New Haven

Chapter Forty-Eight: Chow time and Is there a God?
~Central Park New York~
After the playful group of teasers had calmed down they settled with their families. Everyone teased the teasers as they chowed down on the food that had been pot-lucked for the event. Duo had been roped into making special sauces for cooking the meat with as well as many of the deserts and salads.
The people of the barbeque had assumed that a few groups of someones had made the meal. They didn’t know that only one group in particular or to be exact one person had made the wonderful food.
Une had nicely set up special grills so that each type of meat was fried on a particular grill and that everything had a list of ingredients so that those people with allergies would be easier and freer with what they could eat as well as those who followed certain religions.
Duo thought this was a very good thing. At least in Duo’s mind it was.
“Hey,” Duo interrupted the banter at the table he was sitting at. “I’m curious Quatre; do you follow your religion?”
“Loosely.” He told him dryly. “I don’t drink or eat pork because it was the way I was raised, but I don’t follow the religious holidays, or go to temple for prayer. I guess you could say that I am who I am.”
Duo nodded in understanding. “It’s like the way I honor Catholicism, but I don’t follow it to the letter. I think that war changes your view on religion. It shows you that religion is either the best thing for you or it doesn’t matter as much as people say it should. I know that I believe in God, Allah or Buddha; whatever name he or she uses is real. I have seen the work that has been done. From little miracles to big miracles.” He picked up his glass of diet Pepsi and looked up at the group that was listening. He raised his glass for a toast. “To honoring religion whether it is your own or someone else’s.”
Glasses were raised around the table and at other tables that had been listening to the discussion.
A chorus of ‘Here, here’ was heard.
Wufei squeezed Duo’s hand in understanding at the surprised look on the man’s face.
“What’s the toast about?” A voice called from across the park.
“To honoring religion whether it is your own or not.” A voice from another table called out in response. Another chorus of ‘Here, here’ rang out through the crowd of Preventers and their families.
Duo slid down in his seat in embarrassment. He hid his face behind his cup avoiding eye contact.
“Duo, you don’t need to hide.” Suki called from her end of the table where she sat talking with Howard, Sally, and Anne. “What you just did and said means that you know something that a lot of people your age will never know or understand. There are still people out there who will never take the time to understand any religion let alone respect someone else’s. There is still racism out there and it still causes trouble that will go on for centuries.”
Nods from the table that was visible to Duo startled him into sitting up.
One of the people turned to focus on Duo. He was an older man and fit the military persona to a ‘t’. A capitol ‘T’ to be exact. The buzz cut hair style, the crisp lines in his clothes and the way he sat showing it to perfection. “Only people who have been in war understand it. And even some of them can’t understand it. They can’t see what they have done and what is going on. The little things like the life of a child saved but a buddy dieing at their feet. They forget that the child that their buddy saved has the chance to grow and make sure that the mistake never happens again.” He paused. “Sometimes they can’t see past the violence to the little miracles that happen. Sometimes they do. It is a matter of perspective.
“I was on the opposing side. The leader of our troop was a vindictive bastard that brought out the worst in his officers and almost all of them were horrors of the earth. They treated their troops like so much garbage. The horrors they preformed on cadets and newbies I don’t want to remember.
“For some unexplainable reason only the good officers were put on duty one night. That was odd because usually they were never put on duty unless one of the Commandant’s henchmen was in charge. Just before sunrise the Commandant’s quarters, Officer’s quarters, and the quarter’s for the lesser people who had gained favor for their unusual verve were blown to smithereens. I will never forget the day. I saw something that no one else saw. My eyes were always too good for me. I saw a young man standing on one of the buildings dressed all in black and a long braid waving in the breeze. When I saw him I thought he was an angel of vengeance. I still do.” He said solemnly staring at a stunned Duo. “I could never thank God enough for that angel’s help to the men of that base. Their families were held for hostage and that day was a day of celebration. The guards that were holding the families in lieu of service were found dead and the families freed from tyranny.” He turned loving eyes to the woman beside him. “I thank God for that angel every day and I will go on thanking him to the day I die.” The woman blushed and giggled as she leaned in to her slightly older husband.
Duo stared at the man as he remembered the base and what he had done. A blush slowly spread over his features at being called an angel.
“My Angel.” Wufei whispered into his ear and he pulled Duo closer to his side. “An Angel that knew that something was wrong, and worked it out and freed the people who needed freeing.”
Duo blinked as the man winked at him.
The man stood up and moved to their table. “I’m Agent Styles. Don’t ask I can’t figure it out. John McCormick.”
Duo stared up at the man. He wasn’t that tall 5’8” or 5’9”. But he seemed taller for the way he carried himself. He stood up to shake the man’s hand. “Lieutenant Duo Maxwell. For the NYEMS. I am also Agent Life as a part time agent for Preventers.”
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“This is my fiancé, Chang Wufei a lawyer for Preventers and a part time agent as well. Agent Dragon.” Wufei bowed slightly to the man. “His sister Chang Katey. His daughter Chang Sakura. And soon to be mine as well.” Duo pointed to Katey for her introduction as she nodded respectfully. He tickled a giggling Sakura. He pointed to Damian next. “My brother Damian Maxwell.”
John nodded to all of them in return, giving a slight bow to Wufei respectfully.
“Agent Flight. Heero Yuy.” Heero stood to introduce himself and his family. “The young man in the wheel chair is my adopted son Alex Winner. The young lady hiding behind my endearingly large lover is Angel Barton.” He placed a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “My mother Dr. Suki Yuy. She is an architect. Agent Silence or Lieutenant Trowa Barton of Fire Station 246 is the man hiding half his face. The blond is Dr. Quatre Raberba Winner of NYG, otherwise known as Agent Patriot. You probably already know The Lady and her wife Dr. Po. The gentleman beside her is their son Gerald. The older gentleman is Dr. Howard Green. He is a mechanic for Preventers as well as other places.”
John nodded to each surveying the table in amazement. It was a very unusual group.
“I hope that you are having as much fun at this event as my wife and children are.” He told them with a grin. He winked at Duo again. “Make sure to let the kids try for some prizes in the games later. My wife helped set them up.” He turned back to his table at the murmurs of agreement.
The auction would be held later in the evening.
Anne Une turned unblinking eyes on Duo with a slightly wry smile. “It’s a good thing that you were very fastidious about who you killed Duo. Otherwise a lot of people wouldn’t be here to spend time with you like this.”
Duo blinked startled by the words.
“You were always an amazing judge of character Kid.” Howard murmured around a beer that he was sipping. “I always enjoyed aiding you because I knew that only people who deserved to die would. I always thought that you were some kind of angel the way you could divine who was good and who wasn’t. I thank God that I met you and am honored to know you.”
Glasses were raised and murmurs of ‘here, here’ were heard.
Wufei wrapped an arm around the man he loved and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I can agree with every word. You are an angel, you are a wraith, and you are death and life for people. You work for good to make people happy and drive the evil from the world.”
Duo looked up stunned by the words of the man he loved.
Quatre stood up from where he sat. “I propose a toast.” He called out to the assembled men, women, and children. The Preventers and family members stood as one. “To the creator of New Haven and the protectors of peace.” His tones rang threw the crowd.
“To the creator of New Haven and the protectors of peace.” Voices thundered out in unison. Cups were raised and sipped from.
Duo stared at his friend that he considered a brother. A blush spread over his features as he cuddled into his fiancé’s side. The day had turned out to be very interesting for everyone. He wondered how many lives he had touched in some way that were at this party. He knew that there was probably too many to count. He had done so much during the war to help both sides inadvertently. Many of them had joined this peace keeping group to keep the peace and make sure that wars didn’t happen for a very long time.