Title: The Devil Has Blue Eyes

By: Aina Song

Fandom(s): Gundam Wing

Genre: Yaoi (with some Het thrown in)

Rating: PG-15

Warning(s): Contraband; Fusion; Language; Death; Murder.

Pairing(s): Heero/Quatre (constant mentionings of Het pairings)

Reviews: Yes, please.

Author's Note: (I'm afraid my usual Disclaimer will not be enough this time, so bear with me.) I, Aina Song, hereby acknowledge the illegality of the following fusion fiction, which is based very thickly upon Clara Wimberly's The Jeweled Heart of Rosemont Castle. I do not claim any rights or privileges her book may have earned her, nor due I claim credit for the book itself. This fanfiction follows her plot almost to the letter, with few changes tossed in here and there, but I must again press that it does so without the explicit permission of Ms. Wimberly, her editor(s), or her publisher(s). This fiction was not written for money; I do not profit from this in any way, shape, or form. Please excuse the illegality of it all, and I do hope my own readers will try to look past my unlawfulness and enjoy the fiction nonetheless. Thank you.

Teaser: He did not care that he was the lost heir to a winery fortune - especially since he couldn't remember that earliest piece of his childhood. He only wanted to reclaim the family that had been kept from him. But there was another who was determined to unmask him as an imposter. And, at the same time, a strange cold presence stirred again at his return, anxious to finish what it had started so long ago…

Chapter Six

He had no idea what to do. The words and manner of Treize Khushrenada had cheered and encouraged him. Yet Heero had managed to wipe it all away in only a few moments and leave him feeling even more unwelcome than before.

What was Quatre to do, sit there in his room until the arrogant man gave him permission to leave it? Was he going to leave everything in Heero's hands… his future at Rosemont, certainly his happiness at the moment.

Quatre took a deep breath and dragged himself up from the floor. Angrily, he wiped his eyes and went to the washstand to throw cool water on his flaming cheeks.

He would not sit quietly in his bedroom, conveniently out of Heero Yuy's way. And he would not skulk around apologetically as though he had done something wrong. He had seen his mother's portrait, and he knew as only a son could that this was his home. And if his feelings for Treize Khushrenada were not quite so strong, well, he was certain that would come with time. After all, he'd had a father all his life, one that he'd loved dearly, and the treasured memory of Rasid would not leave him so quickly.

Quatre made his way downstairs, taking the wrong hallway twice before he finally found the kitchen. He was pleased to see Sally there and went in with a smile to greet her.

Her eyes grew wide and speculative, and she moved close to him with a noted caution. "Well, lad, you've certainly managed to stir up this stuffy old household. Is it true?" She handed him a slice of freshly baked bread which he took gratefully.

"If you mean is Treize Khushrenada really my father, then I must tell you I honestly don't know. I have no proof, except a piece of a shirt that once belonged to me. But when I saw the portrait of my mother, of Leia Khushrenada, I felt something. At this point, no one else would believe it's anything but wishful thinking."

"Well, if you're a swindler, lad, you're a good one. Because I believe you. Besides, didn't I say that you look familiar? Just like her… even excusing the gender difference." She lifted her brows and smiled at him, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Thank you," Quatre said. "I'm glad you believe me, especially after…" He hesitated, not wanting to become overly familiar with anyone yet. Rasid had taught him caution with strangers, and even though this friendly woman seemed kind and sympathetic, he could not be sure she really meant it.

"After what, lad? Heero? Mister Chang did mention some unfriendly words between you two." She smiled knowingly at Quatre as he tried to appear disinterested. "Don't pay him any mind; he's not nearly so fierce as he would have you think. He's protective and he's cautious, but there's not a mean bone in his body."

Quatre wasn't so sure, but he didn't argue.

After learning the directions to the stable, he took another slice of hot bread and went out the back door. He took his time, strolling through the kitchen courtyard he'd seen the day before. He stopped to pull sprigs of various herbs, crushing them between his fingers and letting their fragrance brush his troubled thoughts away.

The stable was well away from the castle, past a narrow stand of oak and beech trees. There was a young man working there, placing hay into the various stalls.

"Hello," Quatre said tentatively, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey," he answered with a small smile as he looked up at the blond. He was not much older than Quatre, tall and slim and somewhat attractive. Quatre wondered with a touch of mischief if this was the strong, handsome man that Cathy had been so eager to sneak off to last night.

"I was told my mare was brought here."

"So," he grinned. "You're the one with the fancy filly."

"Well… I've never thought of Sandi as fancy…"

"Oh, but she is," he insisted, knowingly. "She's a real fine horse. Even Mister Heero was impressed with her, and he's a real good judge of horses."

Quatre clenched his jaw and walked away. "So I hear."

He laughed. "You two have some words?"

"Words? Yes, I suppose you could say that," he replied stiffly. "Where is Sandi?"

"She's right back here," he said, still chuckling.

Sandi was happy to see her rider. She nibbled at Quatre's hand and whinnied contentedly. It was difficult getting the saddle on her, because she kept pushing her nose back against his shoulder as he worked. "Stop it, now," he reprimanded, shoving her head back around with a laugh. But Quatre had to admit, seeing her brought a familiarity that he very much needed, and by the time he rode out of the stable he was feeling much better about his situation.

Sandi was frisky, having been penned up for so long. Quatre reined her toward a long, narrow roadway surrounded by a thick forest of trees on both sides. Once on the road he let her run, laughing as they went, enjoying the feel of the wind that roared in his ears and threatened to free his gypsy's tail.

Suddenly they came out of the woods and into a flat, cultivated area. He pulled the reins slightly, allowing Sandi to calm down slowly to a trot. He looked about at the neatly kept area. There were rows and rows of plants, vines of some sort, most of them trained onto trellises. All the plants were bare and stark-looking, giving the land a strange, dreamlike atmosphere. But Quatre liked it; he was fascinated by the place which was like a small valley with rows of symmetry-aligned plants as far as the eye could see.

The narrow dirt road went all the way through the large cultivated flat. He rode until they came to the last of the planted rows and the beginning of a dense forest. There was a little stream nearby that trickled merrily from the sloping hillside. The hill rose to a fairly high ridge, and near the top he could see thick outcroppings of rough grey rocks.

He stopped and let Sandi have a drink of cool water. Then he sat down, leaning against the smooth trunk of a large beech tree. The day had grown warm, and he sat in what shade there was from the bare-limbed tree. He felt the soft breeze against his skin and listened to Sandi as she grazed nearby. He was aware of being sleepy and closing his eyes for only a moment.

~o~

He wasn't sure what woke him. Perhaps the cool breeze that had begun to stir. He glanced around, unnerved for a moment as he tried to recall where he was. But he was aware of the cold and looked up to see a sky that had grown dark and stormy. He heard Sandi's low whinny and glanced at her. Her front hoof pawed the ground and her eyes were huge; her nostrils flared as she looked across the rocky stream toward the stand of trees.

Then Quatre saw it. The great black animal seemed to blend into the bare grey branches of the trees and bushes. The creature was enormous, much larger than a dog. It was just across the stream from them, and even in the low rush of wind in the surrounding trees, Quatre could hear its deep, menacing growl. Its head was lowered as it watched them cautiously, its legs bent and ready to spring. The frightening thought occurred to Quatre that Sandi was ready to bolt and he would be left there alone, with no hope of defending himself if the animal attacked.

He dared not risk alarming Sandi any further, so he crept slowly toward the golden mare, stopping from time to time and looking toward the large black wolf-like creature. It still watched from across the stream, and Quatre stared at it so hard that sometimes it seemed to waver before his very eyes. He blinked against the drying wind and spoke to Sandi.

"Easy, girl," he whispered, raising his hand slowly toward her bridle. "It's all right, my pretty; don't leave me now…"

She stood quietly, although she still rolled her eyes frantically and shook her head with terror. Quatre had her bridle in his hand and with a quick jump he was in the saddle, holding her tightly lest she dump him on the ground and bolt. He had not intended to let her run, hoping instead to move slowly away from the animal that watched them. But Sandi was frightened and too strong for him, and they took off in a flash with Quatre holding on desperately.

As he glanced over his shoulder, he saw the black creature rise up from its crouched position. His heart pounded furiously within his chest as he anticipated its leap across the creek toward them. But it only stood there, its large black head raised as it watched them gallop away toward the dirt road.

Quatre leaned down close to Sandi's ear, trying to soothe her. "It's all right now, girl," he murmured. "We did it; we're out of danger."

He had not expected anyone else to be so far from the castle. But when Quatre looked up, it seemed the horse in front of them had come from nowhere. With alarm, he pulled the reins hard to the right, and they flew past the rider in a blur. Of course, he knew his Sandi had never been in danger of colliding with the other horse. But he had a feeling the other rider might not have agreed. For in the second that it took them to get past, he had clearly seen the startled blue eyes of Heero Yuy.

By the time they reached the stable Sandi was hot, her beautiful golden coat lathered with foam. Quatre was wiping her dry and leading her around the yard in front of the stable Heero came riding in.

The blond expected him to be angry, but instead he slid coolly down from the big white horse and walked steadily closer. He didn't speak, didn't even bother to look at Quatre, but instead took a cloth from the stableboy who stood nearby. Standing on the other side of Sandi, Heero slowly and efficiently slid the cloth down the mare's withers and to the top of her hip. The little filly's skin quivered, but she did not move away from him.

His voice was muffled when he spoke, since he still had not bothered to look at Quatre. "You ride very well, little gypsy…"

The blond paused, staring. "T-thank you."

"But if I had a mount like this, I think I might be more careful of her well-being." There was no mistaking the disapproval in his deep voice.

"You don't have her," Quatre snapped. "I do."

"And how exactly did you come by her? You never did say."

"That… is none of your business."

He laughed sarcastically. "It doesn't matter. I think you're forgetting that soon I will know everything about you."

"I doubt, Heero Yuy, that you will ever know everything about me."

He looked across the horse at Quatre, his eyes emitting sparks of blue steel. "Don't be so sure. Now… why don't you tell me what you were running from today."

"Running?" Quatre asked, surprised the darker man should ask such a question.

"I think even you would not treat this beautiful mare so carelessly… without a reason." Heero glanced at him again, "Unless, of course, you hoped to impress me with your expertise."

Quatre's free hand fisted at his side. He could not believe the man's arrogance. "I was not running. Sandi was a little excited, that's all. I had a bit of a problem controlling her after we saw the wolf…"

The stableboy, still standing nearby, made a choking sound. "Wolf?" He asked, "You saw the wolf… the black wolf?"

"Yes," Quatre confirmed, turning to look at his frightened face.

"It's all right, Trowa," Heero said to the young man. "You can take the little Arabian back to her stall now."

Trowa nodded, but his eyes were still on Quatre and the blond could see the fear in his stare. Was the wolf really dangerous, then? Had Quatre's escape been luckier than he knew?

The moment the stableboy's retreating back was out of earshot, Quatre wondered aloud, "What's wrong?"

"Did you see it," Heero asked in return. "The wolf?"

"Yes, I saw an animal… a large black wolf, or dog. I won't deny that its appearance shook me a great deal. I was afraid Sandi would run away and leave me out there."

"Out where? Where were you?"

"Past the vines, to where the hills begin again. There was a stream, and-"

"Shimatta!" He bit off with a clenching of his jaw. "What is wrong with you? Have you no better sense than to go wandering off in a strange place? Shall I restrict you to your room to keep you out of trouble? Why didn't you tell someone where you were going?"

"Which question do you want me to answer first?" Quatre angrily shot back.

The darker man was so furious that his breathing was hard, and for a moment Quatre was afraid Heero might actually strike him. He stepped back, wary. He must have looked as unnerved as he felt, for when Heero glanced at him, the other man's expression changed to one of surprise. His hands went to his hips and his head fell back in a gesture of defeat as he loudly expelled the air from his lungs.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, startling Quatre with the sudden gentleness in his voice. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. But, damn it, warabe… Hell, what's the use? You probably wouldn't listen to me now, anyway." He looked at Quatre for a long moment as though he might make another attempt, but then he shook his head and turned toward the castle. "You'll have dinner with the family tonight. Seven o'clock. See if you can find something… suitable, to wear."

Quatre wanted to throw something at the man, but instead he hurried into the stable to find the stableboy Trowa. There was something that Heero Yuy was not telling him.

The stableboy seemed surprised to see him, and Quatre could still sense the fear in him. "What did you mean about the wolf, Trowa?" The blond asked.

"Did you really see him?" The young man whispered, his eyes wide.

"Yes. Is he dangerous? Mad, or rabid?"

"He belongs to the Demon. Not many people have seen him. It's a bad sign."

"A bad sign?"

Trowa leaned closer, as though he was afraid someone might hear. "An omen. Every time somebody at Rosemont sees the black wolf, there's a death in the castle."

Quatre frowned at him, "You're not serious?"

"I am, sir. And if you're smart, you'll take it seriously too. Best be careful for the next day or two." He turned away and went back to his chores, leaving Quatre to turn quietly back to the castle.

The storm seemed then to be closing around the huge structure, the mists of rain already obliterating its clean square lines, making it appear dim and shadowy. Quatre felt as though someone was watching him, and he began to run. Just as he stepped into the shelter of the back door, he heard a sound that sent chills down his neck.

It was a low, moaning noise, and it grew clearer and drew closer, until it seemed to surround him. He looked nervously around the yard and the narrow, enclosed roadway, but he could see nothing. Quickly, with a shudder, he went inside. It was only the wind in the oaks, Quatre told himself. It couldn't possibly be what it sounded like… the eerily mournful howl of a wolf.