Duo: What's wrong, Jess?

Jess: ((sniffles)) I just finished writing this whole chapter and then when I click on "Save," it tells me that the program is not responding! ((cries))

Duo: ((pats her back)) Aww, I'm sorry… it's happened to everyone

Jess: I know, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it! Now I'm angry and you two will have to suffer.

Duo/Heero: Nani!

Jess: I'm sure Nuri will fix it, but right now, I need to vent ((angrily re-types chapter, causing Duo and Heero to cower))

Lunar Symphony

Chapter 16: Heero POV

Duo joined the Preventers and was currently out on a mission. Needless to say, I was not happy.

I was finally getting used to civilian life when Wufei mentioned something about Duo being out on a mission. Later, the fact was confirmed when Morgana mentioned something about Preventer training. I was furious!

A few hours later, I was in the Haven common room when I heard Duo's voice waft through the walls, signaling the Baka's return. By the time he came back, I was so furious, I could barely keep myself from shaking.

"Duo! When the hell were you planning to telling me about the Preventers?" I pretty much yelled as I burst into the kitchen where Duo and Quatre were talking. I stopped dead in my tracks. Duo was dirty, his clothes were torn, and half of his braid was missing! "What the HELL happened to you!" By then, I was a little too close to snapping; my anger pretty much taking over.

"Heero…" he nervously smiled and chuckled, "What are you doing home?"

Evasion. I needed answers fast, before I did something drastic. I went over to him, picked him up like I did when I first found him and made my way to the Preventers gym, excusing us from our friends. Duo kicked, wiggled, and scratched at me the whole way, trying to get free, but it was no use.

When we arrived at the gym, the few people working out cleared the room with just one glare. At least I wasn't getting rusty with it. I moved in and dumped Duo on the floor as I grabbed a leftover metal pipe that had yet to be discarded from the wall next to the door and glared at Duo menacingly. "Go sit on that bench, and if I were you, I would not try my patience," I told him. He blinked at me a few times and nervously glanced at the pipe in my hands, paling slightly. I then turned around, sliding the pipe through the handles of the door, then bent the pipe into a pretzel, effectively locking us in the room so that Duo couldn't employ his "runs and hides" part of his motto.

Looking over at Duo, he was still sitting on the floor where I had dumped him. "If you prefer to sit on the floor rather than the bench, suit yourself, but you might regret it," I said as I made my way to the large, sand-filled punching bag. I was glad I was wearing light cotton pants and a tight tank-top. I was going to work out when I stopped to talk to Wufei on my way here. "Now," I said as I padded barefoot on the safety mat over which the punching bag hung, "I want you to tell me the truth, Duo."

I began punching the bag hard as I spoke calmly, "When the hell were you going to tell me about the Preventers?"

"Uh… I was under the impression that Une would have told you since the condition was that I work in the same vicinity as you…" Duo said as he made his way to the bench I had indicated.

"I handed my resignation over to her the day you took that mission for Wufei," I gritted through my teeth as I gave the bag a back kick.

"Sh- She didn't tell me about that…" Duo said, sounding thoughtful.

"That's a moot point. You said you'd never work with the Preventers. What changed your mind?" I gave the bag anther pair of jabs, glaring at him as he nervously fiddled with the end of his much shorter braid.

"Well… I…" he paused.

"Why, Duo? You told me to give up the Preventers for you and I did. You said that's what it would take to prove my commitment to you, even if you didn't use as many words." I said in my most controlled voice which seemed out of place with the violent behavior my body was demonstrating.

"I joined to be close to you," he whispered.

"And I quit for you."

"I didn't think you'd do it…" he said quietly, his eyes on his boots.

I paused, after giving the bag another hard punch, "When have I ever lied to you, Duo? When have I ever said something I didn't mean? When have I ever promised something and not come through?" I glared at him a moment longer.

"Never," he answered.

"Damn straight." I know I must have picked up the phrase from Duo, but I didn't pay attention to my out-of-character comment. I went back to giving the punching bag another round of punches as I continued my interrogation. "Now answer the second question I had for you; What the hell happened to you?"

"The mission went slightly sour and a guy came at me with a knife. He didn't touch skin, but a piece of my braid was sacrificed."

"Backup?" I was seething. NO ONE touched Duo's braid but me.

"Negative. It would have only slowed me down."

By now, my kicks and punches were raining down harder and faster as I released all that pent-up energy. "You better fucking well have killed him because when I get through with him, he'll definitely wish you had."

"He's been taken care of."

"Good. There's still something I don't understand. Why did you think I'd LIE when I said I'd leave my job to be with you?" I was still angry and hurt that he'd think I'd lie to him at all… him thinking I'd lie about something that could possibly mean life and death really made me question how much he trusted me.

"You love your job, you've been doing this all your life, Hee-chan-"

"Don't you fucking-well call me that! Explain yourself… quickly." I hated the thought that he was using his pet name with me when he obviously thought so little of me. It was condescending and I didn't like it- I refused to be addressed like that knowing full well that he didn't respect me at all.

"You-" he cleared his throat and began again after his voice caught, "You love your job and you've been doing it since always… I couldn't ask you to leave it-"

"But you did."

"I thought you wouldn't be able to leave it, just like I would never be able to leave my kids. I know how much this job means to you and I couldn't bare to live with myself if I made you give it up."

"My job is just a job. Something I happen to be good at an nothing more." I was kicking the bag now, making the chains from which it hung squeak.

"But I thought-"

"Speaking of thinking," I cut him off, "wouldn't you think that after my giving you that ring, you'd get the idea that I was willing to commit myself to you? Since you haven't said anything, I assume you don't accept me. It was my way of not putting you on the spot. My way of not pressuring you into giving me an answer right away, but from the look of it, you haven't thought about it at all. You willingly took a job that'll force you to risk your life every day… a job that could quite possibly endanger those you love. All that says to me is that you, Duo Maxwell, don't care."

"But I-"

"I don't want to hear it," I said, giving the abused bag a final punch, causing the seams to split and sand to fly. "You don't care about your kids and you don't care about me. You are putting yourself in a position to get yourself killed and leave your kids without a guardian. Keep the ring, Duo. Keep it and remember what I offered you- love, protection, and commitment."

I turned on my heel and stomped to the door. I straightened the pretzel-bar I had used to lock us in and threw it aside. I yanked open the door and took a step outside when I heard Duo speak up again.

"Heero… wait…"

I didn't turn around, but tilted my head just a little, "No Duo. I'm done waiting. I don't want to hear you unless you finally have something to say. If you need me… never mind. By the look of it, you won't."

I then left the room and went up to the bedroom I had already began to clean out. Since quitting the Preventers, I had taken my belongings to the Haven, but my previous room was still unoccupied. I stalked up the stairs and into my room, locking it behind me. I looked around the barren room and just sat on the floor in the middle of the room. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Wufei had taught me some meditation techniques and although I had taken out a lot of my anger and hurt on the now dead punching bag, I still had a lot of anger to get rid of.

Since Duo came into my life, my world was flipped upside down. I had trouble controlling myself and all I could think of was the war. Things were so much easier during the war. I didn't know what emotions were back then. I didn't hurt. I didn't care if I hurt anyone because I didn't know I was hurting anyone if it didn't involve blood. Now Duo was making me feel.

I don't know how long I spent sitting there, but all the time I was there, I was rebuilding my defenses. I was putting up the walls I had so long ago torn down. I was hurting that Duo cared so little for himself and for the rest of us. If I had given up my sense of self-sacrifice, why couldn't he see it? It was time to go back to what I had always been. Physical pain I could deal with, but not the sort of pain and betrayal Duo had caused. No… It was better to be what Duo had always accused me of - heartless.

Jess: Can you tell I'm still angry?

Duo: …umm…. NO!… You? Angry? Who'd a thunk it?

Jess: Quiet you! … Oh, by the way, I think it was my fault that Duo lost part of his braid…

Heero/Duo: NANI!

Jess: Well, I just cut my hair and donated it to Locks of Love. They're a non-profit organization that makes hairpieces for kids that have lost their hair because of treatments for cancer. SO, even though it might not have been on purpose, but I think it was in Nuriko's subconscious because the next thing I knew, Duo's braid was partially gone!

Duo: Hmm… maybe I can get Nuriko to find that missing piece of braid to donate too.

Heero: Hn.

Duo: ((runs off to find Nuriko)) Hey NURI-CHAN!