The Chain

by Konie

What would happen if the G-boys were able to learn about their pasts and meet their mothers? How would the pilots react to living together in a haunted house? Find out in Konie's first thriller, The Chain!!

2. The Chain, Chapter Two

"The Chain"

Part Two: Sometimes it's a Bitch (Quatre)

"Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze
Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems
you get what you want but it's not what you need
Sometimes it's a bitch and sometimes.... it's a breeze"

By Madame deLune
_______________________________


So, by this time, the boys had spent the night at the mansion, and are halfway through their second day. Quatre is still out from his latest faint, Trowa had been watching over him, Duo and Wufei were going to the kitchen to prepare for lunch, and Heero researching their encounter with the ghost of Duo's mother, Laura Maxwell.
On his way out the door, Duo glanced back at Trowa and Quatre, "Hey, Trowa, why exactly did you put me on the wall like that? And didja have to do it so hard?" he wailed.
Looking up from Quatre, Trowa replied, rubbing his temple, "You needed to be quieted, that's why. There's really no gentle way of throwing knives."
"I'm just glad that the woman is gone!" Wufei said, "She was annoying, must be where you got it from, Maxwell."
"Don't insult my mother like that!"
"What're you gonna do about it?" Wufei snickered, pulling out a knife.
Duo backed off; he'd had enough of knives for one day! "C'mon, we're gonna go make the food for lunch. And you'd better not make a pig of yourself, this food's going to have to last the week!" Wufei said, dragging Duo out by his braid.
"Finally, it's quiet." Trowa said, to no one in particular.
His only response was the clicking and clacking of the keys on Heero's laptop. "What are you doing, Heero?"
"Researching paranormal activities, checking up on that ghost, ya know, the usual." Heero said, smiling.
"Very funny," Trowa said, also smiling, "So, you're checking up on that ghost, or Martin Wayne Maxwell?"
"Right now, the Maxwell Church Massacre."
"Oh. And what have you found?"
"Nothing yet. No names, nothing."
"Check the lists of the dead, perhaps the authorities thought that the missing also included the dead."
"Good idea…" 'I should have thought of that! I wish I could be more like Trowa, always thinking!'
'Wow, I wish that I was more like Heero, he's able to hide his emotions so well, but he's been losing that ability lately. I want to be able to express myself like him, yet able to carry an air of mystique!' Trowa thought.
"Hmm…I've got something!" Heero called out, excitedly.
"What'd that be?" Trowa said, leaning over Quatre to see Heero's laptop.
"I've got the lists of those killed in the massacre!"
"And?"
Checking the lists, Heero located Maxwell, but no Martin Wayne.
"He's not there…"
"Well," Trowa said, thinking, "Perhaps he went by the name Wayne Martin. People are known to switch around their middle and first names, look at the old American president, Dwight David Eisenhower."
"You may be right, let me check." Heero said, checking the list for a Wayne Martin. After a few moments, Heero let out an excited squeak. "There's a Wayne Martin Maxwell!"
"Is there a picture?"
"Let me see………………yeah!" 'Holy shit! That's Duo!'
"Heero, let me see the picture…" Trowa said, seeing the look on Heero's face.
Taking the laptop from his normally calm friend, Trowa saw the picture on the screen. Those famous violet eyes and grinning face stared back at him, mockingly almost. 'That's our Duo alright!'
"So, now what?" Heero asked, uncertain of his next action.
"Now what, what?" a voice from the bed rung out.
"Quatre! Welcome to the world of the living!" Heero called out.
"Hey! Wufei! Duo, come here! Quatre's awake!" Trowa called to the cooks, in the kitchen.
In the kitchen…
"Maxwell! Stop eating all the sandwiches! We need those for lunch!" Wufei yelled, trying to grab the pile of sandwiches away from Duo, who was munching happily.
"Mmmphh…muh-uh" [Translation…ummm…uh-uh] Duo tried to say, while at least three of the bread-made concoctions were in his mouth.
"Hey! Wufei! Duo, come here! Quatre's awake!" a voice from a distance called.
Stopping his pursuit of Duo, the sandwich thief, Wufei paused to hear the call. "Hey, Maxwell, do you hear that? Winner's awake!"
"Yeah!" Duo yelled, running down the hall, smacking into as many things as possible…Not too far behind, Wufei also ran down the hall, but jumping over the things that Duo knocked over.
"Maxwell! Are you trying to keep me as far behind you as possible?!?" Wufei called after Braid-Boy.
Entering the room, Duo ran straight over to the bed, with Quatre sitting up, very confused, Trowa hugging the living daylights out of him, and Heero sitting there, just smiling. Looking up to see Duo, Quatre smiled as well, and almost blushing at the situation…"Yo, Trowa, he's awake, ya don't wanna kill him by choking him to death, do ya?" Duo said, trying to pry Trowa off of Quatre, who was still very, very confused. "Besides, I wanna hug him!" At this, Quatre blushed even more, and was even more dumbfuddled.
"What's going on, everyone?"
"You've been unconsice for over 8 hours! We've been worried about you buddy!" Duo said, hugging Quatre as hard as he could.
"Oh, the ghost…right?"
"Yes, but she's gone now." Heero said, trying to keep Duo from strangling Quatre.
Getting off of Quatre, Duo hugged Heero, "And it's all thanks to Heero too! If he hadn't said some of the things he said, she would've thought that he was actually trying to kill me!"
"Yes, and I meant every word I said too. Now, let me go!" Heero said, trying to pry Duo off of himself.
"So, she's gone for good, as in, never-to-come-back?" Quatre asked, almost fearfully.
"Yeah! Ain't that great?" Duo said, now holding onto Trowa, "Oh, and lunch is ready!"
"Yeah, if you haven't eaten it all!" Wufei said, trying to drag Duo to the kitchen.
"Could I eat in here? I'm still feeling a bit weak." Quatre said.
"Sure, I'll stay in here with you." Trowa offered.
"Oo-la la! Trowa and Quatre, sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G ---" Duo started, but was stopped when a jab in the stomach interrupted him. Wufei just grinned.
"If that's what they want to do, then let them do that, alright Maxwell?" Wufei said, still dragging Duo to the kitchen.
"Quatre and Trowa, in L-O-V-E!" Duo yelled from down the hall, since that was where Wufei had dragged him.
"Trowa, you know you don't have to stay in here with me…" Quatre said, blushing slightly.
"Do you mind if I stay in here too? I need to get some more research done on Laura Maxwell." Heero said, still typing on his laptop.
"Sure, just let us know if you find anything." Trowa answered, holding onto Quatre's hand.
"Who's Laura Maxwell? Duo's mother? The ghost?" Quatre asked, almost unaware that Trowa was holding his hand.
"Yes, I'm trying to find a picture of her, just to prove that the spirit was hers."
"So, you found other pictures that warrant further investigation?"
"Yes, look at this, and tell me who you see." Heero said, showing Quatre his laptop, and the picture of Wayne Martin Maxwell.
"That looks kinda like Duo, is that Martin?" Quatre asked, trying to explain this in his head.
"Very good! Yes, this is Martin Wayne Maxwell. So, now I'm looking for pictures of Laura or anyone else in the Maxwell family."
"Oh, alright."

In the kitchen…
"Maxwell! Stop eating those! I just finished them!"
"NO! Mine!"
"MAXWELL!"

At the room…
Wufei appeared at the door, with an unhappy look on his face "Lunch will be a bit late, Maxwell keeps eating the food. Perhaps, Yuy, will you come and control your boyfriend?"
"Sure, I'll be there in a second. I just need to finish this up." Heero said, then realizing the implications of his words. "Um…" he started, but Wufei had already made his way back to the kitchen.
"That's wonderful that you admit that, Heero." Quatre said, smiling supportively.
"I didn't mean to."
"Yes, we know, but still. You did nonetheless. Everyone knows how you feel about Duo, so why not bring it out in the open?" Trowa stated, almost grinning.
Thinking of a good retort, Heero opened his mouth, and this came out, "Yes, so, what about your feelings? Shouldn't those be out in the open too?"
This caught Quatre and Trowa by surprise, "What do you mean, 'feelings'?" Trowa asked, almost shocked.
"Like you have for Quatre."
"What does he mean, Trowa?" Quatre asked, not really hiding the hope in his voice.
"N-nothing, he means nothing…"
"Just tell him! You've been hiding for so long! You need to live by your feelings, Trowa; there's no other way! Otherwise, your life will be filled with regrets!"
"That sounds oddly familiar, Heero."
"Don't I know it! I'm scaring myself, but I need to go and check on Duo…and see if Wufei's taken out his knife yet…" Heero said, leaving the two to themselves.
After Heero had left, Quatre turned to Trowa, and smiled. "What was all that about? Is there something that you need to tell me?"
"Um, yes, but this would be hard for me to say, so bare with me, alright?" Trowa said, stuttering. 'I hope I can do this! God, any god, give me the strength and nerve I need to tell Quatre exactly what he means to me!' he thought, trying to give himself the courage needed to say what was on his mind.
"Sure, I'll help in anyway I can, Trowa," Quatre said, "You're my best friend you know, I can wait. J"
'How, oh how can I do this? I know, I could start off with, yes, you're my best friend too'
"You're my best friend too, Quatre." 'Great, now what?'
"That's wonderful, you don't know how much it means to me, just to hear you say even that! Although, I wish… um… never mind." Quatre said, turning beet red. 'How can I tell him that I love him? It's hard enough saying that he's my best friend! But, it's so much more than that, to me at least…'
Trowa looked surprised; "You expected something else?" 'What does he want from me? Does he want me to say my true feelings, all of what I've had concealed?'
"No, no, it's not that… not really…it's just that I--"
"You what? You have some sort of horrible disease? You're in love with Duo? Relena?" Trowa joked, trying to ease some of the stress on Quatre. 'I love you too…'
Quatre giggled, "How'd you guess? Relena and I have been together for a while now, that's what got Dorothy so angry, enough to stab me!"
Trowa's eyebrow arched in surprise, "But I've been with Dorothy!"
"You've funny, Trowa. That's one thing I love about you."
Leaning in close to his friend, Trowa asked, "What else do you love about me?"
Leaning in even closer, Quatre said, "Everything. I love you." 'Wow! I did it!'
"You know what, Quatre? I love you too." Trowa said, edging even closer to his friend, close enough for their lips to meet.
'Oh, Allah! Thank you!' Quatre thought happily, savoring the moment.
'Whichever god is up there, thank you so much!' Trowa thought, also trying to make the most out of this peaceful time…or so it was thought…
Pulling away, Quatre opened his eyes and saw Trowa just sitting there, with the biggest smile that he'd ever seen on his clown friend's face. "Wow…"
"What? Did I do something wrong?" Trowa said, his face filled with concern, instead of happiness.
Smiling, Quatre said, "No, everything was so right! That was just… um… well…"
"Was that your first kiss?"
Blushing, Quatre answered, "Well, yes…"
Putting his hand up to Quatre's now red cheeks, Trowa softly stroked his friend's face, he whispered, "Don't worry, that was mine too."
Standing in the doorway, this entire sight was seen (and recorded on video camera!) by Duo, Wufei, and Heero.
Duo, almost to the point of tears, said, "I'm so happy for you guys!"
Looking up from each other, it was as if a bubble had been broken, breaking open their own little universe for the world to see. "Um, so, now what, Trowa?" Quatre asked, scooting away from his world's-most-emotionless-clown- boyfriend.
"No, no, don't do that, we'll leave, we just came to tell you that lunch is ready." Wufei said softly.
"That's quite fine, I'm actually pretty hungry." Trowa said, "Where's the food?"
"Well, here's some!" Duo said, walking over to the two on the bed, "Some top-notch sandwiches!" Duo placed a tray on top of Quatre's lap, on top of which were some glasses and bread with nothing but air in the middle.
"Isn't there supposed to be something in between the two slices of bread?" Quatre asked, sweat dropping.
"Not in the famous Maxwell Bread sandwiches!" Duo said, practically shouting.
Looking to Trowa, then Heero, Quatre said, "Well, alright, might as well give it a try!" He then picked up the "Maxwell Bread sandwich" and began to eat. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed. 'That ought to make him feel better!'
"That's great! Now everyone have one!" Duo said, passing them around to his friends.
And so, they all sat around, eating the two slices of bread. Munching with mock happiness. After finishing the bread, Heero said, "Duo, I found something on the Internet that I think you might want to see."
"And what would that be?"
"You."
Running over to the bed, Duo grabbed Heero's laptop. "What's the password for this thing?" he said, trying to access the OS. (OS is Operating System, like Windows 2000 or Windows 3.1, etc.)
Slapping his forehead, Heero replied, "Take a guess, Einstein."
After about a half-hour of trying, Duo still couldn't figure it out. "What is it?" he whined.
"Bring it here, and I'll put it in, Maxwell." Wufei said, trying to be helpful?
"How would you know?" Duo and Heero asked in unison, surprised.
"You think that I haven't figured out how your mind works, Yuy?"
"I, um, well, I don't know." Heero stuttered.
Taking the laptop over to Wufei, Duo gave it to his Chinese friend, and within a second, the correct password was entered into the system, and it started to boot up.
"How did you do that?" Duo asked, astonished.
"It was easy, Maxwell."
"Then how come I couldn't do it?"
"You just answered your own question."
"I did? How?"
"Never mind, just give it to Yuy!"
Duo did so, and Heero quickly pulled up the picture of Martin Wayne Maxwell. "Wow, that's me?" Duo asked, almost scared.
Heero nodded.
"So, that ghost was actually my mother?"
"Yes, Duo, that was your mother." Heero explained, "And I'm working on finding a picture of her on here too, just to be completely sure."
"Alright, I'll wait, I guess." And he did, while Heero searched. And searched. And searched.
"It appears that there isn't a picture of Laura Maxwell, but there is someone else though."
"Who would that be?" Duo asked, anxious.
"An Ellen Marie Miller. She's 18 years old, and she appears to be related to you in some way." Heero stated, tilting the screen so that Duo could see it.
The face that stared back at him was too much like his to not be related! "She has your hair, Duo, and that nose!" Quatre said, also looking over Duo's shoulder.
"And the eyes, even though a different shade, are the same shape, and the same expression." Trowa said, putting in his opinion.
"Could she my older sister? Cousin?" Duo asked, to thin air.
"Who knows, but lets get Quatre some time to get some clothes on, so we can go and investigate the entire house." Heero said, trying to scoot Wufei and Duo out of the room.
Almost out the door, Heero turned back and asked Trowa, "You coming? Or do you want to stay and make sure that he's OK?"
"Do you want me to stay, Quatre? I can help pick your outfit." Trowa said, grinning. (How often do you see that?)
"I can pick my own outfits," Quatre said, also grinning, "remember last time?"
'The leather!' "Of course I remember, but how about something somewhat normal for you?"
"Alright, I'll be down in a minute." Quatre said, going over to his bag. Trowa had gone out the door and shut it behind him softly.
"Hmm… so what outfit to wear today?" the blonde started to himself, pulling several neatly folded outfits out of his light blue embroidered bag. "I know, I'll wear my blue outfit today! Blue's not a bad color on me…" And so, he changed into a light blue T-shirt and jeans with a white blouse type thing over it.

Walking into the receiving room, Quatre noticed something was, well, wrong. It was quiet… too quiet. 'Wufei and Duo should be fighting, or something! What's wrong?' he thought, panicking. Looking around the room, he could see none of the guys, only a blonde head over the edge of the plush leather sofa. His thought process went like this: Heero = dark brown; Duo = chestnut brown; Trowa = medium brown; Wufei = black; Me = blonde. "How does this work?" he said out loud. Slapping himself on the forehead, the realization hit him, this wasn't one of the Gundam Boys. 'Then who is it?'
Edging closer to the mysterious blonde head, Quatre asked, "Hello, who are you?"
Turning around, the woman took first notice of him, "I might ask the same for you," she started, "but I know who you are."
"How do you know who I am, and I don't know who you are?"
"Because, dear Quatre, I am your mother." She smiled, very sweetly, just like Quatre.
Thunk (Quatre hitting the floor…damn, he does that too much…)
"Oh dear, I was afraid this would happen…" the woman identified as Quatre's mother said, getting up and tending to her son.
Running to the sound of the thunk, the rest of the boys rushed to see Quatre on the floor, with a blonde woman kneeling over him, checking his pupils (to see if he had a concussion).
"Um… are you guys seeing this?" Duo asked, astounded…
Trowa, Wufei, and Heero nodded, also dumbfounded. "Who are you?" Trowa asked, also kneeling down to Quatre.
When she looked up to respond to him, Trowa immediately guessed who she was, "You're his mother, right?"
"Why, yes, I am. How did you guess?" she said, surprised.
"I know Quatre pretty well, and you really look like him. Too much to be one of his sisters." Trowa stated, pretty sure of himself.
"Well, you are indeed a very smart boy. I'm glad Quatre has friends like you." Quaterina said, smiling, her blue eyes glistening.
"Well, I'm his friend too!" Duo wailed, trying to get some attention.
"Shut up, Maxwell." Wufei said, drawing out his katana.
Looking over to the disagreement, Quaterina immediately saw the blade. "No. I will not have such weapons near Quatre, even though I am sure that he has used such weapons himself."
'She's a smart lady. Must be where Quatre gets it from.' Heero thought, trying to make some sense of the situation.
"Alright." Wufei resigned, putting his katana back into its hiding spot.
"Why are you here? Is there something that you need to tell Quatre?" Trowa asked, because he remembered that Duo's mom had come to tell him of his true past.
Quaterina looked surprised. She was definitely related to Quatre! They reacted exactly alike! "You really are a smart boy. You seem to know a lot more than you put on. Yes, I needed to tell him of arrangements made when he wasn't even born, even though it might hurt him for a while, it's best if he knows." 'What exactly is his relationship to my Quatre?' "Oh! I've been so rude! I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself! I'm Quaterina Winner."
"I'm Heero Yuy."
"I'm Duo Maxwell!" the aforementioned boy said, jumping up and down to exaggerate his point.
"I am Wufei."
"And I am Trowa Barton." Trowa said, outstretching his hand.
Taking it, Quaterina said, "How well do you know my son, Trowa?"
Trowa's face turned red, bright red.
Saving him from answering, Quatre chose that moment to return from his little trip to meet the floor. Sitting up, Quatre rubbed the back of his head, trying to see if there was a bump. "What happened?"
"You're going to be alright. I'm just glad we came when we did." Trowa said, hugging his little blonde friend. This sight nearly caused Wufei to fall down in shock. He really hadn't expected that!
Duo turned to Heero, "Why don't you ever hug me?"
Looking over at his braided baka (idiot), Heero said, "Do you need me to?"
"No, I suppose not…" Duo said, looking kinda disappointed.
Heero grasped that moment and hugged Duo, albeit awkwardly. After the momentary embrace, Heero went over to Trowa and whispered that Quaterina was still there. "Oh, I forgot." Trowa said, releasing the little blonde from his clutches.
Surprised by this scene of obvious affection, Quaterina said, "May I talk to my son? Alone?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Wufei (?) said, saluting smartly and dragging Heero, Duo, and Trowa out of the room.
"That's odd…" Quatre started, watching his Chinese friend's actions. "What got into him? Duo's mother perhaps?"
"Quatre, there's something I need to tell you. Why don't we go and sit on the sofa?" Quaterina said, softly.
"Sure, mother." Quatre said, taking a seat next to his mother on the big poofy sofa. "What do you need to tell me?"
"You do realize, dear, that you come from a very well-to-do family. And because we must keep our family name going, things happen to cause certain arrangements."
This piqued Quatre's interest. 'Like what kind of arrangements?'
"Go on." Quatre insisted politely.
"Well, since you are our only son, your father and I arranged you a wife."
Quatre face vaulted. 'Just when I get with Trowa, this had to come!'
"And just who might she be?"
"You might know her, she is probably very well known."
"And?"
"She is also a princess. Because that's the kind of girl you deserve."
"A… princess?"
"Yes."
"Is she Relena Peacecraft?"
"You know her! That's a relief! How wonderful! I thought that everything had to be started from scratch!"
"Relena Peacecraft…" he sighed to himself. 'Heero should be happy… now she won't stalk him.'
"Yes. I'm surprised that you didn't know about this marriage thing, even Milliardo knew about it!"
"Mother, Milliardo is gone. And since Father is dead, and the sisters didn't know, how could I have found out?"
"Why, the King of course!"
"He's also dead."
"Well, that's a predicament."
"Yes, and besides, I have found someone already." Quatre said, hoping that he'd have the courage to tell his mother who it was.
"Really? Who? No wait, don't tell me, it's Dorothy Catalonia, right? She's also a very nice girl."
"Mother, she ran me through with a fencing saber."
"Oh dear. Well, who's this wonderful girl you've fallen in love with?"
"Not a girl, Mother."
A muffled squeak emerged from Quaterina's mouth. "A… boy?"
"If it's not a girl, that only leaves boys or horses, mother. And I don't like horses all too much."
Wufei, listening from the other side of the door, got a nosebleed.
"Dear, what about Relena? What will she do?"
"Continue to stalk Heero, I guess."
"Then who have you fallen in love with? Don't tell me that Wufei fellow! A Chinese! That is so dishonorable for you to be in love with that, that, that, has been!"
"No, Mother, it's not Wufei."
"Then, that braided boy? You two seem to get on well enough. Is he rich?"
"No, Mother, he's an orphan."
"Alright, then Heero! It's got to be him!"
"No, not him, either."
"Then, that Trowa boy?"
"Yes."
Quaterina fainted, falling gracefully onto the sofa.
"Mother!" Quatre yelled, as she disappeared into nothing.
"Quatre…" she whimpered as she faded away.
Coming out from behind the door, Wufei, Duo, Trowa, and Heero all had looks of concern on their faces. "Quatre, we heard everything." Trowa said.
"I know… I heard Duo chuckling when I said that bit about the horses! Can you believe I said that?" Quatre said, beaming.
"Nope, but you did!" Trowa replied, "You've been hanging around Duo too much!"
"Hey! I resent that!" Duo yelled, trying to prove that he doesn't have a foul mouth… then he started to yell all the cuss words he knows…
"So, you're in love with Barton?" Wufei asked, almost scared of the answer.
"Yes… I do believe I am…" Quatre said, smiling very widely.

END PART 2