This is my second Naruto crossover fic. Beware the craziness about to ensue.
Summery: When Trowa meets a starving child near his sister's circus he can't, not do anything; and when the child's ninja friend's family gets involved, things only get crazier.
(Part One)
Trowa briskly rubbed his hands together as he walked into the small cafe, "Coffee to go please." Why did England have to be so cold? He seriously believed that it was colder down here then on the Space Colonies he had grown up on!
"Yes sir." The pretty cashier said with a smile.
He nodded as she put the to-go cup on the counter and doctored it up to his liking, 'Between Quatre sugar and Duo cream, I can't drink my coffee black anymore,' he thought with amusement. Black coffee had been his favorite drink back on L3 while working of his Heavyarms before the first war. When he'd met Quatre, the small blonde had snuck some sugar into his coffee. And then after he'd got into the habit of putting sugar in his coffee, he'd met Duo.
He noticed a small boy looking in the window longingly. The kid's clothes (if they could be called that) were huge, the shirt looked like it was made for a small pig rather than a person and was so tattered that there was barely any material left. His huge pants were just as bad, much too big and just as badly tattered as the shirt. The child looked really cold in those rags... He looked around trying to spot the child's parents or guardian, frowning when he didn't see anyone who looked like the boy. An abandoned kid, great...
The kid noticed his gaze and quickly ducked out of sight. The boy seemed rather skittish, why, Trowa wasn't sure, the kid was an orphan and looked rather young. He could not have been on the streets long. Seeing this kid on the streets made Trowa unhappy. What was the point of fighting a war to put an end to the war orphans when it was clear that there were still kids on the streets?
Trowa went after him. He saw the kid slip around the corner of the cafe and keeping hidden watched as the boy went behind the dumpster and leaned against the warm brick. Poor kid. Cathy wouldn't mind if he brought a kid with him to meet her...
Calmly he walked into the alley, the kid watching him warily, "you a copper?" The kid asked his voice hoarse from what Trowa assumed was lack of use and the cold. Poor kid, the teen knew that this kid was heading for bad places.
"No." Trowa reassured him. He was a part-time Preventer, but he didn't want to scare the kid. Besides, he wasn't going to hand the kid in anyway.
"Can you spare some change?" The boy asked holding up red and cracked hands. He was used to hard work, Trowa saw. That was even more disheartening. Someone had used this child for labor! That was illegal right? Had been for a long time. When he got his hands on the people who did this…
"How about I get you something warm instead?" Trowa offered, it looked like the poor kid needed the warmth and he certainly wasn't going to leave the child out here alone where it was cold.
The boy's eyes narrowed, "what I gotta do to ya?" He asked, suspiciously. He had been offered this before, his first friend had been able to help him before he died, but after that all offers had been traps.
"Nothing. I only want to help you." Trowa reassured him while he tried to gage how old the kid was. Did this boy even know his own name? To see a kid so mistrusting was hard. Being weary of strangers was good but… all human contact?
The kid stared at the hand suspiciously, "why? I just a street rat."
"One of my best friends is a street rat." Trowa's eyes widened, he had to be looking at a mini-Duo in the making!
The boy stared at him before standing up, "you try anything; I'm gone."
Trowa nodded. "I'm on my way to meet someone; you want to come little one?" He hoped the kid agreed, he needed to get out of the cold and Cathy loved kids. That didn't mean that Trowa wasn't going to get the kid something warm to drink first.
The boy looked at him suspiciously, "I thought you just get me something to drink..."
"I am. I am also on my way to meet my sister." Trowa told him. He desperately wanted to get this kid off the streets. The kid was smart, if given enough time he had no doubt that this kid would become like Duo. Duo would not be happy at all if that happened.
The boy stared at him, then seemed to grow a bit shy, "can I have a hot chocolate?" he asked with a slight flush. This grown-up was nice. Much nicer than Uncle had ever been. Aunty had always been scary, offering him and his brother to grown men for money. She even took 'customers,' whatever that meant, when she thought he and his brother D was asleep. They often weren't.
"Sure." Trowa smiled as he led the child back to the café. Once he got this kid to the circus he was going to get Cathy to adopt him. They entered the cafe and Trowa ordered the child a hot chocolate.
The clerk sniffed, "Is he bothering you, sir? I can call the constables, bothering decent folk." She eyed the little street urchin with distaste, taking in his ratty, too large clothes with distain.
Trowa shook his head. "No, I like his company. The hot chocolate is for him." How dare she? This kid was adorable! It wasn't his fault that he'd been abandoned. He was appalled that no one seemed to care that this kid was an orphan and needed a good home.
She sniffed at him, "decent folk indeed," put the cup down and Trowa handed it the boy who eagerly took it, warming his hands on the thin sides. She had seen the adorable child many times in the last six months, she'd met his 'caretakers' before he'd become apart of the scenery. The Uncle was disgusting and the Aunt even more so.
Trowa ruffled the boy's hair. "So? Will you?" The boy's slight flinch at his touch didn't escape his notice.
The boy looked puzzled; then shrugged, "got no pressing engagements at the moment." Besides, what did he have to lose by going with this teen?
"Then let's go." Trowa led the boy out of the café and down the street. It was a good thing Cathy's circus was so close to where he was. He was sure his older sister would love this kid to bits. Trowa watched as the boy took his time enjoying the hot sweet liquid, he seemed to keep a keen eye out, and the one time a constable was in sight, he ducked behind Trowa's tall form. If need be, Trowa would have claimed the boy as his brother. The neighborhood grew nicer, and Trowa noticed the boy's hands twitch as he watched the more expensively dressed pedestrians walking by. Trowa offered his hand to the child. The boy looked at it than up at him, "to keep you out of trouble," he said, nodding at a woman who was paying more attention to her cell phone and book, than the wallet that was about to fall out.
The boy took it. "What's your name?"
"My name is Trowa, yours?" Trowa answered.
"I don't know." The child admitted quietly. He did, but he had trouble remembering it, he should be careful just the same.
"What do they call you on the streets?" Trowa tried again, he needed a name to call the boy after all.
"Sol." The boy now known as Sol whispered just loud enough for Trowa to hear. That was the name his best friend gave him. He used it with his brother even after learning his real name.
"Well, Sol," Trowa said, "it is nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Trowa." Sol smiled, happy to have found someone who seemed as trustworthy as his dead friend. Sol smiled up at him and Trowa noticed the missing teeth and revamped the age he thought the kid was
Duo was going to be so angry that all their fighting during the war had come to nothing. He hated it when one suffered, one was abused or abandoned.
He smiled when he saw where Cathy was meeting him. She was bundled in a warm coat, scarf and mittens, jumping up and down in place to stay warm.
Trowa waved as they approached. "Nee-chan!"
She grinned at him and waved back, "you're late!"
"Sorry. This is Sol. Found him outside a cafe." Trowa pushed Sol forward a bit so that his sister could get a good look at the kid.
She blinked at him then smiled, "Hi, I'm Cathy!" What a cute kid.
"Sol." The child said quietly.
"So where are his parents?" Cathy asked.
Harry shrugged. "Don't have any."
She blinked at him again and gave a startled look at Trowa, "Oto?" She whispered, "What?"
Trowa gave her a confused look. He knew her one word question was really so many, what are you doing, what are you going to do with him, what were you thinking; and what are we going to tell the others?
"Nee-chan, I couldn't leave him there..."
She sighed and nodded, then pulled off her mittens and unwrapped her scarf, putting them around the startled child, "ever been to a circus?"
Harry shook his head. He hadn't been, but it sounded like fun…
That's right. They were meeting the others at the circus. The others would so not be happy with this kid's situation…
"Then you Sol," Cathy said brightly as she gripped the boy's hand, "are in for a treat!"
"Really?" The child asked, looking hopeful. She was really going to let him see?
"Yep," she said and pointed to the park where the main tent was being erected.
Harry grinned. He looked back at Trowa and shyly held out his hand.
Trowa took it. "Shall we go?"
The boy nodded eagerly
They met the others at the tent entrance. Quatre, his blonde lover hurried to his side with a wide smile on his face. "Trowa!"
"Hello Quatre."
Heero and Fei nodded to him, as he endured and enthusiastic hug from Duo.
"Duo, this is Sol. He's like you." Trowa told the former street rat, pushing Sol forward slightly.
Duo took in the dirty face and rags behind the bright scarf and mittens and crouched down in front of Sol, "hey there, I'm a street rat too!" Not something he was really proud of, but street rats tended to trust other street rats more.
"Really?" Sol looked at Duo with wide green eyes.
"Yep," Duo said then held out Trowa's wallet to the unibanged boy, who sighed with exasperation as he took it back.
"Keep your hands to yourself or do that to Heero!" Trowa scolded playfully.
Duo just grinned.
Harry blinked. "?" he was confused.
Duo grinned and grabbed Heero's hand, "Hee-chan, this is Sol, Sol this is Heero!"
"Hi..."
Heero caught Duo's wrist.
Duo snickered as he wiggled his fingers in Heero's back pocket, winking at Harry
"Duo!"
Harry gaped at the playfulness of the five; then shivered as a strong wind blew by.
Duo took a coat and gave it to Harry.
Harry touched the fabric with shaking fingers, "what I gotta do for it?" He asked, his tone shifting to wary.
"You can have it till we get you one of your own." Duo reassured him.
Harry gaped as he stared into the tent and saw an elephant raising the center pole.
Duo gave Trowa a questioning look.
"Hey are you lot here to socialize, or to work?" One of the clowns asked.
Trowa rolled his eyes. "Keep your shirt on!" That clown always complained, even if they only took five minutes to greet each other.
Harry found himself trailing after Trowa carrying boxes. These adults were strange... But Trowa had promised him soup when they were done. He couldn't wait!
He moved quickly and silently trying to carry more than he should when he tripped and the boxes he was carrying when flying. Oh no! They were going to punish him, chase him away, tell him he was no good... he blinked back tears as he tried to put the contents back into the boxes before anyone noticed.
Duo noticed. "Sol?"
"I'm sorry," Harry said scrambling to pick up the papers that were trying to blow away, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
"I know." Duo told him. He did too, Heero had helped him through all the stages that this kid was going to go through, they all knew what to expect. Duo knelt to help him. "I'm a street rat too remember?"
Harry looked up at him, his eyes miserable, "no work, no food, they always told me. I tried not to mess up but I always did."
"You had a home once?" Duo's eyes widened. This kid had a family? What the hell had happened? Obviously they had abandoned him but… why?
Harry eyes grew wide, he hadn't meant to say that, "I won't go back." he said fiercely, "you can't make me."
"I won't make you." Duo pulled him into a hug. "The streets might be a bad place but it sounds like the streets were better then that so called home you were in before..."
Harry gave a shrug, "One of the men who lived on the streets, he taught me things, he said what doesn't break us makes us stronger."
"He's right." But Duo's arms tightened around him. This kid… he needed them.
"He was a nice man," Harry said burrowing into the warmth, "I missed him when he died."
"I know; he was your first friend right?" Duo asked, not only did he want to know more; it would help Sol get used to him.
Harry nodded, "he used to call Dud... my cousin Gaki and would stop them from Har... from chasing me."
Duo stiffened just a bit. "I'll tell you about Solo."
Harry leaned into the warm body, resting his head on the shoulder, "he your first friend too, he died too?"
"Yes." Duo confirmed, telling his story before becoming pilot of 02. Duo pulled back. "Let's finish cleaning up."
Harry nodded and between them they quickly cleaned up the mess and put the boxes where Trowa directed them. Harry really liked it here, with them. He knew that when they left London, and England, that he would stay behind, but he would miss them.
Trowa pulled his sister aside. "Nee-chan, we can't leave him here."
"Trowa," she said biting her lips, "if we take him we could be charged with kidnapping... if you can find out whom his guardians are and get them to give up rights..." her eyes narrowed.
"I'll see what I can do," He'd ask Heero to help. Heero was the best hacker. He'd find what they needed. Trowa pulled Quatre aside and whispered to him, telling him what Cathy said, "see if you and Duo can't find out who his guardians are."
"We'll know by breakfast tomorrow." Quatre told his lover.
Trowa nodded confident in them
Quatre and Duo went to work as the show started.
"So," Duo said as he drew the boy onto his lap, "the man that helped you," "did he teach you anything else?" he asked, handing Harry popcorn,
Harry shook his head. "No."
"No letters or other funny words like the one he called your cousin Dudley?" Duo held his breath hoping he had guessed the half formed word correctly.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked his new friend, looking up at the teen.
"Do you know what Gaki means?" Harry shook his head, "It means Brat in Japanese."
Harry giggled, "Dudley was a brat too! Oh. He also called him a Dobe."
Duo and Quatre snickered, "and was he dead last at everything?"
"Well... he got really bad grades in every class..." Harry admitted. "He wasn't the worst but… Even Porkiss got better grades and that's saying a lot, but Aunt Tuney she didn't care she'd hang his papers on the board."
"And there was two more... Baka and Usuratonkachi..." Sol sounded out the last word slowly; the darn thing was a real mouthful! "I think that's how he said it... it was long..."
"He said it one time in front of Uncle Vernon and Uncle Vernon called him bad names, and tried to chase him off," Harry giggled, "he might have been old, but he was able to dodge Uncle Vernon's..." Harry held out his arms to show the exaggerated size of his uncle.
The two pilots laughed. They now had a name to search!
Harry yawned, "Master Uchiha was so funny sometimes," he said snuggling into Duo's warmth. "I miss him..." he whispered.
"I know Sol, I know." There were still some days that Duo couldn't help but wish that Solo hadn't died, he missed his first best friend that much.
Quatre was looking 'Vernon' up as Duo hugged the child.
"There are 50 of them in London alone," he whispered to Duo in Arabic, "looking up Uchiha."
"Did he tell you his first name?" Duo asked Harry.
"No, but how many of the Uchiha clan are there in England and died in the last few years... it would have had to have been the past two years."
One came up.
Quatre flipped the screen so that Duo could look at it, Uchiha Itachi, formerly of Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey, "now we have a street."
Quatre's eyes lit up. "Found them!"
Duo shifted the now sleeping Harry and leaned over to look at the screen, "eww... he is fat." The man was just asking for a heart attack!
Quatre nodded. "Now to see if they are his guardians..."
It took an hour wading through papers and paper work, "Hmm they are, but I've got a number of abuse reports filed on them."
"Then we can have them arrested and foster him." Duo grinned.
Quatre grinned back, "Let's talk to Trowa and see if he wants to foster or adopt before I start the paperwork."
Duo nodded.
Brown eyes watched Trowa from the shadows; then shifted to sneer at the blond, "he's mine, Winner," he whispered.
"But first to get rid of the brat," he pulled out a watch and slipped it into the new boy Sol's coat pocket, he had some friends on the police force he could call in the morning to report a stolen watch.
Duo found the watch. "Hey Quat..." he held out the watch for his fellow pilot to see.
"That's Cathy's..." Quatre looked puzzled, "he wasn't in Cathy's trailer at all today."
They had to tell Cathy that someone was trying to frame Sol!
Cathy was furious she could barely articulate, "Who... Why..."
They shrugged. "We don't know."
Trowa came in a minute later. He looked grim, "my stalker's back." he said flatly
"Why didn't you tell me you had a stalker Love?" Quatre asked. "Oh, by the way Trow-kun, would you like to foster or adopt Sol?"
Trowa shrugged, "I was handling it, and adopt."
Quatre nodded. "I'll have the paperwork done before we leave."
"Trowa," Cathy said, "who ever this is he's escalated now...at first it was just watching you and sending you flowers, but now to hurt a child."
"What should we do then?" Trowa asked his sister.
"Let everyone know to keep an eye out." she replied.
"Right."
Duo gently shook Harry awake, "hey little man," he said, "come on let's get you into a real bed."
Harry nodded. "M' 'Kay."
Duo knew that Harry would be more comfortable in his own clothes, but he pulled out a t-shirt and shorts, "showers in there if you want," he said pointing, "I'm gonna make up a bed in here," he nodded to a small bedroom, "Trowa will be here in about 15 minutes after he finishes with the show."
"Ok Duo."
Duo knew from experience that Harry would want to lock the bedroom door to feel safe, and that he would want to know where everyone was to make sure he wasn't left behind. Duo knew, because He had gone through this too. It had helped that Heero had been his roommate...
He felt safe being held, but Harry seemed a bit shy yet, eventually he would make the moves to be held first. Duo made up the bed; then when a still wet headed Harry came shyly in, showed him how to lock the door.
Harry gave him a smile. "Good night Duo."
"Night little man," Duo said and went into the living room and nodded to Quatre who was on the phone to his lawyers getting the paperwork in order
Quatre smiled as he finished.
"Done," he said closing his phone, "papers will be here before 6, how is he?"
"Settling into bed." Duo told the blonde.
"He's doing very well for just getting off the streets." Quatre mused.
"As young as he is, he couldn't have been on them that long," Duo sighed then smiled as the door opened and Trowa came in, "now I'm going to bed, Night!" He left the trailer.
"Good night Duo!"
He had to find Heero.
He smiled as a shadow moved and resolved into burning blue eyes, "We're in the guest trailer," Heero said nodding.
Duo hugged his lover tightly. "I see. Hee-chan..." He was remembering his time on the streets.
"I've got you," Heero said knowing what Duo needed, "come, Fei's sleeping in Cathy's guest room tonight, the trailers ours."
"Yay..."
Duo nuzzled his lover as he was led to their trailer.
Harry woke to darkness, and laid in the soft bed wondering where he was... it was always noisy on the streets no matter what hour. He looked around and remembered.
He grinned.
He hoped they would keep him until they left and he had found a place to hide his horded food nearby, and Cathy had given him 5 whole pounds for helping them move, 5!
maybe if he worked hard they would hire him... he closed his eyes and fell asleep dreaming of warm beds, lots of food and Trowa smiling at him.
The next morning, Harry found Quatre looking through paperwork.
He stared at him shyly from the hall.
"Hey Sol, come sit down, there are still a few things that need to be filled out, and you need to help me."
Harry crept forward; Uncle Vernon never wanted him to touch his paperwork, said Harry would mess it up and ruin it...
Quatre gave him a smile. "Did Master Uchiha teach you to read and write?"
Harry shyly nodded, "I can sign my name..." he looked away biting his lip, "My real name, I mean."
"Well, we need you to put your name here and the name you want to use next to it here."
"Why?" Harry said, "Master Uchiha said never sign anything with understanding what it is."
"These are adoption papers."
Harry blinked, "adoption?" Then he shook his head, "They won't give me up," he said "Master Uchiha was going to send me to his brother, and my Uncle Ver... my Uncle said no, I was his."
"Oh, they won't be able to stop it."
Harry's brow wrinkled, "Why not?"
Quatre pulled out copies of the abuse reports.
Harry went sheet white as he looked at the colored photographs of his bruises.
Quatre gave him a puzzled look. "Sol?"
"Where did you get those?" The boy asked and began to back away, "I have to get back; I've got a job to get to." He turned and ran to the trailer door.
"Sol!" Quatre looked down sadly. "What did I do wrong?"
"When you find out about me," Harry said trying to open the door, "you'll hate me just like the Dursely's do."
"Sol, we already love you. Trowa wants to adopt you."
Harry dropped his hand from the door, and slid to the floor, "I'm a freak and I do bad things, and no one wants me, they hate me or leave me," he hid his face in his knees, "even Master Uchiha left me."
Quatre sighed. "We are different."
"I made this really ugly sweater shrink when my aunt tried to put it on me," Harry said, "I made my hair grow back the next day after it was shaved off, I lost my uncle his promotion cause he said a bad word to his boss cause he was angry at me."
"It's his own fault for losing that promotion, not yours, the hair is weird, and who would want to wear a sweater like that? So what? Heero, Duo, Trowa, Wufei and I killed people and fought in a war for the peace that we now live in."
Harry looked up at Quatre over his knees, "you did?"
"Yes we did. And we want you to be part of our little family Sol."
"Family?" The word was a whisper but filled with hope.
Quatre nodded. "How does Sol Barton-Winner sound?"
Harry slowly uncurled, "You can't change your mind."
"Why would we want to?" Quatre asked. "Each of us is special in our own way."
"Heero can bend metal, Duo can get into everything without anyone knowing, Trowa, you've seen what he can to, he can also infiltrate anything easily. I'm an empath, enough said. And Wufei is a scholar."
"My real name is Harry, Harry Potter," Harry said, "Aunt Tuney said I was named after my grandfather and father, I'd like to stay Harry if that's okay..."
"That's fine, since this is a new beginning... Harry Sol?"
"Harry Sol Barton-Winner..." Harry said, "who is Barton and who is Winner?"
"I am Quatre Winner and Trowa is Trowa Barton. They're our last names, just as Potter is your last name."
"Oh," Harry bit his lip, "and Trowa... he wants me too?"
Quatre nodded. "Heero, Duo and Wufei can be your new uncles."
"They won't hit me or lock me in the cupboard will they?"
"Of course not! We will never hit you. And if you wish to meet Itachi's brother we will let you."
Harry moved shyly forward, "will you read the big words to me?" He said pointing to the papers, "and explain them and..." he looked down shyly, "it's not that I don't believe you, but can I ask Trowa?"
"Of course." Quatre smiled.
Harry smiled and crawled up on the couch next to Quatre and snuggled close as he tried to sound out some of the words he recognized, "that's me and you and Trowa, right?" He pointed to words and Quatre nodded. They both looked up as Trowa came in from feeding the lions.
Trowa blinked before smiling at them.
Harry hurried over to him, "you really want me?"
"Yes Sol."
Trowa sat on Harry's other side, looking over the papers also.
Quatre smiled as the paper work was finished.
Harry looked at both of them uncertainly, "you can't change your minds now right?"
"Nope. We want you."
Harry nodded and bit his lip, looking so much like he wanted a hug, yet was scared to do so.
Quatre hugged him instead.
Harry lowered his head on Quatre's shoulder and sighed, it felt like... family.
Then Trowa joined in.
Harry closed his eyes, and quickly slipped asleep, finally able to let his guard down for the first time in 4 years.
"Poor Chibi... already things are looking up." Quatre pet Harry's hair.
An hour later, they had left Duo and Heero to watch the sleeping Harry and were now standing outside of the perfect house on Privet St.
"Sol's misery ends now."
"Hello," a very large boy asked from the door as he munched on a cookie, "who're you?"
"Preventer Agents 03 and 04. May we come in?"
"Preventer?" The boy said tilting his head to the side, "MOM! Some Preventers weirdoes are at the door!"
Trowa and Quatre looked at each other, confused.
"Weirdoes?"
"Since when are we weirdoes?"
Trowa shook his head then turned to look at the woman who was now staring at them from the door, "What can I do for you... gentlemen?"
"We are here regarding the child Harry Potter."
She actually sniffed at them.
Quatre's eyes narrowed. "May we come in?"
"What's the brat done now?" she asked partially closing the door to block them out.
Trowa however pushed forward.
"You are under arrest for Child Abuse."
She laughed, "What did the brat say? Did he tell you we kept him in a cupboard? He would scream if we put him in the bedroom, the cupboard was his choice not ours."
"I don't believe that."
She laughed again, "We have it on video tape, because we knew he would run tattling to the police."
"You're tapes against the word of a former street rat turned Preventer?" Trowa asked, referring to their friend Duo who knew the signs of abuse even better than they did.
She rolled her eyes and waved them in, "Fine I'll show you." She moved into the living room and put a tape in teh player. "I wanna sleep in the ... cupboard," Harry said, "please put me in the... cupboard, I like it there."
The tapes were obviously doctored.
"Well I never," Petunia sputtered, "Coming in here accusing decent people."
Trowa turned. "Take the tapes."
"You can't take our personal property!"
"Oh really?"
Trowa pulled out his cell phone and called Une.
Quatre noticed the boy from before watching him closely holding a battered red car. The boy beckoned to him.
Quatre followed.
"Is you helping Harry?" He asked uncertainly.
"Yes, we are."
The boy held up the red car, "this is Harry's, we played together a lot, until Daddy..." the boy shrugged, "I miss him."
"I see."
"Will you give it to him? It is his favorite."
"Of course I'll give it to him." Quatre ruffled the boy's hair.
The boy grinned, "my Daddy is going to be home soon," he leaned forward and whispered, "Be care he's mean."
"Thanks Chibi."
The boy smiled again, they heard Petunia's shriek of outrage, "what's gonna happen to me now?"
"We've already half-way adopted Harry, if you wanted..."
"I don't havta go with Aunt Marge then!" The boy looked so hopeful, "I don't like her, she touches us..." he looked away and flushed.
"It's ok. We'll look into it."
The boy looked relieved yet scared, "My name's Dudley, is your name really 04, like James Bond?"
"No. My companions and I go by code numbers. Our leader is 01, my best friend and former street rat is 02, the one with me today is 03, and my last friend is 05. I'll tell you our names later, 'k?"
Dudley grinned again, "It's a fun secret right?"
Quatre nodded.
There was the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and the sound of the front door opening and closing again. There, in the hallway was the large man that Sol had said was his Uncle. Dudley's face went pale, "Daddy's home," he said and moved closer to Quatre.
"It's alright Chibi, I've got you." Quatre reassured him, pulling Dudley closer, his grip tightening.
Quatre and Trowa eyed the new man.
"Who the ruddy hell are you and what are you doing in my house?" The alcohol smell hit them before the man barely made it passed the door, "Dudley, come give daddy a kiss."
Dudley shivered his grip on Quatre's pant leg tightened.
Quatre put his hand on the boy's head to sooth him, "go upstairs and pack a few toys to bring to Harry." Dudley brightened and skirting around his swaying father ran up the stairs.
"03, did you call for backup?"
Trowa nodded and jerked his head to a glaring Petunia, who screamed; "VERNON, HELP ROBBERS!"
Quatre laughed. "Really?"
Vernon blinked blearily at his wife, "Petunia, I thought I told you not to see clients while Dudders is home."
God, this family was messed up...
Vernon finally focused on the uniforms, "Police fantasy?" He snickered, "think you'd go with someone closer to your age." He winced at Petunia's shriek of outrage.
There were sirens outside.
Vernon looked confused, "I only took a couple hundred pounds, not enough to call the police on?" He said, "Here we can share..." swaying he pulled out a wad of cash and held it out.
Trowa and Quatre eyed the fat man with disgust. He was digging his grave deeper and deeper.
"I need a drink," Vernon said moving passed them and into the living room.
Wufei and Sally came in the door, followed by Scotland Yard.
Petunia looked on in outrage as her husband stumbled passed her to the liquor cabinet; then smirked, when he gave her a knowing wink.
Dudley came back down and ran to Quatre.
He peeked into the room and saw his father and pulled on Quatre's pant leg, "Mr. 04, he's got a gun in there."
"I'm a Preventer, we are authorized to have them on our person, no matter where we are."
"NO!" Dudley said urgently, "in the cabinet!"
Quatre gave him a look before nodding.
"Mr. Dursely," he called before the man could open the door, "we like to ask you a few questions in the kitchen if you don't mind."
He nodded. "Just let me get a drink," he said and turned back to the cabinet.
"I don't think so sir." Wufei stopped him.
Vernon looked desperate, "it won't take but a second..."
Wufei forced him into the kitchen.
Vernon spun out of Wufei's grip and lunged for the cabinet.
Wufei lunged at him. They went down in a tangle of limbs that shook the house. Trowa jumped in to help while Quatre got Dudley out of the house. Petunia's screaming added to the confusion.
Quatre put Dudley in the car.
The boy was shaking and scared, "Be careful okay, my daddy's sneaky."
"Not as sneaky as three Gundam pilots." Quatre smirked in reply.
Vernon sat on the floor, his hands handcuffed to the stove door, Petunia sat on a kitchen chair, glaring at them and gnawing on her tongue. Quatre came back in, smirking. "You two are in more trouble than you can imagine."
"Oh?"
He held up his fingers and started ticking off the charges.
They paled. Then they began accusing each other of various crimes, but both ended with the same thing, "it's all Harry's fault."
"It was never the Chibi's fault. Both of the Chibis that lived here are victims."
They glared at him, "you know nothing of that brat and the horrors we've had to put up with since he was dropped on our doorstep."
"Oh really? We've been taking care of him."
"He's tricking you," Petunia said, "just wait until you're asleep; then he'll get you and turn you into a frog or something."
Quatre pulled out some paper work. "I don't believe that."
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she sniffed, "just like his mother."
Quatre put the paper down so that they could read it.
Petunia sputtered, "Why would you want that unnatural monster."
"Sol is not a monster. He is a child!"
"Just wait until the old man comes around," Vernon said confidently, "he'll straighten you out."
"Oh really? What old man? And you'll find that Gundam pilots are not so easily swayed. Especially when one is an empath and can detect lies."
Petunia hissed at her husband, "Vernon be quiet."
"Book 'em. Let's get out of here."
Dudley sat in the backseat, his hand held tightly around the duffle bag that Quatre had helped him pack. He couldn't wait to see Harry again! He was so upset when he woke up one morning and Harry was gone and his father looked...smug. Now he'd be with Harry again! Would Harry be mad at him? He told their secret about Aunt Marge. He hoped not...
He watched as they pulled into the circus, "this is where you live? Wicked!" He grinned in delight.
Harry came running when he saw they were back. He threw himself in Trowa's arms, "I thought you changed you mind."
"Never! We had to work." Trowa picked him up, hugging him tightly to sooth the child before putting him back down again.
Harry nodded sniffing, "but I woke up and you were gone."
"Then we'll wake you next time, ok?"
Harry nodded again then leaned back, "I thought you worked here?"
"We do, we have other work too though."
Quatre looked down as he felt a small hand slip into his; the boy was watching Harry with his big blue eyes.
"Sol, we brought someone home with us."
Harry looked at Quatre confused, "you did? Dudley?"
"Yes."
The two boys ran together and hugged, "I missed you!"
"We were thinking of adopting Dudley too, unless you want to be cousins not brothers..."
"Really?" They looked at the pilots; then grinned at each other, "brothers, just like we always said."
"Alright then." Trowa smiled.
"But what about Aunt Marge?" Dudley asked and they both shivered and huddled closer together, "I sorry Harry, I told our secret."
"She'll be gotten."
"I know and Mr. 04 said that we don't have to see her no more either."
"Here I am Quatre." Quatre smiled. "This is Trowa, Duo, Heero, and Wufei."
Dudley grinned, "I like your secret names too," he giggled with Harry, "just like James Bond, 04 and 01 and 02, 05 and 03."
Duo chuckled.
"Come on," Harry said grabbing Dudley's hand, "let me show you my room!" He started to run then froze and looked back at Trowa, "may we?"
"Go ahead. You can share until we have something set up for him." Trowa encouraged
Harry giggled and pulled Dudley to the trailer, "are those real lions and elephants," Dudley gaped as he was pulled by the cages and enclosures.
"Yep! Trowa-daddy tends them."
"Wicked!"
"Yeah."
"Quatre-papa sometimes helps but he's a bus-i-ness man."
"You should have seen that house," Quatre said as he watched the boys race to the trailer and they started walking towards it, "I've never..." He shivered.
"It couldn't have been that bad, Cat," Duo said but stopped when Trowa and Wufei nodded, "it was?"
"Both of those boys are victims of more than one abuse."
Duo's eyes looked haunted.
"Including sexual..."
Duo shuddered as he fought back his own memories of living on the streets.
Heero hugged him tightly.
"I've got you," he said softly bringing Duo back from his memories.
"Thanks Hee-chan..."
"Do you want to stop," Quatre said, "we don't have to talk about this now."
"It would be best if we knew everything."
Quatre nodded and as they went into the trailer and Trowa began to make tea, coffee and hot chocolate, he switched to sweeper talk, "the aunt was a dominatrix."
"We don't know about the sister though, or the husband."
"But Dudley was quite frightened of them both," Quatre said lightly touching his chest.
Trowa nodded.
"What do we do then?" Duo asked.
"I am going to go and visit with the aunt," Wufei said, "and do some investigating."
The others nodded. "Be very careful Wufei, we don't want you becoming a victim too..."
Wufei nodded, "Heero, would you?"
"Of course."
Wufei looked relieved before hiding it behind his 'mask.'
Heero did a search on the husband.
He had had nine DUIs in the past year, been brought up on several charges of embezzlement, "How is this guy getting off all the time?" he muttered.
"We'll figure that out later. What about his sister?"
Heero shook his head, "she has had several lawsuits against her for dog attacks, again the charges have been dismissed or the victim changes their mind."
"Hmm... And Petunia? Is there anything we missed?"
"Soliciting," Heero said then clenched his teeth, "offer for child prostitution for both Harry and Dudley." Heero longed for his Glock
Quatre growled. "Trowa and I will get the paper work done as fast as possible."
Duo smiled as he took two mugs of Hot Chocolate and the Duffle bag to Harry's room, he could hear giggling inside.
"Knock knock!" He called. "It's Uncle Duo with hot chocolate!"
When he opened the door, Harry was standing with his hands hidden behind his back looking at him wide eyed.
"What's up Sol?"
Duo grinned. "Want some cocoa?"
Harry nodded and keeping one hand behind his back reached for the mug. Duo blinked as a glowing ball fell to the floor behind Harry.
"That's cool, what is it?" Duo asked as he gave the other mug to Dudley.
Dudley took the mug and moved to stand in front of Harry partially blocking him, "I made it," Dudley said.
"Really? What is it?" Duo picked it up.
"I don't know," Dudley whispered as it changed colors in Duo's hands, "my nightlight went out one night and I was afraid and wished for light and ...that came. How come it's changing colors for you? Usually when Mommy or Daddy would touch it, it would zap them and disappear. They always blamed Harry, no matter how many times I told 'em I made it."
Duo blinked. Magic?
"We try and make it change colors," Harry said, "but our colors aren't as bright as yours, but we can throw it and stuff."
Duo held up his left hand and concentrated on wanting light.
Harry grabbed Dudley's arm when several small balls appeared, "Wow!"
Duo grinned. "Here. You can have these, mind if I show this to the others?"
Harry and Dudley eagerly took the balls and stared at them, "Do they bounce too?"
"They should. If they don't I'll fix it. Have fun 'Kay?"
"We won't get in trouble right?" Dudley asked looking uncertainly, "Because I made it, not Harry."
"Of course not." Duo ruffled his hair.
Both boys sighed with relief then threw the balls against the walls and watched them bounce like bouncy balls, but without knocking things over.
They giggled as Duo left.
He smiled as he heard Dudley whisper to Harry, "I like it here."
"Good. 'Cause Trowa-daddy and Quatre-papa are the best dads ever!"
They happily watched the balls bouncing all over the room and drank hot chocolate.
This was fun.
Duo walked down the hall staring at the ball in his hand. If he'd had this power then...
"Hey," he said as he came in switching off the main light, "look at what our chibis made and were playing with."
Trowa looked up. "What is it?"
Duo grinned, "Magic."
Trowa held his hand out. "Magic? Well... It is possible... after all, Quatre is an empath..."
Duo threw it to Trowa who caught it and examined it.
"If we'd known about this during the war it would have been so useful..." Trowa gave it to Quatre.
A smile broke out on Quatre's face, "it feels happy and safe."
He gave it to Heero.
Heero closed his eyes and produced his own ball, "Hm... It's just as strong as mine is and I've had years of practice."
"Dudley made it."
Heero gave it to Wufei, giving his to Quatre for comparison.
"Dudley?" Quatre said, "Harry said he could do freaky things not Dudley."
Duo shrugged. "This isn't freaky, this is cool!"
"I agree," Wufei said taking the ball from Heero, "but I think we should train them, if they are this strong now, there will be others who will want this power for themselves."
"I don't have any training in this either." Duo admitted. "If I learn with them it might help them to see this for what it really is a gift."
WuFei flushed a bit, "I can train them... and you, if you are willing."
Duo nodded. "I am willing; I'll go ask our kids too."
He blinked as the boys were behind him, "Mr. Quatre and Mr. Trowa sirs?" Dudley said his voice soft and uncertain.
"Yes Dudley?" Quatre asked. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry I called you weirdoes," he said, "I thought you were mommy's... friends and I know you aren't and well... I'm sorry."
"It's alright. We understand." Quatre nudged Trowa and nodded to Heero. "Show them."
Heero nodded and produced his own balls of light, Trowa took several of them and began juggling them. The boys gasped. Then looked at each other and giggled, "WICKED!" Duo created another and tossed it to Trowa. Who caught it and added it to the circle.
Quatre pulled the boys into his lap. "Wufei is willing to teach you, and Duo since Duo doesn't have any training either, would you like to learn?"
Both boys nodded, "please," Dudley said, "I'm not as smart as Harry is, but I will try hard!"
"If you two try your best then I will also do my best to keep up." Duo promised.
Trowa went out the next morning and blinked in surprise, next to the lion's cage were two young girls about the age of Harry and Dudley, "Hello."
"Hi."
The girls giggled, "Grandma said we could pet the lions, but to wait for Mr. Green-eyes first," the one on the right said, "are you Mr. Green-eyes?"
"I suppose... since my eyes are green..."
"Can we pet the lions then?" The other asked staring wide eyed at the male who yawned showing all its teeth.
"I don't see why not..."
"Yeah!" They watched as he called the male over, "what's his name?"
"This is Simba."
"Simba?" The girls watched in awe as he pet them through the bars, "he's a big kitty."
"I suppose he is," Trowa grinned. "Simba has two mates, one is pregnant; you want to meet them too?"
"Please!"
Trowa nodded and motion to an other cage. "This is Sima, and her sister Sina.[1] Sina is pregnant."
"Wow..." the girls grinned, "I'm Ayame, and this is my sister..."
"Naru. It's pronounced Nay-ru though."
Trowa smiled at them and wondered how many children were actually part of the circus family. Sol and Dudley were new...
"We live with Grandma, cause mommy and daddy died," Naru said, "we live in the fortune teller's trailer."
"Oh, I see."
"Grandma wanted us to give you these," Anna held up two necklaces with small amulets, "for the sad boys, they will protect them from the bad old man."
"Thank you." Trowa smiled. "I'm sure Sol and Dudley will love them."
"And tell them this;" Naru looked up at Trowa, her eyes serious. "Watashi wo korosanai mono wa waatashi wo tsuyoku suru." [2]
"We gots them too!" Naru said lifting out her pendent, "the bad old man tried to take us from Grandma when Mommy and Daddy died, but she said that this will hide us."
"Tell her that I thank her for these, kay?"
Ayame nodded, "she was wondering..." Ayame said looking at him shyly, "if the dragon would teach us glowy stuffs, and she would teach the sad boys reading and writing."
"I'll talk to Dragon and get back to you ok?" Trowa replied.
They smiled and turned when their trailer opened and Trowa saw an old gypsy woman standing watching them, "Bye Mr. Green-eyes!" They waved and ran off. Trowa nodded his thanks for the necklaces to the old woman who nodded back and the three disappeared inside.
Time to get back to his boys.
"Good morning!" Quatre greeted him as walked into the trailer, "Harry's up, but Dudley is still asleep, Harry said he had nightmares."
"Then we had best help, ne?"
Quatre nodded.
Trowa followed Quatre into their son's room.
Harry was sitting next to Dudley; he looked up at them, biting his lip. They could see tear tracks on Dudley's cheeks.
"Hush boys, tell us what's wrong."
"I had a bad dream," Dudley said looking miserable, "mommy was here and she was saying that I was bad for telling."
"You are not bad for telling." Quatre soothed.
"But she said," Dudley said trying to stop his tears as Harry rubbed his back, "she said that the bad old man was going to come and give us back and she was going to..."
"He will not. Here, these are from the fortune teller, they should protect you from him." Trowa told the two boys, handing them the trinkets the Naru and Ayame gave to him earlier.
When the necklace went on around their neck, a bright light flashed and the giggled, "that tickled!"
"That means it's working. Dudley, since we are adopting you, would you like to change your name?"
"Yes, please!" He nodded emphatically.
Quatre pulled out the part of the forms for that. "What should your name be then kiddo?"
"I don't like Dudley," the blond chibi pouted, "they always called me a dull dude at school."
"Then let's fix that." Quatre wrote his old name on one line. "So, any ideas?"
He grinned, "Can I be... Haku?"
"Sure. You want a middle name?" Quatre wrote Haku on the line for Dudley's new name and waited.
"Can it be the same as Harry's?"
"Haku Sol Barton-Winner?"
Both boys looked at each other and grinned then nodded, "yes please!"
Quatre wrote it down. "There, that's the paperwork done. All we have to do now is file it."
Wufei was very glad that Heero was with him when they pulled into the stately but run down manor, this wasn't going to be pretty. "I wonder how many dogs there are here..."
"From the smell... a lot," Heero said.
"Yuck..."
They both looked grim as they got out of the car and the noise was loud, "I wonder if she will even hear us knock."
"From all the noise? No. I don't think so."
"Should we go around back, that's where most of the noise is coming from."
Heero nodded.
The walk around back was just as disgusting, "there she is." Wufei nodded as a woman walked with a riding crop in her hands towards a cowering puppy.
"Shall we save the pup? We could give it to Trowa."
The woman was about to bring the crop down, when a strong arm stopped her and plucked it out of her hand. She saw the puppy being picked up. "Put my dog down!"
Heero picked up the shivering pup; he could feel its ribs under the filthy fur. He shook his head. This dog was going to Trowa. He checked its sex; the little girl would be a good playmate for Sol and Dudley.
"I demand you return my dog, she's a no account, just like the boy who shares her name, Harry!" She sneered.
"Harry?" Heero looked at her. "You don't look like a Harry to me... You look like a Soleil to me..."
The woman glared at him, "I demand you remove yourself from my property and give me my dog, she should have been drowned at birth."
Heero glared. "You are under arrest for animal abuse."
"Tosh," the woman said and then called over her shoulder, "Ripper attack!"
Heero pulled his gun.
The puppy shook in his arms and just as Ripper was about to leap, and Heero was about to shoot, the pup jumped out and attacked the much larger dog.
Heero blinked. "Make that Soleil Sondra..."[3]
The puppy yelp as Ripper got a bite in, at she darted back to stand in front of Heero, her hackles raised.
Heero raised his gun. "What do you think Wufei? Flip her names around? How does Sondra Soleil sound to you?"
Wufei shook his head and pulled the still screaming woman around, "tell him to back off or we will shoot him."
She glared, not saying anything.
Ripper gathered himself for another attack when a male voice stopped him, "that's enough Ripper, down boy." They turned to see an old man hurrying towards them, "Hello, I'm Col, can I help you with something?"
"This woman is under arrest for animal abuse, and we are adopting this puppy."
The man smiled looking relieved, "she's a good pup," he said, "I would have adopted her but..." he glared at Marge who scowled at him.
"How many dogs are here?"
The man sighed, "too many," Marge sputtered, "You run an illegal puppy mill, Marge," he said, "they are Preventers and they can tell that you have well over the limit you are allowed to have and breed."
They took her with them and dropped her off at HQ, gave Une their report and went home.
Harry shivered as he heard the puppy's excited barking; he remembered Ripper and had a scar on his leg to prove it.
"Hush Sondra." Heero soothed her, coming up to Trowa. "Got something for you Trowa."
Trowa raised an eyebrow, "Most men buy flowers."
"I'm not taking you from your empath Trowa, besides, you're good with animals and she's the perfect playmate for Sol and Dudley."
"I named her Sondra."
Trowa snickered, actually snickered as he took the excited pup, "hello Sondra," he said fending off the excited licks.
"Sondra Soleil. Is her full name."
Dudley came right up and began petting the pup, Harry nervously watched from the shadow of the door of the trailer.
"Sol, come meet her. You don't have to touch her, promise."
Harry looked up as Quatre put his hand on his shoulders, "she won't bite me will she?"
"No, she'll just lick you to death." Trowa joked.
"I'll come with you if you want Harry," Quatre said and the boy nodded shyly.
Harry nodded.
He moved closer to Dudley, Trowa and the excited puppy, "she's cute," he said and very quickly touched the pup's tail before pulling his hand back.
She gave him an excited curious look.
He did it again, but this time lingered a bit, withdrawing when the puppy went to sniff his hand. Her tail wagged.
He giggled and this time with Quatre explaining that she wanted to smell his hand not bite it, let the puppy sniff him.
Next she wanted to lick him to say hello.
He clutched at Quatre's hand as the puppy began licking; then he giggled causing the puppy to wiggle more.
She was really cute...
"She needs a bath," the man who had the dog act said and nodded to the tub he washed his dogs in, "there's some special shampoo over there, and I have my wife check on her for you, she's takes care of all our dogs."
"Thank you."
By the time they had finished washing the pup, they were surrounded by the ten circus children. Only two were Harry and Dudley's age, the rest were between 10 and 16. "If you need a babysitter," the high wire act's daughter said, "I'm willing!"
Trowa nodded. "Thank you."
That night was the first argument with the boys, they wanted Sondra to sleep in their beds, Trowa and Quatre knew that the puppy needed to heal from the abuse of Marge.
"How about this? She can sleep in your room once she is healthy again."
"But she'll be lonely!"
"She'll be with other dogs, she'll be fine."
Dudley opened his mouth to protest, but Harry pulled him aside, "don't argue Haku, they won't want us no more if we make them angry."
Dudley shut his mouth, nodding.
"Harry," Quatre said crouching in front of the boy, "that's not true; we will always want you no matter what!"
The boys nodded, not quite believing them yet.
12312431231
Dumbledore stood in the empty house and sighed heavily, could Petunia and Vernon do anything right? How hard was it to 'raise' two boys?
Now he had to find them...
But first to get Vernon, Petunia, and Marge out of jail, AGAIN and remind them of who was in charge.
Dumbledore was furious, not only could he not find the boys, but he couldn't find where and who was charging Pet, Vernon and Marge to make the charges go away. "Where are those damn boys?" And who the hell were the Preventers?
He needed to get rid of them! It was a good thing he'd been able to kill that damn foreigner!
That Uchiwa or whatever his name was...
Corrupting his puppet.
His name was Harry! Not Sol! ...Whatever that meant...
They were being blocked like those two girls that he wanted were.
At the airport, a young man walked out of his plane, looking around. "This is where Aniki said he was staying in the last letter he sent... I hope I can find him..."
He flashed by security and customs knowing that his weapons would be rather hard to explain, but Itachi had asked him to bring his practice swords.
"I want to meet Sol... Sol Uchiha..." He smiled. "But why hasn't Aniki sent any more letters? It's been years..."
He handed the taxi driver the address, and when the man smirked glared at him, "you will drive directly there," he said, "or you will not like the consequences."
The driver was freaked out when the young man's eyes turned red.
Sasuke stepped out of the cab and looked at the house; it was obviously deserted and had been for sometime. If something had happened... his brother would have left him a message somewhere, somehow in the house. He just had to find out where it was.
"Aniki..." He went into the house. "Please let me find something, anything..."
He looked through the dust covered rooms with his eyes normal, then went through again with his Sharingan activated. THERE!
He picked up the letter.
"Dear annoying little brother..." he laughed at the greeting, "if you are reading this than I am dead..."
"No..."
Please do not mourn me (although you never did listen to me!) but know that in the end I found peace and I hope you will be able to find forgiveness and peace for me.
"Aniki..." He wiped his eyes. "What about Sol?"
"If you are wondering about the boy, the chibi, look to #4, but beware of the 'adults' in the home and the old man, he is worse than Orochimaru in using people and discarding them when finished.
"How can anyone be worse than him? And now I have to find the chibi..."
"I love you, Sasuke-chan, never forget that, and everything no matter how horrible it was, I did for you to protect you from Danzou."
"I know that now Aniki..."
Protect Sol, or Harry Potter as the ningens call him, and his cousin also, they are badly abused and used. Harry has the Uchiha mark... follow it.
"Hai, Aniki, I will, I promise." Sasuke looked up from the letter. "The next place to go is Harry - no Sol's 'home' then..."
Before looking back down to finish reading.
Forgive me, Sasuke, and know I am always watching you, Itachi.
Sasuke folded the letter and put it in his pocket. "Now to find little Sol."
He left the dust filled house and looked around. There number 4.
It looked empty.
Sasuke closed his eyes and relaxed feeling for... there to the North West. He took off. Roof hopping.
Mrs. Figg's cats were the only ones that could see him
He would check on Sol.
The four children and one 'semi' adult (if Duo could ever be called an adult) were listening as Wufei explained how and where the light balls came from.
Sasuke smiled as he watched them.
One of the girls stuck out her tongue a bit as she concentrated, Harry watched intently cheering her on.
Sasuke laughed.
"Can I help you?" Sasuke had known that the black haired boy had been watching him and came up to him.
"Hello Sol. I believe you knew my brother." He looked, seeing the symbols that Itachi had said would be there.
Harry looked at him solemnly, "you look like Itachi-Aniki."
"Itachi is my Aniki."
Harry blinked at him, then looked away biting his lip, "I sorry," he said, "He was my bestest friend."
Sasuke jumped down. "That's alright Sol. I am Sasuke."
Harry smiled, "he showed me pictures of you!" He turned to look at the others, "these are Ayame and Naru, and they are helping me now, hiding me from the bad man."
"Pleased to meet you both."
Harry shyly held up the headband, "am I suppose to give this back to you now?"
"No, that is yours to keep. If you like, I can teach you my art also..." Sasuke tentatively offered.
Harry looked uncertainly back at Trowa as the three other pilots came up, "may I?"
"I will teach you all if you would like." Sasuke offered.
Harry, Dudley, Ayame and Naru looked at the pilots pleadingly.
"What did you mean?" Quatre asked.
"I would be willing to teach all nine of you my trade." Sasuke explained.
Now Duo looked excited and joined the children's pleading eyes.
Heero looked thoughtful.
Quatre chuckled as he heard "please please please please," and realized it wasn't from the children, but from Duo.
Quatre turned to Heero. "Well, fearless leader?"
Heero snorted rolled his eyes, then gave a 'fake' long suffering sigh and nodded, joining Sasuke's smirk as Duo began jumping up and down and dancing, even picking up Naru and Harry to join him.
Sasuke nodded. "It's a good thing I have everything then."
"Welcome to the family," Quatre beamed at him, "time for your reading and writing lessons, while we get Sasuke a place to stay." He shooed the pouting children to the waiting old woman who took them inside her trailer and helped them read great adventures.
Sasuke nodded his thanks. Jet lag was catching up to him. He hated jet lag so much…
"He can stay with us, Right Hee-chan, because Cat and T-balls place is filled with chibis now."
Heero nodded. "Yes Duo."
"Hello, I'm Quatre, this is Trowa, Heero and Wufei, and the crazy guy is Duo."
"He reminds me of my Dobe." Sasuke confessed.
Duo stopped jumping around, "is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He asked with mocking narrowed eyes.
"It's good, as my Dobe is now the leader of my village." Sasuke grinned. The long haired pilot really did remind him of his Naruto.
Duo puffed out his chest, "see that guys, you better watch out Heero, I might take your place. Ouch Heero!"
"Yep... same personality as my Naru-chan..." Sasuke laughed.
Harry listened in awe as Grandma read the fairy tale. It had magic, swords, fighting and... magic!
They were lucky to have her! No doubt Sasuke-sensei would have stories to share too! And Harry couldn't wait to hear them.
Later, Harry watched Sasuke uncertainly over the kitchen table. He had a bunch of scrolls out.
"What can I help you with, little one?" Sasuke asked putting down the scroll.
"What are you doing?"
"I am going through my old school notes to see where I should start teaching you," Sasuke said sitting back and staring at the solemn eyed child, "what are you doing?"
Harry blushed. "Do you have any stories to tell?"
"I do," Sasuke said, "but you have to trade with me... Story for story."
"Ok!"
Sasuke laughed when Harry pushed him back a bit and crawled up into his lap eagerly; then the child looked horrified at what he had done and tried to scramble down, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean!"
Sasuke didn't let him move. "I used to do that with Aniki all the time."
Harry nodded, "I miss Itachi-sensei," he said laying his head on Sasuke's shoulder, "he was the only one on my street who was nice to me."
"How did you meet Aniki? I'll tell you a story in exchange."
Harry flushed, "you gotta promise you won't get mad at Haku okay?"
"Of course." Sasuke agreed, Naruto had forgiven him for much worse than what a civilian child was capable of.
Harry nodded nervously, "Dudley was chasing me, him and some friends, but Dudley had to pretend to be mean or... anyway he chased me and Itachi hid me in a tree! We were all the way up at the top! It was sooooooo coool!"
"Oh? Did he tell you what he did?" Sasuke asked, grinning, Sol wasn't nearly as good a story-teller as Jiraiya-sama had been but Sasuke didn't care.
"Uh huh!" Harry nodded than tried to say the word... "I forgot what he called it."
"Shunshin?" Sasuke asked.
"That's it," Harry said excitedly, "he took me to his house and bandaged my booboos and gave me some dango; it was really good! I had never had sweets before!"
Sasuke grinned. "My turn then?"
Harry grinned back and closed his eyes to listen to the soothing voice, just like Daddy Trowa's.
Sasuke decided on a story from his Genin days. Harry gasped, shivered and cheered in the right places. Sasuke described he sensei and teammates. He giggled at Naruto, rolled his eyes at Sakura, and shook his head at Kakashi's books and tardiness.
"And you know; the best thing about being the Dobe? You don't stay there." He looked up at a spying Dudley when he said that, seeing the blond flush at being caught. Sasuke gestured for Dudley to join them.
"You're not mad at me for being mean to Harry?"
"No Haku. Oh! I'll tell you another story. Of our first C-Rank mission…"
"Thank you!" Quatre said as Sasuke carried a sleeping Harry into their bedroom, Trowa was carrying Dudley and he quickly pulled down the blanket and slipped off their shoes.
"It's not a problem."
"Hopefully they will understand through your help and ours that they need to forgive themselves for what happened and that they've already forgiven each other," Quatre said.
Sasuke nodded. "I was the same, for the longest time I hated my older brother..."
Quatre nodded, "Maybe in a few days we can take you to see Itachi's marker with Harry," he paused as he pulled the door almost closed behind them, "I think that Harry would like that."
Sasuke nodded. "He, a cousin and I were the only ones left of a large clan..."
"Ah," Quatre nodded, "I am the only male of 28 sisters that can be a lot of pressure."
"28? Sucks to be you... Obito, Itachi and I were really close. Obito took care of us both after they were killed. Obito and I were afraid something like this might happen when Itachi took this mission."
Quatre raised an eyebrow, "mission?"
"Itachi was a ninja on an information gathering mission to the outside." Sasuke explained quietly, unsure of just how much he could tell them.
"Well," Quatre said shrugging, "I'm glad he found and helped Harry."
Sasuke nodded, pulling out one of Itachi's older letters. "Our father was the head of our clan; Itachi became the head when the clan died... He adopted Sol into the clan, unofficially."
Trowa smiled, "kid's gone from having no one and living on a street to a large family."
Sasuke nodded then froze, "living on the streets? Didn't my brother try to do anything?"
Trowa shrugged, "I don't know, I'm not even sure how Harry ended up on the streets, I just saw him looking in the window of a cafe and well..."
Sasuke nodded, looking thoughtful.
"What have you learned of his family, I take it neither boy was happy at home."
Sasuke pulled out all the letters for them to read. "Itachi was meticulous in recording all the information that he thought we might need, especially after he found Sol."
Quatre quickly skimmed through them, his face grim then nodded, "Most of this is what we learned already. How can two people, no three people be such monsters?"
"I don't know." Sasuke shook his head. "When Naruto-sama read this letter he was ready to recall Itachi, with orders to bring Sol and Haku, by whatever means necessary..."
Heero knocked on the trailer door and poked his head in, "Sasuke, we have your room ready for when ever you are, and Duo wants to know when he can start..."
"Any time you're ready." Sasuke nodded to Trowa and Quatre.
"Night!" Quatre said, "Breakfast is at 7:30, I think it's hmmm... Duo's turn right Heero? so sugary cereal!"
Sasuke laughed. "At least it's not Ramen..."
"If you want on the KP roaster let me know and what to get and we will slip you in," Trowa said as he followed Sasuke to the door.
Sasuke nodded. "Yes please."
Trowa grabbed Quatre's hand after Sasuke had left and pulled him to the bedroom, "life certainly isn't boring after the war, is it?"
"Nope."
(Dreamscape)
There was a man chasing him, Harry looked back over his shoulder at the red eyes smirking and glaring at him.
That man was so scary! "Itachi-sensei!"
Itachi stood in front of him, his dark eyes sad and as Harry ran to him, he faded from view.
"No! Come back!"
The man behind him was gaining when he ran into someone and fell, looking up into Trowa's green-eyes, "run, little-one," Trowa said, "I'll protect you."
He nodded and picked himself up. As he ran, he heard the red eye man yell something and a green light and when he looked back Trowa was on the ground!
Outside the dreamscape, Sasuke, sensing Harry's erratic chakra patterns got up and made his way to Trowa and Quatre's trailer.
"Take Harry and Run Lily!" Harry heard a familiar yet strange voice and felt himself swept up into arms and his vision obscured by red hair.
Sasuke knocked on the door urgently.
Harry heard knocking and saw an owl holding a stick, then a man with twinkling blue eyes, "no you can't have him Albus, he's all I have left!"
Sasuke was let in.
"Sirius! Padfoot, Take Harry and hide him!" The woman who had been holding him passed him into the arms of another man, then another green light.
Sasuke lifted Harry's eyelids slightly. "Sharingan!"
Harry locked his arms around the running man, he was joined by two others and suddenly he was on the back of a large dog, a black panther and a werewolf running beside him.
Sasuke appeared in the nightmare. He had to dispel it soon...
He was shocked when instead of being a human he became a black eagle who flew next to the three animals and child, "we have to hide Harry," the werewolf said, "he isn't safe from the bumblebee."
"I will hide him." Sasuke told them. He swooped down and carefully picked up Harry with his claws, the three running animals split into three directions. Sasuke heard the dog howl in pain, the werewolf in despair and the cat growl in anger, but he was flying high above.
He landed in a tree. "Sol?"
"The bad man!" Sol said clinging to Sasuke who had turned back into a human, "he hurts everyone I love!"
"He hasn't hurt Trowa yet. And we all will make the Bumblebee pay. Kai!" The dream was dispelled as Sasuke held Harry tightly.
Harry clung to the real Sasuke as he had clung to the dream Sasuke, "he took Mommy, and Daddy, and Itachi-sensei, what if... what if he takes you too?"
"He won't." Sasuke pet Harry's hair. "If I have to, I will take you all with me back to Konoha."
Harry felt someone slip behind him and felt Quatre's arms slip through the bare gap between his and Sasuke's bodies, "and we are still here, little one," Quatre said soothingly.
Harry looked up. The fear and misery in his eyes tore at both Sasuke and Quatre's hearts.
"We will never let anything happen to you Sol."
"What happened to Moony, Padfoot and Talons from my dreams?" Harry asked leaning his head on Sasuke's shoulder.
"I don't know. Padfoot sounded hurt, Moony sounded to be in despair and Talons sounded angry." Sasuke told the quivering child.
Harry nodded closing his eyes, he was so tired.
"Sleep. We will protect your dreams."
Quatre moved as Sasuke gently lowered Harry to the bed, Dudley moved closer to his cousin and put an arm around him, "I'll protect him too, okay?"
They nodded.
He looked happy as he pulled Harry closer to him then closed his eyes and both boys drifted to sleep.
"I'll take first watch." Sasuke volunteered.
Quatre nodded and slipped back to his bed, Trowa lifted the blankets and he slipped in between and snuggled into the warmth, "bad nightmare?"
Quatre nodded. "Not sure what Sasuke did but it worked..."
Trowa kissed his temple and pulled his small lover closer, "think we should talk to Cathy about moving the circus soon?"
Quatre nodded.
(End Part One)
[1]The Lioness's names mean Treasure and God's Grace respectively in Japanese.
[2] What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
[3] The names mean Protect and Sun or something really similar
Neph