Disclaimer: I don't own a thing (as sad as that realization is), except for the words I've written.

Warnings: Rated for adult language (Duo's got quite a surly mouth and mind), some violence, mild adult themes, and mild lime/lemon.

A/N: I can't believe we've made it to the end! See bottom for further notes. For now, I give you the grand finale. Enjoy.

Maxwell

Chapter 28: Take The Long Way Home

Take The Long Way Home - Supertramp

He stared down at the eyes below him, watching blandly as the life seemed to filter out of their blue depths with each passing second. The fingers wrapped around his victim's throat were pulled tight across the delicate skin of the man's neck, leaving bruising marks beneath them without an inkling of hesitation.

But he could smell smoke, could feel the soot and ash in the air circling around him like rain thrust about by wind. There was heat and smoldering embers beneath his feet.

Don't make us worry like that. Father was... worried about you... even to the end, she said.

He squeezed against the windpipe harder now, watching as the man beneath him struggled for air instinctively, his face contorted in a natural, human panic. It didn't even phase the braided man. He merely watched with quiet curiosity, strangling his victim with ease.

There was a moment of familiarity and he thought for a split second that his conscience was finally awakening. He looked into those eyes and a spark registered within his mind.

Heero.

And then he stopped, pulled back, and opened his eyes.

Trowa was staring at him. An upside down version of the man at least, pale and sallow and actually grinning a bit- and shit, that was the scariest part of it all.

Duo sat up too quickly, his head spinning and a sharp pain pulling at his side, like a knife cutting into his flesh. His eyes lolled to where the sensation originated to find that, in fact, there was a knife sticking into his side, just staring up at him from in between his eleventh and twelfth ribs as he hastened to remember what the fuck had just happened.

His eyes blurred for only a second as he registered that he was still in the helicopter, that it had not been a dream or a nightmare or a hallucination. He took a deep breath, but he did not smell any smoke.

Trowa steadied him with an arm where he sat. "Rolland's gone," he supplied, matter-of-fact.

Right. Rolland. Meister R. Duo remembered now- remembered wrestling the man to the ground, the knife in his ribs, kicking him out to an appropriate death, the doc taking Duo along with him-

"But he-"

Trowa squeezed a hand against his shoulder. "I was able to reach you in time."

Duo leaned back against the man's solid chest with a gruff sigh. "Goddammit I owe you twice now, Tro."

There came a laugh from up front and Duo turned his head to meet Quatre's glowing eyes. "Did you forget so soon?" the man asked, Duo's Glock in hand pointed casually at the stiff-faced pilot. "You just saved both of our lives, Duo."

"So we can call it even," Trowa murmured a second later.

Duo let out a chuckle, but the movement caused the knife in his side to shift uncomfortably. He grimaced. "Can you do anything about this?" he muttered.

"It will be better to wait until we get you to a hospital," Quatre answered. "You won't be alone. Trowa will need treatment as well."

Duo could feel the other man's body stiffen at that and laughed- this time in his mind- at Trowa's obvious aversion. But after what had just transpired, if either of them thought they were going to argue with Quatre, they would probably rather find themselves resigned to the same fate as Rolland.

"Where are Heero and Wufei?" Trowa asked then, apparently trying to steer away from the track of their current conversation.

Duo scooted a bit away from his support then so he could turn and face both his companions, trying his best to hide the burning pain that shot up and down his side at the effort. "Hopefully working. Preventer should have a good low-down of the med facility by now."

Trowa nodded his appreciation. "So we radio in first, touch-down there, then what?"

Duo's eyes narrowed. "Quinze is still out there, I'm sure he was first to jump ship when things went to shit."

"And when Preventer asks about Rolland's death?" Trowa prompted.

Duo shrugged. "Self-defense, right guys?" he looked to Trowa and Quatre, then to the pilot busy flying, but still listening to their ever word. "This guy been cooperative, Quat?"

Quatre gave a nod, lips quirking. "Oh, yes very accommodating."

Duo gave a little grunt. "And when Preventer asks?" He watched as the pilot carefully turned his neck a couple of inches to meet his questioning gaze. Quatre's gun was still leveled at his head. "Self-defense, of course, Mr. Maxwell," he all-but stuttered out.

Duo smiled then. "Good man. You just earned yourself your life- and maybe a kind word to those agents that are going to be arresting you the minute we're dirtside again."

"Duo Maxwell, you impulsive idiot!"

At first the words seemed like they'd have originated from within Wufei's over-angered mouth- they had that certain, tactless edge to them. But upon second look the pure fury had actually come radiating forth from lips he was just a slight bit better acquainted with. He wasn't sure if that were a good or a bad thing just yet.

He was climbing down the from the helicopter, holding a bit of blood-soaked gauze to his wound, minding the knife itself, and leaning against Trowa for support. Or perhaps it was the opposite way around- but that didn't really fucking matter now that they were back on the ground and it was all over and Quatre came bounding after them to take Trowa's place rather quickly as their other companions were making tense strides to reach them.

Heero was storming towards him, fists balled to make his knuckles into tiny white blades of skin. At first Duo thought he might punch him- something he was unfortunately accustomed to and also admittedly figured he deserved after the stunt he'd just managed to pull. But then those granite hands were wrapping themselves around his biceps, pulling him close to press lips against his own. There was something awkward and sloppy and entirely needy about the whole thing, but hell he didn't much care at this point.

Duo felt his head going light and he vaguely wondered if it was in reaction to the kiss, to the wondering tongue against his own, or else the knife still lodged between ribs and the amount of blood that he'd already lost because of it.

Heero pulled back and glared. "You could have died."

"Yeah, that's just about the size of it, 'Ro." Duo set him with a saucy grin, his muscles falling slack against the man now holding him upright.

Eyes flicking to the wound Heero's frown deepened. He pulled Duo's arm across his shoulders swiftly, all-but carrying the man out from a suddenly thick crowd of onlookers- all dressed in varying degrees of Preventer uniforms- until Duo's eyes came into contact with a pair of very familiar ones staring back at him.

"Davis," he muttered, pulling at Heero's neck and trying desperately to deviate their path towards the man now looking a bit sheepish in his own right.

Heero tugged him, trying to be gentle. "Hospital," he implored shortly.

Duo looked up at him sharply. "Shit, after all this I'm still alive and raring. Waiting five minutes to take care of this stupid little scratch sure as hell ain't gonna kill me."

The man stared down at him at first in confusion and then in soft defeat that Duo hadn't remembered seeing before. Maybe this little relationship of their's was going to work out- and damn, it might just be pretty fucking interesting too!

He hobbled a few feet, though Heero did most of the walking. Agents parted for him on instinct as if he were some hot shot like Captain Chang himself. Once they'd made it to Sean Davis' little place amidst the crowd Duo looked up at him through tangled bangs, eyes narrowed just slightly. "Davis," he said by way of greeting.

The other man stared down at him, the sheepish look from before morphing into disbelief and then back to a more recognizable condescension. But this time his lips were turned up at the corners in a natural way. "Maxwell," he responded in kind. "We weren't sure you were gonna make it back alive."

Duo chuckled at that, softly as to not disturb his injury. "You know, for a second I thought so too. But I guess I've got some unfinished business in the land of the living- still gotta fuck around with your case and all."

"Not my case anymore," Davis replied, head shaking a bit at his attempt to hide his laughter.

"Oh right- you resigned, huh?" The braided man stared up at him with some sort of appreciation. "Hope the family's well. But Prev's definitely down a good agent now. Of course, you've developed some pretty good skills in the art of stalking- might be something for your resumé."

Davis did laugh then, eyes shining. "You always have something to say, don't you?"

At that there was a grunt from his left and Duo just barely caught Heero smirking from his peripheral vision. He turned back to smile at Davis, genuine. "So if it's not your case anymore, then who's in charge around here?"

"That would be me, Maxwell." Duo turned to see, though he already knew exactly who the voice belonged to. Wufei shared a conspiratorial look with Heero before moving towards the injured man with a smug grin wrapping his lips. "You need to get to a hospital."

Duo nodded earnestly. "Yes, people keep telling me that."

"Come on, we need to go," Heero mumbled in his ear. "Before you get anymore blood on me."

Trying to subdue his amusement at the blunt comment, Duo's eyes searched out the dark ones before him. Wufei waved his hand in the air as if to shoo him away. "Go on. There will be plenty more investigating to be done once you're stitched up."

When Heero attempted to reach down behind his knees to lift him, Duo protested wildly. And so they walked away towards a waiting vehicle, with the sound of Wufei's voice echoing after them, shouting orders to his newest troops.

He was very lucky- or so he'd been told by near everyone that had been in and out of his hospital room over the past several hours. He'd received a minor laparoscopic surgery to repair his injured liver, been give a few stitches, and a healthy dose of pain killers. The doctor hadn't even argued with him that much about the regen he was rejecting to reduce scarring. He was to be released sometime before dinner with the order of no heavy lifting or physical activity for the next couple of months. Duo cut that down to a couple of weeks since the doctor didn't know of the little bit of cocktail still swimming through his body that would have him healed in less than a day.

Heero had stayed with him the entire time- excepting for the operating room in which apparently the man had to be given an explanation in no uncertain terms that it was entirely off limits, even to him, ex-pilot 01- boy would Duo have liked to have seen that fun conversation. But after some hours he'd watched the other man's head dip a few too many times- an odd sight in and of itself- and had done his duty as lover to insist on Heero getting some sleep, or else at least a hot meal in the facility's cafeteria.

He'd not been alone for long, the buzz and beeping of monitors keeping him some particularly unwanted company, when there came a soft knocking at the doorway half-covered by a thin sterile curtain hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey," Duo greeted, eyes meandering to the clock hung on the wall opposite his bed and wondering if his visitor had himself gotten any sleep or food in the past twenty-four-odd hours.

Wufei came to sit in the chair previously occupied by another concerned man not more than fifteen minutes earlier. He gave Duo a studious once over and then met his eyes with what looked like approval. "I've brought you something."

Duo watched as he reached into his Preventer coat, the little hexagonal logo on the sleeve creasing with the movement, and then pulled out a long thin piece of paper to place on the other man's blanketed lap.

"What's this?" Duo asked, even as his eyes roved over the familiar lettering and numbers staring up at him.

"The compensation for your services- as promised." Wufei stared down at the check as well.

Duo nodded slowly. "Right. Contract to hire- guess the contract's up then," he said, trying not to let that little ounce of disappointment he felt welling in his gut reach his words.

"That's a good start," Wufei responded, pointing towards the several zero's printed in raised ink. "But a steady salary would also come with those benefits you've inquired on before."

Head coming up, Duo felt his eyes widen for only a second before he reigned in the emotion. Instead he gave a little smirk. "Is that a job offer, 'Fei?"

The man swallowed, as if nervous. "We- could use someone with your expertise," he explained. "It might take a recommendation to convince Une fully, but-"

Duo let out a soft whistle. "You're somethin' else, you know that? After all this, you'd still want to work with me? And recommend me?"

He caught Wufei's eyes as they narrowed, though there was the inklings of a smile hidden somewhere within his expression. "Now I didn't say I'd be the one doing the recommending. You should hear the way Davis talks about you when you're not around. He's developed something of an unhealthy complex."

"Huh- never figured it from him, did we?" Duo's shoulders shook a bit with that.

Wufei smiled then, staring down at hands resting folded against the bedside. "No, indeed we did not."

There was a moment when neither man spoke, the only sound resinating between them the thin beep of the heart-monitor. Duo was the first to break the silence. "Look, I'm flattered really, but I don't know if now's the best time to be making decisions like this-"

Wufei held up a flat palm to stop him. "Of course, take all the time you need. But from my understanding it's an invariable offer- Davis will have no one else as his replacement."

Duo's smile returned. Shit, he really would've never guessed it from the guy. Of course, he'd really never have guessed a lot of things from Wufei either and look where that got him. He blinked a few times and then said, "You know, I've been thinking. What we had was purely physical, fun and all, and yet-"

"Yes." It was hard to tell whether Wufei was prompting him to continue or else agreeing with the sentiment itself.

So Duo swallowed and kept going. "And yet I can't help thinking that if we weren't both so fucking stubborn it might've worked out between us."

He didn't mention the fact that Heero was just as- if not more- stubborn that both of them combined. But that wasn't really the point, was it? Duo watched Wufei closely for a reaction, but the other man's eyes just dipped slightly and his mouth quivered like he wanted to say something, but was holding back. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he'd been in-fucking-love with Heero since they were reckless teenagers and Wufei had always known it and that they'd never have been able to get past that. Yeah, that was probably more reasonable than being fucking pig-headed.

Duo sighed. "'Fei?"

Wufei's eyes shifted to stare at him, shining under the fluorescent lights above. "I think Yuy needs you more than I do-" his vision then momentarily flicked towards the tempered window and out towards a crowded nurse's station "-besides I think I'll be okay."

Duo's own gaze followed the new trajectory, coming to rest on the profile of one Sally Po. He turned back so rapidly his head spun. "Chang, you dog. I knew it!"

A deep blush escaped across the other man's face, but he was saved from anymore of Duo's onslaught of chiding by the sound of a palm-top communicator beeping away from within his coat pocket.

Wufei reached to turn it off with an apologetic look, but Duo caught his wrist. "Take it. Seriously, this investigation is way more important than pillow talk with me."

There was a nod and Wufei stood. "You'll think about the offer then? Not just consider it and then move onto something else- really truly think about it?"

Duo stared up at him, lips pulling. Damn, he'd never seen the man so anxious about anything in his entire life. "Yeah I will, Wufei."

With a little nod of thanks, Wufei turned on his heel, already pulling the communicator from his pocket, when Duo called after him. "Hey, actually can you do me one favor before you go?"

Wufei turned to fit him with a raised brow. "Within reason."

Duo's grin just widened. "Can you find out where Trowa and Quat ended up in this place?"

He'd had to do a lot of schmoozing and a little more flirting than he'd thought necessary, but Duo had finally succeeded in getting his release time moved up by about an hour. Which in the end was all he really needed.

Heero would be there to pick him up, would at first probably be angry that he was not where he was immediately supposed to be, but once there was a realization for the reasoning behind it, Duo was fairly certain Heero would let it slide. Just this once.

Somewhere along the line he'd been brought some new clothes, which he was grateful for until putting them on and realizing that he wasn't sure the last time he'd ever worn stone washed jeans and a white v-neck, but Heero was actually still pretty new to all that was 'Duo Maxwell' and so he just shook his head and smoothed his braid and followed the directions that Wufei had previously bestowed upon him.

He made his way past the nurse's station with a flick of his fingers and a well placed smile and then he turned into a room very much identical to that of his own. There was the faint hum of monitors and the sound of low breathing, but that was all that greeted him.

Duo stood in the doorway for a moment, first taking in the bedridden man, eyes closed to the world around him though his lids fluttered briefly a couple of times. His skin was significantly less pale since he'd been pulled back from the brink of death just as Duo had been- now on more than one occasion. Then his vision trailed to the man seated in a chair not more than two feet away, eyes buried in a leather-bound book, horn-rimmed frames sliding down his nose each time he turned a page.

It was an awful pretty picture and Duo truly hated to disturb it, but he was here, he had to check on them, make sure they were the real deal and not the monstrous clones that kept popping up across his mind every time he closed his eyes. Shit, that was going to get old very quick.

Quatre, of course, was the first to notice him, perhaps sensing his presence as he stood silent, watching. He turned and those glasses slid further down his nose until he grabbed at them with fumbling fingers, the book shutting unceremoniously in his lap.

"Duo," he whispered, though it sounded rather more like an exuberant yelp coming through the stillness of the space.

Duo smiled as Quatre rose from his seated position to join him closer to the doorway, but still within enough distance that he could reach Trowa within a heartbeat if necessary. A veritable fuckin' Nightingale. "How are you? I heard about your surgery."

"Just a couple of stitches, no biggie," he answered with a slight shrug, though he could feel the bandage taped to his side pulling at his skin with the movement. "But enough about me, how's Tro? And you, Quatre- are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine." The blond waved him off as if it had been a silly thing to ask. "Trowa will be here for the night and released tomorrow morning. He just has to regain his strength- of course you know all about that."

"Yeah, unfortunately I do." He looked to the man still asleep in the bed with a grim nod.

Quatre cleared his throat then to regain the braided man's attention. When Duo looked back, he was met with a grin. "You know, I think I figured it out."

Brows furrowing, Duo brought a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck. "Oh yeah? And what exactly is it that you figured, Quat?"

The man's smile only widened. "I figured out what you've got that we don't."

Damn, he'd not been expecting that. Duo's shoulders slumped ever-slightly. "No, I don't think so," he muttered out, averting his eyes.

Quatre placed a hand on his forearm to physically pull him back to the conversation. "Yes. Yes, I have. You've got the God of Death on your side, Duo Maxwell."

Something rammed through his chest, a pang of some sorts. Duo's vision flicked back to meet glowing aquamarine. Quatre just nodded once in reassurance and then continued on. "If any one of us had pulled that stunt we'd probably be dead. Even the ever-invincible Heero Yuy."

Duo couldn't fight the soft chuckle in his throat. "Hm, maybe."

"It's true, Duo. And besides, it doesn't really matter if we've got things you think you ought to have or we do things you think you ought to do. I look at you and I think 'Duo's really making it.' And you know why?"

Alright, fuck it. He'd bite. "Why, Quat?"

"Because you've got Heero- and all of us- on your side too. And I'd say that means you're 'making it' pretty damn well."

There came a strange feeling just below his ribcage then, something warm and bubbly and almost uncomfortable. Shit, Quatre knew how to fucking get to him. He blinked a couple of times and smiled down at the blond; a real smile, not one to hide behind.

"Would you two stop being so damn cute?" came a muffled voice from the other side of the room.

Both men spun to meet a pair of green eyes watching them from within his bed covers. Quatre was at his side immediately with worried hands. "Trowa- I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

But Duo just followed, laughing out loud and saying, "Nah, Quat. I think your boyfriend here is just jealous."

At the word 'boyfriend' he watched both men startle, a pink hugh invading the tips of Quatre's ears, while Trowa looked as if he were fumbling to find just the right, snide comeback but was coming up empty. Though the fact that neither of them disputed the implication did not go unnoticed.

Duo just met their stares with a cocky smirk. Huh. Looks like Davis was right, he did always have something to say.

"Anything good?" came the voice from over his shoulder. Duo had his feet up on a desk that didn't belong to him because, according to Une, they were having inter-office issues in finding him a suitable space to call his own. That or else she just wasn't sure where to put him in order to save any of her other precious Prev agents from imploding.

So instead he found himself once again visiting the man now hovering behind him, probably glaring a hole in the boots now marring his perfectly neat and tidy desktop. Duo turned from his palm-top to face Wufei with a general shrug. "Who knew looking for an apartment would be the thing that actually manages to kill me."

It looked like Wufei was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "It amazes me that you are just now discovering what it means to be an adult."

Duo made a face. "I may legally be an adult- but that sure as shit don't mean I know what I'm doing."

It had been almost two months since the end to their little investigation, though Preventer was still working through some of the grittier details- namely searching out a particular benefactor who had seemed to somehow walk off the face of the entire universe. But they were working on it, or at least so Duo had been told.

The braided man flopped boots back down to the floor and tugged at the hem of his uniform jacket. "Have you heard- I'm off the rest of the week- getting yet another new partner. A girl this time- Une thinks I might be more evenly matched with someone of the feminine persuasion."

"Lucky lady," Wufei snorted out, reaching into a thick folder of papers he was carrying under his arm.

The Chinese man didn't bother to say a word then as he dropped a packet on the desk in front of Duo's curious eyes. The smattering of words that stared back at him were quickly consumed as his vision scanned the front page, fingers nimbly plucking through the rest, his grin growing wider with each passing realization.

Duo looked up to Wufei then, raising a devilish brow. The other man looked back with a blank expression, though there was something just barely noticeable glinting from within his dark eyes. "What will you do with your week then?"

The loaded question was met with a mischievous smile. "Well I've got paid vacation days now and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna take full advantage of my new benefits."

Wufei nodded, satisfied with the answer, and then turned back to vacate his office once more. "Say hello to Yuy for me," he threw back over his shoulder, not able to totally hide the knowing smirk in his tone.

The man stared at them for the briefest of moments, perhaps at first startled to have any visitors in his small rent-a-office space on the third floor of a mildewed building on a backwater colony in the L1 sector. He'd not hesitated for long though, giving them a nod and letting them to their business of whatever colony-wide intranet servicing they were doing- he wasn't an expert on those sort of things and he didn't much care to question it.

He sat down at his desk, old bones creaking against the stiffness of his plastic chair. Opening his laptop he stared at the boot-up screen, rubbing fingers over his left eye, the lid partially encased in old scar tissue. He did not at first notice the fact that the two men- both in ordinary coveralls with some company logo embroidered on the back- were now moving inwards towards his desk, one on either side. He did not at first notice the sharp eyes surveying the room around them from underneath the caps they wore. He did not at first notice the long, chestnut braid of the man to his left until it was, in fact, much too late to do anything but simply notice.

The blow to the back of his head probably did the trick, but a swift uppercut to his wrinkled jaw didn't hurt either. A few seconds later his wrists and ankles were secured to the chair with thick cable chords until pasty flesh swelled around the biting plastic. And then the two men stood back to admire their handy work.

Duo had already pulled his flick-knife from within the baggy coveralls, twisting it between fingers in an admiring way. "We could do it you know," he said, a tone of near disappointment.

Heero turned to him with a scowl. "I think Wufei would be a bit disappointed."

Trying to hide his amusement at that, Duo twirled the knife once more before pocketing it again. "You're right. Shall we do our duty as concerned citizens then?"

They were already a few blocks away, sitting in their rental, when the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance growing louder as they neared the bland office park. Heero started up the engine and Duo promptly wiped the pre-payed mobile before throwing it out the passenger side window.

Their next stop was the shuttle-port. After all Duo hadn't been lying about using some of his well-deserved vacation days. Quatre had recommended a place, somewhere warm and sunny, and given them an itinerary they would not likely follow. Trowa had bestowed upon them a box of condoms by way of parting gift- revenge for Duo's rambling mouth no doubt. Wufei had promised a permanent desk by the time Duo returned to work the following week.

They drove in silence for a long while, the radio humming old-earth songs in the background, until Duo turned, rubbing absently at his nose. "You know, you never did tell me why you used my name as your password?"

Heero kept driving for a while, looking like he was contemplating a heartfelt answer, but when he spoke it was nothing of the sort. "Maxwell is easy to remember," he said.

Duo's fist lashed out to hit against Heero's arm. "Bullshit, give me the real answer."

There came a laugh then, something deep and resonant and incredibly appealing. Not something Duo had ever heard before, but hoped he would be hearing a lot more in the future. Heero turned slightly with the hint of a smile on his lips. "Because I love you," he replied, entirely confident and sure of his response.

Duo broke into a grin of his own, all teeth. "Yeah, I guess that answer'll do," he chuckled. "Love you too, 'Ro."

He took a deep breath then and held it, reveling in the feeling of utter contentment. Even after everything, Heero Yuy loved him.

Heero Yuy loved him.

No shit.

End.

A/N: I just have a few closing words to add here. I first want to thank all of my incredible readers/reviewers/supporters because you guys rock and have kept me motivated throughout this entire story! So thank you! As well, it seems I've left a couple of possible loose ends here. Now I'm not making promises, but it is a very real possibility that I will continue with this universe/story line and flesh out more things in a sequel. I definitely already have some ideas up my sleeve, but I wanna bust through my current ongoing projects first (ie: Long Way Down & Down In Africa), so just be on the lookout in the future. Seriously, I love you guys and this story and it's quite bittersweet to say goodbye to it, but I've got lots of other great stuff coming out right now so go check 'em out while you anticipate the possible follow up to Maxwell. Thanks and for now, over and out.