Kandice: Alright! Our first story! And it's an AU about vampires and were-thingummys!

Kassidy: You mean werewolves?

Kandice Noooo. Not just werewolves. Were-cats, and were-deer, and were-foxes, too!

Kassidy: Shut up before I shut you up. Let me handle this. Okay? Here goes. This is a supernatural romance of the 3x4x3 type, so if you don't like boys on boys, then get out now. We will call pilot 03 Triton, because the real Trowa Barton's going to play a part in this story. Support pairings are 2xHilde, 5xSally, and 1xR.

Kandice: Please, keep reading. Don't let that scare you off.

Kassidy: Zip it, shorty!

Kandice: Hey! You're just as short as me!

Kassidy: Anyways, Triton is our hero, along with Quatre. The bad guy is He....

Kandice: Don't tell them that! They might not read it!

Kassidy: If you don't scare them off first...

Kandice: I heard that. And by the by, me'n' Kass don't own anything except the dust bunnies under my bed. We don't own Gundam Wing, and technically we don't even own this plot bunny.

Kassidy: It was borrowed with loving permission from a friend, and if you're still here.... well, I hope you enjoy this!

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Thicker Than Blood

Chapter One

Howl Academy

My sister is an idiot.

That's the only simple way to put it. Well, technically she's not my sister. She's my sire. Um... yeah. Maybe I should mention the fact that I am a twenty three year old vampire. Catherine pretty much saved my life the summer after my seventeenth birthday, after I took a tumble from the high wire.

Um... yeah. Maybe I should also mention the fact that I am an orphan and I grew up in a traveling European circus. Cathy was the one to raise me. It never even really dawned on me to ask why she never seemed to age a day over twenty one. Until the highwire, that is.

But really, that's all another story. Back to what I was saying.

My sister is an idiot.

And that's why I was standing in the main office of Howl Academy. The special thing about Howl Academy is that the faculty and student body is completely made up of were-creatures. People that turn into animals at will. For two centuries almost, Howl Academy has been exclusive to were's.

Until now.

When Sylvia Noventa, the head mistress and the woman currently sitting in front of me, decided to accept vampires into their midst as both students and teachers, the decision hadn't gone over really well. No vampire in their right mind would send their charge into the midst of a bunch of 'mongrels' as many vampire's called them.

Except my guardian, of course.

"You're class schedule, Mr. Bloom," Ms. Noventa said, handing me the slip of paper. It was common knowledge that Ms. Noventa was a white doe when she transformed, and despite the fact that she was a were, I found myself liking her grudgingly.

Looking at the list, I noticed that I had Astronemy, a favorite subject of mine, PE, and some course called 'History of the Clans' among the others.

"Due to the... special.... circumstances of your enrollment, we've decided to have you room with Duo Maxwell. Duo has an amazing capacity for acceptance, and unlike some he holds no prejudices. And unfortunately, you will find many people here who will not like you. I am being honest. It is a shame that our people are so closed-minded. Hopefully, you will be the start of a change among our kind. Now, I suggest you retire to your room to rest. You will be excused from class today, but tomorrow, I expect you at your classes on time."

She handed him another piece of paper with directions to his room on it, and nodded her blonde head in a way that clearly said he was dismissed. He started to turn, and was halfway through the door when he was met with a familiar smell. A smell he didn't expect to find here.

The tall woman in the doorway had blond braids that reached past her ears, and just past her shoulders. She was curvy, but strong in build, and her slate gray eyes twinkled. She looked to be in her mid twenties, though I knew her better than that. Her body was actually nineteen... and she herself was closer to three hundred.

"Sally?"

I never would have expected her here.

She smiled at me.

"Triton, right? Wufei's friend."

I nodded, and she clapped me on the shoulder.

"Good to see a familiar face. Maybe I'll have you in my class."

"Class?"

"Yes. The invitation was for faculty as well as students. I'm the new Health Ed teacher."

"I've got that. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Third block."

"Good. Now, I need to speak with Miss Noventa, so... if you'll excuse me..."

"Nice to see you again, Miss Sally," I said before I finished leaving. It was unexpected she was here, but not surprising if you knew her. Sally Po was curious and adventurous and brave... scarily so in each account. And she was my best friend, Chang Wufei's, girlfriend. Um, well, what do you call someone who is your soul mate but half the time you couldn't stand to be around? Everyone knew that the three decades old teenager loved the older (much, much older) blond woman. Everyone also knew that feeling was reciprocated ten-fold. And it was also common knowledge that most of the time, they annoyed each other to no end. I'm guessing that this is another one of their numerous 'seperations'. I give it three months top before Wufei shows up.

Oddly enough, seeing Sally comforts me, and I am not as attentive as I should be as I make my way through the aged, almost gothic style building. Therefore, I am surprised when a little girl steps in front of me.

I blink. Once. Twice.

She's about thirteen or so. Petite and small, with short curly red hair and large round amber eyes.(1) She may have been cute or something, if not for the sneer curling at her lips and crinkling her eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Hello," I said, knowing this was not going well.

"Hi, blood-sucker," she sneered. "Now why don't you say 'bye' and leave this place?"

"Not my choice, pup," I snarled back. I didn't know if she was a 'pup' or not. She could have been a kitten... or a faun.... or a cub.... or something. Her eyes narrowed in detest.

"My sister made me," I say. "If I had my way, I'd be long gone by now."

That sneer deepened.

"Then maybe we should help you set some priorities," she growled sweetly. A blond appeared beside her. Tall, lithe with long hair and cloudy gray eyes.

"Maia, are we going to torture the boy?"

She was a few years older than the other girl.

"Of course not, Dorothy. Me, you, Otto, and Trant will simply use gentle persuasion."

Both grinned wickedly, and I was aware of two more weres appearing behind me, and another few with the girls.

Damn. Outnumbered. This was not going to end well.

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Kassidy: End chapter one.

Kandice: Review for us, please? We've never done this before.

Kassidy: Quit your yammering.

Kandice: Ignore the bossy one. Next time.... we find out how the 'gentle persuasian' goes.

Kassidy: Oh, and that little note, (1). We don't remember, but we're pretty sure that Marimaia's eyes were blue, not brown. It's just that... did you ever notice that EVERYONE in Gundam Wing has blue eyes? Except for Trowa and Wufei. I mean, just look at it. Heero, Duo, Quatre, Relena, Zechs, Noin, Sally, Dorothy... the list goes on. So, this is a judicious edit to keep everyone from having the same color eyes.

Kandice: Yeah, what she said. Now... go reveiw! Please?