Author's note: Thank you to those who did review the last three chapters, they make me so happy! RT

Chapter Four: sorry once again for the long update, it takes a lot of energy to write so many stories (sigh). Anyhow, here y'all go:

Heero opened his eyes and closed them, regretting to what he had wakened up to. He heard muffled shouts and then he heard crying. He got up and swung his feet over his bed and then he looked down at his wrists, throwing on a long sleeved sweatshirt before tearing off the bandages to his wrists and only seeing the dried blood.

He sighed as he put on some pants over his boxers and quickly hid the comforter that his mother had brought in for him the night before.

He walked into the kitchen and saw his mother, crying in a broken heap. He bent down and he noticed that a black fur ball had also come dashing out, looking with sadness or curiosity at his foster mother. He drew he into a slight hug and she pulled him closer, clinging to him like a lifeline.

"It's okay," He told her emotionlessly. "Everything will be all right." He whispered, doubting his words. Everything wouldn't be all right.

"He loves us." His mother whispered. "I just forgot to go shopping that's all." She said, telling lies to herself, her son, and the cat. "He still loves us. He'll always love us."

"…" Heero closed his eyes, not knowing the right words to say or not to say. Duo-neko purred and lightly licked Heero's foster mother's hand. She looked down at the cat with soft eyes before she pat him lightly on the head.

"What's your new friend's name?" She questioned, drawing her thoughts away from the black eye she now sported. She had a few bruises and some shallow scrapes on her arms. Duo-neko purred as he rubbed against Heero.

"His names Duo." Heero spoke quietly. He pulled himself into a much more comfortable position on the floor next to his mother and then he leaned against her and she against him.

Duo-neko meowed and smiled inwardly softly. The father must have left already, seeing at how the look of peace was in their eyes slightly. "Heero," His foster mother said quietly as her eyes held a determination like he had never seen her have before.

"Hn?" He questioned as he looked back slightly.

"We're leaving." She said as she got up and turned around to stare at her foster child who was staring back at him.

"What?" He questioned, not really quite understanding. 'Leaving? Just like that?'

"Why are you just sitting there? We're leaving. We're not going to put up with this anymore." She said, eyes tearing up slightly. "He-h-" She faltered slightly. "He doesn't love us." She said, her voice straining the words.

Duo purred and then the thought of that man made him hiss. The two people turned to look at the cat, Duo-neko. The mother raised questioning eyebrows but shrugged it off.

Duo-neko smirked inwardly, 'That man isn't getting' away from Shinigami so easily…' He said, already starting to plot before strong arms picked him up. He looked up and if cat's could blush, he would be brighter than a rose.

He was in the strong muscular arms of Heero Yuy who looked down at his cat with the shrug, walking off to his room at a faster pace since his mother kept on shouting at him to hurry up.

"Your father could be coming any time shortly, grab everything that you can." She called off a stool as she took a coffee can and her purse. She looked inside the jar and silently thanked the gods that she had always kept money, a lot of money, just in case.

Heero came out, Duo-neko tailing him and Heero with a backpack containing his laptop and other important items with his gun tucked between his waistband. Duo rubbed against Heero's legs before dashing off to the waiting car and Heeor's mother. Heero smiled as he nodded slightly, stepping outside the door and leaving the ill-bearing house.

Duo-neko happily purred on Heero's lap, noting how easily it was to be pleased with the stoic boy around him. He remembered the many times that he had gotten into trouble and then he thought of the Peacecraft girl.

"Duo," Relena's high-pitched voice rang out, making him wince at the "perfect soldier's-perfect pacifist stalker". 'I'll get rid of him this time.' She declared to herself with determination. "Duo, I wanted to know of your feeling's for Heero." She demanded, stretching the word 'feeling' so that the slightly slow braided boy could get her point.

Duo sighed inwardly, dummy's mask in place. "Huh? Feeling's? Whadaya mean by that?" He joked lightly, wanted to get a gun and shoot the girl.

"Do you love him?" She commanded, her patience wearing thin.

"Why would I tell you?" he smirked darkly at the way her face contorted. 'Wonder what would happen if she got botox.' He thought.

Relena's eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at the man before her. Too bad Duo Maxwell was used to that sort of thing; after being around with the guy who gave a new meaning to 'death-glare' nothing compared to that of the perfect soldier's.

Duo yawned. "Look, you're really startin' ta bug me." He growled as she glared back even more though the action was futile.

She smirked as she pulled out a pen and flipped her hair. She pushed a button on the end and then took out a piece of paper. She leaned forward and then she stabbed Duo.

"'Ey! What are you doing stabbing me with a pen!" He hissed, rubbing his upper arm where she "unintentionally" stabbed him.

"That wasn't a pen, braided loser." She grinned maliciously. "That was an injection to turn you into something else. This way you won't get in my way with Heero." She said.

"Too bad he's on a miss…ion…" Duo grinned weakly at her as his knees began to wobble, his world soon fading to black as he caught the startled eyes of Relena.

" A mission?" She hissed, pulling her hair slightly as she stood over the crumbled form of pilot 02. "How am I suppose to find my Heero if he's off on some bloody mission?" She questioned and then stalked off angrily, Duo's form changing with convulsions.

Duo shivered slightly when he remembered the pain but was more soothed when he could still feel the comforting rubbing on his back from Heero's gentle hands. Who would have thought that a cold-blooded soldier could be so gentle? He looked up and caught the distant look in Heero's eyes and sighed, leaning further into the teenager's body.

He'd find a way to fix this, then he'd tell Heero right away, kill that old dude, find out why the hell J sent him to such a "loving" family in the first place, and then he'd get a good nights sleep. The slight motion of the vehicle was what sent Duo away to a peaceful sleep with these slightly happy, slightly disturbing thoughts.

TBC

Author's note:

Well, what do you all think? Will Duo get turned back? Will Relena find Heero? Will the foster father find out what's going on? Why did Dr. J send Heero there? Hopefully, all will be explained in due time. I made this chapter kind of long. It took me a while to write and now my shoulders are stiff. O.O Sigh…. Anyhow, tell me what y'all think of it. Reviews are very nice and make me happy. Thank you for those who did review!

Red Tail