01-Jan-2003
Title: Magic Happens Epilogue
Author: Ebonydove
Archive: aenai.steelsong.com
Warnings: language, lots of sap, slight angst, yaoi. Also wanted to mention that I have taken great liberties with Duo's past, so for you purists out there... don't hang me.
Spoilers: none
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: still not making any money off anything here...
Story: Heero & Duo are on the run from a group out to destroy Relena and Quatre's hard work for the peace process and fair trade policies in the colonies.
Author's note: Feedback craved more than chocolate covered Duo's... well not really, but it's a close second. ><
I was concentrating on the gentle rustling of the trees at the far end of the field as the late spring breeze swept through them, so when something tickled my elbow it gave me a little start which in turn woke him up too. I opened my eyes to see Lucky stretching lazily from the spot near my elbow where she had been napping with us and took the time to watch the full, soft grass sway back and forth around her dark furry feet. "Hey baby girl... you done with our nap all ready, huh? Are you hungry sweetie?"
"You spoil her." Heero chided as he sat up and reached into the basket. He tore the corner off a piece of cheese and fed it to her, then proceeded to crawl over the top of me to take a swig from my soda. We heard a soft mew and looked over to see her sitting quite obviously expecting another tidbit from him.
I laughed as I watched him finally relent and give her another piece. "You should talk. You're as bad as Wufei. I think she's gained five pounds while being at his place. Do you know that he actually made her homemade treats while he watched her for us?"
"Now if only I could get to do the same." He said as he fed me a piece next. "You're still thin as a rail. You don't seem to be adding any weight on since leaving the hospital, even with all my gourmet cooking."
"Orange jello doesn't constitute as gourmet, Heero. Just thinking about it makes me want to spew. But the take out food has been very good." I laughed rolling over onto my stomach and plucked a few long tuffs of grass from the ground to sprinkle onto Heero's chest. He batted my hand away and put some daisies in my hair.
Lucky sauntered away thoroughly disgusted with us, and I assumed, went in search of her next toy. I just hoped it wasn't any bigger than she was. Heero ran his fingers through the hair at the base of my neck as I watched her pounce a leaf a few feet away and spoke quietly in my ear. "I didn't think that Wufei was going to let us take her."
"I know. Thank god Relena brought him that Siamese kitten to make him feel better once he actually gave in and let us come get her. Who knew Wu-kitten was such a big animal lover and would miss her so much?" I laughed as he poked me in the ribs for the pet name I had recently given to Wufei that made him absolute cringe.
"I think it is good for Relena to have someone to look after as well."
"I can't believe how well those two have been getting along. It's... scary." I chuckled lightly as sat up and began to nibble on Heero's ear. It didn't take much to get him to tackle me. And even less to get him aroused enough to roll over on top of me. He pushed my bangs out of my eyes and looked at me thoughtfully for several long moments in between butterfly soft kisses before speaking. I had been expecting something sappy, so what he said kinda killed the growing mood.
"Are you happy here, Duo? I mean, are you sure this is enough?"
I gave him a long suffering sigh. "More than I'll ever be able to explain to you. But if I need to, I will tell you again, and again, and as many times as it takes to convince you that I'm happy with you. No matter where we are."
"But you're content? You don't miss working for the Preventers? Or Hilde and her new husband on L2?"
"Do you miss the Preventers, or deadlines, or phone calls at two in the morning?" I countered. I was trying to approach the conversation from a different angle instead of just repeating the same thing I had been saying for days. It just seemed that it wasn't sinking in for him.
"No. I like our new life. I like just... living here with you." He kissed me softly and then rolled off me and over onto his side where he plucked even more grass from the rapidly balding spot on the ground beside our blanket.
"Then why do you keep bringing it up?" We had talked at great length about leaving the Preventers organization and I for one hadn't regretted it one bit. I know Wufei was disappointed and tried to convince us of all the reasons we should stay on, even as consultants, but in the end I think he knew that it was time to move on and make a new life that had nothing to do with what we had been doing before.
Heero and I had plenty to do with the new house, and I took on a small job in the closest town as a mechanic. Heero did financial consulting from a home office on the first floor of our new home and was able to keep us living comfortably off the revenue he made. Even Relena helped by giving us the means to furnish the house and make the repairs to it. She had been very generous when we left the city and the Preventers to live out in the middle of no-where, and let us choose all the colors and styles to make our home truly 'our place'.
The idea of a home with Heero still gave me goose bumps when I thought about it. Even my scruffy little cat from L2 seemed like she was still adjusting to her newfound lifestyle. It was like waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under our feet. But then I'd see the light as it chased the shadows across the floor in the kitchen or smell the clean, fresh air that drifted in from the windows smelling like the wildflowers in the yard, and when I closed my eyes those things didn't disappear. It became even more vibrant and real with each day and gave me such a sense of calm; I don't think I'd ever take for it granted. And even though I missed the hum and rattle of the colony in its own ways, I was more content in our little house, with my little ordinary job, and with the one person I fought death one more than one occasion to be with, than I had ever been anywhere else.
"Duo? Where did you go just now?"
I blinked away the moisture that had been beginning to swell in my eyes and kissed the tip of Heero's nose, instantly seeing the frown he had been wearing disappear like it had never been. "Nowhere very far from you, love."
"Ready to head in?" He said with a little waggle of his eyebrows and grinning evilly.
"Absolutely." I gave him a long, slow kiss that melted into something... warm and rich and divinely provocative and was rewarded with a tiny growl before he pulled us to our feet.
The sky began to turn dusky shades of mauve and blue as the sun started to go down, so we packed up our picnic and grab-assed all the way back to the house. Lucky followed shortly behind us; acting more like a dog than the skinny little feline she was, and as I held the screen door open for her on the porch I wondered just how she would deal if I brought home a puppy for Heero. He'd always wanted one, even if he didn't mention it often.
I set the basket on the table and began putting away the perishables as Heero folded up the blanket and began locking things down for the evening, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted it high up in the corner to my right. I repressed a slight shiver and watched it spin its delicate web in the crook where the wall and ceiling met for several minutes before I even realized I was.
"What are you staring at?" Heero asked as he came up from behind me and wrapped his arms around my chest and kissed my neck.
"Just a spider."
"Do you want me to get rid of it?" He said suddenly serious.
"No. Wufei told me that a brown spider like that in a new home is good luck."
"Then I guess she stays."
"I suppose she does." I turned around in Heero's arms and willed the shaking in my hands to stop.
"It's all right, Duo. You don't need to be strong for me." He said sincerely as he took my hands in his.
It had been weighing on my mind for some time after coming back home with Heero and I finally decided to ask him. "W-what ever happened to him, Heero?"
He gave me a very level look and sighed. "It's been resolved."
"I know that it's been resolved. Wufei said that he took care of it personally, but... how was it resolved?"
"Is it really going to make things better if I told you what happened?"
"I dunno." I shrugged and looked away from his piercing blue stare. "Maybe?"
He sighed and paced over to the sink. Filling a glass with water, he took a sip then came back to stand in front of me again. "Wufei said that he had a terrible accident on the way to the Preventers holding facility. Apparently he fell out of the car and into a six foot ditch and broke his neck."
"How the hell did he fall out of a locked Preventer's vehicle into a ditch? And wasn't he being escorted by Wufei and Trowa?"
He looked at me plainly and shrugged. "He was trying to escape. Said he couldn't be put in a cage like an animal."
"They didn't... do anything to help him fall out... did they?"
"No." He stood up and wrapped his arms around me. "They would never kill in cold blood, even if they wanted to and even if I wanted them to. It was just a fluke accident."
"Oh."
"Do you feel any better?"
"Not really... no." I thought maybe I would. Even when we found out that I hadn't been... molested... in any way by him, I still had wished him dead. We all did. Trowa was very vocal about how much the Brute was going to hurt for shooting Quatre. I was sure he was going to strangle the guy before Wufei could drag him into a P's transport. I hadn't been awake for any of the aftermath at the estate, but I heard that it got a tad tense at the site when Une and the backup arrived to haul the guy away. But it sounded as if the guy was very afraid of small places like the one he'd be spending the rest of his days in. It was almost poetic, and if I didn't still feel the way I did about him I may have even felt some pity for him. Maybe.
"I wish there was a way that I could make it all okay." Heero said sadly. "I know you wanted him to suffer, but it wouldn't have fixed the hurt. It wouldn't have filled that hole."
I lifted his chin to look at me. "Only you can do that." And I meant it. Then I told him that I was glad that at least the guy was unable to be recruited by any other group looking to exploit the hard work Relena, and Quatre, and much of the rest of the free world were trying to accomplish. Knowing that would give me a little peace. For what that was worth.
"I have something for you." He said suddenly and stalked into the other room, reappearing a moment later with a small square object wrapped in plain, brown paper and handed it to me. "I got this when you were still recovering in the hospital. I thought you might want it."
I carefully unwrapped the gift and had to keep the tears from resurfacing as I found that he had framed the dog-eared photo of us that I had been clutching onto through most of my recent experiences. It was simply and tastefully matted, and put in a silver frame. "It's beautiful, Heero. Thank you."
"I know it is important to you. I figured we could set it on the mantle over the fireplace." He smiled demurely and took the picture from my trembling fingers and set it on top of the wood mantleplace.
"I'll never go without you, ya know that right?" I smiled and kissed him softly.
"Hai. I know." He took my hand and led me to the stairs, clicking off the downstairs lights and waiting for Lucky to scoot up ahead of us to be first on the bed. The new was married with the old parts of my life reminding me once again that I had everything I could ever hope to have. I'd never be complacent again.
The End
(:./ebony/magic23)
