A/N : Well, this definitely took less time than chapter one to appear, ne ? (I'm still sorry about that...) I hope you'll like it ! It took 16 pages on Word ! Can you believe it ? Just don't go thinking that all my chapters will be that long... This one just happened to turn out like that. Oh, and beware of the OOCness...

Raiu : Just shut up and let them read for God's sake !

Alright, damn it, no need to get so pushy ! (goes to stick needles into a Raiu voodoo doll)

Akari : She has the strangest past times... Well everyone, here's chapter two ! Read on !

.: Carried out to sea :.

by cherry fantasy

Chapter two : Abducted

The sky was clear, but the moon was merely a thin crescent among the stars, and thus the night was dark, hardly lit with a dim silver light. At least the weather was warm enough, a fact that the head gardener of Maxwell Manor was grateful for. Robert Drake, that was his name, had been having troubles sleeping tonight. Most probably it was his age catching up to him, he thought. He was nearing 54 after all, with all the annoying aches and stiffness that came with it. What he wouldn't give to be 20 again.

Anyhow, tonight a particularly stubborn pain in his back was keeping Robert from the peaceful sleep he had wished for. After hours of lying uncomfortably in his bed with his eyes open, the old servant had finally decided that maybe a short walk outside would help relax the muscles in his back, and so he'd quickly gotten up, dressed and headed out. Robert was aware that a good rubbing would've probably done a much better job, but being widowed since two years, he had no wife who could help him with his problem. He would have to remember to go and see Dr. Hammond tomorrow and ask him for some sort of numbing ointment.

Right now though Robert's only solution was a walk, and although it probably wouldn't help much it was better than nothing.

The head gardener soon found himself in the Manor's gardens, his personal artwork of which he was very proud. Even at night it was beautiful. After following the little stony pathways for a moment, Robert decided to go walk along the headland, appreciating the vue of the sea stretching out a few feet below.

As he was walking a sudden gust of wind came from the sea, and Robert's white handkerchief that he'd been keeping in his sleeve was blown away. The old man cursed under his breath ; that handkerchief had been a gift from his deceased wife, whom he'd loved very much. Knowing that it probably wouldn't help his back, Robert raced after the cloth as fast as his old legs would allow.

Thankfully the handkerchief hadn't flown over the headland. By luck it got caught up in a bush growing on the edge of it, quite a distance away from where it had initially escaped Robert. The gardener reached the bush a few minutes later, out of breath. Really, he was too old to be running around like this.

He grabbed the handkerchief and put it back in his sleeve, making sure it stayed there this time. Then he turned on his heels and was about to head back toward the Manor when suddenly, something odd caught his sight...

Right there on the beach below, Robert thought he could make out what strangely resembled the tip of a ship's high mast, peeking out from behind a tall rock face. Knowing that his sight wasn't as good as it had once been, Robert took a few more steps to get closer. He looked again and... yes... it was hard to see it in the dark, but... yes, it was definitely a high mast. From his new position Robert could also see the two other masts flanking it.

There was a ship anchored in that creek. And it wasn't supposed to be there. Robert knew that much.

Despite his instincts telling him that it was a bad idea, Robert slowly moved forward, daring to get closer. He could now distinguish a pale orange hue coming from the bottom of the creek ; a fire, most likely. He could also hear the very faint sounds of male voices singing and laughing. And he could now see the ship's sails, even make out their pearly grey color.

Only one ship had sails of that color.

The second after that Robert Drake was running again, back toward Maxwell Manor to alert the authorities...

o0o

Duo stayed silent as dark blue eyes stared at him coldly, their intensity almost too much to bear. There was not a single hint of emotion in them, but one would have been ignorant to call them blank. Duo was not ignorant. There was something raging behind that steely blue gaze, something dangerous and powerful. Duo wasn't sure what it was, but it was pinning him down more surely than Thomas the Giant, who was still standing behind him with a good grip on his arms. As it was, Thomas could have released him and told him he was free to go, Duo would still not have been able to move.

Those cobalt blue eyes could have easily stared down the king himself along with his whole Court. At the moment they were doing an excellent job holding Duo captive... and suddenly Duo wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be set free.

Captain Heero Yuy really was the most handsome man Duo had ever seen. He did have short chocolate brown hair as the descriptions mentioned ; what the descriptions didn't say was that those brown bed-tousled locks fell so sexily over a perfectly designed face, shadowing slightly slanted blue eyes that were so deep it should've been illegal. Duo had also caught a glance of Heero's body, and once again the rumors really didn't do it justice ; while it was true that Heero was rather lean built, Duo had been granted a glimpse of hard pectorals between the folds of a partly undone collar, and he'd also took note of strong muscled thighs covered by form-fitting black pants. Heero was also wearing brown knee-length boots and a black belt that held two swords and a gun. His shirt was white and loose, and over all was a long dark blue coat with golden trimmings.

In Duo's opinion, captain Yuy was the hottest male specimen to have ever walked this Earth.

The freezing coldness of his gaze was definitely a downside though, as was his annoying little smirk. The worst part was that even though those two things shouldn't fit together, they somehow made Heero look even more sexy than he already was.

Still mostly entranced by the captain's eyes, Duo was startled when the man suddenly spoke :

"Who are you ?"

That question again. Well, of course they'd want to know. If he was only a servant, they could play with him then kill him. If he was someone important, they could ask for a ransom, play with him, get the money and then kill him. That was Duo's guess anyway. Wasn't it what pirates did ?

Duo looked back at Heero. Casually sitting on a large rock, the captain was waiting for an answer. The blond boy, the black-haired one and the tall one who hadn't said a word yet were now all sitting as well, the three of them settled around Heero. They were probably his most trusted crew members, or his strongest ones. Maybe both. They seemed young... but the captain wasn't much older than Duo himself either, and he had quite a reputation already.

Thomas was still standing behind Duo, restraining his arms, and the rest of the crew was still partying away. Few of them actually cared to look in their direction to see what was going on with the newly-brought prisoner. They were far too busy drinking, singing and generally making fools of themselves. Nonetheless, Duo was certain that one word from Heero and they would all be on him, ready to slice his throat. The Phantom's crew wasn't feared all over the seas for nothing.

Duo turned his attention back to the captain and his three mates, who were still waiting for him to talk. He thought quickly : if he told them who he was, they would probably go ahead with that ransom thing. The problem with that option was that Duo happened to be the Lord High Admiral's son. Heero and his crew were pirates ; Lord Maxwell was practically their worst enemy. Not that Duo was afraid of what they'd do to his own person. What he feared was that they would use him to manipulate his father out of revenge. John Maxwell was a man of duty, but he would agree to nearly anything in order to protect his sons. Duo knew that, and he couldn't bear to be the cause of his father's downfall.

On the other hand, if he kept quiet about his identity... Well, Duo had a good hunch they wouldn't kill him immediately now that they'd bothered to bring him to their camp. Most probably they would rough him up a little, and most surely they'd try to get in his pants, if the looks he'd been getting earlier were any indication. But Duo could handle that, and maybe he'd even get a chance to escape in the process. He was fast, agile, and he knew how to fight. He was good with a sword, even better than Solo, and he was simply deadly with a dagger. If he could only manage to grab either of those weapons, he just might have a chance... And if not, well... He didn't really want to consider that possibility. He had to think positive.

His decision made, Duo stuck up his chin and stubbornly refused to answer. Heero merely raised a brow at him, unimpressed. Duo just stuck his chin higher and looked away. No matter how good-looking the captain was, it wasn't reason enough to make Duo change his mind. He refused to meet Heero's eyes directly again though ; by now he was almost sure they held some kind of unnatural power. It was silly but hey, better safe than sorry, right ? Right.

Out of the corner of his eye, Duo saw the blond boy who'd helped him earlier fill a glass with what seemed to be wine before passing it to Heero. This one took a sip, his gaze never moving from Duo's face. Duo just pretended to ignore him. He managed to keep from jumping when Heero spoke up again :

"Do you not know how to speak ?" the captain said, twirling his glass between his fingers, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Duo bristled and snapped his head back, glaring at Heero while replying hotly :

"I can speak just fine, thank you !"

That little smirk appeared again on Heero's lips, and Duo understood : the captain had wanted to get a rise out of him and he'd succeeded. Damn him ! Why did all the gorgeous ones have to be such assholes ? Duo glared harder but it seemed to have absolutely no effect. Heero just took another sip of his wine, looked him over with cold blue eyes and spoke again emotionlessly :

"You must come from Maxwell Manor. It's the only property close enough. Your clothes look expensive, so you can't be a servant. You're either a guest or a member of the household. Which is it ?"

Duo had tensed up during Heero's speech, his lips now a thin line of worry. Crap, it seemed captain Yuy was a bright one. Duo should've guessed. You didn't get to be a famous pirate captain at such a young age if your wits didn't match your skills. And Heero's skills were said to be rather impressive...

"Well ?" the man insisted, although his tone (or lack of it) didn't change.

"Why don't you figure it out yourself if you're so smart ?" Duo muttered through gritted teeth.

He knew he was seriously testing his luck by answering to his captor that way, but he couldn't help it. Captain I-am-the-impersonation-of-sexy Yuy seemed to possess some kind of secret knowledge on how to get him riled up in five words or less. "It must be a natural talent" Duo thought sarcastically. "He was born a jerk and he perfected his technique over the years"

Anyhow, his rebellious reply got him a reaction alright, but not from the captain like he would've expected. It came from Thomas, who grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back, then growled at him :

"Watch your words when you speak to captain Yuy !"

Duo could only let out a hiss of pain, tears unwillingly gathering in his eyes at the harsh treatment given to his scalp. Then Heero's voice came :

"Enough. Let him go, Thomas"

The sheer iciness lacing the words made a chill go up Duo's spine. He was very grateful not to have that tone directed toward him... Although, he was a bit confused as to why Thomas was the one getting reprimanded instead of him. Oh well, as they say, count your blessings, right ?

Following Heero's order, Duo felt the hand gripping his hair disappear rather quickly. He repressed a relieved sigh ; that had hurt, damn it !

He lowered his head and glanced at Heero ; this one had straightened his stance and was now glaring daggers at something over Duo's shoulder, most likely Thomas. Actually flinching under the force of that glare, Duo started to understand why Heero Yuy was such a feared personage despite his age. It wasn't just that strange aura of strength and superiority that seemed to be hovering around him ; it was also how intimidating he could be when he was mad. Especially when he was mad. His features stayed neutral, but his voice became so cold that your heart was almost afraid to keep beating less it annoyed him more. That was without talking about the glare : Duo wasn't even at the end of it and it had made him flinch anyway. And something told him that it wasn't even one of Heero's best glares. It was scary, plain and simple. Duo even felt sorry for Thomas.

The poor fellow was now trying to apologize to his captain, stumbling over his words in his precipitation. It was almost funny to see such a mountain of a man being reduced to a scared little kid by a tiny (compared to him) guy like Heero. Duo couldn't blame him though ; that glare was terrifying, and Heero was still pinning Thomas with it, apparently in no mood to be lenient.

Despite himself, Duo felt a little stab of satisfaction at Thomas' misfortune ; the grip on his arms was starting to hurt, and the yank on his hair had definitely been painful. Of course Duo could take much more before he broke, but what kind of sane person likes to get hurt ? Not him anyway, and so he felt somewhat pleased that Thomas was being glared into next week. Why Heero was so mad at the man wasn't clear though... but for some weird reason it made Duo want to smile...

The blond pirate sitting beside the captain seemed to be the first one to take pity on Thomas. He set a calming hand on Heero's shoulder and said :

"Just go join the others, Thomas. I'm sure they'll have some beer and wine to offer you. Don't worry about the watch, Jeff got back to it and brought Samson with him. Just leave us the prisoner, we'll take care of it"

Thomas hesitated a mere second, but one look at Heero's heated glare and suddenly he was off, obviously in no urge to endure that glare any longer.

Duo did sigh this time when his arms finally came free ; they were stiff and a bit numb from lack of circulation. He rubbed them to get the blood flowing again, surprised when no one made a move to come tie him up or restrain him in some way. Quickly he glanced around, instinctively searching for a way to escape. The black-haired pirate spoke up, apparently guessing his train of thoughts :

"Don't even think about it" he said dryly, one hand over the hilt of his strange sword. "Believe me, you wouldn't get far"

Duo would've called him cocky, if it hadn't been painfully obvious that this young man was a master in whatever swordsmanship he used. His graceful and calculated moves were proof of that. Duo was willing to bet that the silent pirate with the long bangs was just as good. He wasn't sure about the blond one, but the two scimitars hanging at the boy's belt were definitely not there for decoration. As for Heero, it was a given that he was unbeatable with a sword.

The black-haired pirate was most likely right. Duo wouldn't get far if he tried to escape now.

Resigning himself to his fate... for the moment (there was always other occasions), Duo gave a dejected sigh and sat cross-legged on the sand, pondering about the mess his nightly excursion had turned out to be. Captured by pirates, and The Phantom's crew no less ! But maybe he should try to see it as an adventure ? After all, hadn't he been wishing for something like this to happen, to break his monotony ? Well, not exactly something like this, but... Oh Hell. Guess you have to be careful what you wish for. Wouldn't it just be ironic if he died like this, tonight ?

A sad smile appeared on his lips at the thought, and he asked to no one in particular, his eyes downwards :

"Are you going to kill me ?"

He was surprised at the calmness of his own voice, and apparently so were they. They looked at him oddly, and Heero was the first to respond :

"No"

The icy coldness of his voice seemed to have gone with Thomas, along with his glare. Nonetheless, Heero's tone was final, indicating that he wanted things to be that way and that there would be Hell to pay for anyone thinking differently. His three companions shot him strange looks, but the captain either didn't notice or didn't care. He kept his gaze firmly on Duo.

"Well, that's good... I think" Duo said hesitantly. At least he wouldn't meet his maker at the early age of sixteen.

He wanted to ask what they intended to do with him then... but he didn't really want to be told. Thomas' comment from earlier was still running around in his head : «The captain will want to see him...». Duo was pretty sure he knew what that meant now. What bothered him was that he couldn't decide if it was a bad thing... or a good thing. It was definitely better than being handed over to the crew so that they could all have a go at him (as Duo had first thought), but... it was no less degrading.

Duo didn't really care about his own reputation, but his father's and Solo's would also be forever ruined if people somehow learned that he and the captain of The Phantom had... that they had... well, been intimate to each other. But that wasn't the worst.

The worst was that if such a thing ever got out, and that it was discovered that Duo had had any kind of willing part in it, he would be arrested and hanged. Male relationships were against the law. The punishment was death. His father would never survive the pain of his youngest son being executed like this. It was the exact reason why Duo had never given into his desires before, and why he was probably never going to.

So, there was no need to worry about anything, because Duo wouldn't do it. Never. He wasn't about to risk his life, his father's sanity and his family's honor for a pirate captain who probably just wanted one night of fun, after which he would just dump him and go wander the seas again. Duo was no common whore. He wasn't about to give into such demands from a complete stranger, and a pirate to boot. How could he even consider the possibility ? ...He wasn't considering it, right ?

Right ?!

...oh dear God, he WAS !

"No no no, that's so wrong !" Duo thought vehemently. "I've only just met the guy, for God's sake ! And if that wasn't enough, he's a pirate ! A pirate captain ! Am I so desperate that I'd willingly be his... his... No, that's so disgusting ! I could be sentenced to death, damn it ! And anyway, I would never lower myself to such... such... Argh, I just wouldn't do it ! Even though he's the most handsome thing I've ever seen... His hair look so soft... And his eyes... I just wish I could... After all, no one would know... Wait, what am I thinking ? Oh my God, don't tell me I'm falling for him...? NO ! No, I won't ! I wouldn't... would I ? Guh, I don't know anymore..."

Tortured by his own conflicting emotions, Duo decided to push the matter aside for the time being. Seeking distraction, he observed the three young pirates sitting around Heero more closely ; they were all pretty unique in their own ways... and yes, darn it, they were all gorgeous. Not as much as Heero, but... No, no, back on topic : the onyx-eyed pirate who'd taken his dagger had a definite exotic look to him, and so did the blond one. As for Mr. Tall-and-Silent, Duo thought he might be French, or maybe Irish. It was hard to tell.

He couldn't guess what nationality captain Heero Yuy was from. His slanted eyes told he wasn't English, or at least not entirely. His looks were similar to the black-haired pirate's, but not identical. Not that Duo was complaining...

It wasn't long (merely a few minutes in fact...) before Duo tired of the silence between them. Deciding that brooding over his fate was pointless, and that those pirates couldn't be that horrible since they hadn't hurt him yet, Duo looked up at them and started up a conversation :

"So... What are your names ? I've heard of Heero of course but I don't know about you three. If I'm to be stuck here for a while I'd rather have something to call you"

It was the blond one who answered him :

"If we tell you our first names, will you tell us yours ?"

Not that question again ! Duo started by frowning... then his reasonable side showed up and told him that it was a fair trade. It was just his first name after all, what harm could it do ? And so Duo offered a grin and said :

"Alright. Fair enough, I guess"

To his surprise the blond boy offered a smile of his own and told him :

"Good. I'm Quatre. The silent one beside me is Trowa, and the rude one over there admiring your dagger but trying to be discreet about it is Wufei"

The black-haired pirate, now known as Wufei, snapped his head around and sputtered indignantly, then muttered something about "injustice" and shoved the dagger back in his belt. Quatre chuckled and even Duo couldn't repress an amused snicker. Then he remembered he'd agreed to give his first name too and he said :

"Well, hello Quatre. I'm Duo"

"A pleasure to meet you Duo" was the blond's reply.

Duo gave him an uneasy grin and mumbled, glancing around :

"Ah. I wish I could say the same, but..."

"It's quite alright Duo. I understand your situation" came the polite answer.

Duo stared at him unbelievingly. When he'd imagined the fearsome crew of The Phantom, he had certainly not pictured them with golden blond hair, turquoise blue eyes and the most friendly smile Duo had seen in ages. Deciding to be bold, he voiced his thoughts aloud :

"No offense Quatre, but you don't exactly fit my idea of a pirate"

For some reason his comment made silent Trowa smirk a tiny bit, while Wufei just plainly sniggered. Even Heero looked somewhat amused. As for Quatre himself, he just grinned and told him :

"Well, I get that a lot. But don't doubt it, I am a pirate"

"I know." was Duo's simple and calm reply. It got him some looks from the others, but he ignored them and pursued : "Are those scimitars at your belt ? I saw a pair once, but they were only ornamental. I always wished I could see real ones"

Quatre just stared at him for a moment, stunned by their captive's sudden friendliness. He hadn't been expecting to get some in return for his own. But he felt Duo's sincerity, and just like that the smile was back on his face. He pulled one of his weapons out of its sheath and showed it to Duo, explaining why it was designed that way and how you fought with it, which was very similar to how one used a sword.

Duo listened, genuinely interested. He could feel Heero's Prussian blue gaze on him, but he didn't feel quite brave enough... yet... to meet that gaze again.

It was a bit frightening how comfortable he suddenly felt among those pirates, despite Heero's stare digging a hole in the side of his head... but even then Duo couldn't honestly say that he disliked the feeling. Right now, he felt almost as if he... belonged. He felt free, free to be himself and speak his mind, no longer restrained by any kind of etiquette. Truly, it was frightening how easily he could get used to this.

It didn't change his mind though. He couldn't allow himself to be kidnapped or used, for his own sake and for his father's. He would still escape at the first chance he got.

Why in the world was Life always so unfair to him ?

o0o

When admiral Zechs Merquise had been awoken by one of his servants at 1: 53 in the morning, he'd felt annoyed. When, after throwing on some pants and a shirt, he'd went down to meet a messenger who apparently had to speak with him immediately, he'd felt exasperated. When his butler had told him the messenger came from Maxwell Manor, he'd felt intrigued.

When he'd finally heard the message, he hadn't been able to believe his ears.

Apparently, the head gardener of Maxwell Manor, while taking a nightly stroll outside, had caught sight of none other than The Phantom itself, secretly anchored in a small creek behind the property. The old gardener had sent word for his master, but Lord Maxwell was out in town for the night and it would take time for the messenger to find him and bring him back. His oldest son was with him and the younger one seemed to have disappeared... again. In desperation, the Maxwell's gardener had immediately sent word for the young admiral Merquise, a friend of the family, whose property was only 20 minutes away from their own.

Zechs also bore the title of count by inheritance, but he rarely used it. He was a navy officer first and foremost, and he preferred to use his title of admiral. At 20, he was one of the youngest to ever be promoted to that rank, and he was very proud of it.

Anyhow, Zechs had known Lord Maxwell since quite some time now. Not only had he worked under the man's direct command a few times, their two families were also rather well acquainted with each other. The late Count Merquise and John Maxwell had been good friends. Even now, Zechs' younger sister, Relena Darlian (she insisted on using their mother's maiden name since their father's death, saying it sounded better) was pinning after the oldest Maxwell heir, Solo. She had often declared that she couldn't stand Duo, the youngest one. It's true that the boy was rather free-spirited and frank. But unlike his sister, Zechs didn't mind that... Quite the contrary, in fact...

Back to the matters at hand though, the minute after he'd received the message about The Phantom, Zechs had sent word to the Royal Guard to call them into action. The old gardener had been smart to warn him first, Zechs thought. There was a possibility that the Royal Guard wouldn't have taken a mere servant seriously, and it could have taken some precious time to convince them. On the other hand, if the alert came from admiral Merquise, they'd be quick to answer. And indeed, they had been.

Zechs was now riding toward Maxwell Manor as fast as he could, leading a bunch of armed guards. There was 52 of them following him on their own horses, and the young admiral hoped it would be enough.

It wouldn't be Zechs' first encounter with The Phantom and its crew. They'd met once before on their favorite playground, the sea.

Zechs hadn't been on his own ship that day ; he'd been a mere guest on the Vice-Admiral of England's ship, The Eternal. They had spotted The Phantom some distance ahead and immediately launched a pursuit. Surprisingly, they'd managed to catch up. To this day Zechs still suspected that The Phantom had slowed down on purpose and waited for them...

After firing the cannons a few times (and after The Phantom somehow managing to avoid every cannonballs), The Eternal had reached and boarded the pirate ship. The two crews had met in an all out fight ; Zechs himself had faced the pirate captain. Of two years his junior, Heero Yuy had still managed to best him and send him overboard after only 6 minutes of combat. Zechs had been furious. Nobody had ever been able to best him with a sword, and then this kid...!

...But Zechs had gotten a good look at those dark blue eyes. Very few could probably put up with such intensity, such raw power. Eyes like hat definitely didn't belong to a kid.

It hadn't been long before the rest of The Eternal's crew had met the same fate as him, everyone ending up bruised and beaten into the sea. The Phantom had then sunk their ship before sailing away (with most of The Eternal's valuables), leaving them to wait in some small crafts for another ship to pass by and rescue them. Fortunately there'd been many ships sailing in that area.

Zechs was still holding a grudge against The Phantom's captain, and he'd been waiting eagerly for the day when he'd be able to take his revenge. With luck, he would be able to do it on this very night...

o0o

It was hopeless. Duo could see no way around it. Even though the pirates had been drinking for hours, none were asleep yet and more than half of them still looked sober enough and definitely up for a fight. They could hold their liquor better than Duo thought was humanly possible.

There was only two ways out of the creek : over the cliffs or into the sea. Duo was not stupid enough to try and escape by the sea, and there were watchers posted at the top of the cliffs. Add to all that, Heero, Trowa, Quatre and especially Wufei were all keeping a cautious eye on him. He was still free to move, but he had no doubt that if he should try anything funny, they would all be on him in a blink.

It was hopeless. How was he ever going to escape ?

"Just calm down" he thought. "The occasion will present itself"

"Duo, are you alright ?" Quatre suddenly asked him, looking concerned.

Duo came out of his daze and nodded quickly, adding a grin for reassurance. He realized he'd passed his ponytail over his shoulder and started running his fingers through his long chestnut strands absently ; normally he would play with the end of his braid. The motion was a sure sign that he was nervous or deep in thought.

Right now he was both.

He was nervous because the longer he waited to escape, the less chances he would have to succeed.

He was deep in thought because the longer he waited to escape, the more he realized he didn't really want to.

Quatre was a very friendly type of guy. Very well mannered too ; he'd obviously been around nobility, maybe he'd even been part of it. Anyhow, Duo was starting to like him very much. Quatre was the kind of friend he'd always hoped to have : outgoing, nice, understanding... As for Trowa, he hadn't said more than three words yet. Nonetheless, Duo was starting to like him too. Trowa didn't speak much, but he listened. Duo had noticed. Even Wufei wasn't that bad. He wasn't nearly as intimidating when you knew him better, and he was extremely fun to tease ! Quatre and Duo were having a field day ! They stopped though when Wufei's hand started getting dangerously close to his sword... The only thing stopping him from gutting them seemed to be Heero's stern look.

Heero... Duo was trying very hard to ignore him, but it was practically impossible. The pirate captain just had this sort of charismatic presence to him. Even if he didn't make a sound, you just couldn't help but notice him. And then there was this intense blue stare, fastened on Duo since the moment they'd seen each other. Seriously, Duo didn't think Heero had turned away even once.

He should've been annoyed, he knew it. He should've felt unnerved, or uncomfortable... But all Duo could feel was the butterflies doing flip-flops in his stomach and his heart that kept thumping faster against his rib cage. The longer those cobalt blue eyes lingered on him, the more Duo felt his will to leave weaken...

He hadn't yet found the courage to return that stare, but now he knew why : if he looked directly into those eyes again, he'd be doomed. He wouldn't be able to leave. He wouldn't want to.

There was no helping it, and Duo was still inwardly cursing his traitorous feelings.

He'd fallen for captain Heero Yuy, and he'd fallen hard.

Damn it all.

He was hiding it well, but that didn't keep the feelings from being there. It was making him even more determined to ignore Heero and avoid his gaze, because if he got caught up in it again, Duo knew what would happen : his determination would melt like snow under the summer sun. He couldn't allow that. He had to think about his father, his brother... He had to remember that Heero was a pirate, a criminal... That he would most surely just use him for one night and then dump him... He had to keep in mind that a single kiss with Heero could put him in danger of being executed...

But why did none of that suddenly seem to matter ?

Duo stubbornly ignored that last thought and kept chatting with Quatre about random subjects, while his violet eyes very subtly observed his surroundings, looking for any means of escape...

"Sally really is incredible" Quatre was presently saying. "From what I've seen so far, she can work in any kind of conditions, no matter how bad they are. She's the best doctor I've ever met"

"She seems great, the way you describe her" Duo answered with a smile.

A female doctor was rare, but then again, so was a female pirate. That Sally was obviously not an ordinary woman.

"Why did she stay on the ship ?" Duo asked, curious.

Quatre was just about to answer him when another pirate came running toward them. Duo noticed everyone become tense at the sight. The pirate came to a stop before them and said, out of breath :

"Captain ! Jeff and Cain spotted a bunch of men riding our way ! It's the Royal Guard captain ! There's at least 50 of them, and they're armed !"

Heero stood up and asked, his voice sharp :

"Are you certain they're coming for us ? We're well hidden, and the only one who saw us is now our prisoner"

"We're sure captain ! They're heading straight toward this creek, and Jeff thought he recognized Merquise at the front of the group !"

"Merquise ?" Duo thought, startled. "Zechs found out about The Phantom ? But how...?"

Heero's voice interrupted his musings :

"How far are they ?"

"Not far captain. They'll be here in less than 15 minutes" the man answered.

"We're going back to the ship at once" Heero ordered. "Warn everyone, and tell the watchers to get down here immediately. Trowa, go and post a few gunmen to cover us should the guards get up there faster than expected. Tell them not to take any unnecessary risks and to join us as soon as possible"

Trowa nodded and then he was gone, the pirate who'd come to warn them fast on his heels. Seconds after that the whole camp was in motion ; the men were running to the crafts to get them ready to leave, the watchers were coming down from the top of the cliffs in a hurry and some pirates were cocking their guns, getting ready to "greet" the Royal Guard should they arrive a little too soon.

Duo had risen to his feet like the others, looking around and not really knowing what to do... Then it came to him that this was the perfect occasion to escape. In the confusion he would have a lot more chances to disappear, and with the Royal Guard coming for them none of the pirates would take the risk to chase after him. He would have to be wary of the gun shots, but that wasn't a problem. Duo was fast and good at stealth. He could do it. It was now or never.

Of course Wufei just had to choose that moment to grab his arm and say :

"Heero, what about him ?"

"He's coming with us" was the immediate and definitive answer.

"WHAT ?!" Duo exclaimed, not believing his ears.

Before he had time to blink Heero was right in front of him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to meet his gaze. Violet locked with blue and then Heero was telling him :

"You're coming, that you like it or not"

The tone of voice was hard and it was obvious that any protestations would be ignored. It was an order, plain and simple, and a very arrogant one at that. But... what was that flash Duo had seen in Heero's eyes ? It was gone as soon as he'd seen it but... It had looked like... like longing... Or maybe it was just Duo's imagination...?

Before he had time to ponder about it, a warning was heard from one of the pirates further away, and just as fast as he'd appeared before him Heero was gone again, taking out his gun and shouting orders to his crew. Duo saw the first line of guards appear at the top of the cliff, mounting their horses and guns trained on the creek below, the sleek rifles targeting the pirates. Duo felt Wufei tie his hands behind his back, then suddenly Quatre was before him...

"Don't fight back Duo" the blond told him. "If you do we'll have to bring you with us using force"

Quatre's voice was stern, a clear sign that he wouldn't hesitate to follow his word if necessary, but his blue eyes were pleading with Duo, urging him to just obey. And Duo found himself doing so, letting Wufei drag him quickly toward the crafts. Some were already rowing toward The Phantom, the ship silently waiting for them a few meters away.

Duo heard shooting behind him and he glanced backwards ; as expected the guards and the pirates were shooting at each other. Some guards were even starting a careful descent toward the creek, climbing down the cliff sides with difficulty. Then the remaining pirates took off toward the crafts as well, stopping and turning every once in while to shoot at the guards.

Duo saw Heero among them, and they crossed gazes for a mere second before Duo was shoved into a craft by Wufei. He didn't try to resist.

"Damn it all to Hell and back !" was the only thought going through Duo's head at the moment.

Just as he'd predicted, only one look at those cobalt blue eyes had been his undoing.

As it was, Duo could merely pray that he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his life.

o0o

Zechs Merquise swore, huffed and cursed. He couldn't believe it. It had to be a nightmare.

They'd escaped ! Those damn pirates had escaped ! Only one had been killed. All the others had returned to their ship, out of Zechs' and the guards' reach. Then Zechs had been forced to watch as The Phantom sailed away, unscathed once more. That ship was guarded by Satan himself ! How in the world did it always manage to escape ?

Zechs knew better than to try and send other ships after it. It was too late by now, and no ship could catch The Phantom if it didn't want to be caught. None were fast enough.

But it wasn't over, oh no. Zechs would make sure of it. He'd track down The Phantom to the ends of the Earth if necessary. He and captain Heero Yuy would face each other again, and Zechs would be the one to defeat him and sink his thrice-damned ship.

"Don't think it's over Yuy. I'll destroy you if it's the last thing I do..."

A/N : Yay ! Another one done ! Please review and tell me what you thought of it !

Akari : Hum, cherry-chan...? Don't you think you should stop with that voodoo doll now ?

But it's fun !

Raiu : No it's not ! It's-Ouch ! Ow ! Eep ! Will you just-Ow ! Stop-Ow, that hurts ! Ouch ! Hey, STOP IT !

See, it's awesome !

Akari : (sweatdrops) Oh my...

Please review folks ! And no flames or I'll make a voodoo doll of you too !

# I totally made out the name of the Vice-Admiral's ship (The Eternal). If his ship really did bear that name, it's pure coincidence.

# In the time when my story takes place, homosexuality was a crime punishable by death. Men having sex with other men was seen as an unnatural act against the will of God and against the Church. As such, the Buggary Act 1533 was a law adopted in England in 1533, during the reign of Henry VIII. The Act made buggary (a.k.a. sodomy, the usual way for men to have sex) punishable by hanging. In order to strengthen the Church of England, James I reaffirmed the Buggary Act during his reign, adopting an even more severe stance toward it.

That law and its penalty were not lifted until 1861.