Silhouetted by the Sea

Disclaimer: The only thing I came up with on my own was the storyline.

Author's Notes: It has been my pleasure to tell you this story:)


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Silhouetted by the Sea
by Kristen Elizabeth

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After a long minute of stunned silence, Trowa advanced forward. "Watch it," Tr war warned him, brandishing the musket aimed directly at Heero. "I'm liable to fire at any minute." He snapped his fingers. Four more men with muskets surrounded them. "And so are they."

Quatre brushed blond hair his his forehead and straightened his back. "Treize...you have too much honor to kill a defenseless man. At least the Treize I used to know did."

"Winner..." The older man turned an amused eye onto his former friend. "Consorting with wanted men...dirtying your hands with manual labor. How far you've falle
W
With a firm grasp on Hilde's hand, Duo addressed Treize. "Look, I think this can all be settled without blood..."

"Maxwell," Treize cut him off. "Shut up." He looked back at Heero. "I'd wager that I'm the last person you expected to see here."

"You give yourself too much credit to imagine that I've even thought anymore about you," Heero snorted.

Treize glared past him at the woman pressed to his side. "My lovely little bride..." Relena visibly recoiled before looking around the docks. There were so many people around; how come no one had noticed the musket in Treize's hands? "Don't bother trying to call for help," Treize told her, catching on. "No one is going to help a group of pirates over me." He crooked a finger on his free hand at Relena. "Come here. Now."

"Heero?" She looked up at her husband with much fear.

He tried to keep the same emotion out of his eyes, for her sake. "Stay here. It's going to be all right."

"Stay there..." Treize began. "And I will put a hole in his chest."

Relena's eyes filled with hot tears. When weighed against Heero's safety, her own life seemed inconsequential. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Heero.

Her husband reached for her as she pulled away from him. "Relena...no! I'll be fine; don't let him..." But Treize had already seized her. The musket was now pointed up under her chin.

"Good girl," Treize said with triumph. "You *can* be as obedient as your brother promised."

Heero's eyes narrowed. People filtered all around them; they seemed hell-bent on ignoring the situation. "What do you want from us, Kushrenada? Your ship...your rum? Fine. Take them back. But if you don't let go of my wife, I'll..."

"Your wife?" Treize's eyes slipped down Relena's body to the ring on her hand that he should have noticed immediately. "Well, well...it wasn't enough for you to roll in the gutter once, my sweet. You've decided to live there." Only the threat of the muskets and Trowa's arms kept Heero from attacking.

Relena held her own and lifted her chin to Treize. He could only hurt her physically; his words could never touch her heart. "I believe, sir, that I avoided a life of degradation when I chose not to be forever tied to you."

He dug the musket into the underside of her breast. "I could kill you right now, you know," Treize hissed into her ear.

His breath was foul with garlic; Relena ed hed her face away quickly. "You're not going to kill me. It's not in your plan."

"I could change plans very quickly."

"Just what is your plan?" Duo wanted to know. His arms tightened around Hilde, protectively. "I mean...I have to give you credit for recovering from your wounds and figuring out where we'd be heading. But this... You're surrounded by people; you can't just kill us."

Treize's fingers curled around Relena's slender throat. "Recovering from that pin-prick Yuy gave me was nothing. And coming to the Caymans was the logical step; you can get the best price for stolen rum here." He locked hateful stares with Heero. "Yes, I want my ship back. And my rum. But more than that...I want my bride."

"You're lying." Quatre shook his head, blond locks swaying. "You don't want Mrs. Yuy. The only woman you've ever wanted was..."

"Don't!" Treize whipped his glare over to his former friend. "Don't taint her name by letting it spill from your traitorous mouth, Winner."

"...Anne," Quatre finished with much spite. "Mrs. Yuy isn't her, Treize. No matter how much you want her to be. You'll never be happy and you'll make her miserable." He paused. "Just like you made Anne miserable."

Treize squeezed his eyes shut. "No!! You're wrong! Anne wasn't strong enough...I would have come back for her, if she'd only had the strength to wait..." He collected himself suddenly. "You forget yourself, Winner. But then, you've never known the feel of a woman's body beneath your own." He lowered his face to the nape of Relena's neck. "Never known what it's like to inhale one into your soul and possess her entirely..." His head snapped up. "If I can't have Anne, I'll take the woman who was promised to me. Defiled though she is, she's mine. A few impromptu marriage vows in the middle of the ocean means nothing."

"Relena made her choice," Heero growled, struggling against Trowa's arms. "She married me because she loves me. The promise was never hers; you were never her choice. Let her go...now!!"

The older man's blues ges gleamed dangerously. He gestured to one of his hired thugs. "Yuy, I challenge you." Relena's breath caught in the back of her throat, understanding his intentions.

"You challenge me?" Heero repeated. "Are you asking for a duel, Kushrenada?"

"I'm not asking." Treize signaled to his men; they began to clear the docks, pushing and yelling at the confused natives until the area around them was empty. "I'm demanding. For everything you have taken from me...I demand satisfaction." He glanced back at the girl in his tight grip. "For her...winner takes all."

Relena pressed a hand to her mouth. "Heero..."

"She's not a prize," her husband informed his adversary. "But you question her honor...I can't have that." Heero shook off Trowa. "I accept your challenge."

"Oh god." Relena's empty stomach churned. "Don't do this...please."

Treize grinned widely and motioned for one of his men who came forth a minute later with a large, flat en ben box. Opening it revealed two hand pistols. "Choose your second, Yuy. But I wouldn't pick Winner if I were you; he has no taste for dueling."

Heero immediately turned to Quatre. "What do you say, friend?"

Quatre inclined his head. "All right." He moved towards Treize and the man designated as Treize's second. He chose Heero's weapon with care and checked it for any flaws or sabotage.

Duo watched the blond man load Heero's pistol. "Yuy, you had better be a damn good shot. Treize has killed men this way before."

"I'll have the first shot, being the one who was challenged, and therefore, the advantage," Heero said quietly. "I should have killed him when I had the chance." He looked across the way to where Treize was holding his wife. "He's hurting her..."

Trowa put a hand on his leader's shoulder, to stop him from storming over and being shot by Treize's men. "Concentrate, Heero. All you get is one shot."

Heero scowled. "I am all too aware of that."

Hilde's eyes flooded with frightened tears. "Heero, please be careful."

He reached out and touched her chin. "Don't worry about me. Whatever happens, you're going to be all right."

After Quatre had poured the gunpowder into the pistol and jammed the bullet into place, he approached Heero with the loaded weapon. "Good luck, Mr. Yuy."

"If something *does* happen to me..." Heero took the pistol. "Keep my wife safe from him." He took a deep breath and started for Treize.

"Are you ready?" the older man taunted, pushing Relena into the arms of one of his men. Heero's eyes darted over to Relena; she shook her lovely head, pleading with him not to risk himself. His heart ached, but his mind was made up. If this was the only way to rid them all of Treize forever, it was just the way it had to be.

"I'm ready," Heero replied, turning his back to Treize.

Treize faced the other direction and raised his weapon to his eye level. The man holding Relena started the count and the two duelers each moved foward, away from each other, down the length of the dock.

"One...two...three...four...five..."

Hilde clung to Duo's arm. She wanted to bury her face in his shoulder to block out the scene, but found she couldn't look away.

Relena's face was frozen in a mask of horror, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her free hand covered her lower abdomen, the place where Heero's child grew within her. Would the unborn child lose his or her father within the next few minutes? She held her breath as the countdown drew to an end.

"Thirteen...fourteen....." The thug paused. "Fifteen."

On the last number, Heero turned and prepared to fire. Before he could even press the trigger, Treize spun around and took aim. Relena's eyes flew open; he wasn't following the rules of his own duel. And Heero, unprepared for the twist of events, was about to be shot. Without thinking, Relena broke away from Treize's man. "Heero!" she cried, advancing towards her former fiancee, determined to stop him.

Treize caught the blond woman flying towards him out of the corner of his eye. His finger was already pressing on the trigger of his pistol when she hit him full on with her slender frame. Caught completely off guard, his arm flailed and the gun went off, sending a bullet flying for Relena's shoulder.

Heero screamed her name when he saw the splash of red. With the pistol in his hand, he ran forward, reaching them just as Relena slumped to the dock, clutching her right arm. Blood flowed between her fingers and over her wedding ring. "Relena!" he yelled again.

The man who had shot her stood over her crumpled body, his chest rising and falling. It had not been his intention to shoot the woman promised to him, only to reclaim her. The next thing he thought was how cold the metal of a London pistol felt against his throat.

"You bloodless bastard," Heero hissed, digging the gun into Treize's neck. He was beyond reason, pushed into a superhuman state by the sight of his bleeding wife. "You don't deserve to die this quickly." His index finger curved around the trigger.

There was movement all around him and Treize. Trowa, Duo and Quatre, unable to stand by and watch the events unfold, had taken on Treize's men, bringing them under control quickly and without much fuss. The men were too stunned by the sudden turn of events to put up a fight. A lady had been shot, their boss was about die at his dueling partner's hands...there was nothing left for them to do. It wasn't as though Treize was anything to them but a pocketful of cash and a day's work. Certainly nothing to lose their lives over.

Relena felt the bullet pass through the soft flesh of her forearm, felt the hot sting, the tearing sensation, the warm flow of her own blood. It took her a moment to be able to lift her head after she collapsed to the deck. When she could, all she saw was Heero, his pistol butted up against his opponent's throat, murder in his Prussian eyes. The same eyes that had looked down on her in the throes of passion the night before, promising to never leave her side.

"Heero..." Her voice was weak with blood loss and shock. "Please, no...don't kill him....you'll have to leave me...please stop...please."

Heero's gaze dropped upon hearing his wife's plea. He met her begging gaze and blinked. Long minutes passed as he debated with himself. Killing Treize in a duel he had instigated was not a crime. And every primal instinct in him called for Kushrenada's immediate death.

But in the end, her eyes won over his instincts. Heero let the pistol drop away from Treize's throat. "You challenged me. I won." He stepped away from the man. "Go back to your island. Forget you ever knew us. We'll be doing the same about you, you can be sure."

Relief washed over Relena. She closed her eyes in pain and clutched her wound tighter. Hilde flew to her side and helped to her to her feet. Heero gently moved Hilde aside and gathered his wife up into his arms. Without even a look back at Treize's pathetic figure, he started down the abandoned dock towards the town.

"Heero!" Hilde's scream was frantic and high-pitched. "Look out!!"

He didn't have to spin around to sense Treize charging for him. He only turned his head a fraction to see the glint of a silver knife in the man's hand. Heero held Relena tighter, preparing himself for whatever was to come next.

But the knife never made into his back. A deafening gunshot blasted the sea-salt air around them. At this, Heero did turn around. He had felt the wet splash of blood against his back and could see the patterned stain on Relena's pink skirts.

Treize was frozen upright, his face a mask of death. Blood soaked his fine clothes from the fresh hole in his chest. Heero glanced past him. The hole put there by Quatre Winner.

Quatre lowered the musket he had grabbed from one of Treize's men. His slender frame shook under the weight of his actions. When Treize hit the dock in a pool of blood, he dropped the smoking weapon. "I'm sorry, Treize," he whispered.

Heero looked down at his dying opponent. Relena had long since fainted in his arms from pain and shock. Treize coughed; a trickle of crimson ran from the corner of his mouth.

"Anne..." Treize whispered, his blue eyes rolling back. In only another moment, he was still, having departed the world and their lives forever.

Cradling Relena, Heero turned to his friends. "I've had just about enough of Grand Cayman." His attention returned to his wife's injuries. "Where is the nearest doctor?" he asked one Treize's thugs.

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Relena drifted in and out of blackness for several minutes before she opened her eyes. Heero was looming above her in the wide berth they shared on the *Lady Anne*. "Heero," she murmured. "What...what's happened?"

He smiled and stroked her pale cheek. "Do you remember, duchess? You were shot on the docks. You've been asleep for hours."

The throbbing in her right arm proved his words true; the memory returned to her a second later. "Oh, god...is everyone all right?"

"Everyone except Kushrenada." Heero's fingers trailed over her lips. "He's with his lady, now."

Relena closed her eyes briefly. "I can't say I'm sorry. He would have killed you."

"He almost killed *you*." Heero's eyes clouded over. "It was god's luck that bullet just grazed your arm."

She nodded. "I wouldn't have left you without a fight, though." Some of the life was returning to her lovely features. He smiled; Relena cupped his face between her hands. "We're free...aren't we?"

Heero drew her palms to his lips and kissed them both in turn. "We're together and we're free."

Her stomach churned as though the baby that more than likely rested between them was making his or her presence known. "Heero..." Relena delicately cleared her throat. "How long is it until we reach New Orleans?" Now that Treize was no longer a threat, the entire group could take the *Lady Anne* to America, without having to split up.

"Another two weeks, I'd say." He lifted the covers and, although still clad in his breeches and shirt, slid into bed with her. "More if we run into bad weather."

"When we arrive, what do you want to do?" Relena quickly continued, "Were you planning on us settling down somewhere or taking to the seas again?"

Heero pulled her against his chest, taking careful note of her injured arm. "I hadn't really thought about it." He rested his chin against the top of her blond head. "Which would you prefer?"

"I couldn't bear to keep you away from the ocean; you love it so much." Relena hesitated. "But perhaps we could stay on land...for a few months, at least."

"I know it's been hard on you, being away from civilization."

"It's not that." She looked up at his handsome face. "I just think I ought to be near a doctor...for when the baby is born."

Heero didn't blink for a long time. When he could finally speak, it was only in a choked whisper. "Baby? Relena..." He sat up, gently taking her with him. His gaze darted down to her flat stomach. "Are we having a child?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "I believe we are." There was a pause. "This doesn't anger you, does..."

His hand covered her belly; his lips took hers in a reassuring kiss. Relena smiled against his mouth and all her paranoid fears vanished. He pulled back a moment later, a new gleam of happiness in his once stone cold eyes. "I thought that I couldn't possibly love you more today than yesterday." Heero gave her a soft kiss. "I'm glad you keep on proving me wrong. And that you're going to give me someone else to love."

"Heero..." Relena ignored her bandaged arm and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "It doesn't matter to me where we end up. On land...on the sea...I will always...*always* love you as much, if not more, than I do right now."

He reached for her and pulled into a passionate embrace. He intended to make the trip to New Orleans as pleasant as possible. And, he thought, caressing her abdomen moments later, he intended to make her happy for the rest of her life.

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**May 10, 1790

Dear Millardo and Lucrezia,

By now enough time has passed for me to write to you with a clear conscience. And I make no excuses for the inexcusable...the amount of time that has passed since my last letter has been frightful. But I assure you, I am healthy, happy and safe.

I am certain you have received word in England of Lord Kushrenada's untimely death; I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Millardo. I myself was witness to his fateful duel, but that is the very end of a very long tale which I have to tell you...**

And hour and two inkwells later, Relena finished scribbling her tale on the stack of parchment resting against her rounded belly. She dipped her quill into a fresh pot of ink and continued her letter.

**There you have it. The directions to which my life have taken me surprise no one more than myself. But I would not change the events of the months following my departure from England for anything. I have lived an adventure greater than any I could have imagined and for it, I am a much better woman.

Perhaps you are wondering how the others in my tale fared. I shall tell you to the best of my knowledge, although we all parted ways nearly five months ago.

Duo and Hilde set forth into America. There is more land there than in the whole of Europe, I believe, and the young lovers wanted nothing more than to explore it together. After we saw them married in New Orleans, they rode off together, towards Virginia, apparently the site of Duo's birth. We received a letter from them not too long ago; they will have a child at the beginning of winter.

All of London must be abuzz with rumors of Baroness Po, but I promise you, they're more than likely false. The Baroness found her perfect match in the pirate Wufei and the last time we saw them, they were booking passage to the Orient, still arguing, of course. Sally was the best companion I could have hoped for on this incredible voyage. I miss her greatly, as I am sure you do, Lucrezia. Still, I have a feeling she shall return to England someday, perhaps with the children her late husband could not give her.

Do not worry for your friend, Mr. Winner, Millardo. By means of his own wealth, he htarttarted a trading company based in the Caymans. With his knowledge of languages and his clear head for business, not to mention his graciousness and strength, I am certain it will be a success. It is important to him, I feel, to stand on his own two feet, after depending upon Lord Kushrenada for so long. Helping him with his new company is Trowa, the silent pirate. I have no doubts that the two friends will fare just fine.

As for myself, I have a husband I love with every fiber of my being and we expect our first child to be born before the summer is through. After that, we return to the high seas. Heero has worked hard to make enough money for us refit Lord Kushrenada's ship, although we have kept the name. After all, we found each other there. We met in Savannah, we fell in love on a nameless island in the Carribean, but to us, the *Lady Anne* will always be home. The only place fit to raise our children.**

With careful steps, Heero approached the lounging chair his wife was lying on, writing away. He was glad to surprise her when he bent down and kissed her exposed throat. "Still writing, duchess?"

"I'm almost through." Her quill paused as she looked up, over the beach and towards the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. "I can't seem to think of the right ending."

"May I?" Heero took the pen from her slender hand, dipped it into the ink well and leaned over her head to finish her letter, speaking the words he wrote as they formed on the page. "When you look at the sea....think of us. It's where we shall be...living the fairy tale...the happily ever after."

Relena tilted her chin up to look at his face. "You didn't tell me you were poetic, Heero."

"You bring it out in me." He put the quill back in her hand, dropped a kiss onto her forehead and started down the beach with their dog, a frisky black Labrador puppy, nipping at his bare heels.

Idly rubbing her swollen belly, she breathed in the clean scent of sea air, smiled and finished her letter.

**All our love, Heero and Relena.**

The End