was for him and although he didn’t understand now he would, in time. When they were away from this hell hole pain free and thinking clearly.
They all turned around when he started quoting the Koran. She wouldn’t have been surprised usually; he was a smart guy after all. But he had taken a hell of a beating and his memory had been going fuzzy, these past couple of days. How he managed to quote it word for word was beyond her, hell how he was awake was beyond her. But his final attempt failed and she was dragged away while he screamed her name.
~~~ The End ~~~