Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. Don't bother suing me, you'll get nothing but lint.

A.N. - I meant to update sooner than this, but my life currently sucks. I won't go into details because I'm sure you don't want to hear me whine. As life gets better, I will be posting chapters with more regularity.

Last Chapter:

"What differentiates predator from prey?"

"Attitude. Prey either skulks around, trying to hide, or looks at everything curiously. The first one says that you know you aren't strong and are trying to avoid notice, the second says that you're either new to the streets, or visiting. Predators walk like they own the place." He would have said more, but they had arrived back at home. Heero went to fix the wall, and Quatre wandered off to think about everything Heero had told him.

Chapter 22:

Quatre found his feet had led him to the tiny garden out behind the pilot's house. They had a huge yard, but the majority of it had been reserved to train in. Thus, only a small corner had been left to plant flowers in. It looked like someone had been working on it though. It was set up in the traditional Asian style, with stone, running water, a few small trees, and a bridge. There was also a tiny bench. What flowers there were all were white and delicate looking.

Quatre decided it would be a good place for silent thought, and sat down on the bench, staring into the water contemplatively. The information he had gotten from Heero was whirling around in his head, and he needed time by himself to come to terms with all of it. He winced inwardly when he remembered the abuse Heero had gone through at the hands of his caretakers.

"I can't believe how much of a brat I was, to have thought I had it bad because I was made in a test tube. Meeting the Maguanac put some of it into perspective for me, but after hearing what the others went through as children, it makes me realize how lucky I was. Father may not have always had time for me, but at least I knew he cared. Heero was right about me pitying them, and it's something I should work on if I want them to ever feel like they can confide in me. I don't want to be pitied either, so I can understand how they feel."

He sat and let his thoughts drift for awhile longer. "Maybe I should take Heero's suggestion and go live on the streets for awhile. Who would I ask to go with me though? He's right that I shouldn't go alone. After having him explain to me what it's like, it would be stupid to ignore his advice. Maybe he'd go with me? Him or Duo would be best, since they've actually lived on the streets."

The feeling of a new presence in the garden brought him out of his daze. He looked up to find Wufei staring at him.

"Oh, hi Wufei. Is something the matter?"

"No. I was just not expecting to find anyone out here."

"Sorry. I just had to think over some things that Heero told me." A raised eyebrow from Wufei invited him to elaborate. "I took Trowa's suggestion to ask him for advice on a problem I've been having."

"Ah. I have also found Yuy's advice to be helpful. He is surprisingly insightful, for someone who acts the way he did during the wars."

"You're right. I asked him about understanding emotions, and he told me some very valuable things." Wufei nodded to show his understanding and then reached for the gardening tools he had brought with him. He turned first to one of the small trees, trimming off some browning ends.

"So you're the one who made the garden."

"Yes. I find gardening...soothing. It aids me when I have a troubled mind."

"Did you want me to leave?"

Wufei shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

Quatre watched him for a few moments in silence before blurting out, "what was your childhood like?"

The silence between them stretched and Quatre became uncomfortable, shifting slightly on his seat as he waited for the other pilot to either answer or yell at him. Finally Wufei sighed and gave a minuscule shrug before answering.

"I had a normal childhood for one of my clan. I began to train in martial arts as soon as I could walk. I also was taught to read and write at an early age. My parents were very proud of me because I excelled at both martial arts and scholarly pursuits. They did not show a lot of affection, for displaying emotionwas consideredunseemly, but I knew they both cared about me. When I began boarding school at age eight, I got frequent letters from them, and on special occasions they would visit and take me somewhere new as a treat. When they died in a car accident, the clan elders took responsibility for raising me. I was to be clan leader when I came of age, so they took good care of me and made sure I had the best of everything. The only problem they ever had was that I did not like to fight, and always had my nose stuck in a book."

"Your childhood sounds a lot like mine, except I learned to manage a business instead of martial arts. Why can you relate to the other pilots so much better than I can?"

"Ah, so this is what you asked Yuy about. I can understand them well because we were all raised as warriors. There is a different mind set required to be a warrior than there is to be a businessman. I was also taught about all the dirty things that go on in the underbelly of society, at least academically, while you chose to ignore them. Except of course, to make regular donations to charities for people like Duo, who despise charity. They see it as guilt money, paid so that all the rich businessmen who create people like him can feel guilt-free."

"You seem to have a similar outlook as him."

"For much the same reasons. My clan was a power in China until a rival clan managed to exile us to a broken-down colony in the L5 cluster. Duo's colony was a broken-down colony in the L2 cluster filled with the exiles of society. We both have reasons to feel bitter about the system that put us there and was prepared to discard us like pieces of trash."

"It looks like I have a long way to go in understanding the emotions of others. Thank you for sharing that with me, Wufei."

"You are welcome." He turned back to his gardening as Quatre stood up and walked away. Or at least he meant to go back to his gardening. He found himself instead staring blankly at his pruning shears with no memory of how long it had been since he started.

"Damn Treize. If he is trying to talk to me, then he could at least have the decency to do so instead of appearing and disappearing for no reason. What could he possibly have to say to me anyways? He's been dead for over a year now. Does he want to challenge me because I killed him? I hope that doesn't mean that everyone I killed will come here. I feel no guilt for their deaths. It was war, and I did what was necessary." He stood and paced angrily back and forth. For all his anger though, he was careful not to trample the flowers which he had planted in memory of Meiran.

"Meiran..." Just thinking of her brought a soft smile to Wufei's face. He had finally come to peace with her death after the Mariemeia fight, and though he still felt the pain of her loss, he no longer felt it was his fault she had died. He stopped pacing and turned to face the flowers he had planted to honour her, and nearly fainted in shock. There, kneeling beside the flowers, was Meiran. She was faint and insubstantial, but it was unmistakeably her.

"Meiran?" he whispered. She turned to him, smiling, and nodded. Her mouth moved as if she was speaking, but he was unable to hear the words.

"Why can't I hear you?"

Her mouth moved again, but he still couldn't hear. He was able to somewhat read her lips, well enough to partially understand.

"My ability isn't strong enough yet?" She nodded.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you again," she mouthed. "I never got to tell you that I accepted you as my husband."

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you."

"It wasn't your fault. I made my own choices. Thank you for honouring my memory and allowing me to fight alongside you."

"What do you mean?"

"When you renamed Shenlong Nataku, my spirit joined with your suit and I have been with you ever since."

"Thank you." She smiled and nodded again, before fading away. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he heard her voice saying, "I will be with you always," as she disappeared.

He stood silently for a long while before rubbing his eyes and realizing they were wet. He had been crying for her, in the way he could not when she had died. But for all that, he felt strangely peaceful.

"She acknowledged me as her husband," he thought to himself. The thought made him happy, and he bent back down to his gardening. "I should put a memorial tablet for her in this garden. Maybe one for Treize too. I should invite the others to join me, to commemorate their special dead as well.

"I guess Heero was right, and I really can see and speak with the dead. It seems they have to want to talk with me first though." The thought did not disturb him like it might have earlier however. "I have nothing to fear from the dead. They cannot hurt the living unless we allow them to." Once he finished his gardening, he packed up his tools and left.

A.N. - I hope that it doesn't seem like I hate Quatre in this fic. I don't, but I do feel he's a little like Relena, had she become a soldier. He means well, but he's a little out of touch with the harshness of reality. Once he grows up a bit, he'll be an excellent empath.

bellashade - I'm glad Heero got through to Quatre too. I wasn't sure he would when I started writing the chapter. And you don't honestly think I'm going to tell you what's going to happen? That would ruin it. You're welcome for the email.

Mystical-Maiden - I hope I'm giving the guys realistic backgrounds. All I have to work off of is Endless Waltz and Episode Zero, since they don't tell you any of it in the series. My favourite characters in this series are actually Trowa, Duo and Heero. Not that I don't like the other pilots as well. I'm glad you love this story. It's always nice to hear that about your writing.

Lord Aries Greymon - Thank you. I pulled the descriptions out of my ass, but I don't think they're too far off (hopefully). Oooh, a swamp. Sounds like fun.

Clarobell - Thank you, I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

Lady-Frisselle - I'm glad you like what I'm doing with Quatre. I had a discussion with a rabid Quatre fan recently, and she wasn't too happy about what I had to say about him. Duo is one of the candidates for the street visit, yes. I was thinking about Wufei having that kind of discussion, but he doesn't seem like he needs it as much. He doesn't look away from some of life's unpleasant details.

Darkinuyasha - Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately for me, that is how I think a lot of the time, so I left it where my thought ended. I will try to watch out for that in future.

The Chaotic Ones:

Chaos - The spoon quote is from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, I believe. Um, sorry about the lack of updates. Like I said, life sucks. I will do my best to get Relena away from you. It's about time she shows up again anyways.

Aaries - Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I don't think my parents would be very happy and we already have a dog, cat and iguana. If you want to draw me fanart, go ahead, but don't feel you have to or anything.

PR - Is this soon enough for an update? Please don't each chocolate covered coffee beans and attack me. If you maim me, I won't be able to write for a really long time.

Jef - I included Wufei in this chapter! And he will be popping up more as his ability continues to improve.

Angel - You can be the angel if you want, but unfortunately the angel is not scheduled to appear again, and I don't think you'd want to be a mere messenger angel anyways. And no stealing Wufei! If I'm going to use him in the story, he needs to be unexplainable-bruise-and-hickey-free. I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll fit in the story. You'd kinda stick out, what with being 7 feet tall and all.