The Re-Education of Zechs Merquise

People They Fall Apart

By: Madisonne

Part: 20 / ?

Disclaimer: For some reason, the people at Bandai keep on forgetting to return my calls... So, no, I don't own them yet. Operative word: YET! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Ahem... Don't steal, or else I'll sic my demon-chibis on you. Stop laughing! They can strip a cow of its meat in one minute! Or is that piranhas? Hmmm...

Warnings: Angst, injury

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He frowned as he read the e-mail from the OZ research facility. Things just were not adding up. The base was three weeks into its formal investigation of the assassination attempt and they were no closer to finding the answer to the 'who' and 'how' than they had been when the incident first occurred. Each piece of the puzzle only served to shroud the scheme in more mystery.

The man's motive was more than clear-cut - there was no shortage of reasons for certain groups to wish to kill an OZ top-executive.

The 'how' was a little more puzzling. The man should never have been able to get into the conference with so much as a nail file, much less a gun.

'It just doesn't add up...' Treize sighed as he contemplated what little the OZ researchers knew so far. He yawned and popped his back loudly.

The alarm clock next to him blinked '4:07 AM'. His hesitance to work on the case in front of Zechs had led him to working until the wee hours of the morning.

"Treize?"

He jumped violently, completely unaware that Zechs was awake in the other room. Shutting down his computer, he hurried to the living room, where Zechs was sitting up on the couch. "What's wrong?"

Zechs did not answer his question, merely put a book in his hands. "Would you read this to me? Please?"

Treize was stunned at the blonde's request and sat down on the couch. He was even more stunned when Zechs curled up beside him, his head resting on his superior's knee.

Deciding not to comment, Treize opened the book and discovered why Zechs wanted him to read out-loud. A Russian translation of Dante's Inferno. Zechs knew Russian fairly well, but a good number of the words were in an archaic form of the language.

He quietly began translating the book into English.

He was twenty pages into the story when Zechs spoke. "I had a nightmare."

Treize closed the book, glad Zechs was finally opening up to him. "About what?"

"You. You were going to be killed, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find you to warn you."

Treize nodded. "Well, it was just a dream."

"I know that. But it got me thinking. We still don't know who tried to kill you. What if..."

"Nothing is going to happen. I am perfectly safe." Treize assured him.

Zechs shook his head. "All the same..."

"You saved me once. I assure you that there are hundreds more officers that wouldn't hesitate to do the same." Treize winced as he talked, realising that his words might seem harsh and uncaring. He had known for quite some time that the blonde had not stepped in front of the bullets merely because it was his job. He had stepped in front of him to save a friend.

Unfortunately, Zechs was not oblivious to the slight in the elder's words. "Oh, so that's it. I was just some person who got shot for you! I can't believe you!"

"Zechs, that's not what I meant, and you know it!"

"Oh, I do, do I? Then why don't I believe you?" Zechs spat back, pushing himself to the other side of the couch. "You bastard. I would have died for you! Go."

"What?"

"Go! Go find the other hundreds of people willing to die for you. I don't need you here. Leave!"

Treize realised he was being irrational, but he could not help getting irritated. "Fine, you damn brat!" He got up, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out of the apartment. "Good bye."

"Don't ever come back!"

"Don't worry. I won't!"

As soon as the door slammed shut, Zechs knew that he had made a grave mistake. "Treize..." He called out to the wooden door, but it remained silent. "Shit..."

With no little effort, he pulled himself onto his crutches and slowly made his way to the phone.

He dialled, and moments later, Noin showed up on the vid-screen.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need your help. I've really fucked up this time."


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Treize knew that it was raining, but did not much care. Zechs' angry words tore at him with talons of ice.

'Fine. I don't need him. There are plenty of others who would kill for his place.' He was comforted by this thought for a moment, but he soon grew depressed again. 'If I don't need him, then why don't I want to find someone to take his place?"

It was as if someone had taken blinders off of him for the first time in his life. He stopped dead in his tracks on the street. 'He... I care for him.'

Treize made it over to a park bench, and plopped down on it, still in shock. "Shit."

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