Honesty

Chapter Four

Woozy was right. It was a rather tight squeeze fitting both of us in my little pod, but Carter was a classy gentleman and squished as far back and down as possible to give me room- because of my side and ribs. It ended up with me sort of stretched out in his lap. By this point, I'm positive I've broken at least one rib, and my side is not very good. The bleeding has stopped again, but the blood-loss and possible concussion was already affecting my ability to stay awake. And the risk of infection was pretty high, considering that that place wasn't all that sanitary.

Fortunately for me, I *was* rescuing a computer system genius, so he pretty much knew how to work the shuttle controls. I pressed a small black box into his hand.

"When we're out of range... when the light on this turns orange, but before it turns red... push the button."

"What's going to happen?" He asks as he disengages us from the colony hub. I hadn't wanted to use the explosives... but I've already killed almost everyone there. And that colony hub really needs to be destroyed.

"No more Tomas Delecroix," I manage to say. "Go boom." Yeah... I'm going loopy. It's hard to stay awake, but I don't trust myself to go to sleep yet. For two reasons: a) you never know what's going to happen next. b) blood-loss plus broken ribs plus possible concussion plus sleeping.... equals not good in my book.

I drift in and out of consciousness a few times before I feel the tremor-like shock wave that meant no more colony hub... and no more Tomas Delecroix.

"Hey Carter?" My voice is a bit slurry. Damn... gotta stay awake.

"Yes?"

"Talk to me. Gotta... stay awake." I can feel the way his mind wraps around that. He's calculating exactly how bad my wounds are... his guess is the same as mine. NOT good.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Something." Something from not long ago caught my attention in my fuzzed mind. "How'd you know I was lying? Back, when I said I wasn't hurt."

"You looked like you were in pain," he said, but tensed as if not telling me the whole truth.

"Liar. That's not all. What... how?"

He sighed. "Well, you did save my life, so I guess I owe you this much at least. I'm what scientists and citizens call a new-type. I've got an ability that allows me to sense the truth in what someone says."

"Like a built in lie-detector," I hum, trying to remember to raise hell at Une for sending me into a mission under-informed. Neat ability. Now that I knew, I'd have to remember to twist my words, like Daddy so often did.

"Kinda. Will you answer a question for me now?" he asked.

"Maybe..." I manage to get out.

"You said you had built in security scanners," he reminded me of that sarcastic quip. "I didn't sense any lie in that. You were saying the truth... or, at least a version of it. What's the whole truth? The real truth?"

"New-type," I say, deciding to trust him. "Though not many people know that. I'm kinda... under.... the radar... not listed. Empathy." I'm not going to mention occasional clairvoyance or sporadic cases of limited telepathy. "Just look for the emotions... echo-location... or rather emo-location."

"Hmm," he hums. My shields are weakening with my descent into unconsciousness. But he's the only person around, and he's trying really hard to remain calm and objective about all of this. He feels a certain regret over having to blow up that place with people still in it... something I could clearly sympathize with. And he feels alot of worry for me... that's kinda sweet in a way. And there's something else. Something underneath everything else. A kind of base, instinctual kind a feeling that I recognize, sort-of.

I was seven or eight the first time I'd had a run in with the emotions involved with sex. Sure, I knew what happened and all that, and I'd felt the warm fuzziness of love and attraction... but the actual emotions that went along with getting from point A to point B, well... that was pretty funny now, but so *not* at the time. Feeling your father orgasm when you're seven years old... that was one of the drawbacks of being an empath.

I can feel that fuzziness of simple attraction, now with the absence of everything but him. It's flattering, and confusing, since I think I kind of return that attraction. When you can sense everyone's emotions, it's pretty easy to weed out all the 'bad eggs' as Uncle Quatre calls them. Unfortunately, there's always something wrong with everyone. So my experience with personal attraction and the stuff involved is nil-to-zero. Knowing that someone is *scared* of you because you're a Preventer is not good for relationships. And feeling the way someone just wants you to get into your pants... it's a real turn-off, y'know?

But this is different. I can sense the physical attraction, and the sincerity behind it. I can also feel the echo of it in me. And I can feel genuine interest from him. Not just physical-wise, but as in *me*. My abilities, my family, my past. I intrigue him. Despite my clear *un*levelheadedness, his emotions are so clear to me now, almost to that thought clarity, where specific things start to become clear to me.

An ache in my chest becomes apparent... damn broken rib... and I shift minutely, trying to ease it. That's when I feel it. It's very uncomfortable, and it's jamming me right in my hip. I shift again, but it's still there. I can feel Carter's emotions go from simple to red-hot in a second. That's odd.

"Please stop squirming," he begs, voice a little strained.

"Why?" I demand. "What is that? I though we dumped the guns back there?"

"That's not a gun," he says lightly, "and squirming's only going to make it worse."

"Huh' is probably not the most articulate thing I've ever said. But I have an excuse... y'know, the whole blood-loss thing that I'm milking for all it's worth? My mind is very slow and it takes me a very goo few minutes to connect everything and to actually *realize* what he's talking about and exactly *what* is poking me in my thigh.

"Oh," I say. Again... not the most articulate thing I've ever said.

"Sorry," he apologizes. I can sort of feel the sheepishness and humiliation rolling off of him. "It's sort of natural response," he adds. "And you're kind of... pressed up against me and..."

"Shut up," I manage to get out, my cheeks burning red. "Please just... don't apologize. I can feel that you... like me, I guess. And that it's not just the physical thing. I *feel* that from you. And yeah, I kind of guess I like you too, but right now... I just... I can't *think* straight. We'll figure everything out later." I sort of can't help it, and I shift again, and tilt my head so that it rests a bit easier on his shoulder. My shifting has moved me so that his erection rests comfortably between the cheeks of my rear. It's a *lot* closer than I've ever been to a guy, but somehow I just feel *comfortable* like this. It is sort of amusing that I'm hurt like this, he'd been tortured for who knew how long... and yet here we were, having phsyical reactions like this. And that's the last thought I had then, because my effort to stay awake fails, and I finally slip into the black of unconsciousness.


Ow.

Okay, this hurts. I can hear voices around me, but I can't really make them out because of the damn headache I have. It's horrible.

"Trin? Baby-doll? Darlin', it's Daddy. Trinity, can you hear me?"

"Da..." I try to force the word from my mouth, but it's so dry and it feels like cotton that the word just sticks and refuses to come out.

"Trinity? Mei-mei? Wake up, come on, sweetie, wake up."

It's Papa's voice. Oh, no. Papa and Daddy. How worried they must be about me! Oh, they're going to kill me for this.

"Wa...wa..." I try to blink my eyes open, and get the word out. "Wa...er."

"Here, baby," Daddy's voice says and I feel a straw against my lips. It's difficult, and hurts, but I drink and drink deeply. It doesn't taste like water... more like light apple juice. It makes me want to grin. Daddy... and Aunt Sally, my doctor... know that I like apple juice as soon as I wake up from being unconscious. And unfortunately... they've had a lot of times to learn.

"oooo...." I groan, finally managing to open my eyes. The light is dim, not bright and I can make out Daddy standing over me, his dark chestnut hair and worried violet eyes filling my vision. Suddenly, Papa's looking down at me too, looking relieved.

"Papa? Daddy? Wha.... Where.... Carter? What happened?"

Little things were coming back. I'd passed out in the shuttle... oh, dear... how'd I get here?

Daddy smiled, but frowned a little with it. "Carter followed the autopilot and brought you back to HQ. Sally and Une had us come here immediately. You've been out for two days, darlin'."

I groan. How embarassing. I pass out during the mission and have to be rescued by the person I saved.

Papa grinned, understanding the reason for my groan. "You didn't fail, mei-mei. You're here, alive. Carter is safe and un-harmed. And the enemy is defeated. You succeeded, my beautiful little girl. You completed your mission."

"I passed out..." I argued, my voice still thick.

"According to Carter you took out at least five men in hand to hand combat before you reached him," Daddy stated. "And took a shot from point-blank range..." his voice hardened, and I could tell that I'd hurt them. I must have scared them pretty bad. "And then you got him out of the cell and *ran* all the way back to the shuttle before taking out three more guys. That's quite a feat, daughter-mine."

"She's awake?" I blinked, trying to see around my parents. That voice...

He stood in the doorway. His hair wasn't so shaggy as I recalled it being. It was neat and brushed, falling to just above his shoulders. His skin didn't carry the faint bruising it had before, and his eyes were even brighter, much more alert. His shirt was a neat black, as were his slacks.

I couldn't feel anything from him... or my parents for that matter... I almost frowned, checking my shields.

They were in place, but they were very weak; I should be getting a little bit of 'leaking' through them. And I couldn't feel anything.

I look around the room to see Uncle Quatre half-sleeping on a couch against the wall, his head resting in Heero's lap.

I smile. "Uncle Quatre... you can ease up. I think I'm awake enough to take over."

Worried aqua eyes blinked open at me, a frown on his face. 'Are you certain?' the words formed in my head, like a shadow or echo of the blond's true voice. I smiled, then nodded. Occasional telepathy, remember? Mostly it's with my adoptive uncle, since our gifts are so similar. And it's easier when we're linked like this, when he's shielding me.

I can feel him slowly shrink his shields, leaving me on my own once more. I almost wince as the full weight of everyone's emotions batter against my weakened barrier. Papa and Daddy are so worried that they can't completely keep their emotions in check. I take a silent moment to compose myself and ensure my shields would hold before I looked back at Carter.

And I smile without being able to help it. He's just so happy to see my eyes open, to see me talking. He's happy I'm alive.

I close my eyes as I let the emotion wash over me; now this kind of emotion I can handle.

I sense a question in him, and I reopen my eyes.

"Uncle 'Ro? Can you please take your husband home? He needs sleep."

The brown haired man smirked at me, then nodded. He knew how hard it was for Quatre to shield two people. After ten years living with empaths... he'd certainly had time to. He scooped the smaller blond up in his arms, ignoring Uncle Quatre's 'eeps' and squeaks.

Papa watched them go, then looked at me. I raised an eyebrown, and Papa touched Daddy's arm.

"Duo... I think we should give them a moment."

"Wha...??? No, Wufei! My baby just now woke up! I am not leaving."

"Just a moment," Papa said softly. Daddy looked ready to argue, but I moved my hand to his.

"Please, Daddy?"

He growled in frustration, but his eyes and features softened. He never could say 'no' to me. "One minute, then," he sighed. "I need to talk to Sally anyway."

Carter stepped to the side ad Papa led Daddy out, then shut the door.

"I'm glad you made it," he said quietly.

I smile. "It takes more than a simple gun-shot wound to keep me down for long," I joke.

He just stares at me, then shakes his head and laughs. "Of course. I should have known. Strange thing is... you're not lying."

"I'm alot stronger than I look, Mr. Carter. And this is by far not the worst wound I've received... nor is it likely to be the last."

"I forgot that I was talking with Super-girl," he laughed, a bit of annoyance seeing in. I could tell that it didn't sit well with him, what I did. I smile brightly.

"I'm not super-girl. I'm just really, really talented. If you do something better than everyone else, why not do it so you can help people? Doing stuff like this," I shrug, "it's in my blood... in more ways than one."

"Maybe," he said, giving in and smiling. "Commander Une and several of the ESUN Council wants to give you a medal for what you did. And I... I wanted to thank you. You rescued me, you saved my life."

"In return you saved mine," I admitted. "Honestly, I think that makes us just about equals. So... how about we start all this off on the right foot? Star over? Together, as equals... on the same page?"

"I kinda liked the way we met, minus the killing parts," he joked softly, "but I understand."

He held out his hand to me. "Hello. My name's Brandon Carter, son of Lily and Nathan."

Smiling, I took his hand. A small tingle went up my arm from the contact.

"Hello, Brandon," I replied. "My name's Trinity Maxwell-Chang, daughter of Duo and Wufei. It's a pleasure to meet you."

When he smiled at me, I could forget the pain inside me, I could forget just about anything.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Trinity."

The End

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AN: Yay! *does victory dance* And another one finished!!!! Yes!!!! There will be another Trinity/Brandon fic being posted soon. And the next chapter of Empathy as well!!! Thanks for reading!!!

And PS... everyone go check out YouTube and the video Waking Up In Vagas. It's by Animechan123 and it's a vid/trailer/advertisement thingy for my 3x4 fic Waking Up In Vegas!!!! I WUV YOU, GIRL!!! THANK YOU!!!!