The Tailor.















Duo walks out of the Hospital and turns on his cell phone. It is twelve hours before he has to meet Hilde, and there is much he has to do.



"Hello?"



"Dorothy? Good. Your up."



"No. I'm not. Go away Duo. I need my sleep."



"Why? Quatre's back in town?" Duo laughs as he hears Dorothy grumble.



"No. He's not back. I stayed up late working on a case AND looking up that information you wanted on Sarah."



"Great. So tell me all about her." Duo says with a smile.



"Sure. But I don't see why knowing about Peter's new girlfriend will help Hilde?"



"Don't worry about it. I have it all planed out." His smiles broadens as he thinks about his planes for tonight. "You better start writing that check Dorothy, cause if my plan works, I'll have her eating out of the palms of my hands by tonight!"



"NO!" Yells Dorothy. Her sudden anger causes Duo to stop in the middle of the sidewalk causing a few people to bump into him. "That is NOT the plan."



"It's not?" He says confused.



"No. You are supposed to get her to move on. Get her to forget Peter."



"But I am."



"Not like that! You'll only hurt her more! And if you do...I'll kill you!" Duo gulps, he knows that Dorothy will always do what she threatens to do.



"Shit Dorothy! I have been leading her on to think that I want her!"



"Really?" She says astounded. "And she hasn't told you off?"



"No. I get the feeling that she is not use to a guy coming onto her like I am." Duo sighs and rakes a hand in his bangs. "Wonder why? She's cute." He says to himself.



"What? I didn't get the last part of what you said."



"Uh . . . I haven't gotten any hostility from her. In fact, I think she likes me . . . " Duo takes a short pause waiting for Dorothy. "Ok. Now that I know this. How do you want me to act?"



"I don't know. Just don't hurt her. Lately she has been scaring Relena and I. I think she may . . . you know, do something."



"You're telling me she is suicidal! Dorothy! When I asked you to tell me everything about her I meant everything! Why did you fail to tell me that!" Duo could not believe that one breakup could cause someone to be stupid and take their own life.



"I can't say for sure if she has tried or even thinks about it. But I notice things . . . like when someone touches her, she becomes stiff and how she doesn't smile as much as she used to. Also, she spends too much time to herself. She seems depressed . . . but she always kind of was before Peter. Peter only made things worse when he betrayed her. So, what I want you to do is to build her confidence in herself again. I did some reading on how to deal with depressed people and they said you should complement them on things they do, make them feel like they are doing good things . . . " Duo rolls his eyes as Dorothy goes on and on about this book. "I agree with what the book says but I know that hearing a complement from a guy will make any girl feel better. I mean, hearing it from your friends if fine . . . you expect them to say something like that . . . but from a guy . . . "



("She was like this before Peter?") Duo thinks about what Hilde said about her mother.



"I'm not like my mother."



"Do you know anything about her mother?" He interrupts Dorothy in mid-sentence.



"Nope. She doesn't talk about her family but I can look."



"Great. You do that."



"Look. I got to go. Meet me at the café next to your work around lunch. I'll give you the information on Sarah and anything I find on Hilde's past. Ok?"



"Sure. Bye Dorothy."



Duo tucks his hands in his coat's pockets, to protect them from the winter winds. He walks down the street to a small park. It is early in the morning so the park is empty as the city still sleeps. A few people are up, getting ready for the day and some joggers. Duo smiles as he sits down on a cold bench. He closes his eyes and listens to the quietness of the morning.



"Let me tell you about Hilde . . . " Rings Dorothy's voice from yesterday. "She's a major in human medicine and right now is in Graduate school. But she has to take a year off to pay for it."



"Why?"



"Well, from what I know, Hilde's parents are not in the picture. And she has been paying for college all by herself. Poor girl. When I first met her, it was at a party. We went to the same school, except I took law. She was nice but looked like hell. Poor girl, she has put herself through college all by herself."



"You said that already."



"It's important to know! Her whole life revolves around school. That's why she moved in with Peter. They where both splitting the bill of living costs. This helped Hilde drop two of her three jobs." Duo's jaw dropped at the idea of having more than one job. He would never work so hard just for some paper at the end of college. "Yes, I know. She is a bit of an extremist. Never quits. She needs to let go and have fun. Her life style is going to kill her! But, going back to Peter. He was a nice guy but I thought a little pushy. I knew he never really liked Hilde but I thought she needed someone. When Peter was around, she was a normal college student, except she was passing all her classes." Dorothy laughs. " But anyway, when I heard that Peter and Hilde were going to get married I was shocked, they never look like they would . . . then he cheated on her with that Sarah girl." Her voice becomes venoms.



"And let me guess. She never got over him, thinking he was the one, that she had a real romance? Man Dorothy, no offence, but your friend needs to get a life."



"Don't say that! I have a lot of respect for her! She came from nothing and worked her way up! That's more than what can be said about you!"



"Ouch, put the claws back Dorothy. I didn't mean any harm. I'm just saying that she needs to realize that there is no such thing as a romance. If there was, then I would be out of the business."



"I know what you think. But Hilde is like all women. We want a romance, we believe in soul mates and it hurts when you think you found Mr. Right and end up finding he is not the one. But the thing that makes me mad is what he did to her." Dorothy sighs. "When she confronted him about Sarah, he told her off. He told her she was boring him and Sarah was more fun . . . then! Oh, this takes the cake! He told her to move out! That ass hole! Hilde could barely afford to live on her own and pay for college! Now she is in the dumps and hasn't recovered! You need to help her. Please Duo?"



"You know, I don't do things like this but . . . Since she's cute I will. Besides, who's better at making a woman happy?"



Duo smiles at his words. ("Yes, who is better?") He stretches out his arms and legs as he takes in a deep breath of the cold winter air. He thinks about Hilde and how she looked in that nurses outfit. ("Real cute. Too bad she isn't going to be a real customer.") Duo sits there for a few more moments enjoying the time out from life. He doesn't believe in romance or even soul mates! However, something about the girl Hilde makes him feel differently . . .





Hilde closes her locker and smiles as she hears Stephanie and her friend Liz arguing over something. She pulls on her coat and leans up against her locker. The idea of going out to dinner with the Tailor Duo has been on her mind all day. It has caused her to get stares from the other nurses and doctors but she didn't care. ("Now Hilde.") Warns the voice of her mom. ("You remember Peter. All men are alike. They don't want you to succeed. They'll make you drop out of school! You don't want to end up like me?") Hilde slides to the floor at her mom's crushing words. ("But . . . I am smarter than that! I let you lead me around with Peter and look what happened!") She yells back at the voice in her head. ("Yes, look what happened! He turned out to be like all men! Like your father! Remember him? Remember how he left us! Wait until you are stable! It's just two more years Hilde! Two more years and you will be out of college and will be a working doctor!")



"Yes, your right . . . just two more years. I can't get distracted, like I did with Peter . . . " She says in a soft voice.



"Hilde?" Says Stephanie. She is standing by her locker and looks down to Hilde. "Are you all right? You have been out of it all day!"



"Is it about that Tailor guy?" Says Liz.



"No . . . " Both girls cross their arms over their chests, not buying Hilde's answer. "Yes." She says ashamed.



"Why so blue?" Stephanie helps Hilde up. "He's generous! You need this break from Peter!"



"You're still not over him?" Says Liz as she pushes Stephanie away. She grabs Hilde's shoulders and shacks her. "Why . . . are you . . . not . . . over HIM?" Hilde pushes Liz away and glares at the two girls.



"For the last time! I am over him!" ("Damn him! Because of him, I almost lost everything! I almost became my mother, a failure! Never again. I will never let someone in my heart until I am stable and able to take care of myself.") "I have to go." She leaves the locker room and heads for the exit. ("They don't understand. Peter almost broke me, almost made me forget.")



"Come here Hilde." Says her mom as she sits by the fireplace. Hilde walks up to her mom and sits down by her feet. "Do you know why it's important that you don't become like me?" Hilde shakes her head 'no' as she hugs her stuff bunny. "I was a good student and I had dreams. I wanted to become a doctor and start a family. But I lost all that when I fell for your father. I forgot about school and then I had you." She covers her face with her hands as she starts to cry. Hilde doesn't understand why her mom is crying but she wants her to stop and she will do anything to stop her tears."I'm a failure. Don't you ever become like me! Don't get distracted! Finish school, get a job. Once you have that . . . then you can fall in love. Don't forget..."



"I won't mother." Hilde lays out a plan to tell Duo that she can't see him tonight but hen she sees him, dressed in a nice black suit. He had a smile that melted her heart and all her thoughts. She slows down her pace and didn't know that she is smiling with the same radiance as his. Once she is close, he hands her flowers. "Thank you." She takes them and looks at what he is wearing. "Uh . . . sorry about me not being dressed up. If I knew where we were going I would have made time to go home and change."



"Don't worry. We're not going anywhere where you need to dress up. I just did this for you. I don't go on many dates."



"Really? You seem like the type of guy who would have a date for every week." The two laugh. "But really. You didn't . . . " Hilde never finished what she was saying cause Duo grabbed her arm and pulled her outside.



"Enough talk. Let's go before the place gets crowded."



"Where are we going?" Hilde stopped and gazed at the black Jaguar that Duo was unlocking. "Wow. Being a tailor must pay a lot."



"Yeah." He opens the door for Hilde. "It has its benefits."



Bangkok Gardens . . .



"I love this place!" Duo helps Hilde out of the car and smiles at her.



"I know."



"What?"



"Lets go." He opens the door for her. Duo looks at his watch and makes a note of the time.



They were shown to their table. It was close to the exit but far enough that the cold night could not touch them. Hilde looks around the room, admiring everything. She then looks at Duo and promises never to listen to herself again.



"This is so great! I haven't been here in years!"



"I'm glad you like it." Duo looks at his watch when Hilde is looking away. He sighs and hopes that the food here is good. He's never been here before. The lights are dimmed and soft music is played. The place it beautiful, dressed in traditional Tai decorations. But the decorations are not what Duo is admiring, he is admiring his date. She is not drop dead generous but she has a natural beauty. Her skin glows in this light and the sudden urge to touch her devours him. He reaches out a hand to brush against her check. Hilde is unaware of his actions, she is looking a waterfall that empties out to a small little pound with gold fish. As his hand comes closer, Hilde becomes aware of him. Duo stops and Hilde's breath is caught in her throat. They both blush and Duo is about to say something when the ringing of bells interrupts them. Hilde turns to find to her horror that Peter and Sarah have just entered the restaurant.