ºDeceiving Fateº
CHAPTER X:
Tired after their long day of exercise, everyone trudged back to the house. Before she rounded the corner, Quatre stopped Courtney and she whirled around to face him. She seemed a bit surprised when she suddenly found herself face-to-face with Quatre.
"What, Quatre?" she said finally.
"Well, I was wondering… well, that is, I kinda wanted to know if you'd like to- well, what I mean is-" he stuttered. Quatre took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Would you… like to go out to dinner tonight?" Courtney was shocked. GO FOR IT! her heart screamed. NOW'S YOUR CHANCE! She searched her mind for the right words to say. She didn't want to say no, but then again, she didn't want to sound too eager, either.
"Well, I-"
"If you don't wanna go, that's fine. I understand," Quatre lied.
"No no! I'd love to go!" Oh no, now she'd done it. Her thoughts were dismissed when his face brightened.
"You do?" Courtney smiled, blushing a little at his eager expression.
"Yeah, I, uh, didn't know if I'd have anything to wear," she lied. Quatre looked relieved.
"Oh, well that's ok. Just wear something nice; anything that makes you look pretty. Well, not that you're NOT pretty, I mean, you're VERY pretty, but, uh, I meant-" Courtney giggled, a little embarrassed.
"It's ok, I know." Quatre looked ready to beat himself up.
"Yeah, well…"
"I guess I'll see you tonight, then," she said. "I gotta go grab the shower before Lizz does. Chlorine's not good for the hair." Quatre laughed.
"Yeah, I suppose so. See ya, Court."
"See ya." She turned away and headed for the house.
"Oh, and Court?" Courtney turned around and looked at him hopefully. Please let him say what I think he's going to say…! Please! she urged inside.
"Yeah?" I love you… Quatre couldn't bring himself to say it.
"N- Never mind."
"Oh, alright." Courtney turned away again, a little disappointed. She walked inside the house and closed the door. Quatre hesitated, still around the corner. He hadn't followed her inside. Quatre looked around to make sure no one was watching. All clear…
"YES!!!!"
Courtney walked into the room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a minute. Had those last few minutes been real, or a dream? She wasn't quite sure. But she did understand the giddy feeling in her heart. "I just can't believe it. It HAD to have been a dream," she said to herself.
"What was a dream?" Lizz asked, coming out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. Courtney jumped.
"Oh, Lizz. I didn't know you were there," Court said nervously.
"What was a dream?" Lizz repeated.
"Nothing," she said quickly.
"Courtney…"
"Fine, fine! Oy! Is nothing sacred?" Lizz laughed.
"Sorry, but you know me. Nosy to the core." It was Courtney's turn to laugh.
"Yeah." Courtney took a deep breath. "Promise not to tell?"
"Promise, cross my heart, hope to die." Courtney sighed. She finally gathered up her courage.
"Well, I've got a, um… date, tonight." Lizz was shocked.
"WITH WHO, WITH WHO, WITH WHO!?" She practically jumped up and down with excitement.
"I'll give you one guess and it doesn't count," Courtney said, smiling.
"Seriously!? Quatre?! Did he ask you, or you ask him?" Courtney laughed.
"Do I REALLY have to tell you?"
"YOU MEAN HE ACTUALLY ASKED?!" Courtney just nodded. "Good grief!" Lizz flopped onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Do ya think Duo'll ever ask ME out?"
"I'm sure he will," Courtney reassured her.
"Really?" Court smiled.
"Yeah."
Duo spit out his coffee. "A DATE!?"
"Shh, keep it down!" Quatre hissed. "I don't want the whole WORLD to know!"
"Sorry. But it just surprised me." Quatre frowned.
"Why?"
"Well, you, uh, just don't seem the, well, type-" Quatre laughed.
"I know what you mean. I could hardly believe it myself!"
"Man, Quatre, I envy you. I wish I had your kinda courage."
"Courage? Are you nuts?! I was scared to death!"
"But you asked her, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but-"
"See, courage. You actually asked her. Me, I chicken out 'fore I even get her attention!" Duo sighed. "I just can't do it!" He pounded the table with his fist in his frustration. Quatre sat down next to him.
"Yes you can. Want a tip?"
"Sure," Duo replied monotonously.
"…Don't look her in the face." Duo laughed. "No, I'm serious! I couldn't even look at her!" Dou continued laughing. He shook his head.
"We're both hopeless," he said finally. "But thanks for the pick-up anyway."
"Welcome, Duo. Well, I better go take a shower. See ya later."
A young man with short, dark hair walked into the gloomy room. The only things inside were a few vid-screens and a large roller-chair. He stood there a few minutes, obviously waiting for something. "I was told you had news for me, McGregor," came a voice. Whoever it was was obviously sitting in the chair, but no living thing was visible. The sound of typing filled the room, and the screens began to slowly change, each one bringing up a full visual file of each of the five Gundam pilots.
"Yes sir, I do. Winner is going out tonight." The typing stopped.
"You disturbed me for THIS? I'm disappointed in you, McGregor."
"Well, sir, that's not all." The figure in the chair sighed.
"Go on then," he said.
"He's going out… with a GIRL, sir."
"A GIRL?"
"Yes sir." The man in the chair smiled an evil smile, hidden in the shadows.
"And does he have FEELINGS for this girl…?"
"Yes sir, he does." There was a moment of silence in the room. The blue glow from the screens filled the room.
"Well, this COULD play to our advantage. Have you informed Evers?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Do so. I want him informed."
"Yes sir. Will that be all, sir?"
"Yes, yes, that'll be fine, McGregor." The one known as McGregor left the room. "Well well, looks like we have a bit of an edge on this pilot…" The vid-screens changed to bring up numerous files on Quatre Raberba Winner, pilot of the Sandrock Gundam. The figure in the chair laughed, his cruel mind already thinking of plots for his sick satisfaction.
Courtney searched frantically through her many drawers and bags of clothes for something to wear tonight. She had about half an hour to get ready, and she was completely stumped. "NO NO NO! UGH! I spend FIVE HOURS shopping and I still have NOTHING to wear!" She decided to re-search the closet as Lizz walked into the room.
"Whatcha… doing?" Lizz asked, surveying the mess that the room was now in.
"I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING TO WEAR! DARN IT!!" Courtney wrenched open the closet door and searched through all of her nicer dresses. "No, no, no…" She sighed and turned to Lizz. "Can you help me?"
"I dunno… I was never much for fashion," she stated.
"PLEASE?" Courtney looked at her hopelessly. Lizz sighed.
"Fine." She walked over to the closet. "Hmmm…" Lizz searched through the clothes, examining each one with care. "How about this one?" she asked, holding out a one-sleeve cranberry dress, complete with slanted bottom and ruffles.
"Erm… no, don't think so," Courtney said. "A bit too… bright." Lizz shrugged.
"Ok then… how about THIS one?" Lizz held up a sleeveless black dress. It was rather short, and the skirt was split on both sides, held together by tiny gold chains. Around the waist, at least in the front, was another gold chain, and the outfit was completed with two black cuffs, meant to be worn on the upper-arms. Courtney's eyes widened.
"It's PERFECT!" She snatched it from Lizz's grasp and ran into the bathroom. Once changed, she walked out of the bathroom, barefoot. "What do ya think?" she asked. Lizz smiled.
"It suits you," she said. "But what about shoes…?" Lizz went back into the closet and pulled out a pair of high-heeled, black sandals. She looked at her friend with a questioning look.
"Wow! Forgot I had those…" Courtney grinned. Slipping them on her once-bare feet, Courtney stood in front of the mirror and turned around a few times. "I think I like it!" she said with satisfaction.
"Yeah, but will Quatre?" Lizz teased, knowing the effect it would have on Court. The American froze.
"Oh my gosh! What if he doesn't like it?! What if-"
"Calm down, Court. I was joking. He'll love it."
"Ya think so?"
"Sure. Now let's do something with that face of yours." Lizz steered her into the bathroom.
"Where IS she?" Quatre tapped his foot impatiently and looked at his watch. Courtney actually wasn't late, but Quatre was anxious. He was so nervous… Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Quatre jumped, then, gathering himself, turned around. "Oh, hello Duo."
"Hey Quatre! Waiting for Courtney?" Quatre nodded.
"Yeah."
"Ya nervous?"
"OH yeah!" Quatre smiled. "I can't wait to see her, but then again I sort of dread going out tonight… What if I make a fool of myself?" Duo looked him in the face and smiled.
"Don't worry, you won't."
"Yeah, right." Lizz ran down the stairs and caught sight of Quatre, running over to him.
"Oh! Good! Here you are! Oh, hello Duo," she added, noticing him standing there.
"…Hi." Lizz turned Quatre to face the stairs.
"Ok, Court! Come on down!!!"
"…Do I have to…?" came the weak reply.
"You can't back out NOW!"
"…Is Quatre there?"
"Well, DUH!"
"…I CAN'T DO IT!" Lizz sighed.
"Be right back…" she trudged up the stairs and tried to coax Courtney downstairs. "Come on! Do you really want to back out now?"
"No…"
"Then GO!" Lizz shoved Courtney into view over to the railing near the stairs that over-looked the living room.
"…Hey, Quatre…" Courtney grinned, a little embarrassed. Quatre's jaw dropped. She looked wonderful. Duo peered around Quatre's shoulder and popped his mouth shut. Quatre shook himself out of his trance and smiled up at her.
"Hey, Courtney." Lizz appeared behind Courtney and steered her towards the stairs. Courtney started down them, Lizz following her, almost like a shadow. Courtney finally stepped off the bottom step and started towards both boys.
"Well, what do you think?" Lizz asked, peaking from behind Courtney.
"I think she looks nice!" Duo said. Courtney laughed.
"Thanks, Duo. Lizz, erm, helped…" Lizz grinned.
"Yeah, you look, um, great!" Quatre couldn't quite find the words to say.
"You don't like it…?" Courtney asked, frowning a little.
"Oh, no! I do, I really do!" Quatre said quickly. That didn't come out right at all…
"He's just, kinda, speechless, that's all, Court," Duo said. Quatre looked ready to kill. Catching his gaze, Duo cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we'll just, leave you two alone… C'mon Lizz!" Duo grabbed her arm before she could object and dragged her into the kitchen. "Have fun!" Duo called. He closed the door quickly. Courtney, a little confused, just stared at the door for a moment.
"What was… THAT all about…?"
"Nothing. Let's get going." Courtney shrugged.
"Alright. Let's take my car, they might need the SUV."
"Oh, alright. Should I drive, or you?" Quatre grinned at her.
"…I suppose you can drive," she said, giving in to his adorable smile.
"Yay! They NEVER let me drive anymore. Always Trowa or Heero…" Courtney laughed as they walked out the door.
"Why does that not reassure me?"
"Hey, I can drive!" he defended. Quatre grabbed the keys off they're hook and shut the door.
"Duo, what was THAT all about?!" Lizz exclaimed, watching the nervous young man search through the fridge absent-mindedly.
"Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing," he replied quickly.
"Uh HUH." Lizz sighed and shrugged. "Oh well. I'll never know." She sat down at the table and rested her head in her hands. Her elbow touched something cold. At first she thought someone had spilt something on the table, but when she looked it was a silver necklace.
"Hey, who's necklace? Yours?" Duo asked her, sitting down across from her.
"No. I don't think it's Courtney's…" Quatre rushed back into the room and snatched it off the table.
"Forgot that!" he said as he ran out of the kitchen. Both Lizz and Duo looked at each other, an eyebrow raised. Lizz opened her mouth to say something, but Duo interrupted her before she uttered a sound.
"We'll never know."
Quatre practically jumped back into the car. "What was it you forgot, Quatre?" Courtney asked as he started the little Volkswagen.
"My wallet," he lied, starting down the driveway.
"Oh." There was an awkward silence as Quatre finally pulled out onto the street. Neither one spoke for a while. So, uh," Courtney stuttered, "where are we, um, going?" Quatre smiled.
"It's a surprise," he said simply.
"Oh c'mon! Tell me, Quatre!" she pleaded.
"No." Quatre shook his head.
"PLEASE?" He looked over at her, taking his eyes off the road for a second. She looked so pathetic…
"Oh alright." Courtney's face brightened. "Hope you like Mexican food."
"Mexican?!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, did I make the wrong choice?"
"No, it's great! I LOVE Mexican food!!" Quatre, again, looked relieved.
"Thank goodness." Courtney laughed.
"Yeah. Wouldn't you be embarrassed if I didn't like Mexican foods!"
"Yeah," he muttered. "Oh, look, here we are!" He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. "Ready?"
"As ready as I'm gonna be," she replied.
"Then let's go!"
They walked into the restaurant arm-in-arm, both of them feeling a little nervous. After all, this was their first date. "Ah, Señor Winner!" Someone said in a strong Spanish accent. "How good it is to see you again!" Quatre nodded.
"Hello, Miguel. How have you been?"
"Bien, bien! (translation: Fine, fine) And you?"
"Fine, thank you." Miguel had not noticed Courtney until now.
"And who is this lovely señorita?" he asked. Court blushed.
"Miguel, I'd like you to meet Miss Courtney Richards. She and her friend Lizz are staying with us for the time being," he said in his formal tone.
"How good of you to come, Señorita Richards. Welcome to my restaurant! Señor Winner is one of our favorite guests, and, as you say, any friend of his is a friend of ours. Welcome!" he repeated. Courtney felt rather awkward, but knowing he had the best intentions, smiled and thanked him anyway.
"I'm glad to be here. I absolutely love Mexican food!" Miguel smiled.
"Not wanting to boast, señorita, but I believe we have the finest in the whole city!" Quatre put a hand on his shoulder.
"That you do, Miguel. Well, we'd best get seated."
"I shall escort you myself!"
The doorbell rang. "I got it!" Lizz yelled as she ran to the door. Opening it revealed a young woman about her own age with short, shoulder-length blonde hair. She was wearing a blue tank top, embroidered around the collar with white roses, with white jean shorts to go with them. The girl seemed surprised at seeing Lizz at the door instead of a familiar face. "…Who are you?" Lizz asked bluntly, shocked to see a girl on their front porch.
"RAE!" Duo yelled in recognition. "What are YOU doing here?" Lizz was even more shocked at this. He KNEW this girl?!
"I figured I'd stop by on my way to town. You KNOW I don't get down here that often. Dad's not too high on me going out alone."
"Yeah," Duo said, smiling.
"…You know her?" Lizz asked warily.
"Oh, sure! She and I go WAY back!" Rae laughed.
"Yeah, we do." Lizz felt a little left out, having not been introduced yet. She cleared her throat, trying to get Duo's attention. Rae giggled. "Who's this, Duo?" she asked, catching what Lizz was trying to say. Duo jumped once he realized whom she meant.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Lizz! Lizz, meet Rae Hendricks. Rae, this is Lizz Wright. She and her friend, Courtney, are staying with us."
"She lives with you?"
"…Yeah, so? You did too, once."
"I know, I was just confirming-"
"Look, we're not doing anything, Rae. Courtney and I are staying in the area, and Duo sort of RELIEVED us of our hotel payments." Rae looked relieved.
"Ok." Rae turned to Duo. "So, where's the rest of the gang? I wanna say 'hi' before I go off shopping." Duo shrugged.
"Well, Quatre's, um, out-"
"Really? Wow, I never thought he was the type to go out by himself!" Duo smiled nervously.
"Yeah, well that's the way it goes!" He laughed a little. "So anyway, Wufei and Heero are probably working on something upstairs, and Trowa's… Well, I'm not too sure about Trowa." Duo grinned a goofy grin.
"Well, if Heero's busy, I'll just stop by on my way back, if it's not too late." She started for the door. Opening it, she turned around. "Tell Heero that I need to talk to him!"
"I will!" Duo called.
"Alright, bye!" She closed the door after her. Lizz immediately turned on Duo.
"And WHO was SHE?!" she demanded of the startled young man.
"Well, uh-"
"She's your girlfriend, isn't she? I KNEW it!" Lizz whirled around to leave the room when he put a firm hand on her shoulder.
"No, she's not." Lizz turned around. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions." She crossed her arms.
"Fine. Explain." Duo gulped at the look she was giving him, but continued.
"After Hilde, my first girlfriend, Rae and I dated a few times, but-"
"Ah HA!" Duo frowned, a little ticked off at her numerous interruptions.
"Now hear me out, let me finish!" he yelled, a little louder and more intimidating than he'd intended. Lizz, a little surprised, only nodded. Duo sighed. "After Hilde, we dated a few times, but it wasn't serious. We broke it off a while back, and decided to just be friends, like we were. I've got someone else now." Lizz rolled her eyes.
"And who would that be?" she asked, still frustrated. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.
"Well, I'm not sure of her name, but let's just say you know her personally," he said as he pulled her close and kissed her lightly. Wufei, Heero, and Trowa peered through the rail at the head of the stairs.
"Look at that, it's disgusting," Wufei whispered. "That traitor."
"I see nothing wrong with it," Trowa argued. "He's enjoying himself. Let him, while it lasts." Wufei just mumbled and walked back to his room.
Dinner had gone well, and both Quatre and Courtney had thoroughly enjoyed it. The fajitas they'd had were especially good, and Courtney had complimented Miguel several times, making him blush every time. Now they were enjoying pleasant conversation, laughing and reflecting on the past hour or so. Suddenly, Courtney realized that they weren't headed home.
"Um, Quatre?" she asked.
"Yes?" he asked back, smiling at her.
"Aren't we, uh, going the wrong way?"
"No," he said matter-of-factly.
"But, aren't we going home?" she asked, even more confused.
"Who told you that?" he asked with a knowing smile. Courtney cocked her head and looked at him questioningly, but he wouldn't say any more. So she sat back in her seat and let him carry her away- where ever they were going.
Lizz and Duo sat on the couch, with his arm around her shoulders, talking, while Duo flipped the channels with his free arm. Duo sighed and put down the remote control. "Why isn't there ever anything on?" he asked, exasperated. Lizz shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. I didn't want to watch anything but you," she replied. Duo blushed and didn't say anything at first.
"You- you mean that?" he stuttered, not daring to look her in the face.
"'Course I do, Duo," Lizz said. "You know that, I know you do." Duo just smiled and gazed at her. She stared back lovingly into his own crisp blue eyes. They were like an endless sea, constantly sparkling as the sun reflected off the surface. As for her own, she didn't think too kindly of them. Just plain brown, as she saw them. But to Duo, they were beautiful. Like the rest of her. Duo leaned a little closer, and she gazed carefully at him.
"Lizz?" he asked softly, his gaze faltering for a moment.
"Yes, Duo?" He paused.
"I'm hungry." Lizz burst out laughing and hit him with the pillow that sat on the couch behind her.
"Duo, you are truly something else," she laughed, getting up from the couch. "Well, I suppose we should go find something to eat." Duo eagerly followed her into the kitchen.
Quatre steered the car down a gravel road that looked as if it hadn't been used in years. There were no signs, and they were now so far away from town that the only available light was no longer the street lights and fluorescent signs; it was the moon. The many trees cast shadows along the path they traveled, creating the effect of painted stripes on the ground. All the way down the road they remained silent, Quatre smiling and Courtney merely confused. The car began to slow and Courtney looked out the window. She didn't have a clue as to where they were, but Quatre did- only he wouldn't tell her. As the car pulled to a stop, Quatre looked over at her and his smile broadened.
"I know you're not going to be too thrilled, but," he almost laughed at this point, "Close your eyes." Courtney smiled and looked back at him.
"If I must," she replied as he got out of the car and went around to her side. She heard him open the car door and felt his hand touch hers as he almost lifted her from the ground. Her eyes still closed, Quatre began to lead her down a small footpath deeper into the trees. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," was all he would say. He continued to lead her down the path, and a familiar sound met her ears as she and Quatre stepped out from under the shelter of the trees' many boughs.
"Do I hear water?" she asked, and Quatre let go of her hand.
"Stay here," he said. She stood there for a moment, alone and almost afraid. Where had he gone? What was happening? Would he be back soon? She almost opened her eyes to look around, but heard footsteps coming towards her. Quatre took her hand and lead her along a little further. Eventually, he stopped. He let go of her hand again and walked a few paces in front of her. "You can open your eyes now." She did. What met her eyes made her gasp. There was a small sailboat sitting at the edge of a giant lake, the surface of which seemed to glow as the moon's light reflected off the water. It was perfect. And there was Quatre, in the midst of it all. The moonlight lit up his whole face, and he was happy. Perfectly happy. And smiling, too. …Smiling at her. Courtney wanted to melt into a puddle of slush on the spot.
"Well, what do ya think?" he asked finally, though he already knew the answer. They say a picture's worth a thousand words; well, her expression was worth plenty.
"It's wonderful," she whispered in awe, still taking in all that was around her. He stepped forward and took her hand, leading her to the tiny sailboat.
"Come on, get in," he urged. She stepped gingerly into the boat and sat down. Quatre pushed it into the water and jumped in before it left the land completely, rocking the boat. Courtney grabbed the sides as a sudden pang of fear swept over her. He eased her left hand off the boat and held it in his own. "Hey, it's ok, it's over," Quatre reassured her. She blushed a little and looked away.
"I just thought…" her voice trailed off as she watched the surface of the water. She watched the ripples as they extended from the boat and spread across the lake. When she looked back up at him, he was still smiling at her, but seemed a bit concerned.
"You ok?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Courtney replied. She smiled back and Quatre, seemingly satisfied with her answer, scooted a little closer as the wind swept them further out into the lake. Still holding her hand, he looked up at the sky, almost expectantly, and said:
"Watch." She followed his gaze, and suddenly the whole sky lit up with fireworks. She laughed and turned to look back at the handsome young man across from her.
"Did you plan this?" she asked slyly. Quatre, too, laughed.
"No, actually, I didn't," he replied. "It's kind of a colony thing. Every Monday night throughout the months of May, June, and July, they set off fireworks. It's a bit of a pick-up for those of us who don't particularly care for Mondays and what they bring." Courtney smiled more at this.
"People like me, then." They both laughed and continued to watch the fireworks. They were beautiful, the bursts of brilliant color. Reds, greens, blues, and all sorts of other colors lit up the sky one by one. And if that wasn't astonishing enough, the whole sky was reflected in the calm waters below. They sat there until they were over, occasionally commenting on the arrangements and laughing and just plain enjoying themselves. When the last spark of color had fallen from the sky, and once the last boom had resounded its last, Quatre leaned closer to Courtney.
"How did you like them?"
"They were wonderful, Quatre. Truly spectacular."
"Like you." Courtney blushed, but this time didn't turn away. She felt a little more comfortable with him now, and could look him in the face. "Courtney?"
"Yes?" It was Quatre's turn to redden.
"This is a bit personal, so you don't exactly have to answer, but- well, have you ever, like, been in love before?" Courtney's shoulders relaxed. So that was all? She thought she could handle it.
"Not really…" she admitted. "At least," she said at length, "not 'til now." She smiled at him, but it wasn't an embarrassed sort of smile, it was genuine. Quatre smiled back. Courtney took a deep breath. "Ok, my turn," she said, grinning a little. Quatre shook his head in amusement.
"Knew it was coming," he said teasingly. She laughed, then continued with her question.
"Have you ever, well, had a first kiss?"
"No," he replied, reddening a little more. Courtney seemed surprised.
"Really? Never? Me either!" she admitted, laughing a little.
"Really?" he asked back. "Man, what a relief, I thought I was labeled a loser forever!" he added, laughing. She laughed too.
"But seriously, Quatre. Never?" she asked again. Quatre shook his head. "Well, I'd think that SOME girl would have enough sense to, I dunno, do SOMETHING. I mean, look at you, you're c-" Courtney stopped, and thought of something else to say. Just say it, Court! He's-
"I'm what?" he asked, suspicious in an amused sort of way.
"Well you're, I mean, you're…" she gulped and finished softly: "Cute." This surprised him so much that he almost fell out of the boat in shock.
"What? Cute? ME?" he asked, suddenly full of questions. Courtney nodded and turned a deep shade of red. He smiled and held her close.
"Well, I think you're beautiful." She looked up at him, eyes shining.
"Really?"
"Yeah." She stared at him as he smiled down at her, longing to get closer to him. He was just so warm, not in his body, but in his heart.
"So never had a first kiss, huh?" He leaned a bit closer.
"Not 'til now." And he pulled her closer and kissed her. (A warmth spread over her body like nothing she'd ever known. She wished the moment could last forever, but knew it couldn't. At last Quatre pulled away, and reached for his back pocket. Bringing his hand back into view, which was now balled into a fist, he opened her hand and Courtney felt something cold slip into it. Opening her hand, she saw that there was the very same necklace she'd seen in the store, sitting right there in her palm!
"Quatre, I can't-"
"Sure you can. It's a gift. You're supposed to accept it." He took it and unclasped the ends, then proceeded to hook it back together around her neck. He leaned backwards and stared at her for a moment. "It suits you," Quatre said. Courtney reached her hand up to feel the locket around her neck. She fingered it for a moment, then stared up at Quatre.
"Thank you," was all she managed to get out. He smiled and nodded.
"When you wear it, no matter where I am, think of me. I'll always be there."
"In my heart," she added. She leaned forward and gave him a squeeze. "Thank you so much. For everything."
"Anything for you," he replied. She pecked him lightly on the cheek and looked towards the shore. "You wanna go home?" Quatre asked. She shook her head.
"I don't want to, but I know I have to sometime," Court replied, smiling. So Quatre turned the sail and they slowly drifted towards the coast.
"So, Hendricks, you know about the girl, then?" The man known as Hendricks sat in a chair across from someone else. Hendricks was a graying man, looking like he was in his early forties. This round glasses were propped on the end of his nose, and his dark eyes were gray and cold. He smiled an evil smile, and almost laughing, replied:
"Know about her? I brought her here! Her and her little friend, too." The man in the other chair seemed a bit shocked, and he hesitated for a moment.
"There are TWO girls?" Hendricks nodded. "And you say you brought them here." He nodded again.
"That's correct." Once again, the other man paused.
"From where?"
"The past."
"What do you mean, the past? How on earth-"
"It's a simple process, really," Hendricks interrupted. "I won't bore you with the details, but I basically- How can I put this is simple terms?" Hendricks paused. "I built a time machine."
"A TIME MACHINE?" The other man sat forward, and the back of his head became visible. He was around the same age as Hendricks. His light hair was turning white around his ears. "Why wasn't I informed?" Hendricks smirked.
"That just goes to show you how LOYAL your 'employees' are to you, Grey." Grey narrowed his eyes.
"I don't like your tone, Hendricks." Hendricks chuckled.
"You never have," he said matter-of-factly.
"Which is why you work UNDER me now, John."
"I may work under you, but I'll always be superior. You know that. You have since high school. One day I'll be on top again, you'll see." Hendricks crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. So did Grey.
"Over my dead body."
"That can be arranged."
"You don't scare me, John."
"You listen to me, Luke, I swear, one day, you'll be sitting in your grave while I control what used to be yours. I'll have everything, and you'll have nothing. You just wait!" Grey laughed.
"Again with the idle threats, eh Hendricks?" Grey laughed again and shook his head. "Ha! I think it's you who will be lying in the grave."
"You won't kill me. You need me. Face it. Without me, you're NOTHING." Grey glared at the scientist across from him.
"You're excused, Hendricks." Hendricks stood up and walked towards the door. "Oh, and John?" Hendricks turned around. "See to it that your head doesn't get any bigger. I don't feel like putting up with it." Hendricks glared back at Grey and left the room enraged. Grey glared at the door for a few more seconds, then swiveled in his chair to press the button on his intercom.
"Yes, Mr. Grey?" came the voice of a young woman. "What can I do for you?"
"Send a few spies over to the pilots' home. I want a little more information on these… girls…."
"Yes sir, right away."
Laughter filled the living room as Duo finished telling his 10th joke that night. Even Heero was laughing, which is VERY rare. (a/n: Don't I know it.) Wufei walked into the room and began complaining about how loud they were. "Don't you people realize I have work to do?" he asked, annoyed. Lizz finally managed to control her giggles.
"Oh, there you are!" she said. "Hey Duo, tell him the one about the panda and the restaurant!" Duo laughed.
"Ok, sure. Alright, once there was this panda, and-" Heero held up his hand for silence.
"Hold on a second." Trowa leaned forward.
"What do you hear?" he whispered. Heero's hand went to his pack pocket, where he kept his gun.
"Someone's at the window." Lizz started to look, but stopped when Heero hissed "No! We don't want them to know we know they're there." Lizz nodded and turned back to Wufei.
"So… what HAVE you been doing all this time?" she asked, as Heero signaled for them all to continue as normal. He stood up and crept out the back door, gun in hand.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," he replied with a smirk. Lizz crossed her arms.
"You're awfully stubborn, you know that?" Wufei was about to reply when they heard yelling and gunshots outside.
"RUN!"
"IT'S THAT YUY GUY!"
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"
"COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARDS!!!" Quite a few more shots were fired and a yelp of pain came from someone outside. More gunshots. More screaming. Everyone rushed to the window, but it was too dark outside to see anything. Duo ran outside, followed by everyone else when ("I THINK I GOT HIM!") a cry came from Heero. A small car backed out of the driveway in a hurry, and, tires screeching, zoomed out of sight. Duo kneeled next to Heero, who was clutching his shoulder and muttering curse words under his breath.
"Heero, are you all right?" Lizz asked as Duo helped him up.
"Sure, just peachy," he replied, still clutching his shoulder. He walked back into the house, and Lizz followed so she could help him with his bandage. The other three boys stared down the road, as if they expected their attackers to come back.
"Who do you think it was?" Duo asked finally.
"I'm not sure, but whoever it was, they'll be back," Wufei answered.
The ride home was silent, except for the soft tune coming from the radio. Courtney hummed along occasionally, being the fast learner that she was. Quatre just smiled as he watched her gaze out the window. He turned his gaze back to road in time to see a car speeding towards them along it. "What the…?" They were well over the speed limit. They swerved around the corner with such speed that they veered into the right lane and Quatre had to turn the wheel so sharply to avoid them that they went into the ditch. Courtney was wide-eyed, scared, and confused. She started shaking as Quatre took off his seatbelt and turned his whole body toward her. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling a bit. Quatre shook his head.
"Probably some drunk driver. I barely missed them!" Courtney took off her seat belt, and trying to avoid the broken glass on the seat followed Quatre out of the driver's side, as her door was jammed shut next to the ground. Once out of the ditch, they both turned around to sum up the damage to the car. "Our car!" she exclaimed. "Look what happened to our car!" Courtney sighed. "Great. This is just great." Quatre put his arm around her drooping shoulders and hugged her.
"C'mon. Looks like we have to walk home." Courtney sighed again.
"Ok, let's go." They slowly started walking down the road when Quatre glanced behind them for one last look at the ruined car. His eyes grew two times their usual size and he yelled "GET DOWN!" Quatre pulled her to the ground as the car burst into flame. Courtney covered her head with her hands as pieces of metal flew around. When everything settled back down, both lifted their heads to see that the car was completely engulfed in fire.
"My car…" Courtney muttered. She was scared, and her face was showing it. It was pale, and there were tears welling up in her eyes. He helped her up and they brushed themselves off. After checking each other for cuts and bruises (they both had quite a few), they set off down the road again, with one last glance at the burning ball of flame that USED to be a car.
The boys were heading back into the house to check on Heero when they heard an explosion from far off, and saw the glow of a blaze a few miles off. "What in the world?" Duo asked. Wufei shrugged, and Trowa continued staring at the red light.
"Think we should go check it out?" he asked. Wufei nodded.
"I'll go tell Yuy where we're going." Duo laughed.
"Knowing him, he'll probably want to go too."
"Wait a second, Quatre." Quatre stopped and turned around, wondering what on earth Courtney could want now. What he saw made him laugh. She'd taken off her shoes and, muttering something, thrown them aside.
"It's not funny! Ever tried to walk a few miles in heels?" Quatre tried to control himself.
"No, can't say that I have," he said, snickering a little. Courtney just glared at him as she stormed off ahead of him. Quatre rolled his eyes and, still shaking his head, followed after her. As they rounded the corner, they saw a pair of headlights coming toward them. Making their way to the side of the road, the car slowed down next to them. The driver's side window rolled down to reveal the driver.
"DUO?" both of them exclaimed.
"Hey guys. Need a ride?"
Duo, Wufei, and Trowa asked them a ton of questions on the way home. "So it was YOUR car that we saw burning?"
"Yeah," Quatre answered, with a glance at Courtney, who had fallen asleep and was now leaning against his shoulder. "Some crazy driver swerved around the corner too fast and ran us off the road."
"Funny. What road were you on?"
"Uh…" Quatre thought about this for a minute. "I think it was Macon, but I'm not sure…" Trowa looked at Wufei, and he nodded. Quatre looked confused.
"Did something happen while we were gone?"
"Yeah, we had a run-in with some idiots. Spies for someone. There weren't any SERIOUS injuries-" Quatre interrupted Duo.
"What do you mean?"
"Heero went to see who it was, and there was a lot of gun-fire…"
"Is he alright?"
"Just a shoulder wound, no biggie."
"No biggie?"
"Hey, he can take care of himself, remember? Besides, Lizz is helping him out at home."
"And what about the rest of you? Is Lizz ok?"
"Oh yeah, she's fine," Duo replied.
"Wish I could say the same for Court…"
"Whatcha mean? She's ok, isn't she?"
"Well, physically, yes," he answered, "but she's had quite a shock."
"She'll get over it," said Wufei.
"I hope so," he said, running his finger along her cheek.
"Heero, I just want to help!"
"I've got it! Just leave me alone!" They heard the yelling even before they walked up to the door. Duo sighed.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Wufei scoffed.
"Leave it to a woman-"
"Shut up, 'Fei," Courtney retorted. They opened the door, and the screaming increased.
"FINE, I DON'T WANT TO HELP ANYMORE!"
"GOOD! JUST GO AWAY!" Lizz came storming down the hall and looked over the balcony to find Courtney and the others standing on the threshold.
"Courtney! You're back!" She ran down the stairs and hugged her. Courtney winced. "Oh, I'm sorry Court, I didn't realize you were hurt! Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, rubbing her sore shoulder. The group filed into the living room and sat down as Lizz went to go grab some Band-Aids.
"I thought I told you to go away," came Heero's voice.
"Oh shut up, Yuy, I'm not here for you." She snatched the Band-Aids and a bottle of peroxide and went back downstairs, leaving Heero angry and confused. She handed them to Quatre. "Here, you can use these. Heero's still got the cotton."
"We noticed," Court replied as she followed Quatre into the kitchen. Lizz sat down in the now vacant seat on the couch and sighed.
"So what was all that screaming about when we came home?" Trowa asked. Lizz started laughing.
"Heero's a wimp when it comes to peroxide," she replied. All four of them started laughing. Courtney popped her head in.
"What's so funny?" Lizz waved her off.
"Never mind, tell you later." Courtney shrugged and went back to cleaning her scrapes.
"OW! Court, quit!" Duo snickered.
"Apparently Heero isn't the only one." They started laughing as Heero started down the stairs. "Oh, Heero! How you doing?" Duo asked.
"Better," Heero replied. He rubbed his sore shoulder, which was now bandaged completely. He sat down on the couch next to Lizz. She scooted a little closer to Duo and muttered:
"Wimp." Heero glared at her. Duo, trying to keep a straight face, walked into the kitchen to check on Quatre and Courtney. He came back, laughing.
"What is it, Maxwell?" Wufei asked.
"Quatre!" was all he would say.
"Hold still!" Courtney yelled.
"Well, excuse me! How would you know whether this hurts or not?" Quatre snapped back.
"I admit it stings, but I've done it since I was little and it doesn't sting THAT much, so quit making such a fuss!" She put her hands on her hips. "You're so stubborn!"
"Stubborn! Ha! Look who's talking!"
"I'm not as stubborn as you are!"
"Yeah, right!"
"Don't make me get out the iodine."
"Hey, you've got open wounds too!" Both of them glared at each other for a few minutes, eyes locked. Then Courtney scoffed, muttered something, and went back to tending her own cuts. Occasionally she'd look back up at him, but didn't say anything. Quatre sighed and looked apologetically at her.
"Hey, I'm sorry. You were just trying to help and I blew my top." Courtney sighed and shook her head.
"It was my fault, too. You don't need the peroxide if you don't want it."
"It doesn't sting THAT much; I'll live. But I guess I would've died if you were mad at me much longer. I can't STAND it when you're mad at me. I feel like such a jerk."
"Don't." She put her hand on his and smiled.
"…Though you are kinda cute when you're mad…" She hit him playfully and laughed.
"Silly." Courtney took the box of band-aids and applied one to her shoulder. "There, that should do it. You gonna be ok?"
"C'mon Court, you know I'm no good at this," Quatre said, holding up the band-aids and peroxide. "Help me out." He DID look rather pathetic… Courtney sighed and smiled.
"What would you do without me?" she asked, sitting down next to him.
"Shrivel up and die." Courtney laughed and stuck a band-aid on his arm. Lizz popped her head in the doorway.
"You two ok in here? We heard screaming." Both of them looked at each other and laughed. Lizz quirked an eyebrow. "Ok…" With that, she left the room. Courtney and Quatre continued laughing until they were sore. Still giggling a little, Courtney slapped on the last band-aid and they both left the kitchen.
"I see you two are having fun," Duo teased.
"Yeah, sure," Quatre muttered. He glanced at Courtney and she rolled her eyes. She sat down in the loveseat with Quatre (a/n: Get it? Loveseat? They're in LOVE? :p Ok, corny, but hey.).
"So how was it? Well, before the accident, I mean," Lizz asked, trying to start a conversation.
"It was fun," Court said.
"Just fun?" Quatre asked, acting a bit hurt.
"Well, I think what went on between us is our business, not theirs," she answered.
"Ooooh, something SERIOUS happened then!" Lizz exclaimed.
"NO IT DIDN'T!" the two blondes protested in unison. Lizz started laughing.
"Yeah, right."
"It didn't! We just had dinner and-" Quatre stopped and his faced turned a shade redder.
"And?" Lizz asked. Courtney gave her a look that told her not to push it. Lizz pouted a bit and, crossing her arms, leaned back on the couch.
"I'll tell you later," Courtney Mouthed. Lizz nodded. It seemed to cheer her up a bit.
"So, what happened while we were gone?" Quatre asked, trying to change the subject.
"We were attacked," Trowa answered.
"More like Yuy attacked them," Wufei added.
"Would you rather have let them spy on us all night?" Heero retorted. "Personally, I don't want to be killed in my own home! We don't know who they are, who they work for, or what they want with us!"
"Neither do I, but-"
"Ok, calm down, guys," Court told them. "So Heero gets the jump on them, then what?"
"One of 'em got Heero. Then they drove off in a hurry," Duo answered. Quatre nodded.
"And then they ran us off the road." Courtney shuddered as she relived the experience in her mind. Quatre squeezed her hand, and that seemed to dispel her fears in an instant, and she smiled up at him. He smiled back. Lizz quirked an eyebrow and gave Courtney a look. Catching her eye, Court blushed a little and looked away.
"So what now?" Lizz asked. Duo yawned.
"Bed," he said.
"I agree," Heero said. "We can sort things out in the morning."
"I'm planning on hitting the base first thing." Trowa nodded.
"Good idea, Duo." As if sensing some need to be there, Lizz asked:
"Can I go?" She caught Court's eye and Courtney understood.
"I'd like to, too," she added. "It'd give us something extra to put in our report."
"I dunno…" Duo hesitated.
"Please?" Lizz pleaded. Duo sighed.
"I suppose it'd be all right. I'll try to get something arranged."
"Thanks, Duo," Lizz said, smiling. His expression melted into a grin.
"Sure." He yawned again, and, stretching, got up and headed for his room.
"G'night," he said as he ascended the stairs.
"See you in the morning, Duo," Quatre called. Duo waved over his shoulder and walked off down the hall. Trowa and Heero soon followed, with Wufei close behind. Quatre lingered a bit to make sure Court was all right, then also headed off to bed. The girls stayed behind and talked a while.
"I feel so guilty, Court," Lizz admitted. "We're supposed to be protecting them, and I blew it!"
"Don't beat yourself up about it," said Courtney. "I've been goofing off too. Dating the guy you're supposed to be protecting isn't exactly doing your job. Let's face it, we're not cut out for this."
"Yeah. Evers got the wrong girls."
"I'm beginning to think so myself."
"EVERS!" both of them exclaimed.
"Yes, it's me, came the professor's voice. "You girls are doing a poor job. I've been watching you, both of you. Richards, just WHAT do you think you're doing? This is an important mission, not a joyride! And Wright! What in the world were you thinking! Yuy was nearly KILLED!"
"Yeah, we know. Don't have to rub it in," Lizz snapped.
"Yeah, we feel bad enough already," Courtney agreed.
"You'll be hearing more than this is you screw this up! I am NOT going to fail because of two dim-witted WOMEN!"
"If you're so good, why don't you come do it yourself?" Lizz yelled.
"Shhhh!" Court urged. The boys'll suspect something!"
"Let's just hope you don't screw up tomorrow," Evers said. Lizz shut off her com-link.
"Shut up, you idiot," she muttered.
"Can I go to bed now?" Court asked, yawning.
"Yeah. Gotta get up early tomorrow," Lizz told her. "Better sleep while we can."
Grey slammed his fist on his desk. "Blast! You people can't do anything right, can you?" McGregor winced.
"Sorry sir, it won't happen again."
"YOU'RE DARN RIGHT, IT WON'T!" Grey snapped.