Thank-you-note: Thanks to RyneC I finally found some inspiration to write at least one more chappie!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, I'm just a humble student who payes tribute to Gundam Wing, like so many other authors and artists. Gundam Wing belongs to their respective owners as Bandai and Sunrise Inc and the people who created Gundam Wing.

Warnings: Be careful, not for the youngsters and weak of heart, includes rape. At the bottom of this chappie that is, but ye be warned!


Chapter 3: Explanations are demanded

Lady Une was no more stunned than Zechs or Noin or Sally. ´You mean... You mean there was a sixth Gundampilot?´ lady Une asked stunned, ´But... Neither the Alliance, OZ or Romafeller knew about his existence?´

´Her.´ Duo said with a sudden pain in his violet eyes, ´Mei Ran was a girl, and a drop dead gorgeous girl. I go and see if I can get Poene back to life again.´ and away he was, up to the sleeping Gundam. The thick braid swirled from side to side as he walked to the Gundam somewhere else in the building, in a workshop where young pilots and students wondered about the giant, who flew it, and who had the honor of repairing it.

´hi there... You need to help us.´ whispered Duo in a sad tone of voice to the Gundam, ´your missy is in danger, or even worse.´

Heero just stood there; waiting for Duo to wake up the gundanium giant, ´We met her couple of years ago. She and Wufei had some arguments about a woman going to war, but Duo and Quatre were the first to accept her. They are just friends with anybody; I can not understand how they do that. She invaded our lives, and the most Wufei's life. He fell for her.´ Heero took out his wallet from a pocket inside his jacket and searched for a photo, ´Here...´ He handed it to Zechs, ´That is Mei Ran. I think the only picture ever taken from her.´

He stared at the picture of a smiling woman, with thick short cut lavender hair, a pair of ear pierced amber drops in her ears, bright golden eyes and a beautiful face. She hugged Wufei from the back, as if she jumped on his back, and he was stunned by her weight.

´than I have met her.´ He stated, ´She had some of my man around her little finger in seconds.´

´That was her way of working. Capture the men with smiles and nice words, but in the same time rip them of their money and dignity.´ Heero smiled a little bit, ´Every woman's nightmare, I guess.´

´What happened to her?´ Sally asked when she saw the picture of the young woman.

´Quatre took that picture you know... We all had pictures of each other, so when we were away, we would still be close to each other. Just a little idea from Quatre's. It was made in the safe house in the States, somewhere hidden in the forests of Montana, I believe. Mei Ran had a mission nearby, and earlier that weak a fight with Wufei, about a woman going to war. She left the house in anger and we never saw her again. At last... Wufei was the last to see her. He followed her to the hangar where she had stored the Poene away. He wanted to make it up to her. But she had already left, and so did he. But I think something went wrong. We never heard it from Wufei himself, because he was too shocked. Quatre found him, unconscious in the Nataku. The Poene lay in the debris, badly damaged. It took me and Trowa weeks to rebuild the Poene. I heard later on that Romafeller searched the debris for those who lost their lives, Mei Ran was not found in one of the reports. What I do know is that all members of that base lost their lives. 131 total. And 131 bodies where found. Mei Ran... Had vanished, or vaporized... Either way... We decided that it was the best never to mention her again. Wufei was heartbroken afterwards and he staid that until now...´

Duo remembered Mei Ran like it was just minutes ago she walked out. She and Wufei had most of the time fights about a woman going to war, and later on, when she had vanished from the earth, he thought it was his fault. That he denied her the right to fight for her colony, for those she loved. No one ever mentioned her again. Till Quatre made the desperate call.

The braided young man looked around in the cockpit, ´This is going to take a while...´ he whispered to himself, and in the same time, the monitors flashed, Trowa appeared in screen.

´Nice but, Duo.´ he teased, ´Do you always great people like that?´

´Ha-ha, very funny, your jokes are sad, clown.´ Duo said back, ´Well, we've both find out that the monitors worked, as well as audio and the receptors of the Gundam. But most of the wire seems to be gnawed to shreds by these little rodents.´

´Stop your report to me. You could have asked me about the Poene, I have been trying to find the blue prints for months now and you have found them in seconds.´ Trowa said calmly, ´Tell the others Wufei woke up. He... He found Mei Ran... Alive.´

Duo was shocked when he heard that, but Trowa had already vanished from screen. Trying to get out he almost fell off the door and barely managed to keep his balance. Thanks heaven no one saw it. ´Hey you guys!´ He yelled to the five below him, ´Trowa just called in, Wufei woke up minutes ago.´

Heero nodded, ´Copy that.´

´Back to Wufei, or let our trainees work on this Gundam?´ Noin asked, ´Cause to them, this will be an honor.´ ´No strangers on our equipment!´ Duo barked when he joined them.

´Why not,´ Noin asked, ´The Gundams are rebuild, even as we speak. And those strangers are trainees, who consider this an honor to work on such beautiful MS.´ She said, ´Or do you want to revise this yourself?´

´Ask Wufei.´ Heero said, ´Let him decide about that.´

´I and Zechs will stay here, so we can get the Poene out carefully, you go join Wufei.´ Noin walked to the Gundam, ´Do not worry, we will take good care of her.´

Duo smiled, ´I know, I know, Lady Une, Sally? Shall we be going now?´

Noin smiled at the Gundam, ´It looks superior to the other Gundams.´

´It is.´ Zechs said, ´But you know women, their defenses are better than those of men.´ he smiled, ´Never thought that I would be flying a Gundam.´

´you have flown the Wing ZERO?´ ´

'That was a Gundam designed for destruction. This one looks as if it was made to maintain peace.´ he said back and walked to the Gundam, ´The roots first. All the little animals who live in there can escape in the mean time. Slowly and carefully load on a truck and off we go to the workshop.´

´Do not forget to cover it. We do not want idiots to think that we are starting an other war.´ Noin smiled, ´Do you think that this baby can still fly?´

´Oh yeah, she can. Just like the Tallgeese.´ he smiled, ´And now to get her out.´

---

Terry tried to cheer Mei Ran up, but ever since she took the job as a maid, she was a little melancholic. As if she had lost someone she still loved. Gaia had lectured her about the fact that she spilled an entire carafe of cognac - whatever it may be - and tried to be harsh, because Zasha had ordered her to do so. Mei Ran listened half; she knew she would be punished for it again. Always punishment, always disagreements, always pain and horror. She was simply unlucky, unlike Zasha and Gaia. Gaia had two still born babies - one even during pregnancy - the past few years, as well as Zasha, but Mei Ran was as fertile as she could be. Three babies. She carried them, fed them, endured the punishment of being pregnant and later on the labor, which was terrible and the fact that the child would be taken away immediately.

The first day she arrived, she did not know she was pregnant. Pregnant of someone she loved. Mei Ran just applied for the job and proved to be a good maid. But it was mostly the master of the house who wanted her. She was young, beautiful and well shaped. The mistress of the house was mad about that - she was aging and fast - and let her know that time after time. When she found out that Mei Ran was pregnant, she was furious and when the child was born, she killed it personally. Mei Ran could cry all she wanted to, but she would never see her lovely Wufei again. The next day she had to work again, and clean up the blood she lost during labor and working at the house - for her wounds did not heal that fast.

'Mei Ran,' Terry tried to comfort her when she cried again that night. Warm strong arms around her, remembered her of Chang Wufei, her love. Yes, they had their fights, but mostly she wanted to comfort Wufei, for he was confused about practically everything. But he chased her off as well, and she left him. Now it seemed as if she left him for good and Mei Ran felt as if she was a coward. Run away from home, where she already was a maid, went into a war, run away from it as fast as she entered it and now... She did not even dare to leave; not now she saw Wufei. Maybe he would come back; maybe he would rescue her from this nightmare, maybe... Mei Ran did not know anymore, but what she did know was that Terry comforted her but would never know about her mistakes she made. I should have staid there... With Wufei. Maybe we would have been happy now. But out there, on L6, the war for the supreme ruler of the Earth Sphere went on.

---

It was always good, when they went away. Mei Ran was most of the years spared and she hoped it would be so this year. When Zasha, head of the servants came to them in the kitchen where they ate and bathed, everybody was all ears. She did not even had to stand on a table, with Terry always looking under her skirts, or yell, and Gaia would yell harder with her little high pitched voice. Everybody was silent, you could not even hear a mouse. 'The servants who have to go with the master and mistress of the house to their winters residence are: 'Terry Whitaker, Gaia Summer and Mei Ran de la Mer.' she said, 'The cooks: Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas. Pack your belongings and wait for further orders at the servant's entrance.' she ordered them and left again.

'You okay?' Terry asked when he saw a pale Mei Ran.

She nodded, 'I am fine.' but it was a desperate whisper, 'I am fine.' And with those words she left to pack her belongings. Gaia went after her, enthusiastic, for she had never been to the winter residence.

Terry had, but he hated it, 'the servants' rooms are colder, they can not even spare some wood to make a nice warm fire in the fire place.' he muttered, 'I am sorry Mei Ran, Gaia, but it is terrible.'

'And he will ask me to warm his bed.' Mei Ran answered, her voice was low, desperate and full of guilt, 'He will do that!'

Gaia stared at her in aw, 'Mei Ran... Whatever he will do to you, we love you. We care for you.' but the words sounded empty, 'Please... Do not do anything desperate.'

'For he will take you instead? Ha! That I live to see that day.' she cried and collapsed onto the floor, 'I never should have left...' she whimpered, 'never!'

The dark skinned man lunged over and patted her on the shoulder, 'Maybe, I do not know your history, but I do know this. We care for you Mei Ran. WE love you. And we will love you as well, but right now, we should pack. Or else the master of the house will punish you.'

The winters residence lay higher north, were there actually was a winter. A sort of Ice Age, for the snow never retreated, the cold always was there and the frost never left the soil. With only summer clothes on their bodies, they entered the Winters Residence. It would be an icy hell here.

Days passed by. Wufei recuperated quickly, but that was everything. His mind was off. No more beautiful katas in the garden in the early morning. No worse cooking in the evening. Mariemaia watched him as he walked into the garden to admire the flowers.

'He acted strange when we left the residence.' she said, 'Mei Ran was all he constantly whispered. He seemed... Off. Like there was nothing left of the Wufei I met at L3.' The red haired girl said sadly, 'I do not know who that can be, but it had something to do with the Summer Residence of the De Gucht.'

'Thank you Mariemaia, it is a start.' Quatre answered the girl and smiled. It was hard to see Mariemaia smile, for all the mistakes she made, she thought that there was not much to smile about. All she wanted to do was to correct them, but sometimes she tried to hard.

'It is dangerous, since that colony is the only colony left who still wants to fight a war. And Mr. De Gucht is the one who started the fire.' Trowa searched the computer for more information, 'If I was not chief of security at the L4 colony, I would have infiltrated a long time ago.'

'Why not?' Mariemaia asked, 'Or... I see, they saw you a lot of times with Mr. Winner.'

'Please, how many times do I need to tell you Mariemaia, my name is Quatre?'

The girl giggled, 'sorry!'

'Maybe...' Trowa saw the people on the screen and the photographs on the desk of Lady Une, 'Maybe... We can send in Heero.' Quatre turned around to face him, 'Maybe,' he said, 'try and find out if Heero even wants to.' Trowa nodded, 'Somehow he still likes danger, he lives for it.'

Mariemaia heard their conversation not at all, as the both men discussed how to take care of things. In stead she walked into the garden to Wufei, the one man she still admired - Wufei was her protector during the final conclusions of the war - and tried to reach him. 'Hi there!' she smiled, 'How are you doing?' she asked friendly and giggled a bit.

'Fine.' it was short, but a lie, 'I am fine.' he said to her and walked away.

But Mariemaia followed him, 'I wondered Wufei... Who is this Mei Ran anyway?' A shock went straight through him, and he stood there like a rock. Minutes passed by, and he still stood there. 'Wufei? You ever going to answer my question?' she said with a bit of anger in her voice, 'I believe it was you who taught me not to be rude.' a sigh escaped him, and tried to find a chair or a bench where he could sit on and found one.

When he finally sat down on the little bench he gestured Mariemaia to sit next to him, 'The reason why I like you so much is that you remind me of someone.' he said slowly, 'namely, me.' Not understanding she tried to figure it out for herself, for Wufei hated it to be interrupted, 'I made the same mistakes Mariemaia. Only you still have someone who comforts you when you are scared at night.'

She nodded, 'I am still afraid of the thunder and lighting.' 'You see what I mean?' A little smile, a gentle stroke over her little face, 'but I made one more mistake, you never made. And please, promise me you never make it, after I told you.'

Again, a nod, and her somewhat longer red hair danced up and down, 'I promise.'

'You can not promise what you do not know.' Wufei said melancholic, 'But I can tell you and make you promise afterwards.' The sun set while Wufei started telling his story, the one story and person no one of the five Gundam Pilots even dared to speak about:

'Mei Ran, was the name of the woman I once loved. We met during the war; Quatre had invited her to the safe house so we all could meet her. And so we did. Quickly, I developed feelings for her. Mei Ran was taller then we where - women grow earlier faster than men, but we catch up with them and surpass them eventually - and beautiful. Golden eyes, soft skin, well toned figure and silky black hair. She was just drop dead gorgeous. But I still had my ideas of women and war and those disagreed with what she did. Though we loved each other, I still confronted her with that mostly every day. Until she has had enough of this all. She... Run off. And she left the Poene. I never saw her again, till that day. Now... She seemed to recognize me, but... I do not know anymore. It was her own free will that she runs off. I know, I made her do that, but she decided. Could she not be happy there when I ask her to leave that place or does she wants that?'

For at least half an hour she had listened in shock, horrified with what he told her. 'And those questions were so hard on you that you decided to drink yourself to death?' Mariemaia said angry to him, 'I looked up to you, but you are nothing more but a coward!'

Quatre and Trowa stared to the little scenery outside the mansion of Lady Une, 'what the…?' Trowa was alarmed, 'Is she insane? She will only destroy him more.'

'Maybe not... What we could not achieve, maybe she can.' Quatre smiled, 'Continue missy.'

Totally flabbergasted Trowa stared from Quatre to the two outside and listened.

'You should be ashamed of yourself! How dare you, everything you taught me was a lie! How dare you to speak of honor when you leave a woman in such a desperate situation like that!? Coward! Idiot!' and with those words she run inside the mansion, up to her room where she hid herself.

Heero was stunned when he saw the little girl run so quickly upstairs, 'what happened?'

'Mariemaia gave Wufei a lecture about protecting women, I think.' Trowa raised his shoulders, 'she only destroyed him more.'

'Maybe not.' Quatre smiled, 'Look at him. Maybe she made a decision for him.'

'You are speaking in riddles now Quatre.' Heero hardly understood. 'I'll bet his next mission is again to L6. But this time he goes not for the war, but for Mei Ran.'

With those words Quatre left them and went upstairs, to comfort the still crying Mariemaia.

'Why did he not take her away?' Quatre repeated the question for himself, 'Maybe because he was as confused as she was. I don't know.' he said to her while he rocked her in his arms, 'I really don't know.'

'But...' she sobbed, 'He said he loved her. And know he doesn't want to rescue her.'

'Trowa and I are planning a mission again, to L6. Not to find out who caused this war, but to find Mei Ran. I'm sure we will find her and then we take her away into safety. And maybe, even in time, she will fight with us again. Like Heero she left no one alive. I saw once, and I had to convince her that I was on her side, for she nearly cut me to pieces.' He giggled and Mariemaia smiled as response, 'Sometimes, when people surrendered, or saw the force I had, I let them live, so that they could live on without bothering me. But Mei Ran was as destructive as Heero. She leveled everything she met on her path. But outside the Gundam, she called Poene, -'

'Why?' two big blue eyes stared at him.

'Why what?'

'Why did she call her Gundam Poene?'

'That was the goddess of justice and revenge in the time of the Greeks. But let me continue, please... Outside that Gundam, she was a lovely young woman, almost shy when I got to know her, but lovely. Just like you are.' Quatre stroke her pert little nose, 'Just like you are, little Mariemaia. And that is why Wufei is so eager to protect you during your missions.'

'But when he finds her, won't he forget about me?' her voice was insecure.

'No, he won't. He loves you as his little sister. But he loves Mei Ran as his wife.'

'He wasn't good to her.' Mariemaia shifted to lay somewhat more comfortable at Quatre's chest, 'He chased her away.'

Quatre sighed, 'Wufei was as insecure as we were. Shy, too destructive, too much wanting of everything. Next to our own homes we had never anyone else with other believes and motivations. Mei Ran was one of them. And she made us all think about our place in life.'

'How come?' Mariemaia wanted to know all about this Mei Ran Chang, 'How come she made you think about your place in life?'

Quatre nodded in response, 'She just did… Wufei tried to prove himself as her husband, but failed. We tried to prove ourselves as her friends, and we failed as well.' He sighed, 'And that is the person Wufei fell in love with.'

'I don't understand love,' Mariemaia whispered, 'He does. Lucky him.'

'but you do understand love!' Quatre said her, trying to convince her of the positive side of life, 'You do. Why else do you think you chose the side of Relena instead of the Barton Foundation?'

She gazed at him, 'Don't you dare to start acting like Wufei. He can be troublesome enough, you know.'

He cuddled her, pulling her close in his embrace and let her giggle all the time. Trowa watched them as he stood in the door entrance, wondering if his mother cuddled him like that.

Days before they left to the winter's residence it became clear that some of the kitchen helps needed to come along as well, and it was a total mess, calamity. People running everywhere, the lady of the house screaming for her jewelry and fancy clothes, the lord of the house yelling for a good meal and a hot bath, rooms that needed to be cleaned, bright white sheets covered the furniture and paintings and photographs were taken off the wall to store them in boxes and store them away somewhere.

Mei Ran had been degraded from nothing to shit and the lady of the house let her know that as well. She screamed and yelled and beat Mei Ran that she wasn't fast enough, that she wasn't quick enough, that she wasn't showing the jewelry and clothes well enough, that she didn't store them fast enough when the lady did not like them, that she... Mei Ran hardly heard it, only the orders that were relevant passed her ears and she went through her knees every time, 'Yes ma'am, No ma'am, Good ma'am, excellent choice ma'am.' was all she had to say.

'Out!!' the woman yelled suddenly, 'And send in Zasha!'

Mei Ran bowed through her knees again and left the room, trying to find Zasha in seconds. Off the stairs, up the stairs, into this room, no out, into that room, no either, into the next room, 'Zasha, the lady asked for you.' Mei Ran bowed through her knees and left the room. Now she had to go back to the mistress so she wasn't alone when the servant had left. A part of Mei Ran wondered why in the middle of the summer the De Gucht's moved to the Winters Residence, but it faded out as fast as it came. Mei Ran had only her work to do, and nothing more.

On her way back to the mistress, two stories up, she runs into the master of the house. Hopefully she would leave him and kneeled a little through her knees, making her way upstairs again.

'Missy.' he said in the usual tone of voice, sweet for someone who would pass by, but meaning everything but sweet to Mei Ran, 'Missy... You look tired.'

'Not at all, my lord.' she said, not looking directly into his eyes.

'Yes you are. Come missy, you need to rest a little bit.' And with those words he led her to a nearby guestroom and closed the door behind them.

'My lord, the lady of the house is waiting for my return. Please, let me go.' Again her eyes down.

'No, no she can wait.' He smiled at her, trying to meet her eyes, but she held them to the ground. 'come, lay down on the bed with me.' He walked to the gigantic bed, a king size, but gigantic for someone who slept in small beds and even on floors. Drapes and blankets looked inviting, but memories of what he had done to her weren't that inviting. 'come.'

Mei Ran didn't move at all, focused on that one spot on the floor. When she didn't pay attention to his orders he walked up to her, grabbed her cheeks with one hand and squeezed till her jaws had to part. With pain she gave in, and he forced his tongue in, down her throat. The horrifying attempt to kiss her ended in something drools, and his drool glided down her chin down her neck. With all the force she had she tried to push him away from her, but he swung his arms around her, one in her neck, scratching the soft flesh and one went down from her back to her bottom, were he let his hand glide down, grabbed a leg to make her unstable and tried to carry her to the bed. Mei Ran struggled, trying to free herself from him but without a chance. Mr. De Gucht was way stronger than she was, and she whimpered in pain when he bit her lower lip. Halfway to the bed, he tripped over a pillow and both fell to the ground, where he landed on top of her. Again a soft whimper, and again, his drool all over her. Dazed she tried to free herself again, but a massive hand grabbed her throat and shut it until she saw almost purple. In the end, she gave up her defense and let him ride up her skirt and rip her panties to shreds. He smiled in a strange way, as if she was nothing, totally nothing. Trying to put up another fight, she held her legs to each other, but he shifted a knee between them and slapped her in the face, 'you like that, eh, little slut.' he smiled again, horrifying. Squeezing her breasts as if they were the buttons of a machine, used for pleasure only, she tried to look around the room and found out that all possible weapons were to far from her. All he wanted was to shag, but she had no interest in that.

Wufei had meant everything in her life, and he still meant everything in her life. She had seen him, and that was enough for her. Once... Once she had loved him, and she still loved him. But he probably - for sure - moved on with his life, while she still mourned for their lost love. Married, a couple of children, a good new wife and a nice house with a dog. Everything she still dreamt of, and never would have.

The man slapped her in her face again, making her cry of a sudden sharp pain that split her upper lip and heated her fire of resistance. But with 120 kilo's of man upon her body of just 58 kilos she could not do much and had to face the pain that he would bring her. She felt his rock hard phallus growing and pulsate with his heartbeat. Again she tried to struggle away from him, but failed as she felt a sharp pain inside her body when he penetrated her. Mei Ran knew she could beg, ask nicely, growl and get angry, but it wouldn't help a bit. As he rode her she felt his body beating against her pelvis, warm thick blood already run down her legs on to the floor. This time he had been rough. Unaware of the fact that he moved her towards the bed, Mr. De Gucht continued, thrusting deep inside her and biting her shoulders and neck. Her hands fell the floor above her, and she caught grip on a little wooden statue of a nymph with little wings. It felt heavy. 'So you like it rough!' He said panting and growling and trusted even deeper and harder in her.

It all paid tribute to her resistance and when she lifted it, it seemed as if it weight nothing. Mei Ran flung it to his head and smashed him once - he hardly knew what happened to him. The second time he tried to restrain her again, but again she tried to smash his skull. Dizzy he tried to use his weight to keep her underneath him.

The third time she heard a sickening sound that made her sick to her stomach and tried to use the seconds that he hovered above her to struggle away from his heavy body. When she succeed she smashed his skull again and again, until he lay on the floor, with blood pouring out of his skull and there was no more movement. In fear she waited a few seconds, was he truly dead or did he live?


Warned ye... Warned ye...

R&R please? gives you puppy eye look