Attachment- part 2

I dried off the last dish and set it on the small stack.

It was pretty damn obvious that Heero wasn't going to be home tonight.

I could hear snores drifting in from the main room, and I thank God that the girl didn't have a concussion.

Her name was Avignon, like the old city in France, and apparently she was working for someone very important.

Either that or very rich.

My handgun was tucked into the back of my jeans. I don't wish physical harm on anyone, but I don't trust people who point guns at me either.

It came down to simple matters.

Who the hell was this woman passed out on my couch?

I stepped back into the room-God, don't let the damn floorboards creak any-

I winced at the distinct squeal beneath my feet.

"…Uhm? What?"

So much for letting my houseguest sleep..

"Good afternoon, miss! Did you have a good nap?"

Even I know the value of a nap. Even HEERO does.

"…Where am I?"

Aw… Damn. I was going to have to spell this out one way or another.. "You fainted." Well, it wasn't that hard.

Her eyes widened, "Where is Heero Yuy?!"

"You sound like a broken record… Heero's NOT HERE." I made an extra point of annunciating it this time. God, let SOMETHING seep through.. "Why are you bent on finding him anyway?"

"He's with you."

"No. I told you this before, didn't I?"

"Where is he?"

I was ready to scream.

I WANTED to scream.

I didn't say a word. I knew if I did, I'd regret it very much and very soon.

"Well?"

"What do you want with Yuy anyway? I'm not telling anything until you answer me." And I wasn't going to. Being pissed does a world of wonder for you resolve.

"It's… I…" Her face was almost fraying at the edges, "It would take too long.."

"When someone says that, it's a short and embarrassing tale. Besides, I have time."

Actually, I didn't, but if this could tell me something about Heero… It was worth taking a sick day. I was worried sick anyway.

"I'm working for VUE, as a bodyguard. About a month ago, my charge was assassinated. By a man identified as Heero Yuy. If I don't find him and bring him to the council for evaluation, everyone I know dies. Is that good enough for you?"

Heero Yuy, mild mannered university student and hired gun.

So, this is how Heero pays his half.

I looked at her again. She wasn't lying. Not about something like THIS.

VUE is a powerful syndicate on the colony. It's common knowledge that they have some skeletons in the closet, despite the fact that they generally deal in ergonomically correct facility planning. Essentially, they control over 20% of the market on the colonies.

Visionary Universal Economics.

Yeah, that's visionary all right.

Yep, Heero's not home, VUE wants to roast his ass over a bonfire, and psycho-saleswoman is trying to be heroic.

I think we're all in deep shit now, eh?

"Dammit…"

"Yeah. Where is he?"

I guess it was time to lay my own cards out..

"He's not here… The last time I saw him was five days ago, the night before I saw you. He hasn't been home since."

"Oh.."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're part of why he's not here anymore?"

She glared at me, "How did you meet him anyway?"

"Met during the war. Fought together sometimes. Split after the war until… you know." I didn't want to talk about the Mariemaiya thing. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't know.

Maybe it's something about a little kid being u-

"Then what?"

"Then he moved in with me after. He goes to school."

"Hmm… Well, I guess I'll wait here for him!"

Wait….

Here?

"Hell no!"

She glared again, "Why not!?"

"You are NOT staying here! No! No way, no how! This is MY house, and you aren't staying!"

"Hey, I wouldn't if I didn't have to! This place is a condensed version of hell, but I need to get Heero Yuy. He's scheduled to meet with the council at the first opportunity. I can't go against them."

I was either going to have a heart attack or pop a blood vessel, maybe both. My hands were itching to go to my back and whip out the pistol, and possibly shoot her. I was NOT going to let this girl into my home. She did NOT belong here, and if she stayed, I had a feeling that Heero wouldn't be coming soon. I had to get her out somehow.

She had determination.

I, on the other hand, had her wallet and her gun.

"We are going to make a deal here, and we're going to do it quick. You are going to go out onto the street, and wait for me to drop your purse here down, or I'm going to drop it anyway. I have a feeling that nothing will explode with a soft landing, hm? But a rough land, on the other hand…"

Alright, I admit it. I LOVED the look on her face as I explained my deal, in what I just noticed, to be my mobster voice. I'm a sadist sometimes, but I am DAMN proud of it, and for good reason.

Maybe it was selfish to do this kind of thing, but it was her and me, or Heero and me.

Avignon gaped at me as I opened the window and held my arm out holding the small black purse at arm's length.

"Leave here."

I never saw a girl move that fast. When I judged that she was about halfway down the flight, I dropped it.

Not before I took the license out, of course.

(TBC…)

NOTES: A few matters of business to take care of first.

ONE- Review please. If you hated it, if you loved it, I don't care. I just like to know what people think.

TWO- Hey, if nobody says anything, I'll

THREE- The story might just cut off like that sentence above.

FOUR- I've had a crappy day. Stories are nice, but I need a big hug.

FIVE- No, Avignon is NOT a self insert. Sweet GOD no. She's just a nutbar of a career girl with a little too much adrenaline at her disposal.

REVIEW!