There were several chapters near the end of the pre-written story that did not have the author's name included. If there was any indication of a possible author I will include their name with a question mark (and will happily accept correction if wrong).
CHAPTER TEN: A New Home (Dream of Stories? and Me and Raliena)
It had been a long flight to their new home, and it hadn't taken Harry long to fall asleep. He'd had a busy night after all and the nap in the village had only helped a little. He was too used to being up early to sleep for as long as he really needed to. When he woke up after his second nap though, he actually felt better than he had in a long time and was sure that it was because his big brother was back. He'd been so worried when Duo had been gone…
Snuggling into Duo he yawned before blinking sleepily as he heard his brother chuckle. Looking around reluctantly to find out where they were now, the first thing he heard was the sound of strange birds chirping. Opening his eyes properly and staring around in wonder, he took in the unusual sight of the surrounding bushes and thick vines. It was amazing and Harry couldn't help but stare around in wonder. He thought trees like that only existed in Dudley's story books!
"Hey squirt, good to see you awake. You've been sleeping for ages."
Harry glanced up at his brother before twisting around in the older boy's arms so he could look around at his surroundings more. "Where are we?"
"We're almost at one of my spare houses in the jungle. Do you like it?"
Harry turned to look at the kind blonde that had said his name was Quatre and nodded uncertainly. He hadn't really seen much yet and wasn't sure what he thought about the jungle. Weren't there supposed to be big grey bears and tigers and snakes and elephants in the jungle? He didn't mind snakes but a tigers were really dangerous.
"That's good. The house itself is just through this gate…" He pushed the gate open, smiling in delight at the surprised look on Harry's face. "You like it huh?"
Harry gaped at the huge house. "It's huge! And you got a swimming pool!" Twisting around to look up at his big brother he made his best puppy dog eyes like he'd seen Dudley use when he really wanted something. "Can I learn to swim Duo? Please?"
Duo shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow. I'd have thought you'd want to have a look around first and get something to eat… and besides, it's Quatre's house. You should ask him if you want to do something."
"It's fine." Quatre added as Harry turned in his direction. "But Duo's right. You need to eat something. You're still growing and it's important you eat all the right things when you need them."
"You're not going to give me lots of vegetables are you? 'Cause the ones the school made us eat didn't taste nice."
Rashid, who had turned to see what was keeping his young Masters, chuckled. "I am sure that won't be a problem. Bunta is an excellent cook."
"He can make vegetables taste nice?"
"Yes."
"Wow. He must be a really good cook."
Squirming to be put down, Harry missed the amused looks the others exchanged over his head. Not that he would have thought anything of it anyway. He was too busy trying to pick out good hiding places for when Duo would play hide and seek with him. He wanted to have a really good one ready so that when Duo started counting he'd have time to hide properly and not have to waste time looking for one. Duo was always prouder of him when he hid really well and he liked making Duo proud. The Dursley's had never been proud of him.
Duo watched Harry as the little boy scampered ahead of them towards the huge front door. Thankfully, the new place seemed to have made him forget about whatever had happened to Heero for now but he'd probably remember soon and when he did Duo had every intention of being there to hear what had happened and try to cheer Harry up. He couldn't do any less for his little brother.
xx
Harry laid on the bed, staring sadly out the window, Duo watching him carefully. It had been a week since they had come here, and Duo was starting to get worried.
While Harry had seemed happy the first day or two, he had been unusually serious for the rest of the time, and Duo had no idea why.
"Duo?" the silence was broken by the small boy's quiet voice,
"Yeah?"
Harry turned, looking into Duo's eyes, as if to catch him if he lied, "Is Heero dead?"
Duo groaned inwardly, Heero. The idiot had self-destructed, and naturally Harry had begun to get attached to him. And those green eyes were pleading for an answer... He couldn't lie, nor could he just not answer...
After a moment in which he stared at everything in the room but Harry, thinking over what he should say, he faced the small boy. " ... I don't know, Green Eyes. There's always the possibility he survived, but he blew himself up. Even Heero's not strong enough to walk away from that. If he'd had another choice..." Duo shook his head.
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, as he looked to Duo, his gaze begging for Duo to be lying, for him to laugh and say 'Just kidding!'
"M'sorry, Harry." When Duo just returned his gaze, sorrow in his eyes, the dam broke, and tears fell down Harry's face. Duo took the small boy into his arms, rocking him gently as his body shook from the force of his sobs.
Quatre came to the door, his eyes questioning as they fell upon the 'brothers'. When he made to come in, Duo shook his head. This was a moment that the two of them needed, alone. Quatre nodded, understanding and walked away.
xx
Quatre was surprised when Harry sought him out the next day. But considering that all the child did was sit and listen to the music he was playing, Quatre assumed that Harry just wanted to relax a little, having let all the pain out the day before.
But there was something else in the child's attitude. Something that didn't quite add up.
"You knew, didn't you?" Quatre asked, "Or at least suspected. Didn't you?"
"They put it up on the vid-screen." Harry whispered, "I hoped…"
"That it wasn't true?" The question was rhetorical.
"Duo said they could die at any time… But I didn't…"
"Want to believe it?"
"Because if Heero can die… Then so can Duo… So can you!"
"Oh, little one." Quatre smiled, "That is true. But the death doesn't matter… What matters is the life we live before we die. What matters is how we are remembered. A man does not truly die until he is forgotten. As long as you remember Heero… He is still alive. He lives here and here."
Quatre gently touched Harry's head and then his chest, just above the small boy's heart.
"I thought… That Duo was dead as well." Harry confessed, rubbing the area over his heart, "I thought… that I was all alone."
"But you're not." Quatre reminded.
"Some people said that he deserved it." Harry was barely audible, "That they wished he had been caught so that everyone could see him die. That he chose the coward's way out."
"What do you think?" Quatre queried. He was curious to understand this child.
"I don't know." Harry shrugged, "I know Heero's not a coward. He's not scared of anything! And OZ was going to hurt the colonies. But he couldn't give up Wing. It doesn't make sense! I don't know why! Can you tell me why?"
"Why what?" Quatre frowned.
"Why does it have to be you?" Harry's emerald eyes locked onto Quatre's sapphire ones, "Why does it have to be those I love?"
"You mean why can't the adults deal with it?" Quatre asked.
"Adults are stupid!" Harry stated firmly, "They made the mess. They're like Dudley. Big bullies. They bully the Colonies. And no one stops them."
Quatre blinked for a moment in shock, as he heard all the issues and grievances of the Colonies broken down into a few simple sentences. However considering the source… Harry was simply comparing it to what he knew… What he understood.
"Adults don't fix anything." Harry continued, "They just make more problems."
"I suppose that's somewhat true." Quatre admitted, "So we have to fix them."
"But why you?" Harry asked.
"Because it's in our nature." Quatre replied, "We can't see someone hurt and not try to help. OZ was hurting and still is hurting the colonies. So we have to fix it, since the adults won't."
"But why you?" Harry repeated, "Why Duo? Why Heero? Why Quatre?"
"I can't explain, little one." Quatre pulled Harry into a hug. Part of the blond rejoiced that the young boy seemed to accept him as family. While another part was sad that he couldn't make himself clear. "I don't have the words. But one day… I think you'll understand. I hope you'll understand. I'm sorry. I just… don't have the words."
Harry looked at Quatre for a moment, before nodding. He could sense that Quatre wasn't trying to lie to him. There were just some barriers that were too high to climb.
"Come on," Quatre smiled brightly, "You liked the music?" Harry nodded, "Well, I don't have a violin small enough for you. But I can at least teach you a little piano."
Quatre positioned Harry next to him on the piano stool and slowly started to teach him the very basics of piano and sheet music.
xx
After a four day mission, Quatre and Duo came back home, both completely exhausted, dirty and hungry.
What they found at the home was not what they were expecting.
"Master Quatre." Rashid looked both embarrassed and desperate, as he pushed the infra-red goggles up onto his forehead. Bunta quickly mimicking the action, and lowering the net he was holding.
"Why is the hall booby-trapped, Rashid?" Quatre frowned.
"Master Quatre," Rashid hung his head, "We have failed you."
"What is going on?" Duo cut to the chase, "And where is Harry?"
"That is the problem," Bunta looked sheepish, "We… decided that he needed his hair cut."
"He objected to the idea," Rashid took over the recounting, "We attempted to persuade him. He kicked me, bit Bunta and ran. We believe he is still in the house. However we have not seen him for three days. Food is going missing, so he is at least eating well."
"We've only been gone four days!"