Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 2 Reign ❯ Attempting the Impossible ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter Fifteen: Attempting the Impossible

"So what's the final verdict?" Selena asked Hilde as the woman moved into the royal suite.

Hilde beamed.

Selena laughed, joining Relena in a hug with the other.

"How are you doing?" I asked Trowa curiously, studying his face. He looked a bit dazed as he held onto Alexia's hand. Alex herself looked pleased.

"You aren't going to pass out, are you?" Duo asked curiously, shoving himself away from where he'd been sitting against Wufei.

"No, no…I'm fine." Trowa smiled at him, scooping Alex into his arms and covering he cheek with kisses as she giggled.

"I want a kiss!" Marlea squeaked, bouncing into Trowa's attention. Alex moved across the room to sit on Duo's lap as Marlea got her kisses. Lea followed her cousin and Duo situated himself so there was room for both of them.

Duo was always more level headed with the girls around, especially if they were sitting with him-and they did that a lot. The two years he was away had confused them, and when he was back and still loved them, they decided they could drown him. Even as changed as he was now, he acted normal with the girls.

I hid this knowledge away with the same knowledge I'd picked up during the afternoon. I hadn't been sure how Duo would respond if I took the dominant position. I'd always had that over him in the past, but I hadn't tested it since his arrival. It had worked better than I'd even imagined…and had been fun. I knew that dealing with him was walking a tightrope, and I was beginning to understand how Trowa had been a circus actor for so long. Duo had even been normal since his return from lunch with Wufei.

I studied Wufei, who looked calm and composed for once. He'd been stressed out since before Duo had even shown up. It was probably the first time I'd seen him like this in ages. Actually, every time he and Duo had spent time together…

"I can redecorate my rooms, right?" Hilde asked Relena, who had just sat against me again.

"Of course," Relena replied, "They're completely yours. You guys will own those until you die."

"You won't be offended if we don't live here until we die, will you?" Wufei asked her with a grin.

Relena giggled, rubbing a hand over my side and shrugging.

I smiled around the room before meeting Trowa's eyes, "Guess what?"

He looked like he was going to piss himself.

"Heero!" Relena muttered, smacking me before focusing on all the people who were staring at us in expectant dismay, "I'm not pregnant…yet."

"Yet?" Duo asked keenly.

Relena beamed at him.

Trowa started laughing, pulling Hilde into another hug.

"You're having a baby, too!" Selena protested, looking pointedly to Duo.

Duo shrugged almost indifferently at her.

Everyone stared at him.

Selena, however, had looked to the floor, her smile dropping.

"You are a fucking asshole," I informed Duo in Chinese.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"It's fine, Heero," Selena protested instantly.

I blinked at her, not quite gathering why that was wrong.

"She knows Chinese," Wufei informed me, seeming to remember it himself.

I blinked at her, realizing that she'd spoken in English.

"What did you say?" Alex demanded of me, her little mouth twisting into a thoughtful pout.

"He said a bad word," Wufei informed her-and I realized that fuck was one he used a lot. That explained why she recognized it.

"Oh," Alex let the matter drop, leaning back against Duo.

"I thought you wanted kids?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him.

Again, he didn't say anything.

"You should have a baby with Aunt Selena," Lea informed him, studying his face with her own considerate one, "That way she stays."

We all focused on her.

"I mean…Aunt Kayla…"

"Lea, no!" Quatre sputtered, nearly jumping from his seat. Before Duo could even settle on an expression, Quatre had his daughter in his arms and was starting from the room with her.

We watched them go in disbelief.

Selena looked around the room slowly at all of our expressions before finally focusing on Duo's expressionless face. He didn't meet her eyes, or any of ours, actually, but I could see the haunted look they held.

"Duo?" Wufei asked gently, grabbing his wrist as Duo stood, still looking shell-shocked.

"I'm…going on a walk," Duo informed him in a would-be commonplace tone, starting for the door.

"Where to?" Selena asked.

When Duo finally did speak, standing in the door, his voice was harsh, "Anywhere but here."

Selena placed a hand against her mouth as both Hilde and Relena swooped down on her, murmuring comforts to her. Wufei was following Duo, his expression upset.

"Wufei!" Miguel snapped as if he was righteously offended.

Wufei ignored him.

-

I'd never realized that Miguel was selfish.

I stared at the Mexican in sheer disbelief as he ranted at how inconsiderate Wufei was of him. I was utterly shocked to hear that he thought Duo was trying to break them up, and that Wufei was letting him. I was disgusted to hear that Miguel was convinced that Wufei wanted Duo.

It took a lot of self-control for me to not respond to my brother-in-law's words, and a whole lot more not to inform him dismissively that the sapphire ring Wufei wore was Duo's. I could tell there was more to Miguel's issues than what he was telling me, but I wasn't going to ask-because speaking of the situation meant a fight.

"Can you believe him? He didn't even acknowledge me!" Miguel summed up Wufei's departure for the third time, "I mean, honestly! He knows that I don't like him spending time with Duo…"

I shoved him hard before I realized I'd moved, then stared at him on the floor for a long moment before actually comprehending what had happened. He was staring up at me with huge eyes himself.

"What right do you have to pick and choose his friends?" I snapped, "Wufei and Duo have something that you will never comprehend, and you cannot just tell Wufei that the one person he trusts completely aside from you…" I took a shuddering breath, knowing in my heart that Wufei did not, in fact, trust Miguel.

Miguel climbed slowly to his feet, studying my face, "I didn't mean it like that," he apologized, "I'm just ranting."

"Well think of what you say before you say it," I muttered, studying him, "Because even if I don't agree with what he's become, Duo is still my brother. Don't bawl him out to me and expect me to just accept the bad-mouthing."

"He kissed me, Trowa!"

"He kissed me, too, and I'm straight," I snapped, "And he was fucking with Quatre. He fucks with everyone. He's testing us and seeing what we'll accept. He knows he did us all wrong and he's taking a round-about way of fixing it all."

Miguel looked away from me.

"Duo saved my life countless times," I muttered, "And he's saved Wufei-even more than me, because after the wars a whole lot of shit went down with us all mentally. Duo was the one we all went to." Silently I added, Even if that was a mistake on his part. "You can't keep telling Wufei to pick between you and Duo because if you manage to make him choose you, he will be bitter for the rest of his life. The two of you are supposed to get married, you have to trust him."

"I trust him, I just don't trust Duo." Miguel wasn't meeting my eyes.

"And maybe you shouldn't," I agreed, sick of talking to a brick-wall, "Maybe he's out there fucking Wufei right now…maybe the two of them are off making out together all the time." I studied his stricken features a bit, "Do you honestly think Wufei would do that to you?"

He met my eyes, hurt.

"Don't project things onto Fei, Miguel. If you're worried about something, talk to him about it. If you can't trust him…"

"I don't trust Duo!" he shouted at me.

I gritted my teeth.

"And you really, really, shouldn't," Duo purred, moving into the room with a smirk on his lips. He looked like he couldn't be happier, "You really should worry about every little thing I say or do," he moved up to Miguel, cupping the guy's face in his own hands, "Because I'll fuck you over." he kissed Miguel.

"Duo!" I snapped.

Duo died laughing, breaking away from Miguel and jumping at me so we both landed heavily on the couch, "What?"

"Ouch," I informed him, shoving him off my lap and wondering why he didn't fret over that.

"Sorry," he sniggered, winking at me before turning to look at Miguel again, "I don't know what your issue is, Miguel, but I'm kinda amused by it."

Miguel started for the door.

"Come on, Miguel," Duo muttered after him, "We were friends once."

Miguel turned to glower at him, "A long time ago."

Duo smirked, "Before Wufei…my goodness, man, if I were going to take Wufei from you, I would just do it, none of this dawdling shit. Hell, I wouldn't even have let you two get together."

"You were kinda straight then," I countered.

"Not really," Duo muttered, grinning at me.

I had to smirk at that, realizing that Miguel had left and frowning at Duo, "Can you please cool it with him? His last few relationships ended badly, and the only other time he had a true relationship, the guy was cheating on him."

"You'd think Wufei was, too." Duo griped, moving to my kitchen.

I waited for him to reappear with a soda before replying, "Generally, kissing someone who is not your significant other is considered cheating."

"But being kissed by someone else," he started.

"You said he returned it."

Duo narrowed his eyes at me, "That was me."

"You're either lying for Wufei, or a real asshole. Take your pick."

"Both, and neither." Duo smiled sweetly at me.

"So how are you dealing with the innocent children mentioning the unmentionable?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I didn't say it," I defended myself, raising my hands in an almost surrendering gesture.

"Can you just let it lie?" he asked me, frowning at me, "I haven't done anything to you…"

"Today," I amended that statement.

He sighed, lowering the arm with the can.

"Seriously, Duo. You saw Quatre freak, what are you going to do? If Alex mentions…the unmentionable, are you going to flip out on her?"

He frowned at me, looking offended by that.

"I need to know, honestly, because you could kill my daughter without even realizing it."

He started for the door.

"If you walk out of this room, I will never trust you alone with any of my children."

That got him to stop-not exactly the way I wanted to use to get my way, but if it worked…

"The children are safe," he informed me, "But only the children."

"I'm going to start talking about Kayla, Duo. I'm going to make sure that everyone else does it as well, because this is not a healthy way to deal with her being gone."

He didn't move.

"Kayla Green was a wonderful woman who does not need to be forgotten. Another woman that you love will not replace her. You told me yourself that she said she wanted you to love again."

"I will," he snarled at me.

"And what about Selena?"

"What about her?"

"You're going to make me kick your ass, aren't you?" I demanded, "Don't play dumb with me, Duo."

He turned to glare at me, his brown eyes hard as agates.

I changed tracks instantly, wanting him to talk to me like he had been for the past several minutes instead of freaking out and trying to fight. He was trying to.

"And what about last night?" I added, "What the hell was going on? It looked like you were…"

"I didn't mean to throw her against the dresser!" he snapped at me, looking a bit indignant.

"So what happened to her lip?" I kept my tone level.

"I hit her," he informed me like I was stupid.

I stared at him.

He shook his head at me, rolling his eyes…and walked out of the room.

-

"What is with them," Duo muttered to me in high irritation as he tossed clothing over my head onto the bed, "I mean, really…"

"What happened now?" I asked, I'd followed him into his room and sat cross-legged at the end of his bed, he looked annoyed.

"Wufei is fine," he muttered as if to reassure me, "Wufei is making me feel better, but the rest of those fuckers are being annoying. Can you believe that Heero actually cut me today!" he crossed to me, extending his left forearm and peeling up a bandage that had blood on it, "He took my knife from me…"

"Don't play innocent," I reprimanded him, "Tell me what you did."

His face flashed in amusement and he shrugged, sitting next to me, "I didn't really do anything. I was just messing…"

"Mike."

He laughed a naughty laugh and shrugged, "I started fucking with him before I realized it, and when he told me that I was the devil…"

"The devil fucks us all," I quoted with a smirk, then coughed, "Oh, dear."

He laughed, "Yeah…and to continue my game, I pulled my knife out."

"I think…" I started, not sure I wanted to hear the final out-come of this. I had a vision of my knight here cutting my king there…

"No! He took it from me and reminded me that he liked it better when he did it…and he did it."

I wasn't sure if I should laugh or groan.

"He wasn't serious, though," Duo reassured me, "He reminded me that he's a sadistic asshole and just as manipulative as you think I am."

I started laughing, lying back across the bed.

"It was fun," he admitted, crawling onto me and studying my eyes, "It was just…so very him. He's playing at king and not acting like himself."

I winked, then frowned, "What did you do this morning? Why is Miguel so upset with you?"

"Because if I wanted to get with Wufei, I could, and he knows it. He's insecure of himself and Wufei-and honestly, with the way Wufei and I play off each other, I can understand that. He's just being the biggest dick he can be…and that annoys me."

"Ah," I found the root of the issue in that final statement, sitting up and shoving him off of me, "So you are fucking with him."

He looked at me as if I were stupid.

I smacked him, "Leave the poor guy alone."

He laughed, reaching over and grabbing his clothing.

"You know why they were all pissed at you last night, right?" I added, studying his face. I had a feeling that he'd fixated on the dresser bit with them-and in his mind that was very clear. Our fighting matches rarely took place in a bedroom, and if they did they were motel rooms, so the dressers were all low-slung. He hadn't meant to make me hit the dresser…he just didn't realize that the fact he could get more obvious blows in would make it all look rather one-sided.

He shrugged at me, "They're a bunch of tweaks."

"Who think you beat me."

I could see him thinking about it again.

"At least Heero thought you were hitting me to get what you wanted."

His expression darkened.

"Yes. Anything you wanted."

His eyes were upset when he met mine, shaking his head slowly, "Heero wouldn't…"

"They don't know you anymore, and in all honestly, I don't either."

"What do you mean? They've known…"

"The fact that you attacked Mr. Trowa without warning scares them. They don't know how far they can trust you…"

He blinked, meeting my eyes.

"I know Heero was drunk last night…and so was Quatre. So their judgment would have been off. That was why Heero decked you…"

"Because he was drunk?" Duo tried to change the subject.

I didn't let him, "Because he thought you were beating me. I was heading into my room to get away from you and he saw you following me. My lip was bleeding and a dresser had nearly just fallen on me…and you caught it," I added before he could get irritated about that again. "You caught the dresser before it fell on me, and you were being an asshole. I was upset and heading away from you. To Heero, it looked like you were chasing me."

He shook his head slowly for a moment before, "No, no…Heero wouldn't…they…"

"But Heero did…last night. He realized this morning…"

"No," he snapped.

I stared at him in amazement.

"Heero knows me better than that," he informed me, "Why you even think…"

"That's what they were saying, Michael, that's why Trowa was pounding on the door after you threw him out…that was why Wufei was bitching at you."

"Wufei does not think that!" he shouted at him, his ire rising to an extent that suggested extreme action in short order.

"Not now, but last night…"

"Get out of my room," he snarled at me, turning his back on me, "I don't need to hear this shit."

I stared at him in amazement as he shut the bathroom door, listening as the water started running.

I couldn't fight the tears that rolled down my cheeks as I moved from the bedroom, grabbing the cordless phone from where it was laying on top of the dresser, dialing room service as I moved into my bedroom.

"How can we help you?" a pleasant voice asked.

"I need my car," I informed them.

"But, Ma'am, we can just send someone out…it's getting late."

"I'm aware. Just have my car out front in five minutes."

"But…"

"Do it," I snapped, hanging up and throwing the phone on the middle of the bed, looking the room over before grabbing a duffel bag from the closet.

It only took me minutes to cram all of my clothing into it, and I didn't really have any belongings. The tears were streaming openly down my cheeks.

I tossed my room-key onto the kitchen counter and stared the living room over as I remembered how much fun Duo and I'd had together. That was the past, though, and I could tell he didn't plan to stay with me forever.

This way it'd be easier on him.

I slammed the door behind myself, knowing he would hear it, then ran to the stairs. I didn't run into anyone on the way out of the royal wing, and that made what I was doing easier. The valet was waiting for me at the car with a slight frown, however.

"Are you sure…Ma'am?" he blinked at the duffel bag I was holding.

"I won't be coming back," I informed him, tossing the bag into the back seat.

"Oh, please…Miss Selena," he started, grabbing my wrist, "Don't act in haste."

I studied his eyes, shaking my head at him. He'd brought me my car enough now that he knew my name and probably my circumstance.

"Very well," he said respectfully, letting me go, "Can I do anything else?"

I dashed the tears away from my eyes, then shook my head, "No. Thank you, but there is nothing left to do."

"Do they know you are leaving?"

"No."

"Shall I tell them?"

"If they ask." I slid into the driver's seat, then pulled a twenty from my wallet that Duo had given me, "Thank you very much for your help," I muttered as he took it, "Take care of yourself."

"Drive safely, Miss Selena," he muttered, stepping back.

I didn't look back.

-

I rolled my eyes as the front door slammed and finished my shower quickly. Selena really had some balls for being a chick. It didn't take me long to shower and decide I really should apologize to her. She was telling me things as she saw them, not accusing my friends.

The phone wasn't on the dresser where I'd left it, so I hit the pager button, blinking. It was in Selena's room.

An eerie feeling creeped up my spine as I moved into the room. Nothing looked out of place, but it seemed empty. I picked the phone up from the bed and dialed Trowa's apartment, figuring Selena had gone to bitch at Hilde about me being a prick.

"Yeah?" Trowa asked.

"Is Selena there?"

"No she's not," Trowa replied easily.

"I'm serious, Tro. I want to apologize to her. I know she's mad at me, but…"

"No, Duo," he muttered, "She's really not here."

I frowned, "You sure? She's not talking to Hilde?"

"No, Hilde is in reading to Alex."

I stared at the key on the kitchen counter, not moving.

"Duo?"

"Maybe…she went to Heero."

"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," I lied, hanging up on him and pulling out my cell phone as I started into the hall. I didn't bother knocking on the door to Heero's apartment and could already tell there was no one upstairs. Heero and Relena were sitting together on the couch when I hit the lower living room.

"What's up?" Heero demanded, alarmed.

"Selena here?"

"No," he replied, "Why?"

"Fuck!"

I slammed through the front door of his apartment and into the main hallways, heading for the front, Heero was on my heels, and a moment later another set of steps joined those.

"Sir Maxwell," a startled looking valet muttered, coming in front outside, "What…your majesty…Mr. Barton…" he was staring at the three of us in confusion.

"Has Selena left?" I snapped at him.

He blinked at me, nodding and gesturing toward the doors, "Only just."

I shoved past him out onto the stairs…in time to see taillights disappear.

"What's going on?" Trowa demanded of me, "Where is she going?"

"He just said she told him she wasn't coming back," Heero informed me with huge eyes, "She was crying…what did you do?"

"What did I do?" I demanded of him in dismay.

"Why else would she leave?" he snapped back, "Honestly, Duo."

And then I could see it in his eyes. Exactly what Selena had been saying…

I backed away from them both, though Trowa was studying me easily.

"What now?" Heero demanded in annoyance.

I looked to Trowa, trying to see what I saw in Heero's eyes.

Trowa shook his head, "Don't run."

I took a few more steps backwards, staring at Heero. He was glowering at me, "What's your issue?" he snapped.

I ran.

-

E/N: So…reviews?