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WTF!!! Echo actually updated, what it's been like...two months!!!! She actually did something...I'll be damned!!!;)

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“So where are we going?” Wufei asked from the passenger seat.

“North.” Duo told him. Wufei looked at him as if expecting more. “I don’t have anywhere specific, just north.”

“Why north?” Trowa wondered.

“Because I hate being cold with a passion.” Duo stated simply.

“How far north?” Trowa asked. Duo shrugged.

“New York state, Canada…I’m not sure. Maybe move to a different continent after awhile. Lay a few false trails.” Duo told them.

“You can’t run forever Duo.” Wufei commented softly from his right.

“Like Hell I can’t!! I can run as long as I need to! I’ll run my entire life!” Duo declared adamantly.

“But aren’t you tired of running Duo?” Quatre asked him softly. “All we did during the war was run…don’t you want to have a real life?”

“I’d love to. But if running is the only way to stay safe then I will! I’d love to, but I can’t.” Duo told him morosely, his violet eyes meeting Quatre’s aquamarine ones in the rearview mirror. Wufei reached over and silently and laid a comforting hand on Duo’s shoulder. They were all silent after that; the only sound the spin of rubber tires over sun-warmed asphalt.

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Almost a whole day had passed since they’d left the hotel room and they were now in their fourth stolen car, this one without air, driving down a desolate stretch of road lined with trees on either side. They’d held up the third man they’d hijacked an auto from and had gotten fifty dollars cash and five hundred dollars from an ATM, which is the max they could get in a twenty-four hour period. Then they’d changed cars again to the one they had now.

“We should get ski masks.” Heero suddenly whispered, breaking the silence. “And we should take turns stealing things.”

“That’s a good idea. It’ll make us harder to track.” Trowa agreed softly. The reason for their quietness was snuggled between them. Quatre, who was always so polite and hated to impose on anyone, was totally different when sleeping. He lay heavily against Trowa’s shoulder snoring softly and drooling an ever widening puddle on his lover’s shoulder, with one leg thrown over Heero’s lap and the other braced tightly against the passengers seat, where Wufei sat. Duo was still driving. Trowa gave a small grunt as Quatre yet again elbowed him in the gut, shifting in his sleep, the wind from the rolled down windows blowing their hair about.

“Where did you learn to speak Italian?” Wufei asked changing the subject abruptly. Duo slammed on the brakes, jerked the wheel to the right with his knee and lunged at Wufei pinning him against the door with a knife to his throat.

“Who told you that?” Duo demanded.
“Duo calm down! There’s no reason for this!” Heero stated harshly, he and Trowa had their guns pointed at him. Quatre slept on, drooling on Trowa’s shoulder.

“Who told you!” he repeated loudly.
“Duo let Wufei go!” Heero commanded, cocking his gun with a click in the ensuing silence. Movement caught everyone’s eyes and Quatre had a gun pressed to Heero’s temple. He rubbed his eyes sleepily with one hand and looked around him finally.

“What…” he muttered tiredly. “Again?’ he groaned and swore as he saw the other two pointing guns at Duo and the knife he held. He sighed and sat up and laid the gun in his lap.

“Who?!” Duo demanded angrily and, Wufei thought, more than a little afraid as he stared up into the others indigo eyes.
“You were having a nightmare and talking out loud.” Wufei told him calmly. Duo stared down at him a moment, weighing what he’d said to be true or false. “Why would I lie?” he asked logically. No one moved. “You leapt at me with a knife then too.” Wufei commented smiling a little up at him. Duo gave a shuddering sigh and pulled the knife away. He tried to draw back but Wufei pulled him downward instead and settled him soundly against his chest. He sighed gently against the top of Duo’s hair and barely kissed the top of his head.
Quatre would have laughed at the wide-eyed shocked and startled look Duo wore if there hadn’t been a deep sense of fear radiating off him.
“It’s okay.” Wufei murmured and suddenly the fear stopped. Duo’s face didn’t lose much of the shock it held, but the almost choking sense of panic left him and though Quatre wanted to let their ‘young love’ blossom at it’s own rate they really did have more pressing matters.

“Um…guys, we’re going to hit that tree.” Quatre told them mildly. Duo sprang away from Wufei as though burned and slammed on the brake. They weren’t in any danger as they’d been going an astounding two miles per hour, but still.
Blue lights flashed behind them and a black and white car pulled off the road.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…” Duo swore as he slammed his head against the steering wheel. They heard the door click as Heero got out.

“Heero…” Quatre said softly in warning, but he was ignored. Heero put his hands in the air and started to shift quickly back and forth from side to side, one foot to the other. Flashlight beams sought him out in the growing darkness as two cops approached.

“Please…” he stated with a note of desperation. “Please I have to pee sooooo bad!” He declared adamantly. One of the cops nodded and he ran off hurriedly toward the tree line.

“Did he just say the word pee?” Trowa asked in soft disbelief, Quatre shrugged beside him and Duo snickered.

“License and registration.” The officer said to Duo.
“Problem is see I don’t really have license and uh…it’s my friend’s dad’s car and…uh…I don’t know where he keeps the registration…” Duo said lamely.
“Right…” the officer said and started to wander back to the patrol car. The second officer stayed at the passenger side.

“So where you headed?” he asked as his partner left.
“Party.” Quatre replied shyly from the back seat. The flashlight flicked to him as the officer’s gaze lingered on Quatre and Trowa’s joined hands.

“What party?” he asked.

“Brian’s.” Wufei supplied.

“And where does Brian live?” he wondered as he leaned on the door as he looked at Wufei. A call drew him back to where his partner was. “You boys stay right here.” He instructed and they nodded. Heero started to walk back to the vehicle as he walked away and calmly slipped back into the car.

“We can go now.” He said simply and Duo slammed the car into gear and sped off down the road. Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all turned around to peer at the angry police who pulled out onto the road and then stopped and got out once more. They turned to look at Heero in silence. “Flat tires.” He supplied.

“You said pee.” Trowa stated, Heero shrugged.

“Where did you learn to speak Italian?” Wufei asked again and Heero’s hand hovered over his gun, while Trowa rubbed the bridge of his nose and repressed a sigh. Duo didn’t bother to stifle his sigh.

“Onten.” Duo whispered almost too softly to hear.

“Were they a man or woman?” he asked when he offered nothing more.

“Man.” Duo murmured tensely. A muffled noise that sounded a lot like a sob came from the back seat.

“How did you meet them?” Wufei asked. Duo turned to look at him, his eyes filled with something akin to horror in the dim light as a single tear ran down his check.

“Duo!” Heero yelled and lunged over the front seat and grabbed the steering wheel with one hand to jerk it to the right as they veered into the path of an on coming car. The car honked at them loudly and drove on. “Duo pull over and let me drive.” Heero advised as the braided boy took the wheel back. He pulled to the side of the road and got out, he slid into the back passenger seat Heero had gotten out of. He slammed the door and laid his head against it in silence. He looked up as the front passenger door and the back driver’s side door opened as well. Trowa and Quatre got out as Wufei slide in next to him and Trowa moved to the front. That left Quatre on the drive’s side, Wufei in the middle and Duo on the passenger’s side. Duo just looked at Wufei in what passed for mild interest. Quatre wiped a few remaining tears from his eyes and looked over Wufei to Duo.

“I’m going to kill him.” Quatre vowed softly. “I swear to Allah on my father’s grave I’ll kill that son-of-a-bitch!” Duo looked startled, as did everyone else. “I don’t know who he is but I’ll kill him!!”

“What?” Wufei asked confused.

“That’s not for me to say, that’s up to Duo.” The blond replied and looked away. Wufei looked to Duo questioningly. Duo opened his mouth uselessly a few times then shook his head in silence.

“Please…” he started but his voice broke, he tried again. “Please don’t make me.” his quiet whisper was filled with pain. Wufei wrapped his arms abruptly around Duo and pulled him downward as he reclined them against Quatre’s side. He slid his legs onto either side of the chestnut hair boy and locked his legs loosely around Duo’s body as his arms held him lightly against his chest. He felt the tenseness in Duo’s body, the stiffening of his spine, the tightness of his limbs.

“Damn it Chang!” Duo grumbled in mild annoyance. But Wufei saw passed it. He saw the way Duo tried to hide his fear. Because he was afraid, probably more than any of them, except Quatre, realized. Duo tried to push away but Wufei held him pinned and he felt the other start shivering. He heard Quatre’s breathing increase and felt the blonde’s hand tighten into fists on the top of his thighs.

“Duo I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to.” Wufei told him softly. “I’m not going to make you talk to me.” he knew how that sounded, knew he excluded everyone else in the car, knew he made it just between the two of them.

“Then let go.” Demanded in a shaking whisper. Wufei released his hold immediately and Duo pulled back quickly to huddle against the car door. His wide violet eyes seemed too large in his face as he pulled his knees underneath him and stared at Wufei while the other sat up and continued to lean against Quatre. Duo ignored Wufei after a few moments then laid his head against the window and fell asleep.

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Duo sat up, his face sticking to the window for a few seconds. He looked to his left where Wufei was kneeling in the seat facing him, his leg sticking out the opened door.

“Come on, let’s go.” Wufei prompted softly. Duo nodded and crawled across the seat to get out the driver’s side, then staggered out into the cool night.

“Where are Cat and Tro?” he asked through a yawn.

“About a half-mile east of here. Our car ‘broke down’.” Wufei told him.

“There’s an old farmhouse. We’re going to sleep in the barn. We’ve already moved our stuff.” Heero supplied and led the way down the white dirt road.

A short walk later they came upon a well-kept little house with fields surrounding it and a barn nearby. The three of them made their way stealthily to the barn and slipped in through a few loose boards in the side, silent as the night around them.
The warm scent of animals washed over Duo as he shimmed into the barn, but it was a clean scent not too heavy and showed that the animals were well taken care of. Duo stood to his feet and dusted off his pants as Wufei and Heero made their way in.

“Hi horsy.” Duo said a little nervously. The horse turned to look at him at the same time as Trowa, the looks they wore were identical and said quite clearly ‘Horsy?’
“Why didn’t you guys wake me? I could have helped carry the bags.” Duo said.

“Well you hadn’t slept since last night and we didn’t want to wake you.” Quatre said in explanation. They kept their voices lowered, but not at a whisper. Whispers were heard far easier than a low-pitched voice. Trowa got up and went to pet the horse.

*I really don’t want to talk to them! I don’t want to tell anyone. But…* Duo thought to himself nervously as Trowa murmured softly, while he ran his hands over the creature, whose shoulder stood at eye level with the tall youth. *…They’ve been running with me for two days now…I should probably tell them something. I can’t just expect them to keep tagging along without a reason…* he sighed to himself as he settled down onto a bale of hay. *I just wish I could have kept them longer, I…(sigh)…I guess I just don’t want to be alone.*
“Well…” he began. “I know you all have questions that you want answered, but thank you for giving me this time to work up to it.” he said seriously as he met everyone’s eyes. “I can’t say that I’ll tell you everything you want to know but I’ll do my best to not leave you in the dark.” He told them tiredly. He realized that he hadn’t really smiled since he found out the war was over. He just didn’t feel like putting on the jokers face anymore.

“Why are you running from G?” Heero asked as he too sat down. Trowa and Quatre and Wufei all perched around him so that they say in a loose circle. Duo next to Wufei, next to Trowa, next to Quatre, next to Heero, next to Duo.

“G…” he hesitated. *Gods there’s so much to tell! How do I…where do I start?* “G’s a prick. He’s been beating on me since the day he took me off the streets. It started off really simply, I was a street rat, this weird looking guy had five bucks hanging out of his pocket, just begging to be snitched, so I went for it. Dumbass that I am. Been getting fucked over ever since.” He spat bitterly.

“But I’ve seen you get up laughing from beatings that should knock you out cold, I can’t see that you’d run from him over that.” Quatre chimed uncertainly.

“Where do you think I learned how to take a beating? I don’t mean like he spanked me if I was bad, I’m talking about actually beating me. With belts, with whips, with chains, baseball bats, pipes, with just about anything you can think of. Oz is really a pleasant change from G.” Duo said evenly and meant it. “J knew.” He said looking at Heero and Heero looked surprised. “I don’t think he knew how bad it was, but he got into a fight once with G over it. J said, ‘you think that I’d treat Heero the way you treat that boy, he’ll never survive the war if he doesn’t get some better treatment. He’ll be too weak to fight.’ After that I wasn’t abused as often, I got more food. The war marked the start of my being treated better, I loved the war. The whole world could have burned for all I cared, I was getting to eat a real sandwich once a week and water once a day. I wasn’t being beaten to a pulp every single day, only every other day or every third. The end of the war marks my return to Hell, if G can find me.” Duo told them. They all looked at him in sympathy through the darkness of the barn. *They’re not understanding, I’m not explaining it to them well enough. They don’t get it.* he thought in frustration at himself for not knowing how to tell them what he tried not to think about, much less voice out loud.

“I don’t like talking about it. It…its like I have to relive it if I talk about it. I have a hard time remembering where I am and…G trained me to be a pilot and I loved that Gundam the first time I saw it. It was big and powerful and untamable and everything I wanted to be, then to learn that not only was I going to get to pilot it, but that I was going to be away from them. That I was going to be free…that’s the first time I can remember feeling something like hope.” He could see that they were remembering the first time they’d seen their Gundams as well. “A lot of people can’t take piloting a Mobile Suit because it’s so cramped and small, but it’s actually bigger than the box that G kept me chained in and has more light. I ate usually once a week, drank water three times if I was good. I had to take a crash course in language before I started my mission because I didn’t know what most of the words people use meant. I knew things like gun, knife, whip, brand, coke, heroine, weed, X, speed, LSD, crack. I understood water, food, pain, punishment. I could package coke without thinking but didn’t know how to tie the shoes, I’d just been given.” He pressed his hands against his eyes and hung his head while he leaned his elbows on his knees. “I knew chains, shackles, cuffs, gags, collars, lube if I was lucky. I knew hundreds of other things, hand-job, jack-off, oral, blowjob, 69, fingertrap, snowball, dirty snowball, white dragon, money shot, missionary, double penetration, doggie, bunny hop, spread eagle, lotus, always swallow, never spit, never fight, never scream…” He trailed off to silence and no one moved. He looked up to Trowa suddenly. “The first time you asked me if I wanted to go for a cheeseburger, I didn’t know if we were going to get stoned or fuck or what the hell you were talking about, but I went. I get stoned when I’m told, I fuck who I’m told, when I’m told to. You guys always tell me I shouldn’t watch so much T.V. but I learn a lot from it. I know what vitamins are, I know what dog food is and stereos and that shampoo and conditioner can come in the same bottle and what a lion is and that it’s from Africa and that not everyone lives the way I live.” He looked back at the ground as his voice broke. “Not everyone is beaten and raped and starved. And I didn’t know that, I expected nothing to change, I thought I’d still be hurt. I just thought it would happen less often, I didn’t know anything else. That's really not even scratching the surface.” He whispered and realized that he had his arms wrapped around his torso, but he didn’t care. Movement caught his eye and he looked up from the ground as Quatre stood to his feet. His face was red and he moved quickly away from their circle and to a support stud. He slammed his fist into it repeatedly in a fit of what could only be called rage then stood with his hands clenched in fists at his side.

“Quatre?” Trowa asked softly as if afraid to upset his lover. The blond spun to face them suddenly.

“Don’t you get it? We’ve never known Duo Maxwell a day in our lives! None of us! Its all been an act!” he raged as much as he could while still being quiet.

“Quatre…” Trowa began again.

“No! He…We all knew that we would be working with other pilots, we knew there were other Gundams. Duo expected us to abuse him before he even met us!” Quatre said angrily. The other three looked to him questioningly, to see if Quatre had misunderstood what was being said. Duo remained silent. “He said he expected nothing to change, he expected us to rape him and beat him!” the blond fell silent.

“Duo?” Heero said softly and Duo nodded his head without speaking or looking up.

“He’s gotta go!” Quatre stated emphatically and stamped his foot.

“I agree.” Heero agreed with a hardedge to his voice after a moment. Even though he expected them to turn him away, Duo still felt his heart drop into his stomach. He really hadn’t expected Heero to be the second person to want to get rid of him though.

“He needs to be put down like the monster he is.” Trowa whispered angrily.

“Duo? We’re not talking about you.” Wufei said softly and reached to take the other’s hand, which was fisted in his lap. The violet-eyed boy looked up through his ragged chestnut bags in surprise, then down at their clasped hands. “We’re talking about G.”

“We would never abandon you if you needed us, we came with you when you tried to leave.” Quatre said smiling a little.

“And we’d never let you go back.” Heero said almost too angry to speak. “Not to that.”

“You don’t hate me?” Duo asked in quiet disbelief.

“We don’t hate you, I don’t know if it’s possible for us to hate you. And if we were going to it would have been when we found out you were working with Oz.” Wufei said wrapping an arm around the thinner boys shoulders. “Not over this. This is not your fault. You couldn’t stop or change what G did to you. We’re going to help you, not abandon you.” Wufei assured him softly.

Duo sat in stunned silence as he looked at the faces around him. He found tears coming to his eyes and he couldn’t really say why. He felt scared, unsure, relieved, and hopeful all at the same time and each one warred within him so he was unsure why he cried, but he knew that tears poured down his face and he couldn’t stop them. His breath hitched in his chest in the beings of a sob and Wufei folded his arms around Duo’s small frame. Duo resisted at first and tried to pull away, but Wufei still held him.

“It’s okay Duo. It’s okay.” Wufei whispered softly against his ear. “It’s okay.” He said and Duo suddenly wanted nothing more than to be close to the warmth surrounding him. Wufei, of all people. The first person to ever comfort him, the only to ever hold him and let him cry. He wanted to stay there with Wufei and let the other smooth his hair and tell him that everything would be alright and have it actually be true, if only for a few minutes. He turned and wrapped his arms around Wufei’s torso, laying his head against the dark-haired boy’s shoulder and let himself sob. Nothing else in the world existed. It was just the feel of Wufei’s breath in his hair, a hand running gently over his back, warming the material of his shirt and the sound of his voice murmuring words Duo wasn’t even registering.

*I just…I don’t want to go back. I can’t! I won’t go back!*
~I can’t go back…not to G, not to Onten…I’ll kill myself first…I want to stay with Wufei and the others…~
*What if Wufei doesn’t want me? What if they decide later that they hate me? I don’t want to go back!!* he wailed silently to himself and cried harder.
“P-p-please don’t s-s-s-send me b-b-back!” he stuttered out around his sobs.

“Sweetie no one is sending you anywhere. You’re staying with us.” Wufei said.

“Don’t leave me, don’t send me back.” He begged softly.

“Duo, I’m not leaving you, I’m right here.” Wufei assured patiently. “I’m staying right here.” He promised and hugged Duo closer.

“No ur not!” an angry voice chimed from across the wide room and the unmistakable sound of a shotgun cocking could be heard. “You kids are trespassing on my land. Now the missus is callin’ the sheriff and he’ll be right out, you don’t give me no trouble and you’ll all be fine. They’ll call your folks and you’ll all go home.” A man wearing blue jean overalls said evenly in a southern accent that was far to too far north, the gun barrel never wavering.

“Listen mister I’ll give you anything you want but I cannot get arrested.” Duo said drying his eyes in panic. “I don’t care what you want, but I cannot get arrested!”

“Don’t worry son you won’t get arrested, they’ll jus’ call ur kin.” He replied calmly.

“Like hell!!! Do you know how many pounds of C4 I’m carrying!! Not to mention the assault rifles, handguns, knives, grenades, dynamite, and tear gas!!!” Duo ranted in Italian as he stood up and began to pace slowly. “I cannot get arrested!! They’ll try to send me back to G!!” he said his voice wavering.

“Scythe I doubt they’ll even know who he is.” Trowa assured in the same language.

“You’ve lost your mind if you think he won’t have that base covered. He’s probably got missing child poster up all over the Earth Sphere!!!” Duo exclaimed shrilly in English once more. “I’ll die before I go back to that sick twisted mother fucker and the fuck house he runs!!”

“Now calm down!” the man yelled to stop Duo’s increasingly frantic pace. Duo paused to look at him.

“I’m a colony street rat. You think anyone cares what happens to me? No one cares, no one ever has and no one ever will. I just wanna get away.” Duo said with a waver in his voice. “Please. We haven’t done anything wrong, we didn’t break or steal anything, we just needed a place to sleep. Please let us go.” Duo begged, he could see the man leaning back and forth, let them go or go by the law that said people who trespass go to jail. “Please don’t give me back to him.” Duo said again, he felt his was losing the argument and the very thought of going back to G made him feel sick. Blue and red lights flashed on the walls around him and Duo threw a panicked look to the open door. “Please, its not too late, we can still run! Please!” Duo begged shrilly in panic.

“Scythe, we’re not getting away right now. Give it time.” Wufei said evenly and walked forward slowly. He laid a hand gently against Duo’s arm when he didn’t respond. “We’re going to stay together, don’t worry.” Wufei assured him and Duo nodded slightly as four cops came into the barn.

“Hey kids, why don’t we go down to the station and figure this out okay?” one of them said. “Do you have any weapons you wanna tell us about?” he asked. Quatre nodded silently. “Well lets go over to the car and unload them there.” He said and they filed out with the officers, two in front, two in back.
Quatre walked to the back of the cop car as they opened the trunk. He sighed deeply and began to pull out the weapons he had on his person. Three knives, two handguns, three extra clips of ammo. He practically had to dislocate his shoulder to pull out two well-crafted Arabian hand sickles and Heero made a soft ‘Hn.’ Noise softly at the display of flexibility. Trowa smirked slightly in spite of the serious mood. “Do not let these come to harm.” Quatre advised of the hand sickles. The officer whistled softly as Quatre stepped back and was patted down by two other officers. Quatre also placed the four bags containing the clothes and such that they’d brought.
Trowa went next, a dozen knives came from who knew where to settle gently, carefully in the trunk, a gun, a miniature hand crossbow and bolts were tossed in as well.
Wufei went next his katana already in hand as he’d left the barn. He made as if to lay it in the trunk, hesitated and looked at the officer. “If this is lost or damaged…it is a family heirloom. I hope it is well treated for the safety of all concerned.” He stated coldly, not a threat to them, just his opinion. The katana in polished wooden sheath lay in the trunk. Two hand guns, ammo, knives, a length of rope, a garrote, collapsible nunchaku. The officer now had his gun out and all of them looked nervous.
Heero pulled his pistol out, kissed it once and laid it in the trunk. “That was my first. Your first is always important.” He said coldly and glared at the officer. The others were now being loaded into the two cop cars. Knives, another garrote, a few stilettos, shurikens, ammo, small detonators and explosive packs.
Duo shuffled up as one cop patted down Heero and the other held a gun trained on him. Duo reached slowly into the trunk and shuffled stuff around to clear a space for the duffle bag. The cop not training a gun on them stepped forward to unzip the bag.
“Shit.” He swore softly and zipped it back up quickly. He stepped back and pulled his gun out as well. “The bag wouldn’t zip with the RPG in it.” Duo told him seriously. He pulled out more knives than were worth counting, ammo, some sai, a six-inch length of blow dart gun and a sheath of darts. “This is poisonous.” He advised and thrust a vial of liquid at one of the officers. “You don’t want it to break and get on the knives, trust me.” he stated as one of the officers gingerly took it in hand. A box cutter, pocketknife, hairbrush (which raised eyebrows all around), small bag of…something was tossed in as well.
“What’s that?” one of them asked.

“Ground glass.” Duo said evenly and stepped back to allow himself to be patted down. “Oh wait! Forgot one.” He said and pulled out his Glock slowly. He looked at it in his hand.

“Put the gun in the trunk.” One of the officers said softly three guns now trained on Duo. Duo looked to Wufei in silence as he was led away by the fourth officer. He raised the gun slowly to his temple and Wufei exploded into action, throwing himself to the ground and slipping his cuffed hands under him so they were in front.

“Don’t you dare Max! Don’t you dare self-destruct!!” he screamed and rushed toward the braided boy. Duo’s sad eyes fixed firmly on Wufei as his finger tightened on the trigger slowly.

“Put the gun down kid, you don’t wanna throw your life away!” the lead officer said.

Wufei was held back buy the officer near him. “Stay with me Max! Stay with me!!” he screamed and struggled to get free. Heero, Trowa and Quatre could be heard shouting in the cop car they’d been loaded into.

“Max! Maxwell!” Wufei shouted hoarsely and kicked out at the officer holding him. Duo closed his eyes slowly, blocking their violet depths from the world and settled the barrel more firmly against his head, the cool metal pressing into his flesh. He tightened his finger a bit more. “No! No! No!” Wufei screamed. “Duo!!” his voice was shrill. “Duo! Don’t you dare self-destruct! Duo don’t you dare! Duo!” a loud crack was heard as Heero’s feet broke through the safety glass of the cop car. His arm reached out and opened the door, the three of them piling out. Heero’s wrists still in cuffs the links holding them together, now broken. Trowa tossing his to the ground. Quatre popping his shoulders out of joint and flipping his arms over his head. A back-up car arrived bathing the scene in even more garish lights.
“Please! Duo please! Duo!” Wufei continued to scream as Quatre bowled over the guy holding him and Wufei broke free. Rushing between the officers and grabbing the Glock wrenching it away from Duo’s head as the two of them slammed to the ground. The Glock was knocked out of reach and Wufei landed solidly on top of Duo. He cupped the cherub face in his cuffed hands and looked into startled violet eyes.
“Duo Maxell so help me Nataku if you EVER try that kind of bullshit stunt again I will beat you within an inch of your life!! Do I make myself clear soldier!!” he shouted loudly.

“I can’t go back Fei.” He whispered softly. “Never…” Wufei slid his cuffed arms around Duo’s shoulders and pressed his face against the pale neck.

“Duo, please just stay with me. I won’t let you go back. Don’t self-destruct. I’ll find a way to keep you free I swear it! Please Duo please…” Wufei begged, actually begged.

“Oh Wufei just tell him, he needs it.” Heero heard Quatre whisper to himself as he was hauled to his feet by one of the officers.

“Please. I’ll keep you safe I swear it. I won’t let anyone hurt you Duo. I promise, I promise.” He vowed softly. “Just don’t leave me.” Duo began to cry.

“I can’t Wufei! I can’t! You don’t understand what they’re going to do to me!” Duo’s voice was shrill in panic.

“Please Duo. Please don’t self-destruct. Please…I love you. I love you please don’t leave me Duo.” Wufei’s tears mingled with Duo’s a moment and then they were being pulled apart, hauled to their feet by the police, still tense from the minute long ordeal. Duo’s eyes never left Wufei as if afraid he’d disappear if he wasn’t watched at all times.

“Yesss.” Quatre hissed softly and smiled to himself happily.

They were all rounded back up and shuttled toward the still intact police cars. Duo and Wufei went quietly until they were steered apart toward different cars. Duo panicked and began to struggle against the cuffs that held him.

“Calm down Duo. Calm down.” Wufei said but it did no good, the braided boy’s legs buckled under him and he began to hyperventilate. “Let me ride with him! Let me ride with him I can keep him calm!” Wufei told the officer who cursed at him, but they were shoved into the back of the same car, while Trowa, Quatre and Heero were put in the other. Wufei turned so he was propped against the door and Duo nestled between his thighs, his head lying against Wufei’s shoulder, much to Wufei’s surprise. He wrapped his cuffed arms round the other’s torso. Neither of them spoke until Duo had finished taking off their cuffs and laying them on the floorboard. Wufei ran his hands gently over Duo’s hair and Duo broke the silence.

“Really?” he asked softly.

“Yes, really.” Wufei told him truthfully.

“Say it?” Duo asked hesitantly.

“I love you Duo Maxwell. I always have. I always will. I’ll keep you safe.” Wufei vowed. “I love you.”

“You remember when we were fleeing the Victoria Base? When we crashed that pickup? And I you promise to kill me rather than let me burn to death?” Duo spoke haltingly and Wufei nodded. “I’d rather you let me burn to death than let me go back to G.”

“I know sweetheart, I know. He won’t get you. You sleep now okay.” Wufei assured him and the other boy slowly slipped away.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, cause you’re obviously sweet on the girl and all…but what the hell is wrong with her?” the officer in the passenger seat asked.

“He’s been abused.” Wufei replied sadly as he stroked the chestnut colored hair.

“That sucks and all but…” he trailed off not sure if that justified the other’s actions. “He?” he asked in surprise.

Wufei gave a sigh. “We were just looking for a place to stay the night.” He said tiredly. “Its amazing how quickly something so simple can go wrong.” He muttered and snorted.

“I don’t know who the fuck you kids are, but you’re practically screwed. I hope you realize that.” The driver said softly. “You’ve got more weapons than a small country.” He said shaking his head.

“Normally I’d tell you, you’re better off not knowing who we are. But I guess it doesn’t matter really.” Wufei said evenly. In the dim light he saw the officer’s eyes flick toward him in the rearview mirror.

“You need to be on your best behavior, all of you, if you want to get off on the charges they’re going to bring against you.” he advised.

Wufei sighed again. “I don’t care. As long as Duo is safe.” He replied and tightened his arms around the warmth of the smaller young man. “If you really want to help us…you’ll get a psychologist to come talk to us right away. I know Duo’s nuts and me…well if I actually told the truth and not what I know was supposed to be said, I could get away with just about anything.” Wufei said only half joking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in the lead car. Heero sat between Quatre and Trowa with his head resting on the seat behind him, his eyes closed. He felt a little uncomfortable being between the two of them. He knew they probably wanted to be sitting next to each other. They were very close as a couple and part of Heero envied them. The part of his emotions that he couldn’t get rid of totally no matter how hard he tried. He exhaled slowly through his nose instead of sighing, as he wanted to do.
*Peace sucks.* he thought to himself. *I don’t want to be captured, yet I have to let myself be because it is peacetime and I can’t kill people anymore.* he felt a slight sense of hopelessness and fear although he didn’t identify as that. *Nervous.* he thought. *I was breed to be a war machine…what am I going to do now?* and the sense of nervousness rose. He did sigh this time. *Peace doesn’t really suck…not really.* he admitted mutely. He was very aware of the bodies on either side of him, thighs pressed against his. Trowa tossed his cuffs quietly to the floor, having taken them off. His long fingers closed around Heero’s forearm and pulled him forward to present his wrists. Heero felt his breath hitch in his throat silently, a barely there hesitation at the touch of skin against skin. Trowa pulled Heero forward even more so that he curled in on himself as the green-eyed boy leaned over the other’s back, pressed firmly against him, to release his lover. Trowa moved back and took hold of the cuffs and pulled Heero backwards toward him. He began to pick the lock as Quatre shifted to get comfortable as Heero was sprawled across the backseat. Trowa left Heero’s arms in front of him as he wrapped the other in a kind of embrace while working on the locks. Heero was surprised to find that his nostrils were flaring and he struggled not to give into the temptation to lay his head back against he shoulder he rested on. He forced himself to be calm, forced down the stirrings of desire by opening his eyes to look at the pale blond before him. *Trowa is Quatre’s boyfriend. Quatre is Trowa’s boyfriend. They are my friends.* he repeated over and over again to himself. *I would never do anything to hurt either of them…no matter how hot they are…damn it! Trowa and Quatre are going out. Not me.* he told himself and the sadness that welled up crushed any desire he’d been feeling as he closed his eyes again. He was still too aware of the warmth of the body he was pressed against, but now it seemed to accentuate his loneliness. Trowa pulled his hands upwards, back over one shoulder, and it occurred to Heero that he was taking an awful long time to take off a pair of standard cuffs. Trowa locked one hand firmly around the cuffs and the other ran under his tank top smoothly to rest against his stomach as a talented tongue ran over the curve of his ear. His head titled to the side and a violent shudder consumed his body. His eyes snapped open and he inhaled a long, slow breath. Cobalt blue caught aquamarine and Quatre raised a single eyebrow in silence. Heero began to pull away from Trowa, his eyes apologizing to Quatre in silence. Saying sorry for having had his boyfriend’s tongue in his ear feel so good and the press of flesh against flesh too welcome for words. Heero closed himself off from all feelings, shut himself down completely and pulled away from the contact, ignoring the ache in his heart. So it took him a moment to totally register when Quatre lay flush against him and pressed his open mouth against the hard line that was Heero’s. Heero’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened in a soft gasp as Quatre began plundering his mouth with brutal efficiency. Trowa’s tongue found his ear again and traced a soft line down his neck, as Quatre sank his teeth into Heero’s shoulder. Heero arched into the bite, his chest pressing against Quatre’s, as Trowa ground his hips against Heero’s ass with slow leisure. The feeling of them pressed against him, the strength and warmth surrounding him as they moved against him was almost too much for him to stand and he felt as if him he might break into a thousand pieces if anyone breathed too hard. Quatre ran the flat of his palm over one of Heero’s nipples and he gave a hitched gasp out loud.

A fist rattled the grill separating the front and back of the car and Heero’s head snapped up startled. He’d totally forgotten they were being arrested and he heard Quatre give a wicked snicker at the shocked, caught in the act look he knew he wore. Quatre pulled his shirt up and leaned in slowly to latch his hot mouth onto a nipple. Heero feared he might hyperventilate at the slow decent, then he stopped breathing all together as Quatre ran his tongue over Heero’s flesh.

“Hey! Cut that shit out!” one of the officers scolded seriously. “Damn, they’ve got the cuffs off!” he swore.

“He’s still wearing his.” Trowa’s mild voice put in helpfully as Heero arched upwards toward the wicked mouth.

“I want that to be all he wears.” Quatre murmured against Heero’s skin and the tousled haired boy shuddered. Trowa began to pull his tank top up and Heero’s eyes grew round and locked with the officer in the front seat in something close to embarrassed panic.

*Oh shit…are they serious?* he wondered a moment before Trowa yanked his shirt upwards, wrapped it around his cuffed hands, and began licking his neck again. Quatre’s hands ran over his chest and down to the waistband of his shorts.
*Oh fuck! I’m going to lose my virginity in the back of a cop car to two of my best friends!!* Heero thought in disbelief.
Quatre’s hands slipped downward and around to cup his ass tightly as his head fell back against Trowa’s shoulder at the feel of the blonde’s nails digging into his flesh. Quatre’s door open suddenly and Heero realized that they’d pulled off the road and one of the cops had yanked the door open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why don’t you catch some sleep? We’ll wake you when we get to the station.” The passenger said.

Wufei just snorted. He realized that they were indeed screwed, but he silently hoped they’d get away before they got to the station. Nataku must have heard his plea because the police car ahead of them slammed on its brakes and pulled to the side of the road quickly. Wufei nudged Duo awake and he lay stiffly against Wufei’s chest.
“Looks like you’re friends are having a bit of trouble up there.” Wufei said sarcastically.

“A dollar says its Q-ball.” Duo replied smirking as he relaxed completely against Wufei’s body.

“You’re on!” Wufei agreed. “I’m going to have to go with 01.”
*I don’t think I’ve ever seen Duo relax completely…then again, neither do Heero or I so…but still, he’s just so…relaxed…* Wufei thought and briefly hugged Duo against him. He knew that Duo could spring into action at any moment, he’d seen it first hand so he wasn’t concerned about him not being able to do what needed to be done for them to get free. He was just surprised that Duo trusted him that much. Because as Duo had pointed out they’d turned him away almost since day one.

The doors to the car before them opened and the officers climbed out. The officers in their car got out as well and moved forward, but the driver of the other car motioned for them to stop and they did, placing their hands on their weapons. Quatre climbed out, pointing a small handgun at the officer. Heero stumbled out next shirt clutched in his hands and leaned against the car, Trowa followed him and took the gun from the officer and moved to take the other’s weapon as well. Heero pulled his shirt back on and stood up straight, taking one of the guns from Trowa he held it trained on the two other officers as Trowa took their weapons as well and hand cuffed all four of them with their hands behind their backs, the cuff chains wrapped over one another so they wouldn’t be able to move them in front. Heero yanked the door to Wufei and Duo’s squad car open and moved to the trunk, with car keys and flashlight in hand. Quatre followed and ripped open their duffle bags hurriedly. He grabbed everything out of them and stuffed it into two bags, plus Duo’s weapons bag. They all crowded around the trunk and in a flurry of movement had their weapons safely secured about their persons. No outward sign showed that they were now laden with deadly weapons. Two of the cops were facing them and they both wore identical expressions of awe and disbelief.
“You should see me assemble an assault rifle.” Heero muttered softly in their direction as he closed the trunk and took a duffle from Quatre. Trowa took the other and they all headed into the woods at the side of the road.

“Later boys. We’ll have to do this again some time.” Duo piqued as he gave a mock salute and turned away into the darkness.