Creature of the Wood
Chapter 14
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Rain...

Rain somehow always made things worse, in Quatre's eyes. The gentle droplets had been falling most of the day, cooling the air and making the entire landscape seem dreary in comparison to its normal vibrancy. He sat on the desk in his room, leaning his head against the windowpane as the steady patter of water against the glass filled the empty silence. It had been three days since Trowa and Heero had left. It had been two days since the sun had been visible through the clouds above. All in all... Quatre couldn't quite shake the feelings of despair that seemed to grab hold of him with icy claws.

A soft pair of hands on his shoulders... the warmth of a body pressed against his back as Cathy came to sit behind him, her arms winding around his waist. Neither of them were happy that Trowa had gone... but at least they still had each other. At least they still had Trowa's promise of return. Quatre brought up his hands, resting them on Cathy's forearm as it lay across his chest. His fingers brushed over her skin as she came to rest her cheek against his shoulder. The contact was reassuring to them both, even though no words had yet been spoken. As the rain continued to fall outside, the two simply took comfort in the fact that after all had happened, they weren't alone.

A faint creak behind them caused both pairs of eyes to flick towards the door, where Duo leaned against the frame. Quatre inhaled sharply, beginning to turn when the other boy waved him away. He'd never seen Duo like this before... the cheerful violet eyes seemed blank in their expression, and the ever-ready smile was gone. Quatre could swear that the other Sidhe had lost weight in the past days, even though it was hardly enough to cause this drastic a change. Cathy's hand tightened against his chest and he paused, looking up into concerned storm-coloured eyes. It was a silent exchange, one broken by the sound of Duo clearing his throat faintly.

"I'm sorry to bother you two... I just--"

Cathy slid from the desk, smiling as she walked towards Duo with her arms outstretched to pull him into a hug. "Nope, not going to listen to you apologize. No reason for it." He looked surprised at the motion, his hands coming up as if to try and ward off a blow... but he relaxed after a moment and leaned forward, resting his head agianst Cathy's shoulder. His arms wound about her, holding her close as his shoulders began to tremble.

"Thank you..." He smiled, lifting his head again and rubbing the back of his hand across weary eyes. Cathy and Quatre both looked to him, the blonde beckoning them both back towards the window. Duo felt his hand being squeezed gently and followed Cathy across the room, where she curled up behind Quatre once more. Duo leaned against the windowframe, joining the two in their weather-watching. It brought a soft smile to his lips, seeing the two of them this way. Quatre rested against the edge of the desk with Cathy wrapped behind him, their positions seeming natural in their beauty. Even the wistful expressions mirrored on their faces lent to the image in its entirety. They were going through exactly what he was feeling... and somehow, it felt right for them to share this amongst themselves, so that the feeling of loss wouldn't overwhelm them. It wasn't just Heero that he had lost... Relena had also left the very next day, a promise on her lips as she swore to find a way to stop this.

Duo turned his gaze outside then, watching the rain continue to fall. Streaking its way down the glass, it seemed to make the entire outside world twist into something out of a painting. His head tilted, his forehead pressed against the cool window as he simply enjoyed the moment. Cozy... that's how this felt to him. The warmth of companionship while Nature had her way with the earth. Perhaps the rain wasn't something to be feared after all.

* * *

Relena made her way down the corridor, heels clicking against the marble with each quickened step. She'd returned to the Hold as soon as she was able, after trying to calm Duo. There had to be a way to stop this... her family had been through so much, surely there had to be *something* she could do to bring that light of joy back into her brother's eyes. If she couldn't accomplish it herself... she knew who could.

The guards gave her no resistance, having already been aware of the affection between the two Sidhe. It may not be entirely understood, but no one went against the orders of the Lord when it was made clear to allow her passage anywhere she chose. So when Trieze returned to his quarters after the evening meal, it was with a pleasant amount of surprise that he found the object of his daily musings sitting on the edge of his bed, awaiting his arrival.

She smiled, rising from where she sat and walked over to him, winding her arms around his waist. "Hello there, lover." Relena whispered, rising up onto her toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. She felt his embrace tighten around her as he nearly lifted her off of her feet into a hug. Giggling faintly, she rested her cheek against his chest, sighing in contentment. "Missed you."

"I missed you as well, little one." Trieze whispered, the words muffled as his lips rested against her hair. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon... is everything alright?" He stepped back as she pushed against his chest, looking up to him with barely concealed sorrow.

"No, it's not..." She began, clasping his hands within her own as she related the events of the past days. Everything from the moment she had set foot on the campus with Quatre... the fight with Selena... the involuntary seperation of Duo and the others... and by the time she was done, half-formed tears were glittering in her eyes. "You've got to help me, Trieze. I can't watch this happen to him again. I've tried to find out what I can, but I'm getting no where. You have the connections I don't, you can find out--"

"I already know." Trieze swore that he couldn't have stopped her any faster if he'd raised a hand and slapped her. Her eyes widened faintly and he knew that her mind was working furiously, trying to determine exactly what this revelation meant.

"What... what do you mean...?"

He didn't respond at first, simply let her go and began to walk towards a low table set at the far side of the room. A bottle waited there, as well as two goblets... apparently she'd been here at least long enough to prepare for his return. As he worked the cork loose and filled the glasses, he could see her reflection against the window glass, darkened by the night sky behind it. She was afraid... perhaps of his answer... or perhaps of theories that she'd already begun to formulate. Either way, this wasn't going to be pleasant, he knew that already. Taking the second goblet into hand, Trieze turned, handing it to her. "I mean... that I know of the departure of two Fae from that school... three if you count one who never arrived before he was given a change in plans."

"Three?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side in concern. "Who was the third?" Relena hadn't taken a single sip, nor did she intend to until she knew what exactly was going on around here.

Trieze sighed, setting his glass down and looking towards her. "Wufei was the third. He had wanted to rejoin the others, but I had to redirect his route before he ever arrived there. Heero and Trowa's skills were required as well. I apologize for needing to remove them from their loved ones, but it was necessary." He could see the anger rising, her cheeks growing flushed as Relena tried to keep her temper at bay. "Unfortunately... I couldn't send their companions along with them... not with the urgency that was demanded."

"Demanded??" Relena moved across the room, closing the distance between them until she was nearly toe to toe with the taller man. Her blue eyes flashed with anger as she fought to keep from hurling the glass of wine at him. "You of all people should know what you've done to them by these actions, Trieze. You said yourself that the worst pain you had to endure was your exile from here... from ME." The tears were rising unbidden, her fury only being outmatched by the sadness that the one she cared so much for could be the one behind her brother's current sorrow.

Trieze stood firm, looking down towards her in concern. "Relena, I didn't lie when I said that. It WAS the worst pain... but this is different."

"HOW is it different? You've taken their lives, barely under control as it was, and made them miserable!"

"If you'd let me finish!" He cried, the raised tone of his voice bringing Relena's tirade to a screeching halt. Trieze set his glass down, bringing one gloved hand to run through his hair. "I had no choice. There's trouble happening in the colonies, the likes of which could be worse than any war in Earth's history. Do you realize what would happen to the Fae should this occur?"

"What the hell does colony trouble have to do with three teenage boys?"

"They're needed to stop this, Relena. It's going to cause conflict, but far less than what would happen should the colonists' plans bear fruit. It's not all of them that want this... hell, most don't even KNOW about it. Hopefully it will stay that way, but we can't risk this. It will destroy earth if allowed to continue."

Relena shook her head faintly, narrowing her gaze. "You're mad. You think that three Fae children can stop this disaster you speak of?"

"Those three Fae 'children' are only a year younger than you, and have the skills and training we need!" Trieze fought to keep his tone civil, but it was apparent that the 'maiden' of the Peacecraft line was not going to listen. "Do not question my judgement in this, Relena, I've had to agonize over my actions f or days now, and it's not getting any better. It wasn't the easiest choice to make, but it was the only choice I--"

The resounding crack of flesh against flesh echoed through the room, his words falling silent before they were even spoken. Relena stood before him, the palm of her hand stinging from the slap she'd delivered, her anger staying hidden no longer. "Don't you dare speak to me of judgement... If all you wanted this Hold for was to gain enough power to place this madman's plan into action, you should have at least let me know so that my family wouldn't be affected."

"Relena, you're not lis-"

"You're damned right I'm not listening. Nor will I. Take your ideals and plans and let them keep you company, Trieze. You've hurt my family, and for that, I have no pity." The glass was slammed down against the table so hard that the stem shattered, sending glass fragments and wine across the hardwood.

As she turned to leave, she could hear his voice behind her. It wasn't a mocking tone... more one of resignment. "Zechs agrees with me, Relena. This was the best way..."

She never turned, only paused a moment as her hand rested on the door handle. "Then I wish you both the best of luck... because so long as you continue to endanger those close to me, I will be there to make certain you never succeed."

All Trieze could do was let his eyes slip closed as the sound of the shutting door echoed in the now empty room.

* * *

TBC