Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Cat's Life ❯ The Cats are Back, and Several Reasons They Should Go ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

AN: I thought this was an adorable chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. The title was such a crazy whim, but I like it too.

And those who enjoy reading it~ Even though.. I'm pretty content where I am. Which is odd. I think it is because I enjoyed writing it so much.

Seer Vixion: Hi! Yes, Treize knows Quatre's an empath. It's sometime in the third or fourth chapter that Quatre tells him (but I didn't put it in dialogue) Thanks for reviewing!

mayu-kkg: Thanks for reviewing anyway! I got them all back here. But that isn't why you should read the chapter. Just some interesting dialogue and a change of setting (I really can't stay on one thing)

Admiral ShadowWolf: I so read your story, and I'm not sure what to say. It's just my cup of tea... but.. I don't know. Keep writing though, you'll strike it. (It almost seems like my writing... It's just missing something. I'll get it, and you'll get it eventually)


The Cats are Back, and Several Reasons They Should Go


"And then you know what he told me?"

"What did he tell you?"

"He said I was an insufferable whore that needed to be chained in the first place!"

"It's hard to believe he's your father, isn't it?"

"Please! I never thought the old bastard to be my father in the first place. The nobles of this city may think they are a superior and pure race, but when money is involved they are no better than the lowest demon on this planet- no offense to you."

"Surprisingly, none taken."

They were on the bus, every one of them except Trowa and Catherine, having just received Relena and Milliardo for the thirty million ducs, and were listening to the latter sibling badmouthing his father and ranting about his stay. As soon as he arrived at the house, he had started, he had gone on a rampage, using his telekinesis on everything in sight, except for any living persons in the way. He recalled with a smile as he destroyed the many rooms of the mansion, crushed priceless paintings and gems, sent the cooking food in the kitchen in a whirlwind, exploded toilets, and other such destructive incidents, without a scillant of remorse. Sitting right beside Treize in the front seat, he spoke to him as if he was the only one in his audience.

Quatre sat next to Relena, who knew that her brother was going to boast about the way he destroyed their supposed father's home, and she gave him some information he otherwise wouldn't have known.

"He was afaid Treize wouldn't come to get him, you know," she said with a smile in her eyes.

"Really?"

"Sh! Not so loud, he will hear you." Relena looked towards her brother to see if he had, and saw that he didn't. "Mr. Peacecraft- I mean, my father told him that Treize wouldn't be able to afford us both and that's what set Milliardo off. If father hadn't called so soon, he wouldn't have a house to live in."

Quatre pondered this, and Relena's feeling of serenity, before asking, "Do you love your father?"

Without missing a beat, her blue eyes unwavering, Relena answered, "Of course not. Would you find the man who insists on being called as Mr. Peacecraft, though you're his child, a father? I remember when Mrs. Peacecraft told me I should love my father because he's the only one I have!"

"What did you say to her?"

"You can ask Milliardo himself, I told her to fuck off."

"I couldn't say that to my father," Quatre sighed.

"You know, there is a generational gap in this city- or the world, for all I know. There are more demons and those with supernatural powers than the 'regular' race, so the nobles are reacting by trying to keep their money intact. Money equals power, and the stronger the adversary is, the richer a noble has to be, even if it means selling off his children. Read it in the history books, first comes the peace with the supernaturals and the regulars, then comes the regulars doing desperate acts to be more powerful than the supernaturals, then comes war. We are in stage two."

"Is this you or your brother talking?"
Relena blushed. "I have come to believe it. There's not one slaver in this whole city who would buy Milliardo. They fear he will eventually start a riot amongst the slaves and destroy the nobles easiest way to claim money: having children and selling them off."

"I don't understand why Milliardo doesn't use his telekinesis on Treize. It seems very powerful."

"Oh, that's easy. If he managed to kill Treize, or do anything else that will result in him not performing his duties, our wonderful cat life will come crumbling down. Plus, he likes Treize."

Quatre said doubtfully, "I don't see it."

"You weren't here when Treize first took him in. Sure, there were a lot of fights- with Milliardo using his ability, and Treize, I forgot to mention, easily circumventing them- but his face simply lit up,"-At this point, Relena spread her fingers off her face to gesture the light she could see in her mind's eye-"in things like training, especially when he gets to use his telekinesis or his sword. And sex, he loves the sex, but he would rather walk on severed legs than admit it. And look at him now, hardly two days and he look like he has the gods back in his possession after losing them for so long."

Sure enough, Quatre could see Milliardo's eager face on Treize's calm one, reanimating his eventful two days in detail, asking a question pertaining to his tale every so often. One hand absentmindedly stayed on Treize's thigh while the other gesticulated wildly. He only stopped when they fiinally came to the castle, Dekim Barton's portion.

Treize beckoned Quatre to come out with him, and Milliardo followed without such a gesture and resumed his tale as they walked the stone path to Dekim's door. Unlike Treize's, it was a large, ornate mahogany masterpiece, and guarded by five robust men with intricate guns, which they aimed at him as soon as he was in firing distance.

"Did I tell you that father was nearly penniless before he sold me? Most of the 'grand nobles' of the city are losing face to fiends like you. Where your sort of trades, like the fights, are flourishing, they are stuck with the old businesses that no one is paying for anymore," Milliardo informed Treize, though Quatre felt that the demon already knew. "Why did you bring Quatre along?"

"I was hoping to have him be the first to see Trowa alive and well, since he was distraught by his short absence," Treize answered, smiling. Quatre couldn't help but feel grateful.

"Don't let me spoil that," Milliardo said, and he turned back to the bus without another word.

And so Quatre and Treize were there when a servant of Dekim Barton's answered the door. Another group of servants searched their clothing for weapons and yet another group of servants escorted them to a lobbyroom where Dekim was having tea, where Trowa sat at his feet, eyelids drooping from exhaustion, and ugly bruises covering his entire body. Though his master hardly batted an eyelash, Quatre let out a cry that shook Trowa from his fatigue, and the cat-demon said his name once before the face withered to a look of utter enervation.

So much for seeing him 'alive and well.'

Quatre suddenly realized that from all the buying, Treize had little over than a million ducs. What were they going to accomplish with so little money? Treize said himself that there were fights to win, and thus money to be had, but even Quatre worried over letting Trowa stay with Dekim a moment longer.

"I had a fun time reinstating him into my household, Treize," Dekim sneered, motioning Treize to a sofa, and Quatre sat next to him, watching Trowa try to sleep. The boy was cruelly slapped awake by Dekim. "I'm sorry Catherine couldn't be here. She's busy still entertaining my guests from last night."

"Please, tell me more," Treize said dryly. "You know that is not why I have come. I have a trade that you are bound not to refuse."

"Oh? I know you have most of your profuse of pets, and that your reward money is surely gone by now. What have you got to lose?"

Treize pulled from his coat a very small mirror, with a simple golden back to it. It was proably worth a hundred pieces of gold, if that.

"A trinket?" remarked Dekim snidely.

The demon only smiled, looking into the mirror for some time before it spoke: "Your wishes have been granted. One wight left for three wishes."

"It grants wishes!" Dekim exclaimed, immediately standing over Treize.

"Three to be exact," Treize corrected, pulling out the familiar paper of contracts. "Give me Trowa and Catherine and sign the contracts, and I'll let you have it. Though I must warn you, any wish pertaining to the harm to demons, myself, or to anything of my household will be impossible."

"Why is that?" Dekim quickly lost the fire in his old, wrinkled eyes.

"I have wished protection for all three of them. Now that my father has used the mirror, and I have, there is only one person the mirror can allot for wishes, and I'm giving it to you if you would make the exchange."

"Master, the mirror is priceless," Trowa said hoarsely.

But Dekim was already signing the papers and calling for Catherine. The poor girl had to be dragged in and was left to fall at Treize's feet. The demon carried her out the castle and Quatre helped Trowa, leaving Dekim's maniacal laughter behind. When Catherine heard about the exchange she nearly started screaming.

"We weren't worth that! Dekim can rule the world," she lamented.

"Of course not. I wished that as soon as he made his third wish, he will die of natural causes, probably a heart attack."

Catherine stared at him. "But they said you wished to protect demons and yourself and such."

"Actually, I cleverly accomplished that in one wish, asking for the protection of all beings from Dekim's wishes."

"What was your second wish?"

Treize grinned. "To be rich."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "And your third wish is that Dekim thing- how long ago did you receive the mirror?"

"About fifty years ago, when I left the caves of my homeland. My father gave it to me for my journey. Unlike the faithles parents here, my dad was worried about me leaving." Treize shrugged. "I thought that getting wishes would make life too easy, and so I kept from asking for any until now."

As soon as they got on the bus, while Sally healed Catherine and Trowa, Catherine told them all about what happened to her and her brother and how justified they were about the mirror. Relena worried that Dekim's death would somehow lead to Treize, and that sort of dampened their spirits a bit, but not for long. They quickly paired off into their usual groupings and, in a roundabout sort of way, praised Treize for getting them back so quickly. They, to the surprise of everyone, had a day and night of celebration without sex, which was naturally prevalent when they were all together.

That next morning, Trowa was not in Quatre's arms as he had fallen asleep in. That was the first thing he noticed.

The second thing he noticed was agitated emotions. Lots of them angry, confused, and suspicious. At first, Quatre thought he was dreaming, and he ventured out Trowa's room lazily, not taking notice of anything. The closer he got to the main living room, after taking care of his morning hygiene, the place empty, the stronger his befuddled feelings got. This further reinforced the theory of a dream, but then he came to the kitchen, somehow remembering the way in the subconscious of his mind, and saw Treize, his naturally pale skin reddish and writhing with veins, taking Trowa. Right there on the table. Neither noticed him standing there.

He was suddenly pulled back through the doors. He looked up into the bright, gorgeous face of Milliardo.

"I suggest you stay out of his way. Treize is one of his demonic sex-crazy moods," the blonde said, smiling wickedly. "I've been avoiding him all day. Why don't you come with me to the living room."

Quatre had little else to do but follow.

"Where is everyone?"

Milliardo, a bowl full of grapes and honey before him, spoke languidly, "Packing their bags. I believe Trowa has already packed your stuff. Not all your stuff, mind you, they won't fit in the bus."

"Wait- why are we packing our bags?"

Milliardo sucked the honey from his fingers, and Quatre had the feeling that he was doing it in that lascivious way on purpose. He dug deeper into Milliardo's mind and felt the whirling lust and smugness residing there. Yea, he was doing it on purpose.

"Well, it didn't take long for Dekim to decide on his wishes."

"He's dead."

"Yes, finally. The other guys, you know, the masters of the castle are so surprised. I'm a bit surprised myself."
"Why?"

"He should've died, like, ten years ago."

Quatre laughed.

"Thing is, the other masters of the castle think Treize had something to do with it. But, I really don't see how. It was a heart attack. How much control can someone have over a heart attack, besides a wish? Anyway, they're kicking us out of the castle, and gods know where we're going to go."

"That's horrible! Is there a place we can go?" Quatre couldn't understand it, Milliardo didn't have a piece of worry etched in his mind.

"Treize says that Une is contacting somebody to call a man named Howard. He lives far, far from here, but he owes Treize a favor or something. But if we go there, we're probably going to have to work- isn't that exciting? And Treize will still be able to fight in the arena there."

"Don't you feel... apprehensive about leaving this place? I mean, what if it's worse over there?"

Milliardo sat up, swirling his fingers in the remnants of honey at the bottom of his bowl. "The only thing I'm apprehensive about is Treize- and that's only because the bastard imprinted on me."

"Imprinted? Like ducks?"

"Yea, but it's more like this damn demon thing that locks the feelings of two persons into a web of ....of fate or whatever. He's basically going to love me forever, or something like obsess over me, and I'm eventually going to recipricate his feelings- which I'm trying hard not to do."

"Why?"

"Why? I don't fucking know why! I mean, I never had much control of my life, and here comes something I want, and it's forced upon me."

"So if something you like falls in your lap, your natural response is to oppose it?" Quatre smiled, enjoying the conversation and the befuddled young man before him.

"You ever heard of the saying 'easy come, easy go'? As soon as I give in, he's going to leave me or give me away or something."

"He's not your father. And imprinting, it seems like, is eternal."

"Eternal is forever. I can't imagine being anywhere forever. I just know that I'm always going to do something, go somewhere, sometime. And it's never going to be because I wanted to, damn it."

It was quiet between them, Milliardo staring longingly at his sparkling clean bowl which had before held a lot more honey than fruit, and then Quatre suddenly asked, "Do you love Treize?"

Immediately he felt conflicting emotions tide over in Milliardo's mind. Treize's imprint was fighting against Milliardo's want of control. Quatre was digging so deep, he didn't realize when Milliardo spoke.

"Would you say that again?"

"I said I think Trowa imprinted on you."

"Now what makes you think that, and you haven't answered my question."

Milliardo frowned. "I think, while in the throes of passion, I've already expressed my undying love for him. Don't blush now! You make yourself seem so innocent when you're really like Relena, sniffing for true feelings and all that junk. Almost like Dorothy and her conniving ways. As soon as she came, she's been nothing but trouble for me. Always ratting me out to Treize, or telling me something about my feelings that I already know, and molesting my sister in front of me." He gagged. "She's just the worst."

"Uhm... What makes you think Trowa imprinted on me?"

"It's obvious. All the snuggling, and the stares he gives you, and the way he's so damn loud when you're fucking."

"I... I didn't notice! Not at all."

Milliardo dismissed his incompetence. "You've been here for like a week. Of course you're not going to notice. The only reason I noticed Treize was because I was the only one here. Then Relena came along to rub it in. Then Dorothy, then that damn Duo-" Milliardo stopped suddenly, listening to the footsteps coming down the hallway. "It's Treize."

He was grinning, and he immediately got up and snagged Quatre by the wrist so that they could run down another hallway. Looking back to see if anyone was following, and seeing no one, he continued running and they had made their way to Treize's master bedroom.

"Oh, damn it. This is not where I planned to go."

"Why are you running?" Quatre asked breathlessly.

"Because he's looking for me."

"You like playing hard to get."

"That's what Duo and Dorothy said," Milliardo answered, falling onto the large bed. "You know, we're going to lose our beds! Treize said that if we go to Howard's, we're all going to sleep on the floor with nothing but rags to sleep under if we forget our blankets, or have them stolen, which is a possibility."

"This place doesn't sound fun at all."

"You know what else? They have a hierarchy system, because it is mostly a demon city, and that's how demons work. When we get there, we're going to have to be branded as Treize's slaves."

"You're lying."

"I'm utterly serious. Everything that we've been getting off the hook for now will not be tolerated. I could be killed for using my telekinesis against Treize."

Again, not a shred of worry was anywhere in Milliardo's mind. And then the door slammed open. Treize stood there, holding his shoes which had made such loud sound effects earlier, and Trowa was behind him, looking a bit tired, but rubicund and refreshed.

"You naughty pet," Treize growled, obviously still in his 'demonic sex crazy mood'. "You've been avoiding me all day."

"That's because you've been in that mood all day," Milliardo responded haughtily.

While they argued, Trowa sidled up close to Quatre and wrapped his arms and legs around him. A small smile tugged his lips.

Unlike Milliardo, Quatre could definitely get used to this imprinting thing, all right.