Rebels and Rogues: What You Have To Do
Follows: Genesis , The Collar and Consequences
Warning: Dark themes and violent content.
ONE
Chris woke up slowly. Bleary-eyed, he looked around his small room, as he scrubbed a hand over his face. He glanced around the dank room, his gaze bouncing off the painted cement on the institutional looking walls. This old underground military barracks had been home to him and the rest of the Rogue-fighting-rebels for some time now.
He let out a long sigh and then looked at his watch. Morning. He'd actually slept through the night. It seemed like it had been a while since he'd done that, but there was a reason. Rubbing his eyes, he swallowed hard and then sniffed, thinking about Sarah and Adam, his wife and son. They were dead now, killed by the Rogue when the aliens had first come to Earth wanting to take over... and so far, doing a damn good job of it.
Oh, the rebels were fighting them... or hoped to be, anyway. But Chris wanted to do more. He wanted to draw blood, kill. He wanted to send the bastards back to wherever they came from. And now... with the help of the newly acquired 'collar'... they were going to do just that.
He rolled out of his bed, stretching as he stood. He made a quick stop in the bathroom and then walked out of his room into the hall. Sleeping rooms were situated on both sides of the hallway. Some of the doors were gone from the rooms and the children had made a sort of playroom out of one of them. The office that made up Nathan's Med room was on one side of the hallway, farther down. After that, the hallway eventually turned into a tunnel that led to the remains of a city, a half a mile away. On the other end was the main room with a kitchen and an office that Chris used. The main room they used for eating, meetings, sometimes training. And the kids played there when they needed to run off energy.
Chris raised an eyebrow when he was nearly run over by a group of small children. They darted around him, one of them actually hiding behind his right leg while the others raced by, heading down the hall with a young German Shepherd nipping at their heels, its high, happy barks echoing off the close walls.
He glanced down. Big blue eyes looked up at him from under curly blonde hair.
Emily.
Chris sighed.
Her parents were gone, and his little ragtag group of rebels had found her on one of their patrols. She'd been hiding in the basement of a rundown building. She'd only been five, and they weren't sure how she'd lived there, alone, for as long as she had. But she was a scrappy, feisty little kid and Chris had liked her immediately, even if he wouldn't admit it.
Chris seemed to get a kick in the gut every time he looked at a child. Any young face reminded him of Adam, reminded him of what he'd lost. So he stayed away from the kids as much as possible, leaving them in Mrs. Potter's capable hands.
Oh, he'd dole out punishment to the ones who didn't have parents around anymore to do the duty, and who wouldn't listen to Mrs. Potter. Chris would step in, his face dark, his voice stern and lay down the law. There wasn't a lot of misbehaving after that. That was mostly with the older kids, though, not a lot with these little ones. The little ones seemed to not know what was going on, how terrible life had become. They played with each other and with the dogs, which the rebels kept to scent out the Rogues. The children's bright happy voices a lot of the time were the only cheerful spot in the whole damn world.
But not Emily. It seemed like she was born old; she and Vin got along really well, seeming to have that in common. When she looked at you, it felt like she could look into your soul. Sarah would have liked her, Chris thought.
Most of the children in the rebel's barracks were afraid of him. But, damn, he shook his head, so were most of the adults for that matter. He didn't try to come off as a hard ass, but he supposed he did.
He just had a responsibility to keep all of these people alive, and if that made him a little less friendly than, say, Buck, then he couldn't help that. When he moved through the barracks, he was quick, efficient, his dark clothes blending him into the shadows. He'd sent people scurrying out of his way more than once. But he always had something to do and he couldn't afford the luxury of caring what other people thought of him.
Emily was still staring up at him. She didn't speak, just looked at him with those wide, searching eyes. He cocked his head at her, a smile curving up one corner of his mouth. Raising an eyebrow, he tilted his head in the direction the others had gone.
Her little shoulders slumped. "Can't I stay with you, Mr. Chris?" she asked. She glanced down the hall and then back up at him. "I don't wanna play with 'em."
Shaking his head, Chris squatted down so he was face to face with her. "You need to stick with them. We need to know that you're all together. Okay?"
Sighing dramatically, she heaved out a long breath. "Okay." She rubbed the toe of her shoe on the floor. "Maybe you can read me a story?" She blinked at him. "Later, 'fore I go to sleep?"
Chris had to swallow hard. He squeezed his eyes closed as a picture of Adam crossed in front of his vision. Read me a story, Daddy.
He nodded. "Maybe. But if not, I know Mrs. Potter will."
She puckered her mouth up in a frown. "But she's not you."
"Probably a good thing," Chris gave her a rare grin, reaching out and poking her in the ribs. "I wouldn't look good in her dress."
Emily laughed, a sweet, melodic sound. "You'd look funny," she agreed. "Like Mr. Ezra that one time."
Chris barked out a laugh. Nodding once, he took her by the shoulders and turned her away from him. "Now, get on down the hall and stay with the others, okay?" He gave her a light push.
She took a few trudging steps before glancing back at him.
"Go," he shooed her with his hands. He stood up, his back protesting and he leaned back to stretch it as he watched her walk down the hall, her steps slow, rebellious. He couldn't hide his smile. Yep, Sarah would have loved the little girl. He looked skyward, a wistful smile on his face. Sometimes it felt like Sarah was still with him, by his side. He could almost smell her. He loved that.
He shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now, he had work to do.
He dreaded the confrontation he'd have to have with Standish this morning. Damn fool, thinking that they'd just let him go off and give himself over to the Rogue. His face darkened. Kill himself. He shook his head. 'Damn fool' was right. He wasn't sure, but he was betting that Ezra was still in the Med Room. Vin had hit him hard.
That's the first stop he'd make.
He walked down the hall. If Ezra wasn't there, Chris still needed to talk to John Dunne, the teenager that Buck, Vin and Ezra had found, Collared, working as a computer jockey in a Rogue bunker. To the Rogue, humans were mostly just food, or a nuisance to be dealt with, but they did have use for some people, and on those they put a Collar to keep them in line. And any of those 'Collars' that didn't do exactly what the Rogue wanted were dealt with immediately and fatally - the collars that they wore, doing the ghastly execution work.
Standish had gotten the collar off the kid, though, but not without some horrible consequences.
Now, they needed to get any information about the Rogue that they could out of the kid, so Chris needed to talk to him. He shook his head. The last time he'd tried to talk to the kid he'd wound up on his ass with 130 pounds of snarling, raging fury on him. The teenager was a hell of a fighter, even with his hands secured behind his back he'd managed to bruise the hell out of Chris' ribs. Not to mention the bite marks he'd left. Tooth and nail he'd fought, like an animal - because that's how the Rogue had treated him - like an animal.
Chris glanced into Vin's room when he walked by. The ex-marine wasn't in there. Chris walked past, down the hall and then through the Med Room door. This room was bigger and brighter than some of the other rooms. A counter holding odds and ends of the medical equipment they'd found ran the length of the back wall and two hospital beds were situated in the middle of the room.
"Hey, Chris," Josiah greeted him from where he sat between the two beds, his chair tipped back, his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked relaxed, but Chris knew better. Josiah was always on alert.
Chris nodded at him and then glanced over to see that Ezra was asleep in the bed on the right.
Dunne lay in the bed on the left.
Buck was asleep in the chair next to the kid's bed; he looked uncomfortable, slumped in the seat, his arms dangling almost to the floor and his chin resting on his chest.
The boy didn't look any more comfortable than Wilmington. He had a square bandage on the side of his forehead, covering his left temple. His black, shaggy bangs hid most of it, but the white corner peeked out. What he could see of the rest of his forehead was lined with pain. He had dark circles under his eyes and his skin was pale with a gray hue to it that didn't look good. Chris guessed that it was to be expected, though. He'd been through a ringer the last few days. The teenager's head was turned on the pillow and he stared at Buck, confused, his hazel eyes wide.
Nathan was sitting up on the cot at the edge of the room, rubbing his hands over his head, looking like he'd just woken up. The tall, black doctor glanced over at him. "Chris," he croaked out, nodding his head in acknowledgement before glancing around the room at his charges.
Chris nodded back and then the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He narrowed his eyes, taking another careful look around the room. It was then that he saw him... Vin... leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, his body hidden in shadow, but the light catching his eyes. He cut an eerie sight, Chris thought, blue eyes staring out of the darkness.
Chris took another step into the room and saw Dunne turn his head toward him. He winced when the boy let out a little squeal of terror and tried to scoot back into his mattress. The kid had restraints on both ankles and on his right wrist. His left wrist was in a cast from mid forearm down to his knuckles, but there was still a restraint on that arm, only higher, loosely wrapped around his elbow, but there just in case. The kid had proven to them what he was capable of and they weren't taking any chances.
Dunne cried out, whimpering. He looked over at Buck and then back up at Chris. Then, he actually growled, like a puppy protecting his place.
"Shhh," Buck soothed, still half asleep, reaching out and laying a hand on the kid's shoulder, comforting him, like he'd done it a hundred times before. "Easy, easy, kid. You're all right, JD. It's okay."
JD. Chris shook his head. So that's what Buck was calling him.
Dunne looked over at Buck, blinking rapidly, staring at him with wonder.
"Why's Buck the only one the kid's halfway relaxed with?" Vin asked, a wry grin on his face as he stepped from the shadow into the light, his limp more pronounced this morning.
Ezra's soft voice surprised them, "Mr. Wilmington is the one out of us who most closely resembles a Rogue."
So he wasn't asleep. Chris smiled.
"Bite me, Ezra," Buck said, the words muffled, his chin still resting on his chest. His eyes were closed, but the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. Yawning hugely, he covered his mouth and then stretched, long and lean, like a cat. He sat up straight in the chair and looked around the room. He glanced at JD and when he saw the boy looking at him, he cocked his head and smiled warmly at him.
Ezra shifted in his bed. "Oh, Jesus," he moaned, "my head." He tried to sit up, and for the first time noticed the restraints holding him in place. "Wha-?" He looked at his wrists, alarmed. "Why am I confined to this bed?" he asked indignantly, glancing around the room at the other men.
The men glanced at each other, uncomfortable.
"Ah, Ezra," Nathan stepped forward. "You don't remember what happened?
His brow furrowed, Ezra blinked a few times, his eyes glazing over. It looked like it all came back to him in a flash. He blanched, looking green around the gills. Suddenly, he looked over at Vin and his eyes narrowed. "You hit me," he accused, his voice high, almost shrill.
Vin shrugged nonchalantly.
Standish looked at the clock and gasped. "Is it morning? I need..." he pulled on his restraints, "to get out of here. The meeting is in an hour. I've got to get behind the warehouse on Fifth." He glanced up at the clock again. "And I'm not going to have time. I've got to-" he sighed, shaking his head. He looked around, meeting the grim looks from the others. "Well... you know what I have to do."
"The warehouse on Fifth and Union?" Vin asked.
Ezra nodded at him.
Sighing, Vin glanced over at the door and then back.
Ezra followed his line of sight, noticing the sniper rifle leaning up against the wall next to the door.
"I'll be making that meeting for you," Vin told him, his eyes growing cold.
"You... can't," Ezra breathed out. He glanced at the rifle, his mouth opening, the implications hitting him. "You can't just kill him. That's not the deal. I must give myself up, my life for the Collar's. It's what I have to do!" His body shook with fury. "You can't!"
Dunne turned his head to stare wide-eyed at Standish.
Vin smirked, looking mean. "Try me." He turned to go.
"No!" Ezra yelled out. "Stop! You can't. I'll be going back on my word."
Vin turned back to him, walking close to the bed to look down at him. "You won't."
Glaring around the room, Ezra hissed at the rest of the men, "What are you doing?"
"We're keeping you prisoner." Chris said nonchalantly.
"You... can't." Ezra gasped.
Chris smirked, mimicking Vin. "Try me."
Ezra squirmed. "No, you can't do this. I have a plan. I know what I'm doing."
"You have nothing to do with this." Vin shrugged, staring Ezra down.
Trying to kick out his legs, but not getting anywhere with the restraints, Ezra lay still, glaring up at Vin.
Vin narrowed his eyes. "You have no say here." He sneered evilly. "We don't listen to prisoners."
"No. No. No," Ezra chanted, pulling on his restraints.
Vin smirked, reaching out and patting Ezra on the head like a child. "I've got a meeting to make, and I'm running late. You be a good little prisoner, Ezra," he laughed.
"Fuck. You." Ezra spat out, his voice uncharacteristically bitter.
Vin shrugged, taking a step away. Glancing over at Nathan, he ordered, "I believe the prisoner needs to be sedated." He looked back at Ezra, his face sinister. "For his own good."
The men in the room gaped at each other.
Dunne glanced from one man to another, his gaze wide-eyed, scared.
"Nate!" Vin barked.
Nathan jumped, his eyes darting from Vin to Chris.
"Chris ain't givin' the orders here, Jackson," Vin snapped. "I am. You give him the shot or I will."
Ezra fought his restraints, getting nowhere. "No," he choked out, tired, panting from exertion.
Vin looked down at Ezra. When he spoke, his voice was low, rough, "But I can guarantee that my 'shot's' gonna hurt a whole hell of a lot worse than his."
Ezra went still, staring at Vin, incredulous, a look of hatred coming over him.
Nathan grabbed a syringe, pulled some liquid into it from a small vial and stepped over to Ezra. He surprised Standish, who only had a moment to try to pull his arm away before the needle was expertly inserted, and the plunger pushed down.
Ezra fought, but almost immediately stilled, his eyes glazing over. Finally his lids slid closed and he relaxed.
Nathan's hand shook slightly as he threw the syringe into the biohazard bin. He would not look at Vin. He glanced over at Dunne, who was obviously terrified. Sweat beaded on the boy's forehead; the flush on his cheeks standing out against his pale skin.
Vin took a step back, shaking his head hard. The men in the room were glaring at him like he was a stranger, someone they didn't want to know. He turned, snatched up his rifle and stalked out of the room.
Chris sighed, meeting the gazes of the others before following his best friend.
+ + + + + + +
Chris tracked Vin down the hall. "Tanner!"
Vin turned, stopping Chris in his tracks. He pointed back to the room they'd just come from. "Chris, he has to know that he did everything he could. He can't think he went back on his word." He shook his head, leaning forward. "That man in there has honor, no matter what some people might think. This is the best way, the only way."
Letting out a long breath, Chris nodded once and then reached out, clasping Vin's arm. "You want company?"
Vin shook his head. "I do this alone." He sighed and then turned and walked away.
Chris stared after him.
TWO
Nathan checked Ezra's vitals. Glancing around the room, he met worried looks. "I didn't give him a full dose." He sighed. "Vin didn't want that, you all know that. Vin's doing what he has to do to make this right." He returned his gaze back to his patient. "Ezra shouldn't be out long."
Josiah nodded at him and then looked over at Buck, who was watching the kid with worried eyes.
Dunne's gaze darted around the room, terrified. He opened his mouth and started to babble, speaking in the strange, guttural Rogue language, his voice high, panicked. Trying to get out of his restraints, he glared at the men, growling at them, a rough, inhuman sound.
Chris walked back into the room in time to hear Josiah yell at the boy.
"English!" Josiah snapped out, his voice very much that of a drill sergeant.
JD yelped and stared up at him.
Buck glanced over at Chris, looking uncomfortable, clearly not knowing what to do.
Laying a hand on his shoulder, Josiah motioned Buck out of his chair. "They've brainwashed, him, Buck. We've got to try to get through to him. If we can't get through to him..." He pursed his lips as he shook his head, his eyes downcast.
Swallowing hard, Buck nodded and gave his seat up, watching as Josiah moved the chair up flush to the bed, the chair legs squeaking loudly, making the kid jump. Sanchez sat down so he was facing the head of the bed and then watched the kid.
JD squeaked, "They'll come for me. They'll find me." He glared around the room, a mix of bravado and fear. "And they'll kill all of you-"
"Enough!" Josiah bellowed. He stood, the chair flying out from underneath him, scraping across the floor and then crashing against the wall. He towered over the boy, his face red.
Freezing, JD whimpered in fright. He gulped, glancing from the huge man's enraged face, over to Buck, who stood a few feet away, the teenager's eyes were searching, asking for help.
Buck closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped as he turned away.
A tear rolled down JD's cheek.
"John," his voice now soft, caring, Josiah got the boy's attention. Wide hazel eyes stared up at him.
Josiah laid his hand across JD's forehead, his fingers on the bandage at his temple, immobilizing him.
Nathan stepped forward but Chris stopped him with an outstretched arm and a shake of his head.
The medic sighed, resigned, and stepped back.
JD squirmed, trying to pull his head out from under the grasp. He cried out in pain when the stitches beneath caught on the bandage.
"JOHN!" Josiah said, his voice hard, controlled. He put his other hand on the opposite side of the bed, above the kid's shoulder. He leaned down, putting pressure on the bed, intimidating.
JD whimpered. He'd been all bluster and threats before. A tear rolled across his cheek and into his hairline as he stared up at Josiah.
"John," Josiah said calmly but still forceful. "You need to listen to me and understand. You. Are. Not. A. Rogue."
JD shook his head in denial, crying out in pain when Josiah's fingers dug into his skin.
"No!" Josiah barked, making everyone in the room jump. "You are one of us." He cocked his head, indicating the others in the room. "You are one of us, John Dunne. You're human - not Rogue."
"Yes I a-"
The protests died on JD's lips when Josiah leaned down, increasing the pressure on his head. "The Rogue took you. Put a collar on you. Used you. Do you understand that? You are not one of them. They made you believe that you were. Brainwashed you... used drugs... mind control," he shook his head. "But you are not one of them. You are Human. You understand that?"
Staring up at him wide-eyed, tears leaked from the corners of JD's eyes. He sniffed and then swallowed hard.
Sighing, Josiah let off some of the pressure. "I need you to remember back. Can you do that? Remember back to the time before you wore the Collar. Before you were brainwashed by the Rogue. Do you remember the time back before they came?"
Josiah's voice was hypnotizing, and Chris realized that was just the affect it was having on JD.
Buck swallowed hard and Nathan watched his patient with hard eyes.
JD blinked as he stared past Josiah's face, his gaze fixing on a point on the ceiling. He licked dry lips. Shifting slightly, he cocked his head to the side, his mouth opening. Deep in thought, he blinked rapidly and then squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
"John?" Josiah asked, concerned.
JD sniffed, his body relaxing into the bed. He swallowed hard and then started to speak, "I lived with my mom." His voice was soft, young. "We lived in Boston." A wistful smile crossed his face. "It was always just the two of us, but that was okay. I loved my mom." He smiled sweetly, then his gaze shifted, the hand that wasn't in the cast clenched into a fist. "Mama got sick." He swallowed hard. "I tried to take care of her. I did," his voice pleaded. "But she was so sick," he sighed, "and I was so young."
Buck turned back to face the kid, walking closer.
"She'd get better and then she'd get sick again," JD continued. "I didn't know what to do." He took in a shuddering breath and then let it out. "Then the Rogue came." For the first time JD said the name 'Rogue' like they were the enemy. "We hid, found others... went underground. The people we were staying with, they wanted to fight the Rogue. Mom was so sick, and they thought I was too little. So I always stayed behind with the other kids. I took care of Mom, helped out when I could. We'd been with them for about a year, maybe a year and a half. I lost track of time down there."
Chris sighed, a mixture of anger and sadness on his face.
"Some days Mom would be better and I'd think that she was going to be okay." JD shook his head again. "Then she'd just get sick again, even sicker. I don't know what was wrong with her. They didn't have a doctor. And our group was getting smaller and smaller. There were so few of us left. They had a plan to disable a Rogue computer, hoping it would stall them for long enough to come up with a better plan. They needed someone who knew computers. I was real good with computers, and I told them so." A proud smile crossed his face before the sadness crept in again. "So they took me with them."
"How old were you?" Josiah asked.
"Then?" JD answered without breaking stride and he looked like he was doing the math in his head. "The Rogue came when I was almost thirteen. So probably fourteen?" He shrugged slightly, looking very young. "Maybe almost fifteen? Mom," he paused, paling, "well, I don't think she had much time left." He sighed. "Anyway, I wanted to help and they could use me. Mama stayed behind with the children that were left. A few men and women were there too, the one's who were hurt. But they couldn't spare any fighters to protect them. There were so few left, they all had to come with us. Just the week before, our hideout had been bombed and we lost..." his voice cracked and he took in a shuddering breath. "Well, people died. Men, women... kids." He sniffed, and then said, his voice high, raspy, "They were my friends."
The men shifted, uncomfortable.
Buck watched the kid, his eyes wet with tears.
"Anyway, I went with them. Left mama behind. There were only six of us, but we had to do something." He pleaded. "So, we went," he sighed, defeated, "and the Rogue caught us. They killed the others right then, but not me," he sniffed. "Why didn't they kill me?" his voice cracked as he stared off into space, shaking his head in confusion.
His lips pursed, Chris frowned and Buck shook his head, his face pale, concerned.
After a long moment, JD sniffed and continued haltingly, "They took me. Must have seen me working on the computers and they... took me with them." He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "They asked me where our base was." He shifted, cocking one shoulder up in a shrug. "I told them," the corner of his mouth turned up, "I told them to fuck off." He shuddered. "If mama heard me say that," he spoke under his breath and then gulped back a sob. "They didn't like that. They hurt me," he paused, his mouth open in an 'O', and he stopped breathing.
Nathan jumped forward, checking his pulse. Frantic, he slapped JD lightly on his face.
JD closed his eyes, shook his head under Josiah's hand and came back to himself.
Nathan released the breath he'd been holding as he slumped back in relief and glanced around the room.
Chris was pale, leaning against the wall like he'd fallen there. Buck had a stricken look on his face, leaning over JD on the opposite side from Josiah, comforting JD with soft words and a soothing hand on his shoulder.
Josiah stood, his eyes closed, his mouth moving in a silent prayer.
Nathan heard a noise and turned to find Ezra, his eyes open, staring up at the ceiling, tear tracks down the side of his face. Nathan went to him.
The soft voice stopped everyone in the room.
"They kept hurting me. I tried so hard not to tell them. I didn't want to," JD paused, his eyes closing in pain, "but they did things to me. Kept asking where our base was" A cry escaped him and he paled. He was silent for a moment and then said, his voice soft, dejected, "I told them."
The room was deathly silent.
JD shifted, kicking his legs out as he cried. "Some of them left and then they came back. They brought them. Oh, God," he sobbed.
"Enough," Nathan walked over to stand beside Josiah, grabbing up the kid's wrist, either to check his pulse or to comfort him - maybe both. "He's had enough," he said, his voice raw.
Buck looked over at him from across the bed. Chris came to stand beside Wilmington, shoulder to shoulder. Ezra was still staring up at the ceiling, his breathing hitched.
Both Josiah and JD shook their heads - Josiah, in answer to Nathan's words; and JD, to what he was seeing in his mind.
"They brought them in. There were so few left, they must have fought." He shook his head. "They had the kids. Josie and Matt, Justin and... " he paused, seeing them in his head. "They were looking at me, their eyes big, scared. There was only one man and two women left," he let out a shuddering breath, "and Mama." He sobbed. "I was still hanging against the wall, my wrists in the manacles that they'd used to..." he sniffed, swallowing hard.
"They marched them in front of me. I met their eyes, all of them. Mama was the only one who didn't look at me with accusation, look at me like I was a traitor." He paused for a long time.
The men shifted, looked at each other and then away, not trying to hide their tears, but not wanting to see them on their friends' faces.
"They made me watch," JD spoke, a choked whisper. "As they killed them. One by one." He gulped. "I screamed, I fought, I tried to get out..." He twisted his hands in the padded restraints, moving the fabric up, and for the first time the men noticed the scars on his right wrist.
JD continued, "They killed them all. Mama was so sick that she was kneeling on the ground, another woman holding her up. She looked at me, right before..." he swallowed twice, his voice almost gone, "right before they killed her. I wanted to shut my eyes, but I couldn't. I had to see it. It was all my fault. When I could have shut my eyes, I made myself watch." His face was determined, a terrible wretchedness on it. Staring at the ceiling, he shuddered, went still.
Nathan frowned, squeezing the boy's wrist.
It had been so quiet that when JD spoke again, he startled the men in the room.
"She looked up at me," JD sighed, "with such love... forgiveness." He shook his head. "I yelled at them to stop. I told her that I loved her. She mouthed 'I know'." He shook his head. "And then they murdered her." His face flushed. "They murdered her." The anger left him immediately and he sagged back into the bed, Josiah's hand on his head, a comfort now.
"I can still smell the blood. Can still see their faces." He sighed, like the life was leaving him. "By then, when they put the collar on me, it was a relief."
"Oh God, kid," Buck finally spoke, his hand on JD's shoulder. "Jesus, kid," he wept.
JD swallowed hard. His voice was soft. "In the beginning I tried to fight the collar, I did. But then..." he sighed, "I just forgot - everything. It was," he smiled, "a blessing."
Buck soothed him, speaking soft words.
"I killed them," JD sobbed, his voice hitching. "I killed them."
"No, no, JD. You didn't. There was nothing you could do," Buck told him.
"It was the Rogue that killed them, John Dunne," Josiah told him, his voice stern but caring. "Not you. Never you."
JD sobbed.
Buck tried to pick JD up off the bed. "Get these god damned restraints off him," Buck hissed, glaring up at Nathan while he tried to hold the sobbing, heartbroken kid.
Josiah and Nathan quickly released the ties.
Chris backed away until the back of his legs hit Ezra's bed and he sat down hard on the edge, his gaze on the far wall, seeing something else. Ezra glanced at him and then away.
Buck climbed onto the bed, behind JD. He gathered the boy in his arms and rocked him while he cried.
Josiah and Nathan stood, shocked, watching their friend trying to comfort the boy. They glanced over when they saw movement from Ezra. The southerner shifted his head into the pillow, wiping away the tears.
"Jesus Christ," Josiah said, looking skyward, the words an accusation.
After a while, the sobs quieted into hiccups and then blessedly into silence.
The men all looked over.
Buck's arms were wrapped protectively around JD, who was sagging in his grasp, asleep. Buck sighed. He moved out from behind the boy, laying him down on the bed. The boy immediately curled into a ball, a sigh escaping him.
Nathan came over, a wet clothe in his hand. He wiped JD's face. He made sure he was comfortable and then checked his head wound, making sure the stitches were still in place. He glared over at Josiah when he noticed the bit of blood on the bandage. Josiah stared back, his face hard. Nathan shook his head and turned away.
Buck stepped over to Chris, who was still looking shell-shocked. "You okay, pard?" he asked, leaning down, his face inches from his friend's.
Chris shook himself, reaching up to wipe a hand down his face. "Yeah," he croaked. Clearing his throat, he nodded, not trusting his voice. Buck gave him a long look and then nodded, squeezing his shoulder before he walked over to the far wall to pick up the chair.
Dragging the chair back to the bed, Buck pushed it up against the bed and then let his body fall into it with a thump. He pulled the blanket up off the floor where it had fallen, shook it out and then laid it over JD, pulling it up to his chin, tucking him in.
No one spoke for a long time.
In the silence, Nathan unwrapped the bandage on JD's head. He 'tisked' under his breath as he wiped the small amount of blood from the wound and the sutures. JD stirred, started to roll over. Both Buck and Nathan made soothing noises. When the kid was back asleep, Nathan went to work fixing him up and checking him over.
Finally, Josiah walked over to Buck, who was holding the kid's hand, patting it.
"Buck," Josiah said, his voice soft as he leaned over him, one hand cupped around the back of Wilmington's neck and the other on his shoulder. "He'll be okay, Buck. Now, he will be."
Buck shook his head, wiping his face and then putting his hand back on the kid's. "I sure wish that were true, Josiah, but I don't know how he could be." He squeezed the boy's hand again.
"As bad as it was," Josiah said, "he had to remember. He had to see the truth. That's the only thing that could erase the Rogue's hold on him."
Buck looked up at him. "You think he's back?" he asked, hopeful. "You think he'll be one of us now?"
"I hope so, Brother Buck. I surely do." Josiah smiled sadly.
"How can anyone survive that?" Nathan asked.
Chris glanced up at him and then away, his face blanching as he envisioned his dead wife and son.
Wincing, Ezra closed his eyes.
Josiah shook his head. "He will survive it, Buck. Because he's got us."
JD cried out in his sleep.
Buck comforted the boy back into a healing, restful sleep.
"Mr. Larabee," Ezra spoke, his voice petulant. "Would you mind removing your bony... posterior... from my," he grunted, "knee."
Chris shook his head and then smiled, pushing more weight down on Ezra before he stood, turning to glare at the southerner.
The men chuckled, relieved to have the mood in the room lightened.
Ezra snorted his displeasure before whining, "Would someone get these..." he moved his hands, "...things off me."
Chris shook his head, a movement from the hall catching his eye. Vin slipped by the door, heading for his room.
Buck made a noise and Chris looked over at him, the two locking eyes. Buck cocked his head towards the doorway, his eyes saying, 'go to him'.
Chris sighed, giving him a sad smile. "I'll be back," he told the room and then started for the door.
Buck nodded. "We'll be here."
THREE
Vin was in his room when Chris got there. Larabee shut the door behind him.
The younger man stood in the middle of the room, his back to the door, his shoulders hunched, his head bowed. "It's done," he said softly.
Chris nodded, not having to say anything. "You do what you have to do sometimes."
Vin turned to face him and Chris saw how pale the ex-marine was.
"I killed him in cold blood. He didn't even know what hit him when the bullet tore through his head." He sighed, sitting down hard in the plastic industrial chair against the wall.
Walking over, Chris squatted down in front of him, face to face. "He was one of them," he told his best friend.
Nodding, Vin avoided eye contact and didn't speak. He rubbed his hand continuously over his jean-covered thigh.
"Vin?" Chris asked.
"He saved the kid." Vin sighed.
Chris nodded once. "He did. He saved a Collar on Ezra's behalf so he could take Ezra back to the Rogue. Don't make him out to be a hero." Vin wouldn't look at him. After a moment, Chris asked softly, "Who was more important? That Rogue or Ezra?"
Vin looked up at him, his eyes narrowed. "Do you even have to ask that?"
Chris smiled. "No, I don't."
Blinking, Vin looked away and sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumping. Letting out a long breath, he cocked his head and looked sideways at Larabee. "I guess you do what 'cha gotta do." He smiled sadly as he spoke Chris' words.
"Yep," Chris agreed. "And Ezra's free now." He smirked. "A little pissed off, but free."
"Should I be watching my back?" Vin asked, the corner of his mouth turning up.
"That's what you have me for." Chris grinned.
Vin bobbed his eyebrows. "Yep."
"Come on." Chris stood, faltered for a moment, caught his balance and then smiled like nothing had happened. He looked tired as he stretched out kinks in his back. He slapped Vin on the knee. "Let's get to the Med room. Better to talk to Ezra now than later. And you might want to make nice to Nathan after biting his head off."
"Damn. What do the others think?" Vin asked as he stood.
Chris cocked up an eyebrow. "Don't think they knew what to think at first. Thought Buck's eyes were gonna pop out of his head when you were barking orders at Nathan." He laughed, patting Vin on the back. "They get it now, though. They know what you did, what it means to Ezra, to all of us."
"They know I murdered-."
"No!" Chris barked, interrupting his friend, grabbing him around his arm, and making him jump. "Not 'murdered', Vin."
"'Kay, pard," Vin soothed.
"Sorry." Chris sighed as he shook his head. Letting Vin go, he stepped back, running his hand down his face tiredly. "It's just... that kid," he swallowed hard, "told us about... getting caught. About the Rogue murdering his ma, his friends. Torturing him." He let out a breath. "And all I could think about, all I could see was..." Chris swayed, his eyes closing tight.
Vin reached out, grasping him around the back of his neck, supporting him with another hand on his shoulder. "Easy, easy."
Chris opened his eyes, blinked, confused.
Vin took a close look at his friend. "Dammit, Chris. You're still hurt. How much sleep have you got?" He squeezed Larabee's neck, leaning towards him, looking him in the eye.
Coming back to himself, Chris shook his head. "I'm okay." He was getting some color back.
Vin gave him a hard look and then let him go. "Okay, let's get to the Med room." He started for the door.
Chris stopped in front of him, standing in his way, Vin almost walking into him. Chris' face was pale, but serious. "Don't for a second think we don't know what you did, Vin. You saved Ezra's ass. It was a good idea, the best idea in a crappy situation. I'm grateful to you."
Glancing down, Vin swallowed hard. "Thanks."
Chris sighed. "Yeah." He turned. "Come on, let's go face the fire."
Vin smiled. "Right behind you pard."
+ + + + + + +
When they walked into the Med room, JD was still asleep, curled up in the middle of the bed like a puppy, his breathing even.
Chris and Vin stood side by side facing the rest of the men in the room.
Josiah looked up from where he was sitting between the two beds, a worn book in his hands. He gave both men a small smile as he lay the book down by his feet and stood.
Buck glanced over at them. He was still sitting in the chair next to JD's bed, but farther back, so he could rest his feet up on the end of the bed. He looked relaxed, his hands clasped over his stomach.
Nathan turned from where he'd been standing at the counter, looking over his medical supplies. He made eye contact with Vin, held it.
Vin shifted, the hard eyes looking into his soul. He stepped forward, sparing a glance at Ezra, who sat propped up in his bed, staring at the far wall, the restraints gone, his hands resting in his lap on top of the covers.
Nathan met him halfway across the room, his hand outstretched.
The two shook hands warmly.
"No hard feelings, Vin," Nathan told him, a smile crossing his lips. "Might have wanted to clock you there for a moment, but I figured it out."
Vin nodded. "Thought you would." He sighed. Nathan stepped away when Josiah walked up next to him, also offering his hand. They shook.
"You're a good man, Vin Tanner." Josiah told him, giving him a knowing look, sort of sad, but determined. He nodded. "We know what you did. And why."
Vin swallowed hard. "Thanks, Josiah."
Josiah and Nathan both walked over to lean against the counter, side by side.
Vin glanced over at Buck. The big man just gave him a wink. Vin smiled. It was all good there.
Chris gave him a push from behind. "You can always count on Buck," he told Vin, his voice soft, only for the ex-marine to hear.
Vin smiled back at him. "Yep." He stepped away from Chris then, walking over to Ezra's bed.
The rest of the men averted their eyes, talking to each other. Chris walked over to stand next to Buck, both seemingly interested in the kid sleeping.
No one in the room could miss the words spoken next.
"You can think I'm a bastard, Ezra," Vin said, standing next to the southerner's bed, staring down at him. "Hell, I do."
Ezra wouldn't look at him.
Vin continued, "You did everything you could to stop me, Ezra. You know you did. You'll always know that you kept your end of the bargain, that you didn't go back on your word. You were gonna do it, I know that. However stupid it might have been, I know what you would have sacrificed to keep your word and to keep us safe. Your life."
Ezra turned his head to look at him, his eyes bright.
Vin leaned over him, closer, his voice soft, sure. "I met your contact, Ezra. Don't know if he was a friend of yours. Hell, you talked like he might be. Don't know how he could be, though," he spat out, "and do to you what he did." He shook his head. "Whether he was a friend or just someone from your past, I want you to know that he died fast, didn't know what was happening, never felt a thing. I don't enjoy killing, but I'm good at my job. It's important that you know that. Important to me. Do you understand me, Ezra?"
Ezra swallowed hard. After a moment, he nodded.
"Whatever he was to you, I want you to know that he's gone. He won't be coming for you. Your deal was made with him and only him, and that deal is done, now. You didn't kill him. I did. It's that simple. You can hate me for it," he looked down, shaking his head. "Wouldn't want that, but you do what you gotta."
Ezra reached out, grabbing Vin's arm in a death grip. "He wasn't a friend, Vin. We'd worked together in the past." He shook his head. "Things I can't talk about."
Vin nodded his head in understanding.
"Doesn't mean that I wasn't pissed at you," Ezra said, his eyes hard, "at what you did. Leaving me no choice like that."
Vin gave a cocky grin. "It was better than your idea."
Ezra smiled then. "Well, yes, that is for certain." He sighed, glancing down. "His name was Yoz. Maybe he'd been a friend once. We were both in the same precarious situation. The Rogue are not any better to their own than they are to us. He, he helped me escape when I..." his voice drifted off, his eyes glazing over, remembering the past. He shook his head. "He didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart. He knew that having me owe him a favor would be in his best interests. Friends don't do that. I paid that favor back, and then some. He..." He swallowed hard. Looking up at Vin, he sighed sadly. "Thanks for making it clean, Vin."
Vin nodded once. He reached out, clasping Ezra around the forearm.
Chris and Buck shared a relieved smile.
"No, he wasn't a friend, Vin. I know who my friends are." Ezra smiled, returning the shake that Vin usually reserved for his best friend.
+ + + + + + +
JD woke slowly, uncurled, stretched and looked around him.
Buck was sitting next to him, watching him closely.
Ezra was sitting up in his bed, pillows propped behind his back. He was playing poker with Josiah, Vin and Chris.
Nathan walked over, a caring smile on his face. He raised the head of JD's bed and put a pillow behind his back, making him comfortable.
"Thanks," JD's voice squeaked. The men all looked at him.
Smiling down at him, Nathan asked, "You want some water, son?"
JD nodded. "Thank you."
The others smiled.
"Well, JD, nice to see you." Buck beamed.
JD looked over at him.
Buck's smile widened. "Buck Wilmington," he introduced himself, grinning as he held out his hand.
JD reached his right hand out, shaking Buck's. He brought his left hand up, staring at the cast in confusion. He shook his head. "What happened? Where am I?" he asked.
The men glanced at each other, uncomfortable.
"What do you remember, son?" Nathan asked, standing next to him.
JD cocked his head in thought. His face blanched and he groaned. "Oh, God," he cried.
Buck rubbed his shoulder. "Easy, kid. Easy."
"I remember," JD said piteously, tears running down his cheeks. "I remember everything." He sunk into the bed. "Oh, God."
"It's okay, kid."
JD wiped his face. He looked up at Buck, his eyes hopeful, pleading. But then he shook his head.
"Son, everything that happened, none of it was your fault. You were just as much a victim as the rest of them," Buck said, his voice soft, throaty.
Sobbing, JD looked at Buck incredulously. "No," he yelled, balling his fist in the sheets. "I killed mama and the others. How can you say it wasn't my fault? I didn't want to tell them where they were, but I did." He choked on a sob, coughing. He looked forlornly around the room and then stared off into space. "I'm a traitor." His face paled. "I... told them. I told them." He shook his head.
Buck leaned forward, started to speak.
"No!" JD jerked his fist out, catching Buck in the chin. He scrambled off the bed then and started for the door.
"Dammit," Nathan yelled. "Stop him."
Vin, Josiah and Chris all knocked their chairs back, running to catch him.
JD got around Chris and then slipped on the slick floor, banging down on his knee. A scream died on his lips. He curled up, crying, holding his leg to his chest.
"Easy, now." Nathan calmed, squatting over him, trying to straighten him out.
"Leave me alone," JD cried soft sobs. "Don't you get it?" He looked up at them. "I killed them. The kids," his voice cracked. "They were..." his throat closed up and he groaned, writhing on the floor.
Nathan picked the boy up and then walked him over to the bed. Buck dogged his heels, watching every move Nathan made.
Laying him gently on the bed. Nathan examined the knee, which was already starting to swell. "Watch him," he told Chris and Vin and then walked over to the med cabinet.
Buck sat down in the chair by the bed, his hand on JD's shoulder, consoling him.
Nathan came back, a needle in his hand.
JD saw it and panicked. "No!" he screamed. "No. No more." He curled away from Nathan, right into Chris and Vin, who held him down.
"No shots. No!" JD screamed in rage. "You're not going to hurt me again," he said, his mind back with the Rogue.
He whimpered as the needle bit into his skin. He cried softly and then lay still.
"For the pain," Nathan told the others as he looked at JD's leg.
JD didn't fall asleep, but he relaxed, his eyes hooded. He hiccuped, and then groaned in pain when Nathan manipulated his knee.
The doctor shook his head. "That's a hell of a bad bruise. Let's let the medicine take effect and I'll see what I can do." He patted JD on the shoulder.
JD closed his eyes, tears leaking out.
"JD, I don't know how to get through to you." Buck sighed, laying his hand on top of the boy's head. "It wasn't your fault. There was no way you could withstand the Rogue's torture. If they wanted information out of you, they were going to get it."
"Mr. Wilmington speaks the truth, Mr. Dunne," Ezra said, his face dark.
Josiah nodded. "You can't keep blaming yourself.
Vin sighed, a long, sad sound. He didn't say anything, just bit his bottom lip and watched the boy in silence.
"JD." Chris said.
JD looked up at him.
"That was then," Chris told him. "The important thing is, what are you going to do now?"
JD looked up at Chris, over to Buck and then around at the others. He sighed, running his hand over his face. He was quiet for a long time, deep in thought, his face dark.
"Here you go, JD," Nathan brought him out of his thoughts. The doctor stood next to the bed, holding a glass of water.
JD sat up straighter in the bed. Taking the glass of water that Nathan offered him, he drank half of it before handing the glass back to the doctor. "Thanks," he said, his voice so soft and raspy the men barely heard it. He wiped his face on the sleeve of his hospital gown and cleared his throat. "Well, it's my fault mama and the others died." He held his hand up. "No matter what you say," he glared up at Chris, "I know the truth. And I have to pay for what I did. But there's something I can do about it." He looked down, sighing hard. "What am I gonna do now?" He looked up at Chris, his eyes harsh, determined. "I'm gonna kill 'em, sir. I'm gonna help you kill every last one of the Rogues."
Chris smiled grimly, glancing around at the others, nodding his head and then looking back. "Well, we could sure use you, son." He reached out his hand to shake JD's. "Chris Larabee," he introduced himself, just like Buck had done.
JD didn't smile, but the frown on his face lessened. He squeezed Chris' hand and then released it.
Buck tapped him on the stomach with the back of his hand.
JD looked over at him.
Buck stood. "We've met, kid. Not sure if you were 'all there', though." He grinned. "Name's Buck Wilmington."
"Buck. You were there with me when I first got here. I remember." He ducked his head. "Thanks." JD smiled sweetly, shaking his hand.
"Yeah, kid," Buck smiled. "Now you're with us."
The others came over.
"Nathan Jackson," the gentle doctor introduced himself.
"Josiah Sanchez," the big man said, grinning down at JD, his eyes kind.
JD smiled at both men.
The wiry, longhaired man came over then. His blue eyes were friendly, though a little reserved. "Vin Tanner." They shook hands.
Then all heads turned to the man still sitting in the hospital bed. He smiled over at the boy, his gold tooth glinting behind a dimpled smile. "Ezra Standish, at your service."
JD stared at him, the smile leaving his face. "You," he said, reaching up and rubbing his throat.
The room went deathly quiet and the smile left Ezra's face.
"You saved my life." JD's mouth opened in wonder. "You got that collar off me. You were there, I remember. I woke up when the collar tightened. You helped me. You were with a..." all of a sudden he snapped his mouth shut, staring hard at Ezra.
Standish looked down.
The room was uncomfortably silent.
Finally, JD cleared his throat. "I know what you did," he said, awestruck. "I know what you did for me, what you were willing to give up. I know."
Ezra looked over at him.
JD shook his head in wonder. "Thank you."
Shifting uncomfortably, Ezra looked away. "Well, you d-"
"Do what you have to do," the other's chorused in with him, finishing the sentence and making JD laugh.
"Yeah," Ezra grinned, dimples showing as he looked over at JD. "Something like that."
"So..." JD smiled woozily, his eyes glazed with the drug. He cleared his throat, a loopy, dazed look on his face. "You're going after the Rogue?" He asked, looking around the room hopefully, his smile blinding. "I want to come with you. I can..." he shrugged. "Well, I can tell you everything I know about their computer system." He bobbed his eyebrows cockily. "Which is a lot."
"Don't think his knee hurts him anymore." Josiah winked at Nathan.
Buck shook his head, reaching out and tousling the kid's dark unruly hair. "How old are you, kid?" He smiled.
JD puffed up. "I'm older than I look."
"Kid," Chris scoffed. "You're sixteen. Seventeen, maybe."
"Oh," JD deflated. "You know?" He furrowed his brow trying to remember how he'd let that out.
"Well, hell, kid. There's no age limit to join us. You just got to be crazy, is all." Vin grinned.
"Is that why you fit in so well, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra smirked.
Vin turned, made a face at Ezra. "Takes one to know one."
Chris raised his eyebrow, grinning wryly. "Like Vin said, kid, there's no age limit to join this here group."
"Welcome aboard, John Dunne," Josiah said.
Nathan added, "Glad to have you, JD."
Chris glanced around the room. "Hmm. Seven."
"Lucky number," Vin bobbed his eyebrows.
JD beamed.
"You really know all you said you did about their computers?" Buck asked the kid.
JD smiled proudly. "Oh, just get me near one." He rubbed his hands together, wincing when he knocked against his cast. Quickly forgetting the pain, he grinned. "And if you can get me up in the mother ship..." he yawned, "I'm sure I can get a virus on board," he prattled on, "and it'll go all through the other ships and..." he blinked his eyes, his head lolling.
The men smiled as they listened to his chirping.
Chris glanced around the room one more time. Seven. He smiled. Maybe they'd finally do some damage against the Rogue now. He needed to start making plans. He had six good men with him, and more men and women who were willing to fight. They'd take their planet back. His look turned grim. Or die trying. But it was his job to prevent that. He was the leader.
Vin smiled over at him. Vin was with him. Wherever he went, whatever he did.
Buck laughed, patting the babbling kid on the head affectionately. He looked over then, made eye contact with Chris. His smile seemed to say, 'old times.'
Chris smiled then too, for the first time remembering the past without it kicking him in the gut. He nodded his head at his friend.
Vin. Buck. Ezra. He smiled. Josiah, Nathan. Good men, all of them. He was lucky to have them. And now the kid, who knew how to get at the Rogue, take down their computers, cripple them. Chris rubbed his hands together, an evilly gleeful look on his face. It was time to take the fight to the Rogue.
"Boys," he said, grinning at his friends. "We've got work to do."
Buck smiled. "We're with you, Chris."
Tanner nodded at him.
Josiah and Nathan stood side by side, ready to weather the coming storm.
Ezra flashed a smile.
The kid jerked up in his bed, had been almost asleep but still rambling on in his happy, high little voice. He grinned at him, his eyes tired, his face pale. "I'm ready, Mr. Larabee."
Can't ask for more than that. Chris nodded at them as he grinned cockily. "Okay, boys. Let's ride."
The End