An Orphan's Life

Disclaimer: For the 23rd time, I do not own Gundam Wing.

~ ~ ~

It was nearly 6 pm when Elysia and Jade had finished shopping. It felt too early for Elysia to go, but as Jade pointed out, it was probably because she was afraid.

After a while, Elysia looked to Jade and frowned when she noticed that Jade wasn't exactly dressed to visit an old family friend.

Elysia pointed to Jade's sweatpants and stared at her in confusion. "Why the heck are you wearing that?"

Jade yawned and shrugged. "Because it's comfortable."

Elysia grew more confused. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

"Nope."

"Well, you're going outside with me, right?"

"Nope."

Elysia's eyes widened. "Why not?"

Jade sat up in the driver's seat and began searching for the keys. "Because I'm not going with you."

Elysia gasped. "What?! But you have to!"
Jade shook her head. "I just promised my dad to take you to Duo's house. I never said anything about getting out with you."

Elysia stared at her, starting to get a little panicky. "But I can't go in there alone!"

Jade shrugged. "You went to Trowa and Quatre alone. Why is this time any different?"

Elysia frowned at that, knowing Jade was right. "I don't know… I just thought you'd be there kind of as a back up… or something."

Jade found the keys and stuck them in the ignition. "Look, I'm sorry. I really am. I just can't go in with you."

Elysia stared at Jade, noticing the look in her eyes that showed she was hiding something. "Why not?"

Jade stared straight ahead and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "I just can't… Sit down, so I can drive."

Elysia made a face. "Not until you tell me why you won't get out with me."

Jade stared back, trying to scare Elysia.

They looked at each other, both trying to win the staring contest. Neither one seemed to lose.

After a good five minutes of nothing but silence, Jade sighed and looked down.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you."

Elysia smiled in triumph and crossed her arms. "Okay. Good."

Jade sighed again and focused on the steering wheel. "I used to date Duo's son."

Elysia blinked. "Huh? … What does that have to do with anything?"

Jade made a face and looked to her. "We were pretty serious in our relationship. Hell, we'd been together for practically most of our lives!"

Elysia raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't want to go, because…?"

"Because I hate him and I wish he were dead and I want nothing more to do with that insensitive, chauvinistic, arrogant, narcissistic, selfish, jerk!"

Elysia inched back in her seat at Jade's angry barrage of words. Whoever this guy was, he must've done something that really pissed her off.

She tried to find her voice, Jade's face kind of freaking her out. "So, um… You don't want to get out, because you don't want to risk seeing him." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I'm guessing he dumped you."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "And why do you say that?"

Elysia shrugged. "Well, judging from your reaction…"

Jade glared at her and faced the front. "Just for your information, it was a mutual breakup." She crossed her arms. "And I brought the whole idea up."

Elysia shrugged again and put her seatbelt on. "Okay. Whatever you say."

Jade watched her, then shook her head huffily.

How dare she bring up that wretched… boy! And then bring up the subject of who dumped whom! What did that have to do with anything?

Jade started the car and said nothing else. After a while, she stifled a giggle. She was beginning to like this girl.

~*~*~

Trowa stared at the girl in front of, his mind reeling from the story she had just told him.

He had always wondered what happened to her and her family that one night.

He wasn't the only person who had lost someone, he supposed.

Everything had started to make sense to him.

Those men that came; they had wanted to get Jennifer's family. They had mistaken Trowa and his family for them. And after realizing that mistake, they left and went to find Jennifer's family.

And they did. They killed all of them, even the children.

Trowa remembered the day Jennifer's mother first came to the circus.

-*-*-

Theo was just two years old. It was late at night. He was with Kate and his son in their tent, just enjoying being with each other.

He heard someone call his name from outside. He got up and went to see whom it was.

He glared at the woman, recognizing her right away. "What do you want, Midii?"

Midii Une stared at him with a pleading look in her eyes. "Please, Trowa. I- we need your help." She motioned to her husband and three young children. She held a baby in her arms.

Trowa continued glaring. "Who are you running from this time? What problems have you brought upon your family?"

Midii began to cry. "Please, Trowa. Believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with my past. These men… They're not just after me! They're trying to kill anybody related to-"

Trowa raised a hand for her to stop and went to go back inside the tent, "I don't have time for these lies."

Midii grabbed his arm, crying more. "Please! If not for me, then do it for my children. They don't deserve to die, because of who their blood belongs to!"

Trowa paused and looked at her, then looked back to the tent. Theo was running over to Kate, laughing happily.

Trowa sighed, knowing that he wouldn't want anything to happen to his son.

And as much as he was angry with Midii, it wasn't fair to her children to have to suffer from their parents' choices. And that baby in her arms was so small. She was truly innocent in all of this.

He couldn't turn them away. No matter what the risk was.

He looked to Midii and nodded a little. "Fine. You can stay with us. But don't think that I will help you with the past problems you have. You need to deal with those repercussions, not me."

Midii nodded, and gave a faint smile. "Don't worry about that. My hands are clean now… Thank you."

-*-*-

Trowa looked at Jennifer solemnly. That baby in Midii's arms was the only one left out of that family. She was left alone. And at such a young age.

Not realizing what he was doing, he reached out to Jennifer and gave her a hug.

He hadn't realized that bringing that family in would lead to the murder of his wife. But if he hadn't, the girl in his arms would've been dead along with the rest of them.

It wasn't fair to lose Kate, his love, his joy.

But he was glad that at least someone got to live, out of the choice he made.

Jennifer was hugging back, somewhat understanding what the meaning behind it was. She had missed the place she grew up in so bad; it was practically killing her inside from not being there.

But she was back. And she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her chance to live with them again.

~*~*~

Jade and Elysia stared straight ahead, silently. They had been sitting in front of Duo's house for nearly twenty minutes now.

Jade sighed and looked to Elysia. "I think it's time."

Elysia nodded and took a couple of deep breaths. "I know." She opened the door and slowly got out.

* Don't be scared, don't be scared, don't be scared… *

She walked up to the porch, trying to figure out why she was nervous. She wasn't like this when she met Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei. Why should this time be any different?

* Because this time you know that this guy is going to know where you're father's at. *

She took another deep breath and knocked on the door.

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A/N: Ooh! The suspense! … Well, there really isn't any suspense. Not that I know of… Well, R&R and see you next chapter. ~_^