September 17, 2002
Title: Broken II
Author: Christine
e-mail: Devilkitty@speakeasy.net
Pairing: R13x6, 11+2
Rating: Rish, past mention of NCS.
Warnings: AU, language.
Notes: The Specials revolt that happens in Episode 8, never happened. Heero kills the Doves, but the Alliance benefits from that not Treize. Treize is still a Colonel in the Specials. He and Zechs are a little more ‘open' about their relationship, they are a troubleshooting team with Une, for the Alliance. Noin stayed at Victoria Base to rebuild it.
Zechs arrived outside Lady Une's office promptly at noon. He knocked gently, happy to hear her call through the door, "It's unlocked."
He entered and went over to the desk. As usual it was covered with reports, requests and the odds and ends that made up most of Une's life. He wondered how she stood it, all that paperwork with nothing that relieved the frustration that it caused by going out and fighting someone. Une was decent enough in a MS Suit, so she should get out into the fighting more.
"It's time for lunch. I have a sneaking suspicion that you might have worked right through it." Zechs informed her. "Which isn't a good thing, since you should check on Duo to see if he's surviving his new freedom and living with you."
Une shrugged. She had thought that it was getting close to lunch, because she was starting to get hungry. She hoped that Duo would eat something with them and relax enough not to kneel at her feet. "I forget about the time when I get involved in a project. Arrangements have been made through Hicks's people to get us a house. Four bedrooms," she paused and continued in an apologetic tone, "unfortunately all on the same floor."
"Ah…" was the only comment that Zechs made. He knew that she didn't like his affair with Treize, but she wouldn't actively sabotage it. But bedrooms all on the same floor! It would be cruel to be sneaking around when she could hear them if it got too noisy. Most modern houses had no sound barriers. Maybe if they played music all night?
Une grimaced, because she could almost read his mind. "I know, but the alternative was a house that was too small, with no meeting space. This one has a library that I can use as an office, as well as a few other rooms that can be used for meeting space. I have a sneaking suspicion that things are much worse then the General is willing to tell us, so we are going to be there for a while. The house, apart from the sleeping arrangements, is a dream. It's a replica of an American historical site, updated with all the modern conveniences. It will be easy to secure, which was why I wanted it and comfortable enough to live there for a while."
"After being with the man for most of the morning, I can agree with that statement. He is not happy that he has to deal with us or our methods of working. He does not like the fact that I do not keep my mouth shut or parrot the party line for him." Zechs paused and then smiled slightly, "He thinks that we are having an affair."
Une laughed shortly at that. "Nothing personal Zechs, but I think that we are just not suited for each other, that way. But that might be something that we want to play up, it'll make him less likely to question what Treize-sama and you are doing."
Zechs stared at her and frowned. What did she want? Why was she being nice?
Une saw that look and laughed a little more. "I think that Hicks is not the kind of man that would appreciate or understand the fact that you and Treize-sama are closer then you should be."
"You don't like it either," Zechs stated brusquely, wondering what had gotten into Une that she was willing to be this open with him about her feelings. That after all this time they were going to be living together and she thought that they should make up and be nice to one another. It would keep the stress down to the minimum for Treize, but why now?
"You are a weakness…something that could get him in trouble," Une said firmly.
Zechs opened his mouth to argue the point and Une shook her head, cutting off any comment that he wanted to make, she wanted to get this out in the open if they were going to live together. Their hostilities had been going on for far too long for them to ignore it for a few weeks. Not with the living arrangements the way that they were. She was willing to make peace because it had been her fault that this had started in the first place.
"I would be the same thing to him, so that isn't the problem. I have very few problems with you and Treize-sama having a relationship, aside from the fact I would like to have been able too have the same kind of relationship with him. Since he isn't interested in women that way, I can live with you and Treize-sama being together. I have known him a long time, it shouldn't have been a surprise that he thinks of me as a sister, but someday you might get him into trouble because of what you are doing and who you are."
"That is your only objection Lady Une?" Zechs asked. What did she know with the phrase, ‘who you are'? As Treize's subordinate or the fact that he had been born Milliardo Peacecraft?
"That was my only one. Aside from the security problems," Une smiled wistfully, "you two do look good together." #Treize-sama and I would also be a good couple, too bad the man isn't that interested in women. At least I know that it isn't personal, or I would really hate their relationship. The hints were there when we were in the Academy, I just never wanted to see them.#
"Then let us declare a truce, I know that I have not been as civil as I should be to a fellow officer. I thought that you had hated the fact that Treize and I were having a relationship."
"I am sorry that I gave you that impression," Une apologized smoothly.
They had first meet under strained circumstances for the two of them and it had not gotten their professional relationship off to the smooth start that it had needed for them to work together. Who wouldn't be snappish the way that they meet, either of them? What had been Treize-sama been thinking of to have them for to meet for the first time at his parent's place? She was sorry about having caused this misunderstanding. She had been hostile towards him in the beginning, thinking that it was his relationship with Treize-sama that had gotten him as far as he had gotten, not the fact that the man was brilliant tactician and an ace pilot. Her first impression had been a disaster with Zechs and hopefully she could now repair the damage that her poor people skills had done. He hadn't been any more comfortable with what had been happening during that week at that place either, so his mood hadn't been the best either.
"But let me introduce you to Duo. You haven't met before have you?" Une asked curiously as she started to exit her office.
Zechs looked up and down the corridor, they were alone, and so he could talk freely. "Aside from the fact that I listened to him destroy the squad of pilots that I sent down to recover Heero Yuy's Gundam when I found it, no."
Une looked worried at his statement. Would Zechs hold that action against an innocent boy who didn't remember that he had been a terrorist? That he had killed all those people to protect his own identity, which he needed to do as a terrorist. Duo had been horrified at what he had been when she had told him that yesterday and so Zechs shouldn't hold past that he doesn't remember against him.
Zechs saw the look on her face and said firmly, "It is war…and they would have captured him if they had a chance. I understand that Gundam pilots have killed a lot of our soldiers to keep their secrets. I was never like Noin…she never understood that part of a soldier's duty was to die for their cause. She thought that it was bad planning that anyone died in a war at all."
"Lieutenant Noin is an idealist," Une commented offhandedly. "That is why she will never raise above the rank that she has now, she hasn't the cold bloodedness that you need in war."
"And Treize does?" Zechs asked. He knew that she did, that had showed in her treatment of pilot 01. Une was tougher and more ruthless then he could ever be.
Une nodded, "He doesn't like the deaths and will do anything to avoid causing them, but he will do what is needed to get the job done. Noin lost sight of that when she concentrated on the fact that 05 was a boy and that is why he was able to escape after he destroyed her base."
They continued to discuss various topics as they walked across the compound. Both of them trying to build on the delicate understand that they had forged in her office and ignore the uneasiness that they were feeling. Zechs wondered if he could forgive Duo for the deaths that he had had to listen to. Une was worried about Duo's reaction to meeting Zechs…he was a very imposing figure in his uniform and mask, and she didn't want Duo frightened by that. He was such a fearful person now, with all that had happened to him.
Duo waited anxiously for his Mistress's return. He knew that he shouldn't even think about her in that way, because it made her uncomfortable. She had saved him from the abuse that had made up his life since he had woken up in that small room, without a clue as to who he was supposed to be, who he had been, so he thought about her that way. All he knew was that the other slaves and the trainers hurt him. They hit him when they were angry and he was a convenient target near them. That anytime one of the trainers had the urge…they could bend him over something or make him kneel in front of them, and hurt him by fucking him. Or make him take them in his mouth, even though he wanted to vomit every time he had to do that. On a good day, that wasn't more then one or two hours of that. Between those times, other trainers tried to make him act like he enjoyed anything that was done to him. But it always had hurt whatever they did to him and he couldn't act like he enjoyed it! She had saved him from that.
He had also been trained to serve the food to the customers, but he had been told that he was too stupid to be anything else but a hole for all of them to use and he should be thankful for that! Food service wasn't that bad, sometimes the customers would feed him like he was a pet, but not too often. It had let the Mistress see him and buy him. It had allowed her to rescue him from those people.
What had hurt the most was that he didn't know who he had been. Why this was happening to him. The Mistress had told him about himself, that was better even then her not putting a collar on him. Better then her not fucking him. So he would try be worthy of all the gifts that he had been given by her. Clothes, so that he wasn't cold any more and then letting him learn to do something else then bend over and be a fuck doll, as the others has called him. If that meant that he had to call her Une, he would, even thought he thought that she was one of those angels that he had read about when he had started to thumb through the books that she had. He thought that she should be called Mistress, because she was the only person that deserved the title.
He was just waiting for her to come home right now and was a little nervous about this Zechs person that he was supposed to meet. Une had left a message that she was bringing him home for lunch, she wanted the two of them to meet. Duo wondered why, why would Une want him to meet someone that could make a Gundam dance? What would they have in common? Or was it so he could be told things about his body that wouldn't embarrass her? He would rather remain in pain then have her embarrassed. If he was foolish enough to be hurt by the trainers, he deserved to endure the pain rather then have her be embarrassed by his stupidity. He wouldn't have gotten hurt if he had just cooperated, relaxed like was supposed to. If he hadn't fought them so much, they wouldn't have hurt him. It was his fault, mostly. But… he hadn't liked it and he had wished that they had left him alone, while they were hurting him.
He jumped a little when he heard the door open. She was home and he hoped that he wouldn't disappoint her with what he had made for lunch. She had asked for sandwiches, but he had the time and the supplies and decided to make her something hot also. He had a pot of soup going and had a list of things that she might like for dinner. He had picked out things that he thought that he could cook, since he had looked through the cookbook that she had brought home. Duo went to kneel in the hallway to wait for her to tell him where she wanted to eat with her guest, when his Mistress called to him. He hurried to where she was waiting and knelt in front of her, not really noticing the man that was with her. She was the one that was important to him and he was ashamed that he had not met her properly, like he had been trained to.
"Yes, Mistress?" he asked submissively.
Une sighed. She should have realized that he would do this. Duo was worried about what he was to serving her for lunch and the fact that she was bringing a guest home. Two big ‘firsts' for him in one day and he was nervous. He automatically reacted the way that he had been conditioned to because he was afraid of making a mistake. She decided to ignore the fact that he was calling her mistress and work on that later. She didn't want to embarrass the child by correcting him in front of Zechs. She would talk to him about that later, right now she just wanted him to be comfortable with other people, especially with other men and to learn that he could trust them not to hurt him.
"Duo, this is Lieutenant Zechs Marquise."
Zechs leaned over and gently helped Duo off the floor. "I think that it would be better if you were standing up right now. You're short enough already, Duo."
Duo let him lift him off the floor, after a quick glance at his Mistress for her permission. They both noticed the small abortive attempt to cringe away before Duo realized what he was doing. At Une's slight nod he let Zechs help him too his feet.
"I have soup cooking, Mis…Une and I can make some sandwiches. I also have a list of things that I could make for dinner. Do you want me to start serving now?" Duo asked quickly, stepping back a little from Zechs. He noticed that the man was strong and if he hit him, it would hurt so he really didn't want to be that close to him. He was afraid and he knew that he shouldn't be, she was here to protect him, but his body didn't remember that before he reacted and got out of hitting range.
Une and Zechs noted the way that Duo moved out of reach of Zechs. Une was upset that Duo didn't trust anyone, but what should she expect from him? Most of his memories now were of someone hurting him and that someone was usually male and bigger then he was. Zechs was a person that would make him especially nervous because of his size, his uniform and that the mask that he wore made it hard to tell what he was thinking because he couldn't see his expression.
"What kind of soup?" she asked.
"Vegetable," Duo replied promptly, while staring at his feet. "When you were eating that, I thought that I could be making you your sandwiches."
"And you would eat when?" Une asked gently.
Duo blushed and stammered, "After…after you left?" He wasn't supposed it eat with her, since he was there to serve and her guest.
Une frowned at his answer, because Duo needed to eat. "Have you eaten anything today?"
"Umm…ummm…"
"Une, that means no, I think." Zechs said lightly, not wanting Une to scold at Duo. The poor boy was so out of sorts as it was because of him, that he shouldn't let him be scolded because he as still trying to get used to being treated like a human being. "Duo, could you eat with us? Or at least sit with us?" he asked.
Duo glanced at Une, "Mis…"
"I would like you to eat with us," Une said firmly. "My name, a hundred times while you are setting the table." She should break him of that habit, since he hadn't corrected it on his own from his first mistake. She d id not want anyone to call her Mistress!
Duo nodded and went into the kitchen, chanting "Une, Une, Une..."
Zechs shook his head, feeling oddly amused by that order. Most of the people in the Specials would enjoy such a beautiful boy calling them mistress or master. "He's very…obedient."
"Zechs!" Une hissed in annoyance. It wasn't funny to her, because Duo shouldn't call her mistress for the rest of his life. She didn't own him, she had just rescued him from a bad situation.
"Une…I can't tell you that much from five minutes, but I think that no one, looking at him now would ever think that he was a terrorist. He's safe with you, but what are your plans for his future?" Zechs asked, amused that it took one small boy to unbalance Une. Nothing had ever gotten her this flustered before he swore. Not even the meltdown that her suit did on her when she took her finals. She had just plowed on ahead, finishing the course in a nearly dead suit. That had been more impressive to him then the near perfect score that he had.
Une shook her head and went into the kitchen, beckoning him to follow her. "I haven't thought that far ahead. Home schooling and then after six months, see what he wants to do. A prep or public school after that and maybe the Academy, but I doubt that he would be interested in relearning to fight. College hopefully, because he was brilliant."
"And if something happens to you between now and then?" Zechs asked. It was a tactless question, but one that should be asked while they were on the subject of Duo's future.
Une stopped and stared at him, coloring slightly. "If you can…I really don't trust my family. Could you or Treize-sama take care of him?"
Zechs realized what it had cost Une to ask this of him. He knew that it was a big jump from the hostilities of last night, but he was the one that brought it up and he knew why she didn't trust her family. "I am very willing to take Duo into my quarters… and not my bed."
"Thank you," Une said softly. "My family or Treize's…well, you spent time at his parent's summer place. He just escaped that."
Zechs shuddered. It had been a nightmare. He thought that it had been a good thing that Treize's parents had been so open minded about their relationship. He had just turned sixteen and Treize was several years older, almost twenty-one. They had been sexually active for almost a year. He knew that his parents would have disapproved that he was sleeping with his older, male superior in the armed forces. Treize's parents not only didn't mind, they had only asked if they wanted any company in their bed…male or female or both.
He had been stunned at the offer and he was grateful that Treize had teasingly told his parents that Zechs was hopelessly vanilla about such things, whatever that meant. It wasn't a lie, since he had been shy about sex back then and still was to a certain extent. It didn't stop Treize's parents from having a loud orgy almost nightly though, while they were there. Breakfast was a disaster most of the time, because he couldn't talk to anyone in that household after the first few days, after he had seen them doing some of the things that he had. He had envied Une her nonplussed attitude for the time that she was there with them and that she had managed to arrive a few days after they had and then leave a few days early. That was the first time that they had met, he didn't realize that she was as upset about all that was going on as he was. All he knew was that they had not gotten off to a good start. Treize had explained to him later, that this was sedate compared to some of the antics of her parents had done when he had visited her the first time, so Une was able to ignore the worst of it. She was almost immune to it, so long as she was left alone by the participants. Also Treize's parents knew enough that they shouldn't tease Une about anything sexual.
Zechs was still preoccupied with his memories when he sat down to eat. He was bothered to find out that Duo had only bothered to set two places, one for him and one for Une. He looked around for Duo and was surprised to see him crouched next to Une's seat.
"Aren't you going to eat with us, Duo?" he asked softly, trying to appear non-threatening. He knew that it would be hard, he was bigger then Duo and wearing his uniform, and so most people thought that he was dangerous because of that.
Duo looked up from his position, knelling at Une's feet, "It hurts to sit down."
Zechs thought for a second and then asked gently, "All over your bottom or just part of it?"
"All over," Duo answered miserably. He really didn't want to talk about it, since it upset his Mistress. He didn't think that Zechs would be interested in his problems, even if Une had brought him here to help her explain things to him. He didn't think that someone as smart as Zechs would like to help him.
Une found the ceiling fascinating suddenly. Zechs noticed that she pinked up nicely when she blushed. It was touching to see her disturbed by something, even if it was about sex or was it Duo? She may have appeared nonplussed about Treize's parent's sexual antics, but she was embarrassed about discussing it in mixed company? What a surprise! There was something that bothered the Ice Queen.
"Why don't you get a pillow, and I'll fetch another chair and we'll see if that works out. If it doesn't, you can sit down there again, but I think that Une is uncomfortable about you eating at her feet."
"Une?" Duo asked, wanting her permission before he did anything.
"I want you to eat. I don't think that you can do that crouched at my feet. Sitting at the table with us and eating is something that you are going to have to get used to," Une said firmly. "We are getting transferred to another base in a day or two, depending on how fast they can get organized and ready to receive us. I was going to tell you later, but now is as good a time as any to tell you. We will be living with Treize-sama and Zechs. And if you want it, you can have your own room. Or we can share, like we are doing now."
"Mist…" Duo asked in confusion, bordering on panic. This was a lot to think of at one time. Where were they going? If she was going to be living with her friends, why would she need him? What was she going to with him? If she didn't need him, where would he go? She wasn't sending him back there was she?
Une was disturbed by the panic that she saw in his eyes. Did he think that she was going to send him back to those animals? "Duo…"
He just stared at her in terror, shaking slightly. Une got up to give him a hug and reassure him. "You've found out my great failing. I have a terrible way with words sometimes. I should have explained it better. I am getting transferred, along with Treize-sama and Zechs. That doesn't mean that I am going to leave you behind or abandon you."
"Thank you Une," Duo muttered into her shoulder.
Une stroked his hair a little. Zechs was astonished at how gentle she was being with him. "I need you to be with me. I want you with me. And we are going to be transferred around a lot. I didn't tell you about this last night, that we are going to be moving around a lot. Sometimes we will be living with Treize-sama and Zechs and sometimes I will have my own apartment, like now."
"So I can continue to cook for you?" Duo asked shyly. He wanted to be useful, if she wasn't going to use his body, he should take care of her.
Une smiled down at him, "You can continue to cook for me. I made an appointment for you this afternoon with one of the doctors. So why don't you eat now and I will tell you more about where we are going." #No matter what, I am going to take care of you, so don't panic if things change. I know that it is hard to trust people, but try and trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you.#
"Thank you," Duo said, getting the pillow, like Zechs had asked him to. Zechs found another chair for him and even though Duo thought that it was unpleasant, he'd sit with them, because he didn't want Une to be uncomfortable or ashamed of him. The rest of the meal passed quietly, with Une and Zechs answering any questions that Duo had about where they were going. He didn't ask much, but enough so that they were happy to tell him about where they were going, about the surrounding area the museums that were there, places that they could take him. He didn't care where they were going so long as he never went back to the place that he had just been rescued from.
As the meal ended he felt better around Zechs. The big man was scary, but he was trying to be gentle with him. Duo was glad that he was going to be with them in their new place. The thing with the pillow had been good. He wouldn't have thought of it. As they were walking out the door, Duo gestured Une to stay for a second, surprised at his boldness. He had automatically dropped to his knees when he was speaking to her. He heard her sigh and that made him look up and blush, before looking down again.
"Une…would it be better if Treize-sama and Zechs ate with us tonight? It would allow them to get more work done if they didn't have to worry about cooking for themselves. And…and I would get to meet Treize-sama."
Une frowned and put down her hand to help Duo off the floor. She was glad that Duo was thinking for himself and he shouldn't be shy about doing that. "I'll ask them. And don't forget that I am coming back in a couple of hours to deliver you to the doctor."
"You'll stay with me?" Duo asked softly. He didn't want to be alone with a stranger now.
"Throughout the whole thing, no matter what," Une promised him. She dropped a quick kiss to his forehead before walking out the door. "Take care of yourself and thank you for lunch. It was wonderful."
Duo looked at Une nervously. "The doctor will let you stay?" he asked in a small voice. She had promised him that she would, but what if the doctor wouldn't let her? Could he leave then? He had promised that he would talk to the doctor person, but he wasn't going to do it alone.
He tried not to sound so pitiful, but he really didn't want to be alone with anyone else but Une. The doctor would let her stay he hoped, he didn't want to be in a small room with a stranger. Just the thought of it made him want to start crying, because he was afraid that it would end up like the other times, like with the trainers and sometimes the bigger slaves, that they would hurt him because of something that was bothering them.
"She'll let me stay. We know each other and we went through the Academy together," Une said quietly. #If she doesn't, there will be hell to pay because Duo's scared enough as it is about being alone with strangers. A stranger that is touching him in some very personal places won't make him any more at ease about the experience.#
"I'm sorry to sound so scared," Duo apologized as he fought the urge to slip from the seat and kneel at Une's feet. The only reason that he didn't was because she asked him not to, telling him that it would embarrass her if he did that in public. Duo thought that she was hoping that he would get used to not kneeling at her feet every time she sat down and the Mistress would break him of the habit. He didn't think that would happen for a long time though. He felt too safe at her feet, even if it bothered her and Zechs.
"I don't mind. I don't think anyone likes their first visit to a new doctor," Une said mildly. Duo was very frightened because of his memories and she understood why he was scared. To many people that he had dealt with before, including the doctors in that place had treated him badly. To be alone with a stranger would be hell for him, even if it was someone as pleasant as Sally.
They sat quietly, Une reading dispatches and Duo just sitting there with his eyes closed, not thinking of anything. He got very good at that, it was something that he did a lot when he was with one of the trainers. He opened his eyes when Une touched on his leg to get his attention, since the doctor was waving at them so that she could examine him.
"Sally I would like you to meet Duo. Duo is going to need a thorough physical today," Une told her smoothly, herding Sally back into the exam area casually. She knew that her old room mate would be full of questions and she wanted them all asked and answered in the privacy of an exam room. One never knew who was lurking around the corridors of this place and she wanted to keep her business private.
Duo followed the doctor into the examination room. He saw her frown at Une, when she followed Duo into the room, but all she said was "It's going to be crowded. If you get in the way, I will kick you out."
"Please don't!" Duo begged, then blushed and fell to his knees, head bowed, awaiting his punishment for talking back, even if she didn't own him. She was not a slave and she could hurt him without getting in trouble. All she had to worry about was if she damaged his Mistress's property, because he wasn't considered human anymore.
Une got down next to him to give him a hug. "Why don't you get into the examining gown, while Dr. Po and I wait in the hallway to give you some privacy." #And I get to explain myself to her. I saw that look of disgust in her eyes, she's wondering what the hell is going on."
"Une and I will wait in the hallway, while you change." Sally told Duo, glaring at Une. "Just take everything off and put on a gown. And since the gown doesn't cover everything, you have to wear one backwards, also. We'll just be back in a few minutes."
As both women left the room, Duo got undressed and put on the gown, after carefully folding his clothes. He was kneeling on the floor, waiting for his examine, when he heard the sound of them almost arguing with each other. He cringed and wondered what he did wrong to get his Mistress in trouble. No one else seemed to find it odd that he was with her. There had been a few stares on the walk over here, but nothing more then that. He had even seen a couple of other slaves being led about. Or else there were actually people that liked to be lead around on a leash!
Sally turned to Une, as soon as the door was closed and demanded angrily, "What the Hell was that?"
"That," Une said quietly, "was the result of the ‘training' that he went through. I don't like it, but I just brought him home yesterday and there are a few other things that I want to work on before that problem."
"Une you swore that you'd never go that route, that you would never become like your parents. So why do you have a boy toy?" Sally asked. Even though very few owners would be dressing their ‘pets' in over sized sweatpants and T-shirts. Hell he looked like her little brother more then anything.
"Just give him a very though physical exam. I can't explain why I have him, but I am not using Duo for that!" Une exclaimed impatiently, blushing. "He…just take care of him," she finished softly.
"What's wrong with him, you wouldn't take him to me without a reason," Sally asked her curiously.
"I think that he's injured…umm…sexually," Une blushed hotter. Sally was a doctor so she should figure it out when she examined him. She was not going to explain things to her! "Aside from general malnutrition and bruises, plus additional abuse and whatever they were giving Duo for drugs to break him."
"So why did you buy him?" Sally asked. She almost laughed. Une still got embarrassed about sex at her age. That was funny considering, she was working for Treize, who dictated to her in the buff half the time and she had just picked up her own boy toy. Why was she still a shrinking violet about sex given her background?
"I still talk to those people," Une admitted, blushing hotly. "They are a useful source of information."
"So why did you pick him up?" Sally demanded again.
It was hilarious to see one of the most controlled and callous people she knew blush and stammer like a school girl with a crush. She had never seen Une like this and they had spent almost ten years together in the Academy. While she had been fast-tracked into Medical and Une into command, so they never really were together, they had been assigned to be room mates. Unless one or the other of them had dropped out, there was no way that they could have been separated. Once matched, it was until death or graduation separated them at the Academy. She had never seen even a preteen Une act like this though.
Une had sworn that she'd never go that route, that her family was disgusting with their habits, after the girls in their dorm had stayed up late drinking one night and someone had teased her about it. No one mentioned it again, after Une had just looked at the girl with what Sally later dubbed her ‘killer stare'. The girl never talked to Une again as far as Sally could tell. No one dared ask her that personal a question ever again. Une hadn't been the friendliest person before that incident and after that no one wanted to get close to her.
"Sally, just don't ask questions. You really don't need to know more then he needs medical help. Treize-sama has no problem with Duo staying with me and you know that his parents were worse then mine about this obsession with ‘pets' and human play toys."
"Treize doesn't mind?" Sally asked in an astonished voice. Treize had let it be known informally that he didn't approve of the custom. Not that he actually said anything, but those that had someone like Duo with them didn't rise as high or as fast as those that didn't have a ‘personal servant' with them. "Now I know that something is going on. But one thing that the military has taught me is that you don't ask questions."
"Thank you Sally and if you do have any questions about anything, come to me about them," Une informed her. "No poking around on your own for information, since that might be bad for you."
"Something's up Une isn't it? Something more then you're telling me?" Sally asked.
"Just follow orders and treat him Dr. Po," Une ordered in a cold voice, ending all her questions.
Sally shrugged at the brush off, unworried at the threat in Une's tone of voice. Une was serious about her not asking questions, because she had gotten very formal with her and colder then usual. Something was going on, something that she didn't really want to know about, so she'd treat Une's little find for her without asking any questions. Hell he was about the only thing that she showed any kindness to besides Treize, in all the time that she had known her. Une wouldn't have grabbed him unless there was something special about the boy, besides the fact that he was gorgeous with that long braid, big violet eyes and the proverbial face that launched a thousand ships, because Une seemed to be immune to good looks in either sex, as if she had been neutered or something. Something more likely because of the way that she acted when she asked her about it or had living in that sexual play land that her parents created for themselves just turned her off to any interest in sex with a male or a female? The braid tickled something at the back of her mind and memories but she ignored it, Une didn't want her to ask her any questions, so she wouldn't.
Sally and Une reentered the room, Une frowning when she saw the position that Duo was in. Sally shook her head motioned Une to stay back. "Up on the exam table, so that I can look at you easier," Sally told him.
Duo shot a questioning look to Une before slowly getting up to comply with Sally's order. Sally saw that look and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm in charge in this room. Une is just here to hold your hand so you won't be scared of the big, nasty doctor, who is me. So just follow my instructions without checking with her first. And if you have any questions, ask me. If you feel uncomfortable about anything, tell me. First thing that I'm going to do is take your blood pressure and pulse."
Sally continued with her exam, grateful that Une stayed out of her way and Duo cooperated with almost everything. He asked answered the few questions that she had for him, concerning the scars on his feet, how old his bruisers were, and Duo seemed to be comforted by the running dialog that she provided to inform him of what she was doing and try make him comfortable with her. Sally really didn't want to scare the boy that was following her every movement with terrified eyes, apparently afraid that she was going to hurt him. It didn't help that she was fuming by the time that she came to what was going to be the worst part of the exam for her patient, the rectal exam. Some people should just be shot on sight and she was voting that it be any of those assholes that Une just rescued this scared, confused kid from. The angrier that she got, the more that he cringed away from her, thinking that she was angry with him. She didn't think that it was even a conscious action, since he just seemed to be trying to merge into Une just to get away from her. That Une took this without a fuss was something that surprised Sally. Une had never been a warm, touchie-feelie person by any stretch of the imagination.
Duo was quiet for most of the exam; just answering the few questions that she had about things, but most of the time he stayed silent and listened to her talk. He was frightened of the doctor, not because she had hurt him, but because for some unknown reason she was angry with him. Angry that he couldn't remember how his feet were damaged, because it had hurt to walk for as long as he could remember. Angry that he couldn't remember things beyond a certain point and angry that he was thin and covered with bruises and scratches. Angry with him for what other people had done to him. He kept shrinking back into his Mistress, hopeful that she would protect him from this angry person. He almost told the doctor to stop what she was doing to him, but he couldn't tell her that, that would embarrass his Mistress. He had agreed to the exam, he just didn't think that someone would be this angry with him during it!
Une almost called a halt to the whole experience when she felt Duo quietly crying on her shoulder during Sally's rectal exam. Duo had been almost in her arms he was so scared by the whole experience. And Sally was not making it any better when she kept getting angry when she discovered more and more damage on Duo. Duo was scared of Sally and Une didn't know how she could help, besides letting Duo know that she was there for him, by holding his hand and letting him cry on her shoulder. Duo needed this exam, he needed to be healed of whatever those monsters had done to him and Sally was about the only person that Une trusted to do this. Une almost shuddered, thinking of Duo's reaction if one of the male doctors were doing this exam to him. She was wondering what she was going to do about this, when she met Sally's eyes after she had started probing Duo for damage. Both women just looked at each other for a long second before Une leaned over to comfort Duo. Sally wasn't happy either. It didn't help that both woman were a hair away from wanting to kill the bastards that did this to Duo and he was picking it up.
"You're doing very well, Duo-chan," Une whispered in his ear, trying to get him to calm down. She knew that he was scared, that it hurt and she wanted this over more then he did, his crying was making her want to hit Sally to make her stop hurting Duo. Sally was ashamed that someone was afraid of her. "Sally's not angry with you, but the people that did this to you. So don't be afraid of her. And I know that she's sorry if she hurt you."
"Just a little afraid Mistress," Duo lied. It had hurt a lot, lying there quietly and having her put her hands there, where it was painful, where everyone had hurt him the most. The doctor had stopped talking then, aside from the almost continuous stream of ‘relax and it's going to hurt more because you are tense' and variations on that sentence.
Duo was almost sobbing aloud when Sally was finished with him, it had hurt and he didn't want anyone's hands down there, doctor or not!
"Une we are going to talk outside," Sally said in a tight tone before walking out the door. Une followed her and just turned to Sally when they were barely out the door and shut it behind her.
"What's wrong with him?" Une asked quietly.
"Aside for being too thin, bruised and scratched like that and hysterical because I was touching him, not much. I'll know more when the blood tests come back, STDs might not be something to worry about, but I just want to make sure. You never know what he picked up from the others that were there, but they should have tested for that first thing when they are picked up and treated for it. I'm going to prescribe some antibiotics and vitamins, to cover anything that might be wrong, just to make certain, in case I miss something. I'm just glad that he isn't too badly torn around his anus, since there is some scarring as well as new tears. He's going to need some stitches, though and make sure that he doesn't eat too heavily for the next week or two. I'm going to give you a menu that he should follow and push the liquids, liquid supplement drinks would be a good idea too. And some counseling, but I don't have to tell you that." Sally finished with the question that she had wanted to ask since the beginning of the exam. "And what's this Mistress thing?"
Une shrugged and blushed. "He has trouble using my name. I think it's because he's so grateful that I bought him. The term Mistress or Master has been drilled into him as the proper way to address your owner. I heard it too much when I was growing up, I want him to use my name, but it's been slow going. I don't want to push him, because things have been a little overwhelming for him."
"I also want to take him down to x-ray to look have pictures taken of his feet," Sally said. "They may have been a few bones that had been broken when they beat him, aside from his toes. From what I can tell, they beat his feet until he broke, but I may be wrong. It could have been just a simple punishment session that did the damage. The hard part for the two of us is going to be when I stitch him up. Duo's not going to like that, if I could I'd knock him out for it, but I want him to hit x-ray."
Une shrugged. "Arrange for the x-rays, and then we can come back here for the stitches. A few more minutes aren't going to matter. And explain to him what you are doing…I think that he is missing a lot of information about the basics, because his personality apparently was destroyed in that place, as well as his body. They told me that, just so I would accuse them of selling me a flawed product. I have no idea what they used for drugs on him. I don't want to know, because I might be tempted to use them someday. On them."
Sally bit her lip, wondering what kind of people would do that to another human being and what had they done to the boy that they destroyed his personality, whatever that meant. Did that mean that Une knew him before he had been in that place? She knew that it could be done, that had been covered in her psych rotation in medical school. It was that session that convinced her that she did not want to get out of internal medicine. She knew that she might be called upon to do that in the military someday. So why had someone done this to Duo? Had he been that strong willed? Or were those bastards that callous? He seemed like a nice boy, Une was lucky to have him to bully her. He might do her good and soften the harder edges of her personality.
Une went back into the exam room, where Duo was still curled up on the exam table, afraid to move. Sally followed her. Une shook her head at the sight. He looked so young, so lost, she couldn't believe that he had been a threat, a hardened terrorist that had destroyed all that he had, and did all that damage to the Alliance. She smiled at him and stoke backed his bangs. "You need x-rays for your feet, to check the damage that was done to them. Also you need stitches because you are torn, where Sally examined you last, because the trainers hurt you by tearing the muscles down there. Zechs or Sally can explain how better. But if you don't mind, we can get the x-rays first and then get you stitched and you can be asleep for that. Or you get stitched now, just with something to numb the area and then we get the x-rays. It's your choice."
Duo sniffed. "I don't think that I made a good choice last time," he muttered. He ignored Sally, because his Mistress was the only one that he thought was important.
Une smiled. "Yes you did. Seeing Sally is a good thing, she can heal you now that you've seen her. You've been very good during the exam also."
"I cried, Mistress." Duo said softly, embarrassed that he had broken down like that. He wanted her to be proud of him.
"But you didn't ask her to stop. I know that you should have a choice about getting the stitches and the x-rays, but since you've gone this far, you might as well finish it." Une said, trying to comfort him.
"Numbing," Duo said. "If I get knocked out, I won't be able to make dinner."
Une sighed, "That isn't a good reason. I can…"
Duo shook his head, "But you told me that you have a lot to do…so I want to make it easier for all of you. I should be awake to cook dinner and you are having company. I promised Zechs that I would take care of you."
Une frowned and was pleased that Duo met her eyes for a second, before shaking his head again, still arguing about being asleep to get his stitches. He was willing to argue with her about this and that showed that he was beginning to be a little more comfortable with her. He was going to be stubborn about taking care of her, because he felt that he owed her this for rescuing him and for treating him like a human being. It was a start. She didn't expect a miracle, but she hoped that he would be able to keep the progress that he had made. Someday with luck…he might be the person that he once was.
Sally smiled, trying to hide it. Une might have met her match in this boy. He was scared of everything but her, which was amusing. Did Duo know that he was arguing with a woman that scared the crap out of most of the rank and file because of her dedication to her Treize-sama? Including Treize-sama.
Une noticed the smile and frowned at Sally. Duo followed where she was staring and blushed. He had done something to amuse the doctor, something that annoyed his Mistress. Une smiled at him when she noticed that he was following the interplay between her and Sally.
"Duo, Sally and I went to school together. She is just amused about the fact that you are the only one that has ever really argued with me about anything. Get used to it, because it's going to be a common reaction with people."
"Une?" Duo asked in confusion. What was so amusing about taking care of his Mistress? He knew that he wasn't supposed to argue with her, but she seemed to like it or at least she wasn't mad at him, so maybe he could. Did arguing with her come under the own person thing that she explained to him this morning?
Sally laughed as she prepared a needle as she explained her amusement to Duo. "On your stomach, and you are going to feel a pinch from the shot going in. After a couple of minutes, you're going to be numb and I can stitch you up. The stitches should melt when you're healed, so you don't have to put up with me doing this again to you."
"Okay," Duo said, following her instructions. He didn't want to be touched down there by anyone!
He was waiting for things to get numb, when Sally started talking again. "Une has the reputation of being a terror."
"Thanks a lot Sally," Une remarked sourly.
"You use it to your advantage, so don't act like that." Sally scolded her.
Duo listened drowsily, feeling a lot of his lower body getting numb. He wondered if this was normal. He should ask, but it didn't seem important, it was lovely that nothing hurt, after hurting for so long. "She's nice," he remarked softly, wondering why he was saying any of this. "She saved me and let me wear clothes and…and…she hasn't tried to hurt me…"
Une frowned as Duo fell asleep mid sentence. "Sally?"
Sally started to stitch up the tears that she had found. "I gave him a lot of painkillers. He should wake up in a little while. He'll be a little woozy, but it should pass." #Une and nice aren't two words that go together. And how bad are those places if he was thankful that she doesn't want to hurt him and lets him wear clothes. He's beautiful, I can see why those animals would want him, but it is still disgusting. Why does Romafeller allow these people to exist?#
"Good," Une said, "but don't do that again. I want him to trust me. I gave him a choice and he was willing to stay awake."
"I know that," Sally said, cutting the last stitch. Duo hadn't need much, but she wasn't going to have him shaking and crying because she was touching him there. "I overrode the two of you. I'm in charge here, not either one of you, and it was easier for me to have him asleep, so he slept."
Sally idly played with his braid as she waited for Duo to wake up. It wouldn't take long, because she just needed him out for a few minutes. "And Une…don't ever worry about ruining that trust. He almost worships you. Also let him bully you, it will do him a world of good, in the confidence department. Take him back to see me in a week, or earlier if there is trouble."
Une shook her head, "We're getting transferred to the NEAM base, four of us -Zechs, Treize-sama, Duo and I. Can you recommend a doctor there? A female one would be the best choice."
Sally nodded, "I'll give you a couple of names. Just make sure that he takes his medication. I'll give you a copy of his records. If it looks like there is a problem, call me."
Duo stirred and looked up at the two women, alarmed. "I fell asleep?"
He didn't want to do that! He felt groggy and all out of sorts, he hated this feeling. It reminded him of how he was when he woke up before.
"I knocked you out." Sally said, "And Une already yelled at me for that. Just have to get to X-ray and then you can get home and spoil Une."
Duo frowned, "I was …"
"And I wanted you asleep," Sally cut in. "It was a lot better for all of us. And you will be a lot more awake in an hour or so. You have been my best patient today."
"Thank you," Duo mumbled as he went to put on his clothes.
He stripped, unconcerned that anyone was watching him, he had been watched for as long as he could remember. He was still getting used to the idea that he could wear clothes that he wasn't on display all the time, like he had been. He was thinking more about what he had to do when he got back to Une's apartment, since he had a lot of packing to do for her if they were going to leave in a day and a half. And dinner, thankfully she had chosen something that he could cook quickly, but was still impressive to serve. He was going to meet Treize-sama and he should do a lot of things, but he didn't know what they were. Maybe Une could draw up a list, so that she wouldn't have to worry about this in the future. From what his Mistress and Zechs said, she had to worry about a lot of things in the office and leaving, so he should try and help her at her home, since she was the Mistress. He just had to have the room stop spinning so much!
Treize knocked on the door and waited. Une had invited Zechs and himself to dinner, telling them it was Duo's idea, but she thought that it was a good one. It would give Treize a chance to meet Duo before they started to live together. He was surprised that Duo thought of that and that he had had enough confidence to mention it to Une. He wasn't surprised that Une was the one that answered the door, Duo wouldn't be comfortable enough here to do that. He was surprised that she had slipped out of her uniform and into jeans and a casual shirt. He thought that she lived in her uniform, because he had rarely seen her out of it.
"Treize-sama, how nice of you to join us!" Une exclaimed happily. "Duo and Zechs are in the kitchen. Zechs is…ah…explaining a few things to him. Zechs was worried that you may not be able to make it. Duo had some questions about things that Sally said in the exam and he didn't want to ask me about them."
"Male bonding?" Treize teased her. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in years and then he guiltily remembered that he rarely saw her outside their offices or in some sort of official capacity. He hadn't spent as much time as he should have with her since she and Zechs did not get along. He wondered how bad it was going to be with the three of them living together. He knew that Une and Zechs were working on trying to get along, but it was a fragile peace that the two of them were building and was either Une or Zechs ready for the strain of working and living together might cause them? Was he comfortable with the thought of trying to get the two of them to play nice together so that the team wouldn't fall apart? Their superiors never found out about the friction that existed between the two of them and he never wanted them to know so that they could not exploit it. They worked well together, which sometime was a thorn in the side of the Alliance. He wanted to continue to cause them that discomfort.
Une laughed, "More like basic courtesy. Duo knows that I am uncomfortable about answering such questions so Zechs offered to talk to him about ‘The birds and the bees'."
Treize laughed, but was sad. What had been done to the Gundam pilot so that he was so uninformed about things? There were a few people that prized such ‘innocence' in their property, but he knew that most of the bastards that picked up slaves from the place that Une picked up Duo from didn't want that in their slaves.
They both walked into the kitchen and Treize was not surprised to see that Zechs was seated on the other side of the kitchen watching Duo work and talking to him. The biology lesson must be over because Zechs was telling him about Fall in New England and apple picking, trying get the boy interested in the move.
"If all you think about is food, then you soon be too fat to get into Tallgeese," Treize teased his lover. He was happy to see that Zechs had put aside that damned mask and he could see all of him.
Zechs got up and went over to give him a chaste peck on the cheek. Treize tried not to get irritated and returned that peck with a much more satisfying lip lock, slipping his tongue in Zechs's mouth. He knew that his lover was trying to be polite around Une, but he was not going to be celibate the entire time that they were in that house. Une would just have to get used to the fact that they were physically affectionate in private. He was amused to hear a slight ‘eep' from Duo and turned to face him when he thought that he had greeted his lover properly.
Short was his first impression. Thin was his second and he longed irrationally to do something with the boy's braid because he wanted to see all that hair free. He freely admitted that he had a fetish for long hair. It was the terrified look in his eyes stopped that, for all that Treize admitted that the boy was beautiful. What was it about the three pilots that he had seen that they were all gorgeous? Duo was exquisite as a piece of art and as untouchable due to his Lady's temper. He could see why Duo Maxwell had been turned into a sex slave, but the thought of someone destroying a brilliant mind to do so angered him. Duo Maxwell had been a threat to Romafeller and the Alliance, but he should have been killed cleanly in combat rather then subjected to torture. He wondered if Duo had given them any information about his allies or if he had been broken for the sheer pleasure of doing so.
He went over and gently grasped his hand, raising it to his lips to kiss it gently. "I am honored to meet you," he said simply trying not to be upset at the fear and confusion that he saw there. Gentle would be the only way to treat the child for a long time. He remembered the report that he had seen on the break out of pilot01 from the hospital infirmary, that pilot02 had simply walked into the hospital, cut loose the prisoner and then blew a hole in the wall to escape. His mind could not grasp the fact that this was the same person, because he was staring at him like a mouse watching a cat, waiting for him to pounce of him and hurt him.
Une threw him a warning look "Treize-sama is not mocking you," she explained carefully. Treating Duo like one of Romafeller's grande dames had confused her for a second. She understood why after it dawned on her that Treize was trying to tell Duo that he thought he was attractive without scaring the child. He would find Duo beautiful, since Treize had an eye for beauty and good taste. He was just trying to assure the child and her that he would never think of Duo in a manner that would make him uncomfortable. She just now had to get used to Treize and Zechs kissing all the time.
Dinner was over when Treize broached the question that had been bothering him all evening. Duo couldn't accompany any of them to their meetings or inspections. All it would take was for someone to recognize the boy and there would be trouble. From talking with him, Duo was too nervous to go anyplace on his own, but he shouldn't be left in idleness all day. School was not an answer, but it would be good for him until someone found out what he was doing with them. The older boys and girls would make his life hell though, which was unacceptable to him.
"Mmm and what will Duo being doing while the rest of us are working?" Treize asked Une, while Duo was cleaning up the dishes. Zechs had offered to help him with by drying dishes for him. "Aside from making breakfast, lunch and dinner, I don't expect that there would be much to keep him occupied. I will arrange for someone to do most of the heavy cleaning twice a month."
"I was expecting Duo to keep occupied with home schooling. I will arrange for it once we get settled. There are a number of programs that he could use to help him figure out what he needs to learn. I don't expect him to be bored."
"I'm glad that you thought of it, because there really isn't any other option," Treize told her.
"I know," Une said regretfully. "He's too timid for regular schooling right now and I really do not want him to have to deal with General Hicks or any of his staff on a regular basis. Also he has too many gaps in some basic things with his memory loss to feel comfortable dealing with people, never mind the brainwashing that those bastards tried on him to make him believe that all he was good for was sex."
"Is there anything in his records that mention where they picked him up or who ‘acquired' him for them?" Treize asked.
"I haven't had time to look them over yet and I don't expect to until after we are settled in at our new place," Une told him. "I also don't expect them to tell me much. If I start asking questions about where he was found, it might tip off someone that Duo was more important then they knew. That might bring unwanted attention on us. It will cause problems for him and I do not want that to happen. He has no memory of his past or the group that he was with. No one would ever believe that and he'd be punished for something that is beyond his control."
"I'll worry about that later," Treize told her. "Both of us have been very clear in the past about what our opinions where about ‘personal attendants' and other forms of servitude. That you have bought one will have people curious about who had finally caught your eye, so we are going to be under the spot light for that. Gossip spreads faster then anything else in the Universe and this is something that no one id going to resist talking about. Your buying Duo might have certain factions in Romafeller that were suspicious of us try to get closer to us and see if we can be persuaded to see other things their way."
Une sighed. "I have no intention of using Duo that way. I just wanted to get him as far away from those people as possible."
"My dear Lady," Treize told her, "never be ashamed of the fact that you had kind impulse to help him and get Duo away from those people."
Zechs frowned when he saw Duo struggling with a stack of dishes. He carefully took them from him with a smile, "Duo I am here to help you."
Duo flushed, he had thought that he could carry all of them, but the stack had gotten heavier all of a sudden and he was frightened that he was going to drop them. He was grateful the Zechs had been there to take the dishes from him. He suddenly remembered the last time that he had dropped a dish and broke it. A customer hadn't seen him do it, so the punishment had been relatively light, twenty lashes and no food for two days. He paled at the memory of the pain. Zechs saw the blood drain from his face and maneuvered him into one of the chairs in the kitchen, hoping that the boy did not faint on him.
"Are you all right?" Zechs asked in concern.
Duo nodded, "I just…thank you for helping me."
"If you are not feeling well, I can take care of the dishes," Zechs offered. He knew that Duo had had a long day and it might be catching up to him now. All that he had done today would be exhausting to anyone.
"I…I…" Duo was reluctant to tell Zechs what he had been remembering. It wasn't that he didn't like him or trust him. Zechs had been kind enough to explain to him about some of the things that Sally had talked about, like torn muscles and why he couldn't eat solid food for a little while. Duo had decided to have the rest of the soup and just a taste of what he had served the others. What a STD was and he reassured him that Sally hadn't been angry with him. He had been frightened of Zechs when he had first come in, because he looked so stern and unapproachable in his mask and uniform. He had almost asked that Une stay with them when Zechs sat down to talk to him. Une had stayed for a little while to make small talk with Zechs until he was comfortable with him and then disappeared to get changed and putter around the bedroom for a little while until Treize-sama showed up.
"You can tell me what is bothering you," Zechs told him. "None of us are going to get mad at you because you're tired or sick. You had a long day and it was tiring for you."
"I…just memories," Duo explained.
"Memories of before you were in that place?" Zechs asked hopefully.
"No," Duo replied slowly. "I had broken a dish…I was just thinking of what my punishment would have been if I had broken all these dishes."
"A scolding," Zechs replied promptly. "We would have both gotten one. Me for not helping you and you for not asking for help from me, from Une and Treize. Nothing more then that."
"I was lashed…nothing that would break the skin, because then I would be scarred and more worthless then I was, but it hurt…" Duo told him, his voice trailing off.
Duo saw Zechs's fist clench and then relax, but his voice was kind and controlled. "You are not worthless and you should never believe anything that those perverts told you. They are scum."
"I know, but…" Duo told him.
"They were the only people that ever told you anything," Zechs said.
"I am feeling better now," Duo assured him as he got up. He had to do the dishes because that was part of taking care of Mistress Une. He could rest later. He didn't want to keep Zechs and Treize-sama here longer then they had to be because this was supposed to help them save time. Treize-sama had confused him tonight and he had a lot to think about before he went to bed.
He had seen the fat man try and do the hand kissing thing to a couple of women that had visited that place, but he hadn't managed to be so, so something doing it. He had been frightened because Treize-sama looked at him like most of the others had done, wanting him for a second or two before he stopped looking at him like he was something that he wanted. That wanting stopped and Duo saw something else in his eyes before Treize-sama kissed his hand. Duo had felt Une and Zechs tense up for a moment, but they had relaxed after the hand kissing. He had to ask Une what it meant. He had been worried that Treize-sama wanted to kiss him like had had kissed Zechs. Zechs hadn't wanted to kiss him like that for some reason, but he gave in to Treize-sama. If someone that was as big and strong as Zechs gave into Treize-sama, what could he do? He was little and the rest of them were bigger then he was, even Mistress Une.
"Why didn't you want to have Treize-sama kiss you?" Duo asked Zechs suddenly.
Zechs smiled. Duo had picked up on that subtle issue. He wasn't stupid no matter what those bastards tried to tell him. He looked down at Duo and then realized that it wasn't simple curiosity that prompted the question, but something else. He remembered the barely heard ‘eep' and it dawned on him that it was apparent that Duo had been frightened by Treize before he had met him. Did he think that Treize would have forced him too? Zechs could believe that because his lover's frank and rather overwhelming appraisal of Duo would have frightened the child. In the past he would have not been able to say no and he was worried that Treize would have used him like those animals did. Treize's force of personality was rather intimidating for many people. The three of them were people that many others would find too intense to take in more then small batches. It was amusing the Duo wasn't afraid on Une and she was the one with the most forceful personality of them and the one that people were the most afraid of. He was daunting because of the mask and his reputation in battle. Treize could charm the birds out of the trees if he chose to, but he knew that his lover had risen as far and as fast as he had because of the cult of personality that he had created in the Specials, much to the dismay of the Romafeller Foundation.
"I thought that it would not be polite to be so open about my relationship with Treize in front of Lady Une," Zechs explained slowly, wondering how he should answer this question. "Treize and I have been lovers for years, but we do not try to flaunt it in front of other people. There are many reasons for this, one being that Treize is my superior officer and some people might think that I had used my relationship with him to get where I am today. The other is that many people in the Alliance and the Romafeller Foundation believe that a romantic relationship between two men is unacceptable. Lastly, I did not want to make Lady Une uncomfortable. She…she is also fond of Treize, but he does not return her feelings in more then a brotherly manner."
"So you don't mind kissing him, but you didn't want to kiss him like that here," Duo commented. "Did he…he…um…?"
Zechs smiled gently and went over take Duo's hand. He was staring at his feet and his face was bright red. Duo looked up, trying not to flinch because he had been touched. He was still trying to understand that being touched wasn't a punishment.
"He didn't force me. He has never even thought about that with anyone," Zechs told him. "However, the man does have a certain disregard for other people's sensibilities at times and this was one of them. I showed him that I wanted a kiss by the kiss I gave him. He just decided that he wanted to kiss me more thoroughly. He will not kiss you like that."
"Oh," Duo said a bit lost. He hated kissing like that, having someone shove their tongue in your mouth so that you couldn't breath. He noticed that after the first second, Zechs enjoyed it so he guessed it wasn't too bad for him but it was something that he didn't really want to have to do any more.
"No he won't," Zechs told him correctly reading the fear and confusion in his eyes. "Not if he wants to live. Une promised him that she'd have his head if he touched you improperly. She said the same to me."
"She's very nice to me," Duo said shyly. "Even if it caused the Doctor to laugh at her because of that."
"Sally was Une's roommate at the Academy," Zechs told him. "She gets to laugh at her because of that. She's known her for a long time. "
"Why?" Duo was more confused then ever.
"Une, unfortunately, has been turned into the boogieman that scares young freshmen," Zechs said. "It's from her time at the Academy, not that it isn't unwarranted, because the woman has a stare that could melt paint off a Mobile Suit at fifty paces and you never want that stare directed at you. She isn't the most lovable or even approachable person on the planet and the colonies. Expect a lot of people to be surprised that she is kind to you, because she doesn't have that good a reputation."
"But she isn't like that!" Duo protested. "She is good and she rescued me and I haven't …I haven't had to do…do those nasty things with her, even though she could make me do that. She…she…clothes and no collar and…and…" Duo broke down into tears and started sobbing hysterically.
Une and Treize rushed into the room when they heard that, Une glaring at Zechs because he made Duo cry before gathering him into her arms and rocking back and forth with him, murmuring into his ear.
Treize raised an eyebrow and Zechs shook his head, "We were talking about Une and his visit to Sally when he started crying. He's tired and you had frightened him a little earlier. All that he's done today and yesterday is catching up to him."
Treize sighed, "I know. I realized that he thought I was the big bad wolf because of the way that he reacted to me. I thought it was because of the look I gave him. I...I really do not believe that any one with a conscious could do that to anyone. I would never think of him that way, it would be like molesting a child."
"He wanted to know if you forced me to kiss you," Zechs told him. At Treize's startled look, Zechs smiled slightly. "You have to admit that was not one of the warmest greetings that I had given you, for various reasons. None of which was that I was unwilling to kiss you."
"I didn't think that he would be disturbed by that," Treize sighed. "I wanted to make sure that you did not have some silly notion about not kissing me in front of Une. I would go mad within the week if that was the case."
Duo's sobs had turned into hiccups. Une smiled at him and said, "Bed time."
Duo opened his mouth to protest, he was supposed to be taking care of her and not crying all over her shirt.
Une glared at him, but her voice was gentle. "Sleep now. The dishes can wait until tomorrow. I would feel a lot better if you got some sleep. It has been a very busy two days for you. I promise that I will work your fingers to the bone tomorrow."
"Behold Duo, the stare that scared the entire freshman mobile suit squad that she was coaching into tears, "Zechs teased him. "Big burly boys that could break her in half ended up gibbering in fear because she looked at them."
Duo frowned, "She isn't scary. Why do people keep saying that she's scary?"
Treize laughed. He couldn't help it. A minute ago the boy was hysterical and now he was arguing with Zechs about Une being ‘scary'. He had been there that day. Zechs wasn't kidding about the gibbering part. She was coaching the squad and they all knew that he was watching them and in trying to be noticed by him, most if not all of them had started making stupid mistakes. Mistakes that could get them killed in battle. Une had stopped everything and gotten them out of their suits and in a semi-circle in front of her. He never knew what she had said, but one cadet had transferred as far away from the Academy as he could and none of the remaining cadets would go near her. They were all willing to do anything rather then be alone with her. Most of the Foundation were nervous around her because of the incident with General Septum, shooting the man on the way out of the airplane just to make sure he was dead had been a little too though for them.
Duo was frightened of everyone but Une a woman that frightened many people. He hoped that Duo would manage to convince the rest of the world that Une was the kind lady that he thought she was, because she needed that. He also hoped that the boy would learn to relax around him and Zechs and that their relationship didn't make him too uncomfortable. He wanted the boy to learn that there were honorable people in the world.
Heero frowned over the latest intelligence reports that he had stolen off an Alliance satellite, piggybacking his signal off of theirs. The pictures were perfect, tracking the movements of the Alliance's rising star, Treize Khushrenada, Chief of OZ's Specials and his personal staff.
Due to some of Wufei's activity in the NEAM Sector, the Alliance was bringing in the big boys to deal with the problem. Once he arranged for his transportation, he was going to join Wufei. He had spent enough time out of commission with his failed attempt at self detonation. But he couldn't do what that woman had demanded of him and of any of the pilots, by turning over their machine to the Alliance and letting them learn the technological secrets of the colonies. Since he was without a Gundam right now, he was going to have to fight a guerilla war. Until he was able to get a new Gundam, he was grounded.
He was tired of not fighting, because this had been the longest time that he had been out of the fight since Odin Lowe dropped him off with Dr. J all those years ago. He needed to find out what had happened to the other pilots, Quatre and Duo. They had been out of touch with each other, when the last battle showed that they needed to coordinate their efforts more or else this fight would be over before it began. Trowa and the circus he needed to leave, so that he could get in contact with the one other pilot that had better intelligence then he did, Chang Wufei. He didn't want to endanger Trowa's hiding place if Chang was not as trustworthy as he should be.
Heero stretched and frowned. There was something that was not right about the last picture. It was a little out of focus because of signal degradation, but it was still enough there for him to notice that there was something wrong. What was wrong? There was Khushrenada, exiting the plane. Ahead of him was Zechs Marquise, you couldn't miss him with that mask and his hair style. Behind Khushrenada, was his personal attack dog, Lady Une. Nothing unusual about that, it could be a picture from any number of places that these three had arrived at, doing whatever needed to be done for the Alliance and the nobility of Romafeller. They were an inseparable team that did most of the dirty work for the Romafellers. So what had caught his eye?
There was a shadow behind Une and she was turned slightly, like she was talking to it. Heero frowned and went on to the next picture, the answer was probably there. So they had added someone to the team? This was news, because who would be willing to work with all the personalities involved. Une had a reputation of being a fanatic, loyal only to Khushrenada. Khushrenada could charm the birds out of the trees, but he had difficulty following the party line, which got him in trouble. There were also the rumors that he was closer to his chief pilot then was good for either of them. Zechs was an excellent mecha pilot that hid behind a mask and had the reputation for being a subordinate killer, climbing to the top of the command structure on the bodies of others. Three people that separately were a danger and together could throw Romafeller and the Alliance in turmoil faster then anything that the rebels could do. So who was the new person?
Heero studied that picture a little, wondering what was bothering him until it he noticed the shadow had developed into a person a few frames later. A person that he knew, pilot 02 Duo Maxwell. A Gundam pilot that had disappeared when he blew up, to resume the fight later like the rest of them had when he was injured. But no one had seen him that he knew of, was this why? That he had sold out to his people?
Heero sat back, fighting with himself to think logically. 02 had been a colonist, the accent had been a dead give away when they first met, on that beach. Later in the hospital and on that ship, with all those men that knew him, had trusted him and had fixed his Gundam. Duo couldn't have been an Alliance spy, not unless that whole set up had been faked. It couldn't have been though, Heero was honest with himself about the reasons that it couldn't have been, no one could have predicted all the mistakes that he had made those first few weeks. He couldn't have thought of that scenario on his worst day, no one would have thought that he would have made all those mistakes, not with his training. But logic now dictated that 02 had been a spy for the other side, now he was in the company of one of the most competent freelance teams that the Specials had managed to produce. And he wasn't in restraints or apparently guarded in anyway, therefore he was with those people willingly.
Hence he was a spy for OZ and Heero had to eliminate the leak that could identify all the pilots for the colonies. 02 knew too much about Heero, about Gundams and mostly about Quatre's very efficient spy network that he had set up. Heero coldly dismissed any other theories from his mind, angered that he had been fooled so completely by the one person that he had started to trust since he came to Earth. How did Duo manage to carry off his act so completely, staying in character the entire time that they had been together? When they were room mates in the various schools that they had been to and he had even gone so far as to break him out of that hospital after he had shot him, to protect that bothersome Peacecraft girl.
In his anger and his mortification about being fooled by Duo Maxwell, who he had trusted, Heero neglected to thoroughly examine the evidence in front of him, namely the fact that Pilot 02 was being lead out of the plane by Une, like he was a child. Or the fact that Duo seemed to be attached to Une's hip. If he had bothered to watch any further he would have seen that Duo shied away from everyone that got near him between the plane and the car.
Heero hastily packed, he had to get to Duo and find out what the little worm had spilled. Wufei could give him information about the area. Places he could take Duo to make him talk and have no one else hear him scream. By the time that he was through with the little turncoat, he would pry everything out of him that he knew, since he had been trained very well to do that!
End Part Two
Christine
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