Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing in any way. Also, any mentions of the supernatural, or anything to do with cultural beliefs are fictional, and I hold nothing to those of any religious traditions.

AN: Well, I can't help but feel like I'm getting on some people's nerves with this ^^. Suspense stories aren't really the best to post chapter by chapter, are they? Oh joy, a bad day today -_- So I cheered myself up with a couple of your reviews ^^ Well, here we go! *a teensy bit hyper, ne?* Also, I decided that I couldn't keep the secret in anymore, so I'll be giving away about everything this chapter.

To Hououza: Thank you!! I practically got glomped by my friends when they heard ^^. And you have no idea how many times I've seen that XD, this has got to be confusing… oh well, it's easier on me because I know what's going to happen.
     Dragon Faere: lol, I knew you'd see it our way. We all wish Midii had an actual part in the show, but heck… that's what fan-fictions are for!
     The Fic Critic: ooh, I wasn't sure how I did on the characterizing. Hee hee, yes, the ghost part was odd.
     Erinamation-limited2-nothing: : Ooh, I'm hoping no one's that frustrated with my plot. O.o
Okay, that was all, I think. Sorry if I missed you… Oh well, on with the chapter! Oh, and you'll enjoy the opening scene.


Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 22

 Aki glared at her father, than at her uncle, than tried to glare at Duo and Wufei, who were all carrying her into the Preventers building. She then sat back and counted the doors they passed through, before barging in on Lady Une, who was at her desk with Marimaia. Chantelle, who took a moment to digest the familiar face, greeted the girl warmly and they both sat down. Lady Une, on the other hand, looked at the interesting site: Aki being held by four men, each using only one hand, and all with very annoyed faces.

 "What the- in the world is going on here?" Aki nearly laughed out loud at the woman's attempt to keep her speech clean. Marimaia and Chantelle had similar reactions, but the adults seemed, used to this.

 "Aki, has just stuck her life on the line, and insists that she don't repeat things twice." Duo grounded out, and they all dropped the girl in question onto the floor. The rest of the crew walked in, and sat on the couches, chairs, and whatever else was available.

 "How?"

 "Hilde was kidnapped last night. They want an exchange, Aki for Hilde. They say she's valuable…" Zechs trailed off to clap Aki's mouth closed when she opened it to speak. Only moments after, he pulled his hand away as Aki spat in disgust.

 "Gods! What the heck do you do to your hand?" She made a face, her tongue out in front of her face as she mock-choked. Heero looked at Zechs, who was wiping his hands with a napkin, while sending glares towards the girl.

 "Aki…" Chantelle looked around, and burst out laughing. "It's called soap, a lot of people tend to wash their hands in the morning." The raven haired girl looked indignant, while everyone else watched the pair curiously, well except Milliardo.

 "We don't like it when people close our mouths like that, so we developed kind of like an instinct." She gestured to Aki, who was still attempting to get the taste of soap out of her mouth. "We lick their hands, and it usually works."

 "I think I like the taste of dirt better. Ack!"

 "Enough!" The resounding sound of the desk being smack shocked the lot of them, and all eyes turned to Lady Une. "You come in here, a day from Christmas Eve, and this is what I get? Everyone, into the next room, now!"

 Frightened, everyone filed into the next room, which had a large table, and a bunch of chairs. Well, it was way more professional than the little office. Aki was seated on the far side of the wall, with Heero and Zechs on either side.

 "Now, I want an explanation. What the heck is going on here?" All eyes turned to Aki, who wiped her tongue one last time before throwing the napkin away.

 "Oh, about the thing? Ano…" One glare, two glares, three glares, four! "Okay, okay, alright. So, I decided that it'd be easier if I surrendered, you know, but you forget. I had a tracking device on the car, and a listening device. The tracking device should be useful, and the listening one is probably out of use by now. So I was thinking, that if I gave us a couple of days, we could think of a way to get this done?"

 "Aki, stop playing around. You know better than anyone that this is dangerous. This gang is unique, they even have their own, original guns. And, they obviously have skilled fighters." Relena gestured to Duo's black eye. "You will be putting yourself in danger."

 'Not to mention your best soldier is handicapped.' Aki thought, giving Heero a brief glance.

 "This isn't going to be a walk in the park. The carnival has a lot of hiding places, and the guns they have are powerful and accurate, we could all be shot down after only a few steps." Lady Une pointed that one out, obviously thinking about the incident at Dawn's birthday party.

 "Yes, I've thought about that all, but, we have not only the wife of a guy who hides all of his problems life on the hand, but the baby she has too. I can defend myself, and kill, but she can't and won't with the baby."

 Duo seemed to be giving her the evil eye. "Are you saying I'm crazy?" Aki looked over to him, and he was indeed giving her a look.

 "No, I'm saying it won't be good for your mental health if she dies. Considering you were a soldier, you hide everything bad, and that the war has only just finished, you may be a bit, unbalanced." At least Wufei seemed to be considering this.

 "And what if you die? What if it doesn't go right?" Because, she had been too busy having a staring contest with a certain braided Preventer, Aki didn't get to see who had said this. But, she hesitated. This might bring out the whole story, but when was going to be a better time?

 With a deep breath, she relaxed her mind before beginning, "Chantelle, what I'm about to say will surprise you too, because you weren't with me yet when is happened. You were still away, visiting some family, okay?" The girl looked puzzled, but Aki ignored that.

 "All of you, I'm pretty sure, have heard about Arika, right?" Heads nodded ever so slowly. "Well, not long after she died… I did too." Now, she definitely had everyone's attention.

 "What the hell are you talking about?" Oh, now Une swears.

 "It's… complicated, you see, but there was a shooting on the colony, some of you may remember…" A tiny murmur passed through the group, but it was silenced within moments. "Well, I was trying to get Gremlin and Ice through the streets to the hideout, but we ran into some… difficulties. I was shot here," Aki pulled up her sleeves to show an older scar on her shoulder, "here," this time, she gestured to her leg, "and here." She gestured to the spot above her right breast, dangerously close to her heart.

 "I wasn't supposed to make it through the night, and well, yeah. But, while I was in the coma, Arika came to me, how I don't know, but she came. Apparently, he one wish was that I live a full, happy life, like have friends, family that care, and so on. I don't know how she came back from the afterlife, but she spoke to me. She said that it wasn't fair that the both of us had to go before our time, and that the Fates, had put up such dangerous tests for us, and that I should live longer.

 "So, I'm not sure what happened, but she merged with me, and the next thing I know, I was looking at everyone's faces again. Everyone was there, looking at me, and someone screamed, I think. But my bleeding had stopped, and  I was wide awake and healthy. When Chantelle came back, we had already said that this was unnatural beyond doubt, and only those there to witness it should know about it. So, we never told you…"

 The room was deathly silent as she told them everything. Aki fiddled with her locket, before realizing that they might not believe her. So, she opened the locket, which was now half black on her side, and half white on Arika's. Another thing, though, was that her side was becoming gold again. Now, this was odd.

 "But,"  Her mother, this time, had been the first to find her voice. "What does this have to do with anything?" Oh right, she had forgotten about that certain detail…

 "Well, the Fates, the ones who control the afterlife, tracked down Arika's soul. They told us that since Arika was, well, something or the other, I couldn't understand, we were allowed to stay that way, but only until I had fulfilled what Arika wanted of me. Also, they suppressed my memories, so I wouldn't remember about this particular event until I was reminded of it. And since no one was allowed to talk about the incident, I didn't really remember anything until I came to the Peacecraft household.

 "And, well," she took off her locket and laid it on the table, "when they decided that I was only going to live so long, they gave me this, to tell me when I would die. When my side of the locket turns completely black, it's the day of my death. But, it's also turning back to gold around the edges. I don't know what's going on, but I think it means I still have a chance of living. Arika's side is turning white, and it's telling me that she has to go back to the afterlife soon."

 Chantelle, who was now more curious than ever, spoke up next. "How do you figure that?"

 "White, as in the white robes and wings of an angel. You know. No doubt that's what she's going to become." Aki looked at her sister's baby picture in the locket admiringly.

 "I'm tired of this supernatural crap! This still doesn't go completely with you're decision with Hilde!" Duo was obviously annoyed, and Aki sighed. She wished Hilde was here to calm him down, but then  again, he wouldn't be like this if she was here. Oh, now she was confusing herself with useless thoughts…

 "I decided that after this, we'll destroy the gang, from the inside out. No doubt I won't make it the whole way through, so now you have a valid excuse to how I died, because no one will believe this. They know I'm capable of taking care of myself, and that I'm ready to do this kind of thing, so it'll be easier. But if I make it through, it'll be just as good..." She was about to leave it off at that, another thought came to her. She looked straight at Heero and smiled.

 "Hey, now you know why I tend to have a 'double personality'." She gave off a little laugh to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. Instead, it only managed to make Relena smile and lean up against him, still digesting the new information. Finally, after the longest silence, Lady Une stood up. She motioned for Aki to too, which she did with a little glance at everyone.

 "Aki Peacecraft, I give you permission to do this with the aid of these Preventers. Good luck in your goal." They all stared up at them, but gave no comments. Aki shook the woman's hands, noticing Marimaia and Chantelle's helpless looks, and retrieved her locket.

 "I thank you with all that I am worth. And Marimaia, I regret not having the time to grow up with you. Chantelle, I hope you take care of yourself, and tell the others next time you meet them that I'm gone. Be assured, this will be the last time we meet, unless there is some miraculous miracle. Everyone else, feel free to back out of this, since you all have families now. I am not going to risk anyone else's lives." With a smile, she went to stand by the door, waiting for what will happen.

 "Aki." Relena stood up and faced her daughter and Heero. "I'm coming with you. No daughter of mine is going into this, with all due respect. I don't want to have to watch you die from the television screen.

 "Relena…"

 "No Heero, I've made up my mind. She's my daughter, and I'm her mother. I'll be damned if I let her go without me, not when I know what will happen." She turned to everyone else and bowed. "Like she said, feel free to back out, I understand what a family means to you. I will hold no grudge towards those who don't come."

 They all looked at each other uncertainly. But it was Chantelle who made the first statement, by pulling on Trowa's sleeve. "Daddy, please, don't go with them. Aki won't mind, I promise. I don't want to have to be alone anymore…"

 Midii took her daughter's hand and smiled. "We won't. Trowa, it's okay, we have a family, right?" Hesitantly, the silent man nodded and turned to Relena and Heero.

 "I'm sorry, but I cannot go." Relena nodded, then turned to her brother and Lucrezia, looking at the baby girl in their arms in awe.

 "Brother, Lucrezia, please don't go. Yuki is still young, and she needs you two to make it through alive. I don't want you to come with us." She gave them a pleading look, and they reluctantly backed down.

 "Yes, you're right," Lucrezia said, "we won't go. Please, though, take care of yourself." Relena nodded and looked at the others. Duo stood up.

 "You ain't going to make me back down, no matter what." He all but yelled, standing up confidently.

 "I wouldn't ask you to." Heero looked at everyone and watched as they talked amongst themselves. Two of the six not going, two going. Only Quatre and Wufei to decide.

 "I'm going." Wufei stated, and pointed to Sally with his thumb. "And she is too." The Chinese woman behind him beamed and patted Wufei happily, despite the serious atmosphere."

 "I can't. My sisters are counting on me to hold up my father's business. I'm sorry." Quatre and Dorothy both bowed their heads and sat back. Aki looked around, surprised.

 "Honestly, I thought no one would want to come. Three years is a while… but thank you. Three out of the six families here, formidable." She turned to the few standing up and smiled. "Thank you, for coming."

*~*~*~*~*
A very weird chapter if you ask me, but it sets everything up for the next chapter, when they start the mission: to release Hilde and destroy the new gang. Tune in next time to see what happens! Oh yeah, and now you can piece together about everything that's been confusing you ^^.