Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

She waited for her AC to kick on and for her phone to come back to life. It had died a couple hours ago and she had been so busy she hadn’t bothered to plug it in at the nurses station. When the cab of her car began to cool her phone chirped back to life, slowly. It was an old phone. One at a time her notifications started to roll in, none of which merited much interest until the very last which was a voicemail notification from her son.

Abby smiled and bypassed the voicemail choosing to just call him back.

His phone rang a few times before he picked up. “Hey, Mom, everything’s fine, I promise!”

It took her a moment to respond, “Everything is fine? What does that mean exactly?”

“I’m home now, and Dad and I talked and nothing bad happened, really, I mean technically…”

“Mikey. Explain, now.” Abby had been tired, exhausted even and ready to collapse into bed, but now she was wide awake and ready for the two hour drive to Los Angeles.

~~~~~

Dorghu needed a drink and a cigarette and a good night's sleep. He helped himself to two of the three before he drug his feet into the living room to sit for a minute. Before he could sit something caught his attention. He caught the scent of something salty with a hint of pineapple under the stench of exhaustion that nearly matched his own. His first instinct had been to reach for his gun or knife but that would not protect him from the attack to come.

“What are you doing Abby?” He reached up with the hand that loosely held his beer and flipped on the living room light.

“Mikey called.” Her eyes were tired and her tone was hollow, but there was no threat in them. Not yet at least.

The orc stared at her intently, taking in what had and hadn’t changed in the last eight years. She kept her longer, still a mess of wavey brown, her skin still suntanned and youthful. “You look tired”

She resituated herself in the chair against the back wall, “So do you.”

He took a long pull, half the bottles worth, of his beer before he set it down and put his cigarettes back in his pocket. “So, what did he tell you.”

“More than I wanted to know… but also not enough.” She rubbed at her face and raked her fingers through her hair. The two of them sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence. When Abby broke it her voice was gentle, “I didn’t know he was ready to… you know.”

Dorghu sighed and sat himself down on the nearest end of the couch. “You’d be surprised.”

There was a flash in her eyes and her posture stiffened.

“Abby don’t pick a fight, not tonight. Did you talk to Mikey?”

“No, I just got here a minute ago. I needed to talk to your first.”

Dorghu nodded. “You still drink your coffee with too much cream and sugar?” He took her half-hearted scowl and twitch of a smirk as a yes. That didn’t mean he relaxed, she was still on edge and rightly so, but he couldn’t help but take a deep breath and revel for a moment in the fruit and sea salt scent of his estranged wife.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Dorghu set her cup of coffee on the table just as Abby entered the kitchen. “Can I get another beer before the yelling starts?” He didn’t wait for the response and helped himself to his fridge anyway.

Abby slid into the seat in front of the hot coffee and didn’t bother to answer his rhetorical question. “Is he really okay?”

The bottle hissed as he twisted the cap off, “Yeah, he’s tougher than I thought. Smarter and braver too.”

She sipped her coffee, careful of the hot liquid, and Dorghu caught the faint flicker of appreciation. Apparently he still remembered how to make her perfect cup of coffee. “You shouldn’t doubt him. So, am I going to get the real story or the good old ‘you’re not an orc you wouldn’t understand’ version?”

“That’s not fair.” Dorghu had thought about a seat at the table but changed his mind, opting instead to lean next to the fridge for easy access. “I have always been open and honest and you can’t claim otherwise.”

“I wasn’t talking about you.” She took a longer, deeper sip. “That wasn’t fair. Just, please tell me what happened. Even the parts I don’t want to hear.”

He finished his second beer and stared at her, her gaze finding and holding his just as steady. “I asked too much of him.” This time he grabbed a coffee mug instead of a beer and poured himself a cup. “I went to a dark place and tried to take him with me.” He ground his teeth and swallowed as he took the chair across from her. Before he continued he took a gulp of the scalding coffee. “I almost ruined everything, everything.”

Abby didn’t respond, for a long time, just sipped her coffee and let Dorghu speak. At some point towards the end of the coffee pot Dorghu fell silent as well and Mikey was the one to break the silence when he came down the hall rubbing at his face.

“Morning.” When he drew his hand away from his sleepy eyes he paused in the doorway, “Mom, what are you doing here?”

She blinked her own, tired eyes at her son and then smiled, a little sarcastically, “Good morning, and do you think I was going to let this go?” She stood up and wrapped him in a long, tight hug.”Also here’s a tip; don’t leave messages on your Mom’s voicemail like that, ever gain.” She took her son’s head in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. After a deep breath she sighed, “Especially after she worked three night shifts, ‘kay?”

Mikey smiled and nodded as they pulled apart. He bumped fists with her father and grinned sheepish and very apologetic as he passed on his way to the fridge. “How long are you gon’ be here Mom?” He pulled a jug of Sunny D out of the fridge, “Does this mean I can skip school today.”

“No.”

“Not a chance.”

Abby and Dorghu answered at the same time. Abby added, “I have a couple days off, but I should head back.

“No, c’mon! Stay for the BBQ at least this weekend!

“Mikey, you’ll be in Santa Barbara with me in a couple weeks…” Abby looked slightly panicked and Dorghu watched her carefully.

“Yeah, but, c’mon.. Dad tell her she should stay.” Mikey looked desperately to his father.

Dorghu finished his last cup of coffee and stood up from the table, “Mikey... “ He looked from his son to Abby, “You know you are welcome if you want to stay but, you don’t have to.”

Her panic doubled and her soft eyes widened before they began dart around. “I think I should get some sleep before anything else.”

“Great, so, you’ll stay here and we can talk about it when I get home!” Before either of them could shoot down his optimism Mikey slammed the fridge shut and bolted back down the hallway to his bedroom.

“I’ll get you some money for a hotel.” Dorghu stood up and fished a wad of bills from his pocket.

Abby stood up with him, “Don’t bother, I reserved something on the way down here. Just in case.” She walked to dump the remains of her coffee down the sink, “I promised I’d keep out of it, but your dirty money still sketches me out.”

Dorghu sighed so deeply it was closer to a groan, “Abby, we’ve made it all night without arguing, don’t let the way I make money ruin that.”

Abby sighed herself but nodded, already on her way to the door.

Dorghu shoved the cash back in his pocket and cracked the knuckles of his right hand. “Abby,” He followed after her, “If you can, come to the BBQ, it’s Arthur and Malia’s Anniversary. I know she’d be happy if you did, Mikey too.”

She paused, her hand on the door knob, “Tell Mikey I’ll pick him up for dinner tonight. I’ll decide by then.”

“Okay.” He stepped onto the front step and watched her walk to her car. As he stood there and watched her leave, something in and of itself that gave him chest pains, he wished desperately that he had either never tried to get that magic wand or that he had succeeded and everything could have been back to the way it should of been. Of course, life was never that easy. Not for them anyway.

Chapter Text

Mikey waited in the passenger seat as his mom shut off the car in the driveway. "You're sure you're not mad?"

Abby sighed, "Mikey I'm not mad, it's just... a lot to take in. You can understand that. I'm actually very proud of you, considering."

Mikey nodded. "You are gonna stay the weekend right?"

"I'm going to talk to your father some more tonight and we will see. Okay?"

"Okay!" Mikey brightened immediately and climbed out of the car on his way to the house.

Abby stayed in the car a minute or two longer, collecting herself. It had honestly been a long time since she had interacted this much with her husband. Estranged husband. She fidgeted with the ring on the long chain around her neck. The situation itself would be traumatizing, what had happened to them, but the added stress of the conflicting emotions she was experiencing.

She was worried about Mikey, worried about his future. If she was honest she was worried about Dorghu too. Part of her, though she almost hated to admit it, was glad to be around him again. As much as it hurt.

With a deep breath she tucked the necklace back into her shirt and pulled the key out of the ignition and followed Mikey to the front door.

~~~~~

She sat down at the kitchen table and watched Dorghu clean up the kitchen and grab himself a beer out of the fridge. "I'm thinking about coming to the party."

Dorghu stopped beer bottle in one hand and the cap in the other. "Really?"

"Unless you tell me not to."

"Telling you what to do and what not to do never worked for me Abby." He grinned, nostalgic but a a little sad. "I actually think it would be good if you came."

"Really?" She toyed with the car keys still in her hand.

"Yes. If that's what you want." He set the beer down in front of her and grabbed himself another one.

Dropping her guard slightly she mumbled under her breath, "Not sure what I want anymore."

Dorghu didn't know whether to acknowledge what he had heard or let her keep the comment to himself. "How was dinner with Mikey?"

Her face softened, "Good. I really can't believe how good he turned out considering everything."

"We did good." Dorghu agreed, "You more than me."

"Don't say that." Abby scolded him, "You've always been an amazing father. The gang leader just bleeds into it a little sometimes."

He swallowed thickly and nodded, taking a long drink of the cold beer. Both of them fell silent. They both knew they were sharing the same deep, dark memory.

"Stay at the house tonight. You don't need to go to a hotel."

Abby took her first sip of beer. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Dorghus nostrils flared and his grip tightened on the glass bottle. "Okay." He took another drink, "Will you come tomorrow though?"

She nodded, took another sip of beer, and stood up, "I'm really going to try." She left the half drank bottle on the table and forced a smile. "Good night Dorghu."

Dorghu finished his beer and nodded, "Good night Abby."

He watched her walk out the front door and closed his eyes tightly, breathing in a full breath for the first time since she had entered the house that night. He didn't trust himself to do so in her presence yet. He listened for her car door and then the sound of her driving away. His eyes fell on her half empty beer and he picked it up, finishing it himself before going up to bed, knowing he would not be able to sleep again that night.

~~~~~

(flashback)

Abby had begged to take a walk. It was a beautiful spring day and Mikey's preschool wasn't that far away, she looked so happy and bright, glowing and how could he refuse her.

So they started the walk to to pick up Mikey from preschool. Abby looked amazing, still small and lean but her belly was full and round. She was starting to get tired easier, and ached almost constantly but she refused to stay in the house and wait out the last couple months of her pregnancy. She craved fresh air and sunshine.

They walked down the street together, Dorhgu with his arm around her waist and his hand in the back pocket of her shorts. She leaned into him slightly her own arm around his back and fisted in the back of his shirt. They bickered and laughed over names, they still hadn't decided on a name for their baby girl.

At a crosswalk they waited for the light, Dorghu listened to Abby as she shared name suggestions from the other nurses on her shift and shook his head at all of them. Even as he listened something else caught his attention.

The light turned and they crossed the street. So did the group of men that had come out of the alley a few paces behind them.

Dorghu kept track of them, wthout worrying Abby, and when they finally had come too close for comfort he readied himself. In one smooth motion he turned to face the men behind them and slid Abby behind him with one arm to shield her.

He was met with a blur and a burning hot sensation across his face and he roared in pain. The slash was followed by another and another and Dorghu flailed out his huge arms trying to grab a hold of something. He felt his hand grab onto a handful of fabric as soon as the burning pain was combined with hard thumps and more shooting pains, his ribs screaming and his head pounding as he fell to the ground.

Faintly, as if she was a mile away, he could hear Abby screaming and yelling somewhere behind him.

Dorghu was enraged but could not see or move with the steady barrage of blows to his head, torso, arms and legs.

When the beating finally stopped and he could take his first painful, shallow breath, his first thought was he could no longer hear Abby. His vision was blurred and his ears were ringing. Every movement sent white, hot, electricity through the nerves of his face and body.

Beside him he saw her. Abby, his gorgeous, vibrant, young wife, the mother to his children, sprawled on the ground. Her skin was pale, her eyes glazed and unfocused, her fingers twitching and grasping in his direction as blood soaked through her shirt and pooled around her on the sidewalk.

(end flashback)