Author's note

Hi and welcome those who are still with us to chapter three.

I hope this one still inspires as much as the first two.

Again thanks to my loyal reviewers, Waterlilylf, Snowdragonct, cewo (welcome back!) Kendecia, Chirichi916, Katerina Shinigami and the ever faithful Yilun. Please let me know what you think of this chapter.

Foreseeable Future, by Hikishi

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. This displeases me but hey, what can I do? So please, save your breath and don't sue.

Pairings: ?

Warnings: Blood, Violence, Swearing (of course), Death (though anyone important)

Genres: Angst, Drama, Action, Hurt/Comfort.

Foreseeable Future

Chapter Three

Foreboding Thoughts

The trip to the hospital took around ten minutes, sirens wailing to avoid the heavy early morning traffic. Heero had received a call en-route from his boss charging him with the task of Duo's babysitter. Although unlikely the press had gotten wind of this already, Une was taking no chances. Maxwell was to have a police escort with him at all times.

Wufei joined him at the hospital an hour and a half later, meeting him in the corridor as he blindly watched the dispenser chug out his fourth cup of coffee. Sally's patient had been treated and was currently resting in a private room, with a guard on the door. The dark eyed Preventer strode up to him quickly, polished shoes tapping impatiently.

"Yuy. How is he?"

"Still a bit shocky, truth be told." He reported. "Quatre's been keeping him company. We're just waiting on the results of the rape kit." He leaned against up the wall. "Have you spoken to the Commander?"

"Yes, she's asked if we've gotten the statement yet from Maxwell, and wants him placed in protective custody until we catch this monster."

"Tonight?"

Wufei nodded seriously.

"As soon as humanly possible." Came the tight reply. Heero glanced towards the closed door.

"I'm not sure Winner will appreciate us interrogating his friend right now."

"He knows the rules Heero. We need a statement whilst the event's still fresh in his mind."

Duo was upset, though co-operative. Due to the intensity of the drug he'd been subjected to however, he could not remember anything particularly useful. He'd managed to fight his attacker and make a break for it, stumbling onto the crime scene when he'd seen the bright lights and heard the noise.

"I - I knew, that if I found people I - I'd be safe." He stammered, clutching the blond's hand like a lifeline. "I knew if I found you, Heero, you'd protect me. Everything would be alright."

Quatre immediately noticed and recognised the glazed, faraway look in his friend's eyes. Duo's strange ability was at work again. Heero and Wufei, however, did not. The Preventer's blue eyes narrowed in suspicion at the information he'd never divulged.

"How do you know my first name?"

"You told it to me." Duo said, completely himself for a moment, then drifting away again. "Mary's happy. Lucy says it wasn't your fault. I'm supposed to save you" Heero's face drained of all colour and he stumbled back from the bed.

"You…who are you?" He demanded hotly, furious. "What the hell do you want! Where did you get that information-"

Duo came back to himself, looking down at his hands as the fidgeted nervously with each other.

"I'm not feeling so good…" He said quietly. "Can I lie down?"

"Not until you tell me who the hell sent you!"

"Wh-what?"

Things just degenerated from there.

Heero sighed deeply for the third time in as many minutes. He and Wufei had been banished from Duo's room a while ago by an upset Quatre. Apparently, Wufei's scorn and his own anger and scepticism had gone down like a lead balloon, leaving Duo curled in a shuddering ball on his bed. The young man seemed not to understand their ire and had completely shut down, unable to answer any more questions on his attack, instead retreating into his own little world, fuelling Quatre's protective streak. His words had made them uneasy though.

"No one. I've never told anyone about Mary."

"Maybe the press found something." Chang suggested calmly. Heero shook his head.

"No. Think about it Wufei, not even you knew about this. I was the only one there and the only record of it is in the sealed report I filed to Une. I never actually wrote down the dog's name. No way he could have known."

Wufei snorted.

"You don't believe him do you?"

"I don't know."

"Well you should." Came a pissed off and admonishing voice as Quatre stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. "You'll be making a fatal mistake if you don't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I made the same mistake," The blond replied coolly. "And very nearly paid for it with my life."

He explained what had happened that first day meeting Duo, how he'd also been stupid enough to dismiss Duo's warning.

"He's a psychic?" Heero asked.

"I believe so, yes. But Duo's not that confident in his own abilities. In fact," A dry smile graced his sometimes colleague's face. "You could say that he's completely unaware of it at all." Quatre closed his eyes in a long-suffering gesture. "You and I might call it a gift, he prefers to call it 'intuition'. He can't control it in the slightest, the visions come to him without warning and most of the time leave him dizzy, physically sick and confused."

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Wufei questioned, eyes searching Quatre's own as if daring him to lie.

"What difference would it have made?" Was the honest reply. Silence answered him. "Exactly. You can see why he denies all knowledge of it. People would ostracise him, exploit him. Not even his friends know."

"You know." Heero quickly and sharply pointed out.

"Correction. I suspect. He hasn't out and out told me. But it's obvious that Duo is hiding it, you can see the signs clearly when a vision hits him. So we're currently at a stalemate. I've not asked, so he won't tell."

Wufei's cell chose this precise moment to ring. It was Une.

"Say's she can't find anywhere to place him." He reported as he stowed his phone away once more.

"The hospital have already discharged him." Quatre added. "He can't go home, not until he has some security."

"Une said she wants one of us to stay with him from now on, and gain his trust. Says he's going to be the key to solving this murder, if he can remember enough. Can he stay with you?"

They all knew Winner had a huge sprawling mansion. Perfect.

"I'm living out of a suitcase at the moment, the house was sold last week." Quatre shrugged apologetically. "I'd have him in a heartbeat, but he's going to be wide open if he stays in my hotel room."

"Too many people." Chang agreed. "And I have a studio apartment." Was his instant rebuttal.

Both looked to Heero.

"No." He blurted immediately, feeling his heart sink. "No way…"