New Haven

Chapter Twenty-One: Beginning to learn.
Duo woke to a poking in his side. He frowned and slowly opened his eyes to see what was prodding him. He turned his face to where the poking was coming from.
Sakura frowned in demand when she saw he was awake. “I gotta go pee.”
“Ahhh, okay.” Duo responded not knowing what else to say.
“Now.”
Duo shifted himself to the edge of the bed and let his legs drop over it. He slowly stood gaining his balance slowly. He turned and offered a hand in assisting her down. He was promptly tugged in the direction of the washroom. He shuffled along behind her trying not to lose his balance.
Sakura let go of Duo when she stood in front of the toilet. She dropped the boxers that had been safety pinned to her size by a nurse. She then looked up in demand at the man.
Duo stared down at her wondering how he was going to help her onto the toilet. He finally knelt and let her use his legs as a step to get seated.
Sakura wobbled as she tried to seat herself.
Duo’s hand shot out and steadied her as she wobbled and she looked at him gratefully. He kept his hand their for support and frowned. His bladder had just given him his own message of need. It was full. He had to go as well.
The sound of tinkling filled the air.
It didn’t help Duo’s own situation. “Hurry up.” He ordered. “I have to go too.”
Sakura giggled at the demand.
Duo had the toilet tissue ready and waiting for her when she was finished and helped her off. “Turn around and don’t look.” He told her motioning her toward the door and twirling his hand.
Sakura giggled again and did as ordered.
Duo took a position that had his back to her so that she wouldn’t see what he was doing. He frowned over his shoulder as he relieved his bladder. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t peeking.

Wufei woke and reached his arms out to pull his daughter closer to him. His hands met empty air. He frowned and patted the bed looking for her hoping that she wasn’t pressed up against Duo to firmly. When he found nothing he sat up panicking. When he didn’t find either person in question he all but fell out of bed and was rushing to the door.
The sound of giggles from the washroom broke his headlong rush. He glared at the bathroom door and knocked softly at the last second so he wouldn’t wake the teens.
“Wha’s the matter?” A groggy voice asked.
Wufei paused in his act of opening the door. “I panicked.” Wufei admitted a little bit to his own embarrassment. He pushed the door open with a little resistance from the other side. He poked his head inside to see what was going on.
Duo was staring crossly over his shoulder at the intruder. The glare softened at the sight of Wufei. Wufei didn’t see Sakura but he assumed that was who was pushing against the door. He nodded and pulled his head back before he let the door close. He didn’t want to get caught by it.
Wufei groaned as his own urge for the bathroom made itself known. He propped his shoulders against the wall and waited for the room to be vacant. He glared at the now two staring teens.
He heard a ‘Hey I said no peeking!’ from the washroom and tried not to let his smile get to big.
“Fei?”
Wufei opened the door at the question and looked at Duo.
“I can’t get her up high enough to wash her hands.” He said with a blush.
Wufei chuckled and scooped his daughter up to plunk her down on the counter by the sink. He waited for them to finish what they were doing. The sound of the water running not helping his case at all. When they finished he shooed them out so he could use the washroom. They went giggling. He closed the door firmly behind them.

Duo looked down at the giggling girl. He was glad that there was no obvious effects from her near disaster.
Sakura ran forward to wait by the bed and looked at how high it was. She looked around and her eyes landed on a nearby chair. She gave it tug and it moved slightly.
Duo watched her efforts and got the idea she was after and helped push it for her with the little energy he had left. He watched her climb up onto the bed and plunk herself down in the spot that she had taken over. When she had settled into a sitting position he raised the head of his bed and scooted on into a comfortable position of his own.
Duo looked up from his staring match with the little munchkin when Wufei left the washroom. He returned to the match when he saw what he wanted to see.
Wufei eyed the silent staring match trying again not to smile. He heard a whisper and turned to see the teens watching the duel on the bed. He shook his head and headed for the door to hallway. He stuck his head through the opening he made to find a nurse ready to knock. He scowled at her.
Katey slipped into the washroom behind him. He heard the click of the door and knew it had to be her because she was closest to the door.
“Oops.” She told him. “Dr. Po wants to examine Mr. Maxwell. She also wants to check out how everyone else is doing. Mr. Yuy brought some clothes. It’s in the duffle bag just inside the door. I’ll go get some food for you. You must all be hungry.” She turned with a sway of her hips and flirtatious glance over her shoulder.
Wufei groaned. ‘Why do women always do that?’ He asked himself as he firmly closed the door again. He looked down to find the duffle with a note on it were she said it would be.
Wufei, Duo,
I hear you have some new family members. So do we. We’ll meet them soon. Quatre is having the one that has to stay in hospital transferred over here.
I thought you all could use some clothes. I had one of Quatre’s sisters get clothes for the girls. I told them something in oriental make. I found some of our old clothes for the boy.
I also put clothes in for you and Duo.
Later
Heero.
Wufei smiled in delight. He should have known that Heero would do this. If he hadn’t Lady Une or Sally would have. He opened the bag as he made his way back to the bed. He gave the note to Duo and moved the clothes around. He found the clothes that were for a young woman and placed them on Katey’s cot.
He found the old clothes and tossed them over his shoulder to Damian. Who caught them out of the air. He pulled out the little girl clothes. Thankfully not pink and raised an eyebrow to his daughter. She giggled and crawled toward him.
Duo grinned at the sight of father and daughter. They were so similar in many ways that he knew that he was going to love the little thing almost as much as her father. He yawned and grinned when Katey came out of the washroom.
Katey stared at the clothes sitting on the cot and looked at Duo and Wufei hesitantly.
“Let Damian use the washroom first. Then you can go change.” Wufei told her not even turning around. “Oh, and both of you have showers.” He told them tossing the bathing necessities over his shoulder.
He paused with a frown. “Katey could you take Sakura with you when you take yours?”
Katey’s eyes widened at the trust she was being given. “Ooookay.” She said hesitantly.
“Take as long as you need.” Duo added as he watched the emotions crossing the young ladies face. “I noticed there’s a bath is there as well. Damian can take a shower. You and Sakura can have a nice long hot bath.”
“Bath?” Katey said in awe.
“Bath!!!” Sakura chortled in delight.
“Yup.” Duo answered. “Wufei will get it ready for you. Don’t worry he’ll leave before you have to get in.” He added with a wink. “First lesson sweetheart is learning to trust. We don’t want you the way you have been used. We already give that to each other. We give it with our love of each other. I was in your position before.” He looked at Damian and nodded somberly. “I understand. I never thought I would find the one who was for me and would understand that I had to make the first move.” He looked over adoringly to Wufei who was murmuring to an excited Sakura.
Wufei lifted his eyes and looked over with all the love he could showing to Duo and the teens what Duo meant.
“We won’t take advantage of you and never will.” Duo continued. “If I can learn to have a real life so can you. You don’t have as much to get past as I did. I still am. We can learn together.” He told them. He looked over at Wufei hesitantly. “Wufei and I think of as you as brother and sister. Not lovers. You’ll never have to do that sort of thing again. And maybe we’ll be able to help you find that someone special to love and find what I did.” He added with a blush looking down at the blanket on the bed. His hands picking at the fabric.
Wufei reached out for one of the hands and brought it to his lips. He brushed his lips over the knuckles and placed a kiss on the palm. When Duo looked up at him he told him, “Don’t be ashamed of us. I am not.” He looked down to the giggling girl sitting in his lap. He looked back up love for Duo shining brightly in his eyes. “We will get through this. We will teach each other as well as Katey and Damian what life is really like.”
Duo nodded happily. He looked up to see Damian and Katey holding a silent conversation.
They both turned to the couple as one. “Thank you.” They said in complete chorus with each other.
Duo grinned and gave them a thumbs up. “When your done Katey you should get Wufei to brush those mats out of your hair. I have a feeling you’d like to keep the length, right?” He received a nod and grinned.
Wufei nodded and smiled at the girl as Damian slipped by her into the washroom for a shower. “Wash everything Damian. Even your hair. There should be lots of shampoo and conditioner in there. Heero is usually very good at knowing how much is needed.”
An affirmative reply was called through the door as Katey settled back onto the cot.
Sally pushed to door open and found Wufei reading a book to his daughter and Duo listening absently to the tale. Katey was leaning forward as she listened to the story as well. The sound of running water told her where Damian was.
“Katey,” Duo called to the girl. “There’s lots of room up here if you want to see the pictures as well.”
Katey slithered from the cot and approached the bed hesitantly not noticing the audience they had. She sat on the edge and peered carefully over Wufei’s shoulder. Wufei made no move to say whether he was uncomfortable or interested in other things.
Sally approached the bed slowly letting her shoes squeak to say she was there. A nurse bustled in behind her carrying a tray of food and drinks. She read the observation chart reports and nodded.
Duo groaned at the sight of Sally. “Fei the evil lady has come to torture me.” He whined.
Wufei looked up and smiled gently as his love. “Behave or the children will think that you’re really scared.”
Duo blinked. He had forgotten that the children wouldn’t understand his teasing. He looked reassuringly at Katey and did as Sally asked him. He pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing because he refused to wear the operating gowns. They were to drafty.
Katey stared at the seam work of scars on Duo’s body. She hadn’t believed him when he had said that he knew what they had been threw. When she saw the scars she knew he had. She looked up to meet violet eyes watching her calmly.
“Didn’t think I’d know, hun?” Katey just nodded. “I never lie sweetheart.” He told her calmly as Sally poked and prodded his injured body. “Ow! Sally do you have to poke so hard.” He growled as he turned his attention back to the physician.
Katey looked back at the book looking over the beautiful pictures she saw there. She didn’t know it but she was soon resting against Wufei as she listened to his voice softly read the story within the book.
When Wufei felt Katey settle trustingly against him. He flashed a quick smile of joy to Duo. He noticed Sally’s smile of understanding as well and continued to read to his new sister and daughter.
Damian pushed the door of the bathroom open. His eyes were caught by the red head leaning trustfully against the asian man. The man wasn’t acknowledging the trust but was reading calmly. His eyes turned to the doctor prodding the man who ‘said’ he understood what they had been through. ‘There is no way that…’ His mind trailed off as his eyes took in the old and fading scars on the man’s body. Some of them were identical to his own. They were very familiar. He knew those scars. He knew what they meant as well. He raised his hand to a similar one on his side. He saw other scars that he had never seen before.
Duo looked up and met the eyes of the teen. He grunted as Sally prodded a tender spot. “Yeah I know kid. No need to apologize.”
Wufei turned confused eyes from the book he was reading. He looked at the scars he didn’t really see networking his loves body. He eyes looked upward to see the violet eyes closing in soul weariness. A look of horror crossed his face as he remembered the scars he had seen on the body of both teens. But an underlying understanding came with it. He forgot the book and let it fall from his hands.
His voice came as a deep rumble from the depths of his soul. “And you still gave yourself to me?” He asked in awe of his love. He didn’t know that he had turned and was hovering over Duo.
Duo looked up at the love pouring from Wufei. “Yes.” Was all that he could manage to tell him. He couldn’t find words to express what he was feeling. The love that was pouring from the man was soothing the memories that hurt so much.
Wufei groaned and leaned forward careful not to put any weight on the other man. He pressed his lips hungrily to Duo’s and placed as much feeling behind the kiss as he could. Duo’s lips parted and his tongue brushed over his loves lips. There was no fire to go further just a loving kiss that promised love for all eternity.
The two teens and the doctor watched with varying degrees of emotion. Duo had wrapped his good arm around Wufei and was holding the other man lovingly his hands rubbing gently over the broad back of his dragon.
Sakura had enough. She jumped onto her father’s back with a giggle as her only warning.
Wufei heard his daughter and braced himself pulling from the lip lock he was in with Duo.
Duo looked over Wufei’s shoulder to the smaller feminine version of his love staring down at him giggling for all that she was worth.
“Baba,” She shouted into his ear. “Duo-Daddy can’t wrestle with you right now. He’s hurt.”
“From the mouths of babes.” Sally murmured trying not to burst into laughter.
Duo pressed his face into Wufei’s chest. Laughter was burbling into it unintentionally tickling the skin there.
“Damian’s done his shower now Baba. Can Katey and I have our bath now?” Sakura asked as she bounced happily on her fathers back.
Wufei had had enough he shifted in warning for Duo who let go of him falling carefully back to the bed. He sat up making sure to snake an arm around behind him to catch his daughter before she fell on Duo’s legs. “A bath.” He growled. “You want a bath do you?”
Sally intervened on the couples behalf. “Why don’t you let me get it ready?” She asked them. “Then I’ll come back and prod the other Mr. Maxwell for a while.” She motioned to Katey to follow with the clothes. “I’ll help you ladies get clean and do my exam of you two while I’m at it.” She turned and held out her arms demandingly for the girl on Wufei’s back. “Bath time.” She informed the ball of energy.
Sakura leapt into the arms with a squeal of delight. Sally let out a wuff of air as the small body hurtled into her arms..
Wufei rolled away from Duo to watch his daughter chatter at the ladies as she was brought into the washroom for her bath. Her arms waving in her excitement. Katey was trailing behind the woman hesitantly. She looked back at the men. She stopped and ran back to the beds. Wufei looked at her questioningly. She looked at him hesitantly.
Wufei let his own wuff of air as she hurtled herself into his surprised arms. She squeezed him as hard as he could. “Thank you.” She whispered. “Thank you for saving us even when you didn’t have to. Thank you for wanting me. Thank you for everything.” She turned and gave a quick gentle hug to Duo repeating the litany. She turned and ran back to the bathroom and turned back to give the men a blinding smile.
Wufei turned to see Duo smiling softly through tears.
“We got their at the right time.” He told Wufei. “They aren’t adults yet we have enough time to teach them to be kids again.”
Wufei laughed and brushed a kiss over Duo’s temple. He turned to look at Damian. “Do you think we can do it?” He asked the young man. He could see the inner child fighting inside him.
“I think I have a lot to learn and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Damian replied softly.