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"Honor Betrayed"Written By: Yanagi Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any rights to
[Gundam Wing]. Those rights belong to Bandai, Sunrise, and the Sotsu
Agency. These fan fictions were written for fun, not profit. However,
this story does belong to me. Please don’t snitch it. Warnings: the usual Pairings: 1x2 But it's Wufei centric [very] Beta note: I think the days in the trip to Shanghai
are messed up. They fly east so they'd arrive in late
afternoon/early evening and Yet another note: There are a lot of FAQ at the
end of the epilogue.
"Honor Betrayed " Chapter 11 The next six weeks went well. Wufei taught his classes, attended therapy and went to the arcade. He felt well. Duo recovered quickly and was back to work, at desk duty until released by Sally, within three days. Heero and Duo turned out to be very good house mates. They were clean, quiet and well mannered. Duo could get loud but a shout of, 'Wrong time of day.' would shut him up. He took over maintenance of all vehicles in the garage and insisted on buying some mechanics equipment. Wufei offered to help pay but he just announced that he'd rather own his tools himself. Because his schedule was so flexible, Wufei got the repairs on the swords done quickly. He was just now returning the last of the swords to the dojo. He entered and smirked at Long Ping. One of the high lights of the last few weeks was the confrontation between Duo and her. She'd made several determined passes at Heero so Duo had shown up, in Preventers full battle gear to pick him up for an emergency mission. There was a hostage crisis down town. His cheerful, “Hello, lover, we're needed.” had made her bristle. While Heero was changing Ping had made a catty remark about Duo's hair. He just apologized for having better hair than she had. Then she'd announced that she and Heero were an item. Duo had blinked at her then shrugged. His narrowed eyes and soft, “Oh, you're an item with my lover. Too bad, I'll need to take care of that.” She'd taken one look at his face and fainted. Heero's puzzled look when he'd come out of the shower to see her still on the floor had made Wufei hurt himself trying not to laugh until they left. Now she was excruciatingly polite to all three of them. “I have brought the last sword. Please tell Shigung that I am in the armory. Thank you.” He strode by her, sure that she would do exactly as she was told. The master would be with him as soon as he could. While he waited, Wufei contemplated the room. It was Chinese style, as everything in the dojo was, and organized as an armory and display room. In the back was a tiny family shrine, which Wufei had tended every time he came into the room. He missed his family shrine very much, but was content to leave it in Shanghai, as he'd been assured that it was in good hands at the museum. Still, it worried at him. A soft, “Chang-sensi?” brought him from his thoughts. “Ah! Yang-Shigung. I have brought the last sword for your approval.” Wufei presented the sword on the palms of both hands with a slight bow. Yang-Shigung took the sword, unsheathed it half way and examined the blade. “Excellent. I am well pleased. I'll place it in the main display, where it belongs. If you would.” Wufei lifted the cover on the case and Yang-Shigung put the sword in its stand. “There. Very nice.” Wufei bowed then turned to the small shrine and bowed again. As he bowed the second time, he made a decision. “Sir, I would like to ask you a question.” “Please. Come, we will have tea and talk.” Wufei followed him into what he'd come to think of as the teachers lounge, a small meditation room off the larger one. The room had a better view of the garden, a small table to sit at and a small hibachi with an iron kettle on it. It was a perfect place to make tea and talk about serious things. He loved this room. He settled and watched the older man make the tea. He found the graceful motions of his hands relaxing and wondered if he had cultivated this as a method of soothing upset students. When the elder teacher was done making tea, Wufei accepted his cup and took an appreciative sip. They drank for a few moments, then Wufei said, “I've been considering my family shrine. It's in Shanghai in the museum there. I'd like to go check on it. See that it's being treated with proper respect.” “Good, good. It's about time you started putting your life back together. You're doing well here, and I want you to stay on. Anytime you need a day or even several, I'll take your class myself, if necessary. So, when do you want to go.” Wufei hid his surprise in another sip of tea. “I have four days off week after next. There's that festival at school so most of my younger students will be involved in that. We decided to cancel that class, remember?” Shigung nodded. “That means that I don't have a class Thursday or Friday. Saturday is free as young Mr. Michales is now bully free. Sunday, no classes and I can call if I won't be back in time for Mondays class. I'd feel better if I know that the Chang family shrine is in good hands.” “You should go then. I'll be glad to take that Monday class. Preventers aren't they?” “Yes, very advanced. Duo is in it as well as Heero. They'll probably go with me if they can. At least one of them will have to.” Wufei had explained to his superior that either one or the other of them would be with him for at least another three months. Une was still a bit doubtful of him and wasn't taking any chances. “I'm glad to see that at least one of your friends will be with you, no matter the reason. Now, finish your tea while you tell me of your next project. Are you going to make a sword?” Wufei nodded, sipped his tea then said, “Yes. I am going to make swords as well as repair them. I find that I enjoy all facets of the process. I think ... in fact, I'm sure, that I'll never be a Preventer. I will offer to teach classes if they like. But they'll have to be advanced and I reserve the right to refuse a student without explanation. I have a sword in mind.” “Ah! Yes, tell me please.” With that the conversation delved into differentially hardened blades, point designs, and metallurgical references that were so obscure that anyone else listening would have been completely in the dark in less than a minute. They finished the tea and Wufei left to go home and start designing his sword. He spent the rest of the day on his computer, and almost missed supper. Duo had to literally pry the mouse out of his hand. The three of them talked sword design all the way through supper and on the elevator down to the common room. After being forbidden to return to his computer Wufei realized that he needed to tell Heero and Duo about his trip to Shanghai. “Um ... Guys? I want to go to Shanghai to check on my family shrine. I need to see that it's being taken proper care of. It's ... I ...” He rubbed his face and sighed. Duo just nodded. “Family's important. Really. So, when do you want to do this? And who do you want to go with?” Heero just waited patiently. Wufei found that Heero was most comfortable just waiting until someone was ready to talk, while Duo was a 'box of why' as his mother used to say. “I want to go Wednesday after next as soon after my last class as we can arrange. That class is over a noon.” Heero nodded, “I remember. And that's too bad as I'm on a case that's heating up quickly. I think I'll probably be in Brazil by then. Duo?” “I can go. My last case was a bust and I haven't gotten anything new yet. I'll just tell Une and she'll make sure not to cause any conflicts.” Wufei had always thought Une was foolish to break up a team like Heero and Duo but the second she'd realized that they were a couple, shortly after Duo had gotten shot about three months after they joined, she broke them up and teamed them with other agents. Wufei hadn't met either partner as, so far, they'd both had either three or four. He couldn't remember which. Heero moved to the computer that they left on all the time. It was online, while the one Wufei used for design was not. There was a third one that was games only. They'd started out with one personal computer each but it had rapidly drifted into the current configuration. He tapped at keys for a moment then said, “I can get you on a low orbit shuttle that's Preventers. It'll be leaving at 12:30. that's just barely time enough to make it from the dojo. Or there's another flight at 1pm but it's an airline. First class is available.” Duo glanced at Wufei who shook his head. “12:30 is cutting it too close. I don't want to be that rushed. I want a shower after class and I couldn't take one. I have no intention of traveling in a sweat. Duo?” “Same here. We could pack an extra change of clothing, shower at the dojo and leave our dirty stuff there for Heero to pick up. Think?” Heero nodded his agreement to that arrangement. “Sounds like a plan to me. I'll reserve two first class seats on the 1 o'clock flight then. You'll be leaving on Wednesday and coming back on Sunday, right?” Wufei just said, “Right.” and turned to watch the news. Heero took care of the arrangements, printed out the conformations and gave them to Duo. Duo checked them then put them into a folder, along with their passports. “Wufei, don't you have any papers to prove that the shrine belongs to you?” “I don't need them. The police department sent the shrine to the museum with the caveat that they couldn't take proper care of it and the officer in charge wanted them to store it for me. They've got all the papers they need there. But I'll take my birth certificate and family papers?” He made it a question and Duo agreed. He also agreed that they needed to get the papers tomorrow so they'd be on hand. The next week was as usual, except for the occasional flurry of preparation. Duo packed early as he was always sure he'd forgotten something and had to repack at least twice. Heero found it amusing as, when packing for a mission, Duo never forgot anything and only packed once. Wufei ignored it. The time passed slowly until, suddenly, it was time to go. Wufei found himself at the airport, bag and ticket in hand, Duo at his side. The man at the gate examined their tickets, checked the manifest and asked if they wanted to check their bags. As they were only going for three nights, all they had was carry on. When they found their seats a steward asked if they needed any help with their bags but they both just said, 'No.' The steward nodded to them and walked on down the aisle. Heero chucked their bags in the overhead and they both settled down to endure six plus hours on a plane. However, the flight was uneventful and they made it to Shanghai in due time. They disembarked and checked to make sure that their return tickets were valid. Wufei tucked them away in his bag and nodded to Duo. Duo nodded back. He'd called for a taxi instead of trying to fight the line. They'd find their driver at the reserved line. Their driver knew exactly where they wanted to go and took several shortcuts to get them there. He explained that they weren't actually shorter routes but would take less time. Wufei realized that he was staying off the crowded main highway and going through neighborhoods using side streets. He glanced at Duo who just shrugged and shook his head. They pulled up in front of the museum and got out. Duo paid the driver and gave him a tip. “Ok, here we are, now what?” “We find the director or someone in authority and ask to see the shrine.” Duo nodded and followed Wufei into the building, which was designed after a Chinese temple. Except that it covered nearly a block at it's base, was made of concrete and steel and had 10 stories. Wufei loved it on sight. The information desk was situated about 15 feet from the front door and had six very polite young people in attendance. Wufei waved at one and the girl came over. “How can I help you, sir?” “I'd like to see someone about the Chang family shrine.” “Oh, of course. It's through that door in one of the gardens. It's very old and much better maintained than you'd expect. Would you like to sign the register?” Wufei stood for a moment while cold chills chased themselves up and down his limbs and spine. The young lady noticed at once and exclaimed, “Sir! Are you alright, sir?” She glanced at Duo who was rubbing Wufei's arms with concern written all over his face. “Should I call someone?” Duo glanced quickly around, noticed a small restaurant off to the side and pulled Wufei gently toward it, speaking quickly over his shoulder “Call someone in authority. I'll take him there and get some tea. I think he'll be ok. If not, I'll call someone.” Wufei sat down when Duo pushed gently on his shoulder. He accepted the tea, drank it then seemed to shake off his – whatever it was. He sighed and poured another cup. He looked up at Duo who was also drinking tea but watching him over the rim of his cup. “You ok now?” “I think so. They've got my shrine in a garden? Out it the open?” A voice from the side made them both jump. “No, it's not out in the open. It's much too precious for such abuse. It's in a very secure and well maintained display. Come and see.” The tall, blond man bowed slightly and motioned for them to follow. Duo gave Wufei a quick look but Wufei nodded to him. So, they followed the man out into the garden. “My name is Jack Su. My mother was a Chang, my father was half Swedish, his father was a Su. I'm curator of shrines.” Wufei just looked at him for a moment, Duo hanging onto his hand. He was struggling to keep his wits about him and Duo was practically dragging him along. They reached the side of the garden and a deep alcove there. Wufei looked into it and was very pleased to see bowls of fruit and rice, stands of incense and containers of sand full of lit sticks. The shrine itself was enclosed in a climate controlled niche in the wall. It was fronted with a piece of heavy glass and lighted from all sides. Wufei stood and gazed at something he'd thought he'd never see again. He turned to gaze into the garden and was struck by the beauty of it all. It was a traditional Chinese garden, divided up into small areas called rooms, each with a small piece of statuary or a stone lamp or fountain. The winding paths led from four gates guarded by circular stone and wooden screens. The wooden screens made Wufei look around. The whole of the garden was inside the building. He smiled at it, realizing that it was one of the six solariums the museum maintained. “Beautiful.” He looked again and saw a koi pond, stream and small temple in the center of the garden. “What's that?” Mr. Su glanced over at the small building. “Oh, that's the registry. We ask that every Chang that comes here sign it. Everyone says that the whole of the Chang family died when L5-Chang was destroyed but there were many clan members who weren't on the colony when it was destroyed. Most of your immediate family was. I think there's one great uncle who was on L2. We've been getting quite a few since the shrine was brought here. They all come to pray, leave offerings, sign the register and visit the displays. We've been trying to get the last Chang family sword, but Quatre Winner is in possession of it and refuses to even loan it to us. He says that The Chang of Chang entrusted it to him.” Wufei straightened his shoulders and handed Mr. Su his papers. “I did.” Mr. Su gave him a slightly stunned look and bent to examine the papers. He read Wufei's birth certificate and his original passport. He looked up to see Wufei take several sticks of incense and light them. Then Wufei put the incense in a bowl of sand, sticking the ends deep in it to hold them upright. He then bowed, clapped his hands three times then bowed again. He moved over to one side and just stood looking at the shrine, so carefully and honorably displayed and he wept. Duo just stood at his side, ready to offer what comfort he could. Finally Wufei turned away so Duo offered his bandana. Wufei took it wiped his eyes and cheeks then blew his nose. He tucked the bandana into his pocket then thanked Duo. “It's ok, man. You good?” Wufei smiled. “Better than good. This is ... amazing.” Mr Su approached him with a slight smile. “So ... you are The Chang. Are you going to take the shrine?” “No, it belongs here. Revered and protected. I want to thank you very much for taking such good care of it. The gardens are beautiful. I'll sign the register. Is it possible for me to contact any clan members?” “There's a tick box in the register. All you have to do is check it and you'll be sent a clan news letter via email. We ask that you leave your email whether you want the newsletter or not. You'll be given a chance to contact any members of the family that ask. We don't give out addresses until we're sure that both members want to meet up.” Wufei cleared his throat, he was not going to cry again. Absolutely. Not. Duo just poked him. “Go sign the damn thing. Go, go.” Wufei glowered at him but went. Mr. Su waited until he was done then led them to a group of displays he wanted Wufei to see. “This is our display of all the things members of the clan have donated to the museum. Please enjoy.” He left them to look around, pleased that he could offer some comfort to the young man. Wufei looked at various displays, happy to see things from his colony. At one display he stopped in surprise. “Oh, look. These are my baby shoes. I would have thought that they'd have been destroyed.” Duo looked at the tiny embroidered slippers and exclaimed, “Holy crap! They're so tiny. How did they wind up here.” Wufei read the card, which said, “Baby slippers. Found floating in salvage.” Duo blinked. “Well, isn't that something? How can you be sure they're yours?” “The embroidery is distinctive. And the family chop is on the toe. If I could pick them up, I'd show you the mend in the sole. You can barely see it, but I'd bet you anything it's there.” A man, who was passing by, over heard him and came over to ask, “Do you know anything about those slippers? We like to try to find out as much as we can.” “I think they might actually have been mine. I'd need to see the sole of the right one to be sure.” “I'll call for a curator, excuse me a moment.” He went to a small console on the wall and spoke into it. He came back to inform them that the lady in charge of this section of fabric and paper objects was on her way. Wufei bowed and thanked the man then sighed. “I like this place. They are very respectful and kind.” Duo nodded. “You're right. Really nice people. We ought to look around a bit more, see if there's anything else you recognize. I'm glad we came. You?” “Words cannot express my joy.” “You ok? You're getting awful formal.” Wufei grimaced. “Sorry.” “ 'S ok.” Duo turned his head. “There's the lady, or I miss my guess.” He was right as the small Chinese woman approached them and introduced herself as Madam Chin. “I understand you might be about to provide some provenance for one of our pieces?” “Yes, if I could see the bottom of the right slipper.” She blinked at him for a moment. “Of course. You will not, however, be allowed to touch it with a bare hand.” “I just need to see it.” So Madam Chin opened the case and gently lifted the shoe and turned it over. There, on the sole, was a small tear neatly stitched with tiny stitches. It was barely visible but there. “It's mine. See the way the final stitch was crossed? Mother did that so it wouldn't tear again.” The woman blinked at him for a moment. “And your name is?” “Chang Wufei, gundam pilot 05.” She gave a little squeak then pulled out a data pad and scribbled quickly. Duo peeked over her shoulder to see that she was writing kanji. A card popped out of the bottom of the data pad and she reverently placed it at the base of the pedestal the shoes rested on, right beside the other card. It read, “Baby shoes belonging to Chang Wufei, pilot 05. Per his testimony.” She bowed low and murmured, “So very pleased to meet you. Thank you for your assistance.” Wufei bowed back, saying, “And pleased to meet you, Madam. Thank you for preserving such things.” She remained near them, nearly hovering, while they examined other displays. Wufei identified two other objects, which he claimed belonged to one of his teachers. Duo finally sighed and claimed that, if he didn't eat soon, he'd waste away to nothing. Wufei looked at his watch and realized that they'd been in the building for over four hours. This after spending six hours on a plane. “We need to go eat, find a hotel and get some rest. We'll be here for another two days. I can see other displays tomorrow. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so inconsiderate.” “It's fine. Just let's go eat. Ok?” Wufei had to laugh. “Ok, ok. We'll find a hotel first, I think.” Madam humbly recommended a hotel near by, claiming that it was small but elegant and had a very fine restaurant on premises. They thanked her and went to find it. It was only three blocks away and had a suit that was suitable. They checked in and unpacked clean clothing, took showers and redressed. Duo helped Wufei braid his hair straight then braided his own. They entered the restaurant and found that it was traditional Chinese and very fine. They ate slowly, enjoying their food and tea. Duo asked questions that Wufei found himself happy to answer. Finally Duo pushed back from the table, exclaiming, “If I eat another grain of rice, I'll explode.” Wufei chuckled, “Well, we can't have that. Duo guts all over, not recommended.” Duo wrinkled his nose. “Eeuuww! I could have done without that mental picture.” They got the check, tipped the waiter and returned to their room. It really wasn't that late but they were both tired and knew that they were going to have another hard day tomorrow so they parted ways in the living room and both went to bed. Duo left a morning wake up call, laughing slightly when the operator called it a 'knock up'. Their call was for 8am, which gave them plenty of time to do morning things, get breakfast and go back to the museum. Wufei dressed in ragged shorts and a stretched out t-shirt then went out onto the roomy balcony to do tai chi. The weather was very fine, with a light breeze and he worked his way through ever more difficult kata until Duo moved to stand where he could be seen. Wufei finished the form he was on then raised and enquiring eyebrow. “Dude, you're on tv. Believe it or not. And the announcer seems to be really excited about something. You better come in an see what it's all about.” Wufei stepped through the sliding glass door just as there was a knock on the outer door. Duo went to open it while Wufei studied the vid. “Excuse me, sir. There are several reporters stationed in the next building filming you. Perhaps you should bring your exercises into the inner garden?” Wufei bowed, “I find myself disinclined to exercise anymore. If I decided to workout tomorrow I'll be happy to use the garden. Thank you.” He dismissed the man with a flick of his eyes. The man left with a bow, closing the door quietly. “What was the announcer saying?” “A bunch of crap.” Wufei scowled at the screen. “How I'm so honorable and true to my cause that I went to prison instead of compromise my beliefs. It's all ... crap. Excuse me, I'm going to shower.” And with that Wufei stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door. Duo sighed, rubbed his face and wondered if Une was going to throw a fit, or what. The phone began to ring just then so he answered it to find out that it was a reporter. His snarl made the man hang up at once. Duo called the front desk and told them to only let through calls from the approved list. He gave the list quickly then hung up. Wufei came out of the bathroom grumbling at his hair. It was wet as he'd washed it thoroughly, forgetting how long it took to dry. “Damnit. Duo? What should I do now? It's really wet and I hate blow drying it.” “If it doesn't make you uncomfortable, just leave it down.” “Ok. You don't mind?” “No. why should I?” Wufei just shrugged. “You never leave yours down. I figured it was some sort of social taboo.” Duo shook his head. “Naw. I just don't like it down. Reminds me of before Maxwell Church. Leave yours down any time you like. It won't bother me.” They went down to breakfast, ate in companionable silence and went out the door. Into total chaos. There were at least three dozen reporters from all over the globe, shouting questions and generally making nuisances of themselves. Wufei glowered then blinked as flashes went off from every direction. Wufei turned and charged back into the hotel, followed by Duo. They found the concierge on the phone, speaking in rapid Cantonese and obviously not happy. “What the devil is going on.” Duo smirked at Wufei's fury, he wasn't sure what he was saying as the rapid, colloquial Cantonese was beyond his linguistic skills, but it was obvious that both Wufei and the concierge were not happy with someone. The man hung up the phone, turned to Wufei and said, “Lord Chang, I'm so sorry. Someone here ... er ... spilled the rice. I'm trying to find out who.” Wufei stiffened. “I'm not Lord Chang. My father ...” then he stopped speaking, sighed and turned to Duo. “I guess I am Lord Chang. I keep thinking ... it's not ... um ...” He sighed, rubbed his face and gathered his thoughts. “I have always denied being Lord Chang, that was my father's title. I guess, I thought if I denied it enough I could ... pretend that he was still out there ... somewhere. Time I grew up, yes?” Duo just patted his shoulder and sighed. “Yeah, I guess so. So, can I shoot someone?” His maniacal cheerfulness startled the concierge but made Wufei smile, fending off another bout of tears that, Duo was sure, would have done more damage than good. “No, no shooting the help. It's very bad manners. We'll just let Mr. Yun handle it. And handle getting us to the museum with a minimum of fuss.” Mr. Yun agreed and made a couple of calls. Then he personally escorted them to the underground garage where there was a car waiting for them. This car took them from that garage to another one in the basement of the museum. They arrived at the museum to be greeted by the conservator in charge of weapons. Wufei raised an eyebrow when Mr. Wan asked him to examine the collection to see if he could offer any insight as to where they had come from. He agreed and spent three hours examining everything Mr. Wan brought to him. He recognized several of them as belonging to his immediate family. He was pleased to see that they were well taken care of. He was required to wear white cotton gloves to touch them. After three hours, during which Duo sat quietly to one side, Wufei announced that if there were further questions they'd have to wait for another day. Duo stood up and stretched. “It's ok, 'Fei. If you want to keep on, I'll just go wander around a bit.” But Wufei was adamant, he was also tired and wanted to walk around a bit. Before he got away however, Mr Wan asked if Wufei was still in possession of the Dragon Sword. He shook his head and replied, “No, I gave it into Quatre Winner's possession. He has it on display in his office. I'm sure he's taking good care of it.” “I see. I'll admit that I'm a bit disappointed. I was hoping to persuade you to at least loan it to the museum.” Wufei thought about it for a moment then replied, “I am impressed with the care you have lavished on the pieces in your collection. Explain to me how you might display this treasure.” “Oh, we have a very fine display of antique swords. The Chang Clan Sword would be the center piece. It's climate controlled, bullet proof and perfectly secure. We would be so proud to acquire this piece, even for a short while.” He looked at Wufei so hopefully that Duo had to turn his head. Wufei just stood up. “I'll consider it very carefully. I promise.” “If you do agree. Please contact us on a secure line. We do like to make preparations to transport such a fine piece ourselves. To ensure that there is no chance of theft.” Wufei nodded, “Of course. Please excuse us. I'm beginning to need some fresh air.” They left, entering another of the gardens enclosed within the walls of the building. Duo looked around then hissed, “Chang, that sword you carried all through two wars ... is it an antique? How valuable is it? Man, are you nuts?” Wufei put on a mock dignified expression and exclaimed haughtily, “I'll have you know that Dr. Havram has said that I'm not psychotic. And that sword, beaten and battered though it is, is about 300 years old and worth about three million euros. I'm seriously thinking of taking the museum up on its offer and giving it on permanent loan from Clan Chang. What do you think?” “I think it's a good idea. It really belongs to everyone in the clan, right?” Wufei shook his head. “No, it actually belongs to the head of the family. I'm the head of the family. But I think it ought to be somewhere where clan members can see it.” Duo shrugged. “You've got an over developed sense of honor, what does it tell you?” “That I need to call Quatre.” He made a call, couldn't get Quatre on the phone and left a message that he'd like to talk to him about private business and hung up. He was frustrated by the fact that the time lag was almost five minutes. He was surprised when his phone rang about six minutes after he'd hung up. They were seated in one of the higher class restaurants in the massive museum waiting for their order to arrive. Duo had ordered Cornish Game Hen with pecan and wild rice stuffing, asparagus, Potatoes Anna and coffee. Wufei had decided on Cedar Planked Salmon, Rice Almandine and a salad. The phone call was from Quatre. Wufei told him about his decision and asked that Quatre quietly make arrangements to deliver the sword. Quatre agreed that this was a good idea, explained that he was on Earth, in France and would make all the arrangements as soon as he got back. Wufei told him that they had to get together soon and hung up. “Well, that's that.” Wufei frowned at his fish so ferociously that the waiter hurried over to ask what was wrong with it. Wufei replied that the fish was fine, it was just that his thoughts displeased him. The waiter left, relieved that his patron wasn't unhappy with the food. Wufei poked at his salad. “Duo, do you think you can exchange the tickets? I'd like to return home today.” Duo nodded. “Sure, I can do that. But why don't we stay and do a little sight seeing?” Wufei shook his head, hair flying. “No, it makes me too sad. I'd like to go home. I want to be there. I'm not comfortable here.” “Ok, I'll take care of it over coffee. We'll go back to the hotel, pack and be on the next red eye out. Finish your food.” Wufei laughed mirthlessly. “I don't feel very hungry. But, you're right, I need to eat.” Wufei picked at his fish, then ate his rice and salad. Duo decided to be pleased that he'd gotten his friend to eat what he had. They returned to the hotel, packed, explained that Wufei needed to return for an emergency and left. The flight that Duo had managed to get them was military, so they just boarded, found a seat and spent the next six hours staring at nothing. Wufei was disinclined to talk and Duo wasn't about to risk some sort of explosion by bothering him. The other passengers tried, at first, to include them in conversation, card games or something. They declined politely until a Gunnie ordered all the others to leave them alone. Wufei gave him a nod, Duo a small unhappy grimace. He nodded back and made sure they were left to themselves. They disembarked at a terminal that proved to be Preventers local depot. Duo knew all the personnel. This made it easy for them to get off the plane, luggage in hand and get transport home. Wufei was happy for this as he felt beaten and bruised. Not physically, he could handle that, but mentally. He just wanted to be left alone to figure out how he felt. Duo thanked the Preventer driver who'd driven them home in an issue Hummer. “Thanks, man. I think I better get him inside.” Duo looked at Wufei with some concern. He seemed to be drooping like an unwatered plant. The driver glanced at Wufei too. “Man, I don't want to mix in your business but maybe you should call someone. Or something.” Duo nodded. “Yeah, I'm seriously considering it. I'll give him some time, but if he doesn't perk up soon I'll call his shrink. Thanks, man, see ya.” The driver went on his way and Duo followed Wufei into the house. He had stopped thinking of it as a warehouse his third day there. Heero met them at the inner door of the elevator, took one look at Wufei and dragged them both up to the top floor to make tea. Once the tea was made he demanded explanations. He got the whole story from Duo, with interjections by Wufei from time to time. Once the story was told Heero leaned back to think about it. Finally he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “So, how do you feel about it? Typical shrink question but it's important. If you don't know how you feel, how can you decide how to react?” Wufei thought. “Well, I'm very pleased and honored by the care they've given my shrine. And the way they've made it available to the whole of the extended family. Most of my colony was related in one way or another, some so distantly that it was genetically practical to marry. But, still. I'd like to have a shrine of my own, but that one should stay where it is.” Duo thought about it for a moment. “Um ... I don't know anything about shrines and such. But ... why can't you make one? What's in it that you need?” Wufei gave Duo a startled blink. “That's ... very wise of you. I don't know why I never thought of it. Let me see ... a picture of an ancestor. I can get several very nice pictures of my parents and both sets of grandparents from the net. And the rest is really just ... window dressing. A case to contain the pictures, some bowls for offerings, a cloth, a table. Nothing really fancy. There are some very nice shrine housings available. Thank you, Duo, I feel much better already.” Heero smiled at Duo, flicked his eyes to one side then returned to his questioning. Duo flashed Heero a quick grin and nodded. “I think your real problem is the sword. What has you in a knot?” Heero watched Wufei closely. “I ... it ... I'm stuck. I don't know.” Wufei finished the last of his tea. Heero took the cup from his hand and added it to the other two, before turning to put them in the dishwasher he just nodded toward the elevator. “Go. Meditate. You'll feel better. After you do, take a shower and hit the sheets.” Wufei gave Heero a lingering assessment then nodded and left. Duo just went to help Heero by dumping the tea waste and leaves into the disposer and rinsing out the pot. “Ok what was that speaking look all about.” “I saw a few nice shrines on the net when I was looking for a sword stand. I think we should get him one. But I'm not sure what it should look like. Any ideas?” “Yeah, he was really admiring a Japanese style one. He liked the simplicity of it. He's not much for that old fashioned, ornate, Chinese style. I think one in a light wood with some sort of cubbys to put extra bowls and incense in. I'll take a look in a minute.” “Ok. That's good. If we're careful, we can get it, get it all set up and surprise him with it. And I want to order a couple of those ladder style sword racks too.” “Fine with me.” He finished drying the pot and his hands, folded the dish cloth over the drying rack and said, “There! All done. I'll go down and pick several things. You come down when you're finished and we can pick.” Heero just nodded, concentrating on getting the dishwasher loaded just right. Duo shook his head and left. Wufei meditated for quite a while and decided that his main problem was that he just hated letting go of anything left to him of his family. In this case, he thought he had to. The sword was just too valuable a family treasure for him to keep it to himself. He decided that he needed to discus this with Dr Havram at his next session. ~ * ~ tbc... |
