9-Oct-2001
Title: Chasing the Crown, an Extended Family Fic
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com
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: 1+2+5, 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.
They found an access to the lower level, but before they could take it, Heero's comm sent an alert signal.
Accessing his comm, Heero paused.
"Heero, he's gotten past me," Wufei's voice came through, sounding like he was gritting his teeth. "He's trying to escape. There must be a shuttle on the surface he plans to get to, cut him off!"
"Hai!" Heero replied, "Everyone's with me."
"Good. He's heading for section 256... he has... It," Wufei said, then ended transmission.
"Got it," Heero said, altering his path. Turning down another corridor, he headed towards section 256.
Something intangible speeded their pace. They emerged from a cross-corridor, near the airlocks to one of the shuttle bays. Carter gasped before anyone else heard or saw anything, but in the next moment Heero heard running footsteps ahead, their pace uneven, and he could almost picture the old man, abandoning his cane in his haste to escape.
Duo felt something that seemed to roll up and pass by his face, like a cold wind.
The braided pilot's fist tightened around the grip on his weapon, his pace picking up a little bit more even as he tried to ignore the chill racing down his spine. He shot a quick glance at Heero and then glanced back at the children.
Heero growled slightly. The gun materialized in his hand as he headed for the old man.
One hallway led directly to an airlock; down the other, the footsteps were loud. They were about to intercept.
Treize felt a sudden prickle along his spine and felt an almost audible slither that seemed to trail across his nerves. It was coming.
Treize's step faltered for a moment, forcing him to catch himself against the corridor wall as he shook his head to clear it of the hatefully familiar sensation. A small hand gently touched his thigh, drawing his attention down to a pair of thoughtful, but guileless blue eyes. The breath he wasn't even conscious of holding returned to him as he automatically reached his free hand down and brushed his fingers over his daughter's.
Putting on a sudden burst of speed, Duo burst into the junction of the corridors, dropping down to slide to a halt, weapon trained unerringly upon the figure rushing towards them. With a trust born of long association, Duo moved to block off part of J's escape route, knowing that Heero would be doing the same.
Heero moved into the corridor and stood. His gun was aimed dead ahead. He felt a calm settle over him and knew that if he failed, Duo would back him up.
Duan slowed as he watched Heero and Duo take up position. Holding his arm out, he stood a little ways down the corridor, placing his body in front of Kenny's.
Kenny's hand tightened on Duan's and he moved up, bringing himself beside the other boy. He felt and heard something he knew his friend could not hear, and was secretly glad Duan was spared.
Carter moved up behind Kenny and placed his hand on Kenny's shoulder, the other hand attached to Tryan.
The old man stumbled into view, something clutched against his body with the metal arm. He skidded to a stop, seeing the pilots and Treize in front of him.
"Heero!" he hissed. "Out of the way, boy!"
"No," Heero said, leveling the gun at the old man's arm. "It's over."
"Stupid boy! You have no idea what you are doing!" Dr. J spat. He seemed to dart a look over his shoulder with those goggle eyes as if contemplating a retreat the way he came.
Footsteps behind him ended that possibility.
Wufei appeared behind the scientist.
"He's armed," he called clearly. He had one hand pressed to his left shoulder and a dark stain was visible beneath his fingers.
The scientist then seemed to consider the last empty opening left to him, aware of the weapons trained on him but clearly too far gone to consider being rational.
An odd vibration seemed to run through the walls and floor of the station as shapes materialized in the remaining opening. Four figures now blocked that way. A green-eyed blond, with young woman, longer hair and blue eyes, by his side. And a tall redhead with a tall platinum haired man at his side.
Treize blinked in surprise as the figures simply... appeared, his eyes automatically zeroing in on Zechs, before darting to the two strangers.
Dr. J snarled, seeing his escape cut off from all sides. His human hand pulled a gun from his coat pocket and he waved it about. "You can't stop us!" he said, his voice scaling up. "You are all weak fools! Animals! Apes, nothing more! Our time on the Earth has already lasted too long... and now we bring the plague out to space... others are waiting... waiting to take back what was theirs before we ventured out of the trees..."
Under his mechanical arm, something glittered, gold. As he twisted from side to side, it almost seemed alive in his grasp.
Heero fired. Aiming at the old man's prize, he watched as the rainbow colored beam struck home. He had no idea if it would damage the artifact and at that point, he didn't care.
Dr. J screamed as the iridescent energy struck the gold object and seemed to slide around it, blistering his body where he held it. The Crown fell to the floor with a clang, and the old man's weapon targeted Heero as he pulled the trigger.
As quick as gunpowder and steel can be, thought was quicker. Violet eyes narrowed as a thin lance of energy erupted from Duo's weapon less than an instant after the crash of the gunshot. Neither pistol nor bullet survived the miniature explosion of superheated metal and rainbow fire.
The old man screamed again as the flesh of his hand blistered in the energy wash. His head whipped around from side to side, the last trace of sanity leaving his features. He broke and ran towards the cluster of children just beyond Heero.
Kenny shook, but held his ground as he yelled, "No!"
Watching the old man starting towards them, Wufan put his arms around Mei, pinning her to the corridor wall with his body.
Prussian blue eyes widened and Heero fired the weapon once and then again, watching as the old man fell towards the ground. Moving, he stood above Dr. J with the gun aimed at his head. "Not my family," he said, with a slight frown.
Tryan moved to stand in front of Carter. He had no idea what he might do, but it seemed right. He was relieved when Heero shot the man and doubly so when Trowa and Quatre moved in front of them.
The scientist lay still.
Duan felt his heart race in his chest. He looked down on the scientist and nodded. Feeling Kenny at his side, he looked over at his friend. "Won't ever hurt you again," he said.
Kenny took a deep breath and passed his hand over his eyes. He nodded and then turned away, leaning into Duan's shoulder.
As they watched the scientist fall, two pairs of eyes from opposite hallways were drawn to the glitter of the gold object on the floor. One had seen it before... knew it well. The other had never seen the thing before, but both felt a familiar presence that seemed to slide along their senses and pull attention to It.
/It's not too late,/ a familiar voice seemed to murmur to Treize, sounding like his own thought. /Not too late to return, not too late to take that place you have always known was yours... the world waits... together... we can return the order and the glory.../
Treize felt his heart hammer in his chest and his hand tremble slightly as he stared at the familiar object. Slowly, he raised his gaze, letting it roam over Zechs across the distance.
Behind ice-blue eyes, the murmur was making itself heard. /It's not too late,/ It seemed to be telling Zechs. /Not too late to set things right... take your place, set things in order, make it right for *him*... you still have the strength to do it... strength she lacks... so unprepared even for this pathetic coup... your duty.../
The eyes that raised to meet Treize's seemed to only hold a trace of conflict until contact. Zechs lost some cast of familiarity to his lover in the face of a sudden cold resolution. Breaking his gaze to sweep the room, his free hand moved slightly to the weapon he'd taken before leaving for the spaceport.
Treize tracked Zechs' movements as he struggled to order his thoughts, to *find* his thoughts. He shook his head sharply. "It *isn't* too late," he said clearly, his voice carrying to Zechs. The ginger-haired man took a step backwards, until he could feel the warmth of his daughter and Wufan against his legs. "It's not too late, but the place that I know is mine... Is here. With my daughter. With Milliardo. They are all the order and glory I need," he said firmly, as much for his lover's sake as for his own, while one hand blindly reached back for Mei.
Wufan moved to the other side of Mei. "Watch him," he said, softly, having heard the older man speak.
Mei reached up and gently took her father's hand, stepping forward until she could lean against his leg. She looked up his tall form, expression a mixture of astonishment, quiet thoughtfulness, and a little confusion, before peering across the corridor at Zechs.
Zechs had paused in mid motion at both words and tone. He took a step back as the simple declaration set resolve back into uncertainty. It swept clean at least a part of the equation if not the motivation.
His hand dropped as the shift gave room for the most basic of questions, like what, if even if agreed upon, he was going to do here of all places.
/Reach for your destiny.../ the thought slipped from somewhere, the mental voice oddly sibilant. /Pick it up... it is power... you know what to do with power.../
With a clear blue gaze, Treize locked trusting eyes upon his lover. "It's easier together, Milliardo. And I have promises to keep," he said quietly, but with all the veiled strength of the former General of Oz.
"Didn't seem to do the trick before," Zechs muttered, the dull headache forming behind his eyes distracted him from what was supposed to be thought and what was meant to be said out loud.
/Yess... we did... we did the trick... oh so very nearly.../ the thought hissed across his mind with something not quite pride or affection. /We can do it again... finish this time.../
The idea hit the wall of a full year's built up loathing over the events that had passed in the war. A sudden, deep scowl crossed the Preventer's face. "Bad tactic," he growled, this time clearly not to the room at large.
The frown that had creased Treize's brow at his lover's earlier pronouncement soothed away, replaced by the faintest of smiles. "It doesn't lose gracefully?" he guessed, attention riveted to Zechs.
It was a second before the other man replied, to catch some second wind. "I'm just not as taken with the idea of winning," he corrected. He let out a deep breath tinged with both relief and a touch of regret. With some effort, he took his regard from the golden crown and returned it to Treize, eyes clearer.
As she watched the exchange, Dorothy felt something draw her gaze to the gold object on the floor. This was it... the thing she had read about, searched out information on, studied, pondered... there was something both hideous and yet fascinating about Its shape and form, and something disturbing about the lifelike glitter of gem eyes that seemed to watch her. She could almost feel the power of it. With such a power, she'd never need to fear for Relena... with such a power she could keep the wheat-haired beauty safe from harm, put an end to the conflicts and struggles that wore her out at each day's end... with such...
Power.
Just like Grandfather always wanted. Enough power to blanket the world in true peace. Yes. To realize Miss Relena's dream once and for all. No more conflict. No more beautiful wars. No more fighting and battles to threaten Miss Relena.
Never again would anyone *dare* challenge the transcendence of her ideal. Never again would anyone dare to mar her perfection with something so mundane as a bruise.
The golden object seemed to shine more brightly. It wasn't hideous after all, there was an odd kind of beauty to it... how ancient it must be. The others... they hadn't understood its power, their motives had been corrupt...
But surely... surely with Relena beside her... Surely they would have the strength to wield the power correctly. Surely they would succeed where others had failed.
For Relena. For her dream...
A hand rested lightly on her arm, disturbing her focus slightly.
Dorothy blinked, images of golden triumph and flaxen beauty wavering as she slowly turned her head to stare at the hand. Her gaze traveled slowly from tapered, callused fingers, past wrist and elbow, resting finally upon the face of their owner.
Cool green eyes and a slight smile met her gaze. No moral judgment, no censure, no agreement, no regret. Simply an oddly distant regard, and something behind it, waiting.
"Your world," Jack's cool, deep voice said, too softly for anyone but Dorothy to hear. "Your choice, Dorothy Catalonia. Yours... not hers."
She closed her eyes tightly, one hand rising to rub against her brow as she took a deep, shuddering breath. "Endless night..." she murmured, a bare exhalation of breath.
She opened her eyes then, glancing back at the golden promise lying unclaimed upon the floor. In her mind's eye, she caught another flash of gold, a brilliant blossom of crimson glitter and golden light, fading away into that endless night. The explosion that stole her father from her... Another promise broken.
And all the power in the world would never bring him back.
And all the power that It possessed... could only bring that endless night. What good was safety without life? What good was serenity without passion?
What good was peace without love?
Her hands were trembling as she faced it once more. "Lies," she murmured, feeling a cold that had settled within her break up and drift away. "Emptiness and lies, and I will not see my dream die, either."
The light touch on her arm withdrew, trailing ever so briefly as it left in a subtle caress.
At the same moment, the blond Arabian pilot standing, surrounded by friends and children, stiffened. His eyes went wide as he felt a once-familiar tightening of his chest. The thought didn't even form words, only feelings, raw emotions, those sensations that had flooded his heart from earliest childhood, sometimes enriching, sometimes confusing, often submersing his own. The weariness and despair far too old for his own experiences, and the touch of an unfamiliar will, one that offered power... seeping from his father's mind into his own, turning into doubt, loss, self-loathing. His father had been weak... too weak to shield his son from the poison, too weak to use the power, too weak to hold the prize, too weak to live in the face of change...
Reaching blindly, his hand closed on the hand of the one standing beside him. "No.... Trowa..."
At the declaration of his name, Trowa turned to look at Quatre. Seeing the distress in his lover's face, Trowa wrapped his arms around Quatre and held him tightly. Suddenly the proximity to the artifact and his sensitive friend caused Trowa to move. "Come with me," he said, urgently, pulling Quatre back down the corridor. "Tryan, bring Carter down here with us, ok?"
Quatre tightened his grip. "No... no we need to be here," he said, forcing calm into his voice. "We... we all need to be here. I can't... run away... that won't... do."
Carter locked hands with Tryan and moved next to Quatre's other side. He took the taller boy's other hand. Quatre nodded. He took a deep breath and lifted his head.
"No one needs that kind of power," he murmured softly.
Tryan took a deep breath and let it out audibly.
Duo felt something that seemed to slither around the edges of his mind. It was like an inaudible murmur, something from unseen shadows long left behind in dirty streets and alleyways that smelled of death. But whatever it might have whispered, it seemed to be held back from reaching him. The gun in his hand was warm.
Duo's jaw clenched tight, as tight as his fingers on the grip of the gun. 'I'm not listening to you. I know what you're trying to do, and I'm *not listening*,' he thought firmly. 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...'
Standing with her hand in Treize's, Mariemeia found her eyes drawn to the golden thing on the ground that seemed to be drawing the focus of everyone there. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar, she'd seen it before. But somehow it seemed finer, more beautiful, something too amazing for an old man's hands. And too large for a child's. But she was no ordinary child. She'd always known that.
After all... She'd ruled the world once. Granted, not for such a long span, but she'd done it. Biting her lower lip, she pulled away from Treize a little, hand still upon his knee, but no longer leaning into him.
Maybe... Maybe that's why her father hadn't come before now. She hadn't done a good enough job before. Maybe he was waiting... for her to prove herself... It could help. She could be what he wanted.. by taming It.
Wufei watched the faces of those around him intently. He'd seen Treize react, seen Zechs hesitate, watched Dorothy struggle... and always his eyes returned to the face of the little redheaded girl standing with the others. Watching and waiting. And when he saw the change, he knew it for what it was.
Walking from the hallway where he'd been waiting, he crossed the space to the body of the old man and the golden object beside it.
Kneeling beside the artifact, he dropped one hand from the bullet wound in his shoulder to pick up the object in both, one clean, one smeared with his own blood.
He looked directly at Mariemeia and simply said, "No, Mei."
She cocked her head at him, her brow furrowed with confusion. "... no?"
Treize dropped to his knees beside her, taking her shoulders in his hands and turning her to face him. "No," he echoed, "Because you are stronger. Don't listen to It."
Mei turned her head, looking back at Wufei for a long moment before returning her regard to her father. "Stronger?" she asked quietly, searching his face. "But... before..." she shook her head, pulling out of his grasp and backing up against the wall. She leaned back against the wall, palms flat upon its surface, as she darted quick looks between them both.
Two things happened at once. Heero's eyes widened as he watched Wufei pick the object off of the floor. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, as Wufan moved past him becoming airborne in an instant.
"NO!" the small boy screamed striking out at the artifact in Wufei's hand with his foot. Landing next to Wufei, he then threw his arms around Wufei's waist and held on with all of his strength.
The kick knocked the gold circle from Wufei's hands but he caught it before it dropped, with one, the blood smeared hand. He placed the other around Wufan gently. "Don't be afraid," he said quietly. "I've already made my choice. It's up to Mei to make hers."
Trembling, Wufan looked up at Wufei. Slowly, he relaxed against the older boy, but did not let him go. Nodding in acknowledgement of his brother's words, Wufan looked back at Mei. "I understand," he said, softly.
The young girl's gaze was locked firmly on the object in Wufei's hand, her chest heaving slightly as she panted for breath. There was a little less gold now, more crimson, the dark smudge of blood upon the shining surface, shadowing it. The same shadow staining the fingers holding It.
Wufei set the crown on the floor again, and spoke to Mei, watching her focus on the artifact. "Whatever you decide, Mei," he said clearly. "I have one thing to ask you. Forgive me."
Blue eyes snapped from object to Wufei's face, normally pale skin now almost white, and young expression a mixture of confusion and dazed fear. Pushing away from the wall, she took a shaky step towards the pair beside the artifact. A few more steps brought her before them both, eyes never having left Wufei's. Reaching out with one trembling hand, she gently brushed a featherlight touch across the dark stain upon Wufei's shirt before bringing those fingertips back to eye level to study intently.
"It hurts people..." she breathed, almost inaudibly. "If that's what... he wants me to be... I c-can't. No more hurting." She tore her attention away from the dark smudge on her fingertips, looking back into Wufei's eyes. "Told y-you... Me for you... too. 'Member? Forgive... Forgive you," she said as moisture leaked down her cheeks and she leaned forward as if to embrace him, but afraid to hurt him. "Forgive me?"
Wufei reached his arm around her and pulled her against his chest next to Wufan. He held her tightly for a moment, pressing his lips briefly to her hair. "Nothing to forgive, princess," he whispered. "And that's not what he wants you to be. Just lies... from a powerless object."
She shook her head, keeping her face buried safely against his chest. "Not princess. Just Mei," she corrected between small, hitching breaths.
Treize absently brushed away the slip of water from his cheek. 'So much to learn. Oh, little one... I'll make it work somehow for you,' he thought with a mixture of relief and sadness as he watched Wufei embrace Mei. 'Just don't give up on me yet...'
Wufei looked up and met Treize's eyes for a moment, compassion in the ebony depths. Then he turned to Heero.
"Take it," he said. "And finish this."
Heero moved forward and picked up the object. Looking up, he took it to where Ripper and Jack stood. "Ok, we found It," he said. "So, how do you kill one of these things?"
The redhead and the blond smiled, identical expressions both pleased and predatory. Jack brushed Dorothy's cheek briefly with the back of his hand as he stepped around her. Rip favored Zechs with a mischievous wink as he moved in synchronicity.
"Flirt," Heero said, watching the redhead.
Rip grinned and answered the remark by blowing Heero a kiss.
"I'd tell you to plug your ears, but it wouldn't do any good," Jack murmured. He glanced at Treize and then Zechs, and then looked at Duo, inclining his head in something almost respectful, and tinged with cool affection.
A pair of instruments materialized under skillful hands. A ripple of sound, a combination of low and high vibrations, a blending that began to increase in volume and intensity, and a sudden resonance that produced a single, clear tone, something of indescribable beauty, and then abruptly there was dead silence, or so it seemed to the listeners. The silence was so absolute they could not hear their own blood pounding in their veins, no breath, no scuff of foot on floor, nothing, just nothing... and then the object in Heero's hands began to scream.
It might have gone on for hours, it might have been days, or seconds...
The next moment a trill of notes, a thrum of bass vibrations, ending, and dust sifted from Heero's hands to drift to the floor. Something... shifted. It felt for a moment as if the universe somehow... as if it breathed, adjusted, as if something intangibly slipped back into place that had been wrongly set for a time without possible measure.
"'And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven...'" Duo quoted. [1]
Heero sighed. "Oh," he said, looking up at Ripper and Jack. "Cool. Maybe you could teach me how to do that sometime."
"I would certainly be the last person to say something wasn't possible," Jack replied with a slight smile. "So, what do you think? Would you say we are... even?" he drawled softly, glancing from Heero to Duo and back.
Heero looked back at Duo and then back to Jack. He shook his head. "Nah," he said, with a slight smile. "If anything we owe you guys now. You let us take the kids. Give us about ten years or so and then we'll all be even."
Rip smiled. "Think so? Maybe... in ten years or so... it could all begin again."
Heero shrugged. "We'll never be bored then," he said.
"Isn't that some sort of potent Chinese Curse, 'Fei? 'May you live in interesting times'," Duo quipped, glancing over at the Chinese pilot.
"A Western myth," Wufei answered deadpan. He hugged Wufan and Mei gently. "So it's over."
Mei stepped back carefully, taking a deep breath and straightening her shirt out. "I thought it was just beginning?"
Wufei looked at her and his mouth curved slightly. "Indeed it is," he answered quietly. "It's even possible that the best is yet to be."
"Yeah, I can see the future," Duan said, "A bath, a nap and a big dinner. It's hard to be a captive."
Duo couldn't stop the grin that spread over his features as he turned to wink at the braided boy. "And even harder to *keep* you captive, we saw."
Duan grinned widely. "Oh it was real fun! Mei helped. She made C-4 bombs and I taught her how to pick locks and stuff. Course, I remembered the blueprints to this place. Then it was just a matter of coordinating the whole thing," he said. "The only thing that sucked rocks was Kenny getting taken, but we found him."
Mei's cheeks flushed brightly as she darted a furtive look over her shoulder at Treize. Seeing the open hand he offered her, she patted Wufei's arm gently. "Talk later?" she asked softly.
Wufei smiled a little more. "Whenever and wherever you wish," he said.
She smiled tremulously, giving him a brief, careful, hug before nodding. Releasing him, she turned and walked back to her father, pausing before where he still knelt on the floor and looking shyly into his eyes. "Are you... ashamed?" she whispered.
"Ashamed?" he asked, cocking his head at her, "That you are smart and brave and learned how to help the others all take care of yourselves? No, Mariemeia. I'm proud," he replied, reaching out and pulling her into a tight embrace. "I only wish that none of you were never forced to learn those lessons," he whispered into her ear as he held her close.
Her arms came up around his body, returning the hug just as tightly as she could, hands rubbing along his back much the way she'd done for Duan before when he'd needed a hug. "We'll fix it. We'll make things better than ever. You see," she whispered back.
Wufan looked up at Wufei and sighed. "I'm sorry if I hurt your hand," he said. "You're bleeding."
Wufei shook his head. "You did not hurt me," he said. "You are very brave, young dragon. I am very very proud of you. But we need to call your mother now and show her that you are ok."
Wufan nodded. He glanced over at Mei and the General for a moment and then back up to Wufei. "I'd like that," he said, then waved to Ripper and Jack.
Ripper waved back merrily. "Good job, kiddies," he remarked.
The small group was interrupted by a signal coming from Quatre's comm. He thumbed the button, and saw a familiar face looking back at him.
"Sorry we're late, Master," Rashid said. "But we have transports to take you back to Earth. The rebellious forces on Earth have been defeated. Are you and the others all right?"
Quatre took a deep breath and nodded. "We're all fine," he said, "Well, one injured, and everyone's... tired. Bring the transports in. And could you sweep the station and the moon area for any of the rebels who might still be around?"
"Of course, Master, we are already on it," Rashid answered immediately.
Quatre looked up at the others. "Ready to go home?"
Tryan nodded.
"Me too!" Duan piped in. "Hey, Jack? Ripper? You guys comin' over to spend the night again?" he called out.
Heero frowned slightly, then glanced over at Duo.
Rip grinned. "Who knows, Duo-junior?" he said.
Jack snorted softly and turned to Dorothy. "We're taking a shortcut back, coming?" he asked.
Dorothy closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before opening them once more and offering Jack a smile of deepest gratitude. "At your service, Mister Bates," she replied quietly, offering her hand.
As Jack accepted Dorothy's hand, Rip looked back at Zechs. "I'm not even going to ask," he said with a grin. "See you later, Blondie!"
"That's what I was afraid of," Zechs replied over his shoulder as he walked towards the small group, pausing beside Treize. Through some benefit of the light feeling that had followed in the Crown's end, the comment came with an amused smirk.
Rip's wide smile increased slightly as he watched the blond walk by with a speculative gleam. Tossing a wink to Heero, he joined Jack and Dorothy and in a few moments, the trio were gone.
Heero chuckled slightly and then turned back to Duo and the others. Reaching down, he offered Duo a hand up. "Well, that was fun," he said, pulling his lover to his feet.
Duo snorted, shaking his head. "And everyone thinks *I'm* the comedian," he muttered before wrapping his arms around Heero firmly.
Heero felt the solid form of his lover and relaxed against him for a moment. "Hey," he said, against Duo's ear. "It's over. Mission Accomplished."
Duo shook his head once, pulling back enough to look into Heero's eyes. "There's still a lot to do," he replied, nodding towards the children. "Mei's right. It's only just begun."
Heero looked down a moment, then nodded once. He started to move back, feeling himself come to order in that old familiar way. He stopped and looked into Duo's eyes. "You're right, there's a lot to do, koi. But it's also a time to rest, to enjoy the peace. I learned that from Relena," he said, with a smile.
Meanwhile, Kenny took a deep breath, noticing that Jack and Ripper had gone, and everything was quiet. He sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the wall, closing his eyes.
Duan sat down next to Kenny and put his arm around Kenny's shoulders. "You can rest on me," he said. "We'll be back in no time."
Kenny stiffened slightly as a soft sound came from the still figure of the old man on the ground.
The scientist's hand moved slightly.
"Heero... boy..." his lips barely moved and the sound of his voice was ragged and faint.
Heero whirled around, moving towards the man on the floor. His gun was in his hand before he knew it. Looking down, he saw that the old scientist did not look the same as before. He knelt down beside him. "Dr. J," he said, evenly.
The old man's head turned slowly, and his goggle eyes gleamed. "Did you... did you save the Earth?"
Taking a deep breath, Heero glanced over at Kenny and Duan not far away. "Yes, we did," he said, touching the man's shoulder.
Dr. J coughed. "Good... good, boy. It's time for... us to go... Heero. We're not needed... in space. Don't forget... Heero Yuy..."
The briefest of smiles appeared on Heero's face. Even as he looked down at the old man who had caused him so much trouble and pain, he couldn't find it within him to hate. In the end, they had all been toyed with by some force or another. "I never will, Dr. J," he said. "You... you get some rest now."
"Yes... it's quiet...that sound... gone... rest..." Dr. J said. His body slowly relaxed as the light in those gleaming eyes went dark.
Heero allowed himself a moment, then moved to where Kenny and Duan were leaning against the wall.
Kenny had been watching, his body tense, and then he put his head down in his arms and without really knowing why, he began to cry.
Duan sniffled and then patted Kenny's back to comfort him.
Heero reached out and slid his arms around both of the little boys. "It's okay," he said.
Kenny leaned against Heero and gave up trying to be brave or strong for a while. He put his head on Heero's shoulder and closed his eyes.
Vanishing the gun that had appeared at the old scientist's first movements, Duo slipped up behind his partner. Gently lifting Duan out of Heero's arms, Duo pulled the smaller boy into a hug, hands trailing soothingly on either side of the child's braid.
"You did real good, kiddo," Duo murmured. "Real good."
Duan moved his arms around Duo's neck and held on. "I did?" he said and sniffled again. He then leaned his head against Duo's neck and closed his eyes. "Did you miss me?" he asked, quietly.
Hands nimble enough to have kept him fed in his younger years trembled slightly as they brushed Duan's bangs out of his eyes for a moment. Duo smiled before brushing a small kiss across Duan's brow. "Always, kiddo," he replied dutifully, his arms tightening fractionally. "More than you know."
Duan smiled, but didn't open his eyes. He was very tired. "Love you," he said, then yawned.
"I love you too, Duan. All of you," Duo replied, thickly. "Let's go see about that shuttle, so we can all take that nap, 'k?"
Duan nodded and yawned again.
Quatre had picked up Carter and the little blond's eyes were already closed.
Tryan leaned against Trowa's legs and yawned himself. "This was my first mission," he said, to no one in particular. "And I thought the circus was tough."
Trowa chuckled, then pulled Tryan up onto his shoulders. "Impressive job," he said. "Now, you and the others need some down time."
"Works for me," Tryan replied.
Wufei pulled out his comm and sent a brief message to Earth. "Wufan is with me, everyone is ok. On our way back."
He took Wufan's hand in his and moved towards the gathering group of people as a couple of young men in red fez caps appeared from down the hall in the direction of the airlock, waving.
TBC
[1] The Bible, Revelations 8:1
End of Part 59
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