Forbidden Love
by Duo's chick
and
Star Kindler
Epilogue
Disclaimer: We don't own GW, never have and never will…
Warnings: Angst
***
1945 – 2 years later…
Lieutenant Zechs Merquise stood next to the officer's quarters and shook his head in disgust. When the American Allies arrived a few hours ago to liberate the camp, they were not prepared for the horror awaiting them. When the Allies announced their freedom, their pale, drawn back faces showed little emotion. The past few years of hell had taken their spirits – Merquise concluded that these people would probably never recover from the trauma.
"Lieutenant Merquise, sir?" Zechs turned in the direction of the voice.
"What is it Officer Herzog?"
"We've found a few remaining Nazis. What do you want us to do with them?"
Zechs arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'remaining'?
"It seems several escaped – they were expecting us, I suppose."
The blond man sighed. "Damned cowardly bastards."
At that moment, an American soldier pushed a Nazi, bound at the wrists by ropes, toward Lt. Merquise. He assumed a saluting position. "The Commandeer of the camp, sir. Anything in particular you would like to be done to him?"
Zechs smirked. "Thank you, Officer Loftin." He turned to Officer Barton. "You mean this is the man who inflicted all that torment on those innocent people?"
Officer Barton sneered. "Damned Americans. What right did you have to bring down our empire?"
"What right did you have to kill citizens?"
"Citizens? Ha! They weren't fit to be called German citizens. Hitler had the right idea. Those creatures weren't worth shit!"
"Shut up. I'll hear no more of his foolishness. Hang him. That will be one less dirty bastard we'll have to worry about."
Officer Loftin saluted once more and led the angry German Kommandant away. Zechs turned his attention back to Officer Herzog. "What do you have there, Officer?"
The tall man held up an armful of old books. "These? We found 'em lying around the camp. Some of them appear to be record books. I thought you would want to look them over."
Zechs nodded thanks and took the books from him, intending to take a look at them later that night.
***
Nikolai scanned over the lists of names posted on the wall. He recognized none of them. When he moved away to take a job offer 3 years before, he made Duo promise that he would lie low till the war was over. Well, the war was finally over, but there was no trace of Duo anywhere. To stay in touch, they exchanged letters for a few months. But after one letter Nikolai sent, he received no response, which was unusual; Duo always replied immediately. Fearing the worst, he stopped by Duo's apartment, finding nothing but an empty apartment. And from what he could tell, it had been ransacked. A neighbor soon came forward and told him that Duo had been taken away.
The news, though painful, did not surprise Nikolai; by that time, most people considered undesirable by the government, had been arrested. Now, Nikolai was searching frantically in a building overflowing with hundreds of panicky people. Survivors, and family and friends of victims, crowded in the building, hoping to find their loved one alive. If that wasn't the case, then they would find that person's name on the long lists of the dead. And if the name wasn't on the list, then chances were, the person was alive, or there was no record of their death.
Nikolai hoped that wasn't the case. He needed to know the fate of his best friend. His eyes roamed over the names of the doomed, when finally, one name popped up. Pushing past a couple of weeping women, he looked more closely. The name, Duo Maxwell, was typed neatly on the paper. Nikolai felt his stomach churn; his knees grew weak. He gazed at the name a few moments, before he shoved his way out of the crowd of frantic people. He needed to sit down…he needed…
Not looking where he was going, he ran into a taller man. Focusing, he could see this man was in an American uniform.
"I'm sorry, sir…" he muttered.
Lt. Merquise looked down at the man. "Are you alright?"
Nikolai shook his head. "No…I need-"
"You need water. Come with me." Zechs led the young man to a water cooler and handed him a small cup. Nikolai took it gratefully. "Thank you."
After the shaken man gulped the water down, Zechs decided to speak. "What's the matter? Did you lose someone close?"
Nikolai looked at the ground and nodded. "Yes. My best friend – Duo Maxwell."
Zechs looked at him sympathetically. "I'm so-" he paused. "Wait, did you say Duo Maxwell?"
Nikolai nodded.
Zechs quickly opened an army backpack that had been slung over his shoulder. He pulled out two small, leather books and handed them to Nikolai. "I found these at a camp I helped liberate. One belonged to a soldier, and the other to a prisoner." He paused as the man flipped through one of the journals.
Nikolai's face lit up. "This is Duo's!" He glanced at the other journal. "Whose is this?"
"A Nazi's. I've read through both of them. Apparently the two had some sort of relationship going on." Zechs replied.
"What happened to that soldier?" Nikolai inquired.
Zechs shrugged. "He died – and according to a record book, on the same day as your friend. Near as I can figure, they were found out and executed."
Nikolai's eyes shot down. "Thank you…may I keep these?"
Zechs' smiled. "Of course."
"How can I ever repay you?"
"No need. I hope you find solace." He held out his hand. Nikolai grasped it, and shook.
"Thank you again."
***
Nikolai sat both journals aside, and settled back in his chair. Both had been very disturbing, especially the young soldier's. The Nazi, Heero, had been struggling with an immense lie that could mean his life, and Duo was tormented with feelings of love and hate for the soldier, by the last entry.
He was glad that Duo had been able to trust in someone his last few days of life. He could hardly bare the thought of Duo suffering the things he had written in that journal. But from what he had read, those words scrawled across the pages, had come from the heart. He knew deep down that Duo had cared about that young soldier, and the soldier cared about Duo.
He could never be sure of Duo's last thoughts, or what had exactly happened to him, but he did know one thing. Duo was free. He knew Duo was happy now. And he hoped the American soldier was right. He prayed silently, that his best friend was in heaven with the soldier he loved…
***
"May they never be forgotten,
these multitudes of dead,
our anonymous, immortal martyrs."
-from the book, "The Men With the Pink Triangle"
***
Over 5,000 homosexuals were killed in the Holocaust. The number is not as large as the sum of the other groups of targeted victims, but it is just as significant. The point is, a madman came to power, and at his word, innocent people were killed. It isn't right, but it does happen. History repeats itself; everyone needs to learn from the horrible mistakes of the past.
If you are interested, we suggest reading "The Men With the Pink Triangle" by Heinz Heger. It is one of the few accounts of homosexual survivors; people were afraid to come forward after the war. When this particular testimony was put together by a German author , the survivor chose to remain anonymous.
Thanks to everyone who took the story seriously. We appreciate anymore comments you may have. ~Star Kindler and Duo's Chick