by Eikyu No Nozomi

	A fleeting thought, that's all it really was.  Nothing sunk in at
first, the words coming out of my friends mouth would not sink in to
my brain.  I refused to let them sink into my brain.  They could not sink
into my brain.  I would not let them.
	"No.........." I groaned, sinking to my knees.  My entire body
shook as the words sunk in.
	A friendly hand rested on my shoulder, and I looked up.  My
friend nodded, telling me with his violet eyes that it was okay to cry,
that, for once in my entire life, I would be allowed to let down my
defenses, and let my emotions show through.  I began to cry..........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"How....... how did Heero take the news?" Quatre asked,
looking away from the window as Duo walked into the room.  Duo
looked sadly at his fellow pilot, and shook his head, flopping into a
chair, tears running down his cheeks.  He snifled, and tried to grin.  It
didn't work.
	"Just the way we all thought he would.  He couldn't handle it.  I
popped him some sleeping pills, he's sleeping upstairs." Duo said,
looking over at Quatre.  Quatre shook his head, and looked back out
the window once more.
	"Why did this have to happen?  We are done with the war, have
been for these ten years.  But still, it's as if Destiny can't stand to watch
us smile, and be happy." Quatre whispered, more at himself than at
Duo.  Duo shrugged, playing with his braid.
	"I don't know.  I really don't.  Not even the great Shinigami can
answer that question." Duo said, his spoken thoughts hanging in the
air, the silence quite palpable.  Duo's braid rustled as he twirled the
loose hanging end, trying to control his sorrow.
	"Thanks for giving me a place to crash.  I'll be gone after the
funeral." Duo sighed, looking over at Quatre.  Quatre nodded, staring
stoically out the window.
	"Who....... did he say anything about..... about Kaiyo?" Quatre
asked, sorrow thick upon his voice.  Duo shook his head.
	"Not a word.  Not a syllable." Duo looked up at the ceiling,
wondering what would happen to his best friend, and his goddaughter
now.  He failed to envision anything sunny.  All he could see was a
world devoid of light and happiness.
	The library door opened, and someone slipped silently in.  The
door clicked hoarsely as the latch closed.  The two ex-pilots looked
over at the intruder.  It was Trowa.
	"Trowa, how ya' been!?  Long time no see!" Duo said, wiping
the tears off his face, trying to sound like his chipper old self.  Trowa
shook his head, and Quatre saw the briefest glimpse of dampness in
the corner of his eye.  He tried to smile for his old friend, and failed
miserably.
	"I...... I came as soon as I heard.  Is.... are they okay?' Trowa
asked, his voice wobbling.  Duo sniffed, wiping more crystals from his
eyes, and shaking his head.
	"I'm sure Heero would want to say hi, but he's sleeping......"
Duo trailed off, and Trowa nodded, finding himself in need of leaning
against the nearest bookcase, lest he fall over in a heap of sobs.
	The door opened again, and a little girl, no more than seven,
skipped in.  Her red curls bounced on her shoulders, against the cotten
fabric of her pale yellow play dress.  She giggled when she saw her
Uncle Trowa, her prussian blue eyes glittering with delight.
	"Uncle Trowa!" the little girl laughed, rushing up to the much
taller form of Trowa.  Trowa smiled weakly, and bent down to scoop
her up in his arms, hugging her closely, as if he could reach back into
the past through the childs form.
	Kaiyo squirmed, trying to get free.  Trowa let go, and let her
greet Uncle Quatre and Uncle Duo.
	"Uncle Quatre, where's Mama?" Kaiyo asked, pulling on
Quatre's tan pants lightly.  Quatre looked down at the little girl, and
tears began to stream down his face.
	"Oh, Kaiyo!" Quatre sobbed, crounching down, and burying his
head in her shoulder.
	"What's wrong, Uncle Quatre?  Did you get a splinter?  I can
find Mama, she'll take it out for you.  Mama is really good at taking
out splinters!" Kaiyo said, squirming again.  Her last comment made
the Quatre sob harder, and Trowa to full out cry.
	"Kaiyo, Ca.... you Mother won't be coming back, ever again."
Quatre said, gulping the salt water as it slipped into his mouth.  Kaiyo
looked at him, taking a step back, and cocking her head to the side, as
if she didn't believe him.  She looked over at her Uncle Duo, knowing
that he would never lie to her.  Duo looked away, and then directly into
her ocean blue eyes.
	"Kaiyo, your Mother is in Heaven now.  She is in a better
place......." Duo started to say, but was rudly interupted as the little girl
ran screaming from the room, tears streaming down her face.  
	Duo sat up, and made a move for the door, but Quatre shook his
head as Trowa went dashing after his niece.
	"Let Trowa talk to her.  He may not have been the closest, but
he does know what to say." Quatre said, his eyes turning red.  Duo
nodded, his eyes long since blood shot.
	"She looks so much like her Mother, so much like Catherine.  I
just don't know how Heero will deal with it." Duo shook his head,
looking up at the ceiling.  Quatre looked out the window, and watched
as Kaiyo ran across the lawn, and scrambled up a nearby tree, Trowa
close behind.  He sighed, sadness heavy on his throat.
	A gun shot echoed through the mansion.  Duo jumped up,
dashing up the stairs, Quatre following.  But, as they opened the plain
white guest room Heero had supposedly been sleeping in, they knew it
was too late.  Heero was the Perfect Soldier, and when he meant for
someone to die, even himself, he was successful.  And there was no
doubt that Heero was dead, the back of his head was spread out across
the West wall, creating an odd red mosaic.
	"God no!  Heero, you idiot, didn't you even stop to think about
Kaiyo!  Couldn't you think about your own daughter!" Duo screamed,
falling to his knees, weeping.  Quatre collapsed against a nearby wall,
sobbing.  Trowa ran into the room several minutes later, and rushed
out again, catching Kaiyo by the waist, and running downstairs with
her, not wanting to expose her to the carnage her Father had wreaked
upon himself.
	"Quatre, you read it......" Duo said, handing Quatre a slip of
paper he had removed from Heero's hand.  Quatre looked at the black
ink perfect penmanship.
	"I'm sorry for what I must do, but I cannot live without her Light
in my life.  Tell Kaiyo that Daddy love's her always.  Trowa, take care
of her for us, she is our Hope." Quatre sobbed, and walked downstairs,
and saw Trowa handing Kaiyo a cookie in the kitchen.
	"Quatre, what's wrong?" Trowa asked, his eyes pleading with
his old friend not to say the truth, not in front of the little girl.
	"Kaiyo, have another cookie, it will make you feel better....."
Quatre said, handing Trowa the note, and the little girl another cookie.
Trowa read the letter, and a strangled gasp escaped his throat.  He
looked down at his niece, who was munching on a cookie
halfheartedly, tears still running down her face.
	"Kaiyo.  It seems...... it seems that, that you're going to have to
live with me now.  Is that okay with you?" Trowa asked, trying to keep
his voice steady.  Kaiyo looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
	"Papa went to Heaven too, didn't he?" Kaiyo asked.  The
straightforwardness of the question took Trowa off guard, and he
nodded numbly.
	"Yes, your Papa went to heaven too, just like your Mama.  Just
like your Mama......." Trowa sobbed.  Kaiyo handed him one of her
cookies.
	"Have a cookie, it will make you feel better.  Uncle Quatre said
it would, so it must be true." Kaiyo mumbled, stuffing another of the
sugar sweets in her mouth.  Trowa nodded, and took a bite out of the
cookie, tears rolling down his face.................
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what did you think?  Majorly depressing?  Thought so, I agree forth
with!
But, notice the trailing ending!  I have created this story as a Round
Robin.
A Round Robin story is a story where someone writes the first part, and
passes it on.  I would dearly like someone else to finish this story, as I
am at a dead end on how to do that!
e-mail at blurose@angelfire.com if you
would like to continue the story!