Author's note

Konbanwa all,

Sorry, I'm in the process of learning Japanese and it's going….okay. Sorry it's been so long between updates, my internet got cut off (grrr) and I had to pay the bill.

Again thank you to all the kind reviewers of chapter 5, You're all keeping me going! Please let me know if it's still any good…

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 Six

Past Participle

"Time of death, five a.m. this morning." Treize reported, snapping his gloves off as he approached the knot of people in the lounge. "Sick bastard cut out her tongue and she choked on her own blood."

"You're sure it wasn't him?" Une nodded towards the young man curled on the couch. The ginger haired investigator shook his head.

"Not a chance. The sheets were clean on the bed. None of his D.N.A. showed up on the body or the pictures."

"Yuy has been with him since we first brought him in." Chang added, gazing at his partner, watching as he tried to coax Duo into drinking some sweet tea. "He gets up at five thirty every morning like clockwork and calls me. He reported Maxwell was still in bed at that time this morning. Barton said the murder wasn't committed here. The victim was dumped here post mortem. No way would he," Wufei jerked a chin at the young man. "Be able to kill and move a body in half an hour, not to mention the fact that he has a cast on his foot and no transport. Look at him. He can't stop shaking. He didn't kill her. Besides, did you see that message?"

Duo pushed the mug away and stumbled off to vomit in the bathroom for the nth time since the authorities arrived. The sound of dry heaves filled the apartment.

"You're right." The head of the department agreed, brown hair swinging slightly as her sharp eyes followed him back to the sofa. After a brief pat on Duo's shoulder, Heero came over to join them.

"Commander." He greeted stiffly.

"Agent Yuy. How the witness?"

"Shocked by all of this. I want to get him out of here as soon as possible. He needs some fluid and medication."

"I'd like to speak with him first." She replied with a crisp note in her tone. "Quatre Winner is calling me every five minutes for an update and threatening to call his lawyers over the whole debacle. It's very unsettling."

"I'm not surprised." The Chinese man interjected, from the sidelines and Une turned to him in surprise.

"He's related to Winner?!" She exclaimed rather loudly, before lowering her voice to a very ticked off murmur. "And nobody thought to tell me this? What is he doing living here?"

"Not related. He's Quatre's friend."

"Saved him from a three car pile up a long time ago. Quatre never forgot it." Trowa added in his own quiet voice. Treize turned to him, excited.

"That's the psychic?! Him? But he's just a kid!"

The subject lurched to his feet and made another beeline for the bathroom.

"Don't let his age fool you." Wufei replied. "He gave us the killer's handle and the name of the first murder victim."

Une rounded on him, dark eyes glittering behind wire rimmed glasses.

"You don't honestly believe him do you?!" She hissed incredulously. "No. he must have heard it somewhere, or he's a plant. There's no such thing as psychic abilities." She sneered.

"Trust me Une, he's the real deal. He knew my first name without hearing it." Heero supplied.

"You must have mentioned it-"

"He knew who Mary was." He said a little quieter, and Une blinked in confusion.

"Mary?"

"The dog. The little girl's pet. The one I spoke to that night in the apartments I blew up accidentally."

Une snorted.

"Read it in a newspaper."

"Duo drew me. Years ago." He showed her the aged paper. She was neither convinced nor amused.

"You are being naïve Yuy. The man is not a psychic, he's a con artist." Her razor sharp words raised the tension. "You're a Preventer. The job requires logic. Logic tells you that psychic powers do not exist. Use your head!" The Commander smoothed her skirt. "What has gotten into you Agent? Science and cold hard facts solve cases, not visions."

Heero folded his arms across his chest, scowling. His deep blue eyes flashed with anger, making him look dangerous.

"Meet him then." He challenged. "Talk to him. I bet that he will prove you wrong."

Une glared back, drawing herself up to her full height, intending to be intimidating. Distantly, Heero noticed the retching had stopped once more.

"I will debunk you delusions. E.S.P. is a myth, and I shall expose Mr Maxwell for the fraud he is."

Duo had returned to the couch, and glanced up as Heero, Wufei and Trowa strode over, Treize and Une on their heels.

"Duo."

"Heero, I don't feel so good. Can we go outside?"

"In a moment. My superior would like to speak with you first." The taller man said, sitting down beside the trembling form. Une chose to stand, wanting to pressurise Duo. She levelled her piercing stare at him. Duo shrank back.

"Mr Maxwell, my agents seem to be under the illusion that you are psychic,"

"Wh-what?" He stammered. "Psychic?"

"Yes. Apparently you have made several 'predictions' that were accurate." She leaned forward, looking imperious. "And I want to know where you are getting your information from. It is a criminal offence to obstruct an investigation. Why are you misleading my agents like this?"

"Obstructing…what? No. I'm not psychic!"

Just then, Heero realised his mistake. Duo was convinced he didn't have any abilities. He dropped his head, and waited for it to all go to hell in a hand basket.

"I see." Une smiled, like a cat with cream. "So you admit to perjury and obtaining highly sensitive and sealed information unlawfully?"

Une also had been thinking that it had been easy to prove her point.

None of them were expecting the curveball that Duo threw next.

"N-no…not psychic. I don't know what you're talking about…I didn't kill her." He whispered, deathly white. As Heero's head was down, he didn't see the tranquil look settled over Duo's features and the soft frown. "I didn't…hurt Midii…Daddy didn't hurt you. He just loves you more." The room went still and Heero's head shot up, locking onto the vision induced man. Une blanched. "Mommy doesn't like it….cries all the time. Cover the bruises… wash away the blood and…sticky…still dirty."

The Commander gave a horrified little squeak, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. Every agent's eyes were now on her. Some shocked. Some sympathetic. It wasn't hard to work out.

"No one knew." She murmured, shaking her head. "No one - I kept my secret…I buried it."

"Commander-"

"Air." She croaked, tripping on her heels as she stumbled back from them all. "I need air."

She turned away and fled the apartment, Treize going after her in a flash. The two had known each other for years, and the investigator was obviously rocked by the revelation of Une's abusive past and her silence surrounding it. Duo was not much better off. He had come back to himself, freaked, and was now struggling to breathe.

"My chest…hurts!" He wheezed tightly hands held fast to his ribs. "Oh God…help…Solo…!"

"Trowa was the first to react, and found a paper bag.

"Duo, Duo. It's okay. Here." He placed the paper bag over the young man's mouth and nose. "Slow, deep breaths. That's it, Nice long breaths for me."

The psychic followed his instructions, hands coming up of their own accord to hold the breathing aid over his face, concentration on the tall agent's words. Heero and Wufei could only watch as the C.S.I. guided their witness into a reclining position and gave him a mild sedative. Soon Duo was sleepy and pliant so Heero took him home to rest.

Later that evening Wufei stopped by with some of Duo's personal effects.

"Trowa's checked this stuff and cleared it." He announced, handing over the two duffle bags. "Winner came by and picked some things out for him after they'd moved the body."

"Thanks," Heero replied tonelessly, setting the bags down in his hallway. "How's the Commander?"

"Upset. Treize hounded her all afternoon. If it's any consolation, I think she now believes. Maxwell okay?"

"Sleeping, doesn't remember a thing."

"Can't, or won't?" The black haired man accused.

"Who knows? He has predicted anything about you yet." His partner shot back. Wufei shrugged.

"Maybe It is because I have no secrets."

"Hn."

Heero was confronted with a different Duo when he woke the next morning. His greeting was met with a grunt as the young psychic turned away and stalked over to perch on the windowsill. Any questions were pretty much ignored. Not knowing what to do, he called Quatre.

"He won't even speak to me." Heero explained gruffly as he made up a bowl of cereal.

-Ah- Came the profiler's ponderous voice down the phone line. -That's probably the shock setting in. He's very unsettled by all of this.­-

"That's all well and good Winner, but I can't work with him in this mood. And aren't you supposed to be building a profile for the suspect?"

He heard Quatre sigh. ­­-Yes, I was supposed to do that yesterday but then you two went gallivanting into trouble again.-

"Well you'll need to get it done sooner or later." Heero scrubbed a hand through his perpetually wild hair. "I think he needs a friend right now, and apparently I don't yet fall into that category."

-So you want me to come over and talk to him?-

"Please. He's acting like he's going to fly apart at any second. And let me tell you, I am not partial to human time-bombs."

­-Neither am I Heero, neither am I.- Movement in the background suggested Quatre was gathering his stuff together. -Right, I'll clear my schedule for the rest of the day, and come down to….Where the hell do you live Heero?-

Yuy gave his address and with a parting shot of thanks, hung up.