Chapter 1: Return to the Past
"Would you just shut up for five seconds and listen to my plan? I have to say something useful at least in comparison to your useless blabbering." A furious voice said to his companion.
"Ah of course oh graceful goddess, I beg your pardon. Please excuse my foul language I'm nothing than the dirt under your feet." Came the sarcastic reply while making a curtsey to mock the other.
"Are you making fun of me? Okay. Okay. If you think you don't need my help. Okay. No problem."
'Uh oh. Maybe I took it a bit too far this time.'
"Now why don't you just calm down a bit? There's a way for everything."
"Yeah, excluding us working together. From now on you're on your own. We'll see who's first succeeding with the mission. We'll split up and tomorrow we'll see who's way of working is better."
"What? That's gotta be a joke. You're kidding, aren't you?"
"In your dreams. I will prove myself to him and you will see what you have got with your attitude."
'What's that supposed to mean?' "Are you implying that I don't take missions seriously?"
"You don't want me to answer that."
"Hey, I take that as a personal insult."
The other only shrugged while getting ready for take off.
"Hey, now wait a second. Which one do I get?"
*Target locked.*
"Isn't that obvious?"
*Countdown running.*
"Oh no, please. Not that maniac. He's gonna ignore me anyway."
*5, 4, 3*
"Well too bad. It wasn't me who made the choice."
*2,1, START*
"Waaaaaiiiit!!!!!!"
But to late. The other was gone in a flash of light.
"Great. Now I'm stuck with that maniac."
Heaving a defeated sigh another flash of light was carried to Earth a moment later.
***
The clock flashed 12.00 am on the display. Heero groaned and rolled on his back.
'Damn. I've been merely asleep for two hours.' Rubbing his tired eyes he stilled instantly as he heard a noise from the kitchen.
'Fuck. What was that?' Getting up silently from his bed he picked up the gun from the nightstand and tiptoed into the kitchen. Peeking around the corner he almost dropped his gun at what he saw. There at the fridge or better half way in the fridge was a god damn really amazing good hallucination. At least that was the only logical explanation Heero's sleep deprived brain could come up with. Obviously the guy, Heero could see it was definitely a male, was stuffing himself with all kinds of food as well as liters of coke and beer. Unfortunately the nutrition never seemed to reach the stomach much rather plummeted straight onto the floor.
'What a mess. Thanks God this is just some very abstract dream. Probably thanks to Duo and one of his stories.' Heero shook his head, scratched himself with the gun behind his ear and trudged back to bed. Behind him the sound of choking could be heard and in less than a second he had "the hallucination" screaming at him at the top of his non existent lungs.
"ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT? ANY REASONABLE NORMAL WIRED HUMAN BEING JUST DOESN'T SCRATCH HIMSELF WITH A LOADED GUN ESPECIALLY HIS HEAD! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH????!!!!"
But Heero being Heero simply climbed back in his bed, turned onto his side and went back to sleep. That might have worked for him but a certain not so alive person saw that very different.
"Helllloooo?! I was just talking to you. It's very impolite to ignore other people though as long as I knew you, you never struck me as the polite one." He scratched his head. "I don't have much time and I intend on winning this mission so you better work with me here, Yuy."
Heero's hallucination poked the lump in the bed but when the ex-pilot had some exercise in something than in ignoring persistent persons.
"Oh, now I understand. You play hard to get. Oh, well how do you like this?"
In an instant his voice got deeper and had a slightly mechanical speaking manner.
"Get up boy. I have a mission for you. I expect no mistake. I want you-"
"I shot J along time ago. So shut up." A muffled voice interrupted him from the bed.
"Oh you did? Why didn't anybody tell me?" The guy frowned while getting comfortable on Heero's bed.
"Ah, how about this one?"
In the next second Heero had Duo Maxwell sitting on his bed chewing his ear off but as quick as lightning "Duo" had a gun showed into his face.
"SHUT UP, BAKA."
An audible gulp was heard.
"Guess we have a lot of work before us." He stood up and positioned himself a couple of meters away from the bed. 'Okay now if this doesn't work I have a real problem.' "Okay buddy, you wished for it."
In less than a second the loud shrieking of a banshee echoed through Heero's apartment. At least like that it sounded to the ex-pilot. In a flash he was out of the bed and flung himself behind it for cover.
'Relena? What is she doing here?' He thought almost hysterically if that was possible to achieve for the usually very controlled young man. Then he heard the fits of laughter coming from his bed. Frowning he peered over the edge and came face to face with his hallucination which was currently shaken by fits of laughter.
'Very funny!' Heero thought sullenly. He stood up and poked carefully that thing into the rips growling. The gun went right through.
"Hey, cut it out already!" The slightly transparent guy stopped laughing and got off the bed asap. "Hey what did I just told you about handling guns? It's your business if it's your body (or well maybe not since someone will have my head if he's headless) but leave the hell mine alone. It's dead enough already."
Heero looked at him critically. "Dead like in dead?" He still wasn't really sure if that guy wasn't a sign of being overworked.
The ghost, Heero's mind figured that's what he had to be, nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah like in deceased, departed, expired well you get my point." He shrugged with a half smile on his lips.
Heero stared at the young man. At least that's what he appeared to be. He seemed to be around the same age as himself. Caucasian origin, tall, slender, with tousled dirty blonde hair that almost reached to his shoulders and light blue eyes as well as dressed in one would call comfortable clothing.
"I may be dead but still looking good, ne?!" The ghost flashed him a smile as he struck a pose. Heero rolled his eyes and decided that for now the thing wasn't a threat. He left his gun on his night stand since if it came down to it he wasn't too sure how one could kill someone who was already dead.
"So what do you want?" Heero asked point blank.
The ghost looked disappointed. "Hey, can't you at least ask after my name first?"
Heero heaved a defeated sigh. Somehow that guy reminded him eerily of none other than Duo. He had exactly the same attitude. "Okay, so what is your name?" He asked patiently.
Promptly the ghost hold him self erect and announced with an air of pride. "I am Solo. Pleased to meet you." He extended his hand but before Heero even had a chance to consider shaking it Solo had withdrawn it smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Ah, forget about it. It's not like it'd work, ya know?"
Heero raised in eyebrow and Solo showed him what he was talking about. His hands went through the night lamp and through whatever else he touched. "Ya see, it's kinda difficult already to gather enough concentration to sit on your bed but to accumulate enough "force" to connect with human beings is pretty much impossible. I mean I'm not dead that long I still have to learn a lot."
Heero only grunted. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know what was going to happen to him once he died. Anyway the ghost or Solo still owned him an answer. "Well?"
Solo looked at him perplexed. "Well what?"
"Well, why are you here? I rather would like to go back to sleep."
"Oh that. It's rather important so don't hurry me. Come over here."
Heero frowned at Solo. "What for?"
"You'll see. Now get your lazy ass moving already. And there they say you're good at executing orders..." Solo grumbled.
"Says who?" Asked Heero stepping reluctantly closer to Solo.
"Ah, never mind." He gave Heero a quick look over. "Hm, maybe a bit dressed too lightly but well you have to deal with it. We have to go now."
Heero looked up alarmed. 'What is that guy talking about?' "Go where? Are you out of your m...?" But Heero didn't get to finish his sentence as he was engulfed in blue light and vanished from his apartment. Unknown to him the time on the display of his digital clock was still stuck on midnight.
***
Wu Fei tossed and turned in his bed. For all he tried to go to sleep it didn't help all his thoughts returned at one point or another to a certain blonde haired very competent woman: Sally Po.
The Chinese sighed and sat up on his bed rubbing his eyes. "What a waste of good night sleep. Why does she have to bother me during the night as well? Isn't it enough that that woman pesters me all day long already?" He grumbled tiredly.
"Well if you would just admit that she kind of wormed her way into your heart the matter would have been solved a long time ago. But no Mr. Stubborn is too stuck up that he can care for another person."
Wu Fei sighed. "It's not so much admitting that I'm in love with her. I figured that already out shortly after the Mariemaia uproar. It's rather that I have nothing to offer her. Who am I? An ex-gundam pilot who helped establishing peace raving about justice and insulting her half the time while doing it. I'm a lousy excuse for a man."
He dropped back on his pillow. Silence. Then Wu Fei furrowed his brows. 'What the heck? Did just someone answered my questions?' He sat up quickly glancing around his plainly furnished bed room. Nobody.
'Christ, I really need to get more sleep. Now I'm starting to hear voices. If Duo ever finds out he'd have a field day.' Just as he settled back down a voice spoke up again.
"Omg, Chang you grew up!!! This is absolutely unbelievable. I almost had a heart attack. Well if it would have been possible." Muttered the voice.
It came from the end of his bed. In a flash he had ripped his katana out of his sheath -luckily he still kept it close by while sleeping- and pointed it at the intruder currently crouching at the end of his bed with his arms and head propped up on his comforter.
Meiran.
'What the hell?!' Wu Fei closed his eyes and opened them again. He pinched his skin but the image of his dead wife remained in front of him. 'Oh my god those are the first signs of insanity.' He stared horrified at the vision and feverishly hoped he was only dreaming. "What is going on here? Is this one of Maxwell's jokes?"
Meiran rolled her eyes. "I assure you it's no joke. Though if this Maxwell guy is a nuisance such like his friend I pity you with all my heart."
Wu Fei dropped the sword and dropped feeling slightly weak on his bed in a sitting position.
"Are you alright? You look a bit pale around your nose." She asked him with the slightest hint of worry in her voice.
"What are you talking about? You don't exactly look healthy yourself Meiran." He ground out between his teeth.
"Well excuse me Captain Obvious, but I'm dead." Meiran jumped up in a huff walking over to the window.
'Shit.' Wu Fei looked at her strangely. "So you're really here?"
"Yes."
"Did you came back to punish me?" He asked quietly.
That certainly got Meiran's attention. Astonished she turned to him. "What gives you the impression ... I came back to haunt you?" The dark haired woman asked him surprised.
Wu Fei looked up guilt evident in his dark eyes. "For letting you down. For letting you die. For not saving our colony." He mumbled hanging his head.
She gave him a deep searching look. Then the young woman walked over to him, got into a crouch and took both of his hands. "Look Wu Fei. This all happened a long time ago. We were both young and foolish and were forced together under unusual circumstances. Our colony was on the break of war and back then I couldn't understand that fighting is not always about pride and honor. The war is a dirty game carried out on the back of innocents. I watched you Wu Fei. Each battle, each death and each lonely night. Believe me you brought justice to us all and for that I'm grateful and very proud of you." She gave the silent man in front of her a tender smile. "But now it's time to let go of the past. You have to appreciate what the present is offering you. Don't let it go because of unjustified insecurities. You're not only making yourself unhappy but Sally as well."
Wu Fei snorted. "Well then you don't know her pretty well. She's a strong woman, knows what she wants and usually gets what she wants. Why would she want or rather wait for someone like me to come around? Or better why wait? That's not at all like her. She would just frankly declare her love. In a way she's a lot like you." He gave her a small grin.
Meiran smiled back but got serious again. "Do you really think she'd straight away declare her love to someone she doesn't even know if he appreciates her?"
Wu Fei groaned at the implied reproach. "What are you trying to tell me? That I need to make the first step?"
Meiran nodded. "Yes. She has as many insecurities as you. Don't let the facade deceive you. If you want I can show you."
Wu Fei looked up. "Show me what?"
Meiran smiled at him. "The real Sally."
And while Wu Fei slowly nodded they were both swallowed by a glowing red light.
***
"Where the fuck are we?" Heero exclaimed outraged.
"Geez, calm down man. Looks like Duo is rubbing of on you."
"Well excuse me. It's in the middle of December and I'm only clad in a pair of pajama pants in the middle of now where or rather a giant junk yard. So care to explain what we're doing here? And how come you know about the baka?"
Solo turned to him and gave the fuming ex-pilot a cold smirk. "Well for starters this junk yard happened to be the streets of L2 and secondly that certain baka was the only best friend I ever had."
'Me too.' Heero added silently. When Heero remained silent Solo turned and walked off into the night with Heero having no other option as following the eccentric young man. 'Great now I'm stuck with him. Wonder though where he met Duo. That guy sure rubbed of on the baka. He never mentioned him. Come to think of it Duo talks a lot but never ever actually revealed any explicit details of his past. All he had ever said that he had been part of a street gang having to steal to survive.' Heero mused. He snapped back to attention when they stopped in front of an old battered and burnt building what once would have been a church. "Where are we?" Heero asked curiously.
Solo glanced over at him. "The Maxwell church."
The brown haired teen raised an eyebrow. "Maxwell?" He asked confused. 'Was this part of Duo's past?' Heero had already figured out that they were definitely in another time besides him not being able to sense the cold or being seen by anybody else besides Solo was kind of too suspicious.
"Before I show you this I have to tell you something. I think you already figured out that we're in the past." Heero nodded. "Well then. Duo's been my most faithful friend back when we were running the streets together. It's a dangerous business you know. Usually the mortal enemies of every street kid are the snobby high society, the uncaring politicians and the brutal soldiers. I wonder why he picked you out of all anyway." He studied Heero intently but obviously couldn't find a suitable answer and continued. "Anyway I want to make sure that Duo will be happy and not end up in the gutter again which would be your fault in the end." He pointed angrily his index finger at him.
'Okay now, that's enough.' "What are you talking about? For once Duo is my best friend as well and he is happy. Just look at him. I don't know what you want."
Solo shook his head. "Jesus. I know what you want my man and you're either blind or pretty dumb for not seeing the obvious."
Heero remained silent. Shutting up his inner voices which were eager to listen to Solo's words. He just simply not wanted again to end up in a debate of what could have been. It's simple as that Heero Yuy was not cut out for a relationship. Duo's life was going well and he deserved it. No way he would come and destroy everything with his stupid feelings. His friend was at last happy. He could live with that. It simply had to be enough for him.
Solo had been watching the other man and obviously didn't like the conclusion Heero came to. "Christ Yuy, you're pitiable. There he has opportunity after opportunity in front of his very eyes and he's doing nothing." He threw up his hands. "God, you know Duo isn't exactly ugly if you understand what I mean."
"I know." Heero grounded out. Somehow this guy made him feel extremely stupid. Just like Duo but with the baka he knew at least it was unintentionally.
"So?! Doesn't that tell you anything? What would you do if Duo just suddenly decided to hook up with someone, hm?!"
"He wouldn't." Heero's reply was quick.
"And just why would a guy like Duo would want to stay alone forever? It's not exactly in his nature to be alone. He always seeks company in case you haven't noticed yet." Solo said frustrated.
'Yeah but until now it was my company he seeked and he wouldn't leave because... because he's family. Yes that's it. "He's family. He wouldn't leave us."
Solo looked sadly at him. "Maybe. Maybe not. The human heart is a mystery. Common let's go. I want to show you something."
They both trudged through the snow for quite some time and came to a stop in a more agreeable area. Nice little houses with small gardens were lined up at the street. Solo pointed to a house at the right side with bushes at the windows. Heero followed Solo's indication and sucked in his breath as his gaze dropped on a group of children plastered to the window one of them with a ragged braid trailing down the scrawny back. Duo.
Unconsciously Heero walked closer with Solo trailing behind him. "What are they looking at?" Heero asked Solo.
"Why don't you have a look yourself?" The other asked instead.
So Heero positioned himself behind the smaller version of Duo who was probably eight years old at the time and not in the best of shape. None of the children seemed to be in good order. Their clothes were old and worn not at all proper for the current weather and they were way too thin. So what were they looking at? Heero lowered himself and looked inside. It was a dinning room and there were four chairs. The whole family was seated around it having their Christmas meal. The room was decorated nicely and it was probably very cozy inside. The eyes of the children followed their every movement.
But Duo's eyes were different. Heero could see it clearly. Duo wasn't wishing for a cozy house to live in, a big dinner or any of the gifts that were probably piled high under the Christmas tree. Those yearning indigo eyes were only wishing for a mother to put food for him on his plate, a father to ruffle his hair and a sister or a brother to laugh with. A family. Something in Heero's heart ached. And then he was back in his room. In his bed. Alone.
***
"Meiran?" Wu Fei looked around. "Meiran where are you?" He whispered.
"You don't need to whisper you know."
"Gahhh!" Wu Fei spun around in surprise.
"Now that wasn't very manly." She smirked at him.
"Shut up, woman."
"Hey, watch it. Or I'm leaving you here."
"Where are we anyway?" Wu Fei looked around. It was evening but as far as he could distinguish his surroundings it looked like he was in a Chinese back yard. But that wasn't actually possible, was it?!
"Don't make such a face. Let me fill you in. Right now we are in the past, more explicitly in China. No one will be able to see you, hear you etc. nor can you touch anything or feel the cold for that matter. Understood?"
Wu Fei nodded wordlessly. It was all a bit much at the moment.
"Good. Follow me." Meiran led him over to the main house were he could hear the distinct noises of a celebration. Looking through the window they could see a big family celebrating happily Christmas. It didn't surprise him. On Earth they had adapted to the Western tradition a couple of centuries ago already not like on L5 were everything went after the old traditions.
"It's the Po clan." Meiran interrupted his thoughts.
"Oh really? Where is Sally?" He didn't so much as glance at Meiran intently searching for a blonde head.
Meiran smiled sadly. "You won't find her there."
Wu Fei looked at her startled. "What do you mean 'not there'?"
"I'll show you."
One moment they were on the ground the next they were standing on the roof next to a small window which was illuminated by a single candle. A young girl of maybe ten had her arm propped up on the window-ledge drawing with the other snow crystals onto the moisture on the glass. Wu Fei looked at the blonde girl who was singing an old Chinese lullaby for a long time, dreading to ask why. In the end he didn't ask.
Meiran knew his silent question.
"They don't want her to be seen because she's a mixed blood. Her father was a British soldier stationed in Hong Kong. Well, he fell in love with her mother. Of course the family didn't approve and outcaste her mother. Both parents died in the British-Chinese war and Sally was dropped of at her only alive remaining relatives. To them she was the living memory of the dishonor their daughter had brought upon them." Meiran fell silent and watched the Chinese man beside her.
Wu Fei ached for the little girl behind the window. "How can people be so cruel to their own flesh and blood?" He balled his hands into fists. "She didn't deserve this."
"Of course she didn't. But this is already the past. It's too late to change." Meiran said soothingly.
Wu Fei's shoulders slumped. "Take me home please." He whispered quietly.
Meiran nodded. "As you wish."
They vanished instantly and all what remained was a dark room and on the window glass was written in childish handwriting 'Merry Christmas, Sally!'.
***
In two apartments, each at the other end of the city, reigned once again silence as two young man were deep asleep. But for how long? The hour of the ghosts wasn't over yet.
************
Well, that was the first chapter. How did you liked Sally's past? I for my part always imagined she would be one of the many children born in the time were the British government had Hong Kong as a colony. I mean her name sounds exactly like a lot of girls from there. I just made up another war... And if you were clever now you've realized that both Duo and Sally wish for a own real family. Well, let's hope Heero and Wu Fei understood it as well. Otherwise I pity Solo and Meiran. ^_^