Hi Everyone! Just a short sweet note this time – we swear! Well, it took us a bit longer than we had hoped, but here is the next chapter ^_^ We hope you enjoy it!
-Stella & Luvspook
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to us, we
just like to, um, play with them *evil grins*
So,
without further ado…
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us;
what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."
-Albert Pike
ACROSS ENEMY LINES
Chapter 2 - Darkness and Light
The transport vehicle hiccupped over the uneven terrain toward the private estate of the young sovereign who had become their protector. Its occupants noticed little of the passing scenery as they sped along the bumpy country roads; their attention was fully turned to doing what they could for the two young men who were still clinging to life.
Against the far wall, Quatre and Sally worked diligently to calm the obviously distressed Li, who had regained consciousness only moments after being loaded onto the truck. Sally had set to the task of checking over the boy's wounds, as Quatre, with some help from Trowa, did his best to keep Li from thrashing around on the stretcher. Li's skin was cold and clammy to the touch, and Sally shook her head as she examined the deep lacerations covering both of his legs. She could see nothing to be hopeful about as she removed one of Quatre's makeshift bandages, feeling the fresh surge of blood pulse between her fingers. Blood loss aside, it was quite clear that the young soldier was slipping further and further into a state of shock, the seriousness of his situation only compounded by the evidence of infection surrounding the wounds. Even if she could replace what blood volume had been lost, her hopes of reconstructing what remained of the boy's legs were overshadowed with doubt. She spared a fleeting glance to where the other black-haired soldier sat, paling with every cry that fell from his brother's lips. She searched for a single comforting word for the young man who had refused to leave his brother's side, but found herself at a loss for such things as she re-wrapped the wounds.
Beside them, Sally could hear the other injured soldier beginning to stir, having been jostled awake as the truck lurched forward, then dropped back, passing over a particularly rocky patch of road in the process. Pain was etched deeply into his features, and even in his semi-conscious state, his arm was still wrapped tightly around his midsection. Sweat mingled with the remnants of dried blood on his face and neck, turning it a faint scarlet hue, which deeply contrasted the paleness of his skin.
Having done what she could for Li, she made her way over to Heero, where the cheerful soldier with the long chestnut braid sat talking to his wounded friend. It was apparent to Sally that Heero was beyond comprehending anything his comrade was saying, but she gave Duo a reassuring smile for his efforts, anyway.
"How's he doing?" She asked as she knelt down, capturing Heero's wrist with the tips of her fingers, feeling the steady thrum of his pulse fall into far too fast a rhythm.
"Who? Mr. Perfect Soldier here?" Duo replied with a chuckle. "Knowing him, he'll probably get all worked up that you guys found us, and start spouting out a bunch of stuff about marching back out to the woods to fight the enemy."
Duo averted his gaze as Sally peeled back the layers of blood-soaked bandages to view the gash in Heero's side, and sighed her relief to see that for the most part, it had stopped bleeding. Resting her hand against his forehead, she hadn't realized that a frown had inadvertently reached her features, and was surprised when Duo's tone turned more serious.
"He is gonna be all right, isn't he?" He asked, with an uncharacteristic expression of concern.
"Well, it looks like he's…" Sally had started to say, her mind working through the possibilities of both blood loss and the cause for his fever, when she was met with two wide violet eyes that seemed to eager to hear only one thing. "He's going to be just fine." She answered, firmly, smiling up at the young soldier until she could almost believe it herself.
'The sooner we reach Peacecraft Manor, the better.' She thought.
* * * * *
It was uncharacteristically cool for a mid-summer morning as the sun stretched lazily across the sky, chasing the last of night's shadows away. She had received the summons a mere nightfall ago; her destination a small military installation near Koblenz, rumored to be little more than a dank, underground bunker along the Belgian border. They had driven through the night, twisting aimlessly through the back roads of Europe's dense forests, until no doubt remained that her driver had become hopelessly lost. Yet there, inconspicuously carved into the side of a small embankment, was the base; and outside it, the flurry of young German troops quickly set her back at ease.
Apparently, the sight of the black Mercedes she was traveling in caught the soldiers' attention, for before it had even come to a complete stop; the door was suddenly wrenched open, allowing her to step out.
"Heil Hitler!" The young soldier greeted enthusiastically, saluting the stern young woman with an outstretched arm.
"Heil Hitler…" She replied, monotonously, the cold edge to her voice causing the young man to move back a step.
She said nothing else as the soldiers cleared a path to the entrance, most averting their gaze as she pushed past them.
The young woman was well dressed, bearing the mark of distinction as a member of the notorious Gestapo, or Secret State Police. Her skin was pale, her lips the color of blood, and her eyes held in their depths a cold and calculated detachment that ensured anyone who met her that she had earned her rank well. Her long, mahogany locks were tied back into two neatly kept buns and cradled at her neckline by the high collar of her midnight blue coat. There was determination in her stride as she entered the compound, finding the reason for her summons as soon as she crossed the threshold of the bunker's front entrance.
"Mister Treize…"
"You're looking well, Lady." The young Aristocrat replied, turning to face her. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he spoke, an obvious attempt to charm the younger female officer with his charisma and the sheer elegance of his words. "Tell me…How long has it been?"
"Far too many days, sir." Came her ever stoic, and nearly autonomous reply, though the faint glint of emotion flashing in her eyes did not go unnoticed, earning her a smile of a far more genuine nature from the handsome man across from her. With a swift motion, he gestured for his subordinates to depart before waving his guest closer to his side.
"So tell me, Lady Une, what news have you from Berlin?"
"Aircraft and munitions output has increased significantly," She reported quickly, a touch of hesitation peeking through her words. "But with the recent Allied invasion in Normandy, there is talk about the necessity for ensuring our strategic objectives."
"Our Fuhrer is flying in the face of all logic, my dear Lady. I'm afraid that his actions as of late have made him far too many enemies within his own ranks. His plans to push forward with this losing battle are ideas born out of desperation. The time has come for us to focus on our own objectives. The need to take matters into our own hands has become our greatest certainty in this war."
"I understand, sir," she replied with a slight nod. "Our carefully placed operatives have given us very little to go on." Une stated, coldly. "Furthermore, they failed to warn us of the Normandy attack. However, we have obtained certain information that could prove quite useful to us. It would seem that Colonel Bundt of Luxembourg has received correspondence from that bothersome diplomat Darlian of the Sanq Kingdom. In this letter, there is vague mention of a weapon. One with the potential to overthrow Hitler and the Reich."
"I see…" Treize replied, calmly, almost as though he had expected such news, though in truth in came as quite a shock. "What type of weapon?" 'That's an odd piece of information' he thought to himself, 'a great weapon in a pacifist nation?'
"I'm afraid that we couldn't ascertain any specific data from Darlian's letter." She answered quietly. "But the Sanq Kingdom is one of the more prosperous and problematic of Germany's unoccupied neighbors. Their resources could be quite valuable in aiding our soldiers should we chose to launch an attack against them. It is widely known throughout the Reich that the sovereign of that nation has provided aid and sanctuary to the Allies on a number of occasions. It would be a shame for a pacifist nation such as theirs to be caught in the crossfire of this war. Under our control, we could offer its citizens our protection."
"Such offers would be refused, unless proposed under the correct circumstances." Treize stated, firmly, his thoughts turning to the words of promise spoken nearly five years before. A promise made to the young fighter pilot that had made such a difference in the tide of the war. His oath to spare the Sanq Kingdom, and the young princess who upheld its gentle, peaceful ways. "Are you certain that these reports from Colonel Bundt are well-founded?"
He looked up in just enough time to catch the flash of surprise cross her features, before her stony façade was once again raised. She was taken aback by his words, and he thought it best to add logic to his reasoning, as she stood fumbling for a response.
"I've known Bundt for a number of years, Lady Une. He is not above creating such lies in order to divert attention from himself. If the right people believed such accusations, it would certainly win him favor in the eyes of the Fuhrer."
"But if he is telling the truth, obtaining such a weapon would place the power to lead Germany to victory in our hands." She offered, in conclusion.
"We don't need to furnish anyone with a reason to attack the Sanq Kingdom…fabricating just cause is, as you know, well within your means." He sighed softly. "Do as you see fit…I place Germany's future in your hands."
* * * * *
"Woman, is that the best you can do?" Wufei growled, casting a fierce glare in the direction of the room where Sally was tending to his brother, watching as one of her assistants scurried out looking for gauze. He had refused to leave Li since they had arrived at the Peacecraft Manor, choosing instead to pace the length of the infirmary for the last several hours. Though he had given Li a pint of blood through a transfusion, Wufei still rejected any food, water or medical care for himself until he had word of his older brother's condition.
Finally the door to Li's room opened and she walked out slowly, her white coat stained with crimson. He fought the urge to look away, feeling his stomach churn at the sight of all the blood, and so he stared past her, focusing on the door. The young doctor removed her coat, and moved forward to address the seemingly hostile black-haired man standing before her. He looked too young to be a soldier, she thought to herself. He seemed as though he were little more than a child himself. "Wufei – that's your name, right?" Sally asked, trying to keep her voice steady, knowing that the news she was about to deliver might very well send him into a rage – or worse. He stood still and rigid, not answering her, his silence commanding her to continue. Sally gathered her nerves and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry…" she started, feeling her face fall after just two words. She didn't have the opportunity to say anything else, all she could do was watch helplessly as Wufei fell to his knees and let out a guttural cry of pain, like a wounded animal. He stayed there, fists clenched at his side, body shaking, staring at the polished tile floor for a few moments before he pushed himself back to his feet.
"NO!" He yelled, shaking his head, repeating the word silently over and over before looking Sally in the eye. "I don't believe you!" he shouted, racing past her and careening through the doors to where she had just come from. Sally followed in silence, carefully catching hold of one of the still swinging doors and slipping inside. There she watched him. He had stopped a few feet away from the bed, fixated on the figure with a blood-splotched white sheet draped over it. No signs of life were evident; it made no movement – no sound. Their ears were only met with the stillness and deafening silence that accompanies the departure from life.
The daylight was fading, casting the last golden rays through the window and across the bed. Wufei walked slowly to where his brother's body lay, and gently folding back the sheet so that he could see Li's face. They had washed away the blood and dirt, Wufei noted, and they had closed his dead brother's eyes and folded his arms, yet he did not look peaceful. "Brother…" Wufei whispered, noticing the ashen hue of Li's skin – the pallor of death, yet still somehow willing him to wake. "It can't end like this! It won't!" he screamed, choking back tears. Sally felt her own heart break for him as he continued to stand silently over the bed.
After quite some time, his posture seemed to relax, and he reached out to replace the sheet, but stopped before covering the dead young man's face. "I will avenge you, brother," Wufei vowed, laying a hand on Li's cold cheek. "And then you will be at peace."
* * *
"My compliments to the chef!" Duo Maxwell mumbled between bites of roasted chicken and potatoes, which he was shoveling into his mouth at an astounding rate. Relena, raising an eyebrow as she watched her braided guest, wasn't sure whether or not to be amused or horrified, but decided on amused as Duo thanked her for the thousandth time. "I haven't eaten in DAYS!" he exclaimed, reaching for another helping of potatoes and then passing them on to Trowa and Quatre. The bruised and battered men that Sally had found in the forest were cleaned up and Relena's butler had found them all some fresh clothes, but right now she could tell that what they really needed was some sleep.
"You look exhausted," Relena said, casting a glance at the blonde medic who seemed as though he were ready to nod off face first into his plate of food. "Why don't you go and rest, and I'll have Peygan bring dinner up to your room," she offered. "All of you."
The three men slowly rose from the table to follow Relena, Duo reaching back for a chicken leg before they began the ascent to their sleeping quarters. "One for the road," he smiled, chewing gleefully as they walked towards the stairs. Relena saw Duo and Trowa to their rooms while Quatre went to look in on Heero, who was just down the hall.
"I really should stay with Heero in case there's a problem," Quatre said, stifling a yawn. "And I should check on Li also…"
"Sally's taking care of him. She'll do her best, I know."
Quatre nodded and walked towards his room. "Just let me get a blanket and I'll be down the hall."
Relena spoke up without hesitation. "You need your rest, I'll stay with him. Heero is his name?" Quatre answered again with a nod and Relena looked at him assuredly. "If he needs you, I'll come and get you right away. Please try to sleep."
"Thank you, Miss Relena," Quatre smiled, fighting to keep his eyes open. "Thank you and your people for all you've done for us today."
"This war is a dreadful thing," she said quietly, bowing her head. "We must do what we can, for each other."
"Yes…" A moment of silence passed between them, Quatre quietly regarding the young woman standing across from him. There seemed to be something about her that reached far past her tender age, an inner strength that was evident in her blue-green eyes to anyone who cared to look for it. "Goodnight then, Miss Relena."
"Goodnight," she smiled, and turned to make her way back down the corridor, stopping off at the guest wing's library to find a book to help her pass the night.
* * * * *
She opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake him. Goodness knows he needed his rest, they all did. Standing at the doorway, she could hear the feverish wheeze of his breathing and the rustling of the sheets as he thrashed from side to side. Tiptoeing towards his bed, she stopped to look at the young man whom she had held in her arms earlier that day, remembering his eyes – they were so deep, blue like the stormy sea, as if threatening to drown her if she stared into them for too long. And so filled with pain. It saddened her as much as it thrilled her to think of them.
He had said nothing to her when he woke, but merely reached out for her hand, perhaps to see if she were more than a figment of his delusional state. "Rest now," she had said to him, and Relena whispered it again out loud now, almost as though it was her prayer for him.
She reached out, placing a hand on his burning forehead. 'Much too hot,' she thought to herself, and debated whether or not to run right back down the hallway and fetch that poor exhausted medic who had probably fallen asleep by now. Instead she filled a basin with some cool water, and dabbed it onto his face. This seemed to settle him, and so she stayed by his side, filling and refilling the basin again and again. After a long while, Heero's forehead began to feel a great deal cooler, so Relena retreated to a nearby armchair. She curled up and began to open her book, but found that she could not tear herself away from the sleeping man before her. She studied him, her eyes moving from the bandages on his arms, to the bruises covering his shoulders and face, to the thick brown locks of hair that hung loosely over his forehead. Relena had no idea how many hours had passed – how long she sat there mesmerized by steady rise and fall of his chest and the way his lips parted while he slumbered. But the moon was still high and full in the night sky when her own heavy eyelids closed, plunging her into a dreamless sleep.
She awoke with a start, blinking to get her surroundings into focus as she noticed the dawn's first light creeping into the room. Panicked that something might have happened to Heero while she slept, Relena rushed to his side only to find him still breathing steadily, and fast asleep – or so it seemed. A smile of relief overtook her features as she lay her hand on his forehead, finding it as cool as her own. The fever had broken.
She watched him again, for a long time, and then reluctantly turned to go back to her chair, letting her fingers brush against the soft cotton bed sheet. Very suddenly a strong hand clamped down around her wrist. She whirled around with a gasp, again coming face to face with him, blue eyes sparkling in the pink morning light, so blue…
"Where am I?" he demanded, snapping her out of the trance. His voice was hoarse and strained, but commanding nonetheless as he struggled up into a sitting position. "I said, where am I!" Relena felt a stab of fear run through her, and she looked down at his hand encircling her wrist painfully, and then up to his eyes again, blazing ferociously. She tried to pull away, but he held fast. Fighting the urge to cry out, she instead took a deep breath and answered his question.
"You… You are in the Sanq Kingdom, on the borders of France and Germany," she answered shakily, but he did not let go. "We have no stake in the war, you're safe here," she explained as calmly as she could, relief flooding through her as recognition glimmered in his eyes and he released his vice-grip. She moved to the bedside table to pour him a glass of water, which he accepted gratefully, drinking hastily as she continued to speak. "My name is Relena Peacecraft, and I am the princess of this country. I am bound by the oath I took when I became ruler to uphold my father's philosophies of pacifism. I will not battle with armies, but I do what I can for those who are fighting against the Reich." She refilled his glass, and watched his shaking hands as he fumbled, trying to bring it to his lips. The effort it had taken to hold onto her wrist just a few minutes ago seemed to have sapped what little energy he had. Looking at him tenderly, she seated herself on the edge of the bed and leaned in, covering his hand with hers and helping him to drink.
Heero watched the girl warily – he had known very little in the way of human kindness during his life, and couldn't help but be suspicious of it in any form. His eyes didn't leave her for a second, and he kept telling himself that it was because he couldn't trust her and had nothing to do with the fact that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His angel at the edge of the woods; now he remembered… waking up ever so briefly… even still, how could he be sure she was an ally?
"Are you hungry?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts by pushing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes for him, a small smile playing on her lips as she did so, he noticed.
"Why is a princess taking care of me? Don't you have servants for that?" he asked skeptically, the intense look on his face never softening.
Relena seemed undaunted by the questions, and continued to tend to him while she spoke. "The house staff is very small," she explained while checking his bandages. "Just because we haven't been occupied doesn't mean that the war hasn't affected us. We have a lot of people to feed, medical supplies are difficult to come by – what money is left in the treasury goes to helping the refugees who have made it safely within our borders. The Reich has tried to bleed us dry and wants us to beg for their help. But I will not!" She said defiantly, the intensity of her gaze rivaling his own. "We can manage. They will NOT control us."
Heero still was not satisfied and continued unwavering in his interrogation. "How did you avoid an invasion?" he questioned stiffly.
Her whole demeanor changed in a single instant, and Heero was taken aback at how quite suddenly she looked pale and weak, fragile and so very sad. She stopped what she had been doing, as if the thought of it all made her body go limp. "My brother," Relena all but whispered, her head bowed. "My…"
A sharp knock at the door stopped her in mid-sentence, and both of the room's occupants looked up to find Peygan, with Duo, Trowa and Quatre standing sullenly behind him. "Excuse me, Miss Relena," the elderly butler said politely, bowing his head. "But I have some rather sad new from Miss Sally. It seems that the other young man who was badly injured expired last evening."
Relena slowly raised herself from her perch on the edge of Heero's bed and glanced at her guests, genuine pity in her eyes. "I'm so very sorry," she said, looking at each one of them in turn. Duo was the first to speak.
"We only just met him on the transport – we were all just leftovers from units that got demolished during the landing at Normandy. But still…"
"His brother – the other boy is his brother, correct?" Relena asked, and watched as they all nodded in affirmation. "Please, one of you – ask him what we can do to help with proper funeral arrangements. We shall do everything possible to be of assistance."
"I'll go," Trowa offered, and turned to find his way to the infirmary room where Wufei sat, holding a vigil and praying over his older brother's lifeless body. As Trowa departed, Relena noticed that the fair-haired medic looked absolutely miserable. She searched her thoughts, trying to remember his name.
"Quatre? I…" She started towards him, but the young man only shook his head and stared at the floor. A tremble worked its way through his body.
"If only I'd been able to do more. I could have… maybe if I had…"
"You can't blame yourself," Heero spoke up from the bed across the room, in a tone that forced the blonde man to look up and meet his gaze.
"Yeah, we know you did what you could, buddy," Duo added, resting a hand on Quatre's shoulder. The medic looked unconvinced.
"It's just that… it wasn't enough…" Quatre sighed, and his voice trailed off as he walked with his shoulders slumped past Peygan and Relena to check on his remaining patient.
"I'll see that breakfast is brought up to you," Relena said cheerlessly, closing the door behind her as if trying to seal in the somber air. Peygan nodded and began to make his way to the kitchen, with Duo following in close pursuit.
* * * * *
Duo returned alone, arms laden with plates of toast, eggs and sausages – half of which he had devoured on the way up. He found his comrades so deep in conversation that they barely noticed his entrance. Trowa had pulled a chair up to the bed, while Quatre leaned in from beside Heero, who had been propped up with a couple of pillows. Their voices were hushed, so Duo moved closer to hear the words passing between his fellow soldiers.
"…her brother, but she didn't go into detail," Heero offered, shifting his gaze from Quatre to Trowa.
"I don't understand how such a small kingdom could have slipped through the Reich's fingers," Trowa added, pushing his long bangs aside, allowing him to stare more intently as his comrades.
"So her brother, you said, Heero?" Quatre asked, turning his attention back to the still battered looking man in the bed.
"Yeah, I take it that he must be…"
"… in the high ranks of the SS. He calls himself Zechs Merquise."
All eyes turned to Duo. "Hey," he said, setting down the plates on a nearby table. "You learn a lot talking to the folks in the kitchen." He took their silence as an invitation to continue, but not before sitting down and helping himself to a few more bites of food.
"Well, according to Peygan and the cook, this guy's real name was Milliardo Peacecraft – heck, I'd change it, too if I was stuck with that kind of…"
"Duo, the point?" Heero all but hissed.
"Anyway," Duo said, casting a bitter glance in Heero's general direction before continuing, "About ten years ago, he and their father had some kind of falling out, and the old king disinherited him, so he left the country. A couple years later, Germany starts invasions all over the place, and in this region, a lord or earl or something named Treize Kushranada was in charge. Don't you know that Milliardo resurfaces as this Zechs guy working under Treize, and talks him into sparing the Sanq."
"Zechs Merquise… now where have I heard that?" Trowa wondered out loud, wracking his brain for the associations of the name.
"'The Lightening Count,'" Heero said dryly, earning bewildered looks from the others. "He's Germany's best fighter pilot."
End Chapter 2
That was kind of a miserable place to stop, and just because we love you, we've included a little preview of the next chapter.
**PREVIEW**
"Can you move?" he asked, wondering just why she had made no attempt to get up. Had she been hurt?
She looked up at him, but gave no response. His voice sounded so far away; her ears were still ringing from the loudness of the explosions. She could feel the throbbing ache in her bruised left shoulder, and she slowly brought her right hand up to the back of her head, expecting to feel a flow of blood, but instead found it only swollen and tender to the touch.
"I, uh…" she faltered as he helped her to sit up. "What was that?" Relena asked dazedly. She knew the answer, but she just didn't want to believe it.
"It was a bombing raid," Heero stated matter-of-factly, taking her hand as she attempted to steady herself on her own two feet.
"No…" she said quietly, still holding onto the back of her aching head. "No, it can't be… Milliardo - he wouldn't."
- To be continued…
Thanks again for reading! We so appreciated all of your feedback from the last chapter, and we hope this one was worth waiting for.
Love to All! - Stella and Luvspook
PS – Check out "Wandering Heero" in Stella's profile – you never know, he could be coming to your town next!