Warnings: 1x2x1, 2x2, 3+4, Other Pairings. Lemon, Violence, Language, Angst, Minor Death (OC).

Disclaimer: I do not own that which is property of Bandai, Sotsu, and Sunrise. The original concept of a kept-thief is also not mine. I learned of it while researching ancient guilds and saw the idea mastered again in the writings of Sarah Monette. All rights reserved.

Description: Post-War Canon/Romance/Politics.

Summary: It's been seven years since anyone's seen Duo Maxwell. Heero Yuy is sent to L2's Preventer Unit to retrain the officers therein and he finds none other than Deathscythe's former pilot. What has Duo been doing all these years? Has time and hardship tarnished Duo's once brilliant charm? What ensues over the next six weeks sends both former gundam pilots cascading down a soul-searching journey until they stand, once again, at a crossroads. Will they continue to walk separate paths? Or will they decide to work together for L2's future?

Author's Notes: A schooner is a frozen glass that can hold 10 to 15 fluid ounces of beer. It's equivalent to a pint. I realize that this is a term not always used and most think of boats when hearing this word. Therefore, I placed the clarification here in the a/n as schooners are mentioned frequently during the story.

Many thanks to E. A. Waybright and Lisa Bagley for advice and pointers. Full beta credit goes to ShenlongDeb. Thank you for the quick responses and saint-like patience.

Duo glanced up as the bell hooked to the front door of his bar chimed, a charming smile at the ready. The smile faltered, slipped, and faded altogether as he realized just who exactly had walked through his door.

Heero. Holy Hell.

Seeing the look on Duo's face, Bill, a bouncer from the club down the street who came in regularly for a schooner or two before he went to work, came to his feet and faced the newcomer at the door. Bill took two steps towards Heero, fingers balled into fists and a menacing scowl splayed across his features. Heero cocked his head to one side, cobalt blue eyes moving bemusedly from Bill to Duo and back again.

"No, Bill. It's all right. He's an old... friend." Duo waved the chocolate-haired man to a place at the corner of his bar and motioned for him to sit.

Bill returned to his perch on the leather-topped barstool he usually inhabited but kept a wary eye on this presumed friend of Duo Maxwell's.

Duo finished pouring another regular named Ed a schooner filled with a light lager and slid it towards him. Ed smiled, wrinkles making his merry face look like tissue paper, more teeth missing than not. "Thanks, Duo."

"Anytime, Ed."

Duo moved down to the corner and leaned against the cooler where the bottled beer was tidily kept, attempting to glare at the former pilot of the Wing Zero Gundam.

Duo scowled, thinking of their last real encounter. Heero had sucker-punched him in the gut to knock him out so Trowa could throw him in a cell to wait for their arriving gundams. Of course, Heero had promptly taken off to meet his gundam in space, leaving Duo to break out of the cell with bruised ribs and the worst headache he could remember.

"You broke two of my ribs that day," Duo said to the infamous Heero Yuy.

The corners of Heero's mouth quirked but he did not smile. He figured that would only aggravate the braided man. "They were hair-line fractures, Duo. I should know; I paid the bill. Don't be so dramatic."

Duo scowled. "How the hell did you find me and why the hell are you here?" From the corner of his eye, Duo saw Bill stiffen. He suddenly realized he needed to keep his voice down so he didn't alarm his customers. He'd become like family in this neighborhood and because he was almost too pretty to be a guy his regulars had become a bit protective towards him. It was nice but Duo didn't really need it. It was cool though, being accepted without anyone knowing that he used to pilot the infamous Deathscythe Gundam. He liked it that way.

Heero was watching the burly man whom Duo had called 'Bill' too. "I went by the scrap yard. Hilde said you ran this bar during the nights. I came here to see you."

"Why are you on L2?"

"Preventers transferred me." Heero looked up at Duo. "May I have a beer?"

Duo's eyebrows shot up and he stopped himself from saying anything cheeky before asking, "Yeah, whaddya want?"

"A beer."

"What kind of beer?"

"What's good here?"

"Schooners. Coldest in the colony."

"I'll have a schooner."

"What kind?"

"God damn it, Duo."

Duo laughed. It sounded like pure sunshine. "Sorry, man. I'm fuckin' with ya. I always took ya for a lager boy. Hold on a sec."

Duo scurried down and poured Heero a healthy helping of lager into a freezing-cold schooner glass. Duo handed the schooner to Heero and he nearly dropped it. The glass was so cold it hurt to touch it. After wiping up the sloshed beer Duo went down to the other side of the bar, refilled someone's beer, shook out another martini for someone else and poured some whiskey into a glass for the old guy next to Ed. Finished with his orders Duo came back to where Heero was steadily sipping his beer, which had frozen in some parts of the glass. Heero eventually decided that he liked it and ordered another.

Schooner in hand, Duo returned with a quizzical expression on his features. "Why are you here again?"

"Une is sending me to every Preventer Unit for six weeks at a time. I'm supposed to clean up the bases, train them and leave."

"Sounds exciting."

"It's routine."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I know."

"Well," Duo said, toweling off a batch of glasses and putting them into the cooler. "I don't think I'm going to be much fun. I work the scrap yard during the day and run the bar at night."

"Every night?"

"Except for Tuesdays."

"Doesn't seem like you're too busy."

"Wait 'till nine."

Duo said it with such a serious tone that Heero glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall by the large flat-screen television playing some earth-bound soccer game. 20:50. Apparently, these last ten minutes were the calm before the storm.

"Now I understand why this place is called Schoonerville."

"No one said you weren't quick."

"Except you."

"I never said you weren't quick, Heero," Duo said, his amethyst eyes taking on a darker shade of violet. "I said you were human."

"I had a somewhat different --"

"Well, they have no right to gossip and I have no clue why you are STILL holding on to what I said on the Peacemillion. That was, what? Seven years ago?" Duo couldn't believe they were going to have THIS conversation yet AGAIN.

"You didn't think I could do it."

"I never SAID that!"

"Didn't have to."

"Heero, I swear, if this is why you cracked my ribs six years ago --"

"No."

"Well, leave it alone."

"Relena didn't either, not at first."

Duo sighed. This was an ages-long argument between the two of them. It was he-said, she-said crap. They'd been close enough to be called friends at the time and Duo had been worked up over Hilde getting hurt and he said something he didn't... really... believe on the Peacemillion before all that shit went down with White Fang and Op. M. They'd been arguing about it since. The past five years or so though, had been blessedly quiet. Heero and Duo hadn't spoken a word to each other since the Mariemeia incident. Heero had disappeared and Duo, finding no reason to wait around and get yelled at, went home to L2.

Leave it to Heero to show back up when he least expected it. Six weeks was going to take forever.

"Please, don't compare me to her. We are nothing alike."

Heero sipped at his beer. "She's engaged now."

"To who?"

"Some French dignitary. Background's clean, though."

"You checked?"

"Of course I did."

"You okay with that?"

"With what?"

"Her gettin' married?"

"I wanted to celebrate when I found out."

Duo nearly choked on the water he was swallowing as he listened to Heero talk.

"Cheers," Heero said, lifting his schooner. Duo lifted his glass of water and nodded, chuckling wryly.

Just then, a flood of people came stumbling through the doors of Schoonerville.

Duo smiled apologetically before turning and welcoming the latest arrivals with salutations and rapid order-taking. In a flurry of motion Duo was all over the bar, pouring schooners, making sandwiches, frying french fries, crushing mint leaves, shaking martinis, mixing drinks, popping corks off of wine bottles, cracking jokes, pouring more schooners, taking shots with whoever bought the bar a round, slamming the register shut with a slender hip, laughing and grinning at vulgar jokes, smiling and graciously expressing gratitude as he received tips. He probably made more money off of tips than he did actually selling anything, Heero observed. Duo was obviously really good at this bartending thing.

Well, of course he is. He was a gundam pilot. He'd be good at anything, Heero thought.

After three hours worth of watching Duo go round after round with his insatiable customers, Heero raised his seventh empty schooner and the braided man habitually grabbed another glass and began pouring him another lager.

"When will it die down?" Heero asked as he accepted and paid for his eighth beer.

"Midnight-ish," Duo said before he turned to attend to another customer, braid flying through the air.

Midnight came and went, Duo was still busy and Heero drank more and more, waiting patiently. For what, Heero wasn't even sure himself. But wait he did until the clock struck 01:00 and, finally, the consistent buzzing of the drunken crowd died down.

Duo was still busy wiping down the bar and closing down the kitchen area, turning over sauces and vegetables and scrubbing down dishes.

"Can I help?" Heero asked.

"Isn't necessary," Duo muttered almost to himself; so immersed was he in what he was doing. "Almost done."

Heero drained his twelfth schooner and moved around the bar to clean the glass himself. He'd watched Duo do it for the past four and half hours. He should know how by now.

Heero bent over the sink, soaping up the schooner then dipping it into the fresh water and then into the bleached water. Dripping, the schooner made its way to the tray where the rest of the clean schooners were drying and waiting to be placed back into the freezer. Duo's hand touched Heero's hip as Heero stretched to put the schooner away. Duo's touch was feather light and gone before he even registered it was there. Duo was trying to steady his balance as he made his way behind Heero and to the cooler, and damn it all if it hadn't sent shivers up and down Heero's spine. Heero straightened and stared at the braided man, who was pulling the bottled beer to the front of the rows, making the cooler seem fuller. Heero took a deep breath, convincing himself that it was just the alcohol and moved back around the bar to his seat.

However, from that point on Heero couldn't help but notice how slender and finely muscled Duo's lower abdomen was when he stretched up on the tips of his toes to reach a rag and bottle of bleach water he kept on a high shelf. Or how firm his ass seemed through the dark denim of his jeans as he mopped the floor. Or how many colors glistened in the stray strands of his hair as he wiped a forearm across his sweaty brow.

Heero looked down and realized he was tearing a hapless napkin to bits. When he looked up, Duo was giving him an inquiring look. "'Nother beer?"

Heero breathed in and held it, trying to blink away the dizziness he had been fighting off for the past hour or so. Sure, his alcohol tolerance was pretty high. Dr. J had made him build a tolerance to a myriad of liquids and substances during his training. Still... Heero was human and he was becoming quite drunk.

Heero shook his head. "What else do you have?"

"Drunk enough to be adventurous, eh?" Duo grinned and tapped his chin before he thought of something wicked and sure to knock Heero Yuy off his feet. "How 'bout a Jaeger Bomb?" he asked with a sound of delight.

"A what?"

"Jaeger Bomb," Duo repeated cheerfully, already pouring some stuff into two shot glasses and some carbonated energy drink into two bigger glasses. "Here."

Heero held the shot glass of Jaegermeister and glass of carbonated liquid in two hands, uncertain of what to do.

"Like this, Heero." Duo dropped his shot glass in the bigger glass and chugged its contents greedily. His eyes, bright and suddenly merry, came to meet Heero's as he licked the remnants of the so-called 'Bomb' off his lips. "Go ahead."

Heero dropped the shot glass and chugged the two drinks simultaneously, opening his throat so he could drain it at once. Heero smacked his lips. That was really good. "Tastes like candy," he said.

Duo laughed so hard it gave him stitches. Clutching his sides, he poured another round for the two of them. It took three more rounds before Heero began to feel it. His head swam and all he could really see was a pair of laughing violet orbs that was set in a face where the voice that teased him came from. "'Nother one?"

"Something different this time."

"'Kay." Duo set another set of glasses in front of them; same set-up as the Jaeger Bomb but different liquid. "This is called the Irish Car Bomb. You have to drink it quick or it'll curdle."

"These drinks are violent," Heero murmured before draining his 'Bomb'. It added to the spinning but had a smooth milky taste to it.

"Well, here's something less violent," Duo said, beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol himself and placing two shots of a clear colored... something in front of them and a lemon wedge. "This is called a Lemon Drop."

"All right." Heero took his shot and glanced at it, wondering what the hell was in it.

"Bottom's up," Duo murmured, more to himself than anyone else, smiling a little half-smile as he drained his shot and chased it by biting down on the lemon. Immediately he returned to closing down the bar. He put up the chairs and shut off the lights and as he and Heero were exiting the building so Duo could lock the doors to Schoonerville for the night, Duo glanced over his shoulder at him. "You need a ride?"

"No," Heero said, swaying on his feet a little, his cheeks flushed and warm, cobalt blue eyes bright as fire. "I've got a rental."

"You're not driving, Heero."

"Can't leave my car here."

"You can come get it in the morning. You've run further."

"True."

"Well?"

"Fine. We'll take your car." Heero paused. "Are you sober enough to drive?"

Duo glanced over his shoulder. "Technically? No." Duo shrugged. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be good to go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Closer to forty-five minutes later, the two former gundam pilots piled into Duo's old pickup and he fired it up. Then, they were driving down the block, the silence so thick between them it was suffocating.

"Where am I taking you, Heero?" Duo asked finally.

"Main and Eighth."

"Okey dokey... "

They drove on some more and Duo made a few necessary rights and lefts and then they were parked in front of Heero's hotel. They sat, staring straight in front of them, the engine still sputtering away in Duo's old truck.

"It's good to see you again, Duo." Heero's voice seemed small and uncertain, his buzz making him confused.

"Of course it is. Why the hell did you wait so long?"

"I don't know."

"This doesn't exactly qualify as a 'friendship', Heero. You can't just disappear from somebody's life for five years and expect... "

"I don't expect anything."

Duo sighed. He wasn't sure where he was going with this. He'd be lying, though, if he said he wasn't happy to see Heero again. Every phone call, every knock on the door was a disappointment because it was never the expected Heero Yuy on the other side. "Of course you don't."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For hurting you. I hadn't meant to hit you so hard."

"The past is the past, Heero."

"The past is always the past with you, Duo. It doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt you."

Duo didn't say anything for a moment. Heero had been the only person he'd opened up to about his past. He knew everything.

"Don't flatter yourself," Duo said finally.

Heero almost smiled. Duo being defensive was always something to wonder at. He wasn't that way often. "Point is: I'm sorry. And sorry it took so long to contact you. I didn't know if you were still mad at me."

"You've done worse before, Heero. And it took significantly less than six years for me to get over it."

"I'm an insensitive dumbass. What else is new?"

"Not much. I heard Relena's getting married soon."

Heero did grin this time and Duo smiled back.

"Well," Duo said after a moment. "We both have to work in the morning, so... "

"Yes." Heero unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car. He rapped his knuckles on the hood before walking towards the hotel.

Duo watched his Heero swagger drunkenly into the hotel, disappearing into the lobby. Duo's face was intense and cloudy, his eyes brimming with a thousand nameless emotions.

Heero Yuy, back in his life. Six weeks was going to seem like an eternity.

For the next four hours, Heero dreamt of schooners and Lemon Drops and the feel of Duo's hand on his hip.

The next morning, Duo, yawning and bleary-eyed, moped into the office at Maxwell -N- Schbeiker Scrap. Duo noticed, for the hundredth time, that the 'S' light was out.

'Gotta get that fixed... tomorrow.'

Hilde smiled and silently handed him a cup of coffee.

"I heard Heero's back in town," Hilde said, barely disguising the humor in her voice.

"Yeah, thanks for the warning," Duo grumbled into his steamy brew. "Someone invented telephones for a reason, ya know."

"I wish I could've seen the look on your face."

"Well, it was enough for Bill to stand up."

Hilde laughed, spilling her coffee all over her newly organized paperwork. "You serious? Bill advanced on Yuy?"

"Not precisely. But I think, inside, Heero was laughing his head off." Duo sat down behind his desk and began reviewing his schedule. He had only three appointments today. Good. That meant he could relax a little before they showed.

"I told Heero that your customers don't... that they haven't put two and two together yet," Hilde informed him.

"No wonder he was on his best behavior."

"Did you get him drunk?"

"'Course I did."

"Why?"

"That's my job as a bartender, Hilde."

Hilde laughed again.

"I just wanted to see what kind of drunk he was," Duo said after a while.

"Well?"

"Quiet... he apologized."

"For?"

"Breaking my ribs, six years no word... "

"And?"

"What else would there be, Hilde? I don't have a fucking list, you know."

"Yes, you do."

Duo gave her a tired look. "He's still holding on to the Peacemillion thing."

"Well, of course he is."

Duo blinked her.

"Believe it or not, Duo, Heero has feelings too," Hilde said, "and it hurt them to know that neither you nor Relena believed in him in those days, whether you meant it or not. You two were the closest people to him. You can blame whatever you want for his distant behavior, but... "

"But that was seven YEARS ago, Hilde!"

"And how many years since Solo died?"

"That's different."

"How so?"

Duo gave her an incredulous look but she stared him down.

"It may be physically different," Hilde said, "but pain never goes away with time. You, of all people, should know that."

Duo was quiet for a moment. "Do you think he did it to prove me wrong?"

"I wouldn't flatter yourself," Hilde said with a smile. "Blowing up that battleship was to save the Earth, not to prove you wrong."

Duo laughed softly. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't serious."

Hilde looked ponderous. Duo hated it when she looked ponderous.

"It's a romantic notion, though," Hilde surmised.

Duo groaned. "Oh, Hilde, don't start... "

"Why is it so hard to believe... "

"Because it's Heero, Hilde, and you're insane."

"I know you like him."

"Sure, I like him. He was the only friend I had in the --"

"No, I mean --"

"I know what you meant."

"Duo --"

"Stop it, Hilde. I refuse to let you try to convince me, for the THOUSANDTH time, that I --"

"Fine!" Hilde waved her hands imperiously. "Be miserable. It's what you're best at."

"Oh, fuck off."

"What you resist persists... "

"Hilde!"

They argued back and forth until Duo's first appointment showed up at the yard.

Heero came to Schoonerville every night for the next week. He always showed at eight-thirty and sat in his seat at the corner bar. And every night, Heero watched as the rush came in and drank themselves stupid. He liked the atmosphere. The music wasn't too loud but it could be heard over the roaring din. It smelled of cigar smoke, grease, and beer. Everyone was merry and everyone loved Duo. After the crowd left and Duo shut the bar down, they would pile into his truck and Duo would take Heero back to his hotel.

Every night for a week.

On the eighth night, however, he didn't show at all.

Duo noticed and nearly panicked. But then he remembered Heero wouldn't be transferred for another five weeks and he went back to serving his customers their alcohol, wearing a brave smile he didn't feel.

On the ninth night, Heero again didn't show at eight-thirty. Duo couldn't bring himself to smile as the first bit of the rush flooded through the doors of Schoonerville.

A little after eleven the door chimed, but Duo couldn't see who had stumbled in through the mob of drunkards. The new arrival pushed his way through the crowd and finally Duo could make out chocolate locks pointing every which way.

Duo put down the schooner he was cleaning and wiped his hands on a nearby towel. His forehead creased with concern as more of Heero came into view and Duo realized he was limping.

"Edita!" Duo called, jumping over the bar and landing on the other side. A platinum blonde-haired woman looked up. She was a bartender from the same club Bill worked at. Today was her day off but Duo was calling in a favor. "Watch the bar for me!"

The woman nodded and nimbly climbed over the bar with her long, long legs. Duo pushed his way through and grabbed Heero's arm. Heero looked up, cobalt fire shimmering with pain and Duo yanked his hand away. His fingertips came back bloody.

"Shit!" Duo pushed someone hard and was finally able to slink an arm around Heero's waist. Heero sagged against Duo as he led him to the back room. Once inside, Duo sat Heero in a chair and closed the door. The noise was slightly muted now and Duo began tearing away bits of bloodied cloth from Heero's arm and abdomen.

"God damn it Heero," Duo muttered as he finally rid Heero of his jacket and shirt, seeing that he'd been shot twice: once in his arm and once in his shoulder. "They make hospitals for this kind of thing. Why did you come here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Heero ground out through clenched teeth.

"On an op?"

"Yeah."

"Why aren't the Preventers taking care of you?"

"One-agent op."

"Well, maybe it should have been a five-agent op. There's no reason for you to have come away with two bullet wounds."

"It was written for ten."

Duo couldn't help himself, he grinned. That's Heero Yuy for ya. "If you tell anyone about my stash, I'll kill you myself."

"Stash?"

Duo turned away and bent down to fish through a small fridge underneath a tarp. "You're Blood Type O, right?"

"Yeah... positive... "

Duo pulled out two bags. One was a bag of blood and the other was saline solution. He hooked them to the wall above Heero's head and pulled out two needles, still in the plastic wrap. Duo set them down and pulled out a few more utensils, clean towels, poured a bowl of warm water, plastic tubes, and finally washed his hands and pulled on two sterile gloves.

Heero was staring at him, bafflement evident in his pain-streaked eyes.

"Just in case," Duo murmured with a small smile.

"Still," Heero gritted. "That's one helluva First Aid Kit."

Duo laughed before ordering him to be quiet and to hold still. He put together the saline drip and made sure that blood was flowing back into Heero's body before he proceeded. Duo carefully cleaned the bullet wounds, sterilized them and pinched the vein that was still allowing it to bleed freely. He then set about the task of removing the bullets.

Heero hissed as the first one was removed, but on the second he didn't even budge. Then, Duo bandaged him up before cleaning up the mess in the back room.

"I'm going to call for an ambulance," Duo said, his hand the door.

Heero's good arm shot out and he clutched at Duo's shirt. "No! I HATE hospitals. I'm fine. Really."

"No, Heero," Duo said. "This isn't wartime --"

"They'll do no more than you've already done."

"Heero --"

"I've withstood worse."

"But the point is that you don't HAVE to anymore!"

"Please," Heero said softly, his eyes imploring.

Duo took a step back. Heero never begged.

"People talk at hospitals," Heero murmured. "There'll be reporters... "

"Oh." Duo squatted down so that he was eye level with Heero. He could understand that. Reporters were a real pain in the ass sometimes and being a hero didn't really help matters any. "You promise you'll let it heal?"

Heero nodded, his eyes tired and distant. "I'm sorry to be such a bother."

Duo smiled wryly. "I very much doubt that. I think shocking the hell out of me is a favorite pastime of yours, Heero."

Heero smiled back but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Stay awake," Duo instructed. "I'll be back. I'll close the bar early tonight."

"You don't have to do that for me."

"I know," Duo said before walking out.

Later, they sat in Duo's pickup, which was parked in the garage this time, and not outside in front of the lobby.

"Duo --"

"I'm not going to let you bleed to death --"

"I'm not going to bleed to death --"

"I swear to God, Heero, I'll take you to the hospital," Duo spat, his glare like daggers. "I dare you to continue fighting me on this one."

"I don't need you to baby sit me."

"I am moved to disagree."

"Stop talking like a politician."

"Stop acting like one."

"Fuck you, Duo."

"Fuck you."

"Why is it so damn important?"

"Because I am not going to let you die on my fucking watch, Heero!"

Heero was quiet for a moment. "Fine. Even though you're being dramatic again. What's the POA?"

Duo sighed, rubbing his temples. People talked in hotels too; and this particular hotel would be more likely to have reporters than any other he could think of. "We could pretend to be lovers or you could pretend to be drunk again."

"I'll be drunk," Heero said, without missing a beat. "They've seen me wasted before."

"All right."

Duo helped him out of the car and they walked to the elevator. They took it to the twenty-first floor where Heero was staying in the penthouse.

"Since when did the Preventers --"

"Relena wanted me to live the luxurious life of a hero."

Duo snorted. Heero sounded like he hated it.

They went inside and Duo whistled in low appreciation. "Nice digs, Heero."

"It's just a hotel room."

Duo helped him into the bed before taking off his jacket. He threw it on a nearby chair and looked back to see Heero struggling with his own jacket. "Here, let me help."

Gently, Duo helped Heero slide out of his jacket and shirt. Duo rummaged through his dresser drawers and found a pair of sweatpants and returned to help Heero out of his jeans and into the sweatpants. It didn't take long; Heero was nimble, even without the use of his right arm and he was blushing like a madman. Whether it was from the embarrassment of needing help with his clothes or something else, Duo didn't know.

Duo turned down the covers and Heero slipped gratefully beneath them. Heero watched silently as Duo went back to the dresser and fished out a pair of sweatpants for himself. Duo shamelessly changed into them and turned the light off. An instant later, Duo was in the bed next to him.

"I have a couch," Heero said.

"That's nice," Duo muttered, laying back into the pillows.

"I'm not going to bleed to death, Duo."

"That's what I'm here to make sure of. Sleep tight."

"Duo --"

Duo uttered an exasperated sigh and propped himself up so he could stare down at Heero, who was peering at him through the dark. "Look, Heero, if you're going to get weird, you can sleep on the damn couch. You're the one who came stumblin' into my bar with a couple of bullet-wounds today."

Heero scowled but didn't reply. He didn't know how to explain, or even if he should, how hard it was not to grab Duo by the neck and kiss him silly as he helped him out of his shirt. Or how just the heat rolling off his slender body next to him was driving him crazy. Or how it had been so long since he'd slept next to anybody at all.

The morning came swiftly and Heero woke to find Duo using his good arm as a makeshift pillow, one arm sprawled carelessly around his waist. Heero briefly wondered what the hell was wrong with all the pillows that this accursed bed contained.

Heero stared at the ceiling and listened to Duo breathe in his slumber. He didn't dare move, though he was certain that Duo would soon register that he was awake. And then the inevitable awkwardness would come.

Heero didn't know why he took the assignment. He just felt he needed an outlet and the jog every morning from his hotel back to his car at the bar really wasn't helping. He'd been distracted. That's why he got shot. He was successful, but Heero was disappointed in himself. He was careless and stupid and there was no reason for it.

Except there was a reason and it was currently wrapped around him in a sexy bundle of braided hair and sleeping violet eyes.

Heero sighed and Duo shifted, waking slowly. His arm around Heero's waist tightened, then loosened and then withdrew completely. Heero looked down, Duo was staring up at him.

"Sorry," Duo murmured. "I move around a lot in my sleep."

"I remember." Heero had spent many sleepless nights during the war listening to 02 move around in his bed.

"Let me check these," Duo said, moving over him to peek at his wrapped wounds. "They don't smell, so that's a good sign, and they've stopped bleeding."

Heero reached up and caught a stray lock of Duo's hair. He twirled in his fingers and wondered at the softness of it. Reds, browns, oranges and golds: Duo's hair looked like autumn leaves.

Duo had frozen and was staring down at Heero as he played with his hair. Heero looked up and thunder clapped in their ears as burning amethyst met swirling cobalt fire.

They stared at one another for what seemed like forever before Duo shifted and sat up. "I should go," was all he said before he gathered his clothes and fled out the door, his bare feet padding on the carpet.

Heero remained where he was and continued to stare at the ceiling. He shook and trembled and tried, desperately, to figure out exactly what just happened.

Duo turned the ignition and his old truck spurred to life. He stared at the wheel as if it would give him some answers.

'Not again,' Duo thought to himself. 'Not after six years of getting over him. I'm not doing this again.'

CHAPTER TWO

Heero continued to stare at the computer screen and couldn't decide if it felt like minutes were dragging into hours, or hours were squashed into minutes, or if there was even a difference. He was sitting in the office that had been provided for him when he came here to L2 and trying, invariably without success, to not think about Duo Maxwell.

He sighed and pushed away from his desk, picking up a file as his wheeled chair swiveled him to the other side of the office where the fax and copy machine were. He thumbed through the file and singled out a batch of papers concerning the latest man he'd just fired.

Heero had only fired two petty officers since coming up here to this accursed colony. The first he'd let go on a dishonorable discharge because he had mouthed off to him on the first day. Heero had little patience for snarky little bastards and felt that it would be pointless to have a brat swimming around either in this Unit or any other and, being as how Heero's job was to polish up all Units, he didn't bother transferring the little prick or demoting him to janitor or something. The second had a capacity for idiocy that was nearly awe-inspiring. Heero couldn't fathom how this guy had managed to graduate Basic Training. The moron had nearly shot himself in the foot at the firing range that very morning.

Heero rolled his eyes and faxed the information of his discharges to Lady Une with a little postscript that detailed a request to be sent to the Basic Training Units next. It was getting ridiculous.

A part of him understood the Preventers need for personnel because a large majority of the soldiers from the past wars were either sick of war, wounded, non-returning veterans, or too bent on killing someone to be let back into service; especially when said service was now a world/colony-wide peacekeeping militia. However, Heero also felt that that was no reason to let just anyone into the Preventer Unit. It wasn't the way he'd build a militia, anyway.

Heero frowned when he thought of how badly he'd wanted Winner, Barton, and Maxwell to help out, at least until the ball got rolling. Winner, however, had his multi-colonial conglomerate and Barton had his damn circus when he wasn't playing bodyguard to Winner. And Maxwell... well, Duo had his scrap yard and his damn bar. Duo had adamantly refused Noin's offer to head a few Units six years ago. Fucking adamantly refused. Wouldn't give his reasons, just took off.

Heero couldn't wrap his head around it. Duo was one of the best pilots in the history of mankind; even Heero had to grudgingly admit it. He was honest, direct, and people loved him. He could deny it until he was blue in the face, but Duo was so charismatic that he could even politick without much difficulty if he wanted to, which was way more than Heero could say for himself.

And people just love aristocratic heroes. They eat them up like sugared candies.

But Duo would have nothing of it. He wouldn't show for any of Winner's parties, (even Heero did that), or for Relena's annual conferences or balls or anything.

It seemed like Duo wouldn't have any part in maintaining the peace that he'd fought so hard to attain at all, and it stunk of hypocrisy to Heero. The only show of upholding the friendships that were forged during the war were irregular e-mails to Winner, Barton, and Chang and even those were only around holidays.

Still... if his assessments of Duo now were true, why did he have bags of blood in all five of their blood types stacked in a fridge in the office of his bar? Why was his 'First Aid Kit' so extensive? Why was his bar located in the worst neighborhood on L2?

Heero shook his head and again tried not to think of Duo Maxwell. Or how his hair felt between his fingers. Or how nice it felt to have his weight on top of him. Or why the reason he was in such a black mood was because, for the past four days, Heero couldn't grow the balls to go back to the bar to see him.

His computer beeped and Heero swiveled back to it, just in time to see Trowa's face on the vidphone.

Heero's dark brows shot sky-high. "Hello, Barton," he said a bit uneasily.

Trowa favored him with a curt nod. "Yuy."

"Oh, come now," came a voice from somewhere behind Trowa; a voice that was unmistakably Quatre's. "It's been what? Seven, no, eight years since we all first met. Surely we're past the last name bit by now."

Heero caught Trowa's mouth curve in a secret smile and he answered with a grin of his own.

"So, how is it so far?" Trowa inquired.

Heero frowned. "With what?"

"With Duo."

Heero scowled. "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

Trowa muttered a curse and glared into the vidphone. "What did he say?"

Heero cracked his neck and winced at the sharp pain that interrupted the continual ache of his arm and shoulder. He was nearly healed... but just nearly. "Nothing, Trowa. It's just a bit awkward."

Trowa blinked. "What is?"

"Us," Heero muttered. "How there might've been an us once, if I hadn't been so hardheaded or bent on either killing or rescuing Relena; and how he's completely over it."

"Do you guys argue?" Trowa was peering at him through the vidphone, his eyes a brilliant shade of green like a curious cat.

It was Heero's turn to blink. What an odd question. "Of course," he said.

"Then he's not completely over it," Trowa replied, and if Heero didn't know better he would have said Trowa looked awfully smug, like he knew something Heero didn't.

"I don't like being up here and being distracted," Heero murmured. "Maybe I should ask Chang to come here and finish this operation --"

"No!" Trowa said it almost too quickly and vehemently. Heero narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm not really up here for the Unit, am I?" Suspicion was starting to grow quickly inside him and he just knew that he'd been set up.

"Well done, Trowa," Quatre said as he pushed his lover out of the way. "Listen, Heero, it has come to our explicit attention that Duo's absence may or may not be due to the still-growing and ever-so-evident friction between the two of you. Personally, I don't care what needs to be done to put an end to this odd behavior Duo has been showing for the past six years or so, but it needs to be done quickly. We both know that a certain female will have our hides if Duo is not at her wedding in two months. It would be taken as a personal insult, and, even though I can't say if this is what Relena would actually think; I do know that the tabloids would have a field day and Allah knows what they'll make up if he doesn't show."

Heero was trembling with anger by the time Quatre had finished his little speech. "So, what am I? Relena's little reconnaissance spy? This is bullshit, Quatre."

"You know I'd be up there in a second if I thought Duo would even consider opening up to me," Quatre said pleasantly. "However, you were always the one he trusted, Heero. Even when you let each other down, you two were always really close."

Heero sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"So, all we're asking, on the Sanq Kingdom's behalf, is for you to get back inside his circle and find out why he's been so distant."

"I can't guarantee that he'll go to her fucking wedding, Quatre."

Quatre smiled but Heero didn't see it because his eyes were still closed. "Yes, I think you can."

Heero opened his eyes but Quatre had already cut the feed and Heero was now staring at his reflection in the blackness of the computer screen.

A knock sounded at his door.

"Come in."

A uniform poked his head and saluted. "A visitor for you, sir."

"What?"

The uniform toed the door open a little so Heero could see over the maze of desks to the other side of the room. There, looking oddly at home with himself and chatting away amiably with a Preventer like they were old friends, was Duo Maxwell.

Nearly ten minutes later, Duo and Heero were sitting across from one another in a cafe down the street from the Unit.

Hilde had been reaming Duo for not trying to make amends with Heero the past few days and frankly, his rattled nerves had won out, leaving him no choice but to go to the accursed Preventer Unit -- where they greeted him like the Prodigal Son -- and ask Heero to lunch.

If nothing else, the look on Heero's face had been priceless.

"So," Duo said after the long, awkward silence that followed ordering their food. "How's your arm?"

"Better."

"That's good." Duo was, for once, at a loss for something to say that would start a conversation that wouldn't be awkward or flaky.

Heero took a sip of his water. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Leave it to Heero to get right down to it.

"Nah," Duo said. "I shouldn't've gotten spooked."

"You get spooked often?"

Duo started laughing like it was funniest damn thing he'd ever heard. Duo had this annoying habit of laughing at Heero, especially when Heero felt he'd missed the punch line somewhere.

Apparently, old habits die hard.

Duo finally finished his bout of hysteria and wiped a tear from his eye. "I swear, Heero. You should see your face sometimes."

Heero just glared and Duo started laughing again.

"What is it, exactly, that is so damn funny about my face?"

Duo was trying to suppress another wave of laughter and had to take a swig of his soda before he could answer. "Not your face, your facial expressions, Heero. They're hilarious sometimes; especially when you're trying to stay serious but something's got you really baffled."

Heero grunted but didn't say anything as he reached for his water and took a sip.

Their food arrived and they detoured from their conversation to eat their meal. Duo wolfed his down within minutes; he'd always had a ravenous appetite. Heero, however, decided he liked to actually taste his food before it went into his stomach and took his time.

Duo watched Heero eat his deli sandwich and wondered if his teeth were as sharp as they looked.

Did he get spooked often? Hell no; at least, not until recently. Duo was pretty damn certain it hadn't begun until Heero had waltzed into his bar two weeks ago.

It was so freaking hard to hate the guy; especially when he was sitting there chewing thoughtfully on a bit of turkey, wheat bread, and tomato, his hair crazy and pointed in all sorts of directions like it always had been, looking like he combed it with a sock every morning. The collar of his shirt was open and one could just barely make out the lining of the bandages underneath. His skin was still that glowing, golden color and his eyes the same cobalt blue that made Duo weak at the knees every time Heero looked straight at him. Those eyes were what spooked him the most. Duo could drown in them and the facade he'd built for himself here on L2 that he was happy and okay would shatter like glass.

Duo couldn't have that. He couldn't. The last thing he needed was for somebody to start feeling sorry for him. Duo Maxwell never took kindly to sympathy and he wasn't about to start now. All anyone needed to know was that he was back on L2, gettin' by all right and he wanted to be left the fuck alone. Apparently that last message hadn't been too clear.

Heero looked up at Duo when he'd finished his sandwich and the look in those blue eyes went straight to Duo's groin. Duo sighed and closed his eyes, willing the heat spreading through his legs to stop.

It'll never happen. Never, never, never.

"What?" Heero demanded and Duo wanted to laugh again; this time, for an entirely different, exasperated reason.

Duo didn't answer because he knew anything besides the honest truth would taste too much like a lie. "It's Tuesday," he said instead.

Heero nodded. "Your night off."

"Yeah," Duo said and smiled cheerfully. "You wanna do something tonight?"

"What do you usually do on Tuesday nights?"

"You want to find out?" Duo leaned forward and smiled. His voice was unusually husky and his smile wasn't exactly kind. A chill ran down Heero's spine. "Meet me here at eight."

"Mission accepted," Heero said under his breath as he watched Duo get up and leave. If he wanted to be mysterious then so be it. Heero trusted him. Even though he sometimes wondered why.

"You're not taking him there, are you?" Hilde breathed, excitement and anxiety swimming in her dark eyes.

Duo had just returned from his lunch with Heero and Hilde was already jumping on his back again. He didn't know why she was all of a sudden so freaking interested in what he did or didn't do. However, since Heero had shown back up Hilde had been pounding him for the details of every excursion and it felt like scratching an open wound. He wondered when they'd go back to respecting one another's privacy.

"Yeah, I am," Duo replied tiredly. "I think I've figured out a way to get him on Bill's good side. Now get off my back, will ya?"

Hilde frowned, looking hurt. "Fine. Did you two talk about the other night?"

"Not really."

"You two do that a lot, don't you?"

"What?"

"Talk about surfacy shit like a bunch of fucking cowards." She was glaring at him now.

"Fuck off, Hilde. I fucking mean it."

Hilde was quiet and Duo muttered an apology.

"You need to stop being such a grouch," Hilde said softly.

"Yeah," Duo agreed. "I do."

A colony's simulation of night-time is... interesting. It's a grayish-blackness that descends over the small towns and villages that make up the colony's interior. However, without a moon or stars to light the night 'sky', the street lamps reflecting light off of the gray slate walls of the colony cast a pallid not-quite-black, not-quite-gray color over anything and everything that is not drenched in shadows. It's like there's a thin coat of oil over everything that has a solid mass. Duo once told Heero it was perfect for street lynching. Whatever the hell that meant.

Heero waited under a street lamp outside the cafe they had eaten at earlier, the streets packed with people shopping, taking tours, or doing whatever colonists do in the late evening hours. Heero's eyes skimmed the crowd for Duo and wondered, briefly, what the braided man had in store for him that night.

"Early, as usual," a voice said in his ear. Heero turned and saw Duo gazing back at him with laughing eyes.

"Late, as usual," Heero replied, not trusting himself to smile back.

Duo did the once over on Heero's clothes and nodded approvingly. "It'll do. C'mon."

"Oh, fuck you, Duo." Heero had spent nearly two hours in front of his closet, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to wear. He had finally settled for baggy jeans, a white tank, and a white button-down, and hoped for the best. If he was going to look like the odd man out all night he was sure as hell going to march straight back to his hotel room and change.

Duo turned back, startled, and waited for Heero to catch up with him. "What the hell are you worried about, Yuy? You'd look hot in anything."

Heero gaped at him and Duo felt his cheeks redden. "What?" Duo demanded.

"I don't think I've ever heard you compliment me," Heero said after a full minute and a half.

Duo was quiet for a moment, some nameless emotion swimming behind his violet eyes that Heero couldn't identify. "Well, if you're gonna get all mushy when I do, I won't make a habit of it. Let's go."

Heero obligingly followed the black-clad Duo Maxwell, hiding his smile as they walked. They went down less-than-becoming alleyways and through barely-lit neighborhoods, their pace even and unrushed. They turned a corner and, recognizing the street they were on, Heero stopped, dead in his tracks.

He'd been avoiding this neighborhood since he flew up here.

"Why did you bring me by here, Duo?" Heero whispered hoarsely, staring at the burned buildings that L2 hadn't coughed up enough money to repair yet. Three hundred yards away from the charred buildings was a block of buildings that had been blown apart during the war. It used to be an OZ base, once upon a time.

"Because it's a shortcut," Duo said, uncomprehending what had just paralyzed the former pilot of Wing Zero.

"This is where I killed her," Heero said, his eyes glazing over. "This is where I killed her and her dog."

Realization dawned on Duo and he quickly wrapped an arm around Heero's waist as he began swaying on his feet. Duo grabbed Heero's arm and flung it around his shoulders and promptly led them away from the site. "Shit, Heero, you never told me it was L2 where that happened."

"I didn't?"

"No, Heero, you didn't."

They walked a little further and once the old OZ base and the crushed and charred buildings beside it were out of sight, Duo stopped and sat himself and Heero on the curb.

"That's why I don't like coming up here," Heero said, finally sounding like himself again.

"Oh," Duo said. "I thought... "

"You thought it was because of you," Heero finished for him. "What else do you give yourself credit for?"

Duo flinched as if Heero had slapped him, knowing if he had it wouldn't have stung nearly as bad. "That's not fair, Heero."

"Maybe not," Heero said coldly, "but what is?"

Duo scowled. "Heero, I swear, if you're still hung up about the Peacemillion thing --"

"It's never been about the Peacemillion thing, Duo!" Heero was nearly shouting at him now. "Goddamnit!"

"Then what the hell is it about?" Duo's voice was distant, quiet, and low.

"It's about you obviously not wanting to be found or talked to and nobody knows the fuck why. That's why I brought up the 'Peacemillion thing'. I'm trying to figure out why you abandoned all your friends and tried to disappear in this fucking wretched, stinking, good-for-nothing colony!"

"Wretched, stinking, good-for-nothing... " Duo repeated, staring coldly at Heero. "Maybe because that's what I am, Heero. Maybe this colony, this 'wretched, stinking, good-for-nothing' colony, is what I've called home since the day my 'wretched, stinking, good-for-nothing' whore of a mother brought me into existence. Maybe because I fucking fought for this 'wretched, stinking, good-for-nothing' colony and it never seemed like a bad idea to come and live a normal life here, 'wretched, stinking, and good-for-nothing' though it may be!"

"Duo, I didn't mean --"

"I know what you people say about me. I heard all the whispers at that fucking ceremony that Relena threw to globally recognize us as heroes. Great lot of fucking good that did me; with this fucking hair, I'd never be able to even do reconnaissance work for the Preventers. I'd be recognized everywhere. That's what they all thought I wanted: fucking recognition. Even Quatre made some snide little comment about how he never thought I'd take fame so badly. I had no title, no money, I'd probably live off the Preventers until the day I died... they said I was a leech. I hear everything, Heero. You know that."

"I'm sure Quatre didn't mean it."

Duo sighed, his anger suddenly spent. "Oh, well, yeah, I know. It just stung, you know?"

Heero nodded. He understood. A little.

"These people," Heero said slowly. "Who said things... they were politicians?"

"Every fucking one of them."

"Why would you take them seriously, then?"

"'Cause maybe they brought up points that I've thought about too," Duo murmured after a moment. It was incredibly difficult to see him in the dark; everything he wore was black. "And I refuse to be a Preventer-leech. I refuse to live off of Relena and Une and Zechs and all their goons just 'cause I can't make a livin' the normal way."

Heero didn't take offense. He'd never thought of himself as a leech and he earned his wages. This was Duo's demon, not his.

"And there's nothin' wrong with bein' normal, Heero. And it's all I've ever wanted."

"Is it?"

Duo gave him a look that told him there was something more, but he wasn't ready to share it yet.

"And there's nothin' wrong with these people," Duo said, gazing steadily at Heero while sweeping his arm around to include all of L2's population. "People are people, no matter how much money you've got."

Heero looked away, thinking about the kind, jovial people at Duo's bar; no matter how menacing they looked, they loved Duo and treated him like family. He was beginning to understand why Duo stubbornly remained an L2 colonist even though he could be so much more. He could relax here. It was his home. Heero had never had a home.

"It's what I wanted to show you tonight," Duo said softly. "I wanted to show you the other side of the ghetto. The side where no one gets left behind, the side where if you're in, you're family and you'll be protected, the side that watches your back and you can still have secrets, the side where you don't have to be understood to be understood."

Duo rose to his feet and Heero stood with him. "And maybe you'll understand why I decline every time you guys ask me to walk away from it. Maybe you'll get that what you guys offer me doesn't come close."

Heero swallowed, trying not to acknowledge the cold rock of despair that settled in the pit of his stomach and followed Duo down the street.

Finally, nearly an hour later, Heero recognized the street they turned onto. There, a block and a half away was Schoonerville, the painted doors glinting in the streetlight. Four blocks later, Duo walked up to a huge, bald headed man with one eye missing who was guarding the door to a club and smiled dazzlingly at him. The man immediately opened the rope guarding the passageway and Duo sauntered in. Heero paused and finally went up to the man as he was putting the rope back in its place. The man glared at Heero and he, surprised by the look, glared back. Duo reappeared and the man unfastened the rope again. Duo grabbed Heero by his shirt-collar and dragged him in, muttering, "He's with me," and grinning at the thug by the door.

There was a long hallway, the black-papered walls already thrumming with the bass of the music coming from inside the club as they walked down it. Duo looked back and flashed Heero a smile before turning a corner and then they were in the club.

Bodies were everywhere. Bodies were dancing, at the bar, on couches, grinding into each other as they made out. Women were dancing with other women as well as the men. Men were dancing with other men as well as women. It seemed like everyone was kissing, making out, or taking a shot of something if they weren't on the dance floor. Heero guessed that's why Duo headed for the bar.

Edita, the platinum blond Heero had seen at Schoonerville a time or two, smiled pleasantly from behind the bar. Duo turned back to Heero and grinned. "Jaeger Bomb?"

Heero grinned back. "Hell yeah." He may be completely out of his element here in this bar, but he was sure he'd forget after four or five of those sweet-tasting 'Bomb' things.

After slamming the fifth one, Duo grabbed Heero's elbow and leaned in close. "Dance with me," he whispered in Heero's ear.

Duo didn't give Heero the chance to play with the notion that Duo might be trying to seduce him because Duo tossed his braid over one shoulder, turned on his heel, and made for the dance floor. There was cheering and the deejay nodded to Duo as he made eye contact with him, quickly changing the music at Duo's behest. The music had switched to a dangerous rhythm, electric guitar screeching between the beats, a man's raspy voice singing almost beneath the music. Duo stopped in the middle of the dance floor where the other dancers had given him a wide berth. He waved at Heero, who was standing frozen by the bar.

"Well, c'mon," Duo called, the laughter behind his voice giving it a soft little lilt. "What are you waiting for?"

Heero glared. However, he could feel the corners of his mouth pull upwards into a small smile. Dancing. Well, if Duo had thought to embarrass him tonight he was going to be sorely mistaken. Heero was an extremely fast learner.

"Mission accepted," Heero said under his breath for the second time that day as he moved out onto the dance floor to face Duo and his laughing violet eyes.

Suddenly the music was louder, heavier and more dangerous. Heero thought of how perfect it sounded for what always lay between them. Then Duo began to move.

Some cultures call it break dancing. Whatever L2 called it, Heero watched carefully in the full four seconds he had before Duo extended his hand and turned the girl that accepted it towards Heero. Years of waltzing lessons and dancing aristocrats across marbled floors allowed Heero to catch her hand gracefully and dust her into a lovely, fast-paced pirouette before moving her onto his back, where she turned and slid off without missing a beat. Shouts and cat-calls erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Heero favored Duo with his best look of defiance, daring him to throw something else at him. And boy did he ever.

Duo knew Heero's strength was ballroom dancing, so they switched and mingled both their styles, tossing one another partners as gracefully as the quick beat would allow. Duo would dance a sequence and Heero would answer it faster and more gracefully, implementing what he knew, and Duo would answer again with something else. At one point, the dancers surrounding them jumped in and helped form synchronistic armies on either side of the dance floor. Heero was surprised at how many had sided with him and, even more shocking, was that they had picked up his style of movement almost perfectly. The dancers on Duo's side looked like they'd been doing this with Duo forever and were perfectly in sync. Before Heero knew what had happened, he realized he was having fun.

Suddenly, their 'armies' melted away and it was just the two of them again. Duo grabbed the back of Heero's neck, pulling himself up against Heero's body and quickly educated Heero in an altogether different style of dancing before pushing him away. Heero grabbed his arm, turning him back, and dropping into a kendo fighting style crouch before sliding between Duo's legs, quickly coming to his feet and somersaulting back over Duo to land in front of him; his snarkiest grin at the ready. Duo was laughing so hard he nearly missed a beat; however, his arm came around and Heero immediately recognized the movement from Duo's first bit of break dancing. Heero mirrored his every movement, which brought more roaring from the crowd; polar opposites until it was finished and the song finally came to an end.

The cheering was thunderous and Duo was still laughing. Hands, coming from a million different directions, clapped Heero on his shoulders as he and Duo made their way back to the bar. Duo flung an arm around Heero's shoulders and nearly kissed him. Too quickly, however, Duo came down from his euphoric state and thought better of it. Duo had never been so proud of Heero in the entire eight years he'd known him. Duo didn't think Heero got how important it was to him that he was accepted into the crowd Duo ran with, but he'd sure as hell risen to the occasion. The locals had sent kids his way before and they had the usual 'challenge', whether it was dancing, arm wrestling, a grapple, or beer slamming; but no one had been quite as competent as Heero had tonight. Duo had chosen dancing because that would've been hardest for Heero. And there was no way in hell he was going to challenge Heero to an arm wrestle. He liked his arm right where it was, thank you very much.

Duo shook his head, wondering why he'd doubted. Of course Heero'd be good at it. He was a Gundam pilot. He'd be good at anything.

They finally reached the bar and were stopped by a grumpy-looking Bill; which wasn't altogether odd. Bill always looked grumpy.

Duo held his breath and watched as Heero and Bill glared at one another. Heero didn't feel threatened nor did he look it, but this guy wasn't backing off either. Duo knew that Heero could kill Bill in about three and a half seconds if he wanted to, but wasn't too concerned about it. He'd kill Heero before he'd ever lay a finger on Bill. Some loyalties ran that deep. But if there was a moment where Heero was either going to be accepted or not accepted, that moment was right now. Everything was overseen by Bill. That supervision was why the neighborhood, for the most part, was quiet and peaceful. It had been a real shit-hole; the one Duo'd grown up in before Bill struck a deal with the local law enforcement (not meaning the Preventers). He kept everyone in order as long as they stayed the fuck out. If something happened, the cops were notified immediately. It had worked really well for years. Cops didn't bug anybody and nobody got burned out of their own home; that sort of thing.

The Preventers were Duo's responsibility. He kept them involved in rebuilding homes and financing certain orphanages and shelters. Duo also gave the Preventers little tidbits of information here and there on who was running what and where. It kept the Preventers from having to risk their own to get intel and it kept the neighborhood happy. They were all still poor as fuck, but they worked together to make sure everyone was fed, happy and safe.

So, if Heero wasn't in, Duo was going to have one hell of a time explaining to Bill that he was a Preventer and needed to be okayed safe passage and the like.

But finally, Bill smiled. At least it was his version of a smile, which turned out to be more like a grimace and clapped Heero on the shoulder like a brother. "You're okay, kid," Bill said and Duo had to give Heero credit for not flinching at being referred to as a 'kid'. "And if Duo trusts you, you're okay with me."

Heero nodded solemnly and watched Bill walk away. He turned to look at Duo, who was grinning like a maniac.

"Congratulations, Heero," Duo said, so softly he almost couldn't hear him over the music. "You're in."

Heero smiled, but still wasn't sure what that meant.

Duo moved close to Heero, so close their noses were almost touching so Heero could hear him over the thrum of the music. Duo looked up into Heero's eyes. "No matter where you go, or how long you're gone, you'll always have a home here. You'll be cared about and looked after and respected. Until the day you die, Heero. Without exception. What was mine is now also yours. Can you say that about your precious Relena and her fucking Preventer Unit?"

Not precisely, but Heero didn't say anything. He was concentrating on breathing. Duo this close, saying he'd earned a home with a dance, that he'd never be judged here... it was too much to take in. Heero's head swam and suddenly, Duo was walking away from him, towards the bar. He ordered them two cold beers and Heero sat next to him.

Just then, a shriek of pure delight sounded not three feet from them. "Heero!! I just heard!" And said shriek was the only warning before the bear-hug Hilde attacked him with nearly knocked him off the barstool.

"Hello, Hilde," Heero managed when she finally released him and switched over to Duo. Hilde, apparently, was already drunk.

While Hilde was off trying to get Edita's attention, Duo turned back to Heero and quickly explained the system they all operated by and what Bill was to all of them.

"So," Heero said slowly. "You're like a gang?"

Duo let out a startled laugh. "Nah. If you must call us anything, just call us the Family. We all just look out for one another, you know? And Bill and I work with the cops and the Preventers to keep the streets clean."

"So that's why you're familiar with the men at my Unit."

"Yeah," Duo said, laughing violet orbs flashing silver. "Heard you fired Brunich. Man, that guy was as dumb as a rock."

"Sure was. Nearly shot himself in the foot."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Does Bill know you used to be a Gundam pilot?"

Duo was quiet for a moment, staring at his beer. "He should. He's the one who introduced me to G after Solo died."

Heero blinked, all at once confused again. "I thought you were caught as a stowaway on a Sweeper ship."

Duo smiled ruefully. "Guess whose ship it was?"

"Bill's?"

"Aren't you clever."

Duo turned and looked at Heero. "If there's anyone who feels shittier about Solo dying, it's Bill. He was off-colony, working as a Sweeper to make money for Solo and his gang when he passed. Bill is Solo's brother."

That information hit Heero like a sledgehammer. "Why didn't G train Bill?"

Duo's eyes misted over. "G wanted someone young and angry, someone with 'VENDETTA' written in black letters across his forehead. Someone like me."

"Does he know what I am?"

"Not yet," Duo said lazily, stretching like a cat. "I'll tell him later."

Duo turned and stared hard at Heero, an intensity fired up in him that was nearly blinding. "I brought you here so you can see what we're doing for this colony since your ESUN obviously doesn't give a fuck --"

"I really wish you would stop talking like that. You sound like you're organizing a coup when you do."

"Fine. So, see? No drugs, no guns, clean streets. We have an operation that works now, Heero. Sure, we could use more money, since the miners aren't bringing in shit anymore, but, for the most part, we're gettin' by okay. Don't fuck it up at the Preventer Unit."

And then it hit him. Heero finally realized why he was brought here. Duo wasn't interested in their friendship; all he cared about was this damn colony and his deal with the Preventers. Well, goddamn.

Duo saw something shift in Heero's face and instantly felt bad. He reached out a hand, brushing his fingertips against Heero's forearm. "I always knew you weren't made of stone," Duo said softly. "I always knew you could roll with the best of 'em. That's what I meant when I said you were human."

Heero blinked. Then, slowly, he smiled. It was an innocent smile. A shy thing Duo wanted to devour. Instead, Duo grabbed his hand and led him back to the dance floor.

Duo's heart stopped when Heero grabbed his shirt and pulled their bodies together, mimicking the style of dancing that nearly made Heero asphyxiate minutes ago during their previous dance. Heero's hand snaked behind Duo to rest at the small of his back; Duo sighed and pressed his forehead against the curve of Heero's neck as their hips ground together.

Suddenly, two shots rang in the air and someone screamed. Heero was gone in a flash, running towards the sound, Duo tailing after him, shouting for him to stop.

Heero grabbed one of the assailants as Duo grabbed the other one. Heero put both hands on the man's head and prepared to snap his neck when the music stopped and he could finally hear Duo's shriek.

"HEERO! STOP!"

"What?"

"They're Rabbits! Kids, Heero!"

Heero looked down at the person squirming in his grasp and ripped off the bandanna that shrouded his features. Duo was right. It was a child, no older than thirteen. Heero stood there, eyes wide, mouth gaping and thought about how he'd almost killed another child on colony L2. Bill came over and relieved Heero of the child while Hilde did the same for Duo, beckoning with a snap of her neck that the shell-shocked Heero needed tending to.

Duo was by Heero's side in two long strides, wrapping him in a huge hug, whispering into his hair until Heero's rigid spine relaxed and he buried his face into Duo's shoulder.

Minutes later, Heero was collected and they were sitting at the bar, watching as the cops and the few agents the Preventers sent over asked everyone questions and wrote down what they said.

Duo informed Heero that when he was a Rabbit, his ears would've just been boxed and sent on his way. But now they had to call in the local law enforcement, put the fear of God in those kids and have them sit in a cell overnight until a parent or guardian came to collect them. If neither showed in two days, they'd be sent to the nearest orphanage.

Heero turned to look blankly at his violet-eyed comrade. "And what, exactly, is a Rabbit?"

"Kids trained by Keepers. Rabbits are kept-thieves, Heero."

Heero remembered Duo mentioning this once before but was struggling to remember its details. Duo must have sensed this because he continued. "Kids are sold to Keepers. Keepers have three options. They can either train their kid as a Tricky which is a prostitute or callboy; a Shadow, which is an assassin; or, a Rabbit."

"And you used to be a Rabbit?"

"I used to be all three," Duo said with a grim smile. "But my Keeper was killed in my third Phase and I was sent to Maxwell Church."

"Why did the kids come in here? With beebee guns?"

Duo grinned. "It's just a test. It's no big deal, really. It's just to show your Keeper that you've got balls."

"Oh."

A Preventer came over and began speaking to Heero. Duo watched Bill watch them and inwardly flinched when the Preventer saluted him. Great.

Bill stormed over and asked outright. "So what does it mean when a Lieutenant Preventer salutes you?"

"That you outrank them," Heero replied coolly.

"Don't mouth off to me, boy. There's more at stake than your damn pride and I'll --"

"Bill!" Duo rarely shouted at Bill, but he was getting nervous with the tired, annoyed way Heero was looking at him. "You wouldn't be able to do nothin' to Heero. He'd kill you faster 'n I could."

Bill just kind of gaped at Duo as he said, "He used to pilot the Wing Zero."

Bill blinked and looked at Heero who tiredly stared back. "He won't do nothin' stupid?"

"Not on my watch. He's loyal, too."

Bill paused, smiled, and then laughed this big, hearty laugh. "Well, well. I've got two flyboys under my wing now, eh? I'd wondered... you're a fast little devil."

And now Bill respected him. Good.

"Well, that's settled," Duo said, hopping off his barstool. "And my buzz is officially shot to hell. Ready to go?"

Heero nodded and followed him out. He'd lost track of time, but he knew it must be in the early hours of the morning.

Duo started back the way they came and called over his shoulder for Heero to hurry the hell up. Heero picked up a small rock and chucked it at the back of Duo's head.

"Ow, fucker!" Duo picked up a handful of his own rocks and flung them at Heero. He laughed as he easily avoided them and with three strides he was walking next to Duo.

"Where're we headed?"

"Well, my house is on Simside and you're all the way back towards Neverne--"

"Which one is closer?"

"Simside is two blocks from here."

"Then let's go to your house."

"Heero... "

"You said I'd always have a home here."

Duo grinned. "And you're unsatisfied with your Penthouse?"

"Yes."

Duo made a show sighing and rolling his eyes and doing this huge 'woe is me' gesture. "All right. I've got a spare room. You should be comfortable."

Heero smiled a sleepy little smile and followed Duo to Simside where Duo's modest townhouse sat on a corner street. Duo fumbled with the keys for a minute before finally opening the door to a lovable golden retriever who licked Heero's hand happily. "Meet Bob."

"Bob?" Heero looked up to see a pair of tired, heavy-lidded eyes gazing back at him, daring him to make fun of his dog. "Why would you name a dog Bob?"

"Why would you name a person Heero?"

Heero grinned and looked around. Duo's place was surprisingly tidy. Heero figured he wasn't here enough to mess it up.

"Where am I sleeping?"

Duo stopped himself from saying something completely off the wall and said instead, "This way."

Duo showed him a room on the second floor that had a queen-sized bed with sheets and comforter, a dresser, and a closet.

"Bathroom's down the hall," Duo said, pointing. "My bedroom's just past it."

Heero nodded but didn't say anything. He couldn't trust himself to speak, remembering the feel of Duo against him as they danced, the feel of his hair between his fingers, the terrible awkwardness the last time they woke up next to one another.

But Duo seemed like he was waiting for him to say something. After a minute, though, he simply shrugged. "Goodnight, Heero," he said before walking down the hall and disappearing into his own bedroom.

"Goodnight, Duo."

CHAPTER THREE

Duo woke to the sound of the garbage truck towing away his trash at 5 am the next morning. He stared at his clock for a good five minutes and wondered, for the love of Christ, how the hell he was going to sustain himself on three lousy hours of sleep.

Grumbling, he pulled himself out of bed and headed for the shower. He stopped, mid-stride, outside the bathroom door, and listened to the all-too-familiar sound of Heero's soft snoring. Smiling a little, Duo opened the bathroom door, stepped inside, and locked it behind him.

Duo turned on the shower head and, while he waited for the water to get hot, divested himself of the boxers and tee he'd worn to bed the night before. Yawning, Duo stepped into the shower.

For minutes unaccounted for, Duo simply stood there as hot water poured on his head and slid down his body. Slowly, he reached for the end of his braid and took off the band. Usually, he did that before he got in the shower. Today, he was too tired to remember and had a bitch of a time unraveling his sodden hair so he could shampoo it. Duo began humming to himself as he shampooed, rinsed and shampooed his hair again. It was a daily ritual and the favorite part of his day.

Suddenly, Duo realized his little tune was a song Heero had taught him when he was topside and not too interested in being an asshole like his life depended on it during the wars. Heero had taught him the song in Japanese and he didn't remember the words, but the tune, like many other little secret quirks Heero possessed when nobody was looking, was not so easily forgotten.

Duo hummed it a little higher as he ran conditioner through his absurdly long hair and rinsed it out. Duo thought about Heero's other little 'quirks'. He thought about how Heero's favorite ice cream was vanilla because then he could make it whatever flavor he was in the mood for with syrup. He thought about how Heero had explained that the reason why he'd worn those big, ugly, yellow sneakers was because they were the only ones he could find in his size. And when Duo inquired of Heero if he checked the adult sizes for a less putrid color, he said no. Heero was convinced he should shop in the kid's department because he still looked too much like a kid to be shopping in adult sizes and that it might endanger the mission if he was noticed while buying a pair of freaking shoes.

Duo grinned and thought about how Heero made the best tuna patties in the world and how cracking his knuckles were one of -- no, the only -- nervous habit he had. Duo thought of how much pride Heero had in the fact that he could burp the alphabet when he was in one of his silly moods, which wasn't very often and required excessive amounts of beer. Duo thought of how Heero loved the shape of trees and that his favorite type was the Weeping Willow. He thought of every joke Heero ever made, straight-faced as marble, and how trying to get him to laugh used be like squeezing blood out of stone.

Duo thought about his hands flying over the keyboard of his computer and how vile his language could be if he misspelled a code. Duo closed his eyes and thought of how gentle those powerful hands could be, whisper-soft and animate, when they strayed in unintentional touches to his elbow or shoulder as he moved past him. Duo thought of the strength between his shoulder blades and the lovely dip of his lower back. Duo opened his eyes and realized he was gripping his rigid cock with one hand, working it from base to tip. Duo had lost count of how many times he'd done this in Heero's name and closed his eyes again, bowing his head and biting his lip. Duo thought of how perfectly packed every muscle was in Heero's lithe form, and worked himself harder. Duo thought of the slender curve of Heero's neck and the perfect loop of his earlobe. He thought of the line of Heero's jaw and the obstinate jut of his proud cheeks and nose. He thought of Heero's dark eyebrows and the black, long, curling lashes that framed the most gorgeous blue eyes Duo had ever seen. A blue so perfect, it's like being underwater when he looked into them. A person could drown in the Poseidon's fury of them or be set afloat on their hard surface or freeze a thousand winters in the arctic... frozen blue of them...

Duo stiffened and bit back a cry as he climaxed, scratching his nails on the hard surface of the bathroom tile. He watched, panting, as his semen swirled down the drain before picking up a bar of soap and working up some lather. Heero was doing that thing to him again... that thing that happened to him during the wars... .that thing where he couldn't stop thinking about him.

Duo wondered if he was going to go stark raving mad before Heero left for Earth again. It sure as hell felt like it.

Heero padded groggily down the stairs where Duo already sat, sipping at a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. Duo looked up and grinned. Heero always looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, but it's something altogether funnier when Heero actually did happen to just roll out of bed.

"Morning." Duo handed Heero a cup of coffee, which he accepted gratefully and sat down at the table.

"What time is it?"

"Six."

"In the morning?"

Duo spared him a despairing look and rolled his eyes over the rim of his cup as he took another sip of the steamy brew. "I went out and bought you a toothbrush and a pair of socks."

"Thanks, Mom."

Duo grinned again. "You gonna go to work like that?"

Heero looked down at his attire. He was still wearing the same rumpled clothes he'd worn last night. "What are they going to do? Fire me?"

Duo laughed softly. "I have a Preventer jacket upstairs. And most of my clothes should fit you. Help yourself to anything you need in there."

"Yeah, don't I always?" Heero smiled this big, evil smile and Duo scowled at him.

"You are not going to ruin a perfectly good morning with THAT conversation, are you?"

Heero laughed. "I guess not."

"Good." Duo stood up. He was already dressed for work. It seemed he was just waiting to make sure Heero got up in time to make it to the Unit. "You can stay here," Duo added cautiously.

"When?"

"Whenever."

They stared at one another, that prickly, unstable silence between them again. "You mean I can move my shit in here?"

"Well, yeah," Duo said and offered an easy smile. "I wouldn't want you to have to suffer in that Penthouse of yours, after all."

"Thank you, Duo."

"Yeah, well, don't mention it. Here's a key." Duo tossed him one of the three house keys he had made up when he bought the house. "I'll see ya later, okay?"

"See ya," Heero echoed, staring at the key in his hand as Duo left through the front door like the Devil himself was hot on his heels.

Duo walked into the office actually smiling, like he might possibly be in a good mood. Hilde stared at him, open mouthed, as she habitually poured him a cup of coffee and handed it over.

"So," Hilde said slowly. "Who died?"

Duo stopped mid-step. "What?"

"Who died?" Hilde repeated. "Your less-than-pissy mood has to be accounted for."

Duo laughed, shrugged, and sat at his desk, which, to a passing stranger, would look like WWIII, but was actually quite organized for the man who sat at it on a daily basis. He began shuffling through paper and hummed that little tune to himself; and tried to remember the last time he'd been in a good mood.

Hilde watched him out of the corner of her eye, smiling to herself. She knew it was going to be a good thing if Heero came up here to L2. However, she wasn't quite ready to explain her part in that yet.

Heero walked up the sidewalk, pausing at the front doors of Schoonerville, before going inside. Duo waved and he smiled back. Bill came over and gave him his ritualistic pat on the shoulder. After getting a Schooner from Duo, Heero went and played pool with a few guys he'd met a week ago.

Duo watched Heero, shamelessly proud of himself. Heero acts like he's almost grown up here. He fits right in, with his crazy hair, intense blue eyes, and controlled graceful movements. He acts like he's comfortable and that does nothing but help too, Duo thought.

The bell chimed and Duo looked up to see Edita and two of her friends walk in. Duo glanced at the clock and saw that Edita didn't start her shift at the club for another two hours.

Duo gave her an easy smile. "What's it gonna be today, babe?"

"Usual, I've got the first round," Edita replied in that sexy East-European accent of hers.

"Cool." Duo poured them three schooners and gave Edita's redheaded friend a smile that made her knees weak.

Edita laughed and glanced behind her at Heero, who was telling one of his straight-faced jokes to the other players while he made his shot. "I'd be careful, Duo. You might make your boyfriend jealous."

Duo stared at her for a full minute before laughing it off nervously. "Yeah, okay."

"Please," Edita drawled. "I have seen you dancing with him at my club. Old chemistry, no?"

Duo's smile faded as he stared past her at Heero, who was smiling smugly at yet another successful 3-shot combo. "Yeah, old chemistry... if anything."

Edita regarded him with a sleepy, heavy-lidded look. "Old chemistry never dies, Duo. And you've never been one to shy away from what you want."

"Except when someone could get really hurt."

Edita frowned. "Is he dangerous?"

Duo did laugh this time, and it was genuine. "To you? Nah. To the family? Never. To this... " Duo pointed at his heart. "... possibly."

"Ahh," Edita purred and turned to the redhead who was gazing at her fondly. "You never know, do you? Until you try."

Duo nodded, smiled, and moved down the bar to pour someone else a beer.

The next few hours were uneventful. Heero stayed inconspicuous when the rush came in, but helped where he could. He washed dishes mostly and Duo rewarded him with a smile of appreciation and free beer.

But when the clock struck 23:17, the door chimed and the music was shut off. Duo looked up, startled from where he was sharing a shot with Heero.

"DUO!" Duo didn't know whose voice that was but he jumped over the bar anyway, Heero right behind him.

"What's going -- oh, shit." Duo and Heero stopped by the doors where a ten year old boy was being held up by another boy, a little older, and they were both covered in blood.

"Everybody OUT!!! Bill, where are you?"

"Here!" Bill pushed through with a worried look plastered across his gruff features.

"OUT!!!" Duo shouted again and grabbed Heero's arm. "Do you remember where the stash is?"

Heero nodded, remembering how Duo had patched him up a week ago.

Duo turned, as Bill and another man cleared off a table and set the boy on it, eyes skimming the crowd of people hastily exiting the bar. "Sharon!"

A plump-faced woman looked up and pushed her way to Duo. Her hands flew to her mouth when she saw the broken boy. Duo touched her arm gently. "Do you know who this Rabbit is related to?"

Sharon nodded. "I need you to tell me," Duo said softly, urgently. "You could save his life."

Sharon pulled Duo to her and whispered the answer in his ear. Duo nodded and thanked her before she fled out the door.

"Blood type B negative," Duo said, his voice suddenly raw. "Two bags. Bring the saline and everything else."

Heero was gone before Duo looked up at him, hurrying to the room with quick, long strides. Duo walked back over to the boy who had carried him in here as Bill and the other man -- Frank was his name -- began to cut the clothes off the boy's battered upper torso, trying not to harm him.

Duo knelt down and spoke softly. "You did the right thing by coming here. Did your Keeper do this?"

The boy hesitated.

"I need you to tell me what happened so I can help him."

The boy began crying and Duo suddenly recognized him and his friend as the same pair of boys from the club last night. "Keeper was so mad we got caught by the cops and beat us and Vilan tried to protect me and Keeper beat him worser and Vilan fell out the window and... and... " The rest was lost in the boy's wracking sobs and Duo straightened, understanding exactly what the boy meant by "Vilan fell". A black fury tinged his gaze with splotches of red as he looked down at the dying boy on the table. This kid, Vilan, was bleeding internally. The fall couldn't have been far, or he'd already be dead.

"Where's Ed?"

Bill looked up and saw a Duo he hadn't seen in a long time. "Ed's in Neverne. He'd never make it back in time."

Ed was the local doctor. In fact, he was the only certified doctor in the entire Family. Duo took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Heero was back and setting up the drips. Duo placed a finger on a major artery in the boy's side; the one that was bleeding.

"I need to make an incision here," Duo said so softly that he was barely heard.

Heero frowned. "Are you sure? Is it the only artery that's bleeding?"

"It's the only one that we can reach with the equipment I have. Did you call EMS?"

"Yes. His left lung is punctured," Heero said handing Duo a small, sterilized knife.

"Take care of it," Duo said as he cut into Vilan's side. He reached inside with two gloved fingers and grabbed the severed artery. Everything was slippery with blood but Duo managed to get it pinched and tied off. Meanwhile, Heero put a straw-like thing in the hollow of Vilan's throat, allowing him to breathe easier and take the pressure off of his punctured lung.

They worked quietly until the low screech of an ambulance's sirens filled the night air.

EMS flew in like archangels and took the two boys into their ambulance and flew back down the streets, the wail of the sirens marking their passage.

Duo sat down at the table, blood up to his elbows and laid his forehead in his hands. Heero stood behind him, one hand gently rubbing circles of comfort on Duo's back. Bill sat down and Frank stared at nothing.

Finally Bill spoke. "I'll clean up tonight, Duo."

Duo slowly looked up, the black fury still trembling behind his eyes. Bill and Duo gazed darkly at one another for a moment or two before Duo rose to his feet and stormed out of the door, Heero hot on his heels.

Once outside, Heero had to run to catch up with him. "Duo, where the FUCK are you going?!!"

"Is this on or off the record?" Duo snarled nastily at him.

Heero frowned. "You should leave this to the Preventers, Duo. I'll make sure --"

"Yeah, you and your fucking Preventers."

"Duo --"

"Did your precious Unit prevent a little boy from being pushed out of a window tonight? Well, did they?"

Heero said nothing, knowing that the source of Duo's rage had nothing to do with him or the Preventer Unit.

"Based on results, no." Duo threw his hands up in the air. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about mobile dolls, right?!"

Heero waited.

Duo stormed in a circle and finally stopped in front of Heero, dark violet fire blazing. "I'm going to kill Keeper, once and for fucking all."

"Your Keeper's dead, Duo. You told me so yourself."

"Keeper's a Keeper. He shouldn't be allowed to push children out of windows."

"You're absolutely right, Duo. But you'll be charged with Murder One if you do."

"I thought this was off the record," Duo sneered.

"You fought for law and peace once, Duo. Don't be a hypocrite."

Duo stalked back and forth like a tiger in a cage and fumed for all he was worth. "Fine. I won't kill him. I'll fuck with him a little and leave him for the Preventers. Satisfied?"

Heero didn't say anything. He knew it was better than having to write in a report that Duo Maxwell murdered someone on his watch, but he still didn't like how angry Duo was. This anger, this blackness, was always on the edge of his smiles now. And now it's there, full force, and Heero knew it had to be eating at Duo's insides, poisoning everything that used to make him happy.

"I'm going to be home in one hour," Heero murmured. "Will you be there when I walk in?"

Duo was quiet for a moment, appreciation flaring in his eyes. He nodded. "Yeah, Heero, I'll be there."

Heero turned and walked back into the bar to help Bill and Frank close it down. Duo stood in the middle of the street for a moment longer before turning on his heel and slipping into the shadows.

Keeper had a date with Death tonight. And tonight, Death had violet eyes and a heart-shaped face.

Heero had finally helped Frank and Bill stack the last chair when Frank politely excused himself and left. Heero locked the doors to Schoonerville after Bill killed all the lights and they sat outside on the curb beside one another.

"You've got questions." It wasn't a question in itself, and they both knew it.

"Yeah," Heero replied. "Like, why the hell are these Keepers still allowed to --?"

"People like Kringley give Keepers a bad name," Bill said tiredly.

Kringley. Heero recognized the name. This man was at large and being searched for by the Preventers themselves.

"Duo said Keeper's a Keeper."

"Well," he murmured. "Duo's got bad blood on his own Keeper."

"I've noticed."

"I'm sure you have."

Heero was quiet for a moment. "Explain to me this Keeper thing. Duo wouldn't tolerate them if there wasn't a plus side."

"Aren't you a bright little devil," Bill muttered. "If you haven't noticed, there's a shit-load of kids on this colony. They're everywhere. Some are the spawn of addicts, tweekers, whores and the like. There's a lot of kids who are bastardized sons and daughters of politicians who come here and screw the locals like fucking madhatter bunnies. Most are orphans of the latest war."

Bill shifted, trying to get more comfortable on the concrete. "It's always been like that, you know? I don't really know when it started, but someone up and decided he didn't like seeing kids drop dead of hunger and consumption in the middle of the street. That's when Keepers were created. In a nutshell, Keepers are people who take in kids, use 'em for income and feed 'em and clothe 'em in return. Not just kids, neither. But, in the end, that's all it really is. Kids are Kept and trained to pull their weight. Back in the day, honest work was pretty unheard of, so they get trained as Trickies or Shadows or Rabbits and, you know, the rest is history. There ain't much Kept-Tricks or Kept-Shadows no more. Mostly Rabbits now... and Duo's the one who made sure o' that. When he came back after the war, he went on a rampage, mutterin' to himself about Death's justice and whatnot, and stormed a crap load of kids out of their Keepers' grasp and straight into an orphanage. Said he wouldn't tolerate no more Kept-Tricks or Kept-Shadows on his beat no more. He said it had to be different and there were better ways of lookin' out for one another. Can't say as I blame him. It IS better here now and a lot of it is thanks to Duo and his Death's-justice mumbo jumbo. But, for some reason, he didn't seem too worked up about them Rabbits. Kept-thieves come in kinda handy. 'Specially around the holidays. Nobody goes hungry with the Rabbits around to pick-pocket the tourists, not that there are many of 'em around no more."

"The lesser of three evils?"

"Yeah."

"So how did Duo's Keeper train him? He said he was all three."

Bill winced. "I'm sure you can read between the lines, boy."

"Rape, murder, and --"

"There ain't no pretty way of sayin' it, kid."

"And this Keeper died."

"Yeah."

"How?"

Bill stared at him hard, not quite believing that Duo hadn't told him. "Duo killed him."

Heero was quiet, staring at his hands. "And Duo was how old?"

"Don't remember. Hadn't really known him back then. Sure, he was heard of and all. He was the latest Prodigy, you know."

"And after Maxwell Church?"

"Hooked up with Solo."

"I see."

"And then, after he'd, well, after it happened, I smuggled Duo onto my ship and to that whacky scientist. That crazy old man was thrilled to see he didn't have to train Duo to do nothin' but fly. And even that Duo learned real quick-like."

Heero nodded. That definitely made sense. Duo was brilliant and picked up on things extremely fast. He was clever, quick on his feet, and extremely methodical when he wanted to be.

"And Duo," Bill continued, "was happy to do somethin' that didn't involve him havin' to, well, you know... "

"Sell his body?"

"Yeah."

"Is that why Duo killed his Keeper? Because he was trying to force Duo to --"

"Yup."

"Well," Heero's voice was harsh and proud at the same time. "Good for him."

Bill grinned suddenly. "I'm glad you're finally grasping L2 politics, m'boy! You'll make a fine Preventer!"

Heero didn't smile but felt himself redden. He kind of liked the little fatherly gestures Bill sometimes sent his way... even if they were a bit demeaning.

Moments passed where they were both silent. Finally, Bill spoke again. "I guess you could call me a Keeper too."

"Your 'kids' are significantly older," Heero said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, not all of 'em." Bill patted Heero on his shoulder and stood. "I was surprised you didn't go with him. You look like you've got a boil of rage could use beaten on somebody with."

Heero resisted the urge to ask Bill to translate what he'd just said into understandable English. "This is Duo's demon, not mine."

Bill nodded gravely. "Yeah... this colony's got a lot of ghosts and one or two of 'em likes to follow folks around. You deal with 'em or you ignore 'em... but it's kinda what makes this place our home. It's our home and coffin, you know?"

Heero did and he thought of the girl with the flower and her adorable little puppy. L2 has a ghost for everyone. Home and coffin, Bill said, and Heero knew, then, what he could do for Duo.

Heero was walking towards Duo's front door exactly when Duo was and Heero grasped Duo's elbow and kind of half-dragged, half-led the jaded and bloody Duo to Heero's rental parked by the street.

"What the fuck, Heero?"

"Just trust me."

They piled into Heero's car and Heero quietly drove them both out of Simside. They didn't go far; the location was only a few blocks away. When Heero finally parked, Duo was staring up at the building like a gargoyle was going to suddenly come alive and attack him.

"Heero... I'm not going in there."

Heero pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly realizing how tired he was, and looked up at the cathedral that had been built over Maxwell Church's ashes. It was nice, not majestic, but nice. A modest cathedral, at least in Heero's perspective of cathedrals. It wasn't domineering or oppressive, though it kind of looked it in the dark.

Heero sighed and got out of the car. He circled around and opened Duo's door. "Come on, Duo. You need this more than you think you do. You can't live your entire life being afraid of the ghost you're trying to impress. I don't think that's what that priest would've wanted."

Duo looked like he'd been smacked. "Father Maxwell... you don't understand, Heero."

"I may not have to," Heero said. "But you'll have to go in to find out."

Wondering at why the hell that sounded convincing, Duo climbed out of the car and allowed Heero to lead him into the church.

It was quiet and their footsteps echoed loudly on the wooden floors. An expanse of dark pews lay out before them in rows, a wide aisle separating it in halves. A large altar was set at the other end where a statue of a woman shrouded in blue and white stood to one side, candles and flowers strewn at her feet. On the other side was another statue of a man with an olive branch in his painted hand. Above, on the far wall, was a man hanging from a cross, bloody and in pain. Heero looked at Duo and was unnerved at the startling resemblance in their features. Painted faces of crying angels looked up at the bloody man on the cross from the plastered wall behind the statue. It was an incredibly somber piece of artwork and Heero was staring at it so hard that he didn't notice the nun who had approached until Duo stiffened beside him.

Duo kept his eyes downcast, refusing to look at either the woman with the habit or the bloody man above the altar. The nun smiled, only nervousness evident in her eyes. Heero took out his Preventer badge and showed it to her. He didn't really know what to do. This is where his plan had kind of... ended.

The nun smiled again. "Is this man... under your jurisdiction?"

Heero, noting her word choice, frowned. "He's a friend."

"I see." The nun thought for a moment. "Is he in need of a priest?"

Heero almost laughed. "The blood isn't his."

The nun, obviously well-practiced at controlling her facial expressions, smiled kindly. "I see... confession, then."

She reached out to touch Duo's cheek and he flinched away from her like he was afraid she'd burn him.

"Please," Duo croaked in a voice Heero had never heard him use. "Sister, I'm... I'm unworthy."

The nun's face turned genuinely compassionate and solemn all at once. "Confession," she said with a finality that made Heero blink. "Take him over there."

Heero followed her pointing finger and saw a strange sort of miniature room that looked more like a gilded outhouse than anything else. As Heero led him to it, the nun quietly slipped away.

Heero opened one of the doors and saw there was only room for one person to sit on a tiny bench and there was some sort of screened window on the wall separating the two little rooms. Duo slid onto the bench but refused to meet Heero's eyes. After a moment, Heero shut the door.

Heero looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps and was greeted by an older man, with an equally kind smile, and the nun beside him.

"Are you Catholic?" the priest asked.

"No," Heero said.

"Then, I'm afraid this won't make much sense to you," the priest murmured. "My name is Father Elamaida and this is Sister Mailen. We've been waiting for your friend for some time now, I think. He is the one who bears the late Father Maxwell's name, is he not?"

Heero nodded, unsure of what was expected of him.

"Yes," Father Elamaida said, like he was talking more to himself than anyone else. "Father Maxwell left him... a quite extensive... well; I suppose that's for his ears only. He has come for Confession?"

"I... " Heero's voice faltered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I brought him here. I thought it might... that it might help him. I'm not really sure what he needs. He tries really hard and... I'm sorry, Father, I'm not sure what Confession is and I sort of forced him here."

Father Elamaida smiled. "Well, you're a good friend for knowing him so well." With that, Father Elamaida excused himself and slipped inside the gilded outhouse.

Heero turned to Sister Mailen. "What should I do?"

Sister Mailen gazed at him for a moment, weighing her words carefully. "There is One who always has a ready ear for your prayers," she said gravely. "And another who had enough love to be the Mother to Him and, in turn, Mother to us all. In a word, my child, I suggest you pray."

She left him then and Heero stared after her before dragging his eyes up to the statue of the bloody man. Heero didn't like looking at him. He didn't like the pained compassion in his gaze. Heero turned, instead, and walked towards the statue of the woman in blue and white.

Heero sat on the pew closest to her and looked up into her sad, loving face. Heero heard a strangled sob behind him, coming from the gilded outhouse, and knew it was Duo. It didn't sound like Duo was in pain. Rather, it sounded like pain was leaving him and Duo was struggling to let it go.

Heero didn't know how to pray, but he knew how to observe. So while he was observing the statue of the woman in blue and her detailed and painted feet, he noticed that a candle was unlit. He picked up a stick of incense and held it to the flame of another candle. When a flame was balanced at the tip of the stick, Heero lit the candle and relieved the incense of its burning end. Instantly, Heero felt lighter and more at peace. He felt no less confused, but the incense was burning a relaxing scent and the candles flickered and glowed around the woman's feet. Then Heero leaned against the back of the pew and smiled.

He wouldn't have been able to explain why if someone had asked him; but Heero knew, just then, that everything was going to be all right.

An hour passed. Then two. When Duo and the priest finally re-emerged from the gilded outhouse, they saw that Heero was struggling to stay awake.

Heero stood and walked over to the tear-streaked and somewhat dazed looking Duo Maxwell. Duo murmured something to Father Elamaida in a language Heero didn't recognized. "Mea vitium. [1]"

Father Elamaida turned and looked at Heero.

"Mea cor necessitudo praesidium, [2] " Duo whispered.

"Ah, I see," Father Elamaida said. "Well, Duo -- and I may burn for saying this -- but I think the only penance I can really give you is the instruction to follow your heart. If you do that, then any choice you make is the right one in the eyes of God."

"Peccavi? Num? [3] Even if it leads to sin?" Duo asked and Heero was relieved that Duo was speaking a language he could understand this time.

"Christ died so that sins may be forgiven, Duo," Father Elamaida said, patient as a mountain.

"But that doesn't mean that we should --"

"It means God will love you no matter what you choose, Duo," the priest said sternly. "And that, for you, may be the hardest pill to swallow."

Duo's shoulders slumped and Heero was quite, officially, lost.

Duo turned and strode down the aisle towards the altar. He glanced at the woman in blue and white for a moment before turning his attention to a small pillar with a bowl of water perched on top of it. He dipped his fingers, still somewhat red with dried blood, into the bowl. Muttering something to himself in that same strange language he'd used before, Duo raised his hand to his forehead, then down to his chest, then to one shoulder and over to the other, making a huge cross over himself. When he finished, Duo did not kneel or bow; he simply stared at the bloody man on the cross, his hands hanging limply at his sides. Finally, smiling a little and winking at the statue on its cross, he turned and joined Heero at the end of the aisle.

"Thanks, Father," Duo called over his shoulder as he and Heero made their way out. Father Elamaida smiled and waved before slipping back down some unknown corridor.

Outside, Heero watched as Duo breathed in and expelled the air out of his lungs with this big, dramatic whoosh. Duo beamed a grin at Heero and he instantly smiled back. Whatever happened, it was good. And Heero was certain he'd done the right thing by bringing him here. Maybe they'd talk about the details of what just happened in there someday; but, tonight, they were both eager for their beds and hurried home.

In the morning, Heero woke to find Duo sitting on his bed. Heero pushed himself up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow.

"I faced my ghost," Duo said quietly. "Maybe you should face yours." Duo left after he said that and Heero knew exactly what he needed to do.

Heero got up and pulled on his socks and shoes, grabbed his car keys, and headed for the nearest flower shop.

Heero approached the abandoned and charred neighborhood on 5th and Elm, a ball of fear and guilt lodged in his throat. He stopped in front of what was left of the old Oz base and circled the perimeter. Heero found the small park where he'd met the girl and was surprised at how green the grass still was. It was an unholy contrast to the charred buildings and houses merely yards away, even though Heero knew it was only a colonial simulation. It still didn't feel right and Heero sat down on the grass; the bouquet of daisies heavy in his hand.

Heero sat there for a long time, trying to remember everything he possibly could about the girl and her little dog. He thought of the exact shade of pink her dress was and the color of her hair and the hue of her eyes. Heero remembered every word of their futile attempt at conversation. She was the child who wasn't lost, and the way she'd said it, made Heero think she never did get lost. Maybe that's why she seemed so carefree and happy. Heero remembered the flower she'd given him because he'd seemed sad and his fingers tightened on the stems of the daisies.

Heero remembered how bright the explosion had been, how perfectly timed, perfectly planned. Heero remembered the thing that tore right through his heart as he watched a mobile suit explode and topple sideways into the nearest apartment complex; the apartment complex the little girl and her dog lived in. By the time the explosions quit being erratic, Heero flung himself inside. He searched and searched and when he found her he wished he hadn't. Her dog was the only whole piece of her left.

Heero touched his cheek and realized he was crying. He stood to his feet and forced them to walk back into where the little girl's apartment complex had been. His crying worsened with every step; by the time he was inside the charred, broken building, his sobbing was violent. Heero fell to his knees and placed the bouquet of daisies on the ground in front of him. He cried and cried and until there were no more tears and he was left to silently retching. When that finally subsided, he closed his eyes, placed his hands on the ground before him, and touched his forehead to the dirt between his fingertips. When he rose, he opened his eyes and imagined he was staring at her smiling face.

"For the girl who wasn't lost," Heero whispered. "For the girl and her dog... I know you've long-since forgiven me."

Heero rose to his feet and walked away, each step feeling lighter and lighter. The ghost of the girl and her dog smiled and watched him leave. This time, they did not follow him.

Duo watched from a dark corner and saw Heero head down the street. He was glad Heero had finally faced this. He looked back at the bouquet of daisies Heero had left behind. Duo wondered what the next three weeks were going to bring. Duo had noticed, and would be a fool not to, that every day they were together they ended up on some freak show adventure and there was never a dull moment. Whether or not Duo liked that, he had yet to decide.

Heero rounded the corner and as he advanced on his Unit he noticed two ambulances, two fire trucks and a squad of law enforcement vehicles in front of it. Heero rolled his eyes as a lieutenant scurried towards him and filled him in.

"That man we've been looking for, sir, that Kringley guy," the uniform began in a rushed voice, "he was found in front of the Unit this morning when the shift changed out. He was strung up like someone was trying to crucify him and, sir, someone beat him somethin' fierce and, sir, we tried your cell but I think it was turned off... "

The man's voice turned into nothing as it droned on. Heero smiled to himself and was glad he did not have to see the end result of what Duo would refer to as 'art at the hands of the Reaper himself'.

Heero's head was swimming with what had happened over the past few days and he wondered, briefly, when he had begun to anticipate the end of the day so he could see Duo again.

CHAPTER FOUR

To say the next week was uneventful wouldn't be entirely correct. As a matter of fact, it would be a serious understatement.

Sadly, Vilan passed away in ICU thirteen hours after he arrived at the hospital. Heero made sure the Preventer Unit financed his funeral and Duo asked Father Elamaida to perform the last rites; which he did, of course, free of charge.

The next few days were slightly erratic. Duo and Bill were busy calming the neighborhood down while putting stricter rules on the 'Keeper Arrangement'. Every Keeper and their Rabbits were interviewed by Duo, Bill, and a Preventer representative to ensure the rest of the Kept-thieves were stable and safe.

Heero had his hands full with an Emissary that Prime Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft Darlian sent to take an inventory on L2, the Preventer Unit, and how the tourist attractions Neverne offered to travelers coped with Simside's consistently stagnant financial situation -- which, obviously, didn't.

Heero had one hell of a time sorting through what he should and shouldn't tell the Emissary. Things like the 'Keeper Arrangement' were definitely to be kept off-record. The information he could allot made the situation on L2 seem much less severe than it actually was. As frustrated as this made Heero, to offer the truth would force ESUN's Representative to shut the colony down immediately. The Emissary would consider the arrangement an obvious disregard for normal law and floating corruption. As much as he hated to admit it, Heero began to see why Duo was trying fix up this colony from the underground; and why the Preventer Unit was allowing Duo to do it his way. For obvious reasons; like, it was working... albeit slowly. However, Heero knew Duo would have more influence in ESUN if he was a sworn-in Preventer and his unprecedented, blind hatred for Relena wasn't so plainly written on his face every time her name was brought up.

All the same, Heero understood Duo's need to stay true to his roots. His love was for people, specifically L2 colonists, regardless of whether they were from Simside or Neverne. Heero didn't know if Duo would be as motivated if the colonists didn't love him in return just as fiercely. Then again, Duo had fought for L2 during the colony wars even when they were screaming for his death and cheered when Trowa was forced to destroy said former pilot's Gundam Deathscythe.

After a fine shouting match between a few of the hierarchy in the Family and Heero, Duo and Bill finally decided to send Vilan's friend, Edward, to an orphanage on L1. Edward was a fine Rabbit; however, Vilan's death hit him hard. Heero felt that in a different colony, the life of a Rabbit wouldn't call to Edward every time he walked outside. Edward would also have time to grieve and, eventually, heal. Duo saw the logic, even if Heero was struggling to explain it properly; and he translated Heero's vehement words to Bill, who nodded his consent.

Heero and Bob, Duo's dog, had struck up quite a friendship. One of Heero's favorite pastimes became coming home from the Unit and taking Bob out for a walk. One day, Duo noted their growing kinship and wryly remarked that whenever Heero wanted to give his dog back, he'd be at the bar.

Duo's mood had significantly lightened and everyone had noticed. He took to joking more often and laughing without having to fake it. He was once again playful and mischievous and made a point of trying to have fun every once in a while. And he took to dragging Heero right a long with him like his life depended on it.

The Family organized a picnic for Duo's day off, a Tuesday, and even invited The Unit. They played football and barbecued and drank until they got stupid. Then everyone stumbled over to Edita's club to drink themselves into another level of 'stupid.' Duo and Heero woke up the following morning on Duo's porch, laughing their asses off because they had no idea how they got there.

Life was getting as close to perfect as Heero ever imagined it could.

Well, almost...

And he had only two weeks and two days before he was going to be transferred again. Heero sometimes wished that he could slow time or stop it; or give himself more of it. Heero knew the time provided to him was running out and the thought of leaving L2 was becoming more and more unbearable.

Duo came into Maxwell -N- Schbeiker Scrap's office, whistling to himself a merry little tune and plopped down into the chair behind his desk. He flipped on his modem and checked his e-mails. He auto-deleted anything from ESUN, Relena, or the Preventer Unit -- except if it was titled 'Don't Fucking Delete' because those were from Heero -- and skimmed over the ones sent by his customers and contractors.

Hilde was running late today. She'd been off-colony for a few days, doing God-knows-what, and her jet flew in really late the night before. She had called him at seven, mumbling something about jet-lag and alarm clocks. Duo just told her to come in whenever. He didn't mind working the Yard by himself. And the work was actually super-easy. He and Hilde worked hard enough the first two years that they had been able to afford people to actually work the scrap for them while they just managed the accounting, filing and whatnot. Duo would jump in there every once in a while and strip something, just for the hell of it. However, he was usually too tired from a long night of Schoonerville-tending. Duo enjoyed eight hours of making money without really having to do anything besides pushing paper around and making phone calls.

Duo cracked his neck and groaned. He shouldn't have done that. Duo woke up this morning on his porch, his head bent at an odd angle, with a killer hangover at the ready; Heero snoring softly beside him. Duo's back was against his front door and he managed to perch his head all the way over on Heero's shoulder. They laughed for a solid hour while making coffee. For the life of him, Duo couldn't remember how they had gotten from the club to his house in Simside. It was all a great, drunken blur. In any case, his throbbing headache was back full swing now. Duo knew he shouldn't have aggravated it by moving his head so quickly. His neck was damn sore though.

Duo yawned and swallowed an aspirin. He stared at his computer some more until Hilde walked in five minutes later.

"I'm so sorry, Duo," Hilde said in this rushed voice. "I slept right through my alarm clock and --"

"Hilde," Duo said with a smile. "You coulda stayed home, you know. Probably could've used the rest."

"I can't shake a stick at the lack of sleep you get on a nightly basis," Hilde remarked with a rueful grin.

"Ah, well," Duo stretched and yawned again. "Somehow, Heero and I ended up on my porch this morning."

Hilde laughed. "Go out drinkin'?" Suddenly, she looked stricken. "I missed the picnic!"

Duo yawned again and waved it off. "And you've been to how many thousand others? Don't sweat it, Hilly-girl."

Hilde put her pack down and took a seat behind her desk. "You haven't called me that in a long time," she said softly.

Duo shrugged and grinned. "You said you hated it."

"I lied."

Duo looked up to see Hilde gazing at him with unexpected warmth. "I missed you," she said.

Duo handed her a cup of coffee. "Where'd you go, anyway?"

"Earth," she said, taking a sip.

"In four days?" Duo raised a brow. "What the hell did you do down there?"

"Stuff," she said vaguely. "I was visiting a friend."

Duo shrugged. If Hilde wanted to keep parts of her life private, that was all right with him. Everyone has their secrets, and Duo could always be counted on to understand the need to be mysterious. It's not like he didn't wonder though.

"Well," Hilde said. "I haven't talked to you for nearly a week. What's been goin' on the last week or so? How's the Family?"

Duo almost laughed. Hilde, for once, didn't inquire about Heero. It was a catch 22, he supposed. Heero was part of the Family now, so any question about the Family was sure to have Heero in the answer somewhere.

"Vilan died," Duo said tightly. "Kringley killed him. He's at the Unit now... comatose, as it were. We had the funeral just after you left. I went to confession... " Duo's voice broke off as he noticed how stricken Hilde's face looked. If he was trying to make her feel bad for leaving without much notice or explanation, it was accomplished minutes ago; time to lighten up the mood. "Found out Father Maxwell left me a will," he said, his brows coming together because he still had no idea what to do with it. "Says I own the land his church was on, which was quite extensive back in them days." It was -- not only did it cover where the cathedral now stood, but also a few hundred yards west and east of it, covering the entire border that separated Neverne and Simside.

"Wow, Duo," Hilde said, astounded. "That's wonderful. What are you going to do with it?"

Duo thought about the few hundred thousand credits Father Maxwell had left him and finally decided not to tell her. Heero was the only other person who knew about it. "Heero thinks I should build a center and get rid of the need for Rabbits." His voice was dull and unconvincing.

"You mean on top of the cathedral?" Hilde was incredulous. "No more Rabbits? How the hell would we afford all that?"

"Not on top of the cathedral, Hilde. I mean around it. Make the border more welcoming. Simside works together, sure, but Neverne still feels they're on their own. Believe it or not, Hilde, they're struggling too... and havin' Rabbits milk 'em dry isn't helpin' none. We're all gonna have to work together for this colony to stay up and running." Duo frowned and ran a hand through his too-long bangs. "I think we're gonna have to ration food again, come November. We don't have enough stored up. And I just closed down a lot of Keepers."

"How did the Family afford a funeral for Vilan?"

"Heero and the Unit paid for it."

"Oh, I see," Hilde said. There was no hidden mirth in her voice this time and Duo was grateful for it. The last thing he needed was for Hilde to pester him about his odd relationship with Heero and ruin his perfectly good mood. "I think we need to start reporting this stuff to ESUN."

Duo stiffened. He would so much rather have Hilde pester him about Heero than have THAT particular conversation.

"Duo," Hilde said quickly and reasonably. "It's not like we'd be crawling back to them on our knees or anything. It could be a request for a certain mine field on the moon, or extra funds for our DSS program, or --"

"No, Hilde. Relena fucking Peacecraft Darlian sent some Emissary up here a week ago and her report didn't say shit because Heero couldn't tell her everything without giving her ample reason to shut us down."

Hilde was quiet for a moment. "Why are you so certain they'd want to shut us down if they knew?"

"Heero couldn't say anything. He's afraid to tell them, too."

"Well, Heero barely speaks at all, Duo," Hilde said angrily. "No wonder you told Heero about the Family. Don't worry guys, your secrets are safe! It's just Heero!" Hilde said that last bit trying to impersonate Duo's voice.

Duo, officially, lost his temper. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're using him, Duo."

"Oh, fucking Christ --"

"And he wants to help, but he doesn't know what you want, Duo. Half the time, it's like you don't even know what you want!"

"Hilde --"

"No, you fucking listen to me for a sec," Hilde said, her voice raising an octave or two. "You say you want to help this colony, but you're too proud to ask ESUN for help because Heero chose them over you six years ago!"

"I never said that --"

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to --"

"Heero does what Heero does. This has nothing to do with him."

"Finally we agree on something. So, stop holding everything over his head."

Duo stopped. "What?"

"It's like you blame him for every woe and misfortune, Duo. You've gotta stop it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why, exactly, did you introduce him to the Family?"

"Because I wanted him to see why I do the things I do."

"Is that how you said it, Duo? Knowing you, it might've come out a little different."

Duo sighed. "All right, I give. I take a lot of shit out on him but he doesn't let it bug him. He knows I'm not angry at him, half the time I'm shouting at him."

"But that's no reason to keep doing it."

"But that's what you do with people you love," Duo said. "You push them and take things out on them and test them to see how far they'll go and what they're willing to go through to have you... "

Hilde smiled, "Exactly."

Duo blinked, then groaned, and then groaned again. He put his head in his hands and tried not to think of what he'd just said.

"Are you going to the wedding?"

Duo lifted his head, "Which wedding?"

"The only one coming up, Duo. Relena's."

"Hell no."

"Is Heero going?"

"Probably."

"Then, maybe, between the two of you --"

"I'm not going to bombard Relena with politicks at her wedding, Hilde."

"Well, at least you'd get back into her good graces --"

"Fuck her good graces."

"Fine. I'll do it if I have to. I just didn't want to have to apologize for you."

Duo blinked at her. "You're going?"

"Of course I am, Duo," Hilde said, suddenly tired. "We're actually friends, Relena and I."

"How the hell --"

"I've spent nearly seven years apologizing for you, Duo. That's plenty of time to start a friendship."

Duo paused, thinking. Hilde had been gone every time there was something going on at ESUN or the Winner house. That she would be off-colony to politick never really crossed Duo's mind.

"I never asked you to apologize for me, Hilde."

"Yeah, well, it's embarrassing sometimes. Seeing how disappointed your friends are because, yet again, you didn't show --"

"They want to call themselves friends, they should come up here and --"

"Even if they did, you wouldn't let them see."

"Hilde --"

"You're embarrassed of Simside. You're embarrassed to be a gundam pilot with no power in ESUN. You're embarrassed to say you've --"

"Hilde, stop it," Duo said in a dangerous tone.

"And you're embarrassed to tell Relena that you couldn't do it all yourself and --"

"Hilde, if you value our friendship, stop it."

Hilde paused. "Well, I just thought you should know that Relena and Winner are personally financing a bill to move L2's Lunar Mining Base to where there is actually something to mine. Think about that before you make the decision whether you are going to the happiest ceremony in her life or not. She doesn't have to know things are terrible for her to want to make them better. And just think who asked her to take a second look at L2? Heero did just come up here a few weeks ago. Maybe you oughta trust your friends a little more. Just think of what they could do if you just asked for help once in a while."

Duo was quiet. Anger, rage, and guilt boiled in his chest. He couldn't wave off what she was saying like it was nothing. Hilde had brought up some valuable points, even if Duo didn't want to see them. Duo didn't know if being a street rat and being a gundam pilot in the same lifetime would work. He always thought it had to be one or the other. He never thought he could have both lives. But, then again, his name was Duo.

Heero was typing reports as quickly as he could into his computer when a soft knock sounded at his door. Heero's hands stilled over the keyboard and he looked up. "Come in."

A uniform poked his head in the door. "A visitor is waiting for you, sir."

Heero glanced at his watch. "Tell him to meet me at the cafe in an hour," he said, assuming it was Duo. "I'm kind of busy right now."

The uniform hesitated. "With all due respect, sir, it is Preventer Agent Commander Chang Wufei to see you."

Heero gaped. "What?"

"Oh, for the love of all ancients, let me through." Wufei pushed past the uniform and made his way into Heero's office. At Heero's startled nod, Wufei shut the door behind him.

Heero stared at him for a moment. "Duo's gonna fucking spazz," he muttered.

Wufei coughed. "I beg your pardon?"

Heero blinked. Then he realized Wufei had never been exposed to L2 lingo. "Maxwell's territorial, as I've come to find out. Unless he's expecting you, he may not --"

Wufei frowned. "I didn't come up here to see Duo. I came to talk to you."

"And the vidphone wouldn't suffice?"

"Is it so odd that I'd want to visit a friend?" Wufei drawled, leaning against a filing cabinet.

"Since we're talking about you... " Heero grinned, "... yes."

Wufei laughed. "Ah, well. I'll get right to it then. We've been hearing about some bizarre activity going on up here down at Headquarters. I wanted to speak to you personally. If you don't think we should intervene, I'll make sure ESUN stays quiet."

Silence greeted Wufei's proclamation as Heero's mind raced for an answer. Wufei was talking about a possible need for Martial Law. Heero knew that would upset Duo more than anything. However, now they officially had ESUN's undivided attention. The visit from the Emissary had been a surprise and Heero was floored once again when he heard about the bill they were trying to pass in Parliament.

Heero heard a rumor that Quatre was trying to get approval for one of his satellites to be a source of income for L2, instead of moving L2's miners to a new Lunar Base. The same satellite, in fact, that every politician in ESUN had been fighting over since a precious material, called Tameriathyst, had been found within said satellite just recently. Tameriathyst is similar to that of gold; however, it contains diamond-like materials within the pressurized stone due to the lack of gravity in space. The satellite had been a possession of the Winner Foundation since before Quatre's father ran it. Interestingly enough, however, the Winner Foundation had so many satellites that not all of them are properly mined at any given time. A bill was passed shortly after Quatre's father assumed control of the Winner Foundation that put limitations on Winner's wealth so that other mining companies had a chance to compete.

If the rumor was true, it was stroke of pure brilliance by Quatre. It would jump start L2's economy and make it the richest colony in outer space while staying within the bill's limits AND taking the pressure off of having to sell it to another company; something Quatre was strictly and adamantly refusing. Any satellite owned by his father when he reigned over the Winner Foundation would also be owned by Quatre's heir... in the event he ever produced one. Oh, there were even nastier rumors about Quatre never even producing an heir once the papers found out he'd taken a man, Trowa, as his lover and Consort. This was why the pressure'd been on the Winner Foundation to pull apart their wealth and disperse it among other mining companies. There were serious concerns that the Winner Foundation wouldn't continue if Quatre didn't declare an heir of the Blood soon.

Regardless, it was still just a rumor and Heero hadn't been able to contact Quatre to know for certain. Duo didn't know about it and Heero felt he didn't have to until all the details were confirmed.

In either case, the downfall of Duo being responsible and keeping the Preventers informed the instant anything happened was that some of it, apparently, had finally trickled down to Headquarters. Heero was assuming, and felt he'd already seen this coming when the Emissary came and looked down her nose in distaste at all things 'L2'; and now Headquarters had sent Wufei up here at the behest of ESUN to see if L2 was really worth saving. Never mind Quatre and his satellite! ESUN would eat Quatre Winner alive if he gave the satellite to L2 to mine and they used it to turn L2 into the richest, crime-ridden society in space.

And after hearing about Vilan and Kringley, Headquarters must be getting nervous about what Heero was leaving out of his daily reports.

Martial Law was unnecessary and a bit extreme... but Heero couldn't wrap his head around how to prove that to Wufei without betraying the Family. However, if Heero continued to stay quiet, wouldn't it be more of a betrayal? Wouldn't that mean it was his fault if the bill wasn't passed because L2 didn't seem like they needed it? Give them an inch and they'll take a mile, give them nothing and they'll continue to ignore you. It was a Catch 22 and Heero was failing to see a happy medium.

"Hesitation doesn't bode well," Wufei said gravely after a few minutes.

Heero sighed. "It's getting better."

"Your use of the ambiguous is... awe-inspiring."

Heero stood up and began pacing. "Neverne is struggling because their usually commercially-sourced income is dwindling to practically nothing. Simside is functional... but they're so fucking poor they have to ration food and --"

"Forgive me," Wufei interrupted. "Neverne? ... Simside?"

"Oh, yes." Heero had forgotten that those were geographical terms used by locals only. They weren't on any official map of L2. Heero walked over to the large map of L2 that hung on one of the walls of his office. He picked up a red marker and drew two parallel lines. "Here is Simside. It used to be the worst of L2's slums and ghettos. Now, it's actually functioning like old-world neighborhoods -- helping one another to survive during the last eight years of the L2 Depression. This is Neverne. It's where the old money lives and where all tourist attractions are. The school districts are here and here and the orphanages, shelters and half-way homes are clustered here, here, and here. They're located in Neverne because it's safer. There's more work and the schools are closer. This is the Border... and here is the Unit and here is the Station." The cathedral, called Our Lady of Peace Church was also located on the Border; however, Heero didn't think Wufei would understand the significance of that.

"I see... " Wufei stood and stared at the map for a full five minutes before turning and making himself comfortable in a chair opposite of Heero's desk. "I think you have a great deal to tell me, Heero. If it helps, it'll be off-record unless you say otherwise."

Heero nodded and felt relief spread warmly through his mind. He needed advice and Wufei understood colonial politics and methods of survival so well he was second only to Duo. Wufei's clan operated similarly to the Family on L5 when Wufei was growing up. He may be able to comprehend what the next step for L2 and its occupants should be. Heero unplugged his phone and turned off his computer. Then he shut the blinds before seating himself.

Then Heero began to speak.

Heero told him about the Family and the Keeper Arrangement. He explained about the rations and what really happened with Vilan, where they sent Edward and why. He explained the reasons Rabbits were still allowed to be trained and what Duo had been doing to clean up the colony these past seven years or so. Heero also explained about Bill and Solo and how Duo ended up in the cockpit of a gundam. Heero told Wufei about Duo's anger towards ESUN and why he'd shied away from friends who are so involved with its politicks. Heero told Wufei about Quatre's request of him and about the seemingly big deal everyone was making about whether Duo would be there. Heero described how he'd been introduced into the Family and how protective they were of one another. How everyone supported everyone else and everything was dealt out democratically in basements and bars. How the Border contained all law enforcement buildings so they were never in danger from either Simside or Neverne. How the Preventers were notified when something happened and were given information in exchange for money to finance orphanages and shelters. How Neverne tolerated Simside and their operations because they all shared rations and they were becoming less and less stable as fewer and fewer tourists came to spend money at the vendors. And how Martial Law would be the end of the camaraderie Duo had fought for seven years to build on this colony.

Wufei closed his eyes and rested his chin on his fist. "Do the Preventers know about the Keeper Arrangement?"

"Yes."

Wufei opened his eyes. "You could be court-martialed for that, you know."

Heero nodded, defiance flashing in his cobalt blue eyes. "This system wouldn't have been necessary if ESUN had paid attention earlier."

"And every one of us is to blame for that, Heero," Wufei said, "Even you; and especially Duo."

Heero rested his head in his hands. "The colonists would never have trusted him if he went the political route, Wufei."

Wufei nodded solemnly. "Yes. That I do understand." Wufei sighed. "Be thou for the people. Have the heart of a servant. Etc., etc. We ARE trying our hardest, Heero. You, of all people, should know that."

Heero looked up, understanding exactly what Wufei was talking about. The Earth suffered so much damage during the wars that the Preventers' first priority was to stabilize Earth, its economy and its diplomatic connections. A parliament had to be set up and agreed upon. Democracy had to stretch and shift until it worked for everyone. Towns were re-built. Commissions were handed out to veterans accordingly. The homeless had to be sheltered. Scorched fields-turned-battlefields had to be re-sown. Trust had to be built in the new world-wide government known as ESUN. It'd been hard -- the past seven years -- to keep an eye on the colonies for possible coups and disaffections. They'd all been quiet... even if L2 was consistently poor and feeling ignored by this new government. Wasn't this economical favoritism of the Earth the reason the last few colony wars started in the first place? The colonies should have been aware of those repercussions when waging war against the Earth. To meet halfway and enroll both sides into a permanent peace, the Earth would have to be healed of every wound dealt to it. In order to make this possible, the colonies would have to suffer for a few years; and none greater so than L2. On the flip side, ESUN couldn't afford to continue to ignore the civil unrest in the colonies anymore. The past two years were dedicated to assessing what needed to be done to sate the colonists and get everybody, once and for all, on the same side again.

It's easy to say you've attained peace. It's not as easy to make it a fact.

Wufei stood. "Well, I'll keep ESUN out of here for now. I may not approve, but this system seems to be working; at least, at this time. I'll push Winner and Darlian to get that bill passed as soon as possible. The sooner we can get the miners their income, the sooner we can clean up this need for unlawfulness." Wufei smiled, the irony of the reality here on L2 seemed humorous to him. "What I suggest you do, Heero, is get this Family to think kindly of ESUN. It'll make everything go a lot more smoothly if they actually welcome ESUN's help. That may mean going rounds with Duo."

Heero smiled a little. "It's nothing we don't do anyway."

Wufei smirked. "How are you two doing? I heard you moved in with him."

Heero's face reddened. "It's not like that, Chang."

Wufei smiled like he didn't believe a word Heero just said. "Of course not, Yuy. Forgive my presumption."

Heero scowled. "Never," he declared. "Now get the hell out of my office. Are you going to be up here long?"

Wufei glanced at his watch. "No, actually, my plane leaves again in an hour. I should go."

Heero smiled and walked him out of the Unit. Once outside, they embraced and said their farewells.

"I'll see you at the wedding, then?" Wufei said as he jogged down the steps to the street.

"Yeah," Heero said. "I'll be there."

"All right," Wufei waved. "Later."

"Bye." Heero watched as Wufei turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. He decided to work through his lunch break so he could go home early. He could use a nap or something.

Duo agreed with Hilde to close the yard for the day and was home when Heero walked in. Duo waved when Heero came into the kitchen; or tried to, anyway. Duo was carrying a ladder and was struggling to get it upright so he could change the light bulb in the ceiling fan.

Heero put down his briefcase and moved to help Duo with the ladder; Duo loudly impugning the ladder's non-existent lineage's honor. Laughing, they managed to get the damn thing upright and Heero moved out of the way and walked to the fridge to pour a glass of milk as Duo scaled the ladder. Heero handed him the new light bulb after Duo passed him the old one. Heero placed his milk on the table, knocking a ball that most inconveniently happened to be one of Bob's favorite toys, off the table. They both froze as the ball bounced on to the floor, hoping to whatever god had the mind to listen that Bob hadn't heard the ball drop.

Apparently, every god known to man was off bowling or something because Bob came bounding down the hall, barking for all he was worth. Happily wagging his tail, Bob skidded into the kitchen trying to catch the ball and promptly crashed into the ladder... the same ladder, in fact, that Duo was perched on top of. With a shout, Duo and the ladder came crashing down; and Heero, cursing foully in Japanese and trying to break Duo's fall, ended up beneath Duo, dog, and ladder.

"You okay?" Heero finally managed.

"Yeah," Duo said as he pushed the ladder off of him and it clattered on the kitchen tile. Duo glared at Bob, who was scampering off, ball in mouth, down the hall. Duo twisted and tried to push himself off of Heero... and froze.

Somehow, while they were trying to untangle themselves, the lower-half of their faces managed to touch. Their cheeks were smashed together and their mouths... barely an inch apart.

Duo's mind went blank. He knew he should push himself away and try to make the best out of their awkward predicament but he couldn't move. Heero's breath was dusting across his cheek and Duo's heart was beating so fast he was certain he was going to go into cardiac arrest. Duo managed to look up, Heero was staring at him with this intense half-scared, half-confused look. Moments passed and the tension mounted. Finally, lids closed over cobalt blue eyes and Heero craned his neck ever-so-slightly. With a growl, Duo answered the invitation with all the pent-up desire that had mounted, fallen and risen again since Heero walked back into his life. Duo managed to get his hands in Heero's hair and Heero was clutching his shirt like a drowning man. Duo opened his mouth and slid his tongue over Heero's lower lip. Lips parted and tongues met, tentatively, almost nervously, exploring and dueling. Heero groaned and shoved his fingers into the curling mass of Duo's braid at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him deeper.

Bob, feeling left out, padded over and suddenly began to smother the two with wet, slobbery dog-kisses. Sputtering and wiping their faces, Duo and Heero sat straight up and glared at Bob. Bob barked and wagged his tail as Duo got to his feet. Heero stood as well and they stared at one another, the precious moment, all at once, gone and irreplaceable.

"I should go," Duo murmured, discomfort making him look away.

Heero continued to stare, dazed and swaying on his feet. What the hell was that all about? He thought Duo didn't want... he thought he'd...

"I'll see you later tonight, okay?" Duo winced, the comment sounding odd and out of place even to him.

Heero took in a deep breath and let it out slowly... fine. If Duo wanted to act casual, like nothing had just happened -- and it definitely did, Heero could still taste Duo in his mouth?it was just fine. Heero schooled his features into the placid mask he'd worn for years during the colony wars and nodded. "See you."

Duo frowned and felt a rock of some nameless emotion settle into his stomach. He didn't like the way Heero was looking at him... but he also knew it was his fault. Duo had been so careful, so fucking careful, and the past five minutes was just proof that Duo was starting to lose it and get careless. He shouldn't have kissed him. He knew it was going to be a bad idea to give in to his feelings for this man. And Duo knew Heero wasn't going to understand.

Primarily because he did understand it much either.

But Duo could never have something good without screwing it up.

And that just wasn't fair to Heero.

So Duo waved and left.

Heero stood still for a few moments before picking up the ladder and putting it away. Heero came back to the kitchen and sat at the table. Bob joined him and placed his head in Heero's lap, whining to be pet. Heero distractedly lifted his hand and began scratching behind Bob's ears. Heero stared at nothing for a long time.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bill noted the all-to-familiar expression on Duo's face that he'd come to refer to as the "Heero Complex" as he came into the bar. It was this mix of anger, confusion, frustration, and, well, desire. Duo usually wore it every time he was looking at the Japanese kid when Heero wasn't paying attention. Duo also wore it right after they'd had an argument or something. He figured that was the case today.

It was still early, by Schoonerville's terms, and Bill had stopped in to grab a beer or three before heading down to Edita's club. Heero had yet to arrive, which, Bill also noted, was strange. Heero was mostly punctual about his usual 8 pm arrival time. The last time he didn't show at eight, he'd come in later that night with two bullet holes in him. Bill wondered when they were going to get over themselves and finally admit that they liked each other. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were already seen as lovers. Sure, they didn't smooch or anything when they were in front of people, but it was damn obvious when they smiled at one another and when they had long, private conversations at the corner of the bar and how they gave each other these long looks when the other's back was turned. Heero hovered at his shoulder like a bodyguard when things got aggressive at the bar or in the club and Duo always consulted him, speaking in hushed tones before making decisions with Bill and the Family. Bill shook his head and drained his first beer and motioned to Duo for another one.

It was midnight before Heero showed at Schoonerville. He was immediately buffeted by a cheery "Hiya, Heero!" and "Where the hell have you been all night, Heero?" He smiled politely and took his place at the corner-bar. Duo smiled at him nervously and handed him an MGD Schooner. Heero flinched away from him, like he was afraid Duo would touch him and Duo's face clouded with anger. "Fine," Duo muttered and left Heero to stare at his beer.

Minutes later, Phil, an out-of-work miner, burst into the bar. Everyone quieted and looked at him as he, trembling with excitement, tried to catch his breath.

"They're tryin' to pass a bill in Parliament," Phil cried, happiness and joy rolling off of him in waves. "They're tryin' to give us work on one of them satellites owned by the Winner Foundation! The one with all the Tameriathyst on it!! If they pass it, we're gonna be rich! You hear me?!! We're gonna be rich!!!"

Duo shot Heero a dangerous look. Heero shrugged and shook his head. He didn't know how the information had gotten out.

"It's a rumor," Heero muttered.

"Phil," Duo called. "Who told you this?"

"Straight from the horse's mouth," Phil declared proudly. "I was talkin' to one of them Preventers at the gym just now an--"

"You didn't know, Duo?!" The incredulous voice booming over Phil came from Bill, who arrived from the club shortly after Phil did. Phil, apparently, had gone there first.

"Of course I knew," Duo said angrily. "And the damn Tamer-Satellite is a rumor."

Phil looked crestfallen. "It is?"

Duo paused, realizing that he was being an asshole and there was no reason for it. "Well, yeah, but they ARE trying to find us a new place to mine. I know a guy who knows a guy and I'll do my best to find out if the Winner Foundation is going to send the Tamer-Satellite our way, okay?"

Heads from around the bar nodded vigorously, but they were nervous because Duo didn't seem too optimistic. Duo Maxwell was their only viable source of information from ESUN... and, well, if he didn't seem impressed, maybe they shouldn't get worked up over nothing. Duo looked from Heero to Bill and back again. They were both sending him death-glares so Duo forced himself to brighten. "Come on guys! This is cause for celebration. Here, this round's on me!"

Bill nodded to Duo over the heads of cheering miners who were pressing against the bar, trying to get their orders heard over their comrade's. Duo nodded back and knew he had a talk with Bill coming as soon as he got a minute.

An hour and a half later, after Duo had closed down the kitchen and swept and mopped, he sat down with Bill at a vacant table.

"It's not fair," Bill began immediately, "for you to squash their hopes just because you're in a pissy mood."

Duo winced, knowing it was true. It was a pity Bill didn't have any children. He would have been a great dad. Bill would've been one of those fathers that would never have to punish his kids; just his look of disappointment was punishment enough. He'd be the kind of dad that you wanted to be like when you grew up.

"And if you know something, regardless of it being a rumor or not," Bill continued just as sternly. "I had better never have to find out this way again. You should've told me about the bill immediately. We could've discussed how to tell them, Duo."

"I'm sorry, Bill."

"Hope isn't something these guys have access to often, Duo," Bill said as if Duo hadn't said anything. "And not everyone is as unlucky as you. Don't cheat them of the chance for it."

"I've done nothing but --"

"I'm not discounting your efforts, Duo. Lord knows you work your ass off for this colony. What I'm sayin' is don't fucking take away their hope." Bill paused. "After all you've been through; I never thought you'd be so maliciously careless."

"Malicious? Vocabulary's gettin' mighty big these days, huh?"

Bill sent Duo a glare that took all the wind out of him. "Don't mouth off to me, boy."

Duo was quiet, but still fuming, and he refused to meet Bill's eyes.

Bill sighed. "You're only unlucky because you don't think you're allowed to be happy, Duo."

Duo did look at him then. "What?"

"Well," Bill said. "Look at the way you acted tonight, Duo. It's all over you. When are you going to wake up and realize you're allowed to be happy? When are you gonna get it that he --" Bill jabbed a finger in Heero's direction, who was washing dishes quietly, his beer left on the ledge untouched. "-- makes you happy? When are you gonna fucking get it?"

Duo hunched his shoulders and didn't answer.

"You need to fucking figure it out," Bill said, pushing himself to his feet and towering over Duo's defeated form. "Because I, for one, am not going to sit by and let your pride destroy everything you and I have worked for these past eight years. Not on my fuckin' beat."

Bill walked out of the bar, slamming the doors behind him and only then did Heero look up from where he was scrubbing the skillet Duo had used to make hamburger patties that night.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Tameriathyst?" Duo asked softly, still huddled in his corner, shoulders hunched like he was afraid someone was going to hit him.

The few late-drinking regulars peered at one another. Heero and Duo were about to have an argument and they were trying to decide if it was safe to stick around.

"Because it was a rumor," Heero answered in this calm distant voice, putting the cleaned skillet up to dry and draining the soapy water. "It didn't seem important enough information to bug you with. We all know how you just LOVE to hear about ESUN inter-politicking."

"You didn't even tell me about the bill," Duo said, raising his gaze to meet Heero's, his eyes burning a dangerous shade of amethyst. "I had to find out from Hilde."

Heero shrugged. "Maybe you should call Quatre and ask him for details. I'm sure he'd be happy to give information to an old friend." Heero said that last word as nastily as he could.

"And while we're on the subject of old friends and how 'Duo is always the last to find out'," Duo said, his voice rising to a shout as he stood to his feet. "Maybe you could explain to me why you were seen fucking CUDDLING with WUFEI in front of the Preventer Unit today?!"

Heero laughed bitterly. "Does L2 really refer to hugging a best friend goodbye as 'cuddling'? Or are you just being dramatic again?"

Duo was shaking with anger, stung pride, and frustration. The few regulars remaining in the bar quickly got up, tossed their money on the table and left without a word. Heero and Duo glared at one another from across the bar.

"You fucking asshole," Duo whispered, so angry he could barely speak. "What else are you keeping from me?"

Heero laughed bitterly again. "I thought I wore everything on my face, Duo," Heero said softly. "And that you thought it was funny as hell."

"Don't fucking play with me," Duo ground out.

Heero nearly choked, incredulity strangling his voice. "Are you kidding me? You've done nothing but tease me since I came up here!" Heero was shouting now. "I don't think I've ever been more afraid in my entire life than when I began thinking that you'd pull away from me if I touched you with that 'I cannot believe I did that' look on your face. It fucking hurts, Duo. You act like you want me, but then you treat me like I'm fucking made of glass or like I'm beneath you or something. I'm sick of trying to be cool enough to be with you, Duo. I'm fucking sick of it."

Heero poured himself a shot of Tequila and quickly drained it. "I'm trying, Duo. I'm trying to fucking get ESUN to help out without making them come here with a squad of Preventers with 'Martial Law' on the brain. If you fucking want to know, Duo, THAT'S why Wufei was up here. Because, believe it or not, they all still care about you and they don't want to step on anything you may have been working on up here. He came up here out of respect for YOU, Duo. You don't know what it's fucking like, Duo. Trying to make you happy, being loyal to the Family, trying to appease that fucking, snobby prick of an Emissary, keeping ESUN off your backs... Goddammit, Duo, do you realize I could be court-martialed right along with my men at the Unit for helping you out! Do you even get that?! What help would I be to you then, huh?"

Heero punched the wall, screaming his frustration and then glanced at his fingers. The middle knuckle had been dislocated and now there was a nice little hole in the wall. Duo walked over and reached for his hand.

Heero flinched away violently. "Don't fucking touch me."

"It's dislocated, Heero. Let me push it back."

"I'll push it back myself."

"Please don't," Duo said. "You'll make me sick if you do. Remember last time?"

Heero remembered. He had half a mind to push it back himself just make Duo retch. Silently, Heero let Duo take hold of his swelling hand. Duo felt through the swelling and found the bones that were out of joint. He looked up into Heero's eyes and found a pain swimming there that had nothing to do with his hand. Duo leaned in and kissed him as he pushed the bones back into place. Heero gasped and bit down on Duo's lip. Duo continued to move his mouth over Heero's until Heero relaxed and pulled away slightly. Duo pulled Heero's head to his shoulder and they rocked back and forth, Duo whispering sweet nothings into his hair.

"I'm sorry," Duo whispered. "I really am, Heero."

Minutes later, they were locking up the doors to Schoonerville and walking towards their cars. Duo stopped suddenly and Heero paused, looking over at him. Duo smiled a little before walking over and interlacing his fingers with Heero's.

"What's the point of taking two cars?" Duo inquired softly. "We're going to the same place, right?"

Finally, Duo managed to prompt a smile from Heero's lips. Duo planted a kiss on those lips before leading them both to Heero's rental. Heero started the ignition and glanced at Duo as he settled himself in the passenger seat. Duo smiled again, but Heero stared straight ahead. Duo realized then that he was still angry and not convinced that their argument was over.

They drove home in silence; Duo unlocked the door and turned on the porch light. Heero came in quietly and single-handedly helped Duo out of his jacket. Duo turned, hung it up and then helped Heero out of his jacket, hanging that up as well.

Heero made to move past him but Duo pressed him bodily against the wall. Heero frowned but didn't say anything. He looked to one side as Duo began unbuttoning his shirt.

"I don't think," Duo said softly, shaking the silence with his voice. "I've ever heard you speak so much in one night."

The faintest of smiles touched Heero's lips and his good hand casually came up to unbutton Duo's shirt. "I've never been one to mince words. I think emotions are too big to waste words on."

"But tonight it was necessary?"

"Yeah," Heero said, grasping Duo's hips and pulling him closer to him. "You pissed me off and I didn't have anything to blow up so... "

Duo looked up into Heero's eyes, appreciating the warmth that was growing there. "That's why I used to talk a lot."

Duo took Heero's hand and led them upstairs.

"You used to talk more than a lot, Duo," Heero said, tugging Duo into his room. "Could never get a word in edgewise."

"My point, smart ass," Duo said, pushing Heero to his back on the bed amongst the soft pillows, "is that everyone uses the same story to justify their different methods of speaking."

"I don't like talking because I can never get it out right."

"What do you mean?"

"I always feel like I'm leaving something out and it's usually important."

Duo finally managed to get Heero's accursed belt off and discarded it carelessly by tossing it into a corner. "That's because your emotions are pretty extreme, Heero."

Heero lifted his hips as Duo pulled off his pants. "How so?"

"Well, sure, everyone has pretty strong emotions and has difficulty explaining them," Duo said, turning at Heero's behest so Heero could pull his shirt off the rest of the way and begin to unravel his braid. "But yours are raw, Heero. Christ, man, they overwhelm me, so I can only imagine what it must be like to actually feel at that level --"

"You feel it too?" Heero interrupted softly, taking one of Duo's hands and placing it on his chest, over his heart. Duo's eyes seemed to glow, the colors swirling and shifting and he closed his eyes, his mouth parting a little. "See?" Heero murmured.

Duo nodded and swallowed hard. Heero, finished with his hair, placed his good hand in the middle of Duo's chest and gently pushed him back into the pillows. Duo looked up, eyes filled with wonder, fear and something Heero couldn't quite place, and he watched as Heero rid himself of his jeans and boxers.

Heero took a moment to gaze thoughtfully at their two erections. Even though they'd been speaking, something... .had been stimulated. Duo's mouth curved into a rueful smile. "Hey, Heero. Stop looking at me like I'm a science experiment."

Heero pressed in and kissed Duo full on the mouth. Duo sighed and parted his lips, welcoming the taste and softness of Heero's tongue as it explored and tasted Duo in return. Their hips ground together and their hearts beat erratically. Duo scratched his nails down Heero's back and was rewarded by a pleasured moan.

Heero pulled away slightly and looked down into the heart-shaped face that he'd fallen for eight years ago. "Tell me. Tell me what you feel when you think of L2, what you feel when you think of the Family, of Rabbits and Keepers, of Simside and Neverne... of Solo and Bill."

"Anger," Duo said as Heero kissed his neck, the soft spot behind his ear, the hollow of his throat. "Fear, desperation, loyalty, safety, love... " Duo gasped and tears pricked his eyes. Heero paused and looked up. Heero kissed the tear that slid down his cheek. "And grief," Duo finished, his voice a whisper.

Heero nodded and kissed his shoulder. "Hilde?"

Duo thought for a moment. "Trust, admiration, confusion."

"Relena, ESUN, Preventers?"

Duo stiffened and then relaxed as Heero began flicking his tongue over a budding nipple. "Jealousy, anger... .and disappointment," Duo said, the honesty making his voice raw.

Heero looked up again. "Disappointment? Jealousy?"

"I fought for and trusted them... .and I let them have you. I feel let down." Duo's eyes were a hard, bitter shade of violet.

Heero didn't say anything as he spread his ministrations down Duo's chest and abdomen. Heero left warm kisses on Duo's inner thigh and he glanced up. He and Duo locked gazes, then slowly, deliberately lifted his hand and wrapped his fingers around Duo's straining member. "Winner? Barton? Chang?"

"Pride!" Duo arched his spine as his eyes rolled back into his head, his fingers gripping the sheets. Heero slowly worked Duo's cock from base to tip, waiting and watching. "I'm so fucking proud of you guys," Duo finally managed. "It hurts not to be able to tell you all that."

Heero nodded and bent down to lick away the drop of pre-cum on Duo's mushroom tip. Duo hissed and Heero smiled. "And us?"

Duo arched his back again, moaning and trying to get his senses off of overload. "I can't, Heero, not if you --"

"Try," Heero said and he took Duo's rigid phallus into his mouth.

"Oh, my God," Duo moaned as he arched into the wet warmth of Heero's mouth. "Um... Oh, fucking Christ... It's like... like I'm standing in front of a dam and it's breaking, and I'm trying to hold it together... oh, God... and I'm trying and you're standing in front of me... and you're waiting... and I'm screaming at you to run but you won't listen... and the dam continues to break and it's hard to hold it together... it's so heavy... and you still stand there and I scream... Oh, God, Heero... Fuck... Um... and I yell at you, but you still stand there and you're shaking your head... and... and... goddammit, Heero... Sweet Mother, that feels good... and you're shaking your head and you keep saying, "It's you and me, Duo... It's you and me 'till the wheels fall off... " But I'm scared... and... ohh... fuck, Heero... I'm scared you'll get hurt... I'm scared the dam'll break and crush you... but you... you won't go... you keep shaking your head and... .fuck, Heero... I can't... I can't... I'm gonna... Sweet Mother, Heero... I can't... I'm gonna... "

Heero lifted his head and looked at the braided man writhing beneath him. "Come," he stated and instantly, Duo climaxed, shaking with the fury of his orgasm, spraying his seed everywhere. Heero caught most of it and used it to lubricate himself. Heero coated two fingers and moved up to kiss Duo, a wry smile curving his lips.

"What?" Duo said.

"I told you to come and you did," Heero said, trying to hide his chuckle. "It's funny."

"Oh, fucking Christ --" Heero kissed him again as he pushed a finger in, working it in and out, stretching Duo and pulling more enticing little moans from him.

"What happens when the dam breaks?" Heero asked and pushed a second finger in, stretching the tight ring of muscle further.

Duo cracked open an eye and looked fondly at his lover. "I end up in your bed."

"Ahh." Heero removed his fingers and braced himself above Duo. He paused, marveling at the beautiful creature beneath him. Violet eyes streaked with passion and desire; hair, that gorgeous fucking hair was loose and everywhere, spread across the pillows and framing that lovely face. Soft, pale skin stretched over finely toned muscle, kiss-swollen lips parted and ready to moan. Heero smiled when Duo glared at him.

"I want you inside me," Duo said matter-of-factly. "NOW, God damn it."

Heero pressed his cock against Duo's entrance and let Duo control the penetration. Duo bucked himself against Heero, the straining mushroom tip making its way through the tight ring of muscle. Slowly, Duo impaled himself on the rest of Heero's length. They paused, Duo gripping the sheets, willing the pain to ebb away so they could continue.

"Duo?" Duo looked up and was lost in Heero's eyes, cobalt fire swimming in a sea of passion. "It's you and me, Duo," Heero said, slowly beginning to move inside of him. "It's you and me until the wheels fall off."

Duo plunged his fingers into Heero's hair and pulled him down for a kiss. Then he wrapped his legs around Heero's shoulders, allowing Heero to move deeper and faster. This dance was as old as time and sweeter still. They shifted angles until Heero hit that spot inside Duo that made him scream. And screaming, they worked themselves higher and higher, the titillation of a thousand pent-up desires dancing, spinning and crashing. Duo touched himself as Heero grew near to the pinnacle. Heero touched Duo's cheek with his bandaged hand and Duo took the hurt fingers into his mouth.

Heero gasped as he drew closer and began speaking Duo's name like a chant. Suddenly, Duo climaxed again and Heero cried out as the muscles of Duo's channel clamped around him. When they relaxed, Heero came with a shout and continued to move until his orgasm calmed and left him sated, bathing in the residual waves of pleasure. Panting, he laid his head on Duo's shoulder. Duo stroked his hair until he looked up and Duo smiled down at him.

"Clean up or go to your bed?" Heero's eyes burned with the answer he preferred.

Duo laughed. "My bed, c'mon."

Tumbling, they crashed into the pillows and Duo was certain Heero was going to fall asleep face-down on the corner of the bed. Then Heero raised his head, his arm snaking out and circling Duo's waist. He pulled him closer and Duo made a nice pillow out of Heero's chest. Warm, safe, and together, they slept, and for once, they did not dream.

The next morning, Duo cracked an eye open and looked up to see Heero's sleeping face. A burst of joy and pain he couldn't suppress swelled in Duo's chest. This had been a dream he had never thought could come true. He had spent the past eight years trying to convince himself it could never happen. It surprised Duo that all he had to do was surrender to it. Heero was his, sleeping in his bed after a long night of love-making, arms still wrapped around him covetously even in his unconscious state.

Duo smiled and gently pushed a tendril of chocolate-brown hair away from Heero's face. Heero mumbled something and opened his eyes. The pure blue of his eyes was more beautiful than the blue of any sky that Duo had ever seen in his short life.

"Good morning," Heero murmured, the haziness of sleep hanging around him still.

"Yes, it is," Duo said and smiled. Maybe Bill was right. Maybe he was only as unlucky as he wanted to be. Because, how the hell was he so lucky to have Heero like this?

Duo pressed a kiss to Heero's forehead and tried not think about Heero leaving in two weeks, or why he'd waited so long. This moment was too perfect to be tainted with realism. Not this moment. Not now.

The smile Duo sent Hilde at the Yard later that morning was pure sunshine. Hilde almost cried. This was a Duo Hilde hadn't seen in a long, long time.

Hilde grinned and handed him a cup of coffee. She watched as he put in cream and sugar and took his cup over to his desk.

"Well?" Hilde couldn't help herself. She had to know.

"Well," Duo said, a grin splitting his face in two. "Nobody died."

Duo watched bemusedly as Hilde laughed herself into stitches. "How wonderful," she managed finally.

"I have you to thank, actually," Duo continued after Hilde had collected herself. "For sending Heero to my bar a month ago."

Hilde grinned. She was so happy she thought she'd start dancing soon. "I thought you were going to eat me alive after I did that."

"Yeah, well, I had half a mind to."

"You can be so difficult sometimes."

Duo laughed. "Heero punched a hole into a wall of my bar trying to explain that to me last night."

Hilde raised a delicate blue-black brow. "He didn't hurt himself, did he?"

"Actually," Duo said, thinking of Heero's dislocated knuckle. "He did."

"Nice goin', Duo," Hilde said wryly. "I want details."

Duo laughed again. "Well, you're not gonna get any, Hilde."

"Oh, come on!"

Duo shook his head tantalizingly. "Nope."

"Well, at least tell me how it started!"

Duo hesitated. "That story is eight years long, Hilde."

And Hilde was laughing all over again. "No," she sputtered. "I mean, up here."

"In a word," Duo said ruefully. "Bob."

"Bob?"

"Bob and his damn ball."

Hilde looked confused. Then, as her imagination got the best of her, an evil grin lit her face.

Duo peered at her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't even want to know what you're thinking."

"Well --"

"I mean it, Hilde," Duo said, laughter dancing in his eyes in merry shades of violet. "I don't want to know."

Heero was punching in the code for a new firewall into his computer at the Unit later that day when Quatre contacted him.

Heero smiled pleasantly and Quatre's face lit with surprise. "Good morning, Quatre. How are you?"

Quatre's hands flew to his mouth. "You did it," Quatre breathed.

"Did what?"

"You and Duo finally... " Quatre broke off and stared at Heero like he wasn't really looking at him. "Praise Allah."

Heero frowned. "I still don't understand why Duo and I are anyone's damn business."

"Because you don't know what's at stake," Quatre said finally.

"Enlighten me."

"I'm not really at liberty to say," Quatre said as politely as he could.

"Of course not," Heero said with a sigh. He was quickly losing interest in what secrets were swimming around the incessant need for Duo to show at Relena's accursed wedding. Heero was playing with the idea of not showing himself... but knew he'd never follow through. When all was said and done, Relena was his friend and it would hurt her more than anything if Heero wasn't there.

"Have you talked to Duo about --"

"No."

"It's important that he be there, Heero."

"Why?"

Quatre hesitated. "I have very good reasons for not telling you, Heero. If you knew... it might come between you and Duo."

Heero narrowed his eyes. "If it's going to hurt Duo for him to show then I won't --"

"No, no," Quatre said hurriedly. "It's nothing like that. I don't like the secrets either, please believe me, Heero. But you've got to trust me on this one."

Heero was quiet for a moment. "Fine. Is the rumor true?"

Quatre froze. "What rumor?"

"About the Tamer-satellite."

Quatre started laughing. "News spreads awfully fast, doesn't it? Yes, it's true."

Heero smiled broadly. "That's good news," he said quietly. "That's really good news."

"Heero," Quatre said. "It's going to take a lot more than the reports you've been sending to prove the need for the Tameriathyst. If Parliament isn't convinced L2 needs that much wealth, they won't approve it."

Heero nodded. This is exactly what he'd been afraid of. "What can we do?"

Quatre paused. "Wufei... Wufei told us things are quite a bit more tragic up there than we think they are. We need someone from L2 to speak at Parliament."

Heero felt a rock of despair settle itself firmly into the pit of his stomach. Duo would never step foot inside the Parliament building. And he... well, Heero wasn't all that sharp with words. Bill wouldn't be credited or taken seriously. Heero rubbed at his temples and tried to think. "By when?"

"Within the next two to three weeks." Quatre observed his Japanese friend through the vidphone. Heero had obviously fallen in love with this colony and it was working him to bits. "There's something else, Heero."

Heero looked up tiredly. "And that is?"

"I need an heir."

Heero shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Quatre."

Quatre smiled ruefully. "Let me explain. The pressure's been on me to name an heir for quite some time, Heero. Parliament just said I could name an heir even if it's not a child by birthright. However, the child would have to be officially adopted into my household before the Tameriathyst could be approved for L2."

Heero gaped. "Are you serious?"

Quatre nodded gravely. "Quite."

Heero wracked his brain. Why was Quatre asking for his advice on this?

"Heero," Quatre continued. "It would help our case if I adopted a child from L2."

Heero's head snapped up.

"However," Quatre continued. "For reasons I am sure you will understand, this child would need to be bright and... trainable."

Heero grinned. Oh, this was too perfect. "Quatre Winner," Heero said. "You need a Rabbit."

"A what?"

"A Rabbit," Heero said and he began to laugh. "There's a kid we sent to an orphanage on L1. His name's Edward... "

Heero couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. By the time he showed at Schoonerville, his face felt like it was going to crack in two.

Duo waved when he saw Heero come in and blinked in surprise when he went straight to where Bill was sitting, motioning for Duo to come over as well.

Heero spoke in a rushed voice, trying to fill them in as quickly as he could. Soon, Duo and Bill were grinning as broadly as Heero was and Duo promptly pressed a long, hard kiss to Heero's mouth. The miners cheered at the show of affection between their beloved Duo and their latest addition to the Family.

"Listen up, guys!" Duo shouted over the din. "Things are finally starting to turn around... "

Silently, Heero watched as Duo joked, bantered and filled in the usual crowd at Schoonerville. Heero had decided to leave out the need to speak at Parliament. He didn't want to tamper with the joyful mood that was spreading through Simside. If he had to, Heero would speak at Parliament himself.

CHAPTER SIX

Duo's breathing was soft and steady, his lips parted slightly. Heero gazed at his sleeping face for a moment longer before quietly getting up, being careful not to wake the braided man. Heero silently moved to the dresser and pulled out a pair of running shorts and a white tank. He slipped them on and laced his sneakers before going downstairs to find Bob's leash. Soon, Heero was jogging through Simside with Bob trotting eagerly behind him.

It was a quiet Saturday morning and a week had passed since Heero had spoken with Quatre about adopting Edward. Trowa sent him frequent e-mails about Edward's adoption and his first few days at the Winner Mansion. It didn't take an expert to know Trowa was quite fond of the new addition to their family. He beamed on how well Edward was adjusting and how brilliant he was. Trowa informed Heero that Edward had been wary at first, convinced he was simply sold to a new 'Keeper'. However, Quatre had quickly won his trust and they spent many hours locked away in the Winner library pouring over historical documents, Parliament political theory and the mastery of aristocratically-inclined charm. Trowa relayed that Edward was an amazingly quick learner and was already passing for a young gentlemen among the necessary circles Quatre was slowly exposing him to. Soon, Trowa was convinced, Edward may come to love them as family and completely discard any residual mistrust.

Heero understood when Trowa expressed an early concern for Edward's betimes grave composure. They both knew that Vilan's death took a toll on him. However, Edward was pushing past his grief, fueled by the comprehension that he now had the power to prevent things like that from ever happening again. A young adult, as mature as a twenty-year-old, at the age of ten... this was something the five former gundam pilots understood very well. It was sad though, that this tainted innocence was necessary for Edward's childhood. They would all watch Edward's coming-of-age years with much interest. Quatre and Trowa were both certain that Edward would make a fine aristocrat and a fine asset to the L2 colony.

Quatre just hoped that his heir would, perhaps, one day come to love him as a father. What the future held for their relationship, Heero wasn't sure. Heero had no experience of such things; however, Heero was aware that adoption was a tricky and emotional roller coaster for the said child and the adoptive parent. Heero was convinced that Quatre was the kindest person on Earth. If Quatre couldn't win Edward's love and trust, no one could.

One of Quatre's many sisters, Meredith, accepted Quatre's request to care for Edward this autumn while he attended a grammar school in her area. This way Edward would experience a loving father figure in Quatre and a beautiful mother figure in Meredith. Heero smiled. He knew that this one thing -- introducing Edward to the Winner family -- was a good deed. He'd done a good thing. It made Heero feel lighter than he'd felt in years, knowing that he'd made a difference in someone's life and that it was for the better.

Heero turned a corner and gradually increased his jog to a sprint, carefully controlling his breathing and glancing over his shoulder to make sure the golden retriever was at his side and keeping the pace. Bob panted, his tongue hanging out of his furred jaws, but his eyes were dark and merry and he barked cheerfully at Heero.

Heero laughed and ran them harder. This had turned into a daily ritual; waking up at 05:00 and taking Bob out for a jog. Heero took this time to think, blessedly alone with his thoughts, his muscles burning with exertion.

Heero passed Schoonerville and headed towards the Border. His thoughts turned toward Parliament and the ESUN. Things had been oddly quiet. The press had taken to the news of the Winner family adopting an L2 native as their heir with a stunned silence that quickly turned into a flurry of speculations. For the most part however, they simply took to proclaiming Quatre Winner's brilliance in the most demeaning ways they could think of, saying that Quatre was a snarky little genius who always found a loophole. There were some nasty rumors about Quatre snubbing his sisters' children with the act of adopting Edward. However, all said children were girls and the Winner Foundation has always had a male heir. It was their tradition and Quatre wasn't about to break any more traditions. He'd broken enough simply by becoming a gundam pilot when he was fifteen. His sisters did not take Quatre's actions as a personal insult. They understood Quatre's motives even if the press didn't.

Parliament was silent and Heero could not prod an update from Quatre or make any contact with Relena at all. Although Une was refusing to give the former pilot of Wing Zero any information, Heero was convinced that she probably didn't have any information to give. All the same, it had only been a week.

Heero's stomach flip-flopped every time he thought of the chance he might have to speak at Parliament on L2's behalf. He was still wracking his brain for an alternative, but none was forthcoming. For a moment, Heero had played with the idea of having Edward speak... but he quickly dispelled the idea, knowing that it would mortify the child and probably end his possible career as a respectable aristocrat. No matter how brilliant the former-Rabbit was, he was not ready to give speeches at Parliament yet.

Heero knew he was only grasping at straws because the idea of speaking in front of a microphone...

Oh, sure, he could free-fall, make things go boom, pilot the Zero system, face an army solo and all that... but making a speech in front of Parliament? If Heero was totally honest with himself, he would come right out and say it.

Public speaking scared the shit out of him.

It touched some core of irony that the man he was named after, wasn't in the least bit frightened of public speaking.

Heero inwardly sighed and cut across a lawn. Heero also couldn't bring himself to tell Duo about it.

If there was anything that scared him more than public speaking, it was screwing up whatever it was that he had going with the former God of Death.

When Heero had come up here to L2 five weeks ago, he and Duo had barely been acquaintances. They hadn't spoken in years and Duo didn't seem exceptionally thrilled to see him again after all that time. However, Duo seemed to tolerate his company... and that lingering trust and camaraderie that they had forged between them during the wars seemed to still be there. Heero clung to it and waited. After the mission that rewarded him with two bullet wounds, Heero thought maybe, just maybe, Duo still cared about him. The stricken look on the braided man's face when Heero came into his bar that night, bleeding and weak, had made him think that there was a possibility they might be friends again. Duo had fixed him up and taken him back to his hotel room. Duo had even slept next to him that night, saying it was to make sure Heero didn't bleed to death in his sleep.

Whether that was actually the case or not, Heero still wasn't sure.

In either case, the next morning sent all of Heero's hopes crashing down around him. Heero touched his hair and Duo... well, he called it getting 'spooked'... Heero didn't know what to call it, but it felt more like rejection to him.

So, crushed and hopeless, Heero had dutifully continued re-organizing the Unit and quit his usual trips to Schoonerville. Then, a few days later, Duo had shown up at the Unit and asked him to lunch. The next thing he knew, Heero had learned how to break-dance, gained a Family, lived at Duo's house, and finally forgave himself for killing the girl and her dog. It was like a spinning vortex of misfit adventures and Heero reeled in its wake.

Somehow, in the weeks that followed, he and Duo had become lovers.

Heero stopped suddenly and looked up. He had arrived at the cathedral and its tallest spire towered above him. Heero turned and began jogging back the way they had come.

Their first time had been... interesting. Heero had never made love like that before. Usually, it was a simple physical exertion, stimulating friction and then the final release. In the end, he always woke up next to a stranger. With Duo it was different.

They were comfortable with one another.

Heero had always been more at ease with the braided man. Something about him made Heero relax a little... except, of course, when they were arguing. Thankfully, their arguments were usually politically-oriented and not particularly about their relationship and, of course, always ended in mind-blowing sex. Frankly, Heero would argue with Duo every day for the rest of his life it meant being with Duo and having mind-blowing sex every night. Hell, what more could a guy ask for?

They didn't talk about that stuff, though. They didn't talk about how Heero was being transferred in a week or how Relena's wedding was coming up. They didn't talk about how the happiness they had found with each other might come to an abrupt end in seven days. They didn't talk about what they meant to each other because of this very thing.

Heero scowled. Noin told Heero he could make L2 his permanent residence if that's what he wanted... but Heero was starting to second-guess himself. What if it didn't really matter to Duo if he left or not? What if he had been right in the beginning when he realized Duo was primarily using him to help out the Family? What if Duo simply thought of their relationship as 'sex with benefits'? What if it didn't really matter?

Briefly, Heero thought of what was spoken between them the first night they made love. 'It's you and me, Duo. It's you and me until the wheels fall off.'

When do the wheels officially fall off? Is there a way he could prevent them from falling off? What the hell does that saying mean anyway?!

In either case, Heero was determined to enjoy every second he had with Duo these next few days. Enjoy and cherish; and commit it to his memory. Whatever the next week was going to bring, his memories of L2 were going to be happy ones. The Family, Bill, the guys at Schoonerville, Edita and the club, Edward, Duo's smile... honest, trusting and open again.

Heero really wished he didn't have to leave.

He'd never had a family before.

Duo was humming away in the shower when Heero returned to the house. Heero grinned mischievously to himself and promptly jogged up the stairs and walked into the bathroom. The humming coming from the other end of the shower curtain paused.

"Close the door, Yuy," Duo called. "You're letting the cold air in."

Heero had barely enough time to kick the door shut and take off his shirt before Duo's hand shot out and dragged him into the shower.

Laughing, Heero pushed his bangs -- all-too-quickly becoming soaking wet -- out of his eyes and mock-glared at his lover. "Are you going to give me a chance to take off my shorts before you jump my bones?"

Duo's violet gaze raked up and down Heero's semi-naked form appreciatively. "That all depends on how fast you are."

Heero quickly pushed down on the waistband of his shorts as Duo advanced on him, a deep rumbling laugh coming from somewhere in his throat. Heero nearly fell as Duo pushed him backwards against the tiled wall, his running shorts tangled around his feet. Duo gave him an unrepentant smirk as Heero slipped out of them and scowled at him.

"Are you mad at me again?" Heero asked as Duo pressed against him, pinning his wrists above his head.

Duo nodded gravely, the seductive smile playing around his mouth serving as a sharp contradiction. "I woke up with a killer woody and you were nowhere in sight."

Heero gasped as Duo bent his head and bit down on his collarbone. "Forgive me," Heero rasped out when he could find his voice, the sarcasm almost lost in the little moans that were threatening to tear past his throat as Duo continued to suck, bite and nip at the sensitive expanse of flesh between his jaw and shoulder. "I forgot I was your sex slave."

Duo's head shot up, his eyes bright with some maniacal epiphany. "Oh, my. That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

Heero rolled his eyes. He had found out, as recently as the night before, that Duo was quite fond of role playing, bondage, and the like. Truth be told, Heero wasn't entirely one to object. He kind of liked the way it spiced up sex... but not in the damn shower.

"Not here, Duo," Heero said, a half-smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Duo pursed his lips. "Fine," he said before bending his head again and continuing his ministrations to Heero's neck and shoulder.

Heero's eyes rolled back into his head. Duo had made a point of memorizing every single goddamn spot that made Heero forget how to think. Duo knew how to drive his lover crazy. In this position Heero's hips could not reach his and Heero could not reach out to grab and kiss his lover stupid. It frustrated the hell out of Heero and it worked every goddamn time. The water was hot and the steam nearly suffocating; and when Duo lowered his mouth to catch a nipple in his teeth, Heero thought he was going to implode.

Suddenly, Duo's grip in his wrists loosened and Heero used the opening to reach down and grab the back of Duo's neck, bringing their lips smashing together in a kiss filled with furious need. Gasping, Duo pulled back a little to look up at Heero with passion-streaked eyes. "Good morning," Duo murmured.

Heero ran a finger tenderly down the side of Duo's face. "Good morning," he echoed softly.

Duo's eyes widened a fraction and he opened his mouth to say something. He hesitated and reached up to push a soaking-wet lock of chocolate brown hair out of his lover's eyes. Then, he decided to smile instead and press another kiss to Heero's mouth; the unbidden tenderness gone as quickly as it came.

Duo ran expert fingers down the broad planes of Heero's chest, down his sides, around his back, pausing at Heero's buttocks to squeeze the firm muscles there, and back up again. By the time Duo's hands returned to Heero's neck, Heero was moaning into his mouth.

"Fuck... Duo... "

"Hmm?" Duo looked up and saw cobalt fire swimming in eyes that were quietly pleading.

Heero thrust his fingers into the heavy mass of Duo's long, wet, chestnut-colored hair and brought Duo up for another kiss that left Duo's lips bruised and swollen. "Fuck me... "

Duo's kiss-swollen lips curved into a smile and he pressed in against Heero as close as he could, their hips rocking against each other in that timeless dance. In fact, it was pretty reminiscent of that dance Duo had shown him the first time he went to Edita's club. Heero smiled at the memory.

A sob caught suddenly in the back of Heero's throat. He didn't want these things to be memories. He wanted them to be his reality.

The smile instantly disappeared from Duo's face and was replaced with a worried frown. "Heero? What's wrong?"

Heero closed his eyes against Duo's concerned features and pressed their foreheads together, the friction of their erections rubbing together becoming unbearable. "Please, Duo. Understand what I need right now."

Duo cupped both sides of Heero's face and planted a soft kiss everywhere he could reach. "Turn around," Duo whispered finally.

Heero turned and faced the wall, his hands braced against the tile, one foot on the rim of the tub and the other by the drain, the hot spray of water cascading down his back. Duo sucked in a breath. Duo didn't think Heero truly comprehended how amazingly beautiful he was. A body that looked it had been sculpted from golden marble, shamelessly displayed, glistening wet, all for him in this tiny bathroom. Duo planted a kiss on the back of Heero's neck as he began to prepare him, gently stretching the tight ring of muscle with one, then two, and eventually three fingers. Duo wrapped one arm around Heero's waist to safely hold them both in place as he entered him. Heero's head rolled back onto Duo's shoulder and Duo bent his head to once again nip at the tender flesh of Heero's throat.

When Heero had adjusted to the intrusion, they began to move. Their limbs quivered as they fought to stay upright, moving their hips to meet at that special place deep within Heero that made him see white. Their breathing ragged, gasps taking in thick, steamy air, hot water pouring over them, they brought each other higher and higher, the pinnacle so close they could touch it.

Duo's fingers searched, found, and gripped Heero's throbbing length, moving his fist over it in time with his thrusts. Soon, all Duo could hear was Heero screaming his name and his moans echoing off the acoustic of the tiled walls. Suddenly, like lightening had struck them both, they touched the pinnacle and were cascading through the waves of their climax. Duo held his lover tightly as the last few shudders of pleasure left his body. Finally, Heero relaxed against him and Duo rocked him back and forth, softly singing that lullaby Heero had taught him so long ago.

Heero kept his eyes closed and listened to the soothing sound of Duo's voice. Briefly, Heero remembered that he had taught him that song during the wars. That Duo had remembered it after all this time was a surprise; however, Heero didn't let it show and was happy to just let Duo hold him.

They always clung to it afterwards, just like this, that nameless emotion hovering in the air surrounding. As if they were terrified they'd lose the magic they created with one another if they opened their eyes and realized it was over. The hot water had turned cold before they moved again and turned off the showerhead.

Duo quickly squeezed as much water from his hair as he could before stepping out of the tub. He plucked a towel from the rack as Heero stepped out behind him. Duo hesitated when he saw the distant look in Heero's downcast eyes before quietly drying his lover's body with the towel and then wrapping his hair up in it. Heero slipped into the robe hanging on the back of the door and silently went down the hall and disappeared into the room they were now sharing.

Duo frowned as he finished toweling himself off and ran a brush through his thick, wet hair. He couldn't wrap his head around Heero's sudden moodiness. He only got this quiet when something was really bothering him. Had he been too rough? Had he hurt him?

Duo wrapped another towel around his waist and trailed after Heero to find him sitting on the bed staring at his hands. Duo moved over to the dresser and fished out a pair of boxers and some black jeans. Quietly, he put them on and sat down on the bed next to Heero.

"If I'm too rough, Heero," Duo said gently, "you need to let me know."

Heero looked up, startled. "What? Oh, no, you're fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

Heero stared at his hands again. "I feel like it's going to be over too quickly."

Duo blinked, completely confused. "We were running out of hot water, Heero. I don't know a soul who likes to fuck in cold water."

Heero scowled and threw up his hands. "It's not about the sex, Duo! For Christ sakes!"

Duo's eyes flared. "Then what the fuck is it?!"

"I feel like I found you just to lose you all over again. I don't like it."

"What?" Duo narrowed his eyes and then his shoulders slumped. "Oh. Right. So... you are leaving then."

Heero looked at him.

"If you didn't want to... ," Duo murmured, not quite meeting his eyes, "They wouldn't make you, would they?"

Heero was quiet and finally Duo met his eyes. "Well, would they?"

"They don't make me do anything."

Anger flared in Duo's violet orbs. "So, you're leaving of your own accord."

Heero swallowed, not knowing how to say what he wanted to.

"That's bullshit, Heero."

"I don't want to."

"You don't want to what?"

Heero sighed. "I don't want to leave."

"Well, you don't have to, idiot," Duo snapped.

Heero couldn't bring himself to speak; frightened to death he hadn't heard him correctly. "Really?"

"Heero," Duo said, taking Heero's hands into his own. "Here, you're family, remember? And I, for one, am not kicking you out."

"But... "

"Sweet Mother, Heero, spit it the fuck out!"

Heero wrenched his hands away and stood up. Where the anger had come from, Heero wasn't sure. But, hell, he was pissed. Heero was angry because he couldn't get his words right. He was angry because it still seemed like it was ALL about the Family and Duo's utmost devotion to them. And he was angry because he was actually tempted to let himself be used for the rest of his life so he could be a part of it... and a part of Duo -- fucking ? Maxwell.

"If it's not what you want, Duo... if it's not just for us... then I don't want it."

Duo gaped incredulously at him. "Who the hell else could it be for, Heero? Did I fucking miss something?"

"The Family, Duo. The Family has always been your first priority."

Duo stood to his feet and paced across the bedroom. He tried to piece together exactly what it was that Heero was accusing him of. Suddenly it clicked.

Surprised amethyst met distant cobalt. "I'm not sleeping with you for the Family, Heero."

And then cold anger turned his blood to ice. That's what Kept-Trickies were trained for. Duo had killed his own Keeper because he tried to force him to sleep with people for that very reason. No matter how much the Family meant to Duo, he would never do that. Ever. And for Heero to suggest that...

"You fucking asshole."

Heero blinked. "Oh." Heero shook his head. "Duo, I didn't mean --"

"The hell you didn't."

"I just --"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Heero?"

"Duo --"

"I'm not a fucking whore."

"I never --"

"And even if I was, I'd fucking sleep with you for free, Heero."

"Duo, I didn't --"

"Because I fucking care about you, Heero."

"Duo --"

"And I said you were family, not FOR the Family."

"D--"

"You goddamn fucking idiot."

Duo closed the space between them and kissed him violently, biting on Heero's lower lip and pushing his tongue inside his mouth to lavishly explore the contours of Heero's mouth.

Suddenly, a shrill beeping noise cut through the air. They froze, mid-kiss, and opened their eyes to peer at Heero's beeper on the nightstand next to the bed.

"No," Duo growled when Heero tried to disentangle their limbs. "It's Saturday. You're mine for the day."

Heero sighed. "They wouldn't contact me if it wasn't important."

Duo rolled his eyes and went to the closet to fetch a shirt. Heero picked up the beeper and narrowed his eyes at the code.

XXXG-00W0. The code for his gundam, Wing Zero, was only to be used for emergencies. Heero immediately phoned the Preventer Unit. "You paged me," Heero said into the receiver.

"The Prime Foreign Minister is on the line for you, sir," the lieutenant answered.

Heero narrowed his eyes and Duo looked over at him as he buttoned up his shirt on the other side of the room. "Put her through."

A clicking noise sounded and then Heero could hear Relena breathing on the other end. "Yuy speaking."

"Heero?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good. I need to speak with Duo, if you please."

"What?!" Heero met Duo's gaze again. "Why?"

"Because I'm concerned," Relena said in this irritated voice. "Quatre's move to adopt a native of L2 was, arguably, a bit melodramatic. And now I've heard some... disturbing things about this colony for which we're trying to pass the Tameriathyst. I'm coming up there and I want Duo to --"

"Relena, have you lost your fucking mind?!" Heero winced when he saw Duo stiffen at the sound of her name. Duo's glare could've melted gundanium.

"Please tell me," Duo grated out, "that you are NOT using MY fucking phone to talk to THAT bitch."

"I beg your pardon?" Relena replied. Heero hoped she only heard his response.

Heero put a hand over the receiver. "Duo, she --"

"Put her on the fucking vidphone," Duo snapped.

Heero glared. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

Duo balled his hands into fists. "Put her on the fucking vidphone, please."

"Hold, please," Heero said to Relena before placing the phone down to boot up his laptop. Minutes later, Relena and Duo were glaring at one another through the vidphone.

Heero sat on the bed behind them, staring blankly at the far wall. Today was turning out to be an exceptionally bad day.

"And to what, pray tell, do I owe the pleasure? " Duo asked nastily, pulling on everything he knew about politicians to make his voice sound as snobby as possible.

If the situation had been less dire, Relena would have probably let out a good-natured laugh. Impersonations, apparently, was another one of Duo Maxwell's hidden talents. However, she merely fixed her features into a calm mask, often used when dealing with the press, and smiled thinly. "I think the Keeper Arrangement would suffice, Mr. Maxwell. However, it has come to my attention that this arrangement only skims the surface of what we're dealing with here. Perhaps you would care to enlighten me on the every day happenstance of L2's societal structure?"

Heero groaned and buried his head into his hands. Chang had better be in some remote, hidden cave in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. He was going to kill him with his bare hands the next time he saw him.

A muscle twitched in Duo's jaw, but he quickly covered it with a gracious smile. "Ah, Prime Foreign Minister, are you finally doing your job?" Duo clapped his hands with feigned delight. "How wonderful. I think I may be able to retire now."

"Retire?" Relena raised a delicate ash-blonde brow. "How much is a junkyard caretaker's retirement pay, exactly?"

Heero wanted to disappear. He knew, however, if he moved Duo would probably throw something at him.

Duo laughed. "Considerably more than you are paying L2's miners to work that lovely bit of rock on the moon, my dear."

Relena's eyes narrowed a fraction. "So, dearest, am I to understand you sent a thief to infiltrate the Winner Foundation? That seems a bit... dirty... even for you Mr. Maxwell."

Heero's head snapped up. Whatever game they wanted to play was fine with him, but they weren't about to bring Edward into it while Heero was around. Heero stormed over to the laptop. "Relena, fucking watch your mouth. Edward is a good kid."

Duo gripped Heero's upper arm and Heero threw him off. Heero usually didn't use his full strength with Duo, knowing he could easily hurt him. However, today was not the day for them to have a fist-fight in front of the Prime Foreign Minister.

Duo stepped back, looking dazed.

Heero glared into the vidphone. "I seriously doubt you wanted to contact Duo to badmouth this colony or its inhabitants. Get to the point, Relena."

Relena chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "You're right, Heero. I apologize. Edward is a good boy. I'm impressed with him myself."

"You should come up here once in a while, Prime Foreign Minister," Duo muttered. "You'd be delighted by how many of them would surprise you."

Relena smiled broadly. "How lovely. An invitation. I didn't even have to ask."

Heero blinked. Duo gaped. And Relena continued to smile.

"Believe what you want about my ethics or priority list, Duo," Relena continued, the softness of her voice belied her smug smile. "Quatre and I have been working extremely hard to pass a bill in Parliament to help your colony. And, as well as this Family and this Keeper Arrangement has worked for L2 in the past, if the Tamer-Satellite Bill is passed, that corruption can no longer be tolerated because it would be no longer necessary. I need to make an assessment of how smooth the transition may be. I'm not going to risk any of the other colonies if L2 is... too far under."

Heero placed a hand on Duo's arm as he went to make an angry retort. "Please Duo, listen. For once, accept ESUN's help. This isn't anything we haven't talked about. They have to know L2 is worth saving."

Duo's eyes were cold and it hurt to look at them, but Heero continued anyway. "And it is. We both know it is. But they don't... and all the cards are in their hands, Duo. If you want to help L2... use your head, goddamit."

Duo turned back to Relena. "If you come up here, we do it my way."

Relena nodded. "I am... under the impression that a disguise would be necessary."

"Let me guess," Duo snarled. "Hilde?"

Heero blinked; Relena gasped and colored. "We've... spoken on the matter. L2 is very important to her."

Duo swallowed the tears of frustration and betrayal that were threatening to leak past his lids. He pushed an errant lock of hair behind his ear. "What else do you know?"

"Preventer Chang spoke to me about a few things off-record --" Duo stiffened. "-- and the Kringley incident has me... concerned, as well. I would like a thorough debrief."

Duo nodded, his jaws clamped shut.

Relena hesitated. "I'll... see you in a few days then. I'll contact you before I come anywhere near Simside."

Duo's eyes were slits now and he was trembling with the effort to hold in his rage. "It is very kind of you to be so considerate, Prime Foreign Minister. I am undoubtedly obliged. If that is all... ?"

Relena nodded and cut the feed.

Duo stood there, looking at nothing and concentrated on breathing. Heero reached out to him, but Duo flinched away with a hiss.

"Don't fucking touch me you fucking traitor," Duo said coldly. "You told Wufei, didn't you? And Hilde feeding ESUN tidbits behind my back all this time?! What the flying fuck?"

Heero swallowed. "Everything was off-record, Duo. I was only trying to help."

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me before I find out through someone else?" Duo snapped.

Heero hesitated. "Parliament wants an L2 representative to speak on the need for the Tameriathyst."

Duo laughed bitterly. "Of course they do." Duo sneered at Heero. "And who did you appoint? Were you going to do it yourself?" Duo scoffed. "That's it, isn't it? L2 was fucked from the very beginning."

Heero set his jaw and stood squarely in front of Duo. "You're being a prick," Heero said.

Duo was quiet for a moment. "A moment ago you were whining about what we were to each other and if it would survive a Unit transfer. If we can't communicate, Heero, if we can't tell each other everything... then where does that leave us?"

Heero looked away. "Don't say it."

"No where," Duo said quietly. "Or, more appropriately, where we were five weeks ago. Strangers."

Heero swallowed past the lump in his throat, but did not look at him.

Duo gazed at him dispassionately for a moment longer before picking up his wallet and keys and putting them into his jacket. "The sex was great, though," he called over his shoulder.

A minute later, Heero heard the front door slam shut and the sound of Duo's pick-up spurring to life.

Heero took in a deep breath, hating the pain that speared his heart, and began packing his things.

Duo parked in front of the church and burst into tears.

He didn't know why he'd come here. Maybe it was because he hadn't followed his heart like Father Elamaida had advised him to do the last time he was here. Maybe it was because he knew he was unnecessarily harsh towards Heero and it wasn't fair. Maybe it was because he was scared to death and desperately needed someone to talk to.

Why he was turning to a priest, Duo couldn't fathom. Perhaps it would be better for him to talk to Bill about his love affair with another man... and not a Catholic priest.

Duo managed to laugh through his tears. He wouldn't be able to. Bill would only want to hear about Relena and the preparations for her visit. Coming to Bill in this emotional state would only annoy the Family Keeper.

Duo sighed and wiped at his tears. He turned off the ignition, stepped out of the car, and walked into the church.

Heero walked briskly through the side streets of Simside, his hands firmly stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. A pair of Rabbits approached him warily and Heero stopped and stared back them, a bleary tiredness in his eyes.

"Hiya Heero!" the taller one said. "Where's Duo?"

Heero closed his eyes briefly. He knew it must seem odd for him to be walking alone through Simside at this time on a Saturday. If Heero wasn't at the Unit, he was usually with Duo at Schoonerville, or the house, or walking side by side down a sidewalk. It was something to wonder at, how often they were together before they were officially lovers.

And now it's over.

"I don't know, Johnny," Heero said quietly.

"You two fightin' again?" Johnny asked.

That, too, they were regularly seen doing.

And that was now over, as well.

"Shh!" Timothy, his partner said. Rabbits always worked in twos. Heero wondered who Duo's partner had been when he was a Rabbit. He'd never asked. "You don't say things like that to grown-ups! It's impolite."

Heero smiled good-naturedly. "I'm no grown-up, kid. And I'm certainly not polite."

The two Rabbits squealed with laughter at Heero's feigned attempt at punk bravado.

Heero grinned. "Do you know where Bill is?"

Their young faces turned into expressions of severe thoughtfulness that only children could pull off.

"He's at home," Timothy said.

"Yeah, it's early still," Johnny agreed.

"Thanks guys." Heero waved as he left and the Rabbits scampered back off to where they usually lurked, waiting for unsuspecting passerbys.

Twenty minutes later, Heero stood in front of Bill's house. It was a strange looking confabulation. Bill had obviously made it himself from odd bits and pieces he'd gotten here and there from the Sweepers, or from Duo's scrap yard. Every time Heero saw it, he thought about the tale of the old woman who lived in a shoe.

Heero knocked on the front door. Moments later it swung open and Bill stood before him. Heero pulled his right hand out of his pocket, producing a pistol, and lifted it, handle-outward, to Bill.

"I betrayed the Family," Heero said.

Bill frowned at the gun Heero was trying to hand him. When Bill raised his eyes to Heero's, Bill saw something very, very close to despair in the cobalt depths.

Bill sighed once before slapping the former pilot of Wing Zero across the face as hard as he could. Heero, stunned, dropped the gun and Bill caught it mid-air. Bill quickly disassembled the firearm and discarded the parts into the bushes by the porch.

Bill looked back at Heero, seeing his lower-lip already swelling beneath the blood that was trickling from the corner of his mouth. "I don't give a damn what you think you did, boy; nothing condones bringing a firearm into Simside without my expressed permission."

Heero's shoulders slumped. It seemed like it was his day for royally fucking up.

Bill backhanded him again. "And don't slouch, boy!"

Bill stepped to one side, opening his door a bit further. "Come in," he said.

Feeling like a ten year old boy, the former pilot of Wing Zero stepped inside the Keeper of the Family of L2's makeshift house.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"No." Father Elamaida shook his head sternly.

"Father --"

"No, Duo," Father Elamaida repeated, placing two hands on the braided man's shoulders. "For three reasons... "

Duo frowned and looked up into Father Elamaida's wise, light-brown eyes.

"First," Father Elamaida continued, "if I was an expert on earthly love between two people, I probably wouldn't be a priest."

Duo smiled, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. That was probably true.

Father Elamaida gave Duo's shoulders a slight squeeze before dropping his hands back by his sides. "Secondly, Confession is NOT therapy. It is a way to aid people in their communion with God. Most people feel talking to God is difficult without someone to intervene for them." Father Elamaida sighed. "I wonder when people will realize that the necessary intervention was done by God's son thousands of years ago."

Duo scratched at his ear, biting back the sarcastic comment that Father Maxwell had frequently boxed his ears for when he was still alive. Whether there was really a god that sent his son down to earth to die for their sins or not remains to be seen. Duo shrugged. He figured he would find out after he was dead.

"Third," Father Elamaida said. "I firmly believe you need to re-learn how to pray."

Duo blinked at him. "Why?"

Father Elamaida laughed. "Because you haven't talked to God since the war ended."

Duo was quiet for a moment, chewing on his lip. "I haven't prayed since before G gave me Deathscythe," he corrected the priest.

Father Elamaida crossed his arms and favored Duo with a patient look. "Explain."

"During the wars, I communed with Death," Duo said quietly, his violet eyes taking on an unholy glow. "Death was the only thing that answered my prayers. Death is the only thing that answers anyone's prayers."

Father Elamaida nodded. "Tell me of Death then."

Duo looked across the empty cathedral to where the Christ hung from his wooden cross. "I thought, after Father Maxwell died, that if I made a pact with Death that Death would aid me in exacting revenge for Father Maxwell's death."

Father Elamaida sat down on a near by pew, nodding for Duo to continue.

Duo continued to stare at the crucifixion, his voice barely a whisper as he remembered what it felt like to be in the cockpit of Deathscythe. "I was Death's avatar. I fed it souls and it... tempered my soul. Calling on Death kept me sane."

"How?"

Duo did look at him then, his eyes feverish with his memories. "I didn't have to believe that I was the same as the soldiers who killed Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. I was working for Death. I controlled Death. I fed it souls and dealt out justice as I saw fit; and Death... it's hard to explain, Father."

Father Elamaida looked up at him compassionately. "Try."

Duo blinked thinking of Heero and their first night together. Duo swallowed. "It's peaceful in Death's embrace. It was like feeding a monster when it did nice things for you. And in return... in return, Death... "

"Loved you," Father Elamaida finished for him.

Duo nodded. "Yes," Duo whispered. "Death loved me. I gave it what it needed; it gave me what I needed... "

"But the romance was one-sided, wasn't it?"

Duo swallowed, remembering the hollow despair he'd felt when he returned to L2 after the war and saw that after all he'd done, L2 was still L2; filthy, crime-ridden, and poor. "The pact was over. We had attained peace. Death didn't need to love me anymore. And vice versa."

"And you were alone again."

"Yes."

"So, you began cleaning up L2 from the inside out, feeling you couldn't do it fast enough through the Preventers."

Duo nodded.

"And you forgot how to love."

Duo looked back at the crucifixion atop the altar. "Yeah."

Father Elamaida was quiet for a moment. "Would you agree, then, that Death's embrace is a loving one?"

Duo looked at his hands. "Yes."

"And what is God?"

Duo favored the priest with an uncomprehending look.

Father Elamaida smiled gently. "'She opened her mouth'," he quoted, "'and the Name of God came forth from her lips like thunder. People from many nations stood on the brink in awe, the syllables of the Name crashing about their ears; and all they heard was "love".'"

Duo looked away and wrapped his arms tightly around himself.

"Duo, if you cannot believe that God is a being greater than us, a mighty thing that created us all, then at least believe that He is love."

Duo was silent. His eyes were downcast and he would not look at the priest.

"Duo, you prayed to Death because you were compassionate. You were trying to ease the suffering of your own heart when you took a human's life. There's nothing wrong with that. You were praying for love."

Duo still did not answer.

"Even now, you are praying for love," Elamaida murmured, as if he were talking to himself. "And whatever it is that you think answers your prayers... "

Suddenly, Duo looked up, his mouth slack. "No... "

"I think your prayer was answered," Elamaida said. "Why do you run from it?"

Duo angrily wiped the tear that slid down his cheek. "I don't know."

Father Elamaida pursed his lips. "Maybe it's the telephone pole theory."

"The what?"

"Well," Father Elamaida said, re-adjusting himself on the pew to a more comfortable position. "A highway was built with telephone poles spread out evenly on one side. Over the course of the next year, there were hundreds of car crashes; all of them where the vehicles would crash into the telephone poles. They spread the telephone poles out further, trying to bring down the statistic. However, over the next year, the same number of accidents occurred. They brought in specialists, and as hard as they tried to figure it out, they couldn't. Finally they brought in a psychologist. The psychologist surveyed the situation for a moment before snapping her fingers. She said that the distance between the telephone poles wasn't the issue. She said that when people swerved off of the road, they were concentrating so hard on NOT hitting the telephone poles that they actually do. Every single time."

Duo raised a brow. "Meaning?"

Father Elamaida sighed. "What I'm saying, Duo, is that you are concentrating so hard on not being loved and not being able to trust anyone because everyone lets you down in the end, including God and this Heero friend of yours, that this is actually what you cause to occur in your life. Every single time."

Duo thought for a moment. "So, I'm to blame?"

Father Elamaida sent him a disappointed look. "You're missing the point. It's not about blame or fault. It's about being responsible. And what does that mean, exactly?"

Even though his grade-school education pretty much began and ended with the third grade, Father Maxwell had made him memorize Latin like it was what he was born to do. "The ability to respond," Duo said with an impatient flick of his wrist.

"So, using this ability," Father Elamaida said. "How are you going to respond to the present situation?"

Duo looked away.

"And, if I am not too forward in saying this," Father Elamaida added as he rose to his feet and began walking away. "Your usual response hasn't been working very well. I suggest taking a hard look at your temper, Duo Maxwell."

Duo's shoulders slumped as he watched the priest walk down some dimly-lit corridor. Duo frowned, knowing he was going to have to save face sooner or later. There really was no sense in hiding out in a church. He turned on his heel and strode out of the cathedral.

Bill made a steeple with his fingers and rested them under his chin, regarding Heero with a stern look. "So what's this business about betraying the Family?"

Heero, holding a piece of frozen steak to the swelling side of his face, looked up. "I told a Preventer Agent about the Family and the Keeper Arrangement."

Bill raised a thick brow. "I never took ya for a simpleton, Heero. That whole Unit knows about us."

Heero shook his head. "I told Chang Wufei, a commanding officer from Headquarters."

"Chang? The kid from the L5 clan?" Bill laughed heartily. "How's he doin'? His uncle 'n I go way back. I was pissed when he died, though."

"You know Wufei?" Heero couldn't hide his surprise.

"Did I say I knew him? I said I knew his uncle, boy. Pay attention." Bill chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You had your reasons?"

Heero nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Well, it's settled then," Bill said, sitting back in his armchair. "I trust your discretion."

Heero lowered the frozen steak and set it on the table. "Are you sure?"

Bill shrugged. "Why'd you read so much into it?"

"Duo called me a traitor," Heero said quietly.

Bill was quiet for a few seconds. "Well, when did you tell Duo you spoke to this man about us?"

"I didn't," Heero said. "He found out from the Prime Foreign Minister."

Bill whistled. "Well done, m'boy."

Heero winced as he thoughtfully touched his bruised lip. Bill had hit him so hard he thought his face was going to explode. The throbbing continued to be equally uncomfortable.

"Duo doesn't like to be kept in the dark about anything," Bill said. "You didn't betray the Family, Heero, you betrayed his trust."

Heero nodded and looked out the window. "And not for the first time."

Bill chuckled. "Yeah, he told me 'bout how you stripped his gundam for parts an' all."

Heero continued to stare out of the window.

Bill cleared his throat. "Well, anything else I should know?"

Heero quietly filled him in about Relena coming L2 and Parliament requesting an L2 representative to speak on the colony's behalf.

Bill listened patiently and when Heero finished he looked up thoughtfully. "Duo would never set foot in that Parliament building and they wouldn't take me seriously --"

"I'll do it," Heero murmured.

Bill regarded the young man with interest. "Are you sure?"

Heero shrugged. "It may be the last thing I can do for the Family. I'm leaving today."

"Today? I thought you didn't leave for another week."

Heero closed his eyes briefly. "I think it would be better for me to go now."

Bill pursed his lips. "If your blamin' yourself for Duo's pissy mood, I'll have ya know he's been like that for seven years now. He's actually been a little better, past couple o' weeks."

Heero shook his head. "Whatever we had was over before it began, Bill. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong... everything."

Bill shrugged. "So?"

Heero looked up. "What do you mean, 'so'?"

"So, what? Seems to me you boys've been through a lot worse together than a couple bumpy arguments and a damn Tameriathyst Bill."

"It's different now."

"Why?"

"Bill, you know why. Don't play with me."

Bill scratched at the stubble growing on his chin. "It made him happy to see you again, Heero."

"He didn't seem happy today."

Bill shrugged. "I'm not really good at this kind of thing, kid. But I'll tell ya: yer a fool for running away like a whipped puppy dog. I know it feels like the right thing to do n' all, but --"

"Bill, please," Heero said, coming to his feet. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, but... you're not."

Bill shrugged again. "Can't say I didn't try."

"I know." Heero put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "It was an honor to be a part of your Family, Bill."

"You still are," Bill said gruffly. "An' always will be, boy. Remember that."

Heero smiled. "Thank you."

An hour and a half later, there was another knock on Bill's door. Grumbling, Bill pushed himself off the couch and answered the door.

Duo stood on the other side, trying to peer around Bill's large frame.

Bill sighed heavily. "I know about the Prime Foreign Minister coming up here an' all. We can iron out the details later. However, since your lover boy's leavin' on a jet plane soon, I suggest you run." With that, Bill promptly slammed the door shut.

Duo gaped at the door handle and turned around, his mind going numb with shock. Heero's leaving. Oh... fuck...

"Thank you for flying Galactic Transit," the attendant said as she took Heero's bags and placed them on a moving ramp. "It looks like your jet will be leaving on time today, Preventer Yuy. If you'll step this way, we'll get you through in no time... "

Heero sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Taking one last look behind him at the L2 colony, Heero fell into step beside the attendant and followed her through the terminal.

Duo burst into the Unit and stormed into the mess hall. He grabbed Lieutenant Filer by his collar. "What's his plane number and when's it leavin'?" Duo said in a murderous tone.

"I'm sorry, Duo. That's classified --" Duo shook the man so hard his teeth rattled.

"I'm. Not. Fucking. Playing. Lieutenant."

"Would you care for some champagne?"

Heero didn't bother to look at the flight attendant who was hovering at his shoulder as he settled himself into his seat in First Class, and she eventually went away.

Heero pulled out his laptop and booted it up. His hands settled over the keys, but his mind was far away; Heero had already forgotten why he'd got out his computer in the first place.

He felt a pain stab in his chest and wondered if this is what it felt like when the wheels finally fall off. Heero put his head in his hands and groaned. Numb anger settled in his stomach and flushed out the hurt as the attendants began going over the pre-flight safety precautions.

Heero cursed himself for getting too comfortable here on L2. That had been Odin's first lesson to him: Never get comfortable anywhere or with anyone.

Heero would be lying to himself though if he said he didn't care. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wouldn't miss this place terribly or do anything to make this whole thing right again.

Duo nearly fell when a bit of the roofing he landed on slipped under his feet. Regaining his balance, he quickly darted forward and hopped onto another rooftop. Duo checked his watch. Heero's plane left in twenty minutes.

Duo knew he'd never make it if he drove. The traffic was horrendous at this time of the day and walking would not have gotten him there any faster. Duo had decided to take the Rabbit route... i.e. hopping to and fro on rooftops.

Technically, he was now too big for this type of travel, knowing the tiling would only safely hold weight under a hundred pounds or so. Today, Duo was willing to risk it.

There, twenty yards away, was the spaceport. Duo lurched forward, willing his legs to move faster. If he could get to Heero before the jet left, then maybe he could convince him to stay. He could tell him how sorry he was and he knew he was being a brat and he didn't mean what he said... if he could just get there...

Duo somersaulted over the ledge and landed neatly on his feet. Immediately, he was pushing through the crowded ticketing booths and, finally, Duo reached a screen displaying the flights and where they were departing from. Scanning the illuminated numbers and letters with his eyes, Duo finally found Heero's flight. Duo checked his watch again.

He would never make it in time. Duo clenched his teeth. Fuck it. He had to try.

Duo took off at a mad dash down a long corridor and then another. And then another and another and another.

And suddenly, when he thought he'd never get there, he arrived... only to scream in frustration.

Duo watched as jet 5GH9OW22 -- consequently Heero's plane -- took off.

"Sir?"

Duo could not believe Heero would actually leave him AGAIN. AGAIN! What was he supposed to do? Wait another six to seven years before seeing him again? God damn it!

"Sir?"

Duo turned and let his furious violet gaze rest on the boarding attendant warily trying to get his attention. "What?"

"Um," she said, taking a step back. "I'm very sorry you missed your flight, sir. If you come over here, we could reschedule... "

Duo threw his hands up in disgust and stalked away.

What a fucking miserable day.

The jet lurched forward and Heero was pressed into his seat as they completed their take off. When they were finally in space Heero watched L2 shrink in the distance from the window next to his seat.

Heero touched his cheek and frowned at the wetness he gathered with his fingertips. Heero scowled when he realized it was a tear and furiously wiped at his eyes. "Damn you, Duo," Heero whispered. "God damn you."

Duo wasn't sure who to thank when Relena decided to come up on a Tuesday. At least he didn't have to bring her to Schoonerville. Duo was convinced he would lose his mind if the Prime fucking Foreign Minister actually set foot into HIS bar.

As it was, the past three days had been hell. No matter how hard he scrubbed, Duo couldn't get the smell of Heero's cologne out of his bed sheets, or his clothes, or the damn carpet... and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about him.

Duo couldn't stop thinking about the way Heero would toss his head to one side to get an annoying lock of hair out of his eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about how his body had moved under the garish club-lights as he waltzed a girl across the floor the first night Duo had introduced him to the Family. Duo couldn't stop thinking about how soft his mouth had looked when he smiled back at him the night they had gone to the small cathedral that had been built over Maxwell Church.

Duo couldn't stop thinking about Heero's deep, rich laugh as he played with Bob, or the feel of Heero's fingers in his braid. Duo couldn't stop thinking about how the shadows fell across his features just... so... when they made love. And he couldn't stop thinking about how terrified he felt when he watched Heero's jet leave, knowing he was too late.

Knowing he'd really, really fucked up.

Duo tormented himself with the knowledge that he'd never told Heero what he truly felt for him.

That he never told him he'd fallen for him.

And now it was too late.

Duo hadn't eaten or slept since he watched Heero's jet take off at the spaceport this past Saturday. He didn't go to the yard and refused to return any of Hilde's worried phone calls. Duo didn't know how to deal with her. Duo was certain she was only trying to help... but something didn't quite add up. Hilde mentioned before that she and Relena had become friends over the years and if Relena knew about the Keepers and the Family, why hadn't she done anything about it yet? Why now?

And Hilde was supposed to be his best friend. Was it possible that she had been going behind his back for six years?! Apparently.

And that thought alone made his blood boil.

Duo thought of Father Elamaida's advice and decided it was best to leave THAT particular confrontation for later... at least until he could get himself under some semblance of control.

During these past few days, Duo had drunk more of Schoonerville's beer than his customer's usually did and simply glared at anyone who dared to ask if he was alright. He snapped angrily at Bill -- which he never did -- and completely ignored everyone else.

Duo wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and disappear.

Finally, Relena contacted him and now Duo was sitting in front of the spaceport in his old truck, waiting for her to come out. Within minutes, he spotted her.

Well, he spotted Noin before he spotted Relena. As promised, Relena stuffed her hair under a baseball cap and had the bill pulled low over her face. Her jacket collar was up and she wore baggy jeans and sneakers. She looked nothing like the Prime Foreign Minister the press liked to show her as in magazines. Noin was dressed in a simple white sweater and a pair of slacks, having little need for a disguise because her face was only well-known among soldiers.

The two women piled into Duo's truck and Duo took off down the street towards Simside. Duo took a sidelong glance at Noin.

"I thought you weren't bringing an entourage, Relena."

Noin frowned but Relena smiled from underneath her baseball cap. "I lied, it seems."

Over the next few hours, Duo showed them through Simside. He explained each area's history and progress, the understanding Simside had with Neverne; and exactly how they would use the money the bill would afford them to clean up this block or that block. He talked about plans for the Border and the leaks that would be fixed in the high-school's piping. He talked about the half-way homes and the shelters. He talked about how most of them wouldn't be needed once they could afford more commerce on the actual colony. The homeless would have jobs, prices would be stable, the need to ration food would no longer exist and they could re-build this neighborhood and that neighborhood. And the Kept-Rabbits would be sent to boarding school at the colony's expense, their education paid in full. Keepers would have honest jobs and Preventers could walk freely among the Family. They could fix the sewage problem in the Eastern Bank and re-pave the streets...

Duo droned on and on, his voice hollow and tired as he pointed here and there. Noin and Relena exchanged frequent worried glances.

When Duo finally took them back to the spaceport, Relena took Duo's arm and pulled him aside.

"Heero's not here, is he?" Relena murmured.

"At least you're not an idiot," Duo muttered. "By thunder, I think we're saved."

Relena was quiet, thinking of what to say. "You care for him?"

Duo's eyes stung and he blinked away the threatening tears.

Relena nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and closed her mouth again.

"He left me Saturday," Duo said finally, his throat raw. "I can't find him."

Relena touched his arm. "I think what you have been doing up here is extremely admirable. I would be honored to back your cause, Duo."

Duo looked away. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"I was born to privilege, Duo," Relena continued softly. "I can reach people you can't... just like you can reach people I can't. I think we should work as a team, Duo. It may save lives if we do."

Duo looked up at her, sensing a riddle. "What are you saying?"

Relena nodded slowly. "It would help for you to be seen at my wedding before the final vote at Parliament next week," she murmured. "And I know for a fact Heero will be there." With a small squeeze on his arm, Relena moved past Duo and joined Noin on the other side of the ticketing booths.

Duo stood very still for a moment before a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. 'No wonder she's Prime Foreign Minister', Duo thought as he turned and called out to the two women as the made their way down the corridor. "Sunday?"

Relena turned back and gave him a brilliant smile. "Sure is," she called back.

Duo stuffed his hands into his pockets and sauntered away, chuckling ruefully to himself. 'I cannot believe I'm actually going to go to her freaking wedding over a guy,' Duo thought.

'Well... not just any guy.

'It's Heero.'

After contracting two Rabbits to care for Bob while he was away, Duo went home to pack. He fished out his old Sanq uniform and an old tux he never used and took special care to iron both sets of clothing before zipping them up in a bag.

Duo packed a few other articles of clothing in a small duffle bag and went into the bathroom to grab some necessary toiletries. When he opened the cabinet behind the mirror, a small piece of paper fell out. Frowning, Duo stooped to pick it up. He unfolded it and his eyes misted over as he read its contents.

'It's you and me, Duo. It's you and me until the wheels fall off. ~Heero.'

Duo bit his lip and tried to swallow past the lump in throat. If Duo knew anything about Heero, he knew Heero probably didn't even know what that meant. Yet, Duo also knew that this was probably the only way Heero knew how to tell Duo he still cared.

Duo re-folded the piece of paper and put in his pocket. He grabbed the toiletries and went back into his bedroom to pack them.

Shouldering his duffle, Duo trotted down the stairs, pausing at the front door when his phone rang. After three rings, the answering machine picked up.

"Duo? Are you there?" It was Hilde... and she sounded like she had been crying. "I know you're there, Duo. Please pick up... fine. Duo, I know you're pissed at me right now, but --" A sniffle. "-- I wanted you to know that I love you and I'm so, so sorry. There's something I need to talk to you about. It's important, please pick up." Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. "Duo? Please come to the wedding. I know I'm in no position to ask for favors right now, but... it would mean so much to me if you were there... well, I guess... I guess I'll see you around. Please call me back."

There was a sharp beep indicating the recording had ended and Duo was now staring at his answering machine like it was an evil thing. It seemed like everyone he knew had been trying to get him to go to Relena's damn wedding for six weeks now. Well, everyone except Heero. They hadn't spoken about it once.

And Heero was the only reason why he was going.

Imagine that.

Booking a last-minute flight to Earth isn't exactly easy. Preventers could do it without much difficulty. There were always a few available seats prepared for traveling Preventers at any given time. Duo, however, was not a Preventer, and had to wait in line for hours and pay a sordid amount of money to even get a flight within the next week. As it turned out, Duo managed to get pretty lucky with a flight leaving early Thursday morning.

The flight to Earth took about thirty-one hours -- not including the necessary stop for fuel near the moon -- and when Duo finally arrived on the planet the following Friday morning, he had to hop right back on another plane bound for the European countries. After landing on the right continent, Duo took a train into France -- where he slept for most of the way -- and booked a room at a cheap motel in the eastern quarter of Paris.

Sunday morning found him cranky, extremely sore, and unforgivably late.

Duo barely gave himself enough time to brush his teeth before pulling on his tux, throwing himself down the stairs and racing outside where he used his best French -- which wasn't really all that great, if Duo was totally honest with himself -- to hail a cab.

A crawling hour later, Duo stood in front of a towering cathedral surrounded by a sea of people, fans, press and any other sort one could possibly think of -- and felt thoroughly defeated.

He was NEVER going to make it in there in one piece.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and dragged him bodily into the crowd. When Duo could finally see in front of him, he recognized the back of Noin's head.

"You're late," Noin grumbled as she led him around the cathedral and into a side entrance.

"Did it start already?" Duo had to shout to be heard over the din.

"No," Noin said, pausing in front of Duo to give him a once-over. She took off a small bouquet of flowers pinned to the front of her blouse and attached it to the breast of Duo's tux. "We were waiting for you."

"What?"

"Shh," Noin said. "Follow me."

The next thing he knew, Noin had dragged him into the church, coming from behind the altar, and had positioned him next to a sickly and stunned looking Heero Yuy... on the groom's side of the altar.

When Noin had disappeared, Duo looked out into the sea of expectant faces of those who had gathered in the pews before glancing at Heero. "What the fuck is going on?" he hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

Heero looked at him, bafflement evident in every contour of his face. "I have no idea," Heero breathed.

Suddenly, the symphony began playing and the large, gilded doors on the other end of the Cathedral opened.

Duo stared open-mouthed at the pair that emerged. There, clinging happily to Bill's arm, in a suit of brilliant white...

... was Hilde.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Duo trembled as Bill and Hilde made their way to the altar. At first, confusion and bafflement had, quite literally, clouded his vision to the point where he was swaying on his feet. A firm hand grasped his arm and held him upright. Finally, blinking away the last stars of shock, Duo looked down at the hand and realized it was Heero's.

Duo looked back at Hilde, a new emotion beginning to boil and spread through his chest... RAGE. His entire body quivered with it. However, this, too, was short-lived because Hilde's smiling face turned to him and, if possible, her smile widened.

Duo's tense body relaxed. Her smile radiated with the purest happiness he'd ever seen. Duo couldn't find it in his heart to begrudge her of it. At least, not in this moment.

Kissing her lightly on the cheek, Bill left Hilde to stand next to Duo. Bill refused to meet Duo's demanding gaze and stared straight ahead, jaw set and shoulders squared.

The double doors opened again and Relena stepped through on the arm of Milliardo Peacecraft, her elder brother. With her head held high and looking like a princess right out of a fairy story in her flowing white dress, she made her way to the altar with Milliardo walking gracefully beside her.

Milliardo's crystal blue eyes looked up and met Duo's. Duo's eyes widened a fraction as he studied the Lightning Count's face. Duo wouldn't call himself a gambling man, but he would bet large sums of money that Milliardo hadn't known about this either until just recently.

After leaving Relena beside Hilde, Milliardo made his way quietly to stand next to Bill. A priest began the sermon and the wedding officially began.

Without Hilde's shining face to sate it, Duo's rage came back with such force; his blood began beating in his ears. Everything quieted around him until the only sound he could hear was the sound of his own ragged breathing. Why the secrets? Why all the goddamn fucking secrets? What could be more important than telling your best friend or your elder brother that you're getting married and to whom?

Suddenly, Duo stiffened when he realized about two hundred eyes were on him. He blinked and looked around. Hilde had turned and was gazing at him expectantly. Duo stared blankly back at her, his expression unreadable.

"If there is anyone here," the priest said slowly, as if he was repeating himself, "who says these two should not be married; speak now or forever hold your peace."

Duo turned and spared a glance in Milliardo's direction. Ruefully, Duo realized he never thought he and the Lightning Count would ever have a common bond. It seemed they did today. Milliardo looked back, a small, wry smile tugging at the corners of his stern lips. He shrugged and shook his head slightly before going back to staring at nothing.

Duo looked back at Hilde, whose happy face was now creased with worry. Everyone waited with baited breath as the two friends stared at one another. Finally, Duo realized that wedding would not continue unless he gave his blessing. Heat flooded his cheeks and, after sparing a nervous glance to the sea of people in front of them, a light smile graced his features. Duo's violet eyes turned gentle and he nodded his consent.

Surprising everyone assembled -- and very much including Duo -- Hilde let loose a cry of sheer joy before launching herself into Duo's arms. Duo mumbled something around a startled laugh and wrapped his arms around her slight, white-clad form for a quick hug before releasing her. She smiled again and gave him a kiss on the cheek before re-joining a bemused Relena Peacecraft at the altar.

The smile slowly faded from Duo's lips as the ceremony dragged on and on. Duo was minutely jealous of their open happiness as he felt rather than saw Heero's stiffened form radiate cold and distant anxiety next to him. This could have been a happy day for both of them. Duo scowled, supposing this was just another one of Heero's little secrets that the ESUN prodded him to keep. This was exactly why they had fought in the first place. Doesn't Heero get that? Doesn't he get that all they had to do was talk to each other about things and they would be fine?

So much for 'some French dignitary'.

Relena and Hilde ran off to the limousine outside the church through a shower of rice and small imitation crystals while the bridesmaids and best men were ushered into another room to await their own limousine. Heero openly glared at the braided man who was speaking in low tones with the Lightning Count. Bill sat in another corner, softly snoring as he dozed. It would be quite some time before that crowd was cleared enough to get their vehicle close to the church.

"And you had the nerve to criticize me about secrets," Heero grated out finally. "You fucking hypocrite."

Duo's head shot up and sent a bewildered look across the room to Heero before he replied. "Heero, you... no, what?"

"I was humiliated today," Heero said in a quiet, dangerous voice. "How the hell am I supposed to speak on L2's behalf tomorrow now?"

Duo narrowed his eyes. "Heero, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Heero glared at him a moment longer before turning away to gaze out the window. "You really are an idiot," he said after a few moments.

Duo stiffened and took a step forward, an angry retort at the ready. Milliardo reached out and pulled him back, shaking his head and saying to leave it alone.

Crystal glasses of champagne clinked, people laughed and music rang smoothly through the marbled halls of the reception. It was grand, everyone dressed in dressed, a myriad of perfumes and colognes clashing over the smell of food and good wine. Heero drained his third glass of whiskey and continued to stare at the newly married couple waltzing across the dance floor.

"I hate weddings," Heero said aloud to himself.

A gracious laugh sounded from behind him. Heero turned and saw Quatre approaching.

"I don't mind them," Quatre said cheerfully. "They're usually happy occasions. People only hate them when they feel they cannot share in the happiness."

Heero sent the blonde Arabian a smoldering look that had the potential to boil concrete. "Quatre, I'm warning you, I have half a mind to rip you apart. Go away."

Quatre face turned severe and he pursed his lips. "So, now you see why there was the need for secrecy."

"Selfish and pointless," Heero growled. "This stunt won't look good in Parliament and they're not likely to --"

"You ARE speaking then?"

"Quatre, you're not listening! I have to speak tomorrow!" Heero threw his hands in the air, feeling the last bits of his self-control slip away. "Couldn't they have waited until after the L2 vote?"

Quatre regarded his friend with an incredulous look. "First of all, since when is love a 'stunt'? Secondly, no, Heero, weddings don't work like that. They've been planning this wedding for two years. There was no way she was going to move it to another date because of a bill in Parliament."

Heero turned away. "Selfish and pointless."

"Love is more important than politics, Heero. I thought you might have learned that during your stay on L2."

"Oh, fuck off, Quatre. I swear to God --"

"And just because you and Duo are fighting doesn't --"

"I left him, Quatre," Heero snarled. "Because, like you, he was using me. Like all of you. I'm tired of being everyone's fucking pushover."

Quatre was quiet, trying to find the right words.

"And we never discussed coming to the wedding, Quatre," Heero added softly. "But he's here. He knew, didn't he?"

Quatre's blonde brows shot up. "No, he didn't, Heero. That's why you were sent up there; to convince him. Hilde wouldn't go through with it if Duo didn't give his consent... but she was scared to death he'd refuse if she told him beforehand."

Heero's eyes looked suddenly tired. "Well, he seems to be taking it well."

Duo was laughing with some politician over a glass of cordial on the other side of the ballroom. Duo looked over and met Heero's gaze, his features sobering immediately.

"He has natural charisma," Quatre commented softly, following Heero's gaze with aquamarine orbs.

Heero swallowed and turned away. "The next time you want to play matchmaker, Quatre, leave me the fuck out of it. I don't like the way it hurts."

Quatre watched him disappear amidst crowded merry-making aristocrats. He ran his hands through his hair before setting his shoulders and walking forward to greet the Marquis of Lavonia who was shyly approaching him. Sometimes politics got ugly... but Quatre knew those two would figure it out. They usually did. Even if it took them seven years or so.

Duo watched with dark-violet eyes as Heero disappeared down the hall. Earlier, he had acted like he was angry at Duo for not telling him that Relena was, in fact, marrying Hilde and not some French diplomat. Was it possible he hadn't known?

Duo politely excused himself from the less-than-engaging conversation he was having with a man whose name he'd already forgotten and walked towards the hall Heero had vacated through. A light tug on his arm caused him to pause and look over his shoulder.

Hilde beamed at him. "This dance is ours, Duo Maxwell," she informed him before dragging the braided man to the dance floor. Duo glanced once more behind him at the hall. Giving up, Duo placed one hand on Hilde's hip and, with his other hand, he gracefully led her across the dance floor.

"Everyone is pleased to see you again, Duo," Hilde said, her words drenched in wry humor.

Duo grunted. "Yeah, I hear 'em whispering behind my back."

Hilde laughed. "No one is out to get you, Duo. Not here."

Duo was quiet as he led her into a few complicated dance steps, pivoted her, and returned to the slow, elegant sway of the waltz. One, two, three... one, two three... Duo found himself reciting the steps in his head before he led Hilde into them. Duo Maxwell had not waltzed in years; though, no one would have known. Dancing had always come to him easily. Flying did as well. The latter had shocked the hell out of a certain professor when Duo had begun his training for Operation M as a young teenager.

"You're still angry with me."

Duo graced her with a rueful expression. "Not now. I can be pissed tomorrow."

Hilde was quiet as she searched for the right words. "I'm glad you're here. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Why all the deception, Hilde?" Duo asked before he pulled her through a series of pivots. "What is it about me that people feel they have to lie to me?"

Hilde smiled before her face grew serious. Leave it to Duo to get right to the point. "Because you have a gnarly, fucking temper, Duo."

Duo laughed. He couldn't help himself. He knew he had an erratic temper and was prone to flying off the handle over less than dramatic things. Duo could be extremely moody when he wanted to be. Sure, Duo could lie to himself and say it was just because he was stressed over L2 and the Family... but Duo Maxwell never lies. He'd been that way for years.

Hilde smiled softly. "You were happy these past few weeks, though. It was like I was seeing you again. It's almost as if there's some broody, malcontent asshole that likes to take your place so you can push through all the shit you feel you have to do... and the real Duo only comes out to play every once in a while. I saw the real Duo for two weeks straight."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Broody? Malcontent? What is it with you people gettin' all fancy with your vocabulary all of a sudden? Bill was saying something the other day --"

"Duo," Hilde interjected sternly. "You're dancing."

"Indeed, I am," Duo said. He understood though. It was their term for when they recognized one another to be dancing around the truth. One doesn't have to lie to be dishonest.

Duo frowned. "What's the point?" Duo looked over Hilde's head in the direction Heero had gone. "Everything that happened between Heero and me... everything was planned out by you guys so I'd end up at this damn wedding."

Hilde sighed and pressed her forehead to Duo's chest as they swept across the dance floor. "What your relationship with Heero evolved into was never planned, Duo. I knew for a fact that you were moody because you missed your friends and you were angry because you felt you couldn't ask for their help. You felt this way because you believed you held no power in Parliament or ESUN and wouldn't be terribly helpful to L2 as a Preventer. You also believed that your friends wouldn't approve of the way you were helping L2. And you were angry because Relena was so politically influential and you weren't. AND when Relena seemed to ignore L2, this angered you further. Duo," Hilde looked up into his amethyst eyes, "you need to know that I asked her to stay out of your hair. I recognized that you were doing something really great for L2 so I encouraged Relena to let you preside over this colony and fix it up your way."

Duo didn't respond. He was tumbling her words over in his head, trying to make sense of them. One, two, three... one, two, three...

Hilde sighed again. "I panicked when the wedding date was starting to close in because you were still hateful of Relena and still so damn moody. So I talked to Quatre, Trowa and eventually Wufei, and we decided, based on the strangely stable -- if somewhat odd -- relationship you and Heero had built for yourselves during the war, that it should be Heero to come up to L2 and talk to you about coming to the wedding. To be safe, he was never informed about me and believed he was only up there to fix up our Unit like he's done for so many others. Quatre encouraged him a few times to talk to you about the wedding, but... he never seemed all that interested in pestering you about it."

"I don't even think he likes weddings," Duo mused out loud. One, two, three... one, two, three... Duo wondered if the heavy feeling in his head meant his brain was going numb.

Hilde let the hand she was resting on Duo's shoulder come up and brush against the soft curls of hair at the base of Duo's neck. "So, the long and short of it is: We sat back and waited with our fingers crossed. It was a stroke of luck that landed you here. I almost killed Relena and Wufei when Noin informed me of the fiasco that happened a few days ago. A week before my wedding!" Hilde shook her head, dispelling any residual anger she had towards the whole situation. "That you and Heero became lovers and that all the secrets actually came between you two... Let's just say that I realize now that that my plan sufficiently backfired. I never thought I'd live to see the day that you were happy with someone... and that it would actually be Heero. You've been a loner for so long... "

Hilde's voice trailed off as emotion choked it. The song came to an end and Hilde bravely smiled at the polite applause that sounded from across the ballroom. She sniffled quietly and stole a look up into Duo's face as they made their way off the dance floor. His features were like a storm cloud, drawn, dark, and shuttered.

"Happiness is always so short-lived for you, isn't it?" Hilde murmured.

Duo looked down at her.

"And this time it was my fault." Hilde looked away as her shoulders shook with silent tears. "I'm so sorry, Duo."

"Hey." Duo instantly wrapped her in a warm hug. "Hey, look at me."

Hilde raised her tear-stained eyes to his and Duo wiped at the running mascara. "You're not allowed to cry on your wedding day," Duo said with a kind smile. "You hear me, Hilly-girl?"

Hilde smiled back and nodded. "Why are you so good to me, Duo? Why is it so easy for you to forgive me?"

Duo shrugged as he released her. "'Cause you're my girl," Duo said matter-of-factly, fondly touching the point of her chin.

Hilde interlaced her fingers with Duo's and rested her head on his shoulder as they watched Relena, a vision in white lace, make her way towards them. "I want to see you happy again, Duo."

"The second it happens, you'll be the first to know."

Hilde grinned.

"Where are you two going for your honeymoon anyway?"

"Can't tell you."

"Why?"

"It's a secret."

Duo rolled his eyes. Relena finally made it over to them and, looking once at her beloved and noticing the marks of recently dried tears on Hilde's face, she frowned. "Are you alright?"

Hilde smiled affectionately at the former Queen of the World, her new bride. "Yes, I am."

"Good." Relena took Hilde's arm as she looked up at Duo. "Heero's leaving, Duo. I thought... I thought you'd like to know."

Duo glanced at Hilde, who squeezed his hand before letting his fingers go. "Go get him," Hilde said with a jerk of her chin.

Duo needed no more motivation and was gone.

Relena looked down into her official Consort's face. "Heero's speaking at Parliament tomorrow... in L2's defense."

Hilde looked stricken. "Heero?!"

"What?" Relena smiled ruefully. "You don't think he can do it?"

"Eh! Scotch. Thanks." Bill accepted his glass over the marbled bar in a dimly lit corner of the reception hall.

"I saw you walk Hilde Schbeiker down the aisle," a man said next to him. "Are you her father?"

Bill nearly choked on his first sip. "Not quite. I'm... her Keeper."

"Ah," the man said, obviously thinking it was a joke of some kind. "Ricky, put this one on my tab."

Ricky, the bartender, nodded and continued to dry off wine glasses and put them away.

Bill raised his glass to the man in gratitude.

"Senator Hopkins," the man said, shaking Bill's hand as he introduced himself.

"Bill," Bill answered. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Bill... ?" Senator Hopkins raised a well manicured brow.

"Just Bill," L2's Keeper answered with a smile.

Senator Hopkins leaned back against the bar, shrugging. "Alright. Well, Bill With-No-Last-Name, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a Keeper," Bill answered, smiling broadly. He knew this man couldn't possibly know what a Keeper was... however, he HAD bought his drink. Hopkins deserved, at the very least, his honesty.

"Forgive me," Hopkins said. "I don't quite understand --"

"Excuse me," Bill interjected suddenly, spying Duo marching down the hall towards the front entrance and went after him. At this point, Bill's only mission was to ensure Duo Maxwell and his 'Death's Justice mumbo jumbo' stayed on its best behavior.

Heero glanced up at the sound of his name and saw Duo approaching him. He was waiting by the double doors for his cab and the bouncer that was going to help him elbow his way through an army of reporters to get to it. Heero scowled; of course he just HAD to be thwarted from his peaceful exit from this godforsaken wedding reception by none other but the infamous thorn in his side and the man who, quite frankly, still had a firm grip on his heart. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Duo Maxwell.

Duo stopped a few paces away from him. "Heero," Duo said, trying to catch his breath from his rushed sprint down the hall. "If you hadn't known, why didn't you say so?"

Heero considered ignoring the braided man, but figured that would only cause Duo to make more of a scene. Already, people were staring.

"Would you have believed me?" Heero looked away again and leaned against the far wall, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Duo opened his mouth and shut it again. Finally, Duo balled his fists and took a step forward. "You know, Heero? You kinda set yourself up for it so don't --"

"I never lied to you, Duo," Heero murmured, his chocolate locks shading his eyes and dusting lightly on his golden cheeks.

"You kept things from me!" Duo took another step forward, his features flushed from exasperation.

"And what about the money Maxwell left you?" Heero inquired, his voice so low it barely made any sound at all. "What about all the things that you've been keeping from us for years, Duo? Quatre, Trowa, Wufei? Even Noin and Sally? We were your friends once, Duo. We could've helped you a long time ago. You're so goddamn stubborn."

Duo felt his mouth go slack. "Heero! You're missing the fucking point!"

"What is the point?!" Heero exploded, finally looking at him with a smoldering glare. "What the fuck is the point?! Because, frankly, I feel like I've just wasted the past six weeks of my life!"

Duo felt like a ton of bricks had just landed on his head and he went totally numb. "You name off the people we used to fight beside like it has anything at all to do with the past six weeks, Heero," Duo whispered, his voice and eyes becoming dull. "But, as far as I'm concerned, when all is said and done, they're not the ones sharing my bed."

"Shared," Heero clarified harshly. "Past-tense."

Duo felt his control slipping. However, the usual comfortable trembling rage wasn't what was threatening to burst through him. Duo was convinced he was going to start crying like a little girl and he fought to keep his tears at bay.

"Besides," Heero said with a shrug of nonchalance he didn't really feel. "We were set up, Duo. Everything was set up to get you here today. And isn't it a happy day?"

"Heero --"

"Don't," Heero said and backed away when Duo moved forward to reach out to him. "Don't you dare touch me."

The bouncer had finally arrived and was waiting patiently by the door to lead Heero out. Heero made his way to the door, pausing only to look back at Duo once. Heero could feel his heart breaking all over again. Duo was standing there, looking like a lost, beaten puppy dog with those huge violet eyes and trembling, cherub mouth. Heero knew, he knew, that if he didn't leave now, he'd end up running back into that accursed man's arms and kiss away that terrible, sad expression that was stretching Duo's features as he watched Heero leave.

Heero had to get away from those violet eyes and that sweet, mocking mouth that was now turned down in a pitiful little frown. Heero had to get away from that hair that was colored like autumn leaves and that body that always smells faintly of apples and spice. Heero had to get away before he lost himself, yet again, in Duo Maxwell.

"We were a mistake, Duo," Heero said softly, the heat gone from his words, leaving only remorse and the barest traces of guilty affection. "You and I... we were never supposed to happen."

"That's what makes us special," Duo insisted, his voice almost a pleading whine. "Don't leave me again, Heero. I need you."

Heero tried to laugh... but it came out as a sound that held no mirth. "A mistake," he repeated. "And, no Duo, you don't need anyone. You've made that more than evident. The sex was great, though."

Duo's own words hit him like a slap in the face he knew would never come while he watched helplessly as Heero left through the double doors through a flash of camera lights, the bouncer close on his heels. Duo touched his cheek and frowned at the tear that he caught with his fingertips.

Oh crap.

The thing about crying is: one can only hold the tears back until the first tear falls. Then, they're uncontrollable. Duo dashed his fingers at the tears that were gathering in his eyes and he looked around. Through his watery gaze, he saw rows and rows of faces staring back at him. Some were confused, some were concerned, and some yet were openly hostile. Heero Yuy was a favorite among these circles. And Duo Maxwell was obviously the bad guy.

Small fingers touched his arm and Duo looked down to see little Edward in a dashing white and blue tux gazing worriedly up at him. "Duo? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not cryin', kid. Somethin's in my eye... " Duo's voice trailed off when he caught sight of Quatre and Trowa, who were currently standing a few paces behind Edward. Duo scowled as a flush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks. Trowa looked worried. Quatre looked downright stricken.

"Duo," Quatre breathed. "I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen... "

"Save your apologies for someone else, Winner," Duo muttered as he fled away from the staring crowd and the concerned gazes of the two people he'd once called friends. And Duo only had himself to blame for not having them as friends anymore. Seven years was too long... and Duo knew that better than anyone.

They'd all forget him again in a week.

Duo wasn't as certain he'd be able to forget them. He'd never been able to.

Bill knew he'd reached the last place Duo had been by the buzz of murmurs and conspirator side-talking. Bill pushed through the stuffy crowd until he reached Quatre Winner, his Consort, Trowa Barton, and ex-Rabbit, Edward.

"Which way?" Bill asked. Judging by the looks on their faces, he'd just missed the altercation he'd been hoping wouldn't happen at Hilde's reception between Duo and the Japanese kid.

Edward pointed solemnly to the left. "That way."

"Thank you m'boy," Bill said, ruffling the child's carefully placed hair. Edward smiled up at him.

"How bad was it?" Bill asked, turning back to Winner and Barton.

Winner and Barton exchanged a long look. Barton, breaking the silent communication first, looked back at Bill. "Pretty bad," the tall man said quietly. "I think he's headed for the wine cellar."

Bill groaned as he took off in the direction Duo had gone. If there was one thing worse than Duo's temper, it was Duo drunk and feeling sorry for himself.

Bill wished he'd finished the scotch that the kind Senator Hopkins had paid for. He was going to need it now.

"NO! Goddamit Bill! Give it back!"

Duo stumbled towards the burly man in an attempt to retrieve his half-empty bottle of wine. Bill pushed him back and Duo fell into a rack of champagne. Duo stayed in his current position for a few moments, limbs sprawled over bottles of the clear, bubbly liquid, and weighed his options.

Sure, he could kill Bill in roughly... thirty seconds? Forty seconds tops. Then he could have all the wine he wanted. However, Duo wasn't sure Hilde would like that too much and had a sneaking suspicion that would only make his situation worse. It would take about a minute to a minute and a half to render the large man unconscious without harming him... but after the two bottles of wine he was able to drain before Bill had arrived in the cellar, Duo highly doubted he would be able to pull it off without getting... someone seriously injured. Duo sighed. Maybe he should just go with the champagne he was sitting on. It doesn't go down as smoothly as the rich, red wine he had been enjoying minutes earlier, but it should do the trick.

Duo picked up a bottle, smashed the bottle neck on the edge of the rack, and took a swig.

Bill laughed despairingly and tossed the bottle he had taken from Duo only seconds before to the side. Bill turned slightly, closed the door to the cellar, and made himself comfortable on the steps leading down into the little room.

"Duo Maxwell," Bill said, apparently realizing he was fighting a losing game and was ready to wait out Duo's need to drink himself into some form of unconsciousness before dragging him out and back to his motel. "You are quite mad."

"Yeah," Duo scoffed and raised his bottle to Bill, who carefully grasped it around it's base and took a drink before handing it back. "Cheers."

Duo took another swig, cutting his lip on the shattered glass. His miserable, rueful smile shone red and white in dimly lit cellar. "Ya know, Bill," Duo remarked, wiping at the blood gathering on his lip. "I think I fell in love with that asshole."

"I think you did too," came Bill's gruff reply.

"What the fuck was I thinkin'?"

Silence and then: "You took a chance."

"Stupid of me."

"Good of you," Bill countered.

"Whatever," Duo answered disdainfully.

"Are you giving up?"

"It's over Bill. It's not about giving up."

"It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings."

A cackle of laughter sounded before Duo raised the bottle to his lips again. After swallowing, Duo shifted so he cold look directly at Bill, who was currently staring at his hands. "Have the wheels fallen of yet?"

Bill looked up. "Of course not."

"When do they fall off?"

"When everybody loses. When you're dead."

Duo snorted. "That was sweet Bill."

"Wasn't meant to be." Bill's eyes glittered dangerously. "I think you're a coward."

Duo nodded and raised his bottle again. "Think what you want, Bill. I couldn't really give a shit."

CHAPTER NINE

Heero finally sat up, giving up on the war he'd been waging with himself to fall asleep. He walked to the window and looked out at the Parisian countryside coated in black as the small hours of the night moved over it in small, twinkling measurements.

Heero had been allotted lodgings at the Sanq Kingdom for the night and a ride to Parliament in the heart of Paris early the following morning. It wasn't that the room was unpleasant or uncomfortable; Heero had not been able to sleep more than a few hours a night since he left the L2 colony cluster. Even though he had only spent a week next to a warm body on that accursed colony, it was long enough for Heero to grow accustomed to the steady comfort and safe reliability of sleeping next to someone. No, not just someone... Duo.

The cold sheets were uncomfortable and lonely, sending Heero's restless mind to tossing and turning right along with his tired body. The other part was that his accursed dreams had come back. The girl and her dog no longer stared accusingly at him but they did stare. They beckoned to him and offered him flowers in an attempt to lure him back. Sometimes the girl's eyes turned amethyst and her face morphed into Duo's, an expression of sadness stretching his features until they too melted away into the black loneliness of his dream.

Heero pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, trying to will away the image of Duo's face from his mind. As usual, it was futile. Duo's face was emblazoned in his memories; every laugh, every frown, every white smile was etched into his mind and when he closed his eyes he could almost feel those long arms wrapped around him, that steady, sweet breathing in his ear, the scent of apples and spice wafting up to his nose. Duo Maxwell had sufficiently gotten under Heero's skin; and God, he missed him.

Heero missed him so much it was driving him mad. Heero hoped that with time it would ease and he could push Duo Maxwell to, in the very least, every other memory.

Heero turned and went to the closet on the other side of the room, fishing out a sweater and a light jacket. Slipping them on Heero left his room and made his way outside. He needed a walk to clear his head.

"Where is he?" Relena hissed when she emerged from Heero's sleeping quarters at a quarter past six the following morning.

Noin and Hilde, who had followed Relena to Heero's room only moments before, shrugged simultaneously.

Stifling a yawn, Hilde took Relena's hand and led her away from Noin where she spoke to her newlywed in hushed tones. "If we can't find him within the hour... I'll... I'll speak --"

"No," Relena cut her off. "That would be political suicide. We need to find Heero and fast --"

"Relena?"

The Prime Foreign Minister and her Consort turned to look at Noin who was pressing her earpiece closer to her eardrum. Noin put up a hand as the transmission came to an end. "Thank you, Chang. Just make sure he gets up here." Noin pulled her earpiece out and gave the two women a faint smile. "We found him. He took a walk."

"Oh, thank heavens," Relena breathed and turned at the noise coming from the stairwell.

Heero's messy head emerged first, shadowed by Preventer Agent Chang Wufei, and they made their way down the hall. Heero refused to meet their eyes and Wufei sent the women a rueful expression before following Heero into his room.

Relena frowned and went inside as well, pointedly closing the door behind her. Inside, Prime Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft Darlian watched as her once-upon-a-time crush pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, the defined muscles of his back tensing and uncoiling with the movement. Wufei rummaged through the closet and produced an ironing board and an iron. After plugging in and turning on the iron, Wufei disappeared once again within the bowels of the large closet only to re-emerge again with Heero's Sanq Knight Uniform.

Relena smiled as she watched Wufei lay it carefully on the ironing board, remembering when she had given the five gundam pilots their uniforms during the Knighting ceremony seven years ago. She had had them specifically designed and tailored to each of the pilot's specific measurements and personality. Heero's was a deep, royal blue tailcoat with a high collar and cuffs that were black and emblazoned with golden filigree. A circled star patch was sewn onto the right epaulette, the same, in fact, that was sported on every Preventer jacket. The left epaulette was a black, gilded patch with Wing and Wing Zero's serial numbers etched into it and below that were the crossed swords insignia of the Sanq Knighthood. The gilded collar pitched low to open flannels where it finally curled to a beautiful finish just past the ribcage. The left breast of Heero's jacket sported the decor of his rank and status in the Preventer Unit. Underneath, Heero would wear a white and gold vest and white trousers. Shiny, knee-high boots and a black cravat would finish the splendor of his Sanq Knight uniform.

Duo Maxwell's was similar in its cut and line-up, yet his tailcoat and cravat was a midnight black and the vest was a blazing crimson. And Maxwell's left breast would hold no decoration.

Neither would Quatre Winner's or Trowa Barton's. Winner's tailcoat was white, his vest a dove gray with black detail and his cravat a powdery blue. Barton's tailcoat was a deep, forest green, the exact shade of his eyes, his vest black, and cravat made of red silk.

Chang Wufei's tailcoat held nearly the same amount of decor on its left breast -- or, at least, Relena would assume so. Chang's tailcoat was a blaze of vivid red, the color muted only by the gold and white filigree of the high gilded collar and low flannels. Chang's vest was a pale, jade green and his cravat made of the purest lily-white silk.

Relena prided herself on these uniforms and was mutely thrilled that Heero thought to wear his today at Parliament. She let her gaze move back to the Perfect Soldier who had sat wearily on the bed, staring at nothing.

"Are you ready?" Relena inquired softly.

Heero raised hollow blue eyes to her cornflower ones. "I'm terrified."

Relena blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Wufei paused and looked up from where he was ironing Heero's shirt, clearing his throat politely. "With all due respect," Wufei said dryly, "I'm sure you're aware that public speaking isn't a talent that everyone acquires naturally at birth."

Relena pursed her lips and looked back at Heero. His head was bent and Relena could see the tense muscles between his shoulder blades quivering with anxiety. And Heero was cracking his knuckles, damn it all.

The silence stretched in the room, interrupted only by the hissing and puffing of the iron as the steam fought to work out the wrinkles of one of Relena's beloved uniforms.

"Shouldn't you be on your fucking honeymoon or something?" Heero's voice wafted from under his hunched form. Relena frowned once and quickly left the room. Closing the door behind her, Relena looked at Hilde worriedly. "We have a serious problem."

Hilde nodded. She already knew. Heero would freeze up in front of all those people if they sent him out there. Especially when his mind was nursing his currently shattered heart and not the problem at hand. "I have to find Bill."

"Hilde --"

"Relena, he's our only hope now and Bill's the only one who knows where he is."

"He'll never --"

"The hell he won't." Hilde turned on her heel and marched off to find L2's Keeper. The clock was ticking.

Heero glanced over at Wufei once Relena had gone. "We're all totally fucked if I go in there, Chang. You know that right? There has to be someone else."

"There's no one else, Yuy." Wufei tossed Heero his uniform and averted his gaze appropriately as Heero slipped his clothes on. "You knew that from the very beginning."

Wufei moved to help Heero into his jacket and buttoned up his comrade's vest. After everything was sitting on him straight, Heero lifted his chin so Wufei could tie his cravat. For the life of him, Heero couldn't wrap his head around why Wufei was being so friendly to him this morning. Maybe he figured that's what Heero needed right now. A friend. Admittedly, Heero realized that whatever his friend's motives, it was helping. Heero's thoughts had become clearer since Wufei had found him in the park an hour ago. His simple presence at his side as they headed back towards the palace calmed him and Heero was grateful for it.

Finished with whatever intricate knot that fastened the black silk to Heero's throat, Wufei sat on the bed next to Heero, a not-quite-so uncomfortable silence filling the space between them.

Finally, Wufei spoke, his deep voice massaging the syllables falling from his stern, proud lips. "I'm sorry, Heero."

"You were trying to help."

Wufei shook his head. "I promised it would be off the record --"

"It was."

"I should have told you before going to Relena --"

"You were only trying to help."

"I should have told you," Wufei repeated firmly.

"Yes," Heero said, giving the Chinese man a sidelong glance. "But, in retrospect, who really gives a shit?"

A pause, then: "We all do. We were really rooting for you guys."

"It was never supposed to happen."

Wufei shrugged. "If it's supposed to happen it shouldn't happen."

Heero blinked at him. "What?"

"Love isn't something that's mapped out for you in a mission detail, Heero. You've gotta learn to... to... "

"To, what?"

"To take the good with bad."

Silence filled the space between them again and, for minutes, neither spoke. Then Heero lifted his head. "Wufei, why weren't you at the wedding?"

Wufei chuckled. "I was. I'm smart enough to keep my distance when you're pissed, Heero. Besides, put a cranky Duo in a room with you and we're looking at a possible nuclear winter."

Heero smirked.

Wufei's obsidian eyes sparkled at his victory. It wasn't a real smile, but it was close enough.

Bill gratefully accepted the cup of coffee the sweet, plump-faced cook offered him after he wandered into the kitchen. L2's Keeper had finally returned from the damned scavenger hunt that entailed returning the drunken Duo Maxwell to his motel and dragging his limp, unconscious form into his room.

Bill had let the former Rabbit and gundam pilot drink himself into a stupor the night before and only when the braided man was sufficiently incoherent did he pull Duo from the wine cellar. The up-side was that Duo no longer caused any disturbances at the reception. The down-side was that Bill had to fish around in Duo's tux to find his motel room key and then do his damnedest to find where the motel actually was.

Duo Maxwell owed him one, that was for damn sure.

In either case, now, back at the Sanq Kingdom, it felt good to finally prop his feet up and rest with the steamy brew slowly sucking the chill from his aching fingers. It was frustrating because Bill knew he wouldn't get a wink of sleep before Parliament began and he had barely an hour before he would have to go hustle a suit from someone so he could be there.

For some infuriating reason, Hilde and Relena had decided to postpone their honeymoon for a day so they could preside over the Tameriathyst's final vote at Parliament. This consequently meant Bill had to wait another day before going back to L2. He had promised Hilde he would see her off and was more than happy to do so, but the constant drama that his favorite Rabbit and his lover were causing was posing an incessant need for his presence. Apparently, Hilde was convinced that Bill was the only who could keep that braided wraith under control.

Bill frowned into his coffee, the aroma easing the constant pain that had budded behind his eyeballs in that godforsaken wine cellar the night before. Hilde's the one who insisted that Duo be at the wedding. If anyone had the mind to ask him -- and they probably didn't because in these parts, folks actually had a measure of common sense -- Bill would loudly voice his opinion that this whole freaking charade was one mighty clusterfuck.

L2's Keeper sighed and took another sip of his steamy brew. Bill just hoped the vote would sound in L2's favor and Heero -- as much as he loved that kid -- didn't fuck it up. The kid was doing his best, Bill knew; however... Bill had his doubts. Public speaking could have even the most rooted person pissing himself. And speaking at Parliament took more than bravado. It took skill and charisma that Bill had a nagging feeling Heero Yuy was left wanting for. Bill had seen the way Duo always had to step in and translate the short angry sentences the Japanese pilot would utter when the Family held weekly meetings in Simside. Bill hoped for a miracle and drained the rest of his coffee.

While the sweet-faced cook batted her eyelashes at Bill and refilled his coffee, a burst of noise sounded behind him and Bill turned to see Hilde bounding toward him.

"Where's Duo?!" she exclaimed, skidding to a halt in front of the former Sweeper.

"Well, good morning to you too," Bill grumbled as he accepted his second cup of coffee.

Hilde stamped her foot as her infamous temper began to rise. "Bill! This is important!"

Bill tossed her Duo's motel key as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Thanks, Bill!" Hilde turned on her heel and jogged from the kitchen only to come running back a split second later. "Where the hell is this motel?"

Bill chuckled, his shoulders shaking with dry humor. "East-side Paris; 9th and Guipure."

"How's he doing in there?" Quatre Winner asked as he and his lover, Trowa Barton, approached Chang Wufei outside of Heero's room. Quatre and Trowa had already donned their Sanq Knight regalia in support of Heero and Trowa handed Wufei's uniform to the man in a plastic bag, already pressed. Wufei accepted the clothing and hung it on Heero's door knob so he could pull off his clothes.

Quatre glanced down the hallway to make sure Wufei would have, in the very least, a little privacy as he changed.

"He seems collected," Wufei said as he pulled on his white trousers and black, knee-high boots. "He asked me to stand outside while he went over his notes."

Trowa raised a brow. "Knowing him, he already has them memorized."

"Well," Wufei said as he slipped on his lacy undershirt and let Quatre help him with the absurd amount of buttons. "I said he seems collected. I don't think he actually is."

Trowa handed the Chinese man his jade-green vest. "Do you think he'll make it?"

"Oh, he'll go up there," Wufei replied as he shrugged into the vest and quickly buttoned the shiny brass buttons. "Heero's not one to flinch away from a mission."

Quatre carefully held up Shenlong's former pilot's crimson tailcoat so Wufei could move into it without wrinkling the sturdy fabric. After Wufei had all his adornments fastened to his left breast, Quatre quickly tied the lily-white cravat around the Chinese man's throat.

Quatre and Trowa stepped back from their comrade and nodded approvingly.

"I don't know what you two are nodding for," Wufei grumbled as he slipped on his white gloves. "These things are ridiculous. I look like a walking stop sign. At least yours are muted colors."

Trowa snickered and glanced sidelong at his lover, relishing at how the dove gray, powdery blue, black, white, and gold complimented Quatre's pale coloring. Trowa didn't like wearing his own outfit, but it certainly wasn't because he didn't feel he looked good in it. He knew he looked quite stunning with his tailcoat bringing out the exact shade of his eyes and his vest and cravat were simple and elegant in black and red. Wufei, quite possibly, got the shittiest end of the deal.

Trowa cocked his head to one side and observed the Chinese man. Wufei insisted that the red tailcoat was garish, but that was only because the Chinese Preventer was actually quite shy. Truth be told, Wufei Chang looked striking in the bold colors. However, telling him that would only make him hate the outfit with even more fury.

Trowa turned when Heero's door opened and Wing Zero's former pilot emerged from the room's murky depths. Quatre sucked in a breath behind his lover and Wufei nodded approvingly.

Heero looked like royalty in his deep blue tailcoat, high gilded collar and white and gold vest.

"You may not have to really say anything," Quatre breathed and Heero looked at him inquiringly. Quatre shrugged and Trowa chuckled. Heero Yuy was another one of those guys who will never really get how gorgeous they are and the complete ignorance of that fact alone made him even more attractive. No wonder Duo fell for him when Heero went up to L2.

Heero looked at the disks he was holding and handed them to Wufei. "Make sure who ever is running the projector gets those," Heero murmured.

Trowa took the notebook in Heero's other hand and began flipping through the pages. "This speech is pretty extensive, Heero," Trowa commented.

"Failure's not an option," Heero said in a dull voice that made his comrades think he was speaking more to himself than anyone else.

Wufei exchanged a worried glance with Quatre. This is the time to start praying, Wufei's eyes seemed to say.

Heero touched the military decor on Wufei's left breast and looked up to finally lock eyes with his companions. "Thanks for wearing these," Heero murmured. "It'll help."

His comrades nodded and turned to Wufei when his hand came up to his earpiece. "Roger," Wufei said as the transmission ended. Wufei looked around at 01, 03, and 04's faces. "Limo's here. It's show time, people."

Duo cracked an eye open when he heard the jingle of keys outside his door and the sound of his door knob turning. Despite the pounding behind his eyes, Duo quickly slid off his bed and crouched by the nightstand, his huddled form hidden by the queen sized bed. Fishing under the mattress, Duo grasped the handle of the pistol he'd stashed there the day before as his door opened and a person stumbled through.

"Duo?"

Duo peeked over the lumpy mattress and groaned.

"Oh, for the love of Saint Peter, aren't you supposed to be on a goddamned honeymoon or something?" Duo grumbled as he threw himself, face down, back on the bed.

Hilde, hands on her hips, glared at the braided God of Death. "Get up, Duo Maxwell. This instant!"

"What the hell for?" Duo replied, his voice muffled by his pillow, and inwardly cursed himself for not remembering that wine gave him the WORST hangovers.

"You're speaking at Parliament today, that's why."

Duo sat up, clutching his head against the blood pounding in his ears. "You're off your fucking rocker, you know that Hilde?"

Hilde stormed over to the closet and unzipped the Sanq Knight uniform from its bag that was hanging there. "If I'm so crazy, then why'd you haul this thing all the way from L2?"

Duo opened his mouth to say something, but the angry retort died on his lips. Why did he bring it? Duo hadn't even really thought about it. Duo shrugged.

Hilde tossed him the Knight garb. "Put it on. And for God's sake, comb your damn hair."

"No."

"Wrong answer."

"Final answer."

In one swift and powerful motion, Hilde stormed over to the bed and backhanded Duo Maxwell across the face.

"OWW! Fuck, Hilde! What the hell was that for?!" Duo rubbed at his face with slim digits, his other arm up and ready to ward off any further attacks from Hilde Schbeiker.

"Do you think it would be possible, for just one damn minute, for you to think of someone other than yourself?"

"That's not really fair," Duo replied with a startled laugh. "I'd actually have friends here if I hadn't sacrificed everything for L2."

"Oh, get off your fucking victim story!" Hilde stormed in a circle. "Regardless of how you have fought for L2 and its renovations, you're actually giving up on everything in its final hour, Duo!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The final vote at Parliament is today!" Hilde shrieked. "Today! Immediately following the final review in L2's defense, Duo. And if we send Heero in there, we might as well be throwing him to the lion's --"

"You're not serious," Duo's interrupted softly, his features sobering instantly. "The final vote is today? And Heero is speaking in L2's defense?"

Hilde groaned. "Please don't tell me you didn't know."

"Well," Duo said, swallowing hard, "Heero had mentioned... but I didn't take him seriously... and no one bothered to tell me it was today... "

"Well, Heero will be taking the microphone in exactly thirty-six minutes, serious as a seizure, and --"

"He'll freeze." It wasn't a question nor did it need a response. Heero had more demons than any of them, and facing the sons and daughters and brothers and sisters of the Doves Heero accidentally killed all those years ago... he'd never make it.

Somewhere in the deepest, darkest part of him, Duo realized that Heero was doing this so Duo didn't have to. So that Duo wouldn't have to face the sneering judgmental aristocrats he'd run from seven ears ago. Heero was doing this, knowing that it would humiliate him and possibly destroy any hope they had for passing the bill for him.

Duo ran a hand over his face and wiped the sleep that had gathered in the corners of his eyes. "All right. Get me a beer."

"WHAT?!" Hilde exploded.

Duo glanced up at her with his full snark behind a grin that flashed a brilliant white. "Keep your pants on, Hilly-girl. If I'm gonna do this, I need to kill this hangover and fast."

"Mr. Winner," a well-respected Judge rumbled from where he sat with the twenty other Highest Honors. "Have you prepared an L2 representative?"

"I have, your Honor," Quatre responded coming to his feet. He turned slightly and nodded to a figure behind him, who stood, pausing only at the low murmurs of shock that sounded across the large hall where politicians and aristocrats from countless nations gathered to oversee and vote on the Tameriathyst Bill.

Heero Yuy, straight-backed and unsmiling, made his way to the podium. He ascended the white marbled steps and turned to gaze at the sea of expectant faces staring back at him.

Heero felt the blood draining from his face and his insides began to tremble. He swallowed, but his throat felt like the Devil's Punchbowl, dry and barren. His cobalt eyes roamed over their snobby, upturned faces, recognizing a few. There, just past Senator Raymon, was Alihdrae, a Dove's daughter. Heero had orphaned her and then asked her to kill him. She refused. There, below Senator Hopkins' chair, was Sir William Terry. His brother was also a Dove. There, next to Milliardo and Relena Peacecraft, was Tanya Stefer, widow of a Dove Hiemlin Hons. She, too, had refused to kill him.

The list ran on and on and Heero could feel his blood turning icier by the second as he tried ferociously to remember why he was up here.

"Hey," Duo said, leaning forward to tap the driver on his shoulder. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

The cab driver answered hotly in French and Duo sighed loudly. "All right, that's it. Pull the fuck over."

"Duo, I don't think --"

Duo jumped out of the back seat and opened the driver's seat door, motioning for the man to move over. "Scoot! Vite! Vite! [4]"

Jumping in and closing the door behind him, Duo glanced side-long at the cab driver as he adjusted the seat. "Uh... Mit ta ceinture de sécurité. Vite! You too, Hilde!" [5]

And then Duo Maxwell gunned the accelerator.

Drowning, drowning, drowning... Heero felt like a spinning vortex had opened beneath his feet and he was falling. Scornful faces peered at him as they shifted impatiently in their seats. He heard an exasperated sigh, a chuckle, and Heero wanted to scream. Black stars scraped the edges of his vision and he focused on the sympathetic faces of Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, Relena and Noin. Of all of them, only Milliardo tried to stand in answer to Heero's pleading gaze, but was yanked back down by the Prime Foreign Minister's firm grip, shaking her ash-blonde head sternly at her elder brother.

Heero opened his mouth and looked down at his notes, the inked words that were in his own handwriting merged together, spinning, crashing, dancing, and finally forming an abyss as black as the one he felt he was standing on.

"My name... ," Heero croaked, willing his voice to work. "My name is... Heero Yuy... and --"

"Yes, we know that," a nameless voice answered from somewhere within the sea of faces. "Get on with it."

A rumbling of laughter. The abyss beneath his feet opened wider and, for a split second of sheer hysteria, Heero wished he could dive head first into the swirling blackness and hide forever from those terrible faces.

As an embarrassed blush crawled up his neck to color his too pale cheeks, Heero's terrified cobalt gaze found and focused on a new face. A small, cherub face topped with light-brown curls. A child sitting proudly next to his new adoptive parents. A face whose features held no sympathy and no scorn. A face that beamed with steady trust and stern expectancy. Edward.

Former Rabbit, heir to the Winner Foundation, Heero's good deed. Heero tried again. "I am here to... "

Heero and Edward stared at one another across the great expanse of the hall. What was he here to do? It had something to do with Edward. Heero was sure of it. Heero cleared his throat. "I am here to... "

"Forgive me, your Honors," a man said with a thick Aryan accent, blonde haired and blue eyed, standing to his feet and looking pointedly at the Highest Honors. "But really. Do we have time for this?"

"Hear, hear!" came a voice from behind. The double doors at the far end of the hall swung open and everyone turned to see who had just emerged through them. "Time really is of the essence, isn't it?" Duo Maxwell called as he strode confidently through the arched passageway.

Relena and Quatre slumped simultaneously in their chairs, relief turning their bones to liquid. Duo's velvety black tailcoat and high gilded collar settled about his lean frame gracefully, the silk cravat at his throat making him seem taller. His shiny black, knee-high boots clinked on the marble floor as he unhurriedly made his way through the hall, allowing everyone present the chance to take him in and recognize just who and what he was.

The God of Death, former pilot of the Deathscythe Gundam, a Sanq Knight, back for one last show.

"According to the statistics present in every college school book available in the Earth Sphere Unified Nation," Duo said, his voice ringing through the hall, commanding the attention of every person there, "in less than a decade, the L2 colony cluster will be vacated and left to roam in space uninhabited until, roughly, another decade later, it will be pulled apart and used for scrap. The cause of which is primarily an influx economy that remained under ten percent of every other colony in outer space for the previous forty years." Duo paused to jog casually up the marbled steps and leaned an arm on the podium, standing to the side of it. "Of course this will effectively cause a daunting defluxion in economical stability in the outer space colonies for... " Duo stopped again, pretending to do the math in his head "... a solid century. By which time, logically, other colonies will have to shut down semi-permanently to make up the dent in the colonial economy. Ladies and gentleman, we have less than a decade to prevent a colonial depression that is predicted to last over a hundred years. We really don't have much time, do we?"

Duo glanced over at Heero who was staring blankly at him.

"Your Honor... who?" the Aryan man inquired as politely as he could in his flabbergasted state.

A Judge waved for the man to sit down. "Sir Duo Maxwell, am I to understand that YOU are L2's representative for us this morning?"

Duo offered him an easy smile. "I'm as good as any."

Heero tore his gaze from the former pilot of Deathscythe and sent Relena and Quatre a baffled expression.

'Introduce him,' Relena mouthed.

Heero leaned into the microphone, thinking that this was the most brilliant piece of advice he'd ever been given. "I am here to introduce L2's representative," Heero said in a flat voice. "Duo Maxwell."

Quickly, Heero trotted down the steps and took a seat next to Edward. Edward took his hand and squeezed. "I knew you could do it," Edward whispered.

Duo turned and stood behind the podium. Catching on to the little ploy that attempted to save Heero Yuy as much humiliation as possible, Duo leaned forward, nodding to said former gundam pilot. "Thank you, Preventer Yuy, for standing in during my tardiness." Then, directing his attention back to the hundreds of politicians in front of him, Duo let his lips curve into his most gracious of smiles.

This was his moment. Duo Maxwell held all the statistics in his mind, he knew that colony inside and out; and he knew what was at stake. Duo took in a deep breath and launched into a speech that, for him, needed no recitation.

Duo told them everything. He told them about the L2's situation eight years ago, at the end of the colony wars. He laid bare the truth of why the Keeper Arrangement had been necessary. Duo told them about the Family, about Simside and Neverne, about having to ration food every year.

When a politician interrupted him, shouting at the need for L2 colonists to prove to be capable of the wealth the Tameriathyst would offer them, Duo jabbed a finger in Edward's direction and ordered them to feast their eyes; claiming that every L2 native present i.e. Hilde Schbeiker, Bill Fraughst, Edward Winner, and himself had the ability to clean up nicely and should be proof enough that the L2 colonists were eager for reformation as long as it didn't infringe upon their rights as citizens of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation.

Duo explained, in painfully expressed detail, the plans for restoration. He exposed his private idea to start a Colonial University on the Border -- a surprise to everyone except Heero, who learned of it during whispered pillow talk -- where anyone could attend, no matter the cost. Scholarships would be available to anyone who wanted an education. He explained about plumbing and building renovation. He explained exactly how L2 would use the money in every way, shape, or form.

As Duo spoke, every person sat on the edge of their seats, drinking in his every word and tumbling the logic around in their heads. When the time for inquiries came, the hall was dead silent.

Duo blinked and looked around. "No questions?"

"Why aren't you a Preventer?" The question had come from Senator Hopkins who was gazing at the braided man with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

"Because I made a choice," Duo said evenly in a voice that was so soft it was almost a whisper, "to serve my home colony in this way. No other reason."

The silence stretched out again and, five minutes later, a Judge cleared his throat and stood to his feet. "If there are no more questions then we will take a small recess. Parliament will assess and vote on the Tameriathyst Satellite Bill in it's entirety in thirty-five minutes." The Judge tapped on a raised bit of cherry-wood with a small hammer, dismissing everyone.

Being L2's formal representative, and much to his surprise, Duo Maxwell was asked to stay inside Parliament as they digressed their final vote. A small room was provided for Bill, Quatre, Trowa, their son, Edward, Noin, Wufei, Heero, Hilde, and Relena and Milliardo Peacecraft as they waited for the vote's final declaration.

An hour passed, then two. And after a third hour came and went the people assembled began to get restless. Forty minutes into the fourth hour, a knock sounded on the door. Wufei opened it and spoke quietly with the guard on the other side. Opening the door a little wider, Wufei turned back slightly to regard his companions.

"They're ready for us now," Wufei murmured.

They followed the guard down the hall and back into the large, dome-ceiling room where Parliament held their final vote. Relena and Quatre Winner were called to stand in the middle of the floor where Duo Maxwell was waiting for them, facing the rows of Highest Honors.

A Judge stood to his feet. "I'm sure you will be very pleased to know," his Honor said in a clear voice that belied his age, "that Parliament has declared, in a final vote by ninety-eight percent, that L2 is granted permission to mine the Winner Foundation's Tameriathyst Satellite. Congratulations."

With a shriek of pure joy, Hilde launched herself at Duo, who caught and swung her slight form around in a circle, his rich laughter echoing off the acoustically-inclined walls. Edward punched the air, exclaiming his delight in indiscernible hoots. Quatre smiled and looked back his lover, triumph flashing in his aquamarine orbs. Bill grinned and nodded to the Prime Foreign Minister, his trust fully given to the ESUN.

Wufei tried to grasp Heero's wrist as the Japanese man turned to leave, but he shrugged him off, a sad smile playing at his lips. "Don't Wufei. This is a happy day. Don't let me spoil it."

"You have every right to celebrate too," Wufei whispered back. "God knows you've worked hard for this."

Heero shook his head and walked away, disappearing behind the large double doors.

Duo disentangled himself from Hilde and searched the room. His frantic eyes suddenly fell on Wufei who pointed down the hall. Duo took off at a dead run.

Duo didn't catch up to him until they were outside. "Heero!" Duo shouted when he spotted Heero's form a few meters away, hailing a cab. "Don't you goddamn walk away from me again! We... we did this! You and me, Heero!"

Heero turned and stared back up at Duo, his expression unreadable.

"It's you and me, Heero," Duo shouted as he watched a cab pull up and Heero open the door. "It's you and me until the wheels fall off!"

"I don't know what that means," Heero said tiredly as he watched a swarm of reporters flood around Duo, screaming their questions. Heero ducked inside the cab.

"It means I love you!" Duo shouted with a sob catching in his throat as he watched Heero's cab pull away. Duo blinked and pulled back a few steps as the cameras flashed and reporters pushed each other to get closer to Duo's adorned form.

Suddenly, Trowa, Wufei and Bill were at his side. Trowa and Wufei gently pulled him away, leaving Bill to sate the gathering mob of photojournalists. Glancing once at the unholy triumvirate making their way back inside, Bill turned back to the reporters.

"Hey," Bill said with a nervous grin and a casual wave of his hand.

CHAPTER TEN

Duo stretched and cracked his neck soundly as he and Bill settled in their seats. This time the ESUN had provided first-class seats on the shuttle that would take the L2 natives back up to their colony.

They had seen Relena and Hilde off when they had departed on their cruise liner bound for some remote island before making their way to the airport. They flew to the nearest spaceport in London and then hopped on the shuttle that would take them home. Bill ruffled through the papers that detailed the Tameriathyst satellite's projection nearer to the L2 colony cluster. They were looking at a full year of mining before they would see L2's economy thriving again. In the long run, however, that gave them plenty of time to prepare the colonists' for the transitions necessary to accommodate the new influx of wealth.

Bill rambled under his breath about logistics and a possible need for a mayor now that L2 would be known as a respectable colony. Or even a governor. Hell, maybe a...

Bill glanced up at Duo, who was staring out the window as the shuttle prepared for take off. "You sure you don't wanna stay?"

Duo sent him a hollow glance. "He walked away from me twice, Bill. And I don't want to hear shit about 'third time's a charm'."

"Fair enough."

"I'm going to give Schoonerville to Edita," Duo murmured, shifting gears suddenly. "I'll live off of Maxwell's will until we can start building the University."

"Why?"

Duo shrugged and that was the end of the conversation. Duo went back to gazing somberly out of his window.

Bill sighed and returned to shuffling files of paperwork as the shuttle took off. They were in outer space before Duo spoke again.

"I really do have a crappy temper, don't I?" Duo continued to stare out his window at the billions of cold, indifferent stars gazing back at him.

"Stop beating yourself up over it, kid," Bill replied, his voice more gruff than he wanted it to be. "It's done."

"Yeah," Duo murmured. "It's done."

A knock sounded at Lady Une's door. "Enter," she said in a crisp voice.

Heero Yuy came into Une's office and after closing the door behind him, stood rigidly at attention, waiting for her directive.

"What the hell are you doing here, Yuy?" The question had not come from Lady Une. Heero flicked his eyes to the left and spotted Chang Wufei hovering near Lady Une's shoulder.

"Reporting in," Heero said in a flat voice. "Waiting for re-assignment." Heero had insisted on reporting in at Headquarters the following day. There was absolutely no reason to take a day off. No reason at all.

Wufei took a step forward and Une held up her hand, stopping the Chinese man.

"Well," Lady Une murmured, cutting off whatever Wufei wanted to say and leaning forward to clasp her well-manicured hands above her desk. "It seems that your trip to L2 was a huge success, Commander Yuy."

"So it seems, Lady Une." Heero stared straight ahead, refusing to meet their gazes.

"Have you seen the paper this morning?" Wufei asked suddenly, unable to restrain himself any longer.

Heero frowned. "No."

Wufei dropped something onto Une's desk and Heero looked down at it. Slowly, with shaking fingers, he picked up the newspaper, squinting as he translated the French block letter font. The front head liner read "IT MEANS I LOVE YOU".

Heero nearly dropped the paper as he read the rest of the article. "... in an attempt to express his love for fellow former gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell, clad in his dashing Sanq Knight uniform oddly reminiscent of his old Gundam, chases after Heero Yuy, a commanding officer in the Preventer Militia, from Parliament minutes after the final vote declaring an overwhelming ninety-eight percent for the Winner Foundation's Tameriathyst Satellite to be available to L2 colonist miners... one has to wonder that the events surrounding the final vote has been... when the Prime Foreign Minister marries an L2 native... Quatre Winner adopts an L2 child as his heir... and even Chang Wufei, another commanding officer in the Preventer Militia... it seems every single Sanq Knight alive appeared at Parliament today in support of... the love triangles apparently surrounding this bill... and this is unconfirmed; however, our sources tell us that Bill Fraughst is L2's Keeper which is a... " Heero's eyes felt like they were going to bleed as he dragged them back up to the main title.

It means I love you.

"Still don't believe it?" Wufei picked a remote and turned on the television in the corner of Une's office. A news reporter tried to shove a microphone at a straining Duo Maxwell as the words tumbled from his mouth. Suddenly, Trowa and Wufei are guiding him away from the mob and Bill takes his place in front of the camera, uttering a nervous, "Hey."

Wufei flipped the channel, the same scenario. Wufei flipped the channel again, the same once more. And again. And again.

Finally, Wufei turned off the television and turned to the dumbfounded Japanese man. "I just... thought you should know."

The newspaper slipped and fell to the floor. Heero buried his head in his hands and groaned. "What should I do?"

"Take the good with the bad," Wufei murmured. "Go home."

"But I don't have a --" Heero stopped himself.

'I wanted to show you the other side of the ghetto. The side where no one gets left behind, the side where if you're in, you're family and you'll be protected, the side that watches your back and you can still have secrets, the side where you don't have to be understood to be understood.'

Duo's voice came back to him, whispering through his mind, low and caressing.

'No matter where you go, or how long you're gone, you'll always have a home here. You'll be cared about, looked after and respected. Until the day you die, Heero. Without exception. What was mine is now also yours.'

Heero remembered the conversation he and Bill had before he left the L2 colony.

'It was an honor to be a part of your Family, Bill.'

'You still are. An' always will be, boy. Remember that.'

Heero took in a shuddering breath and let it out slowly.

'It's you and me until the wheels fall off.'

'... and I scream at you... I'm so afraid you'll get hurt... '

'You and me... '

'It means I love you.'

Heero turned, opened the door, and shut it behind him with that last thought tantalizing his mind and blinding him to everything else.

It means I love you.

Bill chuckled as they neared the end of the terminal. "Looks like we have a Welcome Home party."

Duo looked up and saw a crowd of people surrounding the spaceport, waving and cheering. Duo smiled a little, his heart growing warmer at the sight. Preventers lined the edges and had vehicles set in front of the spaceport's main entrance, ready to take L2's Keeper and his favorite Rabbit back to Simside.

They were heroes today.

But there should be three, Duo thought. Not just two.

Duo handed a pair of Preventers his luggage and turned to watch as Bill did the same, a strange feeling coiling in his stomach.

After loading up their luggage, every Preventer present -- which was a good twenty-five or so men and women -- stood at attention and saluted.

"Lieutenant," Duo hissed at the nearest Preventer. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Giving the proper welcome to a Sanq Knight," the man replied.

Duo frowned. "Oh, this is ridiculous. Put your arms down."

"Not until you accept our salute, sir." The lieutenant glanced sidelong at the blushing God of Death. "Now this whole colony knows who and what you are, Duo Maxwell. And my Unit, for one, will not be caught disrespecting a Hero of the Realm."

Unbidden tears pricked his eyes as he looked around at the surrounding crowd of L2 colonists. The crowd had quieted and every man, woman, and child had their arms raised to mimic the salute the Preventers were showing them. Duo whirled around and glared at Bill.

"Bill," Duo grated, "don't you dare --"

Bill slowly, deliberately, raised his right arm and only when his fingers touched his forehead did he smile. "Welcome home, Knight."

A sob strangled his throat and he dashed his fingers at the wetness gathering in his eyes. Duo looked around again, the sea of expectant, smiling faces waiting for him. His chest constricted and his skin tingled as he lifted his arm and answered their salute. Suddenly, cheers rattled through the square and Duo let the tears he'd been holding back stream down his face.

Duo Maxwell was home.

Heero paid for his ticket and showed the security officer his passport. The man nodded to him, saluted -- because Heero was a ranking officer -- and allowed him through the terminal.

Heero shouldered his duffle as he made his way down this hall and that hall. Suddenly, he paused before a screen that said his flight had been postponed for another three hours due to some freak storm over the Atlantic.

It figures.

Heero went into the food court and bought himself a sandwich. As he chewed, Heero began noticing the high number of people staring at him. Most were women trying to hide their giggles.

Heero pursed his lips and finished his sandwich in a hurry. When he turned to exit the terminal he was stopped by two blushing girls.

"Can I help you?" Heero asked using his most uninterested voice.

"Are you going back to L2?" One of the girls asked.

Heero fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, I am."

The other girl squealed with laughter and playfully pushed her friend. "Pay up. I told you so!"

Heero looked up at the ceiling and wondered what god he'd pissed off to deserve this. Then he turned on his heel and quickly strode away from the food court, high pitched giggles ringing in his ears.

Duo sauntered into the club where Edita was setting up her bar for the night. Seeing him, Edita hopped over the bar and ran over to give him a warm hug. Releasing him, Edita pulled back to study his face.

"Ah," Edita murmured, her voice lilting through her accent. "You got hurt."

Duo smiled weakly and shrugged.

"At least you tried, no?" Edita pulled him to a barstool and sat him down. "And a gundam pilot! Why did you never tell us?"

"I didn't come here to talk about me," Duo said and he told her about signing the bar over to her name.

"And what will you do?" Edita exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I'll come in and help from time to time," Duo said, tossing her a key. "The rushes can get pretty gnarly, you know. 'Sides, I still have the scrap yard. I've got big plans for that yard once we start getting the restoration funds."

Duo pushed himself off of the barstool and headed out.

"Are you coming to the party tomorrow night?" Edita called after him. "You DO know you and Bill are the guests of honor, don't you?"

Duo didn't answer and he turned the corner, stepping out into the street.

Heero arrived on L2 the next day.

He opted to walk and took his time re-adjusting to the sights and sounds of the L2 colony. Eventually, his feet brought him to Simside and Heero headed for Schoonerville. It was early still and the bar was not open yet. Frowning, Heero turned and headed towards the club down the street. Inside, Heero managed to find Edita, who regarded him with a startled glance before turning back to the decorations she was laying across her bar.

"He's not here," Edita said. "I'd try the church, if I were you."

"The church?" Heero thought of the cathedral that had been built over the top of Maxwell Church's ashes on the Border.

"You've got me. That's where the Rabbits say he's been hangin' out. Rabbits know everything."

"Thank you, Edita." Heero turned to leave but Edita stopped him with a firm grip on his arm.

Edita tossed a strand of platinum blonde hair from her eyes and gazed at him. "I don't like what he becomes when he is like this. He is unpredictable. I am afraid for him."

That Heero did understand. An unpredictable Duo Maxwell wasn't something to be trifled with. Then again, when was Duo ever predictable?

Edita reached out and pushed a chocolate lock from Heero's face. "He was addicted to you. I have seen withdrawal many times."

Heero didn't respond, not knowing what to say.

"It is true, I think," Edita murmured, releasing Heero's arm and turning back to her bar, "what the papers say."

"Duo," Father Elamaida said gently. "Go home."

Duo looked up from where he was sprawled out on a pew under a blanket. "One more hour."

"You've been sleeping here all day. Or trying to, at least. What's wrong with your own bed?"

"It smells like Heero."

Father Elamaida sighed. "Really, Duo. This is getting ridiculous."

Duo huffed. "I DO, by rights, actually own this place."

Father Elamaida pursed his lips and stifled an exasperated sigh. "You own the land, not the church."

Duo shrugged. "Technicalities."

Duo liked the safety of the cathedral. Not even demons could get him here. Duo didn't want to go home. Not yet.

Maybe he should sell the house and buy another one. Hell, he could build his own house with the money Father Maxwell left him. Duo quickly did the figures in his head --

"Duo."

"One more hour," Duo mumbled and he turned over on his side, his back facing the priest.

"Fine. One hour. That's it."

Heero opened the heavy doors to the cathedral and walked in. He automatically averted his gaze from the bleeding man on the cross, but went to stand in front of the painted woman in blue. Silently, Heero lit a candle by her painted feet and looked up when he heard someone approaching him.

It was the kind-eyed priest, Father Elamaida. "He went home," the priest said. "And so should you."

Heero glanced back up into the sad, loving face of the Virgin Mother. Her lips curved into a hidden smile. Go, her eyes said.

Heero left the sanctuary, the image burning a hole in his mind.

Duo unlocked his door and smiled grimly as Bob trotted up to greet him. "Hiya Bob," Duo murmured. "Did'ja miss me?"

Bob barked happily and wagged his tail. Duo kicked off his shoes and made his way up the stairs. He paused by Heero's old room, but did not look at it. Seconds later, Duo found the willpower and moved forward down the hall.

Tumbling, Duo crashed onto his bed and curled into a tight ball. He inhaled deeply, smelling Heero's cologne and buried his head into the nearest pillow. Duo stayed like that until he fell asleep.

Heero opened the door to the house quietly. Bob, curled on one end of the couch in the living room, lifted his head inquiringly. Seeing that it was Heero, Bob laid his head back down to it's former perch and watched with lazy eyes as Heero made his way up the darkened stairwell.

The floorboards creaked beneath his feet as Heero made his way down the hall. Heero pushed open Duo's bedroom door and heard Duo's steady breathing through the darkness.

Heero came to stand next to the bed and he gazed down at Duo's sleeping face. Violet orbs shuttered in his dreaming state, Duo almost looked like the fifteen year old he used to be when they had first met. The cherub mouth that was made for laughing was parted slightly and his chest rose and fell as he slept.

Heero reached out and pushed a stray strand of auburn hair, loose from Duo's infamous braid, away from the porcelain skin of one finely rounded cheekbone. Duo shifted and Heero pulled his hand away, wondering if he should go.

After Duo settled back into his still, sleeping state, Heero retreated and quietly shut the door behind him.

Duo woke with a start, sensing, rather than knowing, that something was different. Heero's cologne, an ever-present reminder that the Perfect Soldier used to live here and sleep in this very bed, seemed stronger, more defined. Duo sat up and peered through the darkness of his bedroom.

Slowly, cautiously, Duo came to his feet and left his room. Padding down the stairs, Duo followed the scent into the kitchen. There, he found Heero, sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a cup of tea.

"What are you doing here?" The question came out more sharply than Duo had intended and Heero nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Duo's voice.

Heero opened his mouth, and then shut it, finding no words.

Duo moved into the kitchen and sat opposite Heero at the kitchen table. They sat in silence for minutes on end, neither daring to speak. The silence was marred only by Bob padding into the kitchen, looking around for a moment, and then retreating back into the living room.

"Apologies don't really become you and I, do they?" Heero's voice was soft and Duo glanced up and smiled a little, grateful that the awkward silence had finally ended.

"Yeah, well, they're still nice to hear every once and a while," Duo responded in an equally soft voice.

"I'm sorry."

Duo was quiet for a moment. "Doesn't matter."

"Why?" Heero asked, cobalt blue eyes coming alive again.

Duo's lips curved into a black smile. "We were a mistake, remember?"

"Yes."

Duo scowled and looked away. "Why are you here?" Duo repeated, the hurt evident in his voice.

"Because it's what makes us special."

Duo looked back at Heero, surprise swimming behind amethyst orbs.

"It's you and me, Duo," Heero murmured. "You and me until the wheels fall off. I know what it means now."

The two former gundam pilots stared at one another from across the space that divided them. Finally, Duo smiled. "Yeah, until the wheels fall off."

Heero grinned and nudged his cup of tea across the table where Duo accepted it and brought the tea to his lips. Taking a sip, Duo's amethyst eyes turned dark violet and the braided man put the mug back onto the table, coming to his feet, and shaking his head. "Are you sure, Heero?"

Heero frowned, is cobalt gaze mirroring his confusion.

Duo wrapped his arms around himself. "This isn't the movies, Heero. People like you and me don't just live "happily ever after." We're still going to hate each other from time to time. We're always gonna argue and it'll usually be about stupid stuff. If you stay, Heero, you're accepting that. You're telling me that you know I'm going to piss you off and you're gonna piss me off, but you're willing to give it a shot anyway. Do you get that?"

Heero stood up and made his way around the kitchen table. Approaching Duo, Heero placed his hands on the other man's arms and gently pulled Duo into a tight embrace. "If it means being with you," Heero whispered, "then, yes, I'd rather fight with you."

Duo pulled away slightly to look at the Japanese man's face. "Yeah?"

Heero nodded. "Yeah."

Duo smiled broadly and planted a little kiss on Heero's lips before wiggling away and disappearing into the living room. Before Heero made up his mind to follow him, Duo was back in the kitchen holding a leather-bound briefcase. Duo placed it on the kitchen table and undid the the clasps. Opening the briefcase, Duo pulled out the architectural plans for the University he wanted to build on the border, making Father Elamaida's church part of the campus.

Heero frowned. "Doesn't make any sense."

Duo raised a brow. "Explain."

"The main entrance to the campus should be facing the spaceport in Neverne. Not Simside."

Duo scowled. "The University was an idea specifically for kids in Simside, Heero --"

"Yes, and you made it painfully clear that this would be a colonial University. It should be facing the spaceport."

"Well, it's my goddamn University and it's gonna face Simside --"

Heero's hand shot out and grasped the collar of Duo's shirt, pulling him into a fierce and extremely long kiss. When they finally broke for air, both their gazes were smeared with desire and as they clung to one another, they inched towards the hall where they knew the stairs would take them upstairs to their bedroom. "Sex first," Heero whispered, nipping along Duo's jaw line. "Business later."

"Deal."

Duo idly traced patterns onto the golden skin that stretched over Heero's abdomen as they lay together, basking in the warmth of their afterglow. Duo thought of the past seven weeks and felt a rueful half-smile stretch his lips. Duo wondered what a normal person's life was like. Duo glanced sidelong at his lover, Heero's soft, even breathing the only sound in his ear as Heero gazed peacefully at the ceiling above him.

"Isn't there a party in Simside tonight?" The sound of Heero's voice slid towards Duo through the darkness.

"Yeah," Duo murmured. "Started about an hour ago."

Heero sat up and glanced down at his violet-eyed lover. "Well, if we wait any longer, we're going to exceed the limitations of 'fashionably late'."

Duo laughed softly and flung an arm over his eyes. "You really wanna go?"

Duo felt rather than saw Heero's smile. "Do you really think you are the only reason I came back up here?"

Duo removed his arm from his face and raised an auburn brow.

"We've got a Family to take care of."

Duo smiled.

It seemed all of L2 had turned out for the bash at Edita's club. Natives from Neverne as well as Simside crowded the club and poured out into the street, their merrymaking loud and boisterous. Duo and Heero were hailed four blocks away from the club by a pack of Rabbits, who happily guided them through the crowd and into the club.

Inside, Edita beamed at them from behind her bar and Bill Fraughst raised his beer in a silent salute. Heero gripped Duo's hand and led them through the club. The pair stopped at the bar and shared a lemon drop shot before proceeding out to the dance floor.

They tuned out the cheering and the catcalls and completely ignored the fast pace of the music as they drew close to one another. Duo pressed his cheek against Heero's shoulder as Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's waist. Their dance was slow and sweet. In that moment, nothing else mattered except the scent of apples and spice and Heero's cologne.

Bills in Parliament, L2's renovations, Rabbits and Keepers, heirs to multi-billion dollar companies, ghosts and telephone poles; all that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, they had each other.

It's you and me. It's you and me until the wheels fall off.

It means I love you.

STORY NOTES

Chapter Three Notes:

[1] Mea vitium means (Latin) My sin.
[2] Mea cor necessitudo praesidium (Latin) means My heart needs protection.
[3] Peccavi (Latin) is another word for Sin; however, while Vitium could actually pass for Vice or Addiction, Peccavi strictly means Immorality, or, more specifically, Immoral sin. Num (Latin) just means Really as in the question; specifically in where the word is contradicting itself. I really had to search to get the correct article.

Chapter Nine Notes:

[4] Vite! (French) means Quickly! or Hurry!
[5] Mit ta ceinture de sécurité (French) means roughly You may want to secure your seatbelt.

Original Cast:

Bill Fraughst -- L2's Keeper, founder of the Family, ex-Sweeper
Edita -- A barmaid, member of the Family
Sharon -- Member of the Family
Vilan -- A Rabbit
Edward -- A Rabbit, heir to the Winner Foundation
Frank -- Member of the Family
Ed -- A doctor, member of the Family
Kringley -- A Keeper
Elamaida -- A priest
Mailen -- A nun
Timothy -- A Rabbit
Johnny -- A Rabbit
Lt. Filer -- Officer in the L2 Preventer Unit