9-May-2001
Title: Chasing the Crown, an Extended Family Fic
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com
Diane Davis - fenwyck@radiks.net
von - sablexo1@yahoo.com
bonnejeanne - bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
*Special Guest Writer! Nixie the Pixie!*
Nixers - Nixerchan@aol.com
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: NC-17 for now, that will change
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz, Mission: Arcadia
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners.
Kenny, Duan, Wufan, Tryan, Carter, Jack and the Ripper, and everything relating to Rip & Jack's universe are ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
WARNINGS: AU (Alternate Universe), Original Characters, LEMON in some sections. Kiddie-Angst.
It scares me a little, how long this thing is going to be... *sweadrops*
Wufei left the dining hall, a slight frown crinkling his forehead. He really had expected Sallah to simply come with him and he realized he was guilty of making a lot of assumptions where the young woman from the other dimension was concerned, some of which he thought he had corrected, but obviously not enough. He thought about who was left in the room behind him. Une... Sallah... Zechs....
Sallah.... Zechs...
Hmmmmm.
As Wufei walked past a shadowed alcove not far from the dining room, and Duo noticed he was alone, the braided pilot slipped out of hiding and fell into step beside Wufei. "You're looking thoughtful," he observed quietly.
Wufei blinked but did not start or otherwise react to the braided pilot's sudden appearance. He glanced over at Duo, continuing to walk for a moment, before taking a deep breath and saying, "I've arranged for your meeting. All that is needed is for us to decide on a time that would be workable."
Duo nodded, completely unsurprised by Wufei's declaration. "Sounds good. Suggestions?"
Wufei tilted his head. "That somewhat depends on your existing plans and Yuy's... which I have not yet been apprised of." He opened the door to the suite he shared with Sallah and Wufan, leaving it open behind him. Dropping into a chair he looked back, expecting Duo to be there.
Duo followed and shut the door behind him with a careless kick. He tossed a mischievous look at Wufei as he considered the other pilot. "Well, that depends on your opinion about threesomes, Partner," Duo said with a saucy wink.
Wufei's cheeks darkened slightly and he looked away, and then looked back, the slightest hint of an unfamiliar glint of humor showing at the corners of his eyes.
"I should have learned to expect that by now, shouldn't I?" he said, with a touch of exasperation. "Tell you what, find out what Yuy's opinion is and get back to me, I'll have an answer for you by then."
Duo looked like he was going to retort to Wufei's first comment, however the second caught him by surprise. He snapped his jaw shut on what he had intended to say and simply peered at Wufei with a combination of bemusement and humor before shaking his head and indulging in a chuckle. "Deal."
Wufei snorted softly. "As if you didn't know already," he muttered softly. He stretched his legs out and glanced over at Duo, and several layers of comportment seemed to peel from his face leaving it younger and less stern. "Depending on how things go, I thought possibly of tomorrow night... late."
"The meeting, not the threesome," Wufei added wryly.
Duo's brow furrowed a little as he regarded Wufei for a long moment as if he'd never seen the Chinese youth before. He blinked suddenly and took a deep breath before Wufei's final comment sank in. A faint flush creeping up his own cheeks, Duo burst into laughter and settled to a seat on the arm of another chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he chuckled. "You've been hanging around with me too long, Wu-chan... My sense of humor is starting to rub off on you," he finally said in a cheekily sweet tone.
"Probably," Wufei returned, continuing to relax in something less than the rigid posture normally associated with Chang Wufei. "It's not as if I have one of my own after all, so it must be yours," he mentioned with a slightly sardonic curve of his lips.
"Touché," Duo muttered, smiling sourly as he continued, "As if I would have been clever enough to think of 'The Tao of Pooh'."
Wufei regarded Duo calmly. After a moment he said, "I never realized how much we have in common, Maxwell."
Duo cocked his head at the other pilot and let himself slide from the arm into a boneless sprawl over the chair he'd been perched on. "Oh? How so?"
"Veiled self-castigation for example," Wufei returned. "You aren't stupid. You'd have thought of it more quickly than I if you'd been familiar with the subject." He shook his head. "A day of many interesting turns."
Duo snorted and glanced away for a moment before looking back with a wry grin. "I could go back to acting the fool for you, if you'd like," he offered, "Not that it would be much different."
Before Wufei could respond to that, Duo shook his head and straightened a little. "Sorry. That was stupid," he said with a snort, "So. Tomorrow night, late, then, Partner? Depending on if we can get Heero distracted or not. By the way... I think Carter knows, too."
Wufei nodded absently to the last remark, his mind still on the first. "Not stupid. But habits... are very comfortable protections. Yes, perhaps a lot in common." He shook his head slightly. "How long do you plan on keeping this from Yuy?"
"Until I work through some stuff of my own," Duo answered carefully, "I... don't like it... but I'm not sure if I'm ready, let alone, him..." He shrugged then and stared down at his hands thoughtfully.
Wufei took a breath and exhaled. "Good enough," he said finally with a slight nod. Then he smiled slightly.
Duo glanced up again and noticed the smile. "What?" he asked suspiciously.
Wufei blinked and then raised his hand to his face, as if unconsciously wiping the expression away. "Nothing," he said, getting up and walking to the window, which was open to the night. After a slight sound of breath exhaled, "It just feels... better not to be quite so... isolated."
"I'm sorry, Wufei," Duo said, his face pinching in concern as Wufei walked away, "I spend the last few months trying to get you to drop some of your masks, and then I make fun of you when you do."
Wufei turned back, and he was smiling again, a very gentle, rather young expression. "No you weren't," he said calmly. His smile curved just a bit more, from some inner thought. "Don't be so quick to judge... yourself. That too is a habit. I'm familiar with it."
Duo nodded thoughtfully, his eyes wandering over the unaccustomed expression on Wufei's face for a long moment. He found his own lips curving up in a similar smile as he enjoyed the sight. "I'll try."
"Then you'll succeed," Wufei returned quietly. "Your courage has always astounded me." He dropped his eyes and glanced back out the window but the smile stayed.
Duo fell silent for a moment, regarding Wufei thoughtfully. "What you said before tonight..." he paused, cocking his head, "You are one of the most honorable people I have ever known, Wufei. That fact has never been in doubt in my mind."
Wufei's eyes widened, and he gazed into Duo's, obsidian to amethyst, for a long moment, direct, at once vulnerable and somehow pure. Then he took a deep breath, nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgment and then his expression assumed a deliberately more distant cast, not repudiating the moment, simply letting it be over.
"Shouldn't you be getting on to your rooms... I had the impression you were making plans that might involve some preparations," he said, the last word stopping as if his mind caught up with his tongue a moment too late to prevent the words from forming.
Duo chuckled unabashedly as he climbed to his feet and stretched fully. "Some," he agreed saucily, "He'll never know what hit him." Duo confided with a tilt of his head and a cheerful wink.
Wufei's hand rose to cover his mouth, and he forced a deep breath. "Something tells me he'll know," he managed. He shook his head slightly. "I'm quite certain he'll know who, if not what."
Duo snickered as he sauntered to the door. "One would hope," he replied as he opened the door. He paused on the threshold, tossing a wicked smile over his shoulder. "I'll get back to you on his answer," he called before slipping out and closing the door behind him.
Wufei watched the door shut and then gave up, muffling a laugh that combined embarrassment with a mix of appreciation and well-hidden wistfulness.
A few minutes later the sound of a shower could be heard, but there was no answering steam from the bathroom.
After the others had left the dining room, including Sallah, to 'walk around', Une leaned back in her chair, arching an eyebrow as she looked at Zechs. "Well... that was most interesting," she commented dryly.
"I can't argue with that," Zechs replied finishing the last of his wine leisurely. "Though you took it better than I did."
"Don't get me wrong, I am brimming with questions about those children," the brown haired woman said. "Questions upon questions... but it didn't seem answers were terribly forthcoming. Sometimes a person just has to accept the current situation and wait for a later time to... ah, freak out." She smirked slightly. "That, I think I'll do in the privacy of my suite."
Zechs raised an eyebrow, returning Une's dryer humor, "That in a public display, I'd think would have been more unsettling than the children and all these little mysteries," after a pause he added, "Or more comic, I'm still deciding."
Une snorted softly, leaning forward as she rested her elbows on the table and steepled her hands in front of her face. "Good thing I restrained myself, then," she retorted. She was quiet a moment, then continued, "If they say anything about this 'Arcadia' or any of these other mysteries, and don't swear you to secrecy...." She trailed off, looking at the blond man somewhat expectantly.
The former soldier leaned back in his chair a moment, considering before shrugging one shoulder. "I don't see a problem with that," he said. "Besides, some of what I've already heard... I might need a more sane ear to pass under inspection anyway."
"Would that be like the blind leading the blind?" Une laughed.
"Why end the tradition now?" Zechs retorted, with another half smile.
"Ah, you're perfectly right of course." Her eyes danced with amusement, then she grew abruptly pensive. "Tomorrow... is going to be quite interesting," she said in a more serious tone. "I think... I should make sure security is extra attentive."
Sobering at her words Zechs nodded, pushing back his chair. "To say the least," he agreed. "I get the impression, the normal security and matters aside, that the children are as much of a focus of events as their guardians tend to be."
She nodded, "And the attention they're all sure to draw will only add to the chaos. But, all in a day's work." With a half smile at that last comment, she rose from her seat. "I believe it's time I turned in for the evening, as well. I'll be up early, dealing with last-minute matters."
Zechs nodded, wandering the distance to the door along side of Lady Une, and opening it for her. "Sleep well then," he offered. "If I find anything out, I'll sort out some way of getting it to you." He added the last with wry expression.
"Thank you," she replied as she passed by into the hallway. Then she paused, looking back over her shoulder. "About tomorrow... do try to relax. All comments about strangeness and chaos aside, I believe everything will be fine. Enjoy yourself."
Closing the door to the dining room behind him, he tilted his head slightly, "An order, Lady?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
Une shook her head, barely keeping herself from rolling her eyes. "Not at all. A reassurance, and a recommendation." Smiling, she nodded at the blond man. "Good night."
"I'll keep it in mind," he promised, inclining his head. "Good night," he echoed, before turning to walk down the halls, in the opposite direction of the guest quarters.
Duo paused, leaning against the closed door behind him for a moment and heaving a quiet sigh before pushing away and walking confidently across the hall. He slipped through the door to the suite he and Heero and the boys were sharing, flipping on the lights in the main room before continuing on to the bedroom.
Across the room, the balcony doors were shut, but the curtains were open and a flood of moonlight splashed across the floor. He walked over and flung the doors open, admitting the pleasantly cool breeze before continuing out to stare up at the moon. A sudden inspiration struck him, and he returned inside to peer at the thick comforter covering the bed.
With a wicked smile, he wrestled the blanket off the bed and out onto the balcony where he spread it out off to one side. He returned for the pillows and within a few minutes, he had arranged everything into a comfortable nest out under the moonlight. As an afterthought, he delved into the bottom of one of his bags and pulled out a familiar well-used tube, and slipped it under the pillows of the nest.
With that completed, he slipped back into the room and dug through his clothing for one of his older T-shirts. Having found one, and then having ripped a three-inch wide strip from the bottom hem all the way around, he set the improvised blindfold on the table near the door. A wicked chuckle escaped him as he peeled off his shirts and shoes before freeing his thick mane of hair from the confines of its braid.
"Well," he said, surveying the room with a critical eye, "Looks like the battlefield is set. Now all I need is the other army."
He turned to walk back out on the balcony and wait, but paused mid-step as his words sank in. Since when was seducing his lover a combat exercise? With all his careful preparations, it was almost as if he expected Heero to fight back or struggle.
He moved over to the bed and sat down with a dull thump as a dark thought occurred to him. It was almost like he was preparing a weapon for use...
He shook his head sharply, surging to his feet as he returned outside to look up at the moon. All he wanted was to try to give Heero some of the peace he'd seemed to find that afternoon. He'd seemed so calm before they'd had to go to dinner, and Duo just wanted to give him some more of that before the chaos of tomorrow's celebration. The upcoming day seemed to be stressing his partner out, but as Duo sat back and really thought about it, he couldn't honestly say if he really knew what Heero thought about it all. The Japanese pilot had tried to convince Duo to let the all leave earlier, but that had been after their discussion about Wufei.
How much of that anxiousness was his own, and how much of it was for everyone else? Duo bit back a curse as he suddenly realized that he didn't know. He'd never asked. He'd just made his little "battle plans" and dashed off to set them in motion.
The kids were probably outside now wondering what was going on. He and Heero had spent the afternoon trying to convince the kids that it was safe here, and then he'd practically flung Heero at them as a "chaperone" in order to talk to Wufei and then get back to their room early. And after the surprise with Une, which he should have remembered, having met Lev, however briefly, they were probably already unsettled.
Duo bit his tongue as he turned and slipped back into the room.
"Talk about overcompensation, Maxwell," he muttered, digging out a comfortable shirt, "You go from being the 'uber-protector' to blowing them off. Nice job."
He grabbed his shoes up and slipped them back on, in too big a hurry to bother with re-braiding his hair as he fled the room. There would be time for, as Wufei called it "veiled self-castigation", later. Now he had to go find the kids and Heero and come clean.
Outside, Heero found an empty bench and sat down to contemplate what had just happened. Leaning back, his attention was focused inward as he tried to figure out why the kids needed a chaperone in one of the most secure places on the planet. "Hn," he remarked, glancing up once to see them moving a short distance away.
Closing his eyes, he mentally went over the plans for the upcoming mission.
"Hi!" said a voice at his elbow.
Heero's eyes opened slowly.
Big blue-green eyes looked at him with a bright smile.
"Hi," Heero replied. "Are you having fun?"
Carter hopped up onto the bench beside Heero and kicked his feet.
"Sure," he said. "There's a lot of new stuff, new people, all kinds of things! And I got to see Quatre!" He smiled. "Maybe I can see him again tomorrow!"
"I take it you like Quatre a lot." Heero said.
Carter nodded. "I do like him," he said. "And besides that, it's good being able to see him outside my head."
Heero's eyebrow arched. "Hn," he said. "Who else do you see in your head?"
Carter blinked and ducked his head. "Um... sometimes... you, Heero."
"Me, huh?" Heero replied, reaching down and pulling the small boy onto his lap. He couldn't help a little sigh. The kids had that affect on him. They calmed him and he couldn't explain why.
Carter felt the reaction and simply beamed from Heero's lap, sliding his arms around the older boy's neck. "I love you, too, Heero," he said simply.
A smile threatened to spread across the older boy's features. Heero tightened his arms around Carter in reaction to the words. "You love me... too, huh?" he said, administering a little tickle as he spoke.
Carter giggled and squirmed, and retaliated by giving Heero a big kiss on the cheek. "Yes!" he said, gasping. "I felt you saying that you loved me."
Heero did smile that time. "That's because I do," he replied, planting a kiss on top of Carter's blond head. Glancing up, he saw the others just a few feet away. "So, what is the meeting about?" he asked.
Duan moved the group to just beyond where he supposed Heero's hearing ended. He didn't fool himself that if Heero chose to listen, that it wouldn't be a problem. The look on the older boy's face had read that right amount of occupied and Duan counted on the disinterest.
Turning, he looked at the little red headed girl. "Are you ok?" he asked, getting to the point. "I didn't mean anything against you back there at dinner."
Mariemeia nodded at him, glancing around at the others. "I know. It wasn't you at all. It's just that sometimes I forget how... stupid I was, I guess. Umm... Thank you for inviting me out here. It's nice," she said with a slightly hesitant smile. "What about you? You're watching him," she said, nodding towards Heero.
"Support surveillance," Kenny said softly. "We're on a mission, and he's on point."
"Right," Tryan added.
"A mission?" she asked, cocking her head as she examined them all carefully.
Kenny nodded. "Need to know," he said, but his expression wasn't forbidding. "Um... about being stupid? Bet you weren't. Sometime big people use us. Not your fault," Kenny said and then glanced away, the subject coming very close to home.
She watched him for a moment, then glanced down at her hands where they were clasped in front of her. "Maybe," she said slowly, "I'll think about it. By the way... I'm sorry I was so rude this afternoon. You just... took me by surprise. You reminded me of Heero, and I promised myself and Wufan that I wasn't going to say that, but it's the truth and I owed you an apology."
Kenny glanced up at the girl. "It's okay. He... reminds me of me. I think it goes the other way too. It's weird. The grown ups get silly about it like we're dolls or something but I don't mind that you noticed. Did you know him?"
She smiled ruefully for a moment, glancing back at Heero before nodding a little. "Sort of. He 'killed' me after Dekim shot me last year," she replied, "After the war."
Kenny's eyebrows shot up. "Sounds like him," was all he said.
"You got shot?! Cool!" Tryan said, then realized what words he'd spoken. "Umm, not that it was cool getting shot and all. Probably hurt a lot and all, but, hey... you're ok!"
She blushed and ducked her head a little. "It's okay. It did hurt a lot, but... it is kind of cool to think about it. I mean, how many other kids can say they got shot while trying to take over the world, huh?" she responded with a cheerful smile.
Duan chuckled. "Not many at all," he replied. "So, do you have like a grown-up you trust?" he asked.
Wufan moved closer to Mariemeia, watching the reactions of his brothers. He nodded a little to himself.
Her smile faded a little and she glanced over at Wufan whom she'd noticed edge closer. "Grown-ups lie. Relena's all right, though. And... And the Gundam pilots, because they were right... Lady Une... she tries, but I don't think she understands," she answered with a shrug.
Duan frowned slightly. "What don't she understand?" he asked, curiously.
"That I'm Mariemeia, not Treize's daughter," she answered looking up at the stars.
Duan sighed deeply. "Ok, I can understand that. People look at us and think we're the big guys," he said, remembering.
"Give her some time," Kenny said quietly. "The parent thing is harder than it looks. Did she take you?"
Mariemeia nodded, adding, "After everyone quit fighting last year."
"Then cut her some slack. She could have walked away," Kenny answered. "It doesn't mean she's always right but they should get credit when they are willing to try."
She nodded thoughtfully before looking at them all again. "You... looked surprised when you saw her. Did you know her, or someone like her before? Or is that part of the 'need-to-know'?"
Kenny looked at Duan, then Wufan, then Tryan. Then he looked at Mariemeia. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
She nodded again, this time enthusiastically.
"Okay, but it's pretty out there," Kenny said. "We came from another dimension. Don't ask me to prove it, we can't, but we did. Heero and Duo came there to help. That's how we met 'em. I'm not really sure about it but I think we're like them there and they're like us here. Anyways things are a lot different, more than I can really say, but there are some people the same, so far we've only seen the pilots, but we had a lady at the base named Lev and she's a ringer for your Une."
Mariemeia peered at him carefully as he spoke, her eyes narrowed and curious. Once he was done, she looked around, examining the rest of them for a long moment, before turning back to glance at Heero again. "It's weird... but it makes a lot of sense," she said, finally turning back, "I think... you *are* the proof. You're all too alike from what I've seen... But you aren't. You're different people. What was your 'Lev' like?"
"She was an officer at the base," Duan said. "Kinda strict, but underneath she was very nice."
"So you all came from a base?" she asked.
Tryan chuckled. "Not me. I almost wished I did though. I was with a Carnivale... the circus. Kenny, Duan and Wufan were from one base and Carter over there was from another one."
"A circus? I've seen them on vids... Sounds like fun. Why would you want to be from a base instead?" she asked.
"The circus was fun, but it was a lot of hard work, too. I had a sister... only she wasn't my real sister. She just took care of me. I guess I wanted to be on a base because it didn't seem so lonely to me."
"I can understand that," she replied, "But now you aren't alone."
"The base sucked," Kenny said. "And it could be lonely even with a lot of people locked up underground in a small space. But it was just like your circus, Tryan, except we didn't get neat animals and stuff and we didn't get to travel around."
"Kenny's right," Wufan said quietly.
Mariemeia sighed softly, reaching out to lay a tentative hand on Kenny's arm. "Kids don't get to pick where they're from. We just get to try and grow up despite that. But..." she paused, glancing around them and up to Heero before looking back at him, "You have a family now."
Kenny nodded. There was a look in his indigo eyes that spoke quite clearly of what Kenny would be willing to do to protect that family.
"Mariemeia wishes to go to school," Wufan said.
"How come?" Duan asked.
She tossed Duan a look before her eyes settled on Wufan. "I've never... had any friends before. It... might be different if I could... be around other kids. Though, I've never met any other kids like you guys. You're all pretty smart."
"Duan," Kenny said, his voice low. "Being trained by yourself... that sucks too."
Duan looked up at Kenny, then nodded. "Yeah, that kinda bites," he said. Then he looked at Mariemeia and shrugged. "I'll be your friend," he said, offering his hand.
Her eyes darted over to his face, surprise and hope warring with each other as she looked down at his hand and then back up at his face. Biting her lower lip, she offered her own in return.
Duan took Mariemeia's hand and shook it firmly. "Us kids gotta stick together," he said.
She smiled widely, nodding before quietly murmuring her thanks.
"Me too," Kenny growled softly, giving her a slight nudge with his shoulder in lieu of a handshake.
"Make it three," Tryan said, then glanced back at Heero and Carter. "I'm sure Carter would be your friend too. Carter's a pretty friendly guy."
If her smile had been wide before, it became almost radiant as she looked around at them all. Without warning, she lunged for Wufan and gave him a firm hug. "Thank you!" she managed to gasp as she embraced him, mindful of the flower.
Wufan's eyes widened, then he smiled and blushed a little. "See, you have more friends than you know," he said, patting her on the back.
She let him go just as suddenly as she'd pounced on him, grinning shyly down at her shoes as she nodded enthusiastically. "So... what now?" she asked, looking up after her cheeks had lost a little of their flush.
Kenny sighed. "That ceremony thing and the party." He considered. "We'll ask Duo and Heero to talk to Lady Une about school if you want. People treat 'em pretty special, so she might listen, I guess."
"And I was going to speak with Wufei as well," Wufan offered.
She looked over at Wufan at the mention of the older Chinese youth. "If you think that's a good idea... I..." she paused and took a deep breath, "I need to apologize to them all, but especially him, I think."
"Why?" Wufan asked.
"Because of what happened. With the war and the fighting. I was wrong, and I shouldn't have let Dekim... use him like that."
"Then you should speak to him, privately. I'm sure he doesn't hold you responsible for everything," Wufan said.
She nodded again, her expression thoughtful. "I will, then. Thank you," she said, before brightening again, "Could I... Do you think Heero and Duo and Wufei would mind if I... stayed with you guys tomorrow during the party and stuff? I mean... if you guys wouldn't mind and if Lady Une agrees."
Duan looked around the small group. "That sounds ok. We'll ask. We can tell 'em that old thing like they'll at least know where we all are, deal. That usually works."
She smiled again and then heaved a sigh of relief and contentment. "You're all pretty neat," she said, before grinning at them and continuing, "For boys."
"Hn," Kenny said. "You're alright - for a girl." He smiled, a slight, smug Kenny grin.
"But for kids," Duan said, with a huge grin, "We rock!"
She laughed brightly, holding out her hand to shake his again in agreement.
Carter smiled as he watched the small group from Heero's lap. "What's the meeting about? Making friends, Heero!"
"Hn," Heero replied, giving Carter another squeeze.
Carter giggled and then stood up on the bench and waved to the group merrily.
Tryan waved back. "Let's go and hang out with Heero," he suggested.
"Hn," Kenny said, then tapped Mariemeia on the opposite shoulder and took off around her for the bench, using a stealth route through the shrubbery.
"Hey! No fair!" she called, diving after him, then opting to take the more commonly used path at a dead run.
Duan shook his head. He still had the grin on his face as he dashed off, with Tryan and Wufan in his wake.
Kenny appeared behind Heero and leaned over the back of the bench. "Hn," he remarked.
Heero turned to look at Kenny over his shoulder. "Hn," he said, back.
From his vantage on an approaching path behind them all, Duo saw Kenny pop up behind Heero, who had been sitting peacefully on a bench. He smiled to himself and then plastered himself into the shadows, slipping into "stealth mode" as he crept up on the group. With one step separating him from Kenny, he broke cover and scooped the boy up onto his shoulders with a growling laugh. "Not bad, short stuff, but I am the master!"
Kenny made a gasping sound, as close to an 'eep' as he was likely to manage and grabbed Duo's shoulders with a sudden, surprised grip that was remarkably strong for a child his size and hinted ever so slightly at potential for the future.
After a split second, he said, "Duo!" and then smiled. "Whew!"
"Gotcha," Duo said with a smile, looking around.
"Duo!" Duan and Tryan chorused as they approached. Both boys made a beeline for the violet-eyed pilot.
Soon, Duo was hugged from two sides as he held Kenny. "Your hair's down!" Duan said. "Easy target."
"Braid Patrol By-law number 16 clearly states that just because it's not in a braid does not exempt it from being guarded," Duo quipped back, "Hiya guys. Hello, Mariemeia. Having fun?"
"Yeah!" Duan offered. "Did you know that Mariemeia got shot? Cool, huh?"
Heero looked up over his shoulder at Duo. He closed his eyes briefly.
Duo glanced from Duan to Mariemeia, who shrugged slightly, before looking back down at the braided boy. "Bet it hurt," he observed as he dropped one hand onto Heero's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
"Usually does," Heero replied, looking back the little girl.
"I'm never gonna live that down, am I?" Duo muttered.
Carter jumped down from the bench and bounced up to Mariemeia with his hand out. "Hi!" he said. "Um, me too," he added.
She shook his hand brightly, blinking for a moment as his words sank in. He eyes narrowed a little as she regarded him and recalled the odd things that had happened at dinner, then her grin returned full force and she nodded. "Thanks!"
He nodded. Then he skipped over to Tryan and attempted a tickle.
Tryan giggled, then looked at Carter meaningfully. He raised his hand up and extended a finger and wiggled it. Sometimes a virtual tickle worked well with Carter.
Carter eeped and ducked away.
Heero looked back at Duo, answering his earlier question. "No," he said, evenly. His eyes moved over Duo's face and his long hair.
Duo tossed him an exaggerated pout. "Man... Can't win for losin', huh? Well, at least it got your attention. Speaking of which... I'm sorry, guys. I blew it tonight. I owe you all an apology."
"For what?" Heero asked.
Kenny scrambled down from Duo's shoulders agilely and sat down on the ground near the bench.
"Yeah, for what, Duo?" Duan asked, as he and the others took seats as well.
Duo's gaze traveled over them all, pausing on Mariemeia thoughtfully. He seemed to be considering something as he looked at her.
Carter glanced at Duo and then Mariemeia and then back. "Go ahead, Duo, it's okay. Mariemeia's a friend."
Duo arched an eyebrow at the young blond before heaving a sigh and nodding. "Okay. I forgot about Lev and Une and stuff, and how weird things might get. I should have said something, but I'm trying so hard not to... over-protect you guys now, that... I think I went too far the other way. How are you all doing? Really?"
"Umm, we're doing fine Duo," Duan answered. "Don't sweat it. You can't think of everything."
"Duan's right," Wufan offered. "We are all fine. We've even made a new friend."
Duo smiled at them, glancing back at Mariemeia again. "I see that," he said, nodding at her, "Welcome to our little montage of mayhem."
She bit her lower lip, unable to fight off a smile of her own. "Um... Thank you. If it's mayhem you cultivate, I think I should fit in," she said, her voice hovering between shy and humorous.
Duo chuckled. "You'll fit in just fine."
"Um Duo," Kenny said. "How are *you* doing?"
Duo looked down at Kenny, a wry grin on his lips as he considered the too-smart boy. He sighed after a moment and then moved around to sit on the bench beside Heero. "Better. But Heero and I need to talk later. Actually, we all do, because there hasn't been enough of that going on, and I'm sorry, guys. But better."
Heero slid his arm around Duo's waist. He looked over at Duo and squeezed him tightly. "We'll talk," he said, evenly. "Relax."
Kenny glanced at Duan and then Wufan and then Mariemeia. "Think we're getting to the need to know part," he murmured. "Come on, we'll walk you back to your room, Mei."
She turned and gave Kenny a curious, surprised, look at the short name. After a moment, she smiled again, a small giggle of wonderment escaping her. "Mei..." she murmured, "I like it!" With that, she rose to her feet and glanced down at Kenny. Her eyes narrowed again before she tapped him on the shoulder and took off running. "Tag!" she called over her shoulder as she vanished around another shrub.
Kenny glanced at Wufan and then Duan. "Girls," he said and then went after her, fully expecting to be backed up.
Duan shrugged and took off after his friend.
Wufan bowed quickly to Duo and Heero, then took off as well.
"Hey, Heero, Duo," Tryan asked. "Is it ok with you, if all of us kids kinda stick together tomorrow?"
Duo turned back from having watched the girl dash off laughing, and speared Tryan with an amethyst glance. "As long as Lady Une doesn't mind, I don't see why not. May as well keep the destruction to a contained area, at least," he replied with a wink.
"Hn," Heero said.
"Cool!" Tryan replied, then took off after the others.
Carter simply grinned and waved at the two older boys. "See you back at the rooms," he said and skipped off after the others.
Duo sighed as the last of them vanished. "Man... We got so lucky, ya know that, koibito?" he asked quietly.
"Hai," Heero said, watching Duo. With his hair cascading down his shoulders and back, Duo's normal good looks were transformed into something ethereal. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"That I owe you an even bigger apology than I did them," he replied with false light-heartedness.
Cobalt blue eyes looked into Duo's eyes. "Why do you owe me an apology at all, koi?" Heero asked.
"Because... I made you promise never to use sex as a weapon again, but I never made you the same promise, and I should have. But it's a good thing I didn't, because I would have broken it tonight," Duo replied.
Heero slid his hands around Duo's face. "For what purpose?" he asked, softly as his eyes moved over Duo's face and down to his lips.
Duo considered his words for a moment before sighing again. "You've seemed stressed out lately. About this, about being here, about tomorrow and stuff. What... I worry about you. Tell me what you think about being here. About if there's anything I can do... to help."
Heero could hear the distress in Duo's voice and he nodded. "I will. I promise, I'll tell you. Am I right? You were going to use sex to calm me down... to protect me?"
Duo gave him a rueful chuckle as he pulled away a little to draw his knees up against his chest as he sat on the bench. "I had to keep you out of the room so I could get it ready," he admitted, "That's why I pretty much sent you with the kids. And then when I was waiting... It hit me about how wrong I've been, I guess. I never even asked you..."
Heero looked down, then tilted his head over towards Duo. "You would do all of that for me," he said. "Would I have enjoyed it?"
Duo let out a surprised bark of laughter, glancing over at Heero with an incredulous expression. "Maybe I'm just being cocky, but I'd like to think so," he said in surprise. "I... You don't need me to... protect you, no more than the kids do. I was wrong... but sometimes I get so wrapped up in everything that I forget that. And I... I don't want to lose you to... to that thing," he said, the last word bitten off harshly.
"Hn," Heero said, with a small frown etched between his brows. "The kids do need our protection, Duo," he said. "Maybe not on a constant basis, but they need us. I've been thinking. We have to start moving on the mission. I'd like to talk to the guys upstairs, tonight." He paused for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "You're not going to lose me to that... thing. I've got too much at stake to get lost like that. You are right, we need to talk about things, but let's talk and not destroy ourselves, ne?"
Duo shifted, dropping his feet back to the ground again as he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Heero, burying his face on his partner's shoulder. "Deal," he said quietly.
Heero moved his arms around Duo, feeling the warmth and weight of the other comfort him. "Hey," he said, tilting Duo's face up to meet his. "We're in this together," he said, looking into the wide eyes. "Forever?"
There was no hesitation in Duo's non-verbal, but enthusiastic agreement. As he finally drew away enough to look into Heero's eyes again, he spoke, "Couldn't pry me away with a buster rifle."
Heero nodded. "Counting on it," he replied, then leaned forward and kissed Duo deeply.
Duo melted into the kiss until he was sure he'd end up simply oozing off the bench. When he finally needed to breathe again, he pulled back, panting slightly. "Oh man... Don't get me started again... I still haven't put our room back together yet," he groaned.
Heero's eyebrows lifted as he took in that bit of information. "That could be useful," he said, then stood and pulled Duo up. Glancing around the grounds. Sliding his arms around Duo's body, he pulled Duo against him. "Plan first, play later," he said, taking a deep whiff of Duo's scent.
Laying his head on Heero's shoulder as he returned the tight embrace just as firmly, Duo nodded. "Mission first. Love you."
"Love you, too," Heero said softly, then took Duo's hand. "Come on. I want to show you a few ideas I've put together for the mission."
"Okay," Duo replied, letting Heero draw him along back towards their room and the boys who were no doubt waiting for them by now.
TBC
End of Part 20
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