Chapter Seven: On the Road Again



Chase paced around the house, looking for her sketchbook. "Heero?"

"Hn?"

"Look under the stack of drawings on the table farthest from the window in the master bedroom."

"What am I looking for?"

"Thick sketchbook. It's about half full."

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him, and then began searching for the item. He found it and began flipping through the pages. He stopped at a sketch. "Chase-chan?" he called.

The petite woman stuck her head around the corner. "Yeah?"

"What's this?" He held up the book, showing her a picture.

Chase took in a deep breath. "That's an old sketchbook, Heero. I did that when I first got into college. Anna has a larger one in her room. It's… y'all."

Heero nodded, replacing the book where he had found it. "I noticed that."

"This is what I was looking for," Chase said, changing the subject and picking up a thicker book. Pages scattered from it. "Blast," she muttered.

Heero cocked an eyebrow. "You do this for a living?"

"Yes. I love it."

Heero turned, looking dejected. "I suppose… you'd never give up that job, ne?"

"I've worked really hard for it," the young woman answered, packing a few more items into the bag she had all ready overstuffed.

Heero nodded, not realizing she hadn't understood what he meant.

Chase looked down at the scattered papers that lay strewn over Anna's desk. "I wonder if she wants to take this. We might be there a while."

"Ask her when she comes. For now, don't over pack."

"Yeah, I guess." She wrinkled her nose, an old habit of frustration, as she shuffled through her art supplies. She stiffened slightly, and then relaxed as she felt arms encircle her around her waist.

"Chase-chan, are you done yet?"

"Impatient?"

"Been around you too long," he said with a brief smile. He pulled her closer. "Anou, Chase-chan?"

"Hmm?" she asked as she leaned back on him.

"What did Anna mean when she said 'you turned down those guys the other night at the party'?"

Chase turned so she was facing her love. "Nothing much. Just some guys. She gets it too. We both do. I didn't date much during high school and college because every time I tried to find someone I thought I liked, he made me think of you…"

Heero looked down to see tears welling up in her dark eyes and pulled her close. "Chase-chan, I won't leave you again. I won't hurt you like I did. I'm sorry."

"I know, boyo. It's okay."

Heero leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. The romantic moment was cut short at the sound of the door opening. "That would be the Maxwells," Heero said.

"Hai. Let's go tell them where we'll be going."

Duo walked into the living room first. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Chase and Heero came downstairs. Heero looked around. "You didn't find her?"

"Oh, he found me alright, rascal that he is." Anna said, shutting the door with her foot.

Chase grinned. "So, are we all together now?"

Anna laughed through her nose. "Yeah, we're all in one piece."

"What's in the box?" Heero asked.

Anna glanced down at the box in her hands. It was a Nike shoebox that looked like it was from their high-school days. "Um… It's just some papers I picked up at the hospital. It's raining, and I didn't want the files to get wet."

Chase blinked. "The hospital? Why were you there?"

"I was looking up Wufei's file." Anna said.

"He's here too?" Chase asked incredulously.

"Iie, Chase-chan. Wufei died four months ago." Heero said.

"No he didn't." Anna cut in.

"Yes he did."

"No he didn't."

"Yes he did."

"Nooo, he didn't."

"Anna! He did!" Heero snapped.

"No he didn't." She waved the file in front of his face. "He recovered and walked away a month and a half after he was admitted."

Duo and Heero exchanged glances. "Well, it's great that he's okay, but I wonder which side he's on." The former Deathscythe pilot murmured.

Heero nodded. "Anything's possible."

"Now what are you talking about?" Chase asked.

Duo shook his head. "Just simple speculation. Nothing more. Now, if I'm not mistaken, Anna still has to pack to catch the evening flight."

"Nani?! Another unplanned airplane trip?" she cried.

"Hai. Quatre's having a company party tomorrow night and we're needed to be on hand. The tickets came, and they're only good for tomorrow morning's flight to New York."

"And it's formal. We both have to have at least one dress each." Chase moaned.

"What, we can't share a dress and call it a night?" Anna teased.

Her friend glared at her.

"Well, I for one will have to buy something there tomorrow. I don't have anything suitable for something Quatre would throw together. We're talking the short black dress formal, right?" Anna asked.

"Probably. For you two, anyway." Heero agreed.

"I'd say so. I'd hate to see what you look like in pantyhose." Anna quipped.

"Go pack!" he growled.

She laughed, and she and Duo disappeared upstairs.

"I wonder what's really in that box." Chase mused. "She's still a terrible liar."

Heero smirked. "She's your friend. I've heard you pick up traits from people you are around the most…" He started off for the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower before we leave, and with Duo here, I have a feeling I need to take it now."

Chase snorted. "Heero no baka. I'm a very good liar."

The two heard Duo's choked back laugh from a ways away. "Keep telling yourself that!"



*~*~*~*~*

Chase stepped off the plane and glanced around. "You said they know about us?"

Duo nodded. "Not much. They know more about the male pilots than ya'll, since they had no way of finding you."

"Hey, Chase?" Anna asked. "What do you say to a shopping spree to find those dresses?"

"I say let's go!"

Duo and Heero looked at each other. "Oh no."

By noon, the boys were exhausted. They'd been in and out of nearly every store in New York it seemed, and their wives were far from finished. Anna had the dress, Chase found the shoes, Anna got the bracelet, Chase acquired a choker, Anna and Chase got slips, and boy was that embarrassing for Duo and Heero. Finally, Duo demanded a lunch break.

"Come on guys! We've been at it for two hours! Don't you ever quit?" he begged.

"Two hours? Good grief. You'd never last on a sale excursion." Anna said in mock disappointment.

"I have to agree with Duo. We've got to stop." Heero said.

"Well, alright. But you do want us to look really, really, really good tonight, don'tcha?" Chase said, drawing out the reallys.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"You always look really good." Heero said.

"Ha! How would you know? The last time we saw them in formal wear was at our weddings!" Duo laughed. He yelped as Heero smashed his foot down on the taller mans toes.

"Damede." Heero deadpanned.

"Don't you 'damede' me, buddy! It's perfectly true and you know it." Duo glared at him.

Just then, Anna let out a gasp. "Hey, Chase, lookit that! That's the perfect thing for you!" she cried, pointing at a dress in the window of a boutique across the street.

"Let's go check it out. Come on, boyos. Will do lunch in a minute." Chase called.

Duo and Heero let out a collective sigh. "Oh boy."



Chase stepped out of the dressing room wearing a long, black, halter-top dress that left her back bare. It was form fitting and had slits clear up to her thighs. She looked down at it and then at her friends. "Well?"

"Looks great, Chase, let's go eat!" Duo said, not really taking a look, but eyeing the diner on the other side of the street.

His wife tugged his braid. "Damede."

"Itai…"

Heero circled her slowly, looking at the dress. "Will you wear it?"

Chase wrinkled her nose. "What do you expect me to wear, a tux?"

Heero smirked slightly. "Not preferably."

Chase grinned, adjusting her glasses. "So this is a yes?"

"Yes," Duo said, still trying to get his braid out of Anna's firm grip. "Now let's eat!!"

Chase smiled. Just like old times…

After Duo's appetite had been satisfied, and Heero felt he could handle more stores, the girls continued their shopping excursion. They also added some sightseeing in here and there. The day flew by and soon they had to return to their hotel rooms to get ready for the night's events.

The four had agreed on two separate bedrooms at the hotel. The girls would share one, and the boys would share the connecting room. They weren't sure quite what to do, because their marriage licenses weren't valid in this world. They didn't even have their licenses anymore.

Anna stood in her slip in front of the mirror in the room attempting to style her hair. Chase was in the bathroom putting on her dress and doing the same.

"So what do you think this is going to be like?" Chase called into the room.

"Like anything Quatre does. Large, expensive, fancy, ornate, and it will be all around beautifully done." Anna called back.

Chase laughed. There was a pause from the bathroom.

"What?" Anna asked while giving her hair a dirty look.

"Do you think Trowa will show up?" Chase wondered.

"No." Anna replied instantly. "Not with a formal invitation, at any rate." She added under her breath.

"I heard that." Chase deadpanned.

Anna rolled her eyes and finally got the look she wanted. "Perfect! All finished." She said happily.

Chase came out of the room, also dressed and ready. She giggled. "Anna, you look great, but one thing's missing."

Anna stared at her through the mirror. "Nani desu ka?"

"The dress!"

"Oops."