Guess what.? Gundam Wing does NOT belong to me.^^

Whooo!!  It took me a loooooooong time to get off my lazy but and get this chapter uploaded.  I had it written within days of the first but…. I just haven't gotten around to it 'till now.  Enjoy!!^^

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Ima Wa Me Wo Tojite Toki Wo Wasurete Miru

 
 
Part II – "Kotoba yori wakariaeru manazashi ga soko ni areba hito wa minna ikite-yukeru... 
                  mayowazu ni jiyuu ni"

By Arcee

Duo walked slowly down the sidewalk beside the broad road, his hands behind his head.  He sighed suddenly, stopping in mid-step, lowering his hands.

"Great, NOW where am I?"  he asked himself, feeling stupid for getting lost in the first place.  He looked around for a road sign, not that it would help much, he had NO idea where he was.

Duo pulled out the slip of paper that had the directions to where he was meeting the other four pilots.  No.  That wasn't right.  It was the other three pilots and Quatre.

Duo looked around him frantically for anything that would tell him where he was.  "Huh.  I was sure I followed them correctly…"  HE studied the paper for a second then looked around again.

Just as 'the God of Death'  noticed a landmark that was noted on his map, the sky darkened and rain drops started falling, warning pedestrians of the storm to come.

"Aw no!  Like it could BE any worse!"  Duo covered his head and ran in the direction that, he now knew, the others were in.

Tick Tick Tick

Wufei sat—elbow braced on his knee, head resting on that hand—unmoving except for his eyes, which followed the pendulum of the antique clock.

"What are you doing, Wufei?"  Heero asked the scholar.

Wufei shrugged and answered "Watching the pendulum."

Quatre laughed.  "Why?"  the blonde wanted to know.

"It's addicting."  Wufei answered flatly.  The others laughed.

"Okay then."  Heero said, a smile playing at his lips.

Tick Tick Tick

Quatre felt good.  They hadn't all laughed like that for a while now.  It was before that week , a few months ago, where Quatre had felt like he was in Limbo or something, when they last laughed as a group.

Gazing out the window, Quatre noticed it was starting to rain.  "Uh oh.  Looks like Duo's going to get wet."  He raised an eyebrow at the others.

This time Wufei joined the laughing as Trowa went to fetch some towels.

Tick Tick Tick

The sound of the rain grew louder as Duo ran towards his destination.  He skittered to a stop, splashing water everywhere as he hit the puddles.

The house was just across the street now, he could even see Quatre at the window.  Duo waved and Quatre acknowledged, turning away from the window to probably tell the others Duo had arrived.

There were no cars coming so Duo bent his mind to crossing the street.  He was soggy, cold, and miserable at the once sunny day that had turned so bitter.  Then, just to spite him, the sky gave out.

Trowa set the towels down close to the door then leaned against the wall, waiting for Quatre's signal.  Duo was late, not that it mattered much.  The five of them weren't meeting as the Gundam Pilots.  Just as old friends wondering how each other were doing, not that any of them were 'old'.

Tick Tick Tick

Visibility was bad.  Duo tried to squint between the raindrops, but as far as he could tell he was still on the other side of the road, not halfway across it.  'Crap. Crap crap crap crap crap.' He thought to himself.

If was slippery.  Brakes aren't that effective when there's no friction between the road and the wheels, no matter how well they work.  The driver was going to fast.

Tick Tick Tick

Trowa opened the front door just as a sound of screaming breaks and something heavy ramming into something much smaller and lighter than itself.  Trowa froze as car doors slammed and frantic voices cried "I didn't see him!!"

Trowa grabbed one of the towels by the door and darted out into the rain.  Moving toward the voices, he heard crying, cursing and the sounds of the rain hitting the many surfaces of the world.  He paused a moment, then stepped out in front of the headlights, dreading what he might find.

Tick Tick Tick

Heero and Wufei followed Trowa out the door and through the rain, stopping at the accident site.  The three pushed the two civilians out of the way, leaning down at Duo's side.

Duo coughed and smiled weakly.  "Hey guys."  He breathed.  "Sorry I'm late."  His eyes fluttered and Deathscythe's pilot fainted.

"Some God of Death."  Heero muttered as he helped Trowa straighten Duo's leg, wrapping it in the towel.  Trowa smiled slightly and continued checking for wounds.

Tick Tick Tick

Quatre was frustrated.  His movements were severely restricted due to paralysis from his waist down.  Well, not quite paralysis.  He could still move and walk short distances, but it hurt and his spine and hips wouldn't support him for long.

So while the others were out helping Duo, Quatre was sitting in the house, restrained to his wheelchair, fuming about how useless he was.

Wufei backed through the door carrying Duo at the shoulders, Heero following at Duo's knees.  Quatre saw 02's condition and hurried to open the door to Duo's temporary room, then went for the first aid kit.

Tick Tick Tick

Wufei sighed as he and Heero put Duo on the bed.  Duo was NOT going to live this humiliation down.  After all he's been through, the thing that takes the pilot down is an Earth vehicle!  Wufei shook his head at the thought.  'Shaa~~aame on you, Maxwell.'

Quatre had arrived with the medical supplies and had handed them to Heero.  Quatre gave Wufei an odd look and said "Don't be so insensitive you guys.  That could have just as easily been you out there."  Heero snorted and Wufei just stared at 04.

"Keep your bloody space-heart to yourself."  Wufei growled.  Quatre looked stricken.

"Hey."  Duo stirred and glowered over at Wufei.  "Don't be mean to Quatre."

"So I'll be mean to you."  Wufei glowered back.  Duo blinked, then erupted into laughter which turned quickly to a moan of pain.

There was silence while Heero finished splinting and properly bandaging Duo's leg.  After a few moments, Heero realized that there WAS silence.  He glanced around the room and said "Hear that?  No ticking."  The other three boys listened for a minute, and realized that he was right.  Heero, Quatre and Wufei stuck their heads out the door of Duo's room in curiosity.

What they saw was a very satisfied, coffee-drinking Trowa, and the dismantled clock.  The three of them raised an eyebrow simultaneously but Trowa just shrugged and smiled.

Wufei shook his head in amusement and decided to look for a book that he hadn't already read.  Heero sat at the table beside Trowa and booted up his laptop.  Quatre went back inside Duo's room to keep him company and do he would stop whining about abandonment.  All was well again.

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Arcee:  And the hunt for the Gundam pilots continues.  Who'll be next?  *looks over at three remaining pilots who are cowering in the corner* Let's see… eeny meeny miny… * Wufei and Trowa push Heero out as a sacrifice*

Heero:  .........

Duo:  What's with things hitting me?  First my face, now.... me.^^*

Arcee:  .......

Duo:  *smacks himself in forehead and stalks off, grumbling under his breath.*

Quatre:  Why are you hurting us!!!???  I thought you loved us!!

Arcee:  I do... but you must remember that THIS, is a fanfic.  Crazy stuff happens in those.^^

Gundam Pilots:  *sigh*