Duo's Child
Chapter 8
Duo wasn't sure where he could go at one o'clock in the morning, but he had to try anyways. He had no place to go and hide, explain the truth, or any other possibility that may be allowed. Quatre was a thought because he knew Quatre wouldn't lecture and bitch at him, making him feel bad about what happened a long time ago; hey, they all could have lost so this was just part of the successful package. Relena was a thought but he couldn't stand her and even Dorothy seemed to boggle in his mind; Relena would be listening in though and blurt it out. Sally was a question and he quickly scanned around for more help as he sped his Vet down the Interstate. Hildie constantly showed up in his mind and blurred his vision that he almost missed the road turning; he could have jumped the wall and killed himself by a car crash rather than during the wars by a mobile suite dual—the better way to die.
Unsure of what to do, it felt as if his car were driving him to a chosen destination. The clock was ticking and Duo was becoming more and more scared of the consequences. Why? He wasn't sure; he just didn't want to end up bitched at by Hildie, lectured by Quatre, spoken rudely of by Wufei, and above all resign Uno's legal papers and correct the error of himself being the father other than the guardian; but how will he tell Uno this?
Duo's breath quickened as his car stopped at a red light off the exit ramp. His palms were sweaty and his eyes jumped around. His chest burned and his head ached; what would he do? What should he do?! What would he do if he were still at war?
I'd live on and expect to come home to a daughter and face the charges with the mother's boyfriend, Duo answered himself.
How would he react if he were still at war and gained this news?
I'd be damn shocked at first that I got a kid from a one-night-stand and terrified of meeting her boyfriend to discuss matters.
What would he do if he were at war and the mother left her boyfriend for him?
I'd ask what her problem was because that was only a one time deal.
What would he do if he was still at war and the mother and boyfriend ignored the kid and put them out into the streets?
I'd kick their ass for producing another orphan such as myself; yet raise her as my own child.
Which brings him back to the present problem: What would he do if the mother and boyfriend were killed from the war and the result was making an orphan out of that child?
I'd adopt the kid and talk to my girlfriend about the case.
Before Duo could conjure up that his vehicle has stopped, he was parked on the driveway to Hildie's house. All that was left now was to explain to her and pray she understood; pray that she won't get mad at him for having sex with some chick and getting her pregnant. Hell, why should she? They weren't together until after the war ended.
Duo inhaled deeply and stepped outside of his car. The black vet stood out in the darkness like a shadow in the closet. The sound of the door shutting alerted strays of another human to beg and Duo began stepping lightly towards the front door. In his mind he pondered the many ways to begin explaining to her of his problem. In his mind he began thinking that the matter wouldn't be so bad if he were prepared for it, like when he fucked that girl.
I knew it was a bad thing to do; I should have at least used protection! Damn her! She should have been on Birth Control!
Duo frowned angrily and knocked on the hard wooden door. His knuckles reddened as he banged loud enough to wake the entire house, which he had hoped for. After about three knocks, each spaced apart enough to note her that someone was at the door, he pulled his hands back and clenched his fists.
"Hildie, I have something very important to tell you. Hildie, Uno really is my kid-no! That just sounds so wrong!" Duo shook his head, "I'm the real father of Uno."
Every thought he spoke sounded bad and he began wishing he hadn't have come here. All to fast it seemed, the knob to the door clattered and turned. A small crack formed and Hildie popped her head out as best as she could manage.
"Duo? It's two in the morning; what's wrong?" She asked tiredly. She stepped out of the way to allow Duo entrance.
"Hildie, I've got something important to tell you," Duo spoke as he stepped inside.
Well, here it goes.
"Hildie, I am the true father of Uno." There, he had said it all.
"What?" Hildie asked as if she had misheard him.
"You heard me right, Hildie. Uno is my real daughter." Duo gulped back what was stuck in his throat and hoped for the best of her reaction.
"I don't get it. How can that be if you just met her a few months ago?" Asked Hildie, pulling her blue-colored robe together tighter.
Duo sighed, "Alright, I'll explain but bare with me on it; I had no idea."
Hildie nodded; Duo took a deep breath. "Before I met you, I had to do an assignment back here on the Earth. I finished it early and didn't have to go back into space right away considering Professor G had no more missions. Therefore, I decided to walk the town and see what's out there; have some fun before I get shipped back out and continue with other tasks."
As Duo explained the night of fun that later became shocking, the memory seem to replay itself in his mind. "Well, I walked around and found this bar—no; I didn't meet her at the bar though. I was thirsty and we all know I drink some, just not entirely a lot. So I went inside and ordered a combination of Bloody Mary with Vodka on the rocks; it tasted pretty well for planet drinks and dowsed it all down with in that hour. It wasn't much so I know I wasn't drunk; and besides, how often to I get drunk from alcoholic drinks with or without combinations?
So any who, once I felt I was done with that place I left and continued checking out the city. It wasn't that big—not as it is now—and checked out an arcade. Sometime after when I was still walking about the streets I got hungry so I ordered a hotdog from one of those stands on the sides of buildings, you know where they're like, small restaurants yet nothing but just a shack? Anyways, I stood in line and was waiting to get my order and this red-haired girl was arguing with the clerk-and-cook-guy at the counter about something that wasn't put on her order. She was told to step aside and wait until the next person—me—was taken. I ordered my food and looked at her; she was ticked and I spoke to her. I asked what happened and she said that she 'couldn't eat whole white bread that she asked for wheat and blah blah blah.'
I made a comment that people should follow directions—considering I have to above all because of those missions—and she smirked; I smirked from that too. I noticed her eyes and made a comment about them because I haven't seen a redhead with green eyes before and she thanked me and we began walking some and talking. I learned she was seventeen—a year older than me—and liked music—like me. She learned that I liked sports and that I also liked music a lot—but I hid the facts about being a pilot. So as we talked and walked, we finished our hotdogs and trashed the rest, and I asked her if she had a boyfriend—why? I do not know.
Well, I wound up walking her home to her apartments and we stopped when we reached her door, which was right off of the main sidewalk for the streets of the small town. She asked if I wanted to come inside and I accepted; I don't know if it was the alcohol that put me in the state of temptation, but I wasn't just normal then. Her place was cleaned pretty well; a few loose things here and there that should be trashed or cleaned, but decent nonetheless. I looked at the pictures on one of her walls and asked if her boyfriend were in any of them, but he wasn't. I remember shrugging then and stepping back up to her, meaning to ask to use her phone and call the guys who were watching over my Gundam, but the words didn't form in my mouth. Instead, she and I just looked into each others eyes and before I knew it, my eyes had shut and I was kissing her entirely—mouth moving, jaw closing, tongue dancing kiss.
We stopped about five minutes after—or what felt like five minutes, could have been more…or even less—and I backed away from her. I let go of her shoulders as she let go of my waist and we still stared at each others eyes. She stepped closer again and kissed me—I had to kiss back. I replaced my hands on her shoulders and parted with her, clearly stating that we had to stop because I would have to leave very shortly and she had a boyfriend—but we could both tell that I didn't mean to say it though it was true. Either way, we didn't stop kissing until another what-felt-like five minutes went by and she just gave me this look that pulled me into her further than I already was. She began walking away from me—towards her bedroom—and looked back at times with that same look that I couldn't ignore; so I followed her. When I got into her room—it was pitch black and not even a single light was lit—I felt her kiss me again and when she parted, there was a small fish lamp that lit up besides my right arm; she had put on a small light enough to see…which is just about what she believed was needed."
Duo lowered his head, shut his eyes, and just breathed. "Look, I don't know why I did what I had. I knew I didn't have protection and still I ended up having sex with her. I told her I didn't have anything and she acted as if she heard me yet didn't care—she continued to kiss me and whatnot. I thought she might have been on the pill, but I still didn't care about the consequences then and took her anyways."
Hildie tilted her head the opposite direction than how it sat and watched as Duo shook inside. She knew he was afraid of what to do and scared to admit the truth, but he had and that's what made him strong. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, catching a glimpse of the Hildie he had fallen in love with.
"Duo, it's alright. I understand completely because this happened long before you and I have ever met. I'm a little shocked, but I understand. It's like you to believe you may die any second in the war so have your fun before hand and I'm just glad that you had the strength to tell me this and not hide the facts."
Duo's jaw clenched as he struggled not to fall to weakness. Hildie said that it was like him and that hurt him a lot, yet at the same time if got to him deeper than feelings could go because he was predictable. Even though Hildie understood and made him feel better by hugging him, Duo still felt like a piece of crap for taking the chances he had.
"I still feel like shit," Duo said through the crook of her neck.
"It's okay. Besides, you wouldn't have met the little girl on the streets if you haven't of had her with that girl. Do you at least remember that girl's name?"
Duo nodded, "It's what frightened the crap out of me when I asked her. Sarah Cleaver, the cute redhead girl with amber green eyes and a sort of home-kept attitude, like she kept to herself mostly. I can see where Uno got her adorable ears and reddish highlights; I thought at first she was all brown—Uno—but after I asked the full name I noticed her hair was a little bit lighter colored and that's when she nodded."
"Well…okay then. So you do know this is the same girl you got her pregnant with, right?"
"It's gotta' be, I mean…it's not just coincidence that she and I have the same female in memory—me with a slut, Uno with a mother."
"Slut?" Hildie asked.
"Has to be…who would fuck a guy they just met?" Duo asked rhetorically because he had done just that with a girl. Hildie smirked.
"Okay then…let's conjure this up, shall we?" Duo leaned against the wall and looked deeply in thought. His hands formed loose fists below his jaw and his brows were digging into the middle of his forhead.
"Okay…I remember it was the first Thursday in February because Friday's were repair day in space and I was waiting for word to go bring the Gundam in; February because it was sort of cold and chilly yet there was talk of Valentines Day coming up."
"Okay. If I remember correctly, that was the seventh. I had to turn in the reports to my training from the month before."
"And nine months later would be…" Duo pondered and faced his girlfriend when he had the answer. "Halloween."
"Are you sure she was born exactly nine months after? She could have been premature."
"No, I'm pretty sure this is it. So that's it, huh? Uno's really my kid," Duo still could not get himself to believe the facts.
"I guess it is. What now? Are you going to tell her?" Duo shook his head. "No?"
"No…I prefer not to so that way she remains the Uno I found on the street. If I told her I was her father—which I would have to explain that part as well—she wouldn't understand so let's just leave it at that. In the future I may, but I highly doubt it."
"So what now?" Hildie asked, restating his question.
Duo sighed, "I guess go explain it to Quatre and see what he comes up with."
Hildie formed a tight smile with her lips and yet, curled them inwards. She gave Duo a hug and gripped some as he hugged back. She wasn't entirely angry but she wasn't set back as if she didn't care; she wanted to marry him one day after all.
Duo parted the hug and gave his girlfriend one last kiss for the night before he set himself outside. He woke his gal up for news about his real kid and expected her to go back to sleep as if nothing has happened; he was kidding himself. If Hildie could and did go back to sleep, she would most likely wake up to believe she was dreaming it all up and none of it was true.
The door shut and Duo sat back inside his vet. He closed the door at the same time he started the engine, wrapped the belt around himself, and backed out of the drive way. He loved Hildie so much that he was terrified if he would ever hurt her in any way. He already had plans for one day when he would get the courage and ask her to marry him, but he had to find the strength to conquer that task.
And to get the money for a ring.
