25-May-2000
I was going to wait to post the end, but I'm not cruel ^_^
Notes: It's been a while in coming, but here's the end. I'm going to miss this story, I
think; thank you, with deepest and warmest affection, to everyone who followed this fic
and replied with comments/criticisms and the occasional bit of glowing praise (which got
printed and framed for my wall... hee hee) and deep apologies to the 1x2 fans.
Feedback: always appreciated
Disclaimers: I do not own nor do I profit by borrowing the G-boys
"A dream?" Heero repeated dumbly. "I--I felt him die. I could smell the blood! You're telling me that the whole I was just--dreaming?"
The doctor with the metallic glasses nodded patiently. "I'm afraid that's all it was," he said,making a note on the tablet in front of him. "A waking dream. It's not uncommon in people with your disorder."
Duo was pale from lack of sleep and from drinking too much coffee trying to stay awake to watch over his best friend. Sally held him like a little boy in a nearby chair, but he refused to sleep; his eyes were wide and worried as he watched from where his head lay on her shoulder.
Odin stood beside the hospital bed with his arm around Heero's shoulders. "You're telling me my son has--what? Split personalities?"
"It's too early to say for certain that it's anything that drastic," insisted the second doctor, a small man with an ugly, enlongated nose. "It could be nothing more than a severely overwrough imagination, combined with chemical imbalances. Some of the early results of our tests point to a lack of certain proteins in the nervous system."
Heero interposed softly, "I don't understand."
Dr. Jay, the taller of the two, replied. "If it *is* as simple as what it appears to be, Heero, then what we're saying is that we can fix it. There are varying treatments we can try, to restore the balance of your body... and I'd recommend, strongly, that you see a pyschiatrist, for your own benefit."
Heero frowned. "I don't want to see a pyschiatrist. They fool with your head."
"I'd say, in your case, young man, that you need someone to talk to about this. If you don't chose to follow their advice, that's your business; we certainly can't make you. But consider that if nothing else, telling someone, rather than trying to keep it all inside and figure it out for yourself, might make you feel better. That's largely what you need. We can fix your body. It's up to you to fix your mind, because no one can do it without your help."
He looked uncertainly at his parents.
Odin frowned, troubled. "Could you please give us some time alone?" he asked at last. The doctors nodded, and removed themselves.
Duo stood, too, and went to the bed to embrace Heero. They held each other tightly, and Heero hated himself for bringing the trembling to his friend's thin form, the feverish look of fear to his violet eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and hated how inadequate that sounded.
Duo kissed him on the forehead. "I know, Heero. Me, too. I should have done something earlier."
Wufei finally moved, emerging from his almost unnoticeable spot in the corner to take Duo's hand. "Come on," he murmured. "They need to be a family right now, Duo."
Heero watched them go, his throat constricted. Sally took him in her arms, and Odin held them both. "We'll fix this," Heero heard his father say. "We love you, son. No matter what, we're sticking together on this, and we'll be here for you. Don't blame yourself. We'll fix this."
He closed his eyes.
Duo set the plate on Wufei's placemat, and mumbled around the silverware clenched between his teeth where to find pepper and salt. He nearly slipped giving Quatre his tray, and only a sharp move from Trowa rescued the other dishes. Grinning around the spare forks proved to be a mistake, too, and sheepishly Duo bent to pick them up, before retreating back to the kitchen to get clean ones.
Sally, trying very hard and unsuccessfully not to smile at his antics, handed him several. Odin wasn't even bothering to hide his laughing, as he dropped the last burnt-out match into the sink and picked up the cake.
Duo flicked the lights out as he passed them, and held the door for Odin as he carefully entered the dining room with the cake platter. He gestured fiercely at the others to join him, and sung with every considerable bit of lung-power at his command.
"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you--"
Odin set the cake on the table, and sung along good-naturedly as he ruffled the dark head bending over to blow out the candles. Sally snapped a couple of pictures.
"Happy Birthday, dear Heero--"
Duo sucked in a huge breath and shouted, horribly off-key and to a chorus of groans and laughter, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
Heero closed his eyes, and made a wish.
The lights came back on, and Sally helped her son cut the cake as Duo ran back to the table and ensconced himself in Wufei's lap. Catherine teased a blushing Quatre by smearing a fingers-worth of icing on his pert nose, and Trowa leaned over to make some remark to Relena, who giggled and agreed.
Heero glanced at his mother. "Now?" he asked.
Sally nodded. "Go ahead, Heero." She kissed his forehead, ignored the way he automatically wiped away her lipstick mark, and called for everyone's attention. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the rowdy group quieted.
Heero stood. "First, thanks for coming," he began. He hesitated, looking out at their expectant faces. Finally his eyes met Wufei's. The Chinese boy, his arms wrapped around Duo's waist and his chin resting on the braided boy's shoulder, winked at him.
That made Heero smile.
More confidently, he continued. "This isn't really just my birthday party. I mean, it is, but it's for something else, two something elses. The first is that I was accepted to the early graduate program at La Grange University." Quatre, who had pushed Heero to send his application, led the cheers.
"Wait a second," Heero said, loud enough to be heard over the noise. Once more, his friends quieted. "I got accepted," Heero finished, "but I turned them down."
"Why?" Catherine demanded, confused.
Heero glanced at his mother for support. Sally smiled as she softly explained, "He wants to finish the year with all you."
Heero blushed as they cheered again--much more loudly this time. He hurried to get in his second announcement. "Dr. Jay says I'm done with therapy. Officially done. I haven't had a dream in almost a year, and he thinks I can start cutting back on the medication, too."
Odin proudly clapped his son on the shoulder. "In other words," he added, "our boy is cured."
Tears in his eyes, Duo sprang up and ran to Heero, nearly knocking him over backwards by leaping to hug him. Laughter accompanied the raucous applause from his other friends.
Later, Wufei found Heero perched on the edge of a streamer-and-confetti strewn couch, talking to Trowa. Sensing a private moment, the green-eyed boy politely excused himself, saying something about a third slice of cake; Wufei took his place on the cushions and lifted his soda pop. "A toast," he proposed.
Heero obediently lifted his own glass. "To what?"
"To freedom. All kinds."
Heero smiled. "Freedom." They clinked their glasses, and drank. Slowly Wufei settled back. He glanced around the room, and automatically his eyes settled on Duo.
Heero followed his gaze, and nudged Wufei's shoulder. "He seems happy," he noted.
"Happy for you," Wufei offered. "You scared him, you know. I think you couldn't have said anything more thrilling to him than 'I'm cured.'"
"He's a good friend."
"The best friend."
Possibly Duo sensed their eyes on him, or maybe he was already trying to find them in the garishly decorated room. He smiled when he saw them watching him, and lifted his hand to his mouth, blowing a kiss.
And it didn't matter to either boy which one of them it was meant for.
The End
(:./erin/rising18)
