"Recast"

Written By: Kaeru Shisho

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Yaoi, AU, and an unlikeable Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, but very nice Wufei and Duo

Pairings: 1+2, 2x5x2

Summary: Wufei pursues Duo, who has been forsaken at the altar and is now trying to sort out his life, aiming to turn lost hopes into paradise found.

A/N: Thanks to Waterlily for generous feedback and improvements to the story throughout.

"Recast "

Chapter One

Seeing Wufei Chang was at first a complete surprise, followed in rapid succession by irritation, anger, confusion, and then he settled for guarded curiosity. There was no reason to assume the worst right off. The man was a Preventers agent, sure, but one that hadn't been around for the... fiasco.

However... Une might have sent him to haul Duo's ass back to Sanc. Not that he could think of a single reason why she'd want him back unless she had no one else to make miserable.

But... Chang didn't strike him as anyone's lackey, even his commander's.

So... What was he doing here invading Duo's quiet world? He decided to be cool and see how things played out.

"'Fei? Is that you? No way! Sure it is! What are you doing here?" Duo shouted out.

Duo's life had just started falling into a routine, and that was only after having moved to the vacation resort a couple months ago. He'd completed his day's work and was thinking about what to hunt down for dinner, while enjoying a leisurely stroll along the beach bars, when there he was.

The familiar tense figure, well-built, compact, deadly- definitely in no way a candidate for a mugging, a fairly common occurrence on the island, despite its trained police force and safe reputation- standing at the edge of the boardwalk, not half a block from the sandy stretch of beach which made Duo's avenue. No, no one would think that man couldn't defend himself, and it was in the way he carried himself had drawn Duo's attention. Asians were a common sight on the island. It was Duo's pale slow-to-bronze skin and yard-long rope of hair that made him look out of place.

As telling as his ready-to-kill stance was, it was that elegant and, to some extent, arrogant, profile that gave him away. Chang Wufei. Duo knew without a doubt it was Wufei. Maybe the last person on earth he had expected to see here. Even Heero had been a more likely candidate to put in a surprise appearance.

The young man turned at Duo's call; the slicked back black ponytail snaked out of sight. "Hello," Wufei replied not surprised at all, looking as if he'd expected to see Duo any minute. "I've... (cough) never been here before."

He thought Wufei sounded a bit hoarse. "Uh, huh...and?"

"If I said I was taking a vacation, would you believe me?"

"I might, if I thought you'd gone bonkers, gone soft overnight, or swapped bodies with someone else." Duo laughed at his own ridiculousness; however, he noticed Wufei appeared serious. "Okay, I'll buy in. You're on vacation." It was possible he'd come out of friendship. Possible. "Is this coincidental?"

The more he thought about it, the more Duo doubted it was. He'd never known Wufei to take a single vacation day in the four years' sentence at Preventers. He pretty much knew it was not an accident that the man should show up and, so, his anger and resentment returned. He guessed Une had set him up to try and talk Duo into returning. Wouldn't work, but he'd give Wufei a chance to tell him his story.

"I could use a drink," Wufei said instead. "I've been approached five times in as many minutes by kids asking if I wanted to buy marijuana." He made a disgusted face. "Is there someplace we can go to talk?"

"Yeah, part of my beach walk. C'mon."

They both chose juice drinks with ice, no alcohol, from the beach bar, and carried them to a wobbly table under a sea-grass-covered umbrella.

"Nice place," Wufei said.

"I think so." Duo waved at the ocean beyond. If Wufei chose to pass the time with small talk, then he'd let him. Duo had all the time in the world now. "I'll never get used to seeing that."

"The vastness of the ocean lures us all." Wufei closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Duo would wait him out, if that's what it would take. His friend, if he could call him that, never did anything, even relax, without a purpose.

"I gave the commander my notice," Wufei said.

Duo jerked to attention in his chair, slopping his drink. "You quit Preventers?"

"After what happened? Yes, of course! You act surprised."

Duo bypassed the introduced topic of 'what happened' and jumped into the one that touched fewer tender parts of Duo's soul. "You were the only one of us that voluntarily joined Preventers. You loved working there."

"Up to a point, I did. Preventers paid for my college education. I loved that, but what is the point of knowledge if it does not lead to personal change? Nothing... nothing would keep me working for an organization capable of such vile treatment... of intentionally... of such a despicable... unjust act-!"

The venom-laced words stunned Duo. Wufei could be intense, and opinionated, but Duo hadn't heard one of his outbursts for ages. Duo interrupted. "I know you weren't a part of it," he said laying on heavy emphasis. "I hadn't seen you around for weeks." Besides, Wufei never involved himself in other people's love-lives, or lives for that matter.

"Of course not! I couldn't believe it when I first heard the ludicrous plan mentioned. I told them it was a terrible idea and I wouldn't condone it. I assumed that the plan had been shelved for good. Merquise, well, I'd expected more from him- and Yuy?" Wufei made a face like someone who had sucked on a lime wedge; he may done so, too, since one dangled on the lip of his glass. "Unbelievable. I had to leave on a mission that day, which was why I'd happened by to hear the discussion in the first place. I needed to see Merquise for... it's not important. It meant that I didn't have the opportunity go back and make certain it had been terminated, but-" Wufei looked up from across the table to meet Duo's gaze head on. "- I should have."

Duo wanted to put a stop to any lingering guilt. "Not your fault. You were out of the country, 'Fei. You couldn't lose focus on a mission. Hey, you did what you could, and I appreciated it. I really do, but... it's all over... and done with."

"No, it's not," Wufei said. "I want formal apologies and compensation for you. And I shall get them!"

"It's not going to happen. You know Une. She's never respected me, barely tolerated my being in Preventers. She let this happen. We've all done our four years, and more, so we're free to leave Preventers. I quit. I'm never going back. You shouldn't quit over me, though."

"I cannot work alongside agents willing to...lie to another agent. If I can't trust them, I can't work with them. I used my vacation time, not that it matters, because I'm never going back, either."

(o)

Duo couldn't agree more. "Going back" was absolutely not an option from his perspective.

For the last couple of months, the debacle, which had sent him reeling away from his job and home of the past four years, had replayed in his mind and in his dreams, taking various pathways, focusing on different aspects, and taking on a few twisted deviations, especially at night, so often he wasn't sure how much had really even happened the way he recalled it.

It had happened too fast and had been so unbelievably unreal at the time that now it seemed pure fantasy.

Quatre had been about the only neutral subject he'd been able to latch onto as his mind reiterated over and over what happened. He'd been Duo's best friend, the first one he told about Heero's sudden interest.

"Really?" Quatre had sounded pleased enough; although, when looking back Duo thought maybe his friend's single-word response would be better described as skeptical rather than actually pleased.

Quatre had been distracted by something, but when Duo had asked what was bothering him, he didn't get an answer. After that, he was too caught up in his personal drama to notice.

"It's nothing important," Quat had reassured him. "It can wait."

Duo hadn't pressed him and decided Quatre seemed unaware as himself as to what Heero really was thinking. This was in contrast to Trowa, who'd been completely aloof, and, obviously, Heero, who had been totally aware, responsible, and thus blameworthy from the start- along with most every other agent he knew.

At least Quatre had been there, standing with him that day.

"Quat! Stop fussing with whatever that is! Wait! I can't find the ring!"

"That's because Trowa has it. This should have been rehearsed... Now calm down and let me straighten your tie. It wouldn't become crooked if you stopped playing with it."

"I wasn't playing with it," Duo whined. "It was strangling me. Noooo! Don't tighten it!"

"Put a finger between your neck and the shirt collar and hold it there. See? It gives you a little more air space."

"Yeah, better. Thanks."

"You are welcome." Quatre stepped back and looked over his friend. "You look very handsome, Duo. If only you two had given this a bit more time-" Quatre sighed and didn't complete his thought, and Duo had been too flustered to care. "There, we're ready." Quatre moved toward the door to the main gallery. "I'll signal-"

"Don't bother," Duo said with a grand gesture. "No announcement necessary. Move aside. Let's just go in."

"Well, okay. The organist was told to take her cue from Heero-." Quatre dropped the rest of what he was going to say and opened the door so Duo could sweep past him into the next room.

People were shouting and charging around in confusion. They should have been quietly waiting in their proper seats for the wedding march to begin signaling the entrance of the groom. "Eh?" Duo cast about the muddle for his fiancé. Where was he?

Quatre sucked in his breath and then spotted the taller man in a knot of other young men, none in formal dress. "Trowa! Is it over? What's going on?"

He probably said a great deal more, but to Duo's ears his words were lost in the cacophony beyond.

Duo's excitement, elevated to the upper atmosphere during his preparations, plummeted at the sight of Heero, his intended, in his workday clothes. He ploughed through the people separating him from Heero, pushing swat team agents and guests to the side as he went and not discriminating between them. "Why aren't you dressed?" It was the first thing out of his mouth. "What the hell's going on here?" That was the second.

"It worked," Heero said. "The event drew them in and five were shot, ten apprehended unharmed."

The event? Their wedding had been a staged event for the purposes of luring in criminals? Duo couldn't comprehend what had been said, not at first. His head reeled with the shock. "What about the ceremony?" he asked, meaning: what about us?

"Oh, you can get out of the tux now. It's all over." Heero chuckled as he received another clap on the back and another round of applause circled the room. "Mission over and successful."

"Why don't you join us at Wiley's bar?" an agent asked Duo. "We're celebrating another mission success."

Duo shook his head. "Not feeling it." He bumped into Quatre as he made his way back to the dressing room.

"-I think it's too bad... Heero didn't really get a good look at you... unfortunate... and you look so nice and-" Duo barely listened as Quatre prattled on as if nothing earth-shattering hadn't just happened. "-Just leave the suit on the hanger. Someone's picking it up-"

To Duo's eyes it seemed clear that even Quatre wasn't bothered with the nuptials ending abruptly. Was it possible that no one but him thought this was supposed to be a real wedding ceremony, he wondered?

Even now, months later, after the passage of time to heal sufficiently had enabled Duo to think about what had happened, he tried to trace the confluence of events backwards in time.

Had he missed clues from everyone or anyone?

Had he misunderstood what was going on?

He didn't think so.

And yet.

It had been rushed. Heero's proposal had come as a complete surprise, the man springing it on him as they'd left a restaurant. There was a time element never completely explained to him, but Duo hadn't cared. He'd been in a haze of happiness. If Heero wanted to get married, squeezing it in before his next big assignment, well... that was okay with Duo.

He really wants me!-that was about all Duo's brain could absorb.

Whatever amounted to good judgment, Duo had tossed out with every other consideration of his own personal needs.

He moved out of the Preventers dormitory and into Heero's apartment the next day and never really unpacked. There hadn't been time, what with the travel arrangements for their honeymoon to make, at Duo's suggestion.

Heero let him, disinterested in beaches, but compliant. He would take care of all the other arrangements. Duo felt the need to buy Heero a ring and did on his own over lunch. He didn't know if Heero would have one for him, but he hoped so. He'd hinted about it enough.

"So, where do I put these boxes?" Duo asked after lugging all of his clothes and stingy-few belongings up the stairs to Heero's, and now his, apartment.

Heero took his phone from his ear and said, "Spare room. I have to head out in a minute."

"Head out?" This was the night before their wedding and Duo thought Heero would at least want to spend it with him. "Careful or you'll rub the skin off your ear."

Heero gave him such a stunned look, Duo might have laughed had it not been so sad. He figured Heero spent more time on his phone and computer than sleeping, eating, and paying attention to him combined. Very sad.

"Make sure you have enough men stationed outside. No, Barton, I trust you to do that. All right. Station check in twenty." Heero put away his phone and ducked into the bathroom without a word to Duo.

"So, Trowa's invited?"

"Yes. I've taken care of everything."

Duo perched on a box and waited for Heero to reappear. "Won't Preventers give you the night off?"

"To do what?"

"Well, I guess we'll have plenty of time to discover the answer to that on the honeymoon, right?" Duo asked, chuckling to cover how upset he felt, and disappointed.

He walked to the couch and flopped full-length along it.

If he'd thought Heero was a closet romantic, then he certainly was getting his reality check now!

"Don't wait up. I'll be late," Heero told him at the door. "There's food you can heat up. You can download any movie you want."

"I can? Gee, thanks!" Duo said, plastering onto the tone of his voice a thick layer of irony.

Remembering that, weeks later, caused Duo's trace of twisted smile. Yes, even before the event he'd had a little glimmer of backbone. Despite his enchanted state of bliss, it had started to become a bit much to put up with.

"Don't I get a kiss goodnight?" he asked Heero, hoping.

Heero paused, as if to think it over, before stepping over to where Duo had sprawled. He leaned over and brushed lips.

Duo threw his arms around his neck and drew him in, kissing harder and with enthusiasm. When Heero pulled back, Duo could see his face flush with blood. A response! Encouraged, Duo added, "There's more where that came from, babe. That's just so you don't forget who's waiting here for you."

Heero blinked, straightened his jacket, and said, "I wouldn't forget."

Whether he remembered or forgot, Duo gave up caring. All he knew was that Heero hadn't returned that night until he'd already fallen asleep.

Quatre had appeared at the apartment the next day with Duo's tux, ready to sweep him off to get primped. Heero had already gone, before dawn, called away to some onerous task. They'd meet at the hall where the wedding was scheduled to take place.

A whirlwind.

But... the wedding hadn't been real!

Not real!

He remembered now that he must have been in shock after that, running on automatic. Duo tried to solidify the fact in his brain. Even though he'd thought at the time that he was marrying Heero, in the end, he hadn't actually been going through with a wedding.

Not real.

He was wearing his casual clothes. He must have changed out of his dress clothes and back into the ones he'd shown up in, but had no memory of doing so. Duo let Quatre drive him back to the apartment which he shared with Heero.

What did "sharing a house" even mean anymore?

He'd been used. Not real! Not real!

"Wait here," he'd told Quatre.

"In the car?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute then you can take me to the airport."

"What? Are you all right?"

"Just wait!"

"I thought it was Heero who had the next mission?"

Duo shrugged. Let Quatre think anything he wanted, as long as he waited. He had no leftover energy to waste on figuring out Quatre. "Five minutes, okay?"

"Okay. I have calls to make. I can make them from here as well as anyplace." Quatre's had trailed off mentioning "hospital", but Duo had no interest in anything at the moment except escaping this world.

Duo stalked into the apartment, scanning the room. He found the envelope marked "honeymoon" where he'd left it on the counter. He removed one ticket and shoved it into a pocket. Next he stomped into the spare room where "his" things had been stashed, found the bag he'd packed, a new one, jammed a few more clothes inside and returned to the kitchen.

He fired up his laptop and connected to the Preventers database. He'd never considered quitting before, so it took him a few moments to find the right documents. He filled out the form and sent a file to the printer. Before the ink was dry, he'd penned his signature to the proper line.

Before leaving the apartment, he removed the key to the door and mailbox, left them beside the envelope containing the other ticket. If Heero cared. If he ever had cared... God that hurt more than anything else, thinking that Heero never had loved him. That their wedding had only been a pretense all along. That it had never meant to be!

He'd never loved him!

Duo wiped his eyes, determined not to break down yet. Not yet.

He closed the door behind him. Someday he'd come back for his things.

Quatre was watching him load the back seat with his travel bag. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah. Heero can figure out where I've gone with no problem. Here." Duo stuffed the resignation form beside his friend's briefcase.

"What's that?"

"Give it to Une, when you get the chance. I'm quitting."

He was met with the expected surprise, the why, which Duo didn't reply to, and the arguments against taking rash action for any reason. Quatre had had plenty to say, but he hadn't listened and couldn't recall any of the warnings, advice, or sympathy. He remained mute all the way to the airport, that way he didn't break down. Duo was afraid that once he got talking he'd fall apart.

"Didn't you hear me? Duo, say something!"

"This is my airline," Duo said as they rolled past the terminal departure gates. "Thanks for the lift."

"Duo, I don't understand why you can't stay and let me help you deal with this, but I can see you intend to go regardless of what I say. Call me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. When I can talk about being the only one present at my own damn wedding that didn't know it was a fucking sham, I'll call you."

Quatre's eyes widened with the shock of his words. His mouth opened to protest, but Duo had his bag in hand, back turned, heading for the airport entrance. It was all he could do not to cry or put a fist through the glass window.

(o)

There had been a take-off, a flight, a landing, a taxi to the resort, but Duo had slept through most of it and forgotten the rest by the time he parked his single bag at the reservation desk.

"Duo Maxwell. I have a reservation. Actually, I have several..."

"Yes, we have reservations for two for the honeymoon suite," the resort employee greeted Duo.

"As you can see, it's just gonna be me, so maybe you can save me some money and crank me down to the simplest room with the lowest rate?"

Duo wasn't about to tell the sordid tale of his recklessness and Heero's deception, and the ultimate "left at the altar" story, so he made up a believable one and gave the woman the brief "change of heart" story and instantly gained her complete sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Maxwell. This happens more often than you'd think. We actually have a consolation package put together for just this sort of thing."

He thought that was the saddest thing he'd heard. "Common event, huh?"

"Yes, and one of the couple comes to recover from what failed to happen or to celebrate the near miss of a bad thing."

"Yeah. A little of both for me. So, what's the consolation prize?"

"You can stay the night in the suite, free of charge, and as many days as you want at this reduced price in this room." She showed him the simple room picture.

"Sounds good to me. I won't be staying long, though. I just quit my IT job at Preventers and I don't know how long I'll be living off savings."

The next day, he was approached by the resort manager. Apparently the resort corporate office was changing over its old, independent computer system to a new, worldwide shared one. It merged reservations with supply ordering and security, very complicated. Seeing that Mr. Maxwell had been head of the technical department at his Preventers central office (information Duo hadn't remembered passing on but he tended to jabber and must have when he'd made the reservations... or maybe it was his "left at the altar" story?) and hearing that he was recently out of work, would he be interested in learning more?

Duo was. By the afternoon he had a new job. Temporary one. The change-over should be complete in six months or so. Good enough for a start. Duo looked up a janitor and asked about places to stay. He picked the right man and got the story of the islands, the places to eat or to avoid and a few places to live on the cheap.

Before the weekend was over, Duo had moved to his new home with his new job on his island retreat. Alone and in charge of his life. He made friends who showed him the ropes, where to eat, and how to relax.

An asylum could be either a refuge or a place of madness, depending on how he adjusted.

When disturbing thoughts threatened to mess with his new-found tranquility, he pushed them back. God, it was a good thing he no longer had access to his Deathscythe-what a mess of things he could make!

This was just another version of run-and-hide, with one long-distance run and no actual hiding, but the past he couldn't change, while the future was his. What good came of wondering about the people he once knew, and why they seem to have forgotten him? Used and thrown away with the rest of the garbage.

No! Stop with the stupid, fucking, destructive thoughts. Get a grip.

Still.

Why had he not questioned Heero's sudden interest, his insistence that they gulp, marry after only a date? Why had he done it? Why had I? What was wrong with me? Had he just dreamed of such a transcendent passion... two of them... simultaneously concurrent with each other?

Stop that immediately!

Duo couldn't forget, but he could put it off. He had nothing but time now.

And Wufei Chang to entertain.

(o) Wufei Pov

He'd tried calling Duo's cell phone repeatedly, but he hadn't taken any of his calls. Disappointed but not surprised, Wufei decided to chase after him, half way around the world to the remote resort near Fiji. If Duo didn't want to see him, he could tell him to his face, simple as that.

Now, he had only to wait to see that face, one he missed, and wondered if he had the guts to tell him how he felt, if he ever could. It would depend on Duo's state of mind, of course.

Wufei snarled at some street kids, sending them away, and wondered again if coming after Duo hadn't been a bit rash. Obviously, it had; no one had to tell him that, but it had also been the right thing to do, he felt absolutely sure. He'd had to do something.

The injustice!

Tearing apart their friends- starting with Barton and Winner and leaving Yuy to the last, where he could linger over a torturous death- had been his first choice of possible retaliations. Destroying Commander Une's office held a close second act of vengeance he considered. In the end, he passed on the felonious deeds; instead, he chose to reprimand them, everyone, up and down, left and right. Let them ruminate upon that!

Doing more was unnecessary; they weren't worth the time and trouble of enlightenment. Duo was the one in need, and this was his chance to make a difference and gain Duo's notice.

In his head, he practiced what he would say to Duo. He had used for reference what the head of the Long clan had said to him, what had been his last words to him, in fact. He had heard many speeches in his time, but none had stuck with him like this one, possibly more because he'd been so young and impressionable at the time, rather than for any lasting benefit it might have had on him.

"I offer you my condolences on the death of your wife. There is no nobler death than dying for one's country. She made the ultimate sacrifice and now is worthy of our highest regard. It is my hope that you find courage and strength to bear the responsibility and take her place and fight."

Wufei could recall clearly how he'd felt at the time-confused and guilty and afflicted with suffering he had no words for nor knew how to resolve.

He was shocked at having held a person in his arms until she'd drawn her last breath. He'd never seen death up close before. They'd been too young at the time to know romantic love, but he had admired and respected her immensely. He couldn't properly grieve for her; he was called on to act immediately. Nothing anyone had said to him helped him deal with his anguish and all he was going through. That he remembered clearly now, ten years later.

So, then, how would the words of his people, long dead now, be of any use to easing the pain of Duo Maxwell? No matter what he said, it was liable to be be too much. Wufei was completely aware of all his shortcomings and faults as well as his strengths and gifts. He knew he had the tendency to go overboard and become preachy at times. He vowed not to do that. Let Duo vent instead. That sounded wise.

Better still would be to steer clear of mentioning all the people they knew in common, since any or all had some connection to the sorry affair. Wufei planned especially to avoid talking about Yuy, since he had nothing good to say about him and certainly didn't want Duo to feel as if he needed to come to his defense.

He wouldn't tell Duo he understood how he felt. How could he, never having been in his shoes before? He wouldn't dare mock the man by suggesting such a thing. Nor would he expressing the opinion that he thought Duo had been granted a reprieve or tell him "you must be relieved that the ordeal has ended" or "you are free now to start over"-none of these would go down well, he suspected. Although there might be some truth to these statements, a lot, to Wufei's mind, Duo might not be ready to agree.

He should say nothing. That would be best.

As if Duo would allow him to get away with that!

The more he thought over his opening remarks, the more cognizant he became that Duo would not hold with empty words. Duo was not tight with his feelings. His face reflected how he felt, when he allowed it. Wufei knew the man had suffered deeply in his life, and imagined that he loved deeply as well.

He'd need compassion. Sympathy was what people gave when someone needed empathy. Acting the way I usually do, Wufei decided, would be the best way to show sympathy towards his friend. Duo could always let him know if he needed anything else.

That still didn't leave him with much to say.

Being a glutton for punishment, Wufei looked at his reflection in the side mirror of his rental car. Dear God, was that the face of a man making an absolute fool of himself, or what?

And then, there he was in the mirror! Duo coming up from behind! God he was beautiful!

There was no chance of his backing out of this now. It took every ounce of strength Wufei had not to leap into Duo's arms and kiss him madly. That would not have been a good idea. Not only unseemly in such a public location, but Duo was recovering from a terrible shock and break up. And of course he had no idea how Duo felt about him.

And since he believed a man must mask his feelings, he betrayed no vulgar astonishment. As his throat tightened from excitement, so as to make any opening remark impossible without sounding like a family of frogs had taken up residence around his vocal cords, he greeted Duo with civil nonchalance, while his heart sank into his shoes, where it damn well belonged.

TBC

Chapter 2

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