Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Helping Hands ❯ Part 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Author's Notes:

 

I don't own them, just playing with them for a while. Of course, you knew that. Okay, now that that's out of the way, I just wanted to let you know that it will be a couple more chapters before the fic starts earning it's rating. The chapters start getting longer, too. Stay with me until then, okay? Enjoy!

 

Helping Hands part 4

An hour later, Heero finished his work and went back down the stairs to see what Duo was up to. He found him in the kitchen, heating up some soup for their dinner. Duo was quiet for once, and Heero couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. They sat down at the bar in the kitchen and began to eat. They were almost through eating before Duo finally spoke. "Heero, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mocked you."

Heero looked at him for a moment before responding. "Hn. Forget it. It isn't important."

Duo started to say something and then changed his mind. He looked thoughtful for a minute and then said, "Heero, may I ask you something?" Heero just looked at him, face expressionless, waiting.

"How did you find out so much about the ghost? It isn't the kind of thing that would be in police reports or her husband's medical records, if you went so far as to check into those. So, where did you get your info?"

"The real estate agent."

"Huh?"

"The real estate agent. I e-mailed her, asking about the history of the house, after I noticed that the house had changed hands a great number of times. The owners who did keep the house for any length of time never lived here. When I requested an explanation, she told me about Katherine. She considered herself something of an expert on the subject and was quite willing to tell me everything she knew. After she realized that telling me wasn't going to cause her to lose the sale, anyway."

Duo looked at him searchingly. To Heero's surprise, there was no amusement in his eyes or expression. "Katherine," he said softly. "She's a real person to you, isn't she,” he stated. “Whether she really exists or not."

Heero looked at him, slightly confused. "Duo, she was a real person. I checked and there are records indicating the existence of a woman named Katherine Taylor, who died in this house over 300 years ago."

"That's not what I meant," Duo sighed. "Never mind. It's late and I'm exhausted. Where am I sleeping?"

"Top of the stairs, second door to the right. I'm sleeping in the next room."

"Fine. You want to sleep by the stairs, go for it. I fixed dinner, so you get the dishes. Have fun and good night." Heero watched Duo as he walked away. He paused near the door and looked back. "One more question, Heero. Why does her story affect you so much?"

Duo stood there, waiting, not really expecting an answer. Heero gathered their dirty dishes and headed for the sink. Duo had turned again to leave and was almost out the door when Heero's voice stopped him. "She and I share similar fates."

Duo whipped around, braid flying, to stare at Heero in shock. Heero stood with his back to him, stiff, hands clenching the countertop so hard that Duo could hear it groan in protest. Heero hadn't meant to say that aloud.

With that realization, Duo found himself able to move again. Without a word, he turned and made his way to his room. Once there, he began pacing back and forth, talking to himself and trying to figure out what Heero had meant. "Similar fates? How in the hell can an 18-year-old guy have a fate similar to that of a 300-year-old ghost? She supposedly reenacts her murder at night, going through the same thing over and over again and always with the same result. Then, she starts begging for help and the one person she wants to help her is never going to answer, since he's dead. Argh! I don't get it!"

While Duo paced, Heero quickly took care of the dishes and made his way up to his own room. He paused outside his room and looked at Duo's closed door. He could hear the braided pilot pacing back and forth and muttering, although he couldn't make out the words. Shaking his head, Heero entered his room. He still couldn't believe he had actually said that where Duo could hear him.

"No," he said aloud. "I won't think about that. I won't think about him." With that, Heero deliberately forced himself to think about other things. Possible upgrades for Wing, the next target he might be assigned. Anything but Duo and the emptiness he felt inside. Shortly after entering his room, he lie down and fell asleep.

A couple of hours later, Duo was still wide-awake, and still muttering, although he had stopped pacing and flopped down on the bed instead. He stared up at the ceiling and continued trying to figure out exactly what Heero had meant. "Come on, Duo, you're not an idiot. The answer's got to be there."

More time passed.

"Oh, to hell with it! I'll try and figure it out tomorrow. I wonder what Quatre would say about this. Too bad he's out on a mission with Trowa and Wufei. At least Heero and I are getting to take a break away from the missions. They are getting so monotonous. Go destroy this Oz facility, go destroy that Oz facility. The same thing, over and over, ne.ver...any.....thing.......different?"

Duo shot upright, eyes wide with shocked comprehension, breath harsh and fast. "Oh, my God! That's what he meant! But...if he drew a parallel between her haunting and his missions...Does that mean that he's silently begging for someone to help set him free? Someone that he thinks will never help him? Or can't?" Duo drew his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them, and began rocking back and forth on the bed as his thoughts became more anguished. "Heero, Heero, who? Who is it that you need to save you? Is it Relena? No, it couldn't be her. She would give you whatever you needed. Wait. Maybe I shouldn't be asking who, but, what. What is it that you need? The ghost requires truth, but somehow I don't think that's the right answer for you."

Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed once. It was 1:00 in the morning. Duo was so lost in his thoughts that he never heard the soft pad of bare feet out in the hall. He never heard the sound of a woman's voice, quietly singing an old love song, as she made her way toward the stairs. Nor did he hear when both voice and footsteps came to an abrupt halt directly outside his bedroom door.

tbc..