Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. Gundam Wing belongs to its respective owners. I only own my OC and the idea for this one shot. (Although any bit of the story that is part of the Gundam Wing anime I don't own I just threw my OC in the scene)
Author's Note: Don't really have anything to so. So I hope you enjoy the story and are prepared for a bunch of flashbacks. Also all thoughts will be in italics. Please enjoy the story.
In the year After Colony 195 it was currently the twenty second of December; fifteen year old ex-rebel soldier Mei Thompson was sitting on top of her mechanic shop on a colony in the L4 area. She knew there were battles happening out in space right now, but she honestly didn't really care. Yoko knew the Gundam Pilots would somehow end the war; although she didn't know how they would do it. As she was looking across the colony city she began to reminisce about the past.
In the rebel group Mei use to be a soldier for she was one of the engineers who were in charge of the up keep for the mobile suits that the men used. He father was an engineer as well and even taught her how to fix vehicles knowing that if the war ever came to an end she would need a skill she could fall back on and being a mechanic was perfect.
As she was looking out at the city Mei took a drink from her water bottle, "Looks like I get to use those skills a lot sooner than you expected, Father."
She then remembered the first actual job she had on Earth although she mainly worked for food. There was a traveling circus that Mei became the mechanic for when she was thirteen. During those two years Mei became friends with a girl named Catherine Bloom; in fact Mei would go as far to call Cathy her best friend.
That's when her thoughts went to a certain boy that she loved with all her heart. His name was Trowa Barton; although Mei had a feeling that it wasn't his real name, but she didn't question him ever. She could also tell that Trowa was a soldier like she used to be. When Trowa came to the circus to start working for them Mei was able to tell just by the look in his eyes that he was no ordinary person and she began to talk to him. At first he didn't really talk to her and just listened, but over the days he began to open up a little reveling that he was on a secret mission and not to tell anyone. A certain memory came back to Mei as she thought of Trowa; it was when he brought back another teenager who was severely hurt. Mei had heard about the Gundam Pilot who self destructed and she figured this teenager was the pilot.
*Flashback*
Mei was currently fixing one of the trucks as she heard footsteps walking over to her. Thinking it was the manager she answered how she normally would, "Let me finish fixing the truck then I'll help set up for the show tonight."
"I'm not the manager, Mei."
Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice, lifting her head out of the hood Mei looked over at the teenager, "Trowa…"
"I need your help, Mei. Since you're the only one who knows that I'm actually a solider I need help getting another soldier. Cathy can bandage him up; so do you mind helping me carry him?"
Grabbing her rag from her back pocket Mei wiped her hands off, "I don't mind; lead the way Trowa."
Trowa led Mei to where he kept the truck that held his Gundam. She was the only person he let see his Gundam of his own choice, "You'll need to open the hand that he's in as I grab him."
Mei nodded, "Alright, I heard about the coup d'état. How badly was the pilot injured?"
Looking at the black haired teenager Trowa simply stated, "He'll be lucky to survive. He's lost a lot of blood."
"That bad, huh."
The two then arrived at the truck and Trowa climbed onto the back of it and opened the cockpit, "Okay, Mei you can get into my Gundam now."
Mei climbed onto the truck as well and got into Heavyarms, "You ready, Trowa?"
"Yeah, open up Heavyarms' hand."
Moving the controls Mei opened up the hand to Heavyarms allowing Trowa to grab the teen, "Are we clear, Trowa?"
"Yeah, I've got him, Mei. You can get out now."
Climbing out of Heavyarms Mei closed the cockpit before jumping off the truck, "Hand him down, I'll be able to hold him long enough for you to jump down."
Trowa walked over to the edge and handed the teen down to Mei before jumping off the truck, "I'll take him so you can put the tarp over my Gundam."
Mei nodded, "Alright, I'll meet you back at the circus. Get Cathy to bandage him up."
"Right," Trowa then carried the pilot back to the camper Cathy used.
Climbing back onto the truck Mei grabbed the tarp and covered up Trowa's Gundam. She then tightened the straps that held the tarp down so the wind couldn't blow it away. After she was done she jumped off of the truck and started to walk back to the circus. A few minutes later Mei arrived back at the circus and she walked over to Cathy's camper. Before Mei made it to Cathy's camper she heard a voice stopped her.
"Mei, have you finished fixing that truck yet?"
Looking over her shoulder Mei saw the manager, "No, not yet. I was helping Trowa with something."
"Well, I need you to finish fixing that truck. We can't have it breaking down on us all the time."
"Yes sir." Mei had to keep her voice from showing her annoyance. She then walked back over to the truck she was fixing and continued to work on it.
"Don't take what the manager says seriously. I know that you are a great mechanic, Mei."
Mei was glad that Trowa could not see her face right now since she was blushing from the complement, "Yeah, I know and it's never the same truck that I fix every time." She then looked at Trowa, "Thank you, Trowa."
"Thank me, what for?"
"For helping me keep a level head. Don't forget that I'm an excellent mechanic. Hearing someone say that a vehicle I repaired myself is always breaking down makes me doubt myself. So when you said that I'm a great mechanic, it reminds me of what I can fix that only you know of."
"Well, if that's the case than you're welcome. Don't ever forget that either, no one knows how great of a mechanic you really are." He then started to walk away, "Never forget what you can do and believe in yourself, Mei."
Mei watched Trowa walk away as she smiled before going back to work on the truck.
*One month later*
It had been a month since Trowa returned with the other Gundam pilot and Mei was currently fixing a truck just outside Cathy's camper. She had a radio on so she could listen to the news, but she wasn't really paying attention to it. As Mei was fixing the truck she was thinking to herself, "It's strange, ever since the coup d'état Trowa hasn't left on any missions for a month. Not that I'm complaining, but I know that he won't stay here forever. He'll eventually get another mission."
What Mei did not know was that Trowa was leaning up against Cathy's camper as he watched her work on the engine of the truck. He had learned that he was doing that more often in the month he had been at the circus. Trowa wasn't sure why, but he honestly didn't care. He then heard the news talking about the events from last month so he decided to listen in on them.
"After staging a coup d'état to overthrow the United Earth Sphere Alliance, OZ continues to create one disaster after another in its quest to demolish the Alliance. Since the Alliance has a presence in every nation the number of casualties is expected to rise."
Trowa continued to listen to the news report until he heard Cathy call his name. He took one last look at Mei before walking into the camper.
Mei had heard Cathy call Trowa's name since she was close enough to hear them and she looked over at Cathy's camper and saw Trowa walk inside, "I guess Cathy needed his help with something." She turned off the radio before returning to fixing the truck, "Once I finish fixing this truck I'll check the others and make sure none of them will break down. At least it will keep the manager off my ass about the trucks breaking down."
A few moments later Mei heard someone laugh. She stopped what she was doing and looked over in the direction of the person laughing. When she saw that it was Trowa she smiled, "That's the first time I have heard Trowa laugh that loud. Normally his laughs are a lot more quite." She then went back to fixing the truck.
About twenty minutes later Mei heard footsteps walk over to her direction. During that time she had already made adjustments to three trucks and was working on the fourth one, "Mei, Cathy made some soup if you want any."
Knowing who the voice belonged to Mei didn't bother looking up, "I'll come get some once I'm done making adjustments on this truck."
"You remember the teenager you helped me with," Trowa stated.
"Yeah, I remember." She then looked at Trowa, "How's he doing?"
"He's woken up; I told him everything he missed in the last month while he was unconscious."
"That's good; I'm guessing you mainly told him what OZ has been up too."
Trowa simply nodded.
Mei went back to fixing the truck, "I see, during any shows that come up I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks, although you don't have to do that."
"I saw how badly he was hurt, he may not like it, but I plan on helping him." Mei stated confidently.
"Very well." He then started to walk away, "I'll let Cathy know how long you are going to be."
"Alright, let her know I'll be there in about seven minutes."
*Time skip to sunset*
Mei was sitting on the box Trowa and Cathy were leaning against as she listened to what the manager had to say. She thought it was unusually that he had told her to sit in on this meeting since she usually never sat in on the meetings that dealt with the shows. On the other end of the box she was sitting on were two of the women who worked for the circus.
"Hey! Everyone gather around! Our next performance is confirmed! Hold on to your hats! We got a request from an OZ base!
Tilting her head to the side slightly Mei thought to herself after the manager said that, "Why would OZ request us to perform for them?"
The manager continued, "And to celebrate I wanna try something new. Something special and exciting the OZ soldiers might enjoy."
"Could you leave this new performance up to me?"
Mei looked down when she heard Trowa's voice and she saw him cross his arms again, "What are you planning, Trowa?"
"Have you got some ideas?"
"Yeah and I think it'll be a big hit with the soldiers." Trowa stated.
"Wow!" Mei saw Cathy place her hands on Trowa's left shoulder before the older teen continued to talk, "Trowa's usually so quite, so it must be a good idea."
That's when Mei looked over at the manager to see his reaction to Trowa's request. She noticed the man had his hand over his chin and could tell that he was actually pondering it. The manager suddenly pointed at Trowa, "Right! You handle this, Trowa!"
Mei looked up at the sky as she waited to hear the footsteps of everyone walk away. She knew that she probably wouldn't get the chance to talk with Trowa before the performers headed out, but she also knew that she would have to stay behind to keep an eye on the pilot. Once she head that everyone had left she jumped off of the box and walked to the truck that the injured Gundam pilot was in and waited for Trowa to show up there.
A few minutes later she heard footsteps walk up to the camper, "I'll drive the truck to where I left my Gundam." Trowa stated.
Nodding Mei walked into the camper and closed the door as she walked over to the chair. She heard the truck start up and felt it start moving.
"Who are you?"
Mei looked over at the Gundam pilot, "I'm a mechanic. Whenever a truck breaks down, I'm the one who fixes it."
"So you work for the circus?" The brown haired teen inquired.
"Yes, for the time being."
"I wasn't expecting anyone else to know that I'm here."
"I was the one who helped Trowa bring you here." Mei then noticed that the teenage was studying her.
"How much do you know?" The pilot asked.
"I'm an ex-rebel soldier. The only person in the circus who knows that is Trowa."
"Why tell me?"
Mei laughed slightly, "I noticed that you were studying me. Trying to figure out at what point I helped Trowa bring you here. You're also wondering how much I know about Trowa."
"You have excellent observation skills."
The ravenette slightly smiled, "My name's Mei; I'll be keeping an eye on you while Trowa is performing."
"My name is Heero."
Mei was about to say something else, but she felt the truck stop, "I'll let you talk to Trowa for a moment." She then stepped off of the camper and waited outside.
Trowa walked out of the driver's seat, "Are you sure that you don't mind staying here?"
"No, I don't mind." She then walked over to the truck Trowa had his Gundam on, "Let me know when you're done talking with him."
"Very well, just leave the tarp on." He then walked into the camper.
Mei jumped onto the truck, "Yeah, I know."
About ten minutes later Trowa walked out of the camper and walked over to the truck, "Alright, Mei. I need to meet up with the others and get ready for the show. I left the keys with him."
Jumping off the truck Mei walked over to Trowa, "Alright, I'll see you later." She then walked back over to the camper before she stopped and looked at Trowa. Realizing that he had started walking away Mei watched him get into the truck and watch it leave. After she was no longer able to see the truck she climbed into the camper.
Heero looked at Mei, "You were about to say something else before the truck stopped. What were you going to say?"
Mei looked over at Heero, "It was nothing important, but I do have a question."
"What is it?"
"What do you think Trowa is planning?" Mei inquired.
"I wouldn't know; he's someone that's hard to read. All I told him was that there was nothing wrong with acting on his emotions." Heero stated.
Mei looked out the little window by the door, "Huh, that's actually a good philosophy to live by."
"I was taught to act on my emotions."
"My father taught me how to fix mobile suits and vehicles." Mei commented.
Heero looked at Mei surprised, "You can fix a mobile suit?"
She looked over at Heero, "Yeah I can. Back when I was a rebel solider that's what I did since I was a kid. My father wanted me to fix the suits instead of fighting in them."
"Why did he teach you to fix vehicles?"
"Well, this war isn't going to last forever and I need a job one day. Knowing how to fix a mobile suit isn't going to help me." Mei then looked back out the window, "My dream is to open up my own mechanic shop one day."
Heero smiled slightly, "That's a good skill to have; it was smart of your father to teach you about cars."
*Flashback ends*
Mei smiled as she thought of the memory, "That was one of the happiest months of my life; although you probably don't feel the same way that I do about you, Trowa." She thought of the day when the circus performed for the OZ base, "I still can't believe that you actually attacked the base." Mei then laughed, "What am I saying; it was the perfect opportunity for you to attack. No one saw it coming that's for sure. I don't know exactly what happened that day, but I do remember when you and Heero left."
*Flashback*
The day after Trowa attacked the OZ base Mei was standing on the side of the truck as she looked inside. She was just listening to Cathy talk to Heero. She knew that she wouldn't see Trowa for a while so she decided to take this moment. Even if it was just listening to Cathy talking; she honestly didn't mind because she had a few more moments to stand near Trowa. She also knew that Heavyarms was back underneath the tarp that was on the back of the truck.
"You're the one that brainwashed Trowa with your strange ideas! You won't get off so easy next time!" Cathy then jumped off of the truck.
"Trowa, I'll see you around." Mei
Trowa looked at Mei and simply nodded.
Mei smiled before jumping off the truck as well as she thought to herself, "Even though I don't know when that will be. It doesn't matter though, I know that you are a strong soldier and won't die that easily." She then watched the truck drive away before walking over to Cathy and the manager.
"Sorry to see him leave. He really was pretty good. He could've been the best in the business."
Cathy looked at the manager, "What are you saying?"
The manager and Mei looked at Cathy confused, but they waited for Cathy to continue her sentence.
"You've gotta let kids go if you want them to grow up. We raised Trowa in this circus; he'll come back one day! He'll come back for sure."
Mei then looked back down the road, "Yeah, you're right, Cathy. He'll come back when he's ready."
*Flashback ends*
"You actually didn't come back for awhile, by the time you did we had already went back to the colonies. I'm not even sure how many months had passed." She then took another drink from her water bottle, "Although after you came back it was the most difficult time I ever had to deal with."
*Flashback*
Despite the rain Mei knew she had to get one of the trucks fixed since they couldn't get it started and since Mei never knew when they would change locations she had decided to fix it now. As she was fixing the truck Mei thought to herself, "I've lost track of the number of months that it has been since I last saw Trowa. Although I doubt anyone actually counts the number of days that they last saw the person they love." Suddenly Mei heard footsteps and the sound of the rain hitting an umbrella; knowing that Cathy had gone to get some groceries Mei didn't bother looking at her, "Yeah, I know. I should have waited until the morning to fix the truck."
"That's true, but look who I found." Cathy stated.
Mei stopped fixing the truck as she turned around to see Trowa, "T-Trowa?"
Trowa looked at Mei, but he didn't say anything.
Unable to say anything herself, Mei turned around and started to fix the truck again, "Something happened to him. I don't know what it could have been, but his eyes look completely different."
Cathy knew about Mei's feelings towards Trowa so she decided to give the black haired teen some space, "I'll take him inside so he can dry off. Try not to take so long, we don't need our only mechanic getting sick."
"Yeah I know." Mei then listened to Cathy and Trowa walk away, "Will I actually be able to stay here knowing that Trowa may never be the same? He didn't even recognize me; it must be amnesia."
*Flashback ends*
"After that day I started to look for someone who could help me start up my mechanic shop although it was taking some time to find someone who would help me." Mei than closed her eyes as she remembered one of the shows after Trowa came back.
*Flashback*
Mei was currently helping everyone pack up since this was the last show. She never questioned any decisions that the manager made since she wasn't a performer and was just the mechanic. That was when she heard the manager giving orders to the others.
"Get a move on! We're leaving here tomorrow!"
"Manager! You saw how happy we made the people of this colony! Why make this the last show?"
Mei stopped when she heard Cathy's voice and looked over at Cathy and the manager, "She does have a point. The people here loved the show; it makes better sense to stay for a bit longer. What's your reasoning for us suddenly leaving, Manager?"
The manager looked at Cathy, "They say that a Gundam showed up not far from here."
"A Gundam?!" Cathy asked in surprise.
That's when Mei heard another person walk over to where they were. She looked over and saw that it was Trowa and she quickly looked away, "Why does it have to hurt so much to look at the one I love?" Mei decided to still listen to the conversation since she was curious what Trowa was going to say.
"Hey, Sis..."
"Wha-What's the matter, Trowa?" Cathy inquired.
"Um... where am I suppose to put this?"
Mei looked over at Cathy and Trowa to see what he was talking about, but she focused on Cathy. That's when she saw that Trowa was holding something, "Cathy's circus outfit?"
"Oh, that?" Cathy put her hand on Trowa's back, "Don't worry. I'll put it away later."
Trowa looked at Cathy, "But..."
Cathy raised her right index finger up as she smiled, "You should do what your sister says, Trowa." She then winked, "Okay?" That's when Cathy held her left hand out to take the outfit.
The brown haired teen handed it to Cathy as he nodded, "Sure, whatever." He then walked away.
"As long as he's around we could get in trouble any time. We have no choice but to move on." The manager explained.
Mei quickly looked over at the manager, "Damn, I forgot that he was here."
"You're right. I pity him having amnesia. But Trowa's better off this way." Cathy stated.
That's when Mei went back to taking the box she was holding out to the truck, "I hate that he has amnesia. I liked how things were before, we had an understanding and I was able to actually look at him despite how much I love him. It's so much different now since he has amnesia because I love him so much. Seeing him not knowing who we are hurts so much." That's when she remembered hearing about a company within the colonies that owned many different sub companies, "What was the name of that company again? I think it was called the Winner Corporation; if so I'll need to figure out how to contact the owner. From what I heard the previous owner died a few months ago and now his son will take over the company once he returns."
*Flashback ends*
Mei continued to look out of the colony city as she took another drink from her water bottle, "Cathy told you she was your sister and that I was her friend. It hurt hearing her say that since you and I were friends as well, but I knew that it had to be said since you have amnesia, Trowa." She then laughed, "I find myself talking to you a lot even though I know that you can't hear me." As Mei was sitting on the edge of the roof she then remembered when the Gundam Pilot named Duo found Trowa at the circus, "Now there was an interesting person; I never could understand how Duo always seemed so cheerful especially if he had just as much of a terrible past as we did."
*Flashback*
Sitting on the blue box with a star on it Mei took a drink from her bottle of water as she thought to herself, "At least I was able to watch the show tonight. Thankfully none of the trucks broke down." She already knew that Trowa had come backstage to get a drink of coffee after his performance and Cathy was leaning up against the wall. Mei smiled as she thought back to simpler times when the three of them would relax after a show like this.
Cathy decided to break the silence as she looked over at Trowa, "Great show!"
Trowa looked over at the older teen, "Was that good enough?"
"You bet! The crowd sure loved you," Cathy smiled.
"That's good..."
Just then Mei noticed the curtain opened to Cathy's left causing the three of them to look at who was entering the back. It was not one of the performers, but a teenager with a long braid, "Trowa! It IS you, Trowa!" The brown haired teen rushed over to Trowa.
Cathy stretched out her right arm, "Stop!"
The braided teen put his hands on Trowa's shoulders and started to shake Trowa as he asked multiple questions, "So you were here! Where are the others?!"
Mei noticed the terrified look in Trowa's eyes, "What the hell is up with this guy?"
"How's Heero?! Isn't he with you?"
Trowa looked away from the teen by looking to his left over at Mei. That's when Mei put the lid on her water bottle and stood up as she thought to herself, "Before this guy leaves I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, although I better let Cathy handle this situation. As much as it hurts... she's the only one who can calm Trowa down right now."
She noticed the teen get a surprised look on his face when Trowa looked away, "Trowa..." The male said sadly.
Cathy rushed over to Trowa's side and slightly pushed the braided teen away from Trowa, "Get out!" She then wrapped her arms around Trowa as she slightly glared at the teen, "You must be an old friend from his past, but Trowa's not going to be doing any more fighting!"
The braided teen took a step forward, "Trowa! What's gotten into you?!"
"Get out!" Cathy then fully hugged Trowa as her glare softened, "Just leave us!"
Trowa was shaking as he closed his eyes and looked down.
"Trowa..."
Mei looked over at the teen, "It's time you leave."
The teen looked over at her, "I've been looking for him."
Walking over to him Mei grabbed his wrist, "Only circus employees are allowed backstage. I'll be escorting you out." She then walked outside dragging the teen with her. That's when she noticed a girl run over to her and the teen, "I take it he's a friend of yours?"
The girl stopped as she looked at Mei, "Yeah, he is."
Mei tossed the teen towards the girl, "Make sure he doesn't come back to the circus."
The braided teen looked at Mei as he was able to easily catch his balance, "What's your problem?"
Slightly glaring Mei looked at him, "Asking Trowa all those questions could really confuse him right now."
They both looked surprised to hear that she knew him. The braided teen grabbed her shoulders, "You know Trowa?"
Mei pushed Duo's arms away from her, "Yeah I know him and right now to him I'm just a friend to the girl, who told you to leave, in his eyes."
Duo rubbed his finger under his nose, "Well, a friend of Trowa's is a friend of mine. My name is Duo and she's Hilde."
Running a hand through her hair Mei looked at Hilde, "Is he always this way?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Hilde stated with a hint of annoyance.
Sighing Mei turned away, "Just don't come back to the circus. I won't let you off so easy next time." She then started to walk away.
"Hey, don't just walk away without telling us your name!" Duo yelled.
Stopping for a moment Mei looked over her shoulder, "It's Mei." She then walked back into the tent.
"Thanks for your help, Mei."
Looking to her right Mei saw Cathy and smiled, "No problem, I was going to do something sooner, but I didn't want to deal with any consequences from the manager."
Cathy laughed, "What were you going to do?"
Mei smirked, "You know exactly what I would have done."
"Yeah, defiantly don't need you to punch anyone."
"I can't help it that my father taught me how to defend myself as well."
*Flashback ends*
"That was the cover story I used to explain to Cathy why I was able to fight. It's not really a lie since I was taught hand to hand combat, but it wasn't by my father. It was by one of the soldiers who were a part the rebel soldier group." Mei than sighed, "You were the only person I told the truth to, Trowa." She then thought of the time that Quatre came to look for Trowa, "Now, Quatre was actually polite. Thankfully I managed to find him before he left and I was able to open my mechanic shop thanks to him."
*Flashback*
Mei was fixing one of the trucks that they used when they had to pack up and move locations. They didn't have as many as they use to so it didn't take her as long to fix them. That's when she heard Cathy yell, "Who is Cathy yelling at?" She grabbed the rag from her back pocket and wiped her hands off as she jogged over to the area where she knew Trowa was at before as well. She didn't want to walk over there right away so she watched the exchange between Cathy and a blonde hair teenage from a safe distance. She was still able to hear them, but they couldn't see her, "I know him; what was his name again?"
"I can't bear to see him suffer any more than he has. He's lost his memories of the past. Because they're too painful. He doesn't want to remember!" Cathy yelled.
The black haired teen looked over at Cathy slightly surprised, "Is that true? Or are you just telling that to him?"
The blonde hair teen looked down slightly, "It's my fault. I'm sorry. Trowa sacrificed himself to correct a mistake that I made. I know apologizing won't fix things. But I am sorry." He closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he kept his head down slightly.
"If that's really how you feel, then leave him. Trowa's a lot happier now, being here at the circus." Cathy then ran back into the tent.
The teen kept his head down a little bit longer before he looked up at the tent, "I'm sorry, Trowa." He then left.
Mei followed the teen since she wanted to talk to him. Once they were out of sight of the circus Mei walked up to him, "Sorry about, Cathy. She can be protective of Trowa."
The teen stopped and looked at her, "No, it's fine. It's my fault that Trowa ended up that way."
"You can't blame yourself for something that was possibly out of your control."
"You talk like you know what happened." The blonde haired teen stated.
"I don't, but I didn't always work for the circus."
"What did you do before you joined the circus?" He inquired.
"Well, I still did the same stuff that I do in the circus. The setting was just different." Mei explained.
"Oh, you're not a circus performer?"
"Nope, I'm a mechanic. I'm working at the circus until I can save up enough money to open my own shop." She then sighed. "Although that won't happen for many more years since right now I work for a place to sleep and food."
The blonde haired teen then smiled, "Well, if you're looking towards opening your own mechanic shop maybe I can help."
Mei looked at him, "Oh yeah? How would you do that?"
"Well, I may not look it, but I am the owner of the Winner Cooperation. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner."
"I thought I knew who you were. I've heard about you and your family's company."
Quatre then smiled, "Well, how about it? Would you like to form a partnership with my company to open up your mechanic shop?"
Mei smiled in return, "Yes please. It's my dream to open up my own mechanic shop one day." She then stuck her right hand out, "My name is Mei Thompson."
"Very well, my company will locate a shop for you in the L4 area and contact you once the shop is ready." He then shook Mei's hand.
"Okay, I'll be sure to head over to the L4 Colony area as soon as I can. Thank you, Quatre."
"You're welcome, Mei."
"Well, I better get back to work." She then jogged back to the circus.
Later that evening Mei was sitting backstage in the tent. She was currently watching Cathy and Trowa getting ready for their performance to start, "I'm still having a hard time believing that I get to open my shop so much sooner than I expected." That's when Mei heard the curtain opened, but she was way too happy to care about who it was, "Guess I can half listen to the person."
"Catherine! Trowa! We've got a great crowd today. Give it your best!"
Cathy turned slightly to look at the manager, "Count on it! We'll give them a performance they'll never forget!" She then looked to her left, "Right, Trowa?"
Since Mei was sitting on Cathy's right she wasn't able to see Trowa's face, but she didn't hear him reply to Cathy's question, "What's wrong with Trowa?"
"Trowa..." Cathy stated sadly.
Mei looked over her shoulder to watch the manager leave. That's when she looked at Cathy, "Hey, I have something to tell you?"
Cathy looked at Mei, "What is it?"
Rubbing the back of her head Mei wasn't really sure how to start this, "Well, I found a company that will help me open up my mechanic shop. They are going to be my businesses partner."
"That's wonderful, Mei. Who did you get to help you and when will it open?" Cathy then hugged the black haired teen.
"I'm getting help from the Winner Cooperation. The new owner said that he would find me a shop. He said that the company would call me once he got my shop ready to go. From the sounds of it he's going to have it opened before the end of the year."
Cathy pulled back and looked at Mei, "I see... so that means if we move location you will have to stay here."
"Yeah, but once I figure out which colony my shop will be on I'll be sure to let you know."
"Do you know about where it will be located?" Cathy inquired.
"In the L4 Colony area, but that's all I know." Mei then looked at Cathy and saw a sad look in Cathy's eyes, "Damn it, I should have told you after the show."
"It's fine, I'm proud of you, Mei. My dream is to be a circus performer while your dream is to open up your own mechanic shop. Don't let me stop you from achieving your dream."
That's when Mei remembered what Heero said, "I know I should have talked with the manager before I made the deal, but I was just acting on my emotions."
"Why does that sound familiar?" Trowa stated.
Mei and Cathy looked over at Trowa before Mei spoke, "Someone told me that I should live that way. I thought it was a good philosophy to live on."
Cathy giggled, "Ever since Mei heard that phrase she has been living by it. Maybe you've heard her say it before when she didn't know you were around."
Trowa looked back at his mask, "Maybe you're right; that's probably how I've heard it."
Mei stood up, "Well, I better let you two get ready for the show." She then walked through the curtain and walked outside for a moment, "I can't let him know who told me that, not yet anyway." That's when Mei felt the colony shake, "What the hell?!" She then ran back inside the tent.
"Help get the audience out! Some of you take care of the animals!
The other performers started to take action in following the manager's orders, "Right!"
Because the fight outside was causing the colony to shake one of the lights started to fall. It was about to land on Trowa, but Cathy ran towards him, "Trowa!" She then pushed him out of the way just in time before the light could hit either one of them.
Mei stayed in the tent as she wanted to make sure Cathy and Trowa were okay. She watched Cathy help him set up and she also noticed that Trowa had his arms wrapped around himself, "At least they're okay. Cathy's been reacting much faster recently than I've expected."
Cathy looked at him, "Are you okay, Trowa?"
Trowa was shaking, "I'm cold...and I'm scared... Something's coming..."
"There, there. It's alright. I'm by your side."
He looked up at her, "Sis..."
"Trowa..."
That's when Mei heard someone running towards them, "Who would be running towards us?"
"Trowa!" A familiar voice yelled.
Mei and Cathy looked in the direction of the voice. The black haired teen was surprised when she saw who it was, "Quatre?!"
"It's dangerous! Hurry to shelter!"
"What's going on?! Cathy asked.
"It's a battle! Mobile suits are exchanging fire near the colony." Quatre explained.
Mei notice Trowa slightly move his head to look at Quatre more. If her observation skills were as good as they were she knew that she wouldn't have noticed it, "Trowa..." She noticed that Cathy wrapped Trowa in a protective hug.
"But why?! We're just trying to live here in peace! How many people have to be sacrificed before this ends?! I'm tired of losing people who're important to me. I can't take it anymore!"
After hearing that Mei's eyes widened and she felt guilty for accepting the partnership from Quatre, "I didn't know she felt that way. I know she told me to achieve my dream, but can I really do that knowing this?" Mei then noticed tears in Cathy's eyes as she turned to slightly rest her chin on Trowa's head as she let the tears fall.
Trowa sat up and looked at Cathy as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "Don't cry, Sis." He then wiped her tears as he smiled at her, "I promise to protect you."
"Trowa..." Cathy said as she held back her tears.
"I don't want to lose anyone else either." The three of them looked at Quatre and let him continue, "You saved my soul, Trowa. Now it's my turn to save people. That's why the Gundams were built in the first place." He then turned around and ran out of the tent.
Mei decided to let Trowa and Cathy have a few moments alone so she stood up and ran out of the tent as well, "I think Trowa will rejoin the battle. I'll at least talk to him once more before he leaves." She then ran to the tree line know that Trowa would walk by her.
About ten minutes later Mei heard footsteps walking towards her. She knew of one person who would have been walking, "So you really are going back to battle."
Trowa stopped and looked at her, "Yeah, but how did you know what I was going to do?"
Looking at him Mei smiled, "Because I'm not just Cathy's friend. I'm yours as well and I can tell that you are acting on your emotions."
Walking over to Mei he stopped once he was in front of her. He took a moment to study her eyes, "You feel guilty because you are going to be opening up your mechanic shop soon and Sis got to you."
Mei's eyes widened, "How did you know?"
Trowa smiled, "I'm not sure, but it feels like I can easily read you and I know that you act tough and keep a wall up." He then placed his hand on her cheek, "Just remember that the only way to live a good life is to act on your emotions. The same person who told me that most likely told you as well since you know the words too."
"Yeah, it was the same person. Just be sure you come back alive."
"Don't worry I will and once you do open up your shop be sure to tell Sis where you're located and I'll come visit some time." Trowa stated.
Mei smiled, "Count on it."
Trowa then walked away.
Putting her hands in her pockets Mei watched Trowa walked away like she use to. Once he was out of sight Mei walked back to the circus since she wasn't sure on where she could stay until she got the call from the Winner Cooperation. Since she was walking with her eyes closed Mei didn't know anyone was still around the circus area until she heard a familiar voice.
"Mei, where have you been? You just missed Trowa leaving."
Opening her eyes Mei looked at Cathy, "Actually, I just got done talking to him. I know that he's gone to rejoin the battle."
Cathy looked at Mei surprised, "How did you know he was leaving?"
"I could tell by the tone of his voice back there; when he promised he would protect you." Mei explained.
"You know your observations skills are a little intimidating at times."
Mei laughed slightly, "I think that's the first time anyone has said that to me. I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."
"So what do you plan to do? Are you still going to wait for the Winner Cooperation to open up your mechanic shop?"
"Yeah, I am." Mei then turned slightly so she could look at the colony wall, "It is my dream after all and I've been given the opportunity to grasp it."
Cathy sighed, "That's good. I was afraid that you wouldn't go after what I told that boy."
Mei looked back at Cathy, "I wasn't going to until Trowa reminded me of what Heero told us both."
"Was that the name of the boy who just left?"
"No, his name is Quatre. Heero was the teenager that we took care of back on Earth during that month after the coup d'état."
Cathy put her finger on her chin as she thought back to their time on Earth, "Oh, I remember him now. So he must have been the one who told both you and Trowa to act on your emotions."
"Well, he said that it was the way he was taught to live." Mei than walked over to her, "Thank you, Cathy."
"You're welcome, Mei. I know that opening up the shop is your dream. You better promise me that you will contact me the moment you open up."
Mei smiled, "It's a promise."
*Flashback ends*
Taking the final drink out of her water bottle Mei looked up, "I still haven't told Cathy that I was an ex-rebel soldier. I know how she acted knowing that you were a Gundam Pilot. I can't imagine how she would react knowing that I use to be a rebel soldier." Mei then laughed slightly, "True, I wasn't an official soldier and was an engineer. It's just easier to say that I was an ex-rebel soldier. Not to mention the leader of the group I was in gave me the rank of Private, so I technically was a soldier." At that time Mei heard the voice of one of her workers.
"Boss, we've got a customer!"
Looking down at him Mei nodded, "Alright, I'll be right down." Standing up Mei walked over to the ladder she used to climb up there. Before she climbed down she looked up to the wall of the colony one last time, "Hurry up and win the war, I'm rooting for you Gundam Pilots to win. Become the wild card that surprises both the White Fang and OZ." She then climbed down the ladder and walked into the shop.