Description: Hilde's 20th birthday. Relena gave her a surprise party, and her gift to Hilde was a silver antique amulet. Unknowingly, the two girls made a wish, while Hilde was wearing the amulet. Now, Hilde and Relena, and two other unfortunate souls are in for a weekend they will not soon forget.

A Weekend to Remember 

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I wish I did.

A Weekend to Remember
Chapter Two: "Wish Accepted" -- NEW REVISED

When it comes to matters of the heart, some people learn quickly that the course of true love will seldom run smooth. Words spoken in earnest are words spoken from the heart. And, words spoken from the heart often tell of a great yearning. Dreams should never be taken lightly, for even the simplest wish can possess the most severe consequences.

Twas three o'clock in the morning and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. Everyone was all snug in their beds, while a vision of only God knows what danced through their heads. Suddenly, there came a slight clatter. For upon a dresser top, in a room where four unsuspecting souls slept, rested a silver moon amulet.

The amulet believed to be a simple antique was actually more than it seemed because a magical creature rested within its depths, and it was slowly starting to awaken. The creature was a legendary sleeping dragon that only awoke when summoned from within the amulet to fulfill the greatest desire of anyone who made a wish upon it.

In the moonlight shining through the balcony doors, the amulet glowed. Slowly, as the amulet levitated into the air, the shadowy image of a dragon emerged. The dark shadow then floated across the floor and came to a stop about halfway between the two beds that were placed on opposite ends of the room.

Within the shadow, right where the creature's eyes should have been two tiny green lights sparkled. The twin lights then shot outward and landed on the beds where each of the four friends slept. As the lights fainted, a red mist slowly engulfed the room. Then little by little the fully-formed legendary creature materialized from within the red haze. The dragon was long, snake-like, and it body was completely covered in red and gold scales. It also had two arms that ended in sharp talons.

The newly awakened dragon turned to stare at the sleeping friends as its talons passed over each of their heads. One talon passed over Duo and Hilde, while the other passed between Heero and Relena. With its task was complete, the dragon started descending back into the amulet.

When its green eyes were once again shining brightly within the amulet, the dragon spoke in a low voice that seemed to reverberate around the room. "Your wish has been granted. For two days you will experience how your other half lives." The legendary creature then once again returned to its slumber to await its next summons, and the seemingly innocent looking amulet once again rested quietly on top of the dresser. All the while, four friends slept on blissfully unaware to everything that went on around them.

When the sun rose early the next morning, Quatre found only three other people up and moving around. In the kitchen, he found Dorothy cooking breakfast, Catharine putting some biscuits in the oven, and Trowa sitting on a barstool drinking a cup of coffee.

Well, the majority of those who were awake seemed to be up and moving. Trowa's eyes, though open, did not seem to be focusing properly. His friend looked half asleep, and Quatre would swear that Trowa's hair was sticking out more than usual. Despite the fact that they had to be up early most days at headquarters, Quatre knew Trowa often tried to sleep in late on his off days. Quatre smiled as he walked into the kitchen because, unlike Trowa, his favorite part of the day was first thing in the morning.

Catharine smiled at Quatre as he sat down on the stool next to her brother. She then watched amusedly as he waved his hand back and forth in front of Trowa's unblinking face. Quatre gave up a few moments later when he realized it was a useless effort. Catharine heard his disappointed sigh and shook her head at his antics. There was really only one sure-fire way to get her brother's attention first thing in the morning, and she was surprised that Quatre and the other pilots had not discovered it after living together for almost a year.

She snapped her fingers and Quatre reflexively turned to face the noise. Now that she had his attention, she could learn him a thing or two. She then put a finger up to her lips, signaling her need for silence. Quatre smiled and put his forefinger up to his mouth as well, letting her know he was paying attention.

Catharine then reached over and grabbed a potato slice from Dorothy's cutting board. Dorothy planned on making hash browns, but this particular potato was about to embark upon a more noble quest. After taking careful aim, she fired her ammunition. Her aim was true and her little potato would have hit its mark had Trowa not instinctively moved his hand to intercept the incoming projectile.

Trowa blinked a few times to clear his vision as he gradually became aware of the uncooked potato sliver wedged between his two forefingers about a hairs-breath away from his nose. He frowned. He only knew of one person who enjoyed torturing him in such a manner. Trowa looked across the counter to see the smiling face of his sister. Of course, she only winked at him before cheerfully telling him, "Morning Sunshine, welcome to the land of the living."

He scowled at her and he would have gone back to enjoying his coffee in peace had he not heard the unmistakable sound of snickering right next to him.

Quatre valiantly tried containing his mirth, but the look on Trowa's face, when he finally realized what was actually smashed between his fingers, was hilarious. He then noticed Trowa scowling at him and figured discretion was the better part of valor, but getting his laughter under control was not easy. "Well, breakfast sure does smell delicious. I could even smell it from upstairs as I came down, so I'm surprised Duo has not come barging in to demand when we are going to eat."

"I am sure Maxwell will be here soon enough, although I must say that I am mildly surprised that the smell of the frying bacon has not yet reached his hypersensitive nose." Dorothy said.

Quatre smiled. "I would have to agree with you. I just hope the rest of us will have enough to eat once he does get down here."

"Don't worry, Quatre, I came prepared. I promise you he won't get more than the rest of us." Catharine said as she casually started sharpening the knives on the countertop.

"Miss. Bloom!"

"What?" She innocently asked. "It won't hurt," and then added the word "much" as an afterthought. She smiled mischievously as they laughed at her threat. Even Trowa, who was now more awake than he wanted to be, could not help smiling at the thought of his sister using someone else for target practice.

Meanwhile, the smell of breakfast finally reached the nostrils of none other than the infamous God of Death himself, Duo Maxwell. sniff 'I smell food.' sniff It smells like…like bacon.' sniff 'And eggs.' He stretched and resisted opening his eyes just as his stomach started rumbling. He grumbled about early birds making him hungry when he still wanted to sleep as he tried to determine which sustenance he needed more, food or rest.

He rolled over and blindly pulled Hilde closer. The smell of breakfast may have been his cue to get up and face the day, but it did not mean he had to rush. It was his weekend off after all. Smiling mischievously, he thought of a few more pleasant ways to greet the morning.

Well, if he had to be awake, he might as well enjoy it. With many a naughty thought in mind, he at last opened his eyes as he leaned over to kiss his girlfriend awake. But, the closer he got to Hilde's lips, the more he started thinking something was definitely wrong. His lips were about an inch away from their destination when he finally stopped cold. He blinked a few times trying to clear his vision because he had to be seeing things. Either he was starting to hallucinate or he was actually seeing what he thought he was.

According to the minimal brain functions he usually had this early in the morning, he was leaning over a person who could pass as his identical twin. 'Okay, no more three cheese nachos with jalapeño peppers right before bed.' He had to be dreaming. Yeah, that was it. It was all a dream. All he had to do was close his eyes, and when he reopened them everything that was clearly a figment of his imagination would without a doubt disappear.

Duo tried opening and closing his eyes one more time, hoping his theory would prove correct, only to be proven wrong. He was most assuredly not looking down upon Hilde's delicate features. He tried another tactic. "Ouch." Okay, so pinching his arm only proved that he was indeed awake. 'Okay, so maybe it's not a dream.' Maybe it was a nightmare.

He then reached behind his head to fiddle with his braid. It was a nervous habit that he could not quit doing no matter how hard Hilde tried to rid him of it. But, instead of the comforting thickness of the hair he had spent a lifetime growing, he felt the warm skin on the back of his neck. 'This cannot be happening!' His last comprehensive thought before panic set in was to, 'Screw being calm.'

"NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Three heads immediately shot up off their pillows as Duo's scream echoed throughout the room. In the next instant, Heero was out the bed and reaching for one of the weapons he had stashed underneath it. He inwardly cursed his own stupidity. How could he have let the enemy slip by him? 'Damn it!'

Relena felt Heero jump off the bed before she even saw him move. What could be going on now? It could not be another terrorist threat, could it? She knew the routine. She needed to get down low to avoid enemy fire and stay as close as possible to Heero. But, as she rolled over and dove for cover something unexpected caught her eye. It was enough of a distraction that she careened wildly onto the unrelenting floor.

Relena landed on her backside hard. It smarted, but first she had to calm her racing heart. Losing her head during a time of crisis was not something she could afford. She took a few deep breathes and struggled to get her bearings. Leaning against the bed, she opened her eyes and forcibly ignored the jarring pain in her rear that was caused by her none-to-graceful tumble from the bed. Her pain was then quickly forgotten when she finally got a good look and what had distracted her in the first place.

Maybe she hit her head on the way down as well without realizing it, because the person crouched before her and surveying the room for possible threats was definitely not Heero Yuy. Heero Yuy did not have light brown hair and he most certainly did not have a penchant for wearing baby-blue colored nightgowns. It was all too much for her sleep-fogged brain to comprehend all at once, so she could not help the small squeak of fear that escaped her throat when the person who had to be her exact double at last turned around.

Heerostared in shock at the person sitting on the floor beside him. He had seen many strange and devastating things in his life, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

On the other side of the room, Hilde was starting to panic herself. Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the person leaning over her.

Heero's adrenaline marginally subsided when he realized that they were not in any imminent danger from an unforeseen enemy, but he could not help feeling that what was staring back at him was far worse. He could not believe what he was seeing, and he had to know whether or not it was real. He slowly raised his hand. If he could touch it, then the vision was real, right? But, it flinched and shrieked as it scrambled out of his reach. It then let out one of the most horrifying screams he had ever heard.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Heero finally looked down at himself and noticed his two newly acquired appendages. It was the very same cleavage he had been admiring on Relena the night before that had been visible beneath a blue nightgown. A second later, he felt the stirrings of panic himself. His body went numb and for the first time in his life his fingers went slack and his weapon made a gentle thud onto the carpet as it slipped out of his hand. His panicking nerves soon overwhelmed him as he too lost control.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Duo and Hilde were soon screaming as well, and Duo shouts of, "What the hell happened," could barely be heard above the noise.

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open and in rushed Wufei, sword drawn and ready. "I will smite all injustices!" But, he stopped mid-stride, when he noticed that the four of them were only starring at one another and screaming their heads off. "What the hell is the big idea? Idiots! You could wake the dead with those squeals." His face became even more serious as he reprimanded them further. "I thought something terrible happened in here. I thought we were under some sort of attack, and all I see are four morons yelping like a bunch of banshees. Relena and Hilde are excused. They're women. Duo, I'm not surprised, but, Heero, I'm shocked."

By the time he had finished his rant, Quatre and the others had made it up the stairs from the kitchen.

"What happened? Is something wrong? We heard the screaming from downstairs." Quatre quickly asked obviously worried.

"No, nothing physically dangerous has occurred, when I came in they were just starring at one another and screaming, but I cannot see a reason for such foolishness."

"But, Wufei, that does not make any sense, people do not scream without any apparent reason." He turned to face the four who were still struggling to overcome their shock. "Guys, what is wrong?"

Hilde tried to answer him, but she barely managed to stammer an incoherent reply, "HeismeIamheHeisme."

"Duo, you idiot, stop babbling like a woman and just spit it out." Wufei's irritation was growing by the second. Could they not see that they had just taken several years off of his life by waking him up with those horrifying screams? Of course, he could not know what was really going on or who he was actually yelling at.

"Calm down, Wufei." Quatre could not help wanting to diffuse the situation. "He is obviously distraught over something. Duo, are you all right? You look very pale."

Hilde finally managed a few breaths, which helped calm her down, a little. This was really happening. Quatre really thought he was talking to Duo when he addressed her. She wanted to yell that she was a girl, that there had been some horrible mistake. Then she wanted to scream at him to stop calling her 'Duo' because that was not her name. But, even as all these thoughts ran through her head, she could not help feeling that those same thoughts spoken aloud would make her sound absolutely crazy. So, she bit her tongue and said the first thing that came to mind and half-heartedly hoped it sounded reassuring. "Yes, I am fine. I just got startled that is all."

"But, you are fine now?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Hilde woke him up by playing a practical joke on him, and it startled the rest of us." Heero answered then shot a warning glare to the other three so they would not contradict him.

"Miss. Relena, if what you say is true, why was Heero screaming too? I am sorry, but I just do not see him as being someone who is easy to startle."

Relena wanted to panic all over again from where she now stood against the back wall. Was there a reasonable answer to such as question? An idea came to her, but she seriously doubted her ability to pull it off.

She then crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at the other girl. "That's not your concern." Inwardly, Relena grimaced. Her Heero impersonation left a lot to be desired. At least she thought so, but apparently the other people in the room thought differently, especially Dorothy, if her facial expression was anything to go by.

Dorothy, who at first seemed surprised by the answer, quickly schooled her features into an impassive mask. "Fine, be that way, if you must. I was only trying to figure what could have caused so much noise, but if you do not want to tell us that is your business. Now, if you will excuse me, I have more important things to tend to, like breakfast."

She huffed then turned to storm out of the room, but a quick remark from Duo stopped her in her tracks. "So, what are we having for breakfast? I'm starving."

"I guess you will just have to come down to find out for yourself." Dorothy sneered in their direction then continued on her way out the bedroom with her head held high. Trowa followed her out, and Wufei, deciding he also had enough, left as well.

"Smells like bacon to me. I love bacon." Duo said momentarily forgetting his plight.

"Hilde, you better watch it. People might think you are hanging around Duo a little too much, if you are developing his appetite." Catharine teased.

Duo cringed because he knew he needed to do some serious backpedaling. Hilde was going to kill him. "Oh, I have always liked to eat, but I don't have near his appetite."

They all laughed. "Come on, Catharine." Quatre said. "Let's go back downstairs, so they can change and come down themselves."

"Okay." She agreed. "Oh and Relena, I love that nightgown it really brings out the color of your eyes."

Relena cleared her throat hoping Heero would take the hint, but Hilde spoke before he could even open his mouth. "Thanks. It's mine. I'm glad you like it."

Catharine and Quatre turned to look at her clearly startled by the response. Hilde realized her mistake too late. She considered smacking herself on the forehead because maybe she could knock some sense into herself that way, but she quickly decided against making herself look like an even bigger idiot. She cleared her throat apprehensively and gave them all a very sheepish smile. "Uh . . . what I meant to say is that it is a gown I bought Hilde a while back, and I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, okay. For a minute there, Duo, you had me worried." Quatre smiled then decided against teasing his friend further. 'Duo' was clearly embarrassed, if the red hue creeping over his face and down his neck was any indication.

"Oh, you know me. I have to stick my foot in my mouth at least once a day." Hilde replied. Quatre chuckled and shook his head as he followed Catharine out the door.

Once Catharine and Quatre closed the door behind them, everyone that remained in the room was eerily quiet until, "Excuse me! But, I do not stick my foot in my mouth." Duo cried out defensively.

"Yes, you do, so drop it." Heero said.

Duo sputtered in indignation for a few moments before replying. "Okay fine, but I want to know something. How the hell did this happen?"

"Hell, if I know. I go to bed and I'm me. Then I wake up and poof I'm you." Hilde answered him by throwing her hands up in air as she said 'poof.'

A forgotten memory went through Relena's head at Hilde's comment. It reminded her of their conversation last night on the balcony and of something else as well. She gasped then ran toward the dresser and snatched up the amulet.

"Relena, what's the matter?" Heero said as he came up directly behind her. He stared at the object that was now grasped tightly in her hand. He watched as she stared in frightened fascination at the gift she had given Hilde the night before. Now, she was starting to unnerve even him. He has never seen her loose this much composer, "Relena?"

"I think this entire thing is my fault." She squeaked in a very low voice.

"WHAT?"

Relena cringed at their surprised shouts. "Well, I did not believe the sales lady at the antique shop, when she cautioned me about the amulet. I mean how could a rational person, like me, possibly believe something so ridiculous about a simple antique? I did not believe her when she told me it had powers." She spoke on the verge of going hysterical.

"Relena, what are you talking about?" Hilde asked starting to get even more worried.

Relena took a moment to calm down before continuing. "Well, I thought the sales woman was only telling me those stories to make your gift a more convincing buy, so of course I did not believe a word she said. She just was not making any sense. And since, I really wanted to buy you the amulet I did not pay her too much mind. As far as I was concerned, the amulet was a beautiful antique that would make the perfect birthday gift for you. So I just let her prattle on about how it was a magical amulet that could make anyone's wildest dreams come true. I thought she meant like a good luck charm, but this is all beyond anything I could have imagined. Besides, why would she sell it, if it was magical? Wouldn't she want to use it to make her own dreams come true?"

"She probably had a similar encounter with it." Heero said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Nevertheless, you must be able to remember some of what she said. Is there something that might help us fix this mess?" Hilde asked.

"Not much." She thought for a second. "Oh! I remember her saying something about it only working on nights of a full moon."

"And last night we did have a full moon. Remember, you and I were looking at it on the balcony. It was when we were talking about the amulet and switching . . . places." Hilde began talking excitedly, but her speech quickly faltered when she realized why she now inhabited Duo's body and vice versa.

"Yes Hilde, me and you unknowingly made an actual wish under the full moon last night, while you were wearing the amulet."

Duo and Heero looked at each other then at the Relena and Hilde. "Please tell me you remember the exact phrasing of your wish, so we can try to get ourselves back to normal." Duo asked with a pleading look on his face.

"Actually, we had a pretty long discussion last night, but neither one of us actually said, I wish." Hilde answered him.

"Hilde babe, it would be good, if you could remember anything. Just try to remember the part where you two talked about switching places."

"Besides, this is not the proverbial genie in a bottle we are dealing with. You probably did not have to say the words, 'I wish.' If I recall correctly, Relena said the sales lady told her it makes your wildest dreams come true." Heero said.

"Wow! Hilde, I'm flattered. I did not think you ever dreamed about being me." Duo said with a pleased expression, despite the fact that he was still nervous about the whole situation.

The only answer he got was everyone rolling his or her eyes at him.

"Let's just try to stick to fixing our problem at the moment." Heero scolded him.

"Okay, sheesh! I was only trying to lighten the mood a little."

While the two of them bickered back and forth, Hilde concentrated on trying to remember her and Relena's conversation from the night before.

"Well, let's see." She mumbled to herself. "Oh! I remember. I asked Relena if she ever wondered what it would be like in your shoes. And she thought I meant being able to read your mind. Well, she thought I was nuts because she said your mind was way too complicated." The speed of Hilde's words gradually increased and she continued speaking.

"But that is not what I meant." She took a quick breath and went on. "So I asked her if she ever wondered what the world would be like through your eyes. You know, even if it is only for a day or two."

Heero was doing his best to listen to Hilde's rambling, but it was proving rather difficult, even for someone who could read lips. "So you are saying you asked Relena if she ever wondered about reading my mind and seeing the world through my eyes." He interrupted Hilde trying to keep his thoughts and her story in order.

"No, I asked her if she wanted to be you."

Why could she have not said that to begin with? Heero felt a migraine coming on. He closed his eyes and started massaging his temples. Wait a minute. Did Hilde just say what he thinks she said? Heero stopped rubbing his temples and looked at Relena to ask her if he heard correctly and watched in awe as her cheeks turned a nice shade of pink, which was quite weird since he was watching his own face do the actual blushing.

"Anyway, as I was saying." Hilde continued. "Finally, after I drew it out of her, she told me the truth. She said that it would be nice to have a different role in life."

"Yeah, but don't forget you made the same wish. I asked you, if you ever wanted to trade places with Duo. You said yes because you would have gotten to fly a cool Gundam, be stronger, and legally walk into the men's locker room." Relena said and she still could not mention that last reason without smiling.

"So that's what you two were saying about the men's locker room at Preventer Headquarters. I hate catching the end of conversations, and it has been bothering me to figure that part out." Duo said.

Hilde got a mischievous look in her eye and started rubbing her hands together. "That reminds me. Preventer base, here I come." She then turned around and started marching towards the door.

"Oh, no you don't. You get your . . . Uh . . . my butt back here now." Duo said right before he grabbed Hilde by the back of her shirt. He pulled her back and made her stand next to him.

"Ah come on, Duo, I was only kidding. Sheesh, can't you take a joke?" She tried giving him an innocent look. It usually made him cave, but it obviously was not working since she was now trying to pull it off with his face rather than her own.

"Not when it concerns you seeing a bunch of half-dressed or maybe even naked men." He practically growled at her. She was not getting anywhere near the Preventer base, if he had any say in the matter.

"Damn." She grumbled. So much for that idea because she seriously doubted he would let her get within a hundred yards of the base now.

"Will you two behave? We have something more important to deal with at the moment." Heero said then he turned back to face Relena. "Now, was that the extent of your conversation?"

"Yes, that was pretty much the extent of it."

"Well then, if I were to venture a guess, I would say that since Hilde specified her wish to last for only a day or two that everything should return to normal at the end of two days."

"That's a pretty big assumption, Heero, and you know what they say about assuming." Duo cringed at the thought of being permanently stuck inside Hilde's body. Not that he did not mind being inside her on a regular basis, but this went beyond his own scope of imagination. Because even though he may love fondling her more feminine attributes, he certainly did not want any of it for himself.

"Yeah well, it's all we got." Heero grumbled not liking the situation anymore than his friend.

"But, what if at the end of two days nothing happens?" Duo asked his tone once again bordering on hysterical.

"I don't know, but until then I think it would be wise to not tell the others our situation." Heero cringed at the thought of the others finding out. If he could control anything about their situation, it would be to keep it between the four of them.

"Why not?" Hilde asked.

"Because do you honestly think they will believe us? They will probably either think we have lost our minds, or they will think it is part of some elaborate joke. Think about it. Would you believe this possible, if it did not happen to you?" Heero reasoned.

"No, I wouldn't." Hilde answered him.

"Heero, how are we supposed to hide this? It is not exactly easy pretending to be you." Relena really did not like the idea of having to parade around as Heero for the next couple of days. How was she supposed to pull that off? She was a pacifist not a soldier. And, for that matter, how was Heero going to pull off being a convincing Vice Foreign Minister. This was a disaster waiting to happen. She could see the headlines now, 'Vice Foreign Minister Arrested for Pointing a Gun at Fellow Ambassador at Peace Talk.'

"But, Relena," Hilde spoke up interrupting her thoughts. "You should have seen yourself. You pulled off a damn good death glare, plus you even managed to tick Dorothy off. It was one of the greatest impressions of Heero, if I'd ever seen one."

"Yes Hilde, but that was one time. We have to pretend to be one another for next two days. How are we going to manage that? One or more of us is bound to slip up at some point."

"You are probably right, Relena, but we will just have to do our best." Duo answered her trying to sound more reassuring than he felt.

"I guess you are right." Relena sighed.

"Oh, lighten up. Think of this as an adventure. We can have fun with this. How often does an opportunity like this arise?" Hilde said cheerfully trying to lighten the mood.

Heero glared at Hilde then at Relena. "Do not get any ideas."

Hilde gave him an innocent look. "Me and Relena, get ideas? Never! We are always good." She held up her hand then raised her two forefingers. "Scout's honor." Not that she was ever a Boy Scout, or even Duo for that matter. But, since she was currently occupying his body, and since he seemed particularly fond of that phrase, she figured what the heck.

"Hey, that's my line!" Duo exclaimed when he realized what she had said.

"But, I am you now, aren't I?" Hilde smugly replied then laughed as she watched him try to think of a suitable comeback. Duo scratched his head unable to think of anything, which only made Hilde laugh harder.

Heero rolled his eyes at their antics. Then he was once again rubbing his temples, still trying to forestall that migraine. "This is going to be a long weekend." He grumbled to himself.

To Be Continued

Ok, that is the end of the revision for Chapter 2. I guess I should once again mention that the idea for this chapter's beginning came from the poem, "Twas the Night before Christmas." However, the forethought written in italics was mine.

Well, that's all for now. Bye!

final revision completed and posted on 8/29/08