It was warm and comfortable in Wufei’s arms. And in truth it really did feel less painful in the Chinese boy’s embrace.  Somehow though, he had to get up out of the circle of Wufei’s arms without waking him.  There was a lot he needed to do… repairs to DH2, reassuring Quatre that he was fine, mission check, bugging Heero, teasing Trowa, gambling with the Maganacs and winning all of their money, eating all of the food in the house… He grinned to himself, no matter what, he wasn’t about to let ANYTHING control his life.
     Slowly he pulled away from Wufei feeling a slight twinge of regret.  Turning back he smiled as he watched Wufei pull a pillow into his arms, his features soft, up-turned lips and dark hair falling across a bronze cheek.  Unable to resist he leaned forward, tucking the wayward strand behind his ear and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead.  Pulling away he smiled a genuinely happy smile.  “Guess dreams really can come true.”
     Then with a light step he moved to the bathroom and a nice hot shower.
………………….
     He didn’t even take two steps into the kitchen before Heero, who didn’t even glance up from the screen of his laptop, spoke to him in his usual monotone.  “You and I have been given another mission Duo.”
     Duo, who had just opened his mouth to say hello, stood still with his mouth hanging open and his hair still damp from his shower before sliding into a vacant chair at the table grumbling, “Hello to you too Heero, have a good night’s sleep?  Yah, so did I and yes, I am fine.  Thanks for asking.”
     “Good.”
     Duo blinked at Heero.  “Excuse me?”
     Heero met his gaze with his usual blank look.  “It’s good that you’re fine because this mission is important.”
     It was hard for duo not to stare at Heero in disbelief, out of all the pilots he thought of the Japanese boy as his best friend but sometimes he really doubted if Heero saw their relationship the same way.
     He watched as Heero started towards the door, the unspoken command that Duo was to follow him, hung in the air like a fog.
     Duo found himself hesitating, wishing to say goodbye to Wufei but knowing that the mission always came first.  Catching sight of a familiar blond head he called out to Quatre, moving to meet him.  As he didn he removed the cross from his neck and then pressed it into Quatre’s hand.  Meeting sky-blue eyes.  “Give this to Wufei and tell him I’ll be back soon to get it, okay?”
     Quatre blinked but closed his hand tightly over the necklace before nodding.  “I will Duo.  Please be careful.”
     Duo grinned over his shoulder as he jogged after Heero.  “Have to, I have WAY too much to live for to be careless and throw it all away.”
……………………….
     Wufei woke to find that the comfortable warmth he’d enjoyed was gone.  Suddenly fully alert he listened attentively to the room around him, listening for any signs of the braided pilot.  When he heard nothing he sat up, throwing the covers off and sliding from the bed in a single smooth motion.  Carefully he ran his hands over his silk tank top and pants in an attempt to flatten the wrinkles before heading downstairs, trying desperately to stave off the sense of foreboding that had suddenly descended on him.
……………………….
     Duo felt a sudden sharp pain in his lungs but pushed it to the back of his mind.  He was, in effect, taking the enemy out two to every one of Wings.  He felt one of the connections snap and had to open a replacement receptor for the spare cable while still trying to protect his suddenly immobile arm.
     The second receptor snapped together with the interlocking cord causing a new wave of torment.  And just in time for him to lift the arm in a block.
     The main reason he’d been chosen for the Next Level Project (NLP) hadn’t merely been that he’d volunteered for it but because of his near-unbreakable focus during battle.  In order to work the DH2 to the uptmost efficiency it was necessary to control all of your thoughts, completely focused on the battle.  A stray thought at the wrong time would get him killed, or worse, cause the death of someone else.
     He just hoped Heero finished up with his end of the mission soon.
……………………………
     Heero nodded to himself as they reached a distance safe enough for him to detonate the bombs, trying hard not to get in Deathscythe’s way as it very nearly obliterated the enemy as soon as they arrived.
     He would need to discuss the suit’s capabilities with duo as soon as they arrived back at their current place of residence.
………………………..
     Hearing Heero’s monotone, “Mission complete.”  Duo hit the thrusters and followed Wing away from the battlefield not wanting to think about having to remove the coupling that had broken off from it’s cord, without anyone noticing.
……………………….
     Quatre had given him the cross Duo had left the moment he’d gotten downstairs.  The idea that Duo would leave him something so important had left him speechless.
     The second he’d heard about Heero and Duo returning he’d gone to the storage facility to work on Nataku.  He wasn’t quite sure why but he felt that Duo might need his help.
……………………….
     Duo had landed nearly ten minutes ago, but he hadn’t left DH2 yet.  He couldn’t because, though he’d disengaged the interface, the receptors had stayed open due to the one that was jammed.  It was more than a little painful but he couldn’t bear the thought of the others seeing him like he was.
……………………….
     Wufei was worried, and so were the others.  He knew that it could be the biggest mistake he had ever made but he had to see if Duo was alright.
     Without looking at the three other pilots he moved towards the Gundam.  “I’ll check on him.  Wait here, if I require your assistance I’ll let you know.”
     Slowly he approached DH2 and climbed up to the hatch, pulled the trigger and let himself inside.
…………………………
     Duo’s eyes were closed tightly as he heard the sound of someone entering DH2’s small compartment space.  He didn’t even open his eyes as he heard a sharp gasp but in the silence he heard himself laugh, a bitter, pain-filled sound that echoed loudly around him.
     He didn’t even open his eyes as he heard extra movement and a softly uttered, “Oh Allah.”
     Using the uninjured hand, eyes still clenched tightly he wrapped his hand around the plugged in head of the sensor and in one quick motion he ripped it free, finding it difficult to breath at the sudden influx of pain.  And the sound that came from him could only be described as a whimper.
     “Duo?”
     He just barely managed to force his eyes open enough to meet Wufei’s worried ebony gaze and to see the outline of the others.  “I’ll be fine Wu… But, you should,… should tell them…”
     And that was it, the lights went out.
……………………………..
     Wufei gently cradled Duo’s limp form and stood, meeting the other’s worried and questioning faces.  “I’ll explain as soon as he’s comfortable.”
     Quatre nodded his head before running ahead to get the servants to help prepare the braided pilot’s bed but both Trowa and Heero stayed behind, helping him get Duo out of DH2’s cockpit and back to the mansion.  Where Quatre was living up to his reputation as a mother hen and careful tucked Duo in himself, posting not one but two maids by his bed with orders to give him whatever he wanted, should he wake up and to notify them immediately as well.
     The he gave Wufei a meaningful look and dragged the other two out the door.  Wufei smiled softly down at the American and laid a gentle kiss on his forehead, smoothing the wayward bangs off of the angelic face before he slowly got up and left the bedroom.
     Heading down the stairs he tried to steel himself for what the others might say when he got to the family room.
………………………….
     “HE WHAT?!”
     Wufei watched as Quatre’s face became beat red, his eyes narrowed angrily.  He had just finished telling them what Duo had told him and their reactions had taken him by surprise.  Quatre’s most of all.  He had heard it said that the most, mild tempered individual, when angered, would have the absolute worst temper.  Watching the usually quiet blond, Wufei believed that, but he wasn’t stupid enough to try and calm Quatre down and apparently neither were the other two.
     “I’ll see to it that Doctor G regrets his little EXPERIMENT.”
     Quatre’s body was shaking horribly but his anger dissipated when Heero made a very quiet and very emotional inquiry (well as emotional as Heero gets, only slight shake in his voice), “Will he be alright?”
     Wufei sighed heavily.  “He’s in pain most of the time but he deals with it better than anyone has any right to expect.  He’ll be fine.”  Silently he added to himself **I hope**.
     Trowa spoke up softly, “He did it to save us from going through it.  He didn’t even tell any of us…. Why?”
     Wufei was about to answer when a familiar voice did for him.
     “I was afraid that you’d think I was some kind of freak, or a monster.  I mean I’m not even really Human any more.”
     Quatre was on his feet and by Duo in a second, “Duo you should be resting… and I could never think that about you… you’re like a brother to me.  I love you too much to think ill of you in such a way.  I had thought you knew that.”
     Duo smiled wearily, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.  “I feel fine Quatre.  I bounce back quick and, uh, thanks.”
     Heero literally marched over to stand in front of Duo, his face only inches from the Deathscythe pilot’s.  Duo’s eyes widened and his stance changed only slightly but it was enough to let them all know that he expected Heero to hit him.  Heero’s lip quirked up slightly, “Baka.”
     The braided boy blinked at the other in shock, “Heero… you’re, you’re smiling?!”
     Heero nodded slightly and gently squeezed his shoulder, and to Wufei it appeared as if ‘something’ was exchanged between the two.  Of what, he couldn’t be certain but it seemed to cause some of the dark clouds to lift off Duo’s face.
     Wufei watched as Trowa met Duo’s gaze before changing to wear the tiny blond pilot was trying to reassure the maids that he wasn’t angry at them and then coming to rest back on Duo as the taller pilot nodded, eyes soft.  Anyone could have read that look.  Trowa was glad that Duo had done what he’d done because it meant that Quatre wouldn’t have to go through it, and for that he was extremely grateful.
     Then just as suddenly as it had all happened Heero was suddenly demanding, in his no nonsense voice, that Duo should give him a run down on DH2’s abilities and Trowa was listening closely in as Quatre tried to urge both of them to let Duo get some sleep.
     Wufei watched Duo roll his eyes and send a quirky smile in his direction, and when Wufei was sure that Duo was watching him he mouthed the words: I love you.
     Duo smiled one of his rare, genuine smiles and blew him a kiss before being hauled off by Heero who had reverted back to his perfect soldier ways.