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The Road to Kindness	By : shinigamiinochi Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 7934 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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The Road to Kindness

Chapter 8
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Part 3
　

　

　

　

　

There was solemn mood during lunch at school for the five friends as Heero told Wufei about the letter his mother had gotten the previous day. Quatre and Trowa already knew about it, having eavesdropped outside the kitchen when Name had been explaining it to Duo and Heero. Everyone seemed subdued, especially Duo. Wufei seemed quieter than usual, too, he and Duo looking as though they were lost in their thoughts and barely touching their food. Heero couldn�t figure out why Wufei seemed so distant. He had been like this since he had come to school this morning, so it had nothing to do with this news about Heero�s uncle.

�Can he really do that to your mother so suddenly, and all on his own?� Wufei asked dubiously, �This seems like a pretty large shot in the dark for him to take over the company.�

�According to Name, it�s all legal,� Quatre said angrily, �It just isn�t very tasteful and downright spineless. Something like this would never fly in my father�s company! He would have that person kicked out before they even arranged such a hearing! Of course, Name is just like her father. She�d rather suffer in playing the rules than loosen her morals.�

�If Mom went behind Granddad�s back about this, it might work, but the board would know what she had done. Their view of her would be twisted and it would have a lot of consequences. My uncle isn�t just some greedy idiot, shooting for an impossible goal based on his own over-inflated view of himself. He obviously thinks he has a shot at getting Mom to step down. He�s well aware that he probably won�t get her job, but he hates her so much, he wants to shame and embarrass her. And who knows, maybe he really believes that she isn�t right for the company. He�s so traditional, his precious �manhood� is probably offended that he has to take orders from a woman,� Heero said with a great deal of bitterness, taking a sip from the thermos of milk his mother had packed for him.

�Your mother is no woman,� Trowa said with a snort, �Especially not in your uncle�s way of thinking. I�ve seen her when she�s been pissed, she�s like a tornado wrapped around a hurricane covering a nuclear bomb, all with deadly precision. I�d like to see Mizu dare to tell her that her place is in the kitchen. She�d probably rip his balls off with her bare hands then tell him to make her a five course dinner and clean the entire house with a toothbrush.�

Heero sputtered out his milk as Wufei and Quatre stared at the tall Italian in a mix of amusement and shock. Duo laughed so hard at that visual imagery, he would have choked if he had been eating everything. That image of Heero�s uncle cleaning things with a toothbrush helped to erase the stern, harsh image of him in his mind. Heero felt the back of his neck burning and turned to look at the next table over. The teenagers sitting there were staring at them. Heero realized that they were shocked to hear Duo laugh like that, like he was about to fall off his seat. It irritated him, like they were seeing Duo as some kind of sideshow freak. That they were shocked to hear him laugh made him angry, because these people were so used to seeing him quiet and sad, but had done nothing to try to cheer him up. Out of spite, he glared at them and flipped them his middle finger. All of them turned back to their lunches in a flash, scared that he might come over there.

�I�m sure Name can take care of things,� Trowa continued, looking at Quatre, �but isn�t your father a partner to YC? Isn�t there some way he can stop this without causing a fuss? Heero�s mother might be too honorable to steer away from doing things by the book, but your father doesn�t care what methods he uses as long as his business prospers.�

Quatre was silent, looking down at his salad in a depressed expression. If anyone else had said that, he would have hit them. It was true that he and his father hadn�t spoken to each other since his father had found out about his relationship with Trowa and he had run away, but it was a matter of pride. And� something that he wouldn�t admit to anyone, even under penalty of torture� there was still a part of him that loved his father. When Duo said that he had mixed feelings about Wes, Quatre understood. He was too much of a coward to tell him that, but he did understand.

Maybe it was Duo�s convictions of his own twisted feelings being sick and wrong, or maybe it was his friends� sympathy towards his father�s attitude, but Quatre felt almost as conflicted about his love for his father as Duo did towards Wes. At least Duo had legitimate reasons to have those feelings for Wes. The man had found Duo when he had been starving, on the cusp of still having childlike aspirations for love and a family, and becoming an emotionless animal, more focused on surviving than truly living. Wes had preyed on that. He had twisted Duo�s need for love into something perverse until Duo couldn�t even understand his own heart. Quatre couldn�t claim any of that.

His father had been harsh and cruel with his words when Quatre had confessed to being a homosexual. He had said some truly terrible things, so terrible that Quatre couldn�t even bear the thought of seeing his face or hearing his voice. His father had hurt him in a way that no other person had, or ever could. He would never forgive him for that. But he was too old to need his father anymore. He had the love of Iria, Heero, and Trowa, unlike Duo, who had had nothing. So why did he feel so lonely when he thought of his father? And why did it anger him when people talked down about the man? But Trowa was right. Where Name was noble and straightforward about her business practices, Shahir Winner was willing to bend the rules, if it went more prosperity. Quatre wouldn�t go as far as to say that his father was a criminal, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn�t really know all that much about his father.

�It�s not that simple,� Quatre murmured, �There are three problems. First, Father is just a partner, not a member of the board of directors. He has no say in their policies. He isn�t even allowed to vote. He has a great fortune and a lot of power, but he holds no say in Yuy Corporations. Second, there is a problem in my homeland. There are guerilla groups targeting large corporations like my Father�s for doing business with other countries. They have destroyed oil wells and bombed certain cities to make statements. Our economy is failing and Father has had to sever ties with the countries he has made contracts with to help our home. Because of that, many of these countries are angry with him. Those contracts meant life or death for their economy. The way they see it, he has lied and abandoned them. He�s trying to soothe hurt feelings and save our people at the same time and it is very taxing.�

Heero and Trowa were shocked to hear about all this. Neither of them watched the news very often and relied on Name and Quatre to tell them about what was going on in Quatre and Heero�s native countries. To hear that Quatre�s homeland was suffering and that his family might be in danger was frightening since America, though having its own troubles, seemed peaceful. Trowa realized that Quatre had probably known about this for some time and it had been weighing heavily on his thoughts. He squeezed his lover�s hand, trying to comfort him, and felt useless. He couldn�t even detect when something was wrong with Quatre, he was such a pitiful boyfriend. If Quatre had been displaying signs of stress, Trowa had assumed that it was because of Duo�s problems with Wes, Heero, and now Williams. Was he really that blind?

�You heard that from Iria?� he asked softly.

Quatre nodded.

�She went back home a week ago. She says that the news here isn�t covering it very much, but there have been some bombings close to our city. She�s worried, but Father doesn�t think it will escalate much further. She says that he is sure of himself, but she is worried,� he said.

And when Iria was worried, Quatre was worried, Trowa thought. But the real question was� did she have a reason to worry? Next to Trowa, Wufei glanced over at Quatre with equal worry, then looked back down at his untouched food. Fai� he couldn�t stop thinking about what his lover had written, about the bombings and the army. He had tried to talk about it when they had spoken on the phone, but Fai�s voice had trembled and Wufei had been unable to press him for information. He wanted to know what was going on, but it unsettled Fai and he hated hearing his voice sounding like that. And now this� was the whole world falling apart? He should have forced Fai to stay here, at any cost. Now, all he could think about was war, with the one he loved the most stuck in the middle of it all.

�And the third reason is� well, I haven�t even spoken to him since the night I left. I don�t think I ever will,� Quatre said bitterly, then turned apologetic eyes to Heero, �I�m sorry, Heero, but I�m too much of a coward to ask him for such a favor. Even if I knew he would do it despite his hatred for me, I can�t face him after what he said to me.�

Heero shook his head.

�You don�t need to apologize to me for that. I would never ask you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. You know how my Mom hates your dad. She does business with him because, as a CEO, she has to be impartial, but she never deals with him beyond that because she knows how he treated you and how traditional he is. She wouldn�t accept his help and there�s no reason for you to have to deal with him, either,� he tried to comfort his childhood friend.

�Heero�s right,� Duo smiled kindly at the sad blonde, �Not wanting to talk to your father doesn�t make you weak, and you shouldn�t apologize for it. He hurt you a lot, right? Then he doesn�t deserve your time or your words. Name doesn�t need his help anyway. I know she�ll put this guy in his place and everything will go back to normal!�

�How can you sound so confident?� Heero asked in confusion, even though he knew that it was nice to see Duo assured about something, �I know you�re worried about him coming over today.�

�I know your mother well enough to know that she won�t let anyone push her around,� Duo said in an almost murmur, �I�m worried because I�ve never met your uncle. I have no idea what he�s like. I�m strong enough now not to run away just because I have to meet some strange guy, but I�m still nervous about it. I know that he hates you and Name, so he must hate me, too. I don�t know what�s going to happen, but at the same time, while I don�t know your Uncle Mizu, I know Name. I�ve seen her do some pretty incredible things. Even with all my problems, she�s been there for me every step of the way. I�d be an idiot to think that she would let something like this bring her down. I just have confidence in her, that�s all.�

�I still think you should stay out of the house today,� Heero said with a frown, �You told Mom that you wanted to stay, to meet him, but I don�t think that�s a good idea. He�s obviously using you to get to her. Nothing he brings up about you could bring her down, but I don�t like him being around you. He isn�t like my Mom. He�s not above using dirty tactics.�

�It�s like you said,� Duo shot back, meeting Heero�s stare, �He�s using me to do this. I don�t like that. It�s like� it�s my fault. Name said it wasn�t and I believe her, but he wants me to feel guilty, he wants her to feel guilty. This involves me directly and I�m powerless. If the only thing I can do is stand up to him and look him in the eye, then that�s what I�m going to do.�

His four friends smiled at him and Duo felt an even stronger conviction that he would meet Mizu. He had spent his whole life running away. For once, he wanted to see what it felt like to stand his ground.

�In any case, we don�t really have anything to worry about,� Quatre told them, beaming, �Even if Mizu does get her fired, which he won�t, she�s still a Yuy, and a great business woman. She�ll still have all her shares in the company and she�ll probably just be demoted, but she won�t lose any of her money. It�s just a matter of pride.�

Heero snorted.

�Which my mother is full of,� he pointed out, glancing at his best friend, �It�s just like Duo�s grade. It�s the principle of the thing.�

Quatre sighed.

�Fine,� he conceded, �I just don�t want you and Duo to get all worked up about it. Especially you,� he looked at Duo sternly, �You�re finally in a good place. You�re more confident, stronger, healthier, and happier and I don�t want that scumbag to make you feel like crap. You don�t deserve that!�

�Don�t worry,� Duo assured him, �I have much bigger problems to freak out about than some moron that thinks he can scare me and Name.�

He looked at Heero sheepishly as he realized he had just called Heero�s uncle a moron.

�Sorry,� he mumbled.

Heero chuckled.

�Don�t be,� he said with a grin, fully agreeing with Duo�s sentiment.
*****
Duo had said that he had bigger problems, and that was certainly true. Compared to Wes� madness and violence, Mizu Yuy seemed like a little kid to him, throwing a temper tantrum and making everyone in ear shot miserable for it. Hell, even Zechs� obsession was a bigger threat than Mizu. But Duo was quiet through the rest of the school day and on the ride back to his house. He had been doing a lot of thinking lately, about all sorts of things; to the point that, sometimes, he worried that his skull might crack open. Wes, Chris, Shi, Solo, Amaaya, his grades, Heero, his past, his future, Zechs, Relena, where he had come from, Fai, college, Name, Mizu� it was all swirling around in his brain, trying to make him half mad.

Was Chris hunting him along with Wes? When would Wes come for him? Why had he said that he loved him? Where his old friends all right? Should he try to find them, or did they not think about him at all anymore? He hadn�t really seen Zechs and Relena in awhile, but instead of making him feel better, it worried him severely. It was like getting lost in the jungle. You couldn�t see the tiger, but you knew it was there, stalking you, hunting you, and all you could do was wait for it strike. Was Fai safe? He knew it was Wufei�s business, not his, but he had meant what he had said about Fai being his friend. He had so few, but the ones he had were special to him. Should he try for college, and if he didn�t, what were his other options?

Lately, a lot of things had changed for him, things that he didn�t think anyone else was aware of, but had been on his mind for awhile. For a very long time, he had felt alienated from Heero and his mother. He had felt like a guest or visitor in their home, even though he lived there. When he thought about that house, he had always seen it as �Heero�s house� or �The Yuy�s�. Now, he thought of it as �his home�. It was a strange transition. He had always thought that of it as his safe place, but there was had always been a part of him that felt out of place, that he didn�t really belong there. He knew, logically, that it was just a subconscious, defense mechanism. If he thought he didn�t belong there, when he was finally kicked out, it would be like he had expected it to happen and it wouldn�t be so painful.

He had been living with Name and Heero for over five months now. That was just� staggering. When Name had told him that he was coming home with them, he had been so happy, but the cynical part of himself had thought he would only last a month, that eventually, they would get sick of taking care of him, but that had never happened. He had learned to trust them and in doing that, he was starting to trust people all together. It was a dangerous road for him, a split between how he should be thinking and completely contrary to the world he had lived in so far. And somewhere along the way� he had stopped thinking of Name as Heero�s mother and had started to think of her as his own.

That wouldn�t be so horrible if Name didn�t refer to him as her other son every now and again. It was so dangerous for him to think that way. It wouldn�t take very much at all for him to destroy him, like Wes� �love� had nearly destroyed him. But he couldn�t help it. The only thing he had ever wanted was a parent, someone who loved him, and Name gave him that. It was like a dealer giving an addict their fix for free. They could be cut off at any moment, but it was impossible to stop it. Now, with Heero talking about his uncle and Quatre, his sister and father, Duo couldn�t stop thinking about family. He had always been ok with the fact that he had no idea what had happened to his own family, if he had ever had one, and where he had come from.

Well, saying that he had been fine with it wasn�t entirely true. It was something that had always bothered him, but something he had accepted that he would never find out. Hearing Name talk about her and Heero�s family made him feel� well� jealous. It wasn�t something that he was very proud of, but it made him yearn to know where his own family was and who they were. It was just curiosity. He still believed what he had told Trowa in that rest stop on their way to Boston. Even if he knew who his parents were, he had no intention of meeting them or their family. There was too much bitterness. If they were alive, he could never forgive them. He wouldn�t even be able to look them in the eye, let alone accept them.

Even if it hadn�t been their faults, he hated his parents. Just thinking about them filled him with a terrible rage, a rage that he loathed because it was so out of character for him. If they were alive, he was incapable of feeling any other emotion for them, especially love. That was probably sick. After all, some part of him loved Wes. But Wes had been a part of his life. Even if he had hurt him, at least Duo knew him and he had allowed Duo to live with him. Even his parents couldn�t say that much. If they were dead, there was no point in feeling anything for them but regret. He had never known them and never would, so why should he love someone that wasn�t even so much as a ghost to him?

In his mind, Duo truly believed that everything that had happened in his life were his parents� faults. If they were dead, he couldn�t blame them. But if they were still alive, if they had abandoned him, then they had allowed him to be raped, to starve, and to almost die hundreds of times. How could he possibly love someone who hadn�t even had the decency to leave him with something to cling to? A name, a memory, something! Thinking about those things made his heart hurt, more than it hurt when he thought about Wes. How weird was that, to hate someone he had never met more than his own rapist? It would be nice to know� but at the same time, he worried about what that would do to his heart. If he met them, he knew it would come down to a choice: Name or them.

How was that even a choice? If they didn�t want him, that would only make him hate them more. If they did, they could never compare to the woman that had paid his hospital bills, had given him a home, an education, hope, and a real family. His very first normal family. He knew what Heero�s uncle was trying to do. He wanted Name to be ashamed of taking him in, for being kind. And he knew that Name would never feel those things. She was too good. In that way, they had already won. Mizu would never humiliate his sister and Name would never stop loving him, not over this. He had put Heero, her real son, in mortal danger, but she still hadn�t stopped loving him. How could someone like Heero�s uncle destroy what Duo had failed to? As long as Name loved him, Duo couldn�t be scared of this man.

But just because he wasn�t scared of him didn�t mean he was comfortable with him coming over here, either. He was angry that Mizu was trying to hurt Name and him coming here felt like he was intruding on Duo�s sanctuary, but he wanted to face him head on. He was sick of people pushing him around, just because they were rich or more educated or some other bullshit reason. But most of all� he was tired. He was doing so much better than back when Name had first brought him home. The person he had been when he had first met Heero was quickly becoming a bad memory to him, even when he had his bad moments, but even those moments were getting fewer and fewer.

He wasn�t all better, something that he was starting to accept, but as long as he was walking forward, instead of backwards or not at all, he thought he could handle those dark moments a little bit better. Strange people still scared him, he still doubted himself, still had constant nightmares, and still had very little self confidence, but he was trusting people, and himself, a little bit more, and that was something. Sometimes it didn�t seem like very much, then he would look back at everything that had happened since he had moved in with Heero and it seemed as though he had been living there for years, not months. So much had snuck up on him. Relena�s stupid plots, Boston, his issues with Heero, Wes, his cats, Wufei�s boyfriend, and all the little stuff in between; thinking about it made his head hurt.

It seemed like so much, and thinking about everything he had gone through in those five months overwhelmed him at times. He was constantly teetering on some invisible edge. Just when he thought he had a handle on things, something happened to throw him off course again. He always survived, though, but it made him wonder how much strength he had. It made him wonder what the future would bring. In past, he had lived one day at a time, the future being too bleak and unbearable for him to think about. But now, even though he tried to maintain that outlook of one day at a time, he kept peaking at those �maybes�. Wes� recent assault on him hadn�t helped at all. It had made him realize that things couldn�t continue on this way. He couldn�t live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.

Sooner or later, Wes would make another move. No matter the precautions Name made, it would happen. It was just inevitable. The unmovable object meeting the unstoppable force, but who was the object and who was the force? Wes or his new life? Which one would break away first? Duo shook his head as he stood all alone in the front hallway of his home. He was sick and tired of his own thoughts. From where he was standing, he could Heero and Name arguing in the living room. They weren�t being very loud, for which he was grateful. He was still reflexively frightened by loud noises and couldn�t stand yelling, but the mother and son didn�t seem to be angry at each other.

Heero didn�t want Duo to be here for when Mizu came and Name wanted to respect Duo�s decision. It made him happy when Heero worried about him and wanted to protect him, but he also loved that Name respected him like that. He didn�t know whose side he was on, but listening to the two stubborn people bickering was more amusing than worrisome. The sound of someone knocking on the door almost made him flinch. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could do this. He would not let this man make him afraid or doubtful. He refused to let this be like the time when he had met Noventa. He swore to himself as he strode purposefully to the door that he would not run away again or believe any cruel thing that Mizu said to him. He opened the door before Heero or Name could even leave the living room, if they had heard the knocking, which made Duo wonder why their visitor hadn�t rung the doorbell, if he or she was actually trying to hide their presence.

Duo was sure, without a sliver of a doubt, that the man standing before him was Heero�s uncle, although he certainly wasn�t the man he had been picturing in his head. He knew that Name was in her very early forties, though she looked like she was only in her mid thirties, and that Mizu was older than her, though she hadn�t said how much. With Heero�s description of his uncle, Duo had been picturing a man just like Noventa, only younger, a pompous man in his thirties with classic Japanese looks, unlike Heero, dark brown hair and eyes like Name�s, broad shoulders dressed in a business suit, and a tan face with a light beard. The man standing on his doorstep was indeed wearing a business suit and had the same features as Yuki and Name, but he had gotten everything else wrong.

If you didn�t know that Name and Mizu weren�t blood related, it was still pretty obvious. One thing Duo hadn�t counted on was Mizu�s height. For a man who had had two Japanese parents, he was pretty damn tall, even taller than Heero. His hair was jet black, in a style that was clear cut like how Duo had thought it would be, but it wasn�t messy like Heero�s either. It fell against Mizu�s pale cheeks and hung around his chin and neck. The man�s face was clean shaven and, much like Name, he looked younger than he probably was, though Duo thought that was because of his thin body and smooth face. He looked like a scarecrow, thin and tall, pale and lifeless. His eyes were as black as his hair. For a moment, Mizu reminded him of Yuki, though his late friend had been much shorter and had much paler skin.

Duo berated himself for even thinking that Yuki was like this man. It was all in the eyes. He had been able to see Yuki�s pupils, the black of his eyes a little bit lighter, but Mizu�s eyes were one flat, dark color. It was like looking at the eyes of a shark, eyes designed so you couldn�t tell what they were thinking about. They were sharp and cold, suddenly reminding Duo more of Wes than Yuki. Yuki�s eyes had had some light to them, some kindness, even if Yuki himself had been quiet and subdued. Maybe it was just Duo�s dislike of this man that was painting such features on him, but all he knew was that the black haired man rubbed him the wrong way. Those black eyes looked down on him and Duo shuddered a little as Mizu looked at him in disdain, like Duo was nothing more than some smelly trash his expensive shoes had wandered into.

Mizu made a small grunting noise at him, and then forced his way past Duo and into the house, almost shoving the smaller boy to the ground. Duo stumbled, then stared at the man�s back in shock at his audacity. He hadn�t thought it physically possible, but this man was even ruder than Relena was! At least she had spoken to him, acknowledging his presence before shoving past him. He watched in anger as Mizu didn�t even bother to take off his shoes as he walked down the hallway. He didn�t know why it pissed him off so much, but it did. A lot. Hell, Shi and Solo had more manners than this so-called businessman! Duo shut the door behind him, hurriedly following the tall man. He didn�t have to go far as Name and Heero suddenly materialized in the hallway, Name crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at her step-brother.

�At least your punctual, onii-chan,� Name said the last part of the title forcefully, like it was a curse, but Duo could have sworn her lips were about to twitch in smugness.

From behind her, Heero was smirking at his uncle. Duo didn�t get what Name had just said, but it made Mizu finally break his cold front and glare at her, gritting his teeth.

�Name (1),� he grounded out, �Are you going to invite me in?�

�I don�t see why I should, since you just broke in all on your own,� she responded flatly, irritated with his address, �What would To-chan say about your lack of manners?�

Mizu nearly growled at her, his face contorting into absolute rage. Heero had to turn his head to keep from laughing. His uncle was the coldest son of a bitch he had ever met, well, besides Wes, but his mother had this unique talent for pissing him off. It was pretty damn funny to watch, since Mizu was usually so composed. He knew that it always pissed Mizu off, the way that his mother addressed him and their father. Mizu had been caught by his mother calling his step-father �To-chan� and she had scolded him severely for it. Heero remembered that conversation with a smug smile. His grandmother had told him that Mizu was showing a great deal of disrespect, calling his step-father something so familiar and casual when he was the head of the family and they were not blood related. Name, however, had always called her father that, even now, and no one had ever told her to call him anything else.

Heero knew how much his status in their family got to his uncle. The way he saw it, he was older than Name and was better than her, because she was a woman, but she constantly looked down on him and treated him like the younger sibling. His mother was higher in status than Mizu in both business and family, being the sole heir, so around their parents and business partners, Mizu was forced to show her the utmost respect while Name didn�t have to give him the time of day. Name�s irritation dissolved once she saw Duo standing behind Mizu, his violet eyes darting from the man to Name in confusion and anxiety. Her expression melted into a tender smile, one that threw Mizu completely off guard, losing his footing in the verbal battle between siblings.

�Duo, sweetie,� she said softly, �Come here.�

The longhaired American eagerly obeyed her, feeling like a little kitten that had been abused by a neighbor, only to go running to his owner, knowing that she would protect him. Oddly enough, he was ok with that analogy. He dodged past Mizu, having this paranoid vision of the man grabbing his braid and hitting him. It was something that Wes would do in this situation and he couldn�t help but flinch as he passed. Name looked at him sadly, noticing the flinch, and her rage at her brother grew. Duo hardly flinched at all anymore, and never around the people that loved him. It reminded her of when they had first met, how scared and lonely he had been, like a mouse that knew he was about to be torn apart and eaten by a cruel feline. She touched his arm lightly and wanted to hug him, but knew he would be thrown off balance by it.

�So what the papers say is true,� Mizu said snidely, �You have taken on a pet.�

Heero growled at his uncle, who barely even glanced at him, and was about to stride up to him and punch him in the face for his offensive comment when his mother cleared her throat. She shot him a stern look and without another word, walked back into the living room, keeping her hand on Duo, trying to measure his stress through his t-shirt. Sure enough, she could just barely feel his muscles bunching up and his expression was strained. On the outside, she was as cold and professional as Mizu had been when he had walked through her front door, but inside, she was a bomb ready to go off. She fully understood Heero�s desire to attack his uncle, she wouldn�t even punish him if he did, but she wanted to get Mizu to tell her what he was planning and get him out of her house as quickly as possible.

Mizu and Heero followed Name and Duo into the living room. Heero caught the smug little smile on his uncle�s face and his stomach tightened up. He hated this man. He had disrespected his father at his own funeral, had made his mother�s life miserable as children, was trying to take the company away from her, and was being completely offensive to his best friend. It would be so very easy to grab him by the back of his black suit and slam his head against the wall. But that would probably leave a dent, which his mother would make him fix, and worse, scare Duo. He had promised himself that he would try his best not to resort to violence ever since he had beaten up that kid for making fun of Duo�s hair.

Mizu eyed the living room with distaste. Name knew that he was probably comparing everything to their father�s place in Tokyo and finding this American home lacking. It gave her a huge sense of contrast as she looked from her brother to Duo. When the teenager had first seen this place, he had been completely overwhelmed, not understanding that this house was actually less expensive and smaller than the houses that she and Heero were used to living in. To him, this place was a palace. To Mizu, it was quaint. If Mizu was forced to step foot in the apartment that Duo used to live in with Wes, Name was sure that he would shrivel up and die from disgust alone. The thought made her smirk. Then, her brother turned those disgusted eyes on Duo and any amusement she felt died.

�Maybe someone should escort the trash out,� Mizu suggested with a nasty smirk, his sharp, black eyes firmly on Duo.

Duo stared at him, his eyes wide in shock. He was sure that Name and Heero had similar expressions, but all he could feel was his beating heart, racing wildly in his chest.
　

�Go ahead and scream. Do you think anyone cares about a little brat like you? Hah! You�re worthless! Even your own family didn�t have any use for you! You�re nothing but trash!�
　

The color drained from Duo�s face and his lungs threatened to have him hyperventilate at any moment, but he took a long, deep breath instead. No� he wouldn�t let that memory stab at him. He wouldn�t let this� this hateful man hurt him. He wasn�t trash� was he�? But trash was something useless, something that someone threw away because they thought it was disgusting or unwanted. And in the end, wasn�t that what he was, something unwanted? It was like Zechs had said that time; even his own family hadn�t wanted him.

But� Name and Heero wanted him, didn�t they? Still, they wouldn�t say anything to Mizu about it, because Name needed to be civil in order for this to go well. He knew that. Name needed to prove to everyone that she was still the calm and collected leader she had always been. This was just one of those things that he had to let go of. He was used to being called names, so why did this hurt so much? Because there was a sliver of truth in it? Next to him, Name finally let her fury show on her face. Deep in her heart, where her anger and repulsion of her brother had been brewing, something snapped. Mizu stood feet away, watching Duo�s horrified expression with a growing smirk. He saw Name move towards him, but didn�t react in time. She struck him as hard as she could across the face.

Mizu�s head whipped to the side and he stumbled back by the force of the blow. Name was a good foot shorter than him, but made up for it with sheer emotion and strength. His black eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her. She had struck him� him! Name noted with satisfaction that blood was trickling down from Mizu�s mouth, but she refused to show it on her face. She was far too furious and loved the momentary fear in his expression. He had been expecting that she would be civil, that he could say and do whatever he pleased and she would never retaliate; too afraid that her actions would cost her her job. Well, if he thought that he could barge into her home and hurt her kids, he was in for a rude lesson about the real world and the maternal instinct.

�For as long as you are standing in my home, you will respect my children,� she hissed at him, the picture of ice and fierceness.

�Your children?!� Mizu yelled in fury, glaring at Duo as though he had been the one to strike him and not Name, then laughed in disdain, �He�s a cur. A diseased mutt you found wandering in your backyard! And you call him your son?!� Mizu laughed again, almost hysterically, �How the mighty have fallen! He might lick your shoes and pander after you as you give him treats, but he�s filth, Name. He isn�t even worthy of looking you in the eye.�

Duo had that feeling again, that hollowness in his heart, like he was collapsing in on himself. They were things that he had heard before, Zechs calling him trash, telling him to lick his shoes because he wasn�t worthy of his presence� but it had been awhile since he had heard those things. But Name had defended him, she had hit her own brother to protect his honor� compared to that� did this man�s words even mean anything? Any hurt he was still feeling was soothed as Name put her arm over his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. He looked up at Mizu defiantly. He could say that Name had no right to call him her child, but he still had her love. Nothing Mizu said could take that away from him. He could feel her body tremble and he knew it wasn�t from fear. She was so furious, she couldn�t even control herself. Normally, whether or not the anger was directed at him, Duo would have the need to run and hide. But now, in this moment, he felt empowered. He wasn�t scared of her. For once, he wasn�t scared at all. That rage was for his sake� she loved him that much.

�Duo is more of a Yuy than you will ever be,� Name shot back at Mizu, precisely hitting him in his most vulnerable spot.

Mizu�s eyes widened minutely, then, what little color he had drained from him. His cool, prideful mask shattered and one of rage and humiliation replaced it. How dare she say that in front of that� that�

�You bitch,� he snarled, forgetting his place in his anger.

�Watch your tongue,� Name ordered so sharply that Mizu actually took a step back, �Remember who you are speaking to. Even if you take this company away from me, you will always be second best. You do understand your place, don�t you? No matter how much you drag my name through the mud, you will never be a Yuy, let alone a leader.�

Mizu�s large hands curled into fists and Heero quickly walked over to Duo�s other side, fearing that his uncle might do something foolish. Name leaned her cheek against Duo�s head, to comfort both him and herself, trying to use the feeling of his silken hair to settle her anger. She needed to be the one in control, the one with all the cards.

�How dare you?!� he snarled, �Just because I wasn�t born into your pitiful family-,�

�Your birth has nothing to do with it.� Name shot back, �A Yuy is the same as a leader. We must be responsible, noble, and strong. Most of all, we must be kind. Do you think that this company has lasted this long through bullying? We form bonds with the people we do business with. Our employees are happy and never desert us. Other companies jump through hoops for our favor, knowing we will never backstab them! We are reliable and have helped change the world for the better for centuries! You, on the other hand, are a selfish, cowardly child! I know how you think you will win this! You think that you can use my charity and my care for Duo to push me around. Father didn�t refuse you as an heir because you don�t have his blood in your veins; he did it because he saw the pathetic excuse for a man that you are!�

�Father is a fool!� Mizu snapped, losing control of himself, �Any man is a better leader than a weak woman! And a single mother at that! You clearly aren�t suited for a man�s work! You let your feminine heart be swayed by gutter filth, pilfering your wealth away on the lower class! You can�t even control your son! Your husband was weak, too, wanting no part in the most powerful company in the world! If he hadn�t been so weak, he wouldn�t have died! Your son is the same way! It�s no wonder why your son is a faggot, coming from the loins of weakness!�

Heero saw white at Mizu�s accusations that his father�s death was his own fault and leapt forward. Duo realized that Heero wouldn�t be able to control himself once he heard his uncle say those terrible things about Heero�s father and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

�Heero, don�t,� he pleaded and was relieved when Heero seemed to come back to himself, looking back at Duo as though he were begging him to let him go, to let him kill the man before them.

�He isn�t worth it,� Duo stared at Mizu, his violet eyes cold in an expression that neither Heero nor Name had ever seen before, something deadly and truly frightening, �He�s just a scared, pathetic coward, like Name said.�

Mizu sneered at the boy, infuriated that a lower class child like him was even speaking.

�You think you know me, you little shit?� he growled, �What does a simpering boil on the surface of mankind like you know of a man like me?�

�Oh, I know you,� Duo shot back, �I�ve met you a hundred times, men just like you. Boys who call themselves men, strong, confident, and brave, because they can dominate children and women, people who can�t fight back. You call Name and Heero weak, but you�re the one who�s weak! Name�s a great leader, not just a �weak woman�. If you think that you can make that distinction, that all women and homosexuals are weak, grow up! A man is someone, anyone, regardless of sex, who can stand up against someone stronger than them, not weaker, and never stand down! Heero�s done that,� he smiled at his best friend, remembering how Heero had fought against Wes, �He�s stood up against a man twice his size holding a loaded gun and didn�t even blink! Compared to him, you�re just a little boy, not willing to even stand up against a bully because you think your name will save you. A name�s just a name. Your last name might be Yuy, but that�s all you are. Everything else is hollow, a lie,� Duo smirked, �I haven�t met Heero�s grandfather, but think about it. Next to Name, he�s the most successful businessman that ever lived, and he chose her over you, a man. I guess he must have seen how worthless you are as a leader.�

�You fucking-,� Mizu strode forward.

Name stood in front of Duo, both her and Heero staring him down.

�Enough!� she yelled in the tone that made the most pompous, wealthiest businessmen shut up, drop what they were doing, and listen, and it was enough to stop Mizu dead in his tracks, that, or the murderous expression in Heero�s eyes, �I didn�t invite you here to listen to you verbally attack my family. Tell me Father�s decision and leave. Oh, and if you ever call my son a� a� that word again, I�ll do more than just give you a nasty bruise.�

Mizu gritted his teeth at her, knowing full well that he had lost the battle, but still confident that he was going to get what he wanted.

�Father has decided that he wants to talk to you in person. He wishes to keep things personal and out of the board room for his precious daughter. Sentimental old fool,� he muttered under his breath, �He wants to meet in the London branch. You and the f�� Mizu looked coldly at Heero, who was still glaring at him, and falsely mended his words, �the whelp. I�m sure you know where that is.�

�Of course,� Name waved him off, quickly growing weary of her brother�s presence.

�He, however,� Mizu glared at Duo with pure hatred, �is not welcome. Just as well, the security guards would no doubt shoot the mongrel on site.�

�Get the fuck out of my house!� Name shouted, storming after Mizu as he turned to leave.

�You have blood on your face,� Duo called flatly to Mizu.

The look of shock on the Japanese man�s face, and his hasty scrubbing of the corner of his mouth, which only smeared the blood across his cheek, almost dissolved the tension. As soon as Name and Heero were out of sight, however, Duo�s confidence fled him and his shoulders started to shake. There was a part of him that wanted to deny what he was thinking, but he knew it. He knew what was going to happen now. He clutched his shirt above his heart, feeling it ache and swell with fear.

�What�s wrong?� Heero asked in concern, seeing Duo�s heartbroken look.

�I�m sorry,� Duo whispered, and then ran out of the room, almost running into Name as she walked back in.

�Hey!� she shouted in alarm, trying to grab the back of Duo�s shirt, but missed as he darted around her, still just as fast as ever, and ran up the steps to his bedroom.

She shook her head.

�Oh, Duo,� she murmured, realizing what was going on, even when Heero didn�t.

�What was that about?� Heero asked, wanting to run after his friend.

Name sighed. Her son was so hopelessly oblivious sometimes�

�He�s scared, Heero. He�s realized something that hasn�t clicked in your brain quite yet,� she said sadly, approaching him.

�And what is that?� Heero asked irritably, �Why does he have to be scared? You saw him, he stood up to Mizu. Hell, he scolded him, like he was a little kid!�

Name smiled. Yes, Duo ranting at her step brother had definitely made her day. He couldn�t even stand up to his own friends sometimes, too scared and used to being the weak one, but his love for them had given him the anger and the strength to stand up to a man who overpowered him financially and physically. If that wasn�t proof that he was growing, she didn�t know what was. Still, she was a bit irritated that Duo could see what Heero refused to. He was such an optimist, but Duo was a realist, and a pessimist. He could see the truth, but also saw the worst of it.

�Heero, you heard what Mizu said,� She reminded him, �And I�m sorry, I�m very, very sorry, but you can�t go against your grandfather�s wishes.�

Heero�s blue eyes widened.

�No, you can�t mean�� he shook his head in denial, �I�m not going back to London! I refuse! I don�t care if he�s the head of the board or my grandfather!�

�It isn�t that simple,� his mother said kindly, �I�m sure that there is a very good reason why my father wants to see you again. It�s in our best interests to do as he says, and hope that by obeying him, when can make this mess go away as quickly as possible.�

�And what about Duo�s best interests?!� Heero snapped, �I haven�t been away from him since we had that huge misunderstanding and he disappeared from school for all that time! He needs me, he needs you! And Wes is out there, stalking him! Don�t you think this is the perfect excuse he needs to kidnap Duo, or even kill him?! Are you even thinking about him at all?!�

�It�s for Duo�s sake that we are going back to London,� Name said testily, �This is beyond my position at the company. Your grandfather is a family man, who loves the two of us. Mizu will try to make him think that my taking in Duo is hurting the company, but in doing so he can also make your grandfather think that Duo is hurting us, as a family. He might not be the CEO anymore, but he has more power and influence than you could ever imagine. He might not be as nasty as Wes, but he has the power to make Duo disappear from our lives. All it would take is one phone call to the police or child services and he can make sure that no amount of money I have will bring Duo back to us. I don�t want to believe that he would do such a thing, but that man does have a protective streak. The only person in this world that can convince him that Duo�s place is with us is you,� she sighed heavily, feeling a headache coming on, �I know it�s a risk. Wes is just as tenacious as your uncle and grandfather, probably even more so. And he doesn�t care about what laws he has to break, which makes him unpredictable, the worst sort of enemy. But I promise you, Heero, he will be safe. Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei will be here. He won�t ever be alone. He has his taser and cell phone and I�m sure he won�t leave the house while we�re gone. If anyone breaks in, Quatre, Trowa, and Duo will know about it. Trowa knows what do if that happens.�

Heero didn�t question her about what Trowa would do against a man with a gun. He knew Trowa had a license to carry any weapon, because of his previous job as a knife thrower in the circus, but also knew that Trowa hated guns. But� if it was Duo�s life on the line� he didn�t want to think about it. He knew his mother was right. Wes couldn�t be so crazy that he would try to kidnap Duo during the day, in front of other people, and Duo wasn�t stupid enough to leave the house during the night. But Wes had tried to take him at work, what if that happened again? His mother put her hand on his shoulder, but Heero felt just as scared. Terrified really. Even if Wes hadn�t shown up with his terrible timing, Heero didn�t want to leave Duo and he especially didn�t want to go back to England.

�It won�t be so bad, Heero,� Name soothed, �I�ll explain things to Quatre and Trowa. I�m going to call Duo�s boss first thing tomorrow and have him take sick leave until we get back. I�m not taking the chance that Wes will repeat himself. Quatre and Trowa will walk Duo home from school, though I doubt Wes is stupid enough to try something on a busy street. We�ll only be in England for two days, three at the very most. We�ll get this matter settled and be back by the time your summer vacation starts. Besides, you�ll get to see your grandma and grandpa again, that won�t be so bad, will it?�

Heero finally smiled, though it was still strained. It was true that he loved his grandparents, they were both so kind to him, even his grandmother. Surprisingly, she seemed to like him more than her own son, though Heero knew that his grandfather was highly disappointed by his recent attitude. But he wanted to see them again, just not under these circumstances. He thought that his grandmother would like Duo.

�When do we leave?� he asked.

�I think it would be best if we left tomorrow morning,� Name said, �The quicker, the better. But Heero, you can�t let what Mizu says bother you like it did now. Your grandfather will expect us all to be civil.�

Heero blushed and looked away, remembering what his uncle had called him. How the hell had that bastard found out about his sexuality? He had been so careful� He had never really had a boyfriend, but he had made out with a few boys at his previous schools, though he had never felt for any of them how he felt about Duo. So� how had Mizu known? The tabloids made speculations, since he had broken off his engagement with Relena and had shot down Sylvia, two very beautiful and rich women. But none of them had any proof. Even if those boys had told someone, it was the kind of story that no magazine wanted to print, out of fear of the Yuy family. However, Heero wasn�t so worried about what his uncle knew as what his mother was going to say.

�Mom,� he said very hesitantly, �About what uncle said� I just want you to know��

Heero struggled with his words. Could he really tell his mother that he liked guys? That he would never marry a woman and give her grandchildren, something that he was sure that his mother would love?

�Heero,� Name cut him off, giving a strange look that wasn�t unkind, �Don�t insult me.�

Heero just blinked at her in confusion.

�You know how much I hate Shahir Winner�s business practices and the way he treats his children, especially Quatre. So don�t you dare think that I have the same opinions as he does. You know I�m not a hypocrite.�

Name hugged her son and kissed the top of his head, Heero in complete shock by all of this.

�I loved your father,� she murmured, �That man was whole world. I loved him more than anything, even your grandparents. He was funny, confident, and kind. When I look at you, I know you�ll be just like him. With my stubbornness, of course.�

Heero snorted at that, even as he felt tears collecting in his eyes.

�We were nothing alike,� she continued, �But it worked between us, we filled in each other�s weaknesses and made each other stronger. Opposites do attract, you know.�

�Just like me and Duo,� Heero thought.

�When we first married, I was stressed all the time. Even though we loved each other, marriage is always a trial. I was a very independent person, constantly afraid that being tied to a man was going to change me. I worried that being �the woman� was going to make me less successful as a businesswoman. I needed to be responsible, stubborn, and commanding. When I was with your father, I wasn�t that person, I couldn�t be that person. He softened me and that made me worry. But I loved being his wife. The members of the board and our partners feared the same things that I did, that I would fade into the background. They thought that Alexei would have control over me and take over the company. But Alexei wasn�t like them and they just couldn�t understand it. They, like Mizu, thought that any man who could have power would instinctively try anything to grab it. But your father wasn�t like that. He was content to let me be the leader that I was. He liked his job and didn�t care that I would always be more successful than him. In those days, I had to work extra hard to get my employees to follow me, to prove myself. I almost worked myself to death, trying to keep both our new marriage and the business together. But when I got home and he was there waiting for me, all that stress went away. Sometimes, I felt like it was just him and me in the world and all those problems couldn�t possibly break through our door. Then� one day� he was gone from our world,� her normally steady voice cracked.

At this point, hearing about his mother�s never changing love for his father, and remember how horrible watching her fall apart when he had died, Heero�s face was pressed against her shoulder and his tears were soaking her shirt. He could feel her familiar fingers running through his wild hair. She let go of him, cupping his cheek in her hand and the two of them stared at each other, both of their cheeks stained with tears.

�There are people in the world who believe that there are always second chances. There will always be someone for you, if you just keep your heart open. I don�t believe that,� she whispered, closing her eyes, which made more tears fall, then quickly opened them again, �I loved your father so much that when he died, it left a scar on my heart. Sometimes� you meet someone who changes your world, who leaves an imprint on you that is so deep, even when they leave you; your world is never the same. When you fall in love with such a person, there is no one else. They can die or move on and maybe you fall for another person, but never like that. You remember that other love and any other love is pale and weak in comparison. It hurts, but you can�t ever be rid of the pain. Your father and I were like that. I have never loved another, except for you, nearly as much as I loved him. I won�t ever remarry, I know that. My heart is too scarred and far too small for that. No more love can fit inside of it,� she pressed her forehead against her son�s, �Heero� if you can find someone who makes you feel that way, never give them up. If you can love that person and they can love you back, I don�t care about anything else, just your happiness.�

The both of them moved away, wiping furiously at their eyes. Name, unable to look at Heero with her eyes so red, gestured towards the stairs.

�Go and talk to Duo,� she ordered, �You know how he gets. This will be hard for him.�

Heero nodded. He doubted that Duo would take this separation, no matter how short, easily.
*****
Why was this happening? Duo didn�t bother to shut the door to bedroom as he walked in, knowing very well that Name or Heero, or probably both of them, would just follow him up here. He sat down heavily on his bed. Why was this happening� it was a pretty good question. Things had changed so much since Heero had moved to this town, most of them for the better. Now, he was going back to England. How the hell was he supposed to feel about that? He wasn�t an idiot, he knew that Heero had to go and it didn�t really matter if Heero wanted to or not. Heero was the next in line to be the CEO, even if he was under-aged, it made sense that his grandfather would want to talk to him, too.

And why shouldn�t Heero want to go? He had moved here from London, so he was used to the city, and he had family there. He wondered what Heero�s grandfather was like, if he was as stubborn as Heero was, or as kind as he was. Hell, he wondered what it was like to have grandparents. London� Duo sighed. To someone like him, who had only left his town once, it sounded so exotic. To travel across the seas and meet different people, to see different buildings, a whole other culture� and Heero had probably traveled all over. It was a far off dream, but he wanted to travel some day.

If he thought about it too hard, it sounded like a really stupid plan. He couldn�t stand crowds, couldn�t speak any language except for English, and hadn�t even been on a plane before. Who knew how his panic disorder would react to going to a new place? Boston had been hard enough, but a different country? Heero was lucky; all Duo had ever known was this Maine town. If he had Heero�s money and his confidence, he probably would be one of those guys that lived in some country outback, but traveled to a new place every vacation he got. But he was neither confident nor wealthy. Still, a part of him was jealous that Heero was going back to London, but the rest just� ached.

It had hurt so much, that time when Heero had seen him with Zechs and he had fled school. It hadn�t just been the harsh words the Japanese boy had flung at him so heartlessly, or even Wes chaining him up, though those things had been pretty painful. The separation from Heero had haunted him back then. That divide was what had led him to flee the apartment and watch his best friend on that balcony, which had of course led to the whole chaining up thing. Since then, he and Heero had never really been apart for more than a few hours. Even when Chris had kidnapped him, Heero had been right there with him for the whole experience. That they were now going to be forced to spend days apart was� terrifying.

It reminded him too much of how lonely he had been, watching Heero from that broken down apartment building, wanting so badly to touch him again, but too scared and ashamed of himself to so much as fantasize about it. Heero would be far away, somewhere where he couldn�t even touch him. Somewhere where he wouldn�t be around to help him if he needed him. He scoffed at himself. He was sixteen years old, not five! He didn�t need Heero holding his hand, did he? He sighed again. Yes, yes he did. As long as Heero was around, things just seemed to fall into place.

If he had a nightmare, Heero would chase it away. If Wes showed up, he would protect him. His fear diminished when his best friend was just in the same building with him. He didn�t know if he could cope with his paranoia and anxiety without him, how could he? Heero hadn�t been away from him long enough to test it. Now, he had little choice on the matter. It was either sink or swim and ever since Zechs had tried to drown him, he had been scared of water. Hell, the only time he had been able to get into the water since that moment without acting like a wuss was� with Heero. And then there was the thing that he was trying not to think about. The thing that had made him run up here to begin with, that silly, irrational fear�

When he had first met Heero, he had been able to tell how much the blue eyed Asian hated America. He didn�t blame him. Name had forced Heero to move to another continent and start high school over again. Anyone would be pissy about that, and America was vastly different from both Britain and Japan. What if, when Heero went to London, he remembered why he hated America so much and wanted to move back there? Duo hung his head. He shouldn�t think those things. He was being ridiculous. Heero had a house here; this was their home, so why did he suddenly feel so unsure, just because Heero was going back to London? Toby suddenly appeared next to Duo, as though he had teleported there, studying his owner. Duo lifted his head.

�I�m being stupid again, aren�t I?� he asked the large cat.

Toby�s angular head and almond shaped eyes made him look old and wise in the way that owls did, like one of the statues of cats that the Egyptians used to worship. The overly large Javanese tilted his head, and then yawned widely. He tried vainly to crawly into Duo�s lap, though his legs dangled off of Duo�s jean covered ones, his sudden laziness almost made Duo laugh. He lightly touched Toby�s hind leg, the one with the scar on it. It hadn�t come from an animal bite or a scuffle with another tom. The scar was thin and angled in such a way that it was obvious that some sociopath asshole had tied a piece of wire around the leg and had hung Toby from it. How the cat had escaped, Duo had no idea, but the scar angered him.

Duo scratched Toby�s ear and smiled as the cat purred. The tan and cream colored Javanese was easily larger than other cats of his breed, which was probably how he had survived for so long. He was the size of the Savannah cats Duo had seen on TV, his body long and fast like theirs, too. Toby was still thin, but his health didn�t seem to suffer from it, though he was starting to get used to the cat food Duo put out for him. He hunted, like he always did, but seemed to be catching less. Duo didn�t know if it was because Toby was finally adjusting to his new life or if he was getting old. He really hoped it was the former. He knew Toby was older than his other cats and he would only live for so long, but he really didn�t want to think about the possibility of the cat dying any time soon.

Toby reminded Duo of himself. Scarred and thin, having lived a life of abuse and survival, not to mention completely out of place in this large house, but he was adjusting. He even looked more normal without his collar on. It had been a fight to get it around Toby�s neck the first couple of times, but Duo had been terrified of Toby being caught by Animal Control and euthanized because of his feral temperament.

�You and I have been through a lot together, haven�t we?� Duo murmured.

Toby looked up at him, his ears twitching a little, his large, bushy tail thumping against Duo�s leg like a dog�s would. He really hoped that he was like Toby. Even when Duo had started to live here, and when Toby went out to hunt, they somehow always managed to find each other again. When he had left Wes� apartment, Toby and Shiva had been the ones to find him again in the park. Even when Duo had fled after Noventa�s visit, Toby had followed him. Would it be like that with Heero? Would they always come back to each other? After all this time, it kind of felt like it.

�So have we,� Heero remarked as he walked into the bedroom, sitting next to Duo on the bed.

He reached over and stroked Toby�s other large, pointed ear, smiling when the tom cat didn�t try to bite him like he had the very first time he had tried to do it.

�Heero�� Duo murmured, not knowing quite what to say.

Heero sighed.

�I know this sucks, especially the timing. I don�t want to leave, but�� he tried to explain.

�But you have to,� Duo finished, �Your grandfather needs to talk to you, I get that. I shouldn�t feel so off balance��

�It�s like I said, it�s the timing,� Heero repeated, �If Wes hadn�t shown up when he did, this wouldn�t be so� scary. I just don�t like the idea of leaving you here, wondering every second if you�re ok.�

Duo shook his head.

�You�re wrong. The timing has nothing to do with it. I�d feel this way even if Wes was long gone. I just�� he stammered, �I feel like I�m losing you!�

Heero grabbed Duo�s hand, squeezing it hard, which made Duo look up at him.

�That isn�t true!� Heero protested, �We�re coming back. It�s just a couple of days, and then we can have our summer vacation together!�

�But you�re going back there� back home,� Duo�s voice was strained.

�No, I�m not,� Heero said with a smile that made Duo�s heart melt, �I already am home. Here, with you.�

�Exactly,� Name called from the doorway, making Heero scoot over a few inches nervously, then berate himself for being so anxious.

Name sat on Duo�s other side and pulled him into a brief hug.

�A house isn�t necessarily a home, sweetheart. You know that,� she said.

Duo saw Wes� apartment briefly in his mind and nodded. Yes, he knew that was true. He had lived in that place for eight years, but it had never been a home to him.

�A home is somewhere that, at the end of the day, you remember you are going back to it and it makes you happy. It�s the people we love and warm, happy memories. London is just a city now. I don�t think it ever was home,� Name mused.

Heero gave a little nod in agreement. Home was in Tokyo, in the house by the sea where he, his mom, and his dad had lived, and home was here in America, with Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and even Wufei.

�No matter what happens in London, even if I come back here without a job, we will come back to you, Duo,� Name promised.

Duo managed to smile at her, knowing his fears were illogical, but took her at her word.

�Would you like to come to England with us?� Heero suggested, �You don�t have to go to school for the rest of the week anyway. And in London, there�s no way Wes can bother you. It would be like a mini-vacation.�

�Heero,� Name scolded, �That isn�t a fair thing to ask of Duo.�

Heero looked at his mother around Duo�s back in confusion.

�Why not?� he asked.

Duo looked incredibly uncomfortable sitting between Heero and Name. They were both right, for once. He wanted to go, but he knew, just as Name did, that he wouldn�t. He would love to go to London, to know, for the first time in the longest time, that he was truly safe from Wes. A vacation sounded really, really nice, but the thought of going there both excited him and terrified him.

�I want to,� he muttered, �I really do� but��

�You aren�t ready,� Name said softly, touching Duo�s shoulder, �You�ve come such a long way, but I can�t ask you to travel so far, being surrounded by strangers, only to bring you to with us to meet Heero�s grandfather. It�s too overwhelming for anyone. You would be bored out of your mind and things might get� messy. You�ve already had to deal with Heero�s uncle, and I know how hard that was for you. It would be unfair of us to ask you to come.�

Heero felt ashamed of himself for even bringing the subject up. He had thought it would be fun, showing Duo all the places in London that he had loved when he had lived there, but he had forgotten the real reason why he had to go. His mother was right, meeting with his grandfather and Mizu and maybe even the board would give Duo way too much stress. He needed to relax, to let go of his recent paranoia, not add to it. And if Duo wasn�t even going to be allowed to go with them to the office building, he would be bored and scared, being in a strange place.

�I�m sorry,� Duo said to Heero, �I do want to go� it�s just� I don�t think it would be appropriate. This is a family thing, and as much as I love that you two consider me family, I don�t belong there. I want to stay here until this thing about my grades is resolved. And� leaving the country is kind of scary.�

�I understand,� Heero soothed, �Now isn�t the right time. When we go somewhere, I want it to be something happy and relaxing, not stressful. It isn�t like this is our only chance to have a vacation. Sometime in the future, I�d love to walk the streets of London with you.�

Duo beamed at him, happy at the idea of walking around some strange city with Heero by his side. Before Chris had kidnapped them, he had been so happy in Boston, just walking around the streets with his friends� especially Heero.

�I think Duo would like Australia more than London,� Name mentioned, smiling at the two teenagers.

�Australia?� Duo questioned.

Even Heero looked confused at that. Back when his father had been alive, he had gone to Australia during the summer, but barely the trip beyond lots of mosquitoes and even more walking.

�I think Duo would love the Sydney Opera House,� Name told them, �And there�s Uluru Rock. He would especially enjoy the Great Barrier Reef, though we�d have to get him some scuba lessons first.�

Duo perked up, a gleam in his eyes that Name and Heero rarely saw, but always cherished, just at the thought of going scuba diving. All those colorful fish�

�Doesn�t Australia have crocodiles?� he asked excitedly, �Oh, and kangaroos and things!�

Heero chuckled, barely remembering kangaroos, but did remember being very excited when he had seen one as a kid. Yeah, Duo would love Australia.

�Or how about Madagascar?� he teased, �We can see lemurs and the jumping sharks.�

Duo�s eyes grew impossibly wide.

�Sharks can jump?!� he gasped, almost making both Heero and Name laugh at his innocence and excitement.

�Off the coast of Madagascar there are great white sharks,� Name explained to the American, �You can rent a boat and go out to see them. Sometimes, when they spot a seal, they kill it by going directly under the seal and swimming very fast at them. The strike is so powerful that the sharks dive out of the water. It�s an amazing sight. Heero�s father and I went to see them a few years before Heero was born.�

Duo looked very much like a small child as he listened to Name, completely enraptured. She patted his arm.

�There, that�s we like to see, a smile. Before you know it, Heero and I will be back and we�ll take you to the aquarium to start the summer off,� Name suggested.

�We have an aquarium?� Duo asked, trying to remember if he had ever heard about it or not.

�It�s in Bangor,� Heero told him, �And it�s huge. I think they have seals there.�

Duo felt what was left of his anxiety dissipate as his best friend talked about the aquatic life in the aquarium. He really had no idea what he would do with himself if Heero wasn�t around. He just got so depressed sometimes, even over things that weren�t really a big deal, but Heero and Name always knew what to say to get him out of it.

�I think we should talk about what�s going to happen while we�re gone,� Name said, suddenly serious and taking command, �We should only be gone for three days, but considering the circumstances, there�s some things we need to talk about.�

Duo nodded, all serious. Name stood up and the two boys followed, Toby leaping out of Duo�s lap.

�Let�s get Quatre and Trowa, they need to here this, too,� the brunette woman strode out of the room with the two teenagers in tow.

Name knocked on the door, but didn�t even wait for an answer before walking in. Both Trowa and Quatre seemed to have been waiting for them, Trowa sitting in a chair by the desk in the room and Quatre on the bed, the both of them looking expectantly at the doorway.

�Took you long enough,� Trowa smirked.

Name raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

�I take it you heard the yelling,� she said dryly.

�Kind of hard to miss it,� Trowa remarked, �Even up here. Hard enough to keep this one,� he jerked his thumb at his boyfriend, �from eavesdropping.�

Quatre blushed darkly at the accusation.

�Well, if you had let me, we would know what was going on!� he shot back.

�The whole point of eavesdropping is not to get caught,� Trowa pointed out, �Which you would have been,� he turned his green eyes back to Name, �So what happened?�

�Mom and I have to go to England to meet with Granddad,� Heero told his friends.

Quatre stood up off the bed, his back ramrod straight.

�Your grandfather?� he questioned, looking at Duo with worry, �But� that�s so far away��

�I know it�s a hassle,� Name apologized, �But my Father won�t take no for an answer. We�ll be back as soon as we can. We�re leaving tomorrow morning and I�ll call when we catch a flight back. You two and Duo are staying here, unless you want to come with us?�

Quatre shook his head. He had met Heero�s grandfather a few times and got along with him really well as a child, but he knew that Duo would feel better if he stayed here, plus he didn�t know what he would do with himself in London without Trowa.

�I take it we�re going to be in charge of the kitten while you two are gone,� Trowa said, looking over at Duo.

�Hey!� Duo protested, then mulled over Trowa�s words, �Wait a minute� are you talking about Shei or me?�

Trowa smirked at the shorter brunette.

�Who do you think?� he teased, giving him a significant look.

Duo glared at him.

�Don�t call me kitten!� he whined like a little kid.

�Well now that you�ve told him not to, he�s going to do it all the time,� Heero grinned.

Duo turned his glare to Heero, then back at Trowa, and then looked at the floor in irritation.

�Dammit,� he grumbled.

Quatre started to laugh, then controlled himself when Name cleared her throat.

�Ground rules,� she stated, �All of your phones are to be on at all times. No pizza delivery, though you can pick it up from a restaurant. No one goes anywhere alone, that includes Quatre and Trowa. Wes has shown that he has no problem with hurting any of you to get to Duo, so I want you to act like he wants to kidnap all of you. You are to walk to and from school together, on the public street. No back roads. When you are at home, the security system is to be on lock mode at all times, even during the day. At night, no one answers the door for any reason. I will leave you money for food. You can stay at home instead of going to school, if you like. No wild parties, no alcohol, even you, Trowa, and keep your eyes open all the time. Wufei can come over, though. Is all that understood?�

Trowa and Duo shared a grin, then straightened their backs, looked at Name, and saluted her like two soldiers to a commanding officer.

�Yes, Ma�am!� they said in creepy unison.

Name rolled her eyes at them and left the room as the four boys dissolved into heavy laughter, hiding her content smile from them.
　

　

　

End Part 3
　

Ok, someone has to guess what is going to happen in the next part *cue forshadowy-type music* I kind of like the idea of a look back. Heero�s going back to the place where this long tale started; mimicking the beginning, but everything�s different. Heero�s a changed guy and I wanted to illustrate that.

　

　

　

　

(1) And now I will try to explain (probably in vain) what is going on with the suffixes and why Name and Mizu are so pissy with each other. First, onii-chan. Onii is how you would address your big brother, but -chan is a suffix that is very casual and almost cutesy. Mizu is Name�s big brother and he feels that he should be superior to her because of it, so she should address him as Onii-san or Onii-sama. -San is the most common, neutral address and -sama is very formal and respectful. The reality of the family situation, however, is that Name is the heir and the head of the family business, so though he is older, Mizu is still expected to treat her with respect. By simply calling her �Name� and not Name-sama or Name-san, he is showing great familiarity with her, which they don�t have, and thus pretty much spitting in her face. Name calling her father To-chan to Mizu�s face has the same effect. To-chan is a casual way to address one�s father. You would only call your own father this, never someone else�s father. Name is allowed to call her dad this, because it is a show of affection and familiarity. Mizu was scolded because they aren�t blood related and to call him that is disrespectful. Mizu obviously feel inferior because of this and is a bit jealous of Name�s closeness with her father.
　
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The Road to Kindness