Tiberius's head was bent towards the floor. His top had been torn from his flesh and lay in the blood and bile which littered the floor around him. The smell of his blood and vomit combined was so thick and heavy, the warrior felt almost suffocated by its stench.

Panting heavily, he tried to breathe through the aches and pains within his battered body. A hundred cuts littered his skin. There would only be another nine hundred to bear before he would finally be taken to his cell. A thousand a day he would have to bear until death claimed him – that was the punishment he had been given. Blood seeped from his wounds and dripped onto the floor. Tiberius could feel his lifeblood as it flowed from cuts but his eyes were swollen closed so he was blind to all that was happening around him.

Despite the weakness which threatened to overwhelm his body and his mind, Tiberius forced his back straight and breathed through the dizziness. Sweat poured down his face, mingling with the sticky blood. They were watching him from the shadows. Dozens of other Atlantian's watching his torture like grim spectres. Only one man appeared to be enjoying it. The Matriarch's pet had his hood over his face to his expression but his glee was buzzing through the air.

"Are you ready to give in yet?" The man asked, stepping closer to the bound man.

Tiberius kept his head bowed, not even dignifying the answer.

A second later there was a tell-tale whoosh as a fist came hurtling towards him. With as much agility as his wounds could afford him, the man bowed backwards, his muscles tensing with the effort. He moved out of the way but just not enough and the blow glanced off of his already battered face.

The hooded figure shook his head and then waved his hand at the proud man before him.

"You will live long enough to regret that decision Tiberius," The voice murmured condescendingly before turning away. "Continue."

The command issued, several scarred Atlantian's detached from the wall, blades held aloft. Their faces were blank as they circled the blinded and vulnerable man. And then it began, one sword striking out after another in quick painful slices which tore through Tiberius' already battered flesh.

* *

Gasping, Aubrey shot up out of the seat before the hand stretching towards her could even make contact. The chair fell to the floor behind her but she was already in motion, spinning away from the outstretched limb before coming to a stop in the perfect defensive stance while a feral growl escaped her lips. Tiberius would have been proud. The though came unbidden and brought a wave of sadness to the red head as she kept her eyes focused on her enemy.

Even as the man came into focus, all Aubrey could see in her mind was her mentor and friend being tortured.

"Oh my," a woman's voice murmured drawing Aubrey from her horrors.

The woman who had been so kind to her before, was now pale faced, both hands clasped over her mouth. Horror was written all over her face as she stared at the fiery haired stranger standing before her. It hit Aubrey with startling clarity – Deirdre was afraid.

Gulping, Aubrey forcibly relaxed her taught muscles and pushed a smile on to her lips. It was more difficult than anything she had done for a long time. All of her concentration was needed to loosen her stiff body muscle by muscle. It took at least a minute for her to fight back her instinctual need to fight and to regain some semblance of calm. Only when the sharpened bread knife almost fell from her hand did Aubrey realise she held the blade before her like a weapon.

With wide eyes, Aubrey glanced up at the man who now stood on the other side of the dining table and felt true horror sweep through her. He was tall, taller than Tiberius was but he was skinnier Dark hair was shorn close to his scalp but his face was kind. But there, across his cheek, was a thin line and as she watched it started to weep crimson liquid all over his skin.

Gasping, Aubrey's fingers released the knife and it clattered to the floor. She didn't notice. She was too busy scrambling away from the innocent she had hurt so fast that her back hit the wall. She hit it hard enough to knock several cook books off of the shelf. They each thumped to the floor one after the other but Aubrey was too far gone to notice. She barely registered the jolt of pain which shot up her spine.

"I'm sorry, so sorry." She apologised, her arms wrapping around her waist as she stared over at both the man still dressed in his police uniform and his mother who still hadn't dropped her hands from her mouth.

"Go and comfort her lad," the older woman chastised her son, barging her way into the kitchen. Busy with setting the kitchen back to order, Deirdre left her son to deal with the distraught woman.

For a moment the man hesitated, his eyes moving between his mother and the small red head before him and then finally the knife on the floor. The emotion on her face was genuine. Yet the policeman within him could not forget the way she had moved, the way she had lashed out and the way she had held the knife. She was trained with the weapon.

Stepping closer to her trembling form, he used one of his black booted feet to kick away the knife. It skidded across the kitchen floor and clattered to as stop in the hallway. Clearing his throat loudly, Aubrey lifted her eyes from her hands and stared up at the man before her. His eyes were blue and caught hers so that she could do nothing but stare.

"Take some deep breaths Ma'am." He murmured, holding his hands out in front of him as he edged ever closer. "That's it – breathe nice and slow for me."

Stepping closer still, the policeman wrapped his hands around his arms and even though it went against every bit of training he had received, the man did exactly as his mother asked and offered the woman comfort. Pulling her into his arms, he wrapped his arms around her stiff form and held on to her. Not tight enough that the woman felt constrained, just enough she could feel safe and secure.

He felt her small arms wrap around his waist and her small fingers dig into his uniform as she squeezed him uncomfortably tight.

"It's okay; you just need to calm down." He murmured as the body trembled within his arms.

Aubrey, even as she accepted the comfort from the stranger, couldn't understand how she had ended up in this man's arms. And she couldn't understand why she was acting like a weak and weepy woman accepting the comfort from a perfect stranger. Still she held on tightly and tried to pull herself from the brink she found herself teetering on. She drew in deep gasping breaths, clinging on to the man with desperation.

A lot had happened. Not even a year had passed since the death of her normal human life and since then she had died and been reborn over and over again. It was a strange quirk of her new life as an Atlantian, dying only to be reborn.

It had not left her unscathed. Dying over and over again had changed her; Aubrey would be a fool to think otherwise. And she was no fool. She had struck out at the man instinctually. If he hadn't ducked out of the way the policeman would have been dead. The guilt of what she had almost done was a burden to bear but she would never be comfortable with causing the death of other people.

"I'm sorry," Aubrey stuttered finally when she had her breathing under control.

Her pale face stood out sharply against her red hair. It took a few more breaths for Aubrey to truly focus and get a grip of her tumultuous emotions but finally she offered a weak smile to the man holding her. He didn't smile back. Instead, he released his hold on her and stepped back, putting a distance between the two of them.

"Take a seat." He ordered, gesturing to the chair which had been righted.

Inside, his order rankled but Aubrey nodded her head meekly, looking up at the man through her lashes. She crossed far too close to the man and hated how vulnerable it made her feel when she was seated and the older man continued to stand over her.

"Stop your posturing, laddie" Deirdre chastised, her hand swatting the back of his head before setting a cup of tea in front of the trembling young woman. "Aubrey has been through enough without you making it worse."

"Sorry mum, but she had a knife and she clearly knows how to use it." He muttered, his hand coming up to his cheek and then inspecting his fingers when they came away with fresh red blood. "I think 'Aubrey' should tell us just who she is and why exactly she is here. It's not really a tourist destination – no matter what story she has concocted to try and fool you."

Aubrey clenched her hands into fists so that the skin turned white. The policeman did not notice her fury as her hands were hidden beneath the table and her face had remained placid throughout the entirety of his speech.

Instead, she looked up the man she had injured. "I am truly sorry about your face. I was having a bad dream and you startled me." Turning her wide eyes on to Deirdre, the red head allowed her eyes to water as she pleaded her for understanding. And there was nothing false in her plea. "I would never intentionally strike at either of you. I don't want to hurt anyone – I promise."

Deirdre wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled Aubrey into a one armed hug, her eyes glaring at her son. "Of course you wouldn't lassie. We both know it's an accident. My boy is just upset that he spent all day walking the hills for another false alarm. Isn't that right, Andrew?"

Folding his arms across his chest, Andrew refused to capitulate under his mother's stare. Instead, he trained his gaze upon the meek looking woman with his trained eyes.

In the sleepy little village where he had been raised, people were good and honest. There was the occasional teen who took a turn at cow tipping as a rite of passage but otherwise crime and deception was low within the area. Yet the dark haired man was a policeman in the city. He had seen people lying over and over again in order to try and escape an arrest. He wasn't fooled by Aubrey's act.

"Are you going to explain who you are?"

Aubrey lifted her eyes and stared back at him. He knew. Knew she wasn't all she pretended to be. Gritting her teeth together, Aubrey struggled with everything. Regret that she had injured him was quickly being outweighed by irritation. Yet he was a policeman. Why hadn't he arrested her for the injury she had inflicted upon him. He clearly did not trust her or her motives.

"I've already told you who I am and why I am here. I just want to go home. Can you help me?" Aubrey answered.

"Of course he will help you dear," Deirdre murmured, giving the young woman a squeeze, "Won't you Andrew?"

Andrew, after a long pause, nodded his head. His lips were pressed in a thin line as he completed the gesture. The older woman did not notice, happy only to have gotten her own way. The red head was less oblivious to the reluctance of the policeman. She never took her eyes from him, just waiting for him to react in some way.

As his mother bustled around the small kitchen to put together a meal, Aubrey continued to hold his stare even as he set the cutlery on the table in a show of domesticity. Setting the knife and fork before her, the dark haired man bent down and leant close so that he could whisper, "I am only agreeing to this to get you away from my mum. I will take you where you need to go only because I do not want you to stay. Danger surrounds you, I can feel it. You may have my mother fooled but you do not fool me."

With the words spoken, the man stood and pasted a smile on his face. Taking the knife away from his mother, he moved around the kitchen with ease as he helped to prepare the food. Aubrey watched them with a strange detachment. She had what she needed – a ride out of this remote village but it did nothing to allay the panic and which was growing within her heart.

Her dream was real, she was sure of it. She had never had visions of her mentor before, even with the body they shared as mentor and student and yet in her heart she knew it wasn't just her imagination. They were torturing Tiberius and every second she delayed, the less likely she would be there in time to save his life.

What their connection meant was a matter Aubrey could only deal with when the man from her dreams was safe and far away from harm.

And then there was Andrew. He clearly didn't trust her and she couldn't risk him finding out about her mortal identity. It would only cause complications she didn't have time to handle. She should run now, while he was busy placating his mum but he was her way out of this remote village.

Aubrey briefly closed her eyes and sighed, fighting against the helpless anger forming within her churning stomach. She was a wreck but it was nothing compared to what Tiberius was enduring. She had to save him and soon. All she could do for the moment was wait for the right opportunity and when the time came, she would flee as fast as her feet could carry her.

Aubrey opened her eyes and focused her gaze on the cup of tea before her, letting loose a sad sigh. She was unaware of the sets of eyes watching her as she did so. Instead, she stared into the depths of the cup and prayed with every part of her being that she would find the answers she sought before it was all too late.