Running Out Of Tomorrows

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>RUNNING
OUT OF TOMORROWS

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>PART
FOUR

*   *   *

“Hey mommy! Mommy! Look!” A
little six-year-old boy called out in excitement, bouncing up and down while
pointing eagerly at something. To his side, his mother kept walking, her high
heels tapping on the pavement. She sent a quick glance at what he was pointing
at and then rolled her eyes. She kept walking forward, taking her son’s hand in
hers and dragging the little boy with her. The boy pouted and sent a sad look
over his shoulder, sad blue eyes watching the store he was pointing at earlier.

The two were walking down the
busy streets of L2- V08744. Tall buildings and shops surrounded them,
for they were walking in the business district of the colony. L2 had improved
quite a lot since the end of the war, now having a useful and working
government that saw to the people’s needs. In less than a decade the L2 cluster
managed to recover financially, now being one of the most important sources for
industrial parts and salvaging of old war equipment. The streets were clean and
the air was fresh. New vegetation was planted in the once deprived colony and
many structures were fixed and rebuild, including the colony’s metal casing and
outer shell. L2 was now a well-regarded colony, having fully recovered from the
damage inflicted by the harsh war.

Many businessman and women
walked these streets at that hour in the day, rushing to their place of work.
The mother and son were swallowed in a sea of gray office suits, the tapping of
expensive shoes, and hum hum of the crowd. Hilde Schbeiker made an unpleased face
and attemptedstrastraighten her suit. She was unused to wearing these fancy
things, feeling quite comfortable with only a pair of jeans and a checkered
shirt, but for today, she’ll have to try and fit in into the ocean of dress
suits. The suit she was wearing was the only thing she had left from the time
when she and her ex-husband worked together, and it was quite small on her now.
She had adopted herself a more free and casual life style, as an artist, and
now she felt ridicules trying to belong and make a good impression.

Having her six-year-old son
bouncing next to her, calling out in excitement every two seconds, wasn’t
helping her either. But she decided that it shouldn’t matter. If the boy felt
like expressing himself, than he should be allowed to do so in any way he
wanted. She didn’t believe in restraining him from expressing what he felt. If
he chose to act like his silly father, being a loudmouth and a nag, than who
was she to stop him? Even though Duo and she didn’t end things on the best of
terms, she didn’t hate him and she had no objections to the way he chose to
raise their child. was was a good father and he was able to support both
himself and Solo. She on the other hand, was an artist struggling to mak liv living. She still had a little money left from the profits she made while
working with Duo on their (formerly) joint company, but even that was running
short.

“Mooooommyyyyy! You’re
not looking!” The little boy repeated, his small voice soug ang annoyed.
“Mommy!”

“Solo, I did look.” Hilde
answered calmly, though her voice a bit harsh. “And I told you that we’re not
stopping in any more toy stores. I have to get to the bank before it closes!”

“Solo, I can’t buy you that
right now. You’ll have to ask your father.” Hilde answered, her tone softer.
She squeezed her son’s hand lightly, smiling down at him. “Why won’t we call
your daddy tonight, okay? You can ask him then.”

The little boy pouted and
hurried to catch up with his mother. “Ohh mommy! He won’t buy it! He’ll only
buy the old one, and EVERYBODY has the plain Jinx collector’s
album! This is a special edition! There’s only a hundred of them left! They said
on the news that someone stole almost ALL of them! And those jerks aren’t gonna
make new ones!”

“Solo! Watch your language!”
Hilde rebuked him, and then muttered: “You’re beginning to sound like your
father...”

“But mommy! I have to buy it!
There aren’t much left!” Solo whined, sending a sad glance backwards, towards
the toy store they just passed.

Hilde rolled her eyes.
“Honey, I know that. And that’s also the reason why they are so expensive.” She
informed her son, unable to resist a little smile as she looked down and saw
his adorable little pouting face. “Ask your father, sweetie. I don’t have
enough money right now.”

Solo sighed and bowed his
head down in defeat. h...h... okay...” He mumbled, looking down at his feet as
they kept walking, hand in hand. “But I just KNOW that he won’t buy it. . .”

Hilde chuckled and ruffled
her son’s hair. “I know it’sd, bd, baby. Maybe you can ask him to buy you one
in the Duty-Free. I bet they’ll have one there.”

“Yeah, but... but he doesn’t
even know WHICH one to buy!” He cast his gaze down sadly. “...I wish he’ll come
home already.”

Hilde sighed and shook her
head. “I know you miss him, honey, but your father has more important issues to
deal with right now.”

The little boy sighed and
continued walking silently by his mother’s side. More important things? What
could be more important than him?

*   *   *

Sighing heavily, Duo shifted
in his creaking metal chair, yawning widely. He carefully let go of Heero’s
warm and gentle hand, and raised both his hands up to rub his eyes. He was
sitting by Heero’s bed, holding the boy’s hand as he slept. They spent the last
two hours talking and playing cards, until Duo could tell that Heero’s strength
was leaving him. The Japanese man’s hands began to slightly tremble as he
lifted the cards, and his eyelids began to slowly flutter shut. He was losing
his concentration on what Duo was saying, and only managed to smile weakly at
Duo’s desperate attempts at a joke.

After seeing that Heero was
fighting his exhaustion just so he can be with him, Duo decided to take things
into his own hands, and told Heero to go to sleep. Heero’s eyes turne loo look
at him tiredly, reflecting his silent fear of abandonment. Duo smiled at him
and kissed his hand gently. He promised that he’d still be there when Heero
will wake up. Only after he assured the boy that he’s not leaving his side,
Heero relaxed enough to sleep. He sent Duo a shy little smile as he lay down,d hed he was deep asleep even before Duo managed to cover him.

Duo yawned and stretched in
his chair. On the bed, Heero’s hand twitched, his fingers searching for Duo’s
warm hand. When they found it missing, a pair of sleepy blue eyes opened
halfway, searching. When Duo saw that, he hurried to take Heero’s hand in his
again, engulfing the frail paith ith both his hands.

Heero smiled in gratitude and
drifted back to sleep.

Duo sighed, looking at Heero
with sad violet eyes. He’d been meaning to go down to the cafeteria and call
home, but he was unable to leave Heero’s side for even a second. Each time he
tried to do so, Heero would look at him with such a forlorn look, that he was
simply unable to resist the boy’s silent plea. He didn’t get out of his chair
for nearly two whole days, and besides the fact that his ass hurt like hell, he
also wanted to speak to his son. He missed his little-man dearly. He missed his
little chirping voice and his sparkling blue eyes. He missed the silly shows he
watched on TV, and his stupid friend Johnny who always came over and made a
hell of a lot noise. He missed his daily routine of making breakfast and
dinner, and he missed the conversations he used to have with his son.

But then, on the other
hand... it’s only been a week. He hadn’t seen Heero in seven years, and already
he was homesick?! It was so darn right confusing! All this time he was certain that
seeing Heero was the only thing that mattered. He had missed the Japanese man
dearly, but... but now that he was here, he also wanted to be home. With Solo.

And the hug he gave him the
other night... was that pureut out of love or just an act of happiness, of
longing? He had missed Heero and he was very happy to be finally able to see
him, but then again, here he was, ready to leave again. Why did he hug Heero so
desperately last night? Was it because he really loved Heero? Or was it just
because he had missed his best friend and ex-comrade?

What was he thinking!? He’s
not going to leave Heero’s side! He wanted to be with him! He had to be with
him! Heero was dying! It was his last chance... his last chance to...

To what? His last chance to
see Heero? To speak to him? To tell him that... that what? That he loved him?
Did he love him? No. That was a stupid question. Of course he loved him. But
was he... was he in love with him? Was he in love with ex-gundam pilot
Heero Yuy?

Was he ever in love with
anyone!? Did he love Hilde? Was he in love with her? Did they share something
deep and profound? And if they did, then why did they ever divorce? Wasn’t
their love strong enough? How come a son and a good marriage wasn’t enough to
keep them together? Why did he feel so lonely, even though he shared a bed with
a woman that he... loved? Loved as a... as a friend. A good friend. One of the
best he ever had. One of the people he was most close to... except for...
except for Heero. Heero meant more to him than Hilde did. Much MUCH more.
But... in what way?

Argh! So many questions! They
kept swirling round and round in his head until he felt dizzy. He had no idea
what he was feeling! It was all so confusing! He knew that he loved Heero, and
he knew that he used to love Hilde. But in what way!? Both were important to
him... Hilde was the mother of his son... His son... Solo... he loved him more
than anything in the whole wide world! But that was obvious because he was his
son! He was meant to love him! He was meant to be there for him through fire
and ice... it was an unconditional kind of love. It was clear in his mind that
he loved Solo. And thus it was understandable why he missed him so much. He’d
never been away from Solo for more than a day or two.

And Heero? What about Heero?
He hadn’t seen him in seven years! Seven years, and now he was here, by his
side, holding his hand as he lay there dying. Was it also out of duty to his
friend, or was it out of caring and love? Was it as unconditional as his love
to his son? Who was more important? WHAT was more important? Solo or Heero?
Heero or Solo? Did it really matter? Heero would be gone soon. He’ll be dead
some time in the near future. So what was the point!? He will never have the
chance to tell him that he... that he... that he loved him? He could tell him that
right now, but could he also tell Heero that he was in love with him? He
didn’t know yet! He needed more time! He needed time to find out! But... but
there wasn’t any time! Time was running out fast! He can’t leave it all for
tomorrow... there might not be a “tomorrow” for Heero.

How can he let Heero die
without telling him... how could he do that to him?! Heero obviously loved him,
right? He didn’t say it out loud, but it clearly showed... right? Or perhaps he
was just lonely all those years... perhaps he was simply happy to see that
there was someone here for him, in his finale hour. Or was it love?! Again that
large and infinite word! Such a huge term to try and squeeze it all into the
fragile human mind! What was love? Who did he love? Who did he love more? Why?
Did it really matter? Now that he was almost out of time... did it really
matter?

Yes. It did. It mattered more
than anything right now. He needed to straighten his feelings fast, before it
was too late. He wanted it all out in the open, before Heero will... before he
will... before he will die.

God... if only he had more
time...

Do you really need time to
realize true love? If he had to think THAT long if he loved Heero or not... if
it was SO hard to find the answer, then maybe he... maybe he didn’t love him at
all.

“Oh, God, I need a break...”
Duo muttered to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He’s been going round
and round in circlets for what seemed like hours. He needed some fresh air...
as fresh as air could be on L7...<:p>

Sighing heavily, Duo
carefully uncurled Heero’s fingers from around his palm and gently slid out of
the boy’s hold. He held his breath as he laid Heero’s limp hand back on the
mattress, and then carefully, silently, got up. He took a deep breath before
opening the dirty yellow curtain, and then stepped out into the room. He sent
Heero a sad little look before he closed the curtain again, and turned to walk
out of the room.

Just then, a nurse walked in
with a large cart full of food trays. In a matter of seconds, the large hall
came to life, as the patients rose out of their beds and hurried to huddle
around the food cart. They looked like a bunch of starved animals as they
fought over the trays. It seemed like there wasn’t enough food for everyone,
and lunchtime became a matter of survival of the fittest. If you had the
strength in you to fight someone over a bowl of soup, then it was yours. Some
patients even grabbed tow trays and hurried to their dirty corner of the room,
glaring at the weaker with animal like stares. It made Duo sick.

Sighing, he walked over to
the cart, noticing that the nurse was long gone, probably in a hurry to escape
the lion’s cage before they will mistake her for their meal. Only a few older
patients were by the large, and empty, cart, salvaging all that they could
find. Some ate right off the floor, licking their bony fingers hungrily. He
nearly stepped on one’s hand as he stepped closer to the cart, and he hurried
to mumble a quick apology.

The old man just snorted and
rolled his eyes. He grabbed his piece of bread, looking up at Duo with warily
eyes.

Duo sighed. “Relax, okay? I’m
not gonna hurt you. You can eat your fucking bread, okay!? I’m not gonna fight
you for it!”

The old man glared at him
coldly. “Ch! So I see your friend there finally ran out of the strength to
fight for his meal, now did he?! About time too! I was wondering when he would
collapse! Just means more food for us!”

Duo gaped at the old man, not
believing what he was hearing. The old man just ignored him, and kept glaring.

“You just keep away, lad! If
he wants to eat, he can come and get it himself!” The old man spat, gathering
all that was left off the floor and staggering up to his feet. “It’s unfair to
get help! You don’t see any of us getting a helping hand, now do yo

“Ervin, you old scumbag!”
Another elderly patient spat at him. “You shut your mouth! How many times did
that young giv give up his meal for you!?”

Duo’s heart clenched
painfully at those words. He turned to look at the old man speaking, his eyes
narrowing in anguish. He should have expected Heero to do such a thing... The
boy always put himself last. It was no wonder that he was so weak, after giving
up his meals to those weaker than him.

The old man who just spoke
turned to Duo with a kind smile. “Ervin’s just too damn proud to admit that he
got help! He’s also a stubborn and jealous old man, who would like nothing but
to see others fall! I actually re see seeing him give you his meals! You don’t
deserve such kindness!”

“Ah, shut up!” Ervin spat and
then turned away, walking back into his corner of the room.

“Here,” The other old man
spoke, offering Duo some bread. “You can have this. It’s not enough for the two
of you... but it’s all I have to give.”

Sighing, Duo shook his head
and pushed the man’s hand away. “No thank you. I can’t take this from you.” He
didn’t wait for a response, and just turned on his heels, walking back to the
back of the room. He pulled Heero’s curtain aside and then closed it behind
him. He settled back on his chair and took Heero’s hand back in his. He
continued sitting there quietly, watching Heero sleep, his violet shining with
tears.

In all his time here, he
never saw such a hideous thing. He didn’t remember the patients receiving any
meals. All they got was a bowl of soup and maybe an IV to keep them alive. It
seemed that a hot meal was only served once in a few days, and thus the
patients fought for it like they were fighting for their lives. Which, in a
way, they were. And all this time, Heero had given up the privilege of his hot
meal, and gave it to others. Such a kind soul... It made his heart bleed as he
looked down at the young Japanese man. Such a kind heart... why does it have to
be taken away from this world..?

As the rush of activity slowly
calmed in the room, the sounds of eating that filled it finally fading, Duo
could feel Heero stir slightly in his bed. He heard him moan quietly, and he
turned to watch him as Heero slowly licked his lower lip in thirst. Cobalt blue
eyes slowly fluttered open, looking up sleepily at Duo.

Duo smiled down at Heero, but
his smile faltered. “Hey.” He whispered, struggling to keep his smile on. He
took Heero’s hand up and kissed it gently. “You missed lunch.”

Heero sighed and turned away,
closing his eyes. “...it doesn’t matter.”

Duo sighed, his smile fading.
The two remained silent for a long time. Heero was drifting back to sleep, his
hold on Duo’s hand weakening.

“Say, Heero, what would you
like to eat?” Duo suddnely spoke, jerking the man on the bed out of his
napping.

Heero turned to look at him,
puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Duo smiled, shifting in his
chair a little. “Doesn’t matter what I mean. Just tell me, what would you like
to eat, more than ANYTHING in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!”

Heero chuckled weakly at
Duo’s silly grin. He took a deep breath and then closed his eyes in thought.
“Well... I’d like to have some.........” He smiled slightly, and turned to look
at Duo. “...French fries.”

The braided man nodded with a
smile, and then gestured at him to continue.

Heero smiled sadly, a bit
amused by this game, though he knew that it will get them nowhere. He took
another deep breath, thinking. “And I’d also like to have a... a salad.” His
smile broadened, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “A big one.”

Duo chuckled and squeezed
Heero’s hand. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Ummm......... apple pie.”
Heero let out after some time, licking his lower lip again. He was beginning to
feel a little hungry, and he closed his eyes, trying to picture his meal. He
smiled a little as more images came to his mind. He could almost taste it...

“...onion rings... and... and
chocolate milkshake...” Again he licked his lower lip, his hunger growing. He
took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling, a ghost of a smile playing on
his colorless lips. “...vanilla ice-cream... with nuts on top...............
and chocolate syrup..........” His smile grew and he closed his eyes in bliss.

Duo watched him with
sorrowful eyes, struggling to contain his tears. He could actually sense
Heero’s hunger, his own mouth watering. He just realized how hungry he was,
after eating nothing but small snacks for the last two days. He inhaled deeply,
tightening his hold on Heero’s frail hand.

“......and strawberries.”
Heero finally whispered, as if it was a holy word he had just spoken. “...I’d
like to have some strawberries. Fresh strawberries. Ones so sweet and red......
that’ will melt in my mouth.........”

Duo found that he was holding
his breath while listening to Heero’s quiet voice. He watched breathlessly as
Heero slowly licked his lips, and then turned to look at him, his cobalt eyes
shining. He smiled sadly at the braided young man.

“...it’s been ages since I
last had strawberries......”

Duo nearly whimpered at the
sound of his broken voice. He sniffled and nodded his head. “Yeah. Me too.” He
whispered back, kissing Heero’s hand.

“I’d ask for champagne too,”
Heero’s quiet voice spoke up again. The young man closed his eyes, and took a
deep breath, trying to keep awake. “... but I’m not allowedhavehave any
alcohol...” He snorted, his tone bitter. His eyes closed briefly and Duo could
tell that he was struggling to keep awake.

“Not that it matters......”
Heero continued, his voice sleepy. “It’s not like... I’m... risking... my. . .
h...health.  .style="mso-spacerun: yes">  .” With a finale and nearly inaudible
moan, Heero drifted back to sleep. His hand became limp in Duo’s hold and his
head lolled to the side.

Sniffling, Duo reached up a
hand to wipe away the tears that pooled in his eyes. The faltering smile he
struggled to keep on finally faded completely. He looked down at Heero with a
pained and miserable expression. He could feel Heero’s hand twitch in his hold,
and saw the young man’s face twist in pain.

“Shhh. . .” He whispered
soothingly, reaching down to caress Heero’s features. He pushed a few long
bangs out of his eyes, his fingertips caressing his forehead lightly. He took a
deep breath, fighting off the tears as he studied Heero’s pale features. He
already looked half dead. How much time he had left? A day? A week? Time was
running out. He can't afford to wait. He had to tell Heero how he felt about
him. He had to tell him and he had to tell him now!

But... first, he needed to
find it out for himself. He wasn’t sure about his feelings, and he wanted to be
honest both with Heero and with himself. Right now, he was sure about one
thing. He wanted to make Heero happy.

With that resolve, Duo
carefully let go of Heero’s limp hand, and got up. He sent Heero a finale
little look before disappearing behind the yellow curtain. Heero remained
behind, on the bed, deep asleep. His pale white hand rested limply at his side,
fingers twitching ever so slightly as if searching for something.

*   *   *

“Solo, quit playing with that
and come over here!” Hilde called towards her son, who was currently busy
trying to move a heavy metal pole out of its place. They were standing in line
inside the main bank office of L2-V08744. The lines were
separated by a series of ropes, held by short metal pillars holding the ropes.
Solo was trying to “rearrange” the pillars to a more desirable position, and
all the people in the bank couldn’t help but gape at the energetic little boy.
When one of the clerks glared at Hilde, she decided that it was enough and
called her son.

Sighing, Solo let go of his game
and stomped over to his mother, making it clear to EVERYONE around him that he
was NOT pleased. He stood by his mother’s side, playing with her handbag,
swinging it from side to side.

At first his mother ignored it,
as much as it bothered her, but as they approached the service window, she
reached towards her bag. “Solo, stop it.” She muttered, opening the small purse
and searching for something.

The little boy sighed in
irritation and turned away from her. He looked around him, searching for
something to do. He was bored. He hated waiting in lines and he hated banks!
His daddy often had to take him to work with him, when he had something urgent
in the office, but at least there he had his toys and such. Plus, his father
would never miss a chance to take a small break and fool around with him. And
if his father was busy, he always had Deena, his father’s secretary to talk to.
She was a very nice and pretty lady, and he knew that she REALLY liked his
father. Though his daddy didn’t seem to notice. He never noticed all all the
girls smiled at him all the time. Or at least, he didn’t respond to their
smiles in any special way. He wondered why is that. His father was always
alone. His mother had a boyfriend, but his father wasn’t seeing anybody. Ever.
He had plenty of friends and people he knew from work, but never a girlfriend.
It was weird. Smiling to himself, Solo decided that he’d tell his daddy to take
Deent tot to dinner. She’ll probably like it a lot.

“C’mon sweetie.” Hilde spoke up
all of a sudden, taking his hand and dragging him with her to the front of the
line. The little boy sighed as his mother began talking to the receptionist.

“Yes. I’d like to make a
withdrawal.” She explained, offering the piece of paper she took out of her
bag. “It’s from a joint account. I understand that I need special clearance?”

The woman behind the counter
nodded. “Yes, that will be at cubicle six...”

Solo sighed and rolled his eyes
in annoyance. He could tell that this was going to be a looooooooong day.

*   *   *

The ow sow streets of
L7-7210183 were littered with garbage and packed with people. Smoke swirled
around in the air, and dust and dirt covered every window. Walking past the
shops, Duo could barely see through the glass and into the store. Not that it
mattered. He was not heading towards any store. He continued walking through
narrow alleys and filthy streets, making his way towards the more distant part
of the colony. The streets were even busier in this district, where the
alleyways were packed with merchants and illegal dealers. It was L7’s infamous
black market, which was normally packed with traders and crooks. It looked like
any flee market Duo had seen in his life, although here the merchandize was
solely stolen goods. It was cheaper than the government supported stores, and
it had a much larger selection, offering things you couldn’t get in the legal
shops. Most factories and suppliers didn’t ship to the poor L7 cluster, and
thus you could only get some things through the black market.

Duo walked past the many stalls
and makeshift shops, his eyes scanning the variety of things offered to him. It
was often that a hawker or two would try to drag him into their shop, begging
him to buy something, but he refused. He knew that he had the look of someone
with money, for he was wearing decent clothing and carrying a wallet in his
pocket. He stood out in the poor population of this colony, but that didn’t
mean that he was “easy-money”. He knew well what he came here to buy, and the
sellers did not convince him.

After about two hours of
searching and bargaining with various dealers, Duo was ready to go back to the
hospital. He was now carrying a large paper bag, holding it securely to his
chest. He knew these kind of streets very well, and he was aware of the fact
that various thieves were eyeing him. As much as his heart ached at the sight
oose ose desperate people, he could not afford to stop and help every beggar he
stumbled upon. He came here without much money, and he needed to keep what he
had.

The things he bought cost him
quite a lot of money, but he assured himself that it was worth it. He had
enough money to buy a ticket back home, so as long as he won’t waste any more
money, he should be fine.

Just as he assured himself
that, Duo’s eyes were drawn to a certain colorful object in the midst of all
the shops. He stopped, looking down at it thoughtfully. He was looking into a
small, makeshift, toy store. The small stall was packed with colorful display
of cheap toys and other children’s merchandize. The most dominate theme in the
store, was one Duo knew very well. It was that cursed cartoon show his son
admired so much, and never stopped talking about. Seeing all that merchandize
made Duo’s heartache with longing. He missed his son so much. If Solo was here
right now, he would be bouncing up and down with joy, touching and checking out
anything he saw in that store. They he would attach himself to Duo’s pants or
shirt and begin to w and and nag until he bought him something.

Duo smiled at that thought, his
violet eyes shining like they always did when he thought of his son.

“So yer a Jinx fan, now are
ya?” A rough voice came from behind him and Duo turned around, a bit startled.

“Huh?” He let out, staring down
at the old man who stood before him, smirking.

The man chuckled and gestured
at the small store. “I’ll make ya quite a deal on their latest products.
Smuggled them from L1 just two weeks ago. What da ya say, huh lad?”

Still thinking it over, Duo
reached a hand into his pocket, and was reminded that he didn’t have much money
left. He sighed and looked up at the seller. “Sorry, man, but I don’t think
so.”

“Ah! C’mon! Think it over! I’ll
bet your kid will be happy, now wouldn’t he?”

Duo frowned. “My kid?!”

The old man let out a
good-hearted laughter. “Boy, I can spot a proud father from a mile away! You
know you want it, why not buy it? Just think of the look on the little one’s
face... It’s gotta be worth a few dollars, right?”

Oh... that man was sure pushing
him. Once again, Duo reached a hand for his wallet. He only had a few dollars
left, and he had to keep them for his ticket back home. But... won’t it be nice
to come back home bearing gifts for his son?

Chewing his lower lip, Duo
looked up at the small store, deep in thought.

“Tell ya what! I’ll make this
even more worthwhile for ya!” The seller suddenly spoke, pushing Duo towards
his store. He rummaged through some stuff, and then finally presented something
to Duo. “It’s a little bit expensive, but it sure is worth it. There aren’t a
lot of these going around nowadays.”

Frowning, Duo looked down at
what the man was offering him. He rolled his eyes. “A Jinx Collector’s Album?!
Oh, please! I can’t buy these ANYWHERE!”

The old man smirked and opened
the album. “Not this one, you can’t. This is the Special Edition. There’s only
a hundred of them or so.” He ruffled through the pages, showing them to Duo.
“This is a genuine article, I assure you. Quality ink, quality paper. It’s a
bargain.”

He could already see Solo’s
smiling blue eyes, and hear his sweet and bubbly laughter... he will surely be
happy about this...

Smiling to himself, Duo reached
for the album, flipping through the pages. “How much?” He asked, his eyes
scanning the colorful pictures printed on the pages. He still didn’t get what
was the deal with all these fluffy and gadget-filled little monsters, but if
his son liked it... then who was he to argue? He was just there to spend the
cash...

“I’ll give it ta ya fer two
hundred.”

“TWO HUNDRED?!” Duo exclaimed,
nearly dropping the album. “You’re joking!”

The old man’s smile turned into
a serious glare. “Not at all. And for your information, this thing costs nearly
double on the outside market. I’m doing you a bloody favor- selling it for
pennies!”

“Pennies?! You can buy half the
colony for that amount!”

The seller rolled his eyes.
“Not if you plan on getting out of here soon. Now spare the cash or let me find
another costumer.” He spat, and reached his hand for the album.

Duo shoved the damn album into
the man’s hand, his expression angered. He turned to take his paper bag, and
began marching out of the shop. This proved to be a total waste of time! But...

But...

S..

“Ah, heck! I’ll buy it on L2!
It’s bound to be cheaper there!” Duo assured himself, tightening his hold on
the paper bag.

But what if there are none left
on L2?

What if there aren’t any left
in the whole God damned universe?!

What if his son will never have
what he wanted?

What if he’ll be sad?

His little-man... what if he’ll
be sad..?

“Fuck it...” Duo muttered, and
hurried to turn on his heels. He stomped back into the store, using one hand to
take off his wristwatch. He shoved it into the man’s hand.

“Would this be enough?”

Startled, the old man looked
down at the expensive watch, and then smiled. He turned to look up at the young
man, noticing that he looked quite angered and upset, his long hair messy and
he is slightly panting. He nodded his head and smirked.

“Of course.”

*   *   *

“But I’m telling you that I DO
have his consent! For the love of God, am I talking to a wall here or are you
just not listening!?” Hilde’s voice echoed throughout the bank’s halls, as the
woman shouted at a clerk in anger. She waved a bunch of documents in her hand,
looking at the poor man with flaring and angry eyes.

To her side, stood Solo, a
smirk on his face as he watched the clerk squirming and sweating in his seat.
It wasn’t that he was enjoying seeing two people argue, he hated it when his
parents used to, and sometimes still do, argue. They used to shout so loud that
he was sure the windows were going to break. But since they divorced, they
didn’t, yell so much, and things were much happier. In fact, Solo always felt
sorry for anyone who was subjected to his mother’s wrath, especially his daddy.

But he sure enjoyed watching
when someone deserved it. Which, this man obviously did, otherwise his mother
wouldn’t be so angry. Unlike his father, it took a lot to make his mother
angry, but when she did get mad, she was just as bad and as intimidating as his
father. The only difference was, that his mother’s hair didn’t bounce up and
down and in all directions when she was angry. His dad’s hair was longer, and
sometimes it seemed like it was alive and had a mind of its own. That was part
of the reason Solo loved his father’s hair so much. It was another “friend” to
play with...

“I’m sorry miss, but I’m am not
authorized to approve this withdrawal without your husband’s consent.” The man
finally replied, taking shelter behind his terminal. “You’ll have to get him to
sign the papers.”

“Argh! You thick headed
asshole!” Hilde growled, her face angry. “He is NOT my husband and I do
have his bloody signature! It’s right here!” The woman barked, shoving the
papers into the clerk’s face. “See?! I have it right here!”

Flinching, the man pulled back
a little, and reached for the papers. After scanning them briefly, he looked at
the angry woman once again. “Miss, these documents are outdated. They go back
nearly four years.”

“That’s because this account
was frozen four years ago. I want to “unfreeze” my money and withdraw it! And I
need to do it N.O.W!”

“Miss, the problem is that it
isn’t only your money. It belongs to your hus... err, ex-husband as
well. We need his signature in order to release the money.”

“But it’s a JOINT account!”
Hilde protested, jumping out of her seat, ready to punch the man in the face.
“I have the right to claim the money as well!”

“Not if you’re divorced. This
calls for a different procedure.”

Taking a deep breath, Hilde sat
down and ran a hand through her hair. She sent a glance over to her son, just
to make sure that he’s okay, and then looked back at the man.

Solo was beginning to lose
interest, and his blue eyes searched for something to play with. His face
lighted with joy as he spotted a few small items on the man’s desk- a few
office accessories- and he hurried to take them and begin playing.

“Listen,” Hilde began, her
voice calmer. “This is a joint account my ex-husband and I opened AFTER we were
divorced. It’s just some savings to put our son through college. We both have
the right to withdraw the money when needed, check your papers. I need that
money- now.”

Raising an eyebrow, the clerk
sent a glance at the little six year old who was currently busy making a mess
out of his desk. He looked back at Hilde, his gaze skeptic. “You’re sending him
to college... now?”

“No you idiot!” Hilde burst
again, and Solo looked up from his game, intrigued. “Just give me my damn
money! I don’t have to tell you what it’s for!”  

“I’m sorry ma’am, but these are
new policies. I need that authorization. Mr. Maxwell will have to come down
here and sign these papers.”

“He can’t come here cuz he’s
out of the colony right now.” Hilde muttered, her voice bitter. “He won’t be
able to come for quite some time, and I need the money now. I have his
agreement, I assure you.”

The clerk sighed and shook his
head sorrowfully. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but unless he comes to sign these papers,
you’ll have to make this withdrawal through a lawyer. Come back tomorrow and
we’ll arrange it.”

“But I can’t WAIT for tomorrow!
I don’t have time for that! I told you- I need that money now!”

The clerk sighed and shrugged
helplessly. “There’s nothing I can do now, ma’am. We close in an hour. Come
back tomorrow.”

Growling, Hilde jumped out of
her seat and grabbed her handbag. She reached for Solo’s hand and hurried to
drag him out of there.

“Thanks for nothing!” She
barked at the clerk, her eyes narrow with anger.

Solo just grinned as he saw
that they were leaving this place and he hoped that they’d be home in time for
Jinx. He REALLY didn’t want to miss an episode. But as he hurried to catch up
with his mother as she walked quickly down the street, Solo was horrified to
see that they were not headed home. Confused, he looked up at his mother.

“Mommy? Where are we going?”

“To see my lawyer.” She
answered quickly, not looking down at her son as she kept walking, her eyes
searching for the building where her lawyer’s office was stationed.

Solo sighed. “Oh, mommy! Can’t
it wait for tomorrow?”

“No. It can’t.” Hilde whispered
sadly, her gaze softening. She sighed and sped her walking pace, squeezing her
son’s hand as she dragged him with her. “Some things can’t wait for tomorrow.”

“Why not?” The little boy
mumbled, his blue eyes sad.

“Because unlike Jinx, honey,
some things don’t have ‘re-runs’.”

The little boy frowned, looking
up at his mother with a confused gaze. When he saw that she wasn’t going to
elaborate her answer, he looked down at his feet and sighed again. “But I hate
watching re-runs...”

*   *   *

“C’mon... connect already...
c’mon...” Duo whispered urgently, his foot tapping on the floor in impatience.
He was holding the vid-phone’s receiver in his hand, looking at the screen
anxiously. He was standing in the cafeteria, his paper bag resting securely
between his feet. In his hand, he held a few quarters, which he used for the
vid-phone. He was trying to call Hilde, but so far had no luck. With the poor
technology of the colony, it was a miracle that ANY long-distance call ever
connected.

But he was really in a hurry to
call his ex-wife. He was supposed to call about an hour ago, but since he didn’t
have his watch anymore, he simply didn’t notice the time. When he entered the
hospital he saw a large digital clock in the lobby and immediately rushed down
to the cafeteria in order to make the call. He had asked Hilde to take care of
a few things for him in the office, and he hoped that she had managed to do so.
He had a few more things he wanted to ask from her, and so they agreed that he
should call her this afternoon.

“C’mon... shit... please
connect... c’mon...” He whispered over and over, his eyes pleading the screen
to light up and connect the call. He looked down at the bag between his feet,
cursing himself as he realized that the food that he bought will be cold by the
time he’ll go up to the third floor and give it to Heero. That only made him
wonder how his Japanese friend was doing. He had left him for quite a long
time, without even telling him that he was leaving. He hoped that Heero was
okay.

Duo’s attention was drawn back
to the phone when he heard a voice coming out of the receiver.

“We’re sorry, but due to
technical difficulties, we were unable to connect your call. Please try again
later.”

“Shit!” He cursed, slamming the
phone shut. “I don’t have a ‘later’!” He growled, glaring at the phone.
“Stupid L7 junk...”

Sighing deeply, Duo picked up
his paper bag and climbed heavily to the third floor.

He had no choice. He had to
wait for tomorrow.

After climbing up the stairs
(the hospital didn’t have any elevators for the visitors, only the medical
staff), Duo walked into Heero’s room. HE made his way slowly through the rows
of hospital beds towards Heero’s corner. He prepared to push back the yellow
curtain, but the curtain was already pulled aside, like it was opened by force.
Confused, Duo turned to the bed, wanting to ask Heero what happened.

Only the Japanese man wasn’t
there.

The bed was empty, the blanket
tossed aside and the pillow on the floor.

There was blood on the pillow.

Duo’s eyes widened.p>

“Heero!” He called, voice
panicked. He whirled around, his eyes scanning the room frantically. “Heero!!!”

But the young man was nowhere
in the room.

“Ah shit! Where did he go?!”
Duo muttered, throwing his bag to the floor.

“HEERO!” He shouted, beginning
to run out of the room, searching.

“Heero- where are you!? Heero!”

Part 5.

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