And Then
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)
22 August 2000
Around 2 years ago Maggie wrote a nasty little fic called "Endgame". I wrote a possible sequel to it. As I re-read that today I realised how much more story there was to tell, therefore this is a sequel to "Next Phase". Short, not exactly sweet, and there may be more story if I ever feel so inclined.
---
And Then
Devon opened her eyes. She was in a cold sleep chamber, that much was obvious, and even as she took her first breath inwards she noticed the lid beginning to hiss open with a technological smoothness she didn't recall. The walls were white, the smell faintly antisepetic, and as Devon tried to sit up she became aware of the dull ache across her middle that even cold sleep would not have healed.
Where was she? Why was she in cold sleep? The questions raced across her mind as the horrific memory returned. Uly was dead. Killed by the one man she thought she could trust, the one man whom she'd actually contemplated letting into her heart. The man who, she had thought, had killed her as well.
Only now she was alive and the knowledge of this confused Devon. Danziger had shot her! And then tried to strangle her, hadn't he? She remembered seeing his face and then she remembered his eyes, the blue eyes which looked directly into hers and in them she'd seen sorrow and regret. And most surprisingly of all, compassion.
"Eben Synge?" A face appeared next to her crib and Devon shook her head, pushing herself up on her arms. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Citizen Synge."
The confusion on Devon's face must have been obvious because the medical technician quickly injected something into Devon's arm. "A mild stimulant. It will help your thought processes return to normal. You were unconscious when you were put under." He frowned. "According to your chart, the wound to your abdomen was healed prior to cold sleep however you may have residual pain and drowsiness."
"Where - where am I?" That much Devon at least managed.
"Station BX 42. Welcome home." The technician turned to walk away and Devon protested.
"Wait!" As he turned, she said, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do...."
"Your husband should be along shortly," the technician said. "Ask him." He walked off, muttering under his breath and Devon only managed to catch the phrases "rogue operatives" and "crazy for trusting her...."
Husband? Devon was shocked. How long had she been out of it? Did she have amnesia? It was the only thing that made sense of the myriad of conflicting memories: almost at New Pacifica, the poisoned food, Danziger....
"Hey," a warm voice said softly and she turned her head, the rapid motion increasing her dizziness. "Here." Danziger's hand reached down to take her arm and he pulled her out of the cold sleep crib with a practiced ease before wrapping his arms around her and dropping her lips to his ear. "Act like you're happy to see me, okay?"
Bile rose up in Devon's throat as she realised what he had done to her son. Her hands scrabbled wildly for purchase to push him away but the solid frame wasn't budging.
"You have to listen to me, Adair, otherwise you'll end up dead."
"Just like everyone else?" she spat bitterly, not caring who was hearing. In response, Danziger silenced her with a rough kiss.
Gasping when he broke away, Devon could only stare at him in horrified confusion.
"Play along," Danziger hissed. "I told them you're my wife. Okay? Your name is Eben Synge. You trust the Council and you're in love with me."
She laughed hollowly. "You sound very sure of yourself, Danziger. What makes you think I could ever love you?"
Momentary regret crossed his face. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know that I can't ever hope to make up for what I did and you won't ever understand, but I couldn't leave you there to die. I couldn't kill you again."
"And I'm supposed to be so grateful to you that I don't mind kissing a murderer?!" There was fury in Devon's eyes as she whispered the words as loudly as she dared. "Damn you to hell, John Danziger, you - " She couldn't get the words out as the full horror began to sink in. She wanted to scream and she wanted to get as far away from him as she could but his arms refused to release her. For all intents and purposes, she belonged to him now.
"Quiet!" he hissed. "I meant what I said before. If you say even one thing that doesn't go with what I told the station brass, they will kill you. No questions asked. This is the Council and they are on my side, okay? Devon Adair with all her power and money doesn't mean a thing to them other than the fact that she was an annoying inconvenience better off dead. Eben Synge they couldn't care less about. They said I can keep her as my wife."
"Keep me as your wife?" It was ludicrous and the expression on Devon's face betrayed exactly what she was thinking. Outrage, horror, and the awful knowledge that there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. "Eben was my *friend*! I can't take her identity!"
"They'll torture you if they know who you are." Danziger was whispering in her ear again in a parody of an intimate closeness. "You have to trust me, Adair. You can build a new life here, you and True together."
And that was when tears truly filled Devon's eyes. "You saved your daughter, you saved me, but you couldn't save my son? Ulysses was only ten years old! How could you do that to him, a child? An innocent boy!"
Yet the arrival of another medical technician cut off any response Danziger might have.
"How is your wife, Citizen Danziger?"
He gave the tech a smarmy smile. "As well as can be expected, given the circumstances. She's still a little woozy and out of it but I'm sure she'll come round. You did a good patch up job." Danziger indicated the general direction of her healing wound. "I think the best idea is for us to get home."
"They'll need to debrief you, Sir," continued the technician.
"Later," Danziger said, giving the technician a death stare. "You will arrange with Citizen Taggart for my new unit to be ready. I delivered what he wanted and I would appreciate you reminding him of that fact."
"Yes Sir."
When the technician was out of earshot, Devon turned to Danziger again, her eyes wide. "I'm not coming home with you!"
"Adair," he said softly and stroked her cheek, "you have no other choice." Danziger took her hand and led her slowly down the hall, supporting her as she stumbled and gasped, the perfect picture of an attentive husband. "You're mine now."
There was nothing she could do.
---
End for now.
(
geocities.com/area51/vault) (
geocities.com/area51)