Ok, well its taken me forever to get this chapter up. It's shorter than I wanted it to be but I figured I should get this up sooner rather than later. So, I hope you enjoy.

The next time I woke, it was dark out. I must have been asleep for several hours. Wufei was fast asleep in the chair next to me. It was strange seeing him there, slumped in the chair, his head tilted slightly forward and his hair drifting into his eyes. Every time he breathed strands of hair danced in front of his face. It was adorable and very un-Wufei like.

I could see the tightness in his jaw. What could have made him angry that he was clenching his teeth in his sleep? Wufei had said that Heero was working on Deathscythe. Was that the reason he was upset? I couldn't know for sure unless I asked and I wasn't about to wake him up.

"You're awake."

I turned, slightly startled, to the figure standing at the door, his arms folded against his chest. "Heero." He moved forward, stopping just beside my bed. He glanced over at Wufei and I saw a hint of guilt in his eyes before he turned his attention back to me. So they had been fighting after all.

"You're looking better," he commented, looking me over.

"Ya, I should be up and moving in no time!"

Heero's eyes softened slightly and I wondered what he was thinking. "We'll be here for a few more weeks at least. I've finished repairs on Deathscythe but Wing and Shenlong still need to be repaired before they will be combat ready. Wufei should be working on his Gundam."

"You should have been too. Why were you working on Deathscythe and not Wing?"

My question threw Heero off guard for a moment and he showed his surprise clearly on his face. But that was only for a moment and then his features were schooled again in the cold perfect soldier mask he always wore. "Wing is flight capable. Deathscythe was not. I will not allow any of our Gundams to fall into enemy hands."

"Are you sure it wasn't because you were feeling guilty?" Heero again shows his surprise at my question. I don't know why I was being so bold with him.

"I'm sure," was his acid cold reply. But I was used to his perfect soldier mask and knew what his reactions meant. He was angry because I had hit the mark. Heero had indeed felt guilty for my injuries and had locked himself away in the hangar, focussing all his attention on repairing Deathscythe. I knew he would never admit it but that didn't bother me. I knew Heero well enough to know the meanings behind his reactions.

"Twenty three days, huh?" I mused, looking at Wufei who was still fast asleep. He must have been very tired not to wake at us talking. Even whispering would normally wake him.

"You were severely injured. I'm surprised you're awake this soon."

"How long until the bandages come off?"

"A few more days. The doctors are confident the scaring will be limited. You're healing faster than they anticipated."

Wufei stirred then and we both stopped talking to look at him. He blinked his eyes open and then looked up at me startled. His eyes narrowed at Heero and he looked away, slightly embarrassed. "How nice it is to have you grace us with your presence," Wufei spat, and I knew exactly what was wrong between the two of them.

"Don't fight." Wufei stopped what he was going to say next and looked at me annoyed. His look softened and his annoyance faded. "I'm fine now. Go get some sleep."

"Maxwell-" Wufei started to protest but I knew how tired he was.

"I'm fine. 'Sides, Heero will keep me company, won't you?"

"Hn. I have work to do on Wing."

"That can wait until morning. Keep me company for a bit then go and get some rest. I'll be fine on my own." Heero nodded at my request and Wufei sighed.

Wufei bowed his head slightly and headed out without a second glance. Heero took Wufei's place in the chair beside my cot. "So what are we missing out on?"

xxx xxx xxx

I was determined to get out of bed and get us back to the war as soon as possible. Of course the Doctors made it difficult for me to do that. They insisted I stay in bed and both Wufei and Heero were no help at all. In fact Wufei was only making things worst by staying by my side to make sure I listened to the Doctors. Which made me wonder why he wasn't working on his beloved Shenlong if what Heero said was true about the Gundams needing repair. I kept trying to insist that he work on his Gundam but he was too stubborn. Once Wufei made up his mind about something he rarely diverted from his course. My hands were feeling much better, and the bandages had been removed. So holding the playing cards in my hand felt good. I always had a pack on me to pass the time. "Gin," he announced laying his hand down on my makeshift table the doctors had so generously lent us. "Don't pout, Maxwell!"

"I'm going to beat you at Gin Rummy if it's the last thing I do!" I exclaimed, grabbing the cards of the table and shuffling.

"You can't beat me, Maxwell, just admit it."

A large explosion shook the ground beneath us and Wufei's head snapped up towards the hanger. "Enemy units approaching!" a voice yelled from outside.

"We have to get to the Gundams," Wufei stated. I ripped the IV lines hooked up to my arms out and stumbled out of the bed. Wufei grabbed on to him and helped me out of the tent until I could get my legs working. Then we were off, heading towards the hanger.

The ground shook again and I lost my balance. Wufei hauled me up and we made it to the hanger in time to see Heero dart into Wing. I wasn't in any condition to fight, heck I wasn't in any condition to be flying Deathscythe but we needed to help the base and if required escape. I was hoping everything would turn out ok. I hadn't had any visions of anyone dying, but I'd been so far under the past three weeks that I couldn't be sure nothing was going to happen. And that scared me more than anything else.

In the next chapter of Falling Snow...

Will the Gundam Pilots be able to fight off their attacker or will Death finally win?