Dark, So Dark

Sutoomu

Hey, here is the next chap for Dark, So Dark, my lovely Quatre angst fic. I'm thankful to Kami-Crimson, silver-eyed, phoenixfirekitsune, SkittleGoddess, and Amethyst Shadow, my reviewers, and I really have nothing to say about this fic, so I'll just let you read it.

"What?" Wufei protested.

"You don't get the antidote until I get to see Quatre. It's not up for negotiation!"

Heero growled under his breath, then nodded. "Fine. You have ten minutes to grab what you need."

"Right!" Kadiri said. She ran upstairs and returned four minutes later with a backpack slung over her shoulder. "Uncle Jesse, I'm going out! I'll call you!"

"Fine, kid," the stocky man called back, and Kadiri stepped outside and closed the door.

"Let's go."

"Trowa, he's waking up," Duo said, catching the dozing boy's attention. Trowa quickly stood up from his seat and made his way to Quatre's side. The smaller boy's eyes were open, and he was staring straight up at the ceiling blankly.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked, setting his hand on Quatre's arm. Quatre's eyes slowly moved to look at Trowa, and Trowa saw that the aqualline blue orbs were filled with just now falling tears.

Quatre swallowed, then spoke. "T-trowa? It hurts, Trowa..."

"I know, little one, I know," Trowa said sadly, brushing a hand across Quatre's hair.

"Don't worry, Q," Duo said, taking Quatre' hand. "We're here for you. We're all here for you, 'kay?"

Quatre gripped Duo's hand back and a sob shook his body. "They k-killed her..."

"Killed who?" Duo asked.

"N-nishi!" Quatre cried, his free hand coming up to clutch at his chest. "They killed Nishi! Allah help me...th-they shot h-her! I-it hurts!" Quatre's hand clawed at his chest, and Trowa grabbed it with his own, holding it tightly.

"It's okay, koi," he whispered, setting his forehead on Quatre's. "We're here. It's okay, you're safe."

"Don't you worry, Q," Duo assured him, tears streaking his own face at seeing Quatre hurting so. "You're gonna get through this. And then we're gonna go eat ice cream and climb trees with Trowa, and I'll even drink tea with you, even though I think it's awful stuff."

Quatre laughed, and it was interrupted by a cough. His chest heaved violently for a moment, then he fell back into the bed, his grip tight. He breathed deeply there, holding onto Duo and Trowa's hands tightly, trembling. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out. "It's c-cold, and d-dark...and I'm hungry!" he croaked, and Duo laughed, wiping at his eyes.

"C'mon, Q-bean," Duo suggested. "Tro-man'll hold you and I'll make you some food fit for a king. Or an arabian prince."

Duo let go of Quatre's hand so he could wrap his arms around Trowa as Trowa lifted him into his arms. Quatre, feeling this intimate contact again, held tightly, not wanting to let it go. Trowa made his way to the livingroom and sat on the couch. Duo made sure Quatre was okay and then vnished to make food. Trowa sat with Quatre for a few moments in the quiet, until Quatre shivered and pressed into Trowa.

"Are you okay, little one?" Trowa asked.

"Cold," Quatre murmured.

Trowa's hands slipped to Quatre's shirt and he slid his hands up and moved his fingers over Quatre's belly. "Do you want...?"

"Yes," Quatre interrupted Trowa, eagerly pulling his shirt up. Trowa helped him and then pulled his own shirt off. Quatre turned so he was straddling Trowa and their mouths met, Quatre pushing his tongue into Trowa's mouth, exploring and twisting it, playing with Trowa's own tongue. Quatre pressed their chests together and pushed his hips downwards, wanting more of Trowa.

"You think you guys could stop eating each other long enough to eat some food?"

They both stopped and looked at Duo, and Quatre began blushing. The moment he saw the plate full of small meat treats and sauce, he forgot about blushing and reached for it eagerly. Duo laughed and handed it to Quatre, who began to eat quickly, happiness and joy shining in his face with each bite. He still sat astride Trowa, and seemed quite content not to move, every now and then pausing in his own eating to feed Trowa, or hand a few treats to Duo, sharing. Duo took the plate when it was empty and set it on the table, then a hissing whistle sounded, startling Quatre, and Duo jumped off the couch, running out of the room without explaining. A moment later he returned with a large cup of tea.

"Tea!" Quatre cried out, snatching it from Duo and almost spilling.

"Slow down, there, Quatre," Duo laughed as Quatre eagerly sipped the tea and then panted as it burned his tongue. The blonde boy blew on the tea, cooling it, then slowly sipped it. He closed his eyes and smiled, drinking more, then jumped as the front door suddenly slammed open. Duo grabbed the cup deftly before Quatre dropped it. Quatre pressed into Trowa for protection against the sudden noise and buried his face in Trowa's neck.

"Hee-chan? Wuffles?" Duo called out and ran to the hall. He blinked as he saw Heero and Wufei, the latter sliding a blindfold off a beautiful young girl. Her hair hung to her lower back, and was a deep black, adorned with tiny braids. She blinked her deep grey eyes to get used to the light, and then saw Duo.

"Hi!" Duo waved.

"Is he awake?" Heero asked.

Duo nodded. "He's in the livingroom with Trowa, now. No shirts, again."

Heero smirked and gave Duo a hello kiss, to the girl's staring eyes. Duo knew she was staring for two reasons. One, because two boys had just kissed, and two, because Duo had a three foot long braid.

"This is Kadiri Doreine, Duo," Wufei explained. "This is Duo Maxwell. Kadiri refuses to give us the drug unless she gets to see Quatre."

"Do you know him?" Duo asked suspiciously.

"We've met before, yes," Kadiri nodded.

"Um, I'll just go ask Trowa if you can see him," Duo said, and dashed back to the livingroom, to find Trowa gently kissing Quatre's neck, the arabian hugging him.

"Hey, Tro, Kadiri wants to see Quatre," Duo asked. "She says she won't give it to us unless we let her see him. Can she?" Trowa felt Quatre stiffen in his arms as Duo spoke, but they needed to get the antidote drug. He nodded, and Duo vanished again. Trowa gently turned Quatre around to face forward, but didn't torture him by making him get off. Quatre sighed into Trowa and closed his eyes. Duo returned with Heero, Wufei, and a long black haired young girl, who had to be Kadiri Doreine. The girl's mouth opened at the sight of the two of them as they were, but she quickly shut it and composed herself.

"Quatre?" Kadiri asked. Quatre's eyes shot open at her voice, and he saw her.

"No-o!" he wailed suddenly, startling everyone, and began trembling more again. "I'm s-sorry! I'm sorry!" Quatre withdrew into a tight ball and began to sob violently. Kadiri rushed forward before the others could catch her and fell to her knees beside Quatre.

"No, no, it's okay, little chibi," she soothed, rubbing her hand through Quatre's hair. "It's okay. I'm not angry."

"But I k-killed her!" Quatre whimpered. "I killed N-nishi!"

"You did not kill her, chibi!" Kadiri said firmly. "You did not kill my mother. My mother loved you, Quatre!"

"B-but..."

"Stop it, chibi," Kadiri ordered firmly. "You did not kill Nishi. They killed Nishi, and they were punished. But you should not be punishing yourself for someone else's sin, so stop!"

Quatre looked at her, and suddenly let go of Trowa and reached for Kadiri. "Kadi!" He sobbed into her chest.

Kadiri took Quatre in her arms and hugged him, stroking his back. "It's alright, Quatre."

"You call him chibi," Trowa stated. "Who are you to him?"

"My mother was the one who brought him food," Kadiri explained. "And, after they killed her to test Quatre's empathy, I brought him his food."

"Did you bring him food often?" Duo asked, his eyes cold.

Kadiri closed her eyes. "I tried to, every day...but sometimes they wouldn't let me."

"Are they dead?"

Kadiri turned questioning eyes on Heero. "What?"

"The men who did this to him," Heero said. "Are they dead?"

"Yes," Kadiri replied. "They all died when the base was attacked. And before you freak out again, Quatre, that wasn't your fault, either." Quatre pulled back from Kadiri and blinked at her, then returned to Trowa's embrace, wrapping his arms around the more familiar form.

"You know, I never thought about being forceful with him," Wufei admitted. "Quatre's always been the cutest of us all, we all naturally sympathized and comforted him."

"Well, he does need comfort," Kadiri admitted. "But you have to tell him it's not his fault, what happened. But, then again, you guys don't know everything that happened. I was there, I would know better."

"Why do you call him chibi?" Duo asked curiously.

"Because my mother, Nishi, called him little chibi all the time. It's a comforting memory. Do you call him anything? A nickname?"

"Q-bean, Q, Quat, Q-man, Quatre, Q-ripster, Q-Q..."

"Duo," Heero shut him up.

"I call him little one," Trowa said.

"And you call him angel, and koi," Wufei added, and Trowa nodded.

"I assume you're his boyfriend, then?" Kadiri asked Trowa.

"No," Trowa shook his head. "Not boyfriend. Soulmate."

Kadiri whistled. "Deep. So you love him, then? And he loves you?"

"Completely," Trowa said, and Quatre's head nodded in agreement.

"What are you going to do to help him, then?" Kadiri asked, and Trowa looked at Quatre.

"I'm doing all I can," he said softly, then looked to his friends. "Can you take Kadiri and explain it all to her?"

"Sure," Duo came over to them. "Be right back, Q," he ruffled Quatre's hair, and Quatre swatted a hand at him absently. "You go back to makin' out with Tro." Quatre blushed as Kadiri was led out of the room.

Duo, Heero, and Wufei quickly explained to Kadiri the two choices they had, and how they had to make a desicion soon. Kadiri agreed it was impossible to sanely choose how to hurt their best friend.

"In a case like this," Kadiri pointed out. "You have to ask the person how they want to deal with it. In other words, ask Quatre."

"But anything we say might trigger another memory and cause him more pain," Duo protested.

"He's getting memories triggered all the time," Kadiri defended. "But the sooner you ask him, and take that risk, you'll know what he wants, and you'll be able to help him. I suspect he'll just want to deal with it right away with the antidote drug. And, if he does, we'll just have to make sure we keep him in reality. We won't let him fall into his mind again."

"We?" Wufei asked.

"Of course," Kadiri said. "I was Quatre's only friend and comfort after they killed my mother, Nishi. I've wondered where he was for the last seven years. I'm not going to leave him. Now, c'mon." She grabbed Wufei's hand and dragged the startled boy back into the livingroom. Wufei cursed at her in chinese and pulled his hand away, but she ignored him, walking up and sitting on the table in front of Quatre and Trowa. Trowa had laid down on the couch, and Quatre was laying comfortably on top of him, his head on Trowa's chest.

"Chibi," Kadiri said. "I have to ask you something, and you have to make a desicion. Will you do that for me?" Quatre opened his eyes and swivelled them up to look at Kadiri, nodding. "Okay. I want to know how you want to deal with these flashbacks." Quatre stiffened and began to shake, and Trowa cast a wary and alarmed gaze at Kadiri. "Chibi? Quatre, look at me!" Kadiri ordered firmly, and Quatre's eyes met hers again. "We need to know if you want to just let them come out, or if you want to deal with them all at once. Either way is going to hurt. Letting the memories come out on their own will probably take a long time, and very confusing and painful, but if we give you an antidote drug, they'll all come back at once, which will hurt as well. Which one do you want to do? Quatre!" Quatre's eyes opened again. "Which one do you want?"

"I...," Quatre blinked rapidly for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly again.

"Quatre, look at me! Stop closing your eyes and look at me and tell me!" Kadiri ordered. "I can't have you drifting off on me right now. Don't let the memories take you. You're fifteen, now, and you have Trowa and a group of really good friends. You're not there!"

Quatre's eyes shot open and he looked at Kadiri, breathing heavily. "I...I know I'm not there...but it's so hard..." His eyes closed again.

"Quatre!" Kadiri scolded, and he opened them again, swallowing. "That's better," she said as his eyes focused on her. "Now, as a mature fifteen year old, which way do you want to go? Either way, we're all going to be here for you."

"I...," Quatre thought for a moment. "I want...I want it to all end! I want to get it over with!" He clenched a fist, tears leaking from his eyes. "I just want it to stop hurting!"

"We'll give you the antidote drug, then," Kadiri agreed. "But, Quatre, you have to assure me that you will try your hardest to stay with us. There's the chance you'll fall into your memories in your mind and won't come out again, or be able to hear us. You have to try your hardest to remember that they're not real, and that what happened is over, and you're safe now. I know the memories will hurt, but we're here to share the burden, okay?"

"O-okay, Kadi," he replied.

"Right then!" Kadiri smiled. "Tommorrow, we'll give you the antidote drug. And, hopefully, by tommorrow night, you'll be your chipper little self again! Now, I suggest we have some hot chocolate. I have a deep craving for hot chocolate. With marshmallows. And subs for dinner! And maybe a movie or two..."

"We get the hint," Duo laughed. "I guess tonight is movie night then!"

"Wow, great idea, Duo!" Kadiri clapped her hands. "Let's get ready, then. But first, do you have a phone I can use? I need to call my uncle and tell him I'm staying over for the night in a house all alone with five very hot guys!"

And that is Kadiri. I hope you all liked this chap, but I warn you now, the next chap is not written, so it may be a while. But winter means hibernation in the house, which means more spare time, so let's all hope.

Storm