Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by their original creators. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.

Trowa dodged the leaping werewolf and heard a gunshot from behind him. The werewolf fell dead, the silver bullet piercing through its heart. Trowa looked over and saw Wufei reloading his gun.

"Where's Quatre?" Wufei asked, aiming and firing another shot. It hit another werewolf lunging at him, and Wufei whirled out of the way from the crashing corpse.

"He's safe," Trowa replied. "For now, at least."f

Duo came running around the corner, and another man with short brown hair and beautiful blue eyes quickly followed.

"They're retreating for now," Duo informed. "But there's another emergency. Come on, Treize needs to speak with everyone."

Trowa and Wufei followed the two men towards the main temple hall. Trowa looked around and saw many corpses rotting away, both vampire and werewolf.

"I'm surprised to see you, Heero," Trowa said as they walked. "I take it you followed Duo here?"

Heero nodded, stealing a glance at the said vampire. "Yes, I did. Right after he left, Wufei appeared saying how the Council of Werewolves had planned to find a treasure the Council of Vampires was hiding away. We came here together, and while I found Duo he went to tell you. It wasn't long before the attacks came. Duo was almost killed when I arrived."

"He always shows up at the right time," Duo grinned, kissing Heero on the cheek.

Trowa chuckled and shook his head as Heero hissed something about public displays of affection, but fell silent as they approached Treize.

"Where's Quatre?" Treize asked as soon as they were standing before him. He was sitting in his Council chair, and looked worn and tired.

"He's safe," Trowa answered. "What's happening now?"

Treize stood up and walked down the stone steps to stand in front of them on the lower floors. "The werewolves has decided to halt their attacks, but only if we give them Quatre," Treize explained. "We're here now to decide his fate."

"Don't give him up to Milliardo," Wufei said vehemently, and they all turned to look at him. His black eyes were cold and hard, his body rigid. "You don't understand, that boy is the Sun in her brightest form. You can't let Milliardo have him."

"What would you suggest we do with him?" Treize asked, looking down at Wufei.

"Like I said, he's the Sun in her brightest form," Wufei said. "He can break your curse, just wait and see. I'll give you the time that he needs, but you need to give him a reason for deliverance. I'll keep in touch."

Trowa walked with Wufei out of the temple while Duo and Heero continued to talk with Treize.

"He can break this curse?" Trowa asked, standing with Wufei as he prepared to leave. "How do you know?"

"Because it's happened before," Wufei explained. "That's why Milliardo wants him so badly. Half a century ago a young woman came to be with that power. She encountered a werewolf, and broke his curse. He never had to fear a full moon, and rejoiced. However, she chose to remain behind, even though she cared for the now-free man. She stayed behind, hoping to bring back that power to save another one she loved, but once the light fades it never returns."

"Milliardo believes Quatre can deliver him from his curse?" Trowa asked. "Why did he not come now to get him?"

Wufei paused before looking up at Trowa, his eyes wide. "I think he did."

Quatre stirred and opened his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling as he lay on his back.

"I…fell asleep?" Quatre whispered.

"Yes," a deep voice answered, and Quatre watched a tall, handsome man kneel down next to him.

Long blond hair cascaded down the man's shoulders to graze across Quatre's face. Slender fingers brushed away the strands as the man leaned closer. Pale blue eyes shone lovingly, and he pressed a moist kiss against Quatre's slightly parted mouth.

Quatre felt the mouth, tasted the intruding tongue, but didn't move as the mysterious man ravaged his lax mouth. Something was wrong, but Quatre couldn't think straight as the man pulled his head up slightly, forcing his way farther into Quatre's mouth.

"Hey!"

The man pulled away and glared at the intruder. Quatre blinked and recognized who it was.

"Trowa," Quatre murmured before falling unconscious.

"Let go of him," Trowa said. His voice was low and dangerous. "Keep your viperous tongue out of him, Milliardo."

"Suit yourself," was the reply, and Trowa saw Milliardo transform before he slammed against him, and Trowa was knocked backwards to the ground. Coughing for air, Trowa got to his feet just in time to see Milliardo walk away in his human form, a sweater in his arms.

"He smells nice, don't you think so?" Milliardo called out, and pressed the soft sweater to his face, breathing in deeply. "I'll romance him, Trowa Barton, and not even you can compete with my charms."

Trowa went into the room and gathered Quatre up into his arms. He left the temple and carried him to the cabin on the eastern side of the lake. Heero was waiting for him in the basement, and Trowa entered the dark building silently. Duo had transformed the cabin into a much more pleasant one, a far cry from how Viktor Slake kept it.

Duo showed Trowa the bedrooms, and Trowa gently laid Quatre across the soft bed. Trowa looked up and watched Heero and Duo leave together into a separate bedroom, and Trowa got up and shut the door before lying down next to Quatre, easing one arm around him. Quatre sighed and snuggled close, and Trowa stiffened before he relaxed and fell asleep.

Quatre stirred and woke up slowly, trying to stay in dreamland a little bit longer. He sighed and rolled onto his back, only to be pressed snugly against another body.

"Evening," a voice whispered, and Quatre felt soft breathing on his neck.

"Where am I?" Quatre asked, turning his head slightly to face Trowa. "And why don't I remember anything after you left me?"

"I didn't do anything, if that's what you're implying," Trowa said, sitting up and looking down at Quatre. "Do you remember anything? A dream, perhaps?"

"There was someone kissing me," Quatre said, his eyes closing as he thought. "I don't know who, though. I don't remember anything else."

Trowa got up off the bed and pulled a long coat on over his clothes. "It's nighttime right now," he said, not looking at Quatre. "I have business to attend to. Duo and his boyfriend Heero are here, so rest while you can."

Quatre watched Trowa leave and got up on shaky legs. He spent a few minutes stretching and exercising before going down stairs, still dressed in his previous clothes.

Except…

Quatre paused as he noticed his sweater was missing. Shrugging it off, he went into the kitchen and began looking for something to eat. He boiled water in a little pot and poached an egg and ate it on bread before stepping outside to go across the lake.

A firm grip on his arm stopped Quatre from stepping off the porch, and he looked up into violet eyes.

"Duo?" Quatre inquired, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Where are you going?" Duo asked, pulling Quatre back towards the cabin door. "Haven't you learned anything from your near-death experiences?"

"My things are at Trowa's cabin," Quatre protested as Duo led them both inside the cabin. "I would like to brush my teeth and hair, I feel filthy."

"You can take a bath," Duo said, showing Quatre the bathhouse. "I'll send my Heero to get your things."

Quatre sighed and pouted, but went inside the bathhouse and undressed before stepping into the hot water. He plugged his nose and sank all the way back, lifting one leg to drape over the edge of the bath. Quatre surfaced after a moment and began scrubbing his body clean, rubbing the skin pink before satisfied. He lathered soap in his hair and washed his body clean, inside and out. He dunked again and rinsed the soap away, and when he surfaced there were towels waiting for him.

Getting the suspicion that he had been watched, Quatre eased himself out of the water and dried off with the towel. He wrapped one towel around his hips and rubbed another towel in his hair, getting the excess water from the silky strands as he entered the main cabin and went up to his room. A stack of random clothing was set on his bed.

Quatre dressed in cutoff denim shorts, the ends hugging his mid thighs. He tucked a light blue t-shirt into the denim shorts, the shirt fitting nicely across his chest and shoulders, but was short on the ends. They tucked into the shorts nicely, and Quatre put on a pair of sandals before going downstairs, his sandals clicking on the wood.

"Now where are you going?" Duo asked, and Quatre stuck his tongue out childishly.

"I'm going to find my dog," Quatre replied, walking to the door. "Trowa said he was with Catherine."

"I'll go with you," Duo said, and followed Quatre outside and into the warm summer night.

Quatre walked silently towards town. He was relieved that Duo had offered to go with him. He didn't want to ask for company, because it sounded like something a frightened child would do. Truthfully, Quatre was very scared. He wanted to go home, but he had a feeling that home wasn't an option right now.

The doors were all closed, and lights were all off even at night. Quatre walked up the steps to the inn and entered nervously, Duo right behind him.

Catherine appeared and looked at them before beckoning them to follow her. Quatre saw Sandrock resting on a bed, and went next to his best friend and began kissing and stroking his giant head. Sandrock looked up and gave Quatre a halfhearted lick before laying his head down.

"Is he going to be okay?" Quatre asked, his voice a whisper.

"He'll be fine," Catherine assured, and Quatre looked up into her aged face. She was sincere, and Quatre smiled as he continued to gently pet his beloved friend.

"Where's Trowa?" Duo asked, and Quatre looked up as Catherine sighed.

"He left with Wufei," Catherine said. "I don't know where to, exactly, but they should be back later tonight or by morning. He won't let Quatre wait for him." At this, Catherine turned and gave Quatre a warm smile, and he blushed and looked away.

"Trowa cares for you very much," Catherine said, and Quatre looked back to her.

"I know he does," Quatre said, smiling. "I know he cares for me. I just…wish he would stop with all the lies and tell me what's going on here."

"Werewolves attacked us vampires," Duo explained, sitting on the floor next to Quatre. "One werewolf wants you to break his curse."

"Well, how can I break such a curse?" Quatre asked, curious.

"You will know how when the time comes," Catherine said, and Quatre looked up at her as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You will save the one person who you belong to. This is destiny that you came here, now. Trowa has been a vampire for only half a century. He wasn't much older than you are now, when he was bitten. I know he hasn't told you anything about him, and I would like to remedy that, if you want."

"Yes, please," Quatre said, and Catherine patted her lap. Quatre folded his arms and rested lightly on Catherine's lap, looking up at her.

"Trowa and I are siblings," Catherine began, reaching down to run her fingers through Quatre's silky hair. "He's my younger brother. He fell ill as we journeyed with a traveling circus through this part of the world, and the two of us stumbled upon Shadeton while looking for some plants to cure his fever…"

"Sis, can't we rest?" Triton all but whined. His burning face was pinched and tired.

Catherine hugged him tightly, but they continued looking for the healing plants. "We'll rest if we don't find anything in a few more minutes," Catherine soothed, and Triton just nodded before following his big sister through the woods.

"…Look," Catherine whispered, tugging on Triton's arm. "There's a town. Maybe they can help."

Triton didn't answer, and Catherine gave him a worried look before pulling him after her into the deserted town.

"Talk about a ghost town," Catherine said to herself, and spotted an inn. She pulled Triton up the steps and entered the dark building.

"How can I help you?" an old woman greeted, looking past Catherine to Triton. "Oh my!"

"He has a fever, and doesn't feel well," Catherine explained, and the old woman led them into a room and Triton sat down gratefully before stretching out on his back and closing his eyes.

"We don't have anything to cure people with," the old woman said, fretting over Triton. "There's so few people, and those who do get sick die off very quickly."

"I can heal him, can he stay here for now?" Catherine asked. "I won't be gone long, I promise."

The old woman nodded, and Catherine kissed Triton's hot forehead before turning and leaving the inn and heading back into the woods.

The darkness seemed to have fallen even more, and Catherine hurried in her search for the medicine. After what seemed like forever, she finally saw some and grabbed the flowering plant. She pulled it up all the way and used a small knife to cut off the roots, which was the part she needed. A soft cracking of branches snapped through the still night, and Catherine sucked in a deep breath as she held still, looking around carefully to see anything.

"A-anyone there?" Catherine called out, and an owl flew from a nearby tree, hooting loudly in the night. Catherine stood up, and began walking towards the town.

She heard a noise, and Catherine froze, but footsteps continued to walk a few paces until they also stopped. With a frightened glance around, Catherine burst into a run, brushing away tree branches that seemed to reach out and grab her. Her shirt tore and her arms and face were scratched as she ran back towards town. It was odd, she didn't remember venturing so far from the town.

A hand grabbed her ankle, and Catherine screamed as she fell forward. With tears of terror sliding down her cheeks, she looked behind her, but only saw a root jutting out of the ground. Quickly wiping away the tears, Catherine turned to pick up the roots she dropped when she saw a pair of black leather boots standing right in front of her. Trembling with fear, Catherine slowly looked up, past long legs clad in black leather pants, past the stomach and chest enveloped in a long, black leather coat, to finally reach pale red eyes, standing out on the dark skin.

"Hello," a rich voice said, raising the hairs on Catherine's neck. With a gasp she grabbed the roots and stumbled to her feet, moving backwards away from the mysterious man.

"Don't be afraid," the man said, holding out his hand to Catherine as she back away in fear. "Come to me willingly, I don't want to chase you."

"S-stay away!" Catherine said as her back hit a tree. She sucked in a trembling breath, and turned away from the leather glove that caressed her cheek.

"So lovely," the man whispered, and Catherine squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push away the mouth that was pressed against hers. Tears fell from her eyes as his hands grabbed her roughly and his body was used to pin her against the tree.

A roar sounded through the quiet woods, and Catherine felt the man jerk away and opened her eyes. She watched him be tossed to the ground, a giant dog attacking him. Catherine looked closely, and noticed it was actually some type of wolf, and closed her eyes again as the man was torn to shreds. Blood spattered the ground, and Catherine opened her eyes and screamed when another man appeared right where the wolf was standing.

"Hurry back to town," the man urged, and Catherine looked at him oddly. "Quickly, that one you brought with you is being killed! Go!"

Catherine turned and ran for the town, reaching it in just a few moments. She hurried to the inn and leaped up the stairs before bursting through the doors and entered the room she had left Triton in.

The old woman was sprawled on the floor next to the bed, her eyes wide open and glassy, frightening against her shockingly white skin. A man was leaning over Triton, his head buried in her brother's neck. Catherine screamed when she entered the room, and the man jerked away and looked up at her, blood oozing from his lips as he glared darkly at her. A howl sounded right outside, and the man snapped his head to look before leaping out the window, the glass shattering on the ground outside.

Catherine knelt next to Triton, her heart pounding as she saw his pale skin and the marks on his neck. His breathing was slow and irregular, and Catherine began to sob as she felt her brother's heart beat slower.

"I can save him," a gentle voice said from behind, and Catherine looked up at the man standing in the doorway. The wolf-man from before was also there, as well as a young man about Triton's age. He had short black hair, and Catherine watched the almond-shaped eyes close and reopen, looking away from her and Triton.

"How?" Catherine asked, her voice a whisper as she tried to breathe around her tears. "How can you save my brother from that…vampire?"

The man stepped into the room and knelt next to her as the other two lifted the old woman's body and took her away. "My name is Treize," the man introduced. "And you're right, that was a vampire. He bit your brother, but the transformation isn't complete. He won't die, miss, he would just exist, never waking and never dying. If his transformation is completed, he will be cursed for life, but you will see him walk, run, and speak. It's your choice."

Catherine felt the tears fall down her cheeks as she sat there on the floor next to the bed. It seemed like forever, but it was only a few moments when she looked up to Treize.

"Finish it," she said, and stood up backed away to lean against the far wall.

Treize nodded at her consent, and Catherine watched as he lowered his mouth to Triton's neck, and closed her eyes as her brother was transformed into a vampire. After only a few moments, Treize stood and wiped his mouth with a small kerchief, the red blood staining the white linen.

"He'll awake after the Sun goes down tomorrow," Treize said, looking at Catherine. "I suggest you leave before you too are bitten. By vampire or werewolf."

Catherine looked at him and nodded, her breath hitching as she continued to cry. She crawled up onto the bed and wrapped an arm around Triton, and cried as the Sun rose, and then fell.

Quatre was gaping open-mouthed as Catherine finished her story, but he quickly closed it when she tapped his chin.

"So, Trowa was bitten by a vampire, and Treize had to finish or he would have been in limbo forever?" Quatre asked, and Catherine nodded. "Does Trowa know Treize finished his transformation?"

"Yes," Catherine said. "He found out the night he awoke. Triton changed his name to Trowa as a way to accept his new being. Treize informed Trowa of what had happened, and now Trowa looks to Treize for guidance. Much like a son would to a father, but Trowa also holds a confusing emotion for Treize. Yes, Treize saved Trowa from an existence in limbo, but he also condemned him to the hellish being Trowa is now."

Quatre slowly sat back, easing off of Catherine's lap. "Does Trowa…hate himself?"

"No," Catherine said, shaking her head. "It's been half a century, and I've watched Trowa battle with his hatred for most of that time. I think he has accepted who he has become."

Quatre got up and kissed Sandrock good-bye before stretching his sore legs. "Thank you for caring for him," Quatre said, and Catherine walked him to the front door. Duo was sitting on the porch outside, and together they began walking back towards the cabin.

*End Part 3*