Disclaimer: I don't own nor profit from my GW stories

Warnings: Yaoi, some language, mild angst, possible NCS


Second Chances
Part 12
by Dyna Dee


A sharp slap to his face brought Duo to an abrupt but dull state of wakefulness. He felt strangely dazed and disoriented, his cheek stung as if he'd been slapped more than once and his tongue felt thick with the aftertaste of something unpleasant. He made a move to roll over from off his back, only to take in a quick mental gasp of shock in realizing he couldn't move his arms or legs. Lying still with his eyes closed, he took a quick assessment of his body and realized several things at once: he was on something soft, probably a bed, he was on his back with his arms and legs tied tightly in a wide, spread eagle position, and he was naked. With no small effort, he opened his eyes to see the familiar outline of a person above him and, after a few moments passed, his fuzzy mind and blurry eyes began to clear enough that he began to assimilate everything he seeing. The shadowy figure above him was Marcus. Slowly turning his head, he looked around the room he was being held in to see that it was a bedroom and that there were candles lit on every flat surface throughout the large space, giving the otherwise dark area a warm glow of soft, seductive light.

"What the hell is going on here Marcus?" Duo demanded in a thick and sluggish voice, hoping his anger surpassed the fear he felt in such a vulnerable position. "You had better untie me right now!"

"Glad you're awake, Max," Marcus said in a deep, husky voice. "You've been sleeping through the first half the party, but now I need your full attention."

Duo's eyes widened as he watched Marcus stand from the large bed he was tied to and followed him as he moved away to the dresser to take up a large candle in his hand. He could clearly see now that Marcus was also naked, and as he turned, it was evident that he was also aroused. It was now perfectly clear what his abductor's intentions were.

A sudden brilliant flash blinded the captive man, and he shut his eyes against it. "What's that?" Duo spat out in alarm.

"Just my camera, strategically placed and set on a tripod, timed to take pictures of the action on the bed every forty five seconds," Marcus answered in a strangely chipper tone. "I've already gotten some very tasty photos of us in some wonderfully creative positions before I tied you down." He chuckled darkly. "Funny thing is, when you're passed out with your mouth hung open and your head tilted back just so..." his voice was light and teasing and he demonstrated his words by throwing his head to the side and letting his mouth hang open. He then lowered his gaze and looked at his prisoner in the eye as he continued, "It looks like you're in the throws of ecstasy, Max. A great pose for you, by the way."

To say that Duo was horrified at what Marcus was insinuating was an understatement. He instinctively mentally checked his body once again. No, the only soreness he felt was a faint lingering twinge from his satisfying time with Heero the night before. Marcus hadn't raped him...yet. "Listen you sick son of a bitch," he growled out, his voice menacing. "If I don't kill you for this, Heero will," he threatened, his eyes never leaving the other man as he approached with the candle in front of him, looking like some demonic, naked altar boy.

"But you're not going to do anything of the sort," Marcus seemed unaffected by the real threat to his life and smiled down on his captive in a patronizing way. "In fact, you are going to cooperate and not say a word about what I'm going to do to you tonight." The smug, confident look on his face made Duo feel very uneasy.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, then blinked as another flash of the camera went off again.

"Because my beautiful Max, while you were sound asleep I took all kinds of suggestive photos of the two of us in many lovely and hard to resist positions. Very compromising, I promise you." Marcus smiled like the cat that swallowed the canary. "But I managed to restrain myself and not take you," he added. "I wanted to make sure you were awake when I did that. I want you to feel me deep inside of you when I make you come."

Flash

"You're a sick and twisted bastard, Marcus," Duo said vehemently, his anger and fear rising. Then he stifled a shocked cry as Marcus tilted the candle and let the large pool of hot wax fall on his exposed chest. "Stop this Marcus. You need some serious help." Duo yelled, as he struggled to pull his hands free of the restraints on his wrists, desperate to get away.

"You can't imagine how hard it was for me not to take you, Max." Marcus went on talking calmly, ignoring or not hearing the threats or pleading. "I was all over your beautiful body, skin to skin, my hands and fingers learning everything there is to know about you."

Suddenly Duo's stomach twisted and he felt sick with revulsion. A violent shudder shook his body. Seeing it, Marcus smiled. "Cold Max? Here, let me warm you." He tilted the candle again and dribbled the hot, burning wax down the length of the bare chest to the navel where he let it pool before moving it even lower.

"Stop this now." Duo panicked and yelled loudly while trying with all his might to twist his body in order to get it away from the hot dripping wax. "You're a deviant and perverted, and when I get free you will be a dead man if you don't stop this right now."

Marcus did stop for a moment, and raised his eyes from the trail of wax on the pale skin to look at his prisoner. He looked pointedly into Duo's angry eyes. "I have May asleep downstairs," he said softly, then smiled until the dimples on his cheeks deepened.

Duo's body stilled at the quiet threat. "If you touch her, if you've done anything to her I'll.."

Flash

"What?" Marcus interrupted with a raised eyebrow and a half smile. "Kill me?" He then started to laugh as if he'd just heard the funniest joke ever spoken.

"There are worse things than death, Marcus, and I know how to deliver it," Duo said in a deadly serious voice, meaning every word he uttered.

"I haven't touched her... yet." Marcus assured him in a nonchalant manner. "You're the one I want, not a little girl." He leaned down and moved forward over his victim and licked one of Duo's nipples. He paused for a moment to speak without rising from his current position. "I've wanted you from the first moment we met, Max. When I looked into your young, beautiful face and saw pain reflected in those unforgettable eyes of yours, I knew I had to have you, to be the cause and capture that exquisite pained expression once again. I've more or less been obsessed with the idea of doing this to you for three years, and now I have you. And if I ever get a hint of retaliation from you or your lover, I'll publish the photos that I'm taking on the Internet and ruin the Peacecraft family name in a torrid scandal." He then returned to laving the pink nub with his tongue before suddenly pausing, then without warning, bit down hard around the circumference of the right nipple, causing Duo to cry out at the pain.

Flash

The long haired man closed his eyes in order to shut out the reality of what was happening to him. Feeling the bed shift, he heard the candle being set down on the bedside table and flinched when he felt Marcus' hand begin to gently stroke his body, tempting and teasing his flesh in order to get a response for it. Duo fought against the rising reactions of his body to the seductive touching as the other man, obviously an expert in seduction, stroked his inner thighs and gently kneaded his flesh. He gasped when suddenly the wax that had been poured onto his skin was ripped off, sending a wave a agony through his shocked nerves.

Flash

"I'm all about pleasure and pain, Max." Marcus's voice was as smooth and cool as churned butter when he spoke.

Then Duo felt Marcus's tongue on him once again and his body responded, despite his efforts to make it otherwise. Shame and feelings of betrayal filled him. "Heero," he whispered his lover's name in a shaky voice, fighting back a sob that was threatening to burst out of him.

Marcus pulled away from him. "Now that's the one thing I won't stand for," he said unhappily. "I want you thinking of me, not Zero," he added as he moved away from the bed, giving Duo a slight reprieve as the camera's flash went off yet again.

Several moments later, Duo was fighting the gag that was being shoved into his mouth. "Pity," Marcus said with regret as he shook his head ruefully. "I had plans for the mouth tonight." Then his eyes lit up and Duo could see a touch of madness in them. "But maybe later. After all, we have all night."

Duo could only watch and hated being made helpless as Marcus reached down and stroked his fingers against the long, unbound hair that had been deliberately fanned out around his head, putting him on display for the continuous flashing of the camera. "I have a whole box of toys I plan to use on your beautiful body tonight," he said calmly, unnerving Duo with his touch and eyes that took in his whole body with the look of a predator. As his abductor worked above him, Duo noted the change in Marcus's facial features that he had once thought handsome, they now held a demonic appearance that chilled his very soul.

Despite being gagged, the former L-2 street kid and rebel soldier that he had once been came back to the surface in his outrage. He buried his sense of decorum and politeness that his adopted parents worked with him to develop, and began a tirade of threats and obscenities, muffled but understood well enough through the cloth in his mouth. Marcus seemed amused at the venomous onslaught of vulgar names and threats that came from Duo's gagged mouth, and laughed heartily. It was more than clear that he was thoroughly amused by his victim's helplessness and rage.

Flash

Marcus brought his hand up and took a firm hold of his prisoner's chin, then turned his head slightly so that he could lower his face to whisper into Duo's ear. "We're going to have so much fun tonight, Max. I can guarantee you a night you will never forget." With that ominous prediction, Marcus took the earlobe next to his lips into his mouth and after sucking on it for a moment, bit down hard into the soft flesh. Duo yelled out in pain, but through the gag it came out sounding more like a moan. The sandy haired man's eyes lit up with excitement, liking the sound he caused his captive to make. "This is going to be so good," he murmured excitedly as he began to kiss and nip at the slender neck, continuing to leave marks of ownership on the young man laying helpless under his hands and completely at his mercy.

The camera took yet another picture.

****

The beautifully decorated grand ballroom of the Chancellor Hotel was filled with well dressed diplomats and businessmen alike. Relena looked beautiful in a long, light blue shimmering gown. The neckline was modest, as were the slight sleeves that covered her shoulders, but the sleek style and clingy material showed off her figure to perfection. She caught the eye of many as she made the rounds with Heero, appropriately dressed in a handsome black tuxedo, at her side. The dinner had finished the more formal part of the evening, and the important social aspect of the symposium was beginning. Relena had already lost count of how many people she'd spoken to, and was in the middle of a conversation with an older and prominent businessman about trade with the colonies when she caught sight of someone familiar.

"Excuse me," she said to the distinguished looking, white-haired man. "There is someone I must talk to." The man smiled pleasantly and Relena made a bee-line to the girl she recognized from school, Heero dutifully at her heels, his eyes scanning the room as they moved. "Laura!" Relena called out, and a tall willowy brunette turned with a surprised look that changed instantly to a smile in recognition of her former classmate.

"Relena." The other young woman smiled warmly in greeting as Vice Foreign Minister approached. The two gave each other a brief embrace then stood back to admire the changes in each other.

"You look wonderful," they said in unison and laughed at it together.

"How are you?" Relena asked. "I saw Marcus Standish last week at a party and he mentioned he worked for your father, but he didn't fill me in on how you were."

The other young woman's reaction to what she'd just said was not what she expected. Laura suddenly looked pensive, her eyes began to search the room with a touch of fear in them. "Is Marcus here?" she asked in a voice just a notch below panic.

"No, he's not here," Relena assured her. "But why are you so...scared?"

Wide brown eyes filled with fear turned to her friend. "Whatever you do Relena, stay away from him. He's evil and sick," the other woman fiercely warned.

Heero stepped forward and took hold of the young woman's trembling arm. "What do you mean?" he asked firmly.

Wary, watery eyes raised up to meet his, then shifted fearfully to Relena. "Tell us, Laura. Heero's my friend and bodyguard, you're safe with us," Relena assured her with a face full of concern, but commanding a response at the same time.

The brunette kept her eyes trained on Relena as she answered in a small voice. "He's sick and perverted. He likes to take control of people and their bodies, then he blackmails them into silence. You can't trust him Relena, no matter how charming he comes across, never, ever trust him."

"But he works for your father. How could you know this about him and your father employ him?" Relena asked, eyes wide at the information from her friend.

"Because he's bought my silence." Laura sucked in her bottom lip and stifled a sob. "My father doesn't know. If I tell...what he did to me..." Tears began to fall down the porcelain-like cheek. "Just don't trust him or let anyone you care about be near him."

"I've got to go," Heero announced abruptly to his employer and friend. "Duo and May are at his house tonight for a swim."

"Then go quickly," Relena urged him. "Quatre and Trowa are here somewhere, I'll have one of them escort me home."

"Do that," Heero ordered, even as he rushed from the room, his hand was already dialing Duo's cell phone number. The answering machine on the other end picked up. He disconnected and dialed Wufei to put him on alert as backup as he raced out to his car.

In record time he made it to the Peacecraft's country estate, where he was told by the cranky butler, Layton, that neither May or Duo had returned home from the Sheffield Estate.

A glance at his watch showed that it was ten fifteen. Not too late for their absence to be suspicious, but enough for him to be concerned. He knew he had to proceed with caution as there was a chance that the three were just swimming, that Marcus hadn't made any move to hurt Duo or May, and that his sudden arrival could be construed as jealous and obsessive. With that in mind, he chose to approach the neighboring estate with stealth, to observe the situation before acting. Turning from the Peacecraft estate, he ran through the dark to the Sheffield estate next door. The high, black iron gates were easily scaled and, keeping to the shadows, he approached the pool area. All was silent and still as he turned his face around the corner of the house to gaze at the apparently deserted patio. He moved like a shadow around the pool that was illuminated with lights still on underneath the surface of the placid water. He took in the abandoned table of food as well as several empty glasses near the outdoor lounging chairs.

Turning his attention to the house, he approached the French doors and found them unlocked. He entered silently to find the inside of the house to be relatively dark as he made his way from room to room on the lower level in search of his lover and his sister. He hoped against hope and the rising fear growing in his heart that they were alright.

Then, to his relief, he found May sleeping in the family room. He sat on the edge of the couch on which she rested on her side and gently shook her shoulder, calling out her name. When that failed to rouse her, Heero turned on a light and lifted her eyelids to look at her pupils. From the look of her pupils he determined that she had been drugged. With anger and fear mounting for Duo's safety, he reluctantly left her and ran to the stairs leading to the upper half of the house. Taking the stairs two at a time and still maintaining his silence, he began to systematically search the rooms on the second landing. The house was large but apparently also empty, making Heero's task that much easier. His movements came to a stop and his head turned as a small sound came from down the hallway, sending Heero went right to it. He approached the door as the sound came again, and placing his ear against the door, he heard what sounded like muffled sobbing. "See, that wasn't so bad." Marcus's voice sounded smug in its attempt to soothe. "I'm a teacher of life, my love, and remember, it's all about pleasure and pain," he said calmly. "I just gave you both and we're only beginning." Heero heard the familiar voice chuckle in a tone that could only be termed as horribly ominous, even as the other muffled sound continued.

Without another moment's hesitation, Heero gathered up his body and hotly fueled anger and burst into the room, his eyes immediately finding his lover laying naked and tied spread eagle on the large bed. Laying next to Duo's stretched out body was Marcus, equally naked with his hand frozen in place on Duo's flat stomach. The startled man's head shot up and his eyes widened at the intruder's abrupt entrance. Heero's sharp sense of smell noted the musky scent in the room adding to his rage.

Marcus didn't show fear as any one with any sense would have, but instead he foolishly smiled smugly at Heero and asked, "Come to join the fun lover boy?"

In the blink of an eye, Heero was diving onto the bed with his fists in motion. His first blow connected with Marcus's jaw, hitting with enough force to knock the man's larger body away from Duo's. The next blow knocked the offensive man from off the bed and onto the floor. Marcus showed that he had regained some sense of preservation and scrambled to his feet and began to back off from the approaching grim reaper. Raising up his hands to defend himself, he found Heero's precise blows indefensible, despite any training he might have had in self defense.

Staggering backwards to the wall, Marcus began to see the error of his ways. "Please, please stop Heero. I didn't really hurt him. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He began a rapid stream of pleading words, each one met by a hard, precisely placed blow to his body. In desperation from not being able to defend himself, Marcus lunged at the Japanese man, thinking his greater size and strength could stop his assailant's attack, only to find his body thrown up and over Heero's shoulder to land him ungracefully hard and flat on his back. Quicker than he thought possible, considering all the pain inflicted on his body, Marcus managed once again to gain his feet with both hands up in a defensive motion to block any further blows by the angry man pursuing him. He took a step backwards as he watched as the more than livid lover of Max Peacecraft stalk him across the room only to corner him and begin the pummeling once again.

Heero's anger was hardly abated by the beating he gave the naked and defenseless man so deserving of his wrath. Even when Marcus lay still and huddled on the floor, and after he gave a last satisfying kick to the unconscious man at his feet, he felt very little satisfaction. It was only the muffled scream for attention behind him that made him stop. Some of the red haze of anger that enveloped his mind diminished at the sound of his lover's muffled pleading. Clenching and unclenching his bruised fists, willing himself to not follow his instinctive need to kill the vile person at his feet, he used all his mental and physical strength to will his body to turn away and move rapidly to the bed.

Duo's wet eyes met his, silently pleading for him to release him. Heero's hands moved to the knot behind his lover's head that held the gag in place. Muffled sobs and tears displayed the depth of Duo's upset.

"Shh, I'm hurrying," Heero whispered keeping his eyes locked with Duo's and forcing himself not to fall apart himself, but to be strong for his distraught lover.

At last the piece of cloth was removed from Duo's sore and abused mouth and Duo blurted out, "Where's May, Heero?" The question came out in a half sob, his frightened eyes searching the dark blue ones for an answer, obviously frantic about the young girl's welfare.

"She's downstairs sleeping. She's alright but she's been drugged."

Duo nodded, and his chin trembled as he fought to control the feelings churning inside of him. "My drink tasted funny," he whispered. He then turned his head to look at the body on the floor. "Did you kill him?" he asked somewhat fearfully.

"I wanted to," Heero answered as he moved to begin untying the rope from his lover's right wrist. "But your voice stopped me."

"Thank God!" Duo whispered in a tone of gratitude as his body began to tremble.

Heero stopped to look questioningly at him. "Why?" he frowned.

Duo's tear-filled eyes looked at him, obviously losing the battle to hold in his emotions. "Because then they would have taken you away from me, and I couldn't bear for that to happen, Heero. I can't lose you again." A tear rolled down his cheek to land on his bare shoulder.

Heero put his hand on his lover's cold cheek. "Then I'm glad too," he said. "Because then I'd have to break out of prison and we'd be on the run from the law for the rest of our lives."

A small smile issued from Duo's sore lips. "Just like old times, during the war," he added.

Heero bent and kissed the tip of his nose, knowing the light banter seemed to be calming his traumatized lover. "The good old days," he said smiling just slightly. But his smile faded when he felt the slender body beneath him trembling.

"I'm sorry Heero." Duo's face crumbled as the dam of emotions burst and all the rage, fear and frustration he'd felt in the last hour came crashing down on him. "I didn't know he'd do something like that. He...he...said he wanted to be my friend. He tried...to..."

Heero stopped him from going on, seeing the distress in Duo's eyes and the emotional pain he was in was tearing him apart. "Shh, love. I know what he was about to do, he's done it to others."

"He told me that, too," Duo said as he struggled to not cry openly. "He talked the whole time about pleasure and pain and how he'd done this to others. He said I was his prize."

Heero moved quickly back to the ropes and untied the first hand, freeing it. Duo immediately grabbed hold of Heero's leg resting next to him, clinging to is as a safe anchor. "We'll make sure he never has a chance to do this to anyone ever again," Heero said determinedly as he began on the other wrist. The moment it was free, Duo flung himself up at his chest, their arms wrapped around each other as the slender, naked body continued to tremble against him.

"I'm so cold," Duo complained, nestling his face into Heero's neck for more warmth and comfort.

"Let me finish untying you," Heero said, reluctantly removing himself from Duo's tight hold. In less than two minutes he was free and Heero gathered up the quilt on the top of the bed and wrapped it around his lover's trembling body, then shifted him so that he was situated securely on his lap, his arms kept him snugly against his chest to reinforce the idea that he was safe. Feeling further need to comfort, Heero began to gently rock back and forth, lulling them both into a calmer state of mind.

Moving slightly, Heero reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat for his cell phone. Retrieving it, he turned it on and hit a speed dial button. "Wufei, I need you to come to the Sheffield Estate. Marcus drugged Duo and May and he molested Duo." He said in a tight voice. There was a slight pause. "He's still alive, barely." Another pause, a bit longer. "No," he said unhappily. "I don't want them, I want you." With a sigh, Heero began again after Wufei stopped speaking. "I know this falls under the local police jurisdiction, but Duo is upset and I don't want him to deal with a stranger." Wufei must have agreed to whatever Heero wanted, for his last comments were, "Yes, you better call them." He then disconnected the connection and put the phone in his side pocket.

"Heero?" Duo's voice came out sounding quiet and unsure.

"I'm here," he answered, and kissed the top of Duo's head resting against his shoulder.

"He took pictures of me before I woke up and all the time he was..." he stopped, not able to speak yet of what had happened. "He said he would publish them on the Internet if you or I came after him. He threatened to ruin the Peacecraft name and humiliate me at the same time. I..I think they're really bad Heero." Feeling shame and humiliation from his verbal reminder of what had happened, Duo buried his face into the safety of Heero's neck.

"I'll destroy them," Heero said, his eyes lit on the camera sitting on a tripod at the opposite side of the bed. He was mildly surprised he hadn't seen it when he'd gone after Marcus, but he saw it now and thought of all the destructive pictures that were inside it. "Did he have a chance to download it onto his computer?"

Duo shook his head no. "The disc just ran out of space just before..." his voice choked and he could say no more.

Heero moved his armful from off his lap and placed him back on the bed. Then standing at the side of the bed, he moved to the camera, bent on destroying it. He released the camera from the tripod and removed the disc from it and slipped it into his pocket. Looking up, he saw that Duo hadn't taken his eyes from off of him.

"I think I'd better go and check on May and unlock the front door for Wufei," he told Duo who was looking unsure of everything.

"Don't leave me here with him," Duo pleaded anxiously, his wide eyes begging the same.

Heero quickly moved back to the bed and picked Duo up, blanket and all, and carried him from the room; neither gave a look of any kind to the man lying unconscious and bloody on the floor as the left.

After carefully descending the stairs, Heero unlocked the front door, then proceeded to the television room where he'd found the sleeping girl. Sitting in the large, over-stuffed chair next to her, Heero continued to hold Duo while they waited.

It was only a few minutes before the anxious voice of Milliardo Peacecraft was heard, loud and clear through the near empty house. "Max? May?"

"In here," Heero called back. "The t.v. room."

Within seconds, the tall blond man and his shaken looking wife came bursting into the room. "What's happened?" Milliardo asked even as they reached the sitting area. Lucretia went to May while her husband knelt next to the chair where Heero held his son. Red rimmed and tear-filled eyes peeked out from under Heero's neck.

"I'm okay," Duo said, sniffing back the tears. "Heero saved me just in time."

Ice blue eyes turned to Heero for more information. "Marcus drugged both May and Duo. He tied Duo up and was in the process of raping him when I got here."

Lucretia gasped, and with wide, horrified eyes, turned to her son. She immediately moved to him and wrapped her arms tightly around both he and Heero. Milliardo joined her as both of them murmured words of sadness and encouragement to their son. And that's the scene Wufei arrived to see. Five minutes later, Sally arrived carrying her black emergency bag, having been called in by Wufei as soon as he'd received Heero's urgent call. She was immediately sent upstairs to look at the wounded and unconscious perpetrator.

The television room was quite with the exception of a few sniffling sounds as the five waited in quiet agitation until Sally returned five minutes later. "I've called for an ambulance," she said as she made her way to the sitting area. She went first to the sleeping girl, her head and shoulders held against Lucretia's body. Sally did a brief check to make sure she was alright then turned to Milliardo.

"I think you should take her home now. She'll be disoriented and maybe a bit disconcerted and ill when she wakes up as it is. You won't want her to wake up here and discover what's gone on."

The tall blond man nodded, then looked to Duo. "Do you want to go home now Max?" he asked gently.

"I'll need to question him." Wufei cut in. "He might feel easier about it without an audience."

"He stays with me in any case," Heero said softly, but his tone indicated it was more of a demand than any suggestion.

"Duo?" Lucretia questioned.

"I'll be safe with Heero," Duo replied quietly from within the safety of the blanket that was draped around his naked body and held in his lover's strong, protecting arms.

Milliardo stood and went to the couch, then lifted his sleeping daughter into his arms. His wife rose from her position but went to kneel next to her son. "Duo, we love you," she whispered. "Come home when you're ready, okay?"

The head hidden against Heero nodded. Lucretia then looked to the intense young man holding her son. "I'm trusting you with something so very precious to me, Heero," she said looking directly at the young man Duo had always loved. "Please, take care of him."

"I know, and I will, thank you," he replied, his hand coming up to rub at Duo's blanket covered back.

After soft words of farewell, the two concerned parents turned with their daughter in their care and left the room with Sally hurrying ahead to escort them to the front door. They left with only a slight hesitant look back. Both of the adults who had been so involved in Duo's life for the last three years felt the deep need to take him home. Tp shelter and keep him safe, but they both relinquished that need, knowing in their hearts that it was Heero's shelter that their Max really needed and now sought.

As the room grew still with their absence, Wufei took the spot on the couch that May had been asleep on and paused a moment before he began his duty. With a gentle and quiet voice he began. "Duo, I'm sorry this happened to you, but I need to ask you some questions. This really should be a local constable taking your statement, but being a Preventer, my report will stand as your statement as to what happened here tonight."

Duo's head rose from out of the safety of the blanket and from under Heero's chin. "Does this have to be made public?" he asked, his face pale and his eyes swollen and red.

"I'm afraid that your last name and Standish's are too well known for the press to just let this pass by."

"Then I have nothing to say," Duo said angrily and turned his face back into Heero's chest.

Wufei turned his eyes in a silent appeal to Heero. The former Wing Zero pilot was in a severe protective mode, but when his dark, hooded eyes, fraught with worry, raised to meet his friend's, he paused a moment before nodding his head in agreement to Wufei's unspoken plea.

"Duo." Heero's voice was soft and reassuring as he addressed his lover. He pulled the blanket wrapped body just slightly away from his own so he could look into the red-rimmed eyes. He paused to tenderly brush the long strands of hair away from Duo's dry tear-stained face, then pushed the mass over the back of his shoulders. It was then that both he and Wufei saw the painful bite marks on the side of his long, slender neck and on his ear lobe. Heero took in a shuddering breath, trying to remain composed for Duo's sake. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his lover's temple. "You weren't Marcus's first victim, Duo, but you can make sure that you're the last." he said with effort, then forced himself to continue. "A friend of Relena's attending the function tonight was the one that tipped me off that something could be wrong. She was also one of Marcus's victims. She saved you from what he was going to do tonight, and we owe it to her to see that he can't hurt or threaten her again. If you testify against him, others are bound to come out and add their voice to yours. You can put him away for a very long time."

Duo pulled himself closer, burying his face within the lapels of Heero's tuxedo. "It's too humiliating," he choked out, his voice muffled against the fabric.

"You did nothing wrong. It was his actions that will put him in jail," Heero said forcefully. "You're the victim, of just how many we'll probably never know."

Sally came back into the room just then. "When I called for an ambulance, the local authorities picked up on the call. They'll be here in five minutes," she warned them. After hesitating a moment, she moved closer to the three and knelt down on a knee next to Heero, positioning herself so that he could look into Duo's face.

"Do I need to get a rape kit?" she asked softly, her eyes sad with concern.

"No." Duo choked on the word, and the next words came out in a low voice filled with shame. "He only penetrated me with his fingers."

Heero stroked the blanket covering his arm, reassuring his lover with his touch.

Wufei nodded to Sally. "If you'll give me a moment to take his statement, then you can treat any wounds he has." Sally looked at the Chinese Preventer questioningly and Wufei lip-synced the words, "Bite marks." Sally looked at Duo in concern, but nodded her head and made to leave the room.

"Alright Duo," Wufei began again in a gentle tone voice. "Start at the beginning of the evening and tell me what happened to the best of your recollection." A quiet click of a small, hand-held tape recorder sounded as Wufei hit the record button to tape Duo's statement.

With Heero's encouragement, the long haired young man began in a shaky, halting voice to describe the first leisure hour or more spent in and by the pool. Marcus was pleasant and polite, he told them, and gave no hint as to what he had planned for the night. He then described the pool-side drinks Marcus had prepared for he and his sister and, as he began to become sleepy, he remembered seeing May asleep before the drugs forced him to close his own eyes.

He didn't know how long he was out, but when he opened his eyes again, it was after being slapped into consciousness. He described in detail what he observed as he became aware of his surroundings and what Marcus was up to as well as all that Marcus had said: his threats, posturing and bragging. He told of Marcus gagging him when he uttered Heero's name, and that his captor then began a series of kisses over his body followed by painful nips and bites. In an almost inaudible voice he spoke of Marcus's practiced and titillating touches, used to cause he body to react. When Marcus deemed that he's given some pleasure, Duo spoke painful slaps or pinches to sensitive parts of his body. All the while during then seemingly endless torture, Marcus spouted his theory of pain and pleasure being the ultimate in sensations. All of the touching and pain led to the point of Marcus penetrating his body with his dry fingers, causing as much pain as possible, then going down on him, saying afterwards that forcing someone to experience pleasure in the most invasive form of attacks was, indeed, power at its finest.

After hastily wiping at a tear from off his cheek, Duo brought his hand up to circle around his lover's neck, the blanket shifting to slide off his shoulder. "He worked both his mouth and his fingers until my body gave him what he wanted," Duo's body shuddered with revulsion at the memory of that too recent violence against him to forget the utter feeling of violation, shame and betrayal he felt as Marcus rose up and moved up his traitorous body, licked his lips, and smiled the smile of a victor.

Just the thought of that moment of complete, unwanted capitulation to his rapist caused his stomach heave. Throwing himself away from Heero, Duo landed on his knees, tangled in the blanket. He managed to push the blanket and his hair aside just in time for his stomach to convulse and he threw up the entire contents of his stomach onto the white shag carpet. He felt Heero's hand gently stroking his back as he dry heaved several times before his body stopped, having had enough.

"Done?" Heero asked, concerned.

Nodding his head, he felt strong hand lifting him up again and re-wrapping the blanket over his nakedness. Despite the fact that he now smelled of sex, sweat and vomit, Heero held him close, and Duo loved him for it. "Take me home, Heero." His voice was small and pleading. "I wanna go home."

Wufei stood from the couch and turned off the recorder. "I'll go get your clothes," he offered. "Do you know where they are?"

"We used the pool house to change into our swim wear," Duo answered.

"I'll go see if I can find them." Silently Wufei turned from the two and left the room.

As Duo's body began to relax within the safety of Heero's hold, the pain of his many wounds became more apparent to his shocked system and he uttered a low moan.

"It's alright, Duo. I'll have you home in five minutes and in your bed."

"No, Heero," came the swift reply. "I want to go to our home, the one you built for me. I want to go home."

Heero paused before answering, dealing with a myriad of emotions that resulted from that one, simple statement. He was inwardly thrilled that Duo had accepted the house he built as his home, their home. But was he wanting to go with him only because he had been violated by Marcus, or because he really wanted to be with him. He was suddenly fearful that if Duo came home with him for the wrong reasons now, that sooner or later he would regret it and leave him after he'd had time to reflect on his decision made under such strained circumstances.

"Your family will be worried about you if you don't go home to them," he told him, taking the logical argument and allowing Duo to re-think his decision.

His lover's hold around his neck tightened, as if sensing Heero's hesitation. "Have Wufei tell them I need to be with you. They can come visit me in the morning," he replied, his lips moving against the skin of Heero's neck.

"Alright, Duo. Whatever you want." Heero knew he would never be able to deny Duo anything he really needed whether it was right or wrong. He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake for both their sakes.

The red-rimmed and pained-looking eyes turned up to meet the concerned deep blue ones. "All I've ever wanted or needed is you, Heero, and a life with you," Duo whispered, his eyes brimming with the emotions that honest, vulnerable statement caused.

Heero gently pulled his lover back into a tucked, protective position against his body. "I feel the exact same way Duo," he replied. "I don't think I've always known that was what I was feeling, but now, in retrospect, I can see that it's always been you that has made me whole. The home I built will only be complete when you are living in it." He kissed the soft hair beneath his cheek and they sat silently holding onto each other until Wufei returned several minutes later.

The black haired Preventer returned just as the sounds of activity could be heard at the front door. Heero told their friend of their plans to leave for their mountain home and asked Wufei if he would inform Milliardo and Lucretia where Duo had gone when he went to pick up Heero's car, still parked in the Peacecraft driveway. Wufei agreed to the request and left the folded bundle of clothes on the sofa, then quickly left the room in order to direct and assist the policemen and ambulance personnel to the bedroom upstairs.

Using the few moments left to themselves, Heero stood and put Duo on his feet and next to the chair which he could lean against. Then once he was sure his traumatized lover could stand on his own, he moved to the pile of clothing and unfolded the sky blue, silk boxers. He knelt down and opened the elastic waistband and waited for Duo to step into them.

With the blanket still tightly wrapped around him, the long haired young man wobbled a bit as he lifted right foot and quickly put his hand on the top of the chair to steady himself. He slowly put both feet into the appropriate places and Heero pulled the silky material up his legs and over his hips. With the same care and gentleness, his jeans and t-shirt were also put on around the blanket.

Once dressed, Duo raised his hurt eyes and tragic expression to Heero, silently looking for reassurance. The Japanese man read the signs and took his lover into his arms once again. "Ready to go home?" he asked.

"You are home, Heero," came the welcomed reply.

"Then let's get out of here." Heero smiled at the warmth he felt in his chest, then turned his body so that he could put his arm around Duo's shoulder as he led him from the room out towards the front door.

They were met briefly in the grand foyer by Wufei, then he moved off quickly to intercept several policemen moved who were moving in their direction. With a wave of his arm, he motioned them to move outside to his car parked out front. Behind the familiar, deep blue SUV was the ambulance and police cars with their lights flashing brightly against the darkness of the night. It was clear from the open double doors of the emergency medical vehicle and the missing gurney that they hadn't brought Marcus down yet.

"Mr. Yuy, we need a statement from you and the victim." One of the local authorities called out as he followed them down the entry stairs.

"Tomorrow is soon enough," Wufei said in a sharp tone to the man, giving him a silent warning to back off.

"I understand you called Preventer Chang in because he's a friend, but I really must insist," the older man persisted as he approached the three, his eyes on Heero and the young man sheltered under his arm.

Wufei handed the older man his tape recorder. "Here is Mr. Peacecraft's statement on what occurred tonight. Use this to charge Mr. Standish with kidnaping, use of illegal drugs, sexual assault, attempted rape, and the intent to commit extortion. I'll be up in a minute to help search his room for more evidence. This isn't the first time he's done this," he told the man bearing the look of barely masked surprise on his face.

Quickly exchanging his car keys for Heero's, the young Preventer turned to face the man who had his recorder in order to give Heero time to get Duo in the car and make their escape. "Mr. Peacecraft is in a state of shock, and needs to get into a warm bed. I'll follow up tomorrow with Mr. Yuy's statement and send it to you as well."

Seeing that the Preventer was more than willing to do a lot of his footwork, the investigating lieutenant nodded his agreement. "I'll hold you to your word, Mr. Chang," he said, then turned to re-enter the house as he pushed the button to rewind the tape recorder.

"And I expect to get my recorder back tomorrow," Wufei called out to the retreating man.

The Chinese young man turned back and watched as Heero shut the front door of his car, securing Duo inside, then moving quickly to the driver's side. "I'll see you tomorrow, Heero," he told his friend.

"Not too early," Heero cautioned in all seriousness as he climbed into the sport vehicle, started the engine, then left some impressive tire tracks on the Standish driveway as he sped the two of them away.

The drive up the mountain was done in silence. Duo lay on his side with his head resting on Heero's thigh as Heero maneuvered the car up the winding, steep slope of the mountain. Not sure as to what he should do or say to make his lover more comfortable, Heero kept his hand, as much as possible given the dangerous road, on Duo's shoulder, trying to lend him his own strength.

It seemed like forever and a day before they drove up the dark driveway to the house. Shutting off the engine, he patted Duo's arm. "We're home," he announced softly.

Duo nodded and slowly sat up, wrapping his arms around his chest as he looked up at the dark house, lit up on the outside only by the half moon and the stars high above them. He waited in his seat until Heero got out of the car and went to the passenger side of the door and opened it. With a hand on Duo's elbow, he helped him out of the seat, then put his arm around him again to lead him up the stairs and onto the front porch.

Within moments they were inside and Duo made his way to the large blackberry colored leather couch. He sat down on the edge and stared ahead in an apparent daze at the blank television screen before him.

Heero watched him with concern, then made his way to the kitchen area to retrieve a first aid kit. He returned to his love just as Duo picked up the television's remote control sitting on the coffee table and turned on the large screen t.v.

"I need to clean your wounds, Duo." Heero said as he sat next to his pale companion.

"I'm cold," Duo said listlessly, and shivered violently to prove his statement.

Within moments, a fire was lit in the fireplace and a blanket was thrown over the slender shoulders.

"I'll give you a moment or two to warm up, but then we really need to tend to those bites. Too many bacteria are in the mouth and you chance infection the longer they go un-doctored."

Suddenly feeling very tired, Duo merely nodded and lay back against the back of the couch, signaling to Heero that his body was at his disposal.

"How about a hot bath first?" Heero said as he reached down and clasped the pair of cold hands that lay limp on either side of his traumatized lover.

Duo didn't respond other than allowing himself to be drawn up and off the couch. They silently made their way to the master bathroom and the large sunken Jacuzzi bathtub that looked to be a duplicate of the one in Heero's apartment in Relena's palace. At Heero's request, Duo began to carefully undress himself while his attentive lover began to fill the bathtub.

When it was sufficiently filled, Heero turned back to the silent man behind him. Duo was undressed except for his boxers, and there seemed to be a sudden shyness that Duo hadn't exhibited since their first time together during the first war. He also held his arms crossed protectively over his chest.

"Come on, Love. The water will get cold if you wait too long," Heero invited, still crouched down by the bath.

Duo took a hesitant step forward, then another, his eyes focused entirely on Heero's. As he came nearer and with the light in the bathroom being brighter than it had been during the whole ordeal at the Sheffield Estate, Heero began to see the physical damage that had been done to the body he had worshiped only the night before. Bruises from the restraints around his wrists and ankles were becoming more apparent, as were the bite marks and bruises from Marcus sucking on the fair skin. Heero frowned fiercely, thinking of the ways he'd punish Marcus for touching what was his, that is if he ever had the misfortune to meet the sick bastard again.

Duo, seeing Heero's frown at his near naked body took it to mean anger at him. "I'm sorry Heero. I didn't want him to touch me," he whispered in an anxious tone.

Heero looked up in surprise. "There is nothing for you to ask forgiveness for, Duo. You are not responsible for what happened."

The long haired man looked confused. "But you were just looking at me like you were angry," he said.

Quickly standing, Heero took the two steps to reach Duo, then he pulled him in for a hug, made awkward by Duo's arms still being folded over his chest. "Not you, Duo. Never you. I was thinking of ways to kill Standish for what he's done to you."

"Get in line behind me," Duo replied, with no trace of his normal humor in his voice.

"Do you want me to take your boxers off?" Heero asked, looking into his lover's face for an answer.

Duo nodded, than swallowed with difficulty.

It was a simple task, but it still took several moments, because as Heero worked the silk off of Duo's legs, he saw more evidence of abuse. The inside of each of Duo's thighs had been bitten. The impression of large, perfectly spaced teeth were visible and on the left inside thigh, the blood that had oozed from the broken flesh had dried on the pale and tender thigh.

Heero would have touched them, but knew the memory and trauma that Duo had gone through was too painful at the moment to go over, and the wound itself must be causing Duo a great deal of discomfort.

His finger traced around the bite on his right inside thigh. "You didn't tell me about these," he said quietly, careful to not sound accusing. He looked up to see Duo's pained eyes looking down on him.

"I... I couldn't Heero." His eyes shifted away from the intense blue ones looking into his soul.

Heero looked suspiciously at the arms placed strategically across Duo's abdomen. "Are there any other wounds you're trying to hide from me?" he asked. "I'll need to see them anyway in order to clean and bandage them."

Duo nodded, then slowly, hesitatingly lowered his arms to his sides, then turned his fists outward to show Heero all the damage.

Heero was hard pressed not to gasp in revulsion or to scream his rage. In the dim lit bedroom at the Standish mansion, the wounds to Duo's nipples should have been visible to him, but he was so focused on punishing Marcus and releasing Duo in order to comfort him that he'd somehow missed the hideous bite marks that surrounded each nipple. His eyes then strayed to the side where each underside of Duo's upper arms also had matching, angry looking teeth marks, though the skin didn't look broken..

"It was all about pain and pleasure." Duo's voice hitched as he spoke. "My pain and his pleasure."

"Come." Heero stood and took Duo's elbow and helped him to settle down into the bath.

Duo stepped gingerly over the edge of the deep tub and slowly began to sit, hissing as the warm water touched the wounds on his legs and then arms.

Heero handed him a wash cloth all lathered up with soap. "Why don't you try to wash off the wounds, I might be too clumsy and accidently hurt you if I do it for you."

Duo took the cloth and did as he was instructed, almost without thought, until he came to the open wounds, which he touched gingerly. Heero left the room for a few moments and returned, having changed out of his formal tuxedo into a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve tee-shirt. He sat on the closed toilet seat and let his lover bathe for only a few minutes before Heero indicated it was time to get out, then helped Duo back out and into a large bath towel. "You're tired and need rest," he said in explanation of the shortness of the bath. Duo uncharacteristically nodded in apparent meekness.

Leading him to the bed, Heero helped Duo to put on some boxers, then went to work, gently putting disinfectant cream on all the open wounds. He spoke in a calm voice about anything but what had happened that night, trying to distract his wounded lover from thinking too much about how each painful mark on his body that he was attending to had happened.

Clean, bandaged and dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a tee-shirt, Heero snagged a blanket and two pillows and led Duo by the hand out of the bedroom and back to the living room.

"Want something to eat or drink?" He asked the silent man in tow.

"A soda," was the quiet reply.

Having Duo sit on the couch once again, he went to get him a can of his favorite cola drink, then quickly returned.

Duo thoughtfully popped the top of the can, looked at it for just a moment, then began to guzzle the carbonated beverage down. Half the can was gone before he took a breather and placed the can on a coaster Heero had set out for him on the coffee table.

Heero lay down on the couch on his side and motioned for Duo to join him. His traumatized lover was suddenly quick to respond and settled himself inside Heero's open arms. The television was turned on to provided a nice, gentle nightlight and quiet background to their unsettled thoughts as the both of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

on to part 13

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