Life In A Song

Part 2 – Let Me Fall

-It's black!-

-Why so black? Why so dark?-

-Oh, there's some light. Not much, but there.-

-There's voices. They're so quiet. What are they saying? I can't hear…-

"Master Quatre, are you alright?" The older man asked the small blonde who was sitting and reading through some papers in a sea of paperwork.

"Hm, yes." Quatre replied, looking up and smiling his radiant smile, at bit of sadness cast in his pale blue eyes. "Why do you ask, Rashid?"

"You look a bit on the sad side of late."

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm just…" He paused, tapping his pen on his desk in thought. "Just thoughtful lately is all, and a bit tired."

"Anything I can help with on the first part, Master Quatre?" Rashid asked, watching the small boy shake his head faintly. "Alright, try to get some rest, okay? I'm going to go on home."

"Alright, Rashid." Quatre smiled. "Thank you."

The taller man nodded and ducked out the door.

-Trowa? Duo? Are those your voices I hear? So quiet…-

-Do you think he's even in there, Trowa?-

-Maybe…-

-In there? In where?!-

He put the phone down for the seventh time in about ten minutes and sighed.

'Man, I'm such a wuss!' Quatre sighed a second time and tapped his finger into the book sitting in front of him.

When Rashid had suggested to call the other Gundam pilots and see about their visiting a while, it had seemed such a wonderful idea!

Quatre HAD been very depressed for a while, but more of lonely, needing company and it had finally come out one emotional night a week ago.

The solution had come about just last night.

Quatre took a deep breath, bracing himself, and lifted the phone again, deftly dialing the number which would connect him with the first of those he had decided to call, one of the two who he was practically sure would accept.

Hearing a voice on the other end of the phone, Quatre smiled and spoke. "Hi. Is Duo home?"

"Ehh?! Quatre, is that you?!" The excited voice boomed on the other end.

-They say coma victims CAN hear, Duo.-

-I know, Trowa, it's just… You think, Quatre in a coma… After just that…-

-Well…-

-Coma? I'm in a coma?-

"Heero!" The blonde rushed forward to greet the brown-haired pilot who was de-boarding the shuttle.

Without thinking of his actions, he hugged the usually stoic boy and was surprised when a gentle hand came to wrap about his back.

Quatre looked up at Heero, blinking and saw the faint smile on the other boy's lips, and the even fainter look of amusement in the boy's blue eyes at the shocked look on the blonde's face.

"Nice to see you again, Quatre…"

-The light's brighter now. The voices are a bit more clear.-

-Sorry, Quatre…-

-Heero, don't apologize. He'll be fine…-

-Wufei…? Encouraging someone? It's still so odd…-

The two, in near unison, reached for the remaining piece of sushi and made a disgusted sound when a third obtained the remaining fish with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth.

"Wufei, that was MY sushi!" Heero and Duo shouted together, nasal tones and high tones mixing in odd unison, before two boys turned to glare at each other.

"Amazing." Wufei muttered, finishing the sushi. "Those two have hardly changed."

"Unlike you, Wufei." Trowa replied, letting off a small smile as the Chinese boy turned a confused face to him. "That was intended to piss them off?" A small point at the empty sushi dish.

Wufei smirked. "Had to do it at least once, but it backfired."

Trowa chuckled faintly, watching Duo lose the glaring contest and blinked as Wufei showed off an unusual kindness. "Every get desert, my treat."

"Really?!" Duo was excited.

Quatre giggled.

-But it's my fault, don't you see?!-

-What's your fault, Heero? Hm? I hear music now…-

"Hey, how come we're still here?" Duo asked, stretching lazily out on the couch.

On the couch behind him, Heero typed silently away at his laptop, but took a moment to respond. "I figure you're free-loading. Me, I'm enjoying it here."

"It's not free-loading if it's allowed, nee Q?"

Quatre looked up from paperwork, smiling faintly.

-Heero, how can it be your fault? It was instinct.-

-But it was, don't you see…?-

-Heero… Heero, what are you blaming yourself for?-

"Hey, guys," Quatre smiled, watching four heads look up from their breakfast plates to him. "I've got an idea."

"What is it, Quatre?" Duo asked, barely swallowing the bite in his mouth.

"Um…" The blonde looked down, blushing faintly. "I'm not sure if you all would like the idea, but… Well…" He fell into silence.

"But what, Quatre?" Heero prompted Quatre gently, that barely there smile gracing his lips.

Quatre bit his lip and took a deep breath, bracing himself again. He hoped the others would like this idea.

"With as long as you've been here, I was wondering," The blonde paused again. "Would you guys perhaps like to move in together?"

Four boys looked at each other, a bit of shock on their faces, but also a bit of… Happiness or contentness perhaps?

-I should have had more control, Wufei. I should…-

-Heero, Heero, it's okay… You've always been trained that way, to react first, think later.-

-But…-

-Control? React first…? What?-

"Guys, stop!" Quatre shouted, trying to get a word in over the two fighting boys. "Guys!"

Still not listening to the small blonde, Duo and Heero weren't stopped until a black boot stepped in front of their rolling course.

Looking up, they found Trowa glaring down at them.

"Hi-i." Duo said, cheesily.

-But, Wufei… Look now… I…-

-Heero… Heero!-

-Crying? I hearing crying… Heero's crying? ….. There's the music again… I can hear it some now…-

Let me fall… Let me climb…

"Look, blowfish!" Duo shouted.

"Whe- Duo!" Quatre started laughing.

Half-way to turning to see where Duo saw a blowfish, Quatre had found the brown-haired boy making blowfish faces instead. It made him laugh.

-I remember. And later, we all got a picture. And he was still making blowfish faces.-

There's a moment… When fear and dream… Must collide…

"Hey, Q, hand me the wrench would ya?" Duo called out from below the junky car he had obtained to repair.

Quatre, sitting on the driver's side seat, reached into the tool box beside him and pulled out the wrench.

Handing it down to the awaiting hand, Quatre watched both tool and arm slide under the car.

"I can't believe you got such a wreck to fix up. Can you REALLY repair it?"

"Of course. Heck, it's simpler than Deathscyhe." Sliding himself out from under the car, Duo smiled up at the blonde. "Too bad you're not a girl in a skirt. This would be a WONDERFUL view."

Quatre flushed, and glared at Duo some. "Not funny you!"

Duo chuckled and looked over in unison with Quatre at Trowa, who had just stepped out of the house.

"Dinner's ready, you two." Trowa smiled a faint bit. "Wufei cooked, so don't worry about Heero's ration-like food."

"Or your Catherine-like soup?" Duo responded and at Trowa's faint glare, scooted himself back under the car. "I'll be in as soon as I finish this section."

Trowa nodded and looked at Quatre.

"I'll be in when Duo's done. He might drop the car on himself if I don't stay."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Quatre!" Duo shouted from beneath the car.

Quatre chuckled, looking over silently at Trowa, who was walking away.

How much of what he had just felt was really true, and how much had he made up in his mind?

Someone I am is waiting for my courage… The one I want, the one I will become… Will catch me…

-Where is this song from, anyways? It's so familiar…-

"He's just being a bit of an idiot, I guess, but she seems happy." Duo said. He was sitting on the couch near Quatre, talking to the group.

"I always thought it'd be your and Hilde, though, Duo." Quatre said, looking at the braided boy beside him.

"Hehh? Me?" Duo chuckled. "Nope, sorry, my true love lies elsewhere!"

"In himself." Heero said, looking at Quatre, who chuckled even as Duo retorted, laughing.

Quatre felt it again, even as the flash of a camera went off.

"Trowa, that's my bad side!" Duo laughed, finding the culprit easily.

Trowa smiled.

-I guess I really am in a coma… Is this my life passing before my eyes? Then how…-

So let me fall… If I must fall…

"Wufei, could you do me a favor?" Quatre poked his head into the small family room, catching just a glimpse of the four boys who were now his permanent room mates.

They were sitting around the TV, taking turns at one of Duo's new video games.

Wufei looked up from watching Trowa, who was being encouraged on by a very hyper Duo. "What is it, Quatre?"

As Quatre responded, Wufei closed the distance between himself and Quatre. "I need some help moving my desk and Rashid's gone, so…"

"So you called a TRUE man's assistance in?" Wufei posed slightly, then smiled kindly as Quatre laughed.

Quatre could feel his warmth.

I won't head your warnings… I won't hear them…

-If this is my life, and I AM in a coma, then… That light…-

"Say, Duo," Quatre watched the braided pilot turn to look at him. Heero's eyes also glanced up from their location on his laptop, before he continued building a web page, his new line of work being a web designer.

"What's up, Q?" Duo grinned broadly, pausing a hand-held game. He loved weekends.

"Just out of curiosity, do you REALLY believe in God?"

"Eh?" Duo blinked. "The God of Death!"

"Idiot…" Heero muttered.

Duo glared at the semi-stoic boy, while Quatre waited for the eye wars to end.

-Duo's always funny like that. Priest clothes, yet somewhat an Atheist… Heero said he believed in God… So did Trowa…-

All I ask… All I need…

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Quatre looked at Trowa, who stood beside him on the patio outside the main room.

The green-eyed boy made hardly a move, his eyes resting on Quatre for a moment, then glancing away.

Quatre nodded faintly, feeling a breeze brush his hair. "I thought so…" He turned slightly, watching Duo and Heero rough-house, much to Wufei's dismay; he was trying to read. "I wouldn't have asked, but…"

"I'm a grown-up, Quatre." Trowa responded, not noticing the blue eyes shoot up and look at him in shock. "Not a child… I live with my emotions, deal with them."

Turning slightly, Trowa smiled kindly at Quatre. "I'm over the 'want Quatre to die so Duo's mine' phase. It's Duo's choice in the end. All I ask…'

-Two things. You asked directly that I always remain your friend. Indirectly, you asked me to care for Duo if I do love him… I wonder… Do I?-

"So, seriously, Duo," Quatre asked the braided boy as they drove to a movie. "How come not Hilde?"

Duo blinked softly and chuckled, much to Quatre's confusion and consternation.

"It wasn't meant as a joke, Duo." Quatre glare faintly, then blinked gently as Duo smiled clownishly at him. "What?"

Refocusing on the road ahead of him, Duo smiled. "I know you didn't. I was taking it seriously. And, seriously, you worry to much about others, you know that?"

"And why do you say that, Duo?" Quatre asked, a bit confused. He had asked out of honest curiosity.

"I bet part of you fears I'm lonely, huh?" Duo flicked on his turn signal, carefully switching lanes. Unlike people believed, Duo was a safe driver. It was Heero and Wufei you had to worry about.

"I… guess… Sometimes…" Quatre flushed a little, admitting to himself the truth of Duo's words.

"I'm not, don't worry." Duo pulled into the theater parking lot, and parked the car towards the back, aware there weren't any spots near the front. "And also seriously," Duo shut the car off and pulled out the keys. "Hilde's great as a friend, but she has some viewpoint differences that would make dating her hard. I've better boyfriend material about anyways."

Quatre blushed. "You're incorrigible."

"Thank you." Duo smiled cheesily. "Let's go."

-He wasn't directing it at me, yet… He's so funny.-

Let me open… Whichever door I might open…

-There it is again, that music… What is it?-

Let me fall… If I fall… All the feelings…

Quatre was listening, trying to understand the next line. He still loved this song.

It was from and old French-Canadian stage group of Earth, Cirque de Soleil, and the only song in pure English so far as he could tell.

He didn't understand French well, though he had studied it, and wasn't sure if the line he was listening to was English or French and that is what was hardest.

As he listened, a great noise shook the ground of the ceiling above him and hearing the skirmish, Quatre flicked off the song and proceeded upstairs to see if he could break Heero and Duo up again.

And again, the line was left jumbled.

-That's right. It's 'Let Me Fall'. Even here the line is unintelligible. Strange… Why this song?-

I will dance so freely… Holding onto no one… You can hold me only if you too will fall… Away from all… These useless fears… And chains…

"Guys, I'm not so sure about this." Quatre blushed angrily as two ex-pilots, one grinning cheekily, the other smiling almost indifferently, dragged him out to the dance floor.

"Oh come on, Quatre!" Duo laughed, grabbing the blonde close and thanking Trowa, who smiled and backed away into the crowd some. "It's apparent you're interested in learning the 'dirty dancing' everyone's doing, so let a pro teach you!"

"B-but we're both boys…"

Leaning near Quatre's ear, Duo chuckled. "So? We're among friends. They know I'm bi, and you, well we all figure you're closeted."

"Duo!" Quatre half-shouted, much to the braided boy's delight. "Duo, that's not funny."

Quatre started to walk off but Duo caught his arm gently, and smiled. "Sorry Quatre, just slipped. Thing is, we're among friends, forget all those stupid fears, no one's gonna say much."

"I… Guess…" Quatre frowned a little.

Duo grinned. "Great! Come on!"

"Wait, Duo, I never said…"

But Quatre's words were lost as Duo began to teach him some 'dirty dancing'.

-That was… Actually fun… Actually, he was right… I AM closeted… Girls don't interest me… Trowa figured it out first and confronted me on it…-

Oh, someone I am…

"Why not just admit it, Quatre?" Trowa smiled over at the blonde who was sitting on a towel near the pool.

Looking up from the pages of a book, Quatre's eyes were wide and slightly confused. "Huh? Admit what, Trowa?"

"You're very definitely NOT straight, are you?"

Quatre frowned darkly, glaring at the taller boy, who was also sitting on a towel, relaxing in the sun and drying off.

"The one thing I don't like about the new you, Trowa, is you're far too blunt."

"So that's a yes?" Trowa smiled.

Looking down a little, Quatre frowned and nodded faintly. "Nn."

-So… Do I love Duo…?-

Just a faint smile greeted the slightly aggravated boy, and a braid tickling his nose.

Above him, waking him, was Duo.

"Time to get up, Quatre!" Duo giggled, and sat up, letting Quatre do the same. "It's your birthday, so we've made you breakfast to eat in bed."

Looking towards the room door, the slight pang of annoyance Quatre felt at being woken up disappeared.

Standing by the door was the rest of the guys, Heero with a tray of food, which he brought a moment later to Quatre.

"Don't worry," Heero said as he handed the tray to Quatre. "Duo didn't cook it, so it's not poisoned."

"Hey!" Duo glared faintly, laughing. "---…"

-He said a lot more, but what? Oh, I don't remember. I was thinking how nice it was… Actually, it WAS Duo's idea… Still…-

Is waiting for my courage… The one I want…

"Alright!" Duo stood up from where he had been playing Heero on a fighter, and started dancing. "I won! I won!"

"Once, you numbskull." Heero replied, but Duo kept celebrating. Quatre laughed.

"Hey, Quatre, the bathroom is a bit black…" Duo grinned cheesily, walking into the room.

"Huh, why?" Quatre looked up, and spotted the bandages on Duo's face. "Duo, are you okay?!"

"Yeah. The oil just kinda fell all over me, and I dropped the wrench, smacked me in the face. But now the bathroom's black."

"Oh, Duo, don't worry about it… Sure you're okay?"

"Quatre…?" Duo shook him, trying to rouse the half-asleep boy. "Hey…"

"Carry him to bed, Duo…" Trowa said in the distance. "He's not going to wake. Wore himself out."

"Yeah…" Duo gently lifted Quatre into his arms, then darkness…

-I felt… Safe…-

The one I will become will catch me…

"Ah!" Quatre started to fall, having hit a crack in the sidewalk.

"Whoa, Quatre!" Duo dashed forward, catching the small boy before he fell over. "You okay?"

Breathing heavily, Quatre nodded.

"Y-yes… Thank you, Duo…"

So let me fall if I must fall…

Quatre again tried to break up the skirmish between Duo and Heero, mostly in vain.

However, this time was a little different as the two fighters rolled and knocked into Quatre's legs.

Quatre stumbled and collapsed atop the two boys, separating them slightly and putting an end to the skirmish.

Anyone just walking into the room would have more than likely misconstrued the situation, and anyone who knew them would have, the mess of arms and limbs was so great..

Slowly sitting up, Quatre heard Duo mutter beneath him and looked down.

"You're heavy, Q… Mind getting off my leg?" Duo grinned, wincing faintly as he tried to shift a slight bit.

Looking down, Quatre blushed faintly. He was sitting very firmly on top of Duo's leg and quickly scrambled to slide off it, still not ready to stand back up. "Sorry, Duo."

Sitting, Duo grinned and brushed Quatre's hair very gently. "Hey, no problem! Hey, Heero…"

Quatre kept blushing faintly, touching his hair faintly where Duo just had.

-I guess… I do love him… At least some… Hm… The light is brighter… I'm so close to it…-

-Don't want to give him a chance?-

-Heero?-

-We don't want him to suffer any more than he has to. The ultimate choice…-

-Sister…?-

I won't head your warnings…

He felt the warmth as Ereia hugged him and spoke to him about the family and being worried for him.

He was hearing her, but was more focusing on the feelings he felt. The kindness in her, and the true concern.

He had never met any of his sisters, but if they were all as warm as this. Warmer than the Father he couldn't feel, the Father…

"Father!" The little blonde boy cried, darting out to greet the older man. "Father, you're home!"

The man smiled, petting the boy's hair gently. He couldn't have been more than six or seven. "Yes, I am."

"How'd the meeting go, huh, huh?" The blonde smiled, reaching up to grab his Father's arm. "hey, hey! Lift me up, lift me up!" He pulled on his Father's arm, eyes closing in sheer delight as the older man smiled and a servant carrying a camera spotted and took the picture…

-Ereia… Father…-

-…Where we stand on options right now…-

-You don't seem very upset.-

-Wufei…?-

I won't hear…

"Grah! Where are they?" Wufei almost whined, but more bellowed since most men never whine.

"Wufei? What are you looking for?" Quatre looked up from his book.

"My glasses. I need them to read." Wufei looked at the blonde, then continued to look for the missing eyewear.

"Oh! Then these are YOURS?" Quatre lifted a set of glasses off of the stand beside him.

Wufei blinked and looked over to Quatre. He nodded. "Yeah, those are mine…"

"I see…" Quatre held the glasses out to the Chinese boy. "I wasn't aware you had to wear these… Thought they were one of our guests…"

Wufei smiled faintly, putting the glasses on. "I'm still your guest! I just didn't wear these in the war, and the monitors were far enough I didn't need them. That's why you weren't aware."

"Oh, I see…"

Wufei smiled cheerily at the young blonde, thanked him again and left.

-I never had seen him smile like that, and never have since. But when he did… It felt wonderful…-

-No! I won't give up on Quatre!-

-Duo? Duo, what-?-

-Duo…-

-I said NO!!! I won't sign any paperwork allowing you to kill Quatre!-

Let me fall…

"Duo, if you don't believe in God, do you believe in Heaven?" Quatre looked at Duo quietly.

Looking at the starts, waiting on the intermission between movies at the drive-in to end, Duo blinked and looked at Quatre.

"Ehh? Why do you ask, Quatre?"

"I don't know." Quatre stretched a little. "Just curious, I suppose."

Duo sighed, looking back at the stars. "A false Kingdom for a false God…"

"Duo…" Quatre bit his lip softly.

Looking down again, smiling broadly at Quatre, Duo patted Quatre's back, sending the boy slightly forward.

"But hey, if Heaven DID exist, you'd go there when you died, a beautiful Angel!" Duo laughed softly. "Maybe you could plead my case at the Golden Gates, ne? 'Cause I'm going STRAIGHT to Hell!"

"Duo!!" Quatre flushed. He wasn't sure whether to be angry, or what.

-Happy Trowa?-

-Heero… Why do you sound so annoyed?-

If I fall…

"He did it again!" Heero half-screamed.

"Did what, Heero?" Quatre looked up from reading the paper.

"Stole my memory cards for the game system!"

Quatre chuckled. Heero could be so immature sometimes. "Just so he could beat Trowa, Heero. Your stuff's so much better."

"He'll still lose." Heero's face darkened.

Blinking, Quatre could almost hear Heero's patented catch phrase, and he started laughing loudly.

Heero frowned. "Quatre?"

Still laughing, Quatre looked at Heero. "I'm sorry… But your face… Your tone… I'm half expecting you to say 'I'll kill you!'"

Heero blinked and smirked. "Like this?" Face going straight and normal, Heero glared playfully at Quatre. "I'll kill you."

In another fit of laughter, Quatre just barely caught the smile cross Heero's face before he doubled over in laughing pains.

-Did you find him?-

-I left him in the waiting room… Where are Rashid, Abdul and…-

-Rashid? Abdul? The Maguanacs… My family…-

There's no reason…

They were all yelling at him about going off on his own, mad but also worried. Quatre could feel it.

It wasn't Quatre's fault. He wasn't trying to worry anyone, was just trying to not get anyone else hurt.

He had been careful and safe. He had run across Trowa while he was out. It had made him happy, but he did understand why everyone was so concerned.

They cared for him, a lot, and his safety had always come over theirs. This made Quatre both happy, and sad.

After a few comments from Auda, Abdul and Afmad, Rashid cleared the room.

"Thanks, Rashid." Quatre smiled at the large Maguanac.

"I'm not happy either, Master Quatre."

His tone was slightly disappointed, but that was fine. Quatre caught the hidden emotion inside it.

Concern and… Love….

Fatherly love, Quatre assumed…

And Quatre returned the feeling with a son's love…

-Heero… Your answer…-

-Answer?-

-Yes?-

-Your answer… As much as I could sometimes think it, and for the few times I have thought it… Never… I would never want Quatre dead…-

-I guess… I MUST be dying… I mean, a coma, this light… This warm light… Trowa…-

To miss this one chance…

"Uh, Trowa, isn't that a little high up?" Quatre was looking at the Ferris Wheel at Trowa's troupe's circus. The exact Ferris Wheel he was trying to get Quatre to ride.

Chuckling, Trowa looked at the blonde beside him. "Quatre, the Sandrock was much higher off the ground than this thing. That didn't panic you."

"That's because I felt safe inside Sandrock. There was no opening on it, and there was an easy way down if I needed it."

"A thin line with a foot hold." Trowa smiled as Quatre glared, and continued. "Come on, it's safe."

"I don't know…" Quatre looked up again at the turning wheel with all its little cage-seats and all the people inside.

Trowa laid a gentle hand on Quatre's shoulder, and smiled warmly at the boy when he looked up. "Trust me, it's safe."

"Well… Alright." Quatre smiled a little when Trowa's hand squeezed his shoulder a little, and pointed an accusatory finger at Trowa. "It's only because I DO trust you, and I've never done this before."

"Well, let's not miss the chance then. Come on."

Moving forward towards the Ferris Wheel, Quatre smiled. Trowa would protect him if, by some odd chance, something DID happen to the Ferris Wheel.

Quatre did trust Trowa, and Trowa knew it and trusted Quatre back. This is why their friendship was so solid…

-I've always trusted Trowa. Heero, were you questioning him? Why?-

-Gomen nasai to… Sayonara…-

-Heero…? Why are… What are you apologizing for…?-

This perfect moment…

"Guys, up here!" Quatre moved quickly ahead of the other four, laughing childishly. He then turned, waiting for them to catch up. "Hurry up!"

"What? Why are you so excited?" Duo sighed, ascending the stairs to the attic.

"Come on!" Quatre waited. He had done something special for the others, and was anxious to see their reactions.

A moment later found four boys gazing in awe at a small, home-financed arcade.

"Cool!" Duo shouted, looking at Quatre. "What's this for?"

"Just sort of a first anniversary gift." Quatre replied, smiling. "We've been living together a year now, so I figured I'd do something nice. Of course," Quatre turned to watch as each boy looked around the room at the different games the Winner heir had managed to get. "We'll only have them about a month, but…"

"It's still cool!" Duo grinned, and hugged his blonde friend. "Lots more video games to kick Heero's ass!"

"More like *I* kick yours." Heero grinned at Duo, then smiled at Quatre. "Arigatou. It's a wonderful gift."

Quatre smiled and looked at Trowa, who smiled at him, nodding his head in thanks.

Wufei frowned. "MORE wastes of time."

"But we know you love it!" Duo grinned, hugging Wufei, who frowned more and shoved the braided boy away.

Quatre just laughed.

"Don't open your eyes yet." Trowa kept leading Quatre down the long hallway, making sure he kept his eyes closed.

"I'm not." Quatre semi-protested. He really DID want to open his eyes and find out what was going on though.

All he knew was he had been rushed out of work, on time, and made to go home by Rashid, who had shown up at a quarter till five to make sure he could still get in the building.

As soon as he was home, Trowa had come out to greet him and had made him close his eyes, then promptly led Quatre into the house and started him down the hall they were now in.

Trowa chuckled a little, turning Quatre some. Quatre heard the sound of a door being opened, and waited anxiously for the command to open his eyes, but he wasn't sure this would be the place to actually open them.

After a moment of silence, Trowa tapped Quatre's shoulder gently. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Anxiously, Quatre opened his eyes, blinking some as the light of the room he was in reached his once darkened vision, and then gaped as a semi-large group of his friends, and an even larger group of Maguanacs, shouted a loud 'Surprise!', a cake and presents neatly set on a small table in the room.

Quatre turned to Trowa, still startled and the taller boy smiled at him. "Forgot it was your birthday, Quatre?"

"Yeah, guess I did…" Quatre admitted, looking back at the group and smiling as Duo sprung forward to grab him, pulling him to the table and the group.

"Luckily for you, Quatre, we didn't forget!" Duo said cheerfully. "We even convinced Sally to bake a cake for you."

"So she was FINALLY in a spot a NORMAL woman SHOULD be." Wufei said, frowning and looking at the pig-tailed woman.

Sally smiled too sweetly at Wufei. "It's not my fault some MEN don't know how to bake."

"Men don't need to!" Wufei half yelled. "It's women who should cook, clean and…"

"Bear arms!" Duo shouted.

Wufei glared at Duo, everyone else laughed.

-Those were good times… Warm times… But… Why… Why am I here? If I'm dying, WHY?!-

"Quatre, are you still up?" Heero walked into the kitchen silently and looked at the usually pink clad boy now dressed in a pale blue pajama set. He himself was dressed in an almost beige set of pajamas.

Turning a little from where he was pouring some tea, Quatre nodded at the blue-eyed boy. "Woke up and couldn't sleep, so decided to try some warm tea. What of you?"

"Just restless again." Heero moved near Quatre and started rummaging through the fridge.

"You really should go to a doctor about this, Heero." Quatre sat at the table and watched Heero pull out the milk. "Insomnia isn't a good thing."

"I'm fine." Heero poured his glass and sat down near Quatre. "I'll put the milk up in a minute."

"I wasn't going to say anything." Quatre smiled at Heero. "After all, it's usually Duo who leaves it out."

Heero smiled.

-I remember… That was last night, or… How long have I been in a coma? It could have been longer… What happened after…? And where's the music?-

Quatre set his cup in the sink carefully, stretching. "That tea helped. I feel like sleeping now."

"Good." Heero smiled at the blonde, now on his third glass of milk in the last thirty or so minutes since he had arrived in the kitchen.

"You still not tired, Heero?" Quatre leaned against the linoleum-topped counter and watched Heero nod. Sighing, he grabbed a small stool and pulled down from the top of the fridge a box.

Moving, he grabbed a knife and placed it and the box near Heero, who looked at him quizzically.

Quatre smiled. "Cake. You may be hungry. Hand me your milk and I'll warm it. We'll try to get you to sleep yet."

"Quatre…" Heero looked up, preparing to protest.

"Heero, don't say no." Quatre smiled still and took the milk glass from Heero, who sighed, relenting.

Quatre moved to put the milk in the microwave for a few seconds, and grabbed Heero a plate and fork.

Handing the items to Heero, Quatre then returned to get the milk as Heero cut himself a slice of cake.

"Here." Quatre handed Heero the warmed milk and closed the lid on the cake box. "Now, go to bed after this, okay? Try to get some sleep."

"Alright…" Heero said, taking a bite of the cake and watching Quatre circle the table to get ready to leave. "Quatre…"

"Hm?" Quatre looked at Heero, accidentally knocking the small table by the entrance where an image of he and his Father sat.

"Why are you really up?" Heero looked worried. "Is it because of today?"

Quatre blinked a little and looked down. "What do you mean?"

"You know…"

-Anniversary… That's right… Of Ereia and Father's death… I woke up… A nightmare… But…-

Heero looked at Quatre, eyes both sad a little and concerned as well. "Today's the day your Father and sister died, right?"

"Ah…" Quatre frowned, turning around a little and glancing at the image on the stand. "Yeah, it is…"

Heero nodded. "Want to talk about it?"

"N… No… Thanks." Quatre smiled weakly, almost scaredly. "I'm… I'm just going to go back to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Heero relied, then looked over as a small crashing sound caught his attention.

Quatre was looking down at the shattered picture frame. He had just knocked the shelf and the image had fallen.

"Quatre…" Heero started to stand, but gasped instead as a small form was quickly at him, trying to strangle him.

-Oh God! Oh God! T-That's… I Zeroed… I tried to kill Heero, and… And then…-

Gasping for air, Quatre's hands cutting of his oxygen with more force than anyone would have thought possible from Quatre, Heero started blacking out.

As his body started to slump, vision blurring, Heero's hand impacted the hilt of the knife that had been used for cutting the cake and clutched it.

Instinctively, almost ready to fall over, Heero reached up and grasped one of Quatre's pale wrists tightly, yanking and trying to pull it away.

Quatre's grip only tightened and somewhere inside of Heero, as the darkness around him swelled, something snapped.

His hand tightened around Quatre's wrist and Heero pulled.

The movement was very fast. He yanked one of Quatre's hands from his throat, turned, breaking away from Quatre's other hand, and flung the boy to the table. A moment later, he brought down the knife which had remained in his hand since earlier.

There was an instant pain, and then…

-Then this darkness… Is this… What happened? Heero… Is that why you apologized… Heero… There's no reason… It was my fault.-

-Hm… The light's almost consumed me. Hardly any darkness left… Heaven or Hell I wonder?-

"Quatre!!" Duo shouted out, having just been soaked by a Quatre-thrown water balloon. "Just wait till I get my vengeance! Justice will be served!"

"That's MY line!" Wufei shouted.

"Stupid." Heero carried a half-plastered Duo to his room, Trowa and Quatre tailing behind. "I can't believe you two let him in the alcohol! He's not even old enough to drink!"

"Plenty old to drink." Duo giggled.

"Sorry, Heero, he stole the key…" Quatre replied, his head looking towards the ground.

"It's okay…" Heero opened Duo's door.

"Tired?" Trowa asked the yawning Quatre, who only nodded, tired from the day at the circus.

Smiling, the Ex-Heavyarms' pilot pulled Quatre to lay on his shoulder, letting him rest.

"They'd prefer to play with you…" Heero said.

Quatre just smiled at the concern in the usually emotionless boy's tone, and watched the dogs.

"Thanks, Wufei." Quatre smiled at the Chinese boy, who nodded, smiling back. "Don't know how I'd have gotten this couch moved without you."

"You wouldn't, weakling." Wufei grinned some at his blonde comrade. "But you know I don't mind helping you."

"Yeah…"

"Quatre?" Duo slid out from under the almost finished car.

"Yeah?" Quatre peered at the braided jester, sitting again in the driver's seat as Duo worked.

"When I'm done, I want you to be my first passenger in the car, okay?"

Quatre smiled. "Alright…"

"Master Quatre, go to bed." Rashid said, watching Quatre slump over paperwork. Abdul was nearby.

"Gotta finish this." Quatre protested, whining slightly and making a last ditch effort to wake up.

Instead, Rashid lifted the small boy and started carrying him to bed.

-Everyone….. Thank you… For such a happy life… Even the bad was good…-

Just let me fall…

-The last line…-

"Quatre, hey!" Duo waved his hand, trying to get the blonde to react.

"Mm?" Drunkenly, Quatre looked at Duo.

Smiling, Duo shook his head. "No more alcohol for you, even on New Years."

"Oh, wow!" Quatre laughed as he opened his Christmas present to find a pair of pale blue pajamas. "Thanks, Trowa! I needed more bed clothes."

"You're welcome." Trowa replied, smiling. "I got everyone…"

"Master Quatre, here." Abdul handed the small boy a card, and smiled when he looked at him quizzically. "Open it."

Quatre looked inside. "A Valentine card? From all of you?"

"Mm…" Abdul nodded.

Quatre's eyes lit in joy.

"You cook wonderful meals, Quatre. Thank you." Wufei smiled, his plate clean.

Quatre smiled back. "You're welcome."

Quatre laughed.

The photographer took the image of one young boy and forty grown men, all smiling.

"You're so different, Heero." Quatre said as they left the airport.

"Is it a bad difference?" Heero asked.

"No. I like it." Quatre smiled, watching Heero smile back and hug him gently.

-Goodbye… Everyone…-

-Quatre…-

-Duo?-

-I love you…-

-DUO?! Duo… Are you…?-

-It's black… Again… Duo… Duo, where are you?!-

-The End-

Author's Note: Well, no REAL resolution here. Anyone confused? Me too. But I hope it's a GOOD confused.

Okay, basic explanation, though… The white light at the end of the tunnel, and life flashing before one's eyes. What happens at the end? Well, if you want to know the rest, let me know. Comments and criticisms are wonderful! Thank you!