Softly, he said, “Start from the beginning.”

Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and laid my cheek against my knees. Quietly, I recounted every bit of information that I could, starting from the first day I was attacked by that Hunter. Many of the facts Heero already knew, but I couldn’t stop my feelings and impressions from bleeding into my voice. Thoughts I had, fears, questions; I didn’t hold anything back. I poured it all out into Heero like a cup. He took it all, too; never interrupting, never questioning, never judging. Just listening.

The sun was rising by the time I got to my latest dream. My beer had long gotten warm and our hot chocolate had long gotten cold. I frowned as I recalled my words to the wizard. Thinking back, I realized that I allowed my anger to get the better of me. I had threatened a wizard. Even though his power was the lowest I had ever dealt with, he was still a creature that was considerably more powerful than me. “Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” I finished.

“Not the worst you have ever done either,” Heero dismissed with a flick of his fingers, then sighed heavily. “This is getting out of hand. There are too many players on the field: Hunters, these Hecate, the Hai-Uri, this Adze,” and here Heero had a confused look on his face, “and now this new group of Shifters under this wizard.” He shook his head. “I wonder why you saw this... incident to begin with.”

I absently started scratching at my shoulder. “I’ve been having dreams of him--”

“But why?” Heero interrupted. “Why this particular person, halfway across the world? Why not a customer from Howard’s bar, or your friend Meizer?” He paused a moment. “What made this person so special?”

I sat there completely blown away. Why I hadn’t asked myself that question, I didn’t know.

Heero sat back. “It is your clairvoyance--”

“No,” I interrupted, making a sharp chopping motion with my hand. “I don’t see the future,” I said, annoyed. So many equated clairvoyance with fortune telling. It pissed me off to no end.

Heero leaned towards me, the blue of his eyes becoming so intense I couldn’t be sure that they weren’t glowing. “I am not saying that you see the future,” he said, annoyed, “but that does not mean you can not see the present.”

I opened my mouth to give Heero one hell of a tongue lashing when my brain processed his words. Then I thought back to what I ‘saw.’ The shape-shifter’s death felt very current, very ‘now.’ I would’ve felt that even if I didn’t interact with the wizard. Processing Heero’s words a second, third and fourth time, I closed my mouth and sat back, trying to recall instances where I could have... ‘seen’ the present. I remembered an instance when I did, and I felt all of the blood drain from my face. I didn’t want this. For all that was holy, I didn’t want this. “No,” I whispered, feeling my throat closing up. “No, no no no...” I closed my eyes tightly as the memory ran across my vision. I remembered when I saw Oburi running through the forest, in his effort to reach the Sidhe Court. There was so much going on that it didn’t even occur to any of us that I was seeing him in real time... Christ. Will I ever have peace from Siberia?

“Duo?”

I jumped from the table and ran to the kitchen sink, so upset that I felt like I was going to puke my brains out. I heard Heero come up behind me before he turned the faucet on, filling his hands full of water and carefully splashing my face. That did the trick. I felt like I could breath again. My heart rate slowed. The clenching sensation in my stomach eased. Bile receded from my throat. My shoulders dropped. Wow. This sucked. This really, really sucked. At this rate, I’d be a Xanax whore in no time.

“Sit down.” Heero guided me to the couch by my shoulders and gently pushed me down. I landed with a soft bounce. He disappeared for a second before returning with a glass full of ginger ale and a bright orange straw. Chuckling quietly at the sight of the straw, I felt my mood lift. He sat next to me as I sipped my drink, feeling the nausea lessen until it was gone. Relaxing into the couch, I felt my anxiety attack melt away. By the time I finished my drink, I knew I was all right.

“Sorry.”

Heero waved my apology away. “Okay now?” I nodded, exhaling. “Can you talk about it?”

“In a little bit.” By little bit I meant ‘never,’ but I knew my mother hens in werewolf clothing wouldn’t go for that. I could probably get away with an hour, at the most.

He gave me a scrutinizing look. “All right,” he agreed after a while. Lucky for me, it was right at that time that we heard some movement from one of the bedrooms. Mariemaia. “The monster’s awake,” Heero said. I snorted. “I will get her cleaned up and dressed.”

“Okay.” I stood. “I’ll make her breakfast.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

I nodded again. “Yeah. I’ll cook for the sweetie.”

He was already heading for her bedroom. “Thanks,” he called over his shoulder.

The next thirty minutes passed by in a comfortable routine. I didn’t pay any attention to the banging of closing drawers or Heero’s raised, exasperated voice as he pleaded with Marie to ‘just pick something.’ I chuckled, scrambling eggs, when I heard the cub giggling as Heero swore profusely. Judging by the way his voice seemed to bounce around I guessed he stubbed his toe on her bed, and was doing the universal ‘stubbed toe’ dance. I shook my head in pity when I heard Marie screech at Heero for brushing her hair too hard, nearly screeching myself when I snatched up the toast and deposited it on her plate, burning my fingers in the process. All and all, it was a typical day at Wufei’s house, and I could feel my soul revealing in the normalcy.

Heero and Mariemaia came into the kitchen just as I placed her plate on the table. I smiled at the pup, finding her adorable dressed in pink jeans with fuschia polka dots and a gray shirt with a bunny’s face on it, its ears outlined in pink. Once she was fed and her teeth brushed, I raced her out to the road. She and I held hands as we waited for the school bus, quiet due to last night’s drama. I tickled her under her chin and at the back of her neck, and got a few more giggles trying to get her to smell my armpit. Her happiness was dimmed from its usual level, and I knew that it was my fault. “I’m sorry Marie,” I said as I heard her bus in the distance. “I... I lost it last night.”

Her eyes were too large for her face. “What happened?”

I mentally tossed a coin. Tell her, don’t tell her... it landed on, ‘Shit, I don’t know.’ “I saw something bad last night,” I decided on, “and it had really upset me.”

“Did someone die?”

So much for holding back. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Silence. “Did someone kill them?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“Oh.” She rocked back and forth on her heels. “You saw it with your ability?”

The next sigh was longer and held all the weariness I could muster, which was a hell of a lot. “You are too smart for your own good kiddo,” I told her as her bus turned the corner.

Her hand tightened in mine to the point of pain. Damn werewolf strength. “Are you going to go crazy?” she asked with tears in her voice.

“Oh Marie,” I sighed, dropping down to my knees. I hugged her as the bus pulled to a stop. I was torn between laughing, and thinking that the sweetheart had a valid concern. Some days I felt as if I would go crazy. “I’m fine, alright? I just... had a tantrum. That’s all. Besides, Heero is looking after me, okay? I don’t want you worrying about me.” I pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. “Your only worries should be about how you can stay up past your bedtime and what Taylor Swift is wearing. Okay?”

She sniffled. “Okay.”

I smiled. “Alright baby. Go on.” With my hand on her shoulder I steered her onto the bus, watched her as she found her seat and waved to her as it drove away. “Have a good day honey,” I said, pretty sure she would hear me over the noise of the bus and the other kids. She proved she did when she stuck her hand out of the window and waved back.

I sighed as the bus turned the corner, and stared into the distance as the sound of its engine faded away. I stood there in the road, thinking about everything and nothing. It was hard, feeling like my life was once again turning into a nightmare. I didn’t want to go through this again. I hated the agony Darlian put me through, and I still had nightmares about the frozen hells of Siberia. However, all of that felt like it would pale next to whatever was coming up, and that truly had me shaking in my boots. Here’s why: Darlian’s murders were horrible, but it seemed as if he was doing everything he could at the same time to not have to put a paw on me. Siberia was insane, but it wasn’t so much directed at harming me as it was to use me as a tool to control Wufei. The situation now though, felt so, so personal. This shit felt like it was about me, and I felt as if every enemy I could’ve possibly made was in on it, with me none the wiser.

“Oh god,” I mumbled to myself, feeling completely overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to do... I didn’t know where to start... I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I was ignorant about so much, too much, but when could I learn it? What do I learn first? Hell, how do I know what’s trivial and what’s important?

I couldn’t think anymore. All of the questions, pain and thoughts jumbled together to make my head full with nothing more than white noise. I stood in the road like an idiot, waiting for an invitation to somewhere.

It was a short time later when the front door to the house opened and Heero stuck his head out. “Duo?” he called. “What is it?”

I shook my head to snap myself out of it. “What? Uh, nothing.” I waved his question away. “Nothing.”

“Then get your ass in here,” he yelled. “We have work to do.” With a slap to the doorframe, he went back inside but left the door open for me. Sighing again, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and trudged back to the house. The sound of the gravel under my shoes seemed too loud, and I let myself be completely absorbed by the noise. That was a mistake.

The next thing I knew I felt my body jerk forward. Looking down at my stomach, I saw a red stain grow frighteningly fast on my shirt. My ears registered a piercing whistle through the air. Placing my trembling hand on the stain, (why was my hand trembling?) I brought it up to my face and realized from the metallic taste in the air that it was blood. I felt my knees give out as I stared at my hand, puzzled. Why was there blood on my shirt? Whose was it?

“Duo!”

Heero reached me before my knees had a chance to touch the ground. Wrapped up in his arms, it took literally seconds before we were back in the house. The next thing I knew I was placed in a room with red walls, and realized after a moment that he brought me to Wufei’s antechamber.

“Duo, look at me.” I turned my head to look at him, but everything seemed to be going in slow motion. His voice seemed low, slow and distant. He had a cell phone to his ear, but I couldn’t make out a word. He took his shirt off and was using it to hold pressure against my stomach.

His hands were covered in blood.

My breathing was becoming loud and shaky. My heartbeat seemed to be loud and too fast, beating in time with my massive headache. Between my breathing and heartbeat, it was impossible for me to hear Heero. I tried to tell him but I couldn’t hear myself speak. I thought he understood, as he started yelling. That was better.

“Duo, talk to me!” he said from miles away. “Duo!”

He removed the shirt from my stomach and tossed it across the room. It was so drenched in blood it wasn’t helping. Placing one hand over the other he pushed down so hard on my stomach that I felt my spine straighten. The cellphone had dropped to the floor, but I could tell it was still on because it was lit.

“The bullet went right through him. I can not stop the bleeding!”

Oh. My. God. I was shot?

That realization came too late. I could feel the darkness encroaching, pushing light, sound, sensation... everything else out. My breathing became quiet, and my heartbeat slowed. The pounding in my head became nonexistent. I was dying. Using the last of my strength, I reached out to Heero to grip his hand in order to deliver my final words, which he tearfully listened to. At least, that was how I envisioned it. The reality was my hand flopped, which hit him in the crotch and had him squawking, “What the hell?”

If I could’ve, I would have chuckled. As it was, I felt the burning need to get this out. I didn’t know who shot me, but I kind of did. There were many that wanted to harm me, but only a few in particular that would be able to get under our guard. “Heero,” I whispered as the darkness enveloped me, “make her... beg... for her end.”

I didn’t hear if he said anything, but I knew that he would not fail me in this.

***

There were flashes of light.

Shrieks, growls, that came and went in seconds.

A sharp pain in my neck. It lasted seconds, then stopped.

Relief.

Pain... it started in my stomach. It stayed there.

I screamed. For hours or seconds, I didn’t know.

Relief.

Then... nothing.

***

When I woke again it was to complete silence. I laid there for a few seconds to get my bearings. I could feel that I was laying on a soft surface, but I was able to tell right away that it wasn’t Wufei’s luxurious bed or my own knock off tempur-pedic one, which meant I was going to hafta open my eyes and actually look around. Sighing in annoyance, I peeled my eyes open and rolled them around for a quick peek.

Mariemaia’s Tinkerbell nightlight was plugged into the furthest wall, gently illuminating the antechamber. There were several bodies wrapped up in sleeping bags strewn throughout the room, forming a rough circle around me. I recognized Hilde’s hair peeking out of a sleeping bag at my left foot, and the pink Barbie doll one could only fit and belong to Mariemaia. She was to my right foot. My eyebrows rose in surprise when I spotted Quinze near the door asleep with Trollé in his arms, their sleeping bag being used like a blanket. Rolling my eyes around some more, I spotted Heero in the corner with his back against the wall, legs straight, arms crossed but obviously asleep. Hearing movement to my left, I turned my head and almost jerked in surprise as I spotted my uncle sitting cross-legged at my shoulder, a hot cup of coffee in his hands. Turning my head some more, I spotted a carafe at his side. Turning back to my uncle, I jerked in shock as I took in his ragged appearance. His clothes were sloppy looking and slightly dirty, he hadn’t shaved and his hair drooped. The most telling though, was that he didn’t have his sunglasses on. “H-Howie-”

“Shhh,” he said softly, his hand coming up to pet me. I sighed. Howard hasn’t been this tender with me since we were kids. “Calm down.” He sniffled. “You’re all right.”

I licked my lips. God, I felt like shit on a stick.

“Thirsty?”

“Hmm.”

He reached beside his carafe, and opened a bottle of water. Dropping a straw in the bottle (this one neon green), he held it steady for me as I drunk my fill. The water was slightly cool, wet, and the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life. Exhaling in relief, I concentrated on breathing as Howard capped the bottle and put it to the side. I laid there in silence for a moment as I mentally went through a body check. Yep. I still had my toes. Legs were working... hands, fiiiingers, let me reach down there... yes! I still had my bits... two eyes, I obviously could still hear... Hmm. What the hell happened to me no-ow! Ow ow ow!

“Holy shit,” I gasped, as horrible pain came from my stomach.

“Here,” Howard said, a pink pill in his hand. “Darvocet.”

Without hesitation I swallowed the pill. Howard helped me with another mouthful of water and continued to pet my head as I suffered for the next twenty minutes. He carefully wiped the tears that escaped from my eyes with his thumbs, and murmured stupid stuff in my ear that would make me chuckle then gasp in pain. Finally, after about half an hour the medicine began to kick in and the pain became much more tolerable. Exhausted, I could only lay there like a bump on a log and breathe. “God help me,” I whispered to myself.

“God help all of us,” Howard agreed, running his hand down my arm. “Better?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah. Thanks.” I exhaled loudly. “Howie, what happened?”

Howard swallowed hard, twice. “You were shot, kiddo.”

“Oh.” I tried to find the memory, but the pain medicine was also making my thoughts foggy. It wasn’t worth fighting with myself to remember. “When was that?”

“You’ve been asleep for two days,” he said with tears in his voice. “This is the first time you’ve woken up.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s a little after three in the morning.”

“Oh.” Yep, head was empty. No thoughts to be found here. “Everybody okay?”

Howard sighed. “Yeah. Everyone except you.”

“Oh.”

“They caught the bitch though.”

I could feel my eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “Bitch?”

“The one that shot you,” Howard growled. “Heero brought her back yesterday... minus an arm and a few toes, but at least he caught her alive.”

I grimaced. Howard sounded positively... cheerful. “Oh.”

I didn’t know what expression I had on my face, but it caused Howard to chuckle. “Go back to sleep, Duo,” he said, petting me again. “I think thinking is beyond you right now.”

“Okay,” I said, closing my eyes. I couldn’t have agreed more.

***

When I woke again, I didn’t think it was too much later. I felt like I was dozing when a large shadow moved over me. Opening my eyes, I saw that my shadow was actually Wufei. He was otherworldly beautiful as always, but what caught my attention was what he was wearing, or rather, what he wasn’t wearing. He was naked. Before I could voice my question, he had wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off of my bed, which turned out to be a futon. Holding me tightly against his chest, I could only breathe him in as he sniffed me and licked visible areas of skin as if bathing me. Tired, and not in the mood to think, I let him do whatever he wanted. When he reached whatever conclusion he reached, he kissed me gently before placing me back on the futon and tucking me in. Glancing around, I could see Howard sitting in the same spot as earlier, sipping on a cup of coffee. Heero sat at my head, one leg up with his chin resting on his knee and arms wrapped around his shin. I blushed. Neither men seemed inclined to look away or excuse themselves while Wufei did his... whatever with me.

“Catherine just broke the bitch,” Wufei said to Heero without preamble. “There is a camp of Hunters in Comfort.” I jerked, shocked nearly into laughter at the coincidence. “I am on my way to annihilate them. Trowa, Rashid and Auda will accompany me along with half of the Maguanacs. You are acting Packmaster in my absence. Rashid is to be acting as your second.” The Special nodded sharply. Turning to Howard, Wufei said, “Take care of him.”

Howard didn’t say anything, just continued to sip his coffee. He didn’t need to. His silence said more than words ever could.

I swallowed. The Hunters were probably expecting them and wouldn’t take this lying down. Lord, what a mess. “Be careful,” I whispered, reaching up to touch his face. I didn’t get very far. He gently folded my hand in his, kissed the back of it before holding it against his chest. Staring down at me with those fathomless eyes, I felt like I was staring into the abyss.

“Always,” he said, before kissing me one last time. Placing my hand carefully on my chest, he stood and made his way out of the room. Opening the door, he paused by Quinze and Trollé. Speaking to them in another language had Quinze nodding his head vigorously while Trollé sneered, but in the end nodded her acquiesce. Satisfied, Wufei looked back at me with an intense stare. Raising my fingers in a half-hearted goodbye, he smiled slightly before turning away and closing the door behind him.

Dropping my head back on my pillow, I sighed. Closing my eyes, I tried not to worry about what may come. Instead, I let Howard’s hand that was trailing through my hair and the smell of Maxwell coffee soothe me. I imagined I was ten years old again and sick with the flu. Just like now, Howie had sat at the head of my bed, and ran his hand through my hair as he sipped his coffee. And just like then, I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of staying awake.

(tbc)