CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (Kit and Me and ?)

Glancing over, Duo saw that Harry was in the process of waking up. Thank god that he didn't see what they were doing. He didn't think that he was ready to explain the birds and the bees to the kid yet, not to mention that he didn't know what the kid's reaction to same-sex couples would be.

If he had read the situation right, the 'Uncle and Aunt' would have made sure that anything seen in their eyes as 'abnormal' would have been beaten into the kid, and he was guessing that gay people were definitely in there somewhere.

Smiling up at Heero, he received an upturn of lips in response. At least he knew that Heero certainly felt the same way about him if the previous actions were anything to go by. Smirking, he turned back to Harry to see that he had finally woken up and was watching them with curiosity.

"Hey Lil' Bro. How are you this morning?"

Nothing was said for a minute. Duo was getting nervous that Harry might have seen their little show, and was trying to digest it. Instead, Harry was inspecting Duo because he had the feeling that Duo was still hurt from when he was captured and was trying to make up his mind on whether he should ask permission to heal Duo or if he should just do it. Whatever the cause, he didn't want to see his big brother in pain, but he also didn't want to get in trouble for using his freakishness on others. Finally making a decision, he nodded his head and replied.

"I'm good, Duo. Uhm…" he trailed off.

"Yes? What is it Harry?"

"Can I…Are you still hurt, big brother?"

Duo smiled. He knew what his baby brother wanted to do, but he was still hesitant with using his gift on others, even if it was to help them.

"Only a little, kid. My ribs are broken and I still have a few bruises, but not much. It's just going to take some time to heal, that's all."

Sitting up in bed, Harry shifted nervously. "I don't want you to be in pain, Duo…Can I try, Heero? Please?"

Heero nodded but then glanced at Duo. "Duo, I would like for Harry to try and heal the rest of your injuries."

Duo, peered back up at Heero from his position, which to his embarrassment was still half-on Heero's lap, nodded, then turned back to Harry.

"Of course you can try lil' bro. Just take it easy. If you start to feel bad, just stop, ok?"

Nodding in agreement, Harry moved off the bed and went over to Duo, who was still on Heero's lap, and raised his hands up to lay them on Duo's chest. Concentrating, Harry began to feel the effects of his 'freakishness' working. Glancing at his hands, he noticed the blue glow that was surrounding his hands enter Duo's chest. What he hadn't told anyone was that when he healed them, he took in their wounds as his own. To heal them, he had to take on their pain, but that didn't matter to him. He was used to it. This time though, he hardly felt anything, so he managed to stay conscious for a bit, though he was tired again. He wondered if there was a point that there was someone that would be too hurt to heal…would they still keep him after that? If it turned out that at some point he couldn't heal them when they needed to be healed? He only hoped that when that time arrived, they left him with someone nice, but he knew that as soon as he used up his usefulness to them, he would be gone.

Something seemed off to him though. Duo had taken him in even when he wasn't hurt, had come after him in the water…maybe that was a reward of him cleaning the boat that they were on? He just couldn't figure it out, so with a shrug of his shoulders, he moved back towards his bed to lie down again. He was starting to feel the full effects now and wanted to sleep them off.

Falling asleep again, he missed the looks that Duo and Heero gave him. They were surprised as well as suspicious. They had noticed him walking as Duo had, as if his ribs were hurting…what was going on?

"Is he asleep?" Duo whispered, straining to see in what little light spilled through the open doorway.

Heero nodded, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Come on then." Gesturing for Heero to follow, Duo walked silently across the room to the bed where Harry slept. He hovered over the sleeping form, Heero standing slightly behind him, and frowned as he took in the way Harry's face contorted slightly in what looked like pain. Carefully, Duo lifted Harry's arms off of his chest, laying them gently at his side. Then, he moved for the shirt, carefully pushing up to reveal Harry's thin torso, splotched with dark, ugly bruises, in a pattern nearly identical to the bruises that had decorated Duo's chest not hours earlier.

A harsh intake of breath betrayed Heero's surprise, though Duo did not seem to hear it. The braided pilot could not look away from the injuries that Harry had healed on him, only to take them onto himself.

"Harry..." Duo's voice was soft, barely a breath. He reached a hand out, trembling fingers hovering just over the protruding ribs, not daring to touch the painful-looking bruises. His legs gave out and only Heero's quick save kept Duo from hitting the floor.

"Du-o?" Harry's sleepy voice had both pilots freezing in place, "You okay?"

There was silence for a moment, and then Duo found his voice, pulling out of Heero's arms to confront his brother. "Why did you do it?"

"What?" Harry turned his head, blinking blearily up at Duo. The cold, empty look in Duo's eyes sent shivers down his spine. "I'm sorry!" Harry pushed himself up, ignoring the pain as the injured ribs protested the movement. "I'm sorry!"

Duo didn't miss the flicker of pain in the small boy's eyes, and was quickly at the bedside, holding Harry still. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Harry blinked in confusion, following Duo's gaze until his head was bent, looking down at his torso.

"It's nothing!" He frantically tried to pull his shirt down, only to have Duo recapture his hands in a gentle hold.

"You're hurt, Harry. I would have healed soon enough, so why did you do it?"

Harry shrank from sorrow and disappointment in his brother's voice, answering in a quavering voice, "You liked it when I fixed Heero and Quatre, and you were hurting. I just wanted you to not hurt anymore."

"How do you think I feel when you hurt?"

His head tilted in confusion, Harry frowned, "I'll heal. When I take pain, it always gets better fast."

Exchanging a glance with Heero, Duo stood, "I'm going to go get the first-aid kit. He needs his ribs wrapped. Heero, you mind staying with him?"

At Heero's nod, Duo fled the room. He didn't make it far before he ran into Quatre, the blond's face drawn and his hand over his heart.

"Duo? What happened? You were so angry, so hurt. Is something wrong?"

The braided teen could not bring himself to answer, too caught up in his own guilt. And then he met Quatre's eyes.

Seeing his pain reflected in sad, blue eyes had his defenses crumbling. "I hurt him," Duo whispered. "I should have known. I should have stopped him, but I didn't, and know he's hurting because of me."

"Allah. . ." Quatre breathed, nearly flinching at the sheer intensity of Duo's self-loathing. "Who- Harry?"

Duo nodded, explaining how Harry had offered to heal him earlier, and what they had discovered upon checking up on him.

Quatre's eyes widened, "He took it. . ." Tears sprang to his eyes as he realized what Harry had done, not only for Duo, but for himself and Heero. "How did we not see it? How did I not feel it?"

Shrugging, Duo offered the blond a wry smile, "Harry didn't want us to know. He'll probably put up a fight when I tell him he's not allowed to heal anymore too. I gotta go. Heero's waiting for me."

For a while after Duo had left, Quatre stood there, barely breathing. Leaning against the wall to keep from falling, he fought back tears as he remembered the pain that had left him dizzy and barely conscious. That Harry had willingly taken it on himself... that Harry had been hurt because of him... that he hadn't even noticed... the thought stung more than any physical pain. "Why did you do it, Little One?"

As Duo ran back past him, a small box in hand, Quatre followed. He needed to see Harry for himself.

xx

Trowa frowned as he sat at the terminal in his OZ quarters, Wolf's sense of smell could be a big problem… It was a good thing Harry and Quatre were already gone, rescued by their own Wolf and Dragon. If OZ ever found out that Harry Maxwell was heavily involved with the Pilots…

"Damn it!" Trowa cursed quietly as he scanned the picture of baby Harry Maxwell. "If they realize Harry's connection to us; and Wolf's connection to Harry… It's no good, Harry will have to go into hiding, but where would we leave, no not leave, put him? Can we trust anyone else with our most precious procession?"

Trowa sat back. If Wolf, OZ's Wolf could smell Harry on him even hours after not even real contact with Duo's younger brother then… He shook his head. "I'll have to test Wolf's other senses too…" Wolf, if he wasn't careful, could be a very dangerous enemy. Worse, if OZ was planning to use Wolf's Disease…

Trowa pulled up the image manipulation program on the terminal, he saved the photo twice, he would delete the one used for the recreation, and play with the other one later.

If Duo found out about Wolf, no, Duo needed to know about Wolf to take steps to protect Harry from him. But… if Wolf ever found out that Harry really had been here, or about Duo adopting him, that would be really, really bad.

The other pilots, his Pride needed to know that their Cub was in more potential danger than they thought. Trowa sighed. "This is not good… Please stay away, guys, we know that OZ will go after our mentors eventually, but please don't come here!" He sent the quiet prayer to any god that felt inclined to listen. "Please, keep my Pride safe…"

But there was only so much he could do on his own. Trowa printed the restored photo on the right kind of paper and closed the program, deleting the file. "Time to brave Wolf's senses again…"

Half an hour later he returned to his rooms sighing in relief. Wolf had been pleased with the photo, but had also smelt Harry on him again. "I need to get rid of Harry's scent… Wash these clothes and shower… can't have Wolf getting suspicious…"

Trowa opened the second file and set up the aging program. "I can play with this once I'm sure I won't be found with it."

He opened the word processor on the console next. He needed to tell the others the news; he had to get it to them as quickly as possible. But how to phrase it? Harry would have told them that they'd talked. He needed to use the code he'd set up with the little Maxwell.

Trowa tapped his chin as he tried to formulate in his mind the message he wanted to send. He wondered how his Dessert Cat, his Quatre was doing. Had Harry healed him or was he still hurt?

My Pride …