Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Final Mission into Forever ❯ An offer he couldn't refuse ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Final Mission Into Forever
By: Lady Winner
Edited by: Shinimegami
May 24, 2001
Part I

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"Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it."

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AC 199


The incandescence of day gradually crept into the shadows, permitting the darkness of night to slowly envelope the city and all life within it. The awaiting city resembled a small child, lingering about, waiting for someone to tuck them in that amicable blanket of comfort. Although the sunsets on the colonies were not as captivating as those on Earth, it still gave the people a sense of night and day and of time as well.

During this transition from light to dark, one solitary figure stood, relishing this "natural" occurrence. Clad in black pants, shoes, and a deep, rich red colored shirt, shrouded by a jacket equally dark in semblance to the rest of his attire, he stood atop a balcony overlooking the city. His shirt was unbuttoned and his jacket unzipped, allowing his well-toned chest and stomach to be slightly exposed to the frigid night air.

He let the gentle breeze play with his chestnut brown braid, swaying it ever so slightly, back and forth as he continued to hold his gaze at the tranquil sight before him. He rested his arms on the railing and leaned all his weight against it, while his eyes washed over the city with recognition, savoring every bit of the quiet beauty that it possessed. He smiled as his cobalt blue eyes fixed themselves on several children that had been playing in the park across the street from the apartment complex he lived in. They were now trying to get home before it got too dark, and just as they disappeared from his view, the darkness completely fell over the colony, with only the lights of the city to guide them. His gaze then traveled back toward the city again.

"Beautiful..." he breathed.

His hungry eyes devoured every little detail of the colony -- every bump and curve in the road, every place that held meaning to him, like the park where he would enjoy the company of nature itself -- he knew where everything was. He smiled and remembered the first time he went to that park. He had sat down on a bench in a more secluded area and remained there for several hours, just contemplating about where he was actually headed in life; it was finally over, the war, the battles, the fighting... everything.. it was all over. So now, he could finally move on. And live. He sat there, enjoying the simplicity of everything around him. Then, it hit him.

"Kuso [1]..." he said aloud to himself. "I've been sitting here for hours... and the entire time, I haven't said one word!!" He chuckled wistfully at his revelation and pushed himself off the bench. He placed his hands behind his head and began walking.

"Hmm... I suppose, with all that time I spent with Heero during the war, some of his "better" qualities must've rubbed off on me," he mused to himself. "Well forget that, this world doesn't need anymore Heero Yuys... it needs... more Duo Maxwells!! And despite what everyone thinks, I happen to be quite fond of me, thank you very much..." he stated matter-of-factly. He continued walking, alternating between talking and whistling to himself.

Duo's smile broadened after reminiscing of the past. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, letting the night air greedily fill his lungs. When he opened them, he noticed that the "sky" had opened up and tiny droplets were falling. He could hear the familiar pitter-patter sounds of the rain hitting the rooftop. He looked out and watched how the rain droplets quenched the insatiable thirst of everything living on the colony; quietly but quickly replenishing them all.

Carefully, Duo leaned over the railing, away from the shelter of the rooftop, allowing a few droplets to touch his face and trickle down, tracing his distinctive features -- hardened by anger, death, and war, but softened by camaraderie, friendship, and love.

The rain droplets continued to kiss his face tenderly as he closed his eyes again and one by one, burned every image he saw and experienced into his mind, his memory... so that he would never forget. He opened his eyes and calmly continued to watch the night sky cry its silent tears. They weren't painful tears, but a mixture of joy and sorrow. Duo was sympathetic toward the sky. He knew exactly how it felt. The joy was from the fact that he had been able to live up until now and he knew he was headed down the appropriate path in life, the one that suited him best. And the sorrow... well the sorrow was because he'd be leaving L2... again. But this time he wasn't necessarily leaving out of necessity. He wasn't leaving because he had to fight to live... but just... to LIVE.

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A little over a month ago, Sally Po had contacted Duo and presented him with an interesting proposal -- it was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Hilde was out doing some shopping, while Duo remained at home, intent on some relaxation. He had decided that today would be a good opportunity to take some time off from work. The workload that Hilde and him had been dealing with for the past few months had been almost intolerable. Despite the fact that the two of them had been working real hard, lately business had been pretty slow. Their shipping trade business was only making enough money for the bare essentials, with a few perks here and there every so often. It wasn't a luxurious lifestyle, but they were happy.

Duo was in the kitchen making himself a sandwich, when the vidphone went off. He made a mad dash toward the living room where the vidphone was resulting in him clumsily stubbing his foot against the couch. "Shit..." he cursed softly. Finally, he reached the vidphone and preceded to answer it. He was hoping it was a business call, but when he answered it, a familiar face appeared on the screen instead. Duo sat there blinking disconcertingly at the image on the screen -- a young woman with light golden brown hair, curled on either side, framing her face, accentuated with striking ice blue eyes.

"Huh?! Sally??"

"Nice to see you too, Duo."

"Huh? Oh..." He started. He began laughing and put one hand behind his head, unconsciously fingering his long braid. "Gomen [2] Sally, I was hoping you were a business call... but hey it's great hearing from ya though."

"Well, that's satisfying to know."

"So what's up?" he asked while leaning back in his chair. "To what do I owe the honor of you gracing me with your presence on this fine day?" He quickly leaned forward though, when a thought crossed his mind. "Wait... Sally... Is there something wrong? Did something happen??"

"No, nothing's happened Duo..." she answered while raising a delicate eyebrow at him.

"Good..." he sighed and noticed the surprised look in her eyes. "Sorry about that Sal, but can I help it if I'm a tad bit paranoid every time one of you 'Preventers' decides to call me out of the blue?"

"I suppose not," she replied with a sigh. "So, how are things between you and Hilde? How's the business doing?"

"Hilde. Good. Business. Bad."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that Duo."

"Ah... it's all good. I have Hilde, that's enough for me."

"Aww... that's so sweet Duo. Hilde's one lucky girl," she said with a tinge of envy laced in her voice.

"Naw, I'm the lucky one, " he smirked. There was a momentary pause that made Duo a little suspicious to as of why Sally had called him. And he was determined to find out why. "All right Sally, " he started. "Spill it."

"What are you talking about Duo?" Sally asked innocently.

"Come on Sally, What do you want... I'm not stupid you know," he asked exasperatedly.

"Are you sure about that Duo?" she joked.

"Hey, not fair!!" he retorted. He sat there pouting with a pained expression on his face.

"All right, all right... I was only joking, " she replied, putting her hands up in defense. She noticed that Duo was looking at her rather doubtfully. "Can't I just call to see how my favorite Gundam pilot's doing?"

Duo looked at her and then gave her one of his boyish grins and said, "First of all, flattery's not gonna get you anywhere and secondly..." he paused for a second and leaned closer to the screen with a mischievous grin on his face, "...you and I both know that I am NOT your favorite Gundam pilot." Sally, realizing what Duo had just said, began blushing furiously. She looked away from Duo, hoping to conceal the heat that was already radiating from her cheeks. Duo, of course, noticed it and decided to tease her some more. "But... I'm sure WUFEI would LLOOOOVVVEE that title, ne??" He then began laughing when he saw the red in Sally's cheeks deepen. "HaHa!!! I didn't know that a person could change that many shades of red!" Duo continued laughing until he noticed that Sally was giving him one of those glares that would have been unnerving to Heero. If looks could kill, then Sally was definitely ready to hurt a certain blue-eyed, braided baka. "Gomen Sally... haha... "

"Hn.." she growled.

"I see that you've picked up on some of Heero's habits," he smirked.

"....."

"Aww... come on Sally... I was just playin' around. You know I would never go around telling people your business... I was only teasin'," he replied, trying to justify his previous actions. "And you knew that neither you nor Relena could ever keep something like THAT from moi, Shinigami, the god of death!"

"I know, " she sighed. " I'm glad that I can at least TRUST you..." Duo nodded ardently in agreement. "BUT... don't you ever do that again Maxwell!!!"

"Maxwell, huh? I see you've also picked up some of Wufei's habits too. I think you've been spending way too much time with those two," he joked.

"Duo... just don't do that again..."

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a mock salute. "Now we're even." She smiled in response. "But seriously Sally, why did'ja call?"

"Well," she started, "I DID call to see how you two were doing, and..." she stopped short, trying to come up with the best way to approach the subject.

"And..."

"AND, Lady Une wanted me... to ask you for a favor," she replied, speeding through the last part of her sentence.

"She did?" he replied raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well... it's not exactly a favor... it's... more of... a proposition."

"I see," he mumbled while sitting back in his seat. "Well, I'm all ears."

"Okay, like I said before, everything's been going pretty well. We've been able to keep track of a lot of the things that have been going on in the Earth Sphere. There are the occasional disturbances, but we've dealt with them. So when we find the time, we've actually been able to go out and enjoy ourselves... if that's at all conceivable," said Sally, allowing a playful smile to dance on her lips at her last comment. In return, she received a hearty laugh from the young man.

"Haha... I think you're right. I don't think that's imaginable!" he continued to laugh. " I mean, two of the world's most apathetic men with two of the world's most gregarious onnas [3]... ooh... that's gotta be one nasty combo." The two began laughing together, Duo trying to picture his two friends actually having fun, while Sally, remembering what had actually happened.

"I'll have to agree with you on that one," she said while gasping for air from laughing too hard. "But we really did have a good time."

"Really... and how may I ask did you manage that?"

"I just... made a little comment, and all of sudden the two of them WANTED to spend the rest of the day with us."

"What did you say?"

Sally smiled sheepishly and said," I kinda told them I wished you were there because you were more fun than the two them put together... AND the entire L1 colony." Duo nearly fell off his seat from laughing so hard.

"You've gotta be kidding! You said that?"

"Yep and you should've seen the looks on their faces. It was priceless!" This just made Duo laugh harder. " You know how those two get when you tell them that somebody's better than them... especially if that somebody's you , Duo!" Laughter continued to ring clearly through both sides of the communication link until finally the two were able to calm themselves down. Wiping the tears from their eyes, they continued their conversation, though there was still a hint of mirth and amusement evident in their voices.

"Ooh.. that was sweet," Duo said leaning back comfortably in his chair. "I'm always up for a good laugh." Sally nodded her head in agreement.

"But truthfully, those two have gotten much better," she said. "You can't expect too much out of them, but I do give them credit. They are trying. I mean, under that mask of indifference that they wear, you can tell that they really do care what others think about them. And I think that goes the same for the rest of you also."

"Yea, I suppose your right. I never used to care what others thought, and I probably still don't, but disregarding other's opinions isn't right either, the least I could do is acknowledge them. " Sally nodded in understanding.

"Those two really are something, you know?" she began. "They've gone from being completely anti-social to at least semi-social."

"Yea... they never cease to amaze me..." he replied, letting his voice drift off. Sally watched as Duo's gaze left hers and averted away from the screen. She watched as his smile, which was so genuine and loving a few moments ago, changed to one so melancholy and triste. The usual effervescent glow in his translucent eyes had dimmed greatly, allowing her to see all the grief and pain slowly relinquish itself from the confines of his mind. It seemed as if a flood of memories bombarded him all at once, and he was trying hard to mentally sort them out one by one.

So many thoughts, images... memories flew through his mind, each one a painful reminder of the war... of the past. It tore at his heart, every time he recalled what he had gone through during his childhood... and the war. 'Childhood? What childhood,' he thought bitterly. But what always made the pain subside was when he remembered everyone he cared for and loved. They were the ones that steered him in the right direction when he lost his way, brought meaning back into his life when he had nothing left to live for, and most of all... loved him for who he was.

He allowed his lips to quirk up into a small smile when his thoughts came across four particular young men - Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei - his comrades, his friends. They meant more to him than anything else in this world, well, besides Hilde of course. They had an inexplicable affinity toward each other, which is why they were the ones that understood him best and for that he trusted them with his life. And even though some of them wouldn't openly admit it, he knew they felt the same way.

They weren't just allies or friends during times of war, but during times of peace as well. It was fate that brought them together, there's no doubt about that, and carried them down the same path. And it was also fate that had allowed them to continue walking on that same path together, and now, it was bringing them back for a final time. The bond that the five of them share could never be expressed simply in words for it's something not even the spoken word could portray. But if anything, it could be called... indescribable...

A few minutes had passed as Sally continued to watch the young man tentatively, not really sure whether or not she should interrupt him from his thoughts. When she saw that ever so familiar smile of his, she gently brought him back from his dreamworld.

"Duo," she called to him. "Duo, are you all right?" Duo, suddenly interrupted from his reverie, turned his head back to face the screen.

"Huh?" he replied. Sally smiled warmly back at him.

"I kinda lost you there for a while."

"Oh," he said blushing a little, out of embarrassment. "Sorry 'bout that Sal. I guess I kinda spaced out..."

"I could tell."

"Yeah, well, I was just thinking... about things," he sighed.

"Don't think too hard now Duo. Your brain might not be able to take it and it might go into acute shock," she joked.

"Your sorry attempts at humor are what's going to send me into shock," he replied feigning curtness.

"Gee, thanks."

"Anytime," he said with a smile. "So, you were saying?"

"I was saying, how things were going pretty well at headquarters."

"If everything's going so well, what does Lady Une need me for? What does she want me to do?" he asked crossing his arms.

A pensive frown sauntered across her face, as she took a deep breath and started to explain the real reason for her call. Duo, noticing the abrupt change in her facial expression, knew that what Sally had to say was very important. So he sat there and gave her his undivided attention. By now, Duo was ready to know the real reason for her call and he knew that they wouldn't make any progress if they continued their joking and verbal sparring.

"Duo, what Lady Une wants..." she started, "... actually, what Lady Une, Relena, and I want from you... is a favor." She hesitated for a second and then continued. "We want you to come back to Earth."

"Nani [4]?" Duo asked, a bit taken aback by her request. "Nande [5]?"

"Anou [6]... it's... about Heero and Wufei." Duo sat there with a grave look on his face as he kept replaying that last comment she made in his head. 'It's about Heero and Wufei... Heero... Wufei...' He knew something was wrong. He knew it from the very beginning when she first called him. 'So, something is wrong...' he thought to himself. He had hoped that his intuition was wrong, and that everything really was fine, but now that he knew that he was correct, he was determined to find out what it was that was wrong.

"I knew it," he uttered, his voice, barely above a whisper. "I knew that something was wrong... this wasn't just a call to say 'hello' was it?"

"Duo, that's not true," she protested, hurt at the fact that the thought had crossed his mind.

"Is it? Is it really?" he asked, his anger beginning to mount. "Then why did you fucking tell me that 'everything was fine', huh??!! Why did you LIE TO ME THEN!!!??? ANSWER ME SALLY!!!!" He slammed his fist down on the table, causing the screen to quaver as he stared at the woman sharply, his eyes seething with all the anger and frustration that had been pent up until now. Sally's eyes widened at his outburst. She rarely saw him get that enraged and she never expected him to be so infuriated with her.

"I-I-I..." she stuttered not real sure of what to say him. His jovial exterior had fallen and his anger had transformed him into a completely different person. In all honesty, she was afraid of this person now... this stranger in front of her. 'I suppose, even a lighthearted person like Duo can get incensed once in a while. I guess that we all have something to hide. Something we don't want others to see,' she thought to herself. Her gaze fell to her lap as she searched for the right words to proceed with. Upon hearing the hesitation and reluctance in her voice, Duo knew that he had made a mistake. He made a mistake by yelling at her; she didn't deserve it.

"...Chikusho [7]..." he mumbled. He sighed, closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, while running his right hand over his face. He stopped when he reached the bridge of his nose, and rubbed it, hoping to ease whatever it was that caused him to react the way he did. A nervous, pitted feeling began to gnaw at him as he sat and waited patiently for her to continue. He had already yelled at her so he knew that rushing her would be a fruitless tactic. She would eventually tell him what was going on, he was sure of that, so he was content to wait until she deigned to start talking again.

Sally knew that Duo was waiting for her to continue, and that he was quite peeved, to say the least, at her. She didn't realize what an arduous task it was going to be to explain the whole situation to him. It had been so much easier with Trowa and Quatre. She had effortlessly explained it to them and had gotten her point across much quicker and with ease. But with Duo, it was a painstaking task to accomplish. She figured one reason was because talking to Duo sometimes was like going through an obstacle course. They would always end up going off topic, getting interrupted, or inevitably trapped in an endless duel of throwing verbal obscentities at each other. And to top it off she added "being yelled at" to the list. 'I can't blame him though... he has every right to be angry at me...' she thought sadly. But despite all that, she still had to tell him... no matter how difficult it was going to be for her. The silence on both sides of the link was beginning to get a little unnerving, and all the tension wasn't helping one bit, so she decided to try and say something.

"Duo..." she started. "I'm sor-"

"No," he replied, cutting her off. "I should be the one to apologize. You didn't deserve to be yelled at like that, and I'm sorry..."

"No, Duo, you have every right to be angry with me," she returned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you like this."

"No, no... it was my fault, I deserve the blame," he replied.

"No Duo, really, I'm sorry it's my fault. I shouldn't have lied to you in the first place. If I'd been truthful, then you wouldn't have gotten so worked up about it," she countered while getting rather impatient at his stubborness to not let her apologize.

"No, no, it's all my fault, I'm sor-"

"DAMNIT DUO!!! CAN YOU JUST LET ME FUCKING APOLOGIZE!!!" she screamed at him. The two looked at each other, their eyes locking for several seconds. Their lips began to twitch and finally they couldn't keep it in anymore and the two bursted out laughing.

"Geez, first we start laughing with each other, then we get mad and yell at each other, and now... we end up laughing at each other... damnit Sally, how in the hell do people put up with us?" he asked, his ever present smile back on his face.

"I don't know, I really don't know..." she replied, happy that the tension was finally broken. "But seriously though Duo, let's just say, we're both real sorry, deal?"

"Deal."

"All right, good," she sighed. "I suppose, I should tell you what's going on then, huh?"

"That'd be nice," he replied lightly. Sally nodded in understanding and restarted what she had tried to accomplish earlier.

"You know it's about Heero and Wufei," she said. Duo nodded fervently, the nervous, pitted feeling returning to his stomach, but he tried to assuage his own fears, hoping that they were all right.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, "...so... exactly what's wrong with them?"

Sally took a deep breath and began her explanation. "Lately, it seems that they've been rather... withdrawn. I mean, sometimes, it seems that they're distracted somehow. I don't know what it is that's bothering them, but it's gotten me worried, and... I don't know what I can do to help..." she paused and let out a defeated sigh. "I'm sincerely worried about them Duo. It's this feeling I have... that if I don't help them soon... something might happen to them, and then... it'll be too late..."

"Hmm..." he replied his eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. "Does anyone feel the same way as you do?"

"Yes, Lady Une and Relena feel the same way. We are the ones that spend the most time with them and we're the closest to them," she answered, "Oh, and Mariemaia's noticed it too. You can even ask her yourself."

"Really?" he asked, somewhat surprised that the resolute, yet somewhat apprehensive, young girl had been able to discern something like this.

"Uh-huh," she replied, "She was rather adamant about telling you guys about this. She thought it'd be a good idea if you guys knew what was going on."

"Hm..." was all he could say as he sat there and let everything that she had said sink in. Yet he was still puzzled as to how he fit into all of this. 'What am I supposed to do about this? What can I do? Or maybe the question is, What do they want me to do?' he thought to himself.

"Duo..."

Duo looked up when he heard his name and was surprised to see the expression on Sally's face. Her countenance clearly expressed concern, but what was even more staggering were her eyes. They were silently begging him to do something, pleading with him to help her, but he still didn't know what he could do, or for that matter, what he was capable of doing.

"Duo..." she murmured, "I... don't know what do anymore. I'm so afraid that something is going to happen to them... something that I can't prevent." She paused and then started again, pain evident in her voice. "You should see the look in their eyes sometimes, Duo. They look so lost, so full of pain and suffering... And it gets worse every time they come back from a mission. Every time that look in their eyes gets deeper and more painful, more distant... Out of everyone, the five of you deserve this peace the most... the peace that you have worked so hard to obtain... and yet now, it's seems that you're the ones that are hurt most by it."

"They try though. I know they do. They're trying to live in this world, in this peace that they have helped to create. But it just seems that every time they take a step away from the edge, away from all the suffering they've endured, something happens. Something that pushes them back... back toward that edge. And... I'm just so scared... so scared that one day they'll be pushed so far that they'll fall and no one will be there to catch them." After she finished her thoughts, an unrelenting silence ensued on both sides of the link, neither one speaking, neither knowing what to say.

"So," he began. "What do you expect me to do about it?"

"Duo..." she replied, hurt at the bitterness to his words.

"What do you want me to do Sally, huh?" he asked fervidly. "Do you think that I've never felt that way before, that I've never experienced that kind of pain and suffering?? Well I have Sally... I have... and let me tell you something, I've been to that edge. I've been backed up so far that I didn't know if I was going to be okay... And do you think that I've strayed far from it already?? That I'm not capable of returning there again??!! Do you??!! Well I haven't Sally!! I haven't!!! I'm still near it, and I know for a fact that at any given moment I could fall, and I don't know if there is anyone that is capable of catching me! Not even Hilde..."

"Duo, I..." she replied, "Duo I know that... I didn't mean it that way. It's just that... it's been so long now... so much time has passed... But still, I know that three years isn't enough to-"

"Heal a lifetime's worth of pain..." he finished.

"Yes..." she said barely above a whisper. "But Duo, the reason I asked you and the others is because those two need you guys... they need your help, I know they do. Even if they won't admit it."

"You care about them," he stated flatly, more as a statement than a question.

"Of course I do Duo. I'd do anything for them and for you also; you know that. But they need you Duo... more than they need me."

"That's not true Sally, they both need you... Wufei needs you, just as much as he needs me," he countered.

"No he doesn't," she replied indignantly, shaking her head. "He doesn't need me, not like that."

"Sally..." He couldn't believe he was hearing this from her. Someone that he had always admired for being so strong and self-assured, now seemed so helpless and unsure. She looked away from him, trying to hide the pain in her eyes. "Sally, don't hold back your feelings. Stop doubting yourself. Doubting yourself won't get you anywhere."

"And believing in myself has??" she replied painfully.

"Sally..."

"Duo, don't worry about me," she said smiling faintly. "Those two are the ones you should be worrying about, not me, okay?" He looked at her with a reluctant frown on his face. "Duo... please." Duo sighed and nodded in acquiescence.

"So, you want me to come back to Earth, right?"

"Yes, you and Hilde," she replied, glad that the conversation was directed back at him.

"Me and Hilde?" he asked. "Why Hilde too?"

"Well I'm sure you don't want to leave her for that long Duo..." He nodded in agreement. "And she just might happen to find someone else better than you while you're gone," she added teasingly.

"Hahaha... very funny," he replied sarcastically, though inwardly he was glad to see her smiling again. "And why would she ever do that? Not with my boyish good looks and alluring charm, puh-leeze... and anyway, I wouldn't let her out of my sight. It takes a lot work to try to get away from Shinigami."

"Good point."

"A man can only be deprived of sex for so long. After that, I think anyone would go crazy," he replied with a smirk, causing the young woman to chuckle lightly.

"Another good point."

"So," he began, "How long do you want us there for?"

"As long as it takes."

"I see..." he sighed. "...well it might take a while then 'cause this is not something you can just fix in a day. We can't just hand them some pills and tell them to 'take one every 6 hours with the right amount of fluids and then the pain will go away'. This is something that needs time and patience... and dedication."

"So... then you'll come?" she asked hopefully.

"Well yea, of course I will, but I'll have to ask Hilde if she wants to. I mean, this isn't really her problem in the first place and she doesn't need to get involved," he replied, a little disappointed to the idea that he might be separated from Hilde for a while. "But yea, me coming is a given. I'll definently go... it's the least I could do for them."

"Thank you Duo. You don't know how grateful I am to hear that."

"No problem Sally, Shinigami is always here to help, serve, and protect his friends," he replied. "Oh yea, if Hilde decides to come along, where are we gonna stay and what are we gonna do about money, 'cause that might be a problem if we end up having to sell the business..."

"Don't worry Duo, we've got it all covered," she assured him. "You'll be staying with Relena for the time being, until you can find a place to stay, and for money, Lady Une is ready to offer both of you positions as Preventers."

"Whoa... really?" Sally nodded in answer. "Wow, that's real gracious of her... hm... well, sounds good to me. I'm kinda ready for a change of scenery anyway. This might end up being good for the both of us, and I know Hilde really loves the Earth... I'll ask her Sally, when she gets home, and then I'll contact you again."

"Sounds good."

"Oh, by the way, have you talked to Trowa and Quatre yet?"

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about that... Yes, yes I did," she replied. "Trowa's also agreed to come, but Quatre's too busy running his family business, so he can't leave for that long. But he did promise to come by whenever possible."

"I see, so Trowa's gonna be there too, working for the Preventers?"

"Yes, and if you and Hilde both decide to come then Trowa said he'll go to L2 to meet up with you and you'll all come to Earth together."

"Wow, you guys sure thought this through..." he said, rather impressed at how well everything was thought out. "So then, I'll contact you in a day or two, 'cause I'm not too sure how Hilde's gonna take this entire situation."

"That's totally understandable Duo."

"All right then, so I'll talk to you soon?"

"Yes, take care Duo."

"You too."

"Sayonara [8]."

"Ja ne [9]." The link was then terminated, leaving Duo to gaze at the blank screen. He leaned his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers together while resting his chin on them. He pondered about a lot of things that they had discussed in their conversation, but his thoughts always went back to Heero and Wufei. It had been six months since he had last seen the two, and back then, they seemed fine, either that, or they hid their feelings pretty well. And Duo was beginning to believe the latter to be true. 'God, why didn't I see it before. Was I so blind that I couldn't even see through my own friends? What kind of friend am I? How could I have missed something like that?' His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and then closing.

"Tadaima [10], Duo!"

It was Hilde. Duo sighed. 'How am I gonna explain this to her? I hope she'll understand...' He reluctantly got up and walked over to the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway and watched as she quickly and neatly put away all the groceries. He smiled. 'God she's beautiful. How will I ever be able to leave her for that long?' he thought. 'Well I'm not leaving anytime soon, so I'll make the best of our time right now.' He quietly pushed himself off the doorframe and strided over toward the refrigerator, where she was. He silently crept up behind her and wrapped both his arms around her tiny waist and swiftly pulled her toward him. He smiled as he felt her jump a bit at his intrusion. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Okaerinasai [11] Hilde. I missed you." He kissed her temple softly and dragged his lips down to her neck, tenderly planting kisses along the way. He rested his head there, in the crook of her neck, breathing in her familiar, sweet scent. Hilde smiled and reclined her body against him while placing her head gently on his allowing several dark purple strands of her hair to delicately caress his forehead.

"I missed you too Duo," she replied, intertwining her right hand with his. "But I was only gone for a few hours you know."

"I know," he said, his warm breath tickling the bare skin of her neck. "But it felt much longer." He tightened his grip on her hand and then suddenly whirled her around so that she was now facing him. He kept both arms tenaciously gripped around her waist as his cobalt blue eyes skimmed over her face, drinking in all the beauty that it possessed. After his perusal of her face, his eyes fixed on hers as they stood staring at each other. He felt himself drowning in that brilliant blend of violet and blue, that had always found its way to bore itself into his own eyes... into his soul. Duo drew her in closer while her arms instinctively draped themselves leisurely around his neck. Their faces were so close that he could feel her calm, rhythmic breathing coalesce with his own. He continued to stare at her advertently, as if afraid if he blinked, she would disappear, and then he'd wake up and realize that this was all a dream. And that he was truly alone in this world to wallow in his own self-pity and dejection. But this wasn't a dream, he knew that it was real. Otherwise he wouldn't be feeling so whole, so complete now. And he knew that she was actually there with him, that she was undoubtedly real and he was holding her in his arms with all the tenderness and devotion a person could give to another.

Hilde let out an exasperated sigh, causing him to break away from his musings. Duo, lost in his own thoughts, hadn't realized that he had been doing nothing but staring at her the entire time... until now. He smirked when he noticed the appetent gleam in her eyes.

"Are you gonna kiss me," she asked wryly. "Or are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?"

"You know what they say, 'patience is a virtue'."

"Well," she sighed playfully. "I'm not going to wait around for you to decide when you'll kiss me. I'll just go and finish what I w-" She was cut short, however, when Duo's lips claimed her own, silencing her in one swift motion. She was momentarily surprised by the gesture, but slowly closed her eyes and began returning the kiss. Her arms tightened around his neck as they both deepened the kiss, mustering up all the passion and desire that they had been withholding. Duo loosened his grip from around her waist and allowed his hands to run up and down her sides until finally resting them on her hips. This caused Hilde to impulsively push herself closer to Duo, grinding herself against him which in return, provoked a moan to escape from his lips. Finally, both out of breath, the couple reluctantly drew apart, settling their foreheads together, their breath mingling in that tiny space between them. Hilde closed her eyes and gently played with his hair, oblivious to the look that Duo was giving her.

"Never..." he breathed deeply. "You should never have to wait... not for me. I've made you wait too long, too many times... I should be the one to wait for you now." Hilde's eyes shot open on hearing his words. Her breath caught in her throat as a concerned look etched its way across her face. She never expected him to say something like that; not here, not now, not like that. She searched his eyes, hoping to catch some sort of vindication, some sort of reason for what he just said to her. She gasped... his eyes. His eyes, she saw it before. That look of complete and utter fear; fear for the unknown, the uncertainty, and the ramifications in the end. He looked so lost, so scared of losing everything he held dear, everything he loved and kept close to him. She knew that despite the fact that on the surface he kept an affable demeanor, deep in his heart he harbored a profoundly dark sorrow that could never be completely erased.

But she would try. She would strive to bring back that feeling of absolute contentedness and satisfaction in his life. That was all she could offer him. If she could, she would give up her own happiness to fill that void in him; but in the end, who is entirely happy? Can a person even achieve true happiness? She drove all those notions out of her head for the time being, leaving only one coherent thought... Duo. She knew that right now she just had to be by his side; to be his support, his reliance, and his hope.

"Duo, watashi o mite [12]..." she whispered cupping his face in her hands, gently forcing his eyes to meet hers. "It doesn't matter what happened before and it doesn't matter what's going to happen later. All that matters is that right now you and I are here together, and we're going to stay this way no matter what life throws at us. Because I'm not leaving you anytime soon, Duo, remember that. I'll never leave you, no matter what and I'd go to hell and back with you if that meant staying by your side always... Duo, we'll both live life one day at a time, and cherish every moment we have together, because in the end, that's all that matters."

"Hilde..." He was speechless. He had no words to express what he was feeling at that very moment. The only thing he was capable of doing was stare into those salient blue eyes that were emanating pure love and emotion, and to revel the feel of his arms around her small form. He had no doubt in his mind now that she completed him in every way possible and that he needed her in his life. They stood like that, holding each other for what seemed like an infiniteness amount of time, allowing a comfortable silence to wrap around them like a thin blanket; shielding them and protecting them.

"Hilde?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Anata ni muchu nano [13]," he confided. "Sore shitteru [14]?" He could feel her smile against his chest.

"I know..." she conceded.

"Uso da, so nano [15]... care to tell me how?"

"You baka [16]..." She lifted her head so that their eyes met again. "I know because I feel the exact same way... I'm crazy about you too Duo... I thought you were smart enough to figure that out on your own... but I guess I was wrong..."

"No, you were right... you big meanie... I just wanted to hear you say it," he admitted, offering her one of his notorious grins.

"Well that's good to know," she replied with a smile of her own. She then gave him a quick kiss on his nose and released herself from his firm grasp. "Now, I have to get all these groceries into their respective places. Care to give a girl a hand?"

"Is that a request?"

"Nope, it's an order soldier."

"I dunno... sure doesn't sound like an inviting task to me," he replied hesitantly, stroking his chin.

"I promise there will be a prize if you do a favorable job..." Duo's ears perked up upon hearing the word 'prize'. With an impish grin on his face he lunged at her unexpectedly. Hilde squealed in surprise as Duo, in one fluid motion, swept her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder before she could even blink.

"If the prize is you, then bring it on baby. But how about I get my prize first, and then I'll complete the job."

"You baka! Put me down! And no, job first, then the reward," she commanded. Her gaze then traveled down to his behind and she smirked. "By the way, nice ass."

"You got a nice set yourself," he replied, swatting her butt firmly, causing Hilde to laugh.

"Okay, okay, can you put me down now?"

"Sure thing babe." He set her down and chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Now, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you get your reward, got it?"

"Yup, I gotcha babe."

"You're right Duo, you got me."

"And that's all I need." They both smiled affectionately at each other and then preceded to finish putting away the rest of the groceries.

"So, what did you do when I was gone for that insufferable amount of time?" she inquired, her back facing him while she put some things away in the refrigerator. Duo's smile fell when he remembered the task that he had to accomplish. He really didn't want to have to explain this to her. All he wanted was to be by her side and even though he felt he needed her there with him, he wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do. But he didn't know how she was going to react to this. 'Great going Maxwell, first you tell her you're crazy about her, then you say that you'll be leaving soon for an extended amount of time and god knows when you'll be back, but you'll still keep in touch so everything'll be just peachy,' he chided to himself. 'Yeah right, like that'll fly with her... oh god, somebody help me...'

"Duo?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry Hilde... um... yeah, Sally called, and we chatted for a bit."

"Oh really? How is she doing?" she asked, her back still facing him. "What did you guys talk about?"

"Oh, she's doing fine," he said trying not to sound too agitated. "And we just talked about stuff... you know, about how everyone's doing... just catching up."

"Well, that's good to hear," she replied finally looking up at him. Duo had built up all the courage he had inside and was about to tell her, but one look into those alluring eyes and that endearing smile of hers, made him falter and lose all sense of thought and stability. 'Chikusho! Why does this have to be so difficult?' he berated himself mentally. 'No, I can do this, come on Maxwell you don't have balls for nothing...'

"Um... Hilde... I-"

"Duo, is that your sandwich?" she asked, unintentionally interrupting him.

"Huh?" He turned around to see what she was pointing at. He saw his sandwich that he made earlier, before Sally had called. Even though he had looked forward to eating it before, right now it didn't look quite as appetizing. "Oh yea, I guess I forgot to eat it after talking to Sally."
"Forgot?" she replied incredulously. "You, forget to eat. Now that's a first." She then walked over to the counter and picked up the plate. "Well I'm sure you're hungry now, and you'll probably need your energy for later," she added wickedly.

"No, I'm not hungry," he replied, oblivious to her implied comment. "Look Hilde, I-"

"Aww... come on Duo, I know you want it," she countered, waving the plate in front of him playfully.

"Tabetakunai [17]."

"Yes you do, I know you want it Duo..." She continued to wave it in front of him, trying to get him to go for it. Duo was beginning to get a little impatient. He was in no mood to play these games with her. What he had to tell her was important, and he knew that if he didn't tell her now it would get more difficult each time he put if off and waited. So, he took a deep breath, and went for it.

"Hilde..." he said solemnly, grabbing the plate from her hand and placing it on the kitchen table. "We gotta talk... there's something that I have to tell you." Hilde looked at him questioningly at the sudden change in his voice.

"Duo, what's the matter?" she queried, taking a step closer to him. "Is something wrong?" Duo took her hands in his own, gripping them solidly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"There's something... something that I have to tell you."

"What, what is it Duo?"

"I think you'd better sit down for this, Hilde," he sighed listlessly.

"All right..." He led her to a chair, and sat her down. He then began pacing the room back and forth, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, and a somber look engraved on his face. Finally, he stopped and leaned casually against the counter with his arms crossed and his eyes downcast.

Hilde sat there and watched patiently as he walked indecisively back and forth until finally he stopped. She bit her lip as she noticed the dreary look on his face. 'Did something happen?' she questioned herself. 'I know something's happened... he looks so sad...'

"Hilde..." he began, avoiding eye contact with her. "I don't... I don't know how to tell you this, but..." He stopped. He couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to say that he'd be leaving her.

"Duo, it's all right. Tell me," she goaded. "You know you can tell me anything. I'm here to listen." He looked at her and saw complete trust and understanding flowing from her eyes. He nodded in response.

"Hilde, what I'm trying to say is that... that..."

"Yes?"

"I... I have to leave again." There. He said it. He used up all the courage he had to say those five simple words. He slowly looked up at her and his heart clenched tightly when he saw the pained expression on her face.

Hilde blanched when she heard those words. She felt the tears burning in the backs of her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. She couldn't believe it. After all this time, after everything they've gone through, he was going to leave her again.

"N-nani?" she managed to choke out. "Nande... Duo... nande?" A single tear slid down her face, settling on the tip of her chin, before falling into her lap. One by one, they fell in sync; a river of pain flowing from within her.

"No, no..." he whispered, pushing himself off the counter and approaching her. He kneeled on the floor in front of her and brought his hand up to her cheek to wipe away her tears. "Please, Hilde... Nakanai de [18]... please... let me explain... please? Kitte yo [19]..." She grasped his hand in her own and held it, not wanting to let go. She looked into his imploring eyes and nodded in assent.

"Hilde, I'm not leaving because of you. I don't want to leave you Hilde... but I have to." He felt her hand tighten around his own. "When Sally called me today, she told me something important, something that she wanted me to do... something that I couldn't refuse. She wanted me to come back to Earth, Hilde."

"Why? Has something happened?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Heero and Wufei is what happened..." Hilde's expression twisted to a puzzled look. "Remember... remember how I used to be, for a while? That look you said I had... um... how I sometimes looked so sad and hurt. Do you remember that Hilde?"

"Yes... yes I do..." She could remember it all very clearly. The pain he went through, the suffering he endured, and the belief that somehow his life was worthless. She could remember all those times when she would see him bottle up all his pain, his anguish and brush it aside like it was nothing, and plaster on a smile for everyone to see. But inside, she knew he was fighting a battle... a battle to stay alive. And everything he pent up kept building until finally, it was too much for him to endure and he found himself fighting a losing battle. But she was there with him, every step of the way; to be his guide, his meaning, and his hope. So in the end, he did win that losing battle. And even though sometimes that dreaded feeling would return, she knew he now had more strength to fight it off and to keep on living.

"Well, Sally told me that Heero and Wufei... are the exact same way now," he replied gravely. "I guess that they've been repressing their emotions much longer than I did. And now... it's become too costly, too much for them to handle alone."

"Oh god... that's terrible," she muttered, feeling guilty for being so selfish in worrying about Duo leaving her, when there were other people with problems that needed his immediate attention. "Hasn't anyone... helped them?"

"Well, Sally and Relena are doing their best... but they think that if the rest of us help, then they can get better faster."

"I see..." she replied evasively, looking away. "Well... you should go then, Duo. They need you."
"I know that... but... what about you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes questioning his.

"Well, the others thought it'd be a good idea if you came too. And of course I want you to come with me... but I know that you love this place, and I wouldn't want you to leave here on account of me. I'd never force you to do something you didn't want to do..."

For the second time that day, she was shocked. She couldn't believe what she just heard. 'He wants me to go with him... I can go with him...'

"...so it's your decision Hilde, whether you want to come with me or not. I mean, I'll understand if you don't want to. It's okay, but I just wanted to let you know that I have to go. I owe it to them to go."

"So... I-I can go with you?"

"Yeah, if you're up to it Hilde. I me-" Before he could finish his sentence, she propelled herself at him, burying her face into his chest. Duo, surprised at her reaction, steadily placed his arms around her.

"Hilde...?" She then began to quietly sob, her body shivering against his own. "Hilde? Hilde, what's wrong?" He felt a twinge in his chest that grew to an ache when he felt her tears drench his shirt. She continued to cry for while until her dysphoria dissipated while her anger at Duo began to escalate. She balled her hands into fists, and then suddenly, began pounding on his chest.

"You... you baka!" she screamed, while continuing to hit him repeatedly. She knew her punches weren't hard enough to bruise him, but she needed something to vent off her frustrations at, and conveniently enough, Duo was right there to be her temporary punching bag. Duo, unfazed by the hits he was receiving, clutched both her wrists firmly, halting her thrashing.

"Hilde, get a hold of yourself," he growled. She looked up at him with her tear-stained face. "What the hell was that for?"

"You're a fool Duo..." she reprimanded whistfully, causing his grip on her wrists to loosen. "You're a stupid fool!!! Did you even think about me Duo, about how I felt? Did you?? How dare you think that I wouldn't have gone with you to Earth, when you know very well that I would have... and then you tell me that you're leaving me? And you had the nerve to sit there and watch me cry like some heartbroken, lovesick schoolgirl!!" He looked away, not wanting to face her intense glare.

"Hilde, I-"

"Duo," she sighed, turning his head to face her. "I want you to get it through that thick head of yours that I'll always be by your side, no matter what. I don't care where I'm at as long as I'm with you." He then embraced her tenderly, holding her with all the adoration and fervor he had.

"I'm sorry Hilde, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Just be with me, that's all I ask." He nodded in response. "So, we're going to Earth then?"

"Yeah, we're going to Earth..."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Duo jolted back from his reverie as the rain began to intensify, lapping moisture onto his face, as if trying to awaken him. He wiped away some of the excess water off his face and noticed that his clothing had retained some of the rainwater as well. He sighed and looked back out at the vision before him. 'We're going back to Earth...' he mused. Had it been that long already? Time sure flew by; in the blink of an eye seven months had passed since he had last seen his friends, his family. 'It'll sure be good to see all of them again... just like old times...'

He turned and looked into what had been their home for the past three years. Now they were leaving it. It was almost like parting with an old friend. Something familiar, a constant that you always thought would be there. 'Well, things change, and we move on... that's life for ya.' He saw Hilde talking on the vidphone to what looked like Relena. He grinned and shook his head. 'It'll definently be good to see everyone again.'

He turned back to look out once more before going inside. His eyes focused at the ethereal city before him, which looked like it was a scene from a dream, with its haziness caused by the rain mixing with the luminescent city lights. He then heard the back door slide open and close, which was followed by the sound of padded feet walking toward him. He felt two slender arms wrap around his waist and cuddle against his side. He in response, turned and gathered the lithe figure in his arms and breathed in her fragrant scent.

"Hm... you smell good..."

"And you're wet." He looked down at her with a critical eye which changed to a pervese gleam.

"You know what I mean!" she replied, swatting at him playfully. He chuckled and brought her in close again. "How long have you been out here?"

"Why, miss me already?"

"No, it's just that the house was getting too quiet and you were nowhere to be found."

"Ah.. so you did miss me."

"No, Relena just wanted to say hi, but I told her you were out so she said she'd see you in a couple of days."

"Oh, you were talking to Relena?"

"Yeah, she just wanted to make sure all of our arrangements were set and that we knew what time our flight was."

"That's just like her," he sighed.

"She only does it because she cares."

"I know, but it's always like she does things to better others, you know, for the 'good of the humanity'. She should think more for herself once in a while."
"Well, she wouldn't have it any other way. And she enjoys helping others. That's all that matters."

"I suppose you're right."

"I am right," she remarked confidently. She paused for a second and drew in a breath. "So, you think you're ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I have to be. Can't be attached to this place forever... How about you? You okay with this?"

"Of course I am. I'm not as sad as I thought'd I be... but I know when the time comes it'll be harder to part with this place."

"Yeah," he replied, brushing his lips on her forehead while she reached up to brush away his bangs, which obstinately returned to their original spot. The two stayed that way for a while, holding each other, watching the sky spill out all of its ecstasy, misery, rapture, and sorrow onto the expectant life below.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *

***Author's Note: This is my first fanfic (yay :)!!) So yea, pleaseeee review!!! Constructive criticism is appreciated so email me at dcatalonia_04@japoness.com, but if you wanna just write about how great my fic is, that's even better!! j/k :). I'm begging everyone to please review because I want people to actually want to read my fic so yea, hoped you all enjoyed Part 1 and I'll be working on posting the next chapters in the near future. Thanx!! :)

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing... at all... so don't sue me... please... it's sad enough already that I don't own them...

Translation: [1] kuso -- shit [12] watashi o mite -- look at me
[2] gomen -- sorry [13] anata ni muchu nano -- i'm crazy about you [3] onna -- woman [14] sore shitteru -- do you know that?
[4] nani -- what [15] uso da, so nano -- really, is that so
[5] nande -- why [16] baka -- idiot
[6] anou -- well... [17] tabetakunai -- i don't want to eat
[7] chikusho -- damnit [18] nakanai de -- don't cry
[8] sayonara -- goodbye [19] kitte yo -- listen to me
[9] ja ne -- see you later
[10] tadaima - i'm home
[11] okaerinasai -- welcome back