The jet flew over the dark mountains. Trowa looked out and then turned to Heero. "Where are we?" The cobalt-eyed boy didn't even look up from the cockpit controls as he answered, "We are in an area of Romania, above a region of the Carpathian Mountains. We still have to keep moving. OZ is still after us."

"Ah…" The brown haired boy turned to the smaller boy curled up in the seat next to him. A soft smile graced his usually blank features as Trowa reached out to pet the soft blond locks. Quatre stirred and opened sleepy blue eyes. "Mmm?" Trowa brushed his lips against Quatre's and leaned back in his seat.

The peaceful moment was disrupted when Duo and Wufei crashed in. "OZ jets are right behind us!" From the cockpit, all four heard a loud "K'SO!"

A hard jolt rocked the jet and sent all five pilots flying. Heero strained at the controls and shouted, "Brace yourselves! We're going down!"

The few moments that passed seemed like an eternity. The only thing that Wufei felt was the deafening crash as he was thrown across the plane and on top of Heero. The two boys picked themselves up and stepped through the wreckage. Quatre and Trowa looked fine and Duo was whining but otherwise okay. The blond boy looked around the dark forest. "What part of Romania is this?"

"Transylvania."

"Ah… home of Dracula and vampires." Duo rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. Quatre laughed softly and said, "Duo, you know vampires don't exist."

A twig snapped and in one swift movement, Heero whipped around and pointed his gun at the source of the noise. "Show yourself." A tall man stepped out the shadows and held up his hands.

"No need for threats, my friend."

Duo gaped when he saw the man's face. "H-he looks just you, Trowa."

Indeed, the young pilot and the young man looked alike. Just like the HeavyArms pilot, the man was tall and muscular, with brown hair that fell over his face but rather than covering an eye, the bangs simply framed his fine features to give an even more aristocratic look. Beyond the waterfall of hair were intense green eyes that seemed centuries old.

The young man extended a hand and said, "I'm Count Triton Barotona. I saw your aircraft crash and I'd like to offer you a place to stay at my castle."

"Wow! Really? C'mon guys, let's go!" Without waiting for further objections, Duo grabbed Quatre and Heero and ran off.

Triton studied each of the young boys before him. The Chinese boy introduced himself as Wufei, the boy with the chestnut braid was Duo, and the boy with brown hair and cobalt eyes was Heero. They were young boys, just like what he used to be.

His gaze fell on the boy named Trowa. Indeed, he looked similar to him. Then he looked at the last one. His heart stopped beating when he saw the blond hair and bright sapphire eyes.

//Could it be? Angelus? // Triton blinked and looked at him again. He remembered long silky gold hair that fell to the ground and blue eyes like the sea. //It is Angelus! Oh my love, it's been so long. //

Triton bit his lip when he saw that the flowing blond locks had been cut. //What happened to you? //

Quatre smiled warmly and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you." The count felt his heart shatter when he realized that the boy no longer remembered him.

Trowa looked at Triton to his small lover and couldn't help but shiver. The French boy also noted how pale the man was and the way he was avoiding the light. He dismissed it as burning easily and went after Duo and the others.

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"Wai! This is so cool!" Duo exclaimed as he looked around the castle. "We get this room!" With that, he grabbed Heero and dragged him off to the bedroom. Trowa went into a room and noted that the bed was rather large. An evil grin lit up his features as he went to find Quatre.

The blond boy stared in awe at the beautiful garden. "It's amazing…" He said softly, his blue eyes sparkling.

Triton smiled and placed a hand on the boy's thin shoulder. "Do you like it?"

"Yes…"

"Would you like me to show you around?"

"Could you?"

"Of course." Triton took the small hand in his and led Quatre deeper into the garden. //He's just the way I remember him…//

Trowa watched from his window as he watched their host and his love walk in the garden. Something bothered him but he pushed it away. He smiled as he watched his little one run through the grassy fields. //He's such a child…// The smile faded when he shuddered again. The nagging feeling ate at him, telling him something was very, very wrong. He ignored it anyway and went to the dining room as the chime echoed through the dark mansion.

Wufei rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Duo's incessant chattering. He failed. "Maxwell, some of us are trying to eat!"

"Aw, Wu-chan, I love you too."

"MAXWELL!!!"

"Duo?"

"Yes, Hee-koi?"

"Shut up and eat."

"Okay, Hee-koi."

Quatre watched Trowa worriedly as the taller boy picked at his dinner. "Trowa, are you feeling alright?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"You haven't touched your food."

"I guess I'm just tired." The small blond leaned closer and whispered, "Do you want to go to bed?" The French pilot chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "I'm not *that* sleepy, Little One."

Triton felt his heart break when he saw Trowa kiss the smaller boy. //Angelus…// Anger seeped through his control but he quashed it, reminding himself that the boy didn't remember anything. The predator in his mind began planning, thinking of ways to reclaim what had been taken from him. //I will get you back, Angelus… this I promise you…//

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Quatre pulled his pajama top over his head and climbed into the huge bed. Trowa was already asleep, his features relaxed and innocent. He brushed a small kiss against the brown bang and whispered, "Good night." Sleep came and claimed him. Quatre drifted to sleep, never noticing the dark figure in the shadows.

Triton made sure both boys were asleep before emerging from the shadows. He cursed as the welt on the side of his neck throbbed. He had been careless, going into the sunlight like that. He also hadn't fed in a while, making it more difficult to control himself.

"Oh well…" His lips curved up in an evil grin as he approached the small blond curled up in the bed. Triton placed slender fingers against the white throat and felt the strong pulse beneath the soft skin.

Quatre whimpered in his sleep and Triton nuzzled his face against the golden hair and whispered, "I won't hurt you, my love. I'll just take enough to sustain myself for a few more nights." His smile widened, exposing razor-sharp fangs that glistened in the moonlight. Triton's emerald eyes turned blood red as he leaned forward and sunk his fangs into the soft neck.

Quatre whimpered again and suddenly went limp. The crimson irises changed back to forest green. Triton lapped the trickle of blood away from his throat and kissed the peacefully sleeping boy. "Thank you, my angel." He stood up and melted back into the darkness.

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Trowa woke up to bright sunlight in his face. He smiled and turned to face his little lover. The smile disappeared when Trowa saw how pale and still Quatre was. "Quatre, wake up." No answer. "Quatre?" He felt for a pulse and sagged with relief when he found it. "Koi, please wake up." Dull blue eyes cracked open and peered at him. Trowa's brow furrowed with concern and he bent over his angel protectively. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Where does it hurt?" The long lashes fluttered shut as the Arabian youth mumbled faintly, "Tired…"

Trowa's usually impassive face was pinched with concern. "You don't have a fever, but then what's wrong?" Silently, so as not to wake his lover, Trowa got up and went to find Heero and the others. He ran down the hall and into their room. "Heero, something's wrong with Quatre, and I… I…" His voice trailed off as he took in what his two comrades were doing. "Hold on… be right there. Duo, HOLD STILL!" "……….." Trowa quickly backpedaled out the door and ran off to get Wufei.

The Chinese boy was polishing his sword when his door flew off its hinges and Trowa rushed in. "Something's wrong with Quatre." He didn't need any further explanation.

A few minutes later, the four pilots were assembled in Quatre and Trowa's room. Heero checked the blond boy for signs of injury but he seemed fine. At last, his probing fingers found two tiny puncture marks on his neck. "Something's bitten him." "Bitten?" Triton asked from the doorway. Heero shook his head and said, "That's the thing. We don't know what." The pilot of Wing Zero showed the count the bite marks. "Unusual…I've never seen anything like it…" Triton straightened up and gave the boys a reassuring smile. "He seems fine, though. I wouldn't worry about it."

He left, followed by Wufei, who was muttering something about overprotective lovers. Duo gave Trowa a cheeky grin before dragged back to his room by a very impatient Heero. The French boy brushed damp bangs away from the cherubic face and gripped the delicate hand, trying to give him his strength and warmth. The normally bright eyes opened slightly and blinked, as if Quatre didn't recognize him.

He tried to say something but no sound came out. Trowa took his little angel into his arms and felt the warm cheek rub against his shoulder. //Poor little one… you look so weak.// He ran his lips over the small fingers and asked, "Do you want anything?" Quatre shook his head and closed his eyes. Trowa held him close as his love drifted back to sleep.

Triton watched the two lovers from the shadows. He grinned and said softly, "It's time for the next part to fall into place."

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Quatre slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was almost noon. He started to get out of bed but he felt so tired. His body felt like gundanium and his head was spinning. He stumbled over to the dresser and found his clothes. Running his fingers through his messy blond hair, he walked out the door and smack into his gracious host.

Triton caught him before he could fall and looked at him with worried eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you." Quatre mumbled.

"You don't look that way. Maybe some fresh air will help." The Arabian pilot was too tired to protest so he let the count lead him outside

The cool air cleared his head somewhat. He sat beneath a weeping willow and closed his eyes. Quatre felt gentle fingers run through his hair before drifting back to sleep. Triton gazed at the sleeping youth. He was still a bit sad that all of Angelus's hair had been cut away, but it would always grow back. Kissing the soft locks, he promised, "After I reclaim you, there will be plenty of time to have your hair grow back."

Trowa had only dozed off for a little while when he saw that Quatre was gone. He looked all over for the blond pilot, only to find that he wasn't anywhere. After some time, he went out to the garden.

The HeavyArms pilot froze when he saw the sight that greeted him. Triton and Quatre were sitting beneath a willow tree, the blond's head resting in the older man's lap. Trowa felt jealousy and anger wash over him as he turned and walked back into the castle. He tried to ignore it, telling himself that it was nothing. Still, it continued to eat away at him, making him touchy and irritable for the rest of the day.

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After dinner, Duo wanted to go for a walk and naturally wanted Heero to come with him. Not wanting to have to deal with the braided baka by himself, Heero asked Trowa to come with him. The HeavyArms pilot didn't want to tire Quatre out in his condition, so he agreed.

Duo ran about the flowers and whooped, throwing his arms up in the air and shouting loud enough to be heard Germany. "Hey! C'mon Heero and Trowa! This is great!" The two quiet boys exchanged a look before running after him. After a while, they all went back.

Trowa felt much better and had forgotten about what he had seen earlier. Instead of going to his room, he went to the parlor. His green eyes widened when he saw Quatre and Triton sitting in front of the fire. Quatre's head was resting against Triton's shoulder and the count had an arm around the boy. Tears stung Trowa's eyes but he silently turned away and went to his room.

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Triton grinned when he saw Duo dragging Heero and Trowa out the door, insisting that they accompany him on a walk. Little did the chestnut haired boy know was that he had actually helped the young noble with his plan. The door slammed behind the three and he went off to find his love. He found the boy in the parlor.

Quatre looked up at him sleepily and murmured, "Hello."

Triton smiled and took a seat next to him. "You're tired." He put an arm around him and said, "Just rest. I'll wake you up later." Not long after, he sensed Trowa coming in. He didn't have to turn around to know that the brown haired boy had seen the two of them.

He grinned and then gave the boy in his arms a gentle shake. "Hm? Oh, thank you. Good night." The golden youth got up and left. Triton grinned triumphantly as walked off to his own room.

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Trowa lay quietly in bed. A lone tear slid down his cheek as anger and hurt raged inside. "He could've just told me…" Trowa whispered. Just then, the door opened and Quatre walked in. There was a rustle of fabric as he changed into his pajamas and the bed dipped slightly as the smaller boy climbed in. After hours of restless tossing and turning, he got up and went outside.

Quatre felt the bed creak as his taller lover got up and left the bedroom. Silently, he got out and followed. The pilot of Sandrock found him in the garden, watching the moon.

"Trowa?" The brown haired boy turned around and snapped, "What do you want?" Hurt by the cold tone in his voice, Quatre asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"I think you know." Confusion crossed the angelic features as Quatre replied, "No, I don't."

Trowa sighed and said, "I saw you with Count Triton. Why couldn't you just be honest with me?"

"I-I don't understand."

"I trusted you."

Quatre flinched at the statement and stammered, "W-what do you mean?"

Trowa turned and started back for the castle. "It's over."

Tears streamed down Quatre's face as he sank to his knees, sobbing. "But why?" He whispered to the dark.

The blond felt Triton's cape drape against his back and shoulders and his warm breath against his cheek. "Let's go inside and talk about it."

"Why doesn't he love me anymore? What did I do?"

Triton put his arm around the trembling shoulders and said gently, "At least come inside. You'll get sick if you stay out here much longer." Quatre nodded and let the count pick him up and carry him back inside.

Triton took him to his room and placed him on the bed. "Hush now… no more tears…" He whispered, brushing the droplets away. He reached up and cupped the lovely face in his hands.

Quatre stared, mesmerized as Triton's lips captured his in a heated kiss. The blond Arabian pulled away, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Please, I know you mean well, but I don't want this." Triton pushed him back onto the bed. Quatre struggled when he felt cold metal around his wrists. He pulled at the shackles and cried, "Please, don't do this."

His plea went unheard as Triton took his mouth in another kiss. The noble ripped off Quatre's pants and boxers and started to unbutton his shirt. His fingers felt around the hollow of his throat but found nothing.

Triton felt a rush of fury when he saw that the blue sapphire that had been imbedded in the hollow of Angelus's neck was gone. His green eyes softened and he whispered, "My poor angel, what have they done to you?" Quatre whimpered and struggled, his eyes wild with terror. Triton ran his slender hands over the soft skin, his fingers brushing against the pinkish nipples.

"Don't fight, I'm not going to hurt you…" Still, Quatre continued to wriggle and squirm. Triton looked guilty as he said, "Forgive me, Little One." He unsheathed his fangs and bit deep into Quatre's throat. The small blond stopped struggling and went still. Triton pulled away and licked the blood from his fangs. A tiny stream of red trickled down the white skin. Quatre lay on the bed, his blue eyes blank and empty. He no longer struggled as Triton ran his hands over the tender body.

The brown haired man kissed every inch of the yielding, body, his hands caressing the creamy skin. Triton pulled back to look at his angel. "Beautiful…" He whispered, kissing the swollen lips. Quatre lay under him, wearing only the loose white shirt he slept in. His eyes were vacant and dull but wet with tears. The only thing that marred the milky skin was the streak of blood on his throat.

Quatre squirmed in a futile attempt to escape. He suddenly felt a sharp prick and everything went black.

…He felt so cold. He longed for strong arms to hold him and tell him it would be okay. He shivered again, the only warmth from the hot tears sliding down his face. He felt something beckoning to him. Hurt and lost, he succumbed to the darkness…

The first rays of sunlight penetrated the dark bedroom. Triton stood in the shadows and watching the still figure on the bed. A sapphire teardrop was imbedded in the hollow of Quatre's throat and caught the light, glittering and shining, even the darkness. An evil smile lit up the finely chiseled features as Triton whispered, "You're mine again."

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Duo sat up and stretched, his braid hitting anything that was unfortunate enough to be within range. Or in this case, anyone. There was a loud smack and an even louder "DUO!!!" rang through the castle.

A second later, he ran out of the room, looking slightly rumpled. "Wonder what crawled up his ass and died…" He muttered as he bounced downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast did not help the mood though. Heero and Wufei were silent, as usual, and Trowa had dark circles under his eyes and he still snapped at everyone. As if it couldn't get worse, Quatre had disappeared. He started to worry when the blond pilot didn't show up all day.

After some time, Heero cornered Trowa and asked, "What happened with you and Quatre?" The French pilot glared and snapped, "Nothing." He started to move away when the Perfect Soldier stepped in front of him and said, "You're lying." "I'm not. Leave me alone." "Yes, you are." Wufei said from behind them, Duo trailing after him. Trowa's shoulders slumped and he told them everything. "We have to find him." Duo said, all humor gone. "Let's go."

Wufei looked around the dark corridors and cursed when he saw how many rooms that he still had to check. He recognized the ornately carved doors as Triton's room but decided to check anyway. The first thing he noticed was how dark it was. The second thing he noticed was the small figure chained to the massive bed.

"Quatre!" He ran over and felt for a pulse. "Still alive…" Quatre was wearing nothing except for his nightshirt, which was half unbuttoned. His eyes were flat and empty.

Wufei shook the boy but got no reaction. That was when he saw the trickle of dried blood on Quatre's neck. His fingers gently probed at the two puncture marks. The Chinese boy frowned at the blue gem imbedded in his friend's throat and tried to get through to him again. "Quatre? It's me, Wufei." Still nothing.

He was about to get the others when he heard the smaller boy whimper. He awkwardly patted the tousled blond hair and said softly, "It's okay, I'll be back soon." He slipped out of the room and raced off to find his friends.

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Trowa looked around and sighed. Heero and Duo hadn't seen any sign of Quatre and he was starting to regret telling Quatre what he did. "I didn't even give him a chance to explain…" He cursed silently and felt like kicking himself.

He turned when he heard footsteps pounding down the hall. Wufei grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hall saying, "He's in Count Triton's room."

The Chinese pilot threw open the door and stopped, his dark eyes wide with disbelief. The bedroom was empty, except for the rumpled sheets. Wufei turned to the taller boy. "He was here. I could've sworn he was."

Trowa went to the bed and pointed at a drop of dried blood on the sheets. "I believe you." The dinner chime rang through the castle and they ran off, not wanting to get caught by their host.

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Wufei was so immersed in his thoughts that he picked at his dinner and didn't even snap at Duo when the braided pilot whistled at the servant girl. As she took the dishes away, he got a good look at her. She was slender and delicate. The girl wore a long white skirt with a slit up one leg, exposing pale skin. Her blue top hung off her thin shoulders and showed her stomach. A veil covered the lower half of her face, her big blue eyes and soft blonde curls the only features visible. Wufei's almond eyes narrowed when he saw a very familiar blue teardrop in her throat.

Swifter than the eye could follow, the black haired boy pushed his chair away and knocked her down. The servant girl fell to the floor and the dishes shattered. Duo stood up and snapped, "Dammit, Wufei! What the hell did you do that for?" Before the boy could answer, the girl's veil fell off to reveal… "Quatre?" Trowa whispered.

Triton cleared his throat and gestured for Quatre to come to him. The blond boy obediently went and stood by his side. Trowa's hands clenched into tight fists as he spat out, "What did you do to him?"

The noble raised an eyebrow and calmly answered, "I've only reclaimed what's mine. I've simply taken back this child after centuries of separation."

Heero glared at the man and said stonily, "Quatre's not a child. What makes you think that you have right to do that?"

Triton laughed softly and gently kissed Quatre's neck before saying, "Young man, compared to me, he is. And I'd be lying if I said I stole him from Trowa because he pushed the boy away." Trowa flushed angrily and tried not to strangle the man. "You tricked me. And I suppose you do this with all of your guests?"

Count Barotona smiled with wry amusement as he replied, "Angelus was always more than a guest. He and I have been separated for nearly a thousand years and now I'm making sure that you four never harm him again."

His smile faded and he said, "Leave now and I'll spare your lives."

Duo stood and glared, "We'll leave, but we're taking Quatre with us."

Fire blazed in the green depths as Triton yelled, "Stop calling him that! That's not his name!" "You've got the wrong guy!" "Duo's right."

Trowa said quietly, "He's not who you've been looking for."

"Liar," Triton spat out, "But if you insist on keeping your friend, I'll fight you for him." Silence reigned over the dining room as Trowa stepped forward and said, "I accept."

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Triton selected two sabers and handed one to Trowa. Duo, Heero, and Wufei were standing off to the side. Quatre was sitting by Duo. The other three had helped him change out of the girl's clothing and into his oversized nightshirt, the only article of clothing they could find. His blue eyes were dull and haunted, the vivid emotions in them gone. Duo had his arm around the small boy, to protect his 'little brother'.

"Are you ready?" Trowa nodded wordlessly and his body tensed. Triton lunged forward swiftly but Trowa dodged. The two wove in and out of each other, a quick, deadly dance.

Every strike was countered with a block and agonizing minutes dragged on like decades. Trowa lunged forward but his foot tripped over a bulge in the carpet and he fell. He barely managed to see the flash of silver come down before bringing up his saber to block.

Both strained, determined to finish the other off. Slowly, the blade came closer. Trowa's eyes darted from the battle to his little angel sitting by the corner. Lifeless blue eyes watched him, seeming to plead for him.

His muscles strained and he pushed the blade away. Triton backed away and lunged again. Trowa leaped out of the way and drove the blade deep into his chest. His green eyes glazed over as he whispered, "You've won."

His body hit the floor and crumpled into dust. In that instant, three things happened simultaneously. The jewel in Quatre's throat shattered and he fell into Duo's waiting arms. The castle started shaking.

"It's gonna cave in!" Heero shouted above the falling beams. "Everyone get out!" The four ran out just before the castle collapsed. Trowa turned to Duo and silently held his arms out. The braided pilot complied and handed over his burden.

They left in silence. OZ was still looking for them and would've noticed what happened by then. They were about five miles from the nearest village, which translated in Duo's mind, meant a good reason to whine and complain about his already aching rear. Duo's fussing was the only noise they made on their way to the village.

By the time they got there, it was past midnight and they were four extremely temperamental boys. Heero knocked on the door of an inn and said to the woman who greeted them, "Our friend's sick and we need a room for the night." The woman knew better then to argue and let them in.

Trowa carried his frail lover into a room and set him down on a straw mattress. He pulled the blanket over Quatre and brushed a tentative kiss against the pale cheek. The blond hadn't woken up the entire time and he was more than a little worried. The blue eyes fluttered open, empty and lifeless. The taller boy felt tears prick at his eyes when he realized how listless the usually vibrant boy was.

Using all the control he had left, Trowa gently took the small hand in his and said softly, "Are you feeling better?" No answer. He shut his eyes, willing the unshed tears to go away. "I'm sorry," He whispered bitterly, "I'm so sorry." He let go of his self-control and the tears spilled forth. Trowa would've given anything for Quatre to say something, even if it were "I hate you."

"Please say something." He whispered. He wanted the blank eyes to fill with the life it once had. Trowa brushed his finger over cracked lips and pressed another kiss to the soft cheek. A faint whimper escaped Quatre's lips. The French youth leaned closer to hear what the boy was trying to say. The words were barely audible but were enough to make Trowa's heart melt. "…ai shiteru Trowa… don't leave me…" His emerald eyes softened and he took the fragile boy into his arms, holding him as tightly as he dared. Quatre looked so vulnerable, so frail. Closing his eyes and cradling his angel, Trowa silently vowed never to lose his little one. "I promise."

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Epilogue~

In the ruins of Count Barotona's castle stood a single ghostly figure. Triton gazed sadly at the remains of what used to be his home for so long. "I've finally left my half be damned life to find that not even the spirits have anything left for me…" His emerald eyes flickered with sadness as he caught sight of the remains of a painting of him and… "Angelus… all those centuries of living as a blood-sucking half human… alone…"

"Triton…" The soft voice made him turn around. A young man, maybe a year younger, stood before him. Brilliant blue eyes glittered like stars, the deep color echoed in the sapphire gem imbedded in the hollow of his throat. He was only clothed by the long golden hair that pooled about his feet. "Angelus?" The second transparent form stepped closer. "It's been too long, but I promise we'll never be apart again." Triton whispered as he took Angelus in his arms and kissed him tenderly.