Author's Notes: Thank you to all those who reviewed my first chapter. I finally got a chance to update! I have a few quick notes. Special thanks to my buddies, Pickles and LittleVixen for beta-reading and checking out my details. I am taking a few liberties with this camp, combining them together a bit and changing a few details, such as Lady Une being an officer. But since this is AU, I think I can have a little freedom to work. And more things will come up later that probably would not have occurred, but please bear with me. If you don't like it, you can stop reading. And now, here are my thank yous and notes from the last chapter.

Kachikara (You know me, I will:)), Evil Cheshire Cat (Special thanks for reviewing), Exileian (Yes, I know), Cali, Ketami, yama-chan (Have you ever read I Have Lived A Thousand Years? I recommend it. Read her section about the soup. Yes, they did eat things that were not food in them. As for roll call, probably right. I'm taking a few liberties), Kakarots-Frying-Pan, Black Hawk Down (Nope. Please read on. I think you're thinking about Zechs), Kasra (Special thanks for reviewing, and Heero I belive lost track of time. But he's also very tough. I'll leave that open for speculation. And no, Duo is not homosexual in this story like you might have thought, though he is rather touchy-feely, especially in this chapter. But good note), kerwin inuyasha, michelle england, Wolfgirl333 (Read on, and you see), and Kinkosami (Sorry. I'm the angst queen, and this is Auschwitz, after all.) Please review my chapters, and I will personally thank you each time. Enjoy reading!

Warnings: mild yaoi later on, language, violence, anti-religious statements, death of main characters eventually

The sun beat down relentlessly upon them. Backs bent, eyes on the unyielding ground, pickaxes and shovels thumped against the ground with sick-sounding thuds that shook the atrophied bodies of the camp inmates each time they brought the heavy tools down.

Wufei glanced up from his work. The sun beat down on his ebony hair, which he was sure he could use to fry eggs on by now. He was sweating more than he ever had in his life, and it wasn't quite even noon yet. He brushed a few stray strands of black hair from his eyes that had pulled free from the short ponytail at the back of his head, surveying the group of diggers near them. Nearly every one of them was working unseeingly, their eyes blank, their bodies moving automatically. They were already corpses, just doing as they were told, waiting for death to come. He gritted his teeth in anger. They couldn't give up. That was giving in to the oppression they faced.

A little further down the row, a boy caught his eye. He looked to be about the same age as him and Heero. He had long, light brown hair that hung over his face, obscuring his eyes from vision. He was slightly taller but very slender, with long legs and strong arms. He worked with a sort of furious but controlled energy. Wufei gazed at him, keeping up his own digging.

For a few moments, the boy didn't acknowledge him at all. But then, as if sensing eyes upon him, he slowly looked up from what he was doing, not stopping his nearly furious digging pace. His long bangs obscured one of his eyes from vision, but the other emerald green one caught Wufei's eye. They gazed at each other for several moments before the brown haired youth glared slightly and looked back to his work. Wufei blinked in surprise, his digging pausing as he stared at him.

"Keep working!" growled one of the soldiers, marching past and giving him a kick in the leg. Wufei quickly dug his pick ax back into the heavy earth, glaring angrily at nothing, wanting to swing the ax and take off the guard's head, but the fact that the other guards all had guns did not point to his favor. He kept digging, fire burning intensely in his eyes.

Once the guard had passed, the teen further down that he had looked at before glanced up at him, watching him intensely. Wufei glanced up at him again. Their eyes locked for a moment before the youth gave him the barest hint of a smile, looked away, and went back to work.

Once lunch time came, when the sun was high overhead and beating down on them like a furnace, the guards let them stop, pointing towards a wagon that hosted several dozen bowls of some soup and a few bowls of coffee. Heero managed to get one of the bowls of coffee after shoving his way through the group, moving to Wufei's side with it. Wufei held onto his bowl of soup carefully, watching the other inmates push and shove for the food, as if it was their last meal. Perhaps it would be.

He and Heero sat down on the soft grass, slowly sipping their meal, passing the bowls back and forth. Wufei barely noticed the taste, his mind elsewhere. Who was that young man that seemed so focused and yet so distant from all that was taking place around him? He saw no hatred in the green eyes, only determination. A fire inside him stoked by the will to live burned within the slender body, controlling his movements and his actions. Wufei was so buried in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the taste of the soup with the consistency of water and the coffee with the consistency of sludge.

Suddenly someone moved in front of him, casting him into shadow. Wufei looked up, squinting as the sun behind the figure hit his dark eyes, obscuring the person's face in darkness, but he could make out bright green eyes and long, brown hair. The young man he had been looking at!

They regarded each other for a moment before the taller boy opened his mouth and let out a string of words, none of which Wufei recognized at the moment.

"Wie Bitte?"

"Pourquoi regardiez-vous fixement moi?" the boy repeated.

Wufei blinked. That definitely was not German… It sounded rather fast and nasal… French! He thought for a moment, trying to remember the little French he had studied in school. "Je… je ne… comprends pas. Parlez-vous alle… allemand?"

The green-eyed boy blinked, hesitated, before asking in weak, faltering German, "Why are you watch me?"

Wufei looked him in the eye before slowly answering, "You seemed different than everyone else."

The young man seemed to process that for a moment before slowly nodding, seemingly satisfied with that answer, not moving, regarding them with unreadable, green eyes. Finally, he spoke. "You too."

Wufei smiled just a tiny bit, setting down his bowl and getting to his feet. Standing right in front of the other, he could see the green-eyed boy was slightly taller and a bit more slender than he, but looked to be roughly the same age. "Chang Wufei," he said, holding out his hand to shake.

The boy glanced down at the hand before slowly taking it and giving it a formal shake. "Trowa Barton."

Wufei nodded, releasing the warm hand. "Where are you from?"

"Everywhere." Trowa flipped his arm over and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the blue marks on his arm reading G72543. "I am gypsy."

"A gypsy? Why would you be here?" Wufei asked, studying the numbers with a strange sort of curiosity.

"Gypsy are not 'pure'," Trowa said simply, as if that would explain the whole thing.

"Ah." Wufei was not quite sure how to respond to that, but he ended up not having to, because Heero stood up, regarding the taller teen with a suspicious look.

Wufei instantly realized he had been rude. "Trowa, this is Heero Yuy. Heero, this is Trowa Barton."

The two boys shared eye contact for a moment, neither extending a hand to shake.  Finally the boy called Trowa turned on his heel. "I go now."

Wufei nodded as Trowa strode away, then sat down again, picking up his bowl. Trowa Barton. A strong young man, and perhaps one day a valuable ally. Wufei would remember him.

"Hey, you made it back!" Duo congratulated as they returned from roll call, smiling brightly as they crawled up onto their bunk, a bit slower than they had the night before. Heero glowered in reply, Wufei just nodded sourly. Duo didn't seem to notice, or care, about their gloominess. They hadn't been allowed to talk during evening roll call, even when they were sharing dinner, and he wanted to make up for the hours of silence. "If you survived the first work day, that's always good. They didn't write down your numbers, did they?"

Wufei glanced at Heero, who raised a questioning brow.

"I'll take that as a no," Duo replied. "Good. Hey, I have something for each of you," he said, giving them a bright smile. He dropped his voice down low, leaning closer to them. "Since I work in the sorting group, I am able to organize some things when people need them." He gave them a cheerful grin, reaching down to his feet. "I got you some shoes, Heero. They're the same size, and hopefully closer a match than those other ones you're wearing." He slid something off his foot, and Heero realized he had put a larger pair of shoes around his own that he was wearing. It seemed like a rather tight fit, but they looked similar and easily passed for his shoes. "Try 'em on. I want to see if they fit."

Heero gave him a slight glare as Duo held out the shoes, bending over them so no one else would see. "I didn't ask for you to get them for me."

"You didn't know I could get them for you," Duo replied with a sweet smile. "I'm not asking anything in return. I just want you to have shoes that fit you. There's no way you'll be able to work properly with such mismatched shoes. Now, put these on before someone sees. We'll all be in trouble if they do." He held the shoes out again.

Heero quickly took them, slipping off his own mismated ones. He pulled the other ones on quickly. They fit almost perfectly, perhaps a bit big, but nothing he couldn't walk properly in. "They fit," he said simply.

"Good," Duo replied with a smile. "I had to get them big enough to fit over mine, which was not all that easy, but I figured we probably have about the same size feet."

Heero nodded once, curtly. Softly, as if he wasn't quite sure about saying it, he slowly replied, "I… appreciate it."

"No problem." Duo beamed at him. "If I can, I'll try to get you a smaller shirt too. You look like you're gonna drown in that one." He then turned to Wufei with another cheery grin. "I got you some bandages to put over that cut on your arm."

Wufei blinked in surprise. "How did you know about that?" he asked, glancing down at his long sleeve that went down just past his wrist. The large, but not deep, gash he had gotten on his arm at some point on the train was almost up by his shoulder on his arm. There was no way Duo could see it.

"I saw it when you took your shirt off for bed last night. Now, do you want them or not?"

Wufei blinked in surprise, but he nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Duo slipped off his left shoe and pulled out a long, white, folded strip, handing it to Wufei. "I was able to soak it with some stuff that will help keep the wound clean. It's dried by now, but it should still work through the bandages."

"How were you able to do that?" Wufei asked in surprise, slipping the bandages up his sleeve to hide them.

"The bottle had a leak," Duo said simply in a voice that clearly stated the bottle had had no such thing. "It spilled, and I cleaned it up."

Heero blinked and studied Duo. Under the cheerful smile and trustful, violet eyes, there was an intelligent young man who knew how to survive and how to help others survive with him. And he wasn't afraid to steal to do so. Duo was a valuable asset for information and possibly anything else he might need. Duo could help him find a way to get out of here, to dismantle the organization that was the SS and find a way to stop them and their cruelty…

"Well, I want to go to bed."

So much for getting information tonight. Heero watched as Duo pulled back the blankets on his side of the bed. He ached all over, and his stomach felt like a rock or a lead weight or the shovel he had been lugging around all day. He sighed and pulled the blankets over himself, nudging off his new shoes so they were down by the foot of the bed. Duo had really gone to great lengths to make sure they were protected and cared for. He had never met someone as kind and helpful. It was shocking to find such a caring person in the midst of this hellhole. Heero stared at Duo's relaxed form for a moment before closing his own dark blue eyes. Tomorrow he would have to thank Duo properly, but tonight he needed to sleep. After a few moments of trying to relax, Heero finally drifted off to sleep, wondering how much longer they would have to survive in this hell on earth.

The next few days passed in a whirl, melding into one long week. Duo kept Wufei and Heero close all the time except when they went off to dig trenches during the day. At nights they huddled together on the bed, trying to keep warm and talking quietly. Well, to be more accurate, Duo talked, Wufei listened, and Heero pretended to ignore.

The first week passed, and Heero and Wufei were adjusting to the ways of the camp. The not quite edible food was no longer a struggle to choke down, and the continuous work, though still horrible torture, did not leave them passed out on the bed as often.

Duo was braiding his hair later one evening after work, Heero staring at the ceiling, deep in thought, Wufei sitting still, meditating. It had been a long, tiring day, and no one, even Duo, really felt like talking.

All of a sudden the door of the barrack opened, shedding the fading evening light into the dim room. Everyone looked up worriedly. Duo glanced back at Heero and Wufei quickly. Selection? Now? Would Heero and Wufei be all right?

But no sharp command came, no soldiers with guns or officers with clipboards. Just two figures. A soldier, and one smaller figure, only half the size of the big man. A child, no older than them, with brilliant blond hair and wide, scared, blue eyes. The soldier shoved the boy a step forward, then backed up, slamming the door closed, trapping the tiny youth in the room.

The boy stared around the room in terror, like a kitten trapped in a dog pound. He clutched his two blankets to his chest like a shield, frantically looking for a friendly face.

"Oh, look at him," Duo said, peering over the edge of the bed at the blond boy. "He doesn't look old enough to be here…"

"None of us are either," Heero reminded him curtly, annoyed at having been disturbed from his thinking.

Duo shrugged. "Well, he needs a bunk, and we have plenty of room."

Plenty of room? Heero started to protest that there was barely enough room for himself, Duo, and Wufei all to lay flat on the bed without touching, but Duo was already off the bed and striding towards the little blond.

"Hey."

The sudden voice so close to him nearly made the tiny youth leap out of his skin. He dropped his blankets, looking frantically towards the voice, his heart pounding in his ears. A concerned pair of violet eyes met his own blue ones. "You okay?"

The voice was so gentle and caring that he almost melted on the spot. "I… I'm scared," he said softly to the owner of the gentle voice and caring eyes.

The boy's face turned into a pretty smile. "We're all scared, kiddo. Come on. You can bunk with me and my pals." He bent down to scoop up the blankets the blond boy had dropped. "What's your name?"

The boy seemed to pull himself upright in a regal pose, his back straight, his chin slightly lifted as he announced in a polite but firm voice, "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. My father is Frederick Winner, a politician from Berlin."

Duo stared at him for a second before blinking and rolling his eyes. "Come on, let's go, kid." He grabbed Quatre's arm and pulled him towards the bunk.

Wufei watched with amused, black eyes. "Duo certainly has a way with people."

Heero didn't bother to look up from where he was trying to roll up his pant legs to examine a scratch on his knee.

Duo pulled the shaking, blond boy over to their bunk and gave him a soft smile. "Up. Top bunk."

The blond boy looked mortified. "How am I supposed to get up?"

Duo blinked. "Climb. Come on, Quat, I'll make sure you don't fall."

"It's Quatre," the boy corrected, looking up hesitantly. He carefully grasped one of the wooden slats and tried to pull himself up, but he almost instantly landed on the ground again. Duo rolled his eyes.

"Wufei, can you grab his hand?"

Wufei nodded and slid his hand over the bed to grab Quatre's hand. Duo gave him a push, and Wufei pulled him up onto the bunk. Duo followed quick after him.

Quatre moved closer to Duo as he stared at Wufei and Heero. Wufei gave him the barest hint of a smile. Heero didn't even look up. "Guys, this is Quatre. Political prisoner," Duo replied, resting his hands lightly on Quatre's thin shoulders. "This is Chang Wufei, and that's Heero Yuy."

"Nice to meet you," Quatre said, smiling weakly, extending his hand politely to Wufei. Wufei gave a strange glance before shaking once, abruptly. Quatre moved his hand to Heero. Heero ignored him. Quatre seemed to melt, shrinking closer to Duo.

Duo smiled softly. "Come on. Let's bed down."

Quatre nodded slowly, taking his blankets from Duo's arms. "I… I forgot to ask, what is your name?"

"Inmate number J56322, Duo Maxwell." The braided teen grinned. "I've been here longest, so ask me if you have any questions."

"How long?" Quatre asked. "If… if you don't mind me asking?"

"About ten months, I think…"

Quatre looked surprised. "How have you been able to survive in such conditions?"

Duo shrugged. "You get used to it."

Quatre made a face. "It's absolutely filthy. I don't know why anyone would create such an awful place. That's what my father was trying to protest; the killing of innocent people, especially of one religion. So we were arrested. I was sent here… I don't know where the rest of my family is. My mother is dead, but I also have several sisters… I'm worried about what happened to them… None of them were home when we were arrested, so I'm hoping they escaped so they don't have to come to a place like this. But I hope to find my father, and maybe we can get out of here and go home… My father talked about moving me to America. He says there that's where people are free and are never oppressed like this, in such a horrible place-."

"Don't you ever shut up?" Heero snapped, finally looking up from his leg, cutting off the young man's words. "You're not the only one with problems, you know. You think any of us want to be here? We think this place is Hell too. So why don't you stop playing victim and shut up, rich brat?"

The blond-haired teen stared at him in shock, his mouth hanging loosely open, his cerulean eyes wide with surprise. No one ever talked to him like that. And… even if Heero was right, it was still rude…

He hung his head, looking blankly down at the wooden slats beneath them. Tears prickled the corners of his eyes, his hands clenching weakly at his sides.

A gentle touch on his shoulder made him jump. It was Duo. "Come on. Let's all just be quiet and go to sleep. All right?" He gave Heero a pointed glance, then moved to let Quatre lay down.

Quatre looked up at Duo gratefully. Even if he didn't defend him from Heero's words, he at least didn't want the fighting to continue. He looked around for a spot before realizing that, unless he wanted to sleep on the end, and risk possible falling off, he was going to have to sleep next to Heero on one side or another, since he was in the middle. "M… Maybe… I should… should find another bunk," he said softly, barely above a whisper.

"No way," Duo replied. "You wouldn't find one. And I'm not letting someone like you wander away by yourself. You would get everything stolen from you, down to your clothes, and you'd be chosen in no time. You're staying with us. Heero, move over."

Heero blinked in surprise. Duo was telling him to move for the sake of the little blond prince? The spoiled rich-boy that would probably be dead tomorrow anyway? He glared at Duo. "No."

"Move, or I will move you myself," Duo ordered. He figured that probably would not be a good idea, resulting in a few bruises at best, being tossed off the bunk at worst, but it was obvious none of them would sleep with Heero and Quatre next to each other.

"You touch me, and I'll kill you," Heero growled.

Duo sighed angrily. "You are such a bastard at times, Heero. Come on. Move."

"No."

Duo sighed again. "I got you your shoes…"

Well, he had a point there. Even if he hadn't wanted Duo's hospitality, he had gotten it, and it had probably saved him from the misery of painful walking. With a grudging glare, he moved over to the edge of the bed.

"Thanks, Heero," Duo replied, giving Quatre a nudge next to Wufei, laying down between him and Heero. Quatre slowly lay down, but he knew he would never be able to sleep like this. No pillow, only two thin blankets that weren't very big at all. The sounds of other people around him were almost deafening, he realized, when he tried to close his eyes. He rolled over, then rolled over again, but every time he did, he still found an edge of a plank in the middle of his back. He rolled again with a soft sigh.

"You're keeping those of us who'd like to live awake," Heero snapped from the other side of Duo. "Stop moving, or I'll break your neck to make you stop."

Quatre froze in his spot shamefully, his pale cheeks bright red.

Duo gave Heero's leg a soft kick, which Heero ignored, before he gently pulled Quatre closer to him, holding him to his chest in a big-brother embrace. "You'll get used to it, Quatre. Just try to sleep."

Quatre nodded slowly, grateful for the warmth of Duo near him, Wufei on the other side, keeping him protected from cold. He slowly closed his eyes, trying to sleep. Tomorrow was another day. Maybe he'd wake up, and this would be all just a bad dream. Maybe.

Duo was up early the next morning, surveying his little group of bedmates as he brushed his hair back from his face. On his right was Heero, curled up with his arm under his head, the blankets down around his waist. On his left was Quatre, curled up in a ball, his blankets both pulled up to his chin, for warmth, comfort, or a bit of both, Duo wasn't sure. The boy looked too thin in his clothes, too delicate and fragile, like a crystal vase. And then there was Wufei. The Chinese boy was resting on his back, his hands folded neatly on his stomach, his eyes closed peacefully even as his brow wrinkled just a bit in… something… Concern, anger, hostility… It was anyone's guess.

But Quatre… What to do with Quatre? He was so weak, digging and building would break him quickly, and he wasn't cut out for sorting since he seemed rather inept to stealing… What to do with him? He needed to have a job, or he would be chosen immediately… What could he do?

Duo sighed and straightened his clothes, listening to the soft sounds other people were making around them. Snoring, coughing, talking, shuffling, rolling… Oi, it was just plain loud. He sighed and glanced down at Quatre again. The young man was traumatized, but what could they do? Heero hated him, Duo wanted to protect him, and Wufei… Well, he wasn't sure what Wufei felt about him, but whoever knew what Wufei felt anyway? He was in the middle playing mediator for everyone as well as playing mother, doctor, and overall caretaker. It was a damn hard job, and it was just going to get harder with Quatre around now.

A soft snort from his right made him look over. Heero blinked awake, staring straight out over the edge of the bunk, as if trying to figure out where he was before he sat up and turned to face Duo, flexing his shoulders in his version of a stretch, his dark blue eyes pegging him with his usual it's-morning-what-should-I-expect-today look.

Duo gave him a soft grin, stretching himself. He was sure he didn't hurt as much as Heero and Wufei did… "Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

Heero gave Duo a dark glare. Duo made jokes in the morning. Heero hated jokes in the morning. "I slept well. After that little blond prince stopped moving around."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Leave him alone, Heero. You were new last week."

"He's a spoiled brat!" Heero retorted angrily. "He's not going to make it to tomorrow. Why should we waste our time with him?"

A sudden sniff cut off Duo's hot response back. Beneath the two blankets, Quatre's lean frame was shivering, muffled sobs coming from somewhere beneath them. Evidently, Quatre had not been asleep like they had thought. Duo gave Heero a rough shove of annoyance and leaned over the tiny teenager. "Quatre?"

"Go away." The blanket pulled tighter over the blond body.

"Hey, Quatre, look at me."

"No. You hate me."

"I don't hate you," Duo replied, slowly reaching out one thin hand to gently touch Quatre's shaking shoulder. "Please look at me."

There was a moment of hesitation before the tiny blond head peeked out from under the covers, scared, blue eyes finding Duo's own violet ones. Duo gave the young man a soft smile. "Hey. Listen, I don't hate you. None of us do." He ignored a sudden snort from Heero. "We're all afraid, and we're all stressed and tired. It's not you, all right?"

Quatre cast a glance over Duo's shoulder at Heero, who pegged him with a nasty glare. Quatre shivered and moved closer to Duo. "A… All right… I do not mean to cause any trouble."

"I know." Duo gave him a bright grin. "Well, let's wake up Wufei and start getting ready."

"I am awake," Wufei replied from near them, opening one black eye calmly.

"Geez, am I the only one who wakes up and looks like I'm awake?" Duo teased, giving Wufei a bright smile, holding Quatre gently to his chest, as it seemed the boy needed to be held. He was shaking like a leaf.

Wufei raised a slender, dark brow at the joke, then pulled his shirt over his head. Duo shrugged. Maybe Quatre would enjoy jokes in the morning. He'd have to test that theory. But now was time to get his troop ready for today.

"Quatre, you stick with me, all right? Heero and Wufei have their job assignments already, and so do I. I need to find something for you to do that won't overwork you."

Quatre whimpered softly and snuggled closer against him. "I… I'm not very strong," he said softly. "And I don't have any real skills…"

"I can understand that," Duo said softly, stroking the soft blond hair that had not yet become dirty from the camp. Quatre must have been taken directly to the camp, not through the train circuit. "Hey, Quatre, we have a little time… Can you tell me more about how you got here?"

Quatre nodded slowly. "We… we were at home… My father had been trying to arrange to send me to America. He… he wanted to speak out against Hitler… But he wanted my sisters and I to be safe. But… they suddenly came for us… My sisters were staying with my grandparents…"

Duo was vaguely aware that both Heero and Wufei were listening in hidden interest, Wufei so as not to be rude, Heero because of his pride. He held Quatre tighter.

"They… they grabbed my father… They dragged him away… And…. And the rest grabbed me…" Quatre's alto voice was trembling. "They… they dragged me out the door and into a truck… They blindfolded me and tied my hands up… And… the truck drove… It felt like forever… There was someone else with me… A guard… I asked him where my father was, and he… he…" Quatre was crying now. "He said I'd be joining him soon… I… I think they might have sent him here, to this place…"

Duo bit his tongue, looking up over Quatre's head to Wufei, a silent message beaming between them. Anyone who opposed the Nazi party nowadays was shot, not sent to the camps. Quatre was still a child, so perhaps they had figured he would be better off as a worker than dead. Quatre was alone now. However, he was sure Quatre thought he would still be reunited with his family.

"We… we drove for… I… I don't even know how long… It felt like days… They never gave me food or water… They…. They brought me here… And now I'm here with you. Do you think we will be able to find my father?" Blue eyes looked up hopefully at Duo. Duo bit his tongue again.

"Well, uh… There's thousands of people here, Quatre. The odds…"

Quatre snuggled closer against Duo sadly. "I… I miss my family."

"I know… We'll take care of you, Quatre." Duo stroked the soft hair gently. "We'll be your family, til… til you find your real one."

"Th… thanks."

"We should go now, kids," Duo said as he heard the sound of the lock being unbolted. "Quatre, you stick by me. We need to find you a job." He moved over to slide over the side of the bed as Heero and Wufei got down, then glanced up, waiting for Quatre. "Are you skilled in anything?"

Quatre glanced worriedly over the side of the bed, gazing down at the floor so far away. "I… I'm not sure…"

"Come on, let's go." Heero glanced up at Quatre impatiently.

Quatre swallowed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, but his hands gripped the blankets tightly.

Duo sighed and moved to stand below him. "Come on, Quatre, jump. I'll catch you."

Heero rolled his eyes. "Can't he do anything for himself? Come on, Wufei. Let's not be late."

Quatre's face burned in shame, looking shyly at Duo. "Promise you'll catch me?"

"Promise. Come on. If we're late we'll be punished."

Quatre took a deep breath and slid over the side of the bed, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt himself drop for a moment before he felt slender but strong arms around him. He opened his eyes and looked shyly up at Duo. "Thank you."

"No problem. Come on, we gotta go." Duo set him down, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the crowd of people, followed close by Heero and Wufei. "So, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have any special skills?"

"N… Not really… I did well in school…"

"Can you build things? Sew?"

"I… I can cook," Quatre replied softly. "I used to help my sisters all the time at home."

"Great! That's perfect for you!" Duo shoved Quatre out the door, and the blond teen shivered as the sudden cold air rushed over him.

"Move it." Heero gave him a shove.

Quatre turned back to him, hurt in his eyes. "Why are you so mean to me?"

"Because I'd rather be concentrating on saving my own life than on saving a miserable brat like you."

Tears filled Quatre's eyes, and he stepped closer to Duo.

Duo gave Heero a slight glare. "You seem to forget we're all in the same boat here, Yuy. Now shut up, or I'll leave you on your own!"

Wufei abruptly interrupted the glaring match that ensued. "If we do not hurry, we are going to be punished."

Duo nodded and shooed all three of the boys in place like a fussy mother hen, situating himself between Quatre and Heero, putting Quatre in the front. "Now just stay still."

"You won't leave me, will you?" Quatre worried.

"Not now. We're going to have to be separated for work. I'll do my best to get you into the kitchen crew. You just have to trust me."

"Will I be able to go back to you?"

"Later this evening, when work is over," Duo promised. "We'll be lined back up, not in this group, but you should be all right. Then, once that's over, you can come back to our barracks, and we'll be together again."

"Unless you get killed first," Heero muttered darkly.

Quatre let out a terrified squeak. Duo was saved the trouble of turning around to smack him by Wufei who gave Heero a nasty glare. Quatre looked ready to bolt. Duo set his hands reassuringly on the boy's thin shoulders. "Hey, calm down. Quatre, do you trust me?"

"Y… Yes…" The boy's alto voice was no more than a whisper.

"Then relax. I will not let anything happen to you. Repeat. I will not."

Quatre nodded slowly, doing his best to relax his tense body. Duo's hands rubbed his shoulders for a moment until he was as relaxed as he could possibly be in the present situation, then left him to fall back to his sides. "Duo?"

"Shh. No talking in line."

"Oh. Sorry." Quatre faced forward again, resisting the urge to rub his eyes. He was so tired, so cold… So hungry… What did they eat here in camp? Surely it must be all right if all these people were still living. Especially Duo, who had been here for so long… He found himself imagining juicy slabs of beef, warm dumplings, sugary desserts… His mouth watered at the very thought of them.

Wind whipped over him, slapping him across the face, as if to snap him out of the warm reverie he had been in. He immediately felt cold again, and so hungry… How long had they been standing there? It felt like all day, but the sky was only beginning to change to gray, the stars only beginning to extinguish themselves like tiny candles. He stared at the wide, open sky for several minutes, watching the clouds billow and shimmer with a few hints of silver… He shivered again from cold, shifting his weight on his feet. His knees felt like they were on fire. How could anyone endure such torture?

A few stray birds winged their way across the sky, twisting and gliding as if they had not a care in the world, as if the giant billows of black smoke from the nearby chimney did not choke them, as if the long fence of barbed wire meant nothing. Free and happy, they coiled their way through the overhanging morning fog, chirruping their song so brightly…

For a moment, Quatre thought the birds had done an amazing loop-the-loop before he suddenly found his vision going white, and, before he even could acknowledge what was going on, found himself on the ground, amidst the dirt and stones.

Almost as quickly, a pair of arms swooped down on him, hauling him to his feet. Bony arms with wrists that looked like a child's…

Duo pulled the smaller boy up, nearly losing his own balance in the process. "You have to stay up, Quatre," he told him, holding him back against his warm chest in an effort to warm him and give him a moment to find his strength. "Those who fall do not often stand up again. Please. Stay up."

Quatre nodded miserably, finding his footing again, though his legs screamed for the relief that the collapse had brought. "Duo… I'm so hungry…"

"Not much longer now," Duo assured him. "Hey, you know what's so good about the kitchen crew? You get to eat all you want."

"Really?"

"Really." Duo's hands rested on Quatre's shoulders. Anything he could do to keep the blond alert and take his mind away from standing… "You don't get your bread ration, to make up for it, but you get to eat good stuff. Potatoes, and carrots…"

Quatre's stomach let out an embarrassing growl at the thought. "Mmm… I… I will bring some for you then. And Heero and Wufei."

"No!" Duo replied quickly. "Don't. They frisk you every time you leave that building. If you're caught with food, it's over, understand me? Don't you ever sneak anything out of there! No matter what! I will not have you die like that."

Quatre's bright blue eyes were wide with surprise at Duo's sudden frantic outburst. He nodded slowly, cuddling into Duo's arms worriedly. "I… I don't want to die."

"We're all in the same boat," Duo replied gently. "I'll do my best to watch over you. But you're going to have to watch over yourself too. All right?"

"A… All right," Quatre replied softly.

"Good. Now, can you stand up?"

"Y… Yes."

Duo smiled and set Quatre up on his feet. "Face front now. Shouldn't be too much longer before breakfast."

They stood still for how long was anyone's guess, and Quatre was starting to fall asleep standing up, blinking sleepily, swaying from foot to foot before the entire group of men straightened up as one, making Quatre jolt awake. "Wh… What's going on?"

"Shh." Duo gave him a poke. "Roll call. Just stay still."

Quatre did his best to obey Duo, holding still. A young woman with tight buns on either side of her head walked down the rows, counting off the groups, landing a sharp tap on the head of the front person. Quatre steeled himself for the blow he knew was coming, suppressing a whimper of pain when the baton landed on his own forehead.

After the counting was over, Quatre allowed himself a moment to rub at his forehead before Duo moved past him to scoop up a bowlful of breakfast, moving back to them. "You okay, Quatre?"

"Yeah… I think so…"

"Good." Duo handed the bowl to Heero who took a few swallows before handing it behind him to Wufei who followed suit. Duo took the bowl, wiping the edge on the hem of his shirt before holding it out to Quatre. "Here, you drink first."

Quatre shivered. He could smell it from here, and it stank worse than anything he had ever smelt before. He lifted the bowl to his lips, keeping his eyes on Duo's a moment before opening his mouth and taking in a mouthful.

He barely managed to swallow before he dropped to his knees and threw up, tears falling from his eyes as he coughed and retched again, heaving up everything that had been in his stomach.

Duo sighed, retrieving his bowl from the dusty ground before rubbing Quatre's back gently with one hand. "Shh. Okay now?"

Quatre looked up at him through bleary, red-rimmed eyes. "That's disgusting…"

"I know… Well, you don't have to swallow anymore of it, cause it's all gone," Duo replied with his best attempt at a smile.

Quatre instantly looked remorseful. "Oh, Duo, I'm sorry… I spilled your soup too…"

"Hey, no worries, all right? Looks like we get coffee this morning. I'll get some of that, and we'll be just fine, all right?"

Quatre nodded weakly, rubbing at his mouth. Duo smiled softly at him before getting up and heading over to the huge cauldron that was already surrounded by several dozen men, all vying for positions around it.

Heero rolled his eyes at the blond on the ground while Wufei simply remained stone-faced. Quatre scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt from his hands and knees. He didn't look at either of the others as he moved back into place in line.

Duo returned with a bowl of black sludge that Quatre assumed was coffee. Duo held the bowl this time, letting Quatre take a few sips. It was absolutely awful, but Quatre forced himself to swallow, making sure he left more than enough for Duo, since he had spilled the soup before. Duo smiled before taking a drink himself.

It seemed the harsh, straight lines had dissipated just a bit as people ate under the watchful eyes of the guards, and Quatre found his eyes roaming the crowd. So many men, so many lives… How many of them were political prisoners like him? And how many of them were Jews who had been snatched from their homes and sent here without so much as a backward glance? So many men… All blended into one in this mass of thousands…

Suddenly someone caught his eye. Quatre blinked and stared, mesmerized by the young man. A taller youth, probably about the same age as them, with brilliant, green eyes, and long, chestnut hair. Quatre wondered why that boy, among all the young men had caught his eye, but he could not look away. There was just something about him… Something that made Quatre want to talk to him, to spend time with him… That was silly… But yet the boy still drew his attention…

"Duo?" he asked softly. "Who is that boy?"

Duo glanced over his shoulder, lowering his bowl, then shrugged. "Dunno. There's way too many people in this camp to know everyone."

"Oh…"

Wufei's eyes followed Quatre's over to the green-eyed youth, then blinked. The boy from before… He had not seen him in over a week now, since the first time they had talked, for his Kommando had been transferred over to a new digging unit.  "His name is Trowa Barton. He is a gypsy."

"Trowa… Barton…" Quatre mused over that for a moment before giving Wufei a thank-you smile. "I… I would like to talk to him."

Wufei raised a brow. "He is no longer working with us. I do not know how to arrange that."

"Silly. You go over and talk to him." Duo suddenly turned, shoving his bowl into Heero's hands, and bounded away after casting a wary glance at the guards.

Heero blinked, then rolled his eyes.

The young man looked up as the braided teenager approached him. "Oui?" he asked, regarding Duo closely.

Duo stopped short, hesitating, before smiling sweetly, saying in nearly perfect French, "Mon nom est Duo. Et vous?"

"Trowa Barton." The young man smiled softly at the violet-eyed boy. "Vous parlez français admirablement."

Duo blinked and smiled brightly before dropping his voice down low, continuing in German now, "I'm afraid I don't know anymore than what I just said. Do you understand German?"

Trowa seemed to hesitate over the words for a moment before nodding slowly. "Ja… A little…"

Duo grinned brightly, then continued on. "Listen… My friends over there were wondering… Would you like to switch barracks so you can stay with us? We'd love to have you in our little group…"

Trowa blinked in surprise at the offer, glancing over at where Heero, Wufei, and Quatre all stood, regarding him silently. "I… I would like… We seem be about same age… But is really that easy for change?"

Duo nodded. "Just find someone willing to switch with you."

Trowa hesitated, glancing back at them again, then nodded. "All right. I see I can do."

Duo grinned. "Great! See ya later, hopefully." He gave Trowa his signature bright smile, then turned and trotted back over to his little contingent of teenagers.

"What did he say?" Quatre asked eagerly as Duo hurried back to them.

"Well, from what I can understand of him, he would like to join our group. So, we need to find someone willing to switch with him."

"That would be wonderful!" Quatre replied eagerly. "Do you think he could really join us?"

"If we can find someone willing to switch blocks with him…"

"Is that easy to do?" Wufei questioned as he took a sip of coffee from Duo's proffered bowl.

"Depends… Since it's just one person, should be pretty easy. I'll see what I can do."

"Duo, you don't have to do that," Heero replied, his voice low and flat. "You've already done so much for us."

Duo shook his head slowly. "Hey, don't worry about it, Heero. I said I would, and I don't go back on a promise."

Quatre smiled brightly, thankfully. "You're so wonderful, Duo."

Duo laughed softly, twitching his braid over his shoulder. "Well, I try."

Even Heero smiled at that comment before Duo fussed them all back into line again. "Okay, fun's over. Back in line, children."

Quatre faced forward again, feeling much more cheerful at the prospect of having another teenager with them, one that perhaps might like him.

Well, the day hadn't been as bad as he had counted on. Quatre spent the entire day peeling carrots and potatoes, but whenever he was feeling hungry, he could eat one, and no one said a word. Many people were eating more than he was. And he could sit down, rather than standing up the whole day. It got really hot inside the building, with its low roof and smoky fires, but not nearly as hot as it was outside. Duo was right. It was a good job. If only they could all be together, that would be so much better. Lunchtime came, and they got soup, and some of the people left to carry the huge tureen of soup to the other people in the camp. But the end of the day, Quatre was tired but feeling better, barely noticing when they were frisked and shoved into line to be counted before they were allowed to go wander back to their barracks.

Duo was back already in their bunk when Quatre slid inside, looking around in hopes of finding someone he knew. He smiled down at the blond teenager. "Welcome back. How was work?"

"Not bad at all," Quatre replied, stepping up onto the bottom bunk, pulling himself up as Duo grabbed his hand to pull him the rest of the way. "Thank you, Duo, for setting me up with it."

Duo grinned. "No problem. Did anyone give you any trouble?"

Quatre shook his head. "No."

"Good. There's some nasty people who work in the kitchen, but if you just ignore- Hey, there's Wufei and Heero." Duo lay on his back, letting his head with his long braid drape over the end of the bunk like a rope, giving them an upside-down smile. "Welcome back, guys."

The two barely acknowledged the braided teen's attempt at humor, clambering up onto the bunk and collapsing without a word. Quatre moved out of their way, glancing worriedly at Duo. 'Are they okay?' he mouthed.

Duo sat up and nodded slowly. "Hey, guys. You two need anything?"

Two dark heads shook no, but otherwise, nothing moved. Duo sighed and moved to sit down next to them. "Overworked again?"

Wufei nodded while Heero groaned in response. Duo sighed softly. It was so cold in the morning even though it was only April, and then it grew to the eighties at the hottest point in the afternoon, which made outdoors work nearly impossible. And in the summer it would only get worse, which could lead to a breakdown from one or both of them, Duo worried. One could only work so long at such torture, and the last thing he wanted to do was lose his little group. They were his family now, and he wanted to protect them, the way his family had protected him not so long ago. "Just rest, you two. I'll get dinner when it comes."

"Thank you," Wufei replied softly.

Duo nodded. "No prob. But while you're resting, I'm gonna go look for someone willing to switch with that French gypsy."

Quatre smiled, watching as Duo slid off the bunk, then lay down next to Wufei, sighing softly. He was silent for a moment before slowly sitting up to look at them. "Wufei? Heero?"

There was no answer, but Quatre was sure they were listening. "I… I'm sorry I was such a brat yesterday and today… I… I was scared, and… I know I'm spoiled… I'll try not to complain anymore…"

It was silent for a minute, and Quatre was worried they weren't going to respond before two pairs of eyes opened to look at him. Heero gave him a nasty glare and closed his eyes again. Quatre swallowed hard, glancing at Wufei. "Get some sleep, Quatre," the Oriental teen replied softly, as if Quatre had not said anything. "You're going to need to keep up your strength."

"Oh." Quatre nodded and slowly lay back down.

By the next morning, Duo had indeed followed through on his promise and had found a young Polish man willing to switch places with Trowa so he could be near his ailing grandfather. So, by the end of the week, Trowa was able to move into Barrack 19 to join their group, arriving just after dinner had ended.

Duo grinned and scooted over as the lanky teenager clambered up onto their bunk as nimbly as a monkey, sitting in front of them with his legs crossed primly underneath him. "Bonjour," he replied, surveying each of the teenagers separately in turn. "Je suis Trowa Barton." He paused, looking for any sign of comprehension. "Est-ce que n'importe qui comprend le français?"

Duo blinked, then grinned softly and shook his head. "We're all Germans here, Tro. Think you can understand most of what we say?"

Trowa hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I… think yes. If speak slow you."

Duo nodded slowly. "We can do that." He put a hand lightly on Quatre's shoulder. "This is Quatre. He's the reason you're here with us."

Trowa smiled, bowing his head slightly at Quatre. Quatre smiled brightly back.

"And this is Wufei. And that is Heero," Duo replied, pointing to each boy in turn.

"I am please to meet," Trowa replied, giving them a soft smile before suddenly turning away and coughing painfully. Duo's smile faded, sitting up just a bit straighter. Shit…

No one else seemed very worried, so Duo quickly pushed the thought aside. Later would be better. "All right, all right, I think we all need to get to bed now," he said, motioning for Trowa to lay down on the blanket. "Can't have everyone exhausted in the morning."

Everyone consented and lay down as Duo instructed, blankets going over atrophied bodies to protect again the night's chill.

Duo lay on his side, gazing over the four people lying next to him. Quatre. Trowa. Heero. Wufei. His friends, his family. They were all he had now. He cared about them so much, even Trowa as the newest addition. He would give his life for any of them, he knew. They were his life, and they would all get out of this together. With that thought, he lay back against the hard wood and closed his violet eyes. Tomorrow was another day, after all.

(Well, that's all to this chapter. Please review, and I will thank you next chapter. I don't mind criticism if it's constructive. Thank you for reading!)