Satanira- Yes, this is yet another Gundam Wing fic by yours truly!

Duo- Yay!

Satanira- It seems the cake has yet to wear off.

Quatre- *runs by, waving Heero's gun in the air* I got 'is gun, Trowa! Run!

Heero- Omae o korosu! *runs after, firing another gun*

Satanira- Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Heero- *stops short and drops the gun* Ohmygod! Relena's here! Run awaaaaaaaaaaaay! *runs away*

Satanira- Heehee. Works every time. ~*~*~*~*~

Duo approached the mic timidly, having twenty-second thoughts about this. But he refused to back out now. He'd spent a month practicing this song, and he was going to sing it, no matter what. He just thanked his lucky stars Trowa and Quatre were there to keep him from running away.

"You guys ready?" Duo asked, turning to Trowa and Quatre.

"Are you?" Trowa countered, raising his visible eyebrow a little. Instead of his usual flute, Trowa had opted to play the piano for this song.

"Don't worry Duo." Quatre said from the top of the piano where he was tuning up his violin. "I believe you're doing the right thing." The blonde smiled encouragingly as Duo adjusted his guitar.

"I sure as hell hope so." Duo said nervously.

"Our next act is Daniel, a 15-year-old from L2, singing a song that's very special to him." The announcer said from the other side of the curtain.

The three took their places as the curtain began to rise. Trowa and Quatre smiled their encouragement at Duo as he took center stage and the spotlight fell on him.

Duo closed his eyes and pretended he was back in his room with his old karaoke machine, singing his heart out to a faded photograph. Trowa began playing softly, each note lingering in the air and merging with the next. As the piano grew louder, Quatre brought his violin to his shoulder and joined, the two instruments playing in perfect unison. Duo took a deep breath and added the mournful voice of his guitar to the mix, making it a vibrating whole.

"Fed up with my destiny

This place of no return

Think I'll take another day

And slowly watch it burn

It doesn't really matter how the time goes by

Cause I still remember you and I

And that beautiful goodbye..." He sang the first verse softly, barely reaching those in the back of the huge auditorium, letting the music carry most of the weight.

His voice was lost completely in the short interlude before he began again. "We staggered through these empty streets

Laughing arm in arm

The night had made a mess of me

Your confession kept me warm

And I don't really miss you

I just need to know

Do you ever think of you and I

And that beautiful goodbye...

When I see you now

I wonder how

I could've watched you walk away

If I let you down

Please forgive me now

For that beautiful goodbye

In these days of no regrets

I keep mine to myself

And all the things we never said

I can say for someone else

Cause nothing lasts forever

But we always try

And I just can't help but wonder why

We let it pass us by...."

Now the music gained tempo and volume. Trowa's voice rose and joined his own, making the words louder, gave them more power. The Heavyarms pilot created a soft platform for Duo to launch his own words from.

"When I see you now

I wonder how

I could've watched you walk away

If I let you down

Please forgive me now

For that beautiful goodbye..."

Abruptly, the music seemed to double in speed and strength, all the frustration, anger, and sorrow Duo had felt those past few painful months expressed in the pounding beat. The braided boy opened his eyes, and those in the first five or so rows saw so clearly all the anguish he'd suffered, all the emotion he was striving to put behind his chosen song. Trowa fell silent, letting Duo's voice carry over the spellbound crowd alone.

"Baby, what can I do?

Oh, to get through to you?" He lifted his voice over the pounding music. "And sometimes I cry

It's a fool's lullaby

Sometimes I cry

It's just a fool's lullaby..." Duo forgot completely about his guitar, concentrating on using his voice to get his message through so there'd be no mistaking why he was here on intercolonial television, singing an ancient song from the very bottom of his soul. "I'm dying inside..."

As the music died down to its original tempo and faded altogether, Duo closed his eyes again. He ignored the cheering crowd; their appreciation didn't matter to him. There was only one person who had to hear that song. Duo didn't know if he would, but at least he'd sung it.

~Heero,~ He thought, stepping out of the spotlight as the curtain dropped. ~I hope you saw that.~

~*~*~*~*~

Satanira-There. I know it's short and all, but I'm not good at writing long things. Especially when they encompass more than one chapter. That's just the way I am.

Heero- You're just lazy.

Satanira- *glomps Heero*

Heero- *faints*