The Pack

Author: Hex

Rating: R (Playing it safe here!)

Disclaimer: I do not own these peeps.

Notes: Duo is a werewolf, lost to his Pack many years ago. Now the

infamous Keeper is going to take him home, but can he give up all he

knows and loves to meet a family who abandoned him? Can you tell I

like Fantasy a lot?

WARNINGS: 1x2 3x4, mention of S&M relationship, werewolves, no gore

yet and a few unimportant OC's, semi AU.

Thanks: No one just yet, all reviewers for all fics I guess...And to

my muse Xam who gave me this idea!

The Pack by Hex

Part 1

"He has been away for to long. The wanderer must return."

"Many have been sent for him, none were successful."

"Before he was kept from us by science and the war. Now the battles

are over and our Keeper tells us he is read to return. He searches

for a place to be his home."

"He is the son of our deceased leader. If he returns he must assume

his fathers role. Some will not like or accept it. There will be

challenges."

"And he shall face them and either be victorious or perish."

"He is untrained. An untrained leader may spell disaster."

"Not untrained. Our Keeper has been subtly training him. The Keeper

is an expert in his field, trust his judgment when he says the boy

is ready. Or he may very well rip your throat out."

"You will not be swayed, Bracken?"

"Never. The Lost Pup returns to us with the Keeper soon. Send word,

the Pack shall prepare."

*****

Duo Maxwell rolled onto his stomach and stretched lazily, blinking

his large violet eyes and luxuriating in the feel of the soft cotton

sheets against his bare skin. Heero had wanted to get silk but Duo

had insisted, cotton was warmer. The sun light filtered in through

the open windows, fluttering the curtains and he could hear Quatre

yelling happily outside, the soft splash of water as he and Trowa

played in the pool.

A soft, continuous tapping filled the room and he focused on it,

staring at Heero's naked form by the laptop. He wondered what the

other boy was doing. Work for the Preventers or something for

himself, perhaps. It may even have been a letter to Miss. Relena.

Duo did not mind, even if it was. He knew Heero loved him. Duo

belonged to him.

The braided boy slid from the bed and crawled across the floor to

his lovers side, resting his cheek against the bare thigh and

staring up at the screen, even as Heero lay one hand atop his head.

After a moment of comfortable silence, that hand quested further

down and clasped the soft leather leash, running the pad of a finger

over it, a soft smile on Heero's face.

It was a letter to Lady Une. A mission report and a request for two

weeks extra leave for Heero and himself. Duo smiled and nuzzled the

smooth flesh against his face lovingly. You would never have thought

it to look at him, but Heero was one of life's natural romantics.

There was a knock on their bedroom door and Heero turned in his seat

to glare at the innocent piece of wood, his grip on the leash

tightening.

"Yes?"

"It's Wufei. Have you two finished with my relaxation tapes yet?"

Duo smiled at the memory of last night's activities. A sensual

massage and then nothing but laying in bed together, feeling a

natural breeze on their bodies and loving each other. Just because

they were Master and Slave did not mean they were not also lovers.

Heero tugged on the leash gently as he stood, calling out to Wufei

to wait a moment as he walked over to the bed and popped the

cassettes out of the player, leaving Duo by the bed where Wufei

could not see him and crossed to open the door, totally naked. It

was not that he wanted to hide their sexual activities from anybody,

quite the opposite in fact as Duo wore the collar almost constantly.

The fact of the matter was that Heero was very possessive. Duo's

body was for his eyes and his eyes alone.

He left Wufei - rolling his eyes at Heero and Duo, their

resident `nymphomaniac's' - and returned to the laptop, cleaning up

his report. Duo did not join him this time, instead kneeling on the

bed and staring out of the window and down at the happy couple in

the pool. As though sensing his gaze, Quatre looked up and waved,

right before Trowa caught him in an easy embrace and swept him off

his feet and down onto a sun lounger where they began to kiss.

Duo smiled and turned to find Heero watching him from his seat, his

beautiful body lightly tanned, a darker shade than his usual Asian

colouring. Those amazing blue eyes pinned Duo to the wall and he

smiled, delighted when Heero returned the gesture.

"Would you like to swim?"

"Is this just an excuse to see me in those tight little speedo's you

got me?" Duo asked with a cheeky smile. Heero nodded. The braided

American laughed and hopped off the bed, bouncing across the room to

the closet and opening it, searching one of the upper shelves until

he located their costumes. He turned to Heero, his smile never

wavering as Heero gestured him over and he went, kneeling at the

others feet and sliding the swimming trunks up his legs for him.

Their relationship was all about control and obedience on the

surface but there had to be something so much stronger there to

start with. Something deeper, in the heart. A relationship like

theirs could not be purely physical and survive all it had. Everyone

understood it, even Relena. Although, she had once told Heero that

if he ever left any visible marks or hurt Duo in a way he did not

enjoy she would personally hunt him down.

The American stood and stepped into his own trunks before running

into the bathroom to get two towels. The leash was removed although

the collar remained and Duo lightly kissed Heero's nose before the

Japanese boy opened the door and Duo fell into step behind him,

carrying both towels for himself.

*****

They reached the pool not three minutes later and found Quatre,

alone on his lounger, reading a book. Duo scanned for Trowa and

spotted him through an open doorway, preparing drinks in the

kitchen. He smiled and gave Quatre a wave which the blond returned

as he lay the towels out on the spare lounger.

"Isn't it a beautiful day. I am so glad we decided to come to

Portugal for our break, it's so peaceful here."

"Nothing ever happens." Heero agreed as he sat, pulling Duo down to

sit between his legs, back to chest.

"I would not say that but it is true, they are a very peaceful

people."

"Now if only one of us could speak Portuguese." Duo joked. Quatre

laughed but Heero only rolled his eyes, giving Duo's waist an

affectionate squeeze.

Trowa reappeared, giving the couple on the lounger a mildly

disdainful look before setting Quatre's drink beside him. Duo sighed

slightly and curled closer to Heero as the Japanese boy frowned at

the tall pilot. Trowa had made it perfectly clear that the

relationship between the first two pilots made him uncomfortable. It

still saddened Duo whenever Trowa turned his nose up at them in

silence, he wanted so badly for all his friends to accept this,

accept them. In turn it angered Heero to see his lover so affected

by the other boy, and in a negative way as well.

Heero was just about to pull the Duo into the pool to distract him,

Wufei appeared looking flushed and angry. The other four stared at

him as he held up the cassette he had retrieved from Heero and Duo.

He glared at the `innocent' couple.

"Which one of you two decided it would be a good idea to record over

my tapes with sounds of you two....Making love?"

Quatre started choking on his drink and Duo smothered a giggle with

his hand. Heero gave the braided boy a look before levelling Wufei

with a serene stare.

"Neither of us recorded over your tapes, Wufei."

Wufei was obviously unconvinced and his gaze studied the shaking Duo

carefully. He reached his decision quickly.

"Maxwell!" The American laughed loudly and leapt to his feet, taking

off across the patio and the immaculate lawns, Wufei in hot pursuit

as the L2 street rat laughed so hard he may very well have choked.

Heero shook his head and sat back on the lounger, enjoying the hot

sun on his chest and the beautiful sounds of his beloved's laugh.

Bliss.

*****

"Do you think he will be Alpha?"

"He has to be, to be leader."

"Yeah, but do you think he can turn?"

"Who knows."

"No one has been able to turn in centuries, the ability is lost."

"He may have it."

"His father didn't."

"So? I bet he will be really strong and handsome and-"

"-Only interested in Alpha females, that is how it works. You should

keep your sights lower, Keeva."

"I know but-"

"No buts! Enough of this mindless babble you three, back to your

studies! Now, where are the four main arteries on a rabbit?"

*****

It was night time, a new moon hanging in the sky, stars winking on

and off like fireflies caught in the fabric of the universe. It was

nights like this that made Duo feel so...insignificant. He lay on a

flat roof above the den on a blanket, watching the sky in peaceful

silence. He liked this, being alone sometimes and just thinking

about the past. It did not hurt as much as it used to, not now he

had Heero, not know his future looked so bright. He hoped his loved

ones were happy for him, watching him from heaven, seeing how at

peace he was.

A sound behind him made him turn and he saw Quatre slipping out of

the window to join him on the roof, a plate in his hands. He crossed

and sat down beside the horizontal Duo, putting the plate on his

stomach.

"Trowa sent this up." It was a plate of cheesecake, Trowa's

speciality.

"Why didn't he bring it up himself?"

"He says he is busy. In truth, I think he was worried about finding

you with Heero."

"Oh......Does he hate us, for what we do Cat?"

"No, no I don't think so.....Would you stop, if he did?"

"I don't know....I think he may have been homophobic before you Cat,

I think the whole Uke, Submissive thing freaks him out. He doesn't

want to think of us as having an unusual relationship. It reminds

him he's gay too."

"I guess so....Uke hmm? Heero's been teaching you Japanese?"

"Just the basics, so I know what he's whispering to me when we are

together. He still says things I don't understand, things he refuses

to teach me."

"We all have to have our secret things Duo. Heero has his

language..." He trailed off, unsure.

"...And I have the stars." Duo whispered, his eyes returning to the

heavens, apparently not noticing Quatre's stumble.

"Well...I shall leave you to your stars Duo. But don't stay out here

to long, ok? Heero may worry."

Duo shrugged, barely acknowledging Quatre as he stood and left, the

cheesecake laying forgotten on his stomach as he returned to the

blissful peace of space in his mind. His own meditation.

*****

Sixteen years ago, disaster had struck.

Sixteen years ago the Hunters had come and the Pack had been

scattered in an effort to keep as many as possible alive. Some had

fled to the colonies, others to the other side of the globe, taking

what little they could, families split asunder.

Their leader had taken his son, sent his wife and mate away with her

sister and tried to flee for space on a shuttle. But the Hunters had

found him, tracked him down, shooting the deadly silver into him and

destroying his body. But they lost the son as he was left in the

hold of that little ship, ignored as a two year old child, abandoned.

They had thought him dead, until, purely by chance, one of their

kind had seen him, one of their Pack but not one he knew by scent. A

mixture of scents he had not had in years. He had followed the boy,

discovering his identity and that he was going to be a Gundam Pilot.

It was impossible for this Pack member to keep tabs on the boy by

himself and so the Keeper had been sent in. The Keeper, the one sent

to live out among humans, the fiercest of them all. To much human in

him, some said, not enough of the majestic Wolf. He was a killer.

And the Keeper had watched him, trained and protected him. And now

he would take him home, where he belonged.

*****

They were playing again, that soft melody of the music they made

together drifting through the huge house like a fog of calming gas.

Everything was calm and peaceful, just the way they had all pictured

the end of the wars to be.

Duo and Heero were sprawled together on the sofa, both reading the

same book, whispering it to each other paragraph by paragraph. Wufei

sat on the other side of the room, reading his own book and trying

to ignore the two of them. The sun was to hot outside for them to

sunbath so the day was to be spent inside, with the glorious air

conditioning.

The serene music stopped suddenly and the three pilots rolled their

eyes. Duo glanced at the clock in amusement.

"Fifteen minutes, five off their record."

"They are worse than you two sometimes."

"Never!" Duo laughed, loudly. "We are the ultimate hentia's!"

"Duo..." The violet eyes boy looked up at Heero and smiled happily,

settling back down to listen to Heero read. Wufei rolled his eyes.

These guys never stopped!

"You two are far to mushy for me." He said and stood, retiring to

the conservatory before he was forced to throw on of the two out of

the nearest window.

Duo smirked and reached up, kissing Heero's jaw softly before

curling up at his side again, letting Heero's arm tighten around his

waist as he began to read aloud.

*****

"How much longer, Keeper?" The face of the vid screen was impatient

and excited and the Keeper had to admit that he was as well,

wondering how the one would react to the news of his true identity.

"Not much longer. I have been feeding him the roots you sent me as

ordered, upon the next full moon the change will occur."

"He will be scared, he will lash out, you must be prepared, he will

be stronger."

"But his fear will weaken his mind, he will be easy to outsmart."

"Do not harm him to badly, Keeper."

"Acknowledged."

"And Keeper, thank you."

He bowed respectfully. "I am merely doing my job." And helping my

friend.

*****

"Duo? Are you almost done in there?" He looked up from the counter

where he sat, braiding his drying hair and grinned.

"Yeah Cat, I'm almost finished."

"Great. We're all in the garden, okay? Heero and Wufei are trying to

start the barbecue."

Duo laughed. "This I gotta see!" He tied off his braid and bounced

out of the room, meeting Quatre and hurrying out onto the patio with

him. Sure enough, Heero and Wufei were examining the barbecue

carefully, although Wufei kept on stealing worried glances at the

darkening sky. Duo dropped into a chair at the large white patio

table and smiled at Trowa who was serving drinks.

"What ya got there, bar keep?" Trowa blinked at him then smiled and

held up the bottle of wine in his hands. Duo examined the label then

nodded in satisfaction. "Nice vintage." The silent pilot nodded and

poured another glass.

Quatre settled himself down opposite Duo as the flames on the

charcoal finally licked high enough to burn some meat products. He

picked up a glass of wine and sipped it, leaning back in his chair

to stare at the sunset over the small forest which lined the edge of

the estate. The beach was on the other side of that wood and that

was where they would retire to later, to swim in the sea and bury

the first person to fall sleep.

"This had been a wonderful vacation, hasn't it?" Quatre said,

turning his gaze on Duo.

The American nodded whole heatedly. "Yeah! I love it here Cat. Hey,

Heero! Can I quit the Preventers and move here forever!?"

"No."

"Mean." He turned back to Quatre who laughed. Trowa sat, glaring

briefly at Heero before picking up a glass from himself, turning his

eyes to the painted sunset above them.

The food was cooked quickly and the group sat down to eat together.

It was almost the end of their vacation and none of them were really

looking forward to going home. But for people like them, a life such

as this could soon become boring and stale. They talked quietly as

the sun disappeared behind the trees and the light began to fade.

They talked until the moon began to rise in the sky and the stars

came out.

The Keeper watched the moon all night, waiting for it to reach its

pinnacle, for the transformation to kick in. He felt the nervousness

in his stomach begin to build as it reached 11:30 and the group

began to talk about heading for the beach.

11:45 - He could see the glow of the moonlight already beginning to

affect him as he scratched behind his ears absently.

11:50 - The hair on his bare arms was becoming noticeably thicker

and his hand quested to the tranquilliser gun in his pocket.

11:55 - He was scratching in earnest now, his lover asking him what

was wrong in an annoyed voice, thinking he was putting it on.

11:58 - So close, he was pacing now, scratching at his ears, not

noticing as the tips began to elongate.

11:59 - He prepared to stand. Almost time.

12:00 - Midnight

*****

The change was surprisingly painless and he did not even notice it

was happening until it was almost complete. The group at the table

noticed however, leaping from their seats and yelling loudly as his

clothing tore and his bones changed shape. No, it did not hurt, in

fact, it felt wonderful!

He screamed still though, fear lacing through his body, not

understanding what was happening to him. He fell to the hard ground

as his legs altered, throwing him off balance. He tried to scream

for help from his lover, his friends, but all that came out was an

agonised and terrified howl.

What was going on!?

*****

Wufei was the first to leap from his seat, moving towards Duo before

Trowa grabbed him and hauled him back. Heero tried to make a break

for the boy but he to was pulled back, giving the changing boy as

much space as possible. He howled as his face changed, elongating

into a muzzle, his now bright yellow eyes rolling in fear.

Heero was screaming his name, Wufei was calling for help which had

no chance of succeeding and Quatre was chanting in Arabian.

The Keeper took over.

He pushed the three stunned pilots to the ground, feeling a flinch

of guilt as his lover cried out, he raced towards Duo, changing in

the light of the moon. Provocation was the best distraction and so

he sank his teeth into the terrified boys flank before turning and

running as fast as his four powerful legs would carry him, his now

silver grey fur glinting in the moonlight, muscles rippling.

He did not look back until he entered the forest, turning to see a

huge white wolf bearing down on him, teeth bared and a small amount

of blood matting the snow-like fur.

A White Fur....A Turner!

His pace turned from one of flight to one of play and the White Fur

seemed to sense this, his expression changing subtly as this became

about fun rather than challenge.

They ran through the small wooded area until they reached the dunes

above the beach, sliding down the lose sands to roll to a messy halt

at the bottom before taking off again, howling at one another,

throwing their heads and feeling the individual grains of sand shift

beneath the pads of their paws.

He was to much wolf and not enough human now and would remain that

way until he was able to understand and control the change.

They played in the surf for a while, the White Fur chasing his own

tail for a bit before deciding that the Keepers presented a far more

interesting target and chasing him until they both collapsed,

exhausted, to their sides on the warm sands.

It was a long time before either could speak and the Keeper

recovered first, turning his muzzle to the White Fur.

"Duo....Are you alright?"

"Tired. Hungry. Wet." The Keeper smirked. "Trowa?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we?"

The Keeper smiled softly, shrugging, an action a wolf body was not

best suited for. "Lycanthropes (sp?)."

"Werewolves?"

"Yes."

"...........Wow. Heero is gonna be so pissed at me."

"Heero does not matter." Trowa said icily. "You are a wolf, he is a

human, it can't work."

"What about you and Quatre?"

"It will have to end." More than a tint of sadness in his voice, in

his eyes. He was a man, a wolf, very much in love. Trowa stood,

stretching lazily, flexing his claws in the sand. "Come, we have to

go back and fetch our things."

"Our things...?"

"Your clothes and possessions. I am taking you home."

"Preventers Head Quarters?"

"No. Your real home, with your family."

"My....I don't have a family Trowa."

"You have a Mother and a sister and the rest of the Pack, they are

your family."

"...Pack? More like us?"

"Many more."

"And a mother...sister?"

"Yes. We have to leave soon. I have booked us passage on a shuttle

that will take us straight to them. There is much you must learn."

"Great. But...I can't leave Heero."

"You have to." Trowa replied simply, turning and beginning to

clamber up the sand dunes, Duo at his heels.

"But I don't want to!"

"Not even to meet your family?"

"I have to choose?"

"Yes."

"I can come back?"

"If he will have you."

"Oh....he'll be....scared, do you think?"

"Terrified, you'll know, you'll smell it."

*****

Well, thats it for my first part. I will write this whenever I am a)

waiting for Muesli to do some work on Shackles of Eternity or b) am

pounding my brains out for Lightening Scythe inspiration.

There should only be about three or four long parts to this so won't

that be a welcomed relief for you all!?

EXTRA NOTE: I like Portugal, all go to Portugal its sooooooooooooo

nice there!

Please R&R and let me know if I should continue.

Laters

Hex.