August 14 1999
"Is there anything all of us could play?" Ryoga asked.
"We could play poker," Duo suggested with a sly grin.
"Ok, but you'll have to teach me how," Ryoga answered. "I never really had a chance to learn it." The others all groaned, even Heero. Wufei merely glowered silently.
"Don't you let him cheat you, Ryoga," Quatre said.
"Moi?" Duo's innocent expression didn't fool Ryoga - he had seen both Ranma and his father use the same look.
"Toi," Ryoga said. "If you're teaching me, we're not betting money. Oh!" At that, Ryoga ran back to the bedroom, where his ruined clothing still lay in a small heap in the corner. There was his wallet, thank goodness. He stuffed it back in the trouser pocket, so at least he'd remember where it was, and turned to see that all his new friends were gathered in the doorway watching him. "I, uh, couldn't remember if I had any money with me," he said sheepishly. "I was afraid I might have left the wallet in my backpack."
"Where's your backpack?" Duo asked.
"Your guess is probably better than mine," Ryoga admitted. "I have no idea where I was when I last saw it. There were trees..." Ryoga shrugged helplessly.
"Anyway, you do have your wallet, right?" Quatre asked. "So it's Ok for now. I don't want to play poker, though. I think we should play Clue. Or Monopoly."
"Ooh! Monopoly!" Duo called happily.
"I like Clue better," Ryoga said timidly.
"Clue is bloody-minded," Heero chimed in.
"Is not!" Quatre cried.
"The guy dies, and you have to figure out how."
"Ok, so Heero votes for Clue," Duo said. "Quatre and Trowa?"
"Clue," Trowa said, and Quatre nodded agreement. Duo shook his head ruefully. Trowa could vote to make Rush Limbaugh a saint, and Quatre would agree with him.
"Clue it is, then," Duo said, then he quickly went about setting up the game. Duo didn't really mind being outvoted on the game, as long as he got his way on the Ryoga issue. He was almost finished with the setup when the doorbell rang. Duo bounded across the room, his braid dancing behind him, then tossed a devilish grin Ryoga's way and opened the door.
"Duo darling," said the gorgeous redhead on the other side, flashing him a come-hither smile that would have made Shampoo envious.
"Rhonda, my love, I just know you've brought us something wonderful," Duo said with a grin, savoring the heavenly aroma from the cartons she carried. "How much do I owe you, sweet?"
"Nothing, darling, it's my treat. A going-away present."
"Rhonda, my precious, I'm going to miss you terribly."
"So when are you moving?" the redhead asked, handing the cartons over and straightening her skin-tight, purple dress. Ryoga, watching discreetly from a distance, had to wonder why she would wear such a skimpy outfit on such a cold night. He found himself shivering in sympathy and huddled into his borrowed robe for warmth.
"We have to go in the morning," Duo said, his voice full of regret. Ryoga glumly realized that that meant they'd be leaving him in the morning, too. He wondered where he should go, since he no longer had a house. He should probably look for a tent and backpack, and head away from ruined Nerima. He never wanted to see that place again, but he already knew that he'd be visiting it often in his dreams.
Ryoga looked up to realize that Rhonda had gone, having gotten one last grateful kiss from Duo for her trouble, and that all five of the Gundam pilots were staring at him. He wondered how long he had been sunk in his thoughts.
"Sorry," Ryoga mumbled, and joined them at the table.
"No problem," Duo answered. He looked around at the others, and finally started to ask the questions they had discussed. They'd get all the information they could out of Ryoga, then vote after he had gone to sleep. "So, Ryoga, tell us about yourself," he suggested, dishing out a huge portion of lasagne to each of the diners.
"Uh... not much to tell, really," Ryoga answered. "I, uh, get lost a lot. I mostly just walk around trying to find my way home... except there isn't one anymore."
"You get lost?"
"It's a hereditary thing," Ryoga explained. Duo sighed. Getting any kind of real information out of Ryoga was going to be a trial.
"What about Ranma? Can you tell us about him?" The question set Ryoga off, and he started a long explanation about the bread feud, which he shamefacedly had to admit was silly, and the curse, which he had to demonstrate for an incredulous group of Gundam fighters. Ryoga had to laugh along with the others when he related the story of the rich couple who wanted to adopt him as Pork Chop, and he found himself deliberately emphasizing the funny parts of his life history. He had explained all about the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics competition and the Charlotte Cup by the time the group had finished gorging themselves on lasagne, spaghetti, linguine, antipasto and tiramisu for dessert.
Everyone adjourned to the comfortable couch and chairs, and Ryoga explained about Akane and the whole P-Chan charade, and suddenly found that there wasn't anything left to laugh about. Wiping away his sudden tears, he moved on to the subject of the Chinese Amazons, and told all about Shampoo and her efforts to snag Ranma. Wufei seemed to find this particularly interesting, and actually laughed out loud when Ryoga described the relationship between Shampoo and Mousse.
On some level, Ryoga realized that he was being given the third degree, but it was so nice to talk to someone and actually have them listen, he found that he just couldn't stop himself. He wondered if maybe he was drunk from all that brandy he'd had earlier. Ignoring that, and the fact that he was getting events all out of chronological order, he told about all the times Ranma had defeated him in battle using some kind of trick. He explained about the Breaking Point, which he again had to demonstrate, and the ShiShi Hokodan, which he declined to demonstrate indoors. He even described Akane and Akari, and Kasumi, the three most important women in his life outside of his immediate family. The thought of immediate family led him to the topic of siblings, and he had to relate the whole story of how Ranma dressed up as a girl and pretended to be his long-lost sister, Yoiko - and that got him started on a list of all the ridiculous disguises Ranma had used.
At long last, Ryoga started to wind down, struggling to stifle yawns in between phrases. Duo gently suggested that he might want to go to bed, and Ryoga merely nodded, letting his new friend direct him to Quatre and Trowa's room.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much," Ryoga mumbled.
"Don't worry, Ryoga," Duo answered, kissing him gently as he lay back against the pillows. "Everything will be fine."
The others were all waiting to vote when Duo stepped back out of the bedroom.
"I say we keep him," Quatre whispered softly but emphatically. "I like him." Trowa nodded his agreement, and Duo turned to Heero hopefully.
"He's a sad guy," Heero commented. "He'll fit right in."
"Yes!" Duo cried. "Thank you Heero! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" And he threw himself onto Heero's lap, kissing him soundly on the cheek before moving on to the others.
"I'm going to verify his story," Wufei said quietly. Nobody had even bothered to ask him what his vote was, since the tide had swung entirely in Ryoga's favor. They would have been surprised, at the least, to find that the vote would have been unanimous.
"Let's tell him first thing in the morning," Duo said excitedly. Wufei announced that he would be leaving first thing in the morning, but would catch up to them at their new location in the evening.
Shortly afterward, everyone went to bed, eager to get a good night's sleep and move the next day. Duo lay awkwardly in the middle of the bed; both Wufei and Heero had their backs turned to him, and neither of them seemed to want to talk. Quatre, on the other hand, snuggled up to Ryoga, who had been curled up shivering. Trowa pressed himself up against Quatre from behind, and the little blond slept snugly that way, cuddling up between his two beautiful bed partners.
The next day dawned grey and chilly, with a drizzle that promised a full rain later on. Ryoga woke to find that all his friends were already up, staggering around the two bedrooms bleary-eyed as they packed their few small bags.
"Time to go already?" he mumbled, and rolled out of the bed. Quatre smiled at him and handed him his own clothes, neatly mended and folded.
"Wufei got up early and sewed them back," the small blond explained cheerfully. "Said it was the least he could do. He didn't think the repairs would hold very long, though - the fabric was really worn to the woof."
"Thanks," Ryoga replied, stunned. "Where is Wufei?"
"He left already. Said he'd meet us at the new place tonight."
"Oh." Ryoga went to the bathroom to dress, wondering how he was going to manage to say goodbye to his new friends. He supposed he should tell them to thank Wufei... although it really was Wufei's fault his clothes had needed repairing. It was awfully chilly in the apartment this morning, and Ryoga shivered as he pulled the well-worn garments on. He wished he could find his pack, and all his warm winter clothing.
"Ryoga?" Duo's voice called. The Lost Boy pulled the bathroom door open and smiled his greeting as he finished folding his borrowed pajamas.
"Guess you guys have to leave, huh?" Ryoga asked, struggling to keep his face and voice under control.
"Uh... actually, I was hoping you'd come with us," Duo said, impatiently brushing long bangs out of his eyes so he could see Ryoga's reaction. "You know, uh, stay with us."
"Really?!?" Ryoga cried, his eyes going wide as he grinned a delighted, toothy grin. "You mean it?"
"Yeah!" Duo gasped as Ryoga swept him up into a crushing bear hug.
"Oh, thank you, thank you! Thank you all!" Ryoga cried, hugging each of his new friends in turn as they gathered around him. "I'm so happy! I promise I won't be a bother!"
"Let's go," Heero said, his expression impassive. Duo grinned at him impishly, knowing that a neutral expression for Heero was about as close to a smile as they were likely to get.
"Where are we going?" Ryoga asked, suddenly aware that he didn't know what he had agreed to.
"A cabin," Duo answered. "You'll love it! But first you and I are taking a plane trip. Everyone else gets to fly their Gundams today."
"Mission," Heero explained. "You two move in, and we'll join you when the work is done."
"Good luck," Duo said earnestly, and Ryoga realized that the mission, whatever it was, was a serious matter. Duo actually looked as though he might be saying goodbye for the last time...
"Be careful," Ryoga added. Heero gave him a brisk nod, and Quatre and Trowa gave quick goodbye hugs to Ryoga and Duo.
"See you tonight," Quatre promised, and then they were gone. Ryoga and Duo went through the apartment quickly, checking one last time to be sure everything had been packed, then loaded Duo's motorcycle with themselves and the few bags they'd have to bring.
"We travel light," Duo explained, and Ryoga nodded - not that he had ever had a need to travel light. There wasn't much he couldn't carry in his backpack. The motorcycle sped through the ruins of Nerima, and Ryoga buried his face against Duo's shoulder, hiding from the brutal reality of it. The wind whistled past, tearing its way through his clothing to trail all along his flesh with icy fingers.
"It's freezing!" he exclaimed, yelling into the wind so Duo could hear him.
"We'll be there soon!" Duo shouted back. Ryoga huddled against Duo's back for the meager warmth and protection from the wind the slender boy's body offered, and grimly waited. The ride seemed to take forever, but at last they pulled into the airport. They had no sooner stepped indoors than the sky opened up in a downpour.
"Wow, that was lucky," Duo commented.
"Weird. I've never had good luck with cold water before." Duo laughed at Ryoga's shocked expression, then led the way to the ticket counter. Ryoga watched in some awe as Duo charmed the lady behind the counter. Ranma had always had a bizarre attraction for the women he met, but had been totally without class. Duo actually drew people in with finesse and wit. Of course, Ryoga reflected, the fact that Duo was good-looking didn't hurt, either.
Duo cheerfully waved two tickets at his friend and pulled his carry-on bag over his shoulder.
"Let's go look at the duty-free shops!" he cried, and the two of them rushed over to the one true attraction an airport held, grinning like children on Christmas morning.
"Ooh, look at these," Ryoga cooed, picking up a small box with woodcarving knives in it. If he could ever find his pack, he'd have a much better set than this, but still... It would be Christmas soon, the first Christmas in a long time that he wouldn't be alone, and the knives gave him some ideas. He purchased them, grinning in glee, and also bought some paper and pens and one new pair of black jeans and a red sweater. He felt a little odd about wearing red, but Duo assured him that the color would be gorgeous on him.
Duo led the way to the plane, and the two boys seated themselves and settled in for a long flight. Ryoga shivered, wondering whether he shouldn't have gone ahead and changed into his new clothes.
"It's cold in here," he muttered. "Aren't you cold?"
"No, I think it's fine," Duo answered, shucking his jacket and folding it. The Gundam pilot put his folded jacket into the overhead compartment and handed Ryoga one of the plane's blankets. Ryoga quickly bundled himself up in the thing, and sneezed.
"Oh, you must be coming down with a cold," Duo commented, brushing Ryoga's bangs aside to feel the skin just above his bandanna. "You're a little warm."
"I'm never sick," Ryoga answered. "Not even when I was little." Duo nodded thoughtfully, then pulled out a magazine.
"Want one?" he asked, indicating his assortment of reading materials. "It's gonna be a long flight."
"I think I might sleep a little," Ryoga answered, and closing his eyes he slept almost immediately. He slept through the pre-flight announcements, the take-off, the airplane meal, the landing, and most of the disembarking.
"Ryoga," Duo said, shaking his friend urgently. "Come on, we're the last ones. We have to leave now."
"Mmh?" Ryoga groggily staggered to his feet, shivering violently as Duo pulled the blanket from him. His teeth were chattering by the time the two boys had made their way through the baggage claim and outside to hail a taxi, but Duo didn't think anything of it because he was shivering himself. North America could be downright frigid in November, as Duo was only now recalling.
The Taxi ride was some small relief, since the cab was well-heated, but Duo was keenly aware that they were both ill-equipped for harsh conditions. Luckily it hadn't snowed yet. The cab let them off at the bottom of the hill where the cabin sat, lonely and dark in the fading light of the afternoon. Duo tipped the driver handsomely for driving them so far out of the way, then he and Ryoga gathered the bags and made their way up the hill to the house, shivering all the way. It was at least some help, being able to shut the icy wind out. The cabin was a snug, well-insulated rustic little house, a far distance from any village or town. It was perfect.
"Hang on, I've got matches somewhere," Duo said, fumbling around in the dim light from the windows. After several tooth-chattering minutes, the pilot had a cheery fire started.
"Lucky I thought to lay a fire before we left last time," he said smugly, giving Ryoga a saucy wink. "You just stay here and warm up. I'll go get the lights." Ryoga huddled by the fire and watched as Duo went about the room lighting kerosene lamps. The light revealed a charming, comfortable house, with a cozy couch and chairs by the fire, handwoven rugs, an ancient piano by the window, copper pots gleaming from the walls in the large kitchen and a loft overhead, accessible only by a ladder.
"Come on up!" Duo called cheerfully. Ryoga climbed the ladder a little hesitantly, noticing that there was a fence between the edge of the upstairs floor and the long drop to the downstairs, though Ryoga could make the jump easily. The upstairs was the sleeping quarters, with three double beds all outfitted with down pillows and comforters. At the foot of each bed, a large chest held additional linens and hand stitched quilts.
"Wow," Ryoga said, noticing the handiwork. "Somebody worked hard on these."
"I know, it almost makes me feel like I have a mother," Duo chirped, grinning infectiously, as he peered out the window at the wooded yard below. Ryoga was looking at the cabinets against the far wall, each of them a lockable box made of wood.
"There are six of them," Ryoga noticed.
"Yup. We always just left the extra one empty. Now you can use it," Duo answered. "Come on, I'll bet there's lots of good stuff in the kitchen!"
The kitchen boasted a huge wood-burning stove, and Duo wasted no time in firing it up. Ryoga made a quick check of the cabinets, his mind boggling at all the food they held. There was even a door to an uninsulated pantry, a short flight of steps down from the kitchen level. The pantry was stocked to the brim with all kinds of canned, dried and preserved foods.
"Wow!" Ryoga cried.
"Isn't it cool?" Duo asked proudly. "There's even a smokehouse out back loaded up with smoked meat, and a barn, too. I'll go over in the morning to get Bessie and the chickens from Mr. Schell. He takes care of them for us during the year."
"A cow?"
"And chickens. Fresh milk and eggs. The downside is, one of us has to get up early to take care of them, but we rotate turns."
"I've never milked a cow," Ryoga confessed.
"Nothing to it. You just have to treat them like a woman. Love and respect her, and she'll take good care of you," Duo said with a wink. "Let's get some supper started before the others get here."
With the stove and fireplace both going, the house was starting to warm up. Duo led Ryoga through the steps of making biscuits from scratch, then pointed out where the smokehouse was through the window.
"I'll be right back," he promised. "We can have some smoked ham."
Ryoga decided that canned green beans and peach preserves would go well with the meal, and he stepped into the pantry to get them. Except he was in the bathroom. He tried again, only to find himself outdoors with the biting cold wind tearing through his threadbare clothes.
"Not again," he moaned. He finally found a house where he was welcome, he couldn't bear to get lost again! And he was unprepared, with no backpack, no tent, no warm clothes... He couldn't even see the house anymore. Had he been walking while he thought?
"Duo!" he called, then yelled, then screamed. Maybe if he sat down. That way he'd at least be sure he wasn't moving anywhere. He huddled down into a miserable heap on the leaf-strewn ground, teeth chattering as the wind ruffled his hair. What if they never found him? What if he froze to death waiting for them to come looking? His eyelids drooped slowly, and he huddled up even closer, pulling his hands into his sleeves and ducking his head down between his knees. He could just go to sleep...
End Part Four
Yoiko ^__^
Please send comments to: Yoiko