Title: Downfall
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.

Downfall

Chapter Seven: Tattoos, Secrets, and Lies

The following Monday, Lucy, Kevin, Amelia, and Nichol began the long drive to Albany. Lucy and Kevin, who didn't know the way, were behind Nichol, who was driving the U-Haul. Amelia was driving her car alone. Altogether, they had three vehicles trying to keep up with each other for three days of straight driving. On the third day, Kevin drove the car. It was around 4:00pm and Lucy was sleeping silently in the passenger's seat. She stirred as they hit a bump, and awoke.

"What happened?" She muttered, trying to wake herself up. Kevin shrugged and continued staring at the road. Lucy yawned, then wiped her eyes.

"It was just a bump, no big deal," Kevin replied, "You can go back to sleep if you want." Lucy shook her head.

"It's ok. I'm not that tired anymore. How far are we?" She wanted to know, while stretching. Kevin shrugged once more.

"I'll ask Nichol whenever we pull over for gas," Kevin told her.

"When will that be?" Lucy asked, adding, "I have to pee." Kevin smiled.

"Soon, I promise," He answered. Lucy looked at Kevin. He was wearing a wife beater, so she could plainly see his muscles. She also noticed a small bit of red on his shoulder.

"What is that?" Lucy asked, pointing to his right shoulder. Kevin glanced down, but quickly back up.

"What is what, honey?" Kevin wanted to know.

"It's like a small circle of red on your shoulder," She replied. Kevin fidgeted in his seat as Lucy leaned in for a closer look. She could plainly see a small, red heart with the word 'AS' written inside. "It's a tattoo."

"Yeah," Kevin simply replied. He had nothing more to say about this marking on his skin, and wished that Lucy would leave it alone. But of course, she pressed on.

"Why does it say 'AS'. Did you lose an extra 's' or something?" Lucy asked, laughing, "Why as?" Kevin shrugged.

"I'm not sure," Kevin replied, "I can't believe I never showed you that. I've had it since before we met. I was drunk the night I got it. I don't know what the heck I was thinking. I don't know what as means."

"That's unlike you," Lucy told him, "Didn't you tell me that you never did anything crazy when you were drunk and that you hadn't gotten drunk that often?" Kevin became tense.

"I guess I forgot about it. I mean, it's so small that it's easy to forget. You've never noticed it before, so I guess I forgot," Kevin explained. Lucy nodded slowly. She noticed the strangeness in his voice, but couldn't help believe his story when he smiled at her.

At that moment, Kevin pulled into a gas station behind Nichol. Amelia soon followed. Everyone grouped together as they filled their tanks with gas.

"How far are we?" Kevin wanted to know. Nichol, who had a new cigarette lit, paged through a map.

"I'm looking," He answered, almost angrily. The four of them stood between their cars on the little piece of sidewalk where the gas hose was. Amelia sat on the ground and sighed.

"This trip is taking so long," Amelia stated, "I just wish we could get it over with. What I'd give to sleep in my own bed again and not have Nichol bruise me with his elbows in those tiny motel room beds." Nichol ignored her comment for the time being as he found the right page on the map.

"Eighty miles. We're getting awfully close. That wouldn't be more than an hour and half if it wasn't for this traffic. It'll put us up to about an hour and forty five minutes," Nichol predicted. Lucy swatted at a fly.

"This atmosphere is so sticky," She noticed, then glanced at Nichol, "Is it like this in Albany?" Nichol shook his head.

"No. It's beautiful there, I assure you," He answered, smiling. Amelia stared at him, then stood up.

"How much is this trip costing us?" She wanted to know. Nichol averted his eyes back to the map. He closed it and put it under his arm.

"I'm going to go pay for the gas," Nichol informed them, "Ready Kevin?"

"Yep," Kevin replied. The two walked into the gas station to pay for the gas, leaving Amelia and Lucy to talk.

"How's the trip?" Lucy asked. Amelia glanced at Lucy.

"You're here too," She reminded Lucy. Lucy laughed, then rephrased her question.

"I mean, how's the trip for you? As in the car and your feelings," Lucy explained.

"It's fine. What about you guys?" Amelia asked.

"Pretty good. Kevin has a tattoo," Lucy informed Amelia.

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah. It's on his right shoulder. It's a little red heart. Inside the heart is the word 'as,'" Lucy explained, "He said he got it before he met me when he was drunk, but he was acting so strange about it. It makes me think he's lying to me about something, but I don't know what. He knows he can tell me anything."

"I don't know what he'd lie to you about," Amelia agreed, "Maybe you're imagining it." Lucy shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe," Lucy replied, unsure. As Lucy was pondering Kevin's mysterious tattoo, the guys came back from the gas station.

"You guys ready to get back on the road?" Kevin asked, putting his arms around both Lucy and Amelia.

"Yeah," Lucy answered, but she was definitely going to work on him.

-

I didn't receive reviews for the last chapter, so I hope you guys didn't lose interest. Please review!