A man knocked on the door, his hands twitching and knuckles wet with the pouring rain, the sound of the knock overshadowed the noise of the loud, aggressive downpour. A few seconds of silence, only the sound of the raindrops. The door opened, a woman, mid-thirties, opened the door. She was dressed in warm clothing, an over-sized sweater and tights. Her expression when she saw the man was not a pleasant one.
" What do you want, John?" She sighed, crossing her arms.
"Cathy... I'm not John." He replied, lowering the hood of the coat he was wearing, which was the only source of protection against the harsh downpour.
"What? Are you drunk?" The woman referred to as Cathy asked.
"Do i look drunk?! Can i come in? I need to explain what-" John was interrupted by a furious Cathy.
"Yeah you need to explain. You need to explain why you walked your sorry ass over here after i said i wanted nothing to do with you." She barked.
"No, you said you wanted to do with John." He remarked.
"Alright, I'll play along. If you're not John then where is he?" Cathy asked.
"Dead." He answered.
"Dead?" Cathy's voice sounded concerned but also furious.
"Before he died, he looked in a mirror... And his eyes.. My eyes..." John stuttered.
"Uh-huh. And you haven't been drinking... Look, John just... Go away. Or else i'll call the cops." Cathy reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone, she showed John the front of the phone.
John looked at the screen on the phone, revealing his reflection. Suddenly his eyes began to turn red. They began to bubble, turning into fire perhaps, nobody really knew.
"No! This is what happened to John! No! No! Oh my god!" John tried to cover his eyes.
"What?" Cathy looked at Johns eyes. "Oh my god! I'm calling the police!"
"Cathy, if anything happens.. I've always loved yo-" And with that, it was his end. His eyes in the mirror melted away into empty sockets. Cathy screamed as his body fell to the floor. She fell to her knees and wept for John.
Nathan and Audrey arrived at the crime scene, the usual police-men and coroners and regular crowd of people were around Cathy's house. An ambulance was parked beside her house. Cathy had a warm blanket and some tea with her when Audrey and Nathan approached her. She was sitting on the steps to her house in shock.
"Miss. Hilson, we need to ask you a few questions. I know you're in shock but the sooner we figure out what happened, the sooner the case can be solved." Nathan told her.
"Nathan." Audrey gave the detective a glare. She sat down beside Cathy. "Miss. Hilson, my name is Audrey Parker and this is my partner Nathan Wuornos, we work for the Haven PD. We understand that you were the only one who saw Mr. Dane's-"
"Death? Yeah... I saw John.. Or... I don't know anymore. He just... Came to me... And he was saying weird things.. You know, he was drinking. He-He must have been drunk." Cathy told them.
"What did he say?" Nathan asked, looking at Audrey in the usual manner.
"He said... That he wasn't John." She told the officers.
"Miss. Hilson, did John go out to a bar the night of his death?" Audrey questioned, hoping of getting the answer she was looking for.
"Yeah, he went with- Oh my god! Ben! Is Ben okay!?" Cathy exclaimed.
"Ben?" Nathan asked, knowing Audrey was thinking the same thing he was.. This 'Ben' guy is troubled.
"Yeah, he... He was John's drinking buddies. They used to go to a bar called the Grey Gull but.." She paused.
"But they didn't this time." Audrey finished her sentence.
"No, they went to a new one that just opened up. It's called... Um... Pub n' Glub." Cathy replied.
"Guess we should have a talk with the owner." Nathan suggested to his partner.
"Wait, there was one thing. When John came up to me... He told me he wasn't John.. He told me John was dead." Cathy told the officers.
"Before he died he said John was dead?" Audrey asked.
"Yeah, he said he wasn't John. I didn't believe him. And he explained how John was dead... Why didn't i believe him?" She took a sip of her tea. "I could have avoided this whole thing... John..."
"Miss. Hilson, it's not your fault. I assure you, we'll get to the bottom of this." Nathan confirmed.
Nathan and Audrey began to walk to the car. They began to converse with one-another on the possible trouble or event that happened.
"So, we should send a call out and see if they can find someone named Ben, found drunk, hungover... Or dead." Nathan sighed.
"Right, the whole 'John is dead' thing... I should call Duke." Audrey suggested.
"What? Why?" Nathan asked.
"To see if John and Ben tried to get into the Grey Gull last night." Audrey defended her actions and pulled out her cell phone. While Audrey was doing this Nathan had no choice but to turn on the police radio and call for units to look for a male gentleman or any bodies.
"Duke?" Audrey asked from her phone.
"Yeah. What's up?" Audrey heard from the other side.
"Hey, did two guys try to come into the Gull last night? Maybe they were acting too obnoxious?" Audrey asked.
"Two guys?... Uh, yeah actually. A few regulars... But i banned them from the Gull a few days ago, what were their names again... Uh..." Duke stumbled on words.
"John and Ben?" Audrey looked at Nathan knowing they were the two Duke saw.
"Yeah. How are they?" He asked over the phone.
"They're dead." Audrey told him.
"Dead? How?" Duke replied.
"We don't know, probably some kind of drunk trouble. But, if you're not too busy, there's another bar now in Haven. It's new apparently. It' called Pub 'N Glub. Have you heard of it?" She said.
"No, but that explains why business has been so slow lately." Duke chuckled.
"Do you want to check it out? Maybe ask a few questions for us about John and Ben.. And you know, you can also find out why it's booming." Audrey teased.
"Will do. Bye."
"Bye Duke." Audrey faced Nathan "So, he's going to check out the Pub N' Glub and we can go help with searching for Ben."
Bens body was on a table in the morgue. His eyes had firey-red sockets just like Johns. Nathan looked at the face, seeing if there was any more marks or scars that could be useful. But, of course, zip.
"What do they have in his evidence bags?" Nathan asked his partner.
Audrey looked on another table where clothing and evidence bags were scattered.
"Well, we got some jeans, a shirt, wallet, watch, a cell phone." Audrey grabbed the bag with his mobile in it. "Think this'll give us some clues?"
"Worth a shot." Nathan shrugged and stood beside Audrey.
She unlocked the cell and went into VIDEOS.
"This is from the night he died. Look at the date..." Audrey played the most recent video.
In the video Ben and John were sitting on a park bench. Ben was the one holding the phone.
"So, the weirdest thing just happened! It's like... Freaky Friday shit here. So, we went to like... A bar... And we're probably drunk... Shut up... So, we... I look like Ben right? Ben? No! I'm John. And John's there. John's Ben. Ben is John and Ben is John... I mean John is Ben and Ben is gone.. John.. No, but it's like... It's like a sci-fi thing... I wonder if it had anything to do with what weve been smoking... Shut up. Um, so.. Yeah... Ben over here wants us to go to the hospital but uh... We-We're probably high." Ben said.
"We're not high!" John interjected.
"Shut up. So... So.. So, we're not going to the hospital. I vote we go for another round of brewskies! What, what! Uh.. So, i believe i'm going to throw up.. I don't know why i believe that but I-" Ben started laughing.
"Look, John. I'm going to the hospital or Cathy's." John stood up.
"What? No! Why Cathys? She- She said she didn't want anything to do with me." Ben replied.
"True. And she has good reason to. You cheated on her. With a 2 dollar skank." John sighed "She deserves better."
"What? So you're going to run up to her Cassanova? No, you're not! Because right now she's probably pissed off at me and I-" Ben began to say. Just then a raincloud formed above John. "See, see what i mean. That chick is crazy."
"But this is a sign! A sign that we really need to go to the hospital! Don't you see?" John tried to persuay.
"No!" Ben stood up and began walking away. "No! I don't!" He walked to a car. "Look, i'll settle this right now! I'll look at the mirror, and if i'm you, some magic voodoo crap has happened. If i'm me, then everythings fine!" He looked into the rearview mirror and his eyes began to turn red. They began to bubble and explode. He fell to the ground.
"John!" John ran to his friend. "I-I've got to tell Cathy, she'll-"
VIDEO CLOSED.
"So, a body-swap trouble? But how does that explain the eyes?" Nathan asked.
"Well, they say that the eyes and a mirror are gateways to the soul. Maybe when they don't match up, it causes a massive explosion in the eyes." Audrey shrugged.
"Well, who's the troubled person?" Nathan looked at his partner, knowing full-well who she was going to say.
"The one that ties both of these two together." She explained.
Duke walked into the shabby, run-down bar. Business was average for the afternoon run. A drunk here and there, empty bar stools, couple of employees working around the joint. Duke didn't think this bar was a big deal but, hey, there's a reason why it's in business. He walked up to the bartender, a man who looked around Duke's age. He examined the collection of booze and beer on the shelves and counter. Reasonable amount, not too few, not too many. Duke sat on a solitary barstool and the barkeeper approached him from behind the counter.
"Heya, what'll it be?" The man smirked, trying to look friendly.
"Just a cold one, thanks." Duke nodded, looking around more "new place, eh?"
"Yeah, just opened a month ago." The mans hands were jittery while manning the tap, he dropped the glass, breaking it into tiny pieces. "Crap!"
"Nervous?" Duke asked.
"Stressed." The man answered from under the table. "I own and manage this place. The stress gets to you."
"Yeah, i know the feeling." Duke huffed.
"You know what... That was my fault. How 'bout some nachos on the house?" He asked, throwing glass shards in the trash.
Duke didn't want to take him up on that offer, but it was lunch-time and who wouldn't turn down free nachos?
"Pitch in some sour cream and we've got a deal." Duke answered.
"Alright, on it." The bartender ducked under the table again, no doubt to get a bowl.
"By the way my name's Duke." Duke said, examining the interior of the building again.
"Bart." The man replied, placing a bowl with chips in it on the table.
"Bart?" Duke smiled "Bart the bartender?"
Bart laughed "Yeah. Funny how those things work, huh?"
"Well, Bart, do you remember two guys who came here yesterday? Uh... John and..." Duke tried his best to remember but the other name slipped his mind.
"Ben?" Bart huffed "Yeah, they were cool, until they broke a chair. In fact, we drank together. I had to kick them out though, they were too aggressive and obnoxious for my liking."
"Did anything weird happen with those two?" Duke asked.
"Weird? Well, they caused a bar fight and broke a chair on my head.. If you call that weird." He finished with the nachos and started on getting another glass for duke.
"Ouch." Duke bit into a chip.
"Yeah, but hey, first bar. First bar fight." Bart told him, handing him a glass of beer.
"And how was that for you?" Duke asked, taking a sip of the beer.
"It hurt. But, i let them off easy, knew they were wasted." Bart replied.
"What'd you do?" Duke dipped a chip in sour cream.
"I sat them down and gave them a glass of water. And i let them out the way. But they just.. They started acting really drunk and wild. They started causing more fights, throwing glasses and stuff. So i banned them from the pub." Bart sighed.
"Long day, then?" Duke took another sip.
"Try long week." Bart sighed again.
"Hungry?" Duke pushed the nachos towards Bart.
"Thanks." Bart took a chip and dipped it.
"So you think Cathy's troubled?" Nathan asked his partner.
"Looks like. I mean, it makes sense. Cathy loves John, John cheated on her, Ben loves her so she swaps their bodies to get what she wants." Audrey answered.
"A John that won't cheat." Nathan finished.
"Exactly. I'll go take Cathy in for questioning, also explain her trouble and try to help her control it." Audrey sighed. "It'll take some time."
"I can help. You don't have to do it alone." Nathan told her.
"I know... But you've got to get Duke. He's at the Pub N' Glub." Audrey responded.
"Why do i have to get Duke?" Nathan asked.
"In case my plan doesn't work." Audrey sighed.
Audrey approached Cathy's house, knocking on the front door. "Cathy? It's Audrey Parker. We need to talk."
Cathy opened the door, crying.
"What about?" She snuffled.
"Have you ever heard of the troubles?" Audrey asked.
"Yeah.. Why?" Cathy wiped her eyes.
"Cathy, we believe that there is a trouble. One that caused John and Ben to temporarily switch bodies. We also believe that this trouble causes those people to die when shown their reflection." Audrey explain.
"What? Wait... So.. When John came to me.. He was really Ben?! Oh my god! I said such awful things to him! He was telling the truth!" Cathy put her head in her hands and wept.
"We believe that the person with this trouble is you and i want to help you. I can help you control it." Audrey replied.
"What? No.. Why would you think i'd want them to switch bodies?! You're insane!" Cathy accused.
"Well, maybe you didn't mean for them to swap bodies.. Maybe you wanted Ben because... He wouldn't cheat.. On you.. You didn't?" Audrey asked.
"No!" Cathy exclaimed. "Besides, people can't have two troubles, right?" Cathy responded.
"You're already troubled?" Audrey remarked.
"Yeah, i don't like to flaunt it but y'know... I um.. My family can.. I'll show you." Cathy sighed.
Suddenly, a rain cloud formed around Audrey, causing her to be drenched in the downpour.
"I can choose a single person and make a cloud form above them. Sort of like in cartoons.. Oh my god, i made John... But it was Ben... And I-" She cried.
"I-I'm so sorry to bother you. I swear we'll find the bottom of this." Audrey assured. She began to walk away and pull out her cell phone.
Nathan was not in his car when Audrey phoned, however, his cell phone was. Nathan was already inside the Pub N' Glub.
"Damn it. Nathan, it's not Cathy. She already has a trouble. Call me when you get this message." Audrey closed her mobile and sighed, she began to walk in her car.
Nathan entered the Pub N' Glub and immediately noticed Duke and. Bart looked at the officer and quickly stood from the bar stool which he sat.
"Welcome to the Pub N' Glub. What's your poison?" Bart asked.
Nathan flashed his badge at the man.
"What's the problem, officer?" Bart said innocently.
"Nathan! Hey! Oh, this is Bart the bartender! Don't worry! He didn't kill those two guys!" Duke smiled, taking slight pauses between some words.
"You're drunk. Great." Nathan groaned.
"Well, it's 10 o'clock somewhere right?" Duke laughed.
"You need to sober up. We might need your help with a trouble." Nathan told him.
"Every-time you need my help i end up killing someone." Duke complained.
"Yeah, well that seems to work." Nathan looked at Bart.
Bart looked around awkwardly, as though wanting to leave the conversation. "Oh, un.. I'll just.. I'll finish packing." He began to walk away.
"Packing? Where're you going?" Duke asked.
"Boston, for the weekend. Visiting my girlfriends parents. I hope that won't be any trouble." Bart looked at the two.
"No, it shouldn't be." Nathan assured. "When will you be back?"
"Oh, tomorrow night or Sunday morning. It's a short trip." Bart answered.
"I just need your contact information in case we need to question you." Nathan told him.
"What? Why would you need to question me?" Bart replied.
"The two guys that came into your bar last night, they're dead." Nathan explained.
"What? Oh my god... How?" Bart asked.
Nathan responded, "That's what we're trying to find out. We think the girlfriend's troubled. So Duke, we need to go."
"I uh.. I walked here." Duke blurted.
"I'll drive you." Nathan groaned.
In the car it was completely quiet. No radio, no talking, just silence. Silence which made Duke uncomfortable. He wanted to break it. He just.. Didn't know what to say. He was a little drunk, he was aware of that.
"So..." Duke finally started to say. "Hey! Remember when we were in middle school and I was dating Nicole Adamson and you were so jealous."
"I wasn't jealous, Duke. I was mad. Mad and scared." Nathan sighed. "Though you wouldn't understand."
"Scared?" Duke asked.
"Yes, Duke, scared. Scared of waking up and finding a mark somewhere on my back from where you stabbed me with forks and knives and thumbtacks. My dad took me to doctors and hospitals to reveal several scratches and dried blood. They'd ask me how i got them. And do you know what i'd say? I'd say "I don't know, I didn't feel them." Nathan explained.
"Yeah, but you turned out good. I mean, you've got Audrey now." Duke replied.
"Do I?" Nathan questioned.
"What?" Duke protested.
"I see the way you look at her Duke. You can't let me have one thing... One thing!" Nathan exclaimed.
"Nathan, you're making a big deal out of nothing!" Duke yelled.
"Nothing? I want you to tell me the truth Crocker!" Nathan demanded.
"I like Audrey! Is that what you wanted to hear?" Duke admitted.
"You don't get it Duke. You just don't get it. You've got the power to end the troubles! You don't know how lucky you are! Damn it, Duke! You're normal! Normal besides one stupid thing! Boo hoo! Suck it up." Nathan declared.
"Me? Suck it up? You're the one who's emotional all the time! 'Uh, i can't feel a knife in my back, oh i just got shot, whatever i didn't feel it!" Duke yelled. "Some people would kill for that!"
Nathan tugged on the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve along the road, he was trying to pull over the car. When it came to a stop, Nathan opened the car door.
"Oh and now we're pulling the car over." Duke commented sarcastically, then he opened his car door and followed Nathan outside. The two were standing in front of the parked car.
"What are you going to do?" Duke asked.
Nathan took a deep breath and began to walk away.
"Thought so."
That little 2-cents caused something inside Nathan to snap. He quickly turned back to Duke and punched him right in the face. Duke fell to the ground from the blow.
A beat.
Nathan looked around, confused, it seems. He looked at his arms, his hands, his hair. Then he noticed Duke laying on the ground. A slight silence and an expression of shock on Nathans face as he saw Duke getting up from the ground.
"N-Nathan?"
((From here on when i refer to Duke, it is Nathan in Dukes body, and when i refer to Nathan it is Duke in Nathans body. Unless i say otherwise XD))
Duke awoke faced-down on the cement. He pushed himself up from the floor. Blood oozing from his face.
"What?" He placed a hand on the blood. "That-That hurts.. What the hell?"
Duke cautiously and carefully got up from the ground. Looking around, confused.
"Nathan?" He heard. Duke looked behind him, turned around and saw Nathan.
Duke examined him in shock "Duke?"
Suddenly, Dukes cell phone began to ring. He listened for the ring and checked the jean pockets. He pulled out an I-Phone. The caller I.D was AUDREY. He clicked the answer button and placed the phone up to his ear.
"H-Hello?" He asked.
"Duke, Nathan should be with you, is he there?" Audrey replied from the other line.
"Yeah." Duke answered, looking at Nathan who was walking around Duke, examining him.
"That's weird." Audrey replied. "I called his cell, he didn't answer."
"... Right... Right." Duke face-palmed with his free hand. "It's in the car, sorry."
"Why're you apologizing? Look, just tell him that Cathy's not the troubled person." Audrey explained.
"Yeah we.. We kind of figured that one out." Duke responded.
"You did?" Audrey asked, shocked. "Oh.. Oh, okay... Can you tell Nathan to meet me at the station? We'll have to go over a list of people they could have come in contact with before they died."
"We already have an idea... Uh, Parker.. We'll need a ride... And blindfolds." Duke replied.
"Parker... Duke, can you put Nathan on the phone?" Audrey ordered.
"He already is." Duke admitted.
"Oh.. Oh, Nathan. Where do i pick you two up?" Audrey asked.
"On the side of the road. A few miles past the Pub N' Glub. My car's here, you can't miss it." Duke explained.
"Alright, i'll be there in 15. Nathan, just... Remain calm, okay? We'll get you two back to normal." Audrey assured.
"Yeah, i hope so. We can't avoid reflections for long." And with that Audrey hung up the line. Without looking at the screen, Duke placed the phone back in his pocket.
"Wait, what's that about reflections?" Nathan questioned.
Duke sighed "John and Ben, they died because.. Well, we believe they died because when they saw their reflection in the mirror their eyes.. Exploded out of their sockets.."
"What? You didn't think that would have been useful information?" Nathan remarked.
"Well, Duke in case you haven't noticed this little incident wasn't part of my agenda. In fact, i wasn't even supposed to pick you up at that stupid bar." Duke sat on the ground and felt the cement and rocks.
"Then why did you?" Nathan knelt beside him. "Because Audrey told you to?"
"Yeah, because she told me to. And i know, if i argue, she'd get mad at me and... If she's mad she'll avoid me." Duke sighed.
"So?" Nathan remarked.
"You don't understand." Duke continued to feel the ground.
"No. What i don't understand is... Why are you stroking the cement?" Nathan chuckled.
"Because I can." Duke replied bluntly. "And it's the most wonderful feeling in the world."
"The pavement?" Nathan asked.
Duke stood up and wiped his hands on his knees "Forget it."
Nathan felt the ground "I don't feel anything."
"Exactly." Duke began to walk to the road. "Try living like that. Not being able to feel anything. Ever."
Nathan looked up at Duke. "Except Audrey."
Duke stopped in his tracks, after a few seconds of silence he sighed "Yeah, except Audrey."
Audrey drove along the route to the Pub N' Glub. Looking for her friends she would surely find later down the road. She oversaw a man pushing a suitcase in the back of a truck. No law breaking there. Even if there was, Audrey has other thing to worry about. She looked over on the passengers side and saw the bandanna/ blindfolds that she bought at a gas station, messily placed on the seat. When she finally reached Nathan and Duke, she couldn't help but chuckle.
"This is not going to be fun."
Audrey grabbed the blindfolds and exited her car.
"What'd you guys get into?" She asked.
"Apparently, each other." Duke replied.
"Dude, you don't say things like that!" Nathan exclaimed.
"So, it's true then?" Audrey handed Duke a blindfold.
"Unfortunately." Duke said, grabbing the blindfold from Audrey's hands, feeling the ever-so-common feel of her hands but also the fabric of the blindfold itself. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He had to stop fooling around, he needed to focus on the task at hand but... Being able to feel was... Amazing.
Audrey looked at Nathan "Duke?"
"Yeah." He looked at himself and shrugged "I know."
"How're you two doing?" She asked, helping Duke with the blindfold.
"Peachy." Nathan said sarcastically.
"I can manage." Duke told her while she was behind him, tightening his blindfold.
"I can't." Nathan remarked approaching Audrey.
"Not as much fun as it sounds, huh?" Duke smirked.
"Careful smart-ass, you're blindfolded. I can easily punch you in the face. And you'll feel it. And it'll hurt." Nathan threatened.
"Well, since it's your face, I don't think that's a good idea." Duke was lead inside Audrey's car in the front passenger seat. Audrey opened the car door for the blinded Duke.. Nathan. Blindfold is on Dukes body but Nathan is the one who's blinded...
'This'll be complicated.' Audrey thought.
She handed him the seat belt.
"I'll be right back." Audrey began to leave the car.
"Thank you, Parker." Duke said, trying to find the seat belt- buckle.
'Parker'... It's Nathan. Just remember that, Audrey. That's Nathan. Weirder things have happened in this town.' Audrey thought while walking away from the car.
After a beat, she turned around and walked back to the car. She took the seat-belt from Dukes hands and placed it in the buckle.
"You're welcome, Nathan... Now let's just try and get you two back to normal again."
Duke gave a slight smile as Audrey closed his car door.
"He should stop whining." Nathan sighed.
"Yeah, well you're not making it easier. Take it easy on him, huh?" Audrey asked, blindfolding Nathan.
"Easy on him? I'm the one who can't feel anything right now." Nathan reminded.
"Yeah, exactly. Right now. Nathan has to deal with that everyday of his life." Audrey rebuttled.
"Yes, i understand, Audrey. It sucks, life sucks, the troubles suck. And there's nothing we can do about it." Nathan complained.
"Is that how you go through life? You're starting to sound like Nathan." She smiled, tightening the blindfold around Nathan's head.
"You're right. We need to fix this." Nathan replied.
"Yeah, still sounding like Nathan." Audrey finished with the blindfold and took him to the car.
Nathan and Duke were inside Audrey's car. Duke in the front beside Audrey, riding shotgun. Nathan in the backseat, behind Audrey.
"So, you want to tell me who the troubled person is?" Audrey asked.
"Bart the bartender." Nathan answered.
"Um..." Audrey looked at the blindfolded Duke.
"Yeah.. No, he's telling the truth. Down at the Pub 'N Glub. There's a man, tall, skinny, white. You can't miss him. He's probably the only one in the bar." Duke replied.
"Yeah, and what're we going to tell him once we find him? 'Hey, remember us? Duke Crocker and Dudley-Do-Right? Well thanks to you our bodies have been swapped.' Yeah, have fun with that." Nathan responded, sitting back in his seat, arms crossed.
"We'll explain the situation. He knows about the troubles, he'll understand." Duke told him.
"Wait a minute, didn't he say something about leaving for Boston?" Nathan asked.
"We've got to get down to the bar. Parker, can you go any faster?" Duke demanded.
"I'm going past the speed-limit, Nathan... Wait.. Leaving? Like in an old pick-up truck, packing up suitcases?" Audrey said aloud, remembering the man that she saw while trying to find Duke and Nathan.
"Yeah, that's specific." Nathan added. "He was telling me about his dads old pick-up and... How did you know?"
"We need to go, now!" Audrey hit the gas pedal and the car sped up immensely.
They arrived at the Pub 'N Glub with no trace of the pick-up truck in the front.
"Uh-oh." Audrey remarked.
"Are we too late?" Nathan asked.
"I hope not. Nathan, you come with me. Duke, you stay behind and if you hear anything, yell." Audrey ordered.
"What? Hell no. Chuckles will get me hurt, bruised or dead. And if that happens, there is no way i'm living out my days as Nathan." Nathan insisted.
"And what's wrong with that?!" Duke exclaimed, taking the insult personally.
"What's wrong? I can't feel. Nothing. All numbness. Nothing except for Audrey because she's immune." Nathan pouted.
"Not as much fun as you-" Duke tried to finish his sentence but was interrupted.
"Say that again and i'll punch me in your face." Nathan threatened.
"Enough..." Audrey sighed "We need to get you two back to normal. Duke.. Do whatever you want, just don't get Nathan killed. Nathan, c'mon." She began to get out of the car.
"Are we going to be... Unblindfolded?" Nathan asked.
"That's not a word." Duke grunted.
"Yes it is." Nathan argued.
"We need you to keep the blindfolds on. There's most likely glass and windows. And like Duke said, we don't want you dying." Audrey said "Oh, and Duke's right. It's a word."
"See?.. Hey wait, why is Nathan allowed to go?" Nathan questioned, knowing it had something to do with Audreys and Nathans relationship.
"Plan B." Audrey answered.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! You can't just use my trouble in case your plan doesn't work!" Nathan said sternly.
"Duke, i know it must bug you to do this but it's just a security precaution. That's all." Audrey assured.
"No! No!... Hell no!" Nathan yelled.
"I'm okay with it." Duke finally spoke up.
"What?!" Nathan asked.
"Yeah, why not? I mean, i have the power to end troubles now. Might as well use it." Duke agreed.
"Yeah, by killing people!... That's still how you feel?" Nathan replied.
"Yeah." Duke answered.
"Fine, fine go ahead. Give me another reason to consult a therapist. Not to mention this whole Freaky Friday thing... Well, not exactly Freaky Friday, we're not related, thank God." Nathan chuckled.
Duke was out of the car and waiting for his partner. Audrey opened the door to Nathan's seat.
"What did I say? Go easy on him. Believe it or not, Nathan wants to return to normal too." Audrey told him.
"Really? Because from my point of view. I'm pretty sure I got the raw end of the deal." Duke was being helped out of the car, Audrey had already unbuckled his seat-belt.
"Be that as it may, Duke. Life isn't fair." Audrey reminded.
"Parker!" The voice belonging to the body of Duke Crocker was heard from outside the car. Audrey had left but because of the blindfold, 'Nathan' didn't realise she departed.
"Yeah." He huffed. "I know."
Duke (Nathan) walked blindly beside Audrey wheres Nathan (Duke) constantly walked into poles and tripped on rocks. It's okay though, he didn't feel it.
Audrey turned to Duke "Now, it's important to keep him calm. Talk to him nicely, explain the situation with care."
"Don't i always do that?" Duke joked.
"Nathan, i'm being serious. If anything goes wrong. If he gets angry, who knows what would happen. It could be triggered by emotions. If i find him first, I could help him manage it. But if you do, just remember to explain and act... Sympathetically." Audrey demanded.
"Sympathetically?" Duke asked.
"Yeah, like don't be a jerk." Nathan replied.
"Why is he here?" Duke remarked.
"Because I don't want you to get my ass killed." Nathan smiled.
"Yeah? Well what if you get me killed?" Duke protested.
"Then you'll get what you wanted." Nathan sighed.
"And what have I always wanted?" Duke grumbled.
"To be normal. Or close to it." Nathan reminded.
"But you're not normal." Duke said.
"Thanks buddy." Nathan sighed.
"Would you two quit it? We're going to find the bartender and save both of your butts, and get you back to normal." Audrey demanded. "Now, I don't want anymore talk of dying."
"Parker-" Duke began to say.
"No, Nathan. No more talk of either of you dying. You're not going to die. Not while I'm around. And espiecially not while looking like Duke." Audrey assured.
"Again. Thanks." Nathan sighed.
"It's not that, Duke. We don't want anybody else getting affected by this trouble. And we certainly don't want anybody dying." Audrey reminded.
"What're we standing around here for then? Hell, he could'a left while Audrey was helping us out of the car." Nathan replied.
"One of us should check the back for the truck." Duke suggested
"I'll do it." Audrey told them. "After all, I am the only one of us who has vision. You two just stay here."
Audrey left the scene and proceeded to jump the back fence.
Duke (Nathan) heard footsteps. "Bart?"
"What? No, it's me." Nathan answered.
"What're you doing?" Duke stood in place but still heard footsteps.
Nathan walked blindly with his hands and arms out for support. "What am I thinking? I can't feel anything.."
"Hey, I asked a question." Duke told him.
"Yeah, you did." Nathan started kicking on the ground, trying to find a hard surface and when he did, he pushed. Hoping to find the door so it would open.
"What are you doing?" Duke repeated.
"I'm going to find Bart. If he's inside, he'll reconize me... Uh... You." Nathan sighed, continuing to kick.
"But Audrey said to wait here." Duke reminded.
"You're seriously going to listen to Audrey your whole life? Talk about whipped. Man, I'm glad I can't see myself right now. I probably look pathetic." Nathan joked.
"Yeah, and I probably look like crap." Duke smiled.
"Touche." Nathan pushed on the flat surface and the door opened. "Finally. Well, give Audrey my regards."
"Hey, before you go... GIve me my gun." Duke demanded.
"What if i need protection?" Nathan asked.
"If you kill him, his troubles won't end in his family blood." Duke told him.
"Fine." Nathan took a pause. "I put it on the ground."
"Huh, I didn't hear the-" With that, the door slammed shut. Duke huffed when he realized the door was closed and Nathan left. "Don't get me killed!"
Audrey returned to the front of the bar where she thought she'd find Duke and Nathan. She found Nathan... Well, Nathan in Duke's body. But where was Nathan's body? Where's Duke?
"Where'd he go?" Audrey asked.
"Inside." Duke (Nathan) answered.
"What did I say?... Why'd he leave?" Audrey grabbed Dukes arm and began to lead him inside.
"He's stubborn." He smirked.
"Weren't you worried that he'd die? How would you feel if you found him dead?" Audrey asked.
"... It wouldn't suck." Duke shrugged.
"And if he died in your body?" Audrey questioned.
"That would suck. Damn it... If he dies I'll kill him." Duke (Nathan) tried to find humor in this situation.
"Would that be considered suicide?" Audrey smiled, chuckling at her own joke. Duke (Nathan) heard this and chuckled along.
'This is okay' he thought. 'This is fine... If I'm stuck like this... That's okay..'
"Come on, let's find Duke." Audrey suggested.
"Hopefully he hasn't caused too much trouble." Duke said.
"To what? The bar, or you?" Audrey asked.
"Knowing Duke... Both." He smirked.
Nathan entered the bar, using his feet as a guide.
"Hello again detective Wuornose." Nathan heard.
"Yes.. That's right." Nathan bumped into a chair and tried to set it back up. "I'm detective Wuornose. Nathan. Nathan Wuornose uh..."
He deepened his voice and made it sound more gravely than usual. "Right, well, I thought you were going to Boston.""Oh, the flight got delayed. I'm going to go back around 10." Bart answered.
"No you're not." By accident, Nathan bumped into a table.
"What do you mean? And what's with the blindfold?" Bart asked, going to help Nathan and lead him to a barstool. "There, that's better. Now, what's the problem?"
"You know... You're a good guy... Thanks. I mean it." Nathan smiled.
"Oh, um... I have a girlfriend. I don't swing that way but... Well, a compliment's a compliment." Bart replied.
"What? Oh, no-no i didn't mean.. I'm not... Uh.. Nathan's not gay.. Probably... Well.." Nathan commented.
"So, you want anything? Beer?" Bart suggested.
"Yeah, a cold one. Thanks." Nathan began to rub his eye.
"Sorry, have to get some clean glasses in the back room.. Hey, anything wrong?" Bart replied, walking to the back room.
"What? No, no.. I'm just." He yawned. "I'm just tired. Doesn't hurt or anything but.. You know, just... Tired"
"Yeah, i get it. Why don't you take your blindfold off?" Bart took a last look before exiting to the back room.
"The blindfold doesn't itch, or hurt... Wouldn't know anyways." He said under his breath.
All of a sudden, his blindfold slipped off of his forehead and onto the floor.
The first thing he saw was Nathans hands. "Really?... You should really cut your nails, Nathan. Okay... Blindfold... Blindfold... Where'd it-"
Nathan (Duke) accidentally looked at a glass/mirror backdrop in the bar. He saw Nathans reflection. "Crap."
Audrey helped Duke (Nathan) into the bar, she hoped Duke didn't get Nathan into trouble. She walked in the bar, pulling Nathan by Dukes arm.
"Crap" She heard, obviously Nathan's voice. Audrey's eyes fixed on the mirror backdrop. And that's when she saw Nathans reflection, with his eyes clearly seen.
"Duke!" She yelled, letting go of Dukes arm. During this time, Nathan shut his eyes instantly. Audrey grabbed the blindfold and tied it around Nathan's eyes.
"What happened?" Duke asked.
"Duke took his blindfold off." Audrey answered.
"What?!" Duke exclaimed.
"Yeah, my bad." Nathan chuckled uncomfortably.
"Did you see my reflection?" Duke took a pause "wait, where's Bart?"
"In the back room, getting me a glass." Nathan informed.
"I don't drink." Duke glared at Nathan through the blindfold.
"Yeah, you do." Nathan argued.
"Really?" Audrey asked, shocked at their timing of banter. "Find Bart."
"Right, sorry Parker." Duke said as he began to walk to the back room.
"Oh, Nathan." Nathan (Duke) reached into his pocket and chucked a gun at Duke (Nathan)
Of course, Nathan wasn't expecting this so the gun completely his Duke's chest. "What's that?"
"Your gun." Nathan (Duke) admitted.
"You said you put it on the ground!" Duke argued.
"I say a lot of things, now go!" Nathan demanded.
Audrey walked to Duke, picked up the gun and placed it in his hands "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No. Just make sure Duke doesn't die." Duke answered.
"What about the bartender?" Audrey asked.
"I'll take care of him." Duke replied.
"Wait, should go. Bart's a good guy. He doesn't deserve to die. Just let Audrey tell him and try to fix his trouble." Nathan interjected.
"Duke, we don't have time. You're dying and if you die..." Duke began to say.
"What? You'll miss me?" Nathan sassed.
"No, I won't be back to normal and will have to live my life as you." Duke told him.
After a few moments of silence Audrey gave orders "Do it."
"Audrey, he's a good-" Audrey interrupted Nathan (Duke)
"Just go." Audrey nodded at Duke who proceeded to walk into the back room.
Audrey sat in the bar stool next to Nathan (Duke) "How do you feel?"
"I don't." Nathan replied.
"Right. So your eyes?" Audrey asked.
"Don't hurt. All numb... it's kind of annoying actually." Nathan chuckled.
"Not as much fun-" Audrey began to say.
"Audrey... Don't. Just don't." He told her.
"Sorry. I know this must be hard on you, Duke." Audrey replied.
"Yeah..." He huffed "you know, I never thought I'd die like this."
"You mean, because of a trouble?" She asked.
"No, i mean as Nathan." He answered light-heartily.
"You're not going to die, Duke. Nathan'll do something." Audrey assured.
"Yeah, he'll kill Bart, that's what he'll do." Nathan told her.
"If it stops this trouble, he'll do what he has to." She said.
"That's what i'm afraid of. Audrey, my troubles suck. Nathan'll realize that, I hope. Or maybe he won't. It's a curse. Maybe Nathan'll think of it as a gift. But it's not. It's a horrible, scarring, traumatic curse that I can't do anything about. Maybe, maybe this is what I get. It's karma." He smirked "and easy way out." He sighed and began slipping his blindfold off.
"What're you doing? If you take that off, you could die." Audrey reminded.
He shrugged "I'm dead anyways."
With that, the blindfold was completely off.
Audrey looked into his eyes, which were entirely red.
"How do i look?" He chuckled, looking at Audrey.
Audrey was puzzled at his sudden change in eye colour, but she didn't have the heart to tell him. If she told him his eyes are beginning to turn already, he'd lose all hope for being saved. He's starting to lose hope already, starting to sound like Nathan. It kind of made Audrey wonder about this particular trouble, did it switch more than their bodies? What if some of their personality got switched as well? Or maybe.. He's acting like this because he understands Nathan better... Whatever the reason, Audrey knew he had to be saved soon.
"Well?" Nathan asked. "How do i look?"
"Like Nathan." Audrey smiled.
"Oh, thanks Audrey. That's really comforting." He smiled back, chuckling at some bits. "If i'm going out, I guess I'm going out laughing."
"Going out? Duke, you're not going to die. Not yet at least." Audrey assured.
"You're right." Nathan reached behind the bar counter and grabbed a bottle of beer. "Need a drink first."
He placed the tip of the bottle to the edge of the counter and banged it with his fist. he cap flew off and the bottle was open.
Audrey smiled.
"What?" Nathan asked before taking a chug of cold beer.
"It's just... You kept making fun of Nathan. Judging him, hell you mocked him on a daily basis. All because he's too emotional. And now, look at you. Giving up. Saying that you're going to die." Audrey shook her head "That doesn't sound like the Duke I know."
"Yeah, well. In case you haven't noticed, I don't look like the Duke you know." He pointed out.
"Do you think that matters? Duke, I know you're you and you know you're you. Why should it matter what you look like?" Audrey declared.
"Because I don't look like me. And if I don't look like myself, then why am I?" He placed the bottle on the counter and sighed.
"A friend. And i'll be damned if I let my friend die" She said sincerely.
"Parker!" They both heard Duke's voice faintly, like it was coming from a distance. "We need a first-aid kit!"
Duke walked along the wall, making sure to feel every turn of every corner. FInally, he felt a door. He tried to find the knob. When he did, the door opened and he yelled "Bart?"
"Over here." He heard.
Duke walked into the other room. Only... It wasn't another room. It was a basement. With stairs. But Duke (Nathan) was blinded so he wasn't aware. With the first step, he fell. Down the staircase, with every step more painful than the last. A strange feeling for Nathan, considering he hasn't felt pain in a long time. One step was different, felt like there was a hold in the middle. Sharp wood surrounding the hole pierced into Duke's knee. Every tiny woodchip felt like several tiny slivers imbedded in Duke's skin. At the bottom of the staircase, it was pitch black. Most likely because of the blindfold, but that wasn't the case because the blindfold unknowingly slipped off while he tumbled down the stairs. He stayed on the floor, trying to figure out what hurt most. Nathan realized that Dukes upper-body was okay, his shoulder hurt a bit and his legs were aching, the only thing that gave Nathan intense pain was the woodchips that sliced into Duke's knee.
"You alright?" Bart asked.
"I'll live. What about you? What happened?" Duke gripped his knee.
"Well, one stair gave out and my foot was caught in the hole. I managed to pull myself out but I fell down the other steps. There's bood everywhere so I was trying to find a first-aid kit, which is down here. But I didn't expect to fall. Can you stand?" Bart replied.
"I'll try to. Where's a light-switch?" Duke (Nathan) placed a hand on the wall and tried to pull himself up.
"You should be right by it." Bart answered.
Duke managed to get himself off the ground. He groaned in pain a few times but managed to calm himself down.
"Man, this sucks." He mumbled.
Limping, he felt the wall for a light-switch. In no time he found it and flipped the switch. Brightness filled the room. He could see, which also made him realize that his blindfold was off.
"Duke?" Bart looked up at him from the ground.
"Uh.. Not quite." He told him, still dragging himself along the wall.
Ignoring that, Bart commented "why're you here?" Bart noticed the wound in Dukes knee. "Oh, you shouldn't be walking on that. I'd get you an ice-pack but..."
"Look, I have to tell you something quick. You know about the troubles, right?" Duke asked.
"Yeah, everyone does." Bart replied.
"Well, you have one. And it's deadly." Duke informed.
"What? What do you mean?" Bart questioned.
"Look, those two guys that came to the bar. Before they died, they swapped bodies. We don't know why but it's because of your trouble. They died because of your trouble." Duke explained.
"Oh my god." Bart gasped.
"Do you know why your trouble would do that?" Duke asked.
"Um... Well, not really. Oh, growing up, my family motto was 'before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes' I even have a tattoo of that on my arm." Bart tol him.
"When did you get that tattoo?" Duke remarked.
"About a week ago. Wait, you don't think my tattoo started my trouble?" Bart guessed.
"Probably, i mean, Ben and John were fighting before they died. And so were me and Duke." Duke mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Bart asked as he put the pieces together "Oh my god."
"I'm detective Wuornose." Duke admitted.
"So Duke is-" Bart was interrupted.
"Upstairs. And dying. Because of your trouble. I'm sorry." Duke told him.
"What do I do? How-how can I reverse it?" Bart replied.
"Well, Duke has a trouble. Luckily, when you swapped our bodies, you swapped our troubles. Dukes trouble is that he can cure troubles. Even in your family. Nobody will get it again. The only thing is that it only works... If I kill you." Duke explained.
"Oh." Bart said, a mix of sadness and shock in his voice.
"But there's a way I can stop your trouble, I think." Duke inquired.
"How?" Bart croaked.
"Cutting off your tattoo." Duke suggested.
"You think that'll work?" Bart asked.
"I hope." Duke began to yell "Parker, we need a first-aid kit!"
"Wait, you say if um... 'Duke' kills me, the troubles will end in my family? Like... My kids?' Bart double-checked.
"Yes. But if we get the tattoo off-" Bart interrupted by shaking his head.
"You're not sure though, it may not work."
"What're you saying?" Duke asked.
"My girlfriend, the one I was going to see in Boston. She's pregnant. She was going to come back here with me, driving, you know. A road trip. My trouble is killing people and that's on my conscience. And if Duke dies, and I could have saved him. That's on me, too. I'd rather die than have that for the rest of my life." Bart explained.
"But, the tattoo. It could work." Duke said.
"And if it doesn't? Duke's dead." Bart looked at (Nathan) sympathetically and gave a slight nod. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, he dialled some numbers and put the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Julie. Um... I can't make it to Boston. I just want you to know, I love you. And remember, I'll love you forever, I'll love our baby forever and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I have to go. Goodbye." He closed the phone and started to chuckle "Voice-mail."
Duke pulled the gun from his pockets. "Look, I-I don't want to kill you. That's a last resort."
"Look, Nathan was it?... It's okay." Bart gave a slight smile.
"No, it's not. We're going to try and save you first and that's that." Duke demanded.
"Why such a sudden change of heart?" Bart inquired.
Duke sighed "Duke was right. You are a good guy. And if I have to kill you to save someone like Duke, that wouldn't be right."
"Someone like Duke? You don't like him? He always talks about you. Not good things all the time but he still talks about you. Heck, when we were having drinks and sharing nachos, he wouldn't shut up. If I had a friend like Duke, I'd do everything I can to save him." Bart replied.
"Duke's not my friend." Duke informed.
"Shame." Bart shook his head.
"Come on, let's get your foot healed up. Where was that first-aid kit?" Duke asked.
"On the shelf beside the cooler." Bart answered.
Duke (Nathan) leaned against the wall for support and opened the first-aid kit. He grabbed bandages and proceeded to walk to Bart. While holding the gun in one hand, finger subconsciously on the trigger, he knelt beside Bart.
"Now, this'll hurt a bit." Duke proceeded to wrap the bandage along Bart's foot. Scratches and a few gashes caused a lot of blood surrounding the foot itself. While wrapping the bandage, Duke accidentally got a drop of blood on his hand.
He paused. Duke's eyes turned a white/silvery colour. "What the-"
"Are you alright?" Bart looked at his eyes.
"Duke!" Duke yelled, his head facing the roof "Duke!"
"He can't be dead already... He just can't be." Bart noticed the gun in Duke's hands. Duke (Nathan) was in arms-length. Bart grabbed the barrel of the gun and put it to his forehead. "Please, he can't die because of me. No-one should die because of this."
"No, it's not fair." He replied.
"Life isn't fair. Please, Nathan." Bart pleaded.
With that, Duke's finger still on the trigger, Bart's hands still on the barrel. In that moment, Nathan used Dukes 'superior-strength' and tried to yank the gun away from Bart's hands. But in the struggle, Bart accidentally cocked the gun and Duke's finger clinched on the trigger.
In an instant there was a loud, booming, bang.
Nathan sighed "You should go get that first aid kit."
"Will you be okay?" Audrey asked.
"I'll be fine you know me. Go." He confirmed.
"Are you sure?" Audrey got up from the barstool.
"Go." Nathan teased.
Audrey walked outside of the bar and headed to the car where she know she kept a first aide kit in the glove box. Like every cop she kept one just in case of an emergency.
When he was alone Nathan (Duke) Just sat with his bottle of beer swishing the bottle with a flick of his wrist.
"How did you get yourself into this Duke?" He asked himself, Mumbling. "What's did I do to deserve this? I shouldn't even be here... why am i here?oh, yeah because I helped Audrey. Why do I keep helping people? it's not your job idiot. why don't you just say no? if you did you wouldn't be in this mess... And now you're going to die... I'm going to die... Got to admit. I'm pretty scared" He took a swig from the bottle.
All of this was happening during Duke and Barts confrontation. Unaware of the scenes going on in the basement Nathan (Duke) Was beginning to grow more curious.
"Duke! Duke!" He heard from the basement.
"What do you want?" Duke exclaimed After a few moments he said "Why the hell do you need a first aid kit, Nathan? If you even scratch any parts of my body I swear I'll-"
And then... the gunshot.
From outside Audrey Parker could hear the loud bang of the gunfire. She was done getting the first aide kit from her glove box and she was on her way back to the bar when she heard the boom she decided to run back to the bar she didnt want anything to happen to Duke or Nathan. She had hoped that the gunshot wasn't a Violent wound to any of the boys. If one of them died got hurt or anything Audrey Wouldn't know what to do. She ran as fast as she could with first aide kit and hand she sprinted all the way into the bar and found Nathan if it was Nathan, sitting on the same barstool, his head on the counter of the bar she didn't want to think the worst. She approached with caution, the man who may or may not be Nathan who was sitting on the barstool.
"Duke?" She Asked carefully. "Are you okay?"
No response.
"Duke?" Audrey repeated.
"Audrey!" She heard from the basement.
"Stay right here Duke. I'll be back."
Armed with the first aide kit, Audrey tried her best to find the basement. When she found the door to the basement, Which was now fully illuminated.
"Nathan!" She yelled.
"Not now just come down here do you have that first aid kit?" Dukes voice asked.
"Yeah I'm coming!" Audrey carefully walk down the stairs halfway through she noticed a step had been Ripped open as if the wood of the stair just gave in to weight. She avoided that stuck as much as possible when she got to the end of the staircase she noticed Duke sitting on the ground his knee was completely bloody and scabby.
"Oh god what happened are you-" Before Audrey could finish she noticed something. Barts body laying lifeless on the floor beside Duke. Duke was sitting, His back leaning on the wall just staring at the gun.
"Is he?" Audrey asked.
"Dead?" Duke responded Grimly. "Yeah it's funny i didn't think Chuckles had it in him."
"Chuckles?" Audrey look at him, puzzled
"You know... Nathan" He answered.
"Duke?!" Audrey exclaimed.
Duke let out a smile, a fake smile that he is used to putting on. "Were you expecting somebody else?"
In the joy of the moment Audrey knealt down beside Duke and Hugged him. she couldn't believe it, both her boys were back to normal and everything is as it was. Duke was duke and Nathan was Nathan. everything was fine... except, why didn't Nathan talk to her before? Maybe everything was not normal As she thought. But at least they were back in their own bodies that's a start.
"What happened to your knee?" She commented After the hug.
"Hell if I know. Nathan's going to pay." Duke threatened.
"I think he's paying already." Audrey replied. "Come on let's get you in some bandages."
Audrey put Dukes arm around her shoulder "Think you can get up the stairs?"
"I'll try." Duke Assured.
"Hey I'm sorry about your friend". She apologized.
"Yeah I know... But what ever you have to do, right?" Duke replied unhappily, glancing at Bart's body.
"He was a good guy, he just had a crappy trouble. There was nothing else we could have done." Audrey said with a sympathetic tone.
"I know... I know." Duke kept looking at Bart's lifeless corpse. The fact that, just a few hours earlier, he and Duke were sharing nachos and having beers. That was just too much for Duke to handle.
"C'mon. Let's go get Nathan." Audrey told him, leading him up the stairs. He took one last look at Bart and... He turned away. He and Audrey proceeded to go up the stairs without looking back.
"Thought you said you don't drink." Duke's voice was heard somewhere in the room.
Nathan haden't realized but Audrey and Duke both made their way up the stairs and close to the bar. Nathan didn't care, he still had his head on the table with the bottle cradled in his hand.
"Are you okay?" Audrey asked, approaching him. She placed a hand on his back and comforted him.
"I killed him." Nathan mumbled.
"Yeah." Duke grabbed a chair that was close to him and used it for support. "Yeah, you did."
"Duke." Audrey glared.
"What?" Duke replied.
"No, no he's right." Nathan groaned.
"Yeah, i usually am." Duke chuckled.
"His wife was pregnant." Nathan ignored Duke's comment. "And i killed him."
"You saved his child. Now the trouble is gone. It was the only thing you could do, Nathan." Audrey tried to comfort her partner.
"No, no it wasn't the only thing I could do." Nathan grumbled.
"Duke was dying, it was nobody's fault." Audrey assured.
"And an innocent man died so..." Nathan glared at Duke. "He could live."
"Hey, fine, let me die. You'd be stuck looking like me forever but that's fine." Duke sarcastically remarked.
"You shut your mouth, Crocker." Nathan ordered.
"Bart was a good guy. He was a better man than either of us. But newsflash, i told you my trouble sucks. All troubles suck. Yours isn't a walk in the park either. But it's what you had to do. It's what I do every time you two call me." Duke admitted.
Nathan looked at Duke with sad eyes. "How do you get over it?"
Duke gave that firmilliar fake smile. He looked down.
After a moment of complete silence, Audrey sighed sympathetically "Duke."
"What?" Duke was still looking at the... Floor? or was it his legs?
"It's okay. Everything's okay." Audrey comforted.
"No, no it's not." Duke replied. "My leg has wood-chips in it and it hurts like hell."
Realizing that Duke was looking at the gash on his leg and just decided not to answer Nathan's question, Audrey gave her annoyed tone "Duke."
"What?" He asked innocently.
Audrey rubbed Nathan's back "You going to be alright? Come on, let's go get your car."
"Great, come on Chuckles, I call shotgun." Duke joked.
"You're going in your own car, Duke." Audrey ordered.
"But I walked here." Duke told her.
Without hesitating, Audrey smiled "Then you can walk back." She helped Nathan up and they both headed back to their cars.
"Come on." Duke chuckled. "You're joking. Very funny Audrey."
She walked past him with Nathan and glared right at Duke.
"Come on, you're funny. It's funny." Duke laughed.
Door open.
"Ha ha." Duke continued.
Door closed.
"Wait...Audrey?" Duke asked, completely serious.
The sound of a car engine.
"Audrey!" Duke exclaimed from his chair.
Nathan walked to Duke's boat. His shoes stomping on the wooden dock leading to the vessel. He crossed the dock onto the boat itself.
"Audrey told me about the tattoo." Duke's voice was heard somewhere on the boat, yet Duke was not in sight.
"How'd you know I was here?" Nathan asked, looking around the boat for the bearer of the voice.
"Heard your footsteps." Duke answered, appearing from behind a closed door.
"How'd you know it was me?" Nathan repeated his last question.
"Please, Nathan. I know you. After what happened, don't you think I-" Duke was interrupted
"You saw me coming and hid behind the door." Nathan deduced.
"Maybe… What do you want?" Duke leaned against the door.
"Well." Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… I'm glad you mentioned what happened because… Well… I talked to Audrey about it and she wanted me to talk with you."
"I know." Duke smugly smiled.
"You do?" Nathan asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she told me about the tattoo. She told me a lot of things." Duke told him.
"Oh… Okay then. Good." Nathan turned to go.
"But I want to hear it from you." Duke smirked.
Nathan sighed and looked back at Duke. "Your trouble… It does suck."
"Yours aint a bucket of sunshine either." Duke agreed.
"Yeah. And I wanted to say that… Um… Before, you were complaining about having to kill people and I thought you were just being a little… Loud-mouthed, sarcastic baby." Nathan replied.
"Oh, don't sugar-coat it Nathan. That hurt my feelings." Duke joked.
"See that? Right there. That's the reason I want to punch you in the face." Nathan told him.
"So, what? You're saying you don't want to punch me in the face?" Duke smiled.
"No, I still want to punch you in the face… Just… Less." Nathan admitted.
"Are you getting to a point?" Duke asked.
"Yeah… I'm… Uh…" Nathan mumbled.
"Spit it out." Duke chuckled.
"I'm sorry." Nathan finally told him. "I thought your trouble was a blessing. It's not."
"That's why it's called the Crocker Curse, Nathan." Duke responded.
"Yeah…. Yeah. I should have listened to you." Nathan said.
"Yeah, you should have." Duke added.
"Alright, well… That was it so…" Nathan turned to go yet again.
"Wait." Duke sighed. "If we're apologizing… I'm sorry for what happened in school."
Nathan stopped in place for a moment, just a moment. Without turning around Nathan replied "What?"
"You know, you were saying how I used to put knives and forks and pencils… And pens… In your back when we were in school. So I'm sorry for that." Duke told him.
"You're sorry?" Nathan double-checked.
"Yeah. I took advantage of your trouble as a kid and now after what happened I'm apologizing. Sorry, Nathan." Duke admitted.
"Little late, Duke. Where was this apology when we were actually in middle school?" Nathan replied.
"I didn't know then that—" Duke was interrupted.
"That my trouble is horrible? You didn't make anything easier. You didn't help with anything, Duke. You didn't take account the hardships I had to face without you sticking sharp objects in my back just because it was funny." Nathan vented.
"What can I do about that? I can't go back in time and reverse it. It was in the past. I was a kid." Duke explained.
"So was I." Nathan told him.
"Look, you're not going to hear me say it again, so I'm sorry. Accept it or not. Whatever." Duke limped to get a chair.
"How's your leg?" Nathan asked, trying to change the subject.
"What? It's just a scratch. I can't even feel it." Duke chuckled.
Nathan was not amused. "I'm not going to apologize for that."
"I know. It's okay. I was a douche-bag. I probably deserved it. Still do. There's one thing I miss about being you." Duke sighed, clutching his knee.
"What's that?" Nathan stood puzzled.
"The fact that I could be dying, taking my last breath, gone at any moment… And I could nonchalantly drink and hold a conversation." Duke explained.
"Yeah, and being you wasn't so bad. At least I could feel again." Nathan agreed.
"Why do you think he had that trouble anyways? The tattoo couldn't have been it." Duke commented.
"I don't know. 'Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes'… He said it was his family's motto." Nathan told him.
"Oh, that reminds me. Audrey phoned and told me some background info on him. Turns out his real name is Bartholomew Stills. Kids used to call him Barty. He was an orphan until about age 15 where he got adopted into a busy family. Dad was always working and mom was a drunk. They adopted him for the money…" Duke replied.
"Tough life." Nathan said.
"Yeah, I think the trouble started when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant." Duke suggested.
"Oh?" Nathan questioned.
"Yeah. The trouble was supposed to bring people together. Help them walk a mile in someone else's shoes." Duke continued.
"And the eyes?" Nathan asked.
"Audrey had a suggestion." Duke answered. "Mirrors and eyes are a gateway to the soul. When they don't match up—"
"They explode. Yeah she told me." Nathan thought aloud.
"It's just a theory." Duke re-assured.
"Yeah, we'll never know." Nathan replied.
"Let's just forgive and forget. You forget what I did to you and I'll forgive that you screwed up my leg." Duke suggested.
"I can't just forget something like that." Nathan told him. "And your leg is only screwed up because I was trying to save your ass."
"Technically it was your ass." Duke joked.
"Forgive and forget… I like that. But not for what you did to me. I don't think I'll ever forgive you for that." Nathan admitted.
"Reasonable. So, forgive and forget what then?" Duke asked.
"The day. What happened to us. It never happened. It was forgiven and forgotten." Nathan ordered. "It never happened."
"What never happened?" Duke smiled.
Nathan nodded and turned to go "Gotta tell you though… If you didn't have that trouble, I don't know how you'd have gotten out."
"Yeah, well… My trouble sucks. I keep saying that and you never listen." Duke smirked.
"But the trouble to end troubles, I mean…" Nathan mumbled.
"Not as much fun as it sounds, huh?" Duke grinned.
Nathan chuckled and continued walking on the dock. " Don't think this means we're going to be nice to each other!"
Duke smiled and cuffed his hands over his mouth. "Wouldn't count on it!"
Nathan heard as he walked away. Not caring about what Duke would do next. Why would he? They're not friends. Why would they be? Nothing changed. Nothing happened. Everything was completely back to normal in this completely abnormal town.