A/N: Oops… I forgot to update again. I can't tell you how thankful I am for those of you who have put up with me for the past months! I offer my most sincere apologies for the terribly slow updateand—once again—feel free to throw any hard and/or sharp objects at me!
The Test SubjectTrowa Barton gingerly sipped his cup of tea, still watching Quatre of the corner of his visible eye. Not that he was particularly worried about his friend's wellbeing; it's just that he was more… curious about the Arabian's current status.
Relena and Hilde stood side by side, staring at the blonde. No, he wasn't bouncing off the walls from all the caffeine he drank; Quatre Raberba Winner was more dignified than that. Instead he sat on the sofa, his back straight, and his folded hands trembling in his bouncing lap. Every once in a while he would blink, but even then, his blinking was faster than a bolt of lightning. Yes indeed, caffeine definitely surged through Quatre's system.
Quatre was well aware of the stares that focused on him. Oh, yes. That was why he stayed perfectly still—well, besides the twitching. It was all about self-control. Too many times in his life he had lost his precious self-control and acted on unstable impulses. He would not let it happen again. Caffeine or no caffeine.
The ringing of the doorbell echoed through the Winner Manor. Quatre shot up to his feet.
"I'll get it!" he yelled desperately. Any excuse will do to release all the pent up excess energy.
No one countered Quatre's declaration. They just watched him walk briskly across the room and out of sight.
After taking a deep breath and composing himself, Quatre opened the door.
A tall Asian man stood before him. Slick black hair cascaded down the man's shoulders ending below his shoulder blades. His white clothes appeared tight and too small for him, but his dark narrow eyes erased any humor in the matter.
Do I know you? The question boomed in Quatre's mind, but he thought it was too rude of a question to address openly to a 'stranger'.
A "May I help you?" is what Quatre settled for.
The man arched an eyebrow. "It's me," he replied.
That voice… "Wufei!" Quatre jumped up suddenly. Blasted caffeine.
The so-called 'stranger' nodded and stepped over the threshold. His eyes revealed that was uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"Wha… Wha…" Quatre stumbled over his words. "What happened!" he finally screeched.
Wufei sighed. Or rather it started out as a sigh and ended in a growl. "Fifteen years happened."
A wave of gasps and outbursts erupted from the room. Wufei was being circled as if he was a totem pole.
"I went Dr. J's laboratory," Wufei began his tale, ending the circling. "Heclaimed that he fixed the machine, but needed a test subject. So, he volunteered me." Wufei crossed his arms and continued. "Obviously, the repairs he made proved to be successful. Dr. J will use this same technique to give Yuy and Maxwell's fifteen years back."
For a while, no one spoke. A silence drifted between them as they absorbed Wufei's information.
"So, Heero and Duo can go back to normal now?" Relena broke the silence, a hint of sadness in her voice. Heero is such a cute baby!
Wufei's tone was more of relief. "Yes."
"Great!" Hilde exclaimed. "Then we'll bring take them to Dr. J first thing in the morning!"
"In the morning?" Wufei shifted his weight. "Why not now?"
Hilde stared at him as if he grew a second head. "They're asleep right now. We can't just wake them; they're completely exhausted!"
Relena nodded with great enthusiasm. "Yes, that's right. They should be alert when it comes time to change back."
Trowa and Quatre (still slightly twitching) tossed their heads back and forth watching the dispute from the sidelines.
The obvious expressions on the women's faces told Wufei that their decision was final, written in blood. "First thing in the morning…" he conceded and stalked up the stairs for a night's rest. No reason for him not to be alert for tomorrow either. After all, it was a big day for him too. Wufei was not use to his aged form and would be glad to hand over the extra years to have that complete control again.
Strangely enough though, as Wufei strode down the hallway toward one of the many guest rooms, he could've sworn he heard the rustling of blankets in Heero and Duo's room…
A/N: Alright, I know this chapter wasn't very long, but at least I updated! does a happy dance I'm notone hundred percentsure, but I think the next chapter will probably be the last. So, as much as I don't deserve it, drops to knees please REVIEW!