Chapter 2

At the campsite, Wufei met them half way.

The camp was an open commons area, enclosed by a glass ceiling against the elements of the environmental controls, it resembled a cross between a harem floor with it's coverings in silk pillows of different shades, colors, and sizes, and a desert oasis with it's internal fountains and liberal vegetation. All around them, dozens of men watched as they brought in the curious bundle of Quatre, the newest Maguanac.

"I saw the boy in the Hall, bring him over here, I need to look at him." There was no room for argument as the twenty-year-old doctor motioned the much older man and his companion towards a stack of satin pillows in the commons area.

Carefully, Rashid laid his precious bundle down against the pillows, brushing back light bangs to reveal a drawn and hollow face.

Quatre had been silent as he and Abdule had carried the small thing back to camp. The child weighted hardly a thing, and Rashid would have forgotten he was carrying the child if not for his importance and Abdule's constant worrying over the wounded boy.

Finally, when Abdule had stepped in front of him to once again check on Quatre, causing him to nearly stumble, he'd had enough.

"Abdule, stand aside or I will go through you next time. Quatre needs rest now, not constantly being moved around so I can avoid running into you!"

"I-I'm just worried about him. He's so small, but I heard his father say he was nearly sixteen. Does he look sixteen to you? He looks more like thirteen or fourteen. He's so…delicate…"

Rashid instantly softened as he looked at the long face hidden by a pair of sunglasses. "He is now, but wait. He needs rest, food, and love, and in that order. We must take care of his basic needs so that we can work on the rest. That is what Master Habsaba meant."

Absently, Abdule nodded, and while he remained walking briskly to match Rashid's pace, he kept a single hand on Quatre's bent knee.

There were things he needed to talk to Abdule about, but now was not the time. First to settle Quatre into his new life, second to reassure and question Abdule.

As he watched, the slight Chinese man began to arrange Quatre across the pillows. Wufei's voice was cool as he spoke, but there was an underlying and immediate acceptance of the small blond boy; he was after all, family.

"He's too thin, sickly. I'd even go so far as to say malnourished and starving. I doubt he's had a nutritious meal in the last six months. His bones are brittle, I can hear them in their sockets when I move his arms. He's also pale, too pale, probably deficient in all sorts of vitamins, including B, which needs sunlight. I doubt he's seen sunlight in a very long time. Look at his hair, it's almost as brittle as is bones, a bad sign. He's sickly, and if Habsaba is correct, and he's an empath…there's probably more wrong with him than just this." Wufei swept his hand across Quatre's prone form.

"What can you do, Wufei?" Rashid's voice was tight. It pained him to hear of another human being treated as Quatre must have been.

"He'll need to be placed on a special diet. Protein, he'll need lots of it. Carbohydrates for energy, and fats for the empty stores in his body. He needs special combinations of vegetables for the vitamins he's missing, and I won't know what those are until I get a chance to run blood tests. I assume you want him settled in more before I set to figuring out what's really wrong with him." Rashid gave a hesitant nod. "Then I'll make arrangements to see him in a few days. Until then, I'll have some nutritious shakes sent to your quarters for him to consume. I can't be certain with this suit on how much he'll…forget it! Let's get this ridiculous outfit off of him so I can see what he really looks like!"

At Rashid's nod, Wufei and Abdule set about removing the little blonde's shoes and jacket.

Wufei hissed his name after removing Quatre's socks.

"What is wrong?" Worry laced through him, as Abdule too turned to watch as Wufei gently twisted Quatre's foot into the light.

"Blisters, and bad. I doubt those shoes were his size let alone stretched as they should have been. Also, his feet are raw in the center, flat feet. I'll need to talk to him, but I have a feeling he's been walking across satellite rhubarb on bare feet for some time."

Abdule winced visibly, and Rashid reached a hand across Quatre's chest to drop a light squeeze onto Abdule's shoulder.

Turning, Rashid again addressed the doctor. "Can you give him something for the pain?"

Wufei nodded. Turning, he looked over his shoulder and gave a whoop and a call. "Duo! Get your ass over here!"

Rashid hid his smile better than Abdule as a boy only a little older than Quatre came bounding up, obviously curious about the new recruit. Standing only a little taller than Wufei's five feet, five inches, Duo was a bundle of energy that didn't seem to want to quite. His violet eyes scanned Quatre's outstretched form, and a sad smile drifted across his features as he instinctively made a grab for the three foot long braid that hung in a beautiful knot of warm chestnut brown and gold down his back.

"Well, at least he's safe now." Said the lively American as he knelt beside Quatre's waist and smiled once to Abdule before turning to Wufei. "You bellowed?"

Scoffing, Wufei indicated Quatre's feet, and when Duo looked he visibly winced. Wufei's voice broke no argument. "In the infirmary is the cabinet with all the medications in it. On the first row, second shelf, you'll see a blue bottle, and on the third row, forth shelf, you'll see a green bottle with yellow lettering. Bring me both bottles."

Nodding, Duo stood and turned to go before remembering something and turning back. He faced Rashid and grinned. "Heero saw what Quatre was dressed in and figured he'd be more comfortable in something a little looser, he went to grab something of his, they're about the same size." Duo laughed. "Well, actually, Heero's probably smaller."

Wufei's voice was clipped. "Baka! Heero hasn't been this small since he was recruited, and you'd better not let him hear you say he's small, he might have to prove you wrong." There was a knowing undertone in Wufei's voice, and Duo nearly blanched.

"Geesh, I was only kidding! You wouldn't tell on a guy, now would you, Wufei?"

"That depends."

"Oh what?"

"On whether you move your ass and go get what I told you to!"

Duo stuck his tongue out as he turned to run for the infirmary.

Abdule smiled teasingly at Wufei. "Problems?"

Snorting Wufei answered. "Not in the least. He's simply being a pain in the ass. I suggested male PMS as a joke, and he's been playing it up ever since."

Smiling Abdule sighed. "Ah, to be young again."

Rashid rolled his eyes heaven ward. "You're only twenty-seven, that's hardly an old man."

Abdule smiled wider, happy that Rashid had taken the bait, as he knew he would. "That's true, not old like some people we know."

Rashid growled. "Watch it Abdule."

Peeking over the rims of his sunglasses, Abdule smiled wickedly. "And if I don't."

Rashid didn't get a chance to answer as another young man stepped up to gracefully kneel down next to Quatre's body.

The first thing anyone noticed about Heero was the air about him, it was always stiff. Nothing anyone ever did could change that. The second was that he was Japanese. Every feature and angle of the boy's beautiful face and body was Japanese. Spiky black hair hung in a disheveled mess that somehow looked appropriate on Heero, while dark cobalt eyes seemed to be lit by an internal fire on constant smolder. The young man wasn't overly tall, being slightly smaller than Wufei, but what he didn't have in height, he made up for in power of presence. There were jokes around the camp that Heero might one-day even command more attention than Rashid himself. Rashid had always smiled at that thought, he liked Heero, the boy was a true soldier.

Delicate and yet powerful hands passed a pair of white pants and a vest to Rashid. "They were too small about a year ago, so they should fit him, though they'll probably be a little big." He paused. "How's he doing?"

Emotions had come hard for Heero, the boy had been forced to endure a life without them for so long he'd learned to cope. It had taken two very special individuals to teach him the ones he had now.

Wufei's eyes softened a little. "He's very ill. In body as much as spirit. His feet are in bad shape, and he's deficient in almost everything from what I can tell."

Nodding once, Heero turned to examine the slight boy. "He…he reminds me of myself."

Setting Quatre's foot down, Wufei brushed his hand against Heero's arm. "Perhaps, but with Rashid as his Teacher, and Abdule also taking care of him, he'll be alright, just as you were."

Heero shook himself out of his memories before nodding once to Wufei and standing. "You'll want to finish with Quatre as soon as you can. Trowa is also in need of a looking at. He's not much heavier than Quatre, and I heard a few others talking about track marks on his arms."

"Drugs?"

Heero shrugged. "Haven't seen them, so I don't know. He's quiet though, withdrawn. He could be coming off a high, though I doubt those people that brought him would have allowed him to get high before entering the Great Hall."

Wufei nodded. "I'll be there as soon as Duo gets back. Why not wait for me with Trowa?" Heero nodded his agreement, and with a parting nod to Rashid and Abdule, the young man moved away from them towards the other side of the camp.

Rashid cleared his throat. "Wufei, if you are needed, then I believe Quatre will be fine until you return. I to saw Trowa as he was brought in from the Great Hall, Heero's right, he seems…not all there." Concern again laced its way through Rashid's voice.

"I saw him as well. I prefer to wait until Duo arrives."

Rashid nodded as Abdule perked up. "Rashid, what is it they say? The bigger the man, the bigger his heart."

If Rashid had not been used to Abdule's sudden romantic catch phrases he would have blushed, in their earlier years, he had. Now he smiled affectionately at the younger man as he looked down at the new one in his life.

Abdule had been called into the Great Hall when Quatre's father had become loud enough to hear through the gold encrusted doors separating the Great Hall and the inner sanctum of the Maguanac's colony.

Having just a few hours before acquired Trowa into their fold, they'd all expected a few days before another suitable candidate was located, and Rashid had thanked Allah again that he was not their leader.

But at the enraged roar from Quatre's father, the entire army had immediately rushed the door to protect their leader and Abdule—one of their own. The sight before them had not been one Rashid had expected, or was likely to ever forget.

Kind and loving Abdule clutched a barely conscious boy in his arms, while glaring deathly at the man in front of him. Habsaba had barked an order in Arabic, and the men had surrounded the businessman, protecting the boy instead of their leader.

When Habsaba had called him forward and handed him the customary bag of silver, Rashid had been stunned, he hadn't expected the slip of a boy to be chosen, let alone so quickly after the first. But he'd followed Habsaba's orders and issued the decree that the choices had been made and that the gates would be sealed for another five years.

Upon his return, his anger towards the boy's father had only increased as he'd watched Quatre struggle in Abdule's grip to stand on his own. But when those frightened and confused eyes had bore into his own, Rashid had known immediately he would take this boy as recruit.

He had reservations, as he knew the others would as well. Abdule was still in his final year as Recruit after all, and it was unheard of to take on two Recruits at the same time, there weren't enough hours in a day to devote enough time and energy to them both. But in the final year of one a new Recruit was acceptable, and so Rashid had already settled his mind around the idea when he'd heard Abdule's voice accept the boy for him.

To say the least, he'd been stunned. Recruits did not often volunteer their Teachers as Abdule had done, in fact, in all rights Abdule should not have wanted Rashid to take this second Recruit. But Rashid had a guess that Abdule saw something in the boy that struck a little close to home. Something told him, Abdule wanted the boy to be well taken care of, which meant Rashid would be his Teacher.

Of course, it helped that Abdule would also be his Teacher, in one way or another.

When he'd accepted Quatre as his Recruit, there had been a look of such abandoned awe in the boy's face. He'd been frightened, but also angry, and Rashid was himself a little worried over why the boy would feel anger at being accepted, he feared it would be much like Abdule's had been over ten years before.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Abdule's charismatic voice and smile broke the memories he was reflecting on and he smiled back at his first Recruit.

"When do you ever have any money?"

Abdule balked at that. "I'd have money if I didn't spend it on you all the time! You and your expensive tastes in, well, everything!"

Rashid chuckled. "I was reflecting on the boy and what I know about him so far. I do not like what I know very much."

Sadly, Abdule agreed. "I heard his father talking about him. You should have been there Rashid, you would have pounded the guy into the marble for some of the things he said. And the poor thing, he just stood there and took it, just standing there. When his father grabbed him the first time, I was at the bottom of the stairs before Habsaba managed to get me to stop. He was just cruel, Rad, cruel and…evil. Maybe that's the word I'm looking for, evil. He gave me the creeps, and it's hard to believe that this gentle looking boy came from that man's loins."

Absorbing all that was said, Rashid moved to speak when he was again interrupted, this time by Duo's return.

"Here, I got lost in the third shelf, sixth row, or was it forth shelf third row? Oh well, I got the stuff. Did Heero come by with the clothes?"

Rashid nodded as Wufei took the medicines and began to count out the pills. "Yes. Please thank him again for the clothing. He was correct in that I did not anticipate taking on a new Recruit this day, but it seems Allah wished it."

Duo smirked. "Yeah, that or Abdule thought he had a cute butt."

Swinging his arm Abdule knocked the back of Duo's head soundly. "Owww!"

"Don't say such stupid things! I made Rashid take him in so I could cook for him, the poor thing needs a decent meal and a warm place to sleep."

"Yeah, and how convenient he'll have two bodies to snuggle against." The American's eyebrows shot up and down, and even Abdule had to look away from that suggestive look.

But Wufei had finished and rose, pulling Duo up by his braid. "You've said enough for one night! Go wait with Heero, he's sitting with Trowa." There was the barest hint of a command in Wufei's voice, and Duo smiled once to them and then ran off in the direction Heero had gone earlier.

Abdule's voice resonated with jest. "Does he fetch too?"

Wufei smiled. "Probably better than you do." Abdule had the decency to blush. Turing, Wufei handed the pills to Rashid's opened hand. "The green ones are for the infection, the yellow for the pain. Give him one green three times a day, except for tonight when it will be two. Give him two yellow ones every four hours, but watch him, if he starts asking for the pills early drop the dose down to one every four hours. They're highly addictive and I don't want to have to detox him along with everything else. If he feels pain between the pills, give him something in your cabinet."

Rashid nodded and thanked Wufei before bidding him goodnight.

Abdule was already working on the buttons on Quatre's too tight shirt. "It looks tailored, but it doesn't fit right. Like his father bought it for the wrong size or the wrong person."

Rashid looked at the strained and then extremely loose seams as he lifted Quatre so Abdule could get the boy's arms out of the sleeves. "It is strange. We can ask him about it later if you like."

Abdule shook his head. "It'll probably embarrass him. It's not important anyway, we'll get him clothes that fit, including shoes! I can't believe his feet, I wanted to be sick when Wufei showed them to me."

"I felt the same way. He has not been taken care of, and while I do not know the extent to which that is fact, I intend to find out."

To many it would have seemed strange to be undressing a boy in the open commons area of the Maguanc camp. People milled about in small and large groups, while most were openly staring at the pair as they shifted the boy from one outfit to the other, curious about their newest recruit. But it was all par for the course here, the rules were different, and Rashid both looked forward to and dreaded explaining the differences to the boy he now held in his arms.

When Quatre was finally dressed in cool, white Arabian pants, and an open purple vest, Rashid managed to get Quatre to swallow the four pills he needed without the boy waking up. The young one had mumbled in his sleep, but was simply too exhausted to awaken.

As he moved to carry the precious bundle back towards his private quarters, they were met by Habsaba. The wise leader was obviously waiting to speak with him.

"Master Habsaba?"

The old man smiled kindly as he moved forward to brush his age-gnarled hand against one hollow porcelain cheek.

"He is very special, Rashid. But the boy is damaged and carries with him a solid foundation of lies and half-truths. He's an odd mixture of logic and emotion and you'll need to cater to both of those aspects of him to deliver your message in a way he'll understand.

"Both of the new recruits will be important to the future of the Maguancs. Both have skills we do not yet completely understand and both will surprise us when the time comes."

Rashid could not hold back his curiosity, though it was only because it had to do with the frail boy in his arms that he spoke out about it. "Master, have you had a vision?"

The old man cocked his head to the side as he considered the question. "More like…many, only broken up into fragments. When I saw Trowa today, I knew a part of the things I'd been seeing for many years was about to come to pass, but I was surprised to be met with this boy as soon as I did. I have seen Trowa, standing tall behind this one. They have things to do in this lifetime, very important things." The old man muttered on for a moment before turning back to the frail boy.

"He's delicate Rashid, and will require twice the skill as Abdule before him. But you learned what needed to be done, and Abdule has trained well." Rashid smiled kindly, Abdule deserved all the credit, but it was nice to watch the younger man in shock at the compliment. Then Master Habsaba was continuing. "Quatre will open up to you if given room to, until then, I understood from the man that brought him," Rashid noted that Habsaba no longer called him Quatre's father. "That Quatre has been alone for a very long time. I cannot say how long, but from what I saw, heard, and felt earlier, I'd say he reacted today mostly out of fear of the people around him. I sense isolation in him, and though he's an empath, his skills seemed to be directed more towards shielding than anything else.

"As is customary, you have a week to prepare Quatre and establish you're place with him. Tread lightly, I fear the boy might break if bent without much care."

Rashid bowed as much as he could with the precious bundle in his arms. "Master, I will do all that I can for the child, and will draw from my experience as much as I dare. I will find a way to make him realize he is not in danger any longer."

Habsaba nodded again and again with his approval. Then in a sudden twist he looked over at Abdule. "And you, Abdule, how do you truly expect to handle this delicate and unusual situation?"

Abdule smiled a cheeky smile. "Have some faith in me, Master! I haven't worked all the details out yet, but we'll make it work." His voice and face sobered then. "We have to, for Quatre's sake. He's been through enough."

A strong hand moved to Abdule's cheek, and the young man smiled into the kind and fatherly gesture of his Master. "If you need to speak, and cannot got to Rashid, I will listen. There are some things that not even a Teacher can know about their Recruit." At Abdule's thankful nod, he smiled to them both. "Then go. Rest with the boy. The more you are with him, the more comfortable he will become, though he'll probably resent and fear the contact at first. Rest well, and may Allah keep and protect our new family."

"Praise be upon Him." The two said in unison.

They were silent as they traveled the halls to Rashid's private quarters. At the door, Abdule smiled. "You know, it's really nice having a Teacher so high in the ranks, it means Quatre's going to have some privacy since he won't have to sleep in the main camp."

Rashid grumbled kindly. "If I remember correctly, you used to complain about my affinity to my private quarters."

Laughing, Abdule punched in the access code and stepped back for Rashid to enter first. "Well, that's because I was coming to realize real quick that my Teacher didn't like to share all that well with others. Imagine that, a general that doesn't like to share?"

"I was willing to share, you just did not like the ultimatum."

"What? Sleep here or sleep there, one or the other, no going back?" There wasn't bitterness in his voice, just an old lingering hardness about the subject.

Rashid heard it. He turned to regard the young man. "Perhaps you are right, I do not share well with others."

Abdule ducked his head for a moment before looking back up at his Teacher, his dark glasses obscuring his eyes from sight. "And now, with Quatre? What now?" The implications were clear and Rashid's heart ached to hear them.

With quick steps he crossed the open room to stand in front of his long time Recruit. Pushing his arms a little farther from his body, Quatre was forced by gravity to roll gently onto his back, exposing his small frame to Abdule's questioning eyes.

"If Habsaba thinks there is something special in the boy then I do as well. To that end I will do everything in my power to teach him well, and to find a way to get through to him. I am in a delicate position now, one the both of us have placed me in. I must split my time between the two of you, and you know I hate the thought of that. I fear, that because Quatre is so young and new to all of this, I will somehow overlook something with you and that you will have to take Habsaba up on his offer to talk.

"But this is what I know. The boy is damaged, maybe beyond complete repair, and it will take more than I have to truly help him. You are one year away from ending your time as a Recruit, and you know all I have to teach you, Abdule. I ask your help now in teaching this young one. I will still be his Teacher, and you will have to learn to let me be that with him, but our time together is not yet finished, and…I may not share well with others, but I have and will share well with you."

The smile that broke over Abdule's face then dispelled the final clouds of doubt Rashid had harbored about his second Recruit. In one of the few gestures meant only for his eyes, Abdule removed his sunglasses and gazed up at his Teacher.

"I will learn to keep my mouth shut when you're playing the part of Teacher, but you have to promise to listen to some advice every now and then."

Rashid sighed but nodded.

"Good. Otherwise I was going to have to strap you to the bed and—"

His words were cut off as Rashid lowered his mouth to take offensive lips with his own. The kiss worked to ease them both of their last remaining reservations, and when Abdule's hand circled around to rub his back lightly, Rashid knew they'd find a way to make their new littler family work.

When the kiss ended, Abdule coyly looked at him. "It's going to be a while until you can do that with Quatre. Promise you won't forget me while you're working with him."

"I swear it to you on the love I have for Allah and His people. Quatre is a part of our family now, not all of it. Besides I could never forget you, I'll be hearing your voice when I'm dead!"

"Rashid!"

"Shhhh, you will awake him."

Together they looked down at the boy resting in a drug induced silence.

"Rad, maybe we should put him to bed. I'll fix something quick to eat while you settle in. I'll bring it when it's done."

Nodding, Rashid moved away but not before kissing his lover and Recruit one last time. "Do not make anything crazy, just throw it together and get in here. Habsaba had a point, as an empath, Quatre will need to become comfortable with both of our emotional states if he is to accept us. While he sleeps seems the best time to acquaint his mind with our signatures."

"It frightens me how you know so much about empaths and their workings." Rashid was quiet towards the comment for a moment before shaking himself slightly and moving into the bedroom.

"It was a long time ago. Hurry."

"I will."

Softly, the door closed behind him.