::I don't own GW or any of the characters, etc... etc... blah blah blah....::

December 2000

Duo suddenly found himself standing out side an ancient cathedral in where he recognized being at

the center of the capital city in the Sank kingdom. Hundreds of people in various stages of mourning were

exiting and passing him by. Some would look at him with and odd expression, but the majority of them just

completely ignored him. To say he was completely confused was an understatement. He had no idea how he had

gotten there. He thought back... He and the other gundam pilots were at the safe house, and they had just

ordered pizza. He was lounging on the couch next to Heero, watching the tv. There was a re-run marathon of

some soapie from a whole other county, and he had found it's bad acting and totally over the top music

strangely hypnotic. ...Then he was standing on the steps around the side of the cathedral, almost hidden

behind one of the huge stone pillars. It was just too wired.

"There you are." Heero's voice shocked him out of his thoughts. "We were wondering where you had

gotten your self to. Especially after that little show you put on." Duo looked at Heero, who was looking

pretty pissed right now.

"What little show?" He asked quietly, still feeling overwhelmed.

"What little show?" Heero echoed even more angry than before. "The one saying that it was not

Relena's body in her casket. That little show. The one saying that she was a boy with black hair, and not

her, that one."

Duo blinked. "Huh?"

Heero gave his 'death glare' and obviously wanted to seriously hurt Duo, except for the pain that

filled the violet eyes.

"What's going on, Heero? I mean, one minute we're eating pizza, and then I'm standing here. And

then you're pissed at me? Not only that but I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this Relena

person anyway? She must have been really famous to have all these people come. But then, why don't I know

of her?"

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Duo. I don't know what kind of game you think you are playing, but I don't

find this amusing one bit. And the last time we had pizza was over a month ago."

Duo's eyes widened. "No, that's not right, it wasn't a month ago! It was only a few minutes ago!" He began looking

around. "Where are the others? Are they here? Ask them, they'll tell you!"

Heero studied Duo for a few moments, very grim. Then abruptly pulled him into an embrace.

"What are you doing?!" Duo yelped, squirming inside the steel arms, suddenly feeling very, very ill.

"Let me go!"

"It's alright, Duo. You're in denial, or something. Just take a deep breath and relax." Duo

refused to cooperate though. Finally Heero released him -looking oddly hurt- and Duo ran to the gutter and

began to vomit violently. Heero walked up to him and rubbed his back in what should have been a comforting

manner, but Duo shrank away from his touch and vomited some more. After a few moments, Duo took some gasping

breaths and said to Heero; "Please don't touch me. I feel like throwing up when you do."

Heero pulled his hand back like it had been burned, hurt clearly showing him his eyes. He turned

away. "Fine. I will see if I can find Quatre, if you would prefer his touch."

Duo flinched at the iciness of Heero's tone, but he had been telling the truth. When Heero had

touched him, he was struck with a nausia so strong is was painful. He didn't know why. When Heero left his

vacinity, the nausia was gone. He stood up and wiped his mouth, spitting a few times to get the acidy taste

from his mouth. Quatre came over to him, looking annoyed at first, then concerned as he saw the state that

Duo was in.

"Are you alright?" Quatre asked. Heero was standing further back behind him. Duo covered his mouth

with his hand, and shook his head, tears streamed from his eyes.

"No Quatre. I am not alright. I am very not alright. Can we go, please? I need to get out of here."

Quatre nodded, and helped him over to the limousine they had all arrived in. "Just wait in side, and I'll

go get the others, okay?"

Duo nodded tiredly, and Quatre was gone. Heero joined Duo in the car.

"What's going on." Heero demanded gently. "Do I disgust you so much that you must vomit when I touch

you?"

Duo shook his head. "NO! Of course you don't disgust me! It's just... it's just... i don't know.

If you touch me I feel so sick... I don't mean to, and I don't know why this is happening to me. Maybe I hit my head too hard

yesterday."

"Yesterday? When did you hit your head yesterday?"

"During the mission. When that mobile doll got a lucky shot in. You remember? Don't you?"

Heero's eyes were hard. "I know of no mission yesterday, since the war has been over for six

months."

Duo's eyes went even wider and all the blood drained from his face. "Oh my God. Oh my God, this

can't be happening." He shook his head and began rocking back and forth, murmuring denials.

/You're tired./ Came a voice in his head.

"I'm tired." He said.

/You think you will sleep now./

"I think I will sleep now." He immediately slumped to the side. Heero tried to

coax him awake, but Duo's eyes had gone glassy, and he did not respond to Heero's presence at all. Heero

got out of the car when Quatre, Trowa and Wufei made their approach.

"We need to take Duo to hospital. Now."

"What's going on now." Wufie grumbled, but then they saw Duo's form, and agreed. Quatre

called up his private family doctors while Trowa drove home as fast as they could.

Duo continued staring into nothing.

A figure watched the ex-pilots leave in their limousine, and smiled. The figure did not know how the Maxwell one had been able to see through the illusions, but the figure had fixed that. The figure waited until the limousine had turned around a corner before walking away, humming a happy tune.

to be continued...