Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ My Kinda Fairy Tale ❯ Deadlines ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five

Deadlines

//Duo swaggered out of the room in victory some time later. He grinned cheekily at Wufei and seemed to be looking for praise.

"Well?" Duo asked grinning like a cat. "Aren't cha gonna congratulate me?"

"For your success with Prince Trowa?" Wufei asked.

"That and the fact I'm gonna be allied with one of the biggest armies of the century! The Barton lands are a mystery no more!"//

"Give it up Duo!" A voice broke though Duo's frantic writing. "It's not happening today! You're screwed!"

"Shut up!" Duo snarled testily. "I'll finish it!"

"In what? Five minutes?" Solo smirked as their bus drove into the parking lot. "I don't think so. Even you aren't that lucky."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up," Duo glared. He sighed in defeat and closed his notebook. "Oh well. No use crying now. Time to face the music."

Today was Tuesday. The Tuesday Duo should have produced a typed up copy of his tales in the Solo Kingdoms. But all he had to show his persistence was a slightly rumpled, wire bound, half-done chronicle of his doomed adventures. Doomed never to be finished that is.

Duo groaned and thumped his head on the front of the seat. "Maybe I can get an extension. Mr Marquise is generous, right?"

"Fat chance," Solo smirked. They stood and began the shuffled down the aisle of the yellow bus. "What do you want me to tell Sister Helen this time?"

"Shut up," Duo repeated. He hopped off the last steps and parted with Solo on his way to the lockers. He angrily spun his lock and ripped open the blue door. He grabbed his stuff, making a huge mess as normal. He felt a little guilty since Trowa was going to have to clean it up but Duo was really to miserable to care. He grumbled and dragged his feet to English class and plopped down in his seat as the last students filtered in.

When Mr Marquise didn't show up right away, Duo straightened and looked around a bit. Mr Marquise had never been late for class all year. The door finally opened and the buzz in the class stopped. Mr Kushrinada stepped in followed by an old man.

"Class, Mr Marquise will be out for the week. This is your supply teacher today, Mr Noventa. I am confident you will behave for him as you would for Mr Marquise. The class is yours Mr Noventa."

"Thank you Treize," the old man politely nodded as Mr Kushrinada left. The second the door closed, the student looked at each other and grinned.

"I am been informed on your-" that was about all the class heard of Mr Noventa all day. Girls turned in their chairs to gossip with their friends. The people near the front pulled out unfinished homework and hurried to do a half-decent job. Jocks cheered and pulled out paper to hit with kids at the front. Duo felt a huge grin split his face and quickly whipped out his notebook.

// "The Barton lands are a mystery no more!"

"Yes," Wufei nodded, not extremely interested. His lands were already aligned with the Barton lands so there was no need to listen to any military information Duo might have. "Would you like to return to your room Maxwell," he paused. "San?"

"Why yes, that would be lovely," Duo grinned and clapped his hands together mischievously. "Yes, lovely."

Wufei gulped at the slightly maniac looked that crossed Duo face and double paced back to the tall stone tower. When that passed on of the window son the high story, Wufei first realised just how late it was. When he went on guard with Sergeant Otto, it had been just before Duo had dragged him from his post. It had been only a few hours but it was already pitch black outside.

Wufei bowed to Duo as he stopped by the steep staircase leading up to the room. "Sir, have a pleasant evening."

"Thanks Wu, I believe I will. Have fun guarding me!" Duo bounded up the stairs with relentless energy. Sergeant Otto shook his head and chuckled. Wufei just glared at the childish behaviour.

Duo slammed the door when he reached his room and quickly strode over to his desk. He pulled out the scrolls Zechs had given his earlier. Unrolling it, he curiously looked it over.

Name: Prince Heero Yuy

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Short Autobiography: Born in Yuy lands. Adopted by King Odin Lowe. Bisexual preference.

Other Notes: Inexpressive but a skilled fighter. Trained in several areas of combat. Heero is an imaginative tactician but is very cold when it comes to people.

Duo laughed as he looked at the identification sketch. The artist didn't do the real person justice. Still, Duo found himself drawn to the piercing prussian blue eyes he had seen earlier. He unrolled another scroll.

Name: Princess Dorothy Catolonia

Age: 15

Gender: Female

Short Autobiography: I have lived in these lands my whole life. I enjoy hand-to hand combats and close combat weaponry. I believe that war does indeed bring a shaking peace that needs to be formatted into a more substantiate agreement later on.

Other Notes: Dorothy is an unusually wilful female and is an expert in her own fencing. Approach with caution.

Duo almost roared out loud in laughter with the last statement. He flipped through the rest of the scrolls but they only contained descriptions on other Princes and Princesses he had no interest in. There was a small parchment that had slipped out. Duo almost stepped on it before he saw it. It was from His father. Apparently he had to choose his life mate in a short while. Duo gulped at the date. Seven days from now.

Duo looked up as he sensed the classroom start to quiet. The class was leaving, paper air planes, empty makeup containers and candy wrappers in their wake. Mr Noventa futilely tried to stop kids to get them to clean up but his efforts were ignored. Duo slipped his battered book into his bag and hurried to his next class, Science.

Science was a strange subject; he wasn't sure why he took it. Probably because there was it was the only class with more then one teacher. This class, like the rest of his school was one of a kind. The professor's were all majors in varies subjects and very sought after.

Duo sat in his seat near the back and watched the last remaining students scrambled to their seats. Dorothy slid next to Duo as one of the teachers around the side of the rooms closed and locked the doors.

There was a squeal of metal on metal and Duo winced while Dorothy sat up straighter. One of the teachers walked up to the front, his metal leg creating all the noise. Doctor J stood hunched as he smiled at the class.

"Today you will have time to work on your projects. The other professors and myself will be around to check on your progress. Begin."

Dorothy quickly pulled out her notebook and turned to their project. "Ok Duo," she rapidly flipped through her frighteningly organised notes. "We have our thesis but blah, blah, blah, got to, blah..."

Duo had tuned out. He settled back, content on letting Dorothy to do their work. He knew from experience that in a few minutes she would see his glazed over look and just get started on her own.

Dou thought back to his relationship with Dorothy. They had met in grade one, before they had been introduced to cooties. They were best friends, Dorothy's parents were after out late and it was no trouble for Dorothy to stay over at the Church. When Duo arrived at the school, he had been an outcast. He had a braid, was dressed in strange clothes and smelled funny. Dorothy was much the same, her father might have been the principal but she had those strange eyebrows and a weird way of talking. She had befriended Duo in an odd way. He was sitting in a corner trying to recite the first ten letters of his alphabet. He had after all, only started school that year. She sat beside him and didn't even wrinkle her nose. Then she picked up the boring alphabet book and grabbed his hand. She had led him around and they spent the day painted on the finger painting board and laughing. They had been inseparable ever since.

As Duo predicted, Dorothy looked up and saw him relaxed in his chair, eyes unfocused and glazed. She sighed annoyed and began to neatly write out what she was going to be doing so Duo could follow along if he liked. Even if it was extra work, Dorothy felt like she had to protect her little brother, ever since she had seen him sitting in the corner, all pathetic like a kicked puppy, she felt it her job to shelter him.

She sighed at the pathetic display her friend was putting on and kicked him lightly under the table before he was caught.

"Huh?" he blinked and looked around confused. Dorothy sighed and bonked him on the head.

"At least look busy!" she hissed. "The Professor's are looking for people working!"

Duo looked around wearily as he grabbed his notebook. Then he began to scribbled quickly.

// Apparently he had to choose his life mate in a short while. Duo gulped at the date. Seven days from now.

"Damn it, how am I supposed to so it? They both are so...enticing," Duo leaned on the back of his chair legs and groaned. "I wish somebody would help me choose." As the words left his mouth, a huge noise erupted from behind him. Duo was startled and his chair tipped backwards and deposited him on his head.

"Ow," he rubbed his hair as he painfully pulled himself to his feet. There was another bang, but quieter this time. It was coming from his wardrobe. Duo reached for the dagger concealed in his boot and carefully began to approach the tall oak piece of furniture.

The wardrobe shook and something from inside hit the side of it. There was a muffled curse and Duo's hand tightened on the blade as he reached for the handle.

He flung open the door and a bundle of clothes fell out in a heap on the floor at Duo's feet.

"Oh dear me," a figure began to struggle on the heavy material. "I don't suppose you could help me out please?"

Quickly coming to the conclusion that if it was an assassin, they were too unskilled to even try to take on Duo. He leaned down and untangled the red cloth from the person's slender limbs.

It was a young boy, only about Duo's age. He had golden blonde hair and wide trusting aqua blue eyes. He was dressed in a pink frilly shirt and patched tan pants. His vest was well worn and his shoes were almost wore through. The boy stood up and dusted himself off briskly.

"Hello! You must be Duo. I believe you called me here," the boy grinned and held out a hand.

Duo hesitantly shook it. "Um, did I?"

"You made a wish of the heart didn't you?" the boy looked a little unsure.

"Well, yes," duo began. "But how does that-"

"Alright then, I did get my directions right!" the boy smiled cheerfully and grasped Duo's hand tighter as he shook it enthusiastically. "I told Ira I didn't need to take a map. I thought I made a wrong turn there for a second but I was right after all!"

"Um," Duo said again. "Do I know you?"

"Why certainly not!" the boy puffed up. "That's my job, nobody is supposed to know me precisely! But since you are my first client, I guess it's all right if I tell you. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner, Quatre to my friends."

"Hello Quatre," Duo nodded politely even though he we trying to find the quickest way to call Sergeant Otto or Wufei up the stairs without alerting the boy.

"Don't worry, I mean you no harm," Quatre grinned easily and Duo felt only slightly reassured. "You see, I'm a Wish. It's a complex thing, so you might want to sit down so I can explain it to you."

Quatre gestured to the fallen chair. Duo picked it up without taking his eyes off Quatre and settled down on it. Quatre took a seat on Duo's bed and folded his hands in his lap.

"Where to begin? Well, I'll explain what a Wish is. When someone makes a wish from their heart, it is answered by my department, the Heart Wish Section. I work for Section B; I help people when they need advise. You could have rephrased your question to something like 'I wish someone would choose for me.' Then you would be handled by Section A. Be glad you didn't' get them, boy-//

Duo paused, his pencil hovering above his notebook. As he thought of another name, one of the professors walked up to him and startled him by snapping two fingers in front of his face. Duo blinked and jumped a little.

"Is there a problem Mr Maxwell?" Dr. J asked in his quivering voice.

"No sir," Duo grinned. "Nothing at all." The doctor grunted and moved on. Duo returned to his thinking. He was lost in thought for quite a while before a tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. This time it was Professor G.

For all his scarred face, mushroom hair cut and long nose, Duo felt himself to really like this professor. He was the main leader of the five doctors, even if it didn't seem that way a lot.

"What are you doing Mr Maxwell?" the man asked and removed his hand from Duo's shoulder.

"Er, working on my assignment sir!" Duo answered as best he could without lying.

"I see," the professor said with a hint of laughter. "Well, get back to Quatre and Duo. Perhaps Mr. Septem with suffice for Section A?"

Duo blushed as the professor moved away but took his suggestion to heart.

// "Then you would be handled by Section A. Be glad you didn't' get them, boy, that Septem scares me! Section C however would be something quite different though-"

"Quatre?" Duo interrupted. "This is all interesting but could we be getting to some relevant information please?"

"Oh yes, of course. As I said, I am a Wish. We are closely related to the Fey people and live in an alternate universe then you. It's a little confusing you see. Just try to believe that I'm a Wish and this is my job. I'm just here to counsel you."

"How do I know I can trust you? Why are you helping me now, why not whenever I have a wish? Where is this alternate universe? When-"

"Enough with the questions!" Quatre threw up his hands. "Of course you can trust me! It says in my contract that I can do no harm. If I deal with your every wish, my Section would be bogged down! This is just a very important one. And I can't reveal any information on my world to you, company policies."

Duo seemed to accept that. He nodded and leaned back on his chair. "So, what should I do? About my problem I mean."

"I can't really decide for you," Quatre began to fiddle with his frilly shirt. "It's something you have to decide on your own. I'm just here to help you with your decision."//

"Duo!" a pair of fingers napped in front of his face. "Earth to Duo!"

"Huh?" he blinked and looked around.

"You do that way to often these days," Dorothy sighed. "Class is over. You have exactly two minutes to get your books and run to Madame Goulash's class before she flips again."

"Shit!" Duo grabbed his books in his hands and ran out the door like his life depended on it. Dorothy just sighed and picked up his bag. She knew she would run in to Meiran who was in Duo's French class and would return it to him. It was a good thing she really liked Duo Maxwell or he would sink.

Duo managed to slide into class as the bell was ending. The crinkled old woman glared at Duo over her small glasses.

"Late again Mr. Duo?" she said with a light french accent.

"Not this time Madame," Duo grinned as he panted. "I believe I was here a few nanoseconds before the bell ended."

"Since you are good enough to grace us with your presence, take a seat s'il vous plait."

Duo took his seat next to his slender, Chinese friends. Meiran slide Duo's bag under his chair when Madame Goulash wasn't looking. Duo smiled gratefully at her as the lesson began. The whole class listened with more attention then they used in most classes to keep up with the fast paced french.

Some where during a work period, Duo slipped his notebook on top of his binder and began to write like he was taking notes but in fact he was worlds away.

//"I'm just here to help you with your decision."

"Then wasn't it pointless for you to be here? I need help choosing, not counselling." As the words hung in the air, Quatre's lower lip began to wobble. Duo took a step back as Quatre looked miserably on the cover of Duo's bed.

"Ira was right. I'm not fit for this. I was wrong about you needing me. Oh, it's not fair! She's going to take me out of my section and I'll be back to filing! I've waited my whole life to leave that stuffy office and I screw up on my first assignment! I just wasn't ready, I'll never be!"

Quatre's eyes turned to Duo's, filled with tears. "I'm sorry to cause you this trouble. I'll be going now."

Quatre turned to the wardrobe and silently climbed in. He gave Duo a small sad little wave and turned around.

"Wait," Duo said, a huge wave of guilt coming over him. "Maybe, maybe I could use someone to help me out."

"Really?" Quatre turned back hopefully.

"Yea," Duo smiled. Quatre laughed and hopped out of the wood wardrobe. He flung and arm around Duo's shoulders and grinned.

"Well my friend, I predict we will find you a most suitable mate. How about we get started?"//