Standing Alone

Disclaimer: I ain't sayin' it!!! >.

Author's Note's: Thanks to Usa-chan for pointing out one of my slip ups... ^^() Hehe I just realized, after Usa-chan told me, that what happened between Heero and Usagi is similar to what happened between Hotaru and Duo. *bangs head against wall* There went my creativity. Oh well I'll try to make the next chapter as interesting as possible. Italics mean dreams.

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Chapter Ten: Planning Ahead
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The woman turned around and faced Hotaru.
"I'm sorry dear, but I don't know you," the woman said regretfully with a British accent. Hotaru nodded and walked closer.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else," Hotaru apologized with a forced smile. The woman smiled back.
"If you'll excuse me I have to talk to Mr. Winner." Hotaru nodded and scanned the woman who was now trying to sell something to Quatre. The woman had long black hair tinted green and was about Setsuna's height. From a glance it was easy to mistake her for Setsuna. But with a closer look you would see the three inch platform shoes and her sparkling purple eyes that matched her streaked bangs. Hotaru's attention was diverted as Chibi Chibi came skipping around a corner while singing a song.
"Chibi! Chibi! Chibi chibi chibi!" the tiny girl sang before tugging on Hotaru's skirt to ask her something. "Chibi chibi!" she said as she pointed outside.
"Aw Chibi Chibi, I'm really sorry but I have to do something. I promise I'll take you out and play later, ok?"
"Ok!" she mimicking Hotaru's last word.

* * * * *

Usagi slowly let her heavy eyelids shut.

"Usagi you're getting older. I know you realize what's ahead of you, not just you, but the whole kingdom. You must married before the war. The Earth will be a powerful ally that will help us greatly."
"But Mama! I want to marry for love. Not for an ally!"
"I'm sorry little one."

* * *

"Would you like to dance?" The princess opened her mouth to say no, but with one glance from her mother she changed her words.
"I would greatly appreciate it." Half way through the slow waltz, the windows shattered and Beryl's army stood ready for command. Many royal guards lost their lives, along with the queen and princess of the Moon. But the moment before the queen died, she called forth the silver crystal and sent the children of the Moon in to the future.

* * *

"Usagi! Stop reading that manga! You're supposed to be helping us track this crystal!" Rei shouted at the young blonde.
"WAAAAAAHHHHH!!! Rei you're so mean!"

* * *

"I remember. I'm sorry Serenity..." the prince whispered before passing out. Kunzite took that opportunity to take him to Beryl. "No! Mamo-chan!!!"

* * *

She was the last one left but she would get Beryl back no matter if it took her life.

* * *

The tree hadn't wanted energy. It had wanted love. Real love. Not a crush, nor forced love, but real love that comes from the heart.
'That's what I want...' the young girl thought slowly to herself. 'But is that what I really have?'

* * *

Once again someone tried to force love out of me. Demando... He was so preoccupied with me he couldn't see that Wiseman was deceiving him. Not even after his own brother died trying to say it to his face.

* * *

The Death Phantom had parished, and the girl's future daughter went back home.

* * * * *

Usagi bolted up right in her bed. She knew what came next, and she knew how it ended. A cold sweat remained on her face as tears silently came down her cheeks. Sniffles and whimpers escaped her mouth as she stood up and made her way to the door. Her tears turned to small rivers, and all to soon sobs wracked her body as she clutched the person in front of her. The soft, worn material greatly contrasted the wearer's personality. Heero pried the girl's shaking fists from his tank top and looked into her eyes. Usagi's sobs calmed as Heero waited for her to listen to him.
"Where's Duo?" Heero asked placidly. Usagi shook her head and tried to choke back her on coming sobs.
"C-can you send him here if you find him? P-please?" Usagi asked. Heero watched her a minute before leaving. Five minutes later Duo dashed into the room to see Usagi sniffling and wiping her tears.
"What happened?" Duo asked as he sat on the end of the bed. Usagi flung herself into Duo's arms and tried to calm her breathing. Duo now knew exactly what had happened. "Same dreams?" Usagi nodded and sniffled. "Shh... It's all right..." he whispered as he lifted her up and laid down on the bed with her.
"Duo..." Usagi whimpered as she lifted her head up. Duo's eyes widened.
"No please! Not here!" Duo begged. Usagi stared at him with out blinking, and Duo knew his resistance was futile. Duo stood up and tugged off his shirt. He laid back down and Usagi laid her head on Duo's bare chest. Usagi smiled weakly at Duo's blushing face as she listened to his heart's steady beat. Usagi lifted her head up slowly and kissed Duo softly on the the nose.
"Thank you Duo-chan," she whispered as she laid her head back down. Usagi fell into a deep dreamless sleep while listening to the lively thudding of Duo's heart. After making sure Usagi was completely asleep, Duo got up, tugged his shirt on, and kissed Usagi on the cheek.
"No more bad dreams ok?" he whispered as he went and turned out the light before leaving.

* * * * *

The young Setsuna-look-alike was escorted out by Rashid after Quatre politely declined the offer for life insurance (A.N. Gundam pilot.... Life insurance... The word 'duh' comes to mind... :-D).
"Hotaru, how is Usagi?"
"She's just a little tired. Thank you for asking. Um, if you don't mind me asking, but why does the news say that 'the young Mr. Winner' died in an explosion?" Hotaru asked, trying to be as polite as possible. Quatre's face held a look of shock a moment before recovering. "Oh and where have Trowa, Wufei, and Heero gone to?" Quatre shifted uneasily, and glanced at the tiny red haired girl at Hotaru's feet.
"Well, I have many many siblings, twenty-nine to be precise, so it's quite possible they were speaking about one of them. As you can see I'm just fine," Quatre said with a forced smile. Hotaru nodded and didn't press any further even though she knew all of Quatre's siblings were female.
"That news report confused me, but now I understand. What happened to the others."
"Heero left to finish something, Trowa went back to the circus, and Wufei went back to his clan."
"Thank you," Hotaru said as she led Chibi Chibi to the door. Quatre watched the two until they disappeared outside. Quatre walked back into his room and shut the door.

* * * * *

"Duo..." Luna whispered from her spot near the doorway. Duo pulled his gun out, startled. Luna cocked her head to the side. "Duo do you know what you're doing? It's risky to be close to Usagi." Duo grinned.
"You know Luna, for a talking cat you aren't very smart," he said flapping his hand as he walked out the door. Luna shook her head as she walked over to Usagi.
"You've got to stay strong Usa or this time is doomed too," she murmured sadly. Even though Luna had an uncanny resemblance to a human, she still retain several cat-like qualities. And right now her sensitive hearing was picking up on someone just outside the door. Luna cracked the door open a little bit so that a stream of golden light climbed across the dimly lit room. Luna's sapphire colored eyes met with Heero's cobalt ones as she opened the door wider.
"You don't have to eavesdrop. I'll tell you if you'd ask me..." she whispered. "Why do you insist upon slinking around? I thought we were closer than that," she said, watching his face for any sign of emotion.
"I don't get close to anyone," he said icily as he turned and started to walk away. Luna snatched his wrist before he could get very far.
"Drop the act, Heero," she said flatly. "Are you worried about what Usagi could do? She's not dangerous you know."
He growled, annoyed. Luna persisted.
"Ugh... Do you have to be so loud?" Usagi asked while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned before stretching as far as she could go; exposing her stomach in the process. Heero's frown grew deeper as he walked forward and in one fluid motion snatched Usagi's brooch off her chest. Usagi's eyes widened in disgust before she shrieked, "Ecchi!" and tried to slap the suicidal pilot. Heero easily avoided the blow and dropped the brooch into Luna's open hands before striding down the hall. Luna rolled her eyes as she walked down the hall after him.

* * * * *

Quatre shut the door to his room and sat on the corner of his neatly made bed. "Dekim Barton is holding a party for the colony representatives. We suspect he is trying to rebuild White Fang, so the other guys are coming along to inspect the place. Even though they're coming, I still don't have a female escort, and I'd hate to submit Miss Usagi to such torture..." he said slowly, while stealing fleeting glances of Hilde out of the corner of his eye. Hilde smiled slowly. "So I was wondering if you would like to be my escort?"
"You mean you wouldn't put Usagi through torture and you're asking me to?" Quatre hung his head, and started to get up, but Hilde was already there pushing him back down. "I'd love to." A slow smile creeped across his face when the meaning of the words hit him. Quatre looked up and locked eyes with Hilde who was smiling down at him. He stood up and found that it was his turn to look down at her because he was at least three inches taller than she was. Hilde giggled softly at the height difference. Quatre cocked his head to the side so his blonde bangs fell into his face.
"What's so funny?" he asked with a slight smile. Hilde gently brushed the golden locks away from his face.
"Nothing, it's just you look so short next to the other guys. I didn't realize how tall you really were." Quatre chuckled.
"Yes, well, next to Trowa anyone can look small." An uncomfortable silence followed the end of the silver bells of laughter.
"So... What was that about you dying in an explosion?" Hilde asked. Quatre frowned, but before he could say anything Hilde cut him off. "And I know all your siblings are female, so don't lie." He sighed before slowly beginning.
"I assume you remember the small incident when Miss Usagi fainted after the gun went off. Miss Hotaru and Miss Usagi don't know because they went into a short state of a coma soon afterwards. Well, at the time I was on a scheduled flight to a World Nations meeting. Because of my delay, when I got to the building I was already quite a bit late. I never made it to the elevator, so I lived... There are no other survivors, and we suspect it to be caused the reformed White Fang..."
Hilde raised an eyebrow. "And Dekim Barton would be leading them?"
"That's what we're going to find out..."

* * * * *

"You must have an escort to get into the party. Formal attire must be worn as well," Quatre said summing up the invitation to the pilots and women/girls.
"So we must pick an escort from this room," Trowa stated nonchalantly. Quatre nodded.
"Hilde and I have already agreed to go and check the second level together."
"Hotaru and I'll go together!" Duo chimed immediately afterwards. Hotaru smiled as Chibi Chibi clung to one of her legs and one of Duo's.
"We'll take third level patrol," Hotaru said quietly, not looking up.
"I'll go with Trowa to the first level," Luna said firmly, "Unless, of course, you have any objections..." Trowa shook his head wordlessly.
"I'll go with Heero," Relena said straight forward. Heero had rescued her and her secritary from the same people who had tried to take Nataku from Wufei, and bombed the meeting building. "He would do the best job of protecting Chris and me."
"Wufei and I'll go to the roof then..." Usagi said slowly. The disgusted look on Wufei's face was a tell tale story.
"Now all we have to do is wait..."
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Dear Lord! Look at how slow I've become! This was
a hard chapter to write though. ^^() You have 2
choices people! One long chapter next time... Or two
normal length chapters. And tell me if you'd like a
sequel! ^^ My e~mail has changed because of evil
AT&T. chibichan101@attbi.com ugly sounding isn't
it? Send me anything! Comments, criticism,
compliments, flames, chocolate, money, or birthday
cards (hint hint! My b-day was Nov. 19. I'm 14! Oh
the horror!!! :-D).
~~ chibi