'text' indicates thought.
"text" indicates speech.
Shattered Memory
by Miyoko and Rin-chan
Chapter Four
Butch took one glance at the woman standing at the door before sprinting out of the house. An even stranger feeling then the one he felt when he had first seen her came over him at the sound of her voice. It wasn't just her voice that caused it, but what she had said. Duo. Why had she called him that? Who was she anyway? He pulled out his cell phone to call his friend and ask for some insight.
"Yo," the voice on the other side of the phone said.
"Houston, we have a problem," Butch said.
"Butch, what happened? You didn't get caught did you?" Houston asked.
"No, nothing like that. There's this woman..." he trailed off.
"Oh a woman you say?!" he said suggestively.
"I don't even know her name."
"You whore you."
"Houston! I haven't even talked to her."
"And why not?"
"Because I think I know her from somewhere. I just don't know where. I saw her, and this weird feeling ran through me. I can't describe it. But it felt..." he hesitated before continuing, "nice."
"Interesting," was all Houston could say.
"I broke into her house today. She came home earlier than I expected and saw me. She seemed to think I was some guy named Duo."
"For all you know you could be. You don't know who you were before you were Butch. I think you should talk to her."
"Maybe. I have to go. Bye."
"So long." Butch hung up and heaved a sigh.
It took all of Heero's willpower not to drop the sleeping girl in her arms. She was about to have a mental breakdown. Was she seeing things? Was that man really Duo? If so, why did he run away? These and many more questions were running through her head as she walked towards Annie's room.
Heero gently changed Annie into her pajamas before placing her into her crib to sleep. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at her daughter who reminded her so much of Duo. She heard the phone ring and went to answer it. Quatre's smiling face popped up on the screen. His face fell as he saw Heero's tear-streaked face.
"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"I think I'm going crazy," she replied.
"Why?"
"There was a man in my house, and he looked exactly like Duo. Oh God Quatre it's been three years. Why does it hurt so much?!" Quatre's heart hurt to see his friend in so much pain.
"Because, Heero, you two are soulmates. Nothing, not even death, can change the love you have for one another."
"It's so hard just to survive each day. Every time I look at Annie or see that bloody piranha I think of him. I cry myself to sleep almost every night knowing that I'll never be able to see him or hear his voice ever again. It feels like a part of me has been ripped out and left a gaping hole that can never be filled," Heero said as tears continued to fall down her face.
"It's because a part of you has died. Duo was and always will be a big part of you. You just have to know that he is always watching over you and Annie. He loves you very much, and nothing can ever change that. Never, Heero, never. Remember that," Quatre said.
Heero wiped her tears before saying, "Thanks Quatre. You're a great friend."
"Anytime, day or night just give me a call." He smiled.
"Thanks."
"Wait a minute!" Quatre exclaimed as something Heero had said earlier registered in his mind.
"What?" Heero asked, confused.
"You said there was a man in your house. Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Is Annie okay? Did he take anything?" A frightened look adorned his face.
Heero was shocked for a moment before regaining her composure and saying, "No Quatre he didn't hurt either of us. He sprinted when he saw me. And as far as I know nothing was stolen."
Quatre let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God."
"Well Quatre I better let you go. Thanks for listening to me and helping. I really appreciate it."
"You're very welcome. Good night Heero. Give Annie my love."
"I will. Good night Quatre," she said smiling before
hanging up the phone. It wasn't until later that she realized something
had been taken. The picture of Duo and her at festival the two had gone
to when they had first started dating.
Butch walked down the street towards the center of town. He cut through a park and saw a couple arguing about something he though trivial.
"Bob! I have nothing to wear to the vice principal dance! What am I going to do! It's only 52 days and five hours away!" The blonde girl exclaimed.
"Laura, calm down. You'll look beautiful in anything you wear. You could wear a potato sack and still be the most gorgeous girl there," the boy with black spiky hair said, comforting his girlfriend.
"Oh, Bob," she said before pulling him into a passionate kiss that lasted for more than five seconds. Butch couldn't help but laugh. As his laughter died away another feeling bubbled up in him. Sadness. He didn't have anyone to argue about trivial things about. He didn't have anyone at all. He sighed.
Butch exited the park and continued down the street passing a shop which had a piranha in its window. A thought immediately sprang into his mind. Fluffy. He shook his head wondering where the thought had come from. He continued down the street and passed a school with a sign marking it as the Veit-Horn Academy. Butch had a feeling come over him as if he had been there before.
He had to get away from there and quick. He saw a motorcycle and quickly hot-wired it. He got on and sped off thinking that he had stolen this very same motorcycle several times before. Butch needed a drink and fast. He drove to the nearest bar, parked, and entered the building. He sat down at the bar just as a song he recognized came on. It held some significance, but to what he had no idea.
He sat next to a man with abnormally long brown bangs covering half his face. Butch ordered a drink and sat back, waiting for the bar man to bring it to him. The man with the long bangs stared at him.
The staring continued before it finally got on Butch's nerves enough that he said, "What the hell are you staring at me for?!"
"Duo, you're alive," the man said simply.
"I don't know who the hell Duo is. My name is Butch."
The man just gave him an odd look before saying, "Duo..."
"You know you're the second person to call me that today what's up with that?!"
"Because that's your name."
Butch was getting frustrated with this man of few words. "How the hell would you know?!"
"I was at your wedding."
"I'm not married." Who was this man?
The man simply pointed to the ring on Butch's left hand. "What's that then?" The ring had been one of the only things that linked him to who he was before Butch.
"It's just a ring," Butch said nonchalantly. He didn't like where this conversation was headed, and the heat and sweat of the bar was getting to him. "Let's talk outside." The two threw some money on the counter before heading outside and sitting on a bench.
Butch broke the silence. "I was in an accident about three years ago, and I don't have any recollection of anything before that."
"Your plane crashed," the man said in explanation.
"Why are you so sure I'm this Duo person?"
"The braid."
"Oh." Butch had never thought about that. But he guessed it was unusual for a man to have as long a braid as he did.
"Who else called you Duo?" the man asked, curious.
"Oh just this girl. She was..." Butch got a far off look before continuing, "beautiful. Brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She had a little girl with her. All I could see was the girl's curly blonde hair."
"Dammit!" The man exclaimed.
"What do you mean by that?!" Butch asked perplexed.
"It's up to you to decide what to do with this information
I am about to give you. Ten years ago you met and fell in love with a girl
named Heero Yuy. Seven years later you were married, and a few weeks after
that you had to go out of town for business. Only you never came back.
Your plane crashed, and everyone thought you were dead. I don't know what
your life is like now, but you are going to have to choose between being
whoever you are now or Duo Maxwell. Because it's not fair to Heero if you
come back only to leave again. The only reason she has survived is because
of Annie, her daughter, your daughter. And if she were to lose you again
I don't think even Annie would be able to save her." The man stood up and
gave Butch a look. "Think on it." He walked away leaving Butch sitting
on the bench.
AN: So how was it?! I loved Quatre in this chapter! He was just so adorable.
And the Trowa conversation... I spent so much time putting everything he
said into as few words as possible and then gave him a nice long speech.
He had to let it out sometime, didn't you Tro-chan?
Tro-chan: *blinks*
Ah well now he has nothing to say. Anyway hope you enjoyed it! Cheerio!