Operation: Lost Boys Part 2
True to Wendy's word, there were six cups filled with steaming hot chocolate for the laughing group. Even Heero was hard pressed not to grin at Duo's appearance. Wufei had gotten even with the happy go lucky pilot by hitting a tree Duo had passed under. The result was a huge pile of snow falling on the unsuspecting Duo. Despite the fact that he was chilled to the bone, Duo was grinning brightly. Quatre let the mug warm his hands a moment before putting it down without taking a drink.
"MAN! It's FREEZING out there!" Duo shook his head, dislodging some stray snow so it fell onto the foyer floor. "No one ever told me that snow would stick to everything!"
Wufei snorted as he sipped at his drink. "I thought you were kidding when you said you never played in the snow."
Duo glared briefly at Wufei. "I run, I hide, but I DON'T lie. Snow was for collecting to be used for cleaning and bathing. We couldn't waste it by playing in it." He grinned a little. "Now RAIN... THAT was for playing in! It drove Sister Helen nuts when I'd dash outside in the middle of a downpour." He smiled sadly. "The Reverand told her to leave me alone and let me play." He shook himself out of his melancholy mood and grinned as Wendy hung up their coats. "So... where are the warm clothes you promised?"
Wendy smiled at how quickly Duo was able to bounce back from a painful memory. "If you'll all follow me..." She led them up a flight of stairs. She paused in the middle of the hallway. She pointed to three doors. "Heero ... Duo... Wufei." She turned and pointed to two more doors. "Trowa and Quatre." She pointed to the last door. "And that one is my room. I'll see you guys in about an hour."
Wufei watched as Wendy walked away after the others retreated to their rooms. His eyes narrowed as she reached up and undid the clasps that held her intricate braids in place. 'By Nataku! Her hair is longer than Duo's!' He felt his heart stop when she turned to gaze at him in confusion a second before she entered her room. He shook his head and entered his own room.
*****
"This is the library... and a few doors down is the Music Room." Wendy smiled as Quatre peeked in the music room like a child let into a candy store. "There's a studio in the basement, but I don't use it during the holidays."
Duo peeked into a room where there were a lot of people on computers. "What's this?" He almost regretted asking when Wendy's eyes grew sad.
Wendy took a deep breath. "I'm searching for a family member lost during the war." She turned to one of the people. "Anything?" When she received a head shake to indicate a negative, she let her head fall. "Well... keep trying. I know it's like looking for a needle in a barn full of hay, but..."
The technician shook his head. "No need to apologize. While performing your search, many others were found and returned to their families." He handed her a list. "We've extended our invitation, and it has been accepted."
Wendy nodded. "What percentage?"
The technician smiled. "67% have family that we've been able to locate, and 30% have couples waiting to take them in."
"Well work on the other 3% between now and the party." She returned the list. "I wish I had started this sooner!"
Duo was confused. "Huh? I don't get it!"
Quatre smiled. "Medly Starr is almost famous for her Christmas Parties. Every year, she sends out an invitation to the children of a random orphanage. Apparantly, with the network she has built up, she's able to locate the children's families or people to adopt them. Looks like you're going for 100% success this year!" Quatre ran to catch up to Wendy. He noticed her sad smile. "But it doesn't help YOU, does it?"
Wufei smiled slightly. "You could use all your resources to find the family member you're searching for, yet you don't."
Wendy turned and nodded. "I, at least, have my mother! There are a lot of children out there who are all alone and at the mercy of the system. I figured I could give the system a little push. The bureaucrats don't care if these kids get good homes. All they care about is keeping their precious money in their pockets! Why waste time and money on finding these kids homes when any Tom, Dick or Harry can come in and buy one?" She gestured back to the room. "Many of those people are volunteers... they found family members through my network that they thought were dead. If more people would show at least a tiny bit of compassion, then all the orphans would find families!" She didn't miss the looks she got from Heero, Duo and Trowa. "I could have just as easily been one of the children that I'm helping. It wouldn't be fair to bask in my good fortune and not share with others."
Duo shook his head. "Man... where were people like you when I was a kid?"
Wendy sighed. "My mother started this... I simply extended it. Way back then, if we found a home for one child, it was considered a success." She walked over to Duo. "I'm so very sorry!"
Duo blinked. "What for?"
"The year that the Maxwell Church was destroyed, was the year we sent an invitation. If we had known you had survived, we could have found you a home."
"If you had... where would WE have been?"
Everyone turned to Heero. Duo blinked at that comment.
Heero returned their looks. "He's damn useful in a fight. And things would have been really dull without him." His mouth quirked slightly into a smile before his face settled back into its stoic expression.
Duo grinned widely. "Awwww... Heero I didn't know you cared!"
"Hn! Baka!"
Quatre and Trowa gave each other a look, then nodded.
The group walked in three sets of two. Duo was chattering away at Heero... mostly teasing the quiet pilot about the earlier remark. Trowa and Quatre walked hand in hand, simply enjoying each other's company. Wufei chose to walk beside Wendy.
"Why do you keep your hair braided up like that?"
Wendy shrugged. "Possibly the same reason Duo keeps HIS hair in a braid. It's less likely to get in the way. I don't let it down unless specific circumstances call for it."
Wufei nodded. "You could always..." He blinked as she shook her head... as if she knew what he was about to say.
"No... I can't cut my hair. Mama once said it was bad luck to cut your hair. Besides. I like it long. Do you know how much fan mail I get because of my hair? At least one out of every ten men say they'll pay to just run their fingers though it." She giggled. "I don't like other people touching my hair when it's loose. There's something... sensual about handling someone else's hair. Do you understand what I mean?"
Wufei nodded. "You will sell no part of yourself, but will give it freely to one of your choosing. Even something as superficial as a man running his fingers through your hair is something you will not allow." He turned to her to see her laughing softly. "What?"
"Do you ALWAYS talk like that? It's a wonder people don't need a thesaurus around you. You have the basic idea, though." Wendy smiled gently. "You know ... I'd like to see which one of us would win a chess game."
*****
Four hours later, they were studying a chessboard intently.
Duo walked into the room. "They're playing another game?"
Heero looked up from his laptop and shook his head. "Nope... same one."
"Woah! Who's winning?" Duo peered at the scattering of chess pieces. "Looks like Wufei is."
Wufei shook his head. "Just because I captured more pieces doesn't mean that I'll win the game. I lost my queen because she sacrificed her rook." He frowned as he considered his next move. "Wendy is a good strategist." He moved his knight.
Wendy's eyes darted over the board for several minutes while the boys conversed. Slowly, she smiled. 'Checkmate in ten moves... unless he gets stupid.' She nonchalantly placed her remaining rook into the fray of the 'battle'.
Duo watched as Wufei's eyes widened. "What? What's up, Wu-man?"
Wendy answered. "He sees what I see. Shall we play this to the end?"
Wufei shook his head. "There is no need." He knocked his king over then extended his hand. "I am honored to have been beaten by such a worthy opponent."
Wendy grinned as she accepted the hand and shook it. "If its any consolation, there has never been as good a challenge as you have been. We have to play again sometime."
Duo frowned. "I don't see it!"
Wufei sighed and stood his king up. "Let's show him."
Duo watched as Wufei took the only logical moves possible. Within eleven exchanges, Wufei had, yet again, knocked his king over. "Oh."
Wendy smiled at Wufei. "I calculated ten moves. You're better than I thought! I didn't see that eleventh one."
"I don't always do the expected." Wufei started putting the pieces away. "I underestimated you so I let my guard down."
Wendy paused in her aid and frowned at the Chinese boy. "Is that a fact? You wanna have another go? I'll bet you anything that the most you'll get is a stalemate. I'll tolerate many things, but I'm just as good as you. I can't stand male chauvinists."
Wufei paused in what he was doing and looked up to see the hurt and anger in Wendy's eyes. He had just insulted the first person who had ever beaten him at chess. Then he sighed and looked away. "Forgive me... I was being a sore loser."
"Hn!" Wendy wasn't going to let him off that easy.
Quatre walked in and decided to peek over Heero's shoulder. "HEERO! You KNOW you're not supposed to be doing work here!" He somehow managed to get past Heero's defenses and grabbed the offending piece of machinery before running out of the room.
"Hey!" Heero jumped up and took chase after the blonde. "QUATRE!!! OMAE O KOROSU!!!!"
Wendy leapt out of the way before Quatre could barrel into her. "RUN, QUATRE!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!" She turned to Duo. "Come on! Let's make sure Heero doesn't hurt him too badly!"
With a whoop, Duo agreed and the two of them raced after the Wing Pilot... leaving a bewildered Wufei behind them.
"Now THIS I have to see!"
*****
Trowa was walking to the den when he saw Quatre running towards him. "Quatre?"
Quatre glanced behind him to see Heero not too far behind him. "TROWA! SAVE ME!!!" He ran behind Trowa in an effort to shield himself from Heero.
"What did you do?" Trowa looked down and smiled slightly when he saw Heero's laptop. "He's going to kill you, you know." He looked forward as aforementioned pilot slowed to a stop. Trowa folded his arms. "I can't let you harm Quatre, Heero."
"Che! I just want my laptop." He glanced at the fair boy. "Give it back and I won't kill you." By that time, Wendy and Duo had caught up with him.
Wendy was giggling a little, but she got enough breath back to clear her throat. "Heero... you will get only one warning, and this is it. Any further work on that laptop will cause it to be confiscated." She folded her arms. "Do you understand?"
Heero nodded in understanding. "Can I have it back now?" He waited as Quatre timidly stepped from his place behind Trowa. He almost smiled at how much the smaller boy looked like a deer about to be hit by a car. He took the laptop and headed for his room.
Trowa glanced over at Quatre, a smile on his face. But quickly that smile faded as he saw Quatre swaying slightly. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Just a little dizzy." Quatre replied, then promptly slumped forward.
In one fluid motion, Trowa caught Quatre and lifted him into his arms. He looked over to one of the windows, checking the sky. "Don't worry. Sunset is only about an hour away." He said, offering a small smile to the blonde he cradled in his arms.
Wendy nodded, knowing exactly what was going on. "Come on, he can lay down on the sofa for a while."
Trowa mumbled a thank you, and carried Quatre into the living room, gently laying him down on the sofa. He sat beside him, holding his hand gently in his own.
"What?" Duo asked, sounding totally confused. "Did I miss something?"
Wendy looked over at Duo, and sighed realizing that he had no clue as to what was happening. "Your friend here is Muslim." She said.
Wufei nodded in understanding and resumed putting the chess set away. He had been worried that Quatre had fallen ill, but he was relieved that that was not the case.
Duo, however, was still lost. "Yeah. So?" He replied, raising an eyebrow.
Wendy sighed again. 'Doesn't he have any idea of what is going on?' "Once a year, during the month of Ramadan, every Muslim must fast, meaning he can't eat or drink anything between sunrise or sunset. How long have the two of you been friends?"
Duo stuck his tongue out at her. "Just because we're friends, doesn't mean I butt into his life." He turned to Quatre. "So, can't eat nothing all day, huh?"
"Or drink anything." Quatre replied, sounding tired. "Hence why I didn't drink any cocoa earlier."
"Ain't that hard? I mean I can't even go a few hours before I get hungry or thirsty."
Quatre chuckled. "It takes a great deal of discipline, especially if the month of Ramadan is in the summer. But luckily this year, it fell in winter." He sighed tiredly. "I just pushed myself a little too much." He held up the hand that Trowa wasn't holding and winced at how badly it was shaking before letting it drop to his side.
"Just rest a while, Quatre." Trowa smoothed the blonde hair away from Quatre's face, not noticing Duo walk out of the room.
*****
Heero looked up from the book he was reading when someone knocked on his door. "Who it is?"
"It's me!" Duo opened the door and peeked in. "Is it okay if I come in?"
"If I said no, you'd come in anyway." He closed the book and set it aside. "What do you want, Duo?"
"You know about Ramadan, right?"
Heero shrugged. "It's an annual ritual fast lasting the duration of one month. From sunrise to sunset, a Muslim can't eat or drink anything. At least that's what Dr. J taught me. Why?"
Duo sighed. "It's the middle of Ramadan right now." When Heero didn't blink, Duo groaned. "And Quatre's MUSLIM... get it?"
Heero folded his arms. "So you're saying I should have gone easy on Quatre?" He shook his head. "Quatre is aware of his limits and if he isn't, then he should be."
"Heero! Quatre could have gotten very sick by over extending his limit like he did! He practically fainted as it is!" Duo wondered how Heero could be so callous.
Heero grunted. "What do you want me to do? Apologize? For what? The only constant in my life right now is that laptop! It's been with me since I started training! What Quatre did was akin to cutting off your braid!"
Duo blinked. "You're serious, aren't you?" He glanced at the inanimate object lying on the desk. "Man... I didn't know it was like THAT, Heero. I guess it's in your best interests to follow the rules, then." He shrugged. "Just don't make him run so fast. Of all of us, Quatre's the most delicate. His life hasn't been as hard as ours."
Heero didn't have an answer as Duo left his room.
TBC...
I'd like to thank my friend, Keara, for all her help with Quatre's faith. I'm more like Duo... was raised Christian, but not really an abject follower of the faith.
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