Author's Note: So this chapter is a little bit of a filler, fleshing out the characters a little. Didn't really realize how ambitious this project was. However I have never been one to back down from a challenge aiming to have it done for Halloween! Nothing like a good horror romance on my fav holiday!

Bringing Out the Dead

Chapter 4 – Arrival and Encounters

"So what do these all do?" Trowa had been roped into helping Quatre, who was crawling around with wires, hooking up TV monitors, recorders and other devices. The other man was following him around holding cables and tools. "All paranormal detecting stuff," he said wiggling on the dusty floor. Heero had been sitting beside Duo on the couch dozing in and out half listening. There had been a flurry of activity once they got in, setting up base camp in the large living room. Trowa was helping Quatre, Dr. Peacecraft was currently getting her own papers set up at the far end of the room. The other two had vanished somewhere into the house for reasons unknown.

Yawning Heero opened his eyes again, he hadn't seen anything yet but that meant nothing here. The dead where all around, the house was full of them…they just weren't in his general vicinity but he was getting the feeling that would soon change. "Well since we are all here do we know each other?" Relena was standing in the middle of the room, "We all know the reason we are here is research, and Mr. Chang Wufei has seen fit to finance our little operation." Clear blue eyes widened so that was who the wheel chair guy was, the current head of the Chang Corporation. He was wealthy beyond belief, and if the stocks where any indication he was. He was also supposed to be the youngest CEO ever…so why the wheel chair? "His companion is Zechs Marquis his valet of sorts." She turned smiling at Duo, "Duo Maxwell is currently working on his doctorate in parapsychology. Quatre Winner, our investigation expert complete with tech." She rounded to Trowa, "Trowa Barton current owner of the property that had graciously allowed us to use the house before it is torn down." Turning she fixed Heero with her icy gaze, "My self, Dr. Relena Peacecraft to finish my newest paper." Heero said nothing, "Finally Mr. Heero Yuy…with an amazing ability I have yet to see ever replicated in anyone else."

She held his gaze for long moment, a veiled expression on her face Heero got the impression that there was something more she wanted of him then just his 'talents'. "Ahhh there is Mr. Chang shall we go on the tour now?" Nodding they all began shuffling after Trowa, Quatre with a video camera in hand, "Bad ass Heero, can I ask a favor? If you see the dead point them out I want to see if I can get them on video." Heero sighed rolling his eyes he watched to many movies, "The dead only appear on film and camera if they choose Quatre." He said quietly so as not to interrupt the others who where listening to the soft spoken Trowa take them up stairs explaining some of the rooms as they went. "Wild," he muttered swinging the camera back around and focusing in on the tour.

Heero followed behind Duo only half listening as the bedrooms where pointed out belonging to various occupants of the Manor. He wanted to run screaming from this place every fiber of his being called to him to grab Duo and run. Breathing deep he fought the urge instead he reached out gently settling a hand on Duo's shoulder, the contact easing him somewhat. Duo glanced at the hand smiling at Heero he patted it slowing so that there bodies where closer together.

Moving past one room he saw the figure of a man swinging from the ceiling, pressing on he decided not to tell Quatre. "This is the master suite where Gaylen Ross had her room," Heero's hand jerked on Duo's shoulder as they stood in the doorway of the once opulent room. Everyone else saw an empty decaying room, one that was still charred from the flames. Heero saw the figure on the bed naked, her clothing had burned away. Pink and black charred skin mottled her skeleton bits of white bone shone through as she turned. Half her face was gone like the man in the tux, her breast sagged over her burned open chest showing her shriveled organs. "It came for me, for us all…" she rasped. She stood slowly on badly burned legs, "It'll come for you," arms upraised she staggered towards them.

"Heero," Duo asked looking from the empty room to the man behind him standing still as a statue, the hand on his shoulder had tightened. Duo panned the room again understanding, "She's here isn't she…" Quatre moved his camera around trying to catch a glimpse of the figure. "Is she talking Heero? Is she saying something?" That was Relena she looked excited and nervous all at the same time. "She says 'it'll come for you', like it came for her." He said throat dry she was closer now, Heero pulled Duo back closer to him protecting him for something that only he could see. In the process he accidently knocked Quatre back, reaching out he steadied his hand on the wall. Images flooded his thoughts, images of a fire erupted in his mind a women withering on the bed screaming…yet the only thing on fire was her.

Coming away from the wall he shook his head clearing it, emerald eyes swimming into his line of vision, "You ok?" Trowa put a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah, saw her Heero, terribly unpleasant way to die. The fire though, the fire was weird it was only on her and the bed." Nodding he drew Duo out of the room, "It really was," she was screaming now flinging her self on the bed again and again. "Heero your hands are ice cold," nodding he smiled "Occupational hazard." They continued on.

-#-#-#-

The dead where quit right now, they were back in the living room command headquarters they had made. Quatre was munching chips behind his console reviewing the footage for earlier hoping to have caught the burned women on film. Trowa sat nearby interested despite himself, more so in the young blonde sitting cross legged on the swiveling chair. Duo and Heero sat together on the couch across from Relena who was jabbering away about her research and paper how she was going to change the face of paranormal research. Duo nodding politely covertly rolled his eyes at Heero, but Heero was busy he was looking across the room to where the butler…Zechs? Was serving his charge his evening meal, but that's not what caught his eye. It was the beautiful women standing behind the man in the chair, leaning forward to hug him, placing a soft kiss on his head. Glancing up she saw Heero looking at her, with a sad smile she placed a finger to her lips slowly fading out. "Things got a little more dangerous…" he mumbled.

Relena turned her focus on him, that weird look in her eye again. "So Heero…seen any more of them?" A dark brow rose in question, "The ones who died here," as she spoke it seemed as though the house shuddered, a wind whipped through the room scattering papers, Quatre gave a soft cry ripping his headphones off. Heero saw a face, it was brief, gone in the blink in of an eye but Heero knew he would never forget it. It was not of this world.

"Holy shit I got that!" Quatre was madly rewinding tape, "Listen to this," they all turned towards his little consol as he hit play. Brief static before an unearthly scream rent the air, all the hair on Heero's body stood on end. Quatre cut it short whistling as he turned from his recorders to his tapes…"I thought I saw a face in that," he mumbled Duo rubbed suddenly chilled arms. Glancing around he moved closer to Heero the other smiling at him tightly, reassuringly. As violet eyes watched Heero changed clouded over…

"Now! Hold them now!" Heero was yelling, bleeding from a cut above his eye the wound angry and purple. He held a gun in his hand trained on something, his knuckles where bruised as well, discolored and sore looking. Handprints. He looked as if he had been in a fight. He was waving with his hand gesturing to someone, a blonde figure lay crumpled at his feet. Duo looked around trying to see what Heero was seeing, to all the commotion. A bright light, before a biting pain lanced through his head.

"Duo!" Heero yelled catching him before he face planted into the floor. He was out cold, a trickle of blood running from his nose. "Shit," he gently lifted the slight man into his arms. Quatre hurried towards them, he touched a gentle palm to Duo's head, almost immediately recoiling. "He was hit with a powerful vision I only got bits and pieces but Heero it was you…and me, defiantly looking a little worse for ware." He shook his head clearing it, "Something cut it short though before it got to the important bit…" Relena moved forward excited, "What important part?" the blonde stepped back stuffing shaking hands in his pockets, "Whatever was trying to kill us."

-#-#-#-

"I think we should leave Sir," the tall blonde was tucking his master into the make shift bed. They had decided to spend the first night together in the living room and attached study area. They had taken the study as a private bedroom as sorts it had a small cot in it, Zechs made it up with the sheets he had brought. A small screen he'd found offered a little privacy in the once nice room. A fit of coughing took his master he held a silk handkerchief to his mouth ignoring the stained material.

"Noted Zechs we are not leaving, phantom winds, supposed dead people, and unearthly screams are not proof." Nodding he bundled his charge up in the afghan against this drafty house. "Stay close," he mumbled his dying body pulling him towards sleep. Zechs nodded, "Always, Wufei…always."

In the main room Relena sat by the small lamp pouring over her books, she had the schematics of the house circling this and that rooms they hadn't visited today. Things they would look at tomorrow, she smiled slowly turning to the other occupants of the room her gaze resting on the figure seated on the couch. Head resting on his chest in slumber. He was the key…she was sure.

Heero had fallen asleep waiting for Duo to awake, he was still out from the vision his head now resting in Heero's lap. A gentle hand had stilled stroking soft hair, he had covered the man with the sleeping bag he had brought, the days events catching up with him, he had fell into a troubled sleep.

Trowa had also fallen into a fitful sleep on the opposite couch, plagued by dreams he hadn't had since childhood…dreams of the house. Quatre was the last to drift off going down at the helm sketch pad slipping from lax fingers, his monitors blinking and rolling, picking up a dark inhuman chuckle…as well as the ghostly figures of people dressed in their finest dancing across the now empty and decayed ballroom.