A Second Chance.8 (2xR)

[Fate Lowe]

Disclaimer: Don't own...don't sue...please and thank you!

AN: Thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far. Here's the next chapter. I hope that you enjoy.

A Second Chance
Chapter 8
By: Fate Lowe

Duo walked into the dark smoky room. He scanned the area and found the dark-haired head of his former brother-in-arms. He walked over to the bar and ordered a beer before joining Heero in the corner.

?Oi, what?s up?? Duo said, as he sat down at the table across from him.

Heero held up his glass of whiskey.

?This is my last one, ever.?
?What are you talking about??
?Don?t play dumb Duo. You know that I?ve been a drunk for the past few years.?

Heero looked down at the table before continuing.

?I?ve done horrible things Duo.?
?We all have.?
?Not like me.?
?What are you talking about?? Duo said, feigning ignorance.
?Relena?I did things to her that no man should ever do to any woman, let alone the woman that he claims to love.?

Duo knew what was coming but he remained silent, patiently waiting for his comrade to continue.

?For the last two years I?ve been hitting her on a regular basis.?
?You did what!?? Duo screamed, trying to act like he didn?t know everything already.
?Please Duo let me continue. I need to get this out. I don?t know what was wrong with me. She was just trying to help me.?

The tears that had been locked away for years started to well up in Heero?s Prussian blue eyes.

?I never told her what it was that made me start drinking. I regret a lot of things. Most of which were the reasons why I started and why I couldn?t stop. The ironic thing is, the thing that I regret the most was caused by the thing that I thought was helping me escape those regrets.?

A single tear ran down his cheek.

?I raped her Duo. The night before she died, I forced myself on her, while she screamed at me to stop. I feel so bad about it. I know that there?s nothing that I can do about it now. That?s why, after the memorial service and will reading, I will be disappearing.?
?After what you?ve done, I can?t say that you?ll be missed.? Duo spat.

Heero ignored him and continued.

?I won?t be coming back. Duo you were her best friend. That?s why, everything that she left to me, will go to you. I don?t deserve anything from her. She gave me everything while she was alive and what did I do in return. I treated her like trash.?

Heero lifted his glass, tears streaming unchecked down his face.

?Here?s to regret, loneliness, and sobriety.?

Heero downed his drink in one gulp. He then stood and walked off. Duo watched him leave, a satisfied smile on his face. He slowly finished his beer before heading home himself.

*****

?Hey, ?jousan. I?m home!?

There was no answer. He ran through the house looking for any sign of Relena. ?Oh God! What if something happened? What if seeing Heero today was too much? What if she left?? Finding no answers to his internal questions, he grabbed his cell phone, hitting a speed dial button before putting the phone to his ear.

?Hey it?s Renee. I?m busy, leave a message.?
?Hey, it?s Duo. Where are you? Give me a call as soon as you get this message.? he said in a frantic voice.

He hung up the phone and started pacing the living room, praying for his phone to ring.

*****

?Hey, it?s Duo. Where are you? Give me a call as soon as you get this message.?

Relena exited her voicemail with a small smile on her face. She hit the speed dial button for Duo?s cell phone before putting in to her ear.

*****

Duo stopped his frantic pacing immediately when his phone rang.

?Hello.?
?Hey Duo.?

Duo visibly relaxed upon hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.

?Lena, babe, God I was so worried. Where are you??
?I?m sorry I made you worry. I had an appointment that I had to keep.?
?What kind of appointment??
?You?ll see when I get home. Be there in five, k??
?Ok, five.?

After hearing the line disconnect, Duo closed his phone. After collapsing onto the couch in relief, he got back up to change for bed.

Exactly five minutes later, Relena walked through the door. She flinched as she was immediately engulfed in a tight embrace. Duo noticed and pulled away.

?What?s wrong.??

Without saying anything, Relena turned around and lifted the back of the loose-fitting t-shirt that she had changed into before heading off to her appointment. Duo noticed the large white bandage, spotted with blood, that adorned her back.

?What happened!??
?Just take it off and you?ll see.?

Duo slowly removed the tape and gauze from her back. What he saw amazed him. A set of beautifully detailed angel wings, still red from the fresh tattooing, sprouted from between her shoulder blades covering her back to just above her low-rise jeans.

?Wow!?
?I know, they're wonderful right!?
?So this was the appointment??
?Yeah, I got it done at the same place as the piercings.?
?Why wings??
?They symbolize my freedom.? Relena said as she lowered her shirt.

TBC

AN: Please leave a review. They make my day and make me want to write even more.