Notes: OK... it's official. I need help. I mean, I actually wrote this! <ahem> (You'll see!)

This is a serious story, angsty at times, and I just know I'm going to get flak for what I did to Duo. But, remember, I like Duo! I just like to mess with the characters I like (I'd really hate to see what I do to characters I don't like!!)

Comvilingytis is an imaginary disease, created for this story.

This is AU, and probably either going to turn into a monster story, or a series (Damn it). And, thanks for comet for giving it a once over. Any grammar mistakes left are mine.

WARNING!: This is unfinished! And, I only have a general idea on where to go next. Even though, I have comet prodding me on this (And others).

Pairings: Yep, we've got pairings! <beam> Implied 3+4/4+3 (Sorta)(Maybe more later. Probably will, knowing my mind. Will advise when/if it changes.)

/thoughts/
[sign langugage]
{written}

Remembered what I forgot in part 1! If you don't have previous permission to archive, please ask. Even though, I would probably wait until I have the story finished before putting it up on other websites (Then again, I'm an attention slut, so forget the last sentence. Just ask before archiving).

"Today was a glorious day for the Earth Sphere Alliance," the female announcer said, a wide smile on her face. "The terrorist mobile suits were foiled in their attack against the Fort Condor military base, and OZ was able to seriously damage three of the gundanium suits."

Duo resisted the urge to throw something at the screen as a video montage showing Wing, Heavyarms, and Deathscythe being pummeled replaced the announcer.

/Damn it!/ Duo mentally screamed before turning the television off and jumping from his seat. Pacing around the small living room of his current apartment, he started to rant in sign language, a habit he had picked up shortly after learning to sign.

[I should be there. Damn G! Because of his stupidity, there's a half-trained twit on the team. Stupid idiot got not only Shi damaged, but Wing and Heavyarms. And, if the pilots are injured, I'll hunt the prick down and kill him myself!] The young man continued on the same vein for awhile before flopping back onto his threadbare couch, out of breath as if he had ranted aloud.

"If you're done?" a voice said from the doorway, sounding slightly amused.

Duo had rolled to the floor and aimed his gun at the voice from the side of the couch before the voice had finished speaking. When the voice registered, he glared, but didn't move from his position of relative safety behind the couch, keeping the gun trained on the man leaning against the doorway. /Trowa!/

"I'm not here to attack you," Trowa said calmly. "I just came to talk."

Duo raised his eyebrows as if to say 'so, talk.'

"We'd be more comfortable sitting down."

Duo shrugged a shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Trowa pushed himself from the doorframe and stood up straight. "If I had wanted to incapacitate or kill you, I could have done it anytime in the past five minutes."

Thinking a moment, Duo gave a short nod stood up, putting his gun away in one swift action. Motioning the other man to have a seat, he walked to his trenchcoat and pulled out a notebook. Scribbling for a moment, he tore a page out and handed it to Trowa. {The others? Why are you here?}

"No major injuries, only lacerations and contusions. And, you saw the news broadcast. We're down three gundams, all of which need massive work," Trowa replied.

Duo shrugged his shoulders, a look of boredom taking over the relief at hearing his friends were okay.

"Deathscythe will probably need a total overhaul."

The braided man's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment before his placid mask returned and he pointed to the piece of paper Trowa was still holding.

"I'm getting to that," Trowa replied. "Professor G looked Deathscythe over and can't make heads or tails over what you did to it."

Duo gave a wide, maniac grin, scribbled something on the next page, and showed it to Trowa. {How long did he curse and rant?}

"A good half hour," Trowa said with a small smile. "Finally, he said that if we wanted to get Deathscythe working again, we'd have to get you to do it."

Raising his eyebrows, Duo turned the page on his notebook and scribbled frantically. {Let me get this straight. First, the old coot fires me because I can't talk, and replaces me with a half-trained twit. Then, he decides to have me hunted down. Now, he wants me to come work on Shi so The Prick can wreck her again?!}

"Well, actually, after the scientists found out it was you in the armor, they called the hunt off," Trowa explained. "They decided that you were helping the cause and we were to ignore your actions as much as possible. As for Derek, he's against calling you in, saying you'll just sabotage Deathscythe. The rest of us want you back."

{Going from Gundam pilot to mecha tech. The joys of career advancement.} Duo wrote, ignoring Derek's reaction to his possible return.

"But, if you're there, helping with the Gundams, wouldn't you be closer to everything?" Trowa pointed out. "That, and you'll be among friends. Plus, if we should come across something that falls into your new expertise..." The Heavyarms pilot left the sentence unfinished, letting Duo make his own assumptions.

{Let me think.}

Trowa nodded and stood up. "I'll be back in an hour, all right?"

Nodding in reply, Duo stared at the wall as the other man slipped out of the apartment, locking the door he had picked earlier.

It had only taken Duo twenty minutes to make his mind up to take the pilots up on their offer. He spent ten minutes packing his bags, and the rest of the allotted hour trying to decide whether to hide his armor someplace or take it with him. Both actions had merits and drawbacks.

This time, Trowa knocked and let Duo motion him inside. "You're decision?"

Handing a piece of paper over, Duo turned and picked up two bags, one an oversized duffel bag, the other a soft sided, rectangle case the same length as the duffel bag. He put both bags into his left hand, leaving his
gun hand free.

{I'm coming. Give me a rendezvous point for later. I have to go hide something.}

"Your armor?" Trowa asked. Seeing Duo's untrusting nod, Trowa continued. "I've been told to tell you that even Heero won't follow an order to take it from you."

Duo's mouth quirked and he chuckled silently before raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

Nodding, Trowa continued. "It's true. In fact, Wufei has told everyone that taking your armor away is disgraceful, as it would leave you defenseless. And Quatre and I have told Professor G that you either get the armor, or Deathscythe."

By this time, Duo's eyes were wide in shock. After shaking his head, he motioned Trowa out of the apartment with his free hand. After the two were in the building hallway, he turned and pulled the door shut.

"Need to inform anyone that you're leaving?" Trowa asked.

Duo shook his head and opened his mouth to reply. After closing it again with a look of distaste, he motioned Trowa forward and followed the other man out of the building and into his car. After placing his bags in the back seat, Duo pulled out a piece of paper and wrote, {Paid till the end of the month. They'll figure out I'm gone when I don't pay the next month.} After showing the writing to Trowa, who was starting the car, Duo turned the page in the notebook and put it back away.

Trowa left the car in the loading zone with the keys in the ignition and waited for Duo on the curb. After the braided man had grabbed his bags and again put them both in his left hand, Trowa lead the way through the
airport. "Will you and your cases make it through security?" Trowa asked, peering ahead.

Duo nodded, then rolled his eyes when he figured out that Trowa couldn't see him. Tapping the shoulder in front of him, Duo stopped.

"Oh," Trowa said, looking slightly embarrassed when he remembered. "Sorry. So, will they?"

Duo nodded again.

"Then, give me one of them, since they only allow one carry on per passenger."

Duo calmly handed over his duffel bag, keeping the case holding his armor.

At the routine security check, the two were kept back while the airport security could huddle together on what to do about Trowa's metal belt buckle. Finally, it was decided that the two looked harmless enough (Duo's 'innocent mute waif' act helped immensely) and they were allowed to board the plane.

[Twits,] Duo signed to himself before picking up his case from the security scanner belt.

After the two had put their carry on luggage in the overhead bin and sat in their seats, Trowa quietly asked. "What did they see on the scanner? And, what did you sign before picking up your case?"

Duo whipped out his miniature notebook and wrote, {They saw a guitar, a music stand, and music. Saw a case like that once, decided to recreate it for the scanner 'print'.} After leaving a space, he then wrote, {Twits.}

After Trowa read what he wrote, Duo put his notebook away and made a mental note to buy several more since he'd be 'talking' more often now that he would be around the others. Reclining his seat as far back as possible, he closed his eyes and went into the half-aware resting mode he had perfected for long waits in unsecured areas.

The two-hour flight was dull and the braided man was glad to finally be off the plane and through the airport. The two were met outside by Quatre, who was bouncing on his heels, only coming off the ground by centimeters, just enough for those who saw him to see an excited young man.

"Duo!" the young Arabian yelled with a grin on seeing the two men, waving his arm frantically so they wouldn't miss where he was.

Duo gave a wide grin of his own and hugged the blonde man briefly with his free arm.

"Let's get going," Trowa said, putting Duo's duffel into the trunk of the car and motioning Quatre into the front passenger seat and Duo into the back. Duo placed his case on the empty back seat and strapped himself in
behind the driver as Trowa pulled the car away and Quatre turned in his seat to face the back.

"It's so good to have you back!" the young blonde said, his grin still in place.

{Actually good to be here,} Duo replied, using his every handy notebook.

Quatre looked briefly troubled. "Is writing the only way you have to communicate?"

{I can sign also,} Duo wrote. {But, usually, people don't know it.}

"What about one of those mini-computers? They make them with voice output."

Duo raised his eyebrows before he scribbled. {Don't have the time to make or buy one. Too busy with other stuff.}

"Oh... I see..." Quatre said, a gleam in his eye.

"Quatre," Trowa warned.

Blinking, the blonde man looked innocent. "What?"

"Whatever you're thinking..."

"I'm only thinking of other ways for Duo to communicate. It can't be fun having to write everything you say," Quatre pointed out, wrinkling his nose at the driver before turning to Duo. "Reading lips is out. That's too
unreliable for day to day conversation." Quatre suddenly brightened. "I know!"

Duo cocked his head, silently asking 'what?'

"Sign language!"

{I know sign language.} Duo pointed out.

"But, we don't," Quatre replied. "Will you teach us?" Noticing that he was volunteering the others for something they might not want, he quickly added. "Well, me at least."

{Sure, I can try.}

"Then, let's start now!" Quatre said brightly. "We've got an hour drive ahead of us."

Duo spent the next hour teaching the alphabet and some basic words to Quatre, who sat turned around in his seat so he could face Duo for the entire journey.