Chapter one
Duo watched her as she prowled from one side of the beautiful room to the other. He was reminded of a tiger. Something about her said she was a predator, that she hunted, and that she held some kind of primitive strength under those hundred layers of raw beauty. A smile flickered across his face, but only briefly. She wouldn't find it very funny. "So uh. whats new?" the laughter was bubbling up his throat, but he knew that to keep his head in the same position (i.e. on his neck) he would have to stifle it. "Hmm. I wonder?" she snarled sarcastically. "Look, you can't keep on doing this! It gets me into a lot of trouble!" she stopped pacing now and turned to him. Putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side, she looked at him with something close to contempt in her eyes. Placing her head on her shoulder allowed the long copper and gold tinted locks to fall lower. As they swung down, they gently brushed her hips, causing shivers to run up and down Duo's spine. "Listen Ana. It was a harmless joke. If he wants to get all mad because someone put a few worms in his mailbox, then that's not my problem." "They were not worms! They were slugs! Acid slugs! He nearly burnt his arm off! You know Wufei isn't exactly the nicest person to deal with at the best of times, but he's impossible when he's angry!" she threw up her hands into the air and started pacing again. As she walked past him Duo grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "C'mon. Don't be mad." He pulled his best puppy dog eyes. " We wuv woo. Does woo wuv us too?" pouting, he searched for an answer in her emerald eyes. After a minute, "We wuv woo too." He tried to pull her in closer for a kiss, but she pecked him on the cheek and jumped up. He was left clutching air and feeling cheated. "Listen lover man, you have to apologise to Wufei, and I have business to take care of. Being manager of you Gundam pilots isn't the easiest job in the world you know. Especially when you have the cutest one following you like a puppy dog." "Heero that bastard! How dare he follow you around!" duo cracked. "Well, he is awfully cute, enough to make a girl want to reconsider her options." She laughed and then floated out of the room, her long dress flowing out behind her. Duo looked around the room, and then flopped back onto his bed. Since the war had ended, he and the other pilots had lived in a variety of places. At first they had had their own place, but after the death of Lily had had to leave because a hole had been blown in the wall. Also, the place brought back bad memories for all of them. Second they had lived with Relena Peacecraft, but due to Heero being an asshole and sneaking around trying to shoot her, they had been asked to leave. Then had come the huge mansion in the hills, one of Quatre's. But there had been some business with an assassin, and they had had to hurry out in the middle of the night. The next day, the mansion went up in flames, courtesy of a group of ex white fang soldiers. After that they had wondered around for a bit, staying wherever they could find shelter. One night there had been a really huge storm, and they had ducked into a cave in a mountainside. They had been there for an hour or two, when duo spotted something being blown around in the wind outside. A moment later he had recognised it as a cloak. And under that cloak, had been a girl. He rushed into the wind, and snatched her up. She had been too weak to put up a fight and had fainted in his arms. He had brought her back to the cave and warmed her near the fire. Once she had recovered a little, he had given her some of his own food, and wrapped her up in his blankets. The other pilots had told him that she was probably just a passing gypsy and that he shouldn't waste his time. But he had insisted that any person in need of help was worth helping. The next morning when she had woken up, she had told them that she was very grateful and that they were welcome to stay at her house if they wanted. She had told them that she had been trying to reach a nearby village before the storm struck and had got lost. They had gratefully accepted her offer of shelter, and had followed her, expecting a small farm at most. When they had arrived at the huge house with it's sweeping lawns and beautiful gardens, they had been stunned. She led them up to the house and gave them a huge breakfast, and two days later a ball had been thrown as thanks for their hospitality towards her. She had asked them if they would stay longer and all had agreed. That had been 5 years ago. Now, Trowa Wufei Heero and Quatre all had their own houses on the property while Duo stayed up at the main house. He and Ana had instantly formed a liking for each other, and within two weeks had started seriously dating. A year later they had got married, and they were still very happy today. As duo sat daydreaming, he didn't notice a small child run towards him across the room. The little girl ran to the foot of the bed and then sat down. Peeking around to make sure duo wasn't paying attention, she signalled to the small boy standing at the door to come in. he instantly fell to his hands and knee's and crawled silently across the room. When he got there he sat next to the girl, and promptly pulled one of her long gold ringlets. She in turn pinched his arm. "Ow, wadja do dat for 'nstasia?" he whispered. "Shush. You wake him up!" she retorted back quietly. While the two children bickered silently, throwing small harmless punches at each other, they didn't see a shadow pass over them. As quick as a flash, the little girl was snatched up and she squealed as duo gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Daddy! No fair!" she pouted. "We was sneaking up. Like you used to do on the weak fangs." The boy had by now stood up and was trying to pull himself onto the huge bed. "Yeah daddy! Uncle Woofy told us 'bout da weak fangs and OZ soldyers. Is da OZ soldyers like da wizard of Oz daddy?" Cory asked from his precarious position, hanging off the end off the bed like it was a cliff top. Duo just laughed at this question from his son and pulled the wide-eyed cutie onto the bed next to his sister. "No Cory, the OZ soldiers and the wizard of Oz are very different. And why has uncle Wufei been telling you stories like that? You know your mommy doesn't like that. Aunty Livinia should teach him better." Replied duo, referring to Wufei's fiancée. "And Anastasia, I don't ever want you to be like a soldier. Okay?" he turned the girl around and stood her up on the bed, looking into her eyes for an answer. " 'Kay daddy. I won't be like a nasty soldyer." She replied. She played with the hem of her red velvet dress for a minute, and then, "Where's mama? She said that we would get to go and see baby Clarice today, then she disappeareded." " My beautiful twins, I promise you that mama will take you to see the baby. But uncle Quatre and Auntie Emily are very tired from looking after the baby, and maybe it's best if you see them another day." " Yes darlings" came a voice from the doorway. "We will see them another day."
Duo watched her as she prowled from one side of the beautiful room to the other. He was reminded of a tiger. Something about her said she was a predator, that she hunted, and that she held some kind of primitive strength under those hundred layers of raw beauty. A smile flickered across his face, but only briefly. She wouldn't find it very funny. "So uh. whats new?" the laughter was bubbling up his throat, but he knew that to keep his head in the same position (i.e. on his neck) he would have to stifle it. "Hmm. I wonder?" she snarled sarcastically. "Look, you can't keep on doing this! It gets me into a lot of trouble!" she stopped pacing now and turned to him. Putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side, she looked at him with something close to contempt in her eyes. Placing her head on her shoulder allowed the long copper and gold tinted locks to fall lower. As they swung down, they gently brushed her hips, causing shivers to run up and down Duo's spine. "Listen Ana. It was a harmless joke. If he wants to get all mad because someone put a few worms in his mailbox, then that's not my problem." "They were not worms! They were slugs! Acid slugs! He nearly burnt his arm off! You know Wufei isn't exactly the nicest person to deal with at the best of times, but he's impossible when he's angry!" she threw up her hands into the air and started pacing again. As she walked past him Duo grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "C'mon. Don't be mad." He pulled his best puppy dog eyes. " We wuv woo. Does woo wuv us too?" pouting, he searched for an answer in her emerald eyes. After a minute, "We wuv woo too." He tried to pull her in closer for a kiss, but she pecked him on the cheek and jumped up. He was left clutching air and feeling cheated. "Listen lover man, you have to apologise to Wufei, and I have business to take care of. Being manager of you Gundam pilots isn't the easiest job in the world you know. Especially when you have the cutest one following you like a puppy dog." "Heero that bastard! How dare he follow you around!" duo cracked. "Well, he is awfully cute, enough to make a girl want to reconsider her options." She laughed and then floated out of the room, her long dress flowing out behind her. Duo looked around the room, and then flopped back onto his bed. Since the war had ended, he and the other pilots had lived in a variety of places. At first they had had their own place, but after the death of Lily had had to leave because a hole had been blown in the wall. Also, the place brought back bad memories for all of them. Second they had lived with Relena Peacecraft, but due to Heero being an asshole and sneaking around trying to shoot her, they had been asked to leave. Then had come the huge mansion in the hills, one of Quatre's. But there had been some business with an assassin, and they had had to hurry out in the middle of the night. The next day, the mansion went up in flames, courtesy of a group of ex white fang soldiers. After that they had wondered around for a bit, staying wherever they could find shelter. One night there had been a really huge storm, and they had ducked into a cave in a mountainside. They had been there for an hour or two, when duo spotted something being blown around in the wind outside. A moment later he had recognised it as a cloak. And under that cloak, had been a girl. He rushed into the wind, and snatched her up. She had been too weak to put up a fight and had fainted in his arms. He had brought her back to the cave and warmed her near the fire. Once she had recovered a little, he had given her some of his own food, and wrapped her up in his blankets. The other pilots had told him that she was probably just a passing gypsy and that he shouldn't waste his time. But he had insisted that any person in need of help was worth helping. The next morning when she had woken up, she had told them that she was very grateful and that they were welcome to stay at her house if they wanted. She had told them that she had been trying to reach a nearby village before the storm struck and had got lost. They had gratefully accepted her offer of shelter, and had followed her, expecting a small farm at most. When they had arrived at the huge house with it's sweeping lawns and beautiful gardens, they had been stunned. She led them up to the house and gave them a huge breakfast, and two days later a ball had been thrown as thanks for their hospitality towards her. She had asked them if they would stay longer and all had agreed. That had been 5 years ago. Now, Trowa Wufei Heero and Quatre all had their own houses on the property while Duo stayed up at the main house. He and Ana had instantly formed a liking for each other, and within two weeks had started seriously dating. A year later they had got married, and they were still very happy today. As duo sat daydreaming, he didn't notice a small child run towards him across the room. The little girl ran to the foot of the bed and then sat down. Peeking around to make sure duo wasn't paying attention, she signalled to the small boy standing at the door to come in. he instantly fell to his hands and knee's and crawled silently across the room. When he got there he sat next to the girl, and promptly pulled one of her long gold ringlets. She in turn pinched his arm. "Ow, wadja do dat for 'nstasia?" he whispered. "Shush. You wake him up!" she retorted back quietly. While the two children bickered silently, throwing small harmless punches at each other, they didn't see a shadow pass over them. As quick as a flash, the little girl was snatched up and she squealed as duo gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Daddy! No fair!" she pouted. "We was sneaking up. Like you used to do on the weak fangs." The boy had by now stood up and was trying to pull himself onto the huge bed. "Yeah daddy! Uncle Woofy told us 'bout da weak fangs and OZ soldyers. Is da OZ soldyers like da wizard of Oz daddy?" Cory asked from his precarious position, hanging off the end off the bed like it was a cliff top. Duo just laughed at this question from his son and pulled the wide-eyed cutie onto the bed next to his sister. "No Cory, the OZ soldiers and the wizard of Oz are very different. And why has uncle Wufei been telling you stories like that? You know your mommy doesn't like that. Aunty Livinia should teach him better." Replied duo, referring to Wufei's fiancée. "And Anastasia, I don't ever want you to be like a soldier. Okay?" he turned the girl around and stood her up on the bed, looking into her eyes for an answer. " 'Kay daddy. I won't be like a nasty soldyer." She replied. She played with the hem of her red velvet dress for a minute, and then, "Where's mama? She said that we would get to go and see baby Clarice today, then she disappeareded." " My beautiful twins, I promise you that mama will take you to see the baby. But uncle Quatre and Auntie Emily are very tired from looking after the baby, and maybe it's best if you see them another day." " Yes darlings" came a voice from the doorway. "We will see them another day."