Chapter Forty-Seven: Adieu, Until We Meet Again



Anna was standing in front of the window in her room, staring absently out of it. She'd stiffly pulled on a pair of khaki slacks and a black blouse. She was ready to get out of here. She was ready to go home.

"But I can't go home, can I? I don't know where that is." She whispered to herself. She glared up at the sky. "I can't."

There was a knock on her door and she turned as it opened.

"Mirek." She greeted softly.

"Anna." He sighed. "I.I'm glad you're all right." He said, shutting the door. "I need to talk to you."

She nodded slowly. "I guess I was wrong, ne? He wasn't dead this time."

He shook his head. "No. And that's what I need to talk to you about. You love him, Anna. You always have and always will."

She automatically opened her mouth, but no sound was forthcoming. She dropped her eyes to the floor.

He stepped up to her and tilted her chin up so she'd meet his gaze. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't."

Anna stared up at him for a long moment before adverting her eyes. He released her and gently kissed her forehead. "I wanted to say goodbye."

She looked up, startled. "Goodbye?"

"Yes. You have the other pilots, and your husband now. You don't need me anymore."

"But Mirek, I."

He cut her off with a finger on her lips. "Know that I will always care about you and you will always have a safe haven with me. But I won't be the reason you lie awake at night. I couldn't live with that."

Anna blinked away tears and hugged him tightly. "You're one in a million."

He smiled, pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders. "Anna, please, I beg of you, one last favor?"

"Of course."

"Listen to me. Ryuujin's gone. I have a feeling in my gut that something isn't right with the whole scenario. Beware of him, Anna. Beware of things that are not what they seem to be." Mirek said.

Anna looked confused. "Gone? Why would he leave?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter now, but it could later. Promise me you'll be wary."

She nodded slowly. "I promise."

He kissed her forehead again. "Adieu, Anna. Until we meet again."

Mirek turned and was gone. Anna stared after him and frowned. He hadn't said it, but she'd seen it in his eyes. There was something more that was making him leave.

She placed her personal objects in her purse and left the room. The young woman stopped short in the waiting room.

"Good God, who put a hole in the window?" she asked.

Everyone had gathered back there and looked up at her, startled by her prescence.

"Anna-chan." Chase said.

"Never mind. Blood tells all. What happened out here?" she demanded.

"There was an argument. Chase put an end to it by shoving her fist through the glass." Wufei said. "Why are you out of bed?" he added, glaring slightly.

"Because I'm ready to leave." Anna replied. "An argument with who?"

"That 'friend' of yours," Chase bit out. Her temper had been cooled, only to be relit with the mention of the earlier argument. "He had the nerve to start accusing Ryuujin and Trowa."

Anna set her purse down on the floor, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow. "Accusing them of what, might I ask?"

"He was accusing Ryu of being the next to turn against us and saying that he still believes that Trowa was a traitor. Even a blind man could see that Trowa would never have helped Quatre if he had truely been against us."

"Trowa was a man of many faces. You both had valid points." Anna said.

"Trowa gave his life up for his teammate," Chase hissed. Her dark eyes narrowed. "Please don't tell me you're taking that man's side, Anna."

"That man is a good friend of mine, Chase. I'm not taking any sides. Yes, Trowa gave up his life for a teammate, and that teammate was Quatre. He wouldn't have done anything else whether he was a traitor or not. I don't believe Trowa was a traitor. I think he did things that could have been left undone, but haven't we all?" Anna replied darkly.

"That man had no right to be saying the things he did," Chase muttered. She had never been skilled at carrying on a decent argument when as angry as she was.

"That man has a name." Anna said pointedly. "Where is Ryuujin?" she asked, knowing full well that nobody knew.

"Where he feels he needs to be," Chase answered in a dark voice. She felt Heero's hands on either shoulder.

"Anna wasn't apart of Mirek's and your conversation earlier. Don't take it out on her." Chase sighed heavily, anger seemingly going with her breath. An exhausted look replaced the rage that had shown in her eyes a few moments before.

Anna glanced at Wufei who shrugged. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Great."

Meg came into the area, looking surprised to see Anna but said nothing. "I hate to interrupt, but I need to see Anna for a minute." Anna looked at her quizzically. "It's about the patient..." the coroner trailed off.

Chase gave her a questioning look, but left the question unsaid. "I'm going to go see if they sell hot tea anywhere."

Anna and Duo's eyes locked briefly before the young woman looked back at Chase. "I'll catch up with you later." She grabbed her bag and followed Meg down the hall.

Chase nodded and started down the stairs again.



Anna followed Meg down the hall, towards the room Jack Avis was in.

"What's happened?" she asked.

Meg shrugged. "I'm not sure. His readings came back different this morning. I thought you should have a look."

Anna went into the young man's room and picked up his chart. She scanned down the notes and scribbles, biting her lip as she went. "His brain activity picked up, but his EKG readings are lower." She murmured. She grabbed his wrist and felt for his pulse, and frowned. "Weird."

Meg scratched her shoulder before lowering her voice. "Trowa took a turn for the worse during the night."

Anna shook her head. "How much worse?" she asked.

"I thought he was going to crash on me a couple of times, but he pulled through. He's not doing as well as I had hoped." Meg answered sadly.

Anna glanced at Jack. Surely not.A small smile played on her lips. "He knew. Poor kid."

"Knew what?"

"Somehow, Jack knew. That's why his readings are low."

Meg arched an eyebrow. "You're telling me they're linked psychically?"

Anna laughed gently. "Believe me, it can happen." She frowned. "All though."

"Nani? I mean, what? Darn it." Meg muttered.

"Quatre. Since Trowa's alive, I wonder why he hasn't noticed."

Meg shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we should move them farther away from each other, if they're affecting each other.'

Anna thought for a moment. "Meg, would you mind if I took over Jack's care?"

Meg shook her head. "No. I can have you put down as he regular physician, if you like. Why?"

"I.." she swayed slightly and grabbed the rail on Jack's bed for support. "I think I'm going to go back to Chicago. We don't know when or where OWN will strike next, so I don't believe it would be detrimental to go back. I can do research on it from there, maybe find out who Victor's superior was. I asked Sparky, but as far as he was told, Victor was the top. But from what Victor said to me, he wasn't." Anna said.

Meg looked at her strangely. "Are you feeling all right? You're looking a little bit ashen, Anna. Maybe you should stay a little longer."

"No, no, I'm fine. It's just nausea, I get it sometimes."

The younger woman didn't appear as if she believed her, but said nothing. "I can arrange transportation for the both of you. When are you planning on leaving?"

"I'd like to go within the next two days. I need to talk to Duo."

Meg nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to stay here with Trowa. I'll meet you back there when he improves."

"Okay. I'm going to go track either Chase or Duo down. Ja ne."

"Bye."



As fate, time, God, or whatever would have it, it was Duo she ran into first. They stared at each other in the lobby for the longest time, both unsure of how to progress. After a long moment, Duo tentatively stretched out a hand towards her. She could not refuse him.

They walked out of the hospital and into the city, fingers intertwined, silent and keeping their pace fairly slow for Anna's sake. They walked aimlessly, both afraid of what the other might have to say. The two of them reached a park area where they slowed and Duo pulled her around to face him.

He paused only a minute before asking, "Do you love me, tenshi?"

She met his gaze head on. "If loving you was ever the problem, I'd be the happiest woman alive, because loving you was never questioned." She said quietly.

"Then what?" Duo asked, violet eyes serious.

"It's trust, and not so much trust as worry." She dropped her eyes. "I've made mistakes, Duo-chan. Small ones, big ones.it's just.I thought you were dead. Again. I thought I could move on, if I did it quickly." She looked up at him again. "But that somehow never works with you."

Duo smiled slightly. "I have a way of showing up when least expected."

Anna shook her head. "It won't ever be like it was, Duo. I don't know if I could ever not feel guilty."

He grabbed her face between his hands and shook her ever so gently. "Don't you know it doesn't matter? What matters is that we have now, and tomorrow, and the rest of time. The past is all water under the bridge, Anna-chan."

A tear slipped down her face and into his palm. "Atashi.anata."

"I love you too." He said, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Anna pressed her face against the fabric of his shirt and clung to him. "It won't be like it was." She repeated into his shirt.

He pulled back and smiled at her. "It doesn't have to be different, Anna- chan. We can make it new."

"Okay." She said. She was giving in to him, and giving herself over to the fact that one day he would die again, but they still had time. They would always have time.

He brushed his fingertips over her cheeks, her eyelids, and her lips, re- familiarizing himself with her face. Duo leaned in and kissed her, and she responded.

It was at that moment they knew that nothing could keep them apart forever. Nothing could stop what was their destiny.

She leaned back and smiled up at him, content in her very soul. "Will you come with me to Chicago?"

"Of course."

"I have a patient, it seems."

"Honto? My Anna's all grown up and a doctor now, ne?"

"Hai." She said with a grin. He took her hand again and they headed back towards the hospital.

"Who's your patient?" Duo asked.

"A young man with the name of Jack Avis. He was very close to Trowa."

"What happened to him?"

"Heero shot him." Anna said. "He died, actually, but Meg deemed herself God for the week and brought him back with the same stuff that saved you and Heero."

Duo had grimaced when she told him Heero had shot the boy. "Why'd Heero shoot him?"

Anna looked up at her former and yet again husband. "He took the bullet for Trowa."

"Saa." Duo said. "Must be some kid."

"Hai."

Duo stopped her in her walking and pulled something out of his pocket. He opened his hand towards her, and in his palm lay twin gold rings. Their wedding rings. Anna blinked. She hadn't expected that. Where had she last seen those? Victor.she'd snatched them from Victor.

"We should get new ones, ne?" Duo asked quietly.

Chikuso. Now she'd have to explain the annulment.

"And I know about the annulment." Duo said.

Anna could have sweatdropped. "Duo-kun."

"It doesn't matter. You love me, ne?"

"I love you. Very much." Anna agreed.

"Besides, the man you went to never put it through."

Anna paled considerably. That would have been bad, had Victor not attacked four days before. "Honto?"

"Mirek told me all of this. He said that the guy -Crawford, I think it was- told him he never executed the act. Told him it was an intuition." Duo said, staring at the rings.

Anna was mortified. "Duo-kun.when did Mirek tell you this.exactly?"

"Two days ago. We had some pretty lengthy conversations."

"How much did he tell you?" Anna asked warily.

Duo looked at her funny. "Just that you've been good friends and about the annulment. Why?"

She sighed. "Nothing. That's one of the mistakes I mentioned."

He grinned. "Be glad I'm a forgiving kinda guy. But really, we should get new ones, ne?"

Anna nodded slowly. "Hai. We should."



They made their way back to the hospital, then to the hotel when they found out everyone except Meg had gone back there.

Duo and Anna got a room of their own for that night, and Anna went to find where everyone was. She found Wufei in a lobby area on their floor, practicing katana movements, sans the sword.

"Konnichiwa." Anna murmured, curling up on one of the chairs. She did not expect an answer, as she never had when she watched him practice in the past, and she did not receive one.

He continued as he had been, ignoring her presence for at least ten minutes. He paused, rolled up a magazine, folded it so it would stay, and tossed it to her. She caught it, surprised. He then rolled up a second one, and stood in a challenging position.

"Let's see what you remember. Unless you are still weak from your injury."

Anna quirked an eyebrow. "Cocky as you every were." She stood and took a defensive stance.

"Arrogant as always." He replied.

It was true, both of them were always sure they would win.

They took to sparing, using the same maneuvers that they had ten and more years and a universe before. It felt comforting to them both to be doing something familiar, as if by a mere sparring session alone they could turn back the clock and make things right the first time.

They continued on, neither looking like they would win or loose, when Anna stopped suddenly and went slightly pale.

"Whoa, nausea." She murmured to herself. She stepped back, hit the coffee table, and sat down hard.

Since they were not using pointed objects, Wufei continued his attack, whacking her over the head with the magazine. She glared up at him.

"Congratulations, you have split me in half."

He smirked at her. "You've lost your touch."

"I've lost my equal Librium." She replied, putting an arm around her stomach. She hated taking medication. She hated the side affects.and she wasn't thrilled with the way Wufei was suddenly looking at her, either. "Nani?"

Wufei leaned forward and took her chin in his hand. Anna suddenly got a horrible feeling of déjà vu. Ocean blue orbs reflected into onyx black for a good two minutes.

Wufei started to say something but stopped. A minute later, he said it. "You're pregnant."

Anna lost even more color. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed. She pulled away from him, swatting his hand away. "How dare you! You.you."

"Anna."

"You."

"You are, aren't you?"

She gaped at him. "Of course not. How in the world would I be pregnant?"

He stared at her.

"Question recanted."

"Thank you." He said dryly.

Anna glared up at him. "What makes you think that I would be?"

"Because you're acting the exact same way you did last time."

"It's impossible, Wufei."

"Really?"

"Yes really, thank you very much." She snapped.

He shrugged. "I'm just saying. You're acting very much as you did the last time."

"It's the medication, I assure you."

They were silent for several minutes.

Anna sighed. "Duo and I are going back to Chicago tomorrow, with a patient of mine. Do you want to come?"

"A patient?"

"Yeah. Jack Avis, believe it or not."

Wufei frowned. "But Heero killed him."

"Meg brought him back."

"The same way."

"Hai."

"I'll go. Why are you going there?"

"I want to go home, Fei-chan." She said quietly. "A lot has happened, and far to fast for my poor befuddled mind to comprehend. Besides, we need to do some research on how deeply rooted OWN is in this world, and in the A.C. world."

"And who the next in line of power is." Wufei agreed.

Anna nodded. "We'll leave tomorrow. Dorothy's already gone back to New York, to sort out the mess of the Lucky Vincent Corporation. Poor Quatre; he's going to have a heck of a time with it."

"Should he come back with us?" Wufei asked.

Anna nodded again. "Would you talk to him about it? I need to find Chase before tonight."

"Sure." Wufei said.

Anna stood. "I'll see you later."

Wufei nodded and watched the young woman go.

Inside the elevator, and sagged against the railing and absently placed an arm over her stomach. It was impossible. There were certain things that had to happen for a woman to be pregnant, and none of those had occurred. Anna bit her lip. But Wufei hadn't been wrong the last time.

She soon forgot about the exchange as she stepped back onto the sidewalks of Tokyo. If she remembered correctly.

Ah, yes. The tea shop Chase frequented most often. There were only four in all of Tokyo, and Chase had her favorite. Anna had found it -no thanks to Chase- after careful tracking of the girl. She liked to disappear so much, and Anna liked to track her down. Sure enough, Anna saw her through the window, sipping tea, alone.

Anna slipped inside, bought a cup of tea and a pretzel and slid into the seat across from Chase. Chase looked up from her manga, surprised.

"Anna-chan." She said.

"Chase-chan." Anna replied. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I know you still care about him."

Chase regarded her friend evenly. "It's okay. I just don't appreciate people accusing my friends of being traitors."

Anna took a sip of her tea and nodded. "I can relate."

Chase grinned. "I suppose." She tilted her head. "How good of friends are you and Mirek, anyway? You've never mentioned him."

Anna took a slower sip out of her mug. "We're.good.friends. I trust him very much."

"Honto?"

"Hai."

Chase nodded. "When did you meet the man?"

Anna noticed her lack to use Mirek's name, but didn't comment. "Last year, I think. On one of our manga convention romps. I think we did at least six of them that summer."

Chase grinned. "It was fun times."

Anna nodded and nibbled on her pretzel. "I'm going back to Chicago for a bit. Do some research on OWN and their higher operatives." She said casually.

Chase frowned. "Why? You can do that here."

"Hai, but I can do it at home as well. Besides, I have more contacts there. Maybe I'll snitch around and dig up where Ryu shoved off to in order to pout, or whatever he's doing." Anna said.

Chase's frown deepened. "Do you think he's a traitor, Anna?" there was a danger underlying in her tone.

Anna finished her tea and pretzel and took a deep breath. "I think he's a dangerous man, Chase. I think that anything is possible, and it's best to keep an open mind. I won't call him a traitor without evidence, but I won't wait until he stabs me in the back to have solid proof. We'll just wait and see."

"I hate it when you're logical."

"One of us has to be."

Chase mumbled something that Anna didn't bother to translate. The taller girl dropped her tone and switched from Japanese to English.

"You do know we'll have to build gundams. At least two, if we want to survive this war." She said.

Chase nodded. "I just don't know where we're going to get gundanium."

Anna leaned back and stretched a bit. "I guess we'll have to look. If any of Trowa's documents survived the fire, or are stashed away here in Tokyo, and we could find them, he might have listed gundanium mines."

Chase pointed her teaspoon at her. "Nothing survived that fire, and to find files in the middle of this city with no trace of where to begin would be madness. Zechs would be a better candidate for gundanium mines."

Anna thought about Jack, and whether or not he'd know, or remember when he woke up. She nodded absently. "You should probably contact him. The sooner we get them going the better."

Chase agreed. "But, which ones should be rebuilt?"

"The Zero, obviously."

"We have to have more than one, remember?"

"Then we should rebuild all of them, starting with Zero and going up by number." Anna said. "All of them have different capabilities that we need. Unless we design a new one altogether."

"Take too long. But, you know we're at the end of the list, Anna-chan. Five gundams would be built before ours. There either won't be time or gundanium enough. I want to fight these idiots."

Anna gazed at her, a sad note in her blue eyes. "Four."

Chase blinked. "What?"

"Four. There would only be four gundams to be built before ours."

Chase's shoulders slumped at the reminder that they were one less than they used to be. "Hai."

"And Quatre may not want to fight this time. He might be better off commanding." Anna shrugged. "We'll have to have a conference."

Chase sighed. "We always thought it could kill us."

"We used to think it could, we forgot it could, and now we know it can." Anna agreed. She looked out the window, to meet a Prussian blue gaze, grim expression on Heero's face. Anna blinked and pointed a thumb in his direction, alerting Chase to his presence. "I think he wants in." Anna remarked.

Chase shot her a look and glanced at her husband. He motioned for them to come outside. They stood, paid the bill, and met Heero on the sidewalk.

"What happened?" Chase asked.

"There was an attempt on Relena's life earlier this morning." He said, old monotone back in place.

Both girls eye's widened. "Attempt? As in they failed?" Chase asked.

"Yes." Heero said. "But we need to go back."

Chase and Anna exchanged glances and held a quick silent conversation. They nodded, and Chase looked back to Heero.

"Anna's going back to Chicago,"

"Duo and Wufei are coming with me, and maybe Quatre,"

"So you and I will have to take care of it." Chase finished.

Heero blinked. "Fine."

"All though, Quatre might want to go with you. It might get his mind off other things." Anna said.

"Hai. We'll ask." Chase said.

The three went back to the hotel, where all the former gundam pilots and Sparky gathered. After a short discussion, it was decided that Chase, Heero, and Quatre would return to 210 A.C., while Anna, Duo, Wufei, and Sparky would return to Chicago and attempt research on OWN and it's plans. And, to find out where Ryuujin had disappeared too.

They packed and went their separate ways.