"God, Duo." Hilde covers her mouth in attempt to stifle a scream. Trowa pats her back in support.
"Trowa?" Quatre says in a soft voice. It's very odd for him to be talking to a man who he thought was just an imaginary character. "How did Duo call you?"
"By a payphone in the café."
"Just now?"
"No. About five minutes ago. I've been waiting for AP."
"He could be anywhere in this town!" Says Hilde as she looks around the outer edge of the park, along with Quatre.
"AP?" Says Sally.
"His real name is Peter Heath. He should be here soon."
"Yes, but what about Duo! Did he say where he was going?" Trowa shakes his head 'no'. "Damn him! How are we going to find him?" Everyone becomes quiet. Hilde paces as the silence starts to get to her. "I can't take it! We need to move, we need to do something! Right now Duo is following that bitch to his death and soon we'll have cops looking all over the place for us! We can't get caught before we find Duo! They'll never believe us!'
"Hilde! Getting worked up won't save him! Please calm down."
"I can't! I can't lose Duo!" All eyes turn to a very red Hilde. Sally smirks at her as Quatre just shakes his head as the truth finally comes out. Trowa looks to the streets, wondering where Peter is.
************************************
Peter Heath. A man who had hopes that one day he would have a family of his own and had dreams of turning his parents' little bakery into something big.
Peter Heath. Now a man with only his pain as his family and the death of his sister's killer his only dream.
He looks into the tall mirror that stands on the wall opposite his motel bed. He runs a hand through his washed and cut hair. He then inspects his newly cut nails, amazed at how painful it was to have them long. Once done he looks at his suit, it's the same one he wore at his sister's funeral. Satisfied with his appearance he leaves the motel.
It's time to met Emily's killer.
************************************
Duo follows the woman down the street, counting how many minutes it has been since the last payphone he saw.
("I knew I should have called. But no! I thought I'd fine one later.") Duo curses himself for his stupidity. He knows she probable is guessing he is following her. They have long since left the town and are now walking in to a residential area. ("Good. At least she can't kill me with people around.") Yet, there is something wrong with this area. Duo looks around. Sure all the homes look the same but something isn't right. Suddenly Duo comes to a stop. It's quiet, too quiet for a residential area. Not even the birds are singing. There's no wind, no sound. Duo looks into the window of the house closest to him. ("Empty!") He looks around him. All the homes are empty.
Suddenly, Clare stops.
************************************
Hilde, Quatre and Sally decided that it would be best if each stood at a different end of the park. But not too far from each other, just enough that maybe the cops, that are scouting the area, may not see them. Trowa has run off saying something about a Van but nothing matters to Hilde right now. She pretends to be on a payphone talking to Duo.
"How could you do something so stupid? Ya bum." Deep down the fear of having to wake up everyday knowing that she wouldn't see that braided idiot makes her sick. She grips the phone in both hands as she steadies it to her ear. "God I feel like such a fool." Hilde looks around for the other but she can't see them. Lifting her head up more to review the area she still doesn't see them. She returns to hiding behind the phone, suddenly feeling alone.
Screech.
A van comes to a sudden stop beside her and she is pulled in before she can see who it is.
"Holly fuc . . . Trowa?!" Inside the van is Trowa, who moves back to the front and Quatre and Sally working on the laptop. Driving is a tall man with Blond hair. Hilde wonders. Is this clean-shaven man AP?
"That's Hilde." Trowa simple states. The man glances at her.
"Peter Heath. Also know as AP." Hilde just nods, a little dazed from being pulled so quickly into the van.
This Van is rather large and holds enough guns and weapons to supply a small mob. Hilde also sees pictures of a girl see knows from Author's description. The girl has a bright smile in every picture. Hilde reaches to touch the picture. Suddenly a new hatred for pictures over comes her. Here they tease us with the fact that they hold our loved ones. They will never age them. Never change them. Keeping them in memory we wish to return to but never will. This must drive Peter crazy.
"Author loves to see blood spill on white tile. So all we need to do it find a place with white tile?" The uncertain voice of Quatre wakes Hilde from her trance.
"Quatre." Comes Sally's voice of reason. "That's like looking for a place with doors! It can be any where!"
"My motel has white tile in the bathroom." Says Peter. Trowa nods in agreement.
"Riverside?" Trowa says the name of the motel.
"Yeah. Riverside."
"Well, my hotel has the same tile in the bathroom as well."
"You're staying in a hotel?" Says Hilde to Sally.
"Yeah, I was going to buy a townhouse but the contractors lost their license due to workers drinking while on the job. That was a month ago! No one has returned to continue. Jerks. I need a home! They had like a week to be done or something?"
"You mean the homes are up?" Says Quatre.
"Yeah, just not finished. You know. Empty." Hilde and Quatre look at each other, both knowing what is going through each other's head.
"Do you think she's there?" Says Quatre.
"Crap." Says Peter. "There's a road block." Cops are checking for the escapees a few cars a head of them. "Tell me where to go guys!"
"N-no! The motel! Go there. She'll want to be close to Baby." Says Hilde.
"Right but . . ."
"Look. Either we turn around to where the motel is or we go striate, through the roadblock. Which is it? The motel or the townhouses?" The air grows thick.
************************************
Duo looks at the killers back. She had stopped when he did. Duo licks his lips as he tries to think of something. There has to be a phone around here. Right?
Clare closes her eyes. She softly hums to herself as she thinks of a way to end this mutt's life. Should she lead him to her Test? Or deep into the woods were his corpse could feed the earth? So many options, so little time before his friends come. That is if they come. She tilts her head back as the ideas pour into her head. Her eyes flash open.
She needs to get that cane away from him.
Duo is about to give up hope when suddenly a ray of light shines him a break. Down the road is the Model Home! The one house that has everything, even a phone. He looks to the woman again. All he needs to do is walk past her. Luckily the house is on the other side of the street. Taking one last glance at the woman he crosses over. As he walks down the street he tries to keep her in view. Slowly he walks and slowly the woman's face appears. His breath gets caught in his throat. She's looking at him. They stare at each other for a few seconds.
He breaks into a run.
She follows.
Duo pushes his body as far as it can go. There is no way in HELL that he is going to die by her hands. He has to make it to the house! Her has to call for help. He comes closer but his knee feels like it might give. But he can feel the woman closing in and that is enough to push him to overdrive. Duo flies up the stairs and slams into the door. It's locked! Not for long. One more body slam and the door in unlocked. Duo runs in and slams the door on the woman. She lets out a cry as it hits her face. Duo enters the kitchen and sees the phone! He grabs it and dials 911, the only number he can think of right now.
Clear enters to find the man dialing the phone. A feral smile crosses her lips. She cut the lines a long time ago.
Duo becomes aware of this when she enters. He swallows his fear and faces the woman. It's now or never. Time to kick some ASS! Duo raises his cane, telling her he isn't afraid to hit a woman.
"What? Going to hit me? Go ahead. Show me how MAN you are."
"Lady, I don't give a shit what you think. Just know that if you come near me I'll . . ." Clare tackles him to the ground. While Duo comes back from the shock she grabs the phone and starts to bash his face in. However, Duo's cane gives him some protection. He manages to push her off, sending her flying to the floor. Duo stands but is struck down as Clare swings the phone to his bad knee. Hitting the ground with a thud, Duo loses his cane. Clare jumps on his back and continues her assault. Of course, there is nothing wrong with Duo's back. With one swift movement she is off of him, giving Duo the edge. He stands over her, blood dripping down his face making a small splatter design on the white title floor. Clare covers her face with her arm, a sign of defeat. Duo however, knows better. He grabs Clare and raises her off the ground.
"Where is she?" He growls, mostly from pain. "The girl you call 'Test'?"
"H-help." Came a weak reply. Yet the words did not come from Clare. The drifted up the stares from the basement. Duo glances over his shoulder at the open basement door behind him. Unfortunately for Duo, that glace gave Clare just enough time to kick out her legs sending him down the very stairs he was looking at. Yet, Clear did not realize just how good a hold Duo had on her. Both tumble down the stairs, landing in a heap of mess. You see the stairs are and 'L' shape. They come strait down then make a left turn. In front of the first base, before the second set of stairs, is the basement bathroom and there the voice speaks again.
"God . . . Please help me!" Duo slowly gets up. That fall may have broken a few bones. He looks down at the passed out woman before making his way to the bathroom. Duo is not prepared for what awaits him.
"Ah man." Duo tries to keep his stomach calm. Lying in front of him is the mangled body of Trowa's sister. She has one good eye, the other is swollen shut, a split lip and it looks like every bone in her body is broken or bruised. Her hair is shaved on her right side and the rest sticks to her head by the dry blood. Her arms are bound behind her and her ankles are tied as well. She lies on the white title floor, tears of joy springing forth. "Hey, uh, let me find something to cut you free."
"Here's something!" Clare, while Duo was preoccupied with Catherine, has gone to her little tool set near the stairs.
"Crap!" The cold metal burns his flesh as it enters his back. He grips the doorframe, preventing himself from falling on Catherine. Clare stabs again. Catherine can only watch in horror as her only sign of hope is being stabbed over and over . . .
************************************
"They are right behind us!" Yells Quatre. Peter swears under his breath as he hears that for the 100th time.
"Well, at least we're here." Says Sally.
"Yeah but where do we go? Where is Duo?!" Says Hilde as she looks out the small side window. Trowa, at front, sees that the house with a banner saying "Model Home" has its door busted open.
"There! To that house. Get us as close as you can!"
"Can do." Peter speeds up to the front yard of the house. Coming to a sudden stop they all jump out. "You all better be right!" Says Peter as he runs to the house. But they aren't fast enough. The cops saw what they where doing and already sent men out. They tackle Peter and Trowa down, slam Sally to the van, corner Quatre and hold Hilde.
************************************
Clare hears the yelling outside and stops her attack on Duo. She looks out the small window to see AP and Baby being tackled to the ground. Duo is on his knees, still gripping the doorframe. The world around him is but a blur. His head is swimming in pain yet he still gets up. He may not be able to see strait but he sure can feel the stairs. Slowly, Duo climes them.
************************************
"Let me go!" yells Hilde. She kicks and screams as the police try to move her to one of their cars. "Damn you all! She's in there! She'll kill them both! I know she is. Look! Damn you look!" All the anger and frustration get to her.
Hilde finally snaps.
She kicks the cop in front of her and twists around to punch the other. The cops that have Quatre rush to aid their friends, leaving only one to watch him. Quatre looks as he sees his friend fight not only for her life but also for Duo and that poor girl. But what if they are wrong? What if Author is really at the motel? Quatre looks over to the house and all doubt leaves his mind. There looking out the basement window is Author.
"Shit! Somebody help!" The cop holding Peter down says as he sees a bloody figure stumble out the front door. Everything stops has Duo slowly steps down the stairs and then fall to the soft grass of the front yard. Hilde pushes free and runs to Duo. She screams when she sees his bloody back. Hilde kneels down not knowing what to do. Tears stream down her face as she hovers a hand above his head, afraid to touch him. Quatre's cop rushes to Hilde's side as the others follow suite. One goes to call for help.
For Quatre, when he saw Author's face in the window and Duo coming out, it was like he had been transported back to that day. That every day he returned home.
(Quatre stands in his front yard, staring at the busted door. Should he go in? Why is it so quiet? Mom? Dad? He moves up the stairs with caution. The air is cold in the house.
He walks to the kitchen. There has been a fight of some sort.
Blood. It leads a path to the basement.
Quatre begs his body not to go but it won't have that. He follows the blood path down the stairs. He counts as he hits each stair.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Turn to the left.
8
9
10
11
12
13
Floor.
He sees his parent's bodies beaten and stabbed to death. Their blood mixes in a pool, slowly drying around the edges. He hears a sound behind him. Quatre turns and sees the killer.)
"Why hello? Come to save your little friend?" Says Clare. Quatre only stares. "Well?" She yells, holding a knife with Duo's blood smeared on it. "Answer me boy!" She rushes up to him, waving the knife in the air. Clare stops just in front of him. He only stares at her with glossed over eyes. She waves a hand in front of him. Nothing. The sounds of heavy footsteps make Clare look up.
"Damn it all." She mutters. WHAM! Clare is sent flying to the floor. She is down and out. Quatre still holds out his fist, even after he punched her, till the cops come running down.
"Damn. They were right!" Says one cop. "Hey! Tell the medics to come down here we have two more. Looks like one girl that went through hell and the other has a broken nose and got the snot beaten out of her."
"Hey kid?" Says another cop to Quatre. "You ok?"
"Yeah." He says, finally lowering his arm. "I'm great."
One year later
"Hey Duo! We only got 39 jumpsuits! What should we do? Send them back?"
"Ah! I knew they would cheat us out! No! I'll call them and ask. It's just one missing." Jack nods and returns to recount to new jumpsuits for Maxwell Auto. He started this company along time ago but now that his actions are even more limited he has been spending more time with it. Which is great! His little auto shop has never seen better days!
"Oooh! My back." Duo takes a moment to rest. Even after a year he still has to go to physical training for the shit his back went through. Good thing Clear wasn't really strong, or he really would be in a lot of trouble (of course Duo believes it's because he has a strong back that saved him.). Duo sighs as he thinks back to what happened. He woke up in the hospital to find that Clare was going to trial and Catherine was making a recovery. Duo was in a coma for a week. He was glad it was all over and happy to see that Trowa and Peter found their peace. "So did Quatre." Duo and Quatre have been writing letters about once a month. Two letters before the last, Quatre said he was being released and that he was going to help work on his family company. Also, he has been keeping tabs on Peter and Trowa both. Peter returned to his bakery and is seeing someone and Trowa is working for a branch of Quatre's company to help his sister who is currently in a wheelchair. He even heard from Dr. Po! She got promoted and is now currently working with a new doctor. She said something about him being from China. It's all good news to hear from them but the one person he really wants is still back at Newberry.
("Hey babe." Duo says as he wakes up from his nap. Hilde sits in a seat next to his bed. Outside the room is Ed.
"Hey your self. Doing ok?"
"Yeah. But the pudding here sucks."
"Silly, that's Jello."
"Well that explains it!"
"Duo, why did you do all the things you did outside my window?"
"I wanted you to remember."
"What? That I can't have ice cream?"
"Yeah." She gives him an odd look. "And that you could only have it if you came out."
"Duo . . ."
"Hilde, let me talk." He says in a stern voice. "I understand you weren't ready to become a doctor. I know what's it like to build your whole life up to something and then have it crushing down on you. I have been there too! It's just . . . I thought out of the both of us you would have beaten it. Yet you didn't. I was so mad at you. Because when I had my fall I looked to you. I said "Dammit Duo. Don't let her beat you! You can make it." Hilde you made me wrong."
"I'm sorry!" She yells. "But I . . . I didn't believe in myself. I still don't. You don't understand."
"Hey!" He says, getting her attention. "Wanted to be in baseball. You know that? I had this whole idea that I would go a play for the real game and leave my father! But all that changed, right when he got the bright idea to beat me! Why do you think I walk with a limp? For the hell of it? No! My knee will never be the same! I will never play baseball but do you see me just sitting around? I went out and worked! And you know what?" Hilde stays silent. "I found out that baseball wasn't for me after all. That I liked fixing things, working with my hands. Maybe if you got out there you'll find something you want to do." Ed taps on the window and Hilde stands. She walks over to him, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"Thanks Duo.")
That was nine months ago. She still hasn't left. Duo wonders if she ever will leave. Oh well, he has work to do. He'll worry about it like he always does after work. Duo, picking up a clipboard, walks over to a car to do the final inspection. He walks around the car and checks things out. Duo would have checked things off the clipboard if it hasn't just been taken from him.
"Hey!" He yells at the young worker. They have a cap on and one of the new jumpsuits. Duo tries to lean down to look under the cap but his back won't let him. "Now who in the hell are you?" He grabs the cap and nearly has a heart attack!
"BOO!" Duo takes a few steps back.
"H-Hilde?!"
"Miss me?" She says as she hands him the clipboard.
"Aw babe!" He drops the clipboard and pulls her into a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing really." She kisses his nose. "Just wanted to know if you'd give me a job?"
"Oh really?"
"Yup. I don't know what I can do but I'm great with numbers!"
"Hey, you got it." Duo leans closer to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. "I sure missed you."
"Same here." They hold each other for a long time. Happy to be together at last. The nightmare is over and now they can move on. Together.
"Hey. You still owe me a flash!"
"Duo!"
"What? A guy can ask right?"
"Ah, silly."