Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids

Disclaimer: I don't own them except for the kids!

Warring Hearts, Part 4

Leigh sighed and leaned against the front door. They had come home from Arabia a week ago and all she had done was work. Like her parents she was a Preventer in the Sank Kingdom branch, serving as a physical therapist since her parents were adamantly were against her becoming a field agent. She raked her hand through her haphazard hair. She tossed the leather jacket on the chair by the front door.

"Is that you Leigh?" Wufei asked as he came out of the living room. He smiled when he saw her starting up the steps. "Good you're home."

"Why are you in such a cheery mood?" she asked as she tugged her white dress shirt free of her tailored navy skirt.

"I would like you to come in her for just a moment," he said, sighing at her disheveled appearance.

"Ok," she said as she walked back down the steps and followed him into the living room. She tugged the pins that held back her silky black hair. She was curious on why he was acting so happy. She was brought up short when a young man stood up from the couch. She noted that he was several years older then her. And he was Chinese.

"Leigh, I would like you to meet Xin Ling. Ling, this is my eldest child Leigh Po," Wufei said proudly.

"Nice to meet you Leigh," Ling said, bowing respectfully. "I've heard a lot about you from your father. It is an honor to meet someone of the famed Dragon clan."

Leigh arched a brow at her father, who smiled innocently. "It's a pleasure, I'm sure. Please forgive my appearance. I didn't know we would have company."

"Quite all right. I understand that you're a hardworking woman," Ling said with understanding.

Leigh gave him a slight smile.

"Why don't I leave you two alone? I will see what your mother is making for dinner," Wufei said as he left the room.

"He's letting mom cook? She can't cook that good," Leigh commented to herself. She looked back at Ling. "So how did you meet my father?"

"I work at the Port City Hospital as a anesthesiologist," he replied. "Please sit and I will tell you more about myself." He gestured to the couch.

She sat down on the pale yellow silk cushions. He sat down next to her. "So you're a doctor. How old are you?"

"I've just turned twenty nine. I actually met your father through your mother. She's a gifted doctor and a wonderful woman," Ling replied as he folded his hands on his neatly creased navy slacks.

"She is," Leigh said, giving him another slight smile.

"And I understand that you're a physical therapist for the Preventers. That's a very prestigious appointment," he said as he gave her a smile.

"Well when both your parents are still on the Preventer payroll and have been there since the agency's conception, it tends to help a little," she said, her smile a little tighter.

"But you're very gifted I hear."

"I guess I have my mother's healing touch," Leigh answered. She was studying him closely. A trait she picked up from both her parents. "Slicked back hair that's been freshly trimmed, a suit that I know costs a fortune is neatly pressed, his shirt doesn't even have wrinkle. Even his shoes are highly polished. And he's respectful towards my dad. Complete opposite of Jonathon. Get out of my mind Maxwell. But he is and dad just loves him."

Ling cast a look towards his stainless steel watch. "Well I must be going. I'm due at the hospital in an hour." He looked back up at her. "If it's not to forward of me, I would like to take you out to dinner tomorrow night."

She was taken aback and very suspicious of his request. "You know, you still have to ask my dad for his permission?"

"Your father suggested it. Only if you accept of course," Ling said respectfully.

Leigh pondered for a moment. She now knew her father was fixing her up, but Ling seemed nice enough. She curled her lips into a sweet smile. "Of course Ling. I would like to go out to dinner with you."

He smiled broadly. "It's an honor in itself just to hear you say yes."

She rose from her seat. "May I walk you to your car Ling," she said, keeping the smile plastered to her face.

Ling rose as well, following her to the door. "What time may I pick you up at?"

"About seven," Leigh replied as she opened the door for him.

"Good, I will make reservations at Le Belle," he said as he stepped out on the front step.

"Le Belle, how nice of you," she said as she stepped out with him, closing the door behind her. She looked towards the street and noticed a brand new Mercedes parked at the curb that she hadn't really noticed before. "Is that yours?"

"Yes, I just got it a week ago," Ling said sheepishly. He looked back at her. "It's been an honor to meet you Leigh and I will pick you up at seven." He gave her another bow and walked towards his car.

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Leigh waved him off and she went back into the house. She closed the door behind her and made a beeline for the kitchen. "DAD!"

Wufei gave her a guileless smile as she came in. "So how did it go?"

"Oh you knew how it was going to go dad," she said in a deceptively sugary tone. "You knew I wouldn't say no out of respect to you."

"I just want your happiness Leigh and Ling is a respectable young man. He would do you good after dating that Maxwell."

"That Maxwell's name was Jonathon dad, and may I remind you, he comes from a respectable family as well."

Wufei snorted. "Duo is anything but respectable. He hasn't been since I met him."

"You only say that since he still knows how to get the best of you," she said challengingly.

His nose twitched. "But all his sons have inherited his genes. They're not much better then the father. But I think Ling would be good for you Leigh. He's nothing like Jonathon."

"So I noticed. He's the antithesis of him," Leigh said dryly.

Sally, who had remained quiet through the exchange between Wufei and Leigh, finally spoke. "Wufei I thought I told you not to." Her tone was chiding.

Wufei turned to look at her. "I did what I thought was right. I'm looking after my daughter. If I had my way in the first place, I wouldn't have let her date that Jonathon Maxwell. I knew I should have arranged marriage for her when she was born," he mused.

"Dammit Wufei, this is not like you and your first wife!" Sally snapped at the same time, pointing a knife she was using to chop vegetables at him.

"I was a lot better off onna, and Leigh would have benefited from the same arrangement. So would Merin. But you said no and I listened to you," Wufei pointed out.

Sally threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Our daughters should be free to choose who they want."

"Well Leigh wouldn't have been hurt all those times by that…that boy if I had my way! It's been going on for four years and he's broken her heart eight times too many. I'm putting my foot down," Wufei said defiantly, glaring at his wife.

"Hello, I'm right here and I don't like to be talked about!" Leigh hissed as she slammed her hands on the countertop. "This is not the time of arranged marriages dad! We're not in China, where things like this might be commonplace!"

"You're as bad as your mother! You're too good for Maxwell's second brat! And I refuse to stand by anymore and watch you get hurt by him! And I thought Ling would be a welcome change for you!" Wufei snapped as both women were verbally attacking him. "But just give Ling a chance Leigh. You'll like him, I promise and if you don't, you can find someone else…but not someone like Jonathon," he finished darkly.

Leigh gave her father a glacial look. "Fine." She spun on her heel and marched out of the kitchen, up the steps and slammed her door. "I hate men!" she snapped as she flopped across her bed.

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Downstairs, Sally was still glaring frostily at her husband. "I can't believe you went and did that to our daughter! She's twenty-three years old and quite capable of choosing her own man. She doesn't need you to do it for her! Jonathon Maxwell is not as bad as you make him out to be! You saw him grow up! He's a very nice young man and you know it! You're just tainted by the fact that he had the gall to date our daughter!"

"Onna, Jonathon may not be all that bad, but he still hurt my daughter and taking a leaf from his father's book, he hurt my daughter, I have every right to not like him," Wufei snapped as he crossed his arms.

She picked up the knife again and began to furiously chop the vegetable on the wooden block.

He knew that she was mad at him once again by the set of her jaw and the fiery look in her eyes when she looked up at him. He said nothing, and left the kitchen, going back to the living room. He looked at the mantle where the kids' photos were displayed. He picked one up of all three Maxwell boys with their dates for the Winter Ball held at the Yuy/Merquise residence last year. They all stood in a row, Chris and Victoria on the right, David and Kellie on the left, and Jonathon and Leigh in the center. "I'll make sure she's happy Maxwell and make sure that you'll never hurt her ever again."

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The object of Wufei's dire thoughts was sitting in front of the computer in the study of his home, his glasses slipping down his nose and his hair mused from raking his hands through it countless times. He was doing payroll, a job Hilde had delegated to him since he would be graduating from the University of Berlin in December with a degree in business and mathematics. "Dammit!" he muttered again as he banged his head on the polished desktop. "This is simple math, why the hell can't I do it!"

"Having trouble dear?" Hilde asked as she poked her head in. She smiled reassuringly at Jonathon. "Why don't you take a break for a while? And maybe when you're rested, you'll feel better."

Jonathon smiled thinly at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, go rest for a little bit. I'll have your dad work on it some," she said warmly.

"All right," he said as he pushed away from the desk and stood, stretching his cramped muscles. He gave his mother a brief hug as he passed. "Thanks mom."

"No problem love," Hilde said as she pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Go. Relax."

He nodded his head and slowly climbed the steps.

She looked after him, a worried look crossing her face. Years had been kind to her, leaving her with few wrinkles. And many said she was still a beautiful woman even though she was now in her mid-forties. Hilde sighed and placed her hand against the brass knob of the office door. "My poor baby."

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Jonathon silently closed his door behind him, and then sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached under it and pulled out a flask, filled with tequila. He made a face when he took a big gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He screwed the cap back on the flask and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't really a drinker, but since this latest breakup with Leigh, really hit him harder then usual, he wanted to forget. But it was hard since they had been raised together, grew up together, and had been together for so long. His cobalt eyes clouded a little. He missed her desperately. He hated the icy silences she had been treating him with since Arabia. He much rather her yelling and screaming at him since then he at least knew that he was affecting her in some way. "Dammit Leigh, what did you do to me? You knocked me for a loop the first time you kissed me and I haven't recovered yet." He sat up again as he polished off the bottle. "Guess I'll have to refill this," he sighed as he tucked it in the waistband of his cargo pants and under his loose fitting white tee shirt. He went back down the steps and back into the study, where he saw his dad, scrunching up his face as he looked at the numbers on the computer monitor. "Need help?" he asked, smirking slightly.

Duo looked up at his son. "Yeah, your mom made me do it and she knows I hate doing payroll with a passion," he sighed. "Want the job back?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll take over again," he said chuckling as he sat down again the chair his dad vacated. He pushed his glasses back on that he only used when he was in front of a computer for long periods of time. He wrinkled his nose a little. "You do hate doing payroll, you've already messed up two columns of numbers."

Duo placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, well I was always better at the selling and the buying, not the accounting."

"Got that right," Jonathon said under his breath. He looked back at his dad. "Go on and spend more time with mom. I'll finish these up and I'll call you when you need to stamp your signature on it."

"All right," Duo said as he smiled relived that he didn't have to do it anymore. He left the room.

Jonathon turned back towards the vast columns of numbers on the screen. His fingers rapidly began to undo the mistakes his father made. But it was still hard for him to concentrate. His mind was still on Leigh. "I have to get her back somehow. Even if it kills me. I love her too much to let her go."

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Duo sat down next to Hilde on the couch, draping his arm behind her as she watched television. "Jonathon is back doing payroll."

"He is? Already? He should have taken a longer break then that?" Hilde said wryly.

"He insisted before I screwed it up anymore," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Hilde sighed and leaned her head back on his arm. "I'm worried about him though. He's working himself to death like you do when something is bothering you and you're trying to forget."

"He broke up with Leigh. That's answer enough to why he acts like this. Don't worry, in a few weeks he'll get over it and he'll do something to get her back," Duo answered as he looked into her worried eyes.

"But I think it's more then what he's telling us because he doesn't want our involvement. I think that fight he almost got into with Chris might have been about that, which implies that he's involved. Randy and David might be too, but they haven't said anything."

"Don't worry about babe. He'll be fine."

"How can you be so dismissive? With Randy, you're as sharp as a tack, with the boys you're as dense as the armor on your Gundam."

Duo snorted and pulled her closer. "Fathers are usually a little more observant when it comes to their daughters. Sons are usually the mothers department."

"But Duo, I think he's drinking to hide it!" Hilde hissed at him.

He sighed again. "And I think you're imagining things. I would know if he were. I could tell if he was drinking or not."

"Duo! I'm serious! Watch him for the next few days and then tell me there's nothing to worry about," she snapped as she crossed her arms and turned away from him, her eyes going back to the TV.

Duo sighed again. He watched her profile, the images reflecting off her glasses. "I'll watch him. I promise you Hilde," he said softly as he turned her head to face him. He looked into her stormy cornflower eyes. "I promise, Ok?"

Hilde nodded her head stiffly. "Fine." She settled back against his arm and went back to the screen.

He pressed a gentle kiss on her hairline, just as extra reassurance. He looked back at the screen as well. "I really hope I'm right in thinking that there's nothing wrong with my son and if he's not, Hilde will worry to no end. I don't want her to do that. Randy was enough for her and for me this summer."

A/N: I'm really messing them up aren't I? Can't wait for more? It'll be coming soon! XOXO!