Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Child's Love ❯ Following By the Rules ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. *goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets* I am poor as well. Flames will keep me warm this winter.

A/N: So, Neko made me work on Maybe Angels until I was in tears. Also, things were a bit slow getting this chapter started up. I'm *really* sorry, but I couldn't get the cat and the rabbit to agree as to how much angst and sap should be in this chapter, and things still aren't settled. I'm just tired of refereeing. My legs look like scratching posts.

Dedication: To Angel, b/c she's a doll baby. To Stacy, b/c she's a cutie too! And finally, to Arith, b/c I can! ~_^

Summary of last chapter: Heero starts up the plan to get Duo and Allilon back on good terms. Duo starts off his first day of babysitting by picking the daemon child up from school, and then it's off to play with Noin and Joshie.

Symbols: /blah/ - thoughts
*blah* - emphasized words
*~*~*~* - major scene change or POV change
*~~~~~* - minor scene change

Following by the Rules

Duo followed the black-haired woman and the two boys through the large metropolitan zoo, smiling as the boys chased one another from one animal to the next. /Ok, this could be worse. I could have had to do this all by myself. Note to self: *thank* Heero for this lovely experience.... I should really be acting a bit better about this. At least he didn't make a scene in front of his teacher. Wonder what's up?/

"Duo, you sure as hell have changed from the wars," Noin said, interrupting the braided man's thoughts. "What happened to the happy-go-lucky, but scary as Death itself, Gundam pilot we all knew and were annoyed by?"

A faint blush crept across the American's pale face and a hand reached behind to scratch the back of his head as a grin stole over his face. "Oh, I'm still the same guy. I just think more. That's what happens when your best friend goes from the Perfect Soldier to Justice Boy. 'Fei reads more, and well, I hate feeling like an idiot, even if I've read stuff he's never heard of."

"Manga and dirty magazines hardly count. Joshua! You stick your finger in there, and you'll get hurt! How will I explain to Daddy if a bear eats your hand," the woman chastised her son, watching as his little face paled and the hand was moved.

"You know, I read more than just that!"

"Oh, I know. I was just teasing. NO! JOSHUA! ALLILON! DON'T," Noin screamed, running off to stop the boys from trying to taunt the polar bear and being closely followed by Duo.

Duo reached the boy before the bear did, and dragged the child, kicking and screaming, away from the exhibit. "Don't... do... that..." he panted, his adrenaline pumping and his heart beating in his throat. "Heero would *so* kill me."

"Let me GO!" Allilon yelled, trying to pull away from Duo as he steadied his heart. "You're NOT MY DADDY!"

"No, I'm not, but I'm a friend of your Uncle Heero, and he asked me to watch you today while he was at work. Why don't we go and get something to eat?" Duo asked as he was joined by Noin and her crying son.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What's this I hear about rules?" Sally asked, her voice proceeding her. "What rules could you two be possibly talking about, since neither of you are known too well for following any." Her blonde head popped into Heero's work area, a smile plastered across her lips.

"Nothing, Sally," Heero said, glaring at the blond man still sitting on his desk.

"Riiiiiight. Forgive me. I'm not part of your Gundam pilot club, just married to a member," Sally said, sighing heavily as she turned to leave.

"Sally! Wait," Zechs called after her, turning her back around and walking her inside Heero's work area. "It's nothing like that. It's of a more... personal... nature."

"Personal?" she asked, looking at Heero, who seemed to be a bit flushed. "Oh, you two must be talking about Duo and Allilon." Her suspicions were confirmed when Heero flushed a darker shade of red. "Okay, so how are the little blighters?"

"Blighters?" Heero asked, the colour in his face starting to become tame.

Sally giggled and raised a hand to her mouth. "Sorry, I've been talking to the head doctor at the University of London. Lasting side effects are that I end up thinking in Old British slang."

"That sounds like Duo and his horrible ancient American slang," Zechs said, smiling at his frowning friend, who was still sitting at the desk and staring at the monitor of his computer. "Lighten up, Heero. As long as Duo follows those small rules, nothing should happen. Besides, Duo's a smart guy, and he knows that those few guidelines are best for everyone." The blond dropped a hand on the Japanese man's shoulder and patted it a few times. "Ok, I have to go back to work."

"Finally! One of you is doing some work," Une said. Her dark red hair was the first thing that Heero saw as he looked up. "Well, besides Yuy."

"Sorry, Une," Sally muttered as she took off, waving goodbye to the two men still with their boss.

"Marquise? Don't you have something to do? Like, paperwork?" Une asked, and watched, amused, as the tall blond made his way quickly away from the desk and Yuy. "Well, wouldn't Duo be proud to know that I haven't lost my touch at all from the war?"

"He would probably have something to say about, I'm sure," Heero said, sparing a look at the woman standing over him. "Arigatou."

"Hmm? Are you thanking me for something?" Une asked, a look of surprise on her face. "OH! You think I did you a favour, don't you?" Heero raised a lone eyebrow in question. "No, Yuy, I didn't call you because you asked, or for the sake of Maxwell and your godson's relationship. I called you because your expertise is needed for a pre-mission data gathering session. I've come to get you for that. And before you ask, no, this could *not* have waited at all. We need to get this info and move. I want you in the lab in three minutes. By the way, what's Maxwell's hotel number?"

Heero felt his blood run cold as Une continued talking. The moment she asked for Duo's number, an unsettling feeling of impending danger rushed over him, but he gave it to the woman before he left. /Note to self: Talk to Duo about Une calling for some reason. Also, get a leash./

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo sighed in relief as he watched the boys munching happily on their nutritious meals, while he ate his hamburger and fries in silence, with Noin snacking on an apple with some water. She talked to the boys about things on the television, games they could play, and things that happened at school that day as they sat at the café in the front of the zoo. The only thing Duo could do was sit back and watch the way that Noin dealt with the two boys and take mental pointers for the future.

When all of the food was gone, Duo noticed that Allilon looked a bit tired. The boy's blue eyes were drooping, but Duo had to commend him on the way that he tried to keep up in the conversation with his aunt and cousin. He only intervened when the little boy's head was close to smacking into the wire table.

"Ah, okay. Noin, Joshie, say goodbye to Alli-kun. I gotta take him home anyway," Duo said, swooping the little boy into his arms.

"Noooo," the child protested, yawning in the middle of his cry. "I wanna stay an' play."

"No, sweetie," Noin said, picking up Joshua and moving over to Duo. "It's time for Joshie and I to go home now. You can play with him tomorrow, okay?"

"'Kay," Allilon mumbled, snuggling a little against Duo's shoulder before drifting off to sleep.

"Ya know, he's cute when he's asleep," Duo said, trying to move the boy off of his braid. "Except for the fact he's on my hair." He looked at Noin, who was readjusted her own child as he drifted off to sleep. "Need a ride back to the school?"

"That'd be great. It's not a far walk, but I don't want to wake Joshie, and he's too heavy to carry back," Noin said, readjusted the boy yet again.

*~~~~~~~*

The drive back to the small school was quiet as both boys slept soundly and both adults were lost in their own thoughts. Duo almost missed Noin's car as he drove past the school.

"Shit. Sorry, Lu."

"It's ok, Duo. Thanks for the good company today," she said, placing a hand carefully on his shoulder. "You'll do great for the rest of the day. Where are you taking Allilon for the rest of the day?"

"Well, I'm gonna take him back to 'Ro's place for the rest of his nap. Then, Hilde and Mike are coming with me to get my own car for the rest of my stay. Hill said she'd like to have a little more maneuverability for her trip, and this is their car. After that, I dunno."

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure, you can. I suppose you're able, right?" Duo quipped, winking cheekily at his friend.

Noin shook her head in response. "You never change, do you?"

"You want me to change?" Duo asked, mock shock written in every crevice of his expression.

"Not in my lifetime. Anyway, my suggestion is this: Keep him close to home for the rest of the day. Did Heero give you instructions?"

"Yes, Mother."

"God, I hope not... Just following Heero's instructions, or whatever he called them, and keep him close to home today. That way, if he throws a tantrum, then you won't be embarrassed. I speak from experience."

Duo looked at the woman next to him, and took in the near scowl across her face. "I bet. They seem like they could drive a saint insane," he replied humourlessly.

"You have no idea," Noin said, sighing heavily. "Well, let me get my monster home. I'll talk to you soon." She opened the passenger door, closed it carefully behind her, and retrieved her son from the back seat. "Have fun," she called, before walking back to her own car.

/Is she crazy?/

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wufei briskly walked into the back room of Preventers HQ. Everywhere that the eye could see, computers, modems, fax machines, printers, and other various electronic equipment was stored. Not only was the room not large enough to hold all that it did, the problem was exacerbated by the fact that two large servers took up most of the back wall. He really didn't like this room. He was more comfortable handling criminals, people shooting at him, guard duty, paper work - anything but the computer lab. *That* was Yuy's expertise, and he found the Japanese man typing away madly at the central computer.

/Of all the other agents here, I had to get assigned to be partners with Yuy on this mission? I feel that there is something foul going on,/ the black haired man thought, moving nimbly through the intricate mess of expensive electronics towards the other occupant of the room.

"You are my partner for this?" Heero asked, not bothering to look up to see Wufei take the only other chair, which happened to be right next to him.

"Yes." A keyboard was shoved into Wufei's hands and a new monitor was turned on, all within seconds.

"Tracking route one-three-zero-point-eight-nine-two-point-four-nine-eight-point-zero-one-on e," Heero said, knowing that the Chinese Preventer would catch the meaning.

"An ISP address?"

"Aa."

"Someone would have to be bold to try and hack all those places from something as mundane as an internet service provider's address," Wufei said, staring at the programming code in front of him. "So, why am I helping you? My hacking skills are only passing. Nothing like that of Maxwell and yourself."

"I don't know." Heero never looked up. "My objective is to find the hacker, stop his trail, and then apprehend him for a trial."

"Hmmm," Wufei muttered, looking over the code and trying to get it to make sense to his mind. After a few minutes, he started working silently. Both men continued like that for a few hours.

"Call Duo," Heero said, finally looking at his partner.

"What?" Wufei asked, stopping what he was doing to stare openly at Heero.

"Call Duo. He said that he wanted to talk to you without yelling or cutting you off." Heero shrugged minutely. "I saw him for breakfast this morning. That is all he said, and I didn't ask why he was telling me."

Wufei looked at Heero, who was again ignoring him for his computer work. "Thank you."

"Hn." Silence reigned yet again amongst the two Asian men.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo sat on the overstuffed cream couch that was situated in Heero's living room, and listened for any signs that the boy upstairs was stirring. He'd been doing the same thing for the past hour, and was shortly getting *very* bored. He didn't dare watch anything on television, because he had discovered shortly after he arrived that most things were in French. Seeing as how Duo could barely ask for directions correctly in French, anything on the TV was out, and it wasn't like Heero was much into anything.

The only vid-disks that Duo could find were either of children's programming or Heero's work. In other words, there was nothing there to entertain him that he wouldn't shoot himself over first. As such, the books were not any better. Programming manuals, children's stories, and the odd technology magazines were all that Heero seemed to have.

Duo made a mental note to get some reading material before agreeing to watch his lover's daemon of a 'son'. This was just too much torture for him. In order to pass the time with his sanity intact, he pulled out a book of children's fairy tales and indulged in the better memories of his childhood. Before the rebels showed up at the Maxwell Orphanage, stealing the only home he had ever known.

He never heard the shuffle of small feet on the wooden stairs, or the way that Allilon softly called to him. He didn't notice anything until the boy was yanking on the leg of his jeans.

"Mr. Maxswell?" the little boy called as he yanked. He took a few steps back when Duo lowered the book, revealing what sort of mood he was in.

"Yes, Allilon?"

"You no tell Uncle Heero about zoo, right?" Allilon asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and a tiny spark of fear all over the boy's face.

Duo sighed, taking this as the first step in the road in gaining the boy's trust and friendship again. "No, Alli-kun. I won't tell Heero about the zoo." He shared a tiny smile with the blue-eyed, sleep-tousled cherub in front of him. "So, wanna see what your Uncle Heero has as a snack?"

"PIZZA!"

TBC...