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)

Reflections of the Past

Part 15

Heero looked down into the serene face on his lap. Although he understood that there was something fundamentally wrong with Duo, something in his heart eased, knowing instinctively that this was his mate in his arms once again. Still he couldn't still a tremor of worry within him. Duo recognised him, but the only word he muttered before he passed out was filled with loathing. His mate hated him? Well, Duo had every right to be angry at him, but to hate him? What happened? He watched as Quatre went about starting a fire before doubling back to them. He knew he should help the Healer but the thought of leaving Duo was more painful than death. He hadn't realised how awful life could be without Duo, how empty and how utterly colourless.

He found himself touching his mate constantly, brushing the stray strands of hair from his cheek, caressing his smooth forehead, tracing the full lips, rubbing Duo's shoulders, anything to maintain contact, anything to tell him the one thing he had been looking for this past month was not an apparition. Under watchful eyes, his Healer went about checking his mate. Every time the blond frowned, Heero felt his pulse jump and the desire to shake the now silent Quatre increased. He watched silently as the blond ran a competent hand over the curve of Duo's stomach.

"What's wrong with him?" Heero asked after Quatre sat back on his heels with a sigh.

Quatre's expression spoke clearly of his uneasiness.

"Nothing is wrong with the babies, is there?" Heero asked, alarmed,

Quatre shook his head wearily. "I think the only thing that isn't wrong with Duo is the babies. Both of are extremely healthy, actually, so is Duo, besides the whole fatigue thing, which is normal, by the way."

"Then?"

"There is nothing in his physique, except for the fact that he is pregnant, that remotely suggests that he is a Shifter." Quatre ran his fingers wearily through his blond hair. "Everything that made him fundamentally a Shifter is gone."

Heero shook his head in denial. "I don't understand."

Quatre sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I mean that his mind is completely human, because of that, he can't remember anything that has to do with us, with you… with being a Shifter. Do you understand, Heero? There is a black void, a wall of sorts in his mind that is blocking him from remembering who he is." He shook his head in utter disbelief. "I have never seen something like this before."

"So," Heero's voice cracked. "So you are saying Duo doesn't remember anything about us? He wouldn't know us?"

The blond Healer shrugged helplessly, hurt by the pain bleeding from Heero.

"Then, how do you explain him and that little girl just now?" Heero was desperately grasping onto straws. Anything to prove Quatre wrong, anything to hold onto hope that his Duo was still within the gently slumbering being he held in his arms.

Quatre reached out to touch Heero's arm lightly. "Heero, I can only tell you what I sense. That Man," he gestured to Duo in Heero's lap. "Is Duo, but he also isn't. I know it doesn't make sense. Part of him, the part beyond that black void, knows who is he, but the void is so very strong. From what I can deduce, the part that is Duo is fighting the black void, and it is causing him pain. That was probably why he passed out after he Healed that little girl."

Heero was horrified. "Are you telling me that every time he tries to remember, it causes him pain?" For his Duo to be fully returned to him, he had to endure pain? He won't allow it. Heero felt something die inside him, then he would have lost Duo forever.

"I think Gee would know what this is. It is nothing like I've ever encountered before. The darkness is…" Quatre tried to find the most appropriate word. "…distressing. It is almost like a wound that I can't Heal. There's nothing that I can do about it."

Nothing that I can do about it, the words were hauntingly familiar. A wound that a Healer can't Heal? That was even more familiar. Where had Heero heard of it?

Gee…

"Sorcery?" Heero blurted. "He's the victim of sorcery?"

It appeared that the same realisation hit Quatre at the exact same time. His blue/green eyes grew impossible wide. "Oh no."

Suddenly, the fire they built flared to alarming intensity. It grew to a wall almost as tall as Heero and it started to spread. Soon the wall of fire spread to the point of stopping them from taking a step further. Heero and Quatre shot to their feet, wary of foul magic.

"A little too late for you realise that, isn't it, Heero Yuy?" A sneering but definitely feminine voice jeered from beyond the fire.

Heero strained to look beyond the flames, making out a slight young woman with long blond hair and icy cold blue eyes. She had her wealth of blond hair tied into a braid very much like Duo used to.

Used to, ouch.

"Who are you?" Heero challenged.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are going to suffocate, and still want to observe polite trivialities such as exchange introductions," the woman, no girl, lips twisted into a cruel smile, her fingers playing with the end of the braid. She feigned a self suffering sigh. "Fine, Dorothy Catalonia, at your service, Shifter assholes."

"You did this to Duo!" Quatre yelled, turning to keep an eye on his friend.

"No, no, no," she purred, before narrowing her eyes to slits. "You, did it to him," she shot a glare to Heero. "You killed my husband." She swung her braid over her shoulder in one enraged movement.

Heero frowned in confusion. "I don't even know you, much less kill your husband. You are mistaken."

Dorothy snorted. "Oh no, Mr Tribe Chief, you did kill my husband. You killed the only person I've ever loved." There was cold hatred in her tone. "It took me three long years to find you, but find you I did. I'll make you pay," she hissed. "You and that bitch of yours." She flicked a gaze at the prone Duo.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Quatre yelled impatiently, taking a step forward, but was driven back by the fire. It was as if the flames were alive some how, and it responded to the deranged woman's anger. "Duo never hurt anyone! How did he kill your husband?"

"He was born," Dorothy said simply, hanging her head, her hands clenched at her sides. "He was born and took away everyone that loved Solo. His selflessness, his kindness, his everything. The prodigal son."

Heero and Quatre exchanged shocked looks. Solo, this was Solo's wife, lover, whatever. Duo had told Heero once that his brother had a human lover, but they had all assumed it was an excuse to get Duo to take his place as Heero's mate. But it had been true, and Solo's mate, wife, was a sorcerer.

Suddenly, the pleasant façade was back on as she smiled sweetly. "Well, this was unexpected. I told that idiot time and time again, not to enter that thrice damned Forest. But does he listen?" She shook her head sympathetically. "He would have been so much fun, and I just found out the freak was pregnant as well." She shrugged. "Oh well, never too late for him to die." She lifted a negligent hand and gestured casually.

Heero stepped in front of Duo, glaring at the woman, wishing to every spirit in the Forest to get her neck in between his hands. He waited for the killing blow to come, but to his surprise, nothing happened. "What game are you playing, woman?" He shouted, noting the flames had renewed their vigour.

"Heero, look out!" Quatre called out panicked.

A sharp pain lanced Heero's shoulders and he turned to face… Duo? His mate held twin knives in both hands, one of the dripping with blood, his blood; while Duo's amethyst eyes burned with hate. "Duo? What's wrong?" He eyed the weapons apprehensively, backing a step, until the heat of the fire reminded him what was behind him.

The Man that snarled back at him wasn't his mate. "You killed my brother!"

That hysteria was hauntingly familiar to Heero. That accusation… "It was you! You poisoned his mind that first day we came back here!" He never took his eyes off Duo, who continued to advance, the knives glinting in the fire but directed that statement to the witch. Dorothy was watching the proceedings with a slightly satisfied smile on her face.

"You poisoned his against his own brother," Dorothy spat viciously. "It was pretty easy to undo the damage."

"Solo was insane!" Quatre returned, trying to get around the barrier.

"No! You killed him! Kieran, this was the man, no the thing, that killed your brother, ruined our family!" Dorothy egged. "Take your revenge, for Solo, for me."

Heero saw Duo swaying on his feet, the voice a catalyst. "Duo, it's me, Heero," he pleaded, having no other choice. The spell seemed to be ingrained.

Duo shook his head as if to clear it, a line of pain forming in between his brow. He levelled Heero with a flat stare, one that was completely lifeless but amethyst orbs still burned with loathing. "I remember, you killed my brother. You attacked me, you want me dead!" He swung his knives in a deadly arc toward the dark haired Shifter.

"No!" Heero called out, anguished, but he knew what Duo remembered, and he couldn't blame his mate for wanting to kill him. He wouldn't be able to attack Duo if he was armed and defending himself against his mate might result in jury to Duo. "She is lying! You took your memories, she didn't tell you the full story." A knife, wielded with precision missed him by inches as he managed to duck out of the way. Pain radiated across his injured back. He made a mental note of never bothering Duo to practice some form of self defence anymore; his mate was more than able to kill.

A laugh loaded with sarcasm filled the air. "Keep to him, Heero, he won't be able to hear you." Dorothy was back to playing with her braid. "He won't realise he is killing anyone until either he or you is bleeding over all this nice ground. And," her lips twisted into a sneer again, although her eyes kept a close watch on the blond Shifter, who was trying to get through the fire to her. "Who said I took his memories?" With every word, the flames grew higher, and wider, pushing Quatre back. Her fingers toyed with the ends of her blonde braid. "It's right here."

Quatre gasped. "Heero, Duo's memories is in the sorcerer's braid! It's Duo's!"

Dorothy tilted her head. "So?" She lost the small smile she had on as it was replaced by utter revulsion. "Die! Kill him!" She yelled at Duo.

Heero lost concentration for a minute as he stared at Dorothy playing with Duo's braid. That bitch took everything from Duo, his memories, his life and stuffed it all into his braid. Then she took that too. The next graceful swipe came unawares as Heero Shifted unconsciously, blocking the knives with claws and attacking Duo's unprotected midsection. Realising almost too late what he was about to do, Heero stilled for a spell before pushing Duo away from him.

"Heero!" Quatre yelled as Heero's knees buckled.

Heero landed on the ground, hard, his entire body shaking with nerves. Not only had he tried to kill his mate, the love of his life, he had almost killed his unborn children as well. He had promised never to raise his hand in violence toward his mate and he had done so once more. He said he would die before he hit his mate again, and die he will. He lifted agonised eyes to meet Duo's exquisite violet ones for the last time. "I love you, Duo." The last thing he saw before closing his eyes, waiting for the killing blow was his mate charging at him with both weapons raised over his head.

"Duo… NO!"

"Kill him!"

Stillness, silence. Was he dead? Was that why he felt no pain? Had Duo killed him already?

"KILL HIM YOU FOOL!" Came Dorothy's shrill scream. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR? KILL HIM!"

Heero peeled his lids open cautiously and gasped. Duo was hunkered on the ground, the weapons lay forgotten by his side, both arms curled tightly around his midsection, around their children. Amethyst gaze lifted to meet his and Heero was jolted by the lack of… hate that was once present. "Duo?" He ventured cautiously.

Duo swivelled his head towards Quatre, almost by instinct and whispered, "Something is wrong with me."

Dorothy was hysterical with rage and she continued to rant and scream. "Useless fool, I'll have to do it myself." She lifted her hand again and before she could complete the spell, she stilled as if listening to something. "Both of you will die. I promise you this." The chill in her tone ran through each present as she faded away into the night, the fire dying with her.

"No, give me back his braid!" Heero got to his feet running towards the now empty spot where the dark sorcerer once was.

"What's wrong?" Quatre rushed over to his friend's side, worried sick that his fight with Heero had somehow triggered a miscarriage he feared earlier.

When Duo lifted his head to meet Quatre's calm stare, the Healer realised that his friend was no longer under the compulsion spell of the sorcerer. Another presence fell down next to him. A quick glance confirmed it as Heero. Noticing the chief's bleeding back, he quickly sealed the cut before turning back to Duo, who was still too distracted.

"Something's moving inside my stomach," Duo whispered, his expression fearful. He had both hands pressed tightly against the protrusion of his lower body.

Both Shifters were torn between relief and grief. While the babies were fine, it was evident Duo still thought he was the Man, Kieran Walker.

Quatre pressed his hand to where Duo's was at the moment, putting in some pressure and felt a faint flutter. One of the babies moving, he guessed. Now, how was he going to break the news to Duo?

tbc…