"Now you're sure about this? It might get a little boring stuck on a ship with no one but us old guys for two months. Eddie said you could stay with him." Duo teased.

"You'd really leave me all alone for six whole months?" Jazz gave his father a hurt glance. "No way. I'll just sneak on board again if you try and leave me behind."

"I figured as much." Duo gave a mock sigh of despair. "Okay, help me finish stowing this. I can't reach up that high."

He handed a bag to Jazz and lifted the boy on his shoulders, and Jazz secured the bag in place. "Besides, I don't have to go to school this way." Jazz twisted his head back to glance down at his father, giggling.

"Don't be too sure about that. We're going to have a comm-link to the other ships. Wufei will be tutoring you." Heero said from the doorway.

"POPS!" Jazz protested.

"No arguments." Duo stalled the boy. "No child of mine is growing up without an education. Even if it is from your godfather. But he's agreed to wait until school would have resumed again here. You'll still have your full summer vacation. It's either this or they'll make you repeat a grade when you get back." He warned.

"Nah, don't want that. But tell him not to be mean to me." Jazz was still sulking.

"Already done. He wants the same in return, though."

"We're almost ready." Heero made some adjustments at the controls. "We have enough supplies to keep a small army alive. All three rooms are set up. Coordinates locked in. Next stop Dera."

"Think about it, Jazz. You're going to be the first kid ever to go visit another world. You'll probably end up being famous."

"Heero, tell me again how they go places without cars."

"Teleporters. They type in where they want to go. They step inside, and poof, they're there. Simple as that."

"Can I try it when we get there?"

"Sure. I have one at my apartment. Everyone has one."

Duo thought about that as he sat Jazz down. Heero's apartment. His friend had a whole other life on Dera, apart from any he had here. It was a slightly uncomfortable thought.

"You probably can't wait to see your friends again." Duo said as Jazz took off to set up his room. "You must have missed them."

"There are good people on Dera. Yes, I have quite a few friends I look forward to seeing again. But not in the same way I looked forward to seeing my old friends." Heero said quietly. "Even after all that time, it was never the same."

Duo glanced over at the other man. There were so many things he wanted to say but he held his tongue. They had to spend the next two months together; the last thing he needed to do was tick Heero off at him before the journey even began.

Now is not the time. Heero told himself firmly. He has a son, how much proof do you need that you don't have a chance? He was married! He fiddled with the controls again unnecessarily. Still, two months was along time. He'd learned that nothing was impossible.

From the back of the cockpit violet eyes watched them thoughtfully. Hopeless. They were completely hopeless. For soldiers, they were being cowards over something pretty silly, the boy thought to himself.

Boy, Pops, it's a good thing you have me. Jazz mentally sighed. Even if it is a pain in the neck taking care of you, I guess it's in my contract or something. He'd give them a week, and if they were still acting like bakas he was going to take matters into his own hands.

Duo turned around and glanced at his son. Oh, lord, he knew that look. What was that insane child plotting this time?

/*/*/*

Heero watched from the doorway as Duo tucked Jazz into bed a few hours after they had lifted off. Excitement had only been able to keep the boy awake from so long and now he leaned wearily against his father's chest as Duo finished brushing out his hair.

"So you still won't let me braid it?" Duo asked playfully. "Or at least give you a pony-tail?"

"Nope. I like it down." Jazz said firmly.

"Okay, a man's hair is his private domain." Duo agreed. "But if you change your mind let me know." He sat the brush down next to the bed.

"Pops? Will you sing to me? Just one song?" The boy pleaded.

"Sure." Duo's fingers moved absently through the straw-colored silk of the head resting against his shoulder.

Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster's gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient
'Cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime
Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling boy

Duo eased Jazz back on the bed and pulled the blankets up around his shoulders, kissing his cheek. "Sleep tight." He followed Heero out of the cabin, flipping off the lights behind him. The door automatically shut.

"I didn't know you could sing like that." Heero said, impressed.

"I've had a lot of practice. I've been singing that to him since the day he was born." Duo glanced at his friend. "John Lennon, you know. Kid loves classical music. Lennon wrote that for his own kid. Then he got shot and died before he could watch his boys grow up. It reminds me that every day is precious."

They walked into what served as the ship's sitting room. Heero's own ship had been too small to carry supplies for three people so Relena had provided them with what Duo dubbed. "Space Yachts". Not that he was complaining; this was the most comfortable ship he'd ever been on in his life.

"So, no family waiting for you on Dera? How come you never settled down and married?" Duo asked. "Or at least had a child? You don't have to be married to do that."

"I have my reasons." Heero shrugged. "Someday I'll tell you, but not yet."

"Okay, I can live with that. You hungry? I can fix us up a snack or something."

"No, I'm fine. Duo... thank you for making this trip with me. I know it was difficult to leave your home and business for so long."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this chance for the world. Pun intended." He gave Heero a goofy grin. "I feel like a kid again."

"Well, don't expect me to sing to you. I couldn't carry a tune outside and bury it."

/*/*/*

Heero leaned back on the bench, reading a book. Duo was asleep and Jazz sat on the floor of the ship, working on a puzzle that would have frustrated many grown men, yet he had it halfway solved. He gave Heero a sly glance.

"Heero?"

"Hnnn?"

"Do you like my dad?"

Heero gave Jazz a puzzled look. "Of course I like your dad. Everyone likes your father."

"That's not what I mean. I mean, do you really like my dad, as in like? Do you think he's handsome?"

"Jazz..."

"It's okay if you do. Pops told me a long time ago that when you like someone, you like this." He tapped his chest over his heart. "This." He touched his skin. "This is just wrapping. Pops says he keeps his options open. He dates guys and girls both. Except he says he's a magnet for losers." Jazz looked inclined to agree with him. "Last guy he dated was a real doofus. I had to think fast to chase him away. But... if you liked my dad, I wouldn't be upset. Cause I know he likes you."

"Oh?" Heero put down the book. "Has he said that?"

"No... but he talks about you all the time. Even before you showed up he talked about you a lot."

"Your father talks about a lot of things a lot. So do you." Heero felt inclined to point out.

"Okay, he looks at you sometimes when you're not watching. Like he wants to say or do something but he's afraid to." Jazz cocked his head. "You didn't answer my question."

"You're right, I didn't." Heero picked up his book again to hide what he was sure was a growing blush.

"Come on, do you think Pops is cute or not?"

"Your father is a very attractive man. Now go back to your puzzle."

Jazz giggled to himself. Mission almost accomplished.

/*/*/*

"I beg your pardon?"

"Heero thinks you're cute. I asked him and he said yes."

"Jazz, you had no right..."

"Did too. You said yourself you attract losers. Heero's not a loser. I like him!"

"Still it's none of your business." Duo glared at the boy. "Heero is an old friend. I don't want to do anything to put that in jeopardy."

Jazz bounced down on Duo's bed. "Well, if you're scared to tell him you like him, and he's scared to tell you he likes you, then you're both not going to be very happy. Quatre and Trowa are happy together." The boy pointed out.

"Jazz, go play."

/*/*/*

Jazz was bored. His father and Heero were still being idiots and he'd solved all the puzzles he'd brought along more than once and they were only a week into the journey.

He considered his options. He could prank call Wufei's ship again. Trowa and Quatre had offered to let the Chinese man share their vessel but he had declined and was on his own private transport. Jazz had reasoned his godfather must be incredibly lonely and had taken to entertaining him. Granted, Wufei had been less than thrilled to receive a call placing a pizza order in the middle of the night (or what they termed night here, anyway). And Jazz still couldn't believe Wufei had fallen for the "is your generator running" line. Had to give Pops credit for that one. Wufei received almost as many inane messages from Duo as he did from Jazz. So much so he had threatened to get an unlisted comm-link.

He could go bug Heero for more stories of this other world but Heero had been very close-lipped about most of it, telling Jazz he'd do better seeing it for himself and being surprised. At this point any world would be a welcome change. He was never going to survive almost another two whole months of this.

He wandered around some more until he heard his father's laughter ring out from the sitting room. He crept toward the doorway for a look.

"I'd forgotten about that." Duo was saying, throwing more poker chips on a pile between himself and Heero. "Can you believe we were ever that young?"

"We're still not past our prime." Heero pointed out, anteing himself. "But it does seem like a long time ago, doesn't it? Did you ever think then you'd be where you are now?"

"Dreams change." Duo said softly. "When I was 15, I knew exactly what I wanted as far as some parts of my life went. But like the song says, life's what happens when you're making other plans. If things had gone like I wanted them to back then, I wouldn't have my kid. He was worth every decision I made that led to him."

From the doorway, Jazz watched, touched.

"What dreams did you have?" Heero was curious.

Duo paused and looked down at his cards. "I fell in love. I told myself that this was it, this was who I was going to spend the rest of my life with. It didn't work out that way."

"Her death must have been devastating for you."

"Hilde? Yes, but she was my second love. Not that I loved her any less, please don't think that. Like I said, dreams change. When we were together, she was my future. But it didn't change the fact that I had a past."

Come on, Ma, if you can see us give him a kick in the rear. Jazz silently prayed. Make him say it. He couldn't see his mother, but he was sure she checked up on them every now and then to make sure he was keeping his father in line. I'm doing my best here but Pops is being a baka.

"Oh?" Heero was looking away now.

"Yeah."

"What happened? With the person you loved first?"

"I never got up the guts to tell them, and they drifted away from me." Light-years away, Duo thought sadly.

"Do you believe in second chances?" Heero asked suddenly.

"Maybe." It was suddenly difficult for Duo to remember how to breathe. He went to throw more chips in the pile at the same time Heero did and their hands brushed together. He held his breath as Heero took his hand and ran a finger over it. "Jazz has your hands. Always moving." Heero muttered. "It's like the two of you have so much life bottled up inside that you can't contain it, and it spills out, and into everyone around you. I don't know how to tell you how very much I missed that."

"Did you really tell Jazz you thought I was cute?" Duo had to ask, blushing madly.

Heero sighed. "He asked me if I thought you were handsome, I told him yes. The words cute did not cross my lips. He also said that you had a habit of dating losers and that he promised not to chase me away."

"Well, that's noble of him." Duo nodded. "That last guy probably still needs therapy from when Jazz got done with him."

He noticed their hands were still joined. "So, what does this mean?"

"It means that we take this one minute at a time." Heero replied. "It's not like we're going anywhere for a while. We're not the same people we were 11 years ago and we need to get to know each other again. I'm willing to follow wherever that might lead."

"One minute at a time. Works for me." Duo agreed, his fingers curling around Heero's hand.

Jazz walked away from the doorway, grinning ear to ear. Mission accomplished.