Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Childhood Reborn ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 25 )

“Duo please wait!”

 

“Leave me alone Quatre, I don't want to hear it!”

 

“Don't be so harsh Duo and slow the hell down!”

 

“Lay off `Tro!!”

Duo ran through the woods with his comrades trailing right behind him. Finally after a couple of minutes Duo began to slow down emotionally and physically worn. The four other pilots caught up and Quatre approached him.

 

“Duo…”

 

“How could she think that I would forget about everything!”

 

“She didn't.” Wufei said. “She just wanted you to know that they were truly sorry about what happened and wanted to make it right.”

 

Duo snarled.

 

“Well she can't!”

 

Heero just stood there with his arms crossed.

 

“Jacinda just wanted you to know the truth.” He said. “She didn't expect the boy in her lover's journal to just walk into her village. It is quite a rare coincidence.”

 

“And I am sure Jacinda and Cebastion would have tried to find you had he not been killed.” Quatre pleaded. “She probably would have looked for you herself had she not been running for her own life.”

 

“Who said anything about trying to find me!?” Duo yelled. “Forget that, he..he could have stopped OZ from bombing the church!! If he had just let OZ arrest him!”

 

Heero sighed.

 

“Maxwell, you know very well even if Cebastion Grannos had let OZ arrest him, they would still bomb the orphanage. He would just be one less soldier at that battlefield, it wouldn't stop the battle entirely…and you know that.”

 

Duo was still angry even though his friends tried to pound the voice of reason into his head.

 

“Just…just leave me alone!” Duo yelled. “I am going to repair Deathscythe and get out of here as fast as I can. You guys do what you want!”

And off Duo went. Quatre tried to run after him, but Trowa gently grabbed his arm.

 

“Better just let him be.” He said. “It's a lot for him to absorb.”

 

Quatre nodded.

 

“Maybe we should check on Jacinda?” He said.

 

“Think we can trust her?” Wufei asked. “I don't know if I can after her story. She should have told us the truth from the beginning.”

 

Quatre sighed.

 

“I honestly believe Jacinda when she says she is no longer part of OZ.” He said. “And let's face it, I can understand why she didn't want to tell us…in retrospect it wasn't any of our business anyway.”

 

“But we told her a lot about us.” Trowa pointed out.

 

“That we wanted to.” Quatre said. “She didn't force it out of us. After all she doesn't know how or why we have the Mobile Suits. She just knows that we are against OZ.”

 

“I dunno.” Wufei said. “What do you think Yuy?”

 

Heero just shrugged.

 

“I think she is who she says she is.” He said. “She's a village nurse who used to be a part of OZ until she escaped. We have watched her closely, she has shown no sign of being otherwise and we would know.”

 

“Exactly.” Quatre said. “We would know by now if Jacinda wasn't who she says she is.”

 

Wufei sighed.

 

“I just hope we are right about this.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

“Jacinda?”

 

Siero walked into the kitchen where a red eyed Jacinda was busy cooking an early dinner.

 

“Hey Siero.” She whispered. “Bastian having fun with Hester?”

 

“Yeah, Rasha invited him to stay over for dinner. She doesn't mind taking care of the dog for a bit either. Ridge and I also finished some lists.”

 

He looked at her.

 

“I take it didn't go well?”

 

“It went as it was to be expected.” She said. “Duo was upset and had every right to be. How the other boys feel I don't know. Probably are angry and I deserve it.”

 

Siero sighed.

 

“No you don't Jacinda.” He said. “You did what you had to do to protect not only them but yourself.”

 

“Yeah well, whatever.” Jacinda said putting the lid down on a pot a bit harshly. “Mission accomplished.”

 

Siero walked over to her.

 

“You look exhausted, why aren't you lying down or something?”

 

Jacinda shook her head.

 

“I still have a responsibility to those boys.” She said. “Regardless how they feel about me, I am still responsible for their welfare. Even if I have to leave meals on the doorstep because they don't even want to see me I'll do it.”

 

“You don't have to do that Jacinda.” A voice interrupted. Siero and her turned to see Quatre, Wufei, Trowa, and Heero in the doorway.

 

“Boys.” She whispered. “I…I was just making dinner.”

 

“We will still stay with you Ms. Jacinda.” Quatre answered. “We believe you in your sincerity.”

 

“Although we wished you would have told us sooner.” Wufei said.

 

Jacinda nodded and motioned for them to sit down at the table.

 

“I know.” She said. “I just…didn't think it would have mattered. OZ was a part of my life I wish I could erase with the exception of Cebastion and now Duo. And I didn't want you guys to feel like you weren't safe being here because you are. No one here including myself is working for OZ. We are just a village, nothing more.”

 

“We understand.” Quatre said.

 

Jacinda looked and saw that one pilot was missing.

 

“How is Duo?” She asked. “Is he alright?”

 

“He's pretty surprised by everything.” Quatre said.

 

Jacinda shook her head.

 

“You don't have to sugar coat it honey.” She said. “I know he's royally pissed off at me.”

 

“That's one way to put it.” Wufei murmured.

 

“He has every right to be.” Jacinda said. “But it is true what I said. Had Cebastion and I had gone through with our plan, we would have looked for him and if we found him, we would want him to go with us. I wasn't agreeing to it to appease Cebastion. I felt in my heart how special he was. And now I have seen it first hand with him…and with all of you.”

 

Heero crossed his arms.

 

“You say that now, but why didn't you look for Duo while you were hiding? You were by yourself and you said you lived off the colonies until coming back to Earth. Weren't you on L2 at all?”

 

Jacinda sighed.

 

“Briefly.” She said. “I did visit the orphanage site to pay my respects and apologies. I did ask around L2 about a small boy with a braid, but no one really knew. Those that did just said he just disappeared or probably died and of course there were those who wouldn't answer my question without some sort of payment. I was also wary because there were some OZ members lurking on the colony and I had to keep my distant.”

 

“So you did try to find Duo after all?” Quatre said with a hopeful voice.

 

Jacinda nodded.

 

“With OZ growing in numbers so quickly my search for Duo lessened because I was trying to keep myself safe. If OZ found out that, a woman was asking a bunch of questions on a colony they might try and find me. Even with fake I.D. there was always the possibility of my cover being blown. It wasn't until after the year passed and I was back on Earth did I use my real identity around others again and that is really only in this village and you guys.”

 

“He's angrier that your lover didn't try to stop the orphanage bombing.” Heero said as they all finally sat down at the table.

 

Jacinda frowned.

 

“Cebastion wanted to help the hostages, but he was in a tough situation. Even if he had, OZ wouldn't have stopped.”

 

“Try telling that to Maxwell.” Trowa said. “We tried explaining it to him, but he wouldn't listen.”

 

“He's hurting right now.” Jacinda said. “I brought up a painful piece of his life and to say that someone wanted to stop it, but couldn't just made it harder.”

“That's why we left him alone.” Quatre answered.

 

“Probably a good idea for now.” Jacinda said. “I'll leave a plate for him and the front door opened. Hopefully he will come back.”

 

The other boys couldn't answer that one.

 

It was a somber night. Bastion was brought home a few hours later and immediately Jacinda had to pretend she was in a much brighter mood to make sure her son didn't notice. The pilots too also kept up the façade and they all lied saying that Duo had gone out to do some work.

 

By the time Bastian had put to bed and the pilots too were ready to sleep it was apparent that Duo was not coming back. Everyone figured he would sleep in Deathsycthe.

 

“We should probably get Duo a blanket and a pillow.” Quatre said as he looked at Duo's bed.

 

“He probably has one in his Gundam.” Wufei answered as he got into bed.

 

“Think he got his dinner?”

 

“What happened tonight might be one of few experiences that cause Duo to lose his appetite.” Trowa answered. “I know how worried you are Quatre, but you know Duo can take care of himself, just get some rest.”

 

Quatre sighed. It was the best decision even if he didn't like it. He got into bed and soon the room plunged into darkness

 

Even in the dark of the night a myriad of stars glittered the night sky. The moon was full, bright and illuminated the beauty of the forest. Atop his black Deathsycthe, Duo sat just staring at the sky.

 

`Why didn't he help.' The same question kept plaguing his mind. He did do some work on Scythe, but while his physical energy grew thin, his mental did not so sleep eluded him.

 

`Why am I still here?' Duo thought sadly. `Sister, Father, the kids, Solo, they are all gone and all they did was care about me.'

 

The thought of the deaths Duo had witnessed combined with the new realization about Jacinda caused his shield of armor to crumble as tears began running down his face.

 

For a few moments all that could be heard was the sounds of cicadas, crickets and Duo's barely audible sobs. Suddenly, the sound of cracking twigs alerted Duo and he looked up to see a familiar figure approach.

 

“I brought you your dinner Jacinda made for you. Don't expect me to do it again. I am not your servant.”

 

All Duo could do was gasp.

 

“Heero…”