Warnings: AU, character death, A little language, religion, angst

Rating:PG-13

Summary: Duo is an orphan living at an orphanage. One night a young man shows up and changes his life forever.

This is dedicated to a good friend of mine, Kiki Starwind, she loved this story and it made her cry so tell me what you think eh?

Heero's Wings

He sat in his small room and hummed a tune. It as true that he, Duo Maxwell, did not have a family, that he was an orphan, but he was a happy orphan.

He had a mother figure, Sister Helen, and God was his father. At least that was what he had been taught. He was sixteen and had been living in the orphanage most of his life.

He was about to get up and pace when a knock sounded at his door.

"Duo, it's Sister Helen." He opened the door quickly.

"Hi Sister Helen, What's up?" She smiled and patted his head.

"Duo, would you go up to the chapel and light a candle?"

"Who's it for?"

"It's an unspoken request of mine, God knows what it's for."

"Okay," the reason Sister Helen had asked him to do it was because he was one of the oldest orphans there, and they were swamped with a lot of younger children. He made his way solemnly to the chapel and proceeded to light the requested candle and another. Then he prayed.

Oh God, please help me! I love you with all of my heart, but I don't know what to do! Please help! Amen-

He sighed and stood. He smiled up at a statue of the Holy Virgin. "Later Babe." He was about to leave the chapel when something started banging on the door. He went up to see what is was.

The knocks were frantic, so even though he'd get his knuckles smacked, he ran through the chapel. He opened the door and saw a boy, standing there, shivering , shaking and injured.

"Please...help...me..." the boy fell into Duo's arm. He was shivering.

"SISTER HELEN! FATHER MAXWELL!" The two old folks came rushing in.

"Duo? What is it?"

"This boy! He needs help!" The three of the brought the wet boy into the chapel and down into the orphanage. "Just take him to my room, we're full."

"Okay." t hey deposited the boy on Duo's bed.

"Would you bring me some water and some bandages?" Sister Helen nodded. This was a test, she realized, for Duo. A test he'd have to pass on his own.

When she returned, she saw her braided, priest-in-training drying the injured boy off. The chocolate haired youth was still unconscious. "Thank you, sister."

"You're welcome." She and Father Maxwell soon left Duo alone to deal with the boy. There were too many things that had to be done.

!break in time!

Duo stared at the boy. His injuries were congruent with those of someone who'd been severely beaten. The boy had stripes on his back from a belt, bruises all over his body and Duo suspected that he was of couple of bruised or broken ribs.

He was clearing the blood from the boy's face when the boy woke up.

"Am I in heaven?"

"No..."

"Then I'm in Hell again."

"No, you're at Maxwell Orphanage slash Church, remember? You were banging on the door." Prussian blue eyes looked at him and the boy nodded. He looked to be of Asian descent. "I'm Duo, who are you?"

"Mud, Slug, Maggot, Worthless, take your pick." His voice was cold.

"How about a real name that doesn't degrade you or put you down." The boy actually had to think about it.

"Heero, I think that's what they called me."

"You don't remember, perhaps your injuries were worse than I thought. I'll have Sister Helen call the hosp-"

"NO! Don't! I'm fine, I promise."

"Okay, sheesh. Calm down Heero. I'm going to have some soup brought up. Think you can eat?"

"Yeah, but why are you doing this?"

"Because it's my duty"

"What are you some kinda priest?" Duo smiled at his question.

"I'm a priest-in-training." And so that would account for his black attire and white collar. "Don't worry Heero, I'll take care of you."

"You don't have to you know."

"I do," they sat in silence for a couple minutes before Duo spoke again. "Heero, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure I guess." The boy's tone never changed.

"I have two questions, actually. Do you know Jesus as your savior?" Heero shook his head. "Okay, who did this to you?" He saw Heero tense, then he sighed and said.

"My father."

"I can't believe someone would do this to a child." Duo stood and began to pace.

"I've lived like this my entire life. I've learned to accept that no one loves me, not even God, because I pleaded and begged him to take me away from it all and he never did."

"He has now Heero!" Duo sat on the bed next to the blue eyed boy. "God loves you Heero, he loves everyone."

"How! How can he love me if my own parents can't?" Duo sighed.

"Some people don't deserve to be parents and some have got it all wrong, but God is the Ultimate Parent." They sat on the bed for a good half hour before someone brought in some soup. "Thanks Michael."

"You're welcome Duo!" The young boy grinned and left the room. Duo offered the steaming bowl to Heero. He took it and started spooning the liquid into his mouth.

"That boy...the one that brought the soup. His parents beat him too. God took them away and brought Michael here...he misses them. I don't understand, maybe it's cause I never had parents." Heero let his spoon fall.

"He misses them because he interprets the beatings as love. I did the same thing when I was younger."

"He knows now that it wasn't love and that he is loved." There were a few moments of silence before Heero asked.

"Are you sure that God could love me? I'm marked now."

"Me too, hey I went to a foster home and was abused. I'm marked too, please, let me save you!"

"Why do you care?" The injured boy was crying now.

"Because God cares. I'm a vessel of God and I care too. I won't let you go back there.

"I have to go back. If I don't they will come looking for me."

"Heero I know people, we can get you emancipated. We can set you free."

"I'll never be free." Heero finished the soup and laid down. His eyes closed almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Okay...so i know...it's not the greatest work of the 21st century but i try! So...give me a few reviews tell me if you like it, hate it, too much religion... I'd like to continue it if someone out there likes it...Much Love X 19 El Terrible!