Notes: My big thank you goes to my wonderful beta Lucid Nightmare!
Notes2: I apologize for the long delay but I finally finished this fic! Go me! I tried to write the side story about Duo's and Heero's mating but the muses refused to cooperate >.< Sorry, folks!
Due South Part 14
"What's the status, Captain?" Treize asked as the ship's captain stepped into their cabin through the makeshift curtain they hung up to replace the destroyed door. The small room was already cleaned up, the bodies disposed of.
The tall man ran a hand over his tired face. "We've lost eight men, General. Seventeen are injured. The ship's healer and Mr. Barton are taking care of them right now." He propped his hands on his sides, too tired to mind the protocol while talking to his superior. "There was a fire on the bow, but fortunately, there was no significant damage done to the ship."
Treize nodded, donning a clean jacket over his white shirt. "So are we okay enough to join the fleet and head for the City?"
The captain nodded. "Yes, sir. The captain of the Velvet Dove offered to replace our men with some of his crew so there shouldn't be any delay - as long as we don't hit another storm or something similar."
Buttoning his sleeves, Treize sighed. "Hopefully not. This journey has already been adventurous enough for my family." He threw a glance in the direction of the crib where Milliardo was laying their son in his crib to sleep.
The captain agreed. "Will you stay on the Peacemillion?"
Treize looked at the other man, raising his eyebrows. "Why shouldn't I?"
"The Emperor sent a boat for you. He demands your presence on his flag ship," the captain explained.
For a second, Treize froze. Mil's head shot up and he gasped almost inaudibly. They didn't expect to meet the King so soon.
Treize forced himself to relax. "We will definitely be staying here, Captain. Tell the boatmen that I'm on my way," he added, dismissing the captain.
The tall man bowed slightly and left the cabin, the curtain closing behind him.
Milliardo straightened from where he was bent over the small crib, then closed the distance between himself and his mate. "Treize..." he whispered, lying his hand on the other man's shoulder.
Treize took a deep breath. "Well, that's sooner than I expected," he admitted. He was realistic - the audience wouldn't be easy. He would have to be extremely careful about what he would say. One slip and all of them could end up in the executioner's hands.
Milliardo stepped around his lover to face him. "What will you tell him?" he asked softly. He didn't have to specify who he was talking about. They both knew that the Emperor would demand an explanation how Milliardo Peacecraft, one of the most skilful officers in the Emperor's army, turned out to be not only a lifebearer, but mated with the First General too. King Noventa was not a bad man, but he was a traditionalist to the core and viewed the Bearers as lesser beings that were there to only bear children and provide pleasure. This, their Bond... he would regard it as a break of trust, a betrayal, a slap in the face... They would have to act very, very carefully.
Treize sighed and took Mil's hands in his. "What we agreed upon. Our little story should provide explanation enough. Everything depends on how angry the Emperor is with us. I'm sure that there will be some repercussions though. He can't let it slide. He has to save face."
Mil lowered his head. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault... If you lose your title, the lands of your ancestors or..."
"Mil."
"... your rank, I will never forgive myself."
Treize took Mil's face in his hands and forced his mate to look at him. "Milliardo." He kept caressing the blond man's cheeks with his thumbs gently. "It doesn't matter. The titles, lands or my rank. None of it matters. You do though, and our child." When Mil kept looking at him with a miserable look in his blue eyes, Treize leaned closer and kissed his lips softly. "You two are the most important to me. And everything else can go to hell. Understood?"
Milliardo sighed, then touched his forehead to Treize's. "Understood," he agreed quietly.
Treize smiled. "Alright." He kissed his mate's forehead, then headed for the door. "And tonight, we will celebrate your sight returning."
Mil turned around. "You promise?" he called after the other man.
The Count turned around in the doorway and smiled. "I promise." Then he was gone.
~*~
"Oh gods, my head," Rufus moaned as consciousness finally returned to him. He tried to open his eyes, but shut them tightly immediately when the bright light stabbed deep into his skull painfully.
"Are you back with us?" an amused voice laced with worry asked him from close proximity. A moment later, a shadow fell over Rufus' face and he dared to open one eye slowly.
"Trowa?" Rufus groaned. "What happened?"
The healer knelt down next to his friend, then leaned over him to gently probe the back of his head. "Sorry," he mumbled when he touched a sore spot and Rufus hissed through his teeth. "Obviously, you got bashed over your thick head. But fortunately, there is no blood. Any problems with your vision?"
Rufus shook his head, then groaned as he realized that it was a bad idea. "No. But I feel dizzy as hell."
Trowa sat down on his heels and turned to check the bandage on the other man's thigh. "No wonder. You've been unconscious for a rather long time. I was starting to worry."
Rufus raised his hand to shield his eyes. Suddenly he froze as something dangled from his fingers and glittered in the afternoon sun. The pendant. He tried to sit up, but Trowa pressed him down to the wooden deck again. "The pirates... where are they?" he asked urgently.
"Stay where you are!" Trowa ordered in his best 'no nonsense' voice. "The pirates are long gone. Unless you want to swim after them, you stay put!"
Rufus closed his eyes, put the pendant in his hand and squeezed it tightly. He had been so close. So close to finding a clue that could lead him to his mate. And now it was gone again. He sighed.
"Trowa? What's wrong with Rufus?"
At the sound of his General's voice, Rufus tried to scramble to his feet, but Trowa pushed him down again. For a healer, the young man was rather strong.
"It's nothing serious," Trowa assured the Count from where he was, kneeling besides the injured man. "He should take it easy for a couple of days, but he will be okay."
Rufus turned his head to see the General nod. Treize didn't look injured, though there was a noticeable strain in his shoulders. Rufus frowned. Something was obviously wrong.
The Count turned to Trowa again. "You should go and take a look at Duo. When I left, Heero was with him but he didn't look good. There was an... incident," Treize added after a small hesitation.
Trowa frowned, then nodded and got up. "You," he turned to Rufus, "stay put. I advised the men to use a piece of sail-cloth and build a tent for the injured that do not fit in the infirmary. The last thing we need is for you to fall down the ladder or take a swim in the sea!" With that, he quickly disappeared in the door leading below.
Heedless of the healer's warning, Rufus sat up and quickly swallowed hard as his stomach rebelled. He closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself. When he opened them again, he looked at Treize. "General... is something wrong?" he asked quietly.
Treize hesitated, then crouched down. "The Emperor expressed his wish to see me," he said softly, mindful of curious ears close by.
Rufus' eyes widened slightly. He had spent a lot of time with Treize and his mate and even though they didn't tell him anything, he knew that they were hiding something. It was a well known fact that Milliardo, a Bearer, joined the military - a thing unheard of before. It was also obvious that there would be repercussions for what the blond man had done. And from the tension that vibrated through the Count's frame, Rufus realized that the other man was more than just a little worried.
"General..." he whispered, but Treize interrupted him.
"Rufus, should... something happen... Promise me that you'll get them to safety," the General said in a low voice, laced with steel.
Rufus swallowed hard and looked around quickly. "General, you don't think that the Emperor would..." he couldn't finish.
Treize shrugged. "I don't know. But what I need to know is that my mate and my son are safe."
The soldier didn't hesitate. "You have my word, my lord," he promised, his headache forgotten for the moment.
Treize relaxed just a fraction, then offered his hand to the captain of his personal guard. "Thank you, my friend."
Honored by the fact that the great First General considered him a friend, Rufus squeezed his forearm tightly. "I swear on my life."
~*~
Heero sat down on the side of the bed and laid a cold compress on his mate's burning forehead. Then he took Duo's hand in his own and pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He was worried. No, more than worried. He was frantic with worry.
After Duo collapsed in his arms, he brought him into their cabin, away from the smell of death and blood splattered floor. The long-haired young man seemed almost unresponsive and let Heero undress him and wash away all remnants of the disastrous fight. Heero then put Duo into their bed and tucked him in, intent on keeping him away from the horrendous remains of the battle.
It took him only a couple of minutes to realize that something was wrong though. Duo's breath grew haggard, his pale cheeks flushed and his skin grew hot and dry. This wasn't normal. That's why when Treize stepped in to see if Duo was okay, he asked the Count to send Trowa to them as soon as possible.
Duo moaned silently and turned onto his side where he curled up in a small ball. The compress that had already grown warm slid from his forehead. Heero put it into the basin, then caressed his mate's hair gently. Even though it was warm in the cabin, the lifebearer shivered and Heero pulled the blanket that covered him higher. Duo opened his eyes to slits. They were feverish and glazed over.
"Hey," Heero whispered and dropped to his knees by the bed.
"I killed them, Heero," Duo rasped brokenly. "I could feel them die. It was as if a part of me died with them." Tears gathered in his eyes.
Heero caressed the tousled brown hair of his mate gently and kissed his forehead. "It wasn't your fault. If you didn't kill them, they would have killed you. You know that. That's how it is in a battle. You kill or get killed." Heero wanted to console his mate, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like for a lifebearer to take a life. He was used to it and sometimes it horrified him that while killing, he didn't feel a thing anymore. Sometimes he wondered if he was still human.
Duo blinked, the tears soaking into his pillow. "It hurt so much... it still hurts," he whispered, gripping his mate's hand with his left one tightly and pressing the other to his chest. "In here..."
Heero swallowed painfully. He didn't know what to say, how to ease Duo's suffering and it pained him so much.
"Heero?"
A quiet voice from the doorway interrupted Heero's musing and the former Enforcer turned around to see Milliardo standing there, a sad expression on his face.
"Mil...?"
"Maybe I should talk to him," he offered.
Heero felt torn apart. On one hand, he really wanted it to be him whom his mate would need so desperately, but on the other hand he realized that the word of a lifebearer who went through the same thing might help Duo more.
He turned around to the young man on the bed, kissed his cheek and caressed his hair. "Milliardo is here. He wants to talk to you. Do you feel up to it, love?" he asked softly, letting Duo decide what he wanted.
Duo's eyes slid past Heero's crouching figure to where the blond lifebearer was standing by the door. "Okay," he whispered, tightening his grip on Heero's hand for a second. Then he let his mate's hand go.
Heero dropped one last kiss to his mate's brow, then got to his feet and headed for where Mil was standing. "Help him," he said quietly. "Please."
Milliardo nodded. "I'll do what I can. Could you watch over Zechs?"
The former Enforcer nodded, threw one last glance over his shoulder and left the cabin.
~*~
"I was only fourteen when I killed for the first time," Milliardo said softly. He sat on the bed, holding Duo's burning hand in his. His eyes were lowered, fixed on the bony knuckles he was caressing with his thumb. "It was even before I passed the Ceremony of Coming of Age. My father had been so sure that I was a Sire that he didn't mind me joining his men on the patrol of our borders."
The blond man fell silent for a moment and Duo watched him with feverish eyes.
"It was in winter. The barbarians from the North crossed the border and were attacking our villages, stealing food and burning down everything. It was just a couple of days before my Coming of Age Ceremony. Treize came all the way from the City to stand witness." He smiled a little. "We weren't on good terms back then. Or at least I wasn't. He was getting bonded then and he saw me as only a little brother. But I don't know what would have happened to me, if he hadn't been there."
"The fight was... it was a slaughter..." he continued in a whisper, his face very serious and sad again. "In the heat of the battle I didn't feel it, I didn't feel anything... I should be grateful for that, otherwise I and maybe other men would have ended up dead, cut to pieces by the barbarians' battle axes. No, it wasn't until we returned back to the stronghold that it crashed down around me." He shivered at the memory. "I started to shake so terribly that my teeth chattered, I was hot and cold and my sight was growing dim. My father clapped me on the back and congratulated me on the kill. He said that it was just the shock of my first kill... And maybe it was... partially."
"I tried to escape the celebrations of our victory... But on the way to my room, I suddenly couldn't breathe or move or utter a sound. It was as if my world stopped moving. The whole ride back to the fortress, I could feel Treize's worried eyes on me and at that moment, he was there. He took me in his arms and brought me to my room. He disrobed me and crawled into the bed with me, he hugged me and held me tight since I couldn't rid myself of the chill."
He shook his head. "The pain I felt in my chest was so numbing, so debilitating that I couldn't even cry. When I look back, I sometimes think that if Treize didn't hold me in his arms that day, I would have shattered to pieces. I didn't know what it was, this deep ache that was shredding me to pieces... and neither did Treize. I think it confused him. He would have expected to hear something like that from a Bearer, but not a Sire. But he stayed and my speech finally returned, he let me talk... about nonsense... about stupid things that fell from my tongue... I just needed to get it out..."
"And then everything was alright?" Duo croaked silently, breaking Mil's monologue for the first time.
Milliardo looked his friend in the eye. "No," he answered truthfully. "I won't lie to you, Duo. Bearers are just not cut out for killing."
"But you've been a soldier," Duo said, furrowing his brows slightly.
"And I pay for it with never-ending nightmares," he answered. "Every time Treize is not there to hold them at bay, I feel like they'll swallow me up. You don't get used to taking life. Ever. Every time someone dies by your hand, you feel his death as if it was yours. And every time, you die a bit more in here." He laid his hand on his chest. "It's an awful, terrible feeling and if you are not careful, it can easily drive you insane."
"Then why did you become a soldier?" Duo asked, his mind distracted from his own problems for a minute.
Mil smiled sadly. "Love is a powerful motivation, Duo. I would readily suffer far more to spend one minute in Treize's presence. He is just... everything," he added, not being able to find a better word how to describe the wonderful feeling that filled him to the tips of his toes.
"So, you are saying that lifebearers are weak," the braided man croaked out sourly, his voice full of self-disgust. How could Heero love a weakling like him?
"No, that's not true," Mil protested. "Duo, look at me," he asked, but when the other man wouldn't meet his eyes, he released his hand and took Duo's face in his hands. "Lifebearers are not weak. You are not weak. You can hold your own and protect the ones you love. Would you call Heero a weakling because he is not able to bear children?" When Duo shook his head, Mil continued. "The Sires and the Bearers are different but the cultural and physical gap between us is growing narrower with each generation. I have read books from the ancient times when the Bearers needed to be protected from every harm, they were like flowers that wilted at just a hint of danger or violence. And look at us now. It still pains us to take lives and we are still sensitive towards anyone in distress, but we have evolved. And in time there won't be any difference between the Sires and the Bearers at all. And that's what the traditionalists fear. That is the reason why they are 'showing us our place' as they call it. They fear us because one day we could force them into submission. It won't be in this generation and not even in the next. But the day will come."
Mil smiled crookedly at Duo and released his face. "I apologize for this rant of mine, but since the moment my child and I almost died at the hands of a traditionalist, this turned into a sore spot for me."
Duo answered with a smile of his own. It was small, wavering and barely there, but it was a smile. "You make us sound like supernatural beings."
"And we are supernatural," Milliardo smiled. "Can you imagine the Sires bearing our children? We would die out in two generations."
This time there was a twinkle in the violet eyes that still held a feverish glaze.
There was a soft knock on the door, then Trowa poked his head inside. Taking in the two figures on the bed, he smiled the gentle, soothing smile of a healer and greeting them with a soft 'hey there' and stepped inside.
~*~
When Milliardo asked him to watch over Zechs, it never occurred to Heero to refuse. He knew that Trowa would be rather busy now and Treize left to talk to the Emperor himself. And besides - it couldn't be that hard to take care of a small child for a moment or two, right?
His mind busy with the physical and emotional state of his mate, Heero didn't think twice of what he would or would not do with the baby should it wake up, so the first stirring and cooing took him completely by surprise. Blinking once, twice, he stepped closer to the wooden crib, unsure of what to do. He had no experience with children. Except for finding the lost ones in the woods or fishing them out of a pond they had fallen into, he never came into contact with them. Heero shuffled his feet and peeked over the edge of the crib.
As if sensing that someone was nearby, little Zechs scrunched his face and forced out a loud and long wail, his little hands flailing. Surprised once again, Heero took a step back, as if afraid that his presence was scaring the child. He knew a lot of adults who were terrified of him, why not a small child?
When the boy kept on crying, his little face growing wet and red, Heero looked around helplessly, as if the answer to this predicament would pop up from nowhere if he just looked around hard enough. But alas, no one came to his rescue.
Taking a deep breath and gathering courage, Heero leaned closer again and using the sternest voice he could manage, he said. "Oi, be quiet!"
But as if angered by the harsh voice the adult used, the child's cries grew into harsh sobbing, the little legs kicking wildly in frustration over the man's idiocy in not understanding what the small one wanted.
Heero frowned and not knowing what to do, he reached down with his hand and laid it gently on the child's breast. The crying stopped almost immediately and Zechs started to coo, happy at the prospect of having someone's attention.
Grateful for the sudden silence, Heero tried to lift his hand from the softly breathing ribcage, but the wailing started anew almost immediately. With a deep breath, Heero resigned himself to being glued to the infant for an infinite amount of time.
The low chuckle that echoed from the doorway surprised the slumped figure at the crib. Heero turned around quickly, still a little wired from the bloody fight.
Trowa pulled the curtain aside, stepped in and closed it again. "You know, Heero, you could take Zechs in your arms," he said, amused. "The baby just wants your attention, that's all."
Heero looked genuinely horrified at the prospect of having such a fragile little thing in his arms. He could drop it or squish it by accident or...
As if reading his thoughts, Trowa assured his friend. "Don't worry, Heero. Children are more resilient that one would think." He stepped closer to the crib, leaned over and ran a finger over the fuzz on the top of the baby's head. "I went to see Duo," he said, changing the subject of their conversation suddenly.
Heero's eyes shot up from where they were following Trowa's gentle movements. He didn't ask anything but his eyes said it all.
"He will be okay. At least physically. The fever comes partially from the shock and partially from the fact that he got his monthly bleeding. Two rather unpleasant things happened coincidentally at once. He will be rather tired and he should drink plenty of fluids, but give him a couple of days and he will be okay," he assured his friend, eyes still fixed on the child.
"You said physically... what about mentally?" Heero asked, a bit afraid to hear the answer.
Trowa sighed. "As you know, it isn't easy for a Bearer to kill. He has to make peace with himself first, then he can deal with the residual pain of their deaths. I don't know what Mil told Duo, but I think it worked. It looks like Milliardo managed to reach deep inside of your mate and fix something that got broken or at least bent." He chuckled softly. "You know, when I was leaving, Duo asked me if I knew that lifebearers were supernatural beings."
Heero blinked in surprise.
"I don't know what that means, but I noticed the wink he shared with Milliardo."
Heero frowned slightly, making a mental note to ask his lover what that meant. "And what happens now?"
Trowa straightened, propping his hands on his hips. "Duo needs to rest a lot, sleep if possible. I made him drink a sleeping potion, so he should be out cold for now."
"Is he alone?"
The healer nodded. "Yes, I forced Milliardo to take a walk on the deck. His eyes are almost okay now and he hadn't left his cabin for a small eternity. The fresh air should help him clear his head. He seemed rather worried about something," he added almost absentmindedly.
"I think we both know what it is," Heero muttered and they shared a dark look. "Well, I think I will go and sit with Duo now," he said. An anxious look appeared in his eyes as he slowly lifted his hand from the sleeping child's chest. When the wailing didn't start this time, he breathed out in relief.
Trowa laughed quietly and when Heero glared at him, he gave his friend a cheeky grin. "Heero, I can't wait to see you with children of your own!"
With a terrified look in his eyes, Heero made a hasty retreat.
~*~
The sun was setting slowly. Milliardo was pacing up and down the deck, rubbing his arms even though the evening was warm. It wasn't the stench of death nor the remnants of the battle that were upsetting him. He had seen much worse scenes in his life. No, he was worried about his mate. It had been hours since Treize left to talk to the Emperor and still there was no sign of him. He could feel Rufus watching him with worried eyes, but nothing could distract him from his worried state of mind.
And then there was a boat on the waves, slowly bobbing in their direction, two pairs of rows fighting against the current. Milliardo stepped to the railing, gripping the wooden edge until his knuckles grew white. A relieved gush of air left his lungs as he spotted the figure of his mate sitting among the sailors.
He rushed to the rope ladder that Treize climbed, welcoming him with a squeeze of a hand, flushed cheeks and overly bright eyes. But then he noticed the pale, grim expression of his mate and let himself be ushered to the bow, the sailors scattering from their path under the heavy burden of the General's look.
"What's wrong, love?" Mil asked softly after he made sure they were out of earshot. "Did you talk with the Emperor?"
Treize released his mate's hand and turned toward the ocean, leaning with his hands on the railing. "No," he gritted out, obviously too furious for words. "He let me wait in front of the door to his cabin for two hours, then his secretary stepped out to tell me His Highness had no time for me."
Milliardo swallowed. He knew what that meant. The Emperor was showing the First General that he was not in his favour anymore. That wouldn't be that bad since they preferred to stay away from the Court anyway. But even though the Emperor didn't favour his General, he still needed his help. And that situation was dangerous. It was always dangerous to give your superiors the feeling that they owed you something. Emperors especially didn't owe anything to anybody.
Milliardo waited patiently since he knew that that wasn't all. Something more must have happened that angered Treize so much.
"He put Dekim Barton in charge of me and the peace talks," Treize spat out.
Mil's eyes grew large. "What?"
"Barton must look pretty smart right now. The Emperor didn't voice it that way of course. Dekim Barton should be my 'counsellor' and 'assistant'. That was the message His Highness' secretary should relay to me." For a moment, Treize just looked at the vast ocean, then he slammed his fist against the edge of the wooden railing. "To hell with it! Barton, that treacherous bastard. No way can I step out now and charge him with an assassination attempt. Everybody would write it off to the fact that I'm jealous of his status. Damn it to hell," he added softly.
Milliardo reached out and laid his hand on Treize's taut shoulder. "Well, you wanted to keep Barton close anyway, to figure out what he was up to, you know? Now you have the chance without raising any suspicion," he tried to console his mate, rubbing small circles on the hard muscles of his shoulder.
"But that's not all. The secretary asked me to relay a message to you too," Treize whispered.
Mil froze, the breath catching in his throat. "And... what is it?"
Treize turned his head to him. "You've been ordered to appear in front of the Emperor the day after we reach the City. Alone."
After a couple of seconds, Mil remembered how to breathe, but when he wanted to drop the hand from his mate's shoulder, Treize wouldn't allow it and gripped his hand in his own.
"Well, if worse comes to worse, we could always ask Irien for refuge," Treize said, his voice forcibly light.
Milliardo looked Treize in the eye and saw that his mate was only partially joking. They both knew that if need be, Irien would take them in, no questions asked. They respected each other and trusted each other.
Milliardo swallowed and nodded. "So... what now?"
Treize squeezed his hand gently, then laid his arm around the blond lifebearer's shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. "Now we wait. We will see what the future will bring..."
TBC...
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