It was a cold and rainy afternoon, turned early evening in Washington. The days were growing shorter and the nights had gotten longer now that it was the fall and getting dark about five p.m. Both the pilot of Gundam 02 and the former officer of OZ had rented a house for the fall and winter while trying to get used to the peace that enveloped the world and colonies like a warm, comforting blanket that would never yield, no matter how harsh the situation. Duo and Hilde were both 17, going to the same school and thinking on the same wavelength as far as school was concerned. They were both very conscious about getting homework and class assignments done. They treated school like a mission; planning out for every test and surprise quiz that would come up and ace it everytime. School was something they excelled at. Even the faculty said they were hard working students.

As the sky grew darker, with the unseen sun saying goodbye and the surfacing moon rising from below the high mountaintops, Hilde's heart began to beat faster with excitement as she gazed upon the beautiful moon rising from under the mountains. Its’ bright white glow beaming off the jagged hills. Hilde liked gazing at the sky, wondering what the other Gundam pilots were doing up in outer space, living in the colonies. She missed her home of L2 but somehow, had grown used to living here on the Earth with her good friend Duo and going to school like a normal 17 year old teenager.

Duo was upstairs, sitting at his desk in his room quietly finishing his calculus homework and listening to some music on his CD player. The American boy rubbed his feet together in effort to try and create a feeling of warmness for his feet to drink and bathe in. He loved the winter but his body didn't. He would always have either cold hands and fingers or cold feet and toes. His body didn't know whether to be cold or hot and that vexed him occasionally. He was still used to the atmosphere in outer space- his birthplace. The temperature in outer space-particularly the L1 colony where he grew up-was always steady and would hardly ever increase or decrease. There was no threat of natural disasters and everyone didn't possess an ego the size of the universe. Duo was, like Hilde, a mediocre human being. They didn't think of themselves as heroes or heroines, just two good friends living in a world of peace.

'I wonder what Heero, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei are up to in outer space. I sure do hope everyone is doing well.' Hilde thought while gazing into the sky and seeing a clear patch of sky full of gleaming starts, presumed to be the colonies, V088746 and FH25887-the two colonies where Heero, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei lived on now. Hilde brought her index finger to her lips as if she were silencing her own mind and body while taking in the sweet surreal silence that had came over the main living space downstairs. The lanky teen slowly arched her leg as she rested her head against the wall. She closed her dark blue eyes and began to sleep, even though it was only 5:30 at night. Hilde was exhausted; having to relentlessly study for her evaluation test, as well as her PSAT. With all that studying to do, her mind needed a break. Her hands fell limply to the ground as she breathed slowly and silent. A smile was now tugging at her lips as she began to dream of that bright horizon that laid before her in her dreams.

'Well, that's done. Thank God. I don't know how much more studying I can handle. I guess I'll go see what Hilde is up to'. Duo Maxwell thought as he closed his mathematics book, keeping his page bookmarked with his assignment. He turned off his CD player and put it away in a drawer in his desk. Rising from his chair, Duo walked to the door and opened it, heading for the main living space downstairs.

'Huh? Poor girl, she's so tired. I can't blame you for sleeping. Hilde....you look so precious.' Duo whispered to himself when he saw his friend, curled up into a ball and in the fetal position. The room felt chilly so Duo turned up the heater and covered the shivering Hilde in a nice warm blanket, brushing her gravity-defying bangs of blue-violet hair from her eyes, he revealed her closed, angelic eyes. Duo placed a hand on Hilde's cold and clammy cheek and began to stroke it gently so he wouldn't deprive the girl of her much needed rest.

Duo, enjoying this precious moment of watching Hilde sleep, was sucked out of it as the phone ripped it in two with its shrill ringing. Duo, on one knee, rose quickly but quietly and ran to the kitchen to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Duo asked, clearing his throat of phlegm.

"Hey Duo. It's me, Trowa. How is earth treating you?"

Duo and Trowa had been out of touch since Trowa moved to the colony but Trowa had promised before he left that he would-when he got situated-call his buddy, Duo Maxwell. Trowa, being the promise keeper he was, didn't break his promise and had now started an intelligent conversation over the phone.

"Hey Trowa! Man, it's good to hear from you again. You’re certainly a person of your word. So, how's the colony? Wufei isn't giving you any trouble is he?" Duo asked, chuckling and scratching his dark brown hair.

"Actually no, believe it or not, he isn't. I know, it's weird. Usually, Wufei always complains about something. But not today. I haven't heard a word from him since we got up here, which was about fifty days ago. Well, I'm sure he must've said something, just not to me. That guy is so full of himself it's not even funny!" Trowa laughed, having made a comment about the arrogant Chinese Warrior. However, Trowa was praying mentally that Wufei wasn't in the other room, overhearing his conversation with Duo.

"Yeah but after all I've been through with him, nothing you say about him to me will ever surprise me again." Duo laughed under his breath, hoping to avoid waking Hilde.

Duo turned to look at her and lost himself suddenly within her beauty and innocence.

"Duo?" Trowa asked.

"Hey Duo? Wake up Duo!" Trowa repeated.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Trowa, I guess I let my thoughts wander for a moment there." Duo said, apologizing for his unconsciousness and laughed sheepishly. Duo rested his back against the kitchen wall and continued to, going beyond his will, to gaze at the sleeping Hilde.

"How's Hilde?" Trowa asked, concerned about the girl's well being.

"Hilde? She's fine. Except, she's having the same problem as I am. We're both having difficulty adjusting to life without weapons of the firearm kind. But, we're getting used to it gradually. Right now she’s sleeping. She's been under so much stress lately because in a few weeks, we have our evaluations and PSAT's coming up and it is recommended that we start studying." Duo sighed and smiled with a grin.

"Good luck with those tests Duo, Hilde. Well, the sleeping dragon has awakened and isn't in a good mood so looks like I've got to go. It was good taking with you again Duo. Tell Hilde I said hi," Trowa said, giving his good-bye’s to his two friends.

"Take care Tro," Duo replied.

"You too Duo," Trowa said and hung up the phone thus ending the short but sweet conversation with his buddy of three years.

Duo wasn't sure how these feeling came to be and wasn't expecting them to wash over him like a wave of longing like they just had. He wanted to caress the girl's body in his arms and stroke her body tenderly. However, he wanted to make sure Hilde felt the same way about him first. Duo was afraid to tell her that he had been secretly in love with her, fearing that the revelation would break their friendship. Duo swallowed the lump in his throat as he put his hand on Hilde's shoulder, slowly mollifying any sort of fear his body may had been experiencing.

"Hmmpphhh," Hilde moaned as her eyes slowly opened. She rose unhurriedly and groaned with tedium as she rubbed her blue eyes of their collected sleep. Hilde was still feeling chilly so she didn't bother to remove her warm, comforting blanket. The teen snuggled into the blanket and smiled as the feeling of being pacified was injected into her body and veins.

"D-Duo.... It's good to see you again. I thought you were never coming down from your room to visit my lonely soul, but here you are. I take it you got your homework done?" Hilde whispered hoarsely, still drunk on sleep. Duo noticed Hilde's body shaking, which in turn, made him respond by embracing the shivering girl in his arms.

"I'm so cold..." Hilde breathed and shivered.

"Shhhhh easy Hilde. Does this help you any?" Duo asked, now in contact with Hilde's smaller body.

"Your so warm Duo...." Hilde murmured and cuddled against Duo's body.

Duo and Hilde slowly broke away, with Duo still uncertain about admitting his feelings for Hilde to her. He held her for a sweet moment, feeling romantically strong and passionate feelings for the girl in his arms. He didn't want to let go as her scent of raspberries filled his nostrils when he took in a deep lungful. Hilde got up and walked into the kitchen to make something to eat for dinner. Duo turned on the television and lay back on the couch, relaxing and wearing a smile on his face.

"All right! 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' is on! I've been wanting to see that movie for ages. I had heard that it was funny but in a stupid kind of way. This is going to be pretty cool," Duo yelped while leaning toward the t.v. to catch a better glimpse of the movie that was being broadcast on channel 503. Duo and Hilde had put their money together and bought a satellite dish a couple weeks ago. They were amazed at how many channels you could get; up to almost 1000 channels! Since they loved watching TV, it was mandatory that they ditch the cable and upgrade to satellite.

"Did it just start Duo? Or is it mid-way?" Hilde asked while making some microwaveable spaghetti.

"No, it hasn't even started yet. It starts in 15 minutes. I can't wait!" Duo yelped with excitement, nearly loosing his undeveloped balance on the couch and falling down to his knees. Duo’s reflexes were way too responsive however, so this embarrassment was avoided.

Hilde took out her dinner, put the cheese on it and stirred it up; twirling it around her fork and getting it ready to slurp down. The girl nearly bolted out of the kitchen and onto the couch in matter of seconds, as she was also eager to see the movie she and Duo had been wanting to see for over a year.

"Spaghetti again Hilde? That's like the third night in a row you've had that for dinner." Duo chuckled and picked a meatball from Hilde’s plate of spaghetti. Duo smiled as he chewed his meatball.

"Oh yeah, just eat all of my meatballs Duo!" Hilde said, laughing, "Help yourself," the girl continued, rendering her food to the hungry American.

"No, it's not necessary Hilde. It's yours, you eat it. Thank you for the offer though," Duo said, turning away Hilde's offer. Duo wasn't one to beg like a dog for food, even if the offer of sharing was even brought to his attention. He preferred his own things and wasn't really one to share, though anything for his buddy Hilde.

The movie had started and both had settled down to watch the, according to some, extremely corny movie, "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes." The movie had gotten extremely bad ratings and criticism. Duo and Hilde didn't care what others thought about the movie, they wanted to see it for themselves.

"Oh man! The fucking things are puking up tomatoes and hurling them on buildings! I'm never going to look at tomatoes the same way again!" Duo exclaimed and closed his eyes for a moment. Hilde's body was stretched out and her feet were resting comfortably on Duo's lap. It was 8:30 and both teens were getting tired. They had school in the morning and their first review of everything they had learned in chemistry, psychology and calculus.

"Duo, I'm extremely tired. I guess I'm going to bed. Night." Hilde yawned and headed for the stairs, nearly stumbling over herself because she was so sleepy. Duo was growing tired just watching her struggle with walking up the stairs so he also got up to go to sleep. He turned off the t.v. and the lights, leaving one dim one on so they would be able to see where they were going during the night if they had to go to the bathroom.

"Wait up Hilde. I'm getting tired just watching you try to walk up the stairs while stumbling over yourself," Duo laughed as he walked up the stairs and to his room, which was next to Hilde's. Both immediately fell asleep right when their bodies hit their beds. They knew tomorrow was going to be an extremely long day that would require the skill of persistence and patience to get through.

Hilde’s alarm clock buzzed at the time of 6 am with a shrill tone that made her senses paralyzed with fear and alertness. She arose from her bed in a hurry and carelessly grabbed whatever pieces of clothes she could find; a purple turtleneck and blue jeans that hugged her buttocks firmly. Her legs shivered as they were kissed by the coldness of her room. She bolted from her room and into the bathroom, only to find Duo, brushing his three-foot braid and checking his features.

"C'mon Duo! We're gonna be late for the bus!" Hilde said, pointing to her watch suggestively.

"Ok lets go," Duo replied and grabbed Hilde's arm leading her downstairs to the front door.

The school bus picked them up right on schedule and soon after they got on, the driver was already being an ass. He pushed Duo into Hilde, urging both teenagers to hurry and find a seat. To top it off, the people who already had seats were taking up the rest of it with their backpacks while saying, "this seat is taken" or "no way weirdo's!" Hilde and Duo weren't starting off on the right foot from the beginning, but they didn't really care. Duo wore that same child grin on his face as he walked down the aisle to look for a seat, finally spotting a vacant seat where he and Hilde could sit at. Duo got the window and Hilde got the aisle, it was only fitting because Duo always loved the window seat. Hilde wasn't a big fan of it though, making it easier for Duo.

"God that guy is such AN ASSHOLE!!!" Duo screamed, directing his angst towards the crabby driver.

"No yelling on the bus!!" the driver replied, throaty and saline-tongued. Hs voice was burly and could almost be used to voice a big hungry ogre or monster in a haunted forest.

After many miles of yelling back and forth, tossing of paper balls and spitting spitballs at each other and the bus driver in effort to see how far he could be pushed, the students of Morrison High dismounted from the bus, groaning and complaining that they didn't get enough sleep last night or groaning about how this guy didn't call this girl, basic teenage gossip. Duo and Hilde walked into the halls and to their lockers, 1023 and 1024 respectfully.

"Geez, when are you going to clean your locker out Duo?" Hilde asked, noticing paper and past assignments had scattered all over and around Duo's feet when he opened his locker to retrieve his chemistry book. Hilde bent down to pick up Duo's papers, but not before looking at them first.

"Damn you aced that test Mr. Thomson gave us a week ago? I got a B+! That guy is an ass!" Hilde exclaimed and handed the papers to Duo, who put them-this time-neatly in his locker. Duo took out his chemistry book and tucked it under his arm. Hilde also had her book at the ready. Both Duo Maxwell and Hilde Schebecker walked down the hall and to the right, resulting in entrance to the science section of the school.

"Hey Duo, Hilde. Duo, are you going to try out for basketball this year?" one black-haired girl asked them with a smile as they walked down the hall.

"Nope. I’m not big on sports." Duo laughed, thinking, 'the only thing I'm big on is Hilde'. Glancing over at Hilde's face and eyes, he tried to pinpoint what she was thinking about.

"Good morning," Mr. Thomson said, greeting the two incoming students into his class. Mr. Thomson was a tall man with a graybeard and sideburns as well as gray hair. It was clear to both Hilde and Duo that he was old but didn't seem to lose his sense of humor one bit. He was the only one who could make both of them laugh. Mr. Thomson usually wore a posh looking jacket and slacks everyday but was in the mood to occasionally go from Professor to goofball with his attire. Hilde took her seat in the front and Duo took his seat in the second row. Coincidentally, he sat in back of her.

"How long is our review going to be professor?" Duo asked.

"It will be approximately two hours long. We will go over everything we've tackled so far. Hopefully, Kevin Tamerion will stay awake during my lecture today." Thomson laughed and put his pen behind his ear, looking truly like a professor, and a genius one at that.

The rest of the students gathered in the room and took their seats, awaiting the professor's assignments for the day. Professor Thomson closed the door and put his lab coat and rubber gloves on.

"Ok, today class we will be reviewing all that we have learned so far this semester. The review period will be approximately two hours long. Now, since you are all so jumpy and cheery this cloudy morning, I will allow you an hour to study and gossip or take a break and whatever else your bodies want to do. However if it is of the kissing type, please, be conscious and take it outside!" Thomson said, thus granting free time to the juniors and seniors of his first period class.

"Lets go fool around Hilde! I bet the cafeteria is covered in food from this morning! I wanna pick on freshmen anyways..." Duo joked and got up from his seat with Hilde, following her outside.

'I wonder if now is the right time... I can’t fight these strange feelings anymore.' Duo thought while walking down the vacant halls with Hilde. Duo noticed an open door to his right and did the best thing his instincts allowed him to; he quickly pushed Hilde into the darkened room and closed the door behind him, locking it and making it pitch black inside. Duo let his feelings guide him in the darkness to Hilde's body.

"Duo, what are we doing in a darkened room?" Hilde asked, unable to see her friend.

Duo pulled the girl closer to him and put an arm around her waist while he let the other arm flip the switch to the lights; they were now able to see each other’s perfect faces. Hilde didn't bother to push herself away from the Shinigami she was being embraced by. Instead, she let herself melt into Duo's warm body and take in every bit of this trivial moment.

"Hilde, I have a confession to make." Duo murmured and breathed warmly into Hilde's ear while now having a firm grip around the girl's waist, gliding her in closer so he was rubbing gently against her body.

"What might that be Duo?" Hilde asked, smiling and rubbing Duo's back gently with her fingers.

Saying nothing in response to Hilde's question, Duo cupped her face in his hands, smiled and slowly claimed Hilde's soft delicate lips in a passionate first kiss.

Duo had swallowed his fears and with no other options, had made his move after keeping it confined in his mind for months. Duo broke away slowly to take a breath as well as take in the past moment of finally being able to taste the passionate and sweet fruit that was Hilde Schebecker.

"I'm in love with you Hilde." Duo said in a hoarse whisper as he dove into her lips once more, not being able to gather enough of her sweet innocence in just one taste of her lips. Hilde brought her arms around Duo's body-particularly his waist-and brought him closer to her body as her back rested against the wall. Both teenagers broke away and took a deep breath, hopefully now full of bliss and contentment.

Hilde didn't say a word to the built 17-year-old American boy who held her in his arms while wearing a truly vulnerable smile. Hilde felt Duo's longing spread to her psyche and state of mind like a river of need and desire.

Duo took a few deep breaths to hopefully stabilize himself and leaned into Hilde's body gently. Duo then nibbled at her earlobe gently as he began to breathe words of compassion into her ear.

"We still have fifty minutes left Hilde. Can we fulfill our desires in 50 sweet minutes?" Came Duo's aroused cry of desire as he nibbled on the tender earlobe of Hilde suggestively. Hilde laced her fingers around Duo's back, locking him in position and not showing the least bit of surrendering.

Shinigami nodded with content as he removed his shirt, dumping it to the bare floor and grinning passionately and flirtatiously at his girlfriend, making her moan with eagerness and desire. In three years, Duo had seemed to fill out nicely; muscles sculpted in proportion and tone, contracting and wanting to be pressed upon. His tight black leather stretched as he flexed the muscles in his well-built legs, making Hilde lick her sweet lips as an intense feeling compelled her to lay a hand upon her mortal god.

Duo, being the unpredictable boy he was, tackled Hilde to the floor in a compassionate bear hug and kissed her neck gently with eyes closed, heart beating with burning desire and compassion for the silent angel he caressed in his arms. Duo wrapped his arms around Hilde's waist and began pulling her violet turtleneck over her locks of hair and finally, over her head and dumping it onto the floor recklessly. Maxwell's tongue began running a hot trail down Hilde's neck and shoulders, licking up her scent and sweet taste. His hands moved ever so softly down Hilde's half naked body, feeling her tight stomach muscles pulsating as he continued to drink the girl dry of her self control and sense of consciousness and state of mind. Hilde raised her legs and brought them around Duo's hips, rendering him vulnerable and immobile. Duo's lips began drinking the flesh of Hilde's shoulders and neck, lacing his fingers around her back, undoing her bra.

"Take me higher..." Hilde cried with desire as she felt Duo's locks of hair brush against her breasts as he swayed back and forth in effort to get the most out of her now damp and humid flesh.

Duo gently bit down on her breast and ran his tongue around the perked and hardened nub. Hilde moaned with ecstasy. Unwrapping his legs from around Hilde's body, Duo was obviously up to something with that gesture. He broke a hand free and moved it over Hilde's breasts, taking his index finger and thumb, Duo gently pinched Hilde's nub, making the girl moan with pleasure and a gentle pain that eroded faster than the beat of a heart. Hilde closed her eyes tight, bit her lower lip and let her jaw drop to allow Duo's tongue to enter her mouth. Slow, deep kisses blossomed and the dancing of tongues and lips converged to take a path en route to ecstasy.

Hilde placed a hand on the zipper of Duo's pants and smiled saying, "I don't want you any other way." Duo placed his slightly larger hand on Hilde's and together, they pulled down the pants that his lower body was encased in. Hilde licked her lips and glided in towards the lips of Duo Maxwell. Upon contact, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and down the throat of her partner. Duo slipped his hand into Hilde's pants, wanting to feel the yearning pulsation of her well-developed libido and pulsating core. Hilde was a very aroused being right now as she stood on her knees, being claimed by Duo's touches of bliss and completion.

Feeling Hilde's genitalia pulsating, Duo removed his hand and placed both hands on Hilde's hips and with one slip, Hilde was now, naked, vulnerable and yearning to feel the emotions that she had longed to feel. Her body quaked and yearned with desire as a river of need began to flow within her reproductive organs and her soul. Duo tackled Hilde to the floor and enveloped her body in his arms, placing butterfly kisses down her neck and shoulders seductively.

Hilde, without the use of her hands, used her feet to remove Duo's tight black leathers, pushing and pulling forcefully for them to come off. Eventually she, after much straining, got the leathers off. To Hilde's surprise, Duo's manhood was showing signs of arousal as she slipped her hand down his boxers and began to fondle the braided boy in ways he never dreamed. Duo shivered at the cold touch of Hilde's hand on his hardness but soon found warmth within her gentle grasp.

Hilde pulled Duo up and brushed his back against the wall while licking up the beads of sweat that emerged from his handsome, heart-shaped face. Placing her tongue on his neck, Hilde slowly licked up the tender skin of Duo's face until she reached an earlobe; placing kisses upon it and biting it gently.

Duo Maxwell could feel Hilde's hot and humid breath on his shoulders and ear as Hilde breathed words of desire and arousal into his moist tender ear.

"You’re shaking Duo. Can I hold you?" Hilde breathed as she brought her arms around Duo's naked body, gliding him in and bringing his erection to her upper thigh. Duo shivered gently as he felt, for the first time, that aura of bliss and longing wrap around him and his earthly goddess; making them eternally locked by the blood and tears they had shed in war. Hilde dragged the boy down with her to the floor roughly and began to devour his sweet skin in her mouth. Duo's hands began to slowly spread Hilde's legs as he continued downwards to Hilde's vagina. Duo's hands began to kiss the back of Hilde as the soldier's body slid further down until reaching her navel. Upon reaching it, Duo ran his finger around it, placing a couple deep kisses on it. He then proceeded once more to his destination, Hilde's vagina and began to kiss her upper thighs and hips.

The panting girl looked up at Duo and asked a request of him with her eyes shaking and looking into Duo's eyes to see the garden of Eden and the island of paradise pulsating within those dark blue orbs .

"Duo . . ." Hilde breathed as he began to slide his tongue into her soft, wet inner walls in a gentle and seductive manner, sending the sensation of bliss and liquid fire into her veins. Hilde bit her lower lip, shut her eyes and tried to keep from releasing in Duo's mouth. No matter how hard Hilde tired, Duo just kept the rhythm up, bringing her to the brink of oblivion with each lick of her clitoris. Hilde tried to grip whatever she could find as Duo overpowered her mind. Finding nothing to grip, Hilde dug her fingers into Duo's back, finding a comforting stability in the touch.

Duo looked up at Hilde with a smile, licking up the little bit of warmness she had released during the moment. Duo positioned himself in the middle of Hilde's spread legs, licked around her genitals and whispered a request, "Hilde, babe... I can turn many tired and tedious moments into pleasure. This may hurt a little but soon the pain will subside." Duo thrusted into her gently.

Hilde squeezed Duo's buttocks as he began to thrust into her with a gentle rhythm and reason put behind it. Hilde's eyes bolted open as the feeling of her inner walls being probed by Duo's penis enveloped even her most deepest senses in its gentle rain. It was like hell at first- hot and painful but like Duo had mentioned to her earlier, 'This may hurt a little but soon the pain will subside...' It soon became true as Duo quickened the pace, making Hilde groan and moan with delight, bliss, overwhelming desire and completion rolled into one fist-sized, beating heart of new found loyalty and pumping with the blood of love for the American pilot of Gundam 02.

Duo began breathing deep and heavily as he continued to thrust into his reality; deeper and deeper he went causing Hilde’s orgasm to near; panting and moaning with pleasure. Duo used his arms to hold his unstable body up as he gave one more thrust into Hilde's vagina and triggered the girl, compelling her to release her sweet, warm seed all over the floor and Duo's fully inserted member and around his legs. Duo collapsed, equally exhausted and began to breathe deep as he was still trying to process the feelings and pleasures he had gotten from the lustful, passionate experience.

Duo gently pulled out from Hilde's body and brought the naked, exhausted and vulnerable Hilde Schebecker back from her euphoric state. Absently, he began to rock her back and forth slowly. Hilde cuddled against Duo's pulsating chest and gripped his waist firmly. In a mess of tangled limbs and tongues, Duo and Hilde laid, breathless, fulfilled and mollified. Hilde kissed Duo on the neck passionately and slowly one last time before falling asleep in the arms and the temple Duo and she had created.

"I.....love you.....Duo Maxwell...." Hilde breathed and placed a hand on Duo's bare and tender shoulder.

"Hilde. Thank you for opening me up again. I love you too, sweetheart..." Duo breathed into the reply and brought Hilde closer to his naked form. Hilde fell asleep in Duo's warm arms and Duo was left to wonder within the silent dimness of the bare room. Duo had heard the bell ring through the door, bringing him to alertness. However, he was too content to stand, nor let Hilde go from this naked altar he had helped to create. 'I'll never let you go from me Hilde. You’re too pure, so rare and so perfect...I love you Hilde,' was the last thought to register in his clouded mind before being carried to that cloud of slumber and to Hilde Schebecker-the divine relic of Duo's, the earthly goddess, the angel of grace and the dependant, sweet child which he had grown to love.