Chapter 2
" But mama! You said!" the little girl had learned a few tricks from her father and pulled puppy dog eyes. Her twin just watched in amazement. He had never been as outgoing as his sister, and didn't have the same way she had. She seemed to be able to win people over instantly, she could be as terrible as she liked, (and often was) and still everyone loved her. They loved him as well, but they didn't coo at him half as much. He wasn't bitter about it, only amazed. "No Anastasia. Auntie Emily is very tired. We can't see them today." Anastasia sucked in a huge breath, puffed her cheeks out and prepared to let loose an air piercing scream, when her dad clamped his hand over her mouth and kissed her forehead. Instantly she smiled and sat down again. "Ok daddy." She said, while her mother threw her hands up in the air and walked over to the bed. She plucked up Cory and put him under one of her arms, while he squealed in delight, then picked up Anastasia, and carried them through to the next room. "Come on duo! Get out of bed already. You can't stay there all day." "Actually I was hoping you'd get back in." he replied cheekily, while the twins erupted into giggles at their fathers remark. "Well I have other things to do." "Like me?" he replied innocently from underneath his bangs. This prompted another outbreak from the twins. " Shoo you two! " she replied, her own voice tinkling with laughter. "Anastasia, go to the piano and practice. I want you to play tomorrow if that's ok." "Ok mommy." "And Cory, you have to finish your painting. It was coming along so nicely." "Yes mama." As the sounds of his family spread throughout the house, duo sighed and pulled himself out of bed. "No rest for the wicked." He grinned to himself. While he pulled on his clothes he indulged in his favourite pastime, thinking about his wife. With her long copper hair and green eyes, her slender arms and graceful movements, she was everything he had always wanted. She always wore dresses, most were long and deep green, with dragging sleeves and flowing backs. Most of the time she looked almost like a medieval princess. He also loved the way she styled her hair so that it looked as though it ran down her back like liquid. As a strange banging and clanking arose, he laughed, recognising the sound of Cory trying to 'help' his sister play the piano. About 7 months after they were married, they had been blessed with two gorgeous baby children. Anastasia was the more outgoing, always willing to have her say whether her victim wanted to hear it or not. She also had remarkable musical talent. Cory was a different matter. He was quiet, but had his own good qualities. He was incessantly curious, and could paint beautifully. While most of his pictures were of his family, especially his sister, he had done some wonderful landscapes. Both of the twins had blond hair. Anastasia's was long and hung in ringlets around her angelic face. Cory's was short, and hung in curly waves on his head. Anastasia had inherited her mothers emerald eyes, while Cory had been born with his fathers violet ones. Both had been beautiful babies, and promised to be beautiful children. While Duo wanted the twins to be dressed as normal children their age, their mother insisted on dressing them like dolls. Anastasia's ringlet hair helped add to the illusion, especially when her mother dressed her like she had today. She was wearing a long sleeved crimson crushed velvet dress with lacy trim on the collar and hem and petticoats underneath. Shiny black doll shoes with lacy white socks pulled up to the knees completed the outfit. Cory was always dressed like a sailor, with blue shorts, a stripy blue and white top, and a scarf. Sometimes she went so far as to add a hat, but Cory didn't like it and often it would go missing sometime during the day. His favourite excuse was that the monkeys took it. As the family did own pet monkeys, this excuse could have worked, apart from the fact that they lived in the garden and Cory never went near the Monkey House. Tomorrow night, their fourth birthday, they would be dressed spectacularly. Ana came from a well-to-do family, and had been brought up always wearing dresses and having big parties. Duo wasn't used to this, except from some of the schools he had attended in his youth. He didn't mind, but he would much rather have had small gatherings. Ana had already planned a huge ball, with Anastasia playing the piano, and Cory showing off some of his oil paintings. There would be the usual mix of businessmen and extended family, and they were sure to 'ooh' and 'ah' in all the right places. A favourite part of the well-rehearsed act was when both twins got onto the grand-piano stool and played a sweet number from some musical (singing the words as well of course). When this was finished came the finale. Both would climb to a standing position on the stool and join hands. Then, with utmost sweetness, Anastasia would curtsy and Cory would bow. This little act was performed at most get-togethers, and was guaranteed to have the men smiling and chuckling, and the women practically weeping at the twin's adorability. It was well rehearsed in advance, their mother insisted, but still the children loved every minute of it. "Duo! For gods sake, hurry up!" a voice snapped, irritated. "Heero, may I remind you that it was your dumb idea to leave this trip to the store till the last minute. And it was you who got your license suspended." There was a grunt and then the sound of a door closing somewhere in the house. Heero had ordered presents at a local toyshop, custom made for his godchildren. But about a month ago he'd had his driving license suspended on a driving under the influence charge, so duo had to drive him to the store. He pulled on his black pinstripe trousers and quickly buttoned up his stylish white shirt. He added the black tie his wife insisted on, and grabbed a jacket from his wardrobe. As he passed the mirror he couldn't help checking himself out. "Looking good, buddy." He told himself. With the diamond pinkie ring Ana had given to him on his birthday, the gold wedding band and the small gold cross around his neck, he truly looked like someone from the Mafia. Straightening his satin tie, and pushing his feet into the shiny black dress shoes, the 24-year-old couldn't help being amazed. If you'd walked up to 16 year old duo while he was trying to fix his deathscythe and told him that he was going to look like a business man in a couple of years time, you probably would've got your brains splattered onto the floor, courtesy of shinigami. In fact, if you'd walked up to 16-year- old duo at any time and tried to start a conversation you probably would've died. "Yeah, I was cute but deadly back then. Now I'm just cute!" he chuckled and sidled out of the room, looking around for his family. Hearing stifled giggles from a nearby closet, he headed over there. "Hmmm. where can they be? " he said, loud enough so that whoever was in the closet could hear. "Under. here?" he cried, ducking under a table. "Nope. Over here?" he asked, looking around a china cabinet. "Or in.here!" he quickly pulled the door open and whisked the occupant out. "Guess you caught me. Now do you have to punish me for hiding? I've been a very naughty girl." The voice purred. "LJ, get the fuck away from me. What the hell do you think you're doing?" "Nothing." Purred the brunet. "Nothing you don't want, that is. I'm sure you can leave your precious Ana for 10 minutes." "LJ, I may have felt I wanted you at some point, but that was 6 years ago. I love Ana. I never loved you." He replied angrily. "I'm not asking for love!" the 19 year old was angry now. "All I want is the respect I deserve. Sure, lets turn to the whore when we have an itch that needs scratching, but as soon as that's over we can dump her for the rich bitch!" she was angry now, her voice showed it in the way it was strained and weak sounding. Duo caught her arms angrily and held them, leaning towards her, his hot breath blowing down on the top of her head. She struggled to get out of his grip, but many years of fighting told him never to let go of an untrustworthy opponent. "How dare you talk about Ana like that! She is the love of my life and I will not have her insulted by some teenage slut!" he flung her away from him, so that she flew backwards and stumbled, landing on her butt, sobbing. As he moved away she stumbled up and screamed after him before fleeing in the other direction, fearing what he would do to her. " You loved me once Maxwell! At least you loved my body! You used me when you needed me and you loved it! You twisted perverted bastard! Never again will you be happy! I will make sure of it! No-one refuses me!" Duo just sighed and carried on towards the living rooms. The house was big enough that no one had probably heard them, but he still didn't enjoy arguing with his ex-lover. Hiring her was the worst mistake he made in his life. As he entered the room, he picked up his keys from the rack on the wall, kissed his wife goodbye and moved towards the car lot. Unpleasant thing happen every day, he told himself, you just have to move on.
" But mama! You said!" the little girl had learned a few tricks from her father and pulled puppy dog eyes. Her twin just watched in amazement. He had never been as outgoing as his sister, and didn't have the same way she had. She seemed to be able to win people over instantly, she could be as terrible as she liked, (and often was) and still everyone loved her. They loved him as well, but they didn't coo at him half as much. He wasn't bitter about it, only amazed. "No Anastasia. Auntie Emily is very tired. We can't see them today." Anastasia sucked in a huge breath, puffed her cheeks out and prepared to let loose an air piercing scream, when her dad clamped his hand over her mouth and kissed her forehead. Instantly she smiled and sat down again. "Ok daddy." She said, while her mother threw her hands up in the air and walked over to the bed. She plucked up Cory and put him under one of her arms, while he squealed in delight, then picked up Anastasia, and carried them through to the next room. "Come on duo! Get out of bed already. You can't stay there all day." "Actually I was hoping you'd get back in." he replied cheekily, while the twins erupted into giggles at their fathers remark. "Well I have other things to do." "Like me?" he replied innocently from underneath his bangs. This prompted another outbreak from the twins. " Shoo you two! " she replied, her own voice tinkling with laughter. "Anastasia, go to the piano and practice. I want you to play tomorrow if that's ok." "Ok mommy." "And Cory, you have to finish your painting. It was coming along so nicely." "Yes mama." As the sounds of his family spread throughout the house, duo sighed and pulled himself out of bed. "No rest for the wicked." He grinned to himself. While he pulled on his clothes he indulged in his favourite pastime, thinking about his wife. With her long copper hair and green eyes, her slender arms and graceful movements, she was everything he had always wanted. She always wore dresses, most were long and deep green, with dragging sleeves and flowing backs. Most of the time she looked almost like a medieval princess. He also loved the way she styled her hair so that it looked as though it ran down her back like liquid. As a strange banging and clanking arose, he laughed, recognising the sound of Cory trying to 'help' his sister play the piano. About 7 months after they were married, they had been blessed with two gorgeous baby children. Anastasia was the more outgoing, always willing to have her say whether her victim wanted to hear it or not. She also had remarkable musical talent. Cory was a different matter. He was quiet, but had his own good qualities. He was incessantly curious, and could paint beautifully. While most of his pictures were of his family, especially his sister, he had done some wonderful landscapes. Both of the twins had blond hair. Anastasia's was long and hung in ringlets around her angelic face. Cory's was short, and hung in curly waves on his head. Anastasia had inherited her mothers emerald eyes, while Cory had been born with his fathers violet ones. Both had been beautiful babies, and promised to be beautiful children. While Duo wanted the twins to be dressed as normal children their age, their mother insisted on dressing them like dolls. Anastasia's ringlet hair helped add to the illusion, especially when her mother dressed her like she had today. She was wearing a long sleeved crimson crushed velvet dress with lacy trim on the collar and hem and petticoats underneath. Shiny black doll shoes with lacy white socks pulled up to the knees completed the outfit. Cory was always dressed like a sailor, with blue shorts, a stripy blue and white top, and a scarf. Sometimes she went so far as to add a hat, but Cory didn't like it and often it would go missing sometime during the day. His favourite excuse was that the monkeys took it. As the family did own pet monkeys, this excuse could have worked, apart from the fact that they lived in the garden and Cory never went near the Monkey House. Tomorrow night, their fourth birthday, they would be dressed spectacularly. Ana came from a well-to-do family, and had been brought up always wearing dresses and having big parties. Duo wasn't used to this, except from some of the schools he had attended in his youth. He didn't mind, but he would much rather have had small gatherings. Ana had already planned a huge ball, with Anastasia playing the piano, and Cory showing off some of his oil paintings. There would be the usual mix of businessmen and extended family, and they were sure to 'ooh' and 'ah' in all the right places. A favourite part of the well-rehearsed act was when both twins got onto the grand-piano stool and played a sweet number from some musical (singing the words as well of course). When this was finished came the finale. Both would climb to a standing position on the stool and join hands. Then, with utmost sweetness, Anastasia would curtsy and Cory would bow. This little act was performed at most get-togethers, and was guaranteed to have the men smiling and chuckling, and the women practically weeping at the twin's adorability. It was well rehearsed in advance, their mother insisted, but still the children loved every minute of it. "Duo! For gods sake, hurry up!" a voice snapped, irritated. "Heero, may I remind you that it was your dumb idea to leave this trip to the store till the last minute. And it was you who got your license suspended." There was a grunt and then the sound of a door closing somewhere in the house. Heero had ordered presents at a local toyshop, custom made for his godchildren. But about a month ago he'd had his driving license suspended on a driving under the influence charge, so duo had to drive him to the store. He pulled on his black pinstripe trousers and quickly buttoned up his stylish white shirt. He added the black tie his wife insisted on, and grabbed a jacket from his wardrobe. As he passed the mirror he couldn't help checking himself out. "Looking good, buddy." He told himself. With the diamond pinkie ring Ana had given to him on his birthday, the gold wedding band and the small gold cross around his neck, he truly looked like someone from the Mafia. Straightening his satin tie, and pushing his feet into the shiny black dress shoes, the 24-year-old couldn't help being amazed. If you'd walked up to 16 year old duo while he was trying to fix his deathscythe and told him that he was going to look like a business man in a couple of years time, you probably would've got your brains splattered onto the floor, courtesy of shinigami. In fact, if you'd walked up to 16-year- old duo at any time and tried to start a conversation you probably would've died. "Yeah, I was cute but deadly back then. Now I'm just cute!" he chuckled and sidled out of the room, looking around for his family. Hearing stifled giggles from a nearby closet, he headed over there. "Hmmm. where can they be? " he said, loud enough so that whoever was in the closet could hear. "Under. here?" he cried, ducking under a table. "Nope. Over here?" he asked, looking around a china cabinet. "Or in.here!" he quickly pulled the door open and whisked the occupant out. "Guess you caught me. Now do you have to punish me for hiding? I've been a very naughty girl." The voice purred. "LJ, get the fuck away from me. What the hell do you think you're doing?" "Nothing." Purred the brunet. "Nothing you don't want, that is. I'm sure you can leave your precious Ana for 10 minutes." "LJ, I may have felt I wanted you at some point, but that was 6 years ago. I love Ana. I never loved you." He replied angrily. "I'm not asking for love!" the 19 year old was angry now. "All I want is the respect I deserve. Sure, lets turn to the whore when we have an itch that needs scratching, but as soon as that's over we can dump her for the rich bitch!" she was angry now, her voice showed it in the way it was strained and weak sounding. Duo caught her arms angrily and held them, leaning towards her, his hot breath blowing down on the top of her head. She struggled to get out of his grip, but many years of fighting told him never to let go of an untrustworthy opponent. "How dare you talk about Ana like that! She is the love of my life and I will not have her insulted by some teenage slut!" he flung her away from him, so that she flew backwards and stumbled, landing on her butt, sobbing. As he moved away she stumbled up and screamed after him before fleeing in the other direction, fearing what he would do to her. " You loved me once Maxwell! At least you loved my body! You used me when you needed me and you loved it! You twisted perverted bastard! Never again will you be happy! I will make sure of it! No-one refuses me!" Duo just sighed and carried on towards the living rooms. The house was big enough that no one had probably heard them, but he still didn't enjoy arguing with his ex-lover. Hiring her was the worst mistake he made in his life. As he entered the room, he picked up his keys from the rack on the wall, kissed his wife goodbye and moved towards the car lot. Unpleasant thing happen every day, he told himself, you just have to move on.