Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing©... Bandai & Sunrise own it all!! And nor do I own the song known as Kim by Eminem.... enjoy!!
Dedication: To all who are patiently waiting for the next chapters to ALL my other stories. To *Sagittarius Girl*.... *giggles* You will not believe how many freakin' GW stories that I have written out already... just not posted yet... -_-"
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" Oh... my God... " he choked out as he stared down into the face of Relena Peacecraft, his angel of peace, the one thing that had kept him thriving all these years, the only one he thought he could love, but she had ended up settling for that Joshua Reynolds guy.
Oh, how he hated him...
" Is s-she... d-dead? " Duo croaked as he took a small step towards the both of them, a look of pure loss within the bluey depths.
Heero blinked and then roamed his eyes about the room before bringing them down to settle on Relena's face. He gently shifted her into a comfortable position as he reached down to press two fingers to her neck that held a long large, wide smear of dry crusted blood, running from the cheek with the ugly purple welt all the way down her long slender neck ending just at the start of her robe.
He nodded, hearing everyone let out a sigh of relief, " She's alive... barely... "
Duo nodded and then watched as Heero stared down into the blood covered and bruised face of woman in his arms, " Heero... we have to take her to a hospital... " he spoke softly, watching for a reaction.
He got none.
Heero just nodded and then slid his arm under her knees as he lifted her higher up against his body so that her chin was resting on his left shoulder, her face facing the crook of his neck as he carefully and gracefully crouched down to pick up the keys to Duo's car that he had dropped earlier upon sight of Relena. Duo ran from the front hall to go put some pants on as the others slowly made their way to the doorway, but Heero turned upon hearing them all shuffling about uncertainly.
" Wait... hold up for one second. We need someone to call Zechs... "
Quatre waved his hand, " I'll do that now... " he replied as he turned to head for the vid-phone in the kitchen.
Heero nodded, " Good. Two, we need someone to go to Relena's house and pick some things up for her... "
Trowa nodded, " I can do that... "
" Alright.... "
Trowa nodded again and then brushed past him to exit the house and then climb onto his motorcycle and drive away, the loud "veruum" of the engine echoing throughout the night. Heero sighed heavily and he found himself staring at Wufei.
" What do you suppose I do? " he asked.
Heero eyed him for a moment, " Just stay here... unless you want to come with me and feel the wraith of Zechs... "
Wufei smirked and snorted, " Hn! I wonder if he's really anything like Treize... " he mused.
Heero cocked a dark brow, " Treize is dead, Wufei... "
Wufei waved a hand through the air, " I know, I know! I was just thinking... that's all, remembering, " he replied, staring at Heero.
Heero snorted this time, " Hn... "
Wufei made a face and pointed to the door, " Well? Are we going to go are not.. she seems to be bleeding all over your shirt... " he pointed the dark crimson stained tank top now.
Heero scowled, " Ah, just shut up and let's go... " he said as he turned with Relena in his arms and headed for the door, a smirking Wufei not far behind...
__________
Relena groaned lightly -- or tried to, but the searing pain that paralyzed her body made her cry out instead of groan. She moaned, groaned and whimpered as she tried to lift herself up from whatever she was laying on. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring up at what appeared to be just an eternal blackness that had plagued her mind.
" Heero? " Relena called out, voice soft, small, quiet, afraid of someone jumping her and then beating her if she raised it just a notch.
" Heero?? " she called out again, only this time a few decibles louder, flinching from the whatever blow was expected.
There was none.
Relena swallowed and slowly opened her eyes. She moved around and found that all her pain, stiff joints, aching limbs, sore organs, everything was all gone. It was like it had all just suddenly disappeared like nothing had happened. But something had happened, it had all happened in a flash, a bright thin speck of light stabbing her eyes hard and sure, making her partially blind for a few minutes.
Screams, low, loud, high, shrill, desperate, pained echoed through the air around, making her head suddenly pound. The screams, wail, howls of pain grew and grew in length, tone, volume, causing her brain to slam up against the inside of her skull, begging for her to release it from the agony of having to listen to these tortured screams that turned into sobs now.
Flash!!
" No, J-josh... just stop! Oh, God... let g-go of my hair... please... "
" You like that, bitch!? That will teach you never to go behind my back and do such things... won't it? "
Silence.
" Won't it?!?! "
Relena nodded while she sobbed, fat plump tears of crystal sliding down her bruised cheeks to mingle with the blood stained floor of the bedroom, the sheets, blankets and pillows thrown about the room like a bunch of dumb pathetic ragdolls that didn't want to be played with anymore, but abused. Joshua leered at his wife and then roughly backhanded her when she wouldn't answer his question, the bottle of whiskey sitting on the side of the nightstand that was toppled over, the contents all askew on the ground.
" Y-yes... " Relena muttered through clenched teeth, as she reached up to ungrip his hands from her long hair.
" Come on... you can try better then that! " Josh shouted in her face, making her flinch as the beads of saliva slapped up against her cheek, forehead and eyes.
" Just s-stop this, Josh... " Relena begged as she was now dragged across the room to the bed that had the top mattress slit open, the fluff from inside laying about on the floor.
Josh shook his head and turned his head to glare at Relena, " And why should I? Huh?! What good would it do you if I stopped? NOTHING!! That's what it'll do... " he screamed as he threw her up against the far wall in the West side of their spacious bedroom.
The back of Relena's head smacked up against the plaster wall, sending flashes of light to her eyes as she clamped them shut against the sudden jerky bolts of pain that were sent to every part of her body making her limbs and torso go into sudden convulsions. There she lay, on the ground, half sitting, half laying against the wall, blood slowly running down the length of the wall as her entire body continued to go into convulsions.
Relena's eyes snapped open, the whites of her eyes gone completely red from the force of the wall hitting the back of her head, and she stared right at Josh who was making his way towards her, his steps uncertain from the amount of alcohol he had previous had. She wanted to do something, but what? And how? She was completely hopeless, helpless with her body going into convulsions, her limbs useless until the attack subsided.
One name came to her mind though...
Heero...
Flash!!
" Oh! Look... there she is. Isn't she beautiful? "
" Yes. Look at how her gown sparkles in the light! Ah... how I wish I were in her shoes.... "
" I know! And I can't believe she's marrying him... look at him, he's to die for... "
' Gush all you want, ladies... this man is mine and mine alone... ' Relena thought as she slowly walked down the aisle that contained well over a thousand people, the twenty foot stark white train following slowly with the beat of her steps.
She watched the man she was about to marry; Joshua Reynolds, the man who had been able to offer her everything she could possibly want... desire, but what else would he offer that perhaps she didn't want? Relena smiled, tears of joy, happiness touching her eyes as she watched Josh from where she was walking, stealing sidelong glances at the man who was slowly passing her, his deep prussian blue eyes watching her carefully, but there was something else within those mysterious depths, but what?
Awe? A longing for something already taken? Unspoken... love? Regret? Hatred...?
' No... ' Relena thought as she shook her head, trying to dislodge that one thought from her mind.
Heero Yuy could really never love anyone, nor come to loving himself. He was basically a heartless man with no particular chance to deal with life and it's difficulties. But then again, how did he ever manage to survive all the obstacles that were thrown his way over the past fives years she had known him? Over the years of his life? How did he ever manage to survive all that training?
She could feel his eyes on her, watching her, watching something of or on her. Relena sighed happily as she brought her full attention to the man she was going to marry, the man standing at the altar in front of the priests, back straight, hands at his sides, a happy, proud smile adorning the nice looking face. She just stared at him as she slowly climbed up the three steps to stand beside him to become his proud wife in sickness and in health, till death should she part.
Relena gazed up into his eyes and watched as his eyes searched hers. For what? She didn't know, all she knew was that all around, it was becoming harder to breath. It felt like the wedding gown that was low-cut, hugging her small waist nicely, was cutting off her air supply for some reason. All around, the roof of the chapel was slowly closing in around from all corners. People suddenly screamed as it suddenly began to get hot inside the chapel, the heat only touching her body while the screams grew louder.
It was only minutes before she was screaming herself right along with them, but then everything went silent and only her one scream echoed throughout the air as she felt long thin fingers tighten around her neck, bruising the delicate flesh by just pressing down firmly. Inside, she felt like she was being torn into two halves as the hands squeezed harder.
" Come on... die... come on... it will teach you... "
" N-no... ... ...s-stop!! Let-t me.... .... go..... " she begged as her life was slowly squeezed out of her.
Josh stared down at her, leering almost, " And why should I, bitch? When God bestows a wife to a man, that wife isn't suppose to go and do shit behind the man's back... " he replied, sneering this time as he pushed down on the front of her neck with the pads of his palms.
Relena began to choke loudly now, " Y-yeah... well... .... ...when G-god bes-stows a wife to a m-man, he... .... isn't su-ppose to beat the liv-ing s-shit out of... t-them... " she managed to retort through chokes.
The sneer was wiped from Josh's face, only to be replaced by anger, pure, evil anger, a dangerous gleam within his eyes. He tore a hand from her neck, a nearly stark white hand print left imprinted into the flesh, purple outlining it followed by red and pink as the blood quickly tried to recirculate as Josh lifted his arm up into the air and then swung it down onto Relena's face, catching her left cheek, almost shattering the cartilage in her nose.
Her head snapped to the side to hard, her right cheek slammed into the ground and went completely numb as her head snapped back around to only be met by another hard slap to the face. Relena tried to scream, but it wasn't working, nothing was working. The more she screamed, sobbed, the more Joshua beat her, slowly killed her soul, her will to live.
But... the real question was -- Is Relena Peacecraft a fighter? Or a quiter after so many years of thriving....?
Flash...
__________
It had been two hours since Relena was brought into the Saint Grace hospital and then whisked away to the operation room for an hour and a half operation that left her friends and family sitting in the waiting room, praying, waiting for her to come through alive and not dead.
Heero stood leaning up against the far South wall of the waiting room, arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at the ground, eyes unwavering, emotionless. Duo sat on one of the plastic orange chairs lining the stark white walls, his back hunched over as he held his clasped hands to his mouth, his own eyes unwavering as he stared at the ground as well, his wife; Hilde Schbeiker Maxwell sitting beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.
Quatre was still at home and Trowa was probably still at Relena's home, getting her some clothes and other personal things. Wufei sat across the room in silence, his dark eyes closed, back straight as he just sat there. Relena's older brother, Milliardo Peacecraft stood in front of the operating room, pacing back and forth slowly, head bowed, hands clasped behind his back as he waited.
His wife, Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft sat in the chair beside the operating room, a worried look on her face as she absentmindedly stared at the small coffee table in the middle of the room, the Vogue magazines littering the top of it. Her dark eyes were glazed over with a thin coat of tears as she pondered what had happened to her sister-in-law.
Heero had explained to them as soon as they had arrived that Relena was in bad condition and that she was barely alive when he had found her. He had discribed the extent of her wounds and what he could see without going over any personal boundries.
Of course they were thankful in a way, but by just the way he had described the welt in her cheek, the blood that had basically stained everything it saw, the deep gashes on her arms, the cuts along her wrists, they were horrified, angered and most of all scared.
Noin was just about to go up to Heero and ask him something about the cut on her face when the doors to the operation room slowly opened and a short female doctor with flaming red hair and piercing violet eyes stepped out into the waiting room, her gaze sweeping over the room, catching everyone's face, including Heero's as they stared at her.
" Hello... " she said clearly, " I'm doctor Toki Lowe. I'm all sure that you're wondering how Mrs. Reynolds is doing and I will have to say that she will last through the night. Her cuts were, well, extreme. We fixed them, made them all better, but she might want to consider plastic surgery in the near future... "
" But... if she survives through the night, will she survive for the day after, and the day after that? " Milliardo asked, his deep blue eyes watching her.
Toki nodded, " Of course! She lost a lot of blood though, it was a good thing your friend over there brought her in when he had, if he hadn't, then she would've been a dead corpse just laying out on the streets... "
Heero smirked at the comment and then continued to watch and listen as Toki continued to explain Relena's situation carefully, chosing her words and definitions wisely, not wanting to alarm anyone, including Milliardo.
" As I had said earlier, her cuts were extreme. They didn't look exactly like they were self inflicted, I mean... why in her right mind would she go to that trouble to cut her arms up? Why? " Toki asked as she looked about the room, her eyes falling to a rest on Heero's expressionless face.
" Could you tell me perhaps? " Toki asked.
Everyone turned their full attention to Heero who stared at Toki, eyes slightly narrowed, arms crossed over chest still, " Well... I wouldn't know. Why are you asking me anyway? It's not like I live with her... " he replied in a gruff voice.
" Well then, perhaps it would be the one who lives with her, correct? "
Duo shrugged and answered, " Perhaps she was out walking around and got jumped.... "
Heero suddenly scowled, " Yeah, right, Maxwell! Like Relena's that stupid to take a walk through the neighborhood dressed in only a robe... "
Duo pursed his lips, " It was a suggestion, Heero, geez, lighten up, buddy! " he shot back sitting back in the orange chair.
" So then, what are you saying? That Relena's husband could've done something like that to her? " Milliardo asked from the side.
Toki shrugged, " It's a possibilty, I mean, she lives with him, right? "
Everyone nodded.
" Well then? Maybe it was him. Have any of you... talked to him in the last while? "
Everyone but one shook their heads.
" I met up with him just earlier this afternoon... " Duo replied softly, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.
Toki and along with everyone else stared at him, " What did you guys talk about? Or do? " she asked.
Duo shrugged and self-consciously scratched the back of his neck, " We just sat down at the coffee house at the corner of Calico Ave for a cup and to chat. It was his idea to go there... "
" What did he say, Duo... " Heero asked.
" Nothing much. We talked about Relena, politcs... even though I hate that stuff, and about life..."
" And... that was all? " Toki asked.
Duo nodded, " Yeah, pretty much... "
" How did he appear when he first arrived at the coffee house? " Milliardo asked.
Duo glanced over at him and frowned, " Normal... cheerful, said something about Relena wanting him home earlier so they could spend the evening over at the beach... "
" Well... looks like she ain't going to no beach for a while... " Toki responded as she scratched her cheek.
" True... " Duo replied, his eyes staring down at the tiled floor.
" Well, she's been brought up to ICU and we're going to keep her here for at least a day or so, just for observation, just in case something goes wrong... " Toki informed them all as she slowly turned to leave them.
" Thank you, doctor... " Milliardo murmured as he turned and went to sit beside Noin.
Noin sighed heavily and Milliardo wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders to pull her up against him and hold her hard as she hugged him and buried her face into his face. Duo and Hilde sat together, wrapped in each other's arms. Silence hung about the room like thick heavy fog that wasn't wanted.
Heero watched everyone, his deep prussian blue eyes leaving one couple's face to lead to another's before he came to a rest on Wufei's who was watching him strangely. Heero narrowed his eyes before he pushed off the wall and crossed the room to take the way that Toki had used to leave them alone...
__________
Trowa grunted quietly as he pushed the front door open, the hinges squeaking loudly in protest as he pushed through, stepping into the large home of the Reynolds. He stood in the doorway, deep emerald green eyes scanning the room until they came to an abrupt halt on the sharp jagged pieces of china and glass scattered about on the ground, cracks decorating the walls where the glass was thrown against it.
Trowa frowned slightly as he stepped into the front hall and then farther into the livingroom to slowly make his way to the bedroom. He had only been here once and that was when the Reynolds had had their after celebration. After that day, Relena had suddenly disappeared from their lives, no phone calls, no surprise drop-ins, nothing. It was like she never exsisted, until just a few minutes ago when she suddenly showed up on the front step of the Winner residence.
Trowa walked down the dead quiet hall that was barely lit up from the crack shining out from under a door a few paces ahead. He licked his lips and glanced about the hall, taking in the completely bare walls, the small table he just passed that was covered in a lace topping.
As he passed by the table, there was a small groan that ran through the once silent hallway, making it sound like the whole house was groaning in protest about something. Trowa froze, his eyes squinted slightly as he slowly turned his head from side to side, taking in any intruders that were trying to snake up on him from behind.
With seeing no one there, Trowa simply shrugged away the uneasy feeling of not being along and continued to make his way towards the door with the light shining out from underneath. In three long strides, he stood in front of the ajar door, his face holding no expression as he stared at the front of the door, the light sliding out from underneath showering his feet and part of his ankles.
Trowa reached out and silently and easily pushed the door open to reveal the most horrifying sight ever. Blood covered most of the once alabaster tiled floor of the bathroom just under the sink and along the visible side of the large bathtub. Blood decorated the sides of the small sink, towels laying on the ground completely covered in blood as well.
He slowly walked into the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door behind him as he walked up to the sink to peer down into what looked like water but was really blood, the small box of shaving razors still sitting on the edge, having just stopped tittering precariously over the edge.
Trowa felt an involuntary shudder run throughout his muscular body as he slowly turned his face away from the sink to be greeted by more blood as he found himself staring down into the tub, a white towel now soaked in blood laying in a heap of red inside the porcelin necessity(sp?).
" How the hell did this all happen? It looks like they were robbed, but I don't see anything missing, everything's just smashed up. What's with all the blood? Does it all belong to Relena? Or both of them? Where is he anyway? Did he get hurt as well? Or worse? " Trowa asked himself outloud as he slowly turned away from the bathtub to leave the bathroom entirely.
As soon as he stepped out into the dark hallway, he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, blinking a few times as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness as he continued his mission; Relena's bedroom, but what was that noise? Was it music? Or was it... real?
Sit down bitch,
You move again, I'll beat the shit out of you.
Quit crying bitch, why do you always make me shout at you?
How could you?
Just leave me and love him out of the blue.
Trowa knitted his brow in confusion as he stopped and strained to hear what that noise was.
How could you let him sleep in our bed?
Look at him, Kim.
Look at your husband now!
{No!}
I said look at him!
He ain't so hot now, ain't he? Little punk!
" Where the hell is that coming from? " Trowa muttered through clenched teeth as he slowly and silently continued to make his way towards the bedroom.{Why are you doing this?}
Shut the fuck up!
{You're drunk! You're never going to get away with this!}
You think I give a fuck!?
Come on, bitch, we're going for a ride.
{No!}
Does this look like a big joke?
{No!}
There's a four year old boy lyin' dead, his throat slit,
In your livingroom, ha-ha.
Trowa could see the open door to Relena's bedroom. He was pretty sure it was her room for she had given them all a tour of her house before she had disappeared for three months, and he was pretty sure that her reason wasn't because of a honeymoon, her and Joshua had decided not to go on a honeymoon.
He was almost there, perhaps only a foot away when he heard the hardwood floor underneath him groan in protest. Trowa whirled around quickly to only be greeted by a hard obstacle that slammed into the right side of his head, sending sparks of pain to his eyes and him to the ground.
Joshua leered down at Trowa's body as it crumpled to the ground. He snorted and then slowly turned his head to the side as he let a large glob of saliva slip past his lips and hit the wall, he couldn't tell. He threw down the metal bat that he had kept from his previous teenage years and then bent over to grab Trowa by the ankles and then drag him off into the bedroom.
A few minutes after that, after he had Trowa securely bound tightly to the bed, he strode from the house - small microphone in hand as he began to talk to someone unknown - to hop into his car and drive away, his destination unknown...
__________
Heero rode the elevator in silence, Duo by his side as usual. Together they rode to the second floor of the Saint Grace hospital where Relena's room was situated in ICU. Heero was the first to step out into the hallway and then silently leave it, leaving Duo to follow behind in silence as well on his own.
Duo stared down at the tiled floor of the hospital, silently counting the black squares apart from the white ones as they passed underneath his feet slowly. Heero suddenly stopped in front of a door with the name Reynolds on the medical folder sitting neatly in the small slot in the door.
" Hey, hey, Heero... " Duo began as he came up behind him, " We aren't family... we don't have a right to go in there. At least not without Zechs or Noin's permission... "
Heero scowled and kept his back to the former Deathsycthe pilot as he kept his hand on the doorhandle, " It doesn't matter right now, all that matters is that she's safe. We have to keep her safe, Duo, you of all people should know that... " he replied stiffly as he turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open.
Duo sighed heavily in defeat, his shoulders slumping forward, " Yeah... I guess you're right, Heero.. "
" Of course I'm right... " Heero said over his shoulder as he went to step into the room, but there was a firm hand gripping his right broad shoulder, pulling him back slightly away from the door.
Inside the room there was a noise as Heero threw off the hand from his shoulder and whirled around to face an orderly who had a hard look in the deep green orbs. Duo stared at the orderly, giving him a look that read 'buddy! You must want to die now'.
" Excuse me, sir... you're not allowed to go in there... " the orderly said sternly, his british accent heavy and thick.
Heero snorted and scowled, " What right do you have in saying that? "
" Only family is allowed in there, sir... "
" I am family... " Heero shot back, his prussian blue eyes hard and steady as he glared at the orderly who held the glare.
Duo blinked and stared at Heero now, " Wha-- " he began, but Heero shot him a nasty glare from the corner of his eye, shutting him up instantly.
" Y-yeah... we are her family, older brothers to be exact. " Duo replied in an uncertain voice as he watched the orderly turn his head to stare at him now.
The orderly brought his hand to his right ear and then nodded as he stared at Duo, " Sorry... go right in... " he said smoothly as he slowly backed away and then finally turned to leave them completely.
Duo grinned at Heero, " There ya go, Heero! "
Heero snorted, " Hn... "
Duo's grinned slowly dissolved, " What? I helped, didn't I? Yeesh... well, you might as well go in.. "
" I plan on doing just that, but... "
" But...? "
" that man was hiding something... " Heero said flatly as his death glare lingered on the doorway that the orderly had disappeared into.
Duo cocked his left brow and crossed his arms over his chest, " Yeah? Like what? " he mused as he watched Heero's face.
Heero shook his head as he turned to push the door open and step into the room, only to stop instantly, Duo slamming into his back from the abrupt stop. Duo groaned and rubbed his chest as he stared at Heero's back, noting the muscles that bunched up instantly.
" Heero? What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly afraid to go into the room? " Duo asked as stood up a bit straighter to peer over the broad shoulder into the room that was dimly lit.
Heero found himself in a position that he was rarely in. This was twice that this had happened to him. He had been taken completely by surprise twice this night and he wasn't liking it, not at all.
His eyes were wide slightly as he stared at the bed. Behind him, Duo tried not to fall into him as he as well stared at the bed, a shocked gasp escaping his throat, for the bed was.....
empty...
__________
Author's Note: Well? Whatcha think so far? So far so good? I personally like the abuse scenes. I don't know why, but I guess as one reviewer had said, "It's not all sugar coated fluffy stuff, it's the real hard facts of what can happen...." *giggles and nods* she's right too! Ah well... I felt like writing something like this and look at this, I did... but, what did you think of it so far? I hope you all look forward for more on this story and on the others as well... adieu my good fellow authors and fellows friends... I love you guys!! Note: Toki Lowe is not related to Owin Lowe Jr. or Odin Lowe in any way....
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Constructive criticism? Leia Avenrose #1 or Leia Avenrose #2