Part two, twelve years later.
Chapter 5
"Well if your so fucking perfect then why do you have to work so hard just to make a living?"
"Because I like my job! It gives me an excuse to see some beauty once in a while. God knows I don't get that here!" a piercing shriek was heard, then something heavy smashed against the wall just to the right of duo's head. He had to duck to avoid another object as it hurtled right towards his face. He glanced at the shattered porcelain figures, then shouted angrily up the staircase,
"Those were antiques! Priceless! They were about 300 years old!"
"And you know exactly where you can stick your antiques!" she screamed as another ballerina twirled threw the air, this time hitting a china cabinet and falling to the floor only slightly cracked, before she fled up the sweeping staircase. Duo sighed and picked up the figure, then walked off to his right, towards his side of the house.
As he sat down in his living room and picked up a cigarette from the gold case, he contemplated the figurine with trembling fingers. It had been an anniversary gift from him to his wife; they had come in a set of ten, each in a different position. This particular one had its toe's pointed, one leg on its base and the other slightly behind it. Its face looked towards the sky with an almost tragic look. Its right arm was curled against its body and the left stretched out. Of course, this had been a gift for their fourth anniversary. After their sixth, the marriage had stopped being important enough to either of them to bother with gifts. Yet, for the last twelve years, both had endured the unhappy situation. The fights had started soon after The Party. Little things, but the little things grew into bigger things and the bigger things turned into wedges. After their eighth anniversary duo had moved out of that part of the house and into the right wing. It was smaller, but suited his needs perfectly. Of course it had been a tip when he first got there. Flowers rotting in their vases, fruit long since gone mouldy on the table. Everywhere was covered in 3 years worth of dust. Trowa had moved back in briefly to help him clear the place up, but after that was gone. Duo had managed to alienate everyone with his temper and suspicion. Business clients found excuses to stop using Ana's company and she now had to rely on her father for her income. Duo had not been able to cope with sitting around all day moping, and so had got a job as a curate for an art gallery. All he had to do was supervise shipments and special exhibitions and occasionally show around high profile clients, but it helped keep his mind off what it desperately wanted to think about.
After The Party, duo had had the police looking for three months. Still once every year they sent out an appeal with an enhanced photograph on TV and posters. There was no word, and no one had every heard from LJ or Ronan again. The anniversary of The Party was an especially hard day for both duo and Ana, and tempers seemed to fray dramatically at this time every year. Gently, ever so gently, duo placed the figurine on the table next to him and regarded it. He picked up his cigarette and drew a long breath. Smoking was a terrible habit, but it made him feel calmer. Luckily for him, it didn't seem to effect him at all. He was warned his teeth would go yellow and his fingers black. So far his teeth had stayed bright white, and his hands had only gone a pale cream colour, but that had more to do with hardly ever going outside. Anyway, Ana had picked up worse habits. She had started drinking heavily, and hardly a day went by when she didn't pass out at night instead of just going to sleep. She also made things worse for herself by sitting all day in the twins toy room on a rocking chair just staring at all the toys on the floor. She had demanded that they be left exactly as they were on the night of The Party. Only she was allowed to enter, and only she allowed to clean it. Often duo would peek through the door, and see her sitting there in that rocking chair, dressed in her long black dresses and gloves, with her knees drawn up just staring into space. She always wore gloves now, and black. Always black.
A soft noise trickled through his door, and he recognised the sound of his wife playing the piano. She always played the same tune, "f?r Elise" which had been Anastasia's favourite, as though it would bring them back. It saddened him to hear her doing this, but she wouldn't stop, even when her doctor had suggested it night be unhealthy for her to not let go of her tragedy. After twelve years, she still wouldn't let it go.
But today had been Party day. Today had been very stressing to both of them, and they had both been edgy. Today the twins, wherever they were, would be 17.
Chapter 5
"Well if your so fucking perfect then why do you have to work so hard just to make a living?"
"Because I like my job! It gives me an excuse to see some beauty once in a while. God knows I don't get that here!" a piercing shriek was heard, then something heavy smashed against the wall just to the right of duo's head. He had to duck to avoid another object as it hurtled right towards his face. He glanced at the shattered porcelain figures, then shouted angrily up the staircase,
"Those were antiques! Priceless! They were about 300 years old!"
"And you know exactly where you can stick your antiques!" she screamed as another ballerina twirled threw the air, this time hitting a china cabinet and falling to the floor only slightly cracked, before she fled up the sweeping staircase. Duo sighed and picked up the figure, then walked off to his right, towards his side of the house.
As he sat down in his living room and picked up a cigarette from the gold case, he contemplated the figurine with trembling fingers. It had been an anniversary gift from him to his wife; they had come in a set of ten, each in a different position. This particular one had its toe's pointed, one leg on its base and the other slightly behind it. Its face looked towards the sky with an almost tragic look. Its right arm was curled against its body and the left stretched out. Of course, this had been a gift for their fourth anniversary. After their sixth, the marriage had stopped being important enough to either of them to bother with gifts. Yet, for the last twelve years, both had endured the unhappy situation. The fights had started soon after The Party. Little things, but the little things grew into bigger things and the bigger things turned into wedges. After their eighth anniversary duo had moved out of that part of the house and into the right wing. It was smaller, but suited his needs perfectly. Of course it had been a tip when he first got there. Flowers rotting in their vases, fruit long since gone mouldy on the table. Everywhere was covered in 3 years worth of dust. Trowa had moved back in briefly to help him clear the place up, but after that was gone. Duo had managed to alienate everyone with his temper and suspicion. Business clients found excuses to stop using Ana's company and she now had to rely on her father for her income. Duo had not been able to cope with sitting around all day moping, and so had got a job as a curate for an art gallery. All he had to do was supervise shipments and special exhibitions and occasionally show around high profile clients, but it helped keep his mind off what it desperately wanted to think about.
After The Party, duo had had the police looking for three months. Still once every year they sent out an appeal with an enhanced photograph on TV and posters. There was no word, and no one had every heard from LJ or Ronan again. The anniversary of The Party was an especially hard day for both duo and Ana, and tempers seemed to fray dramatically at this time every year. Gently, ever so gently, duo placed the figurine on the table next to him and regarded it. He picked up his cigarette and drew a long breath. Smoking was a terrible habit, but it made him feel calmer. Luckily for him, it didn't seem to effect him at all. He was warned his teeth would go yellow and his fingers black. So far his teeth had stayed bright white, and his hands had only gone a pale cream colour, but that had more to do with hardly ever going outside. Anyway, Ana had picked up worse habits. She had started drinking heavily, and hardly a day went by when she didn't pass out at night instead of just going to sleep. She also made things worse for herself by sitting all day in the twins toy room on a rocking chair just staring at all the toys on the floor. She had demanded that they be left exactly as they were on the night of The Party. Only she was allowed to enter, and only she allowed to clean it. Often duo would peek through the door, and see her sitting there in that rocking chair, dressed in her long black dresses and gloves, with her knees drawn up just staring into space. She always wore gloves now, and black. Always black.
A soft noise trickled through his door, and he recognised the sound of his wife playing the piano. She always played the same tune, "f?r Elise" which had been Anastasia's favourite, as though it would bring them back. It saddened him to hear her doing this, but she wouldn't stop, even when her doctor had suggested it night be unhealthy for her to not let go of her tragedy. After twelve years, she still wouldn't let it go.
But today had been Party day. Today had been very stressing to both of them, and they had both been edgy. Today the twins, wherever they were, would be 17.