Okay! Soooo this is kinda dark...but I thought it might be an interesting approach to some of the post-crash fics that have been going around lately. Any reviews are very much appreciated! I imagine this will be about 4 chapters...not sure yet. Anyways, here are the first two. I hope you enjoy i

Disclaimer: Of course I own nothing.

BURNT

"Ouch!" Bree exclaimed. She had been tidying up the kitchen and hadn't realized the toaster oven was still on when she reached inside to clean it out.

The redhead quickly moved over to the sink, running her wrist under cold water to soothe the burn. She watched as the water surrounded her reddening skin, feeling oddly intrigued by the stinging sensation.

Bree had been miserable ever since the small plane hit Wisteria Lane, killing her lover and forever paralyzing her husband. She blamed herself completely. Of course she understood that the actual crash was out of her control, but if she hadn't had an affair with Karl…and if he hadn't chosen to propose that day…well, she could go through the "if's" for hours.

Now she lived with a man who hated her, yet she was indebted to him. She tried her best to grant his every wish, and prayed that her charitable acts would pay off. Bree had always been a victim of self-sacrifice, but now she was beginning to feel as though she was losing herself, and that she was completely and utterly alone. Her friends had their own lives and problems to deal with. She was far too considerate to bore them with her issues. After all, they weren't that serious. She was just being dramatic, wasn't she?

She turned off the faucet, and gently dried her hands. The burn wasn't too bad and probably wouldn't leave much of a scar. The burning sensation had dissipated, but Bree was left with a yearning for more. She wanted to feel the sting of the burn again. At least it was a pain that she could control…at least it was real. It seemed like the perfect time to experiment. Orson was at the hospital for a follow-up appointment and physical therapy. He wouldn't be home for hours, leaving her plenty of time to clean up.

Taking a shaky breath, Bree reached her arm out to the hot metal once again. She pulled back immediately, waited for the initial pain to die down, and then repeated the process.

Soon the pain she was feeling in her right arm became unbearable, and she sunk down to the floor, clutching her arm tightly to her chest. She felt tears welling up, but refused to cry. She deserved her pain. This was all part of a bigger plan, which she could not question. The redhead began to shiver although she did not feel cold. She and pulled her knees into her chest, trying still herself.

CHAPTER 2

"I see your car in the drive way, I know you're in there!" Susan knocked for the third time on her neighbor's door. Bree had promised to let her borrow a gorgeous silver pair of earrings for a party that she and Mike had been invited to. "I'll come in uninvited…I have no boundaries!" she called out, tapping her foot impatiently.

Susan sighed, letting herself into her neighbor's home. This was something that had done many times before. Bree was often so wrapped up in one of her many "projects", whether it be trying out a new recipe, ironing the curtains, or re-tiling the bathroom floor, that she often did not notice that Susan had even come into her house until she had was halfway out the door.

"What are you doing this time?" She called out. "Well, whatever it is, I hope it involves food." Susan muttered to herself, making her way toward the kitchen. She noticed a figure on the floor, sitting by the dishwasher. However, she had to do a double take before realizing who it was.

"Bree?" Susan swallowed, looking at the woman on the floor. No, this couldn't be Bree. She would never allow someone to see her in such a vulnerable state; knees curled up to her chest, trembling. She was far too guarded for something like that. In all the years Susan knew her, she could only recall a handful of moments during which Bree showed even a hint of weakness.

The brunette waited for a response, but Bree did not even look at her. She was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable, wishing that she hadn't stopped by unannounced. "What's wrong?" She asked, motioning toward her friend.

"Are you hurt?" Susan asked, praying that this was nothing serious. She had noticed that Bree was clutching her right arm, but she couldn't see any obvious signs of injury. She sighed, beginning to lose her patience. "Look at me." Susan knelt down next to Bree, gently brushing a few loose strands of hair away from her eyes. When the redhead finally did look at her, she could see the hurt and pain lingering inside. It was clear that something had happened to Bree, and the feelings of discomfort Susan had been experiencing earlier had transformed into genuine concern. "What is it?" She sat down and delicately placed a hand on Bree's knee. "You can tell me."

"I can't." The other woman finally managed to speak. Her voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. "I can't." She repeated, shaking her head.

"Is it Orson?" Susan pried. "Andrew? Danielle?"

"I deserve my punishment." Bree replied dryly.

"Punishment for what?" Susan had no idea what Bree was referring to. She waited for an answer, but was met only with a blank stare. "Honey, please. If you don't talk to me I can't help you."
The redhead slowly unfurled the arm that she had been clutching tightly to her chest. The burns were still fresh, her skin an angry shade of red. She watched as the look on her neighbor's face changed from concern to shock. Taking a deep and shaky breath, she looked away…ashamed. Embarrassed. Hurt.

"What…what happened?" Susan's mind raced. "Were you cooking something? What…how…" She tried to process what she was seeing. "You didn't...Bree, you- you didn't do this to yourself." She stated, suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and nausea coming over her.

"It was an accident." The redhead's voice cracked.

"Oh." Susan breathed a sigh of relief. "An accident. Of course it was."

"The first time." Bree clarified.

"Oh." The brunette repeated, clearly disappointed.

"But then I…then it…something came over me. It comforted me and I…I did it again and I…I- I was just trying to clean the toaster, I didn't mean to- I didn't want to do this." She stretched out her arm again, looking down at it with disgust.

"I can't believe it. You, of all people." Susan shook her head, frustrated.

"I'm so unhappy, Susan. I miss Karl and how my life used to be." She stopped to catch her breath. "I didn't know what else to do." Bree lost control. "Please don't be angry with me." She cried now, feeling her dignity being torn away with each word. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, sweetie." Susan wrapped her arms around her friend and neighbor. She held her close, and despite Bree's obvious resistance, refused to let go. "I'm not mad at you." She hesitated. "I'm mad at me for not seeing how unhappy you were."

Bree whimpered, trying to break free from Susan's grasp. All she wanted now was to go upstairs and sleep. Surely she would feel better after a nap. Unfortunately try as she may, Susan would not loosen her grip. She sobbed now, unable to control her tears. She hated herself for doing this. After all, she was supposed to be perfect, and a perfect woman would not break down like this.

"Shh, it's okay to cry." The brunette could sense Bree's uneasiness as she gently rocked her. "I love you so much."

"I want to be alone." Bree muttered through her sobs. Even in her state of anguish, she was already thinking of punishments for revealing so much of herself to Susan.

"No you don't." The brunette clutched her friend. "That's what got you here." She felt Bree reach for her now, giving in to the love and comfort that she so desperately needed. "Good girl." Susan praised, realizing that she sounded like she was speaking to a small child.

As Susan sat on the floor, quite literally holding her seemingly perfect friend together, she realized that she couldn't do this alone. It was too much for one person to handle. She thought of those closest to Bree, and the two obvious women who came to mind were Lynette and Gabrielle. While Lynette was ultimately her first choice, the last thing that she wanted was to add more stress to her life. With a baby on the way and a marriage on the rocks, it didn't seem fair.

She wriggled her cell phone out of her pocket, and dialed Gaby's cell phone. While she was sure that Bree would not approve of another person seeing her so vulnerable, Susan simply could not manage on her own.

"Hey Susan." Gaby answered casually.

"Hey, you busy?" Susan asked, though she hardly cared. "I need you to come to Bree's."

"Now? I was just about to run a few errands before the girls come home from school…what is it?" She asked, sensing the fear in Susan's tone.

"Please just come over." She paused. "Please."

"Okay, I'll be there in five minutes. What's wrong?"

"Eh, kinda hard to explain." She leaned over, lightly kissing the top of Bree's head. "Oh, and bring over a few wash-cloths and maybe an ice pack if you have?"

"Um, okay? This better be good." And with that, Gaby hung up the phone and headed over to her neighbor's house.