Counting Days: Chapters 1 & 2
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2002 4:02 pm
Title: Counting Days
Author: Eternity
Setting: AU
Pairings: HYxRP
Counting Days: Chapter 1
Heero sat there, in the very back of his History class, his elbow on
his desk and his fist supporting his chin. His intense Prussian blue
eyes were hidden beneath a dangerous-looking brown mop of hair, only
dimly aware of his teacher talking in lightning speed.
He was staring out the window, beyond the parking lot and across the
football field, where a tiny hill rose out of the grassy earth. A
single, solitary tree stood on top of it, it?s great branches
slightly drooping to the ground. Its dense leaves canopied a dark
circular patch of grass at its base, the most favorable spot on a
hot, steamy day. Closing his eyes, Heero envisioned, without even
trying, every single moment in his life that have been spent under
that tree. There were dozens, almost hundreds...picnic lunches, a
safe haven from a sudden rainfall... But only one event seemed to
linger in his mind, a cherished moment that still hadn't and would
never, fail to put a wide, dreamy smile on his face. His and
Relena?s first kiss.
Suddenly, Heero opened his eyes.
*Relena*
It?s two months today. He?d counted every minute, every hour and
every day since she had been kidnapped. Two long months of sleepless
nights and agonized days. Two months of heart shattering pain
whenever someone mentioned her name. Two months. Two long months...
Heero blinked back crystalline tears and stared at his desk, his
fists tightening. After Relena was kidnapped, 10 more girls had
disappeared, but somehow one of Francesca Mario?s sisters had
stumbled on their mission...she left a valuable clue that helped the
police finally track them down. They found the Doctor and her five
sisters and most of the girls that were kidnapped. Out of the 40,
they found 25...all of them in critical condition. They were rushed to
the hospital, but none of them lasted through the first night.
It was tragic. The girls? loved ones were heart broken, their tears bitter and
wretched, their harsh sobs wracking their bodies. They wailed and
they screamed, their voices agonized and shuddering. They cried
until their eyes were drained and dry and long after that.
The Doctor and her sisters were thrown in jail with gusto, but
refrained from execution for murder because of the information they
had to provide. So far, the police have tried everything, except
torture, to try to get them to talk. But it was as if they had
chewed on glue...they opened their mouths for nothing, not even to
eat. Francesca sat in the farthest corner of her stall, her face
ghostly white, her whole body limp and pale. Finally, she had
broken out of denial and finally accepted that her daughter was
dead and gone. But she was still bitter, her blackened heart taking
ages to cleanse. And she spoke not a word.
Heero and the other boys volunteered their time to help find the
other missing girls, and they had looked everywhere they could
possibly be, to no avail.
Oh Relena! Heero thought. Where are you?! What?s happened to you?!
Please...please, be safe...I?m coming...
?Heero Yuy!? a high-pitched voice broke through Heero?s thoughts.
His head shot up, and he stared weakly at the teacher, who was
standing with her hands on her hips, her dark eyes flashing.
?You haven?t been paying attention for the past ten minutes, Mr.
Yuy!? she said angrily. ?Please, if you are sick, make it your
business and stop being a distraction! Go to the nurse. Now.? She
lifted a well-manicured finger and pointed it rigidly at the door.
Heero stood quietly and packed up his things. On his way to the
door, he looked up and caught the teacher?s eyes. Her dark orbs
softened for a moment and she gave him a quick nod. He gave her a
small smile of thanks and walked out the door.
?Poor boy?, the teacher thought. ?Ever since that sweet girl Relena
was kidnapped, he and his friends haven?t been the same...? She
sighed inwardly before returning back to strict teacher mode, and
yelled (with considerable satisfaction) at a boy who was slyly
passing the girl behind him a small, crumpled note.
Heero walked home slowly, his mind once again wandering to a certain
golden haired girl from heaven. When he got home, Heero dropped his
backpack in the middle of the living room and walked up to his room.
?Heero?? his mother?s voice called from the kitchen. ?Honey? Is that
you? Why are you home from school so early? Heer--? She shut up, and
sadly turned back to her baking. She loved that Relena. The fact
that that little angel could be gone was painful...but Mrs. Yuy knew
she couldn?t possibly compare to what Heero was feeling.
Heero kicked off his sneakers and climbed into bed, where he fell
into an hour of dark, troubled sleep.
*RRRRIIIIIINGGGG*
Heero woke up suddenly, sweat pouring off his body, his chocolate-
brown hair plastered to his forehead. He had a dream...he couldn?t
remember anything that happened, but it was sad, and frightening,
and wonderful all at the same time...
?Heero!? his mother called from down stairs. ?Milliardo?s on the
phone for you! Sounds urgent!?
Heero?s heart stopped beating for a full second, and with baited
breath he rolled over and picked up the phone on his bedside table.
?G-got it!? he croaked out. Miraculously, his mother heard him and
he heard a click from the other side of the line. ?H-hello??
?Heero!? Milliardo?s voice was breathless and, as Mrs. Yuy had said,
urgent. ?Come. Now. Hurry. Call your friends.?
Milliardo hung up abruptly, and for a moment, Heero simply stared at
the phone, shocked. Then he blinked and snapped out of it, and
quickly dialed Duo Maxwell?s number.
?Hello...Duo? Yeah, it?s me Heero. Call all the guys, and tell them
to meet me at the police station, it?s urgent...no, I don?t
know....yeah...see you there!?
Heero chucked the phone across the room and pulled on his shoes, not
even bothering to tie them properly. He ran down the stairs, where
Mrs. Yuy stood, her arms opened up to him. He ran into her warm
embrace, and she whispered, ?You go find that girl, you hear me??
Heero nodded and blinked away a tear.
?Now go.?
Heero heeded her words, and ran out the door as fast as his legs
could carry him.
?Heero!? Milliardo was waiting outside the police station in a
police car, it?s red light flashing. ?Here!?
?The others...?
?We?re here, Heero!? Quatre stuck his head out the window, and
quickly motioned to him. They passenger door sprang open, and Heero
jumped in smoothly, shutting the door behind him. Almost
immediately, Milliardo stepped on the gas, and they zoomed away.
Turning around, Heero inwardly smiled at the four young boys sitting
tensely in the back of the car, their eyes glued to the road, as if
it would make the car go faster.
Relena, he thought, see all these people? They love you. Don?t
disappoint us, please.
?So, aren?t you going to tell us what happened?!? Chang Wufei
snapped at Milliardo.
Everyone stared at Milliardo, who cursed loudly as he swerved to
avoid hitting a small red Volkswagen who almost wasn?t fast enough
to get out of the road.
?Well?!?
?The Doctor,? Milliardo said, pounding his fist on the horn
impatiently, willing the idiot convertible in front of them to
move. ?She?s at the hospital. Dying.?
END OF COUNTING DAYS CHAPTER 1
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**************
**************
**************
Counting Days: Chapter 2
?The Doctor,? Milliardo said. ?She?s at the hospital. Dying.?
?WHAT?!? Heero yelled, lurching forward as Milliardo braked ever so
suddenly. Heero felt like gagging. The only scratch of hope that he
had in finding Relena was at a hospital somewhere, in the brink of
kicking the bucket. It was positively infuriating. ?She can?t die!?
?She?s dying from the same disease that killed her daughter.
Apparently, her exposure to a diseased, dead body was beyond
unhealthy. Besides that, she was starving herself, even before
prison. That?s why the disease is killing her this quickly.?
Everyone in the car started talking at once, angry words streaming
out of their mouths.
?Shut up!? Milliardo barked over the noise. ?We?re here.?
Heero stared at the man beside him, and for once he truly feared
Milliardo Peacecraft. His ice blue eyes were murderous, and
frightening beyond reason. His mouth was set in a tight line, and
even though his face was pale, he radiated such heated anger that
Heero had to lean slightly away. Heero realized, with considerable
awe, how much Milliardo Peacecraft really cared for his little
sister.
They swerved into a parking space, and in a second they were out of
the car and racing towards the hospital?s Emergency Room.
They found Francesca lying on a hospital bed in some typical
hospital room, with the white washed walls, the bright lighting, the
cool, clean, alcohol smelling atmosphere. There were police men all
around her, all of them trying their hardest to get the location of
the rest of the missing girls out of her.
She was in a pathetic state. She was pale, her breathing was ragged,
her cheeks had sunk from lack of food, and she was as thin as
anything. But her dark eyes were bright and glittering with hatred,
and again, she said nothing.
?You!? Milliardo boomed the second the 6 men strode into the
room. ?You are going to tell me where my sister is.? It wasn?t a
question, it was a command. Francesca stared at him, her mouth
gaping in fear. It was indeed a sight. Milliardo seemed to be on
fire, his eyes alight with much more anger than Francesca?s had.
Looking away with some effort, Francesca whispered the first word
she had ever uttered for a long time. ?Never.?
At that everyone froze, and their eyes darted from her and back to
Milliardo, who looked like he was about to explode. Before he said
anything, however, Heero stepped in front of him, and said in a
deadly quiet voice:
?Then remember this, lady, while you lie there dying. All those
other people who knew those girls will never forgive you. You?ll die
bearing our hatred, and we will never, ever forget it. I love
Relena, and I promise, until the day I die and afterwards, I will
never forget the one person who took her away from me.?
Francesca stared at him, her whole body trembling. ?You don?t
understand how I feel!? she suddenly burst out bitterly. ?You don?t
know how it felt like, watching my daughter die, watching her
suffer, and be in pain, and be completely helpless about it. I
couldn?t do anything. Every day I watched her weaken and wear away
to nothing. Every single day, I watched her die. It?s not fair! The
world isn?t fair!?
At that she burst into great, wracking sobs, a corner of her
starched, white blanket slowly getting soaked with salty tears. As
everyone watched her, Heero realized that Francesca really was
dying, ever so slowly. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her voice
croaky and weak.
?It must have pained her to see you hurt,? Heero whispered.
Francesca stared up at him in surprise, her eyes slowly glazing
over. ?But do you think she would have wanted you to bring dozens
of people the same kind of pain that you went through??
Francesca gasped at him in shock, her dark, tear-flooded eyes
widening. She trembled, Heero?s words slowly dawning in on her. A
single tear rolled down her pale cheek as she slumped back into her
pillows, slowly closing her eyes. ?Oh, Angeline...? they heard her
whisper, as if in prayer. Then, opening her eyes once more, she
stared at Milliardo and Heero. ?Virginia,? she struggled to say.
?Virgi--you! Quickly, take notes!? Milliardo snapped at the nearest
officer, who jumped and hurriedly pulled out a note pad and a pen.
?We?re losing her!? Duo cried out, clutching Wufei?s arm, who didn?t
even bother to shrug him off.
?Shh, shh!? Quatre said, putting a finger to his lips.
?She?s saying something,? Trowa added.
Francesca took a long, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. ?My
cousin...Amy D?Andreo...in...Virginia---? she stopped, gasping for
air, and her head rolled to the side. ?I?m...so...sorry...? she
whispered with much effort, smiling softly. And finally, with a
single, last breath, she was gone.
END OF COUNTING DAYS CHAPTER 2
**************
**************
**************
**************
YAY! Thanks Goldberry, for everything!
So, what did you guys think? Any comments appreciated. E-mail: Eternity@daybreak.com
*hugs*
~Eternity
Author: Eternity
Setting: AU
Pairings: HYxRP
Counting Days: Chapter 1
Heero sat there, in the very back of his History class, his elbow on
his desk and his fist supporting his chin. His intense Prussian blue
eyes were hidden beneath a dangerous-looking brown mop of hair, only
dimly aware of his teacher talking in lightning speed.
He was staring out the window, beyond the parking lot and across the
football field, where a tiny hill rose out of the grassy earth. A
single, solitary tree stood on top of it, it?s great branches
slightly drooping to the ground. Its dense leaves canopied a dark
circular patch of grass at its base, the most favorable spot on a
hot, steamy day. Closing his eyes, Heero envisioned, without even
trying, every single moment in his life that have been spent under
that tree. There were dozens, almost hundreds...picnic lunches, a
safe haven from a sudden rainfall... But only one event seemed to
linger in his mind, a cherished moment that still hadn't and would
never, fail to put a wide, dreamy smile on his face. His and
Relena?s first kiss.
Suddenly, Heero opened his eyes.
*Relena*
It?s two months today. He?d counted every minute, every hour and
every day since she had been kidnapped. Two long months of sleepless
nights and agonized days. Two months of heart shattering pain
whenever someone mentioned her name. Two months. Two long months...
Heero blinked back crystalline tears and stared at his desk, his
fists tightening. After Relena was kidnapped, 10 more girls had
disappeared, but somehow one of Francesca Mario?s sisters had
stumbled on their mission...she left a valuable clue that helped the
police finally track them down. They found the Doctor and her five
sisters and most of the girls that were kidnapped. Out of the 40,
they found 25...all of them in critical condition. They were rushed to
the hospital, but none of them lasted through the first night.
It was tragic. The girls? loved ones were heart broken, their tears bitter and
wretched, their harsh sobs wracking their bodies. They wailed and
they screamed, their voices agonized and shuddering. They cried
until their eyes were drained and dry and long after that.
The Doctor and her sisters were thrown in jail with gusto, but
refrained from execution for murder because of the information they
had to provide. So far, the police have tried everything, except
torture, to try to get them to talk. But it was as if they had
chewed on glue...they opened their mouths for nothing, not even to
eat. Francesca sat in the farthest corner of her stall, her face
ghostly white, her whole body limp and pale. Finally, she had
broken out of denial and finally accepted that her daughter was
dead and gone. But she was still bitter, her blackened heart taking
ages to cleanse. And she spoke not a word.
Heero and the other boys volunteered their time to help find the
other missing girls, and they had looked everywhere they could
possibly be, to no avail.
Oh Relena! Heero thought. Where are you?! What?s happened to you?!
Please...please, be safe...I?m coming...
?Heero Yuy!? a high-pitched voice broke through Heero?s thoughts.
His head shot up, and he stared weakly at the teacher, who was
standing with her hands on her hips, her dark eyes flashing.
?You haven?t been paying attention for the past ten minutes, Mr.
Yuy!? she said angrily. ?Please, if you are sick, make it your
business and stop being a distraction! Go to the nurse. Now.? She
lifted a well-manicured finger and pointed it rigidly at the door.
Heero stood quietly and packed up his things. On his way to the
door, he looked up and caught the teacher?s eyes. Her dark orbs
softened for a moment and she gave him a quick nod. He gave her a
small smile of thanks and walked out the door.
?Poor boy?, the teacher thought. ?Ever since that sweet girl Relena
was kidnapped, he and his friends haven?t been the same...? She
sighed inwardly before returning back to strict teacher mode, and
yelled (with considerable satisfaction) at a boy who was slyly
passing the girl behind him a small, crumpled note.
Heero walked home slowly, his mind once again wandering to a certain
golden haired girl from heaven. When he got home, Heero dropped his
backpack in the middle of the living room and walked up to his room.
?Heero?? his mother?s voice called from the kitchen. ?Honey? Is that
you? Why are you home from school so early? Heer--? She shut up, and
sadly turned back to her baking. She loved that Relena. The fact
that that little angel could be gone was painful...but Mrs. Yuy knew
she couldn?t possibly compare to what Heero was feeling.
Heero kicked off his sneakers and climbed into bed, where he fell
into an hour of dark, troubled sleep.
*RRRRIIIIIINGGGG*
Heero woke up suddenly, sweat pouring off his body, his chocolate-
brown hair plastered to his forehead. He had a dream...he couldn?t
remember anything that happened, but it was sad, and frightening,
and wonderful all at the same time...
?Heero!? his mother called from down stairs. ?Milliardo?s on the
phone for you! Sounds urgent!?
Heero?s heart stopped beating for a full second, and with baited
breath he rolled over and picked up the phone on his bedside table.
?G-got it!? he croaked out. Miraculously, his mother heard him and
he heard a click from the other side of the line. ?H-hello??
?Heero!? Milliardo?s voice was breathless and, as Mrs. Yuy had said,
urgent. ?Come. Now. Hurry. Call your friends.?
Milliardo hung up abruptly, and for a moment, Heero simply stared at
the phone, shocked. Then he blinked and snapped out of it, and
quickly dialed Duo Maxwell?s number.
?Hello...Duo? Yeah, it?s me Heero. Call all the guys, and tell them
to meet me at the police station, it?s urgent...no, I don?t
know....yeah...see you there!?
Heero chucked the phone across the room and pulled on his shoes, not
even bothering to tie them properly. He ran down the stairs, where
Mrs. Yuy stood, her arms opened up to him. He ran into her warm
embrace, and she whispered, ?You go find that girl, you hear me??
Heero nodded and blinked away a tear.
?Now go.?
Heero heeded her words, and ran out the door as fast as his legs
could carry him.
?Heero!? Milliardo was waiting outside the police station in a
police car, it?s red light flashing. ?Here!?
?The others...?
?We?re here, Heero!? Quatre stuck his head out the window, and
quickly motioned to him. They passenger door sprang open, and Heero
jumped in smoothly, shutting the door behind him. Almost
immediately, Milliardo stepped on the gas, and they zoomed away.
Turning around, Heero inwardly smiled at the four young boys sitting
tensely in the back of the car, their eyes glued to the road, as if
it would make the car go faster.
Relena, he thought, see all these people? They love you. Don?t
disappoint us, please.
?So, aren?t you going to tell us what happened?!? Chang Wufei
snapped at Milliardo.
Everyone stared at Milliardo, who cursed loudly as he swerved to
avoid hitting a small red Volkswagen who almost wasn?t fast enough
to get out of the road.
?Well?!?
?The Doctor,? Milliardo said, pounding his fist on the horn
impatiently, willing the idiot convertible in front of them to
move. ?She?s at the hospital. Dying.?
END OF COUNTING DAYS CHAPTER 1
**************
**************
**************
**************
Counting Days: Chapter 2
?The Doctor,? Milliardo said. ?She?s at the hospital. Dying.?
?WHAT?!? Heero yelled, lurching forward as Milliardo braked ever so
suddenly. Heero felt like gagging. The only scratch of hope that he
had in finding Relena was at a hospital somewhere, in the brink of
kicking the bucket. It was positively infuriating. ?She can?t die!?
?She?s dying from the same disease that killed her daughter.
Apparently, her exposure to a diseased, dead body was beyond
unhealthy. Besides that, she was starving herself, even before
prison. That?s why the disease is killing her this quickly.?
Everyone in the car started talking at once, angry words streaming
out of their mouths.
?Shut up!? Milliardo barked over the noise. ?We?re here.?
Heero stared at the man beside him, and for once he truly feared
Milliardo Peacecraft. His ice blue eyes were murderous, and
frightening beyond reason. His mouth was set in a tight line, and
even though his face was pale, he radiated such heated anger that
Heero had to lean slightly away. Heero realized, with considerable
awe, how much Milliardo Peacecraft really cared for his little
sister.
They swerved into a parking space, and in a second they were out of
the car and racing towards the hospital?s Emergency Room.
They found Francesca lying on a hospital bed in some typical
hospital room, with the white washed walls, the bright lighting, the
cool, clean, alcohol smelling atmosphere. There were police men all
around her, all of them trying their hardest to get the location of
the rest of the missing girls out of her.
She was in a pathetic state. She was pale, her breathing was ragged,
her cheeks had sunk from lack of food, and she was as thin as
anything. But her dark eyes were bright and glittering with hatred,
and again, she said nothing.
?You!? Milliardo boomed the second the 6 men strode into the
room. ?You are going to tell me where my sister is.? It wasn?t a
question, it was a command. Francesca stared at him, her mouth
gaping in fear. It was indeed a sight. Milliardo seemed to be on
fire, his eyes alight with much more anger than Francesca?s had.
Looking away with some effort, Francesca whispered the first word
she had ever uttered for a long time. ?Never.?
At that everyone froze, and their eyes darted from her and back to
Milliardo, who looked like he was about to explode. Before he said
anything, however, Heero stepped in front of him, and said in a
deadly quiet voice:
?Then remember this, lady, while you lie there dying. All those
other people who knew those girls will never forgive you. You?ll die
bearing our hatred, and we will never, ever forget it. I love
Relena, and I promise, until the day I die and afterwards, I will
never forget the one person who took her away from me.?
Francesca stared at him, her whole body trembling. ?You don?t
understand how I feel!? she suddenly burst out bitterly. ?You don?t
know how it felt like, watching my daughter die, watching her
suffer, and be in pain, and be completely helpless about it. I
couldn?t do anything. Every day I watched her weaken and wear away
to nothing. Every single day, I watched her die. It?s not fair! The
world isn?t fair!?
At that she burst into great, wracking sobs, a corner of her
starched, white blanket slowly getting soaked with salty tears. As
everyone watched her, Heero realized that Francesca really was
dying, ever so slowly. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her voice
croaky and weak.
?It must have pained her to see you hurt,? Heero whispered.
Francesca stared up at him in surprise, her eyes slowly glazing
over. ?But do you think she would have wanted you to bring dozens
of people the same kind of pain that you went through??
Francesca gasped at him in shock, her dark, tear-flooded eyes
widening. She trembled, Heero?s words slowly dawning in on her. A
single tear rolled down her pale cheek as she slumped back into her
pillows, slowly closing her eyes. ?Oh, Angeline...? they heard her
whisper, as if in prayer. Then, opening her eyes once more, she
stared at Milliardo and Heero. ?Virginia,? she struggled to say.
?Virgi--you! Quickly, take notes!? Milliardo snapped at the nearest
officer, who jumped and hurriedly pulled out a note pad and a pen.
?We?re losing her!? Duo cried out, clutching Wufei?s arm, who didn?t
even bother to shrug him off.
?Shh, shh!? Quatre said, putting a finger to his lips.
?She?s saying something,? Trowa added.
Francesca took a long, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. ?My
cousin...Amy D?Andreo...in...Virginia---? she stopped, gasping for
air, and her head rolled to the side. ?I?m...so...sorry...? she
whispered with much effort, smiling softly. And finally, with a
single, last breath, she was gone.
END OF COUNTING DAYS CHAPTER 2
**************
**************
**************
**************
YAY! Thanks Goldberry, for everything!
So, what did you guys think? Any comments appreciated. E-mail: Eternity@daybreak.com*hugs*
~Eternity