A/N: Whoot! I managed to get this one typed in decent time! Lol, anyway, this is my second favorite among these after Falling, and it also takes place briefly before Falling-a few hours before the dinner scene Roda watches, so again, if you aren't up in the Chapter 40's or higher and don't want spoilers-don't read until you have! Anyway, I got the idea for this listening to One Ring Zero's song Here Come the Mannequins (which is incredibly difficult to find anything but a download link on) after finding them on Suburgatory. XD Anyway, thanks goes out to Chibi for Betaing, hope everyone enjoys it!

Mannequins

"Here come the mannequins,

Avert your eyes, avert your eyes

Tall and cruel and terrible,

No common ground, no common ground

For you, and me, they're an awful sight to see…"

-"Here Come the Mannequins" by One Ring Zero

Noir stared at himself in the mirror; part of him demanded to know just what the heck the guy inside was trying to pull, who that guy in the mirror was. Part of him wondered if the Letter Bee in the mirror would reach out and snatch him-pull him into the glass and trade places with him "again." Except that was absolutely ridiculous—

Because the Letter Bee in the mirror was him, even if he didn't really recognize himself. Even if he looked like someone else. Even if the memories he had regained from Lag's Letter Bullet screamed "You are Gauche Suede!" at him.

It was fascinating, as though a more eased and slightly younger mannequin stood on the opposite side of the glass, staring blankly back at him. It was a wonder what an old, single blue uniform, lots of chaotic heart trauma-induced sleep, and spending part of the day at home with "your " little sister could do for you. Gauche still ceased to exist, but with the memories Lag's Letter Bullet and coming "home" to be buffeted by the overflowing love that spilled out of Sylvette Suede in full force, he felt close enough to Gauche that, for once, Noir could almost imagine that the he-who-had-been-long-gone might have actually existed. Gauche had been a real person, and these children—Sylvette and Lag—loved him.

Which was why Noir was pulling this idiotic stunt now, standing before the mirror in the bathroom of Gauche's former place of residence, wearing Gauche's old uniform and thinking that his reflection was in all actuality a very skillfully crafted mannequin because there was no way that was him. He looked away from the mirror that held the mannequin that was his reflection to stare into the sink.

He was Noir the marauder, why the heck was he trying to play Gauche the Letter Bee?

Because you want to be him. The answer was incredibly simple, but no less surprising to him; he had spent so much time trying to convince everyone that Gauche no longer existed and yet why was he so willing to become him? As much as he wanted to, Noir couldn't be disgusted with himself, not now that he had some of Gauche's memories and knew now what Gauche had been fighting so adamantly to the point of losing his heart to protect. That made Gauche seem like a better person to him, in some strange way, but being with the people he had been fighting for and cared about by…

He was no longer entirely Noir, but if he was really Gauche Suede like his newly "regained memories" claimed, then who was Noir? Was Noir the mannequin here, operating in Gauche's stead, wearing Gauche's old uniform, comforting Gauche's little sister, rescuing Gauche's friend, and doing everything else for Gauche until Gauche himself finally woke up and came back into control? Was he actually real? Did Noir exist, or was he just a figment of his own imagination created to deal with whatever had happened to him in Akatsuki? When Gauche came back, would he just fade away, or would he be forced to watch everything from some dark corner of Gauche's mind, neglected, ignored, and forgotten?

I'd never do that to you… Noir froze, thinking he heard some part of his mind answer his wonderings. Had Gauche stirred from his sleep to answer? He waited a moment but no answer came—maybe he was imagining things?

A knock on the bathroom door startled him out of his thoughts. "Gauche…? Are you okay? Is part of the uniform missing? It shouldn't be, I haven't bothered it since you put it away…" Noir sighed, letting that faint smile that faint reflex smile he had repressed for so long spread across his face. Almost reverently, he lifted the matching hat from the edge of the counter and glanced up to the mirror, meeting the eyes of the mannequin that stood there.

Curse you, Gauche Suede, they're growing on me! He accused mentally as he opened the door to reveal Sylvette sitting in her wheelchair and waiting for him. He thought he heard a soft laugh in the back of his mind, but he said nothing to the phantom laugh he might or might not have been imagining, addressing Sylvette instead. "I'm fine and everything was there, I just… It feels very odd to be wearing this uniform again, and I… Everything just kind of sank in and I had to take a moment. It'll be okay, I promise, Sylvette. Now I have to go help Lag, but I'll bring him back in time for dinner, don't you worry." He let the smile grow a little before quickly pressing a kiss to the top of her head because she's so short, stuck in that wheelchair, and it's the easiest thing he can do. With that, he walks past his little sister and out the door to go save Lag Seeing.

If he was the mannequin meant only to take the place of Gauche Suede temporarily, he was going to make sure to do what he could with the time he had left. He would not let himself be forgotten.

Plenty would remember you, Noir. Lag and I could certainly never forget. The voice in back of his head protested and his smile faltered.

Shut up, I don't feel like being consoled by the voice in my head that may or may not exist. Thought the mannequin as he continued down the road.

His time playing as Gauche Suede would be over by the time the night ended.

~End~

A/N- Well that's it for now, hope you liked it, and if so, please review. It is very much appreciated. :)