A.N: (SerenityLNguyen, from what I've watched of her on the show,
Dorothy's always seemed just a bit insane, and she's always had this weird
thing for wars and battles. In one of the episodes where she's fighting
with Quatre, she described them as magnificent, etc, and so last chapter I
was just trying to keep her in character. I know it wasn't very good, but I
had to for the chapter plot. (And Christina, I completely agree with you.
She is a rather interesting character isn't she?) At the part where she's
confused by Usagi, it's just cause Usagi's outburst took her by surprise. I
hope that clears up any confusion about that part, and sorry I didn't write
it very well. (~_~) And I know things between Usagi and Heero have been
slow, but I always seem to read how their love for each other is just
there, like love at first site. I wanted a story where both of them got to
know each other somewhat before they fell for each other indefinitely, and
I'm glad the readers of this story have been really patient. They won't
have to wait long! (^_^) ) I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter,
but I really had to study for finals. I still have one left to write, but
it's been such a long time since I updated and I didn't want anyone to
think I forgot about this story.
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Usagi stared blankly at the wall across from her, not even really seeing it. An entire town destroyed. All because Mamoru was trying to get her back. She shut her eyes tightly, but forced them open again as images of the lifeless townspeople filled her mind. Heero shifted across from her, drawing her attention. They were alone together in Relena's guest room, and the others had left to go with Sally and a somewhat confused Dorothy. At the memory of how she had acted towards Dorothy, Usagi frowned and lowered her head. The situation had been too much for her, and she had snapped and completely blown up at the girl. She would have to apologize later.
Heero shifted again, but this time she ignored him, closing her eyes and resting her head against the headboard of the bed she sat on. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't know what to say, and so, said nothing. Of the entire group, why did it have to be him that stayed behind?
A hand gently brushed away a tear Usagi hadn't even known she'd shed, causing her eyes to fly open only to be trapped in Heero's gaze. Why did he do this to her? Did he realize how much he affected her at all? She blushed and looked away.
"Things like this happen Usagi. Get over it." Heero's voice was again cold and emotionless, and Usagi immediately became angry at his harsh words.
She glared up at him, her hands clutching the sheets on the bed. "Get over it? Do you have any idea what it's like to be responsible for the death of an entire town?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Usagi regretted them.
"I'm responsible for the deaths of hundreds." He replied, almost indifferently had it not been for the brief flash of pain in his eyes. He looked away and was about to get up, when Usagi lunged herself into his arms, hugging him tightly with her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled, but still did not release him. Her hands had somehow entwined themselves into his soft hair, and she pressed closer to him without even realizing it. He smelled so good and felt so warm.she just couldn't help it. Heero was a bit surprised by her actions, but soon relaxed and allowed his arms to encircle her lithe body and hold her tightly to him, enjoying the feeling of her being so close.
That day in the bedroom when they had almost kissed, they had been interrupted by Rei and Relena. But now, there was no one around. With that thought in mind, Heero pulled away slightly, looking calmly down at Usagi when she lifted her head from his shoulder in confusion. There was a long moment of silence as the two just stared at each other, before Heero leaned down and covered Usagi's lips with his own.
Usagi's eyes widened in shock at the contact, but she didn't pull away. She felt Heero's tongue brush across her lower lip and closed her eyes, sighing softly as she parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss. It felt like nothing she'd ever experienced, and she didn't want it to ever stop. Even Mamoru's kisses hadn't been like this.
All at once it was gentle, passionate, and something altogether different, completely blowing Usagi's mind. She melted into his arms, relying on him to hold her up, and completely lost herself in the feeling, barely registering the fact that he was running one hand through her silky hair while the other securely locked her against him.
The need for air soon forced the two apart, Usagi panting softly as Heero studied her somewhat flushed face. For a moment, her mind was completely clouded in absolute bliss and it wasn't until her breathing had returned to normal that she realized what had just happened. What did he think of her now? How could she have just done that, knowing that he didn't hold that kind of interest in her? From the way Relena always talked about him and the way she acted around him they were practically dating, and here she was destroying their happiness. Humiliation, fear and shame caused her previously tingly feelings to do a complete 180, and her heart felt as though it was being crushed. Panicking, she tried to pull away from him, but Heero refused to release her and she wasn't strong enough to struggle out of his grasp.
Although he didn't say anything, Usagi could tell by the look he was giving her that he wanted to know what was wrong. "Relena." She whispered, her voice wavering slightly. "I.We can't do this. Relena loves you and I-"
Heero cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips, shaking his head. So that was it. After spending so much time around Usagi in the last month, he had grown to know her fairly well, although he was far from knowing everything. The way she constantly acted all nervous and quiet around him since the day they had first met had drawn his interest almost immediately, most likely because of the fact that all other girls let him know exactly how they felt around him. She wasn't pushy, like Relena often was, and if anything, did what she could to avoid him, also unlike Relena who was often following him around. Since her appearance, he had felt more human than he had in a long time. More content with himself and his life. And he had a feeling it was because he loved her. This girl was a complete contradiction. Brave, insecure, confident, self-conscious, determined, scared, and every other emotion all rolled into one. In his eyes, Relena couldn't even come close to comparing with her. "I don't love Relena. I have never lead her to believe otherwise, and sooner or later she'll find the right person for her."
"But-" Usagi was once again silenced as his lips captured hers, and all thoughts flew out of her head as she lost herself completely in the simple touch.
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Wufei watched Sally's expression for a moment, knowing that whatever it was she had wanted the pilots here for, it wasn't good news. The entire group, minus Heero and Usagi, was gathered at the preventer's main office, in the conference room. No doubt to be updated on the current situation.
Haruka was becoming more impatient by the minute, not liking the fact that Usagi was back at the dorm while she sat here doing nothing. Her foot was tapping against the floor in an unbroken pattern, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat perfectly. Rei reached out and placed a hand on Haruka's arm, causing her to lose concentration, and sighed in relief when the tapping stopped. The two looked at each other for a moment, seemingly in a silent conversation, before Haruka looked away and focused her gaze on Sally, waiting for her to speak.
Rei, who was seated in-between Haruka and Wufei, turned to the later, blushing when her eyes met his. She wanted to look away, but seemed to be trapped in his gaze, unable to move. He studied her eyes for a moment, seeing her fear and worry over Usagi, before turning back to Sally, completely shocking her when she felt his hand close over her own under the table. The blush darkened and she too turned to Sally, linking fingers with him shyly.
Duo, Quatra and Trowa glanced at one another, wondering why Dorothy, who sat by Sally, was acting so odd. Her face was pale and drawn and she seemed to be lost somewhere in her own thoughts. All three doubted she even realized where she was at the moment, despite the fact that she had led them there. Duo leaned over close to Quatra, catching his attention easily. "Do you think what Usagi said made her like this?" Quatra merely shrugged, even though he had just been thinking the same thing.
Trowa leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, and cleared his throat loudly. "Why are we here Sally?"
Sally looked over to him and took a seat, still trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to. Finally mustering up the courage to reveal their orders, she once again stood, too nervous to say it while sitting down. Looking straight at Quatra, knowing he would be the one most likely to understand, she took a deep breath and released it calmly, speaking in a tone not all that different from Heero's. "Usagi Tenou has become too much of a liability. Chiba will do anything to get her back, as he more then willingly proved last night, and quite frankly, we can't take the casualties. At first, his distraction in trying to find her was more then helpful. But now he knows where she is." Sally took in the shocked expressions gradually, hating herself for doing this to them. "As a result he'll throw anything and everything he can at us to destroy our organization and get her back." There was a brief pause as she turned around so she wouldn't have to see their reactions. "We have been ordered to get rid of her."
Duo's jaw practically dropped to the floor in disbelief, wondering if he'd heard her right. Get rid of her? Usagi was one of the sweetest people he'd ever known, and even if he hadn't known her very long he still considered her a close friend. Without even hesitating to think, he already knew he could never get rid of her.
Trowa had sat up straight in his chair, his hand on the edge of the table as if to steady himself. Had Sally really just said what he thought she had? Were they really supposed to kill Usagi? He turned to Quatra, noticing the suspicious wet shine in his eyes. Out of all the people Trowa had ever known, Quatra was the only one he had ever seen form strong bonds to other people so quickly. Quatra was struggling in his own mind, too shocked to even know what to think. Usagi was like one of his own sisters. He cared for her too much to.god, he couldn't even finish the thought.
Wufei was looking at Sally as if she had grown two heads. Even if the older woman couldn't see it, she felt it anyway. Rei had his hand held in a death grip, making even him slightly wince at the tight hold. It felt like she was going to crush his knuckles, or break a few fingers, whichever happened first. Gently, he pulled her hand towards him, drawing her attention. When she faced him he could see the tears tracking slowly down her face, as well as the sadness and shock in her eyes. Without warning, Rei buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly, and Wufei didn't have the heart to move away.
Haruka looked like she was about to kill someone, mainly Sally, and had Dorothy not surprised everyone by speaking first, she probably would have.
"No!" Sally turned to Dorothy, studying her rigid posture and fierce determination. She was the first to break the tense silence, made somewhat worse by her sharp outburst.
"Dorothy?"
Dorothy looked up at Sally and slowly got to her feet, smoothing down her skirt out of habit. "You can't. This girl is innocent. More innocent then most in this world or even in the colonies." Her voice was thick with emotion, leaving everyone speechless and shocked. "She has so much potential.If you destroy her, then what will become of us? The guilt will consume us all and you know it!"
Sally stepped back in surprise, her mouth set in an 'o' of surprise. "Kill her? Is that what you think I meant?" She looked around at the group, slight amusement in her eyes. "Maybe I should be more mindful of my wording. I only meant we are no longer to protect Usagi. She must leave Canq," Sally looked down, the amusement gone, "and must never return. It's for the protection of us all." She whispered, evidently disagreeing with the order.
Just as the room was about to explode into a debate, Relena flung open the door, holding a brown paper bag and a tray filled with coffee cups. Her mouth opened with the intent of offering the people in the room a little snack, but at the blank looks she absently set down the heavy load and crossed her arms nervously. "What's going on?"
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A.N: Sorry, when I tried to update the document manager was down. Well, please review!
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Usagi stared blankly at the wall across from her, not even really seeing it. An entire town destroyed. All because Mamoru was trying to get her back. She shut her eyes tightly, but forced them open again as images of the lifeless townspeople filled her mind. Heero shifted across from her, drawing her attention. They were alone together in Relena's guest room, and the others had left to go with Sally and a somewhat confused Dorothy. At the memory of how she had acted towards Dorothy, Usagi frowned and lowered her head. The situation had been too much for her, and she had snapped and completely blown up at the girl. She would have to apologize later.
Heero shifted again, but this time she ignored him, closing her eyes and resting her head against the headboard of the bed she sat on. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't know what to say, and so, said nothing. Of the entire group, why did it have to be him that stayed behind?
A hand gently brushed away a tear Usagi hadn't even known she'd shed, causing her eyes to fly open only to be trapped in Heero's gaze. Why did he do this to her? Did he realize how much he affected her at all? She blushed and looked away.
"Things like this happen Usagi. Get over it." Heero's voice was again cold and emotionless, and Usagi immediately became angry at his harsh words.
She glared up at him, her hands clutching the sheets on the bed. "Get over it? Do you have any idea what it's like to be responsible for the death of an entire town?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Usagi regretted them.
"I'm responsible for the deaths of hundreds." He replied, almost indifferently had it not been for the brief flash of pain in his eyes. He looked away and was about to get up, when Usagi lunged herself into his arms, hugging him tightly with her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled, but still did not release him. Her hands had somehow entwined themselves into his soft hair, and she pressed closer to him without even realizing it. He smelled so good and felt so warm.she just couldn't help it. Heero was a bit surprised by her actions, but soon relaxed and allowed his arms to encircle her lithe body and hold her tightly to him, enjoying the feeling of her being so close.
That day in the bedroom when they had almost kissed, they had been interrupted by Rei and Relena. But now, there was no one around. With that thought in mind, Heero pulled away slightly, looking calmly down at Usagi when she lifted her head from his shoulder in confusion. There was a long moment of silence as the two just stared at each other, before Heero leaned down and covered Usagi's lips with his own.
Usagi's eyes widened in shock at the contact, but she didn't pull away. She felt Heero's tongue brush across her lower lip and closed her eyes, sighing softly as she parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss. It felt like nothing she'd ever experienced, and she didn't want it to ever stop. Even Mamoru's kisses hadn't been like this.
All at once it was gentle, passionate, and something altogether different, completely blowing Usagi's mind. She melted into his arms, relying on him to hold her up, and completely lost herself in the feeling, barely registering the fact that he was running one hand through her silky hair while the other securely locked her against him.
The need for air soon forced the two apart, Usagi panting softly as Heero studied her somewhat flushed face. For a moment, her mind was completely clouded in absolute bliss and it wasn't until her breathing had returned to normal that she realized what had just happened. What did he think of her now? How could she have just done that, knowing that he didn't hold that kind of interest in her? From the way Relena always talked about him and the way she acted around him they were practically dating, and here she was destroying their happiness. Humiliation, fear and shame caused her previously tingly feelings to do a complete 180, and her heart felt as though it was being crushed. Panicking, she tried to pull away from him, but Heero refused to release her and she wasn't strong enough to struggle out of his grasp.
Although he didn't say anything, Usagi could tell by the look he was giving her that he wanted to know what was wrong. "Relena." She whispered, her voice wavering slightly. "I.We can't do this. Relena loves you and I-"
Heero cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips, shaking his head. So that was it. After spending so much time around Usagi in the last month, he had grown to know her fairly well, although he was far from knowing everything. The way she constantly acted all nervous and quiet around him since the day they had first met had drawn his interest almost immediately, most likely because of the fact that all other girls let him know exactly how they felt around him. She wasn't pushy, like Relena often was, and if anything, did what she could to avoid him, also unlike Relena who was often following him around. Since her appearance, he had felt more human than he had in a long time. More content with himself and his life. And he had a feeling it was because he loved her. This girl was a complete contradiction. Brave, insecure, confident, self-conscious, determined, scared, and every other emotion all rolled into one. In his eyes, Relena couldn't even come close to comparing with her. "I don't love Relena. I have never lead her to believe otherwise, and sooner or later she'll find the right person for her."
"But-" Usagi was once again silenced as his lips captured hers, and all thoughts flew out of her head as she lost herself completely in the simple touch.
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Wufei watched Sally's expression for a moment, knowing that whatever it was she had wanted the pilots here for, it wasn't good news. The entire group, minus Heero and Usagi, was gathered at the preventer's main office, in the conference room. No doubt to be updated on the current situation.
Haruka was becoming more impatient by the minute, not liking the fact that Usagi was back at the dorm while she sat here doing nothing. Her foot was tapping against the floor in an unbroken pattern, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat perfectly. Rei reached out and placed a hand on Haruka's arm, causing her to lose concentration, and sighed in relief when the tapping stopped. The two looked at each other for a moment, seemingly in a silent conversation, before Haruka looked away and focused her gaze on Sally, waiting for her to speak.
Rei, who was seated in-between Haruka and Wufei, turned to the later, blushing when her eyes met his. She wanted to look away, but seemed to be trapped in his gaze, unable to move. He studied her eyes for a moment, seeing her fear and worry over Usagi, before turning back to Sally, completely shocking her when she felt his hand close over her own under the table. The blush darkened and she too turned to Sally, linking fingers with him shyly.
Duo, Quatra and Trowa glanced at one another, wondering why Dorothy, who sat by Sally, was acting so odd. Her face was pale and drawn and she seemed to be lost somewhere in her own thoughts. All three doubted she even realized where she was at the moment, despite the fact that she had led them there. Duo leaned over close to Quatra, catching his attention easily. "Do you think what Usagi said made her like this?" Quatra merely shrugged, even though he had just been thinking the same thing.
Trowa leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, and cleared his throat loudly. "Why are we here Sally?"
Sally looked over to him and took a seat, still trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to. Finally mustering up the courage to reveal their orders, she once again stood, too nervous to say it while sitting down. Looking straight at Quatra, knowing he would be the one most likely to understand, she took a deep breath and released it calmly, speaking in a tone not all that different from Heero's. "Usagi Tenou has become too much of a liability. Chiba will do anything to get her back, as he more then willingly proved last night, and quite frankly, we can't take the casualties. At first, his distraction in trying to find her was more then helpful. But now he knows where she is." Sally took in the shocked expressions gradually, hating herself for doing this to them. "As a result he'll throw anything and everything he can at us to destroy our organization and get her back." There was a brief pause as she turned around so she wouldn't have to see their reactions. "We have been ordered to get rid of her."
Duo's jaw practically dropped to the floor in disbelief, wondering if he'd heard her right. Get rid of her? Usagi was one of the sweetest people he'd ever known, and even if he hadn't known her very long he still considered her a close friend. Without even hesitating to think, he already knew he could never get rid of her.
Trowa had sat up straight in his chair, his hand on the edge of the table as if to steady himself. Had Sally really just said what he thought she had? Were they really supposed to kill Usagi? He turned to Quatra, noticing the suspicious wet shine in his eyes. Out of all the people Trowa had ever known, Quatra was the only one he had ever seen form strong bonds to other people so quickly. Quatra was struggling in his own mind, too shocked to even know what to think. Usagi was like one of his own sisters. He cared for her too much to.god, he couldn't even finish the thought.
Wufei was looking at Sally as if she had grown two heads. Even if the older woman couldn't see it, she felt it anyway. Rei had his hand held in a death grip, making even him slightly wince at the tight hold. It felt like she was going to crush his knuckles, or break a few fingers, whichever happened first. Gently, he pulled her hand towards him, drawing her attention. When she faced him he could see the tears tracking slowly down her face, as well as the sadness and shock in her eyes. Without warning, Rei buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly, and Wufei didn't have the heart to move away.
Haruka looked like she was about to kill someone, mainly Sally, and had Dorothy not surprised everyone by speaking first, she probably would have.
"No!" Sally turned to Dorothy, studying her rigid posture and fierce determination. She was the first to break the tense silence, made somewhat worse by her sharp outburst.
"Dorothy?"
Dorothy looked up at Sally and slowly got to her feet, smoothing down her skirt out of habit. "You can't. This girl is innocent. More innocent then most in this world or even in the colonies." Her voice was thick with emotion, leaving everyone speechless and shocked. "She has so much potential.If you destroy her, then what will become of us? The guilt will consume us all and you know it!"
Sally stepped back in surprise, her mouth set in an 'o' of surprise. "Kill her? Is that what you think I meant?" She looked around at the group, slight amusement in her eyes. "Maybe I should be more mindful of my wording. I only meant we are no longer to protect Usagi. She must leave Canq," Sally looked down, the amusement gone, "and must never return. It's for the protection of us all." She whispered, evidently disagreeing with the order.
Just as the room was about to explode into a debate, Relena flung open the door, holding a brown paper bag and a tray filled with coffee cups. Her mouth opened with the intent of offering the people in the room a little snack, but at the blank looks she absently set down the heavy load and crossed her arms nervously. "What's going on?"
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A.N: Sorry, when I tried to update the document manager was down. Well, please review!