Disclaimer: I don't own it.

With Time Comes Change
Part One

        The world doesn’t really matter to a five year old child.  What matters to them is what goes on inside the home.  Home life shapes the growth of the child.  And, parents create the mold, or are supposed to anyway.
        Arielle looked up from her laptop computer as she heard the door open.  She hated doing her stories in a public place, like the small café.  But, her roommate at the university was the worst when it came to Arielle’s privacy.  At least, here, she could be left alone, but she couldn’t think.
        Normally, she would just glance at who entered or exited and turn back to her work.  This time, however, something caught her eye, and kept her attention for a while.
        It was a young man that entered.  He was dressed all in black.  His hair was tied back in a braid that was easily three feet long.  He pulled off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket.  A little boy trailed behind him, a splitting image of the man, no doubt, his son.  The boy, about five years old, also had a braid, though not nearly as long as his father’s.
        What caught Arielle’s attention, though, was his eyes.  There was something familiar about them.
        “Mama!” shouted the boy as he ran behind the counter.  He laughed as the waitress ruffled his hair a little.
        “Hey Hilde,” said the man as he leaned over the counter and kissed her on the cheek.
        Arielle chuckled before turning back to her work.  Duo Maxwell was his name.  He was Hilde’s husband.  Since Arielle first came to the café, Hilde was becoming a good friend, one of the few Arielle considered a friend.
        “Ari!” shouted Hilde from behind the counter.  “Come socialize a little, you’ve been at that all day.”
        Arielle chuckled as she looked at her watch.  Yup.  Hilde’s break time.  She closed down the computer and walked over to them.
        “Duo, this is Arielle Pierce.  I told you about her.  Ari, this is my husband, Duo, and our son, Duo, Jr., but we call him DJ.”
        Arielle smiled as she shook Duo’s hand.  There was definitely something familiar in his face.  Still, though, she couldn’t quite place it.  She could tell, though, he also saw something familiar about her.
        He grinned widely.  “And here I was, thinking you were a figment of Hilde’s imagination.”  He chuckled as Hilde threw a plastic spoon at him.  “Whoa, and a great imagination it is!”
        “Open mouth, insert foot,” said Arielle as Hilde yanked on Duo’s braid.  She chuckled while Duo yelped.
        DJ giggled from behind Hilde.  He waved to Arielle as she looked down to him.  He walked around his mother and shook Arielle’s hand like his father did.  “The name’s DJ.  DJ Maxwell.  I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie.”
        “Hey, that’s my line!” shouted Duo as Hilde smiled.
        Hilde leaned toward Arielle and whispered, “Now you know why I spend most of my time here”.  She and Arielle laughed.
        Duo gave her a semi-evil look.  “I heard that!”  He chuckled and looked to Arielle.  “Hey, I’m not as bad as she makes me out to be.”
        Arielle was about to make a comment before the alarm on her watch went off.  She turned off the alarm.
        “Hey, I thought you didn’t have classes today,” said Hilde.  Usually, Arielle set the alarm to go off when she needed to go to class, otherwise she lost track of time.
        “I don’t, but Nadia has classes the rest of the evening.  I thought maybe I could get some work done in my own room tonight.”  Arielle chuckled as she picked up her computer.
        Hilde laughed.  “Yeah, okay.  Oh, hey, I’m off tomorrow, wanna come over?  Duo’s invited some of his friends over, and I don’t wanna be the only girl with a bunch of guys, not that it bothers me.”  She laughed while ignoring another semi-evil look from Duo.
        “Sure,” said Arielle.  “When?”
        “Six-ish.  Dunno when everyone’s gonna be there,” replied Duo.
        “Alright,” she said.  “It was nice meeting you.”  She walked out the door.
        “Figment of my imagination?”  Hilde looked to Duo.  He was watching Arielle leave.  When he didn’t reply, she yanked on his braid.  “Hey you.”
        “Ouch.  Hilde!”  Duo looked at her, obviously, all of a sudden, he wasn’t in a playful mood.
        Hilde let go of his braid.  “What’s wrong?  I thought that we agreed we wouldn’t grieve anymore.”
        “It’s not that.”   He shook his head.  “This may sound crazy, but I remember that face.  I know here from somewhere.  But, I don’t remember who she is or where I know her from.”
        “Sure she’s not from one of your fantasies?”  Hilde laughed as she sat DJ at a table with a glass of milk and a brownie.
        “I’m serious, Hilde.”  He spoke softer so that DJ wouldn’t hear.  “There’s a lot about my past that I haven’t told you, Hilde.  And I don’t care to remember either.”
        Hilde looked at him.  “I’m sorry, Duo.  I didn’t mean to joke so much.”
        “It’s okay.”  He sat down next to DJ and just watched the boy eat.

        Arielle walked into the empty dorm room, closing the door behind her.  She flipped on the light and sat her computer on the desk with her room keys.  She picked up the TV remote and turned the TV on as she walked into the small kitchenette.
        She opened the refrigerator and took out a soda while listening to the TV.
        “…..And, as everyone knows, today is a day of remembrance.  Three years ago, on this day, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain was assassinated.    At noon today, her memorial was surrounded by citizens paying their respects.  At six tonight, her annual memorial service will begin…..”
        Arielle sighed as she turned off the TV.   “Can’t they let the poor girl rest in peace?”
        “It’s hard for some people to let go of the bad things in the past.”
        “You don’t have to tell me that,” she sighed as she closed her eyes a moment before turning to face the man.  She raised a brow.  “You know guys aren’t allowed on this side of the dorms.”
        He stared at her through his untamed chocolate bangs.  His cobalt eyes met her violet eyes for one moment, just long enough so that she could see a hint of sadness in them, before he turned away.
        She set the soda on the desk and walked over to him.  She laid a hand on his shoulder.  “The last thing she would have wanted you to be doing is dwelling on the past.  You’ve got to move on.”
        “But why does it hurt so much?  I don’t remember pain like this.”  His voice cracked a little, seeming more emotional than his usual monotone sound.
        Arielle wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly for a moment.  “People hurt when they lose someone close to them, someone they care about.”
        “But why did I care for her so much?”
        Her shoulder became wet as tears came from his eyes.  “Some things can’t be explained.  I’m wondering, how come you haven’t realized that yet?  And why has it taken you three years to come to me?  Have you been holding this in all this time?”
        He nodded.  “I don’t know, Ari.  I guess I wanted to be with you without your roommate hovering over your shoulder.”
        “In private rather than public so you can let go of your pain.”
        “It would be strange to show emotions when I’ve kept them hidden for so long.  I’ve never shared my emotions with anyone but you, not even Relena.”
        “Don’t be afraid to show others what you feel inside.  Emotions only make you stronger.”
        “I know, but to outwardly show emotions is ---”
        “---NOT a sign of weakness.”  She pushed him away and held him at arm’s length by the shoulders.  “Let go of what that bastard taught you.  It’s no longer needed.”
        He nodded.  “You’re right, Ari.  But it’s going to take time.”
        She held her hand to his face, wiping his tears.  “I know it will.  And, I’m here for you, and always will be.”
        He took her hand in his and kissed the palm of her hand.  He smiled.  “I know.”
        She smiled, also.  “So, you’re going to the Maxwell’s tomorrow?”
        “If you’re going, I’ll go.”  He nodded.
        She pulled him over to the couch and they took a seat.  “Tell me what you know about Duo Maxwell.”
        “Besides the fact that he’s annoying as hell?”
        “Be serious, Heero.”
        “Alright.”  He nodded.