Unpredictable

Author's Note: Sorry this was delayed! I seem to always be saying that. grins sheepishly Well technically the last update was April 30th so luckily it's been less than a month. -

To readers: Anyway, I know that I've been getting comments on torturing Quatre so much (and Duo as well). But really, where would the story be without problems, right? I promise that this isn't one of depressing stories or anything. Everything happens for a reason. They all will become closer.

Future Warning for next chapter: More yaoi goodness! Shounen-ai, fluff, groping, bathtub surprises, lime, a lemon…romance galore! -

Chapter 13: Ship Wrecked

The place had begun to clear a bit as families and couples finally settled down and began to eat their meals, talking more quietly and more discretely. The waiters were coming around with more water, coffee, milkshakes and more in order to satisfy the customers. One waiter in particular: Angelo, was crossing back over to check on who he had missed. Coming to a table, he stopped and looked down.

"Will your friends be coming back to finish their meals?" he asked, staring at the quiet boys with strangely radiant blue and green eyes.

When he got no answer he assumed that they didn't know where the other two had gone. Angelo was sure there had been two others. He was certain of the boy with the long brunette braid because he had spoken with him and he had once glanced at the table and had seen a blonde boy. He was certain it had been at least a half hour if not longer. The food was all ready cold.

"Would you like me to wrap it up for you so you may take it to them?" Angelo offered kindly.

The boy with blue eyes nodded, "Sure."

Angelo nodded politely with a smile and left the two boys carrying to the two untouched meals and the money put on the table for the check. After he had disappeared into the crowd, Heero's head turned toward Trowa who was calmly looking around in silence.

"Should we take the food to them?" Heero asked quietly.

Trowa hesitated in thought, but then shook his head, "We should question Silvia more thoroughly first, before it gets to late. We need to make a list of all the suspects that she has told. There's no doubt this ship has been deliberately delayed," he said quietly.

Heero nodded, "I agree. It's just too much of a coincidence. If necessary, we might have to report this to base."

"Perhaps. It depends if this is considered serious enough to interest them. That's why we have to find out more," Trowa said, staring at him as he did many times in the past when they were on missions.

"Then we better catch her before she tells anyone else," Heero said, standing up.

Trowa followed suit and together they left the restaurant in silence, unseen and unnoticed by anyone around them.

The consistent tapping and grinding of the machinery had added to the thick, humid atmosphere. The smell of oil and metal filled the room leaving no space for fresh air to breathe. The machinery droned on as steam blew out of one of the pipes in order to keep the machine from reaching a hazardous temperature, cooling it down every now and then. But that didn't cool down the two occupants who had been in the room for over an hour.

"Water…need…now," Duo panted breathlessly, sweat dripping down his now bare chest.

He had taken off his shirt, along with Quatre and the two of them were trying to find the coolest spot in the room. The air was stuffy and there were no windows to get any fresh breeze, leaving them sweaty in the summertime in a very hot compartment.

Quatre slumped back down on the floor, leaning up against the wall in order to press his heated back to the somewhat cool surface. He sighed heavily, wishing that he had never even spoken to Eli or that they had waited for the second cruise ship.

"Why, of all places did they have to choose the boiler room?" Duo complained. "And where the hell are Trowa and Heero?! I mean you'd think they'd get suspicious when it's been over an hour and we're still not there!"

"They probably…though we lost track of time and were admiring the suites," Quatre panted, lifting his head to allow sweat to trickle down his neck.

Duo glared at nothing in particular, "Yeah, well you'd think they'd check the room! You don't think they ate their dinner without us do you?"

Quatre opened his mouth but felt his throat was too dry to speak. Instead he closed his eyes, desperately hoping someone would open the door and let them out, even if it was Eli and John. He needed fresh air to breathe, to cool his body down and take away the feverish daze that had begun to cloud his vision. Duo was saying more things, mostly complaining about their predicament but Quatre was too exhausted and hot to listen. His jumbled thoughts turned to Trowa, the only thing that didn't seem to confuse him.

Why is he avoiding me? Maybe…Could it be that he really does regret what we did? He said he didn't…but maybe he didn't want to hurt my feelings. Or maybe it was something I did! Maybe I was too bold in public, nearly kissing him and all!

All the doubts began swarming in his head until he was certain he couldn't tell them apart. He blinked, realizing through the steamy haze in the room that the door was moving. He immediately sat up still, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Duo…," he whispered.

Duo groaned, lifting his head up to look at him, "Yeah?"

"Is the door moving?" Quatre asked quietly, his breath catching in his throat.

Duo turned toward it and almost immediately started crawling toward Quatre, watching the door carefully. The knob was jingling, that much was obvious. Quatre hadn't realized he was holding his breath, waiting to see if they were going to be set free by a good person or…

The sudden banging of the door swinging open caused Duo to jump back. Quatre had to let out his breath in order to gasp. They heard the thud of boots on the floor before John came into view. Quatre had a feeling that it was him, knowing that no one would just think to open the boiler room door. His heart sank even more as Eli came into view, his eyes locking onto him and grinning a little sadistically. Quatre suddenly felt naked and exposed, turning to Duo who too felt the lingering eyes of John on his bare flesh.

"Get up, it's almost time," John said, his eyes never leaving Duo.

Duo gulped as he stood up not liking how the man was staring at his bare chest nor the way his eyes traveled over the rest of his body. It was like being inspected, and not in a good way. Quatre too stood up slowly, feeling his heart race in panic as he and Duo strode out of the room. He felt the immediate relief of the cool air on his burning skin, sighing heavily. Luckily the heat hadn't made his skin red.

Quatre let out a soft yelp as he felt something slightly cool touch his skin. He wheeled around staring into Eli's grinning face.

"That room made your skin warm. Why don't I cool it off for you."

It was more of a comment than a question and Quatre didn't like the underlying tone. He shook his head, backing away a bit while holding his shirt over his exposed chest so that Eli had no where to look but his face.

"Aw come on Quatre," Eli said stepping forward with his arm outstretched. "I promise I won't hurt you. Just let me touch you. I promise you'll like it."

Quatre did something very un-Quatre-like and slapped his hand away, causing the boy to jump back in surprise. He noticed the flare of anger in Eli's eyes and immediately braced himself. Eli strode toward him but was immediately stopped.

"Back off," Duo hissed, stepping in between them.

Eli was noticeably intimidated by his tone and stopped where he was, keeping from moving closer to them.

"Why don't you stop protecting your little friend," John snapped, "before I make you strip completely."

Duo's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything. Eli was smiling again, but still kept his distance.

"We don't have time for this. If we want to get their stupid boyfriends out of the way so our plan can finally take place we'll have to move quickly," John said, turning toward Eli. "Once we set these two up for bait on top of the deck there will be no way they can stop us. Everyone else will be in bed so there will be no witnesses."

They didn't notice the glances Duo and Quatre stole at each other as John continued to explain the plan.

"Then once we've gotten rid of their little boyfriends we'll go straight to the captain and force him to make an announcement to get everyone off this ship. We'll of course have to keep the captain with us until the service ship comes to fuel up this ship and take the passengers off so that he won't blab everything, but we'll just throw him overboard or perhaps," he grinned, turning to look at Quatre and Duo, "we'll just lock him in the boiler room."

Eli smiled too and then glanced down at his watch, "It's nearing ten o'clock. Just a couple more hours and everyone will be in their rooms. When are we going to leave a note?"

"We'll put the note in their rooms right now," John answered, gesturing toward Quatre and Duo who were standing side-by-side, clearly glaring at them. "All we have to do is make sure the boys don't find it until it's close to midnight."

Eli smirked, "They have some pretty awesome rooms. Much better than what we could ever afford. Perhaps keeping them with us will be good."

John turned to him and stared at him with annoyance, "Once everyone is off the ship we can go into any room we want, you idiot!"

"Yes, but having a beautiful bedroom is no fun when you don't have a beautiful boy to share it with," Eli licked his lips while staring not so sanely at Quatre. Duo immediately put a protective arm around his friend. "Wouldn't you agree, John?" he added, glancing at Duo, who glared back at him and wrapped his arm tighter around Quatre.

John's lips curled into a smirk, "I couldn't agree with you more. But first we get the ship, then we have fun with them. Let's go!"

John pulled out the gun he was holding and pointed it at them, gesturing for them to follow Eli. He stayed in back so that they were surrounded from back to front. Quatre was gripping tightly to Duo, scared of what the boys had in mind. He had faith in Heero and Trowa; that they wouldn't fall for whatever Eli and John had planned, but he didn't want them to get hurt.

Can't we just have one vacation without a life-threatening adventure to go with it?!

As they left the lower deck of the ship and made their way up, Quatre felt his throat constrict with fear. He had no idea how the boys would set them up for bait, besides a note to Heero and Trowa threatening their lives. John had hid his gun but was gripping Duo's shoulder tightly that told him one move and he was as good as dead.

As the beautiful sky turned colors of red, pink and orange, people started drifting back inside. Some of them to go find activities to participate in and others to indulge in their suites. One person, however, remained in one spot on the top deck as if waiting. Once the crowd of people watching the sunset dispersed, another figure walked forward almost too silently to be heard although he was in perfect vision.

Trowa glanced up, feeling the presence of his friend and partner. Before him, Heero approached calmly until they were standing side by side. Heero was facing the sunset while Trowa had his back to it.

"Is it serious?" Trowa asked quietly, watching the few scattered couples around them to make sure no one was listening.

The question wasn't answered immediately, but Heero turned his head to face him after a minute.

"I'm not sure. Right now there are too many suspects. We don't have enough time to search all the rooms or watch everyone closely. Silvia has spoken with many different people," Heero said.

Trowa nodded, "I know. The only way we'll know for sure if someone has sabotaged the ship is if they either come out and say it or if they leave a trail behind."

Heero nodded but didn't respond. They fell into a slightly uneasy silence but finally Heero straightened up and turned around.

"We should head back to our rooms like everyone else so we don't look suspicious. They may make a move soon," Heero said.

"I agree," Trowa said, straightening up as well.

Together they walked away from the darkening sky and back into the crowd of people on their way to a specific deck. They blended in, looking casual amongst the rest of the people, just as they were trained to do. They made their way to the lush suites without hesitation not staring and not being stared at. For the moment, it seemed as though everyone were having a good time and they couldn't discern who was wearing the fake smile, if any of them.

Heero reached into his tight jean pocket and pulled out the card, sliding it through and opened the door. Trowa followed and silently closed their door shut. Heero took off the light jacket he was wearing and put it down gently on the edge of one of the chairs before turning to Trowa again.

"We should probably tell Duo and Quatre to hang out elsewhere while we figure this out," he stated lightly.

Trowa nodded in agreement before following Heero into the next room, which was the doorway leading from the one suite to the other suite. Heero glanced around the room, hearing nothing and seeing no one at all. It was silent except for the occasional tick of a fancy clock on the wall.

"Doesn't look like they're here," Heero said.

Trowa looked around as well, noting the silence. Heero opened the bedroom door just to check and noticed the slightly rumpled sheets, but no one was there. Closing the door, he nodded toward Trowa to signal that he was sure they weren't there.

"We'll have to take things slow. If they come back we'll either have to make an excuse to leave or get them to where there are crowds of people. If there is someone who's going to sabotage the boat we'll have to take them out when there's no witnesses around," Heero explained, folding his arms casually.

"And if they don't come out?" Trowa questioned.

"Then we'll have to do something more drastic," Heero said, his tone suggesting he didn't like the thought of having to take it to that level. "That's also why Duo and Quatre shouldn't be involved."

"We could try Quatre's cell phone," Trowa suggested.

Heero nodded, "I've got the number in my jacket."

He walked toward the jacket laying lightly on the chair, reaching toward the pocket. His eye suddenly caught sight of something on the table. He stared at it for a minute before bending down to pick it up.

"Heero?"

Heero turned, showing Trowa the letter in his hand, "We might not need to call."

Trowa glanced at it and nodded, leaning up against the wall and waiting for Heero to read it aloud. Heero opened the envelope carefully and pulled out the sheet of paper.

" 'I know you're out there looking for us ' " Heero read aloud. " 'I hope you get this in time because if you don't it'll be too late. I hope this is the right room, but if not I'm sure the two of you wouldn't mind cleaning up a little sabotage.' "

Trowa's head lifted as their eyes locked. Heero's eyes narrowed in suspicion, knowing that it was definitely not from either Duo or Quatre. By the look in Trowa's eyes he knew he thought the same.

" 'We've got something that will stop you from ruining our plans. If you want a hint one's blonde and the other is brunette. Meet us on the top deck at midnight.' "

Heero glanced up at Trowa, "Looks like we won't have to go find them."

Trowa nodded, "They probably noticed us asking Silvia questions."

Heero nodded only slightly before turning to the clock, "We've got a half hour. We better think of a plan since they've taken the advantage."

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Trowa asked quietly, after a slight hesitation.

Heero's eyes darkened but he nodded, "If they had wanted to kill them they would've all ready done it. At least they won't until after we've showed up. They're probably going to want to break a deal with us. The best we can do is try to tempt them just enough to step away and hopefully Duo and Quatre will know what to do."

The sky had darkened completely, leaving only the moon to shine luminous rays upon the boat anchored in the middle of the ocean. From a distance waves splashed around, lapping at the boat as the "witching hour" approached. The clock struck twelve in each of the royal suites and sang a beautiful song to alert those inside the rooms, and even those that were standing upon the top deck.

Figures were hidden in shadows, alone and waiting even after the song had ended. Two of the figures had their hands tied behind their backs and their mouths covered being guarded by one of the other figures. The last one was pacing back and forth in front of them.

"Where are they?!" John hissed, glaring at Quatre and Duo who couldn't reply since their mouths are covered.

"Maybe they got scared," Eli smirked.

Duo rolled his eyes and quickly realized that he shouldn't have done that. John immediately grabbed his chin roughly and Duo made a sound that was muffled by the duct tape.

"You think that's farfetched, do you?" John said, breathing heavily in Duo's face. "You think your boyfriend stands a chance against what I'm packing?" he asked, clearly hinting at a double meaning as he rubbed the gun that was attached to his hip.

Duo just glared at him, trying his best not to make any sound even as he squeezed tighter on his jaw. Quatre was struggling to help him, but was having difficulty moving at all.

"We'll just see who's the better man, won't we?" John sneered, leaning down to brush his lips across Duo's ear.

Duo tried to pull away as the man dragged his tongue inside his ear but was no use. He dragged it across his jaw line and across his duct-taped mouth. Quatre was watching with wide eyes, wanting to do something for his friend. He made a sound cry of protest, muffled by the duct tape over his mouth, as he felt his chin being lifted. Eli began kissing over the duct tape roughly, obviously trying to enjoy the same fun as John.

"I guess this is a way to pass the time," John smirked. "Now, if you don't mind I've got to plan for your boyfriend's demise," he said, giving Duo's chin one last squeeze. "Come on, Eli, there's plenty of time for that afterwards."

Eli grinned and turned back to face Quatre who had his eyes narrowed in disgust toward him.

"Come on John, since their boyfriends aren't coming maybe they don't really care. Why can't we have a little more fun? I want to play with this one more," he sneered, raising his hand to Quatre's tank top and pulling the strap down his shoulder.

Quatre made a sound of protest and managed to move his leg enough to kick him in the shin.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, gripping his shin and glaring up at Quatre. "You're going to pay for that."

He lifted his hand to strike across Quatre's face. Quatre immediately shut his eyes ready for the blow. A sudden sharp cry filled the air and Quatre opened his eyes to see Eli crouched down tending to his bloody hand.

"Dammit! Someone through this dagger and it nearly chopped my fingers off!" Eli said, staring down at the bloodied dagger.

John whorled around, "Well, well, you finally showed."

Quatre and Duo looked up, their faces lit up in relief as they saw Heero and Trowa approach from out of the shadows.

"That was a bit cowardly to not face us when we're looking don't you think?" John sneered, trying to make them angry.

Heero ignored him and focused his eyes on Quatre, "Are you all right, Quatre?"

Quatre nodded, his eyes shining gratefully into Heero's before moving to Trowa's. Heero's eyes moved to Duo.

"And you Duo?"

Duo mumbled something in the duct tape, but it was obviously something along the lines of "just great, Heero."

"Hey! Who do you think you are to ignore me?!" John rose his voice, glaring daggers at Heero who stood unfazed.

"Heero," he answered plainly.

"Oh, of course that'd be your name," John drawled. "Well why don't you tell me how you're going to stop us when we've got guns!"

John pulled out his small pistol and pointed it at them. Quatre tensed, staring desperately at them but couldn't do anything. Heero and Trowa remained passive just staring at him as if he were holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Well?" John demanded.

"You're not going to get away with it," Heero said calmly. "You haven't thought out a descent strategy and are playing it only by ear."

"Oh, so now you're going to tell me how to sabotage a ship? I know what I'm doing! And right now I'm getting rid of you two so we can get on with our plan! Hope you don't mind we're keeping some company once we take this ship," his sneer returned as he gestured to Quatre and Duo.

Heero's eyes narrowed, but his voice remained calm, "If you think you can just take it by threatening the captain with guns then you're mistaken. Captain Noventa was in the war between the colonies and Earth before he became a pacifist and began finding ships. You won't be able to fool him easily."

"Is that so? Well too bad you won't be around to see if your assumption is proven correct or not," John threatened, putting his finger on the trigger. "Say bye-bye to your boyfriends," he winked toward Duo and Quatre who tried crying out in protest before he pulled the trigger.

The sharp sound echoed throughout the night and John was smiling in delight.

"See, now don't worry I promise we're much better boyfrien….No! It can't be!" he exclaimed.

Heero suddenly landed in front of him, having jumped out of the way of the bullet and immediately whacked the gun out of his hands. It flew to the other side of the deck and since Trowa was closer to it than either John or Eli they knew they couldn't try to grab it.

"So what now, are you going to shoot us with our own gun?" John asked, tensing slightly.

"No," Heero answered. "We're giving you a chance to give yourselves in. Then we shoot you," he added.

John laughed loudly, "Oh, what the hero. Well I'm certainly not surrendering to you. Besides there's no witnesses so who says you didn't attack me and I killed you self defense huh? My fingerprints on the gun could mean I picked I up to protect myself, not that it's my gun."

"The police force is all ready on its way," Heero stated. "They know we work for an agency like theirs so they'll know we're innocent."

John's eyes suddenly lit up in rage. Quatre could feel his anger and hatred growing and he didn't like the feeling at all. He winced from the amount of it seeping into his senses. Duo glanced at him questioningly but was unable to say anything.

"Oh yeah?" Eli suddenly blurted out, running toward the gun.

Heero immediately took off after him, running at an extremely fast speed. Trowa took the opportunity to move to Quatre's side in order to untie him just as Eli reached for the gun. Heero grabbed Eli's hand roughly and threw him backward, kicking the gun overboard into the ocean.

Eli stumbled backward several steps, looking fearfully at Heero. Trowa had untied Quatre and was taking the duct tape off his mouth.

"So that's it huh? You win?" John spat angrily. "The hero wins!? Well I don't think so!" he shouted, suddenly rushing forward and grabbing Duo by the hair.

Duo made a sharp cry of protest that was heard even through the duct tape. John began backing away from all of them toward the other side of the deck.

"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed, trying to rush forward to help his friend, but Trowa held him back.

"Now what can you do, Heero," John spat, grinning insanely. "I've got this little pretty boy in my grasp and I know that a hero wouldn't want to let any innocent get hurt. So how about we do this my way?"

"I told you the police are on their way. If they see you holding an innocent bystander captive you'll immediately be sentencing yourself," Heero said calmly, his eyes locked onto John.

"No! I won't be fooled by two other pretty boys! You can't beat me! I don't care how clever you think you are! If I can't have this ship, or him then I'll make sure you don't save the day!" John shouted.

Quatre's eyes went wide and he shouted in protest as John lifted Duo up with ease turning toward the railing of the ship. Quatre broke free of Trowa's grip and ran toward him. It had happened so fast and he didn't even know what to do, but his sixth sense had all ready known what John was going to do. Quatre followed his instinct and ran toward his friend as John pushed him, still bound and mouth covered, over the edge of the ship.

"NO!" Quatre screamed, rushing over to the railing and clinging to it as he watched Duo fall, hitting the ocean with a loud splash.

"Duo," his eyes watered with tears as he sank to his knees, still clinging the railing.

Eli was paralyzed to the spot, obviously shocked that John would go that far. Heero was also rooted still having had no chance to prepare for it. If Quatre hadn't been held so tightly by Trowa, and if he had read his sixth sense a little sooner, he probably couldn't made it to rescue Duo in time.

Tears began to run down his cheeks as his shoulders shook, his head resting against the railing. John sneered toward Heero, his eyes flashing with victory, knowing he had hurt them by hurting their friend.

"I'm betting he won't survive more than two minutes being bound like that, if he doesn't get eaten by some shark first," he said in a mocking tone.

Heero and Trowa remained silent, the only sound was Quatre's quiet sobbing.

"John…we weren't really going to kill anyone. We just needed the ship," Eli said hoarsely, his face slightly paler than before.

"What are you complaining about, Eli? You've still got your blonde play toy over there. He'll be more cooperative now," John grinned. "In fact, maybe we can both play with him now that we're short one."

He laughed loudly, a laugh that wasn't necessarily sane as he stared at them. No one had noticed Quatre standing up as he was talking, nor the fact that he had stopped crying.

"Well, Heero, looks like I win. Unless you want your blonde boy to join him you'd better help us get this ship," John smirked.

"I won't let you," a soft voice spoke up.

John turned toward Quatre who had his head down, but was standing and looking over the rail.

"What was that pretty boy?" John asked, making his voice dramatically more gentle as if talking to a child.

"I won't let you kill him! You have no right!" Quatre exclaimed, turning to him with still watery eyes.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it?" John asked with amusement.

Quatre hesitated, staring at him for several minutes before his eyes narrowed, "I'm going to save my friend."

Without another word, Quatre suddenly hoisted himself on top of the railing and, closing his eyes tightly and moving with his instinct, he pushed against the wind, allowing his body to fall freely forward.

The sound of water splashing indicated that he had reached the water. John's eyebrows were raised high into his hairline.

"Well, that was unexpected. Sorry Eli, guess we don't have any playmates," John joked, smiling again.

Eli's mouth was hanging open in surprise at what Quatre had done.

"You may have caught us but now your boyfriends will die. Too bad they're irreplaceable, huh?" John drawled. "Too bad…and they were both really attractive too."

"Don't be so sure," Heero said, his eyes unblinking. "They're stronger than you think."

John's eyes narrowed slightly, "Are you saying you believe they're still alive?"

Heero didn't answer and instead pulled out his own gun that had been with him the whole time.

"Let's go to the captain," he said, glancing at Trowa who read the look in his eyes and nodded.

It was colder than he remembered and much more difficult to fight against the current. The moment he hit the water he was sure he would drowned but somehow he kept himself above the waves, gasping for breath. He had tried to find Duo but he could barely keep himself afloat. He cried out for him several times before he choked on water, feeling the current pulling him under.

He pushed through the current with his arms to reach the surface. He gasped for air again, trying to look around for something to grab onto. He knew the only thing to do would be to get to some sort of land, but he could barely see with the water in his eyes. Quatre opened his mouth to cry out for Duo, or Trowa, or anyone but suddenly bumped into something, hearing the sound of his shirt ripping before he grasped onto something hard.

He managed to pull himself up on top of a piece of wood, blinking water out of his eyes. Quatre grasped the wood, afraid he was imagining things. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but he was more than grateful. Clinging to it with desperation he managed to keep a good hold on it.

"Duo! Duo!" Quatre called out feebly.

He was exhausted from fighting for air and his life. He felt his energy leaving him as he fought to hold on. The waves weren't as rough as in a storm, but they were surprisingly bigger and stronger than they had appeared from the ship.

"Duo…," Quatre whispered, resting his head on the board.

Slowly, his eyes closed shut and his breathing evened as he drifted in the ocean to an unknown destination.

"Quatre? There you are."

"Duo…"

Quatre blinked, turning around from the gorgeous balcony of his bedroom. The white lush curtains blew from the gentle breeze flowing out towards the extravagant bed laying against the wall to the far left. Beside it was a beautiful ivory-white bureau that glistened when the sunlight flickered across it. Duo was standing by the door admiring the room, staring at the gorgeous fireplace with the crystalline accessories lining the mantel. Less than five feet from the bed was a large bathroom with shiny tiled floors and a small, soft red carpet lay nearby the bathtub.

Duo whistled low, "So, what do you think…your majesty," he smiled.

Quatre sighed, leaning heavily against the balcony railing. Duo's smile faded a bit and he walked over to stand next to him. For a moment, they remained in silence until Duo spoke.

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that," Quatre said quietly, turning to his friend. "I mean, it's a beautiful palace, but…I'm just not ready to take on more responsibilities. I know my mother expects me to take care of it with her own obligations and I still have my father's foundation."

"What about your sisters? Can't they run your father's foundation?" Duo suggested, leaning his arms against the railing.

Quatre shook his head, "No, the heir of the Winner foundation is supposed to be male and I'm the only one in my family. When I turn eighteen I'll be able to change the rules and allow one of my sisters to take over, but until then I'm stuck with it. I don't know what to do," he sighed. "My sisters love this palace; it's spacious enough to fit all twelve of them, my real sisters that is. I know I've got step-sisters out there but we probably don't know we're even related. Anyway, I know this seems like a dream come true…"

"But not to you," Duo said remorsefully, putting an arm around his shoulders. "You know, I don't understand why you take on these responsibilities when your parents…They're not, you know, around anymore."

Quatre nodded, his eyes dimming, "I know, but my whole life I've been trained to obey them, especially my father. In fact, I think it's more of that I drown myself in work to escape reality or escape dealing with people and life. I've grown up surrounded by high-ranked people, in my father's eyes, and no one my own age. I guess I've been pretty lonely and that's why I work so much and so hard. It distracts me from realizing just how unexciting my life is and how little of true friends I have. I do have you now, though," Quatre smiled, turning to him. "That has helped a great deal."

"Glad to help, Quat," Duo grinned. "But you know, one day I'll take you on an unforgettable vacation that will heal you from all the stress. Heck, maybe you'll get over your past and look to the present and realize that life is shorter than you think and you need to live your young years while you can. And maybe you'll even find someone special," Duo winked.

Quatre smiled, shaking his head, "Perhaps someday that will come true, Duo."

His eyes opened slowly, hearing the loud roar in his ear. He could feel his body soaked with ocean water but couldn't bring himself to pull away from the waves. Quatre groaned, clenching his fingers into the soft, damp sand as he tried to lift his weakened body.

He used his arms to lift his upper body and carefully dragged his legs out of the water. His hair was plastered to his face and his clothes stuck to his skin and dripping wet. He coughed a few times and took deep breaths, making sure there was no water in his lungs. Shakily, he managed to stand on his feet, wobbling slightly.

Am I really alive? I thought I would have drowned.

Quatre turned to the side to see that the wooden board he had been gripping had washed up on the shore with him.

Shore…That means…Am I on an island?

He turned his body all the way around so his back was facing the ocean. Sure enough, large exotic-looking trees and plant-life stood before him encasing the mini-island. The beach was long, curving around the expansion of the island. And although the island was no where as large as most, Quatre knew there was no way he'd be able to get to the other side unless he hiked for hours or even days. His eyes traveled along it, noticing that all the trees were in place, as if never touched by anything beside wind.

If this island has nothing on it, no houses or cottages or restaurants or even a boat service station, then that means that I'm on an island that has no people. It must be a scenic island for the time being, that is until someone buys it. But…how far away is this island? Where am I?

Suddenly, questions were swirling around his head blocking his rational thinking. He realized that he was not only on an island with no people he was stranded. There was no way Trowa or Heero would know where he had ended up. Or at least it would take them a while to find him, and that thought scared him. He could feel his shoulders shake as the fear took over. He was alone on an island with no dry clothing, no food, no shelter and without any other human being around to ask for help.

I left my cell phone on the ship! Oh no! The one time I really need to use it! Maybe…Maybe Heero will have enough sense to call Rashid so he can send a search troop out. I know he'd find me in a day. But what if Eli and John have hurt them, or worse…

"And…Duo…," Quatre whispered shakily.

He had called out for Duo many times while in the water. He knew that his friend had been thrown in with his hands and mouth bound. There was no way he could've survived. His shoulders shook and his knees buckled beneath him as tears came pouring out. Quatre had never cried so hard since his mother died and now his friend. Now he was alone on a deserted island unsure of how he would survive until he was found and he had to cope with his friend's death.

The sudden sound of movement caused his head to jerk back up; his tear-stained cheeks glimmering in the sunlight. He looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Another rustle caused him to rise to his feet fearfully. He had no way of knowing if there were any wild animals on the island. Gathering every ounce of courage he had, Quatre grabbed a large stick and held onto tightly as he moved forward as quietly as he could.

His feet made no sound in the sand, which he was thankful of, as he searched around with his eyes while moving slowly. He was hoping it had just been the wind. His eyes ranked over as much of the island as he could see from where he was moving cautiously. There were many trees and bushes for anything to be hiding in. He didn't want to see what it was, if anything, but he didn't want to be alone when it got dark to find that there was something there. He swallowed nervously, his throat constricted from the anxiety welling in his stomach.

He kept moving very slowly while looking around, hoping perhaps it was a lost dog that could keep him company, but he knew how unlikely that would be. He heard something again and jerked his head, keeping his feet moving as he searched for the source, hoping that it was nothing. He was about ready to throw the stick in a bush when his leg bumped against something rough and hard. Quatre yelped, falling backward with his legs locked onto the large object as he sprawled backward with his arms above him laying in the sand. The stick flew out of his grasp a ways away and he lay panting for several minutes.

He lifted his head a few inches to see that his legs were on top of a large wooden log. It appeared to be part of the same material he had held onto. He moved his legs to try and get out of that position, when he realized he was on something. His breath caught in his throat when he realized his back was lying on something warm…very warm, that didn't feel like a log. Quatre's eyes widened as he lay facing up, staring up at the sky and hoping that it wasn't some wild animal that was hungry. Turning his head very slowly, Quatre focused on what he was lying on.

The first thing he noticed was a large patch of brown fur. His heart skipped a beat until he squinted, realizing that it wasn't fur. It was much too smooth to be fur and it shimmered in the sunlight. It was all tangled so Quatre couldn't make it out right away….until he looked closer.

His heart suddenly skipped several beats as he noticed the particular mess of brown in front of him still had some of the familiar braided style he knew so well. Quatre immediately turned on his side, scrambling to get on his feet. He noticed, when he got off, that he had been laying mostly on hands that were secured around the back. He quickly untied the knot, letting the soaked bind fall to the sand.

Feeling his insides quiver with several emotions, Quatre flipped his friend on his back. He noticed his chestnut hair was all around his face, sticking from the water. His braid had mostly fallen out, but it was still there a bit. Quatre used his hand to brush away the strands of hair covering his friend's face.

"Duo?" Quatre whispered. "Duo, can you hear me? It's Quatre."

He saw that his friend's eyes were closed and his mouth was still covered. Feeling edgy, Quatre quickly removed the all ready falling off duck tape and threw it aside.

"He's not breathing!"

Quatre felt panic arise within him as he noticed his friend wasn't moving at all. He hoped he wasn't too late, reaching for his hand to check for a pulse. At first his heart nearly sank when he couldn't find one, but he managed to find a very weak one. Trying to remember the steps for CPR, Quatre tilted Duo's head up and parted his lips by pulling on his chin. Taking a deep breath, Quatre remembered what he had felt Trowa do, and covered Duo's lips with his own, blowing deeply but not too hard. He pushed lightly on his chest after blowing in his mouth and continuing to try and resuscitate him.

"Come on, Duo, please don't die!" Quatre exclaimed, clamping his mouth down again on his and blowing before lifting his head and pushing lightly on his chest, though with more desperation.

"Duo, no! Please wake up!" Quatre said, tears falling down his cheeks as he blew in again and pumped his chest.

His arms grew tired and they fell limply at his sides. He stared at his friend with growing sadness and pain as he realized he was too late. Quatre bent up his knees and wrapped his arms around them and began to sob. He had thought perhaps he had a chance…that Duo would be all right. He had only wanted a vacation in order to forget about obligations. He was happy he had found Trowa, and happy that Duo had found Heero, but now it seemed all a waste now that…

Quatre's head suddenly lifted as he felt something jerk against him. His dimmed turquoise eyes watched unblinking, looking for any sign of life and hoping it hadn't been his imagination. Just as his hopes were dimming, Duo's body suddenly jerked violently and water was coughed out of his lungs. He turned over on his side, the water pouring out and gasping for breath.

"DUO!" Quatre cried.

Duo's eyebrows furrowed even as he coughed and he blinked in confusion, "Quat…?"

"Oh, Duo!" Quatre sobbed, wrapping his arms around him tightly. "I thought you had died."

Duo pulled himself up in order to wrap his arms around him more securely. He rubbed his back for comfort still half in a daze.

"What happened? Where are we?"

"Oh, Duo, I'm so sorry," Quatre sobbed, wiping at his eyes. "I should've saved you…I should have. I knew he was going to do something bad, and when he threw you, I…I…"

Duo pulled him back into a hug, squeezing him gently as he cried on his shoulder. He rubbed circles on his back, still taking somewhat deep breaths.

"Hey, it's all right. I'm fine now."

Quatre pulled away again, his face now completely stained from crying, "Duo, we're on an island in the middle of the ocean! Heero and Trowa were still on the boat and I don't know if they're all right. I don't even know if they'll be able to find us anytime soon."

"Quat…," Duo whispered, "did you…Did you jump off to save me?"

Quatre nodded before breaking down into tears again and pushing himself into Duo's embrace. They sat there for several minutes relishing in each other's presence now that they were together again.

"So, we're stranded?" Duo asked finally, looking down at Quatre as he pulled away.

"Yeah," he answered, wiping at his eyes. "I can't believe we both ended up in the same place. Oh, Duo, I'm so thankful you're all right. I don't know what I'd do if you had died."

"Hey, don't think of that," Duo said gently, brushing his damp bangs away. "We're together and we're going to work through this. We've been in tough situations before, even when we weren't just trying to have a vacation."

A small smile crossed Quatre's features at his friend's attempt to ease the tension. He had finally stopped crying, but he wrapped his arms around Duo again anyway happy that he had survived.

"Do you think that Heero and Trowa are all right?" Quatre asked quietly, resting his head on Duo's chest.

Duo wrapped his arm tightly around him and leaned his cheek on the top of his head, "Yeah, those two would never admit it but they're unbeatable."

Quatre smiled softly, though tears were still present in his eyes, "So, you think they'll come back to find us?"

Quatre looked up at him hopefully, craning his neck. Duo stared off at the ocean for a minute before looking down at him, a smile crossing his face.

"I'm sure of it."

TO BE CONTINUED…

NOTE: hey guys! Sorry this took longer than usual, but finals are coming up! Once June comes around though it'll be A LOT easier to work on stories. Unfortunately though, this isn't the only story, but it will be updated more frequently after school! cheers

Anna may: So, was that a surprise?! - Hopefully I can keep this going a little while longer. It's actually fun writing these chapters! Some stories I work on are hard to sit down and write. I'll try to update this at a constant rate but I have finals coming up, so probably after finals it might be better.

Akennea: grins Well, I do love torturing Quatre, but I'm also nice to him too. Like when he was with Trowa, and don't worry I did hint that the next chapter would be filled with yummy surprises. - I'm also torturing Duo here too though, not just Quatre. So it's fair! -

Ashen Skies: grins Yes, stupid bad guys, huh? Ah well, they can't all be bright. I hope I kept up the suspense; that's what I was going for. And yes, no worries, MUCH fluff and yumminess coming up in the next chapter.

Pretty Pilot: Wow! You read ALL the chapters in one sitting?! I feel so flattered! I'm glad you like the story. grins Yes, I know, Quatre DOES seem accident-prone, but there really wouldn't be a story if he couldn't get into these situations, right? And now Duo is also in danger so it's equal! But I promise, the next chapter will be filled with romance! -

Shinigami4ever: Well, thank you! I'm glad you're still reviewing this fic. - yes, poor Quatre and Duo, but don't worry they will be rewarded soon for their torturing. Sorry I took a little longer getting this next chapter up. sighs finals are coming up, but hopefully after graduation I will A LOT more time!

Shin-Chan: Well I suppose it didn't work out quite that way. Eli and John never really got a chance to take over the ship, but you'll see why I did it that way in the next chapter. - Romance galore coming up! And don't worry, I'll still be keeping up the action/suspense.

Fire of Phoenix: I know, they do seem to be getting tortured a lot. But then again, if I didn't keep up the action and suspense, where would the plot be? - Don't worry, Duo and Quatre will be greatly rewarded for their torturing next chapter (as I hinted before the chapter in the future warning. -). I'll try and update as soon as I can!