"This Beautiful Life"

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters

Rating: R

Warnings: Romance & Friendship

Pairings: 2x5, others will be present but subtle.

Summary: 3 years after cutting ties with everyone from the war, WuFei Chang gets into a car accident in his way home from a company Christmas party and wakes up to another life.

"This Beautiful Life"

Chapter 10

At home again, Duo made himself busy cleaning and straightening things. WuFei couldn't gauge if it was the other boy's nature or if he was anxious. WuFei picked a book off the bedroom shelf and sat attempting to read but Duo's movement made it hard to focus. For the umpteenth time since waking in that hospital, WuFei found himself wondering how he possibly got used to living with the other boy.

Not an hour after getting home, the vid-phone went off and Duo went to answer it.

"Lady Une, happy holidays! Not like you to make season's greetings calls," Duo cheerily answered.

"Hello, Officer Maxwell, where is your partner?"

"WuFei? He can't come to the phone right now. He's busy. Washing his hair...you know how he is about keeping it all glossy. I'll pass on your holiday cheer to him though."

Duo kept his grin firm in place and Lady Une glared at him through her silver-rimmed glasses. He could see her seething behind the carefully constructed emotionless façade she always wore when trying to be all business and under different circumstances Duo might have found it amusing. He knew Sally would have to report in on WuFei's accident eventually but knowing the good doctor she would've kept as many details out as possible. The memory loss could clear up by the time WuFei and Duo were scheduled back on duty at work, it wasn't anything Une needed to worry her pretty little head about – so long as Duo could keep her and WuFei from chatting until then.

"I understand that you think you're protecting him," Une attempted a different angle.

"I never think about protecting him, Une, I just do it. You know how it goes, when you love someone. How's your daughter doing, by the way?"

Une flinched at the mention of Mariemaia and she lowered her eyes, Duo's message coming across loud and clear: WuFei will talk when he's ready, and not a second sooner, and as Une would do for Mariemaia, Duo would ensure it. Lady Une used her middle and index finger to push her glasses up at the bridge of the nose.

"She's doing well. Thank you for asking. She was just telling me about how much she's looking forward to seeing everyone at Quatre's annual Christmas party. I do hope that you and Chang have finished your preparations for it, I fully expect the both of you to be there."

Une didn't make it to the top ranks for nothing. Duo had forgotten about the annual Christmas party in a couple days. Was it too much to hope that WuFei's memories would return by then? Maybe Duo could convince memory-loss WuFei to fake it for the night. Duo sighed, smiling a winning smile at Une. It might be easier just to come clean and throw himself on the mercy of the lady. Duo weighed his options right up until WuFei decided it was the perfect moment to walk in.

"Ah, Chang, I see you've finished washing your hair," Une said. Duo spun around to find WuFei standing shocked and confused behind him.

"Washing my hair?" WuFei wrinkled his brow but chose not to pursue that line of questioning, instead he greeted the woman on the screen with a terse, "Lady Une."

"I received a report this morning that you were admitted to the ER at Harrisburg Medical the other night and released yesterday into the custody of Duo Maxwell. Care to explain?"

Duo held his breath.

"Okay. I was in an accident the other night and released yesterday into Maxwell's custody. Anything else?" WuFei replied. Lady Une opened and closed her mouth a few times, rendered speechless, and Duo let his breath out in a barely muffled laugh.

She finally settled on a vehement, "You should have notified me immediately."

"It must've slipped my mind. As I understand it, I was a little busy at that moment trying not to die," WuFei replied.

"Maxwell..." she began another approach.

"Was not informed of my condition until shortly before I was released into his care. The only other person that knew of my condition with an obligation to inform you was also busy at that moment, trying to save my life. You're already aware of all of these facts. This call is a ridiculous waste of time. It's not like you to do something so tedious, so what is it that really you want?"

WuFei folded his arms across his chest, challenge written in his features. Lady Une pulled another fish impression for a few seconds before letting her emotionless façade slip. She slumped, shook her head and smiled at WuFei.

"Damn you, Chang. Fine. You're right. I was worried. I needed to see for myself your condition. I know I'm your commanding officer, but you're both dear friends as well. Finding out you'd been in a terrible accident through a personnel report...I'm sorry, I was beside myself. I'll be more gracious next time."

It was WuFei's turn to be rendered speechless. From the way he'd addressed Lady Une, Duo thought for a moment his WuFei was back, but the look of surprise from Lady Une's admission confirmed that the memories were still gone. His WuFei never let an opportunity pass to call Une out on her emotional manipulations, and in the aftermath, always reassured Une that her affections were well received, returned, all would be forgiven, and tomorrow they should get together for tea, did Mariemaia need help with her homework, how is the dog training coming along, and should Duo bring a toolbox in case repairs needed to be done around their house. WuFei's hesitation would give away his true condition, and that was a worry Duo didn't want Une burdening herself with.

"Une, sweetheart, we appreciate the house-call," Duo jumped back into center view of the vid-phone, "As you can see, WuFei is doing great. But he's still a bit foggy from the injuries and they've got him taking some painkillers, so he's not really in a chatty mood right now."

"I see," Une said, "That's understandable. We'll have to discuss the incident later then."

"Good. Great. Perfect," Duo grinned, "We will see you beautiful ladies Thursday at the Christmas party. I'm making your favorite, my famous peppermint ganache truffles."

"Mariemaia will be delighted to hear. I look forward to it. Get some rest, Chang, focus on healing. I expect you in peak shape when your holiday is over. Oh, and boys, if you need anything – anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask," Une said.

They exchanged farewells, and Duo switched off the vid-phone. He let out all the air in his lungs in a loud whoosh, leaning against the wall and hanging his head: that was a close one. He caught up to his pounding heart and turned to look at WuFei.

WuFei still stood in the same position, staring at the blank vid-phone screen as though working through a puzzle that was missing pieces.

"Not a lot of people in the universe can get away with talking to the lady like that, but you're lucky enough to be one of them," Duo said, frowning, "I guess in your memories, Une isn't a good friend, either?"

The answer hung obvious between them. It had been hard to define the relationship between WuFei and Une before he'd left the Preventers. She'd given him the second chance he thought he didn't deserve, a lot of mutual respect existed between them. But friends? WuFei chose not to acknowledge Duo's question.

"What Christmas party?" he asked instead.

"Oh, right. I'm guessing you've got no memory of Quatre's annual Christmas party," Duo said, moving towards the refrigerator to retrieve a cola.

"I remember one Christmas party hosted by Quatre three years ago. He made that disastrous night a yearly event?"

"You remember that party?" Duo said, a hint of color touching his face.

"I remember a party three years ago. I don't know if I remember the same party as you," WuFei said, taking a seat at the dining room table. He made a face when Duo popped open the cola can, "You're going to drink that so early in the day?"

"It's amazing how you can sound so much the same as my WuFei, and still have no memory of who you are," Duo said, plopping into the chair next to WuFei and taking a long swig from the can, "If we both remember that party as a disaster, maybe our memories aren't so far off. But seeing as how that disastrous night ended up being one of the best of my life, hell, it saved my life, maybe they are. How do you remember it?"

"It was awkward, drawn out. I spoke to no one until you arrived, drunk and belligerent. Heero and I took you out of the party. I left soon after that," WuFei leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

"So...you left alone?"

"Yes. Who else would I leave with?" WuFei demanded, "I went alone. I spent the party alone. I left alone."

A sorrow more poignant than any WuFei had yet to see in the other boy passed over his eyes. He took another drink of the cola and stood, pacing away from the table.

"I left with you," WuFei surmised. He'd known that night was the key, but it still didn't answer things. Why would he have left with Duo? And how did leaving with Duo that night get them from there to...here?

"We'd better get going if we want to be on time to meet with Trowa," Duo said, tossing his now empty cola can into the trash. He noticed WuFei's hesitance and smiled, "Look, we don't have to figure it all out right now. We can talk more about it later."

~ * ~

Chapter 11

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