In this fun and lively Arabian tale told by Quatre everyone is a prince. In the time honored tradition of 'A Thousand and One Arabian Nights,' the Princes Trowa and Quatre spend a night regally the tale of Princes Zechs, Heero, Duo and Wufei. Prince Zechs is the baddie but he's still oh so good. Rated M to be on the safe side. There is some standard and non-standard pairing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing other more talented people do and they would never want them to be in such pathetic tales. Please don't sue me, this is just a fan fiction written in the spirit of fun not profit.

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Quatre Tales

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"I wonder what that thief and the prince did while they waited for Heero to regained his strength," Trowa asked softly.

Quatre was about to answer when he felt the tickle of Trowa's fingers at the drawstrings to his pants. Trowa's eyes were focused so intently on him that for a moment Quatre lost his train of thought. Taking advantage of Quatre's distraction, Trowa leaned forward and nuzzled his chin. Unfortunately this had the opposite effect and ended up breaking the spell.

"Prince Heero was very sick," Quatre breathed as he tried to disengage himself from Trowa's gentle administration. "I very much doubt Duo would have taken advantage of him at that time."

"A thief?" Trowa mocked softly. "Doubtful."

Trowa leaned forward briefly to cover Quatre with dozens of soft butterfly kisses all along his neck. Quatre bit his lip to keep from sighing in pleasure and for a moment he was tempted to let Trowa continue but he knew the consequences and instead gently pulled away.

Doggedly, Trowa followed for a moment and managed to mumble softly against Quatre's mouth. When he saw that Quatre was not returning the caresses he stopped, although he was far from discouraged.

"Stealing is stealing," Trowa said feeling a tinge of disappointment. "Does it matter to a thief if it's from a sick and unconscious man?"

"It is not much of a challenge," Quatre replied.

"Fine, what was the little thief doing to our wounded and hapless prince?"

"Building a relationship," Quatre said very softly. "A friendship."

At any moment he expected a snort of contempt but when his comment met silence he looked up to see Trowa staring at him. His eyes were a mixture of emotions, longing, lust, envy and something else.

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A Friendship

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The next couple of days Heero was delirious with fever and all he could manage to do was eat what Duo brought for him, which was good because at least he wasn't suffering from malnutrition. The problem with that was that Duo had run out of funds. The purse he had stolen from magistrate Berker was depleted. Duo found himself on amission the night after he had fed Heero the last of their supplies.

It was an affluent neighborhood and most of the homes were owned by merchants and othermen of the working class. They were rich by not as rich as some of the homes owned by minor royalty and persons with titles. It was the first time in his life that Duo was playing it safe. He and Solo would hit some of the richest homes not the upper working class. Both he and Solo had great respect for those that had worked their way that far through life.

"It is just for food," Duo mumbled to himself. "I'm sure you can spare a bit of food for two hungry bellies."

The home was two story and white washed to a almost off white grayish color. Duo had scaled a large neighboring tree and watched the kitchen staff as they prepared for the next morning. He wasn't just looking but memorizing the layout of the kitchen and where the supplies were because while everyone one was asleep Duo was going in without lights and take what he needed. This was a simple heist for Duo yet for the common thief it was quite a feat.

As the servants bedded down in front the fireplace in the main hallDuo slipped from the tree. The kitchen was in the next room.There were two large dogs lying among the servants so as a safety precaution Duo had wet the wood outside the kitchen. This would cause the logs in fireplace to crackle more then usual thus hiding any noise he might inadvertently make.

Duo slipped in tothe kitchen slipping several apples into his shirt as he passed the side counter. On the main counter he cut a huge chunk of meat off a baked pig and wrapped it in a cloth. In another small cloth he rolled some of the dough the cook had placed to rise under the counter.

His small flame would bake that nicely he thought as he cut a huge wedge of cheese from a cloth-covered mound in the next cubbert. Duo released the cloth and was about to pull out a jar of cool sweet cream when he accidentally bumped a mousetrap with the end of his knife. The resounding snap echoed loudly in his ears. Duo pulled his knife free and slipped behind the counter just as one of the two large dogs shoved the kitchen door open. The dog hadn't spotted him yet but Duo knew it was only a matter of time. He had enough for the next day or two so he decided to cut his loses and flee with what he had.

Duo moved towards the window when he heard a growl coming from the right of him. It was the other dog. He was so focused on slipping past the first that he was forgotten about the listening out for the second.

It was pitch black in the kitchen and there was no moon tonight to help him. The dogs had the advantage. Duo readied his knife, if he had to kill the dog he would but it was only if he had to. Quick as lighting Duo shoved the rest of the bake pig on the counter onto the rushing dog and leaped for a window. He felt jaws graze his ankle ripping his pants as the other dog went after him.

With a kick Duo broke free and fled quickly scaling the tree he had used to observe the house. From there he ascended to the neighboring home and slipped away.

Heero watched Duo slipped into their refuge with a smile plastered on his face. His fever had finally broken and he was weak yet not as weak as he would have been if not for the thief. Heero took a good look at his benefactor. He was painfully thin and dirty no thinner and dirtier than before. Heero was a prince but he knew to recognize someone who went over and beyond duty for someone else.

"I brought you some bread, well dough actually but it will bake up fresh," Duo smiled as he carefully placed a wrapped bundled by the small flame he used to heat their food.

The smell of baking yeast filled the air as Duo sat down and pulled out some meat and cheese he had hidden in his clothes. He cut a healthy chunk of meat for Heero and held it out to him. As Heero reached for it Duo's stomach made a loud rumbling noise.

"You haven't been eating," Heero said suddenly refusing the offer.

"I've done without food before. I'm tougher than I look," Duo said merrily although his unusually purplish blue eyes held a deep sadness.

"You look like hell," Heero said bluntly.

Duo winced at his remarked and felt again the shame he always felt when someone remarked on his looks. Maybe he was a little vain but he didn't think so.

"I know I look ghastly but you didn't have to point it out," Duo huffed. "Beside there is enough for both of us."

Heero knew he was wrong and he was being ungrateful. Damn it, Heero swore silently. He was stuck in an enemy city with no money, shelter or food plus he was dependent upon a thief for the simplest of things.

"You eat first," Heero amended trying to sound contrite.

It didn't work, he sounded more bossy and rude but at least he had managed to get Duo to eat, he noted as the thief hungrily ripped off a piece of meat.

Duo looked at the stranger's face and realized that it was not easy for him to accept help. These Far Easterners are weird, Duo thought. Well, he only knew a few besides Heero and they were mostly indentured sailors from the docks. He handed Heero another piece of meat. He watched him eat it and once he finished he started cutting up some cheese.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Heero said slowly almost painfully but his dark blue eyes were steady. "I know you could have left the city long ago."

I wouldn't have left, Duo thought and he also thought how really strange he was about some really simple things. He acts like he doesn't have a friend in the world, like no one had ever cared for him. His clothes alone had told Duo that he was wealthy. It didn't make any sense to Duo since he figured that most wealthy people had dozens of servants to care for them. Duo shrugged to himself, he had other worries he needed to focus on.

"I can't keep this up. If you're feeling strong enough, I think I know a way we can get out," Duo told him unusually serious after they finished their meal.

"Understood," Heero responded just as eager to leave the city. "What do you propose?"

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The next day the two of them stood in the court area inside the Queen's gate. The colorful paved flagstones that marked the pavilion that served of the market place was crowed with the affluent and the rich. Vendors for the elite hawks their wares, the women and men were dressed better than some of the poor folk on Sunday in his section of the city. The Queen's guards were there and as Duo and Heero waited they watched the magistrate lead a procession across the square to the West gate.

Prince Zechs soon followed along with the Queen and her niece. Duo had seen this many times before and as usually it infuriated him. They would parade across the city to the main gate then to the west gate and back. Of the several proclamations that were read one was the warrant for his arrest. He saw Heero stiffen next to him as the city's crier described 'the prince of thieves', Duo himself and how he had stolen the prince's sword.

"You stole his sword," Heero asked suddenly liking thief even more than before.

"I told you, I didn't steal it I found it on the beach," Duo admitted. "Besides I didn't know it was his."

Heero felt cold breeze rip through him at Duo's words. He was about to question him when a cart emerged from the Queen's gate. He saw Duo gape in disbelief and that look quickly turned to anger. Heero looked back to see that inside the cart were prisoners--dead prisoners. Heero frowned as he looked closely at the bodies. These prisoners had been burned.

"Make way," Berker yelled.

Heero saw Zechs nodding regally at the head of the royal procession. They had burned the prisoners. From what Heero knew that was a death usually reserved for more serious offenses. This was done on purpose to try and flush the prince of thieves out or at least have others turn on him, if not by greed then by fear. Now more than ever Heero thought that the sword Zech's wanted to get was indeed wing.

Heero turned back to Duo and saw that the thief was furious. Too late he saw the horse offal that he had clutched in his hand, too late he was to stop him from throwing it and too late he was to slip away before it struck.

With deadly accuracy Heero saw the wad pass the magistrate and hit Prince Zech's directly on the side of the head. The clod was muddy in texture and seemed to burst as it connected. The crowd became deadly silent from a moment and then all hell broke lose.

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TBC