Dear Reader,

I am so SOORRRRRRYYYYY!

There... I feel a little better now... Sorry this chapter is so late. School started and a million things were going on during the summer and things just piled up to catastrophic proportions... Love. Break-up. Unrequited love. Anime Iowa. Kingdom Hearts. School. Late nights studying. Oif... Long days.

This chapter was just too much fun to write. It starts with a cliché and ends with a bit of angst. I'm probably going to get smacked from a few people for this chappie, but oh well...

I do not own 'Gundam Wing'.

I don't own 'Charlotte's Web'.

I do not own 'The Music Man'.

I do not own 'The PowerPuff Girls: The Movie'.

Thanks to all of my friends and reviewers and stuff. I love you all and blow kisses in your general direction.

Stay safe
Stay healthy
Sincerely,

Starr

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Relena opened her closet door and gasped in dismay. Swallowing hard she took a deep breath and pulled out an outfit. Shaking her head she discarded it and pulled out another. And another. And another. This was terrible! Truly, utterly TERRIBLE! A knock on her bedroom door caused her to jump.

"Relena?" Duo called from the other side.

"Come in!" She answered. He stuck his head through the door, took one look at the pile of clothes on her bed and raised an eyebrow.

"Troubles?"

"Like you wouldn't believe! This is TERRIBLE!"

"Spelled T-double-E-double-R-double-R-double-I-double-B-double-L-double-E-E-E?"

"Yes! Terrible! With a capital T that rhymes with P that stands for I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!" Duo's second eyebrow shot up. Outside he looked like any normal guy not believing that the girl had nothing to wear. On the inside he was jumping up and down, pumping his fist in the air and howling with glee. Now THIS was the Relena he knew! YES! SHE HAS RETURNED! Praise God and glory ah-ley-LOO-yah!

"Well then." Duo said, pulling out his credit card, "I just got paid. Let's go lay siege to the mall and attack every clothing rack in sight!" Relena gaped at him.

"Really? You'd really treat me?" She asked.

"Pfft. Hell yeah. You deserve it. The dead has risen and all of that." He answered. Relena's eyes filled with happy tears.

"DUO!" She squealed before throwing herself into his arms, nearly strangling him in a bone cracking hug. Duo didn't hesitate to return it, but when he saw the picture of Heero on the dresser he felt guilty. What was he doing? What was he thinking? Relena loved Heero and always would. What was he doing pulling the moves on her? Thinking fast Duo pulled away and gave her one of his most charming grins.

"My terrorist skills are getting rusty anyway..."

"DUO!"

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Threats of raiding the mall terrorist style aside, it was one content former Shinigami that walked to the car, nearly weighted down by bags. In the end Relena had refused to use his money, claiming that she had more than enough to buy her own clothes. But it didn't really matter who had bought the things because Relena was smiling. It was a true real smile. One that made her face almost glow. And she didn't just walk anymore, she sashayed. Just like she used to. The depressed and lonely woman was gone for now. THIS was the Relena of four years ago. Confident in herself and in those around her. Duo had thoroughly enjoyed himself at the mall. Because of her hair cut and drastic change in appearance, nobody had really recognized Relena as the former Queen of the World. And Duo liked it that way. No dangers, hidden or open. Only a basic watchfulness. His instincts hadn't even peeped at him so he had been confident that no psychopaths were going to get them. Stowing the bags in the back of the car, Duo saw that they still had enough time before the movie.

"Say." He said.

"What?"

"How about we go get some ice-cream before the movie starts... This time, my treat."

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Duo didn't really remember much about the movie. It had been a classic, older than the hills, yet timeless in it's popularity. He had been too busy watching Relena. He never really too the time to really watch the play of expressions on her face before. Now he indulged himself in the dark theater. The way she laughed at the funny parts, gasped in suspense, growled and humphed at the villain who was acting like a male chauvinist asshole. He was almost disappointed when the movie ended. Relena chattered happily on the way back to the jeep.

"So what did you think of the movie Duo?" She asked. Duo smiled.

"Very entertaining." He said, not talking about the movie at all.

"Really?" she asked, "I didn't think you would really like a movie like this."

"What!" Duo cried in mock indignation, "I am insulted! Of course I liked this movie! Don't you know I would never miss an episode of the series?" She raised an eyebrow cynically.

"Really?" She asked. He nodded vigorously.

"Not wind, nor rain nor a thousand suicidal missions would keep me away!"

"Y'know Duo, it's kinda hard to see you in the cockpit of Deathscythe watching the PowerPuff Girls."

"I'm serious! That show kicks so much ass!" He said. Relena laughed. It was a beautiful sound to his ears. It was a real, true laugh. She stopped laughing when she realized that he was staring at her.

"What?" She asked, "Do I have something on my face?" He shook his head and smiled.

"Nope. You look perfect." He wasn't about to remind her that she was smiling. He knew for a fact that when people notice you acting out of the ordinary, they worried. It was annoying to have an emotion pointed out. It was one of the reasons why he and the other pilots hated psychiatrists. They thought they knew everything. Duo's smile became wry as he opened the car door and helped her in. As they drove home he suddenly remembered something.

"I have work tomorrow... I took a few days off to see how you're doing, but I really do need to head back."

"I never asked, Duo, where do you work?" Relena asked curiously. Duo hid a wince.

"I still work at the scrap yard with Hilde, if that's what you're asking. She doesn't need much help anymore so I do it for fun and because I get free lunch. Minimum wage at it's finest."

"Are you making enough?"

"Aw, yeah... I still get paid from the military so I'm in no need of anything... I only accept the minimum wage because Hilde is a stubborn little thing and won't accept anything less." He answered. Relena smiled.

"How is Hilde? I haven't seen her in awhile..." She let the sentence hang. She hadn't seen Hilde since Heero's funeral six months before. Duo swallowed back a sigh.

"She's doing really well."

"You two seem to be close." Relena fished. He shrugged.

"It's nothing. She's like a little sister to me. She's a good kid."

"That's good." They made small talk all the way back to her house, more quiet now since the housekeeper had already retired for the night. Duo walked Relena to her room.

"I had a really nice night, Duo." Relena said, "It went by really fast... I'm almost sad that it had to end so soon." Duo rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. But hey..'Time flies when you're having fun', and around me the fun never stops!" He grinned. Relena laughed.

"I realize that now..." She said, smiling up at him. Duo swallowed hard. Suddenly it felt as if his body weren't his own. It was just like he was during adolescence, since he couldn't really compare it to Junior High, never having gone there himself, all awkward and clumsy. Leaning forward he laid a gentle kiss on her mouth. Relena gasped, her eyes wide. She froze where she was, her heart thrumming in her chest. She didn't know what to do or how to react. She had always thought of Duo as a very dear friend. Obviously Duo thought of her as more. It was a snap shot thought through her head as she made her decision. Just as she was leaning into the kiss Duo pulled away. His eyes were wide and wild looking. His breath came fast as he stared at her, horrified by what he had done.

"I'm sorry." He stammered, stumbling back a step, then another, "I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry!" Spinning around he stumbled to his room

"Duo, wait!" Relena called, but his door was already closed with a decisive bang. Opening her own door Relena went inside, her mind a whirl of confusion. What had just happened? She stared into her reflection. The dead, hopeless look was gone. The sadness was still there and always would be, but it was a manageable grief now. Like a scar. It no longer had the power to kill her. It had healed somehow. Swallowing hard she touched her lips. Duo Maxwell, the so called 'Angel of Death', had kissed her. Picking up the picture of Heero she sat down on her bed and hugged it to her chest.

"I'm going to have to think about this..." She murmured.

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Duo slammed into his room. P.T. Opened his eyes and squeaked curiously from his spot on the bed.

"Dammit Maxwell!" Duo muttered fiercely to himself, "Why'd you have to blow it like that! She just lost the main man in her life, how could you push her like that? You just took advantage of a helpless woman. You should turn yourself in!" Slowly he slid down the door until hie was sitting on the floor. PT hopped off the bed and slithered into his lap. Duo stroked him absently, still deep in self-deprecating thought. He had just made a move on his dead best friend's girl. He had kissed Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, the so-called 'Queen of the World'. Tilting his head back he lightly banged it against the door.

"I'm gonna have to think about this..." He muttered.