Authors notes: Sorry it took me so long to update, you know how it is when you just can't find time or ambition to write. I once again apologize for the shortness of the chapters, but anything's better than nothing, ne?
xXx Thanks goes out to mysticheero reviewer for the previous chapter
Chapter 3: Confusion All Around
"Why exactly are we doing this Maxwell?" Wufei ground out as another car sped by them. "I'm sure Yuy wouldn't have used this mode of transportation."
"Well Wufei, the fact is that we don't have a car and we have absolutely no clue as to where Heero is. I can't believe that Rowan left such a faint trace! I mean we searched for hours on end and we still only know which country they've run off to. Heero must have covered their tracks really well. Do you think that Rowan could have fought in the war?"
"I don't know. She's only about our age, but you never know. I don't remember what some of the factions' required age wise and there is no requirement for retaliating guerrila troops." Quatre stopped talking as a truck pulled off to the side of the road and the driver rolled his window down.
"Where you boys headed?" The driver questioned in thickly accented English.
"We're headed for Tampere, but we're willing to go as far as you'll take us, sir."
"Please, call me Nils. You boys can hop in the back, I can take you as far as Kittila." A chorus of thank you's echoed through the vehicle as the boys climbed in the back of the truck.
xXx
"This has been the most boringest ride I've ever taken in my life."
"That was a double positive, Maxwell."
"Shut-up, Wuffers, you're not helping."
"It wasn't my idea to hitch-hike over Europe either, if you will recall." Duo simply turned away from his black haired companion.
xXx Helsinki, Finland - Heero's house several days later
"Are you feeling any better?" Heero's only reply was a small shake of the head. Negative. " I have some soup from the neighbor woman. I'll go heat it up for you"
Rowan lay on her back under the thick covers of her bed. When Heero returned with a bowl of soup, he removed the thermometer from her mouth. He looked at the reading and shook his head.
"Your fever is still pretty high, Rowan. Why don't you try some of this soup? It should help a little bit. I have to go pick up some stuff from the local market. I'll be back in five or ten minutes." Heero grabbed his coat before shutting and locking the door behind him.
About five minutes later, there came a knock at the door.
'Not again.' Rowan rolled out of bed and onto the floor. She pulled herself up from the floor supporting herself with the bed post. She walked to the door, leaning on the walls to help support her. She hesitated at the door. 'Heero said it was okay if I opened the door. Bain can't hurt me anymore.' Stealing herself against her fears, she turned the locks and opened the door . . . to be greeted, yet again, by the faces of the former Gundam pilots. None of them were looking at her, they all seemed to be focusing on their shoes or the street. One of them started to speak, it was the black-haired one, Wufei.
"Do you happen to know if anyone has moved into the area recently? Particularly of Asian decent?"
Heero rounded the corner and saw four nondescript young men standing in front of his door apparently talking to someone inside, Rowan. Heero quickened his pace and was soon standing right behind the four men. He looked into Rowan's face and saw the frustration and panic building there. Bain couldn't hurt her anymore, but her memories of him still haunted her. Heero shifted the grocery bag into a more comfortable position and looked up just in time to catch Rowan's gaze. Her breath came in unsteady gasps and Heero noticed that her hands were trembling .
'How did she even get to the door in her condition?' Heero dismissed the thought in favor of thinking about getting her back into bed. He moved around the men quietly and had almost made it to the door without them noticing, when Rowan collapsed. Quatre moved forward to catch her, but Heero beat him to it. Heero stood there cradling Rowan in his arms for a split second, the amount of time it took for him to recognize exactly who the men in front of him were. Right before any of the other former pilots got over their shock at seeing him for the first time in four years, Heero shifted his hold on Rowan and the groceries, shut the door, and put the locks in place.
After overcoming his surprise, Duo turned to the other pilots, "Well boys, I guess we found the right house."
Duo's cheerful voice did nothing to lighten the mood.
Inside, Heero dropped the bag of groceries
and picked Rowan up completely and took her back to bed. Rowan hung
limply in his arms as he gently placed her on the bed. He pulled the
covers up over her body and went to fetch a cool damp washcloth.
Thoughts were racing through his mind. 'How did they find us? What do
they want? Why are they here? Why won't they leave me alone?'
The boys outside, were just as confused as Heero was about the situation
TBC Please R&R, the more people that review, the faster the next chapter will likely come out!