Give and Receive

Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-gi-oh Gx or its characters. Just my own :)

Plot Summary- As Zane's 22nd birthday is approaching, he starts becoming secretive around Aster. Is he unhappy about the relationship? Or is it something else completely.

Note: This is going to be a Zane dominated chapter (kind of like what I did last time with Aster while Zane was in his coma). As we near the finals chapters I have to ask kind of a survey question of how the story should end. Do you think the boys should get engaged at the end of the story? Or would that be contradicting to their personalities. Let me know what you think and as always, thanks!

Chapter 11: The End of the Line

Zane's POV

I thrusted the epi pen into his thigh through the jeans, exactly the way Ronny had showed me. I rubbed the injection spot carefully and held him in my arms; waiting for him to respond. I couldn't wait for long; we had to get to Louisa before she ended her own life.

My first priority was the young man in my arms, but Aster had given me clear orders. He didn't want me to worry myself with him; he wanted me to save Louisa and Sirena. But that was nearly impossible in my book; not while he was like this.

What was taking so long? It didn't take this long for the first dose to take effect. Was it wearing off on him already? Ronny had warned us that eventually the adrenaline wouldn't work but I was expecting more time in between. This couldn't have been the last one.

"Why are you still here?" I looked down to see Aster coming back to life. His muscles relaxed against mine and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't going to lose him quite yet. "Well?"

I kissed the top of his head and smiled. "Sorry... "

"No you're not." He joked. He pulled my hands away weakly and turned. Without warning, he kissed me on the lips. This one was different though. He put all his power, want, and desires behind it and ravished my lips like a hungry man to bread. I placed my hands on his cheeks and deepened the kiss. I could never have enough of this kid. Even if I had fifty years, I'd want a hundred, and even with a hundred, I'd want a thousand. Being with him made me feel alive. His kisses renewed my heart more than any medicine could, and I wanted him to know that.

But now wasn't the time. He broke the kiss and smiled. "Don't you have a damsel to save?"

"Indeed I do."

()

I left Aster at home with Larius, Alexis and Atticus while Ronny, Sartorius, and I went to rescue Louisa. The window was limited all around, so I had Ronny drive the car to his apartment. When we arrived, Sartorius parked the car while Ronny and I made our way into the apartment. I jumped up the steps by threes, with Ronny right behind me.

When we arrive on the right floor, we saw the door to Ronny's apartment was open by a crack. "She's here…." He said in relief. My phone rang—I looked at the caller i.d.—it was from Sartorius.

"She's here." I answered.

He was silent for a moment. "So I can see."

Ronny pushed the door open and all the color drained from his face. I rushed over quickly and saw Louisa was sitting on the window sill. Ready to jump at her own will.

"Louisa! No!" Ronny screamed. She turned her head—her face tear-stained and desperate. I saw her push her hand against the window trim. Holy shit, she was going to do it.

Ronny crossed the room, fast as superman. Just as she was about to fall forward, Ronny wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her back up. Despite this, she fought against him, trying to push herself forward. "No! Just let me go! I can't escape them!"

I sped over and helped Ronny bring Louisa back through the window. She thrashed against us and screamed as loud as she could. She treated us more like murderers than her life savors. She tried to claw Ronny's face but he grabbed her wrist. "Damn it, Louisa, this isn't you!"

"What does it matter? What's left to live for when they're always going to loom over me? They'll never stop and this is the only way to end it!"

Ronny switched one of her wrists to his other hand. He used his newly freed hand to grab her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "You sound just like Ollie the night I told him I was leaving…He thought killing himself would be the only way to beat them but it's not….You're just letting them control your life all the more." She still fought against him but Ronny held strong. "There was so much that he wanted to do with his life, so much you still have to do. And you're willing to throw that all away because of those god damn monsters? You're better than that!"

Louisa started crying again. Her head fell against Ronny's shoulder. He released her arms and wrapped them around her. Who would have thought that someone like Ollie could have brought two people together? Ronny had come to care for Louisa as his former love's sister. Now, it appeared as if he love Louisa as if she were his own sister.

Ronny stood up and offered a hand to Louisa. "Listen, we're going to tell the press everything, okay? Right now. They'll help keep your parents away from you and you'll be rid of them for good…Alright?"

Louisa wiped her eyes and smiled softly. "Okay…"

A gun-shot went off. The sound made me deaf for a split second but I could still see what had happened. The bullet imbedded the wall in front of Ronny. I thought it had missed him; but the horrified look on Louisa's face told me otherwise. I looked around and saw the shooter.

She was a woman no taller than 5,2. She was thin and bony like a small skeleton yet, appeared much younger than I knew her to be. Her black stringy hair was just as long as Louisa's, only it rounded into curls. I didn't need anyone to tell me that this was Caroline Duncan.

A small blood stain started to soak through Ronny's shirt. He fell back to his knees and onto Louisa who embraced him into her arms. I kept my gaze on the gun, prepared to move at any moment.

"Ronny! Ronny!" Louisa was screaming and sobbing again. Her mother rolled her eyes and lowered her gun.

"We should have done away with that roach a long time ago." She said, her eyes setting themselves on me. Her mouth turned to a scowl. "Well, well…If it isn't the famous Zane Truesdale. Tell me, have you put anyone else's son in the mental hospital lately?"

"He only did what you and dad were trying to do. It's a miracle Ollie didn't snap sooner!" Louisa yelled, suddenly daring to become more defiant. She gently lifted Ronny to the floor and stood up firm. She extended her hands out away from her body. "If you're so desperate to have me, then you'll have to kill me to do it. So come on and do it already!"

Caroline crossed the room and grabbed Louisa's wrist and jerked her forward. "Come on, I've had enough of your little games."

I reached out my wrist to grab Caroline's forcing her to let go of Louisa's. Caroline's eyes (oddly similar to Ollie's) seemed to burn a hole through me. "Where's Sirena?"

She raised her gun up; on the inside I felt a surge of fear go through me. But I remained still on the outside.

Caroline seemed to growl like a rabid dog. "Release me now. That's the only warning you'll get."

I swallowed my fear and asked a second time. Louisa eyes were set on the gun. I knew what she was thinking. It was too dangerous. If she tried to get the gun out of her mother's hands, it could go off and kill her. "Louisa, don't!"

I expected to hear a second gun shot. That either Louisa would fight and get shot by her mother, or Caroline would shot me. Instead, Caroline seemed frozen in her stance. Her face stood completely still in that same angry scowl.

"Thank god…" I twisted around to see Sartorius walking through the door. His purple eyes were glowing like nightlights. I felt a dark aura surround him, like I had felt at duel academy island when Sartorius was evil. That could only mean one thing; Sartorius had used his powers to save us. Powers he supposedly didn't have anymore.

His glowing eyes fell over Ronny. He leaned down to check his pulse. His face remained indifferent. "He's….he's dead."

Louisa already knew that was the case, but seemed to break down into sobs at the announcement. Even I felt a twinge of grief at the news. I wouldn't ever have declared Ronny and I to be friends—but everything he did was motivated by selflessness. His fondness of Ollie and Louisa had pushed him to put his medical license- and apparently his life on the line for her.

Sartorius handed Louisa his cell phone. "Call the ambulance, the police, anyone you can. I have something to try."

He stood up and looked Caroline in the eyes. He placed his hands on her cheek and concentrated all his energy on to her. I didn't understand what he was trying to do; only that he was using his powers again.

The room started to drop in temperature. At first, it only sent a small shiver down my back, eventually; it felt like I was swimming through ice water. I tried to bear through it while Sartorius worked his magic.

Caroline started to move slowly; I grabbed her before she could make any bold moves. Sartorius broke eye contact and breathed heavily. The room temperature started going back up. He glared at Caroline but spoke to me. "I know where Sirena is. We have to go now, we don't have much time. "

I nodded and looked to Louisa. "I want you to stay here and wait for the police." I said, apprehensive about leaving a nearly suicidal girl alone.

"I'll be fine, just go!" She insisted. I looked her over one more time. Did she look upset? Of course she did. Did I think she was going to jump out the window? No.

Sartorius and I forced the fighting Caroline down the stairs and into the car. A plan was formulating between us. Sartorius told me that Sirena was being kept at a near by mental hospital where Mr. Duncan had registered her under his daughters name. He explained that if Caroline didn't return within an hour, he was supposed to leave with Sirena to go to the airport. We had a short time to reach the mental hospital and save Sirena before she was gone.

A new hope renewed within me. With Ronny gone, I had only one hope of retrieving the medicine to save Aster—and I dared to hope I would find it at this mental institution.

()

This particular mental institution was a small house just outside of Domino. Caroline was completely annoying and unreasonable along the way. Blaming me for her distant daughter and insane son. Kicking Sartorius's seat and fighting me. "He'll let me die before he gives in to either of you."

"Yeah, sounds like a real catch." I murmured, holding the small woman closely.

"Zane, how partial are you to acting?" Sartorius asked from the front seat. I shrugged.

"I'm okay with it, not my strong suit." I was being a little more generous with myself than I should have been. I couldn't act my way out of a bag.

"Could you say, pretend to hold Mrs. Duncan here hostage while I controlled her mind?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You can do that too?"

"My powers have gotten stronger lately but…" He closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "That's required me to give into my dark side at times. I'm almost afraid to test mind control but…I have to try in order to save my sister."

I knew Aster wouldn't like it if I let Sartorius do this. But in the mirror I could see the firm determination in his eyes. He was going to do it whether I approved or not.

I emptied Mrs. Duncan's gun onto the carpet and nodded. "Alright we can try it."

"If you think there's anyway...!" Caroline started but I interrupted, waving the gun around nonchalantly.

"Just be thankful I took the bullets out." I said coldly. I tried to get back into a personality that I had given up long ago. I wasn't evil enough to hold a woman at gunpoint, but Hell Kaiser was.

A line had been crossed. This was no time to play nicely. Sirena had been kidnapped and Ronny had been shot dead. Aster had been practically poisoned, and Louisa almost killed herself. These people had to be stopped, even if that meant being a little evil to do it. It was the only thing that could be done.

I had to stop Orville Duncan sr. and save the lives of Sirena, Louisa, and the love of my life.