Huuulllooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I am so sorry... my compie... and this hasn't been edited well in case my compie stuffed up again

But anyway, Thankyou so much!!!!!!!!!

NOTE: since Enter doesn't work, I'm using '-' instead

Personals to reviewers (I love you guys so much, every time I get a new review I'm like YEEEESSSS n then I start writing again!)

Duo Folken TK: I never thanked u before for always reviewing!! Plz come back I love all my reviewers esp you *sniff *

Izzy: Thankuuu tooo! I luv your reviews they're always so happy!!! Thankyoouuu heaps. I always write after you review, I mean ALWAYS!

Hotaru: Thankoo, yours was my last review so I was full like, I've got to keep this person reading. : )

Bakachan: ooo inspiring!! I saw that 1 and I was soooo happy, thankothankoo

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Ryu-chan: thanksyou, I luv the coupling too bwahaha

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AlovestarvedAngel: oooh sorry, Duo doesn't have much happytimes after all, hmm, but I'll bring him back!! Thankyou for your review!

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Last time: Quat visited Trowa. Heero had a flashback with Dr J. Heero woke up, kissed Relena (ew) Duo vowed evil. Wufei meditated, got half-paralysed.

- CHAPTER NINE

AC 192

"Professor G, I don't believe we'll ever get to that stage. Why would I bother wasting 3 years of my life to counter it?" Doktor S challenged, reclining in a towering white chair.

The Professor leaned forward, his scowl enveloping the entire laptop screen. "You're being naïve, Doktor S. This isn't some Civil War sprung by petty national idiots, or even a World War, which is confined only to Earth. It's the fight for Space, Doktor, an endless battle between Earth and the Colonies. The war will go on, people will die, and we may never see its end___"

The other snickered, cutting him off. "Did you ever expect to see it end?" He inquired, lifting a plain cup and draining its contents. When he set the plastic thing back down, his eyes held a touch of curiousity. "But tell me, Professor. Why do you want to stop this procedure so bad?"

The umbrella-haired man grew very serious. "I don't care about the pilots' quality of life." He began, sitting back. "If I did, I wouldn't have concurred with destroying their nervous systems in the first place. As I see it, if the pilots grow naturally, their bodies and brains will mature at a decent rate, they'll become even better soldiers than they will be at 15."

Doktor S's expression darkened. "They're easy to control like this, they follow orders. As they age, they'll start to think for themselves, better to stop that aging process before they get out of hand, yes? And what will you do about the chemicals flowing through their blood? Do you expect them to survive with such high levels of poison?" Doktor S sighed. "The only reason I opposed Doctor J's idea, Professor, was simply because I didn't believe it would become necessary. I don't care enough to help you."

"What better things have you to do with your time? Professor G threw back. "If you don't believe the procedure is necessary, why not aid me to stop it?"

"You can't stop something if it doesn't begin," Doktor S stated. "Let Doctor J do what he wants, when this war is over, it won't matter anymore. To either of you."

"It won't take long___"

"I don't care."

"Master O does."

Doktor S's eyes narrowed. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

The Professor paused thoughtfully, mulling over how much he should reveal. "I've swayed his decision," he told Doktor S, "Master O is now very much opposed. In answer to your previous questions, we've unearthed some very useful information." He smiled at the adjacent screen. "The pilots need the first half of Doctor J's procedure, it repairs the cells and neutralises any danger, but the second half..." he trailed off. "Will you join us?"

Doktor S's face became stoic. "No, I won't waste my time. I won't interfere, but I won't be involved. What do you plan to do? Blow up the base mid-way into the procedure? You know that's the only way to stop it. The design is so complex, someone must be there when the base explodes, are you willing sacrifice yourself?"

"Always," the Professor replied without hesitation.

Doktor S shrugged. "I won't meddle with either of you unless it becomes necessary. But right now, none of this matters to me. That time of war won't come about." He stretched out an arm and pressed a button on the camera, ending the conversation abruptly. The image buzzed, and blanked out.

- 'How could you? Destroy the only people that I cared for? Lived for?'

With a short gasp Quatre felt his muscles convulse, his knees buckle and his heart fracture. He collapsed onto Trowa's bedside table, clinging to its edge. A tear began its journey down his left cheek and his lower lip trembled with the effort to keep still.

'Loved? Now she's gone. She's gone, and they're all gone. I hate you. I HATE YOU. "I hopes this hurts, you bastard."'

Quatre whimpered as his stomach reacted and he lost his grip on the table. Shaking with the effort, he flipped quickly onto his hands and knees just in time to feel his belly empty its contents all over the bedroom floor. He stayed in that position, trembling, tears dripping off his chin.

'This is for my family.'

Simultaneously, Quatre clamped his teeth down on his lip, dug his nails into the carpet and squeezed his eyes shut. Masses of someone else's pure odium crashed into him, thundered across his heart. Copper flowed across his tongue and the smell of blood wafted up his nostrils, yet he couldn't feel the stab of his own teeth.

The pain was so intense, the anger so profound. He was about to capitulate and open his mind, when suddenly, it all stopped. A new, colder feeling flowed over the old, and this new grief was so much worse.

'"I-I'm hit..." I'm hit... The monster got me, Zechs... just like you said it would. I failed my wife, my family... the child she carried... It was too strong, the Gundams were too strong. I'm sorry I couldn't save you... I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you... our child. I love you...'

"Stop it!" Quatre lashed out shrilly. He smacked his hands over his ears and curled into a ball, his every muscle cording and quaking. "I didn't mean to..." He whispered, tears flowing down his face. "I didn't mean to..." Blood dribbled down his chin. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry for what I've done..."

- An icy pad touched his shoulder. Quatre was up on his feet in a flash, teeth bared aberrantly. "Who's there?" He hissed, though it came out foreign between the empath's lips. He began to back away, and as soon as his heels bumped the base of a piece of furniture, he halted, shivering.

"Why were you crying?" That impassive voice.

Some leash on Quatre seemed to collapse. His harsh expression melted into a weary smile. "Heero," he confirmed, shaking his head in relief. "I should've known." Who else could cross the floor like a ghost?

"What's that?"

Quatre shivered. Was it he, or had the room just gotten several degrees colder? "What's what?" He asked, keeping his voice stanch.

"In your hand."

A meek furrow appeared in the blonde boy's brow. He looked down instinctively, and stomped on the pang of grief that rose to take hold of him when he saw nothing but black. 'At least I can still see with my hands,' he assured himself, uncurling his right fist. Using two fingers from his left hand, Quatre picked up the flimsy, broken stem.

"Oh!" Quatre exclaimed in delight and surprise, his aqua eyes shimmering. "I picked it for Trowa," he told Heero cheerily, "a forget-me-not. I was going to write a letter for him too, so he'd find it when he woke up, but..." the halo around Quatre's head dimmed ever-so slightly. "I guess I can't write anymore."

"Why?"

Quatre's brow twitched. "Well you know, how I can't really see anymo-"

"No," Heero cut in flatly. The blonde's heart fluttered nervously. "Why are you giving him a flower?"

Quatre felt a hot flush diffuse up his cheeks. He lowered his unseeing eyes bashfully and the corners of his lips twitched. "Well," he said slowly, "I think, because I... I..."

"You love him." Heero finished. It wasn't a question.

A smile bloomed on the other boy's lips. "I do love him." He confessed, "I love him with all my heart-"

As if on cue, Heero interrupted, "And your love would have killed you. Love makes it easier for us to die."

Quatre looked up. "Oh Heero..." he mourned softly. "How can you say that when it's Duo's love that keeps you alive!" He paused, "You do love Duo don't yo-"

"I'll write it for you."

Quatre's brow puckered, "Huh?"

"I'll write the letter for you," Heero answered flatly, the edge was gone.

In an instant, Quatre's entire visage glowed with happy warmth. "Oh!" He squealed, delighted. All thoughts of Duo's unrelinquished love fled him. He would've shot across the room and enveloped the Japanese in a hug, but he didn't know where Heero was. So he settled for a huge, golden beam and a very heartfelt, "thankyou so much, Heero."

The reply was simple, dispassionate. "Hn. Wait here."

Quatre didn't care. In fact, he scarcely heard Heero leave the room he was so light hearted, and he was still beaming with pleasure when Heero returned.

- Wufei paled visibly and swallowed hard trying to dispel the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. His quick eyes darted to the thick braid rolling in his lap, widening slightly as he recognized the person that extension belonged to.

"What the fuck Duo?" Wufei snarled, trying to twist around. But Duo's hands clamped down on his shoulders like vices, holding him there with bruising force. His temper flared a couple of hundred notches, but knowing he wouldn't be able to escape Duo's grasp, he obeyed the American's silent command.

The tolerance, however, didn't last long. As soon as Duo's finger slipped beneath his waistband, the spell of obedience was broken, and Wufei was furious. Snarling again, he tried to ram an elbow backwards into Duo's ribs.

Duo must've somehow dodged the manoeuvre because his deft fingers snaked all the way up Wufei's torso and began caressing his shoulders in conjunction with the other hand.

Hot colour flooded Wufei's cheeks, "Maxwell..." he growled. He wished he could say more, like maybe ask Duo what the FUCK he was doing, but his raging headache prohibited that special ability.

Actually, that was the only reason Duo was still alive. It hurt to move, speak, even think, and there was currently a string of obscenities he really wanted to divulge, but couldn't.

Wufei clamped his lips shut when a sound of appreciation slipped past his lips. Encouraged, Duo nudged the pressure points with his fingers again, and Wufei shivered. He gave an involuntary growl, struggling to suppress the hardening of the area between his legs.

Wufei was incensed that his body was actually responding. He tried to turn again, but two hands gripped painfully onto his muscles and fixed him to the front. Wufei pretended to stay there only because he wanted to. He agonisingly folded his arms across his chest and pressed his lips together, shutting off Duo's increasing ministrations.

Duo's strong hands pressed the spots in Wufei's back and shoulders more and more frequently, kneading, caressing, and sending delightful shivers all throughout his body. The whole time, Wufei suppressed every purr that tried to pry open his lips, every coo of pleasure.

Refusing to show how NOT in control he was, Wufei concentrated intensely on the candle flame. If he'd at least been given complete control of his tongue, he'd have been cussing his head off by now. About to give that another go, Wufei opened his mouth.

But the motions had stopped.

Wufei cocked his head, puzzled. And then a surge of anger rocketed all the way up his body and he swore his face turned livid with fury. "Get off," Wufei snapped, referring to the lingering weight of Duo's hands.

A few, uneventful seconds skipped by, and Wufei lost some of his arrogant confidence. Sure he could shift, and Duo's hands would simply slip off, but this was a matter of pride. Duo had to be shit scared enough to remove them himself.

Wufei's voice dropped dangerously, "Maxwell-"

He jumped at least a foot off the floor - or it felt like it - when a lock of cool silk brushed his overheated cheek. Wufei's eyes grew wide, and his ear tickled as hot breath stirred the lobe. "I think you'll like this, Wufei," Duo whispered.

Wufei's heart rate increased tenfold and his instincts screamed at him to be on guard. Duo never called him Wufei. If he'd called him Wu-man, Wuffie, or fuck, even fucking Wuffikins, Wufei would have been a happy man. The fact that Duo had just called him 'Wufei' was just... wrong.

He balked when soft, wet lips claimed his earlobe. Cold fear rose up his chest like bile up his throat. 'Something is wrong...' he thought. Duo licked, sucked, nibbled... 'Duo never jokes this seriously--'

Wufei flinched when Duo bit down on his neck, lapping at the mark and then running his tongue along Wufei's jaw. A hand fluttered to his cheek, angling Wufei's face towards his as Duo began closing the short distance between them.

Wufei's eyes grew huge. In the nick of time, a split second before contact, Wufei jerked away. The movement was slight - it was the most he could manage - but Duo noticed.

The slender boy retreated a little, a faint look of confusion flitting across his face. His brow furrowed and his eyes cleared - just a tad, like he was trying to understand something, but couldn't quite grasp the concept.

Wufei couldn't have cared less. Using all his strength, he spun and flung himself out of Duo's reach, scooting backwards on his ass until his back hit the wall. The movement caused a raging migraine, but it was worth being at a safe distance. Wufei narrowed his ebony eyes, forced the fear out of his system and glared a thousand daggers into Duo's clouded, violet spheres.

The small boy blinked at him like a lost kitten.

"Fuck," Wufei snapped, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Duo disappeared. Wufei started, realising the boy had somehow merged with the shadows in the room. But he wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. Dread filled the time between Duo's departure and his reappearance, and that hard lump in Wufei's throat returned to choke him.

When he did come back, Wufei wished he'd been more prepared. At the sight before him, his eyes widened slightly, mouth dropping open just a little as he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Duo..."

Shadows slid off Duo's creamy shoulders, as he emerged, naked and crawling on all fours. Candlelight lit the smooth contours of his face and muscles, his chestnut mane tumbling animatedly down his back, slipping with the smooth grace of silk over his shoulders.

Wufei stared, mesmerized, unable to look away. He couldn't summon the fury he knew he should be feeling, and in its place, fear was wrapping around his heart like a python, constricting, making it hard to be breathe. Fear because he wanted Duo. Fear because he didn't.

"What are you doing?" He murmured.

Duo smiled.

Almost instantly Wufei snapped out his trance and tried to back away. His back slapped the wall immediately, and since there was nowhere else to go, he pressed against it and bared his teeth like a wild cornered animal, coal eyes narrowing to mere slits.

"Fuck off, Maxwell," he growled, "I'm warning you."

"Warning me?" Duo taunted.

Seconds later, Duo's knees were wide apart and his fingers tilted Wufei's chin up as he made an arc over him. For a split second, Wufei found himself staring into glazed violet eyes, barely two inches from his - and then, Duo was kissing him.

Oh my god.

Wufei shuddered beneath him as Duo ran a hand up his naked torso. Duo's tongue brushed his lip, and Wufei found himself opening his mouth, gasping as Duo's body sunk onto his. His head spun and his pulse raced and for a moment, he remembered that he'd never wanted this; he'd never wanted Duo. And then Duo was kissing him again, nipping at his lips, and he didn't care.

He moaned when Duo tore his swollen lips away, quickly leaning forward to catch them back in a frenzied kiss. Duo complied without resistance, their mouths clashing together as their tongues swiftly met. Wufei was lost, drunk on the taste of the other boy's mouth.

"I know you need this," Duo whispered into the kiss, smiling.

A hiss whistled through Wufei's teeth because he knew it was true, but Duo never gave him the chance to pull away. The American pressed his crotch against him, and Wufei sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes shuttering half- closed as Duo squirmed a little. Ha-"ate you..." Wufei growled, cursing his body for betraying him.

It didn't matter. A second later he had captured Duo's lower lip and had pulled him back into another fervent, passion-filled kiss. Duo's hand moved lower, down to the most traitorous part of Wufei's body. The Chinese shuddered lightly when Duo touched him, his body rocking up slightly as heat filled his groin. Furious that he couldn't hide his pleasure, Wufei grit his teeth. Feelings of anger and shame flamed in the back of his eyes, but Duo's hot tongue soon pried apart the seam of his lips, distracted him, and he was drawn back into another passionate battle of their mouths.

"Silly," Duo tutted softly, pushing him back against the wall. He slid a hand back up the chest as hairless as his own, holding Wufei's narrowed eyes until he found what he sought. Duo plucked Wufei's left nipple, rolling his thumb over the stiffened nub. At the same time he brushed his tongue over Wufei's shoulder, nipping at the muscles lightly, and then ducked his head to lick the hard nipple.

A moan slipped between Wufei's parted lips as Duo swirled his tongue tenderly, and then fastened on the nub and sucked. Moving his lips to the other nipple, he circled the untended one with his fingers, grazing the nub inside his mouth with his teeth.

"Duo..." Wufei gasped.

Encouraged, Duo slid a hand between them, eliciting a harsh growl from the boy beneath him. He silenced the sharp sound with his lips, sliding his tongue back into that warm, wet cave. Wufei welcomed Duo's tongue with his own, his hands moving to grasp Duo's firm rear.

Duo whacked the hands aside playfully, trailing his mouth down Wufei's chin and neck. He scooted down Wufei's legs and began gliding his tongue over the shuddering muscles of Wufei's torso, massaging his thighs with his palms. When Duo reached his lower abdomen, Wufei unwittingly dug his nails into the floor and opened his mouth in a moan.

The Chinese boy pushed his hips upward off the floor, and taking that as an invitation, Duo immediately set to work. Duo hooked his fingers under the waistband of Wufei's pants, and was in the process of tugging the stubborn material down over his hips, when a hand clamped down on his wrist.

"..." Wufei tried to speak, but nothing came out.

He tried again. "Stop."

The urgent jerks on his pants halted. Wufei's heart battered the inside of his ribcage and the blood pounded inside his ears. He had to think fast. Wufei hadn't stopped Duo before because he'd been too caught in the moment. But now, Wufei was sane, painfully hard, but sane. And there was no way he was going through with this.

Wufei cleared his throat. "This was a mistake."

He pulled himself up onto his elbows and saw Duo, half-straddling his clothed legs. Wufei captured Duo's sloe-eyed gaze. "We don't want this."

He blushed when Duo fixed his eyes on Wufei's obvious state of arousal. Yes, he wanted Duo. Shit, he wanted Duo. But... Wufei gasped as a blast of cool air hit his heated skin when Duo yanked his pants down to his knees, freeing him.

Something like cold panic shot up his system. "Duo, stop!"

His eyes widened in disbelief when Duo didn't. Instead, Duo slid his hands up Wufei's thighs and bent over his cock, ready to take him into his mouth.

Wufei's voice leapt and he tried to pull away. "Duo! You don't want___"

"But you do," Duo cut him off, holding him there. He yanked Wufei's pants off the rest of the way, threw them somewhere.

Wufei just stared, stunned,

The American's voice was bitter. "When I showed you my body you wanted it, you looked at me the way Heero looks at me. I'm just a quick fuck, or in your case, a quick blow, that's all this body is."

"Duo..."

Wufei never had a chance to protest. He groaned as wet heat enveloped his erection, electric shocks of pleasure streaming through his blood.

"Fuck," Wufei threw his head back as Duo bobbed his head up and down rapidly. He clenched his eyes shut and bit down on his lip, tasting his own blood. 'Fuck,' he thought again.

Wufei willed himself to focus. "Duo..." he growled, bringing his hands down either side of Duo's head. His eyes flew open as he tried to concentrate. "Duo stop-" His words turned into a loud groan as a wave of pleasure washed over him.

"Duo," Wufei tried again, fisting Duo's sweat-matted hair. He moaned, body spasming as Duo took him again and to the hilt. He could feel the height of his pleasure coming on, but he wouldn't let Duo humiliate him this way.

He yanked on the strands of Duo's hair, but Duo didn't even flinch. Instead a second pair of hands seized his and pinned them to the floor, and Duo's mouth kept working its magic, plunging down, taking in the full length of his hardness.

Wufei couldn't help it. He had to submit. But even as Wufei thought it, he felt his humiliation grow. Every thrust tolled little-by-little of his self- respect, every wave of pleasure fuelled bit-by-bit his hatred for Duo. Soon he pushed deep into Duo's mouth to distract himself, pushing with enough force to make Duo gag, not caring if he ruined the boy's throat. Harder and harder, faster and faster, his heart pounding like it was about to explode.

And then, panting as he thrust one last time into Duo's mouth, his breath caught in his throat. Suspended for a split second with his back lifted up off the floor, Wufei had an instant to feel all the shame, humiliation and disgrace come back to him, and then time resumed and he was in euphoria; he groaned and exploded in Duo's mouth. Wufei shuddered once, and then collapsed back down on the floor, his body trembling with the force of his release.

Duo swallowed rapidly as a hot stream of thick liquid flooded his mouth, and gave a startled cry when he was flung violently across the room.

His back smacked the wall with a slap.

There was deathly silence.

Wufei turned over and staggered to his feet, shaking. He snatched up his pants and braced his arm against the wall for support, not bothering to cover his nakedness. Eyes unfocused, he stared blandly off into space, skin chilled with the cooling sweat.

A short, heart-wrenching sob shattered his empty concentration, and out of the corner of his eye, Wufei saw Duo. Without the braid, his long, straggly mane lay free and bedraggled around his naked body, hiding every bit of insulting bare flesh, and thankfully shrouding his eyes. Duo mewled and wept.

Red swam across Wufei's vision.

"You bitch!" He shouted as he spun around.

Rage flooded Wufei's body as he glared down condescendingly at the pathetic figure. It took every scrap of self-control not to haul Duo out of that corner and beat him senseless with his fists, beat him far beyond the realm of pain. The nerve. How DARE Duo cry when he, HE has been the one who had been stripped of all his pride. When he, HE had been the one who had been raped of all his honour? Trembling with fury, Wufei clenched his teeth and stood immobile, his muscles locked with tension.

"Say something!" Wufei demanded, the blood thrumming in his ears.

There was no response except for further recoil.

It meant nothing to Wufei. Nothing. His eyes flashed with rage as he stormed forward several paces and loomed over Duo. "Say something," he hissed, "you fucking faggot."

Duo kept silent, not even looking up. He wasn't pleading for Wufei's forgiveness; he wasn't even defending himself. How could this be a fellow Gundam pilot? What weakling would cry in the face of this insult, wallow in self-pity? Wufei had never seen anything more pathetic.

"I pity you," Wufei spoke his mind. He hauled his arm back, ready to pummel Duo into dust, when a flashback of Duo's naked form struck him. Hand-shaped bruises, bite marks, dark, purple contusions scattered all over his chest, back, shoulders wrists.

Wufei vacillated, his arm wavering in mid-air. Finally, after a few tense moments, he let it drop. "I guess Heero got to you first," Wufei sneered.

Duo flinched, and at last, looked up. His face was a puffy mess, eyes swollen and bloodshot. "I-I'm sorry Wu-man..." He whispered.

Good, let him regret. Wufei stepped into his pants and pulled them up over his thighs and hips. Then he stooped down and picked up Duo's discarded boxers. He pitched them at the shaking, pale boy, and the silken material slapped his side and flopped back, useless, on the floor.

Tears rolled down Duo's cheeks as he unravelled his unruly limbs. "I-I'm sorry Wu-man... I messed up... I-"

"Don't call me that shit," Wufei hissed sharply. He whipped his head around, his voice bitter. "And yeah, you messed up. What the fuck were you thinking? What the fuck did you hope to accomplish? Why would you do that shit, Duo? You fucking, idiot."

"I'm sorry Wu-man-"

"I said don't call me that shit!" Wufei snapped, sharp enough to make the air bleed.

"I... I don't know what I was thinking... I just saw Heero... and Relena, and I wanted revenge," Duo started shuddering, his voice cracking up. "He knew I was there... he knew I was watching... and he didn't care... He just kept kissing her." His eyes filled like buckets, "I wa-wanted revenge so badly, I wanted Heero to feel something, I wanted to make him wish he'd never gone to her, I... I wanted to hurt him... like he hurt me."

Wufei stared cruelly. "Nothing you do will ever hurt him, Duo. You have to love the person before you can be hurt. But you're just a guy Heero likes to fuck. That's all you are to him."

Duo's eyes became blank. Silent crystalline tears fell down his cheeks.

"You wanted to be a whore? Now you are one. Congratulations, Duo. I hope you're fucking happy. You can try and go get all the fucking revenge you want, I don't care. Just DON'T bring your shit out on me."

Duo watched his ex-best friend cast him a look of pure hatred, swivel on his heels and then exit the room. It hurt. It hurt to have betrayed your best friend, and know you could never take it back.

- AC 195 (1)

"Five minutes until we receive the transmission," Professor G said, glancing at the laptop timer. He switched his gaze to Master O's face on the laptop screen and waited for confirmation.

"What if they find out he was sent by us?" His counterpart questioned.

Professor G cocked an eyebrow. "They won't."

"And if we don't receive the transmission?"

The Professor glared. "We will."

"How can you be so sure?" Master O growled. "There are a million things that could go wrong. If this drug doesn't work, what then? That's 3 years of research and planning, gone to waste."

"Stop acting like such a fool." Professor G scowled. "If it hasn't worked, we'll send someone to kill Pilot 04, just like we planned. 3 years is nothing to us."

Master O appeared unconvinced, but he nodded anyway. "You're right."

- "You know, I'm going to talk to Doctor Andem about you," Relena said superciliously as she stomped around a corner.

She furiously yanked her tear-damp hair back into a low ponytail and bound it tautly at her nape with a blue ribbon. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her palms and pouted.

"You think you can just, enter this safehouse, and do whatever you want to do? Treat people-me! However you want to treat them?" She raised her chin aloft her crossed arms, "humph! We'll see about that!"

At least he'd stabilised Trowa properly, he should be convalescing right this moment. For Quatre, though, she worried. Who wouldn't? The petite blonde was, after all, the weakest of the five pilots. And the almost-loss of his lover wouldn't have helped his recovery much either.

"Here we go," Relena announced as she skirted around the open door to Heero and Duo's bedroom. As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes flew to Heero's face and her heart leapt to her throat. "H-hey Heero!" She blurted, startled.

"Relena," was the usual passionate reply.

"Hi Relena."

Diverting her gaze, Relena started. She'd been so dazed by Heero's presence, she'd fleetingly lost her sense of purpose. "Oh hello, Quat!" She exclaimed quickly.

"Why are you here?" Heero asked, slicing off the end of her greeting.

Her eyes swerved nervously to Heero's side - his hand, holding a sealed envelope. "Well-I er," she prevaricated, "you know, wanted to see if the -um, Quatre's blindness was... permanent. You see... the doctor I-Duo ordered came..." Relena trailed off, her lips pursing.

Heero looked pissed. Sort of. "Why did you bring him here?"

Moving with her royal prerogative, Relena braced her hands on her hips and stated intrepidly, "to help Quatre. To see if he will regain his eyesight."

When nothing but silence met her gallant defiance, Relena's arms flopped to her sides and her shoulders sagged. "Please, Heero. This doctor is first- rate, "I'm sure he'll find out what's wrong with Quatre's eyes. I can't stand to see him this way. Did you know he has no memory of his dreams? Do you know how badly this may affect him? It could be trauma! Shock! Why you should be thanking me-I mean, Duo... for um, calling him."

Relena did her best pleading look.

"No doctors," Heero replied monotonously. "And don't let him leave."

Now it was the doctor's turn to object. He surged forward, his eyeballs practically bulging out of their sockets. "But I must! I have other patients to tend to, others who need my help..."

Heero turned and placed an envelope on Trowa's bedside table. "Hn," he responded mechanically, wishing the needles in his side would abate.

"Heero-"

"Shut up."

Looking startled, Relena opened her mouth impudently, but was admonished before a single word escaped her lips.

Heero settled his glazed, Prussian eyes on her. He spoke without moving his mouth. "You and Duo were not supposed to call a doctor. The doctor should not have treated Trowa." His eyes slid to the man's, razor sharp. "If you attempt to analyse Quatre Winner in any way, or try to escape, I will kill you." Heero pulled out his shotgun.

Several gasps filled the room.

"Please... guys." A soft, lilting voice said. Everyone in the room turned to look at the blind boy, silenced. Quatre continued, "Don't be angry with each other, it... hurts when you guys get mad. I'd rather just rest, if that's alright with you all?"

Relena's guilt climbed a happy notch and her eyebrows shot up a few thousand pores. She felt like a fool. "Oh," Relena flushed gracefully, "Of course you can rest Quat... I'm sorry, I'll just go-"

Heero brushed past her coldly, jostling her aside. Relena flashed her beloved a concerned look before casting Quatre a fond, sad smile and then ducking into the hall after Heero.

The moment she set one foot outside the bedroom, something swift and tense like coiled steel came thundering past. Relena gave a startled yelp and pressed her back to the wall, her eyes following Wufei's rampage down the staircase.

As soon as he left her sight, there was a tremendous crunch. With a start, Relena gasped, hand flying to her mouth. She spun toward the staircase, eyes wide with concern. "Wufei," she whispered, and dashed down the stairs after him.

When Relena found him, he had two hands literally inside the kitchen wall. Where his fists had struck, there were gaping holes. Bits of plaster littered the tiles below, and a dark crimson river dribbled down his left wrist, a token of his temper. Wufei's shoulders shook visibly, rising and falling with his ragged breath.

"Wufei...?"

His whole form tensed. The breath became shallow. Back muscles rippling, Wufei turned, slowly. He yanked his hands out of the wall; not making a sound or face despite the pain it must've caused him.

Relena's eyes flicked to his hands, dripping in blood, and back to his face again. "Wufei," she said softly, "what's wrong?"

Bitterness flashed across the Chinese boy's face. "What's wrong?" He muttered resentfully. "Duo Maxwell, he is wrong-And you!"

Relena gave a short gasp, and then realised that Wufei's finger was pointing just a hint over her right shoulder. She spun around, her frightened eyes softening as she saw who had stopped in Wufei's line of fire. It was Heero. Standing there in all his perfect glory, her saviour once again.

"Heero..." she swooned quietly.

Both boys ignored her. Heero's voice was soft, yet it cut like cold steel. "I am wrong?" He asked.

The voice caused a flicker of apprehension. A look of fear crossed Wufei's face, before it was quickly masked with a scowl. The Chinese spared no mercy on the boy opposite. "Yes, Yuy, you are wrong." He hissed. "Maxwell is too, but at least he has an excuse for being fucked in the head."

Heero stared emotionlessly. "And what is that?"

There was no mirth in Wufei's laugh. "Don't you see? His excuse? His reason?" He emphasised on the last word.

The Perfect Soldier didn't blink.

"It's YOU, Heero." Wufei's eyes flashed as the words tumbled from his mouth. "You are what makes Duo wrong. Without you, he's perfectly sane, but with you... How can you not see it?" His scowl deepened. "Duo would do anything for you, he'd die for you, sacrifice the mission for you, and all you ever do is hurt him. You do nothing for him, and yet he loves you, relentlessly, forgivingly, like the baka he is, getting nothing in return." A bitter smile stretched across Wufei's lips as he regarded Heero. The Perfect Soldier had no expression, surprise, surprise. Wufei continued anyway, "And now it's too late. You shouldn't have kissed her, Yuy. Duo came to me, and now you two are dead. There's nothing between you anymore. Does that make you feel better, Heero?"

Heero said nothing.

Wufei spat through clenched teeth. "Does it?"

Relena dared to find her voice. It came; quiet, unsure. "H-Heero? You don't love Duo, you..." She filled her lungs, exhaled. "I can give you so much more!" She hesitated, tears beginning fill her eyes. "Duo-"

"Damatte Relena," Heero hissed, whipping his head around and bestowing the Glare of Doom on her pale unsuspecting face.

Wufei felt a twinge of surprise, but kept his coal eyes narrowed, his face scowling. Was that an emotion he saw? His brows knitted.HH

Light bounced off Heero's eyes. Or had it reflected the film of water across them? Wufei shook himself. No, never. The Perfect Soldier never cried.

"What did he do?" Heero spoke coolly, slowly, like it took effort to keep his emotions shackled. The only sign that he was falling apart was his wavering on the last word.

- "Does that make you feel better, Heero?"

Heero locked his smooth mask in place, kept his eyes cold and inhuman. 'Don't remember.' The Perfect Soldier told him. If he remembered, if he spared a flicker of a thought for that braided baka, he might remember why he remembered.

"Does it?"

Pure odium wreathed through his thoughts. Heero swayed under the onslaught. Cold dispersed across his limbs, flowed softly, lethally through his blood. The same, scathing voice resonated in his ears, 'You do nothing for him, and yet he loves you, relentlessly, forgivingly, like the baka he is, getting nothing in return.' Nothing.

'But I have nothing to give,' Heero whispered inside himself, remembering. Loving, violet eyes. A layer of his mask fell away. 'Don't make me remember. Don't make me remember. Don't make me -'

A girl's piercing voice. "H-Heero? You don't love Duo, you... I can give you so much more! Duo-- "

'Don't say that name! Please, I can't lose what I am. My mask... That name means nothing to me.' 'Hey Hee-chan!'

"Damatte Relena!" Heero hissed, whipping his head around and glaring. Too late. He was remembering. Masks slipping, so many shields he'd held for ten years of his life, shattering. 'Not now,' he whispered. 'Not now...'

'You shouldn't have kissed her, Yuy. Duo came to me, and now you two are dead.' So much pain. Warmth, like fire, filled the sockets of Heero's eyes. 'Duo... What did I do to you?'

"What did he do?" The words slithered out like vile snakes. Heero didn't want the answer, he didn't want to know. 'Don't tell me Wufei, please, I couldn't bear it.'

He didn't want to die on the inside. Not again.

- Wufei hesitated to reveal it. What he said now - if he spoke the truth, it would destroy the tenuous love between Heero and Duo, forever. Despite all that Duo had done, Wufei wasn't ready to kill him yet. And losing Heero would kill him. But Duo deserved no better! What difference did it make that Heero; that foolish love, was what had made Duo act so recklessly. It made no difference at all!

Still, Wufei vacillated. Duo had been his best friend, the only friend he had ever known. And lost. Wufei steeled himself. They weren't friends anymore, what did Wufei owe him? He owed him nothing. Nothing at all! "After you kissed Relena," Wufei began, strong. "Duo came to me. He was hurting... desperate." Wufei's voice faltered. It was now or never. "We-"

Knock, knock, knock.

Heero's head snapped toward the door, his bangs brushing over his eyes. Prussian glaciers pinned all attention on the door, as if Heero possessed some X-ray vision to see through it. The perfect mask was back in place.

Wufei swooned in relief. 'Thank God,' he thought, 'I don't have to tell him.'

- Relena, at a loss for words, started towards the door. She was never given the chance to take her first step. A lean arm lashed out in front of her, freezing her in mid-walk.

The arm, undoubtedly Heero's, was connected to a fist, clutching a shotgun. As usual. Relena suppressed a heavy sigh. It was probably just some helpless wanderer. Using her toleration voice, Relena cooed, "Heero, put down the gun, I'll get the door."

Heero ignored her. He signalled for Wufei to follow, and glided forward with the grace of a panther. Relena shrugged and rolled her eyes, boys and their war-toys. Would they ever learn?

An instant later the door was open and Heero stood beautifully in the doorway, shotgun poised and finger on the trigger. Relena ogled, she couldn't help it.

"A-ah, hello." There was a rustle. Heero's face remained expressionless, his body immobile. The man's throat cleared. "I'm Miss Relena's doctor, Mr Andem. I-ah, knew I said I was sending another, but I got back just in time. So I just turned up." Nervous laughter. "Is she in?"

"The doctor you sent is here already." The voice was deadly.

Relena's heart began to thump in her ears.

"The doctor I-No, you must be mistaken, I sent no one. I'm Mr Andem, the one and only, Sir. Now if you please, lower that instrument of destruction, and, is Miss Relena in?"

The blood in Relena's veins crawled like sludge. Her heart was thumping, furiously.

Wufei, narrow-eyed, turned to face her. "Relena, is that Mr Andem?"

Relena nodded, slowly, slightly. And as if the gears in her head suddenly clicked into place, she slapped a hand to her mouth. Relena whirled around, facing the staircase. If Mr Andem hadn't sent another doctor, then who was upstairs, alone in the room with Quatre?

"Quat," she whispered.

- THE END OF CHAPTER NINE

I'm not sure of the timeline, assume 195 is the present.

Yay me! I finished it! Omigod! Like it only took me 6 months.

Actually, this chap is not edited mostly, so... sorry. But I wanted to get it up before my computer blew again, so you know.

Next time: there's lots of fighto, Duo and Wufei have a tiff, Heero doesn't know the reason behind the tiff still. He's all nice to Duo, for once. But of course conflict gets in the way. No Relena, no Trowa, teeny Quat. 1x2 yaoi

Chowchow! I luv u all!

Thanks soooo much for reviews you have no IDEA how much they affect me!!! Please review some more even though I understand if you think I SUCK, but humour me!

: )