"Pick up the phone."
"No."
"I'm telling you to pick up the phone like you promised me." The voice became slightly annoyed.
"I didn't promise you anything like that." Came the cool reply.
"Chang Wu Fei. Be a man and pick up the damn phone!" Meiran finally ran out of patience and yelled at the stubborn young man sitting scowling on his bed.
"Shut up woman. Are you out of your mind? Thinking I'd call her in the middle of the night? Forget it."
Meiran stopped pacing and put her hands on her hips. "Listen up, until you get your ass in gear everything will be too late. You will loose her and you will die an old loonly death." She told him with all the seriousness she could muster and disappeared into thin air.
Wu Fei let himself fall onto his bed staring at the ceiling. "Stupid women. All you do is manipulate me. Until today Chang Wu Fei had made his own decisions and trust me it will stay like this." He promised quietly.
***
A thump next to him told him she had arrived finally. "You're late. What kept you so long?" He grumbled puffing a ring of smoke into the night.
"What? Did you miss me?"
Solo could hear the smile in her voice. "Stop teasing me. Sit down already."
Meiran settled smiling beside him and then let out a long suffering sigh.
"Didn't go that well, hm?"
Meiran snorted. "He's as stubborn as a mule."
"Welcome to the club. Yuy isn't any better. I don't know how Duo can stand him." He wondered. "Well where love falls…"
"If he would just get over with his complex of being unworthy etc. I mean we're not in the Middle Age where he has to provide for the woman and hell Sally's past isn't that honorful either."
"You're telling me. Yuy obviously thinks Duo doesn't need him. He's afraid to destroy their happy lives, their friendship or whatever else is going on in that stubborn head of his."
"Why can't they just listen to us? I mean we're ghost and have been watching over them for an eternity we should know what the four feel."
Sigh.
"I mean can't they simply listen to what their heart wants?"
A laugh. "Or what their body wants?"
"Solo!"
"Ouch! What?!"
"That was inappropriate."
"So? They are men. And I'm sure Sally-"
Smack. Thump.
"Hey, watch it. I almost fell off the roof."
"Yeah, almost."
Solo grumbled and climbed back up to sit next to Meiran.
"We have to do something. We have only one time jump left."
Silence.
"I know." Solo suddenly turned to grin at her.
Meiran frowned. 'Who knows what now had sprouted in his crazy mind?'
"We'll switch."
"We'll what?"
Solo shook his had impatiently. "I said we'll switch. Meaning I'm paying Wuffers a visit and you Yuy. And then-"
Whack.
"Ouch!" Solo rubbed his head.
"Idiot. We can't just change our positions. It's not allowed. We have each our own missions and I will complete mine. Besides I won't let you mess with Wu Fei's destiny."
Solo looked hurt. "Are you implying that I don't care about what happens to Duo and Yuy? Of course I want them to be happy. But nothing had worked so far. I mean Wu Fei decided not to call Sally and Yuy tried to punch me. Very successful aren't we?"
"How do you know I wanted Wu Fei to call her?"
Solo shrugged. "I have my ways."
Meiran looked at her feet before glancing cautiosly at the now calm looking Solo.
"And he really tried to hit you?"
Solo gave her a smile. "Nah. He tried but well he choose to throw himself of the roof instead."
Meiran blinked. "He did what?"
"I told you he's a maniac." They both fell into silence until…
"Oh my god." Meiran turned to Solo starting to shake him. "Oh my god. I have an idea." She clapped into her hands and looked at the perplexed Solo. "Listen up. I have a great idea."
"Which will be?"
"Back-up."
"S'cuse me?"
"I said we're getting back-up, dummy. It's so logical. We're supposed to fulfil our missions independent from each other but nobody said anything about further interference. Meaning we can ask someone else to help us with those two idiots. And I just know who to ask. Follow me."
With a flash she vanished followed by groaning Solo.
***
His eyes flew open in alarm. Where was he? Heero sat up and looked wildly around him and let out a relieved sigh as he realized he was in his apartment. He let himself fall backwards on his bed rubbing his tired eyes. The last thing he remembered was falling off the roof though luckily he never hit the ground.
"Damn if that Solo guy shows up here one more time I'm going to rip of his head." He grumbled.
"But this isn't a very nice thing to do. Even if he is dead and probably won't feel a thing." A young voice said with utmost sincerity.
Heero stilled. 'Christ, don't tell me that baka brought back-up. Well, nothing could be worse than that idiot.' He groaned mentally. Sitting up his gaze fell on the chair opposite of his bed. There were he usually left his clothes.
'No way. No way. I'm dreaming. God, someone please wake me up.' His heart was beating painfully in his chest at the sight before him. Solo hadn't just brought anybody from the past. He had gotten someone from his past.
Heero stared transfixed on the small figure on the chair slowly pushing himself away from her.
"Don't be scared Heero." She put her head to the side smiling at him from under her bangs. "You accepted Solo without a problem why so shy around me?" She jumped of the chair.
"Don't. Don't come closer." Heero could hear the underlined panic in his own voice. It was as if his worst nightmare had materilized in front of him. In form of a small girl with a nice summerdress and a puppy- wait.
"Where is your puppy?" Heero asked confused. In his nighmares she always came with her puppy to torture him.
The girl laughed. "Oh silly Heero. He's still a small pup. It's late so I left him home to have a good night sleep of course."
Heero could only nod dumbly.
The girl stood now at the end of his bed looking at him intently. "Say Heero, you don't hate me do you?"
"What? I…" He didn't know what to say. Ever since he had accidently killed the girl and her puppy she haunted him in his dreams leaving him with a heavy heart of guilt and pain. But hating her? No, nothing had been her fault. Only his and now he simply had to live with the consequenses.
Heero shook his head. "No, I don't hate you. Though you make me feel a bit unconfortable." He admitted hesitating.
The girl nodded. "That's quite normal. But you see you shouldn't really worry about me and my little puppy. We're both veeeery happy in our new home and all you manage to do with regretting things you already did is overlooking all the nice things you can have now. That's pretty silly of you if you ask me."
Heero slowly nodded still too stunned to question her.
"Anyway, Solo told me we don't have much time left so let's go."
That got Heero's attention. "What where?"
"Well to the future of course. Didn't you ever read "A Christmas carol"?"
Heero shook his head.
"No? Everybody knows that story." She shook her head exasperated. "The third and last time the ghost and Scrooge go to the future. So hurry up already and come!" She stomped over and took Heero's hand in hers.
"Wait. Wait. Where did Solo go?"
"Solo? Oh, he said he wants to pay his little brother a visit. Common now, we need to change Scrooge's mind so everything will be just fine tomorrow morning."
With that and Heero still wondering just who the hell that Scrooge person was they both vanished in a flash of soft yellow light.
***
His vision got blurry and he angrily wiped at his eyes. Warriors didn't cry. He didn't need that woman laughing about him. He snorted. Ten years and he still needed to prove himself to her.
'Damn. I hope she stays where ever she went to.' He decided he had seen enough for tonight and it was his life after all. He could very well decide for himself. He wasn't one to be pushed around.
"Those are all very reasonable thoughts but in the end it will be you who'll end up short."
In a flash Wu Fei was up and searched for the oh so familiar voice he hadn't heard since the Eve wars ended and well he had died.
"Over here, dragon warrior."
Wu Fei turned and froze. There as if to his best times stood Treize Kushrenada with a light smile on his lips at seeing the dumbfounded expression on his once personal enemie's face.
"As I heard you're still as stubborn as ever as I might state. Since I owe you my own personal freedom I expressed my wish to aid you a bit in seeing what has to be done. Namely facing the unavoidable. Sally Po. If you don't intend on loosing her. Which would be pretty stupid. She is a great woman." Treize nodded and pushed himself of the window sill he had been leaning against.
Wu Fei stared unbelievingly at the tall man in front of him. He had learnt a great deal through this man and it was Treize who had put him through a lot of suffering through the war. It was better to be on guard. Meiran had to think of him as incurable if she went to great lengths like that.
"I think I know myself what is good for me. If that is all you wanted you can go now. And tell Meiran not to bother in coming back. I think she has done enough for tonight."
Treize fixed with a cool expression. "Why so arrogant Wu Fei? If you keep up this attitude you will indeed be the last of your clan. Didn't you learn anything in the war?"
"What are you talking about? You were the enemy and I fought you. It was my task to bring justice to my people and I fulfilled it."
"Yes, you did. But what about you?"
The two man were facing each other. Wu Fei was more or less glaring at the ghost in front of him.
"Were is the justice in throwing your life away? Denying your own dreams and wishes. I thought you were no fool."
Wu Fei was silent. Then he spoke silently. "My father once told me a husband has to love, protect and care for his wife. If he fails to offer her this then he is not worthy of being her husband."
Treize regarded him carefully.
"I already failed once, Treize. I couldn't bear it to fail Sally too." The Chinese turned and walked over to his bed where he sat down with a heavy sigh.
"So you're saying that your own fear is keeping you away from Sally?"
Wu Fei looked up at Treize. Fear? Wasn't it his honor, his ancestors, his whole upbringing that kept them apart? Or had he only been hiding behind excuses to not face the truth. A dragon warrior knows no fear, his father had told him. He clutched his aching head in his hands.
Treize shook slowly his head with sorrow. "You and Sally are so much alike. Both victims of those who brought you up. But you really shouldn't let the past keep you from what you want to do."
Wu Fei looked up. Treize wandered back to the window. "A long time ago one of my mentors had told me this: 'Remember the Past, Live in the Present, Dream of the Future and Treasure every Moment inbetween.' It's true actually though I realized this much too late. I'm telling you if you don't act now it will be too late for your future. I can show you if you don't believe me."
Both looked at each other for a long time until Wu Fei stood wordlessly up joining Treize at the window. The dark haired young man looked up in determination. "Then show me."
Treize nodded and they both vanished in a blinding white light.
***
"Fuck, where are we?" Heero struggled to keep his balance and not to tumble down the scyscraper.
"You shouldn't use words like this. That word is a BAD word." The little girl reprimanded him.
Heero nodded dumbly. "What are we doing here? Is this the future?" He looked around. The city below him looked like Bruessel though it looked a lot more modern and even more busy than in his time.
"Yup. That's the future but we're not supposed to snoop around here." She walked closer to edge being watched carefully by Heero. Then she pointed to the scyscraper on the opposite side. "See that building?"
Heero nodded. "This is the National Bank. It's the most secure building besides Preventer HQ. Not only the biggest fortunes are in there in form of money but also interesting bits of data of military importance."
Heero nodded. "Okay. But what does this have to do with Duo?"
"You'll see. Come on we go in."
They both vanished once again in yellow light until they stood only seconds later in a long hallway. From the distance they could hear shouting and shooting. Instantly Heero's hand shot to the place where he usually kept his gun. To his dismay he discovered that it was of course still in his appartment.
'Damn it.' "Is Duo in trouble? Is the building under attack?" 'God, what if this leads to another war. She said they keep crucial information here.' Heero sprinted down the hallway not waiting for an answer. As he rounded the corner he saw Duo crouching behind an open door being under fire from men in black clad fighting gear.
Heero scanned his one time war partner. Besides a few cuts and scrapes he seemed fine though Heero had learned the hard way that the black clothing disguised bleeding wounds very good.
'Though why is he wearing all black again? He stopped doing that after the war well besides one or two black accessoires.' Heero frowned. Right now Duo was talking to someone over his small com in his ear. Then he through a gas bomb in the direction of his enemies which sent them scrambling. Duo jumped up and stormed by Heero and the girl running to the elevator.
'What is he doing? He'll be trapped in there.' Heero could already hear nearing footsteps and saw with rising panic as his partner jumped into the elevator. Looking at the girl he said urgently. "We have to do something. If they corner him he has no chance."
He ran after Duo into the elevator but to his surprise it was empty. "What the hell…?"
Someone tagged on his sleeve. The girl pointed upwards. "There look. He's pulling him upwards with that tool."
Heero followed her pointing. Duo was almost all the way up. 'Still as agile as ever.' "Can you get us on the roof, too?"
"Sure." They vanished in a flash and reappeared on the roof. Heero looked around. "Where is he?"
A door banged open behind him revealing a slightly swaying Duo. The black clad man breathed heavily for a moment but straightened himself up and walked determined over to the edge searching the roof top with his eyes.
Heero frowned. Something seemed wrong suddenly. He hadn't even thought once about it before but why would Duo run up to the roof all by himself? If he wanted to trap them he couldn't do it alone in this state. He seemed far worse off that he had thought in the darker corridor.
Where was his back up? Preventers wouldn't send a man in all alone. Duo was his partner. So where the hell was his alter ego? Heero looked confused around. The feeling in his stomach got worse. Something was very wrong here. He looked at the little girl who had sat herself on a box a bit away from Heero and Duo singing softly to herself. Heero looked back to Duo who was mumbling to himself. He walked closer.
"Where is he? Where the fuck is that idiot?" Duo muttered under his breath.
Heero looked at Duo's future self. He still had the long braid and his athlete form though were once had been smooth skin were now tiny lines of worry, dark circles under his eyes and a straight hard line for the once smiling mouth.
'Did his job do that to him?' Heero wondered. But before he could analyze this Duo any further the door behind them flew once again open with a bang. Heero and Duo flew around at the same time. A gun pointed straight at Duo and all the black clad teen did was to smile at his opponent. But the smile chilled him to the bone and his own blood froze as he saw just who pointed the gun at Duo's heart.
He himself.
Heero's thoughts crashed as everything fall into place at once. Duo's weird behavior, the lacking back up, the organized troop of attackers.
Duo had been breaking into the bank and was now waiting for his partners in crime to pick him up only that his alter ego got to him first.
Heero closed his eyes. 'This can't be happening. Why would Duo change the sides?' He forced his eyes open again as the the other Heero began to talk.
"Damn it Duo. That was the last time you got away with stuff like that. I won't let you start another war."
His voice shook with was probably surpressed rage the younger Heero mused. 'Duo plotting against the government? He hated the war like the others. Why would he want to start another one?'
Duo scowled at Heero's alter ego. "Are you blind or just stupid? Open your eyes man and face it. This world is just as corrupt as it was before. Nothing has changed. The goddamn politicians live of our money while the poor starve on the streets."
"Duo. That's bullshit. You exegarate and you just can't change the fact that there will always be poor and rich people. That's how it is."
"Fuck you. Accepting that means giving up and I don't give up on my people. I went out to fight for L2 during the war to give them a better life and they had had time enough now. I want results but all they do is talk and offer cheap excuses."
Heero could see the rage burning in the dark eyes of the man beside him. He knew some of the stories Duo had told him during the war and he had done as well some research. He could understand Duo but if he could why couldn't his alter ego?
But Duo wasn't done yet he continued to yell at the older Heero. "If you would just get your ass out of the cozy palace of your princess for a change you would know what's going on. You don't even have to go to L2 it's enough if you cross the city and take a look at the slums. But of course if you live in a nice home with tons of servants and each day enough to eat you don't think about what others have or rather NOT have." Duo was shaking beside him with raw anger.
Behind Heero Preventer forces came out of the door positioning themselves around them.
'No. No. No. What is happening here?' The younger Heero looked helplessly over to the little girl. "Can't you do something? The situation is going to escalate. My older self will never manage to calm Duo down with this attitude."
But the girl only shrugged. "This is the future as it is. I don't have the power to intervene."
Heero looked back at Duo and from Duo to the other Heero.
"They won't come you know." Heero just said.
Duo looked at him with mistrust.
The team leader winked for a man beside him. Heero took the offered radio and switched it on.
{Today at noon the Preventer squad 01 shot down a helicopter of the type xxx belonging to the terrorist organization xy. No survivors.}
Heero switched the radio off again giving it back to his collegue. Still signialing them not to shoot he faced a stone faced Duo.
"You see all chance on escape is gone. Surrender and I promise you a fair trial." Heero came closer.
Duo let his head hang. His long uncut bangs covered his face so the older Heero couldn't see the cold smirk on his face.
Heero had the nagging feeling that Duo hadn't the slightest intention of going with the squad leader.
"You know Heero I know one can't always win." Duo's voice was bitter now. "What do I say? Usually I only loose. I lost my family, my friends, my belief and my love." He looked up at Heero now who only stood a few feet away and threw the gun he had been holding all the time at his feet. "I guess it wasn't meant to be. I wasn't meant to be."
Heero looked confused at Duo. "What are you talking about baka? You may have lost Solo and the others but Quatre, Trowa, Wu Fei and I are still you're friends. Your family. Why did you left us?" Heero asked Duo in return. "Weren't we enough for you?"
Duo glared at Heero. "Fuck you, Yuy. Stop sweet talking everything. Where were you and my so called friends when I needed you most? You only turned to give me some attention when I did something unconvienant. Disturbing your nice comfortable life. And now you came to put me back into my place, didn't you?!"
Heero winced as well as his older self at the amount of hate and hurt audible in Duo's upset voice. The braided man laughed a hollow laugh beside him staggering backwards. "I won't come with you Heero. I think you know that as well as I do. Nobody catches Shinigami." He climbed backwards onto the railing lifting himself up slowly.
Heero's older ego looked slightly panicked now Heero noted with an own amount of uneasiness. Duo had often pulled off a lot of stupid stunts but usually got always out alive and in one piece. But if he fell of the scyscraper there would be no doubt of the result. His stomach clenched nervously hoping his older self would move to rescue his baka from his own stupidity. He himself had it done often enough.
'What is he waiting for? Pull him off that railing already.' Heero heard his older self still arguing with Duo when he suddenly froze. Duo's upset face looked suddely calm with a surprised expression on his face. The black clad man looked down on himself and touched carefully his chest. His fingertips came off tinted in blood he stared at unbelievingly before he let out a small laugh.
Heero stood frozen seeing the wind ruffling his first love's hair as the blood slowly trickled down Duo's mouth. His own blood pounded in his ears as Duo started to sway. He could hear the other Heero yelling to stop firing. He hadn't ever heard himself with so much anguish in his own voice.
Duo struggled to breath and obviously forced himself to speak. "Looks like we weren't meant to be, Heero." Duo smiled at the other him who looked scared like a little boy Heero noted.
Out of control.
That's was what was happening. His love was going to die and he couldn't do anything to prevent it.
The future was his death.
Duo was going to die.
"Shinigami's last flight." Duo closed his eyes and pushed himself backwards off the railing.
"Noooooooooooooo."
The last thing he remembered were the anguished screams. He just didn't know if it was him or his alter ego who kept screaming for Duo before everything went black.
Duo was dead.
***
"A wedding? Why did you bring me to a wedding?" Wu Fei wandered down the temple. "And traditional Chinese for that?" He made a sound of appreciation through his teeth at the set up.
Treize was a few feet behind him. "Let's watch from over there. He pointed to a big statue where he leant himself against.
Wu Fei copied him. "So who's getting married?"
Treize gave him a knowing smile. "Patience. You will see."
"Jesus. All this secretive shit all the time." Wu Fei muttered annoyed under his breath. But he didn't had to wait long. A priest had entered the temple shanting the religious prayers for the to be married couple. Behind him came the bride and the groom. Both clad in traditional costumes and the bride had put up her black hair in a high style.
Wu Fei shrugged. "Sorry. But I still don't know who's that supposed to be. I thought we're going to take a look at Sally's future?"
Treize sent him a calculated glare. "We are. Open your eyes and see." He said pointingly.
Wu Fei growled something about impolite ghosts but did as Treize said. Actually he did recognize someone.
Noin. Sally's longtime friend from the war. Hell, those two always managed to annoy him somehow. So what was she doing here? He didn't know Noin had friends in China. He stood beside her.
'Hm, she doesn't look happy at all. I always thought one is supposed to be happy at marriages. Well, besides it's your own and you don't want to get married.' He rolled his eyes in a very uncharacteristic manner.
"I'm so sorry, Sally." Noin suddenly sniffed beside him.
He whipped his head around staring at the teary eyes who followed every move of the bride who was currently following the priests instructions.
Wu Fei narrowed his eyes. "Just who is the bride? And why is Noin talking about Sally? She isn't even here." The Chinese watched again the bride and the groom from his position. Somehow though the movements and the posture of the bride seemed oddly familiar.
Wu Fei frowned. 'Maybe someone from Headquaters?' The Chinese never really payed attention to others besides the people he had know from the war. He felt more at ease around his friends than some newbies and secretaries anyway. Wu Fei slowly walked up to the pair.
Treize obviously was absolutely transfixed on the bride. Wu Fei scowled. He'll figure out what's going on here soon enough. He stalked up to bride and scanned her features.
'Definetely Chinese. Black hair, blue eyes, pale features … waitasec.' Wu Fei's brain came to a screeching halt. 'Blue eyes?' His gaze flew up to the eyes.
'Sally.' His breathing stocked. "What the fuck is going on here? Why is she here?"
"Obviously to get married." Treize deadpanned.
Wu Fei ignored him. 'She's getting married? But…'
Treize was standing now beside him. He flicked his gaze over Sally. "Nice get up, or?! They even died her hair pitch black. She'll probably never get her originally color back. Though that probably was their intention." He pointed over to an old haggard woman and an old man who seemed very self satisfied.
Wu Fei glared at them but unfortunately nobody could hear, feel or see him. "Are those her relatives?"
Treize nodded. "Yes. They're actually making a good deal. They're getting rid of an unwanted unobidient child and in return they get connections with one of the wealthiest clan's residing in China.
Wu Fei snorted. "Wealth. Where I came from virtues like honor were more worth than any wordly posession."
Treize smiled at that.
Wu Fei studied Sally's face again. She didn't seem to be there at all. Her face was expressionless and she just did as she was told to. Like a doll. 'Hell, she even looks like a doll.' Wu Fei noted furiously. What had happened to the woman he knew?
"She gave up you know." Treize answered his silent question. "After years of fruitless waiting for you she finally broke under the pressure of her family and gave in." Treize shook his head sadly. "A human can take only so much. And Sally definitely had enough of life."
Wu Fei stared horrofied at the face in front of her. "What are you saying? Sally wouldn't do that. She's strong. She wouldn't simply give in just because she couldn't have the life she wanted. She would have fought for it. This is a lie."
"Face it Wu Fei. She only wanted you but you let her wait forever until it was too late."
"But this is stupid. She could have had any man she wanted to." Wu Fei exclaimed helplessly.
Treize looked at him hard. "Love isn't about choosing. It just happens. She didn't fell in love with just any man, she fell in love with you. If you can't accept that you will have to realize one day that the woman you love will marry someone else while you sit lonely in your apartment and once you realize what she meant to you it will be too late." Treize finished with conviction.
Wu Fei shook his head. This all couldn't be happening.
Sally wouldn't marry someone else.
The priest spoke a prayer.
Sally wouldn't leave him.
Bride and groom turned to each other.
Sally wouldn't want to be with someone else.
Bride and groom kissed.
Wu Fei screamed in horror and realization.
***
The bell tower annonced one o'clock as in two rooms across the city two man awakened screaming.
*****************
Yeah yeah, I know I'm pretty behind with the story. Sorry. But now only the epilogue is missing. Let me know what you want for an ending. Any ideas???