Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Remember when... ❯ Life loves a tragedy part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

We do not own the rights to GW! Never have and never will!

Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

Archived at: AFF, MM, and www.templeofthegoddess.com

Part three of 'Life loves a tragedy' by Sparkling Diamond PG-SSM & Saiyajin_Raven69

Quatre stalked down the corridors of Winner Enterprises' headquarters, the intense look on the young CEO's face causing employees to skitter out of his way. He was a man on a mission, and nothing was going to stand in his way as he confronted one of his lovers.

Trowa had just arrived at the building, having an hour free before his first class started. He hoped he could spend his time with at least one of his lovers; both if he were lucky. Upon opening the doors, he caught sight of the blonde Arabian, storming through the main lobby.

"On second thought, I could always grab something to eat before classes." The tall acrobat mumbled to himself, turning back to escape through the large glass doors.

"Trowa Barton, you hold it right there!" Quatre's voice boomed through the atrium, making his taller lover stop in his tracks.

"Shit. Almost got away, too." Trowa whispered to himself before forcing a small smile onto his lips, and turning to face his irate partner.

"Something wrong, Quatre?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Trying to avoid me for some reason?" The blonde crossed his arms and glared up into startled green eyes, his posture and expression screaming that he was close to going 'Zero system' on someone.

"No! I just forgot something in the car." Trowa jabbed a thumb toward the parking lot, hoping that his quickly made up excuse would be enough to ensure his escape.

"Lying is very unbecoming of you, Trowa." Quatre scolded, poking his index finger angrily into a muscular chest. "Where is Heero? Is he hiding from me, also?"

"Ow! That hurt!" Trowa frowned, as he rubbed the spot that the blonde had jabbed. "Why do you think that there is a conspiracy to hide from you today? When have I ever avoided you?

"Has Heero talked with you about Duo, lately?" Quatre demanded, ignoring Trowa's question. His aquamarine eyes were flashing with indignation as he scanned every face in the busy atrium, looking for the object of his fury.

"He mentioned in passing yesterday that Duo had called, but said it wasn't anything important. I just figured it had something to do with the conversation you had with him the other day."

"That son of a bitch!" Quatre clenched his hands, the forgotten reports he was holding being crumpled in his grip. He pinned Trowa with a piercing blue glare, turning to stomp his way toward the security department down the hall.

"Since you're obviously not doing anything, I suggest you put in a request to have my shuttle ready to leave by 9 p.m.. We're going to Earth." The blonde tossed the comment angrily over his shoulder, disappearing around a corner. Trowa blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Something had really pissed his blonde lover off, and by the sound of it, matters were only going to get worse.

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It had been two hours since Duo had left the small apartment, and Wufei found himself feeling agitated. He felt the need to do something constructive; he wasn't the type to remain stationary all day long. He had noticed when he was in the kitchen with Duo that morning, that while there was plenty of formula and baby food, the cupboards were almost bare, and the refrigerator was empty of anything to cook a decent meal with. He knew that Duo would neglect his own needs to make sure that the girls were well fed and cared for, and he obviously hadn't been taking care of himself properly.

"I don't think he would mind if I cooked for him." He said to himself as he gave a nod of his head, picking up the house key that Duo had given him. He wasn't sure when to expect the braided teen home, but figured he had at least a few hours to grab some groceries from a nearby store.

The area Duo lived in wasn't the slums, but it wasn't far from it. Mostly low-income apartment buildings populated the area, with small Mom and Pop stores on the corners. He shook his head as he surveyed his ramshackle surroundings, sighing as he thought about the state of his friend's life. Wufei was not a rich man, by far, but he had been able to put a good amount of his salary from the Preventers in the bank, saving for the proverbial 'Rainy Day' that would no doubt come along.

There was a small shopping center about six blocks from Duo's apartment complex, and Wufei felt that the walk might help him to clear his mind. A path was made for him on the sidewalk as people stepped aside as the teen passed, many looking at him nervously, some seeming prepared to run. He was puzzled by the reactions he was getting from the inhabitants of the neighborhood, until he realized that he was wearing his Preventers jacket. He smirked inwardly, knowing it was probably not a good idea to walk the streets intimidating everyone in sight, but in his haste to leave, he did not pack many clothes. He hadn't expected to be here very long. As he packed, he had only planned to relieve Duo of his distress, and then go back to his own life. Now, however, he found that he really didn't want to leave his friend too soon.

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Considering the consequences he might face if he turned tail and ran for the exit, Trowa sighed and followed Quatre. His curiosity of what Heero could have done to make the blonde so angry, and the thought that he just might be needed to break up a fist fight after Quatre unleashed his fury on their other lover made the tall boy quicken his steps. He had just turned the corner as Quatre threw the security department's door wide open, slamming it against the wall so hard that he was surprised the glass didn't break.

Inside the main security office, startled guards gaped in confusion as the owner of the company charged into the room. He immediately stormed into the only office inside the department, belonging to Head Security Chief, Heero Yuy.

"I think it would be a wise idea for everyone to leave." Trowa suggested, standing quietly against the wall until the last guard left the room. He secured the door tightly before going to the small office on the other side of the room. From the note of outrage in Quatre's raised voice, he knew that this argument wouldn't have a pretty outcome.

"Why in Allah's name didn't you tell me that Duo had tried contacting me the other night? Did it ever occur to you that something was wrong?" Heero looked up from his reports at the ranting blonde, eyes narrowing when Duo's name was mentioned.

"All he wanted was money, or the use of your name. I didn't see the need to wake you for something so petty."

"Petty? Petty?" Quatre slammed his hands down on the desk, his temper burning brightly in his eyes. Heero remained motionless, his expression saying nothing.

"Yes, petty. He needs to learn to take care of himself, not just expect you to come to his rescue every time he runs out of money."

"Son of a bitch!" The smack of Quatre's open hand against the side of his face happened so fast, Heero was more shocked by the sound than the pain that accompanied it.

"You're the petty one, Heero! A child died because of you and your damn grudge against Duo! An innocent baby lost her life because of you!"

"So that's what he meant by that." It was nothing more than a mere whisper, but Quatre heard it, and his anger blazed even higher.

"You knew? You knew that a child's life was hanging in the balance, yet you just ignored it?" Quatre all but spat the words in disgust, his face twisting in fury. "Damn you, Heero Yuy! I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that!"

Trowa stood in the doorway, flabbergasted by what was being revealed. He hadn't seen his blonde lover so furious since the wars. He dashed across the small office in an attempt to catch Quatre as he leapt over the desk at his other lover. Punches flew between the two, a few of them connected, before he could haul the combative teen away from Heero.

"Quatre!" Trowa shouted as he tried to subdue the hostile blonde. "Damn it, Quatre! Calm down."

"No! Let me go, Trowa! Let me go, now!" The blonde shrieked, kicking his legs to gain some footing in attempt to get himself out of his taller lover's grasp.

"I thought that he was exaggerating again! How was I supposed to know that there was something seriously wrong?" Heero said indignantly, wiping a trickle of blood from his split lower lip.

"Duo never lies! You of all people should know that he would never lie to us. Never!" Quatre roared, finally twisting his way free of Trowa's restraining embrace.

"He did to me!" Heero shouted, spinning on his heel to face Quatre. His deep blue eyes shimmered with long suppressed pain. "He lied to me when he said that he would love me forever. He does lie, Quatre."

"That's why you denied him? You turned your back on a friend in his hour of need, because he broke your heart two fucking years ago? Damn it! Do you know how that makes us all look?" Quatre bellowed in exasperation. "By Allah, I love you, Heero, but you have to realize that things just didn't work out between you and Duo. You have Trowa and me, now…I just…"

"I'm sorry, Quatre." Heero closed his eyes, and hung his head.

"Well, sorry isn't going to heal his broken heart right now. Sorry won't bring that innocent baby back to him. It's not good enough, Heero!" Quatre lowered himself heavily into the chair behind him, his anger having died out, leaving him emotionally drained.

"Wufei will be calling sometime this afternoon with the details of the funeral. I told him to expect all of us to be there."

"I'm not going." Heero crossed his arms petulantly across his broad chest; his eyes gazing at the floor. Trowa sighed, preparing to restrain his blonde lover once again.

"Not only are you going, Heero, but you will apologize to Duo for not helping him. I mean it!" Quatre stood abruptly, and stomped out of the office, leaving both of his lovers behind.

Heero shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Trowa remained silent, still a bit confused by what had happened, debating with himself whom he should side with. He knew that Heero had been wrong to deny Duo like that, especially since it had resulted in the death of a baby, but he also understood that Heero had reacted with his heart, not his head. He knew the pain that the blue-eyed boy still felt, two years after Duo had broken off their relationship. He found it hard to fault him for following his emotions.

"This just isn't my day." Trowa whispered, slipping out of the office to make sure the shuttle would be ready for their departure in nine hours.

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Wufei was walking back to Duo's apartment when he spotted a small clothing boutique that he had noticed on his way to the supermarket. The small shop stood out from the surrounding store fronts like a gleaming jewel in a junk heap. The brick and frame façade had been painted in cheery pastels, and the window display featured a family of mannequins with happy expressions, dressed in clothing far too fine for the neighborhood the store was located in.

A bell chimed softly as he entered the small, but attractively laid out store, calling forth a small, older woman from behind a tall rack of evening gowns. She peered at him over the tiny spectacles balanced on the tip of her nose, before swiftly scurrying across the sales floor to greet him.

"Is there something I can do for you today, young sir?" She asked, obviously eyeing his jacket. Wufei could almost hear the gears turning in her head, wondering what would bring a Preventers agent into her boutique.

"Yes, actually. I'm in need of two dresses."

"Dresses?" She sputtered up at him. That was clearly not the response she had expected from the handsome young peace keeper.

Wufei fought against rolling his eyes at her, and made a mental note to always pack an extra civilian jacket when he traveled from now on.

"Yes, I need dresses for two little girls, and they must be appropriate for a funeral."

"Oh, of course!" She said, as she hustled to a rack of ruffled dresses in the girls' department. "What sizes do you need?"

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know. The oldest is approximately eight months old."

"Well then, we'll need to go to infants." She shooed Wufei across the aisle to a round rack of much smaller clothing. "Here's what you're looking for. How old is the younger baby?"

"She's one month."

"Just a month old?" The saleswoman tsked at Wufei. "Isn't she a little young to be taken to a funeral?"

"It's her funeral." The young agent replied softly.

The startled clerk gasped, turning her head quickly to look at the quiet teenager. "I'm sure I have something special for her."

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Duo didn't fare well at school or work, his mind was a million miles away. He couldn't recall any of the topics covered in his classes, and he sure as hell didn't remember clocking in or out at the café either. Now, he stood in a showroom surrounded by coffins, listening to a salesman sing the praises of each model. Duo couldn't fathom why people needed such fancy boxes to be laid to rest in, considering that no one would see it again once it was lowered into the ground at the cemetery.

"This one is two thousand credits, sir." The insincere salesman said with a phony smile.

"Two thousand?" Duo choked, wiggling his little finger in his ear. He was sure he didn't hear the price correctly.

"Yes, sir."

"Don't you have anything cheaper? I'm working on a very limited budget here."

"Don't you want the best for your daughter, sir?" The man did his best to make Duo feel like he was on the Guilt Trip from Hell. He did want something nice for Miranda, but how could he possibly afford something that expensive, and still have enough money to pay the bills? Surely he was too young to take out a small loan, and he sure as hell wasn't going to call Quatre again for any reason.

"Let me think about it. I'll be back later." Duo jammed his hands into his pockets, exiting the store quickly.

"Maybe I have something I can pawn for money." He whispered to himself, as he scuffed his boots on the concrete, taking his time on the way back to his apartment. He hoped that Aleana would be in a good mood when he picked her up at the sitter's, and that Wufei wouldn't be too upset at having been left alone all day.

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Wufei turned the key in the lock, and opened the apartment door. He was greeted with the sight of Aleana sitting on a blanket in the middle of the floor, happily surrounded by toys, but he saw no sign of Duo.

He went into the kitchen to deposit his shopping bags on the counter, and he draped his jacket over the back of a chair, before returning to the baby in the next room.

"Hey, baby doll. Where's your Daddy?" He asked, squatting down to her level. She grinned up at him, waving her arms.

"Da! Da!"

"Ok, but I'll only pick you up if you promise not to cover me in your food again." He received a two-toothed smile, her chubby arms still waving wildly.

"I'm going to take that as a yes, hmmm?" He hoisted her up, balancing her on his hip as he had seen Duo do that morning.

"Ok, let's find your Daddy."

It was all quiet in the kitchen, and the bathroom door was wide open, so the only other place to look was the bedroom. As Wufei entered, the chaos that greeted him made him take a step back. It looked as if a hurricane had whipped through, leaving nothing untouched.

"Duo?" Wufei squeaked, as he took another step back; hurriedly covering Aleana's head as a tennis shoe came flying from the closet.

"Shit, Wufei! Make some noise or something, man! Scared the crap out of me." Duo emerged from the closet, wide eyed and holding a hand to his chest.

"I was afraid that something had happened, Aleana was alone in the living room."

"Stinker butt was sleeping when I came in here." Duo sighed, taking the babbling redhead from the other teen. "Man, she had a powernap, and that means another long night!"

"What exactly are you doing in here? I've never seen such a mess!" The Chinese teen said, as he shuffled his feet through the piles of clothing and shoes on the floor, before seating himself on the equally cluttered bed.

"Sure you have Wuffers! I've made bigger messes in Deathscythe."

Wufei raised an eyebrow, surveying the room again. "I disagree. What are you doing ripping this room apart?"

"Nothing. Isn't that right, Aleana? You tell Uncle Wu that Daddy's not doing anything!" Duo cooed, tickling the girl in his arms.

"Nice try at a diversion. Now spill it."

"Fine." Duo sighed, plopping down next to Wufei on the bed. "I was looking for something to pawn."

"Pawn? Duo, didn't Winner just deposit money into your account? What do you need more money for?"

"Look, 'Fei. I don't even want to use that money, after everything that happened. I've got some old text books, the medal of peace that Relena gave us all, and I don't really use my laptop much anymore. Those things should bring something." Duo sighed again, scrubbing his hands over his face wearily. "Like Heero said, I have to deal with it on my own."

Wufei shifted on the bed, drawing one leg up to turn and face his friend.

"That's what friends do at a time like this, Duo; friends help you 'deal with it'." He said with conviction. "You'll never have to go through something like this alone. No one should."

"Yeah, well someone should tell that to asshole, then. God, I was so afraid to…" Duo hesitated, rocking Aleana in his arms, his eyes darting around the room, desperate to avoid Wufei's dark gaze.

"Just forget about it, Wu. I really don't wanna talk about it right now."

Not wanting to agitate Duo further, the Chinese teen didn't push for an answer, and thought it best to change the subject.

"Would you accept a gift from me to the girls?"

"That depends, what did you do?" Duo turned on the bed, mirroring Wufei's position, and cocked an eyebrow suspiciously at his friend.

"Don't look at me like that; I didn't do much. I just bought them dresses for Miranda's services."

Duo dropped his head, and clutched the baby in his arms tighter.

"God, Wu. I didn't even think about that." He raised his eyes to look at the other teen, despair shining clearly in their depths. "There's just so much left to do."

The braided boy closed his eyes tightly, visibly shoring up his resolve, then stood abruptly and walked toward the door.

"I'll write you a check for them, Wu. Just don't cash it for awhile, ok?" He said, as he headed out of the bedroom.

"I told you they were a gift. I don't expect you to pay me for them."

Duo put Aleana back onto her blanket, and turned to go into the small kitchen, closely followed by Wufei. He spied the shopping bags on the counter, and looked at his friend curiously.

"Wu? What is all of this stuff?" He asked, as he started looking through the plastic supermarket bags.

"What does it look like?" He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "And here I thought you had to be smart to get into college."

"Don't be a smart ass, Wu. I'm not in the mood for it." Duo growled, pulling item after item out of the bags.

Wufei began taking the food from the counter, and putting it away in the cabinets and refrigerator, silently pleased with himself for having found a way to help his friend. He was stunned by the unexpected reaction.

Duo snatched the bag of lettuce from his hands, and threw it onto the floor. His face was a picture of rage, and his hands were clenching and unclenching angrily.

"Bastard!" He spat. "Why did you have to go buy food when I've got plenty here?"

Wufei looked at his irate friend, his dark eyes widened in astonishment. "What food?" He gestured to the glaring emptiness of the refrigerator, the shelves bare but for a couple bottles of soda, some ketchup and mayonnaise, and two half empty jars of baby food.

"You call this fully stocked?"

"What I call this is none of your fucking business, Wu!" Duo shouted, slamming the refrigerator door. "How dare you do this to me?"

Duo's anger was contagious, as Wufei felt his own temper rising. He stomped over to the cabinets, throwing open two doors at once.

"Do what to you? Make sure you take care of yourself?" He said incredulously. "Look at this! All you have in these cupboards is baby food, and cans of formula!"

"Yeah, that's right. As long as my girls are fed, that's all that matters!"

"But what about you, Maxwell?" Wufei's anger caused him to unconsciously revert to calling his friend by his last name. "How can you care for them properly if you collapse from not eating?"

"Don't start with me, Chang. You won't like the way I finish it." He threatened, his voice low and menacing.

"You have nothing here to sustain you, Duo. I saw that as a problem that I could fix, so I did."

"I eat at work! Why the hell do you think I work at a goddamned coffee shop?"

"You can't survive on danishes and coffee for the rest of your life!"

"I'm FINE!" Duo screamed. "I am not your little charity project, Wufei! Stop treating me like I am!"

"Charity?" Wufei sputtered. "Charity? Is that why you think I'm here? Because I pity you? You've got a hell of a lot to learn about friendship if that's what you think!"

"I ate out of garbage cans when I was a kid, Wu. I can make it on what I have available. As long as I'm still kicking, everything's fine! Now get the fuck off my back!"

Duo stormed out of the kitchen, snatching up a whimpering Aleana from the floor, and stalked to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Fine, I will!" Wufei grabbed his jacket, putting it on angrily. He stopped long enough to toss the cold items into the refrigerator before heading out the front door.

Once he hit street level, he started walking aimlessly, not even noticing the neighborhood inhabitants clearing out of his way. He was immensely more intimidating when he was angry.

He couldn't stay in the apartment with Duo for one minute longer, the way he was acting. Wufei had just tried to do something nice for him, and he just had to be a stubborn, pig-headed bastard about it. He hoped that giving Duo some space would give them both the opportunity to cool down.

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The last of the suitcases were packed, and garment bags hung over the back of the dressing chair. Quatre was bustling around, double checking that he had everything he'd need for their trip, before leaving for the shuttle port.

Trowa sat on the bed, watching through his bangs as his blonde lover carried the bags to just outside of the bedroom door for the servants to take down to the waiting limo. Since the argument at the company that morning, Quatre had not spoken two words to either Heero or himself. Heero had gone into hiding, avoiding both Quatre and Trowa at every turn.

"Would you please make sure that Heero has finished packing?" Quatre asked in a tired voice.

Trowa blinked in surprise, turning faintly to see Quatre raking his fingers through his tousled blonde hair. He could practically feel the stress rolling off of his lover.

"Sure." Trowa answered, moving fluidly from the room.

Heero's private room was dark, the door standing wide open. Either he had already packed, and was downstairs waiting, or he had escaped to somewhere that no one would find him. If the latter was the case, Trowa wished that he could join his darker lover in his sanctuary, as he was not looking forward to the trip that they were about to embark on.

"I'm already packed." A voice sounded behind the tall ex-pilot, startling him slightly.

"Good. I was not planning on taking the wrath of Quatre by myself."

"I made a mistake." Heero said flatly. "I need to make it right."

"That's one tall order, Heero. I don't think even you could make things right this time."

"If you two are done chatting, we have to leave for the shuttle port. I would like to see Duo as soon as possible." Quatre spoke from down the hall, his voice laced with the subtle hint of anger behind the words. "Wufei just called. Duo is planning on pawning his things, and I don't want to see that happen."

"After you." Heero said, picking up his bag. He was not going to get close to Quatre until his temper had cooled off.

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It was after dark when Wufei made his way back up the stairs of the apartment building, hoping that Duo had cooled down. He bowed his head, feeling guilty that he had gotten so angry earlier. He had no right to do so, but he felt that he did have the right to worry about a friend.

The Chinese teen thumbed the key in his hand, debating if he should just enter, or knock first. Things sounded quiet from the outside, so he tried the knob, finding the door unlocked. He raised an eyebrow, as the door swung open. It wasn't like Duo just to leave doors unlocked.

"Duo?" He called into the darkened room.

"I didn't expect you to come back." A timid voice answered him from the vicinity of the couch. A small lamp snapped on, illuminating the small living room. Duo sat on the couch, his hair hanging loosely over his shoulders, knees drawn up to his chest, looking for all the world like a very young boy.

"You know, I went and looked at caskets?" Duo sniffled a little, lifting his eyes to seek out his friend. "They were so small, 'Fei. So damn tiny, and so expensive. I still have to get a grave marker and a plot. I still haven't even picked a funeral home. I'm too young to be doing something like this, ya know?"

Wufei stood stock still, listening, his eyes meeting those of Duo. Just the sight of the forlorn boy made his heart ache once again.

"Just so small, Wu." He whispered. "I don't think I can do this by myself."

Wufei nodded, crossing the small room to sit next to him on the small, worn sofa.

"As I said before, you don't have to do this alone, Duo. I'll always be here for you."

Shimmering pools of blue-violet blinked, one tear escaping to roll slowly down a pale cheek.

"Help."

With that one word, Wufei's heart broke. He reached his arms out, grabbing up the other teen in a comforting embrace.