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Out of Control, Part 12

With a look of determination on his face, Heero walked up the steps of the Maxwell household. He was intent on doing something for Veronica. And one was talking to Duo about Randy's behavior. He was going to make sure that it would be the last time she got out of something that had been as much her fault as it had been Vaughn's. He knocked on the door. He waited until it swung open, revealing Hilde. "Hello, Hilde, is Duo home?"

Hilde was somewhat surprised by finding Heero there, but she had a sneaky suspicion it had to do with what happened yesterday afternoon between Randy, Vaughn, and Veronica. "Yes, he is, Heero. He's eating his breakfast out on the deck," she replied as she let him in, closing the door behind him. "Is what you need him for important?" she asked as she led him back through the house.

"Very important," he replied as they stepped out onto the deck. He spotted Duo, shoveling pancakes in his mouth like they were going out of style, while reading the paper. He saw Randy on the grass, giving both dogs a bath. "You'll choke on those someday, Maxwell," he said as he sat down in the chair next to his friend's.

Duo raised his eyes to the Prussian blue ones near his. He swallowed the mouthful of pancakes he had in his mouth. "And what do I owe the honor of your presence this morning?" he asked as he handed his plate to Hilde. "Get me some more of those, will ya babe?"

Hilde arched her brow at her husband. "Is there something missing from that sentence?"

"Please," he added as he smiled at her before she turned away. He landed a playful swat on her rear. "And hurry too."

She gave him a mock angry look, before it turned into a smile. She cast Heero another, worried look before retreating into the house to get Duo more breakfast.

Heero rolled his eyes at their display. "Are you finished?"

"For the moment. So, what brings you here, Heero?" Duo asked again as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"It's about your daughter and mine. It concerns Vaughn," he replied as he clasped his hands on top of the finished table.

Duo took note of his friend's serious look. "What happened this time?"

"You should ask your daughter since she sent mine home in tears…but I'll tell you what happened. Vaughn got into a fight with the Arquette boy over Veronica. He came here to be patched up by your daughter. Your oldest brought him here before calling Victoria and asking her to bring Veronica over," he said, his eyes going over to Randy. "She apparently, according to Victoria, was trying to clean young Winner's injuries, but at the same time, she was sitting on his bare chest in a very compromising situation. Veronica saw it and took it the wrong way. Of course your daughter, not able to keep her mouth shut, lashed back at mine. It made Veronica even more upset. She is partial to Vaughn as everyone knows, but Relena and I tend to think that she's in love with him. She brought to light some very interesting information about Randy and Vaughn, while she was screaming at the both of them."

The entire time, during Heero's monologue, Duo's brows were drawing in over his cobalt eyes. "I didn't know about any of this. Hilde didn't tell me this when I got home last night."

"Well, she heard every word too and Victoria said she wasn't too happy about it either."

"What did Vaughn and my daughter do?"

"They were involved, very involved with the other as teenagers. Veronica put it as, "his tongue shoved down her throat." And I'm taking this as something that happened more than once, but numerous times without anyone's knowledge," Heero said as he watched Duo's reaction. He didn't have to wait long as the cobalt eyes went dark and hands fisted on the table. "I thought I should let you know this."

"Anything else?" Duo asked, calmly.

Heero arched a brow at the tone. He knew, like the others, when Duo's voice took on that tone, it meant that the God of Death wasn't far below the surface. "I know that my daughter is not blameless in anything that goes on between her and Randy. Both girls are to blame for their reckless behaviors and both of us should've put our foots down long ago about it. But you've let Randy get away with way too much over the years. It's time for you to put your foot down because I won't have Veronica coming home in a fury or in tears over something your daughter said or did. And right now, it's the last thing she needs while she's pregnant."

Duo said nothing for a few moments and then took in a deep breath. "I'll talk to her, Heero."

One corner of Heero's mouth quirked. "I hope you do. And I know how much you love your daughter and that you've hated disciplining her, but you're the father. Make her understand that she can't do this anymore. And I'll make it as clear to mine, but it is imperative that you do this."

"Yours came home in tears?"

"Yes."

"Vaughn's had his tongue shoved down my daughter's throat."

"Apparently."

"I'll deal with it right away. I'll see you later, Heero. I'm going to talk to my daughter," Duo said as he pushed out of the chair. He turned his eyes towards his only girl. "MIRANDA!"

Randy froze. Her father just called her by her full name. She had seen Heero talking to him, but she hadn't been able to pick up on what they were saying, but whatever it was, it didn't bode well for her. She turned towards him with an innocent smile on her face. "Yes, daddy?"

"Inside. My study. Now," Duo ordered with a sharp jerk of his head.

She cringed. "Sure," she replied in a small voice as she walked up the steps. She gave Heero a curious look before she closed the sliding door behind her.

Heero looked back at Duo. "Just make it clear to her that what goes on between Veronica and her has to stop. Remember that as you try not to go completely ballistic," he said as he stood up and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'll leave now and let you deal with her." He pushed open the sliding door, passing Hilde again. "I'll be going now. Take care, Hilde," he said as he gave her a brief smile. He let himself out of the front door and stood on the front porch. He took a deep breath. "Now, onto Winner's house to talk to that boy." He started down the steps, but paused when he heard a yell that could be heard in the depths of hell. "Yup, Duo, just lost his temper," he said as he climbed into his deep red Tahoe and started down the drive.

Hilde flinched as she heard Duo yelling in the other room. She heard Randy yell back before he silenced her again. She knew it had to do with what happened the other day. She sighed as she placed more pancakes on Duo's plate, knowing that he'd want them after he got through his reprimanding of their daughter. She walked back out into the foyer just as the door slammed open and Randy came running out, teary eyed and mad, up the stairs, where another door was slammed. Then silence. She poked her head into the study. "Duo?" she asked quietly as she let her eyes travel over him.

"Yeah?"

"Better now?"

"I wish. I hated doing that, but it needed to be done. I never knew it got that out of hand. God, I would have the boys' hides if they pulled stuff like this regularly and I did, but with her…I could never bring myself to do it," he sighed as he raked his hand through his hair. He pulled her down on his lap, mindful of the plate of pancakes. He bent his head against her shoulder. "Where did I go wrong with her, Hilde? Tell me when I lost complete control over my daughter?"

"You never had control over her, Duo, and that was the problem. You never disciplined her. I tried, but you never helped me. But you didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart," she said as she brushed back his bangs with her fingers. "You just fell too much in love with her as a child and you never could tell her no. It was so understandable though. She's the baby, the only girl, the child I know you felt guilt for because of how hard it was for me to have her."

Duo lifted his eyes to his wife's. "I just feel like if I saw this sooner, if I hadn't let her do half of the stuff she's done, Veronica and Randy might not have gotten like this. And Veronica wouldn't be like this now."

"You were only being yourself, Duo. You can't help but love her the way that you do and who knows if you had been stricter with her that things wouldn't be the way they are like they are now. There are many possibilities and they could have all come out the same way," she said softly as she bent her head against his.

"All I wanted to do was be a good father to all of my kids and I just feel like I failed with Randy because I loved her too much to discipline her like I did with the boys," he lamented as he closed his eyes.

"You didn't fail and if you say something like that again, I'll toss these pancakes out the window."

A corner of Duo's mouth tilted up slightly. "I know you would too. I'm sorry, babe, but what after Heero just told me, I let things get way out of hand with her."

"What is it with the six of you? Do all of you get turns to be self-deprecating? All of you are good fathers, no matter what. All of you might have been excellent fighters, but you are all human and allowed to make mistakes. You're parents and that's a job no one is perfect at, not even Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, Zechs, or you," she said as she stroked his jaw. "So don't say something like that."

"I sometimes wish I could've been harder on her and I can think of all the times I should've busted her butt, but didn't. I know it's because I felt guilt over her birth and I just couldn't stop myself."

"That's all right, Duo, you're allowed to be indulgent, but there's such a thing as overindulgence. Right now, you should have her go and apologize to Veronica. That girl needs to hear Randy say she's sorry for what happened yesterday."

"I told her that after I spanked her."

Hilde's mouth fell open. "You didn't!"

"I did. Just because she's twenty, doesn't mean her ass goes unpunished. It was something that had to be done, which I should have done. I made up for some of it," Duo said firmly. "I'd beat sense into my boys if they didn't do what they were supposed to, even if they are all married. Age is no protection from getting a reprimand."

She couldn't help but laugh a little. She shook her head. "Only you would say that."

Duo broke out into a smile. "And it doesn't mean if you don't stay in line, I won't let you get away with it. I'll spank your ass too."

"You do, you won't get any pancakes or anything else," she retorted sweetly.

"Liar, you love me too much," he smirked as he gave her a sound kiss.

Hilde gave him a glare as she pulled away, but couldn't help but smile back at him. "Wanna bet, mister?"

Duo chuckled and kissed her again. He cupped her chin in his hand as he leaned away. "I just want to do what's right. I don't want Randy to think that she'll get away with everything," he said, his tone becoming serious. "And maybe it'll sink in that she's not immune to punishment."

"I hope it does too. She was always a quick learner."

"I hope so too because I hated spanking her. It hurt me more to do it, than it hurt her to feel it, but she'll have to learn. And I will do it again, if I have to as much as it would pain me," he said as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. He let out a deep sigh. "I'm just glad that I don't have to deal with what Heero has to go through. If Randy got pregnant…I couldn't imagine what I'd do. I'd probably kill the boy who got her that way first, before I bust her ass for doing it."

"I think Heero is doing the best he can as much as he doesn't like it. He's supporting her just like you would if it was Randy."

"I would too, but even now, I'm more suspicious of Donavon. I know he's good with her, but he's only…"

"Male and human."

"Exactly. And Randy is not a demure girl by any means. I give him credit for keeping his hands off her like he said he would, but just the thought that he could break down at any time, makes me want to lock her in her room and keep her there, away from him."

"Typical father's answer. You just want to protect and make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to your daughter. It's become apparent by every one of you with unmarried daughters."

"Could you blame us?"

"No. Like I said, you're all just being fathers. You're protecting your daughters, which is something that you all should feel like you have to, but I think the boys know what they should and shouldn't do."

"Vaughn apparently didn't."

"He's a good boy and you know it. He'd never lay an improper hand on Randy."

"He's kissed her."

"And it was kissing. He never slept with her, despite the way they're relationship goes. And that should make you glad. You know how much he adores her and vice versa."

"I know I should be, but still I want to strangle him for even kissing her."

Hilde sighed. "Typical."

"Could you blame me?"

"No."

Duo nodded his head. "Now, with that out of the way," he said as he reached around her and took the plate of pancakes, "I'm going to finish my breakfast."

"With me on your lap?"

"I wouldn't have my breakfast any other way. You can be dessert."

Hilde snorted. "Not now, braided one. I have to clear up the rest of breakfast and then finish giving the dogs a bath since Randy will not be coming out of her room for a while."

He lifted his arms, but before he let her go completely, he turned her to face him. "Hilde, just tell me I'm a good father and that I needed to do this."

Hilde smiled down at him and pressed a kiss on the crown of his head. "Yes, Duo, you're a good father and you did the right thing. Now finish your breakfast and maybe tonight, I'll be your dessert," she said as she smirked at him and left the room.

Duo grinned happily at his wife's retreating figure. He bit off some of the pancakes on his fork and chewed on it thoughtfully. He raised his eyes in the direction of his daughter. "I'm sorry, baby, but it had to be done. Just don't make me have to do it again."

A/N: It's been awhile, I know, but I've been super busy getting things for school out of the way. I graduate on the nineteenth! But I'll be writing much more! I hoped you liked this chapter and just to show you all that Randy wasn't going to get out of being punished. So stay tuned! XOXO!!