Author's note

Hi guys,

I went AWOL again didn't I. Well don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyway, Thank you to those who took the time to look up the story recently and give me a prod…it helped a LOT to get me moving again.

As always, keep reading, and feedback, I can't post more if you don't tell me you want me to!

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 not anyone important)

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

Foreseeable Future

Chapter Nine

Visible Denial

"Tizzy and the kids are alright then?" Duo asked the nun once they were seated with cups of tea. Sister Helen was seated next to him on the couch and Father Maxwell had perched himself on the armchair. Heero had never felt like he was intruding in his own home like this before.

"Yes Duo, all of your Fallen are fine. Jade has a poetry recital next week."

"Ah crap, I'm gonna miss that."

They ignored the expletive this time.

"You can't come?"

The psychic blew out a breath and shook his head.

"You know I hate to disappoint the kids, but I can't risk being seen with them. What if I'm seen there? We still haven't caught this guy and he could be anyone. If he knows about the church then you'll all be in danger too. I can't do that to you. Or them."

"Of course Duo, they'll understand."

"They won't and you know it." Duo sighed. "Scramble'll pitch a fit. They're so used to seeing me on a regular basis. They need routine. We'll lose some ground if I'm not there. Who knows how long this will go on for?

"There's nothing to be done about it though." Father Maxwell pointed out calmly. "As you said yourself Duo, This man is determined to hurt you. The children would devastated if something happened to you."

The nun was quick to add her own remark.

"Something has already happened. Duo, if you come to the House covered in bruises like that, the children are going to ask questions. You can't lie to them looking like that. They're going to close ranks around you and that's ten times worse than not showing up at all. They look up to you and will want to protect you as you do them. Don't let them get dangerous ideas like that."

"I know. I know you're right. But it's going to be hard. I'll be letting them down. Betsy and Winx especially. Jade's been at the House longer, so she'll understand. The new kids won't though, they need stability."

"Why don't you call us? It's not the same, granted, but it will help. The children would love to hear your voice."

Duo looked surprised at the suggestion and slapped his forehead.

"Jeez, why didn't I think of that? Thanks Sister. You always were the sensible one."

She chuckled.

"Well, I do have some experience with looking after the little ducklings. Don't you remember last year when you couldn't make it to Damien's chess match because your friend was sick in hospital? You spent a fortune on a two hour international phone call."

"They hate it when you call them that you know?"

"Not unlike a certain flighty young man who earned the nickname of Sparrow I guess." The Priest interjected. Sister Helen seemed surprised.

"You didn't like being called sparrow?" She asked in a wounded tone.

"Ah, Sister, you know, your pet names are terrible." Duo winked. "But we love you, so we'll do anything to make you happy." This garnered a blinding smile from the woman. "Don't worry about it, the kids love it, really."

"Thank you Duo."

Father Maxwell rose to his feet and cleared his throat.

"We should be going. Our outreach session ends soon and we need to get back the church before the children finish school."

Helen also got to her feet and hugged Duo carefully. She looked towards Heero. "You will look after our Duo won't you?"

"Of course."

"I'll pray for you."

Duo rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'd say don't bother, Sister, but you always believed it'd help, so go right ahead." As she started to speak, he raised his hand to cut her off. "Don't. I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate it, I really do, but we'll never agree on this."

The nun seemed to take his words in her stride and nodded, before giving him a smile.

"You stay out of trouble Duo Maxwell."

The psychic returned the grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Don't I always?"

Heero was surprised to find the next morning that he and his bright eyed house guest had segued into some sort of routine. He was sat at the kitchen island reading the paper as Duo made his morning coffee. Well, Duo called it coffee, when in actual fact it was sludge with an obscene amount of sugar. The young man claimed in an uncharacteristic yet fitting snobby tone that milk 'ruined the purity' in the taste of the drink. Heero had given him his own spoon in a bid to combat the tarnishing of his silverware. Duo liked to leave the spoon in the mug as he drank. He listened to him chatter away over the clink of metal against ceramic.

"I just don't get it." He was saying. "You keep asking questions about me, and most people don't. I'm a private kinda person, y'know."

"Hmm." Heero kept him eyes on the paper.

"Why do you need to know so much anyway?"

Heero flicked his gaze up to regard him.

"You interest me. And how am I supposed to do my job and protect you when I don't know all the facts about the situation? Besides, Winner knows you well."

"He takes me at face value Heero." Duo leaned his elbows on the countertop and rested his chin on his palms. "He thinks there's nothing more to me than what I tell him."

"You're saying he's stupid?"

Maxwell waved a hand dismissively.

"No! Not at all. I'm saying that he thinks I'm really open because I act like I am. He doesn't see a need to pry, because as far as he's concerned, I've told him everything interesting about me."

Heero flipped down the paper and set it aside, munching on a triangle of toast as he thought about his rebuttal.

"Is it the same with the others? Howard, and Starla?"

"Sort of. I like my life as it is. Separate. Hilde knows I like to work long hours at the bar, but not why. Quatre doesn't have a clue why I hoard things, but likes my 'packrat' tendencies. Howard only knows that I don't drink, not that I'm frightened to. I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, Heero, and I don't pretend to be. But I've made it clear to my friends when they should back off. You however, don't seem to know the meaning of the word 'boundaries'."

Heero frowned.

"So why don't you drink?" He asked, wanting to be an infuriating ass. After all, why mess with a good system. Annoying Maxwell seemed to be the best way to get an answer.

"God, don't you listen to anything?" Duo blew out a breath. "I would have thought it was obvious after the drug conversation. I have an addictive personality. It doesn't take much to get me hooked. I'd rather not go through that again." He shuddered. "Really."

Heero just shrugged nonchalantly and snapped up the paper again.

"Doesn't change the amount of coffee you drink."

"Doesn't change the quality of the crap you buy and call coffee either." Duo shot back in a snappish but good natured tone.

Anyone listening in to them would they were spoiling for an argument. The Preventer thought it made for entertaining banter. Duo stole a triangle of mostly cold toast from his plate, earning a glare at the action.

"I hate you." Yuy said, not sure what to think when the words came out sounding affectionate.

"I feel exactly the same way." The younger man replied with a sigh.

Heero had a sneaking suspicion that for the both of them, there may have well been a huge purple elephant in the room.