It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

by Bane's Desire

Duo is called to Preventers' Headquarters for a routine search of the building on Christmas Eve. He goes, unhappy about his evening being interrupted and unknowing that at the stroke of midnight, his life will change forever.

2. With Angels Bending Near the Earth

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
By: Bane's Desire
Part 2 - With Angels Bending Near the Earth

Just as I began to lose the fight to stay conscious, the radio in my hand crackled to life.

Disbelieving, I nevertheless depressed the side button. "Can anyone hear me?" I asked, alarmed at how weak my voice sounded especially when I felt so desperate for someone to answer. "If anyone can pick up this frequency, I'm Preventer Agent Duo Maxwell, needing assistance. I'm trapped in the south stairwell of the Preventer building on the landing half way up to the third floor. I'm pinned under debris and need medical assistance. Please acknowledge if you can hear me."

I forced myself to release the button, and the faint sounds of static filled the entrapped space that had become my prison. "Please," I pleaded to anyone, including the God I'd prayed to earlier. Then, just as I was about to succumb to a wave of despair and the cold that was seeping into my bones, a faint, familiar voice came over the blessed walkie talkie.

"Agent Maxwell?"

Thank you God, it was Chuck's voice. Depressing the button again, almost choking on a sob of relief, I answered. "Yeah, it's me, Chuck. You alright? What's your status?"

"I'm... alright," came the faint, almost confused sounding reply. "I seem to be... trapped under debris on the first floor."

Relieved at hearing the other man's voice, I found enough energy to continue talking though I was cold enough now that my teeth had begun to chatter. Honestly, I don't know when I've felt as miserable. "Have you h..heard from Tomas? What the h..hell happened?"

At that moment, distant, muffled yet recognizable sounds of gunfire could be heard. There was gunplay going on outside the ruined Preventers' headquarters. "Do you hear that, Chuck? What the h...hell's goin' on?"

There was a moment's pause before the older man's voice came back to me, sounding stronger and more certain. "We were hit by RPG's firing from outside all four corners of the building. I caught a glimpse of the one that came through the front window. I think two grenades hit the main floor and two were aimed at the floors above. The attackers are probably the ones outside making sure the rescue crews know who's in control. How badly are you hurt?"

"B..b..bad enough that I... I probably w..w..won't be cooking tomorrow," I replied, my teeth chattering loudly. "Sorry about that. H..h..ow about a rain check on that holiday meal?"

"Don't worry about it, Agent Maxwell. But thank you for the invite. It was very kind of you."

Only a moment passed before I felt the need to hear the other man's voice again. "I'm freezing to d...d..death here, Chuck. If they don't find me soon, I'm gonna be a human popsicle." I was trying for some levity, but it was hard under the circumstances, especially when hearing the rapid gunfire out in the street. I wondered if Heero was there yet. Living so close to headquarters he undoubtedly heard the explosions and probably thought the worst. I'd often allayed Heero's fears when I was about to do something risky by telling him I'd cheated Death so often that I doubted he could find me.

How I wished that were true tonight.

"They'll get there. Don't worry. You just have to hold on and have faith.""That's never b..been one of my ssss....trong points," I confessed. "Do you believe in God, Chuck?"

There was a pause before the older man's voice came over the damaged communicator soft but clear. "Yes, now more than ever."

I noted, though somewhat muzzily, that the distant gunfire was now more sporadic and that a deep lassitude was beginning to overtake me. "Chuck?" I asked, barely conscious.

"Don't go to sleep, Agent Maxwell, there are men entering the building. It won't be long now."

"Didn't I ask you t...to call me D...Duo?"

"Yes, you did," the older man answered, affection in his voice.

"If I don't make it, c..can you give a message to my partner, Heero Yuy?"

"Agent Yuy?"

"That's him," I replied, a small smile growing on my face as a clear picture of my dark, crazy-haired lover came to mind. "Tell him to open his gift, and that I meant to make things legal between us. Tell him every word inscribed on the ring is from my heart and that my last thoughts were of him."

There was a long moment of silence that began to frighten me. Had I repulsed the other man by admitting my love for another male? Would he carry my message to Heero? "Chuck, y..y.. you still there, buddy?"

"I'm here, Duo," the older man's voice answered calmly. "But I think I'd feel more comfortable if you gave Agent Yuy that message yourself."

"I'm trying, m..m..an. But just in c..c..case, could you tell him? It's important."

"I'll try," the older man answered, sounding tentative. "Would you consider returning the favor? Carry a message to my son?"

"Ssssure."

"Tell him I'm proud of him, that his wife, Ann, was the best decision he could have ever made and that I'll be looking out for Tim and Tia."

"Tim and T...t..Tia."

Huddling into my misery, I could hear the soft tones of Chuck's voice as he continued to talk, reassuring me that I wasn't all alone in what was probably the last moments of my life. It was becoming just too difficult to understand the meaning of the other man's words but I clung to the sound of his voice as my only source of comfort. Then something occurred to me that roused me enough from my stupor to try speaking again.

"Hey, Ch..Chuck? What's your last name?"

The older man chuckled. "Weber. I'm Charles Weber."

"Thanks, Charles Weber. You might not believe it, but you're a godsend."

"Hold on, kid, help's almost there," Chuck admonished, then his tone of voice changed as he asked, "Is there anything you can use to catch the attention of the rescue team? Have you got your flashlight nearby?"

It was hard to think and even harder to move my near-frozen limb, but I managed to search a small area around me. I came up with nothing but bits of plaster. "I can't find it," I told the other man, feeling panic rising in me once more. Then suddenly there was a change in the atmosphere around me and I felt as if someone was close and leaning over me. In the next instant a bright light filled my vision and I shut my eyes to shield them against the pain the suddenness of it brought. I forced my eyes back open and caught a glimpse of a less-than- clean hand holding a flashlight inches from my face. Shifting my gaze upward, above the circle of light, I recognized a familiar, craggy, bearded face.

"Hey, Joe. You're a ssssight for sore eyes, man. C..c..can you get the search team, show 'em where I am?" I asked in a weak, whispered voice, addressing the homeless man I'd given the forty credits to earlier that night. Limpy Joe nodded his scraggily, gray-haired head then leaned forward until I felt the flashlight put into the palm of my hand. When I looked again, he was gone, leaving me with a little more hope of being found by my rescuers before it was too late. I set the flashlight down a moment and grabbed up the walkie-talkie. " I've got it," I gasped, informing Chuck, "the flashlight, and it w...works."

"Relax now," the older security guard said, his voice soft and soothing, strangely comforting me like a fuzzy warm blanket. "I can hear them nearby now. Soon we'll both be free."

I really didn't know if I was going to be found in time, but I was grateful for the older man's optimism. As the cold, pain and weariness began to overwhelm me, I felt myself slipping into the darkness that I was sure would claim me forever. "Remember to tell Heero, Chuck, and Merry Christmas," I managed to whisper to the other man, imagining that I could hear the sound of debris being shifted in the distance and the frantic voice of my lover, desperately calling my name as I felt the cold arms of death begin to encompass me.

Oooooooooo

beep....beep....beep....

Death was a cold bitch, I decided upon rousing from the dark, dreamless place that had enveloped me, and came with an irritating noise that could only exist with the intent of tormenting lost souls. The smell, too, was disconcerting, like the antiseptic smell of a clinic or hospital. Damn, did I go to hell, just as I'd always predicted?

The rhythmic beeping continued to disturb me, slowly rousing me further from the comforting darkness I'd known and urged me towards the edge of consciousness. I became aware of the fact that I hurt everywhere, and that my mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert and tasted something like I'd imagined the inside of a ratty old tennis shoe would. The smell of disinfectant grew stronger and I knew, even without opening my eyes, that I wasn't dead.

I was alive and, apparently, had cheated death once again.

I didn't have the energy to move my head, so I settled for slowly opening my eye lids, squinting at the light even though it appeared to be filtered by the curtains that were behind the person sitting in the chair next to the bed. Even with my vision blurred, I knew that the blurred figure I was looking at was Heero, who had no doubt been keeping watch over me as I slept.

The longer my gaze lingered on the object of all my affections, the more focused my eyes became. He was sitting with one blue jean clad leg crossed over his knee with a magazine resting in his lap and his head bowed below his slouched shoulders. My lover appeared to be asleep. Focused on the slumbering man, a welling of emotion rose up within me, and the man in the chair blurred completely as tears of gratitude filled my eyes. I tried to speak, feeling desperate for Heero to open his eyes and look at me, to speak to me, proving that I really had survived the bombing, but my tongue was thick and dry and all that came out was a faint croak. That slight sound proved to be enough to awaken the once perfect soldier with a jerk. The dark-brown head shot up and penetrating blue eyes opened and focused solely on me, then widened.

"Duo," Heero whispered, then launched himself out of his chair and onto the bed where he brought his upper body as close to mine as he possibly could without actually touching any part of me. His cautious movements demonstrated that he was well aware of the many injuries I'd sustained. "You're okay," the Japanese teen whispered and his deep blue eyes pooled with unshed tears as he gazed into my eyes mere inches below him. "I thought you'd been taken from me, Duo," he said in a quiet voice that was uncommonly shaky with emotion.

Drink. Knowing he could read my lips, I mouthed the word, unable to find my voice.

Heero moved quickly, and a moment later a straw was put to my lips and I sucked in the tepid water that tasted as if it had stayed in old metal pipes for too long. I managed three swallows before I choked, and the coughing brought every one of my painful injuries to my attention. Dying, I decided, had to be easier than surviving a building falling down on you.

Heero must have panicked, because a moment later a nurse was at my bedside, just as my coughing began to subside and I gasped for air.

"Easy, Mr. Maxwell," the older Hispanic woman said with a soothing, slightly accented voice. "Breath deeply and it will pass."

I closed his eyes and concentrated on following the woman's instructions and felt moisture leaking from my eyes. I honestly didn't know if the tears were caused by the excruciating pain I'd just experienced or if they were a result of my choking. I sure as hell didn't want them to be there because I was crying.

As the coughing eased off, I re-opened my eyes to see the dark-haired, brown-skinned woman with a freaky-white smile gazing down at me. "Nice to see you awake, Mr Maxwell. I'm Daisy, your evening nurse." The straw was put back to my lips. "Now let's try this again but much more slowly this time." I did as I was told, yet much more wary this time of going too fast.

"There," the woman smiled, pleased I hadn't choked again. "Now if you'll just lay still, I'm going to take your vitals."

I rolled my eyes, wondering where the woman thought I was going to go, then turned my head to locate Heero. I spotted him in the corner of the room, hunched over something. He shifted slightly and I realized he was on the phone and speaking very softly. I decided he was probably calling our friends to tell them I'd regained consciousness.

For the first time since waking, I focused my attention on my body and the pain that radiated from almost every part of it. I noticed straight off, by both sight and pain, that my right arm was in a cast and had been propped up on several pillows. Gazing further down my body, my breath caught in my throat, sounding like a gasp as I observed the damage I found there; both of my legs were elevated and in casts, from my ankles to my upper thighs. "My legs!" I choked out in a hoarse voice caused by a horribly sore throat and severe weakness.

"They've both suffered multiple fractures from the falling debris, as did your arm. With time and therapy you're going to be fine," the nurse quickly assured me in a slightly detached manner after having heard those two words I'd uttered in shock. "You were operated on when you first arrived and your doctor should be coming by later as he makes his evening rounds. He'll be happy to answer all your questions for you then." She spoke so quickly and with the slight accent and my dulled state of mind, I had a hard time following what she was saying.

"Other injuries?" I strained to ask.

"You lost a lot of blood and more or less drained our supply of your blood type the day you were brought in," she replied. "They had to take out your spleen, and your kidneys and liver were bruised, so you'll be staying on the catheter until they recover."

"Status?"

"Guarded but improving." Heero stated as he came back to the bed and to my side. He wore an encouraging smile on his face but his eyes were surrounded by dark circles, signs of exhaustion. The red-rims of those mesmerizing orbs, had to have been caused by either sleeplessness or crying, and they were looking at me, filled with worry and telling me just how precarious my situation had been.

"Cheated that bastard Death again, didn't I?" I joked weakly, but it fell flat as Heero's smile faded. "Not that he didn't give it a good try," I added.

Heero stood by my bedside and remained silent as Daisy took my temperature and blood pressure. My lover's eyes followed every move the woman made, but for some odd reason his stare, which had unnerved many a suspect and perpetrator, didn't seem to faze the nurse at all.

"I'll be bringing in some dinner for you, Mr. Maxwell," Daisy said as she rolled up the blood pressure cuff. "Do you feel up to eating something?"

"Not hungry, but I'll try," I answered, even as I felt the pull of sleep reeling me in and my heavy eyelids began to droop.

"See if you can keep him awake," I heard the woman say, and realized she was talking to Heero. "Have you had anything to eat today, Mr. Yuy?" No sound came from Heero, and I was curious enough to hear his answer that I forced my eyes open once again.

Looking up, I saw Heero standing close to my side. "You okay?" I managed to ask as I fought the need to go to sleep.

Heero took my uninjured hand into his own and brought it to his lips, reverently brushing them against the back of my hand. "Don't worry about me," he answered. "Just concentrate on getting better."

"Don't neglect yourself." I knew only too well how he could put everything out of his mind, even his health, while he focused his attention on something and made it his top priority. Heero had been known to neglect eating, drinking fluids and even the pain of a wound if he was preoccupied. I didn't doubt for a moment that I'd been the focus of his attention from the minute my lover had heard the explosion that hit the Preventer building.

Heero shrugged off my weak order and dismissed the subject by pulling his chair closer to the bed and sitting on it, never letting go of my hand.

"How long?" I asked , barely audible as the need to sleep became overwhelming.

"A week."

That opened my eyes again. "A whole week?" I croaked.

"It's new Year's Eve."

"Long week?"

" The longest ever," Heero said, and everything about him, his posture, his eyes and slack, pale face spoke loudly of his exhaustion.

"Chuck give you my message? Did you open your Christmas gift from me?"

"Chuck?" Heero asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, Chuck, the night security guard." I frowned, trying to remember something, but my mind was too sluggish with the drugs coursing through my system. "Told me his last name, but can't quite remember it. Think it began with a W. Webster maybe, somethin' like that."

"Charles Weber," Heero supplied, leaning over so that his fingers could comb through my long fringe of hair, making it harder than ever for me to stay awake.

"Yeah, that's it." I smiled, my eyelids lowering once again.

"He wasn't able to deliver any message, Duo, and I didn't open your gift. I really haven't been home since the attack on headquarters."

Somehow I didn't find that surprising in the least. If our places had been reversed, I wouldn't have left Heero's side either, come hell or high water. "Did you find Tomas?"

Heero nodded, looking sad. "We found him, or rather remnants of him on the third floor. It looked as if both security guards were within feet of the grenade's impact.

That got my attention and I forced my eyes open again. "Is Chuck alright? He sounded fine over the radio."

The space between Heero's eyebrows became creased as his frown deepened. "They're both dead, Duo," he replied regretfully, respecting the dead.

The ache in my heart joined the physical pain I was suffering. "Damn," I whispered, my voice unsteady. "Invited Chuck to Christmas dinner. Guess he won't be taking me up on the rain check." My voice cracked as I struggled to contain my emotions and sorrow for the older man that I'd barely known who, despite that fact, had helped me through my darkest hour. I figured he and Tomas were yet two more innocent lives lost to some twisted person or organization's bid for power or revenge. With my eyes closing once more, giving in to my body's demand for rest, I felt an overwhelming need to tell my lover of the comfort the older security guard had given me. "I thought I was going to die alone, Heero."

"I know," came the sympathetic reply as the Japanese man's fingers continued to gently comb through my hair.

I wanted to tell him how Chuck had been the voice of comfort as his own life ebbed away, but I just didn't have the energy. I only heard Heero's voice speaking soft, comforting words that I could no longer understand as I was swept away into a troubling, restless sleep.

After that first waking, I woke sporadically and for short periods of time. Sometimes it appeared to be daytime and other times night, but always there was Heero at my bedside, looking more worn and weary with each waking. I had no concept of time, but I did note a difference when at last I woke to find I was more lucid and not quite as exhausted as I had been. I opened his eyes to find the room bright with filtered, natural sunshine, streaming through the partially opened curtains and an unexpected sight next to my bed. Quatre was sitting in the chair that had previously had only been occupied by Heero. His golden-haired head was lowered and he appeared to be reading something.

As if sensing a change in the room, my blond friend's head lifted and his eyes widened, sparkling with delight at seeing I was awake. "Good afternoon, Duo," Quatre said with a smile on his lips. "I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to see you again."

I offered a smile in return even as my eyes began to blur, silently telling my wonderful friend how good it was to see him in return.

"Shh. It's alright, Duo. Everything is going to be okay." And even as the image of the other man blurred, I could see Quatre was struggling to hold back his own tears as he moved closer to me and began to comb his fingers through the hair near my face.

"Heero?" My croaking voice was barely audible and I licked my lips trying to get some moisture on them. Quatre moved away for a moment and then a straw was placed to my lips and I gratefully sucked the cool water into my parched mouth and throat.

"He was about to collapse so we took matters into our own hands," my friend informed me as I continued to drink. "He's at your place with Trowa and Wufei who are more or less forcing him to eat and sleep." The blond took the straw and cup away when I turned my head, indicating I'd had enough. He set it down on the bedside table then turned back to me, taking up my uninjured hand and looking earnestly into my eyes. "That was just too close, Duo. We almost lost you."

I nodded, not knowing what to say. 'I'm sorry' just didn't seem to fit the situation and it wasn't enough for all the worry I'd unintentionally put my friends through.

"When you're better," the blond continued, taking on a more grave expression, "I want to have a serious discussion with you and Heero about a job change. I honestly don't think my heart can stand any more work-related incidents. Wufei, Trowa and I have already given our notice to Une."

"You're quitting?" I asked, shocked at the idea.

"Not immediately, but we're definitely phasing ourselves out of the organization, but not until we get those responsible for the bombing." A dangerous glint entered the blue-green eyes. "No one hurts a member of our family and gets away with it," he said, his words holding a steely-cold promise of retribution.

The nurse, a man I couldn't recall with any clarity, entered the room and the whole business of taking my vitals and turning my body to prevent bedsores took roughly ten minutes. A tray of food was brought in and both the nurse, Gary, and Quatre urged me to eat some of it. I tried, but found it just wasn't very appetizing and hard to eat lying on my side.

When at last the tray was cleared away, I felt physically worn out from the simple task of eating, but not sleepy enough to fall back to sleep. Quatre resumed his seat and began filling the silence within the private room. "You had a visitor yesterday," the blond began in a conversational tone. "You recall Charles Weber, the security guard?"

The memory of Heero telling me the other man was dead came back to me now. "Yeah, I remember."

"It was his son. Naturally, he came to town to make arrangements for the funeral, which took place several days ago. He came here by hoping to have a word with you since you were the last person to speak to his father. If you're feeling up to it, would you mind if he came by tomorrow? He gave me a number where he can be reached and I told him I'd call after you woke up."

"Yeah, I guess that would be okay."

"Can I get you anything?"

Turning to look at my friend, I quietly asked. "Can we call and see if Heero's awake?"

The blond smiled knowingly and reached to his belt where he had his cell phone. He opened it then abruptly, closed it. "Sorry, I forgot about the rule of not using cell phones in hospitals. I'll have to use the room's phone." He moved to the other side of the bed and I listened as he pushed the appropriate numbers. Eavesdropping on the one-sided conversation, I was able to ascertain that Heero was sound asleep and that Trowa didn't think he'd wake up until morning.

"How urgently do you need to speak with him, Duo?" Quatre asked.

"As soon as he wakes up. But there's no need to disturb him. He looked really tired."

Quatre relayed the message and reported to Trowa what had happened from the minute he'd awakened, then whispered an endearment and said goodbye. The room fell silent once again.

"I've been reading a book, Duo. It's a colony murder mystery called The Shadows Whisper. Would you like me to read it out loud?"

Deciding that listening would take less energy than talking, I nodded my head. Quatre smiled and picked up the book he'd set down earlier and proceeded to read. His soft voice, speaking in an easy, rhythmic pattern, had me back to sleep in a matter of minutes.

Heero showed up in my room before the sun had risen the next morning and immediately sent a rumpled and slightly grumpy Quatre home to Trowa. After the nurse did her thing, the two of us finally had a moment alone.

"How are you?" I asked my lover, glad to see him looking less haggard and slightly more rested.

"Better. How about you?"

"Better," I parroted, managing a slight grin.

After checking the door to see that no hospital personnel were chomping at the bit to get in, Heero leaned over the guard rail and held my face in his hands as he gently kissed my slightly dry and chapped lips. As he pulled back, we paused to look into each other's eyes, only inches apart, expressing in one look the words we couldn't say in a semi-public place.

"I can't wait to go home," I told Heero. "Did the doctor say when that's possible?"

"He said something about a couple of days after your kidneys and liver began functioning, which, I was told yesterday, they are."

"So I'm really all right?" There was still a lingering fear within me that I wasn't going to be well again, but now taking fear's place was a feeling of hope that I was actually going to survive.

"Yes. You're going to be fine."

I wondered again why I was so emotional as my eyes filled up with moisture. "Shh," Heero soothed, even as his own eyes became bright.

"I prayed for a Christmas miracle, Heero," I told my lover. "I know I've probably had my fill of miraculous survivals already, having come through all I have, but I didn't want to die on Christmas, leaving you alone and with a bad memory every time the holiday came around."

"Then I'll stop at the chapel and light a candle for the both of us and thank your God."

Heero hadn't been exposed to any type of religion growing up, but he'd listened with interest to my stories of the Maxwell Orphanage and watched my own struggle to comprehend and believe in an all-knowing and powerful deity that allowed men to make mistakes and sometimes even be evil. At times I still found it hard to fathom such a concept, but I became more of a believer after beating the odds and surviving quite a few dangerous situations, despite the fact that I should have died several times over. Heero didn't necessarily share my beliefs, but he did respect them. He more or less took on the belief of an agnostic instead of an atheist, waiting for some definite sort of proof of the existence of a supreme being. As far as I was concerned, surviving all that I had was proof enough for me to believe that someone was watching out for me. Lighting a candle in the hospital chapel represented Heero's own way to show his gratitude that I'd managed to survive once again.

Taking the lone chair, Heero sat and immediately took up my undamaged hand. "Brian Weber is coming by this morning. Quatre talked to him last night and arranged for him to be here by nine thirty. If you're not up to it, I'll call and cancel."

"No, I'd like to talk to him. His dad helped me and I would like to tell him that."

The T.V. fastened high on the wall was turned on and the two of us watched the early morning news. Breakfast was served and it was a bit more appetizing than the last meal I'd been offered, though it wasn't nearly hot enough.

Nine thirty came quickly, and a few minutes after that a soft knock sounded at the open door. A man who appeared to be in his late thirties came in and introduced himself as Brian Weber. Our introductions were made and Heero stood from the chair to offer it to my visitor. Mr. Weber took it, with thanks, then addressed me.

"I know that thinking back on the night of the bombing might be traumatic for you, Mr. Maxwell, but if you wouldn't mind, I wondered if you could tell me about the last minutes of my dad's life, that is if you can remember."

I then told the grieving man of how I'd spoken to Chuck after arriving at Preventers for the bomb search, of inviting his father to dinner the next day and of his acceptance. I spoke to him of my impressions of the older man, that Chuck had been kind and helpful, especially after all hell had broken loose and we'd both found ourselves trapped under rubble caused by the explosions. A movement from Heero, leaning against the wall at the end of his bed, distracted me and I looked to my lover and saw a puzzled look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Brian Weber asked. "How did he help you?"

"I radioed for help but I couldn't raise either he or Tomas," I told him. "I was trapped, scared and freezing my ass off. I really didn't think I was gonna make it. I even prayed, something I only do when I'm scared shitless. When your father's voice came over the walking talkie I was so relieved that I could have wept. He said he was trapped on the first floor but that he was alright." Looking into the older man's eyes I added, "He was there for me, Brian, telling me I wasn't alone and about the rescue units that were coming and encouraging me to hold on. He even told me to turn on my flashlight so they could find me under the rubble. I couldn't find it until Limpy Joe showed up and handed it to me before rushing off to get help. It's hard to believe your dad is gone," I said with true remorse. "He sounded so close and his voice so clear that he didn't even sound as if he were wounded. I'm very sorry for your loss, Brian."

Brian Weber looked confused, and he turned his head to silently confer with Heero, who in turn looked at me, concerned. "What?" I asked, confused by their actions.

"Duo," Heero moved closer to the bed. "I think that your memory might be faulty. Are you certain of this conversation you had with Mr. Weber?"

Frowning, I nodded. I couldn't figure out what was going on.

"I think you must be confused, Mr. Maxwell," Brian Weber said as gently as possible.

"No, I'm pretty sure things happened just as I told you."

"Duo, that impossible," Heero stated calmly.

"Why?"

"Because Charles Weber died instantly. The RPG came through the front window and hit the wall just above him. He was buried under the rubble. If that didn't kill him, the shrapnel and explosive would have."

Shaking my head, certain that things had happened just as I stated, I answered, "No, that can't be right. I definitely talked to him on the radio. I know it wasn't a dream or a hallucination. He talked to me, and I didn't even know his last name until then. If I didn't talk to him, how would I have known his name?"

Again Heero and Mr. Weber exchanged a puzzled look. Then my Japanese lover moved to the drawer at the bottom of my bedside table where he pulled out a plastic bag. Removing its contents, he held up what looked to be a smashed walkie talkie, completely unusable. "This was in your hand when we finally got to you," he said, putting the damaged silver box into my right hand.

Bringing it closer for examination, I studied it and wondered what the hell was going on? The walkie talkie was barely held together, its circuit board was smashed and broken in places. I turned it on its side to see that the button used for talking was completely obliterated. There was no way I could have depressed it. "I don't understand." I looked from the pieces of plastic in my hand to Heero's intense face. "I know I talked to Chuck and that he talked back to me."

Heero then drew out of the bag what looked to be a flashlight, the head of it was smashed flat, the light bulb completely shattered. "We found this near your head," he said. "I know I saw a light coming from the space you were in, it led us right to you. But it went out just as we reached you."

"Heero," I whispered, my eyes widening. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I know that I talked to Chuck, that he comforted me when I was scared and he told me his name and to turn my flashlight on. I couldn't find it at first, but then Limpy Joe showed up, found it and gave it to me before he went for help. I didn't imagine it, did I?"

"Limpy Joe? The homeless man that hangs out by headquarters?" Heero asked. After getting a nod from me that it was the same man he was referring to, Heero said, "We found him across the street with his throat slit. We believe he may have stumbled onto the terrorists and they killed him moments before the attack. He had two twenty credit bills in his hand."

With a look of worry on the faces of both men, I suddenly felt desperate to prove that I hadn't imagine everything, so I continued speaking while anxiously looking from Heero to Brian Weber. "Chuck told me to tell you that he was proud of you, Brian, that your wife, Ann, was the best decision you'd ever made in your life and that he would be watching over..." I paused for moment to remember the name of the man's children. "Tim and... Tina?"

"Tia," Mr. Weber answered looking shell-shocked, a tone of disbelief in his voice.

"Are those the names of your family?"

The man nodded.

"Are you sure he didn't tell you his last name and about his son's family before the attack?" Heero picked up my uninjured hand and held it firmly in his own hand, not caring what the other man in the room thought.

"I'm positive." My voice was trembling at the implication of the whole conversation.

There was silence in the room as the other two men tried to come up with some explanation for what I'd just told them. Brian Weber looked thoughtful, going over possibilities in his mind while Heero, no doubt, wondered if I hadn't imagined the whole incident as a way to cope with my fear, but that didn't answer the question about how I knew Brian Weber's family's names.

At first, I thought that I might be going crazy, but then I remembered my heartfelt prayer at midnight, at the moment when Christmas Eve became Christmas Day and asked for a miracle, praying that I'd survive for the benefit of Heero and our friends and that I'd not be left alone to suffer or die in the cold and dark.

And suddenly I knew.

"He stayed behind to be with me until help came," I said softly, and a warm feeling that centered in my chest seemed to validate my theory the moment the words came from my lips. Raising my eyes to meet Heero's concerned and doubting ones I asked, "How else could I know his last name or those of Brian's family? How could you have seen the light that helped you to find me? You said you saw it, how do you explain that? It was a Christmas miracle, Heero, pure and simple. I asked Chuck if he believed in God and he answered me saying, 'Yes, now more than ever.' Heero..." Any other words I wanted to say were choked off as understanding came to me that my prayer had been granted in my most desperate hour. Suddenly it didn't matter to me if Heero or Brian Weber or anyone else believed me, because I knew the truth.

"I believe you." Heero and I both looked up to the older man who had spoken . Brian Weber's eyes were staring at the battered equipment Heero had held up moments before to disprove my claim of the deceased security guard's vocal help. "I've never been an avid church goer," the man continued with apparent emotion. "But somehow I know what you're saying is true."

I managed to give him a small smile of gratitude and then there didn't seem to be a need for any further words. What was there to say after such a revelation? After a few non-communicative moments, Mr. Weber excused himself with a quiet word of thanks and thoughtfully left the hospital room. I felt relieved and then guilty that the man was gone; but I was bone weary and just wanted to be near Heero, my anchor.

"Does this change things between us?" Heero asked out of the blue and sounding unusually uncertain, causing me to turn my head to regard him. "This is a religious thing and I know our relationship isn't in accordance with many religions beliefs."

Shaking my head, I replied, "I'm alive because I prayed to be spared for your sake, Heero. I'm not about to squander the answer I was given to that prayer by letting go of you. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for the rest of our lives."

Heero paused then drew two small boxes out of his pocket. I recognized one of them as my Christmas gift to him, a ring that I hoped would symbolize our life-long commitment to each other. Heero opened the other box, the one I hadn't seen before, and out of it he pulled an almost identical gift and held it between his fingers to display the silver ring to me. "Be mine?" he asked with a slight, one-sided quirk to his lips and a glint of hope in his eyes. I grinned in response, realizing the few short and to the point words were so typically Heero.

With a returning grin and a nod of my head to the other box in his hand, I motioned for him to open it. Funny how our minds are so much alike, I thought, as Heero pulled out the second titanium ring. "'Fraid it's gonna be a while before I can walk down the aisle," I said with a woeful glance at my cast limbs.

Heero gave me a dismissive snort and a wicked smile. "Who says you have to walk, or for that matter, be standing?" he asked, bringing his face closer to mine, his eyes as bright as the future before us and sparking with mischief. "Besides, I kind of like you helpless... on your back... in bed."

Laughing hurt, I quickly discovered.

After the pain finally subsided we thoughtfully put our rings on each other's finger, though mine had to go on my right hand temporarily instead of the left because of the cast and swollen fingers. Without speaking of it, we both knew the rings symbolized our love and commitment to each other and our every intention of making our relationship legal as soon as possible. I quickly decided to leave the details of that up to Heero as I was about to be too preoccupied to think of anything other than how to calm my heretofore sleeping nether regions with Heero looking at me the way he was now. I had an idea that if laughing hurt, getting aroused was going to hurt a whole hell of a lot more.

When the nurse walked into the room a moment later, she was witness to the two familiar young men engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. She forced back the urge to tell them to be careful, to heed the bedridden young man's wounds. She paused, regarding them a moment longer and noting to herself that the patient certainly wasn't complaining about the embrace. So instead of issuing a warning, she merely smiled and quietly shut the door behind her as she left the room to give them a few moments of privacy, thinking to herself that the New Year was certainly starting out in an interesting way.

Finished 12-23-04