Title: Magic Happens Part 22
Author: Ebonydove
Archived: aenai.steelsong.com and with Team Rocket & Shinigami's Castle.
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...
"S'ok Duo, I'm not gunna leave ya. Cross my heart n' hope ta die."
It was the soft sounds of crying that brought me slowly to my senses, though I had heard the words as if it was floating by in a dream. At first I had mistaken the quiet sobs as something I heard long ago in the shell of the Maxwell Church and was suddenly afraid that perhaps I was back there once again. But the more I came back to myself, the more I realized it wasn't who I had first thought it was at all. It also meant that I couldn't have died in that last gun fight at Relena's estate; despite how very sure I was that I had. But most of all I was relieved that it was Relena sniffling, and not my childhood friend.
"So how are you feeling? May I get you something?"
"No. I'm feeling much better thank you. I'm more worried about you. You've been through quite an ordeal and haven't yet said much about it."
"What is there to possibly say other than it's all my fault that I almost got you all killed?"
"You know that isn't true. We're very far from a visit to the underworld."
"You can't say that about Duo though, can you? Heero is never going to forgive me if he is in a coma or worse."
"He's going to be all right, Reenie. I am going to be all right. Heero is just worried and upset. Don't cry. Hush, now, don't cry."
I hadn't heard Wufei speak with so much tenderness to anyone in the entire time I had known him and I had known him for a damned long time. The rational part of my brain was telling me that I was safe and most likely in a hospital bed somewhere, and not in a dark grave with the spiders, and that I been woken by my friend and comrade comforting Relena, not Solo. Even through the hazy swirl of drugs I was able to bring myself out of the rising panic I had been feeling by listening to Wufei's soothing voice as he comforted Relena. Certain things began to fall into place about the relationships that may have been forged in my absence as I listened to his soft words to her.
After a few minutes, I tried to register just how hard it was going to be to come out of the drug induced stupor I was in without alarming Wufei and Relena. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to open my sticky eyes a little and find the dull light of a white walled room, and not the knotted pine I'd been half expecting to see above me. That along with the sterilized scent of a hospital kept the scream that was waiting in my throat from actually coming out. The grave experience I'd lived through was something I suspected to be with me for quite some time still no matter how much I told myself it was over and I was safe. I took a slow breath and tried to speak in the general direction of the sounds of Wufei and Relena quietly talking. "Damn Wu-chan... you and I need to have a serious talk."
My voice sounded awful, but they both obviously heard me because the next thing I knew Relena was at my side and Wufei was buzzing for a nurse. I blinked a few times to get the gunk out of the eyes and when everything came into focus a few moments later, I found myself looking into the wrinkled, smiling face of Fong. "Hey old man... you made it."
"As did you my young friend. You managed to use your head and still survive." He chuckled softly and gave my hand a little pat before shuffling out into the hallway.
When I turned my head to track him to the door my world exploded with tiny, little stars and pain ripped through the left side of my skull. I hated drugs, but I hated head wounds worse and I definitely had both. So I was slow and careful as I sat up a little and took bearing of my room.
Wufei was in a bed next to mine and had his arm trussed up in a fancy, hanging sling. He was also smiling at me with a wry little grin and had let go of Relena's hand long enough for her to make her way over and sit at the foot of my bed. She was busy wringing her hands in her lap and kept glancing back to Wufei, obviously nervous.
I gave her a small smile and winced as the throbbing started. Damned head shots. "Q?" I asked finding my voice a little better.
"He's out of surgery and recovering well. He lost a lot blood before we could get to him, but luckily he and Heero are the same blood type. Trowa and Heero are with him now, but Wufei buzzed the nurses to let everyone know that you're finally awake. We were quite worried about you. How are you feeling?"
"Like someone decided to use my poor head for target practice and forgot to ask my permission before slipping me the sedatives I was most obviously given as a result of her bad aim."
Relena exhaled a deep breath and looked to Wufei for the next thing she should do or say. It was an awkward little silence so I was glad to see her reach for a paper cup full of water to hand me after a few minutes of us all staring at one another. I took it from her happily and gave her hand a quick squeeze in thanks, which seemed to relieve some of the tension between us.
My thoughts drifted back to Quatre and I wondered what the hell was keeping Heero. I had been worried about him laying in those rose bushes and losing consciousness or worse, while we were all busy stopping Trakener and her goons and was glad to hear that he was going to be okay. But Wufei had buzzed for the nurses a good five minutes earlier and it failed to produce Heero yet, which gave my aching head more to worry about.
"So Q is alright, and you're alive Wu? So what about the others? You're not hurt are you Miss Relena? And Trowa and Heero are okay too right?"
"I'm just fine, Duo." Relena smiled warmly and patted my foot.
I think Wufei heard the edge to my voice and was quick to supply with more than enough information about the events that happened after I was shot by Trakener. Which brought me to my next concern. "What happened to Trakener then?"
"She's... she's... " Relena paused, looked at Wufei who was frowning now, and then stood abruptly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll see what's keeping Heero." She practically ran out of the room and it made me wonder why she was so upset about. I turned my head slowly to look at Wufei and posed that very question.
"She was killed in the firefight at the estate just after you took that hit. We thought for sure she had killed you, but it turned out that the bullet only grazed your thick skull, not gone through it."
He was trying for humor but it came out a bit sadder than I think he intended. "Who was she, Wu?" Relena was far too upset over the death of someone who had just tried to blackmail her, and have her and her brother killed.
"Elizabeth Trakener was Relena's sister. Not by blood, of course. She was the elder child of their adoptive parents; the Darlian's, and the founder and CEO of StarQuest."
"Energy today for a better tomorrow." I said out loud.
He nodded tersely and took a sip from his own cup of water. "Relena is taking her death quite badly and feels responsible for everything that has happened to each of us since this whole thing started, including the sister she really never knew."
I had nothing to say to that. I couldn't imagine a sibling, even if they weren't blood, trying to kill another. It was horrible. "And... the other guy... the one who... ?" I think he knew what I was asking. But before he could answer me I heard what must be Heero, Relena and Trowa in the hall.
"Duo!"
Heero came bursting into the room followed by Trowa and to my great surprise the Marquis himself. No sooner than had I turned my abused head to greet them, Heero was in my arms and hugging me like there'd be no tomorrow, peanut gallery be damned. When at last he let go and leaned back enough for me to get a good look at him, I was relieved to find him unharmed just as Wufei and Relena had told me. But there was nothing that would have convinced me of it until I saw him for myself. He looked shaky, but unharmed and I could deal with that.
"'Ro, you're all right?" I asked with my heart in my throat as I ran my hands over every part of him I could touch.
"I'm better than fine now that you've come back to me." He whispered to me. "Duo, you have to stop scaring the absolute life from me."
He looked haggard and pale, and I could tell by the tiny little shake in his right hand that he had been scared for me, again and it damn near tore my heart out. "M'sorry 'Ro, I guessed I should have ducked faster." I heard a snicker from Wufei, which I pointedly ignored. It earned a quick glare from Heero though. He was not amused that I was trying to make light of almost getting killed yet again. I gently turned his chin back to look at me and gave him a small sincere smile. "I promise the only thing about me that will scare you from this point on is my cooking skills." I hugged him tightly, ignoring the slight case of the spins it gave me as I leaned over to him.
Trowa cleared his throat from where he was standing with Relena and Zechs beside Wufei's bed. "Quatre is still under, but when he wakes I'm sure he'd want to see you. He was pretty upset when he found out that you and Wufei were both injured at the estate."
I suddenly felt very guilty again for leaving Quatre the way I did. I knew that Trowa was still angry about it, even if he wouldn't say so. Ever since I told him that Quatre was outside the estate and hurt, he wouldn't meet my eyes long enough for me to try to explain. "Trowa... "
"Not now Duo. You need to recover before I kick your ass for leaving him in those damned rose bushes." He gave me a tight smile and I knew that it was his way of forgiving me, so I didn't shoot back any witty remarks and just nodded my understanding and thanks.
"And I am going to kick all your asses if you don't let my Duo get some rest."
"Hilde!" I couldn't believe my ears when I heard her laughing voice from the doorway, but there she was; standing next to Fong and scowling at me like I had just been found eating the last piece of chocolate cake for breakfast. "When did you... ?"
"I came as soon as Sally told me. Dumb-ass. How did you manage to get into so much trouble in such a short time from leaving L2?" She rushed into the room and practically shoved Heero out of the way in order to hug me. Then she spun on Heero and gave him a mock glare. "And you! You were supposed to look out for him! I told you on the phone that day that he still had his head up his ass."
"You mean you're the one who told Heero that I was coming to L1?" I must have looked like a gaping loon, but I was so sure that it had been Wufei who had called ahead and told Heero of my fake mission to L1.
"Wufei told me that you were planning a trip to L1 on Preventers' business when I called to check up on you and see how you were doing. I figured I'd better warn Heero that you were on your way so that you had someone to pick you up at the shuttle port. And I suspected that you didn't have any official business there except for Heero... so I thought... " She shrugged.
"She'd help play matchmaker." Wufei supplied for her dryly. "Once she found out that it was where you were headed, I needed to make sure that Heero's cover was still intact and that we had a way to get him off the colony and back to the Preventer's headquarters without too much attention drawn to him."
Ah. Well that explained a lot of things. I gave Heero a stern look. "I thought we agreed no more secrets?"
"Like I had told you before, things were complicated and Hilde's call gave me the push I needed to finally tell Relena that I was leaving." Heero said quietly, more than a little uncomfortable with the audience we had in the room.
"That's a poor ass excuse Heero and you know it." I whispered harshly back. "You know how I hate being left in the dark. I can't help feeling like you all ganged up on me." I know I was being petulant, but I was groggy and in pain and desperately fighting the spins from all the sedatives I had been given.
"Duo? Maybe I should explain." Relena's voice was quiet as she approached the side of my bed. "Could you all excuse us for a moment please?" Trowa, Fong, Zechs and Hilde all quietly and quickly made their exit as Relena sat down next to Heero and gave me a small apologetic smile. "Things were very complicated for Heero and I just after the Mariemeia Incident. At first he and I thought that an engagement was the next logical thing that we were supposed to do. Then when we realized it wasn't right, it proved to be the perfect cover for Heero to keep tabs on my activities and the activities of those around me. Until Hilde called and Wufei confirmed that you had joined the Preventers and were on your way to L1." She shrugged and gave Wufei a cryptic look. Then she turned back to me and continued. "Wufei, Zechs and Heero had been working on developing a system, or code to protect the highly privy information that Quatre, the President of the E.S.U.N., the colony delegates; like Fong, and I were using to help rebuild the damage done to the colonies during both wars. Companies like StarQuest and Winner Enterprises were trying to gain the contracting rights to provide the distribution of the energy resources for the earth and colonies. Things began to get a bit... "
"Mercenary." Heero supplied.
"Yes. By then, Zechs had already gone undercover at StarQuest to try to find out if they were legit or not. It was also during that time that Trowa discovered that Elizabeth Trakener was related to me through my adopted parents." Relena took a deep breath and I watched as she fought back the welling of tears in her eyes. "You contacted Wufei and we all figured it was the perfect way to get Heero off the colony. It wasn't until Zechs disappeared that things started to get ugly. StarQuest was found to be the company guilty of terrorist-like activities against the other energy providers, and when Zechs was discovered to be a plant by her associates, we knew that she would have to come after the funds directly. Once she realized that Quatre and I had given over all the access to the E.S.U.N.'s accounts to Heero for safekeeping, she went after him by using me as a new bargaining chip. Up until you arrived on L1, everyone still assumed that we were engaged, so it only made sense that she would come after me to get to him. I never thought for a moment that she would use my own brother, or an assassination attempt against Quatre or even myself to try to get to the funds that Heero and Wufei were protecting with the code Heero developed. Things just got so out of hand. She figured out that it was you that Heero cared for after the incident with the... grave, and once you two went into hiding she got desperate and came after Quatre and me in an attempt to draw you out. I'm so very sorry you were hurt, Duo. We never really meant to keep you in the dark. I don't think you will ever really forgive me, will you?"
Relena had been twisting the fabric of her shirt so tightly in her fingers that her knuckles were turning white. The stress she had been under was taking an obvious toll on her and it made me suddenly felt selfish. She, like Heero really had very good intentions and was trying to do what she thought was for the best when it came to protecting the interests of all the people who were counting on her. How could I be angry with her or Heero for that? "Relena, you and Heero and even Wufei, did what you thought was best for everyone involved. I know that you tried to keep anyone who didn't have to be involved, like Quatre, and Fong, and myself out of it as much as you possibly could. Keeping the peace and standing up for the freedoms of the people can be a messy business. I understand that, and forgive you for keeping me in the dark. It was the right thing to do."
"Does that mean you forgive me too?" Heero asked quietly.
"I forgave you the moment I realized that you were willing to give up everything a life with Relena had to offer to live out your days with someone like me."
"Duo... I love you... I told you that... "
"I know Heero... I know Heero... "
"Well, I should let you rest know." Relena said as she watched Heero tenderly from the foot of my bed. "Wufei needs some peace and quiet too, I'm sure."
"That will be quite impossible now that Maxwell is awake and with Yuy hovering at his side. I think I should be moved in Quatre's room, so that I can actually recover from my injuries in peace."
We all chuckled as he continued to grumble on about how he was always stuck with me in a recovery room, but I couldn't remember the last time that actually happened. Heero did indeed stay by my side as I dozed off, and when I woke in the middle of the night brushing off the imaginary spiders from my arms, he whispered gently to me of the picnics we would have in the fields near our house in the country to ease me back to sleep.
It was the best sleep I had in a very long time.
The End
(:./ebony/magic22)
