Disclaimer: I don't own "Lullabye" by Billy Joel, "Lean on me", nor Gundam Wing or it's characters.
Thank you Malcolm Yuy for posting one of the first versions on his site, and to Tomorrow for helping with one of the final copies.
Riding on My Lullaby
She sighed as she looked over her work for the final time, and satisfied with herself, scrolled back to the top of the document--sighing again as she wracked her brain for the perfect, attention-getting sentences.
'Nothing,' she thought miserably. 'All this work and I can't even think of something.' She drummed her fingers on the armrest of the big chair she sat in.
She glanced around the dimly lit room. Sally and Noin were asleep on the couch, and Dorothy was asleep in a huge armchair. Catherine and Hilde, on the other hand, were sitting in front of the coffee table, watching a movie--Hilde's left arm in a cast, for she had been in a car accident two months ago.
They were there to celebrate Hilde's, Catherine's and her own birthday tonight, but she spent most of the time writing away--although Hilde's was a week ago, her birthday in two days, and Catherine's in three days. She smiled at the thought of the unopened presents just waiting for her to shred their films of ribbons and colored paper in a few days.
She snapped herself from her daydreaming and forced her mind to concentrate on her short story at hand. She had received a letter from a magazine asking her to write a chronicle for them, and the editors had given her three months to write anything that she wanted--no restrictions to go by except needing a few conspicuous thoughts for the index page. Her mind began to drift to her other stories as she deemed herself to focus on this one, for she wrote in her free time, writing some children's tales that were published and some articles in magazines... of course they were all under an alias name. At first it had been a game to see her friends' reactions to the stories and then drop the bombshell on them--she chuckling at the memory--, but now it was a passion which she could lose herself in and forget all her turmoil... just be someone her readers could genuinely look up to, not as a figurehead with a reputation. She enjoyed hearing from her readers, their true, unbiased opinions, and she especially enjoyed it when other authors asked for her help.
She scanned her story for what felt like the millionth time, being she had writer's block for two and a half of her three-month period, and now it was like something was driving her to write this. Her deadline was tomorrow, and she had the story finished for a week now, but something had been missing. Tonight, however, an idea popped into her head, and her story tied together; she didn't know why, but she knew she had to write it in.
She chose a few key sentences to put in for the index, twisting and shortening some of the lines, re-reading what she'd written, and upon her satisfaction, she saved her work.
She stood up and stretched before she headed into the kitchen for something to drink, walking across the room and opening the cupboard. She then grabbed a cup and walked over to the sink to pour a glass of water, but as she brought the cup to her lips, she was suddenly aware she wasn't the only one in the room. She took a long drink and set the cup back down, turning to see Hilde and Catherine in the doorway.
"Hey." She moved to the kitchen table and sat in a seat facing the doorway.
Catherine brought up a hand to cover up a yawn. "Hey, Relena. Did you finally finish your story?"
Relena set an arm on the table and placed a hand under her chin, supporting her head, and smirked at her friends. "Yeah, but you guys will just have to wait until it comes out." She knew that if they read it now, she would never hear the end of it.
"Now I can go to sleep tonight without worrying about not having anything to turn in tomorrow. We're having a lunch meeting at noon."
Hilde shrugged. "You always have your work done on time. I don't know how you do it. I can't write at all." She walked across the kitchen and pulled out a chair next to Relena, sitting down in the chair, facing her.
Relena glared at Hilde. "You can too write! You just choose not to. Besides, I'm not that good of a writer. I'm just accustomed to it from writing all of my own speeches." Her gaze softened when she saw Hilde return her glare. "It's a piece of cake," she said while waving her hand to signal the end of the discussion.
Relena began thinking of all of the discourses and stories she wrote, because for her, it wasn't as easy as she let them believe. She thought of her wastebasket that was filled with crumpled-up papers, and just thinking of all the times she tried her hand at an inspiration and failed made her feel guilty for her deception...
"Earth to Relena, come in!" Hilde waved a hand in front of her face.
Relena snapped out of the trance, muttering, "Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?"
Hilde rolled her eyes and Catherine muffled another yawn while pointing over at the microwave clock. "She said, 'didn't you need to get home soon?' You do have a promise to keep, and you don't want Zechs to go overboard, again."
It was Relena's turn to roll her eyes at the thought. "Zechs worries about everything that I do. He still calls whenever I ride in the rain just to make sure I make it there in one piece! He is just the over-protective big brother... but still, I thought he would lighten up a bit when he married Noin."
She glanced over at the clock. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my gosh, it's late. I can't believe Zechs didn't call yet. Oh man, Jem is going to be upset if I don't sing to him, I promised him last night that I would."
Catherine leaned against the doorway, mocking the girl's sudden realization. "You would think by now that Jeremy doesn't need you to sing to him. He's going to be five soon." Jeremy was Relena's nephew, and he had dark hair with big blue eyes--at times his temperament reflecting just the same stubbornness as Zechs possessed within his choleric nature.
Relena frowned, confessing, "I've been so busy lately, and I haven't been able to spend as much time with him as I'd like to. He had a nightmare, and he said that I died in it; but he didn't know how..." she shivered at the memory of her holding and singing to him while he cried himself to sleep "... he was so shaken up about his nightmare," her reminiscence of the time evident by the dearth in her voice.
Releasing her thoughts from the trauma as quickly as it had taken hold, she stood up and walked over to the sink. "Too bad the guys had to work tonight. We'll just have get together in the evening tomorrow."
"Give me a call tomorrow. Don't worry, the nightmare probably didn't mean anything... he's a little boy for God's sake. I'll let Zechs know you're on your way when he calls," Hilde replied while shrugging at the suggestion.
"As for your nephew, he doesn't care when you sing to him, as long as you do." She smiled before adding, "That greedy little thing can't get enough of that song!"
Relena sat her cup in the sink and strolled across the room. "Sorry I couldn't stay all night. I have that lunch meeting tomorrow, and I'll need to be awake for it. If I stay here, I won't get any sleep!"
She walked out of the kitchen, past Catherine and Hilde, pulling out her leather jacket from the closet. She hurriedly slipped it on and grabbed her matching leather gloves out of her pockets, reaching down and picking up the bag that held her things and the helmet that lay next to it. She then turned to see Hilde and Catherine walking towards her.
Hilde grabbed something off of the table and handed it to Relena while saying, "Before I forget, again, take this. It's a picture of the eleven of us with Jeremy... Noin took the picture. You remember the one that you and Duo posed for with hamburgers in front of your mouths and a stupid grin on your faces?"
Relena chucked at the remembrance. "Yeah." She took the picture from Hilde and looked it over.
True enough, there she was with the hamburger just inches away from her mouth. Heero's arm was wrapped around her waist, and they were standing next to Duo and Hilde. Duo was in the same pose but he had his arm around Hilde, and Trowa and Catherine were next to them holding hands, looking over at Dorothy and Quatre--who were smiling at each other. Sally and Wufei were standing off in the background, and it looked like they were in the middle of an argument... as usual. Zechs was kneeling in front of Jeremy, wiping chocolate off the small boy's face.
She smiled at Catherine and Hilde, and sticking the picture in the pocket of her gray, button-down shirt, muttered, "Thanks for the picture."
She soon found herself in the embrace of her two friends, each of them whispering words of encouragement for the next day. She reluctantly pulled away from her friends and headed towards the front door-her hand hesitating over the doorknob as a gut feeling settled upon her. She shook it off as nothing, grasping the golden sphere and opening her way into the mystical night. "Sorry, but I've got to run. See you tomorrow night!" she said as she walked out the door.
-
Even though it was two-thirty in the morning, she was wide-awake. The moon peeked out from behind the huge storm clouds that threatened to pour some more rain upon the blossoms that so needed their essence, and the night was so dark and mysterious, making it seem like she was in a different world. She loved nights like this. The ground was a little damp from the recent shower, and the air smelt fresh with the reigning dew that perfumed the aura.
She took a deep breath and smiled as she turned her attention to the black motorcycle that seemed to glow in the dim brilliance of the descending crystals... her bike--a premature 22nd birthday present to herself. She had always secretly wanted one, and she was tired of waiting... but it still caused quite an uproar when it came to her family and friends. They knew that she would ride no matter what they said or convicted, but she also respected their opinions for her welfare. Almost all of them had one himself, yet just because of her status and who she was to them, they had hated the idea, expressing their appall openly. In the end they gave their consent, but after they read what she wrote in her composition, she knew all of their concerns would come back in full force.
She had learned over time that she needed to live her life to the fullest, not taking anything for granted--her friends and her job had taught her that any given time could be her last. She remembered that someone had said "it's not if, it's when," and at first it had been hard for her to swallow that harsh reality. Even so, when she got over her fear and uncertainty of death and its persistence in coming, she felt like a burden had been taken off of her shoulders, and her depression seemed to utterly disappear.
She started her engine--making sure the throttle was out--then pulled a towel out of her bag and wiped off her seat, returning the towel to the bag just after. She pushed back her long blonde hair so that she could strap on her helmet and fixed her gloves as she patiently waited for her bike to warm up. She soon proceeded to pick up the army saddlebag that her friends had given to her, which had various little patches sewn onto it by each of the girls: a dragon, a mask, a gun, a cross, a clown mask, and a violin-each symbol holding several meanings and memories. With her gloved hands, she traced over the nickname 'Rellie' that someone had painstaickenly sewed in the middle of the bag--she having a vague idea that it was Hilde who did it--, and she smiled down at the carrier. It had been their way of giving her permission to be herself. Inside the bag were the unopened gifts that the girls had given to her with the specific instructions not to open them until later.
She pushed the throttle halfway in, then harnessed her bag onto her bike; and when the engine was warmed up, she pushed her throttle completely in and zipped up her coat in protection from the winds and rain that nipped at her flesh. She, out of hunted instinct as both predator and prey, looked back up to her friend's front porch to see the two of them watching her every move--probably out of concern more than anything else--and finally got onto her bike and punted the kickstand. Upon putting the bike into first gear, she looked over her shoulder to see Hilde and Catherine waving at her, and she in turn waved back, smiling to herself.
She slowly made her way down the driveway, and looked both ways before she pulled out onto the road--it never hurts to be cautious and follow regulations when it comes to your life, besides the fact that she'd have six angry men to deal with. They had connections all over and they would know immediately if she disobeyed their rules.
She had a half-hour drive ahead, but she enjoyed the scenery; for the road out to her friend's house was long and winding surrounded by the forest and cliffs, but an enjoyable ride, nonetheless. She shifted to second gear, then to third, and as she was going around the curves, she felt confident. She loved the feel of the wind blowing through her loose hair as it whistled to her heart, because for once, she felt so free... so alive.
-
Hilde and Catherine walked back inside, shutting the door quietly behind them, when Catherine noticed Relena forgot her laptop; and motioning for Hilde to follow her, insisted, "Let's read it."
Hilde nodded to her proposal in anticipation. She knew that they shouldn't read it, but Relena always wrote good stories, and she was just too modest to admit it.
She grabbed the laptop and sat back down in front of the T.V., and Catherine took a seat next to her, where they started reading the story.
'She heard the screech of tires first... then sparks flew all over
the road, and she closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end...'
-
Relena noticed that she was coming to her favorite part of the drive, the steep hill that had at least four major curves in its duration, and there were warnings all over the road to "slow down and stay safe." She loved roads like this one because they were a challenge that she could eagerly take on, but she still took the first turn slow as the road began to rise up along its grade.
Keeping a steady speed, she maneuvered to the far right side of her lane. She then eased up on the gas aptly before she reached the turn--her hands poised, anticipating any suprises that could occur--, when she noted that the lanes were pretty narrow, even on her bike. She swore that if she were to reach out her right hand, she could skim the metal of the guardrail.
Since the roads were still a little damp, she kept letting up on the gas before every turn, not wanting lose control over the bike--she did this keeping her lights to the low beam and watched for any signs of oncoming traffic. She felt her bike demand, pulsate for more gas as she made her way up the hill, and heeded to its starvation by allowing it a little more acceleration and maneuvered her way back to the right side as she started going around another turn.
It was like a nightmare... it happened so fast. She heard the screech of the tires first, followed by a shock of bright lights that temporarily blinded her in their luminescent glow of a demise so gracious in its revelation. A ball of ice formed in her stomach as she found herself a deer trapped by the headlights of an oncoming, merciless aggressor, and time seemed to slow down as a wave of panic washed over her sentiments to flood her reason... drowning her in its lament. She tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late; for as she began to realize the situation facing her in its dire, she felt something collide with the back of her bike, knocking it--along with her--onto its side. Metal beneath her twisted upon impact, her headlight shattered no longer lighting her way. Fire shot up her left leg as it hit the pavement, and acting on instinct, she jerked her leg back and hugged her gas tank with her thighs--keeping her legs as close to the bike as possible. She heard the rev of her engine and deftly hit the kill switch. She wrapped her hands securely around the base of the handlebars, and together, she and the bike collided with the back end of the car before continuing on its path.
As the bike was propelled back down the hill on its side, she struggled to throw herself off the bike... knowing it was her only chance at survival.
'Now or never,' she thought grimly. She kept her eyes on the road and noticed that the car had veered off to the side of the street and into the ditch by the solid wall. The car no longer posed a threat to her, but the bike was spinning out of control, clock-wise in its mayhem. Her engine guards snapped off as well as one of her mirrors, and as she jerked her leg again, she looked down... she tried to fight the panic, but her leg was trapped... and she would be skinned alive!
Sparks flew all over the road, and she heard the disgusting sound of metal grating over the pavement as she continued on her path; and she felt her body go numb from all feeling as she watched a footrest break off of her roll bars. A heavy feeling settled on her thoughts as recognition struck her... she could be the next to go off in pieces.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she desperately tried to free herself from the soon-to-be death trap, and she felt her bike literally fall apart at the seams. She watched horrified as her other mirror easily broke off as it joined the other parts on the road, some pieces of glass grazing her, gnawing at whatever sinew they could feast upon in their hunger for blood, before they hit the ground.
Her saddlebag came loose from its restraint and hit her in her back before it fell to the earth--the force of the hit pitching her forward into the speedometer, cracking her face-shield. A warm gooey substance ran down the side of her face, and as the crimson and water blend of salt in its vitriol painted her cheeks and traced her lips with the bitter description of death, she felt like the earth was still spinning madly around her and every inch of her body was on fire--she barely noticing that the bike now only slid on it's side back down the hill with the front end facing the top.
She forced herself not to panic as she continued to try and free her leg, and she looked up to see the other car no longer in sight. The smell of gasoline invaded her senses as the sound of the bike scrapping over the pavement filled the air. The sparks that had once help light up the darkness that surrounded her in her fight for her life, now showered her and her bike in their deadly dance.
Her head was pounding from both the rush of intrinsic strength and the brash truth of her injuries, and her body felt like she had been skinned alive--her vision blurring that she couldn't think properly anymore. She felt the bike crash into something solid, hearing the grinding of metal against metal... the jolt giving her what she needed to free her leg.
She felt herself being propelled over something hard and solid, grazing her as she soared above it, and watched in a daze as her body moved away from the bike, off into the sky. The back end of the bike was now lodged in the guardrail at a forty-five degree angle... it was then she noticed a drop on her helmet and looked up. Another drop came; she smiled as she flew through the air like a bird.
The distinct sounds of a loud popping and the feeling of warmth trying to reach her screamed a warning to the dazed woman. Realizing the danger she was in, she tucked into a ball, her body groaning in protest... just closing her eyes and waiting for impact.
She met the ground the hard way, landing on her right side, feeling her shoulder jar out of place and the sickening sound of bones cracking along the hollow of the road fill the air. She tumbled down the steep hill, occasionally hitting fallen branches, and bounded off saplings and rocks along the way--she felt herself gaining more speed as she continued the gruesome trek of destruction. She bit back a scream as something jabbed into her side.
She continued to roll until she hit the end of a small cliff, when she felt herself roll off the cliff and fly through the air again. She opened her eyes to see herself leave the solid ground again, oh that blessed ground, waiting for the laws of gravity to take over. She closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end.
As she smacked into a tree, she was thrown ruthlessly to the ground like a rag doll... she finally losing consciousness after a battle nobly fought.
-
They were one of the first units to arrive at the scene, for they had received a frantic call from a driver who stumbled upon a car accident on their way down the hill on Route 16. Two cars were already ordered to block off all entry onto the hill, except emergency vehicles, and his partner grabbed the emergency bag while he grabbed the flare gun. As he jogged towards the wreckage, he tucked the flare gun into his waistband. When they reached the wreckage, he cursed under his breath as his partner dropped the bag.
The paramedics and firetrucks were right behind them. They surveyed the scene: a car with two young teenagers in it had crashed--the car beat up and the air bags activated. The driver's side had two deep impact marks with the front end smashed into the side of the hill, and both passengers appeared to be unconscious from the accident. Fear ran down their spines with each passing minute. They pried the doors off and began removing the bodies from the car, thankful that they were still alive. As the teenagers were loaded into the ambulances, he tore his eyes away and started looking around the scene for any clues as to what had happened to cause such a massacre.
It had begun to pour again. "More like a torrential downpour to me," he huffed.
He motioned to his silent partner that he was going to take a look around, and his partner nodded and motioned to the others to relay that same message. He continued to walk down the hill, searching for anything that could've been missed, while his partner went in the opposite direction.
He noticed some parts thrown across the road, and he frowned when he stepped through some broken glass, bending down to pick up a piece. He fingered the broken glass for a second before he placed the glass back down... how unfortunate for the victims... they shattered just like these shards. His eyes widened when he looked at his fingers, which now held a red tint to them. Blood too recent, the glass and parts too far from what was believed to be the only vehicle in the crash. Pulling his radio off his belt, he clicked the talk button and stared into the red light, taking a deep breath before his next command, "Be on stand-by."
He began to jog around the bend, his braided hair swayed from side to side with each step--his flashlight bouncing over silver pieces before he caught sight of a big solid object in the middle of the road. He jogged over to the object, finding it to be some sort of bag, and picked it up and flipped it over. He felt his blood run cold as he read the name on the bag.
A heart-wrenching cry pierced the air.
-
Heero knew that voice, and all heads at the scene turned towards the shout. They saw a flare shoot up into the sky and immediately knew something terrible lay ahead. He jogged down the hill as fast as he could without slipping, taking note of the path of destruction that laid in front of him, with several others on his tail.
-
He slid down the hill, eyes frantically searching around him in an effort to locate her. He spotted what looked like the path she went down on--he passing saplings that looked like they were run over by a truck--, and grabbed his radio, watching the light come on again. "Get rescue supplies down here now!" he screamed into it as he reached a small cliff.
He looked around, hoping that she would be on the cliff still. "Please God, let her be somewhere close by. Not down there," he muttered. He shone his flashlight down to the ground below and caught sight of something reflective near the base of a tree. "Oh, no..." he managed to strangle out of his throat as he located the figure he desperately sought out.
He began to descend down the cliff, trying to remain intact, and once he reached the bottom, he raced over to the figure. He knelt next to her, looking her over with a critical eye.
She was laying at an impossible angle on her right side. Her right leg was twisted at an awkward precision behind her, and the front of her left leg was touching the ground. Even worse, her left arm was perpendicular with her body, looking like she was trying to reach for something, while her right arm lay twisted behind her. Her clothes were wet, bloody, and torn to shreds from the collision and trek she suffered.... even her leather jacket and leather gloves. Her helmet laid in pieces next to her a few feet away. Her head lay on its side in the mud, her hair obscuring her face, blood streaking her once blonde hair. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"Come on sleepy, time to wake up," he said as he gently moved her onto her back. He heard her emit a low groan as he reached over and opened up her coat. He carefully pulled away the side of the coat to search for any signs of any injuries, and he repeated his actions on the right side as well. He couldn't help but take in a harsh inhale of breath as his gaze fell upon the bright crimson stain on her once gray shirt. "Princess, what did you get into?"
He moved the coat over further to reveal a stick embedded in her side, taking in another sharp breath of air, and moved his hands to the wound and felt around. He heard her gasp in pain and he stopped his ministrations immediately following her whimper through agony.
He took off his jacket and set it on top of her, then urgently crawled over to her head, moving her hair out of her face and starring at her ashen complexion that once glistened of cream and roses in its blush. There was a gash right above her right eyebrow and she probably had another on the back of her head--mud covering the right side of her face and body.
"Hey there. You can open your eyes now." He tugged at his shirt, ripping off long, thick strips and gently lifted her head up and found the wound. He wrapped the makeshift bandage around her head and set her head in his lap.
-
Her chest felt like it was being lapped by tongues set aflame by the night's rage, and it was hard to breathe; and she opened up her blue eyes only to find darkness all around her. She heard a familiar masculine voice speaking to her, but her eyes weren't clear enough to see who it was; and the pain was too excruciating to even care. Her mind screamed at her that she was still in danger as the figure leaned down closer to her face.
"About time you woke up," the hazy figure whispered as he began smoothing her hair out of her face.
She watched as a blurry hand came up to her brow, the figure smoothing her hair and began wiping off her face. She squinted her eyes and the figure came into view. "Hey...Duo," she whispered as she tried to move.
Pain shot throughout her body, making her gasp as she uttered even the simplest of words, and Duo immediately pushed her back to the ground, shaking his head. Her head was pounding, and every inch of her screamed in pain just to be put out of its misery. She felt like she was scorching in a pit, yet at the same time she was incredibly cold... she just wanted to close her eyes and welcome the darkness again.
"Sorry." She was so tired, and a thousand things ran through her head. She had a lot she wanted to say, to ask, but she felt the darkness calling her.
"Don't go to sleep on me. You need to stay awake." He cradled her head in his lap, continuing to stroke her face absentmindedly.
"Something was bound to happen...sooner or later." She tried to focus on her friend but failed miserably. "I promised...him..." she gasped for breath, "I had to...I...prom..." she winced as she tried to move her leg.
A forced grin spread across his face as he looked down at the brave girl, "I know, I know..." his voice broke, unsure of what to say. What could he say?
Glassy blue eyes looked back up to his violet eyes. "So, sorry...late...Please, Jem's..." she struggled to get the words out between gasps. She couldn't even complete one thought or one sentence now, for her throat was dry, and it felt like it was closing in on her. She licked her lips and tried again. "Jem's lull..." she murmured, her eyes drooping.
He stared down at her, unsure of what he heard. He was taken aback by her request. "Sure thing. Don't talk and keep your eyes open." He took a deep breath before doing as she asked. "Lean on me...when you're not strong..." He looked back down at her as she closed her eyes. "Don't go to sleep on me, 'Lena."
She began to laugh. "Not...that...one..." she managed to choke out before a coughing fit consumed her, a trickle of blood seeping out of the corner of her mouth.
He gently wiped the trickle of blood away with his fingers, and his face was solemn as he nodded. He began to stroke her forehead as he began to sing. "Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day..." The song broke off as he heard shouts from above and a memory flashed. He remembered how she had held him not long ago when his world had crashed around him. She had hummed a haunting nocturne as she let him cry on her shoulder.
He focused back on the woman he held and noticed something sticking out of her shirt pocket. He pulled out the picture and realized it was the same one Hilde had given to him yesterday, only this one was now faded and crumpled from the abuse it endured. Fat raindrops steadily fell onto the precious memory. He traced the outline of her face-the face seemed like it was fading away with each passing moment, just like she was now--, before slipping the picture back into her pocket.
'Yesterday seems so far away.' He glanced back at her face to see her eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face. "No, wake up!" he urged her. "You can't go. You just can't." He shook her trying to get some response. He tried to ignore the nagging voice in his head that kept telling him 'this is it.' Tears clouded his vision.
Relena lazily opened her eyes at his request. "Duo, I'm s-sorry...so much...more." She took in a shaky breath. "Good...b...I'm..." her eyes silently pleading with him, saying what she couldn't. She lifted a bloody hand and wiped the tears that trickled down his face. "...ssso tired...plll..." she said drowsily as she closed her eyes, her hand falling limply to the ground.
He glanced up to the sky wondering... 'why?'
'The rain is harsh and the sky is dark, the stars can't even guide us... the perfect setting,' he thought. He started singing again, his rich baritone voice filling the virtually silent air around them. "I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say..." The words hit a chord in him. He shook his head and made a silent vow; to give her what she wanted. "...Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away...goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep..." The rain mixed with the tears that streamed down his face, knowing that this could be it. He watched as she closed her eyes again and she gave a soft sigh.
He felt so helpless watching someone so close to him, to all of them, slowly slip away. He closed his eyes trying to focus on something else, and his thoughts trailed back to the picture. 'She may never see her friends again or grow old with all of us.' Choking down the lump that had risen in his throat, he plowed on. "...Remember all the songs you sang for me, when we went sailing on an emerald bay, and like a boat out on the ocean, I'm rocking you to sleep..." He didn't even sense another presence next to him carefully observing the scene.
He felt someone gently pull him away, temporarily bringing him back to reality. He looked up to see twelve men around him; four of them were his best friends. Each of the men hiding behind their masks. 'Quatre, Wufei, Trowa and Heero... there is nothing I can do.'
He watched in awe as Quatre remained impassive and leaned down to check her breathing and pulse. He heard Quatre let out a deep sigh of relief. Quatre nodded at Trowa and Wufei, and they swiftly rolled her onto a backboard and strapped her down, Quatre putting an oxygen mask on her. She coughed in response, and some blood splattered onto the oxygen mask, but she didn't awaken. Quatre motioned to the others... only eleven pulled her body back up to the main road.
Duo looked over his shoulder to see his partner, Heero, with a grim look on his face. Heero reached forward towards him and pulled the radio off of his belt, and he watched as Heero clicked a button and the red light faded. He then held it out to him. "Duo." He barely heard Heero whisper his name.
Duo ignored the outstretched hand and turned back to the cliff. He shifted his eyes to his clothes. His shirt was ripped and his clothes were soaked with blood, her blood. His eyes drifted to his hands, which were also covered in blood. He couldn't stop the tears that steadily cascaded down his face like a waterfall, his heart constricting painfully in his chest.
He was numb. He couldn't understand why, but he felt he had to go on. He continued to sing and he felt a pair of arms close around him. "...The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart you'll always be a part of me...goodnight my angel, now its time to dream...and dream how wonderful your life will be..." he choked on the words as the sobs erupted from him. He held onto Heero, thankful for his support.
Heero cried with him as she was taken up the hill, away from them.
-
Thank you Malcolm Yuy for posting one of the first versions on his site, and to Tomorrow for helping with one of the final copies.
Riding on My Lullaby
She sighed as she looked over her work for the final time, and satisfied with herself, scrolled back to the top of the document--sighing again as she wracked her brain for the perfect, attention-getting sentences.
'Nothing,' she thought miserably. 'All this work and I can't even think of something.' She drummed her fingers on the armrest of the big chair she sat in.
She glanced around the dimly lit room. Sally and Noin were asleep on the couch, and Dorothy was asleep in a huge armchair. Catherine and Hilde, on the other hand, were sitting in front of the coffee table, watching a movie--Hilde's left arm in a cast, for she had been in a car accident two months ago.
They were there to celebrate Hilde's, Catherine's and her own birthday tonight, but she spent most of the time writing away--although Hilde's was a week ago, her birthday in two days, and Catherine's in three days. She smiled at the thought of the unopened presents just waiting for her to shred their films of ribbons and colored paper in a few days.
She snapped herself from her daydreaming and forced her mind to concentrate on her short story at hand. She had received a letter from a magazine asking her to write a chronicle for them, and the editors had given her three months to write anything that she wanted--no restrictions to go by except needing a few conspicuous thoughts for the index page. Her mind began to drift to her other stories as she deemed herself to focus on this one, for she wrote in her free time, writing some children's tales that were published and some articles in magazines... of course they were all under an alias name. At first it had been a game to see her friends' reactions to the stories and then drop the bombshell on them--she chuckling at the memory--, but now it was a passion which she could lose herself in and forget all her turmoil... just be someone her readers could genuinely look up to, not as a figurehead with a reputation. She enjoyed hearing from her readers, their true, unbiased opinions, and she especially enjoyed it when other authors asked for her help.
She scanned her story for what felt like the millionth time, being she had writer's block for two and a half of her three-month period, and now it was like something was driving her to write this. Her deadline was tomorrow, and she had the story finished for a week now, but something had been missing. Tonight, however, an idea popped into her head, and her story tied together; she didn't know why, but she knew she had to write it in.
She chose a few key sentences to put in for the index, twisting and shortening some of the lines, re-reading what she'd written, and upon her satisfaction, she saved her work.
She stood up and stretched before she headed into the kitchen for something to drink, walking across the room and opening the cupboard. She then grabbed a cup and walked over to the sink to pour a glass of water, but as she brought the cup to her lips, she was suddenly aware she wasn't the only one in the room. She took a long drink and set the cup back down, turning to see Hilde and Catherine in the doorway.
"Hey." She moved to the kitchen table and sat in a seat facing the doorway.
Catherine brought up a hand to cover up a yawn. "Hey, Relena. Did you finally finish your story?"
Relena set an arm on the table and placed a hand under her chin, supporting her head, and smirked at her friends. "Yeah, but you guys will just have to wait until it comes out." She knew that if they read it now, she would never hear the end of it.
"Now I can go to sleep tonight without worrying about not having anything to turn in tomorrow. We're having a lunch meeting at noon."
Hilde shrugged. "You always have your work done on time. I don't know how you do it. I can't write at all." She walked across the kitchen and pulled out a chair next to Relena, sitting down in the chair, facing her.
Relena glared at Hilde. "You can too write! You just choose not to. Besides, I'm not that good of a writer. I'm just accustomed to it from writing all of my own speeches." Her gaze softened when she saw Hilde return her glare. "It's a piece of cake," she said while waving her hand to signal the end of the discussion.
Relena began thinking of all of the discourses and stories she wrote, because for her, it wasn't as easy as she let them believe. She thought of her wastebasket that was filled with crumpled-up papers, and just thinking of all the times she tried her hand at an inspiration and failed made her feel guilty for her deception...
"Earth to Relena, come in!" Hilde waved a hand in front of her face.
Relena snapped out of the trance, muttering, "Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?"
Hilde rolled her eyes and Catherine muffled another yawn while pointing over at the microwave clock. "She said, 'didn't you need to get home soon?' You do have a promise to keep, and you don't want Zechs to go overboard, again."
It was Relena's turn to roll her eyes at the thought. "Zechs worries about everything that I do. He still calls whenever I ride in the rain just to make sure I make it there in one piece! He is just the over-protective big brother... but still, I thought he would lighten up a bit when he married Noin."
She glanced over at the clock. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my gosh, it's late. I can't believe Zechs didn't call yet. Oh man, Jem is going to be upset if I don't sing to him, I promised him last night that I would."
Catherine leaned against the doorway, mocking the girl's sudden realization. "You would think by now that Jeremy doesn't need you to sing to him. He's going to be five soon." Jeremy was Relena's nephew, and he had dark hair with big blue eyes--at times his temperament reflecting just the same stubbornness as Zechs possessed within his choleric nature.
Relena frowned, confessing, "I've been so busy lately, and I haven't been able to spend as much time with him as I'd like to. He had a nightmare, and he said that I died in it; but he didn't know how..." she shivered at the memory of her holding and singing to him while he cried himself to sleep "... he was so shaken up about his nightmare," her reminiscence of the time evident by the dearth in her voice.
Releasing her thoughts from the trauma as quickly as it had taken hold, she stood up and walked over to the sink. "Too bad the guys had to work tonight. We'll just have get together in the evening tomorrow."
"Give me a call tomorrow. Don't worry, the nightmare probably didn't mean anything... he's a little boy for God's sake. I'll let Zechs know you're on your way when he calls," Hilde replied while shrugging at the suggestion.
"As for your nephew, he doesn't care when you sing to him, as long as you do." She smiled before adding, "That greedy little thing can't get enough of that song!"
Relena sat her cup in the sink and strolled across the room. "Sorry I couldn't stay all night. I have that lunch meeting tomorrow, and I'll need to be awake for it. If I stay here, I won't get any sleep!"
She walked out of the kitchen, past Catherine and Hilde, pulling out her leather jacket from the closet. She hurriedly slipped it on and grabbed her matching leather gloves out of her pockets, reaching down and picking up the bag that held her things and the helmet that lay next to it. She then turned to see Hilde and Catherine walking towards her.
Hilde grabbed something off of the table and handed it to Relena while saying, "Before I forget, again, take this. It's a picture of the eleven of us with Jeremy... Noin took the picture. You remember the one that you and Duo posed for with hamburgers in front of your mouths and a stupid grin on your faces?"
Relena chucked at the remembrance. "Yeah." She took the picture from Hilde and looked it over.
True enough, there she was with the hamburger just inches away from her mouth. Heero's arm was wrapped around her waist, and they were standing next to Duo and Hilde. Duo was in the same pose but he had his arm around Hilde, and Trowa and Catherine were next to them holding hands, looking over at Dorothy and Quatre--who were smiling at each other. Sally and Wufei were standing off in the background, and it looked like they were in the middle of an argument... as usual. Zechs was kneeling in front of Jeremy, wiping chocolate off the small boy's face.
She smiled at Catherine and Hilde, and sticking the picture in the pocket of her gray, button-down shirt, muttered, "Thanks for the picture."
She soon found herself in the embrace of her two friends, each of them whispering words of encouragement for the next day. She reluctantly pulled away from her friends and headed towards the front door-her hand hesitating over the doorknob as a gut feeling settled upon her. She shook it off as nothing, grasping the golden sphere and opening her way into the mystical night. "Sorry, but I've got to run. See you tomorrow night!" she said as she walked out the door.
-
Even though it was two-thirty in the morning, she was wide-awake. The moon peeked out from behind the huge storm clouds that threatened to pour some more rain upon the blossoms that so needed their essence, and the night was so dark and mysterious, making it seem like she was in a different world. She loved nights like this. The ground was a little damp from the recent shower, and the air smelt fresh with the reigning dew that perfumed the aura.
She took a deep breath and smiled as she turned her attention to the black motorcycle that seemed to glow in the dim brilliance of the descending crystals... her bike--a premature 22nd birthday present to herself. She had always secretly wanted one, and she was tired of waiting... but it still caused quite an uproar when it came to her family and friends. They knew that she would ride no matter what they said or convicted, but she also respected their opinions for her welfare. Almost all of them had one himself, yet just because of her status and who she was to them, they had hated the idea, expressing their appall openly. In the end they gave their consent, but after they read what she wrote in her composition, she knew all of their concerns would come back in full force.
She had learned over time that she needed to live her life to the fullest, not taking anything for granted--her friends and her job had taught her that any given time could be her last. She remembered that someone had said "it's not if, it's when," and at first it had been hard for her to swallow that harsh reality. Even so, when she got over her fear and uncertainty of death and its persistence in coming, she felt like a burden had been taken off of her shoulders, and her depression seemed to utterly disappear.
She started her engine--making sure the throttle was out--then pulled a towel out of her bag and wiped off her seat, returning the towel to the bag just after. She pushed back her long blonde hair so that she could strap on her helmet and fixed her gloves as she patiently waited for her bike to warm up. She soon proceeded to pick up the army saddlebag that her friends had given to her, which had various little patches sewn onto it by each of the girls: a dragon, a mask, a gun, a cross, a clown mask, and a violin-each symbol holding several meanings and memories. With her gloved hands, she traced over the nickname 'Rellie' that someone had painstaickenly sewed in the middle of the bag--she having a vague idea that it was Hilde who did it--, and she smiled down at the carrier. It had been their way of giving her permission to be herself. Inside the bag were the unopened gifts that the girls had given to her with the specific instructions not to open them until later.
She pushed the throttle halfway in, then harnessed her bag onto her bike; and when the engine was warmed up, she pushed her throttle completely in and zipped up her coat in protection from the winds and rain that nipped at her flesh. She, out of hunted instinct as both predator and prey, looked back up to her friend's front porch to see the two of them watching her every move--probably out of concern more than anything else--and finally got onto her bike and punted the kickstand. Upon putting the bike into first gear, she looked over her shoulder to see Hilde and Catherine waving at her, and she in turn waved back, smiling to herself.
She slowly made her way down the driveway, and looked both ways before she pulled out onto the road--it never hurts to be cautious and follow regulations when it comes to your life, besides the fact that she'd have six angry men to deal with. They had connections all over and they would know immediately if she disobeyed their rules.
She had a half-hour drive ahead, but she enjoyed the scenery; for the road out to her friend's house was long and winding surrounded by the forest and cliffs, but an enjoyable ride, nonetheless. She shifted to second gear, then to third, and as she was going around the curves, she felt confident. She loved the feel of the wind blowing through her loose hair as it whistled to her heart, because for once, she felt so free... so alive.
-
Hilde and Catherine walked back inside, shutting the door quietly behind them, when Catherine noticed Relena forgot her laptop; and motioning for Hilde to follow her, insisted, "Let's read it."
Hilde nodded to her proposal in anticipation. She knew that they shouldn't read it, but Relena always wrote good stories, and she was just too modest to admit it.
She grabbed the laptop and sat back down in front of the T.V., and Catherine took a seat next to her, where they started reading the story.
'She heard the screech of tires first... then sparks flew all over
the road, and she closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end...'
-
Relena noticed that she was coming to her favorite part of the drive, the steep hill that had at least four major curves in its duration, and there were warnings all over the road to "slow down and stay safe." She loved roads like this one because they were a challenge that she could eagerly take on, but she still took the first turn slow as the road began to rise up along its grade.
Keeping a steady speed, she maneuvered to the far right side of her lane. She then eased up on the gas aptly before she reached the turn--her hands poised, anticipating any suprises that could occur--, when she noted that the lanes were pretty narrow, even on her bike. She swore that if she were to reach out her right hand, she could skim the metal of the guardrail.
Since the roads were still a little damp, she kept letting up on the gas before every turn, not wanting lose control over the bike--she did this keeping her lights to the low beam and watched for any signs of oncoming traffic. She felt her bike demand, pulsate for more gas as she made her way up the hill, and heeded to its starvation by allowing it a little more acceleration and maneuvered her way back to the right side as she started going around another turn.
It was like a nightmare... it happened so fast. She heard the screech of the tires first, followed by a shock of bright lights that temporarily blinded her in their luminescent glow of a demise so gracious in its revelation. A ball of ice formed in her stomach as she found herself a deer trapped by the headlights of an oncoming, merciless aggressor, and time seemed to slow down as a wave of panic washed over her sentiments to flood her reason... drowning her in its lament. She tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late; for as she began to realize the situation facing her in its dire, she felt something collide with the back of her bike, knocking it--along with her--onto its side. Metal beneath her twisted upon impact, her headlight shattered no longer lighting her way. Fire shot up her left leg as it hit the pavement, and acting on instinct, she jerked her leg back and hugged her gas tank with her thighs--keeping her legs as close to the bike as possible. She heard the rev of her engine and deftly hit the kill switch. She wrapped her hands securely around the base of the handlebars, and together, she and the bike collided with the back end of the car before continuing on its path.
As the bike was propelled back down the hill on its side, she struggled to throw herself off the bike... knowing it was her only chance at survival.
'Now or never,' she thought grimly. She kept her eyes on the road and noticed that the car had veered off to the side of the street and into the ditch by the solid wall. The car no longer posed a threat to her, but the bike was spinning out of control, clock-wise in its mayhem. Her engine guards snapped off as well as one of her mirrors, and as she jerked her leg again, she looked down... she tried to fight the panic, but her leg was trapped... and she would be skinned alive!
Sparks flew all over the road, and she heard the disgusting sound of metal grating over the pavement as she continued on her path; and she felt her body go numb from all feeling as she watched a footrest break off of her roll bars. A heavy feeling settled on her thoughts as recognition struck her... she could be the next to go off in pieces.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she desperately tried to free herself from the soon-to-be death trap, and she felt her bike literally fall apart at the seams. She watched horrified as her other mirror easily broke off as it joined the other parts on the road, some pieces of glass grazing her, gnawing at whatever sinew they could feast upon in their hunger for blood, before they hit the ground.
Her saddlebag came loose from its restraint and hit her in her back before it fell to the earth--the force of the hit pitching her forward into the speedometer, cracking her face-shield. A warm gooey substance ran down the side of her face, and as the crimson and water blend of salt in its vitriol painted her cheeks and traced her lips with the bitter description of death, she felt like the earth was still spinning madly around her and every inch of her body was on fire--she barely noticing that the bike now only slid on it's side back down the hill with the front end facing the top.
She forced herself not to panic as she continued to try and free her leg, and she looked up to see the other car no longer in sight. The smell of gasoline invaded her senses as the sound of the bike scrapping over the pavement filled the air. The sparks that had once help light up the darkness that surrounded her in her fight for her life, now showered her and her bike in their deadly dance.
Her head was pounding from both the rush of intrinsic strength and the brash truth of her injuries, and her body felt like she had been skinned alive--her vision blurring that she couldn't think properly anymore. She felt the bike crash into something solid, hearing the grinding of metal against metal... the jolt giving her what she needed to free her leg.
She felt herself being propelled over something hard and solid, grazing her as she soared above it, and watched in a daze as her body moved away from the bike, off into the sky. The back end of the bike was now lodged in the guardrail at a forty-five degree angle... it was then she noticed a drop on her helmet and looked up. Another drop came; she smiled as she flew through the air like a bird.
The distinct sounds of a loud popping and the feeling of warmth trying to reach her screamed a warning to the dazed woman. Realizing the danger she was in, she tucked into a ball, her body groaning in protest... just closing her eyes and waiting for impact.
She met the ground the hard way, landing on her right side, feeling her shoulder jar out of place and the sickening sound of bones cracking along the hollow of the road fill the air. She tumbled down the steep hill, occasionally hitting fallen branches, and bounded off saplings and rocks along the way--she felt herself gaining more speed as she continued the gruesome trek of destruction. She bit back a scream as something jabbed into her side.
She continued to roll until she hit the end of a small cliff, when she felt herself roll off the cliff and fly through the air again. She opened her eyes to see herself leave the solid ground again, oh that blessed ground, waiting for the laws of gravity to take over. She closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end.
As she smacked into a tree, she was thrown ruthlessly to the ground like a rag doll... she finally losing consciousness after a battle nobly fought.
-
They were one of the first units to arrive at the scene, for they had received a frantic call from a driver who stumbled upon a car accident on their way down the hill on Route 16. Two cars were already ordered to block off all entry onto the hill, except emergency vehicles, and his partner grabbed the emergency bag while he grabbed the flare gun. As he jogged towards the wreckage, he tucked the flare gun into his waistband. When they reached the wreckage, he cursed under his breath as his partner dropped the bag.
The paramedics and firetrucks were right behind them. They surveyed the scene: a car with two young teenagers in it had crashed--the car beat up and the air bags activated. The driver's side had two deep impact marks with the front end smashed into the side of the hill, and both passengers appeared to be unconscious from the accident. Fear ran down their spines with each passing minute. They pried the doors off and began removing the bodies from the car, thankful that they were still alive. As the teenagers were loaded into the ambulances, he tore his eyes away and started looking around the scene for any clues as to what had happened to cause such a massacre.
It had begun to pour again. "More like a torrential downpour to me," he huffed.
He motioned to his silent partner that he was going to take a look around, and his partner nodded and motioned to the others to relay that same message. He continued to walk down the hill, searching for anything that could've been missed, while his partner went in the opposite direction.
He noticed some parts thrown across the road, and he frowned when he stepped through some broken glass, bending down to pick up a piece. He fingered the broken glass for a second before he placed the glass back down... how unfortunate for the victims... they shattered just like these shards. His eyes widened when he looked at his fingers, which now held a red tint to them. Blood too recent, the glass and parts too far from what was believed to be the only vehicle in the crash. Pulling his radio off his belt, he clicked the talk button and stared into the red light, taking a deep breath before his next command, "Be on stand-by."
He began to jog around the bend, his braided hair swayed from side to side with each step--his flashlight bouncing over silver pieces before he caught sight of a big solid object in the middle of the road. He jogged over to the object, finding it to be some sort of bag, and picked it up and flipped it over. He felt his blood run cold as he read the name on the bag.
A heart-wrenching cry pierced the air.
-
Heero knew that voice, and all heads at the scene turned towards the shout. They saw a flare shoot up into the sky and immediately knew something terrible lay ahead. He jogged down the hill as fast as he could without slipping, taking note of the path of destruction that laid in front of him, with several others on his tail.
-
He slid down the hill, eyes frantically searching around him in an effort to locate her. He spotted what looked like the path she went down on--he passing saplings that looked like they were run over by a truck--, and grabbed his radio, watching the light come on again. "Get rescue supplies down here now!" he screamed into it as he reached a small cliff.
He looked around, hoping that she would be on the cliff still. "Please God, let her be somewhere close by. Not down there," he muttered. He shone his flashlight down to the ground below and caught sight of something reflective near the base of a tree. "Oh, no..." he managed to strangle out of his throat as he located the figure he desperately sought out.
He began to descend down the cliff, trying to remain intact, and once he reached the bottom, he raced over to the figure. He knelt next to her, looking her over with a critical eye.
She was laying at an impossible angle on her right side. Her right leg was twisted at an awkward precision behind her, and the front of her left leg was touching the ground. Even worse, her left arm was perpendicular with her body, looking like she was trying to reach for something, while her right arm lay twisted behind her. Her clothes were wet, bloody, and torn to shreds from the collision and trek she suffered.... even her leather jacket and leather gloves. Her helmet laid in pieces next to her a few feet away. Her head lay on its side in the mud, her hair obscuring her face, blood streaking her once blonde hair. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"Come on sleepy, time to wake up," he said as he gently moved her onto her back. He heard her emit a low groan as he reached over and opened up her coat. He carefully pulled away the side of the coat to search for any signs of any injuries, and he repeated his actions on the right side as well. He couldn't help but take in a harsh inhale of breath as his gaze fell upon the bright crimson stain on her once gray shirt. "Princess, what did you get into?"
He moved the coat over further to reveal a stick embedded in her side, taking in another sharp breath of air, and moved his hands to the wound and felt around. He heard her gasp in pain and he stopped his ministrations immediately following her whimper through agony.
He took off his jacket and set it on top of her, then urgently crawled over to her head, moving her hair out of her face and starring at her ashen complexion that once glistened of cream and roses in its blush. There was a gash right above her right eyebrow and she probably had another on the back of her head--mud covering the right side of her face and body.
"Hey there. You can open your eyes now." He tugged at his shirt, ripping off long, thick strips and gently lifted her head up and found the wound. He wrapped the makeshift bandage around her head and set her head in his lap.
-
Her chest felt like it was being lapped by tongues set aflame by the night's rage, and it was hard to breathe; and she opened up her blue eyes only to find darkness all around her. She heard a familiar masculine voice speaking to her, but her eyes weren't clear enough to see who it was; and the pain was too excruciating to even care. Her mind screamed at her that she was still in danger as the figure leaned down closer to her face.
"About time you woke up," the hazy figure whispered as he began smoothing her hair out of her face.
She watched as a blurry hand came up to her brow, the figure smoothing her hair and began wiping off her face. She squinted her eyes and the figure came into view. "Hey...Duo," she whispered as she tried to move.
Pain shot throughout her body, making her gasp as she uttered even the simplest of words, and Duo immediately pushed her back to the ground, shaking his head. Her head was pounding, and every inch of her screamed in pain just to be put out of its misery. She felt like she was scorching in a pit, yet at the same time she was incredibly cold... she just wanted to close her eyes and welcome the darkness again.
"Sorry." She was so tired, and a thousand things ran through her head. She had a lot she wanted to say, to ask, but she felt the darkness calling her.
"Don't go to sleep on me. You need to stay awake." He cradled her head in his lap, continuing to stroke her face absentmindedly.
"Something was bound to happen...sooner or later." She tried to focus on her friend but failed miserably. "I promised...him..." she gasped for breath, "I had to...I...prom..." she winced as she tried to move her leg.
A forced grin spread across his face as he looked down at the brave girl, "I know, I know..." his voice broke, unsure of what to say. What could he say?
Glassy blue eyes looked back up to his violet eyes. "So, sorry...late...Please, Jem's..." she struggled to get the words out between gasps. She couldn't even complete one thought or one sentence now, for her throat was dry, and it felt like it was closing in on her. She licked her lips and tried again. "Jem's lull..." she murmured, her eyes drooping.
He stared down at her, unsure of what he heard. He was taken aback by her request. "Sure thing. Don't talk and keep your eyes open." He took a deep breath before doing as she asked. "Lean on me...when you're not strong..." He looked back down at her as she closed her eyes. "Don't go to sleep on me, 'Lena."
She began to laugh. "Not...that...one..." she managed to choke out before a coughing fit consumed her, a trickle of blood seeping out of the corner of her mouth.
He gently wiped the trickle of blood away with his fingers, and his face was solemn as he nodded. He began to stroke her forehead as he began to sing. "Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day..." The song broke off as he heard shouts from above and a memory flashed. He remembered how she had held him not long ago when his world had crashed around him. She had hummed a haunting nocturne as she let him cry on her shoulder.
He focused back on the woman he held and noticed something sticking out of her shirt pocket. He pulled out the picture and realized it was the same one Hilde had given to him yesterday, only this one was now faded and crumpled from the abuse it endured. Fat raindrops steadily fell onto the precious memory. He traced the outline of her face-the face seemed like it was fading away with each passing moment, just like she was now--, before slipping the picture back into her pocket.
'Yesterday seems so far away.' He glanced back at her face to see her eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face. "No, wake up!" he urged her. "You can't go. You just can't." He shook her trying to get some response. He tried to ignore the nagging voice in his head that kept telling him 'this is it.' Tears clouded his vision.
Relena lazily opened her eyes at his request. "Duo, I'm s-sorry...so much...more." She took in a shaky breath. "Good...b...I'm..." her eyes silently pleading with him, saying what she couldn't. She lifted a bloody hand and wiped the tears that trickled down his face. "...ssso tired...plll..." she said drowsily as she closed her eyes, her hand falling limply to the ground.
He glanced up to the sky wondering... 'why?'
'The rain is harsh and the sky is dark, the stars can't even guide us... the perfect setting,' he thought. He started singing again, his rich baritone voice filling the virtually silent air around them. "I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say..." The words hit a chord in him. He shook his head and made a silent vow; to give her what she wanted. "...Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away...goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep..." The rain mixed with the tears that streamed down his face, knowing that this could be it. He watched as she closed her eyes again and she gave a soft sigh.
He felt so helpless watching someone so close to him, to all of them, slowly slip away. He closed his eyes trying to focus on something else, and his thoughts trailed back to the picture. 'She may never see her friends again or grow old with all of us.' Choking down the lump that had risen in his throat, he plowed on. "...Remember all the songs you sang for me, when we went sailing on an emerald bay, and like a boat out on the ocean, I'm rocking you to sleep..." He didn't even sense another presence next to him carefully observing the scene.
He felt someone gently pull him away, temporarily bringing him back to reality. He looked up to see twelve men around him; four of them were his best friends. Each of the men hiding behind their masks. 'Quatre, Wufei, Trowa and Heero... there is nothing I can do.'
He watched in awe as Quatre remained impassive and leaned down to check her breathing and pulse. He heard Quatre let out a deep sigh of relief. Quatre nodded at Trowa and Wufei, and they swiftly rolled her onto a backboard and strapped her down, Quatre putting an oxygen mask on her. She coughed in response, and some blood splattered onto the oxygen mask, but she didn't awaken. Quatre motioned to the others... only eleven pulled her body back up to the main road.
Duo looked over his shoulder to see his partner, Heero, with a grim look on his face. Heero reached forward towards him and pulled the radio off of his belt, and he watched as Heero clicked a button and the red light faded. He then held it out to him. "Duo." He barely heard Heero whisper his name.
Duo ignored the outstretched hand and turned back to the cliff. He shifted his eyes to his clothes. His shirt was ripped and his clothes were soaked with blood, her blood. His eyes drifted to his hands, which were also covered in blood. He couldn't stop the tears that steadily cascaded down his face like a waterfall, his heart constricting painfully in his chest.
He was numb. He couldn't understand why, but he felt he had to go on. He continued to sing and he felt a pair of arms close around him. "...The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart you'll always be a part of me...goodnight my angel, now its time to dream...and dream how wonderful your life will be..." he choked on the words as the sobs erupted from him. He held onto Heero, thankful for his support.
Heero cried with him as she was taken up the hill, away from them.
-