Title: Life Blood
Author: Mel
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: 1X2X3X4X5
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, Relena/Zechs bashing, death fic, Lemon and dark eventually
Spoilers: none, AU
Feedback: C&C See other parts for disclaimers and Comments ^_^

Life Blood... Chapter 10

Baby, I've been here before,
I know this room,
I've walked this floor,
I use to live alone before I knew you,
I've seen your flag on the marble arch,
It's a cold and it's a broken
Hallelujah

Duo stared at the door for the longest time. This was not happening, the chestnut haired boy shook his head. This could *not* be happening. Not his Hilde, his beautiful, sweet, kind and loving Hilde.

Wufei stood, answering the door, shirtless, his raven hair out, flowing behind him like a sail in the wind. He opened it slightly, spoke for a few moments to Roger on the other side and then closed it. He rested his head against the closed door, his body stiff with tension.

And Duo knew with sickening certainty that it was true, it was not some grotesque joke someone was playing for kicks. Even Quatre was sitting beside him, curled in a little ball, sobbing so hard his frail body shook as if it would break with every single cry.

And Hilde wasn't here to comfort the small blonde she liked so much. . .

"NO!"

His scream rocketed around the room, shaking the walls and two paintings fell from them. "It's not true." Hands reached for him but Duo shook out of them. He would not be held now, he had to find Hilde, to show them all she was fine and well and happy. She would treat them all to a Sundae for falling for her little trick. It was something Hilde would do.

And yet the pain, the anger and heartbreak surged up through him. That he'd never see her again. Her smile, her tears, or her laughter. All gone forever in a blink of an eye.

"It CAN'T be true," the boy screamed, again moving away from another set of hands. "Hilde, come back. God where are you Hilde? HILDE!"

He screamed and screamed, no longer words but massive shouts and wails. So much pain, anger and disbelief. It sounded like someone was dying. And he was, Duo's life crashed around him again, like it had so many times before. But Hilde, who had been there through it all with him, now wasn't. She was gone. Hilde was dead. He wanted her back, now, right now. "Give me back my Hilde," the cry echoed through the school, so full of anguish.

"Duo."

The soft sound brought Duo's currently lolling head to fall back into place and he found his eyes on Quatre. The blonde was kneeling on the bed, his blonde hair mussed into his sea green eyes. Illuminated by the sunlight that streamed in behind him he seemed to glow in an unearthly light that personified the whole of Quatre. His cheeks were stained with tears, his eyes red and his lips trembled with the barely controlled need to sob aloud.

But his delicate arms were out stretched and beckoning to Duo. For a moment Duo resisted the call of one of the boys he loved. But only for a moment. He hiccupped, the sobs breaking free a second later. He stumbled, tripped and fell back onto the bed, all but landing on Quatre. Quatre lifted and cradled him, resting his cheek to the top of his head, letting his tears soak his long hair.

And Duo cried, his body shaking and shuddering as the cries continued to fall from his lips. The tears that never before flowed came easily; years of pain, guilt and torment drained out from beneath his eyelids. The deaths of Solo, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, which for years had plagued him seemed to stop as Quatre held him. He could dimly feel the blonde's hand running through his hair as the other three sat on the bed. Trowa rested an arm around Quatre's shoulder, watching as Wufei rested his head in Heero's lap, the Japanese man slipping his fingers beneath the free locks of Wufei's raven hair.

The five stars shining bright stayed like that for some time, the light around them dimmed as they mourned the passing of a loved one. Someone forever gone from their lives, who's own light was snuffed from the candle of life. And for one moment in time nothing separated them, no social standing, no racial background and no strange upbringing. They were like one life-force fused together out of a necessity greater than any of them.

And they felt whole and complete, safe and loved for the first time in their entire lives.

Duo's hand reached for Trowa's just as he reached for Quatre's. Quatre took Wufei's and Wufei clung to Heero's. Heero reached out and lifted Duo's, bring it to his lips and kissing it softly. The feeling tingled through everyone's hands and they knew true peace.

+

Why did they always insist that you had to come to the morgue to identify a body? Duo stood, his eyes drooping tiredly from the emotional outpouring earlier in the morning. He had left his hair in the braid that he always wore more out of habit than anything else. His clothes were black, as always and today loose instead of form-fitting. He didn't feel like being sexy on today of all days. Heero stood beside him, a black band wrapped around his upper arm, a family tradition apparently.

They stood, waiting for the gentlemen who had led them into this room to return. Duo looked around without really noticing the assorted objects that lay around the cluttered office. He was running on autopilot, allowing Heero to guide him just about everywhere, first to the reception of the school to the police officers. Past the whispering students, and then here with the police. He still couldn't quite grasp what was going on around him. He didn't remember if he answered any of the questions he had been asked, but he did remember Heero telling the officer to shove off and leave them alone.

He had almost smiled at Heero getting protective and nearly giggled. But he couldn't, so he hadn't. And now they were here, in this horrible place that smelled so much of death and decay that Duo felt his empty stomach wretch violently. It was only Heero's hand on his shoulder that prevented him from throwing up.

"Steady Duo," he whispered softly before taking him in his arms, letting his lips press into the top of his head. "I have you Duo, I won't let you go."

Duo sighed, allowing himself to rest lightly in the arms of one of the men he loved. What would he have done had they not been here for him today.

"This way gentlemen." A young woman in a lab coat commanded their attention softly and they both followed her as she led them down a multitude of hallways. They entered the room with another doctor, a young man this time, and the two police officers that had brought them here. And there was a metal slab in the middle of the room. Duo felt distinctly queasy.

Heero kept a guiding hand on his shoulder and Duo took some comfort from it. But it didn't make him feel any better. The doctor lifted the sheet and Duo's world spun in all directions. Hilde's face was pale, her lips blue, but thankfully her eyes had been closed and Duo did not have to stare into those frozen depths. It hurt, oh it hurt so much to look upon his best friend, his Hilde. He almost fell but Heero's sudden and warm embrace caught him, keeping him steady. He was crying again, twice in one day when he had sworn as a child he would never cry.

It was a surprise when he felt Heero stiffen with his arms around him. He felt the other boy try to move him away from Hilde's prone body. He looked back and realized why. She made his hair stand on end. "Oh god no," Duo whimpered as he collapsed then, screaming out in pain.

+

Quatre lay on the bed, in Trowa's arms, crying softly to himself as Trowa, ever quiet, caressed his pale skin. Duo had said he couldn't go with him, that he had heard enough today to last a lifetime.

And at the moment Quatre believed him. He had never felt this horrible, this worn out, not even when his father had died. It was like he was contending with the heart ache of more then one person-

The phone rang, startling Quatre until Trowa's warm hands stilled his movements, making him feel much better. He dimly heard Wufei pick up the phone and talk into it for a few moments. He could not believe Hilde was gone, the lovely girl who had touched his heart.

"Kat?"

Wufei was speaking softly to him and Quatre lifted his heavy head from Trowa's lap to look up at him. Wufei had his hand over the mouth piece of the phone and was handing it to him. "It's for you."

Quatre somehow managed to take the phone from him, but could not remember how he managed it even as he brought it to his ear. "Hello?" his voice croaked out the greeting and sounded alien to his ears.

"Quatre?" came the voice on the other end, it was Iria, his sister. "I finally found you, you haven't answered your room phone so I had to call the front desk to find you. They were reluctant to give me this number but once I told them who I was- Quatre?"

Quatre was crying, sobbing softly into the phone and Quatre could almost hear his older sister wilt on the other side of the phone as she listened to him, "O Iria, Hilde, she's... she's," he didn't get much further before bursting into tears.

Trowa took the phone from Quatre's hands even as Wufei reached out and took the crying boy in his arms, rocking him back and forth, making soothing noises in his ear. Trowa put the phone to his own ear.

"Hello?"

"Who is this," Iria said suddenly, worried about Quatre, "Put my brother back on!"

"I'm sorry Miss, Quatre's in no state to talk to anyone-"

"Look, I don't care who you are, what's wrong with my brother? And who is this Hilde, is she his girlfriend?"

"No," Trowa said softly, caressing Wufei's cheek sadly. "Hilde passed away this morning and she and Quatre were good friends."

"O Allah," Iria whispered on the other end, "Is Quatre all right?"

"He will be, he's with friends, I'm sorry I can't let you-"

"That's all right, can I. . . Can I get the name of the young man whom obviously loves my brother?" Trowa couldn't deny the fact that Quatre's older sister was quick.

"Trowa, Miss Iria, Trowa Barton, and there are another three of us."

Iria was quiet for a moment before she answered, "When Quatre is feeling better will you get him to call me. If I'm not home with Rashid I'll be at work. He has both numbers and he can call any time."

"I'll make sure he does Miss-"

"Please, it's just Iria."

"Of course Iria, and thank you for understanding," Trowa murmured, still stroking Wufei's cheek.

"Your welcome," the fiery woman sounded much more subdued, "and next time we'll talk properly Master Trowa, look after each other." And then she was gone and Trowa pulled both Wufei and Quatre into a warm embrace.

"It's alright," he whispered, "Everything will be all right. . ."

+

Heero led Duo in through their door, to Trowa and Wufei who both took hold of the longhaired boy. Wufei looked questioningly at Heero, who just shook his head and went back out the door, closing it behind him. Wufei did not question the Japanese boy, he had looked so irate that Wufei didn't like his chances of survival had he said anything.

And he was furious, he stalked three hallways away from the room, the other students giving him a wide birth rather then cross his path.

It was in a dark hallway where he stopped, one strong hand wrapping around the neck of the figure that was obviously waiting for him. He slammed them against the wall, enjoying the thud it made.

"Was it you?" He hissed, the words shuddering with barely contained fury. And the figure had the gall to laugh. "Of course, how else was I to get your attention? Of course, I'd never do such a thing personally, but I did arrange it."

Heero growled, going to slam the body against the wall again. "If you don't listen to me Heero I may be forced to go after something more. . . appetizing."

Heero stopped, his eyes narrowing, "What?"

"You are so thick sometimes! Couldn't you smell it on him? He's tainted, he killed one of us and now," The demon licked those lips hungrily, "I wouldn't mind doing that one myself."

"You won't," Heero hissed, "Touch him, they all stay out of this."

"Then join us and we won't have to hurt another one." The figure laughed again, the sound empty. "Think it over, I'm sure you don't want another death now do you?"

Heero dropped the creature in distaste, storming away. Someone else joined the figure in the hallway.

"She was nice, can I do another?" the voice drawled out the words in a soft hiss.

"The principal, I want her out of the way and then keep an eye on those four, but the blonde one," the delicate tongue darted out, tasting the blood that had welled up on the lips after Heero had thrown it against the wall, "is mine."

[ch. 9] [ch. 11] [back to Mel's fic]