Jealousy
Chapter 18: Is it over?
Pairings: Heero/Duo
Disclaimer: I own nothing therefore I get nothing
Warnings: none
Thank you to Hitokimi for taking on the big task of beta-reading. Any mistakes after she has done her job are mine.
Special thanks to:Serenity Maxwell, yaeko, Fantasy or Reality and to those who have read and didn't review thank you for reading thus far. I hoped you enjoyed it.
/ Thoughts /
Enjoy!
oOoOoOo
The sounds of the early morning traffic could be heard like ocean waves breaking on a sandy beach on the Earth. Purple eyes fluttered opened as an annoying beeping penetrated through Duo's unconscious state of rest. The first thing she felt was the slight throbbing ache in her left hand then she felt more aches along her body.
A mop of dark messy hair was peeking out from underneath the thin bed covers next to her. Another clue as to where she was. Duo turned her head to her right to spot another mop of messy hair in the next bed over.
"Heero," Duo called out weakly her throat relaxing to moisten her parched mouth.
Being a light sleeper, the man in question shot up in bed at the sound of his name.
"Duo…baby…how are you feeling?"
"Fine, I think," Duo answered trying to sit up. "Relena – that b-"
"Shh, don't use that language around Hayate," Heero chastised checking to make sure their son was still asleep.
The ex-pilot had the grace to blush. "Where is she?" Duo growled. She wanted to kick her ass again for thinking that she could get away with trying to kill her.
"She's downstairs. What happened?"
Duo closed her eyes remembering, willing her self not to break down in front of her husband.
"Let me just tell you now that whatever the outcome is the punishment will be well worth it."
Heero openly smiled at his Shinigami. She always had a way with words.
"The Minister confronted me…"
oOo Flashback oOo
Rain was falling heavily outside. The water sliding down the windows in rivulets and hitting the roof like hail. Two figures slowly walked around each other in a circle.
"Give it up, Relena, you don't stand a chance against me," Duo taunted truthfully.
"I managed to get you once and I will again. Only this time I'm not going to keep you like a pampered whore – this time – Heero will be mine!"
"And you're forgetting one very important thing…"
Indigo orbs reflected in the darkness. Duo's soft alto dropped to a dangerous level making the temperature more freezing.
Relena gave Duo a puzzled look, not realizing the impending threat. "(Scoffs) yeah, what's that?"
"They call me Death for a reason, you man stealing bitch!"
Duo launched her self at the petrified former Queen of the World coming at her and landed a hard solid right punch to Relena's jaw.
Relena stumbled back only to fall over an end table. The lamp on top was knocked over breaking when it made contact with the floor. Duo didn't give her rival time to recover. She immediately jumped on top of Relena. With each strike, Duo thought of her imprisonment until her hand was numb, swollen, and bloody.
The Minister remained unmoving. Duo grabbed Relena by her suit jacket lapels – her hand posed to deliver a killing blow.
"You're not worth killing."
However, as Duo released the Minister's clothes, her eyes widen a mute scream upon her lips. She looked down at the maniacal grinning face.
"I win."
Looking further down to her own body – there in her side below her ribs was a throwing knife – blood was seeping through. A large crimson spot was spreading across Duo's shirt. She fell back away from Relena.
"Ahh!" she yelled pulling the blade out.
"You think you're better than me, but you're not. I am nobility…" Relena ranted kicking Duo in the face. "I am some one people can admire. You-you are nothing more than a street rat – a whore – from L2, a washed out Gundam pilot."
This time Relena kicked Duo in her bleeding wound. Duo hissed in pain – something else was wrong, she shouldn't be hurting this badly. Her body was enhanced to take this type of pain. Falling back down to the floor Duo saw the gleaming barrel of her gun.
Unfortunately, Relena saw it too when a flash of lightening illuminated the house. Both simultaneously jumped for the weapon. Being in a better position, Relena snatched it up first.
"Not so powerful, now, on your feet!"
Duo struggled to stand. She winced as gravity pulled on her wound.
"Say good-bye," Relena said and pulled the trigger.
Nothing.
Laughing echoed.
Relena tried pulling back on the trigger again.
"I see you still can't weld a simple hand gun." As fast as Duo could she wrestled it away from the blonde. "Now give me one good fuckin' reason why I should shoot your ass?"
"You won't kill me," Relena dared.
"Oh? And why not?"
"Because my death would bring about another war," Relena answered smugly.
Seconds later multiple shots were fired then a body dropped to the floor.
"You dumb bitch. You think to highly of yourself," Duo said before collapsing on the ceramic tile next to her rival.
Blood pooling around her middle since she could no longer staunch the flow. Long minutes passed before sirens and flashing red lights brought the residence of the quiet neighborhood from their homes.
oOo End flashback oOo
"After that I don't remember what happened next. I can only assume that I was brought here," Duo explained.
Heero saw his wife's eyes closed. The story clearly exhausted her. He eased out of bed, not wanting to aggravate Duo's injuries, Heero checked on their son. Hayate was still sleeping peacefully. The little guy didn't move not once during his mommy's horrific tale.
As soon as Heero exited the private room he came face-to-face with Sally.
"Well?"
"Lady Une and the others are waiting in my office. I was coming to get you."
The pair walked in silence back up the corridor. Heero glance back to his wife's door.
"Don't worry, a guard is posted and the nurse in-charge will make sure Duo and Hayate are fine."
"Hn."
The office easily accommodated all eight bodies quite comfortable with Sally sitting behind her desk. The biggest shock came from the appearance of the former Oz General: His Excellency, Treize Khushrenada.
Not wasting any time, Sally got straight to the point. The worrisome look on all their faces was enough to let her know how much Duo meant to them.
"The DNA and forensics reports shows that Vice-Foreign Minister Peacecraft deliberately entered the Yuy's home with the intent of killing Mrs. Yuy," Sally began. She paused long enough to pass out the medical reports. "Relena's finger prints were all over the house, which included the fuse box, the back-up generator, the patio, the back door the kitchen, and the Master bedroom. Everything is right in front of you," the doctor concluded.
Every one was quickly reviewing the examiner reporters.
"This is an open and shut case. I will inform the Judge and present him with the evidence," Une announce rising out of her chair.
"Who will take over?" Quatre asked.
"I will."
All eyes landed on Treize.
"Relena's misuse of authority was starting a new set of problems on Earth. Luckily, it didn't spread to the colonies," came the ariscratic's response.
One by one the agents left leaving only Sally and Heero.
"What happened in surgery, Sally? You looked to pensive for it to be a simple patch job."
She hated being under fire form him. He always made her feel like a bug under glass.
"The day of the incident, I received Duo's test results form last week. Apparently, Duo was two and a half months pregnant."
Heero showed no type of reaction to the news.
"Duo miscarried while on the operating table. We did every thing humanly possible to save the fetus but Duo lost too much blood. I'm sorry, Heero."
Cold Cobalt's remained unchanged as Heero spoke. "You will not ever mention this to Duo. If you do, I'll personally rip out your tongue."
With that threat hanging in the air, Heero left. Not two minutes later WuFei walked in to see his wife pale and shaking.
He swiftly went around the desk and gathered her I his arms.
"What did that bastard say to you, Sally?" WuFei demanded clearly not happy at seeing his wife in such a state.
"Nothing that I didn't expect the Perfect Solider to say."
"Well? How does he feel about being a father again?"
Sally sighed. This was being along day, and went to explain to her younger husband about Duo's miscarriage.
oOoOoOo
Several days later the funeral service for the former Vice-Foreign Minister was held on Earth I the Sanc kingdom's cathedral. A long precession of limousines, police cars, and fire trucks followed the slow moving horse drawn carriage, which held the highly decorative casket.
The streets was paved with pink and white carnations and roses as mourners continued to place the flowers before the carriage passed by. The day was somber. Dark grey clouds filled the sky. Thunder rumbled in the far off distance. Rain would fall soon.
Relena was laid to rest in the Peaceraft family vault. Zechs stood solemnly by the wall looking straight ahead with his wife and son to his right. WuFei and Sally stood behind them with Trowa and Quatre and their daughter next to them.
In the middle of the medium size crypt stood Treize holding Lady Une's hand with one hand and his other gripping the handle of his daughter's wheelchair.
At the threshold was Heero and Duo. Hayate was asleep on his Father's shoulder. No love was lost between Relena and Duo, nor was there any love lost between Heero and the band of his existence. Relena did every thing possible to break up his marriage by kidnapping his wife and taking away his son.
A year of misery and torment was his only companion as he watched his friends grow in their relationships. He always felt like an outsider at family gatherings – not really belonging.
At the thought of never seeing his beloved wife and son, Heero was ready to kill himself. However, that one phone call changed his life when he heard Duo's sweet voice on the other end.
Although their happiness didn't last long, it was enough to create a second opportunity to be parents all over again. Once more happiness was snatched out of their gasp by the very woman they were burying today. Their unborn baby died before it an opportunity of being acknowledged.
Heero watched as Duo pulled her sunglasses down off her forehead and turned out of the stone cold crypt.
"May you find peace…"
The rest of what the priest said was drowned out by the rustling of dry leaves that Duo kicked, making a path to their SUV, Heero trailed behind her. Following her release from the hospital both decided that it would be best to take an extended leave of absence from work to concentrate on repairing the damage of their relationship (brought on by Relena's obsession) and to raise Hayate.
Fortuitously, Heero had hind sight to purchase a house in the States. He remembered back to when he and Duo first met; how she would always talk about owning a house some where in the country if she ever survived the war.
As a wedding anniversary gift, Heero presented Duo with a three bedroom house located in the back woods of the M.I.S. area – near the town of Jackson. He had Natalie make all the arrangements – only packing what they needed and the rest to be purchased later.
Now, safely back in the hotel, Duo crashed on one of the full beds as Heero placed Hayate on the other and covered him with a blanket.
Not saying a word, Heero spooned behind his wife. She shuddered in his arms.
"Is it over?" she asked quietly fingering the cotton material of the sheets.
"Hai, koi, it's over."
Duo sighed in relief. She was able to breath again without fearing if Relena was going to try to kill her or her son. Giving into exhaustion, Duo dosed off to sleep. Heero lay awake pondering their next move.
It would be quite some time before Duo's body was healed to conceive again, so for now, he would spend bonding closer to his son and showing his wife the world through the eyes of a civilian not as a soldier of war.
oOo owari oOo
A/N: (sniff) How was that? I cried toward the end. I'm sad that it had to end but I have other fics that are screaming for my attention. I'm glad that I stuck with this and not chucked it in the trash like I started to do when I posted the very first chapter.
If any one is wondering, I will not be doing an epilogue unless stated otherwise in your reviews. I hope that all of you who stayed with me throughout the entire fic, enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.
Until next time…
ArchNemesis