AN: Okay... italics like this.... it means a flashback/memory type deal, kay? That means it's the past and not the present. got it? Good.
Waking Up In Vegas
Chapter Twenty Two
~*~*~*~
"Duo? Duo.... what are you doing?"
The boy with the braid didn't answer. His eyes kept staring at the now empty pill bottle in front of him, the words OxyContin staring back at him. Would what little his dad had left in the bottle work? Was it enough? He'd crushed the pills to bypass the time-release property... but would it work?
Already he could feel his mind going a little hazy, the functions fogging up.
Was someone calling his name? Was someone there?
He turned towards where he thought he heard the sound. Hm. Nothing but a mirror. His eyes were blurry, but he could still make out some things.
Were his eyes really that wide with fear? Was his mouth really agape in horror? Had he really worn his hair in a pony tail? Hm. That was odd.
"Duo? Oh My God, Duo!" The eyes of his reflection stared at the bottle. "Duo! What did you do!?!?!"
His stomach turned. Oh, God. No one said anything about nausea. It felt as if his stomach wanted to rebel, to claw it's way up his throat and out of his body. Added with the dizziness he felt, and he was in pain. His breathing started to slow down, every breath he took harder than the last.
Ah! When the reflection rushed towards him, it made sense to his confused mind. It wasn't his reflection. It was his sister. Oh... wait.... no....
Delana. No. He didn't want Delana to be here. He didn't want her to have to see this. But it was too late. She was running towards him. And his mind was going blank. The darkness was finally closing in. He felt himself slump back against the bathroom sink, too weak and dizzy to stand; he felt himself slipping towards the cold tile floor.
The last thing he thought about as his eyes closed was Wufei...
Wufei.... and how much it hurt to love someone who lied to him.
"DUO!?!?!?! MAMA COME QUICK!!!! No, Duo!"
~~*~~
Delana couldn't see where she was going through the tears in her eyes. She rushed blindly up to the house, pushing past a confused Vanny and Maia. Cathy was in the living room, sitting with Trowa. Apparently their conversation hadn't went as badly as hers. She stormed past them and up the stairs. Cathy looked from her brother to her friend, then smiled at Trowa. Trowa nodded and up Cathy went.
"What happened out there? What did they do to you?" Cathy questioned, walking right in the closed door without a knock or anything.
"Asshole," Delana mumbled, head buried in a pillow, splayed across the top of her bed. Her voice was strained, and Cathy could hear the tears.
"No me I hope," she smiled, hoping to lighten the moment.
"No. That jerk Chang."
Cathy blinked. Uh-oh. Delana had not called Wufei by his last name in years. Not since....
Cathy sat on the bed, reached out and pulling Delana up and into a hug.
"There, there. Tell me. What did he do?"
"Brought up bad memories is all," Delana said, arms wrapping around Cathy and snuggling closer. "Really bad memories," she muttered, and felt the tears wanting to fall again.
"Want me to punch him for you?"
Delana let out a wet little chuckle. "No. I think Duo will punish him enough when he finds out what Wufei did." And then the tears did fall.
"I love Wufei. I really do. But I can't forgive him for what he did. Does that make me a bad person?"
"No, no, love. Not at all. No one should forget something like that. And forgiveness will come in time."
"No," Delana said, voice sure. "It won't. I can *never* forgive Wufei for almost taking my brother away from me."
"Part of the blame does lie with Duo, you know," Cathy said gently, stroking a hand over Delana's head. "He knew what he was doing... and how it would effect you. He could have just as easily *not* taken those pills."
"I know," Delana mumbled, turning her head into Cathy's chest. "I do know. But Duo was never strong about stuff like that. It's why I told Trowa not to tell him about Darien. It's why I wouldn't let him home after Shini had colic and twisted a bowel. Why we didn't leave him alone after Dad had his surgery. Duo's.... Duo's too soft. Too sweet."
Cathy knew exactly what Delana was trying to say. In many ways, Delana was the stronger of the twins. She was calm and level headed even under extreme stress. Duo always acted first, thought later. Delana hid all of her pain, prefering to bear her burdens alone; always trying to help others and never herself. Duo... Duo was the same, but still different. He acted on his emotions, though usually he did it alone. His emotions were always extreme. When he was happy... it looked like he'd won the lotto. And when he was sad, you would have sworn he'd lost his best friend. Bi-polar and the 'act first, ask questions later' personality did not mix.
Cathy held Delana close, and kissed her forehead softly. "There's always been heart-ache and pain, and when it's over, you'll breath again," She whispered. "When you feel all alone, and the world has turned it's back on you... just give me a moment... please... to tame your wild, wild heart. Let me be the one you call. If you jump I'll break your fall, lift you up and fly away with you into the night. If you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart. If you need to crash, then crash and burn- you're not alone."
Delana smiled into Cathy's shirt, then sat back to smile up at her. "I love that song," she said.
Cathy returned her smile, and leaned in to kiss her lips softly.
"I know."
~~*~~
Wufei was unprepared for the sight on his doorstep. When the doorbell rang at five in the morning, he hadn't really know what to find there. But it most certainly wasn't this.
It still amazed him how much like Duo she looked. The same chestnut hair, the same expressive indigo eyes, the same fair skin- hers only a tad darker from the days spent outside on horseback. Even her build was close to his. They were both slender- her hips a shade wider, her calves a bit thinner, and certainly larger at the bust- but still the same height, and the same heart-shaped face.
"Delana..."
He wasn't prepared, either, for the sharp slap across his face. Cheek stinging, he staggered from the force of it. He was no weakling himself- years of martial arts helped at that- but damn the girl had some strength!
"What the hell?"
He looked at her, shocked and angry, his cheek throbbing; he was sure it was bright red.
"You asshole!" She screamed, forcing into the apartment... forcing him back. "How could you?!?!?! He trusted you. And what did you do!?!?! You betrayed him!"
Tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes, unbidden but unstopped.
"What? Delana what are you talking about?"
"He LOVES you, you asshole! And you up and tell him that it's not working out?!? You tell him it's better to just break it off?!?! That you'd rather go back to CHINA and leave him here alone!?!?! Fuck you, you son of a bitch!"
Her fist swung, and a surprised Wufei barely caught her wrist in time to prevent more damage to his person.
"Delana, calm down. Yeah. I did. Why are you so bent about it?"
Her eyes glared at him, and this time he didn't catch it when her other fist came up. He let go of her wrist, staggering back and falling to the floor, checking to see if his jaw was dislocated. Damn, but the girl had a killer punch.
"You fucking asshole," she growled, her voice low as she glared down at him. "My brother is in the hospital because of you. He almost *died* because *you* broke his heart. He's never been the most emotionally strong person and you *knew* that. You *knew* what it would do to him if you dumped him."
"Knew what... Wait...." Wufei was on his feet in an instant, gripping both her wrists before she could move. "Duo's in the hospital? Almost died... Delana what the hell happened? Tell me!"
He'd had to tell Duo what he did. Going back to China was the only way to keep his family name. What had happened?
Delana's violet eyes narrowed. "My brother's in the hospital for an OD of OxyContin. He almost *died*. It's only a miracle I decided to go check on him, else no one would have bothered him for hours and I *wouldn't* have been able to save him. Do you *know* how bad oxycodone can fuck you up? Do you? And do you know how much pain he'd have to be in to purposefully try to kill himself? My brother is not the suicidal type. But you... you bring out everything in him."
For a moment, her eyes softened just a bit. "You bring out the best and the worst in him and *hate* you for it. He's not the same now as he used to be. For the most part, he's better than he was. Well... he was better." That small window intoher soul closed, replaced by the anger once again. "Fucking asshole. Tell me why I shouldn't put you in hospital, too!"
Wufei couldn't answer. He couldn't think, he couldn't speak.... he couldn't breath.
Duo.... had tried to kill himself?
Because of what Wufei had told him....
Oh, God, no! No.
His mind was racing, but standing still. His heart was pounding, but it felt like it had stopped cold. His breath just wouldn't seem to come.
"Wufei! Snap out of it! What the HELL is wrong with you?"
That seemed to be the catalyst to unstick him. His heart beat again... albeit still a tad fast. His mind cleared and resumed close-to-normal thinking parameters. And his breath finally came.
And his first thought was of Duo.
The man he loved.
TBC.........................................................................................
AN: ^_^ Okay, so I lied. I promised everyone that I would have the Wufei/Quatre conversation in this chapter, but it's all turned out MUCH MUCH longer than expected, so I had to split it up. But at least we get to see what happened with Duo, neh?
We will get back to the main point soon enough, but I rather like this little detour into Duo and Wufei's past. ^_^
Oh, and that song Cathy quoted was, of course, 'Crash and Burn' by Savage Garden. *swoons* I love them... especially that song! Oh... and btw, I don't own the song or the band. ^_~