Author's Note: In my high school days, fresh into wanting to learn how to write I experienced with fanfiction. That decision pulled me through a lot in life. I have since gone on to do many things (including still writing fanfiction.) However? The first category, the first show that touched my heart enough to make me lift a pen had received my first experience treatment. No one starts out perfect. Reading through my work, I can see more than just a flaw or two in many of them, especially given all the new data I never had before from Ground Zero about relations and characters.

While I could never replicate the innocent immaturity of my past, I can however, give this another chance. For the love of this show, I owe it.

Replotted and rewritten, I've taken the concept of 'And Then There Was Six' to a whole new level. While my first beginnings remain for posterity here, I have delved back into this world to write it anew with new villains, new endings and new characters fitting of the actual TV series. Not a single word or line is the same. Come with me on a new journey,

Melanie Ray

Revenge Of The Lost

(This is some time after BFOP, our main characters are 18-19ish and I've never read Frozen Teardrops sadly, so it doesn't factor into my fanfiction.)

"Duo?"

Duo wasn't shy about staring at the window of their old junkyard. The normally frolicking version of him wasn't anywhere in sight. It happened. While Duo was often a good buddy, when things struck him the wrong way, he had no problem taking someone down. At the moment, he was definitely being rubbed the wrong way. He knew Hilde Schbeiker, the one talking to him right now. He knew her well. They'd known each other for some time now, ever since the first War that placed The Great Destroyer Deathscythe off the map. He knew her hangouts and her friends. She never tried hiding anything from him. He was good at reading people, and Hilde was a good person.

He watched her rub her lip softly. She didn't really know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything," Duo said, realizing his anger might be looking like it was towards her. It wasn't, not at all. "I'm looking for any details, Hilde."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't? I mean, I haven't. I'm not." She was confused. "When I didn't get my period at first, I was scared. I didn't want to tell you about that kind of thing." She rubbed her arm, unsure of herself. "I was hoping maybe I just caught something and that's what held it up. After all, I mean, it's not like I . . ." She just stared into his eyes, with hope. Hoping he understood so she didn't have to say it.

"Got it." He did. "Well? Well, well, well." He tugged on his ponytail lightly as he took off his cap. It was time to unwind some, at least in appearance, for her. "The junkyard wasn't the greatest way to start, but I've seen much worse." He twirled his cap in his hand, trying to loosen her up. "We'll be fine." Yeah. "Everything will be just fine, no worries. Duo is on the job, I promise." He shoved his hat back on. "You just think up some names-"

"I don't know the dad's genes, space could be dangerous," Hilde said. "I don't know what to do. I don't even know how this is happening or why or . . ."

Or who, which was the biggest focus Duo was trying to keep his happy smile from landing on. "For now, let's just call it immaculate." Yeah. "Then when we do find out who the dad is, then we'll kill him." His expression didn't change as he said those words. Firm, compassionate, but truth. He would kill him. Whoever thought it would be a great idea to get his best friend pregnant behind his back, and hers, was going to pay. He believed Hilde, that she didn't know how or who. Probably a hospital. The thing about the war, was that while the world kept going, some people couldn't make that turn as easy.

As The God of Death, Duo took more than one life. He fought in a war, he took thousands of lives of thousands of men in mecha suits. He'd seen some people who wanted to be avenged come after him before. Sometimes to take his life, to take something he wanted, and even once to hurt Hilde. Just because she was his friend. Most likely, Hilde's problem had more to do with him, than herself. "I'll make some calls, we'll find a way to go to Earth, hang out 'til the new little guy or gal pops out and we'll come back home." Then the dad's genes wouldn't matter. She shook her head, but he wasn't giving her that edge. "I don't want to hear how I shouldn't be involved or anything like that."

"Duo. It isn't your fault. I mean? Maybe it was someone who didn't like you again." She had to admit it, there was no denying it was that.

"They did it to try and drive me away," Duo confronted her. "We both know it. You're a good girl, Hilde, and you've got no boyfriend hanging around lately. Straight up, you don't have to say anything. Why would I leave my partner on Earth to raise a baby while I live the good life up here in the Junkyard? Besides, it'd be boring just being me."

"I hate to ask it," Hilde said, coming around. "I'm responsible enough to know that I . . . I can't handle this on my own."

"I'll make some calls. We'll head down to Earth. Everything will be hunky dory, Duo promises so." He winked at her and snapped his finger. The best positive action he could send. "Start packing. I'll start calling. Oh, and send me anything on the stay at the hospital within the last few months."

Once she left to her room, Duo immediately reached for his phone. He dialed a familiar number and was reward with a friendly familiar voice. Too bad his voice wouldn't be half as friendly. "I've got a problem, Quatre. I need to send myself down to Earth, and I need to send someone else to Hell."

"Uh? Duo?" The timidness of his friend could be heard through the phone call. "What's wrong? Why do you need to leave to Earth?" When he finished explaining, even Quatre's timidness had almost been unrecognizable. "That's so wrong!" Simple yet powerful, that was Quatre. "I'll be sure to help you get to Earth. Let me call Trowa, he should know Earth the best. I'll get you some money too."

"Fine, I'm gonna need it." Duo wouldn't turn down the money. "When this is over and it's safe, we'll come back to our business again and I'll work on paying you back."

"You don't have to, but knowing you, I know you won't let the debt stand," Quatre said over the phone. "We'll work on something afterwards, okay? We better get you and your friend down to Earth before something serious happens. If you can't place the father's family, even being up there pregnant is risky."

"Yeah, in the meantime, I need to track that hospital and find out what happened," Duo said. "Any assist would be appreciated."

"I'm on it, Duo, I promise. I'm really sorry, Duo."

"Hey, don't apologize to me. It's Hilde that got stuck dealing with the consequences of the past." Duo hung up the phone. Someone hurt his friend. Whether artificially or not, it didn't matter. Maybe the dad was even a legit donor who wasn't even to blame. But someone had been. Someone hurt her. Someone gave her something that she wasn't ready for or asking for.

That someone would pay.

Earth, One Week Later

"Normally, I don't like to see Trowa interacting too much with . . . the past," Catherine admitted as she conversed with Hilde. "I couldn't let this slide by without helping though." She tried to put on a big, bright smile. "Trowa and I are more than happy to help you. We can't do much from here, the circus isn't like a hotel, but we can gather supplies and help how we can."

"Yeah." Hilde didn't say much to Catherine. She seemed like a nice friend to Duo's friend, but there really wasn't much at all she could do. Heck, she knew the only reason they were there is because Duo wanted to see Trowa. He wanted to get everyone involved, because he wanted to find whoever had put her in that predicament. In his mind, it made sense. Find the person responsible, make them pay, and no one else could hurt her again. Maybe so, maybe it was just one person who did it and nothing else would happen ever again. But? It just didn't feel right. It was one strange way to ever get revenge.

Hilde knew the risks she faced staying with Duo. Both of their pasts, they weren't pristine. Duo's though, his was like a hurricane compared to the wind she stirred. Still, she had put her life on the line more than once. She wasn't going to end a friendship just because someone had a beef against Duo and wanted to use her. She was trained to deal with whatever had come her way. In fact, she was even better than in the war. Once Duo realized that the past wasn't going to always give them a peaceful life, he willingly wanted to train her in some of the ways he'd been trained so that she'd be safe.

This wasn't done in a fight though. This was done over some surgery table, probably when she was getting her tonsils out that kept making her so sick. Done without her knowledge. By the doctor? By a member of staff? How? None of it comforted her, none of it. Yet, still. Duo didn't back down, he was helping and staying with her. She wasn't going to abandon him either. Even if the whole reason it happened was some petty revenge against Duo. It might even be against her. Either way? They'd get through it.

Staring at this girl in the frilly cute circus outfit really didn't help much though. Still, she'd be polite. Make eye contact. Smile. Then wait for Duo to come back.

Trowa's dressing room

"No cameras at all?" Trowa asked concerned from his own computer. He was still in costume for the next act, but at soon as Duo came, he had to see him. Quatre had contacted him earlier. They'd been trying to find some kind of footage of what happened. The day of a surgery that Duo's friend had would be the best day for something to happen. As higher up as Quatre may be in the colonies though, and no matter how good their hacking skills?

Someone had erased the entire surgery footage. The entire hospital's footage for that day was now gone. Someone knew Duo would look into it.

"What good is getting the drop on me if you don't leave yourself some prints for me to find you?" Duo complained. "Someone dumb enough to get away with this should be that ignorant." Duo sat down in the extra chair. "Quatre is trying to get footage from the colony itself since the hospital footage is gone. Anyone going in that day that has no appointment or no job."

Trowa glanced over to his friend. That posture. The words Duo said were positive but his position was one of defeat. He even had his head bent down so he could see nothing but his dark baseball cap. Being a former Gundam pilot, Trowa knew how he felt. The war was over, but the revenge and the consequences would continue with them for the rest of their lives. "Are you really staying with the woman on Earth and going back with her with the child? Back to the Junkyard?"

Duo lifted his head, looking out from beneath his cap. "I don't know who it is, but the last thing I'm going to give them? Is the impression they defeated me. I don't care if it grows up calling me Uncle Duo, I'm not leaving Hilde with my mess."

Trowa had to do it. He knew Duo was in a mood, but simple reasoning shouldn't be forgotten. "Are you sure it was revenge against you?"

"It could be revenge against her," Duo said, sinking his face away behind the cap again. "Me or her, it doesn't matter, it's not ruining our lives."

Trowa was quiet for just a little longer. Usually he was the more quiet one, but Duo wasn't giving up information or being half as communicative as he usually had been. He usually spoke over half the time. Now, if Trowa didn't question, move the conversation, he just sat there. It wasn't like with Quatre. This silence felt . . . strange. "Boyfriend?"

"I know her better than anyone, and she knows me better than anyone," Duo answered Trowa. "I know when Hilde has a boyfriend, and even when she hides it. She wasn't in a relationship, Trowa."

Trowa gave a slight nod.

"The doctor has a great reputation, all videos show nothing where he's been less than professional. I hate people who think they know everything, but he's legit. I even scoped him out myself, including his nurses." He crossed his arms. "There's a place I won't be invited back to anytime soon. Fine by me."

So general force was probably ruled out.

"Someone went in while she wasn't even conscious, and messed with her." Duo's voice was sharp. "They won't get away with it. I don't care if their own brother fell by my hand in the war."

They would fall by Duo's. The God of Death would strike. Trowa couldn't blame Duo. Dealing with revenge was never easy, but when someone used the ones you dared to care for in the plot? The whole justice and peace ideals sometimes moved away. "There should be peace in the colonies and on Earth. Even the Gundams are gone, Duo."

"Deathscythe died out in the sun, but it still lives on someplace else." Duo looked straight at Trowa. For a moment, Trowa swore he almost saw the vision of the Gundam Deathscythe in Duo's eyes.

Trowa looked back toward the computer. Whoever did it had enough power to keep their resources from being discovered. "Losing one more life after the countless you took won't help."

"Oh yeah?" Duo pulled himself up. "Nice sisterly friend you got, Trowa. What if while you were practicing one day, she walked in and gave you the same news? I know revenge against one does nothing." He stood up. "It doesn't change how much you personally want it."

Catherine. Suddenly becoming pregnant at her age? In the Circus. "I assume I would be angry," Trowa agreed. "If it was revenge though, I would have to remember that. That somehow, during the war, I struck someone first. They were getting what they felt they had the right to get."

"No one had the right to do that!" Duo lashed out. "Yeah, I know. I know." He looked out from his dressing room tent and into the stars above. "Whether I take someone's life away or not, it doesn't make me feel better or solve the situation. Its pointless bloodshed and we've been through it all. Patched up what we could. Revenge shouldn't even be gracing my lips." He looked back toward Trowa. "It's fresh, this wound, and it doesn't heal. They made it a living wound for her." He straightened up. "And if they are sick enough to go after my friend for revenge in this way, instead of facing me head on, then how do I know this is far enough for them?"

Trowa made no motion. He understood. Not only the fresh feeling of the torn wound they ripped open inside of Duo. They also tore into the fear that without finding them, they might do something more to Hilde. "Your weakness and your strength is the same. Did you teach her how to fight better?"

"Plenty," Duo said, still staring outside. "There's no way any doctor is working on her without me present in the room anymore. With her fighting skills, and my presence as back up, this'll be the end of it." He seemed to take a longer breath. "The God of Death really wants to lose it, Trowa. If this person who does this to her, messes with her again? There's no peace contract or law on any colony or Earth that'll stop me."

There. Duo was getting better again. "If we find them, they will face the justice system."

"Fine, but if they hurt her again?" Duo started to walk off. "They will face my justice system."

Trowa watched one of the few people he could consider a friend, walk off.

"The anger he feels in not doing anything," Quatre said as he approached Trowa's dressing room tent. "The betrayal. It must have felt so . . . different. Enough to set his ideals back to the war." Quatre looked toward Trowa. "I knew he'd be okay, even he knew killing would solve nothing." Quatre looked back outward. "Still, Trowa. It's worrying. Why would anyone choose revenge in that way? It doesn't feel right."

"That is what worries him," Trowa said. It didn't make sense. Not really. Even coming after his friend to kill her would make more sense than getting her pregnant. It felt like a frustration move, but too much planning must have gone into it to be simply frustration. It felt like there was something more to it.

Hilde looked over Catherine's shoulder while she listened politely, until she saw Duo coming back into their tent. "Duo."

"Hey there, Hilde." He strolled over. "So we are going to be shacking up in a decent hotel tonight, if that isn't a problem? Won't be forever, though, promise. Not living on the road, just needed to talk to Trowa." He looked toward Catherine. "Hi there again."

"A hotel is fine by me," she agreed.

"Great. You want room service or to go pick up a pizza?" Duo asked.

"Pizza." Definitely. Some normality back in their lives. She'd always wanted to visit Earth, but wow. She could feel how different it all had been. The situation. The people. All she wanted to do was find a place to hunker down and have a good old-fashioned pizza.

"Awesome." Duo held his hand out toward Catherine. "Later."

Hilde waved politely too but moved right behind Duo. A pizza. "We should get some soda, and maybe watch something too." That'd hit the spot.

"Now that sounds like a plan I can get behind, Hild."

Trowa came into the room with Quatre right before they disappeared.

"What do you think?" Quatre asked Trowa. "We should keep people in the loop, but this is probably an isolated problem. Then again?"

"We don't know the plan," Trowa said.

"It's their individual lives and we aren't at war," Quatre said. "What are the chances this was someone that was brilliant but not all there? That just happened to see a good opportunity to make Hilde Schbeiker pay for her role? Or for being friends with Duo?" Quatre backed out of the tent. "I don't know. This isn't how someone takes revenge. This isn't foul play with someone accidentally getting caught. Duo harassed everyone on duty and the doctor, even stalking them. I barely got them to calm down enough to not take action. He came to stay with me after that until we got to Earth." He looked back toward Trowa. "I didn't sense anything wrong from any of them. Whatever happened, it was deliberate." He sighed. "I'm almost a hundred percent certain someone artificially inseminated her before her surgery."

Trowa looked toward him.

"Latest technology, still in research, but one time is all it will take with it," Quatre pointed out to Trowa. "I looked into everything for Duo. It would take someone brilliant enough to have access to that advancement. There was no one on the staff with those credentials."

Which didn't make sense. Trowa nodded. "Telling someone takes two seconds."

"Two seconds to inform allies. Two seconds to ruin their privacy." Quatre was torn in the decision. He didn't want people harassing Duo or his friend anymore than necessary. They were trying to move on, get used to whatever happened, and keep going. "What do you think, Trowa?"

"I think we should ask Duo," Trowa answered. "Did you inform Heero and Wufei?"

"In the beginning. Any help piecing this together was appreciated," Quatre said. "Neither could do much. Both were just as confused. Wufei says it's probably someone with a vendetta to hurt Duo, but doesn't want to take a life." It made a little sense. This certainly was hurting Duo and no life had been taken. "Heero said something similar. A soldier that didn't want to kill, but couldn't stop thinking of revenge." He shrugged. "I don't know. Anyone's theories are just that at this point." Only guesses. Only theories.

Nothing personally helped Duo or his friend.

"I can't imagine it's easy," Quatre said, staring out into the stars. It was something lovely about Earth, all the beautiful stars. "Knowing your past mistakes made something like this happen to your best friend?" He looked back toward Trowa. "I would not want to be in his shoes."

Zhang Colony

Mei-Lin Wang held her ground. She was adorned in a ceremonial robe for the occasion. While she looked beautiful and gentle, she was a woman who was not fond of the position she had been placed in. For honor, she accepted it. Accepted it as her destiny, she could not go against custom. However, something had happened in that custom, and her future husband would not hear her out. She had sent news and letters, trying to tell him she needed to contact him. Li Zhang though was not fond of the clan marriage anymore than her. He wished nothing to do with her until the last minute.

As she walked toward him, he said nothing. That was fine, she would talk. "You refused to look at any of my letters."

"I've no need to hear of my wife's letters," he answered. "You'll soon be telling me things face to face."

"Then hear this 'face to face'. I am not your wife yet," she reminded him. "I have been mistreated without my knowledge. I assume it was during my surgery. As my future husband, you should look into it." She shuffled. "Also, there was a dead body found at my house this morning. Once again, I asked for your counsel about it." However, he would do nothing. Nothing of either one. She already knew all she needed to know about him. If it wasn't for her integrity, she would go through with the marriage and say nothing. However, the body would sooner or later be discovered. Why risk dishonor for something out of her hands?

"Mistreated how?" Concern in his voice? "What do you mean a body?"

"I have never taken with any man, yet I am pregnant. The doctor has confirmed it."

"The body, Mei-Lin? What about the body?"

"It's still in my room."