"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 18:

The next day, Duo and WuFei relaxed around the house, a kind of armistice having settled between them. Duo seemed less on edge. He still bounced around the house, a nervous bundle of energy, but it felt less frenetic and more good-natured. WuFei chose to think of this time as "reacquainting" himself with the other boy. He spent the morning looking over his bike, a sentimental feeling settling in his chest when he first saw it. The only other time he felt that kind of love for a machine was his Gundam, even the sports car didn't compare. Perhaps because the bike had also gone through the war with him. He found Duo in the kitchen after he'd made an inventory of parts he would need.

"Repairing it is going to take some time," he said, placing his inventory on the table and retrieving a cold can of green tea from the fridge.

Duo swept the list up and scanned it, "You're going to take some time before you can even ride it."

WuFei's limp was less noticeable and his bruising had gone down. He felt his recovery shouldn't take much longer, but he knew Duo was right. Which meant he would be reliant on Duo for travel. Which meant he had to put up with that monstrosity of a vehicle in their driveway for who knew how much longer. In the peripheral of his mind, he also wondered if he ever left the house without Duo anyway. Having the bike certainly suggested they weren't always attached at the hip but in his memories of life alone he spent many, many, many nights in – mostly reading.

"What are you up to?" WuFei noticed several open boxes on the floor, three of them carefully packed with wrapped gifts.

"Oh...I had a thing to go to," Duo said, putting the inventory down by the vid-phone, "Well, we had a thing to go to but I wasn't sure if you'd be up for it. It's been a busy past few days and you're still healing."

"I see. What is this...thing?" WuFei sipped at his cold beverage.

"We volunteer together at a local orphanage," Duo winced, shrugging, "We kind of do the big brother thing. Hang out with the kids, tutor them on homework, teach them cool stuff like how to ride a bike and paint, things like that."

"Orphanage. Kids. As in...children? Small, not-adult people," WuFei frowned.

"Those would be the ones," Duo grinned.

"We do this together?"

"Yeah. I wanted to do something to help out, pay homage to my upbringings. I figured it would've really helped me out as a kid to have someone like us come around, be caring and kind and a role model and everything. Maybe I would've turned out better, you know? Instead of a war hero, maybe I'd be a doctor or professor or nuclear physicist. I pitched it to you, you hated it, I pouted and whined until you caved and agreed to go with me."

"I see."

"And it grew on you. You actually, kind of, really like kids. And the kids love you," Duo shrugged, "I know you don't remember being a kid person and, well, they're doing a Christmas party type thing at the orphanage today, two things you probably remember as your least favorite things in the world all rolled into one, from noon to four. We got a bunch of presents for the kids. I figured I'd take them over, make an appearance, hang out for a few hours."

"And I would stay here," WuFei surmised.

"It's up to you. I have to go either way, I can't disappoint the kids," Duo said.

"I'll go," WuFei interjected.

"But you don't have to come...wait, what?"

"You seem to have a better idea of what I enjoy than I do at present. If you say that I like spending time at this orphanage, playing with children, then I trust your judgement," Wufei said.

"Okay. Yeah, that'd be awesome. I'm almost finished packing up the gifts. I'll get them loaded up and we can head out," a sly smirked slid across Duo's face, "You know, it was your turn to dress up as Santa this year."

"I'm not there yet."

"Right. Worth a shot," Duo grabbed a box and left to load it up into his truck.

They headed out a half-hour later. On top of five fully packed boxes of gifts, Duo had also grabbed two large bags of loose stuffed animals, a platter of cookies and a warm casserole dish. There was a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and small flurries falling around them. WuFei watched out the window as Duo balanced driving and fiddling with the radio station. He couldn't seem to decide on something to listen to.

"Is it typical for us to have this many things on our social calendar?" WuFei wondered.

"Depends," Duo settled on a soft rock station, "Christmas is always busy for us with everyone in town and we take the time off from work so we load up as much as we can into that time slot but things slow down in the new year after everybody heads back to the other four corners of the galaxy. We end up out of town on missions a lot, too, that clears up our agenda real quick."

WuFei nodded, leaning against the passenger door, and Duo smirked.

"I take it you didn't get out and about much in those memories of yours?"

"No," WuFei said.

Duo frowned, "Do you miss that?"

WuFei shrugged and remained silent. Duo turned his attention to the road and started singing along to a song on the radio. It wasn't much farther to their destination. The orphanage was in an auxiliary building behind a prominent catholic church. Duo grabbed the casserole dish, assured WuFei he would come back for the rest, and led the way up towards the dormitory building.

Several women of varying ages in nunnery costumes bustled about inside of the dormitory as small children ranging from toddlers to early teens ran about playing. They had a modest tree set up and some scant decorations. A table set to one side of the room with several plates of food. There was a bit of excitement when WuFei and Duo entered.

"Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Chang, you made it! We were worried we might not see you," a woman with wisps of red hair showing around the fringe of her habit called greeting just as a small girl, no more than five, ran into WuFei's leg and latched on.

"Oh," WuFei grunted, surprised. The girl looked up at him with a grin that was missing two front teeth. Duo juggled his boxes around a couple other small children playing around his legs.

"Miss this shindig, Sister Willa? Not for the world," Duo said, managing to get his dish to the table. He grabbed the sleeve of a passing boy with chocolate brown eyes hidden behind a mess of black curls, he couldn't have been older than fourteen, "Marcus, you mind getting a few friends to help me unpack my truck."

"Course not, uncle," the boy replied with a grin, and left to round up volunteers.

"Hello," WuFei awkwardly said to the little girl at his feet. He had the sense he should know her name and wondered how to get around his not knowing without upsetting her.

"Mister Fei, Milo says you wouldn't come back and I told him you promised to show me the next kata and you wouldn't say you promise if you didn't do it," the girl said.

"I see," WuFei glanced at Duo who had stepped aside to speak to the nuns, they were all looking at WuFei so he determined Duo was filling them in on the situation. He'd have to deal with the little girl himself. He knelt as best he could to eye level with her, unlatching her arms from his legs, "You can tell Milo he was incorrect. I came back. I don't know if I will be able to show you a kata today, though."

"You promised," the girl said.

"I did so I will," he scrambled. He couldn't remember what he'd been teaching her, and he wasn't certain Duo would know. A realization came to him, "You'll have to show me that you mastered the previous kata, before I can show you the next one. Have you been practicing it?"

"Every day! Morning and night," she proudly proclaimed, "I can show you now."

She stepped back into one of the initial stances of a kata sequence and nearly bowling over a few children behind her, but WuFei grabbed her shoulders to stop her, a short laugh escaping his lips.

"Perhaps not this very moment," he said, straightening when he saw Duo making his way back towards them.

Duo scooped the little girl up into his arms and demanded, "Nina, are you giving WuFei a hard time?"

"Never," the little girl said, throwing her arms around Duo's neck and tangling her fingers in his braid, "Your hair is longer. Will you ever cut it?"

Duo laughed heartily, returning her hug.

"Never," he cheekily replied. He put her back on the ground and told her, "Run along, Nina. WuFei and I got some preparations to make before we can get this party started."

Nina's eyes went wide. She looked at WuFei.

"We will review your kata later," he said. She grinned and ran off, yelling for Milo. Once she was out of hearing range, WuFei looked to Duo, "Nina?"

"Your favorite pupil. You've been teaching some of the kids a bit of martial arts. Nina is by far the best and most enthusiastic," Duo explained, "You gave her a nickname, something in Chinese – I'm not even going to try saying it, said it meant little horse, because she kicks like one."

"Xiao ma," WuFei smiled despite himself, "She has a lot of energy."

"I let the nuns know about your accident and that your memory is a bit shaky from it. They'll explain it to the kids," Duo said, "Some of the older kids are emptying my truck, putting the presents under the tree, which frees me up to give you a tour if you want and refresher on names."

"I don't know how well I'll remember them all," WuFei said, eying the number of children running loose. Duo slung an arm around WuFei's shoulders.

"We'll see how it goes."

Much of the bottom floor for the dorm was communal area. A kitchen, cafeteria dining area, and recreation space with a television and a few shelves stacked with toys, board games, and some books. There were thirty-seven children at the orphanage under the care of five nuns: Sisters Willa, Mary, Hester, Lin, and Tori. Of the children, Milly was eldest at sixteen. She worked a part-time job and planned on joining the convent in a year. Twins Marcus and Beatty were next eldest at fourteen and a half.

"...then you've got Lionel, Stacy, Timmon, the three over there are the Terror Triplets...they're not actual triplets but they act like it, Yenna, Lisa, and Constance," Duo gestured to the different children as he spoke. He ruffled a couple boys' hair in passing, mouthing to WuFei, "Roger, and Ken."

It took almost twenty minutes to go through everyone. WuFei mentally went back over each name and face as the nuns gathered all of the children inside.

"You grew up in a place like this," WuFei realized, looking at Duo as though it were the first time he really saw the other boy.

Duo shrugged, "I think Quatre and you are the only ones grew up with an actual family. Lucky that way, I guess? Got to be lucky at something. Who knows what Trowa's past is, all these years we've been friends and he's never said a peep. Could you imagine asking him? Sheesh, creeps me out thinking about it. He's better a mystery. Heero was brought up to be a soldier, never got an upbringing, childhood, whatnot. I would've been better not knowing his past too. Me? War orphan running rampant through the streets. Not worth hiding, I'm damn proud of my heritage. Made me every bit the man I am today."

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Sister Hester called at the front of the room.

The sisters had managed to corral the children, some of the older kids were holding younger kids in their laps. Sister Mary held an especially small girl in her arms. A hush fell over everyone. Sister Hester was the eldest of the nuns – eighty-five and still kicking, Duo had eagerly informed WuFei while doing their round.

"A few announcements before we get started," Sister Hester said, "The snow is beginning to clear outside, so after lunch we can get bundled up and go play. Mister Maxwell and Mister Chang are here, if you haven't said hellos to them, please do. Remember your manners, and please, thank them too, because they brought a special deliver from Santa Claus for everyone. Gifts for each of you to unwrap on Christmas morning."

The children stirred with excitement and Sister Hester ruffled a bit.

"Settle down, settle down," she shouted over the group, and the kids silenced again, "There's one last thing, most of you may have noticed, Mister Chang is a bit banged up. It seems he was in an accident the other day. That means you will have to be careful and gentle around him."

"Why is she speaking about me as though I'm an invalid?" WuFei complained in a hushed tone to Duo.

"If Mister Chang seems forgetful, please try to help him, and show him how well all of you have learned his lessons of patience and kindness," Sister Hester clapped her hands together and smiled toothlessly at the kids, "Now, let's get some grub in our bellies."

~ * ~

Chapter 19

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