Syzygy If You Fall I Will Catch You, a haven fanfic

Song for this chapter is Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper.

They made it to the station right on time. Mara was distracted, jittery and nervous. She wasn't in full withdrawal yet, but it was creeping in.

She didn't bother with plans, simply reminding Duke and Nathan to stay behind her. She walked straight into the conference room, the others trailing behind her. Dwight stood next to her, Duo stayed in a corner, watching constantly.

There was a decent turnout, but she wondered how many were here to fight and how many to gossip. She passed out a stack of papers- each with a picture and description of William.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sure you've all noticed the symbol in the sky." ...And the chattering began already. Two sentences in.

Mara breathed deeply, her skin crawling as the withdrawal pushed in.

"I can't talk while you're talking, so if you actually want answers, please listen."

When they settled, Mara continued.

The symbol is there because we're in danger. William, the man we talked about at the last meeting- the man who started the Troubles- has come back. He's hiding, but he's already spilled blood." Mara jerked her sleeve up, raising her arm and hand to show the grisly wounds she'd taken.

"More than anything, we need you to keep your eyes open for this man. I'm asking that of every citizen. If you see him contact us immediately- there are several phone numbers on the handouts. Don't approach him no matter what.

"But everyone here tonight has either volunteered or been asked to help protect the town. You may never be asked to fight, and I sincerely hope that's the case. But if we need help, I need to know who here is willing to fight to protect their neighbors. Some of you have gifts that can help heal, protect or defend, some have gifts that make you great in combat, and some of you are here just because you love your community. There's a place for all of you, and you'll each answer to a... team leader, let's say."

She pulled out her notebook, giving instructions.

"Those of you who want to actively fight- Gifted or not, you'll be in Dwight's team. He'll get you all set up. Right Chief?" Mara smiled at him and he nodded once, hiding his smile.

She took a deep breath, stretching as she tried not to shake. Things were about to get more interesting.

"Gifted citizens who are interested in First Response- medical care, protection, psychological help- your team leader is Vince Teagues."

As Vince stepped forward to stand with Dwight, the room went silent. Mara could literally hear people breathing. For about four seconds. Then the chatter exploded, deafening as they all tried talking over each other. Mara rolled her neck, wishing for a massage.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as an air horn blared, shocking everyone into silence.

Mara turned to look at Duo, still holding the air horn. Seeing her gaze, he widened his eyes, pointing at Duke and saying, "He gave it to me! I didn't want them to give you a headache. Fire, remember?" He tried to look completely innocent and devious at the same time.

He pulled it off, too.

Mara bit her lip to keep from laughing. Not hard- she was trying not to use pain to control herself. She wanted to be better, to be really strong; not just good at appearing strong.

"Just be patient, please. I will answer your questions shortly." She looked around at everyone seriously, making sure they knew she meant business.

"Thank you. Now anybody who isn't enhanced but still wants to help, either with medical care, patrols or general assistance- your team leader is Dave Teagues. And remember, no shouting."

They didn't shout as Dave joined Vince and Dwight, but the whispers were loud enough that Mara saw Duo hold up the air horn, wiggling it as a warning.

"Anyone who decides they want to be given a gift can come to me. Now, if you'll ask one at a time, I can answer your questions."

As she expected, the very first question was about Vince and Dave.

"Vince, Dave, Nathan and Dwight have been chosen for a particularly arduous job. They've agreed to protect Haven- protect all of you. Because the task is so demanding, the Gifting process changed them physically so they could all be strong enough to shoulder the burden."

Someone in the back, Mara couldn't tell who- said, "She's making her friends safe and letting us rot! She's never lost anything!"

Mara froze, her stomach twisting violently. She saw Duo take a step forward and motioned for him to stop. She looked out into the sea of faces.

"It's easy to say things like that when you're hiding. Please, come forward, let's talk."

Her tone was even and measured, her hurt and anger hidden away.

After a few moments, someone pushed the loudmouth forward. They knew him, he worked at the station. Chad something.

'Oh, him. He hit on me the first month I was here. I turned him down, three days later I overheard him telling someone I slept with him. I broke his nose. Garland was supposed to write me up, but we actually just had a drink from the bottle he kept in his desk. He toasted me for "giving that no-account dumb shit what he had coming". I really miss Garland sometimes.'

Mara looked at Chad curiously. "I've never lost anything? Why would you think that?"

He wasn't as eager to talk when people knew it was him.

"Chad, would you like to see what I've lost to this fight? Let me show you."

Mara pushed her sleeve up again, letting the Maze show. She scanned for certain stars, pressing Jacob's first. The crowd murmured in shock as his image came to life over her hand. She showed him laughing. "This is Jacob. He was amazing. He was my friend and I loved him. William killed him."

She pressed another star, struggling to keep her body still. Little Alec appeared, an orange wedge stuffed in his mouth as he hopped from foot to foot.

"This is Alec. My son."

"You don't have a kid."

"You're right, Chad. Do you want to see why?"

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled up another file on Alec, looking away as the image of William slaughtering her little boy played out. When it was over, she stared at Chad.

"If you're not here to help, you know where door is." She refused to look away or blink, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sorry, Audrey." The apology was a whisper, but it was still something.

"Are you here to help?"

"Yeah."

"You can apologize by helping make sure nobody else loses what I did."

The rest of the meeting went reasonably well. At 8:15, Mara pulled Duke and Nathan aside, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"I can't stay any longer. None of these people need gifts. Please."

"Sure, let's go home. I'll tell Dwight, just wait here." Nathan squeezed her hand before he walked away.

As they waited, Duo approached, hands in his pockets, silver eyes vigilant. "You okay, Mara?"

Something in his words or tone felt familiar. She couldn't quite place it, though.

"I'm fine, Duo. Good job with the crowd control."

"That guy was a douche. I wish you'd have let me hit him."

She chuckled as a shiver crawled up her back. "I thought about it, especially after Audrey told me about him, but he's not worth it. I'll be keeping an eye on him, though."

Nathan joined them and they were almost to the door when they were stopped by a voice directly behind them.

"I don't know what you three are up to, but I'm not so senile I don't know Duke Crocker when I see him. Two of him. What the hell is going on?"

Mara closed her eyes. Of course. Gloria.

They pulled her aside, trying to stay quiet. Mara's knuckles were white where she was clutching at herself.

"I'm sorry, Gloria. Things got really crazy really fast. This is Duo. He's our friend."

"Friend my eye. That's Duke."

"Gloria, Duke is right here. Duo just looks like Duke."

She didn't look convinced. Mara hated to be rude, but if she stayed much longer she was going to lose her control. She'd taken a valium, but everything was getting worse, and she didn't want to take more until she could lie down, safe at home.

She played the one card she knew would work.

"Gloria, I want to explain, but I'm really sick. I have to go." She reached out to grasp Gloria's hand, pressing it to her belly as Ember rolled.

"Oh! Go, go. Just talk to me later." Gloria nodded at them, turning to Vince.

That would be an interesting talk.

They were driving home, radio playing softly when 'Cat's In The Cradle' started playing.

"No, no way, veto." Duke was already pushing buttons and Mara eyed him curiously.

"You okay, Duke?"

"I'm fine."

"Duke?" She touched his hand.

"That song just makes me a little edgy since you got pregnant." She couldn't see without using her dark-sight, but she was sure he was blushing.

"Well, you're nothing like your father, and I'll be thrilled if Ember has even half as much heart as you. I hope the baby is just like you, and you'll be there for all the firsts. For everything. I know it."

"How do you know?" Duke asked quietly.

Nathan answered for her. "Because where you go, we all go."

Mara and Duke were mid-kiss when the shaking broke through and she whined in frustration and discomfort.

"We're almost home, sweetheart." Duke squeezed her leg.

Duo reached over the seat to tap Duke's shoulder and they stared at each other, communicating through the Aether. As they pulled up to the dock, Duke nodded.

"Mara, Duo's going to check out the docks for awhile, but we're going to try and make you well. You trust me?" Duke was picking her up, carrying her quickly onto the Rouge and into the bedroom.

She arched her back, holding her breath as she nodded.

Duke whispered with Nathan as Mara pulled her shoes off and took her medications, brushing her teeth and washing her face with trembling hands. She was taking her shirt off when the muscle spasms hit. She grabbed the sink, holding her breath.

As her arms shot out to grab the sink, she hear fabric tear. Damn it, she was low enough on clothes! She moved slowly, focusing on her feet. And walked straight into Nathan, who caught her before she fell. He scooped her up, carrying her to the bed and setting her down, pulling her torn shirt off.

Duke was already shirtless, and the moment Mara was laid out on the bed, he and Nathan removed the rest of her clothes.

"Mara, I want to try something, but I need you to open up to me, okay? Can you do that?"

She just nodded.

The lights went off, there were sounds she couldn't identify, then Duke was next to her, pressed as close as possible, completely nude.

She groaned as her back tightened.

"Please Duke, whatever you're going to do, do it." Mara was struggling to get the words out, clawing at the sheets.

"It's okay, Mara. I'm going to make it better." Duke kissed her, and somehow her body still responded. He settled between her legs and she felt Nathan holding her hand, fingers twisting around hers.

Duke pressed into her slowly, wrapping his arms around her.

"Mara, sweetheart, open your soul for me. Please."

She had to concentrate, but she did it, leaving herself open. She stopped breathing for a moment as his soul connected with hers, and suddenly the Aether was traveling through them again.

Like the first time, Nathan kept his hands on them, tethering them. As the fire passed through them, around and around, her muscles stopped cramping. She brought her free hand up to wind around his neck.

He rocked her, taking his time. She could feel Nathan's hand in hers, knew he was touching Duke with the other. Her shaking slowed as the Aether flowed between them, and she wrapped her free arm around Duke, pressing her lips to his.

Even his kisses were slow, just exploring her mouth, running his tongue along her lips. He kissed her cheeks, her chin, even her eyes before returning to her mouth, the fiery Aether lighting them continuously from within.

Each moment, each touch relaxed her body further, chasing away the withdrawal symptoms. As the glowing Aether brightened and grew around them, it reached out to touch Nathan, but the familiarity didn't make him sad this time. He was one of them, Aether bound to his own cells and the glow surrounded him too, feeling like kisses against his skin.

Mara started pushing back, meeting Duke's movements and pushing him deeper. Her legs wrapped tightly around him. There was no more stuttering as Mara whispered, "Nathan. Take him."

More movement, sound, and Duke gasped against her lips as Nathan touched him, rubbing the lubricant into him. Mara brought her legs higher, letting Nathan kiss the skin of Duke's back, pressing his legs father apart. Duke gasped and shivered against Mara's ear and she felt the press and shift of their bodies as Nathan buried himself in Duke.

She didn't need her dark-sight, the glow from the Aether lit them like living candlelight. Duke wasn't even able to hide, drowning in the feeling of the bodies surrounding him. He was utterly beautiful, his sweet youthful face showing his ecstasy as they moved each other.

Nathan looked so serious as he loved Duke- his jaw tight with strain as he focused on trying to be gentle. Mara raised her hand until her fingers brushed Nathan's cheek, and when he met her eyes, she murmured, "Harder. He needs you as much as you need him."

Then Nathan was pushing Duke farther into her, and she put her hands on Duke's jaw, bringing her lips to his. She whispered against his mouth between kisses.

"Do you feel, Duke? How much he wants you, how much he needs you? I wish you could see his face right now. Gods, he's loving this. Feeling you tight around him, finally being able to touch you. He loves you, Duke. We all do."

Mara had to grip his shoulders as he moved faster, harder. The sound- dear gods, the sounds they were making made her clench around Duke. The low groans, the panting, the way Nathan was saying Duke's name all made her arch her back, growling and breathless. She was close, teetering on that precipice as they rocked together, and as Nathan pushed him harder still, she came around him, muscles squeezing, trying to draw Duke closer.

Mara was breathless, but she stretched her neck to whisper in Duke's ear.

"Mine, Duke. I want to hear you, I want to hear you come. Nathan wants to feel you. We love you. We'll never leave you. Let go, Duke." She scratched her nails down his arms, and he went rigid, eyes rolling back as he shouted a wordless cry, pushing back against Nathan and then far into Mara as he came, Nathan only a moment behind him.

Those sounds though, they buried themselves in Mara and she was surprised, her body tensing as she grabbed at them, contracting around Duke again.

After a long moment, she felt Duke shudder as Nathan pulled from him, then Duke was sliding out of her, kissing her slowly before he turned to kiss Nathan. The Aether settled inside them, leaving them in darkness. They cleaned up, then lay in a tangle of warm limbs, each trying to touch the others.

Mara heaved a deep, relieved sigh. Her muscles were loose, the shaking and spasms gone, Duke having purified the Aether within her again. It was several minutes before she could speak again.

"You two stay. I'm going to check on Duo, see where he wants to sleep." She reached to kiss them both, and as she was half-sprawled over Duke, the baby stretched and flipped, hard enough to make her gasp and for Duke to feel against his side.

"Was that the baby?" Duke asked, sounding shocked.

"Yep."

"Holy shit."

She laughed. "Give us another month, you'll really see something then. Rest. I'll be right back."

She stood, feeling well again as she shrugged into pajama pants and a tank top. She traced her fingers against the walls as she walked through the boat, constantly checking up on the Aether. This one perfect place, this home, was completely sealed, shielding them from everything. Their castle on the sea.

She stepped out onto the deck, the fall air raising goosebumps on her arms as she scanned the docks, looking for Duo. She finally spotted him sitting, looking out over the water. She walked to him barefoot, silently sitting next to him. They just sat together, quietly watching the water and the Maze that still gleamed in the sky.

"I know you told him how to help me. Thank you."

Duo smiled, looking at her sideways. "I'm glad you're better. I don't like seeing you sick."

"I'm glad you're here, that you decided to stay."

"You guys need help. More than you know. I want to be that help. Thanks for trusting me."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why did you choose Duke, at this age?"

He smiled. "It's the strongest memory I have."

Mara realized immediately, and felt foolish for taking so long to catch on. "If course! You were the Aether bonded to the Hansen's! We took you out of Nathan. I'm sorry for not recognizing sooner."

"You were sick and hurting. I don't mind. Thanks for asking me to stay around. It's good to see them from this perspective. If someone is going to help you watch over them, I'm glad it's me. I know them pretty well."

"You remember the things Nathan blocked, don't you?"

"I do. I helped block them in the first place. Nathan's biological father was a nasty piece of work. That's how his mom met Garland. Trying to get protection, trying to get him safe. Not saying the man was a doting father, but he cared. Cared a lot."

"And Nathan's most cherished memory is of Duke, right?"

"Yeah, first kiss. First everything."

"Come in and sleep. You can have the extra room."

"If you don't mind. Hey, would you do me a favor?"

"Of course, anything."

"Let Nathan know how much Garland loved him. He honestly doesn't know, and he should."

Mara smiled, leaning to hug Duo. "I knew you were special. You can have a good life here."

She stood, pulling him with her. "We can talk more later. We need rest now."

"Yes, ma'am." Duo smirked at her, "but I know that look. you've got a plan."

She smiled. "I'm going to see what Duke dreams of."