Step Inside the Circle Part 12
The cook smiled as she watched the two Tuatha De Danaan lords invade her kitchen.
She had been a bit put off at first, but Duo Maxwell was nothing if not charming. And Heero had been so adorably...
Calm? Hopeful? Peaceful?
She wasn't certain what the look had been in his eyes, but she was happy to see it there. It had been no secret to anyone in Lady Relena's entourage that he had been through Hell and was still suffering from it, even before he shared those memories at the Council earlier that afternoon.
"Maisie, what kind of fresh herbs do we have in stock?" Duo asked her, startling her from her thoughts.
She immediately was at his side, staring as he began to peel and chop garlic. "Sir? What herbs to do you need?"
The knife never paused, and Maisie had a moment of doubt and worry as she watched his hands. Thank goodness he seemed to know what he was doing! "Parsley, oregano, some thyme, a couple bay leaves, and maybe some rosemary, if it's available."
"Duo? What do I do with these?" Heero asked, walking up on the man's other side.
Maisie watched as Duo demonstrated how to chop the mushrooms, then handed them over to Heero's tender mercies.
She didn't miss the small smiles the two exchanged, nor the brushing of fingers as they worked.
She turned and went in search of the requested herbs, smiling secretly to herself. They were so cute!
Maisie wished them well. Heero deserved to be happy, and if Duo could make it happen, it was just another point in his favour. It could only deepen her respect for the newly-awakened Tuatha De Danaan. He cared. He really cared, despite having known them all for less than a week.
And where Heero was concerned, it was more than just caring. She absently wondered how long it would take before the two would be as incorrigible as Gwydion and Bean Sidhe were.
If they were attempting to make what she thought they were making... she made a mental note to swing by the wine cellar and chose a couple good bottles.
And perhaps... a bit of chocolate for dessert, afterwards!
~*~
"Are you really a Banshee? You don't look like one - you're not very scary. Is it true you can fly? My Da said you killed his serpent - were you scared? Why do banshees shriek?"
Quatre blinked hard in surprise. The little redhead standing in front of him hadn't even bothered to breathe, he was certain of it. Then again, considering he was practically sitting in her Uncle's lap, he was lucky that was all she was asking.
He smiled at her. "You must be Mariemeia. Yes - I'm Quatre Bean Sidhe. Nice to meet you."
She frankly stared - he looked like some kind of angel when he smiled. "Okay, there's no way you're a banshee! Uncle Trowa! You and Wufei said... hey - is he sitting in your lap?"
Both Quatre and Trowa blushed, but the blond managed to laugh off his embarrassment. "Everyone says that when they meet me, Mariemeia, but banshees aren't always frightening. Some of us are actually rather nice."
"Uh huh." She stepped closer. "Uncle Trowa, is he really a banshee?"
"He is," Trowa said, giving the blond on his lap a small wink. "The very best."
"If you say so," she replied, clearly unconvinced.
In a blink, Quatre's smile simply changed - Mariemeia's eyes widened as the banshee's claws began to show, tattoos burning onto his visible skin, eyes bleeding to blue-
"Ow!" Quatre yelped as Trowa swatted him on the backside. The changes faded back to normal as he turned on the other man, glaring as best as he could manage, given the smug smile on his boyfriend's face. "Gwydion! That hurt."
"No scaring children before supper, Bean Sidhe - they'll lose their appetite..."
"That was wicked!" Mariemeia enthused.
"Why, thank you." The blond settled himself comfortably again before continuing, his wiggling making Trowa groan under his breath. "So tell me, Mariemeia..."
"Red. Call me Red," she interrupted shortly. "Only Da ever really insisted on the full name thing. Mum calls me Red."
"It suits you," Trowa said with a small smile. "And to answer your question, he did kill the serpent. With a little help from Heero."
"Hero? What kind of name is that? Have I met him yet?"
Quatre laughed out loud - he liked this girl's spirit! "It's 'Heero', actually. It's a Japanese name. He's been a little busy, but I'm sure you'll see him at supper."
Mariemeia's eyes were wide. "You have a lot of strange people around here, you know." She giggled, though, soon afterwards. "Quatre, why are you sitting in my uncle's lap?"
Trowa lifted an eyebrow. "It's more comfortable than the other chairs."
Quatre snickered. It certainly was!
She looked back and forth between the two, smirking. "I'm almost seven years old - I'm not stupid, guys! Are you two... like..."
"Like what?"
"Poofs?"
Quatre snickered again - who would have thought a sweet-looking kid like her even knew that word? "Partners, Red. Your uncle loves me, and I love him, in return."
"Oh. Well that's good, then." Mariemeia suddenly grinned. "And that's why you both disappeared for a while today!"
Quatre laughed as Trowa groaned. "Your niece is very smart, love. Not that I'd expect anything else."
"Hmmm... she must get it from our side of the family," Trowa replied with a straight face.
"You guys are so weird." Mariemeia jumped up from her seat, seemingly unable to sit still for too long. "When's supper?"
Quatre stood and gave Trowa a hand up from his chair. The druid smiled down at his niece. "Red, I'm going to introduce you to someone you should really get along with. Her name's Hilde -- one of her sisters is a little scary, but I'm sure you can bring her around..."
~*~
Wufei looked up as the library door opened, glasses perched on his nose. He gave a small smile of greeting as Relena hesitated for a moment, then stepped in. "Good afternoon, Lady."
"Please, call me Relena," she replied, stepping closer. "I didn't mean to disturb you; I was looking for some place quiet..."
"Not at all!" he insisted, sitting up a little straighter and putting his book aside. "I think we've all had something of a difficult day."
She sighed as she took a seat nearby. "I never could have imagined... I used to think of Zechs as a big brother of sorts - he had been adopted by my parents before I was born, and we played together as children."
"You miss him."
Relena's smile was sad and sweet. "I think you know better than most that we will always miss those we love who have departed."
Wufei frowned pensively. "Yes, I do. How did you know..."
She blushed slightly. "I'm sorry - I can't help it. I just see things sometimes..."
He shook his head. "It's okay. Just surprised me, is all. I should be expecting things like that from you and your clan by now."
"You've been very generous, you know," Relena countered, after watching him for a long moment.
Wufei lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"
The Priestess gave a knowing smile. "I know that you know Duo is back in the House, yet you're letting him spend his time elsewhere, despite the fact that you know so little of any of us."
The corners of Wufei's lips moved in a small smile. "One does not 'let' Duo Maxwell do things, Lady. He is one of the kindest, most considerate people I've ever met, but Heaven help anyone foolish enough to get in his way when he discovers a new project."
"By project, I assume you mean cheering Heero up?"
Wufei nodded. "And then some. Heero fascinates him and draws him in. Duo has needed someone like that for a very long time. He is like a brother to me, much as your Zechs was to you. I don't like to see him so lonely."
"Once again," Relena said softly, "you are very generous. But enough about other people. How are you doing?"
He looked away for a moment as Heero's memory flashed back to the surface of his thoughts. "I've never... I lost my Meiran, as you seem to know. But she at least went quickly, and it was less a crime of malice than of sheer human ignorance and stupidity... I'm... part of me wants to meet this Treize and teach him the meaning of justice, and the other part of me is terrified, much though I hate to admit it."
He shot her a look. "When the vision ended, I just felt... grateful, that I hadn't been alone when my loss... happened. I don't know what I would have done without Duo's support and friendship... Maybe that's another reason why I'm fine with him being off with Heero. I can't begin to imagine what keeping that kind of horror to himself must have done to him. If anyone can help the man, it will be that braided idiot," he finished fondly.
Relena smiled and began to reply, but the door opened and, as Sally stepped in, her expression darkened. "Oh, bloody hell! I'm busted."
The Aspect walked over with a purposeful stride. "My Lady, you should not have left your rooms unattended, not after yesterday's attack, surely..."
Relena stood to be on eye level with her bodyguard and friend. "Badba, Morrigan needs you right now far more than I did; I was very safe, here, with Wufei..."
"Perhaps you were," Sally responded, giving the silent Chinese man respectful nod, "but when Morrigan calms down and realises that Maeve and I have been attending her rather than you, she will go Battle Raven on us. You know that.
"However..." She gave Wufei another appraising glance, "I will admit you were adequately protected. Now are you coming to supper?"
Relena nodded and looked to Wufei. "Wufei?"
Removing his glasses, he carefully folded them into their case, which then slipped into a pocket. "Lead on, ladies," he said, giving a reserved smile.
Sniffing slightly as he stepped out into the corridor, his smile spread across his face. He'd recognise that smell, anywhere!
It was typical Duo, after all - when in doubt, use your head, when confronted, tell the truth, when happy, share the joy, and when upset or trying to comfort someone...
Cook.
~*~
There were three things in life that Leia Barton (she refused to use the name 'Khushrenada!') hated, and she was being subjected to all three at once.
The first one was of course obvious - her so-called husband sat at the far end of the table, simply oozing charm as he drank his wine and enjoyed a gourmet meal. The second sat at his left, as if held enthralled by his every word - Lady Une.
The third were the chains attached to her right ankle.
She hadn't believed even Treize could be so crude; when he'd returned from his failed attack the night before, he'd barged into her room and, with Une holding her down, lovingly chained her to the bed post. She now could go no further than 10 metres in any direction without either Treize or Une setting her loose. It was humiliating in the extreme, but she'd be damned before she let him see that.
He shot her a disgustingly handsome smile. "More wine, my dear?"
"Go to hell, darling." She really didn't feel like putting up with his rubbish and, with Red long gone, she no longer really had to.
Treize tsk'ed, though, staring into his glass for a moment before taking a refined sip. "You know, it's that very attitude of yours that put you in chains, to begin with. I can't very well have you running off to your brother, as well. What kind of husband would I be then?"
Leia lifted an eyebrow. "Hmmm, let me think. A terrible husband no matter what you do, I'm afraid."
He laughed, and Une echoed him, hollowly. "You need to accept it, dear. In a few days' time, it won't matter, anyway. The transformation will be complete, and even Eithlinn will come back to me..."
"Over my dead body!"
His grin darkened to something entirely sinister. "If need be, Leia. But you will become what and who you are meant to be, no matter how you resist it this time. You must accept your fate, my dear. Then the chains will come off."
She abruptly pushed her chair back from the table, snarling as Une yanked on the chain on her leg and stopped her flight. "I wish to return to my rooms."
Treize rose from his seat, back to being the suave gentleman. "But of course, my dear. Une will escort you safely, won't you, Une?"
"As you wish, Treize," the brunette replied, standing and patting her lips delicately with her napkin. Leia simply closed her eyes and turned her back until she felt a tug on her chain indicating that Une was ready to go and leaving, whether she intended to go nicely along or not.
She followed in silence, thinking a mile a minute. There had to be a way to get a message through to Trowa! If Treize intended... what he seemed to be thinking, her very life would depend on it!
~*~
They could all hear Duo and Heero's voices from behind the kitchen door, laughing with their cook. Relena and Trowa exchanged glances - was Heero really laughing? And what on Earth were the Tuatha De Danaan lords up to?
Whatever it was, it smelled wonderful, and both Hilde and Mariemeia's stomachs rumbled in anticipation. Wufei gave a light chuckle as both the girl and young woman blushed. "Duo would be honoured! He only cooks his secret recipe pasta on special occasions."
Quatre's smile got brighter - he was secretly a huge fan of Italian food, particularly anything with garlic in it.
Trowa caught the smile and swallowed a groan. At least they'd both be eating said garlic...
The doors opened, and Duo swept into the room with a huge, steaming serving bowl in his arms, closely followed by Heero, who was carrying the salad. The cook followed behind with a basket of garlic bread and a bowl of freshly-grated cheese.
Duo set it down with a flourish. "I hope you're all hungry! Man - the kitchens here are fabulous! Clive would have been drooling!"
Relena smiled. "It was kind of you to cook, Duo. We could smell it all the way down the hallway." She peered at the pasta approvingly. Whatever the so-called 'secret recipe' entailed, the sauce was thick with tomatoes, mushrooms, small diced onions and peppers, garlic, and juicy-looking meatballs.
In short - it looked fantastic.
The last touch - Heero reached for two bottles of red wine (already opened to allow them to breathe) and put one at either end of the table. With a wink, he set a pitcher of grape juice nearby for Mariemeia.
Relena watched as Heero made his way to his seat, between Wufei and Trowa, who sat at the head of the table on the far side. He seemed... more relaxed, more at peace, and she was relieved to see it. Granted, Morrigan was staring at her plate in complete silence, but still...
She glanced at Duo, sitting across from Heero. How was it that he - and Wufei, for that matter - had become such an integral part of their lives in mere days?
Duo wrung his hands a little nervously. "I hope you'll all like it - I haven't made spaghetti and meatballs in a while, but I thought we could all do with some home cooking, so..." He smiled.
At Wufei's side, Mariemeia was watching Duo with wide eyes. It was definitely the kind man from the night before! She'd half convinced herself that she'd imagined him, when he didn't materialize for so long. He cooked, too? As far as she could remember, her father had never done anything so mundane...
Wufei stood to do the honours and serve. "How much would you like, Red?"
She grinned up at him. "The whole bowl?"
Just about everyone laughed.
As they all enjoyed the meal, though, Trowa turned to Duo with a raised eyebrow. "You know, we never got back to your training today."
The long-haired man shared a guilty glance with Wufei. "Damn - busted." He took a bite of garlic bread before he turned back to face the druid. "I thought we were getting off for good behaviour."
A couple seats down, Mariemeia stifled a giggle.
Trowa allowed himself a small smile. "We had a rough night last night and we were distracted today - unavoidable delays, really. And apart from that, you seem to have... well, you certainly know how to use that sword by now."
Heero nodded. "Wufei, your technique is already spectacular. I'm not sure if we really could have taught you too much more."
The Chinese man blushed slightly at the generous comment.
"However," Trowa said seriously, "there is still much to be learned. For example, if you ever found yourself up against a creature like Quatre - those claws of his rip straight through most metals - you would be at a loss."
"Are you trying to tell me this Amazon chick has claws, too?" Duo asked, trying to hide his discomfort with a joke. Fighting Quatre? Not a chance in hell! "She sounds like a real charmer."
Quatre snorted. "If you like pit vipers, sure."
Heero shot him a warning look. "Duo, you need to learn to control and use your power, to channel it better. We can help with that."
Wufei could see the boxed-in, slightly hysterical look in his friend's eyes, and jumped in quickly, hoping to divert the conversation a little. "Why do you dislike this woman so much, Quatre?"
The blond man's eyes flashed briefly in response, and both Heero and Trowa reached towards him, as if in warning. But he managed to control whatever it was that had bothered him - he settled back and took a deep breath. "Scathach is... an interesting woman. She is a priestess, but she holds herself in such high esteem, like one of you Tuatha De Danaan, almost. She... you have to keep in mind that I was much younger and still coming to terms with the powers I have been blessed with.
"She was here for one of our high festival days, and there was a skirmish," he continued, grimacing on the word 'skirmish' in such a way that it told both Wufei and Duo that it was more like a full-blown battle than anything else. "Well, weapons mistress that she is, she drew her sword and jumped right in. She and I met up - she thought I was an enemy and challenged me. I was a hot-headed kid, so I allowed it, thinking I could best her easily. I didn't take her seriously; I was playing with her, not planning on harming her, of course. She had no compunctions about harming me, though."
Quatre's eyes darkened ominously. "Everyone was yelling at her to back off, but she refused, and I even began to transform back, hoping it would prove to her who I was... She ran me straight through and, when Trowa ran up to help me, she drew a second blade on him."
"Jesus!" Duo hissed, his eyes wide. They actually expected him to fight this woman?!
Quatre continued, "Zechs stepped in and disarmed her so quickly... but the damage was done. Trowa and Heero had to work together to heal me - she stabbed me through the stomach, and there was a lot of damage. The bitch never quite apologised, either..."
"Quatre!" Relena admonished, "there are children present!"
He had the grace to blush slightly, but ruined it by winking at Mariemeia. "What? It's true!"
Relena rolled her eyes. "As you can tell, he still bears a grudge about it. So does she, in fact."
Trowa chuckled, but added, "We started seeing each other not long after, though. Might have taken us a lot longer, had you not been injured."
"Doesn't mean I have to like her," Quatre grumbled half-heartedly.
Wufei could see the tension in Duo's posture and eyes, and decided to let his own annoyance show. He couldn't truly do much to protect his friend, but he could at least do this! "She is clearly out of control - I will not see this woman turned loose on my friend to beat out her frustrations."
"She won't dare," Heero replied, in a soft but firm tone that said there would be hell to pay at his hands, if she over-stepped her bounds again.
Duo shrugged and lifted his wineglass, hiding behind the prop. "So... tomorrow, huh? Can't wait. Sounds like fun..."
Heero placed both hands on the table as he looked across the table and locked gazes with the other man. "Duo? I promise - this should not be too hard for you. You've already come so far. Maybe... maybe you can help us bring Scathach down a few pegs, even. I'd like to see that, personally."
Duo stared at the other man for a long moment before a small but sincere smile touched his face. "Why do you have to sound so sure and reasonable? Fine - I'll give it a try. But if you put me through another day like yesterday, you're showing me to that hot tub, this time!"
He took a deep breath to settle himself, then turned to Mariemeia. "Hey Red - I'm gonna go check on my dog after supper. You want to come with? There are lots of cute puppies out at the kennels."
Her eyes went wide, and she turned to her uncle with a hopeful look. "May I?"
Everyone hid their grins as Trowa practically lit up, he was smiling so broadly. "Of course you can. Just don't stay out too long."
"Thanks, Uncle Trowa!" The little girl was practically bouncing in her seat. She hadn't truly understood much of what they'd been discussing, but the idea of seeing lots of puppies was definitely something she'd like to do. "What kind of dog is he? Did he come here with you? You have an accent - where are you from in America? Does your dog like kids?"
Duo laughed under his breath. "Well, his name is Kahn and he's a German Shepherd, but he thinks he's a lap dog..."
~*~
The sound of a creaking door broke the silence of almost-midnight, and two heads stuck out cautiously. Duo carefully pulled Wufei out with him, and the two snuck down the hallway on tiptoes, knowing that at any moment, the wrong door could open and...
"Mariemeia is definitely asleep this time, gentlemen. It's safe to come out," Relena's voice announced dryly (but softly!) from up ahead.
They both looked up - she was wearing a comfortable-looking bathrobe over silk pyjamas, her hair held back in a loose ponytail. Relena waved her teacup at them. "Come on in - join me."
Both men breathed a sigh of relief. From the moment Duo had mentioned Kahn, he'd had Mariemeia's undivided attention, and it had taken dessert, a trip to the kennels, two stories, brushed teeth, one bedtime song, and finally a little help from Trowa before he could make his escape. He was ready to swear the girl was at least half octopus, except that he'd never heard of octopi that blushed and fluttered eyelashes at a guy.
Wufei hadn't been any help, either - the damned guy had been laughing at his predicament!
Duo gave Relena a small smile as they stepped closer, absently glad he'd buttoned up his pyjama top before they headed out of their rooms. "Escaped your shadows again, Lady Relena?"
She sighed and gave an impish grin. "It is difficult to deal with minders, Duo, even when you know they mean well. What they don't know won't kill them, or me in this case. Please, be seated."
The two men grabbed chairs side by side and seemed to relax as they sat. Relena wondered absently why they were awake at such an hour, but knew better than to ask and expect a straight answer. She watched them both with guarded eyes for a long moment before she spoke. "It has occurred to me, gentlemen, that we have asked quite a lot of both of you, without giving you much information on which to base your decisions. So I'd like to ask - what questions do you have for me?"
Whatever Duo had been expecting the priestess to say, it wasn't that. He stared back at her with wide eyes, but for once was not put out when he got a slightly knowing smile in return. Somehow, it felt very different coming from Relena.
Wufei, fortunately, recovered much faster than Duo did, and he had many questions. "I've got a few, really. First, apart from battling these demons that seem bent on you and your people, specifically, what else do you do?"
Relena nodded her head. "Good question. We are not a normal religion, in any way. We do not have a widespread following, nor do we operate in the open, so your question is doubly valid. But what we do do... Though most people will never be aware of it, there is a delicate balance at play in the world. We are the guardians of that balance and, as such, it is our duty and privilege to protect the world from dangers most of you will never be aware of. For example, were the balance between elements to fall off - if, per say, fire were to gain in power whilst water or air fell short - anything from natural disasters to human imbalances and wars could take place. We preserve the balance of the elements and, when there is an imbalance, our mission is to restore it as quickly as possible. The other thing resulting from these imbalances is, as you might have guessed, that the veil between life and death can thin or fray in spots. Balor's rise is, I believe, the result of one of those frays, and Zechs' death resulted in another. We were lucky - Heero was able to contain it as our leader, but... He is not full-blooded. We needed another leader. And that leader is you, Duo."
The braided man nodded thoughtfully. "Why must your leader be a full-blooded Tuatha De Danaan?"
Relena sighed. "Because you hold a power that belongs solely to you, Duo. The Children of Danu are connected to the world and its elements in a way that even the druids cannot equal; they are tied to the world's balance intimately. They - you - are much better suited to this sort of work than any mere mortal could be." She looked away. "That and... Gods do not simply return to life for no reason. The Mother sends you to us because She has a plan, and you are a vital part of it, as we are."
Wufei lifted an eyebrow. "Why do only certain Tuatha De Danaan come back? Why Duo?"
Relena gave a slight smile. "I cannot claim to know why a spirit would choose to return to flesh, Wufei, except that life is precious, even to a God. What I do know, though, is that some souls do return more than others and, in doing so, allow the demons and troublemakers of the world to become familiar with them and their capabilities. What that means for you, Duo," she said, directing her smile at him, "is that the soul residing inside of you, having never come back before, is something completely unexpected and unknown. Unique and extremely special, in other words."
Duo finally managed a small smile. She liked him, after all!
Wufei was still curious, though. "Lady... how do... no, why do these tears happen? What upsets the elemental balance to let creatures like Balor free?"
Her smile dimmed. "That is something I don't know. Rather... I know something or someone is doing it, but I don't know who. I perhaps over-simplified, before. There are forces of light and dark, good and evil in this world, and the one cannot exist without the other. Just as life is inevitably followed by death before life can return again. There would be no balance if both of those forces didn't exist... and life would be bloody boring, to boot.
"There are other forces in this world, Wufei, to whom balance and peace are foreign words. We have beaten some, but the others... I don't know the answer. All I know is that Balor is not necessarily the root cause - he is but a symptom. What I hope..."
She turned her gaze back to Duo. "What I truly hope is that having you with us now will help Trowa, Heero and I to track down the persons responsible for Balor's rise and eliminate them. So many have been sacrificed to that end..." She looked away, clear blue eyes clouded with tears. "It must end. We have to force Discord to show his face..."
Her face abruptly changed, and her voice fell to a deeper timbre as she stared at everything and nothing at the same time. "Life must face death to reveal what the shadow hides, and embrace the Circle to unlock the power to heal darkness, else the shadow will spread... Discord must fall to the hands of the Dagda's kin..."
She shook her head and slumped back in her chair, teacup clattering to the floor. She was hyperventilating, and Duo and Wufei rushed to kneel at her side.
The Chinese man immediately felt for her pulse. "God, she's going to pass out... Relena! Relena, you need to take deep breaths - try to calm yourself..."
Duo reached one hand to tilt her chin, and her eyes opened to stare straight into his-
She fell into blue and felt warmth spreading through her entire body, tingling at every nerve centre, and she suddenly felt more alive than she ever had before.
Wufei took a deep breath as the glow surrounding the three of them faded, and Relena relaxed, breathing deeply and peacefully. He squeezed her hand gently. "You okay?"
She gave him a small smile. "Yes, I... It happens when the Sight comes on me and I'm not prepared for it. I can usually tell when it's coming, though. I'm sorry to scare you."
"Don't apologise," Duo said softly, sitting back. "It's okay, just breathe."
She relaxed and, after a few moments, looked down at her spilled tea. "I made a mess. I'm sorry."
"I think you need another cup, don't you?" Wufei asked gently, rising to his feet and holding out a hand to her. "Come on - we'll raid the kitchens."
"Raid the..." She looked scandalised.
Duo laughed happily at the look. "You'll love it, Rellie. I promise!"
She couldn't help smiling as she followed the two men into the corridor and down towards the kitchen.
No one had ever called her 'Rellie' before; in fact, she'd never had a nickname of any sort, even as a child. She kind of liked it.
TBC...
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