Forest green eyes scanned the screen of the laptop and Trowa muttered, "Ninmu ryoukai."

"What is it?" Quatre asked from the doorway.

"I�ve got a mission."

"I�ll go with you."

The French pilot shook his head and replied, "I want you to stay."

The Arabian pouted. "Please?"

Even though his mind was screaming at him to not give in, Trowa�s heart melted and he relented, saying, "Suit up. We have to hurry."

*******************************************************************************

"Are you in place?"

"Hai, I�m near the main computer."

Quatre�s headpiece crackled slightly as he hacked into the files. Trowa was on the other side of the building, stealing other data. Rumor had it OZ was working on something big. The blond was so engrossed in his mission that he never noticed the door open, nor did he hear the soft click of shoes on the tile. He did, however, hear the gun cock.

Quatre was completely still as cool fingers removed the headpiece and snapped it like a pencil. The scientist�s eyes glinted coldly from behind his glasses and one hand moved up to cup the pointed chin. "Such a pretty little thing," He purred, "Prettier than any of the girls I�ve ever seen."

The pilot remained silent, but couldn�t help but shiver when the doctor�s wet tongue slid over his neck. "That�s okay, I like boys." The gun slammed against Quatre�s head and his world exploded before going black.

*******************************************************************************

Trowa rifled through the cabinets when his comlink beeped. He cursed at the way the sound echoed through the empty halls.

"What is it?" The boy asked irritably when Wufei�s face appeared.

The Chinese boy didn�t waste any time. "Barton, get out of there! It�s a trick!"

"But Quatre-"

"Hurry! They�re going to seal off the exits in five minutes!" The soldier in Trowa took over and his green eyes hardened.

"Roger that. I�m out of here."

*******************************************************************************

"You what?!" Duo shrieked. "You idiot!"

The same green eyes, now filled with guilt, no longer held the cold soldier within as Trowa mumbled, "I know�" Not only had the botched mission been a trick, it would be near impossible for even Heero to get in for the next few days, a week at the very least.

Sighing, the American turned to Heero and snapped, "What the hell is OZ working on anyway?"

The stony face contained just the slightest bit of worry as the Japanese pilot replied, "Zero System GT."

*******************************************************************************

Doctor Mouri smiled coldly as the boy stirred. It hadn�t taken much time to get everything in place. The young man was laying a cold steel table with machines surrounding it. Wires were taped into both his wrists and legs; some even snaked under the hospital gown that clothed the slender body. Mouri held three wicked looking syringes, filled with various liquids. "Let the testing begin."

Before Quatre could even open his eyes, he felt a sharp prick at the base of his throat, where his neck met with his shoulder. Fear surged through him and his eyes flew open, a hoarse scream escaping his lips. The doctor stood over him, holding syringes in his hand. One was drained dry and it didn�t take a genius to figure out what had just happened.

"No," Quatre moaned as he tried to get up. The doctor only grinned as he grabbed the blond hair and jabbed the last two needles into the boy�s arm. Pain didn�t take long to come. The Arabian almost couldn�t speak, it hurt so much. "But why?" He choked out as he passed out.

*******************************************************************************

"W-wait a sec." Wufei said calmly, holding his hands up. "Yuy, are you telling us that Quatre�s still at that base, being tested on a more advanced Zero System, even though we all know what the *first* Zero System did to him?"

Heero nodded. "The exits have all been sealed off so we won�t be able to get in for a while." Duo looked from his lover to the laptop sitting so innocently on the desk.

"It�s gonna be hard on Tro, that�s for sure."

Suddenly, Wufei looked around and asked, "Where is Barton anyway?"

"Oh, shit."

*******************************************************************************

Quatre gasped and tried not to scream as a fifth needle went into his arm. The pain was incredible, and what scared him was that this was only the beginning. Doctor Mouri smiled and knelt close to the boy. "Pretty little angel�" One hand stroked the soft hair and he was rewarded with a pain-filled glare.

"Don�t touch me�" The blond pilot rasped out, his voice thick with pain.

"And why not?" Icy hands slipped up the flimsy hospital gown. Quatre tried not to retch as the fingers toyed with his nipples. Mouri squeezed painfully hard, and soon the boy�s nipples were rigid from both cold and abuse.

"Stop�" Whatever the blond tried to say was quickly cut off as a dry finger was rammed into him. Cerulean eyes flew open and Quatre let out a cry of pain. With blatant disregard for the boy, the doctor rammed in two more fingers, each time pushing harder than before.

Pleasured moans cut through the still silence of the lab, even louder were the hoarse screams. Doctor Mouri smiled at his handiwork. One sleeve hung off a thin shoulder and both the gown and table was stained with blood. Tears made trails down pale cheeks and Quatre gurgled out one last plea. "N-no more� please�"

*******************************************************************************

Trowa pulled on the dark uniform of the OZ solider, now stuffed in an air vent. Making sure no blood was visible, he holstered his gun and crawled through the vent. It had been hard enough just to kill that one soldier without attracting attention, finding Quatre was even harder. But he had come too far to just give up. Besides, the other exits were all sealed off. Peering into the darkness ahead, Trowa knew he would need more than one day to just make it out of the vent. Aside from that, he needed his teammates.

His commlink went off, and he smacked his head into the metal wall, letting out a quiet but multilingual string of curses. Just as he had predicted, it was Heero and the others, wanting to know where the hell he was and what they could do to help.

After breaking off his link, Trowa resumed his crawling. With only the sound of his knees scraping against the metal, he had plenty of time to think. //Oh gods, Quatre� if anything happens to you�// Fighting back guilty tears, Trowa moved on.

*******************************************************************************

Quatre woke up to the now familiar sound of machines beeping. It had been at least three days since he�d been captured and he was hoping his comrades would come soon. He had been injected with so many different mixtures, he couldn�t keep track. More often than not, the liquids had adverse reactions to him, leaving him weak and feverish. And he hadn�t been given any food or water.

His blue eyes traveled up to the electrodes attached to his head. One small hand, bruised from the wires, moved up to take them off, but Doctor Mouri quickly grabbed the thin wrist.

"Uh, uh uh." The man chided, smiling at his little guinea pig. "This is the whole point of the experiment, Angel. I don�t want you to ruin all of my hard work." Instruments began to hum and glow, sending colored light everywhere.

"No�" Quatre moaned, trying futilely to remove the electrodes. He knew what the testing was and as long as he lived, the Arabian had vowed to never let another of its sort cross his path. But this time, Quatre was wrong.

*******************************************************************************

Wufei motioned to Trowa, who crossed the hall with the speed of a tiger. "I�ll yell at you later, Barton." He stated before asking, "Have you found him?" The French pilot shook his head.

Heero pulled his cap on and watched as Duo stuffed the fourth body of a soldier into the air vent. Noticing the Japanese boy�s disapproving glare, the chestnut haired boy snapped, "Well, just where *am* I supposed to hide a body?" Silently, the Perfect Soldier withdrew a vial of acid from his pocket. Duo shook his head and muttered, "I�m not even going to ask *how*�"

Trowa suddenly whipped around and took off down the hallway, taking out his gun as he and the others ran.

*******************************************************************************

Testing had gone surprisingly well, considering the boy�s condition. Mouri�s cool fingers brushed against the satin skin and the scientist�s smile widened. He never expected small hands to wrap around his neck and rip his throat out. Death came quickly and the body dropped to the polished floor, gushing blood and entrails.

Quatre�s eyes fluttered open and looked around. The lively blue eyes were as empty and cold as space itself. Blood stained fingers ripped the electrodes from his head, but faltered as he tried to pull the hospital gown off. He was too weak to even get up, damn that stupid doctor.

His gaze went to the door as it slid open and a young man wearing an OZ uniform burst in, gun drawn. Wait�OZ? What was that? Oh yeah� he remembered now� and that boy was� "Quatre? Can you hear me? It�s me, Trowa." Trowa.

*******************************************************************************

Having longer legs had always been useful to him, but now he was eternally grateful. Trowa burst ahead of the group and into a room. Quatre lay on a metal table, hooked up to various machines. A scientist lay at the foot of the table, covered with blood. The same red fluid crusted the hospital gown Quatre wore. "Quatre? Can you hear me? It�s me, Trowa." The boy lifted his head and glanced at him with tired blue eyes.

"Tro�wa�"

Fighting back tears, the French pilot leaned over his angel and smoothed the rumpled blond hair. "Everything�s going to be okay, Little One. We�re all here."

"Don�t touch me."

"What?" Before he could react, Quatre�s fist cracked into his cheek and sent him reeling backwards. When the stars cleared, Trowa looked up to find the boy standing unsteadily on his feet.

"I said� don�t touch me!" The pale fists hit his face again and again. Trowa could only gape stupidly, flinching more in surprise than pain. Suddenly, Quatre�s knees buckled and he crumpled to the floor just as the others rushed in.

"Tro! What happened?" Duo called, but when he saw the icy look on his friend�s face, he decided he�d rather not know. Wufei extended a hand and helped the taller pilot up as the American gathered Quatre up in his arms. For some reason, Trowa didn�t move to take the blond from him. He simply stood there, emerald eyes flat and cold. The uncomfortable moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of machines exploding. Oh yeah, Duo had forgotten about Hee-chan� who was currently pulling him down the hall by his braid. "Everyone move out! Reinforcements are coming!"

*******************************************************************************

Silence reined over the four conscious pilots as they trooped back to their safe house. "Trowa, you should stay by Quatre�s side, to make sure nothing�s wrong with him."

"I-"

"Get in there, Barton." Trowa grudgingly stepped into their bedroom and took a seat by Quatre�s side. His green eyes held no concern or even affection for the boy he was watching over. Hours later, the blond pilot stirred and opened sapphire eyes that were no longer as empty as they had been before.

"Trowa?" He whispered, lifting one hand up to touch the bruises on his love�s face. The French youth quickly batted the hand away and glared at him.

"You hit me."

The Arabian pilot looked away as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "I�m sorry�" When he looked up, Quatre only saw fury and coldness in the other�s eyes. Blinking back tears, he whispered softly, "Go ahead� hit me back if it�ll make you feel better."

With a burst of sudden rage, Trowa swung his arm and his fist hit Quatre�s cheek, but it didn�t stop there. He cut loose, blow after blow, each punch harder than the one before. Powerful muscles bunched up in his arm and shoulder for another blow when a blur of black and chestnut flashed between them.

Duo Maxwell stood firmly planted between the two, his violet eyes cool and deadly. "Don�t you dare hit him again." He hissed. Trowa jumped to his feet, but didn�t move when he heard Heero�s gun cock from the doorway. Duo took the blond boy in his arms and stalked out, leaving the two silent pilots alone.

Cobalt eyes bore into emerald ones. "Looks like we�ve both got some explaining to do."

*******************************************************************************

Duo gently set Quatre on his bed and plastered a smile on his face. "Those look like they hurt, Q. Do you want me to get some ice?" The blond quietly shook his head. "Are you sure?" When Duo received no answer, he knelt by the Arabian�s side and said softly, "Just give Tro some time to cool down. He wouldn�t have done that without a good reason." Although Shinigami hoped the reason was good enough, otherwise heads would roll.

He jogged over to the bathroom and reappeared holding a towel and a bowl of cold water. His violet eyes widened when he saw that Quatre was no longer there. Duo looked out and saw the front door wide open. "Oh shit. WU!!!!"

The two pilots burst outside, running through the woods and calling Quatre�s name. Rain poured in torrents, leaving both drenched within seconds. Duo�s violet eyes flickered as he searched through the woods. Catching a sight of blond hair, he ran through the grass, sending mud flying everywhere.

Quatre was huddled in the deep green, soaked to the bone. His blue eyes were empty and hurt. The chestnut haired pilot wanted to scream and rant about what the hell Quatre was thinking, going out in the rain in his condition, but when he saw the lost look in the cerulean orbs, he held his tongue. "Quatre? C�mon buddy, say something."

"Leave me alone�" The other boy whispered.

"Trowa�s gonna be worried about you."

"He doesn�t love me." Tears flooded the blue eyes and mixed with the rain.

Duo exploded. "How can you say that?! You�re the most important person in his life!"

"Duo, please� it hurts� just let me die�" Quatre hung his head, the spark in his eyes burned out. Still, he didn�t fight as Duo picked him up and carried him back to the house. Wufei was waiting there, his dark gaze softening slightly as he regarded the blond in Duo�s arms.

*******************************************************************************

The look in Trowa�s eyes faded and was replaced by deep confusion. "H-Heero?! What happened?"

The Japanese pilot looked him square in the eye. "Zero System GT is what happened. You were temporarily under its influence, just like Quatre."

Eyes widened and Trowa looked around frantically. "Quatre! Where is he? What happened to him?" Before the Japanese pilot could answer, they heard the door slam. They pounded through the hallway and froze. Duo and Wufei stood there, dripping wet. The American was curled protectively around Quatre, who was as drenched as they were.

The blond pilot looked too frail, like a sick child. His legs were streaked with mud, his hair was wet and rumpled, and his clothes clung to his small frame. His face was deathly white, making the bruises on his swollen face look even darker. Trowa stepped forward, silently asking for his little angel.

Duo backed away, fixing the boy with a poisonous glare that truly made the American worthy of the title �Shinigami�. Heero placed a hand on the chestnut haired boy and murmured, "Let him go. This is their problem, lover, not ours." Reluctantly, Duo placed Quatre in Trowa�s arms and watched silently as the French teen walked back to their room.

*******************************************************************************

Quatre never even looked at the taller boy as Trowa carried him to their bedroom. Meanwhile, Trowa was racking his brain, wondering what to do first. //What would Cathy do if she were in my place?// An image of his sister appeared, so vivid it was as if she were right next to him.

Smiling ever so slightly at his *sister�s* advice, Trowa stripped off the boy�s wet clothing and helped him into dry pajamas. He pulled the thick comforter over the Arabian and went to get him something to eat.

Trowa reemerged later, holding a tray with a bowl of soup. "You must be hungry." The brown haired youth murmured as he took his place by the bed. When Quatre made no move to take the tray from him, Trowa decided to take matters into his own hands.

He propped the small boy against the pillows. Long fingers gently coaxed the bruised lips apart and the green-eyed teen slipped a spoonful of broth in. Fortunately, Quatre didn�t object to any of it, but his silence was just as disturbing.

Neither noticed Wufei standing in the doorway. The Chinese pilot watched the tender scene quietly, never even considering saying something and alerting the two boys of his presence. It reminded him of a father spoon-feeding his sick child. Wufei smirked and knew Maxwell would never let him hear the end of it if the baka knew the arrogant, upright, not to mention uptight, Chinese pilot was so poetic.

*******************************************************************************

An almost unbearable pall of silence had drifted over the safe house. Not even Duo bounced about, creating his usual commotion. Trowa spent most of time in his room, taking care of Quatre who was as quiet as his green-eyed lover. That left Heero and Wufei to make conversation. They would�ve had a better chance of lifting all five Gundams with their bare hands.

"Are you feeling better?" The French pilot asked one morning. He was answered by a quiet nod. The tall boy was tired of coming into room without being greeted with a bright smile or cheerful words. He wanted Quatre to come back to him, and most of all, he wanted Quatre to forgive him, stupid baka that he had been. Trowa reached for one of the small hands and squeezed it gently.

Dull blue eyes looked at him, sending a fresh pang of guilt through his body. Shakily, Trowa wrapped his arms around the smaller pilot and pressed his lips to the bruised cheek.

"Please forgive me, Little One. I know it�s not enough compared to what I�ve done to you, but I hope you understand that how much I care." Trowa blurted into the soft hair, tears stinging his eyes.

When he let go, Quatre looked up with just the smallest flicker of hope in his sea-colored eyes. His pale lips curved upward in a tiny smile. Trowa grinned like a fool; well, it was a start�

*******************************************************************************

The HeavyArms pilot tightened his grip on Quatre�s hand as they fought their way through the bustling crowd in the marketplace. Their eyes met and Trowa smiled reassuringly. The blond smiled barely a fraction of his usual glowing beam, but at the moment, it was just as good. "Let�s hurry," Trowa said softly, "The others are waiting." Just as the words left his mouth, the crowd surged forth and their hands were separated.

Quatre was pushed back to an alley by the numerous people. He started to call for his lover, but a hand clamped over his mouth and dragged him into the dark. The small Arabian was slammed into a brick wall and his vision focused on a large, burly man who radiated lust and hunger. The blue-eyed boy started to scream but an open palm cracked against his face, stunning him.

Rough hands unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his pants down. Quatre�s feet were kicked out from under him and he hit the hard concrete. The invasive hands roamed the young body, over the curves, leaving more bruises on the sensitive skin. Quatre screamed, but it was drowned out by the crowd. "Go ahead, scream all you like," The man leered, "No one will hear you until it�s too late."

Pressing the boy against the ground with his body, the man said huskily, "In fact, I *want* to hear you scream." The blond pilot shut his eyes and bit his lip. He wouldn�t scream; he didn�t want to give his assailant that satisfaction. A thick finger suddenly forced it�s way into his already abused passage, and Quatre did scream, his tortured cry drowned out within other sounds.

*******************************************************************************

The first thing Trowa felt when he and his lover were separated was the deep, disturbing chill that ran through his body. Pushing through the crowd and ignoring the dirty looks shot his way, Trowa continued to look for the blond when he heard a faint but shrill scream. His blood froze instantly and he moved quicker, tracking the source of the scream to a dark alley. What he saw turned his blood to ice.

Quatre was pinned to the ground by another body, his shirt completely unbuttoned and stripped from the waist down. There was a swift motion, and the blond cried out again, arching his back in pain. Trowa didn�t even bother to think. Cold instinct kicked in and he drew his gun, fired, and hit the man directly in the back of the head, all within seconds.

He then replaced his weapon and ran to the small figure huddled on the ground. Quatre was crying hysterically, his muffled sobs wracking his delicate frame. Trowa reached out to but the young man shrank back with a terrified shriek. "NO!!!"

"Quatre, it�s me."

"No more�"

"I know, Little One� I know�" Trowa took the boy into his arms, cradling him like a baby. The green-eyed pilot kissed the blond locks, his heart breaking as he heard the hoarse whispers.

"I was a fool to believe I could ever find happiness. I was so blind that I actually thought I could be happy in all this chaos. I�m nothing but a worthless burden to everyone, you, Duo, Heero, Wufei�" Trowa pressed Quatre to his solid chest, holding him as tightly as he dared.

"That�s not true." The French youth whispered, almost to the brink of tears. "You were never a burden to us. Without you, we would�ve been long dead. We need you, Little One, *I* need you." He gripped Quatre�s hand in his own and kissed the small fingers. "Come back to me, Quatre�"

*******************************************************************************

Somehow, by sheer luck, Trowa had managed to get home without anyone seeing them. Quatre now sat quietly on their bed, wrapped in a thick bathrobe. It looked too familiar to what happened several days before.

The blond youth�s injuries were minor. He had a few cuts and scratches here and there, but he seemed to be okay. What really worried the brown haired pilot was how withdrawn Quatre had become again.

Just getting him to smile after the encounter with System GT had been hard enough, now it seemed as though nothing could shake the little blond from the darkness that trapped him. Leaning closer to his small lover, Trowa reached out and touched the bruised face. Bruises that *he* had inflicted, even when none of it was Quatre�s fault.

"Quatre, look at me." The blond slowly raised his head, tears starting to fill his eyes.

Trowa kissed the Arabian�s forehead and enfolded the boy in his arms, whispering, "I love you." Quatre wrapped his arms around the green-eyed boy�s neck and closed his misty eyes. They stayed that way for a long time, never moving from that position until sleep finally came.

*******************************************************************************

He awoke, hours later when it was pitch black. Trowa smiled faintly and pulled Quatre closer. An elegant hand pulled the bathrobe open slightly and the French pilot gently pressed his palm against the other�s heart, longing to feel the steady pulse beneath his fingertips. But the minute his hand came in contact with the boy�s skin, Trowa was hit with a psychic force so strong it was like hitting a gundanium wall. His emerald eyes were wide open, and yet he didn�t see anything. Trowa could only feel deep pain that overshadowed any physical injury and such need for love and comfort it made his heart melt.

"NOOOO!!!" Trowa howled, sitting bolt upright in their bed. Sweat dripped down his face and neck, drenching the clothes that he had fallen asleep in.

"Trowa?" Quatre sat up and rubbed his eyes. The sapphire orbs suddenly widened in fear as small hands clutched at his sleeve. "Please don�t go, I don�t want to be alone." The taller boy forced a smile and kissed his temple.

"It�s nothing, Little One, I promise I won�t leave."

"Don�t leave me alone."

"I won�t, now go back to sleep. You�ve had a hard day." Trowa kicked off his shoes and pulled the covers over their bodies. His touches were gentle, as if he were afraid that even his callused hands would somehow hurt Quatre. The blond boy curled against him with the same need Trowa had felt from Quatre�s broken heart.

He shut his eyes, unable to face the innocent child he held so close. It hurt too much to look at the broken angel. Trowa wanted to heal his love, take the pain in Quatre�s place, but he couldn�t. As he started to drift off, he whispered, "I�ll never leave you, my angel�"

*******************************************************************************

The quiet morning was shattered by a frustrated scream echoing through the woods. Duo grabbed his hair and pulled at the silky chestnut. Quatre, from his place on the bed, never even grinned. "For the love of Sister Helen, Quatre *PLEASE* say something! I�m begging you, just say anything!"

The blond pilot blinked and mumbled, "M�sorry Duo� I didn�t know it bothered you so much�" Duo sighed and hung his head. He had been trying so goddamned hard to get the old Quatre back, but nothing seemed to work. Then again, it was natural for things to backfire on Duo Maxwell.

"Damn," The American muttered under his breath, "I thought for sure he would at least smile." He looked up and grinned. "It�s okay, Q. I know you�re not feeling well." That was an understatement. The blond was constantly plagued by fever and nightmares. He rarely spoke anymore and his eyes were haunted.

"Hey, why don�t we go outside? It�s a nice day and Heero�s too grumpy to be good company." Too tired and despondent to even politely refuse, Quatre nodded and silently followed after his friend.

*******************************************************************************

Duo hadn�t been lying; it *was* a nice day. The Arabian youth sat on the soft grass and watched the hyperactive American chase after a squirrel. A little smile touched his lips and his eyes sparkled as he giggled slightly. This did not go unnoticed by Duo, or the other three pilots watching from a window. Trowa slowly opened the door and stood on the patio, gazing affectionately at the little blond.

Quatre felt better than he had in those past weeks. The blades of grass brushed against his bare legs and the oversized shirt he wore ruffled in the gentle breeze. The sun felt warm against his milky skin, which had paled considerably after being confined to the safe house for so long. Quatre�s smile grew wider and Duo wanted to just give the Arabian a big, wet smooch and yammer to God Almighty his thanks.

The blue-eyed youth heard soft footsteps and turned his head to see Trowa standing there. Time seemed to stand still and Trowa fidgeted, unsure of what he should do. His legs moved stiffly, of their own accord, and he found himself sitting next to the blond boy. The whole time, Quatre never moved, eyes fixed on him.

Trowa raised his hand and awkwardly touched the rosebud lips. Quatre managed to smile again, a shy blush coloring his cheeks. The emerald-eyed pilot wrapped an arm around the smaller boy and rested his chin on the fluffy gold hair.

Quatre would heal; it would take time and it certainly wasn�t going to be easy, but in the end, he was going to be all right. The two sat there quietly, basking in the warmth of both the sun and their own love.

From the other side of the house, safely out of Trowa and Quatre�s range of hearing, "OMIGAWD, THAT IS *sniff* *sniff* SO FRICKIN� BEEE~YOOOOTIFUL!!!!!"

*******************************************************************************

Sucks, ne? I think my teeth are gonna fall out, it�s so sappy. As usual, all standard disclaimers apply. I. Don�t. Own. The. G-Boys. Got. It? Email would be much appreciated by the stressed out, sleep-deprived writer~ LiLi