I'm sorry I'm not quick with the update-ness but I've been working on finding college scholarship stuff cause financial aid is NEEDED! @_@! Oh so poooooor. I'm trying to become an illustrator. That would ROCK MY SOCKS IN A PURPLE BOX! Wish me luck (unless you want me dead).

Now that I'm ACTUALLY writing the last of 2 or 3 chappies I want you all to know that I LOVE YOU for giving me reviews and I wanna read soma your stuff so send me links to your ficcies and I will post reviews

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Disclaimer: Nothing: adj. … Ex.: Aya does not own Gundam Wing or anything that applies to it.

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Life aint no bowl of cherries

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Act 1

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                                          Duo's Point of view:

            I didn't mean for this to happen. Maybe if I were more like Heero Yuy, the epitome of perfection (heh yeah right…) I woulda seen this coming a mile away. Dammit, I'm getting' ahead of myself again. What can I say, I like to talk. Well, not about this. No…this particular subject I like to shove out of my mind…rather think of better times.

          It happened around a month ago. It's strange how it all started out. Wufei's reject-of-a-sibling, Rei, gave me a call. Well okay she was calling Wu really but I got into an interesting conversation with the nutcase anyway. She said some stuff that I blew off at the time, about Ayame and myself, like how I should look out for her more carefully, (apparently word travels fast and Hilde's big mouth didn't help any; everyone already knew what happened to my poor Aya-chan…).

        Who knew all that shit would come back and bite me in the ass in the end. Goddamn her for jinxing me. I really should talk more seriously about this all, but hell, this is as serious as I can get. No joke. And rolling your eyes at me won't make it any BETTER, Thankyou. Lets jut get this damn thing over with already…

                                          End dialogue.

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Time: One week before Christmas.

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"Look I could give less than a fly fuck about a car that needs a paint job, Hilde…"

An anxious and very spiffy looking Duo Maxwell replied to the listener on the other side of the phone. Ayame stood beside him, dressed in a very classy, oh-so-timeless, black dress, smile slowly fading.

The pair had decided to go out for a little pre-Christmas celebration at the Peacecraft estate. Duo carefully thought through his decision to accept the invite.

::Good food. Good drinks. Good party!::

And good company to boot. Ayame would be his guest, as it said on the invite to bring one if desired, the first time the coupling would have a nice night out together. Like an early present without a price. Duo couldn't ball room dance for his life but it would be nice to learn with an understanding soul as his partner.

"Look Hilde I-….How much?…" He gave a long sigh as Ayame reassured him with grin.

"Okay …I'll be over…IN A FEW MINUTES GODDAMNIT!" in one angry burst of energy Shinigami slammed the phone into its bed.

"I know you need the money, Duo," Ayame smiled at him, proof she wasn't at cross with his decision to take the job over their night out, "I'LL JUST SIT HERE! ALL ALONE!" She added to her self-patronizing with a lonely sigh.

"I could always call her back…"

"I'M just kidding you know that. OH! I could come with you!"

The young man gave it a bit of thought, "Hell why not Hilde won't care."

~~

Both were in a mad rush to undress from the fancy enigmas they wore. Ayame's had to be untied and lifted over her head.

And the hell with Duo's. After an angry battle with the little cufflinks on the ends of his sleeves he tossed the whole outfit, suit jacket and all into the corner of his room, swearing to burn it the minute he got back.

"I feel so free!!!!!" Ayame watched her male counterpart prance around the room in boxers, arms flailing around.

"No time to feel …free! Get dressed, you lunatic!"

Duo gave his best pout. "You're gonna yell at me?" his purple eyes wobbled a little.

"Wait …let me think about it…yes."

He grinned at her mischievously.

Ayame knew that look. Oh she knew it all too well. "NO. WAY. Don't give me that look nooooooooow." Whimpering helplessly.

"I loooooooove you…soooooooo much…"

"Too much…"

"I'm horny."

"Get your damn clothes on, Duo."

~~

The black, run-into-the-ground jeep that Duo had no choice but to drive, "cruised", if you call cruising barely making it up to thirty miles per hour without over heating, towards the tune up shop of the very desperate Hilde Schbiker.

"Okay, Aya answer me this. Why is it that every Goddamn person wants a paint job or a tune up right before the holidays…"

"I totally agree that you are being taken advantage of in many ways…Hilde knows you're on vacation but since you're SUCH a reliable worker..."

"If only she gave me as much credit as you."

Traffic was at a minimum. The roads were icy and barely drivable. Ayame counted the cars that went past to ease her worry of their own vehicle.

One. Two.

A blue cheap looking car clunked by.

 And a very nice well kempt red car. For some reason a set of chills ran through her as she watched it coast past at a controlled speed.

Duo slowed the jeep down and carefully put it in park right beside the curb.

"We have arrived my dear Aya-chan!"

"Huh? Oh good!"

~~

Two hours and thirty-seven minutes was all that it took for the God of death to complete his mission.

::DAMN I LOVE BEING ME!::

"Okay so…we were talking big paycheck over the phone…can I get an advance on that?"

The car was a done deal. Painted. Checked. And tuned up. Proud of his work? Of course he was. Being the best, or at least talking like one, was a Maxwell special.

"Sure why not…" Hilde Schbiker had no choice but to concede defeat to that loveable grin, "I owe you a hell'uvalot for just coming in."

"Nah. Just rack up another good deed for Saint Maxwell…"

Ayame heard his last line loud and clear replying with a "That'll be the day…" that rang through the garage.

Duo gave a lopsided smile in her general direction.

"Don't say a word, Hild."

Ms. Schbiker could only grin widely as she filled out the check and handed it over to him.

Ayame bounded up the two. Her eyes boggled at the numbers on the paycheck.

"Wasn't it a good idea to come in, now?" Aya-chan fondled his braid playfully.

"Uhhhhhhhhh huh!" he planted kisses on her cheeks.

Hilde mumbled, still with a faint smile on.

"Get a room, Maxwell," she threw at him as she turned to leave.

"I CAN NOW! I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR ONEEEEEEEE!"

The young woman at his side gave him a pat on the shoulder while yanking the keys to the black piece of scrap metal from his butt pocket.

"I'll go get the car started!"

"Hold on we hafta talk about constructive ways to spend this money…" Duo analyzed the check, "By the wayyyyyyy…" he tried his best to look inconspicuous about the matter, "what do you want for Christmas, Aya-chan? Anything…in particular…" He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling looking innocent.

"I already told you!" She grinned at him in return, "I dun need some big GIFT!"

"C'mon you hafta tell meeeeeee! I'll find out some other way that will be both annoying and time consuminnnnnnnnnng!"

Ayame sighed as her braided baka put her into a cuddling hug, "…A trip?" she replied "That would be nice…"

"Where?" He blinked, pushing his forehead to hers.

"To Maine! I've always wanted to go there in the winter. Everyone says it's so beautiful when it snows!"

"Then it's settled…you and me in a nice cozy cabin for two."

"You dun hafta…" Ayame smirked at him, tongue poking out between her lips.

"But I want to…" Duo locked his mouth onto hers in a slow kiss…

~~

Within a few minutes both were back in the car.

"I'm gonna drop you off at home…er…Hilde wants me back here to fill out some papers or something and I dunno exactly how long its gonna take."

Her coffee brown eyes smiled at him. "I will be waiting for you attentively. On the couch… asleep!"

"And I will come home and take advantage of that RIGHT AWAY!"

He started up the car and pulled out carefully.

~~

Act 2

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                                         Duo's Point of view:

                 Ya know what's so funny about all this…I can't even think about it without wanting to cry. Believe me I never cry. I already know what you're thinking too… "A guy…his age…crying? Heh. Fag." Don't worry I would think the same thing. But being here, and having this happen …it's like some big joke. It's happened so many times before and each time I can't bring myself to belittle it so much so that I keep myself from breaking down into tears. At least it's proof that I still have a soul. It's comforting, really.

                                      End dialogue.

~~

"If I'm not back by nine, Aya, gimme a call…"

The phone on the end table rang.

"Will do, Duo-puppy!" she yelled back from the living room.

He smiled at Ayame's response and picked up the phone.

"Hello? Rei-chan! Hey! Nah piss head aint here…I'll tell him you called…Uh huh…" Duo jotted down a few numbers on a notepad, "What?…Ayame…oh yeah she's here! …how the hell….from Hilde?…Aya is fine, in fact she's practically asleep on the couch right now…Me? I'm heading back over to see Hi-…Listen, Rei-san, no offence or anything but you dun have any place in tellin' me how I should take care of anything or anyone…uh huh uh huh uh huh! OKAY BYE!" the phone met the hook at lightening speed, "Damn that girl talks too much. She musta gotten all the personable genes Wu missed out on."

"Who was that?" Shinigami purred when he felt his Aya-chan's warm nose nuzzle at his neck.

"No one. If Wufei comes home tell him someone called for him. As for me, I'm heading out."

"Call ya."

"You better!"

Duo grinned widely as he backed his way out the door.

~~

"Keys…" Shinigami shoved the teethed piece of metal into the car door lock and turned it carefully. Something beckoned his gaze upward. He squinted at the bright red car that was parked on the other side of the quiet street across from the house. Oddly enough, it was familiar to him in an eerie way. Duo shrugged it off quickly as a coincidence. He slipped into the drivers seat and started the car. And as if the red car had not even existed, he pulled out of the driveway and started back to the garage. 

~~

The only thing that was hold Ayame back from committing boredom suicide was the movie that would be on around nine o'clock after the overly hyped up soap-ish drama movie was ended.

"This is so bad. This movie musta ruined lives and careers." She gave a short chuckle after the very accurate observation.

Seconds later there was a sharp knock at the door.

Ayame rolled her eyes, "Lost his keys again. That's my baka…" and with that she clicked off the TV and rose from her cushy seat.

Her hand touched the knob lightly and without a second thought she turned the brass knob a huge smile on her face, ready to pounce on him.

Within that minute about a hundred feelings undulated her. First her smile dropped. Ayame's eyes went wide, and small squeaks started to come out with each shaky breath she expelled. Her face heated up in searing hot blaze and then went cadaverously pale. Ayame's intestines had wrapped themselves around her air pipes and the convulsive shaking of her legs kept her from moving anywhere.

"Hey Ayame…" Otto leaned against the doorframe, a huge, curling smile slapped on his face, sucking in every ounce of fear she exuded, "aww…you look scared…what's wrong?" the calm and almost soothing tone was disturbing.

"P-lease…"

"Please what? Please let you go?" Otto's head lowered, eyes peering up at her almost rolling into the back of his head. His face look blank with any remorse for his premeditated actions. "Mmmm I've waited a long time to find you again. I thought you'd look a little happier than this."

Tears were already flooding down her face and her jaw was seizing, causing a sharp chattering of her teeth.

The adrenaline, thick in her blood, finally took hold of her body.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!" Ayame spun around and with every bit of energy she had threw herself in a dash down the hall towards Duo's room. If she could get to his gun she would be safe.

Otto simply pushed himself off the doorframe of the front entrance, licking his lips at the opportunity in front of him. He slowly stalked in, no rush to find her.

~~

Ayame grabbed the wall and swung herself into the bedroom, slamming the door with a loud bag. She was hysterically sobbing.

"WHERE THE HELL IS IT?!" she shrieked to herself in a fit, throwing empty drawers out of place and onto the floor. Ayame froze and held her breath. The footsteps coming towards the bedroom door became louder and louder.

Coffee stained eyes flicked to the closet. Her only refuge. The last place to look for her only choice weapon.

The door to the crammed closet flew shut. It was the only line of defense left. Where was Duo? Dammit she was so scared.

Another hard step from outside.

Her sobs were earsplitting, even for a listener outside. Every movement was an excruciating reminder of what was to come within the next few seconds.

Finally the last shoebox to topple off the shelf revealed what she was searching for. With shaky hands, Ayame held the gun, ready to blow the fucker's head off at will.

Silence. The handle shook slightly.

"Shit …"

Otto stood, poised to strike.

"A gun? I give you credit Ayame you've gotten balls ever since you've met that guy."

Her cries hiccupped her sentence. Everything was choppy. "If…you don't leave…I will shoot…you"

"Go ahead…pull it."

Finger. Trigger. Click.

In a frenzy she gave the trigger another sharp pull. Still nothing.

"Tough luck…" He squeezed his hand around her fingers that held her weapon so intently. She yelped helplessly and released it, feeling every digit crack in vein, trying to compensate for the crushing pressure, "do you think I wouldn't find you again?" Otto's other hand found its way to her gasping throat, clenching it.

"I'll make sure you stay this time. I'll drill a hole in your pretty neck and nail your shoulders to the wall maybe that will keep you still…"

Helpless shakes of her head and tears came out all at once. The only word her mouth was able to form was "no" over and over again.

"Invite that friend of yours. I've been sad ever since the time I missed the chance to crush his body under my car. The regret has really gotten to me…and I wouldn't want you to be alone…"

"NO YOU LEAVE DUO ALONE!"

Otto clamped his palm over her mouth keeping the other at her throat, "Why would I want to do such a thing."

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Comments anyone? Did it make you feel angst? :/ ?