Author's Note: I do not own.
*****
Tainted Souls
Part I
Backstabber
Chapter IV
Out in the Open
Things are not always as they seem
Baby, come a little closer to me
Sing me to sleep
Erase these memories
The sunlight filtered in through the thin yellowed curtains, hitting her in her face. Half of her body rested on warm and firm object while something poked her sharply in her ribs. Her bare legs moved and she startled when she felt movement underneath her. She looked with wide eyes into deep azure ones.
?So it wasn?t a dream.?
It was more a statement than a question but Heero answered her with a grunt nonetheless. She buried her face in his chest, trying to hide her smile at his typical answer. She shifted a bit and the pain eased a little.
?What do we do now?? she whispered, staring at the fuzzy figures from beyond the curtains. ?I?m sure the others won?t be happy with you for bringing me here.?
?I kidnapped you.?
?With my blessing, Heero. I doubt that is quite the same thing.?
He shifted underneath her, the muscles in his stomach rippling. She reached for him as he made to get out of bed and he stopped, staring at her quizzically.
?Heero, wait? please? just?? She bit her lip and looked away.
He took her chin in his hand and steered her face so that she had to look at him. ?You?re afraid.?
?Every second.? He caught a tear as it began to make its way down her cheek. ?They?ll hate me. Even you do.?
He stared at her a long time before taking her into his arms, sitting up and cradling her like a child against him. Sobs began to rise from deep in her chest. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in.
He said nothing.
They were both only too aware of the truth in her words.
***
The child had been silent the entire journey. As a father, Duo quickly got used to his mannerisms, noticing the slightest change in demeanor which meant that he was either hungry or needed changing. He never cried and seldom ever fussed. He merely stared and rarely moved at all.
That was part of the reason why Duo and Wufei were so shocked that the moment they entered the safe house, the child began to scream.
Fat tears poured from underneath the baby?s squinted eyes. His voice was loud, shrill, nearly deafening. His tiny body shook and the wounds on his back began to bleed onto the ratty blue blanket that the two had retrieved from inside the base.
The entire household was soon awake as Hilde, Solo and Trowa carried Quatre?s half-conscious body down the stairs.
Wufei quickly took the child from Duo?s arms ? he only screamed louder ? and placed him into Hilde?s. The mother in her took over as she bounced and cooed to it, but its tiny body only shook harder and its shrilling became hoarse.
The group was faintly aware of screams coming from up the stairs. They all looked in the direction of the staircase. Two pairs of feet pounded from the second floor down. A swirl of black fabric and golden hair whished as Heero caught Relena around the waist and pulled her torso against his.
She was screaming, with tears coursing in thick rivers from her wide teal eyes. She fought and clawed at Heero?s fingers but they were like iron bands around her. She struggled against him so hard, finding so much strength in her that they felt to the floor. She reached with her fingers splayed toward the child in Hilde?s arms.
?Give him to me!?
?What the hell is going on?!? Duo screamed over the child?s wailing at Heero who was avoiding his gaze and focusing all his energy on calming down Relena.
?Please, Hilde!? Relena begged hysterically, curling and uncurling her fingers, straining against Heero to get closer.
Hilde stared at her with doe-like eyes, frightened by the wild look on what had once been her best friend?s face.
?Yuy, what are you doing?!? screamed Wufei. ?How did she?!?
?Give him to me!?
?Yuy!?
?Shut up!?
?Give me my baby!?
Relena?s scream echoed in the small room as the child immediately calmed except for tiny whimpers. Everyone stared at Relena who sucked in breath after breath, hyperventilating. Heero felt her pulse thrum under his fingertips and his hold on her tightened.
?Please?? Relena sobbed, breaking, defeated.
Yet her eyes never strayed from the child.
?Give him to her,? came Quatre?s quiet, tired voice.
Hilde cast a glance at him and gently handed the child over to Relena?s waiting arms. She sobbed as the baby gripped her borrowed shirt and nestled her breasts a bit. She stroked his soft downy curls and whispered to him gently. She seemed unaware when Heero released her waist and stood, walking into the kitchen.
Wufei quickly turned around and walked out the front door, banging it after him. Solo ran over to his father and Duo picked him up nearly automatically. His eyes had not left Relena?s form. Quatre said something quietly to Trowa who managed to catch eyes with Duo. Together they entered the kitchen and Quatre beckoned the sad eyed Solo to sit with him. Solo smiled a small smile and ran to get his favorite book for the man to read him ? as if nothing had changed.
Quatre looked up at Hilde and nodded his head toward the kitchen. She opened her mouth to protest but he smiled at her and said, ?We?ll be fine.?
***
?I don?t know what to say other than ? what the hell?? said Duo calmer than he felt inside.
Heero stood with his back to the three. His hands gripped the edge of the sink hard and his head was bowed. The muscles in his back and shoulders where tight and his entire body seemed to be made of stone he was so still.
?Heero,? asked Hilde softly, ?what is going on??
?I kidnapped her.?
?We noticed,? Trowa deadpanned. ?What?s the real reason??
?She was going to kill herself.?
?And you stopped her??
?Yes.?
?Should have let her damn well do it and save you the bullet,? Duo muttered.
Heero tilted his head in the direction of his best friend. ?I can?t kill her.?
?Can?t or won?t?? asked Trowa, casting a glance at Duo?s figure shaking with anger.
?I love her.?
?Damn it, Heero!? Duo screamed. Hilde placed a hand on his arm but he shrugged it off. ?You need to quite buying her bullshit and smell fucking reality!?
?You are only saying that because you are afraid.?
?Yes, I?m afraid. I?m friggin? terrified!? Duo screamed. ?What if they followed you?! What if this is a trap and you are letting her pull you by the balls again?!?
?I thought you didn?t want me to kill her.?
?Putting a price on your head is one thing. You?re my brother and I don?t want anymore suffering on you than you need. Putting all of us in danger of being slaughtered is another!?
?She won?t say anything.?
?You better make damn well sure of it. I don?t want to believe the worst of her either, but the fact is that she turned us over.? Duo pulled out the fuzzy images of the mobile suits from his pocket and slammed them on the rickety dining table. ?And she started another war.?
***
She was whole again.
With her baby nestled in her arms, she felt like she could conquer her sins, put an end to the world she had created. She realized that death was inevitable. As she gently applied the antiseptic on his back at Hilde?s quiet, gentle instruction, she realized that she felt that Anton should be dead.
He fussed a bit, whining as he was being wrapped with Relena holding him out from her body and Hilde slowly applying the bandage. His beautiful eyes welled with tears just moments before the clip was in place securing the gauze.
?Shhh? it?ll be okay, Alex-bear. It?s okay now. Mommy?s here,? she whispered to him, holding him against her. He clenched her shirt pulling it down a bit so that Hilde spotted the locket.
?We got you that necklace for Christmas last year.?
?What?? Relena asked, unaware of Hilde?s words and shocked that the pixie-like woman would even bother talking to her.
?Never mind,? Hilde muttered. ?Heero will be here soon. You?re not to leave this room? I?ll have to take him.?
Relena?s grip on her son tightened involuntarily before she realized that she could trust Hilde. Tears held at bay in her eyes, heartbroken to let him go for a moment when she thought him gone forever, she handed Alex over to the other woman. The baby surprised them by whimpering only a little and reaching back for Relena.
?Mommy?s not going anywhere, baby bear. I?ll see you soon.?
?He?ll be in soon,? Hilde repeated and left the room.
The sound of the door locking from the outside seemed incredibly loud. Sinking down on the bed, she realized that she was back in Heero?s room. She leaned back and grabbed the pillow, hugging it to her and breathing in Heero?s scent.
***
She stared at him with defiant brown eyes. It didn?t matter that she was behind a one way mirror. Her gaze seemed to cut him.
And infuriate him.
?Have you got anything useful from the bitch??
?No, she refuses to say anything ? even under the drugs. She nearly bit her own tongue off.?
He growled. ?Give her three days. If she still refuses to cooperate, kill the girl.?
?Yes, sir.?
A tenant looked up from his console and pulled his headset off for a moment, a pensive look on his face. ?Mr. Renegord, sir??
?What is it, Riley? I have a plane to catch.? An evil grin spread across his face. ?Dear Relena will be waiting.?
?I just spoke to Charleston on the Sanq Kingdom squad. Miss Relena is missing.?
Anton felt his stomach sink. ?How long??
?Two days. The security lines were cut and all the guards incapacitated. It was the work of a professional.?
Tainted Souls Chapter 4 (PG-13)
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FatGlamour
- New Recruit
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