AUTHOR'S NOTE: This isn'y actually a new chapter par se, but it is the end of chapter 6 which I accidently missed off the last post. Sorry! Chapter 7 will be here soon.
"Well then," Trowa said. "He has people to see him through this. He will know that no matter what he is, we will still love him."
"But," Quatre said worriedly. "What if he thinks that he is being an imposter? What if he thinks that we only care for him because he resembles someone we loved who died?"
"We will have to convince him," Trowa said simply. "He knows us and even if it is copied knowledge, that is still a fact that he will know. He will know that we are strong. He will know all these struggles we have been through. He will know that we have not replaced the original Duo with him, even if he denies that knowledge, he will know. And we'll make him understand that, as far as we're concerned, he is Duo, not a replacement. And therefore we will care for him just as much as we did for his original."
Quatre sighed. "You think he will still like us, then?"
"I know he will," Trowa reassured him, pulling back and wiping tears of Quatre's cheeks. "It's only natural that he may feel betrayed or angry with us, but he will know that we are still his friends. He'll come back to us. It will take time, but I know he will, in time, come to accept us again."
"What will we do now?" Quatre's voice was small. The waning sunlight filtered through the leaves and played across his face.
"Right now we will destroy the sons of bitches that did this to Duo and to us," Trowa said. "And then we will discuss with Wufei and Heero when we think we should tell him the truth."
Quatre chewed his lip for a moment and then nodded. They had put it off too long. They would have to tell him some time…but that decision could always wait until tomorrow.
Trowa looked up at the sound of Wing's engines in the distance. He led Quatre a little way off into the trees so that they'd be out of the way of the landing Gundam and so they could have a little quiet time together before they left. They would soon be off to destroy the base.
Wufei looked up as Heero entered the room. His face was as grim as ever. Duo did not look up. He was still working on his solitaire game in the corner of the room.
Wufei watched Heero carefully. Heero was looking at Duo, but Duo refused to meet his gaze. Wufei could not determine what was going through either boy's mind. However, he could take a wild stab that Duo was hurt about Heero supposedly going to see Relena and Heero was hurt by the silent treatment he was getting from the braided pilot.
"Time to go, Heero?" asked Wufei, unable to stand the tension.
Heero merely nodded without taking his eyes off the American. He turned and left the small room without another word. Wufei saw Duo pause in his game and saw his eyes glaze over with anger and hurt.
"Duo?" Wufei asked carefully. "You ok?"
"Oh, just peachy," Duo bit out, violet eyes blazing with furious pain. He checked himself, sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Wu-man. I didn't mean to snap at you. Just feeling a bit grouchy this evening."
Wufei nodded and shouldered himself into a more comfortable position on the musty old bed.
"It's Wu-fei," Wufei automatically corrected in a sleepy voice.
There was silence in the room for some time longer. Quatre looked in on them before they left to make sure Wufei's leg was ok and to see if Duo had cheered up. He hadn't.
"Well then," Trowa said. "He has people to see him through this. He will know that no matter what he is, we will still love him."
"But," Quatre said worriedly. "What if he thinks that he is being an imposter? What if he thinks that we only care for him because he resembles someone we loved who died?"
"We will have to convince him," Trowa said simply. "He knows us and even if it is copied knowledge, that is still a fact that he will know. He will know that we are strong. He will know all these struggles we have been through. He will know that we have not replaced the original Duo with him, even if he denies that knowledge, he will know. And we'll make him understand that, as far as we're concerned, he is Duo, not a replacement. And therefore we will care for him just as much as we did for his original."
Quatre sighed. "You think he will still like us, then?"
"I know he will," Trowa reassured him, pulling back and wiping tears of Quatre's cheeks. "It's only natural that he may feel betrayed or angry with us, but he will know that we are still his friends. He'll come back to us. It will take time, but I know he will, in time, come to accept us again."
"What will we do now?" Quatre's voice was small. The waning sunlight filtered through the leaves and played across his face.
"Right now we will destroy the sons of bitches that did this to Duo and to us," Trowa said. "And then we will discuss with Wufei and Heero when we think we should tell him the truth."
Quatre chewed his lip for a moment and then nodded. They had put it off too long. They would have to tell him some time…but that decision could always wait until tomorrow.
Trowa looked up at the sound of Wing's engines in the distance. He led Quatre a little way off into the trees so that they'd be out of the way of the landing Gundam and so they could have a little quiet time together before they left. They would soon be off to destroy the base.
Wufei looked up as Heero entered the room. His face was as grim as ever. Duo did not look up. He was still working on his solitaire game in the corner of the room.
Wufei watched Heero carefully. Heero was looking at Duo, but Duo refused to meet his gaze. Wufei could not determine what was going through either boy's mind. However, he could take a wild stab that Duo was hurt about Heero supposedly going to see Relena and Heero was hurt by the silent treatment he was getting from the braided pilot.
"Time to go, Heero?" asked Wufei, unable to stand the tension.
Heero merely nodded without taking his eyes off the American. He turned and left the small room without another word. Wufei saw Duo pause in his game and saw his eyes glaze over with anger and hurt.
"Duo?" Wufei asked carefully. "You ok?"
"Oh, just peachy," Duo bit out, violet eyes blazing with furious pain. He checked himself, sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Wu-man. I didn't mean to snap at you. Just feeling a bit grouchy this evening."
Wufei nodded and shouldered himself into a more comfortable position on the musty old bed.
"It's Wu-fei," Wufei automatically corrected in a sleepy voice.
There was silence in the room for some time longer. Quatre looked in on them before they left to make sure Wufei's leg was ok and to see if Duo had cheered up. He hadn't.