Mel: Another chapter… two in one day… I'm overworked.

Tsuru: *shakes head*

Legal crap: Melara does not own Gundam wing, a sense of right and wrong, the ability to spell, or any sleep.

Warnings: Only one focal point in this chapter. A little bit of Duo and Quatre torture…. Not as bad as it could have been. Enjoy it as much as possible.

Mel: *yawns* Ok. Last one for today. And don't expect one tomorrow. I have school.

Tsuru: Oi….

"Hello Duo. I'm back. Did you miss me?"

Hell yeah! I told you, I have nothing to do! No one else will even come in here to talk to me… except Kate. But she's different…

"Really? How so?" Quatre couldn't help but laugh at Duo's hyperactive mind. Even in the worst position, he could still keep cheerful.

Well, you know her. She'll babble about this and that, tells me that I don't have to worry. That help is on the way—

"She says help is on the way?"

Yeah. She's probably just trying to make me feel better…

"Maybe…" Quatre drifted off on this thought, but Duo demanded his attention.

Oi! Where were you? Drifting past Venus?

"Gomen, Duo. I was just thinking…"

Yeah, well why don't you try thinking at me instead? Quatre blinked. It took him a minute to understand.

"I-I don't know if I can do that…"

Well, give it a shot. You never know, right? Quatre sifted through his mind, and tried to think to communicate instead of talking. After about five minutes, Duo broke his concentration. Don't strain yourself. If you can't do it, you can't do it, you know? Quatre and Duo continued to talk…. Well, think and talk, for a few more minutes before Quatre brought up a question that had been bothering him in a very sly manner.

"Hey Duo, are you hungry?"

…Not exactly… While they were talking, Quatre noticed that Duo's phrasing had become slightly awkward. And several times, he couldn't think of the word he wanted to use.

"What do you mean?"

Well… I told you earlier I can't feel anything… so if I needed food, I wouldn't know.

"Do you think you'd like to try eating?"

…. Duo was completely silent for a moment. If he was thinking, he was doing it on a level that Quatre couldn't hear him. How would I do that? A feeling of horror passed through Duo, and Quatre could feel it as if it were his own fear. You wouldn't… wouldn't… uh…. God! I can't think of the word! Uhm…

"I'm not going to shove a tube down your stomach, if that's what you're getting at."

Well then… what would you do?

"Duo, do you think you could try to move? I'll help you find your way out if you want…"

No! Quatre winced at the emotions that shot through him with the harsh thought. They went by so quickly, he didn't have a chance to identify them. I-I don't want to…

"Why not?"

…. Another pause, and a feeling of uneasiness in his stomach. I'm afraid… I don't want to have to feel that again… Once was enough, thank you. Quatre sighed and leaned back in his chair.

'Oh Duo, I hate to see you like this… I wish there was something I could do to help…' Quatre paused at this thought. There was something he could do. If he had been able to make Heero feel less pain, then maybe he could do the same for Duo. Quatre tried to trigger what ever it was in his mind that allowed him to do that, but he had no idea what to do. Before, it was just a reflex. He couldn't control when it happened, and when to stop it. He had to find something to trigger that reflex. Quatre put his hand on Duo's again, and felt his mind slip.

Quatre gasped as pain flowed through his body. His chest tightened and forced him to exhale. He brought his free hand up to his head, weaving his fingers through his hair, pulling at it. His other hand remained on Duo's, holding it tightly, as if it were the only thing keeping him alive.

Quatre? Duo could feel the blond's mind slipping away from his. He didn't want to be alone again, he didn't want to be lost. Quatre, what's happening?

Duo's voice shot through Quatre's mind, forcing him to pay attention. "Du-Duo…" Quatre shook his head and tried to concentrate. "See… See if you can get up…" Quatre's breathing became short and ragged with the pain, but he wouldn't let go of Duo until he pulled himself out of his mind. Quatre was just going to have to deal with the pain a little longer.

Quatre? Daijobu? Quatre took his hand from his head and put it on the edge of the bed to keep himself upright.

"Fine… Just see if you can move…" Duo pushed hard against the barrier in his mind. He had let himself slip back too far, and now he was having trouble getting out.

"Heh…. Just a little more….." Duo now had control of his mouth, he just needed to find the rest of himself. The only problem was, he didn't know if he wanted to do that. He had no desire to feel the horrible pain that had knocked him into the back of his mind in the first place.

"Don't worry…. There won't… be any… pain….." Quatre fought desperately against his mind, which was slipping away into Duo. He didn't want to invade his friends thoughts if he could help it. But he was fighting a losing battle.

Duo trusted Quatre's words, and forced himself to move his head. "It doesn't hurt…" Duo couldn't understand. There was supposed to be a sharp pain in his head, what happened? Why didn't it hurt?

Quatre began to feel very cold, and it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. "That's good…. Keep pushing…. You'll be out soon…."

The last thing Duo was able to move was his eyes. He turned to Quatre to see what was going on. He was scared by the pain that contorted the young Arab's face. "What's wrong?"

Quatre looked up at Duo, and saw that the dead look had left his eyes. "Oh good…. I'm so glad…. you're alright…." His mind slipped again, further into Duo. He could hear his thoughts, and Duo was none too happy at the moment.

Duo looked down at Quatre's hand. It was clenched so tightly around his own that the knuckles had turned white. "What's happening to you? Quatre?"

Quatre forced himself to smile at the self proclaimed shinigami. "I… I don't know….. I'm as lost as you are…" The pain was eating away at his energy. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep this up for much longer. "I… I can't do this…"

"Do what? What's wrong?" Quatre could feel Duo's anger as a part of himself.

"Your pain… I can't… keep you… from……." Quatre felt his voice trail off in exhaustion. He looked up at Duo and gave a tired smile.

Duo looked back down at Quatre's hand. "My pain? This is my fault. I'm the reason….." Duo grabbed Quatre's hand, and pulled it away from his own.

"No…." Quatre was too tired to stop Duo. He felt his mind snap as his hand left Duo's. He was forced back into himself, and the pain from that was equal to that of Duo's. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he fell over on Duo, a dull thud as his head made contact with Duo's chest.

Duo let out a cry of agony as the pain shot through his body again. Trowa ran into the room to see what had happened. He said something, but Duo didn't hear. He had already been thrown back into the depths of his mind once again. He fell backwards, letting Quatre slip off onto the floor.

To be continued…

Mel: Ok. That's enough for now. I'm tired of writing. That's all I've done all weekend.

Tsuru: O.o So, you're going to do your homework?

Mel: Hell no! I'm gonna go play FF8!!! I haven't done that in weeks!

Tsuru: *sighs* hopeless…