Chapter Text
It had been a strange few days, the patriarch had arrived. Ben and Esther’s father, Katherine’s ex husband…and while Nathan generally was a kind, caring person who was cordial to everyone…this man was one he hated. Honestly, Abaddon didn’t really care…as much. He remained in the vents, observing. He was a man who ignored his children, anytime they wanted to show him something, tried talking to him, tried to spend any sort of time with him he just brushed them off and ignored him.
Nathan tended to steer clear of him for the most part. Katherine though…this has been a tough few days for Katherine, he was even meeting her halfway by steering clear of her. He knows a thing or two about being married to the worst person ever….and the stress it can bring.
It’s the end of the week though…
They’re arguing.
The man and Katherine, he said something that upset Esther. Abaddon watches through the vents, as Ben has a hand on his sister’s shoulder while they stand at the bottom of the staircase. Nathan is shielding them, or trying to. Abaddon isn’t really paying attention, but his hands are clenched tightly into fists.
The man is raising his voice, he’s trying to stand taller than Katherine, trying to make his already loud voice louder. She’s yelling back, but he can see the way her fists tremble. Abaddon furrowed his brow, that didn’t seem like her….Katherine was not one to back down from a challenge, she was not one to allow someone to speak to her in such a manner.
Then something happens.
The man backhands her….and Abaddon sees red.
He growls, lunging forward, his teeth chomp down on the man’s jugular.
“Abaddon!!” He hears someone scream, but he’s snarling…full of rage and contempt. The man is screaming in pain, blood is gushing everywhere. Abaddon however, still furious is biting and scratching, tearing away at meat and digging his nails into fragile skin ripping it apart in his fingers. Right now, Abaddon is little more than a feral, wild animal. He feels hands prying him away, he struggles in their grasp…it takes all three of the Freelings to pry him off of the man. The man grabs his things, and rushes out of there. The minute he’s gone, they let Abaddon go.
Abaddon whirls around to face them. Stopping, when he sees their faces…..the fear in their eyes. This powers him down, and he recoiled slightly. They’re afraid of him…but…no they shouldn’t be afraid of him.
“Why did you do that?” Said Katherine softly.
“He hurt you.” Was all Abaddon said, and she sighs understanding in her eyes. Esther however, glares at him.
“That doesn’t make it ok!” She exclaimed, fury in her eyes. “That was my dad!”
“Esther I-”
“My dad never calls, never texts, never comes and now he might not because…..because you hurt him! Why did you do that!” Exclaimed Esther, and Katherine winced. She understood, Esther was just a little girl, trying to reconcile with the fact she just saw her dad hurt her mom, and taking her anger out on the nearest person.
“Esther, Abaddon was only trying to help.” Said Katherine softly, sticking up for him much to Abaddon’s shock.
“I’m sorry…” Said Esther hugging her mom tightly, she wasn’t really mad at Abaddon, she was mad at her dad for hurting her mom. Right now though, that anger, and that frustration needed to be vented somewhere. Abaddon looked down, Nathan went over to Katherine, and the demon quickly left. He retreated back to his hole, where Nathan found him.
He really had only been trying to help.
He hadn’t liked seeing that man hurt Katherine, yes they weren’t close by any means but he would never, ever allow her to come to any harm. She was his family….and he thought….he thought they would understand. Except they hadn’t. They had feared him, Esther hated him. He sighed, hugging his knees close. He stayed there for hours, the sun was slowly starting to set. He heard a voice calling out for him, her voice.
He poked his head out and saw Katherine there. For a moment he wasn’t sure if he should make his presence known, but….he might as well face the music so to speak. He sighed, and stepped out, holding his wrist.
“There you are, dinner’s almost ready.” She said softly, and he just looked down. “I appreciate what you did….why did you do it?”
“I told you, he hurt you.” Said Abaddon softly, as she knelt before him to be at his eye level.
“You didn’t have to do that.” She said softly, and he still doesn't look up. Only to be surprised, when to arms encircle him. “Thank you.”
He blinks in surprise, he’s never been hugged before, not even by Nathan…though to be fair the first time Nathan had tried, Abaddon had vowed to devour his soul. Which meant he had never tried again, but even so….this is strange to him. He doesn’t know what to do. Katherine pulled away, and Abaddon met her warm gaze.
“Does Esther hate me?” He asked.
“No, she’s just…dealing with her emotions.” Said Katherine softly, “It’s hard…seeing your dad hurt your mom…she wasn’t really mad at you, she was mad at her dad, and took it out on you.”
“I see, I’m not sorry.” He said, surprising her. “You are my family, he hurt my family…he deserved it. “
“Well, that’s sweet in a way.” She said and he nods, making her ruffle his hair. It was actually sweet that Abaddon felt so passionately about protecting her family. From stopping the end of the world, to beating up her ex husband….it was how he showed he cared. In his own way…like a lion, protecting his pride.
“Were you afraid of me?” Asked Abaddon softly, and Katherine sighed.
“I won’t lie to you, watching you in that much rage…it was kind of scary, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so angry.” Said Katherine, after all even when the cult had shown up, he hadn’t…done much but hit them with a shovel, what he did to Ron though…that was pure fury….sure she’s seen Abaddon angry, seen him throwing childish temper tantrums, and seen him kill things with sadistic glee but this…this was different. She never ever feared Abaddon….until that moment when he looked back, eyes glowing red covered in blood, looking every bit like the demon he really was.
“That…I am sorry for, I never meant to make you afraid of me…I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” Said Abaddon softly. “Please don’t fear me….I just…I wanted to protect you.”
“I know.” She says, again enveloping him in a hug.
“Hey bud, you ok?” Said Nathan, and Abaddon just nods.
“He says he’s sorry for scaring us.” Explained Katherine, and Nathan sighed softly smiling down at Abaddon.
“It’s ok bud, we know you were just…showing him who the boss was, just uh…try not to be so scary next time.” Said Nathan, whose not gonna lie a part of him actually enjoyed Abaddon going all out on his sister’s ex. Even so, Abaddon smiled up at him. Well, that took care of them…now came the hard part. When they go back inside, Ben looks up, and immediately looks away from Abaddon. Clearly not having forgotten the scary image of the demon hurting his dad.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” Said Abaddon softly.
“It’s…ok.” Said Ben, Esther comes down…she looks at Abaddon sadly, before turning away. Grabbing dinner, and taking it to her room. Ben follows after, and Abaddon looked down at his plate.
“It’s ok, Abaddon like I said, they’re not mad at you, they’re mad at their dad….they just…they need time.” Said Katherine, and that made no sense to Abaddon. After all, if they were mad at their father, why were they mad at him? He had done nothing wrong…right?
“Yeah, it’s…complicated.” Said Nathan, and Abaddon looked up at him pleadingly.
“So explain it to me, because I don’t understand.” Said Abaddon softly.
Nathan sat beside him, rubbing his face tiredly.
“It’s not that simple, bud. You didn’t do anything wrong, you were trying to protect Kathy, and that means a lot. But humans…” He sighed, searching for the right words. “Humans get scared when they see violence. Even when it’s for the right reasons. Especially when it’s someone they care about. The kids aren’t mad at you…they’re scared and confused..”
Abaddon looked down, frowning.
“So I scared them because I was protecting Katherine?”
“Yeah,” said Nathan quietly. “That still doesn’t make sense does it?”
“Not really.” He admits, after all, how could they be scared of him? They know that he’s safe don’t they? That he would never harm them. He was only trying…to protect Katherine from the true danger.
“It’s kind of like this, Abaddon,” Said Katherine, hoping to make the demon understand.. “When someone we love hurts someone else we love, it breaks something inside us. It makes us feel like we have to pick a side even if both sides matter to us. Esther and Ben love me, but they also love their dad. So when you hurt him, even for the right reason…it made them feel like, they had to pick between the both of you.”
“But, they don’t have to…” Said Abaddon softly.
“Just give them time.” Said Nathan softly, and Abaddon looked away. Not understanding any of it. He’s a demon whose existed for a long time, and this…is new to him. After all, there were no shades of grey here, the man was hurting her mother, and Abaddon was only doing what he knew was right. Protecting his family….except…that man was Ben and Esther’s family too wasn’t he? He sighed, trying to eat, wondering how he could make it up to Ben and Esther.