Why I Love The Rain

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. As much as I wish I did, sadly, I don't. This is my first story to be placed on the net so be nice. No flames. Though I would highly HIGHLY enjoy getting responses. I'm still not sure if I want to post anymore. Tell me what you think about the way I write and I'll see if I should post my other completed stories. Thanks for even reading, Saturn.


The guys walk out of the shuttle. It was L2. They had a mission to blow up an OZ warehouse. Duo looks at the large walls like ghosts from his past. Quatre looks over. He knew it must be hard for Duo. This was his home. Quatre knew Duo was an orphan and about the Maxwell church massacre. Duo had told him about it one day. At first Duo had looked drunk, but as the story continued his face began to get more serious. 'It must be hard…' As if hearing him, Duo gave a satisfied stretch and sigh. "I'm finally back."

That night they found a nice place to stay. It was an apartment. By mistake of not knowing about Duo's history, the guys had picked a location close to Duo's old hunting grounds. Duo looked out the window. He could see the bridge from here. It was the bridge Solo had picked to be the place where they would meet back up. Duo sighed heavily. It had been such a long time. He glanced around the room. The others were all asleep. Trowa was snoring, Wufei was mumbling about justice, Quatre was snuggling with his pillow, and Heero was quiet except for the occasional "Mission Accomplished". Duo shook his head with a laugh. 'What a strange group.' He remembered when he was little. He had woke up before the others. He sat and watched them sleep. Solo would talk and say things like "Haha! You just try'n catch me!", Marcus would kick his legs like he was runnin, Chris would whimper, and Bri would giggle. He understood Solo was makin fun of someone, Marcus was runnin away from someone, and Chris was scared, but he never understood the meaning behind Bri's giggling. He walked out of the room. He walked down the stairs and out into the night. When he reached the bridge he climbed under and sat down. Usually Solo was the first to come back, but that once Duo got back. He was so glad when he got back. He couldn't wait to rub it in Solo's face. That perhaps he was faster. He didn't know that Solo was going to be the last to show up, and the first to fall. That was the day Solo died, and Bri left. Marcus and Chris both looked up to Duo and they followed him to the Maxwell church. Bri refused. "Is someone here?" A voice asks. Duo looks around. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll leave. I didn't realize someone was here." Duo got up and walked out from under the bridge. He heard a gasp and turned. "Duo is that you!?!" "Huh? Who are you?" "Duo it is you!!" A figure ran out from under the bridge and jumped on him wrapping their arms around him. "Duo! Duo!" The happy cries turned into sobs. Duo sits up. It was a girl. She had dark red hair and blue eyes. She whipped the tears from her eyes. "I can't believe it's you. I thought you all died. I looked for you after the massacre but I couldn't find you. I buried Chris and Mark the next day. Next to where I buried Solo. Don't you think that's where they'd want to be?" Duo's eyes widen. "Bri! I didn't recognize you at first! You grew up!" "So did you." "You look great!" "Thanks." Duo's eyes slowly sadden. 'She's so beautiful. But think how hard it must have been for her. She's been here all these years. All these years thinking she was alone. She thought we all died. What has she been doing for all these years?' Bri started crying again. "I thought you died. I looked and looked and I still couldn't find you. After so long the idea that you might have lived made me feel better, but when you didn't show up at the bridge I knew you died. It's been so long. Why have you know shown up for the first time? Don't tell me this is a dream. I have been waiting all my life. Searching. Not one day went by that I didn't think about you and the others." The tears now came rapidly. Duo knew why but he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her that he was a gundam pilot and that days did go by that he didn't or tried not to think of them. He couldn't tell her he would be leaving soon. That he only allowed the memories to return this night and that tomorrow he would push them away again. "So what have you been doing? You don't look like you used to. You look like someone has cleaned you up." Bri nods. She tried to stop crying but couldn't. Just being here with him was a dream come true. "I've got a job and I don't live to far from here." "Oh really? So what do you do?" "I work with orphans. What about you?" He didn't know what to say. Here was this amazing girl. A girl that has spent all her life paining over and trying to change her past. Trying to take care of kids like them to make sure the same mistake didn't accrue again. How could he compare to that? "Nothing really. I mess around with mobile suits." Bri looked shocked. "Oh really? I didn't expect you to be with OZ." "Oh I'm not! I don't work with anyone really. I just like mobile suits. I even learned how to fly them." Bri smiles. "I'm sure you're the best. You always did have the knack to do anything." Duo smiles. "You think?" "Of course, modest as usual." Duo laughs. Bri stands. "How long are you going to be in town?" Duo stands wiping off his black pants. "I'm not sure. A week if I'm lucky." Bri nods. "Ok then, meet me here tomorrow at 3:00 PM ok?" Duo nods. "Got it." Bri starts to jog off. "Bye Duo! See ya tomorrow!" Duo watches as she runs out of sight. A younger voice echoes in the back of his mind. "Bye Duo! See ya tomorrow!" He turns to see a ghostly Solo run off in the opposite direction. "Bye…"

Duo and the others walk down a street. Duo glances down at his watch. '1:34 PM' He looks up. "Hey, let's go skating!" Quatre says. Duo turns. "What? Where did that idea come from?" "Look" Quatre says. Duo turns to see a huge building. 'IceWorld?' Duo shrugs. "Sounds like a great idea Quatre." They walk in. Heero and Trowa walk up to the register. "Skate for five" "Oh Duo look! Aren't they so cute!" Duo looks over to see a group of children. There were eight of them and only one was a boy. Duo suddenly noticed something. "Bri!" The older girl who was knelling down helping them put on their skates looks over. Her eyes widen. "Duo?" Duo nods. He walks over. Bri stands. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you here." "Neither did I. I mean, I didn't expect to see you." Bri smiles. "So these are the kids?" Bri nods looking around at them. "Yep, these are my darlings. Each guardian watches over seven kids." Duo recounts. "But you have eight." "I know. That's because I have Li. He's my special number eight. He wanted to be in my group and I didn't mind having one more. "So he is Li, but what are the other's names?" Bri looks around. "Well that's Kyoko" She says pointing to a green haired girl. "That's Elizabeth" (Light purple hair) "Cass" (Black hair) "Carla" (Red hair) "Madison" (Gray hair) "Sasami" (Blue hair) "Sakura" (Brown hair) "and then there's Li." (Brown hair) Duo nods to each. "Wow, quite a little group you have there. It's nice to meet all of you." Bri looks to the children. "Guys this is Duo. He was one of the orphans that were in my group." "Oh! I see, he's the one with the braid!!" Elizabeth says. Bri smiles. "Yeah." "The Maxwell kid? But I thought you said he died." Kyoko asks. "Well, to tell you the truth, I guess I was wrong. I didn't find him but I do know for sure that the others are dead." The words hurt her but she held back the tears. Li elbows Kyoko in the side. "You idiot! You're gonna make her sad." Bri smiles shaking her head. "No it's ok. I'm fine." "Well don't worry Bri, like you told us once, no one dies as long as you keep them alive in your heart." Sasami says warmly. Bri struggles to hold in the tears. They were right but it hurt to hear it. "Head onto the ice guys. I'll be there in a second." The kids nod and walk out except for Li who watched as Bri walked over near the lockers and slid down. He walks over. "Bri…" Bri looks up, tears on her cheeks. "I'll be ok…" Li slides down beside her and hugs her. Bri cries on his shoulder. Duo watches. He wanted to cry to, but he couldn't. He couldn't understand the pain behind her tears. He couldn't fathom the pain she must feel. She had been living the past all these years where he didn't. "Poor Bri…" "Duo come on! You have to tell them your size." Quatre calls. He then noticed Bri and the sad look on Duo's face. 'Duo?'

Bri walks down the sidewalk. She had fun earlier but called off the meeting with Duo at 3:00. She didn't want him to feel sorry for her. She had enough of that from herself. She just wanted to spend a night out on the town by herself. She just wanted to get away. She wanted to be lost in the crowd. She had a good life and she just couldn't see it. She could be just another person walking down the street or be something special to eight little kids. She was their world. She was their mother figure. They loved her like they were her kids and the feeling was mutual. She loved them so much. Her life was perfect when she was with them from watching Sakura skate perfectly to Carla falling down and calling her over to pick her up. They made her happy. She loved each of them for their perfection and their flaws. They were hers and that's all that mattered. She smiled to herself. 'I love those guys. Even more then I did Solo…' It was true. She adored Solo. Perhaps that's why he took care of her. Because he was her world. That's the only reason she didn't go with Duo to the church. She had to burry Solo. She had to be by his side to the end. Even today she visited him. She stopped when she realized where she had ended up. All that thinking made her walk blindly. A stone was embedded in the ground. It read: Solo Maxwell "Leaders don't die till all of their followers are gone." Bri started to cry again. In front of the stone was two pieces of wood. Written on them with a messy marker read: Solo "Captain, Oh my captain, I will never live another day without you. I will take you everywhere I go. I will keep you safely in my heart." Bri could almost hear her child voice as she had wrote it. The wood was put up the day Solo died; the stone was placed six years later. She looked over to see two other wooden crosses but she couldn't bear to read them at that moment. She already felt like her heart was about to break. She slid down onto her knees. "Solo, it's been eight years and I'm still not over you. I don't think I ever will. You were my world. You were the one I looked up to. You were the one who brought me in and gave me a home with you and your friends. How can I ever let you go?" "You don't have to." Bri looks up. Tears in her eyes. She was surprised to see a ghostly looking blonde haired boy. He had a hair band running across his forehead but under his blonde hair. Bri was surprised but not scared. "Solo?" The boy smiles. "You don't have to let me go Bri. Didn't you just read that cross and stone? Remember how it talks about keeping me with you forever?" Bri nods. "Well you're the one who wrote it. Why don't you listen to yourself? You can take me everywhere you go. I'll always be in your heart." Bri's tears came back. "Solo I've missed you so much! Please stay with me like this!" "I can't. You need to go on with your life. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. You'll see me again one day." Bri cried shaking her head. "I can't." "Goodbye Bri. I'll see you again, I promise." Solo slowly faded away. "Solo! Don't leave me again!" The pain and hurt all came back. She now felt the same way she had eight years ago. They same as she did when she was writing on the cross. She was crying and her hands were shaking so bad she almost couldn't write. Bri cries. "I'll go on but I'll always take you with me."

Bri sits in the park. She was watching the kids playing. Li was, of course, sitting beside her. It suddenly began to rain. The girls all came running over. "Bri it's raining." Cass says. Bri nods. "Ok then." She stands and looks at them. She suddenly runs out into the rain out from under the protection of the trees. She does a cartwheel. The girls all look at her and giggle. Bri smiles. She looks at them. "Join me?" "But it's raining." "What do you mean? I love the rain!" Li smiles and runs out into the rain. He laughs. Bri grabs him and starts tickling him. The girls exchange smiles before joining them. Duo notices them from a diner window. He watches with a smile. Quatre was about to say something till he noticed what Duo was looking at. He sat quietly and watched with him. Bri laughs. She grabs Kyoko's arms and swings her through the air. Kyoko squeals with joy. Bri laughs. She lifts up Carla and places her on her shoulders. Carla smiles and throws her arms off to the sides while Bri spins them around.

Duo sits in his apartment. Heero was on his computer, Trowa was reading a book, Quatre was fixing dinner, and Wufei was practicing throwing his katana. The doorbell suddenly rang. Duo looks around. The others didn't seem to react. "I guess I'll get it." He says with a sigh. He opened the door. It was Bri. "Hey Bri. How'd you find me?" Bri looked puzzled. "Um…I'm not sure. I have this problem. Sometimes when I'm thinking about something. I find that I accidentally find myself near or at it. Like yester day I…uh never mind. Anyway, I was thinking about you. So I guess somehow I must'a just known." Duo shrugs. "Whatever. You wanna come in?" Bri looks around the crowded room. "Uh…no." Duo looked kinda shocked. "Ok then."
He closed the door as he stepped outside. "So what did you want to talk about?" Bri smiles. "Nothing really. It's just that it's been so long and I know I haven't spent my time wisely. I should be with you as long as possible. I mean, I found myself thinking about you as if you were still dead." Duo smiles. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Bri suddenly wraps her arms around him. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest. This sudden motion shocked Duo. "I just felt like all my tears were wasted. That for some reason you didn't come back. For some reason you left me alone to cry. The others were dead and I feared you had come to the same fate. I thought you died. I didn't know how to feel after all these years. Seeing you left my feelings in limbo. I didn't know weather to be happy, sad, or mad." "Mad?" Bri backs up. "Mad that you would leave me to cry for you. When you didn't care to cry for me." Duo's eyes sadden. "Bri I'm sorry…" Bri shakes her head. "It's ok. I'm glad you were able to live in the present and not in the past. Though you should visit Solo's grave while you're here. It's near the bridge to the left by the old tree." Bri turns to leave. "You're just going to leave?" Bri turns with a smile. "No. I'll always be here, but I know you wont. Don't worry about me. I have the kids and that is all I'll ever need."

Duo walks up to Solo's grave. He read both the cross and stone before thinking about what Bri had said. "I'll always have him with me. He will always be there. And so will you. You will all live in my heart forever. I will never let you go. I will always keep you with me." "Bri, why have you spent so much time thinking about the past?" "When I was very young, I lost my parents. I thought the light would never shine on me. I thought I would always be alone. Then, one day, it began to rain and I felt like the angels must surely be crying for me. That they to must feel my sorrow. Suddenly, I heard a voice call to me. I looked over to see a group of boys. They were dirty with mud all over their pants. They asked me to join them. I will never forget that day or those little boys because every day that the sky darkens and the rain begins to fall I remember. And that is why I love the rain."




~Finis~