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Kawa lay motionless in a pool of blood her eyes squinted shut. Neko stood just behind her the gun she held still raised but her face was now sad. She couldn't tell if she had shot Duke before he got her sister or not. But she did, indeed get Duke. He had fallen on top of Kawa just as the gun went off.
Neko finally summed up her courage and tried to speak. "K-K-Kawa..are you alive?" she asked hopefully.
A groan came from the floor and Neko readied her gun in case it was Duke. "Kawa say something if it's you!" she said staring to cry.
"Neko…get this fat bastard off of me!" Kawa said weakly. Her hands were pressed onto the floor stained with Duke's blood as was her clothes, hair and face, and she grunted desperately trying to lift her body up with Duke's weight on her skinny back.
Neko tossed the gun she held to the side and dropped to her hands and knees and crawled over to assist her sister.
"I thought he killed you." Neko said as she felt around for Duke's shoulders, and once she found them she lugged him off of Kawa. "I was so afraid…cause you weren't talking…and I can't…see."
Kawa sat up and looked to her sister and hugged her smiling. "It's ok Neko. I'm alive now…there is nothing to be scared of."
Neko returned the smile and the hug. The two didn't seem to care about the pool of blood they sat in or the blood stains on their clothes, just about each other's well-being. (aww…my sis and I aren't actually like that irl though… x.x)
Suddenly Kawa remembered that they were supposed to meet Duo and Quatre after their horrific deed was done.
"We better move Neko. We gotta meet Quatre and Duo remember?"
Neko nodded and the two made their way into the vent and down the many shafts to their meeting spot.
A few moments later the group met up again at the designated spot. The two male pilots informed the two ladies about their ordeal and the two ladies in turn informed them. Then the group departed together to the shaft on which Heero and Duo had entered in earlier. When they reached their escape exit they were surprised to find the Nataku holding up the hatch and peeking in.
"Hey a good guy!!" Duo yelled pointing.
Kawa smiled seeing Wufei's gundam. "It's good to see a GOOD mobile suit in this place." She said laughing.
Quatre smiled and yelled up. "Hey Wufei could you please give us a lift?"
A few moments later Wufei's handsome Chinese face peered over the side of the hatch and then disappeared. Immediately after his face had disappeared a rope ladder flew over the side of the opening and down to where the three gundam pilots and mechanic waited.
Duo was the first to climb and was followed by Neko and then Kawa, and Quatre. When the three escapees had climbed out of the metal hatch they boarded the Nataku and were flown to the base, which was now back under the control of its rightful owners.
A sudden gust of wind whipped through Hanami's brown shoulder length hair. She blinked and turned placing a piece of hair behind her nicely formed ears and smiled seeing it was the Nataku. She waved to the approaching gundam as it flew over her head almost knocking her flat. Her friends were now home.
Wufei landed his precious gundam in the hanger next to the Orion and Archer. Its gundanium coat glinted and shined underneath the lights as the four exhausted pilots and blind mechanic climbed out.
Heero stood at the foot of the Nataku and smiled with relief seeing that his best pal Duo, and everyone else was alright. The messy haired pilot awaited the weary group with now his usual glum face.
Kawa smiled as she approached Heero and gave him a hug.
Heero somewhat returned it and then said, "Trowa should be down soon."
Kawa smiled. She couldn't wait to see her honey bunch again.
Duo was the next to reach Heero and he just patted him on the shoulder. "Good to see ya again buddy."
Heero nodded and grinned a bit turning his attention now to Neko. He looked to her sadly, she was as they had said, blind. Hanami had led her over to the group half hugging her and assuring her that all was going to be all right.
"Heero?" Neko said.
"Yes?" Heero asked.
Neko discovering where he was by his voice hugged him. "It's good…to..hear you again."
Heero hugged her back and nodded.
Neko then pulled away and was hugged again by Quatre and she wrapped his arms around him and wept. Quatre stroked her hair and said, "Why don't we see Dr. Tai? I'm sure he can do something."
Neko nodded and the couple left the group to find the doctor.
Trowa was now in the hanger and was enjoying a "private" moment with Kawa. Hanami and Duo giggled at the two and then turned to each other and hugged and kissed.
Heero looked to the two couples and shook his head. He missed his wife whom he had left at home and was ready to return to her. Perhaps now he could, since all was quiet and at peace once again.
Days later the gundam pilots all sat in a waiting area. Like they had done so many times before. This time they all waited for Neko to emerge from the room. She had gone in for a very complex and new eye surgery, and it had already taken 4 hours.
Quatre sat on a couch biting his nails worriedly as he held tightly onto Kawa's right hand. Kawa was half hugging Trowa and her head rested on his shoulder.
Trowa stroked her long brown hair and assured her that all was going well. Though he too was worried for the loved-by-all mechanic.
Heero, Duo and Hanami sat next to Trowa on this incredibly long couch and Wufei stood leaning against the wall. Duo was holding Hanami as she was holding him both assuring each other and themselves that Neko was all right. Heero and Wufei however, were silent.
A few more hours went by and then Dr. Tai emerged from the door that led into the operating room. "It's done." He said.
"And..?" Quatre, Kawa, Hanami, and Duo asked together as they stood.
"Well come see for yourself!" Dr. Tai said happily.
The pilots all smiled and ran into the room. There laying on the bed was a beautifully smiling Neko, her bright brown eyes shining as bright as ever.
"It worked!" she said happily tears of joy streaming.
Quatre laughed and kissed his girlfriend. "How do you feel?" he asked once the kiss was through.
Neko laughed and stroked Quatre's hair. "I feel great."
Quatre smiled and hugged Neko.
"Alright your turn is up!" Duo said. "My turn now!"
Quatre laughed and backed up as Duo gave Neko a great big hug. "You had me worried there!"
Neko returned the big hug and smiled. "I was worried to."
After all the hugging and kissing was over with the group left Neko to rest and spent the rest of the night talking, playing games, and discussing old times.
The following week the group went their separate ways promising to keep in touch and planned to meet again the next year for their first Gundam Reunion.