Life Goes On Part 4
Heero pulled into the driveway of his family's home while the snow continued to fall in the early evening hour. Beside him, Duo sat up in the passenger seat with a wide, peaceful smile as he gazed on the large estate. Unable to help smiling himself at the sight of that warm grin, the Japanese teenager unlocked his door with a quiet, "Home sweet home."
The braided neko nodded and climbed from his own seat. Both taking up their large duffle bags from the back seat, the pair walked up the walkway with their free hands joined. When they reached the top of the steps, Heero placed his hand on the access panel and waited for his palm to be scanned. 'Welcome home, Heero,' the robotic voice in the entrance greeted as the door opened to them.
From the living room, Noin's voice called, "They're here!" Within a blink, the short-haired young woman all but ran into the entrance to hug the two boys tightly, kissing their cheeks before they could even get their bearings enough to lower their bags. When she pulled back, she smiled in relief, "It's good to have the two of you home. Do you need anything? I could start some hot cocoa-"
"Noin, let them at least get settled a bit before attacking them," Zechs chided with a deep chuckle before his wife could continue. He leaned against the entrance doorway with his arms folded. "They haven't even taken their coats off," he commented in amusement. Both Heero and Duo snickered quietly and proceeded to step deeper into the room.
Quickly removing his coat and lowering his bag, Duo pounced forward to wrap his arms around his mother tightly. "I've missed you too, mom," he said with his voice rumbling in a soft purr. Blinking in surprise, the retired maid relaxed finally and just returned the embrace. At that, Zechs smiled proudly and walked up to his son to pat the top of his braided head before the neko turned to hug him.
Heero grinned to himself as he hung their coats in the closet before quietly slipping from the room. Once he reached the living room, his smile grew when his own mother entered. Danielle practically beamed when their eyes met. Closing the distance between them with her arms open wide, she gave her boy a fierce embrace. "Welcome back home, son," she greeted quietly.
Kissing her cheek before they pulled back, Heero said quietly, "Thanks, Mom." Looking around the room, he asked, "Is Trent here?"
With a small sigh, the red-haired woman answered, "Something came up at the office that required his assistance."
Leading her son towards one of the couches with a hand resting on his back, she stated quietly, "Our firm has quite a big case coming up and the team working on it asked for his assistance, but he should be back soon. Noin came in to cook tonight and he has yet to be late for one of her meals."
It was well known that ever since her retirement following the trial before the Supreme Justices that Danielle was no longer interested in being involved with her firm's cases. Trent took up that end of their business partnership. He was, after all, still quite young and new in the world of law and all too eager to be involved on the few occasions that he was called upon.
Heero smiled to himself at the thought of his mother staying true to her word in not being involved. Had she been the same woman she was just a few short years ago, he would be returning home with her gone. As they entered the dining room, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed it, expressing without words how grateful he was to have her in his life for a change.
The message was not lost as his mother chuckled deeply.
"Well, I do have an announcement," the young art student commented as he took a seat. "But I'll just wait until everyone is here." As Duo stepped into the room, Danielle rose for a moment to embrace him. Pulling back after giving a small kiss on his cheek, she smiled in relief, "You're looking much better compared to the last time I saw you. You've been good, then, and followed orders to rest this last week?" She reached up to rub the top of his head, her smile growing when the neko purred deeply and leaned into the touch.
While she would never admit it out loud, Danielle never would tire of that soothing sound.
The hand fell away from Duo's braided head and he smirked, "I didn't have much choice with Heero watching after me." From his seat, the Japanese teenager gave his own satisfied grin and winked at his lover.
"Very good," Danielle chuckled deeply before returning to sit beside her son once again.
As the remainder of their family approached, Heero grinned to the dark-haired woman, "Noin, I could go for a cup of cocoa, if you're still offering."
At the mention of hot chocolate, Duo's cat ears perked and his tail swished excitedly. Smiling widely, he turned to his mom and nodded, "I'd like one too, please."
Noin laughed, "Of course. I'll start a large pot for the lot of us, then." Quickly turning on her heels, she made her way to the kitchen. Danielle sighed deeply in the direction that her friend disappeared and shook her head, "I wish that she didn't feel like she still has to help out around here." Casting a glance to Zechs, she commented, "The large extension to the estate that is now yours to live in had been a gift intended to give the two of you an early retirement."
Zechs lowered himself to sit beside his own son as he grinned, "And while we while we would never be able to thank you enough for that, you would find the two of us hanging from a pair of short ropes if we couldn't make ourselves useful somehow. You know how neither of us like just sitting around."
Gently patting Duo's head, he chuckled deeply, "And with this one gone for weeks on end, it's certainly quite lonely, even with the two of us, in our part of the estate."
Purring deeply, the neko took hold of his tail and smiled to his father, "I'm sure that mom doesn't miss having to clean after my occasional fur sheddings."
"Oh, she does," Zechs winked. Brightening even more at that, Duo leaned back into the sofa just as Noin entered with a tray holding five mugs of steaming cocoa.
Quietly enjoying their hot chocolate and company, the tiny family caught up in some of the things that had happened over the last few weeks.
* * * * * *
Even after being away for three months, he never forgot the smell of the place. The thick, musty air was something that clouded his darkest dreams ever since he had been sent on his mission. It was something he dreaded having to smell again in person.
Solo's ears drooped along with the corners of his mouth as he was ushered down the long, dark hallway. Swallowing hard, he fought to keep calm while a few sweat droplets began to form on his brow. He kept his blonde head lowered and his shoulders were slumped heavily in anticipation of what awaited him.
When they reached the door at the end of the hall, the neko's heart rate escalated to the point that he feared it would pound out of his chest. There was no running now... Even if he could, where would he run to?
The tall usher kept his back to the boy and knocked twice on the door before it opened by remote on the other side. "Bring him in," the looming voice within called. Stepping aside, the bald, black-suited man stepped aside and gripped the teenager's shoulder none too gently.
With a small whimper, Solo allowed himself to be shoved into the office just as the door closed behind him. Alone with the man at the desk across from him, the neko removed his red baseball cap and gripped his white tail tightly.
"H-Hello, Doctor J," he managed in little more than a frightened whisper.
Leaning back in his leather seat, the old man smiled in that eerie way of his. As he folded his one flesh and one robotic arm, he nodded firmly, "Hello, Solo." His mechanic hand gestured to the chair just before his desk and he offered, "Please, have a seat."
Uncertainty filled the boy's eyes, but he tentatively stepped forward until he finally managed to lower himself down into the soft chair. "Now," Doctor J began smoothly. Solo swallowed hard again. There was nothing kind or gentle about the man that had created him. Whenever he acted as such, it only meant trouble.
"Tell me," the old man continued, "How is it that you can spend three months at the same school, in most of the same classes with that other neko and you still have not been successful in bringing him to me, as ordered?"
His hands tightening around his tail all the more, Solo's mouth opened and closed before he managed, "I-I'm sorry, sir. I've been waiting for the right opportunity-" The sudden slamming of that metal claw on the desk made him jump from his seat before he cringed.
Rising from his own chair, Doctor J leaned forward and shouted, "The right opportunity!? You don't mean to tell me that you haven't had a moment to get close to him by now, do you!? You know what failure means!"
Small tears filled the blonde's eyes, his body shaking as he whimpered, "I-I'm sorry, sir. I promise to do better. P-please don't hurt the others for my failure." His voice cracked when he begged again, "Please."
After a long pause, the old man finally sighed deeply before returning to his seat. Folding his hand and claw before his face, he began, "I will be calling you back here soon, to discuss what you have been doing wrong. If my calculations are accurate, we are running out of time in bringing that neko here. And I will not have years of my blood, sweat and tears devoted to this science go to waste."
With a threatening glare, Doctor J took up his remote and ordered, "Get out of my sight and back to your cell. I can't stand the sight of you."
Quickly standing on his wobbly legs, Solo nodded, "Y-yes, Sir. As you wish." Without another word, not willing to take a chance, he turned on his heels and ran through the door as it was opened to him.
Back in the hall, the tall usher was waiting for him. Grunting at the neko when their eyes met, he turned and led him back down the corridor towards the elevator. When they reached the basement level, Solo raised his lowered head as the bald man punched the access code to the huge, safe-like door.
As the door opened, Solo winced when the tall guard gripped him by the shoulder tightly to force him into the room with a hard push. Stumbling in his steps as he entered the cell, the boy just managed to keep from falling forward while the door slammed closed behind him.
Once he was steady on his feet, the young man gazed around his familiar surroundings. The tall, wide room was furnished with a couple benches and a door that led to the small levorotary. While the room was fairly well lit, the metal walls, ceiling and floor only gave a cold feeling.
A chill ran up Solo's spine that shook his core. It wasn't the bitterness of the room that made his so uneasy. It was the quiet. From behind the furthest bench, a pair of calico-spotted cat ears perked up before the oval face and head of long, brown hair attached slowly rose. A pair of deep green eyes blinked in surprise before a quiet voice formed from her mouth, "Solo?"
In seeing his girlfriend, the boy sighed deeply in relief, "Cassie." Quickly climbing from the floor, the long-tailed young woman met him half-way. Taking her too-thin form into his arms, Solo purred deeply along with her and kisses her cheek. "Gods, I've missed you," he whispered.
Cassie pulled back just enough to kiss her boyfriend soundly. Wiping a few tears that had formed in her eyes, she breathed, "I've been worried sick about you. I'm so glad you're all right."
"Solo?" another voice asked from the bench at their right. Instantly, four other familiar, cat-eared faces popped out from their hiding places throughout the room.
The one who called, the youngest of the group at no more than ten, ran up to his missing friend. As he was hoisted up and into a firm hug, the child exclaimed with a wide smile, "Solo! It's really you!" He wrapped his arms tightly around the blonde's neck.
Gently rubbing the boy's head of red hair and tan cat ears, Solo grinned, "Good to see you, too, Danny. You've grown a bit since I've been away." In his arms, Danny giggled and just burrowed his face deeper into a strong shoulder.
Quickly counting his 'family' as they approached him, Solo frowned in concern, "Where's Andrew?"
The only other female of the bunch nervously hooked a few strands of her short, blonde hair behind her a brown and black striped cat ear. With a deep frown of her own, she answered, "He was taken away for some testing." Cassie lowered her head along with the others as Solo's eyes widened in fear.
Few words ran a wave a fear in the nekos the way that the word 'test' did. Nothing good came of those horrid examinations. Lightly resting a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder, Solo said quietly, "I'm sure he'll be all right, Jena. You know that boyfriend of yours is pretty tough." Biting her lip, she gave an unsure nod and wrapped her arms around her thin body.
The last of the 'family' to speak, a tall teenager with fur of a grey shade and short hair of a dark brown, asked, "So did you see him?" His brown eyes narrowed and he hissed, "The one who's responsible for all of this?"
"Yes," Solo answered, his own eyes thinning. "It won't be long before Duo Maxwell will regret the day he was created... just as we do."
TBC...
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