Voices:The Green Eyed Knight
Author's Note:By the time I get this up I bet it'll be time for homecoming, I hope you all have fun. Hotaru takes on a dramatic character change, sorry if it's unrealistic 'cause you know how I hate when that happens. Thanks for the reviews.
Disclaimers: I do not own Hotaru, she belongs to Clover and that lady. I don't own Trowa or any of the other Gundam characters I may mention, they belong to Sunrise [The best anime company in the world.]
Thoughts-//yadda yadda yadda//
Change in person-+++
Hotaru's bashing to herself in voice of father- 'yadda yadda yadda'
+++
Trowa looked down at his laptop screen a few minuets, skimming through the files that he had retireved from Rider Tomoe's home computer. Most of them were bank statements but eventually the pilot hoped to find something important.
"Can you lift me any higher?" Hotaru's voice penetrated his mind and Trowa was forced to watch the male ballerina, Shawn, lift his girlfriend by the stomach.
"Yeah," Shawn nodded and raised the girl into the air about a centimeter. "How's that?"
"Perfect," Hotaru decided, "Let's keep going." Trowa returned to his hacking, listening with one ear for a scream just incase Shawn dropped Hotaru.
//She's acting like nothing happened last night,// Trowa observed once again. School had been let out early for report card writing, Hotaru had gone straight to the studio with the rest of her company and so far she hadn't even shown a glimmer of sadness. The girl had also done a great job of lying to her fellow dancers about the bruises, claiming she fell down the stairs.
"It's like she's had practice," Trowa muttered. He bit his tongue in concentration. Thinking that Hotaru had been suffering this sort of treatment for several years made him want to put Rider in jail even more.
"You aren't bored are you, Trowa?" Hotaru asked when Shawn had set her down.
"No," Trowa answered absently. He had just found a file called weedwacker and things with strange names tended to have interesting information. "How are you?" Trowa knew that the question sounded normal enough but with the concerned look in his eye he was hoping that Hotaru would understand what he really meant.
"Fine," she answered happily then added, "Really, it happens everytime he visits. I've gotten use to it."
"But you shouldn't get use to it, Hotaru. You should call the police," Trowa argued in a low voice.
Hotaru sighed and kneeled down closer to Trowa's face. "Why don't you understand? I deserved the punishment my father gave me and as soon as I prove to him I love him it'll all be over."
Trowa tried to object but was silent. It was a hopeless situation, Hotaru was a slave to her father's standards and there was nothing he could do to change her mind. Hotaru caught the glimmer of worry in Trowa's emerald eyes and grabbed his hand. "I promise, it'll all be over soon."
Trowa let the usual mask fall over his face, hiding his concern and gave Hotaru a half hearted smile, "You have a dance to finish," he said, nodding towards the group of dancers that were watching them. Hotaru looked behind her and blushed furiously.
"Yue is probably somewhere in the building if you need company," Hotaru adviced and gave him a quick reassuring kiss on the cheek beforing she began yelling at the hord of people about keeping concentration.
Trowa chuckled and closed his laptop. //I need to find a more private place to look at this stuff,// he decided. //If I do find something I'll have to call Heero also.// After walking down the hallway for a comple of minuets Trowa came upon an empty office room with the door open.
"This'll do," he observed, walked in then closed and locked the door. "Weed wacker," he read, double clicking on the icon. Sure enough there was the banking number for seven accounts across the country with large sums of money in them. Trowa added them all up and wasn't surprised that the total amount was a few dollars under what had been stolen from the Sanq Treasury.
"He must have stopped to buy a hamburger," Duo joked when Trowa called the safe ouse and found that the braided baka was the only one home. "So you're ready to come home?"
Trowa paused and realized that the time had come when he would have to use Hotaru to get to Rider.
"You have the Heero syndrome don't you!" Duo accused loudly over the phone when Trowa didn't answer. "I knew it would happen, I knew that you had emotions like the rest of us. Even Heero has a girlfriend, you would have to fall for someone eventually," Duo babbled on and Trowa wished that he could glare at the baka to shut him up.
"Duo," Trowa interupted in a quiet voice.
"You realize what this means," Duo continued, "you and me are going to have to plan something so you can stay until you figure out how to fix this Hotaru chick."
"No, I knew this was coming," Trowa said through gritted teeth, "I have to carry through the mission as usual."
"Man that's harsh," Duo sighed. "Well send me the file and I'll tell Heero when he gets home. Cya Friday?"
"Yes, until then," Trowa bayed good bye and disconnected the line.
+++
Hotaru waved at the last dancer to leave before sitting on the bench to remove her ballet shoes. The sight of her peeling and bloddy feet didn't surprise her a bit but attracted some attention from Trowa who had just walked in.
"That looks worst than normal," he muttered and sat down next to her.
She smiled at his concern. "It always gets bad closer to preformances."
Trowa nodded and was quiet. Hotaru looked over at him and sensed that he wanted to tell her something but it was only a flicker of emotion before he put on his usual mask. "We have an hour before you have to come back, should we go out to dinner?" he inquired.
//Changing the subject are we,// Hotaru observed and tucked it away as something to ask him about later. "I can't, my mom wants me to come home and have dinner with her and Father."
"Oh," Trowa said and Hotaru heard the anger in his voice. She looked down at the floor, trying to think of something that could reassure him of her safety and also noticed his white knuckles of his clenched hands.
"Do you want to come with me, I'm sure my parents would like to meet you," Hotaru invited and sighed inwardly as Trowa's features softened.
He didn't answered quickly but then gave a reluctent yes. "Good," Hotaru said. "I have to go change, meet me in the parking lot?"
"Okay," Trowa agreed. He kissed her gently, careful not to touch her bruises with his hands then walked out of the room.
Hotaru held her fingers to her lips and sat for a moment, basking in happiness.
'He's lying to you girl, he's using you to get to someone,' her father voice warned Hotaru and the girl jerked at the return of the voice. //I forget it during ballet, but it's never really gone is it?//
"Except when I'm with Trowa," she added to her own thoughts. Remembering the waiting boy she walked happily to the changing room, actually looking forward to dinner.
+++
Trowa twirled a pencil in his hand, waiting for Hotaru to come out of the building. "I have to tell her at some point, how else can she not get hurt."
//She's going to get burned either way, but if I tell her now she may take it easier than if I just surprise her with it by storming into her house and arresting the one she loves the most in the world,// He guessed.
"It sucks being the bad guy," the green eyed boy decided when he saw Hotaru walking briskly out of the building. The sight of her still made him feel warm, almost human instead of the solider/assasin that he was.
"I just realized something," Hotaru mentioned when they were driving to her house. "You can't come to dinner wearing that."
"What?" Trowa echoed. He looked quickly down at himself and saw that he was only wearing a baggy t-shirt and cargo pants. "Oh."
"We can stop by your apartment and you can change," she decided and Trowa noticed a slight edginess in her voice.
"Okay," he concured and turned into his parking lot. "I'll be back in a few minuets."
+++
Hotaru tapped her fingers on the dash board nervously. What is her father was jealous of Trowa, what if he didn't like Trowa? She didn't want to upset him, but Trowa was...important.
"He will like Trowa. The boy is perfect, how could anyone not like him?" she muttered to herself quickly her voice rising with each word. "But what is he doesn't? I need Trowa here just incase Father hurts me again."
'He's an idiot girl, I would never accept a street rat like him,' her "father" informed her. 'You should dump him now, while there's still time.'
"No, I need him just as much as I need Father," Hotaru reminded herself.
"Need who?" Trowa inquired, once again appearing without warning.
"No one," Hotaru said quickly and felt her face grow warm.
Trowa didn't inquired anymore and stood up straight, "Is this okay?"
Hotaru poked her head out of the car window and examined her boyfriend. She nodded at his choice of grey dress pants, a dark green polo shirt identical to the color of his eyes and a black leather jacket.
"That's perfect," she complimented. "Hurry up and get into the car, I still have to change when we get to my house."
"Right," Trowa remembering and fit himself back into the Saturn without creasing the outfit too much. "Is there anything I should know before speaking to your parents?"
Hotaru raced over the information she had gathered about her father over the years and began the list. "Never talk back to him. If he offends you just nod and agree. Don't ask about his job. Don't spill anything."
Hotaru racked her mind to recall anything else when she felt Trowa's hand squeeze her own. "Be perfect," he said simply.
The girl sighed in agitation and slouched against the car seat, "Basically."
+++
Trowa sat stifly in the supposidly comfortable white couch that was in Hotaru's living room. She had already introduced him to her mother, Cathy, who Trowa thought seemed too nice to be housing a criminal. That would work on her behalf in the court case. Fortunately the pilot hadn't had the chance of meeting with Rider Tomoe, who was still in his home town office.
//What if he recognizes me,// Trowa wondered. He knew his face along with his four other friends were plastered everywhere in the con man and murder world, it wouldn't be a surprise if Rider tried to excuse himself from the table and run.
At the thought of the man running Trowa's hand went automatcially to the hand gun that was hidden inside his coat pocket. He would have no choice but to stop Rider if he did try to escape. //I don't even want to think of how the conversation with Hotaru will go after that,// the boy shuddered. The more unaware Rider was of who Trowa was, the better. //At least I have the tracer,// Trowa reminded himself and nochantly looked down at the ring with a practically invisible needle attachted to the band. When Trowa shook hands with Rider the needle should put chemicals into his skin that was connected to the tracer in Heavy Arms and Trowa's laptop.
"Dinner is ready, sir," one of the maids of the house informaed Trowa and waited to lead him to the dining room.
"Thankyou," he said quietly before the lady left and she smiled kindly at him. //Another witness at the trial for abuse,// he noted to himself.
"Come sit, dear," Hotar's mother bekoned to Trowa. The boy grinned when he saw Hotaru glare at her mom and took his seat next to his girlfriend.
"Thankyou for having me, Mrs.Tomoe. Will Mr.Tomoe be joining us?" Trowa inquired carefully.
"If we're lucky, no," Mrs.Tomoe muttered. Trowa gave a slight chuckle and felt Hotaru side kick him in the leg under the table. "You'll have to forgive Hotaru, she has a certain strange love for her father," Mrs.Tomoe mentioned when she saw Trowa give Hotaru a questioning look.
"Have you started dinner without me?" Rider inquired and Trowa's hair pricked up on his neck. "And we have a guest."
"Yes Rider, remembering Hotaru has a dance recital tonight. That's why you came here," Cathy said with a guarded tone.
"Oh right," Rider said abstently, "And who is this young man?"
Trowa calmed himself, putting on his usual false face, and stood up, "I'm a friend of Hotaru's, Trowa Barton." He grasped Rider's hand and wasn't surprised when Rider pulled it back and rubbed the his palm.
"Do you dance also?" Rider inquired, taking his seat at the head of the table.
"No, he goes to the same school as me, Father," Hotaru explained.
Rider stared at Trowa for a moment and the pilot worked hard on keeping his breath normal. "Are you looking for something, Mr.Tomoe?"
The man shook his head and Trowa breathed an inner sigh of reliefe. //He doesn't remember me.// "No." Rider was quiet for a moment as another maid served the salad. "Are you eating Hotaru?"
Hotaru's fork paused and Trowa's protection hormones jumped up in attention. "Do you think it would be a bad desicion, Father?"
"Well at the shape you are in now, if you eat that you may not fit into your costume," Rider warned her and Hotaru set the fork down. Trowa felt his fingers tighten around the handle of his own fork until the metal began to hurt his hand.
"Rider," Cathy spoke sharply then turned to Hotaru. "Honey, eat the salad. It's better that you don't fit into your costume then you fall on the stage from lack of energy."
"No, I'm not hungry," Hotaru lied. Trowa gave her a side long glance but she hung her head down and wouldn't meet his eyes.
There was silence for a few moments before a small ringing sound was heard down the hall. The maid that had smiled at Trowa walked into the dining room and announced, "Mr.Barton, your cell phone is ringing."
Trowa cursed for forgetting to turn it off but then realized it had to be one of the other pilots. //Shit. I had hoped to have a little more time.// "May I excuse myself," he said quickly and grabbed the phone from the maid before walking down the hallway out of hearing range.
"Hello?" he inquired and wasn't surprised to be greeted by Heero's dulling yet intimidating voice.
"Duo told me," Heero stated clearly, "Are you finishing it up?"
"I'm at his house and when the moment presents its self I'm going to tell Hotaru, she might know where he keeps the money or anything else that could convict him," Trowa explained.
"Do you really expect her to help?" Heero contridicted, "According to the bio she seems pretty dedicated to her father."
Trowa blew air through his teeth in a small hiss, "Probably not but she has a right to know. I'll tell her mother too, she may know something."
"Get it done soon, there are more assignments waiting for you," Heero warned and the line went dead.
Trowa leaned against the wall for a moment to gather his wits. Back in the dining room he could hear Rider rambling off comments on Hotaru's dancing, her body, her grades, her dedication.
"That boy," Rider muttered loud enough for Trowa to just barely make out the words, "Do you really think that someone like him would pick you out of all the girl in the school to call his own? I think he's using you."
Trowa's blood boiled until he remembered that Rider was right. If he hadn't needed Hotaru to reach Rider he never would have given her a second glance. //And now I'm going to tell her that, only proving that her father is always right.//
"Damnit," he muttered and walked back into the room. "Sorry, my friend needed something," he apologized and sat down next to Hotaru once more.
"So Trowa, how did you two meet?" Rider inquired slyly.
"We both came to school early and she.." Trowa paused. If he said that Hotaru fell on him that would give Rider another way to insult her. "She helped me when I dropped my books."
Hotaru looked at him with wide purple eyes of thanks and Trowa smiled back but felt a pang of pity. //Don't the sweetest ones alway get burned.//
"Are you done with your salad, Trowa?" Cathy inquired, gesturing to the servant who was waiting to take his plate.
"Yes, thankyou," Trowa assented and handed his plate to the waiting woman.
"Could we cut dinner short tonight," Hotaru spoke up timidly. "I'm suppose to be at the dance studio 15 minuets early for anything that may go wrong at the last minuet."
"And something always does when you're put in charge," Rider commented and Trowa stopped himself from pulling out his gun and shooting the man in the forehead right then.
"Come on Hotaru, I'll dirve you," Trowa suggested and stood up, "Thankyou for the food Mr. Mrs. Tomoe." He nodded his thanks to both of them and guided Hotaru out of her chair. "I'll get you bag," he said and gave her a small push towards the door that would lead outside.
"Uh hmm," Hotaru breathed and walked absently to the door.
Trowa took the stairs two at a time up to Hotaru's room and hastily grabbed her bag before creeping steadily into Rider's room. Sitting coviently on the desk was a laptop with a pile of papers next to it.
"This is too easy," Trowa muttered and slipped the boon inside the bag with Hotaru's clothes. //I'll have to remember to get them out before she can see them.//
"It was nice to meet yo, Trowa," Cathy said when he came down the stairs and was heading out the door.
"You too."
+++
Hotaru waited in the car and began going over all the productions that she had lead. //He's right, something always goes wrong at the last time when I'm in charge,// she realized and felt wetness rim her eyelids.
She heard one of the back doors open and saw Trowa throw her bag in the car. "You know he's wrong right?" Trowa reminded her.
"No he's telling the truth," Hotaru whisperded.
She saw Trowa shake his head and push the key into the ignition. "Every dance, gynamstic meet, game, anything has something go wrong. That's why people continue to put them on, to see if they can do it without a flaw."
"I should already be there, I should have control over everything," Hotaru argued harshly.
'You don't have enough control over yourself to rule other people,' the voice informed her and Hotaru gave a small yelp.
Trowa looked over at her with concern but she didn't say anything. "You need to stop letting him control what you think of yourself. It's just like sucumbing to peer pressure."
"Except that he's my father, not some ditzzy, rich cheerleader," Hotaru contridicted.
"Do you ever think maybe he's using you to make himself feel mopre important?" Trowa inquired softly.
Hotaru looked over at him quizzically. "What? No of course not. Why does everyone think someone is using me?"
Trowa's heart renched. //Because everyone is, even me.// "I heard him tell you that he thought I was too good for you."
"I know, I saw you," Hotaru said. "He said you were using me to get to something. That I was too normal for you to concern yourself with me."
Trowa took a deep breath and could feel the moment of anger growing closer. "That's not true either, you're one of the most impressive people I know," he said, "but he was right, I do need you to get to someone."
Hotaru took in a quick bit of air, making a whistling sound. "What did you say?" Trowa began to repeat it but she made him stop. "To who? Yue?"
"No," Trowa paused once more, "To your father."
"You want my father? Why!" Hotaru almost screamed. Did Trowa also have a strange pull to that man who onl;y gave out insults but kepts her close to him. As far as being perfect Hotaru could never compete with Trowa.
"I work for the Preventers and your father stole several million dollars from the Treasury of the United Earth Sphere Bank. From Releana Peacecraft herself."
"You're lying!" Hotaru objected loudly. "My father would never do something like that." Her hands were shaking with not anger but fear. Fear that what Trowa was saying was the truth, that she would be forced to turn in her father, that Trowa really had been using her.
"Hotaru, why would I make something like this up?" Trowa asked with sencerity. Hotaru looked over at the boy who was keeping his amazing eyes glued to the road. //He has on his mask again.// Hotaru was good enough at reading people to know that when people were wearing their facades it usually meant they were trying to contain some strong emotion.
//Maybe he really does like me. Maybe he came to arrest my father and fell for me by accident like in those corny stories on the internet,// she imagined.
'Girl, look at yourself. You aren't one of those dazzling story characters, you're Hotaru Tomoe, a short scrawny half baked ballet dancer,' the voice pounded in her mind and Hotaru clutched her head.
"Hotaru?" Trowa asked urgently. They had reached the parking lot of the studio and Hotaru felt him lay a warmuing hand on her back.
"Get away from me. My father was right, you're using me," Hotaru screamed and pushed herself out of the car.
"Hotaru, he's a wanted criminal, I need to know if you have any part in it," Trowa asked with a solid voice that make Hotaru sick.
"No!" Hotaru answered. "Even he's using me. The one who made me work so hard for his approval."
Trowa started to speak but Hotaru stopped him once more. She open the door to the car and took out her stuff, "Leave. If I see anything I'll call you but don't talk to me ever again," se said in a calmer but wounded voice. "I don't want to see you in that building. I don't want to see you ever again."
The silent Preventer nodded in understandment. "Hotaru," he began but was muted by the glare of distrust and hate that Hotaru gave him.
"Go. Away," she demanded and began walking inside. Trowa shook his head and pulled out of the parking area.
"She's stronger than I expected," Trowa muttered. He had expected her to break down crying, not become feirce and finally turn against her father. The car phone rung and Trowa pressed the button, "Hello?"
"Trowa?" Heero's voice emmited from the phone and Trowa looked upon it with scorn. Only the perfect soilder was allowed to have love, only his life was allowed to be a little normal.
"What?" he answered harshly.
"I guess you did it," Heero observed.
"Yeah, I'm going back to the car dealer ship to get a new car. I'm going back to the studio because Hotaru had Rider's laptop and some papers in her bag. I'll also probably tell Mrs.Tomoe what is going on. I should be home by tonight."
"I could get Duo to take your next job if you need a break," Heero offered and Trowa sensed that it was one of those rare moments between them when they both felt safe enough to act like normal male teenagers.
"Yeah, I'll need that. Who will I be home with?"
"Me and Wufei," Heero supplied.
"Good, quiet," Trowa sighed. "I'll cya when I get home."
He was about to hang up when Heero added one more thing, "Trowa, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. I'm the one who signed up for this damn job," Trowa excused the other pilot and hung up.
+++
Hotaru shifted through her bag and cursed harshly when she saw a folder of papers and her father's laptop tossed in there along with the mess. "Fuck it," she said, feeling too concentrated on the preformance that was fast approaching to take the time to destroy the stuff, making Trowa's job a little harder.
"Hotaru, you're parents are here," Rini announced and was confused when Hotaru's expression did not matched her own happy one.
"Oh, tell them I'll be out as soon as I'm finished changing," Hotaru explained and Rini went scampering away.
'You're father will be angry,' the voice, not as strong anymore, warned her.
"Who cares anymore," Hotaru muttered. "He wouldn't hurt me physically in public and nothing he says can effect me anymore."
//Trowa would be proud,// her own thoughts leaked through the wall she had began to build around herself. "You mean the guy who kissed me only to get to my scumb bag father."
"How do you feel honey?" her mother inquired wehn Hotaru walked out of the changing room. Hotaru forced a smile on to her face and hugged one of the few people who hadn't betrayed her.
"Okay," Hotar said and then looked at her father with daggers in her stare, "Nothings gone wrong yet."
For a moment the man faultered and then gained his composure. "All in good time."
Mrs.Tomoe glanced back and forth between the interaction that had jst taking place between her daughter and husband. //Trowa had told me that he told Hotaru about her father, but I didn't expect her to change attitudes so much,// the lady thought, remembering her encounter that she had had with the dashing boy in the parking lot a few minuets hense.
"Come Cathy, we should get seats before all the good ones are taking," rider bekoned sourly.
"Right," Cathy agreed and gave Hotaru a quick hug, "Good luck honey."
"Thanks Mom," Hotaru said and shooed them to the audotorium.
+++
Trowa glided in with a rush of people and managed to make it near the door to the dressing room. Inside he could hear giggling and mused on the ways he could enter. It would only a take a few minuets to grabbed the right bag and remove the computer and folder. "So I bust in," he decided and burst into the room.
Girls scattered, giving yells of objection while Trowa scanned the room for the familiar light purple carrier without eyeing any of the half naked girls and keeping his face hidden. "There," he made his way over to the bench and the girls moved away like he was a virus.
"Hey, what'g going on in here?" Hotaru's voice interrupted Trowa's adventure.
"There's this boy darting around," one of the girls explained and Trowa could guess that she had pointed him out.
"TROWA!" Hotaru reprimanded, "I told you not to come."
Trowa paid no attention and pulled out what he needed from Hotaur's bag. He began to run from the room when he felt a fist grab at his jacket. He slipped out of it easily and scampered away.
"Trowa," Hotaru objected and the pilot almost hoped that she would run after him but was disappointed when no one tried to stop him again.
"And that is the end," he bowed slightly to the door.
+++
Hotaru clutched the leather jacket, holding it close to her and concentrating on keeping her same snappy personality that she had so recently obtained. //He didn't come back to see you, he came to get more information.//
"Hotaru who was that guy?" Rini inquired.
Hotaru shook her head, "No one, just a guy I met," she said dismissily. "Everyone hurry up and get changed, we have a show to put on."
Girls were slient in changing, keeping a careful eye on the door while Hotaru went on stage and peered at the audience from behind the curtain. She saw her parents in the third row, waiting patiently and she continued to glance over the rows and rows of people.
//Who else am I looking for?// she asked herself and already knew the answer. "He isn't going to be here, I didn't mean anything but money to him." She inhaled the smell of the coat once more before slipping it around her shoulders.
+++
High in the rafters a tall and lanky figure sat comfortably, watching for the opening of the curtains and the apperance of Hotaru Tomoe. This would be the last time he would see her and Yue had said that he might have affected the way she danced.
"Should get someting out of this hell of a mission," he spat harshly. He was soothed as classical music that he knew weel but couldn't name filled the room. The busiling parents stopped chit chatting and also calmed. A small girl that looked more like a figurine than a person appeared on the stage.
She was accompanied by a older man who began to artfully beat her to the ground. Hotaru cowarded, shifted around and magically smeared purple on to her face. Suddenly the music changed and a younger boy who Trowa identified as Shawn came onto the stage and pulled back the man.
Trowa suddenly remembered a little random comment Hotaru had made when he had asked her what the subject of the dance was. "My fairy tale," she had said and he hadn't gotten it then but now it made sense.
He listened carefully to the music and almost fell off of his seat when he remembered the title of the song being 'Green Eyed Knight'. //It's about me,// he staed obviously and climbed down quickly off the fixture.
If he stayed any longer he wouldn't be able to leave. He wouldn't be able to leave her to take care of Rider for the week or two that it would take for the police to arrest him. He sprinted outside and leaned against the car. Everything he had brought was already shoved into the back of his car, all he had to do was drive away.
And he did.
A/N-Wait, wait! This isn't the last chapter. I'm not done yet. There's more, I swear. Thanks for reading, please review and stay tune for the next chapter.
