I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed
Get along with the voices inside of my head
You're trying to save me, Stop holding your breath
And you think I'm crazy... Well, that's not fair
-Lyrics to 'Monster' performed by Eminem featuring Rihanna

Crimson Bonds Part 66

Wufei had his folded hands propped up on his knees and pressing against his wide grin as he sat hunched forward on the couch of Rosshe's main living room while his children went through their presents and played with their special powers. Snickering to himself, he shook his head in amusement.

Having absorbed every talent that his children had revealed to them, he stored them in his mind to be tapped into when needed.

There was Isabel's ability to walk through solid materials as easily as if they were air, Carol's gift of bringing inanimate objects to life and Charles's kinetic energizing touch to make anything in his grasp an exploding weapon.

But the youngest ones of the lot weren't to be counted out. Solo's skin shifting into sharp spikes that not only protected but could be thrown as blades, Cai's inner sonar to alert whenever someone was coming upon him from miles away, and Fiona's empathic reading added to the impressive list of tools that would be put to good use.

The only mystery of the group was Rosie, but she would likely come into discovering her ability over time.

In many of the cases of his youngsters' gifts, it was a wonder to Chang how he hadn't picked up on his little ones having such powers when there had been clues over the years. Little things that had been overlooked since neither he nor Anna considered Duo's blood to carry on down their heir line in such a way.

Eyeing his brother-in-law, the scaly Infected frowned deeply. Heero had been holding his emotions back... just as he had in the past before meeting the braided Hybrid that had been destined to become his Companion.

The change in the Original was not one that came on overnight, but had built up over the weeks and months until he had all but shut down his feelings.

Of course it was a defense mechanism... two of the creatures that Yuy had been bonded the closest to had vanished from his existence and there was only so much that he could do to help them. What was more, he also had a baby on the way to only worsen an already complicated situation.

But there was going to be a breaking point. Wufei had seen it before, knew from his own experiences that one could only hold back the tide for so long. And as soon as he had the opportunity, he was going to have a talk with his brother.

Meanwhile, in the next living space, Sally and Victor's Clan were settling in after their earlier arrival to celebrate the holiday with their friends. That left the immortal doctor a chance to have a much-needed discussion that she had been putting off out of her own concerns of the increasingly grim predicament they faced.

Clearing her throat when she neared Dorothy, the braided woman leaned close to her fellow Companion's ear and whispered, "Is there somewhere we could go where we can talk privately for a few minutes?"

Her pale blue eyes blinking as she pulled back, Solo's former Seer nodded and led the way out into the first empty room she could find further down the hallway. Spinning to face the other immortal when she closed the door behind them, Catalonia asked urgently, "Is everything okay, Sally?"

Po sighed deeply, dry-washing her face as she considered her words. Lowering her hands to meet the gaze fixed on her, she smiled sadly, "Just trying to cover all bases for what we may be dealt when all of this is over. I know that you have been studying to become a pediatric nurse for the last couple of years now."

"Y-yes," Dorothy frowned in confusion. "I'm only another couple of semesters away from moving on to an internship."

Nodding, the doctor replied, "I know. And you're already where I would need you to be in case my hands are too full to look after Heero and Duo's baby." Her friend's jaw opened wide along with her eyes, prompting her to explain, "We're looking at the take down of another fortress, much like the one of Solo's lair. As busy as I was with the injured that streamed in from that attack, I need to have backups for backups for every possible scenario."

Before the other Companion could panic, Po raised her hands and went on, "Caring for that baby is my number one priority, so long as my attention is not needed to oversee a much more dire case..."

Instantly connecting the dots and finding the gaps in what was not being said, Catalonia's breath hitched in her throat. "You haven't mentioned anything about Anna," she murmured. "But she would be carrying the baby still, if the others can just find her and Duo in time-"

"Time is a factor that we cannot count on this late in the game," Sally commented. "And what's more, we have no idea what the people holding her are capable of if they find themselves in a desperate struggle with a hoard of Vampires closing in on them."

Shaking her head, she reminded, "Anna is in a very delicate state and may need medical attention of her own right away. If things get out of hand, I need to put the baby in the hands of someone that not only I trust, but who Heero and Duo would accept to care for their child. You more than fit the bill."

It was not an ideal scenario to consider, but the other Companion could understand the physician's reasoning to be prepared for anything. Swallowing roughly, she lifted her head and rolled her shoulders back. "Okay," she agreed. "You can count on me. For whatever you might need."

Letting out the air that she had been holding in a sigh, Sally grinned sincerely, "Thank you, Dorothy. I didn't mean to scare or have you thinking the worst, but I also didn't want to potentially surprise you if I have to make a call you were not ready for if the moment should arise."

Catalonia laughed nervously, "Well, I appreciate that. I can't say beyond doubt that I would have been able to handle something like that without warning." With a tilt of her head, she inquired, "Any idea if the back-up plan will work?"

Not needing to have it elaborated to what 'plan' that was, Sally answered, "It will be at least another week at the earliest before I can test Midi's blood to determine if she's pregnant... just in time for when the World Council resumes session for the remainder of the winter season. Those days leading up will be anxious ones for everyone, but Treize is ready to launch a counter argument to the new law as soon as I give him the word."

Rubbing her arms, Dorothy looked to the closed door and stated, "Obviously, this goes no further than this room. The last thing Heero and Wufei need over their heads is the possible decisions that may be made when this finally comes to an end. What they're already fearing is enough for them to deal with right now."

"Like I have said, I hope that this talk turns out to be unnecessary and everything goes smoothly," the doctor stated, a small smile returning to her face. "And from here out, there's no point in automatically assuming the worst. It'll drive us all mad if we do."

*   *   *   *   *   *

Solo had gone mad.

Duo was convinced of it, since that was the only possible explanation to why his brother claimed to be afraid of the power that he had yet to tap into. But to suggest that Shinigami was anything short of a friend at times of need, claiming that the braided Hybrid's alter ego was taking over, was insane.

Had it not been for the so-called 'dark' creature, Maxwell would have suffered greatly at Septum and Berg's hands for the last weeks on end. How there could be anything but good to come out of Shinigami was beyond his wielder.

And Solo was the one to tell his twin that he was out of control? 'Bull shit,' Duo thought to himself. He had a lot of nerve to be making such a suggestion, given his troubled past and all of the damage he had caused.

Eyeing his sister as she slept deeply atop the bed in her cell across from him, the braided half-breed saw no signs of the distress that Solo had claimed her to be in. Other than being a bit overstressed until the two half-breeds had been returned so that she could confirm that they were alright, the Irish Vampire appeared to be perfectly fine.

No. Maxwell was convinced that either his twin had lost his mind over the intensive treatments... or he was simply jealous that he clearly was unable to master his full potential. And fine if that's how he wanted to go on. Shinigami would be able to lead them all out of hell the moment the opportunity arrived...

...In only a matter of days, Solo would see for himself what he was missing out on. His tune would change when he was the one thanking the 'monster' for saving him.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Christmas was one of Angela's favorite times since she was a child. She looked forward to it every year, especially as she grew and longed for the break in her family's busy schedules that allowed them to be together and partaking in the blessed holiday's warm messages of love and peace.

But this Christmas, her head was so clouded over with questions and worries that the Chosen found it impossible to relax and appreciate the day as she normally would. How could she possibly when John's words to her kept creeping in to make her question everything?

"Angela, dear?" Nancy frowned deeply from her place in the living room rocking recliner. "Are you sure that you're alright? You seem... distant."

Shaking her head to clear it, the law student put on a bright smile and reassured, "Oh, I must still have a little bit of the bug that I caught yesterday. I'm sorry." She eyed the stack of gifts at her feet and bent down at the couch to take up the closest to her so she could unwrap it.

Her mother was not the least bit convinced. Earning her start in politics through the world of prosecution, she could tell when someone was hiding something from her. 'I'll bet it's still that poor excuse of a young man she had fallen for,' she thought bitterly to herself. 'He really did a number on her.'

But Nancy wasn't about to bring the matter up since it was plain to see that her daughter was having a difficult enough time letting go... A strange thing since for a while there it seemed as though Angela had begun to move on.

Wherever that John Yang was, the Senator sincerely hoped that he was suffering in some way for what he did. It would be the only justification for ruining her eldest girl's favorite day.

After all of the gifts were opened and the day wore into evening, Angela escaped back into her bedroom for some private solace. Flopping onto her bed, she sighed deeply and threw an arm over her closing eyes.

Too much. There was just too much to process. Too many questions. Too many fears of what her newfound status as an intended Companion meant for her.

"I don't know what to do," the intern whimpered to herself, feeling the tears that would have run down her face dampening the long sleeve of her green sweater instead.

Suddenly, an enlightening realization came to her. Bolting to sit upright, the wide-eyed mortal breathed, "But I do know who might be able to help me figure it out."

At that, she eyed her top dresser drawer where she had stored a certain folded piece of paper that had been entrusted to her.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Parting ways with his children to once again resume the search had easily been one of the most difficult things for Wufei to do. Every one of his younglings had been brave and understanding when they had to say goodbye. They had smiled through their tears, insisting that he stay away until he found their mother and brought her back.

He had never been more proud of them.

But there was one particular exchange that had confused the Chinese immortal. His youngest, Rosie, had kissed his cheek and whispered by his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Watch out for Uncle Duo."

It was a warning born beyond any doubt that it was necessary for him to hear. Chang had also been informed of her nightmares surrounding the braided Hybrid. He squashed the information from reaching Yuy until he was able to figure out the significance of Rosie's message first.

There had to be a logical explanation for her fears. Duo was a victim... not a person to be scared of by any means. And there were much more pressing matters to be seen to before he was back in the picture at all.

Now that he was back on the hunt alongside Heero and Trowa, the scaly Infected had conspired with his cousin to have an intervention with his brother-in-law. Nothing good would come out of the Japanese Original's shutting down his emotions the way that he was.

"So, how are we going to get this started?" Barton asked once he and his teammates had settled into their new abandoned residence in the mountain range outlaying Beijing, China. Lowering his backpack onto the emptied out living room floor, he commented, "Heero should be back from his hunt soon."

Chang shrugged, suggesting, "I don't think that we should wait once he's back. He's been going on like this for too long." Humming his affirmation to the sentiment, the Latin Original nodded firmly just as the unexpected ring of his cousin's phone filled the air.

Blinking widely, the former warrior reached into his jeans pocket and peered to the screen of his cell. His onyx-and-brown eyes growing further in recognition of the area code displayed for the caller ID, he quickly opened the flip and pressed his phone to his ear with a polite, "Hello."

Trowa watched his cousin walk off towards the doorway as he responded quietly to the caller, "Yes, this is. It's good to hear from you..."

A pause. "Yes, of course. Name the time and place."

Then another brief silence. "I know where that is." Checking his watch and making the mental calculations for the time difference, Chang added, "I can be there by then... Okay. I'll see you then."

He closed his cell phone an stuffed it back into his pocket as he turned to face his cousin to announce, "I should be back well before Heero returns from his hunt to carry out our plan, but this is another important issue to address."

Frowning in concern, Barton asked, "What's going on?"

Wufei took a deep breath and answered, "That was Angela McAdams. John told me he had given her my secure number. She wished to set up a meeting with me."

Jaw dropping, it took the Original a couple of attempts to speak. "Are you sure you can trust her, that this isn't some kind of trap? She is the daughter of the enemy," he replied, an uncharacteristic hint of nervousness in his tone.

"She's my son's Chosen," the scaly Infected smirked. "And having been in her situation before, I'm confident that she can be trusted. Along with her potentially being my daughter-in-law, we could also use an ally like her right about now."

Biting his lip, the Latin Vampire nodded. Far be it of him to argue against that logic.

As he crossed the room to gather up his navy blue hoodie that he quickly pulled on, Chang requested, "If John returns with Charles from their checking in on Hillary before I come back, please don't tell him where I am. The last thing I want to do is get his hopes up until I can gage how this talk goes."

"Right," Trowa promised. Raising an eyebrow, he stated, "I won't interfere with your meeting, but get a hold of me the moment you think that there's enough trouble that you're going to need backup." He handed over one of their radios.

Securing the device in the front pouch of his dark sweatshirt, Wufei smirked, "Thanks." With a sigh, he held out a scaly hand that was taken in for a firm shake as he was pulled into a one-armed hug by his cousin.

Barton pulled back, saying, "Be careful and good luck."

His head bowing in appreciation, Wufei pulled on his hood and disappeared from the room in a burst of vibrant colors.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Solo had pondered for days on end what power he would bestow upon Emma. Clearly, it needed to be something strong enough to get himself and his fellow prisoners out...

...But then, it also needed to be controlled enough to spare as many people within the base as possible so that they would see justice delivered in a much more fitting way than those he had been responsible for killing earlier on in his existence.

Lying on his back atop his bed, the blonde Hybrid's head was pillowed on his folded arms as he stared up at the ceiling in deep concentration. There was only going to be one chance at escape. The wrong call on his part would devastate any other such opportunity, let alone Septum's wrath in response to their attempt to get away.

Anna's wish continued to haunt Solo as well. What if there was something overlooked that guaranteed their plan to fail?

It was a great weight on his shoulders, enough that it was threatening to crush him.

Biting his lip, the half-breed watched his sister continue to sleep peacefully in her cell. Another shift of his head and he locked onto Celeste as she did the same across from him.

Then there was Duo. Fully alert and pacing as he had been more often than not of late. Back and forth. Back and forth. His body tense, a fire in his eyes and a purposeful stride in his walk that made him look more like a caged animal than a person.

He was going to be a liability if he relied on Shinigami. Solo was sure of it.

And he also knew that there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it if he was right.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The drive to the all-night diner that she had become all too familiar with had been a long one for Angela. Having snuck out of her family's home late in the evening to be at the spot at her designated time, she both looked forward and dreaded returning there.

It had been her and John's place whenever they were able to get together.

Swallowing roughly when she pulled into the parking lot and turned her car off, the intern stared at the quaint restaurant. For the first time since calling the creature she was planning to meet, she began to question her actions.

What would he be like towards her? John was one thing... but his father was another all together. Especially since Angela had done everything in her power to avoid making acquaintances with Vampires not long ago.

A deep breath pulling into her lungs, McAdams closed her eyes and gathered up her courage. Opening the door, she stepped from her car and into the cold night. She kept her pace brisk on her way around to the front steps of the diner when she came up short at the sight that awaited her.

Leaning against the hand railing, a figure wearing a dark sweatshirt, jeans and a hood that shrouded its face stood in wait. When its head lifted, there was a distinct gleam from the restaurant's front lights that danced across a scaly face.

Their gazes fixed, the Vampire greeted, "Angela?" Her initial hesitance confirmed his inquiry, causing him to smile warmly, "I'm glad you called."

"U-uh," the living stammered nervously. Clearing her throat and straightening herself, she remained a few feet away to appraise the former warrior for a moment. And she found nothing threatening in the way he watched her or in his voice.

Relaxing just a bit, Angela nodded and replied, "Thank you for coming like this on such short notice."

Wufei's own smile grew as he bent at the waist and he told her, "I wouldn't have missed this." Gesturing to the door behind him, he asked, "Shall we?" Turning on his heels while keeping their eyes set on each other, he offered an arm to her.

The chivalrous gesture came as a pleasant surprise to the law student. Unable to help her splitting grin, she approached the steps and laced her arm through the Infected's.

Silently relieved that she had opened the door to this arrangement, Angela threw caution to the wind and allowed her company to lead them inside to what was sure to be a once in a lifetime discussion.

TBC...

 

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