Summary: Wufei is sent on a bizarre mission that will change all of their lives.
Especially Wufei's.
Warnings: Nothing too bad, some swearing, makin out and bad singing ala Duo.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I have never owned and will never own any aspect of the Gundam wing show, and all of its characters belong to their rightful creators.
Wufei quietly slid to the floor from the window he'd snuck in from. He glanced right and left before rounding this corner into the main hallway.
The OZ base had been heavily guarded...on the outside. Getting past the security was easy, the hard part was finding what he was looking for.
Wufei finally came to a stop in front of a doorway. This was the room. He crouched down before pulling a small sack from his waistband. Pouring its contents, something much like baby powder, into his hands, he held them up and blew it freely into the air. As soon as the particles reached the door, they shone a bright red.
Wufei smirked, "This is too easy." Swiftly he maneuvered between the lasers. Finally reaching his destination, he silently rummaged through the cabinets until he came upon something cold, smooth, and round. Pulling it out of the darkness, he saw it. An orb. He gave it a questioning glance before putting it into a sack and walking back to the door. He stopped in front of the red, protecting lines. Unsheathing his sword he shrugged, "Let's liven things up." And stepped through the lasers.
Immediately alarms went off and Wufei couldn't help but smile. As he turned to exit through the window, he came face to face with six guards. After slicing a wound in one's arm, he leapt over the rest to the window. He was quick to reach his Nataku.
"Ja ne." he muttered before pressing the detonator. He smiled with satisfaction as the base, and all in it, was engulfed by flames and explosions.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Wufei wearing entered the safehouse.
Too tired to even change, he dropped his sword by the closet in his room. He climbed into bed, and, for the first time, noticed the sack containing the orb.
He pulled it out and looked at it as he lay back on his bed. "What is it?" He whispered, turning it over in his hands, "What would anyone want with this?" He tapped on it, marking the end of his thoughts, set it on his nightstand, next to his gun. He turned off the light and rolled over, slipping his hand under his pillow and closed his eyes, welcoming the haze of sleep, not noticing the glow that the orb was emitting.
"Count Chocula! Yes!" Duo skipped to the table and poured out a bowl for the cereal until it mounded above the rim, then tried his best to keep it in the bowl as he poured the milk in.
The others just gave him a sleepy glance before returning to their breakfast.
Duo noted the silence and decided to break it. "Where's Wu-man?"
Heero, clad only in flannel boxers like the others, stood to get a cup of coffee. "He had a late mission last night." He responded. "Probably still sleeping."
Silence, once again, fell upon the breakfast table. Only the sounds of the guys eating could be heard. Finally, Quatre looked at the clock. "Hey guys, " he tried to get their attention, "Wufei never sleeps in this late."
Trowa stood. "I'll go see what's the matter." He padded down the hall, and disappeared into Wufei's room, but quickly returned with the orb, and a worried look on his face.
"What's the matter, Tro?" Duo asked at the quiet pilots obvious show of emotion.
Quatre also picked up on Trowa's look, "Where's Wufei?"
Trowa shook his head, "I don't know. I walked into his room and no one was there, only his sword and this roundish clear thing. Even his gun was on the night stand."
The others stood and looked to Trowa, to the orb that he held in his hands.
"What is it?" Quatre asked gently taking the clear ball from Trowa.
"Musta been from his mission." Duo pointed out, giving the item a questioning look.
"It was."
Everyone looked at Heero. Trowa stepped around Quatre. "You know what it is." He stated. It wasn't posed as a question. Heero nodded.
"It's a transport."
"Excusie' moi?" Duo asked, confused.
Heero gave him a quick glance before returning to the others. "It's a transport that moves the user to where the twin orb is."
It sank into the others that this is exactly what happened. But now, they needed to know how to get Wufei back.
"We just have to find the twin orb." Trowa stated what everyone was thinking.
"But how?" Quatre was becoming even more worried for his friend.
Heero took the orb. "We'll have to go to where the other orb is."
"Huh?" Duo questioned. Trowa and Quatre looked at Heero quizzically at Heero. Go? To who knows where? Without knowing for sure how to get back?
"It's the only way." Heero looked over and saw Duo fully dressed and checking the cartridges of his guns before stuffing them in his belt.
"Duo?" Quatre turned to the Deathscythe pilot.
"I'm going to find Wufei." He exclaimed with determination. "It's the only way to get him back." Duo turned and noticed Trowa and Heero had left too. They quickly returned, fully clothed and armed.
"Quatre," Heero stated, "You'll have to stay here. Don't let anyone know where we've gone."
Quatre nodded silently.
Heero finished and picked up the orb. "I'll see you there." He said before he tapped on the orb three times and handed it to Duo. In a flash Heero was gone. Duo smiled.
"Cool!" he copied Heero and gave the orb to Trowa, "Catch ya later Quatre!" He waved as he vanished.
Quatre grabbed Trowa's arm, "Be careful." He warned.
Trowa gave a small smirk, "Aren't we always?" he said before tapping the orb and flashing out.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
ZZZRROOOMMM!!!
Wufei woke with a start. The sunlight made him squint and blink before the scenery came into view. He was in a ditch. A DITCH?! Quickly he stood; he was standing next to a highway.
"This has got to be a joke." He said aloud.
Wufei turned and saw a girl about 16 or 17, in a red Mustang, waving to him.
"Need a ride?" she inquired.
Wufei hesitated, then nodded. He walked up to the passenger side and got in.
"I'm Lisa." The girl said as they drove on down the road.
Wufei looked up at her. "Oh, uh, I'm Wufei." He thought a moment before adding, "Where am I?"
Lisa gave him a confused look. "Uh, about a half hour from Veblen."
"Veblen..." Wufei wanted a specific location.
Lisa looked at him as if he were an idiot. "South Dakota..."
"This means that I'm on the Earth!" he slammed his fist on the armrest.
Lisa laughed, "Where else would you be?"
Wufei looked out the window. "I'm supposed to be on the colonies right now."
"Colonies?" Lisa lost all understanding of her passenger. "Are those out in Virginia or something?"
Wufei looked at her as if she were stupid. "No," he stated, "In outer space." He was suddenly thrown forward as she slammed on the brakes.
"Outer Space?!?" She said, not looking at Wufei. "I think you should get out."
Wufei began to comply, then stopped. "What's the date today?" he asked quickly.
"June 10th." Lisa replied, hoping that Wufei would leave.
Wufei sat back down. "But what year?!"
Lisa gave him a funny look. "2001"
"Shit. Shit! SHIT!" Wufei yelled. He looked at Lisa. "Keep driving, I'll explain on the way."
Lisa obediently drove off again. Wufei decided to start his explanation. "Ok, I don't expect you to believe this," he stated calmly, "But, I come from a year called After Colony 196."
"Oh," Lisa said sarcastically, "You're saying you come from the future!"
Wufei caught, and didn't like, her tone. He pulled out his wallet. "Here's my ID card." He didn't carry any identification on missions, but somehow, his wallet had ended up with him. He handed her a small card:
DOB: March 8th, A.C. 180
PIW: Pilot
SUIT: Gundam
"Gundam?" Lisa handed the card back to him.
"It's a mobile suit made from gundanium alloy." He explained, "Every movement, every hit, is felt by the pilot."
"I see..." Lisa humored him. "And what does PIW stand for?"
Wufei replaced his wallet. "Position In War."
"War?"
Wufei continued to explain about OZ, White Fang, The Preventers, and the gundam pilots, hoping Lisa would believe him.
Finally, Lisa pulled into the driveway of a huge house. Wufei gave a low whistle.
"Yeah," Lisa smiled, "Ana's a rich lawyer."
"Ana?" Wufei raised an eyebrow.
"My foster mother." Lisa explained briefly. "C'mon."
Wufei stopped. "You don't believe me," he stated, "yet you're going to let me into your house?"
Lisa smirked, "I'm armed," she pulled out a small handgun from its shoulder holster under her jacket. "You're not."
Wufei couldn't help but smile as he followed her into the house.
"Want something to drink?" Lisa offered, pulling out a beer for herself.
Wufei shook his head. "Drinking clouds my mind."
Lisa laughed as she opened her drink. She set the gun on the table. Wufei glanced at it.
"Why do you carry a gun with you?"
Lisa took a swig of her beer. "I was attacked last spring." She said simply. She sat down on a recliner. "Tell me more about your "Gundams"
Wufei sat across from her. "There are eight gundams total." He began. "The first, Wing Gundam, belongs to 01, or Heero Yuy. He's dubbed the Perfect Soldier. Feels nothing, but knows everything that needs knowing. Second, is the Deathscythe-upgraded to Deathscythe Hell. It belongs to 02, or Duo Maxwell. He calls himself the God of Death." Wufei paused to let it sink in before continuing. Normally, he wouldn't divulge any information on the gundams or their pilots, but this was hardly a normal situation. "Third, is the Heavyarms, which belongs to 03, Trowa Barton. Fourth is Sandrock, belonging to Quatre Winner. The fifth is mine, Altron, but I do not call it by that name. I call it Nataku, after my late wife."
Lisa nodded, "What about the other three?"
Wufei continued, "Tallgeese is next. This one belongs to Zechs Merquise, or Milliardo Peacecraft, brother to Relena Peacecraft, who was once Queen of the World."
He saw Lisa smile at that.
"Then there is the Wing Zero, which all of us piloted, but only Heero Yuy has mastered. It contains the Zero System, which enhances the performance of the pilot and machine beyond both of their individual capacities.
Treize Kushrenada then built the Epyon for Heero. This also had a system much like Zero's. After Zech's Tallgeese was destroyed, he took Wing Zero and fought Heero in the Epyon. Then they switched." He paused and looked at Lisa. "You still don't believe a word I say, do you?"
Lisa shook her head, "How can I? You tell me you're from the future, that you're in a war, and that you pilot a...a...thing that is remarkably like a transformer!"
Wufei was becoming a little annoyed. His efforts were futile. "Well," he tried another tactic, "tell me about yourself."
Lisa shrugged. "I'm a foster child." She stated, "My father's dead and my mother couldn't take care of me. I've lived with Ana for two years now, and she's been one of eleven families I've stayed with. She's never home, so, I get the house for myself. She did get me my car, so , she's pretty cool."
Wufei leaned back, "Gonna get adopted?"
Lisa shrugged, "Doubt it."
Wufei looked questioningly at his pessimistic host.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Where are we?" Duo shouted.
"Thirty-five miles from Aberdeen." Trowa recited from a road sign.
"Aberdeen?" Duo's eyes brightened, "Sweet! We are in the land of the FREE! And of corn, but hey! America! My home, uh, country."
Heero gave Duo a look then turned to the road. "We better find Wufei, Now."
Duo stepped up to the shoulder of the road. "Only one way to do that." He stuck out his thumb. "C'mon Trowa." He turned to the Heavyarms pilot, "Show a little leg."
Suddenly a Camaro pulled up. "Need a lift?" a woman asked them.
They nodded and Duo ran to get shotgun.
"Where you guys headed to?" the lady asked as they pulled away.
Trowa quickly remembered the road sign and the direction they were headed in.
"Veblen." He stated.
"Really?" she asked, "That's where I'm going. You don't look from around here."
The three shook their heads. "Exchange students," Heero explained, "We were supposed to come later, but we had some problems. So we came early, but, now we don't have a host home."
The driver nodded, "Where's your stuff?"
Duo filled in this one. "We were carjacked on the way here. Took off with the driver and all of our luggage."
"I'm so sorry." She sympathized, "Oh, my name's Ana, Ana Strand."
"Duo Maxwell."
"Heero Yuy."
"Trowa Barton."
Ana smiled, "Where you all from?"
"Japan." Heero stated.
"France." Trowa said
"I'm with Heero." Duo replied.
"Well boys," Ana drove into the Veblen City Limits, "I'm sure that I can hook you up with a place to stay."
Duo grinned at his companions.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Why won't you believe me?!" Wufei said through gritted teeth.
"Because!" Lisa yelled, "It's crazy! You don't make sense!"
"Maybe I should leave," Wufei started to sit up when he heard a car outside.
"That's Ana," Lisa hissed, "You're a friend, OK?"
"I don't lie." Wufei shot back.
Lisa opened the door for her foster mother and Wufei couldn't see the woman.
"Who are they?" he heard Lisa ask.
"Wu-man!"
Wufei looked up to see Duo, than Trowa, and Heero.
"You know them?" Lisa asked Wufei, ho was giving Duo a "If-you-hug-me-I-swear-I-will-make-you-suffer" look.
Duo cleared his throat. "He's the driver." He explained to Ana, who eagerly shook his hand.
"How ironic you ran into Lisa." She exclaimed. Suddenly her beeper went off. She checked it, then turned to Lisa. "I'm sorry, I have to go to the office." She grabbed her coat. "You all get acquainted. Oh, Lisa, why don't you take them to that party tonight?" She pulled Lisa close to her and whispered, "And get them some clothes. Bye!" she left.
After a little silence, Lisa burst, "Ok, I'm freaked here. You're all from the future, alright, sure, great,this just makes my day."
Duo suddenly pulled a gun from his belt and twirled it around his finger before offering it to her, butt first. "You ever see a gun like that?" he inquired.
She shook her head, and he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "That's cause they haven't been made yet."
Wufei glared at Lisa, "Now do you believe me?"
Lisa sighed, "I guess I have no choice." She looked at the foursome. One was wearing all black, another was clad in...spandex? And another wasn't too bad, but still, a turtleneck? And Wufei! He was wearing the traditional Chinese outfit. She cleared her throat, "If I am taking you to a party, you're gonna be dressed right. C'mon." She took Ana's credit card and drove to the nearest department store.
There they tried on many different outfits. "We'll need enough to last at least a week." Heero stated.
Lisa nodded and helped them to choose the right clothes.
Duo had picked out some metallic shiny shirts, khakis, jeans, and some shorts. Lisa made him get a few regular polos.
Heero got sensible clothing, except Duo made him get a wife beater and a metallic blue shirt.
Trowa was like Heero, but couldn't help but try on the shiny green and black button up.
"C'mon Wu-man!" Duo called to the dressing room, "Let's see!"
Wufei muttered something incoherent, and probably something that didn't need to be heard, before walking out.
Lisa drew in her breath quickly when she noticed Wufei. He had on a wife beater, his muscles were displayed nicely, and crisp black pants. Even the other three pilots admitted he looked good.
After some minor arm pulling, the pilots got Lisa to try on some outfits. The section was filled with Duo's catcalls and clapping, and Lisa had to admit, she was having fun.
They returned with many boxes and bags, satisfied with their shopping spree.
Immediately, Heero got to work. "Do you have a laptop?" She retrieved it and he set about to search every database accessible for the orb.
Duo disappeared into the room Lisa had given him and returned with Wufei's sword. "Thought you might need this, Wu." He winked.
Wufei's eyes brightened when he saw it. He slipped downstairs while the others worked on the search.
"How about a museum?" Lisa yawned.
Heero looked up at her. "Is there one around here?"
Lisa shrugged, "A few." She stood and left the other three to their work. Hearing a noise, she went downstairs and sat on the bottom step and watched as Wufei practiced his Shao Lin forms.
She was amazed at how fluid the movements were, and how it seemed as if he were aiming at someone invisible.
Suddenly, he stopped, and turned to look at her. She was surprised by this, but looked back at him in silence.
"Hey!"
Both Wufei and Lisa looked up, then sprinted upstairs to where the other three pilots were.
Heero was scrolling down the screen of the laptop.
"Found it." Duo exclaimed to the newcomers.
The screen told about the crystal orb, said it was an Egyptian treasure, but not where it was.
"It must be in this area." Trowa pointed out
Lisa nodded. She looked up at the clock. "You should shower and change." She told the pilots. Obediently they stood, and split to the two bathrooms.
A few minutes later, Duo appeared, hair unbraided and in only a towel. "Got any chamomile shampoo?"
Lisa only stared at his long locks. She envied his thick long tresses. Her hair was only a dark blonde and not even nearly as thick as Duo's. She just shrugged it off with a laugh and handed him her own shampoo.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Quatre paced the house for the umpteenth time. He knew the search for Wufei may take days, but was hoping it'd only be a few hours. "What if something happens?" he muttered to himself. "What if they're needed here?" /Calm down, Quatre, they'll be ok./
"Ding dong!"
Quatre jumped. Composing himself, he answered the door to find Catherine.
"Hey Quatre," she smiled cheerfully, "Is Trowa here?"
Quatre forced himself to smile, "Nn..no." he stuttered, "Could I have him call you later?"
Catherine became disappointed, "Sure."
After she left, Quatre heaved a sigh. "Hurry up guys!"
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Ana returned just as Duo was plaiting his hair in the living room, he wore his dark blue jeans and a silver/black metallic shirt.
"Hey Ana!" He greeted her.
Ana smiled at Duo's new look, soon, the others emerged. Trowa, with his khakis, white tank, and flannel; Heero, also in blue jeans and a blue polo; and Wufei in his wife beater and black pants completed the ensamble.
Finally, Lisa entered the room. She wore a flowered party dress that had a white bolero over it. She had curled her blonde locks, and the pilots all stood in her presence.
Lisa held out a black shirt and tossed it to Wufei. It was still warm from the iron.
"Thanks, Lisa." He said as he slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned.
"Pictures!" Ana exclaimed.
All rolled their eyes, but smiled for the camera, well, at least what they considered smiling.
"Look at us." Duo put his arm around Lisa. "Two very good looking people."
Lisa smiled and smelled the Adidas cologne on Duo. The others appeared to be wearing Aspen. "We better go." Lisa stated, looking at her watch.
They all agreed and made their way to the door.
Wufei watched as Lisa shied away when Ana tried to kiss her cheek.
"Have fun!" she called after them.
It wasn't far to the party, but they drove anyway.
"C'mon." Lisa motioned them to follow, "and please don't mention anything about where you're from."
"Don't worry, we're accustomed to keeping it secret." Heero said.
They entered the house. It was filled with people and the music pounded through the rooms.
Lisa introduced them to many people, and soon, only Wufei and Heero were behind Lisa. She pulled them into a group of people.
"Wufei, Heero," She introduced them, "this is Trevor, Alex, Jean, Sean, and Kari. Everyone, these are two of the exchange students."
They all exchanged greetings and soon, Heero was towed off by Kari, and Lisa danced with Trevor.
Wufei decided to sit. He soaked in his surroundings. Duo was dancing on a table with three other girls, Trowa was talking with someone, and the Kari girl was playing with Heero's collar, which was starting to look uncomfortable. Lisa was dancing closely with Trevor, who would place kisses on her neck, but got none in return. She held a beer in one hand, which she was quickly downing.
Wufei leaned back, trying to get comfortable and in the process, refused some requests to dance. Finally, Lisa plopped down beside him. She rummaged through a cooler and pulled out another cold one.
"Want one?" she asked, then corrected herself, "Oh, never mind, it 'clouds your mind.'"
Wufei smiled. "You and Trevor, you two...?"
Lisa shook her head, "Well, it's off and on. Flirting really."
Wufei nodded. "Tell me some more about you."
Lisa looked at Wufei, "I'm sixteen, I'm a foster kid, too old for adoption, I have blonde hair, blue eyes, I'm 5'7" and I like bagels with cream cheese."
Wufei laughed, "Why are you too old for adoption?"
Lisa shrugged as she opened yet another beer. "Well, technically, I'm not, but, well, I'll be leaving soon, so..." Lisa became bored with the subject. "Let's dance." She hauled him to his feet and led him to the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he did the same around her waist. They danced quietly for a moment, then Wufei felt Lisa's warm lips on his neck. He began to grow accustomed to it when he felt her tongue in his ear.
He pulled away, "Maybe we should sit down." He led her, pouting, back to the sofa, but she was whisked away again. Wufei sighed and wandered about.
After a while, he decided to get some air. He squeezed past people and made it to the door. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he made his way down the sidewalk.
"Lis! C'mon!"
Wufei turned to see Trevor, with Lisa in tow. She was struggling against his hold on her wrist.
"Trevor! I don't want to."
Wufei stepped closer, following the two. He turned the corner and saw Trevor, kissing Lisa, who was trying to break free. He pulled her closer and his hands moved over her back and chest.
"Stop it Trevor!" She protested, but Trevor continued.
"Hey!!" Wufei called out. " I believe she said to stop it."
Trevor looked up, his face showed clearly how drunk he was. "Why don't you make me?" he hissed.
Wufei didn't hesitate on the invitation. Quickly, he stepped up and punched Trevor in the stomach. He turned and latched onto Lisa's arm. "C'mon."
She followed him, keeping her gaze on his stoic face.
"You!"
Wufei turned to see Trevor charge at him. He rammed his toe into the ground, jarring loose the gun strapped to his shin. It fell to his foot and he kicked it up. He snatched it out of mid-air and leveled it at Trevor's face, point-blank. His own face remained cold and emotionless.
"Leave. Her. Alone." He stated. Quickly, he turned and pulled Lisa back to the house, the gun disappeared, and he found Heero.
"Can you walk home?" he asked.
Heero took in the whole little picture they made and nodded.
Wufei took the keys from Lisa's purse and strapped her in the Mustang. Silence saturated the car the whole ride home. Finally Wufei pulled into the driveway.
"What if Trevor tells?" Lisa questioned.
Wufei shook his head. "He's too drunk to remember."
Lisa smiled slightly before leaning over to Wufei. He kept his gaze straight ahead as she kissed his neck. She moved up to his jaw and Wufei turned and claimed her lips.
He held her face in his hands, then gently wrapped them around her to pull her closer.
She left his lips and again kissed at his neck. She moved to his shoulder and as she began at the bare area above his shirt and he knew what she wanted. He knew she was drunk and he was experienced. He couldn't take advantage of her. He pushed her away and she began to pout.
Quickly, he stepped out of the car, and went to help her out. "You're drunk." He stated.
Lisa knew what he was doing, and she didn't like it. She glared at him as she stood, and walked inside by herself.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Duo groggily turned over in his bed. He squeezed his eyes tightly before opening them to the day. He looked over at the clock on his nightstand. 11:37. Too early! He tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but found he couldn't. Finally, he relented and got out of bed.
Padding into the kitchen with only boxers on, he sat down beside Trowa and poured himself some coffee.
"Good morning, sunshine." Trowa muttered between spoonfuls of cereal.
Duo gave him a grunt and looked around the room. Heero was working on the laptop, and Wufei was meditating. "Where's Lisa?" He asked.
Wufei responded without opening his eyes, "Work." He remembered the awkward moment early that morning when it had been just him and Lisa who were awake. She'd quickly given him her work number and left.
He found he could no longer concentrate so he gave up on meditation. He stood and walked over to Heero. "Explain to me again how I got here?"
Without looking up from his work, Heero explained. "That crystal orb is a transport device. It has a sister orb, and the two work between each other."
"Easier way to transport mobile suits." Duo muttered.
Wufei glanced at him and turned back to Heero. "So," he thought, then continued, "we have to find the sister orb in order to return to A.C. 196."
"Hai." Heero replied. He quickly finished what he was doing, and closed the computer. "Let's get to work."
The g-boys washed away the previous night in the shower, changed and went to a search.
"Where do we start?" Trowa asked as they walked along the sidewalk.
"Anywhere and everywhere I suppose." Duo shrugged.
"Maybe we should split up." Wufei stated. They all agreed and Duo and Wufei went east and Trowa and Heero went west.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Have a nice day!"
Lisa tried to put on a charming smile, which was entirely opposite of how she felt. She couldn't get her mind off of Wufei. She felt her face burning. Looking at her watch, she found it only a few minutes before her break. She closed the register and went to the break room.
In it, she splashed her face with water. "C'mon Lis," She scolded herself. "He's younger than you, he says he's from the future, he's oriental, he's...he's...smart, he's good looking, he's built." She smiled to herself, and felt her face burn up again. She was remembering earlier that day. She had walked into the kitchen and there was Wufei eating breakfast in only his boxers and an open shirt. They'd exchanged a weak good morning before she had rushed out.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"We've thoroughly searched the east side." Duo panted. The sun was beating down on them, and walking was tiring.
Wufei looked up at the store they were in front of. It was where Lisa worked.
"Hey!" Duo noticed it too. "Let's go say hi!" Dup rushed through the doors, with Wufei trudging behind.
"Lis-a!" Duo called when he saw her.
Her head went up and she smiled when she saw him. She waved as he walked up to her. "Hey Duo!" She exclaimed, "You came alone?"
Duo shook his head, "Naw, Wu-man's with me."
Lisa looked past Duo and saw Wufei walking slowly toward her.
Duo noticed the tension when Wufei and Lisa greeted each other. "Uh…" he looked between the two, "we're, uh, just looking for the orb." Not wanting to prolong the agony, he tugged on Wufei's shirt. "We better get going."
Wufei nodded, "Hai."
"See ya, Lis" Duo waved. She flicked her fingers in return.
/Don't let him go!/
"Wufei!!"
He turned. Lisa came up to him. "Wufei," she paused. "I-I owe you an apology."
Wufei's face was stone. He turned to Duo. "Maxwell, could you wait outside?"
Duo nodded and walked outside the store to wait.
Wufei turned back to Lisa. "You were saying?"
Lisa smiled "I'm sorry, Wufei."
Wufei tried to hold back, but let a smile slip past.
Lisa continued, "I really do like you, and, well, no boys ever kissed me like that before."
Wufei gently touched Lisa's cheek. "Want to be kissed like that again?"
Lisa nodded and whispered, "Yes."
Again, Wufei took her face in his hands and...
"A-hem!"
Wufei and Lisa turned to see Duo. He tapped on his watch, impatiently.
"Just one?" Lisa pleaded.
Duo broke down at Lisa's puppy eyes. "Ok," He giggled, "but make it quick." He turned and left, and Wufei bent down and met Lisa's lips with his own.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Anything?"
Trowa shook his head at Duo's question as he and Heero entered the house.
"We'll have to go to Aberdeen." Heero stated.
Duo shook his head. "Not tonight, Heero."
"Hn?"
Duo laughed, "Eh, me 'n Trowa have dates."
Heero turned to Trowa who blushed and shrugged.
Soon the door opened and Ana entered. "Hey boys!" She greeted them. They responded and helped her unload her bags. She watched as Duo's braid flipped as he walked up the stairs. "Duo," she mentioned, "maybe you should cut your hair."
Duo stepped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around, "Omae-o-kor-umph!"
Before he finished the threat, Trowa had casually stuffed a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll in his face.
Ana gave him a questioning glance, but then shrugged and pulled out a bag.
"Here," she handed it to Heero, "I got you guys some movies to watch."
Heero pulled out the movies: Varsity Blues, Mission Impossible 2, and Remember the Titans.
Duo grabbed the movies and put one in the VCR.
Ana laughed, "Just like my little brother." She turned to the others. "I've got some work to do. Lisa'll be home in a few hours."
They thanked her and sat down beside Duo to watch Varsity Blues.
Lisa opened the door and was surprised by Duo.
"Hey Lis!" He said, "Wanna see the new Tweeder end zone dance?"
Duo did a little dance and Lisa laughed as his hair flipped in front of his face.
She walked upstairs after the little "show". "Hey guys." She called to the other three, who were intently watching MI:2. As Tom Cruise jumped from the helicopter, uncertain whether he'd make it through the atrium louvers, or go splat on the roof, Trowa elbowed Heero in the side.
"Reminds me of someone." He smirked.
"Hn." Heero grunted, "I'd like to see him blow himself up and survive."
"Yeah," Duo sat down and put his feet on the armrest of the couch, "It'd probably work if he did it, too."
Lisa pulled Wufei into the kitchen where he kissed her. She looked at his face.
"You didn't find anything," she asked him, "did you."
Wufei shook his head, "We need you to take us to Aberdeen."
Lisa nodded in understanding. "I have the day off tomorrow anyway."
The phone rang, and Lisa answered, "Hello? Hey Jes...sure, hold on." She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. "Heero!"
He looked up, "Hn?"
Lisa smiled, "Wanna join Duo and Trowa tonight?"
Heero shook his head, "Iie!"
"HAI!!!" Duo grabbed the phone, "He'll be ready. Bye!"
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Quatre really began to worry. It had been three days since his comrades had left. People were starting to question their absence. He looked up when he heard the doorbell.
"Relena!"
"Where is Heero?" Relena barged past Quatre and into the house. "Heero!" she called out.
"Relena..." Quatre sighed, "Heero's not here!"
Relena looked down at the table. There was the crystal orb. "What's this?" She played with it and set it down. "Where is He-" she was cut off when she flashed out.
"Oh no..." Quatre slapped his forehead.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Later that night, Lisa and Wufei sat on the couch, and, as the end credits of their movie scrolled past, heaved sighs of contentment. Lisa looked up to Wufei.
"Have you had any other girlfriends?" she asked out of the blue.
Wufei gave her a quizzical look, "Lisa!" he exclaimed, "I was married!"
Lisa blushed a deep red, but covered it quickly, "Was she pretty?"
Wufei turned off the TV, "Yes."
"Did you love her?"
"Unconditionally."
Lisa stood, and went to the kitchen, and grabbed a soda. Wufei followed her.
"Are you going to be ok?" He asked her, a worried look on his face.
Lisa nodded, " I'm sure I'll get over it." She stated.
Wufei gave her a peculiar look. "What do you mean?"
Lisa shrugged, "Well, it's just a crush.I'll live." She turned, hiding her red face and oncoming tears.
Wufei felt his own ears burn. He lifted her chin so her eyes met his piercing black ones. "This is more than a crush," he said firmly, "and you know it." He brushed past her and went to bed.
Wufei woke up. It was still dark out. He looked over at his clock: 4:03 am. Finding he couldn't sleep, so he went to get a drink of water. On his way back to bed, he stopped by Lisa's open door. She slept so peacefully; it almost made him sad. Suddenly, Lisa began to thrash in her sleep.
"N..n...no!" she muttered.
Wufei quietly entered her room and woke her. "Hey," he soothed, "Lisa, it's just a dream, shhh..."
Lisa woke with tearstains on her cheeks. She embraced Wufei tightly. "Don't leave me!" She whispered fervently.
Wufei didn't know how to answer her, so he held her close to him. Finally, she fell back to sleep, he kissed her forehead and quietly left. On his way back to his room, he passed Ana's office. He noticed some papers were coming out of her briefcase, they read: "Adoption" on the top. He entered and picked up the papers. He smiled as he read about Ana's case. The papers were to legalize Ana's adoption of Lisa.
He went back to his bed, and had no trouble falling back to sleep.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Good Moonin', good moonin'" Duo exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen. "I been up since the crack o' dawn..."
"You mean till the crack of dawn" Trowa muttered.
"Three a.m. is not the crack of dawn!" Duo protested.
"Pretty damn close." Heero said.
Duo glared at him then turned to Lisa. "Look at this!" he held out his arm, and on it were about ten phone numbers.
"Take a shower, Duo." Wufei said, "You're never gonna call them anyway."
Reluctantly, Duo began to stalk off, but stopped when he had got to Heero. "Oh," he said mock-casually, "A shower ain't gonna wash this baby off!" He pulled down the collar of Heero's shirt to reveal a dark hickey.
Heero roughly shrugged Duo off of him, "I didn't want to go." He stressed.
"Oh!" Duo said, feigning hurt, "Omae-o-korosu to you too!" and he went to take a shower.
As soon as they all got ready, they left for Aberdeen.
"Where to first?" Trowa asked Lisa as they pulled out of the city limits.
"Don't know." She replied. She looked in her rearview mirror to see Duo, Heero, and Trowa all checking their guns. Even Wufei, who was occupying shotgun, was replacing his gun in its holster on his shin. She shook her head. "Are those really necessary?"
All four of them looked up at her as if she 'd said, "Do you really need to breathe?"
Suddenly Duo shrieked and began to try to crawl under Lisa's seat.
Heero looked down at him, confused.
"Relena." Duo whispered.
Heero shot his gaze upward and sure enough, standing by the side of the road, was Relena Peacecraft. "Shit!" Heero and Trowa both hid their faces and Wufei suddenly became interested in a map.
Lisa pulled over despite all of their whispered threats and pleadings. "You know these guys?"
"Yes."
"Get in."
Lisa started to pull away before Relena had gotten in. She squeezed in beside Trowa.
"How did you get here, Relena." Heero asked sternly.
Relena looked at him. "I was at your safe house and I found this thingy and then I was here."
Duo was astonished. "You barged right into our house! How stupid are you?! This is SO shinigami time!" He turned to Heero, "I knew we shoulda left Trowa behind instead of Quatre. Bulk force."
"Duo Maxwell-" Relena said in her most condescending air.
"Oh, that's IT!!!" Duo tried to throw himself at Relena, but Heero held a gun up to his neck.
Duo glared at Relena. "You are so dead."
Relena shied away and tried to wedge herself behind Trowa.
Lisa looked in the mirror. "Hey!" she exclaimed, "Don't make me come back there! Cause if I gotta there's gonna be some major ass whoopin!"
Duo calmed down and Wufei, as he attempted to refold the map, smiled at his girl.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Duo whimpered as they walked along the sidewalk.
"That's the third place we've been kicked out of because of you, Duo." Relena complained.
Duo glared, "If that little girl hadn't kicked me so hard, your ass would be grass."
"Hey, you two, shut up." Heero glared at the both of them.
"This is it." Lisa led the way into a museum. They walked in and then realized how big it was.
"Split up?" Trowa suggested.
Wufei nodded, and they all grouped up. Wufei with Lisa, Trowa with Heero and..
"Oh...shit..." Duo sighed,
...Duo with Relena. They all split and went to different exhibits.
Wufei held tightly onto Lisa's hand. "You'll be leaving after you find the orb, won't you?"
He nodded.
"You won't be able to come back, will you?"
He shook his head. He turned around when he heard her sniffle, but she had on a straight face. He stopped and held her close and kissed her. "We can stay a little longer." He whispered, then continued with their search.
"She's got dumps like a truck, truck, truck. Guys like what, what, what. Baby move your butt, butt, butt. I think I'll sing it again! She's got dumps like a-" Duo was cut off by Relena's whining.
"If you must sing, can't you sing a different song?"
Duo shrugged and began to dance and sing, "You and me baby, ain't nothing but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the discovery channel-"
"This place is going to be hard to leave." Trowa stated. He looked over at Heero, and laughed. Heero was touching the mark on his neck, trying to see it. Heero looked up at Trowa and quickly regained his normal stance.
They walked along, trying to blend in with everyone else at the museum.
"Heero," Trowa grabbed Heero's arm, "an Egyptian exhibit!"
The two pilots entered the exhibit, and soon found their prize. Heero looked up at Trowa. "Bingo."
"That's it?" Lisa raised an eyebrow at the encased orb.
Wufei was circling it, occasionally looking up and around, figuring out the security system. "Piece of cake." He muttered. He lifted Lisa's wrist and checked her watch. "I'll have to do it tonight, but we gotta go quickly." He thought a moment then spoke again, "I'll need a motorcycle."
They returned to Lisa's house to find Ana's Camero gone, but replaced with a Ducati 956. Wufei raised an eyebrow at Lisa. She looked worried and rushed inside, muttering, "Trevor"
The g-boys followed her, confused. When they walked into the kitchen, there was Trevor, sitting at the table.
Wufei pulled the other pilots into the hallway. "Get him drunk," he ordered, "Five or six should do it. I'll take the bike."
The other pilots nodded, and walked back into the kitchen.
"Hey Trev!" Duo greeted, a little too cheerfully.
Heero pulled Lisa aside and explained the situation. She nodded and returned with a beer for all. She looked up at Wufei, who smiled weakly before disappearing into his room.
"Why are you here, Trevor?" Lisa asked as she sat down in front of him.
He looked down, "Can't I stop by and talk?"
Lisa rolled her eyes up to look at the g-boys.
Wufei changed back into his old clothes. He picked up his sword and shoved a gun under his belt. He went into a cabinet in the bathroom and pulled out a bottle of baby powder. He carefully filled a small bag and stuffed it in his belt beside the gun.
He walked back to the kitchen and nonchalantly swiped a paperclip from the counter and watched as Trevor downed another beer. Duo shuffled a deck of cards. Wufei walked to where Lisa, Heero, Relena, and Trowa were standing. "Got the replacement?" he asked Heero.
Heero nodded and pulled out a regular glass orb they had picked up on the ride home.
"Are you leaving as soon as you get the real thing?" Lisa looked pleadingly into Wufei's eyes.
Heero interjected, "Relena's going as soon as he returns."
Relena tried to object, but Duo glared at her. Lisa looked to Heero, then back to Wufei. "But what about you?"
Wufei saddened at the thought of leaving Lisa. He looked to Heero.
Heero's face was emotionless, but he read Wufei's and Lisa's easily. "We'll leave on Friday."
Lisa smiled weakly up at Wufei, glad for the extra day. Heero pulled Wufei out of the trance, "No casualties if possible."
Wufei nodded, knowing that if anyone got hurt, damage could be done.
Trevor was already on his third beer, and Duo was dealing out the cards.
"Heero!" Duo yelled, "Sit your scrawny ass down and play a little poker with us!"
Heero sat down, and picked up the hand that Duo had dealt him.
"Keep him here," Wufei whispered to Trowa, "Don't let him know I left, and don't let him go outside." He then turned to Lisa. "We'll take him home once I return," he muttered, "I won't be long."
Lisa gently kissed him. "Be careful."
The Deathscythe pilot heard her, and couldn't help but let out a laugh." "Wufei? Be careful?"
Wufei gave a small smile. "Don't worry." He actually winked, "I do this for a living." He left, and carried his stuff to the Ducati. He hooked his sword onto the side of the bike, and using the paperclip, started it and left.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Hello?" Lisa answered the phone. "Hi, Ana." She waved to the others to be quiet. "Yeah, oh, hey, the exchange students have to leave. No, day after tomorrow. I know. They just got a phone call. Yup, a complete refund. I know...yes,I wish they could too. Yup, I'll tell them. See you tomorrow." She hung up the phone and heaved a sigh and sat. She addressed the guys, "There's a party tomorrow." She said and smiled, "It's for you guys."
"Ana planned it?" Trowa asked as he dealt another hand of five-card draw.
Lisa nodded, "I think she kinda got attached to you guys."
"We'll miss her too." Duo added as he sorted his hand.
"You guys are leaving?" Trevor slurred. "Ahh,that's too bad,you're funny."
Heero did his best to avoid Trevor's drunken breath as they placed their bids.
"Call." He called Duo's raise. "Lay it down."
"Three queens." Duo grinned.
"Four kings." Heero said and laid his hand down with the perfect poker face.
"Crap!" Duo sighed and removed his shirt. "I'm determined on winning that back!"
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads in laughter.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Wufei quietly got off the bike and entered the museum through a window. He carefully searched each corner before rounding it.
He finally reached the exhibit he was after. He pulled the packet out of his belt and dumped the baby powder into his hand. He blew it into the air and watched as a red light came up where the powder had reflected it.
"Deja vou." Wufei muttered. He crept under the lasers and pulled out his sword. /heat sensitive lasers...smart/ he thought as he wedged the blade under the glass surrounding the orb. He was able to lift it up, but, now came the tricky part. Maneuvering it so that he could get the orb.
He flicked the blade up, causing the glass to fly in the air on one side, leaving him enough time and space to use the blade to push the orb into a sack he carried.
Wufei caught the glass silently with the sword and gently replaced the orb with the fake. He set the glass down and snuck out.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"11:57" Lisa muttered. Trevor had long since passed out, and now, she was waiting for Wufei.
Finally they heard the rumble of the bike and Wufei entering the house.
"You're safe!" Lisa cried as she embraced him.
"You doubted?" Wufei asked her with a raised eyebrow. "Where's Relena?" He stalked to the kitchen.
"Here." Relena said.
Wufei handed her the orb, "We'll see you in a few days."
She nodded and took the orb. Tapping it three times, she handed it back to Wufei.
"Ja ne." she waved before disappearing.
Lisa was astonished. "You really were telling the truth!"
"Ok," Duo looked confused, "NOW you believe us? Man! I'm disappointed!"
Lisa smirked. "Well, we better get Trev home."
They carried him to the car and Wufei followed on the Ducati, leaving it with Trevor.
We have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow." Wufei muttered as he kissed Lisa goodnight.
"I have plans for you guys," she smiled, "so get up bright and early."
They gave each other a final deep kiss before parting, both happy, yet sad.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Good moonin'! Good moonin'!" Duo stated in a mock southern accent, "I been up since the crack o' dawn, and I just had to ass you a question. What is up with Kari Ann Baker?"
Heero gave Lisa a questioning look. "Have we heard that before?"
She laughed, "He stayed up watching Varsity Blues last night. He actually makes a pretty good Tweeder."
"Thank you!" Duo took a bow.
Wufei poured himself some Cocoa Puffs. "What's the plan for today?"
Lisa smiled at her guy, "Well, first you guys need swimming trunks."
The guys looked at her questioningly, "We're going swimming?" Duo brightened, "Yahoo!"
"C'mon."
The boys all went with her to the nearest mall. "Pick out your favorite color."
She motioned to a rack of swimming trunks.
Duo dove into the black trunks, and the others followed. They'd often come out of the dressing room to pose for Lisa, who had already snapped a few pictures.
"Hey Duo!" Heero had picked up a Speedo and was stretching it out, ready to fling at Duo.
Duo caught them, in the face, and put them on over his present trunks.
"Sexy!" Lisa laughed.
Finally, they all picked out a pair. Heero had dark green, Trowa had blue, Wufei had black and red checkered, and Duo had managed to find himself a yellow pair with a smiley face on his ass.
When they got back to the house, Ana was there. "Ready?" she smiled at the group. She drove them to the pool and left them there while she got stuff for their party.
Heero and Wufei both gracefully dived into the pool, while Duo did a cannonball.
Lisa laughed as she laid down on a blanket and put her sunglasses on.
"Where's your swimming suit?" Trowa asked as he joined the others.
"Oh," she motioned to her bag, "I have it, I just don't want to swim at the moment."
Heero, Duo, and Wufei had heard this and they rushed out of the pool.
"What are you doing?" Lisa started to get worried. "No!"
Her screams were to no avail as the pilots picked her up and brought her to the edge of the pool.
"Wufei!" she screamed, "If you throw me in, I swear I'll never touch you again!"
Wufei only smiled at her as he stepped away, and Trowa took over Wufei's previous spot.
"NO!!" Lisa struggled, but was soon wet, soaking to be more exact. She scrambled out of the pool and grabbed her bag. "FINE!" Soon she returned in a green and blue tankini.
Duo whistled and Wufei stood up and walked to her. Before she knew what was happening, he threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and jumped into the pool, Lisa kicking and screaming . The others dived in after them.
There was a mass of dunking, splashing, and chicken fights going on. Lisa's camera soon ran out of film, but soon it was reloaded.
Finally, Ana returned to get them. They dressed and she took them out to eat. They laughed and talked and Ana told them how much fun she's had with them.
"You've made a difference in Lisa too." She smiled.
They got back to the house to find it decorated and filled with even more food.
"I've already contacted everyone." Ana said, "Party's at eight, so you'd better get ready."
They all got dressed and Lisa went a little while later to pick up her pictures at the one-hour processing. She returned just in time to greet the guests. They played loud music and danced the night away. Heero, Duo, and Trowa constantly being dragged away to dance.
A few hours later, Wufei was able to pull Lisa away. They went outside and took off in her car.
Lisa pulled up beside a park. As she turned the engine off, Wufei was already kissing her neck. She turned to receive a full kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. Wufei was the one to use his tongue first. He stroked her hair as she toyed with his ponytail. Wufei began to untie the knots that held Lisa's shirt together behind her back.
Lisa knew what was happening, she also knew if she said no, Wufei would stop.
"Do you want to?" he murmured into her ear as he fervently kissed around it.
Lisa didn't know if she wanted to or not. She sat, staring ahead as Wufei kissed her. She couldn't, not if she wanted Wufei to leave without him having something holding him back, she couldn't. No matter how much she needed him, his own time needed him more. "No." she whispered back.
Immediately, Wufei retied her shirt. He kissed her on the mouth again and got out of the car. He helped her out as well. Together, they walked through the park, hand in hand, in the moonlight. Wufei pulled her closer to him and held her as they walked.
"Are you going to be able to handle Trevor when I leave?" He asked her, burying his nose in her hair.
She let out a laugh and nodded.
"I'm really going to miss you." He said softly.
A tear fell down Lisa's cheek. She couldn't hold it back. She wiped her face on his shirt, but the tears kept falling silently down her face. "I don't want you to leave." She sobbed, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.
"I know." He soothed. "But, you're needed here too." He kissed her head. "No matter what you think, you're needed."
Lisa looked into Wufei's dark eyes. She smiled at him and they walked back to the car and back to the party.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Quatre!" Noin called, "Quatre!"
Quatre awoke from his peaceful slumber. Noin was in his living room when he entered.
"Where are the others?" she asked him.
Quatre looked around. "Gone." He simply said.
"Great." She mumbled. "Well, we have to go. There's a situation that needs our attention."
Quatre knew this meant they had to go fight.
"They'd better hurry back." Noin muttered irritably.
"I hope so too." Quatre breathed as he exited the house.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
"Well this is good-bye." Ana was on the verge of tears as she hugged each of the pilots. "Have a safe trip."
"Thank you for housing us." Trowa smiled sadly, for he knew he'd miss the peaceful surroundings.
"Oh, it was the least I could do." Ana picked up a tape. "Duo, this is for you."
Duo took one look at the movie and glomped Ana.
"I'll be back in a bit." Lisa said as she helped the boys load up their bags. They left, waving until Ana was out of sight.
She drove out to where she had found Wufei that first day. "K," she sniffed, "here we are." They all got out and put their stuff around them.
"I'll go first." Trowa stated as he took the orb.
"Good bye, Trowa." Lisa felt the tears stream down her face as she hugged him.
He tapped the orb, handed it to Heero and picked up his bags. "Ja ne."
"Me next." Heero hugged Lisa, "I had fun." She nodded, as he tapped the orb and faded. Duo was handed the orb.
Duo picked Lisa up and twirled her around. "I'll miss ya, sweetheart." He kissed her, set her down and faded out with a "Arigatou!"
After he left, Wufei and Lisa stood in silence, holding each other.
"Here." Lisa mentioned, "These are for you." She shoved a package into Wufei's back pocket.
He leaned down and gave her a long farewell kiss, tears falling steadily down Lisa's face.
"A-hem!"
They looked up to see...
"Duo!" Wufei called, However Duo's face was serious.
"Quatre really needs us." He said. He once again tapped himself out.
"Well this is it." Wufei kissed Lisa softly and sweetly before tapping the orb and handing it to her. "Ask Ana about her case. She needs you." Wufei added.
"I love you!" Lisa called,
"Ditto." Wufei faded away.
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
Lisa returned to her house, tears dried on her face.
"I'm really gonna miss them." Ana stated and Lisa nodded. Wufei's words came back to her.
"What's you're case on?"
Ana looked up, puzzled, but then smiled. She went into her room and brought out the papers that Wufei had seen.
Lisa looked at them. "You mean..." she looked at her foster mother, who nodded.
"I'll be able to adopt you." She suddenly went serious, "if you want me to, that is."
Lisa nodded her approval, then stood and hugged Ana. "Of course I want you to!" Lisa cried.
They sat and talked through happy tears. /Wufei showed me I was needed/ Lisa thought as she looked at her soon to be mother. /Even by him/
~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
The pilots entered the safe house after the battle, carrying a battered Quatre.
"We're really sorry, Quatre!" Duo cried as they set him on the couch.
"It's ok," Quatre said, "You got Wufei back, that's all that matters." He heaved himself upright. "Where did you go, anyway?"
"The year 2001." Trowa stated as he tried to stop the blood running from a large cut on Quatre's cheek.
"Here." Duo ran and got his Varsity Blues video, "I got you a gift." And as he put it in the VCR, Wufei retreated to his room.
He dumped his bags and flopped onto the bed. He pulled the package out of his pocket. They were Lisa's doubles to her film. He flipped though them, laughing at their wet smiles from the pool, their poses from the store, and their gags at the party.
He pulled one from the pile. It was one of Lisa and him, their faces were cheek to cheek and their arms around the other. He smirked at the memory.
He knew he'd never be able to go back to stay, because he was needed here. Lisa would never be able to join him here, because she was needed where she was.
He'd miss her greatly, and, as he stuck the photo on his mirror, he knew she'd miss him...and that'd be for the best.