This story takes place right before the Gundam Wing series. It tells how Duo got his braid and the reason behind it and his always wearing it. This is my first Gundam Wing fanfiction so if some of the names are spelled wrong please forgive my dumbness.

"Duo, hey, where are you?" a young teenage girl called out. She was no taller than five feet at the most. Her hair was a darkened brown with glances of red shining through in the golden sunlight rays that matched her honey colored eyes. Her figure was quite robust for her height. It was like looking at a young woman in a child's height body.

"I'm in the bedroom drying off, kid." Dou yelled from down the hallway.

"Oh , so I see ." Mandy said walking into their room holding an apple out in her tiny slender fingers and rolled it off them into the air for him to catch..

Duo easily caught the apple in one hand and held it before his mouth as he took a bit out of it. "So where were you, kid?" he asked moving up to her and placing his hands on her hips while holding the apple in his mouth.

"You look like such a baka right now " she teased taking the apple out his mouth and taking a bit out of it herself.

"Hey, I was enjoying that..." Duo whined as he went to grab it from her as she held it away from his reach...

"Pay the piper first .." she said holding it out, moving her arms around as he took one of his hands and removed it from her hip and started reaching out to grab it from behind her.

"You little minx..." and with that he pulled her close with his one hand still on her hip. He leaned his face down and looked into her eyes as they glistened with delight. It was those honey colored eyes that had captured him, stolen him, controlled him, and yet so much more and still more to come.

"Well, are you going to kiss me or not..." Mandy said getting impatient, but was soon rewarded with his lips crunching hers... She quickly opened her mouth to feel his tongue sliding in her mouth and moving around inside. She tried to pull away but his grip wouldn't let her as he held her firmly and a little closer as she lifted herself to her tiptoes so her neck would not be strained from being tilted up the whole time. He roamed her mouth again with his tongue as she followed it with hers and felt his lips pulling away and back again as he moved his hand to her back. She hated how he would tease her at her first and then go full blast on her. He finally pulled away smiling at her with a little smirk forming on his lips as he saw her still on her tiptoes with lips flushed and brusied as they slightly sank back in to place with her heart pulsing.

She slowly backed up and tilted her hand back down as she lowered herself from off her tiptoes "Damn him and his tallness, but ,boy, what a kisser" she thought as she opened her eyes to only find him eating the apple with a sly look in his eyes.

"You should learn to keep control over your components or else you would have felt me grab the apple from your hand " he said walking away from her and over to his closet. "If I didn't know any better I would say you're losing your touch."

"Shut up , and I'm not losing my touch, you baka...if I'm losing anything I'm losing my mind from letting you stay with me." Mandy spat back at him.

"Well, then you should have kicked me out a long time ago, because once I get something I never let it go.." he said walking back out of the closet with a pair pants on and a towel wrapped around his hair while pushing it up and down trying to dry his hair off.

"Come here and let me brush your hair before you let get it all tangled up.." she said propping herself on the bed and motioning for him to come over there. Duo threw the towel on the floor and walked over to his dresser and grabbed his brush.

"You know , I thought the God of Death was to control all and put fear in everyone's hearts and yet here I am, and until this day you still have control over me, maybe all your cooking has made me soft. Ne?" Duo said plopping on the floor in front of her and handing her the brush.

"Well just call me the " Keeper of the God of Death " she said teasingly brushing his hair softly while holding it up and out in her hand.

"And my cooking has nothing to do with it , although I think you're starting to get fat from it."

"WHAT?...I'm not getting fat ..." Duo said standing up and flinging himself to find he knocked Mandy back on her back as she giggled out loud..

"What are you laughing about , and if anyone is getting fat around here it's you." Duo said putting his hands on his hips staring at her as she slowly got up with smile on her face replacing her giggles.

"Please you know why I'm getting fat but you have no reason..." she started to giggle again but received a death glare from Duo who was finding this none to funny. "Plus you helped out in that department, you know.."

"Oh , Duo you're just too easy.. now come here and let me finish brushing your hair out."

"Fine ," he said but soon had a different idea as he crawled on the bed next to her .

"What do you think you're doing , "Mister I'm Not Fat", sensitive boy."

"Boy , please. I may be 15, but trust me, no boy lives in this body." Duo said climbing on top of her as he rested on his elbows that lay on both sides of her with a silly grin on his face.

"True , you don't even look like a 15 year old boy. Your body is almost adult size from ruthless training. Yet your eyes have seen more bloodshed and unmentionable pain to last a life span and more." Mandy said falling silent.

"Remember what I first told you?" Duo said pushing his hair back behind his ear.

"Yeah , you told me that you may run and hide but you never tell a lie." Mandy said

"Well, then you know that I can't tell you you're wrong , but I find laughter and happiness helps me to pass the time and forget about it all. Even if it's just for a second."

"But you're going to war tomorrow and what if you leave me for good now , I mean this is supposed to be the final stage step to bring peace between space and earth." Mandy said feeling the urge to cry but held it back as she bit her lip.

"Oh , Mandy..." Duo said taking a deep breath..."I have been trained since I was little and to become the Great Killer. Plus I'm the God of Death , so if anyone sees me they will be making a date with their maker and that's a promise. "

"Well what if this war takes longer than it should and by the end of it I'll be nothing more than a vague image to you to remember me by. Or nothing more than a thought of the past.." Mandy said now turning her head to the side as her eyes became glassed with water.

"Mandy , how could I ever forget you. Don't you know how much I love you?" Duo said turning her head to look at him as he could tell she wanted to cry.

"I know , it's just this is the first time you'll be gone without me…I just can't stand the thought of losing you . To live without you , your smile , your laughter , your sweet lips , your salty skin, or your eyes to show me how much you love and care about me."

"You won't and never will...I've come this far and I'm not turning back. Plus now I have something extra to come back to.." he said poking her stomach lightly as he tried to lighten the mood up.

"Duo, will you please just lay here with me tonight and hold me..." Mandy said

"Well, um , I was hopping we could do a little something more , but if that's...." Duo was cut off with her pulling him down and kissing him..

"Well , guess that answers my question." Duo said rolling onto his back as she laid on top of him now.

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"Duo , is it time already for you to go?" Mandy woke slowly rising up a little sore still from last night , but, boy, oh boy, was it worth it.

"Yeah , I have to leave in one hour.." Duo said walking over to her brushing his long brown hair.

"Hey come here and let me brush you hair one last time and you can do mine , just like when we first started living together." Mandy said.

Duo walked over there and let her brush his hair as he sat back on the bed and noticed she winced as she moved back for him to sit on there.

"Mandy , did I hurt you last night?" Duo asked concernedly turning around looking at her.

"No , you where wonderful...a little more aggressive than normal but nothing I can't handle..." she said smiling at him as she hugged him to turn back around.

"Duo , I have an idea... so neither of us will ever forget each other how about I braid you hair and you braid mine. You have to promise to never undo it unless you take a shower. It can be a sign that your mine and I'm yours without nobody else knowing.." Mandy said.

"What? I'll look like a girl... are you nuts?.."

"NO I'm not, baka , it's just something I thought I could hold on to until you get back." Mandy snapped back now getting of the bed and walking out the room with tears running down her face.

"Mandy , wait..." but she already walked out the room. So Duo got up and went after her.

Duo saw her lying on the couch crying her eyes out as she wrapped her naked body in a blanket. Duo paused at the door just watching her , he didn't move one bit... Just sat there and watched her. He wanted to go to her and tell her he was sorry but he couldn't .He decided he would let her fall asleep and than say good bye to her before he left so she wouldn't be awake to only cry again.

Finally after about 30 minutes Duo walked over there as she laid there sleeping with puffy eyes and breathed softly as her chest rose and fell each time.

Slowly he leaned down and placed a hand on her cheek and brushed it softly while he whispered softly in her ear..."I love you always..." and then he backed up and took one last look at her and then at her tummy that had yet to begin to show her pregnancy off.

Mandy heard him say the last part love you always as she stirred a bit but didn't want him to know he woke her.

"I love you too, always Duo..." she said softly while slowly opening her eyes to find him gone and thought it was best that way.

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An hour later Mandy finally got up and got dressed. She decided to get some things before they target her colony and tell them to evacuate... It would be coming soon , and she knew as she felt it in her heart.

Mandy walked down the streets and looked at some kids playing around chasing each other and just having fun. She wished she could be like them , not know what's going on. Not to care and just live happy and innocently as they did. She also wished that she was not pregnant right now , having to bring a child during this time was not making her thoughts any more happy. Although she would protect her or him from anything if needed.

On one of the main screens placed on the outside of the police building was playing a special news flash.

Mandy widened her eyes as she saw her colonies space ships had already made it to earth with the mobile dolls. The fighting had already begun. Than that's when she saw Duo , his eyes where so intense as he was running up into his Gundam...

"Duo , you made it there alive...what, your hair it's...you braided it for me..." Mandy said to herself out loud with a smile dancing across her face...then just as she saw him he was gone.

"What , what happened..." she yelled reaching a hand out up to screen as if she could touch him...Than the screen came back on but all that was seen was and explosion and than the reporter came back on..."DUO... NO...NNNNOOOOO....." was all she could say as tears raced down her face.

Mandy could only fall to her knees as she felt her heart break in two in the middle of the street... her mind was racing with thoughts trying to think that he would make it out alive... that he promised... Everything else became silent around her as the reporter announced an evacuation by midnight for everyone who could not fight.

Finally reality hit her as someone touched her shoulder..."Lieutenant Mandy , what are you doing? You should be leaving with the rest of the people.." the young officer said helping her up.

"No , I will not leave, Sert... I don't care if I'm pregnant...I'm staying here and I'm fighting till the bitter end...I will not go out like a coward..."

"But...Lieutenant..." Sert said ..."No buts... I'm staying...and that is that… now take me to the headquarters.." Mandy said becoming the strong soldier that she was trained to be… and putting aside all emotions.

"Yes Ma'am , Lieutenant Mandy.." the soldier said saluting her and taking her to the jeep to drive back to the main headquarters.

Mandy sat in the passenger side taking her back into a ponytail as the wind blow it all around her face. When she remembered what Duo did for her and with that thought she braided her as well.

She closed her eyes and took one last breath before she reached the head quarter to get ready to fight . The only thought that past through her mind was one of the first things Duo said to her after they fought in their first war together. " There is nothing wrong to act on one's true emotions. Though there is nothing sadder than to see a woman who can not cry. "

With that she stepped out of the jeep as it came to a stop and shed one tear for Duo and then stood tall and proud and went in to dress for battle.

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