Conspiracies Ch. 12

"That's NOT what I said, and that's not what I want. I still want adventure. But not the kind you are forcing me into," Oliver replied defensively.

"I never forced you to do anything. You followed me willingly."

"I want to go to explore the world, and to do it for myself, not to kill whoever crossed your twisted path. I'm tired of you alienating me and constantly reminding me I belong to you. You preach that you're giving me all of these glorious things, but you're holding me back from living my life."

Oliver walked farther away from the car into the snow and quietly said, "You're right. You have been my father, and in that way I do love you. So if you really love me, like you would love your own son, you would let me live my life."

There was a pause, and then Sauer said, "Get back here and clean up your mess." He hung up and Oliver was left staring at his phone.

AJ had been tapping her foot anxiously, wondering what Oliver could be talking about. If he was talking about her. He said he was taking her somewhere. Would it be on another trip just like this? When Oliver got into the car, she could see the frustration painted on his face. She wanted to ask but knew she would probably not give her an honest answer.

In truth, Oliver had never felt so rejected in his life. It felt like a hole had just been punched through his stomach. "We have to go back to the city," he said in a sorrowful voice.

AJ was confused and actually disappointed. She was starting to enjoy being outside of her repetitive and boring life, even if it was with Oliver. Even though he was horrible in every way, he had made her life more exciting than ever. She wished she didn't have to go back home, and could just stay here, without the other agents, without Sauer, without the mansion. Maybe it was because she had slapped the crap out of him, and he didn't retaliate that was making her feel safer with him. Oliver was just one man, and maybe she could learn to put up with that.

They didn't talk much as they went back to the cabin, but they never talked that much anyway. They packed, went to the airport and bought the tickets for the next flight to the city. As they waited for the plane, AJ could tell Oliver was acting different. Usually he was playful, aggressive, energetic, or angry. Now he just looked...bummed out. He didn't give her any playful threats or make any moves on her. He just shrunk in his seat, looking blankly at the ugly carpet at his feet.

Even on the flight back, Oliver didn't sleep or talk. He just slumped into his chair and stared at the seat in front of him. AJ was now extremely concerned. This was not a behavior she had seem from him.

When they made it back to Chicago, he drove her home while she dozed off in the car, exhausted by their long flight. She didn't realize they were out front of her apartment until Oliver opened her door with her belongings under his arm. "I'll see you soon," he said as she took her things.

She sparked a cigarette on the street while she watched him drive away. It wasn't as cold as Alaska, but snow drifted down from the sky and settled onto the dirty streets. She flicked the cigarette onto the curb and sighed before going upstairs to her apartment.

Oliver had made it to his apartment only a few minutes after dropping her off. Living so close to her was very convenient, but now he was doubting if he could even stay in the city. He got to his door, with the upside down 7 hanging limply. When he touched the doorknob, he realized it was already open.

He backed away and took out his luger, which he had smartly decided to bring with him at the last moment. He took one deep breath and silently opened the door just enough to hear someone inside.

Oliver quickly slammed the door open and pointed his gun at the invader. He half expected it to be Sauer, but it was a man he'd never seen before. Before Oliver could ask who he was, the man pulled out a gun.

Oliver pulled the trigger before the other man could even touch his. The invader looked at the bullet wound in his stomach and fell to his knees. Oliver didn't bother asking questions. He put another bullet in the man's forehead.

As his body hit the ground, Oliver looked at the state of his apartment. Whoever he was he had torn up the entire place. Furniture broken, papers everywhere, books torn up and the empty fish tank shattered on the ground.

He bent down to find the VHS tape containing AJ's favorite episode of Stargate. It had been stepped on and crushed. He should have taken Sauer seriously. Or this could have been set up by Sauer himself.

The fuzzy crackling of a voice came from the body of the invader, still on his back and bleeding into the carpet. Oliver went to the body and pulled a walkie talkie from his belt. He turned the volume up and listened to the voice coming from the other side.

"Tom. Tom, please respond."

Oliver coughed and tried to change his voice. He simply said, "Yes?"

"We're on Farnsworth avenue. What is your location?"

Oliver didn't reply, but turned off the walkie talkie and sprinted out of his apartment.

AJ was so tired, she hadn't been able to sleep on the flight, and her nap in the car was extremely uncomfortable. When she got to her door, she found it was still open. She felt like such an idiot, leaving her apartment open. She probably got robbed by now.

She opened the door and dropped her bag on the floor. But then, she heard the door close itself behind her. For a split second she assumed it had been Henry, until an arm wrapped around her from behind.

She was used to Oliver doing these kinds of things, but she had just watched him drive away. A gloved hand covered her mouth as she began to scream. His other arm was wrapped so tightly around her she couldn't use her arms. She kicked wildly, her panic rising even more when she saw another man coming from her bedroom.

Both were dressed in black from head to toe, and wore masks over their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed. When the second man approached her she kicked him square in the chest. The man gave an 'oof' and buckled but started laughing.

"Little cunt," he said in a thick accent. Not even Oliver called her that. The next time she kicked he grabbed her leg and pulled. She flailed while they carried her to her the bedroom, where she heard Henry hissing underneath. At least he was still okay. That had been her first worry.

They dropped her on the mattress face down, where they laughed as she tried clawing away from them while howling. The one with the unbearably thick accent grabbed her ankles and yanked her towards him, spreading her legs.

"NO!" she screamed. She had never been this frightened by Oliver or Sauer. Not even the people at the mansion. The man grabbed her thighs and continued to spread her legs to a painful extent, while egging her on, calling her every humiliating thing he could.

"I hear something," said the other attacker.

"Yeah, her screams," the man said with his horrendous accent.

The reply was not enough for him, so he walked back to the living room, leaving AJ alone with the more aggressive man. She started kicking again when he pulled her closer and started to tear at her skirt.

"No panties?" he said with a beep chuckle, starting to unbuckle his belt and take his cock out.

'Goddamnit Oliver,' she thought.

She heard her door slam open and two shots being fired.

Oliver had immediately broken down the door, shooting at the first thing that was not AJ. He managed to shoot the invader in his left eye and along with his neck. He heard AJ's blood-curdling screams and dashed to the bedroom.

The man terrorizing AJ had started to frantically pull his pants back on and met Oliver head on in the doorway. They knocked into each other, the Luger flying out of his hand onto the carpet. "FUCK," he yelled as the invader slammed him to the ground.

While they grappled and fought, AJ was frozen in fear on the bed. She had flipped over and threw herself in the corner of her bedroom. The invader seemed to have nearly bested Oliver. He wasn't as tall, but he was twice as thick.

As the man began to slug Oliver in the face, his nose taking more abuse than normal, he pointed at the luger and yelled, "get it!"

AJ fumbled to the gun, terrified to pick it up, a voice her head repeating, 'you can't do this, you can't do this.'

But the man got one last punch at Oliver's bloody face and he went limp on the ground. The man started to laugh at Oliver's unconscious body, and then he turned back to AJ. She had somehow fought the voice in her head and had picked up the luger, pointing it at him. She was shaking uncontrollably as he stepped closer.

"So feisty," he chuckled. "And so pretty."

Something came over AJ. Her eyes opened as wide as they could go, she stopped shaking and at the top of her lungs screamed, "THAT'S WHAT SATAN TOLD ME WHEN I CRAWLED THROUGH THE GATES OF HELL," and pulled the trigger.

The bullet went straight through his forehead. AJ choked and lowered the gun shakily. She did it. She was brave. She tried to think if what she said was a line from a movie, or a book, but realized that it was all original and had come straight from her.

The shock of what she had done had kept her frozen for a few moments, but she quickly ran to Oliver, putting the Luger on the ground next to him. "Wake up!" she yelled. When he didn't, she grabbed the front of his shirt and started to shake him. "Wake the FUCK UP!"

But Oliver did not wake up. His head tilted and the blood was still gushing. His body was limp, and no matter how much she screamed, shook him, or even slapped him, he laid still. "I said WAKE UP," she cried angrily, as if she scolded him, he would suddenly rise.

Holding his head in her lap she saw his broken eye socket and his nose that bent to the side. His cheek looked like it might have been crushed. She took off her shirt and tried to dab the blood off of his face, but there was just too much. "I don't hate you, I promise, just wake up," she choked through tears. But he stayed there, motionless, his bloody head on her lap.

*One month later*

AJ sat in the front seat of her used camper she had acquired. Henry sat on the seat next to her, purring while she drew on her maps, planning every stop of her journey. Today she would be make it to Switzerland, see the crop circles there. Europe was turning out to be more of an adventure than she could have imagined.

She turned on the scanners, hoping to hear something worthwhile. The camper had been her new home, and she never regretted leaving Chicago for a second. Everything she had wished for came true. She left her boring, meaningless life, and now was on the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure she hoped would never end.

Her hair was now cut short and died black. Her usual attire had become flannels, jeans, and horribly cheesy shirts. When she would look at herself in the mirror, she didn't see the AJ she was once. Instead of her dead expression, she wore a smile. Instead of being the wallflower, she had become her own hero. Fear and pity seemed to be locked in the past. Now she felt brave, confident, and well, happy.

She sparked a cigarette and picked up Henry. "Where do we go next?" she asked the black cat. Henry gave a little mew and she nodded. "Geneva it is then."

AJ put Henry down and walked to the back of the camper to the small bed. She lifted the blanket and said, "Wake up!"

"I don't wanna," came a voice from underneath the blanket.

"No, we're going to see the crop circles! You promised."

Xander, who had now taken his own name back, rolled over and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the small mattress with him. His eye was still black, and his nose was just starting to finally heal. His cheekbone had nearly been crushed, but thankfully it wasn't.

Xander pulled her under the blanket with him and wrapped his arm around her, keeping her trapped on the bed against his chest. "Let's just go later," he pouted.

"No, I have a whole plan set up for the day and we're getting up now. And plus, we need to get Henry food."

Xander groaned dramatically but didn't release her. He only hugged her tighter and said, "just a few more hours."

AJ snuggled into him and said, "What did you promise me?"

Xander sighed loudly and replied, "adventure."

"That's right. So get up!"