Heero grunted as he felt the bullets enter his body, twisting and tearing through skin and muscle. More shots fired, and blood dribbled forth from the holes, but Heero didn't stop to think, to cry, or to feel pain. He kept running, keeping his mind soley fixed on the mission. He grunted as he felt another piece of gun aimed metal enter his back, and smash into his spine.

"Heero!" Duo screamed, running to catch his fallen companion. Heero grunted, his legs collapsing beneath him.

"Go!" Heero grunted, pain rippling through his body, his voice lost in the mass of will power he exerted, trying not to scream n pain. He was fas losing the battle.

"Not without you!" Duo whispered, hauling Heero onto his shoulders, running for his Gundam. "I'm not going to leave you behind!" Duo wispered, tossing Heero into the Mobile Suit first. Heero grunted n pain as the rough landing jarred his many wounds.

"Then shut up and get us out of here!" Heero whispered, his eyes half closed. Duo grinned and nodded, gently pushing Heero to the side so that he could easily pilot the suit. Deathsythe Hell lept into action in a moment, slaughtering the enemy suits around him.

"What about Wing?" Duo asked, looking over at Heero. Heero whispered something softly, nodding his head, but his eyes closed as blood continued to sleep from his wounds.

"....... Sayonara...... Duo........" Heero gasped. Duo shook his head, taking off into flight, heading for the nearest hospital. He would not allow his friend to die on him.

"Heero, you aren't dying in my Gundam! Got it, that's your mission, don't die!" Duo shouted, tears streaming down his face. Heero's head went lax, and his breathing began to slow. Duo cried out, half in joy, half in misery as he saw the hospital looming on the horizon.

"I need a doctor!" Duo screamed, carrying Heero's dripping corpse into the ER. A nearby doctor rushed over, fear written over his face as he saw the extent of Heero's wounds.

"What happened?" the doctor asked, taking Heero from Duo and carrying him to a nearby stretcher.

"ER, STAT!" the doctor yelled, and other attndents rushed into play, wheeling Heero away from Duo, and off to surgery.

"Just save him, promise me that, please!" Duo sobbed, breaking down into tears. The doctor nodded, handing Duo a clipboard of forms.

"Fill these out, we'll take care of him." Duo nodded, and looked at the forms, tea blurring in front of his eyes.

"If you die on me Heero, you have to deal with these!" Duo whispered under his breath, water staining the ink on the page as it dripped off his face.

Heero opened his eyes, pain echoing through his body, dullened by an odd feeling. A drugged feeling. He yawned slowly, and the realized that some one was holding his hand. He tried to sit up, but shots of red pain rang out in front of him, and he screamed in pain, his training not kicking in for the first few seconds.

"Heero!" Duo sighed, waking up. He hadn't left Heero's side since the surgery, a week ago. Heero's eyes glazed over, with pain or medication, Duo couldn't tell.

"Where...... am....... I.....?" Heero demanded softly, his body still screaming in protest. He couldn't feel his legs.

"You're in the hospital........... remember the mission?" Duo asked, tears streaming down his face. He was unsure how he would break the news to Heero, that he would never be able to walk again.

"My legs........ I can't feel.......... my legs......" Heero gasped, trying to sit up again. Duo nodded, wiping the tears from his face.

"You're lower spnal cord was shattered, you won't be able to..... walk again." Duo sighed as Heero's vision fixed on the cieling. He turned his head toward Duo, a tear running from his right eye to his left.

"Was the mission acomplished?" Heero asked, his voice wavering. Duo nodded. He turned around as Quatre walked into the room, carrying a little girl in a red dress.

"Papa!" the child shrieked, reaching out for Heero. Heero sighed, and smiled at the little girl.

"Now remember, your Papa's hurt, so you have to be very gentle." Quatre reminded her, setting her down on Heero's bedside. The little girl smiled and nodded, straightening the hem of her tiny dress.

"Uncle Quatre said that you were sick, so I got to stay at his house with him and Auntie Dorothy and cousin Dvorak!" Kiayo cheeped, smiling. Heero smiled, trying to lift his hand. He grunted as the pain overwhelmed him.

"I'm sure it was fun........." Heero sighed, his eyes glazing over once more. Duo looked at Quatre, and Quatre nodded.

"Kaiyo, Auntie Dorothy is right outside, why don't you go talk to her, okay?" Quatre whispered, picking the tiny chld up and setting her down on the floor. Kaiyo giggled and nodded, running out of the room, and down the halway.

"Thanks for taking care of her, Quatre. I don't know what she would've done if I hadn't come home.........." Heero wnced. Duo sighed, looking at his injured friend.

"No problem, that's what friends are for, right?" Quatre asked, trying to hide his tears. Heero nodded slowly, looking over at him.

"Duo........" Heero whispered, his next words lost as he bit his lips.

"Don't worry Heero, just take your time. We can't go around being the four Gundam Pilots, can we?" Duo grinned, his eyes full of sorrow. Heero grunted, opening his mouth to speak again.

"Take care of Kaiyo for me, if I don't make it through this....." Heero bit his lip again, drawing blood. Duo nodded readily, knowing that Heero wouldn't let up until he said yes.

"Sure thing, you can count on Shinigami! I may hide, but I don't lie!" Duo chuckled. Heero sighed with relief, closing his eyes. Kaiyo walked into the room, clutching Dorothy's hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Papa!" Kaiyo cried, running over to Heero's sleeping form. "Wake up Papa!" Kaiyo screamed, Dorothy only shook her head as Quatre glared at her.

"What did you tell her!" Quatre hissed quietly at his wife. Dorothy glared at him, anger burning in her eyes.

"The truth, that Heero isn't going to live! It was the least I could do!" Dorothy snapped back. Heero's eyes fluttered open as he saw Kaiyo crying, shaking him awake.

"I'm so sorry Kaiyo.......... I'll love you, always......" Heero whispered, his eyes closing as the last breath of air rattled from his lungs, leaving the tiny child an orphan.

"Papa! Papa!" Kaiyo shrieked, tears running freely from her eyes as Heero's body went limp. Quatre contained his silent sob, and Duo picked the little girl up, tears streaming from his own eyes.

"I want Papa back!" Kaiyo sobbed. Duo nodded, setting the child down on his lap.

"Your Papa hasn't truly left. If you keep him here, in your heart, he will always be there with yu, and watching you." Duo whispered, trying to contain his tears. If he broke down, there was no way he could help the tiny child, or anyone else ever again.

"Are you sure?" Kaiyo asked, sniffiling. Her tears were beginning to stop as she eyes Duo suspiciously. Duo nodded.

"You know me, I never lie. Your Papa will always be watching you, from heaven." Duo sighed as Kaiyo looked up, her eyes twinkling with hope..........

Heero looked down upon his daughter, smiling softly as she looked up at him................