Another Chance    part1  by Lilinpo

Quatre looked front and back cautiously.

“Nope. Not a thing.”

Quatre heard Gundam 02’s pilot exhale loudly.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place? Did you check the coordinates clearly?”

“Duo, I am sure. Keep your eyes open.  This could be a trap.”

“A trap? I don’t think OZ pilots are that smart. Hey, when are the others coming anyway?”

“Our plan was to meet here at 5. We estimated that at least 15 OZ  mobile suits will be here and we were supposed to take care of them….”

“Yep, we took care of them alright. There’s no one here! Besides, the others will be here in 10 minutes. Let’s chill.”

“Duo, we have to be alert for any sign of..”

“MOBILE SUITS!! QUATRE, BEHIND YOU!!!!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How is he?”

Heero looked up from his monitor and shook his head.

“I see.”

Wufei took one short glance at the pale body sleeping on the bed, and left the room. It’s been 2 weeks since they found the lifeless body of Quatre being cradled by screaming Duo.

“You can’t die, Quatre. There was no one here!! Where are you going?! Don’t leave~!! Come back, Quatre~!!!”

Heero closed his eyes. He’s been having nightmares ever since, whether he was sleeping or not.

“Sleeping? I can’t tell if I really slept in the past two weeks….”

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door and Trowa came in. He had a tray with a small bowl, full of water, and a dry towel. He looked at Heero and Heero nodded. Trowa walked up to the bed and slowly sat down beside the ghostly figure. He then soaked the towel  in the bowl and squeezed it to get some extra liquid out. He started to wipe the boy’s face and went down to his neck.  Heero kept watching, quietly. He was a little shocked when he saw the flames of hatred burning in Trowa’s eyes when he finally realized Quatre was gone. He knew it was towards OZ, but just in case… For now, he couldn’t leave Trowa and Duo together without someone watching…

Trowa, sensing Heero’s suspicious glare, sighed and placed the towel on Duo’s forehead.

“I just want some answers, Heero.… Believe me..”

“I like to believe you..”

They stared at each other for a long time, both questioning one another.

Then they both broke off when they heard a sorrowful moan.

“..oww…..uu…”

Heero ran up to the bed.

“Duo? Can you hear me? Talk to me.”

Duo tried to open his eyes, but it was too bright for him. So he lifted his hand instead. Heero held it tight. Duo opened his mouth.

“…you.s….Duo?”

“What? I can’t hear you.”

Heero lowered his ear to Duo’s mouth.

“…Di..d you..s..ay, ..Duo?”

Heero was taken aback and looked at Trowa.

“Yes. He said Duo. That’s your name. Do you remember? …Anything?”

Duo’s eyes were somewhat opened now and he recognized the two figures before him.

“…He..ero.. Tro.wa…”

The two boys sighed. They were relieved, but not for long.

“…...Wh..ere’s.. Duo?…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 “-So… that’s not Duo?”

Wufei pointed at the sleeping figure.

“He said he is Quatre.”

Heero stated, short and simple. He and Trowa sat quietly on the chairs beside the bed. Wufei cleared his throat.

“Do you think… he went nuts?”

Wufei almost laughed when he saw the two quiet figures shrug their shoulders at the same time, but he held it. Now wasn’t the time.

They all looked at Duo when he suddenly sat up. He started to rub his eyes.

“….Duo?”

Heero called, but didn’t move.

Duo stopped rubbing his eyes and stared blankly at the hard stares.

“Trowa!!”

He suddenly leaped off the bed and went for Trowa, who caught him just in time before hitting the ground. Duo looked up at Trowa’s face.

“Trowa…is this a dream? I…I thought I was ….dead..”

Tears started to fall from Duo’s crystal eyes. Trowa looked at the others. They were as lost as he was. He looked down at Duo.

“Duo, You are not Quatre.”

He lifted Duo up and took him in front of a large mirror on top of the drawer.

“See? You are Duo Maxwell.”

Duo looked in the mirror and froze. He stared at the mirror for what seemed like an hour and closed his eyes.

“…Now..I remember…”

“Good.”

Trowa grabbed Duo’s shoulders.

“Now tell me what happened that day….”

“Trowa!”

Heero yelled and started to advance to Trowa, but Duo stepped in between them.

“NO! ..It’s okay. I can explain.”

They all stopped and looked at Duo who looked dead. His skin was so pale and his hair was everywhere, wrapping around his robe. He looked...inhuman.

“We’re listening.”

Wufei said, sitting on a open chair. Duo walked slowly to the bed and sat on the edge of it. He wrapped his arms around his body and smiled.

“…Duo… why did you do it?..”

The three confused pilots were now confused as ever. Trowa got irritated and kneeled in front of Duo and grabbed his shoulders again.

“Duo, stop it. Quatre died! Tell us what happened!”

Duo looked at Trowa, still smiling. He chuckled.

“Chigauyo, Trowa. I am here.”

Trowa’s hands slid down from Duo’s shoulders.

“…..Were those Quatre’s eyes I just saw?”

“I will tell you everything,” Duo cupped Trowa’s face, “please believe me…”

Trowa saw Quatre again, smiling pleadingly at him. He was definitely going to believe…..

“Tell me everything.” 

                                                                                           End Part 1

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            I wasn’t planning to make this story into a series, but as I kept writing, I noticed this could be a long one shot fic. And it’s almost 4am right now and I am awfully tired.. So I said “what the heck” and ended it right here. Gee, I am so organized.

              One little vocab.

              Chigauyo = no/ that’s not true

                                                                              Now, I am off to bed. G’night!

                                                                                                                                                Lilinpo