Disclaimer: For the 33rd time I do not own Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: For the 33rd time I do not own Gundam Wing! (Unless I miss counted this is the 33rd time I've had to do a disclaimer. I kept count with the help of Lady Une and Treize who count so well!)

Love and Tragedy

Chapter 3

Written By BrittanyRae

Duo and his troops split up agreeing to meet back at the base and went out to find them selves some dinner. Duo decided to stop at a restaurant called La Hire Café is the heart of the city of Paris. It was adjacent to the La Hire Hotel. He walked in, selected a seat, and ordered a beer. He was only fifteen but his father had worked in the coalmines until they collapsed and killed him when Duo was 14. Duo's mother had died trying to save her husband. Duo's father had been a heavy drinker and had gotten Duo hooked on the habit. He hated the addiction but there was hope for him. He only drank when he was depressed or worried about something. He also drank when he was lonely. After his parents died Duo had joined up with the army and before long was promoted to his current rank of corporal.

The restaurant also provided entertainment. There was a large stage, which all the tables faced. Slowly the curtain began to open and a group of girls came out all dolled up and danced the cancan. They were all pretty but they had a little too much make-up on. Duo wasn't amused by a bunch of girls in frilly dresses kicking their legs in the air and wearing three inches worth of make-up. He rolled his eyes,

"Stuck up sluts is what they are." He thought.

A waitress to talk to Duo,

"Our cancan dancers and waitresses also rent themselves out if you know what I mean."

"They're bloody whores!" a drunken Scottish man two tables away shouted gleefully.

Duo rolled his eyes again,

"Yeah they're sluts all right." He thought.

The curtains closed and a band came onstage and played some music. Back stage girls were giggling and chatting,

"Ooohh this is so much fun!"

"I hope I get picked!"

"Picked for what?" a thin girl with short dark violet-black hair asked.

"Oh you're new Hilde right? Didn't they tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"We rent ourselves out. To be blunt we're whores. Get it?"

Hilde looked annoyed,

"I'm not selling my body to some stranger no matter how much money he plans to pay me!"

"Then you don't get paid sistah. That's life!"

Hilde frowned. She needed the money badly. If she didn't get paid she didn't eat, or pay the long over due rent on her apartment. She was going to get thrown out if she didn't get two hundred dollars to the landlord by 11:00 p.m. Hilde fingered her cross necklace and thought of her mother. Her father had been abusive but ended up going to jail and dieing there before Hilde was 5. Her mother had devoted her time to helping the needy and in the end went bankrupt, died of tuberculosis, and left Hilde to fend for her own at the age of 15. Thus Hilde rented an apartment with the little money she had and joined up at La Hire's. She sighed in defeat and followed the other girls out to wait to be chosen. It wasn't long before a large Russian man with a heavy bushy beard started eyeing her up. Hilde looked at her feet in shame. The man grabbed Hilde's face by the chin and made her look at him.

"What's your name little lady?"

Hilde remained silent and glared the man smelled thickly of vodka. The man shock Hilde by her shoulders,

"Answer me girl!"

"Hilde."

"That's better! Come on Hilde you can stay with Ivan tonight." The man smirked.

"Not likely." She replied.

Ivan turned and slapped her hard across the face,

"I said come. You will be my whore!" and he raised his hand to hit her again.

Before he could strike Hilde again Duo stepped into the way and stopped the swipe.

"She said no," he told the man coldly.

"Why you little!"

A few waitresses quickly came over to stop the fight bringing two bottles of vodka to calm Ivan with. Duo turned towards Hilde,

"You alright lady?"

"I'm fine. Why'd you stop him?"

"You're different from the other girls. I don't think you really like this."

"I'm new here and I need the money. I didn't know this was part of the deal."

"I'm Duo Maxwell. What did you say your name was?"

"Hilde Sheibaker."

"Well Hilde I'm gonna get you out of this dump. Follow me."

Hilde hesitated and looked at Duo. Could he be trusted? She could smell alcohol on his breath and he only looked 15.

"Listen Hilde I'm not like these men. I won't hurt you. Could you please trust me?"

Hilde nodded and followed Duo to his automobile. Minutes later they arrived at a military base. Hilde, who was rubbing her sore cheek, stared in surprise.

"Is this where you're staying?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm a Corporal."

Duo took Hilde to his tent and offered her a change of clothes and some water to wash off her face and then he left the tent to wait for her. Fifteen minutes later she told him he could come back in. She sat on his cot and looked at him wondering what would happen.

"So tell me about yourself. What brought you to that dump?"

Hilde told him about her family and Duo in turn told her his story, every detail right down to his alcohol use.

"Gee, so you're here to fight the Nazis huh?"

"Yep, it's late you should get some sleep. You can have the cot and I'll sleep on the floor."

"You sure?"

"You bet."

"Thanks Duo."

''No problem."

"Night Duo."

"Night Hilde."

Hallie looked out the window of the train. The train belonged to the Nazis. It was a special one just for the families of Nazi soldiers and supplies. Her brother was sending her to Germany where she would be safer. She sighed,

"How come men get to have all the fun?" she thought aloud.

Looking back out the window she noticed two fighter planes. One belonged to the Nazis and one belonged to the Allies. The planes were battling each other firing missiles and such. A plump woman behind Hallie began to worry.

"What if a stray bomb hits us!" she shrieked.

"Don't worry one of our men is up there he won't let any missiles hit us." Hallie reassured the woman confidently.

Just as she was saying this the Allie plane fired a missile at the Nazi one. The Nazi pilot dodged but the missile kept going and hit one of the storage car of the train. A storage car carrying crates of dynamite and kegs of gasoline.

Author's Note: Ooh cliffhanger aren't I mean? Hope you like the story so far I think this chapter might be my best so far. Well don't forget to Review! Oh and incase you didn't know the Allies are the nations that united to fight the Nazis. Thanks!

~BrittanyRae~

P.S. To the Ticked Author:

I am so sorry! I had no idea that someone else was using this idea! Will you please forgive me? I never saw your notice in the forum either. I'm sorry that I stole your idea but I didn't know anyone else had it. I'm sorry you don't like the story so far too. If you want I will remove the story and quit writing it. Please forgive me! If you don't mind I would like to read your fic, is that okay? Please give me your real pen name if it is okay. Again, I am very sorry that I took your idea. As I mentioned before I didn't know it had been used. I will remove the story or do what is necessary to make this up to you. Email me with your response at this address: raerenee@gundambliss.zzn.com

I am extremely sorry!