Disclaimers: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing nor it's characters. Merely borrowing them for a little torture.

Warnings: Shounen-ai (because I suck at yaoi) , major A.U, some OOC I think, probably future mpreg

Fates and Choices

Part 11: Of News and Split Personalities

Duo was glad for the brief peace that had settled over the Forest. The appearance of the Ancient two months ago had forged a tentative peace and had stilled the more serious bloodshed. Smaller battles were inevitable, but the horrific carnage he had seen ever since he came here had stopped. He didn't know how long it would last, but he treasured every minute of it as it gave him and Heero more time with their unborn child. Despite his mate's statements about not knowing anything about pregnant mates or wanting a child, Duo was amazed at how astute Heero was about what he needed. Back rubs, foot massages, cuddling, and sometimes making love the entire night through; these were just some of the things Heero provided without Duo having to ask. He seemed to be able to judge his mate's mood and needs so well that Duo had to wonder if he had ever been through pregnancy before.

With another mate.

The braided Healer giggled, trying to picture a swollen bellied Heero, waddling around and finally burst into laughter, holding on to his stomach, afraid that it would explode.

This was what Heero saw, walking into his dwelling; his mate settled on their bed, rolling helplessly with laughter, both hands on his swollen midsection. Duo made an entrancing vision and Heero was regretful that he had to pull the laughter from his normally exuberant mate. He had some troubling news, but he decided not to disclose it to his mate today.

"What are you laughing at, love?" Heero asked, walking to the bed.

One violet eye peeked at Heero before Duo exploded into laughter again.

Heero shook his head, resigned. While Duo's moods had been quicksilver even before his pregnancy, they had become more so now. There were times when a melancholic mate would just want to cuddle, or sometimes, his sex crazed evil twin would push Heero onto the bed and ravish him silly, or like now, the insane double giggling helplessly. Heero found that he liked Duo's crazed evil twin a lot, although, Mr Crazed Evil Twin always decided to be dominant and left the tribe chief difficulty in walking and sitting for days after. Still, Mr Crazed Evil Twin was great fun.

"Love, you are going to hurt yourself," Heero told him after a while. "Tell me what's so funny."

Duo looked up at him, gasping. "Just… imagine… you…" He couldn't even finish before collapsing into laughter again.

Heero stretched out next to his mate and snagged him in for a hug, letting him ride out his mirth against his strong chest. "All done?" He asked after Duo had quieted and felt a nod against his chest. They lay there for a while, Heero drawing circles on Duo's back, his other hand wrapped firmly around his rope of hair. It felt good laying there like that, with their son trapped in between their embracing bodies, his constant movement a soothing balm on Heero's soul. For someone who had never thought of a mate and children, he was expectedly pleased with the family he now held in his arms.

It was also quiet time before another on of Duo's alter egos decided to make an appearance.

Like now.

Duo stirred and Heero loosened his arms, observing closely who had come to visit. His mate had a distinctive glint in his eyes as he hovered of the blue eyed Shifter before placing a soft kiss at the base of his throat, a pink tongue darting out to lick the hollow teasingly.

Oh him, Heero thought, partially horrified, but mostly excited.

But as Duo growled possessively, as he pinned Heero to the bed, plundering his mouth ruthlessly, Heero couldn't decide whether to be distressed at knowing he won't be able to walk properly tomorrow or delighted at knowing he won't be able to think straight in a little while.

In the end, he just didn't think.

XXxxXX

"Quatre!"

The said Healer stilled at the odd mixture of complaint and delight in his leader's tone and turned cautiously to face Heero who had walked into his dwelling a while ago. Well, at least Quatre think it was walking, seeing the funny gait Heero had on.

"Are you injured?" The Healer asked solicitously. "Did you hurt your leg?"

Heero looked totally exasperated before blurting, "When is this phase going to end?" And lowered himself carefully onto a chair, wincing.

"Phase?" Quatre asked, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He understood now his leader's distress.

"That is not Duo, I want you to find out who he is and what has he done to my mate. By the Ancient, that creature is insatiable." Despite his complaints, Heero had a semi proud look on his face and Quatre nearly lost it then and there.

Quatre snorted to cover up a burst of laughter. "What's wrong? Are you worried about him being exhausted because if you…"

"He's exhausting me!" Heero exclaimed, cutting Quatre off who promptly exploded with laughter. "I will kill you," Heero had his famous Yuy glare within deep cobalt eyes.

"He's taking… not… Oh, this is priceless!" Quatre flopped onto a chair in the far end of the room, not wanting to be within arms length of his semi irate leader at the moment.

Heero merely glared at his Healer until the blond got himself under control. "I'm glad you find my distress amusing, now please tell me. When the hell is this thing going to stop?"

"You don't like it?"

"I love it, that's why I need to know when it will stop," Heero deadpanned sending Quatre in another round of uncontrolled snickering. "You are so lucky I've known you since we were children and that I do need you until my son's born."

"Honoured to be of service, O' great tribe chief, Heero Yuy," Quatre bowed solemnly, and then his smile faded. "How is Trowa and Duo getting along?"

Heero sighed. That had been a sensitive issue with his mate as well. He had gotten together with Quatre to try to put those two together, using Wufei as a buffer. So far, there had been tentative reaches on both sides and their respective mates see a bright future for reconciliation for the two of them. He trusted Quatre's advice not to push them into anything, while a disgruntled Wufei babysat them constantly.

"I sent the three of them out for a walk earlier. Partially because I realise if he doesn't get another form of exercise soon, I won't have any ass left," Heero muttered, as if annoyed and won a grin from the previously forlorn Healer. "I also need to speak to you about something." His expression turned serious.

Quatre settled himself, letting his leader set the pace of the conversation, knowing from experience Heero will speak only when he was ready.

"I have news from the Forest. It spoke to me."

The Forest spoke to each Shifter in different ways. Healers have no ability to Hear the Forest, only the life within it, but there were those with talent that know everything that happened within the Forest. Heero was one of them. He had told all of them once he knew exactly how many leaves that littered the floor of the Forest at that very moment.

Quatre maintained his silence, letting Heero compose himself. The blue eyed Shifter had turned troubled in a matter of seconds and the Healer knew that nothing could trouble Heero this much if it didn't involve his mate.

"The tribe chief of the Western tribe is making his way here with a small party," Heero turned worried eyes on his advisor. "My guess is to see 'Solo'."

"You want me to tell Duo?" Quatre offered.

Heero shook his head vehemently. "No," he refused. "But I need to know if I should tell him at all. I could always send him away with you on a small excursion to the unicorns for a while. Those four legged menaces seemed to love him to pieces."

"He will find out eventually. Thinking about how he offered himself to you for punishment, I think he was more than willing to let his father know about his duplicity. I don't think sending him away is a good idea, Heero." Quatre couldn't keep the worry that shot through him. Duo might want to end the lies with his tribe, but he was also afraid of his father, that much he admitted to Quatre. The Healer was afraid that the news might be too distressing for the pregnant Shifter but he also knew Duo would never forgive them if they lied to him about this.

"Why now of all times?" Heero muttered, rubbing his face with his hands. "Couldn't they just wait till after the baby arrives?"

"Couldn't who wait?" Duo asked cheerfully, smiling at Heero.

Trowa and Wufei followed closely behind. Trowa seemed to have a tiny bit more expression on his face that day and it seemed like one of happiness while Wufei appeared less disgruntled. It was clear to the two within the room that some bridges had been mended and Duo's good mood attested to that. It only pained Heero that the good mood his mate was in was going to be snatched away.

"Duo," Heero offered a hand to his mate, pulling him onto his lap, his arms curled protectively around Duo's waist. "We are going to have some guests."

"Really?" Duo loved guests. He had always said they brought life to a tribe. Whether it be Shifter or unicorn or pixie, Duo always made sure that they were welcomed. "I guess I need to make some arrangements then." He made to get off his mate's lap but was held more securely. "Heero?" He queried, sobering. Something was not right with the whole situation and whateve it was, was making Heero tense.

At the corner of his eye, he saw Trowa and Quatre exchange a look and Wufei looking vaguely uneasy about the whole talk. The braided Healer knew that his friends were already privy to the information Heero was only now supplying to him.

"I just want to let you know that if you are uncomfortable with it we can always send you somewhere else until they leave," Heero's hand snaked around to hold Duo's and squeezed supportively.

Send you somewhere.

That didn't sound good. Duo was starting to get frightened.

Quatre rubbed his chest recognising Duo's fear, knowing it as a bad sign. Trowa draped an arm around his mate to sooth and comfort but silently warned with a squeeze to let Heero handle telling the rest of the news.

"Is.. is something wrong?" Duo asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"I found out a few days ago, your father and a small party is coming in our direction," Heero announced finally.

Duo felt all the blood drain from his face as a rock settled in his chest, choking him. His father, coming here, to see him, no to see Solo. His father might take him away from Heero, take his baby away. His father hated people who lied, his father was who had a bad temper, his father who…

"Damn it, Duo, slow breaths. Focus, Duo, don't gasp," out of the corner of his ear, someone ordered, stroking his back soothingly. "No one will hurt you, no one will take you away, no one will take your baby away. Heero, this is a bad idea."

Damn, Duo thought, forlornly, he had said all of that out loud. The shock served to bring a little of him back to himself and he blinked owlishly at the four individuals that was now protectively huddled around him to provide support. He was still breathing hard, but was no longer feeling like he was about to pass out.

"I'm fine," he told them shakily; surprise to find one of Heero's hands splayed possessively over his stomach. He placed his own over his mate's.

"I won't let him have our baby," Heero assured. "What's mine stays mine. You understand?"

Duo nodded, feeling slightly better but worry still nagged at him. How was he supposed to explain Solo and his human lover? While his father accepted Howard, he still viewed the rest of humankind as below him. He would blame Duo for not telling him that his eldest son was consorting with something that was less than dirt. Would blame him for helping his brother to get away with it. Would blame him for lying to his own father for a human scum.

Damn if he wasn't hyperventilating again.

"Duo, stop this," Quatre ordered angrily. His friend's face was completely ashen and he seemed to be fighting to get a breath into his lungs. What was so scary about Duo's father that he had to be so frightened of retribution from him? "Breath, damn it."

Trowa was also truly disturbed by the fear on the normally strong Duo's face. He hadn't been afraid when Heero found out he was not the one intended for their tribe chief and Heero looked about ready to skewer him. While Treize was known for his fiery temperament, Trowa doubted that Heero's own reputation was that far behind. So why was Duo terrified of his father?

Wufei's stomach twisted in disgust as his saw the familiar look on his friend's face. He knew what it meant and judging by the confused, albeit speculative looks his other friends had on, they were not privy to iron discipline as he and evidently Duo had. He remembered all the lashes he endured for missing a pass or for letting his guard down. Oh yes, he remembered the fear of disappointing his father. He wouldn't forget it in this lifetime. If this Treize even looked at his friend funny, he would have him kicked out of the village. Hell, he would do it himself.

"Love," Heero said quietly, still holding his mate in his lap. "They are still weeks away. You can leave if you want to. They won't have to know which one is really here."

Duo forced some calm into his being and leaned down, touching his forehead with Heero's "How far can I go looking like this?" He joked weakly.

"You managed to get nearly half way across the damned Forest the last time, Duo," Wufei said, seriously. "If you want, we can do it again, and we can give you an early start."

Violet studied obsidian and Duo astutely guessed if there was someone in this damned room that understood what he went through, Chang Wufei would the one. No, no more running. It was time to face the music.

tbc…

G-boys: Lemons are still not your thing are they?

Tsu: At least you are getting some.

G-boys: Can't tell from where we stand.