Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ So Far Away ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )

Title: So Far Away (1/?)

Author: Shinigamis_Soul (AKA Starlight Soul, AzureInk_Parchment)

Beta: XxNonxIamxX and Arianrhodgaul

Disclaimer: I don't own them; I only like to play with them.

Status: Was finished but some later chapters are being re-written so now it's a WIP

Pairings: 2XOC, 1x2 get together, 3x4, 5xR

Warnings: Angst, abuse, Angry Gundam Boys…

 

 

So Far Away

Part one

 

::...Nothing but a filthy street rat… So tainted at birth your own mother abandoned you…::

 

The dull thrum of the engine was a comforting sound in the darkness, though the people sounds disturbed him more than he cared to admit. He looked down at the small form beside him and couldn't help but grin. The girl curled up in the seat sighed softly in her sleep, one tiny hand curled against her cheek. He reached out, to gently brush dark chocolate hair away from her face.

 

::…Murderer…::

 

“Papa, are we there?” she asked sleepily blinking brilliant violet eyes.

 

“Not yet, baby,” he replied.

 

::…Spawned a creature doomed by blood…::

 

“Papa,” she sighed as she pulled his braid to her face, sleep almost reclaiming her.

 

“What is it, baby?” he murmured.

 

“Why doesn't Mommy love us?”

 

He felt his heart break again at the innocent question and a lump seemed to lodge in his throat as he tried to reply to his daughter. “I don't know, baby, go back to sleep.”

 

::… Unworthy of kindness… Undeserving of love…::

 

He clenched his fist, hiding it beside his leg until he knew she was sound asleep. Once he was sure, he pulled his knees up and pressed his face against them. Tears threatened, his face grew warm and his eyes glassy, but he refused to let them fall. Absently, he pressed against the papers in his pocket, the hammer that finally shattered the tentative hold on his marriage.

 

::… Monster…::

 

He didn't sleep on the three-day journey. Each time his daughter woke, he was ready with a hug and a smile. They played silly games, told stories, colored in the books carried in her bag; anything to keep her busy and not thinking about the last few days. He knew he had to keep her mind active or there would be trouble. Even at four, she was very much his daughter.

 

When they arrived at their final destination, he was a nervous wreck. Only those that knew him well would be able to tell past his brilliant smile and friendly demeanor. His daughter knew. One look at her expressive eyes told him all he needed to know. She too had a mask; something that concerned him greatly, given what he had learned. That it was similar to his was no great surprise.

 

When it was finally time to disembark, he helped her into her teddy bear backpack and grabbed his duffle bag. Her tiny hand fit well into his though once they were off the train he set her on his shoulders. He slipped easily through the crowd to claim their suitcases before making his way towards the main gates.

 

“Papa, is Mr. Heero nice?” she asked quietly.

 

“He can be,” he replied. “Do you remember what I said?”

 

“His glare is scary but he is nice,” she replied into his hair. “Will he keep Mommy away?”

 

A familiar voice beat him to reply. “If you want me to.” The old monotone was nearly gone, replaced by rich warmth. “Duo, how are you? What happened; your call was confusing.”

 

He felt his mask slip and begin to crack under the weight of the truth. “Heero, I…”

 

Cerulean eyes widened slightly at the sight of such a fragile mask. “Never mind, we can talk about it later. Is this everything?”

 

“Yeah,” breathed Duo, pulling his mask firmly into place, “Two suitcases, my duffle, and Rahne's backpack.”

 

“Come on, let's get you settled,” said Heero gently.

 

“Which hotel are we at?” Duo asked wearily.

 

The glare cast over his shoulder was still the same. “You're not, you're staying with me. I have plenty of room. Tomorrow we can introduce Rahne to Jade and Meilin.”

 

“Jade and Meilin?” questioned Duo.

 

“Wufei and Relena's twins,” stated Heero.

 

“Why would they want to see me?” demanded Duo bitterly, “I've only heard from you since I got married; no letters, no calls, no e-mails, nothing.”

 

“Not for lack of trying,” sighed Heero. “Let's talk about this later. The others want to see you but I think we need to talk first.”

 

“Kay,” Duo sighed tiredly.

 

Heero led them to a jeep and loaded the bags. While he did that, Duo settled Rahne into the back seat. He listened silently as Duo smiled and joked with his daughter. Once he was finished, they settled in the front seat.

 

“It's about half an hour to the house,” Heero informed them.

 

“Hear that, babe, we've got a little drive. You need anything before we go?” asked Duo.

 

“No, Papa,” she replied softly.

 

“Okay, make sure you let us know if you do,” He said, giving her a wink.

 

“Yes, Papa,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

 

Heero pulled out of the station, fully expecting an all-out babbling, stressed Duo. Instead, the braided man was fast asleep and he was left with violet eyes watching him from the backseat. After a while of watching him, she pulled together a frighteningly familiar mask and started talking.

 

“Papa didn't sleep on the train,” she told him calmly, “He didn't cry, but I think he wanted to.” She hesitated for a second before continuing, “Mommy doesn't love us anymore. You won't let her hurt us, will you?”

 

“No, I won't. Has she hurt you?”

 

Her mask crumpled as she fought tears. “I'm sorry, I wasna `sposed to tell. She said Papa'd be mad.”

 

“He won't be mad at you,” explained Heero, knowing how smart she was, “We're almost home.”

 

“Kay,” she hiccupped softly while wiping her eyes.

 

Heero glanced down to find violet eyes opened wide in shock. The well-worn mask was quickly crumbling beneath the combined weight of his hurt and rage. He reached out and gave Duo's hand a squeeze just before turning into his driveway. As soon as the engine turned off, Duo rallied to pull his mask together with a giant stretch and yawn.

 

“Wow, I must be more tired that I thought. Are you ready, munchkin?” said Duo as he climbed out of the car and went to help her out.

 

Rahne reached for him, tears beginning to fall. “Papa,” she cried softly while pressing her face into his neck where she started sobbing.

 

“I know, baby,” he murmured, rubbing her back. “It's gonna be okay, I promise.”

 

He snagged their bags while tucking her against his chest and motioned for Heero to lead the way. Duo sang softly as they entered the house, Rahne falling deeper into sleep with each moment. He was more than a little surprised when Heero left the bags and grabbed a pillow from the chair. Duo gently put Rahne down and Heero pulled the afghan to cover her.

 

With infinite care, he pulled Duo away and into the kitchen. He settled the longhaired man into a chair before setting to work making hot chocolate. While he worked, he heard the crinkle of paper being smoothed out. Finally he put the hot chocolate in front of Duo and sat down.

 

“What happened, Duo?” he asked gently.

 

“Rahne's behavior started to change a couple months ago, right about the time I noticed someone skimming funds from my account. She got quiet, started flinching at fast movements and raised voices. Then I started seeing marks. Rahne wouldn't or couldn't tell me where they came from, so I started talking to her teacher, the other mothers, anyone I could possibly get answers from. One of the other mothers saw Cassy hit her.”

 

“What happened next, Duo?” asked Heero, stunned.

 

“I started working on a case and stumbled upon my wife; only she was using another name. I confronted her about everything and she attacked me,” he replied, still bewildered by the confrontation. “She took off after that. She must have gone right home. She sent the sitter away, locked Rahne in the closet, took everything she could, and left this.” He slid the stack of papers across the table for him to read.

 

Duo couldn't bring himself to watch Heero read the letter or the private investigators reports. The words were already burned into his mind and seared on his heart. The doorbell rang and he automatically got up to answer it. He wasn't expecting to find Quatre on the other side of the door. The smaller man rocketed into him, with a fierce hug that caught him off guard.

 

“Duo, I've been so worried about you,” exclaimed the blond.

 

“Keep it down, Kat; Rahne's asleep on the couch,” murmured Duo. “Come on, `Ro's in the kitchen.”

 

“I wanna see her,” whispered Quatre as he approached the couch. “She seemed to be your only happiness in the last few years. She looks so much like you.”

 

That was it, all it took to shatter his mask. Before the strangled sob could escape, Quatre was spinning away from Rahne and pulling Duo towards him. With a secure grasp on his braided friend, he steered them towards the kitchen where Heero was glaring holes through a paper.

 

Quatre got Duo into a chair and wrapped his arms around the distraught man. A moment later Heero was there, pulling Duo into his lap to rock and comfort both of them. The suffocating hot blast of emotion from Heero drew his attention to the papers. They were innocent looking items, but Quatre knew better than most how looks could be deceiving.

 

The letter was the most hateful thing he'd ever seen and the private investigators report just as startling. The rage that boiled from Heero was well founded and Quatre found himself matching it. It was bad enough that she tried to destroy his friendships but to then go out of her way to try and break him, it was despicable.

 

“Come on Duo, you need to get some sleep,” said Heero pulling Duo to his feet.

 

“But Rahne…” protested Duo, his exhaustion evident in his voice.

 

“Will be fine,” replied Heero, “Quatre and I will be here; I watch Jade and Meilin all the time. You can sleep in my bed for now.”

 

“Will you stay; till I fall asleep?” asked Duo shyly.

 

“Of course he will,” replied Quatre with a dark glint in his eyes, “I have some calls to make, but I'll know if Rahne wakes. I'll order dinner too.”

 

“Rahne's allergic to peanuts,” Duo blurted suddenly, “Her epi-pen is in her backpack.”

 

“Easy enough,” replied Quatre, “Jade is allergic too. Rest Duo, we'll take care of everything.”

 

He watched in silence as Heero led Duo away, the longhaired man nearly broken. He waited until they were out of sight before pulling out his cell phone and taking a picture of Rahne, which he sent to Trowa. He quickly dialed Wufei's number

 

“Is he there?” asked Wufei without bothering with a greeting.

 

“Bring Relena and the kids, he's in bad shape. You'll understand when you see her parting letter to him,” said Quatre, “Fei, he just broke down and cried. He's got Rahne; she looks just like him, though I haven't seen her eyes yet. She's allergic to peanuts, any suggestions for ordering in?”

 

“Order from Lim's,” said Wufei, “His children are allergic so the whole building is free of anything peanut related. Relena and I will be over in a little bit.”

 

Quatre's phone beeped. “That's Trowa; we'll see you when you get here.”

 

“They're there,” said Trowa softly when Quatre picked up. “How bad is it?”

 

“Worse than we thought. How long before you arrive?”

 

“I'm ten minutes out,” replied Trowa. “She looks just like him, nothing like Cassy.”

 

“Yeah,” A small noise drew his attention back to the couch. “Rahne's waking up, I need to go. See you soon.”

 

“Papa,” called Rahne, sitting up.

 

“It's okay,” said Quatre, “Duo's sleeping. I'm Quatre.”

 

Violet eyes turned on him and looked annoyed. It was a look that was so Duo that he nearly laughed. “You made my Papa sad,” she accused with a glare.

 

“I know,” replied Quatre, “I wasn't trying to make him sad; it was an accident.”

 

“You better tell him,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. All of her attitude seemed to melt away and she appeared uncertain. “If you're Papa's friend again, will he put away his pretend smile?”

 

“I hope so,” answered Quatre sadly. A knock on the door brought a smile to his lips. “I bet that's Wufei.”

 

“Did he make Papa sad by accident too?” she asked innocently.

 

“Yes,” Quatre sighed. “We've all been sad because we couldn't talk to him. Thanks for coming Wufei, Relena. This is Rahne.”

 

“Hello Rahne,” said Relena, “These two are Jade and Meilin.”

 

Rahne was more interested in Relena's large belly than the two girls. Her violet eyes were incredibly wide as she said, “You're gonna have a baby.”

 

“Two, actually,” she replied with a smile, “They're kicking, would you like to feel?”

 

“Can I?” she asked.

 

“Give me your hand,” said Relena gently. A frown creased her brow when Rahne flinched as she grabbed her hand. “No one here will ever hurt you,” she murmured softly, “Or let anyone hurt you.”

 

Relena gently pressed Rahne's hand against her belly and watched her violet eyes light up. Suddenly Rahne had both hands and her ear pressed gently on Relena's belly.

 

“Babies, you have such a pretty mommy,” she whispered.

 

“Alright,” said Wufei seeing the tears about to fall. “Jade, Meilin; why don't you show Rahne the playground.”

 

Quatre watched as Jade and Meilin pulled Rahne into their group and took off for the sliding glass door.

 

“She looks so much like him, only so much more innocent than he ever was,” said Wufei.

 

“Who hurt her?” demanded Relena.

 

“Her mother,” said Heero as he entered. “Cassy hurt her then told her that Duo would be mad if she told him.”

 

“Where is he?” she questioned softly.

 

“Sleeping, for the first time since he found his house empty, his daughter locked in a closet, and that horror of a good-bye letter,” responded Heero.

 

“What letter?” asked Relena.

 

Quatre sighed. “It's on the table; just remember your kids are within hearing.”

 

* * *

 

He woke disoriented, his head throbbing and his eyes sore. His first clear thought was Rahne. He knew she wouldn't be far. His second thought was that he couldn't be in his own bed; Cassy would never allow something as masculine as the dark charcoal sheets. It was that one stray thought, one tiny unhappy twinge, which brought back the last three days. Looking around, he realized he was where he really wanted to be. If he was honest with himself, it was where he had always wanted to be.

 

“You're awake,” said Relena, from the doorway, startling him. “How are you?” she asked moving to sit beside him.

 

He started to smile, to pull on his trusty mask, but realized it wouldn't work here. “Miserable,” he finally answered, “Where's Rahne?”

 

“She's outside with Jade and Meilin,” she replied. Reaching up, she brushed his bangs out of his eyes, “We've missed you so much, Duo.”

 

“If everyone missed me so damn much, why didn't anyone call or write? Why was my number blocked and my e-mail bounced back? What did I do wrong?” He struggled against the tears before finally giving in. “Why didn't I get invited to your wedding or even know you have children? Why did I lose my best friend? All of my friends?”

 

“We tried Duo.” Her tears joined his. “She had legal documents keeping us away. We've been fighting it in court but her lawyer was good; dirty too, I'd bet. Suddenly, after four years of battles, no one shows up, giving us a default win. She allowed the bare minimal contact with Heero as long as he didn't push it.”

 

Duo wiped his eyes, and forced his tears down while trying to wrap his brain around everything. Taking her hand he gave her a wan smile, “Does this mean everyone is here?”

 

Relena smiled and nodded. “Go see my husband. He's missed you terribly.”

 

His smile grew and he indicated her belly; “May I?”

 

She smiled brilliantly at him. “Of course; thank you for asking. You wouldn't believe how annoying it is to have people always touching it without asking.” She couldn't help but laugh when he put both hands and his ear against her belly and whispered too softly for her to hear.

 

“What are you laughing at?” he asked afterwards.

 

“Rahne did the same thing,” she explained.

 

Duo stood up and stretched, cat-like. “I guess we better get this over with.”

 

Duo led the way out, his brilliant mask falling reflexively into place. To his surprise, as soon as he was in sight, Wufei wrapped him in a tight hug. Moments later Trowa pulled him into a one armed embrace.

 

“We've missed you,” said Wufei. “We tried…”

 

“Lena told me,” said Duo, cutting him off. “All I knew was that I was suddenly blocked from your lives with no explanation, no hope. Cassy kept saying it was for the best, but I just couldn't believe her.” He caught Quatre's eye. “I thought I could be happy with her, for Rahne, but I couldn't give up on him.”

 

“The same him as before?” questioned Wufei gently. At Duo's nod, he smiled and replied, “Well, I'm happy to inform you that we were wrong.”

 

“Papa!” was the loud warning before his daughter slammed into his legs, “I like it here, Papa. Meilin and Jade are nice; they don't tease about our funny eyes. Mr. Heero doesn't keep anything with icky peanut stuff in it.”

 

Duo lifted her up so she was sitting on his hip, kissed the tip of her nose, and said seriously, “I'm glad; I like it here too.”

 

“Uncle Trowa says we can go to the circus and see lions. He's gonna show me how to walk on a wire.”

 

Wufei looked amused at the endless chatter before he stepped in. “You have a dare devil there, Maxwell. I'll give you three guesses as to where she was.”

 

Duo gave his daughter an appraising look. “You climbing trees again, my little cat, or just finding the highest point on the playground?”

 

“I was so afraid she was going to fall that I sent Trowa up after her,” explained Relena.

 

“Don't be mad,” begged Rahne, burying her face against Duo's neck. “I didn't mean to scare you.”

 

“I'm not angry,” Relena sighed, “I just don't want you to get hurt.”

 

“That means next time you wanna climb, you need to ask a grown-up to go with you. Trowa's a really good climber,” said Duo.

 

“Yes, Papa.” She yawned a face-splitting yawn, “I'm hungry.”

 

“Dinner is on its way,” piped in Quatre.

 

“Hungry?” growled Duo, turning Rahne upside down, “Hungry!” He held her with an arm around the back of her knees.

 

Relena reached out and started tickling her. Rahne shrieked with laughter and surprised Relena by pushing off his legs and arching backwards to grab Duo's neck.

 

“Papa!” she giggled before blowing a raspberry on his cheek.

 

“She's strong and flexible for her age,” commented Trowa softly.

 

Duo set Rahne on her feet. “Hey, munchkin, let's show Trowa what you learned in class.”

 

“The whole thing?” she asked with a huge smile.

 

“If you think you can, no falling on your head,” replied Duo.

 

“No,” she laughed while grabbing Trowa's hand and pulling him towards the door, “Come on, Uncle Trowa.”

 

A hand on his shoulder turned his attention to Heero, “We really missed you.”

 

Duo nodded, turning to watch his daughter show Trowa what she learned in gymnastics. “I missed you too. I need you Heero, now more than ever. We ran, left everything behind. She's already missed school and no one knows what happened. I have to find out what Cassy was doing. There's so much and it's so overwhelming.”

 

“Which is why Relena and I will be taking Rahne for the weekend while you, Heero, and Quatre return to tie up loose ends,” said Wufei.

 

“We'll take my jet and I will call in one of my lawyers to deal with the legal mess that Cassy has tangled. We'll get Rahne all set up to go to school with Jade and Meilin,” said Quatre.

 

“She's got special issues with school,” Duo said, running his hand through his bangs, “She's already reading at a fourth or fifth grade level. Her math skills are the same way. She's got my attention span too. Teachers have a hard time dealing with it.”

 

“That's why Jade and Meilin go to a private school,” replied Wufei with an indulgent smile, “They're way ahead of their age group.”

 

“Plus the security is acceptable and it's run by one of my sisters,” added Quatre. “Don't worry, Duo, we'll help wherever we can.”

 

“You're stuck with us, Maxwell,” said Wufei, pulling the braided man into a hug.

 

A knock on the front door sent Heero and Quatre towards the front of the house while Wufei and Relena gathered up the girls to wash hands and faces, leaving Trowa and Duo to set the table.

 

“Rahne seems to enjoy gymnastics,” said Trowa softly.

 

“She loved it, and it burns off a little bit of her extra energy,” replied Duo with a smile. “Cassy didn't like spending the extra money, though it's not like we had to worry. I understand now.”

 

“The letter,” Trowa guessed. “Do you really believe the things she said?”

 

Duo sighed, “Yeah, I do. She set me up for the money and when she realized that I gave it all away, she was already stuck. Thing is, I didn't give it all away. I just gave an equal amount of the illegally acquired money away; I didn't even scratch the surface of that and I didn't touch the compensation from the colonies. A large portion of it is hidden for Rahne; can't be touched till she's eighteen. As for her being mine, I was always honest with you guys about my preferences. I'm bi, but I prefer men. The fact that Cassy happens to look a little bit like the guy I've been crushing on for the last six years and we partied really hard after that last incident with Mariemaia doesn't leave much to the imagination.

 

“The worst part is that I can't remember what happened. I've always questioned, because I haven't touched her since and haven't really wanted to. To find out that I'm one of four men she's pulled this on… The only thing that makes me so certain that Rahne is mine is that fact that she looks so much like me. The genetic quirk that gives us the violet eyes is so rare that G was pretty certain I was the only one.”

 

“The other things, the horrible things she said,” pressed Trowa, “None of that is true. You know that right?”

 

“Some of it is though.” Duo sat down and rubbed his face. “God, I'm so tired.”

 

“Papa needs a nap,” said Rahne, climbing into his lap.

 

“Hey kiddo, what are you doing sneaking up on me,” asked Duo, hugging her tightly.

 

She smoothed her hands along his face and hair. “Love forever?” she asked, pressing her nose to his.

 

“Forever and ever,” he replied. “Are you ready to eat?”

 

“Yup,” she replied, laying her head on his chest.

 

Duo looked over at the clock. “We're having a late dinner tonight, so dinner then bed.” She yawned and nodded against him. “Just think, no more funny rocking.”

 

“I wasn't sure what the two of you would like, so I ordered things I remember you liking,” said Quatre as he set boxes of food around the table.

 

“I like rice and vegetables,” said Rahne in a soft, tired voice.

 

“Milk, juice, or soda?” asked Relena.

 

“Juice, please,” said Rahne and Duo at the same time.

 

Dinner flew by for Duo and Rahne. Exhaustion weighed heavily on them and through them the whole room. Rahne, despite her claims of hunger, picked at her food, barely eating. She stayed curled against Duo fighting sleep as she picked at her food.

 

“Come on Rahne-bow, you must eat more than just the snow peas and carrots,” murmured Duo after a while. “I know you're tired. Three big bites of rice and then you can go to sleep.”

 

“Kay,” she sighed, barely awake.

 

Once the required bites were gone, Duo was out of his seat with Rahne in his arms. He sang to her gently while helping her into pajamas. Heero followed behind silently, watching in fascination as Duo held, rocked, and sang to his daughter until she was sound asleep.

 

“She can sleep in here; this is where Jade and Meilin sleep when Wufei and Relena are gone to conferences,” said Heero softly.

 

Duo tucked Rahne in with a small bunny under her arm before steering them back towards the dining room. He was surprised to find Quatre and Trowa cleaning up while Relena and Wufei packed up their sleepy girls.

 

“It's much later than we usually keep them out,” explained Relena, pulling him into a tight hug. She kissed his cheek before pulling away and giving him a good shake, “We are right next door if you need anything. We'll be back around noon tomorrow so that the three of you can go tie up loose ends. We've missed you. Despite the unhappy reasons for your return, we're more than happy that you're back.”

 

“I missed you too, Lena,” replied Duo, “You too, Fei.”

 

“I'll bring you a cell phone tomorrow; one that can't be tampered with,” said Quatre as he and Trowa prepared to leave as well. “We'll catch a flight around one so we arrive around noon. If we're lucky, we will be able to return late tomorrow night.”

 

“You don't have to do that, Quatre,” said Duo softly, “You're doing so much already.”

 

“Don't bother arguing,” replied Quatre. “Everyone else has them. Rahne will get one of the child phones as well. Which reminds me; what is her favorite color?”

 

“Blue,” answered Duo. “I've never left her for more than a few hours. She doesn't know you guys very well either.”

 

“We'll work that out tomorrow; see how she reacts to the idea,” soothed Relena.

 

“Get some rest Duo,” said Wufei, pulling him into a hug, “Everything will work out.”

 

Duo accepted their hugs and farewells quietly, all of his thoughts revolving around the future. Once his friends were gone Heero was there, leading him deeper into the house. Doors were locked and windows checked; lights turned off and Rahne checked one more time. The closer to the end of the routine they became, the more agitated Duo felt.

 

“Make yourself at home, Duo,” murmured Heero as they approached his room and the guest bedroom, “You're welcome to anything I have. I would like you to stay as long as you want.”

 

“I don't want to be a bother,” Duo sighed. “I'll call Une in the morning and see if she has any positions open.”

 

“You're not a bother,” Heero said quickly. “We've all retired from Preventors except for emergencies. If you're interested, I could use help with my security company. I'm starting to acquire more jobs than I can do on my own.”

 

“You're serious,” Duo asked with a smile. “I'd rather not be a Preventor and risk my life when I have Rahne to worry about.”

 

“We'll set all of the details later. I'll explain everything.” Heero reached up and brushed Duo's bangs out of his eyes. “You should get some sleep.”

 

Duo glanced at the floor, embarrassed by his next request. “'Ro… Can… Can I stay with you? The nightmares came back and I don't want Rahne to know.”

 

“Is that why you didn't sleep on the train?” questioned Heero. Duo nodded, his eyes fixed on Heero's sock clad feet. “Come on.”

 

Heero slept lightly with Duo's warning, memories of the braided man's violent nightmares bubbling to the surface. When he woke hours later, all of his senses straining for the sound that woke him, he was unsurprised to catch part of Duo's nightmare. With thoughts of maintaining his uninjured status, Heero pulled the pillow from under his head and whacked his braided friend from a safe distance.

 

The pillow flew off towards the door and Duo bolted upright. “Rahne!”

 

“Shhh,” hushed Heero, “She's sleeping in the other room.”

 

Duo curled in on himself, trying to hide the fact that he was shaking. “I dreamed Cassy took Rahne and I couldn't find her.”

 

Heero pulled Duo across the sheets and held him. “We're not going to let that happen.”

 

“What if we can't stop it? She already got away with keeping us apart for so long. What if her lawyer wins that too?” questioned Duo in the darkness.

 

“That's why we're calling Une in the morning. She would have needed your signature to get the restraining orders and file the court documents,” explained Heero while rubbing his back soothingly.

 

“I never signed anything like that,” Duo sighed, “So she would've had to have forged them.”

 

“Right, so we'll let Une track it down. She wanted you to run a branch of Preventors but we couldn't contact you. I'm sure the Commander will enjoy tracking this down.” Heero felt Duo's trembling slowly ease. “Go to sleep Duo.”

 

“I've gotta see Rahne,” he murmured after a moment.

 

He rolled to his feet and started heading towards the door. Heero was right behind him and ready when he tripped over the forgotten pillow. The two moved silently through the house to peek in on Rahne. They found her curled on her side, stuffed bunny held close to her. He reached down and brushed her hair from her face causing violet eyes to flutter open.

 

“Papa?” She questioned sleepily.

 

“It's okay, baby, I didn't mean to wake you. Sleep,” He murmured.

 

“Papa had a bad dream,” she sighed as she slipped back into sleep, “It's okay, Papa.”

 

Duo shook his head and silently withdrew from the room. “I don't know how she does that.”

 

“You said that the two of you have spent a lot of time together,” replied Heero, leading the way out. “She's very perceptive; very in tuned to you.”

 

“About a month after Rahne's birth, Cassy lost all interest in her. I took care of everything, even went as far as to stop working to care for her,” answered Duo.

 

“Then it is possible that you've had nightmares before that she may have witnessed,” explained Heero as they returned to his room.

 

“It's just not something I wanted for her.”

 

“But most likely a fact of life, just like Jade and Meilin are used to security, reporters, and their parents being part of government,” soothed Heero. “Come on, you need more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

 

He let Heero pull him back into the king-sized bed with its charcoal sheets and chocolate comforter. He couldn't find the energy to protest as Heero curled behind him as he had during their war days. A wave of contentment washed over him as strong arms wrapped around him and he couldn't help but sigh, knowing this was where he wanted to be.

 

“Okay?” asked Heero, his breath tickling the small hairs behind his braid.

 

Duo nodded in response and let sleep take him.