Lady Starfarer
By KatLady86
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing (not that I'd mind...). All I own is Minami Kamikaze Yoshiro and this story. Don't flame me; out of marshmallows. Other comments are appreciated.
Mina reached into her pocket and drew out her key. Fitting it into the locks, she undid the deadbolt and the knob lock, letting them into the apartment. "You live here?", the boy asked, looking around. The apartment was simply furnished, but not sparse. There was a couch, two armchairs, and coffee table directly in front of him. Behind that layout, there was a pair of large glass doors that led to a patio. To his right, there were two doors; one that led to a kitchen and the other that led to what seemed to be the bathroom. To his left were two doors that were shut and, as far as he could tell, locked.
"Over here," Mina said, leading him over to the couch. "You wait here for a minute and I'll be right back."
She returned a few minutes later with a small first aid kit. Opening it, she removed several Band-Aids, ointment, cotton balls, and a small bottle of peroxide. "Hold still. This is going to sting." She wet a cotton ball with the peroxide and began dabbing at one of the cuts on his forehead. "So…you have any idea why those assholes were so intent on knocking the shit out of you?"
He chuckled softly. "You do come right to the point, don't you? They…it seems they remembered who…who I used to be…who my father used to be……They decided to…take out their aggressions on me, I guess. Times like these I'd rather be a loser."
Mina cocked her head to one side. "Used to be…You said who you used to be…My guess is you've changed from who you…well…used to be. Less naïve?"
He nodded. "Mhm."
"More…violent?"
"…On…occasion…"
"More jaded?"
"Perhaps."
"More…secretive?"
"Yes…Look, I can't believe I'm telling you all this! I just met you and…and…and I don't even know your name!"
She smiled. "Is that all? Well, then, my name's Mina." She paused for a moment, then added, "Now it's my turn. I just saved you and I don't know your name, so how 'bout you return the favor and tell me what I can call you. Otherwise, I'll have to make-up a name for you…and I warn you, I come up with bizarre nicknames."
He laughed. "Try me."
She leaned back slightly, studying him and trying to psyche him out. *Hm…let me see…blonde…pretty gray-blue eyes…my age…Oh God…His father…used to be…Oh God…He's not…He can't be…He is! He's…the boy…the bar…the blonde…Him…What was in the file? Dammit! What was it again…Something he said…Rather be a loser…Winner!! That's it! Quatre Raberba Winner! Oh God! What…What am I gonna do?! Easy, Mina-chan…Don't panic…He doesn't know…He doesn't suspect…He can't…Hurry up, Mina-chan…He's getting suspicious…Aha! Perfect…And it'll knock his damn socks off…Mhm…for certain.*
"I've got the perfect nickname for you," she said. "I hereby dub you, until you're willing to tell me you're real name, Sandrock Winner."
All color drained from Quatre's face. "Wha…Um…How did you come up with a…um…nickname like that?"
"Well….," she paused for effect, smiling inwardly as he fidgeted nervously. "You remind me of something I saw once…It came out of the desert…and it was beautiful…They called it Sandrock…" She paused and noted his hesitant swallow. "As for the Winner part…you said you'd rather be a loser, didn't you? I thought it'd be a touch ironic if you ended up being a Winner. After all, irony seems to be running rampant as of late."
He sighed deeply, relief showing plainly in his eyes. "I suppose I can get used to that," he said, after a time. "It's not so bizarre, after all."
She smiled. "You know…it's not really. Now…hold still. I have to finish cleaning you up."
"NOOOOO!! FATHER!! NOOOO!!"
Mina leapt from her bed with Misty in hand and raced into the living room. She did a quick visual sweep of the room, then threw her shoulder to the ground. Rolling upright, she sighted around the room again, sprang to her feet, and hurried to the couch. She sat down and wrapped her arms tightly around Quatre. "It's okay….Shhhhh, shhhhh….It's gonna be fine…Calm down…It's okay…It's okay…" She rocked gently back and forth, cradling a sobbing Quatre close to her.
"I saw it all over again….It was awful…He died…He died and he didn't have to! He didn't have to…" His voice faded off into sobs and he clung to her shoulder.
"Shhhhhh, shhhhhh…It's okay…Don't cry…It was just a dream…Don't cry, Quatre. It's okay…" Mina stiffened slightly, realizing her mistake.
"Wha…What did you call me?", Quatre asked, raising his head from her shoulder.
"I…I…"
"I never told you my name! I never told you anything! Who the hell are you?!? Are you from OZ?! Oh God…Who the hell are you?!?" Quatre drew sharply away from her and Mina realized it was suddenly very cold in the room.
"When I…When I told you my name was Mina, I wasn't lying. My name is Minami Yoshiro, sixteen standard years old. I was born in the Sanc Kingdom, ended up moving around a lot after it fell….." She smiled vaguely at a memory and shook her head. "…My brother was going to be a Gundam pilot…but he was killed on his last mission prior to getting his suit. After…I…I called in a few favors and made sure they gave the suit to me. I…I didn't like the idea of a stranger having something that was my brother's." She bit her lower lip and turned away.
"What are you doing here?", Quatre asked, growing more sympathetic and mentally slapping himself for his outburst.
She looked back at him and smiled. "I came here to give you and all the other Gundam pilots a message. I…I think I'll wait until you're all together. It's not the sort of thing you want to say more than once."
"Oh…," Quatre murmured, wondering what sort of a message it could be.
"Are you feeling a little better?", she asked him, interrupting his pondering. "Because if you are, I suppose we should both go back to bed."
"Yeah…I am feeling better…Thanks." He smiled at her, then noticed something. On Mina's left arm, running from her wrist to a third of the way up her arm, was something that looked like a silver bandage. He reached over and ran his fingers up and down it, noting her wince as he did so.
"Did someone hurt you?", he asked.
She shook her head, smiling for an unknown reason. "No…no. Nobody hurt me. Nobody hurt me at all."
Quatre turned his neck to get a better look at her face, blocked slightly by her bowed head. "All right. I just wanted to be sure you were okay."
She smiled again and turned to face him. "I am okay. Really. Let's hit the sack. I'm wiped out, and I'm sure you are too. See you in the morning." She got up and walked to her bedroom; the gun in her hand contrasting sharply with the fact that she was in her pajamas. Pausing in the doorway, she turned and looked back at Quatre. "Good-night, Quatre." Her smile turned almost wistful and something on her cheeks shimmered in the moonlight streaming through the glass patio doors. "Good-night."
She slipped back into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Even from the couch, the sound of a lock sliding into place reached Quatre's ears. *Why would she lock the door?*, he wondered. *Does she want to keep me out? Or…does she want to keep herself in?*
It was some time before he was able to fall asleep again that night.
The following morning, Quatre awoke to the smell of…chicken chow-mein? He opened his eyes slowly, rubbed the sleep from them, and sat up, struggling to remember for a moment what he was doing in this strange place. As he stretched his arms, a bruise on his left shoulder twinged and everything came rushing back. *The alley…,* he thought, gazing out the patio doors. *I…I was walking…They grabbed me…Red…It hurt…It hurt so much…The girl…Mina…They ran away…She brought me here…Later…I was dreaming…cried out……She came to me…Her? A Gundam pilot?…Something silver…her bandage…Tears…Her tears…* He put one hand to his aching head. *The others…They've gotta be going nuts…I need to contact them…Will she let me? Why not? She needs to talk to them….Or is this all just a giant trap? Oh God…..Either way, I can't do this alone. I have to contact them. But first…breakfast.*
He swung his legs over the side of the couch and gingerly stood up. Biting his lower lip apprehensively, Quatre took several tentative steps forward. He was not more than six feet from the couch when the strain was too much and his legs gave out under him. He hit the carpet so hard, his jaws clacked together, but he did not cry out. *I can do this,* he thought. *Damn it, I can do this! Just get up…Just get up, Quatre…Just get up*
Bracing his hands against the floor, he pushed up, got his legs beneath him, and stood. Taking a deep breath, he resumed his walk to the kitchen. The steps were slower, more measured, but ultimately more successful. Reaching the kitchen, he leaned casually against the door-frame to hide how much the small walk had cost him. "So," he asked, "what's for breakfast?"
Mina turned to face him from her position in front of the microwave. "Reheated take-out, I'm afraid," she admitted. "I just got into town and I never had time to hit the grocery store. Hope you don't mind."
"It sounds great to me," Quatre shrugged.
Mina smiled. "Good. By the way, glad to see you got up." Leaving it at that, she turned back to the microwave, leaving him uncertain as to which getting up she'd meant. Which, he suspected, was exactly what she'd intended to happen.
"Hey," he said, something catching his eye, "what's that?" He pointed to something silver hanging around Mina's neck.
"Oh." She fingered the pendant delicately. "This. I was wondering when you'd ask."
Quatre walked over to her, eyes glued to the necklace. It was a silver pentagram, a star within a circle, that hung on a silver chain. "Where did you get that?", he asked, turning his gaze to Mina's face, his crystalline eyes locking with her blue and teal ones.
She smiled faintly. "My brother gave this to me…before his last mission……As soon as he came back…he was supposed to get his suit." The microwave alarm went off and she turned sharply back to it, opening the door to remove two steaming plates. "Breakfast is ready. We'd better eat before it gets cold." And she said nothing more about her brother.
"You probably want to call your friends," Mina said, setting the plates in the sink.
Quatre looked over at her. "I mean, they're probably worried about you," she continued. Looking back at him, she cocked her head to the side. "What?", she demanded. "Don't you trust me?"
Quatre's gaze wavered. "Oh," Mina murmured. "I see. You think I'm a trap, don't you? You think…I'm just being nice…so I can get you all together…and…I can't really say you should know me better than that, because you don't know me at all. I can't blame you, I suppose. I don't think I'd trust me, either. But…awe, hell, Quatre. I know you don't believe me, but I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want any of you to get hurt. I've seen what you five have done. I respect that. I've also seen what the missions have done to you. I…I don't think anyone should have to go through that. Forgive my hypocrisy, because…I was sent here to give you the background on a possible mission. I'm not going to give any details until all of you are together because it's going to be a group decision. Take it or leave it. No one is going to force you. They just thought…that you five should have first crack at it. If you want it, that is. Now, I hope you understand…why I need you all together."
Quatre bit his lip until it seemed it would bleed. After some time, he asked, "Where's the phone?"
Mina smiled. "Come with me." Quatre followed her to the far wall, as if to her bedroom, then she turned into the second room and he trailed obediently behind. He gasped softly as his eyes took in the room. There were canvases everywhere, stacked on the floor, leaning against the wall in long rows, and a few seated on easels. There were sheets of paper drifting across the floor, each one covered with sketches. One brushed against his foot and he picked it up. Studying the sketches, he found them to be of a young boy, eyes closed as if asleep. It took him another moment to realize something else about the sketches.
"This…This is me," he whispered. He turned to Mina. "When did you do this?"
She smiled. "This morning. Before you got up. I hope you don't mind."
"No…" He looked back at the piece of paper in his hand. "I…don't mind at all…It's beautiful…"
Mina blushed faintly. "Thank you…Those are just preliminary sketches. I'm…I'm looking forward to maybe…doing a painting."
"Of me?" Quatre looked shocked.
Mina blushed again. "If you don't mind…I'm always looking for new subjects…and I think you'd be perfect."
"I'd be honored," Quatre said and meant it.
Mina smiled and studied him in the half-light from the windows for a moment more, then moved over to a small table in the corner. On it was a small video phone, which she turned on. The screen glowed brightly and she pulled out a small chair for him to sit down. "Just dial the number," she said. "I'm gonna to do a little straightening up in here. I never had a chance to clean up before I left last time." She began picking up sketch sheets and forming more organized piles.
*Last time…,* Quatre wondered. *She's been here before, then…When? And, more importantly……why?*
Shaking his head, he dialed a number and waited for an answer. There came none. Frowning, he dialed another number. As it rang, he muttered, "That's odd…Heero's always home…And…what? No Duo either…This is getting weird. All right, Wufei, then…What's going on?!?" He leapt up, knocking the chair over. "Three of them gone!!", he shouted. "Where the hell are they?!? Oh God…what if something happened to them?!? Oh God…"
Mina looked up at him, set down her armful of sketches, and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Calm down, Quatre," she murmured. "That's three, right? Well…isn't there one more? What if they're all at his house? Don't panic until you've got good reason to."
Quatre bit his lower lip, thinking. *Why wouldn't they all be at Trowa's?*, he wondered. *They…they might have thought I was there…and gone to find me…and then stayed…in case I showed up…It does make sense…Okay…Trowa, then.* He drew a deep breath and dialed a fourth number.
To his relief, the screen flared brightly, then calmed down into the image of a familiar face. He blinked back light spots and heard a voice calling to him. "Quatre? Quatre, is that you?! Quatre?!?"
The blonde boy couldn't help but laugh. "I'm here, Trowa. I'm here."
"Where's here?", Trowa demanded, worry lines faint at the corners of his eyes. "We've been going nuts trying to figure out where the hell you are! And…hey, who's the girl?"
Quatre turned around slightly and saw Mina standing not to far behind him, just in visual range of the phone. She smiled. "Don't mind me. Forgive me if I'm eavesdropping."
Before anyone could say anything more, there was shouting in the background on Trowa's end and three blurs came racing over.
"Is that him?"
"He finally called?"
"Is he okay?"
Trowa frowned and rolled his eyes at the barrage of questions. Quatre laughed and Mina smiled, impressed he was taking it as well as he was.
"Hey!!", one of the blurs shouted. After a moment, it slowed down and came into focus. "I know that girl! She's the one I met in the bar the other day!"
*Which one is he?*, Mina wondered. *Um…priest collar…long brown hair…Duo! That's it! Duo Maxwell.*
"I know her, too!", another of the boys on the other end exclaimed. "That's Kamikaze, from the dojo!"
*Ah, the black-haired one,* she mused. *Wufei Chang.*
"You're both wrong. Her name is Mina."
She almost laughed. *Of course, Heero. You would be so blunt.*
Quatre sighed. "You're all right, as far as I know. Anyway, she came here to give us a message. It's about a mission."
Everyone on Trowa's end froze. "A mission," Trowa said, very softly. "Okay, then…I guess we need to get in touch. Where are you?"
"Um…" Quatre turned around and looked pleadingly at Mina. "Can you give them directions? I…I've really got no idea how to get them here."
She smiled. "No problem." She slipped over next to Quatre. "Okay, here's what you have to do…"
******
So, Mina's got her little secrets....We'll find out more about those later...
Until next time,
Ja ne! ^_^ \/
~KatLady86~
By KatLady86
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing (not that I'd mind...). All I own is Minami Kamikaze Yoshiro and this story. Don't flame me; out of marshmallows. Other comments are appreciated.
Mina reached into her pocket and drew out her key. Fitting it into the locks, she undid the deadbolt and the knob lock, letting them into the apartment. "You live here?", the boy asked, looking around. The apartment was simply furnished, but not sparse. There was a couch, two armchairs, and coffee table directly in front of him. Behind that layout, there was a pair of large glass doors that led to a patio. To his right, there were two doors; one that led to a kitchen and the other that led to what seemed to be the bathroom. To his left were two doors that were shut and, as far as he could tell, locked.
"Over here," Mina said, leading him over to the couch. "You wait here for a minute and I'll be right back."
She returned a few minutes later with a small first aid kit. Opening it, she removed several Band-Aids, ointment, cotton balls, and a small bottle of peroxide. "Hold still. This is going to sting." She wet a cotton ball with the peroxide and began dabbing at one of the cuts on his forehead. "So…you have any idea why those assholes were so intent on knocking the shit out of you?"
He chuckled softly. "You do come right to the point, don't you? They…it seems they remembered who…who I used to be…who my father used to be……They decided to…take out their aggressions on me, I guess. Times like these I'd rather be a loser."
Mina cocked her head to one side. "Used to be…You said who you used to be…My guess is you've changed from who you…well…used to be. Less naïve?"
He nodded. "Mhm."
"More…violent?"
"…On…occasion…"
"More jaded?"
"Perhaps."
"More…secretive?"
"Yes…Look, I can't believe I'm telling you all this! I just met you and…and…and I don't even know your name!"
She smiled. "Is that all? Well, then, my name's Mina." She paused for a moment, then added, "Now it's my turn. I just saved you and I don't know your name, so how 'bout you return the favor and tell me what I can call you. Otherwise, I'll have to make-up a name for you…and I warn you, I come up with bizarre nicknames."
He laughed. "Try me."
She leaned back slightly, studying him and trying to psyche him out. *Hm…let me see…blonde…pretty gray-blue eyes…my age…Oh God…His father…used to be…Oh God…He's not…He can't be…He is! He's…the boy…the bar…the blonde…Him…What was in the file? Dammit! What was it again…Something he said…Rather be a loser…Winner!! That's it! Quatre Raberba Winner! Oh God! What…What am I gonna do?! Easy, Mina-chan…Don't panic…He doesn't know…He doesn't suspect…He can't…Hurry up, Mina-chan…He's getting suspicious…Aha! Perfect…And it'll knock his damn socks off…Mhm…for certain.*
"I've got the perfect nickname for you," she said. "I hereby dub you, until you're willing to tell me you're real name, Sandrock Winner."
All color drained from Quatre's face. "Wha…Um…How did you come up with a…um…nickname like that?"
"Well….," she paused for effect, smiling inwardly as he fidgeted nervously. "You remind me of something I saw once…It came out of the desert…and it was beautiful…They called it Sandrock…" She paused and noted his hesitant swallow. "As for the Winner part…you said you'd rather be a loser, didn't you? I thought it'd be a touch ironic if you ended up being a Winner. After all, irony seems to be running rampant as of late."
He sighed deeply, relief showing plainly in his eyes. "I suppose I can get used to that," he said, after a time. "It's not so bizarre, after all."
She smiled. "You know…it's not really. Now…hold still. I have to finish cleaning you up."
"NOOOOO!! FATHER!! NOOOO!!"
Mina leapt from her bed with Misty in hand and raced into the living room. She did a quick visual sweep of the room, then threw her shoulder to the ground. Rolling upright, she sighted around the room again, sprang to her feet, and hurried to the couch. She sat down and wrapped her arms tightly around Quatre. "It's okay….Shhhhh, shhhhh….It's gonna be fine…Calm down…It's okay…It's okay…" She rocked gently back and forth, cradling a sobbing Quatre close to her.
"I saw it all over again….It was awful…He died…He died and he didn't have to! He didn't have to…" His voice faded off into sobs and he clung to her shoulder.
"Shhhhhh, shhhhhh…It's okay…Don't cry…It was just a dream…Don't cry, Quatre. It's okay…" Mina stiffened slightly, realizing her mistake.
"Wha…What did you call me?", Quatre asked, raising his head from her shoulder.
"I…I…"
"I never told you my name! I never told you anything! Who the hell are you?!? Are you from OZ?! Oh God…Who the hell are you?!?" Quatre drew sharply away from her and Mina realized it was suddenly very cold in the room.
"When I…When I told you my name was Mina, I wasn't lying. My name is Minami Yoshiro, sixteen standard years old. I was born in the Sanc Kingdom, ended up moving around a lot after it fell….." She smiled vaguely at a memory and shook her head. "…My brother was going to be a Gundam pilot…but he was killed on his last mission prior to getting his suit. After…I…I called in a few favors and made sure they gave the suit to me. I…I didn't like the idea of a stranger having something that was my brother's." She bit her lower lip and turned away.
"What are you doing here?", Quatre asked, growing more sympathetic and mentally slapping himself for his outburst.
She looked back at him and smiled. "I came here to give you and all the other Gundam pilots a message. I…I think I'll wait until you're all together. It's not the sort of thing you want to say more than once."
"Oh…," Quatre murmured, wondering what sort of a message it could be.
"Are you feeling a little better?", she asked him, interrupting his pondering. "Because if you are, I suppose we should both go back to bed."
"Yeah…I am feeling better…Thanks." He smiled at her, then noticed something. On Mina's left arm, running from her wrist to a third of the way up her arm, was something that looked like a silver bandage. He reached over and ran his fingers up and down it, noting her wince as he did so.
"Did someone hurt you?", he asked.
She shook her head, smiling for an unknown reason. "No…no. Nobody hurt me. Nobody hurt me at all."
Quatre turned his neck to get a better look at her face, blocked slightly by her bowed head. "All right. I just wanted to be sure you were okay."
She smiled again and turned to face him. "I am okay. Really. Let's hit the sack. I'm wiped out, and I'm sure you are too. See you in the morning." She got up and walked to her bedroom; the gun in her hand contrasting sharply with the fact that she was in her pajamas. Pausing in the doorway, she turned and looked back at Quatre. "Good-night, Quatre." Her smile turned almost wistful and something on her cheeks shimmered in the moonlight streaming through the glass patio doors. "Good-night."
She slipped back into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Even from the couch, the sound of a lock sliding into place reached Quatre's ears. *Why would she lock the door?*, he wondered. *Does she want to keep me out? Or…does she want to keep herself in?*
It was some time before he was able to fall asleep again that night.
The following morning, Quatre awoke to the smell of…chicken chow-mein? He opened his eyes slowly, rubbed the sleep from them, and sat up, struggling to remember for a moment what he was doing in this strange place. As he stretched his arms, a bruise on his left shoulder twinged and everything came rushing back. *The alley…,* he thought, gazing out the patio doors. *I…I was walking…They grabbed me…Red…It hurt…It hurt so much…The girl…Mina…They ran away…She brought me here…Later…I was dreaming…cried out……She came to me…Her? A Gundam pilot?…Something silver…her bandage…Tears…Her tears…* He put one hand to his aching head. *The others…They've gotta be going nuts…I need to contact them…Will she let me? Why not? She needs to talk to them….Or is this all just a giant trap? Oh God…..Either way, I can't do this alone. I have to contact them. But first…breakfast.*
He swung his legs over the side of the couch and gingerly stood up. Biting his lower lip apprehensively, Quatre took several tentative steps forward. He was not more than six feet from the couch when the strain was too much and his legs gave out under him. He hit the carpet so hard, his jaws clacked together, but he did not cry out. *I can do this,* he thought. *Damn it, I can do this! Just get up…Just get up, Quatre…Just get up*
Bracing his hands against the floor, he pushed up, got his legs beneath him, and stood. Taking a deep breath, he resumed his walk to the kitchen. The steps were slower, more measured, but ultimately more successful. Reaching the kitchen, he leaned casually against the door-frame to hide how much the small walk had cost him. "So," he asked, "what's for breakfast?"
Mina turned to face him from her position in front of the microwave. "Reheated take-out, I'm afraid," she admitted. "I just got into town and I never had time to hit the grocery store. Hope you don't mind."
"It sounds great to me," Quatre shrugged.
Mina smiled. "Good. By the way, glad to see you got up." Leaving it at that, she turned back to the microwave, leaving him uncertain as to which getting up she'd meant. Which, he suspected, was exactly what she'd intended to happen.
"Hey," he said, something catching his eye, "what's that?" He pointed to something silver hanging around Mina's neck.
"Oh." She fingered the pendant delicately. "This. I was wondering when you'd ask."
Quatre walked over to her, eyes glued to the necklace. It was a silver pentagram, a star within a circle, that hung on a silver chain. "Where did you get that?", he asked, turning his gaze to Mina's face, his crystalline eyes locking with her blue and teal ones.
She smiled faintly. "My brother gave this to me…before his last mission……As soon as he came back…he was supposed to get his suit." The microwave alarm went off and she turned sharply back to it, opening the door to remove two steaming plates. "Breakfast is ready. We'd better eat before it gets cold." And she said nothing more about her brother.
"You probably want to call your friends," Mina said, setting the plates in the sink.
Quatre looked over at her. "I mean, they're probably worried about you," she continued. Looking back at him, she cocked her head to the side. "What?", she demanded. "Don't you trust me?"
Quatre's gaze wavered. "Oh," Mina murmured. "I see. You think I'm a trap, don't you? You think…I'm just being nice…so I can get you all together…and…I can't really say you should know me better than that, because you don't know me at all. I can't blame you, I suppose. I don't think I'd trust me, either. But…awe, hell, Quatre. I know you don't believe me, but I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want any of you to get hurt. I've seen what you five have done. I respect that. I've also seen what the missions have done to you. I…I don't think anyone should have to go through that. Forgive my hypocrisy, because…I was sent here to give you the background on a possible mission. I'm not going to give any details until all of you are together because it's going to be a group decision. Take it or leave it. No one is going to force you. They just thought…that you five should have first crack at it. If you want it, that is. Now, I hope you understand…why I need you all together."
Quatre bit his lip until it seemed it would bleed. After some time, he asked, "Where's the phone?"
Mina smiled. "Come with me." Quatre followed her to the far wall, as if to her bedroom, then she turned into the second room and he trailed obediently behind. He gasped softly as his eyes took in the room. There were canvases everywhere, stacked on the floor, leaning against the wall in long rows, and a few seated on easels. There were sheets of paper drifting across the floor, each one covered with sketches. One brushed against his foot and he picked it up. Studying the sketches, he found them to be of a young boy, eyes closed as if asleep. It took him another moment to realize something else about the sketches.
"This…This is me," he whispered. He turned to Mina. "When did you do this?"
She smiled. "This morning. Before you got up. I hope you don't mind."
"No…" He looked back at the piece of paper in his hand. "I…don't mind at all…It's beautiful…"
Mina blushed faintly. "Thank you…Those are just preliminary sketches. I'm…I'm looking forward to maybe…doing a painting."
"Of me?" Quatre looked shocked.
Mina blushed again. "If you don't mind…I'm always looking for new subjects…and I think you'd be perfect."
"I'd be honored," Quatre said and meant it.
Mina smiled and studied him in the half-light from the windows for a moment more, then moved over to a small table in the corner. On it was a small video phone, which she turned on. The screen glowed brightly and she pulled out a small chair for him to sit down. "Just dial the number," she said. "I'm gonna to do a little straightening up in here. I never had a chance to clean up before I left last time." She began picking up sketch sheets and forming more organized piles.
*Last time…,* Quatre wondered. *She's been here before, then…When? And, more importantly……why?*
Shaking his head, he dialed a number and waited for an answer. There came none. Frowning, he dialed another number. As it rang, he muttered, "That's odd…Heero's always home…And…what? No Duo either…This is getting weird. All right, Wufei, then…What's going on?!?" He leapt up, knocking the chair over. "Three of them gone!!", he shouted. "Where the hell are they?!? Oh God…what if something happened to them?!? Oh God…"
Mina looked up at him, set down her armful of sketches, and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Calm down, Quatre," she murmured. "That's three, right? Well…isn't there one more? What if they're all at his house? Don't panic until you've got good reason to."
Quatre bit his lower lip, thinking. *Why wouldn't they all be at Trowa's?*, he wondered. *They…they might have thought I was there…and gone to find me…and then stayed…in case I showed up…It does make sense…Okay…Trowa, then.* He drew a deep breath and dialed a fourth number.
To his relief, the screen flared brightly, then calmed down into the image of a familiar face. He blinked back light spots and heard a voice calling to him. "Quatre? Quatre, is that you?! Quatre?!?"
The blonde boy couldn't help but laugh. "I'm here, Trowa. I'm here."
"Where's here?", Trowa demanded, worry lines faint at the corners of his eyes. "We've been going nuts trying to figure out where the hell you are! And…hey, who's the girl?"
Quatre turned around slightly and saw Mina standing not to far behind him, just in visual range of the phone. She smiled. "Don't mind me. Forgive me if I'm eavesdropping."
Before anyone could say anything more, there was shouting in the background on Trowa's end and three blurs came racing over.
"Is that him?"
"He finally called?"
"Is he okay?"
Trowa frowned and rolled his eyes at the barrage of questions. Quatre laughed and Mina smiled, impressed he was taking it as well as he was.
"Hey!!", one of the blurs shouted. After a moment, it slowed down and came into focus. "I know that girl! She's the one I met in the bar the other day!"
*Which one is he?*, Mina wondered. *Um…priest collar…long brown hair…Duo! That's it! Duo Maxwell.*
"I know her, too!", another of the boys on the other end exclaimed. "That's Kamikaze, from the dojo!"
*Ah, the black-haired one,* she mused. *Wufei Chang.*
"You're both wrong. Her name is Mina."
She almost laughed. *Of course, Heero. You would be so blunt.*
Quatre sighed. "You're all right, as far as I know. Anyway, she came here to give us a message. It's about a mission."
Everyone on Trowa's end froze. "A mission," Trowa said, very softly. "Okay, then…I guess we need to get in touch. Where are you?"
"Um…" Quatre turned around and looked pleadingly at Mina. "Can you give them directions? I…I've really got no idea how to get them here."
She smiled. "No problem." She slipped over next to Quatre. "Okay, here's what you have to do…"
******
So, Mina's got her little secrets....We'll find out more about those later...
Until next time,
Ja ne! ^_^ \/
~KatLady86~