*--*

"Do it," I had heard Mariemaia say before a shot rang out in the control room. I suddenly felt a dull, throbbing pain in my abdomen. "WuFei, I . . . ."

WuFei turned around. Was that concern I saw in his eyes? "Kristen? What's wrong?"

I fell forward, losing, for the moment, control of my muscles. A fiery pain erupted from my stomach. "WuFei . . . ." I coughed, bringing up blood on WuFei's dark shirt. "I-I'm sorry," I muttered, bringing my gun slowly up. I was still hanging onto WuFei for support, but I could still aim just fine. I shot Deakim between the eyes.

I felt my legs buckle beneath me. "WuFei . . . I'm sorry . . . . I didn't even die with honour. Heh." I sat down hard on the tile floor.

WuFei almost looked panicked. "Kristen . . . no! Don't say that! You're going to be fine."

I knew what was coming. I knew.

I saw it in WuFei's eyes.

And you know what? I was scared.

I never thought I would be. Duo thinks I'm fearless. Quatre thinks I'm reckless. WuFei . . . well, I was hoping WuFei would come to love me, at least.

I guess they all do, in different ways. As a friend, anyway. WuFei, too. But Heero had to do the right thing, and he hadn't known what would have happened.

I felt sorry for him, you know? He's carried the weight for so long. He's made hard decisions. I didn't blame him, not even for a minute.

But I was scared.

I guess no one wants to die. I guess everyone is scared when the time comes.

We were so close. We were right there, right at the finish line. I'd already survived so many times when I shouldn't have. It seemed unfair. To come this far, get this close . . . .

It was a war, after all. A war we had to win.

Still, though, I was scared.

"Kristen . . . . Kristen?"

WuFei's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Wha-?"

"Please . . . ."

Time stopped. I lay there in suspended animation. I felt myself floating. I saw everything through a haze. "Please, what . . . WuFei?" I could see my best friend, Jaime. Dead. Heero. Duo, funny Duo. Trowa, holding Quatre up.

WuFei. He was crying. I didn't understand. "WuFei?"

*--*

"Shh. Don't talk. Save your strength." I didn't want her to die. I had grown fond of Kristen the past couple of months. No, it was more than fondness. It was . . . .

She shook her head slowly. "It doesn't matter, now. You know that." She coughed up blood again, not even bothering to wipe it away this time. So I did it, using the edge of my sleeve.

"Please . . . Kristen . . . you can't die."

She smiled ruefully. "Is that concern . . . coming from the . . . mighty Ch- Chang WuFei?"

I sighed, feeling tears make hot tracks down my cheeks. "Kristen, I . . . ."

"No, I want to . . . get this out before I die. Don't cry over me. I'm not worth it."

"You're worth more than you think. You're not going to die," I argued desperately with Fate, knowing I was wrong.

"Please, just . . . . WuFei . . . ." Kristen struggled to sit up. As she did, she leaned forward, and her lips brushed against mine, "WuFei, I love you."

*--*