Category: Angst, Adventure, AU, Slave/Master

Pairings: 1x2, 4x3 (eventually), 5x?

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Warnings: This story does show how a lot of people felt about the owning of slaves, a feeling that was very alive in this country not that long ago, as well as in many civilizations down through the ages. There are some good owners and some bad owners, like in everything. If someone owning another person bothers you, you might not like this fic. But then I'm not forcing anyone to read it. There are also M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Golden Lights Part Twenty-Seven

By SilverLady

The next time Quatre woke up he was surprised to find Duo sitting beside his bed.

Duo grinned when he realized that Quatre was awake and watching him. "Hi. How's it going?"

Quatre stared at him without saying a word.

Duo frowned a little. "Are you okay?"

Nothing.

Suddenly Duo smiled. "Oh, yeah. The no-talking-to-Duo thing. Trowa said it was okay for you to talk with me again."

Quatre simply stared at him.

"He did. I don't lie. He said it was fine with him."

Duo swore he could hear crickets chirping.

"You don't believe me do you?"

The only way Duo knew that Quatre wasn't some bizarre statue was the fact that every now and then he blinked.

"Man, you're stubborn. You know I would never get you in trouble." Pause. Sigh. "Okay, fine. Don't talk to me. Heero says I can talk the ear of a dead guy when I want to so I guess we'll find out. You just lie there and do your statue impression. I'll talk."

Duo looked at Quatre for a second. The threat didn't seem to have any effect on him. Duo huffed. "Anyway, since I gotta fill in all this quiet, here goes. Heero and Trowa went out to get supplies or somethin', they didn't exactly say. Wufei is off on some rant about this or that."

Duo grinned as a thought struck him. "You should have seen it yesterday." He laughed. "Sal... You know, I don't really think she's a Sal. More like a Sally. I think that's what I'll call her from now on. I wonder if she'd mind. Not that it would matter to me, anyhow, even if she did, but she seems pretty cool and all.

"Anyway. Her and Wufei went back to check out that site, to find out if the slidee had been deliberate or not, which it was. Well, when they got back and Sally started telling Heero about it, Wufei got all pouty. And when Heero said you couldn't have done it cause you'd been with us, Wufei said somethin' about you havin' accomplices and Sally got all mad. She said that the only way you coulda had anything to do with it was if you were telepathic, 'cause, and I quote, 'Lord Trowa has had him on such a short leash that he's practically up his ass' end quote. Well, Wufei got all huffy and told her she didn't know what she was talkin' about and she told him she knew enough and he said he didn't have to listen to no stupid woman, or somthin' like that.

"Well, all the sudden he jumps and gets all indignant. Seems Sally had calmly walked up and groped his ass. He didn't know I seen her do it, cause he thought I was asleep and Heero did to. Anyway he started ranting about who he was and started spoutin' off this long title of his and she just calmly laid one on him. Kissed him right good and grabbed his ass again to boot.

"When she pulled back he just stood there with his mouth hangin' open and she told him he looked like the King of Karp to her and she left. He got a mad and stormed after he, but I think he liked it and all. I though it was the funniest thing and I started laughin' and Heero realized I was awake and I had the greatest view of his crotch, which I always enjoy. But Wufei came back and complained about us havin' a room for that stuff so we went to our room and.... I won't give you alll the details, let's just say it was wonderful, like it always is."

Duo sighed. "Do you know how much I love him? I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. It's great. You should try it out some time. Might do you some good."

He glanced at Quatre. "Or have you and Trowa been enjoying sleeping in the same room." He paused. "Nope, I don't think so. Don't think you could do much without everyone else knowin' about it, 'specially in those tents. But I will say Trowa was actin' kinda jumpy this mornin' and he sure agreed fast with Heero about me stayin' here and watchin' you, which kinda surprised me and all, since I though he was still mad at you, but I guess he ain't, is he?

"I definitely think you got him real confused though. What did you do? Ain't gonna tell, are you? Well, anyway....."

Quatre closed his eyes and listed as Duo continued talking. He really can get going. And his accent get worse the longer he talks.

*****

Heero frowned as he followed Trowa down the street. The small town didn't have a lot, but there were several shops and business around.

Trowa had been acting odd all morning. It was obvious to Heero, whom Duo had often accused of being oblivious, that something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" he finally

Trowa glanced back at Heero for a moment. "Nothing," he finally answered.

Heero snorted. "Tell me another one. I'm not as oblivious as Duo thinks I am. Something is bothering you. A lot. Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"So there is something wrong."

Trowa sighed. "You've been hanging out with Duo too long."

"Funny, I though you said he was good for me."

"Not in all cases."

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm as hard to distract as him when he gets something in his head. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing important."

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that I'm with you and Duo is with Quatre?"

"Why would you think that?"

"No reason."

Trowa sighed again. "It's really nothing. Just something I have to sort out for myself."

"Well I hope you do it soon."

"Why?"

"Because we've passed this store three times and you still haven't gone in."

Trowa stopped in the middle of the road and stared back at Heero. He was about to retort when he heard a shout from his right. He turned to find a driverless wagon heading straight for him.

He could only stare at in shock. It was as if his body had suddenly turned to stone.

Just when he was sure the wagon would run him down, he was violently shoved out of the way. He landed heavily on his side, with a solid weight coming down on top of him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Heero's angry voice hissed in his ear. "You could have gotten yourself killed, pulling a stunt like that. And you got angry with Quatre. You damn near did the same thing."

Trowa simply lay there, trying to catch his breath. Part of him knew Heero was right, but the rest of him simply wasn't up to processing that information at that moment.

"Are you okay?"

"Man, did you see that? That horse just bolted. Something sure scared it."

"Are you two men alright?"

"That was quite a move you made there, young man. Saved his life you did."

Slowly voices filtered into Trowa's consciousness. And with the voices came other sensations, pain being the foremost of them. The rocks and dirt he was laying in were starting to dig into his side and he was sure that Heero had bruised a couple of his ribs when he'd hit him. That, coupled with his now pounding head, was sure to remind him that he was still alive.

"Heero," he managed to say, after catching his breath.

"What?"

"Would you please get off of me? Duo might like it, but you're damn heavy."

With a snort, Heero rolled off Trowa and got to his feet.

Trowa rolled over onto his back and stared up into Heero's angry blue eyes. "Thank you."

Heero nodded. "Anytime."

Both knew that there was a lot more meaning to those simple words than either were willing to admit to.

Slowly Trowa sat up, wincing as each muscle protested the movement. When he was finally sitting up, he reached out with one had to grab Heero's.

Heero bent forward a little to help Trowa to his feet. As Trowa went to stand, Heero saw all the color drain from his face. He was instant moving forward to take as much of Trowa's weight as Trowa would allow. "What's wrong?"

"My leg," Trowa ground out through gritted teeth. "I hurt my damn leg."

"Again?"

"Don't sound like it's an every day thing. It hurts."

"Let's get you back to the inn. You can play invalid with the other one."

"Is that anything like playing doctor?" Trowa muttered under his breath.

Heero smirked. "It could be."

"I don't think so." Trowa tried to take a step and almost passed out from the pain in his leg.

Heero held Trowa upright. "I don't think you're going back there under your own power. Let me see if I can get someone to take us back."

"I can..."

"No. No arguing. The last time I listened to you about you leg, you spent three months in bed. It won't be happening again." Heero glanced over at one of the people that had witnessed the 'accident'. "We need to get him back to the inn, but he's not walking there. Could you please get something for us to take him back in?"

The young man nodded. "Sure thing. Just give me a minute."

"And don't make it the damn horse that nearly ran us down."

"No, sir."

Heero sighed. "I don't think Quatre had anything to do with this one either."

"You don't think it was an accident."

"Do you?"

"Not really, no. Not with what's been going on."

"It just makes things more complicated. Now it's damned near impossible to figure out who the target is."

"Unless it's all of us."

"True. And I only know one person who would like to take all of us down."

"Michal."

"Got it in one." Heero sighed. "Which is what Duo has been insisting all along."

"Yes."

Heero glanced at Trowa. "Don't tell him. I'll never hear the end of it."

Trowa smiled but said nothing.

*****

"What the hell happened to you?" Wufei demanded as Trowa was carefully set on the couch. Heero and the young man that had offered his help had carried Trowa up the stairs and into the room.

Heero glanced at the other man. "Could you please go and get the doctor?"

"Sure, no problem." He turned and quickly left the room.

"Is anyone going to answer me?" Wufei demanded.

"I hurt my leg," Trowa answered, carefully leaning back against the arm of the couch.

"How?"

"Dodge ball?"

"Not funny."

"Horseshoes?"

Heero snorted at that one.

Wufei glared. "I think someone has been around a certain long haired slave who has too many privileges as it is."

"I was stupid enough to stop in front of a moving wagon."

"It wasn't moving until after you stopped," Heero pointed out.

Wufei blinked. "You were nearly hit."

"Nearly being the operative word here."

"I'd say someone just upped the ante on this little game," Heero commented.

Wufei nodded. "And it is beginning to look more and more like we jumped to conclusions. But I still would not rule him out completely. He could be working for someone, who simply hired others to do the same job."

"You're never going to forgive him for knocking you on your butt, are you?"

Wufei crossed his arms, wincing as he did so. "I'm the one with the broken arm."

"So you keep telling us."

"Over and over and over and over," Trowa muttered under his breath.

"I heard that."

"Good."

"So I guess we can continue to call this place home for awhile."

"No."

Heero glared at Trowa himself. "What?"

"I said no. As soon as the doctor clears Quatre to travel we're moving on. Even if it's just out of town. This is getting serious. Some one other than Heero or me could have gotten hurt today. It's apparent that who ever this is doesn't care about innocent bystanders. There's no telling what he might do next. I won't risk innocent lives."

Heero nodded, hearing the logic in Trowa's words. "Fine. We'll be ready to move as soon as possible."

"I'll tell Sal," Wufei stated, heading for the door.

Heero watched him, a slight smile on his face. I wonder who will wake up first, Wufei or Trowa.

Trowa glanced over at Heero. "I think it might be a good idea if you go get cleaned up. You look like you've been playing in the dirt."

"Rolling in it is more like it." He glanced over at the door. "I wonder how long it took Duo to drive Quatre nuts with his chatter."

Trowa groaned. He'd forgotten how much Duo hated silence and how far he would go to make some kind of noise. And I didn't get a chance to tell Quatre it was all right to talk with Duo again.

Heero sighed. "I'd best go save him."

"Duo or Quatre?"

"Hard to say. You stay there."

"Yes sir."

"As long as you don't say master."

Trowa winced. "Don't remind me."

Heero gave him an odd look before disappearing into the other room.

"Three, two, one."

"HEERO! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Trowa sighed as he leaned back. I wonder what's next.