Prologue

"Look, Duo," Heero Yuy, tribe chief of the Eastern Shifters, whispered in awe at the tiny creature nestled in his love's loving embrace, and his protective ones. "Our son." The figure trapped in his arms lay still, slump against his chest. "Duo?" Came a panicked cry, as Heero nudged him with a shoulder, trying to get a reaction from his mate. "Duo?!"

"DUO! NO!"

Fear pounded in his heart as he mate went limp in his arms. His heart screamed his denial. This can't be happening. Things were just right with them all, Duo couldn't leave him like this, he can't betray their love in this fashion. Great sobs emerged from deep within Heero's soul, shaking him with a force of a hurricane while he gathered his mate and son in his arms, burying his face in Duo's soft hair, damp from rain and sweat.

"Heero…"

There was still the lingering scent of the soap Duo used. Will he ever smell this sweet scent ever again?

"Heero…"

Duo's soft, smooth skin, so wonder on Heero's own. Will he ever feel his mate's caresses on his body?

"Heero…"

He heart clenched at the thought of not seeing the wide eyed sparkling eyes filled with mischief from across the table, the same devil may care grin, the nimble hands to braid golden red tresses, the soft rise and fall of Duo's chest as he slept…

"Heero…"

No, Duo's chest still rose and fell even now. What?

"HEERO!!"

The loud, almost yell of his lead Healer, Quatre Winner snapped his head up. He looked at Quatre, tears still coursing down his face while his mind processed only one thought.

Duo was still breathing, Duo was still alive, Duo was still breathing…

"Yes, Heero," Quatre soothed as if his tribe chief was a skittish animal. "Duo's still alive."

Heero frowned. He didn't just say that out loud, did he? "He's… he's…"

Quatre covered a pale hand over his leader's bronze ones. "He's spent. Duo's sleeping, nothing more. He will heal, Heero." The Healer then picked up the little being and cuddled him close, the pain of years written of the gentle blond's features.

With arms still wrapped around his still mate, Heero realised how Quatre must feel, knowing he would never have any children to grace Trowa and his dwelling despite his fellow Healer giving birth to one on this horridly wet night. "I'm sorry," he commiserated.

"Healing has its own rewards, Heero," Quatre told him with a gentle smile, washing away all the earlier pain. He inspected the baby carefully, cleaning him before wrapping the child carefully in Trowa's tunic again. "He's perfect, Heero."

At that announcement, the anxious warriors outside the lean-to erupted into cheers at the new arrival to their tribe. The threat has been eliminated, their chief's mate was safe and their child was safely delivered into this world.

The little person squealed softly, squirming within the Healer's grasp.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked, instantly concerned. He felt a surge of parental interest at this helpless creature he helped create and fear that there may be something wrong with him.

Quatre gave him a lopsided smile. "He's hungry."

Heero frowned, looking down at a still slumbering Duo in his arms. "How…"

It took a little manoeuvring and Heero's sure grasp but soon his mate's shirt was bared and his son was enjoying his first meal. The baby had warm chocolate fuzz all over his head and at the odd moment he opened his eyes, Heero found himself staring at his own cobalt blue orbs. While he had his mate's fairer complexion, he knew the child would grow to look like him. The chief couldn't resist from running a gentle hand along the tiny head while the baby made small noises of contentment at having his stomach filled. His only regret was his mate not being able to hold their baby at this moment.

"We need to get them back home," Heero lifted his gaze to Quatre, tearing his eyes somewhat painfully from the besotted preoccupation of his child.

Quatre nodded in agreement, unable to keep the amused smile from his lips. He had never seen Heero in this way before. The chief had always proclaimed he had no use for children and professed to not liking them, but his tenderness written within those dark blue eyes told Quatre he finally found something in his life he didn't know was missing all this while.

It was another hour before the rain stopped and Trowa Barton, his Healer's mate, came back with a carefully constructed litter. He had been pleasantly shocked at being informed there was now an heir to the chief's position and congratulated his childhood friend warmly while Heero could only manage an idiot grin. Apparently, now that the concern of his mate's health had faded, euphoria had seeped into Heero.

They got their Healers home and had Duo tucked into his dwelling in a flash. Through all this, the long haired Shifter remained asleep and basically dead to the world. His son was close at hand in the event he needed another meal. Heero endured the numerous visitors coming to congratulate him on his new son and to take a peek at the miracle baby with a wide grin. After two days however, the grin faded once more to worry.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Heero railed at his Healer the moment Quatre walked through the door.

Quatre examined the still unconscious Duo and shook his head in resignation. There was nothing physically wrong with him, except perhaps exhaustion, but there was nothing to be done of it besides letting Duo wake at his own accord. "His body shut itself down, Heero. He will wake in his own time. We can't rush anything."

At that moment, Heero's son let out a small wail of protest and the chief hurried over to pick him up. The movements were still a little awkward but Heero was getting more confident in carrying the seemingly fragile thing. Getting his son fed was also becoming routine for him as he slowly undid Duo's shirt and rested the baby against small breasts pearling with milk. His son latched on with the ferocity of a starving pig while Quatre let out a soft chuckle.

"Reminds me of Duo, somehow," he muttered, winning a laugh from the worried tribe chief.

Just then, Duo stirred a little and whispered huskily, "Heero, stop it, that's for our son."

Heero flamed red instantly at that implication while Quatre strangled a laugh and was reduced to soft giggles. When those amethyst eyes fluttered open, the fist around Heero's heart disappeared. They were still confused and blurred by sleep, but they were open and lucid. His mate was returned to him. Duo was shocked to find out he had been sleeping for the past two days. Although he didn't say anything about it, Heero could feel the sorrow Duo felt for his dead brother, no matter how much Solo hated him. Without saying another word, and glad that Quatre had left them alone, Heero gathered Duo into his arms. Once there, Duo finally broke down and wept for his brother, despite Heero's feelings in that matter. While both him and Quatre had tried to explain without much success how jealousy could twist the most paragon of beings, Heero knew Duo needed to mourn for the person that had been a pillar in his young life.

Once the storm passed, Duo found renewed interest in their son and with a sweetness that was all his own, named their son after Heero.

Odin Lowe Yuy.

While it was normal for a tribe chief to claim a child from his mate as his own in the event he wasn't a bearer, in this case, many of his tribe had told him they wouldn't find it an insult if Duo wanted to keep the child for his own. Heero had decided long ago that this would be his heir, no matter what his name was. Besides, he was quite certain that his son would be a miniature him and there would be no doubt to who actually sired the child.

The lump in Heero's throat refused to vanish as he held on to his mate as tightly as he could, trying desperately to transmit his joy and gratitude of Duo's love for him. Duo held him tight as they both drifted off to sleep. For now, that was enough for Heero.

tbc…

As promised, the sequel is out!! The updates won't be as fast as I am still writing this fic, as opposed to FC where it was finished when I started posting. Bear with me guys.

I know this is not really a chapter, more like a flashback kinda thing, but this is dedicated to all of you who had an apoplexy after reading Chapter 17 of Fates and Choices.