Duo sauntered through the streets, a crumpled piece of paper in his right hand. He stared at the address and prayed to God that she was still there. As he came to the intricately designed door, he raised his fist and gently knocked his knuckles against the hard wood.

Footsteps came from inside and soon the door opened, followed by a dazzling set of sheer, grey-blue eyes and hair the color of grape koolaid.

"H-Hilde?" Was all the Gundam pilot could choke out.

~

As a knock came from the door, I glanced up to Lady, startled. She swallowed and I knew she was planning something, but I did not object when she motioned for me to open the door. And when I did, I found the biggest surprise of my life. The man standing in front of me was so familiar in sight, smell and feeling that I nearly sunk to the floor with an emotional overload. My eyes caressed the folds of his black shirt, pants, and boots and rested on the white preacher's collar around his well-muscled neck.

Eyes the color of frosted eggplants stared at me, wide and alert. Brown bangs feathered around such intense and loving eyes and I noticed a shard of hair trailing over his shoulder, tied in a messy braid. I gulped harshly and stumbled back, opening the door wider so he could enter, though staying, for the moment, speechless as the memories flooded my senses, though I could not depict them.

He spoke my name, or what Lady had said my name was, and I crinkled my brow in confusion, "Do-Do I know you?"

~

Duo's jaw dropped and he jerked back, as if she had slapped him across his cheek. He looked over Hilde's shoulder to Lady, who had tears in her eyes. She had warned him, but he had persisted on coming and did not listen. He did not because he could not--could not listen to the words that now soaked into his mind and made his stomach ache. No, that would be his heart that was aching, breaking, becoming numb. He wanted to see her and her disposition for himself, and now, in a way, he regretted having made that choice. But still, he moved closer, but when he did, his eyes begging with Hilde's to remember, she stiffled a gasp and pressed her back to the wall, fear striking bolts of silver in her irises.

~

I glanced to Lady and then back to the man, "I am trying so hard." My voice cracked and I let my shoulders sag, "Really, I am. Both of you. My mind does not register you or your names, but my heart is aching for me to remember." I broke into helpless sobs, feeling as if my world had came to an end. Looking into what seemed to have happened to me, it had.

Warm arms encircled me and a comforting hand raked through my sweat-dampened hair. I emitted a soft moan, letting my forehead mold to his chest. It felt as if it belonged there or had been there before. He was so warm; that spicy smell of his skin soothed me and his gentleness made me feel fragile.

I felt, in more than one way, like a newborn who already knew her mother's voice, but could not yet identify her by anything else. The same with Duo, but I knew him with all my senses, which made it even more difficult. I had to figure out who he was and what he meant to me, and most of all, what I mean to him.