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The Hitchhiker	By : jkb Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 535 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Hitchhiker
- 1
The Hitch Hiker

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A/N:

This is a re working
of an old Twilight Zone episode using GW characters

Twilight Zone is owned
by Rod Serling and/or his company.

Gundam Wing is owned by
whoever owns them.

I own nothing here
except where I may have strayed from the original storyline,

which really isn�t
much, believe me.

It�s a very quick 1X2
one-shot. I hope you enjoy�

Thanks�

jkb

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�� Buddy��
The tow truck driver said as he replaced the last lug nut. ��road like this,
going what?...sixty five?...you�re damn lucky.�

Duo grinned remembering the moments of sheer, absolute
terror when the tire blew, and the almost giddy feeling of relief when he�d
managed to bring the Dodge under control

and stop. His cell had hit the passenger door during those
few moments of lurching, swerving and screeching brakes and he�d been afraid
it�d been damaged, but the signal

was strong and he�d called AAA to replace the tire.

That was after he�d calmed down, of course.

He�d been so relieved in fact, he had to resist the urge to
get out and kiss the ground, grateful he hadn�t been made part of it�tossed to
the side of the two lane like so much trash. He shook the vision away and
chuckled.

�Yeah, that�s me�lucky.�

�By rights, you shouldn�t been callin� me�� The tow truck
driver went on. ��someone shoulda called a friggin� hearse.�

�Okay, okay�so I�ll
slow down from now on�and wear my seat belt too�no need to get to San Diego so
quickly�Hilde�ll be there, she�s not going anywhere for crying out loud�I�ll
get there soon enough�slow down Duo� his voice rambled in his head,

�just slow down�

��back to the shop.� The tow truck driver was saying.

�Huh?� Duo asked, blinking.

The guy smirked. �I said I can get you a new tire and mount
it if you wanna follow me back to the shop.�

�Yeah.� Duo said as he noticed a hitch hiker standing about
an eighth of a mile up from them. A small, mousey little man in beat up khakis
and a dark blue work shirt standing on the side of the road with his thumb out.
But that wasn�t all he was doing.

He was staring

It seemed to Duo that the mousey little man was staring.

at him

�Buddy?�

�Yeah�� Duo said and turned back to the driver. �Sure�I�ll
follow you.�

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�� Lou�s Auto
Repair was about a mile off the main road, which was to say it was in the
middle of nowhere. Across the street from the garage was Nana�s Caf� with signs
in the window boasting of The Southeast�s
Best Burgers and Five Alarm Chili.
Despite his never ending appetite, his stomach flipped at the thought and he
decided the blowout had left him more shaken than he�d originally thought.
Getting out of the car he strode over to the small office where the tow truck
driver waited for him.

�It�ll just take a few minutes.� The driver said.

�Sure�no problem.�

Shielding his eyes from the midday sun, Duo looked around.

There were an ancient set of gas pumps, an even more ancient
pick up truck waiting, it seemed, for service and next to that�Duo couldn�t
believe his eyes.

An absolutely mint condition MG convertible, a gleaming dark
green beauty that shone blindingly.

�Jeez��

He walked, trying to be casual despite his growing
excitement. This was the car of his dreams�the one he�d always wanted. He�d
even searched the want-ads endlessly in spite of Heero�s grumblings about small
two seat convertibles.

Heero, ever the sensible, seemingly emotionless wonder that
he was, insisted that they buy a practical car, hence the mid-sized, mid-priced
Dodge.

Duo hated it.

The MG was absolutely perfect. The black leather interior
was spotless from the thin-rimmed steering wheel to the floor mats with the MG
logo on them.

�My god�� he breathed. Leaning over, he checked the gauges
noticing the impossibly low mileage. The Dodge had warning lights for oil
pressure and water temp but this car had actual gauges.

�Wow��

Movement in the rear view mirror caught his attention and he
stood, turning back toward the road.

The hitch hiker in the khakis and blue shirt stood on the
other side of the street. He nodded to Duo with a little smirk, as if they
shared a secret of some sort and stuck his thumb out.

�All set.� The tow truck driver�s voice behind him made him
jump slightly.

�Sorry�did I startle you?�

Duo shook his head and smiled. �Nah�jus� wasn�t expecting
you so quick.�

�It�s seventy-five for the tire and fifteen for the
mounting.� The driver said, handing Duo the bill.

He pulled out his wallet and searched for his credit card.
As he searched, Duo said. �I noticed that hitch hiker�he looks like the same
guy I saw back when you replaced my tire.�

He found his credit card and handed it to the driver.

�What hitch hiker?�

Duo looked across the road. The strange little man with the
khakis was gone.

�He was�there.� He muttered, slightly unnerved.

�Well�he probably got picked up, ya know?�

�Yeah�� Duo said absently as his eyes searched up and down
the empty road.

�I guess so.�

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�� He saw the
man again two towns away in Prescott, then again
in Wells Village,
and yet again in Conway.
Always standing alone with his thumb out.

He wasn�t threatening in any way, just a small, mousey man
in khakis and a dark blue work shirt.

Still Duo was more unnerved every time he saw him.

And still even more unnerved that the man seemed to ignore
the few other cars on the road and only watch as he passed.

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�� Shit�� he
muttered as he tried his cell again.

No Service

�What the hell?�

He�d had a pretty good signal since leaving New York. Sure there
were occasional blips of limited service, but for the most part it had been
better than he�d expected.

The last call he�d made was to AAA for help with the tire.
Since then he�d had no service�

None�not even one bar.

He wanted to call Heero, to tell him about the blowout and
let him know he was okay.

He wanted to call Hilde and let her know he was on his way
and making pretty good time. Mostly he wanted to hear their voices so he
wouldn�t feel so alone.

Alone with that fucking hitch hiker.

He�d seen him again as he�d driven into Oklahoma and five more times as he crossed
that state.

Then it finally dawned on him what was so strange and the
realization was so sudden and strong that he wondered why he didn�t think of it
before�and was grateful that he hadn�t because now he wasn�t just unnerved.

He was damn scared.

How is he always ahead
of me?

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�� You sure
you don�t want anything else hun?� the waitress asked. �We got an apple pie
that�ll put a smile on your face for sure��

Duo did smile, but it felt pasted on. His mind raced and
worried at the thought of going back out to the car�the seemingly endless road,
where anything or anyone could be
waiting�

anyone with his thumb stuck out, looking for a ride.

�No�thanks though.� He said, pasting the grin a little
wider.

�How �bout some coffee to go then?�

�That�d be great�thanks.�

As she walked away, Duo looked out the window of the diner
across the parking lot.

The Dodge sat under a sodium arc light, a mute testimony to
his fear.

He didn�t want to go back out there, didn�t want to be back
in the car�driving�alone.

There was still no signal on his cell, and the diner had no
pay phone so calling Heero was, once more, out of the question.

Looking back over to the counter, he watched the waitress
flirt with one of the truckers, a huge, broad shouldered, burly man with faded
jeans and an unbuttoned flannel shirt. As he watched, the woman ran her hand
across the smooth, bare skin of the man�s chest and winked at him.

Duo looked away, feeling like he was intruding, and once
again looked out at the night.

He could still see their reflection in the window however,
and he tried hard to avert his eyes.

The waitress could flirt all she wanted. It was no skin off
his ass�he was in no big hurry to be back on the road.

Sighing, he looked back at his car.

Stupid Dodge�stupid
trip�now I don�t even want to go on�I just wanna go home�to Heero.

The thought of Heero caused such a wave of homesickness that
his breath caught in his throat and tears stung.

Fuck�

He turned his attention back to the reflection of the
waitress and her prey.

Now�don�t think of her
like that�she�s really nice�

The trucker leaned over the counter and said something in a
low voice as the waitress giggled.

Probably just lonely�

He ran a hand across his face to dislodge such thoughts and
turned back away from the window as the waitress approached with a Styrofoam
cup and his check.

�Here ya go honey�you come back soon, ya hear?�

Duo smiled, a real smile this time. �Thanks�I appreciate
it.� Pulling out his wallet, he hesitated.

�You get many hitch hikers in here?�

The woman frowned. �Nah�hardly ever. Not many exits on this
part of the highway so you�d be walkin� for a hell of a long time if you didn�t
get picked up��sides, not many people wanna pick up a stranger nowadays
anyhow��

Duo nodded. �I guess so��

Throwing down a twenty on the bill he said. �Thanks
again�you can keep the change.�

�Are you kiddin�?� she said, surprised. �You only had a
sandwich and a coffee! Honey, your bills only five fifty!�

�Keep it.�

�Well�I been wastin� my time on you Nick.� She said over her
shoulder to the burly trucker. �This boy�s a big spender��

�Have a good night you guys.� Duo said to them both as he
started for the door.

�Hey�wait.� The waitress said. Duo turned to her and noticed
her demeanor had changed. Her features softened. �You be careful out there, you
hear?...Don�t you go thinkin� �bout pickin� up no hitch hikers.�

�Believe me,� Duo said, feeling the now familiar fear
return. �I won�t��

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�� He was stopped
in a line of traffic on a two lane highway outside of Aberdeen waiting, he supposed, because of an
accident up ahead. The sun shone down mercilessly causing him to squint and his
t-shirt to stick to his skin. He could�ve blasted the air conditioner for a
while, but he loved the fresh air swirling around the interior. Heero was
forever putting the air conditioning on the first time the temperature went up
to sixty degrees and leaving it on until some time in October. Duo would freeze
his ass off everywhere they went in the car together. Thinking of Heero, he
checked his cell again.

No Service

�What the hell?� he muttered, snapping it shut and sighing.

He looked out the window and thought of Heero. Then smiling,
he whispered, �I love you baby.� Fantasizing that Heero could actually hear
him. He pictured Heero at their apartment in the middle of doing laundry or,
more likely, working on his laptop. In Duo�s mind, Heero would look up as if
he�d heard the words spoken.

His smile deepened as he tried to picture his partner�s
expression, but in his mind when Heero looked up, there were tears in his eyes
and he whispered, �Please come back��

Unnerved, Duo shook his head and tried to picture Heero
smiling. A rare occurrence to be sure, but one that happened more often than
not in Duo�s company.

All he could come up with was his partner�s tear stained
face.

��Ro�� he muttered. �What�s wrong?�

Frustrated and upset now, he picked up his cell again only
to throw it down on the passenger seat in anger.

�Dammit!�

The line of cars up ahead looked like it was starting to
move and he was grateful. He had to get moving�just sitting there magnified his
fear, anger, and frustration.

�Going my way?�

Duo gasped and turned to the passenger side. There, at the
window, was the hitch hiker. He stuck his thumb out yet again and looked at Duo
questioningly.

�No!...� Duo almost yelled. �I�m not�I�m jus going up the
road��

Panic stricken, he hit the gas and turned the wheel, going
around the line of cars in front of him. He barely heard the flag man yell at
him as he passed the first car in line, still accelerating.

Going my way?

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�� Shit!�

He wanted to scream at his own stupidity.

After his encounter with the hitch hiker back near Aberdeen, he�d consulted
his map, figuring maybe if he got off the highway and took the back roads, he�d
lose him.

But in his near blind panic he�d forgotten to check the
Dodge�s gas gauge.

As the car sputtered once more, he pulled to the side and
shut the engine down.

It was near ten pm and he hadn�t seen another car going in
either direction for some time.

Not being a fearful person normally, he wrestled with the
emotion, trying to come to terms with it.

He�s just a fucking hitch
hiker�why does he scare the shit outta me?

But he did�

Great�so now I�m stuck
here�shit!

He got out of the car, trying to look everywhere at once and
terrified he�d hear that voice again.

going my way?

Looking back at the night-dark curve of road he waited,
hoping to see headlights approaching. When none came, he pulled the dark red
gas can out of the trunk and

started walking.

As he walked, he tried to take his mind off the situation
and think of happier thoughts.

The night was warm and he remembered the one other time he�d
had to walk to a gas station. It�d been his and Heero�s fourth date�on a balmy
summer night like this.

The gas-less car and hitch hiker forgotten for a bit, he
smiled an absolutely beautiful smile�and walked.

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�� Heero had
picked him up at his apartment and taken him to Ciro�s, one of the most
exclusive, expensive restaurants in their part of the city. For a young man
used to fast food and his own clumsy attempts at cooking, he could only look
around in awe at the refined atmosphere. There was a linen tablecloth, real
napkins�not the kind that came from a dispenser, silverware, fresh cut flowers,
the most delicate wine glasses he�d ever seen, dinnerware that shone and
sparkled under candlelight, and waiters in crisp white shirts and ties. Right
next to their table was a window that afforded a breathtaking view of the city.

�Heero�� he said,
almost breathless. �I�I don�t even know what to say.�

Heero smiled,
delighting in Duo�s wonder. �I wanted to impress you.� He admitted, a touch of
real emotion in his voice.

�Who knew you were a
romantic?� Duo teased, �I thought you just wanted to fuck me.�

He reveled in shocking
Heero, surprising and taunting him.

But Heero simply
smiled and said, �Just wait��

They left the
restaurant later, and Heero surprised Duo yet again by holding his hand as they
walked through the parking lot.

�Now what?� Duo asked,
head buzzing pleasantly from the wine. Heero slid his arm around his shoulder
and leaned in.

Duo�s breath caught as
Heero kissed him. The night felt magical and full of promise, and he
desperately didn�t want it to end.

When Heero started to
pull back to end the kiss, Duo clung to him and moaned,

�please�don�t�

But Heero simply
smiled and said, �Just wait��

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�� They drove out of the city, heading
east on 24 down into New Sharon.

�Heero�you gonna tell
me where we�re goin�?�

Heero smiled and kept
his eyes on the road.

For a brief moment,
Duo felt scared�he really didn�t know Heero all that well.

�Umm�you aren�t gonna
kill me or anything�are you?�

Heero looked shocked,
�What?�

�Please tell me�we�re
in the middle of nowhere�I don�t even know how to get home from here��

�Don�t tell me I make
you nervous.� Heero�s shock had turned to amusement. �I thought you were
fearless.�

That was when the car
sputtered and died.

�Shit!� Heero cursed.
The power steering died with the engine and he wrestled the car to the side of
the dark, two lane.

Looking at the
dashboard, he muttered. �I don�t believe it��

�What?� Duo asked.

Heero simply glared at
the empty gas gauge.

�Heero�what is it?�

He put the car in
�Park� and snapped off the lights, pushing in the four-way emergency flasher
button on the top of the steering column.

�Heero?�

�Duo�I�m sorry.�

Duo laughed suddenly,
�Don�t tell me�you ran outta gas?�

Heero turned to look
at him. �I planned everything�everything!�

Duo was over his
fright by now and he laughed again. �C�mon �Ro�out of gas? That�s the oldest
ploy in the world.�

�Duo, � Heero said
seriously, �I didn�t plan this�shit!� He pounded his hand on the steering
wheel.

�Heero�don�t let it
ruin our night. I don�t care�really I don�t�

Heero frowned.

�Please �Ro�this has
been the most perfect night of my life�well, except for the part where I
thought you wanted to kill me, but other than that��

Heero turned and
looked at him again. �You don�t care?�

Duo grinned, �Nope�not
a bit.�

�You really thought I
wanted to kill you?�

�Well�you wouldn�t
tell me where we were going�we�re in the middle of nowhere, an� we don�t know
each other all that well, you know?�

He stared at Duo.

�What?�

He hesitated only a
moment.

�I know all I need
to��

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�� They walked for two miles before coming to a
gas station. Heero filled the gas can and after talking to some guy in a pick
up, managed to get them a ride back to the car.

Duo had chatted
endlessly to the driver about anything and everything, but the only thing he
truly remembered was the driver telling him about his son. He had a sixteen
year old son who was gay, and he worried about him�about his happiness. That�s
all he wanted�for his kid to be happy and he was glad he could help Duo and
Heero out, who seemed like such a nice, young couple.

�Thanks man!� Duo said
as the driver dropped them off back at Heero�s car.

Heero grunted a
�thanks� as he opened the gas door, unscrewed the cap and lifted the can. Duo
watched as the pick up drove on, waving to the driver until he was out of
sight.

�What a nice guy,
huh?�

Heero grunted some
response and finished pouring the gas into the tank.

�Ready?� he asked.

�Yup�� Duo said with a
grin. �Hey�what did you tell that guy anyway?�

�Guy?�

�The guy who gave us a
ride�what did you tell him?�

Heero frowned a bit,
�I told him that we�d run out of gas and we needed a ride.�

�What else?�

�That we were on a
date, and it was very important.�

�What else?�

�Nothing��

�Liar�� Duo grinned.

Heero�d grunted and
started the car, pulling back out onto the road and accelerating.

Duo�d found out about
a year later from Trowa that the reason Heero�d run out of gas in the first
place was because he�d been so nervous about their date, had agonized over what
to do and where to go, that he�d overlooked one basic thing�gas.

He also found out from
Heero around the same time the other thing he�d said to the pick up driver to
get him to give them a ride.

He wished he�d known
sooner, although it really wouldn�t have mattered one way or the other. He�d
moved into Heero�s apartment after about eight months of dating and his life
with Heero was something that both amazed and perplexed him.

Still�it would�ve been
nice to know that Heero had told the driver�

�I think I�m in love��

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�� They�d gotten to their destination
about three hours later. Duo remembered chatting on and on, then falling asleep
for a bit, until he�d woken up around four am.

�Where are we?�

Heero smiled at him.
�Right where we�re supposed to be.�

Duo sat up and looked
out the windshield. They were parked facing a huge, open field and his eyes
widened as he realized.

�A hot air balloon?�

Heero laughed,
actually laughed out loud and asked, �What do you thing�you want to?�

�Holy cow, Heero�� Duo
opened his door and got out. �This is great!�

He took in the
balloons, some half filled, some still lying on the ground. The thought of
going up in one made Duo feel delirious�

(or maybe it was Heero
that caused that feeling�)

�Can we?� he asked.
�Really?�

�Of course�that�s why
we�re here.�

Duo laughed. That was
one of the things he loved best about Heero. On the surface he seemed cold and
unfeeling and hard.

It was so not true�

Despite being somewhat
monosyllabic, Heero communicated in so many other ways, and Duo loved that he
was one of the few who could comprehend.

The only one that matters�Heero had told him when he tried to convey these thoughts some time
after he�d move in.

The only one that matters�

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�� Duo found a
gas station.

Closed

Please come back soon!

�How �bout now?� he muttered, �now soon enough?�

He tried the door. To his surprise, the knob turned and the
door swung open.

�Shit�� he laughed to himself. �I don�t believe it.�

Taking a step in he stopped, hesitating and looking back at
the door to see if there was a �Beware of dog� sign or something, but there was
none.

He laughed again, grateful suddenly that he was in a small
town.

Probably never lock
their doors�

He took another step, looking around. In the darkness he
could make out a couple of old chairs, a counter with an ancient cash register,
a row of hooks on the wall held multiple key rings and next to that, a calendar
with a half naked girl on it.

He looked for the switch that turned on the gas pumps,
wondering how the hell he was going to know it when he saw unless it was
marked.

He went behind the counter and looked at the wall but found
nothing. Continuing along the wall that stopped at a door, he hesitated.

Suddenly, he felt sure the hitch hiker was behind the door,
just waiting.

Waiting for him to
open it�

The feeling was so strong, so sure, that he almost bolted
out the door and back down the night deserted street, not caring if he got the
gas he came for or not. He knew it was foolish but couldn�t help himself all
the same.

C�mon Duo�cut the
crap�

Shaking his head to dislodge the image and squaring his
shoulders, he pushed the door open.

It seemed luck was with him for right on the wall just
inside the door, (which turned out to be the door to the attached garage and
had not, he was relieved, hidden the hitch hiker)

were the switches to the gas pumps, plainly marked.

�Thank you�� he muttered to no one in particular as he
flipped up the switch to pump #1.

Turning back around he strode to the entry, anxious to get
his gas and get the hell out of there.

Squatting by the pump, he twisted the cap off the can and
pushed the nozzle in, watching as the numbers rolled by. Movement out of the
corner of his eye made him whip his head to the left, sure he�d seen a shape.

A human shape�

�Shit!� he whispered in a shaky voice. �shit�shit�shit.�

Backing himself up against the pump, still squatting, he
tried to look everywhere at once.

Gas spilled out of the can and splashed against his boot.

�Fuck� he yelped, releasing the handle and shaking his foot.

�Nice language�� a voice said.

�Ahh�� Duo gasped, the sound escaping out of him almost
involuntarily. �Shit!� He squinted in the general direction of the voice and
strained to see.

A small dark shape moved from the corner of the building and
through the darkness, Duo could see blonde hair.

�I�I just needed some gas.� He called out. �I have the money
for it.�

The shape came closer and Duo could now make out a boy
around his age, maybe a bit younger. Nineteen or twenty, it seemed. He was
short and small framed, almost delicate, with a sweet, friendly face.

�Hey,� the kid said. �You don�t have to explain to me�I�ve
done a little B and E myself.�

�The door was open.� Duo said in a more conversational voice
and the boy came even closer. �I didn�t break in or anything.�

The gas nozzle gurgled and he looked down, realizing he�d
pressed the handle again and was now close to overflowing the can.

Releasing the nozzle again and standing, he chuckled. �You
scared the shit outta me.�

�Sorry�� the kid said. �I saw you�didn�t know if you were
nuts or not. Lots of crazies out on the road, you know?�

Duo thought of the hitch hiker and nodded solemnly. �Yeah.�

�I�m assuming you ran out of gas.� The kid said. �So�you
have a car, right?�

�Uh huh.� Duo muttered, fishing his wallet and pulling out a
five. He strode to the door of the station while the blonde stayed put.

�You think you could give me a ride?� he called out as Duo
went inside and put the five on the counter. Looking for something to write
with and on, he muttered, �Another hitch hiker�jeez.�

�C�mon�I won�t be any bother.� The kid called to him.

Duo found a crumpled receipt and smoothed it out. Grabbing a
pen from a cup next to the register, he left a note with the five and slid out
the door.

The blonde was still there, standing by the pump and Duo�s
gas can.

�What do you say?� The kid looked hopeful and Duo realized
just how young he looked.

He sighed, �What�s your name?�

The kid smiled. �Quatre.�

�Well, Quatre�you�re kinda young to be out by yourself aren�t
you?�

�I�m twenty three.�

�Bullshit.� Duo said, not unkindly.

�Seriously.� Quatre said with such tired resignation that
Duo realized he probably had to deal with this same conversation over and over.

�Sorry.� Duo said. �I wasn�t trying to be a dick.�

Quatre�s smile returned as he fell in step beside Duo, �It�s
okay�nobody believes me when I tell them�so will you give me a ride?�

�Look�� Duo began, but then the Dodge popped into his head.
He pictured himself driving again.

Driving over darkened,
shadowy roads�where anyone could be waiting�

Driving�alone�

He looked at Quatre. �Where you going?�

�LA.� The blonde grinned. �I don�t have any illusions about
being famous, okay?...I just want to be where it�s warm��

�Why not Florida�or Texas�or Arizona
for that matter?�

�LA just seems like it would be fun.�

�Fun�� Duo echoed, �sure��

�So, you�ll give me a ride?�

Duo smiled, �Sure�just don�t get any ideas about robbing me
or anything.�

�I won�t�

�I mean it.�

�I won�t�

�Cause I�ll kick your ass��

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*

*

*

___________________________________________________________________________________

�� So�I left
his lying, cheating, gradually expanding ass and started hitching.�

Duo looked at his passenger.

�What�you couldn�t tell I�m gay, c�mon.�

Duo shrugged, �I�m just surprised at how direct you are.�

�Well�� Quatre said frankly, �I�m not gonna go around
apologizing for it, for crying out loud.�

�And you shouldn�t.�

They rode in silence for a bit, then Quatre said. �And you?�

�Me what?�

Quatre rolled his eyes. �Are you queer or not?�

�Jeez Quatre��

�Well?�

Duo thought of Heero and felt such a sudden wave of
homesickness that he gripped the steering wheel hard and swallowed the lump in
his throat.

�Yeah�� he muttered.

�Got a boyfriend?�

Duo looked at his passenger again. �What�re you trying to
get at Quatre?�

The blonde smiled at him. �Nothin��just, you know�I�m
alone�you�re alone, right?�

Duo shook his head. �Very much not.�

�Damn�I knew it was too good to be true.�

Duo looked back at the road and shrugged. �Sorry.�

�No�don�t be. Most guys wouldn�t give a shit about their
relationship�most would pull over and fuck me in the back seat without a second
thought��

�That�s a depressing thought�you just might be worth more
than a quick tussle in the back of a car Quatre�you know that, don�t you?�

The blonde shrugged. �Maybe�would it help if I told you I�d
do whatever you want�anything.�

�C�mon�don�t.�

�I�ll swallow if you want��

�Hey�here�s an idea. Let�s change the subject.�

Quatre shrugged again. �Can�t blame a guy for trying,
right?�

Duo took a deep breath and plunged ahead. �So�let me ask you
something�say I was driving a car across the country at a pretty steady
speed�say about sixty-five.�

He looked to see if he had his passenger�s attention.

Quatre nodded.

�Okay�so say a hitch hiker like yourself got picked up by
another car going say, eighty�eighty-five or so�you�d end up ahead of me,
right?�

Quatre nodded again.

�So�it�s possible�I mean, if you kept getting picked up by
someone who was going faster than me�you�d always end up ahead of me, right?�

�I suppose�what�s your point?�

Duo sighed. �Nothing really�just a stupid game I was playing
in my head.�

�Could we get back to the game of me sucking your dick?�

Duo laughed, �Get off it will you?�

He turned back to the road and his smile faded.

A hitch hiker, dressed in beat up khakis and a dark blue
work shirt stood about an eighth of a mile up, barely visible in the darkness.

Something inside Duo twisted and he grimaced.

Turning the wheel slightly, the car angled directly at the
mousey man.

*

*

*

*

*

___________________________________________________________________________________

�� Shit!� Quatre yelled as he realized they were heading for the
shoulder of the road.

He threw himself across the console and grabbed the wheel,
twisting it back so they stayed on pavement.

�What the hell was that?� he yelled, refusing to let go of
the wheel, eyes still on the road.

�Did you see him?� Duo asked, his voice barely a whisper.

�What�see who?�

�That man�the one who�s been following me.�

Quatre looked at Duo for a second, then back at the road. �I
didn�t see anyone�you must�ve imagined it.�

�No!� Duo gasped, �I�ve seen him�the whole way�he�he�

�There wasn�t anyone there!� Quatre said forcefully.

�He wants to hurt me�I know it.�

�Look,� Quatre said. �maybe you should just drop me off up
here, �kay?�

Duo looked stricken. �No�please. I don�t want to be alone�please, if you�d
just�stay with me��

Quatre realized their proximity and let go of the wheel. He
sat back on his own side and considered for a moment as Duo pulled to the
shoulder and stopped.

�Maybe you should take a break, you know?�

Duo sat, breathing deeply for a moment. �It�s okay�I�m okay
now.�

�Look, � Quatre said,�
�you seem like a decent enough guy�a little nuts, but decent. Do
yourself a favor, find a hotel, park this damn thing and get a good night�s
sleep.� He gathered the straps of his duffle and opened the door. �Take care of
yourself Duo.�

�No please!� Duo begged, leaning over to the passenger side
to look up at Quatre.

�Please don�t leave��

�Sorry�� the blonde said, shutting the door. �I�m not real
anxious to die in a car crash because you�re sleep deprived.�

�Please�� Duo whisperer-begged as Quatre walked off.

*

*

*

*

*

_____________________________________________________________________________________

�� He couldn�t
believe it!

A pay phone!

He hadn�t seen a single one since leaving New York. The increasing number of cell
phones making the phone booth obsolete, but here was one�right on the side of
the road by the on ramp to the highway.

He pulled over and leapt from the car. Fumbling his change,
dropping several coins in his frantic attempt to get a dial tone. He dialed his
home number, fingers trembling and almost cried with relief as he heard
ringing. There was a distinct �click� and�

�Hello?�

�Heero?�

The person on the other end hesitated. �I�m sorry�Heero�s
not available just now.�

�What?� Duo asked. �What do you mean�who the hell is this?�

�My name is Wufei. I work with Heero. I�m just keeping an
eye on the place for a bit while Heero is recovering.�

�What?� Duo cried out. �Recovering�recovering from
what?...what happened to Heero?�

�It was all so sudden really�very sad.�

�Please,� Duo begged. �Tell me what happened to Heero�is he
okay?�

�Well�� Wufei hesitated, �Physically, he should be fine,
but��

�Oh god.� Duo breathed, �please��

��well, emotionally�I don�t think he�ll ever recover�you
see, his partner died a few days ago.�

�What?� Duo asked. �What do you mean?�

�Heero�s partner Duo�Duo was driving across the country to
visit a friend of his from school. It seems a tire blew and the car turned
over. He was killed instantly�it was such a tragedy�such an�injustice.�

The voice disappeared as Duo dropped the receiver and
stumbled out of the booth.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the night sky, a
billion stars overhead and felt the fear and tension drain away.

�I love you �Ro�� he said clearly, �always��

*

*

*

____________________________________________________________________________

Shaking his head, he stalked back to the Dodge, no longer
afraid.

Getting in and shutting the door, he looked up at the sign
just a few feet away, off to the right and chuckled.

Welcome to California

*

*

*

_____________________________________________________________________________

He knew he would see the hitch hiker again and he felt he almost, but not quite, knew who he was.

As he started the car he half expected to hear the voice, so
it was no surprise when it came from directly behind him.

Adjusting the rear view mirror, he saw the reflection of a
mousey little man in a dark blue work shirt in the back seat.

�I believe you�re�going my way.�

��
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The Hitchhiker