C&C? Please?

<Part 1>
 

    Heero sat at the desk of their hotel room, waiting for the celebrating to stop. The war was over.
They had won. And now. . . now what? or a soldier like him what comes next? He fingered the ring
in his pocket. Duo came next. A chance at  normal life with the boy he loved. A chance to be human,
not the perfect soldier.

    //Today I will ask him// Heero planned to himself. //Today on the first day of peace. When he
comes back to the hotel I will tell him how much he means. Duo. My angel, my life. . . Things will be
different now. We can really love eachother, never worrying about the war and it's consequences.
Starting today we have no blood on our hands. A new beginning. A new life together.//

    He smiled and closed his laptop for the last time then fired three bullets through it. //For past,
present, and future.// Then he threw the ruined peice away with no remorse over it's loss.// On a rare
whim he decide to go and meet Duo on his way back from the festivities. An even more rare smile
graced his face. Replacing his spandex and tank top were a pair of Duo's jeans and a pristeen white
T-shirt, his wild hair as combed into the closest it came to order. Everything was set. He smoothed
battle roughed fingers over the ring again and started toward the enter of Sanq where the party was
happening.
 

    Duo grinned and cheered and danced through the crowed. The war was over! Over! YES!
Shinigami was needed no more! No more death and pain and waiting for Heero to self destruct for
real. It was over! He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see who it was.

    Violet eyes flashed in shock and pain as the bullet ripped across his neck, as he fell forward a second shot was fired, It tore through his entering at his collar bone and piercing his lung before lodging deep into the tissue of his stomach. He gasped, a cry of "NOOOOO!" reached his ears but he wasn't sure if it was him. Duo slid
to the ground. Unnoticed in the joyous crowd by all but one man.
 

    Heero ran forward in time only to catch a flurry of blond hair in the dark and smoky street,
then Duo's attacker as gone. He knelt down by the braided boy and pulled him into his arms. "Duo.
Duo look at me!"

    Glazed violet orbs melted into tear filled cobalt pools. "H. . . heero." He rasped, choking on his
own blood.

    The Japanese youth hugged his love closer, buried his face in Duo's neck.

    "' Love you Hee-chan." Duo forced himself to grin."

    Heero's eyes couldn't focus passed his tears. For the first time since he could remember his heart

had been full, now it was crumbling. "Love you Shi-chan." He said softly. This wasn't like he had

planned.

    "zutto." Duo sighed out on his last breath.

    Heero cried and shook his head in denile. "No, NO! DUO!"

    That's how his team mates found him later that night. Sitting in the same spot, the white shirt he had
so carefully donned stained red with Duo's life blood. His eyes empty.

<Part 2>
 
 

    Prince Heero Peacecraft Yuy glanced up as his secretary entered timidly. "Nanda?"

    "Relena-sama requests your presence tonight a. . . at dinner sir. You haven't seen any one all day
and she is worried about you sir."

    "Is she. Tell her I'm sorry I do not feel like eating tonight." He looked back to his laptop. Typing
something else into it's seemingly endless databanks.

    "But sir she. . ."

    "I said no." His voice was hard and sharp. It bode no argument.

    "Y. . . yes sir."

    When she had gone Heero took a photo from his desk. It was of their team. The Gundam boys
all standing close together, squished into the lens' parimiters. Trowa was standing silently while Quatre clung to him, beeming. Wufei was standing stoicly beside them and right in the lower center of the photo, Heero glared at the camera. A slight grin tugged at his lips. When one looked close they
would see his whole attention was not on the camera as it looked, but on the braided boy who was
playfully drapped over him, arms around his shoulders. Once, Heero had been amazed at how well
Duo fit to him. The American had been made just for him. Several heated kisses later, he had
decided that one doesn't question a gift and love doesn't ask why, and had simply acceptd the
Haven of Duo's love.

   //Has it really been ten years since that day Duo? Since I couldn't save you? I am twenty six years
old today. I was going to propose to you on the first day of peace. On my birthday. And I let you
die. Oh Duo!//

    "Yuy-sama."

    Heero slammed a paperweight across the room and millimeters from his secretary's head,
"WHAT!"

    She shivered and reminded herself to approach Relena-sama, she wasn't being pid enough for this.

"y. . . you told me to inform you w. . . when the doctors finished their project in time travel."

    "They are done?!" He almost leapt from his chair and was out the door before she could answer.

    She walked to his desk to return the paperweight and noticed the picture peeking out of the top
drawer. The woman silently pulled it free to replace it more neatly in the drawer, when she saw what
it was of however, she stopped. Gently tracing the face of first her employer and then the boy who
was drapped over him she sighed. //So this is why he wont leave the office today. It's the anniversary of his friend's death.//  "Heero-sama, he wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. He wouldn't want
you to be so full of hate."

    Heero walked ino the offic from where he had stood in the doorway. He reached down to pik up
the tiara like rown he hated so but was fored to where in public and faced the woman who hel his
most prized possestion in her hands. "Put it back." His voice was fun of pain and sorrow. He
watched as she obeyed and then slammed his fist into the brick of the wall.

    "Yuy-sama. . ."

    "How would you know what he would or wouldn't want? You never even knew him!"

    "But I know you." She answered carefully, "And I know the way you act when you think of him.
He was your peace. Heero-sama , the war is over but you are still fighting it."

    He closed his eyes, his jaw was trembling, "I can't help it. Just like I couldn't help him."

    "What was his name?"

    "Duo. Duo Mawell." Heero smiled slightly, "Shinigami."

    "Duo. Two?"

    "Yes. He held his own soul, and he held mine. Two."

    "Why did you marry Relena-sama?"

    "She is the queen of the world. hat she wants eventually she gets."

    "What did she threaten you with?"

    He sat down and took the picture up, gently placing it back in the drawer. "She was going to dirty
Duo's memory." He si softly, barely above a whisper. "Before he was a pilot, Duo was an orphine on L2. He sol himself to earn the money to keep himself and his friends alive. He stole things, he killed
people. A jack of all trades. But only becuse he had to, and it was killing him inside. But he did it to
keep his friends alive. When they died in the plague, he was taken in as a ward of the church. He was a brave pilot. Without him we couldn't have gotten as far as we did. But she was going to bring his
past back to the public eye. To erase all the good he did the world."

    "Why didn't you just kill her. You have that reputation."

    Heero grimaced and tightened his fist so tight that he bent his crown. He looked at the warped
piece of metal and threw it against the wall.

    "Heero-sama?"

    "I promised Duo. No more killing."

    "He was more thn just a friend, wasn't he."

    Heero took in an uneven breath and said simply, "We were going to be married. Excuse me."
Then he left the room and walked toard the labs where thescientists were working on his time travel
theory.

    The secretary picked up the crown carfully and placed it on the desk. //So much pain.// She went
to find Relena-sama then. No one could pay her enough to continue to spy on this man. He had been through enough.

     A silenced bullet ended her thought. She fell to the floor and was dragged out to be disposed of.
A blond stood in the shadows, directing the body's removal. "It's almost time."
 

    "And you are sure that this will work?" Heero asked.

    "Oh yes." Doctor J smiled and clicked his robotic fingers.

    "I can go back in time then."

    "Yes." He then turned serious, "But Heero, you can not change it. If you alter the past who knows
what will happen."

    "Would the world end?"

    "Possibly."

    A battle raged inside him. So close! So close to being able to save the boy he still loved so much!
Only to be told he couldn't.

    "Set it to the date Peace was achieved."

    "Heero what are you. . ."

    "I only want to see him."

    "But. . ."

    The prince of the Sanq kingdom pulled out his gun and took aim.

    "Well when you put it so eloquently. . ."

    "Do it." He growled.

    From the rafter beams of the lab, a wisp of blond hair blew silently over a smile. "Time."
 

    Duo danced in the streets, moving his graceful body to the rhythm of the bands proclaiming their
joy at peace. His hips undulated and his arms rose high above his head, twisting and moving, his mind was wandering to the brown haired blue eyed pilot waiting for his in their hotel room. "Heero." He
smiled and danced faster. Finally peace! Finally free from Shinigami's robes.

    Suddenly the air bubbled and spat someone out in front of him. Duo jumped back in surprise! "H.
. . Heero?!"

    "Duo." Heero couldn't breath! His heart was stuck in his throat! He launched himself into his love's arms, "Duo!"

    "What happened to you Heero?! You look. . . you're grown up!"

    "The doctors invented a time machine. The Heero from this time will be here in about thirty
minuets."

    "I knew about the time machine, but what are you doing here?"

    "You knew? How do you know?!"

    "Because someone came through earlier. Said it was a test."

    "Who came through?!"

    "Well you know . . ." Duo's eyes went wide and he fell forward into the future Heero's arms.
"Duo? Duo!"

    "Wh. . . but I . . . I c'n't die. . . h. . . heero needs m. . . me."

    "You don't die."

    "I. . . in our future, w. . . we are together?"

    "Hai, you are always with me."

    "Do we lo. . . love, e. . . each other?"

    "Very much." Heero smiled bravely, "Close your eyes Duo. When you wake up I'll be there."

    "love you." Duo sighed out his last breath.

    "I love you Duo."

    "Touching. A bullet through the heart and a heart warming goodbye."

    The prince lowered Duo to the ground and looked around. The moment he saw Duo's killer, it all fell into place. "You! How could you?! Omae wa kuruso!"

    "Just try it, lover."
 

<Part 3>
 

 Heero lowered his love to the ground and looked around. The moment he saw Duo's killer, it all fell into place. "You! How could you?! Omae wa kuruso!"

 "Just try it, lover."

 The perfect soldiers eyes narrowed, "Of course, who would have the money for research in time
travel if not. . ."

 "Winner enterprises." Quatre smiled ferally, but then his face softened, "Trowa, please, come back
with me."

 "I am not Trowa." Heero growled.

 "Trowa why are you teasing me?!"

 "You're insane Quatre."

 The feral look melted back into place, "Ah, so I hear." Then a lost and innocent pout washed over
his features, "He died Heero. Trowa died. And you and Duo were so happy and I was alone and I
was dying."

 "Dying?"

 "I have AIDS Heero! I've HAD it for a while. I gave it to Trowa and Trowa died. He wouldn't take
the drugs Heero, he wouldn't take the drugs." The boy sat on the cold ground and sobbed.

 "Quatre those are experimental drugs. They've affected your mind."

 "Sing a new song Trowa, that one is old." He looked down at Duo and smiled, running his hand over
the other boy's bloody wound. "Duo, you could always sleep anywhere ne?"

 Heero glared and pushed the crazy boy away from the body of his lover.

 "Trowa? You're back! You came back to me!"

 "I. Am. Not. Trowa!" Heero aimed his gun at the boy he and Duo had both called friend.

 "You want to kill me? Fine. Do it. This disease is killing me, you can too."

 "Do you know how much pain you've caused? Or are you to far gone to see?"

 "H. . . Heero? What am I doing here?"

 "Goodbye Quatre." He took aim and found himself pushed to the ground.

 "Stop!"

 "Let go of me! He killed Duo! He's insane! Heero fought against the strong arms that held him, then
he looked up at. . . "Zechs?"

 "Rashid was worried when Quatre built the time machine so he sent me to keep things under
control."

 Heero glared at the blond man and started to struggle again. "Damn it! Let go! He killed Duo! Let
me kill him!"

 "Heero look at him."

 The soldier had no intention of doing so but Zechs grabbed his chin and forced him to look at the
boy. Quatre was curled in a fetal position on the asphalt, whimpering like a lost puppy. His wide blue eyes were focused inward on his personal monsters.

 "Don't you see? He is sick, he needs help."

 "Duo." Heero felt something inside him snap and he went limp in Zechs grip. "Duo."

 "Heero, look at him." the blond insisted.

 When Heero looked up, Duo was moving! He was pulling himself off the ground and slipping out of. . . "A bullet proof vest!"

 "Quatre's first attempt to kill him hit downward entering through his collar, this time, he aimed for the
heart, Duo always wears a thin bullet proof layer. That's why it bled anyway but the wound is nothing horrible, now get him out of here before Quatre's first visit is re-lived.

 As Zechs gave the order, the air bubbled and spit out another traveler.

 "Relena?!" Zechs and Heero both stared.

 "I can allow you to rescue him Heero. I can't. I've seen the other future, where he's alive. You can't
marry him Heero. You are married to me!"

 "You forced me to, but I never touched you."

 She trained her gun on Duo, who was still very off balance and trying to digest all that was
happening.

 Things happened in less than a minuet, to Heero it seemed like a lifetime. Zechs lunged at Relena,
The girl fired and Duo just before her brother could reach her. Quatre launched himself into Duo,
pushing him out of the way, and the bullet pierced his heart.

 Duo starred at Quatre and then at Relena and finally at Heero. "Wha. . .?" He startred to ask. A
confused look clear on his face.

 Zech slipped a needle into his arm and he collapsed.

 "What did you do?!" Heero insisted.

 "I took away his memory of this experience, it will go more smoothly that way. If he doesn't recall
what happened."

 "And me?"

 "I leave that to you."

 Heero looked at Quatre's still form, and at Relena who was now in handcuffs, glaring at Duo's prone
form. "I don't want to remember. I want to live a normal life with my Duo."

 Zech nodded and injected him as well. "You will wake up back in the future with all of the memories you and Duo make between mow and then."

 "Hai." Heero smiled groggily and slipped into unconsciousness. Zechs pressed the pilot's retrieval
device and the air bubble once again, this time pulling Heero into it.

 Zech hefted his sister over one shoulder and Quatre's body over the other before he activated his
own retrieval device. The paperwork for this assignment would be abysmal. He almost groaned as he and his burdens vanished.
 

 Duo started to come around and blinked sleepily. He was on the ground. . . wha. . . //whoa dude, that's the last time I have -that- drink!// He stood and looked around him. People were still dancing, it must be getting late though. "Heero!" He almost ran into his lover when he spun toward the hotel.

 "Duo." He smiled.

 "What. . . Heero! You're smiling!"

 He just Hn'd and fell to one knee. Duo almost feinted! He started to sway but Heero caught his
hands, keeping him upright. "Duo Maxwell, will you marry me?"

 The American's eyes filled with tears and he threw his arms aroung the boy he loved, sobbing
happily, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

 Heero snickered, "Does that mean yes?"

 "Hai." Duo laughed with him and covered his face with kisses.

 Heero slipped a gundumanium engagement ring onto Duo's finger. The diamond it held was cut very
carefully to look like their two Gundams, locked together much as Zech had locked his around Wing
their first battle. They were centered in a heart shaped hole in the gundumanium.

 Duo almost cried he was so happy.

 Heero fingered the ring gently. "Diamond because our love is forever. Gundumanium taken from
both out Gundams to remind us of what we have already lived through together."

 "You can be very romantic when you want to be Hee-chan."

 "Only for my Shi-chan."

 "I'm not Shinigami anymore."

 "No?" Heero asked, "What are you?"

 "Duo Maxwell-Yuy. The loving wife of the Gods most perfect creation."

 Heero laughed and kissed him softly, "If either of us is perfect, it's you."

 "No, it's our future. -That- will be perfect."

 The two of them snuggled close and walked back to the hotel.
 

-ten years later-
 

 A tiny bundle of fur and wet tongue woke Heero from his sleep. He started cursing in Japanese, then in English and beside him, Duo chuckled and rolled over for his morning kiss.

 "Tell me again why you wanted a dog?" Heero grumbled good heartedly.

 "Well he was just to sweet! And he was a street kid just like me! You're the softy that brought him home."

 Heero chuckled as he recalled the night he had almost hit the funny looking mut on his way home
from the office. To apologize (and because he knew Duo would love the thing) he had brought it
home. Duo fell in love with it instantly and named it Shinigami. Heero laughed and Duo made a face
at him before he completely ravished his partner as a thank you.

 "You remember I see." Duo laughed and toyed with his husband's hardening member under the
covers.

 "Duo!" Heero moaned and tried to push away, "I can't be late again Zech'll have my hide!"

 "Uhnuh soldier boy, your hide is mine." Duo grinned.

 Heero gave up. The Time Enforcers could wait. He had all the time in the world. And Duo was
doing that thing with his tongue!
 
 
 

~Owari~