Heero sighed, bushing some stray bangs from his cobalt blue eyes. Looking out across the colorful sunset, he hid a small smile.
"Hey Heero. What's up?" came the ever familiar and annoying voice behind him. Heero turned to see his friend, Duo Maxwell, coming up behind him, a crocked smile on his face. As Duo walked, his long braid of chestnut brown hair swung behind him.
"Just watching the sunset," Heero replied in his usual unemotional tone.
"Care for some company?" Duo inquired, plopping down on the sand next to Heero.
"Doesn't seem as if I have a choice," Heero said rather evenly. Duo burst into a series of giggles before laying back and sighing contently. Heero continued to sit as he was, his mind lost in the colorful display before him. Silence settled gently on the two.
"Heero?" a rather feminine voice called. Both Duo and Heero rolled their eyes in response. They knew it was the evil Relena looking for her so-called "boyfriend." That's what she called Heero. Yet he despised her, on the sole purpose that she always managed to get in the way. And she thought he was her boyfriend.
In truth, neither one of them could stand each other. Every opportunity he got, Heero got away from her. She was evil, just plain evil.
"Are you going to make a run for it or what?" Duo asked.
"I'm trying to make up my mind."
"Well, you'd better do it fast. It sounds like she's awfully close." No sooner had the words come out of Duo's mouth that Relena came over the hill. Spotting Heero, her face lit up and she came running. Duo, being no help to Heero, moved over so that she could sit next to him. Heero shot him a death glare as Relena sat down next to him.
"There you are," she said, joining the two boys. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Why?" Heero asked, his voice colder than usual.
"Because I wanted to be with you." She smiled, her perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth shining. Her long blond hair was tied back in a small bun on the back of her head. She rested her small head on Heero's shoulders. Her soft blue eyes looked out unto the sunset.
Duo smiled. "I guess I'll leave you two be then," he chirped merrily as he stood up, brushing sand from his black priest-like outfit.
"Ok," Relena replied. Heero just continued to stare at him, anger mixing in his eyes. With that, Duo went skipping off.
"Finally," Relena said. "We're alone."
"I would have preferred to be alone. As in by myself."
Relena giggled at Heero's comment, though he meant it as a hint to go away. "You're so funny Heero."
"Bakka makes better company than you do."
"Who's Bakka?" Relena demanded. "Are you seeing another girl?" Her voice was full of suspicion and her eyes blazed with jealousy.
Heero saw the opportunity he had been searching for. "I've been seeing her for quite a few months. My favorite time of day when I'm with her is just after nightfall, when she comes to my room wearing only a thin silky sari. It's a beautiful silver red color." Heero smiled at the idea that he was doing Relena in. He hated her. If he could get rid of her…
He also noticed how his voice sounded. It was full of contempt.
Relena's jaw dropped. "I can't believe you! I just can't-" With a sob, Relena turned and ran, burying her face in her hands.
Heero smiled to himself contently. "Finally," he thought. "Peace." Looking back out towards the setting sun, he frowned. It had set while he had been envisioning the girl of his dreams. "Damn her," he thought. "She ruined my sunset."
That night, a storm came in from sea. The wind rocked the small apartment building in which Heero resided in, but it did not wake him.
He slept peacefully, his mind locked on that girl that he had created. Somewhere in his mind, he said 'I wish she was real.'
A suddenly but loud crash brought him back to consciousness. He sat straight up, his eyes darting around as he tried to locate the source. He flipped his thin white sheet to the side as he crawled out of bed. He quickly located his small handgun and started to make his way to his bedroom door.
Moving as quietly as he could, his mind raced with a variety of thoughts. Thoughts of the different moves he could make, how to beat them easily or painfully, how stupid he looked in the pair of silverish-red boxers that Duo had given to him as a prank birthday present almost a year ago. 'What are you going to do? Make them laugh to death?' a voice in the back of his head echoed with laughter.
Heero shook off his joke as he pulled the door open. He looked about his small living room and kitchen. Nothing was out of place. He moved on cautiously towards the front door. 'If it wasn't in here,' he thought to himself. 'Then it must have come from outside.'
He looked out the small peephole on his door. All he could see was driving rain with an occasional lighting flash. Still, he wanted to look just in case. He cautiously and painstakingly opened the door.
There was no overhang of any sort, so the rain coming in his door instantly blinded Heero. He blinked, and then heard a scream.
He looked around trying to find the source of the scream. He stepped out into the driving rain when something suddenly hit him. Feeling a sobbing presence against him, he pulled it close and led it into his apartment, closing and locking the door behind them.
The creature hit the floor, a mess of sobs. He couldn't see any distinct features beyond the fact that the creature was small. It was wrapped in a dark raincoat and the hood was pulled over its head.
The creature continued to cry for several more moments, and Heero allowed it. Outside, he heard at least two different voices, both male, calling to each other. They seemed to be looking for the mess that now was lying on his living room floor, soaking the soft beige carpet with tears and rain.
He hit the light switch and the room became a tad brighter. 'I really need to consider investing in better lighting,' Heero commented to himself.
The creature froze in response to the stimuli of the light. It was as if it had stopped breathing.
Heero sighed. He was no hero pun intended and he most certainly hated to be interrupted, especially when he was trying to sleep. But since he was already in the situation, he might as well carry it through.
"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice cold and aggravated.
"Please don't hurt me," the voice, a female one, pleaded. Again, she started to sob, pulling herself into an even tighter protective ball.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he muttered softly, lowering himself to the floor next to her. He put his thin hand on the slick vinyl coat. It was a dark shade of green, reminding him of his favorite t-shirt. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the hood.
Pulling it back, Heero's breath caught in his throat. The raincoat had deceived him. Its dreary appearance in no manner matched what he saw.
It was the prettiest creature he had ever seen. Her black hair was tied back in a braided bun. It shone in even the little light that the room offered. Her skin was silky white. 'She's probably Asian,' he assumed. Her face was buried in her hands, her long porcelain fingers hiding her face from his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he reached for her hands. Pulling them away from her face, he saw that she wasn't Asian; rather, she simply had not been exposed to the sun as much as he had. He noticed that her hair was not naturally black-it was died from a dark blond. Her eyes were a blue like his own, but much more feeling shown through. They were red and worn from all of her crying.
Heero gently brushed away a tear from her rosy cheek and smiled. "You're safe now," he reassured her.
Trembling, the girl threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered.
Heero's breath was taken away. She was pretty, but when she touched him, whispered into his ear, he liked it. Hesitantly, he put his arms around the young girl's waist and allowed her to cry on his bare shoulder.
'Bare shoulder?' Heero suddenly remembered exactly how indecent he was. Stammering, he quickly asked the girl if she wanted something to drink. She pulled back, shaking her head, but smiling.
"Do you want me to take your coat?" She stood up, removing the wet coat from her body. Though her spirits were still low, she forced a smile.
If Heero had thought she was gorgeous with only seeing her face, he was absolutely stupefied by her entire appearance. He realized for the first time that she had been wearing a plain black dress. It was sleeveless, a v-neck, and was cut off at her knees. She wore what he was sure was pantyhose, but they were torn, more than likely while she was attempting to escape from whoever.
She was to say the least, beautiful. 'I wonder if these guys were after her because she was some sort of model.'
She looked down at him, catching his wide-eyed o-mouth stare. She blushed as Heero tried to look away, but he couldn't tear his eyes from her.
He took her coat and hung it up on the small coat rack next to his door. Then he excused himself so that he could get some decent clothes on.
As soon as he closed his bedroom door behind him, panic spread across him. He almost fell over as he retrieved a pair of khaki pants from the hamper. He feverishly tried to get rid of the wrinkles, but to no avail. 'Hopefully she won't notice,' he thought as he slipped them on. Then he located a plain black wifebeater and slipped it on. Thankfully, it wasn't as wrinkled as his pants.
He stepped back out of his room and saw that the girl had taken a seat on the couch. He swallowed hard, noticing how low the back of the dress was cut. He put on a smile and went around to talk to her.
"What's your name?" he asked as he sat down in the chair across from her.
"Me…I don't know my name," she hurriedly corrected herself.
Heero sighed. "What does everyone call you?" There was no way she could not answer that one.
"Uh…" she searched for an answer.
"Don't worry. If you don't want me to, I won't tell anyone that you're here or anything. You're completely safe with me." She still had a distrustful look in her eyes. Heero got up and went over, sitting down beside her. He took her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Melanie."
"I'm Heero." Heero and Melanie shared a smile.
"You're my hero," she whispered as she gently kissed Heero on the cheek.
"Why were you screaming Melanie?" Heero asked.
Melanie froze, looking at him blankly. Her entire face was frozen in fear. For a moment, he wasn't sure if she'd answer him. Heero stared into her eyes, lost completely in them. He was searching for the answer, one she would not give.
"I should leave," Melanie whispered, releasing his hand as she stood up.
"No." Heero was surprised by how much he wanted her to stay.
"I have to go. If I'm not back…"
"Back where?" Heero cut her off. He took her hand again, his entire being dreading her departure.
"Home," she whispered as she pulled her hand away and walked away from Heero.
Heero sat there, face expressionless. He turned back to her. "Can I at least have your phone number? That way I can call you to make sure you're at home safe. Or do you need a ride? It's still raining out there."
"I'll be fine," Melanie smiled. "Goodbye Heero."
"Goodbye Melanie…" Heero's voice trailed off as she closed the door behind her. A crystal tear slid down his cheek. His voice cracked and his mind wheeled.
As if he was suddenly possessed by a demon, he flew out of his chair and to the door. He pulled it open and looked around. He spotted Melanie's shape was heading towards the road. Without even thinking twice, he ran out into the downpour towards her.
It took him a moment, but he caught up with her. He grabbed her by the shoulder. She turned, terror in her eyes. Once she recognized Heero, the terror departed, but there was no smile.
"You're staying with me. It's too dangerous." When Melanie tried to pull away, he swept her off her feet and carried her squirming body back into his dry apartment.
Heero shut the door behind him and Melanie burst into tears. "Fine. I'll take my dress off," she whimpered.
"What?" Heero was surprised that she had said what she said. "What makes you think that I want to sleep with you? I just don't want you out there with people like that."
Melanie looked at him. And it hit Heero. He noticed for the first time that there were small scratches and cuts on her. He had been so caught up with her figure that he hadn't seen them.
Heero's jaw dropped as he went over and sat down next to Melanie. He pulled her close, gently patting her hair as she started to cry uncontrollably. Her body shook from each sob and tears ran down Heero's face.
This went on for a while until Melanie had cried herself to the point where she had fallen asleep. Heero released her, laying her down on the couch. He slipped into his room and retrieved a pillow and a blanket, then took them back into the room where he had left her. She was awake, sitting up. He offered her what he had and she smiled gratefully.
"Do you want a t-shirt or something to change into?" he asked timidly.
"Thank you so much." Heero went back into his room to get her some clothes. Once he had found them, he turned around to see Melanie behind him. She smiled timidly. "Where's your bathroom?"
Handing her the clothes he had found, he said, "Right here." After he showed her where it was, she asked if it would be ok if she took a quick shower. He gave her a towel then went back into his room. He plopped down on his bed, listening for the sound of running water.
'You know, she's so vulnerable…' his mind argued. 'You could easily go in there…' Heero shook his head, trying to chase such thoughts away. He heard the shower start and his imagination took over. He could see her in there, her body no longer hidden behind a dress. He could see how beautiful she was. And feel it. And taste it.
His last thought made him shake his head as he tried to clear his mind. 'I can't do that to her.'
Several long moments followed. He heard the shower stop and the door open. He turned and stared at the dark wall over his bed. The only light he had was from a street lamp just outside his window. Between the two was a tree, which cast eerie shadows on his wall.
A soft knock on his door brought him back to reality. "Yeah?" he called.
The door opened a bit and Melanie's head appeared. She said nothing for a moment, but when Heero looked over at her, she came the rest of the way in and joined him on the small bed. "I can't thank you enough," Melanie's hushed voice invaded his thoughts. "You saved me from those two."
"Where they the ones that…" his voice trailed off as he motioned to the marks that littered her skin.
She swallowed and nodded. "Your name suits you well Heero." Heero sat up and smiled as she laid her head down on his chest. There, in his arms, she fell asleep.
Heero watched Melanie sleep. She seemed so comfortable against his chest. Bored with himself, he started to fiddle with the color of the shirt she was wearing. He had given her a pair of plaid boxers (yes, another prank gift from Duo-it often amazed and scared him how Duo always knew what size he wore) and a blue and white vertical button up. The shirt only seemed to emphasize her shape.
'She's so beautiful,' he reminded himself. 'Yet she's so much more when she's asleep.'
'That's because the fear is gone,' a voice in the back of his head reminded him. 'She looks peaceful, and it softens everything to make her appear like an angel.'
"An angel." Heero jumped at the sound of his own voice. He couldn't believe that he had said that out loud. Then he hoped that his sudden movement hadn't awakened her. But she continued to sleep.
Heero smiled. Then he kissed her on the top of her head and leaned back. Outside, the storm continued to rage, but here in his room, both of them found protection from it.
When Heero opened his eyes the next morning, he was alone. 'She must've been a dream,' he muttered as he crawled out of bed. He stretched and glanced in the mirror. He was still in the black shirt and khaki pants. 'Maybe it wasn't.'
He stepped out of his room and was greeted by the most perfect scene. There was breakfast on the table, steam pouring off it. There were dishes in the dish drainer already to be put away. "Melanie?" he called.
She appeared out of the bathroom, her face that of pure innocence. "I made you breakfast. I hope you don't mind… I don't know how to repay you for last night and all…"
"Don't worry about it," Heero answered smiling. "But thanks for the breakfast." Heero went to sit down as Melanie joined him. Heero took one bite and smiled. "You're a pretty good cook."
Melanie blushed. "Thank you."
"Aren't you going to eat something?" Heero gave her a worried look.
"I'm fine," Melanie chirped merrily.
Heero went to put the next bite in his mouth when he felt something crawl up his leg and into his lap. He literally dropped the bit of ham that he had on his fork and the small furry creature in his lap quickly gobbled it down, then looked up at him expectantly.
"Sorry shonen," he said, rubbing the puppy's head playfully. "You can't eat this kind of stuff."
"Is shonen his name?" Melanie asked.
"No. His name is…" Heero paused to think for a moment. "Now that I think of it, he doesn't really have a name. We just kind of just call him shonen. But that's no suitable name for a cute chestnut fur ball like you."
"What does shonen mean?" Melanie asked.
"It's Japanese for boy. Everyone either calls him Shonen or Hentai. I think Hentai means pervert," Heero explained with a laugh. "Got any suggestions?"
Heero looked into Melanie's eyes. She stared back into his and a comfortable silence descended on the room.
"Chujitsuna," Heero said finally. "It's Chujitsuna."
"What's that mean in Japanese?"
"Loyal to one's master or guardian." Heero smiled. "I'll call him Chi for short." Melanie giggled softly. "Chi it is."
Chi barked happily back at Heero. "He most certainly seems like he likes you. Where'd you get him?"
Heero sighed. "I was in the middle of a battle when a young girl and her puppy were trapped underneath a building. I could hear the puppy barking, so I tried to get them out. We got them out and the girl and puppy were ok. I told the girl I'd care for her puppy till she was better. While she was in the hospital, an epidemic went through there. She was one of its victims. I keep the puppy to remind me of her."
Melanie put her hand on his. Chi licked both their hands happily and the both fell back in a mess of giggles and laughter. Heero set Chi down on the floor and went back to eating his breakfast.
After breakfast, Heero and Melanie went and sat on the couch. Chi, wanting some attention, crawled into Melanie's lap. She gently stroked his ears as Heero wrapped his arms around her. He moved closer and rested his head on hers.
"Why were those men chasing you last night?" Heero asked. He was determined to find out why she was trying to escape.
Melanie sighed, looking down at Chi, who had fallen asleep on her lap. Her eyes were mournful as she began her story.
"My mother died when I was four, leaving me with my older brother Joey and my dad. My dad basically fell apart, eventually drinking himself out of his job by the time I was ten. Things kept getting worse until finally one day, he committed suicide. Joey was only thirteen at the time and he didn't want the two of us to be separated, so he took matters in his own hands."
Melanie sighed as tears started to form in her eyes. One started to descend down her cheek and Heero brushed it off.
"Go on," Heero encouraged her.
"He made me pack a few of my things and we just left. We managed to avoid any trouble with adults for almost four years. Then Joey met this other guy, Rick, and the two became best friends. I didn't like Rick at all, but since he took Joey and me in, I didn't complain."
Melanie paused, as if she was contemplating how to go on. Chi looked up at her, his big brown puppy eyes full of sorrow as if he understood every word that came from her mouth. The eyes brought a slight smile to Melanie's face, but the sadness still remained.
"We stayed with Rick until a few months ago, when he was killed in some sort of gang fight. Joey was almost killed, and I pleaded with him to reach some sort of agreement with the other gang so they wouldn't kill him. So he invited Kaiso…the leader of the gang…to our apartment. Joey told him that he didn't have anything to offer for appeasement…so Kaiso asked for me. When Joey refused…" Melanie's voice trailed off and she started to cry. She held Chi close to her chest and cried into his fur.
Heero pulled the sobbing Melanie close. "Shh…" he whispered as he rubbed her arm. "You're safe…" Heero's voice trailed off as someone knocked on his door.
"They're here!" Melanie leaned back against Heero's chest, her entire body shuddering in fear.
"Don't worry," Heero reassured her. "They won't get past me."
Heero stood up and carefully approached the door. From his spot in Melanie's lap, Chi emitted a low growl. When Heero reached the door, he glanced out his peephole and was surprised to see a big blue eye staring back at him. Heero sighed unhappily. 'If Duo sees her…' he thought to himself, recalling that Duo always had a way with a girl's heart.
'You could use a few lessons from him,' his mind suggested.
'Riiight,' Heero's own voice answered that of his mind's.
He opened the door just enough that he could see the goofy young man. "Mornin' Heero!" Duo greeted his friend in his usual happy-go-lucky tone. Even though his voice had deepened in the last two years, he always sounded childish.
"What do you want?" Heero hissed. Chi barked again, but this time his bark was soft and friendly. Melanie relaxed, trusting that it was one of Heero's friends.
"What are you hiding in there?" Duo asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," Heero said in his no nonsense voice.
Duo grinned coyly and started to turn to leave. "See ya LATER!" With the word later, Duo charged the door, knocking Heero back enough that he could slip inside. "Hey shonen," Duo said, dropping down to scratch Chi's head, but Chi went scampering back to Melanie.
"DUO!" Heero yelled at the boy, grabbing him by his long braid.
Duo just whistled in Melanie's direction as he pulled his braid to his chest's safety. From the instant his blue eyes fell on the girl, he couldn't stop staring. He stood up, straightened his shirt and smiled before walking over to where Melanie sat. "Duo Maxwell, at your service." Melanie smiled and extended her hand. Duo took it and kissed it before sitting down beside her, arm around her.
Heero sighed. There was no way that he'd win Melanie now. Once Duo started to work the charm, it was over.
"My name's Melanie. Melanie Yoder."
"Are you related to George Yoder, the musician?" Duo asked excitedly.
"Yes. He was my father." Heero gave Duo the usual death glare.
"Awesome. I remember he had two kids…you're his daughter…don't you have a brother…" Duo went on, but Melanie was not longer paying any attention to him. Her concerned eyes were on Heero.
Heero realized that he was starting to scare her with that look, even though it wasn't directed at her. He sighed, realizing that Melanie had indeed touched his heart.
"So how'd you end up with him?" Duo asked Melanie, ending the ongoing recall of information on her father.
"Actually, he saved my life last night," Melanie told Duo.
"Him? Save your life?" Duo asked in disbelief. "Maybe there's a god of the living for you yet Heero," he added with a goofy smile. Seeing the look on Melanie's face, Duo grinned. "He has a death wish, with me of course."
"Really?" Melanie asked curiously.
Heero finally sat down in a chair across from the couch. "No I don't. You all just think I do."
"That's not what you said yesterday," Duo said in a taunting tone. "Did Melanie touch that little heart of yours?" Duo's voice was high as he talked to Heero as if he was a little kid. Heero rolled in his eyes in response to Duo's nonsense, but then noticed that Melanie was giggling, looking at him, humor in her eyes.
"Perhaps," Heero mumbled.
"What was that?" Duo asked, almost interested.
"Nothing."
"Well, since Heero's being the way he is, I shall leave you and your new friend alloooonnnneee…" Duo drew out his last word as he stood up. "Later," he chirped as he darted out the door. He figured that he had annoyed the two of them enough, so he'd leave them be.
Once he was gone, Melanie turned to him. "You have a death wish?"
"I did, at one time. Not anymore."
"Why not?"
Heero was caught off guard. It was true that yesterday he had told Duo that he'd rather be dead, but since Melanie had appeared… Well, his opinion had changed. "Because," he finally muttered. "I changed my mind. Is that such a bad thing?"
Melanie smiled. "No. It isn't. I think it's a good thing."
Heero finally smiled. "Yes. It's a good thing."
The two spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon just talking to each other, getting to know one another.
Around 2:30, Duo came back, a box under his arm.
"What is that?" Heero asked suspiciously.
"It's not for you," Duo teased. "It's for her."
Melanie looked surprised. "Really, you don't have to…" she stammered.
"No. You need this." Duo handed the box to her. "I hope you don't like to be dolled up too much. I don't think that stuff is meant for that."
Melanie opened the box and found several articles of clothing. "You can't go running around in Heero's clothes now can you? Especially in my little prank birthday gifts."
Heero stifled the urge to laugh, but a smile broke on his face.
"Prank birthday gifts?" Melanie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The boxers," Duo explained. Melanie shot Heero a quick glance. He rolled his eyes, making her smile once more.
"Did you know you look so much prettier when you smile?" Melanie smiled at Heero's complement. Duo just stared, mouth wide open. Melanie paid it no mind as she started to look at the clothes to see if they'd fit.
Duo turned to Melanie. "I don't know what you did to him last night, but you did something. He never has anything good to say about anyone." Melanie just smiled.
A knock on Heero's door took Heero's attention from his two friends. He glanced out his peephole to see a young Hispanic boy about his age. He looked tired and was covered with all sorts of earthly matter. He hesitated for a moment, then turned his attention to Melanie.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Duo asked expectantly.
"What does Kaiso look like?" Heero asked.
Duo turned to see Melanie tense up, fear entering her eyes. She set the box down beside her and went to the door. Looking out the peephole, she started to back up. "Go to my room," Heero advised. "I'll deal with him."
Melanie ran into the room, Chi on her heels. Not knowing exactly what was going on, Duo sat down on the couch. Heero opened the door.
"May I help you?" Heero asked politely as he opened the door.
"Have you seen this young lady?" he asked. His voice was gruff and his dark eyes were aggravated. He extended a picture to Heero. Heero recognized Melanie.
"No," Heero said, his voice flat. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen her."
The man glanced past Heero. "Has he?" he asked, motioning to Duo.
Duo came over and looked at the picture. "Nope," he said reassuringly. "I've seen a lot of girls, but never her. Though she is a babe…" The stranger glared at him angrily. "Oh, she's your babe." Duo handed the picture back to the man on Heero's doorstep.
"Thanks," he said, turning to leave. "If you see her, let me know. I won't be far."
"Sure," Duo called out before Heero shut the door. Silence fell on the two boys as they exchanged a concerned look. Heero sighed and headed back to the bedroom. When they reached the door, they were greeted with a shuddering young girl, holding a puppy close, tears in her eyes.
Heero hated to give up his personal time on the beach in order to stay with Melanie. Duo volunteered to go out and get Heero and Melanie some dinner. Melanie had stayed on Heero's bed, curled up in a defensive ball. Chi stayed curled up against her chest, occasionally licking her hand for encouragement.
Heero sat behind her, gently running his hand through her silky hair. He didn't say anything; there was nothing to be said.
"Heero," she finally spoke. Chi's raised his head to listen in on their conversation.
"Yes."
"Let me leave. I don't want anything to happen to you. Or your friends."
"I can't do that Melanie. It's too dangerous." Heero pushed his sneakers off and laid down next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Neither does Duo." Somehow, knowing that Duo was helping brought a little ease to his mind.
"I'm back," Duo called as he came into the apartment. Heero had given him a key so that he could let himself in. After a moment, he appeared in the doorway. "I hope ya'll like Chinese."
"Thanks Duo," Heero said. "Are you going to come eat?" he whispered softly to Melanie.
She looked at him, her blue eyes full of tears. After a few moments she nodded. The two got up (much to Chi's unhappiness) and went out into the little kitchen. Duo had already dug into his favorite Chinese dish. It was some sort of shrimp/chicken mess, but needless to say, it smelled good.
Chi sat at Melanie's feet, wagging his tail. "Looks like he's waiting for some dinner too," Duo said, extending a spoonful of rice to Chi, who happily gulped it down. This action brought a protesting look from Heero and a small giggle from Melanie.
Seeing a smile break on Melanie's face, Heero even smiled.
The rest of dinner was rather uneventful. Melanie insisted on doing the dishes and the two boys stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, and to discuss the situation.
"So what are you going to do Heero?" Duo asked.
"I'm not sure. I think that Kaiso guy thinks she's still around here, so he'll keep looking for her."
"Then why don't you take her elsewhere? Far from Kaiso. And then…" Duo chose to grin instead of finishing his thought.
"No. I don't think we could do that without attracting his attention." Inside, they heard Chi start to bark.
"I still think it would be best." Chi's barking became angrier and louder. "What is she doing to that dog?"
"We'd better go see." Heero grabbed the doorknob and turned it to go in, but the door was locked.
"Great! She locked us out," Duo whined.
"HELP!" Melanie's screamed reached their ears. Exchanging a worried look, Duo took off running.
'Figures,' Heero muttered to himself. 'The baka runs at the first sign of trouble.'
Heero continued to fight with the door when he heard the sound of gunshots and tires squealing. Glancing in the direction Duo had run off in, he saw a dark Mitsubishi come flying around the corner and out onto the road. Though he couldn't see her, he knew Melanie was in there.
Then it hit Heero. He stopped fighting with the door and ran around to the back of the building. "Duo!" he cried, seeing his friend lying on the ground. He ran to his side and knelt down.
"Are they gone?" Duo asked, his voice weak and scared.
"Yes," Heero said softly.
"Good." Duo stood up and brushed himself off while Heero sat there, his expression of disbelief. Seeing Heero's look, Duo smiled. "I had to make them think that I was dead so that they wouldn't actually kill me."
Heero jumped up and grabbed Duo by the color of his shirt. "You idiot! Why didn't you get Melanie from them?"
"Um… Good question." Duo smiled, embarrassed by his mistake.
"We have to rescue her," Heero said, looking in the direction that the car had disappeared in.
"Do you want me to get the others…?" Heero nodded, letting go of Duo.
"And we have to hurry."
Heero didn't jump up and down at the mention of bringing everyone else into it, but he knew that he and Duo wouldn't be able to take Kaiso on themselves.
Thankfully, they couldn't reach Wufei for he was out of town on a trip to visit someone back on his home colony. Trowa was currently out on the road with the circus. Quatre, however, was at home. Once Duo had explained to him what had happened, he announced that he would be there as soon as he could.
Sure enough, within five minutes, the blond boy was standing at his front door, dressed in his usual style-a yellow shirt under a brown vest, brown pants and his favorite (and worn) brown shoes.
The three of them stood around the small table, thinking quietly.
"All you know is that they went in a general direction?" Quatre asked, his young voice gravely concerned for the young girl's safety. "That's really not much to go on."
Chi gave a small bark.
"Dogs have a great sense of smell right?" Duo asked.
"Chi does," Heero muttered, not really paying attention to anything other than his broken heart.
"Do you have anything that was hers when she got here?" Quatre asked picking up Duo's idea.
"Her dress…" Heero stood up and retrieved Melanie's dress from where he had hung it up in his closet. He brought it out to his friends.
"You're gonna help us right boy?" Duo asked. "Are you gonna find Melanie for us?"
Chi barked happily as he sniffed away at the dress. Then Quatre opened the door. "Find her!" he commanded, and Chi took off. The three boys jumped into Quatre's small (and yes brown) car and took off after Chi.
The dog ran full speed, allowing its nose to follow Melanie's scent. As Heero watched the dog, he wondered if Melanie was ok and if they would get to her in time. 'Hurry up Chi. I want to know that she's ok…' his mind raced.
Suddenly, Chi ran back down a small dirt road that was more a path. The small puppy forced a bark as he disappeared among the trees.
"Look!" Duo cried. "It's the car." Heero looked up and sure enough, there sat the black Mitsubishi, partially hidden by the trees.
Heero didn't wait. As soon as Quatre slowed the car down, he jumped out of the door and took off in a full run after Chi. Duo and Quatre soon followed suit, realizing that there was no way the car would be able to squeeze through such a tight place.
The three boys moved quickly through the woods following the small puppy. Heero had his doubts in the back of his mind on whether this would work, but he had to try. He had to win this battle.