Episode 20: Bad Things Happen To Good People pt 2

a/n: this is going to be a tear jerker peoples.

It didn't take long for Duo to find Melanie. She was standing in her favorite spot in the garden. It was a place close to the middle of the maze of hedges. It was a private rose garden. The majority of the rose bushes had red flowers in bloom. There were the occasional white and pink ones. There was a small pool with gold fish in it. A baby willow rested beside it. There was even a small intricately carved stone bench beside the pond. Melanie had her back to him. She was holding her side. A familiar liquid was slipping through her fingers. The wind tugged gently at her unbound locks. Her clothes were loose and becoming dark with her blood.

"Melanie," he called softly. "I've missed you."

She turned her head slightly to look at him with one eye. Blinking once she turned back to stare absently into the pond. He moved closer to her wanting to know what had happened to his girlfriend in the two months that he had been away. "Melanie what did they do to you?"

She still remained quiet. He was about ready to shake the information from her, but she spoke first.

"What was done to me will not be spoken of here," she said softly. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Turning she looked at him with sadness and pain in her eyes. It made his heart clench in pain at the sight of her suffering. Something was wrong with her he could see. Moving forward he scooped her up easily since Melanie had lost a lot of weight in the care of Lucian. She squeaked in surprise. Her fingers fisted tightly in his black shirt. He took her to the medical wing. Sitting her down on the bed he went to go get stuff to take care of her. He smiled weakly as he removed her shirt. Melanie couldn't help but lean forward and kiss her lover. Pulling back she smiled at him. He unwound the bandages and cleaned them up again. Every time Duo's fingers touched her skin Melanie had to suppress a shiver. Taking his button down black shirt off himself and put it on her and buttoned it up. The shirt was a little big on her. He chuckled softly at the image she made sitting there with his shirt on. He knew that it'd be awhile before she'd let him near her in any way but cuddling. Moving forward he picked her up carefully. Duo carried her in silence to his room though a small smile played on his face. He had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be long before the smile would be non-existent. Carefully he put her on the bed and covered her up once he was beside her in bed.

"Now, tell me what happened to you."

She curled up beside him with her head resting on his chest. For a long while she listened to the gentle thudding of her lover's heart. She took in his scent and smiled missing his warmth and smell surrounding her.

"Promise me that you won't do anything stupid after I tell you what happened over there."

"You know I can't promise anything Melanie."

"I understand."

Melanie situated herself and gathered her memories. "It started like this. It was a week after Relena left to me Heero…"

Flashback

Melanie was walking down one of the open faced corridors on the first level near the garden. Her dog paced quietly beside her. She had just found out some great news and she was smiling to herself. There was almost a skip to her step. The sound of echoing footsteps made the smile fade away. Suddenly a gun shot was fired. Looking around she tried to see where it came from but a yelp startled her. Looking to her left the loyal pup was bleeding to death over the marble. Kneeling down she stroked the dogs head till his life was done. It was too late before something heavy came down on her head and darkness clouded her vision.

Sometime later

She woke to darkness. Her hands were chained up above her head. Testing the chains out, she gauged that she couldn't move very far. Her body hurt all over. Suddenly the door slammed open to reveal a familiar but hated face.

"Lucian," she growled darkly.

"You should have waited for me Melanie."

"I've already been claimed by another."

"I noticed and I will have that taken care of."

"You touch him and swear by everything that is holy that I'll kill you."

"You shouldn't swear Melanie."

Melanie would have growled if she had been a dog. Lucian walked forward and soccer punched her to the gut. "You will learn to obey me little girl," he growled softly in her ear. "OR you will regret it."

Lucian left her alone. After that day it became a routine beating after beating. One day a few weeks later Lucian came in followed by Frank. Frank looked as if he hadn't slept in awhile. There was a nervous gait to his step as he followed his brother into the cell.

"I've heard word that you've been assisting our captive brother," Lucian purred sweetly as his guards locked the three of them in the room.

Frank looked at Melanie worriedly. "I assume it is just taken care of my future wife."

"Of course brother."

Lucian smirked as if he knew something. Strutting forward he slammed his fist repeatedly into Melanie's stomach to the point where she felt blood dripping down her legs. Frank noticed it and his eyes widened. Moving forward he hit his younger brother.

"That's enough Lucian you've made your point."

Melanie winced slightly. She had to try really hard not to let the tears that were building up flow. Frank moved forward and picked her up.

"I'll take care of you now Melanie," Frank said softly.

After a few seconds of moving, Melanie blacked out.

Some time later

She woke to a white room. The smell of medical supplies, blood, and death hung heavily in the air. Her entire body hurt. Getting up slowly trying not to jar her stomach she moved to get up. Once she was on her feet something drew her to a table with a silver tray on it. A sinking feeling started to develop in her body. Peering cautiously over the side she saw the most depressing and horrific sight. There laying a pool of her blood lay a not completely formed baby. Her body quivered uncontrollably. Sinking to her knees on the floor she allowed her tears to flow.

"You shouldn't be moving around Melanie," a calm voice said softly from behind her.

"Go away," she snapped her voice thick with sorrow.

"Now isn't the time for snarling at me Melanie. I'm here to get you out of here."

"How?"

"Treize has sent me here to watch out for you. However we need to escape now. Frank is getting nervous about you being here."

Melanie was still hurting from the revelation that her and Duo's baby was dead. Her body was quivering. White and black spots danced across her vision. She tried to fight of the darkness but she sank into it easily. When she woke up again she was in a jeep with the wind whipping her hair in her face. Sally sat beside her staring out over the land and Frank was driving. The radio was playing soft music that Melanie could comprehend before darkness took over again, only to wake up to the gates of the Sanq Kingdom her home, sometime later.

End flashback

"The rest you know. I was put into the medical wing, but I couldn't stay there."

When she looked at her lover she noticed the free standing tears in his eyes. A few tears slipped from his eyes at the thoughts that were running through his head. His fingers were on her stomach as he tried to comprehend that she had once carried their baby in her body. She winced when he touched even gently on her stomach. He jerked back from her as if he touched fire.

"Melanie, I…"

"It's okay Duo. You couldn't have stopped what happened."

"I'm not going to let you out of my sight again," he swore fiercely.

"I was hoping for that," she said softly.

Exhaustion was creeping slowly up on her again. His warmth was soothing an making her want to fall into a deep sleep and not wake up for a few days.

"Sleep Melanie, I'll be here in the morning."

Melanie nodded her head and curled up closer to him. Her head rested on his chest and her arm was wrapped around her waist and the other fisted in his shirt. Duo watched her fall to sleep in his arms. He figured he would wait to figure up how to kill this Omega, Lucian for hurting Melanie when he wasn't so tired. The door gently opened. Duo was ready but relaxed once he saw it was only Skye. She smiled weakly before nodding and backed out the way she came and gently shutting the door behind her. Before to long, Duo was fast asleep beside his lover.