Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Why? ❯ Why? ( Chapter 1 )

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

Author's Notes: This is the revised version. I hope that it's easier to read now. Thank you everyone who told me I needed to revise it. Hope you enjoy. Please review.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the GW boys. As much as I wish I did, I don't, so don't sue me. I just spend all my money on GW stuff anyway. ^_~

WARNING!! Yaoi, Shounen Ai, rape, angst, nudeness, some mild language. The characters are slightly out of character. Sorry if this offends anyone.


Wufei ran down the hall. He had finished setting the explosives and was headed for the jeep where Duo was waiting for him. He stopped suddenly, straining his ears. There it was again. A low moan. Cautiously he opened the door he had stopped in front of. He gasped at what he saw. A young girl around his age. Her hands were tied at the wrists and tied to a hook above her head. Her ankles were tied to hooks in the floor so that her legs were spread apart. And she was completely naked.

Her head snapped up as she heard him enter and he could see the fear in her eyes. He quickly took out a knife and cut the ropes around her ankles. He then cut the ropes above her head and supported her as her limp body fell. He looked around and found a shirt. He grabbed it, noticing the duffel bag under it. He picked the bag up and went over to the girl, helping her get the shirt on, then put one of her arms over his shoulders and stood up.

"Can you walk?" he asked. She nodded.

They made their way slowly down the hall. Wufei stopped as he heard footsteps approaching and pulled out his gun. He listened until he couldn't hear the sound anymore, then continued down the hall.

When they got outside he stopped. "Can you run?" he asked. She thought for a minute, then nodded.

"I think so," she said in a hoarse voice.

"Okay," he said. He waited for a minute. "Now!" he shouted. He slipped her arm off his shoulder and ran.

Gunfire sounded all around. Wufei headed for the woods and dove into the shelter of the trees and bushes. He got into a crouch and looked around. The girl was a few feet away.

She pushed herself up and tried to stand, but her legs gave out and she fell back against a tree, painfully scraping her back. Wufei went over and helped her up. He began to walk through the trees until they came to a back road. He hurried over to the jeep, tossing the duffel bag into the back seat. He picked the girl up and placed her in the back of the jeep, then jumped into the front.

Duo looked at him questioningly. "Drive," Wufei commanded. Duo drove. Wufei picked up the detonator and set off the explosives. The last thing he saw as they sped down the road was a raging fire where the base had stood.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


"I'll put the jeep away," Duo said. Wufei nodded as he jumped out. He grabbed the duffel bag then lifted the girl out of the jeep and supported her.

Trowa looked up as he entered the house. He jumped up. "I'll get the first aid kit," he said. "Quatre," he called.

Quatre came out of the kitchen and stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. Then he headed up the stairs. "Come on Wufei. Let's get her to a room so she can lie down."
Wufei followed Quatre upstairs. He opened the door to one of the rooms close to the other pilots rooms. Wufei laid her on the bed just as Trowa came in.

"What happened to her ?" he asked.

Wufei pulled the shirt up enough to reveal what had happened. There were bruises on her legs and dried blood and semen coated her inner thighs. There were a number of cuts and bruises, but the one Trowa was worried about was a deep wound in her side. It was covered in dirt and grime and showed signs of being infected.

As he cleaned it and put peroxide on it, Wufei went into the bathroom and started to fill the tub with warm water. He came out just as Trowa was about to stitch the wound closed.

"Iiee. Don't put the stitches in yet," he said. "She needs to be cleaned up first; then you can put more peroxide on the wound and stitch it up."

Trowa nodded. "Come, little one," he said to Quatre as he walked to the door.

"There's clean towels under the sink and their should be a bar of soap," Quatre told Wufei as he followed Trowa out of room.

When the door closed Wufei walked over to the bed and helped remove the shirt. Then he picked the girl up and walked into the bathroom, placing her in the hot tub. He removed his shirt and rubbed some soap on the washcloth. He winced as her saw her back. It was a mass of scars, old and new, and there were fresh cuts over some of the scars. He carefully washed her back, shoulders, arms, and legs.

He looked at her questioningly. She took the washcloth and Wufei turned and walked to the door. She washed her breasts and stomach then fell back against the tub, gasping for air. Wufei came over and gently took the washcloth from her hand. He carefully scrubbed away all the blood and semen from her thighs. He helped her stand and wrapped a towel around her, then he picked her up and walked into the bedroom. On the bed was a pair of boxers and a tank top. Wufei smiled to himself. 'Quatre thinks of everything,' he thought.
He dried her off and carefully pulled the tank top over her head. He helped her stand and pulled the boxers on, then laid her back on the bed. He left the room and descended to the living room. Trowa looked up as he entered. Wufei nodded and Trowa went upstairs.
Quatre came out of the kitchen and handed Wufei a cup of coffee. "You look like you need this," he said, as Wufei gladly took a sip of the steaming liquid. "Why don't you get some rest?" Quatre said.

Wufei said nothing. Just then Trowa came downstairs. "Quatre, get some cold water and some rags. Wufei, get some aspirin or painkillers. I cleaned the wound as best I could, but it was already infected. She has developed a very high fever."

Quatre hurried to get the water and rags. Wufei grabbed a bottle of aspirin and some painkillers and hurried upstairs.

Trowa had placed a cold cloth on the girl's forehead and pulled the sheets over her. Trowa entered the room followed by Quatre.

"Wufei, see if you can get some of that aspirin down her throat."

Wufei dumped two of the tablets into his hand and put his arm behind her back, supporting her in a sitting position. He tilted her head back and gave her the aspirin, then laid her back down.

Trowa dipped the cloth in the cold water then turned to Quatre as he wrung it out. "I need some ice to keep the water cold." Quatre nodded and left to get the ice. Trowa turned back to the bed and placed the cloth back on the girl's forehead. Quatre returned with the ice and they all waited anxiously for the fever to drop.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre was sleeping in the armchair and Trowa looked like he was about to fall asleep standing against the wall. Wufei sighed. It had been hours and her fever still hadn't dropped.

"We have to get her fever down," Trowa said.

Wufei nodded, then he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, turning the water on and filling the tub with cold water.

Trowa brought in a clean towel then he gently picked Quatre up and headed to the room they shared.

Wufei stripped off the boxers and tanktop and placed her in the tub. He cupped his hands and poured water on her chest. He kept her covered in the cold water until finally her fever broke, and her temperature slowly dropped. Wufei sighed in relief. He dried her off and put her back in bed. Then he sat down in the chair and slept.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo entered the room quietly.

"Duo," Wufei said, his eyes still closed.

"How is she?" Duo asked, handing Wufei a mug of coffee.

"Her fevers down," he said. Duo leaned against the wall and sighed. "What is it?" Wufei asked.

"Nothing."

Wufei gave him an incredulous look.

"It's just that Heero hasn't come back from his mission yet..." Duo trailed off.
"You're worried about him?" Wufei said. It was more of a statement than a question. Duo nodded. "Don't worry. He'll be fine and I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Thanks, Wu-man. That makes me feel better."

Wufei smiled, then looked up as Trowa entered the room. "Fever broke," Wufei said. Trowa nodded.

"Why don't you go downstairs? Quatre's making breakfast and frankly, you look like you're about to drop from exhaustion."

It was true. Some of Wufei's hair had come lose from his ponytail and there were dark circles under his eyes. He swayed on his feet as he stood up, and grabbed the chair to steady himself. "Breakfast sound good," he said. "Come on, Duo. Let's go eat."

Duo's face lit up at the mention of food. "Great. I'm starved!" He ran down the stairs.

Wufei followed and practically fell into his chair. Quatre put a plate full of eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of him. He noticed the drooping eyelids and circles under his eyes. Quatre sighed. If the Chinese pilot kept going like this he would make himself sick. Wufei didn't eat much. He just pushed his food around on his plate.

"You should get some sleep," Quatre said.

"Yeah, Wu-man. If you keep this up, you're gonna make yourself sick," Duo said.

Wufei sighed, "You're right. I think I'll go lie down on the couch for a little while."

Quatre nodded. "Go ahead. I'll clean up in here." Wufei left the room and plopped onto the couch. It felt so good to lie down. Wufei sighed contentedly as he drifted off to sleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre peeked into the living room and smiled as he saw the sleeping boy. "He's asleep," he said as he turned back to Duo.

"Good," Duo said as he rinsed his plate. "He needs it."

"You look like you could use some sleep yourself," Quatre said. "Why don't you go lie down? I'll finish up in here."

Duo sighed. He was really tired, but he couldn't sleep. He was too worried about Heero. Quatre saw the worry in his eyes.

"I'm sure Heero will be back soon."

"I know," Duo said, "It's just that... I don't want anything to happen to him."

Quatre felt sorry for the braided pilot and the pain and worry that clouded his violet eyes tore at Quatre's heart. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Duo.

"You care for him, don't you?"

Duo nodded, and his eyes filled with tears. "Sometimes I think that I might lose him; that I'll never see him again and I don't know what I would do if that happened."

Quatre could understand what Duo was going through. He had gone through it himself. There were times that he thought he had lost Trowa. He had felt empty then. Like a part of him was missing.

"Heero will be back," he said.

"I know," Duo said softly, then a wide grin lit up his face. "Hey, Quatre. You'd better be careful. If Trowa sees us like this, he's liable to get jealous."

Quatre laughed. Duo was back to his normal self. But the Arabian didn't miss the hint of worry still visible in his violet eyes.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre stood silently next to the bed, watching as Trowa put some antiseptic gel on the girl's back. Quatre winced as she groaned. Her back was a complete mess. There were long gashes, bruises, and a number of small cuts. Trowa turned to Quatre.

"Can you help me turn her over?"

He nodded and moved to the opposite side of the bed. They tried to turn her over as gently as possible so her back wouldn't be jarred, but it was a difficult process. They finally had her on her back and Trowa was pouring more peroxide on the wound in her side. She moaned and her eyelids fluttered, then opened. She looked down at Trowa as he finished putting the bandage over the wound.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He smiled. "You should go back to sleep. You need rest." She nodded and closed her eyes. Soon her breathing evened out and they knew she was asleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As they entered the living room, a surprising scene met Trowa. Wufei was stretched out on the couch, sleeping soundly. Duo was curled up in an armchair and was sleeping as well.
Quatre smiled. "They look so peaceful when they're asleep," he said as they entered the kitchen.

Trowa nodded and filled the kettle with water. When the water had boiled he made two cups of tea then sat down next to Quatre. The small blonde looked tired and tense. Trowa got up and walked behind Quatre. Quatre sighed as he felt Trowa's long fingers digging into his knotted up muscles. His arms hung limply at his side and he leaned into Trowa's hands. Just then the door opened. Quatre looked up just as Heero walked into the kitchen.

"You're back," he said. The Japanese pilot nodded. He looked tired and about ready to collapse. He was covered in dust and his tank top hung in shreds.

"What happened?" Quatre asked, jumping out of his chair.

Before Heero could answer Duo walked into the kitchen yawning and stretching his arms above his head. He stopped short as he saw Heero. His violet eyes filled with concern as he swept his gaze over the Japanese boy, trying to assure himself that he wasn't hurt too bad. The violet eyes met cobalt blue eyes, and in that gaze Duo was assured that there were no serious injuries.

A grin spread across his face. "What did you do to your shirt? It looks like it went through a blender!"

Trowa couldn't keep a small smile from appearing and Quatre chuckled silently. Musical laughter filled the room. Duo starred open mouthed at the Japanese boy. Heero's laughter faded, but a smile was still on his face.

"Duo?"

Duo nodded.

"Close your mouth," Heero said.

Duo looked a little surprised as he snapped his mouth closed. Hero smiled and walked past the braided boy.

Quatre watched Heero leave the room and continued to stare in shock, even after he was gone.

Duo just stood there, wide eyed. He finally snapped out of it.

"I'm gonna go see if he's okay," Duo said, and hurried out of the room.

As he stopped outside Heero's room he heard the shower. He knocked quietly, knowing that he wouldn't be answered. To his surprise, the door opened. Heero stood there in his spandex shorts and socks. Duo saw a long gash across the brown-haired boys bare chest. He stared at it for a minute, then he entered the room.

The first-aid kit was sitting on the bed and Duo opened it, removing some antiseptic and bandages. Heero watched silently.

"Sit," Duo told him.

Heero sat down on the bed as Duo moved in front of him. He took the rag, soaking it in peroxide, and placed it on the gash. He watched as it bubbled and winced. He looked at Heero. His face showed nothing, but the cobalt blue eyes were filled with pain. Duo finished cleaning the wound and wrapped a bandage around it.

"Thank you," Heero said softly.

Duo smiled as he sat back on his heels. The American looked tired and worn out. He looked like he was about to fall asleep where he was. Duo sat there enjoying the quiet. He jumped in surprise as he felt himself being lifted. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Heero's blue gaze. He smiled and sighed softly as he felt his weary body being lowered onto the bed. He opened his eyes and tried to say something, but Heero placed a finger over his lips.

"Shh. Go to sleep," he said, his voice softer than usual.

Duo smiled and obeyed, drifting off to sleep and dreaming about Heero.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Trowa had gone upstairs to check on the girl and Quatre was now alone in the kitchen. He drew in a deep breath and let it out. His eyes filled with tears. He didn't know why he was crying or why he felt depressed.

Suddenly he felt himself pulled into the loving safety of Trowa's embrace. Quatre wrapped his arms around Trowa's waist and buried his face in his shoulder.

"What's wrong, little one?" Trowa asked, concern edging his voice. Quatre's small frame was shaking.

"I don't know," Quatre answered.

He pulled away slightly, looking up at Trowa. He tried to smile, but instead burst into another fit of tears. He tightened his grip around Trowa's waist. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want to be alone right now.

Trowa pulled his small frame closer to him and held him tightly. He moved his hands up and down Quatre's back, trying to calm him down a little. It was working. Quatre had stopped shaking and just stood there clinging to Trowa. Trowa planted a kiss on the top of the smaller boys head and just stood there holding him.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. Trowa had carried him upstairs and put him in bed, then gone to check on the girl. When he walked in he was met by a pair of brown eyes and a small smile. He smiled back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," she answered. "Thank you for taking care of me."

He nodded as he sat on the bed and lifted the shirt up to look at the wound. It was healing cleanly. The stitches should be able to come out in a week or two.

"My name's Ling Saada."

"I'm Trowa Barton."

He turned as the door opened and Heero came in. He nodded to them.

"I'm going to make some repairs."

Trowa nodded. "Duo's sleeping?"

Heero nodded as he walked out the door, pulling it closed behind him.

"Who was that?"

Trowa turned back to the bed. "Heero Yuy."

He finished putting the bandage back on the wound then stood up.

"You must be hungry. I'll go get you some food."

He came back a few minutes later carrying a tray.

"Thank you," Ling said as she took a sip of the tea.

"I need to go do some work," he said, standing up. "I'll be back in a few hours to check your wound again." She nodded and started to eat some of the soup as he left the room.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Trowa walked into the hangar and looked up at Heavyarms. Heero came over and stood beside him.

"Who was the girl?" he asked.

"Her name is Ling Saada. Wufei found her on his last mission. She was in pretty bad shape."

Trowa turned to look at Heero. "You look pretty bad yourself. You should get some sleep."

Heero sighed. "You're right," he said. "I'll get some rest as soon as I put my tools away."

Trowa caught his arm as he turned. "I'll put them away. You get some sleep."
"Thanks," Heero said as he left the hangar. He entered his room and got into his bed, being careful not to disturb the sleeping Duo. He smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo woke up with a start. He turned and saw Heero thrashing around, sweat pouring down his face. He grasped Heero's shoulders and shook him. His blue eyes snapped open, and Duo was caught off guard.

Heero's blue eyes were filled with fear, pain, and confusion. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the sweat.

Duo wrapped his arms around the shivering boy and held him tightly. His violet eyes were filled with tears. Seeing Heero like this hurt him as much as it hurt Heero. He couldn't stand the one he loved being in such pain.

Duo talked to him comfortingly and gradually Heero began to relax. Finally he fell back asleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Heero woke up the next morning wrapped in Duo's embrace. Memories of the previous night flooding back into his mind. The nightmares......the horrible nightmares. Duo had been so caring and understanding.

'Why was he so concerned?' Heero thought, remembering the way Duo had held him while he was crying and talked to him comfortingly. His thoughts were interrupted.

"Are you feeling better?" Duo asked.

Heero nodded, and to Duo's surprise, wrapped his arms around Duo.

"Arigatou," he whispered.

Duo returned the embrace and smiled. "Anything for you, Heero."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre sat bolt upright. His breath came in ragged gasps. Tears streamed down his face and his body trembled uncontrollably. His eyes were filled with fear and pain. The blonde Arabian was terrified.

Trowa jumped out of bed and was next to the blonde in a second. "What is it? What's wrong?!"

Quatre drew in a quivering breath, but he couldn't say anything.

Trowa pulled him closer and held him. "Sshh. It'll be all right."

Slowly, Quatre calmed down. His breathing was back to normal and he was no longer trembling, but his eyes were still full of fear. He clung to Trowa as if he were never going to see him again.

"What is it?" Trowa asked. "Was it a nightmare?"

Quatre nodded and a tear trailed down his cheek.

"What was it about?" Trowa was at a loss. 'What could make Quatre so terrified?'
Quatre didn't say anything. He hugged Trowa then stood up.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," he said as he pulled some clothes out of the closet. "I'll see you at breakfast," Quatre said, as he went into the bathroom to get changed.

He stood there for a second as the horror of his nightmare slowly faded. He pulled his shirt on and just stood there. 'Why did he feel so depressed?' He slumped against the wall and tears filled his eyes, streaming down his face.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Trowa hurried upstairs. He was worried. Quatre hadn't come down for breakfast.

The room was empty as he entered it. He hurried to the bathroom and paused outside the door. He was startled at what he heard. It sounded like someone crying.

Slowly he opened the door and stopped short at what he saw. Quatre was huddled in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest. His face was buried in his knees and his shoulders heaved with every sob.

Trowa ran over and gently pulled Quatre into his arms. "What's wrong, little one?"
Quatre just shook his head, confusion clouding his eyes. Confusion, pain, sorrow, and fear. Quatre didn't know what was wrong and it scared him.

Trowa just sat there holding him and whispering soothing words. 'What else could he do? Without knowing what was wrong, he couldn't do anything.'

Just then Duo knocked on the door. "Trowa," he called softly.

"In here."

Duo stuck his head in the door and froze. "What's wrong?" he asked. Duo was at a loss. He had never seen Quatre like this before.

Trowa shrugged. "I don't know," he said helplessly.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei entered Ling's room carrying a tray. "I brought you some breakfast," he said. "I hope you're hungry."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded as he sat on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

There was a flicker of emotion visible in her eyes, and then it vanished. "Fine," she said.

Just then there was a tap on the door and Duo entered the room. "There's a message for you."

Wufei stood up. "I'll be back in a little while," he told Ling as he followed Duo out of the room and downstairs.

He sat down in front of his laptop and read the details for his new mission. He was to take Shenlong and destroy an OZ military base, after collecting data from the maincomputers. This time, the mission was a solo. He wouldn't have a partner. He deleted the message and went to prepare Shenlong for the mission.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo knocked on Heero's door. When there was no answer he opened the door and looked in. The room was completely empty. He sighed and went to check the hangar. Sure enough, there was Heero working on Wing Zero.

He turned to leave, but stopped short as he noticed the empty place where Wufei's gundam usually stood.

"Hey, Heero!" he called. "Where's Wufei?"

Heero jumped down next to Duo. "He's on a new mission."

Duo stared at him incredulously. "What kind of mission?"

Heero didn't answer.

"Kuso! He went on a suicide mission! Damn!"

Heero glared at him and Duo shut up. "His orders were to get information from the main computers, then destroy the base. He was ordered to go alone."

Duo frowned. "What if he's caught? Damn it!"

He looked up at Deathscythe, a sly grin crossing his face.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei rounded the corner and waited for the guards to pass. He sighed. That had been a close one. He hadn't heard the guards coming and had just made it down the hall before they appeared around the corner.

He made his way down the hall and entered the computer room. He hacked into the system and started to download.

"This is going to take longer than I thought."

Just then an alarm screeched loudly. "Damn. They know I'm here."

He looked at the computer. The download was almost complete. Wufei whirled around as the door was flung open. The last thing he remembered was a gun speeding toward him.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Heero hurried into the kitchen. "Where's Duo?"

Quatre and Trowa looked up, a little startled.

"He's not upstairs?" Trowa asked.

Heero shook his head.

"I saw him going towards the hangar. He said he was going to make some modifications on Deathscythe." Quatre looked at Heero. "Is something wrong?"

All the color had drained from Heero's face and his lips quivered.

Heero didn't answer. He turned and ran toward the hangar, all ready knowing that his suspicion was right.

He reached the hangar and flung the door open. Deathscythe was gone. Heero felt a horrible sinking feeling in his gut. Duo had gone after Wufei.

His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He slumped against the wall. 'If anything happened to Duo he didn't know what he would do. He had to go after him.'

Trowa walked in just as Heero took off. He went back to the kitchen and started to get a tray ready to take up to Ling.

"Heero went after Duo?"

Trowa looked over at Quatre and nodded.

"I'll take the tray up."

Trowa handed him the tray and started to clean up the kitchen.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre entered the room and smiled. Ling was sitting in the bed looking very restless and impatient. She looked up when Quatre came in.

"When can I get out of this bed?" she asked.

Quatre chuckled. "As soon as the stitches come out."

She sighed.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving," Ling replied, taking the tray. "Thank you. I'm Ling Saada."

Quatre smiled. "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Trowa said as he walked into the room.

"Not at all."

Ling finished eating and set the tray down. Trowa checked the wound and was surprised at how fast it was healing. The stitches would be able to come out within a day or two.
"Good. I can't wait to get out of this bed."

Trowa smiled and laughed with Ling and Quatre.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His head was pounding. He sighed.
'How was he supposed to get out of this one? He had no way of escaping. He didn't even have his katana. It was still in the cockpit of his gundam. Well at least his gundam was still safe.'

"So you're finally awake."

He looked up as someone entered the cell. Something about the voice told him that this man was more dangerous than he looked. He walked over and grabbed Wufei by his shirt, pulling him to his feet.

"Come on."

Wufei followed without a sound.

He was led to a small, dimly lit room. They roughly pushed him into a chair in the middle of the room. The interrogation started. Wufei remained silent.

"Answer, you son-of-a-bitch!"

He didn't say anything.

The man turned angrily and walked away. Suddenly he whirled around and sent his fist flying. Wufei tumbled over, and landed on his knees.

"Still not gonna talk? Fine. Then you deserve this."

The man grabbed Wufei and punched him again. He hit the wall with a thud and slumped against it. The man came at him again and again. He didn't stop until he had beaten the crap out of Wufei.

He slumped against the wall and tried to stand, but he was too weak. The man approached him, an evil grin crossing his face.

Two guards grabbed Wufei's arms and pulled him up. He felt the man pull his pants down. He struggled weakly, but the guards tightened their grip.

'This isn't happening. This isn't happening.'

He felt the man move behind him, then he screamed as pain ripped through his body. It felt like he was being torn in half. The man pulled out, then quickly thrust back in. Wufei gasped.

'How is this happening?'

Finally the man pulled out, leaving Wufei slumped weakly against the other two guards.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei fell to his knees as they pushed him back into the cell. His whole body was screaming in pain and he could feel the blood that covered his thighs. He pulled himself against the wall and leaned back. He looked up as the door opened.

'Now what?' he thought.

A tall figure entered the room. It wasn't the guard from before. The presence of this man didn't make him feel uneasy like the guard's had.

"Get to your feet!" one of the guards shouted.

Wufei struggled to his feet, but he was still weak and his legs collapsed under him. He cursed under his breath.

The next moment, the man was beside him, releasing his hands. He slung one of Wufei's arms over his shoulder and stood up. Wufei hissed as pain shot through his arm.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

'That voice. Treize Kushranada. What was he doing here?'

Wufei shook his head. "It's nothing."

He was taken down a long corridor and into a brightly lit room. He looked around. There was a cot at one end of the room. Treize walked over and helped him lie down.

'What was he doing here?'

Just then a doctor entered the room. He proceeded to examine Wufei. He cleaned the cuts and rubbed some sort of cream on the bruises. His white pants were stained with blood. The doctor pulled them off, and cleaned the blood away.

The worst of his injuries were his leg and his arm. He bit his lip as the doctor applied an antiseptic to the leg wound and wrapped a bandage around it. Then came his arm. It was broken. The jagged edge of the bone could be seen pushing against the skin. The doctor motioned to the guards.

"Hold him down," he commanded.

Wufei pulled away from their grasp. "I don't need to be held down," he said.

The doctor stared at him, then waved the guards aside. He grasped Wufei's arm.
"Ready?"

Wufei took a deep breath and nodded.

The doctor pushed the bone back into place. Wufei bit down hard on his lip so that he wouldn't scream as the pain ripped through his arm. All color had drained from his face, and sweat poured down the sides of his face. Blood trickled down his chin from where he had bitten his lip.

Treize stood there watching. 'He was very impressed with this young man. He must have been going through excruciating pain right now, yet he hadn't made a sound.' As he listened to Wufei's ragged breathing, he wondered how he could endure so much pain.

When the doctor had finished, he pushed Wufei back down on the cot. "Get some rest," he ordered.

Wufei sighed. 'Why had they bothered to treat his injuries?'

He looked up as the doctor and guards left. Treize stood by the door.

"Why did you bother to treat my wounds? Aren't I your enemy?"

"I treated your wounds because that guard had no right to beat you the way he did," he said, as he turned to leave. "And because you don't deserve to be treated the way he treated you. Nobody deserves to go through as much pain and suffering as you have. You deserve to be treated better."

A single tear rolled down Wufei's cheek. He turned away so that Treize wouldn't see. The next moment he felt himself being pulled into the warm embrace of Treize Kushrinada. He stiffened.

"Go ahead and cry. Let it all out. You'll feel better."

Wufei was surprised by the way Treize was acting.

"I don't understand why this had to happen," he said, tears streaming down his face. He buried his face in Treize's shoulder.

Treize gently held him until he had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

He sighed. 'Nobody deserved this. Why did this sort of thing even have to happen?'

He sighed again. He didn't suppose he would ever know the answer to that question. Quietly, he left the room.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo surveyed the base.

'How was he going to do this?'

He sighed. First he had to find out where Wufei was and what condition he was in.

He crouched behind a truck, surveying the entrance.

'That just might work,' he thought. He jumped into the truck, putting his plan into action.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Ling was up and about. She now sat on the bed, going through her duffel bag. Trowa and Quatre watched as she emptied its contents, searching for something. Her hand closed over a small object and she sighed in relief. It was a necklace. A small pendent of pink and green stone. She sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"Are you all right?" Quatre asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He wasn't sure if he believed her, but he didn't push it. When she was ready, she would tell them.

"That's a very beautiful necklace," he said.

She smiled. "It was the last birthday present my parents ever gave me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. They're dead?"

"My father is. My mother is still alive, but she hasn't spoken to me since my father's death. She blames me for his death." A single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Does the necklace have a special meaning?" Trowa asked, noticing the reverent way she handled it.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. The green stone is jade. It represents my mother's Chinese heritage. The pink stone is rose quartz. It represents my father's Arabian heritage. If anything happened to this necklace...." she trailed off.

Trowa nodded. "You should get some rest. You're still pretty weak."

She nodded, and slipped under the covers.

"Thank you," she said as they left the room.

Quatre turned toward her. "You're welcome."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo headed toward the infirmary. He had heard two guards talking about the 'prisoner.' From what he heard, Wufei was in pretty bad shape.

He had set up some explosives and 'borrowed' a truck or two for his diversion. As he ran down the hall, he set off the explosives. He smiled as he saw guards and soldiers rush to get outside.

'Yes, he was the God of Death.'

Wufei's head shot up as Duo burst into the room. "Duo! What are you doing here?"
"Don't sound so surprised, Wu-man. I couldn't just let you go on a suicide mission and get yourself killed. You're part of my family."

A wide grin spread across Duo's face. "Besides, without you, who am I supposed to drive crazy?"

Wufei smiled. He stood up and immediately regretted the action. The pain he felt was incredible. He took a few steps, but it was too painful and he could feel fresh blood slide down his thighs.

Duo noticed that he was walking stiffly.

"You okay?" he asked.

Wufei nodded. "I'll be fine. But you might have to help me."

Duo helped support him, but he was worried.

They slowly made their way down the hall. As they made it outside, they heard a shout and soldiers immediately surrounded them.

Duo cursed under his breath. 'Damn. Now what am I gonna do.'

Just then a siren went off. "It's a gundam."

Duo was surprised. 'A gundam? Heero! It had to be Heero.'

He turned to Wufei. "Where's your gundam."

"It's hidden in the woods."

"Can you make it without support?"

Wufei nodded. "You go ahead. Tell Heero to destroy the base."

"Got it."

Duo ran to his gundam and Wufei slowly headed to his. Heero destroyed the base just as Wufei got into his gundam.

He sighed, and headed his gundam back toward the house. His white pants were once again stained with blood. A tear slipped down his cheek.

'No. I won't cry. I have to be strong. I can't be weak.'

But he couldn't do anything about. The tears streamed down his face, and he couldn't stop them.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei practically fell out of his gundam. Duo jumped down from Deathscythe and knelt next to him.

"You alright Wu-man?"

Wufei nodded and pushed himself up. It was painful, and Duo saw the flash of pain in his eyes. He helped Wufei upstairs to his room.

"Thanks," Wufei said as his sat on the bed.

Duo nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"No. I'm fine."

He nodded again. "Okay. You sure?"

Wufei nodded. "Yes. Now go get some rest."

Duo hesitated then turned and left.

Wufei got up and went into the bathroom. He showered, put on a clean pair of pants and collapsed onto his bed, falling into an exhausted sleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo sighed loudly as he walked down the hall toward his room.

"Something wrong?"

He jumped. "Heero, I'm worried about Wufei. He's been crying. And did you see the blood on his pants?"

Heero walked over to Duo and wrapped his arms around him. "Don't worry. When he's ready to talk, he will."

Duo took a deep breath, inhaling Heero's scent. "I know."

He sighed as Heero pulled away and turned to go to his room.

"Hey, Heero."

Heero stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

Duo tried to think of how to ask what he wanted to know, but he couldn't.

"Never mind. It's not important."

Heero eyed him skeptically.

Duo wished him a good night, then turned and walked to his room. As he was settling down a million questions ran through his mind.

'Why had Heero come after him? Why did he sound so worried about him?' He fell asleep trying to figure it out.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre was up bright and early making breakfast. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, but he still had a cheerful smile on his face. He smiled as Trowa entered the kitchen.
"Smells good," he said, pulling a chair out and sitting down.

He watched as Quatre hurried around the kitchen. The blonde looked like hell. His eyes were blood shot and surrounded by dark circles.

"You look tired."

Quatre looked up, startled. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Trowa walked over and stood beside him. "What's wrong, Quatre? I'm worried about you."

Quatre sighed. "It's nothing. I was worried about Wufei, that's all."

Trowa eyed him skeptically. "It hasn't been just last night. It's been the past couple days."

Quatre moved past him and started to set the table. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Just then Heero entered, followed by Duo.

"Hey, where's Wu-man?" Duo asked.

"He's still upstairs," Trowa answered.

"Is he okay?" asked Quatre, sounding a little more than worried.

"I don't know," Heero replied.

Just then Duo looked up. "Hey. Look who decided to join us."

The others looked up. Ling was standing in the doorway looking a little shy.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Quatre smiled warmly. "Not at all. Come sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."

She smiled and quietly sat down. Quatre set the plates down in front of everyone and sat next to Trowa. They ate in silence.

After breakfast was over, Trowa cleaned the dishes and Quatre showed Ling around, showing her where everything was. When he was finished he went upstairs and sat on his bed. He sighed.

"You all right?" Duo asked, as he walked by.

Quatre nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Duo stopped when he heard the quiver in the smaller boys voice. "What is it, Quatre?"
A tear rolled down Quatre's cheek and landed on his hand. He turned away, not wanting Duo to see him crying. Duo knelt down next to the bed.

"It's all right Quatre. You can tell me. I'm your friend."

Quatre sighed and another tear slipped down his cheek. Duo sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around his slender frame.

"I...I've been having these nightmares."

Duo listened intently. "What are the nightmares about?"

"Trowa." Quatre answered. "There's a huge battle going on all around us. Then he gets wounded. I try to reach him, but I'm too late. Then I'm holding his dead body in my arms." Quatre's cheeks glistened with tears. "I just can't stand the feeling of loss. If I lost him..."

Duo tightened his embrace. "I know," he whispered. "It would be like a part of yourself died."

Quatre sighed and dried the tears from his eyes. He smiled. "Arigatou, Duo."

Duo grinned. "Any time." he said. "You can always come to me."

Quatre smiled at his friend, a genuine smile. Not the half-hearted smile he had given to everyone that morning.

"Thank you."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Ling was going through some warm up exercises as Duo passed the exercise room. He entered the hangar and stared up at Deathscythe.

"Hey buddy!"

He climbed into the cockpit and started to go over the damage report.

"Hmmm. This is gonna take a little longer than I thought."

He grabbed some tools and set to work. It was a good five or six hours before he left the hangar to look for food.

"Man, I'm starving," he said, as he entered the kitchen. He rummaged through one of the cabinets and found a bag of chips. He sighed loudly as he plopped into a chair.
"Something wrong?"

Duo jumped. "Oh. Hey Heero. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Not much."

Heero eyed him skeptically.

"What? Don't look at me like that." Duo shrunk away from the intense gaze of the cobalt blue eyes. "I'm just worried, that's all. Wufei hasn't left his room, Quatre is depressed, Trowa's unhappy because Quatre is." He sighed.

To his surprise he felt tears in his eyes. He hurriedly wiped them away before Heero could see. To his surprise Heero walked over and placed a hand on Duo's shoulder.

"It's all right to cry," he said.

Duo stared up at Heero. "No, it's not all right. I don't want to cry."

Another tear slid down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it away. Heero reached out and gently caught hold of Duo's wrist. Duo dropped his gaze, but Heero grabbed his chin and forced him to meet his gaze. Duo didn't fight it any longer. He let the tears fall, not caring anymore. His shoulders shook with each sob.

Heero stared down at Duo, pain filling his heart. He wrapped his arms around Duo and held him tightly.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. A single tear trailed down his cheek. He didn't want to think about or remember what had happened, but there was nothing he could do to stop the memories and thoughts that were flooding his mind. He felt like a part of him had died, like it had been completely destroyed. He sighed. He knew the others were worried about him, but he wasn't ready to face anyone right now. He stood up, and walked over to the window. The stars were twinkling cheerfully.



'But he hadn't been treated better. Why did it even have to happen?'

He opened his bedroom door and peeked outside. The hallway was dark, and he was pretty sure that the others were sleeping. He quietly crept down the stairs and outside. He breathed in the cool night air and started to jogg through the woods.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre tossed and turned restlessly. The image before him was so clear. They were in a battle, surrounded by mobile suits, their gundams were pretty beat up and couldn't hold out much longer. The enemy suits fired at them. A beam cannon fired and hit Heavyarms. He fired continuously, pounding the gundam until it finally collapsed and fell. Trowa jumped out. Another beam was fired at the gundam and it exploded. It was completely obliterated. And so was Trowa.

"Nooooooooooooo!!"


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Quatre sat up, panting. He turned to look at the other bed and was reassured when he saw the sleeping form of the Heavyarms pilot.

'Why was he having these dreams?'

He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. His eyes were blood shot and there were dark circles under each eye. His face was pale and his hair shaggy and uncombed.

'Damn these nightmares. And this depression. What's wrong with me?'

Tears streamed down his face. "What's wrong with me?" he whispered.

He splashed some more cold water on his face and returned to his bed. He lay there, unable to sleep. Finally he got out of bed and quietly left the room.

He shivered slightly as he stepped outside into the cool night air. He looked up at the sky. It was so beautiful. The stars were sparkling brightly, but it seemed inappropriate that they should be so cheerful when he was feeling so depressed. He sighed, not loudly, but it was heard.

"Quatre? What are you doing out here? Are you alright?"

Quatre looked over in surprise. "Duo, what are you doing out here?"

Duo smiled. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to come outside for a breath of fresh air and some stargazing. What about you? Was it the nightmare again?" he asked, concern edging his voice.

Quatre nodded.

Duo moved closer to Quatre and put an arm around his shoulder. "It's okay. They aren't real."

"I know they aren't," Quatre replied, "but they seem so real and the pain of losing Trowa, even in a dream, is almost unbearable."

A tear slid down his cheek and this time he didn't try to hide it. Duo wiped it away and pulled Quatre into a reassuring hug.

"I know. When Heero self-destructed I thought I was going to die from the pain of losing him. Just remember, I'm your best friend. Whenever you need to talk, I'm always here for you."

Quatre smiled, the first genuine smile in the past week. "Thanks, Duo."

"Anytime, buddy."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As Duo entered the room, he noticed that Heero was tossing and turning restlessly. He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He immediately withdrew his hand. Heat radiated from the Japanese boy's body. Duo flung the sheets aside and stared in shock at the red stain on the boy's green tank top. He carefully removed the shirt and then the bandage. The wound was bleeding again and he could see the beginning of an infection.
"Damn. It's bleeding too much."

He grabbed a towel and tried to stop the bleeding, but failed. He hurried out of the room, descending to the first floor (nearly falling down the stairs) and grabbed the phone. Quatre entered the room, wondering what the commotion was about. When he saw Duo he froze.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"It's Heero. His wound's bleeding and starting to get infected. He's losing too much blood and I can't stop the bleeding."

His words came out frantically. He looked more afraid then Quatre had ever seen him before.

"Duo, go back upstairs and try your best to stop the bleeding," he told the frantic boy. "I'll call Sally."

Duo nodded and ran back upstairs so fast he didn't even notice Trowa standing in the doorway. Quatre looked after the boy anxiously. He could understand the fear and pain Duo was feeling right now, and for the usually fearless boy who called himself Shinagami to show his fear was an uncommon sight. Trowa walked over and took the phone from the smaller boy.
"Go make sure Duo is okay. I'll call Sally."

Quatre smiled in appreciation and hurried upstairs. Duo was trying frantically to stop the wound from bleeding, but was having little luck. Quatre could see the fear in the violet eyes.

"Duo..."

The other boy turned toward him, unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

"Quatre..." The words came out in a choked voice. "He's losing too much blood." His voice sounded a little calmer. Then the tears broke free and streamed down his face.

"He can't die. I won't let him die. He can't leave me alone. Not again. I can't go through the pain of losing him again. It nearly killed me last time. If it happened now, it would kill me."

The sight of the broken down boy nearly ripped Quatre's heart in two. But he could do nothing but sit there and watch his friend. The only thing that would ease the boy's pain would be knowing that Heero was going to be alright. He sighed. Just then Trowa came in.
"Sally is on her way."

Quatre sighed in relief. Duo wiped his face with his sleeve and turned toward them.
"Can one of you keep applying pressure to the wound? I'm going to wait for Sally."
Trowa nodded and took Duo's place. Duo hurried downstairs and waited for Sally. As soon as she arrived he hurried her upstairs.

She knelt down next to the bed and examined the wound carefully.

"Keep applying pressure until I get back."

She left the room and returned a few moments later with some rags. She soaked one of the rags in peroxide and cleaned the wound. She then proceeded to stitch the wound closed. When that was finished, she fed Heero a couple of aspirin, then turned toward the other pilots.

"Is he going to be okay?" Duo asked.

"I'm not sure. He lost a lot of blood. Almost too much blood. And his fever is pretty high. Keep him warm and make sure he takes these pills. If you do what I say, he should be okay. He'll still be pretty weak, but he'll be alive."

Duo sighed in relief. He would be okay. He collapsed against the wall.

"Duo, are you alright?" Sally asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked over at Quatre and the blonde could see the relief in the violet eyes as a tear snaked down his cheek.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Wufei finally stopped. It was a small clearing around a pond. It wasn't very big, but it was where Wufei always went when he needed to get away or relax.

He collapsed onto the ground and starred up at the stars. He knew he would have to tell the other pilots what had happed, but right now, he just wasn't ready. He turned his head as someone sat down next to him.

"May I join you?" Ling asked.

Wufei nodded. "Sure."

She flopped back so she was looking up at the sky too. "

It doesn't seem right for the stars to be so cheerful. It doesn't fit how I feel."
Wufei sighed. "I know," he said. "I feel...I don't know...like a part of me has been completely destroyed."

Ling nodded and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Yeah, like a part of you died. And you can never get it back again."

Another tear slipped down her cheek, and Wufei was surprised to find tears in his own eyes as well. He sighed.

"I just don't understand why any of this had to happen. And why to me? Or you?"

Ling sighed. "What did we do to deserve it?" she asked quietly, tears filling her eyes.

She was startled when Wufei wrapped his arms around her. They sat there sobbing into eachother's shoulders, both trying to comfort the other. They finally stopped crying and just sat there clinging to each other. Somehow, being in eachother's embrace was very comforting. They each knew how the other felt. They had both been raped, so they understand how the other felt.

Ling smiled slightly and looked up at Wufei. He smiled back and slowly leaned down, kissing her. A slight brushing of his lips against hers, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted. He pulled away, but she put her arm behind his neck and pulled him down, kissing him back. They finally pulled apart and Ling smiled up at Wufei.

"Thank you, Wufei. Now I know that I can get through this."

Wufei shook his head. "No, I should be thanking you."

She smiled. "We'll get through this together," she said.

He nodded. "Together." Then he leaned down and kissed her again.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Ling entered the kitchen and saw Trowa sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. He looked exhausted.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up as she spoke. "I'm alright. Just a little worried."

"What happened?" She sounded a little alarmed.

"Heero gave us all a scare. His wound started to bleed and he lost a lot of blood."
"Is he alright now?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he should be fine."

She sighed in relief.

"Is there something you needed?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes. I came to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. I was assigned a new mission."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay. And I'll be back. When my mission is over, I'll come back."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for everything."

She walked over and gave him a quick hug. "I'd better say bye to the others."

Trowa watched as she left the room. He wondered where Wufei had gone. He had kept to himself and Trowa was fairly certain he knew what had happend. He knew that with Ling's help, he would be okay. It might take some time, but he would recover. But he was still worried. He was worried about Wufei, about Quatre, and about Heero. He sighed.

He jumped as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Quatre standing behind him.

"Ling left."

Quatre pulled a chair up and sat down in front of Trowa. He took a deep breath. "I've been having nightmares."

Trowa looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Nightmares. That's why I was so afraid when you woke me up. We were in a battle and..." his voice quivered. "And you were killed."

A tear slipped down his cheek. Trowa wiped it away. Quatre took another deep breath.
"And I've been feeling depressed. I didn't know why, but I think I know why now. Just everything. The fighting, the killing, my father's death. It was all starting to take its toll on me. I felt alone. But I know that I'm not alone anymore."

He looked at Trowa and smiled. "I'm never alone as long as you're here with me."
Trowa felt a tear slip down his cheek. He reached over and pulled the blonde into his arms.

"I love you, Quatre."

Quatre smiled and wrapped his arms around Trowa's slender waist. "I know. I love you too."

Trowa smiled down at his blond angel. Quatre smiled back then leaned up and kissed him lightly.

"Aishiteru, Trowa."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Heero opened his eyes slowly. He turned his head and saw Duo sleeping in a chair beside the bed. The boy looked so peaceful as he slept. Wisps of his long brown hair had fallen out and fell over his face. Heero reached out and gently pushed them away from his face.

The sleeping boy stirred and opened his eyes. "Heero. You're alright?"

Heero nodded.

A tear slipped down Duo's face. "I thought I had lost you." he said as another tear slipped down his cheek.

Heero reached over and wiped the tear away. Duo took his hand in his own.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." he said. "I love you, Heero, and never want to lose you."

Heero stared up at the boy, suprise etched in his features. "But, how can you love me? I didn't think anyone could ever love me."

Duo laughed. "How can I not love you?" He leaned closer to Heero. "You mean everything to me."

Heero's breath caught in his throat. His eyes swept over Duo, memorizing ever feature of the beautiful face. He reached up and pulled Duo closer, kissing him gently.

"I love you too, Duo. I didn't realize it until you went after Wufei. I thought I might lose you and I realized just how important you are too me."

A smile lit Duo's face. His violet eyes sparkled. "Aishiteru, Heero. And I always will."

Heero smiled and pulled Duo down next to him. Duo curled up against Heero's body and sighed contentedly.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Duo yawned and stretched. He felt someone else stir and turned. He found himself starring into a pair of cobalt blue eyes. He smiled.

"I could get used to this." he said.

Heero smiled and pulled him closer. "I love you, Duo."

Duo smiled and snuggled closer to Heero. 'Yep. He could definitely get used to this.'


THE END.


Authors Notes: Well what did you think? Like it? Didn't like it? Let me know. Arigatou for reading.

RurouniGirl