Basic Instinct, Part 5

Chapter 28

The plane ride home went smoothly. Relena was still sedated by
the time they reached the base. She opened her eyes as they touched
down onto the runway.

Quatre was asleep in the chair next to her. They were both still
dirty, and she for one was looking forward to a nice long bubble bath.

"Quatre, wake up, we're here. Oh yea, I'm mad at you also, I
said I didn't want to go on the plane," she said absentmindly.

"Huh," he said groggily, slowly coming awake.

"Nothing," she replied. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she rose and
made her way down the ramp to where her brother, Noin, and a few others
were waiting.

"Relena, I'm glad to see you're alive," said Milliardo simply.

"Thank-you brother," she replied. She and her brother weren't
especially close. They had met under bad circumstances and too late in
their lives to have a loving family relationship. He let her do as she
pleased, and she let him do as he pleased.

But it was nice to know that he at least cared about her. Quatre
came haltingly down the ramp. His leg didn't hurt too much since he had
taken an aspirin, but it did hurt.

Leaning on Duo, he made his way to the infirmiry to pay a visit
to Sally Po. Relena followed suit.

Chapter 29

"Well, you two certainly had an exciting adventure by the looks
of you," said Sally cheerfully. Inside however she knew she wouldn't have
wanted to trade places for them, for anything.

"Exciting, no. Stressing, yes," answered Quatre dejectedly. He
held back a gasp as she rubbed astringint in the flesh wound caused by
the shot he had taken in the leg.

"Well, you certainly had enough done to this leg, broken and shot,
is there anything else that happened to it?"

"No, thats it," he said half smiling.

When at last they were both cleaned, and had their broken limbs
taken care of, they were shown to some rooms where they could rest.

Before dropping off to sleep, Quatre called his sister Iria to
let her know that he was ok. Than little task done, he sank into the
soft bed and had his first real sleep for the first time in two weeks.

Relena on the other hand just lie there. She was tired, yet she
couldn't sleep. Two pairs of eyes haunted her everytime she closed her
eyes, prussian blue, and sky blue. A lilting laugh and a deadly silence.

Frustrated she turned over. After a long battle with her mind
she finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 30

"Hey Hilde, pick up, its Duo," called a certain braided boy into
the vidphone. Finally someone picked up and on the screen came a short
dark haired girl.

"Duo!!!!! You finally called, what took you so long?" screamed
a very happy Hilde. Duo was her best friend in the whole world, he knew
her secrets and her fears. And she knew his.

"Hey, how'd ya like to work for the Preventers as my partner?"
he asked, halfways regretting it. He didn't want her to fight, but they
needed more people.

"Are you serious Duo. I'd love to," she said happily. But then
her voice took on a suspicious note, "why are you asking, I thought you
said you didn't want me to fight anymore."

"There's a new organization, a very powerful one at that. We
need all the help we can get, plus I figure if you're my partner, I can
keep an eye on you." He answered, to himself he was thinking, I really
don't like this, I don't like this at all. He loved Hilde, more than a
friend, but she didn't know that, and he definately didn't want her hurt.

"Oh, great, I'm packing my bags and I'm on my way," she said
cheerfully, and then she hung up.

Duo sat back and lay on his bed thinking about her. His Hilde,
he hadn't seen her in a long time. They had opened a scavanger shop together,
but then the Preventers had called him back on duty. He hadn't seen her
for a year, but he always made sure to call her at least once a week.

Hilde, she was beautiful. His definition of beautiful used to
be a tall slender blonde with a musical voice and a laugh that tinkled
like bells. But then there was Hilde. She was short, dark haired. And
her laugh definately didn't sound like bells. He laughed. Her laugh
was more of those loud laughs, with an occasional snort if she found
something extrememly funny. The only thing she fit in his list of beauty
was the slender. But he still found her beautiful, the most beautiful
person he had ever seen. And she held his heart.

Sighing he closed his eyes, and fell asleep dreaming of his beautiful
girl.

Chapter 31

Wufei watched as Quatre and Relena left the infirmiry and then
walked in without being detected by the others. Sally had her back to
him and was studying some papers very intently. She never even heard
him come up behind her.

He put his arms around her and held her close. And then winced
as she screamed right into his ear.

Startled she slipped around in his arms. "Wufei, don't you dare
scare me like that ever again, or I'll..."

"Or you'll what," he teased. No one knew they were a couple, they
had kept it a secret so they didn't have to listen to the jests and
disapprovals of the others.

Sally had learned that Wufei was actually a very sweet person,
and he was the hottest number around if he took his hair out of that
ponytail.

"I'll do this," she replied and reached up to pull his face down.
He didn't resist at all and took his punishment very enthusiastically.
When they had finished he smiled.

"I didn't come in here for that, but I'm glad I got it, Lady Une
wants to see you so she can have the report on the injuries." Sally
sighed.

"Alright, I guess I'd better go then," she replied. Giving him
a quick kiss on the cheek she rushed out of the door. He followed behind
her.

Chapter 31

Quatre awoke the next morning around 9:00, inwardly he groaned.
Lady Une was going to have him talking the whole day most likely. His
stomach rumbling he staggered off to breakfast on his crutches.

Trowa had arrived with Catherine sometime during the night and
was already eating. Otherwise the cafeteria was empty.

Hearing the click of the crutches he turned around and saw Quatre.
A rare smile breaking onto his face he stood up.

"Quatre, I'm glad to see your ok my friend," he said sincerely.

"Thanks Trowa," Quatre replied. Trowa had been his best friend
since the war. The quiet boy was very forgiving and Quatre had found him
easy to be around. Although there were some extremely annoying and distasteful
rumors about their relationship.

Walking to the counter Quatre filled up a tray. Trowa had followed
him and picked it up to carry it back to the table for him so Quatre
could manage his crutches.

"Annoying nuisances," Quatre grumbled under his breath. The crutches
were a great hinderance to his being independent. For as long as he could
remember he had been independent, even when he was little. Of course, his
past was a dark one so he preffered not to think of it.

They ate quietly. When they were finished they both decided that
it would be a good idea to see what was going on. When they reached the
conference room everyone was already there except Relena.

She came rushing in as Lady Une started to speak. "I want to welcome
two new recruits to the Preventers. One isn't here yet, but she will be
shortly. Both Hilde and Catherine have decided to join the Preventers.
As you know there is a new threat to the Earth and the colonies. They
already have tried to kill Relena and Quatre. Catherine's codename is
Preventer Cheer for all those who needed to know. Hilde is Preventer
Dark. The rest of you will find your codenames on that list over there
except for Noin and Milliardo who already have theirs."

Duo was Preventer Death. "We all saw that one coming didn't we,"
he laughed. Trowa was Preventer Stone. Quatre, Preventer Strat. Heero
was Preventer Yuy, they found no need to change his name. Sally and Wufei
were Preventers Aqua and amazingly at the bottom of the list was Preventer
Peace, also known as Relena Peacecraft.

"Relena?" asked Quatre, who was confused. She just nodded and
let Lady Une speak for her.

"Relena will be taking training to pilot a suit and plane. Since
her life is at stake we figure this will be the best protection for her.
She won't fight though."

"Oh," commented everyone. It definately wasn't expected. Quatre
looked at Heero to see his reaction to the news but the boys face remained
expressionless.

Lady Une talked for a few more hours, finally the meeting adjourned
and the whole group headed to the cafeteria. Duo had left the meeting
an hour earlier to pick up Hilde and he and her joined them as soon as
they arrived.

At the long table everyone sat, pretty much quiet. They didn't
know what to say to each other. As they sat a Preventer soldier came
in the door with a fairly big package in his hand.

"Preventer Stat," he read. Quatre raised his hand and the package
was given to him. All of them sat waiting for him to open it.

Ripping off the card he read, "Dearest Quatre, Hiya! Bet ya thought
that you wouldn't hear from me for awhile. You guessed it, I just joined
the Preventers, so little brother, are you prepared for the worst? Your
loving sister Ikia." He groaned.

"Your sister?" asked Trowa. Quatre nodded. Then he started to
unwrap the package. Pulling of the cover of the pristine white box he
gasped. Inside was something he thought he would never see again, something
he wasn't sure he wanted to see again.

"A leather jacket," Duo started cracking up. "Oh I can just picture
Quatre in one of those. Quatre the bad boy." He started laughing all
over again. "It looks sorta used Quatre, is it hers?"

"No," said Quatre sharply. Everyone looked at him, they had
never heard him use that tone of voice.

"Care to explain what it means Quatre," asked Relena quietly.
Quatre was about to tell them nevermind but he saw the pleading look in
her eyes and conceded. They would find out someday anyway. And he would
rather them hear it from him instead of Ikia.

Sighing he started, "I'm not sure you guys will like the story,
but I'll tell you anyway because I would rather you hear it from me than
from my sister. Before I had even been enlisted in Operation Meteor I
lived with my father. I was angry at the time, very destructful. This
was mine, I used to go biking in the colony, just to cool off when I got
mad. I hated the world, my life, and my father. He had told me all my
life I was a test tube baby." The others nodded, test tube babies were
often treated like experiments.

"Then I met Rashid, he and the other Maganaucs were also test tube
babies, they taught me that it wasn't my family or how I was born that
made me a good person. So I became who I am now. The jacket went out
with the attitude. I wonder where Ikia found it, I thought it had been
destroyed. Shortly before my father died though, I found I wasn't a test
tube baby, but it didn't matter anymore. My only sorrow was that I had
wasted my first few years of my life in anger over something that wasn't
even true."

Quatre sighed and then look at the jacket. Standing up he pulled
it on. It still fit. It was time to let go of his past, close his open
wounds he decided. Wearing this jacket just might help him do it.

The rest of the people sitting at the table were speechless, not
even Trowa had known all this. But seeing him put on the jacket they knew
he was finally at peace with it.

The rest of the lunch went fairly smooth until all of a sudden
a flash of red raced past them and tackled Quatre from behind.

"Ikia!" he shouted, "watch the leg." The rest looked at the young
girl who had rushed in. She was small, with firery auburn hair that
was crimped and reached her waist. Flashing emerald eyes and a tanned
face complimented the wild color nicely. She looked nothing like
Quatre.

"Hi everybody, I'm Akia. Quatre's adopted sister." The others
all nodded knowingly. She was adopted, that explained her looks. Also
her age, most of Quatre's sisters were older but she looked the same age
as he. If not younger.

"I'm nineteen, just a month younger than Quatre," she answered
all of them with a knowing tone. "I see your wearing the jacket Quatre,
I'm glad you made peace with your demons." He nodded.

Trowa could only stare. The girl was beautiful. Her hair wasn't
as red as Catherine's but it still was like a flame. And her green eyes
reminded him of his own. Except hers overflowed with emotion while his
did not.

"Nice to meet you," everyone murmured. Smiling happily, Akia sat
down next to Trowa. She had seen him looking at her strangly and decided
to see if he would get nervous.

"I'm Perventer Flame, I thought you guy's might want to know,"
she told them. Then she grew silent.

Trowa almost laughed out loud. The girl was certainly an enigma,
one minute she was bubbly, the next minute she was silent. It was intriguing.

Chapter 23

After lunch everyone went their seperate ways. Akia had joined
Trowa, Catherine, Heero, Duo, and Hilde to go to the shooting range.
Wufei and Sally had dissapeared for an afternoon in town and Relena had
went to her room. Quatre had been left all alone in the cafeteria.

Deciding what he was going to do, he stood up and hobbled out
the door.

Relena sat in her room running a brush through her hair. She
had been overjoyed when she had gotten to shower last night. The grime
and dirt from her body and hair, along with the blood had completely
filled the shower. But now she was clean and loving it.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she called.
Quatre grasped the handle and came in. "Hi Quatre, what do you need?"
she asked standing.

"Nothing, I just was lonely and wanted to talk to someone or
whatever."

"Oh, well come in and have a seat."

"Thanks." He limped in and sat down on her couch. She came and
sat in the chair next to the couch.

"Quatre, why didn't you tell anyone about your past before," she
asked suddenly.

"I don't really know," he replied, "I guess I just didn't want
any of you to think less of me."

"Oh, I don't think any one would of," she answered sincerely.

"I know, but I was stil worried about it," he said. They sat in
silence.

Meanwhile at the shooting range, Trowa was discreetly watching
Ikia, trying to figure her out. She had been cheerful to begin with and
very talkative, but like a light switch she had just suddenly switched.
She was still cheerful, just quiet. Her aim was deadly and that set
Trowa to wondering, where had she come from?

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Well, I finally got this part in. I didn't really want to include
a sister of Quatre's but it was the best I could come up with that would
tie into the story. Plus, I needed someone for Trowa since he was the
only single guy I had left. Don't worry you'll find out about Heero and
Quatre later. Thanks for reading!