Disclaimer: These boys don't belong to me and maybe it's a good thing as my house isn't big enough.

Story: Building a Better Mousetrap 101

Warnings: A little angst, panic attacks

Being a Mouse doesn't mean you're helpless or weak.

Current Pairings: 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4, 5xS, HxOC, 6xN and OCxOC (past 1x2)

Chapter 19 - Break part II

All of the ex-Gundam pilots knew from day 1, the day Duo brought Mouse to meet 'THEM' what had happened to the ex-Deathscythe pilot. Heero had even suspected a few days earlier, when Duo had asked him to hack the school system for information on a classmate of his. But when he had shown up, Mouse in tow it had been as obvious as the chestnut braid down the American's back.

He had lifebonded, Finally.

His friends all secretly rejoiced for him, and from that point on it was just a matter of how long it would take for the bond to strengthen and take hold of the pair. Or in the case of Duo, for him to get a clue. The others had all been there and done this already, Duo was the last of the Gundam pilots to find his lifemate and bond.

Heero and Relena and been the first to bond, all unknowingly to them, they hadn't understood the pull they felt towards each other. Heero had fought it for a long time, believing it was a weakness in him. While Relena had embraced the bond from the first, not even really knowing what it was, she just knew she wanted to be by Heero's side. That she needed to be by his side, it was also why she had seemed like such an excellent stalker. I mean if you can literally 'feel' the direction or pull of the object of you affections, it's just a matter of narrowing it down the closer you get. They laugh about it now, and Relena still uses her tie to Heero to check on him metaphysically speaking when he's away on a mission, which he doesn't mind. It's that connection that allows her to give him the freedom he needs, when he needs it, you can't cage Heero Yuy and expect him to be happy.

Trowa and Quatre had bonded next, the two pilots met about the same time as Heero and Duo had finally met face to face, with the addition of a few bullets. And to be Honest, Heero had bonded to Duo as well. They had formed a bond of true heart brothers and there was quite a bit of love involved as well. Heero would never deny that he felt love for Duo. Relena and Duo were the two most important people in his life, his very important people, the ones he loved above all others. The other guys knew he and Duo had been a bit closer with each other than with them and that was okay. The only pilots to get even closer than that, had been Quatre and Trowa once they acted on their lifebond, those two could screw for days on end, really...But in the end all the pilots had formed bonds of brotherhood with each other, they were their own special family.

Wufei had bonded next to the ex-Major Sally Po when he met her after the fall of the Alliance. They had both fought their bond at first, and for different reasons. Sally thought she was too old for the strikingly handsome young Chinese pilot. And Wufei was still in mourning for a wife he had not loved, and riddled with guilt over it. They had finally accepted each other after the Eve War. But of them all, Heero was convinced that Zechs took the cake as the king of stubbornness, poor Noin had waited years for the moron. At least he, Heero had started dating Relena after the first war.

By the time they had all landed in Rochester University everyone except Duo had lifebonded and accepted it. Heero and Relena had started to worry about the cocky and too fast living American. Worried that he would never find his bonded. For that was the secret of those old Geezers who had chosen and trained them. You might argue that Trowa and Wufei were supposedly 'not' the original pilots intended for their Gundams. But that did not mean that they hadn't been chosen by Prof S and Master O to eventually be the real pilots of Heavyarms and Shenlong. They were that devious, those sneaky perverted old men.

The doctors had chosen youngsters, not based solely on their intelligence and aptitude, but because each pilot possessed a high level of empathy, (Of which only Quatre was actively using at the time) and were fated to form a lifebond. It was the Doctors back out plan, a fail safe for the intensive training and hell they were about to put these children thru. Should they manage to survive the war they sent them to fight. Secretly each of the old geezers held a hope in his heart that his child would live. To do that they would need to lifebond, they would need a reason to live and not just survive. A lifebonded partner would help ground the ex-pilots and allow them a chance to deal with the trauma of surviving a terrible war and senseless war.

Heero had started worrying after the second war and the revelation that the girl Duo was living with Hilde, was really gay. He was afraid that Duo's bondmate may have died, as did so many did during the senseless wars. The others had at least met their bonded at some point by the end of the first war and in Zechs case years prior. (Did I mention he was an idiot, Noin likes to remind him of his stupidity and then make him grovel for forgiveness which he happily does. Sick I know, but we are talking about Zechs here)

Holding Relena, Heero cuddled her close and lazily trailed his fingers up and down her arm. For a bonded pair it was all about the connection, the touch, the just being together and not just the sex. Though being only 18 it often ended up that way. (wink wink)

Around 7pm Relena went to spend some quality time with her brother and Noin, the pair were leaving tomorrow for Mars. Heero went to check on Duo, and if he was awake have a little talk with the Baka about what was going on. Heero found Duo on the edge of wakefulness, so he sat and waited for the braided boy to arise on his own, he'd be less groggy that way and more coherent. Finally the violet eye's fluttered open, there were times when Heero was still caught off guard by the lovely and unusual color of his friends eyes. Sometimes he wondered idly, if it hadn't been for Relena already bonding him, if he would he have fully bonded to Duo instead? 'What if's' were a dangerous game and Heero tried not to play that one too often. He loved Duo, Yes. But he also loved Relena, and for Duo's sake he would,...no he already did love Mouse. How stupid of him to have not noticed that before, he loved Mouse. Heero smiled, he was the luckiest guy in the whole of the earth sphere.

"Hey 'Ro, what time is it?'

"About 7:30, Relena is with Zechs and Noin."

"Oh um Wow, ah you haven't been here the whole time have you? Man I feel bad about all this."

"Baka, No, I've been checking on you now and then to see if you were close to waking. That's why I'm here." Duo grinned wryly and rubbed the sleep form his eyes.

"Man, I sure wigged out didn't I? I have no idea what happened Heero, I'm sorry for ruining everyone Thanksgiving Dinner. Think Zechs and Noin will forgive me by the time they get to Mars?" Duo may have been joking but Heero knew his friend ,and that Duo really did feel bad about what happened.

"It's okay Duo, I told them you were stressed, it's partially the truth."

"Thanks 'Ro you're the best. Ah, what do ya mean, partially the truth? Do you know what's going on with me?" Heero decided to answer Duo's question with a question to see what if anything Prof. G had told the younger Duo.

"Duo, did Professor G ever mention lifebonding to you?"

"Huh? Ah well, let's see, yeah, I think he may have said something about that once."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said... 'Duo my boy, look for the one you can't 'live' without, because that one will cause you to want to live, and not just survive.' That's basically what he said. What's that got to do with me having a panic attack?"

"You really are a Baka aren't you?" Heero smirked, it was fun to have a chance to pull Duo chain if just ever so slightly.

"Heero!"

"Baka, you had a Panic Attack because you have been too far away, for too long from your lifbonded. The stronger the bond the more frequently you need to reconnect until it stabilizes." Duo started twisting his hand as Heero's words sank in, Heero didn't even have to bother pointing out 'Who' his lifemate was, he wasn't THAT stupid, despite what everyone else might think.

"H-Heero.... There's still three days until I can see her again. How am I going to deal with this?" Worried violet eyes looked up into the serious cobalt blue ones.

"Don't worry, I'll help you get thru this. After all I've been there, I know how you feel."

"Relena?"

"Hai."

"Well hell, that explains everything, Damn it's a good thing she forgave me for shooting you." Duo grinned, Heero blinked for second and then started laughing. Yes it was a very good thing Relena had forgiven Duo for shooting him the first time they had met. They spent the next hour talking about the others and lifebonds in general.

"So 'Ro what do I do now?"

"I'd suggest telling her how you feel. You do love her don't you?"

"Oh God 'Ro, I love her so much it scares me."

"It should, she's even stronger willed than Relena." Heero deadpanned, Duo blinked at his friend and then got his joke.

"Oh very funny Heero, but I, well..."

"Baka, she won't die on you and leave you alone, your lives are literally bonded together now. If she dies, you 'will' follow her, she will never leave you behind." Heero knew his friends deepest fears regarding loving someone, until he had met Heero and the rest of the pilots everyone he had ever cared about had died.

"Yeah, and what if I die? Huh?"

"I'd suggest you not do that."

"Heerrooo...." Duo rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Baka."

-

Duo managed to make it, just barely, to Sunday. He tossed his bag on his bed in his dorm room, and didn't even bother unpacking before heading over to sit on the steps to Mouse's Dorm. He breathed deeply trying to keep calm, she was coming he had to keep reminding himself of that. Reaching inside himself he searched for and found the spark that was his lifebond to Mouse. He reached for it and held on to it as he waited for her to arrive, he felt her coming nearer and nearer. No one had told him he couldn't do this, he just figured if Mouse was his lifebonded then he should be able to, besides he had always felt when Mouse was close to him. He didn't know he was going beyond what the others could do with their bonds (well except for maybe Quatre and Trowa those two were joined at the hip.) Even Relena after several years together could not focus on Heero this strongly, to feel him moving mile by mile ever closer to her, and Mouse's and Duo's bond wasn't even at full strength yet. If he had know he might have been even more scared of what was happening, but he wasn't, the others had all bonded. He was just a late bloomer it seemed, or rather he's had to find his little Mouse first. So he was only worried about how he was going to convince Mouse to spend the rest of eternity with him. This would take some planning.

When she arrived and ran up the steps and into his arms, he was positive he had found the one Professor G had told him about so long ago as a child. But first....little brain was screaming to get that girl inside right NOW, and let him have his wicked way with her. Seeing as Big brain, Mouse and her once again absent brain cells all agreed wholeheartedly, that's exactly what they did.

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AN: One Christmas bash coming up......an intimate evening for two.