A/N: // 'thought speaking'//



Chapter Two:

Sacrifice

In my mind he's always been Duo. Just like Yuy is Heero, Winner is Quatre, and Barton was Trowa. But Duo has always been Duo. Nothing else. To him, I'm Wuffers, Fei, Wu-man, Wuffie, Wu, and dozens of other nicknames I don't take the time to remember.

"Hey Wu, you 'bout to turn in?" He asked. I nod as I turn down the sheets.

"'Kay. I've got a bit of work to do, but I'll be quiet." Since his 'accident' he's moved out of Heero's room and into mine. I'm not sure why. Maybe he reasoned that two psycho's should room together. We get along well I guess. Just not when he plays his music too loud. I wrap the sheets around myself and let my eyes drift shut. I'm haunted with terrible nightmares.

When I wake again it was dark in our room and it looked to be about somewhere around midnight. I gazed at the ceiling, waiting patiently to go to sleep. My gaze was averted to the other side of the room by a soft whimper. Duo was dreaming again. I stood up and walked over to his side. (Stepping around all the things he leaves on the floor as I go.) He is lying twisted at an odd angle and is sweating ever so slightly. His fingers fumble at the cross around his neck. He breathes in short sudden gasps, like there is not enough air for him.

I've known for a long time that he's frightened of enclosed spaces. Ever since I was trapped in that cell with him. He hasn't exactly told me just why yet, but he promises that he will one day. I kneel at his bedside and shake his shoulder lightly. Two dark eyes that are colored like clouds lit up by heat lightening snap open and out of impulse he grabs my shoulders. I must have made some sort of noise because he let go almost immediately.

"Oh, Wu." He gasps. "Sorry." Wu. That's his favorite one for me right now I think.

//What could be the matter with you?// I wonder as I push his bangs from his forehead. I remember someone (maybe even my mother) doing this when I was a child and I was frightened. He grins at me.

"Eh, don't worry about me, I was just having a nightmare." He explains. I perch myself on the edge of his bed and crossed my arms.

//I'm not going until you tell me what's the matter with you and that's a promise.// I insisted silently as I stuck my lower lip out. His grin spread wider.

"Oh my, but aren't we determined." He states. "Alright, I'll tell you. Get comfortable." He instructs. I sit Indian style and prop my chin in my cupped hands, like a small child getting ready to hear story time at their preschool. I gaze at him expectantly.

"Okay, you know that I grew up in a church, right?" I nod where I am needed to. "I was about five I think when it happened… …" he gets a faraway look in his eyes.

//When what happened?// I leaned forward. The two impenetrable depths of liquid amethyst slowly drift shut. "I was playing in the graveyard behind the church, I was about the only kid who actually liked to play in there, I remember that I was pretending I was a ghost, I did things like that often… anyway, there was this coffin resting out there, there was going to be a funeral in a day and the family wanted the coffin to rest outside for some reason or another."

"I wasn't really that well liked amongst a group of kids that were there, big tough boys they were, I think that they were each about seven or eight. While I was playing, they snuck up behind me and jumped me. One grabbing each arm and leg, then they hauled me into the coffin and shut the door. One of them was nice enough to put a wood chip between the door and the lip of the coffin so I could breathe." Here he stopped and smirked. "Pretty fitting huh? Death being locked into a coffin with one of his minions." He heaved a deep sigh and continued his story. " I was in there for the longest time, I spent the first few minutes shouting for someone, but no one came and the door was marble, too heavy for me to lift, I didn't have very much room to move with that body in there anyway, so I couldn't have gotten out if I had tried. Then …" He choked slightly here and squeezed his eyes shut tight. "I hear this God-awful noise, there was all this screaming and shouting I smelled smoke and heard loud explosions. I felt myself sail through the air and the coffin hits the ground nose first. The body and I go sailing out and it lands on top of me. It was a man, he was in his early twenties, he died real young… …" His voice broke and he stayed silent for a long time it seemed like, save his slightly heavy breathing.

"I waited until it was all over, until the bad things left. Then I rolled the body off of me and the church was completely destroyed, I searched and searched for survivors but the only thing I found was the dead, I cried for all of them. Hell, I even cried for the kids who jumped me…"His eyes opened here. They were shining bright with tears, his eyes looked like bruises, they were so dark and sensitive and sore looking.

"I swore from that day on that I'd never cry again." He whispered in his slightly husky voice. When he tried to cut his throat, he did something that damaged his vocal cords and it's made his voice sound different, lower and just a bit gravely. Not a lot, just enough to be able to notice the gravelyness. The doctors were surprised that Duo could still talk, but I knew, unlike the weak, he could not be forced into silence. For I am weak so I am silent.

"It was even worse when I found Sister Helen. I didn't get to say much of a goodbye; she was already pretty much gone. Missing an arm too. But with her good arm she gave me her crucifix. Not the gold one I wear mind you, it's a Celtic sliver cross and it has a stone of opal in it. Now that I think of it, I really should wear that one instead huh?" he asked smiling weakly. I shrugged elaborately.

//Whatever your heart tells you to do.// I brush his bangs from his face again. It troubled me to picture a little Duo locked in a coffin with that dead body. I felt the corners of my mouth turn down in a scowl. He rested his hand on mine.

"Don't worry Wu, the nightmares are no where near as bad." He said quietly. Something told me from the look in his eyes that they were worse, probably even worse than mine. I still fight the urge to vomit when I think of Trowa………

Duo sits up.

"You all right Wu?" he asks. I slowly shake my head reluctant to admit that; no, Wu was not 'all right'.

"You-you wanna stay with me then?" I nod and curl up beside him. I give my silent thanks and gaze up at the ceiling. He is sleeping quietly within moments. It's odd to think that we're friends. During the war we weren't ever even civil towards each other. We're the Yin and the Yang, water and fire, life and death; one cannot be with out the other because the balance of life itself would be thrown off. Without me, Duo would have killed himself and without him, I would have on one to 'talk' to.

//You always have me you know.// a single emerald eye materializes. Though I can't see the rest of him, I know he's there, in the shadows.

//Trowa, I'm trying to go to sleep.// I sigh. I see a little smile on his face.

//Really? You looked wide awake to me.// I roll my eyes. //What did you and Duo talk about?// Trowa asks as he sits in a chair.

//I would think that he'd prefer to keep that a secret.// I reply.

//Yes, well it's always nice to have someone you can tell your secrets.// Trowa says pointedly.

//I know what you're getting at, Trowa.// I said. Trowa gazes at me coolly.

//Why won't you ever tell?// he looks frustrated, his slightly transparent cheeks have taken on a reddish glow.//And how long do you think it will be until another victim is chosen huh?// he demands. I sigh.

//No one poses a threat right now, why would another victim need to be chosen?// I pointed out. The gem-like eye rolled heaven ward.

//You don't know that. I know who poses a threat now.// Trowa said. I sit up.

//Who?// Trowa sighs deeply.

//It could be anyone of you. It could be you even.// He says.

//Well, is it me?// I demanded.

//It could be Quatre.// Trowa continues, ignoring my comment. He'd been half in love with the blond Arab since day one. His eye rests upon the boy sleeping quietly next to me.

//It could even be Duo.// I scowled.

//Then I'll do what I can to protect all of them.// I said firmly. Trowa shakes his head and smiles a little.

//You're really stubborn, you know that Chang Wufei?// he asks with a small chuckle. I shut my eyes.

//Yes, I know.// I said quietly. //Sometimes I wish I were different.// I could *hear* Trowa raise an eyebrow.

//Different? Like how?// he asks. I roll over to get a better look at Duo.

//More careless, free, happier, that sort of thing.// Trowa smiles.

//I see.// I roll over again to ask what he meant but he was fading away into the molten sliver moonlight.

//I'll be seeing you again sometime soon?// I ask. The fading image nods, his voice echoing around me.

//Take care of everyone Wufei. Promise me that you'll tell them what you've seen before it's too late.// as the last of him disappears, I look over at Duo.

"I promise." I whisper aloud. Duo stirs.

"Fei?" I sit up to let him know I'm here. His eyes open slightly. "Who were ya talking to?" I smile in the darkness and squeeze his shoulder.

//No one, Duo. No one.// I let my eyes drift shut, as I'm drifting off I sing a few bars of a song that I keep hearing on the radio.

//'Cuz when you are with me,

I'm free

I'm careless,

I believe.

Above your love,

We'll fly,

This brings tears to my eyes.

My sacrifice.//

I finally go to sleep. When I wake up I take stock of my surroundings, once I figure out where I am, I realize that that was the first time I had slept without a single nightmare. Duo, who is still asleep, smiles in his dreams. His hair is in a messy braid and a few strands of it have fallen in his closed eyes. The rising sun was shining on his face and tinting it a strange, ethereal, golden rose color and making the vertical scar on this throat look pinker than usual. He looked like an angel from an Earth era painting. The Renaissance, I think it's called.

//Don't worry.// I promise silently. //By Nataku, I'll sacrifice anything to protect you. All of you.//