The Other Side of Paradise
Part: …Something?
Author: Um…something else?
Hello everyone, I'm over my cold. *sniff* Sort of. Sorry it's taken so long to post this thing. But just so you know…I'M NOT DOING A SEQUEL TO THAT DUO/AMI THING, ALL RIGHT!!!!!!! LEARN THE MEANING OF THE WORD, "ONE-SHOT"!!!!!!!!!! CHRIST!!!!!! *deep breaths* Okay. I'm in my happy place now. Happy place…*eats chocolate* I'm better. Don't own the anime. And now, on with part…whatever part we're at!
- Nyneve
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Weeks went by for everyone. Summer turned into late fall, but the rain kept up. However, changes were coming for everyone.
Quatre stood next to a piano, watching Raye play quietly. However, he was deep in thought. He'd been feeling homesick lately, and was wondering what his sisters and the Maganac were doing. True, he'd been dead for one year, but he still wanted to see them. But it would never happen. There was no way he'd ever be able to get back to his dimension.
"Quatre? What is it?" Raye asked, looking up at him. He shook his head and looked down at her.
"Nothing. I'm fine," he answered nonchalantly.
"I don't believe you," she replied calmly, standing up and taking his hand. "Tell me."
He was about to protest again, but the concern in her eyes stopped him. "It's nothing really. I'm just feeling a little homesick right now."
"So, you're missing your home? In your dimension?" she asked, then sighed. "I understand. Hey, I need to talk to Amy, okay? I'll see you in a bit."
She kissed his cheek, then walked down the hall to Amy's lab. For weeks she sensed the growing…what was it? She could tell that Quatre was getting homesick, but it was more than that. It was obvious he felt guilty about wanting to leave her. But he didn't really want to leave either. Things were easier at the palace. Most efforts were put towards the best interests of the remaining citizens of Earth and the other planets. However, she understood that it must be hard to be away from your family and friends for so long. Especially when they think you're dead.
**************************************************************************************************************************Amy looked up as Raye walked into the room. It was completely unlike her not to knock, so she knew there must be something wrong.
"Raye? What is it?" she asked as her friend began studying a newer invention in the corner of the room.
"We've gotta talk. You know how the guys have been lately. Quatre just told me he starting to feel really homesick," Raye explained.
Amy sighed and nodded. "Yes, I can tell Duo feels the same way. But, I do have good news."
"Yeah?" her friend's eyes widened. "About the Doorway?"
She nodded. "I've been testing it. It's been working well. I've gone a few places and been able to come back."
"You've tried interdimensional travel?" Raye asked, a small amount of excitement in her voice.
"Yes, it works just as well. However, there's one problem," Amy said, bringing up some figures on her computer. "You can travel virtually anywhere, but I've found that if you travel interdimensionally, your staying time is shortened terribly. You can't stay for more than five hours, or else the Doorway loses energy, and you're stuck."
"That's it? That's the only problem?" she cried. "It's nothing!"
"Well, I figured that they'd rather spend a longer time back home than just five hours," Amy admitted.
"You're probably right, as usual. Do you know how to fix it?" Raye asked.
"Yes, and no. The main problem's with the energy source. If I could get a bigger one, then we could stay longer. But I'm using the essence of the Silver Crystal. There's nothing stronger that we can harness," she answered. "I've been seeing if we could use the Bios Crystals, but development for that could take months."
"I see. Well, I'll talk to Quatre, and the others too. A year's a long time to be away from the people you love," Raye murmured.
"Yes. I know," Amy agreed as she walked out.
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"What? You mean we could really go back and see everyone?" Quatre cried as Raye told him about the Doorway.
"Don't get excited. It would be for five hours only. Unless," she paused. "You'd want to stay there permanently."
"Without you? Never," he said. "But to see Rashid, Irea ((AN: Okay, I'm pretty sure she's dead, but she's the only one of Quatre's sisters who ever had a name, so we're going to pretend she's not dead.)), everyone…it would be more than I could ask for. Even if it was only for five hours."
"So, you want to go then?" Raye asked.
"Of course! And Raye," he folded her in his arms. "You'll come with, won't you?"
"Sure. Whatever you want," she murmured.
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"Duo? Can I ask you something?" Amy asked as he sat on her bed. She'd taken a liking to braiding his hair for him, ((AN: So kawaii! Amy braiding Duo's hair for him!)) and it seemed like a good opportunity to talk to him about a visit home.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"Do you have any family? I mean, in your world?" she asked.
He was silent for a while. "No…there was a war in our world. It wasn't as bad as yours, but it was bad. My parents were both killed."
"Oh Duo, I'm sorry," she apologized, hugging him tightly.
"It's okay. Really," he replied, smiling at her. "But there was this one girl at home…she became a pretty close friend. Not as much as you, but she was kind of like a sister."
Now it was Amy's turn to be quiet. "What would you do if you could see her again?"
He turned around and looked at her. "If I could see Hilde again? How? She's in that dimension, and I'm in this one. Plus there's the little problem that I'm dead…"
"If you could see her, even if it was only for a few hours, would you go back to your world?" Amy interrupted.
"Well, yeah. I've been kinda worried about her. A lot of people have tried to take advantage of her, and if I could just check on her, I'd probably be able to rest easy," he admitted.
"Come on. I want to show you something," she said, standing up and walking into her lab. She crossed to the other side and pulled the sheet off of the Doorway.
It looked like a rectangular frame made of metal, with a soapy solution in the middle.
"Duo, this is a portal that can send you back to your world for five hours. A while ago, we started thinking you were getting homesick, and that you might want to go back. We've tried to make it so that you can stay as long as you want, but five hours is the maximum amount of time. Unless you want to stay forever," she explained.
"Really? Whoa, this is just like Stargate SG-1!" he cried. "But, we could really go back?"
She nodded. "We're planning on trying it out tomorrow."
He grinned and threw his arms around her. "I got the smart one!" he sang happily.
She blushed profusely. "It's really not that…"
"Ames, stop being a perfectionist and let me complement you, okay?" Duo interrupted.
"Okay," she smiled as he continued.
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Mina watched Heero silently as he lay outside, staring up at the sky. She bit her lip. Amy told her to inform Heero that he could visit his old dimension, if he wanted. But something held her back.
Relena. The girl she remembered almost becoming friends with, during her visit to the other dimension. The girl whose name she heard Heero moaning in his sleep. Something in her heart told her that he had feelings for this Relena. Feelings he would never have for her.
Stupid! Heero doesn't have feelings for anyone! What are you so worried about? She thought.
"That he'll see her…and I won't have a chance," she whispered, fear choking her as she thought about it.
It wasn't fair. Why, of all people, did she have to fall for Heero? He didn't love her, and he never could. With his heart, or lack thereof, he couldn't love anyone. Probably not even Relena, but there was always an exception to the rule. Why else would he be dreaming with her.
Meanwhile, Heero glanced at Mina, standing underneath a tree a few meters away. She was whispering under her breath, and appeared to be debating with herself over something. Her usually smiling face was contorted with confusion and concern, and…no. This was normal. Heero recalled that all the times he seen Mina, this was the way her face looked. Pained, heartbroken, and sad.
Could it be, that he was causing her as much pain as she was causing him?
That would be a cruel twist of fate he thought. The chaos she always seemed to wreak on his heart and soul had recently driven him to think about Relena. Whether it was to forget Mina, who's unrealized control over him was becoming stronger, or just because idleness was causing him to go insane, he was sure.
"Heero?" Mina asked suddenly, stepping out. He sighed and sat up, but didn't answer.
She looked at him, then sat down next to him. "I've gotta ask you something."
"What is it?" he replied nonchalantly.
"Amy's built this…well we call it the Doorway," Mina began. "She says she's finished testing on it, and found out that she can travel interdimensionally."
He raised his eyes to her. "What do you mean?"
Mina took a deep breath. "You could go back to your own dimension, if you want. You'll have five hours to see your friends and family. Or…Relena," she choked out, then lowered her eyes. "Then again, you'd probably prefer to just stay there. You can, if you want."
Both of them were quiet for a while. Mina couldn't help but notice how much it was like Trista and Trowa, with more communication through silence than speaking.
"When can I go?" Heero asked finally.
"Tomorrow," she hesitated for a moment. "Can I come too?"
"Hn," he grunted, then stood up and walked away.
Mina stared after him, then stood up and kicked the tree before walking the other direction.
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Trowa looked up from his book at Trista, studying her carefully. She was sewing, and hadn't said anything for a while. However, she kept glancing over at him, pondering on whether to say something.
"What is it?" he asked finally, when she didn't speak.
"What?" she sighed.
He didn't respond, but his emerald green eyes continued to bore into her.
Trista sighed and set the sewing down. "Amy's Doorway's been completed."
"Doorway?" he asked, confused.
"A portal that can be used to travel from one dimension to another. She wants us to give it a test run tomorrow," she explained.
"Where are you going?"
"The question is, Trowa, where are you going?" she asked. "Amy can send you back to your own dimension for five hours, so you can see your family again."
Again, silence.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Trowa wondered.
"Because, I can still sense the pain inside you. I don't want you to have to feel it again. But then again…" she stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how badly you want to see Catherine again."
"…Come with me," he said finally.
"What?" Trista cried, bewildered.
"I want you to come with me. So Catherine knows I'll be all right. And then you won't have to worry about me," Trowa explained.
Trista smiled weakly and shook her head. "You're sure you want me to?"
He didn't answer, but gently tilted her face down and kissed her.
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The next day, everyone (with the exception of the royal family) was assembled in Amy's lab. Everyone except for one person.
"Um, where's Wufei?" Quatre asked, looking around. All eyes turned to Lita, who smiled sheepishly.
"Are you saying you didn't tell him?" Amy groaned.
"I'll go get him! Um, Lita, will you cover me?" Duo asked.
"I guess. We'll be back in a minute or two," Lita grinned, as she and Duo took off down the hall. Suddenly, a shout echoed down the corridor.
"WHAT THE HELL? KINO!!!!!!!! MAXWELL!!!!!!!! YOU TWO ARE DEAD!!!!!!!!!" came Wufei's angry yell.
Duo and Lita darted back into the lab, and both attempted to cower behind Amy. Seconds later, a very ticked off Wufei walked into the room.
"Aw come on Wu-man! It was just a joke!" Duo giggled. "And it was all Lita's fault, just so you know."
Wufei turned his angry glared on Lita, who stood up from behind Amy. "Bring it on, Chang…"
"WILL YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF SO WE CAN LEAVE ALREADY!!!!" Raye yelled, stepping between the two. "Come on Amy, fire that thing up."
"Okay, commencing portal dilation…" Amy replied, pulling down her goggles and pulling out her mini computer.
"You three hold down the fort while we're out!" Mina replied, waving to Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru, who were staying behind. Mina had originally intended to stay as well, but was then tempted by the thought of seeing what sort of competition Relena would turn out to be.
"Affirmative. See you in five hours!" Amara called, as the five Senshi and five pilots stepped through the Doorway.
They came out in the middle of a busy street, crowded with people and cars. It appeared they were in a city, and it was around Christmas, showing by the decorations.
"Everyone listen closely. We need to meet back here in this exact spot in five hours or less. If not, we'll be stuck here. Get it?" Amy said.
The others nodded in understanding.
"Right then. See you in a while!" Duo grinned, grabbing Amy's wrist and dragging her off in the direction of an apartment complex.
Quatre quickly hailed a taxi, and helped Raye in before they drove off. Trista and Trowa did likewise, while Wufei glared at Lita and walked off towards a skyscraper. Lita shook her head and followed him. Heero disappeared into the crowd, and Mina attempted to follow him. It was going to be an interesting day.
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"Duo…I'm not sure about this…" Ami murmured as they stood in the elevator ascending to the top floor of the tall apartment building.
"Aw…Ames! You can't back out on me now!" Duo moaned.
"But you're the one she'll want to see! Is it really necessary to…" she was cut off as the door opened.
A short woman with close-cut blue/black hair and sunglasses stepped into the elevator. She was wearing a heavy turtleneck sweater and khakis, and carrying a backpack. Ami heard Duo stop breathing as the woman pressed the button to the ground floor. As she turned, she smiled at him quickly, then looked away. It was then that she spun around and dropped her backpack.
"Hilde…um, hi," Duo stumbled, picking up the bag for her.
She stared a moment later, then hit the emergency stop button. Removing her sunglasses, she revealed dark blue eyes, shocked and scared.
"What the hell is this?" she murmured, taking the bag from him. "D-Duo?"
Duo smiled weakly. "Yeah."
Hilde looked at him, then at Ami, then back to him, before laughing nervously. "I get it. This is one of those near death experiences. Or else that cottage cheese was way past its expiration date…"
"No it's not, Hilde! It's really me!" he cried, embracing her tightly.
"Can't be," she muttered, breaking out of his arms. "On account of you're dead, Duo. They found you and said you'd drowned, somehow. I was at your funeral!"
"Hilde, he's alive, just like you or I am. You should know better than anyone that he's the best at cheating Death," Ami said quietly.
Hilde glanced at Ami. "And who are you supposed to be? The ghost of Christmas Past?"
"Look, Hilde. You want proof that it's me? Ask any question and I'll be able to answer it," he challenged.
She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. "What the hell. Okay, let's see if you know this one. Exactly 28 months ago, something happened to me. What was it?"
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the day we met?" he asked.
The expression on her face was one of amazement, then pure ecstasy. "Oh my God, it is you!" she screamed, throwing her arms around him.
He laughed, and glanced at Ami. It was true he was worried about how awkward he thought she might feel, but now as she smiled, it seemed she couldn't be happier for him.
Hilde grinned, then turned to Ami. "Sorry about what I said. Who are you?" she asked.
"Ami, Ami Mizuno," Ami answered shyly as Duo put his arm around her.
Hilde glanced at him, then back to Ami. "Ah, I get it. Shame on you Duo! Going after nice, quiet girls like Ami here."
At that, Ami couldn't help but crack a smile. "It's all right. I find him tolerable."
Hilde laughed, then gave Ami a hug. "Hey, so do I."
Just then, there was the sound of pounding and the doors were forced open. A man with a handlebar mustached stepped in.
"Is everyone all right in here? Hilde?" he asked.
Manager Hilde mouthed surreptitiously. "Um, I hit the Emergency Stop button on accident. Thanks for getting us out. Uh, we'll take the stairs," she rushed, leading Duo and Ami towards the stairs.
The hike up to Hilde's apartment was long and tedious, but it was definitely filled with laughter. By the time they'd reached the apartment, a contest had started to see whether Duo or Hilde could tell the most embarrassing story about the other. Ami giggled hysterically at being the judge.
"Well, this is it. Dump sweet dump," Hilde said finally, opening the door. "I was gonna go to the grocery store, but I got sidetracked."
In fact, the apartment was nice. It resembled the classic urban loft, and had a large living room and kitchen.
"It's lovely, Hilde. Really," Ami assured.
"Geez, this is the best you could do off of all that scrap I left you?" Duo asked jokingly.
"Sorry, Duo. But it was this or Barbie's Beach House," Hilde shot back.
"And that's one for one," Ami smiled.
Hilde hi-fived Ami. "And the games are just beginning."
Duo frowned. "Don't tell me you two are going to gang up on me…"
Hilde and Ami looked at each other. "Ami, I demand you spend more time with him. Maybe some of your intelligence will rub off on him," Hilde ordered.
There was nothing he could say to that. So, Ami spoke for him.
"Sorry, but I declare Hilde," she grabbed her wrist, and raised it over her head, "The winner."
A look of mock defeat crossed Duo's face. "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
The women broke into giggles again as Hilde pulled three sodas out of the refrigerator. "Oh how the mighty hath fallen."
Nobody said anything for a few seconds, before Hilde spoke again. "So if you're not dead, where've you been for the past year? Ami's house?"
"Well, uh, that was only the past three or four months, actually. All the other times, I was really dead," Duo explained.
He and Ami went on to explain the long story, beginning back with the Senshi traveling back to that dimension. When it was finished, Hilde stared at them. They couldn't tell whether she believed their story or not.
Finally, she shrugged. "Well, if it turns out that Shinigami can come back to life, why not believe the rest of it. Anyways, I'm glad you're back, Duo. I missed you…god, you don't know how much."
At this, Duo's smile faded. "I missed you too, Hilde. But the thing is…we can't stay."
"WHAT?" she cried, staring at them incredulously.
"You see, the only reason we were able to come was because Ami built this portal-thingy that can go through other dimensions. But we can only stay for," he glanced at his watch. "Two more hours, and 13 minutes." He didn't have the heart to mention that he could've stayed there forever.
"Damn it, that sucks," Hilde declared finally, then sighed. "Guess we'd better make the most of it, huh?"
With that, she broke into another story about getting into an argument with a scrapper that resulted in her almost being arrested.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, Ami stood up. "I'm sorry, Hilde. But we really have to go, otherwise..."
"You know what? I don't wanna know," Hilde smiled, hugging her tightly. "It's been great getting to know you Ami. Do me a favor? Take care of Duo for me."
"Yes. I swear, as soon as we get enough power, we'll visit again," Ami smiled. In only a short time, it seemed like she'd known Hilde forever. You just couldn't help but like her. She was so affectionate and funny. It was no wonder that Duo liked her so much.
"Duo," Hilde said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You behave yourself. Don't give Ami any reason to dump you."
"Hey, it's not like we'll never see each other again! You heard what Ami said," Duo replied, then patted her back. "Take care of yourself, Hilde, okay?"
"Okay," she replied as they walked out the door.
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"Whoa, I forgot how big this place was," Raye commented as the taxi pulled up to the gates of the Winner mansion. As she and Quatre stepped out, she couldn't ignore the look of bliss on his face as he took in his old home.
He absentmindedly took her hand and walked up to the gates, where a guard was stationed in the little ((AN: I want to say guardhouse, but is that really what it's called?)). The guard, a middle-aged Arabian man, looked up.
"Yes, can I help…MASTER QUATRE!" he cried, standing up.
Quatre smiled. "Abdul…I'm back," he said softly.
By now, Abdul was summoning the rest of the Maganac, who were rushing there in droves. A few stared incredulously at Quatre, others were smiling, and a few were walking over and shaking his hand. One of them, the one Raye remembered being called Rashid, was embracing him tightly.
"You've been gone for over a year! Where've you been?" he asked.
"With me," Raye answered, feeling a little intimidated by the sudden appearance of approximately forty armed men, all a good deal larger than herself.
Rashid turned to her, and it appeared he hadn't noticed her before. But then, he smiled. "Miss Raye, you've been looking after Master Quatre?"
She relaxed a little bit. "I've been doing my best, yes. You actually remember me?"
"It is more than difficult to remember finding a demon reduced to ash right before your eyes," he said.
"We knew you weren't dead the whole time!" another one called out.
"Rashid, please. Where are my sisters?" Quatre asked.
"Inside, Master Quatre. At least, a few of them are," he answered.
Raye and Quatre smiled at each other as they walked up the winding drive into the mansion. A few of the servants stared in awe at Quatre, and they were delayed in answering questions. The story was that Raye had helped Quatre fake his death while she helped him get away for some peace and quiet. It was believable enough, and was the same story that was repeated before Quatre's oldest sister, Irea.
"Well, first of all, Quatre, Father would not have approved," she chided, then smiled. "But I had a feeling that was what happened. It's good that you're back."
During the next hour or so, the rest of Quatre's sisters all arrived at the mansion. Along with their families, and the Maganac, it had grown very loud and crowded in a short amount of time. A few people from the press even showed up, but Irea firmly stressed that they stay out, and that no one was to speak with the media for the time being.
It was then that Quatre and Raye decided that Irea and Rashid should know the truth of what had happened. So, they told the long, involved story of what had happened. Irea seemed shocked at everything, but Rashid responded in a calm manner, as though he had suspected it the whole time.
Meanwhile, Raye was feeling uneasy. She didn't like the lack of attention she was getting, and the fact that everyone seemed so interested in Quatre thoroughly surprised her. However, she was too proud to admit to herself that there was a possibility it was just jealousy. Instead, she eyed everyone suspiciously, as if they posed a potential threat. In fact, she didn't even notice at first that Quatre was trying to talk to her.
"Raye? Raye! Are you listening?" he asked, shaking her gently.
She blinked and looked at him. "Oh, sorry. What?" she responded bluntly.
"Our time's almost up, Raye. We have to leave," he said, studying her closely. Although he'd spent the past few hours talking to his friends and family, he couldn't help but notice how cold and quiet Raye had become. She hadn't said a word to anyone, but still stared at a few of them. A couple of times, Irea had pulled him aside and asked about her.
"She scares me, Quatre," she had admitted. "Are you sure she's…"
"Raye's just a little quiet. I don't know why, she's usually very outgoing. But," he paused and stared into his sister's eyes. "I love her. That's going to have to be good enough, Irea."
"Of course," she'd replied. It was obvious she thought Raye was odd, if not out to kill him, just like…
He froze. Of course. She's getting a message. I'd better get her out of here as soon as possible he thought. If Raye was sensing something, anything, he wanted to know. He needed to know.
And so, taking her hand and slipping quietly away from the crowd of people, he left his world again.
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Trowa watched the woman quietly as she took care of the horses. She was all alone, but seemed content to just be with the animals in the tent. Brushing a strand of wavy brown hair out of her face, she gently stroked the horse's back, whispering to it softly.
Cautiously, Trowa took a step forward.
The horse looked up and whinnied. The woman spun around, her pale blue eyes searching the dark areas of the tent.
"Who's there?" she asked, in a voice tinted with fear.
He chose to remain silent. But Trista had another plan.
"I'm sorry to startle you," she said, stepping out into the light. "I was just wondering, you are Catherine Bloom, aren't you?"
"Who are you? What do you want?" Catherine asked.
"My name is Trista Meioh. I've come to return something you've lost," Trista replied calmly. With that, she returned to the shadows, took Trowa's hand, and led him into the light.
Catherine gasped. "Trowa!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and breaking into tears. "I thought I'd never see you again. They said you were…"
"Dead," Trowa finished.
"Yeah…but how did you…?" Catherine trailed off.
Trowa didn't answer, but looked toward Trista. She too remained quiet.
Catherine looked at her. "Did you have something to do with it?"
"I did. But it was Trowa's choice to come back to you, not mine," she answered.
"But I still don't understand! Trowa, where have you been?" Catherine asked.
"I was dead. And then I was with Trista. It's a long story," he answered.
"One that should be told," Trista replied firmly.
But since Trowa refused to say anything further, it was Trista Catherine ended up getting the truth from. She seemed to believe it, probably only out of concern for Trowa.
"So, what now?" Catherine asked finally.
"We have another hour to spend here. Then we have to leave," Trowa said.
"An hour? But you just got here!" she cried. "Why would you leave so soon?"
"As far as everyone knows, I'm still dead. This world isn't my home anymore," he answered.
"So where is your home then? I'll go there!" Catherine offered.
"Miss Bloom, we'd be more than happy to allow you to come with us. But the truth is, we're still recovering from recent conflicts," Trista said. But at Catherine's downtrodden look, she decided to add to her response. "However…it should be cleared up in a month or so. If you still wish to come to our world then…"
"Please, I'd do anything to be with Trowa again," Catherine said, reaching for Trista's hand. However, Trowa's took her wrist and lowered it.
"You have to trust her, Catherine. Stay here, for now at least. It's your home," he said firmly.
Catherine was silent. Then, she felt Trista's hand on her shoulder.
"I swear to you, I won't let anything happen to Trowa, as long as I live. You are not the only one who holds him in your heart," she said softly.
She looked up at her. There was wisdom in sincerity in Trista's eyes. Catherine nodded weakly, then stood up.
"At least let me get you something to eat and drink," she said, leading them out of the tent as the clock ticked, devouring the minutes as they passed.
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"Tell me again, what are we doing here?" Lita asked as she and Wufei sat outside the office.
"Tell me again, why did you come with?" Wufei muttered.
"So that you could use my name and not have to bring it out of the closet that you're not dead," she retorted as the door opened.
A tall woman with light brown braids and slanted eyes stepped out. "I'll be with you in a minute," she smiled at Lita, then suddenly noticed Wufei sitting next to her.
She didn't gasp or stare cynically, but oddly, she didn't seem surprised that he was there. Laughing, she put a hand on her hip.
"So Wufei. You're not dead, huh?" she asked.
"Of course not," he answered. "It takes more than her to kill me."
"Heh. Even when I did kill him, he wouldn't stay dead," Lita smiled.
"Whoa, did I miss something? Are you saying you killed him?" she asked, for once a little surprise in her voice.
"Like Kino said, I didn't stay dead," Wufei huffed.
"But she killed you? This oughta be a story. Why don't you two come in?" she offered.
"By the way, I'm Lita Kino," Lita introduced. "Or just Kino if you choose," she added, grinning at Wufei.
"Sally Po. Wufei used to work with me before…now wait a minute. Why don't you just explain what happened before we go any further?"
So Wufei and Lita took turns telling the story (often pausing to correct the other on some minor, embarrassing detail). By the end, Sally was grinning amusedly.
"Well, not as believable a story as I expected, but still better than what those other idiots that call themselves doctors thought," she remarked.
"What do you mean?" Wufei asked.
"When we found you, you weren't dead. Yeah, you were pretty badly fried, but not dead. But after you were left alone in intensive care, you disappeared. Everyone decided you got up and walked away," Sally explained.
"So I didn't kill him? Damn…" Lita muttered while Wufei smirked at her.
"Anyways, why'd you come back? Just to see me? How thoughtful!" Sally smiled.
"Yeah, Chang's been pining for you," Lita grinned and raised her hands to casually cover her head.
"Well, it's good to see you two get along so well," she remarked. "How long are you staying?"
"About three more hours," Wufei said. "That's when the Doorway closes."
"Three hours huh? Hm…I've got some work to do. Feel like helping me out?" Sally asked.
"Why not? Relive some of the old times," Wufei replied.
"Oh, but I was talking to Lita," Sally smiled, causing the younger woman to burst into hysterical laughter.
"Huh. Onna," he muttered as he followed them down the stairs.
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Heero silently approached the cemetery. He didn't know why he wanted to go there at first. But for some reason, he had decided he needed to know where his grave was. Where his body had been buried, before it had been desecrated. The thought that Hecate had come here to take his body hadn't bothered him at first, but now it sent a shiver up his spine.
He searched headstone after headstone, after finally finding his. It wasn't huge, but not small either. A small angel statuette rested on top of the marker that read
HEERO YUY
BORN: AC 180
DIED: AC 197
HIS SACRIFICE WILL LIVE ON
It wasn't much. But he couldn't help but notice the small medal embedded in the marble. A Medal of Honor. He reached out and touched it gently. When did they give him this? After he died, or were they saving it? Heero let out a bitter laugh. If only they knew that he didn't die for the sacrifice they thought. That he'd died at the hands of a girl who said she loved him, so that balance would be restored to the universe.
Suddenly, he heard a car coming down the road. On impulse, he hid behind a large dead tree so that he wouldn't be seen. He was surprised when the car slowed and came to a stop. But he was even more surprised when he saw who climbed out of the passenger's side.
It was Relena. But, there was no way it could've been Relena. She looked older, so much older, and she wore a tired expression. Her walk was slow and unsteady, as if she was afraid of what would happen if she took a step forward.
Silently, she crossed the cemetery, stopping when she reached the grave Heero had stood in front of only moment before. The late morning sunlight shone on her face, reflecting off of the tears that fell down her cheeks. Gently, she reached out and caressed the angel, as if she hoped it might be Heero himself. If only she knew he was standing there behind the tree.
"Heero…" she whispered, repeating his name over and over, as if it were an echo. "I miss you so much."
"Why don't you go over there?" A low voice said suddenly. Heero spun around. A tall man with long platinum blond hair stood behind him. His cold blue eyes were focused on Heero.
"So, it's you," Heero said. "How long has she been coming here?"
"Every week since you "died". Which makes me wonder why you came back now," Zechs remarked.
"Hn," he muttered.
"You took care of it surprisingly well. I'm assuming you came back from the dead, because not even you could've faked something this believable. The whole world thinks you're dead," Zechs pointed out.
Suddenly, a man stepped out of the car. He was young, with gentle brown eyes and auburn hair. He walked over and touched Relena's shoulder. She stood up and threw herself into his arms.
"You shouldn't keep coming here if it makes you so sad, Relena," he said, rubbing her back.
"I know, I know," she sobbed, "But I'm scared…"
He gently tilted up her chin. "Of what?"
"That I'll forget him," Relena answered.
Then, to Heero's surprise, the man bent forward and kissed her lips passionately.
"No one will ever forget Heero Yuy, Relena. You least of all," the man replied, taking her hand and leading her back to the car.
Heero and Zechs watched as the car drove off.
"His name's David Merott. He asked Relena to marry him two months ago," Zechs explained.
"She'll be happy with him," Heero stated.
"She'd have been happier with you," Zechs answered.
Both of them were silent for a while. Finally, Heero turned to his old rival.
"Zechs, I need to ask you to do something," he said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Shoot me," Heero replied.
Zechs didn't say anything at first. "What makes you think I'm armed?"
"Because you are," he answered.
"Fine then. But before I kill you, tell me this: is she worth dying for?" Zechs asked, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Heero's head.
"I don't know. I'll find out, won't I?" he said.
But just then, a weight slammed into him from the side, sending him sprawling.
"Kill him and I'll make you wish you'd never been born," a familiar voice said dangerously.
Heero got to his feet and looked at Mina, who was standing across from Zechs, who was smiling amusedly.
"He was the one who asked me to kill him," he said.
"I know that! And I'm saying, if you do, you'll regret it," Mina growled.
Zechs shook his head, then put his gun back in his jacket. "Heero, you may want to rethink your answer," he remarked, then as mysteriously as he appeared, he seemed to vanish.
Mina now turned to glare at Heero. "What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you the same thing," he shot back.
She approached him slowly. "I'm making sure you don't get killed."
"It's not your—" she cut him off.
"Will you shut up for a minute? I get it that you're upset that you lost Relena. Even if you can't admit it, I know you loved her, all right? I'm not the Goddess of Love for nothing! But to throw away your life just because you can't have her is stupid and selfish. Why can't you look in the mirror and realize you mean something to other people?" she cried.
He studied her closely. She was angry, there was no argument there. But beneath the anger, her fear and sadness highlighted it all. There was no doubt anymore that when she said he meant something to "other people", what she really meant was that he was important to her.
Which came as no surprise. After all, it was Mina who had told him numerous times that she loved him. And yet, it took on a new meaning now. She was fighting. For him. Even if he wanted to die, she didn't want to lose him.
"I'm…sorry," Heero apologized finally. He couldn't help it. Something was growing stronger inside of him, the storm of emotions was tearing him apart. But this time, it was Relena, and not Mina, that caused it.
Mina stared back at him, taken aback that he'd apologized for being suicidal. Her anger seemed to evaporate as she stared at him, feeling his pain and sorrow. A tiny bit of her was triumphant, however. Now he was feeling the pain of not being able to have something desired, just like she had felt.
Wait a minute. If that's the way it's gonna be, I may as well leave now. No one's gonna feel any better if we both just stand here feeling bad. But things aren't going to get any better Mina thought.
She bit her lip. "It's all right," she said, then turned and started to walk away.
Heero didn't know what happened. The storm suddenly burst, and he lost all control.
Mina found herself locked in his arms. He was standing behind her, holding her to his chest.
"Don't leave," he whispered in her ear.
"Heero, what?" she said, then stopped when she felt him turn her around.
"Don't leave me. Please," he repeated, putting a hand to her cheek. "I can't lose you too."
Mina didn't say anything. Her brain was trying to process what was happening. Heero was holding her, begging her not to leave, and…was he scared? What was going on?
For some reason, she broke into tears as she laid her head against his chest. "I don't understand."
"I finally understand what you meant when you said you couldn't wait. I already lost Relena to the waiting. But losing you would be worse," he said, stroking her hair.
"Why?" she asked, looking up into his Prussian blue eyes.
"Because I love you," he answered. And every last bit of doubt dissolved as his lips met hers. For once, the storm had settled, and there was a strange sort of peace deep within his soul.
I knew he'd come around eventually Mina thought as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.
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There everyone. Heero proclaimed his love for Mina. Happy now? Good! R+R+R!
