17-Apr-2001
Title: So, Mr Maxwell
Author: TB
Archive: yes please at GW Addiction (hello!)
Category: the committee is out on that. Feel free to decide for me, really.
Pairing: 3x4, 2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: lime (to come), language (to come), and the ever-present angst
Notes: set after EW, with series and EW as cannon.
This is still unbetaed. Sorry. ^_^;
Feedback: feed me!
Disclaimers: The characters I use in this fiction are copyrighted. However, since I'm not writing for profit (there's a good laugh), please to not sue. I'm quite harmless.
"We married young," Owen explained. He sighed, gripping his wife's hand tightly. "Too young, perhaps. Maureen here was only nineteen when she first expected you. Well, we hadn't rightly settled into our own lives yet, and I was between work we thought it best to go to the colonies to live with some of Maree's family til we had our feet on the ground."
"L2?" Duo asked. His eyes were red and he was subdued. But he hung intensely on every word.
Seated around him for support, Trowa, Quatre, and Relena all listened with a kind of anticipation as well.
"Not L2," Maureen said. "First we went to L4. My father's people had always worked for the Winners." Her eyes, very like Duo's, flickered to Quatre briefly, then glanced shyly away. "The resource satellites, you know."
"Yeah."
"We only stayed there til you were born," Owen resumed. He rubbed his hand and Maureen's together, gripping tightly. "You were such an easy birth... "
"Says you," Maureen muttered. She smiled tremulously. "I wanted a natural birth," she added hopefully.
"Only a few short hours, though it felt long then. And you were a healthy boy, only a little small, and you didn't cry a whit, just lay there sweet as God made you, with your perfect little hands." He cleared his throat. "Never doubt you were precious to us, son."
Duo stared at the carpet. His hair hid his statement.
"We... we left L4 so we could get a start on our own. As soon as you were old enough for travel. Maureen wanted to go back to Earth, but I wanted to try the colonies first, see if there were prospects. That was when we moved to L2. It wasn't a good place to raise a child, though, and almost as soon as we got there we began to save toward leaving."
"It was an awful place," Owen's wife said passionately. "Horrid beggars everywhere, and everything broken! You don't see that kind of poverty on Earth, no you don't. I wouldn't have my child growing up in that filth and I told Owen so, but it was still a while before we could leave, we needed credit, and Owen had signed a contract with his business and Owen's never broken his word in his life, he hasn't."
"Filthy," Duo repeated, so softly that only Trowa heard it. The green-eyed man looked at his flat-mate, wondering. He transferred his gaze to the pilot's clenched fists, and was surprised to recognise a sudden burst of emotion as pity.
"What happened then?" Relena asked gently. Her eyes were shining and soft as she gazed on the family that sat so close together. She had obviously been a little star-struck by the situation, and strained a little in her seat as though she were jittery. "How did Duo get separated from you?"
Owen's proud face darkened. "You don't know what it was like then, Miss," he told her, stern and disturbed at the same time. "People... people do odd things when they're desperate. This is back in the day when you'd hear nothing in the news but the goings-on on Earth; the Alliance killing thousands for politics, trying to put down all the rebellious nations. Even Sanq, and the good king Peacecraft. Your father, Miss, and he was a great man, but y'see, with all the people dying... well, those as had lost children wanted ones to fill that horrible loss in their lives, and many didn't ask too many questions of the new agencies for adoption of 'war orphans.'"
Relena shook her head. "I don't understand," she began, then glanced at Duo. Clearly, she felt he ought to be asking questions. But Duo was not looking up; if he heard, there was no sign. So she finished her inquiry. "Mr Bridey, what do you mean by 'new agencies?'"
"Child stealers, Miss Peacecraft." Owen reached protectively for Maureen's other hand, but held his head high as he looked at Duo. "Child stealers."
Quatre gasped softly as he understood. Compassion all but throbbed in his voice as he whispered, "Oh, I'm so very sorry!"
Trowa stood and quietly moved to the back of the room. It didn't take an active imagination to see the scene as it had probably played out; Trowa, not terribly creative, could see it as if it were happening right before him. Walking the streets of L2, hot, hot as it was everywhere on L2, growing annoyed with the clingy little youngster whose constant demands for attention were detracting from attention lavished on a beautiful wife pregnant once again. They might have shaken off the toddler's insistent hands and turned their backs, just for a moment, just to say hello to a co-worker or to browse a shelf at a market... when they turned back, not even really noticing that his loud constant whining had stopped, he was gone...
Child-stealers. But there had been no second home for Elija Merret Bridey. Maybe it had been the violent temper that Trowa had witnessed first-hand after living with him for two years; maybe it had been the sly ability to slip away from your grasp just when you thought you finally had him pinned. Maybe it had been the stubborn bull-headed refusal to obey, or more likely, Duo had simply run away. Maybe his kidnappers had seen the violet eyes, and maybe in a flash of superstition they'd never thought they'd had, they'd known there would be no buyers for a strange, small, purple-eyed boy whose smiles never quite reached past his lips.
Maybe Duo's parents were lying. But it was a good story, and if Trowa were Duo, he would believe it. It was better than being unwanted.
He looked back in time to see the statement of the one other person who had been silent since the beginning. Curran Bridey. Their eyes met briefly; then Curran looked away. Trowa exhaled softly. Apparently, not everyone had wanted Duo back.
When a pause turned into an awkward silence, Relena's smooth voice broke it. "I think we could all use a little time to freshen up before dinner. Why don't we take a break? Mr and Mrs Bridey, your story will still be waiting after you eat... and so will your son."
In the hallway, Trowa watched as the Bridey clan headed back to their rooms; Quatre spoke quietly with Relena about further accommodations, offering his services, no doubt. Duo stood in the doorway, and stared at his feet.
Trowa walked back to him, and leaned against the wall beside him. Duo glanced at him, then tiredly rubbed his eyes. And rubbed them again, and then his nose.
"I know," Trowa said softly.
Duo looked at him quickly, surprised. For a moment, his jaw trembled. Then he wiped his eyes again, and nodded.
"Come on." The taller man dropped a hand onto Duo's shoulder lightly, brushing the heavy braid aside to lay his cool palm against the heat of his neck. He drew Duo's head down, very gently, until the crown of his thick, soft hair rested against his own cheek.
Duo tugged nervously on the zipper tag. "It's gonna burst, Quatre."
The blonde laughed. "I'm sorry. I just want to make sure you have enough things... "
"I've packed light all my life." Duo sighed, and hoisted the suitcase from the bed to the floor. "I can't believe I'm really doing this."
"It will be wonderful," Quatre promised. He put his hand on Duo's arm. "It'll only be awkward at first. It's like... like coming to the Preventer parties. You always complain that you don't know any of Wufei's friends, but you always end out enjoying yourself."
Duo half-smiled. "Sure. I'll try to think of it like that."
Trowa, watching out the window for the car, said without turning, "It's only a month. And you have a key to our apartment, if you ever just need to get away."
Duo touched his pocket as he was reminded of the key-card. "Yeah," he replied. "Yeah... thanks, Trowa." He ran his fingers through his bangs, then attempted a lopsided grin and a lighter tone. "But you'll probably be glad to be rid of me. Now you and Q here can have run of the place, no nosy sisters, no overly curious roommates... I'll try not to walk in on anything, huh? Maybe we should work out a system with the blinds, if they're drawn I'll just go rent something at a motel down the street... "
Quatre laughed, blushing. "Don't even," he warned. "But Duo, don't even worry. You'll have a wonderful time getting to know them."
"Thanks." He grabbed his back-pack from the bed, and slung it over his shoulders.
"Car's here," Trowa told him.
Duo nodded, and picked up the suitcase. His free hand fluttered timidly for a moment, unsure what to do with itself; finally he hauled the suitcase in front of him, and gripped the handle with both hands. "I'll see you guys in a month, then," he announced.
Owen Bridey called up to the window. "Ready whenever you are, son."
"Son," Duo echoed. "Guess I have a month to get used to hearing that." He started for the door.
"Duo?"
The man turned. "Yeah, Trowa?"
He didn't know why he'd spoken. Through stiff lips, he asked, "Do-- do you like them?"
Duo became suddenly pensive. "I don't know yet," he replied honestly. "I think that maybe I should. I'll try to, anyway." He ducked his head with odd respect to the taller pilot. "See ya in a month, Trowa." He left, and the door swung shut behind him.
Quatre turned on Trowa. "What kind of a question was that?" he demanded, in gentle exasperation.
"I don't know." Trowa looked back to the window, but drew the drapes rather than watch Duo load into the car with his family. "Sorry, I suppose."
Warm arms slipped around him from behind, and he felt Quatre push his nose into his shoulder blade. "You're not, and anyway you shouldn't be. Trowa-- you know I love you?"
He covered the pale golden hand on his abdomen. "I know, Quatre."
End Part 2
(:./erin/somrm2)
