Checkered Hearts

A side-fic for Apathy; a missing scene between Trinity and Wufei from Chapter Five. I guess you don't have to read it to read this... but it will make much more sense if you do. ^^ Please R&R

"Why does it hurt someone so much when I kick them there?"

Wufei wisely didn't answer the girl's question, trying his best to stand up on wobbly knees.

Wufei's eyes threatened to roll back in his head when that little voice chirruped, "Can we play again?"

"NO!!! I mean... why don't we play something else? Something less... hazardous to my health," he added with a mutter. Trinity smiled. "Okay. Why don't you set up the checkers board again? I'll go get you an ice pack."

Humming to herself, the six year old skipped out of the room, towards the kitchen. Wufei groaned as he hobbled to a bookshelf, pulling out the box that contained the board game. He was sitting gingerly, stretching out his abused frame on the couch when the curly-haired girl came back, holding a large white ice pack. She smiled at him as she handed the pack to him and scrambled up to sit between his calves, helping settle the board on his legs between them.

"Red or black?" she questioned.

"Black," he answered, letting out a hiss as he settled the ice against his groin. Damn Duo and Heero. How come nobody had warned him about this girl's sadistic streak?

Trinity settled the pieces in place, and after they agreed on the rules concerning double jumps and kings, they started playing. After the first five minutes of the game, Trinity quietly spoke up.

"Who's Meilan?" she questioned.

Wufei's hand jiggled the red piece he'd just jumped.

"Where'd you hear that name?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm and indifferent.

Brown eyes raised to meet black. "You whisper it sometimes when you think no one is watching. You feel all sad inside when you do. A bit of anger, and a little confused sometimes, too. So... who's Meilan?"

Wufei closed his eyes and sighed. You couldn't keep secrets from an empath, apparently.

"Meilan.... she... she was my wife."

Duo's daughter blinked. "You're married?"

"Was," he corrected gently. "She died a long time ago. That's why I feel sad."

Small, pouty lips formed a soft 'ooh', amber eyes unreadable. The checkerboard lay forgotten as she looked at him. "What happened? Why the anger? Are you mad at her for dying?"

Wufei chuckled, albeit a little sadly. "No. I'm not angry with her. She died fighting for our home. I'm angry at the man who let her fight in a mobile suit. I'm angry at the men she fought against, who killed her. But most of all... I'm mostly angry at myself."

"Why?"

"Because... I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."

"Oh..." she whispered. "I'm sorry. You loved her, right?"

A bare nod as onyx eyes were clouded in faint memory. "Not at first, no. We didn't want to get married. Our parents arranged it. But later, as time wore on, yes. I fell in love."

Trinity frowned. "Daddy says that death is a part of life and it should not be feared, but simply accepted." Her voice was low, but she was obviously quoting her father word for word.

Wufei's eyes focused back on her. "Indeed. Your father... he has knowledge of death. More than I, more than you."

Trinity nodded her head. "Daddy's special." She took and moved a red checker. "Your move."

Wufei smiled at the turn-about. Just like her father with changing subjects; must have been where she got it from . He moved a piece into place, blocking the jump she was trying to make. He would probably let her win in the end, but he'd draw the game out a bit.

Wufei had two more turns before he realized he'd been set up. Yet again, he moved to block a jump, but the little girl smiled brightly and moved an almost seemingly forgotten red piece to jump not one, not two, but three of his black checkers, landing her piece on the front row.

"King me," she stated. Wufei blinked, going back over her move. It had been completely valid. In fact, he realized he'd set himself up. By blocking the one jump, then the next, he'd set up a nice little triple jump for her, ending with her piece in the furthest right corner of his front row.

He'd love to see how well she played chess when she got older... she certainly was Quatre's niece. A budding tactitian if he ever saw one.

"Well, I'll be..." he stared at the board as he flipped her piece over to reveal the embossed crown on the underside.

Trinity laughed.

It seemed that she'd outsmarted the Preventer... and it wouldn't be the last time.

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