Faking Out Gin

"This feels a little weird," Hilde said to Duo as they were driven up to his brother's new place.

"Ah, it's just living with a family famously known for torture and killing people," Duo said sarcastically. "It's a safer place than anywhere else I got, and I can work with Heero here too. I just need to be real nice to my half-brother."

Hilde touched her stomach. "Didn't get real long to not have that feeling of this all being over."

"Already used to the live or die feeling of it too, so good practice?" he said as a positive note. They got out of the car and went to the door.

As nice as possible. Before Duo knocked, he already saw Gin open the door. He didn't look too welcoming. "Hey, again."

"Just get in." He left the door open for them.

Duo moved in front, holding Hilde's hand safely from behind. "Nice place again. Sorry things didn't work out last time I visited. I really did come to visit, but I thought she needed help."

"Yeah, I get it," Gin said to him. He looked at his hanging onto Hilde. "You're either really stupid or really desperate to bring her here."

"A little bit of both?" Duo teased.

"You're a genuine pilot," Gin said. Any kind of humor he had in him seemed almost gone from before.

"Yeah. This moment's pretty awkward. I call it like I see it," Duo said to him. "I promise, I'll work extra hard to find your girlfriend."

"She's carrying my nephew. One Song wasn't my girlfriend," he said slowly. "She was this great fusion of a girl, but she also knew I had the name Phillips on me. Most didn't make the connection, but she did." Gin glanced toward Hilde. "When it rains, it pours, you're carrying too?"

Hilde nodded. "We could really use any help we can get for . . . we still haven't gotten that far. We don't really . . ."

"Think about it. Yeah, RTL is a real piece of work, isn't it?" Gin seemed to be warming up to him. "Just because you knew him? Ran a junkyard together?"

"Run a junkyard together," Duo corrected him. "We'll eventually get back on our feet, and get back to our life." He noticed the smile on Gin. It really wasn't a bad smile.

"Yeah. I think we are all kind of stuck in a hole right now, but we'll get back up," Gin said in the same sort of way. "As long as I can save Middie. Trowa Barton took her, and it seemed pretty personal. I thought it was to ensure I get Catalonia, but Heero says he thinks that Catalonia might be carrying his kid instead. I don't know. They both sound like something twisted RTL would do."

Heero, what the hell? Gin must have gotten closer to the truth which would have pulled the Phillips away from them. "You figured out the connection, huh?"

"Yeah." Gin nodded. "They impregnated some of them for Gundam pilots. It makes sense why Trowa is holding One Song hostage." He smiled at Hilde. "Anyhow, nothing to fear here. This place is plenty big enough. It's not ideal for the average person, but you weren't an average person."

"I was a soldier," Hilde admitted. "I'll be fine."

"One thing I don't get, and Heero hasn't figured this one out either?" Gin looked toward Duo. "Why did RTL impregnate One Song and make my brother the father, when all the others involved, were all with pilots?"

Ah, he was too close. "Beats me."

"Maybe this One Song woman is carrying Trowa Barton's instead of Finn Phillips," Hilde said casually.

Duo's hairs started to rise. He knew what Hilde was trying to do, but it was still risky.

"Yeah, I get that," Gin admitted. "It might make more sense that that is the case. That this Catalonia chick might even be innocent and RTL just wants her to be blasted away for them." He shrugged. "I don't have her to test her. RTL's words aren't worth a damn, but their threats are always real. She might not be carrying our brother's kid. Or, she might be, and RTL is using this whole thing to confuse us."

"Yeah, maybe." Risky for Hilde to say, but apparently smart thinking. Not saying the obvious probably made them look more guilty.

"Either way, I guess." He took a deep breath and put his hand out toward Duo. "I'm not the warmest person in the room right now, Duo. I'd be a lot more accepting of getting to know another brother, if my twin, hadn't just . . ."

Duo took his extended hand. "Yeah, I get it."

"Yeah. But? Hey, I'll try." He waved to Hilde. "So, another nephew to protect? How did you know so soon?"

"Oh, I just have a feeling. Mom instinct I think," Hilde bulled him. "Feels like a boy."

That made Gin chuckled. "Eh, niece or nephew, I'm sure it'll be great. Gonna have to work on a name though when you really know what it'll be." He gestured to the left. "This way, Heero and his family is hanging out on this side. You'll be over here, just on the left side."

Duo and Hilde followed him up the stairs and the most right room.

"He doesn't like to be disturbed. He's a real loner kind of guy," Gin said.

"Yep, that's Heero," Duo agreed. "I'm used to it. Is he gonna pull a gun when I knock on the door?"

"Yep, you know him," Gin said with a slight smile as he waved at him. "I hang out downstairs, front of the house. If you see something that isn't from me or Heero, shoot," he insisted. "I can't ignore this family anymore, not with so much on the line."

Duo watched him walk off.

"Your brother is good, Duo," Hilde said toward him. "He's just in a bad situation."

"Yeah, I know situations." Gin seemed okay. "A little in love with the wrong girl, but yeah. Overall, pretty good." Duo moved to the side of the door and knocked.

"Like I didn't hear you?" Heero answered the door normally. "What?"

"We have arrived." Duo gestured to Hilde. "Excited?"

Heero didn't answer him.

Of course. "You got your queen with you, I hear?"

"Relena isn't a queen. You know that," Heero said to him. "Don't talk about her."

Relena appeared at the door on the other side of Heero. She was wearing handcuffs like jewelry?

"What's with that?" Hilde asked concerned. "Hi, by the way. What's with the handcuffs?"

"If anyone breaks in and sees Relena, she'll be in handcuffs which helps prove she wasn't here willingly," Duo said to her. Such a Heero thing to pull.

"Could you not talk about things out loud?" Heero was not taking his interference well. "Relena, back inside."

Relena looked toward Hilde. "Nice to meet you again. I wish it were under better circumstances."

Hilde waved. "Nice to see you again too. We'll be on the left side, if you feel like visiting for a spell."

Relena nodded and then went back in the room.

"Let's get one thing straight," Heero warned Duo. "One word about Relena and-"

"I know, I know, you'll kill me or expose my secrets or something like that." Duo always knew him. "Your secrets safe with me, Pal." He watched him head back in.

"My mom is also here," Gin added.

"That was not something I wanted to hear," Duo said to Gin. "Your so-called One Song's injuries-"

"Some, and yeah, I get it," Gin said. "It's a warning, to let you know. She's not the greatest person on Earth. She won't be baking cookies or anything. She's a Phillip, through and through."

Yeah, and Gin wasn't, although this situation was toughening him up. It was hard to see which way he'd fall in it. Would he become one of those cold Phillip guys? Or would he get freed again and go work in a nice little job away from all this stuff again? "Hey, as long as step-mom doesn't touch Hilde, I won't fuss." Duo moved away from Heero's door and headed to his room.

"So, if there's anything you know about Trowa Barton, be sure to let me know," he warned Duo. "Really. I know you got along with him. Heero did too, but he's got Middie Une. I can't guarantee why he does, so we gotta be careful."

"Right. Look out for your One Song, and shoot Barton or Catalonia if I see them," Duo said.

"This is the safest place right now for your friend, and your unborn, half-brother," Gin warned him. "Sorry, but really. Don't fuck it up." He nodded and left.

Duo looked back toward Hilde. "I know." Gin felt hard to trust both ways. Not bad, not good, but? "It's our option, Hilde. They tried to take you the first day."

"I know," she said to him as she opened their door and looked at the room. "Everything's a risk right now, but I get it. I just hope your other friends don't get in the-"

"-way of RTL even more," Duo corrected her. He hadn't had a chance to check anything for bugs yet.

"Right. That was so scary, Duo," Hilde told him. "I don't want to get caught. Can I keep my gun on me here?"

"I didn't see a sign that said 'no guns allowed'," he teased as he went into the room too. Seriously though? Hopefully, the others did understand they needed to stay out of the way. Far, far out of the way.

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