Chapter 32: Pay It Forward
"Queenie!" Angel hollered from his room, "I need more clothes!"
Sighing, Queenie shook her head and opened the door. Lately, she'd been waiting on Angel hand and foot, ever since he'd been back from the hospital. The majority of his drag wardrobe was at the club, so he had been wearing drag every day since he'd been back. Sometimes, though, he'd want clothes to relax in, and those were all at the apartment he used to share with Will. Queenie had been suggesting that he go over and get the clothes from Will for the past couple of months, but the fear that registered in Angel's eyes every time she mentioned Will's name made her rethink the suggestion. It was now May, and Angel had been living with Queenie and Fred since February when he was finally cleared to go home from the hospital.
"Angel, you have an entire wardrobe here, what else could you need?" Queenie asked, her voice sounding tired. She was a bit appalled at what she had just said. She never thought she'd see the day when she was scolding someone for wanting more clothes. After all, she was infamous for having the largest wardrobe of all her friends.
"I want my sparkly jeans. You know, the ones with the sequins Tiff made for me? I just got this REALLY cute shirt, and it goes perfectly with them!" he whined like a little kid.
"Listen, Angel baby, I hate to break it to you, but you're twenty one years old. I know that you're upset about what happened with Will and everything. God knows, I hate the boy too, but you need to face it someday. I love you like you're my own kid, but I'm not gonna do everything for you."
"Queenie," Angel said quietly, as he sat on his bed wearing a tiny denim mini skirt and a white fuzzy sweater, hugging his knees to his chest, "I'm scared."
Her painted lips spread into a motherly smile as she sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and placing her arms around his slim waist. "I know, baby, but you need to face your fears sooner or later. I can't fight all your battles for you, even though you know I'd like to. It's for your own good, though, I promise."
He looked at her, his sparkling hazel eyes having an almost innocent quality to them. "I know," he sighed briefly, then smiled at her and continued, "If I go, will you take me shopping afterwards?"
Queenie had to laugh. "Of course! I'm in need for a good case of shopping too. I'm beginning to think Tiff is forgetting who I am!"
"I'm not just talking buying a dress or two. I'm talking full-out shopping spree. You up for it?" Angel asked, winking at her.
The competitive spirit inside of her began to come alive as she responded, "What do you take me for? Of course! We won't be able to go till tomorrow, but it'll be the best damn shopping spree I've ever taken you on!"
Angel giggled with excitement as he leaped up off his bed. Smoothing down his mini skirt, he checked his makeup and hair in the mirror one more time. Looking at Queenie before he laughed, he ran up to her and gave her a warm, loving hug. "Thank you. for everything. I know I say that all the time, but I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Ang, you will NOT make me cry tonight!" she exclaimed, hugging him back. She could never understand why he was always thanking her. She couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather have as a "child," considering that she couldn't actually have one on her own. Continuing, she released him from the hug and held his hand. "Go on now, I'll see you soon."
Squeezing her hand, he smiled at her and let her hand go as he walked quickly out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The streets in New York City at night always seemed eerie and deserted. The only people that were out at this time were the homeless people, the junkies, and the homeless junkies. It was colder than Angel had expected. Shivering, he hugged his arms over his chest, and wished that he had those sparkly jeans now instead of the mini skirt.
A group of people stood huddled in a corner, probably trying to keep warm. "At least it isn't raining," he thought as he kept walking. The shivering had taken his mind off where he was going, but he suddenly thought of his destination again. His heart rate quickening in fear, he rounded the corner onto the street where he and Will used to live happily together.
Sighing, he remembered the days where he and Will would be walking home on this very street, hands laced with one another, talking and laughing, and simply enjoying the feeling of having someone to love. It had taken Angel the entire duration of their relationship to realize that what he and Will had was not, nor would it ever be, true love. It's not that he didn't love Will; that was not that case at all. He loved Will from the bottom of his heart. In fact, his love was so strong that all of the hatred and animosity Angel felt towards Will completely melted away only days after what he would refer to as only "the incident." The bottom line was that he was never in love Will. They had never shared that feeling of true, unexplainable love that made his heart feel whole. After "the incident," Angel remembered a certain conversation he had with Queenie back when he first met Will. "Baby, when it's true love, you won't even have to ask." She was right. She couldn't have been more right.
Barely ten feet from the apartment, a man stood, pushing another man into a brick wall behind him. Two other men lurked on either side of him, arms crossed, looking straight at the man against the way. It didn't take a genius to realize that this was a drug deal. Having every intention of letting the situation pass him by, Angel walked on the opposite edge of the sidewalk. He stopped in his tracks when he realized who was being pushed up against the wall. It was Will.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I said pay up!" Chad bellowed in his face, his hot breath reeking of liquor and smoke.
"I told you I don't have it right now. Just give me a couple of days and I'll pay you back, I swear!" Will pleaded, his eyes wide as saucers with fear.
"That's not good enough!" he snapped, pushing Will harder against the wall. "I warned you when you started working for me that you needed to be careful. I wasn't just talking for my own health, William. I don't like it when people don't pay me."
"I know, and I'm gonna quit now, so if you just give me a few days, I'll have everything I owe you and more, it's just-" a cough interrupted him as he looked past Chad and saw Angel standing on the very edge of the sidewalk, looking bewildered. "Angel?"
"Will, what's going on here?" Angel asked naively.
"Oh, so this is Angel," Chad said, in a mocking sort of voice, "I suggest you leave, princess, this doesn't concern you."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Angel insisted, speaking to both Chad and Will.
"Angel, really, you should get out of here," Will told him, as if it were imperative that he evacuate the premises immediately.
"Just tell me what's going on," Angel insisted, being surprisingly stubborn.
"No," Chad said, a wicked grin spreading over his face, "Princess, why don't you stay?"
"Angel, just get out of here. You don't wanna be here now," Will said, his body still being crushed against the wall.
"No, William, I think he does wanna be here. Yo, guys, hold him up here. Me and Princess are gonna have a little, uh, talk."
"Chad, stay away from him!" Will threatened, "He didn't do anything. Leave him alone!"
"Now now, William. I'm telling you one again. Give me the money," Chad said, calmly as he walked around behind Angel, hooking his arms around Angel's waist. Flinching once Chad touched him, Angel squirmed and attempted to move away, but Chad's grip was too tight. Angel could feel Chad's breathing in his ear as he continued, "or he'll pay for you."
Will's eyes widened with fear and anger, as he struggled against the other men's cold, solid grips. "Don't touch him!" He yelled, as one of the guys kneed him firmly in the groin. Keeling over, Will shut his mouth and hung his head, refusing to look at Chad and Angel.
Jumping slightly when Will got hurt, Angel tried to escape Chad's arms again to see if Will was alright.
"I'll ask you one more time, William," Chad proceeded as Angel heard him unzip something behind him, "Do you have the money?"
"No," Will answered meekly, his body limp, his voice sounding defeated.
"I'm sorry to have to do this, Princess," Chad said, turning Angel around so they were face to face, "But your lover here is not as saint-like as you thought. And now you get to pay for his mistakes." Chad's smile widened as Angel looked down to see Chad's pants pulled down to his ankles. When he realized what was about o happen, he tried to run away, but Chad was too quick. Shoving Angel to the ground, he lifted up his skirt and said, softly to him, "I'll give you the best you've ever had."
"No!" Angel yelped, still trying to escape, "Will, help me!"
Will's head hung lower as his shoulder shook with sobs.
"Stop!" Angel screamed as Chad began to take his pay in full-swing.
"Uh huh. yeah," he whispered on top of Angel, ripping his clothes as the drag queen beneath him cried out in pain, ignoring the pleading cries.
"Get off of him!" Will screamed as he was still crying, only to be greeted by the fists of Chad's two bodyguards, beating him to a bloody pulp.
"Stop!" Angel cried out one last time, before his consciousness began to slip away, blackness invading his vision. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another job well done, men," Chad said, as he got up off the unconscious, bleeding drag queen. Pulling up and zipping his pants, he dusted off his hands and looked at Will, who was also bleeding from the savage beating the bodyguards had given him.
"You like that, William?" he asked, as Will's fiery gaze met his. "You're lucky I didn't kill him."
"You sick son of a bitch," Will hissed, as Chad smacked him across the face, sending searing pain through his already-bruised jaw.
"You still owe me, William. One week. If you don't have it in one week," he threatened, as he looked over at Angel lying in an unconscious heap, barely covered with tattered clothing. "Or you'll be in that position instead."
Angrily, he looked away from Chad, as the bodyguards let him go. As soon as they were out of sight, Will put the pain shooting through his limbs aside and rushed over to Angel.
"Angel, baby?" he asked frantically, looking at his face, his eyes shut and the eye shadow forming blue shimmering lines on his eyelids. Stroking his soft black hair, Will let his tears fall from his face on to Angel's. He kissed the glossed lips briefly, realizing that Angel needed more than sweet kisses to heal. Quickly, he pulled the sleeves of his shirt down and picked Angel up, holding him in his arms. "Come on baby, wake up," he whispered.
Almost on cue, Angel's eyes began to flutter open. Even with all he'd been through on this tragic night, his amber eyes still sparkled brightly. "Will," Angel stated, as if he could barely believe that Will was standing before him.
"Thanks God you're awake," Will breathed, as he pushed the door to his building open with his body. "Are you okay?"
Angel said nothing, he only began to cry. Clinging to Will's arms he laid his head on his shoulder and held him tightly, with no intention of letting go. Will held him just as tightly, carrying him into the elevator.
"I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so so sorry," Will kept repeating as he got off the elevator and shoved the key into the door to his home. Carrying Angel inside, he set him down on the couch, not caring that Angel was going to get blood stains on the pastel floral print. Immediately, he called Queenie, whose phone number was still on speed dial.
"Hello," she answered cheerfully. Will could visualize her standing in the middle of her cozy apartment, with Fred faithfully by her side, completely oblivious to the intention of the phone call.
"Queenie? It's Will," he said, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Don't talk to me," she said, harshly and quietly.
"I know you hate me, but listen, please."
"You have two minutes," she answered, impatiently.
"Angel was walking by, and I was having a problem with someone, because I owed him money and I didn't have it. He saw Angel, and threatened me, saying that if I didn't pay right now, Angel would pay for me. And I didn't know what to do, because I didn't have the money, and all I wanted Angel to do was leave so he wouldn't get hurt, but then his bodyguards held me back and he zipped down his-,"
"He raped Angel?!" Queenie screeched into the phone, not even needing Will to finish the sentence.
Will began to cry all over again. "I swear to God I tried to help but they beat me up so bad and they wouldn't let me go, and I kept begging him to stop, and to leave Angel alone, because Angel didn't know anything about what was going on. He kept going, and then Angel was unconscious, and as soon as they left I picked him up and brought him here, and he's bleeding a lot, and he won't say word, he just keeps crying, and I-," Will paused as his voice broke.
Queenie took the opportunity to speak. "Oh my god," she gasped, remaining silent for quite sometime. After she had a moment to process what Will was saying, she continued, "He's at the apartment now?"
"Yeah. Is there anything I can do, I mean, I. I.," Will didn't even know what to say.
"Call the hospital, and tell them what happened. Tell Angel not to do anything, just stay with him. Make sure he doesn't shower or anything, because there's still the DNA on him. I'll be over there as soon as I can," she explained, then hung up the phone before Will got a chance to respond.
He hung up the phone and looked over at Angel. He never realized how young Angel was before. He was only 21 years old, and the poor kid had gone through more trauma than most people would in a lifetime. Will couldn't help but feel overwhelming sympathy for his former lover.
"Angel, I'm going to call the hospital now and set up an STD test for you. I just talked to Queenie and she's coming over now. Stay put, and everything will be okay, baby, I promise."
He called information to find the number for the hospital. "Hello," he said into the phone as soon as they picked up. His voice was frantic sounding, and he was speaking very quickly. "A friend of mine just got raped, and we needed to get an STD test, or something, and. His name? Angel Schunard," Will said, a jolt of pain running through his heart as he said it. It hurt to not call him Angel Dumott anymore.
"Dumott-Schunard," Angel said quietly. It was the first thing he'd said since he'd been at the apartment.
Will couldn't help but smile slightly, despite the circumstances, "I mean, Angel Dumott-Schunard." He wasn't quite sure why Angel was so insistent on keeping Will's name, but it warmed his body from the inside out, melting away any pain he felt from the attack. "Yes, we'll be there soon. Thank you."
Will looked at Angel, in his tattered, blood-soaked clothing, and sat down next to him. "I'm so, so sorry," he began.
Angel looked at him sympathetically. Will was surprised that, so recently after the rape, he'd be willing to speak so openly. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault. You tried to save me."
"But I didn't, and it's my fault that you ended up like this. If you had never met me, then-,"
"If I had never met you, I wouldn't be half the person I am now. I love you. I'm not in love with you, but I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I'll never forget everything you've done for me. That's why I'm keeping your name. You're a part of me, and you always will be."
"We're not. you know, are we?" Will asked, hinting at something he had wanted to talk to Angel about for the past few months they'd been apart.
"No, we're not getting back together. But I'll always love you. Remember that," Angel said. The pain in his eyes was still clearly visible, but behind them Will could see genuine love and kindness, something he knew Angel would always have, no matter what trauma struck him.
The two embraced, holding each other and clinging to one another until Queenie's loud knocking had interrupted them. Will opened the door, and Queenie hugged him. She had never hugged him like this before, not in the few years he'd known her.
"Thank you," she whispered as she walked past him over to Angel. "Baby, I got Tiff to take her car to drive us to the hospital. Are you okay?"
"I will be," he replied softly, letting Queenie hoist him up and carry him outside to the car, with Will following behind them.
It was going to be a long night.
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A/N: Okay, sorry for not updating, but I'm afraid I have some bad news. Due to college applications, and everything else school-related, I won't be updating for a while. And I'm talking a LONG time, not just a week or two. I might not even be updating this anymore at all, but we'll see. I'm sorry to any of you who are really enjoying this story and are mad at me for not updating, but the stress is entirely too much. So, review if you wish, and send me an email if you like, and, if I do find the time, I'll be updating the next time I write a chapter. Thanks for everyone who's been reading this, and I appreciate it more than you know. The feedback is wonderful! And I apologize again for not being able to update.
"Queenie!" Angel hollered from his room, "I need more clothes!"
Sighing, Queenie shook her head and opened the door. Lately, she'd been waiting on Angel hand and foot, ever since he'd been back from the hospital. The majority of his drag wardrobe was at the club, so he had been wearing drag every day since he'd been back. Sometimes, though, he'd want clothes to relax in, and those were all at the apartment he used to share with Will. Queenie had been suggesting that he go over and get the clothes from Will for the past couple of months, but the fear that registered in Angel's eyes every time she mentioned Will's name made her rethink the suggestion. It was now May, and Angel had been living with Queenie and Fred since February when he was finally cleared to go home from the hospital.
"Angel, you have an entire wardrobe here, what else could you need?" Queenie asked, her voice sounding tired. She was a bit appalled at what she had just said. She never thought she'd see the day when she was scolding someone for wanting more clothes. After all, she was infamous for having the largest wardrobe of all her friends.
"I want my sparkly jeans. You know, the ones with the sequins Tiff made for me? I just got this REALLY cute shirt, and it goes perfectly with them!" he whined like a little kid.
"Listen, Angel baby, I hate to break it to you, but you're twenty one years old. I know that you're upset about what happened with Will and everything. God knows, I hate the boy too, but you need to face it someday. I love you like you're my own kid, but I'm not gonna do everything for you."
"Queenie," Angel said quietly, as he sat on his bed wearing a tiny denim mini skirt and a white fuzzy sweater, hugging his knees to his chest, "I'm scared."
Her painted lips spread into a motherly smile as she sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and placing her arms around his slim waist. "I know, baby, but you need to face your fears sooner or later. I can't fight all your battles for you, even though you know I'd like to. It's for your own good, though, I promise."
He looked at her, his sparkling hazel eyes having an almost innocent quality to them. "I know," he sighed briefly, then smiled at her and continued, "If I go, will you take me shopping afterwards?"
Queenie had to laugh. "Of course! I'm in need for a good case of shopping too. I'm beginning to think Tiff is forgetting who I am!"
"I'm not just talking buying a dress or two. I'm talking full-out shopping spree. You up for it?" Angel asked, winking at her.
The competitive spirit inside of her began to come alive as she responded, "What do you take me for? Of course! We won't be able to go till tomorrow, but it'll be the best damn shopping spree I've ever taken you on!"
Angel giggled with excitement as he leaped up off his bed. Smoothing down his mini skirt, he checked his makeup and hair in the mirror one more time. Looking at Queenie before he laughed, he ran up to her and gave her a warm, loving hug. "Thank you. for everything. I know I say that all the time, but I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Ang, you will NOT make me cry tonight!" she exclaimed, hugging him back. She could never understand why he was always thanking her. She couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather have as a "child," considering that she couldn't actually have one on her own. Continuing, she released him from the hug and held his hand. "Go on now, I'll see you soon."
Squeezing her hand, he smiled at her and let her hand go as he walked quickly out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The streets in New York City at night always seemed eerie and deserted. The only people that were out at this time were the homeless people, the junkies, and the homeless junkies. It was colder than Angel had expected. Shivering, he hugged his arms over his chest, and wished that he had those sparkly jeans now instead of the mini skirt.
A group of people stood huddled in a corner, probably trying to keep warm. "At least it isn't raining," he thought as he kept walking. The shivering had taken his mind off where he was going, but he suddenly thought of his destination again. His heart rate quickening in fear, he rounded the corner onto the street where he and Will used to live happily together.
Sighing, he remembered the days where he and Will would be walking home on this very street, hands laced with one another, talking and laughing, and simply enjoying the feeling of having someone to love. It had taken Angel the entire duration of their relationship to realize that what he and Will had was not, nor would it ever be, true love. It's not that he didn't love Will; that was not that case at all. He loved Will from the bottom of his heart. In fact, his love was so strong that all of the hatred and animosity Angel felt towards Will completely melted away only days after what he would refer to as only "the incident." The bottom line was that he was never in love Will. They had never shared that feeling of true, unexplainable love that made his heart feel whole. After "the incident," Angel remembered a certain conversation he had with Queenie back when he first met Will. "Baby, when it's true love, you won't even have to ask." She was right. She couldn't have been more right.
Barely ten feet from the apartment, a man stood, pushing another man into a brick wall behind him. Two other men lurked on either side of him, arms crossed, looking straight at the man against the way. It didn't take a genius to realize that this was a drug deal. Having every intention of letting the situation pass him by, Angel walked on the opposite edge of the sidewalk. He stopped in his tracks when he realized who was being pushed up against the wall. It was Will.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I said pay up!" Chad bellowed in his face, his hot breath reeking of liquor and smoke.
"I told you I don't have it right now. Just give me a couple of days and I'll pay you back, I swear!" Will pleaded, his eyes wide as saucers with fear.
"That's not good enough!" he snapped, pushing Will harder against the wall. "I warned you when you started working for me that you needed to be careful. I wasn't just talking for my own health, William. I don't like it when people don't pay me."
"I know, and I'm gonna quit now, so if you just give me a few days, I'll have everything I owe you and more, it's just-" a cough interrupted him as he looked past Chad and saw Angel standing on the very edge of the sidewalk, looking bewildered. "Angel?"
"Will, what's going on here?" Angel asked naively.
"Oh, so this is Angel," Chad said, in a mocking sort of voice, "I suggest you leave, princess, this doesn't concern you."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Angel insisted, speaking to both Chad and Will.
"Angel, really, you should get out of here," Will told him, as if it were imperative that he evacuate the premises immediately.
"Just tell me what's going on," Angel insisted, being surprisingly stubborn.
"No," Chad said, a wicked grin spreading over his face, "Princess, why don't you stay?"
"Angel, just get out of here. You don't wanna be here now," Will said, his body still being crushed against the wall.
"No, William, I think he does wanna be here. Yo, guys, hold him up here. Me and Princess are gonna have a little, uh, talk."
"Chad, stay away from him!" Will threatened, "He didn't do anything. Leave him alone!"
"Now now, William. I'm telling you one again. Give me the money," Chad said, calmly as he walked around behind Angel, hooking his arms around Angel's waist. Flinching once Chad touched him, Angel squirmed and attempted to move away, but Chad's grip was too tight. Angel could feel Chad's breathing in his ear as he continued, "or he'll pay for you."
Will's eyes widened with fear and anger, as he struggled against the other men's cold, solid grips. "Don't touch him!" He yelled, as one of the guys kneed him firmly in the groin. Keeling over, Will shut his mouth and hung his head, refusing to look at Chad and Angel.
Jumping slightly when Will got hurt, Angel tried to escape Chad's arms again to see if Will was alright.
"I'll ask you one more time, William," Chad proceeded as Angel heard him unzip something behind him, "Do you have the money?"
"No," Will answered meekly, his body limp, his voice sounding defeated.
"I'm sorry to have to do this, Princess," Chad said, turning Angel around so they were face to face, "But your lover here is not as saint-like as you thought. And now you get to pay for his mistakes." Chad's smile widened as Angel looked down to see Chad's pants pulled down to his ankles. When he realized what was about o happen, he tried to run away, but Chad was too quick. Shoving Angel to the ground, he lifted up his skirt and said, softly to him, "I'll give you the best you've ever had."
"No!" Angel yelped, still trying to escape, "Will, help me!"
Will's head hung lower as his shoulder shook with sobs.
"Stop!" Angel screamed as Chad began to take his pay in full-swing.
"Uh huh. yeah," he whispered on top of Angel, ripping his clothes as the drag queen beneath him cried out in pain, ignoring the pleading cries.
"Get off of him!" Will screamed as he was still crying, only to be greeted by the fists of Chad's two bodyguards, beating him to a bloody pulp.
"Stop!" Angel cried out one last time, before his consciousness began to slip away, blackness invading his vision. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another job well done, men," Chad said, as he got up off the unconscious, bleeding drag queen. Pulling up and zipping his pants, he dusted off his hands and looked at Will, who was also bleeding from the savage beating the bodyguards had given him.
"You like that, William?" he asked, as Will's fiery gaze met his. "You're lucky I didn't kill him."
"You sick son of a bitch," Will hissed, as Chad smacked him across the face, sending searing pain through his already-bruised jaw.
"You still owe me, William. One week. If you don't have it in one week," he threatened, as he looked over at Angel lying in an unconscious heap, barely covered with tattered clothing. "Or you'll be in that position instead."
Angrily, he looked away from Chad, as the bodyguards let him go. As soon as they were out of sight, Will put the pain shooting through his limbs aside and rushed over to Angel.
"Angel, baby?" he asked frantically, looking at his face, his eyes shut and the eye shadow forming blue shimmering lines on his eyelids. Stroking his soft black hair, Will let his tears fall from his face on to Angel's. He kissed the glossed lips briefly, realizing that Angel needed more than sweet kisses to heal. Quickly, he pulled the sleeves of his shirt down and picked Angel up, holding him in his arms. "Come on baby, wake up," he whispered.
Almost on cue, Angel's eyes began to flutter open. Even with all he'd been through on this tragic night, his amber eyes still sparkled brightly. "Will," Angel stated, as if he could barely believe that Will was standing before him.
"Thanks God you're awake," Will breathed, as he pushed the door to his building open with his body. "Are you okay?"
Angel said nothing, he only began to cry. Clinging to Will's arms he laid his head on his shoulder and held him tightly, with no intention of letting go. Will held him just as tightly, carrying him into the elevator.
"I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so so sorry," Will kept repeating as he got off the elevator and shoved the key into the door to his home. Carrying Angel inside, he set him down on the couch, not caring that Angel was going to get blood stains on the pastel floral print. Immediately, he called Queenie, whose phone number was still on speed dial.
"Hello," she answered cheerfully. Will could visualize her standing in the middle of her cozy apartment, with Fred faithfully by her side, completely oblivious to the intention of the phone call.
"Queenie? It's Will," he said, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Don't talk to me," she said, harshly and quietly.
"I know you hate me, but listen, please."
"You have two minutes," she answered, impatiently.
"Angel was walking by, and I was having a problem with someone, because I owed him money and I didn't have it. He saw Angel, and threatened me, saying that if I didn't pay right now, Angel would pay for me. And I didn't know what to do, because I didn't have the money, and all I wanted Angel to do was leave so he wouldn't get hurt, but then his bodyguards held me back and he zipped down his-,"
"He raped Angel?!" Queenie screeched into the phone, not even needing Will to finish the sentence.
Will began to cry all over again. "I swear to God I tried to help but they beat me up so bad and they wouldn't let me go, and I kept begging him to stop, and to leave Angel alone, because Angel didn't know anything about what was going on. He kept going, and then Angel was unconscious, and as soon as they left I picked him up and brought him here, and he's bleeding a lot, and he won't say word, he just keeps crying, and I-," Will paused as his voice broke.
Queenie took the opportunity to speak. "Oh my god," she gasped, remaining silent for quite sometime. After she had a moment to process what Will was saying, she continued, "He's at the apartment now?"
"Yeah. Is there anything I can do, I mean, I. I.," Will didn't even know what to say.
"Call the hospital, and tell them what happened. Tell Angel not to do anything, just stay with him. Make sure he doesn't shower or anything, because there's still the DNA on him. I'll be over there as soon as I can," she explained, then hung up the phone before Will got a chance to respond.
He hung up the phone and looked over at Angel. He never realized how young Angel was before. He was only 21 years old, and the poor kid had gone through more trauma than most people would in a lifetime. Will couldn't help but feel overwhelming sympathy for his former lover.
"Angel, I'm going to call the hospital now and set up an STD test for you. I just talked to Queenie and she's coming over now. Stay put, and everything will be okay, baby, I promise."
He called information to find the number for the hospital. "Hello," he said into the phone as soon as they picked up. His voice was frantic sounding, and he was speaking very quickly. "A friend of mine just got raped, and we needed to get an STD test, or something, and. His name? Angel Schunard," Will said, a jolt of pain running through his heart as he said it. It hurt to not call him Angel Dumott anymore.
"Dumott-Schunard," Angel said quietly. It was the first thing he'd said since he'd been at the apartment.
Will couldn't help but smile slightly, despite the circumstances, "I mean, Angel Dumott-Schunard." He wasn't quite sure why Angel was so insistent on keeping Will's name, but it warmed his body from the inside out, melting away any pain he felt from the attack. "Yes, we'll be there soon. Thank you."
Will looked at Angel, in his tattered, blood-soaked clothing, and sat down next to him. "I'm so, so sorry," he began.
Angel looked at him sympathetically. Will was surprised that, so recently after the rape, he'd be willing to speak so openly. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault. You tried to save me."
"But I didn't, and it's my fault that you ended up like this. If you had never met me, then-,"
"If I had never met you, I wouldn't be half the person I am now. I love you. I'm not in love with you, but I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I'll never forget everything you've done for me. That's why I'm keeping your name. You're a part of me, and you always will be."
"We're not. you know, are we?" Will asked, hinting at something he had wanted to talk to Angel about for the past few months they'd been apart.
"No, we're not getting back together. But I'll always love you. Remember that," Angel said. The pain in his eyes was still clearly visible, but behind them Will could see genuine love and kindness, something he knew Angel would always have, no matter what trauma struck him.
The two embraced, holding each other and clinging to one another until Queenie's loud knocking had interrupted them. Will opened the door, and Queenie hugged him. She had never hugged him like this before, not in the few years he'd known her.
"Thank you," she whispered as she walked past him over to Angel. "Baby, I got Tiff to take her car to drive us to the hospital. Are you okay?"
"I will be," he replied softly, letting Queenie hoist him up and carry him outside to the car, with Will following behind them.
It was going to be a long night.
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A/N: Okay, sorry for not updating, but I'm afraid I have some bad news. Due to college applications, and everything else school-related, I won't be updating for a while. And I'm talking a LONG time, not just a week or two. I might not even be updating this anymore at all, but we'll see. I'm sorry to any of you who are really enjoying this story and are mad at me for not updating, but the stress is entirely too much. So, review if you wish, and send me an email if you like, and, if I do find the time, I'll be updating the next time I write a chapter. Thanks for everyone who's been reading this, and I appreciate it more than you know. The feedback is wonderful! And I apologize again for not being able to update.