Missing You
By Quatre's_Aisai
Barrenzye Winner stood outside of a cozy little home, gently rocking back and forth on a tire swing tied to a tree branch by a sturdy rope, waiting for someone special to emerge from the house. The handsome twenty-two year old soldier sighed and looked down at the little black velvet box in the palm of his hand. He opened it up to reveal the golden ring with a small diamond cross in the middle and smiled. "I can't ask her, what with the war going on and all…but I have to do this now, or probably never," he said sadly. He didn't take his eyes off of the tiny ring, not until he heard the porch door swing open. When he heard the door clang shut, he quickly closed the small box and stuffed it into his baggy black pants pocket; he then looked up at the slender twenty-year old woman walking toward him. He smiled when he recognized who it was: the love of his life, Dana Maxwell.
~I could stay awake just to hear you breathin'
Watch you smile while you are sleepin'
While you're far away and dreamin'~
This woman, Dana, was the woman he loved more than the whole world; the woman he almost died for in the space wars of AC 217, where he self detonated his Gundam just so he could protect her, and so she would live. Today was their anniversary of the day when they first got together. It had been five years now since the day when he received his first real kiss from his angel, Dana. She was all he thought about, all he ever dreamed of. Every night, he would stare up at his ceiling and picture her; her long beautiful brown hair braided together, falling over her shoulder, her violet blue eyes sparkling under her silky bangs, her rosy lips curled up into a sweet smile. He loved her more than life itself; every day he spent with her was worth more than the greatest treasures in the world to him.
~I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure~
He got up off the swing and stood before her, this small woman who he had fallen for; his childhood friend who had saved his life many times. She was what kept him living.
"Hey…" he said, clearing his throat. Dana did not look too happy. She was frowning at him, that same innocent frown that always made him feel sad. He also frowned and cleared his throat again. "I guess you heard the news," he said, looking down at the ground, tapping it lightly with his foot.
"Yes, I did," she said sadly in her sweet, almost angelic voice. She sniffled, holding back her tears. "Must you go back into space and fight, Barrenzye? I only wish I could go along and help…" she said, bowing her head. When the war ended in AC 217, Dana had self detonated her Gundam, destroying it forever, in hope that she would not have to use it again. Barrenzye, on the other hand, secretly kept his Gundam hidden, just in case he'd have to use it again. He smiled and walked closer to her, putting his arms around her waist and embracing her in a warm hug.
"Well, this may be the final battle that will end all wars, and we'll finally achieve total pacifism," he said, kissing her head. She sobbed, her body shaking, then returned his hug, placing her head on his muscular chest.
"Barrenzye…you promised you'd never leave me again, remember?"
"Yes, I did. I haven't forgotten that promise, Dana. I will come back to you…I promise you that…" She pulled away from his chest and looked up into his beautiful sapphire eyes.
"I don't want to lose you again."
"You won't," he said reassuringly, wiping away her tears and closing the gap between them.
~I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Coz I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
Barrenzye kissed her passionately, running his hands down her back. Dana slid her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss and closer to her self. It was moments like these that Barrenzye wanted to never end. Having Dana in his arms was all he'd ever need, all he'd ever wished for. When they pulled away, Barrenzye led her over to the swing, and told her to sit down. She did so and hung her feet above the ground. He gently pushed her back and forth, swinging her. She giggled, watching the ground pass below her. He then ran off behind the tree, hiding. Dana, confused that he wasn't pushing her anymore, turned her head to find him gone. She gasped, stopping the swing. "Barrenzye?" she asked, getting off and looking around. Barrenzye jumped out from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
~'Coz even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
She yelped, then giggled and glomped Barrenzye, knocking him to the ground, into the soft grass. She fell ontop of his soft body and laughed; he laughed as well. When they calmed down, he ran his hand down her face and kissed her cheek. She sighed, placing her head on his chest and listening to his heart beat, just like she used to when they were little. He put his hands behind his head, looking up at the orange and violet sky and let her lie there, breathing steadily. She let out a small childish laugh, closing her eyes and snuggling up closer to him. He stroked her head with his hand and smiled down at her.
"Dana…ai shiteru…"
~Lyin' close to you
Feelin' your heart beatin'
And I'm wonderin' what you're dreamin'
Wonderin' if it's me you're seein'~
Dana smiled, looking up at him.
"Ai shiteru, Barrenzye…but…" she started, sitting up and looking at his angelic form lying on the ground. She turned away. "I just have this feeling that you're going to get hurt up there…maybe even…" she sobbed, closing her eyes and letting the tears spill over her face once again. Barrenzye sat up, supporting himself with his elbow, and stroked her face again.
"Dana, don't worry. I'm a soldier, a Gundam pilot. It's just another fight, so don't worry." She turned to him, angered by his decision.
"Really, Zye?! You don't know that for sure! You don't know that…" she trailed off, letting her anger cease. He sat up straight and held her again.
~Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we're together
I just wanna stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever~
"Dana, I made you a promise, and I intend to keep that promise."
"Demo…"
"No, buts…here, let me show you something…" he said, crawling over to the tree with her. She looked at him, confused, until he pointed to something on the trunk of the tree, engraved into its bark with a knife. Dana Maxwell and Barrenzye Winner, I remember my promise; you remember me…I love you…
She smiled, running her fingers over the smooth inscription. She turned to Barrenzye, who had a crooked grin on his face.
"Happy Anniversary, Dana…" he said, pulling the box out of his pocket and opening it, revealing the small golden ring inside. "Will you marry me?"
~I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Coz I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
Dana was shocked; her eyes went wide with surprise. "Oh, Barrenzye…" she said as if she were in a trance. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her smooth slender right ring finger for her. She looked at it in amazement. "I-it's…beautiful…" He held her other hand, then kissed it.
"Not as beautiful as you, my love," he said, smiling. Her gaze met his once again, fresh tears of joy streaming down her already tearstained face. He lowered his chin a little, raising his eyebrows.
"Well…will you…Dana?" he asked. She smiled, then threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh Zye! Of course I will!" she said, squeezing him. He sighed, then took her in his arms as well, kissing her neck.
"Now I have no choice…I will come back to you, Dana…"
~'Coz even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
Three hours since he said his good byes to his fiancée, and two hours since the war started. The explosions surrounded Barrenzye's Gundam Angelwhisper. Near him was the Gundam Sandrock, piloted by a man named Walter Briggs. Usually, his sister, Iria Winner (named after Quatre's sister) would pilot it, but she was home with a battle wound and was in no condition to be fighting, even though she really wanted to live out this battle. So, her friend, a fellow lieutenant, decided to pilot it for her, him being one of the best soldiers and MS pilots out there. Barrenzye's Gundam Angelwhisper backed up against Sandrock.
"Yo, Briggs, how ya holdin' out?" he asked, opening a visual com with the pilot.
"Doin' fine, sir," he said weakly, blood covered his face.
"You're wounded…you should go back to base, before it gets worse."
"No way! Der ain't no way I'm missin' dis!" he said, blasting off toward a bunch of MD. Barrenzye gasped.
"No, Briggs! You'll be killed! You can't fight MD in your condition!" he said, blasting off after Sandrock, but he was slower than usual, since one of his thrusters was broken.
"If I go down, sir, I'll go down fighting," he said, saluting Barrenzye as the MD units fired at him, pieces of gundanium alloy flying off the giant robot. The MD units took one last fire at him before Sandrock exploded right before Barrenzye's eyes, which went wide with horror.
"No! This can't be happening…Briggs…" he said sadly, as the MD units flew toward him and began to fire.
~I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you
Right here with you just like this~
He sliced some in half with his beam sabers, but for every MD he destroyed, two new ones seemed to appear. Soon, his beam sabers ran out of power and sparked, finally going out. When they went out, his last choice was to fire ammo at the MD, since his giant Beam Cannon and shoulder laser cannons were also out of power. When the last of his ammo ran out, he sat there in space, helpless, as more MD units closed in on his Gundam, which was almost completely demolished. Barrenzye took his space helmet off and sadly looked at the screen. He brought something up on it and began to type. He hit one last button, and a message came up on the screen: MESSAGE SENT SUCCESSFULLY.
~I just wanna hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Yeah, yeah, yeah~
He bowed his head as MD began to fire at Angelwhisper, destroying its once beautiful golden wings in a huge explosion. He was thrown forward, smacking his head against the screen. He groaned, pulling away from the now cracked and bloodied screen. His crimson blood spilled from his wound and ran down his face, running into his eyes and mixing with his tears. He weakly reached into his space suit and pulled out a little sterling silver chain with a small golden cross on the end that he had gotten from Dana for his 10th birthday. He couldn't believe that this little gift had survived over all these years of war. It brought him luck, but he guessed that his luck had just run out. Six MD raised their guns and pointed them at Angelwhisper, pulling the triggers. Barrenzye looked at the screen and watched the beams fly toward him. He wrapped his hand around the cross and sobbed. "Dana…I'm sorry…I couldn't keep my promise…" he whispered before he and Angelwhisper disappeared in a huge blinding explosion of light, which destroyed thousands of MD and MS for miles around.
~I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Coz I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
Dana ran up to the spaceport and ran inside, up to the arrival docks. She stood by the door and waited to see his face, his shining bright lovely face once again. Soldiers in uniforms poured out of the doors, greeted by their families and friends, some by their lovers, but she never saw Barrenzye come out. She looked confused, and walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me," she asked, "but this is Dock 45, is it not?" The lady at the desk looked up at her and smiled.
"Yes, pretty miss, it is. Are you waiting for someone?" she asked, grabbing a clipboard full of names.
"Yes, his name is Barrenzye Winner. He's my fiancé," she replied as the woman flipped through the papers. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't see a Barrenzye Winner on the arrival list. Are you sure you have the right dock number?"
"Yes, I'm pretty sure…" she said, blinking. Three old men in uniforms walked up to her, serious yet sad looking expressions on their faces.
"Are you Mrs. Maxwell?" the leader, obviously the oldest and had the highest rank, asked, narrowing his eyes. She turned to him with a gasp.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Is something the matter, sir?" she asked. He sighed, then put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'd like to tell you something…about Colonel Barrenzye Winner…"
~'Coz even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
When they sat down in the chairs, she turned to him with confusion in her eyes.
"What is it, sir?" she asked, starting to get worried. The soldier turned to the other two, and they nodded, then he turned back to her.
"Mrs. Maxwell, we understand that Colonel Winner was your fiancé, are we correct?"
"Yes…is he all right?" she said, blinking uncontrollably. The man sighed, then put an old comforting hand on her shoulder once again. "Mrs. Maxwell…your fiancé, Barrenzye Winner…died on the battlefield…"
~I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Coz I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
These words struck Dana like an arrow through her heart. Surely there had to be some mistake, but she had a feeling that it wasn't. She brought a hand to her mouth, and began to sob.
"Oh dear God, no…not Barrenzye…no…" The soldier handed her a piece of paper on a clipboard.
"We searched the area thoroughly, but we didn't find much…he sent this before his Gundam was totally destroyed. We shall leave you to yourself now…we just want to say that Barrenzye was a brave young man, and he'll be in the heart and soul of every pilot and soldier forever," he said, getting up and leaving with the others. Dana watched them leave, trying to hold her tears back, not wanting to break down in the middle of the spaceport, even though it was empty. She lifted the clipboard up and read the message:
"To my dear love Dana, I want to say that you'll always be in my heart, no matter how far apart we are. Please do not be sad, I'll always be there for you, just like I promised. I love you, and may you live a long and happy life. Love always, Barrenzye…"
~'Coz even when I try
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing~
Quatre and Sarafu didn't take the new too well, and Sarafu almost killed herself crying. Not even Quatre could comfort her. Iria tried to stay strong, but she cried as well. The same went for Kat and Duo. The other Gundam pilots and their former Gundam pilot fathers were also extremely upset with the loss of their companion, who was a leader to some of them. Millions of soldiers also grieved over the loss of a great military colonel who was also a good friend to them all. But things weren't all that bad…
Months passed since the death of Barrenzye, and Dana sat in their home, stirring a pot of soup she was making for herself. She rested her hand on her large stomach and smiled. Barrenzye might have been gone, but he left her something that she would cherish for a lifetime; she was carrying his child. After she had finished her soup, she went out to the little tree with the rubber tire swing like she did every night and sat down on it. She looked up at the darkening sky, rocking herself gently back and forth, and sighed. She turned to the tree and walked up to it. She bent down and ran her hand down the limestone plaque in the ground right beneath the tree. Here lies the Gundam pilot and hero of war, Barrenzye Lucas Winner, who helped us all make total pacifism a reality at last. May he rest in peace…and right above this, engraved on the tree, was the inscription Barrenzye had made her long ago. Dana Maxwell and Barrenzye Winner, I remember my promise; you remember me…I love you…She had changed it a bit, so it read Dana Winner instead of Dana Maxwell, and she had carved down below his message a small cross and her own message:
I'll never forget…I'll love you till the day I die…
~Don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep, yeah
And I don't wanna miss a thing…~
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The song was "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. I do not own any of the original GW pilots or their Gundams. I do own Barrenzye, Sarafu, Iria, etc…Dana is my friend Kat Maxwell's daughter. I wrote this songfic for her and her love, Barrenzye. You probably think this song doesn't fit the fic, but if you've seen Armageddon, then you'd probably get a better understanding of it. I hope you like it. ^-^v