Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Anything else copyrighted in this story. I write this purely for entertainment and receive no profit.
Note: words in italics are meant for emphasis while a phrase between '' is a person whispering italics and '' are thoughts
Thank you Ley, Ninjor, lil' Dreamer, Dana, Cruel Destiny, majin_b, Relena Maxwell, Kmf, Josh, Radical Edward, Meio-chan, Silver Wing, Silent Fear, Fire and Ice Monkey Wildfire's Flame, Jupiter's Light and last but NEVER EVER least Dark Deity. Thank you all for your criticism and suggestions.
Chapter 17- Ignorance is Bliss
By Aku Tenshi
The nine weary people had not even the chance to rest and recover from their lethargy before they raced to the hospital to check on Hilde and Sally. Duo and Wufei ran before the others with an amazing burst of energy and slid to a stop in front of the receptionists' desk.
"Hilde Maxwell!"
"Sally Poe!"
The two shouted unanimously, the small and petite nurse looked up to them surprised and baffled as to what they said, "Excuse me?" she asked the two bewildered gentlemen that stood in front of her desk.
Duo and Wufei looked to each other and blinked as Wufei nodded towards Duo, "Hilde Maxwell; what room is she in?" Duo asked his eyes large and anxious.
The receptionist looked back down to her computer screen and typed the name in, after a few painstaking seconds she looked back up. "Room 345." No sooner had the words escaped her lips, Duo was off running down the hallway. "Sir you need clearance!" she called after him, Duo paid her no heed his braid flying behind him as his form disappeared around a corner. She turned to Wufei "I hope your friend has clearance, Ms. Maxwell is being guarded." She said casually..
"Mrs." Wufei corrected, "Where is Sally Po?" he asked.
The receptionist once again looked down at her computer before replying, "She's in the IC ward room 3." She replied and was about to open her mouth again when Wufei flashed his preventers badge and was off running down the hallway.
When Duo arrived to room 345 the two guards looked at him suspiciously and blocked the door, he flashed them his preventers' badge,
"Move!" he barked.
The two immediately moved away from the door as Duo turned the knob only finding it to be locked. He kneeled and from the sole of his shoe he produced a lock pick, staring into the keyhole Duo used his skill and knowledge to turn the lock. He then pushed against the door only finding that something blocked its path; with another show of energy he shoved the door open causing something heavy to topple and crash to the floor. Duo stepped into the room and surprise overcame his features; the room was in shambles. The first emotion that presented itself to Duo was panic as thought after terrifying thought passed through his head. Duo looked to the bed and saw the small form curled up beneath the blankets her blue hair peeking out through the blankets.
"Hilde." He breathed with relief.
"Duo." She said her voice shaking, as if she were crying.
He stepped towards the bed, "No!" she cried out surprising him, "I don't want you…I don't want you to see." She sobbed.
"See what, I'm glad that you're okay I came in here and the room is in shambles…"
"I am not okay!" she screamed and moaned, "No I am not okay." She said only softer this time.
Duo's eyes began to cloud with tears, "Hilde what's going on?" he asked.
It was then she turned to him and the tears in his violet eyes fell; her stomach was flat. "I lost the baby Duo, the doctors say it was stress, but it was my fault if I hadn't had used the gun…if only…" she trailed off and looked away her eyes moist and lethargic.
"Hilde." He called softly as he stepped towards the bed and bent to pick her up, and held her small form in his arms. He sat back on the bed and cradled her, "It's not your fault; if I had lost you I don't know what I would've done." His voice wavered as he planted a kiss atop her head. "You needed to use that gun to keep yourself alive. Together we can manage this, but if I had lost you as well…" he trailed off and hugged her tighter.
Hilde looked up at him, tears trailing down her smooth cheeks and buried her head in the folds of his shirt.
Wufei stared at the wooden door fear making an icy fist in his throat, he was too afraid to reach out to the doorknob even. He closed his obsidian eyes and reached out a clammy hand; slowly the knob turned and he walked into the room.
"Sally." He said softly, loud enough for her to hear but low enough for the words to die after.
The blond haired woman sitting in the bed, her blue eyes concentrating on a book looked up at him a softness coming over her features, "Wufei." She greeted and her lips turned to a smile.
Wufei walked over to the hospital bed and clasped a hand over hers and gently squeezed, his obsidian eyes shone with tears that dare not fall. "And you thought I was a weak onna." She said softly and smiled, "I survived."
"I've always thought you strong Sally from the moment I met you; and right now I don't care about strength I only care about your life; that you're alive." He breathed and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"You should know better of me than that, I will always survive Wufei. And after you have rested a bit I want you to tell me of your mission." Her voice although soft still carried with it the tone of a commander as she looked into his eyes and smiled softly.
Wufei shook his head with a smile but nodded anyway, "I am tired but I'm not leaving just because you told me to woman." He said gruffly.
She smiled, "Now there's the Wufei I know, but you should go rest. I need to rest too you know, so I'll see you tomorrow; they're moving me to another room seeing as I can throw the disgusting food they try to feed me at the wall." She said and with her hand pointed to the far wall where there rested a green and orange stain on the crème colored walls. Wufei shook his head with a smile and left to rejoin with the others closing the door softly behind him.
Tasha paced the linoleum floor deep in thought 'what if Ida is still out there? I mean it's plausible, oh God I'm terrified for the rest of my life I will be.' She thought and glanced at Heero who sat in one of the waiting room chairs 'and what about Heero, I mean do I really love him; does he even love me? And what of me now that I no longer have a home, for Christ sake I don't even have a past with a birth certificate or school degree. Sure I'm 18 I could go to college and get a degree but as I understand it you need a high school diploma.' These thoughts continued to race through her mind until finally she stopped and raked both hands through her hair, which was already disheveled, and gripped onto her scalp.
Out of the corner of his eyes Heero watched her and wondered what was on her mind, but he remained seated and quite. Quatre returning from getting some coffee and tea saw how distressed Tasha looked 'She doesn't have a home now, I don't know what she may be thinking but it must be sad for her.' He set the tray of the other drinks on a coffee table and picked up his own green tea. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and she turned to look at him her ginger eyes wide and lost.
"Here, drink this it'll help you feel better." He said as he offered her the cup and led her over to a seat where he reached over and took another tea from the tray, "Careful now it's hot." He warned
She nodded and took a slow sip, "It tastes good; better than any green tea I've ever made." She said with a shrug as she cradled the cup in her hands.
"You seemed to be troubled while you were standing there, do you mind telling me what about?" he asked.
Tasha looked away for a moment at a nonexistent spot on the wall and then back towards him, it was something in those sea blue eyes that made her feel she could trust him. "Well my home lay in ruins and I don't know what is to become of me, I have no past and as things are now I have no future. I've been educated I've been taught, but it hasn't prepared me for this." She said with her hand motioning to the waiting area, "I'm afraid that I may never adapt to this." She said with a sigh.
Quatre nodded this girl had lost everything and all though what they did was right several people; innocent people had lost their homes. He frowned for a moment deep in thought, "Well you could come live with me, I'm sure that we'll be able to give you a past and send you to school." He offered.
She looked at him her eyes shining bright with hope, "I won't be much of a bother; I'll get a job and pay you back for this…"
He raised a hand interrupting her "No need to pay me back for this Tasha you've saved our lives and that can never be repaid, and money is something that I don't have to worry about." He said with a smile.
Her lips turned into a wide smile as she hugged him tightly, and then blushed as she let him go. "Thank you, and I assume you're rich." She mentioned.
"Filthy." He said with a smile as he looked at her and nodded, he took another sip of his tea.
"I really thank you for this Quatre." She said once again as she looked down at her cup, watching the steam rise from the plastic top.
Wufei came walking down the hallway his hands shoved in his pockets in his head bowed obscuring the smile on his face. As he passed room 345 he stopped and contemplated, should he knock? Slowly he raised his fist to tap upon the door when he heard loud sobs and decided against it. Duo and Hilde needed their privacy, although it disturbed him that Hilde was crying. As long as he had known her she wasn't one to cry; she was strong-willed and stubborn just as Sally was. His smile turned to a frown as he walked to the waiting room.
"Sally's fine." He announced as a collective sigh of relief resounded through the room, "But I don't think Duo will be leaving anytime soon." And a few sighs of lethargy were heard.
"I think that it would be safe to say that we leave and get some rest and maybe some of us can return tomorrow to visit." Lucretzia said as she rubbed her eyes and gave a small yawn.
"Yes, Lucretzia you need the rest more than any of us do. And I don't think you've taken any vitamins today it's not good for the baby you know." Tasha said a bit of life returning to her voice as she stood from her chair.
"I really do think everyone is a bit tired and that we should all get some rest. Tasha, Heero, Milliardo, Lucretzia and Marimaea. I'll have guestrooms made up for you all." Quatre said and stood.
Lucretzia sighed, "It only reminds me, my home is gone." She said with a shake of her head, locks of platinum black hair flying to and fro.
Milliardo placed an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. The eight lethargic people stood and left the waiting room. Wufei drove the first jeep while Trowa followed behind, everyone would be dropped off at Quatre's mansion while Wufei and Trowa took the jeeps to go home. Tasha stared in awe and her mouth agape as they drove into the circle driveway of the mansion; slowly she stepped out of the car and up the walk her hand touching almost every statue and walking quickly to gaze at every exotic flower.
"It's beautiful." She breathed as she stepped into the house her heels tapping on the floor as she looked up at the crystal chandelier.
Quatre watched slightly amused, after all he had lived here for quite a while and had forgotten about its beauty. It refreshed him to see that someone so innocent though it was beautiful. The housemaid dressed in her usual stark white outfit walked up to Tasha. "I will show you to your room." She greeted.
Tasha glanced back at Quatre and bowed her head. "Again I thank you." She said as she scrambled after the maid and the others trying not to become lost as she stared at the beauty of the mansion.
Quatre sighed as he walked into the living room and looked at the fireplace. Atop the mantle there sat a photograph of Emily, Marimaea, Trowa, Heero, Duo, Hilde, Wufei, Sally, Milliardo, Lucretzia, Ida and himself; they were all smiling and it seemed that the photo was from another dimension. It seemed that it had been eons since that photograph was taken, all of them seemingly innocent compared to now. Now Ida and Emily were dead and all of their lives have been changed by something, horrible something ugly. As he sat down in the plush chair his hands clasped he looked at the photo once again and was in such deep thought that he hadn't heard anyone come into the room and stand by his chair.
"You were all happy then." A voice said softly causing him to slightly jump from his chair, "But now, what are you? Sad, distraught and depressed; it's amazing what one person did destroyed all of us in such a little amount of time." Tasha whispered.
Quatre nodded as he continued to stare at the picture, "I thought that was Relena Peacecraft in that picture; I was so wrong."
"In her fantasy; she was Relena but I think Relena is dead and now so is Ida." Tasha supposed.
"No, tomorrow I'm having her airbrushed out of the picture." He said with a pause, "Relena never really had time to exist and so she's nonexistent in our lives thus she doesn't exist in that photograph."
Tasha nodded, but she was skeptical as she rested a hand on the back of the chair. "I do believe you're tired, you've taken care of everyone else but yourself, come now off to bed with you." She coaxed as she pulled him up and out of the chair.
He nodded and shuffled out of the living room, Tasha looked back at the photo and shook her head; she knew tomorrow and the day after Ida would still be in that photograph. It was a reminder of their lives when they had existed in the darkness of ignorance.
"I guess it is true what they say." Quatre said as he stopped in the hallway, and turned back to her, "Ignorance is bliss."
THE END.
(sniffle) That's the end, but WAIT don't go yet there's an epilogue too you know. So see you then I really don't want to end this story I love it too much but (sigh) all things must come to an end. Criticism.