Author: Hakki's Dragon

Title: What if

Section: Heero and Duo

Chapter 1: Welcome the new boy

Rating: R

Disclaimers: I don't own any thing that has to deal with Gundam wing, I'm just a poor fan girl

Warning: This fic will contain Yaoi, slash, boy on boy action, so be careful

Thanks: To Makoto Sagara my beta

A/N Please read this is important: This fic was inspired by a episode of Friend where they wondered what their life would be like if they had chosen the "other path". So this is how this fic goes. What if after Odin died Heero was never picked up by Doctor J. What if the Maxwell Church was never destroyed. What if Trowa's parents were never killed. What if Quatre was a good boy and never ran away from home. What if Meilan was still alive and married to WuFei. A possible What if Zecks and Relena might be added (not like that all you sicko a what if part) The fic is also divided into 3 section a Heero and Duo pairing section. A Quatre and Trowa pairing section and finial (for now) a WuFei and Sally section. Enjoy

Chapter 1: Welcome the new boy Akahori Omode; head of the top orphanage on colony H01025 on the L1 cluster, frowned as another report was sent to him referring to one of their orphans, Lowe, Heero. A troubled 15 year old boy from the streets, who was brought to this particular orphanage at the age of 13 when the orphanage he was living in became bankrupt.

He regretted his decision, but this orphanage had no room for a boy like him. His cold look and past contributed to the fact that he has never once been picked up by potential foster parents, let alone adopted. The boy was older now, and the chances of adoption were slim to none. He hesitated at doing this, but Akahori worked tirelessly trying to transfer this boy to one of the other orphanages on L1. Unfortunately, they all refused, so he broadened his search, and had found a willing orphanage in the L2 cluster. Sometime today, the head of that orphanage would be contacting him. Until then, he must speak to that boy.

"Mrs. Whaste."

"Yes, sir." His secretary said over the intercom.

"Will you please bring me Heero Lowe? I would like to speak with him."

"Right away, sir." She said.

Within ten minutes, the boy was in his office. He was small for his age and thin, rather odd looking for a boy of Japanese decent with ash brown hair that he never took care of and the coldest blue eyes you had ever seen. Yet, despite his size, he was incredibly strong and looked dangerous. He rarely spoke and if he did it was usually a threat or to tell someone to be quiet. Many times, he wound up in fights which sent other boys to hospitals. He scared both the workers and the teachers at his school, and unfortunately, it was time for him to leave.

"Please sit down." Akahori told him. The boy moved seamlessly to the chair before the desk. "Mr. Lowe, I regret to inform you of this, but due to your violent out bursts, I am afraid that we can no longer keep you here."

"So, you are telling me I must leave." There seemed to be no emotion in the boy's voice, though his cold eyes narrowed.

"Of course not. I would never just put you back on the streets. I have made arrangements for you to be moved to another orphanage. The Maxwell orphanage on colony V08744, in the L2 cluster."

"L2, another colony system." There was a slight hint of surprise in his voice this time.

"Um, well, they were the only ones that replied back to my request. The L2 colony system will not seem that bad. You are already fluent in their language and the cultural differences are minor." There was a buzz from his intercom that interrupted him. "Will you please hold a moment, Mr. Lowe. Yes, Mrs. Whaste."

"A Father Maxwell is on the phone for you, sir. You informed me to let you know when he contacted you."

"Yes, send him through." His eyes looked back up to Heero's "Alright, Mr. Lowe, you will be able to meet the head of this orphanage."

The video screen on the far wall turned on, and Akahori got up to properly talk. Father Maxwell was an older man with gray hair and a kind smile.

"Father, what a pleasure it is to meet you. Your timing couldn't be more perfect. I have Mr. Lowe here right now." Akahori said, in English.

"Well, that is wonderful." Father Maxwell said. "I was hoping I could speak with him as well."

Akahori turned to see Heero still sitting away from the video screen. "Please, come here, Heero."

The young boy stood up gracefully, and came to stand by him.

"It is a pleasure to meet with you, Father," Heero said softly. "But I don't think I am going to be able to live in your orphanage. You see, I don't believe in a god."

Akahori was shocked, but Father Maxwell smiled. "Mr. Lowe, it doesn't matter what you believe in. We welcome all."

"Well then, Father, Mr. Akahori, I will leave you to talk about what you are going to do with me. After all, I have no decision about it. In the mean while, I have to pack."

"Heero..."

"Let him leave, Mr. Akahori." Father Maxwell said.

"I'm sorry for how rude he was. It's just that..."

"No need to apologize. I understand. Let the boy be angry. I'm sure it's a shock to him."

"Well, truthfully Father, that was down right polite for him. So you see the problem I face. We are ill equipped to handle a child like him. I'm afraid he may end up nothing more then a street punk."

"Mr. Akahori, never believe that any child is hopeless. I have dealt with a lot of children just like him. I am almost positive that the program that my orphanage has will help this boy find his way."

"I wish you all the luck Father. I have spoken with the head of the transportation department for this colony. He was very helpful, considering the war and all. He has made special arrangements to get Heero to your colony. Unfortunately Father, it is this Thursday. I fear that it might be to soon for you."

Father Maxwell smiled. "Well, it is sooner than expected, but it is no problem. I look forward to having Mr. Lowe with us, and I will take care of his transportation from the spaceport, if your secretary will send me his flight information."

"Thank you, Father. I will have it sent right away, and do send me reports on Heero's progress." They said their farewells, and Akahori returned to his work at his desk.

~*~*~*~

Heero had never traveled alone. Years ago, he traveled with Odin. That all seemed so far in the past. The last time he was on L2 was when he was only 4, maybe 5. He stared out the window, mostly looking at his own reflection, due to the blackness of space; the earth was on the other side of the ship. Everyone else on the ship was older and probably traveling for business proposes. Not many people could fly because of the war. He was out of place; not that he cared. Never in his life had other people's opinions mattered to him. He knew he seemed emotionless. That was why it was so easy to pass him over. What was the point of letting emotions cloud your perspective? Though, it wasn't as if he could completely block them. He felt anger, fear, and happiness just as everyone else. But, he wasn't ruled by his emotions. Odin once told him that to live a full life is to follow your emotions. He had no life, no soul. He was empty. That was why he forced his emotions back. "Please fasten your seat belt. We will be docking at any moment, and I hope you enjoyed the flight." The pilot's voice said over the speaker.

Fifteen minutes later, Heero had his only bag, and he went into the spaceport where he was to meet someone from the orphanage. Waiting for him was a large man in his 40's. He offered Heero his hand, but they never shook. He must have thought that Heero was unsure of him, so he told him that he was a member of the church, and had volunteered to pick him up.

"Thank you for taking time to pick me up. I am very grateful." Heero forced out, knowing it was the right thing to say. Then, he walked past the man's out stretched hand and to the elevators.

He was named Robert, so the man told him catching up, as Heero led them out of the spaceport. On the ride to the orphanage, Robert made small talk. Heero gave him small answers and never asked one question back to continue the conversation. Until, Robert announced, "We're here." And smiled wide.

They had pulled up to a massive Catholic Church, worn from age and from what looked like lack of the proper amount of funding to keep the physical conditions up. The elderly father Heero had spoken to was waiting out front with a smile.

Heero grabbed his bag and walked up to the priest, with Robert following right behind of him.

"Well, Father, got him here in one piece, like I said I would." Robert clasped Heero on the shoulder, causing the boy to tense up.

"Thank you, Robert. And Mr. Lowe, it is a pleasure to meet you." Father Maxwell extended his hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you to Father, but I don't shake hand." Heero said, his voice remaining emotionless, almost robotic. He saw Robert give a look, but Father Maxwell just continued to smile.

"That is perfectly alright, Mr. Lowe."

Heero hated to be called Mr. Lowe. That name was what people called Odin. He was Mr. Lowe. Heero was just given his last name for legal reasons in the original orphanage that picked him up. And in fact, he was never sure why Odin gave him the first name Heero. As far as he knew, that was not his birth name.

"You may call me Heero, and Mr. Plant," He directed to Robert. "Thank you for the ride."

Even though the words where pleasant, he didn't convey that he was really thankful for the ride. But, Robert squeezed his shoulder again and smiled, saying something like it was no problem, and he hoped to see Heero again soon before he went back to his car.

When Robert left, Father Maxwell asked Heero to follow him. "Here we have the older children stay in another building, separate from the orphanage." Father Maxwell said, leading Heero back behind the church. "Years ago, we decided that when a child reached about 13, the chances of them being adopted are very small, so our church is legally is allowed to take them as a temporary foster child until a family may take them in. Heero, you, right now, are legally my foster child until you are 18."

"I understand." Heero said.

"Well, I hope you feel comfortable at your new home. You will be living it what we call the boys dorm. It was built to be much like a dorm in a school, but because of a limited budget, we used to old building plans for a local private school. You will be staying in a room with another boy as your roommate because of the lack of space here, and will be attending St. Alexander's. It is a private high school that allows our children to attend for free. I know you said you don't believe in god, but do try to appreciate the wonderful education you will receive there."

"Yes, Father."

There was a gap in the conversation as they came up the Heero's new home. The Priest was right. They looked like two dorm buildings with a garden separating them. The first building was a medium green with dark trim, and the other was a cerulean blue with light trim. They walked up to the green building.

"Your curfew is nine at night, unless you have special permission to be out later. But, at nine we lock all doors. If you are not back by then, you may have to spend the night on the front step." Father Maxwell said.

"That will not be a problem, Father."

Father Maxwell stopped at the door and looked at Heero very seriously. "Heero, I know you are not used how things work around here, but I hope you find living here comfortable. I want you to feel you can trust me. But, I know that is something that only comes with time. If at any time you feel you want to talk to me about 'anything', Heero, you can, and I will listen with an open mind. I can promise you that."

Heero really didn't know what to say. The kind and genuine look on his face made it seem like he truly meant it. "Thank you, Father."

The inside of the building was small, but looked comfortable. To Heero's left, there was a common room with books stacked high on the wall and chairs encircling a television, and in the corner was a video phone both next to a computer. Going off of the common room was a kitchen that Heero could just barely see into. In front of him was a staircase, and next to that was a very large bathroom. To his right was a dark hallway. Father Maxwell lead him up the stairs. On the second floor, two large oak doors were on either side of him and windows down at both ends of the hall. Going to the left and the very end of the hall, Father Maxwell stopped and knocked on the door.

"Coming," said a muffled voice. Then, the door was opened by a young boy with a big smile. He was dressed all in black, but looked like a normal happy teenage with bright violet eyes and his hair kept back in a meter-long, ridiculous braid.

"Duo," Father Maxwell said. "This is Heero Lowe."

"Yes, I know. Come on in. I have been expecting you." Duo extended his hand to Heero, but the other boy just walked past him into the room.

"Duo, may I speak with you for a moment?" Father Maxwell asked.

"Of course." He bounded out of the room, shutting the door behind him. "Absolutely charming. I think me and him are going the have loads of fun. I can tell he's the type that will talk all night." Duo joked.

"Yes, well, we have spoken about how you think you will be able to handle this young man. But, Duo, you mustn't hesitate to tell me if you two have any problems."

"I know, I know, Father. Don't worry. I can handle him." He looked at the worried Father's eyes. "Aw, stop it. Me and him will get along just fine, once I smack him around a little, then completely take out his brain and replace it with a gerbil's."

While they were talking in the hall, Heero moved to his side of the room on the north wall. The room had the door in the center. Each side was identical, with a bed against the wall, a wardrobe next to it, and a desk at the end. But the difference between the two sides was that, the other boy, Duo, had posters on his wall of bands, movies and animated characters. On every piece of furniture, he had placed little collectibles and other odd sort of things, and on his desk beside a load of messy papers was nice computer. And Heero's side was completely empty.

Duo came back in, shutting the door behind him, and craned his head so he could see what Heero was unpacking. Heero just continued to unpack, acting as if Duo wasn't even there.

"So, Heero," The long haired boy said. "How was your flight? I haven't been on a space shuttle before. In fact, I have never left this colony. Have you ever been to any other colonies? Can I help you unpack?"

"No." He said, trying to shut the other boy up, but he came buzzing behind him.

"Are you sure? Well then, have you eaten? I can get you something to tide you over until dinner. Do you like Lunchables? They're really good for a snack."

"Leave me alone, and no I don't want whatever the hell a Lunchable is." Heero said.

"It a plastic container with little crackers, lunch meat and cheese and a brownie. Sometimes, they come with a drink. They are good. Are you sure I can't get anything for you? It will be no problem. I'll just go down to the kitchen."

"Leave me alone."

"Man, your grumpy. Just trying to be nice. Hey what's that?" Duo leaned over Heero's shoulder. Heero, in his frustration, lifted his hand, and shoved Duo away. He meant it to be light, but because of his strength, and the fact that caught the boy off guard, Duo stumbled back, nearly falling.

Duo caught himself and looked angry. "Don't push me," and he pushed Heero's shoulder.

That was it. Heero never liked to be touched, and if that little punk thought he could get away with that, he was wrong. In a split second, he lashed out with his fist; hitting Duo so hard on his right cheek that he fell to the ground.

Heero braced himself for a fight, but all Duo did was rub his sore cheek and jaw, and gradually got to his feet. It looked as if he was trying to keep himself calm, but the enraged look in his eyes betrayed his calm exterior. Heero had seen enough people ready to fight, and this boy was teetering on the edge. It was better this way. All Heero had to do was show his strength, and let this other boy know he was no one to mess around with.

With a crack of his jaw, Duo calmly spoke. "It's hard. I know it is. Being alone, not knowing where then next place your going to sleep is, or if your going to be able to find food. You're alone, and scared, and even if you did have someone by you, at one point they died or just abandoned you. Am I right?"

Heero put down his defenses, and turned back to his bags, ignoring Duo. But, Duo knew he hit the right cord, so he continued. "So, you misplace your feelings. It's much easier to be angry than scared. Being scared never gets you anywhere, but you're strong when you're angry, right? I know this too well."

Still pulling clothes out of his bag, the muscles in Heero's back and arms tensed. Probably another rush of anger, Duo sensed. No one ever likes to be told there scared, hurt, and alone. Duo knew to be careful. He was already on thin ice, and he wasn't going to fall through, yet.

"What I am trying to say is that everyone here shares a similar past to yours. So, we understand where you are coming from. You're going to find out living here is nice, once you get used to it." He smiled. Well as best as he could, with a swollen cheek and the fact that it hurt like a bitch, and he waited to see what Heero would say.

"I told you before to leave me alone." He said in the same icy tone as before.

Duo expected that, but it still pissed him right off. He was being nice, saying all those nice things, and Heero still wanted to act that way. Fine then. Duo, with his flair for the dramatics, stormed out of the room and down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time, till he was in the common room. He could see the back of a blond head sitting on the couch, which had to be Tommy, and he was so engrossed in the television and didn't notice him come in.

Duo went right for the kitchen, not saying a word and wrenched open the freezer door. The cold air rushed out with visible vapor, as he looked for something cool to press against his swelling cheek. To his luck, someone had bought fudge bars. Taking one still in the wrapper, he pressed the ice cream to his face, and walked to a chair in the adjoining common room and threw himself on to it.

"Those are Seth's." Tommy said, referring to the fudge pop, while his eyes hardly left the TV.

"I'm not going to eat it." Duo said, far more irate then he intended. Damn it, he thought, now I'm starting to act like that asshole.

Tommy looked at him as if he was strange, and then said. "What happened? Looks like someone beat the hell out of you."

"Does it look all that bad?" Duo hadn't even stopped to look at how bruised he was. Tommy just nodded, looking confused. Duo sighed. "I pissed off that new boy. I was hoping it wasn't visible. I don't want Father Maxwell to know."

"Well, then ask some of the girls if you can use some of their make-up, cause he's going to notice. And, why are you defending that boy anyway? How long has he been here, and he's already hitting people? If I was you, I would want to see him gone."

"He's not that bad." Duo said reaching for a game controller. "He's just like us when we got here. You don't mind, do you?" Duo wiggled the controller.

"No go ahead. My show's over anyway. I just think you shouldn't be so forgiving to him. First, it's your face. Next, you'll be in the hospital."

"You forget, the bible teaches forgiveness and tolerance."

"Duo, when did you become the good catholic boy? Besides, the bible also teaches an eye for an eye."

Duo would have smiled, but his face hurt too much. "Don't think that I have gone soft. I have my ways of getting back at him, and if it comes to us fighting, then he's going to learn what this street rat can do." He turned on the game system, planning to get as far as he could before dinner.