Chapter two: Bombing on Bunker Street

Early in the Morning

Hilde walked down the hall. Boy did she have a rough night sleeping. She heard breathing comming from Shasta's room. Hilde peaked in and smiled at her daughters sleeping form, but tears spilled over when she saw her baby photo album. So many memories were kept in that old photo album. Hilde cried happy tears as she smiled in a motherly smile. She hadn't noticed just how much Duo had meant to Shasta.

'Duo must have meant so much to Shay he was with her every chance she got since he wasn't home a lot with working so many hours,' thought Hilde as she started humming a lulaby that Duo used to sing to Shasta when she was a little baby to make her fall asleep. It always worked she fell asleep fast. She kept humming as she reached the kitchen. She had decided to make pancakes that morning as a treat for Shasta. Shasta loved chocolate chip pancakes.

Hilde reached for the pancake mix and a bag of chocolate chips. She didn't notice that Shasta had woken up and was leaning on the wall watching her mother make pancakes. She smiled as she watched her mother make them as she hummed the lullaby that her father sang to make her fall asleep. Free tears, happy tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks dripping on the wood floor. Shasta entered the kitchen and smiled wipping away the stray tears.

"Good morning baby," said Hilde as she stopped and gave her daughter a kiss on the forhead," I hope I didn't wake you up when I started making breakfeast." Hilde continued to flip the pancakes. Shasta found a seat at the island.

"No, I woke up by myself. Momma how much did dad love me?" asked Shasta as she fideled with her free long hair. Hilde stopped cooking and turned to her daughter tears started pouring over her eyes.

"Let me tell you a secret about a father's love. Daddy's don't love their children every now and then. They love them always. I guess you could call it a love without end," smiled Hilde as she dried her eyes and continued cooking the pancakes.

"Momma I miss him so much....I want him home," cried Shasta as she started crying letting tears spill over her eyes. Hilde turned off the stove and went over to her crying daughter she bit her bottom lip and tried hard not to cry but tears still came. She hugged her daughter tightly not wanting to let go.

"Now listen here Shasta Ellen Maxwell," said Hilde as she put a finger infront of Shasta and continued," Your father would not want us crying over him he'd want us to be happy even without him. That's what he'd want." Shasta bit her lip as she peered at her mother.

"But he's gone momma.....what if he never comes back..? You can't just pretend nothing has happened," pretested Shasta as she let tears flow over her cheeks. Her mother grabbed her and pulled her into another hug. Shasta rested her head on her mother's shoulder and kept crying. Her mother held her head and rocked her swaying back and forth, hoping to comfort her.

"Now....shhh...it'll all be alright soon," comforted Hilde as she started to humm Duo's lullaby to her daughter. The sobbs slowed as she swayed beck and forth humming. Shasta felt somforted by the lullaby. The lullaby was the ultimate medicine to Hilde and Shasta.

Shasta didn't know how long they stayed like that but she never wanted to leave that embrace. She felt oddly at peace, enveloped in her mother's arms. Hilde broke away and caressed her daughters face wipping away stray tears from her face with her thumb

"Listen Shay, no matter what we have to be strong for Duo's sake," confidently said Hilde she continued," Duo may or not be up in heaven but if he is, he is watching us protecting us. No matter what! You hear? He'll always be by your side. Remember that Shasta." Shasta smiled her mother's words were so comforting to her. It really helped her a lot.

"Thank you momma....it really helped," thoughtfully said Shasta as she hugged her mother. She released her mother and said," Momma I think those pancakes are really cold now." Hilde had forgotten about the pancakes as she laughed at her own stupidity. But it was worth it.

"Oh well! How about this Shay, how about you and me go shopping for those outfits and we'll grab something to eat while were out and about?" asked Hilde as she got up and threw the pancakes into the trach can.

"That sounds good. I'd like to get out of this house anyway. I need to get out to do something to get my moral high," cheerfully Shasta as she went to go take a shower and change. After Shasta left the room Hilde looked out the window and prayed for a good day and that they could pull through even without Duo there. With that she left to put some shoes on.

In the shower

Shasta stepped into the shower. The water felt good on her skin. It was nice and warm on her cold body. Shasta rubbed her arms with her hands.

'I miss dad so much and momma has changed so much since he was declared MIA' thought Shasta as she scrubbed her hair in her shampoo. She hated the fact that she would probably never see her dad again. Tears spilled over her already red, puffy eyes.

'Momma was right dad would not want me mourning over the lose of him....He'd want me to live my life happily, not dreary in any way. But I can't just forget about him.....I mean he means a lot to me. But...Oh this is so confusing' thought Shasta as she stepped out of the shower grabbing a towel. She quickly dried off and combed her wet hair. She walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She quickly slipped on a shirt and shorts. She shorts were a dark denim and her shirt was a tank-top that said, Sk8ter's NMC Club. It was black and the letters were hot pink. The shrit was a gift from her best friend. Her Burnette hari was in two braids. She as well had on Van's shoes that were black and hot pink. She looked pretty decent.

Shasta exited the room and headed toward the living room where her mother was.

In the living room

Hilde sat at the island and chewed on a health bar as she read over some documents. Shasta hastly entered the room and headed for her mom.

"Ready to go momma?" asked Shasta as she stopped a foot away from her mother. Her mother had pants on and a sweater. She as well had a hat on. She was beautiful. She wore the outfit well thought Shasta.

Hilde set down the document and said," Let's get out of here." Shasta smiled and headed for the garage. Hilde looked back at the documents and sighed and kept walking toward their car. Shasta buckled up as Hilde climbed into the driver's side of the car.

The drive was relitivly quiet except the music until a announcement came on.

"A resent bombing accured early this morning on the East side of L2. The bombing took place at 4:30 am and killed a reported total of 500 people on Ginger Avenue and Bunker Street. The suspects were not caught but a reported being a suicide mission on the bombing. We have a scetch of the men that may have bombed the streets. This is a warning buliten to all L2 residents," te announcement ended.

"Momma who would do such a horrible thing?" asked Shasta as she thought of how things could get any more worse. HIlde had a stern look an her face as she kept driving down the free way.

"Some really bad people who are just mixed up, in the world," said Hilde as she kept her eyes on the road.

"Momma I was just thinking that, preventers would be their maybe someone we know would be their maybe we should go check it out?" asked Shasta hoping her mother would agree. Her mother pulled off the intersection and started heading East. Shasta smiled at her mother.

"Shasta you are right we need to get a few things straight here, maybe the preventors are keeping something from us about the MIA," said Hilde as they neared the bomb. When they reached it Shasta was right. Their were preventors every where around all the debree.

Hilde looked around and shook her head. Shasta looked around for someone she knew and then she saw a very familiar figure among the debree. She shot out of the car in a heart beat running toward the figure. Hilde yelled after her to come back it wasn't safe but it didn't stop her a bit.

"Uncle Trowa!" yelled Shasta as she headed for the turning figure,"Uncle Trowa!". Shasta ran faster towar the figure. Trowa almost stoppled over as Shasta threw her arms around his waist. She was crying hard.

Trowa bent over and picked her up," Why are you all the way out here Shasta?" his voice was full of concern just like Quatre's. He then spotted Hilde comming toward them.

"Uncle Trowa...is it true?" asked Shasta as she bit her bottom lip as she tried to calm herself. Trowa had no earthly idea what she was talking about.

"What's true?" asked Trowa as he set her down on the ground. Her wipped away stray tears from her face.

"Is dad really....MIA? Please say he isn't! Please!" sadly said Shasta. Hilde had just come up to them and looked at Trowa. Without notice Hilde hugged the man.

"I'm sorry about Duo....but were going to send out a search team again to look for him and Heero again," said Trowa as Hilde broke the embrace. Shasta started to cry again harder she couldn't control her tears anymore. The general came over to the little reunion.

"No civilions are allowed at the bombing sight. No matter if you lost someone dear, you are strictly perhibited from the bobming sight," sternly said the general. Trowa turned to him.

"Sir this is Leutinent Maxwell's family," said Trowa the general was shocked that he hadn't noticed the resemblance of the little girl and the women.

"I appologize for my rudeness. I'm sorry that you husbond is MIA I truly am. But why are you here? This had nothing to do with Duo at all," asked the general who now had softness in his voice.

"We thought that we would get a little more information about Duo's disapearance," said Hilde as she held onto her daughter's hand. Shasta looked around and saw something on the ground. She let go of her mother's arm and walked toward it and picked it up. It was a burnt doll. It had survived the bombing. 'That poor girl. She died so soon,' thought Shasta as she hugged the doll. then she noticed something around the dolls neck. It was a locket with a cross in the middle.

Shasta pryed it open and saw a picture of something but it was burnt so she couldn't make it out. But then a note dropped out of the locket. She caught it and opened it. It read:

My dearest daughter,

May happy wishes for your birthday carry in this locket. I wish I could be there on your birthday to see your smiling face.

I miss you so much and I hope you and your mother are happy as well. But I can't make it back in time for your dearest birthday.

Love you bunches,

Your loving caring Father

P.S. Tell your mother I love her.

Tears formed quickly in Shasta's eyes as she read over the letter. This girls birthday was today and she never got to spend the whole day to celebrate. Her father would be so sad to hear his family is all dead. Shasta just stood their letting the breeze take her hair. She just couldn't stand the thought of someone bombing and killing this poor innocent family. It sickened her and made her stomach lurch. She didn't even get to see her dad for her birthday and she knew how that felt.

The three peered over at Shasta sadly as she still had her back toward them all. Hilde bit her lower lip and asked," It's hard not having Duo around it's been hard on Shasta. She is almost always crying over him. She even asked how much he loved her this morning," Hilde's tone was sad as she told the two about this morning.