Dark World, chapter 9
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:37 pm
Hello all! Sorry it's later than I said, but we had girl's night out Friday. This chapter was REALLY hard to write, for some reason, but hopefully that's over and done with. All I can say is, I really hate it when characters surprise me with something.
Enjoy!
Dark World
Chapter 9
by:Lady Saffir
Rating:PG/PG-13
DISCLAIMER:I do not own any characters associated with the Gundam Wing universe.
*sigh* This chapter was very hard to write, till the end. Lots of explaining to do, and
very little action. There's still more explaining to do, but hopefully that can be spread
out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I found myself numbly staring at the contents of the refrigerator, having been led to the
kitchen by Heero after our little 'discussion.' "You should eat," had been his next words,
as if we had been discussing the weather instead of my life being turned upside down. I
stared at the shelves stocked with an over abundance of food, unable to make even the
simplest of decisions at that moment.
"Relena."
Should I have a ham or turkey sandwich?
"Relena."
Or perhaps a salad?
"Relena."
Or maybe there was something in the freezer I could warm up?
/Relena/
With a yelp I whirled around, losing purchase on the tile floor as I placed my full weight
on my injured leg. I skidded and caught myself on the edge of the island, glaring at Wufei
as he lounged in the doorway.
"Don't do that!" I scolded, glaring at the smirking Chinese man. "I hate that."
Wufei shrugged, not moving from his spot of holding up the wall.
"I said your name three times, it isn't my fault you weren't paying attention." The slight
taunt in his voice had me jerking my shoulder in irritation.
"So sorry, I'll be sure to pay attention to your dulcet tones in the future," I tossed back,
turning to once more peruse the fridge.
"You should eat some protein," Wufei suggested, moving to reach past me to snag a drink. I
could hear him take a seat at the table, and I gave up my perusal of the fridge to turn and
face him.
"Can you do that?" I tipped my head at his drink. "Or is it something to make me feel more
at ease?"
Wufei raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair.
"We can drink - for that matter, we can drink as much alcohol as we want, and almost never
be affected. We can eat, but only small portions, and usually only when in the company in
humans. We prefer to drink though," Wufei finished, tipping his glass in my direction.
"Why?" I asked curiously, taking a seat across from him. "I mean, if you don't need it to
survive, then why do it?"
"We do it to try and forget about the blood, Relena," Wufei said evenly, meeting my gaze.
"The stronger the flavor of the drink, the easier to forget about the taste of blood. It's
a constant hunger, a low grade need, like humans who smoke."
"Oh," was the only think I could think to say. I was surprised when Wufei stood, and
opening the refrigerator, began to pull out an assortment of items.
I watched him move about the kitchen, silently wondering why he suddenly felt the need to
cook.
"Because you need to eat," Wufei replied, not bothering to look at me as he skillfully
chopped veggies into bite sized bits.
"Stop reading my mind," I snapped.
Wufei turned in surprise, a frown marring his features. "I wasn't. You were the one that
decided to use other means to ask what I was doing."
"No, I didn't. I don't like the way it feels in my head."
My bewildered expression convinced Wufei of the sincerity of my words.
"And why are you so gung-ho about feeding me?"
It was Wufei's turn to look surprised.
"Did Heero tell you nothing?"
I snorted. "Basically it was, 'me big bad vampire king, you lowly human female, do as I
say'. At least he pulled me along by my wrist, instead of my hair," I mused, trying to
make light of the intense encounter that was barely an hour old.
"He's an idiot," Wufei muttered. His eyes went unfocused for a brief moment, then with a
sigh turned back to the stove. "Fine, fine, leave it all to me," he muttered to himself.
He began to talk as he added ingredients to the skillet.
"The vampire/Companion relationship can basically be explained as a give and take
relationship. For the most part the energy flow is unconsiously done, but, like Heero
demonstrated, the decision to give or pull power from the Companion can be made. And since
you're still basically human, your metabolism has sped up, in an effort to stay on top of
things, as it were."
"This if fine and dandy for explaining Duo, but not me. I'm not a Companion," I interupted,
only to be treated by a condesending look.
"You've two of the three steps completed, Relena. Stop hiding from the facts and face
reality."
I could feel my eyes flash.
"You know, that's the second time I've been told to suck it up and live with it, and I'm
getting tired of that attitude."
Wufei stopped what he was doing to turn and give me a reproachful look.
"That isn't what either of us said. Feel free to rant and cry if you want. It's a lot to
deal with. But acting like a spoiled and petulant child won't help Heero right now."
I couldn't help but snort. "Heero doesn't need my help. All I would do is get in his way
and be a distraction."
Wufei cast his eyes heavenward, muttering something under his breath. Stepping away from
the stove, he made his way over to the table, placing both palms on the table top and
leaning towards me.
"You are a distraction to him right now. He's worried about how you'll react to everything,
so he's trying to walk on eggshells around you. Duo, Trowa and myself are worried how
you'll react, and how it will affect Heero, so we're walking on eggshells around you both.
And that distracts us from making sure another attempt against Heero doesn't succeed. So
it's in everyone's best interest that you 'suck it up' and at least try to deal with the
situation."
It was delivered so matter of factly that I stopped to actually consider the havoc that was
being wreaked not only on my life, but those around me.
"I...I don't know what to do, Wufei," I whispered, eyes cast down to stare at the woodgrain
of the table. "The Heero I met was wonderful, and I could almost say I'd agree to this with
little hesitation. But there's this new Heero, who's a total jerk. I won't be someone's
toy. I am my own person, and I have plans and goals for my life. I won't change everything
for someone who can't let me be myself."
A plate of food was placed before me, and I looked up to find Wufei settling into the seat
across from me.
"You have to understand, Relena, all of us come from a time when there was just one ruler,
and their will was law. We've all adapted to some degree to the times, but occasionally we
revert back to what we know and feel comfortable with," Wufei sighed, tugging on his
ponytail. "Heero can be that man you first met. But," here he raised a finger in warning,
"there are times when he has to be King, and that means acting with all of his power and
expecting obedience. You'll both have a fine line to walk."
Silence passed between us as I tasted my food. "It's very good," I said, privately
wondering how a vampire could cook so well.
"Practice," Wufei smiled, ignoring my glare.
"Woman, if you don't want us reading your mind, stop thinking so loudly and learn to shield.
Please, please learn to shield," Wufei smiled, taking the sting out of his words. "Now, if
you'll excuse me, I'm going to take Duo some food."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Alone with my thoughts, I carefully considered everything Wufei had said - and the things
Heero had tried to say. Could I do this? What would happen if we grew tired of each other?
And what about Duo? Could Heero have two Companions at once?
My thoughts anything but decisive, I decided to wait until I could sit down and talk with
both of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was now nearing midnight as I sat on the couch, idly flipping through the TV channels. I
had seen neither hide or hair of Duo or Wufei, and I was beginning to wonder when Heero and
Trowa would be home, and exactly what type of business had them out this late.
The more I thought about my current situation, the more intrigued I became. To live
hundreds of years, seeing all of the advances in technology that humans would discover. To
maybe one day live in an era where space travel was the norm. To see diseases eradicated
and the arts of healing honed to the point lives would not needlessly be lost.
It was very tempting.
Add Heero to the mix, and the intensity between us, and, well....
It was extremely tempting.
I would not rush into anything, I promised myself. I would give myself the luxury of a few
days to think over every consequence, to talk not only with Heero and Duo, but with other
vampires, and their Companions. What was it like to watch all that was familiar fall away
with the changes of time?
It wouldn't be all roses and sunshine, I cautioned myself, then snorted. Very little
sunshine, as far as the vampires were concerned.
Amused with myself, I felt my smile fall a bit as a car came up the drive. That would be
Heero, which meant it was time to see if I could do this or not. A second car came into
view, and a feeling of dread swept over me.
Squaring my shoulders, I consciously reached out to Heero. I was afraid that I wouldn't
know how to communicate mind to mind, but it felt as if something just clicked into place,
and I knew without being told how to 'speak' with Heero.
/Heero?/
Nothing.
/Heero?/
A faint flicker caught my attention, and I tried one more time.
/HEERO!/
/HEERO/
/HEERO/
*slap*
My attention snapped back to my surroundings with the blow to my cheek. I opened eyes I
didn't remember closing to find Wufei gripping my arms, dark eyes full of concern.
"Relena...."
"I can't feel him, Wufei. I tried to talk to him, but I can't get him to answer. Why isn't
he answering?!" I wrenched myself out of Wufei's grasp, my breathing hard and loud in the
silence.
"Something's wrong," I whispered.
The sound of the door leading into the house from the garage being slammed open galvanized
Wufei and me into action. Wufei led the way, shoving me behind him, pulling a gun and
flicking the safety off as we ran.
My vision narrowed into a tunnel as we ran into the kitchen. The man from the other night,
Zechs, stood there, practically carrying a barely conscious Heero into the house. One of
Heero's arms was thrown about the other mans neck, and Zechs had a supporting arm at Heero's
waist. Heero was making an effort to walk, but he was unable to fully lift each foot.
"Heero," I whispered, and started forward.
Wufei was already there, barking out questions to Zechs and trying to guide the two men down
the hallway and to the stairs when he caught sight of me.
"Help get Trowa into the house and to his room, then come to Heero's room. I'm going to
need your help."
With that he was gone, helping to carry Heero between himself and Zechs. I turned back to
the door, determined to do my task.
"I will not cry," I whispered, hastily blinking as the sound of footsteps echoed closer.
Their voices reached me before I could see either of them, and I stopped, eyes going wide
in disbelief and any thought of crying gone.
"Trowa, must you work out so often? You're hard to handle when you're practically dead
weight," the exasperation in the voice I knew so well had me shaking my head, wanting to
deny what I was about to see.
"S...sorry," Trowa's voice, soft and full of pain. "Must...tell...." the painful gasp had
the other voice chiding the injured man for trying to speak.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me later," Trowa was assured, and then the two men stepped
into the kitchen.
I squared my shoulders, determined to deal with this rationally.
"He's trying to tell you about me," I said.
Blue eyes widened in shock.
"Relena?"
I nodded, stepping forward to help take some of Trowa's weight.
"Hello, Quatre."
~~~~~~~~~~
Bwhahahahaha....
Enjoy!
Dark World
Chapter 9
by:Lady Saffir
Rating:PG/PG-13
DISCLAIMER:I do not own any characters associated with the Gundam Wing universe.
*sigh* This chapter was very hard to write, till the end. Lots of explaining to do, and
very little action. There's still more explaining to do, but hopefully that can be spread
out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I found myself numbly staring at the contents of the refrigerator, having been led to the
kitchen by Heero after our little 'discussion.' "You should eat," had been his next words,
as if we had been discussing the weather instead of my life being turned upside down. I
stared at the shelves stocked with an over abundance of food, unable to make even the
simplest of decisions at that moment.
"Relena."
Should I have a ham or turkey sandwich?
"Relena."
Or perhaps a salad?
"Relena."
Or maybe there was something in the freezer I could warm up?
/Relena/
With a yelp I whirled around, losing purchase on the tile floor as I placed my full weight
on my injured leg. I skidded and caught myself on the edge of the island, glaring at Wufei
as he lounged in the doorway.
"Don't do that!" I scolded, glaring at the smirking Chinese man. "I hate that."
Wufei shrugged, not moving from his spot of holding up the wall.
"I said your name three times, it isn't my fault you weren't paying attention." The slight
taunt in his voice had me jerking my shoulder in irritation.
"So sorry, I'll be sure to pay attention to your dulcet tones in the future," I tossed back,
turning to once more peruse the fridge.
"You should eat some protein," Wufei suggested, moving to reach past me to snag a drink. I
could hear him take a seat at the table, and I gave up my perusal of the fridge to turn and
face him.
"Can you do that?" I tipped my head at his drink. "Or is it something to make me feel more
at ease?"
Wufei raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair.
"We can drink - for that matter, we can drink as much alcohol as we want, and almost never
be affected. We can eat, but only small portions, and usually only when in the company in
humans. We prefer to drink though," Wufei finished, tipping his glass in my direction.
"Why?" I asked curiously, taking a seat across from him. "I mean, if you don't need it to
survive, then why do it?"
"We do it to try and forget about the blood, Relena," Wufei said evenly, meeting my gaze.
"The stronger the flavor of the drink, the easier to forget about the taste of blood. It's
a constant hunger, a low grade need, like humans who smoke."
"Oh," was the only think I could think to say. I was surprised when Wufei stood, and
opening the refrigerator, began to pull out an assortment of items.
I watched him move about the kitchen, silently wondering why he suddenly felt the need to
cook.
"Because you need to eat," Wufei replied, not bothering to look at me as he skillfully
chopped veggies into bite sized bits.
"Stop reading my mind," I snapped.
Wufei turned in surprise, a frown marring his features. "I wasn't. You were the one that
decided to use other means to ask what I was doing."
"No, I didn't. I don't like the way it feels in my head."
My bewildered expression convinced Wufei of the sincerity of my words.
"And why are you so gung-ho about feeding me?"
It was Wufei's turn to look surprised.
"Did Heero tell you nothing?"
I snorted. "Basically it was, 'me big bad vampire king, you lowly human female, do as I
say'. At least he pulled me along by my wrist, instead of my hair," I mused, trying to
make light of the intense encounter that was barely an hour old.
"He's an idiot," Wufei muttered. His eyes went unfocused for a brief moment, then with a
sigh turned back to the stove. "Fine, fine, leave it all to me," he muttered to himself.
He began to talk as he added ingredients to the skillet.
"The vampire/Companion relationship can basically be explained as a give and take
relationship. For the most part the energy flow is unconsiously done, but, like Heero
demonstrated, the decision to give or pull power from the Companion can be made. And since
you're still basically human, your metabolism has sped up, in an effort to stay on top of
things, as it were."
"This if fine and dandy for explaining Duo, but not me. I'm not a Companion," I interupted,
only to be treated by a condesending look.
"You've two of the three steps completed, Relena. Stop hiding from the facts and face
reality."
I could feel my eyes flash.
"You know, that's the second time I've been told to suck it up and live with it, and I'm
getting tired of that attitude."
Wufei stopped what he was doing to turn and give me a reproachful look.
"That isn't what either of us said. Feel free to rant and cry if you want. It's a lot to
deal with. But acting like a spoiled and petulant child won't help Heero right now."
I couldn't help but snort. "Heero doesn't need my help. All I would do is get in his way
and be a distraction."
Wufei cast his eyes heavenward, muttering something under his breath. Stepping away from
the stove, he made his way over to the table, placing both palms on the table top and
leaning towards me.
"You are a distraction to him right now. He's worried about how you'll react to everything,
so he's trying to walk on eggshells around you. Duo, Trowa and myself are worried how
you'll react, and how it will affect Heero, so we're walking on eggshells around you both.
And that distracts us from making sure another attempt against Heero doesn't succeed. So
it's in everyone's best interest that you 'suck it up' and at least try to deal with the
situation."
It was delivered so matter of factly that I stopped to actually consider the havoc that was
being wreaked not only on my life, but those around me.
"I...I don't know what to do, Wufei," I whispered, eyes cast down to stare at the woodgrain
of the table. "The Heero I met was wonderful, and I could almost say I'd agree to this with
little hesitation. But there's this new Heero, who's a total jerk. I won't be someone's
toy. I am my own person, and I have plans and goals for my life. I won't change everything
for someone who can't let me be myself."
A plate of food was placed before me, and I looked up to find Wufei settling into the seat
across from me.
"You have to understand, Relena, all of us come from a time when there was just one ruler,
and their will was law. We've all adapted to some degree to the times, but occasionally we
revert back to what we know and feel comfortable with," Wufei sighed, tugging on his
ponytail. "Heero can be that man you first met. But," here he raised a finger in warning,
"there are times when he has to be King, and that means acting with all of his power and
expecting obedience. You'll both have a fine line to walk."
Silence passed between us as I tasted my food. "It's very good," I said, privately
wondering how a vampire could cook so well.
"Practice," Wufei smiled, ignoring my glare.
"Woman, if you don't want us reading your mind, stop thinking so loudly and learn to shield.
Please, please learn to shield," Wufei smiled, taking the sting out of his words. "Now, if
you'll excuse me, I'm going to take Duo some food."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Alone with my thoughts, I carefully considered everything Wufei had said - and the things
Heero had tried to say. Could I do this? What would happen if we grew tired of each other?
And what about Duo? Could Heero have two Companions at once?
My thoughts anything but decisive, I decided to wait until I could sit down and talk with
both of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was now nearing midnight as I sat on the couch, idly flipping through the TV channels. I
had seen neither hide or hair of Duo or Wufei, and I was beginning to wonder when Heero and
Trowa would be home, and exactly what type of business had them out this late.
The more I thought about my current situation, the more intrigued I became. To live
hundreds of years, seeing all of the advances in technology that humans would discover. To
maybe one day live in an era where space travel was the norm. To see diseases eradicated
and the arts of healing honed to the point lives would not needlessly be lost.
It was very tempting.
Add Heero to the mix, and the intensity between us, and, well....
It was extremely tempting.
I would not rush into anything, I promised myself. I would give myself the luxury of a few
days to think over every consequence, to talk not only with Heero and Duo, but with other
vampires, and their Companions. What was it like to watch all that was familiar fall away
with the changes of time?
It wouldn't be all roses and sunshine, I cautioned myself, then snorted. Very little
sunshine, as far as the vampires were concerned.
Amused with myself, I felt my smile fall a bit as a car came up the drive. That would be
Heero, which meant it was time to see if I could do this or not. A second car came into
view, and a feeling of dread swept over me.
Squaring my shoulders, I consciously reached out to Heero. I was afraid that I wouldn't
know how to communicate mind to mind, but it felt as if something just clicked into place,
and I knew without being told how to 'speak' with Heero.
/Heero?/
Nothing.
/Heero?/
A faint flicker caught my attention, and I tried one more time.
/HEERO!/
/HEERO/
/HEERO/
*slap*
My attention snapped back to my surroundings with the blow to my cheek. I opened eyes I
didn't remember closing to find Wufei gripping my arms, dark eyes full of concern.
"Relena...."
"I can't feel him, Wufei. I tried to talk to him, but I can't get him to answer. Why isn't
he answering?!" I wrenched myself out of Wufei's grasp, my breathing hard and loud in the
silence.
"Something's wrong," I whispered.
The sound of the door leading into the house from the garage being slammed open galvanized
Wufei and me into action. Wufei led the way, shoving me behind him, pulling a gun and
flicking the safety off as we ran.
My vision narrowed into a tunnel as we ran into the kitchen. The man from the other night,
Zechs, stood there, practically carrying a barely conscious Heero into the house. One of
Heero's arms was thrown about the other mans neck, and Zechs had a supporting arm at Heero's
waist. Heero was making an effort to walk, but he was unable to fully lift each foot.
"Heero," I whispered, and started forward.
Wufei was already there, barking out questions to Zechs and trying to guide the two men down
the hallway and to the stairs when he caught sight of me.
"Help get Trowa into the house and to his room, then come to Heero's room. I'm going to
need your help."
With that he was gone, helping to carry Heero between himself and Zechs. I turned back to
the door, determined to do my task.
"I will not cry," I whispered, hastily blinking as the sound of footsteps echoed closer.
Their voices reached me before I could see either of them, and I stopped, eyes going wide
in disbelief and any thought of crying gone.
"Trowa, must you work out so often? You're hard to handle when you're practically dead
weight," the exasperation in the voice I knew so well had me shaking my head, wanting to
deny what I was about to see.
"S...sorry," Trowa's voice, soft and full of pain. "Must...tell...." the painful gasp had
the other voice chiding the injured man for trying to speak.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me later," Trowa was assured, and then the two men stepped
into the kitchen.
I squared my shoulders, determined to deal with this rationally.
"He's trying to tell you about me," I said.
Blue eyes widened in shock.
"Relena?"
I nodded, stepping forward to help take some of Trowa's weight.
"Hello, Quatre."
~~~~~~~~~~
Bwhahahahaha....
I hope he's fine. I can't wait for the next chapter now that everyone has come together. And, I'm still waiting for the masquerade ball you promised. 
