Abandoned Reverence



Author's Note: I have just recently noticed that in all of my chapters, I have left out a very big detail (very sorry, I should slap myself). When the story began (Prologue) it was a Friday night, the next chapter was Saturday, and the next chapter after that was Sunday. This chapter the day is Thursday, and some of you may be wondering why it really matters. First of all, I want you to understand that Duo and Hilde have been together for a very small amount of time. Also, we are nearing a very important chapter (the one that occurs Friday where Hilde _finally_ gets some answers from Duo). That means you don't want to miss next the next chapter because it will hopefully be able to shed some light on Duo's predicament. So stay tuned! This chapter isn't really going to be that big of a deal (in my opinion at least), but I certainly wouldn't suggest skipping over it. Okay? Tschüs!

-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com, please, I'm begging you now, email me! Tell me more directly what you think of this story!!!!!!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor any of its characters.

* Indicates thought

~ Indicates flashback

Chapter 6: Ferris Wheels and Cotton Candy

***

Hilde awoke with a start sitting straight up and throwing back the sheets of her bed. The recent nightmare rewound and played in her mind once more. She shivered and rubbed at her itchy eyes trying to rid the awful images from her mind.

She had dreamt of you-know-who again and it had come in the same fashion as the other feverish reverie. This time the setting was on the beach. A sweet longing filled her senses as she leaned into Duo for the inevitable kiss. She could almost taste the silky feel of his lips on hers. Overhead, the sun blanketed them in a soft pink hue radiating of passion. Down on the beach Steve yipped excitedly at his stick still floating on the sea. The pup was so far away-nothing could ruin this perfect moment.

Suddenly, her body was ripped from Duo's embrace by something behind. She turned and faced the menacing smirk of Jeff. "What do you think you're doing Hilde? Don't you remember? You belong to me." He chuckled and behind him materialized the body of Mindy. She too erupted in a lilting cackle and her arms crept around Jeff's waist in a possessive hold. Jeff pulled away from Mindy and forced himself onto Hilde. She struggled beneath his grasp. He turned into some kind of liquid substance and forced himself down Hilde's esophagus and nose. She gagged and choked trying to spit out the hateful material. Exhausted and on the brink of passing out, Hilde had finally woken.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead and climbed out of bed. Pulling on a pair of shorts and a sweater she crept through the hall passing a not-so- soundly-sleeping Duo. His snores completely covered any noise she happened to make, yet she still took the extra precaution of being quiet as she grabbed her sneakers and trod lightly down the hall.

The ocean broiled harshly this morning. The whipping wind cut across her cheeks and formed tears in her eyes. The sand swirled in small clouds disturbing footprints from other visitors. The seagulls overheard cawed their frustration as they flapped into the wind. Cottony gray mountainous clouds gathered just above the horizon.

Hilde wasted no time worrying about the weather as she started jogging. *If it's going to rain,* she thought, *then let it.* She sprinted across the first expanse of beach not slowing until she reached the bend. Then, setting a more reasonable pace, she slowed and allowed her muscles the much- needed oxygen. Her blood raced in a frenzy, confused due to the sudden transition from deep sleep to extreme activity. She felt mildly light- headed, but didn't pay the dizziness any heed. The dream rushed through her mind as she tried to decipher it.

It wasn't so much Jeff's warning that shook her; his charming face nearly always plagued her dreams. More, it was that desperate, suicidal dive of desiring Duo. *It isn't fair,* she concluded, *He can come and go as he pleases, but I have to suffer.* She panted when a gust came across her side and deprived her a breath of air. *I know Jeff and I are having problems now,* she thought not paying attention to the terrible thirst starting to creep along the back of her throat. *But, surely we could've worked through them.* She brushed a loose bang from her eyes. *Jeff has lots of good qualities,* she told herself. *And I know he still wants me,* she settled. *Why else would he feel so jealous of Duo?*

Inside her brain, the image of Jeff's mocking eyes flashing as he tried to choke her with a murderous kiss replayed. She shuddered. The possibilities for that part of the dream were endless. She glanced over at the raging sea. The tide was coming in and loose sprays of salty water slapped at her ankles. She couldn't help noticing how the color of the ocean and the color of Duo's eyes were so similar. Her cheeks flushed at her dream rolled through once more. *I don't like Duo,* she firmly told herself. *Last night was just an attempt to comfort myself. I obviously was more enraged by that picture of Jeff and Mindy then I realized. Duo will be gone forever after tomorrow, at least I can count on Jeff to always be around.*

Thus her mind made, she finished her jog with some sort of peace concentrating only on the pounding of her feet along the sandbar. She trotted past one more bend before stopping to rest on a small rock jutting from the sandy ground. Leaning against it she looked out into the raging sea; an outward portrayal of her inner turmoil. *What have I gotten myself into?* she thought distractedly when the comparison of Duo's eyes came once again. *I've only known him a few days, I couldn't possibly be so attached.* Something inside of her laughed leeringly, *Oh please Hilde,* the ridiculing voice said, *He was everything you wanted Jeff to be and more. Until now you never thought there was anyone better than Jeff, but now you're not so sure…* Hilde sighed. She despised the rolling reflections, yet was helpless to stop them. *I'll just let them run their course,* she decided. *I'm sure after he's gone I'll move on and get over it.* Finished with her break, she got up from the rock and jogged back at a slightly slower pace.

***

Because the clouds blocked her view of the sun, Hilde had no way of telling what time it was as she climbed the stairs passing by numerous windows. She made her way to the door quietly though, just in case it was still early enough to wake sleeping inhabitants.

She walked inside slipping of her sandy shoes and setting them inside the doorway. Leaning over, she brushed as many of the grain from the leather material as possible. SLAM. Because the door was open, Hilde met the hallway floor as Steve wriggled around her aching body trying to reach her face. "Steve, no," she whispered harshly trying to push the intrusive muzzle from licking her face. Due to the pup's large size, and her unpreparedness, Hilde could not fend off the monstrous beast who tackled her further to the ground and wiped her face clean with his wet tongue.

"Ahh, Steve, get off," Hilde heard Duo's voice from above her as he pulled on the dog's neck. Whimpering, the dog retreated, tail tucked between his legs and ears lowered, back into the apartment. Chuckling, Duo helped Hilde to her feet.

She shook her head incredulously. "You'd think I'd have learned by now," she said wiping access dog drool from her face.

Laughing more, Duo fingered a scrap of her soaked hair, "Are those blonde roots I see?" he joked at her airheadedness.

She shook her head in reply and declared, "I'm going to wash off. Have you already had breakfast?" She asked him. He nodded his affirmative and she proceeded inside closing and locking the door behind her.

"I've got to go run a few errands," Duo told her. "But afterwards I thought we might go check out that carnival," he said pointing towards a newspaper sprawled on the table. It was the same one that visited that boardwalk once a month; the same one that Jeff had always taken her too.

She shrugged off the notion tossing a casual "Sure," to Duo. His face lit in quiet delight before he headed out the door closing it behind him. She sighed patting Steve's lowered head passing him on her way to the kitchen. Pouring water in the top of her coffee maker, and waiting for the water to warm, she briefly contemplated Jeff's whereabouts. *No doubt in Ms. Mindy's bed,* she thought grimly looking over at the clock to see that it was only eight thirty. Her muscles groaned and she stretched them in attempt to loosen their scrunched cramps. Taking the ready coffee and pouring it in a mug, she opened the door of her balcony letting the light air brush against her face. The far off mountainous clouds were already moving along their path and Hilde could see a break of blue sky in the middle. *So the storm's moving on,* she thought absently and, finished with her coffee, went back inside to take a shower.

***

Clothed and fed, Hilde waited for Duo's return with growing impatience. She kicked herself once more for not setting a solid time they would meet. *It's not as though he would have given you one,* her mind retorted and she could not help but agree. He came while she was in the midst of a game for Steve, and an aggravating show of the dog's lack of obedience as Hilde's shoe hung from his mouth.

"Steve!! Get back here!!" she demanded hurling herself at where the dog stood, tail wagging. Merely moving aside, the dog dodged Hilde's attempt and she growled in frustration. By this time Duo was doubled over in laughter and Hilde gave him and accusing glare. "A little help?" she asked in annoyance and without responding (his mouth was still too full of chortle to say _anything_) He grabbed Steve by the back of the neck and quickly yanked the shoe from the dog's mouth, handing it to Hilde. The dog trotted in defeat.

She sat down on the couch and slipped it on, only to find it slimy and gross. "Eww," she commented pulling it back off and running down the hall to her room to grab a change of socks and another pair of shoes. Not uttering a word, Duo watched her receding back still laughing.

***

They crossed the street and followed the end of the boardwalk just as the carnival opened which meant that the sun still shown brightly in the sky. Against all of her pleas, Duo had brought Steve saying that the poor thing was getting tired of sitting inside all day. "How do you know?" she had shrilly asked.

"He is _my_ dog, isn't he?" Duo countered and the argument was settled as he fastened the leash onto Steve's collar.

Approaching the ticket booth, the pair bought plenty of tickets and continued in to the large set of rides and other games. They strolled down a length of the carnival area. "How about we ride the rides first?" Duo suggested making a beeline towards the closest one.

"We should wait until night, that way we can ride when all of the lights are on," Hilde responded.

"Okay, how about we play the games? I could win you a big teddy bear…" he taunted, but once again Hilde shook her head.

"What would I do with a big teddy bear on the rides?" Hilde asked once again crashing his good time.

"Eating's always good," Duo resolved.

"Yeah, if you want to barf it up when you get to the rides," she responded.

Irked Duo said, "Well, what should we do Ms. Know-It-All?"

Hilde looked about once before answering. "How about that?" she asked pointing to an open door with the sign 'Maze of Mirrors' over the top of it.

Perking up, Duo exclaimed, "Yeah! Okay," before excitedly grabbing Hilde's arm and dragging her over to the ticket collector.

"Three tickets per person," the stooped man said dully. It obviously was going to a long night for him.

Tossing the man six tickets, Duo dashed in ahead leaving Hilde to stroll more precariously around the twists and turns of the mirrored maze. Almost five minutes of dead ends and backtracking passed before Hilde called out for Duo. The silence she received unnerved her. *What's the matter?* she asked herself harshly. *Afraid of being alone?* The answer to that question was no, but she still couldn't help feeling uneasy. Making a right, she smacked into an image of herself. Turning, she caught the glint of a chestnut braid in the mirrors. "Duo? Are you there?" she called out only to once again be met with silence. She continued on her way, backtracking and making a left when the heavy treads of footsteps rang out behind her. Someone else had entered the maze. Hilde almost gasped aloud when the person turned a corner and the muscular build of Duo's black-haired pursuer wandered through the maze.

Being quiet as humanly possible, Hilde practically ran through the maze's corridors in attempt to put distance between herself and the man hoping and praying that he hadn't caught sight of her reflection. And that he hadn't heard her calling out to Duo. Two more rights passed her and she thankfully dove out into the diminishing light of the exit. Orienting herself, she looked every which way for Duo, yet could find no trace of him. Frantic, she ran to the other side of another building hoping that the man, if he came out, didn't see her.

*Has he been following me?* she asked herself. Well, that was a stupid question, of course he had been following her; she was probably the most suspicious person they had met with. She edged around the side of the building and nearly crashed into Duo. Holding in her scream of surprise, she hissed, "Where were you?" at the befuddled (and hotdog laden) man.

"I got hungry," was his sheepish reply and she pulled him back against the wall next to her side.

"They're here," she whispered into his ear and his eyes became hard. Ducking into the shadows, he looked about for a trace of movement. Finding none, he grabbed Hilde and led her into a throng of passing people.

"Where' Steve?" Hilde asked suddenly aware of the dog's absence.

"That's where we're going," Duo told her and they didn't speak anymore crossing around the back way in a big circle to get to the front.

Nearing the entrance, a man holding a carton of cotton candy stopped them. "Buy some cotton candy?" he asked. "It's only four tickets."

Not wanting to say anything for fear they would be heard and followed, Duo tossed a wad of tickets angrily into the man's face and plucked the biggest bag he could find. Together, they made their way to a bike rack were Steve waved his tail and barked excitedly after them. They ducked under the cover of the cotton candy when a particularly large throng of people passed by, then continued to where Steve anxiously awaited.

Hilde turned and kept watch while Duo worked at the knots entangled further by the dog's constant unrest. She gasped when a familiar face rounded the corner and strolled as if enjoying the carnival. "Duo," she started, but didn't have to finish. A glance brought Duo springing to his feet.

Panic flooded his facial features for an instant when he couldn't think on how to proceed. Grabbing the wad of cotton candy, he held it before their heads. Reaching out, he breathed, "Play along," before ravishing her lips with his own. She could hardly contain her astonishment, but her gasp was lost as he deepened their kiss to make it look as though the two were lost in a make-out fest. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled the braid around the side of his neck so that the passing person could not tell how long whose hair was. She was mildly surprised by its soft texture and almost didn't want to let go of it when it was safely around his front. She did though, and proceeded to bring her other arm over his neck again feeling breathless by that point; Duo wasn't relenting. She felt adrenaline rush through her veins when the heavy clomp of a certain person's footsteps made their way nearer from behind. She squeezed her eyes closed and held out hoping to high heaven that the plan worked. Duo wrapped his other arm around her waist guiding her back just a bit so that they would be better concealed behind the cotton wad. Sneaking a peak, she opened one eye to see the man casually stroll off looking different ways.

Finally breaking off, Hilde gasped for breath while Duo ducked down to give another try at untying the leash. "Duo!" Hilde whispered urgently. "We need to keep moving! He might turn around!"

Knowing that she was right, he let go and standing he looked for another escape. He found it at a ride to their right. "Come on," he said pulling her to the control box of the Ferris Wheel.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he reached underneath and rearranged a few wires.

"I'm ensuring our escape," he answered pulling her into the line of three people. Thankfully, they all went into one booth and Duo and Hilde were quickly shuffled into another booth. "You've still got the cotton candy?" he asked looking down at her hand to see it clutching it in a deathly grip.

"Yeah," she answered anyway flushing slightly. The Ferris Wheel started moving, and the rocking compartment slowly made its way to the very top where it jolted suddenly and stopped. "What happened?" Hilde asked looking over the edge where a man was busily fussing with the controls.

"We're stuck," Duo answered the obvious.

"For how long?" Hilde asked.

"A while, I hope," Duo replied propping his feet up on the seats opposite them and sticking his hands behind his head.

An eerie silence passed between the two. "So, what do we do when we're down?" she asked.

"Make a mad dash for your house," Duo responded lazily.

"You don't think they'll be there?" she asked with concern.

"Nah," Duo replied. The silence enveloped the two again and Hilde sighed sitting back in the seat. *Oh well,* she thought. *Might as well make the best of things.*

Behind them, the sun was starting to set below the water bringing the twinkling stars and purpled blue sky to light. The sea green waves rippled in a golden shine responding to the brilliance radiated by the descending orange sphere. Hilde looked thoughtfully over at the edge of the car…and sat up very suddenly. The engraved numbers sixteen stood out.

"What is it?" Duo asked as she ran her fingers over the embossed numbers.

"It's nothing," she replied thinking back to that night six years ago.

"It's _him_ isn't it?" Duo pressed; almost as if reading her mind.

"No…yes," she responded not meeting his gaze.

Duo didn't remark any further, and she didn't either. Wanting to say something to break the tension, she sighed and commented about the beauty of the fallen twilight. "Yeah," the normally talkative Duo replied before going back into a thoughtful trance.

She sighed again. The sudden need to talk seized her, "Listen…"

"Hey…" they both said their individual word in unison.

Flushing, Hilde said, "Go ahead."

"I…um…listen, I know you've beaten yourself up over that Jeff guy, but don't you think…" he stumbled awkwardly not sure how to proceed. Hilde sat listening with stoic grace. "What I'm trying to say is, Jeff doesn't know what he's missing." When she frowned in puzzlement he elaborated, "You're a great kisser."

Putting on a genuine blush this time she stammered a thanks. "This was the spot where he asked me to go steady you know," she told him looking out across the sea. "Six years ago. Long time huh? You know something though? I haven't thought about him here once today except for now. That's getting toward the right track isn't it?" she asked smiling.

"Yeah…" Duo replied looking at her for a moment, then following her gaze over to the waters.

Looking at the gathering crowd below, Hilde spotted a crowd of men wearing black tops heading out to the parking lot and climbing into expensive looking cars. "There they go," said pointing over to them.

A wash of relief seemed to overcome the two of them and they sat back as the Ferris Wheel grumbled to life. "That was fun," Hilde commented as they started descending. Duo chuckled lightly and she said, "No, really, I've never had such a great time at the carnival."

"Well, your welcome," Duo responded as they climbed out of the cart. Walking over to Steve, Duo finally was able to kneel and overpower the twisted knots as a neglected Steve wriggled in excitement.

The trio walked out into the night toward home.

***

Author's Note: Surprised? Let me tell you, so was I. Even though it wasn't exactly the real thing…still, it was an advancement right? Tell me what you thought, I'm _dying_ to know (you can e-mail me at: veledore@hotmail.com to tell me personally *hint hint*). But, let me tell you that you _really_ don't want to miss next chapter, it will have some answers for all of you dying to know what the heck is going on! So stay tuned! Bis Dann!

-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com)