Title: Start Me Up - 15/20?
Author: tkmaxwell777
Category: Shonen Ai/Yaoi/Shoujo Ai/Yuri
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, Angst, Language, and Sap
Archived: Yep! Thanks Lev
TK Maxwell Original Christian and Yaoi Fiction at: http://writing.com/authors/tkmaxwell
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. Bandai, Sotsu, Sunrise, and the original Japanese creators do. This story is a parody of their defined universe and is in no way an official continuation of the original story. I consider all underage characters engaging in sexual activity to be Emancipated Minors or the social equivalent under military service. This story is for entertainment purposes only. It is a fantasy and should not be read as a realistic representation of actual romantic relationships. Content is not intended to condone or condemn any of the lifestyles or viewpoints portrayed through the characters. I make no money at this. I write only for the pleasure of feedback!
"Wufei! Wait!" Zechs yelled into the phone, but he only received a dial tone in response. Cursing, he clicked back to Anne on the other line. "Anne, you still there?"
"Yes. What's going on?"
Zechs closed his eyes. "Heero just got hit by a car at the track. Wufei saw it happen and hung up before I could tell him about Treize."
"Oh, no, Zechs," the woman replied, horror evident in her voice, "I was too late. I should have stopped in the hotel lobby and used the phone instead of trying on the cell..."
"No, Anne. It's not your fault. Wufei still wouldn't have arrived in time. He'd just made it there when it happened," he reassured her even as he was trying to decide what to do. "Listen, I'm sure they'll take Heero over to Mercy Medical, so you need to get to the hospital and tell everyone what you overheard."
"What are you going to be doing?" Anne asked, rather expectedly.
Zechs frowned. "I'm going to pay a visit to your husband."
Anne sighed. "Be careful, Zechs. You don't know what he's capable of doing."
"Actually, I do," Zechs replied darkly, "but I'm going to be prepared for it."
They said their good-byes and Zechs hung up. He quickly pulled on his shoes as he thought about how glad he was that he'd made up his mind to call Wufei to invite him to dinner tomorrow night. Of course, they had more pressing matters now to deal with, but because Zechs had reached out, he would be able to help his friends instead of being excluded this time around. As he grabbed his wallet and hotel card key, he began sorting through the facts. First of all, Treize was obvious responsible for this since Anne had heard the man plan the hit-and-run. Secondly, Treize was trying to cover his tracks so he couldn't be implicated. Even though he had threatened Duo openly, there were no witnesses to that conversation. Using Anne's room to place the call and trying to find an alibi for the time the accident was scheduled was also an indication of his guilt. Zechs knew he had to get Treize to confess. Having come to a decision, the blond dialed a number he hadn't called in years and hoped his friend was still there.
"Detective Brandenburg speaking," came the terse greeting from the other end of the line.
Zechs smiled. "Hey, Otto. It's Milliardo. I know it's been a long time, but I need a favor."
Duo grumbled as he fished his ringing cell phone out of his pocket. "Duo here."
"Duo? It's Wufei..."
Duo rolled his eyes. He couldn't wait to hear the reasons for the mechanic's delay in getting there. "Chang, you'd better have a good excuse..."
"Duo, listen to me," Wufei interrupted, "you have to get out front..."
Even though Duo was very anxious to expand his and Heero's sexual relationship, he had only been mildly irritated before at Wufei being so late. The Chinese mechanic's sudden disregard about the car, however, was not something he could tolerate. "I'm not leaving Wing, Wufei," Duo argued, getting angry. "Get your ass in here..."
"Fuck the car, Maxwell! Heero just got ran over outside the track!"
Duo went cold. "What? What are you...?"
"I got here just in time to see a blue sedan aim right for him, Duo. Get out here! The ambulance should be..."
Duo dropped the phone and began running towards the gate. His senses supplied him with the most inane details of his surroundings - the radio blasting in the bay, the lights flickering from the garage, and the door left wide open for anyone to walk inside - as his mind tried to keep from thinking about Heero lying on the pavement outside. He'd just seen him not five minutes ago. How could something like this have happened in such a short amount of time? As he gained the street outside he began frantically looking around, and then spotted Wufei kneeling by the fence a few feet away. Duo's feet took him in that direction without any prompting.
His violet eyes took in the form of his lover, crumpled on the concrete, and he fell to his knees beside Wufei, shaking uncontrollably. "Heero? Heero?"
"He's unconscious, Duo," Wufei said gently, placing a hand on Duo's arm when the braided mechanic tried to reach for him. "We can't move him. There might be internal damage."
Duo looked at Wufei like he was speaking another language. "I can't...?" he began but couldn't finish the sentence. So many things were going through his mind; it was all a muddle. "I need to hold him, 'Fei. I got to hold Solo right before he died. I need to hold Heero, one more time, please, just in case... I need to..."
"Stop it, Maxwell!" Wufei said, grabbing Duo's shoulders to make him look at him. "Heero is not going to die. You have to get a hold of yourself. He needs you to be his support right now, and falling apart is not going to help him!"
Duo heard the sound of sirens in the distance, and it seemed to break through his panic, helping him to focus. "You have to call Quatre. He's listed as Heero's Power of Attorney. He may have to authorize treatment."
Wufei nodded and began dialing. Duo took a deep breath and moved closer to the man he loved. He reached out, mindful of Wufei's warning to not disturb his injuries. As his hand touched Heero's shoulder, Duo's fear suddenly melted into anger. "Not this time," he whispered, his voice ragged as he fought back the sobs, refusing to give into the emotions coursing through him. He leaned forward until his lips were almost brushing Heero's. "You listen to me, Yuy. You told me that you weren't going anywhere without me. Just minutes ago, you said it. Don't you go breaking your word, man, or I'm going to be highly pissed at you. You have to stay alive for me, koibito. You have to. I can't lose you, Heero. You hear me? You can dance in the thunderstorms all you want, but you can't let the lightning take you away from me, you understand? You have to hold on. Please..."
The ambulance arrived and Wufei passed the phone to one of the paramedics so Quatre could tell them it was all right to give Heero any medical treatment needed until he could get to the hospital. Duo watched them transfer Heero onto a backboard before placing him on the gurney. When they began loading Heero, Duo started to get in.
"I'm sorry, but if you're not family, you can't ride along," one the medics said to him.
Duo looked at him and several things went through his mind that he could say. 'I'm his mechanic', 'I'm his best friend', 'I'm his lover', 'I'm his soul mate' were all descriptions of their relationship, but he knew none of them would be enough. "I'm his... cousin... by adoption. The closest thing to family that he has." It wasn't a lie... exactly.
The man gave him a doubtful look, but he nodded anyway. "Get in."
Duo turned to Wufei and spoke quickly, "Call Howard. I don't know where he is, but try his cell."
"Don't worry," Wufei reassured him, "I'll call everyone else. Just go."
Duo hopped inside the ambulance beside Heero. As the doors closed, he looked over at the medic as he worked. He wanted to ask questions, but knew he'd only be interfering if he did. Instead, he reached out and took the Japanese driver's hand, holding it tightly in his own. The gash on Heero's forehead had been immediately covered in a gauze pad, but blood was seeping through it rapidly.
The medic hooked up an IV and heart monitor, then began taking blood pressure when he yelled out, "Damn it! His BP is dropping."
Duo gave him a fearful look as the man radioed into the hospital to have the ER on standby for surgery even as he pulled out a needle and administered medication. The man turned back to him. "He must have some internal bleeding. I'm giving him something to try to stabilize... shit!" He yelled as the heart monitor redlined.
Duo felt his own heart skip a beat as the medic ripped off Heero's shirt, pulling out paddles to begin defibrillation. The braided mechanic sat there feeling helpless. There wasn't anything he could do... "Hey, squeeze the bag at his IV," the medic told him as he placed the paddles on Heero's chest. "The plasma is his only chance to make it."
Duo did what the man said, pumping the bag to force the life-giving liquid into his lover's body as he began pleading with him. "Please, 'Ro," he said, uncaring of the other man in the vehicle. "Please... don't leave me! I love you! Please... I can't... 'Ro..." His voice broke off in a sob as he continued squeezing the bag, trying to keep from completely breaking down. "Please..."
The jolt from the paddles shook Heero's body, but Duo held onto his hand firmly, refusing to let go as the medic battled to bring his patient back. "Come on, buddy," the man said as he jolted him again. "You got people who care about you. Don't give up."
The monitor blipped back to life as the third jolt was administered. Duo watched the medic grab another shot and inject it. "Is he...?"
"Weak, but no longer in arrest. We're almost to the hospital now."
Duo nodded, some of the tension going out of him. He turned his attention back to Heero, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "You promised me, Heero Yuy. Don't you dare go anywhere without me. You promised, and I'm holding you to it. It's not your time, Heero. You can't go yet."
"Heero Yuy? The racecar driver?" The other man asked incredulously.
Duo winced and pulled away reluctantly. "Yeah. He'd just left the track when he was hit."
The man continued to check Heero's vitals, but then he paused. "Wait a minute..." His brown eyes looked at Duo more closely. "Cousins, my ass! You're that mechanic that he's involved with!"
"Would you believe 'kissing cousins'?" Duo offered sheepishly. When he received a derisive snort in response, he sighed heavily. "Okay, maybe not, but my uncle took him in, and Heero calls him Ojisan, which means uncle in Japanese, so technically, what I said was true... in a round about kind of way..."
The medic shook his head as he pulled a blanket over the Japanese patient. "Well, that may be, but it doesn't really give you the clearance to be here." He gave Duo an appraising look. "Still, I can understand you wanting to be with him. Since you rode with him after he wrecked that one time, I guess it doesn't make any difference now, right?"
"Yeah." Duo replied absently. He then looked up at the man responsible for saving Heero's life up to that point. "Thank you for..."
"Just doing my job, kid." The man interrupted him smoothly.
Duo smiled at him. "Then I think you need a raise, buddy."
The man chuckled, but before he could reply, they arrived at the hospital. It was a flurry of activity then, and Duo was soon standing in the ER waiting room, watching as Heero was wheeled away into surgery. His only thought was that Heero had to stay alive.
His soul wouldn't survive if it lost its mate.
Howard walked into the diner, looking around casually. It was getting pretty late, and although he'd already eaten with the crew after the race, he wouldn't have missed this 'dinner date' for all the whiskey in Ireland. He spotted the familiar red hair of the person he was meeting and smiled before walking over to the table. He'd pocketed his sunglasses, and anyone could have seen the affection shining in his gray eyes as he stopped at the booth.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked playfully.
A woman in her late forties looked up at him through her chic reading glasses. "Yes, I'm meeting someone," she replied, a small smile on her face.
Howard raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, maybe he won't come, and you can spend the night with me," he stated dryly. "I'm sure I'm a much better choice. He's probably some old codger who doesn't know how to show a lady a good time. You seem to be too vivacious for someone so... bland."
Bright laughter reached his ears as she looked at him with warm brown eyes. "He is an old codger, but he's definitely not bland. Sit down, Maxwell, before I have to smack you around."
Howard leaned over and kissed the woman on the cheek before following her directions. "How are you Charlie? You certainly look good."
She shook her head, smirking at him. "Howie, you're the only man in the world that can get by with calling me that."
Howard winked. "That's not true, and you know it. Duo does it too. Of course, we Maxwell's just have a way about us. I seriously doubt you'll find any decent competition for my affections, Charlie, my girl."
Charlie snorted. "Don't get so cocky, fly boy. Although you're my favorite diversion, there are new test pilots every day looking for a few laps."
Howard just laughed. He had met Charlotte Matthews when Duo had first been adopted by Howard's brother. Charlotte had been Duo's caseworker, and Howard had worked with her to take over custody of Duo after the boy's adoptive family had died. Charlotte had been an anchoring presence in the older man's life ever since. Even though he was her senior by about fifteen years, they had been involved for the past few years, and he never failed to see her when their schedules permitted.
"I'm glad you managed to get your vacation for the next two weeks," Howard said as he grabbed a menu.
"Me too. My workload has been insane," the redhead admitted as she looked at the daily specials list. "So, how's my Duo? He seemed do be doing pretty well when I saw him on the tube last week."
Howard sighed. "Well, he's in love."
Charlie's eyes flew from the menu to Howard's face. "In love? Really? Who is she?"
Howard smiled. "You mean, who is he?"
"He?" Charlie asked, obviously shocked for a moment before she recovered. "Okay, who is *he* then?"
"Heero Yuy, our driver. Didn't you see the press conference at the hospital a few weeks ago?"
Charlie shook her head. "No, I must have missed that one. Been working at home on the weekends to catch up."
The waitress came up to them then and they gave her their orders. Once that was out of the way, Howard waited for the woman who had been like an Aunt to his nephew to continue her questioning. He wasn't disappointed.
"So, Duo's really happy? And why were you at the hospital? He wasn't hurt was he?"
"Heero was in an accident," Howard explained. "Duo ran out onto the track without thinking how it would look for them to be clinging to each other in the middle of the infield. The press decided to find out exactly what the hell was going on and followed us to the hospital."
"Oh my," Charlie said, "I bet that wasn't too pleasant."
Howard snorted. "No, but I think it was for the best. Both of them have been more relaxed about showing their affections in public. Duo needs that kind of reassurance, especially after the crash."
"Poor boy," Charlie said, a maternal look on her face. "Must be so hard for him to have fallen for a driver, but I figured it was bound to happen considering his job. I'd thought he might get together with that Hilde girl though."
Howard shook his head. "No. He and Hilde are good friends, but nothing more. Heero though... well, he's really special, Charlie," he assured her. "He hasn't had anyone to care about him since his mother died, and we've become his family now. He loves Duo more than anything."
The redhead smiled. "Seems you're quite fond of him too. That's good. My boy deserves the best!"
Their conversation was interrupted when Howard's cell phone rang. Sighing at never being able to find a moment to himself, he pressed the talk key. "Howard speaking."
"Howard? It's Wufei."
"Yeah, Chang. What's up?"
"There's been an accident," the voice on the other end of the line began, "Heero was hit by a car leaving the track."
Howard felt his heart lurch. "What? How in the world..."
"You need to get to Mercy. Duo went with him, but I don't know how long he's going to be able to handle this on his own. Heero is pretty bad off... and Duo looked pretty shaken up when the ambulance pulled away."
Howard closed his eyes. Of all the things to have happened... "I'm leaving now. See you there." He quickly disconnected the call and looked back at his date. "Charlie, Heero was just involved in a hit-and-run."
"Oh no," she gasped. "How bad?"
Howard stood and motioned for her to join him. "Bad. Duo is at the hospital alone. We have to get there."
Charlie nodded, following him as he went to the counter, paid for their drinks, and apologized for their departure. They left the diner and hailed a cab. Once they were on their way, she looked over at her long-time friend and lover, reaching out her hand to take his as she spoke. "It will be all right, Howard. Duo is stronger than you think."
Howard gave her a haunted look. "I know, but I'm not just thinking about him this time. I love Heero too, Charlie. I don't know if I can take losing another nephew..." his voice choked on the last word.
Charlie pulled him into a hug, letting him cling to her for support. "I know. I know. All we can do is hope."
Howard could only pray hoping would be enough.
Anne made her way into the ER waiting area. She spotted Duo easily and took a moment to take in his appearance. He was sitting in one of the chairs, his head in his hands, looking like he was about to collapse. She hurried over to him, knowing that she had to offer what bit of comfort she could. "Duo?"
The braided mechanic looked up at her, his face clearly showing his grief. "Anne? What are you doing here?"
"I was on hold with Zechs when he was talking with Wufei... when the accident happened. When Wufei hung up, Zechs got back on with me and told me about it. I got here as soon as I could."
Duo nodded. "They took him into surgery. I don't know... we almost lost him on the way. There are internal injuries, but they don't know exactly where... I just..." Duo clenched his fists as he closed his eyes. "He was unconscious, so I couldn't even say goodbye... I just sat there, babbling to him, saying anything I thought would keep him with me..." His voice faded off.
Anne sat down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Duo. Heero is strong. He's going to make it. You have to believe that."
Duo swallowed before looking at her. "Why? Why did this have to happen?"
Anne thought about waiting until everyone else arrived, but looking into those tortured violet depths, she knew she had to tell him. "Because my soon-to-be ex-husband is a bastard, that's why."
Duo froze, crazy speculations and half-formed ideas that had been in his mind finding some order. "What?"
Anne forced herself to maintain eye contact. "I overhead Treize making the arrangements for the accident tonight, Duo. He didn't know I had come into the hotel room while he was on the phone. As soon as I realized what he was doing, I got out of there and called Zechs." She looked away then. "I'm sorry... we were too late. Zechs didn't have time to tell Wufei to keep Heero at the track before the accident happened."
Duo just sat there for a moment. When he spoke, his voice held a bitter edge to it. "He threatened Heero while talking to me last week, but I was sure that he was going to try something with Wing, so we've been guarding the stupid car day and night. I never considered any other way for him to hurt Heero." Anne watched as fear turned into a quiet rage. "Where the fuck is Treize now?"
"Probably still at the hotel," she replied evenly. "Zechs is on his way there now to confront him."
Duo furrowed his brows. "He shouldn't be going alone. There's no telling what that bastard might do..."
Anne shrugged. "Zechs told me that he knew what to expect. All we can do is trust him."
The braided mechanic shook his head, his anger deflating. "Not like I can leave anyway." He sighed heavily. "I just wish they'd tell me something! He's been in surgery for the past half-hour."
"If he went into surgery, it will probably take them at least a couple of hours, Duo. Especially, if he was hurt seriously," she reassured him.
"We were going to go all the way tonight," he whispered suddenly. For a moment, Anne didn't think he'd meant to say it aloud, but then he continued as if it was nothing for him to be telling her such intimate details of their relationship. "It was going to be the perfect way to celebrate winning the championship."
Anne put her arm around him, feeling her own heart ache. She could remember when new love had spun its magical web around her heart, making every encounter a moment to be cherished. "There will be time for that, Duo. Heero knows what he has to live for. I don't think he's going to give up that easily."
Violet eyes sought her brown ones. "What if... what if it's true... what they said about me?"
Anne frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He looked away. "Not many people know about it, but... when Solo died, there was a reporter that printed a story about me. You see, before I came to be with the Maxwell's, I lived in a orphanage." His voice became husky. "It burned to the ground the day after I was adopted. The kids made it out alive, but the woman who had run the place didn't." Duo took a breath. "The reporter said that it seemed so tragic... that death followed me wherever I went. Said that my parents were the next victims of my curse, then my brother. I... I couldn't even go to the track for weeks after I read the article..."
"Oh, Duo," Anne said softly, pulling him to her so his head rested on her shoulder. "No. It's not true. Sometimes bad things happen to people. There's no understanding why at the time, maybe not ever, but it doesn't mean that it's their fault. Not matter what has happened you were never to blame. You've had more than your fair share of grief, but I don't think that God would let something happen that would break you the way Heero's death would."
Duo snorted. "God and I weren't on speaking terms until recently. Maybe He's pissed that I took so long to ask Him for Heero's protection."
"Maybe He's just fulfilling your prayer. For all you know, Heero could have been in a fatal wreck next week, and maybe this was the only way that God could work it out so he could avoid it." Anne smiled as Duo sat back and gave her a shocked look. "We don't know the whole plan, Duo. All we can do is try to keep the faith and trust God to do the rest."
The braided boy seemed to think about that for a minute before he slouched back into his chair. "So, in other words, I have to do now what I do every time he slides into Wing."
"If that's what lets you believe, then yes," she replied with certainty. "What do you usually do?"
"This." Duo whispered as he closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross, his hand going to his necklace without any conscious thought. "I commit my lover to You, Oh Mighty Giver of the Storm. Grant him the grace to dance amidst the flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and drops of rain without harm. Allow him the freedom to find peace within the chaos of Your savage beauty. Let him find the will to return to me as my heart reaches out to his, soul mates in the dance even when we're apart, our spirits flying on the wind together as he touches the elements for me so I can feel the wonder of the storm through him. Protect him as he faces danger so he can be the man that he is and become the one he's meant to be. In Your name, I pray. Amen."
Anne wiped away her tears before she even felt them on her face. "That's... beautiful."
Duo looked at her, his violet eyes shining with unshed tears of his own. "I've prayed it at every race since the accident. I needed something to hold onto, and the prayer helps. Heero deserves no less than the freedom to fly."
She sighed. "If you love something, set it free, and if it returns then it's yours to keep?"
Duo grinned back at her. "Not exactly. More like... when it returns, be glad that you have it for what time it's yours. No one really belongs to each other completely. There will always be a part of us that belongs only to storm. It's the price we pay for dancing."
"Did Heero tell you that?" Anne inquired, amazed at such a beautiful concept. Who would have thought a young mechanic would have such insight? She was stunned when he answered her, a sweet smile on his face.
"He didn't have to. It's just something I learned from touching the lightning through him. I... I guess I just needed to be reminded of it now." He patted her hand. "Thank you... for doing that."
"You're welcome," Anne replied softly as she sat back in her chair, feeling something settle inside her heart. She wanted to tell him that she hadn't done anything but listen, but something made her keep silent. She watched as the braided mechanic visibly calmed. His eyes lost some of their fretful motion as his face took on a more relaxed look. She watched as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, the stress finally catching up with him. When his light snoring met her ears, she simply smiled and closed her own eyes wearily.
It would be a while before she would be able to touch the lightning again, but maybe when she did, she would find peace in the storm as well. God knew she'd missed dancing for far too long now. Perhaps there would be someone to fly on the wind with her then. She offered up her own prayer to the 'Giver of the Storm', asking that Duo's partner be returned to him to dance another time. With that done, she sat there watching over the braided boy beside her, marveling at the power of love and the beauty of understanding the one you loved.
She would never take either one of those things for granted again.
End Part 15
(:./tk/start15)
