Chapter 10: Picture Memories

Duo had finally stopped laughing, and now lay spread-eagled on the kitchen floor, smiling and still slightly out of breath.

Hilde smirked. "So I take it you agree with the plan, then?"

Duo giggled. "Oh, yeah. It's great. It's perfect. I love it. When's she coming?"

"She should be here in a few hours."

"Great." Duo grinned and jumped up, dusting himself off. "Let's go do presents!" And he led the way into the living room.

"Merry Christmas!" Duo called as he entered the room. Everyone looked towards him as if expecting a speech or toast. "Now let's open gifts." They laughed as Duo pulled on a big fluffy Santa hat and picked up the first present.

"To Heero, from Hilde," he read off the tag, then handed the small, neatly wrapped gift to Heero, who sat on the floor at the end of the couch. Heero ripped off the festive paper decorated with little reindeer to reveal a container of new floppy disks.

Hilde shrugged. "You mentioned you needed some."

Heero nodded. "Yeah, I did. Thanks." He inspected the box as Duo picked up the next gift, then set it aside for later.

The next package was long and slender. "To Wufei, from Cathy." Duo handed it to him. When he pulled the paper off, it was only to see a plain, velvety black box. He pulled the top open, and his mouth actually dropped open slightly in surprise.

"Well, what is it, Wufei?" Duo asked. Wufei held the box up at an angle for everyone to see. Inside, laying in an indent in its exact shape, was a long, silver-bladed dagger. The blade was so clean and pure it reflected the smallest bits of light, and a black, serpent-like dragon twisted itself around the handle, its head at the very top. Its eyes glittered with dark red rubies.

Cathy grinned slightly. "Yeah, I thought you might like it."

"Wow. . . thanks. . ." Wufei breathed, still looking at the knife, uncharacteristically stunned.

Duo continued to hand out the presents. Quatre got a gold bracelet from Trowa, who received a new half-clown mask from Cathy. Duo had sat on his old one a few months before, and it had broken in half. Everyone got something from everybody, and finally there were no more gifts under the tree. Duo was about to stand up when Hilde held out her hand. "Wait."

He looked up. "Huh? What, did I miss one?" He looked back under the tree, but there was nothing there but fallen tinsel.

"No, not there." She picked up her bag and pulled out another small gift. It was about the size of a book, only much thinner. She handed the present to Duo, who accepted it in surprise. He read the tag aloud.

"'To Duo, from. . . all of us'?" He looked up to see triumphant smiles on all of their faces. He tore open the paper and gasped at what now lay in his lap. It was a double picture frame, closed, but he knew immediately what it held. He opened it anyway. Two pictures lay under renewed glass in the frame. On the left, a group picture of the five boys and Relena. On the right, a picture of the two of them at the same time the previous year, kissing under a piece of mistletoe barely visible being held by Heero. The frame had been cleaned off of all the blood, and the broken and blood-smeared glass had been replaced. He looked up at the group still watching him, his eyes showing the smallest trace of a tear. He smiled. "Thanks, guys. I love it."

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A/N: Two more chapters, then the story is done! Wow, I feel so special. . . ^_^ keep up the feedback guys, I'm lovin' it! ^_^ *continues to gloat and boast for the next three hours. . .*