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 16: Of Confrontations and Knives

"Solo?" Duo ventured uncertainly, backing a step. His brother seemed different for some reason. There was no concern within Solo's eyes, no love, nothing and worse than being empty, it was filled with hatred. Pure and unadulterated. Duo felt like he was punched in the stomach.

Solo hated him. It was written all over his face.

"Poor little brother," Solo continued to jeer, taking another step forward. "Poor little misunderstood Duo," he flashed the knife in the air. "Always the centre of attention, always the one everyone looks out for," his eyes hardened. "Always you, always Duo."

"Solo?" Duo continued to back away. He turned and saw the village, considering running back there. He realised on time that he was in no condition what so ever to run anywhere. Fear began to gnaw at him. His brother looked ready to kill him and was absolutely serious about it.

"Solo," a sharp voice barked. "Drop the knife."

Duo could have wept with relief. It was Zechs, he should have known he wasn't that graceful enough to avoid all the warriors. He made to run to his cousin but was caught easily by his brother around the neck in a chokehold. He felt the cold press of steel against his jugular.

"Don't," Solo warned, voice low and menacing against Duo's ear. "You know what I can do. Don't make me do it…. prematurely."

Duo's felt his heart pounding and his breath coming in fearful gasps. This was not Solo, his brother would never do this to him. Never.

"Who are you?" Duo gasped. "Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to come in between me and my brother? Did my father send you?"

Zechs looked almost disgusted. "Duo! Wake up, that's Solo, not some other Shifter pretending to be your brother," he barked.

"Silly stupid Duo, afraid of the one thing that could have protected you," Solo shifted his gaze to Zechs. "I'm taking him, you won't follow me."

"In your dreams," Zechs snapped.

Solo smiled maniacally. "What I forgot to put in was, you won't be following me, because," he shifted the knife in his hand and threw it at Zechs. "You would be dead."

Duo screamed as the knife found its' mark, deep in Zechs' chest. His cousin went down in a boneless heap. And he didn't seem to be breathing. With strength he didn't know he possessed, Duo flung his brother's confining arms off and ran as fast as he could towards his fallen cousin. Almost sobbing, Duo turned Zechs onto his back and saw the knife embedded deeply into the middle of his right chest. The Healer within Duo made a quick diagnosis. Heart not affected, probably a punctured lung from the laboured breathing, possible cracked rib. He had to work fast. His brother wasn't going to wait long for him and Zechs didn't have much time for that matter.

I'm sorry little one, Duo apologised, touching stomach lightly. Just a little so Zechs doesn't die.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the knife out and for the first time in almost seven months, Duo brought his Healing power to the surface. Taking care to use as little power as possible Duo re-knitted the tear in unconscious Shifter's lungs and saw Zechs stirring. The Healer cut his power off quickly just as an irate Solo hauled him to his feet. Duo could no longer do anything for blood loss and hoped to the Ancient help would come before Zechs bled to death.

Gripping the knife tightly in his fist, Duo took a swing at Solo as he was turned around by rough hands. His swollen midsection threw off his centre of gravity and he missed his target by a wide mark. He was quickly relieved of his weapon and backhanded onto the Forest ground. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of him and something else… There was a slight cramping low in his belly, something akin to the pain he normally felt after Healing when he first realised he was pregnant, but not as intense. Dread filled him. His body told him what it was. He wasn't going to lose the baby like he thought he had all those months ago. This was worse, he had gone into labour.

Solo had possession of the knife again and his eyes gleamed with murder. "You always try to undo everything I work so hard for." He raised the knife high into the air aiming for Duo's distended stomach, aiming for his unborn son. "Why must you take everything I have?" He screamed, bringing it down in a deadly arc.

Duo saw the knife and in one desperate attempt to save his baby, he twisted to his side just as the sharp object plunged painfully into his thigh. Unable to hold it in, a scream of agony filled the air.

"Look what you made me do?" Solo said placidly, the fit of rage passed. His eyes searched the village and noticed some movement within it. "Come on, brother," he bit out acidly. "Let's go." He pulled his brother to his feet again and pulled him along as they disappeared deeper into the Forest.

XXxxXX

Heero sense a wrongness just as he stepped into the village. He tilted his head slightly, listening carefully to what the Forest was tell him. His breath caught and frantic eyes swung around.

"Warriors, gather," he yelled. In a flurry of motion, all able Shifters gathered in front of their leader. "Get Quatre," he told Trowa softly. "Blood has been spilt." And he didn't know whose. Duo was now missing, there was a Shifter lying injured not too far from here.

In a short while, Heero had all his warriors panned out and a frantic call from Wufei brought everyone to him. The sight before him almost brought Heero to his knees. Zechs lay bleeding in Wufei's arms, but not a weapon in sight.

"Damn it, Zechs, don't you dare die on me," Wufei was yelling at the unconscious man he had cradled in his arms. "Quatre, please," he raised obsidian orbs pleadingly to the Healer's.

The slight Healer dropped gracefully next to Zechs. "Wufei, you have to let go." He watched carefully as Wufei forcefully peeled himself off the blond Shifter and waited for Quatre to do his work. The Healer almost smiled at him, knowing it wouldn't be welcome. If he read things correctly, they were probably going to lose Wufei to Duo's old tribe if Zechs had anything to say about it. Now, it was Quatre's job to make sure Zechs would be able to say something about it. As he touched the injured Shifter, he felt something. It was extremely faint and hardly recognisable, but worryingly familiar. Then blond Healer put it out of his mind as he set out about Healing Zechs.

The Shifter came awake coughing and urgently grabbed at Quatre. "Solo," he whispered weakly.

"What? He's here?" Heero brushed Quatre aside just as Wufei came behind Zechs to support him.

"Took… Duo," Zechs managed before passing out again.

Heero released an enraged howl and barked a short order for the trackers to do their work.

"Heero," Trowa called out softly, hunkered not too far from where Zechs was lying. He pointed to a small pool of crimson on the ground. "That's Duo's scent."

His Duo, his mate. His blood. Duo was injured. He was bleeding.

These thoughts ran repeatedly through his head. "We hunt."

XXxxXX

Duo felt faint. The world had become a confused and colourless blur. His thigh burned as rivulets of blood streamed down his pants, soaking them through.

He was losing too much blood.

A strong cramp took his mind away from the pain in his thigh. Over the past few hours? He had lost count, but his pains were getting stronger and soon he wouldn't be able to move anymore. He had to buy some time. Heero would find him, Duo knew he would. He fell to the ground as the pain within him eased, spent of the last of his strength.

"Get up!" Solo hissed.

Duo panted slumping onto ground. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, anguished.

Solo stared down at him. "Why? How dare you ask me why?"

"I am your brother, I thought you love me." Duo felt his heart shatter at the revulsion in Solo's features, twisting the once handsome face into something unrecognisably ugly.

"You had everything," Solo bit out. "Our father's love, our father's name."

"I was named after our mother," Duo reminded him. "As is custom. The tribe chief rejected me by not letting me take his name, you know that," he cried, willing his brother to remember and believe.

Solo laughed mirthlessly. "Stupid, stupid Duo. Believing everything I said. Treize was our mother, and he named only you for our father. He honoured you. He wanted so much to be reminded by you of our father. You were the prodigal son, you were the strong one, you were the one who had everything. You always take everything!"

"You were Treize's heir!" Duo cried, wincing at another pain. Treize, his father… his mother? A bearer? If his mind wasn't as dizzy as it was, he would have shaken his head in disbelief.

"Only because you couldn't be!" Solo flung back. He started pacing restlessly, brandishing his knife in the air. "Treize would love me if you weren't around! Everything would be perfect."

"You are my brother, I would have given anything to you. You lied to me about our father as well?" Duo asked in a small hurt voice.

Solo cackled with glee. "You were so easy to manipulate and our stupid father helped when he had me whipped."

Duo was struck dumb, feeling as if his world had fallen apart. Years of fear for his father was for naught. Years of mental torture, years of pain. He wanted so badly to scream in frustration, to drive a knife through Solo's wicked, black heart. "You betrayed me," he whispered, one hand gripping the muscles cramping painfully in his stomach.

"You shouldn't have been born!" Solo raged. "You came and took everything from me. No one wanted to look at me anymore, no one cared for me anymore." He went on in an almost sing song tone. "No one wanted Solo, only Duo." He glared at Duo once more. "I HATE YOU!" He shrieked at his brother.

The Healer cringed, at a loss of what to do. He couldn't protect himself, couldn't kill even if he was given the chance, but he had something to protect now and no way to protect it.

Duo, love..

Duo almost wept with relief. Heero. He was near. At least near enough for telepathy through their bond.

Heero, help. He's insane. My brother's insane Duo felt pain, sorrow, agony.

We're close

Solo began advancing towards Duo again. "I tried so many times. You. Just. Wouldn't. Die!" He leaned over his fallen brother. "I tried even here, that stupid werebeast couldn't even get it right. All those stupid idiots. Then even the Ancient wanted you to be safe. This baby," he pressed a rough hand on Duo's midsection, and was rewarded with a soft cry of pain. "It's supposed to be mine. You're a damned Healer, you're not supposed to breed. Heero was supposed to kill you when he found out." Solo grabbed his brother by the neck and pinned him to the ground, squeezing it tightly.

Duo choked, clawing at weakly the hand around his neck, cutting off his air. Too late, too weak.

I'm sorry, Heero he threw that thought out, his vision darkening as his air was slowly cut off. I tried As his world faded to grey, he saw once more the deadly knife held high above him and the cloudy sky above prepared to weep for the death of a Shifter.

tbc…