Sea of Emotion 6/?

[Gundam Girl]

GG: Thanks for waiting, guys. This chapter got written pretty quickly, and the story is progressing quite nicely in my opinion, but I want to know what YOU think, so review please!

Disclaimer: Don?t own it. There, I said it. Will you producer people unchain me now?

*~Sea of Emotion~* Chapter Six

Trowa lifted an elegant eyebrow at the monitor he was keeping track of. ?Report,? he said, just loud enough to be heard above the din of ambitious bounty hunters. ?Colonel, the Rosetta is retreating.?

Relena glowered. ?Why would they do that? Treize hasn?t done anything yet.?

From a suspended gun controller seat fifteen feet above them, Duo shouted, ?It?s probably a trap!?

?Possibly,? acknowledged the colonel. ?It?s not over their normal standards. But Treize prefers direct approaches as well. Why the hell would??

?Colonel Darlian,? Zechs? voice rang over the intercom, ?this is Captain Merquise, calling the bridge. I?m down in the hanger with a Rosetta intruder at gunpoint. She is connected to Khushrenada through a coded device.?

?That explains that,? muttered Wufei from his place beside Trowa. ?And it?s a woman.?

?Not now, Chang,? warned Relena as she reached for the intercom beside the captain?s chair. ?Colonel Darlian here, and we read you, sir. We are locking all hangar entrances.? She motioned to Wufei who immediately complied and a series of metallic clicks echoed through the ship. ?You have clearance to return to bridge for a report.?

As Relena shut off the connection, Heero couldn?t help but admire her ever present focus and complete dedication to her duties. True, that could have indicated a well-bred love of money, but the way she had looked at the sea told him otherwise. Her very soul seemed to be in the water, so much like his.

?I want the crew on standby,? she called out, ?but return to your previous work. Further orders are on hold.?

As Heero turned to go back to security, Duo grabbed the pole provided for the suspended gunners and slid down it to his side. ?Slow the pace, Yuy, the cameras record. Let?s stay and see the Rosetta chick.?

He wanted to but hardened his work ethic. ?Colonel??

?She won?t mind. She likes it when there?s newbies. Newbies can be converted. Like me.? Duo scratched his ear even as Heero blinked. ?Three years ago ? that was it, wasn?t it? Yeah ? I was with the Black Scavengers.?

?The illegal group?? asked Heero, surprised. Scavenging was a free business for the most part, but there was the Black unit that sold to the bounties themselves rather than their hunters.

?Yep. Damn good money we all made. ?Cept one time, when the ship Iris sunk from a gas leak, the Golden Wave went out to catch the little robbers. We decided to snag the parts that Zechs mighta decided to keep. It was a race. We have the sweetest stealth cloaks of all time, and I was actually able to sneak on here from below. I was supposed to stall the engine.? Duo paused, lost in the memory.

Heero urged in a monotone, ?What happened??

Duo grinned and shrugged his left shoulder. ?Hilde spied me out and the Blacks stranded my ass. But I nearly shot Merquise and I had a known reputation even back then so instead of tossing me in jail, he and Colonel Darlian had me on as their favorite firer.?

?I see,? Heero said, baffled by the odd story.

?Yeah, we have a fucked-up world. But you know something? The pay here is twice as much as the shit the Scavengers gave me. Cheap bastards.? He grinned.

Just as Heero turned to again try to get back to the cameras, Zechs walked in, tugging a dripping woman behind him.

?Ah,? Relena said. ?The sea mole.? She smiled coldly.

Noin tried to yank herself away, but Zechs? grip proved impenetrable. ?I would have if this impossible idiot had come three seconds later.?

?As much as your compliment warms me,? growled Zechs, ?I have to ask you to shut up.?

Relena?s eyebrows arched. Despite the professionalism and annoyance in the captain?s voice, she had unmistakably heard some tenderness as well.

?What do you think, Colonel?? asked Zechs. ?Do you see her as worthy??

?She?s fit,? acknowledged Relena. ?However, she looks troubled.?

?Yes, well, I?ve just been captured,? Noin huffed.

?Yes. And you?ve been harshly treated on the Rosetta.?

Noin growled deep in her throat, a sound much like Zechs?. ?You know none of it.? Her hair fell wetly into her face.

Relena stepped forward and in the bead silence of the bridge, grabbed the zipper of the captive?s wetsuit. Before she could struggle, the colonel pulled the zipper down just enough to reveal an enormous purple bruise on the woman?s left shoulder. There were some coughs and more than a few gasps.

?I believe I know enough,? murmured Relena, her expression shrewd.

Humiliated, Noin wrenched away from Relena, half-stumbling into Zechs? chest. The Golden Wave?s captain steadied her with a hand on her forearm; he didn?t miss the way her teeth ground together as her shoulder was jarred, and he winced. He?d have handled her gentler if he?d known about the injury. ?Won?t you just put me in prison?? she begged. ?Or kill me??

?God,? breathed Duo. ?What did Khushrenada do to you?? Noin pressed her lips together. The sympathy was almost too much to bear.

?We won?t kill you,? said Zechs. ?Nor will we put you in jail. That isn?t the way we work with those we deem useful.?

Noin paled. ?If you??

?What?s your name?? he asked hurriedly, disconcerted with her initial suspicion. The impulse to soothe her was a bit frightening as well.

She didn?t know why she told him. It would have been more satisfying, she was sure, to force them to take the trouble of digging through their numerous records. But the words tumbled from her mouth before she could think about it. ?Luchrezia Noin.?

?Luchrezia Noin,? he repeated. He released her and watched as she immediately tugged her wetsuit in place again. ?Well, then. Welcome aboard the Golden Wave?Officer Noin.?

The look she gave him when her head snapped up was enough to startle Zechs and half the crew. Intensity flooded her nearly black blue eyes. ?Are you asking me to join you?? she demanded.

?No, actually. I?m telling you.? Zechs eyes softened. ?It?s that or face the court. And since you were part of the Rosetta, your sentence won?t be nearly as easy as the one I?m offering you.?

Her pride, her remaining shred of control, insisted that she defy him and throw his offers back in his face. Her papa, now buried in Italian soil, had taught her that with a kind heart and a firm hand. ?I?ll bet you?ve gained half your crew this way.?

At that came jovial chuckles, the loudest of them from Duo.

Zechs held out a hand to her. ?I want to give you the option of becoming a better person. Just so, you hold the choice.?

The eyes Noin stared at him with were not na?ve and not by any means trustful. But, Heero could tell just by looking at her, she believed Captain Merquise. And although she did not take Zechs? hand and instead lifted her own into a salute, he could see the fierce self-determination burning inside of her.

Noin?s voice was crisp and ready as she replied.

?I await your first orders, Captain.?

***

?Goddamn.? Duo cackled as he and Heero walked toward the men?s dorm hall together after dinner that evening. ?Today?s been eventful, huh? I?ve seen recruit shows before, but none of them were that well-played. Merquise has got a fireball on his hands now.?

?Seems that way,? muttered Heero, staring at the tiles below his moving feet.

?Jeez, Yuy, does nothing entertain you? I can hook you up with a freaking Dickens novel if you?ll at least enjoy yourself.? Duo crossed his arms.

?I didn?t join this ship to enjoy the work,? Heero said. ?I like it well enough, but I?m not here for fun.?

Duo stopped. ?Then for Pete?s sake, tell me why you?re here. No one up and leaves what they?ve had their whole life unless they have a motive. So come on, Heero, spill. What made you ditch Panama for a crew of bounty hunters??

Heero actually considered telling him. Duo was a loudmouth, but a trustworthy one that could be sworn to silence if necessary. At least that was what Yuy could gather. Besides, Maxwell had shared his story?

?My parents were bounty hunters,? he began. ?I remember that they didn?t just love the ocean. It was like a part of them; they hated being on land, but apparently they had decided that for the first few years of my life, they?d stay there. But they chose Florida, Panama City, so that they could be as close to the sea as possible. We?d go out rowing or in a motorboat several times a week.?

Duo smiled. ?Sounds like you?re pretty close.?

?They?re dead,? Heero said flatly, and Duo winced. ?When I was three, they had their fifth wedding anniversary and wanted to celebrate. They chose an evening alone together, and left me with their friend, J. They decided to rent a yacht and go dancing out in the sea for a few hours, even though...well, even though there was a storm scheduled,? he relayed lightly, but his voice wasn?t weak. Heero watched as some awareness of idiocy flashed in Duo?s eyes, but he brushed it aside. He wasn?t insulted.

?It came earlier than predicted,? he continued. ?A big, rushing thing, I?ve heard. Lightning and thunder, rain coming down in drops as big as my thumb. And the wind?? God, even Heero could remember that night; not what he was going or if he was afraid. He could still hear those foreboding gusts whooshing against the side of J?s pawn shop. ?Their yacht didn?t stand a chance ? neither did they,? he finished. ?J raised me, and I worked for him until you and Quatre came to Panama.?

Duo sighed and scratched his head. ?That?s a tough story, Heero. I know; mine?s no better. But that?s for another night.? With a yawn exaggerated to ease what awkwardness lingered from the tale, he grinned and abruptly changed directions, heading toward Hilde?s hall. ?Have a good night.?

Heero didn?t reply and swiveled on his heel in hopes of making it to his room before someone could run into him.

He realized he was out of luck when Relena rounded the corner on her way to the security room.

?Officer Yu?Heero,? she corrected herself. ?It?s a little late, isn?t it??

?I was just turning in,? Heero told her, saluting. He wanted to clear his throat to toss the dryness from it. She looked a little worn from the day but she was just as lovely. ?Is there something I can do before I go??

?No,? she answered bluntly. ?We?ve all pretty much finished for the day. But I?ll tell you what everyone else is hearing; mind Officer Noin. She?s in a very vulnerable state right now. Part of her still considers herself a prisoner.?

?You seem very good with emotions,? Heero said before he had time to consider his words.

Relena tilted her head, studied him, and then shrugged. ?I suppose it?s from having a commanding role for a long time. However, what?s a mystery to me is that I can?t read you at all.?

?There?s very little to read,? he told her calmly.

?Do not take me for a fool, Yuy.? Her tone was strict. ?I?ve a record on all that?s happened in your lifetime. I know when you lost your first tooth, so wouldn?t you expect me to know about your parents??

Heero stiffened. ?I?d say that is private information, but it seems to no longer be.?

?When you are a crew member of the Golden Wave, not much remains private. You?re of a good line, Heero,? said Relena with sincerity if not warmth. ?Akira and Kanna Yuy proved themselves to be worthy seafarers a multitude of times in their day. Their fate was certainly tragic.? She shook her head, the blond strands flowing back and forth. ?I suppose I?ve nothing to say really.?

Heero nodded and moved past her. He had nothing to say either. It was hard to say anything when he looked into her honest cerulean eyes.

?Except that I am pleased to have their son under my command.?

He halted mid-stride, more than slightly shocked at her confession. After a few moments, Heero turned around.

But Relena had left him alone in the corridor, where the submarine rocked comfortingly as it moved through the water.

***

Treize hadn?t been quite so angry for about a year now. Even with all the trouble his wife gave him, he?d been able to keep his temper in check. Now, as he stood in his office with Anne leaning against the wall behind him, he wanted nothing more than to lash out ? preferably at the woman criticizing him.

?Did you even look into Zechs? latest updates?? Anne demanded, thoroughly miffed by her husband?s insolence. ?We haven?t faced him for over a year! Did you think he was just going to keep things as they were with how we nearly got him last time??

Treize closed his eyes in a useless attempt to remain patient. ?Zechs is content in his little Atlantic hunting spree right now. He wasn?t expecting company that favors the Pacific. And besides,? he added, taking out his rum bottle, ?last time it was your fault. You failed to note that the third engine was running worse than usual.?

?This whole ship is doomed!? screamed Anne. ?I?ve said it a million times; we need a new sub.?

?I won?t have it,? he snarled lowly, flicking his butterscotch-colored hair away from his face and uncorking the bottle. ?I?m not ashamed of my attachment to this ship.?

?You?re attached to junk! We?re lucky we could get our asses out of the Golden Wave?s radars when Noin signaled her capture. Goddamn it, Trieze.? Anne stepped forward, snatched the rum bottle from Trieze?s deft fingers and flung it at the opposite wall. The bottle shattered and glass tinkled over the floor. ?Don?t you get it, you miserable excuse for a man? If we keep the Rosetta, we might as well all kill ourselves or turn each other in.?

Trieze had no idea she?d do either of those things to him if given a fail-proof opportunity. But there was none, and Anne would never risk a coup without sureness. ?This was our dream ship, Anne,? he murmured.

?Yeah, well, it?s a nightmare now,? she seethed. ?I?m warning you, Treize. You can?t get a colonel as good as me unless it?s Relena Darlian herself. And if you don?t replace the Rosetta, I will walk away from you.? With an impetuous glare, she turned swiftly and exited the captain?s office, slamming the door behind her.

Trieze sighed miserably as he stared at the broken glass littering his office floor along with the dark alcohol stains on the wood. Normally, he would call Noin in to come clean up after his impulsive wife. But Zechs had stolen her from him. And how did Zechs work these days, anyway? He couldn?t help but wonder; Zechs? and Trieze?s days of friendship had long since passed into the changing waves, and he hardly knew the man anymore. Would Zechs have turned Noin in for the hefty bounty on any one of the Rosetta?s crew member?s heads? Would he have killed her as a result from his peaking ego?

Or, Trieze mused with a clenched fist, would he have snatched her up from under his nose, just like he?d snatched??

He shook his head roughly and stood up to go order whoever was nearby to clean up the glass shards. Everyone was bored around the Rosetta, anyway, and would be practically begging for the smallest of jobs.

In the doorway, his hand paused on the knob. He smiled the slightest bit. Funny to think of it now, but this was the way he?d seen her last, standing at the door. Leaving.

He had never seen Relena again after that.

***

It was eight when Heero took the morning shift at security cameras the next morning. He expected to find Captain Merquise manning the panel of screens, but it was Relena that sat there, looking read to fall to the floor. As his slight surprise subsided, he noticed the colonel hadn?t even heard him come in.

?Good morning, Colonel,? he said to gain her attention. He saluted.

Relena?s eyes darted up, a fine glaze over them clearing away. ?Heero,? she said, half-startled. ?Is it time for the shift change, already??

?The coffee?s already going,? he pointed out, nodding at the timed brewer on the counter behind her. ?Wasn?t the captain supposed to have the night clock??

?Captain Merquise is taking it upon himself to prepare Officer Noin?s membership papers,? Relena informed him, standing up and brushing her hands over her upper arms; the camera room was drafty with the cold morning water just outside the massive wall of plastic. ?He?ll start his shift at seven tonight.? She moved over to the counter to dump her cold coffee in the sink and took out a new mug. With a small smile that she only showed in this room, she filled the mug and walked back, passing it to Heero.

Their fingers brushed, and the skin-to-skin contact spread warmth that both wished wasn?t real. Clearing her throat, Relena took a step back and ran her fingers through her hair, finding it tangled and in need of a wash. ?We?re going to be docking at a port in Venice for the next couple of days. We should arrive there tomorrow evening, and when we port, everyone wanders. There aren?t many rules; stay safe and be back on time.?

?I see,? Heero replied. He sipped his coffee. As the hot beverage slid down his throat, he contemplated. He?d never been to Italy. He?d never left the U.S. before joining the Golden Wave, in fact.

?It?s actually really nice there. About the only place you can compare the land with the sea with all the water.? Relena stifled a yawn by pressing the back of her hand to her mouth. ?I?m off. Enjoy the screens, Heero.?

He seized her pleasant mood faster than he thought he ever could. ?While we?re in Venice,? he said hurriedly, ?do you want to go out to dinner with me??

Relena turned her head back. ?Dinner??

?Italian,? he specified. ?How do you feel about spaghetti??

She smirked and did a complete 180, folding her arms over her green uniform T-shirt. ?You?re asking me out to dinner, right, Yuy??

Heero shrugged, drank more deeply from his coffee. ?That depends on the response, I think.?

She was pleased with his cautiousness. That made her give him a level of likeability she hadn?t kept open for anyone in a long time. ?I could kill some time while we?re not in the water.?

He returned her smirk with one of his own. ?What about your no-favorites policy?? he asked. For Heero, he hadn?t felt so much like laughing in a long time.

Relena shrugged. ?I can be nice to those who are paying. They aren?t, by any means, a favorite.? She started to go, and then paused. ?Oh, and by the way. In answer to your other question, I have very kind feelings toward spaghetti.?

With an almost lazy salute, she left the surveillance room. That part was normal. What wasn?t normal was that she was smiling. And so was Heero.

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What is up with this productivity streak? I just have to wonder why on Earth I?m so prompted to post lately. You know what this calls for, people?reviews. Lots and lots of reviews! So leave some, please!