Can't stop a killing idea
If it's hunting season
Is this what you want?
I'm not the only one
-Lyrics to 'Psychosocial' performed by Slipknot

Crimson Bonds Part 31

"Now I know that it is not like anyone here to give up on a hunt or a scientific investigation such as the one we have taken on," Septum said as he raised his hands to bring a calm back to his audience. "However, it would be wrong of me to not inform you of this new development. In light of it, I would not blame a one of you if you wished to bow out."

Waiting until he had complete silence and everyone's full attention, the scientist drew a deep breath and announced, "There has been overwhelming evidence uncovered to leave no room for question that the Barton-Yuy Clan has direct associations with the infamous Khushrenada-Merquise Clan."

Another eruption of sound broke throughout the whole of the staff seated and standing throughout the atrium. Wide-eyed as they gasped and shouted, the Hunters and scientific teams faced each other to exchange hushed, exclaimed words of worry.

Her mouth hanging open, Lucie physically paled. Through her own swirling thoughts and concerns, she was able to note how only one person in the entire room had not reacted in at least some way to the news.

And that was Broderick.

With a deep frown of hurt, she turned her head to the tall young man beside her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she breathed. "You told me you had no idea what this meeting was about?"

Shrugging, Dawson glanced over to meet her gaze and replied, "I couldn't risk anyone else hearing it before the Boss got it out. You were going to learn about it soon enough."

Aisley folded her arms across her ample chest with a glare, huffing, "Still, it would have been better coming from you." Taking advantage of the growing clamor flooding the auditorium, she snapped, This whole time I thought that we were good enough friends that you could have shared that much with me."

Raising an eyebrow, Broderick allowed a touch of the anger rising in him to show as he growled lowly, "I hope that you don't believe for a second that I think you've come to me with everything you know. Friends or not, we're all out for ourselves to earn Septum's favor for those nice bonuses filling out accounts. when we go above and beyond."

Slowly leaning down closer to the little brat that he reluctantly called a friend for the sake of keeping her close enough so that he could have his eye on her, the handsome Hunter pressed, "Tell me you've disclosed everything from your days in the field and I'll be happy to open my records to you. But watch what you say. I have a very good memory of our conversations and how many of them included mentions of your search."

Even over the din around them, the audible snap of Lucie's teeth meeting in the closing of her mouth rang out clear as a bell. Swallowing roughly, she knew that she had trapped herself into a corner that she had to find a way out of.

There was nothing that she could say in that moment to deny that Broderick was right in her holding back what she knew. Much as it pained her, she had to relent and give him that much if she hoped to ever have a chance to stay in his good graces.

"Forgive me, dear," the blonde young woman requested sincerely with a dip of her head as her eyes closed. "I did not mean to put you in a spot like that. You're right that the work we put in is ours to use as we please. It was wrong of me to guilt you when you clearly had only the right intentions."

Still, she did not like the fact that the man of her desires considered them as being out for themselves.

Though that much was true in her case, it still irked her to no end that the man she continued to pine over thought the same of her. Now already having done a bit of damage to the trust he must had held in her before, she was going to have to really work her charms if she was going to win him over.

All in due time. Lucie knew that she had to prioritize her goals if she was going to best Broderick by being the one to snag the Hybrid before him.

Millers raised his arms once more to wave to the crowd, insisting over the dulling commotion, "Given the very seriousness of this revelation, I want you all take into consideration the potential threat that may be at play if our target has such friends in high places."

Running his eyes over the faces watching him, he went on, "Should there be any of you who feels uncomfortable proceeding under this stressor, you have my blessing to leave freely and to carry on with your lives with my most sincere gratitude and blessing."

With a deep pull of air, Septum stated, "The hour is growing late, so you may sleep on it and make your decision. All I ask is for the respect to be given the chance to know in advance before you move on so that I may personally thank you for your services and devotion to this hunt. Those remaining behind, we will continue on as usual. Thank you for your time."

'Short and sweet,' Millers thought to himself as he descended the podium and took to the stage's steps while the tongues went to flapping. Putting on a sad smile, he nodded to those who were coming to their feet in the front rows who set their eyes firmly on him as he set out for the closest side door.

Alone in the maze of catwalks beyond the atrium, the scientist smirked to himself, "Time to separate the mice from the men."

*   *   *   *   *   *

Hours later...

Existence at the Barton-Yuy mansions had been a flurry from the moment the sun rose. Beside themselves with excitement in learning that their Uncle Heero and Uncle Duo were expecting a child if their own, one which the youngest were told their mother would be taking care of in the process, the kids might as well have been expecting another brother or sister of their own.

Between their coming to term with the news and the receiving of their visitors in the Catalonia-Greyson Clan, the children were in a blur of activity throughout the estates, leaving Anna very tired come the late afternoon.

Waking from the nap that she had slipped away to catch up on some much-needed rest, she smiled to herself and pushed herself up from the bed she and Wufei shared and headed out of the room.

Once out in the hallway, the Irish Infected blinked in surprise at how quiet the estate was. Only then did she note the dimness that flooded the hallway... which never affected her enhanced sight until she made notice to the darkness of the outside world beyond the large, bay windows at the end of the hallway.

"Huh," Anna muttered to herself, "must have been out a lot longer than I thought." Which would explain the stillness throughout the house. The kids were likely already asleep for the night.

Making her way down the staircase and into the living room, the redheaded immortal smiled brightly at the sight of her husband sitting in the recliner as he typed away at his laptop. His scaly fingers pausing over the keyboard at her arrival, Wufei grinned sweetly, "Hey."

Quickly closing the computer and setting it aside on the table beside the chair, the Chinese warrior stood and closed the distance between them as he commented, "I was originally planning on joining you until you woke, but you were too cute to risk waking you when I peeked in a little while ago when the kids went down."

Giggling as he wrapped her up in his strong arms, Anna rested the side of her head against his shoulder and closed her gold-rimed eyes as he pressed and held a kiss against the top of her head. "Did you have a good rest?" Chang asked by her ear.

"I'll say," his wife snorted, leaning back so that their gazes could meet again.

Nodding, Wufei smirked, "Good. And now that we have some time alone, I have been meaning to have a serious talk with our third party."

Before the other Infected could ask what he meant, he scooped her up and gently set her down on the recliner. Kneeling between her legs, he pulled back at the hem of her orange tank top to reveal her flat stomach 'freckled' from the shots that she had taken to be able to conceive Heero and Duo's child.

Lightly running a finger over the cool skin there, the scaly Infected introduced, "Hello tiny one. I'm your Uncle Wufei and I have a couple of things to discuss. First, you have no idea how much you're already loved by your fathers and the rest of us. Second, if you can help it, try to go easy on your Aunt Anna these next nine months. She's going to take great care of you, so you just keep growing without a worry."

Chang leaned in to kiss Anna's stomach and concluded, "Love you, little niece or nephew." When he pulled the tank top back down, he chuckled quietly at the sight of the Irish Infected wiping at her eyes. He shrugged, "It's tradition, even if the baby's not our own."

Snickering, the redhead replied, "That was very sweet, love." With a sigh, her fangs grew in as she informed, "Now, I am going to have to see to this insatiable libido and hunger."

"All too happy to help ther-" was all that Wufei managed to get out before he was pushed back onto the floor as he felt a familiar pair of teeth dig into the flesh in the side of his neck.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Once the children had retired for the night, Rosshe and his family carried the party over to Heero and Duo's back patio.

For the braided Hybrid, he particularly enjoyed their visits as it felt like a class reunion since he had attended his brief stint in college with Trent, Alex, Mueller and Sophia.

At Yuy and Maxwell's wedding, the former Hunter of the foursome had taken the time to introduce their friends to Vampires that had lost their Companions in the crossfire of the surge on Solo's island. And instant new bonds had been forged.

Decades later, the tight classmates were still in shock of the untimely events that their 'brother' and Duo had been caught up in without their knowing. The thought that Greyson had despised Infected enough in those days to have joined the ranks of Hunters and Maxwell being a half-breed of living and Infected never ceased to amaze them.

"So how are dealings with the Preventers in this neck of the woods?" Mueller asked as he unconsciously leaned his side against his beautiful wife, Heather. "Have you been as busy as you were back in Europe?"

Trowa's eyebrows lifted in his consideration of that question before he answered, "Actually, we haven't received a single case since moving back here. All things considered with the changes in the registration laws, I am surprised that we have not been needed."

At that, Sophia beamed, "Well, that's reassuring. We were all worried about the retaliation that might have come on from the whole mess in the World Senate."

Shrugging, Heero replied, "We had a slight increase in cases leading up to the final vote, but it died back down soon after."

He crossed his arms and rested his back against the porch doorway behind him as he frowned, "Anyone meaning to do harm can easily evade having trackers added to them. The whole order that law enforcers are expected to kill on sight any Vampire without an armband once the upload is complete is a a foolish one for any living to expect to work. As Infected ourselves, even we have a time destroying our own as it is."

Alex shuddered and clung onto his the hand of his petite bride, Becky, as he added softly, "Not to mention that it'll only encourage Hunters more to try and get away with destroying any Vampires that are unfortunate enough to cross paths with them."

"I hate to admit that I know enough of that organization to say you're probably right on that, I can't argue against it either," Trent all but whispered. Swallowing roughly, he lowered his head to stare at the floor beneath the round table that he and his family took up.

Tricia, the lovely brunette Vampire sitting at his side, smiled reassuringly as she turned to face him. "There is no need for you to look back and regret those days, my heart," she urged. "Keeping in mind what had happened to your sister, no one in this room would ever fault you for enlisting with the Hunters." She grinned all the wider, stating, "Besides, if you hadn't, we would never have met."

Unable to help but find relief in that, Greyson raised his head again and brought their linked fingers towards his lips to kiss the back of her hand. Staring deep into her green-and-gold eyes, he smirked, "Very true. Thank you, love."

Midi stepped into onto the patio with a tray filled with fine porcelain as she announced cheerfully, "Tea's up."

While the dainty cups were passed around, inside the estate living room, Dorothy was standing before the fireplace wearing a blank expression and clouded over eyes as she stared to the arrangement of framed photos displayed atop the cherry wood mantle.

Most specifically, her attention was centered on the grinning creature that had attacked and tricked her to work against the Vampires to keep her as his willing and unknowing prisoner.

Peeking his braided head beyond the entryway, Duo winced. Of course his friend had known of the little memorial that he and his family had conducted for Solo. She was more than aware of the picture she was half-glaring at. But no doubt it had to make her uncomfortable to see any such respect shown to his brother.

Few had more right to show anything but contempt for the blonde Hybrid than Catalonia.

Not only was she his first turned, but she had been used and manipulated into using the sight that he had gifted her with to help him capture hundreds upon hundreds like her... many of those captures ending in the death of Vampires, those Others or both.

She had witnessed on her own the madness that had claimed the Wilds, those Chosen who had forever lost their intended Infected when their bond had been severed the moment Solo literally sank his fangs into them.

And there were many other untold horrors that the Companion had to endure as her kidnapper played with her mind while trying to end the bond between her and Rosshe.

That alone was something that simply could not be overlooked. It could not be reconciled in her mind.

"Hey, Dorothy," Maxwell greeted with a smile and a brightness in his voice. "There you are." His grin slipping as he neared the Chosen, their matching gold arm bands catching the glow of the lamp lights through the room, he swallowed roughly at catching how even his arrival did not draw her half-glare-half-sorrowful stare away from the image of his twin.

Shaking her head, Catalonia murmured to the framed shot as though she were speaking to the Hybrid in it, "Forgiveness hasn't been an easy thing for me. I have wanted nothing more than to go on hating... to go on thankful that no one else will ever be taken away the way that I and so many others had been..."

With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and cast her shimmering, translucent blue eyes towards her friend. "But I have been practicing my husband's example of patience and letting go," the Companion said quietly. "Rosshe is a firm believer in putting himself in the shoes of anyone we would consider our enemies and so I have been applying the same when it comes to Solo."

Her frame shaking, Dorothy rubbed her exposed arms and frowned, "And that only makes it worse in a way, since I can't deny the fact that your brother was a tortured soul. Every part of me was so disgusted with what he did that all I knew was to despise him. And here I am as of late... actually feeling sorry for him more than anything."

She wiped away a stray tear laughing bitterly, "Hell, I even understand how you must love him, regardless of how much he had hurt you as well."

"Midi told me in the past that it's a lot easier to hate than it is to love," Duo grinned sadly. "And for a long time, that was the case for me when it came to Solo."

Biting his lip, he commented in a murmur, "But he was my only brother. And having the details to what happened to him in that base, I can't help wishing that I could have had more time to talk to him. There'll always be a part of me that thinks he could have been reasoned with, if he sacrificed himself to give the rest of us a chance to get away with our existences."

The Hybrid released a huff of a breath and turned away to dry his own face. "So, yea," he snickered as he took his friend back in with a watery smile. "I do love him. I miss him. Wish things could have been different... better for him."

Reluctant as she was to do it, Dorothy nodded in agreement, whispering, "I do, too." Smiling sadly, she complimented, "If it could have meant that he would have turned out anything like his brother, then the world would have been all the better to have you both."

Taken aback by that sincere comment, Duo blushed. "Well, thank you for that," he snickered. "Of course, I give Heero the credit of turning my bad mood of a self around from the days before we met."

"Don't even try to pass that all off on me," the Original said as he entered the room with Rosshe. Grinning, Yuy wrapped his startled partner up from behind and kissed his temple. Offering an apologetic nod to the blonde Companion, he informed, "We did not mean to eavesdrop on you. But it couldn't be helped for us to pick up on a few things on the way here."

Rosshe pulled his wife close as he shared softly, "We have all come a long way in accepting what had passed and moving on."

Lightly running a hand through the former Seer's hair, he sighed, "But none more than you, my heart. And I am very proud of you for coming along so far. It is a great relief for me to realize that it has helped in your healing as much as I had hoped that it would. Out of everyone who had been affected by Solo, you deserve the chance to find your peace above all."

Dorothy melted against him, smiling, "Thank you, dear. It was a long time coming, but you are the one I owe the most credit to for it." She tugged on the front of her husband's red shirt to bring him in close for a deep kiss that she poured her everything into.

Winking to his Companion, Heero gestured with his head towards the door. His braided head nodding firmly, Duo allowed his Vampire to lead him out of the room to give their guests some much needed privacy.

*   *   *   *   *   *

"Damn it!" Lucie snapped as the door to her private quarters closed.

Pacing back and forth across the long span of her living room, the Hunter dry-washed her face.

Already restless from the prior day's events surrounding Septum's speech, there was an added tension in how she had yet to run into Broderick to try and test the waters between them following their tempered encounter during it.

It had been almost a full day and her handsome counterpart had not emerged into the world of the base. Perhaps even Dawson was weighing his options over whether or not to stay on the case for the Hybrid in light of his own discovery.

Hell, anyone wanted to leave the search behind had the right now that word was out of the Khushrenada-Merquise Clan's involvement with their primary targeted pack in the Barton-Yuy Clan. With such powerful Vampires in the mix, there was no telling what they could do-

...such as protecting an entire family ... and keeping them hidden along with their potential fox holes...

Her eyes widening, Lucie froze in the center of the room as her back straightened rigidly. "That's it," she whispered. Scrambling for her briefcase tucked away in the far corner by her work space, she fell to her knees and spilled the contents of images onto the floor so that her hands could frantically fold them out until she found what she was after.

When she came upon the privately owned details of the mansion cluster in Virginia, Aisley gripped its sides tight enough to crinkle them as she lifted it towards her face so that she could stare at the snap shot she had taken.

Stretched out along a curved, lone sidewalk were three large estates. The home on the far right was colored in a mixture of complimentary greens, golds and honey hues with Celtic details. The house on the left bore empty flower beds outside of every large window decorated in warm browns and creams. And the mansion between them was of warm neutral colors with black edges.

The residences had been long abandoned by the Barton-Yuy Clan to be purchased by one secured by the highest levels of security. How convenient that not far from this coven was a similar one belonging to the family standing on the Vampire Council.

A coincidence that was completely overlooked until that moment.

Lucie's lips curled at their corners into a ruthless smile as she laughed deeply to herself. "Hello, my little Pet."

TBC...

 

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