There may come a time, a time in everyone's life,[1]
Where nothin seems to go your way, Where nothing seems to turn out right-
There may come a time, you just cant seem to find your place-
For every door you walk on to, seems like they get slammed in your face
That's when you need someone, someone that you can call.
And when all your faith is gone, Feels like you can't go on
Let it be me... Let it be me... If its a friend that you need Let it be me... Let it be me
-Lyrics to 'Let it Be Me' performed by Ray La Montagne
Crimson Ties Part 61
The world was returning. He could feel it on the cusp of his subconscious that was wearing off. But he was at such peace that he dreaded thinking of leaving the blissful darkness and quiet that surrounded him.
For a moment, he kept his eyes closed and hoped that he had died so that he could just continue his peaceful sleep. What awaited him if he was to find himself back amongst the living and existing was too much to bear.
How much more would he have to endure when everything he that he had known and loved had either been a lie or was threatened?
And that was when he felt it... the hand that was wrapped around his own that he was suddenly aware of. At the firm squeeze of the cool fingers, he was stricken by the realization of who those strong digits no doubt belonged to.
Heero.
Whatever more hells he would have to endure, Duo couldn't leave his Vampire behind. He needed his Companion now more than ever. Along with that, the hybrid knew that he couldn't exist in this world or the next without his lover. He loved the Infected too deeply, with everything in him, to ever be parted from him.
It was with that peace of mind that Maxwell gladly blinked his silvered eyes open. The bright light of the white-walled room that he was lying in had him wincing and adjusting to the shift in brilliance. 'Hospital,' was all the thought that he had when a form sitting beside his bed shifted close.
A cool hand rested against the Companion's face as a familiar voice breathed in relief, "Duo." Turning his head, the braided immortal blinked up at the Infected that had moved to perch himself on the edge of the mattress and instantly fell in love with him all over again.
With a quiet half-sob-half-laugh that curled his lips in a tiny smile, Heero sniffled and leaned in to press their lips together in a sound kiss. Closing his eyes, Maxwell hummed and returned the exchange with a profound content that he had returned to the hellish realm that was life... or something like it.
Pulling away, Yuy rested their foreheads together and lightly traced his fingers over his Companion's jaw line. "God, I so was afraid that I had lost you," he whispered brokenly.
Only then did Duo notice how red the whites of his partner's eyes were from tears that had been shed. At that same moment, he realized that the insides of their wrists were pierced by IV needles that linked a thick cord of tubing that was in transferring the Vampire's blood into him.
In a rush, everything of his last moments before he lost consciousness flooded the hybrid. His eyes growing with a gasp, he bolted upright as he cried, "Anna! Is she...?!" He couldn't even bring himself to ask the question of whether she had survived or not.
Just the memory of how his sister had been so brutally handled at the hands of that bastard Infected and his minion had Maxwell shaking and his eyes watering.
Biting his lip, Heero shook his head, "I... I don't know." He cleared his throat when his voice cracked at the end of his comment. His own eyes misting over, he took a deep breath and all but whispered, "She never regained consciousness during the ride here to the hospital... and she was not responding-"
That was all that Duo needed to hear. It was bad enough that his Vampire had to deal with his Companion's close call. But for the Infected to come to grips with the state he had found his sister in... he had to have been absolutely beside himself at possibly losing the two most important creatures in his existence.
Pulling the needle from his arm, the hybrid made a quick assessment of himself and realized in relief that he was still in his own clothes. There was no need to inquire on that as it must have simply been insisted that a transfusion from his Chosen was all he needed to recover.
Good. that meant less questions would be asked by the doctors and nurses.
As he shifted to hang his legs over the edge of the bed, Duo asked urgently, "Did you bring my contacts?"
Unable to trust his voice, Yuy nodded and hurried for the bag of things that he had brought along with them to retrieve the small case and hand it over before he removed the line from his vein. Both of their puncture wounds were healed before his Companion was finished setting his contacts in place.
All but jumping from the bed, Duo took hold of his lover's hand and urged, "Let's go." Coming to grips with his senses, his Vampire nodded again and led the way out and through the corridors.
When they made their way around the nurses' station where a handful of scrubbed women were huddled and whispering anxiously amongst themselves, one of the older ladies peered up just as they were nearly past the desk.
"Excuse me!" she called, rushing to block their path as she brushed back a few loose silver hairs behind her ear and frowned deeply, "I'm sorry, but the waiting rooms down this hall are only for the families of-"
Duo never paused a step, walking past the nurse with his violet eyes fixed for the end of the corridor as he cut her off, muttering, "Anna's our sister." With a soft gasp, the woman froze, blinking in surprise and stepping back so that they could continue on their way without another interruption.
Breathing a soft sigh, Heero squeezed his partner's hand in appreciation for how he had handled that run-in. Too worried over his sister, the Original's mind was not quite processing things as it should. Had the woman moved to block their path from Anna any more than she had, the Infected was quite sure that he would not have been nearly as kind to her as the hybrid had been.
Their steps keeping a brisk pace, the couple headed into a private waiting room to find the rest of their family and a couple of other friendly faces sitting and standing about.
Kneeling before a distraught and haunted Midi as she silently wrestled images of the hells she had faced that night, Relena patted her long-time friend's knees in a soothing gesture. Seated beside his wife, Trowa kept her close to his chest with a strong arm around her shoulders. Quatre was pacing the middle of the room as he kept an eye out for everyone around in anticipation of helping wherever and whenever he could.
And in the furthest corner of the room, Wufei stood with his back to everyone as he stared through the large window that peered out into the night.
Her face pale and drenched with the tears that would not stop, Midi was the first to notice her cousins when they entered the room. Gasping, her gold-and-brown eyes grew as she breathed, "Oh, thank God."
Carefully moving away from Trowa's loosening arm and stepping past Relena, she stumbled to Duo and threw her arms around his neck. Sobbing into his shoulder, her whole body shook. "I'm so sorry for what happened to Father Maxwell, sweetheart," she offered.
Nearly coming undone in seeing the kind Vampire in such a way, the braided immortal held her tightly and kissed her cheek. "I'm fine, mom," he whispered by her ear. "Everything's going to be okay," he added, not sure which of the two of them needed to hear the words more.
Pulling back, Midi shook her head, pleading "Anna would never have hurt you if she knew what she was doing. You have to know that she would never have taken so much of your blood if she wasn't-" The words came to a stop with a sharp sob that only brought on more trembling.
Instantly pulling her into a tight embrace again, Duo allowed his own tears to fall as he replied sincerely, "I know that. And I'm glad that she was able to drink what she could, since that was what I wanted to happen anyway."
The truth of the matter was that if Anna had needed it, Maxwell would gladly have given her all of his blood without a single hesitation or regret. But in hearing his lover's assessment of his sister's condition, what he was able to provide still might have come too late.
Were the present situation not as unsettling as it was, he would have laughed at the irony. Months ago, he would have given anything to see every Vampire wiped from the face of the planet. Now, he would have gladly sacrificed himself to save one of them.
Sagging in relief in his arms, the 'little mother' buried her face in his shoulder again as she held onto him. Quatre looked about ready to jump out of his skin to say or ask something ever since Duo had stepped into the room.
Now that the subject of Anna's drinking from him had come up, the young scientist was bouncing on his heels and biting down hard on his bottom lip to keep quiet out of respect for his friends in light of their suffering.
A sad smile on his face when he stepped up, Trowa was struggling with keeping his gold-and-emerald eyes from shimmering. Gently patting the back of the Companion's braided head when their eyes met, he pressed a quick kiss against his cousin's temple and pulled him into a one-armed hug.
Relena stepped towards Heero as she wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. Lowering her head, she told him quietly, "My family was already on their way back home when Quatre and I were called with the news of what happened. They're with Catherine at the coroner's station downstairs so that she's not alone with Howard."
Nodding shallowly at that, Heero swallowed roughly as the events of the night all came back to crash over him. Squeezing the Councilwoman's shoulder in gratitude, he left her to Winner as the scientist neared to hold her.
Cobalt-and-gold eyes setting on his brother-in-law, the Original moved to join his side. Arms folded, Chang's back was as rigid as a board and he never so much as glanced over at the other Infected. His scaly face wet with tears that fell unchecked, he continued to stare out to the darkened field behind the hospital.
The heavens had finally opened up that unseasonably warm evening to weep a downpour of rain that began to wash away much of the snow from the ground. Bolts of lightning stretched from cloud-to-cloud and thunder rumbled to vibrate the air. It was a fitting bit of weather, considering the dark and hellish experiences that the family had endured.
"I can't... get that damned picture of Anna chained and beaten like that out of my head... there was so much blood," Wufei finally said so softly and thick with emotion that even Heero's heightened sense of hearing had to be strained to pick it up. With a sob that wracked his whole frame, his hands rose up to cover his face as he gave into the urge to really cry.
Heero wrapped his arms around his brother in a firm hold when the walls that he had built crashed down as well. In a near blink, their friends and rest of their family was there to see to them and there was a ring of embraces locked around the lot where they stayed for a time to draw as much comfort and strength as they could from each other.
Slowly, the group hug broke up and more tears were brushed away. Looking to the Companion, Wufei sighed and let go of any reserve he would have normally had about a full embrace by pulling him into a tight one. "Thank you, brother," managed in a breath. "I am forever in your debt."
Returning the hug, Duo huffed a soft laugh. "No need to thank me, 'Fei," he replied. "I did the same thing any one of you would have done if you hadn't been busy with that bastard that hurt her." With a slap to his sibling on the back as they pulled back and smirked, "Nice handling of him, by the way."
Wufei looked to Yuy and Barton, smirking, "Well, I am glad I was given the first shots at him, considering how long I've wanted to have a chance to repay him for what he had done to Anna centuries ago. At least now there's nothing left of his burnt remains to ever cause that kind of suffering again." His brother and cousin matched his smug smile.
Confused, Maxwell looked to each of their faces. "Wait... you knew him before tonight?" he frowned. Even as the words left his parting lips, the realization hit him swift and hard. Gripping the top of his head, his eyes grew as he exclaimed, "He was he was the son of a bitch that got away after he and his friend attacked her before she was turned!"
Eyes narrowing and fists clenching at his sides, Heero nodded with a growled, "Donnie. All this time, we had hoped he crossed the wrong Vampire long ago so that no one would ever have to suffer at his hands again."
Though he did not need the air that rushed from his lungs, the hybrid still felt dizzy and unsteady on his feet.
All of this was becoming too much to process at once- the horrific assault on his sister, the deaths of Howard and Father Maxwell and there was still the apparent message that his twin brother had sent in the attacks that needed to be addressed. For the time being, he had to work in focusing on one matter at a time.
Wrapping his arms around his abdomen, the Companion groaned, "Holy fuck. I can't even imagine what that must have been like for Anna to have to endure all of that from him." Wufei bit his lip and turned his head away to hide the shimmer that had started up anew in his gold-and-onyx eyes and a heavy silence filled the room.
"How in the hell did he know how to find her!?" Duo practically shrieked.
Finally coming out of her distraught haze, Midi raised her head from its lean on her husband's shoulder. Her eyes glaring ahead as Trowa's arms tightened around her, she hissed, "Meiran. I don't know how, but she is working with the Others and sent him to our homes. Donnie confirmed it, himself."
Throughout the room, backs straightened, skin paled, jaws fell and eyes grew.
Wufei was the first to come down from his shock. Practically shaking with the rage building up in him, his eyes narrowed as he ground through his clenched teeth, "I am going to massacre that bitch."
Another voice rose up to growl, "So long as you save enough for her the rest of us." Everyone snapped their heads to watch Relena. The Councilwoman's angered tone rose as she stated, "I had such a bad feeling about her going off on her own when she was so clearly pissed off that she had lost her chance at getting what she wanted."
What that was needed no explaining. Heero had turned to leave the group to stare through the window and collect his boiling emotions. Biting his lip, Duo moved to his lover's side and rested a comforting hand on the Infected's lower back.
"You okay?" the hybrid asked quietly as he leaned in close to his Vampire.
Drawing a slow and deep breath, Yuy continued to glare out to the brewing storm as he hissed under his breath, "I want blood." Those cold words that were bitten out had been made in reference to Meiran as well as the Others. And they were more than understood.
After everything that had happened, Maxwell was not about to speak up against that dark desire... not when he wanted the same thing himself. Everything that had meant anything to him had been attacked in the most brutal way possible all thanks to a brother that he had only recently learned that he even had.
Brother or not, Duo wanted Solo to pay for what he had done. He would personally see to it that his twin knew exactly how appreciated his actions were.
There was more to Heero than simply wanting revenge and Duo knew that. Swallowing roughly, he wrapped his arm completely around his lover's waist as he reassured softly, "Hey... Anna's going to be fine. She has to be."
At that, the Vampire's lip quivered ever so slightly and he lowered his head as tears filled his closing eyes. His Companion shifted so that he was standing before him and rested their foreheads together, whispering thickly, "She's of your blood, 'Ro. And you're the strongest creature that I've ever known. She'll pull through."
With a short nod, Heero allowed himself to be tugged into a tight embrace as he took the much needed solace in his partner's arms.
Back where the others were standing around, Relena's hands rose to frame the sides of her pale face. "This news is going to kill Treize when he finds out," she frowned deeply.
Scanning the eyes on her, she beseeched desperately, "Please... let me be the one to tell my family later tonight when I can speak to all of them alone. I know that they are going to blame themselves for what happened and would need the decency of some privacy to react."
"Of course," Trowa replied on behalf of everyone else in the room without hesitation. "If you should need any assistance in relieving any unfounded guilt that they might put on themselves, all you need to do is ask and we'll all be happy make it known that we hold them at no fault at all in what Meiran is the sole being responsible."
The sentiment was backed by nods all around.
Releasing a deep sigh of relief, Peacecraft's shoulder drooped. Her vision shifting through the tears that began to build on her, she smiled sadly to her dear friends, "Thank you."
Quiet footsteps, heavy in their fall and brisk in their pace, neared the waiting room from the corridor. Instantly, the whole group spun just in time to witness Doctor Po enter the room as she completely pulled away her surgical mask. The green scrubs that she wore were splattered with dark blood, making her appearance a source of deep worry to the anxious visitors in the room.
Wufei moved forward, flanked by Heero and Duo right behind as the others fell in close after them. Eyes wide and haunted, the scaly Infected couldn't take his eyes from the dark splotches that peppered the surgeon. Fighting to keep himself upright, he slowly raised his head to meet her gaze and unreadable expression.
Looking as though she had seen a ghost, Sally's voice was distant as she shook her head, "There's no way Anna should have survived the wounds that were inflicted on her and the blood the she had lost. I... I've never seen a Vampire heal as rapidly as she is."
A scaly hand reaching up to squeeze onto Duo's arm, Chang sputtered, "Th-then she's..."
Suddenly coming back to the world of the living, the braided doctor's eyes grew in the horror of realizing that she had not relieved the family present. "Yes," she nodded enthusiastically. "She still hasn't regained consciousness, but her existence is beyond any danger."
Nearly collapsing when his legs gave out, Wufei's face was drenched with fresh tears of relief as he sobbed, "Oh, thank God." Covering his mouth against the muffled whimper that escaped him, Heero was caught up in his lover's arms as Duo shook with his own silent crying.
As the rest of his family and friends passed around embraces, the scaly Vampire gave their friend and surgeon an appreciative hug for her efforts in saving his wife. Pulling back, he wiped his face and asked urgently, "When can we see her?"
The corner of her mouth curling up in a smile, Sally replied, "Well, I would feel better for Anna's sake if there was only one of you actually in the room when she first wakes up. Her body has been through a lot, not to mention the emotional trauma she suffered, and she'll be overwhelmed if she returns to the world surrounded by people."
Raising the clipboard that she carried under her arm, the braided living scanned over the notes she had made on the chart as she informed, "As I said, she's healing at an incredibly rapid pace and so she'll likely be fine enough to be released as early as this morning. Until then, she'll be under light observation."
Her expression shifting to one of deep curiosity, Doctor Po glanced at the Companion as he and his lover separated to dry their wet eyes. "This was a bit of a miracle, how that blood that she drank kept her from slipping away when she would otherwise have been beyond help," she commented.
"Well, it's just a good thing that she was able to take in as much as she did," Quatre was quick to comment. "Just the sheer volume alone that she drank from Duo must have made all the difference."
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, the doctor never shifted her gaze from Maxwell, clearly saying with her eyes that she was not exactly buying that explanation. "Yes, that was very fortunate for her," she muttered as she hooked the clipboard under her arm again.
A smirk curling her lips, Relena discretely reached over to squeeze Winner's hand as a silent gesture that he had done well to try and keep their friend's unique makeup a secret. Flashing her a small grin, the scientist held turned his palm to clasp hers.
Since there really nothing more that she could press in the matter, she told him, "You and Anna are both very lucky. Things could have been very bad for you if Anna had drunk much more than she did. However, if your help hadn't reached her when it did, she never would have made it. Not only as a doctor, but now as a mutual friend, I am very relieved to see that you're back on your feet, Duo."
The hybrid smiled and bowed his braided head, replying, "Thanks, Sal." Humming quietly, Heero draped an arm around his shoulders to hold him protectively at his side. Chang had almost moved a bit closer to give his younger brother-in-law another appreciative squeeze to the arm for saving his wife without consideration for his own safety.
With a deep breath, Sally looked back to Wufei. "I am assuming that as her husband, you'll be the one staying with Anna tonight?" she smiled.
Blinking at that, Wufei turned his head towards Heero to give him a questioning look for permission. The gesture was as much out of respect for Yuy's tight bond with his sister as it was a third generation Vampire honoring an Original's wishes before his own.
"Of course you're staying. I wouldn't have it any other way," the Japanese Infected snickered. Sincerely grateful that his scaly brother would even consider giving him the opportunity, he freed his arm to slap Chang's back. "Duo and I will be here first light to bring the two of you home," he stated.
Though he had expected that response from his brother, Wufei still gave him a one-armed embrace and a whispered, "Thank you."
Her head nodding to the scaly Infected, Doctor Po smiled, "Then, I'll be happy to take you to Anna's room."
"We'll have enough time before you come home to have your house back in some kind of order," Midi promised Chang as she held him in a tight hug. "You just take good care of her." Duo, Trowa, Relena and Quatre all stepped in to either embrace or pat Chang's back. quietly expressing his appreciation to them all, the scaly Vampire hurried after the doctor.
Gold-and-brown eyes lighting up when her cousin was no longer in sight, the 'little mother' of the group gasped, "I also know a few places open late where we can get balloons and flowers for Anna's return."
The wheels in her head could practically be seen turning with the list of things that needed to be done before her cousin was released. It was a wonderful thing for the others to behold as it only meant the Midi was quickly becoming more herself again. Trowa was practically beaming with joy over that as he wrapped her up in her arms as the others chuckled and shook their heads in amusement and relief.
Relena offered, "I know that my family will be more than happy to give a hand wherever they can. Quatre and I will go down to bring them up to speed and check on Catherine." Wincing, she frowned, "After everything that poor dear has been through, I'm sure she could use a safe place and friends around."
At that, the brightened mood in the air in the room sobered considerably in the reminder of their dear comrade's death. Together, the band made their way out into the hallway to see to the old man's granddaughter that he had left behind to take up his legacy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Here you are," Doctor Po announced when she came to a stop at the closed off patient room at the end of the hall.
Turning on her heels to meet the anxious gold-and-onyx eyes that peered from the door to meet her gaze, she smiled tiredly, "I'll have one of the nurses come check in every now and then to make sure everything is alright. But given what her body has been through, Anna will likely sleep most of the night while the last of her injuries heal."
Nodding, the scaly Infected sighed deeply, "I cannot thank you enough for everything, Sally."
Her small grin spreading, the braided living replied, "No need for thanks. Anna is quite loved, so I'm just happy that I was able to oversee her recovery."
Eyes growing, the doctor blinked widely when the Vampire gave her another tight embrace when he couldn't trust his voice to thank her with words. Quickly recovering from her surprise, she returned the hug and stepped back to wink at the Vampire and headed off to give him his space.
Left by himself in the corridor, Wufei faced the closed door and rolled his shoulders back. Releasing a deep breath, he stepped inside of the room and paused just beyond the entrance when he got his first look at his wife since he had carried her into the emergency lobby. A lump forming in his throat, his eyes shimmered with tears as he slowly approached the chair waiting beside her.
Dressed in a pale green hospital gown, the covers of the redheaded Infected's bed were pulled up and tucked just above her slender waist. The burn marks, bruises and gashes that had been so deep and grotesque along her face and exposed arms were sealed and not nearly as dark as they had been. But they were every bit as gut-wrenching for the scaly Vampire to behold.
Now having the whole story from Midi of how Anna had been tormented while just hanging on for her cousin's sake, Chang's emotions were threatening to drown him in seeing how small and pale his lover was in the bed before him.
All but collapsing into the seat next to her mattress, Wufei took her limp hand into both of his to bring it to his lips. Kissing each finger, he held her hand against his face as he sniffled and watched his wife's peaceful face that was turned towards him as she slept soundly.
Careful to not stir her before she was ready, he freed a scaly hand to gently brush back the hair that had fallen against the large purple-and-blue bruise on Anna's right cheek that was steadily fading before his eyes. Where her left eye had been closed and black from a direct punch, only the dark outer ring remained. Along her forehead's hair line, the long gash that had been open and seeping blood was closed and thinning away and her bottom lip that had been split was whole once again.
Remarkable as her recovery was turning out, Chang could still see every wound as it had been when he discovered her in his living room. Trembling as a few silent tears fell, he leaned in to press his mouth against hers in a soft kiss before he folded his arms along the bed's edge to prop his head and their joint hands up.
Never tearing his gaze away, Wufei took up his silent vigil in wait for when he could take her back in his arms and put whatever demons, both of the distant and recent past, that haunted her to rest forever.
* * * * * *
Treize and Lady Une sat back with the coroner long after the rest of their family had already filed from the hospital when Relena and Quatre had come to fill them in on Anna's condition. To relieve Catherine of her grim task in overseeing the care of her grandfather, the Preventers' co-founders took up the responsibility so that she might be able to get away to sleep and grieve as she needed.
Leaning heavily against the wall behind her in the elevator that they took to reach the lobby, Khushrenada rubbed his closed eyes as he sighed deeply, "What am absolute nightmare." Slowly lowering his hand, he looked on his wife and shook his head, "I still can't even process all of this as even really happening."
Equally at a loss over the horrendous events that had shaken and taken friends and loved ones, Lady Une folded her arms across her chest against a cold that did not exist. She shuddered, "I can't imagine it getting much better when we start getting answers from the creature that's locked in our cell. Unraveling the meaning of these attacks will likely only bring more unwanted revelations."
But they had to get to the bottom of this, no matter how unpleasant it might be. There was no way around that.
When the doors to the elevator opened, the Original's hands joined and they headed out into the hall to move for the main doors leading to the parking lot. "One moment!" a familiar voice called. Spinning on their heels, the couple blinked in spotting a certain braided living hurrying towards them from the nurses' station.
"Doctor Po," Treize smiled kindly when she neared. Raising a hand, he told her sincerely, "On behalf of our whole family, we cannot express to you our gratitude for your care of Anna. If you had not been here-" He was stopped when the young woman winced and raised a hand.
Swallowing roughly, the surgeon replied, "Please forgive me, Sir. I do appreciate the credit, but for one I don't deserve it since it was Duo who really saved her." Swallowing roughly, she gathered her courage in being in the Representatives' presence to state, "I merely came to hopefully have a private word with the two of you as I feel I have earned the right to be let into the loop here after treating your cousin-in-law years ago."
The Vampires shared a sidelong glance of concern as Sally leaned close. When they met her gaze once more, she whispered, "I snuck into the coroner's office to have a look at the old man that was brought in at the same time Anna was."
As she scanned the widening eyes on her, Po asked in a breath, "What in the hell is going on here?"
TBC...
[1] This is one of the prettiest songs I've heard in a long time. And the lyrics were too fitting of this part to cut them own.
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page