10-Mar-2002
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing
Part: 39/40
Warning: Bad words.
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xOC, various OCxOC
(This chapter is dedicated to Leslie, who has kept the fire lit.)
"You have our email." Kelly hugged Gage gently, mindful of his wounds. "You better stay in touch."
"I promise." Gage hugged her back, and then Tabitha, who was crying. "You think I'm going to forget about my big sisters?"
"You'll be staying with us next summer." Denea didn't even bother phrasing it as a question. She had taken an immediate liking to both girls and as Duo watched, he had to smile. Their little family seemed to get bigger by the day.
Gage still looked worn and torn, and it would be a while before his bandages came off. Relena had offered to pay for him to have plastic surgery on the scars he would no doubt have, but he had declined.
"I want to keep them, Mom. If things ever get rough with Shan, I can look at them and remember what it took for us to be together." He had grinned. "Besides, they'll make me look punk."
He was different now, and Relena felt a little twinge of sadness about that. He had grown up in the last few months; he was a little quieter now, a little more thoughtful. No longer content to coast along his life, living day to day, he was now actively planning his future with Shan. And although she never in a million years thought she'd say it, she found herself missing the brat who had stolen a truck full of geese, had once overridden every television signal in the neighborhood with a bestiality movie, and had replaced Gerry's shampoo with Nair. She'd even dared to mention that to him, and he had burst out laughing. "Don't worry." He winked. "I have to pretend to be a good boy for now. But I promise to hack a transporter in your honor."
The shuttle ride back to Dera was uneventful. To avoid the press, they had the entire thing to themselves. Gage, still weak, had slept most of the time, curled up tightly in Shan's arms, which were never far away from him. During the next six months, they would be spending quite a bit of time together, since they were both forbidden from going anywhere but each others houses and school once than began. Shan had tried to argue this; in his opinion six months was too extreme, but having been told that even a word of protest would change it to a year, had shut up.
The changes in Shan were noticeable as well. He walked taller now, a new confidence in his step and his mannerism. He seemed at times to be noticing things around him for the very first time, from the eyes of a man instead of a frightened boy. And although he and Wufei still had not said much to each other, there was a new understanding between them, a new closeness. They were finally able to see and accept each other for who they were.
Milliardo spoke to no one on the trip back, only looking over at Gage every now and then with an unreadable expression. He's had his trial of fire, the older man thought. But he doesn't know it's not over yet. Forgive me, my son. I have to hurt you one more time.
"We're almost there." Shan whispered to Gage as the other boy stirred.
Gage sighed deeply. "I know." He cocked his head. "This isn't going to be easy. I'm going to have to get used to waking up without you."
"Don't blame me. You were the one who agreed to it." Shan had to smile.
"I know, I know." Gage stretched, and then leaned closer. "But I know something they don't."
"Oh?" Shan whispered.
"I agreed to keep my hands and... er... other things off of you. But I never agreed to keep my mind off of you." Gage touched his cheek. "You know that weird dream, the one we both had?"
"Yeah?" Shan had never pretended to understand that, and he never would.
"It would make a fun VR, don't you think?"
Shan stared at him in delight and Gage winked. "We won't be breaking any of their rules, and we can be together as much as we want."
"You just want to hear me call you 'Master'!"
"Yup."
"If they find out... "
"Sneaking around." The blond boy kissed him. "Is part of the fun."
"What do you think they're plotting?" Duo asked Heero, watching the boys whisper.
"No idea." Heero shrugged. "Knowing Gage, it could be anything."
"They are cute together." Duo pointed out. "Shan's so dark and Gage is so light, they look kind of like a yin/yang."
"Infinity." Heero agreed. "Like their tattoos. Yes, it suits them." Two halves, one whole. Milliardo was watching them as well, a tiny smile on his face.
And then, they were preparing to land.
Shan stood in the doorway of his room, just staring at everything, like he had before he had left. It looked the same, nothing moved or changed, and he knew that he hadn't been gone all that long. Only a little over a week. But it felt longer, a lifetime ago.
"We fixed your door." Meishel moved next to him, and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly against him. She leaned her head against his chest. "I wasn't sure when you'd be back... but I wanted it ready for you."
"I owe you." Shan looked down at her. "If it wasn't for you, Kelly and Tabby wouldn't have taken us in. You got us a place to stay, a cool place."
"You know I'd do anything for my big brother." She was quiet for a moment. "I owe you too. You gave me the guts to go after what I wanted. And I got it too."
She smiled at his surprise. "Luke's my boyfriend now. We're taking it really slow, one day at a time. But... this is what we both want. He's what I want."
"Have you told Mom and Baba?"
"Are you kidding? And steal your thunder? Let them get used to having you back safe and sound before I drop another bomb on them." She hugged him again. "This is your moment. I'm not going to let you do what you always do."
"What's that?"
"Push me into the spotlight, and then go hide in the shadows."
"I'm not hiding any more. I want to show you something." He released her and reached into his pocket, pulling something out.
A cigarette lighter.
Shan flipped the back, and the top burst into a bright flame. He moved his other hand above the heat, never flinching, until it became too hot to hold and he let the fire die out.
"I don't think..." He paused for words. "I don't think it was ever the fire that I was really afraid of. Just the memories it caused. But I would have died anyway if Gage hadn't come for me."
"It's not every day that you find a guy who'd walk through fire for you." Meishel agreed. "But don't give Gage all the credit here; you're a warrior, Big Brother. I've always known that."
"Not quite." Shan pocketed the lighter. "I know I'm a little old to learn, but I want to know how to fight like you do. I want you to teach me."
"If that's what you want. But a warning, I won't go easy on you."
"I know. That's why I'm asking you instead of Baba. You won't mind leaving bruises."
He had moved to his dresser, picking things up absently and putting them down, and she moved to stand beside him, and they gazed at their reflections together. A little of their mother, a lot of their father, and something all their own. Young dragons about to begin the greatest adventure of their lives; their lives. And no matter who else they loved, no matter how far apart those lives might take them, they would face down each challenge the way they always had.
As one.
"Egads Heero." Gage peered out the front window. "I expected a proper home-coming, but really, a cake would have been enough. You didn't have to invite the entire population of Utah."
"They're reporters." Duo sighed. "We've done everything we can to make them go away, but you're still a hot topic and you better get used to it. If we didn't have the fence, they'd be in the backyard as well, trampling the fields."
"And in that case." Jazz spoke up from the couch, were he was dangling a giggly Nadia in the air. "I'd have to start teaching my little girl here some basic math skills. How many video cameras will fit in an one rectum?"
"Blliado." Nadia replied promptly.
"Maybe." Jazz shrugged. "If you cut the last one into pieces first." He blew the baby a raspberry and she returned it.
The transporter beeped and the rest of the family stepped out. Meishel had her arm tightly around Shan's waist, but immediately released him to hug Gage. "Thank you for taking care of him." She whispered.
"Thanks for letting me."
"How's your hand?"
Gage held it up. "I still can't use it, but it'll be okay. I'll be able to beat off again in no time."
"GAGE!" Duo scolded, and then laughed.
"I think he's definitely feeling better." Heero remarked, touching the young man's shoulder.
"Gage?" Milliardo asked suddenly. "May I speak with you?"
Gage watched the adults exchange a knowing look. They didn't seem happy, and he felt a worm of fear, eating away at his new contentment. "What's going on?"
"Let's go outside." Milliardo suggested. "Somewhere private."
"For what?" Gage moved closer to Shan. "So you can drag me off somewhere?"
"Gage, he's not taking you anywhere." Wufei interjected. "But you need to hear what he has to say."
"Fine." Gage rolled his eyes. "Let's get this over with." He headed toward the back door, his father close behind him.
"What's all that about?" Shan asked.
"Where's your favorite place here?" Milliardo asked as they left the backyard and walked into the field area.
"The lake. Over that way." The boy pointed with his good hand.
Milliardo nodded and began heading in that direction.
"So what's on your mind?" Gage asked, not looking at his father.
"There's something I need to tell you. Something your sisters don't know; something Lucrezia doesn't know. You need to know the reason I wanted to reclaim you so badly."
"It doesn't matter." Gage kicked a rock. "Who cares why?"
"Gage, I'm dying."
The boy froze.
"I have something called Haringtons's disease. It's a genetic disorder." He quickly added. "You don't have it, thank God. It can lay dormant for years, but when it surfaces... no one's ever lived longer than six years. I found out I had it a year ago. And six years is very optimistic; most people don't make it three."
There seemed to be a roaring in Gage's ears as he stared at his father, hearing his words from a distance. Disease... dying... three years...
"You don't need to worry." Milliardo was continuing. "I've made provisions for you. You have a trust fund that matures on your 18th birthday. In addition to that my will divides everything evenly between you and your sisters and Lucrezia. You'll never have to work a day in your life if you don't want to."
Gage was shaking his head. "MONEY? You tell me... you're fucking dying and you're talking about MONEY?" His voice cracked.
"Gage..." Milliardo reached for him, and Gage shoved him backwards.
"FUCK YOUR MONEY!" The boy screamed. "FUCK YOUR MONEY! FUCK YOU!" He turned to run, made it a few feet. But Milliardo grabbed him, pulled him back. Gage struggled in his father's arms, his fist connecting with the older man's chest, but Milliardo never flinched. He stood silently, allowing Gage to pummel him with his good hand, before the boy went limp in his embrace.
"I don't want your money." Gage sobbed against his shoulder.
"I know...I know that." Milliardo stroked his back. "It's okay."
"You're not dying. You can't... you can't die." He pulled his head back, his eyes wild. "I won't let you! I won't let you do it. I won't let you ditch me again!"
"Gage, this is bigger than you or I. I said the same things; that it couldn't happen to me, that I was stronger than death. But no one is." He held his son's chin tightly. "And my time is almost up. Why do you think I fought so damn hard to try and get you back? I've wasted fifteen years; I'm not wasting what's left."
He kissed Gage's forehead. "It's yours, Gage. My time. I'm not taking you back to Earth, but I'm not going back either. I'm going to stay here on Dera. I'm going to have my own apartment. I know you want to live with Heero and Duo and that's better for you, to be part of a real family, with two parents to love you and keep you in line. But I'll see you every day, even if you don't want me to. Until the day I die, you aren't going to be able to turn around without tripping over me."
"You can't stay." Gage muttered. "Aunt Lucrezia..."
"Knows the truth, thanks to your biological mother. And our marriage is over. And that is for the best right now, as odd as that sounds. Your sisters are adults; they can come here to see me if they want to. But my place is with you."
"Until you die." Gage's voice was bitter.
"Who knows what will happen between now and then? They may find a cure at the last minute." Milliardo smiled a little bit. "But in this life, anyone can die at any time. We have to enjoy what we've been given. I've led a very full life, and I have made some terrible choices, but in the end, the good and the bad... that's what I'm about. That's what I'll be taking with me, as well as the knowledge that I had a hand in creating three incredibly beautiful children to carry on in my place. I've given back more than I've taken."
"You're a fucking prick. A fucking arrogant bastard!" Gage closed his eyes, still trembling.
"So I've been told."
"Thank you."
Milliardo looked surprised. "For what?"
Gage paused. "For my life. You didn't let her kill me. You tried to make sure I had a good home and parents. You could have turned your back; I would have went away if you had, and you wouldn't have had to worry. But you made sure I had a fair shot."
He looked up at the sky. "When Shan was a kid, his father did something shitty to him, to try and get him over his fear of fire. I asked Shan how he could forgive Justice Skunk for it, how he was able to get over it and love him again. He told me it was because all the good times they'd had outweighed the bad, and that he loved his father too much to ever hate him, no matter what he did. I told him I didn't understand. And I didn't." His eyes locked with Milliardo's. "I want to hate you. It's a lot easier to hate you than to love you."
"I know."
"But hell, when have I ever done anything the easy way? You think you've got what it takes to be my father? You think you're up to it? Show me. Because I'm not one of your little girls; I'm the biggest handful in the galaxy. I'll make sure that by the time you croak, you're too insane to know!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
They started walking again, in a comfortable silence this time, and reached the lake.
"This is where I kissed Shan for the first time. Shocked the hell out of him." Gage laughed at the memory.
"He's a good boy. No matter what, I'm going to make sure I'm around long enough to see you legally Pledge him."
Gage's hand closed around his, and they stood on the bank of the lake, watching the sun go down, and night fall on Dera.
End Part 39
(:./lasha/two39)
