Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Child's Love ❯ Target Practice ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. *goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets* I am poor as well. Flames will be used in one of Neko's Infamous Bonfires.

A/N: I started this chapter and had three whole scenes written, but that was all before my computer decided to kill my disk and everything that was on it. So, this will probably not be as good as what I had before, but I'm trying to get it back. Poke the Neko if you think it sucks, or could use some work. I just don't remember everything like I should.

Dedication: To Rainy, Jade-nee-san, and Jochan, for trying to make me feel better, even though I now have to bury my disk and scrounge around to get back to where I was with all my fics. I love you three to pieces.

Summary of the last chapter: Heero calls home, only to find Duo and Allilon in on a joke to get him, but something happens that drags the American away from the phone and scares the hell out of Heero. Hilde tries to convince Duo to talk to Heero about throwing a get-together at the Japanese man's house, and only succeeds in getting him to agree to an adults' night out. Heero finds out just how good his new lover is with children, *and* house keeping. Heero finds Duo in Allilon's room, sleeping, and wakes him up to sleep with the tired, and horny, Japanese man.

Symbols: /blah/ - thoughts
*Blah* - emphasized words
*~*~*~* - Major scene change or POV change
*~~~~~* - Minor scene change

Target Practice

The night was cold, dark, and rainy, but Duo knew that he had to keep moving through the gloomy, overgrown forest. He hissed in pain as a tree branch smacked into his wounded shoulder, and bit his tongue as a bush scrapped his legs.

/Goddamn OZ uniforms. Why did they have to make shorts for the hotter countries?/ he though bitterly, wiping water from his bangs and eyes. /I *will* blow up this base. Just gotta make it back to 'Scythe, and then I can have 'Fei bandage me up while he lectures me on proper behaviour during sabotage missions./

No sooner had a little sliver of the moon glistened off something that could only have been his Gundam, than a sound behind him made him whirl around, hissing as a hot bullet seared it's way across his left calf. The sound of crunched undergrowth made his adrenaline hit him like a sledgehammer. He ran as fast as his injured body would carry him, but it wasn't fast enough. Another bullet hit his right calf; making him fall to the ground, face first.

Duo tried to drag himself to his Gundam, which he knew could only have been about ten meters from where he was right then, but was stopped by two dark shadows that stood over the top of him. One of the men leaned down, pulling Duo's head up by his bangs and leered.

"Well, James, look at what we have here, a piece of terrorist trash. What do you think we should do with it, eh?"

"Go... to... hell..." Duo spat at the OZ soldier, moving his uninjured arm ever so slightly to his left thigh. He cried out in pain as the other soldier kicked his hand so hard there was a crack.

"No, no, no. You mustn't try to hurt us, little shithead. Malcolm, I suggest we just kill him now. What do you think, Colony Trash?"

"Fuck... you... both..."

"Well, if you insist," the first soldier said, reaching for Duo's arms.

*~~~~~~~*

Heero woke up, instantly alert, and started searching for his gun and the nearest escape route. A few seconds later, he registered that he was in his bed, and that the disturbance that woke him was the thrashing and yelling body next to his own. Carefully, he managed to untangle himself and Duo from the sheets around them, and then he placed a hand on the sleeping man's shoulder.

"Duo..." he said quietly, and quickly dodged a fist that nearly connected with his face.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Duo screamed, scrambling from off the bed, and curling up in the nearest corner. Heero, who was used to nightmares, calmly moved over to his shaking lover and squatted next to him.

"Duo, you have to wake up. It's only a dream..." he whispered, not touching the American, in case he reacted volatile again.

"Don't touch me. Never again. Don't you fucking touch me," Duo chanted, rocking back and forth, tears glistening in the corners of his dead-looking amethyst eyes. "Just... don't touch me..."

Heero was about to find something to wrap around the other man when a knock on the door caught his attention. Quickly, he stalked over to the door and threw it back, only to find Allilon standing there, in his cowboy pyjamas, rubbing at his eyes. "Allilon, what's the matter?" he asked, wondering what alternate universe he'd awaken into.

"'Smatter with Uncle Duo?" the boy asked, his eyes pinned directly on the shaking man in the corner.

"He had a nightmare... Why are you awake?"

"Noise woke me up," Allilon replied, moving past Heero to sit next to Duo. Heero made a move to snatch the boy away, but sighed in relief when Allilon laid his head on Duo's arm and there was no violent reaction from the American. "Uncle Heero, you should tell him a bedtime story. Uncle Duo, Uncle Heero tells the best bedtime stories."

"Allilon, go back to bed, and I will come tuck you in, once I get Duo settled, Okay?" Heero replied, picking the boy up and moving him over towards the door.

"'Mmmkay," Alli said, shuffling his tiny feet across the floor.

When the boy was gone, Heero looked at his lover, who seemed to have calmed down a bit from the scare he'd given the three of them. Carefully, Heero placed one hand upon Duo's shoulder. The other man responded by looking up with bleary eyes. Before he could blink, Heero found his arms full of the American man, who was burying his head into his chest.

"Duo?"

"...Horrible... tried to get me... couldn't fight them... hurt... oh my god..." Duo sobbed into his lover's shirt, his words becoming mumbled in the fabric.

"Duo, what? I can't understand you," Heero said, pulling away to look at the man he was holding. Tears were streaking their way down Duo's perfect heart-shaped face, his eyes were ringed with red marks, and they appeared close to dead. The sight was enough to nearly break Heero's heart. "Come on, koibito. Let's just go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Heero gently picked his crying lover up, carried him over to the king-sized bed, placed him on one side, got in next to him, and just held Duo until the tears stopped and he fell asleep once more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He had no idea how long he laid there, being held by Heero's strong, comforting arms, but time seemed to crawl by as he listened to the calm breathing of his lover. Carefully, Duo disentangled himself from Heero, and sat up. Taking a look at the other man's sleep-softened face, Duo felt himself smile for a moment, but the nightmare kept running through his mind.

/I thought I was over this. It's been almost a year since I last had it. Why tonight?/ he thought, climbing out of the bed and heading downstairs to the living room.

He sat down on the couch, curling his feet under him and stared, numbly, at the brick fireplace. He couldn't keep the images from his mind. Try as he might, he kept losing the battle, and after the twentieth time that the scene in the forest reappeared, he gave up.

There were only two other people who knew what the dream really meant, and one he was still pissed at. The other was his therapist, Erin Kershaw, who Hilde and Wufei had urged him, repeatedly, to see and talk to about the wars. At first, he had balked about the idea, instead choosing to ignore the way the reoccurring nightmare made him feel. But when he'd waken up one night while Wufei was visiting, he was standing in the middle of his kitchen with a knife pressed to his arm. He'd waken up Wufei when he'd knocked over a glass on the counter.

After that, he'd stopped fighting with his friends and called around for a good person to talk to. The first few sessions with his redheaded therapist were tense, making Duo rethink the whole idea, but after the fifth or sixth session, Erin mentioned something about doctor-patient confidentiality and an ethics code that she was legally bound to follow. That was the pin that set everything straight for Duo, and every session after that had him talking about his past, his friends, his job, his dreams, his ambitions, his feelings, and mostly about his feelings for Heero and the way they had parted.

Erin had once asked him who were his closest friends, and Duo automatically responded with Hilde, Mike, and Wufei. Then, she suggested that Duo consider telling one of the others about the ordeal and the dreams. Duo had automatically rejected Hilde for her overprotective nature and the fact that she was a woman and easily to get angry. Then, Mike had been thrown out of the window, not for lack of trust, but because the man was a *recent* friend, and hadn't been in the war the same way that Duo or Hilde had. That left Duo with only one option left, and in truth, it was the best option.

Once Wufei had dropped the Justice Boy act, Duo'd discovered a lot of things about his friend. Wufei liked to read classics from Earth, and he listened to some rock and roll. He had a *major* weakness for chocolate covered strawberries. His sense of humour, while sometimes dry and biting, was always amusing when Duo wasn't the butt of his wise cracks. In fact, Wufei had been a scholar before joining the war effort, and that had earned Duo's respect more than anything.

And so, the two boys became men together, constantly talking when they were free, running up atrocious phone bills, and not caring. But then, the day came when Wufei said he had a mission for the Preventers and it was a no-comm deal. That was the last time that Duo had talked to the Chinese man, and the beginning of the end for their friendship. That is, until his twenty-first birthday, and he'd began the search for his friends. But, since Duo was upset with Wufei, his only option for someone to talk to about his nightmare was Erin.

He checked the clock and noticed that it was almost four a.m. in Paris. After a quick calculation in his mind, he came up with that it was probably a bit after nine a.m. on L2, and knowing Erin the way he did, she'd been in her office for two hours already. He moved the vid-phone until he could talk without getting up from the couch, and dialed the number to the therapist's office. She picked up on the third ring.

"Erin Kershaw, how may I help you?" the redheaded woman said, with a faint smile upon her weary face.

"Heya, Erin-babe, how are things there?" Duo said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Duo! God, how are you? You didn't show up for your appointment last week, and when I called Hilde, she told me that you were on Earth. Paris, no less, and you were looking for Heero to talk to him. Why didn't you tell me during our last session?"

"Sorry, I was trying to steel myself for anything that might happen, and well, I guess it just didn't cross my mind," he responded.

Erin sighed, and took a good look at her patient over the vid-phone's link. "You look like shit. What time is it there?"

"'Bout four a.m."

"Holy FUCK," she said, running a hand through her frizzy Irish-given auburn curls. "Why in the hell are you up?"

"Nightmare..." he responded, his mask cracking and falling off completely.

"Oh, Duo... What happened with Heero?" Erin asked, grabbing her notepad and putting on her 'I'm listening' face.

"Well... It's a long story..."

"Duo. Stop that and just tell me. I promise to not even bill you for this session, even though I could make a killing with the overtime that I would normally bill you." Duo laughed, remembering why he liked the woman so much and why he kept going back to talk to her.

"Thanks, Erin."

"No problem. Now, tell me what's wrong and why you are having that dream again after so long."

"Ok, well, after my birthday party, where none of the guys came, I decided to find out where Heero and 'Fei disappeared off to. Both are working for the Preventers, like I told you they probably were, and well... Here's where things start to get messy. Remember how I told you that 'Fei went on that mission and I never heard from him again?"

Erin nodded. "Yes, continue."

"Well, he completed it in about fifteen months, total, and then came back, started dating Sally Po, got married ten months ago, and now they're gonna have a baby. But this whole time, he never called me to tell me he was alive and that sorta pissed me off, but I was glad that the jerk was alive. So, I found out what Heero was up to, got his address, phone number, the whole deal. Hilde told me that I should just go see him. That the worse he could do is reject me, and then I would have my answer. So, I took her advice, hopped the next shuttle to Paris, checked into my hotel and went to find 'Ro.

"Good news, he is alive, healthy, and as hot as ever. So, I knocked on his door, and saw him, but behind him was the most adorable boy I'd ever seen. Only thing is that he looked like a mini-Heero, and that sorta made me feel like shit. I was just about to leave, believing this kid was 'Ro's when he stopped me, invited me in to talk, and told me the story behind Allilon. Isn't that a great name?"

"Ancient Greek for one, I believe... And yes, it's quite nice for a little boy," Erin said, scribbling away madly, but still listening.

"Well, turns out the kid is Relena Peacecraft-Darlian-Roget's only child, and was staying with his godfather, Heero Yuy, while the good Vice-Foreign Minister and her husband went to a conference in the colonies. Well, the good lady's shuttle blew up, killing everyone on board, leaving Allilon an orphan, and Heero the new parent of a three-year-old boy. End of story, pretty much, but the beginning of Heero's new life. So, he gets a job with the Preventers in their technology department, something he can do part time most days, and puts the boy into a really *nice* preschool with his cousin, Joshua, who's the son of Milliardo Peacecraft/Zechs Marquise and Lucrezia Noin.

"So, after I learn all this, I invite my friend and his kid to dinner with me, not really sure what we were going to do, but just wanting to spend more time with both Heero and the adorable scamp that kept calling me Mr. Maxswell."

"How cute," Erin cut in, smiling widely.

"Isn't it just?" Duo asked, smiling himself. "So, anyway, he agrees, but calls me the night we were supposed to meet, tells me that Allilon won't be coming, and that it's just us adults. Part of me was really relieved because I had been dying to tell 'Ro how I felt for almost six and a half, seven years. Another part was scared because I don't know how he might take it. 'Ro's not the easiest to gauge reactions about."

"I remember his track record."

"Well, we go to dinner, and things are awkward for a while, and then I just blurted everything out in one long chain of words to get it out."

"Common defense mechanism. What was his reaction?"

"Err, said that he knew, but didn't do or say anything because *Wufei* was in love with me. I, um, blew up at him in front of the whole restaurant, and we thought it would be wiser to continue the discussion in my room, since the restaurant was in my hotel. Well, we got into a sort of argument because Heero said that he didn't do anything because he wasn't sure of his feelings and thought that Wufei would have done a better job. I wanted to hit him, but I didn't let him leave, and we straightened things out.

"Next morning, I called Hilde and told her what happened with Heero. Well, she got pissed... Like she normally does." That got a snort from Erin, and Duo looked up and grinned at the woman. "Yeah, I know... Anyway, we chatted about the whole Wufei situation, and well, she wanted to help me bash their heads in, both Heero and Wufei. But I got her to give me some time, called Wufei, set up a lunch date with my good buddy, who told me over some salad that the reason he didn't say anything about how *he* felt was because he wanted me to be happy. If everyone wanted me to be so *fucking* happy, then how come I've been so fucking *miserable*?" Duo felt the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes and didn't fight them. They rolled down his face unchecked, obscuring his vision and making Erin seem like a blurred red and peach spot.

"Duo, what happened after Wufei said that to you? I need you to continue so I can help you," Erin said calmly, and it helped to pulled Duo back from the pit of self-pity he had sunken into.

"Well, we got things straightened out, and then caught up on old times. It was nice. He looked at his watch, remembered he had to help his wife paint a nursery, and I paid for lunch. Things were good for a while between us after that. So, I went back to my hotel room, called Hilde to let her know what happened with 'Fei, and when I tried to tell her that I was coming home, she said it was fine and that to call her when I had a flight booked. I agreed and we hung up.

"No sooner than that happened when the phone rang, and it was Cathy, Trowa's sister, inviting me to an engagement party. I said yes, and then asked to speak to Q. After threatening to kill him, I got him to tell me why he didn't let me know that he *knew* where both 'Fei and 'Ro were. He said they made him promise, but then invited me over to his place to stay the night before the party. I agreed to that too, and as I was getting stuff to take over Q's, Heero knocked on the door to take me.

"Car ride was mostly silent, but then Heero started asking about lunch with 'Fei. I told him it was fine until I talked to Q, and then asked him about his part in the whole 'let's not tell Duo where I am because I'm a big ass' plot. After he started with the 'I just wanted you to be happy' bit, I stopped him, told him how it made me feel, and the rest of the drive was quiet. When we got there, I was nearly trampled by Allilon and Joshie-boy, who were playing a bit rough. After saying hello to everyone, Alli drug me up to his room in Q's house. The kid stays with Q so much that he has his own freaking room. Can you believe that crap? Well, anyway, I came back down when he went to sleep, and we all sat down... Oh, everyone is Heero, Wufei, Trowa, Q, Sally, Noin, Zechs, Cathy, Auda and I. Well, we had some polite conversation, but Heero went to bed, and Q led me up to my own, only to find out that I was sharing a room with the Cobalt Terror.

"Things got settled, but I had already began formulating a way to get my friend back for trying to get me and 'Ro together so quickly. Next day, I was stuck decorating the house with 'Ro, and it was strange. Then, got dressed for the party, came down late as Hell, but it was worth it for the looks I got from just about everyone in the room." Duo laughed, and so did Erin. She was used to Duo using his strange and beautiful looks to get him what he wanted. "Anyway, we all had dinner, which was catered, and found out that 'Ro and I were seated next to one another, even though I had *expressly* told Q to stop his little plan, and I think Heero did too. So, by the time that everyone left, I was pretty drunk, and the only people still there were the ones from before, Une, and her adopted daughter, Mariemaia."

"The one from..."

"The one and only. Sweet kid now. Absolute doll. You'd never know that she was used as a puppet to start a war. Une-babe's done a good job raising her. Anyway, so it was just us adults, and I decided that it was perfect time to get my revenge on Q. I played that one song. Remember the Garbage song I played you that I said reminded me of Q?" Erin nodded. "Well, not only did I play it, I *sang* along to it. Q tried to stop me, and I ended up getting sick all over him. That put a damper on things, and the next thing I remember, I was waking up in the room with Heero, feeling like crap. He helped me pray to the Porcelain Goddess a few more times, and then left me to clean up.

"Got back to the room, and 'Ro kissed me, tried to maul me, but I stopped him because I still felt like shit. So, we slept in the same bed that night. When we woke up, Heero was hornier than a bitch in heat, and tried to molest me, and I didn't resist him that time. Only, this time, Alli, who started screaming his head off, interrupted us. I knew I had screwed up big time, so I kinda ran off back to my hotel to hide out. Heero hunted me down, and well... we managed to get things all straightened out between us, and we made love for the first time."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up the gravy train. You're telling me that you had Heero engaged in intercourse?" Erin asked, her face a mixture of knowledge and fear.

"Yeah..." Duo replied, feeling sick to his stomach again.

"How long ago was this?"

"I guess five days ago..."

"And you had your nightmare tonight?"

"Yes."

"Duo, we talked about this maybe happening when you finally got close to Heero the way you wanted. Did we not?"

"Yeah..."

"Ok, well my advice in the situation, which normally costs you extra, but is free at nearly ten a.m., is to talk to Heero about what happened to you during that mission that went wrong."

"I... just can't," Duo sobbed, feeling like crap.

"Duo," the woman said firmly. "I know that you are ashamed of what happened, but you have to tell him so your relationship, which seems rather delicate right now, can evolve to something more. It's the only way. But, I have another piece of advice. Talk to Wufei about it, ignoring what he did and didn't do, and just talk like you used to, and let him tell you what he thinks about it. Will you do that for me?"

"I guess..."

"Good, and keep an eye out for Hilde. I know she's your other best friend, and probably one of the few people to be totally honest with you, but her explosive behaviour could be more of a hindrance than actually helpful with anything. Do that for me."

"Alright. I will call 'Fei and talk to him. I will also keep Hilde from killing him," Duo finally said.

"Good. Call me in the afternoon, or whenever you talk to Wufei, and we can schedule an appointment for when you get back to L2. We need to get this all out into the open."

"I know."

"Alright, well, I have a patient coming in now, so I will have to talk to you later," she said, smiling at Duo once more.

"Yeah, go fix the crazies, Erin-babe."

"I'm trying... And I'm starting with you, Duo Maxwell."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "Oh, and stop padding my bill." They both laughed and hung up. Duo felt a bit better after talking to the woman whom he respected, but he knew that talking to Wufei would be a bit of a problem. He looked over at the clock and realized that it was almost five-thirty, and knew that Wufei was probably up and in his office at home already, even on his day off, so he dialed the Chang-Po residence before he lost his nerve.

"Yes," came the curt, impatient answer.

"Heya, Fei," Duo said, feeling a bit better at Wufei's normal reaction.

"Duo!"

"Yep, that's me."

"What are you doing up? Why are you not asleep? And why are you calling me from Heero's house?" Wufei asked, the confusion evident upon his face in the screen.

"Stayed the night when I watched Alli-kun. It was a blast, but anyway... I'm up because I had *that* dream again. You know the one," Duo said vaguely.

"Yes," Wufei replied, sobering up totally and looking at Duo with caution. "Did you talk to your therapist? Are you still seeing Erin?"

"Yeah, and she told me that I should tell Heero, but I just... I can't right now... I don't want him to know that on the mission I never completed, the one I totally fucked up on, was the mission that I got compromised. That I was violated. That I'm totally damaged goods."

"Duo, we are all damaged goods. That is part of the reason none of can be totally honest with one another. Why we end up hurting each other even though we are only trying to do what's best. That is part of why we made such good Gundam pilots," Wufei said, feeling very old all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I know, but... 'Fei, what if he hates me? What if he says he can't be with me because of it?"

"Then he's a fool, and I will gladly assist Hilde after she takes her pound of flesh from my backside."

"You... you know about that?"

"Please, as soon as I heard that she was here, I knew it was only a matter of time before she let me 'have it'. She's as transparent as a sheet of window glass." He scoffed, visibly crossing his arms across his chest.

Duo snickered in response. "'Fei, Erin said to make peace with you. I mean... I'm still pissed that you just basically wrote me out of your life, but I guess that I can see that you were *trying* to make me come after Heero."

"Duo, I am *truly* sorry that I hurt you. That is one of the things that I will always regret. You are a wonderful friend, and you've always tried to be, and I was... an idiot, to be honest. If you have anything to say to me about it, I will not blame you."

"I think you've beaten yourself up for the both of us, Justice Boy. Thanks for talking to me, 'Fei-fei. You're a great guy sometimes. Just gotta work on the other times, you know, when you're an ass."

"Why thank you, Maxwell." They both laughed as Duo stuck his tongue out.

"Welcome. 'Night, 'Fei."

"Good night, Duo. Get some more sleep. You look like shit."

"You and Erin both said that. I guess I must. Talk to you later," Duo said, cutting the connection, and making a move to get up from the couch. He stopped as he recognized a familiar footfall on the staircase, and started to mentally berate himself. Heero'd heard everything. Shit!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Heero woke up suddenly, finding something missing from where it should be. He looked around his room, and that's when he noticed that Duo was gone. He should have been *right* there next to him, sleeping and looking like a sensual angel for his viewing pleasure. /What the hell is that baka doing up? He had that nightmare and was a mess. I wonder if he is okay? Should I be checking for my weapons?/

Quietly, he got out of his bed, and opened the door to his room. He heard Duo's deep baritone coming from the living room, and he followed it. He paused on the stairs as he realized that the other man was on the phone. He sat down and listened to what was being said.

Duo was talking to a woman, who sounded like she was a doctor, or a therapist, and she was telling Duo to call Wufei if he wouldn't talk to Heero about his dream. That got Heero's immediate attention. Duo was saying that he just couldn't tell Heero about it, that he would call Chang, and then keep Hilde on her leash.

Heero narrowed his eyes, feeling as if he'd be shot through the heart. He was pained by the fact the Duo thought he couldn't tell him something, and he wasn't used to this sort of feeling. He almost yelled at Duo about what was bothering the braided man, but he decided to listen to the conversation that Duo had just started with the Chinese man.

Wufei began on a tirade, which was almost sounded as if it should have come from Quatre, about why Duo was still up and such. Heero listened carefully as Duo explained that he'd had a nightmare, and evidently, it wasn't news to Wufei. They talked a bit more about what the nightmare contained, and when Duo's voice became hopeless, talking about how he'd been violated, damaged, Heero felt totally and utterly betrayed.

He debated as to whether or not to confront Duo right then and there, but he finally decided to let Duo have his conversation, but then he would let him know that he knew. He listened again, and was saddened as Duo and Wufei patched up their friendship. Why, he had no idea. He should have been happy that Duo was gaining his friends back, but the more that he did, it was a bit less of Duo that he himself would have.

He looked again, saw Duo stick out his tongue at the Chinese man, exchange a few more words, and then hang up. When the American stood up from the couch, Heero got up from the step he'd been sitting on and when back to his room. He just didn't want to see Duo at that moment, and he definitely didn't want to talk to him.