Notes: Yay!!! I got it done before I had to leave. Well, as I said in the last chapter, this one just kinda flowed out of my pen onto the paper. I doubt the next chapter will flow so smoothy and quickly, but I can always hope. I have to apologize ahead of time to my best friend Quatre. You're gonna be mad at me for this... But I hope you don't stay mad for too long. I promise it's not too bad. ::slips into full blown Duo mode:: Well, maybe not for you, but...well, let me stop yackin' so you can read my story.

After Heero destroyed the piece of Libra that threatened to kill all life on earth, the five gundam pilots and the crew of Peacemillion were invited by Lady Une to celebrate the new found peace brought about by the end of the war back on earth. They were understandably hesitant, but were assured that they held no ulterior motives and that it was simply a show of good faith. The celebration was rather dull in Duo's mind. Quatre noticed the braided pilot's boredom and approached him.

"Hey, let's go get some fresh air."

"Sounds great. Maybe it'll help me wake up a little."

They stepped out into the lavish garden where they encountered Lady Une. "Duo Maxwell," she started. "I would like to apologize for the trouble I've caused you. I hope you can forgive me."

"I guess so," he replied. "Why not? You were just following Trieze's orders, after all."

"Would you do me the honor of showing me your wings?"

With a shrug, Duo spread his wings through his already torn shirt. Lady Une admired them for a moment and with a smile of appreciation, went back inside. Quatre came up behind Duo and began stroking the majestic wings which now bore very few black feathers. The sensation made Duo's knees weak, the blond pilot catching him as his knees buckled.

"Are you okay, Duo?" he asked sweetly, helping him back to his feet. Light blue eyes were captivated by the cobalt oceans before him, as they were filled with pleasure, vulnerability, and loneliness. Without thinking, Quatre pulled the boy closer and gently kissed him before helping him sit in a nearby chair. He noticed the wings before him had paled almost fully to white and stroked Duo's cheek softly. The cobalt eyes now looked upon Quatre with a similar sparkle…the loneliness replaced with desire. The innocent pilot sat on Duo's lap, wrapped his arms around the other's neck, and they shard a passionate lip lock for what felt like an eternity.

As the sounds of the gather died off, Duo retracted his wings and the two stood. With a smile, he moved the bags from Quatre's face. "I'll tell the others we're leaving. Wait for me right here."

"I will," Quatre giggled, as he kissed the tip of Duo's nose. Watching him walk toward the door, the enamored boy sat. He sighed deeply before he felt a hand cover his mouth and a prick in his neck, darkness enveloping him.

Quatre?" Duo called out as he returned. He noticed a piece of paper sitting on the chair they'd occupied. It was addressed to him. He opened it and his brow creased in anger as he read. Duo Maxwell, I'm glad to see you survived the war. You are simply too precious to die. I would like you to meet me tomorrow at the remains of the Maxwell church at sundown. If you choose not to comply, I'm afraid 04 will be executed. He snarled fiercely, his body beginning to tremble with rage. I suggest you cooperate. Come alone and unarmed. As long as my terms are met, 04 will be released. You have my word. Duo screamed wildly before taking off in flight to his Deathscythe, heading straight for the L2 colony cluster.

He reached the colony many hours early, resting for hours amongst the ruins of what had once been his home. Memories of his childhood came back to him as he sat, only to be interrupted by the sound of a small ship landing and then footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Duo Maxwell…"

His eyes shot open at the sound of that familiar voice. "I can't be…" he started, slowly standing and turning around to face his living nightmare. "You're dead…I saw you die…"

"What you saw," Trieze purred, "was the Tallgeese I had fitted as a mobile doll get destroyed. My plan worked perfectly. Though I hadn't expected to find the one you love left unattended. How wonderful that this forced you to come to me willingly, just to save that boy's life."

"Damn you! Where's 04? I swear, if you hurt him-"

"You need not worry. He is safe and unharmed."

"Let me see him."

"First, you must be searched."

With a sigh, he held his arms out parallel to the ground before a pair of hands patted him down to search for weapons. Damn! he thought as the man found all of his hidden lock picks…one in his braid, one in the hidden compartment of his pocket, and one in his left boot. When the man completed his search, Duo crossed his arms before his chest and glared at Trieze.

"He is unarmed, Your Excellency."

"Now let me see him!"

"Of course." He snapped his fingers and two men emerged from the small ship behind him, carrying an unconscious Quatre by his arms.

"What have you done to him?"

"I can assure you, he's fine. The drugs have simply not worn off. He will awaken soon."

"You bastard!" he growled as he took a step toward Quatre, but was stopped as one of the men held a gun to the blond boy's temple. "Alright," he sighed in utter defeat. "We'll do this your way." He held his hands behind his head to show that he did not intend to fight, closing his eyes in frustration.

"Restrain him," Trieze ordered the man who had searched Duo moments ago. The man pulled Duo's hands behind his back and clamped a set of thick, heavy-duty cuffs around his wrists. "Excellent. Now take him to the ship."

As the man pushed him forward, Duo decided to open his mouth. "Alright. You have me. Tell your goons to let 04 go. If you don't honor your part of the deal, I swear, I will kill you where you stand."

He nodded and the two men put Quatre down. He slowly approached his defiant captive with a smile, stopping mere inches from the boy. "There is no need for such rude comments from you," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"So, what do you plan to do with me now?" Duo demanded, his eyes piercing through Trieze.

He pulled a long, thick piece of fabric from his pocket. "First, I will silence that loud mouth of yours." Duo's eyes opened widely as he sealed his lips shut and shook his head in defiance. Trieze cleared his throat and the man behind Duo took a firm grip on the braid, snapping his head back. As Duo inadvertently gasped for air Trieze forced the fabric between his lips and handed the ends to the other man who tied it off tightly, gagging the boy. "Ah…much better. Now, shall we be off?" Trieze said before they all boarded the ship, leaving Quatre still unconscious amongst the ruins.

As they entered the ship Duo was pushed into a large cage, the door slamming shut behind him. Trieze slid a chair up to the bars and sat, gleaming at his prize. "I thought you might enjoy some room to spread your wings. Oh, I wouldn't bother trying to escape. This cage and your restraints were both forged of gundanium alloy. And I wouldn't count on your bothersome friends finding you either. This time…you are mine."

Duo had so much he wanted to say if he could. His soul drowning in despair, he realized that Trieze was right. ..he wasn't going to be able to escape this time. He decided to simply lay down on his side, releasing his (once again) black wings to wrap around his body for warmth, and hoped to find some solace in sleep. Well, at least Quatre's safe now. I never even got to tell him how I feel about him…

Notes: Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Damn, I am so mean...why do I do this to my favorite character? I don't know... ::takes a deep breath trying to pull myself back together:: Anyways, I will try to get the next chapter up asap, but I doubt it will come to me as quickly as this one did. As always, please R&R. I love to hear what everyone thinks. ~Duo