Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. Any modifications to cannon details or facts are on purpose.

Going Away- Wufei

"So, here's where you've been hiding."

The Chinese boy scowled at the interruption and looked up from his book. "What do you want, Meiran?"

The girl glared back at him. "Now, Wufei, is that any way to talk to your wife?" She said in mock sweetness. He detected more than a hint of disgust in her voice.

Change Wufei frowned. "You're not my wife yet, woman," he reminded her. And thank goodness for that, he added silently to himself.

"Oh, right, how could I forget!" She sat down on the grass next to him, too close for his liking. He pushed her pigtail from his face. "You haven't proven yourself worthy of being my husband yet!"
"Is there something you want?" he demanded, trying to keep the anger he felt from showing. If he did, he would be doing exactly what she wanted.

Meiran matched with a scowl of her own. If anyone saw them, they would've believed that these two could possibly be engaged, but they were. Not that either of them wanted it. It was a tradition. One Wufei thought they could do without. From his scholarly point of view, getting married at fourteen years old was old fashioned for a number of reasons. For one thing, they weren't even allowed to choose their future spouse. As he'd learned in the brief time he'd spent in the outside world, that tradition had ended long ago. But, to the Long or Dragon clan, it still existed and it was up to Wufei to continue the traditions and take over as head of the clan one day. Meiran, granddaughter of Long Zi-Ling, the present clan head, bit her tongue for the same reason, as long as anyone else was around. She let her disgust be known to Wufei in private.

"I can't believe they chose you," she complained. "You're just an annoying little book worm. A know it all, a show off. You're not worthy of being my husband; I know it already. I'm the strongest in the clan. I am Nataku."

Wufei snorted. "Nataku? Please. A weak name for a weak woman."
Meiran was enraged. "Me? Weak? I think not. You should be one to talk. You don't even fight. You're weak. Four eyes," she muttered rather childishly. Wufei ignored her and went back to his book. "Are you listening to me?" She knocked his glasses off.

Wufei stood up. "Fight? What do I have to fight for?"

"Justice!" she proclaimed. "I fight for justice." In her anger, she threw a punch at him. It was sloppy and he dodged it easily, then knocked her swiftly to the ground.

"Do you think attacking an unwilling opponent is honorable, Meiran?" he asked his fiancé. "There's no such thing as justice in this world, as you will soon learn."

"Then why do you stay? Go back to your boarding school friends. No one wants you here anymore," she cried.

"I only do what tradition demands I do." He picked up his book and glasses and left her in the dirt.

"Don't you walk away from me," she called to him. He didn't respond. Meiran shrank down, holding back tears of shame.

* * * * * *

Master O looked up from the two mobile suits he was currently working on. One was almost completely white, with a red Mohawk, similar to that of Ancient Roman soldiers' helmets. It was the Prototype Leo, the first mobile suit, commonly known as the Tallgeese. The other was much more colorfully and interestingly decorated. It was, though he didn't want to brag some of his best work. It included a beam glaive and a Dragon Fang with a flame-thrower, handy in close combat and from a distance.

"Wufei, what a surprise! Come to visit Shenlong? Perfect timing. I just finished. Here are the controls." He handed Wufei the small remote.

Wufei scanned the Gundam that would be his, if he were worthy. "I still don't see the point in this," he grumbled.

Master O chucked. "Trouble in paradise?" When Wufei made no reply, he continued, "Yeah, Meiran's a handful all right. But I thought you two were friends?"

Wufei shrugged. "Perhaps we were, but that was a long time ago." He offered no further explanation and Master O didn't ask him. When Wufei wanted to talk, he would whenever and to whomever he chose. It was his way, and Master O knew better than to get on his case.

"Shame," he commented, but didn't say more. "Good luck, though."

The boy nodded grimly, wiping the dirt from his glasses. "Yeah, I'll need it with her, Nataku," he snorted. "I'll show her, there's no such thing as justice."

Master O rolled his eyes. "Like telling a dog not to bark. A piece of advice, Wufei. Don't start with her. If there's one thing I know about marriage, though I never have been myself, just say "Yes dear," and "Whatever you say, dear. "Got it?"

"Even if she asks if she looks fat?" Wufei inquired.

Master O grinned. "There are exceptions to every rule. Particularly when it comes to women."

Wufei sighed. "No kidding. Weaklings! The world would be better off without them."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Master O reasoned. "Like the saying goes, 'Can't live with them, can't live without them'. Shame you're getting married. There are a lot of intelligent women out there, less quarrelsome than Meiran that can really show their worth. I'm sure there's even someone for you. You ever date in that boarding school of yours?" Wufei made a face. "I guess not. Well, maybe you'll meet someone who'll change your tune. And, if not, well, Meiran will change your mind eventually. Or die trying."

Wufei coughed and pulled his hair back into a ponytail, tying it with a rubber band. "Yeah, right," he said. "Never going to happen." Wufei would soon learn to bite his tongue. For as they always say, "Never say 'Never'".