Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 3 Ties That Bind ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter One

“Welcome to hell,” Duo whispered in my ear as we watched Jun Martin walk slowly from the courtroom with his lawyer. “Crispy fried or sodomized?”

I turned my head to focus on him in amazement. There was something wrong about his eyes…something only I ever seemed to see. The others hadn’t seen it since they had taken back Deniel…and that had been eight years.

He winked at me, then moved up the sidewalk to the lawyer, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Mr. Martin,” he greeted Jun calmly.

“Mr. Maxwell,” Jun muttered, taking several steps back and staring at him.

Duo grinned that insane grin that had gotten him the street name ‘Cheshire Cat’ and shifted slightly so I became evident over his shoulder.

Jun stared at me, and I stared back. Unlike before, I knew he was no longer a real threat to my person—but seeing someone you were absolutely terrified of for years always gives you pause.

Jun blinked at me a few times, though I refused to move or react to him in any visible way. Finally, he swallowed and looked away as the lawyer turned and blinked at me—stared at me, rather, just like he was staring at Duo.

…Two knights of the royal court, accredited with taking down the syndicates that had taken over most of Sanq kingdom after the war…if anyone found out our real personalities, it would probably let them down—especially Duo and I.

Jun started for the car waiting for him at the curb.

“We’re watching you,” Duo informed him in Cantonese with a smile.

The lawyer looked lost.

“Burn in hell,” Jun returned in kind, sliding into the car.

Duo smiled happily at him. “I’m glad to see you didn’t die…because I’m going to kill you.”

Jun looked sharply to his lawyer a moment before glaring at Duo.

“Have a wonderful day,” Duo added happily as the confused lawyer moved into the car as well. Duo pounded the top of the car and stepped back as Jun flipped him off.

I couldn’t see what Duo did, because he had his back to me—but by the flash of apprehension in Jun’s eyes, I had a feeling I didn’t want to know.

Duo turned to me, smiling happily. “Come on, let’s hit the mall. I want to be sure there’s nothing else I wanted to get Dusty.”

“You’re spoiling that boy,” I muttered as he walked past me, turning my head to watch Jun’s car disappear. I followed Duo up the sidewalk to where our limo waited, frowning slightly when he met my eyes.

“Oh don’t be silly, I spoil all the kids,” Duo muttered, sliding into his seat as I also sat.

The car crept slowly from the spot it was parked in, and I wondered what Duo had been up to. He’d been running all over finding Trowa’s son birthday presents, and under that guise…I mean, it was obvious that he knew Jun’s lawyer didn’t speak Cantonese…who knew what all he’d gotten up to. Obviously, he knew the trial date and time, and had managed to talk me out of the building with just the right amount of time… We’d been collecting paper work for Heero at the courthouse.

It said to me that Duo was up to his old bullshit again—if not only because his eyes.

“What’s your issue?” he asked, himself again—loving husband and father of a beautiful daughter, completely responsible and more than dependable…

“You looked different earlier,” I informed him easily. While no one else seemed to see him look off kilter, I’d realized that honesty was the best policy. Not so much with the others, who put up a wall and refused to listen to me, but dealing directly with him…it got the direct results. Telling him exactly what was on your mind when no one was around to embarrass either of you…that was the way to do it.

“Different how?” he asked, tilting his head at me.

“You know exactly how different,” I muttered, looking out the car-window.

“It’s Jun, Fei,” he said quietly, moving with cat-like grace to be kneeling in front of me. He grabbed my hands and raised them to his lips. “It’s Jun.”

I nodded, avoiding his eyes.

“You can’t…it’s just…” Duo trailed off, thinking. “Jun…he’s absolutely terrified of me.”

“That happens when you rape someone,” I snapped harshly.

Duo’s laughter was evil as he met my eyes again. “How did you figure that out?”

I stared at him in mild disgust and mild fear. He had never admitted that it had happened—we’d all asked him at different points. He’d always demanded why we were saying such things and complaining at us to the extent that we dropped it for feeling bad.

“What?” I demanded.

“How did you figure that out?” he asked again, smiling at me happily. “I mean…I took off from you lot, and left no clues…”

“I forget anymore,” I admitted, blinking at him. “Something about your belt…”

His laughter raised the hairs on my neck on end as he obviously thought about something. “God that belt was great…”

“I’m glad Nira cut it up,” I whispered at him, not sure what to think.

The words were greeted with a silence and him avoiding my eyes. He shook his head finally, looking up to me. “Ash would have wanted to know all about it, I don’t know what I would have told her.”

I nodded, blinking at him again.

He lay his head forward onto my lap, completely silent as we made our way to the mall. “When are you going to get married?” Duo sat up to meet my eyes. “I want you to have kids.”

I flashed him a small smile and shook my head, focusing back out the window.

“I just…I want to see you happy.”

“Marry me, then,” I returned distantly. It was an old game now. I’d gotten over my crush, but some jokes remained…

“I told you, we don’t have a way to get rid of the body,” he muttered, “and Ashley would be sad…”

“Come on,” I muttered, meeting his eyes. “You’re right-hand man to the king and queen. Get them to pass a pocket-polygamy act.”

He grinned appreciatively at me, resting his head on my lap again. “If I thought Relena would do it,” he informed me, “I really would.”

“That’s fucked up,” I informed him quietly, studying his dark head. “What about your wife?”

“What about her?” he asked, meeting my eyes again. “It’s not like I don’t love her.”

I smiled slightly at him, running my hands through his hair.

He sighed slowly, closing his eyes. “Just do me a favor and try to get a girlfriend, right?”

“What if I want a guy?”

“Georgie,” he muttered, “Taylor. Mark...Duane…”

I tsked, looking back out the window as he named off my ex-boyfriends. I didn’t know why I couldn’t keep a relationship…it was beyond me…or maybe a poor choice on my part. That seemed to be a dominating factor in my life; the ones who were good for me were the ones who were married.

“I want you to get with a girl,” he muttered. “You don’t have any luck with guys.”

I sighed, leaning forward and resting my cheek against his head.

“Just…try for me, okay? Please?”

“Of course.”

- -

I could hear Duo laughing and Dustin was squeaking excitedly…and my mouth dropped open as I moved into my living room from the hallway. “My god, Duo, you didn’t…”

“It’s a puppy!” Dustin crowed, throwing the cover off a box. There was no mistaking the contents, because the puppy had been squeaking just as much as my son. “Daddy! Uncle Duo got me a puppy!”

Duo’s face lit into his trademark grin, his eyes sparkling. “I told you when Hilde was pregnant that I’d get the new one a puppy, it’s Dusty’s seventh birthday. I got Shadow for Lea on her seventh.”

“You son of a bitch,” I muttered, trying not to laugh as my son’s face was covered in licks by a small bundle of fur.

Duo laughed.

“What’s going…oh dear,” Relena’s expression had been curious when she moved into the room through the open front-door, but when her eyes rested on my son, she stopped.

“Black lab and shep?” Heero asked, moving around his wife as his little girl, Faye, darted between her parents.

“Indeed.”

“Uncle Duo!” Faye squeaked in protest. “Why did you get Dust a puppy?”

“Because he’s seven,” Duo replied, running a hand through her hair with a grin.

“I want one!”

“So does Ashley,” he agreed, looking up at us, “but Lex and Lea were perfectly happy with kittens, I don’t get it.”

“Puppies are cooler than kittens, Tio,” Alex informed him, moving up behind me and then around me. She smiled at me. “Can I have one, Apa?”

“Uh…let me think about that,” I muttered, pretending to think, “hmm…no.” I gave her a look. “Sorry.”

The fourteen year old gave me a look of regal exasperation, turning to curtsey to Relena. “My Lady.”

Relena smiled, nodding her head. “Alexia.”

Alex grinned happily before moving across the room to latch firmly around one of Heero’s arms as she stared into his eyes. “I really really want a puppy, Tio.”

“You’re asking the wrong uncle,” Heero returned, not moved.

Alex giggled and then turned to focus on Duo coyly.

“You can do better than that,” Duo admonished her, raising an eyebrow. “What happened to subtle?”

She sniggered, moving up to lean against his side, wrapping her hand into his as she focused on her little brother.

“That’s more like it,” Duo muttered, also focusing on the boy.

“I’m gonna beat you both,” I informed him. I didn’t know if he realized that he was teaching my daughter to be manipulative, or not. It was hard to tell what Duo thought about in his actions, and what he didn’t—like the puppy. I had a feeling that the puppy was his long-standing joke come to pass.

…And Alexia Rosa really did not need a puppy.

Duo met my eyes and I could see in his expression that he’d held his tongue because of the children.

“I thought the party was this evening,” Selena muttered, moving into the room behind the royals. She and Duo’s daughter, Ashley, paused in the door to look the room over with interest before Selena met my eyes.

“It is,” I agreed, “but I’m getting homicidal thoughts concerning your husband.”

“What’s homicidal?” Ashley asked, ducking between Heero and Relena like their own daughter had.

“A very bad thing,” Relena replied, running her fingers through Ashley’s hair as she passed.

“Daddy, you’re not supposed to make Trowa mad,” Ashley muttered to Duo, moving to stand between his knees and look up at him earnestly. “You know Mommy said not to.”

“I haven’t made him mad yet,” Duo replied, smiling at her and pulling her onto his lap. “So it’s all good.”

Ashley giggled. “That’s a technicality.”

“You can tell who her dad is,” Heero noted to Relena.

Relena smiled, pulling her sunglasses down to look the room over. “Where is Quatre?”

“I’ll go get him!” Lex pulled away from Duo and darted from our living room.

“Jacob said something about faxing papers to Spain,” Duo added indifferently, shrugging. “Something about peace and prosperity…I wasn’t listening to him, though. I’m not sure what he was doing.”

Everyone focused on Duo sharply.

Duo laughed. “Ambassador Drovan lost his mother and will be late. He faxed Jacob at like…midnight last night.”

“Oh!” Relena raised her hands to his mouth. “He doesn’t have to come right away, then! He can get someone else! I completely understand!”

“Yeah, so did Jacob. They’ve been going back and forth about it all night.”

“How do you know that?” Heero asked, raising an eyebrow.

“He was in our room last night,” Selena replied easily. “I don’t think Duo’s slept yet.”

That got Duo more dirty looks, which he ignored. Of course, it also got him a few confused looks—why hadn’t he slept?

“Good morning!” Marlea’s voice broke into the silence. Her cheer and good humor washed into the room as she bounced in with Lex on her heels. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, lovely,” Duo muttered, offering his arms for a hug.

“Where’s Fei?” she asked, moving from one uncle to the next.

“I’m right here,” Wufei’s voice came to us as he moved into the living room, looking us over. “Where are Quatre and Jacob?”

“Jacob’s working and Q is jacking off.”

“Tio!” Marlea smacked Duo.

Duo started laughing. By the look in his eyes it was obvious he hadn’t really meant to make a lewd joke with the young ones around…

“Well, I can help him with that,” Wufei muttered, starting back out the door.

“Wufei!” Lex’s voice was scandalized.

“Would you stop warping our children?” I demanded of Wufei and Duo.

Duo laughed as Wufei swung back into the room with a huge grin.

“My dad is not…” Lea started, her cheeks flushed, then paused, looking around for help.

“What is your dad doing?” Selena asked carefully, studying the girl’s face.

“He woke up late, he’s getting dressed…I had to wake him up.”

Selena nodded, walking across the room to sit next to her husband and watch Dustin. Dustin had finally put the puppy down, but it was still in his lap. His light brown hair was shining in the light of the noonday sun as he looked up at us with Hilde’s eyes.

Speaking of Hilde.

I turned, looking toward my bedroom. Hilde was pregnant again, and close enough to term that she didn’t move all that fast. Not that I was the only one with the ability for multiple children. Relena was pregnant again, not even three months, and so was Selena, though she was in her second trimester.

“You okay, baby?”

“You carry this one,” Hilde returned darkly, moving into the hall and massaging her back. “It’s your turn.”

I smiled at her, moving down the hall to scoop her up. “How about I carry you?”

“That doesn’t spare my back.”

I grinned at her, carrying her down the hall. “We’re waiting for Quatre and Jacob.”

“Ah,” she muttered, leaning against me with a small smile as she took in everyone that was in the room. “Good morning,” I set her down and she leaned against me.

“Good morning, Tia!” Lea exclaimed happily.

“Morning, Mom,” Lex agreed.

“Duo, I swear,” Hilde muttered as Dustin moved up to her with the puppy extended—she trailed off as the puppy started licking her face.

“I’m glad you like him,” Duo informed her with a smile. “I was so hoping…”

Hilde giggled. “You’re just evil.”

- -

“And then he asked me how I figured it out,” I studied Relena’s face worriedly. How calmly Duo had admitted to raping Jun set the small hairs on the back of my neck on end. The fact that he’d laughed actually scared me. For all that I’d realized that telling the others did no good—they never saw the look in his eyes, they never heard the laughter—I felt that the admittance needed a note. “He thought it was funny.”

Relena covered her face with one hand, showing every sign of exasperation and disbelief I’d ever seen from her. Why the woman I called queen decided I was making things up concerning Duo, was beyond me. The reasoning all of them had taken for not acknowledging that Duo was not mentally firm, was beyond me…

“He had the insane look again,” I repeated firmly, studying her carefully. “I keep telling you guys that I see it…and you never believe me. Please, Relena, think about it…why would I make this up?”

She sat up sharply, slamming her palm against the table. “Because you’re still in love with him! You want us all to…”

“To what?” I demanded, trying not to shout at her as I sat up straighter. “How would making Duo seem insane do me the slightest damn bit of good? Even if I really were in love with him…” I shook my head at her.

“Why would Duo rape someone? Most of all Jun?” the woman hissed the words. “He hates Jun…”

“Rape is a crime of violence,” I snapped quietly. “Rape is a form of control…and we’re talking about Duo. He’s not like that now…he’s mostly better now…but he hates Jun…Relena, he told him he’d kill him.”

“That shouldn’t bother you in the slightest,” she noted darkly, her narrowed eyes glued to mine.

I stared at her in disbelief, trying to understand why she refused to believe me…

“I can’t think that of Duo,” she informed me, looking away from my eyes and nearly jumping to her feet. She was twisting her wedding ring around her finger as she continued to shake her head. “I can’t…”

I was at a loss for words. There was nothing I could do but stare at her.

“Hey, Lena?” Heero muttered, moving into the room. “Are you picking up Faye, or did I forget?”

Relena focused on her husband and my king sharply.

The man moved across the room slowly, stopping beside me and resting a hand on my shoulder almost apologetically. “What’s the matter?” Heero added, glancing down at me as I studied his eyes to gauge his mood. He looked back to his wife. “We aren’t late yet, are we?”

Relena shook her head, glanced around at me. She studied me, obviously wanting to say something, then turned and darted from the room.

I sighed, looking to the ceiling.

Heero sighed heavily himself, moving around to take his wife’s vacated seat. “He told you?”

I nodded, wondering how long he’d been listening before he’d decided to come in. “When we went to pick up your paperwork from the courthouse this morning, before he gave Dusty that puppy. I couldn’t figure out why he insisted we take the limo, but figured it didn’t hurt…and then he started some sweet-talking…fast-talking, whatever you want to call it…and when we got out…”

“Jun?” Heero asked quietly, lowering his eyes. “I was trying to decide how to tell you…sorry it took me so long.”

I nodded, looking back to the table. “He was talking to him in Cantonese…he told Jun he was going to kill him, and Jun’s lawyer had no idea what they were saying.”

Heero looked away as well.

“You believe me?” I asked quietly, uncertain.

The king studied me a long time in silence, then dropped his eyes. “I really don’t want to…but…it’s Duo.”

I nodded, looking down myself.

“So?”

I considered the question a long moment, then the morning. “We got in the car after talking to Jun, and I told him—I always tell him when he looks like that…and he told me it was because of Jun…and that Jun was terrified of him…”

“Which we knew.”

I nodded, meeting Heero’s eyes again. “I told him that happens when you rape someone,” I swallowed, studying him closely. “He laughed, Heero. He laughed like he used to…and asked me how I figured it out.”

Heero blinked.

“He added that…”

“Well, really,” Duo muttered in amusement behind us. “I did a pretty good job at hiding it…it’s been eight years.”

I froze.

Heero jumped to his feet and spun, sending his chair flying and pinning Duo to the wall all in one motion. He slammed our friend against it with an expression of helpless rage…

Duo’s eyes flashed with a dirty kind of amusement and tilted his head so Heero had full access to his throat.

“That’s disgusting, Sir Knight,” Heero snarled, ignoring the gesture.

“And killing because blood turns you on isn’t?” Duo purred back.

Heero narrowed his eyes.

“I haven’t raped anyone since I became a knight, either, Majesty.” Duo considered Heero a long moment before looking to me.

I gave him an unimpressed look.

“Not yet, anyway.”

Heero slammed Duo against the wall again, and I stood…and then I noticed something silver at his waist.

“You said Selena cut that up!” I nearly shrieked, dismayed as the grommet-covered belt he so loved became evident.

“I told Trowa,” Duo agreed with a smirk. “The…one…of you whom I’ve used it on.”

Heero pulled away from him, glaring.

“Do me a favor,” Duo muttered, lowering his voice to be sure only Heero and I heard him, “and stop manhandling me. What would you say if your daughter came in when you were turning me on?”

“Would you knock it off?” Heero snapped.

Duo grinned slightly at the man, then looked back to me. “I was just going to ask you if you wanted to join Ash and I for lunch tomorrow. But I can see you’re busy,” he added quietly. “So I guess I’ll track you down later.”

Heero tsked in irritation after him as I bit at the inside of my cheek.

At least now I wasn’t the only one who’d seen it.

I shook my head slightly, meeting my king’s eyes. “We need to get ready for Dusty’s party.”

- -

Nira was humming happily in the bedroom, and I could hear Ashley mimicking her mother from her own room. Both the ladies were getting ready for the party, and as per norm, I was already ready.

The phone started ringing, and I set the magazine I was reading on the coffee table, moving across the room to grab the cordless…

“I’m not here,” Selena informed me.

“Hello?” I asked into the phone.

“Selena there?” Relena asked curiously.

“She said to say she’s not here,” I replied, moving back to the couch. “What’s up?”

“Uh…I wanted to talk to her,” Relena replied slightly nervously. “Do me a favor and tell her I told you to tell her I called when she got back.”

I grinned. “All right.”

“Bye,” she added, hesitating a moment, then hanging up.

I blinked a few times at the phone as I hit the button, not sure what to make of that.

“Who was it?” Selena called, and her voice was closer to the bedroom door.

“Relena,” I explained, setting the phone down and picking my magazine back up. “She said to tell you that she called when you got back.”

Amusement was evident in my wife’s tone. “All right.”

“Daddy,” Ashley muttered, moving down the hall, her brown hair falling loose around her shoulders, “doesn’t Relena know that Mom is really here?”

“Yeah,” I replied, setting my magazine down again and offering my arms to her. She moved to me, turning and pulling her long hair over one shoulder. I pulled the dress-belt tight around her waist, tying the ends in a careful bow. “Saying it that way lets Relena know that your mom can’t talk right now…and it’s sort of a joke with us.”

“But it makes Relena sound kinda stupid,” she muttered, turning back to face me, handing me her hair-tie. “Half-pony, please.”

I nodded, taking it from her and starting to pull her hair up. “If you heard what Relena said, you wouldn’t think that. Since I told her Nira told me to say she wasn’t home, she told me to tell Nira that she called when Nira gets back…which she wanted me to say word for word.”

Her small face twisted in concentration as she tried to follow the word game—she understood me, but she didn’t understand how it was funny.

I finger-combed her hair, smiling slightly at her. “You’re pretty.”

She grinned at me, fluttering her eyelashes slightly. “I know, Daddy.”

I laughed, scooping her into my lap and grabbing my magazine.

“Daddy!”

- -

“What is with them?” I muttered to Duo as we moved onto the patio of the palace. All through Dusty’s party, Heero and the others had been giving my husband looks and dealing with him delicately. Now, the kids were all moving into Quatre’s apartment to watch movies—our kids, the party had been over for a few hours. The rest of us were heading to the hot tub.

“I have no idea,” he muttered, meeting my eyes a moment and shrugging. “I was fucking with Wufei and Heero this morning, though.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You took Wufei to see Jun, didn’t you?”

He flashed me a guilty smile and shrugged as he climbed into the water, offering his arms to lift me over. “Heero asked me to go pick up some papers from the courthouse.”

“Did he ask, or did you offer?” I demanded sharply, studying his face seriously. I’d figured he was up to something with his “birthday shopping”, but hadn’t been able to pin anything down since nothing he brought home for Dustin was beyond his norm. It just seemed to take him longer to do most of it.

“Um…” Duo avoided my eyes very seriously as he sat me down on the edge, then slipped and almost fell on me. “Ack! I’m sorry!” He fell into the center of the tub and I couldn’t help but giggle at him.

“Be careful,” Heero protested, moving forward instantly as Relena moved out the doors behind her husband. The woman studied us seriously as I rolled my eyes at the king. “Are you okay?”

“Genius here fell,” I returned, smiling at the guy.

“I said I was sorry,” Duo pouted, offering his arm to stabilize Heero. The pair of them together hoisted Relena over the edge, where Duo slipped again and began grumbling about where his feet were or something.

“You look pregnant,” Relena informed me helpfully, studying the low mound of my belly curiously as she sat on the edge of the tub beside me.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You look fat.”

“Hey!” she protested as we both broke into giggles. She moved around to sit next to me and the men joined us moments later, discussing the benefits and disadvantages to having their women pregnant at the same time.

“I swear you plan it,” Relena grumbled.

“If it happens again,” I warned Duo, “then I’m going to be very put out with you.”

He smiled happily at me.

“Why is it,” Trowa asked as he carried Hilde toward the hot tub, “that my wife is the most pregnant, and we’re the ones taking care of all the children?”

“You’re not taking care of all the children,” Duo informed him, “and you’re the one with the most kids.”

Hilde giggled as her husband lowered next to Relena and I.

“What?” Trowa demanded. “How does that…”

“Where’s Quatre?” Duo asked sweetly.

“He’s putting the mov…oh,” Trowa trailed off, glancing back toward the apartment.

“I couldn’t tell you why he’s taking care of all the kids when he’s only got one,” Duo added with a grin. “And she’s even old enough to take care of herself.”

“Good point,” Trowa slid into the tub.

“Cannon ball!” Wufei shouted, darting out of the building with Jacob on his heels.

“Don’t you…” Relena started…and we were all splashed as he dived into the actual pool. “Wufei!” the queen squeaked as the cold water washed over all of us.

I was giggling hard.

“Holy crap this is cold,” Wufei sputtered, rising to the surface as he treaded the water. “Come in, Duo…”

“Just a…”

“Duo,” I started.

He winked at me, pulling himself to sit on the edge of the tub with his back to the pool.

“Really, Duo…” I tried again.

He shoved himself backwards, using the edge of the hot-tub as a launch—another wave of water washed over all of us as Duo landed about a foot away from the Chinese man, laughing his ass off.

“I think I’ll just…” Jacob slid carefully into the hot tub.

“See, there’s a reason I was the last one out,” Quatre announced happily, moving up to the edge of the hot tub and sliding into it. “I sent you all out here because I know Wufei or Duo will dive.”

“See!” Duo announced happily to Trowa. “Not our fault!”

Quatre snickered as Trowa rolled his eyes.

“Lea and Lexi will be out in a few,” Quatre added, sinking low into the water and relaxing.

I looked to Quatre’s windows, studying the children who were all watching the television screen with interest as Lex appeared in the door to the place, calling something. Lea was down the hall in a moment.

“I wish I still had the body to run around in a bikini,” I muttered.

“You’re…in one,” Quatre muttered in confusion, studying my swim-wear.

I giggled running my hands over my belly. “This is not considered the bod for a bikini.”

“You know, I’d rather not think of the babies having bodies,” Heero muttered, raising an eyebrow at me. “They’re not even sixteen yet.”

“And how old were you when you saved the world?” I asked, tilting my head at him.

He snorted.

“Sixteen,” Quatre informed me seriously, then winked.

I started to giggle.

- -

E/N: Well, it's been a long time coming, but I've finally gotten a plot for this story...thanks to a couple friends locally, lol. Let the fun begin, and let's wait to see where it ends...