Six years later...
"Everyone, come on in here." A man yelled, and hopped onto the couch, with a remote in his hand. Three other men, a woman and a child entered the living room. "Come on take a seat..." The woman turned to face the screen, "Duo-Chan, what is this?" Grinning he grabbed her from behind and pulled her down onto his lap, as they laughed. "Since it's raining outside, I figured that we could watch some of my old videos." Leaning up he kissed her on the cheek. "Mommy watch out, Daddy's going to give you cooties." A little boy cringed his nose, as he sat next to Wufei. Duo laughed, "We should have named you Wufei not Darren. At five I can understand you thinking people have cooties, but Wufei... I think he still believes in cooties." Darren frowned as he flipped his chestnut brown braid behind him. And both him and Wufei crossed their arms, and turned to the screen. "Yume-Chan, remind me not to let him hand around Wufei so much, he's rubbing off on him." Raising an eyebrow the
Chinese turned back to him, "Maxwell I am not amused. Lady Maxwell I don't know how you can put up with him." Karen smiled, and turned back to face Duo. "Well I do. And I think it's cute that Darren likes you, Wufei." She kissed Duo on the nose, and turned back. "Sorry Mommy that we're late, Uncle Heero was helping me with my homework." A girl walked in with bouncing black curls, a smile on her face, and holding Heero's hand.
Heero sat down without a word and sat Akima on his knee. "So are we going to start this or what, Daddy?" Smiling Duo clicked `play' on the remote. For hours old videos rolled on the screen. Some made the whole group laugh, other didn't. Wufei left around the time that his `soda accident' played, giving Duo a threatening glare, as he carried the sleeping Darren to bed. Quatre left soon after, and Trowa said his goodbyes a half an hour later. Following Duo's tape of his morning ritual of getting dressed, Heero picked up the half asleep Akima. She leaned over and kissed her mother and father goodnight, and snuggled close to Heero. "Thank you Uncle Heero. Goodnight, Mommy and Daddy." He nodded his head at the couple and carried the girl to her room.
Duo about to get up was stopped by Karen. Looking back at the screen, he gazed with puzzlement at it. From the video they could see that the camera was being zoomed into focus. Stepping in front of it was Karen. Duo looked over at her, and asked her what that was. "Remember when I was shot, and I had said that I did tell you, but in my own way? Well this is it..." Taking his chin, she turned his face back to the screen.
"... Hello Duo-Chan. I don't know when you will get this, and I don't know what would have happened to me by then. I wanted to tell you that I love you, more than anything. I also wanted to thank you, for everything you have done. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you what has bothered me, but maybe someday I will. I was afraid to love you at first, because of what happened in my past, but also because I am afraid of losing you. Cale said that he is going to kill me, and trust me he doesn't give up that easy. But to make this short, no matter what happens to me, I will always love you. I ask you one more favor, is that if anything does happen to watch over Akima for me? I have to go now, love you forever. Bye..."
The camera was clicked off just as Duo walked into the room. Duo turned off the video, and turned to face Karen. She looked down, "I guess that wasn't the best way of telling you, sorry. I just didn't want you to get hurt. And you kept that promise, even if you didn't know. You watched over Akima, later Darren, and me. Thank you, I can still remember what you told me that night too." Duo smiled, and pulled her close. "That's ok, and I remember that night too. I can still picture the look on that nurse's face when she came in the next morning, and you weren't alone." Not wanting her to respond, Duo pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. Running his hand through her silky hair and smiled.
******************
As Duo lay on the couch, he looked down on his sleeping love. Her breath fell warmly on his chest, and he ran his hands through her hair. She snuggled close to him and sighed, unaware in her sleep. Duo looked up at the ceiling, and smiled to himself. My wish finally came true. I found my love, my true love. I have a family, a real family. Maybe I will live a normal life after all. Only time will tell... Kissing his lover on the forehead gently he whispered, "I love you Karen Yume Maxwell." Smiling, she whispered in her sleep, "I love you too, Duo Maxwell." And another thing in common, we both talk in our sleep. Shifting down, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, and closed his eyes. With a smile on his face, the couple entered the dream world, and were finally free of the past's troubles...
THE END
::Looks out from hiding spot:: well you made it this far? Tell me what you think. Please!
"Everyone, come on in here." A man yelled, and hopped onto the couch, with a remote in his hand. Three other men, a woman and a child entered the living room. "Come on take a seat..." The woman turned to face the screen, "Duo-Chan, what is this?" Grinning he grabbed her from behind and pulled her down onto his lap, as they laughed. "Since it's raining outside, I figured that we could watch some of my old videos." Leaning up he kissed her on the cheek. "Mommy watch out, Daddy's going to give you cooties." A little boy cringed his nose, as he sat next to Wufei. Duo laughed, "We should have named you Wufei not Darren. At five I can understand you thinking people have cooties, but Wufei... I think he still believes in cooties." Darren frowned as he flipped his chestnut brown braid behind him. And both him and Wufei crossed their arms, and turned to the screen. "Yume-Chan, remind me not to let him hand around Wufei so much, he's rubbing off on him." Raising an eyebrow the
Chinese turned back to him, "Maxwell I am not amused. Lady Maxwell I don't know how you can put up with him." Karen smiled, and turned back to face Duo. "Well I do. And I think it's cute that Darren likes you, Wufei." She kissed Duo on the nose, and turned back. "Sorry Mommy that we're late, Uncle Heero was helping me with my homework." A girl walked in with bouncing black curls, a smile on her face, and holding Heero's hand.
Heero sat down without a word and sat Akima on his knee. "So are we going to start this or what, Daddy?" Smiling Duo clicked `play' on the remote. For hours old videos rolled on the screen. Some made the whole group laugh, other didn't. Wufei left around the time that his `soda accident' played, giving Duo a threatening glare, as he carried the sleeping Darren to bed. Quatre left soon after, and Trowa said his goodbyes a half an hour later. Following Duo's tape of his morning ritual of getting dressed, Heero picked up the half asleep Akima. She leaned over and kissed her mother and father goodnight, and snuggled close to Heero. "Thank you Uncle Heero. Goodnight, Mommy and Daddy." He nodded his head at the couple and carried the girl to her room.
Duo about to get up was stopped by Karen. Looking back at the screen, he gazed with puzzlement at it. From the video they could see that the camera was being zoomed into focus. Stepping in front of it was Karen. Duo looked over at her, and asked her what that was. "Remember when I was shot, and I had said that I did tell you, but in my own way? Well this is it..." Taking his chin, she turned his face back to the screen.
"... Hello Duo-Chan. I don't know when you will get this, and I don't know what would have happened to me by then. I wanted to tell you that I love you, more than anything. I also wanted to thank you, for everything you have done. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you what has bothered me, but maybe someday I will. I was afraid to love you at first, because of what happened in my past, but also because I am afraid of losing you. Cale said that he is going to kill me, and trust me he doesn't give up that easy. But to make this short, no matter what happens to me, I will always love you. I ask you one more favor, is that if anything does happen to watch over Akima for me? I have to go now, love you forever. Bye..."
The camera was clicked off just as Duo walked into the room. Duo turned off the video, and turned to face Karen. She looked down, "I guess that wasn't the best way of telling you, sorry. I just didn't want you to get hurt. And you kept that promise, even if you didn't know. You watched over Akima, later Darren, and me. Thank you, I can still remember what you told me that night too." Duo smiled, and pulled her close. "That's ok, and I remember that night too. I can still picture the look on that nurse's face when she came in the next morning, and you weren't alone." Not wanting her to respond, Duo pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. Running his hand through her silky hair and smiled.
******************
As Duo lay on the couch, he looked down on his sleeping love. Her breath fell warmly on his chest, and he ran his hands through her hair. She snuggled close to him and sighed, unaware in her sleep. Duo looked up at the ceiling, and smiled to himself. My wish finally came true. I found my love, my true love. I have a family, a real family. Maybe I will live a normal life after all. Only time will tell... Kissing his lover on the forehead gently he whispered, "I love you Karen Yume Maxwell." Smiling, she whispered in her sleep, "I love you too, Duo Maxwell." And another thing in common, we both talk in our sleep. Shifting down, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, and closed his eyes. With a smile on his face, the couple entered the dream world, and were finally free of the past's troubles...
THE END
::Looks out from hiding spot:: well you made it this far? Tell me what you think. Please!