Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ So Far Away ❯ Two ( Chapter 2 )

So Far Away

Part two

 

Heero woke in the dim light of early morning and carefully untangled from Duo. A quick glance told him that they'd slept for nearly five hours uninterrupted but he let Duo continue to sleep. As he left his room, he found Rahne settled in front of the T.V, a children's show playing quietly before her. She was wrapped in a fleece blanket with her bunny on her lap, her braid coming undone messily around her head.

 

“Ohayo Rahne,” greeted Heero. “Are you hungry this morning?”

 

“Yes, sir,” she replied with a yawn. “Is Papa up?”

 

“Not yet, he's very tired so I thought we could let him sleep while we make breakfast,” explained Heero.

 

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying; “Papa will worry if I go too far.”

 

“He'll know you're with me,” Heero explained. “We're just going into the kitchen to make pancakes.”

 

“Papa likes pancakes with applesauce,” she said brightly.

 

“I know,” replied Heero, “He likes coffee too.”

 

She giggled, “Papa's funny without his coffee.”

 

Heero led the way into the kitchen and settled her on the middle of the island, “You're not gonna wiggle around and fall off are you?” He questioned cautiously.

 

She gave him a slightly disgruntled look but shook her head no. “I'm not a baby.”

 

“No, you're not, but Meilin fell off there two weeks ago and had a big bruise for a week.”

 

“Papa says I'm a cat just like him, because I always land on my feet,” She said brightly.

 

Heero chuckled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “You like to climb too.”

 

“Ms. Meeker got scared when I climbed the tree at school but I was careful and stayed in the big branches. I didn't mean to scare Aunt Lena yesterday. Did you see my cartwheel?”

 

Heero couldn't help but smile at the amount of talking from one small child. It reminded him of Duo in many ways.

 

“Oiy, chatterbox, you talking Heero's ear off?” questioned Duo, stumbling into the room.

 

“Papa! Mr. Heero's making applesauce pancakes,” informed Rahne.

 

Duo poured himself a cup of coffee and accepted the cream and sugar from Heero. Once it was mixed, he sat down at the island and gave his daughter a quizzical look. “Whatcha doing sitting on the table?”

 

Rahne rolled her eyes. “Mr. Heero put me here.” She leaned over and whispered the way only children can. “He thought I was gonna wiggle around an' fall off.”

 

Duo laughed. “Not you, little cat. Wiggle around, maybe; fall off, never. We'll have to show Heero some time.” Duo got serious as he took a drink of his coffee, thoughts of the day ahead breaking into his thoughts. “We've gotta talk, little one,” he said softly.

 

Rahne reached out to tug on Duo's hair, “Its okay, Papa.”

 

“I've gotta go away, maybe for a couple of days,” began Duo. “I have to go back and make sure Ms. Meeker and Miss Amy know you're okay. Go and get the rest of our things. I need you to stay with Wufei, Relena, and Trowa so I know you're safe.”

 

“No, papa, she'll get you,” replied Rahne unhappily.

 

“I'll be with him,” said Heero softly. “I promised, remember. I won't let her hurt either of you.”

 

Standing up, she put a hand on each of his cheeks. She turned intense eyes on him, their violet depths filled with something so purely innocent and childlike that it stirred protective instincts within him. “You take care of Papa; don't let her get him. She doesn't love us no more.” Violet eyes filled with tears. “Why? Why doesn't she love us? Was I bad?” She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, trembling.

 

“You didn't do anything wrong,” murmured Heero drawing her tiny frame into a hug and rubbing her back.

 

Duo joined them a moment later. He wrapped his arms around both of them and laid his cheek against her back. “My girl, my girl,” whispered Duo sadly, “You didn't do anything wrong. I don't know why, baby; I just don't know.”

 

Rahne hiccupped and rubbed at her eyes. Both men could see her pulling on her smile. “My nose is runny.”

 

Duo reached over and tapped her nose. “How about we let Heero finish this while you get washed up? Then you can keep him company while I get a shower.”

 

She tugged at his frizzy braid, “Your braid is messy.”

 

“Yours' too,” he said with a smile. “Let's go, you. We'll wash that mop of yours and get it all brushed out. What would you like done with it today?”

 

“Just a braid, please,” she said, wrapping her arms around him

 

“Quatre and Trowa will be here in about two hours,” said Heero while mixing the pancake mix.

 

“We'll be all set by then, and I'll make sure you've got enough hot water,” answered Duo.

 

“Don't worry about the hot water. I have an endless system,” Heero explained with a small smile. “Go get finished. Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

 

Twenty minutes later Duo and Rahne emerged from the bathroom; Duo soaked from head to toe, much to Heero's amusement. Rahne stood on a chair while Duo carefully worked through her hair with a comb. When he was finished, they left it loose to dry while Heero piled their plates high with food. They were just sitting down to eat when there was a knock at the door.

 

“I wonder who that is?” said Heero before leaving to open the door.

 

Duo moved so he could see the doorway and block his daughter from any incoming threat. Rahne, taking her cues from her father, seemed to go still. Her wide violet eyes watched him closely.

 

“Papa?” she questioned softly.

 

“It's okay, babes,” he murmured to her.

 

Heero returned a moment later with a familiar face in tow. “Wufei beat us to the call to Une.” Heero explained, leading the head of Preventors in.

 

Duo found himself wrapped in a tight hug. “Duo, I've missed you.”

 

“Commander, I'd like you to meet my daughter Rahne. Rahne, this is Miss Une,” said Duo, returning the embrace.

 

“Hello Rahne,” said Une, kneeling down to her eye level.

 

Duo watched, concerned, as his outgoing daughter suddenly became shy. “Hi, are you a Preventor?”

 

“I am,” replied Une. Une turned her attention back to Duo. “I had a very upset Wufei on my phone first thing this morning. I can't say that I blame him but I do need the story from you if we're going to do anything about it.”

 

“Rahne, honey, why don't you eat breakfast and watch your cartoons,” suggested Duo. He was surprised to find Heero handing Une the already bagged goodbye letter and the file folder he found for the PI's notes. “She hurt Rahne,” said Duo softly once his daughter was gone. “That explains everything else. The other big thing is the restraining orders and court documents she was using to keep my friends away. I had no idea; all I knew was that they wouldn't talk to me anymore. My email and phone were blocked. I had no one but Cassy and Rahne. In all reality it was mostly just Rahne and I. A couple of months ago, Rahne's behavior started changing. My brilliant outgoing little girl started flinching at raised voices and fast movement. I started asking questions of her teachers, the babysitter, and the other mothers. Eventually someone came forward; she witnessed Cassy hitting Rahne. I confronted Cassy and she attacked me. Rahne was with the babysitter and I had to go back to work. When I got home, the babysitter was gone, the house was empty, and she had locked Rahne in a closet. That letter was on the table.”

 

“Visible bruises on Rahne?” questioned Une, glancing toward the little girl.

 

“She's like me; a high pain tolerance and most bruises don't show up but she can feel them. She's showing fear of women.” He ran a hand through his bangs, “Cassy told Rahne that if she told me I would be mad at her.”

 

“She flinched away from Relena yesterday,” added Heero darkly.

 

“Sally has a camera that can see bruises that aren't visible to the naked eye. She can be here in a few minutes. I'm also going to need to interview Rahne.”

 

“Can we do the pictures now before I have to leave to tie things up?” asked Duo.

 

“No problem, I'll call Sally. I assume that Quatre's got lawyers going with you?” said Une.

 

“Yeah,” sighed Duo tiredly, “We're going to make sure she can't try to take Rahne. Plus I need to let the school know what's going on. Rahne's never missed a day and now it's Friday morning and this makes three.”

 

“Papa,” said Rahne from the doorway.

 

“What's up, Rahne-bow?” asked Duo, opening his arms to her.

 

“I'm full,” she said, burying her face against him.

 

Duo eyed her nearly full plate but sighed and let it go, “Okay, just let me know if you get hungry.”

 

“Yes, Papa,” she replied, climbing into his lap.

 

“Hey, munchkin, we've got more visitors coming over. Miss Sally's gonna want to take some special pictures to see where you've been hurt.” His arms tightened around her. “They're gonna ask you lots of questions and you have to tell them. No one will be angry with you.”

 

Rahne turned big violet eyes on Une and studied her carefully. “You won't let her hurt us?”

 

Commander Une looked startled for a moment but quickly pulled it together. “No, I won't let her hurt you.”

 

“Call Sally,” said Duo softly. “Hey, kiddo, will you be okay with Heero while I get a shower?”

 

“Yes, papa,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Can I get my books out?”

 

“Sure, baby,” he answered.

 

“Get cleaned up, Maxwell,” said Une, “I'll call Sally. We'll wait to interview Rahne till you're here. “

 

“Thanks, Commander.”

 

By the time Duo emerged from the shower, Sally, Wufei, Relena, and their girls had arrived. Rahne, Jade, and Meilin were lying on the floor, feet kicking in the air while they colored in books Duo recognized as the Preventors coloring book. They had drawn Une down to the floor level much to Duo's amusement.

 

As Duo entered, he snagged Rahne from the floor and lifted her over his head. “How is it, my little monster, you always get the grown ups on the floor with you?”

 

Her shrieking giggle pierced the air as he pretended to drop her several times. “Papa!”

 

He set her gently on her feet and grinned at her innocently. “What?”

 

“Why don't we go outside, girls,” said Wufei, “Meilin, I bet if you ask Rahne, she'll show you how to do that cartwheel you want to learn.”

 

“Go on Rahne, I won't leave without telling you,” said Duo, looking towards Sally and her camera.

 

Once the girls were gone, Sally accepted a stack of photos from Heero. “You were right about bruises not showing up. There's more to it than that.” Sally paused, watching Heero step up behind Duo.

 

Une took up the dialog, her face a picture of controlled anger. “You know my history,” She hesitated, as though unsure she should share her knowledge. “Cassy has to be experienced to have done this without causing more damage.”

 

Heero was ready when Duo's knees started to give out. “How bad?”

 

Sally flipped slowly through the pictures. “Bruises on her arms, legs, ribs, and back indicate carefully aimed blows designed to cause pain rather than visible wounds.”

 

“Do we have enough to press charges?” questioned Duo, gripping Heero's arm tightly and locking his knees.

 

“It would be better if we had a witness but if Rahne can tell us what happened, it will be enough,” answered Heero.

 

“Amy Brewer,” Duo said. “She's one of the ones that witnessed Cassy hitting Rahne. She'll be able to give you the names of the others.”

 

Sally took out a notepad and wrote down the name. “You wouldn't happen to have a phone number for her?” Duo took the paper and wrote the number down. “Thanks.”

 

“Knock, knock,” called Quatre as he and Trowa entered the front door. “I see you called Commander Une and Sally.”

 

“Hi there, Quatre, Trowa,” called Sally with a grin.

 

Quatre embraced her quickly before moving to shake hands with Commander Une as well. “I'm glad to see both of you.” His blue eyes widened at the pictures. “Allah!”

 

Trowa snagged the pictures and took them in with a well-trained eye. “There were no indications of these kinds of injuries yesterday when she was showing us what she learned in gymnastics or when she was climbing in the trees.”

 

“She's a lot like me. Bruises don't show and we don't feel pain the same way as most people. It was part of what made me a good pilot.” Duo moved to look out the window at Rahne. “Cassy hated how alike Rahne and I are. She said once that there was nothing of her in her own daughter.”

 

“But she does look like Cassy in some ways,” protested Heero softly. “You can't miss her Japanese heritage when you look at her.”

 

“I know that, and obviously you know that, but Cassy could never see.” Sadness filled his voice, “I just want to get this over with. It's a nightmare made real.”

 

“The lawyer will be meeting us at the airport,” Quatre said firmly. “He's fully prepared to work with the Preventors to prosecute Cassy.”

 

“Who is it?” asked Sally curiously. “We've worked with several lawyers associated with Winner Enterprises.”

 

Quatre smirked, showing his darker side. “Mr. Dawson is very picky about the cases he chooses to take. He's never lost a case.”

 

“I've been assisting Mr. Dawson with surveillance for several years now,” Trowa said with a smirk of his own. “He plays the courtroom the way a Gundam plays a battlefield.”

 

“That's probably the best description of it I've ever heard,” laughed Sally.

 

Une turned to Duo, an evil grin on her face. “Mr. Dawson, better known as Shy, is very similar to Quatre in appearance. He's small framed, baby faced, and soft spoken.”

 

“It's always the quiet ones,” Duo sighed.

 

“Shy is good at dealing with kids,” added Quatre while ignoring the comments.

 

“Duo,” said Relena rejoining them. “Isn't Rahne eating?” she asked in concern.

 

“Too much stress. She's not going to eat a lot in any one sitting, a handful of bites at best. I usually keep fruit and vegetables cut up for her. The rice last night was a good idea,” explained Duo. “She doesn't get a lot of candy and I do a lot of cooking from scratch due to the peanut allergy. Quatre, how long before we need to leave?”

 

“We have to be at the airport in just over an hour,” warned Quatre. “Take off is twenty minutes after that.”

 

“Not a lot of time to make Rahne okay with the idea of staying the night with Lena and Fei,” sighed Duo.

 

“We have a plan,” Quatre explained. “She's going to be too busy to even worry.”

 

Duo gave him a skeptical look. “You do realize what you're attempting, right?”

 

“We have a carnival that has joined with the circus and made this area their new home base,” Trowa said softly. “The regular circus show, the puppet show, and the carnival will take most of the afternoon and into the evening. Between the puppet show and the circus we're going to have tightrope lessons.”

 

“After that, we're going to go home and have a slumber party,” Relena added with a smile. “Dress up is so much fun with princess clothes. Don't worry; we'll take lots of pictures.”

 

Quatre offered Duo the box he had carried in. “Before I forget, two phones. All of our numbers are programmed in; Rahne's number is on two and Relena is six.”

 

“Lena, will you get Rahne for me?” questioned Duo as he slid into a nearby chair.

 

“Sure,” she replied.

 

“Duo?” inquired Quatre gently, worry filling his voice.

 

“'M okay, Kat,” sighed Duo, “I'm just still very tired.”

 

“Nightmares?” questioned Sally, falling into doctor mode.

 

“Yeah, but you know me; the drugs either don't work or make `em worse by not letting me wake up. `Ro and I worked out a system during the war, we tried that last night and it seemed to work.”

 

“It has always worked well and we'll keep using it,” said Heero firmly as Relena returned with Rahne.

 

“Papa?” she asked.

 

“Hey, Rahne-bow, remember what we were talking about this morning at breakfast? It's that time, sweet heart. I've got to go and get our stuff. You're going to stay with Relena, Wufei, and Trowa while I'm gone. They've got a whole bunch of fun things planned.”

 

Rahne looked as though she would cry but managed to pull her mask firmly into place. “Okay, Papa,” she replied, giving him a hug before glancing at Heero.

 

* * *

Duo glance around the plane once they were belted down for takeoff. It was a spacious area filled with seats and table work areas. While Heero and Quatre belted in beside him, a small man he couldn't help but think of as pretty joined them.

 

“You must be Mr. Maxwell,” he said once he was securely belted, “I'm Shyla Dawson; you may call me Shy. Dr. Po and Commander Une sent me their files on this case. I've been hearing stories about your Cassy and I must say, it will be a pleasure to see that she gets what she deserves. All I ask is that you tell me the truth every step of the way.”

 

“Call me Duo. These two can tell you; I run; I hide; I don't lie.”

 

“Everyone lies, Duo,” smirked Shy, changing his cherubic features into something much more sinister.

 

“Not me,” replied Duo, “Stories are so much more believable if you stick to the truth.”

 

Shy grinned at Quatre. “You're right, I like him. Now, I've seen the pictures, the letter, and the file from the investigator you worked with. Sally will be interviewing Amy Brewer and the other mothers.”

 

“Sorry I'm late, I had to drop Hercules off with Trowa,” said Sally Po, taking her seat beside Shy, “Hello Shy.”

 

“Good afternoon, Sally. I was just explaining that you would be handling the interviews. Duo, you told Heero that Cassy lost interest in Rahne when she was about a month old; do you have any kind of proof of that?”

 

Duo ran a hand through his bangs. “I didn't know anything about babies or children. There's an outreach center for new and young mothers; that's how I met Amy, she was a volunteer there.” Quatre squeezed his hand. “I didn't know what to do; Rahne had colic and hadn't slept much and wouldn't stop crying, so I went in looking for help. Melissa Archer is the doctor that runs the clinic. That first day she took Rahne to another room and Amy questioned me. The whole story came out and they offered me all the help I needed. They keep detailed records of every call and visit made to them.”

 

Shy wrote down everything he said. “This is good. What about Rahne's doctor appointments and school contacts?” he asked.

 

“I take care of all of that,” replied Duo. “Doctor appointments, school meetings, play dates, clothes shopping, birthdays, Christmas; I do it all. Except for Thursdays and Fridays when Cassy took her to school, it was something that started just a few months ago.”

 

“Where was Cassy for all of this?” wondered Sally aloud.

 

Duo shrugged. “Spending money; we saw her two days a week or when she wanted money. When Rahne started school in September, Cassy started taking her on Thursdays and Fridays. I went to work for a private investigator doing computer work while Rahne was in school.”

 

“You didn't work before that?” asked Shy.

 

“No, I don't really need to and that way I could take care of her.”

 

“Didn't need to?” questioned Shy startled.

 

“We were all compensated for our part in the war,” explained Quatre quickly, “Duo alone received enough to never have to work again.”

 

“Motive for Cassy,” murmured Shy to himself. “Who knew about your status as a Gundam Pilot? I know Commander Une and Mrs. Peacecraft-Chang worked hard to hide your identities.”

 

“I was put on display after being captured, it could be anyone based on the moon.” Duo leaned back in his seat. “If we're going back to the war, there are tons of reasons someone could have for making my life miserable. To go this far, create a life just to use it to hurt me or use me; its nuts.”

 

“It was part of the reasoning behind keeping our identities secret,” explained Quatre, “The plan was to give us a chance at normal life while not limiting our options as Preventors.”

 

“If you'll excuse me,” Shy said, “Now that we're airborne I have a conference call.”

 

Duo watched as Shy moved into the office. “You're all packing,” he said casually.

 

“They've been reactivated just in case,” Sally explained, “Une is extremely concerned about this. I've come to trust her gut reaction. She's searching the old alliance and OZ personnel files for Cassy.”

 

“What is the plan? I know it's going to take you and Shy more than a couple of hours to track down and interview everyone.”

 

“The three of us will be heading home later tonight,” answered Quatre. “A jet will be waiting for them when they are ready.”

 

“How long is this flight?” questioned Duo with a yawn.

 

“About two hours,” Heero answered, “Take a nap if you want.”

 

Duo stretched and pushed himself to his feet. “I'll just move over here where I can stretch out.”

 

Sally glanced between the three men, trying to decipher the invisible thing in the room. Once Duo was curled up in a seat, he fell into a light sleep. She switched seats and settled to question them.

 

“What the hell just happened?” she questioned.

 

“He's been having nightmares, remember?” answered Quatre. “He can react violently when woken; he has incredibly intense nightmares.”

 

Heero pulled out his laptop and booted it up, “We have several stops to make once we land. We should hit the school first due to their schedule. The clinic where he went for assistance, and I'm fairly certain he volunteered at, is opened all the time. Dr. Archer works the late shift on Fridays so we should hit the house second.”

 

“Admit it,” smirked Quatre, “You're curious about his house.”

 

Heero leveled his best glare on the blond, a hint of warning in his eyes. “Quatre.”

 

“Don't give me that look, Heero Yuy. I know a lot more about it than you care to admit.”

 

Sally watched the exchange with interest, all of her attention on the two men.

 

Heero gave in with a weary sigh. “I am curious. The only happiness I could find in his life was Rahne. I would have changed that if I could have. Now I have the chance.”

 

* * *

 

Heero gave the end of Duo's braid a gentle tug. In his other hand he held a large cup of coffee. Duo jumped up and turned, startled by the careful wakeup call but not quite awake.

 

“Duo,” called Heero softly, “We are about to land; they need you to belt in.”

 

Duo sat up, shaking off sleep slowly. At the sight of the coffee, he offered Heero a brilliant smile. “Thanks, `Ro.”

 

“Once we touchdown, there will be a car waiting for the two of you. Auda already has your hotel details.” Quatre told Sally. “The three of us have bikes waiting and Rashid will meet us at your house with a truck for your things. Duo, this is your town, you're lead.”

 

Sally watched as the three men relaxed into their seats as the pilot expertly landed the plane. “You three are pathetic; I've never seen anyone relax so much at touchdown.”

 

“I only relax more when I'm the one piloting,” responded Duo flippantly as they slowed on the tarmac.

 

“I can imagine,” she replied dryly.

 

Duo pulled a black backpack from the storage once the seatbelt light turned off. He busied himself checking the straps and zippers.

 

“Duo,” murmured Quatre, touching his friends' elbow.

 

“I'm okay, Kat,” sighed Duo, “Or at least I will be.”

 

“I have a last minute gift from Une,” said Sally, pulling a box from her bag.

 

Duo turned vivid eyes on her and accepted the box. Curiosity shined in his eyes as he removed the top. They opened wide at the badge, gun, and clip resting on top of a Preventors jacket.

 

“What?”

 

“You were never officially off the books. She put you on the reserve list. We wanted you to run the branch near you but couldn't contact you. You've been listed with the others; Active specialist.”

 

“It's all hacking and computer work when we want it,” commented Heero. “It is a major source for my business.”

 

“Thank you,” said Duo, pulling her into a hug before securing the items. “Are we ready to go?”

 

“Shy and I are going over to meet with Amy Brewer at the clinic,” answered Sally, “I spoke with her earlier and she's expecting us.”

 

“We should go to the school first,” Duo said thoughtfully while slipping into his jacket. “Mrs. Adams should be there for a couple more hours.”

 

“Rashid and Abdul will be meeting us at your house in two hours with a truck,” Quatre informed them while shouldering his own bag.

 

Duo gave Quatre a strange look. “I thought I saw Rashid a few months back, but when I turned to look again he was gone.”

 

Quatre returned the look with an innocent, shimmery-eyed look of his own. “You don't honestly believe that I would have given up and not found some way to keep tabs on you, do you?”

 

“The free circus and carnival passes that always come through the school?” questioned Duo softly.

 

“Trowa's friends and family,” answered Quatre honestly.

 

“The extra Preventor presence around my neighborhood, there are at least fifteen Preventors that live near me.”

 

“Wufei's network; most of them are former rebels,” replied Heero.

 

“Damn,” sighed Duo, hanging his head, “I should have realized.

 

“Let's get moving,” said Sally gently. “See if we can get you home tonight.”

 

* * *

 

Duo led them up to the gate and the bored guard there. He was a tall man with strawberry blond hair and a kind smile.

 

“Duo,” exclaimed the man, “We've been wondering what happened to you. Where's Rahne?”

 

“Safe with friends,” answered Duo. “How are you, Jake?”

 

“I'm good… So, Preventors, I always figured you were the type,” replied Jake with an easy smile.

 

“Yeah, I joined right after the war, but went on the reserve list when Rahne was born.”

 

Jake got serious and glanced at Heero and Quatre. “Is it true then, what Cassy's saying about you being a Gundam Pilot? She was in here this morning raving about it. Jenny had me escort her out.”

 

Duo's chin dropped, his long bangs fell to hide his eyes. “Yeah, Jake, I was a Gundam Pilot.”

 

“Wow,” said Jake in awe. “We owe you a lot, but I understand why you kept it quiet. You should know, Cassy's telling anyone that will listen.”

 

“Thanks Jake,” sighed Duo. “Agent Po and my lawyer may want to talk to you.”

 

“Any time, Duo. Do you need to see Jenny?” asked Jake seriously.

 

“Yeah, thanks again, Jake.”

 

Duo led the way across the school grounds to a glass faced building. Inside they could see a wall covered in art projects of all kinds. A woman with long black hair sat at a very large desk and spoke enthusiastically at a videophone. As Duo raised his hand to knock, she waved them in.

 

“No, officer, I'm not being hysterical about this. I want to file charges on Mrs. Misunami-Maxwell.” She sighed and held up a hand to stall the officer. “I have a parent and several Preventors in my office; I will deal with you later.” She switched the call off before moving to wrap Duo in a hug. “You've had me worried, Maxwell. Where's Rahne? What's going on? Cassy has lost what little brain she had; she was in here ranting and raving about Gundam pilots and evil. She attacked me.”

 

Duo sighed and ran a hand down his braid, his smiling mask weary. “Rahne is safe with friends. These are my friends Quatre and Heero.”

 

“Is this about the questions you were asking two weeks ago?” asked Jenny.

 

Duo nodded. “She hurt Rahne and told her that I would be angry with her if she told me. Will you be willing to speak with my lawyer and a Preventor agent?”

 

“Of course, but how did Preventors get involved with this?”

 

“Duo was the main candidate for running the local Preventors branch until Cassy filed a bunch of false suits to keep everyone he knew away… Except Heero,” answered Quatre.

 

“Why not Heero?” she asked.

 

Heero gave her a dark look. “Duo never gave up on me; I wouldn't give up on him. She seemed to know that.”

 

“It doesn't matter what she knew or why she did it. Jen, I need Rahne's records transferred to the Winner Academy.”

 

“Jasmine runs a wonderful program; I met her at a conference several years ago and we've stayed in contact since.”

 

“Jasmine has always been a dedicated teacher,” said Quatre with a smile, “She is well versed in dealing with special cases.”

 

“You speak from experience.”

 

“As her first student, and youngest sibling, yes.”

 

“I'll transfer everything over today. I'll also get the tips and tricks for keeping her attention from her teachers. Rahne is a ball of energy on a good day,” sighed Jenny finally.

 

“Thank you,” Duo replied with a grin. “We've gotta go meet Rashid and Abdul at the house.”

 

“Agent Po and Mr. Dawson will be contacting you either tonight or tomorrow,” Heero informed her calmly. “Anything you can contribute will be helpful.”

 

“Heero,” called Jenny as they were leaving, “Take care of them.”

 

* * *

 

The key slid home and turned with a gentle click, the keypad sounded entirely too cheerful as he deactivate the alarm. Force of habit left the keys in the bowl on the counter and sent his fingers questing for an elusive light switch. The first room he led them to was painted a burnt orange with dark oak trim and wrought iron accents. He dropped his bag on the beautiful table and turned to survey the five men behind him.

 

“Ma… Duo, where would you like us to begin?” questioned Rashid gently.

 

“The third door on the left,” answered Duo after a moment. “It's Rahne's room; everything goes with us.” A quick glance around the group brought a sigh to his lips. “We should have brought more help; this is going to take hours.”

 

“Don't worry about it,” soothed Rashid in his oddly comforting fatherly voice, “I have three more men waiting in the truck. Just tell me what you want moved and we will take care of it.”

 

“Thank you,” replied Duo warmly. “Heero, what kind of space for storage do you have?”

 

“We have an entire basement, which has never flooded, your room, my room, Rahne's room, and the study I never use,” Heero responded quickly.

 

“Why did you buy such a large house just for you?” wondered Duo aloud. “Just pack it all up; we'll sort it out later.”

 

“It wasn't just me at first,” explained Heero defensively, “Trowa and Wufei were living there until Quatre finished restructuring W.E.I and Wufei and Relena married.”

 

“You've been living alone for the last, what, four and a half years?” demanded Duo, suddenly hurt by the idea.

 

Quatre rushed in to ease Duo's fears. “I would hardly call it living alone since his house became our meeting ground. Movie night is at Heero's house. If I go out of town, Trowa stays at Heero's house. When Relena and Wufei have out of town conferences, the kids stay with Heero. Birthdays tend to be at Heero's house, although the girls seem to prefer that game place.”

 

His head hung, bangs hiding sad eyes. “Oh.”

 

No one chose to comment as Duo led them down a short hall and into a war zone. Heero and Quatre were instantly on alert; their guns drawn, they moved to clear the room. It was a mess. Drawers were pulled out and dumped; DVD's scattered across the floor. Pictures had been pulled from the walls and tossed into the disaster. Across the room, a closet door stood open; its white surface was marred with dents and scratches. One hinge was apart, the frame and door scared with clumsy tool marks.

 

“I don't think it actually connected, until now, when you said Cassie locked her in a closet,” blurted Quatre.

 

Heero was busy running his fingers down the tool marks in the door. “The lock is filled with… play dough?”

 

“One of the less normal skills that Rahne picked up from me is lock picking. She's my escape artist.” He stared hard at the door as though reliving the nightmare.

 

A warm hand on his shoulder drew his attention to his blonde companion. “Duo…” Violet eyes, hardened by anger, turned on him. The new thing in their depths eased his heart while proving the man he knew wasn't lost.

 

“I… I just realized how close to escaping she was,” He replied with an uneasy chuckle.

 

“She was using a coat hanger and a…” He looked down at the mangled item in his hand; “a… nail file.”

 

“Makes me damn glad we played that stupid game all the time,” mumbled Duo as he bent to retrieve pictures from the mess.

 

“What game?” questioned Quatre helping pick up photos.

 

“What if,” snickered Duo softly. “It would always start out silly but get more serious. Rahne gets this little grin before she starts and her eyes get this mischievous glint.”

 

“You just described that moment just before you start poking at Wufei,” deadpanned Quatre, “The one that always led to him threatening you with bodily harm.”

 

“What can I say,” laughed Duo, “I know the dangers of allowing her to be bored; it's entertain or risk her own version of entertainment.”

 

“Master Duo,” Rashid growled as he entered the room, “The house is…”

 

Duo held up a hand to stop the larger man. “I know; Cassy did it before she left. How bad is the rest? I just bugged out with Rahne as fast as I could, didn't bother looking.”

 

“You were pretty prepared for that kind of bolt,” commented Heero softly.

 

“Heero,” warned Duo, “We talked about things, during the war, behaviors that were ingrained so early that I can't remember a time without them.”

 

“So you had bags all packed, ready to run if necessary,” confirmed Heero.

 

Duo crossed his arms defensively. “Yeah, I repacked and double checked them every couple of weeks so she always had clothes that fit.”

 

“Heero, may I speak with you in the hall?” asked Rashid.

 

“Come on, Duo,” called Quatre, “I'm sure we can save these pictures.”

 

Heero followed Rashid into the hall, his cool mask in place. “What did you find?”

 

“The bedroom that Duo wants packed up is completely devastated. It looks as though she took a knife to the dolls; they're in pieces around the room.”

 

“Make sure you get good pictures; send them to Sally with copies to Wufei and Une,” ordered Heero. He glanced back at Duo and Quatre before striding down to look in the different room.

 

Anger settled like a cold lump in his gut at the sight of the torn baby pictures and a portrait of Duo and Rahne together. He made note of the company, determined to replace them. In the bedroom, the one he suspected Duo was using, he found more destruction. One wall in particular had been targeted.

 

As he drew closer, he came to the realization of what he was seeing. The wall was covered in pictures of the five of them, ranging from the first war to Duo's wedding. Scrawled across it, in a grotesque mimicry of arterial spray, were the words `monsters' and `killers'.

 

His cell phone ringing startled him. “Yuy here.”

 

“I just received the first wave of pictures,” said Une calmly, “Was that Rahne's room?”

 

“Yes,” replied Heero with a grimace she couldn't see. “His room is worse. She has some kind of grudge against us; Abdul will send the pictures. You may want to have psych take a look at this file. This woman's destructive path is making me… twitchy.”

 

“Understood,” replied Une before hanging up.

 

Heero quickly made his way back to the living room. Quatre and Duo were sitting on the floor, heads bent together, matching DVD's with cases.

 

“We should get going;” he said casually, “Rashid needs you in the bedroom, Quatre. I'll help Duo get these to the truck.”

 

Quatre stood up and gave up his pile of DVD's before heading down the hall. He accepted more from Duo, so he could stand, and found himself face to face with curious violet eyes.

 

“What are you trying to hide from me?” questioned the braided man.

 

Heero hesitated for a moment before giving in with a sigh. “Rahne's dolls and toys have been destroyed, along with your… pictures.”

 

Duo's eyes dropped and his fists clenched. “The dolls and toys can be replaced. The pictures… well, I'd rather have the real thing,” he said softly.

 

“Let's go,” ordered Quatre, rejoining them, “We can get dinner before going to the clinic.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kat,” said Duo, “For dragging you into this. I meant it, what I said to Heero; the pictures are nothing compared to the real thing.” He pulled his mask together and offered them a smile. So, any idea what you want to eat?”