Pairing/Characters: 3+4, 1x2, 5xR (implied)
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 7,020
Warnings/Kinks: Angst, Sap, literary references, swearing
Summary: Written for the moments of rapture 2005/006 contest. Mission: get together. Non-Heero/Duo entry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Trowa, Quatre, Duo, Heero or Peter Pan. I do have a sister named Wendy who some people would say lives in a Never Never land of her own making.

A/N: It has been a few years since I read the book "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie so any misremembered plot lines or confused characters are strictly my errors and should not be accredited to the characters.

Beta: much love to Anne for betaing and listening to me whine.

Lost Boys
by Lil_1337

"Rope," Heero repeated as he caught the bundle that Duo tossed him. Mentally checking it off on his list of supplies.

"What else do we need?" Duo scanned the warehouse, pleased that since he was now a sworn officer of the peace instead of a terrorist on the run that he didn't have to scrape together the odds and ends he could beg borrow or steal. This was better. Much better.

"Ammo for both of our weapons, first aid supplies, MREs and water."

Duo paused, hand on the box of concentrated meals in front of him. "Ammo? I thought Une said this was a rescue mission. Couple of hikers lost in the woods. What do we need Ammo for?"

Heero smiled, just a slight upturn of the corner of his lips. "You can never have too much ammo." Seeing the look of puzzled amusement on his partner's face he turned serious. "They're lost in a restricted area. Posted as such with warnings at every point of entry. We have no way of knowing what might happen. It's better to be prepared for any and all possibilities."

Duo leaned back against the shelves and frowned. "Okay, Heero. Spill it. There's more going on here than what you're telling me."

"What makes you think that?" Heero's gaze held Duo's steadily though the slight shift of his body hinted that Duo was correct.

"I've know you for a long time. We've been partners for five years." He paused, his voice softening. "Lovers longer than that. I know how to read you. I know /you/ and you're hiding something from me. Spill."

Heero shook his head, feeling guilty but determined. "It's classified. Need to know only."

Duo stepped forward, stopping when he and Heero were nose to nose. "I /need/ to know. Don't make me have to kick your ass, Yuy."

Heero let the corner of his mouth twitch into a slight smirk. "Like you could." The answering glower from his partner made him sober immediately. It wasn't often that Duo called him by his last name but it was one of those warning signs he had learned from years of living with his partner not to ignore. He weighed out the options then sighed. If it was a choice between revealing classified information and dealing with an extremely pissed off Duo, Duo was going to win hands down every time. He didn't have to live with Lady Une and he sure as hell was not in love with her. "We are looking for Quatre and Trowa."

Duo shook his head, frown deepening, "What the hell are you talking about? Q and Tro are on L4 to meeting with Wufei and Relena about security for that peace conference in June. I drove them to the shuttle port myself. Had to haul my ass out of bed at o dark thirty to do it too."

Heero nodded slowly. "That was the cover story. They were actually going on an infiltration mission. Lady Une suspected we have a leak so she did not tell anyone. I didn't even know where they were until an hour ago."

Still not happy, Duo considered his partner's words, mentally revising the mission parameters as he did so. "Were you planning to tell me or were you just going to act surprised when we found them?"

"I had planned to tell you as soon as we were in the clear." Heero looked down at his scuffed boots, a blush coloring his cheeks. "I didn't want to risk compromising Quatre and Trowa."

"We'll discuss this later." Duo's tone was all business but Heero could hear the anger and hurt underlying it. "I want a full briefing and I want it now." The stubborn look on his face was one Heero knew well. It wasn't something that Duo often showed to the world, having found that charm and a general joie de vie to be a much more effective way to get what he wanted, but when it was the two of them there were no masks, no personas. Just two men, completely open and naked to each other.

"Quatre and Trowa were dropped a day's walk from the entry point for the secured area. Their cover was to be lost hikers who happened to stumble unto the property looking for help and shelter. They had orders to gather information and get out." Heero paused. "They aren't armed either."

"And," Duo prompted, his frown deepening into a scowl at Heero's last words.

"And there was a storm that came in twenty four hours after the drop. It was completely unexpected. Two feet of snow fell in approximately twelve hours. Lady Une has not heard from them since they checked in to say they had crossed into the restricted area three hours before the storm broke."

Duo swore under his breath. "When were they supposed to have checked in?"

"Yesterday."

"We have no idea if this is going to be a rescue mission or an extraction?"

Heero shook his head. Letting Duo see the concern he was feeling. "We have their position from where they radioed in. It is unknown if they kept moving after the storm hit or opted to wait it out somewhere. Lady Une says she would have let it go another twenty-four hours but she cannot afford to be responsible for losing the Winner heir. The press would eat her alive."

Duo snorted. He and Heero had both had serious reservations about joining Preventers when they had been told Lady Une would be the one taking the helm, but after working under her command they had found her to be a demanding yet compassionate and understanding leader. She was obviously concerned if she was willing to break protocol to send in a search party before regulations allowed. He'd have to remember to thank her when they got back. After he let her know how not impressed he was about being kept out of the loop on this mission.

Quatre shivered and moved closer to the small fire. The rational part of his brain reminding him that the best chance he and Trowa had to survive was to stay put and hope for a rescue. One of the first things he'd learned as a Gundam pilot was to keep on the move. It made it more difficult for OZ to pinpoint his location. This was the same principle only applied in the inverse. For the tenth time in as many minutes he berated himself for the broken and useless communications equipment that rested in the bottom of his backpack. He made a mental note to discuss the design of the packaging that disguised it as a compass. The plastic casing was obviously not sturdy enough to protect the fragile electronics hidden inside.

Who knew snow was so slippery? He was Arabian and from L4 for Allah's sake. He'd never been in snow in his life. Being cold and wet were two things he was not the least bit interested in being. Given the choice he'd take the hot winds of the desert over the bitter cold of the mountains any time. He shivered and edged a little closer to the fire, enjoying the sting of warmth on his icy skin.

Duo had threatened to take him the last time he and Heero had gone skiing but Quatre had begged off, pleading duty and over work. The truth of the matter was he just didn't want to be there, watching them together.

He loved Duo and Heero both like brothers and they were never sloppy in front of him but the squeeze of a hand or the soft look that passed between them was enough to remind him that he was alone. Admittedly it was by his own choice, but there were times when that knowledge didn't make things any easier and it sure as hell didn't ease the jealousy he felt. If he was honest with himself and he tried to be no matter how much it hurt, it was getting harder and harder to believe that time and patience would bring Trowa around. The loneliness was beginning to eat at him, gnawing away little pieces of his soul and coming back for more.

He shifted again and suppressed the urge to sigh, eyes flicking to where Trowa was curled up in the sleeping bags. Fortunately their cover had them as two wealthy but inexperienced hikers so the equipment was all newly purchased and the best that money could buy. Anything less and they would probably have frozen to death by now.

/I don't want to die a virgin!/ The scene from an old Earth movie Duo had made him watch late one night rose uninvited to his mind and he snorted before pushing the images to the back of his mind. At least /that/ wasn't an issue. Again his eyes drifted to Trowa, a question forming in his mind. No, he told himself firmly, he was not going to let his mind wander down that path. The important thing to think about now was how to make sure they survived, not the number of lovers Trowa'd had.

Sit and wait, Quatre told himself yet again. Lady Une would send a search party when they didn't check in. That was the advice he'd give anyone else who was in his position. Sit and wait. With Trowa. Huddling together for warmth. When his father said he would be punished for breaking with the family's pacifistic ways he expected an afterlife of damnation. That he would have accepted with graceful resignation. Instead he was forced to lay with Trowa, spooned up to him to keep out the cold. Who knew that heaven and hell could be the same place?

Quatre reached for a piece of wood from their quickly dwindling stash and carefully slid it into the fire, sending a cloud of sparks flying out. They hung in the air for a moment illuminating the cave like fireworks or a miniature meteor shower. He stood, brushed off the seat of his sweats and took a deep breath before walking to where Trowa had curled tighter in on himself as the cold began to seep in through the thick layers of cotton matting. He could see the other man's breath as he slept, mouth slightly open to compensate for the difficulty he was having breathing through his nose. Taking a deep breath, Quatre reminded himself help would be coming soon, before he slid in and took Trowa in his arms, pulling his body tightly against his own.

"Touch down in five minutes, sirs." The pilot's voice was clear over the headsets that Duo and Heero wore. They looked at each other and nodded, both acknowledging that the message had been heard and understood before Duo responded.

"Roger that. We'll be ready to go." Duo grinned and gave him two thumbs up. "Thanks for the lift, man. Would've been a bitch to walk."

The pilot chuckled in their ears before signing off. His attention focused on the task of finding a safe place to set the helicopter down.

Moments later there was a familiar bump as the runners on the craft settled then sunk into the snow.

Heero and Duo quickly unbuckled themselves from their safety harnesses. Each headset was returned to its place. Secured to the side of the seat by a Velcro strap. Backpacks were removed from the baggage hold beside the door and tossed out in the snow. Followed by the two men dressed in heavy camouflage gear.

The pilot opened his window and yelled out to them, his voice raised so it could be heard over the steady chop of the rotors. "See you gents here in forty eight hours unless I hear from you sooner."

Duo nodded grimly as Heero helped him hoist his backpack onto his shoulders before securing it around his waist with the nylon straps. He then turned to help Heero who yelled back. "We'll be here. Make sure that you're on time."

The pilot laughed and waved, revving the engine in preparation for lift off. This time his voice was softer, barely heard over the whine of the helicopter's finely tuned motor. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Duo yelled back, looking out over the unbroken expanse of white. The fear that had been niggling at the back of his brain since Heero had told him just what this mission was about stepped forward and demanded acknowledgement. "We're gonna need it."

"Here. Drink this." Quatre held out the cup of warm water, while rubbing Trowa's back in soothing circles. The coughing fits were coming more often and with increasing intensity. They didn't have any medication to treat it, having brought only bring first aid supplies in case of possible injuries, not sickness. At least the warm water seemed to soothe Trowa's ravaged throat and ease the cough if only slightly. One of the few good things about being snowed in was that there was a ready supply of clean drinking water. It just needed to be heated over the fire. Trowa took the cup gratefully and slowly drained it under Quatre's watchful eye, before laying back down. His eyes already closing as he drifted back into a restless slumber.

Quatre moved back to his seat on the far side of the fire where he could tend their meager source of warmth while he kept a careful eye on his partner. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair and stared at the wall of the cave in front of him. By all rights he should be the one who was sick not Trowa. He was the one who had slipped and lost his balance when his foot had broken through the delicate crush of snow that had dusted a pile of rotting leaves, giving it the appearance of solid ground.

Instinctively, he had reached for Trowa in an attempt to regain his balance. Over balanced by the pack on his back Trowa had stumbled, unable to regain his footing on the icy ground, and he had slid down the snow slickened bank of the creek they were walking along to land on his knees in waist deep water.

Despite his efforts, Quatre had still ended up flat on his back in the snow like an overturned turtle. It was then that the pretty snow flurries turned into swirling snowstorm. It had been another hour before he had spotted the cave. More of an enclosed overhang really, but it allowed them to get in out of wind and snow and that made it better than the Taj Mahal in Quatre's eyes.

He'd started the fire while Trowa changed into dry clothes, thankful to find that they were not the first person to make use of this shelter, as there was a stack of dry firewood against the back wall. By the time they had finished their meal of gourmet freeze dried spaghetti, Trowa was looking flushed and starting to cough.

When they woke up the next morning Trowa's cough had moved into his chest and his breathing had taken on a raspy sounding edge to it. Quatre had no idea if the snow had stopped or not as the entrance to the cave was buried under a drift that blocked out most of the light. If his watch was not the type that showed am and pm in addition to the hour he would have thought it was the middle of the night instead of late morning.

He'd considered trying to dig them out and going for help but he was concerned about leaving Trowa alone. There was no way that Trowa was up to more hiking or exposure to the cold. If something happened to him there would be no one to lead the rescue party back. Even digging through the drift to look out carried with it the risk of letting in more cold air and making the cave that much frigid. There was airflow from somewhere as he could feel movement, and the air was fresh, not stale.

After carefully considering all the options and weighing the pros and cons of each he decided that remaining where they were and hoping for rescue was the best choice. Not that it was a choice he liked. He'd never been good at sitting and waiting for others to take action. If his father was alive he would certainly attest to that. It was the reason that Quatre had gotten into Sandrock and gone to Earth. He couldn't sit by and do nothing while the Alliance tightened its stranglehold on the colonies.

"So," Duo scanned the landscape looking for any clues that would indicate that Quatre and Trowa had passed through the area. Unfortunately, the snow was unbroken except for where he and Heero had walked. "Where do we go from here?"

Heero pointed at the map in his hand, his finger stabbing a small red x. "This is where they were when they last checked in. Trowa told Lady Une that they would be heading in a southeasterly direction, following the stream until it veers off here." Again Heero pointed to the map, his finger tracing along a blue line that cut a fairly straight path until it took a sharp a ninety-degree turn, widening out before it tumbled over a low cliff into what appeared to be a small lake. "From this point they were going to head parallel to the cliffs here. Finally ending here." Heero's finger stabbed at the dark green circle that indicated the complex of buildings that Quatre and Trowa had been sent in to investigate. "Our best course of action is to assume they actually did proceed on that path. If they did have to deviate then we will have to hope they left a sign to that effect."

Duo's gaze flickered over the map, studying and memorizing their route, searching for obstacles and landmarks. He nodded his approval then flipped on what looked like the monitor for a small hand held computer. Seeing Heero's frown, he grinned. "Infrared unit. Picks up heat sources including body heat. I have it set to hone in on anything between ninety and one ten."

Heero nodded his approval, tucked the map into his jacket pocket, and zipped it closed before heading off in the direction of the stream. The narrow water way was barely visible through the trees and overgrowth. Its snow covered banks beginning to encroach on the water, ice growing from one to the other despite the swift current.

Given the time of year and the limited hours of daylight they needed to make maximum use of all their skills and tools. Even moving at optimum speed they still would not have enough time to cover the full route drawn out on the map. Eating energy bars instead of stopping to make a noonday meal would help. Just not enough. Another storm was on the forecast and if they missed the window of good weather they would be as stranded as their friends until the weather cleared once more.

Heero had made the calculations several times. Checking and rechecking his math and logic for flaws, but he was unable to find any. He'd kept his findings to himself, not wanting to upset Duo any more than he already was. His partner wasn't stupid, quite the contrary. He was one of the smartest people Heero knew. He just preferred to keep that information to himself because it gave him an edge when people underestimated him. Heero had a gnawing worry in the pit of his stomach that Duo had already worked it through on his own and knew as well as Heero did that the gun they were under was loaded, cocked, and aimed squarely at Quatre and Trowa.

Shifting his backpack into a position that allowed for more ease of movement, Heero settled into a pace that was punishing but well within the abilities of both of them to maintain. His eyes scanned the landscape for anything out of the ordinary as he passed through it. Trusting Duo to keep up with him and inform him of any data he might find. It was how they worked, each of them doing what they did best without interfering with the other. Years of working and living together had given them a sense of their own strengths and weaknesses. And with that, a comfort level of knowing how the other balanced the scales. Although, it might not seem so to someone on the outside, their relationship and skills were complimentary by every definition Heero had ever heard of the word.

When Heero had first landed on Earth he viewed anyone he came into contact with as a potential enemy. Relena, and then Duo, had made him reassess this assumption repeatedly as had the other pilots as he learned of their existence and then got to know them. Along the way he discovered that some times it was more effective to work with others. A lesson he'd learned from Quatre and then been re-taught by Duo. Now, almost ten years later he also knew that having someone he could trust to watch his back was one of the best feelings in the world.

The fire burned low, but Quatre hesitated before putting one of the last logs on it. At this rate they would run out sooner than he had anticipated. But, at the same time, he could not take the chance that Trowa would get even more chilled than he was. Without thinking he moved closer to the other man then reached out to tighten the sleeping bag that was wrapped around both of them.

"Do you still think about it?" Trowa's voice was scratchy and pitched low but still understandable.

Quatre nodded, not needing clarification as to which it Trowa meant. Between them there could be only one. "Yes, especially at night, when the dreams come. I think about all the things I've done and all the regrets I have." The words /how I almost killed you/ hanging in the air unspoken yet still heard clearly by both men. He paused, taking a moment to add the log to the fire, using it as a way to recover his composure before asking, "Do you? Have any regrets? I know you think about it or you wouldn't have asked."

"Yes and no. I don't regret the taking of individual lives any more than they would have regretted taking mine if the battle had gone differently. Each person..." Trowa paused and coughed before continuing,"...made the choice to go into battle. I never targeted civilians or hurt innocents." Once again he paused, studying the flames. "What I regret is the need to fight. And the circumstances under which I fought."

Quatre frowned. "You mean as a terrorist? Or a Gundam pilot?"

Trowa shook his head but instead of answering the question posed to him started on what appeared to be a completely unrelated topic. "When I was undercover with OZ they captured Duo and Deathscythe. I was ordered by my commanding officer to destroy his Gundam. I was in the cockpit of the mobile suit I had been assigned and realized that there was moisture floating in the air." Trowa went silent for a moment, his brows knitted in thought. "I was crying, Quat. There were tears all around me and I didn't even know where they had come from. I had become so removed from my emotions that I wasn't even aware that I was sad or that my body was reacting to it. I was numb, shut down to the point where nothing could touch me."

Quatre moved closer, his arm going around Trowa in an instinctual reaction to the pain in the other man's voice. "But you're not like that now. You are the most feeling person I know. I've seen you laugh and cry." He paused then continued softly. "I've felt your happiness and sadness. I know you feel because I can feel /you/."

Trowa smiled, his head canted a bit to the side so he could see Quatre without allowing him much access to his own face. "When I lost my memory I no longer knew what I was trying not to feel. The void in my mind allowed the one in my soul to begin to fill. By the time the memories returned I no longer wanted to go back to how I had been. Feeling the pain of what I had done and who I had become was preferable to returning to the walking, breathing mobile doll I had been." Once again he was still, gathering his thoughts. "I know that building Zero is one of your biggest regrets but I'm grateful you did. It helped us to win the war and it gave me back my humanity." Trowa fell silent then turned slightly, his gaze locking on Quatre's and holding it. "/You/ gave me back my soul."

"Duo. We need to stop for the night." Heero's voice was as soft as his hold on Duo's wrist was firm. "We can't risk missing them or any signs that they deviated from the planned route."

Duo's shoulders sagged in resignation even as his chin jutted out stubbornly. "The moon's out and we have the infrared. If we go slowly we can keep moving. It's not like we can track them with all the damn snow."

Heero shook his head. "No. The risk is too great."

"God damn it, Heero, these are our friends!" Duo's voice echoed through the darkened forest. "Don't you even give a fuck?"

Heero struggled to keep his face and voice calm. He knew that Duo needed to vent his frustration but at the same time his words stung. Feeding on Heero's feelings of guilt and helplessness. After Duo, Trowa was the person he was closest to in the world. It wasn't like he had enough friends that he could afford to lose any. "I care, Duo. You know I do, but I am not willing to risk missing them in the dark. We need to rest and eat. We can't help them if we use up all our reserves and get in trouble ourselves."

He took in Duo's clenched fists, and his stony refusal to reply, with growing concern. Stepping closer to his lover he could see the lines of tears gleaming silver in the bitter night. Taking Duo in his arms he held him tight until the other man stopped struggling and relaxed against him. Duo wrapped his arms around Heero and buried his face in Heero's neck, sobbing brokenly as his fears took on the possibility of becoming a reality he did not want to face.

"We'll find them," Heero promised, sliding a hand under Duo's pack to rub his back. His other hand stroking Duo's hair well as he could through the knit hat that covered Duo's head. Heero renewed his vow to do everything he could to find their friends. He had never made an empty promise to Duo and he did not intend to start now, especially about something this important. He swallowed his worries and focused on Duo, soothing him and trying to project a confidence he didn't feel.

He knew that if they failed at this mission neither he nor Duo would ever forgive themselves. Time constraints and impending bad weather be damned, they /would/ find and rescue their friends. Duo had suffered enough losses in life, watched people he cared for die, despite his efforts to save them. Heero was not going to let that happen again. He'd move Heaven, Earth, and the colonies to stop it. Not only for Quatre and Trowa but because of what it would do to the man he loved. Nothing and no one was going to cause Duo more pain. Not while he still drew breath and could do something about it.

"Have you ever read Peter Pan?"

Trowa's question caught Quatre off guard and he frowned, confused, before nodding in reply. "Once, when I was quite young. I remember wishing I could go live with Peter and be one of the lost boys, but I knew I would never be allowed to. I had my duty to father and the family that I had to perform." Quatre paused and smiled, "It was a nice dream though."

Trowa's look was pained even though a smile curved the corners of his mouth. "I found a copy in a burnt out library when I was with the mercenaries. I used to carry it with me in my mobile suit."

His body tightened as a coughing spasm shook him and he took a drink from his cup. "I've always thought of myself as Peter Pan. I've been a soldier for as long as I can remember. It's what I know, who I am. Part of me is, and always will be, stuck in that mindset. For me a normal life in a world at peace is like the world beyond Neverland was for Peter. Something that I might desire, but in honesty I can only watch other people living through an open window. Both of us are tied to the decisions that were made for us where we were too young to make them for ourselves."

He took another drink from his cup. Eyes closing as he swallowed painfully. "You're Wendy, Quat. You can visit Neverland. Be a soldier for a time, but it's not engraved on your psyche. You can leave it and me behind. There is so much more you can be if you choose to be. Wendy helped Peter by sewing his lost shadow onto his feet. You helped me by reconnecting me with my emotions, my humanity. Like Peter I need to do the right thing and take you back to the real world. Not be selfish and keep you with me, tied to me, even though it is what I desire. I won't cheat you out of your chance to be the person you can be. Have the life you deserve to have."

Trowa smiled softly, fever and something more adding an unnatural brightness to his eyes. "I'll watch over you, Quat. Like Peter watched over Wendy. That is what I can do. Watch over you and protect you."

Quatre swallowed heavily, tears pricking at his eyelids. Without thinking he cupped Trowa's face in his hand. He struggled for a moment, trying to gain enough control over his voice to speak without it breaking. "Trowa..."

Trowa's fever warmed fingers rested against his lips, stilling his words. "That's why I said no, Quat. Why I wouldn't agree to a relationship even though it was what I wanted more than life itself. I needed to set you free. Now you know. Let me do this. To make up for all the mistakes I've made. Let me do this one thing right."

"Stupid fucking bear." Duo scooped up a handful of snow then flung it at the nearest tree. "It shouldn't have the same heat signature as a human being. That's just bad design planning by someone. Shouldn't make things seem interchangeable when they aren't."

He grabbed a handful of snow and nailed another tree squarely mid trunk. Muttering loudly about never being able to get the sap out of his hair, he studied the landscape around him hoping for some sign of Quatre and Trowa.

"I'm sure your complaint will be duly noted by Mother Nature." Heero's tone was dry with just a hint of amusement, adding to the impact of his words.

"Hey, Heero." The chipper chirp of Duo's voice set off warning bells in the back of Heero's mind but he still turned to face his partner coming face to face with a handful of snow. It hit with a damp splat and Heero wiped his face to see Duo holding another snowball, his eyebrow raised. A look that very clearly said make my day. I dare you.

Heero put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. As much as would have liked to give into the urge to tackle Duo to the ground and shove snow down his jacket in retaliation they could not afford to get distracted from the mission. Duo was, and had always been a hell of a distraction. One he struggled with on a fairly regular basis. The cold had brought out the color in Duo's cheeks and coupled with the 'bring it on' look he wore, it took all of Heero's self control to not find something, anything, to bend him over and take him in a way that would leave Duo breathless and begging for more.

They had already lost three precious hours digging out what turned out to be a hibernating black bear, an /extremely/ unhappy black bear. They'd spent another forty-five minutes in a nearby tree while Duo made disparaging remarks about the bear's parentage and threw pinecones in a vain attempt to chase it off. Instead, he had only managed to make the animal more enraged. When it had charged the tree Heero had fired a round over it's head hoping to startle the animal. The flash and noise had sent it running for cover and allowed the two angry and frustrated men to climb down from where they'd taken shelter.

Heero's comment that the bear was only slightly less cranky than Duo when he woke up in the morning had earned him two single finger salutes and a pinecone upside the head. It had been worth it to see the slight hint of a smile curve the corners of Duo's mouth. Although Heero would be the first one to admit that he was not the sappy type there was something about seeing Duo's smile that made him feel everything was right in the world. Even if it wasn't, especially if it wasn't.

They could have just shot the bear and had discussed the possibility of doing so but neither could bring themselves to do it. If their lives had been in danger that would be a different thing but this was just an animal doing what it did not out of maliciousness or spite but because of instinct. It was part and parcel of what the Earth was. What they had fought to protect and save. They were not going to start killing innocent creatures now because of their mistakes.

"Besides the fact that I wouldn't be caught dead in a frilly blue dress there is one big difference between Wendy and I."

Trowa's raised eyebrow signaled his question. He was trying to avoid speaking, as his throat was raw from coughing. He'd had much worse injuries and the pain was at a level he could easily ignore, but the way Quatre cringed at his harsh raspy words was enough to fuel his desire to remain silent.

"Peter gave Wendy the choice to stay or go. I would think if you are going to compare me to a girl the least you could do is grant me the same courtesy."

Trowa considered and then nodded before whispering in a voice that was more of a croak than human speech. "What would you choose?"

Quatre replied slowly, choosing each word carefully as he spoke. "I think I would have to return."

Trowa nodded his approval, even through the sadness he felt showed in his eyes. Quatre shifted closer then reached up to stroke Trowa's flushed cheek, the lightness of his touch in direct contrast to the calluses on his fingers. He leaned in close, his lips barely brushing Trowa's. "But unlike Wendy, I'd bring you back with me. I've learned that the important things in life are worth fighting for. I didn't back down when the time came to fight for peace and I won't give up on love."

Trowa's smile widened and a gleam of what could only be hope shone in his eyes. "That's cheating, Quat. Bringing Peter back is not an option. He has to stay in Neverland. It's only Wendy who can stay or go."

Quatre shook his head, fingers still stroking Trowa's skin. "No, that's strategy and thinking outside the box." His voice dropped and his fingers stilled as he captured Trowa's gaze and held it. "I don't care what options Wendy had. I'm not her and you're not Peter. I'm rewriting it." He paused and shook his head. "No, screw that. I'm writing my own book. Our book and we get to live happily ever after. We earned it and I'm calling in the debt." Once again his lips brushed Trowa's, hesitant and longing at first then more demanding. This time Trowa leaned in, lips parting slightly and kissed him back.

Heero checked his watch yet again. Two hours left. If they were going to make the rendezvous point in time to meet with the helicopter they would have to finish the sweep of this area and start back. If he knew Duo half as well he thought he did, he was going to dig his heels in and refuse to leave until they were finished searching the entire route. With trepidation he eyed the steely clouds piling up on the horizon, calculating how long it would be before the storm broke, bringing freezing temperatures and more snow with it.

"Heero. Come here for a second. I think I've got something." Duo tilted the hand held infrared detector in his hand so Heero could see it better. It was pointed at the sheer cliff face in front of him and there was a large heat source registering on the screen. As they watched it shifted and became two distinct entities before merging back into one.

"It could be another bear." Heero's hope was weighted with caution. Their earlier encounter had left him less than confident with the slight information offered by the heat sensor.

Duo shook his head, his eyes not moving from the screen as he slowly walked closer to the cliff. Honing in on the source of the signal. "It's two sources of about equal size. Bears don't hibernate together. It has to be them."

Heero sighed, and walked forward to where his lover was studying the snow bank, trying to determine if there was a cave where it would be. "How do you know that?"

Duo's eyes flicked quickly to Heero and the corners of his mouth quirked up in quick smile. "I watch the discovery channel."

Heero snorted but unbuckled his backpack, shrugging it off so it slid down to sit in the snow. He produced a folding shovel that he locked into place with a few smooth hand motions. Stepping to the cliff face he pushed the shovel into the snow bank. When it hit rock he began to walk parallel to the wall, keeping a steady pressure on the handle of the shovel.

When he was almost to the spot where Duo was standing it appeared to jump in his hand, burying itself to the handle and with it Heero's hand in the snow. When he turned to face Duo there was a hopeful smile on his face. "Time to start digging."

Duo shouldered his pack off and let it fall next to Heero's. He pulled his shovel out and secured it into place as he walked to meet Heero. Together they marked off where the wall ended on the other side and what would be the center of the snow bank. The two men started to work on the drift, both fully aware that if they had stumbled on another animal instead of Quatre and Trowa they would be out of time to search any further. It was calculated risk, but one they had to take.

After several hours of digging and a cave in that nearly buried them, Heero's shovel poked through the snow into open space. Duo took a deep breath then called into the darkness. "Hey, Q, you in there buddy?" Silence greeted his words and he tried again, louder this time. "Q? Tro? Come on guys talk to me."

There was the sound of movement. And then Quatre's voice came back to them, faint but unmistakable. "Damn it, Duo, can't we go any place without you following us?"

Duo grinned at Heero, brushing at his eyes. "We found them," he whispered before throwing his arms around Heero and hugging him tightly.

"Yes, you did," Heero whispered back, relief flooding his body as he stood and rocked Duo. Looking up, he mouthed the words 'thank you' to who ever deserved to receive them.

Quatre knocked softly on the door to Trowa's hospital room before pushing it open. He stepped in and smiled brightly at the man reclining on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Trowa smiled then gestured for Quatre to come closer. "When Sally was here earlier she told me I should be able to go home tomorrow if the fever doesn't come back."

"Oh, good." Quatre didn't even try to hide the relief he felt as he settled himself on the bed next to Trowa. "We were all worried about you. You were extremely ill."

Trowa nodded then smiled reassuringly. His eyes never leaving Quatre's face, looking for something he would or could not voice.

"I..." Quatre shifted nervously and cleared his throat. "Do you remember much? Sally said your fever was high enough that you might have been hallucinating when we brought you in."

Trowa frowned, then relaxed back against the pillow, a smirk on his lips. "Not a whole lot." There was a pause for the beat of a moment before he added "Wendy."

Quatre's eyes widened and then he laughed. "Sorry to hear that, Peter." He bent to kiss Trowa, who raised up off the pillow to meet him halfway.