FUTURE HAUNTS
By ~ K.T.
Chapter III
Disclaimer: Duh, I d-d-d-don't own, duh, G-g-g-gund-d-d-am Wing.
Duh-d-d-don't s-su-s-s-sue.
Sabriel is a name I borrowed from a book written by Garth Nix. Only the
name; her personality is one I created for her...until she took over....
Words surrounded by * mean's that they're italicized.
"Miss Relena? Someone has responded to the ad on the net?" Pagan entered
the sitting room, looking from Relena to Mrs. Darlian. He gave another bow
in the older woman's direction. "A young woman who says her name is Sabriel."
Relena smiled kindly at her butler and then turned to her mother.
"What do you think, mother? Should we have an interview?"
"Let's." Mrs. Darlian gave her daughter a knowing smile. "But let me
remind you, dear, that I have to approve of her before you can begin your
travels again."
"Mother, for heaven's sake. I'm seventeen, not two." But Relena's
found herself smiling at her mother's comment anyway.
Relena looked at Pagan again and nodded.
A figure stepped into the sitting room. She stared about the spacious
room in awe. Relena stood to her feet and walked to meet the woman. As she
got closer, she noticed two things. The woman looked young for her height,
and her clothes were nothing but grunge.
"Miss...Sabriel?"
The woman snapped to attention and stared at Relena as if she'd never
seen another person before. Relena blinked and then smiled soothingly.
"I believe you're here to answer the add I had about a companion..."
The woman kept on staring and Relena had the urge to look behind her
and make sure no one else was there. Instead she went on.
"You see, I had a...a bodyguard of sorts who was still a friend, but,
well...she was in love
with my brother and left with him about a year ago. My butler, Pagan,"
Relena motioned to the man who had come and gone. "took her place for some
time, but...he is getting older now and my mother feels he should stay here
with her when I travel...that I need someone younger and preferably who
could be both a body guard and a friend." The young woman hadn't moved and
so Relena rushed on. "And that's where you would come in."
The woman's eyes flicked quickly from Relena's face to her mother's
and then back again. Relena swallowed and then breathed in to begin again
when her mother beat her to it.
"Sabriel, my dear, would you like to sit down?"
Relena felt herself begin to blush as she realized the young woman
still stood in the doorway.
The young woman stared at Mrs. Darlian and then shook her head.
"No, thank you kindly."
Relena blinked, startled by the beautiful, husky voice of the taller
woman. Her hair was short and thick, coming only to her chin, but puffed
out over her ears. It was also dark, black; like coal. It made her face
seem triangular, her cheeks looking a sallow orange; her chin, pointy.
Except for her cheeks, the rest of her skin was a sickly pale, even her
small lips. As if she'd never seen sunlight. Her eyes were as dark as her
hair and deep, as if she had been to the four corners of the world and
attained all the wisdom of peace, and suffering; love and loss. But the
thing that startled Relena the most was the lilting accent of the taller
girl. It reminded her of the Cornish people she'd met once when with her
father in, what used to be, Cornwall.
*"All-in-all,*" Relena decided. *"A very homely, shy girl."*
"Perhaps you would like some tea, or maybe coffee." Mrs. Darlian's voice
cut through Relena's musings.
Again the young woman declined.
"If I may," she spoke, and immediately, both Mrs. Darlian and her daughter
came to strict attention. The young woman shifted her feet.
"Well,...I...I was wondering what exactly would be my...um, needed
criteria for such a job."
"Oh," Mrs. Darlian said with a smile, her body relaxing. "You would
accompany my daughter to every public outing she goes on..."
"Mother..." Relena said softly.
"Unless of course, it is with friends of the family," the older woman
amended as she looked at her daughter's face. Then her gaze turned once
again upon the grungy young woman standing their sitting room.
"You would be given clothes, food, and a room at every location my
daughter travels to.
That comes with the job. Then you will be paid for your services, the money
being put into a bank account which will be set up so that if you chose to
leave there would be no strings attached. Do you have a resume?" Mrs.
Darlian leaned forward in her seat and took the paper the dark haired woman
produced from somewhere on her being. Mrs. Darlian read it and nodded to
herself every once in a while. She finally looked up and stared hard at the
tall young woman. "Tell me, have you ever had to kill someone in the line
of duty?" Mrs. Darlian felt her heart pounding, even though nothing showed
on her face. Something about this tall woman frightened her and yet,
something the woman's stance caused Mrs. Darlian's heart to go out to her.
"I have killed." Was all the woman replied. Mrs. Darlian nodded and
looked back down at the reference. It said that Sabriel was an excellent
body-guard, security-guard, deputy-detective, chaffier, and *cook*, of all
things. She knew her place, was respectful, and twenty-three. Mrs. Darlian
glanced up at the young woman critically and saw nothing but a tall child.
She shrugged, realizing it was her own mother-hood that caused her to mother
people.
"Well, Sabriel...my dear, do you have a last name?" The dark haired woman
shook her head and Mrs. Darlian looked puzzled for a moment. She waved it
aside. "Never mind. We'll give you one." She put a finger to her chin and
tilted her head to the side, looking very much like Relena at the moment.
Then she stood. "I have it!"
"You will be Sabriel Arran!" The dark haired woman's eyes widened,
but Mrs. Darlian went on. "The name of Arran is a very old one. They were
a family who served my grandfather during the Great War before the world
unified. You may have their name to carry on their legacy."
Again the woman looked from mother to daughter.
"When do I begin?" She asked, in her sing-song voice.
"Now, if you wish." Mrs.. Darlian said. "Perhaps I should ask Pagan to
get your things?"
The woman looked down and then straightened, her gaze meeting Mrs.
Darlian's in the first assertive move she'd made.
"I have no other things."
Relena laughed and clapped her hands in childish delight.
"We can go shopping this afternoon." She told the dark haired woman.
Then she moved closer and stared up into the taller woman's face.
"You know, Sabriel. I think I'm truly going to like you."
The dark haired woman eyed her warily and then her dark eyes softened and a
smile appeared on her homey face. Relena blinked at the beauty that smile
brought out.
"You know, Relena." the tall, smiling woman said. "I think I'm going to
like you as well."
-------------------------------
"Heero, we've been looking for hours." Dorthy said loudly into the mouth
piece. "I don't think we're going to find anything."
Heero grunted softly.
He began to turn the air ship when a glint caught his eye. He swiftly
jerked the stick to the side and barley dodged the missile that had flown
directly at them.
Heero's eyes narrowed and he switched the stick over to co-pilot.
"Take it!" He ordered Dorthy as he unstrapped himself and ran toward
the back of the ship.
"What are you going to do?!" Dorthy called after him, her eyes
scanning the horizon and the ground for any more missals.
She saw another one coming at them.
"HEERO!" She shouted and then pushed the stick down. The ship's nose
dove down, plummeting them toward the grassy ground. At the last possible
second, Dorthy twisted the stick to the side, flipping the plane and then
pulled up, the plane's belly brushing the long grasses.
"Nice maneuver." Heero told her at her shoulder. Dorthy glanced
over at him and a hint of a smile played about her mouth. "Open the cargo
hold." He told her.
Dorthy glanced at the ground again, her eyes scanning for more
launching objects and she punched the cargo door. An alarm rang through
the small plane and Dorthy looked back to see Heero driving a dirt bike off
the cargo ramp. She pushed the button and closed the door, her
crystal-blue eyes scanning the ground for Heero. There! She watched him
driving towards a large knoll and felt a grin tug her lips. Heero was
definitely anything but shy to danger. Dorthy let out a soft laugh. Maybe
that's why she admired him so much.
"Look out for those missiles." He said loudly in her ear piece.
"And you watch out for the natives." She replied. The air craft
jarred to the side, and Dorthy was nearly thrown from her seat. She gripped
the stick tightly and flipped the air craft over, avoiding another flying
missile. She didn't see the next one coming.
The hull of the ship blew open as the missile exploded through the
metal. Debris and shrapnel flew everywhere. Dorthy glanced back at the
large hole and then threw her body weight against the stick. The air craft
was tipped at an odd angle from the wind distortion and the ground was
coming up fast. One of the side engines blew, causing the air craft to
flip. Dorthy struggled against the body restraint which was digging into
her thighs as she hung up-side down.
The air craft turned on to its side and then hit. The sickening
crunch of metal screamed in Dorthy's ears as she was showered with
break-away glass. The ship groaned as its weight shifted on the hill-side
it had landed on and Dorthy stilled, hoping it wouldn't slide. She heard
metal being pounded on and bent over to hold her head in her hands. She
heard more noises...human noises.
Dorthy struggled with the tight, seat belt and rubbed her soar thighs.
Footsteps came down the cargo hall and Dorthy stood, spun to ask Heero if he
found anything....
"If you make a sound," the man, who was most definitely not Heero,
said, "I will shoot you." Dorthy stared at the man, wide-eyed. Her
heart pounded in her throat as she regarded his large weapon warily. He
motioned with the gun for her to move and Dorthy took a slow step forward.
Then she calmed and lifted her chin a fraction higher. *She* was not going
to cower like some kind of dog before its master.
"What do you plan on doing with me?" She asked in her careless, cold
manner. She bent down a bit and brushed some debris from her blood-pulsing
thighs. The gun cocked but Dorthy ignored it; no man was going to
intimidate *her*.
"Move!" He ordered her, motioning once again with his gun.
She looked up at him, her crystal-blue eyes colder than ice.
"And if I don't wish to?" She challenged.
"I'll..."
"I know." She interrupted, like a queen before a disobedient
servant. "you'll kill me." She gave him a dainty yawn and then began to
move languidly out of the wrecked craft.
The man pushed her with the barrel of his fire-arm and they
stepped out into the sun. Dorthy jerked away when the man tried to grab her
arm and he brought the gun back up.
"Look, miss." He had a very nice voice, or, so Dorthy thought. "I
don't want any trouble. I really don't even want to shoot you..."
"The feeling is quite mutual." Dorthy murmured.
"But I can't have you running off." The man continued, un-phased.
"No, of course not." Dorthy mocked. She gave the man a sugary-sweet
smile and then allowed him to take her arm and lead her...to wherever it was
he was taking her.
"Heero," she growled under her breath. "If you don't find me soon,
*I'm* going to come after *you*!"
---------------------------
"And what did you hope to gain from shooting at me and my co-pilot?"
Heero questioned the young man he held by the neck.
"They were...they were just meant...to...be...warning..." His face was
turning purple and his eyes began to role back. Heero pressed a little
harder on the young man's neck artery. The boy choked once and became dead
weight. Heero lowered him gently to the ground, wondering at his own
sympathy for the unconscious young rebel. He looked up, his eyes scanning
the horizon and then scanning the sky for Dorthy. His eyes caught a dark
column of smoke twisting towards the blue dome of sky. Heero squinted in
the sun, his eyes narrowing. He turned away from the young man's prone body
and picked up the large gun that the young man had dropped.
Heero slung onto his dirt bike and drove it towards the rising dark
column.
---------------------------------
Duo sat up in bed and blinked his eyes sleepily. A dark figure swam
into focus and Duo rubbed the dreams from his eyes.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He yelled out, his voice hoarse from sleep.
"Duo!" Quatre said laughingly, his face coming into Duo's field of
vision.
Duo glanced at Quatre and then looked back at Heero's soot covered face.
The young man excluded smoke and grime. Duo let his eyes wander down
Heero's soot-clad body and back up to the boy's dirty face. White teeth
gleamed against Heero's, now-dark, skin and Duo realized that Heero was
smiling. Not some kind of fake, challenging smile, but a real smile!
"Are you sure you couldn't find her?" A woman's voice came from the
chair at the window.
Duo blinked and his eyes found the figure of Lady Une. Marimai stood
close by, her leg braces glinting in the afternoon sun.
"I'm positive. Who ever took her tried to cover his tracks but
didn't do a very good job." Heero spoke in his slow, deliberate voice that
always made Duo maddeningly impatient.
"Who?" Duo asked, but received a blank stare from Heero.
"Maybe they want us to follow them." Quatre mused out loud.
"It's a possibility." Heero told Quatre with his eyes still staring
through Duo.
"Maybe she ran, and he followed... but she lost him and she's still
out there somewhere." Marimai's high, pure voice seemed to float in the air
among them.
"Who?" Duo looked to Quatre.
Une shook her head.
"I don't think so, Marimai. If she had gotten away, she would have
left some kind of track for Heero to find, and she would be back by now."
"Unless she was hurt..."
"WHO????!!!!!" Duo shouted at them, feeling as crazy as he looked.
"Dorthy." Heero said evenly after a moment of silence.
Duo blinked.
"Where is she?" He asked, feeling very confused.
"She was taken by one of the rebels." Quatre told Duo, his voice
rough with concern.
"Will you be able to find her?" A soft, hesitant voice asked from the
doorway.
Every one turned to look at Catherine's thin form. She walked in slowly
and sat on the rumpled bed nearest the door.
"I will find her." Heero said, and no one debated it.
-----------------------------------
"I think that this will be fun!" Relena told Sabriel as they rode in
Relena's new, white limousine. "You'll love all the little shops I usually
go to, and the people are all so kind."
Sabriel stared out the window, occasionally sneaking glances at
Relena Darlian who looked adorable in a short, white sun dress with big,
yellow sun-flowers all over it. She even had sun- flowers in her hair.
Relena Darlian had to be the prettiest girl Sabriel had ever seen. And it
wasn't just Relena's looks, it was her...personality. The kindness and love
that poured from her... It almost made Sabriel si...
"What should we get you first?" Relena put a finger to her chin,
her head tilted slightly. Then her face lit up. "I know! We'll go to
Monty's!"
Sabriel's brows rose in question.
"It's a charming little store Dorthy and I shop at." Relena was almost
giddy. "You'll love it!"
Sabriel looked back out the window.
About fifteen clothing shops and two salons later, the girls found
themselves walking along a charming little street slowly, their many bags
full of the day's plunder. Sabriel thought that if she went into one more
store she would scream...
"Let's grab some food, I'm starving!" Relena burst out in her
adorably-elegant way.
Sabriel merely nodded and they moved to one of the small cafes which lined
the street of the little colonial town.
Relena tried not to frown at her new friend's lack of response. The
woman was as silent as a mouse, if not more quiet. She had hardly spoken
two words the whole day! Relena rested a chin in her hand and watched some
of the people go by. A pair of roller-bladers caught her eye and then
Sabriel spoke, startling her.
"You like to roller-blade, Miss Relena?" The question was like an
olive branch and Relena gladly accepted it.
"I've never tried."
Relena watched in fascination as Sabriel's impassive face was filled
with mischievousness.
"Want to learn?"
Relena smiled.
----------------------------------
"What?!" Quatre asked Mrs. Darlian.
"I finally found her a body-guard of sorts and they went shopping
together."
"Where?" Quatre asked, a strong feeling of protection flooding his
being.
"In Chancellorsville."
"Thanks Mrs. Darlian." Quatre hung up. He jogged into the library
where Une, Marimai, Duo, and Catherine sat.
"Relena got a new body-guard and she's been out all day!" He
informed them.
"I'm sure she'll be fine, Quatre." Une told him soothingly, a sly look
on her face. "After all, she's been taking care of herself and her mother
for the past thirteen months."
"Yea, but Heero..." Quatre broke off feeling trapped. He and Trowa
were the only ones who knew that Heero had been watching over Relena for the
past year. He even had hidden cameras in her house and alarms systems of
his own making. Quatre closed him mouth, knowing he couldn't say another
thing.
"She in Chancellorsville?" Heero's voice came from the doorway.
Quatre spun and looked at the stoic-faced boy.
"Yes."
"Duo." Heero spoke to the braided wonder.
"Yo."
"You come with me."
Duo stood; Catherine stood as well.
"Did you find any trace of Dorthy?" She asked, her voice filled with
concern as well as another emotion more undefinable.
"Not yet." There was that unmistakable glint of determination in
Heero's eye as he looked at Quatre. "Quatre, stand by the com. The moment
Wufei checks in, let me know."
Quatre blinked at Heero and Duo's back and then moved after them.
"Heero, wait..."
Duo glanced back and gave him a thumbs-up and then they were gone.
Quatre looked back at the three females who watched him. He sighed.
Catherine gave him a gentle smile.
"Don't worry, Quatre. They'll find her."
"Who?" Quatre asked, completely confused.
"Dorthy." Catherine said laughingly.
Quatre blushed.
"When did Heero talk to Wufei?" Une asked Quatre. Quatre frowned in
thought and then shrugged.
"I've no idea."
"Hmmm." Une frowned herself. "Well, when he calls I also want to speak
with him. I need to find out why Sally didn't send her last report." She
turned back to Marimai and resumed the chess game they were playing.
Now Quatre *really* frowned. Everyone was disappearing! He
glanced at Catherine and noticed the worry lines about her eyes and mouth.
"Come on." He said, holding out a hand to her. "Let's go get some air."
She took his hand and walked with him.
"But, what about the com?"
Quatre pulled his hand out of his khakis and held up a small electronic
device.
"A friend on mine made this for me. Works just as good as the com-links
do." He smiled and swung their arms between them childishly.
"I sure hope Dorthy's ok." He said absently.
"Yeah." Catherine answered quietly. "And Trowa."
"And Trowa." Quatre confirmed. They had made it to the front door,
and Catherine pulled on Quatre's hand to stop him from going outside.
"Quatre, I..." She looked down at their hands, interlacing her slim
fingers within his. "I just want to...to thank you." She looked up, a hint
of the daring Catherine showing through the mask of fear and sorrow. "Thank
you for coming to get me. And for always being a good friend to Trowa.
And...and...just for everything." Her eyes moved shyly away from his face
and she looked down once again.
Quatre swallowed, not exactly knowing how to respond, or what to
do. This was his best friend's sister...not only that, this was
Catherine...the angel of the circus. The daring, knife-throwing, brave,
honest, beautiful...
Quatre leaned forward and brushed his lips against her soft cheek.
He straightened and smiled when she lifted her head to look at him. She
smiled also and Quatre opened the door for them both.
-------------------------------------
"So where are we going?" Duo asked as they jumped on Heero's motorcycle.
"To get Relena."
"What?" Duo asked, but his words were droned out by the revving of the
motorcycle.
---------------------------------