Hey thanks for the reviews guys, sorry I didn't have this up sooner but I've been working a lot of overtime so I can have my vacation when I wanted it. sigh sometimes its just too much, well anyways enjoy the chap.

Disclaimer: Sorry I don't any of the characters or whatnot, maybe someday...

Warning: Well I think this chapter is kinda graphic as in gore terms, I'm squeamish so it just could be me.

The ride back was just as quiet as before, Duo seemed pensive about something and hardly paid any attention to her, which didn't bother Hilde at all. So what if they had just had a great time together, even though she was still angry at him for what he had done earlier something had blossomed while she had sat there laughing at his crazy antics on stage.

It wasn't like she liked him or anything, he was annoying to a fault and not to mention rude. Catuasly Hilde side glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, nope he was still staring at the road as if any moment he expected it to jump up and bite him.

Well he was cute, if you liked that goofy, wide eyed feigned innocent look. Innocence though, she knew, was something that had probably long been forgotten to him. After all he was Shinagami, famed God of Death. How many lives were taken by this man by her side? The same one who grinned so impishly? Whose deep violet eyes seemed like the basis of a being to complex, do deep for her to understand.

" If you keep staring at me babe, I'll start to think I'm something." he said with a small grin, his eyes on her for a moment.

Hm? Had she been staring? When had she dazed off so much to gape at him? "I wasn't staring." she murmured and shifted in her seat looking instead out her window, knowing, with some relief, that he couldn't see the color that had raced to her cheeks.

Duo chuckled and pulled into the gate to his home. " Sure babe, whatever you say."

Hilde didn't even comment as she climbed out of his truck the moment he pulled to a stop. She had been lost in thought, that was it. She opened the front door with her set of keys and walked in leaving the door slightly ajar.

Duo leaned against the old truck. Something about this didn't seem right. He couldn't pin point it, but there was something nagging him. With a small sigh he pushed himself to go inside. Hilde was probably upstairs with the door locked. Well he had a key if he wanted to... but he wouldn't think those thoughts about her. He just needed to keep his mind on why he was doing this.

The shower started upstairs and Duo glanced towards the stairs briefly before turning and walking out.

----

It was sometime later that Hilde emerged refreshed and sleepy from her warm shower. She hadn't heard Duo enter the room, but she was still a little hesitant as she opened the door to their dark bedroom. For all she could tell it was empty, the bed still laid crisp and neat, the lights hadn't been flipped back on.

Hm? Did he decide to eat, again, before coming to bed? Well it didn't matter she slip into bed as far as possible on her side and wait for him to decide to join her. She finished towel drying her hair and crawled beneath the large plush comforters. A few stray minutes passed by and Hilde glanced at the clock, it was nearly 10:30. Well she'd wait a few more minutes before she'd stop fighting the deep sleep trying to claim her.

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She blinked and it seemed that no time had passed, but when she glanced at the clock it was almost 1:30 in the morning. How had time flown so quickly? When did she fall asleep? But most importantly where was Duo? Hilde stared at the darkness in the room, then shivering she got up and walked towards the door. The rest of the house was still in shadows, but she made her way downstairs without a bump.

"Duo are you down here?" she called almost in a whisper, then flipped on the den lights. Nope the room was empty. Upon further inspection the whole house was empty. For a single moment Hilde stood there alone, shivering, in the middle of the kitchen her mind in an awful jumble.

Where could he be? Did he go on another mission? Why wasn't he back yet. "Oh Kami, please don't let him be hurt." she said softly glancing out the window into the big empty expanse where Death Scythe had stood.

----

She must be sleeping, having a nightmare. Hilde thought to herself. All she could feel all she could smell was blood. It was every where, on her hands, her clothes, in her hair, on the floor. Everywhere she looked it came towards her, encompassing everything in its path.

No...this shouldn't be happening, she had given up that life. No... it was supposed to be over for her.. This war wasn't hers anymore...she had stopped fighting... run away from that evil...

She screamed, and screamed and screamed... but it still came for her, and then it was blank. Everything turned blank...and then she was sticky and the horrid smell of blood washed over her...

With a start Hilde awoke, her breathing hard and labored. The room was still completely dark. But she must still be dreaming cause she still smelled blood and her body everywhere was covered in it. Then she heard it, a slight even breathing. Quickly she reached over and flipped on the bedside light.

It was worse, way worse than she had expected or thought it could be. Duo laid next to her completely still, his clothes were soaked with blood, the sheets and her. For a moment she panicked and could not move a horrified look plastered on her face. She had seen bodies before, more than she anyone should ever have to face, but this sight of him there stilled her breath and froze her heart.

What had happened to him! And then as if some one switched on a light she was moving, pulling away his clothes searching his skin for his injuries. There were several, a major gash on his arm his chest , and across his thigh, not to mention the small cuts that littered the rest of his body.

What should she do? Stop Hilde. Think! She commanded herself. Work quickly or carefully or he will die. Yes, she should clean his wounds then bandage them as quickly to stop the bleeding, do everything she could.

So she did just that, carefully she hoisted on side of him against her shoulder and pulled him into the bathroom. She slipped his unconscious body into the tub and turned on the warm water. Instantly the water filtered red and lapped at his skin. Hilde reached for a clean wash clothe and gently ran it over his body. Still he slept. How long had he been that way? Did he drag him self home and the fall on their bed content to die in his own home? With her?

Why didn't he wake her? Why didn't he wake her? The question swam through her mind as she rinsed the caked blood from his hair, now she turned on the shower in a gentle spray setting . The red water slid down the drain and left his body to her scrutiny. The wounds had stopped bleeding some time ago maybe, if she could just stitch him up and bandage the rest she could keep him there.

She turned off the shower and went to the bedroom to gather some clothes, before she returned to the bathroom she had changed the sheets and laid out the things she would need to stitch him up.

----

Hilde sighed to herself as she finally finished dressing each of his wounds. What had happened to him? It looked as if he had been caught in an explosion...

Duo grunted softly but didn't open his eyes. "Duo? Duo are you ok?" Hilde climbed on the bed and knelt next to his side and looked down into his face. He didn't answer her, "Duo?" she asked again knowing she wouldn't get an answer.

Why did she care? Why had she been so scared when she had seen him like that? Why did she feel like crying, when she hadn't cried in nearly 11 years? She closed her eyes then, and drifted into a fitful sleep.

Ok what do you guys think? Please review.