Lillie of the Valley
Chapter 1
"Achoo!"
"Darling! Did you get a cold? You should go warm yourself off before you scare potential customers away. Try Joe's World. He might have something warm to offer." The well-endowed brunette said to the petite blonde beside her.
" Are you sure you can handle things on your own Melinda?"
" Of course little one. Remember I've done this longer than you. Now go on and get something before you die from a little old cold." Melinda shooed Lillie along.
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It was a rather wet and chilling night that night, and business had slowed down drastically. Lillie pulled her coat more tightly around her body, although it did little to protect her from the biting cold. She decided a cup of coffee would do her enough good to last though the night, or at least till a potential customer came along. Her stiletto heels made a loud clicking sound on the empty street, not the most comfortable shoes to be wearing at the moment, but they did come with the business. The occasional person that pasted her by leered at her, calling her names or trying to cop a feel. She knew she should be expecting this behaviour by now, but it still took some time to get used to. Finally she came to a small street side café hat served hot drinks for a small price. She cringed slightly when the bells on the door rang to signify that someone had come in to either get warm, or get fed. She took a seat at the counter and waited her turn to be served. The café was nearly empty at this time of night, hardly anyone there except a group of men in the corner booth, and a man at the counter.
The bartender, probably Joe, took one look at her then ignored her. "We don't serve your kind here. Go find somewhere else to sell yourself at." He turned his back to her and continued arranging his wares on the shelves behind him.
Lillie felt like running away, but she couldn't let this man get the last word in. "I have money, I'm willing to pay for whatever I order. All I want is a cup of coffee and then I'll be off."
"Nothing doing lady. If more people knew I sold anything to a whore like you, I'd be run out of the business. Now get out!"
" That's no way to talk to a lady. How can you be so disrespectful?" The man at the counter said. He was an Asian man, with long hair tied back in a pigtail. He was a handsome man by Lillie's standards, and she wished more of her customers were that good looking. "She has money to pay for whatever she wants, that should be enough for you to sell to her."
"Listen mister, you're probably new here. But to sell to a whore like her is a guarantee to lose your job reputation. I can't afford that! I got a wife and kids to feed."
"Then I will pay for her. Is that good enough?" The man took out a couple of bills and slid then towards the bartender.
"Nothing doing mister."
As noble as the man seemed to be, Lillie's pride got the best of her. She wouldn't allow anyone to buy her anything from a place where she wasn't welcomed. "I'm sorry sir, I can't let you do this for me. I'll just leave. I know when I'm not wanted."
"You're being weak. Don't run away just because the situation is turned against you. You should stand up and fight and become stronger."
" I am strong! You don't know what it's like for me day after day, night after night. I've struggled all my life, especially during the wars in AC195 and AC197. Being with a different man nearly every night for nearly six months now, being mistreated by people like him." She gestured towards Joe who only snorted in response. " And having to worry about where and when my next meal is. You have no right to call me weak just because I'm too tired to stay and argue with this jerk." She got up out of her seat. "And if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave now." And she slammed the door behind her, causing the bells to jangle angrily.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish. If I had things my way, I'd have all them whores off the street and shipped to one of those deserted colonies. Nasty bunch of women, getting work by just laying on them backs all the time while some man of the street heaves over her. I tell you I pity them sometimes, but I'd be just as glad to see the last of them off this colony. So what'll it be pal? I hope you weren't offended by her or by the way I treated her. I tell you I had to do it to save me business."
" I understand. And I'd like a large cup of coffee." Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the group of men get up and leave in the same direction as the woman.
" Here ya go. One large cup a Joe. By the way, where you from stranger, just outta curiosity you know?"
"I am from a colony that is no more."
" Ah so you're a casualty of the wars too? Dreadful time that was. So what were you before and during the war?" Took his money and punched up the receipt in the cash register, then handed the man back his change.
"I was Justice." He took his change and also walked in the same direction as the hooker.
Joe scratched his balding head. "Justice?"
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The hairs on the back of Lillie's neck stood up on end. And this wasn't because it was cold, it was because she sensed trouble. She decided now wasn't the best time to continue her work, so as soon as she slipped by her corner, which was empty which meant that Melinda had found herself a man for tonight, she took a peek back to see who was following her. To her dismay, it was the group of young men she saw at the café. If it had been only one of them, then maybe she wouldn't have confronted him and perhaps got money out of it. But she knew, from hearing from other hookers, that young men in groups could be dangerous. This wouldn't be a smooth operation, where her little scheme always got her out of trouble, this may turn into rape. Lillie started to run now, and she heard the footsteps behind her getting faster as well. If she got cornered, who knows what would happen to her. She prayed desperately that she'd find a cop near by. But instead she took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end. Lillie whimpered with fright as one of the guys called out to her.
" Where's the sweet little pussycat with the golden hair go to? We want some action and we want it now." She saw the shadows cast by the streetlamp, making them appear more menacing than normal. She cowered behind a trashcan hoping with all her might that they wouldn't be smart enough to search the alley.
But luck wasn't with her tonight. A redhead peeked over the trashcan, and he smiled viciously when he saw her.
" Hey guys! I found our action for tonight." He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her out, holding her to his side by her waist. " She's really soft and she smells nice." He took in the smell of her hair. " She doesn't smell bad like the other trash we banged the other night."
" Who cares Marty?" A blonde with a long tattoo down the side of his face. "Doesn't matter what they look or smell like, as long as they got what I want, then it makes no difference to me." He licked his lips and made a grab at Lillie. But Marty swung her away from him.
" No way, man! I found her so I get to do her first. You just gotta wait till I'm finished with her, Pete! While I'm getting my fill of this bitch, the rest of you can decide who goes next."
"Oh please no! I can't! You mustn't!" Lillie struggled to get free, but Marty was too strong for her, and he twisted her hand behind her back, which made her moan in pain.
"What's the matter bitch? You act like you've never done it before, which is a laugh considering what you are. I'm just giving you what you want."
" Shut up and do it Marty! You're wasting our time!"
"Hold on a bit. I'm just giving her what she deserves!"
" And what she deserves is a scum like you?" The voice came from the front of the alley.
" You're that guy from the café. Hey you know what she is, we're just giving her some business."
Lillie opened her eyes and saw the man who was offering to buy her the coffee. " Please! Don't let them do this to me. Help me." She tried again to free herself from Marty's hold, but this only caused him to twist her hand even more. She cried out from the pain.
"Let her go and you might be lucky enough to end in jail. She is none of your concern now."
" Who do you think you are? You asking for a beating, man. I don't care if you're a stranger or not, you interfere with us and you gonna get in big trouble. " Pete shouted at the man.
" You asked who I am, I am Justice." His eyes shone fiercely in the light of the street lamp.
" Justice?" Pete spat on the ground. " That crap went out with the wars. Those Gundams took that out when they got rid of OZ. Now that bitch Relena Peacecraft is ruining everything. Now we can express our frustrations of this new era on you." Pete took out a switchblade from his pockets, so did the rest of his gang, except for Marty who was trying to control Lillie. " Now you'll get what you deserve you interfering piece of s***." The group started to advance towards the seemingly helpless man.
" No leave him alone! He did nothing to any of you! Just run away mister! Don't let them hurt you." Tears started running down Lillie's face as she cursed at being so helpless and involving such a kind man in her troubles. She squeezed her eyes shut when she heard the sounds of fighting. She couldn't bring herself to see them beat up on her would be saviour. "Oh please just leave him alone! Tell them to stop! I'll… huh?" Lillie realized that Marty was no longer holding her. She turned around and found him behind her, his eyes wide in horror. She looked around and she couldn't keep in the gasp that came from seeing the carnage before her.
" What the hell are you? You can't really be Justice! Oh man, I'm sorry, leave me alone." Marty was scared for his life. He saw what the one man had done to his friends, and he sure didn't want him to do it to him too. "I'll leave, you can have the girl. Just please, don't hurt me."
Lillie narrowed her eyes in disgust. She couldn't believe this was the same guy that tried to rape her. She turned her attentions back to the Chinese man, and slowly walked towards him, kicking Pete along the way, smiling as he groaned in pain. "You did this, all this, by yourself? Why did you come and save me?"
"I came to give you this." He took up a cup from on top of a trashcan. Lillie felt like crying. "You looked like you needed this coffee more than you were willing to admit. And I couldn't allow that weakling bartender deny you of this."
Now Lillie did start crying. She couldn't stop the sobs that came from her throat. She felt so embarrassed to break down like this, but she really couldn't help it.
" Hey don't cry. Woman, don't be so weak. The trouble is over. You got what you wanted. Why are you crying now?"
The crying started to mingle with laughter now. Her rescuer looked at her with confusion clearly written in his eyes. "You must think I'm crazy or something." She laughed even louder when he nodded.
"Hysterical is more like it. The shock has probably got to you. Here." He draped his long trench coat over her. It practically overwhelmed her since she was so much smaller and petite than the man.
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After a couple sips of coffee on top of a trashcan, she eventually calmed down. "That was great. Coffee is the solution to all of life's problems."
"I really wish it was that easy all the times."
While she was drinking away and absorbing the delightful buzz the coffee was giving her, she had taken the time to study her rescuer. He wasn't really tall, taller than her maybe, but he was basically average height. His hair seemed to be long enough to reach a little below his shoulders, she couldn't tell for sure since it was in a pigtail. He had a few strands loose that framed both sides of his face. She though the effect was very becoming, and it suited him really well. He was dressed in a white muscle shirt that showed of all his muscles of his upper body and board shoulders. His tight black jeans outlined his nicely shaped legs. Lillie found her face getting very hot whenever she looked at him so intensely. She blushed even more when he caught her staring.
"So you work for the Preventor?" Seeing the emblem on his trench coat.
"Yes."
"Um, but there aren't any Preventor bases here. So what are you doing here?"
"I'm on temporary leave. I just decided to take up my time here." That was clearly the end of that discussion.
"Oh. Well I think I deserve the name of my knight in shining armour. My name is Lillie." She stuck her hand out.
All he did was stare at it, like he didn't know what she was doing. "Chang, Wufei Chang."
She withdrew her hand, a bit offended that he didn't shake it. "Well my thanks to you Wufei. Thanks for the coffee too. I'll be going now."
"Where will you go?"
"I'm sure if I'm lucky, I can find a customer who's willing to take me in for the night. If not, I'll find a centre that'll take me in as well as give me food in the morning before kicking me out. No big, I do this nearly every night."
Wufei just stared at her like she had sprouted a second or third head. Lillie squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there dirt in my hair? Or something on my nose?"
"No. But you're sleeping at my place tonight."
" What? Just because you saved my life you think you can have me for free? Order me around? I'm sorry pal. No matter how grateful I am to you know. I'm not doing anyone for free. Hey! Put me down!" Lillie flailed helplessly in Wufei's arms. Though Marty thought himself strong, he couldn't lift her up when she struggled like she did now, but Wufei did it with ease. The feel of his arms around her would have been enough to make her feel like putty if she wasn't so mad. "Put me down! I'm not a piece of meat you can just throw over your shoulder and carry home!" She beat at his chest as if to emphasize her point.
He shook her, causing her to grab hold of him in case he decided to drop her next. " You have no place to stay, and I can't let you go to some strange man's bed after I saved you from those hooligans. I should have let them have you if this is how you would have end up. I promise I won't savage you just because we're going to share a room. There is a large couch in the hotel room, you can take the bed."
Lillie was struck speechless once again, and again she started to cry.
" Blessed hell woman! Why must you burst in tears every time good luck shines on you?"
"I can't help it. I don't know why I'm crying myself. Why are you being so nice to me?"
"No woman should be allowed to stay on the street over night. It's not safe and it's injustice for such things to go on anywhere."
She realized this guy was definitely one of a kind, and she figured she would be getting a lot of these speeches too. "Fine I'll go with you. But remember, no funny stuff. If you want something… then you pay just like everyone else."
"I never pay for a woman's body. It is one of the many things that shouldn't be done as well. If I do make love to a woman, know that it is because of something much deeper than money."
"Why couldn't there be more men like you? You're really a piece of work."
"It is the honourable thing to do, and only strong men can handle it. And I am strong."
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"Wow! This is so soft! I've never had a bed this soft in my whole life! Look at all that food! Did you pay for all this?" She lay back on the bed, wallowing in the feel of the bed contorting itself to all her curves. "Man this must be the best hotel in the whole colony! Who's paying for this? You or your company?"
"Everything is paid for by the Preventor. They… bring it up on themselves to make sure all their employees are seen after. Lady Une, the leader, believes that all expenses should be used on our welfare as well as any trouble that occurs, since we are the ones that have to deal with the troubles."
"Oh I see. Well this is so great! I think I'll just die here after I eat. That way I'll die happy."
"But you have so much to look for in the future." He was sitting on the couch that seemed a bit too small for him by Lillie's standards.
" What do you mean? I have nothing and no one. If I die now, no one will care. My family died long ago, so I don't have to worry about them missing me."
" I will care." That made her sit up. "I see you as someone, so if you die, I will know and I will acknowledge your death."
"Hah! You're just one person. Can you imagine a funeral where only one person attends it? I can't. You might as well throw my body in the sea for the fishes for all I care. It'll save you the funeral expenses."
Wufei watched her frustration with silent patience. "I'll make you a deal, if either one of us die before the other. The other will go to the other's funeral, or plan the others funeral, as you so put it. Deal?" he stuck his hand out for her to shake this time.
She stared at it for as long as he did that first time, but in her case, she took it willingly. "Deal! Now I'm starving" She piled everything that looked good to her on her plate, where practically everything looked good to her. She realized Wufei wasn't making any motion towards the food.
"What's the matter? I'm not going to eat it all off, although I'd try. You can have some too. After all you're paying for it." Lillie chewed at a buttered croissant. "And it's real good too."
"I'm not hungry. I want to make sure you eat up first. You need it more then I."
"Uh, thanks. I will, you don't have to worry, I will." She moved on to the baked ham slices. "So what are you going to do in the meantime? Just sit there and watch me make a pig of myself?"
"Yes…" Wufei ducked when a roll hurtled for his face. "But I can move if you find it uncomfortable." He got up when she nodded. "I'll be taking a shower then. Can I trust that you won't spy on me?"
She swallowed and leaned back on the bed. "Well I can't guarantee you a peek-free shower. I might not be able to control my urge to see a nude man. Especially a wet one."
"I trust you." He got his belongings and went in the bathroom. The door closed with a click, but he didn't lock it.
She knew he was tempting her, cruel as it was because his body was one of the finest she had ever seen, so the temptation to look and compare it with others was overwhelming. She squealed her frustration and lay back. "I trust you he says! Now I can't take a look without feeling guilty! Damn him!" She grabbed at a chicken leg and imagined it was Wufei's leg she was biting into.
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~ Author's Note ~
Ok, I know this first chapter hasn't started out very strong, but the second one should be better. So please review and tell me how everything sounds so far. Reviews are much appreciated, as they will tell me if I should continue or just stop this story altogether. Thanx much for even reading this as well. ^__^