Author's Notes: This chapter is a little short, and rushed. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to get some of the mushy stuff out of the way, so we can get to the action. Besides, I think one or two dates is enough for one story. At least for this one. You'll understand stand what I mean as you get to the next chapter. The next chapter should be longer. I promise - or hope anyway.
Chapter Five: Second Changes:
As the next few days passed, Lynn never heard a word from Duo. While she busied herself with work, she couldn't help but glance at the phone. She wondered why he hadn't called. Lynn was starting to worry about him. She had no idea why he had dashed off like that. Quatre and Trowa watched her from the sidelines, and Trowa not at all happy.
"I told you not to mingle Quatre." he warned. "Now, Lynn is upset, and God only knows where Duo is."
"I really thought..."
"I told you it was too early." Trowa sighed.
"What should I do now?" asked Quatre. "How do we fix this?"
"We don't fix anything." Trowa told him. "We're staying out of it, as we should have in the first place."
Quatre didn't know if know if he could do that. He felt guilty enough. He would try to sneak away, but Trowa always caught him. It looked like all he could for his friends was hope they would find their way back together.
Meanwhile, Duo had closed the bookstore, and closed himself away in his room, surrounding himself with Hilde's things, and pictures. He cried over and over again, telling her how sorry he was. The one thing he swore he never would do, he almost did. He almost forgot about her.
Lynn couldn't take this anymore, if he wasn't going to call her, then she would call him. She pulled his number out of her purse, and dialed his number. Rings was all she heard. She didn't give up. She wouldn't until he picked up.
Duo didn't have to guess who was on the other line of the phone. It was Lynn. He didn't know if he could face her. He acted like a jerk. Duo remembered a time when he was careless with women, didn't care how he acted. Then he met Hilde, and all that changed. He learned to love, show affection, and to teach them with respect. Duo wasn't about to go back that place again. On the last ring, he picked up the phone.
"Duo...?"
"Lynn..."
"Thank goodness it's you." Lynn replied. "You have us worried sick over here."
"Us?"
"Q, and Trowa know what happened, I just figured since they've known you longer, they would know you freaked out like you did."
"What did they tell you?" asked Duo.
"They said wait and ask you." Lynn answered.
"Look, I'm really sorry about the other night... Do you think you can meet me here at the shop?" he asked. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure. I'll be right over." and with that, she hung up.
Duo took a breath. He was going to tell her about Hilde. He just hoped he was doing the right thing.
"What's going on? Where's the fire?" Quatre asked.
"It's nothing." answered Lynn and before he could get another word out, she slammed the door in his face.
Lynn hated to be rude to Quatre but he had to learn to stay out of people's business every once in awhile. She made a mental note to apologize to him later. Until then, she dashed to Hilde's. She made it there in record timing.
"Duo!" she called out.
"Hey..."
Lynn watched as Duo stepped out from behind a bookshelf. "Follow me."
Lynn followed him up the loft. He had a nice little place. All though, it seemed a too big for just once person. "Do you want some soda or something?" he offered.
"No thanks. You said you wanted to talk." replied Lynn.
Duo showed her to the living room, and the two sat on the sofa. "I want to show you something." he told her, taking out his wallet. He then removed a picture, and handed it to her.
Lynn took it and glanced over it. In the picture, she saw a young woman. She was very beautiful. She was short, with short blue hair, and a pretty smile. "Aww, she's cute. Who is she?"
"My wife."
Lynn couldn't deny that those words stung a little. Wife! Her mind was screaming. Now, she was really going to kill Quatre. What on earth was he thinking, pairing her up with a married man. Well, she thought that would explain the female helmet.
Duo could see the sadness in her eyes as he told her that piece of information. He would change her expression on her face with more pieces to the puzzle. "She's not here anymore."
"Why? What happened?"
Duo didn't give her every single detail. Hilde had died, trying to save him in battle, and that information would leak out the fact that he was once a Gundam pilot. So, he kept it simple. Yet as he told her what happened, all the sadness he felt was in his voice: "She died a year ago."
Lynn's heart ached for her friend. He didn't have to tell her anymore. She didn't want to pry, and cause him even more sadness. "I'm so sorry..." Was all that Lynn could say. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
Duo wiped the tears that were starting to form in his eyes. "I thought I could handle this... I just... I can't let go of her."
"Duo," she replied softly, helping wiping the tears from his face. "Who says you have to?" Lynn asked him. "You should never forget the one you love."
Duo gave her a smile. She had said: "Love," While Quatre had said: "Loved." By the sound of her voice, he could tell that she understood. "And I'm really sorry on how treated you the other night."
"It's all right, stop beating yourself up." Lynn replied. "Besides, it's not like that's never happen to me before. At least you had an actual reason why..."
"Still, I've should have known better..." said Duo. "Do you still want to be my friend?"
"Of course." Lynn assured him, handing him back his picture. "We can take this as slow as you want. What's the rush?"
Besides, Hilde, Lynn wasn't like any other girl he had met. Duo gathered his courage, and asked Lynn out again. Their second date had ended much more successfully then their first. Not only did Lynn get her change to hit him with a roll again, and she didn't miss this time, but the two ended their evening with a passionate kiss, and it wouldn't be their last one.
It seemed that the two got their second chance after all.
TBC...