Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, but I do own my Original Characters and my plot.
Pairing: eventual 2xOC, past 2xH
Chapter Two: Goodbyes and Hellos
A week later, I found myself standing at the space shuttle terminal, my backpack on my back and a duffel bag in my hand. My usual black outfit had been replaced with jeans, a red t-shirt, and a denim jacket. Instead of my boots, I wore a pair of sneakers—the same sneakers I had worn that day when Heero and I had played basketball in PE at that boarding school.
"You look good, Duo," Sally assured me as she fussed with the collar of my jacket. "More friendly without all that black on."
I rolled my eyes. "I wish I could just wear my normal clothes."
"You can when you get settled on Earth. This is just so that you won't make people nervous on the shuttle." She glanced at her watch. "Speaking of nervous, you need to board the shuttle in twenty minutes. Are you sure they're coming?"
"They'll be here," I told her. "Quatre said they would be. They wouldn't just let me move to Earth without saying goodbye first."
"No, I suppose not."
She sat down on a near by bench, but I stayed standing up, looking down the hall for my friends. They had to come. They just had to. The minutes ticked by. I began to get nervous. Maybe they had forgotten. No, they wouldn't do that—Heero wouldn't have let them. Maybe they had gotten into an accident. Or, if Quatre was driving, maybe they were still puttering along the streets at exactly the speed limit.
When an announcement came on saying, "Boarding for flight 4568, Shuttle to Earth, at Gate C8 will begin in ten minutes," I sent Sally a slightly frantic look. Where were they??
Sally just shrugged and shook her head, saying that she had no idea. I groaned and turned my attention once again down the hall. A moment later, I saw what I was looking for: Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and WuFei were all hurrying down the hall towards me. Trowa had his backpack with him.
"DUO!" Quatre cried and picked up speed. The others followed suit. "Sorry we're so late. Traffic was bad and then there was a detour—"
"It's okay," I assured him, grinning. "I'm just glad you guys got here before I left. I was worried I would have to do the goodbyes over the phone."
"We wouldn't allow that," WuFei replied. "You deserve face-to-face farewells."
I smiled at that, glad to know that WuFei thought so highly of me.
"Did you remember everything?" Heero asked. The perfect soldier, of course, had to make sure every detail had been taken care of.
"Yeah. Sally and I went though the house twice. Everything I need and want is in these bags."
"Well, not everything," Trowa said with a slight smirk.
I sent him a questioning look, and in response, he opened his backpack. They each reached in and pulled out a wrapped package. They all exchanged looks as though asking each other "Who's first?". WuFei sighed and handed me his present.
I opened it, and inside I found a book. It was called "1,000 Things to See in North America." WuFei gave me a funny half smile, a rarity from him. "I thought that your stay on Earth would be a good chance for you to expand your knowledge. I looked through the book and I found some nature parks I wouldn't mind visiting myself. I've marked them, and I'm expecting pictures."
I smiled. Opening the book, I noted he had also marked a few amusement parks as places that I was expected to visit. "Thanks WuFei. I'll try to visit as many of these as I can."
Trowa gave me his present next. It was a wooden box, ten inches by six inches by about two and a half inches. It had pieces of carved wood in the shape of starbursts, moons, and planets attached to it. It was a really cool box, but when I tried to open it, the lid wouldn't lift up. "It's a puzzle box," Trowa explained. "There's a trick to opening it. You'll have to figure out the trick to see what's inside."
I grinned at him. "No problem. I'll have it figured out before we enter the atmosphere."
Trowa didn't say anything. He just stared at me with that blank face of his that gave nothing away.
Quatre's present was a photo album filled with pictures of all of us and our friends hanging out and having fun together. There were even pictures of me with Deathscythe and the other pilots with their gundams. I recognized a lot of the pictures as WuFei's handiwork. He didn't seem like it, but he could be artsy when he wanted to be.
Finally, Heero gave me his present. I unwrapped it, and my eyes just about popped out of their sockets.
"A self detonation switch?" I cried. "Is this some kind of joke, Heero?"
He raised an eyebrow at me. "It's no joke."
I looked down at the detonation switch in my hand. It was identical to the ones used in the gundams. "Then what's it for?"
"When you don't think you can take it any more, connect the two wires at the end and then press the button," Heero explained. "The device will take it from there."
"What do you mean 'when I can't take it anymore'?" I asked him.
"You'll know when the time comes." Gods, sometimes Heero could be too cryptic for his own good.
"Boarding for flight 4568, Shuttle to Earth, at Gate C8 will begin in two minutes," a voice announced over the com system.
"Whoops, that's me," I said, as I quickly but gently placed my presents into my backpack. When I was done, I swung my backpack over my shoulder and looking at them all, took a deep breath. "I guess this is it." My throat was suddenly thick and it kind of hurt to talk. I tried to put on a big grin to make it seem like I wasn't worried about leaving them, but it didn't work.
Quatre smiled and we embraced. "It'll be okay Duo. I'll miss you, but we'll see each other again."
"We'd better," I told him as we let go and Trowa stepped up. He too gave me a hug. "Have a good flight Duo. Contact us when you can."
WuFei bowed to me. "It was an honor learning your own…special…brand of justice, Duo." I nodded and returned the bow. Then I reached out and pulled him into a hug. "I'll miss you too, WuFei," I said, laughing when he awkwardly patted me on the back.
I let WuFei go and turned to Heero. "Well buddy, looks like you're finally getting rid of me."
"I never wanted to get rid of you, Duo. I just preferred to work alone."
"Well, then you finally can," I said, fighting hard to hold back tears. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to go away and leave them all behind.
"Boarding for flight 4568, Shuttle to Earth, at Gate C8 is now beginning."
"Duo!" Sally called over. "You need to board."
I nodded, but didn't turn my eyes from Heero. He was my best friend, and I wasn't sure how I'd be able to survive without his cool reasoning to balance out my wild personality.
"You'd better come visit," I told him. "You'd all better come visit. Show those boring Earthlings how we do things in the colonies."
Heero nodded. "Rodger."
"Yeah," I said with a sigh. I picked up my duffel bag. "See you guys later. I'll contact you when I get there."
"Bye!" Quatre, Trowa and WuFei all called. Heero didn't say anything. He just nodded and watched me as I turned and walked over to the gate with Sally.
"Duo Maxwell," Sally told the person checking boarding passes. He nodded, tore my ticket and smiled at me. "Enjoy your trip, Mr. Maxwell."
"Thanks," I said, taking my ticket back.
"You all set?" Sally asked me. "You've got your bags, and you have money. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher will be waiting for you when you get off the shuttle."
"Okay," I said with a nod. She was treating me like I was five, but at that moment, I didn't really care.
"Don't worry Duo, everything will be fine. Just remember, this is probably what's best for you. And don't worry--guys and I will stay in touch." She adjusted my denim jacket collar one more time. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
"Okay."
"Then I guess that's everything. Bye, Duo. Have a safe flight," she said, giving me a brief hug.
I turned and walked to the doorway to the shuttle. Before I went through I turned around and got one last look at the others. Quatre was waving at me. WuFei and Trowa noddedto me. Heero just watched me. I could have sworn he looked about ready to cry. I waved to them all, and then forced myself to turn and board the shuttle before I could change my mind.
I found my seat, pushed my duffel bag into the overhead compartment and sat down with my backpack between my feet. Finally on the shuttle and out of sight of my friends, I let my tears escape my eyes. This wasn't fair! I didn't want to leave the colony. I didn't want to leave my friends. Saying good-bye to people was one of the hardest things for me to do. I just had a hard time letting go of people. Unlike Heero—he hadn't even given me a hug goodbye.
An older woman sat down in the seat next to me, and I hurriedly wiped the tears from my face. The last thing I needed was for some stranger asking what was wrong.
She smiled at me. "Hello. Is this your first time to Earth?"
I shook my head. "I've been there before," I told her.
"Well, that's nice," she said as she buckled herself into her seat. "You must live on this colony then?"
"Not anymore. I'm moving to Earth."
"Oh, how wonderful!" the woman cried. "It's a beautiful place. The colonies are nice, but I think you'll like Earth just as much, if not more."
I gave her a halfhearted smile, then turned my head to the window.
Once the shuttle had taken off, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a plain white envelope. Reaching in, I pulled out the letter and the photo it contained. Unfolding the letter for probably the fiftieth time, I read if for probably the hundredth time.
Dear Duo,
My name is Diana Christopher, and my husband Jon and I are going to be your foster parents here on Earth. Miss Renée suggested that I write to you and tell you a little about us so that you would sort of know us before you got here.
I am a French teacher at Nova Junior High School, which is a school in the next town over. I like to bake and cook, and I'll have plenty of goodies ready for you when you arrive. Jon is a machinist. He runs large machines that make parts for airplanes and things like that. We've been married for seven years. We don't have any children, but we do have Benny, our Labrador retriever. He's only a few years old, so he's still get plenty of energy in him. Miss Renée told us you've never had a pet before, so if you're interested, you can help out with taking car of Benny. He likes young people, and I'm sure you two will get along fine.
I look forward to meeting you Duo. From everything I have been told about you, I get the feeling that you're a very nice boy and you will make a great addition to our household. I know it will be difficult for you to leave your home in the colony and come live with us Duo, but Jon and I want you to know that we want to help you with the transition. We're going to be a family, and you can come to us about anything. Please know that we're here to talk to if you have any problems.
I can't wait to meet you! I'll see you on the 7th!
Sincerely, with care,
Diana E Christopher
After reading the letter, I looked at the photo that had come with it. It was a picture of Diana and Jon sitting on their porch steps with Benny sitting on a lower step. Diana had brown hair and glasses. Jon was a big man with black hair and a black beard. He looked like he had played football in college. They both looked pretty young, no older than thirty. Jon's arms were around Diana, and they both were smiling at the camera. Benny's tongue was hanging out if his mouth and he looked like he was smiling at the camera too.
I smiled at the picture myself. They looked like nice people, and I guessed that there were worse foster families out there.
"Is that your family?" the woman beside me asked. Then before I could reply, she continued, "You look just like them. Very strong family resemblance."
"You think?" I asked as I looked at the photo.
"Yes. You have her nose and his eyes. And her hair."
"Hn." I looked again at the photo. She was right, I guess. I did sort of look like them. I figured that would help us pass as a family.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent through the atmosphere. For your safety, please return your seats to their upright position, stow your tray tables, and put away all carry-on items."
With one last look at the photo, I slid it and the letter back into the envelope and put it into my jacket pocket. I mentally kicked myself for not working on the puzzle box. Oh well, that just means it'll take me longer to figure it out, I thought. Trowa will be pleased with that. I grinned at the thought. You could rarely tellwhether Trowa was pleased or pissed about something because he never showed any emotion on his face.
The shuttle landed without much problem, and when the door was opened, most of the passengers jumped up and hurriedly gathered their things, eager to get off the shuttle. I stayed put, staring out the window at the sky. "Wish me luck you guys," I whispered, hoping that Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and WuFei had somehow heard me.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Maxwell?" A stewardess asked me, looking concerned.
I glanced around and realized that everyone else was off the shuttle already. "No," I said with a grin. "I guess I just got lost in my thoughts. Thanks for offering though."
She nodded and moved back up the aisle.
Taking a deep breath to calm the butterflies in my stomach, I stood up, swung my backpack onto my back and got my duffel bag out of the overhead compartment. I was so nervous that I felt like I might faint at any moment. I suppose I looked like I was going to as well because the stewardesses were watching me with worried looks. I smiled to reassure them that I was okay.
Com'n Duo, I silently told myself as I made my way down the aisle and out the door. What's the matter with you? You've been through more battles than you can remember and tougher situations than this. What's meeting foster parents compared to all that? What would the guys say if they saw you now?
I walked down the steps of the shuttle into the crowd that was below. It was mostly made up of my fellow passengers being greeted by friends and family. I searched the crowd for the friendly, smiling faces from the photo. I didn't see the Christopher's anywhere.
I was starting to get worried, thinking that perhaps they had gotten my arrival time wrong, or the wrong gate. I looked around wildly, feeling like an abandoned little kid. I hadn't really looked forward to being with the Christopher's when I was still in space, but now that I was on Earth, I was desperate to find them.
I reached the other edge of the crowd and looked around, thinking perhaps they had been smart and stayed back form the crowd. And sure enough, they had. I saw them standing off about thirty feet from the crowd. Diana was wearing a skirt and blouse and looked as though she had come straight from her teaching job to get me. Jon was standing beside her with his arm around her waist. They both had anxious smiles on their faces that turned to grins as soon as they saw me.
"DUO!" Diana shouted, waving hopefully at me.
Smiling, I hurried over to them. "Are you guys the Christopher's?" I asked. Then I laughed nervously and answered my own question. "Well, you obviously are, since you look just like the people in my picture."
Diana smiled at me. "Yes, we are the Christopher's, and you must be Duo." She laughed, which was a very welcoming sound. "We didn't recognize you without your usual black clothes on. I'm Diana." She moved awkwardly, as though she wasn't sure if she should hug me or what. Finally, to my relief, she held out her hand to shake mine. I took her had and gave her a firm handshake.
"And I'm Jon," Jon said. His voice was pleasant, and not as deep as I would have expected from someone his size. He had to be over six feet tall, and he was even bigger in real life than what he looked like in the picture. He wasn't fat; he was just BIG. I noted with amusement that he was almost a foot taller than Diana. When I shook his hand, he chuckled. "Good, strong handshake you've got there, Duo," he said. I got the feeling that it was a compliment.
"Do you have any more bags than this?" Jon asked as he took my duffle bag from me.
"Nah, this is it for me," Itold himwith a grin.
"Well, then let's get you home and show you your room," Diana said, still smiling. "What would you like for dinner, Duo?"
I shrugged. "I dunno…what do you have?" I asked, trying hard to not sound demanding or rude, even though I was starving and couldn't wait for dinner.
"It doesn't matter if we have it or not. If we don't, we can just stop at the store on the way home and pick it up."
I thought for a moment. "I think I'm up for some spaghetti," I decided finally. I liked spaghetti a lot, and it didn't seem all that labor intensive.
Jon let out a loud, booming laugh, and patted my head a few times. "Well Duo, it looks like you and I will get along just fine. I'm a spaghetti man too."
