A/N: Okay, last chapter! ... Well, here goes.

Chapter 4

About a month later Andros and Zhane lay in each other's arms after a vigorous session of lovemaking.

"I love you Zhane." Andros whispered, thinking that his lover was asleep.

"I love you too." Zhane smiled at Andros shocked expression. "That's right Sweetheart, I love you." he said, leaning in and kissing Andros on the forehead.

The two just lay there for several minutes, quiet, content, minutes. It was Andros who broke the silence though, "I'm ready to tell you... How I got the scars I mean." he explained hastily.

Zhane leaned away for a moment to turn on the bedside light so he could both look at and hold him as he made this painful confession.

Andros took a deep and fortifying breath before launching into his tale, "I met this guy, and he seemed nice enough, normal enough. We had a couple of dates and we talked you know... About things we had in common, likes, dislikes, etc. Well, I convinced myself that I loved him." At this a stab of jealously went through Zhane, making him hold Andros a little tighter. "So I thought well I love him right? And he loves me, so if I give it up to him he'll be good to me, right? ... Wrong." Andros took another deep breath and snuggled deeper into the ring of Zhane's arms.

"He hurt you." Zhane stated, knowing the truth of it.

"Badly... Repeatedly..." Andros' voice was flat and emotionless but Zhane could tell how deep the betrayal of trust had cut him. It made him want to kill the bastard that had made his love unhappy.

"What happened to him?"

"I managed to wear down the chains that held me." Zhane almost choked; there had been chains involved here! "I took one of the whips that he's used to often on me and waited. It was one of those thick whips made with real braided Italian leather... It did a lot of damage, as you've probably noticed and it was one of his favorites... Have you ever notice the ring of circles around my belly button? ... No? Well, they're scars from where he put his cigarettes out on me... He liked to make designs." After another moment of silence Andros looked up at Zhane's stricken face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that... You didn't need to know that... I'm sorry."

"Shh, Sweetheart. It's okay." Zhane said through his own tears.

"I waited in the shadows until he came back... When he saw that the shackles where in the floor and I wasn't in them he began to slap his thigh and whistle and call; 'Here Bitch! Here Bitch!' When he was right where I wanted him I stepped out and told him I wasn't going to be his bitch any longer. The whip wrapped around his neck just the right way, so when I pulled it back... His neck snapped."

"I killed him," Andros continued, "but I wasn't completely free until you came." Andros smiled sadly, waves of streaked hair falling around his face. 'You're like my knight in shining armor."

"I'm glad it was me." Zhane admitted, humbled by Andros' confession.

"Me too."

"I love you." Zhane whispered, pulled Andros into a hug. I love saying those words!

"I love you too." Andros whispered, snuggling deeper under the covers and taking Zhane with him. I love hearing them too, Zhane thought as he turned out the light.

A/N: So, what did you think? Sappy I know but beyond that?