Jaid: Here's a new chapter, guys. It's slightly longer…
Naga: Not by much.
Jaid: Why do you have to be so negative.
Naga: Because I like it.
Jaid: Shut up.
Naga: Make me.
Jaid: You won't like it if I do.
Naga: Ohhh, I'm shaking in my boots.
Jaid: You're not wearing boots.
Naga: So? That's a technicality.
Jad: I'm wearing boots. ^__^
Jaid & Naga: …
Jad: What?
Naga: Idiot.
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Chapter 14
Mariemeia and Tommy Wells glared at each other. Finally, Mariemeia said, "It's not just my fault, you know!"
"So?" Tommy asked. "I'm still stuck with you." Mariemeia made a face; she and Tommy had been sentenced to be in each other's company till they learned to get along. Right now, they were up in Mariemeia's room, supposedly "playing", but in reality, simply glaring at each other.
"What was that?" Mariemeia asked. Turning her head. Tommy shurgged.
"I didn't hear nothin'." He said. Mariemeia almost corrected him, but instead walked to the window and looked out.
"Somebody's horse is here." She said. "Do you recognize it?"
Tommy looked out the window. Mr. Wells owned the town stables and Tommy knew everybody's horse by sight. He shook his head. "Nope. Of course, it could be some farmer or rancher or somethin'."
"Yeah." Mariemeia frowned. She had a bad feeling. "Let's go see who it is."
"Why?" Tommy asked. Mariemeia scowled.
"Because I said so." She answered. Mariemeia turned and walked towards the door, Tommy following, although he was sticking his tongue out at her back.
* * *
Quatre was talking to Tommy's father, John Wells, about various things, when Tommy ran up, obviously agitated.
"What's a matter, boy?" John asked in his thick Irish brouge. Tommy turned to Quatre.
"Marie says to come quick. There's trouble at Ms. Une's house."
Quatre's face tightened. "Tommy, can you go get the Sheriff?"
The gasping boy nodded.
"Good, go now." Quatre ordered. He turned to walk away, when he realized that John was following him. He gave the man a questioning look.
"You'll need soome help." John pointed out. "If ye'll just let me get my rifle."
* * *
"Almost done." Zechs said, in a rather grim, pleased fashion.
"Yep." Lucrezia said cheerfully.
"Hey!"
Lucrezia looked up. "Yes?"
"Need to go." Gasped the little boy that stood before them. "Ms. Une's. Marie says trouble. Deputy sent me to get you."
Zechs stood and walked away, his face hardening slightly. Lucrezia and Tommy followed him.
* * *
When they got there, there really wasn't much to be done. In the parlor two men, one with a gun shot in the arm, the other in the leg, were on the floor. John had gone to go get Sally. Quatre was leaning over an unconcious Une, whose right arm was dangling at a rather odd angle. Mariemeia sat in the corner, face pale but composed. Lucrezia bent down and picked up Une's glasses. They were twisted and broken, smeared with blood.
"What happened?" Zechs asked. Quatre nodded at Mariemeia, then looked back at Une. Lucrezia noted, with some shock, that Une's dress was suddenly becoming stained with a dark fluid. Zechs walked over to Mariemiea and knelt down in front of her.
"What happened, Marie?" he asked.
"Well, I heard a noise." She asnwered. "And Tommy and me looked out the window and saw a horse that he didn't recognize. So we went downstairs to see who it was and I heard Ms. Anne give a little shriek. I saw two men and then I sent Tommy to go get you and Mr. Winner, then I looked for a gun." She held up the dainty woman's pistol she had been cradleing in her lap. "I found this one; so I came back here and I shot at them and they fell, and then Mr. Wells and Mr. Winner came and then you came."
"You shot at them?" Zechs repeated. Mariemeia nodded. Zechs looked at the men on the floor, then back at the ten year old girl.
"Some aim there." He said softly. Tommy, who had heard every word paled slightly. I am never going to bother that girl again. He thought.
Any more comments were cut short as Sally entered the room. She looked rather disgustedly at the two men, then shooed everyone away. Quatre, Lucrezia, and Zechs had a small "conference" in the hall way.
"Where are we going to put them?" Was Quatre's first question.
"We've just about finished that wall." Lucrezia said. "We can put them in there."
"Yeah, then do what?" Zechs asked in frustration. Lucrezia turned to him.
"If Une survives, then we have a trial and charge them." She said. "If Une dies, they get hanged for murder."
"Right." Zechs sighed.
* * *
Dorothy tapped her fingers on the window sill, thinking that if something didn't happen, she was going to snap.
"Mail, miss." Janet annonced. Dorothy turned and took the letter from the maid's hand, noting with a little excitement that it was from Trieze. As soon as the maid had left the room, she tore it open.
Dear Cousin, it read, in Trieze's elegant, firm handwriting. I thought that I ought to notify you that I am leaving New York and heading for home. Did Winner give any hints on his decision? I hope so, because I have notified the officials at Sank that we have found an hier to the throne. They won't take it kindly if he doesn't come.
How is Mariemeia? And is Anne well? I don't suppose you should answer; by the time the letter reached New York, I would be home. As it is, I will be but a few days behind this letter.
I have some news for Relena and Zechs as well, though I'm not sure how they will take it. It seems that they have royal connections as well. Funny, isn't it, how we all ended up in the same town. God's hand I suppose.
I miss you and Marie dearly, as well as Anne. But there is nothing to be done but wait until I can see you all again. Please give Anne my regards and thanks. She is a very kind woman. And watch out for yourself. I still haven't shaken the feeling that they still might be after you, since you hold the crown jewles.
God be with you
Your loving cousin,
Trieze Khusrenda
Dorothy stared at the letter in shock. Crown jewles? She thoguht.
"So that's why." She whispered.
* * *
"How is she?" Quatre asked. Sally sighed.
"Not good. She was stabbed."
Quatre nodded, wincing involtarily. "Will she be okay?" he asked.
"Maybe." Sally asnwered doubtfully. "I really don't know. Time will tell." She sighed again. "For right now, I have to operate on those two bastards. Excuse me."
Quatre stepped aside, letting Sally pass. He walked the doorway of the living room, where Mariemeia was curled up in Zechs' lap. Lucrezia sat next them, her head on Zechs' shoulder. Quatre smiled slightly, and left the house.
* * *
Wu Fei and Meiran were closing up shop.
"I'm going to go start dinner." She announced, then climbed the stairs. Wu Fei nodded and watched her go. Sighing softly, he turned back to the counter where he was counting out the day's earnings, when Meiran's sharp scream met his ears. Jumping over the counter he flew up the stairs. He burst into the room, but Meiran wasn't there. Wu Fei opened the door to the bedroom.
Mieran was on the ground, eyes closed. Wu Fei knelt down beside her.
"Mieran?" he said, shaking her slightly. "Mieran!"
Mieran groaned and sat up, clutching Wu Fei for support.
"Oh my head." She moaned. Wu Fei helped her sit on the bed and took a look at the back of her head. (A/N: Hey, I made a rhyme! Cool! Lol. I'm sure you're all thrilled at how talented I am. Anyway, back to the story)
"You've got a big lump on the back of your head." He told her.
"Oh, I wonder why." Mieran said through clenched teeth. "Probably because some guy just hit me!"
Wu Fei smiled slightly and got up to get a cold compress for her head. As he was walking back to the bedroom, he noticed something strange about his desk. Paling, he went over and opened the now splintered drawer. Everything was gone.
"Oh no." Wu Fei whispered.
* * *
(A/N: hmm, I could leave it here…but I guess I won't)
Dorothy's thoughts were racing. Crown Jeweles. I have them. But where? Great, one of the most important things to this whole situation, and I have no idea where they are. Where would've I have hidden them? Wait, that won't work. As far as I know, the other Dorothy Catalonia had a different mindset. Maybe I could find out…No, that wouldn't work. Maybe Janet knows! She turned to go and call the black maid, but the girl beat her to it.
"Dinner's ready miss." Janet said, opening the door.
"Good." Dorothy said. "Janet?"
"Yes miss?"
"Did I ever talk about hiding something?" Dorothy asked.
"No miss." Janet answered.
"You're sure?"
"Yes miss." Janet looked at Dorothy in a queer way. "Are you feelin' all right miss?"
"Fine." Dorothy sighed, leaving the room. "Perfectly fine."
* * *
Mariemeia looked at her bowl of soup. Mr. Wells had offered to take her. As of right now, Mariemeia was sandwhiched between Tommy and his older sister Fiona. Across the way, the Wells twins, Joey and Josh were gigling, Tommy's younger sister Ally was hushing them and Tommy's older borhter Jacob was looking slightly bored. Mrs. Wells was bustling around serving food, while Mr. Wells was unsucessfully trying to get the children to calm down and eat.
"Hey." Tommy poked her in the side. "Better eat or the twins'll want it."
Mariemeia hafl-heartedly put a spoonful of soup in her mouth. It was rather good, but Mariemeia was to worried and worn – out to notice much. She was feeling a bit bewildered. Never in her life had she been in such a noisy atmosphere. But nobody else seemed to notice; in fact, they seemed to enjoy the bustle.
"Where am I going to sleep?" she asked Tommy. The boy shurgged, then reached over and tugged one of Fiona's red curls.
"Hey, sis, where's Marie sleeping?" he asked. Fiona shurgged.
"I don't know." She asnwered. "Joey, stop playing with your food. Ma, where are we putting Mariemeia?"
"Oh," the woman paused for a moment. "If she doesn't mind sharing a bed, she can sleep with you and Ally. But if she wants too, we can put a cot in the sitting room."
"Pick the cot." Tommy said in a loud stage whisper. "Both Fiona and Ally kick."
"I do not!" Ally shouted.
"Yes you do!" Tommy retorted. Mariemeia smiled soflty, and ate her soup, feeling slightly lonely in spite of all the people.
* * *
"You have it then?" Armond asked. Charles proudly handed over the documents to Armond. The arstocrat paged through them, then stopped at one particular page.
"Interesting." He said. "very interesting." Placing them on his desk, he smiled at Charles. "Good work." Armond turned to the window. "Things are falling into place. It won't be long now."
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Jaid: Another cliffhanger. Sorry guys! So, what did you think of the Wells family? And does anybody actually read the dialogues between me, Jad, and Naga? I like to write them, but there's no point if no one reads them. Please tell me!
Naga: Or she'll go crazy.
Jad: Too late for that.
Jaid: -_-