Cologne, German Section
Duo was the last person off the plane. It hadn't been a bad ride, just long. He had managed to snag one of the seats in back, so he had no one behind him. That had made him feel a lot better. His seatmates turned out to be a mother with a small child, who had brightly introduced herself as Rose. The child had gotten fidgety after a while, but Duo tried to keep her entertained and her mother and the rest of the passengers sane by playing with her and answering her questions. He knew how boring it could get on long flights and he had been the one flying usually. That had resulted in a hyper Duo after he gotten out of Shinigami or the plane. They had gotten off the plane, but not before she had given him a huge hug and burbled at him. Her mother looked grateful and looked like she wanted to hug him too.
"Thank you again. I couldn't have survived without you. I'm meeting my husband. He just got assigned to Preventer section here and went ahead to set everything up," she told him exiting the plane. "Will you be staying in Cologne long?"
"Just a day or two," Duo replied quietly. "I'm seeing a friend and we have some stuff to take care of then, I'm probably going back." I should be thanking you. If it hadn't been for Rose, I would have had to think. And then you would have to have dragged me out kicking and screaming from here in hysterics because all these people are making me nervous.
"Good Luck then and have fun." She called back as she went out of the airplane.
Not wanting to fight through the crowds, Duo waited until only the flight attendants were left before grabbing his duffle and walking off of the plane. He was hobbling a little, having stiffened up during the flight.
"Thank you and come again," the flight attendant said mechanically, then brightened when she recognized him. "Thank you for keeping the child occupied, I thought that it would be a nightmare."
"No problem," Duo protested. "I understand how boring flying is."
"You saved our sanity. Enjoy Cologne."
"Thank you." Duo replied again, shifting his duffle so that it was more comfortable. It had been a month, but he was still sore in odd spots. And his skin was fragile. It had ripped open in couple of spots, more then once, making the scars worse. Not that it mattered, he had little odd lines all over his body, broken by the large raised areas of scar tissue. His body below his neck looked like he had been attacked by rabid lobsters. Lobsters that smoked.
Duo scanned the crowd, looking for either Une, Sally or Relena's driver, Pargon, Hargon, what ever the guy's name was. Une said the she was going to meet him at the plane, but if there had been trouble one of the other two would pick him up. He spotted Une and waved at her, slowly working his way through the crowd, trying not to scream. It was too loud and there were too many people. He was ready to jump out of his skin by the time he had worked his way over to her. It must have showed on his face, because Une looked really concerned, until he smiled faintly at her.
"I haven't been around this many people in a while. I could have had a field day pickpocketing this place when I was younger. Or peddling myself. Travelers were always good for a quick fuck or suck. Working the airport brought in the big bucks. Then you or the others wouldn't have to go out for a while. Drawback was that if you got caught, the cops were a little rougher on you.
"I have us booked into a nice hotel downtown. I know that you probably want to be alone, but I had some time and I think you might need some help dealing with things." Une said. You're not dumb, but it's out of your experience. And you don't have the mental strength to deal with this. Or else you have bounced through this place like you used to. You're thin. And pale. You were right not to let me see you like this. I might not let you go back.
Duo shrugged, not willing to argue with her. She wasn't going to let him be. And if they had separate rooms, she wouldn't know how bad it was. "All I want to do now is shower, some food and sleep." he said.
"We can eat at the hotel, the appointment's for the morning." Une said firmly, leading him out of the place. Duo waved to Rose when they passed, but kept on moving even though she had tugged at her father's jacket to point him out. The man's jaw almost dropped when he recognized who Duo was with, but sensibly didn't bug them. Duo knew that he wouldn't be able to do a casual chat right now, when his nerves were screaming at him to run, hide, anything to get away from these people.
Une snagged a cab, gave him the hotel and settled down to study Duo. He was too thin. The clothes that she sent him hung off his body. He was nervous and was trying not to show it.
"Didn't know that you spoke German 'Neesan?" Duo asked, desperate to make small talk. It used to be so easy. He could just take a topic and run with it. He'd lost the knack for it, being alone too much after Luxembourg.
"I was born around this area. German was my first language. I learned English and Japanese later."
"German wasn't too popular back home. Spanish, smattering of other stuff and English. I learned Japanese to try and talk to Heero and the rest. It was about the only language that we all had in common. I can read a whole lot more languages then I can speak."
"So you can rifle through other people's desks?" Une asked with a smile.
"I want to tell you that I never rifled through your desk." Duo solemnly said. Never did T-chan's either. That wasn't my job and we both knew it.
"May be we can try sightseeing tomorrow. I think that you'd like the Cathedral here." Une offered.
"I don't want to go." Duo said quietly. I'm covered in blood and dirty. I don't think God is going to forgive me. 'Sides I haven't talked to him since the massacre, T-chan's death ain't endearing him to me either.
"Well, we can talk about that tomorrow. I do want to pick up more clothing for you." Une said. Duo, you will not argue about it because I need to do this. You need someone to take care of you now and it's going to have to be me. I know that you'd rather Treize-sama put you back together, but that isn't an option anymore.
"'Neesan I have never seen anyone argue with you that wasn't sorry about it later. The only person that won an argument with you was Heero. And you know how he did that." Duo said lightly. Yeah life is bad when you can joke about someone blowing themselves up. Hell, he lived, so it wasn't all bad, but I didn't think that he would.
"I've changed." Une protested. I'm no longer the fanatic that I was. Treize-sama's death cleansed me of that madness.
"You have." Duo smiled at her. She was happy to see that it was the first genuine smile from him she had seen in a longtime. "The softer look is you. More then the braids and ribbons. I liked you with your hair down."
"When did you see me with my hair down?" Une asked and then blushed slightly, remembering.
Duo had been staying with Treize, early in their relationship, before things had gotten crazier. Unfortunately Une had to interrupt their private time with an evening of paperwork and planning for an emergency that had come up.
Duo had been a decent about the whole thing. He had fed them dinner, made them snacks and coffee. He even gave her a backrub, pulled down her hair and sent her into sleep with them, because by the time that everything had been done, both she and Treize were so tired neither of them could see straight.
Une had woken up the next morning, curled around Treize-sama. Duo had been curled up on the other side, a leg thrown over both of them. It had been nice. She had really hated bothering Treize after that, he got so little time with Duo.
"How soon they forget." Duo said gravely, watching her remember. "Must be your old age."
Une laughed and was still laughing a little when they pulled up to the hotel. She paid the driver off and got out of the cab, ignoring the crowd around them and escorting Duo into the lobby and up into their suite. Duo followed her willingly, wanting to get someplace that he could be alone. The crowded elevator was the last straw and he was about to start screaming when it had arrived at their floor and they could get out. When the got to their room, Duo collapsed shaking into the sofa.
"I'm okay 'Neesan, Just a little jumpy. Not used to people. Didn't see a lot of them in the last six months. None almost in the last month," Duo explained, taking deep calming breaths. "You can go out if you want, but can I have room service?"
"Duo, whatever you want to do, you can." Une soothed him, reaching down to stoke his shoulder.
He dodged her touch and then shuddered a little. "I'm sorry." he muttered, embarrassed. Duo looked up at her and she was shocked to see tears in his eyes.
"Duo?" she asked gently, sitting down next to him. She started to put an arm around him and was confused when he shifted away from her. Duo had liked to cuddle. May be not with her, but he was a cuddler.
"What'd Relena tell you about our time on the Libra?" Duo asked. Not too much or you would have dragged me out of where I was, just to make sure that I was okay.
"That Zechs dragged you away for hours into a storage room. And when she broke you out, you were covered in blood with a dislocated arm." Une said.
"Zechs was crazy, nasty. And I had pissed him off earlier in Luxembourg. So he took it out of my hide. He said that he was going to make the outside match my rotten insides." Duo started, I have to tell someone and you're it. Please don't be disgusted. I'm sorry I know that you don't need this, but I don't have anyone else.
"Duo, I know that he hurt you. And I can guess what he did to you to make you this fragile. I think that when you can face it, you should see Sally Po." Une said gently, stoking his hair.
Duo turned and buried his face into her shoulder. "Can't" he mumbled. "I think it's illegal. I slept with her."
"Duo?!" Une asked in alarm, what was he talking about?
"Bad joke," Duo apologized. "She was on the PeaceMillion during the final battle, you know that, she delivered Relena to you. But she slept with me because as she put it, 'She didn't trust Howard to keep it in his pants.' So she and I shared a room."
"Howard?" Une asked in confusion. What did the head of the Sweepers have to do with anything?
Duo sighed and shifted again to curl up on the sofa, trying to find a comfortable spot. It was hard with the way his skin was. No place was comfortable and he'd stopped taking anything to numb the pain, afraid that he'd give in one night and swallow the whole bottle. "Zechs spent a lot of time with him, before he headed off to the White Fangs. He also worked for Dr. G. In fact the Doc discovered me on PeaceMillion to be a pilot. I had stowed away and I guess they took payment out of me in trade. I don't remember much, they were pretty heavy handed with the drugs. But G liked something about me for a pilot, so I got to come down. But they were a bit peeved they didn't get a repeat performance when Quatre told me to come back. They were kinda hostile, in fact."
"Oh Duo." Une said sadly.
" 'Neesan, it's life. That's what my life was like. I stole, I whored and I killed to survive. And it never showed, I looked all innocent and untouched. You just didn't look too closely at the mask or it would all fall apart. So Zechs, took out most of his inner frustrations on me. And then he decided that I could be a treat for the squad that was controlling the Mobile Dolls before they went out to fight the rest of the Gundam pilots." Duo shifted again and Une saw the tears tracking slowly down his face. "But I think that the worst part is he recorded it all. That's what's scaring me. That someone 's going to find that stupid disk and watch it."
"They haven't found it by now, they won't. Only bits of Epyon and Treize-sama's Mobile Suit was found," Une assured him.
"Not even a body, huh?" Duo asked, rubbing at his cheeks, scrubbing away his tears.
"Burnt up. You know what the recovery rate is. And I don't think that he would have wanted us to have wasted time to look." Une said. "He has a grave in the military cemetery. You can visit it if you want."
"He's not there, so I won't." Duo said, "I don't do the visit thing, mostly because I don't know where the graves are for anybody. Solo, the kids, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, I don't know where they're buried. If they got buried."
"I can find out, you might want to know one day." Une promised Duo.
"Alright," Duo agreed, yawning suddenly. "I think that I better take a nap. After that I'll eat."
"Okay. Your room is on the left. Sleep tight and don't worry about anything." Une called after him. Duo mumbled something to her as he closed the door to his bedroom.
Duo looked at the set up, Bed, nice and big with an adjoining bathroom. Une would never see him undressed. He slipped out of his pants and unbuttoned his shirt, curling up under the covers to go to sleep. He just might get some. At least he could close his eyes and try and calm down.
Une watched Duo retreat into the bedroom. His little story hadn't disgusted or horrified her. She had guessed what had happened to him when Relena mentioned how she had found him. And she knew that Zech's hold on reality had been uncertain by that time. She just hoped that she could put him back together. Treize-sama would have wanted that. And she wanted the Duo that teased her that first day back, when she discovered him in bed with Treize-sama. She didn't think that she'd find him soon, but she hoped that he'd come out, after Duo was healed.
Une had been working for about an hour when she heard the moans, she knew that Duo had nightmares, Treize-sama had mentioned it once. She listened, debating whether she should wake him up when the screaming started. Une was up in flash, scattering paper and books across the room as she ran towards his bedroom. Thankfully he hadn't locked it. Une opened the door and ran through it, catching Duo as he popped upright in bed, screams dying on his lips as he recognized her. She took in the sweat soaked hair and the shaking that controlled his body and got a glass of water from the bathroom and gave it too him, holding it steady for him to drink when his shaking threatened to spill it all over the bed.
Duo stared at her with glazed eyes, not realizing that his shirt had fallen off his body. All that was covering him was pair of briefs that had definitely seen better days. She stroked back his bangs and tried not to notice the healing wounds on his body. She knew that they looked worse then they were, because of the color. They were still a red, raw shade that would fade in time. But they wouldn't disappear. Zechs had covered Duo with a number of thin little cuts that must have hurt like hell to fight with. But the worst part was the barely healed larger raw looking patches on his stomach, chest and legs. Duo blushed and pulled the blankets up to his neck when he realized that she was staring at him.
"He did a good job didn't he?" Duo asked wryly. "A real pro with a knife."
"Duo, you should see Sally. I know that it's been a month, but."
"And Sally's going to do what? Rebreak the broken ribs? Comment on the scars? I'm eating so whatever damage he did to me, torn muscles were the worst of it, down there. And they seemed to have started to knit up."
"Duo.," Une sighed. "I know that you don't want to hear it, but she may be able to help or recommend someone."
"Later." Duo pleaded. "I just want to see the lawyer and then go back. I'm not being morbid or nothin'. I know that staying in the place that I wanted to settle down in after the war with T-chan is not the best place to recover. But it's isolated. I don't want to be around people. I guess something broke in me when he tortured me. Or may be it began earlier, I don't know. All I know is that people make me nervous. Dave the helpful handyman almost had me screaming after an hour of his company. I just had to remember so hard to be normal. Groups of people scare the living daylights out of me."
"Duo.." Une's voice trailed off.
"Weird, isn't it?" Duo asked smiling crookedly at her, "You saw me during the good times Une. Stupid as it seems to call those the good times. Up to our butts in blood and death. But I didn't freak out at people. It was before the crash started. You're looking at the result of too many killings, no trust. And Zechs's attention."
"I know. I knew what you were doing, most of the time." Une said sadly. "I could tell your handiwork after a while. And Treize-sama told me things, he had to talk to someone about it."
"That must have been priceless. Hearing about your rival, from the guy you wanted." Duo said cynically.
"It would have bothered me if I hadn't meet Relena. Une explained, "It was during one of those endless Romafeller meetings. I was bored and slipped off, Treize-sama didn't need me. I went to the bathroom and bumped into Relena. She was embarrassed. Then she smiled and apologized for shooting at me. I guess she thought that I was going to arrest her. I wasn't, because that would have been uncomfortable for Treize-sama, she was there under the protection of someone. I told her she was a rotten shot, she should practice. Her eyes got like Heero's for a second, cold and dead, and she shook her head.
"I had practiced. That's why I missed you." she said. "If you mention this to anyone else I will deny it, but.." She leaned over a kissed me on the cheek. I was so shocked I didn't say anything. "Thank you for doing it."
Une closed her eyes for a second. "She sounded so tired and sad. I saw her about five minutes later, it was like that part of her never existed. She was talking with people, trying to get them to give up the war. Peace was the only way. I bumped into her at a few other of those meetings, Our paths kept crossing due to her activities and mine. Noin watched her like a hawk, but Relena always managed to slip in a few minutes to say something to me. It got so that we could have entire conversations that looked like arguments. She was that good at acting. She had to be."
"Why?" Duo asked involuntarily, Relena had been a pain, but not too unmanageable. She was annoying more to Wufei and Heero more then anyone. And if she concentrated on those two, the others breathed easier. Neither boy was the most observant people person, so Relena fooled them with her act of chasing Heero. He'd bought it too, just because he had problems of his own and it wasn't directed at him. But Duo just once in a while caught something in her eyes when Heero threatened to kill her. Hope that he might actually go through with it?
"Relena wasn't happy." Une said quietly.
"Well happy people don't tease psychos. Or follow them around. She did both." Duo said sarcastically. "And she was hyper about the Total Peace thing, it was something that she latched onto like she needed the cause. Something that would keep her busy and not thinking about stuff. If she thought of it, she might have knocked one of us over the head and stole our Gundam, just to be more into the not thinking about personal stuff routine."
"Why didn't you want to think, Duo?" Une asked quietly.
"What part of my life to you want to start at?" he asked tiredly. "Now? During the war? Before I was a pilot? I was into denial a lot. We all were. That we had feelings, we had needs, we were actually human. That killing all those people was something that we hated."
"Oh Duo." Une said. "I know. You fought so hard, against so much. It hurt to see the pain you were all in. Even Relena."
"You weren't exactly happy and cheerful all the time too." Duo teased her.
"Not like me."
"I had my own problems. I didn't want to admit them. Lusting after my superior seemed better then admitting that I may be didn't actually like men that way. I knew that I didn't have a chance with him, I kept walking in on him with other men." And I know that it was an act, something you did to fool people. After a while I noticed that your eyes were what you had to watch, not the smile. Your eyes said volumes about you.
"But you and Relena were weird. Not because you're both girls. I can't throw stones at you for that. But the hawk and the dove. Not usually who you see together." Duo said thoughtfully. "But nice, for both of you."
When Une came out of her bedroom the next morning, Duo was curled up on the couch, dozing with a book in his hand. She studied him for a minute before waking him up. He was too thin, thinner then he normally was. Pale, from being sick and from hiding in that cabin for the last month. He barely touched his dinner last night and all he had ordered was a small salad and soup. Une remembered Boston, where he had inhaled his weight in pastries, the day that they had spent together. He had flirted with her, Treize-sama, the table, she swore, anything that didn't move fast enough. Bouncy, bright and adorable, Une wondered what happened to kill that Duo. Was it Treize-sama's death? Or all the killings that he had to do? Une just hoped that she get him back, She wanted that Duo to survive at least, not the haunted child in front of her.
Duo had talked through dinner, but it was more to get information on people then anything. How were Noin, Sally and the rest? Was Relena taking care of herself? Small talk that filled the time so that there were no uncomfortable silences. And so that Une wouldn't probe how he was doing. He went to bed soon after that and she didn't hear anything from his room, but if he had slept well, he wouldn't be on the couch right now dozing.
Une made a small noise, waking up Duo. She was worried to see that he woke up with a start, clawing the cushions of the couch searching for something before he realized it was her.
"Sorry Une." Duo apologized. "I'm more comfortable on the couch now. That's where I've been sleeping for most of the last month. Before that Shinigami was where I called home. I forgot that beds were something that you slept in."
"And you were searching for what?" Une asked with a smile, afraid that she already knew the answer.
"Three guesses and the first two don't count. I slept with a gun for the last two years, it's a hard habit to break. Not that I want to now"
"I noticed." Une said dryly, remembering their first meeting.
Duo blushed and then laughed sadly. "Those were the days, eh? I didn't think that it could get any worse. Then it started to really get bad. And now you get to see me in all my paranoid glory."
"Duo, if you were paranoid you would have brought it with you." Une said.
"Breakfast and then the lawyer's. I want you to eat something besides coffee for breakfast. I know you don't eat in the morning, but something in you stomach would be good. Just toast."
"You win 'Neesan. I'll eat." Duo conceded to her wishes, having a shower while they waited for breakfast. He was too tired to argue with her. He dressed and ate slowly, not wanting to leave the security of the room. He wondered if Une would let him take the stairs down to the lobby. It was twelve stories, but he wouldn't meet anyone. Une watched him, worried. He was too quiet. Duo wasn't a morning person and the shadows under his eyes spoke of more then one sleepless night, and he looked worse then she had ever seen him. With what he told her yesterday, she knew that it would be a while before he would sleep peacefully.
Une waited until he was through eating before starting to talk him. "Duo, I'm sorry, but you have to do this. One more night, then I'll let you go back. Just don't cut yourself off out there." she said gently.
"Okay, I understand. You sorta feel responsible for me. I feel responsible for you too. It was really rotten that it took off and left you to arrange everything." Duo said quietly. "I just was so tired. It had been so long and it was so close. The Wufei starts saying he's sorry and you told me, on top of Zechs's treatment, I ran. I couldn't take it. May be when I get better, I 'll come back, but I don't know."
"You don't have to promise me anything Duo," Une said gently. She had to be gentle with him, he was so fragile now. The last battle took all the toughness out of him. She wondered what the last six months had been like for him before that. Her sources couldn't tell her much and she had been in a coma then. But from what she could find out he had been alone a lot, small quick visits to different Winner compounds. Long enough to refuel and get repairs done, receive orders and then leave again. He told her that the PeaceMillion had been tense, must have been if Sally had to protect him. Une made a mental note to ask Quatre when she saw him why it had been Sally and not one of the other pilots. And to tell him that Duo was alive.
The trip over to the lawyer wasn't that bad he had to admit. The lobby was empty and they managed to get a cab right away. Une gave him the address and they drove away. Duo wondered if he should hack into the system later, he was running low on money. Une wouldn't mind, the account was legitimate. And it wasn't like he could give the money back, even if he remembered where he had skimmed it from, besides a couple of dozen Romafeller accounts. Duo stared out the window blankly not noticing where they were going. He noted that they were in the medieval section of the city, the expensive part. He snorted causing Une to look at him curiously.
"I.I." Duo stuttered a little. "I just dawned on me. T-chan was rich, wasn't he? I never thought about that before. I knew he was educated, cultured and stuff, but money never crossed my mind. "
"Ah." Une commented, "I thought so from the first day. You were so casual, so teasing."
"When I was growing up, rich was having enough to eat for a couple of days without having to go out and steal or whore." Duo said quietly. "Then I learned to hack into accounts and skim off of OZ and the Romafellers. That's were most of the money I have is from now. I always have cash on me, just in case."
"That's why I'm with you, I think that it might be a bit shocking with the lawyer. Their firm has handled Treize-sama's family for generations. It shouldn't be difficult, they were always nice working with me." Une said.
"I trust you," Duo said meekly. "But I'm going to be okay. I've already hit bottom, no place to go but up."
The rest of the ride passed in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Une was still worried about Duo. He was so skittish looking. The too big clothes didn't help. She had sent him sizes that she thought he should fit into, but they hung off his body. Thankfully she sent a belt too or the pants would be about his knees she swore. Duo looked nothing like the enticing creature that had been Treize's lover.
Duo continued to stare out the window and mentally talked to T-chan. He had done that a lot when he was in Space. There had been no one else to talk to.
I hope I don't embarrass you too much, T-chan. I never realized that it would be this complicated. We never talked about it. Silly, eh? I should have realized. You were just so together. So secure. And it takes money to do that. What did you see in a street rat?
Both were jerked out of their thoughts when the cab stopped and the driver growled that this was the place. Duo admired the trees that were in the courtyard and the flowers, it was nice effect. He stopped, waiting for Une to go in first, he didn't want to. She looked at him and shook her head.
"Duo, calm down. Don't worry."
"I'm scared." Duo admitted. "I hope that they're as nice as you say. I'm a street kid that looks like it. I could have pulled this off before Zechs. Maybe. But I look like I've been on a bender, the clothes don't fit and I feel like I'm about to crawl out of my skin, what's left of it."
"Don't worry. Money shouldn't make a difference. Look at Quatre." Une said, entering the building. Duo you do deserve this. Treize-sama wasn't blind to what you had been, what you were becoming. He still loved you.
"We were trying to overthrow a government together. It was sorta different," Duo argued. "And he was always polite, I think his sisters beat it into him."
"Terribly polite and easily embarrassed does cover Quatre-kun." Une agreed. "He was so embarrassed at our last meeting. I think he was thinking of our first one." Sneaking into an OZ base on the orders of a bunch of dirty old men that were getting their jollies off of manipulating you and listening to the results. Not how to meet people. Treize-sama's reaction didn't help either. No one wants to know that the someone they are trying to seduce still thinks that they're ten.
Their discussion landed them in front of the receptionist. Duo looked at the art on the walls while Une dealt with the receptionist. After a minute of quiet discussion, Une touched his arm to get his attention. "Our appointment is still on, but we are dealing with a junior member of the staff, a grandson of the head of the firm."
"Don't matter, 'Neesan." Duo said. "You're in charge."
"Did I ever tell you that I hate being in charge. I always liked being second." Une complained, going down a corridor. Duo noticed the real wood, the thick carpeting and the very expensive paintings on the wall. He was beginning to feel really little and grubby again. He fought the urge to slip away from Une and disappear in the city. She'd chase him. And be really pissed when she found him.
"Did I ever tell you that no one would trust me to plan anything and be in charge?" Duo answered, "They didn't think that I was a team player. And you know, I think that they were right, I always wanted to protect them."
"That isn't a bad thing Duo." Une answered.
"I don't know, you could have been doing this with someone that looked right at home here, like Trowa. He was always elegant."
"Or I could be dealing with Heero." Une shuddered. "I can't even imagine him with someone."
"Him and Wufei are real good together. They complement each other. The only time that I saw Heero even look human was with him." Duo answered wistfully.
To be able to have shared that with T-chan in front of someone. All we did was sneak around or hide in his quarters.
"Duo." Une said seriously, "Don't keep putting yourself down,"
"I don't know. Une. All I see in the mirror now is the street brat. And that brat doesn't belong here." Duo said sadly. Not that I look in one much. I still have the one in the bathroom covered. I can't stand the sight of myself. It isn't the scars, but my eyes. I catch reflections of them sometimes in the windows of the cabin. I look so dead, so broken.
Une was saved from answering walking into the office. Duo admired the teak desk, the Impressionist painting on the wall, and how well everything went together. And the sleek, slightly sneering lawyer that was sitting behind the desk, who was too rude to get up and greet them like he should. You always were polite to a lady, that's what Sister Helen always taught him.
Une's back stiffened a little and Duo mood lightened a little, looking forward to her reaming this little slime over the coals. Duo decided that this might almost be enjoyable, if it wasn't for the subject matter. But if he was treating Une like this, he wasn't expecting anything more then abuse when it was his turn.
Une narrowed her eyes and wondered what the hell was up this person's ass. He made Wufei Chang look polite. And after all she had reassured Duo that this was going to be painless and almost easy. She glanced at Duo and noticed how blank his face was. She couldn't tell if he was happy, angry or what. All she knew that this little piece of work in front of her was going to get it big time. He was going to know why she was the most dreaded woman in OZ. He had hurt Duo and insulted Treize-sama's memory and taste in a lover.
"Good morning, I am so glad that you could take time out of your busy schedule to see us. I hope that your Grandfather's illness is not serious."
Une purred at him, the sarcasm on busy was so thick that Duo could just see it floating over to this guy. She was peeved, big time. He was going to have to stay another day just to calm her down.
"Good Morning, Lady Une. My Grandfather just was tired, he regrets that he isn't here to handle this matter personally. And who is your," he paused "companion?"
His tone implied that Une had just dragged in the first boy she saw off the street, instead of looking for Duo Maxwell, like she promised. The firm had been willing to do the search, but she had insisted that she would find Duo eventually. He guessed that she had. But this tired looking little thing had been involved with the most powerful man in OZ?
Une stiffened and wondered if he was stupid or really thought that he could be this impolite and they wouldn't complain. Duo just stepped forward, putting out his hand to shake the other's, but wasn't surprised that it was ignore. He shrugged, this was just getting better.
"Duo Maxwell. And you are who? Or should I just refer to you as that idiot lawyer?" he asked, sincerity and sweetness dripping off of his tone. Good cop, bad cop was fun too.
"Idiot? I would like to inform you that I graduated at the top of my class." Duo was informed haughtily.
"Neat. But that still doesn't give me your name." Duo answered, unimpressed. Education, big deal. Manners would get him a lot further.
"I am Johanne Von Stutgard III." Duo was coldly informed.
"Good morning then Johanne. Could we do our business and then I might not let 'Neesan kill you because you have managed to get her mad at you. Last time that happened, the guy had to do something really nasty, I don't think you're up to what he did."
"'Neesan?" Johanne asked in confusion.
"Opps. Sorry." Duo smiled insincerely at him. "Lady Une. Whom or is it who? you were just very rude too. I was taught that you were always polite to a lady. And she is a lady. And not just the one because of her title." She showed real class putting up with me and my fooling around with T-chan. I didn't realize that until I had to deal to Noin.
"Well we can get on with the reading of Treize Khushrendra's will. Then you will be gone," was Johanne's dismissive tone.
"Generations, huh?" Duo whispered to Une as Stutgard left the room to get the will. "This might be the last cause I've been treated better in an OZ interrogation."
"I'm sorry Duo. His father and Grandfather were really nice to me, They allowed me to straighten a few things out while I was waiting for you to get back in touch with me." Une apologized. If you bolt I don't blame you. I want to run too, but not for the same reasons. I still expect Treize-sama to come into my office and talk to me. Even though it's a new office and he's never been here. This is going to make his death so real.
"So this guy bein' a jerk is new?" Duo asked.
Johanne entered the room and seemed annoyed that they had sat down and had made themselves comfortable. Duo controlled his expression and the sinking feeling that he was getting. Une and her dealing with this jerk had raised his spirits for a while, but he was crashing again, feeling very out of place here. He was nothing but scum, but that didn't explain why the guy was treating Une this way. He was glad that she was with him. Left to his devices he would have fled a long time ago.
"I don't think that you'd understand the intricacies of this, so I will explain it to you in simple language." Johanne said shortly. Duo winced at the tone. He felt like he should be patted on the head for knowing that two plus two equals four. He snuck a glance at Une, she was beginning to look livid again.
"I may be dumb, but she isn't." Duo said quietly. "Don't think that she isn't going to be able to deal with the legalese. So stop talking down to her. Do you actually think that she's not going to complain about the fact you treated her this way to your Grandfather? She's young but not dumb."
"Duo!" Une exclaimed. "You are not dumb."
"Well I'm not up to anything more then yes and no questions right now. I wouldn't want to plan anything major. And I think after five minutes of him droning about legal stuff I'm gonna be asleep. He's got a rotten voice." Duo said.
"If you just came here to insult me.." Johanne started stiffly,
"You started it," Duo interrupted him. "I haven't seen this much hostility from someone since." Duo's voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. Heero when Wufei dragged me back to the safehouse. And I feel like crap, just like I did then. Nothing changes really
Une leaned over, worried that he was going to pass out or worse. She was reassured when he opened his eyes again and smiled faintly at her. She sighed with relief and patted his hand, worried that if she did anything else he'd start flinching again. Then she turned he full attention to Johanne.
"Read the will. That'll get us out of here and you can sulk after we're gone, I don't know what your problem is but you are not going to last long if you continue to treat clients like this." she snarled at him, totally out of sorts.
Johanne did flinch and started to sweat. Duo just stared at him stonily, wanting to get out of the office and back to the hotel room. Johanne cleared his throat and began to read. " I, Treize Khushrendra, being of sound mind and body do hereby..
blah, blah, blah supplied Duo's tired mind. It's worse then I thought. I' m so tired. I can't focus. Hopefully he'll let Une take a copy and she can let me read it.
Une nudged him back to reality and Duo tried to focus his mind. He really was tired. He tried to focus on what Johanne was saying but it kept slipping away from him. He saw that the guy's mouth was moving, but couldn't understand anything that he was saying. Duo thought he had been speaking English. He blinked slowly when Une waved a hand in front of his eyes.
"Duo. Duo." she said, "Are you okay. I don't think that you've heard a word that he said."
"I heard them," Duo replied dazedly, "Understanding is something else. Can you just get a copy of the important stuff and I'll read it later. I still don't know why I'm here. Have him hand over the letters to me and I'll go back to the cabin."
"Duo," Une said gently as he turned a blank stare to her, "You got half, roughly, less some other bequests and taxes and other legal impediments."
"Half of what?" Duo asked in confusion.
"Half of Treize-sama's estate." Une said.
"S'okay, you can have it." Duo said. "I'd rather gotten him back."
Johanne looked at Duo as if he was insane. Duo knew he was so it didn't bother him. Yeah asshole. Believe it or not I wasn't here for the money. I just want the letters. I want him back. I want hold him again and have him tell me everything will alright. I wanted to be able to start putting my life together, with him. I don't like being left behind again.
"Duo, much as that sounds nice, you can't do that. It's being held in trust for you until you're twenty-one." Une said. "And I got the other half. He was an only child. His parents are dead. He left everything to us."
"Oh." Duo said in a small voice. "Can we go now?" Please Une I am about to lose it and I want to do that in the privacy of a cab or the hotel room. Not in front of this guy.
"Does he understand the seriousness of this?" Johannes asked haughtily.
"No I don't," Duo said sadly, "You opened your mouth and everything just went fuzzy. I'll read it later. Just give me the letters that he left with you and I'll go home. 'Neesan can take care of anything that comes up. I don't care."
"We can go back to the hotel, right after I get a copy of the will and what you wanted, right Mr. Stutgard? You will make a copy of the will and find those letters. Now!" Une ordered.
Stutgard jumped a foot and was out the door before he remembered that this was his office and Une had no right to order him about. He continued going because he did not want to have that woman mad at him. He had heard rumors about her conduct during the war, but didn't believe them. He had thought that the information that he had gotten off of his grandfather, the old fool, would be more accurate. A gentle, kind, submissive woman. Easy to influence, would let him control her decisions about the trust. Not the harridan that he just left breathing flame in his office, demanding things of him. And she was actually friendly with that guttersnipe that Khushrenada had taken up with. Not that he actually approved of those relationships. They were unnatural. And what did Khushrenada see in that pale ghost of a boy?
Stutgard growled at his secretary to make copies of the will, then left to go to his grandfather's office to get the letters. He remembered the day that the general had come into the office to change his will. He had just gotten his position back in the Romafeller organization and everything was looking bright for his future. He had thought it a bit morbid to be making a will, but Khushrenada had insisted. It was a radical change, everything before had been split between Lady Une and Zechs Merquisa. His Grandfather had actually joked with the man about the changes.
"You haven't suddenly gotten smart and decided to settle down with Lady Une. She's a fine figure of a woman. If I was only fifty years younger.." his Grandfather had said.
"I don't think that it would be good." Khushrenada said, regretfully. "If things had gone different, if I was different. But unfortunately I fell for someone with a kind heart and gorgeous pair of violet eyes."
"Sounds like true love." Grandfather had chuckled, "When do I get to meet this woman?"
"I don't think that will be soon, and you know my tastes by now, she's a he." Khushrenada had laughed. "may be after this is all over."
Stutgard was still thinking about this when he picked up the letters that had been left for Duo Maxwell. He should have known that his interests were like that, for even now, months after they had been dropped off, the letters smelled like roses. Stutgard debated whether he should lie and say that he lost them, just to see what reaction he would get out of that ghost in his office. Not that it would matter, he felt that Lady Une would rip the place apart if she thought that it would do any good. The boy probably would just disappear. He snatched the copies that he had asked for out of his secretary's hands, without even a thanks, not noticing her grimace at his rudeness. He marched back into his office and just shoved everything at Lady Une, ignoring Duo entirely. Little guttersnipe should be thankful that he didn't press the point about ID, he had a feeling that the boy wouldn't be able to back up his claim if pressed.
Une sighed at the treatment, but kept silent. She would have a talk with this rude piece of work's grandfather later. Right now she wanted to get Duo back to the hotel. His hands were freezing and he looked terrible.
"Duo we can go now." Une said.
Duo nodded and stood up, starting to walk out the door. Stutgard decided to throw caution to the wind and laid a hand on Duo's shoulder, about to ask him how he had met Treize Khushrenada when he found himself staring at the ceiling and Duo posed above him, his stiffened fingers about to be driven into his throat.
"Don't touch me." Duo whispered, as he started to get up. "I don't like it. And someone grabbing me from behind is a bad thing. Don't forget that."
"Duo," Une said softly. "Lets just get out of here. I'm sorry."
" 'Neesan, it's alright. Bad reaction to people sneaking up behind me." Duo shrugged. "Had it for a long time. Nothing new."
Une nodded sadly and let him walk out the door ahead of her. She did notice that Duo was shaking as he made his way ahead of her, not getting too far away from her. As soon as they left the building Duo fell in beside her, letting Une take care of getting back to the hotel. He was silent on the ride back, just staring out the window. He had stopped shaking halfway back and was just content to let Une take charge.
He didn't speak until they were back into their suite. "What did I miss?"
"Basically?" Une sighed. "You have or will have once you're twenty -one, various investments and rental properties that manage themselves and you don't have to worry about them. An estate in the Russian Territories, a house in the Sank Kingdom, a few other places that were in his family. We have those jointly. A few other odds and ends. And a large income to keep you going, pay for college, whatever you want to do."
"Okay." Duo said numbly. "Can you deal with that?"
"I will, Duo. I just want you to get well now. Is there anything that I can do?"
"Not really. I got to tie up a few things. I have an account or two that I've got to reactivate. I don't want to touch the others." Duo said absently, eyeing the envelope in Une's hand. Nothing so that I can be traced. No one knows that I have these. I set them up while I was in Boston. No one's going to find me unless you tell them.
"Are you going to be okay, Duo?" Une asked. When did I start to worry about him? When he called me 'Neesan, to tease me? Or when he tried to include me in his little vacation with Treize-sama? We did look like a family then. I don't think I ever saw Treize so relaxed, so happy. The two of them just glowed. Or when I realized that beneath that happy exterior there was a frightened child being pulled in too many directions?
"Is that them?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, its them. A couple of letters that he wrote to you while you were separated. He wanted to talk to you, but couldn't. This was the next best thing." Une told him. He missed you. He knew how lonely you were. He was lonely too. I was in a coma and you were out in Space. And we were the only two people that he trusted.
"I'll read them when I get back. I think that it's going to be bad and I don't want you to see that." Duo told her. "I'll go back tomorrow. We can do like some tourist stuff if you like, today."
"I don't think that you're up to that. You shook all the way back here." Une said. "We can just stay here. I don't have to be anywhere. And you look like you are wiped out."
"I could use a nap, but you wanted to do stuff, you said that yesterday."
"That was before I realized how tired you were. And how sick. You do look terrible."
"Thanks a lot 'Neesan, last time I'm nice to you," Duo complained, with a small smile.
"And how much sleep do you get last night?" she asked.
"Not much, but I don't sleep at night, I sleep during the day mostly, the dreams aren't that bad then." Duo said, uncomfortably. Bad dreams, sounds like he was still a kid at the orphanage. He had them there too. And he knew reading those letters were going to be bad, even after a month, it was too raw.
"Une," Duo asked curiously, "Do you think that he had any idea who he was dealing with?"
Une didn't have to ask who he was. She thought for a second. "You know, now that I think of it, I don't think so. You and I did work behind the scenes a lot. As a civilian I don't think that he had any idea who I was. And you." her voice trailed off.
"Was a kid that probably hustled T-chan into this," Duo smiled wistfully. "I did really. God, he was drunk as a skunk and didn't know which way was up. But I was desperate. I thought that if I didn't nail him that time, that they were going to send Quatre or Heero in there. Not good. So I dragged him over to his bed and jumped him. Then poisoned him."
"Duo, you had to do that. You were following orders. He always knew that. And he also knew that he stopped being an impersonal assignment when you sent him those flowers." Une comforted him.
"Well I felt really cheap, you know. I think that's what G wanted me to feel. I turned him down, so I got ordered to do T-chan. And I didn't want him to fell as used as I did. Not T-chan. He was nice about the whole thing. I wouldn't have reacted that well to finding someone in my bed like that."
"Good thing that you didn't stay for the morning after. Treize-sama was throwing up for hours. He couldn't keep anything down. I thought that it was because of his drinking, but we found out later that it was something else.
He stopped drinking though. And he had the oddest smile on his face, between dashing off to the toilet. He kept muttering that it was worth it. Then those roses arrived." Une smiled at the memory. "He was overwhelmed. He shook his head and just pocketed the note. But he kept them in his room as long as they lasted. I think that he dried one of them, I find him just staring at them for the rest of the day and shaking his head. I had no idea what was going on."
"He deserved them. He needed someone to be nice to him. Not that you weren't, but he needed something that you weren't ever going to give him." Duo said, his eyes tearing up. He started to blink them rapidly and hoped that he wasn't going to start bawling like a baby. He needed another cup of coffee, and just wanted to sit.
"I understand Duo." Une said going over to give him a hug. "We were like siblings more then anything. I think you were what he needed, a kind soul that understood all the horror that Treize-sama caused, because of his position in OZ."
"No more horror then I did. The people whose lives I ruined because of what I did. How many people I affected because I killed someone that they loved. The war and my actions just didn't destroy soldiers but their families. I hated myself at times." Duo said. "I still do."
"Duo, it's not all your fault, you were sucked into that mess due to circumstances beyond your control. Feel guilty, there are things that I did that I don't want to remember, that I don't even want to admit that I did, but never let it ruin your life."
"I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises." Duo said, returning the hug.
"Counseling would be good, but I understand if you don't want to see anyone now." Une said. "If I didn't realize that it would do more harm then good, I'd insist that you stay with me. I was serious about that. You look like hell, you should let Sally Po take care of you"
"I don't want to. I know that I should. I can't talk about it. I don't want people to know, as foolish as it sounds. Another stupid thing that Duo did, getting caught by his lover's, the-enemy-general-that-we-were-supposed-to-kill, crazy ex. Very smart of him."
"Oh Duo, it's not your fault. Zechs was crazy. And he hurt you because of that." Une comforted him. "Not because of what you did or what you were. He had the problem not you. And he's dead so he can't hurt you anymore."
"Then why do I still wake up screaming?" Duo asked, burying his head in her shoulder.
End Part 3
Christine
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