Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil With A Blue Dress On (Part Five of the Family Sagas) ❯ Part Ten ( Chapter 10 )

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

Devil With A Blue Dress On, Part 10

The alarm clock went off next to Duo's head. He reached out and fumbled for the button, turning it off. It was six o'clock in the morning. He pulled the sheets higher around his neck. He heard Hilde whimper in her sleep next to him. Her body was cuddled up to his. He didn't want to get out of bed yet. There was nothing better then waking up next to his lovely wife. Her arms were around him, his back up against her chest. "Should have told Miles seven thirty instead of six thirty," he groaned as he opened one eye gradually. He rolled over to face Hilde and pulled her against him. And like always, she burrowed herself against his warmth.

"Duo, don't you have to get up?" Hilde mumbled against his chest.

"Yeah, but I don't want to," he replied. "I much rather sleep longer with you."

She laughed sleepily. "You say that every morning, you know."

"I know," Duo said as he slid his hands up and down the tank top she was wearing.

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Over at the Barton house, Miles was sitting on the edge of his bed, almost dressed. "Man, what did I get myself into," he muttered as he pulled on a sock. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called out as the door opened.

Trowa looked at his son getting ready. "You almost ready. It's ten after six," he said.

"I know dad. I'm just not that eager to face my tests," Miles replied as he pulled on the other sock.

"Understandable," Trowa said, leaning against the wall. His green eyes met his son's. "Is she worth it?"

Miles grinned slightly. "Randy is worth it dad."

Trowa smiled slightly as well. He nodded his head. "Well hurry up then. Don't want to be late," he said as he turned to walk out the door.

"Yeah I know. I don't want to take any chances," Miles said, pulling on both work boots and lacing them. He followed his dad down the steps. He took a deep breath as he opened the front door. The sun was barely breaking the horizon.

"Good luck, Miles," Trowa said, squeezing his son's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks, dad," Miles replied with a grin as he walked out the door to face Death's challenge.

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Randy woke up and heard knocking on the kitchen door. "Who the hell is that?" she mumbled as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. She shoved her feet into her suede scuffs and padded down the steps. The door was knocked again. "All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming," she said as she let out a yawn. She smoothed one hand over her periwinkle tank top and polka dotted pajama bottoms before she reached the door. "Who the hell is it?" she called sleepily through the door.

"It's Miles," Miles said as he felt his palms get all sweaty. It was six thirty now.

"Miles?" she said as she pulled open the door. "What the hell are you doing here at six thirty in the morning?"

Miles took in the half asleep Randy. Her hair all tousled and her face all pink from sleep. "You're dad told me to be here at six thirty because I'm working for him this week," he replied as he stepped in.

"Oh, right," Randy, said, giving him a faint smile. "I'll go get him for you," she said as she turned around. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Morning, Miles,. I love you." She turned and went up the steps.

He smiled as he looked after her. She looked so adorable, that he had restrained the impulse to pull her into his arms and kiss her awake. But he wasn't taking any chances. He sat down at the kitchen table and waited.

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Randy made her way down the hall to her parent's room. She knocked on the door and heard a faint "come in." She pushed the door open and saw her mom, still curled up in bed alone. "Where's dad?" she asked as she came over and sat down on the edge of the bed. She yawned again.

"He's in the bathroom. He's almost ready," Hilde replied, rolling over and pulling Duo's pillow against her.

"Oh, ok. Because Miles is waiting downstairs," Randy said as she closed her eyes and leaned forwards, propping her head up on her hands.

Duo came out of the bathroom to see his daughter sitting on the bed. "What are you doing up?"

"Miles is here, waiting downstairs," Randy said through her fingers. She glanced up her dad. "You couldn't have made him come at a more reasonable hour," she pointed out, trying to keep her eyes open.

Duo grinned at her sleepy face. "I'm sorry, baby. I should of made it later too when I woke up this morning."

"That's for sure," Hilde replied, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Next time you should be up to answer the door," Randy said as she fell back onto the bed. She had her arm flung over her face.

"Sorry," Duo said as he came over to the bed. He looked down at Randy. Her eyes were already closed again and she was breathing shallowly in sleep. He smiled and not having the heart to wake her, lifted her legs until they were resting on the bed. He pulled off the scuffs and dropped them on the floor. She whimpered as he moved her gently. He took a step back and looked at the bed. Hilde was sleeping on her stomach, the sheets kicked down around her ankles, and holding onto his pillow. And Randy was sleeping on her back with her arm still over her face. It was such a cute picture. The two most important women in his life, asleep and looking as adorable as could be. He smiled softly and went over to Hilde. He knelt down and pressed a kiss on her lips. "Bye, babe. I love you," he whispered.

"Uh hmmm…love you too," Hilde said as she brushed her nose against his.

He chuckled faintly and returned the gesture. He then went over to Randy. He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Bye, baby. I love you too."

"Love you too, daddy," Randy said lightly as she rolled to her side.

Duo felt his heart melt a little when she said that. He ruffled her ebony hair before leaving the room. He went down to the kitchen to find Miles, sitting in one of the chairs with his eyes closed. He went over to him and snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Wake up, Miles," he said, chuckling when the boy nearly jumped out of the chair.

Miles blinked his eyes a few times as they focused on Duo. "Morning," he said, trying to cover up a yawn.

Duo chuckled again and he went over to the coffee machine. He looked over his shoulder at him. "You want coffee to wake yourself up?" he asked as he pulled out a mug from the cabinets.

"Yes, thank you," Miles replied, watching Duo warily. He looked back down at his hands. "Duo, does Randy know about this?"

Duo looked back over at him. "Yes, she knows. She doesn't like it, but then again, she's willing to go along with it in order for me not to kill you," he replied as he leaned against the counter. He studied Miles a little. The russet hair, the deep green eyes, and the rest of his facial features made him look a lot like Trowa. But like all the kids, the eyes were expressive. His kids or any of the others couldn't readily hide what they felt. It hadn't been ingrained into them. And he could see that Miles cared a great deal about Randy. But he was a father and he wanted the best for his little girl and this was one way he could make sure that Miles was the best. "Tomorrow you should come by at seven thirty. I don't want to deal with an irate wife and daughter first thing in the morning," he said as he turned back to the coffee machine. He poured two cups and set on down in front of Miles.

"That's fine," Miles, replied, watching Duo sit down on one of the barstools in front of the island. He would admit that for Duo's age, he was still a force to be reckoned with. He had seen the explosive temper up close. He believed wholeheartedly that Duo could probably still kick his ass in a heartbeat. He was sure most of the father's still could. "Did Randy go back to bed?" he asked tentatively as he glanced up at Duo over the rim of his mug.

Duo paused for a moment, setting down his cup. "Yes, Randy went back to bed. It's a little too early for her," he replied, noticing how Miles had hesitated in asking the question. He leaned over and poured himself a second cup. "Your brother was here yesterday. He asked Randy to the End of Summer Festival in town. Of course he asked for my permission afterwards."

Miles smiled ruefully. "I know. He told me last night when he got home. He wanted to make sure it was ok with me too."

Duo tilted his head a little. "Are you jealous at all?"

Miles looked up into the intense cobalt eyes. "A little, yes. But I want her to be happy at the festival and not worry about me."

Duo smirked a little as he went to put his cup in the sink. "Well are you ready to go to work?" he asked looking over his shoulder at him.

Miles gulped. "Yes, I'm ready to work," he replied as he came over to the sink and put his mug in. He followed Duo out to the garage and climbed into the Suburban.

Duo glanced over at his passenger on the way to the rolling mill that he and Hilde had owned since before Chris was born. He could see him twiddling his thumbs, nervously. "Good for him to be nervous. Don't want him too comfortable. Let him think I'm really going to do something to him."

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The mill was situated in the outlying hills that had once made up the borders of the former Sanc Kingdom. It seemed to be an ideal place for the mill and it created jobs in an area that was still recovering from war.

Duo pulled into the reserved parking spot out front. He was here more often then Hilde since he had told her it wasn't place for a woman. He had gotten an earful for that. And most of the workers in the mill itself were men. Not like a woman couldn't apply for one of those jobs, but many didn't. The women that worked here were usually in the office upstairs. And there were only three of them since Hilde still more or less did most of the paperwork herself. He glanced over at Miles, who was looking around the surrounding area. "You'll come with me up to the office first before I show you where you'll be working for the next four days," he said as he walked towards the building that housed the business office.

Miles followed, glancing at his surroundings. He knew that this place supplied some of the best sheet metal on Earth and the Colonies. It had made Duo and Hilde very rich and their kids heirs to this business as well as the yard that they still owned on L2. He went into the business office after Duo. He looked around at the office where three women were working.

"Morning, Jean," Duo said to his assistant as he opened the door to his office.

"Morning, Duo," Jean replied as she handed some correspondence to him. "There are several new clients that called this morning. And here is some files for you to look over." She noticed Miles standing by the door. "And who is this young man?" she asked.

Duo looked up at her question. "His name is Miles Barton. He's a son of a friend of the family. He'll be working for me for the week," Duo replied, giving Miles a smile.

Miles smiled at the assistant faintly. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said as he nodded his head.

"Why don't you come into my office for a moment, Miles, and I'll get over explaining your exact duties for the week before I show you where you have to go," Duo said as he gestured Miles to inside his office.

Miles went into the office and sat down in the chair in front of a desk. He waited for Duo to come in. He looked at the items on the desk. He could see a picture frame sitting on one side. He leaned out of his chair a little and looked at it. It was a picture of all four kids when they were little. Randy was about six in the photo, her hair curling on her shoulders and wearing an innocent smile creasing her lips. The other picture facing it was of Hilde when she was younger. He couldn't help but smile at it. He could see why Duo fell in love with her. He sat back when he heard the door close. He watched as Duo sat down behind the desk. "What exactly are my duties?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Duo replied leaning back in the chair. "You'll be doing work on all the equipment in the shop that needs to be fixed. I know you're a very competent mechanic so this won't be any problem for you to handle. Two, you'll also be at my beck and call throughout the day, that's why you'll be wearing this," he said tossing Miles a two-way radio.

Miles caught and hooked it on to his belt. "Is there anything else you need for me to do?" he asked.

"No, that's all for now," Duo said as he pushed out of his chair. "I'll show you where the shop is and you can get straight to work." He walked out of his office with Miles trailing behind him. He walked across the wide lot to another building. He called out greetings to several workers as he passed. "Here we are," he said as he pushed open the door to the shop.

Miles looked around at the equipment that needed to be fixed. There was a lot. "Its like he planned for all this equipment to be here the day I have to work." "I'll get right to it," he said, pushing up the sleeves of his denim shirt.

"Good. Everything you need is here. Good luck, Miles," Duo said, patting the younger man on the shoulder before leaving. He chuckled as he closed the door. "Today should prove to be quite interesting," he said as he walked back to the office.

Miles started working on a forklift, taking the motor apart. Luckily for him, the equipment's problems were clearly listed so he knew what he had to do. And just about the time he was piecing the motor back together, the radio on his belt crackled to life. "Yes?" he asked turning up the volume on it.

"Miles, I need you to run to the warehouse and write down several item numbers that I need to give a client. Bring it back to my office as soon as possible," Duo said over the radio. "I want A427, 429, and 433. They also want GU47 and 49. And C98, 99, 101, and 199."

"Sure, I'll get them," Miles said getting up and leaving the workshop. He found the warehouse by asking and went inside. He picked up a clip bored hanging on the wall and proceeded to write down the numbers. He walked around quickly, scribbling them down. The radio on his waist crackled again. "Yes, Duo?"

"Oh after you bring those back, I want you to go the loading dock. I want to know what came in this morning. And bring that back to the office as well," Duo ordered. He leaned back in his chair, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "God, I love being the boss."

Miles ran back to the business office. He opened the door and placed the paper on the desk. "Here are the number's you requested."

"Splendid. Don't forget your next task," Duo said looking down at the paper in front of him.

"Right away," Miles said, leaving the office. He took a deep breath and went to the loading dock, where raw materials for the making of the sheet metal were being unloaded. He got curious looks from several of the workers. He grinned slightly. "Mister Maxwell wanted me to find out what came in," he explained as he began writing down what came in. And the list was endless. He was chewing on the end of the pencil by the time they were finished unloading. He ran back to the office and gave Duo the list.

Duo glanced down at it. "That's all for right now. Go back to the shop," he said as he began writing down numbers on another sheet of paper.

Miles left and went back to the shop. He finally finished with the motor and replaced it. He looked at his watch. It wasn't even noon yet. He sighed and started in on the next thing that needed to be looked at. He wrinkled his nose a little when he read that the truck needed an oil change and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. "I just bet he's laughing his ass off right now," he muttered as he started on the truck. His radio crackled. "Yes, Duo?"

"I want you to run down to dock and get the outgoing orders list and bring back a copy to me," Duo said, sipping his coffee.

"Right away," Miles said as he stood and went back down to the dock. He got a copy of it and walked back to the office, setting it on Duo's desk. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Oh yes, you can go get me another cup of coffee," Duo said without looking up from the list.

"Sure," Miles replied as he went out to the reception area and poured another cup of coffee for Duo. He brought it back and set it on the desk. "Is that all?"

"For now," Duo smirked, glancing up at him. "How's the work in the shop going?"

"Fine," Miles replied as he left the office. "I swear the man is trying to kill me. Very slowly." He went back to the shop and went back to work on the truck. He was called by Duo at least a dozen more times to do tasks. He glanced back at his watch again. It was already noon and he had been called by Duo at least eighteen times in the five hours that he'd been here. He finally finished with the truck. He leaned his head against the hood. "God, this sucks," he groaned.

"It's work," Duo replied, walking into the shop. He noted Miles appearance. Grease and oil stains on his clothing and his arms and hands. "I'm going home for lunch. There's a cafeteria downstairs under the offices. You can go eat there," he said.

"You're going home for lunch?" Miles repeated. He sighed. "How long will you be gone for?" he asked.

"Oh about an hour. Which means you have an hour lunch break. Enjoy," Duo said turning on his heel and leaving the shop. He climbed into his Suburban, whistling a happy tune.

As soon as Duo was out of sight, Miles punched a wall. "Dammit! He's really enjoying making my life a hell. The things I do for her," he growled as he went and scrubbed his hands and went to the cafeteria. He went outside with his lunch, sitting under a bunch of trees. He noticed several other workers had the same idea as him. He looked up when some of them sat nearby.

"You're the one running around doing errands for Mister Maxwell, aren't you, boy?" one worker asked

"Yes, I'm doing errands for the boss," Miles replied. He took another gulp of his soda, draining the can before he opened another.

"Never seen you before. What exactly are you doing here?" the worker asked again.

"You could say that I'm the boss's slave for the week. I have to work in order to prove myself worthy to date his daughter," Miles answered smiling a little.

"Dating the boss's daughter huh? We remember her all right. Cute little thing in pigtails. He would carry her around, showing things to her," the worker said, nodding his head at the other four men he was with. "Haven't seen her in quite awhile though. Been a few years."

"Well that cute little girl in pigtails is now a very beautiful sixteen year old. And I have an excellent idea why he doesn't bring her around here anymore," Miles said as he sipped his soda.

"Because she's a beautiful girl like you said," the worker smirked. "She must be a looker like the missus. Missus Maxwell is a kind woman. And a smart one too," the worker said.

"Oh she is," Miles replied, thinking of Randy and of Hilde's sweet nature and beautiful faces.

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Duo whistled when he walked into the kitchen. "Babe, I'm home," he called as he sat down at the table.

Hilde came out of the study when she heard his voice. She went back to the kitchen. "What are you doing home?" she asked curiously as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I wanted to have lunch with my beautiful wife," he replied, pulling her down onto his lap. He gave her a sound kiss on the lips. "And I brought some orders for you to look over too,"

"Really?" she asked as she picked up the papers on the table, pushing her glasses up on her nose at the same time. "I'll take a look at these later," she said as she put them back down. She looked down at him. "Where's Miles?"

"Oh, he's having lunch at the mill and probably thinking that I'm trying to kill him with hard labor," Duo replied, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"Duo, it better be within reason," Hilde warned as she took off her glasses to glare at him.

"Don't worry, it is," he said innocently, kissing her nose and giving her a tight squeeze.

"Dad, is that you?" Randy called as she came down the back steps in a pair of jeans and a black tank top. She looked around the kitchen. "Where's Miles?"

"Miles is still at the mill," Duo replied, looking over at his daughter. "He's working very hard too."

"Dad, you're not being hard on him are you?" Randy asked warily, eyeing her dad as she sat down on one of the barstools.

"No, he's not. He knows better," Hilde said, as she removed herself from Duo's arms and stood. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Am I right?"

"Yes dear," Duo said, giving her a smile.

Randy almost giggled at his response. The only person he allowed to walk all over him was her mom. And her. Her dad rarely did anything to piss off her mom, but when he did, it was like another war going on. Her mom would yell at him and go up to the bedroom and slam the door, making the windows rattle. And he would take a long walk to cool off his temper. "So what are you having him do?" she asked.

"Oh, just work in the shop and some odds and ends," Duo replied cryptically, not wanting to give everything away. He looked back at his wife. "So, what's for lunch?"

Hilde rolled her eyes and sighed. "How about a sandwich," she replied over her shoulder.

It was Duo's turn to sigh. "Can you make it a hot turkey sandwich?"

"Yes, I can do that," she said as she got out the necessary things. "The things I do for that braided baka."

Duo could see the slight frown on Randy's lips. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"No reason really. I just kind of wish you weren't making Miles do all of this. I mean this isn't normal what you're making him do," Randy replied as she twisted her hands in her lap. "None of the other girls had to watch their dads' put their prospective dates through the wringer."

A wry smile crossed Duo's lips. "Randy, I'm far from normal. And even this is true, you attract guys that are very much like me when I was their age," he replied. "I was a real skirt chaser."

"Got that right," Hilde said under her breath as she stood at the stove.

"I heard that," Duo said casting a look in Hilde's direction. "Not something I'm proud of though. But just understand, Randy, I'm being a dad in the truest sense of the word. I just want what's best for you. And if Miles proves himself to my liking, you'll have your date."

Randy sighed. "Why me?"

Duo laughed. "Come on, Randy, at least he still has a pulse."

Randy couldn't keep the grin off her face. "That's true."

Hilde set down Duo's sandwich in front of him. "Enjoy your lunch dear," she said, turning to go back to the stove.

Duo pulled her back by the waistband of her jeans until she fell into his lap. "I much rather eat lunch with you here," he stated reaching around her and taking a bite out his sandwich.

Randy rolled her eyes and giggled at her mom's exasperated expression. She hopped off the stool and went back upstairs to her room.

Hilde watched her leave. She looked back at Duo, who was still devouring the sandwich. "Can I get up or do I have to sit here and watch you eat?"

Duo glanced back up at her, his mouth full. He swallowed. "Yes, you have to stay here because," he said looking at his watch," I still have another half hour before I go back to the mill. And I want to eat my dessert too." He smirked at her as he took the last bite of the sandwich. "And can you guess what I want for dessert?"

She flushed. "Duo, we're not alone in the house and Randy is just upstairs," she hissed, trying to wriggle off his lap, but his arms tightened around her, preventing her escape.

"Didn't stop us yesterday," he said nuzzling her neck with his lips.

"Yesterday, we were in the study with the door locked," Hilde, protested weakly. "Right now we're in the kitchen and anyone could walk in."

"And what fun that desk chair was," Duo said trailing one hand up her arm while his teeth were nibbling on her ear.

"Duo, not now," she said again as she tried to get out of his embrace. She finally succeeded and took several steps back. "I have a lot of work to do and I don't need you turning my mind to mush."

"Mush, huh?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

Hilde took another few steps back when she saw that look of his. She looked back over at the table. The work she needed was on the table in front of him. "Damn the luck." She carefully made her way around to the side of the table, just out of his reach. She could feel his eyes on her as she made a grab for the papers in front of him. She felt his hand latch onto her wrist and she found herself tossed over his shoulder. "Duo put me down," she hissed as he walked up the steps.

"If you won't let me have my dessert in the kitchen, I'll just have it bed," Duo said as he walked into their room, kicking the door closed behind him with his foot. He dropped her onto the bed before pinning her to it.

She glared at him. "Baka," she growled, "Stop acting like a horny teenager."

He gave her a wounded expression, but then grinned roguishly. "Babe, when I'm around you I always feel like a horny teenager." And before she could protest anymore he kissed her, making sure that he turned her mind into "mush,"

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Miles raked his hand through his hair as he walked back to the shop. He hadn't seen Duo return yet and he took that as a blessing. He set to work on the air conditioning unit on one of the trucks when he heard the door open behind him. He groaned a little to find Duo smirking at him. "You're back."

"Yup," Duo replied gleefully. "I see you're already hard at work once again," he said observing the smudges on Miles's hands.

Miles only nodded his head. "Is there something you want done?" he asked, secretly dreading it.

"No, not for the moment. Go back to your work," Duo said as he left, whistling all the way back to his office. He sat back down in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. He had liked his "dessert" very much, even though it was a quick one. It had been a while since he had made love to Hilde in the middle of the day. His lips quirked up into naughty smile. He so liked being bad.

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By six o'clock, Miles was on the verge of killing Duo. He had been called at least three to four times an hour to run an errand for Duo. He looked around at the work still waiting for him. He still had several engines to look at. Several more forklifts and a bunch of other odds and ends to work through and he had to finish them all, now in three days. "Duo keeps this up, I'll never finish all of this shit," he muttered as he left the shop, locking the door behind him. He walked towards the business office, where he could see the "boss from Hell" waiting for him.

Duo could see the annoyance flickering in the emerald eyes of the eldest Barton as he walked towards him. "So how was your first day?" he asked nonchalantly as they climbed into the Suburban.

Miles gritted his teeth. "It was fine," he said, counting to ten in his head.

A smirk crossed Duo's lips, knowing that Miles was trying not to strangle him with his braid. "Tomorrow won't be as bad," he said, thinking of several other tasks that he could make Miles do tomorrow.

The drive back to the Maxwell's house was silent.

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Duo pulled into the garage and jumped out. "Want to stay for dinner?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked into the mudroom.

"Dinner?" Miles questioned as he followed him in. He saw Hilde and Randy at the stove making dinner. His eyes went to Duo. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do," Duo said, going over to Hilde and pressing a kiss on her cheek. He saw the look she gave him out of the corners of her eyes. He gave her an innocent smile before dropping down into a chair. "So what are we having, babe?"

Hilde glanced over her shoulder at him. "Stew," she replied. She glanced over at Miles. "Why don't you sit down dear, you look a little exhausted," she said sympathetically as she put down the knife she was using to cut the vegetables and got him a glass of water.

"Thank you," Miles said gratefully, drinking the cool water down. His eyes went to Randy's back as she cut some more vegetables and put them in the huge pot on top of the stove.

Randy could feel his eyes on her. She smiled secretly to herself.

Hilde passed Duo a dirty look on her way back to the stove. "So how did your day go, Miles?" she asked.

That question almost made Miles choke. "Fine," he sputtered, earning a concerned look from Hilde and Randy. He saw the both of them give Duo a glare that would freeze the Mediterranean, which made him smile inwardly.

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Dinner was soon ready and Jonathon and David were called down.

Miles sat down across from David and between Hilde and Jonathon. "Where's Chris?" he asked as Hilde ladled some stew into his bowl.

"Chris is having dinner at the Yuy's again," Hilde replied as she sat down at the end of the table.

Miles glanced briefly in Randy's direction. He didn't want Duo to take notice.

Duo did take notice as he observed the surreptitious glances Miles were passing Randy's way. He also noticed that Randy was doing the same thing. An idea grew in his head and he smiled evilly to himself.

Hilde noticed the looks too. And she also noticed Duo's expression. She could see the wheels turning in his head. "He's up to something as usual." She wished she were sitting closer to Duo so she could kick him in the shins.

Jonathon was curious on why his dad had even invited Miles to dinner. As much as he knew, his dad still wouldn't mind having Miles's head on a silver platter. "What is dad playing at?"

David watched as Randy cast another furtive look at Miles. He looked over at Jonathon, asking him with his eyes if he had any idea what was going on. The look he sent him meant he didn't. "I would very much like to know what is going on here?"

Randy smiled as she ate. She was glad that Miles was sitting at the table with her. She wished she were sitting closer to him.

And for once at the Maxwell household, dinner was unusually quiet.

Duo leaned back in his chair. "That was a good dinner, babe," he complimented Hilde, smiling at her.

"Thank you," Hilde replied, still trying to figure out what was up Duo's sleeve.

Duo glanced at Randy. "Sweetheart, isn't it your turn to clear the table?"

"Yes," Randy sighed as she stood and began collecting the bowls. She walked around the table, picking them up.

Miles felt her silky hair slide over his shoulder as she took his bowl and it took every ounce of willpower not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless and to hell with the consequences. His eyes met hers briefly as she took Jonathon's bowl from him and put them in the dishwasher.

Duo saw Miles's reaction. He knew it was taking everything the boy had not to go after Randy. He smiled smugly. He was throwing temptation right into Miles's path and he wanted to see how well he restrained himself. "Very well indeed."

Hilde saw that smug smile cross her husband's lips. She had seen Miles's reaction to Randy and she suddenly knew why Duo had their daughter collect the bowls. "The baka. He's using Randy as a test for Miles. Damn the man for being the devil incarnate."

Randy looked over her shoulder at Miles, who glanced back. She smiled at him as he whipped his head back around again.

Miles caught Duo's eyes on him. One brow rose in question. He smiled weakly and slid down in his seat a little.

Hilde sighed, shaking her head. "Does anyone want any dessert?" she asked.

"No thanks, mom, that stew of yours is pretty filling," Jonathon replied as he pushed his chair back. He left the kitchen, shaking his head. "That was the oddest dinner I've been to," he muttered as he went to his room.

"David?" Hilde asked.

"No thanks, mom. I'm going out with Kellie tonight and getting some ice cream," David replied as he pushed back his chair. "Dinner was good though," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, dad," he called over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys.

"Bye," Duo called back as he watched David leave. "I would like some dessert, Hilde," he said giving her a rakish grin.

"You already had some," Hilde replied somewhat hotly as she got up from her chair and walked past him. She felt a sharp smack land on her rump. She turned and glared at Duo, who gave her his angelic/devil like smile. "Baka," she hissed at him as she went to the fridge and pulled out some apple pie. "Do you want any, Miles?" she asked.

Miles shook his head at what he just witnessed. It was obvious where all four Maxwell children got their attitudes and personalities. "No thank you, Hilde. I think I should be on my way home. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner," he said as he pushed back his chair. He gave Randy a brief glance before looking back at Duo. "Do you want me here at seven thirty tomorrow?"

"Yes, seven thirty will be fine," Duo, replied, watching the look that passed between his daughter and Miles.

"I'll see you then, Duo. Good night, Hilde," Miles said tilting his head in her direction and then looked at Randy. "Randy," he said tipping his head to the side and giving her a quick smile before opening the kitchen door. He gave her a quick wink before he closed it.

Randy smiled broadly as she watched him leave. She went to the window and watched as the lights on his car came on. When he disappeared from view, she couldn't help the slight sigh that escaped her lips. "I would like some dessert, mom, to take up to my room," she said softly.

Hilde handed Randy a piece before she walked upstairs. She turned to look at Duo. "That wasn't very nice of you," she chided as she put the pie back in the fridge. "Throwing Randy in his path when you know he can't touch her."

"At least it not dangerous," Duo said getting up from his chair. He leaned over her shoulder as she took a bite of her slice of pie. "And I'm keeping it within reason," he said giving her bottom a squeeze before leaving the kitchen to go watch television.

She stuck her tongue out at the back of his head. "Men," she muttered as she ate another forkful of pie.

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Miles drove home with the top down on his convertible. He let the wind toss his hair. It felt good. He had noticed Duo's evil smile during dinner. And a thought struck him. "Duo was throwing Randy in my path to see how well I handled temptation. I did, but I restrained myself. Duo's a wily bastard. He knows exactly what he's doing and he's enjoying every second of it.!" "Hopefully tomorrow won't be any worse then today," he sighed.

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Randy sat on her bed, slowly eating the apple pie. She smiled when she thought of Miles's wink and smile. She wanted to kiss that smile very badly. "Hopefully in a few days, I can actually do that. I hope dad says yes. Well you do want to do more then kiss him, but I have to get through this first before I can do anything with him. But it won't stop your fantasies about it. I wonder why dad was smiling like he was up to something at dinner?" She smacked her hand to her forehead as soon as she thought of that question. "Duh, Randy, he's using you as bait. Only dad would be that perverse," she laughed, falling back on the plush pillows of her bed. "Only a few more days Miles and you'll be all mine," she said getting that wicked smile on her face, one that was very reminiscent of her dad's when he when he was being bad and knew it.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed that part! I really made Duo into such a devil, but you can't help but love the guy for being bad! Stay tuned for more coming soon!