~ ~ ~
Trowa Barton's eyes came back into focus and he looked at Wufei who was concentrating on what he was cooking, it smelled great.
"Who knew that Champion of Justice was also a five star chef." came the pepy voice of Duo Maxwell who was sitting on the barstool next to Trowa.
"Hn." he responded, falling back into his daydream. Heero Yuy's laptop could be heard in the background.
~ ~ ~
Quatre Raberba Winner lay on his bed, barley holding onto consciousness. HE couldn't understand it, he had felt so weak and tired all day, yet he didn't feel sick. What was wrong?
The problem finally dawned on him. Hunger, he was hungry. His body didn't always work in the correct way, so often times it was difficult for him to know what he needed.
Quatre glanced at the clock. To late for a snack. "I'll just rest my eyes until dinner's ready." He said to himself not bothering to turn off the light.
~ ~ ~
"Can someone go get Quatre?" Wufei asked putting the finishing touches on his master piece.
Trowa wordlessly got up and headed toward the stairs.
"You know," Duo said talking mostly to himself. "I'm beginning to wonder if only Quatre and I were taught to speak as children."
There was no response for the chatty American.
"Trowa made his way to the room that he and Quatre shared. The door was open a crack so he pushed it open the rest of the way and entered. Quatre was fast asleep, breathing softly. He looked so peaceful, it made Trowa smile. Quatre had the biggest, most innocent hearts of all the Gundams.
"Little One, are you asleep?" he whispered. Getting no response he covered the blond with a blanket, shut off the light and when back down stairs.
"I thought you were getting Quatre." Duo pointed out when Trowa returned alone.
"He was asleep, I'll eat with him when he wakes."
~ ~ ~
It was nearly an hour later when Quatre walked down the stairs smiling sheepishly. All the other Gundam Pilots were still at the table, empty plates in front of them.
"Hello Quatre," Trowa said the first to see him. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you for the blanket." Quatre said returning the smile.
Trowa nodded and then busied himself getting dinner for the both of them. Quatre felt very special that Trowa would wait and eat with him.
"Hey look!" Duo exclaimed jumping up. "It's snowing!"
Quatre looked out the window along with the rest of the Gundam Pilots. Duo was right, it *was* snowing.
"It isn't going to last very long though." Heero stated, being the realist that he was. "It can't stay in this climate."
"Father Maxwell and sister Helen always made a big deal out of the first snow." Duo said wistfully, ignoring Heero's comment. "They'd always turn off all the lights, and burn candles all night, and we'd play instruments, and sing..." he cut himself off rather abruptly, embarrassed that he had opened up so much.
Quatre leaned over and whispered something in Trowa's ear, they both smiled slyly.
~ ~ ~
It didn't take much longer for the sky to get dark. Duo was just stepping out of the shower when he heard everyone else whispering downstairs, they all shushed each other quickly.
Curiosity getting the best of him he walked down to the living room to get the shock of his life.
The entire living room was dark, except for the light of a hundred candles. Both Trowa and Quatre had begun to play their instruments, Wufei and Heero were singing. The Gundams could almost see tears in their friend's eyes.
~ ~ ~
"Quatre, where are you going?" Duo asked as Quatre headed up the stairs.
"To bed. I've got a mission in the morning, I'll probably be gone before any of you wake up, but I'll be back soon.
"All right, good luck."
Quatre nodded his thanks and continued up the stairs.
"Oh...and Quatre?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, thank you so much."
~ ~ ~
"What did he mean by soon?! Days?! Hours?! What?!"
"I don't know! He didn't tell me! He said he'd be gone before anyone got up and he'd be back soon! Then he went to bed!"
Trowa and Duo glared at each other, it was Trowa who backed down first, he sank into a chair. Quatre had been gone for three days without a word. Trowa was going ballistic. He had questioned Duo, who had been the last to speak with Quatre, at least a hundred times, but it still hadn't brought Quatre home.
Trowa was hiding his eyes, with his head in his hands.
Wufei had slipped into the kitchen hours ago, no one had heard a peep from him, what he was doing, no one knew.
Heero had been working on his laptop for two days straight, no one had disturbed him either.
Duo glanced down at Trowa, and realized that the tall boy was crying. Pretty soon, they were all going to have to accept the fact that Quatre wasn't going to be coming home.
The usually talkative American was at a loss for words. He grabbed his cap and bolted out the door. The sun what shinning, and it drove Duo mad. Such a horrible thing had happened, did God have no respect? He couldn't help it, Shinigami put his head down and began to cry. Quatre had been so innocent, so giving, so pure, why did he have to be the one to be taken? "It should have been me." Duo whispered. "It should have been me."
"Duo?" I voice came from behind. It belonged to Heero. The stoic Japanese boy opened his arms and Duo willingly entered them. As they both sat there, rocking each other back and forth, Duo wondered if all the salty tears really belonged to him.
~ ~ ~
It was almost and accident when Duo looked up when he did, but what he saw coming toward him and Heero was a boy with bright blond hair, hair that could only belong to Quatre Raberba Winner.
"Quatre!" Duo yelled jumping up and running towards the Arabian. Heero looked up and followed suit, but as soon as he got a good look at Quatre's face, he knew something was very, very wrong.
Duo was to overcome with joy to notice though, and proceeded to wrap the frail, dirty boy in a hug, seconds later he was pushed to the ground, with a look of total shock and confusion on his face.
Quatre was visibly shaking, with his fists clenched at his sides. He didn't look at anyone, only the ground, and he seemed to be fighting back tears of rage and sorrow. "Don't you touch me." He warned in a raspy voice. "Don't you come near me."
~ ~ ~
Trowa was sitting in the chair, just getting over his tears when Heero shut his laptop and went after Duo. It killed him to think that he just couldn't go after Quatre.
It wasn't to much longer after that the kitchen door opened and then slammed shut. Wufei sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room and didn't say a word.
"Quatre!" a faint voice yelled, full of joy.
Both Gundams looked at each other in shock, then bolted out the door, just in time to see Quatre with the odd expressions throughout his body, and to hear his warnings.
"Get away from me!"
Duo sat on the ground just in front of the unfamiliar boy, with a shocked look on his face. Even Heero failed to remain stoic.
"Quatre," Duo whispered. "What's happened to you?"
Quatre stepped back in surprise, and he seemed to come to his scenes. "Um...I...I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me...I just need some sleep." HE walked past everyone who was still staring at him, he faced Trowa.
"Little One, this isn't the Quatre I know, what's happened to you?" Trowa reached up to touch Quatre's hair, but the small Arabian flinched and pulled away, he turned and ran into the house.
~ ~ ~
Trowa glanced at Duo and Heero, they were just as confused as he was. Trowa ran into the house after Quatre, determined to find out what was wrong.
There was no one to be found in the house, but Trowa could hear gentle sobs coming from upstairs. He climbed them quietly and entered the room that he and Quatre shared. Quatre was sitting on his bed, crying.
The scene broke Trowa's heart. "Oh Little One, tell me, please tell me what happened to you." he begged. He longed to reach out and gather the frail blonde in his arms, but instinct told him that would only make things worse.
Quatre sniffled and looked up, he attempted to smile, but failed miserably. "Nothing happened."
"You're lying to me."
"I know."
~ ~ ~
Quatre hadn't come out of his room for two days. Wufei had consented to Trowa moving into the room that he had to himself, so Quatre could be alone.
The Gundam Pilots had been giving Quatre food, but they weren't sure if he had been eating it or not.
Dinners had been eaten in silence since Duo didn't have anyone to talk to, and it wasn't as if he felt like talking anyway.
On the third night since Quatre's return home, he made his way down the stairs, just in time for supper. He stayed silent, but at least he was eating.
When they were almost done, Quatre spoke.
"Trowa, you can move back into our room now, I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting." he said all this with his head down.
"It's okay Little One." Trowa said soothingly. "but maybe if you told me what happened, I could help.."
Quatre looked very embarrassed to say the least. "I...the reason, I was out of contact to long..."
Trowa nodded encouragingly.
"I was captured."
The rest of the Gundams didn't know what to think, yes it was true that the rest of them had all been captured at one time or another, but...
"Is that all Quatre? Look at Shinigami over here." Heero said referring to Duo. "He's captured every other month."
"More than two words out of the perfect soldier and it's a diss on my part." Duo mumbled.
Quatre forced a laugh, a *very* forced laugh. "I guess you're right." He sighed. "I'll go to bed now, I haven't slept much." he retreated to his room.
~ ~ ~
"Do you think that's all that was bothering Quatre?" Duo asked Heero as they were getting ready for bed.
"I really don't know, Quatre always felt guilty for everything that's happened."
Duo sighed. "I hope that he's going to be okay."
As his eyes closed he heard a very faint whispering. "Me too."
~ ~ ~
Trowa entered his room to find Quatre asleep just as he had a week ago. The light was on and Quatre was uncovered. But there was something different...he seemed...uneasy, afraid.
Trowa sighed, covered Quatre, took off his clothes, shut the light and went to sleep.
It was hours later when he woke to the sound of Quatre speaking to him.
"Trowa, Trowa help me." He said urgently.
Trowa jumped out of bed and ran to his side. "What is it Little One?" Quatre's eyes remained shut.
"Oh please don't touch me!" he cried out in pain, noises could be heard from the next room, someone woke up. "Little One! Wake up! Please, tell me what those bastards did to you!" Trowa wrapped his arms around the small shaking boy.
Quatre opened his eyes. "Trowa?"
"I'm here."
Quatre started to cry. And the thing that surprised Trowa the most is that for the first time in a week, Quatre allowed someone to touch him.
"Quatre, tell me what is wrong."
Still crying and trembling, Quatre told his story.
"I was piloting the Sandrock when I was knocked unconscious. When I woke, I was in a small dark room, tied down to a bed...they had taken my clothes. Then a man came in, and he...he...Oh Trowa he raped me!"
Trowa could feel the tears falling down his cheeks, he hugged his Little One tighter. How could anyone hurt his angel? He was so sweet, so gentle and kind.
"I cried for you, prayed that you would come and save me, but I knew there was no hope, you didn't even know where I was."
Trowa hugged Quatre all night, refusing to let him go. Eventually they both fell asleep and Trowa was determined to make up for all the pain Quatre had gone through.
~ ~ ~
Duo Maxwell woke up the next morning after his roommate had left. He thought back to why he was feeling so uneasy. then he remembered. He had heard screaming from Trowa and Quatre's room last night. Duo slowly got out of bed, pulled on a robe and exited the room. Without thinking he went into Trowa and Quatre's room to make sure everything was all right.
He stopped.
And stared.
And forgot to breath.
There were Trowa and Quatre in one bed, with arms wrapped around each other. Totally naked.
Duo realized that he must have been making some kind of noise, because Trowa woke up and immediately started insisting that 'it wasn't what it looked like'.
"No, no, it's all right, I don't mind." Duo stuttered, backing out of the room, blushing, "I'll leave you two alone. He closed the door and sprinted down the stairs.
~ ~ ~
Heero, Wufei and Noin sat in the kitchen drinking coffee when Duo burst in, stuttering and blushing.
"What's wrong Duo?" Noin asked.
"N-n-nothing." Duo stuttered, falling into a chair.
"Shinigami does not blush for nothing." Heero stated simply.
"Is Quatre all right?" Wufei asked, looking concerned.
"Oh yeah." Duo said slyly.
"Duo! Spit it out already!" Noin said, getting annoyed.
"I kinda, sorta, walked in on Trowa and Quatre...they were sleeping."
"..."
"Together, as in the same bed, without clothes, wrapped in each other's arms."
Wufei grabbed a tissue before his nose started bleeding.
"Are you sure?!" Noin demanded.
At that moment Trowa and Quatre walked into the kitchen, dressed in robes. And Quatre was smiling. They took in the scene before them and Trowa got angry. *Very* angry.
"Maxwell! I told you: IT WAS NOT WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE!"
"Then what was it?" Heero asked, unafraid of an angry Trowa.
"That's none of your business!" Trowa snapped looking at Quatre, but Quatre shook his head.
"It's okay Trowa, you can tell them."
~ ~ ~
To say the least, the house was very upset to hear what had happened to their most innocent member of the team, but Quatre didn't want sympathy. He wanted to move on. Besides, he was getting all the love he needed from Trowa.
Around noon Duo and Wufei left the house, mumbling something about a mission. Heero had been extremely puzzled. There had been no word from Doctor J or any of the other scientists in days. If fact, no one at all had tried to contact them in the past week, except for Relena and Noin. Just the same, no matter how much Heero insisted that there couldn't possibly be a mission, Gundam pilot 02 and 05 left in a hurry.
It was around 1:15 in the morning when they finally entered the house, giggling like school girls. Trowa and Quatre had gone upstairs already, but didn't think that they were getting any sleep.
"All right. What happened?" Heero asked them, arms folded.
Duo and Wufei looked at each other, then Heero, then back to each other, and burst out laughing. It was a few minutes before they were calm enough to relay their story.
"We were kinda pissed about who those bastards did to Quatre." Duo began.
"So we found their base and traveled there." Wufei continued.
"We waited until everyone was showering, then stole all their clothes..."
"...Took them outside and pulled the fire alarm."
"No one could find their clothes, since we had them, so they all had to run outside without them."
"When everyone was far enough away from the base, we blew it up." Wufei finished smugly.
Heero shook his head, unable to hide his smile of amusement. "You two are something else." He then looked at Duo. "Come on you braided baka, time to go upstairs."
"But I'm not tired." Duo protested.
"I never said you had to be."
Duo grinned and nodded, getting the drift of Heero's comment. "Gotta go Wufei!" Heero took Duo's braid and dragged him upstairs.
Wufei shook his head and went into the kitchen mumbling about being surrounded by homos.
Upstairs, Trowa turned to Quatre. "Did you hear that?"
"Hai." Quatre responded. "Leave it to Duo to take revenge into his own hands." he began to run his fingers along Trowa's bare chest.
Trowa pulled Quatre's naked form closer to him "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he whispered.
"Hai." Quatre said again. "Ai shiteru, Trowa-chan."
"Ai shiteru, Little One, My Angel."