Okay, so this unfinished one last had a part posted in 2009... *dies* It's not quite finished, but I believe an end is in sight!
Changes Part 6
Duo had stopped speaking after the last revelation and was simply standing by one of the windows, his back to Heero. His head was bent, his bangs shading his face, and Heero wondered if he should say more.
Maybe not. It was probably best to let Duo absorb all this information first. Letting his gaze slide away from Duo, he focused on the control panel instead.
This could've gone a lot better- hell, if he'd simply controlled his own impulses, then Duo would never even know that he was still alive- and maybe- maybe he'd be on his way back to Hilde. Or maybe not- it was always hard to tell with Duo. Maybe now that he had some closure- knew what really happened- maybe now he would get back to where he belonged.
"So-" Duo's voice was even, but he didn't turn to look at Heero. "Does this mean you'll live forever?"
"Don't think so," Heero kept his eyes on the instruments in front of him. "J said- well, he said I'd stop aging, that I could live through quite a bit of damage, but that eventually- well, there were several possibilities-"
"Like what?"
"The systems he installed me with would cease to function- either because of age or too much wear or if I got damaged enough. He also said it was impossible for anyone to truly be immortal- you'd go mad and want to die eventually."
Duo went silent again and Heero cast a cautious look over his shoulder. "Do you- I can take you back-"
"Don't even think about it. Where are you headed?"
"L1 cluster- I have a delivery there-"
"Perfect. After you drop it off, we're going to make a stop." Duo moved away from the window and gave Heero a faint smile. "It's still in the L1 cluster- it's where I was headed originally."
"All right," Heero agreed as Duo dropped back into the chair beside him. "What's there?"
"The docs."
Heero stared at him in shock. "What?!"
"Oh don't look at me like that! You aren't the only one who had a secret- get over it."
"But you're- are you-?"
"I'm not modified, no. G wouldn't do something that crappy to me, and J is going to get an earful- he never said anything about this to me!" Duo ran his fingers through his bangs. "They- after you died- or whatever you want to call it- I contacted them and let them know what had happened. That's one of the things we had agreed on- if anything happened to any of the other pilots, I was supposed to let them know."
"So they survived- all of them?"
"No- just those two- I helped them hide after the war." Duo sighed. "When I told them what had happened with you, I thought- well, it doesn't matter what I thought- they just seemed very interested in the fact that your body- that you- had vanished. That's why I spent so long looking- I just had a feeling- it seemed-"
Heero waited a moment, then prodded: "Seemed like what?"
"I don't know- the way they were talking- it sounded like they'd be able to- I don't know- bring you back or something- they didn't say that specifically- just some of the things J said- and I heard him have an argument with G- I thought- well- now I see what they were really arguing about." He gestured at Heero. "It all makes sense now-"
It all made sense to Heero now too. That's why Duo hadn't just given up. "What are the coordinates?" He asked and Duo frowned at him.
"Oh hell no. We'll drop off your shipment and then we'll go together- don't get any ideas about leaving me in a spaceport somewhere-"
Heero actually hadn't thought of that, but it was a good idea. "You could get back to Hilde-"
"She's fine." Duo snapped. "You aren't pulling that whole 'go home, she's waiting' thing on me again. I told you that wasn't going to work-"
"But- Duo, she's-"
"Married to someone else. Has been for the last year. Hell, I'm the one that gave her away at the wedding."
Heero managed not to fall out of his chair. This was a day for surprises, apparently. Duo was watching him, his lips curved in a sad smile.
"Before you ask," he said quietly, "no. She and I were never together- she's been like a sister- that's all. There was only one person I ever loved- and that was you."
Heero drew in a deep breath, forcing down the first words that rose to his lips. Duo had spoken in the past tense- not the present. "Wish I'd known." That was true enough.
"Yeah, me too." Duo leaned back in his chair and looked away. "Damn near killed me- you saying what you did right before.... and I had never said it to you." He made a faint unhappy sound. "I- I never realized how it seemed to you- when I left to go work at the yard- that you could think that you didn't mean that much to me."
"I'm sorry- if I'd known-"
"Would it be different?" Duo leaned forward again, his mouth a tight line. "Would it have changed any of this? Or would you still have left- eventually?"
Heero flinched at his own words used against him and thought for a long moment before answering. "Honestly? I don't know. I do know that you- make me do things that aren't always the most- strategically sound. I should've left the spaceport the moment I saw you and I shouldn't have talked to you in the booth. I should've knocked you out the moment I found you on my ship and dumped you back at the spaceport- and yet- I didn't do any of those things. So- would it have changed things? Maybe. I'm not always- I haven't been rational when it comes to you."
"Don't sound so upset by it," Duo reached out and poked him in the shoulder. "Think about what I've been doing these past months. It hasn't been exactly rational either." Yawning, he scrubbed at his eyes. "How long til we reach the drop off?"
A little thrown by the change in topic, Heero looked at the clock. "About twelve hours."
"Is there a spare bunk I can use? I think I need to crash before dealing with the docs."
"Down the hall- last door."
"Thanks." Duo got to his feet and headed towards the door. Right as he reached it, he stopped and without turning his head, asked: "do you still feel that way?"
"Yes."
"Good. Me too." And Duo vanished down the hallway, leaving Heero alone with his thoughts.
TBC...
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