Warning: ANGST! Wheeee! OO;

Wufei: Woman! You have issues!

Wee-ers! I bought "Episode Zero" GW Manga! Weeeness!

GW Ashi: Duo's chapter was so sad!

Duo: ;;

GW Ashi: hugs

Duo: …Dammit, A.H.! Put the damn manga down and write the next chapter, already!

GW Ashi: Don't anger her! She does horrible things to her characters!

Duo: Like what?

Drake: Heheh…

Duo: Oh, that…dammit! Why don't you just die?!

Quatre: sweatdrop Ummm…this could get ugly…so, on with the fic? ;

Chapter 5: Christmas Sorrow

LT2 Colony, Maxwell Church

The Day Before Christmas Eve, a year later…

"Father! Father! Father, Maxwell…come quick!" a frantic nun called out, running in the Church.

Father Maxwell, who was reading from his Bible to Duo and the orphans gently closed his Bible and stood up from the table and walked over to the nun.

"What is it, Sister Helen?"

Sister Helen's eyes were wide with fright, her skin pale. "There…there is a body outside!"

"What?!" Father Maxwell exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"A body?!" Duo said.

"Is it…?" Father Maxwell started to question, fearing the worse.

Sister Helen shook her head. "I…I don't know! I was too frightened to check!"

"Hey, Father Maxwell…let's check it out!" Duo said, eager to see what was going on.

Father Maxwell shook his head. "No, Duo…you stay in here."

Duo pouted. "Awww…but I wanna see who it is."

"Father Maxwell!"

Father Maxwell sighed. This was no time to be arguing…a life might be endager!

"There's no use arguing at this time…come along." Father Maxwell defeatedly said, walking towards the doorway, Duo eagerly at his heels.

Sure enough, there was a body sprawled on its stomach, almost buried in the snow. The body was female with auburn hair…

Auburn hair? Could it be…?

Father Maxwell turned the body to her back. Duo gasped.

"It…cant be! Ashi!" Duo cried, grasping the girl by her shoulders, gently shaking her.

The girl didn't respond or react in any way.

She'll freeze to death if we stay out here any longer…who knows how long she's been out here!

"Father Maxwell…help me get her in the Church. This is Ashi! I am sure of it!"

Duo sat on the edge of the little cot the girl slept in. Sister Helen put a warm wash cloth at the girl's forehead. "Poor child…I gave her bath, to clean any wounds…if any. And you wouldn't believe how many bruises there were on her body. And the front of her dress…the first few buttons were ripped off. Oh, I hate to think of what happened to the child!" she said, sadly shaking her head.

Was she…raped? Duo thought, quickly shaking his head to dismiss the idea.

He gave the girl's face a closer look; it was red as if she had been slapped around a few times.

Who did this? And why? What has she ever done to deserve this?! Ashi! Please wake up!

Tears burned at his eyes, he quickly blinked them back.

Boys don't cry…

Duo's head perked up when he heard a soft moan. The gir'ls eyes slowly opened, revealing familiar deep greenish-blue eyes.

I knew it! Ashi-sama!

"It appears Young Duo's speculations were correct…this is our Ashi." Father Maxwell said, a sad smile on his face.

Ashi gasped, her head turning in every direction, not really sure where she was. She waved her arms frantically. "No! No! Go away! Please…don't hurt me!"

Duo gently grabbed Ashi's arms. "Ashi!"

"NO!" She screamed, slapping Duo's hands away, she ran only to find the door blocked by Father Maxwell and Sister Helen.

Ashi cowered against the wall. "No! No!"

Duo threw his arms around his friend. "Ashi-sama! It's me!" he shook her. "Look at me! It's me…Duo!"

Ashi looked at Duo as if seeing him for the first time. "D-Duo?" she said, her hand reaching up, touching Duo's cheek.

Duo smiled. "Yeah, it's me…"

Tears spilled over Ashi's cheeks. "D-Duo!"

Duo hugged Ashi tightly. "Yeah…I'm here…right here."

"Th-thank God…I made it!"

"Excuse us…" Father Maxwell said, leaving the room and also cuing Sister Helen to do the same.

"Made it?" Duo said, moving his hands from Ashi's waist and to her shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

Ashi nodded. "Ye-yes…I ran away from home…"

"What?"

"I wonder if Mom's death has to do with this?"

Duo shook his head. "What are you talking about? What would Mrs. Perkins's death have to do with anything?"

Ashi closed her eyes for a few seconds and opened them, causing a couple more tears to trickle down her cheeks. "Ever since Mom…died…Daddy…"

She shook her head. No, he isn't worthy of such an affectionate title…

"Father has been drinking heavily lately…and he's been…" she swallowed, her throat hurting from so much crying.

"What? What has he been doing?"

Ashi bit her lips, not answering.

Duo squeezed her shoulders gently, urging her to go on. "Ashi…please tell me."

Ashi nodded, her lips trembling. "Like I said…he's been drinking heavily lately. And…beating me and the beatings were followed by…"

She bowed her head, ashamed. She shook her head, bursting into tears. "I can't! I can't say it!"

"You can! Remember…this is Duo. You can say anything to me. Whatever is said here…stays here…unless you want anyone else to know. You know that, right? Remember the pact?" He said, holding up his index finger to Ashi, showing a tiny scar and taking her index finger with a similar scar, placing it on his finger.

Ashi smiled through the tears. "Yes…I remember…" she sighed. "I'll tell you…but will you promise me that you won't hate me?"

Duo frowned. "Ashi…I would never hate you. Just tell me."

Ashi chewed on her lower, trembling lip. "Father…he…he…" she hugged Duo around the waist tightly, pressing her face against his chest in muffled sobs. "He…touched me."

Duo froze.

General Perkins? A child molester? Why? He always seemed like such a loving father.

Ashi sniffled. "You don't believe me…do you?"

Duo frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Be-because…he's a General."

Duo shrugged. "So, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Father…he said that because of his military connections and especially being a General, that no one will believe me…"

Duo smiled. "But I believe you…"

"Duo?"

"Hmmm?"

"Am I…am I a…whore?"

Duo sighed. "Did he call you that?"

Ashi shook her head. "Not exactly…but he said that people…even if they believed me, will think that I'm a whore for letting him do this…" she said, her head bowed again in shame.

"Ashi…" Duo said, tilting her chin up, so her eyes were leveled with his. "He's the whore. You're not. You were the victim of a sick little game he wanted to play. You are innocent."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Now I know that God doesn't exist."

"Duo! How can you say that?!"

"If God existed…there wouldn't be any wars…or orphans!"

Ashi shook her head. "But Duo…remember what Father Maxwell said? 'God doesn't start wars…people do'!"

Duo growled. "It's not just the war! If He did exist…he would've stopped the General from doing what he did!"

"But God managed to get me here…did he not?"

"For me…the only god that does exist is Shinigami! The God of Death!"

"Duo…it's Christmas…do you not celebrate Christmas?"

Duo frowned and cocked his head. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you?"

"Well yeah!"

"Then…why do you celebrate it if you don't believe in Christmas?"

"I…uh…errr…" Duo muttered with a sweat drop. "Heh, I guess I believe in God…sometimes…"

Ashi nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean…"

Someday, Drake…the God of Death will get you…and I hope Shinigami chooses me to take you to your maker! You are going to Hell!

GW Ashi: OO Just how many flashbacks are there gonna be?!

Duo: A lot it seems…

GW Ashi: A.H. likes torturing me…;;

Genome Ashi: Feel my pain!