Disclaimers: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing nor it's characters. Merely borrowing them for a little torture.

Warnings: Shounen-ai (because I suck at yaoi) , major A.U, some OOC I think, mpreg (mentioned, implied, so on)

Hehe, I have never done this before, but here is a few replies to reviews:

Annie Maxwell: Thanks and you know what for.

Yasei Raiden: Eh? Rip their hair out? Well, I do aim to… please? Thanks, but I think there are better fics out there than F&C

Euphoria: Well, I guess you are right. But I wanted areas where I could revise. I don't like to leave things half done (at least not anymore ). I have started to think like that as well. I really can't please everyone. They are entitled to their own views on whether they like it or not. If they don't, they can choose not to read I guess. Well, mpreg is as fantasy as you will get. My invitation to all is to hang up their brains when they read my fic, since I hang up mine when I write it --;;

Priscel: Digging through the couch? Erm… Yes, I did that whole from one part to the stranger part intentionally but I noticed that I happen to be predictable and many know where I am coming from. Oh well.

Pia Bartolini: Well, I think we have covered all bases right? Thanks and hope life starts to favour you again.

Wolf Wing: Choppy writer, searching for plot. That was what happened, then the story started writing itself. Eep.

Malevolant Lady: Coincidences seem to be the liveblood of the entertainment business and I am ashamed to say that I have fallen in that trap as well. Well, hope you like the next chappie.

Keiran: I trust you to notice that spelling mistake. I guess it was just my typo error. Gomen gomen. This chappie all changed.

To all the other reviewers, thank you for your comments.

I hope this chappie isn't to confusing. I am trying to link things back as well as I can. My brain has gone on vacation and left me here.

Reflections of the Past

Part 14

Keiran expression was one of profound disgust as he stared at Sally Po's retreating back. She had led him to where the villagers had found the little girl. Then she had made a quick retreat, muttering something about needing to take care of Hilde. He sighed in irritation at her irrational fears as he put the woman out of her mind and started searching the Forest floor for what may have been the instrument of little Hilde's poisoning. He squatted next to a small spot of blood that may have been the blood of the little girl. His sharp eyes searched for any signs of what his experience told him would be a poisonous plant. From his teachings, he knew that the antidote for a poisonous plant would be nearby.

The day had been warm and still but out of no where, a soft breeze started to blow. It caressed every single part of his skin that wasn't covered by the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. He stood, turning his face into the breeze, taking a deep breath. The air here was cleaner, fresher, and completely free of pollutants he was familiar with in the many towns he had inhabited. He felt free here, felt like he belong here some how. For the first time in weeks, Keiran laughed, twirled himself around as peals and peals of delighted glee burst from him. He felt like a child and in his mind's eye, he saw himself climbing these trees, swinging from limb to limb in complete abandon. The glee faded as a feeling hit him harder than ever before that he had been playing in these trees as a child. Just as that thought hit, so did the familiar headache that had become almost routine with him. He breathed slowly between clenched teeth as he massaged his temples in irritation. Nothing helped his headaches except Dorothy's concoction. Suddenly, the wind within the Forest changed ever so subtly.

At first, it was almost welcoming, as if greeting an old friend, but now, it was slightly ominous, a warning present in the now oppressive air. A deep unease rose from within Keiran as the wind seemed to be conflicting with each other. One minute, it felt like it wanted to rip him in half, another greeting him like a mother greets her children. Going off in another tangent, Keiran lifted his face to feel the sunlight bathing him with its brilliance. Through his closed eyelids, he could see the wonderful green of the rays filtered through the top of the trees. This was nature at its purest, at his most wondrous. How had he gone so long without living with it?

Then he realised what he was doing, standing in the middle of the forest going all cuckoo while a little girl was fighting for her life. With a disgusted sigh directed at his untimely preoccupation with nature and continued his search for the illusive plant. He was at a loss of what to look for but something told him that if he looked, he would find it. His eyes searched the small growth along the forest floor, his instincts doing the search more than his mind was. He was running out of time, if he didn't hurry, the little girl was going to lose her life. Panic and need spurred him to intensify his search as the part of his mind that was always logical, always by the text book fled to a little corner. It was then he found it, a pink little flower no bigger than the nail on his thumb. He let out a cry of surprise. If he searched his memory, he knew he had never seen this plant before, but he was able to recite its properties by heart.

He grabbed a few more a carefully put into the pocket of his shirt and turned to leave. Something in the air stopped him. It hurt to leave, like he was leaving a part of him here. He turned to give the forest one last longing look, probably his last. Dorothy would absolutely go crazy if she found out Keiran had been in the Forbidden Forest. She hadn't been too happy when he had announced he found them a place away from all the hurt that was so close to the legendary Forbidden Forest. She had almost outright forbid Keiran from stepping into that place. At that time, he had been more than happy to acquiesce with that order, there hadn't been any need, but there was one now, the need of a little girl.

A sudden rustling in the trees caught his attention. He stared sharply at that direction, suddenly worried about the wild animals that normally inhabit a forest. He didn't believe in any of the creatures that were purported to have made a home there, it was the wolves and the other predators that frightened him. He realised a little too late that he was completely defenceless and made a quick exit. He walked as fast as he could given his widen girth, finding his hand curling under it for support. Sometimes he felt so at odds with his body. His mind seemed to be telling him something but his body was demanding something else. Of late, his midsection had been taking on a rather taut and firm feel to it.

There were calls of relief, similar to the ones that greeted him when he first entered the village earlier that day. He continued to be humbled by the faith these people had in him. He wondered what would happen if he failed this time.

"You found something?" Sally rushed toward him as he made his way to the healer's hut.

Keiran merely nodded, a little out of breath. He pulled out the small bouquet of flowers he collected.

"You let me take you into the Forbidden Forest and all you have to show for it is Flore Roses?" Sally's face turned an alarming shade of purple.

Keiran pushed past her into the hut, asking, "You know of it?" He frowned. "Then why the hell didn't you get it for her?"

Sally grabbed the doctor's sleeve. "Flore Roses has no healing properties what so ever! You've killed my niece, you quack!" She roared that into his face.

That was the straw that laid the camel's back flat. Keiran grabbed the healer by the front of her dress and pulled her within inches of his flashing amethyst eyes. "Listen, healer Po, you came to me. You ran out of options. You didn't have a better plan than asking the spirits to help you. Now, shut up and grind these up," Keiran shoved the small blooms into the stunned healer's face.

Sally deflated as her bubble of self righteousness was burst. Mutely, she took the flowers from Keiran and began to do as the doctor asked. Keiran hurried to the girl's side. Hilde looked a whole lot worse. Her breathing was definitely more laboured and from the flecks of crimson dotting the side of her mouth, she had been throwing up blood as well. Teran poison caused bleeding, he knew that, but from where? Where had he acquired the knowledge? The headache intensified but he pushed the pain aside and began working on the girl. When the wound was fully unwrapped, Keiran inhaled sharply. It looked… ugly, was the only thing that came to mind. The lines of infection had travelled up her thighs and covered most of her legs. It was mind boggling, how could a wound get so infected, so fast?

Keiran felt defeated. He knew by the sight of the wound that no form of medication would be able to save the little girl. She was already dying. Still, he had to try, something told him the flowers would work, if only he had faith. Sally came with the ground petals and practically shoved the bowl at him. Keiran quickly smeared the slightly pasty mixture into the rake marks, causing Hilde to moan, even in the depths of unconsciousness. He told Sally to feed the rest to her.

"Now we wait," Keiran announced, sitting back.

Afternoon gave way to evening but Keiran could see that they were fighting a losing battle. The plants gave Hilde some measure of relief, unfortunately, it wasn't even to drive the poison from her body, it was too ingrained into her blood already. Sally had began a bought of silent weeping long ago, already beginning her mourning for her orphaned niece. Frustration built within the doctor at the helplessness. He was meant to make things better, and children were not supposed to die. His hands lay clenched in his lap, his head deeply bowed as he fought the anger and sorrow at watching another young life go to waste. Maybe if he hadn't spent so much time mooning about inside the forest, maybe if he had been quicker in finding flowers, maybe if he had run faster coming back to the village. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"This is not HAPPENING!" Keiran yelled to the stunned disbelief of Sally and the villagers that gathered. "You are not going to die." He grabbed the child by the shoulders and shook her lightly. "You are going to fight this!" Deep within he willed it to be so, he wanted it to come to pass so badly. The pain in his head reached an agonising crescendo, blinding him with white pain before it receded once more.

He found himself lying on one of the cots that sprinkled Sally's home wondering what the hell just happened. All he knew was he was so tired. God, emotional outbursts can be so exhausting.

"Doctor Walker, are you alright?" Sally's concerned visage swam into view.

"What happened?" Keiran made to sit up, but wince at the pull in muscle of his lower back.

"You fainted," Sally informed him with a faint smile of amusement playing about her lips.

Keiran didn't know whether to feel insulted or embarrassed. "Men," he informed Sally loftily, with as much pride as he can garner. "Pass out, they don't faint, as you so delicately put it." A more pressing thought came to mind. "How's Hilde?" He clutched at Sally's hand.

Sally's smile widened. "You, Doctor Walker, are a miracle worker. Those stupid flowers actually worked. She has a slight fever but nothing that wouldn't fade by day break."

The doctor sighed in relief. It worked, but how? He levered himself off the bed and made his way toward the sleeping girl, Sally hovering worriedly at his shoulder. It was apparent even to him that the person Sally was concerned for now was him and not longer the little girl. He must really look like shit for her to be this concerned. He took a look at the girl's wounds and to say he was shocked was putting it lightly. The angry redness had subsided and it looked to be nothing more that thin scratches that would heal in a few days. Hilde looked better as well, she was still pale, but her breathing was easier and the lines of pain etched onto her face were gone.

It boggled the mind. The last time Keiran had looked, he was sure the little girl was dying, she had been too far gone, but Hilde looked none the worse for wear.

A loud grumble invaded his thoughts and he flushed an interesting shade of red.

"Can I interest you with dinner perhaps?" Sally offered, noting the embarrassment of Hilder's saviour.

"I hope you made enough to feed an army," Keiran said, not entirely joking.

XXxxXX

Heero gasped as the light around Duo faded and his mate slumped onto the little girl. He ached to run into the dwelling or whatever these humans called their home, scoop him up and take him home. Quatre caught his attention and reluctantly, he flew from their perch near the village to some distance away.

"Quatre, what's wrong with him?" He rounded on the Healer the moment he turned human form again.

Quatre looked worried as he paced the small space. "He Healed her, he used his powers to Heal that little girl. Whatever plant that was, it would have worked if the poisoning wasn't so advanced."

"But he's… he's…" Heero wanted to tear his hair out in worry. That wasn't his mate, it looked like Duo, sounded like Duo, but it didn't act or talk like Duo did. And his hair, Duo's lovely braid, and his long golden brown hair that Heero loved to play with, to smell, was gone. Heero felt the pain of that more keenly than anything. Why had Duo cut it off? What in all that was holy had happened?

"I know, he's pregnant, I don't know how it's going to affect him this time." Quatre shuddered as at the thought of what happened the last time. Duo's near miscarriage had almost killed him. "And Heero," he turned to his chief. "He didn't seem to remember being able Heal, he didn't seem to remember who he is."

That woman had called him Doctor Walker. His presence seemed human, completely human. The Forest didn't recognise him as neither friend nor foe, Quatre couldn't sense him as a fellow Healer. What had had happened to his Duo? They had followed him all the way from the Forest and it was clear to both of them that Duo wasn't even aware that he was carrying life within him. The way he moved, the way he ran, Heero had wanted to just yelled at him to be careful. He was going to hurt himself if he continued to run as he did.

A few hours later, a familiar figure totting a medicine bag left the village and the two Shifters followed him closely. Despite Quatre's worries, there didn't seem to be any lasting effects of Duo's Healing. The Healer had a rather loose theory of Duo's energy being completely mixed up between human and Shifter that one unconscious Healing effort, which wasn't too hard in Quatre's estimation. Humans were much easier to Heal than Shifters, they were less complicated.

Still, they followed Duo until they saw him falter, wavering on his feet. Heero dashed through the remaining space and caught his love before he touched the ground.

XXxxXX

Either it was the day's tension, random tiredness or the almost perpetual headache that assailed Keiran at the most inopportune times, he realised he was in danger of passing out again fifteen minutes out of the village. It was dark and his sister was all alone at home and would be worrying. He needed to get back home.

The pack dropped off his shoulder with a loud thunk as he pitched forward. Instead of landing with a mouthful of dirt, he felt strong arms catching him lightly, before turning him over. His vision wavered but he saw twin cobalt eyes that shot through his mind, causing his fading headache to roar back to life. He issued a pain groan while image after incoherent image flashed through his mind. It coalesced into one clear picture, the stranger throwing a knife that caught his brother in the neck.

His brother… Solo.

His murderer… holding him.

Hate boiled within him, causing his blood to bubble to a fever pitch but the pain was too intense, it squeezed his head like a metal band.

"You," he croaked accusingly, unable to muster enough revulsion for the man in his tired tone before the darkness swallowed him whole.

tbc…

Aaaaah, hope things make a little more sense now? If not…

passes mallets all round and offers Tsu's head on a nice little platter