Duo's Child
Chapter 24
The doorbell rang just as Trowa was walking by the front door. He stopped and put his book on the banister of the stairs besides him, and reached to answer the door. When he opened it, he saw Theresa standing on the doorstep, with a purple backpack and a big frog pillow. Trowa blinked and smiled.
"Hello there."
"Hi Trowa." Trowa moved out of the way and Theresa stepped in. "Ricky said he was on his way."
"All right. Uno is probably in the Victorian Wing again. Do you need the directions?" Trowa shut the door and turned to face her.
"Nah; I think I remember the route. I can always ask that scary computer for a print out if I need one." Theresa smiled.
"Alright. Be careful out there." Trowa removed his book from the banister and watched as Theresa disappeared up the stairs into Uno's room. He turned and continued walking down the hallway.
When Theresa entered the Victorian Library, she didn't find Uno anywhere. She looked, but still didn't find her. She stopped in the middle of the main room and blinked in thought before lifting her head back to look up at the tower. She grinned when she spotted Uno sitting and reading.
"Hey Uno!"
"Nanidesu?" Uno replied in Japanese. She was sitting and learning Latin now.
"Come down here, you big butthead!" Theresa frowned and humphed.
"Nani?"
"Please?"
"Nani?"
"Please!!!!" Theresa frowned.
"Nanidesu?"
Theresa sighed heavily and began walking all the many steps and floors until she reached the final step near Uno, swearing made up sounds under her breath. When she finally reached Uno, Uno looked at her and smiled with a big grin.
"Konnichiwa!"
Theresa stared at Uno with a blank face. Uno blinked.
"What's the matter?"
"Ughn…" Theresa collapsed to the stairs and rested her chin on her arms. "What are you reading, now?"
"A book of Latin."
"Latin?" Theresa blinked and crawled up to the chair her best friend was sitting in. "What's that?"
"A dead language." Uno replied sullenly. She turned another page.
"Then why are you learning it?" Theresa wondered.
Uno shrugged. "Wufei doesn't have time yet, to teach me Chinese. I know Japanese, I know a tiny bit of Arabian from Quatre—I hear him saying some of those words beneath his breath." Uno giggled. "Quatre's a bad boy. I looked up some of what he said."
"Wow Uno; you know a lot. I hate you!" Theresa turned her back to Uno and folded her arms. She sat there, pouting. "I don't know that much."
Uno blinked at her and smirked. "Obviously not if you're sitting on a flight of stairs that go up four levels with your back to me."
Theresa felt stupid and her face went blank. "Shuddap."
The doorbell ran and Heero didn't feel like getting out of his seat. He was busy actually talking on the phone to somebody. The bell rang again…and again…and again, until he finally had to hang up and go answer it. When he had, he found his clone pressing the button over and over, staring at it as if it were a creation of the Gods. Heero blinked.
"Ricky…stop." Heero stared down at him.
"It sounds funny." Heero blinked again. "It sounds like a wire inside is becoming lose." Ricky looked up at Heero and smiled.
Heero shrugged. "Quatre'll fix it when it needs to be replaced." Heero moved and let Ricky in. He shut the door afterwards and turned to face his clone.
"Where's Uno and Theresa?" Ricky asked, looking up at Heero.
"In the Victorian Library."
"Alright. I'm gonna' go put my stuff up then I'll go frighten them." Ricky smirked as he ran upstairs to Uno's room. When he came back down, Heero stopped him in his tracks. "Huh?"
"I need to speak with you."
"Um…okay." Ricky blinked. "Why?"
Heero turned and headed into the living room to gather his laptop and printed data papers. Ricky followed him in question.
"Heero?"
Heero remained silent and walked out of the living room down the hallway. "Follow me and don't get lost."
Ricky blinked. "Where are you taking me?"
"To the Military Wing." Heero replied flatly. He entered the library and shut the door behind Ricky.
"Military Wing?" Ricky blinked. "What's that?"
"A wing with a military theme to it." Heero reached for the knob of the third door. Quatre had removed the bookcase and refurbished the hidden door.
Ricky's face when blank. "I didn't mean that." He followed Heero in and shut the door behind him.
"Then why did you ask?" Heero replied flatly again and proceeded to the Security Room.
"I mean…why not talk to me out here?"
"Hn." Heero opened the security door when he got there and continued inwards. Ricky paced himself and hurried after Heero.
"Computer; record Militia Office." Heero commanded flatly. Ricky blinked.
"Recording will begin as soon as activity alerts." The computer responded and put a tape into the machine.
"What's that for?" Ricky asked, following Heero out of the security room.
"Security purposes."
Ricky ran again after the door shut behind him and tried to keep up with Heero. He blinked in shock when Heero entered another door he had not entered before. When he entered the new wing, a familiar feel returned to him and made him shiver. He slowed his walking to nearly a halt and looked around. Heero looked over his shoulder.
"Ricky, I said to keep up."
"Huh?" Ricky blinked at Heero. "Oh, right!" He picked up his feet and ran to catch up to him. Heero stepped into a room that was on their left then Ricky entered behind. Heero shut the door behind Ricky and headed to the desk.
"Computer record." Heero looked at Ricky as he sat down. "Ricky, sit." Heero motioned to a chair.
"Um…okay." Ricky sat slowly, feeling really nervous. "What do you want to talk about?"
Heero leaned forward and rested his shoulders on the desk in front of him. He placed his chin in his locked fingers that formed a bridge with his hand and sighed deeply. He looked closely at Ricky and tried to read his eyes.
"Tell me about your father?" Heero began. "What does he do?"
Ricky blinked and felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "Are you going to tell me you're my real dad?"
"Fortunately not." Was Heero's monotone reply.
Ricky sighed. "Phew; that saved me a lot."
"What does your father do?"
"He works for some military program. I don't really know what, though." Ricky looked around the office at to the many maps in the room. "What maps are those?"
"They're of the country before the continent became part of the Earth Sphere Alliance." Heero studied Ricky as best as he could. Ricky was avoiding eye contact and Heero was wondering why.
"Ricky, face me." Ricky turned and faced Heero; Heero could read the worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Why are you questioning me?"
Heero narrowed his eyes; Ricky did as well. "I'm asking what your father does. I know you know, so I would like to know as well. You are my clone, after all." Heero smirked. Ricky growled; damn this man has lived with Duo far too long!
"I said he's part of some military program."
"What program?"
"I don't know."
"What do they do?"
"They aid important figureheads."
"What does he do?"
"He's the middle man for ideas and jobs." Ricky looked down to his lap. Heero noticed he was fidgeting.
"What does he make you do?"
Ricky looked up. "Huh?"
"Uno said she noticed a few cuts and bruises on you at random times."
"Oh yeah, that. My dad's always running me heavy, but I've gotten better at it. I'm not so clumsy anymore as I was."
"Why won't you tell me the truth? Your life could be in jeopardy."
Ricky looked at Heero and stayed quiet. He looked down and away. Heero was careful for him, worried about him.
"Why do you care so much about me?" Ricky mumbled.
"Uno likes you and you like her too. I don't think Uno would be a bit happy should you get hurt more than you already do, now."
"I said I'm not so clumsy anymore as I was." Ricky looked up at Heero and growled. "And besides, what do you know about feelings? As I recall hearing Duo talking to Quatre, you don't even know that Relena likes you—whoever she is!"
Heero replied flatly, motionless. "I love Relena and I know she feels the same way about me; she had longer than I felt emotions for anyone else."
Ricky blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
"I haven't planned a day where I was going to tell her this, but I did plan to."
Ricky sat there a moment or two longer before lowering his head and his tone of his voice. "Sorry." He looked away.
Heero leaned back in his seat. "So tell me what sort of things your father has you doing?"
"Just reviewing over data papers on statistics and such." Ricky looked up.
"Statistics of what?"
Ricky shrugged. "Numbers; pass codes I believe. Addresses and phone numbers…" Ricky's voice trailed off suddenly and he turned away.
Heero frowned at this. "What?"
"Nothing. Just thought of something." Ricky remained quiet.
"Hm…" Heero furrowed his eye brows and gained another thought. "What does he think about the terrorists?"
"He doesn't like their ideas and thinks it should stop. I don't really care; I just wish everything could stay the same and no haste of death." Ricky blinked and sighed after a second of thought. He lifted his head. "Why?"
Heero slowly smirked and leaned further back in his seat. "I think that's all I need to know."
"Huh?"
"Go on and catch up with Uno. They may still be in the Victorian Library but you might want to target their location from the security room first, just to be sure."
"Okay." Ricky stood and began to leave the room.
"Ricky." Ricky looked over his shoulder before exiting. "Watch your back; there are enemies out there that dislike normal human civilians."
Ricky nodded and left. Heero reclined just a little and put his arms behind his head in thought. So Ricky knew about the terrorists, which means his father did as well; only it wasn't pressed towards the media. Something was up.
"Computer; dislodge recording and file save backup."
That night, Duo was playing chess against Trowa and struggling to overcome the white knight. Duo was growling when Trowa kicked his King off the table. Trowa smirked and leaned back in his seat.
"How could you!" Duo grumbled. "I was unarmed!"
"Duo, you are the invader and I, the invadee. What your back next time."
"Damn you Trowa. I should get you one of these days!"
"I'll keep counting the months." Trowa smirked. He looked up when he saw Heero enter the room with his laptop. "Heero? More research?"
"Where's Uno and her friends?"
"In her room watching anime." Duo responded, cleaning up. "Why?"
"We need to discuss some important matters." Heero typed commands into his laptop.
Duo blinked. "What things?"
Quatre stepped into the room, hearing the topic. "Heero?"
"I asked Ricky what his father knew about the terrorists and their take on it. He was fidgeting the entire time I questioned him about his father's work."
"You probably frightened the poor boy to death." Duo smirked.
"He said his father didn't agree with the terrorists and wished they'd stop the hast of death."
Duo blinked. "Huh?"
Quatre leaned closer. "Heero…they….?"
Heero stared seriously to each of his three fellow comrades. "The media has never recalled to the public about the terrorists and Relena hadn't a clue about it as well."
"So…the only question remaining is…" Trowa trailed off.
"How do they know about it?" Duo finished in a sullen mood. All four of them looked down, feeling disturbed that Ricky knew something about what was going on.
Relena stepped out of the mansion front doors and smiled over to Heero. Heero was standing besides his green classic Firebird, dressed in a nice suit, awaiting Relena. She was clad in red, a color more suitable for Duo, but fashioned in a classier garment than she usually dressed. Her hair was shoulder length and trimmed recently, her bangs fully hanging around her forehead, and her face colored better than ever.
She had defiantly gone elegant for her and Heero's first date.
"Good evening, Heero." Relena curtsied.
Heero smiled just a tad and bowed some before extending his hand out to her. "Relena, you look lovely."
Relena smiled in return. "Why thank you Heero. Would you mind telling me where you are taking me, tonight?"
"And ruin the occasion?" Heero smirked and opened the passenger door, allowing her a seat.
Relena rolled her eyes. "I see Duo has been giving you pointers on the topic of humor." Relena retorted before taking Heero's hand and sitting down.
After the waiter poured both of the diners a glass of luxurious French red wine and left, Heero looked down to his lap and sighed in thought. Relena's hand and his were holding position on top of the table, his fingers twirling around one of her rings.
"Relena."
"Yes Heero?"
"I don't really know how to talk to you on the level you would like me to." Heero looked up at her with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
"It's been years since all wars have ended and I've no need to remain an emotionless human being, but I don't know the ways of releasing my feelings towards other people."
Relena relaxed and smiled a bit. "I see. You wish to tell me what you feel about me."
Heero sighed a bit. "I enjoy spending time with you and being near you makes me feel stronger."
"I've always felt strong when around you. That is why I chased you down so many times in the past."
Heero smirked and sighed heavily at that. Relena tilted her head, smiling.
"Heero?" Heero looked up to face her. "I love you, Heero. You've known that for years."
Heero nodded. "I have."
"Then what is it?" She noticed Heero was staring down.
"I'm worried for you." Heero faced her, sadness creeping in his face.
"What do you mean?"
"There are enemies out there, watching everything that's going on and we don't know where and when they will attack first. The wars have all ended, but there are terrorists and, unfortunately, we think Ricky's father is behind it." Heero's eyes trailed over to where their hands were locked in place. "I'm just worried that something may happen."
"Heero," Relena began. "I believe in you. I followed your pledge during the White Fang war and believed in you. I wasn't afraid when Mareimaia had kidnapped me and you threatened to blow up the mayors house; I felt you knew what to do and trusted you."
Heero kept his eyes on their locked hands. "I think Ricky knows stuff and won't tell me. He was nervous earlier today when I was questioning him. Quatre and Duo were about to view the recording before I left to come get you." Heero faced Relena. "I just don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me. I'm right here. I will always be here; for you." Relena smiled. She so badly wanted to kiss him right then, to make it their first kiss, but the blasted table was in her damn way!
That night, Heero was walking Relena up the steps to her door, holding her hand in his arm. He kept his head down as Relena looked around. She smiled as they neared her front door.
"I had a wonderful night. Thank you, Heero." Relena faced him.
"Hn." Heero kept his head down. His heart was beating fast and he didn't know what to do.
Relena frowned a little. "Heero?"
"I enjoyed the night, too."
He looked at Relena and felt relaxed when she smiled in return. He looked back down and wrapped his arms around her body for an intimate hug. Relena blinked and returned the hug. She was waiting for his kiss.
Heero parted and stepped back a foot or two, waiting for her to turn and go inside. Relena sighed lightly and stifled a weak smile. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, but she knew when he took his two back steps, that he wouldn't. Instead, she stifled her smile a little longer and turned to go inside. As the door shut, she watched him the best she could until the final click told her the door had closed all the way. She leaned her head down and pressed her forehead against the door, sighing heavily.
"If only he had kissed me." She murmured almost silently to herself. Her eyes partially shut and she relived the night in her mind.
