Disclaimer: This story was written by a fan only for the enjoyment of other fans, without any monetary compensation. Gundam Wing and its characters are registered trademarks of Bandai Entertainment Inc.™ and Sotsu Agency. All rights reserved.

Italian = flashback or thought

Bold = emphasis

Text between \\ \\ = spoken in Chinese

The Good Luck Charm

Chapter 1

"How did you get this?"

"What is it?" Treize wanted to know.

"A Feng Shui charm of good luck and protection," Wufei explained as he handed the object to the professor. "The two Fu Dogs, or Imperial Lions on one side are strong symbols of protection, the dragon on the opposite side of the coin holds strong yang energy, the pearl he is clutching in his claws stands for wealth and power. Each of mystic knots surrounding the coin is made up of six infinity signs. They symbolize a happy life full of fortune."

Treize turned the charm in his hand, studying it carefully. The jade used for the coin in the center was of deep emerald green color, and nearly flawlessly translucent.

"This doesn't look like it was made as a cheap tourist trinket," he observed as he returned the amulet.

"I'm sure it wasn't," Wufei concurred. "Below the dragon I can read the symbols of the Long clan. That can only mean this charm was either created by or made for one of my ancestors. And I don't think it would have been passed on to anyone outside the family. So how would it have gotten here? Alexander?!"

Suddenly a ghostly hand tugged at the phone he was still holding. Surprised and a little startled Wufei released the device from his hand. It moved slightly before it was turned on. The photograph of him, Duo and Mei-Lin outside the Forbidden City was still on the screen as the phone was held up to Wufei's face.

The young man shook his head.

"I don't…think…I understand. Are you saying you got the charm at The Imperial Palace?"

"Maybe it was a present?" Milliardo suggested, remembering Alexander's lion head walking cane and the story how he had received it as a gift of gratitude from some Indian Nobleman.

Treize nodded. "We do know, after all, that he was at one point in China. The Port of Tianjin is only about a hundred miles from Beijing. If his ship stopped there it is quite possible that he visited that city and saw the Imperial Palace."

It made sense, except…

"Alexander had seen pictures of Beijing before. Remember we brought hundreds of them over after our trip last summer?" Wufei pointed out. "And he never reacted like this. So what all of a sudden caused him to show me this charm, he obviously had in his possession for a very long time? Where is Quatre when you need him?"

"Maybe it isn't the location that triggered his reaction…" Duo mused, "but the people in the photo?"

The people…? Wufei's brows knitted. But he has known me and Duo for a long time now and the only other person in the picture… Impossible, what connection can there be between Alexander and my cousin? Mei-Lin has never even visited me…

Suddenly the young man was overcome by a odd sensation. He gasped in a mixture of surprise and shock as a strange scene flashed past his mind.

::: Start Flashback :::

"Alexander, please wait."

Wufei turned to find himself facing a young woman, perhaps in her early 20s, who bore a remarkable resemblance to his cousin Mei-Lin. Aside of course from the traditional, yet elegant Chinese outfit she was wearing, and the fact that she looked far more lady-like than, in his opinion, Mei-Lin ever could.

"Lady, Mei-Lin?!"

"Please take this. May it protect you and bring you good fortune on your journal home." She spoke English fluently, but with a heavy accent.

He… no Alexander, looked at the object she was holding between her slender fingers. It was the very same amulet he was holding in his hands this very moment.

"No, I absolutely couldn't," he found himself say."It is too precious a gift for me to accept. Besides, it is meant to bring you good fortune, not me."

She laughed quietly. It was a gentle sound, like the soft ringing of bells. "I am married to a most wonderful man who I love dearly, and who I believe feels the same about me. And…" she lowered her eyelashes briefly, as her hand went almost involuntarily to her belly. "I am carrying his child. How much more good fortune can I possibly need? Please…" Her expression changed as he looked up again, her eyes filling with concern. "take it, if only for my sake."

"Very well. I shall accept your kind offering…but not as a gift." he added with a smile. "Consider this a loan of sorts. I promise that someday, hopefully not too far in the future, I shall visit China again and return this to you and your family…"

"Alexander!" Someone; a male with an Chinese accent in his voice, urged. "We need to leave now!"

Clutching the charm in his hand he gave her one last smile and a slight bow."Until we meet again, Lady Mei-Lin. Farewell."

" Farewell and stay safe." She called after him as he already turned to leave.

::: End Flashback :::

"Wufei?! Wufei, are you alright?" Treize Khushrenada's voice brought the young man back to his senses. The professor was standing at his side. "Are you alright?" he repeated. "For a moment it looked like you were about to faint."

Wufei shook his head, slowly, still too amazed to even put his feelings into words.

"I think," he finally spoke. "I think I understand how Milliardo, Quatre and Heero felt when Alexander or Odin Lowe sent them visions. I think I just had one myself."

His friends stared at him questions in their eyes.

"Oh?" Treize asked. "What happened?"

###

"That's simply amazing!" Treize exclaimed after Wufei had finished telling his friends about his experience. "To think that Alexander, in his own lifetime, went half way around the world where he met with at least one of your ancestors. And now, 100+ years later our families are connected once again. That, I dare say, would fully support that theory of yours after which spirits that are reborn surround themselves with spirits they have known from another life, wouldn't it?"

"I guess." The younger man frowned thoughtfully. "However, we can't even be completely sure yet that woman I saw in my …umm vision was truly one of my ancestors. I'm ashamed to admit it but I don't know much about my family past my grandparent's generation. After visiting China last year I got a bit interested in digging in my family history, but I haven't gotten very far yet."

"Yes, but didn't you say that the charm must have been made by someone in your family or for someone in it?" Milliardo pointed out. "So, I guess we can assume that woman, Mei-Lin was one of your ancestors. How else would she have gotten possession of it?"

"And…" Duo threw in. "It isn't uncommon for children to be named after a family member, right? Take Treize ALEXANDER Khushrenada. So maybe that's how your cousin Mei-Lin got her name."

"Hmm…"Wufei's frown deepened. "Do we know when Alexander traveled to China? Did he make more than one trip? That might help narrow things down to the right generation at least."

"Well," Treize wrapped one long leg over the other, his face thoughtful. "We know that he promised to return the charm on his next journey to China. Yet he never did. I don't think such a promise would be something he took lightly, so there has to be a reason for not keeping it. That reason, could quite possible be his untimely death."

The younger man nodded. It made sense. "So we can assume that the scene in my vision happened around the turn of the century, which would fit in with the clothing Mei-Lin was wearing. But there is something else..."

"Oh?!" Treize asked curiously, while the others just looked at him.

"The man whose voice I heard in my vision, and I'm sure he was Chinese, too… He said that they had to leave. But it didn't sound like a simple reminder 'We need to leave now' but more like a warning 'We have to leave NOW' because something bad could happen if they didn't. For some reason that struck me as important."

"So, Mei-Lin gives him a charm for protection, and that man we don't know yet, urges Alexander that he had to leave now. Sounds to me," Milliardo concluded. "As though he might have been in some kind of danger."

"Maybe," Duo offered. "he got it on with the wrong woman, got himself into hot water with the husband…if you get my drift."

The words had barely left his mouth when something heavy crushed down on the young man's scull.

"Ouch!" Duo growled, picking up the book Alexander had thrown at him. "I was just making suggestions, alright?"

"World History?" Milliardo mused, crooking his head to read the title on the spine. "You didn't just grab that one by accident, did you?"

"No," his fiancé shook his head. "I don't think he did. In fact, I'm quite sure, he is very much enjoying this little mystery he has presented us with. After all, mysteries is what he lives for."

"Isn't that an oxymoron, considering that he is dead?" Duo asked, still rubbing the back of his head..

"Either way, shall we do our best to solve the mystery?"

"You are the history expert around here," Milliardo looked at the professor. "So, tell us, what happened around the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century that cause Alexander to leave China rather suddenly and prevented him from returning until he died?"

Treize frowned thoughtfully, then his eyes widened slightly. He looked at Wufei who looked at him, the same expression of amazement on his face as they came to the same conclusion.

"The boxer rebellion!" both men exclaimed in unison.

"The boxer rebellion?" Milliardo echoed. He was sure he had heard about it before, but unlike his fiancé, he was no history buff, and the only thing he could remember about it was that it was a conflict between Chinese and western forces.

"The boxers, a secret society trained in martial and religion like Buddhism and Taoism, rose up to rid China
of western influence and Christianity. More than 30 000 Christians, hundreds of missionaries and a total of
100 000 civilians died during the two years of conflict," Treize explained. "It would fit the time frame, and also explain why things might have been dangerous for Alexander… or any foreigner for that matter."

Wufei had grown quiet, his expression thoughtful.

The boxer rebellion was a dark, and still controversial chapter in China's history. It pinned China not only against foreign forces, but also Chinese against Chinese. Even to this day scholars argued whether the Boxers should be seen as anti-imperialistic patriots or violent xenophobes. But more importantly, the Boxers were supported by the then empress and many of her officials. It would have been a very dangerous time for anyone with pro-foreign views. His ancestors would have taken a great risk socializing with or even protecting Alexander. Mei-Lin was very young,… and pregnant. Would her husband have jeopardized the lives of his entire family, including his unborn child, for a foreigner? Wufei wondered how he might have reacted if forced to make such a decision.

They are my family, but I really don't know anything about them, do I?

"Wait, aren't I supposed to drive you to Barney's at 5?" Duos voice ripped the young man from his thoughts.

"Oh, right." Wufei checked the time on his cell phone. "Will you? I'm tutoring a freshman in physics," he explained directed at the other two men. "I prefer to meet in public places when it comes to female students."

"A sensible approach," Treize nodded. "Have you made any plans for afterward."

"Not really," the younger man admitted.

"Let's meet again for dinner then, I would love to talk more about this… this mystery."

"So would I," Wufei agreed.

"Great. We can order pizza or something. How long do you think you will be gone?"

"Hour and a half maybe?" the young man shrugged.

"In that case, why don't you just take my truck?" Duo suggested. "I will just wait here and later we'll drive home together."

"Alright." Wufei nodded as his friend had already pulled out his car keys, tossing them in his direction.

###

The sun was beginning to set as Wufei climbed back into Duo's truck. He had cut short his tutoring session because his mind just wasn't on it today. Checking his phone which he had turned off because he didn't like to be disturbed while studying, the young man noticed that Milliardo had texted him. It was only a short 4 word message.

"Meet us at Quatre's."

Wufei nodded to himself. Good idea, he thought. If anyone was able to decipher Alexander's hints it was Quatre; assuming, of course that the ghost was willing and able to give them any more clues.

Quatre had been absent from school for the past two days. He had tripped and twisted his ankle in the parking lot on Monday, bad enough that the doctor Trowa had dragged his friend to, suggested for him to stay off his feet until the end of the week at least.

Just as he was about to slip his phone back into his pocket the device started to ring. Wufei recognized the ring tone instantly. Normally he would have just ignored it, but truth to be told he actually wanted to talk to Mei-Lin right now.

"Yes?!"

"Fei? It's me. I want to apologize. I guess you are right, It's not my place to tell you when to come home."

"Don't worry about it," he told her.

"Then you are not angry?"

Wufei snorted. "If I got angry every time you annoyed me I had no time for anything else. I figured out a long time ago that's just the way you are, you can't help it."

"Hey!" she protested.

"But anyway, I'm glad you called, I want to ask you something."

"You do?"

"Your name… do you know if it was passed down from one of your relatives?"

"Me-Lin you mean? I have no idea where that question came from, but yes. Mom told me once they named me after our great-great-grandmother. Apparently she was not only beautiful but also very worldly and intelligent. I guess they were hoping that would rub off." Mei-Lin laughed.

She also was a real lady and not a tom-boy, Wufei almost said, but bit his tongue. Our great-great-grandmother, yes that could be possible. She would have lived around that time…I think.

"Do you know anything about her?"

"Not much. Her husband I think was the first Long who left China. As the eldest son he was destined to take over his father's business and was sent overseas to study. America or England, I don't know. He married before he left and took his wife with him rather than have her stay behind in China and wait for him."

That makes absolute sense, and explains why she spoke English. I was wondering about that. This probably means the male voice I've heard in my vision was that of my great-great-grandfather.

"What's with the sudden interest in family history, Fei?"

"Just some thoughts that crossed my mind," he replied evasively. "Nothing important."

"Well, I've got to go. Stuff to do. We are good, aren't we?"

"Yes we are good." he sighed.

"Good. So , we are still getting married, right?"

"Mei-Lin!" he shouted with a scowl.

She laughed as she hung up.

With an annoyed huff Wufei slipped the phone back into his pocket. She is never going to let me forget that one, is she?

He still remembered that day; he was about 7 years old. Mei-Lin, 5 or almost 6 at the time, had come over to play at his house. No sooner had her mother left after dropping her off that she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out until he promised to marry her when they grew up.

She can be such a pain sometimes.

With a snort he started the truck and slowly pulled out of the parking lot.

TBC

Author's note: