Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil With A Blue Dress On (Part Five of the Family Sagas) ❯ Part Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the kids!

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 8

Duo and Hilde walked silently into the Church, his hand riding the small of her back as they walked down the aisle. Duo watched as his oldest sat down in the pew next to Victoria and the other Yuys. He let Randy in next, and then followed her in. He felt Hilde give him a strange look as she sat down next to him, while Jonathon and David followed her. He glanced at Randy out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting with her hands clasped on her lap. His eyes fell on the ring on her right hand and couldn't help let a rueful smile cross his lips. It was a chastity ring. "You were an idiot to think that they did anything. She's wearing that ring isn't she! You remember when she made that promise here in this Church two years ago. She promised to remain a virgin until she married. And I overreacted as usual because I jumped to conclusions! You're right, you're an idiot!" He slid his hand into Hilde's, grasping her fingers lightly.

Randy could feel her dad's warmth as he sat next to her. She really didn't want to acknowledge his presence, but it was kind of hard to ignore. She glanced at Chris who was holding Victoria's hand next to her. She sighed and looked back down at her lap. Her palms felt sore and no more blood had seeped through the white bandages. She wondered if Miles would come to Church today, not blaming him if he didn't. She looked out of the corner of her eye at her dad, who was looking at her hands. Her own eyes fell on the gold etched band on her left index finger. Her chastity ring. "Maybe now dad realizes we didn't do anything at all. I always keep my promises. I may be a "bad" girl, but I really am still a "good" girl."

Hilde watched Duo, watch Randy. She could see the concern in his eyes when they fell on her bandaged hands. She knew he felt guilty for that, but she knew that Randy should let her tears out more often instead of causing herself pain like that, but she knew she wouldn't. Too much like Duo in that respect. His nightmares haunted him for quite awhile and he would force back the tears that she knew were under the surface. But even as strong as he was, the tears finally fell one night and he had cried for what seemed like hours against her chest. And she had held him so very tight; murmuring soothing words to him as his hot tears had soaked her shirt. But she was the only one who saw that side of him, that more vulnerable side. She smiled softly. "Like father, like daughter."

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Miles walked behind his parents up the steps of the Church. His stomach churned at the thought of looking at Duo again. His eyes lifted to his parents again. He watched how his dad's hand rested on his mom's back as she walked. He smiled ruefully when he thought that he would never get to walk that way with Randy again. Duo would kill him first. As they walked in, his eyes fell on the Maxwells, sitting with the Yuys in the third pew from the front. He followed his family into the sixth pew back. He could see Randy's bowed head, her shiny raven hair hanging like a cloak down her back. His heart ached. "Randy."

Randy turned around when she felt eyes on her. She turned around and her eyes fell on Miles and his family. She closed her eyes briefly before turning around again, but her dad had already turned to look as well.

Duo's eyes fell on Miles, who looked just as miserable as Randy. His eyes went to Trowa, whose eyes were narrowed on him with intensity. He turned around again. "Yup, look likes Trowa is good and pissed. Just what I need." He turned around again, feeling the glare that Trowa was sending him. "Man, doesn't he know how irrational a father can be when you have a teenage daughter that's old enough to date. Heero went ballistic with Victoria and Chris. That goes to prove that even he's irrational when it comes to his girls."

Hilde glanced back briefly at the Bartons. Her eyes fell on Miles. He was looking at Randy. She smiled sadly. He looked almost as miserable as her daughter. Her eyes collided with Middi's, whose were looking at her. She sent her a sad smile as well. Hilde turned around again and glanced at Duo. His eyes were straight forward, trying not to notice the looks that Trowa was sending him.

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Donavon observed the whole thing, his eyes shifting from Randy to Miles to his dad and then to Duo. He did not like to think what was going to happen after Church. His dad rarely lost his temper, but when he did, it was wise to run very fast. His heart went out to Randy. "I wish I could do something for you, baby."

Trowa fisted his hands as he watched Duo turn around again and look at him. He narrowed them at him. He wanted to strangle him for threatening his son. He felt his wife clutch his hand. He looked at her and his expression softened the tiniest bit. He squeezed her hand and faced forward again, trying to pay attention to the service and not on throttling Duo.

Middi was justifiably worried now. She had seen the looks that her husband was sending Duo. And by Duo's looks, he knew what was coming. She had seen the worry in Hilde's eyes as well. She looked over at Randy. The girl's head was bowed, her silky hair hanging down her back in a cascade. She had seen her face when she had turned around to look and she looked even more upset then Miles. "Poor girl."

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The hour-long service soon ended and once out in the parking lot, things were just about to break loose.

Duo leaned against a tree as he watched Trowa approaching him. "Five to one, he wants to beat the shit out of me."

Trowa walked towards Duo. "Maxwell, you and I are going to have a little "talk."

"Is that so?" Duo asked calmly as he leaned away from the tree. Trowa was now in front of him, glaring at him directly.

"You have a lot of nerve, Maxwell! Where the hell do you get off threatening my son!" Trowa hissed.

"Your very undressed son was holding my very undressed sixteen year old daughter!" Duo hissed back.

"That gives you no right to threaten him!" Trowa snapped.

"I have every right! I'm a father and so are you! My wife, who I am still playing penitent for, already bitched at me! I don't need you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do! Let me ask you this, if it was your undressed daughter in the arms of an undressed guy, what would you do?" Duo growled.

Trowa balled his hand into a fist. "This isn't about me!"

"Answer the damn question!" Duo shot back.

"Well I know I wouldn't go around threatening to kill him!" Trowa yelled.

"Bullshit and you know it! I know you're just as protective of your daughters as I am of mine," Duo replied with a glare.

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Randy watched, her eyes bouncing back and forth between her dad and Trowa. She closed her eyes and then felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and glanced up at Donavon. "Hi," she said faintly.

"Hey, it'll be all right, babe," Donavon said as he rested his chin on top of her head. He hugged her tight. He had noticed the bandages. He also knew why she had them.

Miles watched his brother hug Randy. He smiled sadly. "He would be so much better for her then me. He doesn't have that reputation for being a skirt chaser and he's only a year older then her. And Duo has never objected to him like he does me." His eyes went to Duo and his dad. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. To him, it didn't look like the conversation was going well. Both of them were gesturing angrily and the tone of their voices clearly meant that they were both extremely ticked. He felt his mother slip her arm around him. "Thanks, mom," he said as he looked down at her.

"It's all right, Miles. Hopefully your father won't actually try to beat the daylights out of Duo," Middi said as she squeezed his hand reassuringly. She looked over to where her husband and Duo were still having their "talk" although by now it was almost a shouting match.

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"You're a hothead, you know that!" Trowa shouted at Duo.

"Oh yeah, I'm a hothead!" Duo shouted sarcastically. "Well when Carin or Isabella date skirt chasers, you'll see how you feel!"

"That wouldn't be a problem because my daughters don't attract guys like that! Yours does! I think Randy is a nice girl, but she attracts all the guys that you don't want her to date!"

"Don't forget, Barton, you weren't that much different then me before you fell in love and got married! You liked dating the ladies just as much as I did! And your son isn't that much different then you!"

"I could say the same thing for all three of your sons! They're all just as bad as you! Didn't Heero dislocate Chris's arm for sleeping with Victoria?" Trowa shot back hotly.

"Well my sons also don't go after sixteen year old girls!" Duo sputtered indignantly.

"You know what you need, Duo? A good punch in the face to knock some sanity into that thick skull of yours!" Trowa growled again.

"Oh yeah, by who?" Duo growled as he took a step back.

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Over by their car Heero and Relena were observing the shouting match between Duo and Trowa. "Heero, don't you think you should stop that! I mean they're causing a scene and they look like they want to kill each other," Relena pointed out.

Heero sighed and looked down at his wife. "I say let them beat the hell out of each other. Its between them."

"Heero," Relena said in a warning voice.

"Fine, fine," Heero replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way towards them. He saw Trowa ball up his fist. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He started walking a little faster.

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"By me," Trowa said as he pulled his fist back.

"You do that," Duo smirked wickedly, balling up his own fist.

Trowa let his balled fist fly forwards only to have it caught. He turned and looked at Heero. "What are you doing!" he hissed.

"Trying to make sure that both of you don't make complete asses of yourselves, not like you haven't already," Heero said as he let go of Trowa's hand. "And you, Maxwell. Get a grip on that temper of your before you explode," he ordered as he looked over at Duo.

Duo let his hand relax and let it fall to his side. He took a deep breath. He glanced over at Hilde, who was watching and tapping her foot with her arms crossed. That wasn't a good sign. "Look, Trowa, this is a little ridiculous. Last night I was being maniacal and irrational. I had every right to be upset with your son."

Trowa took a deep breath as well to calm himself. "But you still shouldn't have threatened to break every bone in Miles's body," he said.

"It works for Heero," Duo said a little defensively as he looked over at Heero.

"Leave me out of this," Heero said as he leaned back against the tree. "You two work it out. Just don't kill each other while you're at it."

"Like I said Trowa, I was irrational and I wasn't thinking too clearly. But I will take back what I said I was going to do to Miles. I won't kill him or break anything on him. Consider it a reprieve. But for now, he's not allowed to go anywhere with my daughter. And make it clear to him that she is off limits. And if he tries anyway, consider the breaking of bones back on and you know I'll actually mean it this time," Duo said as he turned on his heel and walked towards his wife.

Trowa watched Duo walk away. "Well that went over well," he muttered. "I may have gotten my son's life saved, but not the breaking of anything."

"Be lucky your son is still alive and well because you know he does mean what he says when it concerns Randy," commented Heero. "Whatever Miles did, he took a gamble and lost. Its best to say whatever chance he did have, is now gone," he said as he turned and walked back to his own wife.

Trowa sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He rolled his head back on his shoulders. "It just had to be one of those days," he mumbled as he too went back to his wife.

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Hilde raised a brow at Duo when he reached her. "You two certainly know how to have a "quiet" discussion."

"Sorry, babe, I know you're probably not too happy with me right now. And I don't blame you. I certainly know how to act like an ass when the time does not call for it," he admitted sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly Duo, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she sighed. "You have to get over this thing with Randy dating."

"I know I do. I just need a little time to adjust to it," Duo said as he glanced over at Randy, who was still being held by Donavon. He wondered why he had never objected to the younger Barton. Maybe it was because there was only a year apart in their ages and he didn't have a reputation. But he could guess how Donavon felt about Randy. He had a crush on her since they were both little. But Miles was a different story. Sometimes he couldn't even begin to guess what made Miles and Donavon treat women differently. "Randy, we're going home now," he called over to her.

Donavon pulled back from her and looked down at her. "Go on, Randy, go home with your parents and I'll see you at dinner tonight, okay?"

Randy looked up at him and twitched her lips a little. "Why are you so good to me?"

"Because you're almost like a sister to me. Now go on home, sleep the entire afternoon away and I guarantee you'll feel better by dinner," he said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"All right," she said, giving him a half smile as she started walking towards her family. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"That's my girl," Donavon said with a wide grin as she walked away from him.

Duo watched as she walked towards him. She was smiling a little now. He turned to Hilde. "Go get in the car, I want to talk to Randy alone, all right?"

Hilde smiled and pressed a kiss on his jaw. "Sure," she replied as she took his keys and went over to the Suburban.

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Duo waited until Randy was close to him. "Miranda," he called softly, "Could you and I have a talk?"

Randy looked up at him with uncertainty. She rolled her lips inward for a moment. "I guess so," she said slowly as she followed him over to a bench in the shade. "What do you want to talk about, dad?" she asked as she looked at her hands.

He glanced down at her bandaged hands. He picked one up and held it between his. "I wanted to tell you that I was sorry," he began as he rubbed his finger over the ring on her hand. "I was being irrational and maniacal last night. I know that you're old enough to date, but believe me; it's not an easy job for a dad to do. Any dad for that matter."

She watched as his larger hands enveloped her smaller one. "What job is that, dad?" she asked softly.

"Letting his little girl grow up," Duo said as he looked up at her. "When I look at Miles, its hard not to see myself. And I swore I wouldn't let you date a guy like I was because you deserve so much better, sweetheart. I know you didn't do anything last night, but I'm a father and when I saw you and Miles, it made me go a little ballistic."

"Ballistic? Dad, you looked like you were on the Zero system," Randy said as she arched a brow at him.

"Okay, the Zero system. But try to think where I'm coming from baby. A past womanizer does not want a womanizer for his daughter," he said as he looked into her cobalt eyes.

"But you didn't stay that way did you? You came back and admitted that you loved mom since you laid eyes on her and you married her," she said earnestly.

"I know I did. But that was a different time. Your mom and I were a lot more grown up at sixteen, and we grew up faster then we were supposed to. Your mom was pregnant with Chris when she was nineteen; I want you to be a kid as long as you can be. I know you've heard this before, but all I've wanted for you and your brothers is the best," Duo said as he laced his fingers with hers.

Randy smiled ruefully. "I know that dad. But I love him, doesn't that count for something?"

"It does count for something," he said as he looked at their hands.

"But…"

"But not at this moment. I need to think about you and Miles a little more. I've told Trowa I wouldn't kill Miles, but until then I can't have you and him together," he said. He saw her open her mouth to protest. "If he really wants to be with you, he'll wait until I give the go ahead. Just let me do this for myself. I need time to think, baby. Please."

Randy closed her eyes for a moment. "What do I do? I love Miles. I can wait a little longer can't I? And dad says he'll think about it. Which doesn't mean yes, but it doesn't mean no either." She opened her eyes and looked at her dad. His cobalt eyes were pleading. She smiled wryly. "That's the look you give mom when you're groveling."

Duo grinned at her. "And God knows how much groveling I've done for her. I love you, Randy. I've spoiled you because you're my little girl and letting you grow up is very hard for me. So can you bear with me?"

She leaned against his shoulder. "I guess I can, dad. Just please control that temper of yours," she replied as she placed her head on his shoulder.

He looked down at her. His very beautiful little girl. She was every inch of her mother and so much like him. He put his arms around her in a hug. "I love you, baby, never forget that," he said into her hair.

"I won't, daddy. I love you too," Randy, said against her his shirt.

"Come on, time to go home," he said as he stood. He pulled her up with him and swung her around in his arms. "And for me acting like an ass last night, you don't have to clean the house anymore. Sound good to you?"

"That sounds much better, dad," she said as she walked with him. She looked up at him through her lashes. "Can I have my Jeep back too?"

"Don't push your luck, little devil," Duo said as he helped her into the Suburban.

Trowa looked at Miles as he walked back over to him. He saw the mournful look that he was giving Randy. "Miles, I have something important to tell you," he began.

Miles looked back at his dad. "What is it?" he asked flatly.

"Duo said he wouldn't kill you, but for the time being it seems, Randy is off limits to you," he replied softly.

"She's off limits!" Miles sputtered.

"She's off limits and if you want her enough, you'll wait," Trowa continued gently. "I know you don't like it, but I saved your life. But Duo is very adamant on that. And until he says it's okay for you to date Randy, I want you to do as he wishes. It's the best that I could do without pounding the hell out of him," he said wryly.

Miles hung his head as he watched his brother walk over to them. "And you wonder why he doesn't object to him," he muttered under his breath.

Trowa put his hand on Miles's shoulder. "Miles, if you really love her like your mother says you do, you'll wait until the braided baka makes up his mind. And as for your brother, Donavon doesn't have the reputation that you do," he said pointedly as he raised his brow at his son.

Miles flushed guiltily and looked away. His eyes fell on Randy as she was now sitting with Duo in the shade. He wanted to be with her, but he knew now the only way he could have her was by Duo's decree. He sighed. "I guess I'll have to wait a little bit longer," he sighed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked back to the car.

Donavon looked over his shoulder at Randy and her dad. "Good luck, love," he whispered as he walked back with his dad to the car.

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Sunday dinner was the same as it always was.

Randy watched Miles out of the corner of her eye. She had been seated on the other side of Chris, further away from Miles. She resented that just the tiniest bit. She glanced over at Victoria, who was sitting across from her. She felt the need to pick on her. "So, Victoria, how do you like sleeping in my brother's bed?" she asked nonchalantly.

It caused Chris and Victoria to choke on their wine.

Victoria glared at Randy. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

Randy smirked. "Well it's kind of hard not to notice when my room is just two doors down the hall from his."

Chris was still choking on his wine. He was also avoiding looks from Heero and his dad.

"I outta…" Victoria started to say.

"Here we go," Miles, said into his hand.

"Ought to what?" Randy asked, as her smirk grew even bigger.

"Chris, do something!" Victoria hissed at him.

Chris turned to look at his sister. "Randy, I advise you to start running because if I catch you, I'll hang you over the balcony out it the foyer."

Randy squealed as he made a grab for her. She dashed out of the dining room with Chris not far behind.

Miles turned in his chair and watched her go, followed by her brother. He smiled ruefully. "At least she's feeling better."

Duo watched Miles, watch Randy. He sighed. "These are days that being a parent sucks," he muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes heavenwards.

Quatre sighed. "Why can't our dinners ever be normal?"

Heero eyed a flushing Victoria. "You got some explaining to do, young lady."

Victoria gave her dad a weak smile. "I'll be right back, I'm going to help Chris torture his sister," she said as she dashed out of the room.

Duo sighed. "I guess I have to stop them from doing just that," he said as he pushed out his chair and left the dining room.

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Later that evening, after her dad freed her, she went to the Winner's spacious library and curled up in a soft leather chair. Randy flipped through a book on Shakespeare. She sighed as she started reading "Romeo and Juliet." She felt someone's presence in the room She glanced up and saw Miles leaning against the door watching her. "Miles! What are you doing in here! My dad catches you…"

"I know, but I wanted to see how you were," Miles replied as he walked over and sat down in the chair across from her. He glanced at her bandaged hands and leaned forwards, taking her hands into his. "I'm sorry," he said as he kissed her palms.

She smiled at his gesture. "Miles, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault my hands are like this. It's my own stubborn pride that did this," she said softly.

"Pride, huh? I guess each and every one of us inherited that from our fathers. I just wish…" Miles trailed off as he looked back into her eyes.

"I know what you wish and I wish we could be together too. I love you, Miles, but my dad does need time to think. Technically I still have to do what he says," she said wryly. "And I don't want you hurt."

"Just waiting for you is going to be so much better. I've never had to work hard to date a beautiful woman, but I also didn't have a God of Death standing in the way," he chuckled.

Randy let out a light laugh. "Well best things come to those who wait," she said as she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. "Now get going before you get caught and my dad has your ass."

"Always do what the lady says," Miles said as he stood, giving her a mock bow before slipping out of the room.

She smiled as she started reading again. "I hope you say yes, dad," she said to herself.

Outside the window, stood Duo. He had watched the entire scene. His first impulse was to throttle Miles, but he reined it in and watched. He tilted his head thoughtfully. "I wonder how many hoops I can make him jump through. This could be more fun then I thought," he said with a wicked grin as he turned on his heel and walked back to the dining room.

Author's Note: Finally done with this part! What do you think Duo is going to make Miles do to get to Randy and will he say yes in the end? Stay tuned for more!