Author's Note: I have band aids on my face to keep me from picking at scabs. I'm such a gross human being. I have nothing else to say. It's a pretty boring Sunday. I do not own MDAS.

Chapter Six

Whenever Rhynie slept she had nightmares and would occasionally wake up screaming. Duke did his best to help her, but she refused to talk about it. Even Grin, with all of his spiritual training and Jedi mind tricks, couldn't get her to open up. The only person who could help her was Tanya and her supply of sleeping medication. The pills put Rhynie in such a deep sleep it kept the memories away. And that's all she did, she slept. When she awake, she never left Duke's bed, not even to eat. She lay there, staring at whatever Duke or Nosedive brought her. She stayed wrapped up in her own world, while Duke's patience worn thin.

"I can't stand seeing her like this." Duke gripped his mug to the point Mallory thought he was going to break it.

She rested her hand on top of it and slid it away. "She's depressed Duke, just be there for her."

Duke shouted, "How? She won't talk to me, she won't eat. At this rate I'm gonna end up losin' her again."

Mallory rolled her eyes; Duke's dramatics were, as usual, over the top. The red headed duck stood, leaned in close to Duke and glared into his eyes. "Duke I'm saying this as a friend. If you don't sack up and be there for her, Rhynie is only going to get worse. So stop your whining and go let her know that no matter what, that you'll be there for her or so help me I will let Nosedive do the ultimate prank that he's been planning for the last three months."

She left him in the kitchen fearing for his life. Knowing Nosedive the prank was big and if he had been planning it for the last few months then it had to be good. The only reason why he hasn't deployed said prank was because of Mallory. She was like the safety on a gun and if something or someone pissed her off she would press the switch and release the trigger. And Duke would hate it if that reason was him.

He sat there for a few more minutes, to finish his coffee before he placed it in the sink and left. Duke didn't realize who late it was until he walked by the television room and saw Nosedive deep in the horror movie marathon he hadn't stopped talking about for the last few days. Bottles and cans of soda littered the floor, snack wrappers were in a neat pile and the room smelled like sweat and feet. How they put up with him, was beyond him.

Duke entered his dark room, the only light illuminating from his bed—a lamp that Rhynie had her back to. He took his time getting ready for bed, knowing that Rhynie would still be the same lump on the mattress. When he was finished and his body and mind felt ready for bed, rested, and only seeing Rhynie curled up made him feel even more exhausted. She slept in the middle of the bed though, leaving no room for him to crawl in.

He scratched the bottom of his beak, chuckling to himself. Duke towered over her with a knee sinking into the mattress. Brushing his knuckles against her hair, moving it out of her eyes, the gleam of fresh tears curved along her cheek. Guilt pained his heart, he never really paid attention to the silent way she suffered and nothing made him feel worse when he heard the deep, shaky breath she took.

The thief stepped off of the bed, lifted the blanket and smoothed his way in. Rhynie stirred enough to waken, barely registering his arms that held her tight against him. A firm hand on the back of her head, tucking it just underneath his beak, and the other resting along her spine. Her body melted into his, a reaction she had fallen into when they slept together.

"Duke…what's wrong?" Her voice cracked under the pressure of speaking, she hadn't uttered a word since she hid herself inside his room.

"Nothing's wrong, sweet heart. I just realized something." He replied, pulling away from her. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled down at her.

"What's that?" Her eyes struggled to remain open.

"I just realized how much of an idiot I am."

Rhynie yawned, "You're now just realizing that?"

Duke laughed, the old Rhynie, his girl, had surfaced. The girl with a mouth that would have grannies covering their ears and who had a sarcastic wit that no one could match. Rhynie began to drift away as the medicine pulled her back under, she used Duke's arm as a pillow. She never felt his hand resting on her hip, watching her sleep throughout the whole night until he finally passed out.

Author's note: I'm tired. I'm going to bed.