ShadedViolets
Making A Deal
By: Sutoomu
Firstly, thank you to all of you who reviewed. I'm very grateful for your comments. ^ _ ^ And to answer a question, of course there will be Heero, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei in this fic. Oh, just you wait for what is coming up in this story. Please keep reading, and enjoy the fourth installment of my fic. : )
"My dad," Wolf felt a wave of fear wash over him as he remembered, and he unconsciously closed his eyes as he spoke. "He's dead." Wolf felt like breaking down, collapsing where he stood as he spoke the awful truth out loud, but he had to stay strong for the kids. He had to stay strong!
"Your dad," Duo sighed, and he went and grabbed the two kitchen chairs from the small table, directing Wolf to sit down. "So…how did your dad die, and when?"
Wolf couldn't tell him the truth! That would guarantee their fate to the streets wrath, and Wolf couldn't let that happen. Kitten and Lexie wouldn't survive out there, and the boys were still so young. "He…he was dead when I got home…," Wolf didn't believe the lie himself, but he spoke it anyways. "He was stabbed."
"Stabbed. Wolf," Duo gestured to his eye, and the beaming red line across it. "Who did that? The Rayvihns didn't give you that."
Wolf blushed more, but in shame at being caught. What could he say to that remark? Obviously his siblings couldn't have done it, and who else would? Wolf didn't want to make up more lies upon lies, not to Duo. But he couldn't say the truth, he couldn't! "I…," Wolf exhaled, burying his head in his hands in despair, breathing deeply to keep himself from breaking out in tears.
"Wolf, your dad did that, didn't he?" Duo kept speaking, and Wolf felt his walls of strength cracking. How could Duo tell? "And he marked your neck, too. What happened, Wolf? Why did you have to run away?"
Wolf felt tears running down his cheeks, and he wiped them away fiercely, but they kept coming. "Fuck," he cursed at everything in general. "You're right," he exhaled shakily, his voice losing its calm. "Damnit," Wolf rubbed at his hands, the memory of forcing the knife through flesh all too recent and clear in his mind. "Damnit…I had to," Wolf didn't bother to stop the tears now. "He was going to sell my brothers to the Wraiths, and Kitten to the whorehouse. I had to stop him, I had to…" Wolf's head sunk to his knees in shame at revealing this act he had committed.
"The Wraiths," Duo repeated the word with a dark hatred in his voice. Every decent person knew what the older Wraith members did to the new recruits, no matter what age. Wolf heard nothing more, then there was a touch on his shoulder. Wolf sat up and looked at Duo, who through wet, stormy grey eyes, and Duo half grinned. "What are you stressin' about, Wolf? Your 'cause was just. You did nothing wrong, and everything right. Because of you, those three kids are saved."
Wolf exhaled, a slow settling falling over him as Duo spoke those words. He had never thought about it that way. But it wasn't that simple, and he told Duo that. "My dad is a known man in the Couric drug ring, and they're going to search for me. They're going to hunt me down and kill me, probably. And the lady from the whorehouse would have found him already, I'm sure," Wolf began to babble out all the questions he had asked himself and found no answers to. "What am I supposed to do? We can't go back, and I have nowhere for them to sleep. People will be searching for me, so how can I get a job? How can I hold a job and take care of Lexie and get the kids to school? I can't pay rent and buy clothes and food for all of us, not while taking care of four kids. Corrigan used to give me money every week. It wasn't enough, but it helped. I don't know what to do, now that he's gone, Duo!"
Duo leaned against the counter, watching Duo with amusement in his eyes. "Relax, kid," he suggested, then he paused as though debating something. "Tell you what…I'll make you a deal, Wolf."
"A deal?" Wolf blinked in surprise. "What kind of deal?"
"I'll take care of all your problems. I'll fly us out of here, take you to my other home, the bigger one. You and the kids can live with me until you're financially comfortable, then I'll help you find a good place. I'll get the kids in school and I'll get them a nanny to watch them when you're busy. Which you will be, because I'm also going to get you a good job."
Wolf stared, shocked and very wary about this strange, all-too-giving offer. "And what do I have to do for my end of the deal?" he asked.
"You have to tell me about your life," Duo came and sat down again, facing Wolf with a strange passion in his expression. "I met you three hours ago, and you've already captured my entire attention and curiousity. You fascinate me, Wolf."
Wolf wasn't sure to take that as a compliment. "My life?" he swallowed.
"Yeah, your life story," Duo spoke, then was quick to add. "I promise on my life that it will all stay private, a simple conversation between you and I. I have no secret intentions about this, only curiousity. I want to know more about you, Wolf, that's all. I've never met anyone like you before." Duo stared at him, waiting for a response.
Wolf was near shocked and very confused, but he believed Duo's words. But could he do that? Could he tell a practical stranger everything he could remember about his past, all the dark moments he had experienced. But doing that would save his brothers and sister. If Duo meant what he said, then the kids would be happier, in a better environment, and safe. If it cost his life story to accomplish that, then he was willing. "Sure. I'll do it, if you help my kids," Wolf nodded, and Duo reached out to shake his hand.
"Great," Duo grinned. "We're agreed. Feel better now?"
Wolf nodded, wiping his red eyes and cheeks. The tears had stopped a while ago as they spoke, but the heavy feeling in his chest had only now felt a little lighter, like he was breathing fresh air. Yet the feeling of fear still waited to take over, as it always was, doubts already trying to creep into his mind. "Yeah," he spoke. "I'm good. Thanks, Duo…for everything."
Duo smiled, and Wolf noticed for the first time how much his smile accented his face, making a rather memorable image. "It's not a problem, seriously," Duo assured him. "I've got to make some calls and pack my stuff, but we'll probably be leaving for the airport in an hour. Is that alright? Is there anything you need here before we go?"
Wolf didn't have to think about it, automatically shaking his head. He had nothing here in the lowers. Nothing but pain, and dark memories. No, the only things he needed was Bear, Fox, Kitten, and Lexie. "I'm fine. We'll be ready when you say the word."
"Great," Duo went to grab another cookie, obviously having a sweet tooth like a child, then he asked another question. "So they're all your brothers and sisters?"
Wolf shook his head. "Not all of them," he exhaled. "Lexie is my baby."
"Your baby?" Duo's eyes widened. "You started young, for sure. How old are you, anyways?"
"I'm seventeen."
"Oh. So where's her mom?"
"She…she died when Lexie was born," Wolf replied softly. "I'm all she's got."
"Oh," Duo paused before he bit the cookie, enjoying the delicious bite while silence echoed in the kitchen. Then he spoke again. "That will be a tale for another night. I've got to get busy. You should tell the kids that we're going on a plane. Have they ever flown before?"
"No," Wolf shook his head. "They've barely been in anything other than the school bus."
"They'll love it, then," Duo nodded, and he pulled a shiny looking cell phone out of his pocket, dialing in numbers as Wolf went back into the small livingroom.
"Daddy!" Lexie cried out his name as she saw him, trying to push herself off of Bear's lap to go to him. Wolf went to her instead, scooping her up.
"Guess what, guys?" he announced without warning. "We're going to a different town, where we're going to live in a house, and go to a new school. It will be better than the lowers, 'kay?"
"Cool!" Fox exclaimed instantly, while Kitten just stuck her thumb back into her mouth.
Bear, however, frowned. "Where? With him? How do you know him, Wolf?"
"Relax, Bear," Wolf assured his brother of his worries. "I've got a plan for us, now. It's going to work out, trust me. I've never lost you guys yet." He wished Bear wasn't so cautious and wary of everything. It was Corrigan's dark influence that had frightened him so much as a child, and Bear wasn't free of his own few scars from their father. Wolf wished he could heal those wounds, before they became too permanent. Hopefully the trip would lighten all their spirits. "We get to go in an airplane, too, to get there. Sounds cool, right?"
"Yeah!" Fox put his fists in the air. Kitten blinked, not really knowing what an airplane was, and Bear went wide eyed.
"Really? An actual airplane?" he spoke, and he couldn't keep the excitement from his voice no matter how hard he was trying.
"Okay, the flight is booked. We leave in a half hour for the airport, alright?" Duo popped into the livingroom, speaking to Wolf before he looked at the kids. "You guys excited? We're taking a private jet, so you'll be able to talk to the pilot and see everything, if you want."
"Awesome!" Fox was overcome by excitement now, and even Bear let a smile out. "So awesome!"
"A private jet?" Wolf repeated softly. What kind of money or influence did Duo have to be able to afford a private jet for transportation? What was Wolf getting into? He knew nothing about Duo! "Where are we going again?"
"To Haven," Duo replied. "You heard of it?"
Heard of it? Haven was the most known city in the world, because of its massive amount of celebrities who worked and lived there. "Yes," Wolf replied faintly, more questions arising that he kept silent, for now.
"Great," Duo then went to reveal the TV from behind a closed cupboard, and he searched through the channels until he found a good, clean kids show. Instantly, all four eyes were attached, as none of them had ever been allowed to touch Corrigan's TV. And everytime Corrigan had turned it on, they weren't allowed to watch what he watched, so they went into their room. "You guys can watch this 'til we're good to go."
Fox was beaming as his eyes stared at the TV, and the brightly animated characters. "So awesome," he whispered, and Wolf was happy that Fox was smiling. He was the most energetic of his siblings, which didn't work well when Corrigan hated noise and distractions.
While Duo packed, Wolf worried with the kids, about everything his overactive thoughts could come up with…yet nothing seemed enough to stop them from going with Duo. And when Duo finally announced their departure, Wolf felt ready to go. For the first time in years, Wolf was leaving the lowers again…and this time, for good.
Hm....where did Duo get a private jet? Why are they going to Haven? These and more questions answered in the following chapters. Please comment in a review before you move on to Part V - Private Jets and Limousines. Thank yous.
Storm