I entered Duo's home quietly, shutting the door politely behind me.  When I turned back around, Duo was shaking off his barely snow flaked scarf before hanging it up on the walled hangers in the mudroom hall.  I looked down at the little snow boots near the door, standing loyally close to the work boots of their father's, dirty and worn so much that the soles were nearly worn through.  The children's boots were a perfect foil to the larger ones, shiny and brand new.  In fact, everything that the kids owed were new from what I've seen so far.  The coats, the toys, the filled plates, and the clothes.  I frowned slightly and looked over at Duo's attire, finding though his clothes may not be as bad as they could be, they were coming short from what they were suppose to be…and I meant that literally.  The father's cuffs to his work shirt didn't quite reach his wrists and his pants hung high, as if he was waiting for a flood to move in.  Certainly Duo had enough time to stop by the store once and awhile…

"You must be cold," Duo said, his back still to me.  I watched as his fingers kept stroking the linen of the scarf, and I noticed that he was nervous.  Definitely so was I.  I had been accepted into my old lover's new life…for how long, I didn't know.  I was willing, though, to force myself into his affairs as much as possible.  I would do anything.  Anything to take away the pain his wife and I had caused him.

"I mean, you were standing out there a long time," Duo continued. I blinked, slightly taken off guard.  He knew I was out there.  The whole time?  Every day I stood out there?  I stumbled with my words, caught between asking how he possibly knew and an apologize for stalking outside.  But before I could get a decent sentence out, Duo slowly looked over his shoulder, loops of brown strands caught within his chestnut mass.

"Would you like something to drink?" Duo asked quietly.  His lips were slightly tight.  He was holding something back.

"Yes, please," I mumbled and he turned away again, heading towards what I supposed was the kitchen.  I hastily kicked off my shoes, desperate not to be left behind in this strange, new home.  As soon as I fought off my coat and my strapped shoes, I tried to follow my love before stopping short by a picture that caught my eye.  I stared at the smiling woman in the picture, long blonde hair falling to her forearms as she hugged her eldest son, the beautiful view of a canyon day behind them.  She was squeezing the boy tight in obvious affection, cheek to cheek against her young son.  They were sitting on a rock near some ledge and both of their eyes glittered under the mid-day sun, her blue eyes only a faint glimmer to the boy's violet.  I held back the snarl that rose to my lips; I hated her ugly hair, how thick and dry it looked.  I hated her clothes as she still tried to look like a teenager even with a son.  Some skimpy black strap top with light worn jeans with silver lining on the sides.  I touched the glass, covering her smiling face with my fingertip then brushed roughly away from her memory.  I looked wearily at all the walls and realized her smile was everywhere.  Pictures of her holding her youngest baby.  Pictures of her gardening in the front of the house.  Pictures of her in the car.  Pictures of her with my Duo.

I walked to the other wall, staring hard at Duo's beaming face as he clutched onto his wife.  It had to be before they got married, as Duo was wearing his college jacket.  It was in mid-motion, his girl friend blurry as she had thrown herself into his arms, her face hiding behind his shoulder and hair flying free around them.  Her legs were swinging off the ground, Duo's smile larger than ever before, and his eyes closed in happy bliss.  My snarl slowly melted against that face and how insanely happy he seemed to be holding onto that woman's waist.

Somehow, I felt like I lost a bit of Duo already.

Touching the picture gingerly, I made my way to the kitchen where Duo was heating up some warm water in the microwave that was next to the open doorway.  I stopped there, watching him, but he didn't lift his burning eyes, intent on watching two mugs go slowly around in the heated box.  I sighed and walked further into the kitchen, taking a seat at the kitchen counter with a white stool.  It came out of the wall for an eating counter, but the rest lined the wall, with a frig on the other side and a dinner table sitting in-between.

I listened as the microwave barely had a chance to ding its success before Duo popped open the door and took the two hot drinks out.  He walked to the counter, eyes watchful of the swaying liquid inside before slipping them carefully upon the polished white surface.  He ripped open two packages of hot chocolate and dumped them inside before placing my mug in front of me and handing me an awaiting spoon.

I stirred the drink set before me mutely, waiting for Duo's quiet thoughts to be spoken aloud.  Minutes passed, the only sound the clinking of spoons against the glass of our drinks or the soft sip Duo would make.

Finally, he spoke, "What do you want, Heero?"

"A second chance," I spoke immediately, my eyes jumping at the chance to meet Duo's.  He stared at me, hard and didn't say anything for a moment.  He barely even blinked.  Then he looked away to take another long drink from his chocolate.

"Oh," he replied.

"Oh?" I mimicked, disbelief scrawling itself all over my face, my posture, my entire brain.

"You want to be together again?" He asked, looking calmly at the white counter with the mug resting comfortably on his bottom lip.

"Well-," I choked. "Y-yes-."

"You'll just be a replacement to her."

I blinked, my back straightening.  I stared at him, not quite comprehending what he meant.

"…What?"

"She was the One, Heero. That's the thing you don't understand.  She was it.  She was the One for me.  And if you want to be apart of my life again, you'll have to realize and accept that you can never amount to what she was to me.  You will always be the replacement."

//"You don't understand…"//

Air only escaped my lips.

"What we had was puppy love.  What she gave to me, was everything.  Do you understand that?  Can accept the fact that I'll never really love you?  That you'll never have my heart?"

"But Duo…"

"SHE," he stressed, slightly angry, "was everything.  She gave me sons, she gave me all her heart, she gave me her laughter - her last moments!  She gave me her last breaths!  What have you ever given me, Heero?  Besides broken bones and bullets?"

"I can do all of that too, Duo…"

//"You don't understand…"//

"I think…you're the missing the point, Heero," he said, shaking his head and looking away.  "The One, means the One.  One and only."

But…you're my one and only…

"What's your answer, Heero?" He asked.  "Yes or no?"

//"You don't understand…"//

"Please, Duo…Just listen…"

"Listen," he repeated, giving himself a curt nod as he said it.  "Listen.  No, Heero, I think its time you start listening.  You screwed me up real bad, Heero, that I-."  Abruptly he stopped and ducked his head.  He sighed angrily, stomped his foot lightly, and gripped the cup tightly in his hands.  He mumbled a few curses before jerking his blazing eyes back up towards me.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," he confirmed, nodding his head.  "I'm not going to say anything about what you did because it doesn't matter.  I don't want your pity; I barely even want you here.  But I'm just a nice bastard, I guess."

"I can make it up to you!"

"Make it up to me?" Duo repeated my words again, his horrific disbelief striking me hard.  "Oh, and I suppose you're going to do that how…?"

"I…I can…take care of your kids…"

Duo stuttered.

"While you go to work!" I hurriedly finished, trying to get my foot in between the door before it slammed shut.  "I know how, I took care of Charity's kids-."

"Who?" Duo demanded angrily.

I stuttered myself for minute, trying to pick myself up from the interruption.

"Quatre's sister…"

"Oh," he said simply, his anger gone and he shrugged.  "I guess I'll give you a chance…but remember Heero."

I listened attentively.

"My kids only have one dad.  Don't try to confuse them about that and especially don't tell them about our history together."

"I won't breathe a word," I promised.  My second chance.  I could do this.

Note: I think this was, seriously, a crappy chapter.  I only liked Heero's entrance with all the pictures.  Grah. .'