Heero glanced out the window of the train. The woods were rather dark.
Another Christmas where he'd be fighting again. Why were people so happy
around this time of year? Even the homeless and unfortunate seemed to be in
good cheer, yet they had nothing to eat and no where to sleep. Just one
another nothing more.
     "Hey guys I got some hot chocolate for all of us.", Duo stood in the
doorway with several steaming mugs on a tray.
     "Thank you, Duo.", Quatre gave a cute smile.
     "Welcome; Here ya go Trowa, Wufei."
     "Thanks.", Wufei and Trowa stated in unison.
      Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei where on the far end of the cabin. Duo noticed
Heero sitting separately over in the corner by the window. He walked over,
quietly.   "Hey Heero, what's up?"
     Heero's only response was a "Hn."
     "Here. This'll warm you up.", Duo handed Heero his mug of hot coca. Duo
set the tray aside taking his own mug off. "Snow's beautiful huh?" Duo
stated taking a sip from his mug and looking out the window at the snow
that was falling.
     "Yeah."
     Duo put his mug down. "Something bothering you Heero? You look like your
remembering something."
     Heero averted his gaze from the forest outside, to Duo. "What's it to you?"
     Duo shrugged taking another sip from his mug. "Eh, just asking."
     Heero too a sip from his mug as well. "That's pretty good.", He looked
down into the mug.
     Duo chuckled, "It's the real stuff, not that packaged crap."
     Heero swirled the brown mixture in his cup a little before bringing the
porcelain mug back to his lips.
     "Our stop comes up soon.", Duo sighed leaning back. "Ready for another
battle? I don't get it. It's Christmas...a time for peace..."
     "With the way things are going I don't see how you can even talk about
peace.", Heero grumbled.
     Duo hiked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

    The boys got off the train in a small town about 50 miles outside Moscow.
All soon found refuge in a rather small but beautifully decorated church.
Quatre looked around at the place, and turned to the father of the church.
    "Thank you very much for letting us stay here. You have no idea how much
this means to us."
     The father only nodded and smiled. "It's our pleasure son. You'll be
sleeping here in the sanctuary tonight, after the sermon. If you wish to
come, your welcome to."
     Wufei looked around. "...Well at least you're nicer than some people. Your
hospitality is greatly appreciated but I don't think I'll be attending this
sermon."
     Duo glared at Wufei, "You'll have to excuse his arrogance father."
     The father only smirked, "All are entitled to their own opinions, and
actions. If he wishes not to come, I don't mind."
     Heero wandered around the church down the isle, running his hand over the
pews as he passed them. A large tree was centered at the right of an altar.
The tree was covered in the most unusual ointments. Some fish shaped ones,
doves, and garlands of pearls. A few crowns made from beads, there where
some angels, crosses, stars, and some other things too. At the very top
where and angel or star would be, what looked like a crown of thorns was
placed. The father came up behind Heero. "Do you like our tree?"
     "Very unusual topper.", Heero muttered.
     "It represents the crown of thorns Jesus wore when he was crucified."
     "Oh."
     "I must say father it is a very nice tree. A welcoming sight to see a tree
the day before Christmas eve.", Quatre smiled, coming up beside Heero.

     Trowa looked up over at the three of figures standing gazing at the tree.
"Christmas sure make people act funny."
     Duo looked up from going through his duffel bag. "No, it's just the
spirit- you seen my toothbrush?- It's just the spirit that gets to people.
I mean, Christmas is full of so much beauty and when you walk around it's
almost like you're in a different world. Humanity seems to forget all it's
worries and trust in other people. It almost makes me wish that the world
were like this all the time. Then maybe we wouldn't have the trouble of
fighting in wars."
     Trowa dug through his duffel bag, "Yeah-Here's your toothbrush." He handed
it over.
     "Ah thanks bud.", Duo nodded, "And I found yours.", Duo handed Trowa's
over.
     "Why do you have my toothbrush? Why did I have yours?"
     Wufei stepped over both boys and their duffel bags. "You have the wrong
bags you idiots."
     Duo looked at the tag on the bag he was going through. "Heh, guess we are."
     Trowa smiled slightly. "Nice boxers Duo."
     Duo snatched his bag, "Give me that!" At this Trowa couldn't help a smile
of amusement break. Both boys stuffed their bags in a closet, in the choir
room after going through their bags.
     "Hey guys what you say we go have a bit of fun?", Duo grinned pulling on
his jacket.
     All the pilots looked at him with quizzical faces. Duo smirked, "Okay suit
yourself.", He walked off his hands buried in his jacket pockets and
whistling a few bars of 'Jingle Bells' before the church door shut behind
him.
     The rest of the boys continued to wander around the church, Heero worked
on his laptop though. Making sure some things where still all right. As he
continued to work he suddenly heard Duo come in.
     Duo had his infamous mischievous smirk slapped on his face. "Hey Quatre!"
Quatre turned around just in time to meet a snowball in the face. "Duo! Oh
MAN! That's COLD!" Trowa laughed slightly as the blonde pilot chased Duo
around the church and through the pews. "Come on Quatre come and get me!",
Duo taunted.
     Quatre fed up grabbed his jacket and marched out side. "Hey Quatre where
you goin?" Duo yelled after him. Duo followed him outside and the door to
the chapel slammed hard, that's when a huge thump was heard and Duo's yell.
     Wufei, Trowa, and Heero Glanced at one another before getting up and
rushing outside to find Duo had been caught with an avalanche of snow from
the church's roof. Quatre, was almost rolling in laughter on the steps of
the church. Duo stood up and bushed the snow out of his brown hair. "Not
funny Quatre!"
     Duo threw a snowball that hit Quatre strait in the face once more. "HEY!"
Quatre stood up and threw a snowball Duo ducked, and Heero who was standing
behind Duo got the snowball instead. At this Duo fell down laughing. Quatre
stood up. "Oh I'm sorry Heero."
     Heero brushed the snow from his face, "It's okay Quatre." He grabbed a bit
of snow from the railing and made two snowballs, then threw one at Quatre
and the other at Duo. Both boys got up made some snow balls, hitting the
wrong targets. Instead of Heero, Trowa and Wufei ended up as the victims.
     With in minutes each and every one of the boys where out in the front of
the church throwing snow at one another and running around like kids,
needles to say, for once, enjoying themselves intensely.

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

     Warming up by a fire the boys where up in one of the rooms outside of the
sanctuary, as the father of the church, was practicing his Christmas
sermon. Quatre volunteered the boys to help if the father needed any help
with anything. So the guys where stuck as being part of the Christmas
sermon, by lighting some of the candles. Flowing white robes where given to
the boys and long gold poles that split two ways. On the side that split
upwards a wick was placed. On the one that faced downward a small bell
shaped object. Made that so when you covered a flame the flame would run
out of oxygen and die.
     Wufei crossed his arms, "I do not like these robes...I fee like I'm in a
dress."
     "Will you stop complaining Wufei?", Duo grumbled. "You're really starting
to get on my nerves."
     "So you enjoy cross dressing Duo?", Wufei snapped.
     Duo turned about to punch the lights outta Wufei before Quatre stepped
between both of them. "Would you two stop? It's Christmas. This is a Church
and this is NO time to beat the brains out of one another!"
     Duo scowled but got back into his place.
     Quatre sighed going back to his place in the front of the line. Quatre was
up front, while Duo, Trowa, Heero ad Wufei where lined in two's behind him.
As soon as the church was filled up and the lights dimmed, piano music
filled the air. The boys filed out as they where lined up. The tips of the
wick set a flame. Quatre continued on forward as the other boys  lit the
candles by the pews. Quatre lit several candles up front and a rather large
white candle as well.
     Then walking down the isle the other followed just as they had come in and
left the sanctuary. Duo blew out his lighters flame. "That was easy enough."
     Trowa nodded trying to lift the robe over his head, but getting tangled in
the robe in the process. "Umm..Little help here..."
     Quatre laughed untangling Trowa from the robe and pulling it over his
head. "There you go Trowa! Hey guys throw me your robes I'll go hang them
up." Quatre was immediately bombarded by a shower of flying white robes.
     Heero sighed sitting down next to the fire, Wufei leaned against the wall
looking into the fire. Duo grinned and lay down on his stomach beside
Heero. Quatre looking over his shoulder was reminded of a boy and his dog
lying by his side, at the scene he was seeing. Trowa came up and helped
Quatre finish hanging up the robes and putting the gold poles away.
     Before long each and every one of the boys where gathered around the fire
place half-asleep with the warmth, and the singing from the congregation's
voices.
     Heero suddenly seemed to wake up as one song filled his ears. "Silent
Night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright." Heero cocked his head, his
face showing curiosity in what he was hearing. Slowly he got up so he would
wake any of the others, and quietly sneaked over to the door cracking it
open a little he listened and looked around at all the people, holding
their candles and singing this song.
     "Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild."
     Heero felt a hand place itself on his shoulder. "Hey Heero. What cha
doin?", Duo's voice came to his ear, his voice seeming soft, and...seemed
to be cracking a little.
     "Duo...What are they singing?"
     "It's a really old song, called Silent Night. Don't tell me you've never
heard this song before Heero."
     Heero looked over is shoulder, just staring at Duo with his curious
expression still on his face.
     "Well...this is it...You're listening to it now."
     Heero turned his gaze back out to the sanctuary. For some reason listening
to this song, it seemed to lift what little spirit he had left, in him.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

     "Well you boys have good rest you here me."
     Mutters of thanks where stated to the father as each of the boys crawled
into their sleeping bags.
     Heero sighed as the father turned out the lights. He yawned a little. He
shook his head, slipping his arms under his pillow.
     Quatre and Trowa who were sleeping beside the massive tree, had fallen
asleep. It seemed Quatre had snuggled up to Trowa for more warmth as he
dosed off. Trowa either, didn't mind, was cold himself or just was to tired
to give at all, but he looked rather peaceful laying on his stomach his
eyes closed and mouth partly opened.
     Wufei was sleeping by the stares, on his side and seemed to be sleeping
rather deeply.
     Duo, on the left side of Heero was on his stomach and snoring softly. No
doubt he was asleep.
     Heero turned over from facing Duo to his back facing his fellow pilot. He
blinked, he came face to face with what looked like a small, barn of some
sort. "That's......Mary....", he gazed at the woman dressed in light blue
rags. "..the man...that's....", Heero tried to remember, it was so long
sense he had heard the Christmas story. "....Jo..Joseph... those are the
shepherds, the three wise men..." his eyes landed on a small baby in a
manger. " And the baby Jesus." Heero smirked a little, closed his eyes and
soon fell asleep.

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

     "But general!"
     "It's Christmas Son, No one fights until the stroke of midnight on
Christmas Eve. The treaty was signed."
     ".........Sir."

And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

     The boys had woken up and today was Christmas Eve. The boys sat around a
small fire talking a little bit before they set off in the suits to the
destination of the fight.
     "I still don't see why those guys keep retaliating. They're just sending
their men to their death.", Wufei grumbled.
     "It's their decision Wufei, whether those people go into battle or not. I
myself have to remind myself that a lot. I just find it sad that we have to
do all this by force. Why can't they just negotiate?", Quatre blew one at
of the stray blonde strands that dangled in his face.
     "They're desperate Quatre. They just want to prove their dominance by
force and they won't do it any other way. They consider it weak and too
time consuming.", Heero grunted.
     Duo took a sip from his mug of hot coca, and nodded his agreement. He
glanced at his watch. " Hey we better get going."

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

     "Hey Quatre you won't believe this!", Duo's voice and picture suddenly
pooped up on SandRocks Comm. unit. "I'm not kidding here, sense it's
Christmas Eve all battles are being held off until midnight tonight!"
     "You're kidding!", Quatre stared.
     Duo facefaulted, "Didn't I just say that I wasn't kidding? Tell the others
really quick I got some other things I need to do right now."
     "All right Duo. " Quatre nodded and canceled his link immediately hooked
the comm. links up to HeavyArms, Zero, and Shenlong. "Guys they've signed a
treaty! No battles until the stroke of midnight tonight! Hold your fire
once we land. It'll be best if we hide the Gundam's as well."
     "So they've finally agreed on something.", Heero stated in his flat tone.
     "About time.", Trowa nodded.
     "Really.", Wufei rolled his eyes and canceled his link.
     "See you there guys."

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

    The battlefield was quiet, as the Gundam's landed. Soldier's that had been
wounded, where recuperating, others where eating quietly, or talking.
Everything seemed to be so peaceful. It was awful weird to hear not one
bullet shot, or bomb, on a battlefield. The stars had come out and were
twinkling down at all of the boys. The cold air seemed to surround everyone
like a blanket. The only warmth that was around was from the fires and that
of the small spirit of the holidays.
     A few sat in their mobile suits talking over the comm. units other's just
slept in their suits waiting for the battle to get started.
     Duo sighed looking up at the stars. Heero came up behind him, and seemed
to try and see what Duo was looking at. "Hey Heero, get the Gundam's in
place yet?"
     "Yeah, they're hidden." He muttered.
     "That's good to hear."
     "What are you looking at?"
     "Huh? Oh...heh, the constellations." Duo pointed up to a row of three
stars. "Orion's Belt, and there's the Big Dipper the Little Dipper, and the
North Star." Each one he pointed out so Heero would know where they were.
     Quatre smiled watching them, and averted his own gaze to the starry
heavens. Trowa and Wufei looked up as well. "Not many chances we get to see
the skies like this here on earth." Trowa said in his soft voice.
     "Yeah." Wufei murmured.

    Duo checked his watch. "Fifteen minutes till twelve."
    Heero nodded, as he turned to leave he glanced once more up at the skies.
    The tune he had heard in the church filled his head.

    Duo still gazing up blinked as if by some miracle, he Heero's voice softly,
rip through the blanket of silence of the battlefield and fill his ears.
    "Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm, All is bright."
 

 And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

    Duo's mind took a flash back taking him back to his younger days, at the
Maxwell church. "Sister Helen....", Duo half whispered to himself. This
song she had sang to Duo, on nights when he couldn't get to sleep. She had
always sung it so beautifully putting her entire heart and soul into that
one song, while she had held him in that motherly fashion rocking him until
he had fallen asleep. Duo closed his eyes not wanting to hear those few
bars not wanting to repeat them but some unknown thing forced his mouth and
vocal cords to work with his lips and sing as well. Also forcing for the
first time in years a few tears to actually make their way down his cheeks.

     Quatre and Trowa looked over at Duo who sat there this eye shrouded by his
bangs his head bowed to the ground below his feet, and they noticed a small
sliver glint fall and splash the ground with a whispered plurt.
     Wufei looked over and saw this as well. His eyes softened looking at Duo
like this; he got up and quietly made his way over kneeling down beside Duo
and placing a hand on his shoulder, and began to sing himself. Though he
had only hear the words once, they seemed to be flowing through him.
"Silent Night, Holy Night. All is Calm, All is Bright."
     Quatre smiled tears as well filling his eyes, and memories flooding back.
That song, when he and his sisters had gone to church, on Christmas Eve,
the song had always reminded him that it was so good to be home, so good to
be loved, so good to have a family. Now, he had no real family on earth.
His father was dead, his sisters where scattered all over the colonies, and
one of them, was dead. His own quiet tears splashed against the sand
beneath his feet, as he began to sing. "Silent Night, Holy Night. All is
Calm, All is Bright."
     Hearing these notes flow Trowa himself was reminded of his days as
Nanashii. The boy with no name, and the little girl, who had loved him,
even though she was a spy, and against Trowa and his gang of Mobile Suit
builders, she had loved him. Of course she had never said it, but those
things can be rather obvious. They had sung.., that song...one Christmas
Eve...and she had given him a small gold cross. A tracer was in it, but
once he had found out about it, Trowa had discarded the cross and kept the
chain. He fingered the chain on his neck; his face not showing any
expression at all two small tears slipped his own cheek. He never really
got to say goodbye...before she had died.
"Silent Night, Holy Night."

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

     With in mere seconds the song had spread like a wild fire. From person to
person. The recuperating wounded woke and began to sing, "Silent Night,
Holy Night."
     The soldiers that where sitting around talking and eating, stopped their
conversations , and began to sing. "Silent Night, Holy Night."
     Then from far across the battlefield, several voices rang out. "Silent
Night, Holy Night."
      The voices singing rose, the song was sung for times over. "All is calm
All is bright." Each time becoming louder and more forceful.
     "Round yon Virgin mother and Child. Holy Infant so tender and mild."
The song raised its volume,  as if trying to sing, up to the heavens, past
the stars, past all galaxies, and to the ears of God.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

     "Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in Heavenly peace.", as the last notes
died away Heero continued to look up into the starry night sky. Not
noticing his own cheeks, stained with the salty water of his own tears.
     For 14 precious minutes, everyone of the soldiers on that battle field
had in their possession the feeling of what real peace felt like, and every
one of them was brought to tears, because of it.
     As the hour hand struck midnight on Duo's watch, the battle began once
more, and the peace that had been there vanished into oblivion. Though as
Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Quatre fought, a small voice still rang in
their ears. "Silent Night. Holy Night..."

War is over
If you want it
War is over
Now...
 

Finis!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. And I don't own the songs, so don't
sue me! ^_^() This document is based on a true story that happened in WW2,
when American and German soldiers combined languages and voices to sing the
same internationally know song. "Silent Night
 

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