Worth Fighting For Part 21
Understanding

Duo refused to talk to anyone for a few days after his father's death. Not even Heero could get Duo to say a single word to him, so they let him be and Duo locked himself into his room and stayed there until he was ready.

Heero let Sally examine him and he took Mike up on his offer to have the sofa bed in the den of the their home. Heero spent his time with Mike, just talking these over and trying to understand the finer details of Devalin's last choice and of Solo's final decision.

Relena turned to Wufei for comfort and Wufei spent many nights laying beside Relena, holding her as she cried.

Helen asked a neighbour to take care of Jane so she herself could spend a few days alone, trying to deal with her own grief at the lose of her soulmate's life.

Quatre and Trowa watched on as everyone began to fall apart and they tried to help those in need but found themselves not able to help, they set about making funeral plans.

*   *   *

Duo was sitting in his room, not really doing anything but his hands were holding a small box. Just one of the things that his father had given him. Duo's violet eyes stared at the wall as his hands opened the box and drew the ring out. As the cold metal hit his skin, Duo looked down at it, and feelings suddenly came back and he stood up.

"What am I doing?" He asked himself as he put the ring back and slipped it into the drawer by his bed and he walked towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later he came back out feeling clean and his head was clearer than it had been in days.

He moved to the door and unlocked it.

The house was quiet and the sky outside the window showed it was nighttime. Duo crept slowly down towards the den and he pushed open the door, revealing the boy who slept on the bed before him.

Heero was curled up in a tight ball and he was hugging the sheets to himself.

Duo watched him for a few minutes before he moved into the room and shut the door, the click of the lock waking Heero up who sat up quickly and looked around the dark room.

"Who's there?" Heero asked.

"It's me."

Heero relaxed at the voice. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I don't mind. Duo?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

Duo moved from where he had been standing with his back to the door over to the bed and he sat down so his back was against the side of the bed.

Heero swung his legs over, so one leg rested either side of Duo and Duo lent back as Heero touched his shoulders gently.

"Talk to me love." Heero encouraged but Duo remained silent. "Solo said something to me before he passed on." Heero said, trying to get Duo to open up. "I asked him why and he told me that it was because you needed me."

"I need him." Duo whispered back. "I need him as well. I spent three years hating him and now I realise that I need him."

"Solo gave his life in order to save mine. He had come to terms with us. He knew that we were meant to be together and he gave his life up, in order for me to live mine. Duo, I love your father like my own. We grew up with each other's parents. One week we were all round the Yuy Household and the next we were all round the Maxwell Household. It was hard to tell whose parents were whose. No one would ever have put you and me together, not in a million years. I can still remember the time when you got your first gun and decided you wanted to kill me with it." Heero felt Duo's shoulders stiffen. "Do you remember who stood between us and told you that I was going to be important one day and you were not allowed to kill me? Solo. He was always there to protect us from each other. Solo wouldn't want you to mourn... actually yes he would, knowing your father... but not like this. Not in this way that you have closed yourself off from everyone. Please listen to me Duo; he saved me so that you and me could be together. I love you and I don't want to lose you. It would have killed me if I had lost you that day and Solo knew that it worked both ways for us. What would you have done if I had died that day?"

"I would have taken the gun off Devalin and killed myself with it." Duo answered.

"And that is what your father saved. Not just me, but he saved you too."

Heero pulled Duo on to the bed with him and he held Duo tight to him and for the rest of the night they just laid there, awake, in each other's arms, both thinking.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."

Heero placed a kiss on Duo's forehead. "You never need to tell me that, coz I already know it."

Duo snuggled into the warmth that was Heero.

"Since when did you talk for ages like that?" Duo asked.

"Since I came to an understanding."

"An understand of what?"

"An understand of friends, family and love."

"Oh."

"Good night Duo."

"Night Heero... I love you."

"I love you too baka, now be quiet."

"Sorry."

"Shh."

Duo gave a little giggle before they both fell quiet and within time, they both fell asleep.

*   *   *

"You didn't come to the funeral."

Duo looked up as his mum approached him.

"I could hear it from here."

"Do you need to talk?" Helen asked as she sat down beside Duo on the bench located in the middle of the churchyard.

"I should be asking you that." Duo replied.

"I don't need pity or help with dealing with his death. I know I will always have his love and that is all I need right now. But I also need you to understand that no matter what, I love you and Solo did too."

"Honestly? Do I have his love?"

"Do you even have to ask? Duo your father loved you from the very minute you entered this world. On the day you and Relena were born, the doctor handed you to Solo and he was so terrified that he was going to drop you, and then you opened your eyes, your beautiful violet eyes that reminded him so much of me, and he fell in love with you and he never once stopped loving you. He was the first thing you ever saw, not that you remember of course. Your father would hate to see you like this, even when you were young, you were always smiling and laughing, your father loved to hear you laugh, he loved to lift you up in his arms and hear your babyish giggle, and he would hate to see you now, stop blaming yourself. His death was not your fault and you should be treasuring what was left behind."

Duo looked up from staring at the ground and looked at his mother whose eyes were crying salty tears.

"He said he was proud of me."

"And he has every reason to be. Look at yourself Duo, look at the very man that you have become."

"I'm a killer." Duo muttered.

"You saved Heero's life. You saved your own life. How can you be a killer when you are saving lives?"

"I took a life to save a life, it doesn't justify itself."

"Maybe it doesn't, but what has happened has happened. Devalin would not of thought twice about killing you. He was ready to kill Heero and he did kill Solo. His death was too easy, we have to suffer and he doesn't get too, but I think it would hurt more, if I knew the man that murdered my husband was still alive, walking about like a free man. I think you would feel the same, knowing that after everything Devalin put you through that he was still walking about free while you suffer. Devalin would have killed Heero and then you if you had not stopped him."

They sat there in silence, listening to the murmur of the vicar as they began to lower Solo's body into the ground. Duo stood up and held his hand out, helping his mother up and together they walked over to the grave where Relena, Odin and the others stood.

Heero looked over as Duo appeared and he smiled at the two.

Duo squeezed the hand that held his and he turned to watch the coffin being lowered into the ground and the people around them pay their last respect.

With the funeral over, everyone turned to leave. Duo let go of his mother's hand as Odin took hold of her, whispering words of comfort and Duo stepped forward and crouched down over his father's grave. He stayed like that for a few minutes, just saying his silent goodbyes to his father.

Heero waited for him, he watched the tear fall down Duo's cheek and land on the mud that covered the coffin. And he stood there, waiting, until Duo wiped his eyes dry and stood up.

"Heero?"

"Are you ok?"

Duo smiled and looked down at the grave.

"Not quite yet, but I'm going to be."

TBC...

 

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