Now on with the story.

Rememberance

Wufei looked down at the grave stone of General Treize Kushranada. It had been over a year and a half since Treize and he fought in their last battle, when he delivered the stopping blow to the Tallgeese. It had been longer since he had looked upon Treize not as an enemy but as...

"Treize papa," Wufei sighed setting done some flowers upon the grave as he knelt, "I miss you. It feels as though.."

He closed his eyes, silently cursing himself for almost crying when he had just gotten there. He took a breath and opened his eyes slowly putting his hand to his mouth, placing his fingers to his lips as he tried to hold back the tears.

"It feels as though you are still alive somewhere," Wufei managed to choke out through half a smile, "I guess that's what they mean by never really letting go, huh?"

He closed his eyes again feeling the tears run down his cheeks, as he did ealier on his way here, as the memories came back to him.

****

"Treize papa?"
"What is it Wu-chan?"
"Why do you like to brush my hair so much?"
"Because once, you wouldn't let me touch you like this."

***

The sight of Treize waking up in the middle of the night, while Wufie was in footed PJs.
"Wu-chan? Are you ok?"
"I'm scared."
"Of what?," Treize had asked opening his arms to Wufei.
"Of Une lady. She keeps watching me. I don't want to sleep alone," Wufei said as he crawled into Treize's arms, to feel them hold him tightly, after covering them back up with the blanket.
"Sleep tight little one," Treize had said, "I won't let anyone harm you."

***

An image of him running to Treize holding a dead bird a cat had harmed. Lady Une wasn't far behind him trying to stop the boy.
"WU...fei..anou, Treize-sama, I tried to stop him.."
"That will be all Lady Une."
"Hai sir," was all Lady Une said as her footsteps grew softer.
"Now Wu-chan, I told you I had to talk to these nice people. Why did you need to see me so badly?"
He sniffed, and felt Treize lean over him more.
"Wu-chan," Treize said, as Wufei felt himself being lifted up and placed onto the table that Treize was using for a meeting, "Are you crying?"
Wufei held up the dead bird to Trieze's startled gaze and sniffled again, "The kitty got it and now it won't fly anymore. Make it better Trieze papa. Please."
He saw Treize get tears in his eyes, as he took the bird from Wufei and handed it to one of the soldiers, "Give this bird a proper burial."
"Sir?"
"Don't question me."
"Hai." Wufei heard the man say before he left.
Trieze then pulled Wu-chan tightly into his arms and the boy hugged him tighter and
sobbed, "Oh Wu-chan." The man Wufei believed in said sadly, "I can't do anything. I am only a man."
"No you're not! You're my Trieze papa! You can make it well I know you can!"
A tear fell to Wufei's head as he heard Treize say after a pause, "Ah little dragon, if only that were true."
"Trieze papa."
"I can't bring that bird back to life Wu-chan. Once something is dead, it stays that way. No one can change that."

****

Wufei opened his eyes slowly seeing the gravestone wishing silently he could have raised Treize from that grave just to hold him for a little while.

"You know," Wufei said chokingly trying to smile again, "After the battle I went back to your estate and found some pictures you took, or had taken of me during that time. I keep them in my room wherever I find a safe place for them. They are usual right beside," he paused and giggled as the tears stopped and looked at the gravestone as if he was admitting the impossible, "my stuffed animals. Guess part of me still wants to be your little boy."

He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his uniform, then stopped in mid wipe. He looked inside his jacket and smiled, pulling out a small brown fuzzy bear in a blue uniform. He gently turned it around so it was facing the gravestone.

"I made this myself," Wufei said quietly, then smiled, "Well with some help. I had been watching Une and Sally sew once in awhile, enough that I thought I could do it. Well needless to say I had a harder time than I thought, guess that's why Sally was able to catch me trying..."

****

Sally ran into Wufei's room holding a gun in an upright position. She had heard the Chinese boy's loud curses and thought maybe an enemy had gotten into his room and was attacking Wufei.
"WUFEI ARE..," she paused in midsentence not ready for the sight infront of her, "...you ok?"

There was Wufei, sitting on the floor amongst a pile of brown fake fur, and blue fabric. He was holding a threaded needle in his teeth applying another bandage to his fingertips. He was blushing as he sat there, sitting amongst the fur and blue fabric, with several large scraps in the trash can, with drops of blood on them.

Sally slowly lowered her gun putting it away, doing so she noticed a pattern of a bear that looked hand draw, sitting beside the ex-Gundam pilot.

"What are you doing?" Sally asked Wufei.

Wufei looked down at the fabrics as though he were caught doing something illegal and shameful.
"I'm trying to make a bear," he said as he pulled the needled from his mouth, expecting the woman to laugh at him.

Sally simply smiled, as she walked over, and put a reassuring hand on Wufei's shoulder.

"You look like you need help," she said quietly.

"No," Wufei said shaking his head, "I can figure this out on my own."

"You need help."

"I do not!"

"Do."

"Don't"

"Do so..."

"How do you figure that?," Wufei asked sharply.

"You're sewing the seam on the outside instead of the inside," Sally responded, used to Wufei's temper.

"Huh?"

Sally sat down and took two pieces of fur, placing the furry sides together in her hands she held it up to the boy. She then took the threaded needle, and did a couple stitches before pulling the fabrics apart enough to show Wufei the seam.

"You have to sew it inside out so when you turn it right side in, it will look right," the blonde hair woman said quietly.

Wufei looked a little stunned and then looked down.

"It's for Treize isn't it?" Sally asked.

"How did you know?!," Wufei asked, looking back up with a surprised look on his face.

"Lady Une talks alot when she's drunk," Sally replied with a smirk, "Specially about past events that embarrassed her. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," Wufei said nodding his head.

"No problem. Now do you want me to help you with this?"

"Yes please... It would be most appricited."

****

"I guess there are people out there more stubborn than myself," Wufei smiled even though he could feel the tears starting back up, "I bet you would be proud of me for doing this." He ran his fingers along the inside of the bear's ears. "It took my less than a month to do.. and..and.. I.." he took a breath "I made sure to look at the pictures to get the uniform right, to make sure that the eyes were the right color, and I named him.." he shuddered.. "I named him Treize," he managed to choke out before bringing his free hand to his eye, leaning so his elbow touched his knee for support, as he let the sobs shake through his body, not able to hold them back any longer.

After a few minutes of letting the tears flow, Wufei looked back at the headstone reluctantly. He reached out and ran his fingers over the cool surface. He sat back and smiled slightly.

"Haven't done that for a long time," he said quietly uses his jacket sleeve to wipe away the tears.
"When...," Wufei sighed as he began to speak again, "Wehn we last fought, and you were explaining to me what you were doing and why...," he looked back down at the ground near his feet, "It felt as though you were trying to lecture me, like you were trying to be my father again. The feelings I had were mixed, I wanted to hate you cause you were my enemy, but I also wanted to be your son again. But I never hated you after you took care of me. Even when I struck down Tallgeese, I didn't hate you."

Wufei sighed softly, "Ever since that day you took care of me, you were always my father in my heart. I also knew you wanted me to strike you down, even though you challenged Zechs, you still wanted me to do it. I don't know why you wanted that, probably for some profound reason I have yet grasp, but I know when I did do it, you were proud of me."

Wufei looked back at the headstone, "I don't think anyone has been proud of me before I met you. I just wish we would have had more time to get to know one another. Maybe go for another father son picnic."

He chuckled slightly, then reached in his jacket hearing his pager go off. He smiled slightly as he read the numbers and name of the person trying to contact him. He smiled slightly as he wiped the tears from his eyes one last time, before putting the beeper away.

"Well," he said his voice returning to normal, "It looks as though Sally needs me for a mission. Guess a soldier's work is never done. I will be back again don't worry."

Wufei bent down and kissed the top of the headstone, placing the bear beside it.

"Happy Father's Day, Treize papa," the Chinese boy said slowly rising to his feet, before turning and leaving the cemetery, feeling the tear roll down his cheek.

"I still love you."