Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Remember when... ❯ Life loves a tragedy part 4 ( Chapter 4 )

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Warnings: Angst, language, slight OOC

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

It was just before dawn when the shuttle's landing gear was lowered in preparation to touch down on the tarmac in California. The luxurious cabin had been quiet since take off, the three young men each keeping to himself on the long flight.

Quatre spent the majority of the flight going through reports that he had hastily stuffed into his briefcase. Work seemed to follow him everywhere, and he often took files that needed his attention on shuttle flights, not only to keep on top of things at his company, but also to keep his mind busy. He often found his thoughts wandering to his long-haired friend, though. He could only hope that when they arrived at Duo's apartment, they would find that the braided boy was coping well. He also hoped that Wufei had talked Duo out of pawning his belongings. Quatre made up his mind that his first mission of the day was to make sure that Duo was all right, before heading to the hospital that had been in charge of the care of the baby. He planned on making life very difficult for them.

Trowa chose to watch his lovers from behind the camouflage of his bangs. Quatre was doing exactly what he'd expected him to do, immersing himself in business dealings, so that his anger wouldn't flare. The acrobat could see the control that his smaller lover was keeping on his emotions slip every so often, as pale blue eyes became unfocused from the papers in front of him, and stared at nothing, pale brows furrowed above them in frustration. He knew that it wasn't what was typed on the company letterhead that caused those frowns.

Heero, on the other hand, sat away from them, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Trowa knew that although his lids were closed, he wasn't asleep; he was thinking of what lay ahead on this trip, and was probably formulating an escape plan in the event that Duo's grief gave way to rage, and he attempted to bring him bodily harm. His jaw muscles were tense, and Trowa bemusedly wondered if any teeth were in danger of breaking.

Trowa himself was still torn over the events of the day. Deep in his heart, he understood why Heero had done what he did. Every one of them had hoped Duo would learn to make it on his own, and not lean so heavily on Quatre for money or support, but letting an innocent baby suffer and die because Heero refused to listen to him, it was wrong. Trowa had thought that his Asian lover was over the grudge he'd held against Duo since their relationship had gone sour, but obviously he had thought wrong.

Heero didn't need to see to know what his two companions were doing; it was always the same when they'd had a lovers' spat. Each of the three kept to himself until they finally, as one, came together to resolve the issue, but this was one situation that wasn't likely to be easily overcome. He'd made an unforgivable mistake, and now he was going to have to pay the price for it. Heero had briefly considered running away, staying out everyone's path until the incident blew over, but he knew that it really wasn't an option. This one mistake would haunt him until the end of his days, and avoiding his lovers would only make matters worse.

His anger toward Duo had not waned over the two years since the braided teen had ended their relationship. At the time, Heero had no idea that what they shared wasn't the ideal romantic partnership. His understanding of love, of any of the tender emotions, was meager at best. When Duo had first said those words to him, he was thunderstruck. He'd never imagined in his wildest dreams that anyone would ever care about him, let alone profess love. Admittedly, it took him a long time to reconcile his disbelieving mind with his soaring heart, but when he did finally respond to Duo, he pledged his everlasting devotion to the braided boy.

Evidently, Duo wasn't satisfied with the relationship. After what Heero had thought was a happy 14 months together, the American abruptly packed his belongings, and disappeared to Earth. He rushed off without explanation, and he left no way for Heero to contact him. It wasn't until Quatre and Trowa had brought him into their fold, still confused and hurting, did he find out where the ex-Deathscythe pilot was, and what he was doing. Duo had called Quatre several months after Heero had last seen him, and begged the billionaire for money to make his rent. Quatre sent the money, no questions asked. The ex-pilot of Wing was disturbed by how easily his smaller lover had given in to the man that had so completely crushed him only months before. That was the first of several lovers' spats between the two that had been spurred by Quatre's ongoing friendship with Duo.

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"We will be landing in five minutes, Mr. Winner. Your vehicle is ready and waiting." The pilot's voice cut through the cabin. Quatre was first in packing away his things, and double-checking his safety belt.

"We're going to Duo's first thing." Quat announced, drawing the attention of two sets of eyes.

"It's fairly early here, Quat. Don't you think we should get settled first, and see him later?" Trowa asked, bringing his seat upright.

"No. I will feel better once I talk with Duo, in person. No arguments." The blonde growled, almost daring either of his lovers to convince him otherwise. Neither did.

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The soft sounds of crying woke Duo in the early morning hours. His brain was still too heavily fogged with sleep to notice that he was not in the comfort of his own bed, but in the comfort of a warm pair of arms that were wrapped firmly around his waist and chest.

"Mmm, wha?" Duo stretched, his hands brushing against the smooth planes of Wufei's chest before he jerked away in shock.

"Shit! I'm sorry, 'Fei." Duo gasped, lifting himself the rest of the way off of his friend. Wufei blinked sleepily up at his friend, fighting a groan for the loss of heat that Duo provided. The braided teen frowned when Wufei's jacket tumbled to the floor, slipping from around his shoulders. He didn't remember falling asleep, and he sure as hell didn't remember curling up with Wufei on the old worn couch.

"Sorry." Duo said again, a blush staining his cheeks as he swiftly turned, leaving the room to find out why Aleana was crying so early in the morning. Wufei blinked again, not sure what Duo was apologizing for.

Last night, he had come back to the apartment to find Duo an emotional wreck, sitting curled up in the darkness. He had quietly confided that he was afraid that the dark haired teen wouldn't return after their fallout. He called Hilde on L2, asking for advice on how he should handle all that was happening, and she came through for him, after she had first called him every name in the book for not having called her before. He had always loved her like the sister he'd never had, and hadn't wanted to trouble her with his problems, knowing that she had plenty of her own

Wufei wasn't a man of that knew much about comforting, but he did his best, letting Duo sob against his chest like a hurting child, listening to the hitching voice as he spoke about everything that seemed to be eating him alive. As the tears soaked the front of his shirt, Wufei continued to rub Duo's back, stroking his loose hair soothingly to calm him. Before he knew it, Duo was sleeping soundly, emotionally and physically drained. The other teen didn't have the heart to wake him to send him to his room to sleep, so he adjusted himself into a comfortable position with Duo lying across his chest, and he draped his jacket over his shoulders to keep him from getting chilled. He knew that come morning, there could be some embarrassment, but at that moment, he really didn't care.

Cursing to himself about the wretched hour he'd been jostled awake at, Wufei decided it was probably for the best to stay awake. With so many arrangements still to be made, he would hate himself later if he went back to sleep. He planned to take as many responsibilities from Duo's shoulders as he could, and there was the arrival of their fellow pilots to prepare for.

"Hey, Wu? Could you hold Aleana for a minute? I have to warm up a bottle for her. I'm afraid that I didn't give her enough to eat before she went to bed." Duo frowned, the threads of guilt creeping up on him.

"Sure." The dark haired teen extended his arms, lifting the sniffling red head out of Duo's arms. Watery green eyes stared at the man in front of her, before she let out another loud wail. Wufei cringed; trying to decide which way would be easier for him to hold the crying girl.

"And here I thought that you liked me." Wufei smirked, lifting her against his chest, rubbing her back as he walked around the small living room.

Duo rushed around the kitchen, mixing the powder formula, while he boiled water on the stove to warm the bottle with. He was mentally kicking himself for not having at least a few bottles ready for Aleana in the refrigerator.

"Almost done, give me two minutes." Duo spoke loudly, trying to let both Wufei and Aleana know that he wasn't slacking off, while he shook the bottle one last time before dropping it into the pan to heat.

Wufei was on his fifth lap of the living room when a light knock caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow, checking his watch once again. Who the hell would be visiting at quarter to seven in the morning? Working one hand free, Wufei opened the door, the safety chain stopping the door from opening all the way. Quatre's solemn expression greeted him.

"What are you doing here at this time of the morning?" Wufei hissed, switching Aleana to his other arm.

"Can I come in? I did come all the way from L4." Wufei nodded, unchaining the door, and opening it wider to let the blonde in. What he didn't expect to see was Trowa leaning against the far wall of the hallway, and Heero a short distance away from him.

"Quatre, I don't think it's a wise idea for Heero to be here." Wufei's eyes narrowed, staring down the chocolate haired teen. "Especially not around me." Heero met that gaze, but quickly bowed his head, knowing full well that he would have Wufei's wrath to deal with.

"He needs to apologize for his actions, Wufei. That's why he is here." Quatre answered curtly, entering the small apartment to seek out his other friend.

"I thought I heard voices…Quatre?" Duo stopped midway from the kitchen, bottle in hand. His eyes widened with disbelief as the blonde teen rushed towards him, wrapping him up in a warm embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Duo. I'm so sorry." Quatre whispered, his arms tightening around his friend, the anger he'd been harboring for almost 24 hours finally giving way to the myriad of emotions he felt coming from Duo. It made his chest physically ache.

"I wasn't expecting you. Why? I mean…" Duo stumbled, his body starting to quake with a wave of relief. He honestly hadn't expected to see Quatre again, at least not for a while. He had been afraid that the other two pilots would turn their backs on him, after what had happened with Heero. The knowledge that at least Quatre hadn't forsaken him overwhelmed him with happiness.

"I had to be here, Duo. A fleet of Gundams couldn't have kept me away." The blonde choked, his voice thick with remorse. "Are you ok? Damn it, Duo, I'm so very sorry."

"I was going to pawn my things." Duo whispered, burying his head into Quatre's shoulder. "I didn't want to use the money that you sent." His voice hitched slightly, but he reined in his emotions once again, trying to keep the old 'cheer' mask in place. Quatre pulled the longhaired teen away, looking into those blue-violet eyes.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare sell your things, Duo! I feel responsible for most of this, and I want to make amends. Do you understand? We left as soon as we could. I wasn't going to wait for Wufei's call."

While Quatre was consoling Duo, Trowa entered the apartment, eyeing the room before settling his gaze on the small girl in Wufei's arms. He was mildly surprised when the baby looked up, her green eyes so much like his own locking with his. In that moment, he fully understood why Duo couldn't turn her away. Trowa himself couldn't bear to part with any of his strays that he saved by bringing home to his own private zoo, as the staff members were prone to call it. How could anyone look at that cherubic face, and hand her over to the custody of an infamously inadequate government agency?

Heero walked in on silent feet, staying as far away from Duo as possible. He hadn't seen his ex-lover since the day he had run out of his life, just days after the Mariemaia incident ended. Even after all that time, and all the love and understanding he'd received from Trowa and Quatre, the sight of Duo still made his heart hurt. He couldn't bring himself to look at the braided teen for long. Just being in his presence was bad enough, but the aura of despair that surrounded the boy; the emotion in his voice, and the grief stricken expression on his face made the ache that he felt so much more intense. All the hatred and animosity that he'd felt toward his ex-lover seemed to turn inward; even though Duo had caused him more pain than self-destructing Wing had, the knowledge that it was his own fault that the braided boy was suffering now made him angry with himself.

Looking around the apartment made him see things differently than the images that his resentment-clouded mind had conjured up for him. The furniture, what there was of it, was obviously second hand, he could find nothing frivolous anywhere in the room. He had long imagined that Duo's need for money came from reckless spending, and his vision of how the boy must have been living was shattered by the poor surroundings. His eyes finally settled on the small girl that squirmed in Wufei's arms. He closed his eyes, letting out a long slow breath. There would have been two babies here if it weren't for his denial of Duo's pleas the other night. He realized that he'd been taking for granted the security that came with having Quatre as his lover; he and Trowa had no worries about money. Wufei made a good salary with Preventers to keep himself afloat, but Duo? Gods, Duo.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Heero's eyes snapped opened, and landed on Duo, who was detangling himself from Quatre's embrace.

"I came to…"

"Get out!" The braided teen bellowed. "I don't want you here! I didn't invite you…you asshole!" He stalked his way around the couch before Quatre caught up to him, wrapping his arms around the teen's waist to stop him. Wufei stepped back, tightening his hold on Aleana. He didn't want the baby to be in the line of fire if the situation got ugly.

"Yuy, I think it would be wise for you to leave." Wufei interjected, hoping that Heero would just leave before Duo got too worked up by his presence.

Heero ignored the Chinese teen, his eyes still focused on his ex-lover, struggling to break free from Quatre's grasp.

"Will you listen to me? I want to apologize for…" Heero began, his voice as emotionless as it always was.

"I don't give a fuck what you have to say! You are not welcome here, period! Get out god damn you!"

"Still fucking stubborn." Heero snapped. "Fine, I'm leaving." He turned on his heels quickly to leave, the door slamming behind him. Aleana screeched, fat tears rolling down her face, terrified by all the shouting. Duo was there immediately, scooping her out of Wufei's arms, bouncing her and rubbing her back to calm her.

Trowa stood perplexed; he was warring with himself, one part wanting to stay in the small apartment, to show his support of his distraught friend, the other part wanting to run after Heero, fearing that he would do something stupid. Making up his mind swiftly, Trowa moved around his blonde lover, and gently wrapped his arms around Duo and Aleana.

"I'm sorry, Duo." He whispered, and placed a light kiss on the braided boy's temple as he pulled away. He caught Quatre's eye, gesturing his head toward the door. The ex-Sandrock pilot understood. He would be looking after their other lover while Quatre visited with Duo.

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Heero was already part way up the block from the apartment building when Trowa caught up with him. The taller teen remained quiet, observing the tense muscles in Heero's jaw, and the stiffness in his posture. Maybe it was a good thing that Heero left when he did. He was a firecracker, ready to explode, and now was not the time or place to let that happen.

"I'm glad you kept your composure back there." Trowa spoke when they entered a rundown park a few blocks away. Heero whirled on him, cobalt eyes blazing with anger.

"I was so close to just smacking him! He's still so damn stubborn!"

"What did you expect, Heero? Did you think Duo would just fall into your arms, weeping his forgiveness?"

"No! I expected him to listen to me!"

"You didn't listen to him when he called. Sounds like fair play to me." Trowa answered quietly. The green-eyed teen settled into a gently swaying swing, tossing his head at the one next to him in invitation to Heero. "Sit with me."

"You're right. I guess I deserve that." Heero sighed, scuffing his shoes in the wood chips before taking the offered seat.

"And then some."

"Do you think that he will ever forgive me, Trowa?"

"I don't know Heero. I really don't know." He reached his hand across the space between the two swings, and Heero reached back, clasping their hands together. "I think that you have to forgive him, first."

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Duo disappeared into his bedroom once again after Trowa left the apartment. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from handing Aleana to Wufei again, to chase after the ex-Wing pilot. Would the fight be worth it?

Aleana lay quietly in her crib, drinking her bottle, while Duo paced the room. This was all too much. It was like he was on a freaking roller coaster with no end in sight. He was surprised and happy to see Quatre, but Heero? What the hell was he thinking when he showed his face here? Did he mean to rub Miranda's death in his face again?

"God damn him!"

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Quatre stared at the closed door, feeling more and more like an intruder. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to just show up unannounced, with everyone in tow, but Duo needed to know that Heero was extremely sorry for his actions.

"Might as well have a seat, Winner. He'll probably be in there awhile." Quatre nodded, slipping his jacket off, draping it over the back of the couch.

"He may run and hide…" Duo's infamous quote floated from his lips as he sat down.

"And it's catching up to him. He can't hide from things anymore." Wufei said, a note of sadness in his voice. "The more he runs, the more it tears him apart."

"You know, Wufei, during the war, I always thought Duo was our weakest link. Not as a pilot, don't get me wrong, he could fly his Gundam better than any of us! He seemed to be the wild one, though, always getting into trouble. It seemed like there was always one of us looking out for him, protecting him." Quatre looked the Chinese youth in the eye solemnly. "I came to realize on the flight here that I was wrong."

"He is stronger than any of us." The blonde continued. "I thought we were protecting him, but in retrospect, he was the one taking care of us. He never let us get down. Whenever things looked bleak, he was always there to lift our spirits, he was always the first with the med kit when someone was hurt, he was always there to listen when one of us needed to talk. And now, when the four of us have stability, we look down on him for needing our help. He is the only one of us who has nothing to fall back on. He's making his way on his own, with no money to his name, struggling to make something of himself. He's going to school to be a teacher, Wufei. How 'Duo' is that? He still wants to help everyone he can."

"You're absolutely right, Duo is a rare breed." Wufei nodded. "Is it any surprise that he has taken in these children? We thought him obnoxious and frivolous for making friends everywhere he went, when the truth was, he just truly cares about everyone he meets. If he sees someone who needs help, he doesn't hesitate to offer it. I'm as guilty as anyone else in not seeing him for who he really was. This is the first I've seen him since Mariemaia, and I find myself to be humbled by him."

Quatre hung his head, and ruffled his blonde hair with his fingers. "He was so embarrassed the first time he called me for money. I've never denied him, but every time he calls, he falls all over himself to apologize for needing my help. I know he only calls when he's desperate."

"He does have his pride, Winner. He went ballistic last night because I brought food into this apartment. He doesn't want to be a charity case. Hell, he was gung ho about making out a check for the dresses I purchased yesterday, even after I told him that they were a gift. He told me not to cash it until later. And I told you about him tearing apart his bedroom, looking for things to pawn, because he didn't want to use the money you'd deposited."

"I'm going to the hospital after I leave here." Quatre confided, his blue eyes gleaming with conviction.

"What is that going to accomplish now? Everything is over and done with. Duo is minus one child."

"It's not over. I'm going to rip that hospital to shreds, that's what I'm going to do. Aleana and Duo will not go without after I'm done with them."

"You realize that it might upset Duo more. Do you think he'd feel comfortable spending money that he only received because his daughter died?"

"Then don't tell him just yet. Let him get through the funeral, first. I'll make sure that any settlement is sent here directly. It won't take away the pain he's been put through, but it's the very least I can do." Quatre stood, retrieving his wallet from his briefcase that he'd left standing near the doorway. "Please, take my credit card and take care of things for him. He doesn't need to know."

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Duo felt like such a heel. Here he was hiding out in his bedroom, getting himself ready for classes while his friends sat in his living room without him.

"There's just so damn much left to be done. What's Daddy supposed to do, Aleana? I can't cut school or skip work. Sure as hell can't afford to now." He sighed, tossing his hairbrush to the bed.

A soft knock startled him. "Duo? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Quat. It's open." He muttered, lifting Aleana out of the crib to brush her curly red locks. Quatre entered, his eyes widening, taking in the disarray of the room. Wufei wasn't kidding when he said Duo was ripping his home apart.

"Sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about it, Duo, it's no big deal." Duo pushed some clothing to the floor, clearing a spot on the bed for Quatre to sit next to him.

"So did you want something?"

"I just wanted to know how you were doing. Do you need me to do anything for you today?" The blonde asked, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I think I can manage it. Thanks for asking, though."

"Duo, you know I'm here for…"

"I don't need anything!" Duo shouted, standing up and whirling to face Quatre, holding the little redhead safely in his arms. "I'll finish up the funeral arrangements between classes and work. It's not like I'm planning a huge ceremony, ya know? It's not like anyone's gonna turn up for it!"

"I know, Duo, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry, Quat." Duo sighed, all fight leaving him. "I really appreciate the offer, but I just need to do it myself."

"Will you at least let Wufei help you?"

"I…I already asked him. He's going to help with a few things."

"Good! Now, it looks like this little one needs to get dressed still. Allow me?" Quatre extended his arms, wanting to help in some way, even if it was just to dress the baby. Duo smirked a little, handing the squirming infant over. At least the help would give him a few minutes to do his personal things in the bathroom, like shaving and brushing his teeth.

"Her clothes are in the top drawer of the dresser there. Her shoes…" Duo looked around the chaotic room, kind of baffled as to where those went.

"I'm sure I can find them. If not, I'll have Wufei help me."

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Wufei waited patiently at the coffee shop where Duo worked, watching the teen dole out lattes and pastries to everyone that entered. This neighborhood was one of the better in the area, adjacent to the campus of the local college that Duo attended. Many of the customers, most of them appearing to be students and professors, seemed to be regular customers, calling Duo by name, and receiving their orders without having to tell the boy what they wanted. Wufei took that as a good sign that he'd either worked there too long, or was just very good at his job.

Duo had allowed him to pick out a plot for Miranda, after spelling out to the Chinese teen exactly what he was looking for. "I just want her to be somewhere peaceful," he had told him. That was one more weight off his shoulders, knowing that Wufei had found a nice spot at Willow's Bend Cemetery.

"I'll be out in five minutes." Duo's voice was soft, as he leaned over to refill his friend's coffee cup.

"Take your time."

"Still lots of things to do, 'Fei. Need to get them done if I want that funeral to happen tomorrow. I can only skip classes and work once." Duo smiled ruefully as he walked away, refilling other patrons' coffee cups with feigned cheerfulness. He might have had his regulars fooled with that grin, but not Wufei. That smile never reached his eyes.

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Quatre emerged from the sprawling brick building with a tight smile on his face. He had just ripped the board of directors of Granger Hospital to bits, and fed them to the animals. At first, none of the administrators were willing to take the threats of the small blonde teenager seriously, until Quatre revealed to them exactly who he was. He informed them in no uncertain terms that he could ruin each and every one of them personally, while exposing the hospital for what it was: a facility with no compassion, run by greedy old men willing to let their patients die while they awaited payment for services not even rendered.

With part of the guilt lifted from his chest, Quatre slid into the limo. He had a few stops to make before he could meet up with his lovers back at their hotel for the night.

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With all funeral arrangements made to the best of their abilities, Duo allowed Wufei to make dinner while he spent some time playing with Aleana on the living room floor.

When the Chinese teen announced that dinner was ready, Duo couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks when his stomach rumbled loudly. Maybe Wufei was right, he wasn't taking care of himself like he should.

After a brief argument over who would clean up the dishes, Duo shoved Wufei out of the kitchen, telling the other teen that he should be the one cleaning up after such a delicious meal. Twenty minutes later, Duo emerged from the kitchen to find Aleana fast asleep on Wufei's chest. Her little hands were fisted in the cotton fabric of his shirt, her small mouth open slightly, drooling. Duo allowed a smile to spread across his face. Wufei was dead asleep also, his hair coming unbound from the elastic band.

"Talk about a Kodak moment." He whispered, taking out a disposable camera to click off a few pictures. He couldn't pass up a sight like this with out making a permanent record of it.