Disclaimer: Don't own the G-boys, girls or former members of Oz. Gavin, Stori and Kinetarou are mine.
Warnings: Violence, Yaoi, Yuri, Language, Most chars. OOC, Angst
Pairings: 1X2/2X1, 3XR, 4X5/5X4, 6X9, ?XHS+DC
"Spoken"
'Thoughts'
C&C welcome.
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Chapter Three: Starlight
Birthday Party, Continued
As soon as Heero had left the room, Duo turned to Milliard. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"The wedding," Milliard replied. "Noin insists that I ask you to be in the wedding. She doesn't know we've already talked about it."
"You're telling me that your fiance doesn't even know who your best man is?" Duo sighed and picked up a carrot stick from one of the many trays on the table. "Your wedding is in less than a week. When are you going to tell her?"
Milliard shrugged and picked up a celery stick. "Well, I was planning on telling her at the party this afternoon. But she just wouldn't stop bugging me on the shuttle about it." He glanced at the younger man then bit into the celery stick. "You know she's going to ask a million questions as soon as I get back to the room."
Duo nodded then stood from his chair. "Ok, then. There's only one thing to do. We have to keep you from seeing her until time for the party," he replied. He pulled the older man to his feet and out of the kitchen. "Besides, knowing Heero, he won't be back until the party starts anyway. We've got a couple of hours to kill."
"And what do you propose we do? I'm engaged and you're as good as married, so ..."
"So what? That doesn't mean we can't go out and do something. I mean, come on, you ARE marrying my sister after all. We're as good as brothers." Duo replied, grinning. He pulled him to the garage and motioned to one of Quatre's many cars. "At least we will be in a few days."
Milliard chuckled and climbed into the car. "Fine, You've got a deal, but just so you know, I'm driving. I'd hate for Noin to be a widow before we're even married."
"My driving is not THAT bad!"
"Yes, it is, Maxwell." WuFei chuckled as he approached the car. "I have a request to make of the two of you." He paused for a moment and glanced around the garage to make sure a certain blond was nowhere in sight. "Please take me with you, Quatre is driving me crazy."
The other two men laughed for a moment, then noticed that he was glaring at them. "So, Wu-man ... Q still annoyed that you're four months older than him?"
"What else? And don't call me Wu-man," WuFei replied. He got into the back of the car and looked at Duo. "Mention one word of this to him and I WILL shave you bald. Yuy or no-Yuy."
"Me? Mention that Q can't wait another month until he turns eighteen to get you back in the sack? AND that the two of you have been living apart for three months, one on Earth and the other on L4? AND that this is the first time the two of you have seen each other in over a month?"
Duo grinned and smirked when Milliard grabbed WuFei, holding him back. "That's enough, Duo. Just because you and Soldier-boy are of legal age, doesn't mean you can torment the others," he replied, letting go of the younger man. "Let's go before Lucy and Q find out we're leaving."
WuFei grabbed Duo's braid and pulled him into the car. "Agreed," he replied. "Besides, I would think you'd be glad to get away from your sisters."
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"Ok, I don't exactly understand it. Hilde and Duo are brother and sister?"
Anne nodded and looked at Mariemaia. "Twins, actually. And your Aunt Lucy is their older sister."
"But no one knew that until Hilde wrecked Duo's car?"
"Right," Sally replied. She put the last of the decorations on the table and looked at the young girl. "It was only when she needed a transfusion that we had any idea of the relationship between them. You see, she has the same blood type as WuFei and Duo."
"And you know what a vampire your Aunt Sally is," Anne replied. "She thought while she had the chance, she'd go ahead and convince everyone to let her make DNA records for the Preventers."
Sally threw a balled-up napkin at her as Lucretzia walked in. "Lucy, would you kindly inform our employer that I am not a vampire?"
Noin looked at her curiously, then turned to Anne. "I don't want to know," she replied. "Have any of you seen my fiancee or my brother? I want to make sure they haven't killed each other yet."
"Haven't seen them," Sally replied. "I doubt you'll be able to find Duo, as long as Heero is around. As for Zechs ... hiding from his sister, perhaps?"
"I asked her. She hasn't seen him all day long," Noin replied. "And she couldn't care less where Duo is. Heero, is another matter altogether. She was very helpful in telling me he had already left after having a conversation with Dorothy and Hilde."
Anne chuckled and tossed the small ball of paper back at Sally. "Still following him around like a lost puppy dog, I see. Doesn't she realize that he is in love with Duo?"
Mariemaia giggled and shook her head. "No, I don't think she does. Too bad for her, though. She doesn't realize one of the other pilots IS in love with her."
The three women stopped talking and stared at her in disbelief. "Who, Maia? It can't be Maxwell, Winner or Chang, so ... Barton?" Maia nodded, causing the three women to all move closer to her. "Ok, kiddo, spill the beans. Tell your loving Aunts how you know this."
Maia shrugged. "Haven't you seen how he acts when he's around her? True, there's not a BIG change, but it's there. If you know what to look for," she replied. She stopped talking when said pilot walked into the living room.
"Lady Une, there's a phone call for you. It's from someone called Jinx," Trowa replied. He noticed the way the three women were looking at him and smiled slightly. "Is something wrong, ladies?"
Anne shook her head and had to stop herself from laughing at the look on his face. "It's nothing, Trowa," she replied, standing. She glanced back at the others and smiled. "I expect a full report on this matter, understood?"
Noin and Sally nodded as Maia giggled. Trowa continued to watch them for a moment after the other woman left the room. He then shrugged and followed her into the hallway. "Is there something going on, I should know about, Lady Une?"
"Not right now, Barton. But do me a favor, please. Keep an eye on Miss Peacecraft. I know this has got to be a very unusual day for her." Anne saw what Maia had been talking about and smiled to herself. "Especially if she were to finally realize a certain pilot's feelings."
Trowa looked shocked for a second, then his face returned to a cold mask. "What do you mean?"
"Heero. Surely you know he doesn't feel the same way about her that she feels about him," she replied. She turned on the vidphone and nodded to the person on the other end. "Just remember Barton, she's going to need all the friends she can get."
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After Colony 202
"I don't believe this. How could Duo go and do such a stupid thing like this? He just got out of the hospital two days ago and now he's gone off to who knows where with that psychotic boyfriend of his."
Dorothy grabbed Hilde's arm and turned her to face her. "If you don't calm down, you're going to make yourself sick. And you know what the doctor said would happen if you got upset."
Hilde sighed and leaned against the blonde. "I know, I know. But what am I supposed to do? First my niece goes missing and now my baby brother, who almost died and has been in a coma for over a month, has run off to Kami knows where ... Dorothy, I don't know what to do."
"None of us do, Hilde. Dorothy, why don't you take her home? WuFei and I will look after Lucy," Quatre replied. He lightly brushed the hair out of Hilde's face and smiled. "Besides, Duo would kill us if anything happened to his other niece. I'm sure they'll be back soon."
Dorothy nodded and made Hilde look at her. "He's right, you know. Heero has done everything he can to find Stori since she vanished, short of going after her, because of Duo. I'm sure he knows where to find her."
Hilde nodded slightly and smiled at Quatre. "You're probably right. They aren't the best Preventers officers for nothing," she replied.
"Exactly," WuFei replied. He glanced at the door and motioned to the tall Arab standing there. "Rashid, make sure they get home safely."
"Thanks, guys." Dorothy smiled at the two lovers and led Hilde out of the room.
After the two women had left, he grabbed the taller man's arm. "Rashid, Lady Une thinks Hilde may be in danger. Could you--"
"Do not worry, Master Chang. I will personally make sure nothing happens to them or the baby," Rashid replied. He bowed slightly to the two men and then followed the two women.
"How could Duo do this to them?"
WuFei sighed and hugged the slightly taller blond. "He's just trying to find his niece, Q. You'd do the same if it were your sisters' kids. Can't say I blame him, either. If I had any clue where she was, I'd go look for her myself," he replied. "But if things are as bad as Lady Une thinks, the rest of us should stay here with Hilde and Lucy."
Quatre nodded. "I've already spoken with Relena and Trowa, they'll be here tomorrow. She said they're going to try and convince Noin to go home with them. At least for a while."
"That's probably for the best. I'll go check on her for now, let her know Hilde's gone home. I just hope Sally's pills have kicked in," WuFei replied. He kissed the other man and smiled slightly. "That, or the fifth of gin she drank before Sally got here."
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En Route to L3
Heero watched helplessly as Duo nearly collapsed from pain. He had been the one that insisted they travel separately, even if they were on the same transport. He could make no move toward the other man, at the risk of being discovered. Another passenger that had been sitting close to him had rushed to him to make sure he was alright, but that didn't stop Heero from worrying. He knew it was too soon for Duo to travel. And since the doctors had thought it too risky to remove the bullet from beside his heart, he had had to take extra precautions before leaving Earth.
"Sir, are you alright?"
Heero jumped at the voice next to him. He turned to the passenger next to him and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
The elderly lady smiled slightly and shrugged. "Your face turned very pale when that young man cried out. Almost as if you were worried for him."
"He just reminds me of a friend, that's all," Heero lied. He didn't dare risk another glance at Duo, instead choosing to focus on his laptop.
Beside him, the elderly woman sighed slightly and turned her attention back to her book. "Well, it seems he's alright now. The young man beside him must be a doctor. Poor kid, he looks like he's been through hell."
'More than once,' Heero thought. He glanced at Duo and sighed quietly when he noticed that indeed, he was looking better. For the first time since they had left Earth, he was glad he had insisted Sally send one of her assistants along.
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"Really, Gavin, I'm fine." Duo smiled reassuringly at the young man beside him.
"Bullocks," Gavin replied. He made Duo take the medicine Sally had prescribed before sitting back in the chair beside him. "You're lucky the takeoff alone didn't kill you. Or have you forgotten the bullet lodged firmly in your chest?"
Duo grimaced slightly and placed his hand over the scars left by the entry wound. "How could I forget?" He sighed and stared out of the window. "Thanks for coming with me, Gav. At least I'll have somebody to talk to on this trip."
Gavin shrugged and dropped the bottle of pills back into his bag. "Don't worry about it. Anne and Sally wouldn't have let you leave unless someone went with you. Not to mention, lover boy would've stopped you before you even got to the airport."
The Flight Attendant handed Duo a drink and smiled slightly. "Here you go, sir. We've signaled the colony and they have a doctor waiting for you at the port."
"Really, that's not necessary."
"It's standard procedure, sir. Anytime someone becomes ill on a flight, we have to signal the medical staff."
Gavin pulled out his identification and shook his head. "Really, it's not necessary. Mr. Mason is under my care and I can assure you that he is fine."
"I'm sorry, sir, but it's policy. It won't take long, I promise," she replied. She smiled again and walked to the back of the shuttle.
"Damn. The last thing we need is someone checking my medical history."
Gavin shook his head and motioned toward the back of the shuttle. "No, no, no. It's a good thing. That way Heero can get away before any of the kidnappers see the two of you together," he replied. "Relax, Duo, this is a good thing. Remember, we want them to think you've come here alone. Well, almost alone. Just remember, don't look at him. Don't even acknowledge him. He can't be seen with you."
Duo sighed and quickly finished the drink. "I hate this plan of his. I wish I knew why we can't even be seen together. Sometimes, I think he doesn't even trust me anymore."
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After Colony 205
Duo sighed as he looked into the mirror and adjusted the black wig. "Well, it's taken three years, but by this time tomorrow, Stori will be back home with her mother and our 'dear uncle' will be sitting in one of Lady Une's cells, cooling his heels."
"If Heero doesn't kill him before she gets here," Gavin replied. He slid his gun into it's holster on his belt and helped Duo with the finishing touches on his outfit. "Just remember to stay calm. The last thing we need is for you to have another attack. And I'm betting Heero doesn't know you still have them."
"Why bother telling him? He'd just find someone else to do this. And I won't let my niece's fate rest in a stranger's hands," Duo replied. He slipped the last gun into the holster and picked up the gear bag. "Come on. Make sure we've got everything, we won't be coming back here."
"Lucy, would you kindly inform our employer that I am not a vampire?"
