Starman chapter 14

[wsprs]

Not more than 4 hours later, Zechs stood patiently to the side, eager for his chance to speak with Quatre. At the moment, the blond man was clarifying that night?s many events with yet another obtuse person in some obscure uniform. Of course, Zechs knew that he had seniority over everyone else present. But he also knew that if he were to deny everyone their chance at feeling important, his problems would only grow, and he hadn?t the time to apologize for stepping on toes later when he needed to find Relena now. So, he lurked in the shadows, waiting. He told himself it would be worth it, Quatre would save the real story for him. But he didn?t feel any less anxious, or any more desperate than he already was.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn?t noticed someone approach him. At any other time, he would have mentally reprimanded himself, but knew that doing so now would only cause his already taught mind to buckle. Instead, he turned towards the intruder, and swallowed hard when he saw who it was. Quatre approached slowly and without sudden movement, as if instinct directed him to do so. He stopped two feet from Zechs, and spoke softly, soothingly.
?How are you feeling??
Zechs studied the aqua-eyed man, and forced a tight smile. He didn?t answer the question, but he felt that the other man probably expected such. He was here for one reason only, and his own well-being was far from it.
?How is she??
Zechs was trained to catch slight nuances in facial expressions and voice inflection without thought. But here, it was unnecessary. Quatre was obviously concerned, but to the surprise of the older man, it seemed his concern was more for Zechs himself than for Relena. Shaken, he tried to hide what he was sure appeared to be fear and desperation in his eyes. He didn?t need anyone?s sympathy right now. He needed to find his sister. Of course, trying to hide from Quatre was like trying to spit in the wind and not get wet. Zechs grinned in spite of himself, and took in a deep breath, forcing a bit of tension from his exhausted body. Somehow Quatre sensed that it was ok for him to speak now, and smiled softly.
?She?s just fine. She seemed in good spirits, surprising enough for one in her position.?
Despite the small talk, Zechs could hear an uncomfortable silence in between the words spoken aloud, and that made him nervous. It wasn?t often Quatre was so careful with how he phrased what he wished to say. The man was so honest and kind, it was rare that he needed to be cautious. But now, he seemed unsure. Zechs pinched his eyebrows.
?Quatre?What are you not saying??
Quatre blinked, taken aback, his mouth slightly agape. Not many could read that he wanted to hide something when he was in a mind to do so, but he was glad it had been done. He didn?t like to hide things. Just as well. He knew Zechs would catch that he was relieved for someone who had just been caught withholding information. In some small way he had wanted to be reprimanded, and was thankful that he did not have to hold anything secret any longer.
?Zechs? she wanted to go. She had a chance to leave, but she chose to go back. She was even driving the car when I let the bums chasing them collide with the bus.?
At this, Quatre hung his head, ashamed.
?I?m sorry I allowed her to leave. But you didn?t see the look in her eyes.?
At this, he looked up and into Zech?s eyes, which had slowly shrank to normal size after hearing Relena?s actions. They were no less astonished, but they had a semblance of control in them, now. Quatre rushed his words, desperate to explain.
?I.. I think this is something she feels she has to do. After seeing Heero die? believing it was her fault? this is a way for her to finally find closure. I couldn?t take that away from her.?
Zechs was breathing heavily through his nose, eyes wide and unseeing, and he was pale and shaking. Quatre unknowingly put his arms into the air, to steady the man in case he fell. Slowly, Zechs became a little more of himself, and less like the ghost he had been. He cleared his throat, and took in a few extra deep breaths before speaking.
?I don?t fault you, Quatre. You did as you thought right. I don?t agree with it, but I trust you acted in the way you believed was best. You say she was well??
He smiled, though it was only half felt.
?Then I shall continue my search, for I know that if she lives and has so much freedom as to chose her own course, my search has a fast and happy conclusion.?
His expression grew dark, and even Quatre felt his knees wobble under the gaze, though it was not directed at him.
?But if she is harmed, even in the slightest manner, or if she is deceived, my search will continue until I have avenged every scratch, every bruise, every tear she sheds. I will not abate until her pain has been retaliated ten fold in the blood of whatever took her captive.?
Quatre took a step back to regain his bearings. Zech?s words reminded him of the words said by another so long ago, which is probably why he put voice to his thoughts.
?But what if it is Heero??
Zechs?s eyes refocused, and almost seemed surprised to see Quatre standing not two feet away. His mouth was still set in a grim line, though, and his voice maintained its malice, though in a lesser degree.
?You knew Heero. Did you know him to be the kind of man who would commit these acts of belligerence, especially against Relena? No? Well then, tell me. You saw the man she was with. Could that man possibly be Heero??
Though Zech?s words were a clear statement discounting the man?s identity as being Heero, he leaned forward and there was a look of desperate hope in his eyes. Quatre looked from one troubled iris to the other, wishing he could say something to put this tired man?s mind to rest. But, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and spoke so softly he could barely hear himself.
?No. No, I don?t think that man was Heero. And I let her go.?
He looked up, his eyes full of unshed tears.
?I let her go, Zechs. And I still think I was right to do so.?
Zechs stared at Quatre, scrutinizing the younger man. Apparently satisfied, he nodded once to himself, and placed one of his large hands on Quatre?s shoulder. There they stood, silent, taking comfort in each other?s presence, and in understanding the plight they endured was one they would endure together.
________________________________________________________


She had driven for only a few hours, but Relena was zoning. She couldn?t understand why people would chose to drive when they could arrive at their destination within minutes. Sure, driving had its nice points, and the scenery was pretty ? when it changed every so often and it wasn?t too dark to see, but? enough was enough.
Will we ever get anywhere?? It feels like we?re driving in circles!
?De-fine beati-ful.?
She turned to look at her curious companion, overjoyed at the distraction.
?Beautiful is.. it?s uhhh? Beautiful is better than terrific.?
He looked at her, his expression blank. She tried again.
?Better than honeymoons??
He still wasn?t getting it. She smirked.
?Better than Dutch apple-pie.?
At this, his head wagged up and down with clear understanding. She smiled at him, and turned her attention back to the road.
?Beautiful is what makes love so wonderful.?
They drove on in silence, both contemplating her words.

__________________________________________________________

Narrowly avoiding choking on his coffee, officer Blade elbowed his partner in the gut. When he received a very heated glare in return, he merely pointed out the car window.
?Hey aren?t we looking for an orange and black mustang with PRINCESS plates??
Officer Stone turned his gaze to follow where his partner pointed. He nearly jumped out of his seat, dropping the remaining hot coffee into his lap. He swore loudly, but reached for the car?s com unit and hastily called Preventor headquarters. He was answered instantaneously.
?Sir. This is deputies Stone and Blade. Contact has been spotted on the Nebraska/Wyoming border on I-80. What are our instructions??
The signal was fair, though the radio equipment in the undercover vehicle was infinitely poorer than that of Preventor supply trucks. Lady Une had made sure to supply every local academy throughout the entire mid and western quadrants with amplifiers so that her orders could be immediate and clear. If memory served her, what Earth locals called Nebraska and Wyoming were inside the mid quadrant. Perfect.
?You will not engage. Understood? You are to follow the contact only. Maintain a covert position until Preventor Wind can assist you.?
Stone looked to his partner and rolled his eyes, frustrated.
?Sir, what if the contacts engage us??
Une?s nostrils flared, and her eyes narrowed.
?Are you questioning my orders, officer??
As proper, his voice was adequately humbled, and to her secret pleasure, slightly quaking.
?N-no Sir!?
?Good. If the contacts should come to you, treat the situation with caution and actions befitting your positions as police officials ? but there will be absolutely no tolerance if the engagement is not absolutely necessary. Understood??
Stone?s grin was wide and spiteful.
?YESSIR!?
He disconnected contact, and revved the engine to life. With a grin, he turned his eyes to the road in front of him and the tires squealed as they flung the car onto the highway. A few moments later, the mustang came into view, and he allowed his own vehicle?s speed to match that of the car they followed. He smirked wickedly, and spoke to his partner.
?I?m sick of waiting for the Preventors to always come in and take the credit. They get the glory and all we get is the shit end of the stick! What say you we make an engagement absolutely necessary? I mean, what the hell?s the big deal, anyway? It?s only a couple?a thugs that took the Minister?s car out for a joy ride. Geez. The Minister?s cat sneezes and the Preventors jump to wipe its nose.?
His partner eyed him warily, but succumbed slowly with a wide if unsure smile, and nodded in affirmation. Stone tossed Blade a feral grin, and followed the mustang into a hotel parking lot.
?Hotel 9 is it? We?ll wait until they?ve situated themselves, then we?ll check out the mustang. If there?s anything interesting in it, we can use it to our advantage. Knowledge is power, my friend!?
Blade sighed, accustomed to his partner?s outbursts, and nodded.

__________________________________________________________

When Une disconnected, she turned to Duo.
?Duo. Get a map of 20th century United States. We?re looking for roads on the Nebraska and Wyoming border.?
When he looked at her confused, she shrugged.
?It?s in the mid quadrant.?
He scrunched his nose.
?Why not just get a map of the mid quadrant then??
Une raised an eyebrow as if asking him if he were serious. He grinned, and she was almost certain she was being teased. However, she couldn?t say for certain. Though sure she would regret it, she answered.
?We must assume they are taking old roads that are no longer in common use, and would not be marked on a current map. The old map speaks for itself.?
He nodded as if the explanation were actually helpful and went to fetch a map. She stared after him, hardly believing that Duo for once, allowed a chance to mock her pass without taking advantage of it. Still wary, she waited for him to return and spread the map before her. After a second of her standing there staring, he looked up.
?What??
Still unconvinced, she appraised him incredulously. He appeared sincere, so she shrugged again and bent to ponder the map. Duo grinned when he thought she wasn?t looking.
?I saw that, Maxwell.?
He bit his lip and pretended to not to hear. After a minute, everything was forgotten as they both pored over the lines and territories, attempting to make sense of it. Duo whistled as he raised his head.
?Man we must?a either gotten really smart over the years - or really stupid.?
Une looked at Duo and considered his words.
?I agree. Satellite tracking would make our job easier. But you know very well that I?m not paying you to find the easy way out. We need to be discreet. This is how we do it. Now. What can you tell me??
He huffed.
?First of all, I ain?t getting paid. But you already know that. What you want to know is that I can read this thing. Of course, I doubt it?s worth the headache.?
As he continued to stare at the map, he chewed his lip and considered a moment.
?You say they were spotted here a minute ago? Well if they were?. Wait a minute..?
He dashed to grab some papers from somewhere unseen, and spread all of them next to the map. He looked from one stack of papers to the next, and back to the map.
?The pod crashed here, right? Well, Wufei and Sally said the pod was moving purposeful-like, which means that is was probably going somewhere.?
He studied the first stack of papers once again before pointing to the line that represented the pod?s flight path.
?Based on trajectory and speed taken from one of that Taureses ? Sally?s I think, but don?t tell Wufei that, my guess is that it was headed someplace around?. Here.?
He pointed to a small blot on the map. Une squinted.
?Winslow? In Old-Arizona??
Duo looked up with a masterful smirk that split his face in two.
?Precise-like.?
She cocked her eyebrow, but couldn?t hide how pleased she was.
?Duo, despite your lack of etiquette and unusual speech patterns, you?re damn good.?
She let him gloat for a moment before continuing.
?But if you tell anyone I said that, you?re fired. Even if I?m not paying you, I can make sure that no one else will, either.?
As he deflated, she turned to go. She smiled to herself and couldn?t help one last jab.
?That was for playing stupid and making me the fool!?

_________________________________________________________

Relena eyed the passing hotels with longing. Abruptly, she turned off the freeway, and towards one of the smaller motels, determined to sleep comfortably. She still had a crick in her neck from sleeping in the car, and hoped that the stoic man next to her would agree to stop for a while. She looked to see if she had his approval, and when no objection came, smiled at him in appreciation. She parked the car in front of Motel 9, well away from any lights or cars. As they opened the doors to get out, she put the pistol under the driver?s seat, not willing to get rid of it, but nervous about taking it inside. When she stood to close the door, she looked around to see where her friend had gone, and ran to catch up to him. As they walked, they looked around in with baffled interest.
?There must be a party or something. Look at all these obnoxious kids!?
Swarms of college aged students ? not much younger than Relena or her companion ? flitted around yelling and laughing. Some were throwing trash about and drinking. Most of them were cheering their friends in an old game involving two cars being driven head on at each other. She believed it was called chicken, but she wasn?t sure. She did know that it was illegal. Part of her wanted to reprimand their foolish behavior, but part of her wished that she could join them. She had never been able to be as care free and wild as they, and her heart ached as much as her mind dismissed it as folly. Tearing her eyes away from the festivity, she set her mind on seeking out much needed rest. The man at her side had remained strangely silent, not once asking about the strange rituals of humans. Perhaps he sensed her brooding, and gave her privacy to do so. But now, he came alive at her voice.
?We?ll just stay a few hours, ok? I know we?re in a hurry, but we can stay for just a little while.?
She looked into his eyes, and saw that he was unworried, and even slightly curious. She smiled and hooked her arm through his as they entered the building.

She rang the bell, and was met by a portly man eating a ham sandwich on rye. She blinked at it, but told herself they were here to get rest, not to eat. She cleared her voice, and put on her ?Minister? face.
?Yes. We?d like a room as far away from all this noise as possible, please.?
The man behind the desk gave a wide, toothy smile.
?I would think you two would want to join the fun! Homecoming doesn?t happen every day!?
Relena smiled and nodded.
?That?s true, but I think we?ve had enough fun for one day. Isn?t that so??
She turned her head to look at her companion, and saw that he had been studying the activities outside. When he sensed the two beings in front of him waiting for something, he turned his attention back and nodded slowly, unsure if that was what he was expected to do. Apparently, it was. Relena breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled warmly at him. The counter man chuckled, and Relena looked back towards the desktop, waiting to be given a receipt for a room. She grazed through the liabilities and waivers, and signed it Relena Yuy at the bottom.
No one but the Preventors will recognize this name, and they will do so knowing that I purposefully chose it. Proof that I?m acting on my own accord ? Maybe when Milli sees I signed this way he?ll think Heer?think the alien is harmless and will let him go.
She bit her lip and handed the signed paper over, but paused before handing the attendant cash in lieu of credit. Paper currency, especially Dollars since they had the highest value after credit, where common with those who didn?t wish to be noticed. That in itself was a red flag because typically those who didn?t want to be noticed were those who had something to hide. Apparently the hotel manager believed that it was ordinary for two supposedly under aged patrons at a motel 9 to pay cash. The man briefly looked over the receipt and the signature with disinterest, and hastily put it aside to count the money. When he saw it was all accounted for, he smiled.
?I see. Well, I can put you on the third floor of the west side. That should be far enough away from the ruckus. The one outside, I mean.?
Relena?s eyes snapped up and she caught the man?s wink and blushed at his knowing smile. She forced one of her own, took the keys, and turned to direct her companion towards room 324.

?Oh, I never thought I?d be so happy to see a bed!?
But instead of throwing herself on the welcoming pillows, she reluctantly turned her gaze away and went to the bathroom to see if there was a shower. As she did so, she filled the room with her voice. She spoke of everything and nothing, as was her habit when she was extremely tired. Usually she was alone when she did this, but had grown accustomed to someone answering her - if not with words, than with a quizzical stare and a demeanor that showed no mind if she continued. Therefore, after a moment of hearing no one but herself, she stuck her head out of the bathroom to see what had kept her friend from ?joining? the conversation. She found that he had seated himself on the bed, and shifted his weight so that the bed periodically bounced with his movements. She couldn?t help the grin that nearly split her face in two when she saw the most peculiar cross expression of amusement and dumbfoundedness on his face. She chuckled to see him pleased with such a simple thing, which brought her to wonder why it was so entertaining to bounce up and down on beds. She shook her head and dismissed the thought. Instead, she came out into the room and turned on the TV, and flung the remote to the still bouncing man. He caught the remote, looked at it, and lowered it into his lap ? naive as to what he was to do with it, but pleased at the gift nonetheless.

Relena began her idle chat once more, and crossed her arms to lift her shirt over her head. She had it half off when she realized mid-sentence that her companion was staring intently at her, entirely too interested in what she was doing and not what she was saying. Abruptly, she realized her mistake, and hastily pulled her shirt back down. Blushing, she cleared her throat.
?Sorry. I?m so tired I must be getting punchy. It?s just that you look so much like Heero??
She let her voice trail off, not knowing what else to say. Not missing a beat, the alien picked up where she left off.
?You look like Hee-ro. But his nose was diffe-rent. He broke his twice and yourz is straight, and there?s some-thing else. I don?t know. Some-thing spoo-ky a-bout your eyez.?
Relena?s eyes flew open, and her mouth dropped.
?That?s word for word! You remember everything I say word for word?!?
He cocked his head and his eyes lost their focus.
?I re-mem-ber every-thing I hear, every-thing I see, every-thing I-- every-thing this bod-y feelz.?
She took in his words, and something in his voice, or perhaps it was the look on his face, entrapped her, and she couldn?t help but stare into his eyes. Her vision began to swim under the heat of his gaze, and Relena felt her face flush with warmth, her heart fluttering. She couldn?t understand how this man could understand only half of everything around him, but still be able to pierce her soul and make her feel so off balance, so utterly vulnerable. With nothing but the look in his eyes to sustain her, she would sacrifice everything she was, all she represented. Everything?.just so she could submit into that swimming turmoil.
Heero used to do this to me. And it got me nowhere. Snap out of it before you lose it!
She swallowed, blinking furiously to rid her vision of him, and forced herself to turn towards the bathroom. She heard herself mumble that she?d be out in a minute, but knew it to sound as weak as she felt.

An hour later, she was asleep. Whether it was because her troubled mind could no longer hold the burdensome thoughts without snapping in two, or because her self reprimand whilst in the shower was actually powerful enough to chase the thoughts away, she hadn?t had time to realize as slumber took her.

And once again, he was bored.

Less than two inches from the moving picture box, he reached his fingers to braze the screen, changing the channel. He was quickly growing wearisome of infomercials, but six of the twelve available channels of course, were those. Exasperated, he cycled through the channels again with incredible speed. Abruptly, his interest peaked, and he flicked his fingers to direct the receiver to turn back a couple times. Displayed on the screen was what seemed to be an ancient black and white film. With renewed curiosity, he appraised the flickering images, trying to understand what was taking place.

The ocean waves were turbulent with passion, and eagerly reached to embrace the two figures as they ran through the salty froth. They laughed as they chased each other, splashing and frolicking through the swells of sea foam. A woman, her hair streaming out behind her in the wind, ran for the sandy shore. She fell onto the sand, childish euphoria slipping away with the receding waves, leaving only the deep fervor reflected in the ocean?s current. Eyes brimming with fever, she sought her lover. When their gazes finally touched, it was as though an eruption of unending need flooded through them, pumping through veins of one, and flowing into the veins of the other. The man crashed through the impeding water, and flung himself at last to the side of the woman. Though she bent her head to reach for him, he grabbed the back of her neck and lifted her to him as his lips crashed to hers forcefully. Together, they rolled in the waves as though the waves themselves were made even more wild by their passion.

He blinked a few times, positive he had seen something of innate and incredible importance to humans. Of course, he would take advantage of this information - if he could figure out what it was he had learned. Rising, he thought to mimic the scene he had witnessed. Imitating what he saw taught him understanding in ways that words did not. He turned and walked to the only available human who could give him understanding. Her sleeping form caused him pause for a moment, but his burning desire to understand far outweighed the slight divergence from what he had seen on the television screen. He was determined to find enlightenment, even if he had to do it without her help. Well, maybe she would help him. But she wouldn?t know it.

He cocked his head and peered down at her as if considering his thoughts, just as he?d seen her do so many times. She always smiled when he tried to act human, even if she did try to hide it.

He allowed the bed to take his weight, and lowered his head slowly until he hovered slightly above her. He made this allowance though it was not what he had seen, because he knew that despite his education, she was sleeping. He pretended her eyes were on him, overflowing with heat and desire, and adjusted his own features until he was sure his own portrayed the same passion. He gently reached to cup her head in his hand to lift her lips to his, but before he could touch her, she moaned in her sleep and shifted away and rolled to her side. He looked over at her, and blinked. She wasn?t supposed to do that. So, he raised his body as softly as he had lowered it, and walked to the other side of the bed to try again. Once more, he lay stretched out beside her, and again, tried to take her head in his hand. Just as his lips brushed hers, a loud knock jolted her awake and he dropped her head to the pillow.

Dazed from being awoken so abruptly, Relena blinked in an attempt to dislodge the cobwebs in her head. She didn?t even notice the presence hovering above her as it moved away. She heard the loud pounding again, and heard herself shouting.
?Yeah! Coming!?
She lurched from the bed, barely able to keep stable on legs still shaky from sleep. Floundering to the door, she opened it and found two of the rowdy college kids grinning at her.
?Sorry to bother ya, lady, but there are two cops snoopin? around your car. The mustang is yours, right? The orange and black one??
She absently nodded and turned to gather her things, but left the door open so the two could enter. They might have, but as they were about to walk in, they caught a calculating glare from her companion. Instead, they looked at each other, and decided it would be wise to stay where they were.

?I can?t tell you how much we appreciate this.?
One of the boys turned towards her, and smiled as they all made their way down the back stairs.
?No problem, Lady Peacecraft. We know what it?s like to miss a party because some blue boy is nosing around in our business.?
He winked, and she smiled at his naivety, wishing it was as simple as that. Abruptly, his words sunk in, she nearly swallowed her tongue.
They know me?
Apparently, they did. When the lad looked back to her, a mischievous grin had erupted on his face, and his eyes were full of barely contained mirth. Still choking, she somehow realized how she must look in her surprise. Abashed, she closed her mouth and attempted to put her eyes back into place inside her skull. She was still trying to regain control of her breathing when the other boy paused at the bottom stair, and motioned for everyone to stay back while he peaked around the corner. He flicked his hand, and gestured for his buddy to come closer. Relena heard them whisper, but didn?t understand their words. She looked to her left, where the alien stood waiting, and saw that his head was tilted as though he were listening. He nodded once, and stepped forward just as the boys turned to gain their attention. One looked briefly at the man approaching them, but quickly sought her eye contact before he began to speak.
?We?ll get their attention so you can get away.?
The other boy grinned and rested his elbow on the shoulder of his friend.
?Yeah. No charge. Special one time offer for princesses this evening.?
They looked to each other, and laughed before skipping off. One, she didn?t know which, shouted over his shoulder.
?Wait for the signal before booking it to your car! You?ll know when!?

Relena caught the elbow of her companion, nervous, but strangely excited. She knew that she was not really holding her friend at bay until the signal, but found that being close to him was comforting. She looked up at him, and scrunched her nose in distaste when she found that he was so calm he almost appeared bored. Suddenly, a loud resounding crash was heard, followed by consecutive smaller scrapes and crunching sounds. She stood frozen, trying to place the sounds. She was shaken out of her trance when the body beside her casually walked from their hiding place towards her waiting car. She ran to catch up, and hooked her arm in his. They made it to her car, and she tossed the keys to the alien. Only when he had the doors unlocked and opened did she turn to see what the sounds had been.

Two hooting and screaming twenty year-olds where being chased by two middle-aged, overweight, disgruntled police officers. The boys were armed with items from a concession machine, and where launching them like missiles at the two uniformed men, who were wildly trying to avoid being hit. The machine itself, which had been tossed down the front stairs and had ruptured, rest on it?s side. The contents where spilled everywhere, and glass shards littered the ground. Relena laughed and yelled victory to the boys, who raised their loaded hands as they ran in salute. She threw herself in the passenger?s seat, and twisted so that she was backwards and could look out the back window. When she could no longer see, she sighed contentedly, and sat properly ? but not before leaning over to ruffle her friend?s hair playfully.

[kawaiiemogirl]

Hehehe. Go Relena! woot