Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Going For Gold ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot and any other characters, especially the equines, that you will find in this fic. Please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

 

Pairing: 2x1x2, 3x4, 13x6, H+C

 

Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, sap, angst, vet themes, AU

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Archive: www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com Anyone else please ask.

 

Betaed by Yami_tai & ginny *snugs*

 

Summary: Eighteen months have passed since Heero was advised he was short listed for the Olympic games team. With Zero going well and young Shinigami almost ready to make his showjumping debut, Heero looks set to reach his goal. Life though doesn't always play by the rules.

 

Dedication: To Leslie who gave me the original idea for Equinity.

 

Fic 3 in the Equine Intervention Arc.

 

"Going for Gold"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

Chapter 16

 

Once Heero returned to Treize's, Heero saddled up Altron to take out and work on the flat. Treize joined him on Romeo. They worked their respective animals around for quite a while, Heero practicing changes of gait with Altron whilst Treize concentrated on getting Romeo to collect up and lengthen out when asked. No mean feat given the length of Romeo's legs.

 

After a solid hour of work, both men decided to call it a day and let the horses walk out on loose reins to cool off before taking them back to the stables. Even though Altron was a little smaller than Romeo the pair matched strides and walked happily side by side.

 

Heero's mind returned to the offer Relena had made, tossing it around in his head as Altron walked with an easy stride. The filly was everything Heero had dreamed of in a brood mare and would probably be a nice saddle horse as well. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted 'Angel' as he'd come to think of her.

 

“Penny for them?” Treize's words broke into Heero's thoughts and the dark rider flushed. Treize had a pretty good idea what Heero was thinking about, heck, he'd been unable to think of anything else either and he wasn't the one who'd been given the offer!

 

Heero sighed. “Just thinking about the filly and Relena's offer.”

 

“I thought as much.”

 

“What do you think of her, Treize? The filly, not Relena,” he added quickly.

 

Treize chuckled. “She's a very nice animal.”

 

“She's got a lovely shoulder on her, nice, compact hind quarters too. I like her length of rein and she's got a sweet nature as well.” Heero's eyes took on a distant look as he thought about the filly.

 

“I'm not the one you have to convince,” Treize snickered. “Duo is.”

 

“Aa.” Heero blushed.

 

“I'd say you're really taken with her.”

 

“She would cross well with Zero.”

 

“Of that, I'm sure,” Treize mused. “It seems to me you have already made up your mind.”

 

“That obvious, huh?”

 

“You could say so.”

 

Heero frowned. “The only part I'm not too sure about is paying her off. I don't like to have debts, I'd rather pay for her outright, but that's not possible.”

 

“Talk to Duo, see what he thinks. I'm sure that Relena wouldn't dupe you, she's not that kind of person.”

 

“I didn't think she would be.”

 

“She did say she would have a legal contract drawn up for you to pay off the filly in installments.”

 

“I know.”

 

“At least it won't cost you a fortune to have her vet checked.”

 

Heero laughed. “No, it wouldn't. Oh, you've just given me an idea, Treize.”

 

“I have?” Treize was curious to know what he'd sparked.

 

“I know Duo would fall in love with her once he sees her and what better way to let him see her than to ask him to do a vet check on her?”

 

“Heero? You're one sneaky bastard, you know that?”

 

Heero simply snickered.

 

* * *

 

Duo was still in surgery when Heero arrived back at the practice from his day's work at Treize's. Knowing it would be a little while before Duo came back to the house, Heero fetched himself a drink of orange juice from the 'fridge and then went out to the stables to check on Zero. The gray whinnied when he heard his master's familiar tread.

 

"Hey, Zero. How are you feeling, boy?" Heero asked the question knowing he wasn't going to get any response. He slid the bolt to the stable door open and stepped inside with the stallion. Zero immediately began to search his person for carrots. Heero chuckled and produced a carrot for the horse.

 

Zero crunched happily on the treat and then proceeded to nose around for more. He wasn't disappointed, his master producing more of the stallion's favorite food for him to crunch on.

 

Heero's eyes roamed over the horse as he fed him carrots. He looked as comfortable as he could be. Blue eyes tracked down the foreleg to the white plaster cast and noted that Zero seemed to be taking a little more weight on the limb. "Feeling a bit better?"

 

Zero nudged his master. He didn't understand what was being said, he could only listen to the tone of voice and that told him if the sounds were good or bad.

 

"You're looking a lot happier in yourself," Heero commented as he gently pulled the gray ears. "Duo's going to take another x-ray today, see how your leg is healing and if everything is okay inside."

 

A wuffle and polite nudge were his answer.

 

Heero chuckled. "I'll refill your haynet and then I need to fetch Shini in and give him some work." Leaving his horse for the moment, Heero untied the empty haynet and took it through to fill again. Once it was secured in the stable and Zero pulling calmly at it, Heero fetched his saddle and bridle from the tack room, settling them on top of Shini's stable door before going out to the paddock to get the youngster.

 

* * *

 

Duo finished cleaning up the small surgery, putting all the used instruments into the autoclave to be sterilized and then wiping down the operating table. He'd done two cat spays and one dog castration that afternoon. Pretty routine stuff, but Duo was glad for the simplicity of the operations after the more complicated one he'd done on Zero a couple of days ago. Thinking about Zero reminded Duo he needed to x-ray the leg again and check all was settling and beginning to heal okay. He glanced at the clock. Heero should be home by now. Quickly finishing off the operating theater, Duo checked his sleeping patients once more and wandered back to reception where Catherine was busy logging the last of the morning clients' files to the database.

 

"All finished?" Catherine asked as Duo walked into the reception area.

 

"Yes. All three are in the kennels and recovering well."

 

"Good. I'm almost done here." Catherine turned back to the computer and quickly finished off what she was doing. "Oh, here's the mail for you." Catherine grabbed the pile from the side of the computer screen and handed it over to Duo.

 

Flipping through the pile, Duo sorted through, throwing some into the bin as they were only junk mail and then putting the rest into piles; surgery, private and Heero's.

 

"All done," Catherine said as she powered down the computer.

 

"Thanks, Cathy."

 

"No problem. I'm heading off home now, I've got some shopping to do and then I'll be back for the evening consults with Hilde."

 

"Okay, I'll walk you out to your car."

 

Duo accompanied the woman out to the parking lot and moments later was waving her off. With the mail still in his hand, Duo went back to the house to grab a drink and see if Heero was back yet.

 

He spotted Heero's car out back of the cottage they called home and went inside. He called out Heero's name but got no reply. Dropping the mail to the kitchen table, Duo put the kettle on to boil and prepared to make himself a cup of coffee. Glancing out of the kitchen window towards the paddocks he could see the flash of movement. His eyes locked in on that flash and was able to make out Heero on Shinigami in the paddock. The kettle whistled and Duo returned to the bench to make his coffee. With mug in hand, Duo set off outside to see what his lover was up to.

 

* * *

 

"Good boy," Heero praised and petted the muscular neck. Sitting back down into his saddle, Heero turned the gray and set him at the course again. Shini's ears pricked up and he began to pull a little, eager to be jumping.

 

"Steady," Heero soothed as he held a light contact with the stallion's mouth. Three strides away, Heero gave Shini the rein he wanted and smiled as the body beneath him lengthened out and then launched into the air.

 

Duo paused at the fence, resting his coffee mug on the top rail then climbing up to sit and watch. Shini appeared to be going well, ears pricked and happy to jump whatever came into his path. Heero sat the animal with ease, his body barely moving as the youngster took the course.

 

"That was great, Shini," Heero praised as he brought the horse to a trot and then walk, pats raining down on the stallion's neck and shoulder. Shini tossed his head and snatched at his bit, he was feeling quite pleased with himself. Heero spotted Duo sitting on the fence and turned the gray towards his lover.

 

"Been sitting there long?" Heero asked as he brought Shini to a halt beside the vet.

 

"Not long, about ten minutes," Duo replied and picked up his coffee mug to drain the last of the beverage.

 

"He's been a good boy," Heero said as he let his feet slip from the stirrups and his leg swing over Shini's rump, dropping to the ground lightly.

 

"He looked like he was enjoying himself."

 

"Hai, he was. If he keeps this up he should be B grade by the end of the season."

 

Duo hopped down from his perch and gave Heero a hand to run up his stirrups and loosen the girth. "He's certainly improving."

 

"That he is."

 

"If he keeps going at this rate then I'd say what Treize told you has a very strong chance of coming true," Duo said as he fished in his pocket for a carrot.

 

Shini wuffled happily and took the offered carrot.

 

"Well, he's certainly inherited his love of carrots from Zero so I guess I can hope he's also inherited his father's jumping ability," Heero snickered as he watched the stallion crunching on the treat and spilling a lot of carrot bits and slobber onto the grass.

 

“Want a hand to unsaddle?” Duo was itching to know what had transpired at Treize's, if Heero had spoken to Relena yet and if so, what the outcome was.

 

“Thanks, that would be nice,” Heero replied. Taking the reins over Shini's head and leading the youngster back to the stables, Heero thought how best to approach the topic of Relena's offer with his partner. Deciding to wait for the moment, he led Shini back inside and began the task of taking the gear off.

 

“Are you going to x-ray Zero's leg again today?” Heero asked.

 

“Yeah. I was going to do it later, once all the horses are in. Zechs wanted to drop by and take a look at the results so I told him to call around late afternoon.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“We have time for a coffee before I do the x-ray.” Duo could sense something slightly 'off' with his partner and figured it had something to do with Treize and probably Relena.

 

“I'll put Shini back out for a bit then and meet you back at the house.”

 

“I'll go put the kettle on.”

 

* * *

 

Sitting at the kitchen table with a warm mug in front of him, Heero knew it was crunch time.

 

“Did Treize say any more about visiting Relena?” Duo asked whilst trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

 

It was now or never Heero decided. “Hai, he did. Actually, he took me over there today to talk to her.”

 

Duo's eyebrows shot up. “Today?!”

 

“Duo, sit down and take it easy. She didn't make any passes at me, she didn't say anything degrading to me or about you either; she was the perfect hostess.”

 

“I find that hard to believe,” Duo muttered.

 

Heero sighed and then took a deep breath before beginning his tale of his visit to Relena's. He explained all what Relena had told him, from having the mares brought in to be served down to the live foal guarantee. When he told Duo how much Relena suggested as a stud fee, Duo sprayed his coffee over the table.

 

“Two thousand?!” he spluttered and got up to fetch the dishcloth to clean up the spilt coffee.

 

“That's what she recommended. Oh, she also suggested it would be a good idea to have a breeding contract drawn up, it protects both mare and stallion owner. She gave me a couple of copies of the ones she uses and told me to talk to you about them, see what you thought and then if I wish to use them to get the solicitor to look them over and come up with something of our own but along the same lines.”

 

“That makes good sense,” Duo admitted.

 

“I've got them here with me.” Heero got up and fetched the papers from the bedroom where he'd put them earlier. “Take a read and see what you think.”

 

Duo took the offered papers and began to read them over. He had to admit they were professional and covered everything one could possibly think of. He couldn't help noticing that his lover was still edgy though. Putting the papers down, Duo spoke. “It would be a good idea to get Klink to look them over and draft up something suitable for you to use.”

 

“That's what I thought of doing,” Heero replied absently.

 

“How many mares are you thinking of putting to him this season?”

 

“A lot of that would depend on how his leg heals up. Relena suggested only six for his first season.”

 

“Shit! That would be twelve thousand dollars, Heero! Wow, all that money just for letting Zero have a little fun screwing with the ladies.”

 

“Duo!”

 

Duo grinned, unrepentant. “If Zero can make that sort of money then I think I'm in the wrong business here.”

 

“Eh?” Heero clearly didn't follow.

 

“If Zero can make twelve grand from serving mares and he's a horse, maybe I should have become a gigolo, you have to admit, I'm better looking than Zero. No offense.”

 

Heero sat, completely shell shocked. Slowly he raised his eyes to meet his lover's and found those violet orbs dancing with mirth.

 

“I'm only teasing you, Heero.”

 

“Thank god for that,” Heero replied a little shakily. “Although, come to think of it I'm not that bad looking myself, maybe I should give it a shot,” he added, careful not to let Duo see the smirk on his face.

 

“Don't you even think about it!” Duo growled.

 

Heero laughed and Duo joined in with him, realizing he'd been had too.

 

“If you do take six mares though and collect the stud fees, you'll be able to buy yourself a really good brood mare in no time,” Duo mused, getting back to the subject at hand.

 

That was Heero's opening.

 

“Umm, Duo?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“About that brood mare.”

 

Duo's brow furrowed a touch.

 

“I think I've found one.”

 

“Oh?” Duo was a little confused now. Treize didn't have anything in his stable that would be remotely brood mare stock and he hadn't had a chance to get the word out as yet that Heero was looking for something, so where...? Duo's face darkened a little as his brain kicked into gear.

 

Seeing his partner about to jump in with both guns blazing, Heero got in first.

 

"Treize showed me a new filly he's got in the stable, she's a nice horse with good conformation. She's also one of Peacemillion's offspring."

 

"But if she's at Treize's then that means he's going to be training her as a jumper, not using her as a brood mare." Even Duo knew the workings of Treize's stable.

 

"That's true, however, when we were at Relena's she mentioned something about another filly she had there and took us out to see her. She's a half sister to the one Treize has, same sire but different dam. Oh Duo, she's simply gorgeous. Gray with dappling over her flanks that look like wings, her conformation is good, slightly better than the filly Treize has; and her nature. She's such a sweet thing..." Heero realized his partner had gone silent on him. He looked up and noticed Duo staring at him with a soft smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye. "What?"

 

"Heero, if I didn't know it was a four legged female you were mooning about I'd be seriously worried here."

 

That comment scored him a nervous laugh from Heero. "Really, though, she's got great conformation on her and would cross beautifully with Zero. I'm positive the offspring would be even better than Shinigami, and you know yourself how well he's coming along..."

 

"Heero?"

 

"Her nature though, she's so sweet and gentle. A lot like Scythe in that way..."

 

"Heero!"Heero blinked.

 

"How much?"

 

"Six thousand and a free service to Zero."

 

"Fuck!" Duo swallowed. He knew the filly, given Heero's description of her was worth a good deal more than that. "What's the catch?" he asked warily. Things this good didn't come without some sort of catch to them and with this being Relena, Duo was even more concerned the woman wouldn't just be wanting the cash and a free service to Heero's stallion. He just hoped she didn't want a free service to his boyfriend as well!

 

"No catch."

 

"I find that hard to believe."

 

"So did I, but she said she was willing to let me have Angel for the six grand and service to Zero. She said it was her way of saying she was sorry to me for all the trouble she's caused in the past.

 

"I thought she'd already paid her dues in that department."

 

"In one way she has, but as she said herself, she's apologized and paid her dues to you, but in her own way she feels she hasn't done the same to me and this is her way of doing so."

 

Duo chewed on that for a moment. "When and how are you going to pay for her? I know you said you're going to use the stud fee to pay for a mare, but you won't be getting any cash for Zero's services for a while and by the time you do have the cash the breeding season would be over and you'd have to wait until the next season."

 

"Relena has offered to let me take her now and pay her off in installments. She's willing to have a legal contract drawn up to that effect." Heero held his breath. He really did want that filly.

 

"Okay. If she's as good as you say I still can't see Relena just letting her go like that. She must have some flaw somewhere, something that's going to be a problem when it comes to breeding." Duo really couldn't wrap his head around the idea that Relena, given all the problems they'd had with her and the fact that breeding was her livelihood, would willingly let a really top filly go for such a cheap amount. There had to be something wrong.

 

"Ah. That's where you come in."

 

"Me?"

 

"Yes. I'd like you to do a complete vet check on her for me before I agree to anything. I'd like to know all is well with her before I sign any contract." Heero sat back and waited, watching the gears turning in Duo's head.

 

Duo really didn't fancy the idea of seeing Relena again, let alone be on the woman's property, but this was for Heero, a business venture, nothing more. "Okay. I'll do a vet check on her for you and give you my professional opinion; my personal one probably wouldn't please you."

 

Heero laughed knowing exactly what Duo was referring to. He knew his lover would go over the horse from head to hoof and he'd get an honest report, he wouldn't divulge his personal feelings regarding Relena though. "I can live with that. I'm sure you will love Angel, Duo."

 

"Angel?" Duo questioned. Heero hadn't bought the horse yet and already he was referring to it with a stable name.

 

"Yeah, Angel, that's her name. Actually it's Angel Wings; she's by Peacemillion out of a mare called Quills. The dappling on her coat looks a lot like a pair of wings."

 

"Ah."

 

"Her eyes... They're the most loveliest eyes I've seen on a filly in a while."

 

"Really?" Duo asked, amused. He propped his chin in his hand and observed his lover as Heero's eyes became glassy thinking about the filly.

 

"She's so sweet too. Not an ounce of vice in her."

 

"I can see Scythe becoming jealous," Duo teased. "Poor Scythe, tossed aside for the new 'kid'," Duo said slyly.

 

"I'd never neglect Scythe! She's a lovely mare too and I'd never toss her aside," Heero grunted in indignation.

 

"Sure, sure. You say that now, but I can see it happening. A few months down the track and Scythe will be the forgotten one."

 

"Never!"

 

Duo chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, Heero. I know you'd never neglect Scythe, she'd still be the number one 'girl' in your book.

 

Heero shook his head. "I should have known," he muttered.

 

"Why don't you go give Relena a call and ask if it would be okay to do the vet check tomorrow? The sooner we can get this done, the sooner we can move on."

 

"Will do." Heero got up and walked around the table to his lover. Placing his finger under Duo's chin, he raised the vet's face to look at him and the swooped in for a searing kiss. "Thank you, Duo. I love you."

 

"Love you too, now shoo, go make your call and then meet me down in the stables, I want to get this x-ray done."

 

"Okay, I won't be a moment." Heero went to make his call, Duo washed the mugs through with an amused smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

Arriving at the stables, Heero informed Duo that Relena had agreed for Duo to vet check the filly the following afternoon. Once he'd finished at Treize's he'd come back to the surgery and collect Duo, the pair of them would go together.

 

Feeling a little bit better about the whole deal, Duo set about getting the x-ray machine out from the dispensary and setting it up whilst Heero fetched his horse. It was slow going across the breeze-way to the crush, but Heero wasn't about to push the stallion and Duo was quite happy to wait.

 

Taking small steps, Zero managed to hobble his way across the concrete and into the crush, wuffling in delight when he was presented with a carrot for his efforts. Making sure the stallion was settled and comfortable, Duo brought the machine across and set it into position. He picked up a lead apron and passed it to Heero who slipped it on. Duo took the other one and quickly pulled it over his head. Once they were both covered, Duo fiddled with the machine a little, moving the lens around until he got the angle he wanted. Slipping the film board into the machine, He stepped back, remote in hand and took the pictures. After a couple of 'takes', Duo stepped back and adjusted the machine again, then took more pictures. Eventually he was satisfied and rolled the machine out of the way.

 

"I'll go develop these now," Duo said as he turned to Heero and removed his apron.

 

"You want me to leave Zero in the crush or shall I put him back in the stable?" Heero asked as he removed his own apron.

 

"Leave him in the crush for the moment," Duo replied and then disappeared into the dispensary and through to the small room he used to develop the films.

 

With the vet busy for the moment, Heero thought it would be a good time to put all the feeds in and start to bring Scythe and Shini in for their dinners. He knew it would take Duo about fifteen minutes at least to develop the films so he had a little time on his hands.

 

Zero watched his master pottering around and whinnied low in his throat when he spotted the feed buckets.

 

"You'll get yours shortly, Zero," Heero muttered from inside Scythe's stable where he was mixing the feed around. He gave the stallion a couple more carrots as an apology for making him wait when he passed by the crush with the empty feed buckets.

 

It didn't take Heero long to fetch the other two from the paddocks and he was just finishing doing up the clips on Shini's rug when Duo stepped out with the x-rays in hand. At that moment the sound of a car pulling up was heard.

 

"Must be Zechs,” Duo stated and wandered to the front of the stable block to peer outside. "Hey, Zechs, you're just in time,” Duo said warmly as the blonde vet exited his car and walked over.

 

"Ah, good. I was hoping I hadn't missed you." Zechs stepped into the stable area. "Heero," he nodded by way of greeting.

 

"Afternoon, Zechs," Heero replied as he bolted Shini's door and walked over to stand beside Duo in front of the small 'light board'.

 

Duo slipped the x-rays onto the board and switched it on. The light flickered and then burst forth, revealing the bone, pins and plates in Zero's leg. Heero wrinkled his brow. He could clearly see the metal standing out in stark contrast, but that was all he could make out. Everything else was just too technical for him.

 

Zechs and Duo both studied the pictures, heads cocking from side to side. Heero couldn't take it any longer.

 

"Well?!" he demanded.

 

Duo gave his lover a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that most people can't read x-rays like a vet can."

 

"That's why we rely on people like you to translate for us mere mortals," Heero teased.

 

"Mere mortals?" Zechs questioned with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Yeah," Heero shrugged his shoulders.

 

Duo snickered. "Okay, come here."

 

Heero stepped up beside his lover.

 

Picking the pen out of his pocket, Duo used it to point out what he was explaining. "You can see the plate here and the pins here, here and here. The fracture can barely be made out, but it's this thin line here." Duo drew the pen across the fine line that represented the hairline fracture.

 

"And this all means, what?" Heero asked. "You two might have University degrees, but I don't."

 

Zechs chuckled. "In a nutshell, Heero, it means the pins and plate are holding up just fine, the fracture, whilst still there, hasn't gotten any worse and that is a positive thing. It's too early yet to really be able to tell if the bone is knitting back together, but everything is pointing to a complete recovery."

 

"We will be able to tell more on the state and healing of the bone in roughly another week when I take another x-ray,” Duo added knowing his lover needed to hear that to reassure himself that all was going as well as could be expected.

 

"That's good news," Heero whispered and sighed in relief.

 

"Yes, yes it is," Zechs murmured. "If things continue along this path, I think that we will see a definite improvement in the bone in the next x-ray."

 

Finally, things seemed to be going right. Heero thought.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...