A/N: I know this chapter is pretty short, but it's heavy emotionally and has a lot of character development. If I continued it, I would have left you guys with a terrible cliffie, so I decided to let it stop at its natural conclusion instead of adding more and having to end the chapter in the middle of a scene.

A/N2: I'm sorry if the time jumps are confusing. I'm not going through their lives day by day. Instead I'll only visit key moments, that way we can get to Hogwarts sometime this year. LOL! So be sure to pay attention to the subtle time markers within the story. As you'll read below, a month has passed since Heero, Duo, and Trowa raided the warehouse with the redheaded terrorist woman and they all came to live at the circus.

A/N3: Lol! I noticed that barely anyone remarked on the slash scene between Quatre and Trowa last chapter. I wanted to know if you'd like more of these as long as they're justified, or if I should kinda skip them and just write the before and after scenes when they can't be avoided?

Thank you! To all who helped come up with ideas for how Harry can act out!

Shocks

Heero slammed his hand down on the table. The techs in the room jumped, their eyes rounded with fear as he stared back at them. "No code is impossible to break. It's been a month. That's thirty days. Seven hundred and twenty hours. Why has there been no progress? Explain it to me." His words were cold, each delivered with perfect precision. The techs paled, unconsciously backing away from him.

The tableau broke as the door swung open and Duo strolled cheerfully into the room. His hands were thrust casually into his jean pockets. He wore a long-sleeved t-shirt with a skull emblazoned in gold across the front. His heavy boots left a trail of mud. Where Duo found that much mud on a colony was anyone's guess, though Heero wouldn't put it past the brunet to make some homemade just for effect.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" he asked in his most obnoxious tone. "You guys sure look like you're working awfully hard. Why don't you two beat it? Get some coffee. Have a lunch break. You know, do whatever you do when you're not trapped inside these walls."

"But…"

Heero's glare snapped over to the imbecile, making said imbecile and his friend recoil.

"Yes. Right. I think that would be a good idea. Come on, Dan."

The smarter of the two techs dragged his friend out of the room past a grinning Duo. Heero made a mental note to have Dan fired, or at the very least reassigned. He sighed and rubbed at his temple, face turned away from his friend. However, he marked each heavy step as the braided teen sauntered closer.

"Hey, there, Hee-chan! Haven't seen you in two days. Haven't been much company the week before that, either."

Heero felt a flash of guilt, but he had to figure this out. It was driving him crazy! He'd never had so much trouble hacking into a program before.

Duo sighed. "You know. I was all ready to come in here and beat some sense into you, but… You look pretty beat up already."

Heero looked up through his bangs, face expressionless.

Violet eyes locked on his. "You gotta take a break, man. This is gonna drive you nuts." A sly grin slipped over the teen's features. "Well, more nuts than you already are, anyway." Duo's expression sobered. "Harry misses you. He's getting worried. You know how susceptible he is to the fear of abandonment. You can't keep doing this."

"I know." Heero turned to face the massive computers that hadn't done anything to help him break into the files he'd copied.

"Ah uh," Duo sang. He grasped Heero's shoulder and turned him around. "That means stop looking at those computers and pay attention to the living, breathing people around you, soldier boy. I know you've got yourself a mission and the great Heero Yuy never fails a mission, but you're losing sight of your primary objective."

Heero lashed out, shoving Duo hard. The braided pilot hit the table and both went toppling to the floor. "I know that," he hissed furiously.

Duo rose from the mess, eyes glinting as his expression set in a snarl. "Then snap the fuck out of it already!" He stalked forward, fists clenched and ready to defend himself. "Or is this just an excuse? Are you tired of playing house, Heero?"

"Shut. Up."

"No!" Duo yelled, defiant and reckless as always.

Then suddenly Duo was on him, mouth attached to his own. Heero gasped and Duo used that to his advantage, shoving his tongue inside. A spark of pleasure overtook him, making Heero stagger back. His butt hit the desk behind him as his arms came up automatically to Duo's waist, stabilizing their combined weight. Meanwhile his pulse accelerated as Duo began to suck, his tongue flicking against the inside of his mouth. Heero's fingers tightened and then he pushed. Their mouths separated with a smack. Their breaths came in short pants as they stared each other down.

"It's called life, Hee-chan. You might want to try living it before it passes you by."

Heero stared wordlessly as Duo turned and stalked out of the room, wincing as his friend slammed the door behind him. He stood there until his heart rate calmed. When he lifted his hand, it was no longer trembling. He touched his still moist lips before his hand curled into a fist and dropped to his side.

"Baka," he growled lowly.

xXxXxXx

Harry stared unhappily down at the ten questions sitting innocently on the table. Wufei sat on the couch, waiting for him to finish the math test. Harry ducked his head, biting his lip. "I don't want to."

He heard Wufei shut his book and soft footsteps approached. Harry scrambled to his feet, eyes wide as he faced his big brother. He was shaking with an anger he hadn't felt before. Not like this.

"I want to help feed the animals with Trowa." His fists clenched and his vision blurred with tears. He blinked quickly to clear them, glaring all the while.

Wufei stared down at him, eyes calm. "You fed the animals with Trowa after breakfast. Now it is time for your lessons."

"I don't want to," he repeated and crossed his arms firmly across his chest.

"Why not?" Wufei arched a brow, head tilted curiously.

Harry's legs were shaking under him and tears wouldn't stop rolling traitorously down his face. "It's stupid," he muttered, looking away from his brother.

"Just take your time. I'm certain you will do well."

Harry flushed. "It's not that."

"Then what is wrong?"

"I don't want to!" Harry reached forward a shaking hand and knocked the paper to the floor.

Both of Wufei's eyebrows lifted in surprise before snapping down into a deep frown.

Harry felt his anger bleed out of him as terror rose in its place. He dropped to the floor, curling over his knees in a tight ball, hands over his head. His heart thudded loud and fast in his ears. What was he doing? Why did he do that? Now Wufei was going to be mad at him! He'd hate Harry and tell the others to get rid of him. He was a useless freak, a burden.

A hand came down on his crossed arms. He jerked and then forced himself absolutely still. Maybe if he took his punishment like a good boy, Wufei would forgive him. Despair and defeat washed over him and he went limp. He stared dully up at Wufei. His brother's mouth was moving, but Harry couldn't hear past Uncle screaming at him.

You ungrateful brat! You're nothing but a whore's son better off dead than alive. You're a burden to everyone, you filthy freak. Now shut up and take it!

"Shut up and take it," he repeated obediently. "Yes, Uncle. Sorry, Uncle. I be good. I sorry."

The belt came down across his back with a sharp crack. He curled tighter as more blows rained down. It hurt. It hurt so much. He choked out a cry and quickly stuffed his hands over his mouth. "Sorry. Sorry, Uncle." He waited for the punishment to continue, but nothing happened. His uncle was… singing?

Harry blinked, shaken and confused. An unfamiliar voice danced around him. It lifted and dipped. It was singing! He uncurled a bit, looking carefully through his sweat-damped bangs. He flinched when he saw someone sitting not far away, but… It wasn't Uncle. Panting, sick to his stomach, he dared another glance. A teenager; he was singing a soft song. It made Harry want to go to sleep. What? Who?

Then the fog lifted from his head and he recognized Wufei. His big brother. He remembered the test and talking back. Sobbing, taking huge gasps of air when he could, he chanted, "sorry sorry sorry", over and over again. He uncurled his legs, lying more on his side to face his brother. Wufei continued to sing, eyes closed as he sat there in his meditation position. Eventually, Harry couldn't cry anymore. He lay limp, exhausted and afraid. He was so sorry.

"Harry. Listen to me."

Harry forced his eyes open and stared blurrily up at Wufei. His brother stared back, dark eyes locked on his.

"I am not angry with you. You are and will always be my little brother."

He was saying more, but that was as much as Harry could take. Overwhelmed, the pressure built until consciousness flicked off and he passed out.

xXxXxXx

Quatre stared fretfully at Wufei. The teen stood with his back to the room, his arms crossed and head lowered. His shoulder-length hair was free of its customary tie and shielded his face from view. His back was rigid with cold fury, anxiety, and grief. It was so poignant Quatre couldn't take a full breath. Wufei's emotions were like metal bands tightening around his chest. Not even the supportive arm Trowa had wrapped around his shoulders eased the pressure.

"This was bound to happen," Duo said for the second time that night. "He's been doing phenomenally well. Really, I'm amazed it hasn't happened sooner."

"Unacceptable," Heero snapped. He pushed off from his position leaning against the couch and began to pace.

Wufei had yet to move an inch since reporting Harry's breakdown.

"I… I'm not sure what to do next."

Quatre looked up in surprise. This was the first time Duo had voiced uncertainty about what Harry would need.

"What are our options?" Trowa asked quietly.

Quatre could feel his lover's anxiety echoing Wufei's. The whole room was thick with emotion. Distress and anger and helplessness. Frustration and fear. His vision began to go dim and he held himself absolutely still. He forced himself to take deep, even breaths as he'd been taught as a child. He imagined a wall. Built it brick by brick, between him and the storm. Built it tall and pushed it slowly outward. Only then could he think again. It used to take hours, but after years of practice it now only took him minutes.

"The first option seems preferable," Heero opinioned.

Quatre frowned.

"But we run the risk that he'll have a breakdown later in life, having never confronted his past," Duo argued.

That gave Quatre a better understanding of the topic, but it still wasn't perfect. He glanced at Trowa for clarification. His lover understood with that single look what Quatre was asking.

"So we either make him talk about what his uncle did or we tell him to forget it as much as he can?" Trowa asked in a way that would let Quatre know what they were talking about without cluing the others in.

Quatre's frown deepened. He didn't like the sound of the first option at all. "He's just a boy. Is he even strong enough to talk about it? You remember what happened when he had to recite those numbers."

He didn't want Harry to go back to the way he'd been when they'd first met him. The boy was beginning to be a normal kid, learning gymnastics and catching up on school work. He didn't flinch as much anymore and was more proactive about touching them. Even better, the fear he lived with constantly diminished a little more every day.

Duo ran a hand through his bangs and sat on the floor, his back resting against the couch next to Trowa's legs. "I don't know."

"He needs therapy," Wufei spoke up. His voice was hard, brittle. "He cannot live his life pretending his past didn't happen. If we encourage forgetfulness, he will be denying a part of himself. What I witnessed … He cannot live with the threat of his past coming alive and swallowing him whole like it did tonight."

Silence followed this pronouncement.

Wufei turned to face them. His expression was hard, his eyes haunted. "We cannot allow our weakness to infect Harry. Harry has already experienced this and survived. We must be willing to face it as well if Harry is to grow up strong. We cannot avoid this because it is difficult."

"Wufei…" Quatre murmured, clutching at his chest. The burning determination and self-condemnation nearly stole his breath away.

"How do we do this?" Heero asked, practical as ever.

"He'll need a professional," Duo answered with a frown. "We can't do it. He needs us as brothers, not therapists. I would recommend a woman. Someone who isn't too authoritarian. Someone who will work with us and who accepts that we have the final say when it comes to Harry. He will have a hard time trusting anyone outside of our group, but he needs to be weaned away from that anyway."

Quatre leaned more of his weight against Trowa. "I can develop a list of candidates and arrange interviews."

"All of us need to approve the therapist," Duo stated, meeting each of their gazes. "We each have veto rights."

"Understood," Heero approved.

"And you have to stick around for the next few days," Duo added sharply, glaring up at Heero.

Heero ducked his head and Quatre had to bite his lip to keep from saying anything. Sometimes knowing what others were feeling was a blessing, but Heero wouldn't appreciate him revealing his private emotions in front of everyone. Quatre made a mental note to discuss the overwhelming feeling of guilt and failure he'd sensed later.

"Should I cancel the party?" Quatre intervened, hopefully bringing the conversation to lighter topics.

"No," Duo denied. He pulled his braid over his shoulder and played with it restlessly. "We should keep the plan as it was, with Cathy watching Harry for the night. He needs to be exposed to people outside our group, remember? That was our goal this week. Getting him comfortable with others."

"But…" The party was tomorrow night! He wasn't happy with leaving Harry alone so soon.

"We need a break," Duo persisted. "It's important to take care of ourselves, too. We need a night to just let go and not worry about things."

Quatre nodded. As an empath, he knew just how right Duo was. "I agree. A break would benefit us all."

Duo began to grin, his irrepressible cheer returning. "And we can't stop living, either. What kind of examples would we be? It's your birthday, Cat, and we're going to celebrate from dusk 'til dawn! We're gonna bring the house down! We're going to set the roof on fire! We're gonna…"

"Baka," Heero growled and bent down to slap the back of his head.

All the negativity in the room dispersed just like that, and Quatre laughed as Duo pouted.

xXxXxXx

Harry woke up early the next morning, having slept through the rest of the afternoon and most of the night. Dawn was about an hour away. He lay on his pillows, mind vacant. Slowly bits and pieces of the day before drifted into his awareness, but he felt detached. He knew it wasn't possible, but he really did feel like he'd been back with his uncle yesterday. But he deserved it, didn't he? He'd disobeyed Wufei. He'd thrown his test to the floor.

Why? He liked studying with Wufei. It felt so good to work through problems and get the right answer. He liked learning to read. He didn't want to be stupid, really he didn't. So why? Why did he do that? Why did he get so angry? And why didn't Wufei punish him? Wufei hadn't gotten mad or hit him. He'd said he still wanted Harry to be his little brother. Why? Why would he like a bad boy like Harry?

"Harry? Can I come in?"

Despondent, he turned his eyes to see Quatre standing in his doorway. The room was dark, full of shadows, but his nightlight cast enough soft golden light to make out Quatre's gentle expression. He wore a t-shirt and silk pants and his hair stuck up in different directions. Clearly he'd just gotten out of bed. Had Harry woken him?

"Sorry," Harry whispered, beginning to cry. He was just so confused. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Please let me come in," Quatre pleaded quietly.

Harry nodded. He had no right to deny his brothers anything. He curled up in his blankets and pressed his face into the pillows.

"I'm sorry you feel so bad right now, but I promise it will get better. Every day that goes by will get easier," Quatre said, voice hushed, as he sat next to the pile of pillows. "I know how it feels. To not know your place or where you belong. I know how it feels to think you don't deserve life as much as everyone else does. I felt like that for a long time."

Harry peeked out, surprised Quatre knew exactly how he was feeling.

Quatre smiled at him, tears sparkling in his eyes. "I had twenty-eight sisters, Harry. And all of us were born from machines, not a mother. I thought my father didn't need me. He had all these other kids. I was hardly important or needed. And it wasn't like I was a normal human." He sighed. "For a long time, I thought this way and was very unhappy."

Harry stared at Quatre, mesmerized.

"Do you know what happened?" Quatre asked, beginning to rub his back. Harry melted into the touch. "I met some great people. They taught me that it didn't matter where I came from. As long as I'm alive, I have the chance to do something to be proud of. It's our actions, Harry, that matter."

Harry shook his head in despair, shoulders shaking with his sobs. He wasn't like Quatre. He couldn't do anything good. He was bad!

Quatre gently lifted his chin so he was looking at him again. "Harry, you've done a lot since you've come to live with us. You've built your own bookcase. You've helped with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wufei says you're learning faster than he expected. Trowa says you'll be a great acrobat one day, and you do a great job feeding the animals. Cathy is really relieved because they look healthier than ever before now that you and Trowa have taken care of them."

Harry's sobs quieted. He was shocked at the list of good things he'd done. He hadn't really thought about it like that before. He stared up at his brother, desperately wanting the blonde to be right.

Quatre smiled and ran a hand though Harry's sweat-damp hair. "But you want to know the very best thing you've done?"

Harry nodded tentatively.

"You're our little brother," Quatre answered simply. "Just by being with us you make our lives better. Heero always works hard, but he comes home more often now that you're here. Wufei used to be so depressed, feeling like he never made a real difference in anyone's life. Now he has you to teach and love. It gives him a good feeling, like he finally belongs somewhere. Duo and Trowa and I were living day to day, but we were still lonely even though we had each other."

Harry was shaking his head, unable to believe he could be so important.

"Yes, Harry," Quatre said firmly. "I am telling you the absolute truth. We were good friends before you came, but now because of you, we're a true family."

Harry was breathing fast. There was no way Quatre was right about that! There was no way he could be that important! What if he messed up? What if he ruined everything?

"Shhh…" Quatre cooed. "You don't have to do anything, Harry. Good or bad, you're our little brother. That's all we need from you. Just being alive, you complete us. Nothing can change that."

It was too incredible to believe, but… but Harry wanted it to be true with all his heart. He lifted his hands, asking for the first time to be held.

Quatre responded immediately. Tears ran down his cheeks as he pulled Harry into his lap and began to rock him gently back and forth.

Harry gasped at the strange feeling of being cradled. It was frightening, but it felt good, too. He clung to Quatre's shirt and pressed his face hard against his neck. He was just so sick of being scared. He just wanted it to be over.

"I know, Harry. I know," Quatre murmured into his hair. "Just hold on. Give it time. Give us time. It will get better. Can you do that? Can you trust us, Harry?"

He didn't want to. He really didn't. It was so hard and he was so tired. But… but… his brothers were all that he'd ever prayed for. Now that he had them, he couldn't let them down. He was their little brother, and Quatre said they needed him to make them a family. Harry had wanted a family so badly for so very long, he didn't want to do anything to ruin it. He thought of Heero and Trowa, Quatre and Wufei and Duo. He closed his eyes tight and nodded.

"O-okay," he stuttered tearfully. "I t-trust you."

"Thank you," Quatre whispered warmly. "I know how hard that was, so… Thank you, Harry."

Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks. Quatre really sounded like he meant it. His chest felt tight and warm.

"Come on. Let's get cleaned up. It'll be time for breakfast soon."

Harry nodded again and clung tightly to his brother as Quatre stood up with him in his arms. He was set on his feet in the bathroom and he quickly took a shower while Quatre washed his face and brushed his teeth. The blonde left to get their clothes and Harry hurriedly dried off and brushed his teeth. Quatre returned dressed for the day and smiling his soft smile. In his arms, he had clothes for Harry.

Harry dressed and hurried to the kitchen. He was going to make the best breakfast ever! As he entered, he saw Heero standing by the sink, already working the coffee pot.

"Big brother Heero!" Harry cried in surprise. "You're back!"

Heero looked down at him, expression calm as always, but then he gave a little smile. He knelt and cocked his head, offering his cheek. Harry eagerly reached out. He sighed in relief as warm skin met his fingertips, and he didn't flinch at all when Heero's arms came around him in a hug.

"I am well. I'm sorry for working so much."

Harry smiled at him happily before hurrying to get out the pans.

Twenty minutes later, they all settled down to a breakfast of eggs, toast, and hash. Harry was still feeling a bit disconnected. It was like walking through a dream. The world he found himself in now was so different from what he knew as his reality, it was hard to grasp sometimes. He looked up into Heero's warm eyes and felt a little more grounded. Harry had to trust them. They were his brothers, and he'd promised Quatre.

"Are you ready?" Trowa asked.

Harry nodded and took his hand.

The circus was quiet this early in the morning. Most of the shows were held at night, so the performers had become a bit nocturnal. Harry enjoyed these quiet times very much. His smile grew even bigger when they reached their destination. The animals were beginning to wake up, yawning and stretching, knowing food was coming soon.

Harry trotted at Trowa's side as his brother went to the food bins and began making up the correct amount for each animal. Harry took Simba's big bowl in both hands and practically ran over in his excitement. He waited impatiently for Trowa to unlock the cage.

"Remember to stay behind me at all times," Trowa told him.

He said this every day. Harry wished he could pet Simba again, but Trowa thought he had to be older. Harry was too scared to complain. What if Trowa didn't let him come with him anymore? So he simply agreed. "Yes, sir."

Simba purred loudly as they entered, sounding like a motor in a car it was so loud! Trowa talked in a soft murmur of non-words. His voice rose and fell in gentle waves that soothed and calmed. Harry set the dish down and was tugged back as the big cat lumbered forward to eat. Harry gave a little wave as Trowa locked the cage up again.

"See you tomorrow, Simba!"

Next they carried the heavy hay to the horses and buckets of grass to the elephant. Once all the animals were fed, they went outside to begin Harry's tumbling lessons. The sky panels were a bright clear blue by this point, the temperature neither hot nor cold. Unlike on Earth, the weather was the same every day. You never had to worry about storms, or worry about it being too hot or too cold. It was like heaven!

First, they started with stretches before moving on to forward and backwards summersaults. Then they did handstands and cartwheels. Trowa even began teaching him how to do back walkovers. He said the back ones were easier that the front ones at first. Soon enough they were sweaty and dirty. They did this for several hours until Harry's whole body felt like taffy. Impulsively, Harry wrapped his arms around his brother's waist.

"Thank you, brother Trowa."

"You're welcome, Harry." Trowa's arms came around and hugged him back. It made Harry feel giddy that he hadn't been shoved away in disgust.

"Let's make lunch," Harry said, smiling as their stomachs growled.

Trowa nodded and they raced inside. Harry washed his face and hands quickly at the sink before going to the refrigerator. He saw the cake inside and remembered. Today was Quatre's birthday! He flushed angrily. How could he've forgotten?

"What's wrong?"

He turned to see Trowa staring down at him with worry. "I forgot brother Quatre's birthday! I was going to draw him a picture last night, but…" He bit his lip hard. Why had he been so bad? Now he didn't have anything for Quatre!

"It's okay." Trowa knelt and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let's make an extra special lunch for now; then you can draw your picture tonight while we're at the party. You can give it to him tomorrow."

"That's a great idea! It'll be like he has a birthday on two days! How lucky is that?" Duo added.

Harry jerked in surprise and looked around Trowa to see the braided teen grinning in the doorway. "Really?"

"Yeah! I'm totally jealous!" Duo winked at him and Harry smiled, his heart lifting.

Trowa got to his feet and began to take out salad makings. "Here," he said, handing them to Duo.

"Aw! But I want to help cook!" Duo whined.

"No," Trowa denied. "You burn stuff."

Harry paled. "W-We w-won't burn stuff," he stammered, breath quickening as his pupils dilated.

Duo's playful expression instantly warped to concern. "Hey, calm down, kid. We were just joking. It's okay. No one's going to burn stuff."

Closing his eyes briefly, he shoved the overwhelming sensation of fear back in its box. He was safe here. It was okay. An arm came around his shoulder. He flinched, but when he opened his eyes it was just Duo, Trowa standing close behind the braided teen. He sighed, slamming the lid on the bad feelings and managed to smile up at his brothers. He leaned into Duo's embrace, shyly petting the silky braid that had fallen within reach.

"Let's cook something real nice for brother Quatre. Okay?" Harry asked hopefully, still feeling bad about forgetting his birthday.

Duo and Trowa shared a look, but then Duo was smiling again while Trowa turned back to the refrigerator.

"I'm totally with you, Harry-chan! I bet we can make the best birthday lunch that Q-bean has ever had!" Duo exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"What about stir fry? Quatre likes that," Trowa suggested and pulled out several vegetables.

"Okay!" Harry agreed and happily helped Trowa cut them.

Duo grumbled playfully the whole time, only allowed to cook the rice and make the salad.

When they were finished, they took their hard work out to the sitting room. Quatre, Wufei, and Heero were seated at the table. The blonde smiled when he saw what they'd made. "It looks delicious!" he exclaimed.

Harry blushed. "It was brother Trowa's idea."

"And Harry did most of the cooking," Trowa said in return.

Duo practically moaned after his first bite. "Oh man, I've never tasted anything this good!"

Harry ducked his head shyly. It did taste good.

"Thank you, Harry, Trowa. This is wonderful." Quatre leaned over to kiss Trowa's cheek. Harry's eyes went wide as the blonde did the same for him. He pressed his face against Sage to hide his wide smile. He'd never been kissed like that before. It was nice.

"Come, Harry," Wufei said when they were finished eating. The older teen grabbed a few dirty dishes and went to the kitchen.

Harry grabbed as much as he could carry and followed. He almost dropped the stacked plates, but Heero's hand snapped out to steady them. Harry stammered a quick apology and hurried away.

In the kitchen, Wufei had set his dishes aside. Instead, he was focused on the cake. "Help me with the candles, please."

Harry obeyed quickly, remembering again his behavior from yesterday. "Brother Wufei…" he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

Dark eyes held his, but Harry could see no anger in them. "I accept your apology. We'll try again after lunch before I leave."

Harry nodded eagerly.

They finished lighting all the candles and Harry walked with Wufei back out into the sitting room. Duo began the birthday song, the others joining in.

Harry looked around the table with teary eyes and a big smile. It felt like it was his birthday and he was the one getting the presents; which was weird because he didn't have a birthday and didn't deserve presents. Still, he closed his eyes and savored the warm feeling nonetheless. When he opened them again, Quatre held his gaze and mouthed 'thank you'.

Harry ducked his head shyly, but he mouthed 'thank you' right back.

Quatre smiled and closed his eyes like Harry had done a moment before.

"Oh, come on already! Your cake's gonna melt!" Duo exclaimed with a playful grin.

"Hush, you," Quatre scolded and then blew out the seventeen candles.

Duo cheered. "Finally! Let's eat!"

"Happy birthday," Heero said.

"Happy birthday, Quatre," Trowa echoed him.

"Here." Wufei handed the first piece to Quatre and the blonde gestured for Harry to sit next to him.

"Will you share my piece with me?"

"But it's yours!" Harry denied, even as he settled on the floor at his side.

"I ate so much of your delicious lunch, I don't think I can eat a whole piece. Besides, it always tastes better when you share it."

"Really?" Harry eyed the piece of chocolate cake and watched as Quatre took a bite. He passed the fork over.

Tentatively, Harry took a small bite and handed the fork back.

Quatre took it easily and didn't seem disturbed at all that they were sharing a fork. In fact, Quatre looked very happy. Harry relaxed against the blonde's side, smiling. He had no idea if Quatre was right or not. He'd never had chocolate cake before, but it sure tasted really good when they shared it.

Harry smiled nervously as Duo and Wufei began to argue loudly across the table. Duo wanted a big piece, but Wufei said it wasn't proper. It was more polite to eat a normal-sized piece and get more later if you were still hungry. Before it could escalate into violence, there was a call at the entrance.

"Hello? Can I come in?"

Harry looked over to the tent flap to see Cathy step in. She sometimes visited for lunch, so Harry wasn't too nervous around her anymore, but he never forgot how much she liked knives. He wasn't too thrilled that his brothers would be leaving him with her while they went to the party, but he didn't want to go and get in the way, either.

"Hi, Harry," she greeted, hooking her dark red hair behind her ear.

He waved shyly and began to clean the table, anything to keep from having to talk to her. He was quick to take the dirty dishes to the sink and begin to wash them. In the sitting room, he could hear Trowa and Duo chatting happily with Cathy for awhile before Heero and Quatre told them they had to get ready. Harry tensed when she came to see him in the kitchen.

She gave him a friendly smile but was careful not to come too close. "Do you need help?"

"No, ma'am. I'm finished," Harry answered politely, keeping his eyes on the floor. He was careful to have her in his peripheral vision at all times. "I'm going to study."

He edged past her out into the sitting room. His test was waiting for him and he quickly got to work. Cathy sat on the couch and left him alone, much to his relief.

"How do I look?" Duo asked, bounding into the room a while later.

Harry looked up and his eyes widened. Duo wore a black suit with a dark purple vest, white shirt, and long black tie. Heero came out behind him. He had a black suit, black vest, white shirt, and a black bowtie.

"You both look handsome," Cathy said with a big smile. "Oh, Trowa! You look great!"

Trowa lifted an eyebrow as he stepped up behind the other two. He wore a black suit like Heero's with a long green tie and top hat.

Wufei came out in a red Chinese silk outfit of some kind. It looked so exotic and exciting. His hair was tied back in his customary slicked-back ponytail, but it was tied with a ruby ribbon. He gave a bow when he caught Harry staring, making the boy giggle.

Quatre came out last. He had on a navy blue suit with a pale blue vest and black bowtie. He looked over the others with a critical eye. He straightened Duo's tie and fixed Trowa's vest before nodding. "All right. We're good to go."

"Wait. I want to take a picture. Go on, Harry," Cathy said, holding a camera.

"Oh, but I…" Harry looked down at his jeans and t-shirt with a frown.

"It doesn't matter." Quatre held out his hand. "All that matters is you belong in the picture with us. Please?"

Harry couldn't refuse. He blushed and went to Quatre, taking the offered hand. The others formed up behind them. Heero placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. Harry leaned back against him. Maybe this was okay. They'd probably take more pictures without him at the party, and Quatre sure seemed happy to have him there.

"Cheese!" Duo yelled, and the camera flashed.

Cathy smiled. "That was perfect. Have fun guys!"

Heero turned him around and knelt before him. "We'll see you in the morning."

Harry nodded, only half-believing him, and hugged him almost desperately. "Be safe," he wished, really wanting to say 'come back' instead.

Heero nodded. "Affirmative."

Duo rolled his eyes. "See ya, baby bro! Have fun!"

Harry was so nervous about them leaving and never coming back that he didn't even flinch when Duo pulled him into a hug. In fact, he hugged all of them tightly, silently praying that they would came back for him. He stood at the entrance of the pavilion and watched until they were out of sight before turning back inside.

Cathy was on the couch again. "Did you want to play a game?" she offered.

"No, thank you, ma'am. I… I want… to draw Quatre a birthday picture."

"Good idea! Can I draw with you? I haven't gotten him anything, either."

Harry nodded reluctantly and retrieved his colors and paper. Very deliberately, he set her things across the table from him. He wanted plenty of space between them. She didn't seem to mind. She worked diligently on her picture and didn't seem to notice Harry at all. Slowly, he began to relax and focus on his own picture. He hoped his brothers came back soon.

Chapter end. Please review!

A/N: Thank you again for your help with ideas for Harry acting out! This will hardly be the last scene of that nature, so if your idea wasn't used yet, it might be seen later. A couple of you gave me great ideas involving Simba! Lol. Be sure to check out next chapter! Hint, hint. (grins)

A/N2: Don't forget to tell me what you think about slash scenes!