2 A. M. Visitor

Part 4 : Past Brutality

Val sat still, his breathing coming steady. The weight of Donavan's words pressed down on him as if a thousand pounds was slowly pressing. He closed his eyes, remembering the smell of her blood. The torn pieces of her strewn about the room as if an angry child had torn apart a toy. Only the stuffing had been her blood and organs. He got up from the table without saying a word.  Donavan watches him walk past the couch in the living room and out of sight down the hall that led to the guest room. Donavan followed behind him within seconds. The door closed behind him and Val stood in the center of the room.

"You knew this last night? You slept in the same room as me, the same goddamn bed, and you're just now telling me this? Was it fun!? Was this some kink of yours? Get the widower to appreciate your ass? Were you going to tell me after I fucked you so hard you would have a limp? Was that it!?" Val demands, his voice low for his daughter's sake.

Donavan felt as if he had been slapped by each every accusation. He winced and turned around so he had his back to Val, but he was wrenched around by a strong hand.

"No. You are going to look me in the eye and tell me everything." Val states, his hands balled into white knuckle fists. He could feel his blood, energy vibrating in his veins.

"It's not like that. Last night the monster found me. He caught me behind the club getting a blow job and he grabbed me off the street. He...he took me to a place that didn't seem real. The man did things to me, horrible things. Minutes became hours in that place. Do you know how to harm an incubus?" Donavan asked and Val looked confused.

"You inflict pain, bleed us to the point of almost death and then you withhold all affection, al intimacy, sex. He tied me up and ruined me. Cuts, bites, anything to open me up and make my blood flow." Donavan said as he sit on the floor rocking back and forth lost in his memories. He grit his teeth as if the thin hooks were still inside his skin.

"Who is he?" Valiant said his voice cool and calm while inside his heart was breaking but he couldn't discern who it was for.

"I don't know his name. Never had, he came and he paid me money to allow it at first. Then he stopped coming round. I thought I was safe. Then I would feel the air turn so cold and I knew it was him. He stopped paying as if that was the on switch for the real brutality to begin.  That's when Fairies started vanishing. I didn't put it together at first. I was scared and drunk. I tried to stay drunk just to feel numb but no matter what I did. I would feel those hooks inside my skin even if they weren't fucking there!" Donovan ran shaking hands over his stomach.

"If I call the police can you work with a sketch artist?" Val said, he had shut down his emotions to be able to perform his Kingsguard position. His voice was quiet as he watched Donavan nod but he spoke,

"When I came here, I had just left him. He had finished inside me, then threw me out like garbage.  I knew I needed your help so I walked here. I begged you for help that time you let me out of your car. I begged you because I knew I'd be right back in his arms again if you didn't step in." Donovan said not looking at Val but at his toes. A part of him waited for the disgust to come, for the anger but Val dropped to his knees. 

"I can not tell you how sorry I am. I treated you like you didn't matter because you hadn't killed my wife. I was obsessed, I still am even if I am a bit distracted by you.  Bringing her killer to justice is what matters right now, but more than that. Are you really alright?" Val asked, the question caused Donavan's eyes to raise to meet his.

"Doesn't matter now, your wife. I saw it happen.  I was there when he threw her into the room with me and him. I wanted to help her, wanted to protect her but he had me chained to the wall. He forced to watch as he ate her..." at the memory of the brutality of it he rose and ran around the hallway to the bathroom and Val could hear the sounds of vomiting. Abigail came round the corner than, her face filled with concern. The sight of her in her onesie sobered Val from the rage that was threatening to explode out of him.

"He's just a little under the weather baby, why don't you head to your room for a while and watch the tv up there!" Val asked, he hoped his face was reassuring but he was so numb he didn't know what his face was doing.  Abigail stared at him for a moment before nodding and said,

"Make sure he drinks the pink stuff" with that she vanished out of sight. Val sighs, his mind racing.  So many revelations in a few minutes, Donavan had been a victim of this monster. He had not only harassed when he had thought he was a suspect but practically handed him to this monster to be raped and abused on a fucking silver platter.

'I begged you for help'

Those words twisted his insides, he pulled his phone out of his hoodie and dialed the castle.  It only took one ring for Griff to answer the call.

"I need to see King now." Val said and hung up the phone as the door opened and Donavan stumbled out.  He looked pale, his skin slick with sweat. Val stepped forward and helped Donavan back to the guest room. He closed the door before getting Donavan to sit on the unmade bed.

"You don't have to be nice to me. I just wanted you to know what he looks like. Then I can get out of your life. Maybe use me as bait for him," anything else Donavan was going to say was cut off by a crushing hug from Val.  Donavan winced at first, ready for the blows to come as he feel he deserved them. But it was a warm wetness on his neck that happened as Val wept.  It was the first time since he had seen his wife's remains that he had felt the finality of it.  His wife was dead. This man in his arms had seen it. He sobbed and kept his eyes closed as he held Donavan. Donavan rubbed circles along his back and mumbled apologies against his skin.

The release of emotion left him weak, but the singular thought that King would be at his door soon kept him leaving being awake for some welcome oblivion only sleep could bring. He slowly dislodged himself from Donavan. Donavan looked as wrecked as he felt.

Together they went into the kitchen. After glasses of water Val walked to the couch and grabbed the remote control. Donavan sat on the opposite end of the couch as far from him as possible.  That action surprised Val with the small pain it brought to his heart.  He settled on the news and folded his arms over his barrel chest.  As the news station went through the daily news he thought about Donavan.

"Maybe he hates me, holds me responsible for his rape," Val thought bitterly and shook his head.

"Wait a fucking minute!" Donovan shouts and Val snapped out of his depressing stupor to look from the man to the flatscreen television. A terrorist bombing had occurred at a hospital destroying a good portion of it. He turned to look at Donavan but the man pointed at the scene on the tv.

"That's a quarter for the swear jar!" Abigail shouts and both men jump at her acknowledging the bad word Donavan had said. Then she looked at the tv a moment before running up to it and bouncing up and down.

"It's mummy! There she's right there. She's back from holiday!!!" Abigail sing/yelled in excitement as the two men looked past the girl at the crowd of people gathered around to watch the fire fighters fighting the flames.

There among the worried faces was indeed one he knew. Tegan stood with them, but her face was not one of concern. Instead she silently watched the fire with a small smile on her face.

"She'll be coming here soon and you Daddy's friend can't fall in love with her. She's the prettiest woman in the world but she's daddy's," Abigail commands and just as Donavan was about to speak. A strong knock sounded from the front door.