Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Inter-Mission ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

All disclaimers and notes are in the Prologue and Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Heero had been released. His colony status seemed to put everyone on edge. He was the focus of barely-hidden glances and hushed whispers as everyone danced out of his way without trying to hide it. He couldn't figure out why they seemed almost...frightened of him. Fear, awe, skepticism, and curiosity played musical faces. Was it really that odd he came from L1? The good thing about it was nobody got in his way.

The bishop's church was an underground complex, spreading large enough to encompass a couple city blocks. Heero explored it as he worked on regaining full control of his body. Above him were the streets of the regular world, cracks through the ground filtered down dim light once outside of the buildings. What prevented the world above from just caving in on this place if there was such damage? There were no supports Heero could see. Just another mystery in a chain of mysteries. Guards scattered through the complex gave Heero suspicious looks as he passed. The bishop had told him briefly that he was in the city of Galle, though declined to say what country. Asking for the country had gotten him confused looks from the two with the bishop. Confused looks, as if the word were completely foreign. How was that possible?

Putting those thoughts aside, Heero knew that first he had to find out where he was. Next was to get in contact with Dr. J. Third, find out if he had been successful in Michigan. Fourth, locate his companions. Priorities.

Wait. First he needed something to eat and drink.

Samuel.

Heero blinked and looked around himself, trying to locate the source of the voice.

Samuel, come here!

Samuel. Only one person had called him that. "Leave me alone."

Samuel, please? Eat lunch with me.

The voice didn't seem to be coming from any particular direction, and it was much too clear. As if the child were speaking directly into his ear. But then again, it seemed to be bypassing his ears. As if it were his own conscience speaking to him, all in his head.

Who is that?

It's Samuel!

He's bigger than Samuel.

Heero frowned and rubbed his forehead. There were three child-like voices now, and his head was starting to hurt. He also had a strong urge to turn around and re-enter the main building. Eating lunch with a delusional child wouldn't help his cause any more than getting food in his stomach. But...that was enough.

Heero turned and followed whatever was calling him, letting it lead his feet. He heard more murmured voices, but couldn't locate their source. Was he hearing them with his ears or with his brain? He wasn't quite sure anymore. He finally stopped at a random door. There was nothing special about this door that separated it from the others, but for the feeling of this was where he had to be. Hitting the button in the wall next to it, it opened. Inside was a small room with a bed against the wall, a skinny table jutting from the wall with a bench type seat winding around it. A small statuette of the Virgin Mary sat in a niche above the bed. At the table sat the pink-haired boy with two plates, two cups and a pitcher spread before him.

Sit down, Samuel. The boy was smiling at him, and his lips hadn't moved once.

"I hear you, but you aren't talking." Heero stared at the boy.

The boy nodded and looked at the seat across the table. "Come and eat."

Heero sat down on the other side of the cramped table and examined the plate. A cut of meat with vegetables. It would do.

"You talk in my head," Heero mused as the boy folded his hands together.

The boy smiled brightly and nodded, then bowed his head. "We have to say Grace."

Heero awkwardly looked down at the table. He didn't consider himself religious in any fashion, but being rude to small children who were providing him a meal was too rude.

"Our Holy Father, thank you for the food we are about to eat, that you have provided for us. Forgive us our sins, as we cannot help but be sinful. Bless the bishop, bless Galle, and watch over Samuel. Amen."

Heero lifted his head as the boy's hands separated and reached for the eating utensils.

"Are you going to leave?" the boy asked as he speared his vegetables.

Heero nodded as he started to eat. The boy watched him with full cheeks. "Where are you going?"

Heero looked blankly at the boy and drank the milk in the cup. "To where I'm needed."

"Heaven?" the boy asked. Heero stared at him, startled.

"Samuel is in heaven," the boy sighed. "You look like him."

"My name is Heero." Maybe his real name would get rid of the 'Samuel' thing.

The boy stuck his free hand across the table. "My name is Raphael."

Heero hesitantly shook the boy's hand, earning him a bright smile. A chiming sound from the wall made Raphael release his hand quickly.

"Penance!" The boy quickly slid out from behind the table. "I'm sorry to leave you, Heero! I'll see you later!"

He ran out the door, leaving Heero to stare at the boy's plate. He wondered if this was how it was for Duo in his childhood. Life on a tight schedule; prayer times here and play times there. Much like his own, without the prayers. Such an organized lifestyle hadn't made much of a mark on the American pilot. Or maybe he was just making up for it by being extra spontaneous and scattered. Heero would have to ask sometime. Provided he saw Duo again.

Once he finished off his meal, feeling much better with fuel in his stomach, he placed his cup and fork on his plate, trying to be tidy when he left them there. He didn't know where to deliver the dinnerware, and the boy might be back for the rest of his own dinner.

He walked out the door, letting it slide closed behind him, and tried to backtrack to the outside. As he rounded a corner, someone plowed straight into him, knocking him completely off his feet. Ready with a glare, he found himself staring at a skinny, teenage boy with no shirt in blue jeans and manacles. A mop of brown hair threw bangs down into his face, his brown eyes wide and nearly panicked. The boy stared back at Heero before lifting his manacled hands to either side of his head.

"Do you hear them?" the boy demanded. Heero glanced both ways of approach for who he meant and faintly heard running footsteps. Several of them.

"Who are you?!" the skinny boy demanded of the air, panting heavily as he regained his feet.

Heero?

Heero frowned as he heard Raphael's voice in his head again. "What?"

The skinny boy stared at him, and took off running again.

Someone is coming, Heero. Who is he?

Heero snorted. "I don't know."

Heero heard the shirtless boy screaming something down the hallway, echoes making him incomprehensible. Then the pursuers caught up. The Bishop paused to see Heero getting up, several of his guards and priests following. There could only be one reason they were running in a mob. Heero pointed after where the boy had run, and received a nod as the entourage moved on.

Samuel!

"Heero," Heero grumbled.

The real Samuel is here, Heero! Thank you!

Curiosity piqued, Heero let the voice lead him again. He found himself facing the Bishop's back, who was standing in a doorway ahead, clapping.

"I knew your kind were drawn to each other," the Bishop was purring.

"I heard you coming!" Heero heard Raphael's voice calling from in the room.

"How can you lock up children?!" the shirtless boy yelled, also from in the room.

"I haven't locked them up," the bishop countered. "It's their penance. Of their own free will."

Heero heard several small feet running, along with childish giggles, and several young boys and girls slipped out the door around the Bishop. With smiles on their faces, the children scattered down the hallways, their high-pitched voices calling to each other.

"I'm Raphael."

Heero saw past the Bishop now. Raphael had hold of the other teen's hands, smiling brightly enough to light the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

Wufei blinked and jerked awake, only to hit his forehead against something solid. Cursing, he lifted a hand to push himself back, and gasped at the pain that ran through his shoulder. Lifting his other arm, he ended up banging his elbow against something. Looking around, Wufei realized he was in a small, enclosed space. He'd hit his head on a small window in front of his face. He saw nothing through it but emptiness that ended in a white wall beyond. His prison was lying at an angle that elevated his head, but left him lying on his back.

He was resting on some sort of padding that was comfortable enough, but his enclosure didn't offer much space to move in. It eerily reminded him of a coffin with a view. Adrenaline kicked in and he planted his left hand against the wall in front of him, pushing as hard as he could. It didn't budge an inch. Cursing under his breath, Wufei began slamming his palm against it and kicking at it. "Let me out of here, dammit!"

He obviously wasn't "buried alive! Mwahahaha!" as Duo might have put it, but he had obviously been captured and put away for safe keeping. He had no difficulty breathing, so there was a flow of fresh air, meaning his captor meant to keep him alive. But for what?

He yelled and fought against his prison until a shadow fell across the window. A finger tapped on the window before the smiling face of a salmon pink-haired, young woman peered in.

"Let me out!" Wufei yelled. Blinking, the woman cupped her ear and turned it towards the glass. He pressed hands against the glass, making pushing motions. If she couldn't hear him, this should be pretty obvious. The woman pressed her hands to the glass to match his.

"No! Open this thing!" Wufei slammed a fist against the glass, making angry faces. To his shock, she pressed against the glass, making faces back at him. Glaring at the tongue pressed against the glass, Wufei pounded a fist against the glass in the same spot.

"Damn you, woman! Let me out of here!" he screamed at her. Blinking and backing off, the woman cupped her ear again and leaned in close.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!"

The ear smushed up against the glass. Wufei was in hell. A hell where everyone was out to piss him off. And not let him do anything about it.

He slumped back against the padding, fuming. The woman was back to making faces at him. Truly grotesque. Then she was suddenly gone, looking as if she had been jerked away from the window. He could see the side of a brunette man's head on the edge of the window. His prison hissed as if vacuum-sealed, and Wufei tensed. Freedom! The hatch slowly opened, and Wufei pushed forward, only to find himself slammed back against the padding. A familiar, unseen force trapped him firmly, but not painfully.

"Who the hell are you?!" Wufei demanded of the man dressed in a long, white lab coat. The man seemed to ignore him, holding what looked like a palm pilot and studying it intently.

"My, aren't we disagreeable?" The pink-haired woman stepped back into view. Under another lab coat she wore a simple white T-shirt with blue jean cut-offs. Half standing behind her stood the blonde girl from the alleyway.

"He's an amusing subject." The pink-haired woman shared a smile with the girl.

"I'm not a subject!" Wufei shrieked at them. So she'd taken him prisoner. Like hell he was going to be an agreeable captive. The women laughed, and Wufei was jerked out of the coffin to find himself suspended in mid-air with his arms pinned to his sides as if held by a giant hand. He kicked futilely, wishing a few plagues on both their houses.

"Ligaments in the right shoulder have been torn," the man with the palm pilot reported. "Repair estimated to take one and a half hours."

"Are you sure he's worth the trouble, doctor?" the blonde asked the taller woman. The pink-haired woman winked at Wufei as he was floated towards a bizarre machine with a chair in the center.

"I certainly do."

~~~~~~~~~~

A groan of pain strained through Duo's teeth as the heel of the skater punk's boot ground into his lower back. Skater punk was cackling delightedly as he ground harder, slowly applying more force. Duo worked on pushing up with his hands, trying to crawl out from under that boot, his feet scrabbling for leverage. Kidneys, had to save the kidneys!

"Maxim!"

The boot let up slightly at the sharp female voice that rang out. Duo tried to wiggle his way out from under the boot to find it come back down firmly to pin him.

"What have you found there?" asked the female voice.

"Street trash," came the bored reply. "Nothing worthwhile."

"Then leave it alone."

"I don't take my orders from you, Maria."

Duo heard skater punk and the girl giggle at that. He turned his head to look at the unknown voices. The owner of the new female voice was dressed in white and magenta with long, lavender hair spilling down her back. The other male voice belonged to a tall man dressed in black from head to toe. Even his short trimmed hair was black. The lavender-haired woman pushed past the black-clad man, stepping forward to come face-to-face with skater punk.

"Let her go. This is not allowed," she growled, inches from skater punk's face. For one moment, Duo felt a thrill of hope before skater punk cackled and lifted his foot to smash it back down into Duo's back. Duo gagged, wanting to vomit.

"Didn't you hear the boss, chickie? We don't take orders from you."

Duo heard the slap more than saw it, and the foot was suddenly gone from his back. He flipped over, gritting his teeth at the amount of pain that caused. Bruised muscles didn't like stretching. Skater punk laid on the ground a few feet away, the woman glaring at him. What the hell kinda slap had that been?!

"You forget you take orders from my grandfather." She turned her head to look at the other two. "You're fools if you think I do not speak for him."

"Temper, temper, Maria." The black-clad male smiled, adjusting the dainty glasses on his face. "All you had to do was ask instead of order. Would I refuse a request from you?"

The girl in the leopard coat smirked.

"If you've found nothing worthy of note, return to base with your report, Maxim." Maria glared back at him. "I'm requesting, of course."

"Of course." Maxim spread his hands, and vanished on the spot. Duo gaped as the girl winked at him and vanished as well. He looked for skater punk to find them alone already.

"Um, thanks?" He looked up at the woman standing nearby. Whoever she was, she had great timing.

She turned to look down at him, her expression losing its fierceness. Then she looked startled, followed by confusion. "I'm sorry. I thought you were a woman. But I'd still get while the getting is good."

Duo tried to push himself up, groaning to himself at how bad his back hurt. His legs didn't want to cooperate and he collapsed again. He chuckled against the

"Hey, you're not the first. And I'll just stay here a little, if you don't mind."

A foot nudged him in the side and he swatted at it. "Don't do that!"

"Are you able to move?" she asked.

"Just barely," Duo admitted.

There were a few moments of silence. "Do you know someone named Trowa?"

"Huh?!" Duo stared up at her in surprise. "How do you know Trowa?" He rolled over onto his side, wincing as bruised muscles pulled.

"So you do know him." Maria smiled. "I thought you might. You're both in the same pitiful state."

"Hey, watch it, lady," Duo growled. "I may be down, but I'm not out."

"Pretty bold for a guy who can barely move."

"Where's Trowa?" Duo changed the subject. She had a point.

"At my place. I'll take you there...unless you prefer to stay here." Maria looked around at the rubble around them.

"Are you nuts?" Duo demanded, looking around as well. "Let's go, lady."

"My name is Maria, not lady," she protested as she pulled him to his feet.

"I'd call you Relena right now if you wanted," Duo joked as he struggled to make his legs work.

"But my name's not Relena." She blinked at him as she pulled one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Yeaaaaah...nevermind." Duo chuckled to himself. Then the ground suddenly vanished from below his feet. He stumbled and flailed, feeling as if caught up in heavy cloth that was dragging him along as it moved at incredible speed. He came to a jarring stop, and a firm hold on his arm was the only thing that stopped him from collapsing on the spot.

He sagged, trying to catch his breath and let his senses reorient themselves. He was in a very plain room, the walls painted simple off-white, and the floors were polished wood. A low table sat in the middle of the room, cushions about it. Two large paintings on the walls, one of koi, and the other of cherry blossoms, were the only decorations. Sitting on one of the cushions at the table was Trowa. He held a cup of tea in one hand as he stared back at Duo, looking surprised. Fortunately he looked none the worse for wear.

"Trowa!" Duo crowed and tried to move forward. Whatever was holding him up let go, and he fell on his face.

"Ooops."

Duo glared back over his shoulder at Maria, who had one hand over her smile. "I thought you could handle it now," she admitted.

"Trowa." Duo crawled over to the table. At the moment, Trowa was his only other grasp on reality. "Where are we?"

"Galle." Trowa lifted his teacup and took a sip. Perfectly calm, as if Duo appearing out of nowhere was hardly worth getting excited over. Trowa would have made a great news reporter, Duo had mused more than once. ...and the severed head from the grisly murder was found in the river with both eyes gouged out. In other news, Miss Darlian got herself a new dress....

"Where the hell is Galle?!" Duo demanded.

"I don't know."

"Galle is Galle," Maria spoke up. "What do you mean 'where is it'?"

"What country?" Duo turned to look at her as he pulled himself up into a sitting position with the table.

Maria seemed to think it over briefly. "Are you from Michigan too?"

Duo lifted his eyebrows at Trowa. Trowa shrugged.

"Yeah. Good 'ole Michigan," Duo agreed.

"What country is that in?" Maria asked in curiosity.

"America." Duo stretched out a hand towards Trowa, putting on his best puppy look. "Come on, share. Please?"

Trowa surrendered the rest of the tea. It was probably the most wonderful tea Duo had ever tasted, maybe because it was hot and he was freezing, burning its way to his stomach delightfully. The main flavor he couldn't place, but there was a hint of honey in it.

"I think I heard of America. But it doesn't exist anymore, so-"

Duo sprayed Trowa with his mouthful of tea. Trowa just blinked at him in startlement as tea dripped from his hair and ran down his face.

"WHAT?!" Duo demanded.

Maria took a step back in startlement. "America doesn't exist anymore. You can't be from there. I'm only telling you what I learned, but after the last Earth war, countries stopped existing."

"What about the colonies?" Duo asked. He blinked in surprise when Trowa grabbed him by the front of his shirt, dragging him closer, and started drying his face. With both Maria and Duo staring in silence, Trowa finished drying himself and let Duo go, the epitome of casual.

"The..." Maria hesitated as Duo pulled his shirt away from his chest with a disgusted look, "the colonies and the Earth don't associate with each other anymore. The only people who've ever seen the colonies are all old now."

Duo and Trowa exchanged glances. "What is the year?" Trowa asked.

"AC 244."

Duo's jaw hit the table. "That's like...fifty years, Trowa!"

"Indeed." Trowa frowned.

"Do you realize what this means?!" Duo clapped a hand to his head.

"We've been transported to the future." Trowa nodded.

"Well, that too. But that means I'm...over fifty years old now!" Duo wailed.

"You're...trying to say...you're from the past?" Maria asked in surprise.

Trowa nodded. "We're from the year AC 195."

"I'm old. The wrinkles...." Duo had his head buried in his arms on the table, shaking it back and forth.

"What...what was the world like then?" Maria dropped to her knees in excitement. "My grandfather says it was always war and battles. But there must have been some good things. Like countries."

Duo lifted his head to stare at her. "You believe we're from the past? I don't even believe I'm in the future."

"Well, I can't think of a reason for you to lie to me." Maria shrugged. "And even if you are, it doesn't change things much."

"Wait." Duo looked to Trowa. "If you're here and I'm here, there's good reason to believe the others are here too."

"One would think so," Trowa agreed.

"And if the same lady found us both, we were close by each other."

"Actually, you were on the other side of town, um...what is your name?" Maria asked in embarrassment.

"Duo." Duo held out his hand with a smile. "Duo Maxwell."

"Hello Mr. Maxwell." Maria shook the hand. "I'm Maria. And I found you by pure luck, searching for Maxim's crew."

"Hey, Maria, not to be demanding or anything, but can we scoot back out to find the other guys? They might still be out there." Duo tried his most charming smile.

"We can look," Maria agreed. "But I can only take one of you. Will you tell me about your time?"

"You go, Duo." Trowa offered a small smile. "I think you'll tell better stories."

Duo looked at Maria hopefully. "One thing first. Got anymore of that tea?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre slowly opened his eyes and closed them again. His eyelids seemed weighted, wanting to stay closed. He was warm and comfortable, as if wrapped in the fluffiest, warmest blankets imaginable. He heard a rough cough, and faintly smelt cigarette smoke. Opening his eyes again, he saw a table with electronic equipment on it. Beyond that, a man sat on a couch, reading a book.

He wore a white lab coat like a scientist or a doctor, a pair of skinny glasses on his face. His messy mop of hair was black, the front half falling forward into his eyes, the rest in a messy ponytail. A cigarette was held in his mouth as he turned the page of the book. He also had a small moustache, giving him an all over rumpled look. Very much the look of a scientist that didn't give too much thought into grooming himself.

He appeared very involved in the book, not even shifting his eyes when he pulled the cigarette from his mouth to flick the ash into the ashtray resting on the couch by his thigh. Quatre looked down to see he was truly a shwarma[1] in large, fluffy blankets. A pillow was under his head, but he appeared to be on a couch. Moving his hands over his body briefly told him that he was dressed.

He tried to think back, and recalled the mission, the ocean, a seagull, and being rescued. Was it by this man? He glanced back to the equipment on the table. A metal briefcase stood closed next to a possible laptop and a few other, connected pieces of equipment.

Quatre cleared his throat and the man's eyes moved from the book to him. The cigarette was pulled free and the book put down. "How do you feel?"

"Warm," Quatre admitted. The man snorted in amusement and got up, putting out the cigarette. He knelt down next to Quatre and pulled an arm from the tangle of blankets.

"You were suffering from hypothermia," the man explained as he pressed fingers into Quatre's wrist and looked to his watch. Quatre cringed to think how close to death he'd been. And from the ocean, no less. That was one way he'd never really thought of dying.

"Who are you?" Quatre asked quietly as the man kept staring at his watch.

"Dr. Asakura." The man finally let go of his wrist, reaching into a pocket of the jacket. "Sit up."

Quatre loathed the idea of moving. But obeying doctors was a conditioned response most people possessed. He sat up, letting the blankets fall back as the doctor adjusted a stethoscope in his ears. Quatre noticed he was dressed in pink pajamas. Not just any pink pajamas. Pink pajamas with little, white bunnies printed on them. He couldn't help the flush of embarrassment.

He patiently endured the doctor's gentle examination of his current health. The doctor gave Quatre a small nod of approval. "You'll live."

Quatre had to contain a smile as the doctor put his tools away. Just wait when he told Heero. Heero, I've found your father. The doctor's demeanor and appearance could be Heero in ten years. Quatre found that highly amusing. Heero. Where was he? No way he'd drowned. One could chop Heero into little pieces, and he'd just reform. Okay, maybe that was extreme, but probably not too far off the mark. And where were the others?

Dr. Asakura walked over to the kitchen Quatre now noticed to his right and started clinking mugs.

"Am I the only one you found?" Quatre asked as he pulled the blankets back around him.

"As far as I know."

The door opened, and Quatre saw red. Red and black to be exact.

"Yuuki, your guest has awakened and is in good shape. Asuka is in her bedroom. I'd suggest talking to her." Dr. Asakura lifted a mug and took a small sip. The redheaded young man in the doorway turned eyes on Quatre as he closed the door behind him. Quatre recalled the rusty red color of his hair with the sensation of strong arms lifting him from the rocks. This was the one who had saved him.

He looked older than Quatre, but not by much. His bangs hung into his face, and the back looked cut short. His brown eyes were friendly, as was his smile. He was wrapped in a long, black jacket over black pants, with black gloves. A white scarf hung around his shoulders. It was an all over classy look, giving the impression he was well off.

"Hey, so what's your name?" he asked as he unbuttoned his jacket, stepping forward. Dr. Asakura reached Quatre first, handing him a warm and steaming mug.

"Tea," the doctor announced before returning to the other couch.

"Quatre," Quatre offered to the redhead as he wrapped his fingers around the warm mug.

"So, Quatre, have a liking for cold water or what?" Yuuki pulled his gloves off, rubbing his hands together.

Quatre sniffed at the tea as he smiled. "I have no idea how I got there. I was with some friends."

"Hmm." Yuuki rubbed his head as he considered that. "Let me get Asuka and we'll all talk."

Quatre nodded and sipped his tea as Yuuki vanished into a doorway in the wall to Quatre's left. He looked back to Dr. Asakura, and saw the man was again into the book. Quatre smiled to himself.

It was a little later that Quatre saw the small, blonde girl being led out of the back room. She was right about his own height, wearing shorts and a white shirt with a pink jacket over it. Her eyes were red-rimmed as if she'd been crying. She held to the back of Yuuki's jacket with one hand, letting it pull her forward into the room. In her other arm hung a small, but fat, yellow puppy. Another yellow puppy and two kittens scampered around her ankles. Large, brown eyes studied Quatre and she tried to smile.

"Hi," Quatre said hesitantly.

"Hi," she responded shyly. Quatre immediately recognized the voice. It was the one that had first found him. The one that had gone back for help.

Yuuki pushed her forward from behind him, tugging his jacket free. "He's your guest."

"You're the one who found me, aren't you?" Quatre asked, smiling. The girl nodded, letting the puppy out of her arms.

"Did you come to find Kai?" she asked. Quatre noticed Yuuki and the doctor exchange glances.

"I don't know a Kai," Quatre admitted. "But thank you for saving me."

The girl brightened and the kittens scampered over to hop up on the couch on either side of Quatre, squirreling into the blankets. The girl followed the kittens to climb up on the couch and Quatre shifted to let her. She curled up next to him, one of the kittens climbing into her lap as she studied him. The other kitten found Quatre's foot and started wrestling his toes.

She'd lost someone she cared for. Though she was only staring at him, Quatre was utterly certain of that. "Who did you lose?"

"Who are you missing?"

The two questions were simultaneous. Both looked startled and leaned back from each other. After blinking at each other for a few moments, they were interrupted by the sound of a pan hitting the stove. Yuuki had taken off his coat, put on an apron, and rolled back his sleeves. It was a bit of a startling change for Quatre, from man in black to man in apron. Trying to hide his foot from the kitten in the blankets, Quatre looked back to Asuka. "I'm missing my friends."

"Kai left us," Asuka admitted in return.

"Who's Kai?"

"A very nice boy." Asuka smiled with a slight blush. "Where are your friends?"

"I'm not sure. I was with them before you found me." Quatre rested his chin on his knees. "I don't know what happened to them."

They sat quietly for a few moments, listening to Yuuki preparing dinner.

"I want fish," Dr. Asakura said nonchalantly as he lit up another cigarette.

"Yeah, yeah." Yuuki snorted as he started chopping vegetables.

--

After dinner, Quatre had to admit Yuuki was an excellent cook. The food was different than he was used to. Fish, rice, and lots of vegetables, compared to the main meat dishes the Maganacs liked. Dr. Asakura stayed for dinner, then gathered up his things and departed, giving only a nod in return to the farewells called after him.

"Let's get some sleep and sort out all the rest of the stuff tomorrow." Yuuki stretched as he sat back from the table.

"But my friends..." Quatre said worriedly.

"We can't look for them in the dark. And if they're out there, they're likely to have sought out shelter by now." Yuuki glanced at the window and the dark sky beyond. "I'll look for them on my running around tomorrow. Who am I looking for?"

"Well, there's Heero Yuy. He's got dark, short hair and blue eyes. He should be in dark shorts and green tank top. He's pretty resourceful, so he might find me before you find him. And then Duo Maxwell. He's got brown hair and blue eyes, with a long braid and will be dressed all in black. He's pretty loud, so he's hard to miss." Quatre found himself smiling as he flipped through his mental photo album. "And Trowa Barton. He's got brown hair and green eyes, in a green turtleneck sweater and gray pants. And then Wufei Chang. He's Chinese, and he dresses all in white."

"Chinese?" Asuka asked in confusion.

"Yup."

Asuka looked to her brother for help, who sighed and leaned back on his hands. "Chinese is a person from China. China was the name of the country they lived in."

"What does a Chinese person look like?" Asuka asked excitedly. Quatre stared at her in surprise. Yuuki grudgingly got to his feet and walked into one of the back rooms.

"You've never seen a Chinese person?" Quatre asked her.

"Nope. Are they beautiful?" she asked with bright eyes. Quatre tried to think of Wufei as beautiful. He burst out laughing. He could just see the sour expression on Wufei's face at hearing that.

"What's so funny?" Asuka demanded.

Yuuki walked back out with a book in his hands, thumbing through it. He finally put the book down in her lap. "That's a Chinese person."

Quatre looked over to see pictures that could have been from a tour book. Women with painted faces in elaborate dresses and men in even more elaborate clothes and accessories.

"Wa! So pretty!" Asuka stroked the pages. "Chinese people are beautiful!"

Quatre had to agree the pictures were wonderful. But he tried to imagine Wufei's face on one of the people in the book and had to laugh again.

"Wufei isn't quite as fancy as that," Quatre pointed out, trying to stifle himself.

"I know. Asuka's just never met a Chinese person." Yuuki picked up his plates from the table. Quatre gathered up his to take to the sink as well, wanting to be a good houseguest. As Asuka made exclamations and squeals of delight over the pictures in the book, Yuuki washed the dishes and Quatre dried.

"We'll put you in Kai's room," Yuuki offered. "I hope you don't mind it's not exactly straightened up."

"You're too kind." Quatre smiled. "I don't mind at all."

Yuuki smiled back and looked at him thoughtfully. "It's not often nowadays to find someone referred to as Chinese. Your friend must be very old fashioned."

"Why is that?" Quatre lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, without China, no one considers themselves Chinese anymore."

Quatre almost dropped the pate he was drying. "Without China? Where did it go?"

Yuuki gave him a surprised look. "China hasn't existed for forty years."

Quatre did drop the plate this time. It clattered to the floor. "What?"

[1] A shwarma is an Arabic treat similar to a soft taco or gyro. It normally has veal or mutton, with a pickle, greens, and dressing wrapped in pita bread.