[LOG] Unwanted Search Party

[truedeath02]

Characters: Duo, Heero, Wufei
When: Second half of event timeline
Where: Jin's bookstore/clinic
Rating: PG (Sometimes, Duo has a potty mouth, even at eight years old.)
Summary: Heero's been hiding since the event started. Duo pesters Wufei into finding him because he's little and probably hasn't come out of hiding all this time. Heero doesn't want to be found and things blow up... badly.

Duo fidgeted slightly where she sat, tucked up under a blanket on the bed she and Wufei were being forced to share. She watched Wufei reading with an intense gaze from her large eyes, then tugged slightly on the blanket. She coughed slightly.

Wufei looked up from her book with a sigh. "Yes, Maxwell?"

"I'm bored~..." she whined.

"Then find something to do."

"Like what~... I'm stuck to you, remember?"

She pointed to the stack of books at the foot of the bed, most of which she'd already chewed through.

Duo frowned.

"There's probably someone on the network to talk to if you're that bored," Wufei said.

"I was talkin' to someone..." Duo said. "Heero... he said he's hiding and never comin' out. We should go find him."

Wufei grimaced. She knew Heero was hiding, having spoken to him as well. "That would entail leaving..."

"So? It would be something ta do... and Heero shouldn't hide for so long," Duo said. "He's gotta eat."

"Leaving means that people might see me like this," she hissed, clutching the blanket around her.

"It's only gonna be the people in here..." Duo whined. "Q... an' Tro'... an' Heero... an' Jin... an' Galadr'el... an' I think Q's a girl, too."

"He is," Wufei said.

"So? It won't be so bad."

Wufei flushed, sinking down into her blanket more. If she'd had her way, no one would have seen her until the event had ended.

"C'mon~..." Duo whined again. She crawled over the bed to Wufei and poked her. "What if Heero's hungry?"

She yelped, jumping away from the offending finger. "Then he can come out and get his own food."

"He won't. He said he won't."

She sighed, sending Duo a look that made it clear that she was not pleased. "You aren't going to leave me be until we go, are you?"

Duo shook her head slightly. She couldn't quite a vigorously as she wanted to just yet. "Nuh-uh."

"Brat." But she finally relented, letting the blanket drop as she scooted over to the edge of the bed.

Duo grinned and moved to climb off the bed. Her leg got tangled in the blanket, and she tumbled off with a thud, instead. "Ow..." She immediately bit back the childish and girly urge to whimper and cry.

Wufei dropped down next to her, still rather worried for the other pilot. "Are you alright?"

"Mm~..." She finally nodded after a minute, slowly sitting up.

The Chinese woman reached out a hand to help her up.

Duo took it and carefully pulled herself back up to her feet. She was definitely going to feel that later.

"Want me to carry you?" she asked, only half joking.

Duo gave Wufei about as close to a death glare as she could get, which, unfortunately for her, only made her look cuter with the big eyes and her diminutive size.

"That's not very effective right now," Wufei informed her.

"Hmph." Duo crossed her little arms.

She smiled. "Sorry. But my offer's real. Quatre would kill me if I made you walk on a bad foot or ankle."

"Let's just go~..." Duo whined.

Wufei nodded, starting for the door.

Duo followed. "What room was Heero in?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "Quatre carried me here. Trowa took him someplace."

"Mm... we should find out..."

"Doubt he's going to tell us."

Duo huffed slightly. "Well, we'll just hafta check the doors and look inside."

Wufei nodded. "Lead the way."

Duo nodded and headed off down the hall.

She kept close to the girl, listening for anyone who might be there.

She poked her head in the first room. Not immediately seeing anyone, she went in further and started looking under things.

Wufei let Duo do the active searching. Sitting on the floor, she looked around for movement.

Duo crawled about for a bit, laying flat on her stomach to look under the bed. Nothing... She grunted slightly as she got up, the recently healed injuries extra sore after the tumble off the bed, not to mention the new bruises she was going to have from it.

"Looks like he isn't in here," Wufei said, watching her. She was seriously considering carrying Duo whether she liked it or now.

Duo frowned. "Next room, then," she said, heading for the door.

She followed her out, keeping an eye on her walking.

The next door was locked, so Duo listened hard. "You hear anything?" she asked.

"Can't be sure."

"Mm..." Duo frowned a bit. "We'll come back to this one, then." She moved on to the next one. Her walking looked normal enough.

Wufei nodded, glancing back at the door as they passed.

Repeating the steps from the first one, Duo did the same... checking the closet and under the bed again.

There was a blanket stuffed under the bed in a lumpy bundle.

"Anything?" Wufei asked, standing just inside the door.

Duo waved for Wufei to come over and look under the bed.

Walking over and kneeling down, she smiled.

The bundle was surprisingly still, for a suspicous bundle.

Maybe too still? Duo squiggled forward, ignoring any twinges of protest her aches may have provided, and grabbed the suspicious blanket. She pulled.

The blanket caught on something, which pulled back.

Wufei snickered. "Need help?"

Duo looked back, still gripping the blanket tightly. "Can you reach?" She didn't want Wufei to hurt her arm more.

"I should be able to." Balancing herself, she leaned in and reached for the blanket, managing to get a tight grip.

There was a squeak and the blanket attempted to tug away.

"Hello, Yuy," Wufei said, pulling sharply.

Duo tugged at the same time.

The blanket attempted to pull back.

"C'mon, Heero..." Duo whined.

Wufei kept tugging, adding more strength to her pull.

The blanket came loose suddenly, and a little shape scrambled backwards to press tightly in the farthest corner from them.

Duo blinked. "Wow... he's really little," she said.

Moving the blanket out of reach, Wufei peered under the bed again. "Come out, Yuy."

He was very little. "No!" he snapped in a tone that at his normal age might give someone pause.

Well, anyone but these two... Duo squirmed her way forward. "Heero... it's okay..."

"It's not okay! Go away! I can take care of myself!" He squeezed further back.

"You're hiding under a bed, Yuy," Wufei said, trying to hold back a laugh.

"You can't stay here forever, Heero."

"Yes I can. I've hid before."

"Keep an eye on him while I move the bed, Maxwell," Wufei said, pushing herself to her feet.

"Noooooo!" Heero squeaked, reaching up to grab at the slats above him.

"Heero..." Duo frowned and reached up, trying to get Heero to let go. "Don't do this~... Wufei's hurt."

"Then Wufei shouldn't move the bed!" Heero snapped back, wriggling away.

"You shouldn't be hiding!" Duo yelled.

Bracing her feet, Wufei started to pull the bed away from the wall.

"Yes I should! I'm little and there are big bugs out there! And sides, I don't like people seeing me little!" He grabbed at the slats so he moved with the bed.

Duo let go, ducking down and putting her arms over her head so Heero didn't accidentally kick her in the face.

Once there was enough room between the bed and the wall, Wufei stopped moving it and climbed over to the other side, kneeling down and looking under.

Heero wiggled towards the other side the moment he saw Wufei. "Go away."

Duo maneuvered towards Heero, trying to herd him out from under the bed.

Wufei reached under, trying to get a hold on the young boy.

"Nooooooo!" Heero struggled to avoid both.

"We're not gonna get any bugs here!"

"You're being ridiculous, Yuy," Wufei said, hand landing on an arm.

"Just leave me alone! I'll shoot you!" he tried to threaten, struggling to twist out of Wufei's grip.

"I doubt you could handle a gun at your size," Duo quipped. Little did he know what Heero's upbringing had been.

"Then shoot me," Wufei challenged. "If you're armed."

The noise Heero made was one of pure frustration. He kicked his legs and made a last ditch effort to twist away.

Duo reached out and wrapped her arms around around Heero to try and hold him still.

The woman firmed her grip on him. "Try to get him off the slats."

"Let go, Duo! Leave me alone!" he cried.

"Heero! C'mon!" Duo held as tight as she could.

"We've already seen you," Wufei said. "There's no point in hiding from us."

"Then if you've seen me you can leave now," Heero replied.

"You can't stay here 'til you're big again, Heero..." Duo said. "You stink..." She wrinkled her nose.

"You need to eat, Yuy," Wufei said, looking past him to Duo. She mouthed 'push him towards me.'

Duo braced her foot against one of the legs of the bed and tried to do just that.

At the same time, Wufei good a good pull.

"Then don't smell me....heeeeey!" he cried as Wufei dragged him towards the edge of the bed. "No!"

Getting a better grip, Wufei pulled him out.

Duo pushed until she had no reach left, then let go.

"Why?" Heero cried. "Why can't I hide?"

Wufei wrapped her arm around his waist, keeping a good grip on the boy. "Because it's not healthy."

He was in a t-shirt that reached his toes. "I don't care about healthy," he protested.

"You should..." Duo muttered, crawling out after him.

"You need to eat," Wufei said, not letting him go.

"Not hungry," he grumped.

Duo smirked, having a feeling Heero would be once he smelled food. She got up, wincing a bit, and put her hands firmly on Heero's shoulders. "C'mon... we're getting food in you."

"Even if I have to carry you to the kitchen," Wufei added.

"Don't," Heero pouted. "Let go."

"Not happening, Yuy."

"Heero..." Duo said firmly, her tone echoing the more determined and serious one of her normal self, just a lot younger and more feminine sounding.

"I'll go to the kitchen if you let go," Heero replied solomnly.

Duo hesitated, looking up at Wufei for advice.

"You'll give us your word?" Wufei asked carefully.

Heero tilted his head back to look at her. "Just...just let me go, okay?"

"After you give us your word that you will go to the kitchen and eat," Wufei said, looking down at him. "And I mean now, not at some undefined point in the future."

Duo lightly squeezed Heero's shoulders, not yet ready to let go.

Heero jerked away suddenly, hoping to break free and make it to the closet.

Wufei didn't let go, the arm wrapped around Heero's waist giving him an advantage of postion.

Duo blinked and wrapped her arms around Heero from behind.

Heero went into a full flail, hoping against hope to break free. "Lemmie go! Lemmie go!"

Duo got knocked back and fell against the bed with a small, shocked cry. She landed on the floor. "Ow..."

Growling, Wufei gripped him harder, lifting the boy from the ground. "We're going to the kitchen, now. And you are not going to argue or I will tie you to a chair."

"I'm not hungry!" Heero protested, wiggling.

"I don't care."

Duo hugged herself for a moment, deciding to wait out the rest of this argument.

"I care! I don't wanna go!"

Ignoring him, Wufei looked at Duo. "Were you hurt?"

She shook her head, looking rather pitiful despite best effort not to. "Mm-mm..." Then, she started coughing.

"Seee? Duo should be hiding too!"

She glared down at him. "Shut up, Yuy."

"Make me!" Heero shouted, still wiggling.

"Heero, please~..." Duo said, almost whining again. "Nothing's gonna happen if you come with us, okay?"

Making sure of her grip on him, Wufei kneeled down next to Duo, looking her over. She knew Duo didn't lie, but she did tend to downplay injuries.

Heero twisted in Wufei's grip, prying at her fingers.

Duo was working at catching her breath still after the coughing fit. A bit banged up, she'd probaby have some fresh bruises after the day's activities between falling off the bed earlier in addition to her bad leg being a bit sure from getting tangled in the blanket and then this fiasco, but nothing serious. The changes to her body added to recent problems over the past couple of weeks made it harder for her to ignore the aches and twinges.

"Stop," Wufei told Heero, not at all happy with the Wing pilot.

"Let go," Heero shot back.

"No."

Duo looked down. "Jus' let'im go..." she said quietly. She rubbed her face.

She shook her head.

Heero pried at Wufei's fingers again with a frustrated whine.

"It was stupid, just forget it..." Duo said, sounding upset now. She carefully got up and went to the door, the edge of her limit with Wufei. She stood there with her arms crossed and her back to them.

Standing up, Wufei lifted Heero with her. "No, you were right. He needs to eat. And he will." She looked at Heero. "The sooner you eat, the sooner you can go back to hiding like some frightened child."

"I AM a frightened child," Heero whined. "An I don't want anyone to see."

"No one else is going to," Wufei said. "I don't intend to let anyone else see me either."

"There's just us here right now..." Duo said quietly. "Everyone else is in their rooms..."

Heero finally went limp. "I hate this place," he mumbled.

"We all do," Wufei said, shifting the way she held him to be more comfortable for both of them.

"Least you're not a girl," Duo muttered.

Heero mumbled something, then looked up. "You could...you could just leave food under the bed," he suggested hopefully.

"No," the woman said flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because you need to bathe too," she said.

Looking back at them over her shoulder, Duo wrinkled her nose in agreement. "Where've you been goin' to the bathroom?" She shook her head. "Nevermind... I don't wanna know."

"I sneak out..." Heero replied. "Sometimes."

Snorting, Wufei starting towards the door. "I'm locking you in the bathroom after you eat. You're starting to smell."

"I dunno how he doesn't smell it himself, yet," Duo said. Of course, she wasn't trying to be insulting about it. Duo had hated that line of teasing when she'd been a real eight-year-old back at the Church.

Heero snuffled at his shirt. "It's not that bad."

"You can't smell yourself very easily," Wufei said.

Duo headed for the kitchen ahead of them.

Wufei followed him closely.

Heero cringed as they neared the kitchen. "I'm still not hungry," he said.

"Still don't care," Wufei said.

"No one here!" Duo announced after she walked in. She climbed up on a chair.

"But, I don't wanna eat!" he protested.

"Think there's any rope in the house?" the woman asked Duo, completely serious.

"Maybe..." Duo shrugged, not laughing.

"Noooo..." Heero whined.

Wufei thought for a moment. "Could use one of the bedsheets. We only need one."

"Then we'd all hafta go back to the bedroom," Duo whined.

"We haven't gone through it yet," Wufei said, staring down at her. She did not need both of them whining at her.

Heero started wiggling and struggling again, prying at Wufei's fingers.

"If Heero'd just sit like he should, then we wouldn't hafta tie him up, right?" Duo said.

"If he was actually going to just sit there, no, we wouldn't," she said. "If."

Duo looked pointedly at Heero. "If you stay with us, it'll be safer."

"But..." Heero protested. "But I was safer hiding!"

"And if something had gotten in and cornered you like we did?" Wufei asked.

"We got ya out pretty easy."

"No you didn't! I was safe there!"

"Bullshit, Yuy." The Chinese woman started towards the bedroom, walking slowly enough for Duo to catch up.

Duo slid off the chair and followed.

"No! No don't!" Heero flailed, kicking.

"You're giving me no other reasonable choice," she said. "Maxwell, can you get the sheet off?"

"Uh-huh!" Duo headed over and climbed up on the bed. She pulled up the sheet from where it was tucked in and then worked it down down along into a lump. Then, she pulled it off.

Heero twisted and bit at Wufei's hand.

Wufei waited for Duo to finish before heading back to the kitchen with her squirming armful.

Holding in her arms as best she could, Duo nodded to Wufei to head back to the kitchen.

"No don't! Don't!" Heero threw all his strength into trying to struggle free.

She held him tighter, quickly carrying him into the kitchen and setting him down on a chair, and halfway sitting on him. "Tie him down."

Duo managed to stumble a few times as she stepped on a piece that was dragging in front of her, but barely kept her balance as she maneuvered into the kitchen after them. She shook out the sheet and started to roll it up as best she could into a rope.

"Don't, Duo! I'll shoot you when I'm big!"

Wufei snorted.

"No, you won't," Duo said. "Quatre'd shoot ya back, anyway." She eyed the tiny Japanese pilot somewhat deviously in return. "An 'sides, I'd shoot you back before Quatre did." She smirked.

"Yes I will! I'll shoot both of you!"

"Make sure his legs are firmly tied," Wufei said. "I don't want him slipping out."

"You didn't before when you had the chance," Duo spouted back, attempting to tie the squirming little legs as best she could. Her small hands had a bit of trouble with the task, however.

She noticed Duo's troubles. "Do you want to trade places? You should still be heavy enough to hold him down."

Heero kicked and flailed, struggling to twist himself away.

"I can try..." Duo wasn't too sure about that.

Wufei looked down at Heero. "Hm... maybe not."

"Don't! Doooooon't!" Heero howled.

"Heero, stop it!" Duo yelled, trying to get him to shut up, but the yelling wasn't a good idea at the moment. She started coughing agin.

"Towel," she said, pointing to the drawers next to the stove. She was getting tired of Heero's yelling.

Heero squirmed and struggled. "Lemmie go! Lemmie go!"

Duo nodded as she caught her breath, making her way over to the drawer. Luckily, it was inside their stuck zone. She pulled out a towel and came back over to Wufei, handing it to her while turning away for another cough.

Taking it, Wufei twisted it into a rope, making sure Heero could see it. "Keep yelling and I gag you until the food's ready."

Heero cringed back into the chair, eyes huge. "You wouldn't," he whispered.

"Try me, Yuy," she growled, coming to the edge of her temper.

Duo sank down to the floor next to them, suddenly running out of energy all at once. She absently twisted the untied end of the sheet rope.

"Maybe I was hiding from being carried and tied up," muttered Heero, looking for the best way to pull himself free.

"Wouldn't have had to do either of those if you hadn't been such a stubborn brat."

"I dun' feel so good..." Duo said in a near whisper, hanging her head with her eyes closed.

Heero peered over the chair at her. "What?"

"Stay," Wufei said sharply, getting off of him to kneel down next to Duo. She placed her hand on the girl's forehead. "You don't want me to have to catch you again."

Duo's fever had spiked once again. She was starting to look flushed as well.

Heero scrambled up onto the kitchen table to get both a better vantage point for seeing Duo and a better escape route from Wufei. He paused there, watching them warily.

Shooting a glare at him for moving, Wufei carefully stood up, getting a corner of the towel damp. Returning to Duo's side, she dabbed the girl's forehead. "Lean on me."

Duo coughed, doing just that. "'m sorry..." she said softly.

"Yuy, get me a glass of water," Wufei said, tone leaving no room for arguement. "Use a chair to reach."

Heero glared for a long moment, then slowly slid down and started pushing a chair towards the sink.

Duo's breathing had gotten shallower and heavier since the last coughing fit.

She ran a hand over the girl's hair, murmuring quietly as she tried to bring the fever down.

Heero stood on tippy toes to pour a glass of water, then climbed carefully down with it, coming over and holding it out for Wufei.

Wufei took it, bringing it to Duo's lips. "Drink carefully."

Duo opened her eyes a bit and brought her hands up to guide the glass, taking a careful sip.

Heero backed away slowly.

"Don't even think about it," the woman snapped without looking at him.

Duo winced.

Heero hesitated, then backed away some more.

"Don't make me get Quatre."

Duo took the glass from Wufei and pulled away in case she needed to grab Heero.

Heero edged back some, eying the bedsheet.

Wufei grabbed the fabric, opening it.

Duo squiggled slightly out of the way, sliding under the table. She took the glass of water and cool, damp towel with her, huddling there.

Heero wavered a moment then turned on his heel and took off running, stumbling some on his long shirt.

The woman pounced, catching the back of his shirt and dragging him to the ground.

Duo was momentarily surprised Wufei could still move that quick with her arm in a splint and sling.

Heero squeaked in suprise, also taken off guard by Wufei's speed.

Wufei winced as her arm was jarred, not letting go until she could pin the boy with her knees.

Duo went into another coughing fit, taking another sip from the water when she finally stopped.

Heero tried to drag himself free by clawing at the floor.

It wasn't very effective against Wufei's weight, lessoned as it was by the event.

"Heero..." Duo frowned. She put the water aside and carefully crawled out from under the table. "Stay... please...?"

Heero whined, going limp, though his eyes were darting around the room.

Wufei wasn't going to fall for it this time.

Duo laid down on her stomach on the floor, watching Heero.

Heero still didn't move, waiting for the moment Wufei might give him a chance to dodge away.

She dragged the sheet over him, keeping Heero pinned as she rolled him up tightly as she could with one arm.

Duo watched, mildly amused by the situation.

Heero howled in anger and struggled against her all he could. "I'll kill you!"

"I don't believe you," Wufei said, tucking in the edges to make sure he couldn't get free without help.

Duo smiled weakly, still flushed looking.

"You had better believe me!" howled Heero, twisting and struggling in his confinement. "I'll shoot you!"

Wufei looked at Duo, holding her hand out. "I'll get you a new towel."

Duo took the other towel and reached over to put it over Heero's face instead of giving it to Wufei. "Okay..." She wriggled back under the table to get her glass of remaining water.

Heero thrashed as hard as he could against the sheet.

Shaking her head, she picked it up and twisted it back up, pushing it against Heero's mouth.

Heero howled in fury into the towel.

She pushed it in, tying it behind his head.

Duo finished her water and then slowly crawled her way out from under the table again, wincing as she started to feel the aches from her 'adventure'.

Heero whimpered miserably, still thrashing all he could.

"Give up." Wufei stood up. "My cousins couldn't get out of that."

Duo stood up carefully, grabbing the table to support herself, and put the glass on top of it.

"Are you going to be alright, Maxwell?" he asked softly.

Heero had no intention of giving up. He wriggled and thrashed in hopes he could just get it loose...

The sheet didn't budge.

Duo didn't answer Wufei at first, leaning against the table.

"Maxwell?"

"Hm?" She nodded slightly.

"You alright?"

She put her head down on the cool table. "Uh-huh..." was the somewhat lacklustre response.

She ran a hand over Duo's hair.

Heero got a deep breath and howled as loud as he possibly could.

Duo closed her eyes.

"Just a little bit and we can lay down," she said softly.

"Okay..."

Smiling, she stepped over Heero to the fridge, checking the cupboards.

Duo let herself sink back down until she was sitting on the floor again. She stuck out her leg and poked at Heero with her foot.

Heero growled and twisted so he could glower at Duo.

Considering Heero's size, it wasn't very effective. If anything, it made Duo smile a bit.

Wufei dug out a can of soup, opening it to heat.

Heero glared harder at Duo for smiling.

Duo almost giggled.

"Maxwell..." Wufei warned. "He will be grown again soon."

"An' me, too..." Duo reminded Wufei.

Heero tried to tell them that they were both dead when he was grown again.

"Should be hot enough," Wufei said, taking some cups out and pouring the soup into them.

Duo coughed.

She brought over Duo's cup first before bringing over the other two in trips.

Leaning against the table leg while sitting on the floor, Duo watched Wufei and then carefully got up to climb into the chair.

Heero continued to glare.

"You can just drink it," Wufei said, turning her attention to Heero as she got out a spoon.

Duo nodded, but pushed the cup back when she was hit with another coughing fit that left her breathless. Gasping, she put her head down on the table with a soft thump, clenching her fists as she fought back a whimper.

She set the soup down, going to check on her, worried.

She picked up her head after a moment and rubbed her eyes once she could breathe again. She sniffed. "'m okay..." she said softly.

Frowning, she nodded. "Do you need more water?"

She shook her head a bit, another cough sneaking through before she took the soup.

"Make sure you drink it slowly." Stepping back, she lifted Heero back onto a chair.

Duo nodded as she drank.

Heero thrashed all he could.

"Yuy, you are going to eat," Wufei said firmly. "Whether it ends up in you or on you is up to you." Reaching behind him, she undid the gag, pulling it away.

Duo watched, smiling a bit.

"I won't!" Heero shouted the moment the towel was gone.

Duo flinched. "Heero..." she taunted. "If it gets on you, I think Wufei should make you take a bath."

"He's taking one either way," Wufei said with a smirk. "The difference is whether I give him one or he does it himself after this."

"Why?" Heero whined. "Why?"

"It's unhygenic," Duo said, repeating what Sister Helen had used against having her hair long. Obviously, for her, it hadn't worked.

"You stink," Wufei said plainly.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone like last time?" he whispered. He was still figiting in the sheet, still trying to twist it free.

"'Cuz... you're little and getting over frostbite... an' hypothermia... so, you need ta eat."

"If you want to hide again after you're clean, the beds in our room are better protected, and there's safety in numbers," the woman said, spooning up some of the soup. "Now open up."

Heero instantly turned his face away.

Wufei sighed, the irritation in her voice audible as she muttered. "Like feeding a toddler."

"He's almost a toddler... if he was a bit littler," Duo offered.

"Mmm-mm." Heero shook his head.

"Has the maturity level of one too," she muttered, glaring. "Yuy, the longer you fight, the longer you're staying here."

Duo took another sip of the soup.

Heero set his jaw stubbornly.

Wufei held the spoon against his lips, equally stubborn.

The soup smelled nice, but he was not going to be fed. He kept his mouth tightly closed.

"It's good~..." Duo said, a bit sing-songy in her teasing.

"Mmm-mm."

"Yuy, don't argue," Wufei said, tired.

Duo quietly drank her soup in small sips, letting the warmth calm the coughing and loosen up some of the congestion and tightness in her chest.

Heero turned his face away. "Lemmie go an I'll eat it," he whimpered.

"And bath immediately after," Wufei added. "I want your word."

Heero nodded miserably.

"Better not make Wufei angry~..." Duo taunted.

She sighed, setting the spoon into the cup. "We just want you to take care of yourself."

"I woulda when I got bigger," Heero mumbled.

"Well, we're worried about you now," Duo said, the taunting put on hold for a moment as she looked at him seriously.

"It would have been a full week of neglect," Wufei said, pulling the ends out as she took apart the makeshift caccoon.

Heero kicked loose, shoving Wufei's hand away when he could. "I've gone a long time without food or baths," he replied. He reached for the soup.

"You shouldn't."

"We all have, Heero..." Duo said. "Doesn't mean we should if we don' gotta."

"I gotta." He sipped the soup.

"Nuh-uh..."

"There was at least one of us here the entire time, Yuy," Wufei said.

"Yeah," he said. "So I had to hide."

She shook her head, starting on her own soup now that she had a free hand.

"Whydja hafta hide from us?" Duo asked. "We weren't gonna do nuthin' to ya."

Heero turned an incredulous little gaze upon him over the rim of his soup cup. "YOu dragged me out and carried me and tied me up!" he cried. "That was something!"

"Only 'cuz you were hiding!" Duo yelled back, then started coughing again.

"Maxwell, yelling isn't going to help you," Wufei said, trying not to scold her. "Yuy, we wouldn't have had to do any of that if you hadn't been hiding and neglecting your own health."

"I hide when stuff happens," Heero replied petulantly.

Duo rubbed her face. "I always thought... that was my... MO."

"Will you stay with us now?" Wufei asked, finishing her soup quickly.

Heero shook his head. "I'll take a bath," he replied.

The woman nodded.

Duo pouted that Heero wasn't going to stay with them. She went back to the remains of her soup, disappointed. "You can come stay with us after your bath," she said.

"No." Heero shook his head.

"Please?"

Wufei stayed out of this arguement, taking her cup to the sink.

"It'll be safer against big bugs..." Duo continued.

Heero decided he wasn't going to argue right now. "I promised to take a bath," he said.

Duo nodded, pouting slightly.

Wufei returned to the table, taking one of the empty chairs.

Duo finished her soup and then slid off the chair, rather mopey. She headed over to the counter and placed the mug up there, unable to put it in the sink without dropping it.

Heero sipped his soup in his own slightly sulky silence.

The woman covered a yawn, leaning against the table.

Duo came over and stood next to Heero. "You should stay with us," she said softly.

Heero glared. "I have lots of places to hide."

"You won't hafta hide if you stay with us," Duo insisted.

"Not like anyone else will be seeing us either," Wufei said.

"I wanna hide."

"Heero~..." Duo whined.

"I'm gonna hide."

"I don't want you to hide," Duo said, pouting.

Wufei let her head rest on her arm.

"You should hide too," Heero told her.

"Then hide with us," Duo said.

"I'm not going under a bed," she said without lifting her head. Dealing with children was exhausting, no matter how old they really were.

"Then you can stay on top," Duo told Wufei.

Heero set down his empty soup mug. "I'm done. Can I just get my bath over with so I can hide again?"

Duo pulled back as if stung. She turned and went to stand on the other side of Wufei.

Wufei glanced at her before nodding to Heero.

Duo sniffed.

Heero looked at her.

She looked away, squeezing her eyes shut and tightly holding the back of the chair.

Wufei reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder.

She inched away from Wufei's touch.

She sighed, dropping her hand.

Heero slid from the chair, still watching Duo.

She didn't look at him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her.

Duo hesitated, then turned her head a bit, just enough to see him when she opened her eyes. She certainly looked upset. "Why?" she asked, wondering why it mattered.

Wufei stood up, silently picking up Heero's cup and taking it to the sink.

"I dunno. You look like it."

"So what if I am?" she asked, moving away now that there was no one in the chair to block for her.

"We should fix it," he replied, glancing at Wufei

Wufei had her back to them, washing the dishes they'd used.

Duo shrugged, then looked away again. "I thought you wanted to take your bath an' hide," she said, bitterness creeping into her tone.

Heero blinked at her.

She pouted. "If you don't wanna hide with us, then just go," she finally said, sounding very upset.

"But, three people's a liability," he pointed out, confused by how upset she was.

"We're not in a war, Yuy," Wufei said without turning around.

"It worked on Libra with three of us..." Duo muttered, crossing her arms.

"But...the bugs...and the voices..." he whimpered. "And I don't like people seeing me..."

Wufei returned to the table, sitting down to look at him. "We've seen you now. Which of the other two are made more dangerous by having more people there?"

Duo sniffled.

Heero edged away. "I dunno. I just...wanna...I don't like the voices. And..."

"I don't like 'em either," Duo said.

Wufei nodded, briefly glancing down.

"But ya can't hide from 'em... So ya might as well stay with us. We already seen ya."

"I'll...I'll think about it while I take my bath," he said finally.

Duo swallowed, nodding a bit as she tried not to get her hopes up too high. She rubbed her arms and looked down.

"Our room's just through there," Wufei said quietly, gesturing.

Heero nodded. "Okay."

Duo bit her lip, lifting her head just enough to watch Heero.

Wufei didn't move. She had a feeling Heero wouldn't come to them.

Heero nodded and peeked in to see if he was going to need help turning the faucets in the bathroom.

Duo gave a small sigh and climbed up on the chair. Sitting sideways, she slumped against the back and closed her eyes.

"Are you ready to go to bed?" Wufei asked her softly.

Heero saw he was going to have to climb up on the edge of the tub to reach the faucet. He glanced back towards the kitchen, considering whether it was worth it to just try hiding again, then just sighed and reached out to see if he could grab it.

Duo shrugged.

"Come on then," she said, standing up.

Heero's fingers slipped from the faucet and he nearly fell into the tub, clinging to the faucet to keep himself upright.

Duo actually wanted to wait outside the bathroom and make Heero come back with them, but she slid off the chair and quietly followed Wufei instead.

Wufei paused just outside the bathroom. "Do you need any help, Yuy?"

"Um..." Did he?

Duo snorted. "Like he'd admit it," she said bitterly.

"Yes or no," Wufei said, glancing down at Duo.

Duo crossed her arms and avoided Wufei's look.

"Um, the faucet is sort of high," he admitted, glancing at the linen closet. "And so are the towels. Do I really need a bath?"

Duo frowned and decided to be difficult, sitting against the wall across the hall from the bathroom.

"Yes," she said, pushing the door open wider. Wufei looked over at Duo. "You aren't helping."

"An if my shirt is stinky whatamIgonna wear? It'd be better if I waited." He said as knowledgably as a five-year old could.

Duo didn't care. Heero's apparent disregard for anything but his own desire to hide from everything had hurt earlier, and she was holding a grudge. She just glared at Wufei from where she was.

"Wash the shirt with you and wear a towel until it dries," Wufei said. She walked over to Duo. "Do I have to pick you up and carry you over?"

"But I can't reach the towels," said Heero. "It'd be better..."

Duo glared at the two of them. "If he wants to stink and be a jerk, then let 'im," she grumbled darkly.

Sighing, Wufei bent down and wrapped an arm around Duo's waist, pulling her towards the bathroom.

"I'm not a jerk!" Heero snapped.

"You're acting like one!" she snapped back, stiffening up against Wufei's grip.

"You're both acting like children!" Wufei snapped. "I know you look like them right now, but this is getting ridiculous. Yuy, I can reach the towels and faucets. Maxwell, you're being as difficult as he is."

"I wouldn't be difficult if he'd just accept that people care about him!" Duo said.

"I can't help it that I'm small!" Heero cried. "An it's not caring to drag someone out and carry them and tie them up!"

"It is when they're neglecting themselves," Wufei said sharply.

"Why don't you trust us?"

"Being a little stinky isn't neglect." He turned his little glare on Duo. "Because I'm small," he answered him.

"What's that gotta do with anything?!" the American snapped. "Bein' small is not a fucking excu-" She started coughing again, the yelling not good for her.

"People who don't stay clean get sick," Wufei said, glancing down at Duo.

"It's easy to get hurt when you're little," said Heero. "Cides, I don't like anyone to see..."

"It's easier to get hurt alone."

However unintentional, Wufei's words stung at an old memory for a moment, the phrasing registering in her mind to imply that she was sick because she was unclean. Duo shoved at her. "Put me down," she hissed.

Wufei frowned but did as asked.

Duo moved away from them, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

Heero blinked at her.

She crossed her arms, not looking at either of them.

Sighing, she got down several towels, setting them down on the toilet lid.

"Duo..." Heero murmured, shuffling his feet.

She whirled on them. "I'm not gonna do anything to you 'cuz you're little!" she said quickly. "I just wanted to help and make sure you were okay! AND I DON'T STINK!" She turned and ran out, stopping at the edge of their distance.

Wufei didn't speak as she turned on the water.

Duo sat on the floor in the hallway, coughing.

"No you don't. I do, apparently," muttered Heero, leaning on the tub. "If you were still a boy..." he stopped and just watched the water flow.

She waited until there was about a foot and a half of water before turning the faucet off. "That should be enough. Remember to drain it when you're done."

Heero reached out to splash it. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a bath, big or small.

Wufei stood up and headed for the door.

Duo sniffled.

Heero looked up. "Is Duo...crying?" he asked, blinking.

"No!" came the indignant response from the hallway.

Wufei didn't offer an answer as she stopped next to Duo.

She didn't look up.

"Don't cry," protested Heero, still just splashing at the edge.

"Let's go to bed," she said softly, laying a hand on the girl's head.

"I'm not crying!" she yelled, but she sure as hell felt like it for some reason or another. She carefully got to her feet and stubbornly walked away from Wufei, ducking out from under her hand.

Wufei started walking towards the bedroom, trying not to be upset. They didn't need more of it.

From the bathroom came a sound like someone throwing a heavy stone into a pond.

Duo climbed up on the bed and flopped, curling up as much as she could in the corner while ignoring her latest collection of aches and bruises.

Wufei sat on the bed, drawing her legs up to her chest.

From the bathroom, there was much splashing.

Duo fidgeted, hoping the splashing was amusement or washing and not something worse. She was angry at Heero, sure, but she didn't want anything bad to happen.

"I don't think you stink, Maxwell," Wufei said quietly.

"Mm..." Duo tightened her grip on the pillow. She didn't want to talk about it... not with Wufei.

Another, bigger splash, and a pattering like rain.

Duo frowned a bit. "Sounds like he's makin' a mess," she said quietly.

"Sounds like he's playing..."

A few more splashes, and then it got quieter.

Wufei stared at a spot on the far wall, listening. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine..." In otherwords, no... but she didn't want to talk about it.

There was a noisy gurgle, and a few moments later a small figure appeared bundled head to toe in a large fluffy towel. He came over and leaned against the bed so only his dark eyes were showing. "I'm clean." he growled.

Wufei nodded, glancing down at him.

Duo looked over her shoulder for a moment.

Heero looked between them without moving.

"Well?" Duo asked sharply.

Wufei wasn't going to try anything to change his mind either way.

"I can't hide naked," the boy said finally.

There was a moment of silence and then Duo suddenly snorted, turning away to hold in a laugh.

"Do you want help up or are you going to stay on the floor?" Wufei asked him.

Heero ducked down to check under the bed in silence.

"There's bound to be dust under there," Wufei said. "It'll stick to you."

Duo coughed as the restrained laugh bothered her breathing again.

Heero's eyes appeared over the edge again. "I was just checking," he said.

She nodded.

Duo shifted, pushing herself up so she was sitting in the corner against the wall.

Heero started to wiggle up, struggling to keep wrapped in the towel at the same time.

Wufei watched him out of the corner of her eye. If he needed help, he'd have to ask.

Duo didn't move.

It was not easy. It took a great deal of wiggling and kicking.

The woman hid a smile.

Duo watched, but didn't do anything.

Heero finally made it, and flopped down face first. "I hate being small," he grumbled.

"We only have a few more days," Wufei said.

"Least your not a girl," Duo mumbled.

"I guess so. That sucks." Heero mumbled.

"It does."

"Mm-hm..." Duo ducked her head down.

Heero wiggled across the blankets, flopping down not too far from Duo.

She didn't look up.

Shaking her head, Wufei laid down and stretched out, giving the two children room.

"Duo," Heero said into the blankets. "Why are you sad?"

"Doesn' matter," she mumbled.

"Why not?"

She shrugged.

Wufei sighed.

Heero twisted to peer up at her from under the towel.

"Stop it." Duo looked away. She wanted Quatre.

"You should sleep," Wufei said quietly, laying her head down.

"But...Duo..." Heero protested quietly. He had a bad feeling that her mood was his fault.

"'m not tired," she complained... which wasn't necessarily true. She didn't feel tired because she was frustrated and upset, but that was going to crash later and she'd be exhausted when it happened.

"Well I am," Wufei said.

"I'm not either," admitted Heero with a yawn.

"Liar."

Duo frowned.

Heero wiggled.

"You shouldn't lie," Duo said quietly.

"You neither," Heero replied, partially covering his face with the towel.

Duo coughed. "I'm not really lying... I don't lie."

"Whether or not either of you think you're tired, you need to sleep," Wufei said, voice muffled a bit by the pillow. "I'm turning off the lamp in five minutes."

Duo just sighed, bending her right knee and wrapping her arms around it. She put her head down.

Heero reached slowly out.

Duo sniffed. "'m sorry..." she mumbled. "Jus' don' hate me." The last thing she needed was to lose friends over something this stupid in a place like this.

"Hate you for what?" Heero asked, freezing.

"For everything..."

"Don't hate you," mumbled Heero. "Just hate bein small."

She finally looked at him.

The woman listened silently, giving no sign that she was paying any attention.

"An I hate being carried," he growled towards Wufei.

"I don't care too much for carrying sqirming children either," Wufei said.

"Then you shoulda left me," he mumbled, pulling the towel over his head.

She snorted.

"We couldn't," Duo whispered.

Heero mumbled dissagreement.

"Why don't you let people care about you?"

"Cuz they don't have to," he replied, peeking out. "I can care about me by myself."

"What if we wanna?" Duo asked.

"You can do what you want. But I wanna do what I want."

"But you don't let us," Duo said.

Heero blinked at him, pushing himself up further. "I can't make you not care," he said.

"But you keep pushing us awa----" She yawned, coughing slightly. "...away..."

"When I'm hiding, yeah!"

"But that was the problem!" Duo said quickly. "It wasn't good for you and we wanted to help you, but you wouldn't let us!"

"Mmmmph," Heero curled up in his towel. "You don't trust me, either" he said petulantly.

"You don't exactly have a good track record," Duo said flatly. "Not opening your parachute... self-destructing... suicide missions..."

"Not taking a bath is like self-destructing?" Heero asked.

"It's not about the bath," Duo said.

Wufei sighed, rolling to face them.

Heero curled tighter into his towel. "Yes it is."

"No... it's about the hiding part," Duo said. "The fact that you weren't eating... that's like self-destructing... jus' slower."

Heero made a funny little noise in the towel. "Way slower," he snorted.

"It's faster when you're a kid."

"I was gonna eat."

"You said you were gonna hide."

"That too."

"You can't do both... you had ta come out to eat."

"I would later. Last time I hid, I'd wait till it was dark, and then I'd come out an get something to eat, real quiet."

"Bugs come out at night," Duo said.

"Not always," Heero whispered, then yawned again.

The yawn was infectious. Duo did it, too, coughing a bit afterwards. Deep breaths still hurt, especially after tumbling off the bed earlier.

"Do you both have a piece of blanket?" Wufei asked, speaking up quietly.

At Wufei's question, she looked around for a moment at the somewhat messy bed and pulled some of the blanket around so Heero could have some of it, too. Then, she pulled the extra pillow over so he could use it if he wanted.

Heero mumbled something about hiding and curled into a tighter ball in his towel.

Wufei lifted her head to glance at him. "Easier to hide under a blanket."

Duo tossed the blanket over him and shoved the pillow in between them before shifting to lay down. Her movements were somewhat stiff, and she couldn't hide a slight wince as she tried to settle herself.

Heero was still beneath towel and blanket.

Reaching out, Wufei switched off the lamp, curling tightly.

Duo eventually dozed off, whatever it was that was making her sick also making her snore.