A Panther/Duo Fic -----part 1----- The sleek black stalker caught the scent of new prey. Slinking, quietly, through the underbrush it paused a moment, tail flicking back and forth. He could smell blood and sweat, and adrenaline. But no fear. That intrigued him. Duo paused. On the run from Dr. J's jungle hideout, he wanted nothing more than to get back to Heero, to cling to him. To wash away the memory of Dr. J's obscene probing and prodding in the cleansing warmth of his lover's embrace. Dr. J watched the monitor as the panther neared Duo's location. Soon he would know which instinct was stronger . The urge to kill or the urge to mate. He had seen the animal around before and that was why he'd chosen it. It was close and wild, and one of the predatory animals in the area. He has rubbed the heat scent he'd acquired from a captured female all over Duo's ass while Duo had fought and struggled. Duo had broken free, but that was fine with Dr. J. Still naked, Duo knelt by a stream and reached forward to scoop up some water. He was knocked forward, suddenly, as he felt the panther's weight upon his back. It bit into his shoulder, sending a tremendous jolt of pain throughout his whole body. As it dug its fangs into his shoulder, gripping him and holding him firmly in place as it thrust into him. Duo's mouth flew open in a silent scream as the worst pain he'd ever felt coursed through him, even as the panther's barbs tore him inside. his body was rigid with agony. As he blacked out, he felt the animal ejaculate into him, then everything went black. -----part 2----- Duo woke sometime later. He felt sore and exhausted. Still, he had to get the hell out of there. He staggered to his feet, getting as far as kneeling, before he felt a gun being pressed against the back of his head. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. All at once there was a growl from nearby. One that Duo recognized. It was the panther that had been ramming him a short time ago. Dr. J turned and stared at the panther in horror as he leapt straight for him. He didn't have time to run before the animal tore him apart. "I see him." Heero told the others. "I've found Duo. He's alive." he landed his gundam and made his way to where Duo was. The panther stood between Duo and Heero, snarling at Heero and herding Duo so that the braided pilot had to remain behind the animal. Heero radioed the others. "Ideas anyone?" "Heero, what's it doing?" Quatre asked. "It's keeping itself between Duo and me." Heero explained. "I'm getting a visual of the area. Hold on." Quatre pulled in a visual and watched it carefully. To Quatre's and Heero's amazement, the panther slinked back over to Duo and and began to lick him, as if Duo were another panther. -----part 3----- Duo lay in bed. It had been a little over a month since his run-in with a male panther who had taken him for its mate. Heero had tranquilized the animal and then had removed Duo from its den. Duo had asked the animal not be killed, and now he could hear it calling him from outside, begging him to return home with its forlorn cries. At present, Duo was feeling a little under the weather. He could hear the cries of the panther as it stalked the area outside. "So, what's the verdict?" he could hear Heero asking from nearby. "Pneumonia? Flu?" "Pregnant." "WHAT?!" Heero yelped. "You mean he's having kittens?!" "Cubs." the doctor told him. "Baby panthers are called cubs." "Whatever." Heero muttered, walking away to think. -----part 4----- The pain could not be denied any longer. Duo cursed and turned on his communicator. "Guys, I gotta bail." he told them. "I'm in labor." "I'm going with you." Heero told him. "Like hell you are, Heero." Duo told him. "You stick with the mission at hand. Come to the hospital when you're done." he flew off to the hospital, leaving the others to finish the battle. The remaining four pilots turned their attention to the battle at hand. Trowa executed a terrific banking move that brought him behind one of the enemy fighters. He made his attack run, bringing down the fighter which collided with a second fighter just as the second fighter was about to open fire on Quatre. "Thanks, Trowa." Quatre said, noticing another enemy fighter coming after Heero. "Heero, you got one on your tail." Heero swerved, but the enemy pilot continued to follow. "I can't shake him." he complained. Wufei bore down upon the enemy plane that was firing on Heero and brought it down. "Thanks, Wufei." Heero said. "Any time, Heero." There was silence. "Well, that's over." Heero said. "Let's get to the hospital and see how Duo's doing." They dropped the four gundams off at home, then drove down to the hospital. "Did a young man with a braid check in earlier?" Heero asked. The doctor looked confused, then another walked up. "I'll handle this." he said. She lead Heero aside. "Duo's fine." she told him, confidentially. "You know about us?" "Us?" the doctor asked."I know about Duo Maxwell. I tried him for a gunshot wound once when he was arrested. I know who he is, so whenever he's brought in I'm the one who takes care of him. Mind you, I never thought I'd be delivering his babies." "I think he was just as surprised as you were." Heero told him. "You're Heero?" "He told you about me?" Heero gasped. "He wouldn't say what you did for a living. But he said that you were his boyfriend and that he loved you." "I'll kill him." Heero muttered. The doctor laughed. "Let's go see the babies, shall we?" Heero nodded. "Hey, guys! Come on!" Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre joined them. At the window, they noticed that in one crib there was a small panther cub, curled up and sleeping soundly. In the next crib over, there was a baby girl with a pair of pretty black panther ears atop her head, and a long back panther tail continuing from the base of her tailbone. Her eyes were the same color as Duo's, but her pupils were slit, like those of a cat. -----part 5----- "Shiva! Hyoko!" Duo called to the twins, who were playing in a converted play room. "Its time for lunch. You two go wash up, okay?" "Okay, dad!" Shiva called. "Come, sis!" she ran out of the play room with the smallish panther at her side. Being of half-human lineage gave the panther some odd characteristics, the two obvious ones being her human eyes, that looked exactly like Duo's eyes, and the fact that she aged at the same rate as a human being, rather than at the rate of a feline. She followed Shiva everywhere. Both Shiva and Hyoko walked into the dining room. "Here we are." Shiva announced. She grinned at the sushi. "Thank Shinigami we live in Japan." she grinned. "It was so cool of you to move here after we were born." "Where else would I get stuff like this to feed two half-cats without arousing suspicion?" Duo asked. "Tell us about the war again, daddy." Shiva begged. "Oh no.. not the War Story." Duo looked over at Hyoko. "You don't want to hear Daddy's War Story again, do you, girl?" Hyoko rubbed her head against Duo's leg, purring happily. Duo sighed and began... -----OWARI-----