New Beginnings Part Six

By SilverLady

Quatre sighed as he leaned back against the tree; trying hard to not let the laughter he felt at the scene in front of him escape. He really wasn't sure who he found funnier though. Heero or Duo.

Much to his delight, everyone had agreed that going out to pick berries and have a picnic sounded like a good idea. Once they had quit grumbling about him waking them up so early. His ears were still ringing from the rant Wufei had gone off on when he had knocked on his door that morning.

The walk to the berry patch had been interesting to say the least. Trowa had hovered behind him at every step, acting as if Quatre was incapable of putting one foot in front of the other. He had been so worried about seeing that Quatre didn't hurt himself, he hadn't seen the hole and had nearly broken his ankle when he had managed to fall. Quatre had been torn about how to react to his lover's sudden fall; telling it served him right for the way he'd been acting, laughing at the look on Trowa's face or worrying that he might be injured.

Fortunately Wufei had saved him from having to react. He had snorted at Trowa's clumsiness, informed him he should be paying attention to where he was going and not where Quatre was and then knelt down to make sure he hadn't seriously injured the ankle. He had announced after a moment that Trowa's pride was probably the more injured part of the young man. Trowa had not dignified that comment with a reply.

The rest had the trip had been made at a slower pace, which Duo had found funny. He had informed Wufei he should be extra carefully since he was now the only fully able bodied person around. To which Ken had immediately informed his father that there was nothing wrong with him. Duo had smiled and told him that he knew that. There had been a strange note in Duo's voice when he had said that.

Quatre sighed again as he looked around the large clearing. Arriving here earlier had been a wonderful sight; the sun shining down through the trees had lit the area up beautifully. He didn't think that the gardens at home could compare to the simple, natural beauty of this mountain field.

"Damn it, Heero!" Duo's voice echoed across the clearing, causing Quatre to turn his attention to where the long haired man was kneeling in the berry patch. Heero was hovering near by, carefully balancing himself on his crutches and trying not to smash the plants surrounding him.

"Daddy said a bad word," Ken called out, giggling at catching his father cursing.

Quatre smiled in amusement at the scene. Heero had been hovering almost as badly as Trowa had been earlier and with almost the same results. The dark haired man really shouldn't be out in the middle of the berry patch, he was rather a threat to the plants with his awkward movements.

Duo sighed as he turned towards Ken's voice. "Yes, I did. And I had better not hear you repeating it. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"And as for you," Duo continued, turning his attention back to his hovering shadow. "Go sit down before you fall down. I am perfectly capable of picking berries without your help. I was doing it before you came here and I will be doing it after you leave."

"But…"

"No buts, you're going to kill half my patch if you keep this up. You cannot not be stepping on plants every time you move."

Heero had the grace not to reply to the obvious. "I just was making sure you didn't… pick the wrong ones. I mean how…"

Duo put up a hand to stop the other man from putting his foot into more than just another plant. "Ripe berries feel different than unripe ones. I've had plenty of practice learning the difference. Just because I can't see doesn't mean I'm helpless or stupid."

"I didn't mean to imply that. I…"

"Please Heero, I know you are trying to help, but really, you're not. If you want to be a help why don't you go get the food set out? I'm sure that everyone is going to be getting hungry soon, I know I am. And get off that leg for awhile before it starts swelling. We do still have to go back to the house and I don't think you want to be too sore to make it. I sure don't want to listen to Wufei complain about having to carry your heavy ass home."

Heero huffed but didn't argue. He knew that Duo was right; he was just in the way. Moving as carefully as possible he made his way over to where the blond was sitting under a tree, looking more than a bit amused.

"I'm glad you find me so funny." Heero commented as he carefully sat down on the ground. He grudgingly admitted to himself that it did feel good to get off the crutches.

"I just never thought I would see you hover so worryingly over anything. Certainly not another person, male or female."

Heero frowned as he leaned back against the tree. Had he really seemed that cold to his step-brother? "I…"

Quatre reached over and patted his shoulder. "It's a nice change. I hope that Duo realizes what a difference he makes in you."

Heero looked out at the long haired man. "He is quite a special person."

"I'm glad that you finally realized what you lost and I hope that everything works out for both of you. You deserve to be happy with your life. I'm sorry that Father didn't realize that. I never thought that the marriage was the right thing for you."

"But, you never said anything."

"Would you have listened to me? Even if you had thought to come to me with your problems in the first place. You were so tied up in honor and duty that nothing I would have said would have made any difference. Especially since Duo obviously couldn't change your mind. Father had you so convinced that you owed him for everything, I'm sure that disobeying him never crossed your mind."

Heero looked down. "It wasn't just that. I honestly didn't understand what Duo's problem with the situation was. True I was getting married, but I didn't love her. I loved him. I didn't see how being married was going to change that. It seemed to me to be the norm."

"But Duo had more pride than that."

Heero nodded. "He said he wouldn't be the other 'woman', the deep secret kept hidden away in some house in the country."

Quatre blinked. Though he had already this before he wanted some things clarified. "It was that serious to you?"

"I had found this really nice estate a couple of hours ride outside the city. I though Duo would like to get away from all the bad things he'd had in his life and have a home. A real home. I was going to put the place in his name so that he would always have a place to live. I hated that he had ever had to go without. I wanted him to have everything he deserved."

"Except the one thing he wanted most. You."

Heero winced at Quatre's perceptiveness. "I…"

"You would have given him everything he could ever ask for, but you couldn't or wouldn't be there with him. Just an occasional visitor to his house; whenever you could make time to get away from your duties to your wife and position. He doesn't strike as the type of person who would settle for being a part time anything."

"No, he wasn't. He isn't."

"And then, to put a child into that situation wouldn't have made things any better. Especially if Ken had been born before any children from your marriage, which he would have been. He would have been denied his rights as your eldest son simply because he had been born out of wedlock. What would have happened to him, growing up with the label of bastard over him? And how would he have felt having an occasional father, one who came whenever he could get away from his 'real' family?"

Heero closed his eyes. "I know. Even without Ken, the situation wouldn't have been the right thing for Duo. He deserves to have someone who is totally devoted to him. He's lost so much in his life, it was arrogant and foolish of me to ask it of him. But at the time I didn't see it that way. I just thought it was the way to have my cake and eat it too. To do what Father demanded of me and still keep the one thing in my life that actually made me happy. And instead, I lost him and I lost Ken. I've lost five years of my son's life that I will never get back."

"So realize how incredibly lucky you are to have gotten a second chance. Don't mess it up trying to be the same man you were. Duo has learned very well to take care of himself and Ken. He doesn't need you in his life."

Heero looked at Quatre in shock. "What?"

Quatre looked calmly back at him. "He is perfectly capable of handling his life by himself. He doesn't need you and you insult him by even thinking that. But he does want you there. Even if he's afraid that it's too good to be believed right now. You need to show him that you want to be there."

"How?"

"By not treating him like a helpless invalid, because you know he's not. He couldn't have made it this far being helpless. By being there when he asks for your help, but not shoving that help unasked for down his throat. By being an equal partner with him, not the heavy handed lord of all he surveys. By being supportive of what he does and asking the same of him in return."

"A true partnership."

"Got it in one. If he's worth it to you."

Heero looked at Duo as he made his way carefully to where Ken and Wufei were putting the picked berries into larger baskets for the return to the house. "He is."

Quatre smiled as he watched his step-brother. I think you finally got it.

A soft huff sounded on his other side as Trowa flopped down beside him. "Okay?"

Quatre turned to look at his love. "I'm fine. Heero and I have just been talking."

"I though he was getting lunch together."

Heero looked over at him. "Got a problem?"

Trowa's stomach growled at that moment, causing Quatre to break out in laughter. Trowa glared downward. "Yeah."

"Feed me?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you hurt your leg, not you arms."

Trowa made a face at him. "No respect. I get no respect from anyone." Rising to his feet he went to get the basket with the food. "And he talks about my arms not being hurt. Don't see anything wrong with his arms. Just cause he's got crutches and I don't."

Quatre wrapped his arms around his swollen stomach as he laughed even harder.

"Don't you think you should stop him before he chokes?" Duo asked as he came up, Ken and Wufei trailing along behind.

Wufei shook his head as he carefully set the large baskets of berries down and went to help Trowa.

"How?" Heero asked, looking at the blond.

Duo shrugged his shoulders. "Got me there."

Ken tugged on Duo's pant leg. "Daddy, is Quatre all right? His face is turning red."

Quatre struggled to bring his laughter under control. "I'm fine," he managed to gasp, getting a toehold on his mirth.

Ken sat down next to him. "You sure? You were laughing awfully hard. What was so funny?"

"Trowa."

"Thank you for finding me so amusing," Trowa retorted as he brought over several containers of food. Wufei came up behind him and started handing out plates and silverware.

"Everyone has to have a purpose in life," he told Trowa.

"And mine is?

"Clown?"

Trowa snorted. "Thank you for that insight, oh wise one."

"Someone must be in this group."

"Hey, I though I was the wise one." Quatre protested.

"The blonde one, wise?"

"Don't start with the blond jokes, buster."

Duo suddenly started laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing," Duo choked out.

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me. You thought of a stupid blond joke, didn't you?"

"Oh, no. I wouldn't." Duo tried to look serious.

"What is it?" Trowa asked. He knew how much Quatre hated blond jokes and it was fun to tease him sometimes. Though Quatre was definitely not a dumb blonde.

"Duo." Quatre warned.

"Yes, please do tell." Wufei commented.

Duo grinned. "They made me do it," he told Quatre. "Okay, Adrianna told me this one. There was a blonde walking along a river bank when she spotted another blond across the river. 'How do you get to the other side?' she called out. The other blonde looked at her, 'You are on the other side.'"

Quatre rolled his eyes as the others started laughing. "Ha ha, very funny. Make fun of the pregnant guy just cause he has golden hair and you don't."

'Golden hair' Heero mouthed in disbelief. Quatre shrugged.

Wufei sat down next to Duo. "Do what are you going to do with the berries we picked today?"

"Mostly make jam out of them."

Wufei looked at the baskets of berries and then remembered all the jars spread around the kitchen that morning. "You have an awful lot of jars for this bit of berries."

Duo smiled. "This is just the beginning. I'll be out here every day for the next couple of weeks picking."

"Weeks?"

"Yeah. And then the things in the garden will start coming on and I'll can and preserve that stuff as well. The next couple of months are very busy for me."

"It seems that extra hands will be greatly appreciated."

"Very much so."

"Well, I don't think I will be a great deal of help in the kitchen, but I certainly will be willing to assist in the harvesting of the produce for you."

Duo blinked at Wufei. "Huh?"

"He'll pick, you can," Quatre translated.

"Oh, okay. If you want. I don't want you to think you have to do it."

"It would be my honor. Working on the land has been very…. soothing. I find I enjoy it a great deal more than I thought I would."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Except when you've got what seems like a ton of stuff ready to be picked and you don't know what to do first. Then you want to pull your hair out."

Ken looked up from his plate. "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to make that stuff with the berries and the biscuits and the sugar and the cream and stuff?"

"Shortcakes?"

"Yeah, that stuff. Are you?"

"Of course. I know how much you like it."

"Cool. And can we make that ice cream like we did last year? It was really good."

"If you want."

"Neat." He thought for a minute. "And can I help Wufei pick stuff? I'm getting real good at knowing what is ready and what isn't."

"If Wufei doesn't mind."

"I would quite welcome Ken's assistance."

"Thank you." The little boy hopped up and exuberantly hugged Wufei. "I'll be lots of help."

Wufei blinked bemusedly for second before a soft smile graced his face. "I am sure you will be."

Duo sighed as he lay back in the grass. "Anyone for a nap before we head back?"

"I thought you had things to do?" Heero questioned, mentally berating himself for checking out the reclining form in front of him.

"Nothing pressing."

Heero slowly stretched out a short distance away from Duo. "Then a nap sounds like an excellent idea."

Quatre looked around at the woods beyond the clearing. "Is it safe?"

"Safe as anyplace else around here," Duo answered sleepily.

Ken crawled over to curl up next to his father.

Wufei looked at Quatre. "Why don't you rest for a while as well? I will keep watch."

Quatre smiled at him. "You sure?"

"Of course."

Trowa sat down behind Quatre and coaxed him to rest his head against his chest. "Rest, little one."

Quatre sighed. He was a bit tired, even though he hadn't done anything more than watch. "For just a little bit," he whispered as he closed his eyes.

Trowa smiled down at his blond love as he gently ran his fingers through his hair. "Just a bit," he agreed softly, before closing his own eyes.

Wufei smiled at the sight of his friends resting quietly. Then he rose to his feet and began to explore the clearing for any signs of trouble. He would take his duty of guarding his friends rest very seriously. And he would be sure they awoke in plenty of time to return to the house. It was the least he could do.

He looked over to see that Quatre had snuggled more deeply into Trowa's arms and made note of how Heero had rolled ever so close to Duo and Ken.

He sighed. And perhaps one day, he too would be lucky enough to have someone to rest with.