Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Pinball ❯ Reading ( Chapter 9 )

Series: Pinball

Chapter 9: Reading

Author: Niere

Rating: PG

DISCLAIMER: The series Gundam Wing and the characters therein do not belong to me. I'm just putting them in different situations to see how they react.

Summary: It's a world where everyone has psionic abilities…well, most everyone. Another contest is coming up and the undefeated Duo notices a new player, a null, a person with no psionic abilities. Just what is it about this boy and why can't Duo get him off his mind?

Author's Note: Have you ever heard the song Pinball Wizard? I love the song. I was listening to it and was bitten by yet another plot bunny. This is based, loosely, on that song.

**indicates "conversation" via manual alphabet, the system Duo is using to communicate with Heero**

TK=telekinesis, the ability to move things with one's mind. TP=telepathy, the ability to send/receive thoughts. Empathy=the ability to send/receive emotions or feelings. Pyrokinesis=the ability to create/control fire. Pre-cog=the ability to "see" the future.

* * *

Treize already had the equipment set up when Zechs and the boys arrived. He looked up as they entered, then frowned slightly. "I take it this is the Heero Duo was telling us about?"

Duo blushed, remembering the tape. "Yeah, as if you didn't already know."

"Does he understand what will happen?" Treize asked.

Duo nodded. "I told him about how it was with me, so I guess he understands."

Zechs took out the permission form and handed Heero a pen, showing him where to sign. Heero looked up, slightly confused.

**it's the permission form allowing them to read you** Duo explained.

Heero nodded and signed the form. His signature was surprisingly neat and straight, considering his handicap. This accomplished, he was led to the chair and Treize began attaching the wires. "If you will wait outside, Duo, we can get started," Treize said.

"Heero wants me to stay," Duo argued. "Besides, I'm the only one that can communicate with him."

Treize looked up from where he was making final adjustments. "Duo, I'm a telepath. I think I can communicate with him."

"Then you ask him if he wants me to stay or go. It's up to Heero."

Treize glanced at Heero, then stared at the boy frowning in concentration. "That's odd. I can't seem to pick up anything."

Duo smirked slightly, remembering the difficulty Quatre'd had. "Try touching him," he offered, "sometimes that helps."

During this conversation, Duo had kept a hold of Heero's hand and was explaining what was going on to the boy. Heero reached out his other hand toward Treize who took it and concentrated.

/Can you hear me?/ Treize sent.

Heero nodded.

/What is your name?/

**Heero** his fingers spelled.

Treize frowned. "He can hear me, but I don't get anything from him." /Heero, do something for me?/ Heero nodded. /Think of Dr. J. Think about anything, but concentrate on it as strongly as you can./

Heero shuddered, but frowned in concentration.

"Anything?" Zechs asked.

Treize shook his head. "Are you picking up anything?"

"Fear…no stronger than that. Terror."

Duo heard that and wrapped his arms around Heero to comfort him.

Treize jumped back, eyes wide.

"What?" Zechs asked, concerned.

"Just a minute," Treize answered, thinking. Slowly he reached his hand out again. /Heero, stop thinking of Dr. J now. Would you think of Duo for a minute?/

Immediately, images flooded the auburn haired man's head. /Enough/ "Duo, let go of him, will you?" Duo did as asked. /Heero, think of Duo again/ Nothing came through. "Duo, just touch him," Treize instructed.

"What's going on?" Duo asked.

"There is something strange going on here. Just do it, all right?" Duo reached out and placed one hand over Heero's. Images flooded Treize's mind again. /Now think of Dr. J please/ The images were fainter, but present. /Enough. Rest for a moment while we finish setting things up./ Heero nodded, relaxing back into the chair.

"What is it?" Zechs asked.

"It seems that somehow Heero's mind has been blocked. I can't read him alone."

"Then this is all for nothing?" Duo asked.

"No," Treize continued. "Alone I pick up nothing, but when you are in contact with him, the block seems to be breached and I can get through."

**J blocked me so I couldn't expose him** Heero spelled. During the conversation, Treize had kept one hand on Heero's and broadcast what was happening to him.

"/When Duo is in contact with you, I can get through the block. Would it be all right with you if Duo remained for the reading?/" Treize spoke aloud as well as sent his observations to Heero. In this manner, Duo would be kept appraised of the plan as well. "Would this be acceptable to you, Duo?"

"I'm here for Heero, however he needs me to be," Duo exclaimed.

Heero reached out his hand toward Duo. **Duo**

**I'm here**

**They need for you to be here during this but…**

**what is it**

**my memories are not very nice** Heero shuddered slightly. **I really would rather you not know them if it were possible**

**why not**

**I don't want your pity**

Duo hugged Heero for a moment. **Heero, I care about you that's why we are here. I don't want anything else to happen to you. I'm here to support you, that's all. I won't watch the monitor if you don't want me to.**

Heero nodded. **I'd rather you didn't**

**then I won't** Duo looked at the two adults. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Remember how fearful just thinking about this is for him," Zechs pointed out. "We don't want to traumatize him any worse than he already is."

Duo looked around the room thoughtfully. **Heero**

**hai**

**would it help you if I held you during all this**

Heero blushed, then nodded slightly. Duo gave the boy a soft smile, then addressed the adults. "Can this be done on the floor, or does the equipment have to stay on the table?"

"It's unusual," Treize said, "but possible."

"Good, then here's the plan," Duo explained. "Heero would feel better if I was holding him. I can't do that in those tiny chairs, but if we were on the floor, leaning against the wall, I can hold him while you read his memories."

"That would also take care of the blockage problem," Treize noted. He reached out and unhooked the wires from the machine. "You take him and get comfortable while Zechs and I move the equipment."

Duo quickly explained the plan to Heero, then led him over to the wall. Settling on the floor, Duo positioned the boy between his legs, cuddling against his chest. As they settled together, Duo noticed Heero was shivering. **are you ok**

Heero paused before answering, then nodded. **I don't want to do this. I don't want to remember**

**but he's hurting you. Is there anyone else that knows about it** Heero shook his head. **then this is the only way for them to know**

**I know, but I still don't like it**

Duo hugged him hard. **I know you don't, but I'm here for you. I won't let him hurt you any more, no matter what**

**you can't stop him if he wants to take me back**

Fortunately, Heero was blind, because Duo's grin was not a pleasant sight. **I'd like to see him try. Remember my talent and how I can use it** Heero thought for a moment, then nodded. **he'd have to get close enough to take you away. I won't allow that. I'd hurt him first.**

**then you would get into trouble**

**it would be worth it to save you**

**we just met. Why am I so important to you**

Duo shrugged. **I don't know, I just know that you are. I don't understand why, but I really care about you Heero**

**no one has ever cared for me before**

Duo tilted Heero's face upwards. then it's about time someone did** Gently, he brushed their lips together. **just remember that I'm here for you**

"Are you ready?" Treize asked.

**are you ready for this** Heero nodded.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Duo responded. "Turn the monitor away from us, will you? Heero would rather I didn't watch."

Zechs moved the monitor so that he and Treize would be able to see it, but Duo wouldn't. With everyone settled, Treize took one of Heero's hands.

"/Let's begin./"

* * *

"Enough!" Zechs called, pressing the save button then turning the machinery off. "Any more and you will all burn out."

They had been at it for several hours. They'd had to stop three times already to change the tapes in the recorder. Each time, Zechs would try to get Heero to stop, but he'd refused adamantly. 'I want to get this over with' was all he would say. Once, Zechs had left the room for a few minutes, "To take care of something," he'd said.

Everyone was totally exhausted. Heero was limp and trembling in Duo's arms. Duo was loosely holding him, also tired, hands running up and down the boy's arms listlessly. "Oh, gods, Heero," he kept muttering. Even Treize was shivering slightly in reaction to what they had learned.

Finally, Duo looked up. "What happens now?" he asked.

"Now, we take the two of you to a safe place so you can get some rest," Zechs explained.

Duo noticed the clock on the wall. "I can't!" he exclaimed. "I have to get home! They're gonna be so worried!"

Zechs knelt next to the long-haired boy. "It's all right. I've already notified your foster parents that you are a witness in a child abuse case and are in protective custody for the time being."

"They're ok with that?"

"They are proud of you for helping out someone who needs you so much is what they said when I spoke with them. We want you to take care of Heero. He needs you right now, very much."

"I'd be happy to help him." Duo yawned, then smiled as he glanced at boy in his arms. Heero had already gone to sleep, totally exhausted from the ordeal.

"There are some people waiting for you," Zechs said with a smile. "They insist they are friends of yours." Opening the door he called out, "You can come in, now."

Almost instantly, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei came barreling into the room. They stopped when they saw the two boys cuddled together against the wall.

"Aww, how sweet," Quatre chuckled, then he sobered as he read the exhaustion radiating from them. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Duo said, shifting Heero slightly, "just tired is all."

"What about Heero?" Wufei inquired. "Were they able to read him enough?"

Duo shuddered. "Yeah. I didn't see what was going on, Heero didn't want me to. But I could hear." Duo looked at his friends, his eyes haunted. "He's been through some really bad shit."

"Anything we can do to help?" Trowa asked.

"Help us to stand up?" Duo grinned. "I think my butt's gone to sleep."

Quatre reached out to touch Heero. Concern/caring/friendship he broadcast. At the same time, Trowa tapped on Heero's hand, using the morse code. +Heero, time to wake up+

Heero's brow wrinkled and he stirred. Duo smiled softly and shook him gently. Trowa repeated the tapping.

**Trowa** Heero spelled, then felt the emotions being sent. **Quatre too** He 'looked' around. **where's Wufei**

The Chinese boy recognized the finger contortions of his name and grinned. Using his talent, he warmed the hand making the motions. Heero smiled.

**they're all here** Duo spelled.

**is it over**

**for now**

**so what happens to me now**

**we go to a safe place and get some rest**

**we**

Duo grinned. **yep we. They took me into protective custody too so I could help you**

**your parents won't mind**

**they know. Zechs called them. They said they were proud that I could help** Duo gave Heero a quick hug. **but first we have to be able to stand up**

Heero started to stretch out his limbs then groaned. He'd become stiff from being in the one position for such a long time. Quatre and Trowa reached out and helped lift the boy off their friend. They sat him beside Duo and started working the kinks out of his joints. Duo also groaned as the blood started returning to his legs.

"Want some help?" Wufei offered.

"That would be nice," Duo agreed.

Wufei helped Duo away from the wall and had him lie on his stomach. He started rubbing the braided boy's legs to help the return of circulation.

"Ow," Duo whimpered.

"Am I hurting you?" Wufei asked.

"It's just the pins and needles feeling, that's all. Still hurts, though."

"Would you like me to stop?"

"No, feels good, too."

Wufei worked his way up each leg, rubbing and massaging, encouraging the return of blood flow to the affected extremities. He smirked slightly as he reached the top of Duo's legs. "I believe you mentioned something about your butt being asleep. Would you like me to rub it also?"

"Hmm?" Duo moaned, enjoying the massage. Then the words sank in. "Um, maybe you'd better not, k? I don't think this is exactly the appropriate place for that."

Just then, Treize and Zechs walked in. They grinned at the picture before them. "We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" Zechs asked.

Four heads shot up. Heero's face also reddened as he picked up on the embarrassment Quatre couldn't help broadcasting and figured out what had happened…and what it must look like.

"Just helping to get the kinks worked out," Wufei said quickly, pulling away from Duo…or more specifically, his ass.

"That's what we thought," Treize agreed.

"So, what happens now?" Trowa asked.

"Zechs has already sent enough information to the judge to have Dr. J picked up. That will keep him away from Heero for a while. Meanwhile, Duo and Heero are going to a safe place until we can finish reading Heero's memories. There is a lot in that boy's head that will have J put away for a very long time."

Suddenly a growling noise was heard. Everyone looked at Heero and Duo snickered. "Maybe we should get something to eat first?" he said.

"Good idea," Zechs agreed. "Come on, we'll have something sent in for you, both to eat and to wear. You may be secluded for several days."

"Will we be able to contact them?" Quatre asked.

Treize shook his head. "It's better that no one know their location. It's safer for them that way."

"But we'll keep you informed when you can see them," Zechs offered.

"Thank you," Wufei said, gratefully.

"You take care of each other, ok?" Quatre said to Duo, hugging him.

"We will, Q. Don't worry. We'll be fine." Suddenly a thought occurred to the braided boy. "What happened with the competition?"

Wufei and Quatre grinned while Trowa blushed.

"Trowa won," Wufei told him.

"Oh?" Duo grinned at his friends. "And who did you finally go up against?" he asked Trowa. It was Wufei's turn to blush. Duo noticed this and his grin widened. "Don't tell me that he beat the great dragon?"

Quatre wrapped his arms around his lover. "Yep, by two points."

Duo turned toward the Chinese boy. "Let me guess. Injustice, right?"

Wufei shook his head and smiled. "No. He practiced more and was the better player." He shot a look at the banged boy. "But he'd better look out next year."

All five boys laughed at that, Duo having translated to Heero as the conversation went along.

"Come on, boys," Zechs said. "It's time that we got these two into seclusion so they can eat and rest. We'll keep the rest of you informed as needed."

Each of the boys hugged Duo and Heero before leaving. "Good luck and take care," they said to Duo who passed it on to Heero.

"We'll talk to you as soon as they'll let us," Duo said, as he watched them leave. Then he turned to Heero. **you ready to get something to eat and rest for a while**

**will you be there**

**I'm not going anywhere**

**then I'm ready**

**let's go then** Duo took Heero by the hand and followed the adults out of the room. Neither boy knew exactly what was going to happen in the near future, but they knew that they would handle it, as they would go through it together.

* * *

TBC