FUTURE HAUNTS
~By K.T.~
Chapter VIII
Disclaimer: Don't own GW. Please don't sue...thanks.
Words surrounded by * are in italics.
Heero sat in the den, his body aching from the last six hours of labor.
He excluded the smell of sweat and smoke but couldn't bring himself to go
and wash. He wanted to remember. He *wanted* to feel the loss of his
friend. Duo...
That's where she found him. He'd been sitting there for over an
hour, silently nursing his deep pain, and she found him.
Relena watched him carefully for a moment before sitting slowly at his
feet. She brought up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, laying her
head down.
"I'm going to get them, Relena."
Relena took in a shuddering breath. She'd finally cried when she saw
Sabriel and she didn't know what it was that made her run to the older
woman, except...she felt that Sabriel would hold her without expectations
for later; her new friend hadn't disappointed her.
Heero slid out of the large chair and onto the floor. He pressed his hands
on the floor and leaned his face down to find Relena's eyes...
"When...when this is over...can I come back.?"
Relena's head shot up and she grazed Heero's nose with her forehead.
He drew back slightly, a funny look on his face. Relena then realized the
look was one of surprise! She unfolded herself and moved up to him.
"Are you okay?" She looked at his nose to make sure it wasn't
bleeding or anything, and then met his surprised eyes. She saw him watching
her and realized he still hadn't pulled his usual "shutter" over his eyes.
"Are you okay?" She whispered, the question asking more than one thing.
It was there again, that little-lost-boy look. Relena couldn't stand it.
She couldn't stand knowing how much pain he'd gone through only to have him
have to mourn it all alone.
He nodded hesitantly, his gaze never leaving hers. The memory of
the night before flashed again in Relena's memory and she brought up her
hands to cup his face. His eyes flickered but other then that, he didn't
move. Relena moved her face close to his and smiled gently. He wasn't
ready. She could see it. Relena wondered if that was what part of being
mature was about... finding other's weakness and protecting them until they
could conquer it...
Relena rose up on her knees and pressed a warm kiss to Heero's forehead.
Heero had thought she was going to actually kiss him...and he felt
relieved as well as loss
when she stopped just before his lips. But when she moved up and touched
his brow with her soft kiss, he knew he loved her more then anything he'd
ever known in his life. He closed his eyes and then reached out, gripping
her hips with his hands and pulling her into him, pressing his face into her
stomach.
Relena stiffened from the strange embrace and then moved her hands to
Heero's hair. His arms around her loosened slightly and he wrapped one
around her neck and one around her back, drawing her back down till she sat
on her knees. Heero nudged her chin up with the top of his nose, tipping
her head back to cradle it in his palm. He slightly cocked his head to the
side and pressed his lips and nose into the hollow at the base of her
throat. Then, he breathed deeply...in...out...
Relena was frozen, mesmerized by the feel of his breath against her throat
and collar bone. She slowly pulled her hands through his smoky-smelling hair
and massaged the back of his neck with gentle fingers...then she felt them.
Hot trails of fire on her neck, sliding down her shirt and burning across
her breasts.
"Heero?!" Relena asked worriedly. She tried to pull back but he
made a choking noise and pressed her closer...and the realization hit her.
He was crying...
Relena pressed a kiss into his smokey hair and began to rock them back and
forth.
This was how Quatre found them.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, sniffing quietly. But Relena and
Heero both heard him, Heero pulling back to see who it was. Quatre met
Relena's loving eyes with his tragic gaze and then froze when he saw Heero's
long lashes drooping with tears. Relena held a hand out to the blond man
and Quatre sank to the floor, colliding his body into his friends.'
---------------------------------------
"I found him!" Wufei burst into Sally's office with little ceremony. "I
found the man who is leading the rebellion on Earth!"
Sally stood up and leaned forward, eagerly scanning the papers Wufei threw
down onto her desk.
Wufei stood before her desk, hands on hips, his chest puffing out in pride,
and couldn't help but notice how feminine Sally was. Her hair was out of
its customary twists and held up in some kind of woman-do-dad like a horse's
tail. Sun bleached strands streaked the already golden color and wisps fell
around her heart shaped face, framing her large blue eyes. He surveyed what
she was wearing a little disconcerted. While she looked great in a grey tank
and short black cut offs, Wufei didn't want anyone else admiring her in them...
He frowned at this thought and that's what Sally saw when she looked up.
She frowned slightly herself.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Uh...nothing." Wufei snapped from his trance. He nodded at the papers.
"What do you think? Should we get our butts to Earth?"
Sally gave him a half grin.
"Slow down, there, cowboy." She glanced back down at the paper in
her hand. "Maybe we should tell Heero and the others about this...Shadow."
The com-link began to beep and Sally quickly reached over to turn it on.
"Sally here."
"Duo and Catherine are dead." Heero's monotone told them.
A full minute passed before either Preventers could move. Sally fell
into her chair and Wufei moved to the window, staring blindly out over the
colony's city.
"When?" He asked, his voice deep with feeling.
"Not more then eight hours ago."
Sally covered her mouth to stifle a sob and Wufei clenched his
fists at his sides.
"We know who did it. Apparently they left a message. The group
called the New Dawn has a leader who wants to meet with me." Heero's voice
suddenly became extremely low and menacing. "He got my attention, all right,
and I'm going to send you his skull for a wall decoration, got it, Wufei."
"Affirmative." Wufei answered, turning to the com-link but staring
through the wall. "Before you go I have some papers I think you'll want."
"Take them out, Wufei."
"My life on it." Wufei vowed.
The com-link cut off and Sally sat for a moment, watching Wufei burn the
wall up with his gaze. Then he turned to her, tears threatening to spill
from his dark eyes.
"Fax those to Heero ASAP. I'll have to catch up on my other
work later."
Sally stood and ran around the desk as the young man made his way to
the door.
"Wufei, wait!"
He stopped before opening the door, but didn't turn to her. Sally saw
the pain he was feeling in the stiffness of his body and she acted quickly
before she could talk herself out of it.
Wufei stiffened even more, if that were possible, when Sally's
arms came around his chest, hugging him from behind. Part of him wanted to
throw her from him, but that part was the child who was still raged from
time to time with the man he was becoming. Instead, Wufei brought up his
hands and rested them on Sally's clasped ones. Then he lifted his arms...
And turned in her own arms so quickly, Sally wasn't exactly sure what
happened. All she knew was that his dark eyes looked deeply into her own
before he leaned down and kissed her. Sally was shocked and opened her
mouth to protest but Wufei merely took advantage of the opening and
deepened the kiss. He brought up a hand and cupped the back of her head,
his hand closing and opening on the tail of hair streaming from its
"womanly-do-dad." Sally closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken
along with the moment...
Then, he slowly pulled back and looked at his beautiful friend.
"Take care, Sally." He said softly, resting his hand against her cheek
for a moment before turning and leaving the office.
Sally stood in shock and then wobbled to her desk, her whole mind
in a daze. She sat in her chair breathing out heavily.
"Wow." She whispered.
------------------------------------------
"Relena?"
The sandy-blond turned to her bodyguard and raised her brows questioningly.
Sabriel looked down at her hands and then back up to the young girl
she'd been charged to protect.
Relena watched as Sabriel's eyes widened slightly and the stepped back as
the older woman charged toward her. They hit the ground with a hard thud
and the glass in the window above them shattered as bullets embedded
themselves into the opposite wall.
Heero and Quatre heard the sounds of breaking glass and the machine gun's
whir. They looked at each other before dashing out of the den and toward
the sitting room. Heero jumped off the banister and rolled as he hit the
floor, his feet picking up where the roll left off. He made it to the door
just as Relena ran out.
She just held onto him as tightly as he did her and they stood there until
Quatre rested a hand on Heero's shoulder.
"What happened, Relena?!"
She pulled back and looked at Quatre with wide eyes.
"Sabriel came in to tell me something and then she flattened me..."
Heero peered into the room cautiously, shielding Relena's body with
his own, reluctant to let go of her until he knew she was out of danger.
"Where is Sabriel now?" He looked down at Relena's pale face.
"She jumped out the window, telling me to find you and not leave your
side 'till she got back." Heero nodded and then remembered about his
"meeting" with Shadow.
"You'll have to stay with Quatre because I'm going after the...killers."
Relena swallowed a protest and released her hold on Heero's shirt. He
caught her gaze and gave her a half-smile, chucking her under the chin.
"I'll be back soon."
Relena smiled.
-------------------------------------
Aerran stared at N'Brekk and then moved toward the Shadow's tent. She
barged in and whipped out her gun, holding it directly pointed at Shadow.
Dorthy, sitting beside the rebel leader, laid a protesting hand on Shadow's
arm but he shook her off.
"You double-crossing bastard. I should have known better then to follow an
ex-Gundam pilot." Aerran cocked her gun and tilted her head to the side,
calculatingly cold.
N'Brekk stared at Aerran in shock before transferring his gaze to
the calm form of Shadow. Shadow, himself stood.
"N'Brekk, would you please show Dorthy to one of the air crafts. I'll join
you shortly."
N'Brekk looked at Aerran but her dark gaze never left Shadow. Then he
motioned for Dorthy and the two left the tent.
"What did she mean, that Shadow was an ex-Gundam pilot?" N'Brekk asked the
long haired pixie.
Dorthy snorted.
"You people really *are* thick." N'Brekk bristled but the silver
blond merely went on. "Shadow's true name is Triton Bloom, but during the
Great War, he was known as Trowa Barton, pilot of the Gundam Heavy Arms."
N'Brekk stopped walking and stared at the girl's slim form. Then he shook
his head in wonder and moved to catch up.
"Did you know before or after we met?" Trowa, a.k.a. Shadow, asked the
assassin who stood before him.
"After." She answered truthfully.
"Do others know?"
The corner of Aerran's lips lifted in a cold smile.
"You won't live long." She informed him.
Trowa sighed and then stood. He moved around the room until he found
the necessary documents. Laying them on the desk before him, he motioned
for her to look. Aerran un-cocked her gun and holstered it. She moved to
stand beside the tall young man and they stared at the map of the west.
"He's going to destroy it all." He told Ryden Alayn's partner. "There will
be nothing left."
Aerran surveyed the plans without emotion and then moved toward the tent
opening.
"Wait!" Trowa called
She turned back, brows raised.
"You might need this." He threw her a small pin.
She caught it deftly, nodded, and left.
N'Brekk opened the small hanger and prepared to board one of the ships when
he heard a rumbling noise outside.
"A ship is landing!" Dorthy ran to him.
N'Brekk frowned and moved to the hanger door. His eyes widened as
men wearing strange uniforms began to unload from the small shuttle. He
pulled back into the hanger and dragged Dorthy with him deeper into it.
"We've got to hide."
Dorthy struggled in his captivating grip and he suddenly turned on her,
bent her over, and lifted her over his shoulder.
"Put me *down*!" Dorthy yelled angrily, beating her holders back his small
fists. N'Brekk ignored her. They reached the end of the hanger and he
kicked open the back door. Guns pointed at them from all directions.
"N'Brekk, traitor of the New Dawn, we are placing you under arrest
for joining with *this* traitor..."
N'Brekk's heart sank as they brought forth a bloody faced Trowa
Barton. His mid-neck length hair was dripping black dye and his clothes
were torn and bloody. The two young men met gazes and Trowa smiled wryly.
"Sorry about this, kid."
N'Brekk shook his head in disbelief as men came forward to hand-cuff
both he and Dorthy.
----------------------------------
Quatre smiled sadly at Heero's face as they spoke over the intercom.
"She'll be okay. Relena's stronger than any of us."
Heero nodded and gave Quatre a rare smile of his own.
"I'm glad you're there, Quatre."
Quatre swallowed back the feelings of sadness and despair that
flooded over him.
"I'll always be here for you, Heero." A smile of love reached his blue
eyes. "That's what friends are for."
Heero nodded and then cleared his throat, a sober look replacing the
open one of before.
"As soon as I'm finished here, I'll return."
Quatre nodded.
"We'll wait."
Heero terminated the call and Quatre stared at the fuzzy screen for a
moment. He finally reached over to turn off the intercom when a beeping
noise caught his attention. He pressed the receive button and then stared
at the blond woman who looked back at him.
"Quatre! Thank God I got through."
"Sally? What is it?!" Quatre scooted closer to the screen, his heart
pounding with fear at the bad feeling in his stomach.
"It's Wufei! He...he went back to the enemy's base and then sent me a
message, but it was cut off and I think something terrible has happened to
him..." Her voice choked and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying.
Quatre sank back into his chair, feeling all of Sally's love for the
Chinese Preventer even though they were light years apart. He stiffened
with resolve.
"Don't worry, Sally. I'm coming." He turned off the link and stood
to leave the den but stopped short when a sandy-blond stood in the doorway.
"You can't stop me, Quatre."
Quatre merely nodded and took her hand. He led her to the garage and
started up one of the cars. A motorcycle revved up behind them and Relena
turned in her seat to see Sabriel's face inches from her own.
"Going somewhere?"
"Oh, Sabriel!" Relena cried out, ever-faithful of their friendship. "Help
us get to the base near the bay, it will take too long by car."
Sabriel looked away from the pleading blue eyes of the girl who
had so quickly poured all her trust into herself. Sabriel thought for a
moment and then met the sea-blue eyes of her employer.
"I know someone who can help." She smiled, her white teeth
gleaming in the dimness of the large garage.
-----------------------------
Rina stared at the soldiers remaining behind. They marched through the
camp, beating on those who were too slow to move out of the way, and picking
on some of the smaller children. Already, the New Dawn was ruining the
beauty of the world Rina had come to love. She clenched her hands at her
sides and then started when a hand landed on her shoulder.
Golden eyes meet light green and Rina threw her arms around the taller
girl's neck.
"Oh, Aerran! What are we going to do?!"
Aerran looked at the entourage of soldiers, her eyes narrowing
dangerously.
"Come." She told the young girl.
They ran to the small shuttle that had been left behind with the
soldiers.
"Where are Shadow and N'Brekk?" she asked Rina calmly.
"They took them to see...Ryden."
Aerran nodded slightly. Then she jumped out, shot the soldiers
guarding the shuttle, grabbed Rina's wrist, and dragged the girl with her
into the shuttle.
"What about the others?!" Rina cried out as Aerran plopped into the
pilot seat and turned on the shuttle's engines.
"We're going to take care of that." She said as she flew the shuttle
over the camp. She unloaded the guns and began taking out the soldiers in
the camp. They tried to take her down as well, but Aerran out maneuvered
their attempts and, soon, the New Dawn soldiers were dead and the Earth's
New Dawn rebels were picking up weapons. Aerran landed the space craft,
opening the doors for the loyalists of the Shadow.
------------------------------------
"Secure your seat-belt, Relena. I'm not sure about these old space
shuttles." Quatre flipped the engine starters and prayed to Allah that the
shuttle wouldn't blow up. It didn't, though the old bird protested noisily
at being woken up from its score long nap.
"Here we go...to outer space!" Quatre pushed the over drive and both he
and Relena were thrown back into their seats as the space ship took off.
--------------------------------
Heero stared at the space ship he was to dock at. A man suddenly beeped
onto his screen and Heero's dark gaze met cold blue eyes.
"Welcome, Heero Yuy. I will give you clearance to land."
------------------------------------
A tall woman with dark, short hair walked along with a tall,
long-platinum-blond haired man. They moved along the colony streets slowly
and then came to a small house. Knocking, they waited silently for the
owner to answer.
Hilde (whatever-her-last-name-is) opened the door and her eyes
widened in surprise at the company she received.
"Ah, it's about time you guys got back!" A familiar,
cheerful voice greeted them from the inside of the house.
--------------------------------------------
Quatre landed the shuttle carefully at the small space station and then
motioned for Relena to follow him quietly.
"We don't want to attract a lot of attention." He told her. They
stepped into a deserted hallway and made their way to the shuttle hanger.
"Won't someone hear us if we take one of these?" Relena asked her
friend, motioning to the, more up-dated merchandise.
Quatre frowned slightly.
"We'll just have to get out of here before they have time to react."
"Unfortunately, that won't be happening." A voice said from
behind them.
Relena and Quatre whirled around to face a dozen or so men, all
pointing guns at their forms.
The man smiled.
"Inform his Majesty that we have the Darlian girl."
Quatre pulled Relena closer to him and shielded most of her body
with his own.
-----------------------------------------
Rina swallowed nervously as she began backing the shuttle out of the
docking bay. Aerran had flown them to a small space station, teaching Rina
how to drive the whole way. Then she said she had to find Ryden and told
Rina to take the others to the colony where the New Dawn base was set up.
"If everything goes according to plan, I'll meet up with you
there." Aerran told her before jumping ship.
Rina winced as the shuttle's edge grazed the inside of the hull and
caused a loud screeching noise to ring in everyone's ears. Then they were
clear.
"Whew!" Rina breathed out. She loosened her grip on the stick and
punched in the necessary coordinates.
------------------------------------------
Lucretia Noin stared wide-eyed at Duo Maxwell as he told them what had been
happening
for the past couple of weeks.
"And that's how I got this." He finished, pointing to the bandage around
his head.
"They drugged us both in case we woke up before we got here, though, I
wonder why they even bothered to let us live..."
"She helped me...kind of...when they came to the circus that
night." Catherine told the listeners. "She was one of the four who came
looking for Trowa."
Milliardo Peacecraft stared at the young girl hard for a moment before
standing.
"Do you think my sister is safe?"
Duo gave the older man a lopsided grin.
"With her and Heero practically glued at the hip, I don't think
anything's going to happen to her."
Milliardo gave Duo a death glare before opening his suit case and
pulling out an intercom.
"Whatchya doin?" Duo moved closer, curious as to what Relena's brother
might have in mind.
Sally's face appeared on the screen and her eyes lit up with
pleasure at the sight of Noin in the back round.
"Noin!"
"Hey, Sally."
"What took you guys so long to get back?"
"My words exactly, Sally-girl." Duo chirped in. Sally's eyes
went wide for a moment and her hand came to her mouth as her eyes filled
with tears.
"Duo?!" She whispered. Then Catherine came into view and Sally
shook her head. "You guys are alive!"
"Yeah, well...you can't kill Death." Duo boasted. Catherine smiled
kindly at Sally and the older woman smiled back.
"Sally, I don't mean to shut down this happy moment, but I need to
know where Heero is."
Sally blinked for a moment before nodding.
"He went to meet the Shadow..." she frowned. "Wait a minute...how
did you guys get out of that plane and onto this colony?!"
Duo sighed and told her all that he could remember. Then there was
silence for a moment before Sally spoke.
"Quatre and Relena were coming here...but they haven't shown yet
and I'm getting a little worried."
Milliardo, Noin, Duo, Hilde, and Catherine exchanged looks.
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Mary Paradis