A/N: Okay, this chapter took a lot longer for me to complete than I thought it would. I
just found my motivation was lacking due to Christmas time and stuff. Plus the
dreaded thing known as coursework. Anyways, that aside, First off I want to thank
Natea, my newly-acquired beta reader. Thanks for betaing this chap for me. It's a
great help ^_^.
Next, a big thank you to all those who left me lovely reviews. Thanks go to
Mariana1, Natea, Dalamar the Dark, cryearthstearsfalltou, Yume Maxwell-Yuy,
Curious Dream Weaver, mysticheero, Star Dragonsong, Vicky, chibi-chan, and
holly. All the reviews mean a lot to me. *Hands out Jaffa cakes*
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, 'cept just recently I obtained possession of Wing Zero,
but since its made out of plastic and only a few inches tall, I don't think it
counts.
Chapter 3: War declared
September 3rd, 1939.
Heero had stayed up reading his book until Rosie come in to say goodnight and turn out the gas lamp. Duo had fallen asleep well before Rosie had come up, so Heero had lain awake, staring into the darkness, listening to the other boy's regular breathing and trying to coax himself into falling asleep. He usually slept reasonably well but the unfamiliar bed and surroundings were affecting him quite badly.
He had eventually fallen into a restless sleep; thoughts about his parents, Michael, his London home and Duo were all churned over, but now he was awake again. The sun had only just risen and when he glanced over he could see that Duo was still sound asleep.
'The sun's shining through? Rosie must have taken the black out down. Funny, I can't remember her taking it down.' Heero thought, scrunching his forehead up trying to remember, before sighing in defeat and glancing back over at the sleeping boy again.
Duo was curled up in a tight ball underneath the bedcovers, facing outwards towards Heero. His braid was lying on top of the covers and he had one arm clung tightly around a chocolate-coloured teddy bear and the other arm dangling down the side of the bed.
'He looks so calm in sleep. Shame he can't be more like that when he's awake.' Heero thought, before turning his attention to the book he had put on the floor last night.
He carefully picked the book up off the floor, not wanting to lose his page, and continued reading from where he had left off last night.
Duo finally began to stir a little while later, breakfast smells sifting into the room and occupying his immediate air space.
"Mmm...smells like bacon." Duo mumbled, only half awake.
Heero poked his head out from behind his book, startled by the other boy's voice, cutting into the quietness so suddenly. Duo still had his eyes closed and was still in the same position he had been in when Heero had woken up, but the farmer's son now had a goofy grin spread across his face. Heero smirked, remembering what Rosie had said about how Duo was always thinking about his stomach. Violet-blue eyes suddenly snapped open and, if it was even possible, the goofy grin widened.
"Breakfast time! My favourite time of the day." Duo shouted, jumping out of bed, pumping a fist in the air and losing his teddy on the floor, all in the same action.
Heero's smirk turned into an amused smile as he watched Duo bend over to pick up the unfortunate teddy bear.
'He's so lively, even first thing in the morning.' Heero thought, while climbing slowly out of bed, carefully placing his book back on the floor.
Before Heero even had a chance to pull some clothes out of his case Duo grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room.
"Breakfast first, get dressed later." Duo all but ordered, his grip tightening around Heero's arm in his enthusiasm to get down the stairs.
They entered the kitchen, Duo's hand still clamped tightly around Heero's arm and an expectant grin plastered across his face as he looked eagerly at his mother. Rosie looked far from pleased with her son though.
"Stop dragging Heero around like a sack of potatoes." Rosie said, staring disapprovingly at Duo. "You'll scare the poor boy straight back to London, not to mention most likely suffering from a dead arm as well."
Duo carefully extracted his fingers from the other boy's arm and looked apologetically at his mother.
"Sorry mum. I won't do it again." He said, his voice matching his forlorn expression.
"Too right you won't. Now go and lay the table, please." Rosie said, her voice only softening slightly.
Heero watched on in shock, taken aback by Rosie's sudden display of strictness towards her son. Rosie turned back to the sizzling bacon muttering irritably about having to suffer every month and still being expected to carry on as normal. Heero, at that point, guessed the cause of her mood swing having heard the same thing from his own mother and quickly walked over to help Duo lay the table.
Duo gladly accepted Heero's help, thinking that the London kid was finally going to consent to friendship.
"Don't mind my mum, she gets like that once in a while."
"DUO!"
"Sorry mum." Duo said, although his grinning face betrayed the sincerity in his apology. "So...you think war's gonna be declared today?" The braided boy continued, changing topic without drawing breath.
Heero gave a nonchalant shrug, still bewildered about how Duo could be so enthusiastic about the thought of war.
Despite being disappointed that he hadn't drawn speech from the other boy, Duo carried on talking cheerfully.
"I overheard Mr Andrews, that's our vicar, say that he'd be setting up a wireless in the church this morning. So old Chamberlain must have something important to say today."
"Oh yes, that reminds me, Duo. You're joining in with the choir this week aren't you." Rosie said, her faint smile seeming slightly smug to Heero's eyes.
"Oh mum, do I have to?" Duo whined in an obviously disgruntled tone.
"Yes you do! You've been skipping out of it every week so far. I don't know why you bother going to the practices." Rosie said in exasperation.
"So I don't get stuck helping you darn socks and the like." Duo muttered, while hastily placing the last knife down on the table.
Rosie laughed and Heero couldn't help but smirk at the farmer's son's obvious dilemma.
"Is breakfast ready? I'm starving." Joe asked, as he walked through from the back door, having just been outside to check on the animals.
Rosie answered by pushing a pile of plates into her husband's hands and gesturing for him to place them on the table.
"Duo, could you take this through to your granddad, please?" Rosie asked, pushing a tray holding a plate full of eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast, and a glass of orange juice into her son's hands.
Duo smiled sweetly at his mother before marching off towards his granddad's room, balancing the tray carefully in his hands. Heero's blue-eyed gaze, unseen by anyone, followed the braided boy's movements right to the door.
Eventually the two adults and two children were seated around the table, tucking into the feast of a fried breakfast. The scene was very similar to that of the one at dinner the night before. The three Maxwell's were tucking into their portions quite happily, Duo managing to talk aplenty between each mouthful as well. Heero, however, pushed the food around his plate, eating the bare minimum and completely lost in thought.
'Duo's so openly friendly. Maybe I should be friends with him. Then again, he could just be putting on a show for his parents, but I doubt it. He's too happy-go-lucky though. He seems like the type of person who would do anything to skip out of academic work too. I can't let my work slip, father would go ballistic. I can't let that happen again.'
Heero gave an involuntary shudder following the last thought. Duo, despite being so busy eating, noticed first.
"Heero, are you okay?"
Heero quickly put his well-practiced emotionless mask back on and offered up a polite reply.
"I'm fine, thank you."
It was Duo's turn to shudder now, though not quite so visibly. 'How did he do that? One minute he looked terrified, the next totally calm and expressionless.'
The rest of the meal went relatively smoothly and after they had helped clear up, Heero and Duo went back upstairs to get dressed for church.
"Do you go to church every Sunday, back home?" Duo asked curiously, leading Heero up the stairs, this time refraining from grabbing his arm or wrist.
"Of course." Heero replied, using his oh so polite voice again.
Duo remained uncharacteristically quiet while they picked their clothes out. He already had his shirt and trousers hung up on the front of his chest of drawers, so his eyes were flicking discreetly in Heero's direction.
The city kid had lifted his case onto his bed and was carefully taking out several folded up articles of clothing. Most of which were drab colours; browns, blacks, dark greens and blues. He eventually found what he was looking for and proceeded to put the unwanted clothing back in his case, just as neatly as before.
'His movements are so...disciplined. I just chuck my stuff around but he's folding his clothes up and everything.' Duo thought, fingering the end of his braid distractedly.
Heero started to change into his clothes and Duo took this as his cue to do the same, while still puzzling over the other boy's unearthly efficiency.
Eventually both boys were ready and trundled back down the stairs. Rosie was waiting at the bottom, ready to give her before church neatness check. She gaped when she saw Heero. Apart from the unruly, dark hair, his appearance was completely immaculate. His white shirt and navy blue dress trousers were well pressed and his navy blue shoes were shining.
As she ran her eyes over Duo a stark contrast easily stood out. He had redone his braid but messily so, he still had a sliver of dried mud staining his cheek and he'd managed to crease his shirt already. Plus his shoes weren't polished very well either. To top the look off, Duo had his hands plunged nonchalantly into his trouser pockets.
"You don't honestly expect to stand up at the front of the church looking like that, do you?" Rosie asked, giving her son one of her best-exasperated looks.
Duo shrank back a little bit and subconsciously pulled his hands out of his pockets and started flattening creases out of his shirt with one hand and running the other through his messy braid.
Rosie quickly gained a 'mothers know best' look and magically pulled a hairbrush out from somewhere. She gestured for Duo to stand in front of her and, with a look of definite reluctance, he did so. She then began the mammoth job of unravelling her son's long braid, brushing through the loose chestnut locks, and then rebraiding it in a much neater fashion.
Heero sat down on the bottom stair and was lost in thought once again as he stared at the scene in front of him.
'Duo gets on with his mother the same as he does with his father. They seem to have this way of treating each other with mock humour. They're all so light-hearted. It's completely different to home. '
Heero gave an inaudible sigh and watched as Duo grumbled about his mother pulling his hair and Rosie countered by tapping the brush handle on his head and telling him he shouldn't let his hair get so tangled.
Eventually Duo's hair was braided neatly, his shoes were polished and the creases in his shirt were straightened out as best as could be done by hand. Then the three Maxwells and Heero were out of the door and walking down the road towards the church.
The first thing Heero noticed was how much warmer it was today. Yesterday had been very cold for early September but today it felt like the middle of the summer again. It wasn't exactly the sort of weather you would have associated with a day that most likely was to mark the start of a second world war.
It was a pleasant ten-minute walk to the church. Duo was looking more and more disgruntled by the minute. The prospect of having to actually join in with the choir looming closer and closer with each step he took. He actually envied Heero. A nice cushy seat towards the back of the church. Heero didn't have to stand up and sing in front of everyone.
Duo suddenly gave an evil chuckle. 'I'll do everything possible to get Heero in the choir too. He won't be getting out of it if I have anything to do with it.'
With this thought in mind Duo's step picked up and he was back to his old perky self. Heero's step faltered slightly now, as he worried about what that strange look Duo had given him was all about.
Heero didn't worry on for very long because they soon reached the church's front gate. Joe swung it open and they all walked through into the pretty little churchyard. Despite the obviously depressing presence of the many headstones the churchyard could definitely be described as pretty. Many different coloured autumn flowers had poked up and were beautifully illuminated by the sun.
Mr Andrews, the vicar, stood just outside the church door greeting every member of the small community personally. He was decked out in full vicar's garb of course, right down to the unmistakable dog's collar. He had a kind of grim look about him, as if he knew of the exact horrors the Lord had in store for the world today. He turned to greet the Maxwells and gave Duo a little smile.
"Do we get the pleasure of your company in the choir today, Mister Maxwell?" He asked, turning his smile into a mock frown.
"Well you definitely need someone to bring a bit of quality to that choir and if that someone's gotta be me so be it." Duo said, a wide grin plastered across his face.
When the vicar laughed and rewarded Duo's rude comment with a warm smile and a pat on the back Heero began to wonder if there was anyone in this place who hadn't been won over by this happy-go-lucky farm boy.
They all walked on into the quaint little church. Heero gazed around at the interior of the relatively small building. It resembled your average church in every way really, right down to the cushions you would use to kneel on for prayers and the presence of the hymnbooks scattered around the church on the pews.
They had arrived early so that the only people already there were the vicar, the pianist and two choirboys and their respective families. One of them, with sooty black hair, spotted Duo and nudged the other boy, who had thick strawberry blond hair. Both boys ran over and whisked Duo away, all in the blink of an eye.
Heero watched the braided boy being dragged off and sighed quietly. He then sat down in a pew towards the back of the church, alongside Rosie and Joe.
"Are you alright, Heero?" Rosie asked, noticing the boy's downcast face.
Heero quickly snapped his head back up and put his mask of indifference back on.
"I'm fine, thank you." He replied politely, even rewarding the farmer's wife with a small smile.
This seemed to satisfy Rosie sufficiently as she returned the smile, instantly reminding Heero of Duo's smile, which was almost identical to his mother's. Heero shifted uncomfortably in his seat and, as soon as it was polite to do so, averted his gaze from Rosie to continue staring at the church's interior designs.
* * * * * *
Duo finally regained control of his own movements once the boys had dragged him up to the front of the church. All three lounged on the slightly raised, carpeted platform. The boy with short back hair, which fell in a spiky wave over his forehead, spoke up first, nudging Duo lightly in the ribs as he spoke.
"So you're actually gonna join in with us this week, Duo?" He asked, giving the blond boy a slight wink.
"My mum says I have to." Duo replied, irritably.
The other two boys laughed at the reluctance and annoyance in Duo's voice and on his face.
"Who's the kid then?" The blond boy asked, lazily gesturing in Heero's general direction.
Duo's face lit up and he looked over at Heero as he spoke.
"That's Heero. He's an evacuee that's staying with us."
The two boys eyed each other in confusion.
"Um...Duo, why are you so happy about having a townie staying with you?" The dark-haired boy asked, putting a bit of his disgust in his tone on the word 'townie'.
"Don't call him that!" Duo exclaimed defensively. "You don't know what you're talking about, James."
"Hmm...I know what I've heard. Those London kids are meant to be spoilt little brats that whine all the time." James said, lazily pulling a hand through his spiky hair.
Duo was shocked at the generalised description. 'Heero's the complete opposite to that.' He thought, staring back at where the city boy sat, staring into space.
"Earth to Duo." The blond boy said, rolling his sky blue eyes and clicking his fingers in front of the braided boy's face.
"Wha...what?" Duo said hazily, coming back to reality. "Oh, David, its you. What are we singing today, huh?"
James and David stared at each other in confusion, again, but quickly turned back to their friend, grins spread wide again.
"What?" Duo asked in a bewildered voice.
"Eh...nothing." David said, still grinning. "I think we're singing 'Amazing Grace and then 'Jerusalem', along with the rest of the congregation."
"Oh, okay." Duo said, as if he had forgotten what they were talking about.
David and James sighed loudly and then all three boys got up to help the vicar finish setting things up for the service, specifically the wireless.
The little church soon filled up; the stragglers having to stand up at the back. Mr Andrews stood up on the platform. The choir, made up of ten boys aged from about eleven to fourteen, stood behind him in two lines, the back line raised up by the five boys standing on a bench.
Heero watched on from his seat next to Rosie. He wasn't really taking in the vicar's words having always found religion a bit boring, though he could never admit that. He did enjoy singing the hymns however. That was what he was really waiting for, along the speech Chamberlain was supposed to give.
He did take note when the vicar introduced the choir. They were going to sing 'Amazing Grace'. Heero watched Duo with some fascination as the boy prepared to sing. He was twisting a chestnut bang, a look that was a cross between nervousness and irritation in his amethyst eyes. When he started to sing he opened his mouth inline with the other boys but there was just something slightly different, which Heero couldn't quite place his finger on.
The choir finished the hymn and Heero found he hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from the violet-blue orbs of the farmer's son. They seemed to hold so many different changing emotions as the hymn wore on. He shook his dark head and then looked towards the vicar expectantly.
Mr Andrews carried on with the service' reading through a passage from the New Testament and leading the congregation into the Lord's Prayer and then some other simple prayers. The whole church was then filled with the patriotic singing as 'Jerusalem' was sung with much gusto. Heero's eyes shone enthusiastically as he sang and he projected his voice well, drawing a surprised look from Rosie that soon turned into a look of admiration.
Eventually the actual church service was over and everybody's attention lay on the wireless, which Mr Andrews was powering up. Heero watched patiently as the knobs were turned this way and that as the vicar tried to tune into the right station. Duo fiddled impatiently with his braid, still standing in the front row of the little choir. Mr Andrews eventually found Chamberlain's voice.
"I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by eleven o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us.
I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and that consequently this country is at war with Germany."
A few people around the church let out a gasp or a cry but most remained respectively quiet. Duo nodded his head in an 'I knew this would happen' fashion. Heero just gazed straight ahead, silently awaiting the Prime Minster's conclusion to his declaration speech.
It never came. For some reason the wireless' power died and Mr Andrews frantically tried to fix it but to no avail. The little church in Hastings was left in complete silence as its entire congregation contemplated what the Prime Minister had just said. Everyone, old and young, wondered what else Chamberlain had to say, but none more so than Heero. He had been waiting for the leader to give a rousing speech on courage but, if he had done so, Heero had missed it. He bowed his head in slight depression.
End chapter.
Well that's that for another chapter. I guess I should explain a couple of things so people don't start ranting at me. There is very good reason why Duo still huggles a teddy bear in bed. (Apart from the cuteness of it that is^^) Um…as far as the Chamberlain speech goes, it is part of the official one, as far as I know, but the real one was very long and drawn out, which is why I shortened it to my own needs.
Well I think that's it, obviously if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Lol. So all that's left to say really is please r&r and I'll get the next chap out much sooner (I've already started writing it^_~)
Ja ne!
Alana^_^