Well, here's the next chapter. And until I hear more about this apparent rule banning review replies, I won't reply to reviews. I will say this though: Lee isn't a drunk. Lee is just looking for an outlet because he is frustrated by what he thinks Rei feels for Kai. But I won't deny that he's jealous. If a person in a long-term relationship feels threatened they get jealous, speaking from experience.

The next day Lee and Denver were both gone before Rei woke up. He drifted downstairs and made himself a cup of tea, finding a note on the table.

-Rei,

I've gone out with Brownie, Mick and Stitch.

Denver.-

Rei sighed. Well, that'd be Denver gone till much later on. And he supposed Lee was at work, as usual. He took a sip of his drink, then wandered into the sitting room, flumped down on the couch, and put the TV on, letting some brainless gardening programme wash over him. Everything seemed to be going wrong... He'd always known Lee was jealous of what he had with Kai, but... Rei closed his eyes, wishing he could erase Lee's jealous streak, but knowing that that was not only impossible, but stupid as well. If Lee didn't get jealous so easily, he wouldn't be the hot-tempered, fiery person who Rei had come to love.

A smile started to spread over his face as he thought about all the good things that made Lee Lee, then the phone rang. He spilt his tea over himself in shock, then dashed to the phone. "Hello?"

"Oh, hello...is Lee there?"

"No, he's at work. Sorry." There was an uneasy silence from the other end.

"Lee isn't at work today...I was just asked to phone and see where he was..."

"Oh. Um...oh." Rei felt his heart sink. "Well...he isn't in, so I assumed he was at work...if he's not there, then I don't know where he is...sorry."

"Okay. Well if he comes back in, tell him to give us a ring, okay?"

"Yeah...okay..."

Rei put down the phone and stared at it for a second, puzzled. Then a gnawing sense of worry settled itself in his stomach. Suddenly all he could think of was what Lee had said the night before...

"I'll do somethin'!"

But what qualified as something? With a shocked gasp, Rei started to run up the stairs, up to their bedroom. He wrenched open the wardrobe, looked inside, and sighed with relief. All Lee's clothes were still there. He obviously hadn't done a runner... But... Rei looked down at his tea-stained front sadly. Lee was obviously avoiding him, but that just meant that he couldn't apologise. Not that he felt it was entirely his own fault, but...

He kicked the wardrobe door with frustration and took off his shirt, changing into one of Lee's. It was too big, but it smelt reassuringly of Lee, almost making Rei feel as if his solid lover was beside him. He laid down on the bed and curled up, burying his nose in the sleeve of the shirt. It was green. Lee's favourite colour...

He woke up a couple of hours later, hearing the door slam. "Lee?" No reply. "Denver?" Steady, heavy steps plodded up the stairs, and the bedroom door swung open. Lee was standing there, obviously half-shot again. Worried at his silence, Rei stood. "Lee...are you okay?" Lee said nothing, only walked over and wrapped his arms around Rei's waist. "Lee..."

Perhaps a minute passed, then Lee started to shudder. Concerned, Rei looked up, only for a tear to land on his cheek. It rolled down and off his chin as he watched Lee trying to suppress his sobs. "Lee...what's wr-"

"Shh...don't talk..." Lee's voice was low and ragged, and it hurt Rei to hear him so upset. He reached up his arms to wind around Lee's neck, and stretched up to kiss the older man softly on the lips. Lee bit back another sob and clutched Rei closer, pressing his face into Rei's hair and stroking his back. Usually, Rei found that comforting. Now, he found it unnerving.

"Lee, please...what's the matter?" He whispered. "I don't like it when you cry...tell me what's wrong..." Lee straightened up, shaking his head. His hair slipped free of its band and fell around his shoulders like a shroud, hiding his face from view. "I'm sorry..."

"What are you sorry for?" Asked Rei desperately. If Lee would only tell him what was happening...

"I know I'll never be as good as him...but I love you so much..." Lee's voice cracked. "And I can't...I can't..." Rei bit his lip.

"Lee...shh, don't...don't cry. I love you too. I love you. Calm down." Gently, he led Lee to the bed and sat down with him. "Lee...I...I didn't mean what I said last night. Choosing you was the best choice I've ever made..." Lee shook his head, still crying. With a sigh, Rei leaned over and reached under the bed for a box of tissues, drying Lee's tears away tenderly. "It's okay." Lee shook his head again, reaching out for Rei and holding him close.

"I can't..." Lee's lip quivered. "I don't want to lose you..."

"You're not losing me, Lee! Don't say something like that!" Rei cried, genuinely worried. Was it just the alcohol or did Lee really believe everything he was saying? To prove his point, he pulled Lee down into a deep kiss, reaching for his hand and holding it tightly. When they pulled apart, Lee sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand. Rei smiled. "I'm yours, Lee." He stood up, letting go of Lee's hand. "I'll go and make you a cup of tea, okay? I'll be back up in five."

He left, shutting the door behind him in case Lee wanted to clean himself up in peace, and went down to the kitchen, flicking on the kettle and leaning against the worktop. When their practically decrepit kettle boiled, he quickly poured out two mugs of steaming hot tea. After putting Lee's sugar in- two spoonfuls, not three- he walked back out into the passage. The sight that was waiting for him at the top of the stairs made him drop both mugs out of sheer shock. They smashed on the carpet, sending boiling tea everywhere, but Rei didn't even notice. All he could see was Lee, standing at the top of the stairs, blood dripping down from his wrists, to his hands, fingers, and to the floor. Already, there was a circle of red beneath each wrist. Dizzily, Lee reached out a hand for the banister.

He missed. A spectacular scream ripped itself out of Rei's throat as Lee started to fall. It was almost as if he were moving in slow motion- His hand slipped off the corner of the banister and he kept moving forwards, hitting the stairs face first and thudding his way to the bottom, lying in a crumpled heap. Rei wasn't aware that he was still screaming until the front door slammed open and Denver ran in, accompanied by one of his many suspicious friends. "Rei! What's going on?"

The scream choked in Rei's throat as he knelt down beside Lee, ignoring Denver completely. "Lee...Lee...no...you can't do this to me!" He yelled. "LEE!" While Rei sat there deep in shock, Denver's friend had the presence of mind to phone for an ambulance. Denver moved Lee gingerly, recoiling as he saw the uneven gashes Lee had carved into his wrists. Rei knelt there frozen as Denver lifted Lee's arms up above his head, turning.

"You have to put the cut above the heart. The blood pumps slower." He said quietly. Rei blinked, not hearing.

"Lee...no...you can't do this to me...you can't...this isn't fair..." He whispered. "I love you, what more do you want?" He shouted. Lee moaned and his eyes flickered open. "Lee!"

"Nn..."

"How could you?" Screeched Rei hysterically. "Don't you think it was enough when -he- did this?" Lee frowned.

"Maybe..." He said slowly, voice slurred. "Now you'll...love me as much as you love -him-..." Rei screamed again as his eyes flickered shut.

"LEE!"

The sound of a siren filled the air and before long two paramedics dashed through the front door. Rei allowed himself to be caught up in the general confusion, letting Denver lead him into the back of the ambulance. "Sir? Are you injured too?" Rei jumped and looked at the shorter, blonde paramedic.

"How could he do this to me?" He whispered. "How could he?" He shook his head hard, trying to get rid of that horrible image of Lee standing there with dripping wrists. Denver patted his shoulder and he jumped again, starting to cry. "He was so jealous...jealous of something that didn't even exist!" His voice rose to a wail and he started howling into Denver's shoulder. The paramedic decided to leave him alone and concentrate on Lee, who wasn't looking so chipper himself...

Next Chapter: Lee wakes up, Denver finds out the truth about Kai, and Lee has some advice for his adopted son...

It might seem a little strange for Lee to do that to himself just after Rei said he doesn't need to worry, but you have to remember he'd been drinking, and beside that he has it so deeply ingrained in his mind that Rei is in love with Kai that a few words he heard when he was half-shot aren't going to make that much of a difference to how he feels. It'll take something like, oh, I don't know, waking up sober in a hospital bed? To make him see how much of an ass he's being.

R&R please!