Finding You Always

The Power of Love

Finding You Always

Chapter 80: The Power of Love

Atlantis

Present Day

The day droned on as normal and gave way to evening. It was a strange thing as the days passed, but the only change from day to night in the compound occurred in the reserve and that was artificial. It made the days feel longer and disjointed and there was no getting used to not seeing the sunrise outside their window every morning.

Despite the incident with Landers and Clayton's subsequent attempt to teach them a lesson by punishing Charming, it had not quelled their resistance. In fact, it only made them more determined. As her pregnancy progressed though, the added anxiety of their situation often led to her daughter ordering bed rest for her. Snow hated it, but while her morning sickness and other symptoms had been more mild with this pregnancy, her fatigue seemed to be the thing to plague her this time. So here it was in the middle of the afternoon and she was laying down for a nap. But it was a restless sleep, as once again nightmares of the most horrific night she'd ever had plagued her.

Flashback

10 months earlier

The Pit

David screamed in agony, as Sa'luk pressed the plasma rod into the small of his back for what seemed like the hundredth time. He writhed in pain, his entire body trembling in the after effects. He was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness.

"That's enough Sal'uk! You've made your point!" Cassim growled, but was ignored.

"Tell me...is she still worth all this?" Sa'luk questioned. David glowered defiantly at him.

"She's everything...there is nothing I won't endure for her. But I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand the love I have for my wife and children," he spat.

"I'm impressed. Most in your position are usually begging me to stop, pleading that they'll do anything to stop the pain," Sa'luk replied, as he snapped his fingers. David heard the rattling of chains, as a figure emerged from the darkened corners of the cell. He had a limp and was all hunched over. His face had deformities and it was clear by the scars that marred him that Sa'luk had abused him. The brute snapped the whip at the Hunchback.

"Move you stupid freak," he growled, as he lashed the poor man.

"HEY!" David snapped, even as he still hung suspended by the manacles.

"Spare me the musing from your bleeding heart about kindness and love, Prince Charming. It has no place down here," he spat.

"Especially for this...thing," Sa'luk added, as he kicked the Hunchback forward.

"He's a person, you sadistic bastard," David hissed, as Sa'luk wrapped his very large hand around David's neck.

"Strong, brave, and noble all in one. You really take that whole Prince Charming thing seriously, don't you?" he goaded.

"I'd love to see how you'd fare in the cage with one of my men. That'd be a fight to see," Sa'luk said.

"You are not putting David in the cage with one of your miscreants. Clayton won't permit it!" Cassim protested. Sa'luk smirked.

"Yet," he hissed, as he jammed the plasma rod into David's abdomen again. He cried out and this time finally succumbed to unconsciousness, slumping forward, hanging limp from the manacles.