Beyond All Doubt Epilogue

Trowa rode up the hill to the small house atop that overlooked the Shay kingdom after his day of work in the city square. For the last three years, after the great war to end Treize Khushrenada's threat was over, both Trowa and Heero went on to work as woods guides. Between the two of them, there was a great deal of orders and requests for aid in showing people the way through the massive sea of wildlife surrounding the city and others like it.

With the wedding of Commander Chang to take place in just a few days, respected officers from Prusia and the newly reformed Gragon -under the leadership of Queen Relena Peacecraft- were in need of guides to lead them safely to Shay to pay their respects at the ceremony. At the thought of his friends Wufei and Sally exchanging vows soon brought a smile to the retired soldier's face.

The smell of food cooking from the kitchen window filled the air as Trowa approached. Dismounting from his horse, he made his way into the house and towards the kitchen. Kumi looked up from the pot where she was working and smiled brightly as she greeted, "Trowa. You're home early." He walked to his wife, hugging her close, careful not to squeeze her round belly too tightly as he kissed her soundly.

Once he pulled back, he smiled and placed a hand on her tummy as he replied, "We made better time than we expected. And how are my loves today?"

Kumi chuckled, "The little one, here, had been pretty active. I am sure they are as anxious for this last month to pass as we are." Their gold wedding bands glistened in the sunlight that filled the room as they clasped over their child. Looking to see if her brother followed her husband, she stated, "Sette and Quatre are both with Wufei and Sally to help them prepare for the wedding, so they won't be able to make it tonight. Did Heero return with you?"

Trowa's smile fell, his head lowering, as shook his head and answered, "I saw him walking off to his private trail behind the house. He was hoping to have some time alone before it grew dark. This time is always hard on him." Kumi frowned sadly and nodded in understanding. It was a year to the day when the war ended... the day that Duo had been killed.

Of all their friends and of all the people who witnessed the last battle, only Heero, Trowa and Kumi remembered their braided friend and the fey that came to aid them, as Queen Dorothy had promised. While it was a blessing to all of them, it was also very painful to them to remember that they had lost such a light in their lives. In the three years since then, Heero had been more detached and quiet than he had been before he met the lively fey.

Under their hands, the baby kicked again and the young parents looked down and laughed. "Maybe tonight would be a good night to announce to Heero what we'll be naming our little one." Trowa asked quietly.

Smiling at that, Kumi nodded and replied, "I think that's a good idea. I think that the thought of having a nephew named Duo, or a niece named Duet would be a nice surprise to him. He would really appreciate it."

*   *   *   *   *   *

A couple miles up the hidden path behind the house, Heero silently walked down the same road that he had taken when he first met the creature that changed his life forever. Wiping a stray tear from his eye, he took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and leaned his back against one of the many trees along the path.

After a long silence, the woods guide decided that it was time to head back and turned to head back to the house before it grew dark. The sudden rustle of leaves behind him froze him in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, Heero took in a tall brush of bushes that were moving and a deep grunt was heard behind the leaves' coverage.

His cobalt eyes widening, the Japanese youth slowly walked towards the rustling branches. Before his hands could move the branches aside, a voice behind them sighed deeply, "I remembered the bear cage and forgot the rabbit hole... This is just beautiful."

Instantly recognizing the voice, Heero ran through the bushes as his wide eyes took the scene before him. In the same opening where they first met, Duo lied on the ground on his stomach, his right foot stuck in a small hole that had been dug as a trap. The braided youth looked up with wide violet eyes at the sight of his lover. With tears filling their eyes when they met, Duo whispered breathlessly, "Heero..."

With a sharp cry from his throat, Heero fell to his knees as he shouted, "Duo!" Pulling his best friend to sit up, he held him close and buried his face in the other's shoulder as he sobbed. Returning the fierce embrace, Duo rubbed Heero's back soothingly, whispering quiet words of reassurance as his own tears fell. Pulling back, Heero gazed on him in disbelief as he began, "How...?"

Duo smiled through his bit lip and explained, "You are looking at a miracle, koibito. Once a fey's soul is laid to rest, normally there is no way to restore it. But since the Boundary had been crossed, Queen Dorothy found that things have changed quite a bit. Having been the only fey whose soul had been across worlds, my soul was in as much unrest as the Boundary even though it had been restored."

Still, Heero gazed on him in awe and uncertainty. His smile growing at that, Duo continued, "To ensure that the Boundary stays reinforced and since my soul was not able to find rest, Queen Dorothy decided to assign me as the Doorway, making sure that no fey crosses into this world again...She gave me a second chance... As a human."

Reaching out hesitantly, Heero touched his lover's face, as if he just simply could not believe what he was seeing and repeated faintly, "Human..." More tears filled the braided teenager's eyes as he leaned his face into the caress. After a moment, Heero pulled back and lightly punched his partner in the shoulder as he asked brokenly, "What took you so long?"

Duo laughed quietly as he dried his eyes before answering with a shrug, "Like I said, you're looking at a miracle. No fey's soul has had the chance to be brought back, not to mention making it human. Even the Queen Fey can't make that happen overnight." Through his tears, Heero smiled at that and nodded his understanding. Duo sniffed as his emotions caught up with him and he whispered brokenly, "I missed you so much."

Quickly, the braided youth leaned in and pressed his lips to Heero's, causing him to make a small sound of surprise before he immediately returned the kiss. Their arms tightly around each other, then indulged in the sweet moment until the need for air broke their mouths and tongues apart.

Matching his lover's actions, Duo cupped the side of Heero's face, saying in awe, "Since I... passed on, I never stopped thinking about you, dreaming about you. I couldn't believe that the Queen was asking me if I was willing to be brought back... here." Duo whimpered as some tears fall and he said quietly, "But it's really you...I'm actually home..."

Heero closed his eyes as he leaned into the touch and replied just as softly, "I've missed you every moment these last three years." His eyes opened and met violet with firm resolve as he stated, "I'm never going to let you go again. Never."

Duo smiled brightly and replied, "I know. I don't plan on going anywhere for a very, very long time." He laughed, "You'll be sick of me."

His lover shook his head firmly as he stated, "Never."

Chuckling deeply, Duo kissed Heero gently. When he pulled back, he raised an arm in a silent ask for assistance in walking, the same way that Heero helped him hobble to the house when they first met as he asked with a grin, "Shall we head home?"

"Gladly," Heero answered with his own grin. Quickly, instead of offering Duo a shoulder to wrap his arm over to stand, he lifted the braided teenaged into his arms in one quick swoop as he went to his feet. Duo 'eeped' in shock before grinning from ear-to-ear and. He wrapped his arms around his koi's neck before resting his head on his shoulder with a deep sigh of content. Placing a kiss on his braided head, Heero whispered, "I love you."

In his arms, Duo smiled up at him, "I love you too." With that, Heero started walking heading home. As they reached the path again, Duo's eyes widened and he began, "Uh, Heero... You mind warning Kumi ahead of time that I'm back? I'm not quite up to running from an armed woman again."

Heero's chest under him bubbled with his chuckle as he replied, "She wouldn't believe me if I told her."

At that, Duo laughed and agreed, "Yea, you're probably right." He raided an eyebrow in mischief and shrugged, "Besides, why take all of the fun out of it."

Laughing with him, Heero nodded, "Exactly."

Together, they went off towards their home, no longer afraid of what the future held for them, but looking forward to it every step of the way.

OWARI

 

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