Dark World, chapter 17, R

[Lady Saffir]

Ha! Finally, this chapter is done, and now I can focus on what follows. Hope you enjoy!

LS

************

Dark World
Chapter 17
Rating: R


DISCLAIMER: I do not own any character associated with Gunam Wing



**************************************
Heero descended the stairs, having left Relena asleep and unawares as to the strategy session that was about to occur. She knew he would be

watching Hugh and would have plans in place for anything that occurred, but they had both agreed that her acting skills were sadly lacking for

the performance that would be required of her. Better she act herself and remain innocent of any deceptions that try to keep up with the myriad

of tangled lies that Heero allowed his people to believe.



Everyone was already seated at the kitchen table when he stalked in, including Zechs and Quatre. Nodding to everyone, Heero went to the bar to

pour himself a drink before settling at the head of the table. The light banter that had been flowing immediately died down, everyone turning

expectantly to face him.



"Well, boss? What's the plan of action?" Duo asked, taking a swig of his soda and slouching down in his chair.



"There is no plan of action...."



Duo sputtered, pulling himself upright. "What? You're just going to let Hugh waltz in here, literally, and do nothing? Are you trying to lose

Relena?"



Wufei smacked Duo on the back of the head. "Idiot. If you would let him finish, perhaps you'd hear the entire plan."



"Hey, hey, watch the abuse! I've got rights, you know," Duo protested, earning a snort from Trowa.



"The right to remain silent?"



Heero cleared his throat, effectively silencing anything else that might have been said.

"As I was saying, there is no plan of action - that will be evident to anyone except us. Let Hugh think I am complacent in my power. Treat him

as you would any minor annoyance and don't let him see any of the turmoil he has caused."



"And what of Relena? Are we supposed to just stand back?" Quatre asked, earning a cautionary frown from Zechs.

Heero held the young Companion's gaze for a minute before Quatre had to look away.



"No. She'll be at my side most of the night. Any time she has to leave my side she will be escorted by Wufei or Sally, and I will be monitoring

anything that happens while she's gone. I've already spoken with her and she understands that she must keep one of us at her side at all times."



"And what would you have me do?" Zechs questioned.



"Play the role you always play. Let people think you hate me - they'll be more likely to talk around you than any of us. You won't have any

interaction with Relena, and Quatre only minimal. I want the appearance that I am jealous of any man that so much as looks at her in the wrong

way."



"Heero - how do you know that Hugh won't simply walk up and kill Relena right in front of you? Have you thought of that possibility?" Cathy

asked, sure they were overlooking the obvious.



Heero shook his head. "Killing Relena like that won't cause me enough pain, in his eyes. He'll have to take her from me, and then give me the

illusion of saving her. That's how men like Hugh work."



"But have you at least told her to watch out for Hugh? Or any other person she doesn't know? She's become a huge target - she deserves to know

exactly what could happen," Cathy pressed. "Heero -?



"Relena has faith in me. So should you," Heero said, standing abruptly. "I want everyone prepared for anything that might happen. No

mistakes."



With that Heero strode from the room, retracing his earlier steps to the bedroom. Staring down at Relena slumbering peacefully and unaware of

all the potential dangers, he clenched his fists at the rage that swept through him at the thought of anything happening to her.



"I will protect you, no matter the cost," Heero whispered, unclenching one hand to trace a finger down her cheek. Relena leaned in to the

caress, and he was unable to help the ghost of a smile that crossed his face.



Undressing, the most powerful vampire in the world climbed in to bed and wrapped himself around the woman that in a short period of time had

become his soul.

***************************************


I sat still, letting Cathy brush and fix my hair in to a suitable style for the event to come, the rhythmic motions lulling me into a relaxed

state, my mind wandering. I had spent most of the day napping, wrapped tightly in Heero's arms. Heero had denied having any concerns about

tonight, but he had been distracted since we had gotten up to prepare for the ball. The fact that he was distracted had me very worried.



"There! Finished. What do you think?"



Cathy's voice brought me back to the present, and with a start I viewed myself in the mirror. My hair was pulled back from my face loosely,

curling about my shoulders and flowing down my back. I was wearing more make up than I was accustomed to, the darker eye shadow making my eyes

seem impossibly blue. I smiled, turning to thank Cathy. The look she was giving me had my smile dying and a frown taking its place.



"Cathy? What's the matter? Is there something I need to know?"



She simply shook her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "No. Just remember that you've seen the 'real' us, and how we act tonight will be

only a ruse."



At that she left, leaving me to my thoughts. I turned to stare at the door that separated mine and Heero's room, wondering what exactly Cathy

meant. Heero had already warned me that the persona he wore when appearing in public was much different from his true self, but the double

warning had me curious as to how differently everyone would be acting.

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

Duo whistled upon entering Heero's room, his gaze on the vast assortment of weapons laid out on the bed.



"A little paranoid, aren't we?"



Heero grunted, tightening the weapons belt at his waist. "It's only paranoia if you're wrong."



Duo laughed, walking over to help Heero adjust the straps on his shoulders. The numerous knives and ammo clips had him whistling again. "You

really aren't taking any chances, are you? Exactly how many weapons are you planning on wearing?"



"Forty-three."



Duo choked. "Forty-three?! Where the hell are you going to put them all? You're going to clank when you walk. Or are you counting your hands

and legs as well?"



"Forty-seven, then. And you had better be well equipped, too. I don't want to take any chances. Remember the plan."

Heero turned to scowl at the closed door to Relena's room. "She's more concerned about who's going to be guarding me instead of worrying about

her own safety."



Duo shrugged, holding up the ornate jacket that marked Heero's status. "That's what love is, worrying more about someone else than yourself.

Get used to it." He stepped back, checking to make sure Heero's numerous weapons weren't obvious. "You're good to go. And try to remember to

say something about how wonderful she looks, okay? Women need to hear that sort of thing when they make an effort to dress up."

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

I looked up as the door opened, my breath catching in my throat at the sight Heero made in his regalia. The dark blue jacket matched his eyes

perfectly, and somehow he managed to look comfortable even in such formal attire. He took a moment to regard me as well, a slight smile curving

his lips upward. He came forward to help me stand, one hand coming up to cup my cheek.



"You're beautiful."



I felt the blush bloom across my face, but managed to return his frank stare with one of my own.



"I haven't seen you in formal clothes yet. They suit you. How long would it take me to get you out of that?"



Heero snorted, placing my arm on his. "Too long. You'll have to wait till afterwards."



He turned us towards the door, and the feeling of foreboding grew in my stomach, prompting me to speak before we walked out into the hallway.



"Heero - whatever happens tonight, I love you."



To his credit, Heero did not try to deny that anything would happen, and simply leaned in to place a light kiss on my lips.


/And I love you/

*****************************

I could hear the crowd murmuring as we began our progress to the stairs, the volume gaining in sound with every step. I was suddenly nervous,

terrified I would misstep or misspeak and cause trouble. Heero flooded my mind with feelings of warmth, and I turned to thank him, the words

sticking in my throat. His face was coldly beautiful, his features standing out in sharp relief. His posture radiated power and authority, and

I couldn't help but stare at the change that had come over him. I could feel my eyes widening, my breath coming in a short gasp.



"He...Heero?"



"This is who I am, Relena. You must never forget that."



I nodded, mute, turning back to face the hall. Trowa was waiting for us at the top of the stairs, his gaze steady on the crowd until we were

almost even with him. Only then he turned, bowing deeply, his face holding no emotion.



"My Liege."



Heero simply nodded, turning us to face the crowd below, taking them all in with a steely look. I was unsure as to my role, so I simply spared

one last look at Heero's profile, and turned to face forward. Silence fell, and as one the crowd below fell to one knee, heads bowed deeply.

Only one dared look up, and I knew without being told this, finally, was the man that had caused all of our trouble.

Hugh.



We started down the stairs, one slow step at a time, and the crowd rose to their feet, silent and respectful, waiting for us to descend to their

level.



I caught words I was sure I wasn't meant to hear.



/Let the game begin/

***********************

The first hour passed by quickly, as various important people paraded themselves past Heero and me, murmuring all the appropriate things, none of

them sincere. I quickly gave up trying to remember names and faces, as well as any attempt to talk with Heero. My last attempt earned me a

glare before Heero turned back to the man before him. I tamped down my sigh of annoyance, smiling at the people as the shuffled past.



/Relena, if you want to help me, keep your temper, and don't say anything regarding the sudden change in our behaviors. This is how we're

expected to act/



I scoffed. /MY temper? Now that's the pot calling the kettle black. And how am I expected to act?/



/Like yourself. They'll love nothing more than to think I'm taking an innocent and corrupting her/



/Hmm. So I shouldn't say anything along the lines of you like to sleep with a teddy bear?/ I teased, continuing to smile and shake hands.



That startled Heero enough to have him looking at me with his eyes narrowed.



"Relena...." he growled, frighteningly enough that the two Companions that had been standing before us scurried off, never looking back.



"Yes, Heero?" My eyes wide and innocent, I fought hard to keep from laughing aloud.



"...Later."



"Of course, Heero."


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

After the meet & greet ended, Heero led me to the dance floor. A sharp look had the music starting, and then I was in his arms and we were

moving gracefully over the floor, the world falling away so that all of my attention was on Heero. He still refused to smile, keeping that stiff

and stern expression on his face, betraying nothing to the world. I sighed, and immediately Heero's gaze focused, his eyes holding mine.



/You aren't having fun/



I smiled, knowing every person in the room was watching us.


/I just wish we could dance and not have to worry about everyone else. And I noticed Hugh didn't come through the line/



Heero grip on my waist tightened slightly, his eyes narrowing.


/Let me worry about Hugh. All I want you do to is enjoy the evening/



/I would enjoy it more if I knew you were having fun as well/



/The only fun I would have with this group is watching them take a long walk off a short cliff/



/Are there no other friends or allies here, then?/



/There are. Until you know them, trust no one/



Heero's eyes, still so dark and dangerous, held my gaze, the intensity causing me to shiver.



The song ended, and Heero bowed, taking my arm and leading me to a table. As we sat, Trowa took up position behind Heero's left shoulder, his

face impassive and cold. A plate of food was set before me, and I looked up to thank the server, only to be greeted with a contemptuous look

from Cathy. The words died on my lips, my smile faltering. Did all of them play parts that were so at odds with their true selves?



We sat and watched the revelry, Heero rather quickly downing a large glass of bourbon while I picked at my food, the swirl of the dancers seeming

at odds with the silence of our little group. Unable to take the silence, I stood, and immediately Heero's attention snapped to me.



"Where are you going?"



I made an exasperated face, sorely tempted to stick my tongue out. "The bathroom, if that's alright with you."


Heero ignored my sarcasm, simply nodding and returning his attention to the crowd. Sally was at my side within seconds, following me through the

throng to the outer hall. It was quieter there, and quieter still in the small powder room. There was actually a small sitting room in the room

itself, and Sally settled herself on the chair after locking the door. Instead of heading immediately for the other room that held the bathroom

proper, I leaned back against the wall, allowing my head to tilt back and a sigh to escape my lips.



Sally regarded me with a smile.



"It takes a while to get used to this," she stated, a negligent wave of her hand encompassing everything. "You've tied yourself to a man of

great power, and this is one of the prices you'll pay for that."


"One?" I asked sharply.


"One," Sally confirmed.


I sighed again and headed for the bathroom.

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

We returned to find Heero had vacated his spot and was dancing with Dorothy, his face as stoic as ever. Duo refused to let me sit and whirled me

out onto the dance floor, the couples around us a blur as we turned with the music. I had watched him earlier, curious as to what his mask was.



Apparently he played the part of court jester, a smile always on his face, a quip on his lips. He was almost manic in his actions, and simply

watching him made me tired.


/Cheer up, Relena, only four or five more hours of this/


I laughed, unable to resist Duo's cheeky tone.


/It's that obvious I'm not enjoying this, is it?/


/Only to those who know you. And I'm sure if you give Heero puppy dog eyes he'll more than make it up to you. You should ask him about his home

in Italy/


/You don't need to give me pitiful looks/ Heero's voice breathed through my mind, causing me to turn. My gaze unerringly went to where he now

stood with a group of other men, ignoring them as he focused solely on me.


/Eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves/ I said primly.


/Duo's right - after you finish this semester, I think we need to take an extended vacation/



About to reply, my words died as a man - a boy, really - stepped into my field of vision, disrupting my line of sight with Heero. He smirked at

me then glided away, and from Duo's hiss of anger I realized this was Hugh, who was so much younger than I thought he was at the start of the

evening.



My gaze reverted back to Heero as icy waves of anger rolled off of him, and a shiver of foreboding worked its way down my spine.

*******************************

It was almost six am before Heero saw the last guest out the door. Several had used the ball as an opportunity to approach their king with

complaints or requests of favors, and Heero had ushered Relena upstairs and to bed before returning to deal with those that remained. That had

been almost two hours ago, and Heero was surprised to find himself exhausted, the strain of being on guard all night wearing away at him.



"I really hate this formal shit," Duo grumbled as he fell into a chair. "How long before the next big council meeting?"



"Fifteen years," Heero replied, yanking at the collar of his jacket to loosen it.



"Good."



Heero simply nodded, letting his head fall back to rest on the cushions of the couch. He could feel the approaching sunrise, his power and

strength draining like grains of sand with every second that brought the burning orb closer to crossing the horizon.



Less than a minute before the sun was due to officially rise, the breaking of glass echoed through the house.



Running for the stairs, Heero cursed himself for letting up for a second on his vigil. Relena's surprise and terror flooded through him, shut

off just as abruptly as it started.



'She's unconscious' his mind whispered as he bolted down the hallway to her room. Breaking through the door, his mind took everything in as

fragments. There, the bed rumpled from her sleep. The curtains billowing in the morning breeze. The glass reflecting light as it lay shattered

along the floor.



The light.



Heero rushed to the window, oblivious to the sun that was washing over his skin, causing it to blister and melt. He glimpsed a car speeding down

the drive before rough hands yanked him back into the darkness of the room.



Whirling, a snarl on his lips, he found both Trowa and Wufei there, hands and arms blistered from reaching to pull him out of the sunlight.



"Save it, Yuy," Wufei ordered. "You can't go rushing after her - that's exactly what they want. If you go now, you'll be weakened enough that

they might kill you both - and in the process kill Duo as well."



"I don't care," Heero snarled, his hands clenched at his sides in rage.



"Yes, you do," Trowa countered, leaning against the wall as he eyed his King coolly. "You know that going after her right now won't do any good.



You need time to heal, and a plan that gives both of you the chance of surviving."



"He's right," Duo added, stepping into the room. "You gotta bring her back, and the only way to do that is to be prepared for anything Hugh

might throw at you.



Heero scowled, moving to pass Wufei. "No. I'm going now. Relena's been kidnapped, and I refuse to let her stay in his slimy little hands one

second longer than necessary."



Wufei sighed, stepping forward. "I though you'd say that."



His right arm swung forward in a blur, connecting with Heero's temple.



The three men still standing looked down at the crumpled figure of their leader.



"He is going to be so pissed when he wakes up," Duo commented, bending down to get an arm around Heero's body. Trowa bent to help, and the two

of them carried Heero into his room, depositing him on the bed.



"Well, no rest for the weary. Since Heero's out cold we'd better come up with a plan to save Relena - if it's good enough, it might be enough to

save our hides."



Wufei and Trowa nodded at Duo's words, and the three men settled in to plan a rescue mission that had as much chance of succeeding as possible.

[Morrighan]

Ahhh!!! How could you do that???? Why?!?!?!?!?!

...Hugh is going to be paying MAJORLY for this. Stupid, ambitious idiot. *grumbles*

Can't wait to see more!!

[Lady Saffir]

Me?! How could _I_ do that?! It wasn't me, it was Hugh! And that's my story that I'm sticking to.

Thanks Morrighan!

[Kari]

I'm so glad you updated. Let's hope Heero saves Relena and makes Hugh pay!!!
Hope that the next chapter is coming soon

[HiFreak]

YAY UPDATE!!!!!!

THE BALL!!! I''ve been waiting for a long time. I have to say, I gasped out loud when I saw the update.

Anyway, great chapter. I like how they all have personalities they must follow. I always thought Heero was much to nice to be king of the Vampires, but now I understand. And speaking of Heero, I hope he wont kill Wufei. But I do hope he takes all his anger out on Hugh. How dare he kidnap Relena!

Can't wait for next chap. Hopefully it will be soon.

[Lady Saffir]

The nice Heero follows my feeling that Heero actually is a kind person - once he gets to know you and trust you. But I truly feel that he can switch back to being ruthless Heero when he needs to be. And Ruthless Heero is about to step onto the field.

[KPGUNDAM]

Its about time!!!!

More More More

[RubyRedSlippers]

omigosh that was sooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!

haha u must post more!!!!

please i loved it

but when do u think u will be posting the next chapter?

im so excited :]

[Lady Saffir]

The next chapter? Ahehehehe....well, it's halfway written. However, I'm getting married in...20 days (good lord!) and five million things suddenly need done RIGHT NOW. Grrr....Hopefully by the end of July, since the next two months are going to suck, work wise.

Thanks for reading, glad you like!

[Morrighan]

Congratulations! I can imagine the stress levels are skyrocketing right about now.... ^^