Operation: Lost Boys Part 7
Duo woke up to a mild headache and sore throat, but he attributed it to the fact that he'd been crying. He sat up and blinked when he saw a bright red stocking at the foot of his bed. Memories long since buried returned and he snatched the sock up like a four year old. For a brief instant, everything else went away. He took a deep breath, not caring who heard. "IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!" Well... he'd already gotten the best Christmas present the previous night, but that only heightened his happiness.
Wufei, being in the next room, smirked. 'Baka!' Still... he did like the fact that Duo's sister had thought of them even before she knew Duo was her brother. He stayed in his pajamas and peeked out of his room in time to see Duo running downstairs, sounding like an eager little boy.
Trowa and Quatre both emerged from Quatre's room and blinked.
"What was that?" Quatre finished buttoning up his top.
Trowa smiled affectionately at Quatre. "It sounds like our long haired hurricane named Duo has landed."
Heero emerged with a growl. "I am going to KILL him! Even I don't get up this early!"
"Good morning, boys." Harmony smiled as the four of them turned to her. For once, her hair wasn't elaborate. As if to become a true twin sister, she had braided her hair into a single tail that reached her knees. "Shall we go downstairs before my brother inhales our breakfast?" Her voice caught and she looked close to tears. "He always did have a big appetite."
Oddly enough, Wufei was the one to approach her. "It is cruel to allow a woman such as yourself to weep." He smiled at her surprised expression. "Tears do your face no justice." With that, he wiped a single tear off her cheek.
The other three pilots stared as Wufei escorted Harmony downstairs.
Trowa nodded. "How long do you think?"
Quatre grinned up at Trowa. "The way they've been going? I give it a week before Duo has to move to another room." He shrugged. "Any fool could see that Wufei was attracted to Duo, but he doesn't swing that way. Here we have a female version who Wufei has yet to glower at... AND she beat him at chess." He watched as Heero shook his head in disbelief. As soon as the pilot was downstairs, Quatre giggled. "How long before Duo breaks up with Hilde?"
Trowa chuckled. "The day after he has to move into another room to sleep."
Duo looked up from his breakfast when Harmony and Wufei entered. He didn't waste a second, he stood up and walked over to hug his sister. If he was worried she'd be embarrassed by such an open act of affection, all worries disappeared when she returned the tight hug and kissed his cheek. "I was afraid it had only been a wonderful dream!"
Harmony chuckled softly, and it was obvious she was close to crying again. "So was I, bro... so was I!"
*****
After breakfast, Duo practically dived into the presents. He looked over to Heero and bit his lip to stop from laughing. He didn't know how, but a bright red bow had found it's way onto the stoic pilot's head. In one corner of his mind, he realized that Harmony hadn't received any gifts. "Hey... where are YOUR presents?"
Harmony smiled at him. "I told you. I've wanted only one thing since I was four." She reached out and brushed her fingers against her brother's cheek. "YOU... are my present."
Quatre made a mental note and continued opening. He nearly laughed when he opened a few boxes that contained clothing. "You remembered that Ramadan was nearly over!"
She shrugged in reply from her spot next to Duo. "You needed something new to wear. I asked Trowa if he'd spied any new clothes while you packed. He had told me no."
Heero's eyes went wide when he unwrapped a brand new state of the art laptop. It was lighter than the one he'd been using, and from the information, infinitely faster. He tried hard not to smile, and failed miserably.
Duo grinned. "Ooooo! You got a new toy to play with too, ne?" He was busy looking over the accessories to his new computer. "Yup... this baby is definitely a hacker's idea of a wet dream! Man with this modem, I could get in and out of any OZ PC in three minutes, tops!"
They all frowned when they opened the final gifts. There was a confused chorus from all of them.
"ICE SKATES?!?!?"
Harmony smiled at their expressions. She was also trying hard not to laugh. She was glad that her surveillance system was taping this... she wanted to have proof that they could act like kids. She'd even caught Heero studying a boat model with intent interest, and filed the bit of information away. "The pond has frozen up... the ice is thick enough to skate on. I'll teach you all as soon as you're dressed." When she got several dubious expressions, she chuckled. "It won't kill you to learn something new. It'll be a great exercise in balance... and in keeping your dignity when you fall."
Trowa nodded and pulled Quatre up. He smiled soothingly at the distressed Arabian. "You'll be fine. I'll help!"
Harmony watched as they left the room... some of them more reluctant than others. She ran after Duo and latched onto his arm. "It's a lot of fun when you get the hang of it." She kissed his cheek and dashed off.
*****
Later, six bundled up individuals watched as Harmony stepped onto the ice with as little effort as it took to breathe.
Duo watched Harmony as she moved across the ice. She glided so perfectly, as if it were something she was born to do. 'An angel on ice,' he thought as he watched his sister.
"Come on. It's easy!" She laughed, as she skated over to the group. She clasped Wufei's wrist first and skated backwards. "The whole idea is to not fight the ice. Balance and timing are essential. If you wait too long, you could trip. If you don't wait long enough, you won't move much and you'll lose control." She watched as Wufei slowly stopped wobbling. "Ready to try on your own?"
She wanted to teach them how to skate. But Duo wasn't sure if he could do it. Harmony made it look so easy, but he knew it wasn't. He was sure that he'd end up falling on his butt more than once before the day was over.
"Yeah, right." Duo huffed, as he cautiously stepped out onto the ice. The rest of the guys did the same, although they didn't look as unsteady as he felt he was. "GYAAAH!" He didn't get two feet before his prediction came true and his rump was on the ice. He grumbled as he pushed himself up.
Trowa's balance was perfect, as usual. He didn't seem to need any help at all. After all, he was an acrobat. He was helping Quatre though. The blonde Arabian didn't look all too thrilled about being on ice. Relena circled around Heero, who was stonily refusing any offers she made to help. And Wufei just moved slowly now that Harmony had released him. A sour expression was on his face... almost as if he wanted to say "Skating is WEAK!"
Harmony grabbed Duo's wrists, pulling him farther out onto the ice. "Hey, not so fast." Duo exclaimed, hoping his legs wouldn't slip out from under him. He glanced at the others. With a wry grin, he noticed that Trowa had Quatre easing up and that Wufei had fallen a couple of times, but was still moving with considerably more speed. Heero was still glaring at Relena, and was either cold, or embarrassed since his face was bright red.
"Just relax, Bro! It's not that difficult to learn." She replied, as she let go. She turned and moved away from him, once again gliding across the ice like an expert. She started spinning... her long ponytail twirling down like a ribbon. "See... just think of the ice as your friend!"
"Yeah. Just look who's talking. You skate like an expert. Of course you'd think it was easy you showoff." Duo huffed. He looked down to his feet, moving them slowly. He didn't want to rush into things. A small smile appeared as he slowly gained his balance.
Suddenly, there was a strange cracking sound, followed by an odd sinking feeling. Before he had a chance to cry out, he was enveloped by icy water. The water was so cold it hurt, sending sharp pains throughout his body. Water filled his mouth, choking him, as he wanted desperately to take in a breath. He fought against the pressure that was building within his chest, the burning urge to breathe almost overwhelming his common sense. He knew he'd die if he did that, but it was so hard to resist. He struggled to reach the surface, the currents pulling him farther away from the only hole in the surface of the thick ice. 'Oh God,' his mind screamed out, 'someone help me!' He felt his body growing numb his vision growing dark, but still he fought, not ready to give up. No, he'd never give up, he would not leave his sister alone after she had just found him.
Harmony glanced behind her at the splash. "Duo? Oh... my... GOD! DUO!!!" She kicked her skates off and ran to the hole. She looked around desperately for any sign of her brother. "Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!" She sniffled and looked down. She screamed in alarm when she saw Duo's face trapped just below the surface. She knelt down and started pounding frantically at the solid ice. She had to get him out of there. He would die. "Not again," she whispered to herself as old memories resurfaced. Countless years of searching for her brother, so many people telling her to give up, that he was dead. The nights she had lain awake wondering if he really was still alive, desperately holding on to the diminishing hope of ever finding him. This would be worse... this time, he WOULD be dead. "I won't lose you again!"
The others were by her side instantly. Heero pushed Harmony aside as gently as he could. 'Hang in there a little longer!' He pulled his left ice skate off and slammed the blade into the ice. He glanced up. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" Relena spun and ran back to the house to get Sally.
After a moment of all five of them chipping at the ice, Heero could see Duo starting to lose his breath. A myriad of images flashed through Heero's memory, and Heero growled and brought the skate down as hard as he could. "DAMMIT!" The ice practically shattered and Duo surfaced, taking in a huge gulp of air. Heero grabbed Duo's arm before his fellow pilot could go under again.
Duo's whole body felt like daggers were shooting through him as he coughed up the icy water he had accidentally swallowed. He opened his eyes slightly, forcing his uncooperative vision to focus on one person. With every ounce of willpower he had, he gave Heero a small smile in thanks. Then he couldn't resist the weights on his eyelids, and he closed his eyes. 'I'll just rest a bit.'
Heero felt his breath catch as Duo met his gaze a mere second before the amethyst eyes clouded slightly and closed. "Duo!" He didn't waste another moment, he gathered Duo into his arms and picked him up while kicking the other skate off. "We have to get him warm!" He fought a wince as Duo's ice cold face came in contact with his own. Without a word to the other pilots, he took off towards the mansion with Harmony close behind him. Duo's lips were a deep purple in color and were slowly turning blue. He tightened his hold as Duo slowly stopped shivering. "Hang in there, Duo! I know you! You can't die... I won't LET you die!" He felt an odd ache in his heart when he thought of how full of life Duo was compared to the rest of the pilots, Heero included. The very thought of that vivacious boy dying left him feeling empty. He didn't understand the feeling, but he couldn't contemplate it at the moment.
Sally had been just about to leave the house when Heero ran in. "Bring him upstairs and get him out of those wet things! It'll be easier to warm him then."
Heero didn't need to be told twice, and he bolted up the stairs. Once inside Duo's room, he tore the soaked and frozen clothes off of Duo, as well as his own soaked coat and gloves, and wrapped him in a blanket, feeling a little relief mix with the worry as Duo's body started to shiver again. He started rubbing Duo's arms through the blanket in an effort to get Duo's body to generate some warmth on its own. "Come on, baka! Spit in the Shinigami's face again!"
Sally walked in. "Heero... I want you to get out of those clothes. I don't need you getting sick. I'll take care of Duo. He's a stubborn young man. I'm sure he'll be okay." She offered Heero a small smile. "Once you're in some dry clothes, you can come back." She picked up Duo and headed for the bathroom. Heero could see water in the tub.
Heero glanced at Duo's unconscious form a moment before nodding. Sally knew what she was doing. He turned and left the room.
Sally pulled the now damp blanket from around Duo and carefully lowered him into the lukewarm water. When he whimpered, she soothed him. "Shhh! I know it feels hot, Duo... but that's just because your body is so cold." She turned the hot water tap on to replace the warmth that Duo had dispelled and held Duo as his shivering became more violent. "It's okay, Duo... your body is trying to warm itself up." Sally was talking more for her benefit than for Duo's, but she knew the sound of someone's voice would soothe the boy. She continued splashing the warming water onto Duo and smiled as he slowly started relaxing.
Sally lifted Duo again and wrapped him in a nearby towel while she let his braid soak in the warm water. She didn't like the chill in his skin, but she knew he'd be able to warm up on his own from this point. After wrapping a towel around Duo's braid, she unplugged the tub and carried Duo back into the main bedroom to dress him in his warm pajamas.
*****
Sally let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door. It had been a close one, but - with luck - Duo would be fine. She looked up as Heero approached. "Heero?"
"Is he all right?" He jerked his head towards the door to Duo's room.
Sally smiled and nodded. "He's unconscious right now, but he should be fine." Her smile widened as Heero nodded. She had seen the faint traces of concern and then relief in his normally expressionless face. "You can go in now. It'll be comforting for him to wake up with someone there."
Heero watched Sally walk down the stairs before entering Duo's room. He walked over and placed his hand on Duo's cheek. He nodded with relief that, although still cool, Duo's temperature was at a safer level than the one that had alarmed him earlier.
Duo felt oddly lethargic as he opened his eyes. Every muscle still ached, but it wasn't the searing pain he'd felt when Heero had first pulled him out of the ice. "Hey."
"How are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare."
Duo forced himself to smile for a second before letting his face go slack. "None of my muscles wanna work. I feel so tired."
Heero nodded. "Then rest. I'll be here when you wake up." He watched Duo's eyes close and let himself sink into the chair beside the bed. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you baka."
*****
When Sally entered the living room, she was brought up short. Wufei had set up his new chess set and he and Harmony were studying the board intently. Harmony's hair was down and flowing.
Harmony looked up and ran to Sally. "Is Duo going to be okay?"
Sally smiled sympathetically at the terror in the girl's face. "He's a stubborn one, that brother of yours. He's unconscious right now. I won't know anything more until he wakes up. Right now... he needs to rest. The important thing is he's alive, and he'll remain so."
Harmony nodded. "That's all I need to know."
Sally smiled and headed for the kitchen. She paused in her trek again to look into the music room. Both Trowa and Quatre were playing violins. The styles were drastically different with Trowa playing at a fast and furious pace and Quatre playing a hauntingly slow melody, but they matched beautifully. 'What is this? The Love Shack?' Still... she knew that they had all needed distractions. She cleared her throat and gave them an upturned thumb to tell them everything would be all right. She smiled as Quatre threw his arms around Trowa before she resumed her journey.
Relena and Hilde were tittering in the kitchen with Catherine when Sally entered. "What's going one in here?"
Hilde grinned up at Sally. "Ohhh... just taking bets on how long it will take before Wufei realizes he has the hots for Harmony!" She giggled at Sally's expression. "Oh come ON! I mean... Wufei is usually this distant guy!" She cleared her throat. "Personal space! Three feet! NOW!!!!"
Sally had to chuckle at that. It was true that Wufei, like Heero, was not one to open up to people.
Relena smirked. "Besides... when was the last time he ever handled someone else's hair?" She giggled. "He's the one who took her hair out of the braid."
Hilde snickered. "Add the fact that Harmony LET Wufei unbraid her hair says that she likes him, too. She's like Duo, she won't let just ANYONE handle her hair. I haven't even been able to touch Duo's hair!" At the mention of Duo, she remembered the hubbub a short while ago. "Is he going to be all right?"
Sally smiled tiredly. "He should be. I won't know for sure until his body temperature is up to normal." She shook her head. "I can't believe Harmony let Wufei take her hair down."
Catherine nodded. "And then he offered to play chess with her to keep her occupied. Imagine that! Wufei wanting to play chess... with a WOMAN. Never mind that said woman has beaten him a couple of times."
Sally had to join in. "Well you girls missed the look on Heero's face when I left Duo's room. I swear his expression shifted." She paused to glance at Relena and Hilde.
Relena waved her hand. "Don't worry about me, Sally. I've known that Heero wasn't into women for a LONG time. It's nice to dream, though. He's a hottie even if his face is always in a serious expression."
Hilde nodded. "If I had to lose Duo to ANYONE... I'd want it to be to Heero. The long haired idiot just doesn't know it yet." She blushed. "I got a little jealous of Harmony because she's a girl and I wondered if there was something wrong with ME that kept Duo from making any moves."
Catherine sat down. "At least Trowa has no qualms... he has Quatre, and I'm happy for him. Something tells me that Trowa hasn't had much love in his lifetime." She smiled sadly as she traced the rim of her mug. "I know it's silly... but there are times I can almost believe that Trowa really IS my baby brother. He's about the right age..."
Sally shrugged. "There ARE ways to find out. I could run a DNA test on the two of you. If he IS your brother... then he'll finally know who he is. If he isn't... then you can adopt him. At least then you'll know. Now... I'd better go check up on Duo." She filled a cup with warmed cocoa.
Catherine watched Sally leave with a small frown. 'What if... what if he IS Triton?' Sally had definitely given her something to think about. One thing was for sure, she wasn't going to do anything without speaking with Trowa first.
TBC...
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