Um, the usual: I do not own Gundam Wing or the characters (though sometimes I wish I did) except for Mia.

Cautions: Cursing, Some Violence (though it sucks), Yaoi-ness, Firearms ... those sorts of things. And now, on with the story . . .

Chapter One: The Weaver of the Web

Rumbling gray clouds began to overtake a clear, sunny sky one hot August afternoon. Heero watched this from the small coffee shop inside the music store with a feeling akin to cynical pleasure, sipping the scalding brew in his cup while suppressing a smirk. He could hear his fellow Gundam pilots rummaging around the store, trying to help Duo find a CD he'd been looking for. Well, Quatre was helping Duo, Trowa was following them around pretending to be helping, and Wufei... well, Wufei was off doing his own thing, as usual.

Wufei was off browsing the classical section of the store, looking for some soothing music to go with his morning meditation, not caring very much if Duo found his album or not. He found Duo's music loud and irritating, and he especially didn't like Duo's lack of consideration while blasting it at top volume in his room with the door wide open.

He spotted a promising album and reached for it just as another hand did the same. In that brief moment of seeing it, the hand told him a lot about who it was attached to. For one, it was a female's hand; the fingers were long and slim, the hand well-toned in general, as though she used them laboriously often. They were a creamy almond color, and not at all flawed.

"Gomen nasai," the woman said softly. Wufei looked up to offer that it was all right, but took a rather heart wrenching trip down memory lane instead. The girl, he had soon decided, as she didn't look much older than himself, had long, silky black hair streaming from two neat buns above either ear, and dark chocolate colored eyes that held a sparkle of independence within them.

Meiran... he found himself thinking.

"Yo, Wu-man! Let's go, we found it!"

Duo's voice sliced violently through his mind, temporarily cutting his thoughts short. He looked over to where Duo, Heero, Quatre, and Trowa were walking out the door, Quatre pausing a moment to wave him over. Turning back, he was just in time to see the girl take the album and then walk off into the depths of the jazz section, disappearing currently from his sight, but her imprint remaining vividly in his mind.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was almost one o'clock in the morning, and all lay asleep in the dark that infested the Gundam house. That is, all but one. Wufei lay awake in his room, staring at the shadowed ceiling above him deep in thought. He was involuntarily unearthing all the memories of his past that had been buried for so long, memories that he had wanted to keep buried until he was ready to deal with reality — if ever. He remembered what being a scholar was like back on the L5 Colony instead of risking his neck in space battles, and having Meiran as his wife. His dear Nataku. He hadn't realized just how much her companionship had meant to him until she was gone and never to be there for him again. Rebellious, independent, and at times slightly foolish in her intense judgements, Wufei never could have helped himself in caring for her; or at least worrying about her. Of course, he never allowed himself to show it, which was something he duly regretted, no matter how much he would not allow himself to admit that either.

Becoming rather uncomfortable, physically and mentally, Wufei got up from his bed and exited his room, descending the stairs to the kitchen, where he paused at the refrigerator to peer at what was left inside after Duo's nightly nine o'clock raid. He poured himself a small glass of milk and gulped it down rather quickly. Pausing a moment as he put the glass in the sink, he looked over his shoulder at the dark hallway. His subconscious was telling him that something wasn't right, but he was too distracted, and too unhappy, to care.

He was just on his way back upstairs and to his room when he ran into Duo, who effectively caught Wufei off-guard.

"Maxwell!?! What the hell are you doing up this hour?!"

Wufei was expecting some sarcastic answer from his friend and was immediately concerned when Duo didn't answer right away. Instead, he waved a hand to silence him and tilted his head as though listening for something.

"I thought I heard something..." he said finally, still looking past Wufei.

"You did. It was me getting a glass of milk. Go back to sleep, Duo," Wufei said, not bothering to whisper. He was again startled by Duo's seriousness as he shushed him.

"It wasn't you, I know an alien sound. These ears are sharper than a fox's. You get that when you're out on the streets," Duo commented dryly.

"You mean to tell me that someone else is in this house?"

Duo simply nodded. Wufei wanted to take this as some sort of prank, but the look on Duo's face in the dimness told him that he wasn't joking. They didn't even need to exchange words to do what they did next. Duo went to Heero's door while Wufei went to Quatre's, and they knocked six times, pausing a moment to add a seventh knock. That was all it took. Heero came out not two seconds later, still in his boxers and wielding a gun, Trowa and Quatre came out from Quatre's room, armed and dressed in pajamas.

"Hurry up," Duo said in a harsh whisper as they began descending the stairs, "they're leaving!"

"You mean there's more than one?" Quatre asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, I can't hear with you jabbering."

Quatre stuck his tongue out at Duo's back but kept his ears open, straining for the slightest sound. Slowly the pilots crept down the stairs, Duo leading the group towards the kitchen. They stopped once, Duo listening for the shuffling of feet once again. Yep, it was definitely coming from the kitchen. They gathered at the door, and by instinct new when to charge. They jumped in, Quatre quickly flicking on the lights and then quickly regaining control of his firearm. They had to blink away the brightness and try to focus as quickly as possible. Their intruder had opened the back door a crack, but was startled when the lights were turned on, and by the five on the prowl. Heero slammed the back door, looking to their intruder and growling. And it was all he could do to keep that growl from turning into a yelp of surprise.

The intruder backed away from Heero cautiously, without a trace of fear or surprise on their face. In fact, the person was smirking. The intruder raised their arms into a slightly combative position, as if ready to strike if struck first, and turned slowly, looking to each of the pilots' faces. They had created a circle about the person, and their intruder paused a moment, glancing at Wufei, but completely stopping at the sight of Duo.

Wufei was bursting with disbelief, their intruder was a woman. The same woman from the music store, clad in all black, her long hair braided. It reminded him of Duo's braid, falling all the way past her waist.

The woman began to slowly walk towards Duo, and it was clear then that she was absolutely insane; for Duo had his gun drawn, the safety off, and his index finger on the trigger. But he didn't shoot. He seemed to be frozen in place, or paralyzed, unable to even change his facial expression which still remained alert and determined. She only stopped when the barrel of his gun was poking into her stomach, the two mere inches apart; and that's when Duo did the unfathomable. He hugged her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I still can't believe it's you," Duo was still saying almost an hour later. All had seated themselves around the kitchen table for what was surely going to be a most interesting conversation. "God, Mia, where have you been all this time?!"

"Arigatou," Mia said softly as Quatre placed a cup of tea on the table before her. He then took his seat next to Trowa and prepared himself for a long night. It was only after she sipped the tea that Mia answered. "I've been around, Duo. Trying to grow up and make something of the street-orphan tomboy I am."

"Y'don't look much like a tomboy anymore," he replied with a lopsided grin.

"No... I suppose that's true," Mia agreed, swirling a spoon in her tea absently. "I need not reciprocate the question. I already know the answer."

"How could you?" Quatre spurted out before he could check himself.

Mia smiled a bit, tilting her head as she took in the seemingly innocent-looking figure of Quatre. "I'm quick, clever, and courteous; some very winning traits when you're trying to find hidden information."

"And let me guess what else," Wufei began dryly, "modest?"

"Oh yes, very," Mia replied with a sarcastic grin.

"Well, since you know more than you should about us, I believe it wouldn't be rude of me to ask what you've been up to," Heero said in a quiet tone that allowed none to decipher his thoughts.

"Perfectly justifiable," Mia agreed. "I've traveled mostly, looking in on Duo every now and then, just making sure he was all right. I am currently unemployed, although I did go for a rather promising interview this afternoon."

"What kind of interview?" Wufei asked.

"I don't believe that's any of your business."

"But it's your business to know what we've been doing? Injustice!"

"I was merely keeping tabs on a person I consider to be my brother. I don't know where your bloodline goes, but where my ancestors are from, they treasure compassion and honor of family above all else. How dare you speak to me about injustice!" Mia replied, her cheeks flushing with mild anger, eyes flashing with a challenge.

"And just where, pray tell, do your ancestors come from?" Wufei countered, slightly miffed himself.

"Why, China, of course!"

Silence. The two sat there, facing each other as though ready to start rolling on the floor in a fight. At least, Mia was; Wufei seemed to be locked in a moment where he was torn between anger and horror. And just when Wufei didn't think he could be more embarrassed or horrified, Duo started to laugh. He just sat there, grabbing at Heero's arm as he swayed precariously on his chair, shaking from head to toe with laughter.

The twitchings of a smile began to attack Mia's lips, but before she could begin to laugh herself, she stood from her place and started for the back door. She had effectively stumped the adamant Wufei into silence, she wasn't about to ruin her triumph with laughter. "Duo, you're contagious in that state. I'll be back —"

Duo grabbed her by the wrist, fighting for control. "You can't leave now, Mia. —" giggle "— You just got here. —" snort "— And besides, —" chuckle "— it's raining out."

She stared at him as though he had four heads. "Rain isn't going to kill me."

"No, but pneumonia will," Trowa intervened quietly, staring at a giggle-ridden Duo with a very wary expression.

"Yes, and Duo would have heard a vehicle pull up outside the house, so it is obvious you haven't one," Quatre added.

Mia was listening half-heartedly. She was concentrating more on Duo. "Duo, would you mind explaining what's so funny?"

Duo had succeeded in calming himself down, but that didn't stop him from grinning madly. "'Fei's Chinese, too."

Mia couldn't stop the smile that had spread across her face (who would have thought?), although she was trying to suppress the giggles that had risen in her throat; Duo could be such an idiot at times. But an amusing idiot. "And that was funny?"

It only took about two seconds for it to happen again. Duo and Mia stared at each other for approximately that before the both of them burst into laughter. Needless to say, Wufei wasn't very happy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Duo, I don't know how to thank you enough. You really don't have to do this, you know," Mia said as Duo entered the guest bedroom carrying a pair of Wufei's sweatpants and a T-shirt of Quatre's.

"No, I don't," Duo replied with a grin. "But I wanna' spend more time with you before you disappear again."

"Well, if I get the job I'm hoping for, I won't have to disappear." Yet, anyway, she added in her mind.

"Yeah... Well, sweet dreams, Mia," Duo said as he closed the door. Mia waited until his footsteps faded before she began changing into the clothes Duo had brought for her. The shirt wasn't so bad, if only slightly baggy; but the sweatpants were a different story entirely. They fit length-wise, but Mia had to tie them extra tight so they wouldn't slip off her slim hips.

Mia was just unbraiding her hair and beginning to brush it when there was a knock on her door. Thinking it was Duo again, she immediately called, "Come in." But it wasn't Duo who entered; it was Wufei.

"Chang?"

Wufei couldn't help but become lost the moment he looked at her. He still couldn't get over how much she looked like Meiran, especially with her hair down like that, the lamplight giving it a glossy luster. He bet that it even felt the same, if only he could just touch it to make sure....

"Wufei, what are you doing?"

He blinked himself into consciousness, realizing that he had been inching slowly closer to her, reaching for her hair. "What was I... I doing? I was... just... um... How long did it take you to get your like that? That – that length and everything," he quickly added.

"My hair?" Mia blinked in response. "My life... I never once cut it in my life."

Wufei simply nodded, regaining his composure and once more becoming all business-like. "I just came to see if the pants were all right. I found a smaller pair if you need them..."

"No, thank you. I'm fine," she lied coolly, turning slightly and continuing to brush her hair.

"And I came to apologize."

"Oh?" Mia said with hidden satisfaction. "For what?"

"For... Well..." he began, pausing contemplate his choice of words and to give her a piercing look. "You're not going to make this any easier on me are you? Women are all the same. Never mind, then." Wufei turned on his heel and strode towards the door, grabbing the knob so that he'd be able to close it over without looking back. That is, he wouldn't have looked back, but —

"Wufei?"

Reluctantly, he turned around, taking in the soft smirk on her face and trying to keep his legs from involuntarily collapsing at the way her voice softened.

"Apology accepted."

Nodding in response, Wufei closed the door over and went back to his room.