Author's Note: This chapter is short, I know, but it's the end of one part and the beginning of a new.
***
The next morning everyone set out in the mushy grass toward the Gundams. The night had been spent telling ghost stories once they'd concluded that there wasn't much else to do. Duo almost died from suffocation from both Trish and Unica needing someone to hold on to once the stories started. Wufei became rather amused from the scene, while Mena watched Wufei's eyes in the candlelight in her own dream that she knew she'd have to wake up too early from. No one slept much, but it ended up being like a sleepover with pillows and blankets sprawled covering the living room floor.
The power didn't return that morning so Illini toasted bread over candles for breakfast. It would only take the afternoon and a long hose to rinse off the mud that had the Gundams planted. They'd still be leaving that day.
"Duo!" Trish wailed flinging herself on him as if she was losing the love of her life since in her mind she was.
"Trish," he hugged her as a friend. "It'll be OK." Her eyes were red and puffy with tears.
"Trish, you'll see him again," Unica came from behind. "He'll come back for me." Trish only glared before she was pushed out of the way, "I brought you a gift, to always remember me by." Unica presented him with a purple wrapped box as Trish cussed wishing she had thought of a gift. Inside was a white wife beater and a portrait of Duo and Unica embraced, him holding her to his bare chest since both were nude. "I figured you'd look good in white." Unica acted a little shy to the portrait.
"Thanks," Duo had a bit of an awkward grin on his face not sure what to do in the moment *sweat drop*. "I'll –uh put it on right now." He went into the house to change, very well aware that he could have swapped shirts right there, but Illini was in the kitchen and he had to see her before he left; if he didn't get away from Trish and Unica now, he knew he wouldn't get the chance.
Duo put the box with the portrait on the table and swapped shirts before turning and leaning on the counter across from Illini who was making sushi. Either she hadn't noticed him come in, or she didn't want to stare while he changed. "If you could go anywhere right now, just up and go, where would it be?" Illini looked up surprised to hear her own question being asked.
"I don't know," she was put on the spot. "Anywhere, but here I guess."
"Ever been to Konan?" she shook her head. "Beautiful place, you ought to go."
"Like my parents would let me."
"You parents don't let you do a lot of things, but you do them." he winked causing her to smile. "If I can make you love me," he was looking in her eyes. "You're out of reasons to stay."
"If you can't?" Who here doesn't want Ms. Pessimistic to shut up?
"I seemed to have a way with girls." nodding his head back in the direction of the arguing Trish and Unica outside. She laughed looking down at the seaweed and gathering her thoughts. "It wouldn't be so bad having a cook along with us. I mean, come on, out there all we eat is junk food most of the time."
"Do you think Wufei would appreciate my presence?" she asked.
"No one's got to know," Duo sure did look good in that wife beater, though he turned serious. "I know you're not happy here, but if you want to return then I'll always bring you back."
This normally wouldn't be such a hard invitation to accept, but he was right about her not happy there and she knew it. Though leaving so suddenly, that was what was so difficult to agree with. Though Illini inhaled deeply before looking up, "If I leave, I don't ever want to come back."
***
Mena wasn't sure if she should give Wufei a picture of herself dressed in a pilot's uniform, as not to forget her proposal on being a Gundam pilot. She knew she couldn't just give him her phone number or anything, but she didn't want to slip out of his life as she was about to his. She couldn't give him anything personal, because he didn't know she liked him like that. Though what would be right to give him?
Emerging from her room with a little plastic model of the Shenlong Gundam that had taken her a month to construct the small pieces and paint them, she heard Illini in her room, "Hey," Mena knocked and hung in the doorway until she realized what her sister was doing, though she asked anyway, "What are you doing?"
Illini jumped, surprised to have been found, "I'm packing."
"Why?" Mena walked in and saw Illini's favorite robes, all black, being rolled up on her bed and packed into her backpack that was also being filled with other stuff.
"You know my life's not going to go far on this planet." Illini wasn't sure how to put it.
"Well mine's not either, but I'm not leaving!" Mena stated immediately angry.
"I'll be safe –I'll be with Gundam pilots."
"What?" Mena was taken back.
"Duo asked me to go with him,"
"Duo?" Mena was now completely confused. "What are you talking about? Why Duo? Why you?"
"He likes me," Illini kept packing as she spoke. "He wants me to come with him, and I want to go. I won't be in any danger."
"I'm not worried about that," Mena sighed. Calming down in all seriousness, she began to realize and take in the situation. "I'm worried that I won't see you again if you leave." Illini stopped packing and hugged her sister. The two would hold back the tears being strong,
"I'm gonna to miss you, but I'm gonna be alright." Illini advised, "Make it easy on yourself, don't worry about me."
"How can I do that?" Mena need to know, "Unica's going to kill me, I have no idea what to do with Trish-"
"Shh," Illini hushed her. "No one's going to know."
"What should I tell mom and dad?"
"Tell them..." Illini trailed off trying to think of the best way to put it for her strict parents, but she couldn't figure it out. "Tell them, 'Good-bye'."
***
"Duo!" Trish and Unica wailed in unison.
"We're not waiting up, Duo." Heero said before boarding the repaired Wing Zero.
"I made this a while back, and I want you to have it," Wufei took the little Gundam presented to him. "Just to remember your stay," Mena acted as if it was something she'd just shrug off.
"Thank you," he said formally. "For your warmth and hospitality. I'll remember it." Hearing those words, Mena smiled. She watched Wufei board the Shenlong and went to help pry Trish and Unica off Duo.
"Have a safe trip and all," Joenen gave Duo a big brother-type hug after they shook hands 'gangsta style'.
"You're coming back!" Unica called reminding him.
"I am!" Duo called back seeing her clutching the silver chain he'd given her. Having to make both of them happy with going-away-gifts, he'd also given Trish a rose.
As Mena and Joenen pulled the girls up to the house since they had to be a safe distance away from the Gundams as they took off, a large gust of wind nearly knocked the four of them over. Just as they had seen them crash land, Unica and Mena turned around and watched as the massive Gundams faded through the white clouds. It was merely a moment afterwards that Joenen suddenly asked, "Where's Illini?"