Don't pay no mind to the demons, they fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone... cause I'm going to make this place your home
-Lyrics to 'Home' performed by Phillip Phillips

Crimson Bonds Part 1

"Mamma! Daddy!" came the bright, excited voice of the youngest member of the Barton-Yuy-Chang clan.

Rosie, no more than eight years in age, appeared suddenly on the front porch of her family's home at the far right of the three-fold cluster of estates owned by the Vampires. Bearing her father's eyes and Asian facial features with her mother's shock of red hair that fell in long curls to her waist, she suddenly darted forth in a blur of herself to be scooped up by her laughing parents in a tight group hug.

With a deep sigh of content, Anna kissed her daughter's head and greeted, "Hello, Little Bud. We've been missing you like crazy these last few days." Humming an affirmative, Wufei chuckled when the child shifted herself to give him a tight hug around his scaly neck once she finally peeled herself from her mother.

Gladly holding her back, the Chinese Infected pressed and held a kiss against her temple. "And I hope that you kids were good for your Aunt Midi while we were off," he commented in his stern, but warm fatherly manner that he carried on naturally when dealing with his children.

Pulling back to meet her own onyx eyes with his, Rosie beamed, "I was good, Daddy." She covered the side of her mouth, adding as though in confidence, "Solo and the others were handfuls, though."

"Hey! We were not!" shouted the specifically named of the bunch. Materializing before his parents, the eleven-year-old stuck his tongue out at his sister with a mild glare. "No point in tattling if it isn't true."

In the following blink, his co-conspirators appeared to flank him, all varying in ages bearing a mix of both their mother and their father in some way... as well as a the occasional bit of Heero and Duo due to their blood ties. And together, they began to talk over one another in their defenses while the remainder of the Changs- currently six available- came out into the open.

A hand waving in the air, Anna brought the other to her mouth to let out a long and sharp whistle that had the lot falling silent. "Okay. We'll sort all of this out later once your Dad and I have had a proper welcome back and seen to all of you," she giggled. Working from left to right down the line, she said, "So... Hi, Solo, Mao, Ian, Fiona and Cai. It's so good to be back home."

That sent a wave over the little charges, turning them into a cheering lot as they latched onto their parents. Snickering, the couple bent at the knees to accept their embraces and kisses while the other Preventers entered the scene laughing as they shook their heads in amusement.

Before long, elated cries of 'Uncle Heero!' 'Uncle Duo' and 'Uncle Trowa!' rang as the younglings moved to accept the rest of their family.

Giggling as she descended the porch steps to near the lot, Midi folded her hands at her waist. As Anna and Wufei turned their questioning gazes onto her, she winked and reassured, "They were not any trouble at all. Nothing that I or my power couldn't handle."

Her arms looping around the Irish and Chinese immortals as they hugged her in return, the deemed 'little mother' stated, "But I have to admit that I am glad I live vicariously through you two. I have no idea how you are able to see to that bunch on your own."

"Practice," the pair chorused, chuckling when they looked on one another.

At the sight of her husband, the Latin beauty melted in relief and rushed into his opening arms for a sound kiss. Taking up the opportunity to escape amidst the confusion for a much more suitable reunion, they slipped away to their cottage on the far left of the three huddled together in the mountainside.

Solo hung from the braided hybrid's arm that was lifted in the air, so that they could be raised to be eye level as he asked, "So did yas get the bad guys, Uncle Duo?"

Maxwell smirked, "Sure did, kiddo. And it should be a while before we have any more trouble like that."

Under his breath as he hoisted Rosie onto his back, Heero muttered, "Let's hope for that. This new line of Rogues is becoming more and more challenging for us to handle." His Companion glanced over with a shallow nod. Even his alter ego had faced a time in sniffing out this last trio.

It was all part of a new wave running rampant- Vampires turning humans simply to gain loyal numbers. Being that the true Infected of the packs that tended to travel by threes and fours were not Originals themselves, they were able to bring out some pretty impressive mutations in their creations.

The Preventers had been more than fortunate, all things considered, in containing the epidemic. The last thing that their kind needed was for word to break out and cause a panic amongst the mortals.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek in thought as his family headed back to their homes, Yuy asked his brother and sister, "Would the two of you mind giving us a little time alone before I give Treize a call to give our mission report? I promise we will return the favor once everything is in order come first light tomorrow morning."

"No problem at all," Anna smiled as she scooped her daughter into her care once more. Turning the girl upside down to hold her by her ankles, she blew a raspberry on Rosie's exposed belly to have her squeal with laughter as she giggled, "We could always stand for more time to catch up with our little ones, here."

Wufei smirked, "I'll never complain about that." Replacing Duo's arm with his own for Solo to hang from, he told their children, "Let's go, Spawn." Bouncing on their feet, the kids rushed in to have something of their parents to ride on or from so that they could all be carried into their cottage in a tangle of limbs as their bright voices spoke over each other.

Unable to help himself, Maxwell stared after the lot with a wistful smile until they faded from sight at the closing of the front door. His daydreaming was only broken by an arm draping over his shoulders and a cool kiss against his brow.

"Come along, Uncle Duo," his lover smirked as his partner turned his braided head towards him. Gently nudging the Hybrid towards their estate, he half-purred, "I think that you and Shinigami have more than earned a thorough repayment for your hard work these last few days."

All but completely forgetting where his thoughts had traveled, Duo shifted his gears to a different primal need that needed to be seen to before anything else. "Lead on, Uncle Heero," he replied in kind, a hint of a glow behind his violet irises serving as a hint that the other part of his being was listening and ready to partake of the offering.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Several hours later, Yuy was seated at the round table in the center of his enclosed back porch.

Folding his arms as he leaned back into his chair, he kept his stare on the glowing monitor in front of him. A fresh pair of bite marks in the side of his neck, he frowned deeply, "I wish that this case could have been closed without the blood that had been spilt leading up to the removal of our targets. We were lucky to have avoided any attention this time around."

Displayed on the screen, Treize Khushrenada sighed in his own concern. "The only thing working for us there is that even Rogues do not want humans onto them," he muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It makes them careful of the disposal of their victims' bodies." Even as the words left him, he made a sour face over how badly they tasted having to refer to those poor souls in such a way.

Not a single life lost was taken without regard when it came to the Preventers. While their enemies might have considered those people trash to be discarded, it could not have been further from how the agents felt about them.

"You have the blood samples, then?" the Councilman asked.

With a firm nod, Heero replied, "I am sure that Wufei has them in preserved storage under lock and key by now. They'll be perfectly safe with us until Quatre has a moment to look into them."

At that, Treize shook his head in amusement and smiled sincerely, "Of course they are. I should not have even bothered questioning." Bowing deeply at the torso, he praised, "Good work as always. Your success means a great deal as you continue to be credits to our kind. I will be certain to personally extend my gratitude to the rest of your family as well."

Nodding firmly, his fellow Original smirked, "I am sure that they would appreciate hearing from you. Switzerland is a beautiful place, but we have missed living closer to your clan. Maybe you can spend a few weeks out here when Council breaks for the upcoming season?"

Khushrenada chuckled deeply, "Actually, we were just discussing that the other day. If you would have us, we would be more than happy to stay out there for a while. Those details we can sort out together later."

He moved to take up a pen and jotted his notes of their call down on a pad as he informed, "As for those blood samples, I will have Quatre contact Trowa to be teleported to your residence within the next twenty-four hours. The sooner he can run his tests on them the better."

"Agreed," Yuy replied. At the movement in the doorway, he shifted his gold-and-cobalt eyes to have them settle on his Companion.

Having left his hair free of its braid so that the long and slightly disheveled strands could fall around him, Duo leaned against the post behind him with a sated smile for his Other. Dressed in a simple, skin-tight black T-shirt and blue jeans as he was, and even after the many years that they had been together, he was still absolutely captivating the Vampire.

Finally breaking from his stupor with a shake of his head, Heero cleared his throat and focused back on the Commander. "Sorry," he snickered sheepishly, "what was I saying?"

Though he could not see the Hybrid, Treize was fully aware of what could have been the only reason for his agent's distraction and laughed, "Hello, Duo. Glad that you all have returned home safely."

"Hey, fearless leader," Maxwell grinned widely as he rounded the table to wave to the Councilman. The short walk brushed his hair back from his shoulders to expose the fang bites in his own neck. "Be sure to give the rest your family our best for us while you're deciding on when you'll be visiting us," he smirked.

Khushrenada smiled, "I will certainly do that. There are a few more calls that I need to make before officially sealing this case with Quatre's findings, so I will leave you both to enjoying your recuperation again." Biting his lip, Heero knew that if he were capable of blushing he would have. Duo, of course, had no shame in practically embodying their recent lovemaking sessions to their Commander. Hell, he was outright proud of it.

But that unashamed demeanor to the immortal's conservative nature was one of the many ways that balanced the pair.

Their pleasantries and salutations exchanged, the connection was cut and the laptop screen turned black. As soon as they had their privacy once again, Yuy took a firm hold of his lover's wrist and pulled him into his lap before Duo could even blink.

Pulling the Hybrid close in the next second, the Infected decided to be the one to take the moment of surprise by crushing their lips together in a fiery kiss.

Mentally reeling over the speed and sensations of the 'assault,' Maxwell could only freeze with wide-eyes while everything returned enough for him to sigh as his eyelids closed in his readily joining in on the spar between their tongues.

It was a good long while before the soul mates separated. Once they did, Duo chuckled huskily, "Well if that's your way of punishing me for taking you out of your comfort zone around Treize, I should make a scene like that more often." He laughed at the slap that he received on what little part of his rump was within reach of his Vampire.

A smirk tugging the corner of his mouth, Heero announced, "We do have something that we need to discuss. What was on your mind earlier before I brought you into the house?"

Blinking widely, the Companion loosened his arms around his partner's neck. "You caught that, huh?" he snickered nervously.

His fingers turning to spin a few thick locks of long hair around his finger, Heero hummed an affirmative.

It was only a matter of time before it became a discussion once again, so Duo's shoulders sagged to display his surrender.

Shrugging, Maxwell began, "I was never jealous of Wufei and Anna having their own kids... but I was today when they were mobbed by those little wrist biters." With a slight wiggle to make himself more comfortable in his Infected's lap, he muttered, "For some reason, it really got to me. I guess that maybe my own instincts to want a family of my own have finally caught up." He ducked his head and watched the immortal's face carefully.

A warm smile spreading across Yuy's face, the Original replied, "That is nothing to be ashamed of. I have also been finding myself wishing that we could have our own child to come home to more and more after these last few missions that we've taken on." Raising an eyebrow, he reminded, "Besides, it is not as if we have not brought up the possibility of asking Anna to be a surrogate for us."

Were his heart still beating, Duo knew that it would have been racing out of his chest. Swallowing roughly, he breathed, "Does... does that mean you might be ready to see if she would?"

"Oh, I think it is more than safe to say that I am more than ready for us to have a baby," Heero grinned, tightening his hold around his Companion.

Gasping, Maxwell threw himself around his husband in a tight hold, unable to trust his voice to properly express his gratitude and excitement. He let the kiss that he initiated to do that for him. When they finally broke away again, he asked in a rush, "Do you think that Anna would agree to it?"

At the slight wince from his Other, the Hybrid's joy stalled. "I have a hard time believing that Anna could ever say no to us," Yuy stated quietly. Frowning in concern, he continued, "But I want it made perfectly clear to her that she has every right to say no if she so wishes. It is her body, after all. And whatever her decision, I will be content with it."

Duo was more than aware that what he and the Infected shared was born out of the intense love that only soul mates and lovers shared. However, if there was any such passionate connection of another kind that Heero knew it was with his sister.

They may not have ever been meant for each other in a physical way, but they were every bit as much bonded by a common, crimson threat that was no less deep in their own souls.

Whether he had been a part of the Irish Infected's turning, the Companion could not have thought more of her than if she came from him. Part of that was due to the Original who had bitten them first... but it was mostly due to how naturally close they had become as family.

And it was because of that Maxwell never hesitated in agreeing with a firm nod, "No argument there. The last thing that I would want is for her to only accept out of feeling obligated to it."

Shrugging, he added, "Besides, we do not even know if it's going to be possible in the first place. So, one step at a time, right?"

"One step at a time," Heero repeated, nodding resolutely. Grinning, he suggested, "Then we give ourselves and everyone a chance to settle back into home life for a few days and we call a meeting with our siblings."

The pact was sealed with another kiss... and more when that was soon realized to not be enough.

*   *   *   *   *   *

"No one around here has ever seen or heard of any Infected resembling those blood-suckers from the Barton-Yuy Clan, Doctor," the gruff voice on the other line informed. "I dug around all I could through the back channels and nothin' came up to prove otherwise. Safe to say the trail's run cold in Belgium."

Septum had not held his breath in hope that he might have heard differently. It was one of many others in the line of dead ends when it came to closing in on his prize. But he was far from disappointed over it. This only meant one less place to search.

Progress. That was how he chose to look at it. And all progress required patience.

Nodding to himself, the scientist replied, "Very good, Broderick. Take on whatever lead out of your options remaining that jumps out at you the most and get back to me." He raised a dark eyebrow, asking, "Just be certain to keep a low profile wherever you do go. The last thing that we need is to have another close call like Bari, Italy."

A snort filled his ear before the Hunter huffed, "Don't worry. That won't be happening again, sir." There was a brief pause before he announced, "I hear that China is nice this time of year. Maybe I'll lay low there for a while and think things through. Maybe I'll get lucky during my stay."

Possibly. But Septum was not about to go expecting anything.

Running the heel of his foot over the thick, metal chain that ran beneath his desk, the man grinned, "Whatever you believe best. So far as I know, the others have not been to that area in months and they are spread out through the other continents for now. You'll be on your own, as you like."

"Good," Broderick responded, the smirk on his face evident in his voice. "Whenever I get back to you, then."

The doctor leaned back in his leather chair as he propped the cell phone on his shoulder to stretch his arms overhead. "Enjoy the view out there," he suggested before disconnecting the call. Closing his cell phone, he rested it carefully on his desk and resumed typing away at his computer.

As he worked, he continued to trace over the chain at his feet in a calm, rhythmic tempo.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Meanwhile...

Anna sighed deeply in content as she felt the weight of her husband against her back move when he bent in to touch his lips gently against the series of fang marks in the back of her neck... and shoulders... and along her arms. "I love it when the kids are down for the night. One of the perks of raising little Vampires- they still need sleep to grow like normal babies," she giggled. "That was all too necessary."

Chuckling deeply, Wufei slid off of his bride to prop himself up on his side next to her before pulling their naked bodies flush against each other during a heated kiss. "My apologies for being a little over indulgent there," he murmured as he ran a scaly hand over the exposed bite marks in the now exposed side of his wife.

"Do not ever apologize for that," the redheaded immortal half-snickered and half-chided, her gold-and-blue eyes shifting up to meet his gaze. Smirking, she reassured, "You know that I get all hot and bothered when you go barbaric on me." They snickered and curled up together all the closer as their eyes drifted closed so that they could just saver the peace and quiet of their time together.

Seconds in, a little voice out in the hallway whimpered, "Mamma.. Daddy."

Their eyes snapping opened wide, the couple vanished from their bed in blurs of themselves.

In the blink of an eye, they were dressed, their room was cleaned of any trace of what had just transpired and they were soaring out into the hallway where a certain little girl was standing with a brown teddy bear nearly as large as she was to her chest.

Sniffling up at her parents, Rosie's red hair was separated and spun in two even braids that draped her shoulders as they fell down the front of her long, pale green nightgown. With tears in her gold-and-onyx eyes, she muttered, "I had a bad dream. I think dere's monsters 'n my room."

Physically melting, the Infected smiled sadly and whispered at the same time, "Aww."

Scooping up the child and straightening himself back up, Wufei pressed and held a kiss against her forehead as she clung to him. "I'll go and chase all of those mean old monsters away once and for all, Little Bud. In the meantime, you stay in our bed with Mommy until then so she can sing you back to sleep?"

"O-okay," Rosie nodded, her fears ebbing at her father's care and promise to scare off the baddies.

A warm smile on her face, Anna opened her arms to take her daughter and bear into a tight hold. An arm draped around the back of both his charges, Chang kissed their temples then exchanged smirks with his Other. Winking to her, the scaly Infected headed off to see to his 'monster hunting.'

"Come along, sweetheart," the Irish Vampire urged their little one nestling her head into the nape of her neck. Reaching up her free wrist for a tiny bite of fangs seeking another form of comfort, her voice began to sing softly, "'Tis the last rose of summer... left blooming alone.."

Further down the corridor, Wufei grinned widely to himself at the song that reached his ears as it faded at the disappearance of Anna and their girl in the room far to his back. Shaking his head to himself, he sighed deeply. For the days that he and his lover had been away, it was nice to have their existences to fall back into normalcy so fast...

It was good to be back home.

TBC...

 

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