As always... with apologies to the Harrys....
Circles Part 3
Duo carefully lifted the ring out of the cauldron with his tongs and placed it on a clean towel. If Heero was watching, he shouldn't be too suspicious- enchanting rings was a fairly common practice.
Biting back a sigh, Duo carefully wiped the ring clean. Heero had come back with an answer from the council fairly quickly- but it hadn't been encouraging. 'Soon' didn't imply much of a time line- and time was running out. The Hunter's Moon was in three days.
If only he'd discovered the spell sooner! As it was, he was pushing the year limit- his guardian had been very specific on the amount of time that it was possible to reverse. Ten years was the limit- and it would be ten years to the day...
Carefully he touched the ring- it had cooled enough that he was able to pick it up in his hands. He slid it on his finger and cast a glance around his workroom. No sign of Heero. Climbing the stairs, he peeked out into his living room- no sign there either.
"Heero?" He tried cautiously. No answer.
Good. He knew the Preventers usually met once a week at this time. Heero had to be gone at the meeting- and when he came back- Duo should be able to spot him. If he was lucky, maybe Heero would have to help someone else for a bit and not return for a while.
If only he could figure out how the hell Heero was getting through his wards! He'd never given the man free access- even when they'd been lovers- so how was he doing it now?
Hurrying back down the stairs, he mentally shelved his ideas to re-cast the wards until later. Right now he had other work to do.
The book was carefully hidden under one of his tables, shoved into a battered cardboard crate, under a pile of old rags. Sitting on the floor beside his circle, Duo hurriedly flipped pages until he came to the right one.
He had everything he needed except the potion- and that had to sit for two days to enough strength. He had just enough time to concoct it- and hide it. After charging the circle with power, he got up and pulled his cauldron over to the circle, conjuring a fire underneath it. Usually he didn't bother with the circle for potion-making, but he didn't want to risk anyone being able to see what he'd been brewing.
Quickly, he pulled out the components and began tossing them in the pot, murmuring the needed phrases, double checking the book frequently. Once he finished, he set the book down on the counter and concentrated on the cauldron, stirring the contents carefully.
He didn't notice the pages of the book flutter a little- as if someone was flipping through them.
The dark sticky contents of the cauldron grew lighter and lighter- once they because clear, Duo quickly decanted the potion into a bottle and capped it. The potion and the book were stored back into the box, the cauldron scrubbed and returned to it's place. He disenchanted the circle and heaved a sigh of relief.
Complete. All he had to do now was wait for the Hunter's Moon- go out to the right spot- and do what needed to be done.
All he had to do was figure out a way to give Heero the slip that night- and the ring should help with that. Now that he could see that tricky bastard come and go...
Turning, he nearly jumped out of his skin to find Heero sitting on the steps, regarding him with a frown. How much had he seen? Damn it- he hadn't been looking that way after he started... "What are you doing back already?" He tried and hoped Heero would be distracted by the fact that Duo could see him.
"Back already?" Heero echoed. "I've been here the whole time."
"The whole- I didn't see you! I checked!"
Heero shook his head with a sigh. "I was up there," he said and nodded towards the ceiling.
Crap. He had done well in levitation class, Duo remembered. Why hadn't he looked up there? How much had Heero seen?
"Want to tell me why you're planning on breaking a major law?"
Damn it. Duo sat down on the floor and glared at Heero. "Fuck off. There is nothing illegal about making that potion."
"True. Using that potion, however, is illegal. So, you're just experimenting? Going through your guardian's journals just for fun? To pass the time?"
The emphasis on the last three words made Duo's stomach twist. "None of your fucking business, Yuy."
"It is. I'm here to watch you. To make sure that you aren't in fact, following in your guardian's footsteps. Today I watched you pull out one of his journals and concoct a potion from it- one that casts a very illegal time travel spell. You realize, Duo, that the council will execute you for this?"
The despair in Heero's voice made Duo draw in a sharp breath. "Heero, please," he got up from the floor and moved to the stairs. "Please- give me a few days- if this goes right- then I won't be here for them to punish-"
"What do you mean? What are you planning to do with it?"
"I'm going to go back- ten years ago- on Hunter's Moon- that bastard came to take me from the orphanage. I can stop him- save those people- save everyone else he went after- I just have to go back and-"
"Duo- are you insane? You tried to fight him once- don't you remember?"
"I was just out of school- I'm better now! And he won't be expecting me! Taking him by surprise like that- I know I'll beat him!"
"And what will that do to the time line, Duo? You know damn well why it's illegal to do that sort of thing! How many lives will you ruin-"
"I won't ruin anyone's life! I'm saving them! Can't you see that?"
"What about your own? Have you forgotten already? If he doesn't take you out of that place- send you to the school- your condition- it won't ever be fixed- and you'll-"
"I don't care about me! What happens to me doesn't matter! But they- they all deserve better- they deserve a chance to live!"
Heero took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Duo was familiar with this tactic of Heero's- calming himself- trying to stay rational- thinking things out.
Had he gotten through to Heero at all?
Heero opened his eyes and stood up, determination in every line. "Look, Duo- I understand, I do. I know why you think you need to do this. But you need to think of all the outcomes- think how very badly wrong all of this could go. You know why this sort of thing is forbidden- hell, think of some of the things your guardian tried to do with this spell- even he had problems-"
"I have," Duo snapped. "I have- but Heero- if there is a way to stop him from killing all of them- I need to try!"
Stepping towards him, Heero sighed. "I had a feeling you were going to say that. Duo- I can't stand by and let you do this-"
With a pulse of power, Duo charged the other circle in his floor- the hidden one- and it sprung to life around Heero.
"I'm afraid that's just what you'll have to do."
Heero pounded on the invisible walls that surrounded him- and Duo saw his lips move- but he couldn't hear Heero through the circle. Just as well... he couldn't have his resolve wavering- not when he was this close.
"I have to do this, Heero. I'm sorry. Once the Hunter's Moon is over, the circle will let you go. I promise." He retreated up the stairs, leaving his furious prisoner alone. "I am sorry."
Leaning against the closed door of his work room, he closed his eyes. It would all be over soon.
TBC...
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