Love and Agony

by Keara

(Completed) Duo and Hilde's lives are changed forever after one simple kiss. Later, how will Hilde cope when Duo is kidnapped? And will Duo survive the agony of torture at the hands of a vengeful woman?

1. Part One and Two

Disclaimers: I don't own anything. But I wish I did.

Author's notes: This takes place after the series. I don't know too much about Endless Waltz, just bits and pieces of what I read on other websites, so forgive me if I make a few mistakes.

The Gundams have been destroyed and the Earth is at peace with the colonies. The five pilots have gone back to relatively normal lives. This is mostly a Duo fic, since he's one of my favorite Gundam pilots.

Part One is basically all romance, full of angst and all that good stuff. Part Two has bloodshed, pain, and some of the other Gundam pilots. Hope you can wait that long for all that fun stuff.




Love and Agony



Part One


Chapter One


Duo Maxwell sat on the edge of his bed, his body drenched in sweat, and his heart beating rapidly. Those dreams had been so vivid. They had felt so real. But they always felt that way. Every night since he had stopped being a Gundam pilot and gone back to his normal life as a member of the salvage organization known as the Sweeper Group, his sleep had been plagued with nightmares.

When he had been a pilot, the Gundam and the colonies were all he ever thought about. There was no time to worry, no time to remember the past. But now, all he ever seemed to do was think about it. All the people he had killed, all the lives he had ended. Whenever he was around people, he would put on a brave front. He acted like the Duo Maxwell that everyone knew, carefree, happy, and always good for a laugh.

But when he was alone, he just couldn't help but think about all the death in his life, all the people he had killed. Every night he ended up crying himself to sleep. He felt as if everything was his fault. And sometimes he contemplated ending his miserable life, wondering if anyone would miss him if he were gone.

He wondered if any of the others had the same problem, but doubted it. Maybe Quatre, but he would be the only one. Wufei didn't seem to be the type that ever regretted anything. And both Heero and Trowa seemed too cold, too detached from the real world to ever feel such guilt. The missions were everything to them, and they would do anything to accomplish those missions. And even if they did feel guilt, they would probably be handling it a lot better than Duo was.

Duo looked down at his hands. They were covered in the blood of his victims and only he could see it. No matter how much he washed them, or how many good deeds he did, he could never clean the blood off his hands. He was the God of Death, and nothing could change that.

He stood, letting his hands drop to his sides, and walked into the bathroom. He switched on the light, blinking as the sudden brightness hurt his eyes. Then he caught his reflection in the mirror. He stared at himself in disbelief. He looked terrible. His eyes were red and puffy from his tears, and they were surrounded by dark circles because of his lack of sleep. His skin was pale and his hair was a mess.

Duo reached behind him, and pulled his long braid over his shoulder. As he slowly undid the braid, he remembered Sister Helen and the time he had spent living at the Maxwell Church. Sister Helen had been the one that had taught him how to braid his hair, when he refused to let them cut it. Of course, he always preferred it when she braided it for him, and she seemed to enjoy it too. She was so nice to him, as was the Reverend.

They hadn't deserved to die. Those Alliance soldiers didn't have to attack the church just to get to a few rebels that were hiding inside. 245 people died and Duo couldn't save them, he had been too late in stealing that mobile suit for the rebels so that they'd leave. The church had been destroyed and the Reverend and Sister Helen were dead, along with 243 other people.

If only Duo could go back in time, maybe he could save them. Maybe he could also save his friend Solo, get him more of that antidote that the street kids had needed so badly. When that virus broke out in the colony and the poorer and less desirable colonists, like the gang of orphans that lived on the streets, weren't given any, Duo had stolen the antidote for them. But he had been too late to save Solo. He remembered that had been the first time that he had used that name, Duo, sort of in honor of his dead friend. Then he had been taken in by the Reverend and Sister Helen, while the other children were placed in foster homes. But in the end they had died too.

Duo clutched the edge of the sink in front of him as another sob shook his body. None of them had deserved to die. He should have done something. He could have saved them if only he had tried harder.

He took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to regain control of himself. Quickly, he wiped the tears from his face. Then he turned and walked over to the shower. Might as well take a shower, he thought. He wasn't going to get anymore sleep that night, and he needed to wash all that sweat off of him.

He turned the water on, and tested it to see if it was warm enough. "Too cold." He gasped as he pulled his hand away. He turned the hot water up a little more. "That's much better." He said as he reached his hand in again.

Duo stripped out of his sweat pants and boxers and stepped into the shower, sliding the shower door closed behind him. Goose bumps quickly appeared on his skin where the water hadn't touched him yet. His hair hung loose behind him, lightly brushing against his bare skin.

He stepped into the flow of water, letting it wash over his face. He grabbed the soap and quickly got cleaned up. He then washed his hair and rinsed it thoroughly.

Duo leaned forward, resting his arms and forehead against the tiles of the wall. The water felt so good, so warm. He didn't want to get out just yet. He took in and let out a few deep breaths, just letting the water hit his back. He found it calming the way the water sounded as it hit his back, as it washed over him and poured to the floor. He never knew why he felt that, but always enjoyed the relaxation the shower always provided him.

For a few minutes he just stood there, wishing his dreams and memories would wash away so easily. Then slowly, he reached out and turned off the shower. He pulled open the shower door and stepped out, dripping wet. Quickly grabbing a towel from the nearby rack, he dried himself off.


Chapter Two


Hilde woke up. She had been living with Duo for over a year now. Duo had insisted that she didn't have to find a place of her own, that there was plenty of room in his place for two people.

She worked for him, doing all the paper work that he hated doing. While Hilde was a whizz on the computer, making sure all the bills were paid, and keeping all the work orders and invoices in order, he did all the hard work repairing anything that he thought needed repairing. Of course, he had help from Howard, Duo's old friend that always wore that Hawaiian shirt and those jazzy sunglasses. Hilde had to do all her work on her own. Still, no matter how hard she worked, it always seemed as if there was still more work. They were years behind in paper work. She didn't know how Duo had gotten anything done without her.

She sat up in her bed and swung her legs over the side. She yawned and stretched. She would much rather stay in bed for the rest of the day, but there was still so much work for her to do.

Hilde stood and walked over to the bathroom door. She knocked on the door, making sure Duo wasn't inside. She didn't hear a reply, so she walked in.

That's the one thing she hated about sharing a house with Duo, she also had to share a bathroom with him. Not that he was messy or anything. He was considerate enough to put the toilet seat back down when he was done and he never left any clothes or anything lying around. It was just that she didn't want to have to worry about walking in on him when he was in the shower or something, or him walking in on her.

There was a door at either end of the bathroom, connecting his room to hers. He was always telling her that he'd get around to putting in a second bathroom, but he just never did it.

She made sure both doors were locked before she took her clothes off. She knew he would never just walk in without knocking first, but it made her feel better knowing that the doors were locked.

After a quick shower, she walked into her room, a towel covering her body. She got dressed, putting on a pair of jeans and a white blouse. It was nothing fancy, but it was comfortable. And since she was going to be working on paperwork for the rest of the day, she wanted to be as comfortable as she possibly could.

She walked out of her bedroom and to the kitchen, where she found Duo. He was pouring coffee into his mug. He was wearing his work clothes, a simple gray jumpsuit, almost identical to what he used to wear as a pilot, except for the color. His hair was in its usual braid.

"Have you eaten anything, or is that coffee all you've had?" She asked as she walked over to the fridge and opened it.

"Nah, I'm not really hungry." He replied, casually, as he tried to walk past her.

She grabbed his arm before he could get past her. "I don't think so. You didn't eat dinner last night, I won't let you get away with skipping another meal." She said, looking straight at him, and releasing his arm from her grasp.

She was worried about him. He looked so bad, with his pale skin and those dark circles that were always around his eyes. And today, she could see that his eyes were also red and puffy. He'd been crying. Anyone would be able to see that something was troubling him and keeping him from sleeping.

Even when he did sleep, he had nightmares. Hilde knew about them. Their rooms weren't that far apart. She could hear him crying out in his sleep, talking to people that only he could see. Of course, she hadn't understood what he'd said in his sleep. His words were muffled by the walls between him and her.

Hilde wished that Duo would tell her about it. But she couldn't pressure him into it. If he wanted to tell her, he would. She just had to give him time. She only hoped that he would tell her before he completely lost it.

"Oh, all right Hilde. If you insist." He smiled. "But there isn't anything in there that can be considered breakfast food."

"Damn." She muttered to herself as she looked into the almost empty fridge. "That means I'll have to go shopping today."

"Sorry Hilde." Duo said. "Looks like I don't have to eat breakfast now."

She turned and saw that he was already gone. "Damn it Duo! You're going to have lunch, even if I have to shove it down your throat!" She called out to him, as she slammed the door of the fridge shut.

She heard him laugh. "Okay! I'll have lunch!" He shouted back.

Hilde cursed under her breath as she grabbed her purse and left the house. Why hadn't Duo told her yesterday that they were out of food? He had cooked last, even though he hadn't eaten any of it himself.

A couple hours later, she was struggling to bring all the groceries she had just bought into the house. Everything was in reusable bags, but still there were so many of them, that she had to take several trips. During her last trip, while she had four bags in her arms, Duo came up to her.

"Need a hand?" He asked, pleasantly.

She looked over at him. He was completely filthy. Hilde assumed that the smudges on his face and stains on his clothes were from oil of some sort. He was wiping his hands off on a bit of cloth that looked like it had been used way too many times to clean his hands. In fact, it just looked like it was making his hands dirtier.

"No. I'm fine." She said, right before she lost her grip on one of the bags.

Duo jumped forward and caught it before it fell. "Sure you are." He replied, sarcastically. Then he took a second bag from her hands.

"Thanks." She replied, even though she didn't really mean it. Why hadn't he come out sooner when she had all those other bags to carry? "But when we get inside, don't touch anything. You're all greasy." She replied, walking ahead into the house.

"Of course I am. I've been working hard since you left to go shopping."

"Well, if you had told me that we were out of food last night, I would've woken up earlier so I wouldn't have missed any work." Hilde replied.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him smile, and realized that he had probably done it on purpose. He was always telling her that she worked too hard. This was probably his way of letting her have a couple hours off, without actually telling her to take a break.

"Well, I should get back to work." Duo said as he dropped the bags on the counter. He turned and left quickly, leaving her with the task of putting all the food away.

It didn't take as long as Hilde thought it would, and soon, she was in the office, filing paperwork. She would rather be putting more groceries away. But she had to get some work done before lunch.


Chapter Three


Duo had just finished washing his hands and turned off the sink. There wasn't really any point in taking a shower, since he would just be getting dirty all over again after lunch.

Hilde held a towel out to him. "You're still filthy." She remarked.

Duo only glared at her, as he took the towel from her and dried his hands. She was the one that had insisted he eat lunch. Did she have to insult him too? He would much rather be working on the equipment in the warehouse, or on the machines and appliances in the small repair shop that he owned. Besides, he hadn't had much of an appetite lately.

"So, what's for lunch?" He asked, pretending that he really cared.

"I didn't have much time to prepare anything, so it's just sandwiches." Hilde replied, sounding a bit disappointed.

The last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad. She was only trying to look out for him anyway. "But you make the best sandwiches, Hilde." He said with a large grin.

Hilde smiled back. Then she turned around. When she turned back, she was holding a plate of sandwiches. "Here. Eat." She ordered.

Duo sighed and picked up a sandwich. He wasn't really hungry. But he also didn't want to find out if Hilde could force the food down his throat. That's what she had said she'd do if he didn't eat. And he believed that she would try.

He forced himself to take a bite. "There. You happy?" He said after he had swallowed.

"I won't be happy, until I see you finish it." She replied. "Now, eat."

Duo sighed again. Then he forced himself to eat the whole thing. It didn't taste that bad, but he wasn't really hungry. "Now, can I go back to work?"

"I'd be happier if you ate another sandwich. But I guess I can't force you if you really don't want to." She replied, looking down at the floor.

"Thanks Hilde." He said. Then he kissed her on the cheek and left as quickly as he could. He wasn't about to let her rethink her decision to let him go back to work.

Once he stepped outside, he realized what he had just done. He had kissed Hilde. Sure, it was only a peck on the cheek, but still, he had kissed her. As he walked back to the warehouse, that was all he could think about. Did it mean anything? Was he falling for her? Or was it just a spur of the moment thing? Those questions kept going over and over again in his mind. For the rest of the day, he could think of nothing but Hilde. She occupied his every thought. And he came to the conclusion that he was in love with her.


Chapter Four


Hilde couldn't believe what had just happened. Duo had kissed her. She could feel herself blushing, as she put her hand to her cheek where his warm lips had touched her for an instant.

Then she took her hand away. Wait a minute, she thought to herself, this was Duo. The kiss probably hadn't meant a thing to him. It was just something he had done without thinking. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of Duo, and went back to work.

In the evening, she cooked dinner, while Duo was taking a shower. She set the table, and served the meal. Soon, Duo came in, wearing sweat pants and a plain T-shirt. By the look of him, he was ready for bed, and completely exhausted.

"You okay?" She asked, concerned for his health.

He sat in front of his plate. "I'm fine." He replied.

But Hilde could see he was lying. "You sure? You look terrible."

"Just a rough day." He said, then slowly he began eating his food.

Hilde sat across from him and also began to eat. She kept her eyes on him throughout the meal, worried about him. "You want to talk about it?" She asked, when she was sure he was done eating.

"Talk about what?" He asked innocently.

"Whatever's bothering you." She said as she stood, finished with her own meal. She picked up the plates and took them over to the sink.

"Not really." He replied as he stepped up beside her.

This was a part of their day, washing the dishes. Today it was Hilde's turn to wash and Duo's turn to dry. He just kept his eyes lowered as he worked today. Hilde wished he would tell her what was on his mind.

"Um, Hilde?" Duo finally said, after they had finished their chore. He placed the plate he had been holding on the counter in front of him.

"What is it Duo?"

"About that kiss earlier. I wanted to apologize." He didn't look at her once while he spoke.

Hilde decided that it would be better to just shrug it off, pretend that it was nothing. Maybe Duo couldn't handle the idea of them getting together yet. That was a thought that she constantly thought about, ever since she had moved in. But she knew that Duo couldn't ever like her. He was probably looking for someone a whole lot prettier than her.

"Don't worry about it Duo. It was nothing, didn't mean a thing." She replied, hoping he hadn't heard her voice cracking as she spoke.

She turned to him and saw him staring at her. Those fantastic cobalt blue eyes of his were looking directly into hers. Her heart was racing, as she felt his hand slide up to her shoulder, then across to her neck. In an instant his lips were pressed up against hers.

Hilde couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her instincts took over, and she wove her fingers though his silky hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. She felt his tongue in her mouth, caressing her own. She returned the gesture quickly, rubbing her tongue against his, hoping she was doing it right, since she had never really kissed anyone before.

His hands were on her back, pulling her blouse out of her pants. Then she felt them on her bare skin, gently stroking her back and sending shivers of pleasure up her spine. She loved the feel of his warm, calloused hands against her skin. His hands slid around her waist, one of them reaching up to grasp her breast, firmly but gently.

The sound of a plate breaking, snapped Hilde back to her senses. It must have fallen off the counter during their kiss. Hilde was suddenly hit with the reality of their situation. She pushed Duo away, and ran to her room, tears streaming down her face.

She slammed the door behind her and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. How could she have done that? Why had she let that kiss go on for so long?

She knew that it had meant nothing to Duo. He didn't love her. He thought of her as a friend, and treated her just like all his other friends. He cared about her, maybe loved her like a sister or something, but he didn't love her the way she wanted to be loved. She didn't just want a make-out session, or a simple one-night stand. She wanted a whole lot more, and Duo didn't.

So why did he kiss her that night? There had been so many nights when she had wished he would kiss her, wrap his arms around her and just hold her tight. But she never thought he would actually do it. Now that he had, she wished he hadn't, since it made everything so damn complicated.

There was no way she could care for him just as a friend now, not after knowing the feel of his warm lips against hers, the touch of his hands on her bare skin. She couldn't go back to being friends, not when she had totally fallen in love with everything that was Duo Maxwell. Everything, from his charming, carefree personality, to his amazing good looks and exquisite hair, had captivated her.

She was just too terrified to tell him. For some reason, she couldn't see Duo as being in love. Not with her, not with anybody. He was just too casual about everything.

Hilde lifted her head from her pillow, hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. She saw the shadow beneath her door, telling her that Duo was standing just outside. But a moment later, the shadow moved away. She heard his own door open and shut. Then she once again buried her face in her pillow and let her tears come forward. She sobbed as quietly as she could, not wanting Duo to hear her.


Chapter Five


Duo stood outside Hilde's bedroom door. Why had he kissed her? It was obvious that she only thought of him as a friend with the way she had just shrugged off that earlier peck on the cheek he had given her. Why had he thought she could ever love him? No one could love him, he was the God of Death. Death, pain, and sadness followed him wherever he went.

That look on her face when she had pushed him away, had nearly killed him. Her eyes had been filled with tears, her lips trembling. Then she had run away, as if he had caused her physical pain. It felt like a knife had been stabbed into his heart and soul, as he watched her run away from him. The sound of her door slamming, had left him feeling as if he had just been punched in the stomach.

He reached out to grab the handle, wanting to apologize. He didn't blame her, although she hadn't seemed to mind the kiss at first. If she had put up any kind of signal for him to stop, he would have in an instant. But she had responded quite enthusiastically. He never should have kissed her in the first place. They were friends, nothing more. He should get that through his thick head.

He pulled his hand back away from the doorknob. Maybe she just needed to be alone for the time being. She probably didn't even want to see his face right now anyway.

He walked into his own bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. As he sat on his bed and pulled off the T-shirt he had been wearing, he could hear Hilde crying. He mentally kicked himself for ever thinking that he and Hilde could be more than just friends. Now she hated him. She'd probably move out because of this, and he'd lose the most important person in his life.

Duo put his hands to his face, as his own tears came forward. He laid down on his bed, regretting that he had ever kissed Hilde. Yet another thing in my life to regret, he thought.

He closed his eyes, forcing his tears back. He was so tired, so exhausted. He just wanted to get some sleep, or at least try to. Duo was sure that those dreams would interrupt his sleep again. And then, he'd wake up covered in sweat again.

Duo was absolutely right. The dreams did invade his sleep. And he did wake up covered in sweat. He looked over at his clock and saw that it was only 3:16. He wished he could have slept a little longer. Then he stood and walked into the bathroom.

Once done with his shower, he went to the living room. He hadn't even bothered to braid his hair yet. He had just gotten dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He plopped down on the sofa and switched on the tv. There wasn't anything on, just infomercials and home shopping channels. But it was a distraction from his problems, if only for a few minutes.

The sound of knocking, attracted his attention. Duo got up and walked to the front door, wondering who could possibly be visiting at such an hour. When he got to the door and opened it, there was no one there. He stuck his head out and looked around, but he still didn't see anyone.

Just as he was about to close the door again, he glanced down and caught a glimpse of something on the ground. It was an envelope. He knelt down and picked it up, his hair dropping over his shoulder as he grabbed it.

Duo turned the envelope over in one hand, unconsciously throwing his hair back over his shoulder with his other hand. His name was typed on the front of the envelope, but there was nothing else on it. As he sat back down on the sofa, he opened the envelope, and pulled out the single piece of paper that was inside.

Reading the note, his eyes went wide in surprise. The words were typed. It read, "The blood of the innocent is on your hands. Soon you'll pay for all you've done."

"Great." Duo mumbled to himself. "That's all I need, some wacko out for revenge against me."

He dropped the note and envelope on the sofa next to him, and went back to watching TV. He switched to some news program. Although it really didn't interest him, it was better than nothing.

He heard footsteps behind him. He didn't have to turn around to see who it was, he knew it was Hilde. Quickly, he grabbed the note and envelope and shoved them down between the cushions. There was no need to get Hilde worried about him. Of course she might not get worried, since she hated him now.

She didn't even acknowledge his presence, as she walked past him to the front door. He knew that she was going out for her morning run, although it was still quite early. He glanced at his watch, it was only 4:26 in the morning. She probably didn't sleep much either, most likely since she was so upset over that kiss.

Duo just watched her leave. Then he began to worry. Maybe that looney that was out for revenge, would go after Hilde to get to him. He couldn't let that happen. He grabbed his shoes, and put them on. Quickly he braided his hair. He had to make sure that nothing happened to Hilde, even if that meant following her around without her knowing it.

Duo stayed just close enough to keep an eye on her. Whenever she turned around, he would duck out of the way, hoping that she hadn't seen him. He couldn't let her know that he was there. How would he explain himself if she saw him? What could he possibly say?


Chapter Six


Hilde kept to her normal route, jogging down the street for a while. Every now and then, she got the feeling that she was being watched. But whenever she looked back, no one was there.

It was still dark, the only light coming from the street lights above her. She just kept jogging. She didn't even realize how long she had been out, since she hadn't really been paying attention to anything but the ground in front of her.

Someone bumped into her, and she finally stopped. She mumbled an apology as the man continued on his way, then looked around. Hilde was standing in a park of some kind. It was morning, brighter than when she had left the house. She looked at her watch, nearly out of breath. It was almost six.

She sat on a nearby bench, still wondering why she had let Duo kiss her. In her mind, she saw Duo's handsome face smiling at her. She wished that he loved her.

Her tears came forward again, and she found herself unable to stop them. She laid down across the bench. She couldn't stop the tears, couldn't control the sobs that racked her body. Hilde wrapped her arms around herself in a desperate attempt to stop the pain inside her soul.

After who knew how long, Hilde was able to pull herself together. She sat up on the bench, wiping the remnants of her tears away. She had to get back to the house. Duo would be wondering where she was, wondering why her normally short run had taken hours. She stood and jogged back the way she had come.

Hilde walked inside, expecting to find Duo where she had last seen him, sitting on the sofa. But he wasn't there. Maybe he was in the shop, repairing some appliance or something.

She didn't give his whereabouts a second thought. She really didn't think she could handle being around him right now anyway. Seeing him would probably just make her cry again, and she really didn't want to cry in front of Duo.

Hilde went back to her room, then into the bathroom. She really needed a shower right now. Catching a reflection of herself in the mirror, she was definitely glad that Duo hadn't been there when she had gotten home. She looked absolutely horrible, covered in sweat, her eyes puffy and red. There was probably no way for her to look worse.


Chapter Seven


Duo couldn't stand it. He had followed her on her run, not knowing how far she would go. When she finally stopped, he could barely breathe. And then, he had watched her from behind some bushes, as she began crying uncontrollably. Her body shook so badly, that Duo thought she might fall off the bench.

He wanted to go up to her and console her. She needed someone to talk to. But he couldn't bring himself to take a step toward her.

It was his fault anyway that she was in so much pain. She hated him, he could see that clearly now. She couldn't stand that he had kissed her. Duo had hurt her so badly that she couldn't stop herself from crying.

He was barely able to stop his own tears as he watched her sob. Duo felt like such a jerk for ever causing Hilde pain. He wanted to turn, to just run and never look back. He couldn't stand to see Hilde cry. But he knew he couldn't. He was out here for a reason. He had to watch out for her. He had to protect her from whoever wanted revenge against him. Someone was after him, and he didn't want Hilde to get hurt.

Hilde got up off the bench and began running back toward home. Once again, Duo followed her. When she was safe inside the house, Duo turned and walked to the warehouse. Howard was already there, hard at work.

"Hey, Duo." Howard greeted, kindly.

Duo didn't even turn to him as he waved. He walked right over to his tools and just started rummaging through them, not looking for anything in particular.

"Something wrong?" Howard asked.

Duo was vaguely aware that Howard was standing next to him. Then, suddenly, Duo's legs gave out. He slumped to the floor, weakly. Duo was feeling lightheaded. He tried to shrug it off, to stand again, but Howard's hand kept him down.

"I think you should just rest for a minute. I'll go get Hilde." Howard said, as he put his hand on Duo's shoulder to keep him from getting up.

"No. Don't bother Hilde." Duo replied. "I'll be fine."

Howard sat on the floor beside him. "Man, what have you been up to? You're all covered in sweat."

"I was just out for a run."

"I believe that was a bad idea, considering how little sleep you've been getting." Howard replied.

Duo looked up at his friend. "How would you know how much I sleep?"

"Man, a blind man could see those circles around your eyes." Howard said. "I've known you for years Duo, and I can tell when you've got something on your mind. You want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Duo replied as he struggled to stand.

"Well, if you insist on getting up, I suggest you go back to the house and try and get some rest. Take a nap. I can handle the repairs today." Howard responded as he helped him up.

"You sure?" Duo asked, although he really didn't want to get some rest. When he slept, he only had nightmares. But, at least it would solve the problem of accidentally bumping into Hilde today. If he wasn't working, then he really didn't need to eat lunch. And he'd grab something for dinner, if he was hungry, at a time when he knew Hilde would still be working.

Howard nudged him toward the door. "Get going. I don't want to see you around here until tomorrow."

Duo feigned a smile and slowly walked back to the house. He opened the door and walked in, hoping that he wouldn't run into Hilde on the way to his room.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he shut his door behind him. He hadn't seen Hilde. She must have been at work already. Then, he heard the shower, and realized that Hilde was probably using it.

He walked over to his bed and plopped down on it. He was still drenched in sweat, but he couldn't take a shower, not while Hilde was in there. He would just have to wait until later to get cleaned up.

Duo closed his eyes. He knew his sleep would be plagued by nightmares. But he didn't care anymore. Hilde hated him. He didn't deserve a peaceful sleep. He had caused too much pain for everyone he had ever met, to deserve any happiness in his life.


Chapter Eight


For the past three days, Hilde had been avoiding Duo. She couldn't face him, not after that kiss. He must think so badly of her, running away like she had. Over the past few days, the two of them had hardly spoken more than three words to each other at a time.

Hilde wondered if she should just move out. Things could never be the same again. He would never love her. And she just couldn't bear to be around him every day, knowing that he'd never see her as anything other than a friend.

Howard walked up to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Hey, Hilde. I was wondering what's up with you two."

"What do you mean?" Hilde asked, as she tried to look busy by moving a few papers around.

"Oh, drop the act, Hilde. I know something happened between you and Duo. I'm not blind." Howard stated, grabbing the papers from her hands.

Hilde could feel the tears coming again, but she forced them back. She wouldn't cry in front of Howard. "He kissed me." She said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. "But I don't see how that's any of your business." She replied, raising her voice, and glaring coldly at him.

"Sorry Hilde. I was just wondering why you and Duo were acting so strange. You've been out of it lately, and Duo's been snapping at me if I try and ask him about it."

Hilde softened up on him. "Oh, Howard, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell like that."

Howard handed her papers back to her, and smiled kindly. "That's okay. It really was none of my business." He said, then turned and left.

Hilde wondered why Duo would be snapping at Howard. Maybe she had hurt him when she ran. She hadn't even thought of that. Even if Duo didn't love her, having a girl run away after kissing him had to be hard on his ego.

"He must hate me so much for just leaving him standing there like that." Hilde mumbled as she smacked herself in the head.

She pushed her chair away from her desk and stood. Stretching her tired arms, she glanced at the clock on her desk. Time for dinner, she thought.

Hilde walked back to the house, slowly. She walked straight to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She could see that Duo had taken some of the leftovers from the dinner she had made last night. But he hadn't taken much.

She grabbed an apple and closed the fridge. She wasn't really hungry anyway. However, Hilde was worried about Duo again. It didn't look like he was eating right.

After finishing her apple, she went to her bedroom. Hilde really was tired, after all that boring paperwork. She changed into a tank top and a loose pair of shorts, her usual night clothes, and pulled the blankets back on her bed. She laid back and pulled the blankets up to her waist, hoping she would get some rest.

Hilde didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she was sure that it wasn't very long. She looked over at her clock. It was 2:23. She sighed and laid back down, wondering what had woken her up.

She laid absolutely still, and strained to hear any unusual sounds in the house. The muffled cries of Duo caught her attention. He was having another dream again.

Hilde got up, curious to see if Duo was okay. She walked to the bathroom door and opened it, then walked over to the other door, the door to Duo's room. She hesitated a moment, debating whether it was a good idea or not to spy on Duo while he was sleeping. Her hand was on the doorknob, waiting for her to come to a decision. In the end, her curiosity got the better of her. She opened the door a crack and peeked inside.

The sight before her, made her breath catch in her throat. Her heart twisted at the image of Duo. His face and bare chest were covered in sweat. He shook his head from side to side. His brow was furrowed, like he was in agony. His hands, when not clutching the sheets as if in pain, were flailing out at unseen enemies, while his legs kicked violently at the sheets covering him. Duo was mumbling something in his nightmare. But it was so low, that Hilde couldn't understand his words.

Without hesitation, Hilde ran over to his side. She sat on the edge of his bed. Gently, he reached out and shook his shoulder. Hilde gasped in surprise when his eyes shot open and he sat straight up. For a moment he didn't seem to focus on anything, and then his eyes locked on her.

Duo wrapped his arms around her, laying his head against her chest. Hilde saw his shoulders shake, as he sobbed silently against her. She wrapped her arms around his shivering body. His normally cheerful attitude was gone. His mask of casualness and confidence was broken. Finally, he was letting her in, letting her see his vulnerable side, his human side.

"It's okay Duo. You were just having a nightmare." She said soothingly.

"No, it's not okay." He mumbled, as his body continued to shiver. "I was always too late. Too late to save Solo, too late to save the Reverend and Sister Helen. I could've saved them. Everyone died because of me and it's all my fault."

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Hilde asked.

Duo looked up at her, pain reflecting in his beautiful eyes. Hilde didn't think he was going to answer her, until he took in a deep breath and began speaking. By the time he was finished relating his entire childhood to her, he was reduced to tears and his voice was hoarse. He could barely speak at all.

"Duo, you can't blame yourself. You did everything you could to save them. And I am sure that none of them blame you, or would want you to continue like this." Hilde replied, trying to comfort him.

"I've killed so many. My hands are stained with my victims' blood."

"Duo, do you really think, that any of your enemies would give a damn if they had killed you. You were only doing what you had to, during a war. They would have killed you in an instant if you had ever hesitated." Hilde replied. "You couldn't have changed their minds."

Duo pulled away from her, and smiled. "You didn't kill me."

"That's only because I realized that we were both fighting on the same side. I trusted you." She placed her hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away from her again and turned away. Her hand slipped from his shoulder. "You don't trust me anymore."

"How can you possibly say that? Of course I trust you."

He looked straight at her. She could see the tears in his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Hilde. Over the past three days you've barely said one word to me. I'm not blind. You hate me."

"That's not true, Duo." She replied, feeling her own tears beginning to come forward.

"Then why did you run away crying, after I kissed you? Why have you avoided me ever since then?"

Hilde grabbed his shoulders firmly. She could feel the tears streaming down her face as she spoke. "I love you, Duo, with all my heart."

"Then, why did you run?" He looked so confused.

"The only reason I ran away, was because I knew you didn't love me. I couldn't live with us just having a one-night stand. I want so much more, and I can't just pretend that we're nothing more than friends, after I've felt your lips against mine." Hilde said, her voice straining with every word. She looked away from him, suddenly afraid of looking at his face.

"Hilde?" Duo said, as he touched her face with his fingers, wiping her tears away. She turned her head toward him, her eyes staring down at the bed. "Hilde? Do you really love me?"

Hilde nodded and answered in a whisper. "Yes. I love you more than anything."

"I never thought I'd ever hear anyone say that to me." He hooked a finger under her chin, and pulled her gaze back up to his. He stared deep into her eyes, with those exquisite cobalt blue eyes of his. "I love you too, Hilde." He replied, and his eyes reflected that his feelings were true.

She had no doubts anymore, and was certain that he had spoken the truth. She smiled and pulled him closer to him, letting her lips touch his. The kiss was short, but passionate.

This time, it was Duo who broke it off. He rested his hands on her shoulders. She looked him over carefully, wondering why he had pulled away. "What's wrong?" Hilde asked.

"I just don't want to rush you into anything. I can wait for you." He smiled at her.

"Oh, Duo." She sighed. He was being so nice, so kind. But when she looked at him, she saw just how tired he was. "Why don't you try to get some rest?"

He nodded and she pulled him closer to her, laying his head down on her lap. She was more than happy to let him use her as a pillow. Hilde stroked the side of his head, resting her other hand on his waist. She wouldn't leave his side tonight, not leave him vulnerable to another nightmare.


Part Two


Chapter One


Duo woke up, knowing that something was different. He lifted his head and looked up. Seeing Hilde, he remembered everything that had happened last night. He smiled, knowing that Hilde loved him. Whoever thought that a woman like her would ever fall for a guy like him.

He felt like the luckiest man alive, as he stared up at his beautiful sleeping princess. She must have fallen asleep watching over him. Hilde was so beautiful when she slept. She looked just like an angel, his angel.

Duo carefully pulled himself away from Hilde, not wanting to wake her up. She looked so peaceful, so content. He would hate to disturb her.

He went to the kitchen, intending to surprise Hilde by making breakfast. A knock on the front door, distracted him. Duo opened the door, expecting to see someone standing there, but there wasn't anyone. He remembered the last time this had happened, and looked down at the ground. Sure enough, there was an envelope sitting there.

He picked it up and opened it quickly. Typed on the small piece of paper was a simple message, "Your suffering will be great. I will bask in the pain I'll inflict on you. Revenge will be mine."

"Duo, what's that?" He heard Hilde ask from somewhere behind him.

He crumpled the envelope and note into a ball and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket. He couldn't let Hilde know about those notes. He wouldn't want her to worry. "Nothing, Baby. Just some letter from a church trying to convert me to their faith."

"And we all know that you don't believe in God." Hilde said laughing, as she sauntered over to him.

He met her halfway. "Just the God of Death, Baby." He replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"What are you doing out here?" Hilde asked, after the kiss was over.

"I was going to surprise you by making breakfast." Duo smiled.

Hilde gasped over dramatically, "You, make breakfast?"

"I've made breakfast before." He replied.

"Yeah, sure. I hope it's better than the rest of your cooking." She giggled, pulling out of his arms.

"Are you implying that I can't cook?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hilde only giggled and smiled.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now." He said, as he raised his hands and wiggled his fingers at her.

She continued laughing and ran to the sofa, keeping it between him and her. "You can't catch me." She teased.

"We'll see about that." With those words, he leapt across the sofa, wrapping his arms around Hilde's waist. He pulled her down with him as he slid to the floor.

He flipped her over onto her back and straddled her hips, effectively pinning her to the floor. Then, he began tickling her. He knew for a fact that Hilde was very ticklish. She shrieked and laughed as his fingers moved over her most ticklish areas. And he enjoyed every second of it.

"Stop, stop. I give up." She struggled to say between laughs. "You win. You win."

"Glad you see it my way." He smiled down at her, as he took his hands away from her.

She smiled back, although out of breath. "Come here." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her.

He rested on his forearms, not wanting to put too much of his weight on her. Their lips touched, beginning yet another kiss. It was tender at first, then it deepened into something so passionate that it took both of their breath away.

"Glad to see you two getting along again." Howard said.

Duo nearly fell over, he was so surprised. He stood up, glaring at Howard for interrupting. Then, he turned his attention back to Hilde and held a hand out to her, helping her up.

"Hi, Howard." Hilde said, giggling and blushing.

"What do you want Howard?" Duo asked as nicely as he could.

"Just wanted to know if either of you were going to show up for work today." Howard said, before turning and walking out the door.

Duo looked at the clock on the wall. "Damn." He muttered. "It's after ten."

"I guess we overslept." Hilde remarked from behind him. She draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed the side of his neck. "So, how did you sleep?"

"Never better." He replied, as he laid a kiss on her arm.

She pulled away from him slowly. "I guess we better get ready for work."

"I'd rather take a day off." He sighed.

She smirked at him. "No can do. You know I still have all those invoices to file. And you've gotta finish fixing that video phone that Mr. Sampson brought in last week."

"Yeah, okay. The guy has been bugging me about it for the past few days." Duo replied as he went to his room, for a change of clothes.

He would have preferred to spend the rest of the day with Hilde, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. They did have all that work to do.

He opened the door to his bedroom and walked in. Quickly, he changed into his work clothes, just a pair of beat-up old jeans and a T-shirt with holes in it. He didn't want to get any of his good clothes filthy, like he usually did when he worked.

As Duo was walking back to the door, he felt as if he were being watched. Before he could turn, a hand reached around him, clamping a rag over his mouth. He could smell the chloroform coming off the rag, invading his nostrils.

He tried to hold his breath, tried not to breathe it in. Duo struggled against the hand over his mouth, trying to pull it away. But all his efforts were in vain. Soon, he surrendered to the drowsiness that overcame him, and slipped into unconsciousness. The last thoughts that went through his mind were of Hilde. He hoped that whoever was knocking him out, didn't go after her next.


Chapter Two


All Hilde could think about while she worked, was Duo. He loved her. She couldn't get over that. Duo Maxwell was actually in love with her.

She looked up from her work, when she saw Howard enter the office. "Hey Howard." She greeted cheerfully. "You need something?"

"Hi Hilde." Howard replied. "I was just wondering if you knew where Duo was. He hasn't come in yet."

"Last time I saw him, he was going to get changed for work. But that was a couple hours ago." Hilde replied, suddenly feeling worried.

Howard obviously saw the distressed look on her face and commented. "I'm sure he's fine, but maybe we should look for him."

"I'll check the house." Hilde said as she stood. She didn't even hear Howard reply as she left.

She immediately went to Duo's room, knowing that was where he had been heading when she had last seen him. He wasn't there. Her heart pounded with fear. Where could he be?

A bit of white lying on the floor, attracted her attention. She knelt down and picked it up, seeing that it was a rag. It was damp with something. Hilde brought it up to her nose, but took it away abruptly when she smelled the chloroform soaked into it.

She looked around the room again, clutching the rag in her hand. One of his windows was open. She walked over to it quickly and looked out. She looked down at the ground, and saw what she had expected to see. There were footprints in the ground under Duo's window, and marks left in the ground caused when something was dragged away. That something, Hilde guessed, was Duo.

Hilde turned and ran out of the room. She had to find Howard, had to tell him what she had found. As she passed by the sofa on her way out of the house, she glanced at it, and noticed the cushions were out of place. Duo must have knocked them off when he had leapt across the couch to catch her that morning, right before he had begun to tickle her.

She picked up the cushions, feeling an unusual need to fix them. Her eyes caught sight of a bit of paper that had been stuffed down between the cushions. She wondered how long it had been there, and what it was. As she pulled it out, her eyes scanned over the words. Her breath caught in her throat as she read those words on the note. It said, "The blood of the innocent is on your hands. Soon you'll pay for all you've done."

Hilde gasped in shock as she remembered seeing Duo with a similar piece of paper in his hands that morning. She walked over to the wastebasket and rummaged through it, looking for the paper he had crumbled up earlier that day. As she read that note, a deep fear filled her entire body. She read it aloud, not knowing exactly why she was doing it. "Your suffering will be great. I will bask in the pain I'll inflict on you. Revenge will be mine."

Hilde fell to her side, clutching the notes and the rag to her chest. It felt as if a knife had been driven into her chest. Duo was going to be hurt, maybe killed. Hilde felt so helpless. How could she save him? How could she even find him?

She didn't know how long she had been lying there, sobbing uncontrollably. But she was vaguely aware of being picked up off the ground by Howard. She could feel the softness of her bed under her body.

"Hilde, speak to me. What's wrong?" Howard asked, applying a wet cloth to her forehead.

She could see Howard sitting beside her on the bed. She fought to speak, to tell Howard what she knew. But when she opened her mouth to talk, her voice came out all cracked and weak. "Duo's been kidnapped by some nutcase out for revenge." She held the notes and rag out to Howard.

He took them and studied them for a moment, before speaking. "What do you want to do?" He asked her.

"What can we do?" She cried. "We can't go to the cops. You and I both know that the entire police force is made up of ex-soldiers. They wouldn't give a damn about the kidnapping of a Gundam pilot."

"Well, what about contacting the other guys?"

"You mean Heero, Quatre, and the others?" Hilde asked. "But, should we really bother them with this?"

Howard placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I'm sure they'll help. You stay here. I'll go get them and bring them back. It won't take me more than two days."

"Hurry back." Hilde said, her eyes releasing their tears again. "We don't know how long that psycho will keep him alive."

Howard stood and left. Hilde was left with her worries, her fears. There was no one left to console her now that Howard was gone. She could only hope that Howard would hurry. She couldn't bear to think of how Duo must be suffering.

Over the next day and a half, Hilde barely did anything. She tried to get some work done, but couldn't concentrate. She tried to watch TV, but nothing interested her. She couldn't function properly, knowing that Duo was in danger. She couldn't even eat.

She was sitting on the sofa, clutching tightly to one of Duo's shirts, one that still smelled like him. She breathed in the scent, wishing that it was Duo that she held in her arms, safe and sound.

Howard walked in, behind him were three people. Hilde recognized them immediately. "As you can see," Howard said, "I found Heero, Trowa, and Quatre. But I couldn't get in touch with Wufei, and I really didn't know where to start looking for him."

Hilde stood and dropped Duo's shirt. Quatre stepped past Howard, and immediately wrapped his arms around Hilde. "Oh Hilde, I'm so sorry." He said, crying. Quatre always was a very sensitive person. She was just glad he was there along with the others. She returned the embrace weakly.

Heero spoke up, sounding as serious as she remembered him to be. "We'll find him."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Trowa asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against a wall.

Hilde was about to answer, when Quatre pulled away from her and held her at arms length. He looked over his shoulder at the others. "Guys, I believe that this can wait a few minutes. Just look at Hilde." He turned back to her. "How long has it been since you've eaten anything?"

Hilde replied meekly. "Almost two days ago, not since Duo disappeared."

"I bet you haven't slept either." Howard sighed.

Hilde looked down at the ground. "No, I haven't." She replied quietly.

"Guys, Hilde needs rest." Quatre said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure Howard can fill us in on the details he refused to tell us about earlier."

Quatre led Hilde away from the group. When they turned the corner to the hallway, Hilde silently pointed out her room, knowing that was where Quatre was trying to lead her.

He sat her down on the bed and knelt in front of her. "Don't worry Hilde. I'm sure Duo's okay."

She looked up at him and could feel the tears stinging her eyes again. "Quatre, I don't know what I'll do if I lose him now. I just found out how he really feels about me."

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

"The night before he was kidnapped, he told me he loved me. If he dies now, I don't know if I can go on living." Her shoulders shook as her sobs came forward.

Quatre wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He talked soothingly into her ear, comforting her if only slightly. "I promise you, Hilde, we'll get Duo back alive and well. I promise."


Chapter Three


At first, Duo was only aware of how terribly his head ached. Then, he felt the cold, hard surface of the floor beneath him. He forced his eyes open and pushed himself up to his knees. A sudden chill filled the room, causing his body to shiver.

Duo looked down at himself, realizing that it was just a little too cold. He saw, to his surprise, that most of his clothes were gone. All that remained, was his boxers. He was even more shocked to find that his wrists were bound by, what could only be called shackles.

A long chain was attached to the shackles, and with his eyes, Duo followed it back to its source. Several feet of the chain was just lying on the floor around him, but then it went up. Duo could see that the chain was run through a pulley high above his head, hanging from the ceiling. The other end of the chain was attached to a winch.

He noticed that the walls in the room were covered in some kind of padding. Great, he thought, the room is sound proof. No one would ever hear him if he screamed out for help.

Ignoring his throbbing headache, Duo pulled on the shackles binding his wrists, testing to see how strong they were. He wondered who was doing this to him, who had kidnapped him.

"There's no point in struggling. You'll never get out." A pretty voice called out.

Duo snapped his head up, looking for whoever had spoken. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" He asked.

As he watched, a figure walked out of the darkness. She was a beautiful young woman with fiery red hair that was cut extremely short. Her clothes were a simple pair of shorts and a T-shirt. In her hands she carried some kind of cloth, balled up. Duo couldn't tell exactly what it was.

"You destroy my life, and you have the nerve to ask me what I want?" Her voice didn't sound as pretty anymore.

"What are you talking about, lady?"

She walked over to him and began circling him, never getting too close. "My father was a mobile suit pilot. You murdered him."

"How can you be so sure it was me?" Duo asked.

"When someone calls himself the God of Death, it's kinda hard to mistake him for someone else. And since you, Duo Maxwell, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe is the God of Death, you're the murdering bastard that destroyed my life." She said as she circled, her eyes blazing with rage.

"I did what I had to do, during a war." Duo said, remembering what Hilde had told him before.

She was behind him at the time, and his comment was rewarded by her yanking viciously on his braid. He cried out in pain once. "Because of you, my mother had to try to raise her three children alone. My brother died of a drug overdose, a habit he picked up after Father's death. Mother couldn't handle it, all the pain. So she ended her life. Leaving me and my sister to fend for ourselves."

She released his hair and circled around to face him. Duo looked straight into her eyes, trying to find any sign of sanity. But there was nothing but hate, utter disgust. "I did what I had to." Duo replied.

She spat in his face and tossed the bundle she had been carrying to him. "Here." She hissed. "I wouldn't want you to get sick. Not when there's still so much pain I want to cause you."

Duo wiped his face off, glaring at the young woman as she left. He unfolded the bundle and found it to be a pair of sweat pants. They were cut just below the knees. But they were better than nothing, so he put them on quickly.

The sound of something scraping across the floor, attracted his attention. He looked up, and saw the young woman dragging something over to him. Before she got close enough for him to see what it was, she turned. She walked over to him, leaving whatever it was behind.

He thought she was going to say something to him, but she just passed on by him. He turned and saw her standing by the winch. She turned the crank and Duo heard the chain being retracted. Soon, he had to stand, as she continued to turn the crank, pulling more and more of the chain up through the pulley above his head. And eventually, his feet were no longer able to reach the ground, as she left him dangling from his wrists in midair.

He was only a few feet above the ground, but still it was a great strain on his arms. Duo watched from above as she went back over to what she had been dragging across the ground. From where he was, Duo could see that it was a tarp, folded over so that he couldn't see what was on it.

She looked up at him, and grinned evilly. Duo had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. "I have a little test for you." She smiled.

Duo didn't reply, as he was concentrating on keeping his wrists from breaking off. He just watched as she positioned the tarp directly under him. Then she unfolded it. Duo took in a deep gasp, seeing what was on that tarp. It was literally covered in shards of glass. And here Duo was, with no shoes on.

His heart pounded in his chest as she went back over to the crank and slowly began lowering him down to the glass-covered tarp. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he got closer to the glass below him. But she showed no intention of stopping his descent. "Are you nuts?" Duo asked, as he raised his legs. He was close enough to touch the glass now.

She stopped turning the crank. "I just want to see how long you can keep your feet up. Eventually, you'll get tired, and then the glorious pain will begin." She laughed and sat in front of him, just watching as he struggled to keep his feet away from the glass.

For a long time, he kept his feet up, his arms feeling like they were on fire. He could feel the blood dripping down his arms, from where the shackles had cut into his wrists. His hands gripped the chains tightly, trying to keep as much pressure off his wrists as he possibly could. But his legs were getting tired. It was beginning to hurt, trying to keep them up. And in the end, Duo just closed his eyes and dropped them, knowing he couldn't hold them up any longer.

The pain radiated throughout his entire body, as the glass tore through the skin on his feet. It shot up his legs and he screamed out. He couldn't stop himself. It hurt so much.

As his own cries stopped, Duo could hear the woman's laughs, the sound of her clapping. It sounded so far away, like she was miles from him. "That was wonderful!" She exclaimed. Duo was vaguely aware of his body being lifted.

His breath was coming in ragged gasps. His feet hurt so much. He struggled to open his eyes. Duo had to see, had to know how much damage had been done. He looked down at his feet. There was so much blood, it nearly poured from his feet.

"I'm glad you're happy." Duo said to her, as she moved the glass-covered tarp away again.

"That was only the beginning, Duo Maxwell." She replied, lowering him to the ground once again.

He lifted his legs slightly, not wanting to push the glass further into his feet. Luckily, she continued to lower him and he soon found himself, sitting on the ground.

Then she came up beside him, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. Duo recoiled away from her instantly. "I told you, that your pain would be great." She whispered to him.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the back of his neck and he felt himself getting drowsy. Damn, he thought, she must have drugged him. But he didn't really care. If he was unconscious, the pain would go away. He succumbed to the darkness that invaded his vision, gave in to the relief from the pain.


Chapter Four


Hilde opened her eyes, hoping that everything had been a dream. But that hope was shattered when she saw Heero sitting beside her bed. She was surprised to see him. If anyone, she had expected to see Quatre sitting there, not Heero.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

Again, Hilde was completely surprised. This was not like Heero Yuy at all. "Fine I guess." She replied as she sat up.

"Trowa and Howard are examining the notes more thoroughly. And Quatre insisted that you need a good meal, so he's preparing one." Heero said calmly.

"So, how long have I been asleep?" Hilde asked.

"Only a few hours." Heero stood and turned to leave.

"Why were you sitting there?" She asked, as he was reaching for the doorknob.

He stopped, but didn't turn as he replied. "Someone had to watch over you." With those words, he opened the door and left.

Hilde stood and walked into the bathroom. She took a shower, knowing how terrible she must look. When she was done, and dressed in clean clothes, she walked out of her room and to the kitchen.

Quatre greeted her happily, although his face showed how concerned he was for Duo's safety. He sat Hilde down in a chair and served a large plate of food to her.

"I didn't know you could cook." Hilde remarked.

"I have many talents." He replied, blushing slightly.

Trowa and Howard walked in, and sat in chairs by the table. "We lifted a couple fingerprints off the notes. Heero's hacking into police records to see if any of them belong to the kidnapper." Howard said.

Quatre put plates down on the table in front of him, then took a plate for himself and also sat. He looked up at Hilde. "I hope you don't mind that I used some of your food." He said kindly.

"It's all right Quatre. It was nice of you to cook." She took a bite of her food. It was delicious, so much better than anything Duo had ever made. The thought of Duo once again brought tears to her eyes.

"Hilde? Did I do something wrong? Do you not like the food?" Quatre asked solemnly.

Hilde looked up at him and smiled. "No, it's delicious." She put her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands. "I was just thinking of how you cook better than Duo. I never thought I'd miss his awful cooking." She laughed.

"His cooking is that bad?" Quatre asked, obviously trying to brighten the mood in the room.

"I've never tasted anything worse." Hilde replied.

Howard spoke up next. "He cooked for us once on the salvage ship back on Earth. I never thought anyone could ruin scrambled eggs until I tasted his."

Everyone laughed, even Trowa, who let out a small chuckle. Then, Heero walked in, and they all turned to him. "Anything?" Hilde asked, hopeful.

"Yes. We were lucky. There was one fingerprint on the second envelope that belonged to a Natalie Anderson. Her father was a Mobile Suit pilot for the Alliance military before he was killed by the Gundam Deathscythe."

"So she's out for revenge against her father's murderer." Trowa said plainly.

"Duo's not a murderer." Hilde nearly shouted.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound that way." He apologized, obviously just to keep Hilde calm.

"That's not all." Heero continued. "Shortly after her father's death, her brother died of a drug overdose. Then her mother committed suicide. And she and her only other living relative, her sister, turned to prostitution to pay their bills."

"So, she doesn't just blame Duo for her father's death, but for everything else that happened to her?" Howard asked.

"That's a distinct possibility." Heero replied.

Hilde stood up. "Do you know where we can find her?"

"Possibly. I looked into her most recent purchases. She's renting a building several miles from here. Judging from some of the other supplies she's been buying, I'd say she was making at least one room soundproof." Heero stated.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Quatre jumped up from his seat. "If she's made a soundproof room, she could be hurting him."

Trowa put his hand on Quatre's shoulder. Hilde didn't know why they were just waiting around there. She wanted to go get Duo before it was too late. But she listened as Trowa spoke.

"Before we go, we should get some supplies. We need to be ready for anything." He said just as calmly as he said everything.

"I'll get the guns." Heero stated. "She might be armed."

"I'll go with you." Trowa said, moving around to stand beside Heero.

Howard walked over to the door. "I'll go get the car."

"And I'll get some medical supplies, just in case we need them." Quatre said. He stepped over to Hilde. "Will you help me?"

Hilde could only nod. She was thinking of what that woman might be doing to Duo. She was certain that he was hurt, somewhere in pain. It had been two days since he was kidnapped. Hopefully they would get to him in time.


Chapter Five


Duo's body was throbbing with pain. There wasn't a single area on his entire body that didn't hurt. He had no idea of how long he had been there. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness too many times to be able to tell time very well.

After waking up from his forced nap, Duo had looked immediately to his injured feet. To his surprise he had found that all the glass shards had been removed. However the wounds hadn't been cleaned or bandaged in any way. He could see the deep gashes, and hoped they wouldn't get infected.

"I see you're awake again." The woman said, happily. She sauntered over to him like a cat. Duo could see that she was carrying a plastic cup in one of her hands. Her other hand was balled into a fist. He wondered if she meant to punch him, or if she was holding something.

"Do you have a name, or should I just call you Bitch?" Duo glared at her.

"Oh, your words hurt me." She said, dramatically placing her fist over her heart as if he had really caused her pain. Quickly, she lapsed back to staring at him with her devilish grin. "You can call me Natalie."

"Well, Natalie, what have you got there?" He asked, gesturing to her hand.

"Just something to keep you awake while I have my fun." She opened her hand, showing him the little white pills that she held in her palm.

"If you think I'm going to take them, you're crazy." He replied, trying to back away from her, although the pain in his feet didn't let him get too far.

She knelt down in front of him. "Either you take them, or I'll go see that little slut of yours and gut her like a fish." She said it so calmly, as if she had just been talking about the weather.

"If you touch Hilde, I'll . . ."

But Natalie didn't let him finish. "Oh please. What, you'll kill me? I think I'm the one with all the power in this situation. Now here." She held the pills and the cup out to him.

Duo hated the fact that she was right. He couldn't do anything to her while he was chained up. What if she didn't have the key to those shackles with her? He took the pills from her hand and tossed them in his mouth. Then he took the cup from her and lifted it to his lips. Cool water flooded his mouth as he swallowed the pills.

"Open." She ordered as she took the cup away. Duo did as she asked, opening his mouth to show her that he had swallowed the pills. She shoved her finger into his mouth, pushing his tongue aside and checking between his gums and teeth, to make sure he wasn't trying to hide them. Duo wanted to bite down on that finger, to just cause her a fraction of the pain she had already caused him.

Then his body had been put through more painful experiences. Natalie had pulled the chain up again, raising his body. He could stand, but of course that was almost agony. The deep cuts on his feet reopened. And sometimes his feet would slip out from under him, the blood making it slippery.

She had begun with numerous punches and kicks to his legs, body, and face. She seemed to enjoy punching his face. By the time she was done, Duo couldn't open his left eye and most of his body was sore.

After that, she moved on to using a whip. She savored each and every stroke against his body. He arched his back as each lash tore through his skin. It hurt so much, but he kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of crying out in pain again. He only hissed in pain at the agony of the lash.

The beating continued as she stripped the flesh from Duo's already badly injured body. Sometimes the long whip curled over his shoulder, slicing his skin from his bare back and across his chest.

When she was done with his back, she began whipping his chest. He tried to back away from her, but that only seemed to delight her more. Duo eventually lost consciousness sometime during the whipping.

He woke up to the sensation of icy cold water being thrown at him. His eyes snapped open as the water caused the thin open whip lashes on his chest and back to sting. His eyes could barely focus on her as she lifted a bag from the floor. She reached in, and as she pulled her hand out again, Duo finally realized what she had there.

"No, please don't." He gasped, not caring if anyone thought he was weak. He just wanted the pain to stop.

"But that would ruin all my fun." She replied, as she held her hand out to Duo. It was filled with salt, plain white salt, that seeped between her fingers.

She shoved her hand at Duo's chest, pressing the salt into his wounds. He screamed out in pain, unable to contain his agony anymore, as the tiny grains of salt set his wounds to burning. White-hot pain moved throughout his body, sending spots into his vision.

Once again, she threw ice cold water onto his body. It splashed over him, streaming down his body in rivulets of water. It washed away the salt, but not before causing more pain to his already injured body.

Duo hung slack in the shackles that held him up, breathing heavily and wincing in pain as he tried to move to a more comfortable position. He let his head hang forward and he closed his eyes, as he gasped for air. His throat ached from his screams. He could feel his body shaking, but was unable to do anything to stop it. He was so tired, so weak. He just wanted to sleep, but he knew he couldn't. She'd just be there to throw more water on him, or push salt into his wounds again.

Duo opened his eyes for a moment and stared downward at the water-diluted blood at his feet. There was so much blood, he wondered how much more he could lose before he died. He closed his eyes again, wishing that he was back home with Hilde.

Then, Duo became aware of the blade pressed against his chest. He opened his eyes and looked, seeing a blood stained blade cutting into his flesh. His body was already so numb from the pain, he hadn't even felt it.

He looked up into her eyes, and realized that he actually had to look up. Sometime during the last few minutes, she had lowered him to the ground, low enough so that he was now kneeling on the ground in front of her.

He just watched as she took the blade away from his chest. He followed her every move, his eyes always locked on the knife she held. She grabbed the fingers of one of his hands and bent them back. Duo thought that she meant to break his fingers, but she wasn't pressing hard enough.

Slowly, she slid the blade across his hand, slicing into his palm repeatedly. He could feel the sharp sting as the knife entered his flesh. But he couldn't scream anymore. He could only gasp as the warm blood trickled down his arm. Then she moved onto his fingers, cutting deep gashes into each one. She did the same to his other hand. And finally she pulled his blood-covered hands back again, and slid the blade deep into his wrists.

And then, she just backed away from him, dropping the knife to the ground. It clattered as it hit, but Duo's mind was miles away. Once again, he was thinking of Hilde. He knew this woman had just killed him. He would slowly bleed to death from the slashes in his wrists. He could only pray that Hilde would forgive him for dying today.


Chapter Six


Hilde had to struggle to keep herself from running into that building. She knew she wouldn't be any help to Duo if she got herself killed rushing into things, but she also knew that Duo needed her.

Heero led the way into the building. Trowa followed close behind him and Quatre was beside Hilde. Howard had decided to wait in the car, keeping it running, just in case.

They moved quietly through the interior of the building. It was a two-story building. There were hundreds of rooms, but they all knew that Duo was in one of them. Heero decided that they should all split up. He and Trowa went to search the first floor, while Hilde and Quatre searched the second.

As she and Quatre walked down a dark hallway, guns drawn just in case of danger, Hilde saw a light. It was coming from underneath a door at the end of the hall. She pointed it out to Quatre.

"I should go first." He whispered. Hilde didn't make any arguments.

She watched as he reached out and grabbed the doorknob. "It's not locked."

"Good. Let's go." Hilde replied, getting a little impatient.

As Quatre flung open the door, a loud bang echoed throughout the room. Hilde's heart stopped, thinking that they had gotten there only seconds too late. She nearly fell over, but Quatre caught her in his arms.

Hilde threw his arms off of her and ran into the room, expecting to see Duo's lifeless body lying on the ground. But she was surprised to see that two people were lying on the floor. The first body she saw was that of a woman with bright red hair. Hilde instantly recognized the other as Duo and ran over to him, tossing her weapon to the ground.

He was curled up on his side, his wrists in chains. There was so much blood around and on him. She knelt down beside him and rolled him over onto her lap. "Duo. You're alive." She said, her voice catching in her throat as she saw him. He was covered in wounds, some minor, some serious. His face was literally one huge bruise. She could see the cuts on his hands and feet and the whip marks on his chest and back. She only hoped that she wasn't causing him any more pain. His skin felt cold and clammy.

"Just barely, Baby." He whispered in a very weak voice, lifting his arms sluggishly, but then dropping them quickly. He was gasping for breath.

Heero and Trowa ran into the room. "What happened?" They both asked.

Quatre knelt down next to the woman and rolled her over onto her back. Hilde turned away, seeing the gunshot wound to the side of her head. "She's dead." Quatre commented. He picked up her hand, which still held a smoking gun. "Suicide, by the looks of it."

Hilde turned back to Duo, feeling his body begin to shake. He was shivering violently. She watched as his eyes slowly closed shut, then his body just stopped moving. "Quatre!" She yelled, feeling that she really needed his help.

Quatre jumped up and ran over to her side. He put his fingers to Duo's throat, checking his pulse. "We have to get him some help quick. He's lost an awful lot of blood."

Heero grabbed the shackles around Duo's wrists and quickly picked the locks. Then he and Trowa carefully picked Duo up. Hilde could only watch as they carried him away.

Quatre tried his best to bandage Duo's wounds in the car on the way to the medical center. He kept pressure on Duo's wrists, trying to stop the steady blood loss. Hilde just watched the entire time, not even able to hold Duo's hand because of all the cuts in his palms, and the slashes in his wrists.

Once at the Medical Center, Hilde had to wait while the doctors took Duo to the ER. She hated waiting. But at least she wasn't waiting alone. Quatre and the others were there.

Security Officers showed up, asking questions. Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Howard answered most of them. Eventually they left, but not before saying that they would need to ask more questions later. Hours later, the doctor walked into the waiting room.

"Is he okay?" Trowa asked, as he and everyone else jumped from their seats.

"He bled nearly forty percent of his total blood volume. We had to give him several transfusions and . . ." The doctor said, but Hilde didn't want to hear any of it.

"But will he be okay?" She asked.

"It was a close call, we almost lost him. He's in a coma. We've moved him to the ICU, but I can't be sure if he will ever regain consciousness again." The doctor stated simply.

Hilde buried her face in her hands. She was overwhelmed with sadness. How could she lose Duo now? What would she do if he never woke up?

She felt an arm slide around her shoulder and looked up to see Heero beside her. "I didn't think you cared about Duo." She said, her tears still flowing freely.

"He's my friend, our friend." He said as he gestured around at the others. "Duo wouldn't give up without a fight. Besides, I'm sure he'd never leave you."

Hilde was surprised by his words. Who knew that Heero Yuy had such a soft side? But she didn't let her shock show on her face. "Thanks Heero." She replied. Then she stood and faced the doctor. "Can we see him?" She asked, wiping the last of her tears away.


Chapter Seven


After a brief argument over how many people were allowed to go in at one time, Hilde and the others walked into Duo's hospital room. She was barely able to keep her tears away as she saw him lying there, tubes and wires attached to his body. His hands and wrists were covered in bandages, so was his upper chest. She couldn't see the rest of his body, because of the blankets that covered him, but she knew that there were probably bandages all over his body. His braid had come halfway undone and just lay on the bed beside his head.

He looked so different from the Duo she knew, lying in that hospital bed. He looked so weak, nothing like the strong young man she had come to love. Sure he had showed her his vulnerable side when he had told her of his childhood, but this was completely different.

Hilde pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat. She hesitantly reached out and put her hand on his arm, afraid that she might hurt him if she grasped too tightly. Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Howard stood around her. They didn't say anything, but she was grateful for their company. She didn't know if she could go through this alone.

For days she stayed by his side, never leaving unless she absolutely had to. She didn't even leave when the doctors told her she had to. Luckily, they hadn't tried to force her.

Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Howard often came by, usually during visiting hours. They were not only worried about Duo, but also concerned for Hilde's health. Quatre always brought some food with him when he came by, since they all knew that she hardly ever left Duo's side. He sat by Hilde's side, watching her eat.

Although Quatre's cooking was always great, she barely had any appetite. It was all she could do to eat what he brought. Duo was all that mattered to her. Her own health was nothing compared to him.

Over the passing days, his bruises slowly faded, although his other wounds took a little longer to heal. Hilde spent those days talking to Duo, hoping she was getting through to him. She brushed his long hair, trying to keep it nice. She never tried to braid it though, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get it quite right with him lying down.

One day, shortly after Quatre and the others had left, Hilde was running a brush through his hair. While she brushed, she talked. "In my heart I know you can hear me." She said. "I just hope you'll talk back to me someday."

"How about today, Baby?" A weak, raspy voice replied.

Hilde looked down, surprised and thrilled to see Duo looking back up at her. "You're awake!" She exclaimed. She wanted to just grab him and hug him, but she restrained herself, knowing that Duo was still hurt.

"How long?" He asked simply as he licked his dry lips.

Hilde put the brush down and put her hand gently to the side of her face. "You've been in a coma for almost a week."

He smiled up at her. "You look horrible." He commented.

She laughed, her eyes stinging with tears. "I better go get a doctor, just to make sure you're okay."

"Okay, I'll wait right here." He smiled.

Hilde pulled herself away from him, taking one last look back at him before leaving the room. She found a doctor and pulled him into Duo's hospital room. He checked him over, and told Hilde that Duo would probably make a full recovery now.


Chapter Eight


Duo did make a full recovery. He was surprised to see the Quatre, Trowa, and Heero when they visited, although he had a vague memory of them coming to his rescue. They hadn't asked him any questions though, which also surprised him.

But he really didn't care. Today he was getting out of the hospital. He was going back home with Hilde. He couldn't wait to get back. His missed the house so much.

Duo sat on his hospital bed, dangling his legs over the edge. Hilde was behind him, braiding his hair for him. He wished he could do it himself, but the cuts on his hands hadn't quite healed yet.

She finished and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you." She whispered into his ear.

Duo smiled, so happy to hear her say that again. "I love you too, Baby."

Hilde walked around the bed and helped him to stand. His feet hurt from the pressure, and he hissed in pain. He then sat in the nearby wheelchair and waited for the pain to subside. As he moved, his shirt rubbed against his bandages, and irritated his lash marks somewhat.

"You okay?" Hilde asked.

The pain didn't matter to him anymore. He was just so happy to be alive, so glad that he hadn't died and left Hilde alone. "Fine." He replied.

Just then, Howard, Quatre, Trowa, and Heero entered the room. "We just wanted to say goodbye before we left." Trowa said.

"Going home?" Hilde replied.

"Yeah. We've been away too long as it is." Heero commented.

Quatre looked to the ground, and Duo knew that something was on his mind. He asked the young man about it. "What is it Quatre?"

"Hilde told us not to ask you about what happened. She said that we should wait until you were ready. But something's been nagging at me ever since we rescued you." Quatre said.

Duo didn't need to hear the rest. "You want to know why Natalie killed herself."

"Yes." Quatre said, sounding ashamed of himself.

"She knew you were coming, told me that she had left a trail so obvious that anyone could follow it."

"She left the fingerprint on that note on purpose?" Heero asked.

"I guess. She told me that she was done with me, that she wasn't getting any more fun out of hurting me. Then she told me that if I somehow survived, that my suffering wasn't over yet. Then she shot herself." He looked to the ground, not really wanting to continue. He didn't want Hilde to worry anymore. She had been through enough already.

"What did she mean by that?" Hilde asked, coming around and lifting Duo's gaze to meet hers.

He avoided looking in her eyes, knowing that he had to answer. "I don't know. Maybe she was just trying to scare me."

Duo looked up, into her lovely eyes, and saw the fear in them. He wished that he had just kept his mouth shut. Now Hilde would worry. He placed his bandaged hand against her cheek. It hurt a bit, but he ignored the pain. Hilde was scared and he had to try and comfort her somehow.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave." Quatre said.

Duo didn't take his eyes away from Hilde. "No. We don't know for certain that anything will happen. I won't live my life in fear of something that may never happen."

He saw Hilde smile. "That's the Duo I fell in love with."

"I'll keep an eye on them." Howard stated. "If anything happens, I'll contact you guys."

"You better." Heero warned.

Hilde moved behind him again, pushing the wheelchair out of the room and down the hallway. Duo didn't intend to let Natalie's threat ruin his life. He wouldn't let the fear take over. He planned to live happily with Hilde for the remainder of his days, no matter how long that would be.




The End



I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at a Gundam story. If I get enough good reviews, I'll write the sequel. Tell me if you think I should continue writing Gundam stories.