Dark World

chapter 13

by: Lady Saffir

Rating: PG-13/R

DISCLAIMER:I am making no money off of this, and do not own any character associated with Gundam Wing.

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The house was oddly silent when we entered from the garage. I tensed, clutching Heero's arm tightly.

"Heero?" I whispered, the images from my apartment still too raw. What if someone had attacked while we were out?

"Everyone's fine, Relena. Duo and Wufei are out. Trowa and Catherine are upstairs."

"Oh." I bit my lip, trailing after Heero as he climbed the stairs. He surprised me by going into what I now considered 'my room', going to the bed and picking up a bundle of clothing.

"Here. Change, then we'll go down to the gym."

The clothing was unceremoniously thrust into my arms, and Heero was almost through the door that connected our rooms before I found my voice.

"Excuse me?"

Heero paused, turning his head till our eyes met. The intensity in them had me taking a step back, wondering why he was so angry.

"You're going to learn how to defend yourself against us. I won't have you hurt."

with that he turned, going into his room and shutting the door.

Anger was beginning to rise, my movements stiff and jerky as I pulled on the borrowed clothes.

"'You're going to learn to defend yourself, Relena'", I mocked, angrily stuffing my feet back into my tennis shoes. "Fine, I'll just wipe the floor with him and show him I can already defend myself," I huffed, slamming the door as I stalked down the stairs towards the gym room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heero was waiting for me when I entered the room, the padded mats already spread across the floor. "Show me what you can do," he ordered, arms loose at his side, left foot planted slightly forward.

Ignoring him, I went over to a side bar, propping one leg on it and leaning forward, intent on stretching first. A slight movement of air was my only clue, and I threw myself to the side, a split second before Heero's foot went through the space my head had just occuppied.

I scrambled away, gaining my feet as Heero slowly advanced.

"What is your problem?" I yelled, ducking yet another blow.

"Your enemies won't give you time to stretch and warm up, Relena. You must be prepared to fight at any moment," Heero intoned, his eyes tracking my movements as I fled to the center of the room.

"Yes, well, we aren't enemies, now are we?" I asked, resigning myself to this foolish endeavor. He wanted to fight? Then fine, we'd fight. "Although, if you keep this up you're going be sleeping by yourself for a long time," I warned.

Heero approached, and we began to circle each other warily, tracking the others' movements, looking for any sign of weakness. I lunged forward, a foot sweeping out, intent on delivering a solid blow to Heero's midsection. He blocked easily, turning the blow aside, twisting my foot and causing me to fall to the mat.

I sprang up immediately, and we began to circle again, Heero's mouth running the entire time. "You can't fight us like you would a human. We're faster, stronger, harder to hurt. When you hit, you have to put your entire weight behind it." With his last word, his right hand shot out, landing solidly on my left shoulder, spinning me around.

I quickly turned, hand snaking out towards his face, my fist balled and clenched into a tight fist. He evaded, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. Pain exploded up my arm as it was twisted behind my back, his breath hot against my ear.

"Attack like you mean it!" he snarled, shoving me away. I recovered my balance, running one hand quickly across my forehead to catch the sweat that threatened to drip into my eyes. I eyed him warily, once more taking a defensive position.

"Why did you take self-defense classes, Relena?"

"Quatre insisted, and I took them to humor him. Besides," I grunted, slapping a kick away. "He's my sparring partner in Judo," the last said in a rush, as I launched myself at him, and we began a furious battle, each attempting to knock the other down. I managed to land a kick on Heero's thigh, knocking him off balance, and was spinning to deliver another blow when his power flowed through me. It was the same biting feel as in the library, and I faltered, giving Heero time to evade.

"You can't hesitate! If you were fighting for your life I would give you this kind of power. You have to be ready for it and use it!" he yelled, amid a flurry of kicks and punches. It was all I could do to evade each strike, my arms taking a beating as he continued his assault.

"Damn you, fight back!" Heero roared, his attacks now merciless.

"What do you think I'm doing, asshole!" I threw back at him, gathering myself for another round of fighting. I pressed my attack, throwing every blow and kick that was possible, driving Heero back in the onslaught. The power sang through my veins, feuling my anger even more. Words began to pour from my mouth, as each blow landed was more cathartic than the last.

"What kind of world do you live in, where fighting like this is expected? Come out of the dark ages and realize that violence will only beget violence," I panted, watching Heero's eyes narrow.

"Hn. Too bad humans couldn't learn that lesson," he shot back, pressing his attack once more.

"I never said the human race was perfect. But I would think living several hundred centuries might make you think about the reasons for fighting."

"I know why I fight," Heero answered, springing back from a roundhouse kick. "The question is - why do you fight?"

"I don't want to fight," I snarled, misreading Heero's movements. In the blink of an eye I found myself pinned, Heero's weight keeping me from moving. We were both panting, and the look in his eyes, so sure of himself and the belief that he was right, broke through my barriers.

"What kind of world did you drag me into?" I asked. "What kind of life do you live, where you have to be ready to defend yourself at all times? Why me? Why am I still alive?"

Heero stared down at me, his grip never loosening.

"Because I wanted you."

The stark truth hung between us, and it felt as if the world stopped, holding its breath. I could hardly beleive my ears.

"Our meeting wasn't accidental, was it?" I asked quietly. Heero's silence was answer enough, and he rolled off of me, sitting off to one side. I sat up as well, scooting back to put some distance between us. I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs, my head using my knees as a pillow.

"And the park? Was that an accident, or just a convient way to bind me to you?"

My words had Heero's head whipping up, his eyes steady on mine.

"An accident. I didn't expect Hugh to move that quickly," he admitted.

"And the incident in the garden?"

Heero's fist clenched. "I did that to save you. I could help you heal more quickly if I had completed the second step. It was for your own good."

I snorted. "Of course it was. And the fact that you got a meal out of it and more power had nothing to do with your decision," I held up a hand to stall his response. "Tell me, Heero, what was your original plan - how did you plan on talking me into becoming your Companion?"

Heero sighed, turning away from me to face the wall. "I was going to seduce you into it, make you fall in love with me."

The words hit my heart, and I had to close my eyes against the sting of tears that threatened.

"Well, you succeeded admirably," I choked out, and this time it was my turn to stare at the wall. "Yet you never said anything about loving me back," I whispered, leaning my forehead against my knees.

"Relena."

Heero's light touch on my arm had my head whipping up, and I was unable to hide the sheen of tears from him.

"Relena. Relena, listen to me. I can provide for you. You'll never have to work if you don't want to. Or you can have any position you want in one of my companies - you can start your own, if you want. Relena - "

I stood abruptly, cutting Heero off. "So, what? I'd be a kept woman, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes - no! That isn't what I meant," Heero scrambled to his feet, reaching one hand towards me. I flinched back, and the arm fell to his side.

"A little blood, the occasional sex, is that what would my part of this bargain? Until you found someone else that interested you?" Heero turned his head down and away, and in the silence I felt a sharp pain lance through my heart.

The silence extended, and Heero finally brough his head up - to meet directly with the palm of my hand. The slap echoed through the room, both of us surprised by my action. I backed away, unable to stop the fall of tears.

"I won't be your mistress, Heero," I whispered. "It's all or nothing between us." I turned and ran for the door, passing through in a rush, not noticing the blonde man standing to the right of the doorway.

/I love you, but right now I hate you/

My thought floated back to Heero, and I missed the look of pain that crossed his features.

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Zechs cast a thoughtful look at the door to the gym room, then retreated back to Heero's office to wait for his sovereign.

/I believe your friend is in need of a shoulder to cry on/ he sent to his Companion. The angry response he received brought a smirk to his lips. It looked like this evening would prove more interesting than expected.

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I ran blindly, uncaring as to where I ended up, only caring that I put as much distance between myself and Heero as possible. Spying a pair of French doors leading out onto the patio, I changed course, slamming into the doors with enough force to rattle the glass panes. I tugged at the door, unable to convince the latch to open and admit me to the outdoors. I gave up, kicking the door for good measure, then slid to the floor, the tears falling hard and fast, blinding me to my surroundings.

Warm hands touched my shoulders, and I flinched, expecting to see Heero standing before me. I raised my head slowly, and sobbed in relief when I saw it was Quatre. Throwing myself into his arms, I wrapped my own around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder. I cried all the harder, so glad to have a familiar face near me, someone who had no designs on my person, who only wanted to be a friend.

Quatre lifted me gently into his arms, walking over to a couch to settle both of us comfortably. He said nothing, only holding me close and running a hand over my hair. It was some time before I settled, sniffling slightly and resting my head against his shoulder, my emotions having exhausted me.

"Feel better?" Quatre murmured, handing me several tissues.

"No," I said hoarsely, blowing my nose so that I could breathe easier.

"What happened?"

I recounted my adventure in the gym, sorrow rising once more when I got to the part where I realized Heero's trickery. Fresh tears leaked out, and I scrubbed at them angrily. Damnit, I was tired of crying. Why couldn't I laugh for once?

"Quatre?"

"Hmm?"

"How long have you been a Companion?"

"Ten years."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "What, not one thousand years or something equally insane?"

Quatre gave a brief smile at my small attempt at humor.

"No, only ten. After all, Zechs is only one hundred years old himself. While he is powerful, he's nothing compared to Heero, or Trowa, or Wufei."

"How did you decide, Quatre? What made you want to do this?"

"There wasn't really any one thing that made me decide to become Zechs' Companion. It was more of a gut feeling, I guess you could say."

"You're no help," I sighed, punching him lightly on the shoulder. A thought occurred to me, making me sit up straight and turn wide eyes to Quatre.

"Are you gay?!"

Quatre snorted, shaking his head at my expression. "No, Relena, I'm not gay."

"But...then...why..."

"We were good friends, Relena. And one night he explained what he was, and what he wanted. After I believed him, it just seemed like the right thing to do. We're friends, and nothing more," Quatre reiterated.

"Oh."

"Quatre?"

"Hmm?"

"When I told you I was going to meet Heero for dinner, you acted surprised. But, if you're a Companion...." I trailed off, not quite sure how to call my friend a liar nicely.

Quatre smiled, patting my hand. "I hadn't met him, Relena. In fact, I still haven't. Even though Zechs does business with Heero, there's usually no reason for me to tag along."

"Oh."

The silence stretched out and I enjoyed it, as only one can enjoy silence with a true friend. At last I stood, bending down to give Quatre a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Quatre. I think I'm going to get something to eat, then go to bed. It's been a long day," I explained, earning a sympathetic smile from the seated man.

"Of course. I'll start all the paperwork to get the insurance to reimburse you tomorrow, and I'll bring everything over when it's ready," Quatre explained.

I nodded agreement, waving goodbye as I walked from the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Damn you, Heero Yuy," Quatre growled, before standing to go in search of his target.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither Heero or Zechs were terribly surprised when the office door was slammed open to admit an irate Quatre Winner. "You," he growled, stomping over to lean over Heero's desk and point an accusing finger at the seated vampire.

"You...you asshole! I don't give a rat's ass who you are, but you will NOT mess with Relena like this, do you understand?"

Heero raised an eyebrow at the finger in his face, leaning sideways to cast an inquiring look at Zechs. The blonde vampire shrugged one shoulder, indicating he was staying out of this argument.

Heero leaned back in his chair, eyeing Quatre thoughtfully. "Messing with her how?" he inquired, eliciting another snarl from the Companion.

"Her emotions," Quatre specified. "She loves you, for reasons I don't understand. If you had just loved her back, then you could have had everything."

Had Quatre not been staring intently at Heero, he would have missed the look that passed through Heero's eyes. Interpereting the look correctly he sagged against the desk, the wind gone from his sails.

"You do love her," he said quietly, and Heero gave a slight tilt of the head to acknowledge his feelings. Quatre laughed, rubbing a hand across his face. "God help you, she'll drive you insane within a week."

Heero snorted. "Too late. Now, if you aren't going to kill me, may we get back to business?"

Quatre nodded, distracted, and left, the door closing quietly behind him.

The two remaining men eyed each other, Zechs giving a sharp nod.

"Thank you for not killing him."

"You're welcome. Besides, Relena would be sad."

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Unaware of the discussion occurring, I was staring at the microwave when Cathy burst into the kitchen.

"Relena? Is everything okay?"

I stared for a moment then blushed. "Oh, god, Trowa heard everything, didn't he?" I moaned, sinking into a chair.

Cathy laughed, seating herself next to me. "As to that, I couldn't say. He just told me that you might need a friend. Do you...want to talk about anything?"

I smiled, glad to hear that Cathy already considered me a friend. Once more I recounted the gym experience, glad to have another woman take my side.

"That jerk!" Cathy exclaimed, getting up to pace. "I should have killed him when I had the chance!"

I blinked, not quite following the other woman's meaning. "Er...I'm sorry? Did I miss something?"

It was Cathy's turn to blink.

"Didn't Heero tell you anything about me?"

I shook my head, ticking off what I knew about her on my fingers. "I know you're Trowa's Companion, prefer to go by Cathy, and that you can cook. That's it."

Cathy turned away, touching random items on the counter, not meeting my eyes. "Oh. Well then...." she turned, squaring her shoulders. "I'm an assassin," she announced, her eyes daring me to make a stink about it.

"Pardon? I thought you just said...." I trailed off as Cathy nodded in confirmation. "Oh. Well, then. Er...how does one go about becoming an assassin?" Curiousity got the better of me, and I blurted out my question, blushing when I realized it might be rude.

Cathy laughed, though, returning to her seat next to me. "In an odd and complicated story that I won't bore you with. Suffice it to say, I met Trowa when I was hired to kill Heero."

"What?!" I sputtered, fully turning to face the guiltily smiling woman. "You. Were hired...to kill Heero?"

Cathy nodded. "Yes. I started dating Trowa, trying to get close to Heero because I knew they were business partners. Unfortunately, I started to fall for Trowa, so I decided to finish the job early. Heero and Trowa were outside when I used a sniper rifle to take Heero out from a distance. Trowa pushed him out of the way though and took the bullet. And in the moment it took me to realize I'd shot Trowa, he had found me and ripped the gun out of my hand." Cathy blushed, fanning a hand in front of her face, grinning. "I still get hot and bothered thinking about how he looked, towering over me where I crouched. Whew," she laughed again. "Anyway, the next thing I know he's pulling me to my feet, pulling my mask off and staring at me like I had two heads. Then he's showing me the bullet wound he's healing before my eyes. I fainted," she admitted, blushing again. "And when I came to, he told me he loved me, that he was a vampire, and wanted me to be his Companion. Three days later I'm a Companion, and we're planning our wedding."

"What?" Hmmm. That seemed to be the only word I knew tonight.

"Trowa and I are married, Relena. You didn't know that either?" I shook my head dumbly.

"So...it's usual for a vampire and their Companion to get married?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh, goodness, no. In the eyes of the vampire culture, we were already married, more than married, as it's a bond that can't be broken, except for death, or the Companion becoming a vampire themself," Cathy explained. "But we had to tell my family something."

"What? Wait...you're having fun dropping these bombshells, aren't you?" I demanded, and Cathy laughed till she cried.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes. "But you should have seen your face."

"But...family? You have a family and they know about Trowa?"

"Oh, no. They think Trowa's a wealthy business man - and he is - but they think I'm just a trophy wife. I think my mother's thrilled to have a trophy wife in the family," Cathy muttered, tapping a finger to her chin.

"So...your family has no clue you're an assassin, and they don't know abou Trowa," I stated, hoping I was keeping the story straight.

"No. Trowa owns the house next to Heero, so anytime my family comes to visit we move over there for a bit. The rest of the time we're here, in case Heero needs Trowa." Seeing my look, she clarified. "They are business partners, but Trowa is Heero's bodyguard."

"I see," I murmured, thinking it odd that a man like Heero would even need a bodyguard.

"How long have you been a Companion?" I asked. Surely it couldn't be too long a period, if her family still visited.

"Five years. And I regret nothing, Relena," she added, seeing my contemplative look. I sighed, my meal forgotten as I stood and headed towards my bed.

"Yes, but then, Trowa loves you, and that makes all the difference," I said, and fled the room before she could say another word.