Author’s Notes: Again, so thank you all so very much for your great feedback. I am having fun with this and do hope I can finish it without creating more questions that might never be answered. ^^

Much thanks to my patient beta, Zan! *hugs *

 

 

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Chapter Five:

 

Cromwall

Present Day

 

Duo clenched and unclenched his fists, his violet gaze firmly fixed upon them as if hoping for something to appear on his pale flesh. He swung his short legs over the ledge, back and forth, trying to match the rhythm of his moving hands. He did not turn around as the second boy walked up and made himself comfortable beside him on their rather dangerous perch.

 

From their vantage point, they could see the small town of Cromwall below them. Tendrils of smoke rose from rooftops that looked like tiny dollhouses, a signal of many settling in after a long day at work. The tallest building in the town was easily the local Baptist church. Its steeple, with the lone but rather huge bell, towered above the miniscule buildings like a lord watching over his servants or people. And in some obscure but crude way, it was indeed like having the good Lord watching over his faithful flock. About ninety percent of the townsfolk were diligent followers of Pastor Wynebrook and his teachings. Every Sunday, they would dress in their best, each with bibles as big as their owners, all ready to read the blessed gospel. Eternal salvation lay within those wide oak doors and any who entered was guaranteed a one-way ticket to heaven on Judgment Day.

 

The dark-haired boy rubbed his eyes and yawned before laying his head upon his silent companion’s shoulder. “It never seems to change, does it?” he asked rhetorically.

 

As expected Duo said nothing, his eyes still stubbornly fixed on his small hands. His companion knew well enough to not allow Duo’s silence to get to him. After all, they had been together for so long that these little quirks were nothing to get riled about. However, a sudden gust of wind had them trying to control their untamed hair from getting into their mouths and eyes and almost absently, Duo reached up to brush away his companion’s hair. He had finally given up on hoping to see anything on his hands as the other now lay upon his lap.

 

“Let me braid your hair,” the Chinese boy offered with a small smile as he gathered the long, thick tresses within his hands. And with a deftness that would have surprised anyone, Wufei began to plait Duo’s hair quickly. He vaguely noticed that the other boy’s wounds had been sealed again and giving an inward sigh of relief, he began to hum a soft tune that was oddly reminiscent of a Chinese lullaby.

 

Duo could feel his eyes growing heavier as the combined sounds of Wufei’s voice and his hands did more to soothe his troubled thoughts and mind. He lowered his lashes and stared at the graveyards below him – faded images of long ago finally coming to the forefront as the memory of the past slowly came back to haunt him all over again.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Duo Maxwell…the son of Gwendal Maxwell – a famous scientist and doctor in the small town of Elmore and to Mary Maxwell – daughter of the local pastor at Elmore. A match made in heaven if you ask me.” Relena laughed a little and the doctor could not for the life of him understand why.

 

“I have read some of his works,” he said quietly as he glanced towards the window and towards the hill. He couldn’t really see the house from here, but he knew that his young ward was still trapped within its hallowed walls. He just hoped that nothing terrible had happened to him.

 

“Read whose work? Gwendal’s?” Relena asked quickly with unfeigned interest. “I do believe we might have a few of his manuscripts…”

 

“Did you read them?”

 

“No. Well, I would have but…” She shrugged and left off, her eyes taking a distant look. J watched with interest wondering just what could have happened to make the girl look that way but she shook her head quickly and resumed her perky personality. “So? What were they like? His writings, I mean?”

 

“He was insane.” The doctor remarked flatly causing the girl to blink in surprise at the straight forward answer.

 

“Oh…”

 

J waved his hand about in dismissal. “He was a crazy man who thought he was saying things that made sense. His writings were pure whimsy, fantastical, of things that will never happen.”

 

“A fortune teller?”

 

“No. A madman and his ravings. I felt as if I had wasted five hours of my life reading his ideologies and theories. Hmph! The very idea of life being formed from the remnants of broken planets in outer space. How would he have known such a thing? According to him, in the inky places beyond the stars and high above our atmosphere lay balls of great energy that collided and fused over a period of time to form the new planet Earth. There were no such things as dinosaurs or homo-sapiens or even evolution. According to Maxwell…things just…came to be. What kind of a scientist is that?”

 

The doctor realized he had gone into a rant and had the grace to look a little embarrassed as he reached for his coffee again. He noticed that Relena was still staring at him but with an expression of pity on her features. He scowled.

 

“What is it, young lady? Do you consider me a stark raving lunatic as well?”

 

She shook her head slowly and picked up the black leather bound book that had been sitting on the small stool beside her. Opening it up carefully, she began to speak quietly.

 

“Gwendal might have been eccentric and crazy, sir, but he was a good man. It was a pity the villagers didn’t see him that way.”

 

“His death you mean?”

 

She nodded softly, her features growing paler as she caressed the book gently. “He was stoned to death in the middle of the town…in front of his son.”

 

The doctor remained silent although he digested the information with a feeling of remorse at his actions earlier.

 

“Duo…he….he wanted revenge on his father and so…”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Elmore, 1806

Spring

 

 

The boy ran, his tiny feet almost a blur as he sped through the thick bushes and foliage around him. His breath came out in harsh gasps, his hair a tangled mass around his dirty face as he continued to sprint for his life.

 

They had finally killed his father – those horrible mean men who had been appearing at his house for the past few weeks. For as long as he could remember, his family had always been laughed at. They had been called the ‘crazy’ Maxwells. They had been teased and taunted mercilessly and it was all because of his father. Duo loved him to death, but sometimes he had wished that his father would practice more decorum when it came to his antics. Despite his mother’s pleas, Gwendal was prone to ‘preaching’ his philosophies and theories for the destruction of the Earth in the middle of the village square. Gwendal would sometimes be arrested and would have to spend a night at the local jail but once released he would spend a week in his ‘laboratory’ – a small shed he had built beside their home – and then go back to preaching again. He had been arrested so many times, that the village councilman had warned him that if he was caught again, he would be stoned to death as was the punishment suited to his ramblings.

 

Duo felt the hot sting of tears fill his eyes as he continued to run. He would not cry. He would not cry! His father had told him to be a man about it all.

 

“One day, I won’t be around anymore, Duo,” Gwendal said with a warm smile as he ruffled his little boy’s hair. His bright and kind violet eyes sparkled in the dim glow of the fire as he grinned proudly. “And then you’ll be the one to carry on my work, hmm?”

 

The boy sniffled softly and nodded. “Yeah, dad. I will. I promise I won’t let you down! I’ll be the best scientist ever!”

 

“That’s my boy!”

 

And Duo had worked hard. Whenever he was done with his chores, he would spend every waking minute in his father’s company. Reading, watching, learning all he could from the man who always seemed to have one story or another of wondrous things. Of course there was the occasional botching of an experiment as his father had tried to create many things that he had claimed would change society. Gwendal had once told Mary over dinner that Duo was like a sponge – the kind that could soak up information faster than the eye could see. There was no doubt he was proud of his son….but was also very worried about the boy’s inner streak to let loose his fists when provoked. Gwendal never promoted violence and was usually saddened to see his boy coming home some evenings with his clothes in rags and his knuckles raw or bleeding.

 

“They called you crazy, papa,” he would say in defense. “And I warned them – anyone who laughs at us, gets it.”

 

“Violence is never the answer, Duo,” the older man would reply with a warm smile. “You must not let their ignorance get to you. They don’t know any better.”

 

And he tried. Duo really did try to ignore them but he couldn’t. The day he had promised not to get into a fight, he had come home with a black eye and enough bruises to make Mary worry and think he might even die! Duo had sworn not to let them have it so easy next time and he had taught those kids a lesson or two.

 

He stopped – his chest now hurting with the force of his exertion. He glanced around him wildly, with frantic and desperate shimmering depths, wondering where in heaven’s name he was. He could hear the dull sounds of the men and dogs after him and he knew without a doubt that he was going to be caught if he didn’t start running again.

 

He had done it. He – little eight year old Duo Maxwell – had sneaked into the magistrate’s house earlier that night and had repeatedly stabbed the old bastard to death. It was his son who had discovered the young murderer trying to escape and had alerted the other villagers. Duo hadn’t even had the time to run back home to tell his mother anything. There was no doubt in his mind that she would have been caught and that the house would be burned to the ground. That was going to be the worst part of it all. All his father’s hard work would be gone – little did he know that some villagers had looted the house and taken away anything they could get their hands on including some of Gwendal’s writings.

 

The barking grew louder and he gave a small cry of panic before forcing his feet to move again. He was getting tired – his young body no longer able to withstand the punishment it was receiving. Duo prayed fervently – trying to remember all the prayers he had learned at Sunday school and with his mother’s guidance – as he sought his escape. He gave another cry – this time of excitement as he noticed a clearing before him. Not bothering to think much of what lay ahead, he quickened his pace again knowing that without a doubt, he was going to escape and find a way out of this damned village.

 

Free…I’m finally free…

 

But it was too late. His feet were moving of their own accord and barely had time to process the fact that the road had come to a sudden end. For a second, he actually felt himself suspended in mid-air, the wind whipping around his small frame as he looked into the pitch blackness of the never-ending ravine below him.

 

He heard the dogs behind him, heard the men’s voices soon after. He wanted to laugh and yet to cry at the same time. He had found his freedom all right. And as he watched his father’s face appear before him with that same warm smile on his features, he whispered softly to the heavens as he began his quick descent into the abyss.

 

“I did it…father…I’ve finally set you…free…”

 

 

 

~*~

 

Cromwall

Present Day

 

Heero gasped and sat upright, his naked flesh drenched with sweat as he looked around with panic in his eyes. He held a hand to his pounding chest wondering what in the world had just happened to him. He had been running…from something…from someone or some people. His hands had been bloody and it was clear he had been guilty of doing something. He wasn’t sure he had reached his destination or at least a place of safety. But all he could remember was falling at an incredibly fast rate.

 

Dying…

 

He ran trembling fingers through damp locks; aware now that he was back in the bedroom he had woken up in earlier. It wasn’t as bright but at least it wasn’t as gloomy as the walk down the corridor. It seemed as if he was alone and the deathly silence of the room and the house in general was very unnerving. But just how had he gotten back in here? The last thing he remembered was trying to stumble his way out of the hallway but seemingly going around in circles. An incredible feeling of fatigue and weariness had come over him and Heero was sure that many others, who might have tried to escape the house as well, had gone through the same fate. But then again, he couldn’t just sit and do nothing. He had to find a way out of this place and the only other option left for him was to leave through the window. It looked simple enough. He had jumped from taller heights before, so this would be no problem.

 

He slid off the bed quickly, his feet moving silently across the carpeted floor as he walked towards the window. He was really going to have to find some clothes to wear, he had never been this naked in so long and to his vexation, he was beginning to find himself being a bit comfortable with the idea of going about this way.

 

The windows were quite narrow and long, seeming to reach from the roof to the floor. He blinked and blinked again, his steps slowing down as the glass seemed to shimmer and move. No, the window couldn’t have moved. Windows do not move. Perhaps he was the one moving away from the window. Yes, that had to be it. He was walking in the wrong direction. All he had to do was walk straight ahead and he would be able to open it up. And so taking a deep breath, he began to will his feet to move again. But just as suddenly as he had begun walking, the window shimmered again and Heero found himself staring at a wall instead.

 

Shit…oh shit…it really is moving!

 

Like hell it is, he thought wildly as he began to walk again, frustrated and annoyed blue eyes glaring at the window as if willing it to stay still and to behave itself. But to his chagrin, each time he seemed close to it, the pesky object would shimmer again. It seemed to be laughing as if daring him to continue the wild chase.

 

“For fuck’s sake!”

 

“Maybe you should try calling it to you,” came the soft but amused voice that had Heero spiraling around quickly to glare at a fully dressed but smiling Trowa who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere – hardly surprising when one thought about it.

 

“Try calling it to me,” Heero responded tightly. “I should tell the window to stop moving. Is that what you are trying to tell me?”

 

Trowa shrugged as if the topic no longer interested him. “It’s your call. You wish to leave the house, correct?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Then you have to follow certain rules here,” the servant replied. “See? If you want to make the house do certain things, you have to speak to it.”

 

Heero stared hard at the young man before him for a long minute not sure if he wanted to laugh or to beat the hell out of Trowa – except for the fact that the latter might not be feasible as Trowa was a ghost after all.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he mumbled as he turned away to concentrate on finding a way to walk to the window…hell! Any window.

 

Five more minutes of walking around like a fool had Heero leaning against the bedpost with a scowl of irritation. He lifted his gaze to pin them upon Trowa who had been watching him quietly the entire time.

 

“A little help would be nice,” Heero snapped coldly.

 

“I have already told you what to do. You humans just don’t like listening to advice, do you?”

 

The Japanese boy gave a light snort and glared at the window again. He couldn’t believe that he was actually entertaining the thought of actually speaking to the damn house or rather to the window. If the doctor or anyone else in fact, got wind of this, Heero was sure he would never live it down. And with his cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment, he mumbled quickly.

 

“What exactly do I say?”

 

Trowa’s smile grew a bit wider as he tapped the glass behind him sharply. “Simply ask. If you want something done for you, what do you say?”

 

Heero bit back the smart-assed remark he was about to make before facing the window again. And taking a deep breath, he said firmly but quickly.

 

“Please…open up for me…”

 

He bore Trowa’s sudden sharp laughter with a muffled curse.

 

“You actually bought that?” the servant asked incredulously. “Oh my. Duo was right. You humans really are gullible.”

 

Duo, huh? Duo who had teased him? Duo had kissed him and made him feel an incredible weakness? Duo. Duo. Duo.

 

Damn him.

 

“Haha. That was pretty funny,” he said in sarcasm as he walked up to the window, now glad that it no longer seemed out of reach. With barely concealed anger, he placed his hands against the pane and pushed it open. If he got his hands on Duo again, he was going to…

 

“Aaaaah….”

 

His face turned a bright crimson as his gaze fell upon the two young men writhing amongst the wild rose bushes directly below his window. He barely registered Trowa walking up to him as his body flared with heat in response to just what was happening right before his eyes. He felt his cock twitch in appreciation, his mouth go dry, his heartbeat quicken and his palms become sweaty as he stared unable to tear his gaze away.

 

Homosexuality was no big deal and Heero had not really focused his attention on such a topic or discussion before. He had always thought of it as a new but growing part of society and had adopted the doctrine of ‘to each his or her own’. He couldn’t say that the thought of two men engaged in sexual activities had ever turned him on before. However, there was no denying that the sight of these particular two men or ghosts going at it was enough to send his body into a state he had only thought possible with the watching of lewd porn videos.

 

Duo gave another loud moan as he sank his fingers into Wufei’s black hair. He was leaning against the wall, a leg hoisted over the Chinese man’s shoulder as his cock was clearly being feasted on. The wet slurping noises were audible from Heero’s vantage point and Duo’s continuous moans of pleasure made Heero give a small and reluctant whimper of desire. Duo’s hair was now in a thick braid and it lay over his right shoulder, its end caressing his lover’s head as he moved up and down slowly, perhaps trying to get the best sensation possible. Heero watched, entranced in the boy’s sensual movements. He hardly noticed that his own hand had begun to caress his own organ, slowly and steadily as thick drops of pre-cum coated his trembling fingers with each stroke. He was entrance, bewitched – clearly under some kind of a spell that he had no reason to question.

 

Trowa raised a brow as he noticed Heero’s actions but he made no attempt to help him. He was used to seeing Wufei and Duo making out with each other whenever the urge consumed them – which seemed like every other hour – but who was he to stop the human from seeing what real love was like.

 

Duo arched his neck and cried out and Heero watched in fascination as Wufei swallowed every hot drop of the boy’s cum, not allowing any to spill out of his lips. Heero panted and leaned a bit further out of the window. His skin looked flushed, his lips moist as he licked them slowly. His hand was beginning to stroke faster as his lust-filled depths watched Wufei lift Duo’s long legs to wrap them around his waist. The two exchanged words between each other and as if on cue lifted their gazes to meet Heero’s surprised one. Wufei smirked. Duo mirrored the motion soon after and making sure he held their visitor’s gaze; he wrapped his arms around his lover’s neck and began to thrust wantonly in need.

 

Heero watched Wufei push slowly into Duo and he all but gave a helpless moan as Duo’s loud cry of being filled reached his ears. He exploded then, his hot semen splattering against the window pane and upon his hands. Trowa watched the thick white fluid trail down the glass and he struggled hard not to reach for a cloth to wipe up the mess. After years of being conditioned to clean after things, it was a bit hard to break out of the habit. But even though he had come, Heero could not look away. Duo was holding him prisoner, forcing him to watch their coupling to the very end. Heero wanted to be there. He wanted to be between the two men – to feel, to taste, to touch them.

 

God, this is insane!

 

Duo screamed his orgasm to all who cared to listen and Wufei followed suit seconds later. They smiled, tongues darting out to tease the other as they sagged limply in happy satiation. Heero felt his jealousy and envy boil over as his brows furrowed into a frown.

 

“You want them?” Trowa asked in amusement.

 

Heero didn’t answer, his gaze still fixed on the couple below.

 

“If you want them, you’ll have to join them. Do you understand what I mean…human?”

 

His hands clenched into tight fists. To join them…for a moment of lust…he would have to lose his humanity. He understood that only too well.

 

“Well? What will it be, master?” Trowa asked again. There was a sharp edge in his tone, one of eager cajoling for one to see that he was jealous too. All he had to do was push Heero towards Duo and Wufei. Once Quatre realized that Heero was enamored with the couple, he would no longer have a need for the Japanese boy. He would have Quatre all to himself again.

 

He leaned closer to Heero, his voice now molten with heat – a heat that had Heero shivering in response.

 

“It is clear that they want you too, master,” he continued as he eyed the two men now watching them with curiosity. “Can you not see the lust in their eyes?”

For him? Heero highly doubted that but yet…he was indeed fascinated by Duo and Wufei. From the moment he had laid eyes on either of them, he had wanted…

 

“Do you want me to take you to them?” Trowa asked softly as he trailed a finger down Heero’s cheek. “I know of a quick and easy short cut.”

 

And unaware he was even speaking Heero mumbled out a soft ‘Yes…please…’

 

That was all he needed to hear as the taller man wrapped his arms around Heero’s waist and whispered thickly into his ear. “Hold on tight, master. This is going to be extremely quick.”

 

And as they seemed to disappear in a cloud of white, Quatre Winner stepped into the room with a frown of displeasure on his childish features.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Trowa Barton…parents unknown…probably born in the East…with his features and all…” the girl mumbled as she traced her finger over the words she had jotted down earlier. “I could barely find anything about him. He just seemed to appear from nowhere.”

 

“No one just appears from nowhere,” the doctor refuted with a shake of his head. He tapped his walking stick sharply on the floor. “What has you looking so worried?”

 

“He might have been a spy,” Relena replied before giving a low moan and rubbing a hand against her forehead. “Must be the heat…I feel a bit faint…”

 

Oh no…

 

“Ah, perhaps some smelling salts will revitalize you a bit,” the doctor suggested quickly as he rose to his feet to make his way towards a small cabinet mounted on the wall.

 

“Smelling salts…” Relena mumbled again. She really was feeling weird. It couldn’t be something she ate, could it? Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember the last time she ate something. How strange.

 

“Ah, here we are,” the doctor nodded in satisfaction as he walked back towards her. He held the small bottle beneath her nose, watching in concern at how pale she had really become. She took a whiff and sneezed immediately and he was glad to see a faint hue of pink on her cheeks again.

 

“How are you feeling, my dear?”

 

She smiled and nodded softly. “I’m doing okay now. Thank you for that.”

 

“My pleasure. Now what was this about Trowa Barton being a spy?”

 

“Well…it wasn’t uncommon to have boys who were trained to become spies for their countries. For all we know, Trowa could have been sent to spy on the Dunhill household. He could have been leaking information to the enemy during the war for all we know…but that’s just speculation,” she added quickly.

 

“Hmmm….” The doctor sat down again and took another sip from his coffee. “Speculation…”

 

Relena nodded and glanced outside with a wistful look on her features.

 

“Yes…speculation…” she replied slowly. “Because I really think he must have changed his ways when he came to the mansion. He might have fallen in love with someone. And as we all know…love can be the most beautiful experience…or the most deadly thing…”

 

 

 

TBC…