April 2001
Then, when the child was gone, I was alone.
The silence roared in his ears. Thomas sat down in the middle of the bedroom floor, his damp shirt clinging to his chest, his tears still racing unchecked to add to the splotches. Oh, Korby.
His hand brushed against something on the floor and a flush of anger filled him. Usagi. She hadn't taken Usagi with them. How could she be that cruel? Korby needed Usagi to sleep; he took the stuffed rabbit with him everywhere.
"Goodnight, Imp."
"'Night Gampa. Kiss Usagi too."
"Goodnight, Usagi."
He brought the stuffed rabbit to his face, inhaling the scent. Little boy scent; crayons, modeling clay, sweat. Korby. The once white fur was now a dingy gray because Korby had never allowed the toy to be properly washed. One of the glass eyes had a scratch on it and half the cotton tail had been chewed off. To Korby, however, it was beautiful.
He remembered the day Usagi had come to them, the day after Korby had come to him.
Images came flaring into his mind. Kelly, his only child, a carbon-copy of her late mother. He had spoiled her shamelessly, denying her nothing, so much so that when the time came that he had to deny her something, it had backfired.
Sixteen, she'd been a baby! Too young to pledge herself to any man, let alone a scoundrel like Lars. Then, the first crushing blow, waking up to find her gone, unable to track her down, only left to imagine what horrors she was facing.
Then three years ago, the clouds had lifted. Kelly had returned, but not alone. In her arms she held the future of Thomas's heart. A small, scrawny little thing with big, curious eyes that same rare shade as his mother's. He had smiled at Thomas, not sure who this stranger was but more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had welcomed them both with open arms.
The second blow. The next morning had come, and Kelly was gone again. No note, no warning. The only thing that showed her visit had not been a dream was the simple fact that she had neglected to take her infant son with her.
What was he to do? His wife had taken care of Kelly's baby needs; he had no idea how to care for the child. Still, the idea of turning the little boy over to the authorities never occurred to him. This was his grandson, he would do right by him or die trying.
He'd carted Korby up and went on a shopping spree for everything he thought he would need, and he hadn't been able to resist buying a pile of toys for his grandson either. One of them, a fluffy white rabbit with purple eyes, had appealed to him more than any of the others. Korby had agreed. He squealed with delight when he touched the soft fur, and his hands had never been far from it since.
Then, suddenly, Kelly was back, standing at the door, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She was settled now, she was content, she missed her son. She wanted him.
Thomas had refused. She could be a part of Korby's life if she wanted but the child was his now. She had asked to come in for a visit and he had allowed it. Korby had been thrilled to meet his mother, accepting her with the same affection he embraced all of life with. Thomas had allowed himself to hope for the future. The family was complete again.
And now this. Yet a third time he awoke to an empty house, Kelly gone without a trace. This time, with Korby.
He kissed the rabbit's soft fur. He would find them. She wasn't going to get away with this. "I'll get you back to him, Usagi." Thomas whispered. "It may take a while, but I'll get you back to him, I promise."
Be strong, Korby. Gampa loves you. I promise I'll find you.
The house was my body, and everything he'd touched an exposed nerve.
The knocking on the door persisted.
"Duo, get that, I'm busy." Heero called out. There was no reply.
Sighing, the boy got up from his computer and went to the front door of their house, determined to frighten whoever was trying to sell him something into the next galaxy. He jerked the door open.
Well, it wasn't a salesman, unless he was really hard up. A man somewhere between fifty and sixty stood on the doorstep nervously, a battered gray rabbit in his hands. His eyes locked on Heero's for a moment, and the young man saw disappointment flicker in them briefly.
"Hello, I'm looking for someone." The man had a soft voice with an American accent. "I was told he lived here... Duo Maxwell?"
"Yes, he lives here. What do you want with him?"
The man was a little taken back. "I need to speak to him. Please." his voice caught.
"Heero? Who's at the door?" Duo came into the room.
The man's knees buckled and his mouth moved. Heero was just about to either slam the door or call a doctor when the man managed to get out the word. "Korby!"
Duo froze, staring at the man. "How do you know my real name?"
"Let me come in. Please." The man pleaded. "I'll tell you everything. But look at me, Korby. Don't you know me?"
Duo looked the man up and down, no recognition in his eyes until he glanced at his hand. "Usagi..." He breathed the word. "You have...Usagi. Why do you have my bunny?"
The man walked into house on his own accord and sat down on the couch, Duo settling down across from him, accepting the toy placed in his hands as if it was a religious relic. Heero sat down the floor next to Duo, his eyes still untrusting on the visitor.
The man fumbled in his pocket for a picture and handed that to Duo as well. "Do you know who that is?"
"My mother." Duo's face lit up in delight. "I don't have any pictures but I remember her face. I wasn't four yet when she died. You must have known her too. Did I know you? Were you a friend of hers?"
"I knew you would probably be too young to remember me. I won't say that doesn't hurt, though." The man admitted. "We were very close, you and I, once upon a time. Think back, Korby. Think way back. Remember playing with Usagi. Someone else was there too. Do you... remember?"
Songs. Stories. He remembered... swinging on a swing under a crystal blue sky, strong hands pushing his back. The same hands so gentle as they bandaged up a skinned knee. Standing on the sink watching someone shave, and the man pointing to the mirror. "Look at that. We have the same eyes. See? It means we're connected. We're family. Nothing else is as important as that."
Now Duo looked into those eyes again, mirrors of his late mothers, his own. His hands tightened on the stuffed rabbit convulsively.
"I lived with someone before my mother. I called him grandpa. My mother told me he was dead so I had to go... live with her. My mother wouldn't have lied to me."
"Korby... "
"My name is Duo!"
"Duo... look at me. I'm the one who tucked you in at night. You're allergic to blueberries, and you love pumpkin pie and chocolate. On the back of your left leg you have a birthmark shaped like a star. You like to talk. You would chatter to me about everything and anything and I loved it because you filled the silence. I've spent the last 15 years trying to find you. Duo, I never lie. I taught you that, too. No matter what, always tell the truth."
Duo's world unraveled, pooled at his feet, and it was hard to breathe. Heero's hand was on his arm, pulling him back to reality.
"Why did you let her take me away?" It wasn't what he had intended to ask but it slipped out. "Why? We were so happy together!"
"Kor... Duo, she kidnapped you when I refused to give her custody. I offered to let her visit you but that wasn't enough. She left you with me when you were an infant and then she came back three years later and snatched you away. I've never stopped searching. I followed every lead and a few days ago I got lucky. I came here immediately. See, I promised Usagi that one day I'd give him back to you."
"Grandpa..." The world was unfamiliar on Duo's tongue but felt right. "You... loved me?"
"Love... I adored you! You were my entire reason for existing. You still are, and I still love you. I know you're a grown man now but if you'll accept me I want to be part of your life again. Please. We needed each other once and I think we still do."
"Grandpa..." Duo's hand tightened around Heero's. "There are things about me you may not be willing to accept. I've... killed people."
The man shrugged. "So have a lot of others. You did it because it was the right thing to do, didn't you?"
Duo nodded. "And... I love someone." He squeezed Heero's hand again.
Again his grandfather shrugged. "You'll have to do better than that. I don't care if you have a whole male harem set up here. If you want to scare me away, try harder. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll just have to put up with me."
To their surprise Heero laughed out loud. "I'm beginning to see the family resemblance." he explained.
Duo sniffed the rabbit, more memories racing into him. He offered his hand to his grandfather, paused, and then embraced him, Usagi between them.
And looking on, Heero could have sworn he saw the battered toy smile.
The End
(:./lasha/usagi)
