Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Beloved ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: What's mine is mine, what's theirs is theirs. I don't own these characters and would very much not like to be sued.

 

!!WARNING! NOT FOR THE KIDDIES!!

 

Chapter One:

 

Preventer Headquarters
Present Day

 

"Well that certainly is the most beautiful tie I have ever seen," Wufei Chang choked out from behind his desk.

 

Duo closed the door behind him as he entered Wufei's office. He locked the door quietly. He held up the simple blue tie and shrugged, "You think?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Oh, I only wear it because my lover gave it to me, and he is extremely sensitive."

 

Wufei stood and walked around the desk. "Is that right?"

 

Duo smiled slightly and then deliberately drew in his lush lower lip, trapped it between his teeth and then let it slowly slide out again. He could see Wufei's reaction to that bit of seduction. Wufei was a tall, muscular man, and any sign of excitement was quickly apparent.

 

"Yeah it is, he is very sensitive."

 

Wufei pounced on his agent and drew him tight into an embrace, "You drive me crazy, Duo," he groaned before he devoured Duo's mouth almost violently. He repeated Duo's move and bit Duo's lower lip and let it slide between his own teeth. Duo was driving him crazy and the man had just walked in to the office.

 

"Want me to tell you where he is the most sensitive?" Duo's voice was husky with passion and Wufei wanted nothing more than to slam that pretty body over his desk, rip down those expensive trousers and boxers and fuck him raw. He'd done it before, but that had been after hours when the building was nearly deserted. Now it was in the middle of the morning and with how loud Duo was when he was getting fucked, Wufei couldn't risk it. He thought about gagging that beautiful mouth, but hearing the cries and the begging was half the fun.

 

"Well? Do you?"

 

"Duo!" Wufei begged. In fifteen minutes the meeting would start and he was as rock hard as he'd ever been.

 

Duo licked at Wufei's face but wouldn't let Wufei kiss him again.

 

Wufei growled and pulled the playful man to him tight and devoured the mouth that haunted his every lustful dream.

 

Duo wiggled free and slid down to his knees. "I guess I'll just have to show you where he is most sensitive."

 

Wufei's cock jumped and Duo purred hungrily at the big meat trapped under the wool blend. He bit at the fat organ and Wufei's breath hissed out in one quick sigh.

 

"You're so big, Wufei. I think that people who say they aren't into big dicks are liars. I for one love yours. So fat…so thick…so long." Between every adoring description Duo bit his way to the fat, mushroom head that was beginning to leak under all the clothes. "I can't believe this even fits inside me…oh God, I've missed being fucked by it."

 

It had been a long week. Separated for a week by a case was nearly too long for both of them. Duo pulled the huge cock out of its confines and moaned. It did look too big to fit into anyone's body. "God, that should kill me instead of making me feel so good. It doesn't look possible."

 

"Oh, well it very nearly isn't, Duo."

 

Duo nodded, it did take some doing to get that enormous, fat cock inside him, but oh gods once it was there and pounding in and out…it was heaven. He licked the sensitive head and Wufei groaned. "One sensitive spot."

 

"Duo, baby, the meeting." Wufei was entranced by the sight of that beautiful face so close to his cock. Those plump, cock-sucking lips parted around his head, that pink tongue lapping like a kitten's.

 

Duo took pity on his lover and opened his mouth wide. He could barely fit the large head in his mouth, but once there his tongue swirled madly about the slippery apple sized head. His fist claimed the shaft and he squeezed and pumped it. He had nearly died when he'd seen this magnificent cock, four months ago when he and Wufei had become lovers. His first words had been, "Why the Hell are you a Preventer and not making millions as a porn star?" Wufei had laughed and told him to stop being such a pain in the ass. That had led to Duo's obvious crack about what would really be a pain in the ass. But for all Wufei's size and his intimidating physical strength, he was incredibly gentle and he had made sure that Duo's pleasure was attended to over and over during that long night, before he had ever tried to work that baton inside Duo.

 

Duo slurped hungrily on that baton and he whimpered at the sweet taste of precum. His second hand rolled Wufei's balls around and felt them tighten just seconds before Wufei came with a strangled, quiet cry. Duo greedily swallowed and only a small bit of semen escaped to drool out, hotly on his red, swollen lips.

 

Wufei stared down as Duo stared up. Wufei's thighs were shaking with the effort of standing and with the sheer pleasure that had been sucked out of him. He groaned as Duo licked the hot semen off his puffy lips and then kissed the tip of Wufei's softening cock. He nibbled and licked at the slit, cleaning every last drop of cum from Wufei's cock. Wufei drew Duo up and kissed him passionately, tasting his own semen on the hot, wet tongue. They both shook and Wufei felt Duo's erection against his hip.

 

"Baby, what about you?"

 

Duo grinned and said, "You'll take care of me tonight. I wanted to take the edge off you, so you can make me scream…and beg."

 

Wufei grinned and kissed those ripe lips again. "You are such a little slut, did you know that?"

 

Duo pulled away with a small grin. "You love that I'm a slut."

 

"I love that you're my slut," Wufei growled possessively. "I'd kill you if you cheated on me."

 

Duo sobered with a small, nervous smile. He'd never cheat on Wufei, but the man was extremely possessive. His possessiveness wasn't to a frightening level, was in fact rather sexy most of the time, but Duo shuddered to think of what the man would do if he even thought Duo had cheated. He had fucked Duo over his desk, hard and fast, making Duo say his name over and over after he had thought Duo had been flirting with another agent during a meeting. Duo had been so turned on he had come twice, sobbing his lover's name. Wufei had been so tender afterwards and Duo had decided then and there to force himself to flirt with others every now and again to experience that type of raw, powerful sex.

 

"I need to straighten up…so do you. The meeting is about to start," Duo teased and went toward the bathroom.

 

Wufei followed and slapped the tempting round ass. "So you want to be tormented tonight huh?" He knew that what Duo wanted was to be teased and pleasured until he screamed, and still to be teased even more. The vision of his beautiful lover writhing in passion and begging to be fucked threatened to reawaken his sated organ.

 

Duo moaned, "Yeah, I want you to make me beg for it."

 

Wufei groaned and hurriedly washed up, and tucked his cock away. "Get cleaned up, baby."

 

Duo was breathless imaging the things Wufei would do to him. God he loved the big man. But even if he didn't love the man, he would crave the sex. Put plainly, Wufei was the best fuck he had ever had. He knew where to touch him to drive him wild. Duo shivered remembering the time that Wufei had spent two full hours just rimming and licking at his anus. That particular intimacy seemed to be one of Wufei's favorite things. And that was more than fine with Duo who loved what that tongue did to him.

 

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The meeting droned on and Quatre was tapping his pen lightly on the side of his notepad. Duo grinned at him. He wrote on his pad, "Can I interest you in pizza for lunch?"

 

A small smile curved Quatre's lips. He shook his head slightly.

 

He wrote, "No? Okay…chili dog?"

 

Quatre rolled his eyes and shook his head again.

 

Duo slid back and grinned, he reached over to write another tempting offer when he caught Wufei's look. Wufei was not quite convinced that their relationship was platonic, and his considering stare masked jealousy that he didn't dare show Duo.

 

Duo cleared his throat and whispered, "Tacos"

 

"Shh!" Quatre admonished.

 

"And that brings us to this latest case. Agent Duo, you may find this more interesting than your partner," Wufei growled.

 

Duo flushed and sat up straighter as the rest of the agents snickered.

Wufei perused the case file again, and regretted that he had even brought it up. It had only been a way to show Duo that he didn't appreciate the little flirting games he played with Quatre. But as he looked even closer at the case file he knew Duo would latch on to it and that would mean Duo would be going away again. He cleared his throat. "Lady Une in Raleigh-Durham is asking for some assistance on an on-going case." He looked at his lover, and saw that he was still flushed. "There has been a series of…occult style murders…south of Raleigh-Durham. The murders have occurred near Cape Fear River in a small town…Cape Town. Over the last thirteen months there have been twenty-one murders…each one ritualistic except for the last three which took place a week ago in an old Plantation House."

 

"Excuse me, Sir, but what do you mean by 'occult style?'" Duo leaned forward eagerly, his amethyst eyes alight with interest.

 

"I believe, agent Duo that he was referring to the ritualistic drawings found on the bodies, the missing body parts…"

 

"I bet she requested ole loudmouth himself," agent Thomas quipped.

 

There was general chuckling and Duo tightened his lips.

 

Wufei glowered at the weasly agent and said, "Lady Une requested agent Duo personally, as did several others this month." His point was clear and all the agents in the room got it. No one in the higher-ups had ever requested any of them personally and they were working in violent crimes. They were the crème de la crème and still Duo out-shone them.

 

Agent Stark who had a secret, and illicit desire to show Loudmouth some really hot times in that little basement, leaned over and whispered in the beautiful man's ear, "I wish I could go with you on this one…that's beautiful country."

 

Duo turned to the stocky man and gave him a small, distracted smile.

 

Agent Stark wanted to wet his lips, but didn't. Would Loudmouth like being fucked, or would he struggle and cry out for help? These were the questions that drove agent Stark crazy. That profile, those puffy lips, that pretty braid…he'd probably like it, but pretend to struggle. He didn't realize that he was staring with abject lust at Duo until a harsh throat clearing from the terrifying Chang startled him out of his fantasies and he turned to see the most ferocious look on the man's face.

 

"May I see the file, Sir?" Duo asked and Wufei promptly passed it to him. Duo opened it and placed it between he and Quatre so they both could look at the contents.

 

"The three last victims…they weren't killed in the same way…or by the same killer, but they are related," Duo mused after looking at the photographs for less than a minute.

 

Wufei felt the hairs rise up on the back of his neck, and he saw the same look of awe and fear on the other agents face, save for Quatre's…he was used to Duo's brilliance. It was frightening. And he was almost always right.

 

"The last three…they were personal…the first…they were rituals…strangers." Duo looked at Wufei. "I'll need some time to come up with a profile, but I would like to go down there."

 

Wufei nodded brusquely, "You can leave tonight."

 

Duo flushed, he didn't want to leave tonight; he wanted to spend tonight with his surly lover. "If you don't mind, Sir, I would rather leave tomorrow morning. I just got back from Washington and I need to get some sleep."

 

Quatre seconded that and Wufei quite happily agreed, though he wasn't sure how much sleep his sweet agent would be getting.

 

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"Oh please tell me that I am dreaming!" Quatre plopped down in his chair and glared at Duo.

 

He grinned. "Sorry, Quatre. It looks like we are off again tomorrow."

 

Quatre shook his head. "We still have all these reports to do."

 

Duo smiled. "Why don't you take them home…now…and work on them from there." At Quatre's look of surprise he said, "I'll start profiling this case, so we can wrap it up quickly."

 

Quatre grumbled but gathered all the necessary forms and left.

 

Duo found himself staring at the picture of the mansion. Khushrenada. Was that a coincidence? Something about the building, the structure, the weeping willows struck a chord in Duo and he stared hard. The deep blue of the sky reminded him of Heero's eyes. He cursed himself. Why did he think of that man? Why did the image of those beautiful eyes haunt him? He hated the man, hated what he did, but there was something, had always been something that had drawn him to the Japanese man. Those brief, passionate nights, the instant lust, and the feeling of something precious lost when he had disappeared.

 

He shook his head and with little effort he concentrated on his case. Cape Fear River ran nearly the length of the state and bordered some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the region. The Khushrenada Plantation, however, had not produced a crop in over one hundred years. How it had remained such a lavish estate without being productive sparked a small bit of research. Duo found that the wealth of the family had sustained the plantation…that one of the European branches of the family had kept the estate up, and thereafter the people of the village had taken care of the estate. Pictures of the caretakers dated back to the early 1800's and they were distinctly Slavic looking. Gypsies by the look of them. Colorful clothing and golden earrings. He felt uncomfortable after a bit, as if someone had walked over his grave.

 

The Plantation House had been occupied several times over the last century, and always the occupants either disappeared or where found in the house, slaughtered. It had the reputation in the region of being an evil place, a classic haunted house.

 

"Work, work, work, agent Duo," agent Stark said from the doorway.

 

Duo looked up, surprised. Agent Stark had been down here before but never had he stayed to talk. He had always just looked at Quatre and gone on his way.

 

"Quatre is gone for the day," Duo said tiredly.

 

Stark smiled and sauntered into the room. "Oh?"

 

Duo raised a brow. "Can I help you?"

 

Oh yeah you can help me. Stark thought. Take off your clothes and spread your legs. "Just wanted to say I hope you enjoy Cape Fear River. It's a lovely spot."

 

Duo tilted his head, "Oh? Well thank you. I am sure I won't…there's the matter of the murders."

 

Stark loved watching Duo speak. Those lips were made to suck cock, so hot, so full. "I wondered if maybe…"

 

"If maybe what, agent Stark?"

 

Both Duo and Stark turned to Wufei in the doorway.

 

"Just…just if he needed any help, Sir," Stark stuttered.

 

Wufei just stared at the man until Stark slinked out of the office.

 

"Where's Quatre?" Wufei barked. He hated when other men panted after Duo. It was hell, because Duo never saw it. Stark was even obviously hard and Duo had no clue that the man wanted to jump him.

 

"He went home with the paperwork."

 

"Well, meet me at my place in two hours. I am not going to wait for tonight," Wufei growled.

 

Duo flushed. He nodded obediently, eagerly.

 

Wufei turned to find Stark lingering near the elevator and he wanted to slam the man against the wall and inflict damage. Instead he turned his fierce gaze on the man. "Is it that you have nothing to do, that you linger down here? If that is the case…follow me. I have plenty for you to do."

 

"Oh no, it's just that, Duo and I are friends, and he was going to tell me some things…personal things."

 

Wufei glared at the lying bastard. "Agent Stark, I am going to tell you this once. I am not a fool. If you sexually harass this man, I will personally see to it that you are driven out of the FBI...is that understood?"

 

Stark nodded, shocked that his sly intentions were so visible. "I would never… I am straight…"

 

"Save it." Wufei said no more but made sure the man got on the elevator, and glowered at the bastard the entire silent ride.

 

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Wufei's Place
12:30 PM

 

"Are you going to stay dressed all night?"

 

Duo smiled, and closed the door. "I was wondering why you were letting me stay dressed all these seconds."

 

Wufei slammed Duo against the door. And began to pull at the irritating clothes. Within seconds Duo was nude and shaking already with anticipation of what his lover would do to him.

 

Wufei grabbed the small, sexy body to him and easily threw Duo over his shoulder and took him up the stairs. He threw Duo down on the bed and Duo grinned.

 

"You're so butch, baby."

 

Wufei smiled, "Turn over and spread your legs."

 

Duo sobered and flushed with passion. He turned over on his stomach and spread his legs wide.

 

"Raise your hips."

 

Duo complied and Wufei placed several pillows beneath Duo's hips to keep Duo's hips high.

 

Duo waited for only a few seconds before his ass cheeks were spread wide and a hot tongue laved up an down the sensitive skin of his most tender places. He groaned as Wufei's tongue began its skilled attack. It flicked, and dipped, teeth nibbled and scraped, and Duo became a shivering mass of need.

 

Wufei loved the taste of Duo and the way Duo responded. At first Duo would pump his ass gently, pleasured by the tongue and teeth, but eventually he would need more. Wufei would simply tongue the prostate from the outside and then Duo would beg for a true fuck. Wufei wanted to do him immediately, but he knew his lover. He knew Duo loved the tease. Normally he would make his sweet lover wait and beg for hours, but for some reason he needed to be inside Duo.

 

He slicked his large cock up and pressed it to the slick, pink anus. Duo gasped in pleasure and he pumped his hips, "Oh yeah, Fei, fuck me."

 

Wufei groaned and complied. It took several minutes just to get the big head inside the tight body and then after that initial penetration, Wufei began the slow easy fuck he had to use. Once Duo's body had remembered its lover he began to drive in and out with hot determination. Duo squirmed beneath him, his pink flesh spread tight and his head, free of its braid, tossing on the one pillow that wasn't pressed to his throbbing cock.

 

Duo came screaming Wufei's name, and Wufei let himself go. He wanted to hold on to the feeling of pleasure, of possession, but it lasted only a few moments and then he stilled, his cock still deep inside the tight, velvet sheath.

 

It wasn't until later that Duo roused himself enough to say, "And you send me away again?"

 

"I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?" Wufei asked.

 

Duo snuggled up against Wufei with a satisfied sigh. "You couldn't tease me for long tonight."

 

"No."

 

"I'm glad. I needed you."

 

"I love you."

 

Duo turned with a happy sigh and kissed Wufei's lips. "Oh, Wufei, I love you so much."

 

"Take care of yourself on this assignment. I have a bad feeling."

 

Duo nodded. "I have a bad feeling, too."

 

Wufei nearly choked. If they both had a feeling, than why was he sending his lover? This man, so sinfully beautiful, and so gifted, he was not expendable.

 

Duo slept then in the strong, possessive arms of his lover. In the night he dreamed of prussian eyes and chocolate hair…and he ran in fear from them, even as his heart cried out to be with the lovely man who wore them, to know his love and to know the pleasure of his touch.

 

Wufei woke briefly as Duo cried out in his sleep. He tightened his grip and soothed his lover until Duo stilled again. One day Duo would tell him what his dreams were about, and why he sometimes cried out in his sleep, "No, no Hiro…I can't!" He kissed the sweet, tempting lips and wished Duo would never have to leave him again.

 

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Wufei turned and squinted through heavy lids at the clock, damn, seven o'clock. He didn't want to wake his lover who was peacefully sleeping with his head resting on his broad chest. Duo's warm breath caressed his nipple and a small amount drool had escaped those perfect lips dampening his chest. Wufei ran his fingers through Duo's long silken, chestnut locks, watching him with love and undisguised affection. Duo was at his absolute cutest when he slept. He wondered what agent Stark would say if he saw Duo now? In his arms. //Personal note. Transfer agent Stark to the Bismarck, North Dakota field office and partner him with Tom Colton,// Wufei smiled at the thought, he would never do it, but sometimes it was nice to dream.

 

Duo stirred. "Morning," he mumbled, lifting his head he followed it with a quick, "Sorry." As he wiped at the drool on the larger man's chest.

 

Wufei chuckled at the embarrassed flush on Duo's face. "No problem, Duo. We need to take a shower any ways," he said, pulling him into a brief kiss. "And to brush our teeth," he grimaced.

 

"God, what time is it?" Duo groaned, lowering his head back down on Wufei's chest, and fitting his small body against the pleasant warmth of the larger man. His leg was thrown over Wufei's, and his penis was pressed against his lover's hip.

 

"A little past seven," Wufei said, rubbing Duo's back.

 

"Shit!" Duo said, leaping out of bed. "My plane leaves at nine o'clock, and I still need to go home to pack." He looked around for his clothes, spinning around in panicked circles.

 

"Your clothes are still downstairs next to the front door," Wufei chuckled, climbing out of bed.

 

Duo gave him a slow smile, "Oh yeah, right, Caveman."

 

"You know it drives me wild when you smile like that, don't you?" Wufei growled, pulling Duo into his arms he devoured his mouth, morning breath and all.

 

Duo grinned against his lips. "I'm finding that a lot of things drive you wild, Wufei. If I ever piss you off I'm planning to use them all on you. So be warned."

 

Wufei swatted the younger man playfully on the ass. "Brat! So is that what you do to Quatre?"

 

"What?" Duo asked, confused.

 

"He never stays pissed at you for long, even after all the times you've ditched him. I figure you must be doing something to placate him," Wufei quipped, but he really wanted to get a feel for how deep his lover's feelings ran for Quatre Winner.

 

"Wufei, you're not jealous of the relationship I have with Quatre are you?" Duo asked, seeing right through Wufei's casual question.

 

Wufei sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Duo, I wonder sometimes what someone as drop dead gorgeous as you would want with a stubborn, surly, paper pusher when you have a beautiful partner there for the asking."

 

"Come here." Duo grabbed his lover's hands and dragged him in front of the full-length mirror. Standing behind Wufei, he ran his hands down the large man's bulging biceps then over his muscular pecs and flat abs, stopping to grasp the large penis. His fingers didn't come close to circling its girth. "This isn't the body of a mere paper pusher," he said, kissing the side of Wufei's jaw. "I've never been with a man who was better built than you, Wufei. Or one that was more endowed. But even so, I'm not with you for your incredible body, but the intelligent, witty man inside. I look forward to the time we spend just being alone together."

 

Duo turned Wufei around to face him and leveled him with an intense look. "Now I will only say this once. I love Quatre Winner. He means more to me than anyone else in my life with the exception of you. But I love him as a friend, a brother, not as a lover. Quatre knows that, and for your information he would shoot you if he ever heard that there for the asking comment. You are my lover, Chang Wufei. Wufei, not Quatre. Is that clear?"

 

"Very. I'm a complete ass, aren't I?" Wufei smiled sheepishly.

 

"Yeah, but you're my complete ass." Duo squeezed Wufei's butt affectionately and Wufei hugged him tightly until Duo pushed him away. "Now let me go. I need to get dressed," Duo said, turning for the doorway.

 

"Why don't you at least take a shower first? I'll retrieve your clothes from downstairs and make a pot of coffee. You're going to have to take one at your place any ways, you can't go to the airport smelling like you do," Wufei said, pulling on his robe.

 

Duo smiled brightly and headed toward the bathroom. "Thanks, Wufei."

 

Fifteen minutes later Duo was pulling on his wrinkled suit and pocketing his blue tie. He headed downstairs and Wufei handed him a covered mug.

 

"For the road," Wufei said.

 

"Thanks. You're spoiling me." Duo took a tentative sip at the hot coffee.

 

"Duo, I want you to call me twice a day from North Carolina, is that clear?" The bad feeling Wufei had had was only getting worse, he wanted to clear his calendar and go down to the Raleigh-Durham field office with his lover. If he could only figure out a way to explain why he was accompanying an agent on a case.

 

"Yes, Wufei. Don't worry, Quatre is very good at watching my back," he said, kissing Wufei quickly.

 

"That's suppose to comfort me? Duo, between the two of you I'm not sure which one has been injured or kidnapped more often," Wufei growled.

"It's a draw, Quatre's been kidnapped more and I've been injured more," Duo quipped, smiling back at the man standing scowling in the doorway, his smile slipped slightly, and he mouthed 'I love you' before stepping on the elevator.

 

Wufei's heart sank as he watched the elevator doors slid shut; he slowly closed the door to his apartment.

 

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Raleigh-Durham Field Office

1 Day Later

 

Lady Une walked briskly across the room with her hand held out. "Duo, it is nice to see you again."

 

Duo smiled, shaking her hand. "It been a long time, Une. This is my partner Quatre Winner."

 

Quatre had entered the room ahead of Duo, but had been subsequently ignored until the introduction.

 

 

"Ah yes, Agent Quatre, I've heard a lot about you," Lady Une said, shaking Quatre's hand. "Thank you both for coming down. Duo, I know you haven't been profiling for several years, but we could really use your expertise on this one. Now that the killings have started up again, it has the local townsfolk in Cape Town afraid to leave their homes," she rambled, guiding the two agents into a spare office she had set aside for their use.

 

"What do you mean again, Lady Une?" Quatre asked.

 

"Une," Lady Une corrected, indicating the high stack of file folders, some of which looked decades old. "The MO is the same as these other cases. The killings start up every twenty years then end after a year."

 

"This wasn't in the case file that was sent up to Headquarters," Duo said, shuffling through the stack.

 

"Agent Ed Swift made the connection yesterday. The people in Cape Town are pretty tight lipped, but Ed was able to get one of the residents talking. He's going to assist you on the case. Ed is from that part of the state," Lady Une replied, going to the doorway she motioned to someone across the bullpen.

 

A tall young African-American male stepped into the room. "Ma'am?"

 

"Ed, these are Agents Duo and Quatre," Morgan introduced.

 

A smile lit up Swift's handsome face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Duo. I've followed your career since I was in the academy," he said in awe, shaking Duo's hand firmly. "Agent Quatre, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, too. I envy you, it must be fascinating working with Agent Duo."

 

Quatre raised a delicate eyebrow. It sounded like Duo had a fan club in this office, unlike Headquarters where he was usually viewed as a joke until someone needed him. "Yes, working with Agent Duo is far from boring," he replied.

 

"Agent Swift, we would like to head out to Cape Town today and view the crime scenes," Duo said, looking up briefly as he read the oldest file in the stack, it was from 1939.

 

 

"Please, call me Ed. I can take you out there right now. It's only an hour and twenty-minute drive from here, we can discuss the case on the way," he said excitedly, thrilled at the opportunity to work with the Preventer legend.

 

Duo collected several folders to study on their way out to Cape Town. "Thanks, Une, we'll be in touch," he said as they followed Agent Swift out the door. "Ed, have you checked the newspaper archives for any stories that might match the MO prior to 1939?"

 

"Not yet, Agent Duo, I was going to today. According to my source these killings have been going on since 1839. The hard part will be determining what is factual and what are only myths and ghost stories. That area of the state is ripe with wild tales of witches, black magic, ghosts, and curses. The stories have been passed down for generations," Swift said, opening the car doors for the two agents.

 

Quatre climbed in the front seat, leaving Duo and his folders to spread out in back.

 

"What no vampires?" Quatre quipped.

 

"Hey, Quatre, we've done vampires, but we have never investigated witches before," Duo teased from the backseat while rolling down his window to relieve the sweltering heat from within the car. He had already shrugged out of his suit coat.

 

"Really? Vampires! Cool!" Swift exclaimed starting the car, he couldn't wait to hear more. "Where did you run into vampires?"

 

Quatre rolled her eyes. "Ed, don't encourage him."

 

Duo snickered at Quatre's disgust. He was flattered by Ed's interest; he hardly ever met a fellow agent who was genuinely intrigued by his cases. Except Heero, he thought sadly then quickly pulled his thoughts away from that minefield.

 

"Lady Une said you are from the area near Cape Town can you tell me what you know of the Khushrenada Plantation?"

 

"I lived in the next town over. The plantation is suppose to be haunted and cursed, most sane people know enough to stay away from it. Except the Yui family they are the caretakers of the plantation. They have been for over a hundred years. I went to high school with one of them. Dmitry. He's the sheriff of Cape Town now," Swift said.

 

"Yuy family? How do you spell that?" Duo asked turning pale he felt his stomach flutter.

 

Swift noticed the shocked look on Duo's face through the rearview mirror. "Y-U-I. Why?" he asked.

 

"The last name of my former partner in the Preventers was Yuy. But he spelled it differently," Duo said, relaxing slightly. "The Yui family are gypsies aren't they?" Duo recalled the old photographs of the caretakers he had seen in the case file.

 

"Their ancestors were, but the current Yui are all upstanding citizens in Cape Town and Sexton," the young agent replied, changing lanes and speeding pass two slow moving trucks. "Not that gypsies can't be upstanding…I just mean they don't wander…like the typical…they are part of the community," he added quickly.

 

"You said they were caretakers for the Khushrenada plantation for over a century. Why didn't they buy the plantation? And who were the new owners?" Quatre asked intrigued.

 

Swift glanced briefly over at him, then returned his refocus on the road and said, "From what I've heard the deed for the plantation was always in the Khushrenada family and they won't sell it. The plantation had been rented over the years, but the renters always fled or disappeared, and there were six unsolved murders at the manor house over the decades, but nothing recently, until now. In fact, no one except the caretakers lived there since the 1940s. The new owners were … "

 

"Jason Khushrenada and his wife Bridget from Liverpool, England," Duo filled in quickly pulling the names from his memory. "They were going to turn the manor house into a Bed and Breakfast, but it appears they ran into problems with the resident spook and hired a medium to evict it."

 

"Yeah, that must have pissed the ghost off," Swift said.

 

Quatre snorted in disgust. He had enough problems with Duo always taking the supernatural slant on investigations now he had two of them. "Well it seems rather obvious. The Yui wanted the plantation, but the Khushrenada family wouldn't sell it. So they murder Jason and Bridget Khushrenada out of greed," Quatre reasoned.

 

"That doesn't make sense. The plantation is still in the Khushrenada family. If they killed them, they accomplished nothing," Duo reasoned.

 

"Do you have a better explanation?" Quatre asked.

 

"Not one that I'm willing to put forward at this time," Duo replied as he opened one of the file folders and leaned back in the seat to read for the rest of the trip.

 

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Cape Town
Sheriff's Office

"What's wrong, Dmitry?" Deputy Boris Paiva asked the young Sheriff whose face had turned a sickly shade of gray.

 

Sheriff Dmitry Yui looked up from the computer monitor and met his cousin's dark eyes. "The Preventers are sending two of their agents from headquarters to assist in the investigation of the killings at the manor house and the occult killings. I was curious as to their capabilities so I hacked into the bureau's mainframe and downloaded their personnel files."

 

"Are you nuts? What do you want to do get arrested?" Paiva snapped.

 

"Boris, it's not likely that I will be caught. I know a hundred times more about computers than the Preventer's best programmers.

 

"Even so, Dmitry, it is still incredibly dangerous, not to mention stupid. Okay, what did you find?"

 

Yui turned the monitor so his cousin could get a good look at it.

 

"Holy shit!" Paiva gasped.

 

"Remarkable resemblance isn't it, and check out his name," Yui encouraged.

 

"Duo Maxwell. His first name is really Duo? Do you think it's him?" Paiva asked.

 

"Who else can it be? His face matches the portrait in the manor house, and how many people do you know whose first name is Duo? You should read his personnel file. It appears he is the Preventer's bad boy, I've never seen so many reprimands, or, for that matter, a higher rate of cases solved. The man is a fucking genius!" Yui exclaimed his blue eyes flashing with delight.

 

Paiva threw cold water on his excitement. "What do you want to do? If he goes to the manor house he will end up dead."

 

"We have time. He can't be killed until the next full moon and that is on the twenty-six, three weeks away. Boris, if he dies, it will end the curse and free us of our responsibility to this town and the plantation. Isn't that what we want?" Yui asked, closing the file and shutting down the computer.

 

"I don't want his blood on my hands, Dmitry. There has to be another way! Too many innocent people have died because of this damn curse. Those who were guilty died a hundred and seventy-seven years ago."

 

"Boris, we'll ask the others what they want. We'll leave it up to a vote." Yui stood, putting on his sheriff's hat. "I'm going over to the diner for lunch. Man the station until I get back." His pale blue shirt was pulled taut over his muscular chest as he sauntered out of the station.

 

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They were driving alongside Cape Fear River when Duo, who had been engrossed in his files, happened to look up. "Stop!" he yelled.

 

Quatre started and Swift immediately pulled the car to the side of the road.

 

Duo stumbled out and made his way to the riverbank. He stood staring at a patch of earth near the seductive, slow water.

 

Swift raised a dark brow and Quatre shrugged. After several moments of silence Quatre made his way to his partner. He was stricken by his lost look, the look of sadness on his face. "Duo? What is it?"

 

He turned to the cleansing water and shook his head, "I don't know…it's…" He stared at the soft, grass covered soil and he wanted to touch it, smell it. Something about the spot…something familiar, though he'd never before stood on the banks of Cape Fear River.

 

"C'mon, Duo. Let's go."

 

He nodded and followed Quatre back to the car.

 

Agent Swift looked to Quatre for direction, knowing somehow that Duo was lost in his own thoughts.

 

Quatre ignored the young agent's curious looks and opted to act as if nothing was amiss with his partner.

 

After driving in silence for another ten minutes, Swift suggested they stop at a local diner to refresh themselves. They swung away from the road that would have brought them to the Khushrenada Plantation in a natural route by the river, and headed west toward the center of town.

 

Quatre and Swift entered before Duo and he immediately saw the man who, for an instant, looked just like Heero. Quatre started to draw his gun and send the man to his maker, when she realized that it was just a man who resembled him greatly. The man was staring at him suddenly, warily, as if he knew Quatre had reacted to him strongly.

 

Swift bent to the petite man, "Is there something wrong?"

 

Quatre shook his head and after one last look at the dark-haired officer, made his way to the men's room.

 

Swift nodded at Dmitry and the sheriff nodded back, the gesture rather cool considering their history, and their ties of loyalty to this town. Suddenly the young man's face paled and a strange look of excited fear crept over his angular features. Swift turned to see what had caused the man to go pale and he saw Duo Maxwell. Duo still looked somewhat dazed, his large, amethyst eyes wide and somehow innocent.

 

Swift turned to look again at Sheriff Yui, and he frowned, the man was smiling now, like a man who had seen something he had never expected to see. Swift thought of his little girl, Bria, who had woken him one night to tell him she had seen Santa, and the look of delight was the same, only on the sheriff it was less innocent and more secretive.

 

Duo made his way to a table near the sheriff and when he looked up and saw the man, he gave an audible gasp, "Heero." His voice was, for a moment, filled with tenderness.

 

Th sheriff paled even further. "Hiro? Did you call me… never mind I know that you did. So it begins."

 

Duo quickly realized that the man was not his handsome, ex-partner, but still the words the man spoke, struck him, and he wondered, silently, what was beginning. He stared intently at the man who was, on closer inspection, not nearly as perfect...or as pretty as his ex-partner. Had he been that man…Duo would have felt very happy to shoot him…at least he assured himself that that was what he would do. Leaving him for that pink harpy……

 

"I'm sorry, you look a lot like someone I used to be partners with." Duo was embarrassed by what he perceived to have been a passionate declaration, the way he had gasped the hated name. Which, in itself, made no sense. He had only a few passionate moments with Heero and not one equaled the pleasure he had with Wufei. It was crazy.

 

"No problem. I am Sheriff Dmitry Yui. And you are?"

 

Duo paled even more, his lips a splash of color on his face. "Maxwell, Agent Duo Maxwell…Sheriff Yui."

 

"Ah, you are here to solve the murders…I can assure you, I will appreciate all the help I can get"

 

Duo nodded, a flush of color staining his face so prettily that Dmitry understood finally, why his ancestor had been so obsessed. He watched the full lips in motion and the heavy sweep of lash that alternately revealed and hid, sparkling, mischievous purple eyes. Had he the courage he would have tried to invite himself into the sensual man's bed.

 

"I think we should go to the Plantation House…as soon as possible, Agent Maxwell." He regretted that this beauty would have to die, but his ancestor would never rest without his return, and without the return the deaths would continue…and the need to commit them would always be on his family's shoulders.

 

Duo nodded eagerly. "I want to get on this as soon as possible."

 

Dmitry nodded and watched those seductive lips move. He could watch that mouth forever, he could imagine it on his cock. Like many of the males in his family he was at ease with the joys of sex with men as well as with women. That too was their legacy. "I'll take you…there...take you there."

 

Duo looked up and tilted his head adorably. He smiled gently. "You needn't worry about that, Sher-"

 

"Dmitry."

 

Duo seemed surprised. "Oh. Okay, Dmitry. I have a ride."

 

"I know. Ed right? We grew up together…I know we don't look it, but we're family."

 

Duo looked shocked and then he grinned. "Typical. I can never have just a normal…no surprises day."

 

Dmitry smiled at him. "C'mon I want to take you there."

 

Duo nodded. "I can understand. If this were my town I would want these killings to end too."

 

Dmitry smiled slowly. "I do want them to stop, Agent Maxwell. I really think…no believe that you will be able to stop them."

 

"He too has heard of your excellent field work, Agent Maxwell," Agent Swift added quickly as he came up quietly.

 

Duo blushed a bit and said. "I am going to the plantation with Dmitry."

 

Swift pursed his lips and stared at Dmitry, "Oh? Is that wise, Dmitry? I mean, shouldn't Duo focus on the other crime scenes?"

 

Dmitry gave Swift a heavy stare. "It's up to him."

 

Duo stood. "I would like to go now. I feel that the Plantation will be the best starting point."

 

Swift was left to explain to Quatre where his errant partner had gone.

 

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The plantation was surprisingly verdant, for one that would not grow lucrative crops. The stables were empty now, but Duo could picture the horses being taken out for their grooming and the elaborate shows, the hunters and the jumpers. The Khushrenadas always had the finest horseflesh. He didn't question why he knew that little bit of knowledge; he simply stepped out of the car and made his way to the Plantation House, the scene of so much death over the last century.

 

He paused outside the doorway and jumped a bit as he felt Dmitry's hand on his elbow.

 

"C'mon, you have to see the inside."

 

Duo nodded and walked into the well-kept mansion. He felt dizzy for a moment and he had to lean against the doors. He looked around and tired to keep his composure as a feeling of dread overcame him. As if something was rushing toward him from someplace far away, a distance not measured in miles…someplace dark and cold. All he wanted to do was run, but instead he looked around the plush interior, hiding his fear with a sarcastic wolf whistle, "This is something."

 

"The only way to really investigate this house…is the old fashioned way, I am afraid."

 

Duo looked at the sheriff's smiling face. "And that would be?"

 

"Staying the night…maybe several nights."

 

Duo forced a smile. "I'll try to convince, Quatre." At Dmitry's curious look, Duo smiled.

 

"My partner."

 

Dmitry nodded, "Just look around. I know you'll want to stay…it is a fascinating house."

 

Duo nodded his mind starting to wander. He could hear the delicate clinking of china and crystal, the soft sliding sounds of expensive fabric over lush, feminine curves, the smell of tea and cinnamon and fine tobacco burning in distant rooms. He tilted his head and concentrated, hearing the patois of imported slaves…imported from New Orleans for their beauty and grace…octoroons or at the very least quadroons, only the best for the house. He licked his lips and tasted the pungent flavor of capers, lemons and salmon…then the slight pop of Sevruga caviar and crisp, cold wine. Phantom music played on a harpsichord, the sound travelling to the foyer from a room further away than some satin and velvet parlor, but close for all that.

 

He came back to himself when a soft touch stroked his cheek and soothed him. He leaned into the loving caress and then his eyes stared wide at Dmitry standing a few feet from him, looking at him with utter curiosity and confusion as the Preventer Agent sighed with his face tilted into an invisible hand. Duo brought his head upright with a flush. The caress was gone but the feeling of comfort and love lingered near him. He straightened totally and cleared his throat, his eyes unconsciously wide and innocently beguiling.

 

Dmitry was unable to prevent himself from reaching out a hand to touch that lovely face. "What is it, Agent Maxwell?" He asked as his hand stroked the angle of Duo's jaw, resisting the sudden urge to thumb those plump lips.

 

Duo drew back in shock at the caress, and he looked at the deep-blue eyes so like his ex-partner. "I'm fine…really Sheriff."

 

Dmitry smiled again. "Yes, I know you are."

 

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Preventer Headquarters

Wufei Chang was looking over his files and frowning, his mind on his beautiful lover and all the reasons why he was needed in the nation's capital.

 

Suddenly, and without any announcement, Khushrenada walked into his office, a rose held securely in surprisingly agile fingers.

 

"Get Duo off this case immediately, Chang. This is not a request. Get him far away from Cape Fear."

 

Wufei frowned darkly at the man, "What are you talking about now? What makes you think you can tell me where to place my agents?"

 

Khushrenada leveled his intent gaze on the man behind the desk. "He shouldn't be there…I want him back here."

 

Wufei stood and walked to the tall, red haired man, with heavy, menacing steps.

 

Khushrenada gasped to find himself pulled forward by his cotton lapels and lifted easily from the floor. He stared into Wufei's burning black eyes and felt a flicker of fear.

 

"Let's get this straight, Khushrenada, I don't work for you …and I will not stand by and let you play Duo like some valuable chess piece."

 

Khushrenada wanted to bring his rose up to his lips, but his position, dangling in Wufei's grip like a child's toy, forbade it.

 

"His life is in danger, Chang. He'll be killed if he stays…" He was cut off abruptly as he was shaken fiercely.

 

"You dirty bastard. If you are threatening him…"

 

"No, you fool! I am trying to save him. You know how valuable he is to us!"

 

Wufei released the man abruptly and stood back. "Talk to me."

 

"I can't say…" he scrambled back in a most inelegant move as Wufei made to descend on him again. "It has nothing to do with politics or schemes…just get him off that case and away from Cape Fear." With that Khushrenada quickly made his exit and Wufei let him go.

 

He buzzed his secretary, "Get me Lady Une on the line."

 

In a matter of minutes Wufei had instructed the Southern Preventer Building to get Duo to call in for a status report. Lady Une's surprise was genuine, as Duo had just arrived, but she quickly agreed. Wufei slammed the phone down and began to pace. If one hair was touched on Duo's head, he'd…he'd what? Kill the red haired bastard? Kill himself? He rubbed the bridge of his nose and waited for his lover to call.

 

After ten such minutes he demanded that Lady Une be called again.

 

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Quatre was steaming mad; that SOB of a partner had ditched him again! When he got his hands on him, Duo was going to rue the day that he was ever born. Duo couldn't even wait long enough to eat lunch, before dashing off to a crime scene that was a week old. Quatre angrily stabbed at a cucumber slice in his salad and looked up, finding Agent Swift watching him.

 

His aquamarine eyes flashed dangerously, "This isn't the first time he's taken off without me. He will pay! Oh yes, he will pay big time. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but he will pay one way or another," he grumbled, popping the cucumber slice into his mouth.

 

Swift swallowed nervously, he did not ever want to be on this man's bad side. "I'm sure Duo didn't intentionally ditch you, Quatre. It probably didn't even occur to him that his heading out there with Sheriff Yui would upset you. I'm sure he just didn't want you to miss lunch."

 

"Duo knows very well how I feel, we've had this discussion on numerous occasions," Quatre snapped.

 

"Quatre, it probably slipped his mind, you know that most geniuses are absent minded," Swift said, as he scooped up a forkful of mash potatoes.

 

"Duo is anything but absent minded! He is inconsiderate, headstrong, and self-absorbed, loudmouthed, but he is never absent-minded. The man has an eidetic memory for crying out loud," Quatre huffed.

 

He wasn't even sure why he was having this conversation with Agent Swift. Usually he never talked about his partner this way in front of other agents. However, Ed was a fan of Duo's unlike most other agents, with the exception of those that were constantly hitting on him like Agent Stark, and Duo being Duo was too oblivious to notice their overtures. He supposed that if Duo were gay he might have picked up on the obvious signals. She was interrupted from her contemplation by the ringing of Agent Swift's cell-phone.

 

"Special Agent Ed Swift speaking," he answered. He listened and looked over at her. "Agent Maxwell has gone out to the Khushrenada Plantation with the Cape Town Sheriff, but Agent Winner is here, sir," he said. "Okay, sure, I'll tell him."

 

Swift disconnected, looking at Quatre, he informed him, " Director Wufei Chang called Lady Une. He wants Agent Maxwell to call him immediately and report on the status of the investigation. Lady Une said the second time he called, he sounded sort of angry. Don't either of you carry your cell phones?"

 

"Damn, neither one of us has our cell phones with us. Duo forgot his, as he was in a rush to get to the airport, and mine was damaged on our last case two days ago. I haven't had the opportunity to replace it, yet." Quatre set his fork down and pushed his remaining salad away. "I better call Wufei, he can be really ornery if kept waiting. May I use your phone?"

 

"Sure, Quatre," he replied in awe. //Wow, to report directly to a Director, Duo was even more important than he had thought.//

 

"Sir, it's Agent Winner," he said.

 

"Agent Winner, I want to talk to Agent Maxwell, please put him on the line," Wufei said hastily. He pushed the remains of several pencils out of the way that he had snapped them in two, while he impatiently waited for Duo's telephone call.

 

Quatre thought he sounded anxious and upset. "Wufei, is there something wrong?" he asked.

 

"Quatre, no there isn't, please let me talk to Duo," he growled.

 

"Ah, Duo isn't here right now. I can have him call you back when I see him," Quatre said weakly.

 

"Quatre, where is your partner?"

 

"He's at the old Khushrenada plantation with Sheriff Yui."

 

"Yuy!"

 

"Wufei, the name is spelled differently," he wasn't about to tell Wufei the strong resemblance between the Sheriff and Heero Yuy.

 

Wufei sighed, relieved it was not that Yuy. The bastard was the last person he wanted around his lover. Duo had never said anything, but he sensed that he had had a sexual relationship with Yuy while they were partners. "Quatre, you're not with Duo because … what? You're involved in an interrogation? You're doing research for the case?"

 

"I'm not with him because . . ., " he wanted to say because Duo had ditched him, but he didn't want to get Duo in trouble. So instead he said, "I'm going through the local newspaper archives to see if we could tie in the murders with any cases prior to 1939."

 

"You have reason to believe that these cases weren't isolated and that someone has committed the same MO . . . over sixty years ago?" Wufei asked, and feeling the pounding of a headache growing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

 

"Yes, sir, Agent Ed Swift made the connection. He's tied the killings to as far back as 1939. We think they could go back even further, but that is as far as the Preventer files go."

 

"None of the bodies were missing their livers were they, Quatre?" he asked only half jokingly.

 

"No, Wufei. I don't see anything supernatural about these killings. I think it is over the property. The same family of caretakers has been looking after the estate for over one hundred years, but the Khushrenada family won't sell it to them. I think they have been trying to scare the family into selling," he reasoned.

 

"Does Duo share your assessment?"

 

"No . . . but he doesn't have a theory, yet," Quatre said.

 

"What is the caretaker's family name?" Wufei asked, grabbing a pen and a notepad. He couldn't go down to assist Duo personally, but at least he could help track down information on Quatre's prime suspects and see if they panned out. "Quatre, the name?"

 

Quatre's face had gone pale. "Its Yui, sir."

 

"The same as the Sheriff?" Wufei growled.

 

"Yes, sir. But that doesn't mean he's involved or even that the family is involved, it was only a theory on my part," he replied, as butterflies danced around in his stomach.

 

"Agent Winner, I want you to get out to the Khushrenada plantation immediately, and report back to me from there the moment you arrive!" he barked.

 

"Yes, sir. Agent Swift and I are leaving now," he said, disconnecting the phone and handing it back to Swift. "C'mon, Ed, we need to get out to the Khushrenada place and check on that wayward partner of mine," Quatre said and tossed some money on the table for his salad and ice tea.

 

TBC…….

 

AN: I made this chapter extra long to hold over for the next time. I'm going to explain the names to those who are confused. You've probably noticed Heero spelt as Hiro too. Or Yuy as Yui. I thought I did a good explanation in the story about the last names, but if your still confused about the first names then Hiro goes with Yui and Heero goes with Yuy. Everything else will be explained in do time. Oh ya, and the whole what's up with everyone hating Heero thing….I left one little itty bitty hint in the story, but if you didn't pick up on it then you'll understand as the story goes on. Otherwise, review please! I like attention and even though I'm slow, I really appreciate all of you who reviewed. Thanks much!