Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Starting Over ❯ No More ( Chapter 6 )

Title: Starting Over

Author: Makoto Sagara
Series: Gundam Wing
Archive: fanfiction .net, afallenangel .net/makotosagara/, mediaminer .org, Foreverfandom .net, makochanupdates .livejournal .com; anywhere else, please ask
Category: Angst, Action

Pairings: 1+2+1, others unknown
Rating: T
Warnings: Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, Post-EW, Episode Zero story spoilers
Disclaimers: I make no money, so suing is pointless. If you think I own GW, then you need to see someone. I have the number to a nice doctor... Oh, SALLY!

Author's Notes: I got side-tracked! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me? *hides the HP Drarry fics she's working on* Um, I'm trying, kk?

Starting Over, Chapter 6 - No More

Heero blinked back tears as Duo none too carefully reset his nose and set a plaster bandage across it. He knew the other man wasn't being as gentle as he could be because he was still very angry with him, but the very fact that Duo was doing this let Heero know that there might still be a little hope left. He buried that hope in the back of his mind and tried to concentrate on what was going on around them.

Wufei and Trowa had taken seats on the other side of the large table in the orphanage's dining room and were speaking quietly to one another. Duo was sitting in front of him, his face a passive mask that showed just how upset he was. The women were still in the other room with the children, who were being oddly quiet. `Now's usually the time when the other shoe drops,' he thought rationally.

“So, finish your story, Heero,” Duo said calmly, scooting down the bench and leveling him with a hard glare. “Tell us why you decided that you had to disappear.”

“Duo, you accused me so many times of being robotic during the wars that I was afraid that it was true,” Heero answered calmly. “I never really learned to socialize. The rest of you had that, even if the environments were drastically different.”

“And you didn't think that we could help you? That we'd understand?” Surprisingly, Wufei was the one who'd asked that question.

“I didn't really even think that you'd want to, Wufei. You were going to the Preventers. Trowa had Cathy and the circus. Duo told me he was coming to L2 to maybe set up a scrap yard with Hilde. Quatre had his sisters and WEI to run.” Heero shrugged. “Besides, I really wasn't going to ask Relena to help me. It would have been a disaster. Even I understood that.”

“So, you checked yourself into a mental hospital,” Duo muttered, fists clenching in front of him as if he wanted to take another shot at Heero. The Japanese man moved back a few inches, just in case.

“Yes, St. Sebastian's has a program for soldiers. It's basically behavioural reprogramming. Dr. Shaw is the leading expert in that field.” Heero shrugged again. `I guess that's another thing that I've picked up since going through Dr. Shaw's therapy.'

“But why a year?” Trowa asked, sounding curious.

“Dr. Shaw actually recommended that I stay for longer than that, but I knew even a year would be a long time for all of you to think I was gone. If it hadn't worked as well as it had, I might have stayed longer, but I would have contacted someone to let them know what was going on.”

“What I don't get is why you didn't just tell us, Heero,” Duo said, his violet eyes staring accusingly. “I would have understood, you know.”

“I know that now, Duo.” Heero reached one arm out to touch the American, but quickly drew it back when the other man's face shut down completely. “I knew I needed to go. I wasn't really thinking about how you would take it, truthfully.”

“So, you subjected yourself to a year's worth of intensive behavioural therapy. And then what? You were cured and decided to…?”

“I wanted to see you, all of you, but you especially, Duo.”

“Don't,” Duo said roughly, standing up from the table and wrapping his arms around his chest. “Just stop, alright. I don't want to hear that crap.”

“Maxwell, at least listen to the rest of Yuy's story,” Wufei said calmly. To Heero's amazement, Duo turned back around and sat at the end of the table, as far away from Heero as he could get and his face was back to the utterly blank mask. “Continue, Yuy.”

“I didn't really think things through, I see that now,” Heero said quietly, trying to process why Duo had followed what the Chinese man had said without a pause. He felt something bubbling beneath the surface, an emotion he'd never experienced before. He couldn't name it. He hated it, and with it, he hated Wufei.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo listened with a half a mind to what Heero went through at the hospital. He was still hung up on the statement that he'd made about wanting to see him after his release. `What the hell does that mean? Is he just saying this shit to make me not want to hit him again? If that's the case, I'm going to do more than just punch him.'

Trowa's voice pulled Duo out of his melancholy thoughts though. “So, after the attack today, what did you do?”

“Surveillance,” Heero stated.

“What kind?” Wufei asked, and a thin eyebrow rose in question.

“These gang-bangers, the cockroaches… I did some reconnaissance around their territory.” The Japanese man gave a small smile. “They have roughly fifteen members, if one disregards the females they have with them.”

“Wouldn't do that if I were you,” Duo said. “They tend to be tougher and more dangerous. How many are there?”

“I saw three, but I would assume that there are at least six more, if you count the prostitutes across the street from the abandoned department store.”

“So, twenty-four members,” Wufei mused. “There are four of us. It wouldn't be that difficult to handle that.”

“I don't think all of us should go. Duo and Trowa are rather notable for their hair,” Heero said with a hard glint in his eyes.

“I can hide my braid,” Duo said, fuming at the high-handed manner Heero was taking this entire situation.

“That's true. It worked well during the war,” Trowa added. “A hat should be sufficient to hide my bangs as well.”

“No, I agree with Yuy,” Wufei said thoughtfully. “It would be best if the two of you, who are known to have problems with the gang, stay where witnesses can see you. Perhaps you and the women can take the children out on a field trip to give yourselves an alibi.”

“What about backup?” Duo asked, feeling uneasy about letting the two Asian men handle his problem by themselves. “It's not like this is an OZ base. They won't try to take you captive. They'll kill you.” When twin glares were aimed in his direction, he didn't even flinch. They hadn't worked during the war, and had lost their vehemence since then. “I'm not letting you two walk into a situation that could result in your deaths. So, either take back-up or let me help plan this stupid fucking mission!”

“You said that you still have some explosives,” Heero said. “Was that an exaggeration, or do you really have some?”

Duo had the grace to blush. `God, he would remember something that I said in jest. The bad part is that it's true.' He looked over at Trowa, who was frowning heavily at him and sighed. “It's true. I don't keep them on the orphanage's property, of course, but my storage place is fairly close by and easy to get to.”

“Excellent,” Heero said with a thin smile.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Heero looked over at Trowa, he realized that maybe he should have asked about the explosives away from Duo's business partner. If he had remembered basic common sense, then this would be something that could get the two men into a lot of trouble with the authorities, especially if there was any chance that it could endanger the children. However, he was aware that it was too late, and chocked it up to another problem he'd have to handle with Duo at a later date.

“How soon can you get them?”

“Soon enough, I guess.” The American was still acting a little sullen, but Heero really had no room to talk, since he'd been less than honest with the other man and had disappeared without so much as a by-your-leave for over a year. He had a lot to make up to him before they'd ever get past that fact. “When do you need them?”

“We'll get to that when we have a more solid plan,” Wufei said, taking in the situation between their friends accurately. “Perhaps you and Trowa should leave while Yuy and I do so.” He held up a hand as Duo started to protest. “If it comes down to things, I will contact Winner to assist. This is something that should be handled… off the books, as it were. It would damage many reputations if it was traced back to any of us, I'm aware, but if nothing is done, something worse than just rocks, graffiti and biblical flaming bushes could result.”

“Yeah, well, I don't think it was Moses that was the recipient of that particular message,” Trowa deadpanned. “Duo, you and I need to have a little talk, now.”

The two men left the room and Wufei leaned across the table with a hard look on his face. “You'd better know what you're doing here, Yuy. Maxwell and Barton, as well as the women, have worked too hard to get this place to be safe and happy for those children. Maxwell, as well, has found some sort of happiness here. I will be very upset should something happen to this little slice of L2.”

“Your threat is noted, but unneeded, Wufei,” Heero said calmly, his eyes still darting to the door and half an ear open for any loud sounds. “I have no intention of ruining our friends' lives or bringing a scandal to this orphanage.”

“I think it's too late for the ruining part.” Cold black eyes narrowed. “What did you come back for? Granted, the Preventers would have looked for you until we had proof you were dead or had completely taken yourself out of the business of terrorism, as the others have proven they are.”

“Are you going to try and take me back to Une and Sally?” Heero looked coolly at the other man. “I can tell you now that you'll fail.”

“Ancestors, no, I wouldn't wish working with those two on anyone who hadn't volunteered for it,” Wufei muttered. “Listen, Yuy, I know that you have some honour, which is more than I can say for a lot of other people. What I want to know is if you plan on staying here or not.”

“I fail to see why it would concern you.”

“Because it concerns Duo!” The Chinese man flushed and sat back down, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. “He is my friend. He was the first one to offer his hand in friendship after the whole fiasco with Mariemaia's Army. Not even Barton, or Winner for that matter, was quick enough to best him. He is also the reason we didn't die on that Gods-forsaken Moonbase, even though Une would have surely approved of it. So, I have a vested interest in his happiness.”

The emotion that Heero had been trying to quash during their talk swam to the surface again, and this time it was he who had to close his eyes to calm down. “That's it?”

“That's it… Yuy, I'd hit you if Duo hadn't already done such a stellar job. Listen to yourself. You sound like a jealous…” Those cold eyes crinkled in amusement. “Really? Well, that's interesting. And it tells me more than you're actually saying. Fine, we can work together to get rid of this gang. Shall I call Winner or do you want that honor?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“When were you going to tell the rest of us about this mysterious stockpile of things that could ruin everything we've worked for?” Trowa asked once he and Duo were alone in the kitchen.

“I don't know, Tro. I can't even tell you why I kept them. Some part of me kept thinking that I'd have Q send a few of his forty thieves to get them and dispose of them, but I just couldn't.”

Trowa closed his eyes and Duo could almost hear the other man's brain working. “Fine, I won't say anything to Cathy or Hilde, this time, but you have to give every stick and clock and wire to Wufei and Heero to dispose of as they see fit.”

Duo sighed in relief. “Thanks, Tro, and I'm sorry about this.”

“Yes, well, I'm going to choose to believe that you would have told Quatre and the Maguanacs about this before the end of the year. Lucky for us, Los Chupacabras is full of idiots who don't know who the hell they're actually messing with.”

“You know, once something happens, the police are going to come right for us,” Duo said, biting his bottom lip in thought.

“I'd thought about that too. If they're going to bring Quatre in on this mission, we can talk to him about distancing ourselves from all knowledge of the attack.”

Duo put his head down against the cool marble counter of the sink. “I was sure that once the wars were over that we didn't have to do this anymore. I don't think I'm young enough to handle lying to the authorities and chasing after twenty kids.”

“You weren't the only one,” Trowa replied after a few quiet moments. “Let's help the girls get the kids in bed and then turn in ourselves. The less time we spend around Wufei and Heero, the less we know and the better off we are in the long run.”

“You know, Tro, sometimes you're just too damn practical.”

“One of us has to be.”

TBC