by KatiKat
I apologize for the
long delay but I finally finished it! Go me! And I know that I promised to
write the side-story about Duo’s and Heero’s mating but the muses just won’t cooperate.
Sorry, folks! >.< I hope, you will like it anyway! *huggles*
"What's the status, Captain?" Treize asked as the
ship's captain stepped into their cabin through the makeshift curtain they hung
up to replace the destroyed door. The small room was already cleaned up, the
bodies disposed of.
The tall man ran a hand over his tired face. "We've lost
eight men, General. Seventeen are injured. The ship's healer and Mr. Barton are
taking care of them right now." He propped his hands on his sides, too
tired to mind the protocol while talking to his superior. "There was a
fire on the bow, but fortunately, there was no significant damage done to the
ship."
Treize nodded, donning a clean jacket over his white shirt.
"So are we okay enough to join the fleet and head for the City?"
The captain nodded. "Yes, sir. The captain of the Velvet
Dove offered to replace our men with some of his crew so there shouldn't be any
delay - as long as we don't hit another storm or something similar."
Buttoning his sleeves, Treize sighed. "Hopefully not.
This journey has already been adventurous enough for my family." He threw
a glance in the direction of the crib where Milliardo was laying their son in
his crib to sleep.
The captain agreed. "Will you stay on the
Peacemillion?"
Treize looked at the other man, raising his eyebrows.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"The Emperor sent a boat for you. He demands your
presence on his flag ship," the captain explained.
For a second, Treize froze. Mil's head shot up and he gasped
almost inaudibly. They didn´t expect to meet the King so soon.
Treize forced himself to relax. "We will definitely be
staying here, Captain. Tell the boatmen that I'm on my way," he added,
dismissing the captain.
The tall man bowed slightly and left the cabin, the curtain
closing behind him.
Milliardo straightened from where he was bent over the small
crib, then closed the distance between himself and his mate.
"Treize..." he whispered, lying his hand on the other man´s shoulder.
Treize took a deep breath. "Well, that's sooner than I
expected," he admitted. He was realistic - the audience wouldn't be easy.
He would have to be extremely careful about what he would say. One slip and all
of them could end up in the executioner's hands.
Milliardo stepped around his lover to face him. "What
will you tell him?" he asked softly. He didn't have to specify who he was
talking about. They both knew that the Emperor would demand an explanation how
Milliardo Peacecraft, one of the most skillful officers in the Emperor's army,
turned out to be not only a lifebearer, but mated with the First General too.
King Noventa was not a bad man, but he was a traditionalist to the core and
viewed the Bearers as lesser beings that were there to only bear children and
provide pleasure. This, their Bond... he would regard it as a break of trust, a
betrayal, a slap in the face... They would have to act very, very carefully.
Treize sighed and took Mil's hands in his. "What we
agreed upon. Our little story should provide explanation enough. Everything
depends on how angry the Emperor is with us. I'm sure that there will be some
repercussions though. He can't let it slide. He has to save face."
Mil lowered his head. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault...
If you lose your title, the lands of your ancestors or..."
"Mil."
"... your rank, I will never forgive myself."
Treize took Mil´s face in his hands and forced his mate to
look at him. "Milliardo." He kept caressing the blond man´s cheeks
with his thumbs gently. "It doesn't matter. The titles, lands or my rank.
None of it matters. You do though, and our child." When Mil kept looking
at him with a miserable look in his blue eyes, Treize leaned closer and kissed
his lips softly. "You two are the most important to me. And everything
else can go to hell. Understood?"
Milliardo sighed, then touched his forehead to Treize's.
"Understood," he agreed quietly.
Treize smiled. "Alright." He kissed his mate´s
forehead, then headed for the door. "And tonight, we will celebrate your
sight returning."
Mil turned around. "You promise?" he called after
the other man.
The Count turned around in the doorway and smiled. "I
promise." Then he was gone.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"Oh gods, my head," Rufus moaned as consciousness
finally returned to him. He tried to open his eyes, but shut them tightly
immediately when the bright light stabbed deep into his skull painfully.
"Are you back with us?" an amused voice laced with
worry asked him from close proximity. A moment later, a shadow fell over Rufus'
face and he dared to open one eye slowly.
"Trowa?" Rufus groaned. "What happened?"
The healer knelt down next to his friend, then leaned over
him to gently probe the back of his head. "Sorry," he mumbled when he
touched a sore spot and Rufus hissed through his teeth. "Obviously, you
got bashed over your thick head. But fortunately, there is no blood. Any
problems with your vision?"
Rufus shook his head, then groaned as he realized that it was
a bad idea. "No. But I feel dizzy as hell."
Trowa sat down on his heels and turned to check the bandage
on the other man's thigh. "No wonder. You've been unconscious for a rather
long time. I was starting to worry."
Rufus raised his hand to shield his eyes. Suddenly he froze
as something dangled from his fingers and glittered in the afternoon sun. The
pendant. He tried to sit up, but Trowa pressed him down to the wooden deck
again. "The pirates... where are they?" he asked urgently.
"Stay where you are!" Trowa ordered in his best 'no
nonsense' voice. "The pirates are long gone. Unless you want to swim after
them, you stay put!"
Rufus closed his eyes, put the pendant in his hand and
squeezed it tightly. He had been so close. So close to finding a clue that
could lead him to his mate. And now it was gone again. He sighed.
"Trowa? What's wrong with Rufus?"
At the sound of his General's voice, Rufus tried to scramble to
his feet, but Trowa pushed him down again. For a healer, the young man was
rather strong.
"It's nothing serious," Trowa assured the Count
from where he was, kneeling besides the injured man. "He should take it
easy for a couple of days, but he will be okay."
Rufus turned his head to see the General nod. Treize didn´t
look injured, though there was a noticeable strain in his shoulders. Rufus
frowned. Something was obviously wrong.
The Count turned to Trowa again. "You should go and take
a look at Duo. When I left, Heero was with him but he didn´t look good. There
was an... incident," Treize added after a small hesitation.
Trowa frowned, then nodded and got up. "You," he
turned to Rufus, "stay put. I advised the men to use a piece of sail-cloth
and build a tent for the injured that do not fit in the infirmary. The last
thing we need is for you to fall down the ladder or take a swim in the
sea!" With that, he quickly disappeared in the door leading below.
Heedless of the healer's warning, Rufus sat up and quickly
swallowed hard as his stomach rebelled. He closed his eyes for a moment to
collect himself. When he opened them again, he looked at Treize.
"General... is something wrong?" he asked quietly.
Treize hesitated, then crouched down. "The Emperor
expressed his wish to see me," he said softly, mindful of curious ears
close by.
Rufus' eyes widened slightly. He had spent a lot of time with
Treize and his mate and even though they didn't tell him anything, he knew that
they were hiding something. It was a well known fact that Milliardo, a Bearer,
joined the military - a thing unheard of before. It was also obvious that there
would be repercussions for what the blond man had done. And from the tension
that vibrated through the Count's frame, Rufus realized that the other man was
more than just a little worried.
"General..." he whispered, but Treize interrupted
him.
"Rufus, should... something happen... Promise me that
you'll get them to safety," the General said in a low voice, laced with
steel.
Rufus swallowed hard and looked around quickly.
"General, you don't think that the Emperor would..." he couldn't
finish.
Treize shrugged. "I don't know. But what I need to know
is that my mate and my son are safe."
The soldier didn't hesitate. "You have my word, my
lord," he promised, his headache forgotten for the moment.
Treize relaxed just a fraction, then offered his hand to the
captain of his personal guard. "Thank you, my friend."
Honored by the fact that the great First General considered him
a friend, Rufus squeezed his forearm tightly. "I swear on my life."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Heero sat down on the side of the bed and laid a cold
compress on his mate's burning forehead. Then he took Duo's hand in his own and
pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He was worried. No, more than worried.
He was frantic with worry.
After Duo collapsed in his arms, he brought him into their
cabin, away from the smell of death and blood splattered floor. The long-haired
young man seemed almost unresponsive and let Heero undress him and wash away
all remnants of the disastrous fight. Heero then put Duo into their bed and
tucked him in, intent on keeping him away from the horrendous remains of the
battle.
It took him only a couple of minutes to realize that something
was wrong though. Duo's breath grew haggard, his pale cheeks flushed and his
skin grew hot and dry. This wasn't normal. That's why when Treize stepped in to
see if Duo was okay, he asked the Count to send Trowa to them as soon as
possible.
Duo moaned silently and turned onto his side where he curled
up in a small ball. The compress that had already grown warm slid from his
forehead. Heero put it into the basin, then caressed his mate's hair gently.
Even though it was warm in the cabin, the lifebearer shivered and Heero pulled
the blanket that covered him higher. Duo opened his eyes to slits. They were
feverish and glazed over.
"Hey," Heero whispered and dropped to his knees by
the bed.
"I killed them, Heero," Duo rasped brokenly. "I
could feel them die. It was as if a part of me died with them." Tears
gathered in his eyes.
Heero caressed the tousled brown hair of his mate gently and
kissed his forehead. "It wasn't your fault. If you didn't kill them, they
would have killed you. You know that. That's how it is in a battle. You kill or
get killed." Heero wanted to console his mate, but no matter how he tried,
he couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like for a lifebearer to take
a life. He was used to it and sometimes it horrified him that while killing, he
didn't feel a thing anymore. Sometimes he wondered if he was still human.
Duo blinked, the tears soaking into his pillow. "It hurt
so much... it still hurts," he whispered, gripping his mate's hand with
his left one tightly and pressing the other to his chest. "In
here..."
Heero swallowed painfully. He didn't know what to say, how to
ease Duo's suffering and it pained him so much.
"Heero?"
A quiet voice from the doorway interrupted Heero's musing and
the former Enforcer turned around to see Milliardo standing there, a sad
expression on his face.
"Mil...?"
"Maybe I should talk to him," he offered.
Heero felt torn apart. On one hand, he really wanted it to be
him whom his mate would need so desperately, but on the other hand he realized
that the word of a lifebearer who went through the same thing might help Duo
more.
He turned around to the young man on the bed, kissed his
cheek and caressed his hair. "Milliardo is here. He wants to talk to you.
Do you feel up to it, love?" he asked softly, letting Duo decide what he
wanted.
Duo's eyes slid past Heero's crouching figure to where the
blond lifebearer was standing by the door. "Okay," he whispered,
tightening his grip on Heero's hand for a second. Then he let his mate's hand
go.
Heero dropped one last kiss to his mate's brow, then got to
his feet and headed for where Mil was standing. "Help him," he said
quietly. "Please."
Milliardo nodded. "I'll do what I can. Could you watch
over Zechs?"
The former Enforcer nodded, threw one last glance over his
shoulder and left the cabin.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"I was only fourteen when I killed for the first
time," Milliardo said softly. He sat on the bed, holding Duo's burning
hand in his. His eyes were lowered, fixed on the bony knuckles he was caressing
with his thumb. "It was even before I passed the Ceremony of Coming of
Age. My father had been so sure that I was a Sire that he didn't mind me
joining his men on the patrol of our borders."
The blond man fell silent for a moment and Duo watched him
with feverish eyes.
"It was in winter. The barbarians from the North crossed
the border and were attacking our villages, stealing food and burning down
everything. It was just a couple of days before my Coming of Age Ceremony. Treize
came all the way from the City to stand witness." He smiled a little.
"We weren't on good terms back then. Or at least I wasn't. He was getting
bonded then and he saw me as only a little brother. But I don't know what would
have happened to me, if he hadn't been there."
"The fight was... it was a slaughter..." he
continued in a whisper, his face very serious and sad again. "In the heat
of the battle I didn't feel it, I didn't feel anything... I should be grateful
for that, otherwise I and maybe other men would have ended up dead, cut to
pieces by the barbarians' battle axes. No, it wasn't until we returned back to
the stronghold that it crashed down around me." He shivered at the memory.
"I started to shake so terribly that my teeth chattered, I was hot and
cold and my sight was growing dim. My father clapped me on the back and
congratulated me on the kill. He said that it was just the shock of my first
kill... And maybe it was... partially."
"I tried to escape the celebrations of our victory... But
on the way to my room, I suddenly couldn't breathe or move or utter a sound. It
was as if my world stopped moving. The whole ride back to the fortress, I could
feel Treize's worried eyes on me and at that moment, he was there. He took me
in his arms and brought me to my room. He disrobed me and crawled into the bed
with me, he hugged me and held me tight since I couldn't rid myself of the
chill."
He shook his head. "The pain I felt in my chest was so
numbing, so debilitating that I couldn't even cry. When I look back, I
sometimes think that if Treize didn´t hold me in his arms that day, I would
have shattered to pieces. I didn't know what it was, this deep ache that was
shredding me to pieces... and neither did Treize. I think it confused him. He
would have expected to hear something like that from a Bearer, but not a Sire.
But he stayed and my speech finally returned, he let me talk... about
nonsense... about stupid things that fell from my tongue... I just needed to
get it out..."
"And then everything was alright?" Duo croaked
silently, breaking Mil's monologue for the first time.
Milliardo looked his friend in the eye. "No," he
answered truthfully. "I won't lie to you, Duo. Bearers are just not cut
out for killing."
"But you've been a soldier," Duo said, furrowing
his brows slightly.
"And I pay for it with neverending nightmares," he
answered. "Every time Treize is not there to hold them at bay, I feel like
they'll swallow me up. You don't get used to taking life. Ever. Every time
someone dies by your hand, you feel his death as if it was yours. And every
time, you die a bit more in here." He laid his hand on his chest.
"It's an awful, terrible feeling and if you are not careful, it can easily
drive you insane."
"Then why did you become a soldier?" Duo asked, his
mind distracted from his own problems for a minute.
Mil smiled sadly. "Love is a powerful motivation, Duo. I
would readily suffer far more to spend one minute in Treize's presence. He is
just... everything," he added, not being able to find a better word how to
describe the wonderful feeling that filled him to the tips of his toes.
"So, you are saying that lifebearers are weak," the
braided man croaked out sourly, his voice full of self-disgust. How could Heero
love a weakling like him?
"No, that's not true," Mil protested. "Duo,
look at me," he asked, but when the other man wouldn't meet his eyes, he
released his hand and took Duo's face in his hands. "Lifebearers are not
weak. You are not weak. You can hold your own and protect the ones you love.
Would you call Heero a weakling because he is not able to bear children?"
When Duo shook his head, Mil continued. "The Sires and the Bearers are
different but the cultural and physical gap between us is growing narrower with
each generation. I have read books from the ancient times when the Bearers
needed to be protected from every harm, they were like flowers that wilted at
just a hint of danger or violence. And look at us now. It still pains us to
take lives and we are still sensitive towards anyone in distress, but we have
evolved. And in time there won't be any difference between the Sires and the
Bearers at all. And that's what the traditionalists fear. That is the reason
why they are 'showing us our place' as they call it. They fear us because one
day we could force them into submission. It won't be in this generation and not
even in the next. But the day will come."
Mil smiled crookedly at Duo and released his face. "I
apologize for this rant of mine, but since the moment my child and I almost
died at the hands of a traditionalist, this turned into a sore spot for
me."
Duo answered with a smile of his own. It was small, wavering
and barely there, but it was a smile. "You make us sound like supernatural
beings."
"And we are supernatural," Milliardo smiled.
"Can you imagine the Sires bearing our children? We would die out in two
generations."
This time there was a twinkle in the violet eyes that still
held a feverish glaze.
There was a soft knock on the door, then Trowa poked his head
inside. Taking in the two figures on the bed, he smiled the gentle, soothing
smile of a healer and greeting them with a soft 'hey there' and stepped inside.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When Milliardo asked him to watch over Zechs, it never
occured to Heero to refuse. He knew that Trowa would be rather busy now and
Treize left to talk to the Emperor himself. And besides – it couldn’t be that
hard to take care of a small child for a moment or two, right?
His mind busy with the physical and emotional state of his
mate, Heero didn't think twice of what he would or would not do with the baby
should it wake up, so the first stirring and cooing took him completely by
surprise. Blinking once, twice, he stepped closer to the wooden crib, unsure of
what to do. He had no experience with children. Except for finding the lost
ones in the woods or fishing them out of a pond they had fallen into, he never
came into contact with them. Heero shuffled his feet and peeked over the edge
of the crib.
As if sensing that someone was nearby, little Zechs scrunched
his face and forced out a loud and long wail, his little hands flailing.
Surprised once again, Heero took a step back, as if afraid that his presence
was scaring the child. He knew a lot of adults who were terrified of him, why
not a small child?
When the boy kept on crying, his little face growing wet and
red, Heero looked around helplessly, as if the answer to this predicament would
pop up from nowhere if he just looked around hard enough. But alas, no one came
to his rescue.
Taking a deep breath and gathering courage, Heero leaned
closer again and using the sternest voice he could manage, he said. "Oi,
be quiet!"
But as if angered by the harsh voice the adult used, the
child's cries grew into harsh sobbing, the little legs kicking wildly in
frustration over the man's idiocy in not understanding what the small one
wanted.
Heero frowned and not knowing what to do, he reached down
with his hand and laid it gently on the child's breast. The crying stopped
almost immediately and Zechs started to coo, happy at the prospect of having
someone's attention.
Grateful for the sudden silence, Heero tried to lift his hand
from the softly breathing ribcage, but the wailing started anew almost
immediately. With a deep breath, Heero resigned himself to being glued to the
infant for an infinite amount of time.
The low chuckle that echoed from the doorway surprised the
slumped figure at the crib. Heero turned around quickly, still a little wired
from the bloody fight.
Trowa pulled the curtain aside, stepped in and closed it
again. "You know, Heero, you could take Zechs in your arms," he said,
amused. "The baby just wants your attention, that's all."
Heero looked genuinely horrified at the prospect of having
such a fragile little thing in his arms. He could drop it or squish it by
accident or...
As if reading his thoughts, Trowa assured his friend.
"Don't worry, Heero. Children are more resilient that one would
think." He stepped closer to the crib, leaned over and ran a finger over
the fuzz on the top of the baby's head. "I went to see Duo," he said,
changing the subject of their conversation suddenly.
Heero's eyes shot up from where they were following Trowa's
gentle movements. He didn't ask anything but his eyes said it all.
"He will be okay. At least physicaly. The fever comes
partially from the shock and partially from the fact that he got his monthly
bleeding. Two rather unpleasant things happened coincidentally at once. He will
be rather tired and he should drink plenty of fluids, but give him a couple of
days and he will be okay," he assured his friend, eyes still fixed on the
child.
"You said physically... what about mentally?" Heero
asked, a bit afraid to hear the answer.
Trowa sighed. "As you know, it isn't easy for a Bearer
to kill. He has to make peace with himself first, then he can deal with the
residual pain of their deaths. I don't know what Mil told Duo, but I think it
worked. It looks like Milliardo managed to reach deep inside of your mate and fix
something that got broken or at least bent." He chuckled softly. "You
know, when I was leaving, Duo asked me if I knew that lifebearers were
supernatural beings."
Heero blinked in surprise.
"I don't know what that means, but I noticed the wink he
shared with Milliardo."
Heero frowned slightly, making a mental note to ask his lover
what that meant. "And what happens now?"
Trowa straightened, propping his hands on his hips. "Duo
needs to rest a lot, sleep if possible. I made him drink a sleeping potion, so
he should be out cold for now."
"Is he alone?"
The healer nodded. "Yes, I forced Milliardo to take a
walk on the deck. His eyes are almost okay now and he hadn't left his cabin for
a small eternity. The fresh air should help him clear his head. He seemed
rather worried about something," he added almost absentmindly.
"I think we both know what it is," Heero muttered
and they shared a dark look. "Well, I think I will go and sit with Duo
now," he said. An anxious look appeared in his eyes as he slowly lifted
his hand from the sleeping child's chest. When the wailing didn't start this
time, he breathed out in relief.
Trowa laughed quietly and when Heero glared at him, he gave
his friend a cheeky grin. "Heero, I can't wait to see you with children of
your own!"
With a terrified look in his eyes, Heero made a hasty
retreat.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The sun was setting slowly. Milliardo was pacing up and down
the deck, rubbing his arms even though the evening was warm. It wasn't the
stench of death nor the remnants of the battle that were upsetting him. He had
seen much worse scenes in his life. No, he was worried about his mate. It had
been hours since Treize left to talk to the Emperor and still there was no sign
of him. He could feel Rufus watching him with worried eyes, but nothing could
distract him from his worried state of mind.
And then there was a boat on the waves, slowly bobbing in
their direction, two pairs of rows fighting against the current. Milliardo
stepped to the railing, gripping the wooden edge until his knuckles grew white.
A relieved gush of air left his lungs as he spotted the figure of his mate
sitting among the sailors.
He rushed to the rope ladder that Treize climbed, welcoming
him with a squeeze of a hand, flushed cheeks and overly bright eyes. But then
he noticed the pale, grim expression of his mate and let himself be ushered to
the bow, the sailors scattering from their path under the heavy burden of the
General's look.
"What's wrong, love?" Mil asked softly after he
made sure they were out of earshot. "Did you talk with the Emperor?"
Treize released his mate's hand and turned toward the ocean,
leaning with his hands on the railing. "No," he gritted out,
obviously too furious for words. "He let me wait in front of the door to
his cabin for two hours, then his secretary stepped out to tell me His Highness
had no time for me."
Milliardo swallowed. He knew what that meant. The Emperor was
showing the First General that he was not in his favour anymore. That wouldn't
be that bad since they prefered to stay away from the Court anyway. But even
though the Emperor didn't favour his General, he still needed his help. And
that situation was dangerous. It was always dangerous to give your superiors
the feeling that they owed you something. Emperors especially didn't owe
anything to anybody.
Milliardo waited patiently since he knew that that wasn't
all. Something more must have happened that angered Treize so much.
"He put Dekim Barton in charge of me and the peace
talks," Treize spat out.
Mil's eyes grew large. "What?"
"Barton must look pretty smart right now. The Emperor
didn't voice it that way of course. Dekim Barton should be my 'counsellor' and
'assistant'. That was the message His Highness' secretary should relay to
me." For a moment, Treize just looked at the vast ocean, then he slammed
his fist against the edge of the wooden railing. "To hell with it! Barton,
that treacherous bastard. No way can I step out now and charge him with an
assassination attempt. Everybody would write it off to the fact that I'm
jealous of his status. Damn it to hell," he added softly.
Milliardo reached out and laid his hand on Treize's taut
shoulder. "Well, you wanted to keep Barton close anyway, to figure out
what he was up to, you know? Now you have the chance without raising any
suspicion," he tried to console his mate, rubbing small circles on the
hard muscles of his shoulder.
"But that's not all. The secretary asked me to relay a
message to you too," Treize whispered.
Mil froze, the breath catching in his throat. "And...
what is it?"
Treize turned his head to him. "You've been ordered to
appear in front of the Emperor the day after we reach the City. Alone."
After a couple of seconds, Mil remembered how to breathe, but
when he wanted to drop the hand from his mate's shoulder, Treize wouldn't allow
it and gripped his hand in his own.
"Well, if worse comes to worse, we could always ask
Irien for refuge," Treize said, his voice forcibly light.
Milliardo looked Treize in the eye and saw that his mate was
only partially joking. They both knew that if need be, Irien would take them
in, no questions asked. They respected each other and trusted each other.
Milliardo swallowed and nodded. "So... what now?"
Treize squeezed his hand gently, then laid his arm around the
blond lifebearer's shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. "Now we wait. We
will see what the future will bring..."
TBC