All the vampires walkin' through the valley
Move west down Venture Boulevard
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
All the good girls are home with broken hearts
And I'm free... Free fallin'
-Lyrics to 'Free Fallin'' by Tom Petty
Crimson Ties Part 29
Slowly waking, Duo blinked a couple of times to focus his vision before he sat up in the bed he had slept in. His bed, he realized and corrected when he oriented himself and recognized the room around him. His room.
It was strange how this was not the first bed or the first room that he could ever call his. He'd had his own place in the Maxwell Church rectory. And he was certainly never deprived of whatever he needed thanks to his guardians.
But this was very different... this came with more of a true sense of home. This home was so much more permanent and meaningful with the association that this room and bed had in regards to Maxwell's new life with a certain Vampire that he'd accepted his tie to.
Heero.
A bit disappointed that the Infected had not stayed in his room to see him awaken, Duo rubbed the back of his neck. Of course Yuy would give him the space that he needed as he adjusted to his new life.
Raising his hand, the braided teenager ran his fingers over his lips that had been touched by Heero's. Briefly taking the memory of that short-lived kiss, he recalled the chilled mouth pressed against his. Cold, and yet with a brush of scorching heat in a silent promise of what more there could be.
Physically shaking at the shockwave that shot down his spine at the thought, Duo took a shaky breath. Too much. It was still all too much for him to have to work out in his mind. There were too many emotions crashing together to pull him under, making it difficult for him to know which way was back up to the surface where he could breathe.
One thing at a time. That was the only way to handle this drastic change. He needed to practice the same patience that Heero had before he did anything rash that he wasn't ready for that he might regret later.
Going about his morning business of showering and changing into a new pair of blue jeans and a brown sweater, Maxwell headed from his bedroom to move downstairs to find Heero. The familiar smell of breakfast cooking greeted him when he reached the first floor. Following the scent to the kitchen, he was surprised to find the profile of his Vampire at the stove.
"I may not be quite as apt at this as Midi at preparing meals," Yuy smirked as he plated a short stack of pancakes, eggs and toast. "However, I can make a decent breakfast on my own." He met the violet eyes on him and smiled, "Good morning."
Duo snickered, "Good morning." Following the Infected out into the dining room, he took the chair at the setting that had already been made up for him and couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face. It was a bit overwhelming that such a gorgeous and perfect creature would go so out of the way for him.
Waiting to enjoy a few mouthfuls of his meal first, the braided teenager peered to Heero at the head of the table beside him and inquired, "So, what ended up being decided at the meeting in handling the Rogues?"
The small nod from Yuy hinted to how he'd expected the question. Folding his arms, he leaned back in his chair as he answered, "We need to understand more about the targets that they're after before we can do much more than scout in the hopes of encountering them. There have been too many attacks in a short period of time for there to not be an intention behind them. Since there's at least two, they have a plotted method to what they're doing."
But their victims were just so random, Duo thought to himself. Then again, that in and of itself could have been their plan... keep the living they struck so different from each other than even the Preventers that they knew were onto them wouldn't be able to keep up.
"Wufei is looking into every possible angle that could tie the mission humans together," Heero went on to inform. "Lady Une is already in the process of contacting the other Preventer agents throughout the world to see if there are any strange occurrences that have gone unreported to them for other possible leads."
Taking a deep breath, the Vampire frowned, "In the meantime, we'll have to go about our lives as we have been. Scouting teams will continue to go out searching for either the Rogues themselves or any links to them. It's really all that we can do for the time being."
And there was no question that Yuy was not at all thrilled by their not having more to do. Having seen all of his family's and friends' faces when they looked at the images of the victims... having seen the sadness for those souls and at the same time the rage they harbored for the ones responsible, Duo was all too aware of how committed the Preventers were in seeing an end to this band of Rogues.
He also understood the sincere passion that the Infected in his life felt in protecting those who could not protect themselves... even if those that they were defending were not of their own kind. It was... pretty humbling to be one of the few humans to live knowing this aspect of the Vampires' existences.
Peering through the dining room windows to stare at the wintery fields behind their estate, Heero announced quietly, "Treize, Noin and Anna and going to the site of the attack before they continue the hunt where we had left off. They leave tonight once our sister is back from working her morning shift at the hospital."
Duo lowered his fork and studied the distant look on his Infected's face. He wasn't exactly sure what bothered Yuy more about the arrangement- the fact that their sister was going on without both him and Wufei around, or that he would have to stay behind when he clearly wanted to do more for the cause.
"Treize goes out into the field?" the teenager asked, trying to pull Heero from his troubling thoughts. The distraction was easily meant for himself as well, considering how he much he didn't like dwelling on how Anna would be out there looking for the Rogues.
Shaking his head, Yuy focused back on his Other and replied, "Yes. Neither he, nor Lady Une, believe that they're above their agents, even if they are our Commanders. They never ask anything of us that they wouldn't do themselves. And they would have been on more hunts over the last weeks if they hadn't been in Washington when our Council was in session."
'Admirable', Duo thought to himself. And just when he didn't think he could respect the couple any more than he already did.
His braided head lowering, the living took up his fork again to play with the remains of his breakfast as he asked, "Has Wufei found the identity of that latest victim from the missing police reports?"
With a deep breath, Heero sighed, "Not yet. You'd be surprised how many people go missing. Chang will find what we're looking for soon enough. He has a keen eye for filtering through the entries after all of the experience he's had with these incidents."
Maxwell nodded, silently wondering what this new victim would look like. But he couldn't let himself dwell for long down that path. There was nothing that he could do in helping the matter, so dark musings would only make it all the more difficult to deal with.
It was time for a new, more uplifting subject.
"So," the teenager began, a small smile returning to his face as he pushed his plate and silver ware aside, "I'm going to have to go back to campus tomorrow for my first day of finals." Blinking in confusion over the unexpected reminder, the Vampire waited for where his Other was leading.
Duo smirked, "I was hoping that maybe you'd return to work at the library so that I could see you between my tests. And I know that the staff and most of the student body would love to have you back."
Back straightening, Heero's eyes grew. "You wouldn't mind my being there?" he asked in little more than a breath. Raising an eyebrow, he snickered, "If we were around each other, I wouldn't be able to help myself in holding your hand or being as affectionate as I can be towards you. There wouldn't be any hiding from the rumor mill."
"Let them talk," Maxwell snorted with a shrug. "If I'm going to have to adjust to being your Other, everyone else around us will have to learn to get used to that, too."
The relief that washed over Yuy at those words was tangible. Grinning widely, he closed the distance between them to lift the living from his chair and his feet in a tight embrace as he placed a quick kiss on the boy's cheek.
With a fitful laugh, Duo wrapped his own arms around the Infected. Though he was carried securely, suspended from the floor, he felt himself sinking quickly in a whole other way. Closing his violet eyes, he rested his chin on Heero's shoulder and mentally let go to allow himself to fall freely.
* * * * * *
Hours later...
"I appreciate your giving me a few extra days off, Sally," Anna grinned as she and the doctor headed down the hallway at the end of the redhead's shift. Placing her mint green scrubs into her duffle bag, she winced, "You know that I wish I could give you more notice than this when something comes up."
Snickering, Po shook her head, "You know that I appreciate there are things in the world of Vampires that I'd rather not know about. More than that, you're always the one to work as many shifts as you can when you are around. I trust whatever it is that you're off to take care of is important, or you wouldn't have made the request for time. And you're not leaving me short-staffed, so take however long you need."
When they reached the exit doors, Sally stopped at the nurses' station to collect a couple of clipboards from the young woman stationed there. As she waved to her Irish friend, she smiled warmly, "Take care on whatever venture you're going on, Anna. And nice work with those accident victims this morning."
The Vampire returned the wave and smile as she called back, "Thanks!" Hurrying through the sliding doors at a normal pace, she headed for the employee parking lot. On her way, she reached into the pocket of her brown coat to remove a small toy car. Her smile turning wistful, she raised it to 'drive' it over invisible hills in the air.
A familiar voice chuckled deeply when she entered the enclosed lot, bringing her widening eyes to attention on the figure leaning against her shared black car. Pushing himself off their vehicle, Wufei smirked, "Another present for my favorite nurse?"
Giggling, Anna closed the distance between them to hold her husband tightly. Pressing their lips together in a sound kiss, she beamed when they broke away, "Well your showing up like this just made my day."
"Well, I'm going to spend every possible second with you that I can before you have to go on the hunt," Chang replied. Pulling his wife in for a deeper and hungrier kiss, he poured all of his need into it. Her eyes widening at the intensity, the redheaded Infected quickly recovered to close her eyes and return the gesture in kind.
Finally ending the heated exchange, the scaly Vampire chuckled at his bride's disappointed pout. "A promise of what's to come when we get home," he smirked. Giving her rear a quick slap, he rounded the car to reach the driver's side to the ring of Anna's laughter.
Secured in the vehicle, Wufei drove them out of the lot and into the side streets as he glanced over at the redhead. The toy car was back in her hands as she stared down at it, playing with the tiny wheels. "So, what miracle did you have today?" he asked with a proud smile before he looked back to the road.
Blinking, Anna returned to the present and looked over at her husband. "There was a three-car pile up on the highway. Everyone came out alright in the end, thankfully." Her gold-and-blue eyes looked back down at the toy as she grinned, "One of the passengers was an eight-year-old boy with a concussion and a broken arm that I was in charge of. Before he and his father were released, he gave this to me."
Chang shook his head in amusement, not at all surprised by the gesture. The Irish Infected had a natural way with children. She had quite the growing collection of gifted trinkets in their home to prove it. And every one of those little souvenirs was cherished.
His thoughts drifted to those two innocent kids that were amongst the victims of the Rogues plaguing the eastern coast. Eyes narrowing and hands tightening on the wheel, the scaly Vampire could imagine his blood boiling on him if it were able.
"I was able to compose a lineup to show Zechs, Heero and Trowa," Wufei announced quietly to keep the anger from his tone. Glancing from the corner of his eye, his lips curled into a mischievous smile as he stated, "But that can all wait until after I have properly worshiped you before you prepare to leave."
Shivering, Anna's own mouth took on the same Cheshire grin. The lovemaking session that was sure to soon follow promised to be a very fulfilling one in more ways than one. And it couldn't have come at a better time, considering her thirst for her husband's blood.
There was nothing better than a proper send off before a hunt.
* * * * * *
Early Evening...
Midi hummed a cheerful tune to herself as she stepped into her cousins' living room. Holding out a tablet of paper and a pen to the braided teenager seated on the couch, she requested, "I'll need the names of all of your friends that you'd like to have attend the party. You can leave the address research to me and I'll send off the invitations."
"You're too much," Duo chuckled as he took the writing utensils. Shaking his braided head, he began jotting the names down.
Of course, there would have to be Alex, Trent, Mueller, Sylvia and Catherine at the top of the list. There were others amongst his classmates to be included as well, more than what he'd expected as he never took into account just how many people he had come to become friends with in just a few short months.
Stretched out onto his back to occupy the other end of the couch, Heero folded his arms behind his head that was propped up by the arm rest. When his Other continued to write, he smiled, "You're quite the popular one. Not that I expected any different, considering how magnetic a person you are."
Against his best efforts, Maxwell felt his cheeks burning with the blush that came on from the compliment. Lightly smacking his Vampire's legs, he snorted, "You're just saying that because you're biased."
With a shrug, Yuy replied, "I think the truth speaks for itself." Raising an eyebrow, he commented, "You still haven't stopped writing yet." Rather than argue, Duo half-heartedly rolled his eyes as he continued to put the pen in his hand to the paper while Midi kept her mouth closed in an entertained smile.
Then, struck with a sudden realization, the living's violet eyes grew as he gasped, "O-oh my God. I almost forgot Father Maxwell and Sister Helen." Frowning, he ran his gaze down the long list that he'd already compiled that did not include his long-time guardians. Any other time, they would have been the first people on his mind to invite to such an important event.
Had his life really changed all that much in such a brief time? Or was it a subconscious fear over their reaction to his moving on as he was that kept him from thinking about them?
Yuy sat up, looking on his Other with worry. Gently rubbing the braided youth's back, he offered, "You've had a lot on your mind the last few days. You shouldn't blame yourself for that." The corner of his mouth tugged upward as he stated, "I'm very much looking forward to meeting them so that I can thank them in person for taking such good care of you in my absence."
Reassured by that, Duo finally smiled again and met the golden eyes watching him. Finding the confidence that he needed in that loving stare, he knew that he'd find the courage to talk to his parental figures... some time in the near future before they were surprised with an invitation to the party.
The front door opened and closed just before Trowa, Zechs, Noin, Treize, Lady Une and Relena stepped into the room. Lowering the pad and paper in his hand, the living noted the packs that Lucrezia and Khushrenada carried over their shoulders. The time had come for them to collect Anna so that they could be off for their hunt.
And quickly, his concern for his sister rose up once again.
Barton met Yuy's eyes when they turned to him as he informed, "Wufei is on his way over now with a lineup for us to look at." Grunting, Heero nodded firmly and rose to his feet to ready himself for the grim task of picking out their missing victim when the sound of the front door opening filled the tense air.
Without saying a word to the others around, Wufei made his way into the center of the room with a glossy sheet of paper in his hand. Moving right for the table in the middle of the room, he lowered it face-up to reveal the six facial shots he'd gathered from the police reports.
Biting his lip, Duo reluctantly got to his own feet to have a look at the missing young women... all in their mid-to-late twenties just as Heero had determined from the blood that he had found along with his pack on the last hunt. His Infected stepped forward to scan the pictures along with Trowa and Zechs. All running their eyes over each image slowly, they looked to one another in a silent discussion.
Finally, Heero released a deep sigh and lowered the tip of his pointer finger onto the smiling face that was the second from the right. Barton and Merquise nodded solemnly in agreement.
In seeing how sure they were of the pick, Maxwell felt a chill run down his spine at how they were able to determine so much from just a few drops of blood. Then he regretfully focused on the mug shot of the curly-haired brunette.
This girl had a simple beauty to her, easy on the eyes without there being a lot of effort put into her appeal. Figuring her to be twenty-one or twenty-two, the living imagined she was popular, most likely a good daughter who loved her parents. That confidant, sweet smile of hers was infectious and likely wooed many a possible suitor wherever she went.
And now she was gone. Most likely lost to the world forever.
Once again, that heavy sadness fell on the Vampires in the room as that very thought seemed to take hold with them as well. Having a picture to go with the crime did little to make the situation any easier. In fact, it only made it that much more difficult to take.
Chang took the paper back up, using a marker that he'd brought with him to circle the picture as he said, "I'll get to work right away on pulling everything that I can find on her."
Adjusting the strap of his backpack, Treize nodded with a soft, "Thank you for your good work, Wufei. Will Anna be with us to leave soon?"
"Yes, sir," Wufei replied. "She's getting ready as we speak." The Commander smiled in relief at that, clearly wanting to be off and out in the field doing something... anything at that moment. And knowing that they had a few minutes, the family began their process of saying their farewells to each other.
Turning to his would-be brother-in-law across the table, Wufei pointed at him and told him, "There's something that I want you to see." Duo blinked in surprise and followed the scaly Vampire from the room and outside into the cold air with Heero at his side as they headed for their siblings' estate.
When Chang turned his head back to look at him, the living noted the fresh, round bite marks left by a pair of fangs in the side of his neck. "Now that you know about the nature of our hunts, I'm sure that you're worrying about Anna," the Infected commented. Swallowing roughly, Maxwell nodded shallowly.
A pleased smile spreading across his face, his 'brother' stated, "Well, this should put your mind at ease." Yuy seemed to know what Wufei was referring to based off the quiet hum of approval that he made. As they stepped onto his front porch, the scaly Infected opened the front door and stepped aside so that Duo and Heero could enter before him.
Confused as he was to what would make him feel better about his sweet sister disappearing to chase Rogues, the braided youth stepped past the entrance way of the mansion to come to a wide-eyed stop in the doorway of the living room.
Her back to them, Anna stood in the center of the space wearing only a black bra and black lace underwear before a table covered by glistening weapons. Tying leather bands to her toned thigh and upper arms, she slipped long and jagged blades into their sheaths against her appendages. Next, she reached for a corset of silver metal that cupped around her torso and breasts to latch securely at her side with a ring when it closed.
More startling to Duo than his sister's expert handling of the weapons she wrapped around her were the darker white circles in the exposed skin of her arms and legs that he once thought of as freckles. Since learning of her story, of how she had taken out the strange mutant of a Vampire that had attacked her, he now knew them to be the remains of his bites in her from when they met for the last time...
...and there were dozens upon dozens of them.
Reaching for the last item on the table, the redheaded Infected pulled it onto her right arm like a finger-less glove. When she turned her wrist, the crossbow resting against the back of her palm was revealed. Carefully closing the bow tips, Anna ran a hand over the weapon in an act of reverence. Obviously it was her favorite of her tools.
His heart racing, Maxwell blinked in fear and awe in actually seeing just how dangerous his sister was. She was almost unrecognizable compared to the grinning, laughing Vampire he knew her to be.
Then moving to slip into a red sweater and jeans, she concealed her armory. No one looking at her would know of the deadly presence she was. Quickly pulling her long hair up in a high ponytail that she tied with a band on her other wrist, she turned around to take in the eyes watching her when her sweet smile spread across her face to make the weapons covering her further forgotten.
Practically bouncing to her little brother, she threw her arms around his neck. "I'll be back before you even know I'm gone long enough to miss me," she reassured, pulling back and placing a cool kiss on the tip of his nose.
"Not bloody likely," Duo snorted when he hugged her back just as tightly, kissing her cheek. He was rewarded with a smirk and a wink from the redhead as she stepped back to ruffle his bangs.
Moving on to Heero, Anna giggled as he picked her up so that her legs could hook around his waist. Their lips meeting in a quick peck, the siblings pressed their foreheads together. "Do try to stay out of trouble out there, little brat," Yuy requested in a playful tone.
The redhead sighed dramatically, "You never let me have any fun." She laughed when he lowered her to give her rump a quick swat.
Chang stepped in and when Anna's eyes met his, they forgot everyone else in the room. Latching onto each other for a deep and passion-filled kiss, they did their best to merge their bodies together. The intensity of their love and adoration in that exchange left Maxwell flushed and breathless.
When they broke away at last, Chang whispered against his wife's lips, "I love you, Celtic Rose." Her gold wedding band in the shape of the flower sparkling, the redheaded Infected reached up to cup the side of his face. There was no need for the words from her, everything that she wanted to say was in her eyes and loving smile.
Before she could regret leaving, Anna spun herself around to pull on a white winter coat with brown faux fur around the sleeve cuffs and hood. Taking up her pack that was waiting by the door, she peered over her shoulder and grinned to her family, "I'll see ye lovies soon." That said, she opened the door to close it back behind her when she stepped out onto the porch.
Wufei led his brothers-in-law to the large front bay window of the living room to watch the redhead hurry down to the street where Trowa, Midi, her pack and the rest of their families were standing by. Taking a moment to embrace her cousins and kiss their cheeks, she moved to exchange the same with Lady Une, Zechs and Relena.
Then, walking to her team, Anna raised her hand and high-fived a chuckling Noin as Treize gave her side an affectionate nudge. Waving to those Vampires standing by, the threesome turned and vanished in blurs of themselves.
Releasing a deep breath, Wufei swallowed roughly and stepped away from the window. On his way from the room, he took up the lineup that he'd compiled and slipped from the room to resume his work without another look back at his brothers.
Duo bit his lip as he looked on. Apparently even someone as strong as Fei had his weak moments when it came to Anna. Even in his trying to reassure the braided teenager, the Vampire couldn't help but have his own concerns regardless of how he trusted his wife to hold her own.
And for Maxwell himself, he felt the same void without his sister's presence in the way that he knew that Heero already missed her by his slumped shoulders and sad golden eyes that continued to stare through the window.
It was going to be a long stretch of days until Anna returned.
* * * * * *
The following day, Heero pulled into the parking lot of the campus library as the majority of the student body was stepping out of the cafeteria from breakfast or leaving their warm dorms to walk in the cold air to move for the classrooms. Stepping out of his car and rounding it, he smiled to Duo when he rose to his own feet and closed the passenger door behind him.
Already, every student and faculty member in view of them was stopping what they were doing to outright stare in disbelief at the returned Vampire and the braided teenager. Smirking, Yuy turned to his Other and asked, "Are you sure that you're up for this?"
Maxwell just smirked back and took his hand to gently lead off the firm ledge of certainty to fall into the unknown... together.
TBC...
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