While You Were Gone - Prologue

disclaimer - I don't own Gundam Wing!

notes - I started writing While You Were Gone here on FFnet in 2001, and it was finished in October of 2002. So yeah, it's old, lol. I haven't changed anything since then, so if you just so happen to recognize the fic, that's why. Though I kind of doubt anyone from back then would be reading this again, hehe. I'm actually quite fond of this fic, so I'm hoping y'all like it!

Duo flew through space in the shuttle that the Gundam Pilots used when they went on missions. Checking to make sure that all of his communication devices were off for the time being, Duo landed in the spaceport below him. After docking the shuttle, he jumped out and looked around. Seeing the person he was looking for, Duo ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders, causing her to jump in shock.

"Geez, Duo! You scared me half to death!" she said, but she couldn't stay mad for long and was soon returning the hug. "Man is it good to see you! How've you been?"

"Good, good. Same as usual, I guess." He paused. "So...are you sure you're ready to do this?"

"I-I think so," the girl replied. "I think I've got everything down. Look, my braid is finally long enough." Duo chuckled. She looked at him doubtfully for a moment. "Are you sure the others won't notice? I mean, I'm a girl, and you're a guy, and they know you really well now. Won't they notice?"

"Babe, don't worry about it," Duo reassured. "They aren't as smart as they let on. Besides have you looked in a mirror lately?" The girl shook her head. "Well then look at my face, because we look exactly the same."

"Duo, that's not exactly a good thing."

"Why? You should consider yourself lucky. Any other person would give anything to have my looks." The girl laughed.

"You are SO full of yourself!" Duo laughed a little, and then looked at her seriously.

"Trio," he started, then stopped and smiled. "I love that name."

"Oh no, don't you go starting on how I copied my name from you and it's so cool because you're my big brother and I look up to you and blah blah blah." The girl, now known as Trio, said.

"But it's so cool, I love it. You have to look at it from my point of view. A little nameless boy's friend, whose name was Solo, dies. So the nameless boy decides to call himself Duo, because he believes Solo will always be with him in spirit. Then the little boy's younger sister decides to call herself Trio so she doesn't feel left out. It's so cute!"

"I've heard that story way too many times. Besides," Trio said, crossing her arms, "we don't really know if your older or not. We only know that we're twins. I COULD be older."

"Nah, it's too fun thinking I'm older." Trio shook her head exasperatedly.

"Anyway," she said, "back to the point of this conversation. You're sure they won't notice?"

"Yes! How many times are you going to ask me that? Look, it's only two months."

"Two months is a long time Duo...Wait a second, two! I thought your mission was only one month?"

"Well, it is..." said Duo sheepishly. "But Professor G said I get a month off afterwards, so I'm going to spend it with Hilde."

"Oh ok, and when exactly were you going to tell me this!"

"Um...today?"

"Right, sure."

"Look, you need to be getting back, or else the others will start wondering what happened to me." Duo wrapped his arms around Trio in a last hug. "Now, do you think you'll be able to act like me for two months?"

"Hopefully. It can't be too difficult. Eat really fast and sloppy, wake up late, always wear my hair in a braid, wear a lot of black, stuff like that."

"Hardy ha ha, that was soooo funny. You're hilarious," Duo said sarcastically.

"I know, I try."

"Right, so, um...how are you hiding your...uh, feminine features?"

"Well, I'm taping down my chest, which is not cool, but I'm doing this because I love you, and I've given up shaving, because I don't think that you shave your legs, right?"

"Of course not!"

"...Do you shave at all?" Trio asked, lifting her hand up to feel Duo's face. He quickly pulled away and blushed slightly, then mumbled something. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, what did you say?"

"I said I've never had to!" Duo said louder.

"Aww, baby cheeks!" Trio teased. Duo blushed a little more. "Well, I guess I'd better go. Call me when you can, ok?"

"Yeah, sure. I won't be able to call you at all during the mission, but I'll try to drop you an e-mail every so often. When you get a call from Hilde, it means I'm at her house and I'm ok. Now, you do know how to pilot ships and mobile suits and stuff like that, in case anything...happens?"

"Yeah yeah. I can do all that. I mean come on! My brother was a Gundam Pilot, do you think I wouldn't have learned how to pilot a mobile suit?"

"Oh yeah," Duo said, and wrapped Trio in yet another one of his bear hugs. "Good luck! You might need it..."

"Don't worry, I'm a good actress," Trio said, slowly walking towards the shuttle. "I love you, be careful!"

"Love you too! Bye!" Duo replied and waved. After the shuttle took off, he turned to leave for his mission.

Hehe, the Duo-has-a-secret-twin-sister-named-Trio fic! Actually, I really like this one, so I don't have anything terribly bad to say about it. :)

-Maxine