By: *Tracey*
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AN: Okay, I'm suffering from writer's block… whatever that is O.o … anyway… I want to say that I'm trying to get this series finished and over with as soon as I can, as exams are popping up and its not good when you're sitting in a portable drawing and calculating the Borh-Rutherford particle diagram and suddenly you see a scene with Relena and Heero dangling fifty-feet above choppy, ice cold waters and think, Eureka! I've got it, Watson!
Therefore, this chapter will be longer and the Halloween party goes into swing. Enjoy and thank you for sticking with me – it means a lot. And just to let you know, I'm writing for everyone out there who reads and even more for the people who review – you guys are my ego-boosters!
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This chapter is dedicated to Jason M. Lee who has read and reviewed a lot of my stories and has even sent me their stories to put on my ever-so-slow-to-construct website. Thanks, JML!
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Relena stared out the tinted window, and wouldn't look at Dibs, even when he would swerve around fully in his seat and ask her, "All right back there, Ms. Darlian?"
"Hnnn," Relena replied for the twentieth time, her arms still crossed. She would not acknowledge Dibs or Faye if they asked her anything, and if it was crucial to answer, she would in Heero's monotone. She grinned inwardly to herself; maybe it's been good that I've hung around a stubborn, emotionless ghost.
"Relena, we're here," Dibs said, wringing his hands with a handkerchief, his eyes darting from side to side.
Relena raised an eyebrow and turned her head to Faye. "The airport?"
"Well, we've got to stay somewhere. Plus, it's a quick get-away." Faye explained with a shrug of her shoulders. She took out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled. A puff of smoke hung around her head as she let it out.
Fibs coughed into his hand, and Faye looked up sharply at him. "What?" she snapped.
"Er, Faye…" he trailed off, pointing upwards to sign above him. Relena and Faye both looked up to see in bold letters: No smoking in this area. Please go to the areas designed for smoking. If found in non-smoking area, you will be fined $50… -- the head of the airport
Relena laughed, finally wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, as she watched Faye stare dumbfounded at the sign. She had managed to calm down until Faye received a tap on the shoulder and turned to see a security guard behind her. Relena just started laughing again.
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"Where the hell is she? Where is my little sister?" Millardo yelled, but it didn't seem to do much damage. He was too shaken up and worried about his baby sister to yell at some cynical ghost.
"Maybe she's at a friends' house," Treize suggested, with a flick of his ghostly shoulders. "Call whots-her-name, Hilde something-or-the-other."
"Or that boys'," Wufei snickered. "Duo Maxwell. I remember when he used to come by here, thinking he could pull a prank on us."
"Shut up you two," came of soft voice from the shadows, where of course, Trowa was hidden. "She's not there. I checked a while back. She also wasn't outside. No one saw her… she's gone."
"Any idea where she could have gone?" Treize asked, swelling with anger. He seemed to have grown a soft spot for the literature-loving Darlian.
"No," Millardo sighed. "All she said was, 'I'm going out, see you later. I'm heading to the library'. A check of that place though, showed no sign of her being there anyways. Where can she be?" He finished off in a whisper, choking back tears.
All three ghosts looked slightly miffed. "Well… where's Heero?" Wufei finally grumbled, but his growl didn't have much punch.
"Here," came the monotone holder himself, floating silently through the open doorway. "I saw her last with Dibs and Faye – she was yelling at the two about who-knows-what. It got her upset though. I left then. I never saw the end, but I assume she went with them."
"Why?" Millardo asked. "Why go with them? She never liked Faye at the beginning when we all met, too."
"Maybe," Treize began, stroking his invisible chin, and making the ghost whips stretch, "maybe she went with them without a choice. It was either/or."
"And…?" Millardo prompted.
"They took her somewhere." Treize concluded smartly.
"Gee, that really helps us. We're not bloody bloodhounds, you fool!" Wufei snapped, slamming his fist into the wall. It went through and he nearly cart wheeled through it.
Running a hand through his blond locks, Millardo sighed. "Should I call the police? Those part doers of Relena's will wonder what she's not doing, showing up at school."
"Yeah," Heero agreed. "But there's one thing we didn't count in."
"And that is what, Mr. Lowe?" Trowa asked, a bit sarcastically.
"Hilde and Duo were waiting across the street when Faye and Dibs were talking to Relena."
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"Duo, hurry up! We can't let the car get out of site!" Hilde whined, clinging to the back of Duo, as he pedaled as fast as he could after the racing black car.
"Hilde!" Duo panted. "This – is – a frickin' – freeway! There's – no – way I can – go as fast as – a – car!"
"Well, dammit Duo, try!" Hilde snapped. She widened her eyes as the car turned off the ramp. "Right, right you idiot!"
"I'm a goin', I'm a goin'," Duo grumbled, and turned right off the freeway.
Finally, they reached a slower speed and Duo and Hilde watched as the slowed down and turned into an old airfield.
"Planter's Airport?" Hilde mumbled. "The old port that holds those old WWII planes?"
"Yeah… isn't it a museum now or something?" Duo asked in response.
"Something," Hilde murmured back, and they hid in the bushes near the door. "Still, it has a lot of newer things to it."
"Like what?" Duo asked, frowning.
Hilde grinned wickedly and pointed. "Like that."
Duo looked up to see Relena doubling over in laughter, and Faye pulling out a wad of bills from her wallet and handing them over to the guard who was still pointing at the "no smoking" sign. Dibs just placed his head in his hands and shook his head back and forth.
Duo chuckled quietly. "I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it!"
"Well, you saw it and you do have the cell phone with you, so we can call Millardo, right?" Hilde asked.
Duo blanched. "What cell phone?"
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"Where is the airport?" Millardo asked, turning his steering wheel hard to the right, when Wufei shouted out, "THAT WAY!"
"Look out for that car!" hollered Treize, clinging onto the front seat.
"We don't need another ghost along with us!" Trowa snapped, but nonetheless pointed out the direction. They finally reached the gravel road, and spotting Hilde and Duo bickering in the bushes didn't lift their spirits off the ground much.
"Where is she?" Millardo asked, squatting next to them.
"Er… there," Duo said, grinning a bit, as he pointed through the bush leaves. Millardo and the ghosts peeked through, and saw Relena on the ground, laughing, and Dibs was having a hard time controlling his own straight face. Faye was still cashing out her money to the guard.
"Shall we?" Millardo asked, turning to the ghostly trio, as he so named them. He turned back to Duo. "Your father is a great mechanic… is it passed down?"
"I think so," Duo said slowly, before catching on. "Right-o!" he and Hilde disappeared.
"Yes," Treize said, grinning. He floated up a bit and motioned with his hand for the others to follow him. Heero was going to lead Relena away from Faye and Dibs.
"Yoo-hoo…" Treize called playfully. He coughed before beginning. "Oh! Hark – Dr. Millardo has driven me out of thy home — OW!"
Wufei had poked him hard in the ribs, and he glared at him. "Cut the theatrics, Treize."
Treize sniffed, but did what he was told. However, he was quite monotonous. "I'm out of my damn house, pay the damn man and then everything will be okay."
Faye raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so. Dibs!"
Dibs stood from his crouched position by the wall, and said, "yes, Faye?"
"Check?"
"Uh… in the bank still, Faye," he said in a slight businessman voice.
"And when can we get the money?" Faye asked again, this time about to light a cigarette, but stopping as she remembered what happened last time.
"In a week… and the ghosts must be out of the house for a week – and they can't come back inside or else money will return to us," Dibs explained using a bored voice. Suddenly he perked up. "Faye!"
"What, Dibs?"
"He's got Relena!" Dibs nearly shouted.
"What?" Faye snapped, turning around on her thin heels and watched Relena and Heero walked slowly away from them. When Relena realized she was caught, she began running, and Heero was right behind her, pacing the way.
"Get to the car, Dibs!" Faye snapped. They both took off running to the car, and slammed the doors shut once they were inside.
Relena, Millardo, and Hilde all popped into Millardo's station wagon, all waving and sticking out their tongues.
Millardo poked his head out from the driver's seat. "Till tomorrow, Faye!" and gunned the engine, before they took off. Duo, on the bike, wasn't far behind.
"Now, Faye, now!" Dibs nearly shouted, bouncing in his seat.
Faye turned the key, but nothing happened. There was a whir sound, but then the car stilled. She tried again, but still no luck.
"Damn," she groaned, then slammed her fist on the steering wheel. She placed her head on the top of the wheel and moaned. Dibs wasn't far behind her.
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"Thank you," Relena said to Hilde and Duo, as they waved and walked away from old house. She smiled. It was nice to actually have friends, she concluded.
"Relena," Millardo's voice behind her said. She didn't turn around, but continued to look out over the town, where the sun was setting.
"Yes?"
"We were worried… are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine – what do you mean, 'we were worried'?" Relena stopped mid-sentence.
"We were the ones who were worried, as much as Wufei won't admit it," Treize said coming up beside her. Wufei and Trowa stood beside him, all watching her with concern.
"Wait, where's Heero?" Relena asked, looking around. Her heart began thumping loudly at the thought of him. She was sure everyone could hear it.
"He disappeared. We think he wants to be left alone," Trowa explained, trying to read her face. "Anyway. You've had a long day. Time to go to bed Relena."
"But I'm not t-t-tired," Relena stifled a yawn. She then grinned. "Okay, okay. I'm going."
She disappeared up the steps with the others behind her. Unbeknown to them was that Heero heard and watched everything.
Tomorrow's the party… when was the last time I had fun? Well, it doesn't matter… I won't be alive again ever, so, oh well… Heero thought and went invisible.
Maybe this year he'd get his wish though.
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Hope that keeps you on your seat… **coughs** Will Heero
and the others arrive in time to save Relena? Or can she save herself? What
about Duo and Hilde? Will they ever remember things in important times? Find
out next time… on Can I Keep You?
-- *Tracey*