Chapter Six

Quatre POV

The mission was a complete success. Soldier-Heero seemed convinced that I could pull my weight, and was silent until we got to the safe house. The disk I had been given was taken back and he transferred the info to J. But he wasn't triggered.

"How's your ankle?" I asked once he shut down the computer.

"Hn."

"Can I see?" He twirled around in the chair and stuck out the foot in question. I carefully peeled off his shoe and sock, and then poked around. "Not broken, but you should put some ice on it."

"Not needed. It'll heal by morning." By that time the others had returned and Duo was the first to enter.

"Ah! Nothing like a good mission to brighten your day! Ne, Heero?" Heero was giving Duo an incredulous look that almost made me laugh. "Ne, Heero. You awake in there?" He was about to wave a hand in front of Heero's face but I pulled him back.

"Duo, I wouldn't." I warned. Duo tilted his head at me, then at Heero.

"Ah, still soldier-boy then?" Heero's eyebrow twitched.

"Duo…" I turned to Heero. "Don't mind him." I said nervously.

"Yeah, I could make a living getting on people's nerves. It's what I do." Heero nodded, although he still looked pissed, and I figured that even though the personalities were different, the memories were the same. He remembered my explanation on Duo's behavior.

"If only they had a job for you, you'd be rich." Wu Fei commented from the doorway. He nodded to Heero, who nodded back.

"Sure would be!" Duo agreed. "Now what's for dinner?" He turned his gaze to me and I gave him a hopeless look. "Missions always make me hungry."

"Everything always makes you hungry." Trowa said from behind Wu Fei. Duo playfully stuck his tongue out at my lover and I giggled.

"I'm a growing boy, and I need food. Who's makin'?" As usual, I was the first one to cave. Heero retreated to his room, and I to the kitchen to begin making a light dinner. Heero didn't join us, even though I called up for him. Duo was a little disappointed. We all were: We had all gotten use to Heero's presence over the past several weeks. But we could all understand. This Heero wasn't programmed to interact. Which made me wonder why J hadn't triggered the other Heero back.

"It does seem odd." Trowa must have read my mind.

"J should know about Duo and his quirks, and should know that Heero in this mode will not abide him." Wu Fei pointed out. Duo spluttered angrily, but silently agreed. "So why doesn't he trigger him?"

"Unless he's planning another mission?" Duo said around a mouthful of food. I blinked.

"So soon?" I asked dubiously.

"Not unlikely. This was a pretty easy mission." Trowa said thoughtfully. "There is nothing we can do either way. Besides, it's best to get used to this Heero as well." He spoke the truth.

"I like the other one better." Duo pouted. "The other one laughed once and a while. I have a feeling that this one won't." I smiled. Then a light shone in his violet eyes and I groaned.

"Duo, whatever you're planning…."

"Don't do it." Wu Fei finished. "It's not safe, whatever it is."

"You don't know what I'm gonna do….." Duo spluttered.

"I know what you're NOT going to do." I spoke up. He pouted. "It's nothing against you, I'm sure you mean well. But he's just not the kind of person that will take kindly to that." I explained softly.

"I wasn't going to prank him or anything." Duo said unhappily. He finished his dinner silently, pouting. I could feel his unhappiness and knew it was because we didn't trust him. It made me frown. Before I could apologize he stood up, put his plate in the sink, then left the kitchen.

I sighed and kicked at a rock, watching it as it bounced a little before kitting a tree root and stopping. "Why don't they trust me? I'm not that bad." I mumbled. "Sure I play jokes on them, but I know my limit. I know Heero, well this Heero, wouldn't tolerate my jokes."

"Who are you talking to?" I nearly had a heart attack at the soft spoken voice, and whirled around to see Heero leaning against a tree. He was wearing the same spandex shorts he had on before, but his shirt was no where in sight.

"Uhm…myself?"

"That's the first sign of insanity." He said seriously. I blinked. Then burst out laughing.

"You sure are something Heero." I said between giggles. He pushed off the tree and made his way over. He didn't have any shoes on either. The cold look I had seen in his eyes before the mission was still there, but it had softened. I guess that even the soldier relaxed when no missions were in progress. "What're you doing out here anyway?" I asked.

"Running." I looked skeptically at his bare feet. Bare feet that were suddenly elongating and sprouting fur. I looked up at his face in surprise; only watch him fall to all fours. I watched in fascination as he transformed in front of me for the second time since we'd met. And let me tell you, the animal I saw before me was impressive.

The dip of his back just reached my waist, which made his shoulders and head level with my belly button. His face was narrow like a wolfs, but the muzzle was shorter. His ears were rounded a little at the tip. One stuck straight up and the other sort of flopped, which I found cute.

His neck was thickly muscled like a large cats, but thin and long. His shoulders were wider than a wolfs but narrower than a large cats. His legs were thick, but long, and his paws were huge (Which suggested that he was still growing….damn) and his tail was thick and nearly long enough to brush the ground.

His fur was odd. Like his hair, it was wild and unkept. The fur along most of his body was only a little but longer than that of a large cats. There were patches here and there that were longer. His underbelly and chest had hair as long and as thick as a wolfs. There were also small tufts on the backs of each ankle, and a thin ridge of hair along his spine from forehead to tail. The underside of his tail also had longer hair.

"You're filthy pal." I said as I studied the fur matted with burrs, leaves, mud, and blood. "When was the last time you cleaned yourself in this form?" Lips lifted to reveal pearly white teeth, and he turned his back on me. "I was just asking!" He looked over his shoulder, then back at the woods. "You want me to come?" His oddly shapen head nodded.

I grinned and stripped my shirt off in one fluid motion. Then I began to change into my panther form. Heero watched me with some interest until I was completely transformed. thanks for asking me to join I said to him as I stretched.

just don't get in my way He said with a twitch of one ear – the floppy one. I grinned at him and loped over to him to lick his nose. His ears flattened and he squatted back in surprise.

I won't He shook off the shock and loped away, tail held high. I followed him for a ways, sniffing around curiously until he suddenly took off. I followed him at a calmer pace as he weaved around trees and over fallen logs. Finally we came to a stop by a small stream.

swim time! I announced happily, wading into the chilly water. Heero sat on the bank, watching with narrowed eyes. don't you like to swim? I asked. The dirt I had collected during our run fell off in the water, and when I climbed out I was clean.

not really I tilted my head and moved closer to him. He didn't move away, so I began to lick the water off my fur.

not even to get clean?

why bother? I'll just get dirty again I snorted as the last of the water was licked off. Then I stalked over to him and plopped down within reach. what are you doing? I didn't answer. Instead I leaned foreword and licked a path from the tip of his nose to the spot between his ears, ignoring the flinch. He jerked back as if burnt.

hold still I commanded. He growled at me, ears pinned in irritation. if you won't get in the water, then I'LL clean you

you'll do no such thing! He sounded offended and jumped away when I went to lick him again. I watched him stand several inches out of my reach. how…what….

oh, sit back down and let me? Or get in the water You have to get the blood and mud – hey that rhymed! – off before your skin gets irritated His ears swiveled. Then he slowly made his way back over to me, ears and tail drooping in displeasure. it's not bad you'll like it

no I wont I chuffed as he sat in front of me again. Man, his dislike of water in this form must be horrible for him to allow me to lick him clean! He was stiff as a board as I started to gently clean his face. He kept his eyes closed as I licked my way over his muzzle, around his chin, over his ears, down his neck, and around his shoulder. It tasted as if he hadn't been clean in this form for a long time, and I had to stop every so often to get a drink of water and hack up a few hairballs.

from now on, you're cleaning this form at LEAST once a week I said as I worked the burrs and twigs out of the thick mane along his spine and out of his tail. Finally, the top half of my comrade was as clean as I could get him without shampoo and a brush. okay on your back

what! He whirled to face me, stiffening up again.

I have to get the burrs out of the hair on your belly His ears flattened, but he lay down and rolled onto his side. I gently began to pull the burrs out and smooth the fine hairs. Mud was licked away too. Finally I was finished, except one small – actually, not so small – part. you can finish up right?

yes If an animal could blush, he would have. I turned away with a chuckle as he finished grooming himself. I can say that I've never made a bigger mistake than just then. Two minutes after turning around I found myself sprawled in the shallows of the river, Heero behind me. Laughing as only a wolf/panther hybrid could.

gah! I just dried myself off I complained. When I managed to crawl out, I shook hard enough to spray him with tiny droplets. He growled at me, but I ignored him in favor of licking myself dry again.

we should get back He said once I'd finished. It was getting dark, and Quatre was sure to worry once he realized we were both gone. So I followed Heero back through the woods. His fur still looked dirty and matted in places, but the mud and blood were both gone. It was a start.

We made it back to the house to find all the lights on. I could see Quatre pacing in the kitchen window and bound foreword. I knocked the door open and nearly lost my footing on the tiles. Quatre let out a squeak as I slammed into the cabinets. Heero was watching from the door, smirking.

I transformed only to be leapt on by Quatre, who hugged me with all his strength. I think he broke a rib. "Whoa Q-ball. What's wrong?"

"You! I go to your room to find you gone! Heero too! Then I saw your shirt out on the grass! We couldn't find you!" Now he was shaking me.

"I was out with Heero!" Quatre started looking me over, probably for any injuries. "It's okay, we went for a run." Quatre sighed.

"Well next time let me know." He climbed off of me and helped me up. Heero had disappeared, probably up to his room.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. Sorry."

"So, you ran with Heero?" Quatre asked. He was smiling.

"Yeah. He's an okay guy, I guess. He even made a funny before we went!" Quatre giggled. "He's filthy though. His fur is matted and dirty. When the other Heero comes back we have to make him let us give him a bath!"

"Okay." Quatre agreed with a small laugh.

TBC

Note: Anything in between the is animal speech. IE how animals talk to each other (body language, sounds, etc)