Whew

Gomen, minna, for taking so long about this chapter--I had midterms, car problems, scanner problems, a sinus infection and wisdom teeth, so you can see why I didn't get a lot of writing done! I'll try to get back into the swing of things now.

This one's for Jade, for finishing "Reunion 197" and getting me out of a serious writing slump!

Ashura

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Chapter Ten

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"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Duo asked helplessly as Hilde dragged him through the corridors by his hair. "If somebody catches us--"

"Then they catch us," she informed him resolutely. "What's the worst they're going to do? They're too nice to really punish us."

"Yeah, but the Romafeller folks might not--OW!" He winced as she gave a tug on his hair, reaching up to rub at the sore spot on his scalp. "Knock it off, huh? That hurts." Reluctantly she let him free, if only to jerk open a closet door and shove him inside it.

"Now shut up, will you? Or they'll hear us and we /will/ get caught!" Hilde pressed her slim body close against the wall, her ear against the paneling. "Besides, I can barely hear what they're saying!"

Duo slumped against the wall, resigning himself to spending the bulk of the afternoon in a cramped utility closet while his section-mate tried to overhear Treize' meeting with the Romafeller representatives. It wasn't even that he objected to what they were doing--he just thought their methods left something to be desired.

For example, he could be stuffed into a closet with Heero....

He stopped /that/ train of thought before it burst into full bloom. //Focus, Duo, focus.// He pressed his ear to the wall, but the best he could make out was the faint buzzing of low, frustrated voices.

"Stop moving around!" Hilde hissed, nudging him. "I can't hear!"

"I can't hear at all anyway!" he shot back, reaching a decision. "I'll go guard the hall, you listen." She nodded, satisfied with the arrangement, and Duo retreated out into the hallway.

What he did /not/ expect was to find himself face to face with a pint-sized, redheaded little girl, her surprised expression rapidly melting into a rather superior smirk.

"What are you doing in the closet?" she asked him.

Duo fumbled for words, for an excuse, then realised he was under no obligation to answer to strange children in his own school's hallway. "Putting something away," he lied, "what do people usually do in closets?"

"Oh." She seemed not only satisfied with his answer, but disappointed in it, beginning her next interrogation with a shrug. "I'm Mariemaya Khushrenada," she announced pertly. "Who are you?"

"Duo Maxwell," he answered automatically, his mind wrapping itself busily around this unexpected development. "So you're--"

"Treize Khushrenada's daughter, yes," she answered, as if this were a question she was regularly asked. "Except that I'm in custer--custo--I live with Mr. Barton from the Romafeller Foundation." A flash of irritation crossed her face as she stumbled over the word. "He's my grandfather."

"Why don't you live with your dad?" Duo asked, and the girl shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm told there are circumstances only adults understand." She seemed less than pleased with that admission, as well, as if it grated her that there were some aspect of her life of which she was not in complete control. "Grandfather's in there now with Mr. Tsuberov, talking to my father."

"Do you know what about...?" Duo asked cautiously.

Mariemaya shrugged. "Closing the school, presumably." Without warning she flashed him a shy, rather smug smile. "I'm not supposed to know about that," she added.

Duo grinned at her warmly. "Hey, it's good to know what you're not supposed to. It's all in the interests of self-preservation."

The girl's smile brightened under his approval. "I know something else," she said, her voice lowering conspiratorially. "I know that my grandfather doesn't know there's a Duo Maxwell at this school. So he doesn't know anything about you." She frowned, her brow furrowing and wrinkling beneath a fringe of red hair. "I'd keep it that way, if I were you."

"Thanks," said Duo, wondering why he suddenly felt his stomach sinking.

****

"He has a /daughter/??" Dorothy repeated, staring at Duo in dismay. "Why the hell didn't any of us know that before? Why didn't /I/ know that before?"

"It means they have leverage over Treize," said Quatre unhappily. "They don't have to have someone equal to him in power if they can keep him from acting."

Wufei nodded. "Though I'm not certain why, if they've been holding his daughter this entire time, it's never come up before." He shrugged. "But I'm sure they have their reasons, even if it takes time for us to discern them."

"We don't have time," Quatre growled. "They were wrapped up in that meeting with Treize all afternoon, that can /not/ be promising for us."

"They all sounded upset," Hilde interjected, bouncing on the end of Dorothy's bed. "I couldn't make out any real words, I'm afraid."

Trowa let out a long breath. "It doesn't matter. It'll all come down to the same choice eventually: give in to Romafeller, go into hiding, or fight them."

"And we know which one you think we should choose," Quatre acknowledge softly, brushing gentle fingers across his lover's cheek.

"I remember," Trowa answered simply. "If you don't...maybe you can just trust me."

"Of course I do," said Quatre, in a soft voice that dared anyone to protest. No-one did.

"I remember too," Heero said, almost casually. "So does Sylvia, and Duo does, a little."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wufei growled fiercely--a little too defiantly, perhaps, and he looked at the wall past Heero and Duo when he said it.

"Neither do I," said Relena tentatively, "but I believe you. And I don't want to go into hiding--but there's no way I'll ever become a tool for Romafeller, either. I won't."

"No," Dorothy promised darkly. "And neither will I."

"I would hide," Cathy admitted a little ruefully. "I wouldn't mind. But Trowa feels so strongly about it...."

Hilde laced her fingers into her lover's, smiling grimly. "And I'd go with you, you know. But if the rest of the crew says fight, I guess I'll be right up in the front taking damage for 'em."

Dorothy let out a long sigh. "I guess it's decided then. We fight Romafeller."

Quatre nodded. "I suppose someone should go tell Mr. Treize."

*****

Treize Khushrenada had not yet gone to bed. To judge from the empty coffee pot and the grounds scattered around it, he was not intending to any time soon. He greeted the parade of students into his office with a quirk of an eyebrow and a tired smile.

"I suppose I should pretend to be surprised to see you all up," he said wearily, "but I'm not. Come in, sit down, tell me what's on your collective mind."

None of them made a move to sit down in the single extra chair near the desk. "We want to fight Romafeller," Quatre said flatly.

Treize sighed. "I suppose I should have expected that as well. You realise, I imagine, my problem agreeing to this course of action?"

Duo and Quatre traded worried glances. "Mariemaya," said Duo tentatively. Treize masked his surprise admirably, but nodded at last.

"We've got a plan for getting around that," Trowa announced softly, slipping forward to Quatre's side. "We thought if we could bring her back here, they wouldn't have that hold over you anymore."

Treize cocked his head. "I think I know where this is going," he said mildly. "And I'm forced to admit this...inevitable altercation will be far simpler with the lot of you involved."

"Indeed," said Trowa, smiling slightly as he began to change. Only when a pert-nosed, redheaded replica of the young Miss Khushrenada stood before them in his place did he add in her high, tight voice, "They don't even have to know she's gone, and you'll have a plant on the inside."

Quatre shook his head, shooting Trowa-Mariemaya a look of pure distaste. "That's truly disturbing, love--promise you'll change back at least until morning, won't you?"

Trowa-Mariemaya just giggled.

"If we could get back on the subject...?" suggested Wufei dryly.

"Allow me to anticipate," said Treize, with a nod to Wufei. "Trowa replaces Mariemaya and relays information to us through Catherine--more convenient, really, than my original plan to utilise Miss Noin. By the time Dermail, Barton and Tsuberov realise they have a doppelganger in their midst rather than a child, we'll have uncovered their weak point and how to exploit it. Am I correct?"

They traded nods and glances, as Mariemaya slowly morphed back into Trowa--to Quatre's profound relief. "Essentially, sir, yes."

Treize nodded. "A few changes--and clarifications, if you're to understand what's truly going on. The whole of Romafeller is not the problem--it's only a select committee known as Oz. It consists of Dermail, Tsuberov, Dekim Barton, and a few others--and originally myself, Zechs, and Lady Une. You'll be relieved, then," he added, a ghost of a smile quirking his lips, "that it won't be necessary to take out the entire Romafeller Foundation. If we just eliminate or manipulate a few certain people, the three of us can redirect Oz in the direction we want it to go."

"You mean you'd really have control of the school?" Relena asked, hope lighting up her face.

Treize nodded. "Indeed. With the continued support of Dr. Winner, of course."

"Then--" Dorothy began, but stopped, letting the full significance of this statement sink in. "Full control. No answering to them, no pandering to them--no chance at all that we'd be made into weapons--!"

"Full control," Treize confirmed again. "And an opportunity for all of you to reach your full potential. That is, if--"

"If what?" Hilde chirped, but it was not Treize who answered.

"If we could all remember what Trowa and Heero do," said Quatre bluntly. "Whatever it is that gives Sylvia visions and Duo nightmares."

Treize sighed. "Yes," he conceded. "But I'm afraid there's very little I can do to facilitate that."

"I, on the other hand," a smooth voice said from the doorway, "may be able to make myself useful in that respect."

They turned, surprised--even Treize, who should have seen her entrance. Lady Une leaned casually against the doorframe, her hair loose around her shoulders, watching them all intently through the glasses perched on her nose.

"Ah, Lady...." Treize greeted her gracefully, but seemed a little at a loss for words. "I didn't realise you, ah..."

"Knew who they were?" she finished for him smoothly, gliding into the office, a wry half-smile twisting her lips. Unlike the headmaster, she seemed to have already found her bed and left it; she was wrapped in a silk robe of deep violet, and its the folds of soft fabric clinging to her body may have had something to do with Treize' momentary distraction. "Of course I do. I've been watching them, after all...for a very long time."

Quatre let out a long breath. "That's a little freaky," she confessed. Une turned to him and smiled.

"I don't mean to disturb you, Arbaa," she said smoothly, and the Siren winced.

"Don't call me that."

Her head tilted. "Does it bother you so much?"

Quatre fixed her with a fierce glare. "If you really understood as well as you say you do, you'd know that. And you'd know why. I already remember more than I want to." He crossed his arms defiantly over his chest, still glaring at her. "Play with the rest of their heads, if they consent to it. Not mine."

Une bowed her head, a little sadly. "As you wish."

"Quatre," Trowa murmured, resting a slender hand on his lover's shoulder and caressing lightly at the curve of his neck. "This could be important...."

"NO!!" Quatre snapped, jerking away--the Siren's single turbulent shout scraped against their skin like a razor, pain erupting almost tangibly through the room. Trowa yanked his hand back as if stung, naked hurt and disappointment on his normally dispassionate face.

"Quatre--" he began, tentatively.

"I said no..." It came as a whimper this time, as the blonde boy threw himself into his lover's arms and buried his face in the folds of Trowa's shirt. "Don't ask me, muHibb, please don't ask me...."

"All right," the doppelganger promised, wrapping his arms around Quatre protectively. "We won't. I won't."

Heero cleared his throat, subtly drawing all their attention from where it lingered on the tearful couple. "I don't mind, Lady Une, but I never forgot in the first place...."

She nodded. "I know, Heero." Her hazel eyes flickered over the rest of the group, questioning. "What about the rest of you?"

Dorothy shrugged delicately, putting to words what really they all wanted to know. "How does it work? Do we just suddenly have this awareness of--well, I guess it's some kind of past life thing, the way you all make it sound--I don't know if I could handle that, but I'd try...."

"It would be more gradual than that," Une answered, with a glance at Treize--who merely watched the entire proceeding, attempting to school his face into an expression that indicated this unexpected turn of events had really been his plan all along. "You'd remember bits and pieces of things, at first--in dreams, or flashes of insight. Not all at once."

"Before I agree to anything drastic," said Wufei, "could you explain to me just what it is you're going to do?" A silent chorus of nods from his schoolmates indicated their agreement, and Lady Une shrugged.

"I'm a medium," she replied. "Normally, I call up the spirits of those already dead. But it's not so much a stretch to invoke the spirits of those re-born."

"That," Dorothy said flatly, "sounds a little freaky. But I guess I'm in."

Relena nodded her own agreement, sliding an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "Me too."

Trowa disentangled from Quatre and stepped forward, in perfect time with Catherine who joined him. "We're willing," they said together.

Duo watched nervously as Heero stepped off to the side, near where Quatre had slumped against the wall.

"Don't worry," Heero whispered, planting a quick, tender kiss behind his ear. "You'll be all right."

Duo smiled weakly at him and joined the others. Hilde squeezed his arm gently as she moved to stand next to him, silent for once as her eyes spoke her acceptance in place of her voice. That left only Wufei, who looked rather tempted to refuse, and join Heero and Quatre against the wall.

Finally he let out a long breath. "I will never again be weak," he whispered, more to himself than any of them, and joined them. "I am no longer Long Diwu, the Fifth Dragon, no matter what memories you evoke in me."

"I know," Une answered softly, reaching for his hand.

He slipped his fingers into hers, gazing trustingly upward into her face. His dark eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp, sagging against her, and she slid her arms around him to support him. It looked, from Duo's vantage point, like she whispered into the firestarter's ear, but her words were nothing he could make out by the movement of her lips.

And when at last he sunk to his knees, gripping Lady Une's hands as if they were his last line to the world, Wufei was murmuring too.

"Duibuqi--duibuqi--I'm sorry--" His head dropped forward, fine black hair falling forward to obscure his face.

"It's all right," Une answered, kneeling next to him and pulling him into her arms. "It was a long time ago, Di--Wufei. We all forgave you a lifetime ago."

He pushed himself to his feet, supporting himself on her arm, in an uncharacteristic display of vulnerability allowing her to help him to stand. "I will make amends," he stated flatly, calmly, although he was trembling.

Without answering, Une eased him into the chair. "The most painful is finished," she informed them, "since Wufei's old memories...differ from the rest. And enough of them remained that he's reclaimed the bulk of them all at once."

Relena, Dorothy, Hilde, Duo, and the twins looked at each other.

"Who's next?" Relena asked tentatively.

Duo swallowed. "I guess I'll go," he said.

He turned to Lady Une, who was looking at him gently, almost maternally. "Don't worry," she whispered, low enough that only he could hear her as he stepped close. "You've dreamt the worst of yours already. Nothing else I can awaken in you will match the vision of your own death."

Duo grinned weakly. "That's good to know."

She reached out her hand, and he took it.

****

Voices.

//Bin, if you want to eat tonight, help your sister carry the firewood.//

//All right, all right--I'm coming! How come I have to help and Trey-ti doesn't?//

//He is helping. He's mending the saddle so he can go fetch Heero and Arbaa tonight. Firewood, Bin. Now.//

A face--pert, delicate, wide blue eyes staring up at him, mouth split it a wide, winsome grin, dark hair chopped short like a boy's just to spite him for leaving his own long. A short blue linen dress, leaving bare her mud-spattered legs as she dragged along a satchel of wood that must have outweigh her. //C'mon, you're supposed to help with this too.//

//Hilde?//

//Kara, silly.//

A tall form, chestnut hair framing a pale face and deep green eyes--only to his shoulder, not so long as his own, and belong to an angular boy in roughworn breeches and carrying a saddle.

//Hey, Trey-ti! Heero and Arbaa are coming tonight?//

A smile that lit up his brother's blank face like the sun was rising in it. //Finally, they're back from the East....//

A pair of deep azure eyes, captivating, holding him, they must have been impressed indelibly on his soul's memory since the beginning of time--

//Heero?//

//Of course.//

//Heero!//

The swirl of images around Duo faded, and darkened, and he fell--

He felt Heero's arms around him before he had time to reach the ground.

*****

It was dark when he awoke--he was in his own room, in his own bed, tangled in his duvet. Whoever had put him to bed had taken off his shirt but not his jeans, and they were stiff and sweaty against his skin.

He'd been dreaming again--it was, ostensibly, the result of Lady Une's "awakening" him, as his mind tried to cope with the onslaught of memories suddenly overwhelming it. He still couldn't "remember" all of his friends, but a few faces he knew as intimately as his own.

"Kara...." He wondered how much she remembered--she was Hilde now, and was usually the one looking after /him/, but a lifetime ago she's been his adoring little sister, had idolised and looked up to him.

He'd been the one to find her body, and it had crushed him.

"Trey-ti." An elder brother, quiet and strong--he had vanished, leaving no trace that he had ever existed at all. Duo remembered acutely how it had driven Arbaa nearly insane, until the blonde shiekh had disappeared in search of his lost love. Quatre and Trowa had been together even then.

But then, so had he and Heero. Duo recalled that most of all, the gentle caress of soft fingers against his skin, the warmth of desperate kisses and whispered promises of faithfulness for all eternity.

//I'll find you. No matter what it takes.//

He was surprised to find tears stinging his cheeks.

//Promise you'll never leave me--//

//I won't leave you.//

//I'll always come back to you.//

He didn't stop to think about what he was doing before he crawled out of bed, didn't bother with shoes or untangling his hair--he padded barefoot and bare-chested down the hall, and down the stairs at the end of it, finding his way through the dark corridor to the door he thought was Heero's.

And tapped, hesitantly.

A muffled grunt came from the other side--he remembered with fondness that Heero had always been a light sleeper--and the rustle of bedclothes, and light footsteps before the door opened. Heero's hair was as matted as Duo's--it was easy to tell he'd been asleep, strands of dark brown pointing every which way from his head as he rubbed blearily at his eyes. He stepped back and motioned Duo inside.

"I missed you," Duo said simply.

Heero, rather than being annoyed at the disturbance to his sleep, managed a sleepy smile and brushed his fingers across Duo's cheek. "Do you want to stay here?"

The braided boy nodded, adding a tentative, "If that's all right..."

"Of course." Heero crawled back into his rumpled bed, scooting over to make room for Duo, then wrapping his arms around him as soon as he lay down. "I missed you too, you know," he whispered drowsily into soft strands of chestnut hair.

"Heero," Duo asked softly, "how long were you waiting?"

Heero considered, nuzzling into the hollow of Duo's side, his face so close his breath warmed the other boy's cheek. It felt good to be in his arms, Duo thought blissfully as he waited for an answer. "A long time," Heero mumbled. "Centuries, at least."

"Oh...." Duo was not sure what to say.

But Heero knew. "I'm not letting you go this time," he promised.

*****