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"Friends "Written By: Karina
Series: Friends Pairings: 2+6 Ratings: M 15+ [In Australia] Rated in the event of bad language and violence. Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or the characters. That’s the way it is. Warnings: Not a death fic despite how it starts.
Aussie spelling and unbetaed. Summary: When Milliardo Peacecraft is abducted
and left to die a solitary death Duo Maxwell decides to take a hand
in the proceedings.
He was not expecting to sleep, and in truth he dared not really even try. He had already woken Zechs with his nightmares when the blonde needed all the rest he could get. Nor did it make any difference Zechs had not minded, indeed he had helped… And there begged the question, exactly how had he accomplished that? He had been locked in his nightmare, haunted by his ghosts, by their never ending accusations; the parade of faces pursuing him… run and hide, that was his only escape from the horrors in his dreams. Somehow, amidst the chaos of his futile attempts to escape the ghosts, Marquise had appeared in the dream, seemingly large as life, and refraining from accusing him as his ghosts did. Why would Marquise care? There had been the offer of advice, of all things, in how to escape… no, not escape. Marquise had offered him something better than escape, something even the so called best shrinks had failed to give him. Zechs Marquise had offered a means of dealing with the horrors; of laying them to rest. Could he really do what he offered? Seemingly without effort he had quelled the chaos and drawn Duo out of the nightmare. He had taken control of the dream when Duo had failed dismally and he wanted to know more. He wanted to know how the man had conquered his own demons and because they were no longer alone, because the others had appeared, there would be no chance for them to talk. He would not have his nightmares spoken of with so many ears to hear. He wanted no pity from them, or to hear them mouth platitudes. He did not want their sympathy any more than he wanted their pity, and he certainly did not want to know he was not the only one of them to be haunted by ghosts. He had enough with his own without the ghosts of others joining their ranks to torment him. Marquise was one too many knowing what his nights were like, but then if he could help; if he had really faced and conquered his own night horrors… Duo had had enough of the wailing moans, the accusations, the pointing fingers… He had enough of such pointing fingers and whispers behind his back during his waking hours. He'd had enough of the bad nights and wanted more of the good nights. To sleep without dreaming would be a godsend, but would it not be better to have dreams… the good sort? The sort of dreams the shrinks said were healthy for you. That was what he wanted, what he needed. Good dreams. Heero's silhouette against the tent kept him from even wanting to settle down. It was a constant reminder of the end to the solitude he had actually been enjoying. They would be leaving come the daylight. The flight would take Marquise away from him before they could work on this tentative thing growing between them. He was not the only one who felt it, the first stirrings of something frighteningly close to friendship. He had been accepted by the tall blonde, accepted by someone who did not accept people easily, who, from necessity, maintained set distances. Why that distance from everyone? For his own peace of mind… or for the protection of others? It would be a bit of both, Duo surmised. Marquise kept that carefully measured distance for very real reasons, and it had to be lonely in the middle of that island of one. Duo should know, he had lived there too. In the past, before the solitude got to be too much, he had sought out one he had known would understand why he came. He still had that private island of solitude, but he let down the drawbridge periodically to allow Quatre in. To a lesser degree, Trowa too, but he instinctively knew Quatre would understand his limitations and not over step the mark. Quatre was always there if and when he needed him, and he would have to see Quatre again before he vanished. He would have to disappear for a time as he had no intention of involving his friends in his troubles. It had been his decision to come out here in the teeth of the storm and involve himself in the mess Marquise called a life. It had been he who had come, and he who had meddled and asked questions when he had been warned not to interfere. As a consequence he had promised the blonde he would go to ground, but he had not said for how long or where he would go. To be honest he had no idea himself as yet what he was likely to do… other than keep his promise… for a time. He would give Marquise only so long to deal with the matter and then he would come seeking answers if the man had not reappeared in his life. Why? Why the hell did he concern himself so much with the affairs of Zechs Marquise? Well darn, that was a good question, and it was one he did not particularly want to investigate at the present time. He'd have enough time to sort out the why and wherefore of the situation when he faced Quatre, because he could guarantee his friend would not take his vanishing kindly. Quatre would want an explanation and he would not be easily deceived. How the hell did you deceive an empath? That Space Heart Quatre went on about was real enough-Duo had witnessed evidence of it often enough to know, intangible as it was, it was real. It was empathy, pure and simple. Duo was many things but he was not a fool, and he had read extensively once he had learned to read, particularly after he had joined the Sweepers. They liked their young people to exercise their brain cells and engage their intellect. And he had always liked science fiction stories that involved psychics and weird arsed abilities. Quatre had a weird one and just maybe he was not the only one. "Go to sleep, Duo." The deep voice was barely a whisper, guaranteed not to be heard by Heero seated at the tent flap, even if his hearing had been enhanced by that fruit loop J. Duo scowled, just what had Heero been enhanced with anyway? Nanobots, that was apparent from their earlier conversation. Heero knew all about nanobots and that gave him something he could talk about with Zechs. The stab of jealousy was sudden, sharp and deep. A hand ghosted over his shoulder, a feathery touch, distracting him from his thoughts, too fleeting to be considered a threat to his personal space; given their forced close proximity that personal space was more than a little limited. "They too are veterans of the war. They have their nightmares and their own ghosts, some more forgiving than others, just as you do. We who share a violent past are not so dissimilar." "I don't like waking up to hear others screaming, and I'm not keen on waking others because I'm the one doing the screaming. If I don't sleep it won't be a problem… for anyone." "It will become a bigger problem for you if you do not rest for the comfort of others. If it will help… I can ensure you do not dream tonight." The hesitation in his voice as he made the offer struck Duo more than the actual words. `I can ensure you do not dream'. There was something in his tone, in the breath of a whisper that carried the words to Duo. "You can stop me from dreaming?" That shadowy 'something' seemed to spring into being, hovering in the darkness like some… some… What the hell was it that kept his hackles rising throughout the day? Just what was it he sensed? He never actually saw anything, but he knew it was there and it was a very real threat of consequences he should avoid. Whatever it was he sensed it had to be what marked Marquise as valuable to his handlers, to the people who professed to control him. Duo already knew, even after so brief a contact, that Marquise would choose to be controlled only so long as it suited him… and that he had no iota of doubt he could break away. A shiver ran the course of his spine and settled somewhere around his guts, inserting a claw into something vital deep inside and threatened to send him into killing mode. He responded to the threat even as the threat turned its focus away from him, seeming to extend beyond him, seeking after something some unknowable distance from them. "You have met me in your dream, have you not?" Yuy moved and Duo spared a glare at his silhouette, annoyed by the distraction. That shadow he sensed but could not see seemed to contract, quivering in readiness, but it was still there, though now it felt more of a… protection. A Guardian of sorts, and that distinction surprised him. It was no threat to him and for some reason, despite that distinction, he feared it. "Yeah. I don't know how or why… but, yeah. You were there." "Dreams are no impediment for me, in fact quite the opposite. Once I learned to stop running from them, to face my demons and learn from them…Once I attained my own version of a Guardian to keep the ghosts at bay, things began to have new meaning. I… leaned…to appreciate certain… attributes." "Guardian. Khushrenada? " "Yes, Treize. He is still with me, even now. His ghost, shade, presence… perhaps in truth he is nothing more than a memory I find convenient to apply a label to. Whatever you choose to call it, he is there, where I need him to be. Keeping the horrors at bay, reminding me it is I who have control, not the demons, not the ghosts." "Fuck, we are nuts." Duo scrubbed a hand wearily over his face. The low rumble of amusement reassured him. "So I thought once." "What changed your mind?" "The fact I was, and am, still alive and functioning. " Duo sighed. "Are we really alive and functioning? Some days it just feels like… existing." "Existing in being alive, yes, but it is not living. I consider my cooperation with my coordinators and their organization to be terminated in lieu of this incident. As soon as I clean out the cupboard I shall endeavour to begin living for myself, not merely being of use to maintain the peace." He should not do it, but he could not help it. The question begged to be asked given the man's past and why he worked where ever it was he had worked the past few years. "What about Relena?" In the ensuing silence he could hear Yuy breathing and the low flame working at the charcoal, biting into the newer too dry wood. The wind howled outside the cabin and he imagined he could hear the snow falling, settling on the roof of the cabin. "It is time my sister entered the game without an older brother as guardian. She is no longer a child and she has served her apprenticeship. There comes a time when we all must face the implications of our actions." Duo snorted. "You'll not abandon her." "Of course not. I merely will no longer remove obstacles in her path or choose to obstruct them to smooth her way. She can not live beneath the shadow of my protection forever. There are others who can step forward to take that place… in one manner or another." "Heero?" "Perhaps. The potential is there, though it may prove not to be sufficient to the challenge of her lifestyle. There are others with vested interests in seeing Relena maintain her place on the world stage… and further advance it." "What if she does not choose to dive in feet first? I'm damned if I'd want to be a part of the political scene. Its stifling and the undercurrents are incredible." "Sink or swim? It is Relena's choice to make. I have held until I can hold no more in my current position. She has grown in both age and experience, and she does not know I have sheltered her, but it is time she stepped out into the world without the protection of my umbrella. I will make it plain to those who have stepped into this quagmire that I have teeth and claws, and no qualms about using them. If they seek to sleep in peace at night, they had best step aside and permit me to vanish, and they shall do so not holding my sister accountable for what will happen before I vanish." There it was again, that `something' in his voice. There was something suggestive there; it alluded to Duo missing something of importance that was standing in plain sight, if only he had the eyes to see it, or the ears to hear it. "And that will be?" A low rumble, nothing amusing in it, rather a deep growl of a dangerous big cat, and he could imagine teeth bared, fangs glinting in moonlight. A night hunter stalking and determined to bring down its prey. A warning, and Duo chose to step around the subject for another potentially as dangerous. "Are you in any fit condition to go back? You'll be at a disadvantage. " "I have been at a disadvantage since the fall of Sanc. It is not something I am unaccustomed to. However, there are those I can rely on, if not actually trust. They do seek to improve matters in the social order and not specifically for their own gain. If they were not present I would not have remained so long. A little cleaning of the household cupboards is in order, and then one might depart." "You're just going to walk away? They'll follow." "There are some who might try, for varying reasons. To find me they must first ensure I am indeed alive and no, I will not simply tip my hat and walk away. My departure shall be noted by the demise of Zechs Marquise, though there will be certain people who will not believe it. That does not concern me." "It should. You cannot exactly hide who you are. You are quite distinctive to look at." "As are you." "Yeah, well Oz made sure everyone knew my face. Not much I can do about it." "There is much you could do about it. Scissors. Hair dye. Contacts. Even locking oneself away has been known to work on occasion." Duo scrunched his nose in the dark. "Nah. Just not me. I prefer to thumb my nose at the bastards and remind them by my presence that they are a bunch of pricks… but they can die just like everyone else. I'm good at that." "No, cutting the hair and hiding in some dark, deep hole is not Duo Maxwell. There are many ways to hide." "In their faces, up close and personal," Duo snickered. "That's my way. So what about you?" A slow measured breath and Duo felt Zechs move slightly, no doubt easing an ache. Nanobots could work wonders, but it would take more than a few days to heal the extent of the damages done to the man. The killer was a sicko who needed putting down in Duo's opinion. "I shall remind them that all men must sleep… eventually." The last word was a sigh, a whisper of breath which held connotations that sent a shiver up Duo's spine. "You know, you could be scary given half the chance." "So I have been told in the past. Go to sleep Duo. As soon as it is light the helicopter must be dug out and it will be no easy thing to be out of here by night fall. Your friends will find it takes a little longer than I believe they are expecting to escape the mountains. You will need to be well rested to fly out of here." "You need to sleep too. Get your strength up." He would pretend to settle and sleep until Marquise slept. "It won't be easy for you being moved either." "I shall sleep. If you will." Duo snorted. "Don't think I can do more than shut my eyes and rest, but if it will get you to shut up and go to sleep, I'll give that much a go." "Then rest and if perchance you drift off, I will see you in your dreams… and those dreams will remain clear of ghosts this night." "Why would that be? The bastards don't simply keep quiet because I want them to. I only wish they would." When the answer came it was a sigh that might have been a zephyr of breeze that marked the first breath of wind which would lead into the terror of a tornado. There was hidden meaning in the quiet words, in the low whisper and the light feather touch to his cheek. "The wind will blow them away."
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