Category: Angst, AU

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Notes: This takes place in a world of my own making, where things can and are twisted into strange things. So what doesn't seem possible is. There are M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Twisted Fates Part Seven

By SilverLady

It was late the next morning when Duo woke up. Though he'd been groggily awake several times during the night to fed Ken, this was the first time he was complete aware of his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was the absence of his son. Sitting up he looked franticly around the room. When he searching reveled nothing, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on getting up and looking for Ken.

He groaned in pain as he tried to stand. His body ached from chest to knees. He hadn't hurt this bad since those bullies had beaten him when he had first wound up on the streets.

"Just exactly what do you think you're doing?"

Duo looked over to find Adrianna in the doorway, a frown on her face. Moving across the room she stopped in front of him. A gentle shove was all it took for her to force Duo back into the bed.

"Where's Ken?" Duo struggled to sit up.

"He's asleep in the other room. I took him out there so I could keep an eye on him while you got some rest." She smiled at Duo. "He's fine. In fact, I'd say he's in better shape than you are."

Duo glared at her. "I'm not that bad off."

Adrianna grabbed some pillows and placed them behind Duo, allowing him to sit in a reclined position. "Hah. I bet you couldn't make it to the bathroom by yourself right now."

Duo frowned as he leaned back against the pillows. "Depends on how far away it is," he retorted.

Adrianna laughed. "You have to take it easy for a few days. You just had a baby."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Duo, it's going to hurt for a while. Your muscles did a lot of work yesterday. You can't just expect to jump up and be all right."

"But…"

"You are going to have to accept the fact that you're going to be spending the next few days in bed."

"Damn it. I want my son," Duo snapped.

"When he wakes up I'll bring him to you. You should enjoy this time. It isn't going to last."

Duo sighed. "I don't want to inconvenience you any more than I already have."

"You're not."

"I need to think about what I'm going to do next." Duo looked at her for a minute.

Adrianna nodded. "Are you going to put Ken up for adoption?" She hated asking the question but it had to be asked.

"Hell no!" Duo exclaimed angrily. "He's my son. I'll take care of him."

"How?"

Duo sagged. "I don't know. I will though."

"Do you have any family?"

"No."

"What about Ken's father?"

"I told you. He's not in the picture anymore."

"What about a place to live?"

"I'll find something."

"Duo, raising a child is not an easy thing."

"I know that. But he's my son and I'll take care of him myself."

Adrianna sighed. She'd had a feeling that would be Duo's response. It was obvious he was already very protective of the tiny life he'd brought into this world.

"Do you have any way of getting a home?"

"I have some money. I figured I'd use it when I got where I was going."

"And where's that?"

Duo shrugged. "Where ever feels like a good place to stop."

Adrianna blew out a breath in frustration. "Well, with the weather the way it is, you won't be going anywhere for a while anyway. Let me talk to Bill Grendal in town and see if there is any place that you could rent until the weather is better for traveling."

Duo frowned. "And how long will that be?"

Adrianna looked at him for a minute. "Probably not until spring."

Before Duo could say anything in response, the sound of a baby's crying filtered into the room.

Adrianna immediately headed for the door. "Sounds like someone is hungry. I'll go get him."

Duo sighed again as he leaned back against the pillows. He knew that Adrianna thought he was being silly and irresponsible, not having any kind of plan as to what he was going to do. He couldn't explain that he would know when it happened. There was something out there that was still calling to him. Maybe someday he'd find out what it was.

"Bill said the place has been closed up for a while, but it's still in good shape," Adrianna told Duo as she guided the horse drawn wagon down the narrow unused trail.

It had been a week since Ken had been born and Duo was feeling much better. Good enough to go and look at a house that Adrianna had found out about.

The place was an old farm that had been abandoned for nearly five years. No one knew what had happened to the previous owner, but now Bill Grendal, as town records keeper, was in charge of selling the property off. He had been willing to let Duo stay in the house for the winter just so that someone would be using the old place.

Shifting slightly, Duo tucked the blankets more closely around Ken. Thought the sun was shining brightly today, it was still bitterly cold. He hadn't been too sure about bringing Ken along, but Adrianna had assured him he would be fine and that they would probably be gone longer than Ken would like to go between feedings.

Suddenly the wagon turned the corner and the house came into view. It was a two-story farmhouse with a long wrap around porch. Beyond the house, the roof of a large barn could be seen.

Duo looked at the house. It was in desperate need of a paint job and there were several places where the siding was coming loose, but overall the house looked in pretty good shape.

"Shall we check it out?"

Adrianna smiled as she got down. Turning, she took Ken from Duo so that he could get down. As soon as he was on the ground, Duo took Ken back and headed for the front door. Adrianna shook her head and followed.

Duo turned slowly and looked at the room. The living room was surprisingly large, with a huge stone fireplace at one end. The floor was wooden and, though scarred from use, it was in good shape.

Duo smiled. This is what he'd been looking for. This was the place that had kept calling to him. This was home.

He looked down at his small son, who was nestled in a sack tied around Duo's chest. Adrianna had given it to him, telling him it was the easiest way to carry Ken around and still have his hands free. Ken seemed to enjoy it, already snuggling against Duo's chest. "What do you think?"

Ken sighed and nuzzled his tiny face deeper into Duo's chest.

"I agree. Let's go tell Adrianna we'll stay." Duo looked around again. "In fact, let's find out if we can figure out a way to buy this place."

Adrianna was checking out the kitchen when Duo walked in. "I know a few women that would kill for this kitchen. Old Man Virgil sure knew what he was doing when he built this place."

Duo smiled. "He had to have done something right, for it to be in as good a shape as it's in."

Adrianna nodded. "So?"

"I'd like to stay. In fact, I'd like to buy it, somehow."

Adrianna blinked. "Are you sure?"

Duo nodded. "I've been looking for a place to call home for a long time. This is it. I knew it as soon as I walked in. This is what made me leave Deran before Ken was born."

Adrianna walked around to him. "It won't be easy. This place needs a lot of work. You don't have any idea about running a farm."

"I know. I'll learn as I go along."

"Duo."

"It'll be all right. I'll figure something out."

Adrianna sighed. "You are a stubborn pain in the butt."

Duo grinned. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Let's go talk to Bill. Maybe he can help you out."

"Sounds good to me." Turning Duo headed for the front door. The sooner he talked to Bill the sooner he could move in. Please, let this be what I've been looking for.

Duo sighed as he sank down onto the large four-poster bed. As Adrianna had predicted, it hadn't been easy. But Duo had done it. The house and land was now his.

Duo had been shocked at the amount of money he'd gotten for his mother's jewelry. Though he'd been sad to sell it, he knew that it was what she would have wanted him to do. What he'd thought was just some inexpensive pieces had turned out to be worth a great deal. With the money, he'd been able to buy not only the house and farmland, but also a large tract of wooded land adjacent to the property.

He'd also struck a deal with the farmer who owned the land that butted up against the farmland. The man had wanted the farmland for some time but had been unable to come up with the money to purchase it. Duo had agreed to lease him the entire tract of land, in exchange for a small percentage of the crop yield and an agreed upon sum of money to help pay the taxes.

Lying back, Duo stared up at the ceiling. What he had figured on being a long and tedious chore, moving in, had taken very little time at all. To his shock and amazement, the people of the small community had all pitched in and helped him, bringing him more that enough things to stock his new home with. They had brought old furniture they no longer need and given it to him. The ladies of the town had helped clean and arrange things, while the men had made the important repairs outside.

When they had heard Duo had arrived with nothing, they had gone out of their way to see that he had enough supplies to last for quite a while. There were new clothes for him and Ken, plus linens and all the things needed for a house. In addition, his pantry was now overflowing with donated food and several of the women had promised to come by and teach him all the things he would need to know about keeping house and cooking meals.

They had also brought him several cows, chickens and pigs to help out. He'd been shown how to care for the animals, with the promise that someone would stop by to help until he got the swing of things. Plus several of the men had promised to help him get a garden established, come spring.

Rolling to his side, Duo looked across the room to the small crib where Ken was soundly sleeping. No one had batted an eye at the fact that he had a newborn son, with no sign of a wife. Those that had questioned him had gotten an honest answer, but it hadn't seemed to faze them one bit. The men had winced in sympathy and the women had proceeded to trade stories and secrets about childbirth and childrearing.  He had more information about nursing, colic, picky eaters, messy diapers and discipline than he cared to know, truthfully.

"I think everything is going to be all right," he whispered to Ken. The baby sighed and began sucking on his hand. Duo laughed softly. Leaving Shadar was definitely the best thing I could have done. I just wish Heero could have come with me. I wish he could have gotten to know his son.