here it is. the final chapter. enjoy! :]

The Darker Side of Me

Chapter 19

"What the hell? We've been gone for ten minutes and you're already getting drunk?"

Takuya's friends had decided to raid Kingston's mini bar and were starting to feel the effects.

"Thiz guy has gooooood taste!" Kouichi finished the mixed drink he had poured himself.

"Not no more. He dead now," Kouji replied, trying to see if there was any more beer in the bottom of his can without picking it up.

"I don't believe this." Takuya smacked himself in the face in annoyance. "Only you guys......"

"Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Zoe handed Takuya a bottle of peppermint flavored alcohol.

Takuya looked at it, laughed, then handed it back to her. "That's a girly drink. Here's what a real man drinks." He opened a bottle of straight-up vodka and took a swig. "Besides, aren't you a little too sick to be drinking?"

"After today, I need one.........." Zoe said, rubbing her temple. "Besides, I'm feeling a little better. I guess revenge does that to a person."

"Does a real man sleep with a teddy bear?" J.P. loudly chimed in, tripping over a chair.

"You guys framed me! I know it was Kouji who put it next to me, and then Kouichi took a picture of it," Takuya said angrily.

Tommy finished his beer and tossed the can to the corner of the room. "I'll clean it later......." His voice trailed off as he fumbled to open the tab of a new can.

"Don't bother. As soon as this rain stops, we're outta here." Takuya took another long gulp, feeling its warmth travel down his throat.

Zoe took a shot of the peppermint alcohol, wincing as it burned. "Damn.......you guys drink this stuff like it's water........"

"This is my water," Takuya said with a smirk. "Oh, guys. I have some good news."

"You had sex?!" J.P. shouted from inside the fridge.

"No, dumbass. And get out of the friggen fridge. You couldn't have gotten that drunk within ten minutes......especially at that size."

"Shut up! And yes I am that DRUNK."

Takuya shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, I decided that Zoe can come with us."

"If it's okay with you guys," Zoe quickly added.

"That's cool." Kouji was staring off into space.

"Maybe we should tell them when they're sober," Zoe said.

The brunette took another swig. "There wouldn't be a difference."

Zoe shrugged and the six of them continued to drink, until finally they all passed out. Tommy was on top of the table, while Kouichi was under it. J.P. had fallen asleep partially in the fridge, the door hanging open as he blocked it from closing. Kouji was in the corner, clutching a bottle of whisky in a death-grip. Zoe had fallen asleep in Takuya's arms, clinging onto him tightly. They both had a smile on their face.

The next morning, the rain had finally subsided.

"Grab your stuff," Takuya told everyone. "We're leaving in five minutes. I wanna get the hell outta here before someone shows up." He was in the process of dumping cans of gasoline throughout the house.

"Owwwwwww.......my fucking head," Kouichi moaned.

"Well, that's what you get for playing three rounds of beer pong....."

"Who said we played with beer?" Kouji asked.

Takuya only shook his head, emptying the last of the can. "I already got the rest of the house covered, so all I gotta do is light this shit."

"Where the fuck did you find that stuff?" J.P. asked.

"Shed." Takuya twisted a sheet into a rope. "As soon as this goes off, get the fuck out. We only have a few minutes before it explodes."

"And we're burning the house down because......?" Tommy's voiced trailed off.

"Evidence. Our fingerprints are all throughout the house. We're fucked it they're identified," Takuya replied. "Is everyone ready yet?"

"Yup," the others said unanimously.

Takuya pulled a lighter out of his pocket, then lit one end of the sheet. He laid it down on the ground, the flame quickly making its way down to the other end.

"Get the hell out as fast as you can!" He grabbed Zoe's hand, pulling her along as he ran out the house.

"Where's Zoe gonna sit?" J.P. asked, running up behind them.

Takuya smirked. "My lap."

"How come you're the only one that gets any action around here?" He muttered.

"Just lucky, I guess."

A few seconds later they were traveling down the long driveway. Kouji pulled out of the gate, then continued down the main road. He drove at the fastest speed he could, without getting pulled over. In the distance they heard a loud explosive boom.

"All we have to do is cross over a few states, then we should be pretty safe," Takuya said. "Keep your eyes out for cops. They'll be showing up to the scene pretty damn soon."

Tommy looked out the window. "I think if we could survive being around that lunatic for so long, we can deal with anything."

"Still, it's better not to get cocky," Kouichi said quietly. He looked down at one of the envelopes he had found and began to count out the money it contained.

"After we get wherever we're going, and get a house or something, we should keep a low profile," Kouji added.

Zoe shifted on Takuya's lap, leaning her head against his chest. "It might be a good idea for us to get at least a part-time job. Just so no one gets suspicious," she added.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. But the best thing is, we have millions of dollars, so if we're smart about it, we'll be all set for awhile," Takuya said.

"As long as J.P. doesn't have a shopping spree at a grocery store," Tommy quipped.

J.P. shot him a look. "Ha ha. Make fun of the fat guy."

"Thought you said you were big-boned," Kouichi pointed out.

"I am. But I have a few pounds I could lose. I'm thinking about going on a diet."

Kouji smirked. "The twinkie diet doesn't count."

"Dude, you're an asshole," J.P. retorted.

"Shut up. We're all assholes, except Zoe. So there," Takuya remarked.

"I'm not an asshole!" J.P. said, aggrivated.

Kouji laughed. "Yeah, you're just a pain in the ass."

Tommy and Kouichi looked at each other and sighed as the other two continued to bicker.

"You got an aspirin or maybe ten, or something?" Kouichi asked.

Tommy handed him a white bottle. "Save me some. Hopefully I'll pass out and not have to listen to them."

Takuya was resting his head on top of Zoe's. He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her tighter.

Zoe smiled up at him, snuggling against him. They didn't know what their future would hold for them. After years of torment, they were finally escaping their hellish nightmares. Wherever they ended up, Takuya and Zoe knew they would be much happier than ever. For the first time in their lives, they finally felt complete.

finally! it's over! it's finally over! *takes a gulp from a bottle of vodka, then begins to choke* went down the wrong pipe! *collapses for thirty seconds, then regains composure* sorry about that. i wasn't exactly sure how to end it, so i hope it wasn't too disappointing, seeing how ending stories isn't my strong suit. i usually like to leave an opening for a sequel, in case i ever decide to write on. i probably won't, but i at least like to have the option.

the first chapter of my next story comes out in a few days. it will be based on the anime series Elfen Lied. it will be rated M for excessive violence, language, nudity (even though you aren't really there to witness it), not really sex, but there will be some touching. im changing some things around, so if you've seen the anime, don't flame me for it not being exactly the same. some names will be changed, main characters will be screwed around with, and im just making some things different. hope you enjoy it.........