Warning: This chapter contains mention of incest/molesting and attempted rape.

Chapter 3: Heart Break, and a Taunting Memory

"Come this way, then." The blond hostess said.

Duo and Ashi nodded and followed the hostess. The hostess paused and turned them. "Oh, sorry! This is my first day here…and I forgot to ask if you would like a table or booth. I'm so sorry!" the rookie hostess said, great distress on her face.

Duo shrugged casually and dismissed the issue with the wave of a hand. "Hey, don't worry about it…honest mistake."

The hostess smiled, relief lighting her features. "Oh, thank you! …So, what would you prefer, table or booth?"

"Hmmm…I don't know…Ashi?" Duo said, turning to his friend.

"Booth." Ashi replied, a very serious look on her face.

Duo nodded. "Ah, one of those talks, huh?" He turned to the hostess. "What the lady said."

The hostess nodded and smiled. "Very well, A booth…non-smoking. Right this way!" She said, leading them over to a booth in the non-smoking section.

The two American Preventers sat across from each other in the booth. The hostess smiled again, "Your server will be right with you."

Duo nodded. "Thanks."

She grinned. "Have a nice day!" she said, cheerfully waving as she left.

"Nice girl." Duo said, opening his menu.

"Hn." Ashi replied, studying her menu, even though she knew what she wanted.

Uh oh, Ashi isn't being talkative…this is serious! Duo thought.

A few minutes later, a tall young woman with brown eyes and long brown hair tied back in a neat pony tail, came to their table.

"Good afternoon, my name is Gloria and I'll be your server for the afternoon. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Duo shook his head. "We already know what we want…Ashi?" Duo said, cueing his friend to order first.

Ashi shook her head. "You go ahead." Ashi replied, very emotionless.

Geez…this is like a female Heero before me! What the hell is going on?!

"Ah, ok then." Duo said. "I'll have a glass of water, A small vanilla shake, a double steak burger, a large order of fries, and a bowl of chili." Duo rambled on.

Gloria sweat dropped. "Can you say 'indigestion'?"

Duo grinned. "Growing boy." He said, hoping to get laugh out of Ashi but was rewarded with silence.

Gloria jot down Duo's order on a little note pad. "Ma'am?"

"Huh? What?" Ashi said, returning from her own little world. "Oh, sorry…ummm…I'll have a glass of water and a hot fudge sundae with double the amount of hot fudge and whipped cream."

Gloria smiled and she wrote down Ashi's order. "Ah…the Depression Special?"

"Huh?" Ashi said, cocking her head.

Gloria grinned sheepishly. "That's what I have whenever I'm depressed." She put her note pad into the pocket of her apron. "I'll be right back with your food." She said.

Duo and Ashi nodded their thanks and the waitress walked away. Duo drummed his fingers on the table, the suspense killing him.

5 to 10 minutes later, Gloria returned with their food and walked away. Ashi stole a couple of Duo's fries, but Duo didn't mind. That was the big reason why he ordered large amounts of food, just in case Ashi was still hungry. Duo nibbled on the first half of his steak burger as Ashi ate a couple spoonfuls of her sundae.

"…Trowa broke up with me." Ashi said, suddenly.

Duo upon hearing the news, choked on his chili, coughing. He quickly chugged down his water and with a loud gasp, said, "WHAT?!"

Tears welled up in Ashi's eyes, she bowed her head. "Trowa broke up with me…he's been seeing this girl named Midii Une right behind my back!"

That bastard!

"Why that little…wait…Midii Une. Wasn't she that chick that worked with Trowa before he even had a name?"

Ashi nodded. "Yes…they worked as Mercenaries. On the day he left to work on HeavyArms…Midii said that she loved him. And she still does…which he obviously does as well."

Duo took Ashi's hand and squeezed it. "Oh, Ashi…I'm so sorry."

"They're getting married next week…"

Duo's eyes went wide than what they normally were. "NANI?!"

"Oh wait! It gets even better!"

Duo shook his head. "What?"

"They had the gall to ask me to be one of their maids in the wedding!"

"Bakas…" Duo grinned mischievously. "Can I kill him? Please?"

Ashi smiled. Leave it to good 'ol Duo to cheer me up.

Ashi shook her head. "No death for you, Shiggy!"

Duo pouted. "Awww man! But I'm the God of Death!"

"No killos for Duo!"

Duo sighed. "Damn…alright…but remember, my offer is still open." He said, giving her a wink.

Ashi squeezed Duo's hand. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it…" His face grew serious. "…But…something tells me that you're not only upset about Trowa."

Ashi smiled sheepishly. "That obvious?"

"Yeah, even though I've only known you for 9 years…" Duo said sarcastically.

Ashi sighed. "…It's been 4 years since…since that day."

Duo cocked an eyebrow. "That day? What do you mean?"

Ashi bit her lips, furiously blinking back tears that threatened to spill over her face. "Since…since…the incident. When Father captured us. And…when he tried to…to…"

Ashi couldn't finish her sentence, there was no need to. For Duo knew exactly what happened…

"Father! No! Please! Please, don't do this!"

Oh, my god! Ashi! I'm coming! Hang on!

Though Duo couldn't see what was happening, he could hear what was going on. The sound of chains rattling, Ashi's desperate pleas, her father's maniacal laughs.

Duo could almost feel Drake Perkins anticipation of the horrid deed he was about to commit to his daughter. A deed even more repulsive than when he molested Ashi.

"Trowa! Oh, Trowa! Thank God you came!" he heard Ashi joyfully exclaim.

"I told you I would kill you if you touched her!" Trowa cold fully told the monster that was Ashi's father.

Duo expected Drake to cower in fear. Instead, the maniacal laughter didn't die down. "And I…" the monster said, his laughter ceasing. "Shall repeat your very words…"

Duo could almost feel the smirk that Drake pasted on his face, see the blood lust in his eyes as he took out a pistol from his jacket.

"Not if I kill you first." Drake said in a sinister, almost whisper.

The sound of gunfire went off, Trowa's groan of pain before falling to the floor in an almost lifeless heap.

"TROWA!" Ashi screamed in terror.

Soon, scum. I will send you to hell!

Duo ran faster, he could feel the ecstasy in Drake's eyes as Trowa's precious blood flowed from his body. Tears flowing down Ashi's face. The sound of the rattling chains growing louder, Ashi's pleas even more desperate.

"Shhhh…no need for tears, dear. Daddy's here…Daddy's gonna make everything better."

Duo felt his stomach roll in nausea at Drake's words.

Then…he saw them!

Ashi was chained against the cell wall, her jacket ripped off leaving her upper body covered in only a thin, white tank top. Drake's body was pressed against hers, her face cupped in one hand and with his other, working to unzip her jeans.

Duo's violet eyes darkened into a cobalt blue as he pointed his gun at Drake. "Anyone who sees me and messes with my friends has a date with his maker…and you're going to hell!"

He pulled the trigger, sending the bullet point blink at the back of Drake's neck. Drake groaned and fell against Ashi. Ashi screamed and with her body pushed Drake off of her, causing him to land in a sickening thud on the floor.

"Ashi! Are you alright?!"

Ashi looked at Duo as if seeing him for the first time. "D-Duo!" she cried, fresh tears starting to poll in her eyes.

Duo searched through Drake's pockets and pulled out a set of keys. He unlocked Ashi's chains.

"Duo, Trowa, Ashi! Are you alright?!" came the voice of a young man with blond hair and green eyes that came running in the cell.

"Quatre, where's Zechs…and Heero?"

"Outside the ship, kicking each other's asses." Came the voice of a young Chinese man.

Duo sighed. "Of all the times to be fighting…Quatre, Wufei…you two help me get Ashi and Trowa outta here! They need to be sent to Sally…and fast!"

"Right!" Quatre and Wufei said in unison, helping Trowa up.

Ashi stumbled and started to fall, Duo caught her in his arms.

That bastard! He drugged her!

"Duo…" Ashi said, her eyes rolling in the back of her head and she fell unconscious.

Duo swooped Ashi in his arms bridal style. "Hurry!"

"You really scared me back there…I didn't think you were gonna make it." Duo said.

Ashi allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks. "Maybe if I did die that day…it wouldn't be so bad."

Duo's eyes narrowed. "Ashily Perkins! Don't you ever say that again!"

"But it's true…I'm better off dead. If I was dead now, I wouldn't have to deal with losing Trowa…I wouldn't be tormented in my nightmares by my father! I saw him in my dreams last night…he…he was laughing at me. Gloating in my misery. There are times I wish I was never born…"

Duo frowned. "But if you were never born…you wouldn't be sitting here right now, having lunch with me, now would you? You wouldn't have met Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, the orphaned children of Maxwell Church…you wouldn't have met me. Remember the day we first met?"

Ashi nodded. "It…it was when Father was still sane…before Mom died." She said, feeling herself drift back to that day, 9 years ago…

Phew…the next few chapters are gonna contain flashbacks of Duo and Ashi's past before and after Maxwell Church, so please bear with me! Hope you guys liked this chapter! More is to come soon!