I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me,
I've been alone along
-Lyrics to 'My Immortal' by Evanescence
Crimson Ties Part 32
When Duo stepped into the living room of his home along with his company, he was greeted by a relieving sight. No longer sitting before his laptop, Wufei was perched on one of the couches with Heero at the other end. Actually smiling and snickering quietly with his brother, the scaly Infected looked more himself than he had since Anna had left for the hunt.
Arms crossed over his chest, Trowa was leaning back in a nearby recliner with a pleased grin on his face as he turned to look on his wife, Quatre and Relena when they also entered the room. "How was the study session?" he asked his braided cousin. Only then did Yuy and Chang break from their quiet conversation to realize they had company.
"It was fine," Duo smirked. "And I think I'll actually get my first A for a math class as opposed to my usual B plus thanks to this guy." He nudged Quatre in the side, breaking the blonde from his staring at Relena's profile. Blinking in surprise, Winner smiled shyly at his roommate.
Folding his arms behind his head, Heero winked at his Other, "I told you there was nothing to worry about."
Maxwell neared the couch, snorting, "Yea, yea, I know." Coming up to his brother-in-law first, he held out a hand and grinned, "Hi, Fei."
The scaly Vampire gave him a firm handshake with a small grin on his face. "Duo," he nodded firmly. He gave a small wink letting the braided teenager know that he was alright before his hand fell away. Relieved by that, the living sat beside Heero as his Vampire draped an arm around his shoulders.
"Good to see you, Relena," Trowa greeted, rising from the recliner. "Nice of you to stop by."
Reaching into the back pocket of her long coat, the Councilwoman held up a pack of cards, with a mischievous smirk. "I thought that maybe we all could have a few rounds of gin and rummy," she shrugged. "It's been a long time since I've been on my own long enough to spend some quality time with all of you."
Heero tilted his head, frowning, "Lady Une and Zechs are away?"
The blonde Vampire chewed on the inside of her cheek and replied, "Some important business came up that couldn't wait. Unfortunately, there was no time for my cousin to say what it was, but I am assuming that they'll likely be away for a day or two as they had to fly overseas."
Duo noticed how the statement put Yuy, Chang and Barton on edge, making him instantly uncomfortable as well. It didn't take much reasoning on his part to assume that the 'important business' had a tie to the Rogues. One particular detail had him concerned...
Overseas? If he was right in his hunch to what had the Commander and Speaker rush off at this hour of night, then the scale of their problem was much bigger than any of them had assumed. It took concentration on the living's part to keep his heart from racing with anxiety. And he took comfort in the gentle squeeze around his shoulders.
As much as he wanted to know what had called Lady Une and Zechs away, as much as undoubtedly everyone in the room wanted to know, he knew that it would have to wait until they returned.
Leaning in close, Yuy whispered in his ear, "You don't have anything to worry about, Duo. I won't let anything happen to you." The braided teenager found himself leaning heavily against his Vampire, silently soaking up the solace that came from his words and his presence.
More than anything in the world, Duo trusted Heero with his life. They may have only known each other a short period of time, but he knew that Yuy would protect him whatever the cost. There was no safer place for the living than with his Vampire.
Standing, Wufei shrugged, "I could go for a few a few rounds of card games." At his acceptance, the tension in the room faded instantly as he would be the one creature who might have been reluctant to have any interaction given his state of mind.
Quickly, Heero nodded firmly, "Count me in." The others all spoke up with their own bid for the suggestion. Beaming, Relena moved to the long table in the center of the room to take her place as her friends joined her.
"I'm surprised Quat," Duo muttered to his friend when they moved for the table, unable to help his urge to tease the blonde. "You're usually an early to bed person when you can help it. A few rounds of cards like this would get us to bed pretty late."
Peeling his eyes from the Councilwoman as she began shuffling her deck of cards with a second provided by Heero, Winner met his roommate's eyes and grinned, "Oh, well, sleep can be overrated at times. Besides, I only have one exam tomorrow and it's not until the afternoon."
The braided living snickered and shook his head in amusement. Taking the opened seat between his Vampire and brother-in-law, he sat back and looked forward to whatever conversations were going to come from this social gathering.
* * * * * *
"Of course the authorities have nothing to tie the Vampires to the disappearances. But the crimes were all too clean, too masterfully handled," the man addressed his young Hunters. "There are absolutely no ties linking these individuals together except for the fact that these men, women and children were well known amongst their family and friends."
Behind him, a screen showing those confirmed missing persons along the coastal states over the course of the last few years that fit the criteria to his theories. Little did he or any of his protégés know that the same lineup, minus the newest victim, was the template of another study by their enemies.
As his leader spoke, Trent's eyes narrowed and he leaned back in his chair to study those faces. It was especially upsetting to see the two young ones in the display. He could feel the air in the room vibrating with the growing anger of the men and women around him.
Most of the other Hunters were older than him. But then, there were a few his age as well. One of them was even a familiar face from school, someone that he'd recruited when he got a hint to her distaste for the wretched Infected that walked their earth.
Seated beside Trent, she wrote down notes in the book that she'd brought along. Being an administrative assistant, it was only natural that she always had something on her to write with. Glancing from the corner of his eye, the junior silently admired her now that he'd come to accept his growing crush.
The end to the meeting came upon the lot. Lookouts were assigned to be aware of anything out of the ordinary, weapons were checked before they were carefully stowed away by their owners and more candles were burned so that navigation from the abandoned building was easily managed.
With a deep breath, Trent rose from his place and approached their leader as the old man worked away at his desk. "Thanks for talking me down earlier, Doctor J," he sighed. "I just really thought that my friend was going to be another prime candidate to join our organization." Shaking his head, he frowned, "When I first met him, I never met another who hated Vampires more."
"It's quite alright, son," the doctor smiled as he used his claw of a hand to close the flap of his briefcase. "I understand where your feelings are coming from."
Raising his good hand's pointer finger, he warned, "Just be careful to not let onto your displeasure that it may draw attention to you. We may seem like many, but in comparison to the public at large, we are few in our disgust towards the Infected. Our lot would be in for a world of trouble even with our own living if we were ever exposed."
Trent felt her walk up behind him to grin, "We'll be careful, Doctor J. And we'll be keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary to keep the living citizens here safe."
Bowing his head, the old man smirked, "I know that you will, Hilde." Handshakes and well wishes were exchanged until the next meeting.
Their business for the evening officially done, the college students headed out through the back alley. The next in line of the pack, they were able to blend back into the busy street without being noticed by the unsuspecting bystanders.
Once they were out of earshot of the few people walking the streets at the late hour, Hilde leaned close to her friend to murmured, "I'm every bit as surprised as you are over Duo. You should have seen how badly he wanted out of his Literature class to not have to set foot into the library. I couldn't have been more shocked than I was when I heard that he was going to become that Vampire's Companion."
"It's pretty disgusting if you ask me," the teenage boy gritted through his teeth, narrowed eyes staring at the pavement before him. "Just goes to show how manipulative those demons are if they could convince someone like him to fall into their ranks."
Snorting, the girl nodded, "Agreed." The corner of her mouth curled up as she glanced over at her friend. "You know," she drawled out slowly, "You do have a huge opportunity here. You mentioned to me that you expect an invitation to the party officially marking Maxwell's joining that pack of vultures."
Already following where she was going, Trent's head shot up with wide eyes. "Yea," he replied softly. "It's taking place in the cluster of their homes." Matching the assistant's wicked smirk, he chuckled deeply, "What better way to fight our enemies than through getting to know them?"
He had been so distraught by Duo's announcement that he failed to see the chance that was being laid out to him.
Suddenly, he realized that there might be a bright side to this situation after all.
* * * * * *
It was well into the night when Quatre finally couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Reluctantly, he left his friends along with Trowa and Midi to pick out his new room in their estate. Wufei went back to his work, flipping his laptop open and typing so quickly that his fingers practically vanished in their blur.
That left Heero, Duo and Relena to clean up the table of cards and plates of pie that Midi had convinced her living guests to finish off. As she took up the fine china and silverware, Peacecraft's gaze fell onto her scaly friend as a sad frown etched across her face. "I'll take care of the dishes," she announced quietly.
"I'll give you a hand," the braided teenager offered quickly, rising to his feet and flashing his concerned Vampire a grin. "Don't worry, I won't be up much longer and you can tuck me in once I'm finished." When he registered his own words, he blinked in surprise and blushed a deep red.
Laughing along with the Councilwoman, Heero continued to sort out the cards as he shook his head, "Very well. And don't think for a second that I won't hold you to that." He punctuated the sentiment with a playful wink that sent a shudder down his Other's spine.
Duo swallowed roughly when his throat constricted on him. Clearing away the last of the lump blocking his air, he put on an unaffected grin and nodded before he followed Relena down the hallway.
"You're absolutely adorable," the Infected giggled softly when her living friend fell into step at her side. "Still reluctant to admit your feelings when they're perfectly clear to everyone else around you, I see."
Huffing, the living gave her a half-hearted glare and replied, "There's really nothing for me to admit yet. I'm still sorting everything out since this is pretty new to me."
It was a partial truth, not an outright lie. Of course he was attracted to his Vampire in quite possibly an obsessive way. But that would only come with the territory of their tie... or at least he was pretty sure of that. Only time would show whether or not he actually harbored anything more of his own free will.
As they entered the kitchen, Duo decided to shift the attention of the matter by grinning, "You and Quat are pretty cute, too. I can tell you have him pretty smitten."
Biting her lip, Relena bowed her head with a shy giggle. "Well, he does make me happy," she admitted softly, a wistful smile on her face that faded nearly as quickly as it appeared. Her eyes growing, she asked, "It doesn't bother you? I mean that I might be interested in your friend?"
"Not at all," the teenager reassured, laughing. Confused, he shook his head, "Why on earth would it bother m-" Cutting himself off, violet eyes widened with realization. With a sigh, he frowned, "Because of my previous feelings towards your kind."
Lowering the plates and silverware into the sink where she came to a stop, the Councilwoman spun towards her friend and urged, "I didn't mean to suggest that I have ever thought badly for how you felt."
She shook her head as it lowered to stare a the floor, murmuring, "God knows you have every right to have a poor disposition towards us after what took place when you were a child. It's just that I wasn't sure that all of those tensions have completely gone away."
Placing a finger under her cold chin, Duo gently lifted her head so that he could meet her gold-rimmed, blue eyes. "They have," he vowed in a near whisper. "I've been able to come to terms with everything now that I have the whole picture of what happened."
Once again stopping himself, he snorted bitterly, "Well, the whole picture with the exception of why my parents did what they did. But I don't hold a grudge against Heero or your kind. This whole accepting the tie between me 'n 'Ro has been pretty eye-opening to me in more ways than one in getting to know about your world."
The living released his stunned friend's chin, reassuring, "As for you and Quatre, like I said, I think you two are cute." Folding his arms across his chest, he smirked, "I'm looking forward to when you two finally admit your feelings when they're perfectly clear to everyone else around you."
Stricken by having her own words thrown back at her, Relena's back straightened. Blinking in surprise for a long pause, her head fell back with laughter. "Yes, I deserved that," she nodded, wiping a stray tear of mirth from her face when she was able to compose herself. Raising her hand, she turned the sink faucet on and reached for the dish rag to wipe at the plates.
Duo took up one of the dish towels to dry off the first piece of china ready for drying. Somehow, he didn't feel right continuing on the matter by the distant look in the Infected's eyes as she worked. They remained in a long, but comfortable, silence until the dishes were all cleaned, dried and put away.
Turning off the water, Peacecraft leaned back against the counter, her gaze still clouded with distance. Just when the teenager was opening his mouth to ask if she was alright, she stated quietly, "My living and immortal brother, Zechs and I are Originals, turned by the same concoction of a cure for consumption that Treize, Lady Une, Heero and Trowa were turned by in Spain."
She bit her lip, smiling wistfully as she continued, "I met Karl not long after, turned him myself as one of the first of the next generation and we were wed soon after in a fairytale wedding. And I was the happiest Vampire to ever exist, we just loved each other so much." Duo leaned his side against the counter as he watched his friend, listening intently.
As the smile melted away, she went on, "When the Preventers were created, my husband was one of the first to enlist. The dangers were known, but I wasn't very worried for Karl. After centuries rolled on without so much as close call, I just always assumed that we would exist together."
Rubbing the back of her neck, she breathed, "When his last mission came up, I just kissed Karl and told him I loved him as I always did before he left and waved him off when he left with Heero and Wufei." The corners of her eyes began to shimmer with tears.
Maxwell swallowed roughly and rested a hand on her shoulder to gently guide her to the small kitchen table. Pulling out a chair for her, he made sure she slipped into it comfortably before he sat beside her, taking her closest hand into his to squeeze it.
The Vampire smiled sadly in appreciation and returned the squeeze. Drawing a deep breath, she stared ahead into her memories and said softly, "I never thought that I would be a widow. Ever... let alone that night.... But then the call from Wufei came in..."
* * * * * *
(Flashback)
Zechs' hands gripped the steering wheel of his car tightly as he spun onto the next street without a second to use his turn signal to alert the couple of unaware drivers around. To the blare of their horns, he muttered under his breath, "Yea, yea. I know."
In the back seat, Relena tried to see beyond the rain pelting onto the windshield that would occasionally be brushed off by the swishing wiper blades. She tried to take in the bright lights of the street lamps that penetrated the darkness, the other cars that her brother was navigating around in his rush, the people walking on the sidewalks under umbrellas.
But all of those things were in another world as far as she was concerned, even though they were right in front of her. All that she could think of was how pale Noin had turned when she answered their estate's phone not fifteen minutes ago. Though she couldn't understand what Wufei was saying on the other line, the blonde Infected could hear him yelling.
Wufei never yelled. Not without a good reason. Immediately, she went numb wondering what that meant for Karl.
The next thing that Relena knew, Zechs was scooping her up and rushing her to his car when she started asking questions. Placed in the back of the vehicle, she was suddenly flanked by Treize and Lady Une as Noin took the passenger's seat and her brother took to the wheel to peel them out of their driveway.
Leaning forward, Peacecraft asked her sister-in-law in a pleading voice, "What's happened to Karl? What did Wufei say?"
Slowly turning her head back, Noin couldn't keep the panic from her face as she met her eyes and informed, "The Rogue that they tracked down turned on them, sister. I... I don't know how badly Karl was hurt, but he was the first one attacked."
A small whimper escaping her, Relena was pulled into a strong embrace at Lady Une's side. Grateful as she was that Lucrezia was honest with her, the blonde infected just about fell apart with worry.
Then, after what seemed a brief eternity, Zechs finally turned into the parking lot of the hospital. As soon as they came to a stop in the closest bay to the building, Relena scrambled out of the car, rushing for the red glow of the emergency door entrance sign.
Her family was running to keep on her heels. Not a single drop of the rain falling on her was felt as it rolled off without dampening an inch of her.
Setting foot inside, the Councilwoman's wide eyes scanned the room. The two young women in scrubs seated at the nurses' station rose to their feet, shocked in their recognition of the well-known Infected. Quickly rounding the desk, the first nurse jogged up to the new arrival.
"Your party has a private section closed off to prevent anything getting leaked to the media," the petite Asian girl advised. "I'll take you there."
A breath of relief was sighed from Treize from behind, the sound making Relena jump since she did not even know that her family had caught back up to her. "Thank you for the discretion," Khushrenada breathed. "Please, show us the way."
Zechs slipped an arm under his sister's to lead her on behind the nurse through the white-walled corridors and shining tiled floors. Too frayed at the ends of every nerve and fiber in being, she allowed herself to be escorted along. Only parts of what their guide was saying registered in her frantic mind. "Still in surgery... overseen by Doctor Po... should hear news shortly."
A curtain sealed off the nearest waiting room. Stepping aside, the petite nurse lowered her head in a deep bow, silently urging the visitors to slip inside before other eyes saw them. Relena was inside in an instant. Gasping sharply when she passed through the curtain, she came to an abrupt stop, wide-eyed.
Hunched forward in one of the chairs closest to the window in the other half of the room sat Wufei. The scaly Vampire was without a shirt to reveal the dark blood splattered on him while his black pants bore long, jagged tears.
Though his unique skin had protected him physically, there was a haunted look in Chang's eyes when he lowered his hands from his face. Midi was kneeling before him, hand on his leg when their heads turned towards the family entering the room.
Seated across from him, Heero sported a deep, bleeding cut on the right side of his face that was already beginning to heal on him from the edges in. Keeping a handful of gauze against the injured cheek, his t-shirt and jeans bore the same cuts and markings of an intense struggle... only his exposed skin was seeping crimson droplets.
And like his brother-in-law, Yuy was every bit as stricken by what had transpired on their mission.
Standing beside his cousin, Trowa looked up along with Heero to stare at Relena. The Councilwoman shook her head when the four moved to approach her with soothing words. There could be no soothing for her, not in seeing how two of the strongest Vampires that she'd ever known in such shaken, mangled states.
Nothing good was going to come out of that room until she got some answers about Karl. Before she even knew that she had willed her body to do so, Relena spun on her heels and pushed past her family, pulling back on the curtain and running back into the long corridor.
Her vision was blurring with the tears in them, her ears ringing against hearing anything that her friends and family were shouting after her as they hurried towards her.
Karl was the world. The sun rose and set with him. There had to be answers on how he was and his wife was going to get them.
Down the hallway, sounds of machines beeping and frantic cries from one of the closed off rooms rose up. And just as soon as Relena heard all of the commotion, the sounds came to an abrupt stop. If her heart were still beating, it would have also stilled in that second.
How she knew that was Karl's room she didn't know. But she did.
Charging down the hallway, she came to a halt just before the closed door when it was thrown open. Stumbling out into the hallway and practically collapsing back against the wall to lean against it, the redhead reached up to remove her medical cap as her free hand covered her mouth and nose.
Her powder blue scrubs were covered in dark Vampire blood splotches, the Infected's hair was falling out of the loose braid it had been tied in to make her all the more distraught. And when she looked on her blonde friend, the Irish girl's shimmering eyes widened with a gasp.
"Oh Relena," Anna breathed in a whimper when her hand fell away from her trembling lips. Tears rolling down her face, she shook head and moaned, "I am so sorry."
The Councilwoman didn't even know that she had nearly fallen to the floor until her brother caught her, pulling her up into his arms in a fierce embrace. She heard a wailing scream, unaware it came from her until it was muffled when she buried her head in Zechs' shoulder. Shaking with her violent sobs, she felt other arms around her, holding on tightly as broken whispers filled her ears.
Everything good and worth existing for had ended that night. There was no one else that could come into her life that could ever be more loving or loved in her world.
Lost to her grief, Relena's damp eyes squeezed closed as she willed everything away. Never again did she want to return to a place where Karl wouldn't be by her side as he had for so many years.
Nothing would ever be right again.
(End Flashback)
* * * * * *
Relena reached up to wipe a stray tear rolling down her cheek as she sighed deeply, "I couldn't give a proper goodbye to my dear husband. Karl was... unrecognizable according to Doctor Po and Anna. They'd insisted that I didn't want to see him like that as my last memory of him and so I conceded to staying out of his room."
A small smile gracing her lips, she stated, "I want to remember him smiling his private smile to me before he left for that mission... handsome and strong as I'll always think of him."
Reaching up with his hand that was not gripping hers, Duo sniffled and wiped away at the dampness in his eyes. Slowly turning to look on him, Peacecraft grinned, "I haven't been able to smile the way I did with Karl until I met Quatre. There are many ways in which they're so similar and their differences are just as refreshing."
"Of course, I need time to really be ready to open myself to possibly experiencing that pain again," the Councilwoman commented with a shudder. "Never before have I ever had to endure anything as painful as losing the most dear creature in my existence. Karl will always be in my heart, but I am realizing more and more that there could be room for another in time."
Maxwell swallowed past the lump in his throat with a small smile and a firm nod of understanding. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that," he whispered sincerely. "Even though I haven't known him long, I couldn't imagine anything happening to Heero." Just the thought had his voice cracking at the name of his Vampire.
At that, Relena leaned forward and joined their free hands. Their reddened eyes locking, she breathed, "I do hope you always appreciate what a wonderful family of remarkable people you are coming into. While my own loved ones had been a wonderful support to me as I grieved, I would have been lost without Heero, Wufei, Anna, Trowa and Midi being there for me as well. They're all terribly dear to me and I could not love any one of them more if they were of my own blood. You've been given quite the gift in joining them."
Biting his lip, the braided living nodded. Unable to trust his voice, it was all that he could do. He knew the truth of her words... felt how true they were in his heart.
"I worry so much when there are hunts," the Infected frowned deeply as she looked to the doorway. "While I understand my cousins' reasoning to split up the couples when they can so that there is not a compromise of action in the field should something go wrong... sometimes I wonder what's worse- risk the success of a hunt or have the one left behind worry to death, helpless to help the situation."
Her golden eyes shimmering anew, she shook her head, "When I see Midi cleaning these homes from top to bottom, Anna working every shift she can get signed onto at the hospital or Wufei typing sun up to sun down when the center of their worlds are off fighting monsters... my heart breaks for them. And like them, I hope and pray they never get the call I got that night."
At that, it was Duo's turn to shiver.
With one last squeeze to his hands, Relena released them and brushed away the last of her tears. "I am happy that we got the chance to talk, Duo," she grinned. "It did me good to talk about this. And I am thrilled that I have the chance to get to know you better."
"Me, too," the living smiled back. Together, they got back to their feet and rejoined the others in the living room.
The moment they entered the room and Relena announced her plans to return to her home, Heero and Wufei were up to each have a moment to embrace her tightly and exchange pecked kisses to their cheeks.
Emotionally drained, Duo hugged the blonde Infected fiercely. A cool kiss pressed against the side of his face and he could feel his legs about ready to go out on him when the front door was closed after the Councilwoman.
Instantly, Yuy was at his Other's side to scoop him up before he toppled over. Under normal circumstances, the braided youth would have protested... but he actually wanted to take in the feeling of his Vampire's strong arms carrying him.
"Now," Heero chuckled in that warm, deep voice of his. "On to that tucking you in." As he was taken up the stairs, Duo closed his eyes and rested his head on a strong shoulder... silently wondering what the world would be like without that comforting presence in his life.
Too troubled by that notion, he pushed it aside completely.
TBC...
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