Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of Dark Shadows ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 9 )

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.

Heart pounding, Duo instinctively covered his head as the glass imploded into a million sparkling fragments...

Duo felt, rather then heard the loud rumble as more of the Conservatory ceiling caved in. He had a split moment to worry what would happen to Heero if he died here when he felt the large metal beam crash into him, pinning him to the floor and throwing him into darkness.

A little ways off, Christoff sniffed the air, his whole body aroused, as he smelled the fresh scent of blood. The desire to feed was overwhelming and in fact overtook him as he moved through the ruins to the unconscious body laid out to him like a banquette.

He picked up the limp hand and licked the blood oozing from the cuts like he was lapping at the finest wine. His arousal grew and he turned the hand over to plunge into Duo's flesh and feed.

So lost was Christoff into the blood lust that he didn't notice Duo's eyes opening a crack or the groans as he regained consciousness.

Duo opened his eyes to the delicious sensations running down his arm and straight into his cock. He couldn't help but get hard even though he hurt terribly all over. It felt like the some one was licking and biting his arm and it didn't hurt or anything, in fact if felt too much like Heero was giving him a blowjob.

To his horror, it wasn't Heero sucking at his arm; it was someone or maybe something else. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, his head felt very mushy and full of cotton but he was sure *this* wasn't right. Duo pulled feebly to get his arm back.

Upon feeling his victim struggle, Christoff came back to himself and chuckled in delight. "I really have to hand it to you, old witch, that was very cleaver, luring him into my hiding place and offering him up to me. You thought that I would kill this one, finish the job you started with the roof, leaving the other free and unattached for your manipulations. No, it will not end like this." His smile was feral as he easily lifted the beam pinning Duo to the ground, thus freeing him. Duo had slipped back into unconsciousness, enabling Christoff to easily pick the man up and carry him out of the Conservatory.

Outside, the mare grazed but bucked when Christoff emerged from the building. The animal skittered away, not trusting the man, but a few curt words and deeply penetrating eyes, Christoff soon had control over the spitfire horse. Carefully, he arranged Duo in the saddle, positioning him so it would be hard for him to fall off.

Christoff next grabbed the reigns, pulling the horse's head to look directly into his eyes. "You will take this man carefully back to the stables. You will not let him fall off, if he does so, you will guide another to where he rests." He stroked along the horses head and pointed the mare in the direction in which she was to go.

The mare followed orders, going gently over the path, not letting her burden fall.

The beautiful, blue-eyed woman beckoned to Heero, and suddenly, the surroundings around him changed. The sky, already in the throes of dusk, darkened more and the air around the woman became thick, like mist; the scent of lavender perfumed the air heavily.

Heero felt like he was in a dream, but yet, he knew that he was awake. Wasn't he?

Inexplicably drawn by the young woman's yearning for him, Heero took a few, jerky steps towards her.

But then he stopped when a young man, looking very much like Duo appeared in the near distance off to his left. The handsome youth had materialized directly in front of a giant red rose bush that had long since grown wild.

Uncertain of whose arms he should go to now; Heero looked back and forth between the two.

In an effort to sway the Japanese man, the woman spoke; her voice was soft on the warm breeze. "Come to me Heero, it's me you desire, it is me who has always loved you. I can give you anything your heart desires." Relena said as she held out her delicate arms waiting for him to come to her.

The name 'Relena' popped into Heero's head. He wondered why he should know who this lady was, he had never met her before, or had he? The former gundam pilot no longer knew what was real and what wasn't anymore.

"Spencer...." Called the male voice.

Heero automatically spun his head to the familiar name. "Jamison?" He asked, more confused than ever.

"Yes Spencer, it is me. Don't go to her, she only wants to own you. Come to me, like you did once before. I promised you once, long ago, that I would love you until the end of time. I'm here now to prove it....Come to me Spencer....come to me."

Jamison's voice floated over to Heero's ears, and suddenly, it seemed right to him. Right that he should want the man named Jamison; a man who looked just like his Duo. Heero turned from his original direction and went directly toward Jamison, whose arms were wide and waiting.

"No!" Screeched Relena.

Heero stepped into Jamison's arms, and he was instantly enfolded into a tight embrace.

Jamison reached up and kissed Heero softly on his mouth and sighed, "Go to sleep, my love."

Immediately upon hearing the command, Heero felt his lids grow heavy, then they shut, and he was asleep.

"You bastard!" Screamed Relena. "You are not allowed to interfere!"

Jamison's image disappeared, and Cristoff's replaced him. He still held the limp, slumbering Heero in his arms. He crooked his strong arm under Heero's knees and easily scooped the man up. Cristoff shot Relena, a triumphant look. "All's fair in love and war Relena."

"He's mine."

"Lena, please, screeching like a pea-hen does not become one of such beauty as yours."

"You vile....blood sucking...." Hissed the very angry Relena.

"Now, now my pet, you sound just like the town gossips....tsk, tsk, tsk, such language." His exaggerated voice admonished.

Cristoff was relishing that for once, he had the upper hand.

"I served up that re-incarnation of Jamison Du pres` on a silver platter for you. Why did you come here and ruin my attempt at Spencer?" Relena managed to regain her composure. She was positive that Cristoff would take her offering, readily, if not greedily. Thus removing the only real hurdle between her and Spencer.

"Because my darling, giving me Jamison like you did was just too easy. These men are not Jamison and Spencer, oh, they are re-incarnations of them, but they are not those two boys. Duo and Heero are different, their love for each other is stronger then even they know, we must win them over without trickery. You must become human again Relena and then tempt Heero. Maybe this time he will actually fall for your charms." The alluring vampire laughed softly at his rival.

Relena threw Cristoff a cruel smile. "And maybe the beautiful Duo will come to you willingly this time, and not be taken by force...hmmm."

"Are you challenging me Lena."

"Yes, I am my darling. I will become mortal once again, and then we shall see who succeeds in winning the other first."

Cristoff loved a challenge. "Then it is a bet. The loser will be damned to hell for all eternity...."

"And the winner will spend all of eternity, living out their dreams with their intended." Finished Relena.

Her image faded away, and Cristoff was left alone in the dark, with Heero. Unable to resist, Cristoff put his lips to Heero's very sexy, pulsing carotid artery. He gently sunk his teeth in and took a small sip.

Heero's body stiffened slightly in response to the stimuli; in his dreams, it was Duo who was roughly nibbling at his neck.

Heero's blood was hot and flavored with the spices of his picnic dinner. The blue-eyed man was absolutely delicious and Cristoff desperately wanted to keep drinking, but that would be against his and Lena's rules of the game. So mustering all of his self-control, Cristoff reluctantly pulled out. He balanced the sleeping man in his arms, and set off for the mansion.

~Z~

The horse entered the darkened horse barn and rearing up she dumped her burdened to the ground then she wandered over to her customary stall to await her evening oats.

Duo's limp body hit the ground; his fall was broken by the sawdust that covered the hardwood floor. The bump knocked him into consciousness. Duo rolled to his back and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked them clear, taking him several seconds to realize where he was. The last thing he could remember was chasing the young woman through the dilapidated conservatory. He wondered why his head ached and raised his right arm and pushed his damp bangs away from his sweaty forehead. In the dim barn light, he caught sight of blood and froze. It took Duo a few seconds to focus his eyes, and once he did, he slowly pulled back his hand from his face and studied the marks at his wrist.

Were they teeth marks? He asked himself.

It was at that point that Duo found the strength to sit up, which he did slowly. Looking around, he realized that Heero was not in the barn with him.

Strange. He thought that Heero was with him in the shattered conservatory, sucking...his wrist? Duo studied the rapidly healing marks again. No. That wasn't right. Heero had taken a different trail than him. Suddenly worried about his lover, Duo jumped up to his feet. But it was way to soon to try and stand up. His head swam dizzily in circles and the agent had to grab the side of one of the stalls in order to steady himself. Duo looked up and out the large barn entrance and saw that it was full dark already. Now he really was worried. Why wasn't Heero here with him, in fact, how did he even make it back to the barn. Duo turned and saw that his horse was in her stall, still saddled. When his eyes went back to the doors, Duo could see a large figure approaching in the moonlight.

In the dark-shadow's arms, was a limp body.

"Heero!" Cried Duo, and headache be damned, he ran for his lover, whom he thought was dead.

~Z~

"Time to wake up." Whispered Cristoff into Heero's ear when he saw Duo running toward them.

Holding onto a stall-gate for support, Duo found the strength to haul himself toward the stable entrance. The shrouded moon offered little light, and as his amethyst eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he could clearly make out Heero being carried by Cristoff!

"Heero!" he shouted. Forgetting his headache, Duo hurried toward his lover. "What happened?"

"He took a nasty fall from his horse," Cristoff answered silkily. "I just happened to be on that part of the grounds when I saw it happen."

Heero stirred and held a hand to his dazed head. Finding himself in another man's arms, he jumped and Cristoff gently sat him down.

"What the hell happened?" Heero asked, aloud. "Did a truck run me down?"

"Cristoff says you took a fall from your horse," Duo told him, eyeing Cristoff carefully.

Cristoff merely nodded. "Yes, you did. Poor Wing became spooked."

"By what?"

"Spooked?" Heero repeated, half to himself. At the very back of his mind he could see a beautiful blonde woman draped in white, like a forgotten dream.

Duo took Heero aside, feeling somewhat uneasy in Cristoff's presence. "Heero, I don't understand any of this. Something strange happened to me after you left."

Heero sighed heavily, sensing a familiar Duo conspiracy theory at work. "What do you think my falling off a horse means?"

"Why should it mean anything?" Duo was taken aback by Heero's cavalier attitude. "We both know something is happening here. Something that has no explanation."

High above, thunder rumbled and a storm began to form.

~*~*~*~*~

Relena's spirit drifted through the eerie darkness between worlds. Anger had forced her to make a pact with the insolent Cristoff. How dare he defy her after she'd given him the gift of eternal life.

Floating between the ash-colored columns, she moved with determination through the mist. In the distance she could hear cries of torment. Plumes of sparkling fire appeared all around.

Her journey ended before an immense figure draped in black. An elongated hood hid any trace of the evil figure's features.

Relena bowed her head in supplication. "Great Diablo, I seek your help," she whispered.

"Relena," his voice boomed. "You have served me well in the past."

"I must return to the land of the living to complete my curse," she said.

Diablo crossed his cloaked arms, regarding her as a plaything. "If I do this, what will you give me in return?"

At this, Relena looked up. "The soul of an innocent who dares to stand between me and the one I love."

A cracking bellow of thunder resounded off the Netherworld chamber. Relena's use of the word 'love' being forbidden.

"NO!" Diablo cried, pointing a finger at the ghostly witch. "If you return as a mortal, it must be to fulfill the curse, nothing more."

"Yes, I understand."

"If you have not succeeded, you will take the innocent's place here."

"There is another who might prevent my plans," Relena quickly interjected. "I must have my powers when I return. It is the only way I can propagate the curse."

After a long silence, Diablo spoke. "Agreed."

Relena bowed once more and her spirit began to fade. She smiled a secret smile. She would defy him anyway...

~*~*~*~*~

Opening the great oak doors, Duo helped Heero into the foyer. Cristoff followed close behind, keeping a close watch on the pair. Hearing the commotion, Virginia rushed in from the drawing room.

"Could you get Heero something warm to drink?" Duo asked.

"Duo, I said I was fine," Heero replied.

Virginia was at his side in an instant. "What happened?" she demanded. Duo noted that she aimed her accusatory tone at Cristoff.

"He took a fall while exploring the eastern part of the estate," Cristoff told her.

Duo looked from one to the other. It was almost as if Virginia and Cristoff were playing a verbal tennis match. He decided to pursue this line of thought for later. Holding tight to Heero's waist, he headed upstairs.

"Come on, what you need is a hot bath and plenty of rest."

"Yes, nurse."

As the two lovers ascended the great staircase, Virginia shot a look full of daggers at the smirking Cristoff.

~*~*~*~*~

A short time later, both Duo and Heero sat inside a large tub filled with steamy water. Duo sat with his back to Heero, who gently scrubbed his body with a sponge.

"Who would have thought a picnic could turn into such a disaster?" Heero said, kneading Duo's back muscles.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it a complete disaster," Duo replied, remembering their passionate lovemaking. He turned to look at a strange bruise on Heero's neck. "How did you get this?" he wondered.

Some hidden instinct forced Heero to shy away from Duo's question. "From the fall," he told him, although he couldn't quite remember tumbling from the horse. Heero glanced back at the quizzical look on Duo's gorgeous face. "Stop worrying, it's nothing. This house is really starting to get to you."

"I think you're right," he said, slowly. "Heero, I saw a ghost."

"You saw a what?" Heero jerked and tightened his arms around Duo, causing the warm water to splash over the sides.

"The ghost of Daniel Collins to be precise," Duo continued. "He lead me to a closed off section of the house. It's funny because he looked exactly like Quatre."

Heero reached forward and pulled Duo in close until their noses touched. "Baby, are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Of course not!" he protested. "It's just that ever since you showed me Jamison's portrait, I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. It's almost as if we're connected in some way."

"The only connection I want you to make is with me," Heero said, dreamily.

Distracted by his thoughts, Duo pulled away. "But what if I am his reincarnation?"

~*~*~*~*~

With a hurricane like force, the storm wind whipped about the walls of the great house. Inside the room that he and his lover now shared, Duo was curled up next to the roaring fireplace. From his position he watch Heero sleep in the enormous canopy bed.

In his hands laid the journal of Spencer Collins, and in his lap the Collins family history book. The answers he needed to solve the mysteries of Collinwood were inside these tomes. The spirit of Daniel Collins had led him to the journal for a reason. With pencil and notepad in hand, Duo began to read.

Opening the fragile cover, Duo began to read by the flickering firelight.

May 21st, 1797 'How much longer must I hide my feelings? The moment I laid eyes on Jamison duPrés I fell in love.'

June 10th, 1797 'Relena came to my room today, professing her love. It made me heartsick to turn her down. She is a lovely girl, but I cannot love her. My heart belongs to another.'

June 11th, 1797 'Last night I survived a terrible experience. For no reason I began to choke. Mother called Doctor Reeves and he could not fathom the source of my affliction. All were greatly distressed, even poor Relena. I feel that it was Jamison's love that saved me, for he never left my side once.'

June 15th, 1797 'What a wondrous day! I spirited Jamison away to spend time alone together at the seaside. His laughter fills my soul with joy.'

June 17th, 1797 'I confided in Daniel that I'm going to ask Jamison to stay with me. I cannot bear the thought of him returning to Martinique. He is happy for the love I have found, and distressed by several odd happenings.'

June 18th, 1797 'I can barely write. My dear brother has taken ill. His malady is as mysterious as mine. God help me. What must I do?'

June 20th, 1797 'I am a man lost to himself. Daniel is well, but I had to take drastic actions to save him. Relena came to me two nights ago, promising to heal my brother for a price. She showed me a mixture of special herbs. For a moment, Daniel's condition became better. I agreed to Relena's price, but now I have broken Jamison's heart by taking her as my bride. Only she and father remain happy.'

June 22nd, 1797 'The young governess has been arrested for practicing witchcraft! Both Jamison and Daniel are determined to testify on her behalf, against my father's wishes.'

June 23rd, 1797 'Daniel came to me with a tale so fantastic that I can barely write. He believes my wife to be responsible for the strange occurrences at Collinwood. My dear brother claims I have been bewitched.'

Duo stared ahead after reading the final entry. Putting the journal aside, he lifted the heavy history book and searched for the events of 1797. Two days after the last inscription, Daniel Collins died under mysterious circumstances.

He flipped back and found the entry for Jamison duPrés:

André duPrés and his son Jamison arrived from the West Indian island of Martinique in the summer of 1797. During a business excursion between themselves and the Collins family, young Spencer Collins fell in love with Jamison, a man he described as delicate and warm as the trade winds. He was quite taken with Jamison's beauty, and his feelings were equally tender. They became lovers and vowed to always be together. Walter Collins, Spencer's father, disapproved of the relationship. To appease him, Spencer married the maidservant Relena Bouchard. However, Spencer and Jamison's love could not be broken. Until Jamison's untimely death shattered their dreams. In a tragic accident, Jamison duPrés fell from the cliff at Widows' Hill, just a few hundred yards from the Great House. Spencer grieved himself to death, claiming that Jamison would haunt his heart forever.

Glancing up, Duo wiped at the tears flowing down his cheeks. He was deeply puzzled that there was no mention of Relena's fate. This struck him as odd for a lady who seemed to be revered enough to have a portrait hanging in drawing room downstairs.

He looked down at his notepad, surprised to find that he'd unconsciously doodled the name Jamison over and over again.

Across the room, Heero tossed restlessly. Sighing faintly, he clutched at the sheets. In his dreaming mind an image began to form. He saw a beautiful young woman, rivulets of golden hair framing her face, wearing an eighteenth-century gown. Illuminated in an eerie light, she approached him from the darkness, calling...

'Spencer, can you hear me? Spencer? I must see you and tell you what the future holds. We will be together again. You think you can escape me, but you're wrong. The curse will return...'

Heero awoke and sat up in bed with a start.

A flash of lightning illuminated the windows, and Duo jumped as a loud knock resounded from downstairs.

~*~*~*~*~

Duo was surprised at how quickly Heero threw back the sheets and slid into a dressing gown. He actually had to keep time with him as he hurried downstairs to answer the door.

The woman who stood framed in the doorway was simply beautiful. Her petite figure was clothed in a forest green coat. Short, raven hair framed her smiling face. Her eyes... Her eyes were the most stunning shade of blue he'd even seen.

There was something about them that seemed... familiar.

"Thank goodness," she cried. "I didn't know if anyone lived here."

"Come in," Heero offered, standing back.

"Thank you," she said.

"Where were you headed?" Duo asked, finding his voice.

"Oh, I was on my way to Rockport when my blasted car broke down," she told him. "Where are my manners? I'm Cassandra Blair."

Heero smiled warmly, and Duo felt an irrational jolt of jealousy. "Cassandra, I'm Heero, and this is..."

"Duo," Duo answered for him.

"It was very dangerous to take a trip on a night like this," Heero said, leading Cassandra inside the drawing room.

"Don't worry about me, I'm a fighter. I wouldn't be here if I weren't."

~*~*~*~*~

"What a beautiful room!" Cassandra twirled around, taking in the antique furniture, the portraits of Collins ancestors. Heero had left to fix her a warm drink.

Duo eyed her warily. Something about her tone... "You've never been here before?" he ventured.

She looked at him, surprised. "Why no, Mr. Duo. How could I?" Turning, she ran her hands along the back of a chaise lounge. "You know, I've always dreamed of living in a house like this."

"Here you are," Heero called, walking back into the drawing room with a hot cup of coffee.

At that precise moment, Duo gasped and his hand went to his mouth. The portrait of Relena!

"Duo, what is it?" Heero asked.

Taking hold of his arm, Duo ushered him out of the room. He looked back at a perplexed Cassandra. "If you'll excuse us a moment?"

Alone in the drawing room, Cassandra moved past the grand piano as lightning flashed outside. She paused before the portrait of Relena Collins. Running a hand through her hair, she stood frozen. Then, a small laugh escaped her lips...

~*~*~*~*~

"Duo, what's the matter with you?" Heero demanded once they were out in the foyer.

"Have you noticed the resemblance?"

"What do you mean?"

Duo took a deep breath. "Cassandra looks exactly like the woman in the portrait."

"Relena?" he guessed. "Relena Collins would be nearly 200 years old!"

"She is Relena!" he cried. "Oh, I know her hair is different, but..."

"Duo..." Heero started to protest, but Duo quickly continued.

"Listen, I believe that Relena may have come back as a ghost."

"But Cassandra is flesh and blood."

"I'm not wrong! And unless we do something, someone will die!"

"Duo..."

"I know it!"

"Who?"

Duo chewed on his bottom lip. "The only person that Relena cared for was Spencer Collins..."

Heero exhaled. "Spencer Collins died in the 1700's. Duo, the only people here at Collinwood are you, me, Ginny, Cristoff and Cassandra."

"Then why did she come back?" Duo asked, pointedly. "The only reason she could have come back is to..."

"What?" Heero folded his arms across his chest.

"To settle some kind of a score. But why? I don't understand it, why?"

Heero wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Duo, the legends about this old place are really getting to you. Why don't you get a breath of fresh air?"

~*~*~*~*~

Quatre Winner surveyed the foggy, wet streets of Collinsport with a mixture of skepticism and trepidation. Call it empathic intuition, but after reading up on the history of this fishing village he had a distinct 'bad feeling' that Duo needed his help. It didn't aid his conscious that Duo's cell phone remained persistently off.

Booking the first flight to Maine, Quatre had arrived in Bangor where he quickly rented a car. The fifty-mile drive to Collinsport had not been easy, due to a sudden storm. He didn't find anything unnatural about it. This near the coast, storms could materialize out of nowhere. He remembered his father telling him of several he'd been caught off guard in.

Driving around the deserted streets, Quatre sighed wearily. In a way he was frustrated with himself for jumping the gun and come chasing after his partner. Sure, he could clearly see the allure Collinsport's legends held for Duo. What irriated him the most was that Duo dropped everything just to come up here for no reason.

He sincerely hoped Duo was alright, because he couldn't wait to scold him good for this one! Finally, lights appeared in the distance. For a moment, he was beginning to believe this was a ghost town.

Pulling into a parking lot beside a wharf. Quatre stepped out and locked the car door. Ahead of him shone the glowing lights of a pub called The Blue Whale...

~*~*~*~*~

Opening an elaborate set of glass doors, Duo stepped out of a side entrance and onto a patio. Thankfully, the storm had subsided. Nearby, he could hear the roaring of the sea.

Why wouldn't Heero listen to him? Surely they had overcome any past obstacles to get where they were. After all the years of antagonism, he truly loved that man with all his heart.

He knew in his gut that there was a connection between Cassandra Blair and Relena Collins... just like the shock of seeing his own likeness in the portrait of Jamison duPrés.

Duo wrapped his arms around his body to keep warm against the icy wind. Something floated by, just on the edge of his hearing. A low, desperate moaning. Of course, the Widows. He remembered the legend well. About the wives of fishermen who walked the cliffs of Widows' Hill, mourning their lost loves.

Walking down a flight of stone steps, Duo wandered away from the great house. Maybe all he needed was a breath of fresh sea air. Anything to clear his head. Heero insisted that the legends of Collinwood were getting to him. Could he be right? Just because Cassandra looked like Relena's portrait, did it mean she was the same woman? Any more than he could be Jamison?

On the edge of the misty forest, the spirit of Daniel Collins clutched his hands together, watching worriedly...

~*~*~*~*~

Cassandra pulled back the silk curtains and stared down at the forlorn figure heading out toward the rocky cliff. A wicked smile passed over her beautiful face. Opening the window, a breeze filled the room.

She stared ahead, her arctic blue eyes glowing in the darkness.

"The time has come," she whispered. "Your fate was sealed almost two hundred years ago. You cannot alter your destiny. There can never be any escape from me. For the curse will find you and fall upon you."

Leaning forward, her eyes concentrated on Duo. "Let the curse begin this night. Carried by the wind until it finds its way to the image of one you loved so long ago."

~*~*~*~*~

A few feet from the edge, Duo peered deeply into the waves crashing against the jagged rocks. Something about this spot seemed so familiar. He couldn't shake the odd feeling of deja vu no matter how hard he tried. All these years he'd been drawn to Collinwood. Perhaps there was a deeper meaning after all...

"Weren't thinking of jumping, were you?" a voice asked.

Duo whirled round to find Cristoff approaching from the shadows. "Cristoff, you scared the life out of me!" he exclaimed.

"Did I? I'm sorry." The strange, tall man moved in close to Duo.

"Why did you think I might jump?" Duo asked him, curiously.

Cristoff shrugged. "Well, you wouldn't be the first. That young woman worries you, doesn't she?"

"I can't help it," Duo said, not knowing why on earth he should be confiding in this man. Then, he looked at him with suspicion. "What a minute! How did you know about her?"

"Look at me," Cristoff insisted.

Somehow, Duo could not resist the deep, commanding voice. He turned, and found a pair of eyes blazing intently into him.

"I can make all of your worries and doubts fade away," Cristoff told him. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes," Duo heard himself saying.

Cristoff opened his arms. "Come to me, now."

Uncontrollably, Duo moved toward him. Why was he doing this? Soon, he felt the other man's arms around his body. Duo went completely limp against his touch. Licking his lips at the exposed, tender neck, Cristoff leaned in and placed his mouth against it. In the process, he pulled Duo's shirt down over his shoulder.

Softly, Duo moaned. He closed his eyes and imagined that the Japanese beauty he'd fallen in love with was lightly kissing his neck, knowing full well what a hot spot it was.

In an instant, a flash of light filled his mind. He could see himself and Heero standing on this very cliff... but they were dressed so differently... in period costumes....

Suddenly Cristoff's fangs sank down. Gasping with pain, Duo remained still in his arms. Holding him to his body, Cristoff sucked and began to drink the precious fluid. Blood ran out beneath his lips, forming a little river down Duo's shoulder.

Duo's face scrunched up, and he mouthed 'Oh God' while his hands clawed at Cristoff's back. Slowly, he fell backwards to the ground. With Cristoff lying on top still drinking, Duo stared up into the velvet night sky, a tear in the corner of his right eye. Then his eyes drifted shut and his head sank to the side...

-TBC-

A/N: Hope you like this and thanks for reading. Please review and I'll do my best to keep pumping out chapters.