Title: Three Days part 5: Day 3…. Christmas Eve
Author: Little Angel
Warnings: OOC, semi death fic (literally ^^;),
Pairings: 2+1, 3+4

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Duo stayed with Wufei until it was time to catch the train. It was the last train running today so if Duo missed it, he would be out of luck. Hopefully fate would let him have this last chance.

The time Duo and Wufei spent during those two(ish) hours was used to mend some of the breaks in their relationship. There were no harsh words exchanged and the beginnings of what could be a stable friendship were formed.

-----3pm Christmas Eve The train ride back for Duo----

Duo took the time of the train to calm down. It did *not* help that he knew he only had less than 9 hrs left though. /I have to deal with one problem at a time. First I must talk to Heero about the whole Hilde issue. *Then* I can worry about his Ultimate gift…/

--- 6 pm, less than 6 hrs before Christmas---

"Where did all this traffic come from?!?" Duo was sitting in the cab trying to get back to his apartment.

"What do you expect buddy? It's Christmas Eve. Everyone is trying to get home to their families." In the time frame of twenty minutes, the cab had barely moved.

"How much is the meter up to? Oh forget it, here." Duo gave the cab driver a large wad of money, grabbed his bag and got out of the cab. "Keep the change!"

With that, Duo took off towards the apartment.

---7 pm 5 hrs before Christmas; Duo and Heero's apartment---

Duo ran into the apartment complex hoping to find Heero inside. He was ip the stairs and almost down the hall when Mrs. B's dog Mozart started barking at him.

"Gah! Down boy… easy… easy." Duo stepped carefully around the dog and went into the apartment.

"Heero?" He dropped the bags at the door, ignored the dog in the hallway and ran around the apartment looking for Heero.

However, Duo's efforts were in vain. Heero was no where in the apartment. Nothing looked different from before they left. Duo thought about trying his cell phone, but he didn't want to anger Heero. Plus he didn't know if Heero would pick up the phone. With one last look around the apartment, Duo took off to search outside. He ran for a couple clocks then stopped.

/Ok. Breathe. I need to think logically. Now, Heero can be anywhere. He was the Perfect Soldier. But if I was Heero were would I go…/ Duo noticed a sign on the back of a bench for the Aquarium. They had a Dolphin show in the summer with a special inside show on Christmas Eve.

----Flashback---

"Duo where are we going?"

"It's a surprise Hee-chan. We're almost there, close your eyes." Heero looked over at Duo for a second before closing his eyes. Duo reached over and took Heero's hand in

his own, squeezing lightly. They drove for about 5 more minutes before Duo finally stopped the car.

"Be right there Hee-chan." There was a playful note in his voice. Heero heard his car door open and felt Duo remove his seatbelt. "Ok Hee-chan, careful on this step…"

Duo gave Heero a commentary all the way to their destination. Heero heard a splash, and Duo told him to open his eyes.

Heero was face to face with a dolphin. He blinked as the dolphin went into the water then came up and squirted some water at Duo.

"Hey!" Duo sputtered and shook his head. Heero cracked a smile at him. "Duo no baka. You really don't have a good was with animals do you?"

"Duo grinned back at him, "Duo you like your surprise Hee-chan?"

"I love it Duo arigatio." Heero leaned down to pet the dolphin's nose.

---End Flash back---

/Maybe…/ Duo took off for the aquarium.

---7:45 pm. Meteor Aquarium 4hrs 15 min until Christmas---

"The Meteor Aquarium will be closing in 15 minutes. I repeat, the Aquarium will be closing in 15 minutes. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays."

The voice on the loud speaker didn't deter Duo from finding Heero in the least. Besides, he already had a pretty good idea of where to look. He ran up the stairs to the Dolphin arena's stands. After a quick sweep Duo was slightly saddened when he didn't see Heero. He forced himself to take another look, only slower this time.

/There! / Sure enough he saw Heero kneeling down next to the glass window with a little boy and his mother. Duo looked closer and he could see Heero explaining something about the dolphin to the boy. He boy hugged Heero while his mother thanked him before the two headed off, presumably back to their home to await Santa's arrival.

Duo saw his chance to talk to Heero since he was again alone. He carefully made his way down the stands until he was close enough to Heero, should his koi try to get away, Duo could cut him off, or at least try to. "Heero? Can I talk to you please?"

He saw Heero tense up when he first called his name, but he didn't show any signs of bolting. /So far so good. Right? /

"Heero, I'm sorry about this morning. I –" Heero started to walk away, but Duo wouldn't let him.

"Heero matte!" He grabbed Heero's arm and turned him so they were face to face.

"I'm so sorry Heero. I didn't know Howie was going to be there, and I had no idea he would bring something like that up. When Hilde and I went on that trip, it was sometime last month I think she forgot her toothpaste. She stopped by the room about a half hour after I got off the phone with you and asked to barrow mine. I didn't think anything of it. Honest. I could've told her to go to the hotel gift shop, but she was a friend, *only* a friend. I never had *any* intension of doing anything with her then."

"And now?"

---Heero's POV--- (when he first arrived at the Aquarium)

/Duo… and Hilde…was this just a guilt trip for him? That would explain why he's been acting so strange. But… why? I don't understand him sometimes. /

"Hey mister?" Heero looked down to find a small boy pulling on his jacket.

"Yes?"

"I'm lost. I can't find my mommy. Duo you know where she is?"

"What does she look like?"

"A mommy." The boy was about to burst into tears.

"Calm down. Everything will be ok. Where did you last see her?"

"We were walking around the big swimming pools when this large fish came up to the glass. It looked funny and I turned to look at it closer, but it went away. I turned back to tell mommy but she was gone."

Heero looked around the room. There was a killer whale tank, a seal tank, and a dolphin tank. The boy was probably talking about the killer whales, which was in the middle of the room.

"What is your name?"

"Joey."

"Well Joey, what is your mommy's name?"

"Mommy." Heero sighed, and made a mental note to not ask to many questions to a 3 yr. old about their parents.

"How about I lift you up and you can tell me if you see your mommy ok?"

"Ok!" The boy smiled and jumped up and down.

Heero was suddenly grateful that he was wearing his Preventers jacket, so Joey's mother wouldn't think he was trying to kidnap her son. Even though he and the other pilots weren't full time agents, they did help if something came up the Preventers couldn't handle. Heero made a mental note to thank Une for the jacket.

Heero picked up Joey and started to slowly turn them in a circle. "Do you see her yet?"

Joey didn't answer, all his attention seemed to be focused on finding his mother.

"Mommy!" Joey tried to get down going to his mother. Heero looked to see who he was trying to get to. He saw a woman standing with a security guard across the dolphin tank. He started walking over to them, keeping the boy in his arms so he didn't get lost again.

Joey's mother spotted Heero and started running over to them. "Joey! Oh thank you so much!"

Heero handed Joey over to his mother. "It was no problem ma'am."

"I'm sorry mommy, I was looking at the big fishy." As he said that a dolphin came close to where they were standing and jumped out of the water. Joey tried to get out of his mothers hold so he could look at the dolphin though the glass. After some maneuvering he managed to get away.

Heero knelt down next to him, incase he tried to run again. "That's a dolphin. There aren't a lot of them left in the world because of all the pollution."

"It's so pretty. And big. When I get bigger will there be more of them? I wanna learn to take care of them."

"I'm sure there will be. You'll have to study really hard to be able to take care of the dolphins. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes!"

"You should start by getting a good nights sleep," his mother said gently, "that way you will be well rested and ready to see what Santa has brought you about the dolphins."

"Cool!"

"Say thank you to this nice man for helping you."

"Thank you mister!" Joey gave Heero a hig.

"Call me Heero."

"Thank you mister Hero! Bye!" Joey took his mother's hand and started walking with her back toward the exit.

Heero went back to watching the dolphins when he heard a familiar voice, "Heero? Can I talk to you? Please?"

Heero tensed when he heard Duo's voice. /Why did he come after me? How did he find me? Do I really want to listen to what he has to say? Is it going to make any difference? Gods, what happened to us? Why is this so hard? / He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't move a muscle. Duo took it as a sign to continue.

When Heero registered what Duo was saying, about what happened that morning he wasn't sure if he could handle the explanation so he tried to leave. But Duo wouldn't relent, he grabbed Heero's arm and turned him so they could be face to face.

/I can't do this now. Not after everything that has been happening lately. But Duo never lies… / He took the chance of looking Duo in the eye as he talked. /Duo always said, you can tell if a man is lying by his eyes. /

Heero didn't find any of the things he thought would be hidden in Duo's eyes. Duo had the same look in his eyes from when he wsa apologizing about Wufei yesterday afternoon. "…I never had *any* intention of doing anything with her then. Honest."

/Then? Does that mean? /

"And now?" Heero almost didn't want to hear the answer to his question. /But I have to know. /

"Hee-chan, this whole vacation was for you. I realized tat I've been a real jerk towards you, ignoring you, and I even started to take it for granted that you would be around. I am not proud of any of that, and this trip was *supposed* to be a way of making all that up to you. To show you that I still and always have loved *you.* And *only* you –"

"The Meteor Aquarium is now closing, Have a Merry Christmas and a save trip home."

The loud speaker interrupted Duo, but it was enough to give him a small idea. "Hee-chan! That's it! The Ultimate Gift! I've got it!"

"What? Duo what are you talking about?"

"Never mind that, I'll explain later. Just take off you shirt, socks and shoes."

"What!? Duo are you *crazy*? They're closing."

"You've always wanted to swim with the Dolphins right? Well now's your chance! Please just do this for me?"

The answer Duo gave was not what Heero was expecting /He had a sincere look in his eyes. Maybe I can believe him. /

However, when he saw Duo's reaction to the loud speaker announcement Heero was once again thrown for a loop. /What is that braided baka doing? What is he talking about? /

"Sirs, I'm sorry but the aquarium is closed for Christmas, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Can we stay for a little longer? Please?"

/Stay? Longer? What is Duo doing? /

"I'm sorry sir, but we have to feed the animals and make sure everything is shut down for the night."

"Please? It's Christmas Eve. And my koi really would like to feed the dolphins… Just give us 20 minutes and he'll make sure the dolphins are feed. Please?"

/Koi? He hasn't called me that in public since the Eve wars… /

"Duo, it's ok. We can just go home."

"No! It's not. This is something you want. It's not ok until you get it. Look, here." Duo took out his wallet, "15 minutes that's all we want. How much do you want? 100 credits?"

/What in the world is he doing? /

"Sir…"

"200! Here take the whole wallet."

The trainer sighed, "You have 15 minutes and half a bucket of fish. Keep your wallet. But I am warning you. If I come back in 15 minutes and your still here I am calling security, got it?"

"Thank you so much!" Duo went over and took the bucket of fish and handed it to Heero. The trainer quietly went up through he back employee door to gather the whale's and seal's food as well.

Heero blinked, and then blinked again. He looked at the bucket of fish then to Duo then the dolphins, which seemed to be watching the whole event like it was a movie. Heero could almost see them munching pop corn. He cracked a smile and turned to Duo taking the bucket.

"You are a baka," he shook his head. "Definitely a braided baka."

"Aa. But I'm *your* braided baka nee?"

"Hai." Duo smiled back at him.

"Well? What are you waiting for? 15 minutes remember?" Duo nudged Heero towards the dolphins.

Heero shook his head again and went over to the dolphins. As Heero fed and talked with them, Duo sat back by the stands and watched.

"Dolphins are such smart mammals aren't they?"

"Yeah," Duo responded without even thinking about it. Then the voice registered and he blinked and turned.

"Hello Duo."

He blinked, "of course. I should've known. What brings you here? Come to say good bye to Hee-chan?" (1)

"I'm sorry?"

"Have you come to say good bye? I figured it out you know, Hee-chan's Ultimate gift. I gave it to him." Duo sounded extremely confident in his tone.

"Oh really?" Father Maxwell sounded amused, which seemed highly unlikely for a ghost.

"Yep," Duo's confidence didn't waver.

"If you don't mind my asking, what was the Ultimate gift then?"

"What?"

"Your Ultimate gift, what was it?"

"The dolphins being able to feed and swim with them with no one around. Hee-chan has wanted to do that for the longest time. I gave that to him. I granted his wish."

"Duo, I don't want to burst your bubble, but that's not the Ultimate gift. Heero could always be a dolphin trainer or a fish biologist if he really wanted. It was a sweet gesture, but not even close to being the right gift."

Duo looked crest fallen, "What am I supposed to buy Hee-chan?"

"Buy? Think of what you're saying Duo. When have either you or Heero ever needed money or bring you happiness or love? The ultimate gift is not something that can be bought. It is just what it's called, the *Ultimate* gift. The most important, precious thing you can give to the person that holds your heart. But don't give up hope. There is still a few hours before Christmas."

Duo's head snapped up, "No. I refuse to loose Heero too. Heero is *not* going to die tonight, or anytime in the near future."

"Duo? Who are you talking too?" Heero came over to find Duo when he was finished with the Dolphins. He noticed that Duo seemed to be talking to himself.

"I was talking about the next present I can give you for Christmas. We can talk more outside though, on the way to get a tree. I don't think that trainer was joking."

Heero smiled at the thought of getting their tree. Although Duo was acting highly unusual, Heero chalked it up to him reliving old habits. During the time between the Wars, Duo was always spontaneous and trying to keep Heero on his feet. /Maybe there's a chance…/

Duo took Heero's hand in his own as they walked down the road towards the tree lot, without even thinking about it. "So Hee-chan, what can I buy you? What do you want?"

"What?" Heero was slightly amused but still confused.

"I wanna buy you something. Anything you want. I want to show you how much I love you." Heero tensed at that but as he looked into Duo's eyes and didn't see anything panicked or anxious, like two days ago, he loosened up.

"You don't have to buy me anything Duo. I've lived most of my life without lots of things and it's never bothered me before."

"I…I know… it's just I want to make you happy."

Heero started to slow down until he stopped walking completely and for some reason, he was having trouble looking Duo in the eye.

"Hee-chan? What's wrong?" /Did I say something wrong? Is he mad at me? /

"I umm... I have a surprise for both of us… sort of…"

/What? / Duo was scared that Heero was bringing bad news… /No! Please! /

"What is it Hee-chan, you can tell me anything. I won't be mad… promise."

"I've been talking to Relena about this for a long time now and umm…" Heero took a deep breathe, "Please don't be mad. I asked Relena if she would carry our babe…"

Duo's jaw dropped, that was certainly *not* what he was expecting. /Da…daddy? Me? I'm gonna… we're gonna be daddy's…/

Heero took Duo's silence as a bad sign, "I… I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but you've been on your trips and so busy with the yard that I didn't want to burden you with it. And-"

Heero was abruptly cut off as Duo pulled him into a hug. "Oh my god! Hee-chan! I'm gonna be a daddy! We're gonna have a baby! That's so wonderful. How far along is she? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Your… not mad?"

"Oh no! Hee-chan that is the best present anyone could've ever given me. Oh I love you so much!" Duo pulled Heero into another hug.

Heero leaned his head on Duo's shoulder feeling content to stay like that, not even bothered that they were standing on a public sidewalk in the middle of the city. "It will be 6 weeks on Christmas Day. And I was hoping we could be surprised about the gender."

"Anything Hee-chan. That would be wonderful." /There is no was I can let Heero go now. I have to find this Ultimate gift. /

Relena was a close friend to both pilots. Once she was able to get over her childish crush on Heero, they became like brother and sister in every way possible except blood. Duo wasn't as close, but he considered her a very close friend. For her to carry a baby for the couple meant a lot to both of them and it strengthened the bonds between them. There would e a very small chance for a custody battle since Heero agreed that the child *should* know it's mother, and Relena would be able to see him/her whenever she wanted.

---8:37 pm: Duo and Heero's apartment -3 hours and counting until Christmas---

"The tree looks great Hee-chan."

"Aa. I'm glad they had trees left. It wouldn't have been the same without one." The tree was the same one that Heero had picked the first time around that Christmas.

Duo hugged Heero from behind, "Just think Duo, next Christmas we're going to be tripping over all the toys. There's going to be so many presents under the tree!"

"We're gonna need more stockings for the fireplace." Duo kissed Heero's head.

"Aa." Heero turned around in Duo's arms and kissed him. Duo returned the kiss and started walking back towards their bedroom.

---11:49 pm: 11 minutes before Christmas---

Duo sat on the edge of their shared bed. /11 minutes. I have to keep Hee-chan here. /

"…ice cream?" Duo was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard Heero's voice from the kitchen.

"What?"

"Do you want some ice-cream? We have your favorite 'Death by Chocolate.'"

"No thanks. Hey Hee-chan come back to bed. Please?" The phone ringing cut off Heero's answer.

"Don't get that!" Duo shot up from the bed and ran to the hallway at the kitchen entrance.

"Hello?....really? sure! No problem. Alright. Merry Christmas to you too. Bye."

"What's wrong?"

"Mozart got out. Mrs. B asked me to help look for him."

"Duo froze, "Why can't she look for him?"

"Duo, she's 90 *years* old. I'll be right back."

"No! Please don't go! You stay here. I'll go look for him." Heero was getting dress and Duo was following his lead. Trying anything he could to keep Heero from going outside.

Heero laughed, "Duo, you know Mozart hates you," Heero was getting his shoes tied and about to get his jacket.

Duo was also doing the same, "Look, why don't you get all cozy on the couch with a blanket, start a fire in the fireplace and when I get back you can warm me up."

"NO! I mean, I want to go with you!"

"There's no reason for us to both freeze."

"Let him go Duo. It's time." Father Maxwell's presence in the hall watching the couple only added to Duo's panic.

"No! He is *not* going *anywhere.*"

"Who are you talking to Duo?"

"Please Hee-chan. Don't go?" Duo tried kissing him.

"I have to Duo. Why are you acting so kawaii?"

"It's his time Duo. Let him go." Duo looked Father Maxwell in the eye. He distantly heard Heero saying something about being right back and a door closing. He blinked and looked around the apartment.

"NO!! HEERO!" Duo ran to the front door but it wouldn't open, "OPEN IT! PLEASE! I can't lose Heero too! PLEASE! I'll give *anything!!!*"

"Anything?" Father Maxwell paused and looked deep into Duo's eyes. The door unlocked. Duo was out and down the stairs in a heart beat. He had to catch Heero before it was too late.

"Good luck to you Duo…" Father Maxwell disappeared.

--11:55 pm: Somewhere in the street ---

"Mozart? Here puppy. Where are you?" Heero heard barking. It was coming from the door of a warehouse. "Hey Mozart! Come here boy!"

Mozart looked up at Heero, barked some more and ran into the street. "Mozart, what are you doing boy? Come here. It's ok."

Heero followed the dog trying to pick him up to bring him back.

---

Duo was running full speed down the roads trying to get to the accident spot before it was too late. /Come on. It's right up here. I *refuse* to lose Heero again! /

He heard Heero's voice and a dog barking. /Yes! There! / He heard the truck in the near distance. /SHIT! No! /

"HEERO!" Duo saw Heero right ahead.

"NOOOOOOO!"

The clock struck midnight.

~+~+~+~ End part 5 ~+~+~+~

Bobb: *comes out with an AN* *looks around and clears his throat* ehm… LA will be back in a week's time after a vacation. Work shall be started on the next part when she returns. Please leave reviews of *any* kind for when she returns. Thank you and have a Happy Holiday.

LA: *hiding*

(1) did anyone think that was Odin? ^^;