A/N: OMG! Did she update this quickly? XD

MAJOR THANKS to those who'd stuck by my unreliable ass (no pun intended) and I hope you weren't too disappointed. I'm putting down the pen on this fic as of this chapter. Thank you all once again. This is my late Christmas gift number two to you.

CHAPTER TEN: KEEPSAKES AND MEMORIES

Heero looked up when Agent Burke dropped a letter on his desk. The Japanese eyed the white envelope strangely, looking up a moment later at the other Preventer agent.

"It came in the mail for you," was the answer to the unvoiced question.

But Heero never used Headquarters' mailing address. If anyone wanted to reach him, they did it via e-mail. He looked at the envelope once again with a tiny feeling of dread. If he didn't know any better he'd say that Relena was still after him, only without the frilly pink and perfume. Maybe she was being subtle, a worked she knew no meaning of all those years ago.

But he knew that it was impossible.

He ran a hand over the envelope lightly, unconsciously searching it for some sort of bomb, before opening it.

A note fell out. It was small, folded into a neat little square rather than the usual legally folded paper. Heero unfolded the paper and saw a painfully familiar rushed scrawl across it.

Keep this safe for me.

With a suddenly leaden heart, he reached into the envelope to pull out a gold cross. Duo's cross – the one he never took off or let anyone get remotely close to. The one he wore over his heart. Heero's hand trembled ever so slightly as he felt a slight rise behind the cross.

Another note.

This has always been close to my heart. And since you let me so close, I've decided to return the favor.

Every time he had a hard day, Heero would rub his hand across the now familiar lump under his shirt.

Wufei let the letter flutter to the ground and stumbled back onto his bed. Duo had come back. To his house. He got passed the security! The Chinese smiled at the thought. Then again, it was Duo. He could sneak past any camera or motion detector.

The smile disappeared, however. Duo had said goodbye. To him. But wasn't Heero the one he'd really befriended? Or Quatre? Why hadn't he sent the letter to any of them? Why had he...?

Wufei's eyes shut tight and he cradled his forehead in his hand.

Dear Woofers, (cue eye-roll)

I know we weren't the best of friends, nor were we the best of enemies. I'm sorry for doing what I did but It was unavoidable. Especially when you'd been living like me and hadn't had any in God knows...

I'm running off on a tangent. But just to let you know, if circumstances were different and I really was Lysander, I'm quite sure that we could have worked out. I don't regret what we almost had, and hopefully you don't either. I like you, alright? And given some time I might have even fallen for you. But as my life would have it, I couldn't have you. If there's something deep down inside that still considers me a friend, do me a favor. Find someone who could do what I can't. Go, have some kids. Adopt if you so desire. But you don't need me to tell you that, huh? Either way you'd get a little sum-sum. (Cue nosebleed and string of curses).

I know, a letter isn't honorable but I can't face any of you and quite frankly, it's for the best that I disappear. 'Why'd you go the first time?' Well, as a kid I had been trained to get away from danger fast as I could and not look back. And considering that you, Superman and Mr. Silent were bent on taking me out every chance you got... You get the idea. Stupid reason? Yeah, maybe but L2 isn't exactly a place to build trust in someone close to you.

Oh wow, pot and kettle moment.

But anyway. This was just to apologize and get some stress off my chest at the same time. That and say goodbye. I'll miss you guys but don't worry. If I'm dead, you'd be the first ones to know.

Love, Shinigami

Wufei kept the letter rolled up in the sheath that held his katana.

Although he'd had his final words with the other pilots, he could possibly leave without speaking the one that mattered most.

Duo watched through the glass he was cleaning on the forty third storey of the Winner Enterprises headquarters. Quatre sat at his desk, concentrating on the task at hand. It had been only six weeks since he'd left, only doubling back to leave Wufei a note that same night when he knew the Chinese wasn't home.

Duo clicked a button on the handle of his squeegee and two individual pointed blades protruded from the ends. He deftly cut a circle into the glass and silently dipped in. Trowa had been called to do something elsewhere in the building so Duo had a little bit of time on his hands. Duo rounded the desk and stood silently in front of it. Quatre looked up almost immediately and frowned. His hand traveled to his pocket and Duo held out a hand.

"No need, Quat." He removed his curly black wig and removed the brown contacts. No longer was he the thirty year old window cleaner Merv, but the approximately twenty something year old, self named Duo Maxwell.

The blond Arab sat there, slack jawed and wide eyes fifty percent wider. In an instant, Duo found himself with an armful of Quatre.

"Duo!"

"Sh!" Duo shushed the blond frantically. "Look, I can't stay here or Trowa's going to murder me."

Quatre pulled back, searching Duo's eyes for...something. "Where have you been, Duo? All these years..."

"You mean Trowa hadn't told you?" Duo asked, genuinely confused. "I'd gotten caught in... less than awesome circumstances by them a while back."

"No, he didn't." Quatre sounded murderous.

"Look, Quat, before you do anything I just want to tell you goodbye."

The blond billionaire froze. "What?"

"I'm sorry for making you sick like that and for disappearing on you. But it had to be done. But this time I'm letting you know so you won't end up dying over a fucktard like me, okay?"

"Duo, wha-?" Quatre spluttered. " What the hell are you talking about? Where are you going?"

The blond gripped the braided man's gray uniform shirt. "Dammit, Duo answer me! Please," he whispered, eyes wide and pleading. The violet eyed man felt something in him break. But he couldn't stay any longer. No matter how much he wanted to. It was time to leave.

Duo didn't respond, but gave the blond a bone crushing hug. "I'll miss you, Quat. All of you. No matter what, you'll still be my baby brother."

Quatre tried to refute the other's statement, tried to ask another question, but he felt a pinch somewhere between his neck and shoulder and heard a whispered "I'm sorry." before he was caught in strong arms and everything went black.

Minutes later, Quatre found himself looking dully into worried green eyes.

"I saw Duo," he whispered, a solitary tear sliding down a tanned cheek. "He told me... He told me goodbye."

The very next day Trowa received a package with a broken clown's mask.

ONE YEAR LATER

The doorbell rang and Rashid answered the door. Just outside stood a raven haired man with his hair pulled back into a wavy ponytail. His face was angular and was of elfin build, his smile engaging and disarming.

"Are you Marc Duncan?" The large man inquired gruffly.

"Yes, I am," the man said smoothly. The gentleman was led through the manor, his eyes questing over the walls, paintings and other decorations. The burly back before him pulled him toward a massive study on the second floor of the grand estate.

"Master Quatre, Mr. Duncan has arrived."

"Let him in, Rashid." Quatre looked up and smiled charmingly at his new employee. "Please, have a seat."

Marc did so and returned the smile. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Winner."

"Likewise."

Trowa waltzed in not a moment later and nodded politely to the dark haired man sitting across from his husband, receiving a nod in return. The green eyed man took his usual position behind his lover's chair and shoved his hands in his pockets as he leant against the large window.

"I'd read your resume, Mr. Duncan," Quatre commended. "And I must say that I was impressed with you."

"Thank you, sir," Marc replied smoothly. "But please, call me Marc. Mr. Duncan makes me feel old."

"Alright then, Marc," Quatre acquiesced easily. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? I have a board meeting in an hour. You're hired."

Marc fairly beamed and shook the Winner Head's hand enthusiastically. He thanked the blond Arab again and nodded to the tall man in the corner before taking his leave.

Trowa looked at Quatre after the man had left. "His eyes are mismatched," he said needlessly.

The blond nodded in agreement. "It is quite odd. I've heard of one blue and one green, but one gray and one violet is a first."

They spent a moment in silence. "You know, he had that same aura about him as that janitor who used to work at Headquarters."

"Really?" Trowa asked.

Quatre nodded. "And the mail man before him. Not to mention the man who'd dumped Rachel a few months back."

It's true. The first time it had happened it had been a valet at a seminar Quatre had attended with Trowa at his side. He'd almost accosted the man, accusing him of being Duo. But he'd held himself in check. There were many peaceful souls like Duo around, even if there were few. Then there were more every once in a blue moon. But something ate at Quatre for a while before he let it go. He'll miss Duo something terrible but he'd grown to accept that the braided wonder had stepped down from their lives.

Trowa hummed in acknowlegement, glancing out the window and spotting Pargan moving to sit inside a limo outside.

"Relena's here."

Downstairs, Relena Peacecraft was being ushered in by Rashid to Quatre's office. The Vice Foreign Minister smiled politely at the man and he took her hand to kiss the back of her palm.

"My!" He said with a small amount of awe. "Vice Foreign Minister, you're much more stunning than the media gives you credit for. Then again, they've been known to lie. A pleasure to meet you in the flesh, madam." The man grinned and Relena laughed demurely, free hand moving to cover her mouth.

"Charmed," she returned good-naturedly.

"I'll be off, then," he announced needlessly. "You enjoy your day, Ms. Peacecraft."

"What an interesting fellow," she said to Quatre as she entered the office. "The one that had just left."

"You mean Marc," Quatre supplied. He glanced out the window just in time to see the mentioned man slide behind the wheel of a Honda Civic, grinning at Abdul and speaking amiably.

"Yes," the blond said at length. "He is quite the character."

They watched as he reversed and prepared to leave. Waiting for the gates to open, he looked back up to the window and his grin broadened, casting an exaggerated wink in Relena's direction, peering at her with the violet eye.

OWARI~~~~~!

Sequel?

A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Hanukkah, Kwanza and all that good shit.

I

AM

DONE~!

...And yes, there are mixed signals here. It had been well on its way to becoming a 5x2, yes? Yet it's been giving hints of 1x2, yeah? Well, let's clear it up.

Duo became Heero's first friend before the whole rift drove them apart. There's where the favor came in. Duo had led Heero to trust a little more and open up. Hence the heart to heart thing.

As for Wufei, well that had been explained before. He's a relationship worthy kind of guy. Yes, lame. Too bad. It's over, anyway.

Oh, by the way, I'd love it if you review this. My Christmas did not yield that jump rope, laptop nor that scanner I'd wanted. Reviews could cure this little depression.