Author's Notes: (Tensei) Okie… New chapter. ^^ Um… this is what I had
originally planned on writing for the beginning… The prologue was just out
of boredom, so I'm sorry, nothing from Musha yet, but her chapter is next!
* cheers * Please read and review!
Kudos: More kudos! Weee!! Marika Webster, my first onee-san… * HuGz * You're too good to me. And Musha-chan, my bestest onee-chan * glomps * You're too tolerant of me! And to all of the readers…. * HuGz * THANK YOU!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing… * sigh * But I do own my GW tapes! * HuGgLeZ *
~*~*~*~*~
Tainted Dream
Chapter One
~*~*~*~*~
"Oh! Renee! Did you hear?"
A young woman at the other end of the room looked up curiously at her coworker. "Hear what?"
The first woman just laughed and tossed a newspaper over to the other. "Check that out! The Yui's baby was born last night!"
Renee blinked a couple of times and looked down at the paper, securely tucking a strand of copper brown hair behind her ear as she read. "Elizabeth… You need a life." She laughed and handed the paper back.
Elizabeth just shook her head. "Oh, come on!! You should know that I love to keep track of celebrities! Especially these two! I mean, what a remarkable story! Did you know that Hiiro Yui used to threaten to kill Relena when they were younger? Who would have thought that they'd get married?"
Renee just shook her head. "You need a date…"
Elizabeth just grinned, that sly grin that Renee always knew meant trouble. "I already have a date for tonight! And so do you!"
The brunette's heart sank past her feet and she rolled her eyes, groaning in disgust. "You're kidding me, right?"
The other woman just crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "He's picking you up at seven."
"Elizabeth! You know that I don't like going on dates! Especially blind dates!" Renee was furious. No matter how many times she tried to explain it to everyone, no one could accept the fact that she just wasn't interested in dating of any form. She was happy with the way that things were!
The other woman just waved her hand and shook her head. "Don't worry! I promise that you're gonna like this guy! He's good-looking, smart, talkative…"
"Then why don't you go out with him?" Renee questioned, "You seem to like him enough!"
"But I've already got a date! Besides, he's nothing like the last guy that I picked out for you! This one is rich!!"
"Abbie! Do you really think that I'm that shallow?!"
The older woman just laughed, "Come on! Admit it! You may appear to be modest, but I just know that deep down inside, there's this little princess that can't wait to be pampered!"
Renee just groaned, almost getting annoyed with her friend now. "Listen… Elizabeth… I really don't feel up to this."
"Ugh! Come on! You need to get out more! You can't spend the rest of your life living alone! You need a partner!"
"I don't live alone!" Renee shouted indignantly.
Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Your cat doesn't count."
With a groan, Renee rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. There was no way that she was going to go out on a date! No way!
Elizabeth just sighed. "Fine fine… whatever. I'll call him to cancel."
Renee sighed and made her way to her office, "Thank you…" She stepped inside, resisting the urge to slam the door shut. Instead, just latched it carefully and leaned back against the glass.
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei stared curiously down at the tiny creature before him. He had never seen anything like it, at least not up close. So innocent, yet so terrifying at the same time. He was thankful that he wasn't the one who would have to deal with it.
"It's called a baby, Fei-baka." A feminine voice behind him laughed as he spun around in surprise.
He narrowed his eyes at the woman before him. "Musha no baka… I know what this is!"
Musha just smiled and shook her head. "I bet you'd never know what to do with it though!"
"That's beside the point!" He exclaimed, doing his best to hide the smile that threatened to brighten his features. It had been two years since Tensei's death. The first year was the hardest. Musha completely shut herself off from everyone else, until she finally realizes that Tensei wouldn't want her to suffer like this.
He still knew, though, that she was still hurting, which could only be expected. He decided, though, that he would never force her to talk about her pain. She was a strong person, having grown up amidst such pain. She had her own way of handling it, so he made sure just to be there for her.
Hiiro entered the room at that moment, and ever so gently scooped little Owen into his arms. "Thank you for keeping an eye on him." He said in his usual monotone.
Musha stared in wonder at the care that Hiiro practiced whenever he was so much as in the same room as the baby. She never imagined that a war- hardened soldier such as himself would ever display such tenderness.
"How's Relena doing?" Musha asked as she pulled on her coat.
"She's doing fine." Hiiro answered, "But she is forbidden to leave the house until she has fully recovered."
Musha couldn't help but laugh. "You know, Hiiro." She said with a slight smirk, "The best way to help her recover would be to help her with actually caring for the baby."
Hiiro looked at Musha curiously as she introduced this foreign concept. "You mean…"
Musha nodded. "Rocking, feeding," she paused and smirked just slightly, "Changing…"
Wufei laughed as Hiiro visibly paled. Gently tugging on Musha's arm, leading her to the door. "Stop traumatizing the poor man. He shouldn't have to worry about those things. They're for a woman to take care of."
Musha turned around quickly grabbed the door handle. "Little ears. Excuse us a moment." Gently pulling the door shut, she turned to Wufei. "Baka…" she smacked him on the shoulder and walked ahead of him out to the street.
Wufei laughed yet again and raised his arms in defense. "What did I do?"
Musha laughed with him and shook her head. "You are a baka…"
~*~*~*~*~
Duo yawned and stretched his legs out on top of his desk. He quickly glanced at his watch and grinned. "Yep. It's been a whole hour. Time for another break." He shut his eyes for a brief moment before the phone rang. With a groan, he reached over and lifted the receiver to his ear. "Preventer Maxwell."
"Duo! How've ya been, hon?" a feminine voice squealed from the other end.
"Abbie!" Duo sat straight up and leaned forward on the desk, "Babe! How are ya? I haven't talk to you in ages!" It was true. Duo hadn't spoken to Elizabeth in a few years, actually. They had a little "fling" during his vacation to New York. The relationship ended when the holiday did, but the two did remain as good friends.
Elizabeth just laughed. "I'm doing great! But, the reason I called is to ask you for some help!"
"Anything for you, sexy!" She could just picture him winking as he said those words and sighed.
"You shut up now, or Hilde will get mad!"
"Nah… don't worry. She knows that I'm a flirt. As long as she knows that I'm hers, no matter what, she's okay with it."
Elizabeth chuckled and shook her head. "Loser… Anyway. I need a bit of help for my friend, actually. She's young, active, beautiful, and single."
Duo sighed. "I have dirty mind. Don't say things like that to me, Bethy."
"Come on, Duo! Be serious!"
"Okay okay! What can I do for you?"
"Well…" Elizabeth began, taking a quick glance around to make sure that Renee was nowhere in sight. "You still hang out with Quatre Winner, right?"
Duo nodded. "Yep! But he's at his office today. How is he involved in all of this?"
"Well, you see…" she trailed off, feeling only a little bit guilty, but nonetheless motivated to get Renee some form of love life. "He's single, isn't he?"
Duo nodded grimly. "Ever since Tensei died, he's locked himself in his office. He's as single as a guy can get."
Elizabeth grinned. "Perfect! Then we can help both of them! Can you somehow arrange for Mr. Winner to come to New York? I could get them some reservations at a restaurant, romantic hotel-"
"Ah," Duo cut her off, "Forget the romantic hotel. Quatre doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would swing that way."
The woman sighed. "You're right. I don't think Renee would be too keen on that idea anyway. But the restaurant would work, wouldn't it?"
Duo nodded. "That sounds great! And just your luck, Hilde just landed a job as his secretary! I'll have a little chat with her and see what business meetings she can arrange for him out that way."
"Great!!" the woman squealed and jumped a little before settling back down behind her desk. "Give me a call when you have the dates, okay? I'll make sure that she doesn't have any projects scheduled. Thanks so much, sweetie!"
Duo grinned. "Not a problem."
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei narrowed his eyes in concentration as he focused on the contraption in front of him. He and Musha decided to rent a house together shortly after the war ended – They were good friends, besides, it would be a lot less to pay rent.
They had lived in perfect harmony for almost two years, but Musha accused Wufei of being tone-deaf, for this perfect harmony seemed pretty off-key to her, being that she always ended up doing such things as cooking and cleaning. She decided that it was high time Wufei learned some domestic skills of his own.
It didn't take very long for Wufei to realize that Musha didn't buy any of that 'You're the woman, it's your job!' crap. She meant business, and proved it to him by going on 'strike'. She didn't cook for him, she didn't clean for him, and she refused to even wash his laundry.
Well, after a few weeks of messy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cluttered floors and dirty clothes, Wufei finally gave in to the onna and decided to learn how to accomplish these necessary tasks. Before he moved with Musha, he had stayed in Quatre's mansion, having everything provided for him, so he had never needed to know anything of the art of housekeeping.
"Come on, baka…" he muttered to himself, lifting up the white metal lid and peering into the washing machine. "Aha! This should be simple!" He would not be outdone by a mere machine! With a new confidence, he dropped a pile of clothes – darks and lights alike into the bin, then surveyed the shelf. Boxes and bottles were scattered about, but he prided himself in the fact that he recognized the conspicuous box of soap.
He peered inside of the box, then back into the washing machine. Using his better judgment, he poured a liberal amount of the grains into the machine and smiled proudly. But there was something missing… His eyes traveled across the shelf and he smiled as he spotted a bottle labeled "bleach". He had seen Musha use it before when washing laundry, so without a second thought, he unscrewed the cap and poured some in.
Now all that he needed was water… He finally decided that hot would be the best option. Hot water kills germs, and that was a good thing, right?
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre blinked in confusion as he watched his secretary do her best to hide a grin. "New York? So suddenly?"
Hilde nodded. "Mr. Johnson has a new project coming up, and he was wondering if you might finance it."
Quatre nodded. "That's fine, but… can't I just authorize that over the phone?"
The young woman just shook her head. "Nope! He knew that you'd say yes, so he wanted to treat you to dinner as a thank you. Besides, you two are friends, and he thought it would do you some good to have a bit of fun for once."
Quatre narrowed his eyes. "Hilde… I do have fun!"
Hilde just laughed sarcastically. "Quatre! The most fun I ever see you having is inventing new models of paper airplanes at that desk of yours that you don't even leave until ten-thirty at night! You need to socialize some more like you used to!"
Quatre just frowned. "I do socialize." In actuality, he knew that the closest thing he had to a social life right now was conference calls with other executives from around the world… But he didn't want more right now. He was fine with how things were. Well, correction: he was NOT fine with how things were now, but he knew that he couldn't get over her… it! He couldn't get over it!
"Come on, Quatre!" Hilde begged, "It's only for a few days. Get out of your office, have dinner with a friend, and spend the rest of the time doing whatever you like!"
Quatre just groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine… but I'm not promising that I'll enjoy it!"
Hilde grinned and waved her hand. "Oh… whatever. Listen, you've got a plane to catch in about four hours, so you'd better go start packing!"
"Four hours?!"
He didn't even have time to say anything else, as Hilde shoved him out the door with a quick, "Have fun!"
The young man sighed and trudged out to his car. This was going to be a long few days…
~*~*~*~*~
Renee sighed as she collapsed back on her sofa. The weekend had finally come, but she couldn't shake that feeling of dread that had been haunting her for the last week. It had been an entire week since Elizabeth had dared to suggest that she go on a date – again. Abbie wasn't the type to back down that easily. No, she had something up her sleeve, and she wouldn't go down without a fight.
There was a swift knock at the door and Renee rolled her eyes, standing up with a groan. She didn't feel like company right now. Call her anti- social, she just didn't like people anymore.
Before she could even open the door, it burst open and in flew a grinning Elizabeth, holding a hanger in her hand with something concealed inside of a plastic covering. "Let's go, girl! We don't have much time!"
Renee blinked in confusion. "Abbie… what's going on?"
The other woman just shut the door behind her and ran right into her friend's bedroom, throwing open the closet and rummaging through some shoes. "Go wash your hair, Renee! We're going out!!"
The brunette shook her head. "What are you talking about? What's that you have?"
Elizabeth just smiled proudly as she yanked the plastic off of the hanger, to reveal a long, strapless green gown. "I think it matches your eyes well! Now all we need are some shoes that'll match!" She hung the dress on the hook on the door and continued her hunt for a decent pair of shoes.
"Elizabeth!!!" Renee shouted in absolute disgust, "What in the world do you think that you're doing?!"
"Listen…" Elizabeth stopped and looked up at her friend, "I hope you can forgive me, but I got you a date – But before you say anything, please hear me out!" She winced inwardly at the angry expression that her friend's features held, but continued, nonetheless, "Listen. If you go on this date, just this ONE date, I PROMISE that I'll NEVER bug you about dating again, okay? Just… please, I went to a lot of trouble to arrange this, and I'm only doing it for you!"
Renee cursed mentally. She was too soft to say no to someone who begged so sincerely, and she DID say that she went to a lot of trouble. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Fine… But you owe me, all right?"
Elizabeth just squealed and went back to the closet, "You're the greatest, Renee! I KNOW you'll love him, I just KNOW it!"
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei sat quietly on the sofa of his home, reading a book, enjoying the silence. He rather liked the home that he and Musha picked out. It was right outside of the city, though not inconvenient, but away from unwanted noises. It was peaceful. Just how he liked it.
Only moments later did Musha come back home, blinking in surprise as she looked around at the house. "Wufei…" she could hardly believe her eyes. The floor had been picked up, and it even looked as if it had been vacuumed? She walked around, inspecting for dust and found nothing.
Wufei just continued to read his book, pretending that she wasn't even there.
"What did you do, Wufei?"
"It's called cleaning." He stated simply, "I cleaned the house, vacuumed, dusted, took out the trash and even did the laundry." He decided not to mention the fact that he made an attempt at making dinner – knowing fully well that it would do his case no good. He probably couldn't even get a dog to eat his food.
Musha couldn't help but smile as she peered around, confirming to herself that the house was, in fact, spotless. She let out a little squeal and bounded over to the couch, laying a quick kiss on his cheek. They did that often, more out of friendship than love, but still, they could not deny their feelings for each other. "I told you that you could do it!"
Wufei just nodded, trying his hardest not to break out a proud grin. "I told you that I could do it."
Musha laughed and skipped into her room. "I'm gonna go change."
Wufei merely nodded. "Your clothes should be finished drying now! They're in the laundry room!"
Musha smiled as she came back out of her room. "You did my laundry too? You're so sweet!" She smiled as she headed to the laundry room.
Only moments later, did Wufei drop his book as he heard a very loud, very angry sounding, "DIE, SEXIST BAKA!!!"
~*~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth… have I mentioned yet that I'm going to kill you?" Renee stared at herself in the mirror in obvious shock, if not horror. Her hair had been pulled up into a neat bun, with little brown curls falling down the sides of her face. The dress… well, the dress looked fine, until she put it on. It was too low-cut for her taste, so after some arguing, Elizabeth finally agreed to let her wear a shawl over it. She sighed as she looked at her reflection, feeling a twang of… Well, something. She didn't know how she felt. As she looked at the girl before her, she didn't even recognize her. But maybe that was all for the better?
"You look great!" Elizabeth shouted happily, "Now let's go! He's going to be waiting for you!"
"Can I at least know his name?" Renee asked as she picked up her pocketbook and headed for the door. "I mean, I don't know anything about him!"
Elizabeth just grinned. "It's a surprise! But I promise that you'll like him, okay? Just hold out for a bit longer!" she handed her a small piece of paper and headed for the car, "Once you go inside, hand this to the guy at the front desk, and he'll take you to Mr. Right!"
Renee sighed. "Sleep with one eye open, tonight…"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre fidgeted slightly and glanced at his watch once more. Mr. Johnson was always very meticulous when it came to being on time for meetings, and dinner was never an exception. They were to meet at seven-thirty. It was already seven-fifty. He was getting a bit agitated, and only a little bit suspicious. Last he knew Mr. Johnson hated this restaurant. Something wasn't connecting.
What really threw him off was the fact that Duo insisted on accompanying him to the United States. His excuse was that he wanted some time to "explore his heritage". For some reason, he didn't buy that. But it was too late now. Here he was, waiting for his friend who probably would not even show up at this point. Mr. Johnson would rather not show up for a meeting than be caught late.
With a sigh, Quatre settled back in his seat and decided to give him another ten minutes. If he wasn't here in ten minutes, he would leave and retire back to the hotel. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone anyway.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hurry up, Renee! You're late!!!"
Renee just tripped along behind Elizabeth, who had her by the wrist, dragging her to the front of the restaurant. "I'm going as fast as I can! I told you not to make me wear these shoes!"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No way! You're supposed to master the art of running in heals! Let's go!" She quickly shoved the other woman into the lobby of the restaurant and stopped to catch her breath, then straightened out a few strands of curls that had gone wild around Renee's head. "All right…" she panted, "Just take that paper to the guy over there, and he'll show you to your seat, okay?"
"But, Elizabeth!!" Renee didn't even get a chance to say more as Elizabeth darted out of the restaurant as fast as her legs could carry her.
With a sigh, Renee turned around and walked up to the man that Elizabeth had pointed out earlier, merely showing him the slip of paper. With a nod, he motioned for her to follow him.
Renee followed the man, glancing around silently at the enormous dining hall. Everyone there was dressed very well, and all seemed comfortable in such surroundings, whereas she felt very out of place. She continued to glance around until her eyes fell on a painfully familiar figure. She squinted her eyes to make sure that she wasn't fooling herself. Sure enough, he looked just like the person that haunted her dreams.
She maneuvered slightly to the left, hoping to avoid his gaze, should he look in her direction, but to her dismay, the waiter that she was supposed to follow was headed right in his direction. This was bad… very, very bad. She wanted to go home. Right now! She wasn't prepared to deal with this! Not here… not now!
So many emotions flew through her at once that she could barely even see straight. He was dead to her, but now, here he was, only yards away. As the yards became feet, she turned her head to face away from him as they passed, but was surprised when she bumped into the waiter, who had since stopped in front of the young man's table.
"Good evening, Mr. Winner." The waiter greeted as he pulled out a chair for Renee. She just shook her head in disbelief. He wanted her to sit there?! With him?!
She dared to glance down at the platinum-haired man and bit down on her lip. He looked exactly the same as he did two years ago, only slightly older. He obviously didn't recognize her, and she was grateful for that.
While Renee was flying on her emotional roller coaster, Quatre was on one of his own, but more confused than anything. "I'm sorry," he began, "But I'm here to meet with Mr. Johnson."
The waiter shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but the reservations were made for Mr. Quatre Reberba Winner and Miss Renee Williams. Mr. Johnson isn't even in town."
Quatre shook his head in absolute disbelief, doing his best to suppress any hostile thoughts that came at the thought of Duo and how positively evil he was for setting up something like this. But amidst all of the anger and contempt, he felt some other emotion, though not his own. He felt fear, sorrow, and absolute despair. Taking a quick glance up at the woman, he blinked. 'She looks… familiar…' Shaking his head, he sighed.
"I'm sorry. I knew nothing about this."
"Neither did I." Renee spoke for the first time, "Well, I mean… I did, but…" she couldn't even make herself say anything more. She was too confused to think.
Quatre shook his head and looked up to the woman again. He could sense how weary her soul was, and he almost felt as if… he should help her? He growled inwardly and sighed. "Well, Miss Williams. It appears that we're stuck here for tonight anyway. Would you mind terribly to dine with me?"
Renee struggled against herself at that moment. While one part of her screamed for her to run for her life, the other scolded her for even thinking such things and ordered her to stay. She was just so overcome with emotion that she didn't even notice when her knees buckled underneath her and Quatre jumped up immediately to catch her and gently set her down in her seat.
"Are you all right, Miss Williams?" he asked in concern, frustrated that the waiter had already left them.
Renee nodded shakily and sat up, doing her best to pull herself together. 'It's too late now…' she mused, 'Just survive this dinner, and it'll all be over. Nothing more than a bad dream.'
Quatre nodded and took his seat once more, wondering to himself why on earth he invited her to stay in the first place. It was clear to him that she didn't want to be there, and neither did he… but something told him to stay. "Well…" he started in his best attempt to break the awkward silence between the two of them "My name is Quatre Reberba Winner."
Renee nodded, resisting the urge to say, 'I know', and just forced a smile. "I'm Renee Williams. It's very nice to meet you."
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei looked up from the stove that he was furiously scrubbing at as the front door opened. In came Musha, arms full of shopping bags. He just went back to his work, deciding that it would be wise not to say anything.
Musha just glared faintly. For some reason, she had found it hard to stay mad at Wufei. She could stay mad at anyone else, but not Wufei. It frustrated her to no end. Without a word, she stomped into her room and shut the door.
Wufei sighed as he wiped the remaining scum off of the stovetop and disposed of the rags that were in his eyes, beyond salvation. When Musha discovered her clothes – or, what used to be her clothes, she was enraged, to say the least. Barking out a strict list of orders, she stomped out of the house to replace what she had lost.
She was only gone for about an hour. That was one thing that Wufei loved about her. She wasn't like other women, fussing over every little thing. She was practical, but at the same time, maintained that same beauty that other women worked so hard to attain. She was perfect in every way, and he would do anything to keep her.
The last two years had proved to be a labor for both of them. They were both hopelessly in love with each other, but never did anything to pursue it. They didn't even talk much about it.
There would be the occasional evening conversation that would develop into an emotional sob session, ending in comforting embraces, which eventually lead to chaste kisses as Wufei would carry Musha to her bed and tuck her in gently. She wasn't ready for love, and he loved her enough to respect that. He knew though, that one day she would be ready, and when she was, he wanted to give her the world.
So the incident with the laundry proved counter productive in his intentions. Instead of making her day easier, he succeeded in destroying her wardrobe, forcing her to take a trip out to the store, which he could tell that she didn't want to do anyway.
She came back out only five minutes later, wearing a brand new pair of black jeans, and a goldenrod yellow sweater. He could never get over her fascination with those colors, but they suited her well. Wordlessly, she walked out to the sitting room and plopped down on the sofa, and just watched him.
And he watched her.
They stayed that way for about ten minutes until finally, Musha spoke. "You're a baka, you know." She said, though her voice showed no anger, just mirth.
Wufei smiled slightly. "And you're an onna, which is why I shouldn't be washing the laundry."
Musha shook her head and patted the cushion beside her, signaling to him that she wanted him to sit beside her, which he did without hesitation. She curled one leg up on the couch and underneath her, and turned to face Wufei.
"Fei-baka…" she said quietly, "I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier. I shouldn't have done that."
Wufei shook his head. "No. I was wrong. I should have read the instructions."
Musha just sighed. "You really are a baka. You and I both know that that would have done no good."
Wufei smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but it sounded good at the time."
Musha shook her head and laughed. "But really, Wufei. I'm sorry. I've just been really… snappy lately."
Wufei nodded. "But I understand." He sighed and tenderly took Musha's hand into his, "You're stressed out right now, Musha."
She shook her head. "No… I'm not stressed. Just…"
"It was two years ago, next Wednesday." Wufei interrupted, staring hard at her. "You're stressed, no matter what you say. And you have a right to be stressed. Just don't forget that I'm here for you, okay?"
Musha smiled slightly and nodded her head. "Hai…" She was silent for a moment, before turning her head to the side.
Wufei reached out and gently cupped her chin, moving her to face him once more, only to find the reason for why she turned in the first place. Using his other hand, he gently ran his fingers across her cheeks, wiping away the hot tears that started as a trickle, but soon streamed down her face.
"It's not right…" he whispered softly, "That this happened to you. You of all people deserve to be happy. Just remember though, that Tensei wouldn't want to see you suffering. But at the same time, she wouldn't want to see you hold in all of your pain. Isn't she the one who always told you that crying is the only way to let out your sorrow?"
Musha took a shaky breath and nodded. "But…" she tried to find something to object to, something to oppose. But there was nothing. What's happened has happened, and she was powerless to change it. She hated that about herself. She always had to be in control. But the one time that her friend's life depended on it, she was useless.
Wufei knew exactly what she was thinking. She thought this every day, and told him every time that they cried together. "Musha…" he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and looked at her sincerely, "It's all right. Everything is all right. Tensei is not suffering right now. She just got her break early, that's all. And right now, she's watching you. Her body may have left us, but her soul will always be with you. Not even death can separate a bond as strong as what you two had, and still have. She hasn't said goodbye, she's said 'See you later.' One day soon, you'll be with her again. But until then, try to be happy. You know that she would want that."
Musha closed her eyes, squeezing out the remaining tears and nodded her head as Wufei pulled her into his arms. "And I'll never leave you, okay?"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre watched in silence as the girl before him ran her spoon idly through the soup in front of her that had long since gone cold. She had barely said a word that night, just stared down at her uneaten food.
"I'm sorry…" he broke the silence and sat back, "I know that you don't want to be here, and neither do I. To tell you the truth, I was tricked into coming here."
Renee almost smiled slightly, just imagining Quatre's braided friend plotting and scheming with Elizabeth. She would never forgive her. If only she knew… "It's quite all right." She answered softly, leaving her spoon to rest inside the bowl, and folding her hands on her lap, "I was forced into it too, but with the promise that this would be my last blind date."
Quatre laughed a little. "We need new friends, huh?"
Renee smiled a bit, and nodded. "You don't know the half of it…"
There was another moment of silence as Quatre just watched Renee. She was unlike anyone he had ever met before, yet… familiar. He just couldn't place her.
She appeared to be at least somewhat Irish, with her reddish brown hair and green eyes that that dress of hers so perfectly brought out. While she looked different, her voice was what made him wonder. It sounded familiar, yet… far away. He shook his head and sighed. 'Get a life, Winner…' he said to himself, before standing up. "Well, I have to thank you for a lovely evening, Miss Williams. I… ah… Well, I'm going to be in town for a few more days, so maybe we can meet another time, willingly?" He didn't even know why he was asking this of her, but something deep down inside of him told him that it was right.
Renee's eyes went wide at the invitation. She was positive that she should refuse. Make up some excuse about work and be off, but Elizabeth somehow managed to talk her boss into giving her a few days off, and she knew that if she even dared show her face at the office, her scheming friend would shove her right out.
Only a moment later, did she find herself reaching into her pocketbook for a pen and scrap of paper, mentally scolding her hand for such disobedient behavior. She quickly jotted down her phone number and handed the note to Quatre, who took it and nodded.
He helped her pull out her chair, and offered her his arm, which she looked at hesitantly. Noting that he was only doing it because it was polite, she carefully slipped her arm through his and forced a smile. "Thank you. I had a nice time too."
The two walked in silence out to the lobby, where a man and a woman, both with huge grins plastered on their faces waited. Renee immediately recognized the man who stood beside Elizabeth as Duo Maxwell, one of the former Gundam pilots. So THAT was who she was scheming with!
She managed a quick "Goodnight" to the blonde man beside her and detached herself, walking over to her friend who just smiled and winked at Quatre.
"Did ya have fun?" Elizabeth asked, the grin never leaving her face.
Quatre opened his mouth to answer, but Duo cut in before he could say anything. "You two should really get together again! We're going to be here for a few more days, aren't we, Q-man?"
"What a wonderful idea!" Elizabeth squealed, "It just so happens that Renee has the next few days off of work!"
Renee shook her head, deciding not to mention to her friend that a second meeting had already been discussed. She would allow her friend the satisfaction of success before she got the idea that she had to do anything more. She prayed that this would be enough.
"Well!" Duo piped in, "Goodnight, all! I'll see you after you get off of work tomorrow, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth just nodded. "Count on it! Until then!" she waved happily and headed out to her car with Renee.
It wasn't until she started to drive that she smirked slightly and grinned at her friend, "Soooo…?"
Renee scowled and shook her head, leaning back in her seat, wanting nothing more than a hot shower and some aspirin. "Well what?"
"How did it go?"
Renee just sighed. "We ate, we talked, we left. What else could have happened?"
Elizabeth pretended to frown. "What? No lip-locking?"
Renee's eyes widened in absolute horror as her friend just laughed. "Honestly, Elizabeth! I don't know what you're up to, but I don't like it! Anyway…" she folded her hands in her lap and looked down, "It's over now, and you can't arrange any more blind dates for me."
Elizabeth pretended to pout. "Aaww… you're no fun. Looks like I'll just have to make sure that you and Mr. Winner there REALLY hit it off!"
Renee glared at her friend. "Whatever you're going to do, don't! Please, Abbie!"
Elizabeth just shook her head. "You're no fun…"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre frowned at Duo as they got into the car. "That was wrong, Duo." He said, doing his best to sound disappointed.
Duo blinked, as if Quatre's statement came as a surprise. "What? You mean that you didn't have fun?"
Quatre shook his head. "That poor girl was very uncomfortable! We were both put in an awkward position."
Duo just waved his hand and shook his head. "Don't tell me that you didn't enjoy yourself! Come on! She's gorgeous! And I bet that she was nice too!"
Quatre sighed and sank into his seat. He had to admit that he was slightly… attracted to Renee… only in the slightest bit though. He could never pursue a romantic relationship… not now… and probably not ever.
~*~*~*~*~
Kudos: More kudos! Weee!! Marika Webster, my first onee-san… * HuGz * You're too good to me. And Musha-chan, my bestest onee-chan * glomps * You're too tolerant of me! And to all of the readers…. * HuGz * THANK YOU!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing… * sigh * But I do own my GW tapes! * HuGgLeZ *
~*~*~*~*~
Tainted Dream
Chapter One
~*~*~*~*~
"Oh! Renee! Did you hear?"
A young woman at the other end of the room looked up curiously at her coworker. "Hear what?"
The first woman just laughed and tossed a newspaper over to the other. "Check that out! The Yui's baby was born last night!"
Renee blinked a couple of times and looked down at the paper, securely tucking a strand of copper brown hair behind her ear as she read. "Elizabeth… You need a life." She laughed and handed the paper back.
Elizabeth just shook her head. "Oh, come on!! You should know that I love to keep track of celebrities! Especially these two! I mean, what a remarkable story! Did you know that Hiiro Yui used to threaten to kill Relena when they were younger? Who would have thought that they'd get married?"
Renee just shook her head. "You need a date…"
Elizabeth just grinned, that sly grin that Renee always knew meant trouble. "I already have a date for tonight! And so do you!"
The brunette's heart sank past her feet and she rolled her eyes, groaning in disgust. "You're kidding me, right?"
The other woman just crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "He's picking you up at seven."
"Elizabeth! You know that I don't like going on dates! Especially blind dates!" Renee was furious. No matter how many times she tried to explain it to everyone, no one could accept the fact that she just wasn't interested in dating of any form. She was happy with the way that things were!
The other woman just waved her hand and shook her head. "Don't worry! I promise that you're gonna like this guy! He's good-looking, smart, talkative…"
"Then why don't you go out with him?" Renee questioned, "You seem to like him enough!"
"But I've already got a date! Besides, he's nothing like the last guy that I picked out for you! This one is rich!!"
"Abbie! Do you really think that I'm that shallow?!"
The older woman just laughed, "Come on! Admit it! You may appear to be modest, but I just know that deep down inside, there's this little princess that can't wait to be pampered!"
Renee just groaned, almost getting annoyed with her friend now. "Listen… Elizabeth… I really don't feel up to this."
"Ugh! Come on! You need to get out more! You can't spend the rest of your life living alone! You need a partner!"
"I don't live alone!" Renee shouted indignantly.
Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Your cat doesn't count."
With a groan, Renee rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. There was no way that she was going to go out on a date! No way!
Elizabeth just sighed. "Fine fine… whatever. I'll call him to cancel."
Renee sighed and made her way to her office, "Thank you…" She stepped inside, resisting the urge to slam the door shut. Instead, just latched it carefully and leaned back against the glass.
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei stared curiously down at the tiny creature before him. He had never seen anything like it, at least not up close. So innocent, yet so terrifying at the same time. He was thankful that he wasn't the one who would have to deal with it.
"It's called a baby, Fei-baka." A feminine voice behind him laughed as he spun around in surprise.
He narrowed his eyes at the woman before him. "Musha no baka… I know what this is!"
Musha just smiled and shook her head. "I bet you'd never know what to do with it though!"
"That's beside the point!" He exclaimed, doing his best to hide the smile that threatened to brighten his features. It had been two years since Tensei's death. The first year was the hardest. Musha completely shut herself off from everyone else, until she finally realizes that Tensei wouldn't want her to suffer like this.
He still knew, though, that she was still hurting, which could only be expected. He decided, though, that he would never force her to talk about her pain. She was a strong person, having grown up amidst such pain. She had her own way of handling it, so he made sure just to be there for her.
Hiiro entered the room at that moment, and ever so gently scooped little Owen into his arms. "Thank you for keeping an eye on him." He said in his usual monotone.
Musha stared in wonder at the care that Hiiro practiced whenever he was so much as in the same room as the baby. She never imagined that a war- hardened soldier such as himself would ever display such tenderness.
"How's Relena doing?" Musha asked as she pulled on her coat.
"She's doing fine." Hiiro answered, "But she is forbidden to leave the house until she has fully recovered."
Musha couldn't help but laugh. "You know, Hiiro." She said with a slight smirk, "The best way to help her recover would be to help her with actually caring for the baby."
Hiiro looked at Musha curiously as she introduced this foreign concept. "You mean…"
Musha nodded. "Rocking, feeding," she paused and smirked just slightly, "Changing…"
Wufei laughed as Hiiro visibly paled. Gently tugging on Musha's arm, leading her to the door. "Stop traumatizing the poor man. He shouldn't have to worry about those things. They're for a woman to take care of."
Musha turned around quickly grabbed the door handle. "Little ears. Excuse us a moment." Gently pulling the door shut, she turned to Wufei. "Baka…" she smacked him on the shoulder and walked ahead of him out to the street.
Wufei laughed yet again and raised his arms in defense. "What did I do?"
Musha laughed with him and shook her head. "You are a baka…"
~*~*~*~*~
Duo yawned and stretched his legs out on top of his desk. He quickly glanced at his watch and grinned. "Yep. It's been a whole hour. Time for another break." He shut his eyes for a brief moment before the phone rang. With a groan, he reached over and lifted the receiver to his ear. "Preventer Maxwell."
"Duo! How've ya been, hon?" a feminine voice squealed from the other end.
"Abbie!" Duo sat straight up and leaned forward on the desk, "Babe! How are ya? I haven't talk to you in ages!" It was true. Duo hadn't spoken to Elizabeth in a few years, actually. They had a little "fling" during his vacation to New York. The relationship ended when the holiday did, but the two did remain as good friends.
Elizabeth just laughed. "I'm doing great! But, the reason I called is to ask you for some help!"
"Anything for you, sexy!" She could just picture him winking as he said those words and sighed.
"You shut up now, or Hilde will get mad!"
"Nah… don't worry. She knows that I'm a flirt. As long as she knows that I'm hers, no matter what, she's okay with it."
Elizabeth chuckled and shook her head. "Loser… Anyway. I need a bit of help for my friend, actually. She's young, active, beautiful, and single."
Duo sighed. "I have dirty mind. Don't say things like that to me, Bethy."
"Come on, Duo! Be serious!"
"Okay okay! What can I do for you?"
"Well…" Elizabeth began, taking a quick glance around to make sure that Renee was nowhere in sight. "You still hang out with Quatre Winner, right?"
Duo nodded. "Yep! But he's at his office today. How is he involved in all of this?"
"Well, you see…" she trailed off, feeling only a little bit guilty, but nonetheless motivated to get Renee some form of love life. "He's single, isn't he?"
Duo nodded grimly. "Ever since Tensei died, he's locked himself in his office. He's as single as a guy can get."
Elizabeth grinned. "Perfect! Then we can help both of them! Can you somehow arrange for Mr. Winner to come to New York? I could get them some reservations at a restaurant, romantic hotel-"
"Ah," Duo cut her off, "Forget the romantic hotel. Quatre doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would swing that way."
The woman sighed. "You're right. I don't think Renee would be too keen on that idea anyway. But the restaurant would work, wouldn't it?"
Duo nodded. "That sounds great! And just your luck, Hilde just landed a job as his secretary! I'll have a little chat with her and see what business meetings she can arrange for him out that way."
"Great!!" the woman squealed and jumped a little before settling back down behind her desk. "Give me a call when you have the dates, okay? I'll make sure that she doesn't have any projects scheduled. Thanks so much, sweetie!"
Duo grinned. "Not a problem."
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei narrowed his eyes in concentration as he focused on the contraption in front of him. He and Musha decided to rent a house together shortly after the war ended – They were good friends, besides, it would be a lot less to pay rent.
They had lived in perfect harmony for almost two years, but Musha accused Wufei of being tone-deaf, for this perfect harmony seemed pretty off-key to her, being that she always ended up doing such things as cooking and cleaning. She decided that it was high time Wufei learned some domestic skills of his own.
It didn't take very long for Wufei to realize that Musha didn't buy any of that 'You're the woman, it's your job!' crap. She meant business, and proved it to him by going on 'strike'. She didn't cook for him, she didn't clean for him, and she refused to even wash his laundry.
Well, after a few weeks of messy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cluttered floors and dirty clothes, Wufei finally gave in to the onna and decided to learn how to accomplish these necessary tasks. Before he moved with Musha, he had stayed in Quatre's mansion, having everything provided for him, so he had never needed to know anything of the art of housekeeping.
"Come on, baka…" he muttered to himself, lifting up the white metal lid and peering into the washing machine. "Aha! This should be simple!" He would not be outdone by a mere machine! With a new confidence, he dropped a pile of clothes – darks and lights alike into the bin, then surveyed the shelf. Boxes and bottles were scattered about, but he prided himself in the fact that he recognized the conspicuous box of soap.
He peered inside of the box, then back into the washing machine. Using his better judgment, he poured a liberal amount of the grains into the machine and smiled proudly. But there was something missing… His eyes traveled across the shelf and he smiled as he spotted a bottle labeled "bleach". He had seen Musha use it before when washing laundry, so without a second thought, he unscrewed the cap and poured some in.
Now all that he needed was water… He finally decided that hot would be the best option. Hot water kills germs, and that was a good thing, right?
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre blinked in confusion as he watched his secretary do her best to hide a grin. "New York? So suddenly?"
Hilde nodded. "Mr. Johnson has a new project coming up, and he was wondering if you might finance it."
Quatre nodded. "That's fine, but… can't I just authorize that over the phone?"
The young woman just shook her head. "Nope! He knew that you'd say yes, so he wanted to treat you to dinner as a thank you. Besides, you two are friends, and he thought it would do you some good to have a bit of fun for once."
Quatre narrowed his eyes. "Hilde… I do have fun!"
Hilde just laughed sarcastically. "Quatre! The most fun I ever see you having is inventing new models of paper airplanes at that desk of yours that you don't even leave until ten-thirty at night! You need to socialize some more like you used to!"
Quatre just frowned. "I do socialize." In actuality, he knew that the closest thing he had to a social life right now was conference calls with other executives from around the world… But he didn't want more right now. He was fine with how things were. Well, correction: he was NOT fine with how things were now, but he knew that he couldn't get over her… it! He couldn't get over it!
"Come on, Quatre!" Hilde begged, "It's only for a few days. Get out of your office, have dinner with a friend, and spend the rest of the time doing whatever you like!"
Quatre just groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine… but I'm not promising that I'll enjoy it!"
Hilde grinned and waved her hand. "Oh… whatever. Listen, you've got a plane to catch in about four hours, so you'd better go start packing!"
"Four hours?!"
He didn't even have time to say anything else, as Hilde shoved him out the door with a quick, "Have fun!"
The young man sighed and trudged out to his car. This was going to be a long few days…
~*~*~*~*~
Renee sighed as she collapsed back on her sofa. The weekend had finally come, but she couldn't shake that feeling of dread that had been haunting her for the last week. It had been an entire week since Elizabeth had dared to suggest that she go on a date – again. Abbie wasn't the type to back down that easily. No, she had something up her sleeve, and she wouldn't go down without a fight.
There was a swift knock at the door and Renee rolled her eyes, standing up with a groan. She didn't feel like company right now. Call her anti- social, she just didn't like people anymore.
Before she could even open the door, it burst open and in flew a grinning Elizabeth, holding a hanger in her hand with something concealed inside of a plastic covering. "Let's go, girl! We don't have much time!"
Renee blinked in confusion. "Abbie… what's going on?"
The other woman just shut the door behind her and ran right into her friend's bedroom, throwing open the closet and rummaging through some shoes. "Go wash your hair, Renee! We're going out!!"
The brunette shook her head. "What are you talking about? What's that you have?"
Elizabeth just smiled proudly as she yanked the plastic off of the hanger, to reveal a long, strapless green gown. "I think it matches your eyes well! Now all we need are some shoes that'll match!" She hung the dress on the hook on the door and continued her hunt for a decent pair of shoes.
"Elizabeth!!!" Renee shouted in absolute disgust, "What in the world do you think that you're doing?!"
"Listen…" Elizabeth stopped and looked up at her friend, "I hope you can forgive me, but I got you a date – But before you say anything, please hear me out!" She winced inwardly at the angry expression that her friend's features held, but continued, nonetheless, "Listen. If you go on this date, just this ONE date, I PROMISE that I'll NEVER bug you about dating again, okay? Just… please, I went to a lot of trouble to arrange this, and I'm only doing it for you!"
Renee cursed mentally. She was too soft to say no to someone who begged so sincerely, and she DID say that she went to a lot of trouble. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Fine… But you owe me, all right?"
Elizabeth just squealed and went back to the closet, "You're the greatest, Renee! I KNOW you'll love him, I just KNOW it!"
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei sat quietly on the sofa of his home, reading a book, enjoying the silence. He rather liked the home that he and Musha picked out. It was right outside of the city, though not inconvenient, but away from unwanted noises. It was peaceful. Just how he liked it.
Only moments later did Musha come back home, blinking in surprise as she looked around at the house. "Wufei…" she could hardly believe her eyes. The floor had been picked up, and it even looked as if it had been vacuumed? She walked around, inspecting for dust and found nothing.
Wufei just continued to read his book, pretending that she wasn't even there.
"What did you do, Wufei?"
"It's called cleaning." He stated simply, "I cleaned the house, vacuumed, dusted, took out the trash and even did the laundry." He decided not to mention the fact that he made an attempt at making dinner – knowing fully well that it would do his case no good. He probably couldn't even get a dog to eat his food.
Musha couldn't help but smile as she peered around, confirming to herself that the house was, in fact, spotless. She let out a little squeal and bounded over to the couch, laying a quick kiss on his cheek. They did that often, more out of friendship than love, but still, they could not deny their feelings for each other. "I told you that you could do it!"
Wufei just nodded, trying his hardest not to break out a proud grin. "I told you that I could do it."
Musha laughed and skipped into her room. "I'm gonna go change."
Wufei merely nodded. "Your clothes should be finished drying now! They're in the laundry room!"
Musha smiled as she came back out of her room. "You did my laundry too? You're so sweet!" She smiled as she headed to the laundry room.
Only moments later, did Wufei drop his book as he heard a very loud, very angry sounding, "DIE, SEXIST BAKA!!!"
~*~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth… have I mentioned yet that I'm going to kill you?" Renee stared at herself in the mirror in obvious shock, if not horror. Her hair had been pulled up into a neat bun, with little brown curls falling down the sides of her face. The dress… well, the dress looked fine, until she put it on. It was too low-cut for her taste, so after some arguing, Elizabeth finally agreed to let her wear a shawl over it. She sighed as she looked at her reflection, feeling a twang of… Well, something. She didn't know how she felt. As she looked at the girl before her, she didn't even recognize her. But maybe that was all for the better?
"You look great!" Elizabeth shouted happily, "Now let's go! He's going to be waiting for you!"
"Can I at least know his name?" Renee asked as she picked up her pocketbook and headed for the door. "I mean, I don't know anything about him!"
Elizabeth just grinned. "It's a surprise! But I promise that you'll like him, okay? Just hold out for a bit longer!" she handed her a small piece of paper and headed for the car, "Once you go inside, hand this to the guy at the front desk, and he'll take you to Mr. Right!"
Renee sighed. "Sleep with one eye open, tonight…"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre fidgeted slightly and glanced at his watch once more. Mr. Johnson was always very meticulous when it came to being on time for meetings, and dinner was never an exception. They were to meet at seven-thirty. It was already seven-fifty. He was getting a bit agitated, and only a little bit suspicious. Last he knew Mr. Johnson hated this restaurant. Something wasn't connecting.
What really threw him off was the fact that Duo insisted on accompanying him to the United States. His excuse was that he wanted some time to "explore his heritage". For some reason, he didn't buy that. But it was too late now. Here he was, waiting for his friend who probably would not even show up at this point. Mr. Johnson would rather not show up for a meeting than be caught late.
With a sigh, Quatre settled back in his seat and decided to give him another ten minutes. If he wasn't here in ten minutes, he would leave and retire back to the hotel. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone anyway.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hurry up, Renee! You're late!!!"
Renee just tripped along behind Elizabeth, who had her by the wrist, dragging her to the front of the restaurant. "I'm going as fast as I can! I told you not to make me wear these shoes!"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No way! You're supposed to master the art of running in heals! Let's go!" She quickly shoved the other woman into the lobby of the restaurant and stopped to catch her breath, then straightened out a few strands of curls that had gone wild around Renee's head. "All right…" she panted, "Just take that paper to the guy over there, and he'll show you to your seat, okay?"
"But, Elizabeth!!" Renee didn't even get a chance to say more as Elizabeth darted out of the restaurant as fast as her legs could carry her.
With a sigh, Renee turned around and walked up to the man that Elizabeth had pointed out earlier, merely showing him the slip of paper. With a nod, he motioned for her to follow him.
Renee followed the man, glancing around silently at the enormous dining hall. Everyone there was dressed very well, and all seemed comfortable in such surroundings, whereas she felt very out of place. She continued to glance around until her eyes fell on a painfully familiar figure. She squinted her eyes to make sure that she wasn't fooling herself. Sure enough, he looked just like the person that haunted her dreams.
She maneuvered slightly to the left, hoping to avoid his gaze, should he look in her direction, but to her dismay, the waiter that she was supposed to follow was headed right in his direction. This was bad… very, very bad. She wanted to go home. Right now! She wasn't prepared to deal with this! Not here… not now!
So many emotions flew through her at once that she could barely even see straight. He was dead to her, but now, here he was, only yards away. As the yards became feet, she turned her head to face away from him as they passed, but was surprised when she bumped into the waiter, who had since stopped in front of the young man's table.
"Good evening, Mr. Winner." The waiter greeted as he pulled out a chair for Renee. She just shook her head in disbelief. He wanted her to sit there?! With him?!
She dared to glance down at the platinum-haired man and bit down on her lip. He looked exactly the same as he did two years ago, only slightly older. He obviously didn't recognize her, and she was grateful for that.
While Renee was flying on her emotional roller coaster, Quatre was on one of his own, but more confused than anything. "I'm sorry," he began, "But I'm here to meet with Mr. Johnson."
The waiter shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but the reservations were made for Mr. Quatre Reberba Winner and Miss Renee Williams. Mr. Johnson isn't even in town."
Quatre shook his head in absolute disbelief, doing his best to suppress any hostile thoughts that came at the thought of Duo and how positively evil he was for setting up something like this. But amidst all of the anger and contempt, he felt some other emotion, though not his own. He felt fear, sorrow, and absolute despair. Taking a quick glance up at the woman, he blinked. 'She looks… familiar…' Shaking his head, he sighed.
"I'm sorry. I knew nothing about this."
"Neither did I." Renee spoke for the first time, "Well, I mean… I did, but…" she couldn't even make herself say anything more. She was too confused to think.
Quatre shook his head and looked up to the woman again. He could sense how weary her soul was, and he almost felt as if… he should help her? He growled inwardly and sighed. "Well, Miss Williams. It appears that we're stuck here for tonight anyway. Would you mind terribly to dine with me?"
Renee struggled against herself at that moment. While one part of her screamed for her to run for her life, the other scolded her for even thinking such things and ordered her to stay. She was just so overcome with emotion that she didn't even notice when her knees buckled underneath her and Quatre jumped up immediately to catch her and gently set her down in her seat.
"Are you all right, Miss Williams?" he asked in concern, frustrated that the waiter had already left them.
Renee nodded shakily and sat up, doing her best to pull herself together. 'It's too late now…' she mused, 'Just survive this dinner, and it'll all be over. Nothing more than a bad dream.'
Quatre nodded and took his seat once more, wondering to himself why on earth he invited her to stay in the first place. It was clear to him that she didn't want to be there, and neither did he… but something told him to stay. "Well…" he started in his best attempt to break the awkward silence between the two of them "My name is Quatre Reberba Winner."
Renee nodded, resisting the urge to say, 'I know', and just forced a smile. "I'm Renee Williams. It's very nice to meet you."
~*~*~*~*~
Wufei looked up from the stove that he was furiously scrubbing at as the front door opened. In came Musha, arms full of shopping bags. He just went back to his work, deciding that it would be wise not to say anything.
Musha just glared faintly. For some reason, she had found it hard to stay mad at Wufei. She could stay mad at anyone else, but not Wufei. It frustrated her to no end. Without a word, she stomped into her room and shut the door.
Wufei sighed as he wiped the remaining scum off of the stovetop and disposed of the rags that were in his eyes, beyond salvation. When Musha discovered her clothes – or, what used to be her clothes, she was enraged, to say the least. Barking out a strict list of orders, she stomped out of the house to replace what she had lost.
She was only gone for about an hour. That was one thing that Wufei loved about her. She wasn't like other women, fussing over every little thing. She was practical, but at the same time, maintained that same beauty that other women worked so hard to attain. She was perfect in every way, and he would do anything to keep her.
The last two years had proved to be a labor for both of them. They were both hopelessly in love with each other, but never did anything to pursue it. They didn't even talk much about it.
There would be the occasional evening conversation that would develop into an emotional sob session, ending in comforting embraces, which eventually lead to chaste kisses as Wufei would carry Musha to her bed and tuck her in gently. She wasn't ready for love, and he loved her enough to respect that. He knew though, that one day she would be ready, and when she was, he wanted to give her the world.
So the incident with the laundry proved counter productive in his intentions. Instead of making her day easier, he succeeded in destroying her wardrobe, forcing her to take a trip out to the store, which he could tell that she didn't want to do anyway.
She came back out only five minutes later, wearing a brand new pair of black jeans, and a goldenrod yellow sweater. He could never get over her fascination with those colors, but they suited her well. Wordlessly, she walked out to the sitting room and plopped down on the sofa, and just watched him.
And he watched her.
They stayed that way for about ten minutes until finally, Musha spoke. "You're a baka, you know." She said, though her voice showed no anger, just mirth.
Wufei smiled slightly. "And you're an onna, which is why I shouldn't be washing the laundry."
Musha shook her head and patted the cushion beside her, signaling to him that she wanted him to sit beside her, which he did without hesitation. She curled one leg up on the couch and underneath her, and turned to face Wufei.
"Fei-baka…" she said quietly, "I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier. I shouldn't have done that."
Wufei shook his head. "No. I was wrong. I should have read the instructions."
Musha just sighed. "You really are a baka. You and I both know that that would have done no good."
Wufei smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but it sounded good at the time."
Musha shook her head and laughed. "But really, Wufei. I'm sorry. I've just been really… snappy lately."
Wufei nodded. "But I understand." He sighed and tenderly took Musha's hand into his, "You're stressed out right now, Musha."
She shook her head. "No… I'm not stressed. Just…"
"It was two years ago, next Wednesday." Wufei interrupted, staring hard at her. "You're stressed, no matter what you say. And you have a right to be stressed. Just don't forget that I'm here for you, okay?"
Musha smiled slightly and nodded her head. "Hai…" She was silent for a moment, before turning her head to the side.
Wufei reached out and gently cupped her chin, moving her to face him once more, only to find the reason for why she turned in the first place. Using his other hand, he gently ran his fingers across her cheeks, wiping away the hot tears that started as a trickle, but soon streamed down her face.
"It's not right…" he whispered softly, "That this happened to you. You of all people deserve to be happy. Just remember though, that Tensei wouldn't want to see you suffering. But at the same time, she wouldn't want to see you hold in all of your pain. Isn't she the one who always told you that crying is the only way to let out your sorrow?"
Musha took a shaky breath and nodded. "But…" she tried to find something to object to, something to oppose. But there was nothing. What's happened has happened, and she was powerless to change it. She hated that about herself. She always had to be in control. But the one time that her friend's life depended on it, she was useless.
Wufei knew exactly what she was thinking. She thought this every day, and told him every time that they cried together. "Musha…" he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and looked at her sincerely, "It's all right. Everything is all right. Tensei is not suffering right now. She just got her break early, that's all. And right now, she's watching you. Her body may have left us, but her soul will always be with you. Not even death can separate a bond as strong as what you two had, and still have. She hasn't said goodbye, she's said 'See you later.' One day soon, you'll be with her again. But until then, try to be happy. You know that she would want that."
Musha closed her eyes, squeezing out the remaining tears and nodded her head as Wufei pulled her into his arms. "And I'll never leave you, okay?"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre watched in silence as the girl before him ran her spoon idly through the soup in front of her that had long since gone cold. She had barely said a word that night, just stared down at her uneaten food.
"I'm sorry…" he broke the silence and sat back, "I know that you don't want to be here, and neither do I. To tell you the truth, I was tricked into coming here."
Renee almost smiled slightly, just imagining Quatre's braided friend plotting and scheming with Elizabeth. She would never forgive her. If only she knew… "It's quite all right." She answered softly, leaving her spoon to rest inside the bowl, and folding her hands on her lap, "I was forced into it too, but with the promise that this would be my last blind date."
Quatre laughed a little. "We need new friends, huh?"
Renee smiled a bit, and nodded. "You don't know the half of it…"
There was another moment of silence as Quatre just watched Renee. She was unlike anyone he had ever met before, yet… familiar. He just couldn't place her.
She appeared to be at least somewhat Irish, with her reddish brown hair and green eyes that that dress of hers so perfectly brought out. While she looked different, her voice was what made him wonder. It sounded familiar, yet… far away. He shook his head and sighed. 'Get a life, Winner…' he said to himself, before standing up. "Well, I have to thank you for a lovely evening, Miss Williams. I… ah… Well, I'm going to be in town for a few more days, so maybe we can meet another time, willingly?" He didn't even know why he was asking this of her, but something deep down inside of him told him that it was right.
Renee's eyes went wide at the invitation. She was positive that she should refuse. Make up some excuse about work and be off, but Elizabeth somehow managed to talk her boss into giving her a few days off, and she knew that if she even dared show her face at the office, her scheming friend would shove her right out.
Only a moment later, did she find herself reaching into her pocketbook for a pen and scrap of paper, mentally scolding her hand for such disobedient behavior. She quickly jotted down her phone number and handed the note to Quatre, who took it and nodded.
He helped her pull out her chair, and offered her his arm, which she looked at hesitantly. Noting that he was only doing it because it was polite, she carefully slipped her arm through his and forced a smile. "Thank you. I had a nice time too."
The two walked in silence out to the lobby, where a man and a woman, both with huge grins plastered on their faces waited. Renee immediately recognized the man who stood beside Elizabeth as Duo Maxwell, one of the former Gundam pilots. So THAT was who she was scheming with!
She managed a quick "Goodnight" to the blonde man beside her and detached herself, walking over to her friend who just smiled and winked at Quatre.
"Did ya have fun?" Elizabeth asked, the grin never leaving her face.
Quatre opened his mouth to answer, but Duo cut in before he could say anything. "You two should really get together again! We're going to be here for a few more days, aren't we, Q-man?"
"What a wonderful idea!" Elizabeth squealed, "It just so happens that Renee has the next few days off of work!"
Renee shook her head, deciding not to mention to her friend that a second meeting had already been discussed. She would allow her friend the satisfaction of success before she got the idea that she had to do anything more. She prayed that this would be enough.
"Well!" Duo piped in, "Goodnight, all! I'll see you after you get off of work tomorrow, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth just nodded. "Count on it! Until then!" she waved happily and headed out to her car with Renee.
It wasn't until she started to drive that she smirked slightly and grinned at her friend, "Soooo…?"
Renee scowled and shook her head, leaning back in her seat, wanting nothing more than a hot shower and some aspirin. "Well what?"
"How did it go?"
Renee just sighed. "We ate, we talked, we left. What else could have happened?"
Elizabeth pretended to frown. "What? No lip-locking?"
Renee's eyes widened in absolute horror as her friend just laughed. "Honestly, Elizabeth! I don't know what you're up to, but I don't like it! Anyway…" she folded her hands in her lap and looked down, "It's over now, and you can't arrange any more blind dates for me."
Elizabeth pretended to pout. "Aaww… you're no fun. Looks like I'll just have to make sure that you and Mr. Winner there REALLY hit it off!"
Renee glared at her friend. "Whatever you're going to do, don't! Please, Abbie!"
Elizabeth just shook her head. "You're no fun…"
~*~*~*~*~
Quatre frowned at Duo as they got into the car. "That was wrong, Duo." He said, doing his best to sound disappointed.
Duo blinked, as if Quatre's statement came as a surprise. "What? You mean that you didn't have fun?"
Quatre shook his head. "That poor girl was very uncomfortable! We were both put in an awkward position."
Duo just waved his hand and shook his head. "Don't tell me that you didn't enjoy yourself! Come on! She's gorgeous! And I bet that she was nice too!"
Quatre sighed and sank into his seat. He had to admit that he was slightly… attracted to Renee… only in the slightest bit though. He could never pursue a romantic relationship… not now… and probably not ever.
~*~*~*~*~